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TICKETS TO MAJOR SHOWS ARE NOW AVAILABLE THRU Front Gate Tickets Or by phone at 888‑512‑SHOW.
Tickets are also available at CD World, GOOD RECORDS, and Bill’s Records & Tapes .

Friday, April 25 at 9PM

Deke Dickerson cuts a huge figure, both literally and figuratively, in the landscape of American roots music. In a world where cartoonlike "retro" and "revival" acts come and go with the seasons, Deke has maintained an entirely different standard of musicianship by continuing to do what he does best, mixing the best American musical styles of the last five decades.

He is regarded as one of the most respected and versatile guitar players around, even prompting Reverend Horton Heat to declare on his web site that Deke is "the best rockabilly guitar player in the whole world!" In the Americana genre he is regarded as a true musicologist, mixing together genres as disparate as old-time country, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, and surf. In rockabilly he is acknowledged as one of the very top acts in the world and regularly headlines festivals from Las Vegas to Finland.

Deke's music has appeared in a slew of movie and television soundtracks, most recently in the Oscar-winning movie Sideways and the TV show Monster Garage

Saturday, April 26 at 9PM

For members of The Gougers, who each sport a tattoo of the band’s bird-and- broken-heart logo, it is more important that audiences hear the artful and profound lyrics of the songs created by the team of singer-writer- instrumentalists Shane Walker and Jamie Wilson — vivid imagery of human lives, subtle social comment, truth — than be concerned with what sort of genre the band’s music fits into.

The Gougers is Shane Walker on vocals, guitar and harmonica; Jamie Wilson on vocals and acoustic guitar; Cody Foote on electric and upright bass; and John Ross Silva on drums and percussion, who kept his talents secret while he mastered the recording and then joined the band as it tours from Houston to Oklahoma City. Silva (with engineering credits for Dixie Chicks, Shawn Colvin, John Alagia and Lloyd Maines) had been a friend of the band and its incarnations for years, and it was he who brought in country-rocker- producer Keith Gattis, who oversaw the production.

The two Texas songwriters teamed up this way: Walker, the deep singer-songwriter who played drums and piano by age 4 (and later guitar), heard Wilson singing harmony in a cantina in College Station where together they attended Texas A&M and was blown away. Both had grown up in small towns (he from Crawford, she from Sealy) listening to good country music and soaking up influences from Bob Wills and Johnny Cash to Bruce Springsteen, both of their fathers, and even writer/philosopher Joseph Campbell. Walker was also absorbing the songwriting skills of high-caliber pistols the likes of Gram Parsons and Townes Van Zandt.

When the four put their talented heads together, what results is an eclectic blend of new music and lyrics refined to the basics — as stark yet as loaded with meaning as the band’s logo and band members’ tattoos: a crying bird ready to fly from its perch atop a broken heart.

Friday, May 2 at 7PM

BOYS NAMED SUE

The Boys Named Sue aren't your average cover band. Sure, they have a set list chock-full of titles you'd expect--"Crazy Arms," "Ramblin' Man," "Wurlitzer Prize." But it's not these classics that set them apart. After all, how many other bands will segue into a Good Charlotte song in the middle of Hank Williams' "Kaw Liga"? Including members of Slick 57, Dallas Trainwreck, Deadman and the Fabulous Harmonaires, the five Sues put on a raucous show that's anything but predictable. That is, unless you already know how a steel guitar can effortlessly re-create the opening bars of Eminem's "Lose Yourself." ― Susan Castellon, Dallas Observer

the Boys, whose members come from fine local bands like Slick 57, Trainwreck and Deadman, are a cover band trapped in the days when Sun Records meant something, yet also have one foot planted firmly in the present. Classic country jewels written by Roger Miller and Doug Sahm get mixed up in the set list with Southern versions of Violent Femmes and Pixies songs, and whether the band re-creates Eminem beats with pedal steel or plays the hell out of its Johnny Cash namesake, it does its damnedest to unite the two kinds of country listeners with a good, boozy time. ―S M, Dallas Observer

Friday, May 2 at 9PM

I remember sitting in an airport waiting for a plane and my drummer Kenney running up and saying 'there's a girl here you gotta hear' and we walked up and there she was this beautiful girl with a fiddle standing by herself and smiling and playing and I said 'How about some Faded Love?'and she played so pretty that Kenney and I missed our plane. America needs pizzicato. ―Chris Isaak

"She makes a statement that she's standing on her own instrumentally and vocally. Shires will conjure smiles one moment, and the next communicate loneliness with fiddle and bow." ―William Kerns, Lubbock Avalanche‑Journal 2006

Shires' musical interests have always been wide and variant. Her facility across a range of styles as well as her beautiful rich voice and harmony singing have lead her to associations and collaborations with a wide range of highly regarded musicians and writers. Alongside her work with Thrift Store Cowboys, Shires has worked with Texas legends Billy Joe Shaver, Gary P Nunn, and The Texas Playboys as well as Folk/Bluegrass favorites The Rowen Brothers, Andy Wilkinson, Whit Smith’s Hot Jazz Caravan, and one of Indie rock's hottest acts Devotchka.

Her first solo album release Being Brave from 2005 is testament to her short but extraordinary career, mixing brilliant arrangements and performances of traditional fiddle music along with several of her own compositions. Now 24 Amanda Shires stands in front of an already impressive body of work and on the edge of a career in full bloom.

Saturday, May 3 at 9PM

Wednesday, May 7 at 9PM

PATHS OF GLORY is among the most powerful antiwar films ever made. The story takes place in 1916 France, as the French command orders an exhausted unit to wrest control of an anthill from the Germans--expecting a casualty rate of 60 percent. The battle--during which the Germans are never seen, indicating that the French are their own worst enemy--turns into a bloody massacre. Looking for a scapegoat, General Mireau (George Macready) orders Colonel Dax (a never-more-intense Kirk Douglas) to select three of his men to face a court-martial and possible firing squad for the troops' cowardice. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, PATHS OF GLORY, based on the novel by Humphrey Cobbs, is a gut-wrenching, unforgettable drama. Every scene is awash in grays, covered in doom. Kubrick marvelously contrasts the ornate palace where the generals sip their cognac with the ramshackle trenches where injured men stumble about, demoralized and shellshocked. Douglas gives a tough, gritty performance; his tense sparring with the high command features sharp, biting dialogue. The entire cast is outstanding; watching so many men die for no reason is maddening. Kubrick captured the Vietnam War in FULL METAL JACKET, the cold war in DR. STRANGELOVE, the Seven Years' War in BARRY LYNDON, and a slave uprising in SPARTACUS, but PATHS OF GLORY is his crowning achievement when it comes to depicting the devastation, both physical and psychological, that war wreaks on the individual--as well as the state. ‑ rottentomatoes.com

We are adopting a new format that will encourage attendance and audience participation in the selection of some of the films we will screen. EACH MONTH we will highlight the works of a different Film Director. Each Wednesday night, we will screen one of their films. The first three weeks of the month, WE will make the selections, while the film to be screened on the fourth or final Wednesday of each month will be chosen by YOU, the viewers and film fans. Your suggestions/votes can be submitted at the weekly screenings, or HERE.

Also, as an added incentive to attend each week: any film fan attending ALL of one month's screenings AND dining each week, will get their entree FREE on the 4th week! WHAT A DEAL !!!

Friday, May 9 at 7PM

Wednesday, May 14 at 9PM

DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB is Stanley Kubrick's Cold War masterpiece. Based on the novel RED ALERT by Peter George, the film is set at the height of the tensions between Russia and the United States, when all it would take to destroy the world was one push of a button. And General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) is just the man to do it. Convinced that the Russians have infiltrated America's "vital essence," the crazed Ripper gives the go code to the 843rd bomb wing to attack Russia, setting in motion a series of darkly hilarious vignettes involving gung-ho soldiers, wacky generals, spying Russians, drunken premiers, battles with soda machines, fights in the War Room, and the Russians' top-secret Doomsday Machine. Shot in black and white, the film has three main centers of action: one of the B-52 bombers, on which a group of loyal men know they are about to start World War III; Burpelson Air Force Base, where Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers) is trying to convince everyone that Ripper has gone mad and the bombing must be stopped; and the War Room, where President Merkin Muffley (Sellers again) is trying to make peace with the Russians. The finale featuring Sellers as Dr. Strangelove is a comic gem. Hayden, George C. Scott, Slim Pickens, Keenan Wynn, and Sellers (in three roles) are especially terrific in what may be the funniest, most poignant black comedy ever made, a vicious satire on the farcical aspects of the military and the cold war. ‑ rottentomatoes.com

Thursday, May 15 at 8PM

After graduation, Miller landed in Knoxville, where he found an every-Friday solo gig at a club named Hawkeye’s, a date he kept for four years. He also was traveling all over the Southeast in a ’75 Ford van, getting opening slots because, in his words, he was “solo and acoustic and cheap.”

Next up was the V-roys, a suit-wearing twangpop quartet that was Steve Earle’s first signing for a fledgling label he was calling E-Squared -- and a band that sounded like Roger Miller jacked up with the Replacements. With Miller as stage-right frontguy and guitarist and Mic Harrison (now of Superdrag) holding down the same duties stage-left, the V-roys released three terrific albums to critical acclaim, hundreds of shows here and in the UK.

The next time I encountered Miller he was doing a solo show, having traded in his V-roys suit and tie for a denim work shirt like a stock broker who chucks the 9-to-5 life and returns to working off the land. He self-released a live disc titled Are You With Me? and then started playing with a band again, dubbed the Commonwealth. A debut for Sugar Hill Records, Thus Always To Tyrants soon followed, an album overseen by veteran roots-rock producer R.S. Field and driven by two main themes: dealing with where you come from and, even more importantly, who you come from. Those songs quickly resonated with fans and critics alike, landing Thus Always to Tyrants on many top-ten lists for 2001 including The New York Times and Billboard.

Friday, May 16 at 9PM

Along with Gary Louris, Mark Olsen and The Jayhawks were among the front-runners of the alt-country movement. Their harmony vocals and jangeling guitars sounded as if the Byrds and The Beatles had collaborated on an album. After leaving the Jayhawks, Mark married Victoria Williams and moved to the Joshua Tree Desert in California where they released a number of albums as the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. Now touring with band to promote his latest solo effort, Mark Olsen comes to the AllGood Cafe for an evening of songs from his entire career. THIS SHOW IS NOT TO BE MISSED !!!

Saturday, May 17 at 9PM

On stage, Dallas' Ann Armstrong is forceful when she pulls out her acoustic bottleneck slide guitar to play the blues. Ms. Armstrong's furious, down-and-dirty rendition of Robert Johnson's 'Come Into My Kitchen' - the highlight of her live set - is downright flammable. Ms Armstrong also shares some genuinely catchy pop hooks on original songs such as 'Stars Go Out" and "Think About the Rain" Why, at times backed by a ticklish flute and her own stellar acoustic guitar, dangerous Ann Armstrong comes across as sweet as sugar. Ms. Armstrong's live sets are so substantial - extra grit, extra grease, extra sassy slide guitar. ―Dallas Morning News

Wednesday, May 21 at 9PM

From its opening shot of Malcolm McDowell staring with evil intent directly into the camera (which pulls back to reveal him drinking a glass of milk), Stanley Kubrick's brilliant A CLOCKWORK ORANGE announces itself as a completely new kind of viewing experience. The film, set in an unidentified future, overwhelms the senses with its almost comic depictions of rape and violence set to an upbeat classical and pop music score. Kubrick based his chilling masterpiece on Anthony Burgess's culture-shaking novel about a young man growing into adulthood, but unable to shake his huge problem with authority figures. The first part of the film shows Alex (a career-defining performance by McDowell) and his "droogs" (his cohorts) indulging in what they refer to as "a little bit of the old ultraviolence." After establishing Alex and co. as unremitting psychopaths, Kubrick's movie changes tact, and shows Alex getting caught and forced to undergo controversial treatment that will make it impossible for him to commit violent acts, leading to a fascinating ending to the film. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE purposely confuses crime and punishment, cause and effect, hero and villain, irony and satire, and many other concepts, creating a truly unique work of art in the process. Its magnificent, colorful, futuristic set designs and utter determination to shock, frighten, and thoroughly entertain left audiences reeling in the '70s. Kubrick even withdrew the film from distribution in the UK, after reading newspaper reports of people dressing up as Alex and his Droogs and meting out their own brand of ultraviolence (it was subsequently rereleased after his death). One thing is for sure: No one who has seen it has ever been able to hear "Singin' in the Rain" or Beethoven again in quite the same way. ‑ rottentomatoes.com

Thursday, May 22 at 8PM

“Chris O’Brien picks up where Martin Sexton, Richard Thompson and John Gorka leave off…” ―Club Passim

“The songs he writes brim with sincerity, taking on topics from relationships to cross-country travel.” ―The Boston Globe

"As a music fan, I live for those moments when I hear a performer for the first time and detect unmistakable magic. It happened with Shawn Colvin in 1989 and Patty Griffin in 1996. Last summer, O’Brien caught my ear he’’s an uncommonly talented lyricist, with a voice that feels comfortable and familiar at first listen." ―Michael Witthaus, Eagle Times

Boston based singer/songwriter Chris O’Brien is an artist on the rise. Since the release of his February 2007 CD "Lighthouse," Chris has caught the attention of many. He was chosen from a pool of nearly 1,000 contestants to appear on Garrison Keillor’s "Prairie Home Companion" in the "People in Their Twenties" talent contest. The next week "Lighthouse" was the 5th Bestselling Folk Record on iTunes April 21-27.

Saturday, May 24 at 9PM

Wednesday, May 28 at 9PM

We are adopting a new format that will encourage attendance and audience participation in the selection of some of the films we will screen. EACH MONTH we will highlight the works of a different Film Director. Each Wednesday night, we will screen one of their films. The first three weeks of the month, WE will make the selections, while the film to be screened on the fourth or final Wednesday of each month will be chosen by YOU, the viewers and film fans. Your suggestions/votes can be submitted at the weekly screenings, or
VOTE HERE.

Also, as an added incentive to attend each week: any film fan attending ALL of one month's screenings AND dining each week, will get their entree FREE on the 4th week! WHAT A DEAL !!!

Saturday, June 14 at 9PM

The porterdavis experience is a plate of some slow-cooked musical soul food with a pint of your favorite beverage. This is roots music from the heart, aimed to move the body and soothe the spirit. The guys finish many of their shows with Blind Boy Fullers classic Custard Pie. The chorus calls for the band and the crowd to shout, Give me some of it! These words crystallize a band hungry to stomp out some true blue music, and their fans desire to receive it. Like your favorite watering hole, and your favorite bbq, porterdavis is the place youll go to get it simple, raw, and feeling alright.

Friday, March 21 at 9PM

Sunday, March 30 at 8PM

Special Guest: BOYS NAMED SUE

Friday, April 11 at 9PM

“One of the most acclaimed young songwriters on the Texas scene” ―San Antonio Express News

“He evokes Townes Van Zandt lyrically, Guy Clark emotionally, Steve Earle stylistically and Ray Wylie Hubbard spiritually. Humbling company, but Carll's debut proves he belongs in that pantheon as he whirls through jaunty country rock, liquor- fueled honky tonk and road-weary balladry.” ―Boston Herald

“Texas' most promising young singer-songwriter…enough depth, wit and intelligence to be seen as the next in a line of esteemed Texans that includes Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Eric Taylor.” ―The Tennessean

“...a welcome young addition to the pantheon of great Texas singer-songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Robert Earl Keen and Guy Clark.” ―The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution

“...sings like a young Ray Wylie Hubbard, all gruff edges and world-weariness, and he writes with the storytelling clarity of Guy Clark.” ―Dallas Morning New

Thursday, April 17 at 9PM

As guitar pop music comes back into fashion among indie rockers, more and more albums are sounding like awkward and self-aware approximations of the very thing that Jesus of Cool does so effortlessly. In a sense, Lowe's unpretentious inclusiveness may have stopped Jesus of Cool just short of becoming a huge record in any one world; the album is far too unabashedly admiring of pop music to be seen as a punk rock classic, but too gritty and ramshackle to be considered a seminal new wave pop record. Thankfully, Jesus of Cool is a rarer thing still: a timeless and bullshit-free masterpiece. ―Matt LeMay, Pitchfork

MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS EXPECTED VERY SOON.
KEEP ON RED ALERT!!!!

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