Countdown to NX35 2010: 3 days ’til half of Denton almost passes out…
…from exhaustion! I keep in touch with a few of the NX35 team that has put in so many hours into this music conferette, it should count as a second job. Except this one doesn’t pay. In money, that is. In a few days, however, their hard work along with a hundred other volunteers will finally pay off as thousands flock to the multiple venues in town to check out over two hundred bands. And those thousands of people will have no idea how many phone calls, late nights, last minute changes, dry erase board plans, meetings, buckets of paint, Red Bulls, and hours of sleep lost have gone into this festival, and I think that’s how the NX35 administration would want it. Because, mind you, this is not a corporate-run event. This is a love child of many music lovers in the area willing to put forth the energy and work required to make it happen. If you want to pay your respects to the volunteers, the best thing you can do is have fun. Or throw your own damn festival.
photo credit: sakphotography.wordpress.com
Jacob Metcalf
I started this countdown mentioning my friend Petra Kelly who was basically my gateway into the Denton music scene. At the time, she was mainly playing with Denton bands, Leatherwood and Spooky Folk, but now my favorite local violinist has started to head south to the big city. I can’t blame her though as she has joined the likes of Fox and the Bird and Early Birds (who played at DayBowBow’s Blogiversary and totally won me over). This post is both a thank you to Petra for giving me such a warm welcome to the beautiful music around me and a heads up that you should definitely check out all of the new projects she is in. And that includes Jacob Metcalf and his ever-growing, inclusive band.
The first time I saw Jacob Metcalf was by mistake. I was running late to The Local Edge Show at Trees because it was raining. And Texans don’t do well with rain on the highways. But I happened to make it there to see a string section – violins, cellos, and bass – along with other musicians dressed as if they were in a symphony. I learned later that Jacob Metcalf likes surprises. Of course, his performance at Trees was amazing especially after finding out the string section was put together within two weeks. Jacob’s not your regular indie folk guy. I caught him again at Dan’s in January as he and the band were covered in warpaint and feathers. You’d think the various costumes would be distracting but they aren’t. Not when he starts playing. He seems to find the most talented folk artists in the area to come play with him and he credits them to writing his songs alongside him. The songs are as much their songs as they are his. Watch this DC9 in Sibil video to catch a glimpse of a musician that will definitely capture more attention as the year rolls by.
DC9 Live at El Sibil: Jacob Metcalf from Dallas Observer on Vimeo.
By the by, Jacob Metcalf will be part of KXT‘s showcase on Friday night at Dan’s Silver Leaf. This showcase should be one of the best so go out and support local music and the radio station that supports local music!
Notable tunes to preview online: The real gems are the videos of his most recent work online like this one. And this one. / Myspace / Facebook
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