Author Archives: Diana

About Diana

Canadian-Vermonter, Texas transplant. Cowboy boot wearing, maple syrup connoisseur, music lovin', wine and micro-brew drinkin', two-steppin' traveler who loves finding all the hidden gems the world has to offer. Come join me on the ride!

Guster, 04-08-11, HOB, Dallas

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I’ve been looking forward to writing this post for a while and it will not even come close to how great I think these guys are. I’ve been a fan of Guster for a long time. The first time I heard them they were opening for G. Love and Special Sauce at the Flynn Theatre in Burlington, VT. Since then I’ve seen them every chance I get, Montreal, Burlington, MiddleburyCollege, some I’m forgetting… and now in Dallas. Oh how the world goes round. The last time I saw them play was in 2007, so I was pretty pumped to reunite.

The show was at the House of Blues in Dallas. Jukebox the Ghost was opening, I had never heard of them. Typically, I research opening bands however I was lazy this go around. We arrived about an hour late, thinking we’d catch the last half of the opening act (typically I try to catch however we had some time restrictions) I was pleasantly surprised.   
It’s important for me to explain that before Jukebox the Ghost came on stage, we were waiting for the show to start and this guy comes running up to meet his friends (one of which I think was his brother). He had on a Jukebox the Ghost t-shirt (with autographs) and was extremely pumped up about the show. Pumped meaning he was already hooting, hollering and jumping up and down. He didn’t stop dancing and singing every lyric of the song. Indeed, I was standing next to their biggest fan!. He was so incredibly excited, it it was contagious! About halfway thru the show, the keyboardist in the band looked directly at them and gave them the “shot gun look” but in a great way. I think the keyboardists name was Ben… I kept hearing “I love you Jukebox the Ghost!”, “I love you Ben!”. I’m sure it made their night!
Jukebox the Ghost is an indie band and a great opener Guster. The group consists of a guitarist, pianist and drummer/maraca man. Their tunes make you find the beat to the music and before you know it you’re going to be tapping your head and dancing around. They are upbeat, light-hearted and happy. As I am not the best person at describing music, their live performance was greatness. They got you to feel the beat, move to the music and most importantly you can tell that they love what they do. They were playing with the crowd. To top it off, they write all their own music. For that they get a few more points in my book! The highlight of the show (for me) came about mid-way thru their performance. They explained that they recently played at SXSW and they had been looking for a place to stay. These four college students said they had room to take them in, turns out they’re four bad ass trumpet / trombone players. So what did the Jukebox the Ghost do? They invited them on stage to play with them at the House of Blues. You know it made their year! At the send of the set (about an hour or so), they met fans out in the lobby … and off the world’s biggest Jukebox the Ghost fan went!
Ok, Ok – I’m getting to it – Guster! It was wicked! WICKED! I found myself standing in the second row, so excited to be there! I wish I could relive it, minus the two stoned girls that kept hurling through our area. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen Guster. I really miss my New England bands sometimes but am so thankful that they make it down here. Guster originally met at Tufts in the ‘90’s however as it turns out they are not all from New England. Ryan Miller is from Richardson, Texas – right north of Dallas. Who knew?!
They came on stage and I immediately thought to myself, did I miss something? Joe? Joe? Where did you go? (I went home and did some snooping.) Turns out Joe Pisapai is touring with K.D. Lang (he cowrote and coproduced most of the album with Lang) and in turn we received Mr. Luke Reynolds. Mr. Luke Reynolds plays the banjo and a mean guitar among other things but most importantly – he is a Vermonter! (Insert super excited face here!) If you know me, you know this is a BIG deal. Yes, they announced this on stage. Yes, I was the only one cheering for the word “Vermont”. I’m very proud! 

Guster played an huge array of songs including songs from their newest album “Easy Wonderful” as well as a mix of songs from their past albums. They put on a heck of a show, playing their hearts out, joking with the crowd, reminiscing about attending RISD and calling out each other when they messed up during one of the final songs. They are upbeat, energetic and they have the capability of giving me goosebumps everytime (it’s the greatest feeling really). Brian can still kick some ass on those bongos which makes the crowd go wild everytime! As soon as they come on stage their just completely make you feel like you are one of their own. You become absorbed into the music, their stage presence and every note that is played by every instrument. At the end of the show, Guster made sure to come back out for an encore, which was much appreciated. They played for a good two hours, however I think everyone would agree when I say they should’ve played all night – they were on fire! Much love! 
Guster! Come back soon!
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Art In the Square, Southlake, Texas

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I’m a sucker for arts festivals. There’s something about the creativity of these artists and the envy that I have for them. If only I could create such beautiful pieces of art (maybe someday, I’m keeping my hopes alive).

Art In The Square is an annual, three day arts festival hosted by the Southlake Women’s Club. The festival is held in the Southlake Town Square, which in itself is one of my favorite places to shop and walk around. The Square has a central green in front of the Southlake Court House, surrounded by shops (local and chain).

Last year, I attended Art In The Square and it was great! You will find national and local artists, events for children, live entertainment and of course a food court.

Here are some photos from last years event!

Admission: Free
For More Info: http://www.artinthesquare.com/

Antique Alley, Texas

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Every year in April and September, rain or shine, you can travel along Farm Road 4 between Maypearl, Grandview and Cleburne you can expect nothing but sales. That’s right – its a 25 mile stretch full of steals and deals!

If you love pondering through items, what some may consider junk you consider gold, this is going to be the trip for you. This area is full of Texans who have been living in this area for generations, including many farmers and ranchers. Coming across some great antiques would not be a surprise so be sure to get out there bright and early!

I would suggest starting off in either Cleburne or Maypearl and head towards the other. Last year we decided to give this much talked about event a try. Half the fun is checking out the scenery along Farm Road 4 – its gorgeous! (Be sure to bring your camera!) You will want to park and walk around in each town. There’s lots to see!

We started off in Maypearl, a tiny little Texas town that I fell in love with the minute we got there. Love, love, love! The “Main Street” was lined with individuals, families and businesses with miscellaneous items to sell from antiques, to dishware, to yard items. We also ran into a few fund raising groups selling baked items and of course Girl Scout cookies (makes it hard to say no).
Soon enough you will find yourself heading west towards Grandview. Another small town, however slightly larger than Maypearl. Here we found a few shops open, typical “Texas” and antique shops. Again, the street lined with small tents. We found some baked goods – pies, breads, cookies and cakes. 
The last stop is Cleburne, the largest of the three towns. There will be a ton to look thru. Don’t be surprised that along the way you will run into tons of other stops. Families will be having lawn sales. Between Grandview and Cleburne there will be a large and very busy flea market area. You’ll know you are getting close when the traffic starts to pile up. Don’t be alarmed, you can either park and check it out or keep on trucking thru. The area is pretty large so if you are after treasure hunting, I’d suggest stopping. We didn’t stop to check this out but if you do – let me know how it is! I’m sure there is gold to be found in this area.
Don’t be surprised to run into some traffic along the way – you aren’t the only one out there looking for items or just perusing. It’s almost like a treasure hunt! The culture you come across along the way in incredible – straight up Texas! If you find your stomach growling from hunger – no worries there is everything from BBQ (we are in Texas afterall) to sausage on a stick. You won’t go hungry around these parts!

Antique Alley is known for growing larger each year so if you attend one event, its expected that you will find something new the next time. Driving around and checking out the scenery is half the fun of the trip. During April, you will see the wildflowers out in the fields, which you can’t help but admire. Antique Alley it makes for a great day.

I apologize for not having more pictures of the actual sales. Feel free to post comments / pictures if you attend!

For More Info: http://www.antiquealleytexas.com/