Since the disappointing cancellation of Lollapalooza, a summerfestival favorite since the early nineties, music fans have beenhungrily awaiting the arrival of another rock and rollextravaganza.
Thank you Curiosa tour.
Veteran rockers The Cure are headlining the 23-city tour,bringing along major-label acts Interpol, The Rapture, andMogwai.
The tour comes to the Smirnoff Music Center on Saturday, August14, and will include a side-stage with such bands as Cursive,Cooper Temple Clause and Melissa Auf Der Mar.
After Parties
However, the exceptional lineup is not the most excitingpart.
A string of after-parties are coming to local venue, includingone at Deep Ellum’s Pharmacy, where Carlos D. of Interpolwill be spinning records as he does regularly in bars in New YorkCity.
The official after-party, Transmission, will take place at theAvenue Arts Gallery venue, a tiny room squeezed between FalloutLounge and Mink in Exposition Park. Starting at 10 p.m., members ofThe Rapture, Mogwai and Cooper Temple Clause will appear as guestDJ’s and schmooze with eager Dallasites.
The Bands
The sets should prove interesting as each band has varyingsounds. The Rapture’s sound is reminiscent of Fugazi andSonic Youth, sometimes noisy and boisterous, sometimes infusingelectronic sounds to their intricate songs.
Glasgow’s Mogwai tends to produce softer, moreexperimental music, and attribute their influences to The SmashingPumpkins and My Bloody Valentine.
Lastly, the Cooper Temple Clause’s energetic sound pullsmore towards post-grunge and heavy alternative influences. Withmembers of all three bands choosing records during the evening, theparty attendees are guaranteed to hear a wide variety of songs.
Chrissy Comley, an energetic 26 year-old and self-proclaimed”scenestress” is responsible for coordinating thisunique event.
After extensive time spent in both New York City and Londonwhere such parties have been the norm for decades, Comley realizedthat “musicians interact with people beyond a stage/audiencerelationship” and generally enjoy doing so.
Comley also attributed her motivation to organize”Transmission” to observations of the lack of cohesionin the Dallas “scene” and the absence of events that”people actually want to go to.”
Surprisingly, getting the bands to appear at the party wasseemingly easy. Comley spent some time as a music journalist andstill had many of her industry contacts. “I simply askedUniversal Records if this was something The Rapture would beinterested in and after my message was circulated to the label andtheir management, the band was confirmed,” she said. Herambition grew after booking the first band and she went on tocontacting Mogwai, who agreed to appear soon after.
As for The Cooper Temple Clause’s attendance, Comleythinks of it as somewhat of a miracle since they were the ones tocontact her about participating in the event.
Several hundred people are anticipated to show up at the smallAvenue Arts Venue, especially after the Curiosa show lets out, at11 pm.
Negotiations are already in the works for after-parties forup-coming shows, but Comley preferred to keep quiet about whichones.
Official Curiosa After Party – Transmission
825 Exposition, Dallas TX
10 p.m.
$5 with Curiosa ticket stub, $10 without.
18 and older welcome.
