With TCU’s expansion, some neighbors worry about parking and partying. BY
MADELYN EDWARDS
In Sundance Square, FW Thunderbird is a slice of true Texas spirit. BY STEVE STEWARD
Capped by a Philthy win, these past two sports weeks have been brutal. BY PATRICK HIGGINS
Ghost Roper’s fully formed cosmic country arrives. BY STEVE STEWARD
There’s much to be seen on Valentine’s Weekend, including this timeless love story at IM Terrell presented by Ballet Frontier.
BY JENNIFER BOVEE
Madelyn Edwards
By Steve Steward
Anthony Mariani, Editor
Lee Newquist, Publisher
Bob Niehoff, General Manager
Michael Newquist, Regional Director
Ryan Burger, Art Director
Jennifer Bovee, Marketing Director
Clint “Ironman” Newquist, Brand Ambassador
Emmy Smith, Proofreader
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Laurie James, Anthony Mariani, Emmy Smith, Steve Steward
COPYRIGHT
By Patrick Higgins
BY MADELYN EDWARDS
When she moved into her home on Sandage Avenue 12 years ago, Tim Latta said she had no idea she would be surrounded by TCU students living in “stealth dorms” — residences developed by private investors where multiple students live but that are not official university housing.
The student presence in her neighborhood may expand as the university builds new student residences and parking on the east side of campus to accommodate growth. This means there will be more official student housing locations, but Latta is not convinced this will help her neighborhood.
“It’s not that I dislike TCU,” Latta said. “I think it’s a wonderful institution, but there are limits, and I think they’ve hit them.”
Last fall, Fort Worth City Council unanimously approved rezoning current parking lots and student housing on Merida Avenue, Sandage Avenue, Pond Drive, West Berry Street, West Lowden Street, and McCart Avenue from community facilities to high-intensity mixed use. Philip Varughese, who represented TCU at a Zoning Commission meeting in October, said building additional housing and a parking garage is in response to the university’s growth. TCU’s master plan
includes predictions that undergraduate enrollment will grow to 15,000 by 2034, and graduate enrollment is expected to increase to 2,500 during the next decade. Varughese said construction is planned to start this summer and conclude in two years.
TCU’s goal is to transform the eastern side of the university into “a thriving residential hub for campus life,” according to the master plan. The university already opened two new residence halls, adding almost 300 more beds, and a dining hall
Thank you for printing the letters “Art: Still Not Porn,” “Blue Balls,” and “Wanna Step Outside, Buddy?” They each inspired me in different ways. The first made me want to write a letter about the First Amendment to one of our major dailies and sign it, and I did.
The second, “Blue Balls,” was so full of hateful and ignorant rhetoric it made me want to find and read the piece by Ken Wheatcroft-Purdue (“Them Inaugural Blues,” Jan 22). I did. Sorry I had missed it.
I won’t speak for Ken, whom I have known and respected for years, but I was offended by the writer of “Wanna Step Outside,
this year on the east side of campus. In all, the university aims to bring in 3,000 new beds to its new eastern residential village.
“TCU’s new strategic plan aspires to gradually grow enrollment,” said Todd continued on page 6
Buddy?” before I realized he is a pathetic, low-information, bilefilled MAGA nut not worth a visit.
Ken, please keep writing, despite the haters. I always enjoy your pieces, and this time you taught me a new phrase I promise to repeat often: First Felon!
Former state representative (1997-2015) Lon Burnam Fort Worth
This letter reflects the opinions and fact-gathering of the author(s) and only the author(s) and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a letter, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly. com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.
Waldvogel, associate vice chancellor for Facilities and Campus Planning. “Planned on-campus properties developed by TCU will provide sufficient inventory for all first- and second-year students as well as some inventory for upper-division students. Likewise, planned mixed-use development on Berry Street will provide additional market inventory for upper-division students while enhancing the overall experience for students and the community alike.”
Latta’s main concerns are traffic and parking. Her neighborhood wanted to enact permit parking, but that would require a costly traffic study and funds for signs. She recalled two times that she had to relocate meetings scheduled to be held at her home because of a lack of parking.
“The traffic on our street is going to be horrendous,” Latta said, adding that her neighbors tried to get the city to install a four-way stop at Sandage and West Cantey Street. “When that dorm is full of people, they’re going to come right down West Cantey and probably turn on Sandage, and this street is not built for that. This street is so pockmarked by holes already.”
Two streets over, on Forest Park Boulevard, father of two Justin Jantz also mentioned a concern about traffic on his
street, which had multiple vehicles parked on both sides of the road on a recent Sunday evening. Having lots of parked cars on the street along with drivers speeding down the road is a recipe for wrecks.
Especially at Forest Park and McPherson Avenue, he said, “it’s gotten way more dangerous. The accidents are pretty often, and at least once an hour, you’re hearing someone just absolutely
losing their mind, like honking or slamming on their brakes or something. So, definitely when all the students are here, it’s much more congested through here and definitely not as safe for anyone, students in particular.”
But Waldvogel said traffic isn’t expected to increase by much.
“While we plan to introduce new residence halls near Frisco Heights, student residents will park on the west side of campus,” he said. “Likewise, a new parking garage will consolidate the disparate parking and likely simplify traffic patterns, which we’re working to direct away from the neighborhoods.”
Not everyone has traffic concerns. Montana Spencer, who grew up in Fort Worth and rents a home on Sandage with his roommates, thinks the plan for more student housing is good for TCU and the city. His only concern is with being priced out of his neighborhood.
“If our rent is going up, it makes it harder for just average citizens who happen to live close by TCU,” Spencer said.
One of the members of the Zoning Commission remarked during the October meeting that neighbors have wanted expanded TCU housing because it may eliminate the chance of stealth dorms. Students living together next to single-family homeowners is a dynamic that sometimes leads to conflict, especially if the students host rowdy parties with no consideration for their neighbors.
continued on page 7
Janet Williamson is very familiar with this issue. She lives in Westcliff and has been dogged by the events held by a handful of fraternities in her neighborhood for about a decade. It isn’t clear how much the new housing and parking will help with the situation in Westcliff, but she said TCU didn’t do enough to prepare for the future.
“TCU didn’t plan for the growth,” Williamson said. “I think it’s a real disservice that TCU did by not understanding if they’re going to keep pulling students in and have this massive growth, you need to have some infrastructure in place for them.”
Perspectives on TCU and stealth dorms differ across the neighborhoods. Genna Banta, who used to live in the Bluebonnet Place neighborhood and still owns rental properties in the area, only had positive things to say about TCU’s expansion plan and her relationships with students.
TCU, she said, “seems to be very well run in how they’re managing their student population with their increases in student housing. It’s always worked out really well, and I’m expecting it will continue to work well.”
will be more available living on campus rather than new places off-campus.”
Unburdening neighborhoods is part of what the increased housing is meant to do, Waldvogel said.
Stealth dorms, he said, “demonstrate the high demand for quality student housing near campus.”
Along with additional student housing and parking, the plan for TCU’s east campus is to add spaces for people to gather outdoors, like parks and recreational facilities, which will also connect with the Trinity Trails. With the revitalization of Berry Street with mixed-use developments, Banta said these changes should be very beneficial to the neighborhoods.
“I think it’ll be a win-win for everybody,” she said.
Waldvogel said TCU has communicated with neighbors about the master plan and discussed neighbors’ concerns through previous town hall meetings. Moving forward, more will be discussed with neighbors and other stakeholders once TCU has final approval for construction and schedules, he said.
“I talk to a lot of students, and a large part of those students want to live on campus,” Jones said. “They would love
Martha McDonald Jones, longtime Bluebonnet Hills resident and member of the TCU Neighbor to Neighbor program, agrees that having more dedicated student housing could be a relief for neighborhoods and a boon for the students.
to have an apartment adjacent to campus and be a part of the campus. So, I think as TCU does this, it’s going to really help the whole area. It’s going to take the burden off of neighborhoods somewhat because there
“TCU values our neighbors — our healthy, contiguous neighborhoods are part of what makes our community desirable,” Waldvogel said. “We value and respect the neighborhood partnerships and their quality of life. Development will bring typical challenges associated with construction, but TCU is committed to minimizing impact on neighbors while we enhance the campus community.” l
Top resources for everything. Okay, almost everything.
By Fort Worth Weekly Classifieds
Below are some resources for your consideration, including astrology, employment, faith-based listings, services, and more in a bulletin-board-styled format. Welcome to Fort Worth Weekly Classifieds.
ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19)
Love requires stability and steadiness to thrive. But it also needs unpredictability and imaginativeness. The same with friendship. Without creative touches and departures from routine, even strong alliances can atrophy into mere sentiment and boring dutifulness. Keep this in mind this Valentine’s season.
TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20)
In celebration of the Valentine season, I suggest you get blithely unshackled in your approach to love. Be loose, limber, and playful. As Audre Lorde says, “Love is the revolution in which we dismantle the prisons of our fear, building a world where our truths can stand naked and unashamed.”
GEMINI (May 21-Jun 20)
To honor the rowdy Valentine spirit, I invite you to either use the following passage or compose one like it, then offer it to a willing recipient who would love to go deeper with you: “Be my echo across the valley, my rebel hymn, my riddle with no answer. Be my just-beforeyou-wake-up-dream. Be my tectonic shift. Be my black pearl, my vacation from gloom and doom, my forbidden dance. Be my river-song in F major, my wild-eyed prophet, my moonlit debate, my infinite possibility. Be my trembling, blooming, spiraling, and soaring.”
CANCERIAN (Jun 21-Jul 22)
Cancerian author Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, “The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all.” One of those strange jewels in you is emerging from its hiding place. A bloom this magnificent could require adjustments. You and yours may have to expand your horizons together.
LEO (Jul 23-Aug 22)
In 2025, the role that togetherness plays in your life will inspire you to achieve unexpected personal accomplishments. Companionship and alliances may even stir up destiny-changing developments.
Is love in the cards for you this Valentine’s season?
VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 22)
Psychotherapist
Robin Norwood wrote that some people, mostly women, give too much love and kindness. They neglect their own self-care as they attend generously to the needs of others. They may even provide nurturing and support to those who don’t appreciate it or return the favor. It’s time for you to come to a new understanding of exactly how much giving is correct for you.
LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 22)
Are you ready to express your affection with lush and lavish exuberance? I hope so. Now would be an excellent time, astrologically speaking.
SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21)
In the coming weeks, you could make progress on building a strong foundation for the future of love. You will rouse sweet fortune for yourself and those you care for if you infuse your best relationships with extra steadiness and stability.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21)
Be moved by intimacy and friendships that buoy your soul, inspire your expansive mind, and pique your sense of adventure. In the words of Nicholas Sparks, “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.”
CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19)
Every intimate alliance is unique, has its own rules, and shouldn’t be compared to any standard. This is a key theme for you to embrace right now.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20- Feb 18)
Borrowing the words of Aquarian author Virginia Woolf, here is a love note for you to use as your own. Give these words to the person whose destiny needs to be woven more closely together with yours. “You are the tide that sweeps through the corridors of my mind, a wild rhythm that fills my empty spaces with the echo of eternity.’
PISCES (Feb 19-Mar 20)
Love and intimacy and togetherness are fun, yes. But they’re also hard work—especially if you want to make the fun last. This will be your specialty in the coming months. “In the best of relationships, daily rebuilding is a mutual process. Each partner helps the other grow.” —Virginia Satir.
For unabridged versions of the horoscopes above by Rob Brezsny, go to FreeWillAstrology.com.
My husband is in Europe all month touring as the tech for Girlschool, who have the primary support slot for his favorite band in the whole world: Saxon. So, don’t feel sorry for us that we are apart on Valentine’s Day He’s having the time of his life, and me? Well, like most days that end in “Y,” I’ll be doing as I please. Boys, step aside. There’s plenty for the ladies to do without you, including this stuff. Happy Galentine’s Day!
At 5pm, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (3501 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-738-1933) hosts an evening of cocktails, conversation, and live music. The theme of this month’s Second Thursdays at the Carter is Love & Libations. Head to the Lounge from 5pm to 8pm to create your own “wild about you” felt pin, color in sheets inspired by the artwork in the museum’s collection, listen to love-inspired songs from the band Autumn, and visit with fortune teller Laura E. West to find out what your future holds regarding love. Cupid cocktails will be available for purchase in the atrium. RSVP for free at CarterMuseum.com.
The stars have aligned, and Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year. Welcome to Amateur Night. Should you decide to venture out to dinner with your significant other this evening, I highly recommend making reservations. Others of you need couples therapy. To those, I say, have a good laugh. Comedian Jesse Peyton is touring with his Couples Therapy: A Relationship-Themed Comedy Show, the longest-tenured standup performance in the country, and will be at Arlington Music Hall (224 N Center St, Arlington, 817-226-4400) at 9:30pm. Tickets start at $26 on Eventbrite.com. For more info, visit CouplesTherapyLive.com.
A legendary love story, Swan Lake comes to us this Valentine’s Day weekend. Ballet Frontier will perform the Tchaikovsky classic at IM Terrell Auditorium (1900 IM Terrell Way, Fort Worth, 817-852-6887) 7:30pm Fri or 2pm Sat. Tickets start at $55 at BalletFrontier.org.
If I were single, I’d be tempted to check out Jigsaw Dating, a new monthly happy-hour dating experience for singles ages 25-45 at Hoppin’ (2616 Weisenberger St, Fort Worth, 682-2240621) 7pm-9pm. Besides drinking, activities include Jigsaw Bingo with prizes for the first five winners and custom conversation cards for breaking the ice. Jigsaw app members will receive one complimentary drink. Tickets are $22.99 on Eventbrite.com. The Jigsaw Dating app is free to download, but using the full functionality requires a subscription starting at $4.99.
With all this love in the air, I might need an out-of-town adventure. My best gal pal and I are headed to Cassaro Winery (704 W Main St, Ovilla, 214-4331190) — a 30-minute jaunt southeast of Mansfield — for True Crime & Wine S3E4: The Gameshow Killer. Winery owner John Matthews also happens to be a 40-year law enforcement veteran and the author of seven true-crime books over the past 25 years. As an analyst for CNN and Fox News and
a guest on BBC and Good Morning America, Matthews has many stories to tell. Today will be an in-depth look into the life and crimes of Rodney Alcala, the serial killer whose charm won him a spot on The Dating Game in the 1970s. By that time, he had already murdered several women. After his appearance, the killings continued, as portrayed in the recent Netflix movie Woman of the Hour. Tickets are $25 on Eventbrite.com.
Along with enjoying all of the above this Valentine’s weekend, it is also prime time for a televised party decades in the making: the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. Being a smart-ass comedy nerd myself, I’m down for it. Oddly, no part of it will be broadcast live on Saturday. Go figure.
On Friday, NBC is airing SNL50: The Homecoming Concert live via streaming on the Peacock app at 7pm, two nights ahead of the main comedy celebration. This show at Radio City Music Hall will feature a massive lineup of past SNL musical guests, including Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, David Byrne, DEVO, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Post Malone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s, and The Roots.
Without a new regular episode of SNL on Saturday night, there are two streaming options to consider. You can watch the fourpart docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night or the 50 Years of SNL Music documentary directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson on (surprise) Peacock.
Then, on Sunday, there’s the main event. SNL50: The Anniversary Special will air on NBC at 7pm and stream at the same time on Peacock. The iconic variety show is expected to run 3.5 hours and will feature an all-star roster of their most famous cast members, including Adam Sandler, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Chevy Chase, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Kristin Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell, Will Forte, and more.
By Jennifer Bovee
Come break the rules and say “yes!” to new art experiences at the Carter’s Second Thursdays! Every Second Thursday is different than the last — mingle with fellow art lovers, make art, and meet visiting artists, sometimes with live music and always with themed cocktails. You’ll never think of museums in the same way again.
THURSDAY FEB 13 | 5–8 P.M.
Invite your crush, your crew, or come alone and meet someone new for a night themed around the many types of
Sundance Square, FW Thunderbird is a clean, dimly lit space for life’s simpler pleasures.
STORY AND PHOTO BY STEVE STEWARD
My girlfriend and I went to FW Thunderbird on Sunday afternoon, about an hour before the Super Bowl kickoff. We stayed until right after the halftime show concluded, and
I will forever think about the experience of watching Kendrick Lamar’s performance as a cultural moment in a “where were you when …?” sort of way, mentally bookmarking experiences for future moments of nostalgic fugue, the way I recall my first mosh pit experience or what I was doing the morning of 9/11.
Never forget, amirite? That’s a thought I had while looking for Thunderbird’s bathroom, because there in the back, before you get to the toilets’ doors, was one of those mental anchors, an image burned upon my brain during the era of Freedom Fries and The War on Errorism, one that has occasionally drifted across my hippocampus for over 20 years. At that time, when the world learned that steel beams could indeed melt and cell phones were not unlike big, plastic bricks, I was in my early 20s and regularly getting shitfaced at the bars on West Berry by TCU. One of these was a live music venue called The Aardvark. It was one of a handful of live music bars around town, and if you still listen to Bob Schneider, you probably saw him play there. If that’s the case, then you also probably saw this piece of art way back when.
Realheads, as they say, know what I’m talking about: an 11-by-17-inch poster, its white-lined design practically leaping from a field of emerald green, advertising a May
continued on page 15
17, 2001, performance by Aardvark owner Danny Weaver’s band, Trampo-Lean, opening for Flickerstick, at fondly remembered, long-gone downtown venue Caravan of Dreams.
In this poster, a Rolling Rock beer logo has been cleverly manipulated, inserting “Trampo-Lean” in place of the beer’s name, large and in charge, despite the fact that Trampo-Lean (or “Trampolean”? or “Trampo-Lean”? Who can recall?) was the opener and Flickerstick was presumably the bigger name on the bill. I always chuckled at that. Anyway, seeing that poster, black-framed and protected behind glass, cast me back in time, a decade’s highlight reel flashing forth in an instant.
There were other ancient Aardvark
Even if you were too young to have drank at either, Thunderbird is still a nice place to hang.
posters on Thunderbird’s walls that jogged my memory — pretty sure I saw a Bob Schneider one, in fact — as well as a slew of the art that once adorned the interiors at both iterations of Lola’s Saloon: Jack Russell prints and paintings by Clay Stinnett and Jesse Sierra Hernandez, old show posters hanging on sky-blue walls, a comforting melange of country and rock ’n’ roll. Weaver partnered with Lola’s owner Brian Forella in opening Thunderbird, and if you miss both of those bars, Thunderbird will hit that spot for you. But even if you were too young to have drank at either, Thunderbird is still a nice place to hang — there are a couple pool
tables near the front, and there are plenty of TVs, all of which are tuned to sports or music. It’s a nice downtown watering hole, the sort of place an out-of-state visitor might check out to get a dose of “Texas vibe” without having to go to the Stockyards. Moreover, it’s also not a “concept” or part of a chain. It’s just a cool spot in a neighborhood –— Houston Street, in Sundance Square, above the Red Goose — that could certainly use some coolness.
By the time the afternoon light faded away, a handful of other patrons had settled in to watch the game. The Eagles scored their third touchdown. The commercials
flickered with aging stars and throwback campaigns. Samuel L. Jackson dressed as “Your Uncle Sam” introduced Lamar with the demeanor of an electro-cutioner excited to throw the switch, and in the middle, when Kendrick and his dancers made that initial “Not Like Us” feint, I could feel the tension in the room, waiting to see if he was really going to do it, to say those lines, the kind of defiant subtext that seems to be in short supply at this moment in time. Maybe that’s all the NFL allowed him to do, make one comment, its possibility obliterated when Kendrick actually then pivoted to the Drake-burning track after dueting with SZA on “All the Stars.” Then he did “TV Off.” We were all awestruck. I looked around at the old stuff on the walls, the signifiers of a hundred different moments at a couple of rock ’n’ roll clubs from a long time ago, and at the people around me and the amusing synching error between two of the nearest TVs. They all made a vivid memory. The commercials returned, and we left. l
RIDGLEA THEATER
SAT 2/15 ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW WITH LINGERIE CONTEST
SUN 2/16 GHOST 9
FRI 3/21 ZIOR PARK and YOUNG POSSE- 082DROP IN TEXAS SQUARE OF 45
THUR 2/13 LAUGH WITH US
SAT 3/15 THE UNLIKELY CANDIDATES
SAT 4/12 MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE CONCERT STARRING DANNY DASH ANDREWS
FRI 2/28 JAY 1999
BY STEVE STEWARD
On a Saturday night in January, the Boiled Owl Tavern went country. Or at least that impression was created at the Magnolia Ave bar by enough cowboy-hatted people in the house, there presumably to catch the headlining set by local honkytonk band Cory Cross & The Burden. Most of them had settled in to be able to catch the openers, a band called Ghost Roper, and by the crowd’s quiet anticipation, I could tell fans of throwback country picked a pretty great show to go to. For 45 minutes, Ghost Roper captivated the crowd with their own version of ’70s country, playing a set of songs showcasing breezy high-desert harmonies borne on easygoing train beats.
Ghost Roper is the new project from songwriter Burette Douglas, best known for co-fronting The Cush, the long-running psych-rock band he formed in 2001. The Cush’s swirling, driving, effects-laden psychedelia might seem to inhabit the opposite side of the universe from Ghost Roper’s mellow C&W, but during the Cush’s 20-plus-year run, Douglas wrote and released some country-sounding songs in a project called the Lonestar Chain. Ghost Roper is not Douglas’ first country-music rodeo, in other words. It’s not actually that surprising that for a guy who’s played a lot of loud electric guitar over the past couple of decades, a band like Ghost Roper would be a lot closer to his own musical roots.
“I guess [country music] just kinda comes out of me, you know?” he said. “I mean, playing rock ’n’ roll music is fun. … I like the pedals and all of the cool things you can do with them, but over the years, no matter what I did, people always say it sounds ‘Southern.’ ”
Maybe it’s the unmistakable drawl of his voice. Douglas, 53, is a Texas native with a lot of formative memories soundtracked to classic country. “Some of my favorite country artists, I liked early on, you know,
when I was a little kid, but in high school, it was all hair metal … and I just didn’t connect with any of that, and so I started watching [country music cable channel] CMT a lot more, and I got more into acoustic-guitar music. … I didn’t even like a lot of the country then, but that’s when Clint Black and Alan Jackson were coming out, and they called it ‘neotraditional country,’ and I liked them OK … and there was still a lot of stuff I connected with.”
Foster & Lloyd were a mid-to-late-’80s duo that made a big impact on Douglas. So was Steve Earle.
“Steve Earle was a big one, for me,” he said. “This girl in school had gotten a Steve Earle cassette from one of those tape clubs and didn’t like it. I had already seen the ‘Copperhead Road’ video, so I said, ‘I’ll take it.’ That was a gateway country album for me.”
Ghost Roper began a couple of years ago, Douglas said, when he “wrote this little batch of tunes” before realizing he wanted to “start putting a band together for them. I knew I needed a guitar slinger and somebody that can sing harmonies with me, so I reached out to Denver Williams for that, and then we just kind of started getting together once a week when we could for about a year, just working out the songs and getting tight on the harmonies and stuff.”
Once they had the basic arrangements, Douglas recruited his rhythm section, bassist Chuck Brown (Hotel Satellite, Telegraph Canyon, many other local bands) and drummer Mike Thorneberry (Mind Spiders, the Marked Men), who were both eager to join what Douglas described as a “cosmic country project.” Most recently, they added multi-instrumentalist Ben
“I guess [country music] just kinda comes out of me, you know?”
Hance on lap steel, keys, and guitar. “He’ll pretty much come play whichever shows he wants to and can make because he’s living down in Kerrville,” Douglas said.
The band played its first show last August, during a Lost in Sound event Douglas described as “hot as hell.” The Owl show was their fourth appearance, but given the professional chops of his band, they sounded like they’d been playing together for years. Their plan for the year is to self-produce and record an album, play some shows, and see what happens.
Ghost Roper’s next gig, opening for Ottoman Turks and Garret T. Capps & NASA Country at Tulips FTW next weekend, will be a “pretty big show, I think,” Douglas said, “but I just wanna make a good record first and let it breathe. I’m not gonna push too hard, you know? I just wanna let the music see if it has legs. You know, I’ve never played country music in Texas, and I know that’s a whole ’nother scene.”
Given how stoked the Owl crowd was when they were done, it seems like Ghost Roper is poised to make a whole ’nother scene of their own. l
BY PATRICK HIGGINS
I am in a daze. You know how in movies when there’s a big explosion or violent car crash and suddenly the camera cuts to a tight shot of the protagonist and the image drags in slow motion, the sound dropping to an almost silence, except for a barely perceptible ringing sound layered over the muffled shouts of others onscreen as chaos continues to roil around our hero, but you understand they just aren’t mentally present or aware of what’s happening? That basically describes the state I’ve been in over the last few weeks.
I exist now in a perpetual state of sports shock. Wrap me in a silvery mylar emergency blanket and shine a flashlight into my eyes.
After this past Sunday, with the Philadelphia Eagles’ shocking 40-22 win in Super Bowl LIX (it’s “59” apparently, not pronounced phonetically, as disappointing as that may be) over the Kansas City Chiefs, I’ve had enough. I don’t think my fragile heart can take any more. Having to watch the team I hate most in all of the world celebrate a championship — their second in eight years — live in full 4K HD from the safe confines of my own living room is where my line is. I simply cannot bear another wound. I am bloodied. Beaten. Broken.
2025 has been off to a hell of a start. Entirely ignoring the kleptocratic slide into a racially delineated oligarchy the new administration is barreling toward at full speed, there’s been plenty of goings-on to drive your grandma to drinking for even the most oblivious “I don’t get involved in politics” set. From the Cowboys trotting out their next sacrificial lamb of a coaching hire, this time in the form of middle-aged nepo baby Brian Schottenheimer, a man who hasn’t been considered a legitimate head-coaching candidate for more than decade and will eventually bear the blame for the team’s continued mediocrity, to the biggest heartbreaking betrayal by any professional sports organization in memory with power-mad Mavs GM Nico Harrison unilaterally cutting bait with a future statue-outside-of-the-stadium-worthy legend in
Luka Dončić, it’s been a month. Add to this that it took all of two and a half quarters of basketball before the return in the deal that sent our beloved No. 77 away, All-NBA power forward Anthony Davis lived up to his derogatory nickname of “Street Clothes.” He’ll be wearing them on the Mavs bench indefinitely now after suffering an adductor strain halfway through the third quarter of his Dallas debut on Saturday. He looks to miss at least a month. Likely more.
Now, Philthy’s confounding win is the final blade in my belly. In a vacuum, another Iggles Super Bowl title would be enough to send me into a days-long fit of aggravation. It’s an organization that’s easy to loathe. From the maddening “Fly, Eagles, Fly” chant to head coach Nick Sirianni’s infinitely punchable face, the annoying mascot they’ve made out of Oscar-thirsty actor Bradley Cooper, and their meathead, trolling, riot-prone fanbase, everything about them is obnoxious. As this victory was a wholly one-sided domination of a current and previously thought unbeatable NFL dynasty, and all the while coming on the heels of perhaps the worst two-week period of my sports life, it’s a particularly sinister twist of the knife.
Not only do I have to begrudgingly acknowledge that the Eagles as an organization are light years better run than whatever backward and reactionary philosophy the Cowboys can claim but also that a former gadget player — and now reigning Super Bowl MVP quarterback, Jalen Hurts — is inarguably better than Dak Prescott, and that the infinitely punchable Nick Sirianni, if only by dint of his two elite coordinators in Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio, is somehow also better than Mike McCarthy was and Schottenheimer is likely to be. That Philly now has as many Super Bowl appearances (four) as the Cowboys have playoff wins over the last quarter century is just more seasoning sprinkled into the proverbial sore. Super Bowl Sunday is normally like Christmas, or Fat Tuesday, or your annual prostate exam: a day you look forward to all year. There are so many fun traditions.
There’s the great artery-clogging food, the intervention-inspiring stock of ice-cold beer, the funny big-budget commercials, a halftime show that will make old white people angry, and, somewhere in there, usually a damn good football game. Thanks to Eagles DC Fangio, we were denied the last of these. His monstrous defensive pass rush kept the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the best quarterback in the league, scrambling for his life all game, sacking him six times without ever once bringing a blitz. Consequently, Kansas City’s “Punt God” Matt Araiza got more work than their convicted domestic abuser running back (Kareem Hunt) and their anthropomorphized protein shake and pop-star boyfriend tight end (you know who he is) had combined. The Trash Pigeons practically skated to victory, with Kansas City unable to score their first points until the third quarter in a largely unwatchable game. It’s all now just another half-perceived explosion in the periphery of my shellshocked sports stupor.
As an aside, the commercials were also lame. The massive budgets used by ad agencies to allot to creativity and humor and that once forced the commercials to dominate water cooler talk the Monday after the game have been replaced by awkwardly shoehorned celebrity cameos and gruesome, nonsensical CGI (babies with dog heads? hats made of human flesh?!). At least Kendrick Lamar’s poignant and ambitious halftime performance delivered on the requisite Boomer discomfort. No doubt the socials exploded with angry comments from accounts whose profile pics consist of closeups of the users in their driver seats with wraparound Oakleys on.
If schadenfreude is joy from others’ misery, I would like to say that in the wake of a depressing Eagles win, the opposite of that is what I’m feeling. “Fruedeschaden,” if you will. That I am completely miserable at witnessing those aggravating Eagles fans’ joy. But, honestly, at this point, after all we as local sports fans have been through recently, I’m just numb. Even still, nobody talk to me for, like, a year. l
Alcon Research, LLC has openings for Senior Mechanical Engineer for the Fort Worth, Texas office. Support development, tech transfer, and qualification of manufacturing processes for sterile drug products used in non-clinical and clinical development; and Collaborate with engineers, scientists, and other pharmaceutical development professionals to support the design of pharmaceutical processing equipment. Offering a salary of at least $110,000 per year, depending on experience. Job is 40 hours per week. Telecommuting work arrangement permitted: position may work in various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S. Please send all resumes to Sylvia Cruz, Alcon Research, LLC, 6201 South Freeway, Fort Worth, TX 76134, Ref. No.AK022025
General Motors Financial Company has multiple openings in their Ft. Worth, TX office: Software Dev. Eng. II (Ref#22029.95.4). Req. BS in CIS, CS, Comp Eng & 2 yrs. exp. in ASP.NET, ADO.NET, Microsoft.NET, C, UML, XML, XSL, MVC Frmwrk, SQL, T-SQL, Oracle Support, Oracle Managed Cloud Services, TypeScript, Angular2, Bootstrap, CSS and HTML; Data Eng. (Ref#22029.169.2). Req. BS in IT, CS, Comp Eng & 3 yrs. exp. using Python; ETL data pipelines; Data Lake, Cloud Services, and SQL; Risk Analyst - Portfolio Forecasting (Ref#22029.126.2). Req. Master’s in Business Analytics, Finance, Econ. or MIS & 1 yr. exp. In a related Analyst role querying large multi-table datasets, performing data analysis and reporting, & using SQL and data vis. tools; troubleshooting auto wrkflows; and perf. root cause analysis; Site Reliability Eng. II (Ref#22029.23.2). Req. BS or in Applied CS, CS, Comp Eng. & 5 yrs. exp. in a related role using Azure Devops, Terraform, GIT, Kubernetes, Docker, Oracle, AzureCloud Platform, Splunk, and Windows; Risk Statistician (Ref#22029.101.2). Req. Master’s degree in Statistics, Applied Statistical Modeling, or Economics & 1 yr exp using advanced statistical, qualitative and applied statistical theory; data modeling and analysis; and model validation; Software Dev. Eng. I (Ref#22029.157.2). Req. BS in CS, IT, Comp. Eng. & 1 yr exp. in a Software or Data Eng occupation using software testing, automation and user interface technologies and programming languages, including Python, C#, Cloud Services Development, and SQL. Email resumes to recruitment@gmfinancial.com.
EOE
PUBLIC NOTICE
The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Texas Towing Wrecker, 205 S Commercial St, Fort Worth TX 76107, 817-877-0206 (VSF0000964): Chevy, 1969, C10, $571.03; Frue, 1989, Dolly, $544.62; Frue, 1988, Dolly, $544.62; Interstate Trailers Inc, 2022, Trailer, $1053.05; Manufacturer, 2009, Utility Trailer, $866.76; New Holland, 2025, C332, $1399.21; Pine Ridge, 1995, Pine Ridge, $544.62; Trailer, 2003, Stepdeck, $910.05; and Trailmobile, 2000, Tanker Trailer, $910.05.
SUBMISSIONS
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TDLR COMPLAINTS
Any Texans who may be concerned that an unlicensed massage business may be in operation near them, or believe nail salon employees may be human trafficking victims, may now report those concerns directly to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) by emailing ReportHT@TDLR.Texas.gov
CELEBRATION COMMUNITY CHURCH
Located at 908 Pennsylvania Av (817-335-3222), CCC has services on Sundays at 10am. Want to check out a nonjudgmental, inclusive church at home before attending in person? All services can also be viewed on YouTube (@CelebrationCommunityChurch130).
Join the Potter’s House of Fort Worth (1270 Woodhaven Blvd, 817-446-1999) for Sunday Service at 8am and Wednesday Bible Study at 7pm. For more info, visit us online:
www.TPHFW.org
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LIFE LINE SCREENINGS
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PLANNED PARENTHOOD
We’re not going anywhere. We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now, but we are here with you and we will not stop fighting for YOU. See 6 ways you can join the #BansOffOurBodies fight on FB @PPGreaterTX or visit PPGreaterTX.org.
THE AURA CLINIC
Full-service wellness, holistic, metaphysical, and psychic sanctuary. New location coming soon! Visit online at MyAuraClinic.com.
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Is love in the cards for you this Valentine’s season? Read all about it on Page 9 of this issue. For expanded horoscopes and more info, visit FreeWillAstrology.com
HIGHER PURPOSE EMPORIUM
Everyone has a higher purpose. Find yours. Visit us at 505 W Northside Dr, FWTX (HigherPurposeEmporium. com, 682-207-5351).
MASSAGE: Hannah in Hurst Professional Therapeutic Massage from light to deep techniques. No outcalls, flexible schedule. (mt4797). Call 817-590-2257.
DIRECTV
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ADVERTISE HERE!
Email Stacey@fwweekly.com today!
CATTLE BARN FLEA MARKET
4445 River Oaks Blvd
Saturday & Sunday 9a-5p
All your favorite vendors will be there: Mo, Rey, Billy, Robert, and Niner with all of her fine works of art! See you there!
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FREE SPAY / NEUTER
Need a FREE Spay/Neuter? Texas Coalition for Animal Protection has clinics near you. Schedule an appointment today by visiting TexasForThem.org or calling 1-833-636-1757.
GOT A STORY TO TELL?
We work with guest contributors to publish SEO articles and press releases. For details, email Marketing@ fwweekly.com.
HISTORIC RIDGLEA THEATER
THE RIDGLEA is three great venues within one historic Fort Worth landmark. RIDGLEA THEATER has been restored to its authentic allure, recovering unique Spanish-Mediterranean elements. It is ideal for large audiences and special events. RIDGLEA ROOM and RIDGLEA LOUNGE have been making some of their own history, as connected adjuncts to RIDGLEA THEATER, or hosting their own smaller shows and gatherings. More at theRidglea.com
LIFE INSURANCE
Up to $15,000.00 of GUARANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay for funeral and other final expenses. Visit Life55Plus.info/ FTWorth or call Physicians Life Insurance Company today! Call 844-782-2870.
More books than, WOW!
The Published Page Bookstop (10 E Chambers St, Cleburne, 817-349-6366) is open 10am-6pm Wed-Sat and 1pm-6pm Sun. An authentic “Old School” bookstore on the courthouse square of Historic Downtown Cleburne, TX, just 20 minutes south of FW, it’s a true Texas treasure. For more info, visit PublishedPage.com or find us on Facebook (@BiblioTreasures).
NEED A FRIEND?
Ronnie D. Long Bail Bonds
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NEXTHOME
Open The Door To Yours Today! Call Sarah Niehoff, Realtor, at 817-714-7956.
Come check out our express lunch menu, happy hour specials, and late-night dining! Visit Chef Brian Olenjack’s new home kitchen. We are open from 11am to midnight, 7 days a week. Watch the BIG GAME with us at 1501 S University Dr FWTX ( 817-207-4741, RexsFTW.com).
HEATER WORKING?
Call American Residential Heating & Cooling for a $49 cooling or heating system tune up. Save up to $2000 on a new heating and cooling system (restrictions apply.) FREE estimates. Many payment options available. Licensed and insured professionals. Call 1-877-477-0546 today.
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