Two of North Texas’ longest-running hardrock bands, The Dangits and Me-Thinks celebrate the release of a split 10-inch this weekend at Growl Records in Arlington. BY
STEVE STEWARD
METROPOLIS
A hyper-conservative activist looks to continue Republicans’ stranglehold on half of Fort Worth and much of Tarrant County’s northern suburbs. BY KAYLA GUO, THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
NIGHT & DAY
Fourth of July celebrations, Willie’s annual festival, and some day-drinking at The Cicada are all on this weekend.
BY JENNIFER BOVEE
EATS & DRINKS
Fort Worth is home to more pools than you might think. Time to dive in. BY
CODY NEATHERY
STUFF
No one will ever replace Luka, but give Coop and the rest of the Mavs a chance.
BY PATRICK HIGGINS
INSIDE
Peetown
Not Feeling Patriotic?
We don’t blame ya, so we wranlged up a couple other options this holiday weekend. By Jennifer
Bovee
Sounds
of the City
As hard-rockers The Dangits and Me-Thinks celebrate a new split, Fort Worth’s Cameron Smith arrives at his storyteller stage. By Steve Steward
Flagg Day
Give the Mavs a break. It’s not Coop’s or the rest of the team’s fault that Luka’s gone. By Patrick Higgins
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
Julie Strehl, Account Manager
Sarah Niehoff, Account Executive
Stacey Hammons, Senior Account Executive
Tony Diaz, District Manager
Wyatt Newquist, Account Executive
Wendy Maier, Account Executive
CONTRIBUTORS
E.R. Bills, Jason Brimmer, Buck D. Elliott, Juan R. Govea, Patrick Higgins, Laurie James, Kristian Lin, Cody Neathery, Wyatt Newquist, Steve Steward, Teri Webster, Ken WheatcroftPardue, Elaine Wilder, Cole Williams
EDITORIAL BOARD
Laurie James, Anthony Mariani, Emmy Smith, Steve Steward
COPYRIGHT
The entire contents of Fort Worth Weekly are Copyright 2025 by Ft. Worth Weekly, LP. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the publisher. Please call the Fort Worth Weekly office for back-issue information.
Hardline Fort Worth Republican Rep. Nate Schatzline has dropped his bid to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Kelly Hancock and endorsed conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss, a new entrant in the race.
“My #1 goal was for SD9 to be represented by a true conservative, & with Leigh Wambsganss, that’s exactly what you’ll get,” Schatzline wrote on social media while announcing his reelection campaign to the Texas House. “She has my full support.”
Wambsganss, a former congressional staffer and longtime conservative activist on the Tarrant County GOP Executive Committee, won a crucial endorsement from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful president of the Senate, just minutes after her campaign announcement. Wambsganss
also spearheaded a PAC, Patriot Mobile Action, that led the charge to elect conservative candidates to several North Texas school boards in 2022, making national news.
“I have spent my entire adult life as a volunteer public servant, not for a title but out of conviction,” Wambsganss said in her announcement, emphasizing her advocacy on gun rights and anti-abortion issues. “My mission has always been clear:
to defend conservative Christian family values, safeguard our freedoms, and ensure Texas remains a stronghold for faith, family, and freedom. I don’t need a paycheck to fight for what’s right — I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
Schatzline, one of the House’s most conservative members, had announced he was running for the Senate seat earlier last week. The district became vacant when Hancock, a
“I don’t need a paycheck to fight for what’s right — I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
North Richland Hills Republican, resigned from the Senate last week to take a senior position in the comptroller’s office, allowing him to become the agency’s interim head next week, when Comptroller Glenn Hegar steps down to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.
Gov. Greg Abbott has not yet called a special election to fill the North Texas seat, which covers about half of Fort Worth and much of Tarrant County’s conservative northern suburbs.
Shortly after vacating his Senate seat, Hancock launched his campaign to win a full term as comptroller in 2026. l
A version of this story originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.
State Rep. Nate Schatzline has backed off a Senate seat that recently opened up when Republican Kelly Hancock resigned from the upper chamber to take over as the state’s acting comptroller.
Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribune
METRO
Bellow Yellow
With Bo French, Tim O’Hare, and Cowtown City Council, who needs crazy aunts and uncles.
BY E.R. BILLS
Maybe it’s just that time of year. Community socials. Reunions, cookouts, get-togethers.
They’re fun, for sure, but there’s always that one uncle (or aunt — no reason to get gender-specific) who’s a little weird (or crazy), and their only superpower seems to be cornering other members of the affair and pissing in their ear until they’re
approaching catatonia. Ten minutes in, and the unfortunate target’s eyes have glazed over. They’re looking around, trying to get away, maybe yawning or looking at their phone — but that uncle or aunt is still going a mile a minute. And you feel bad for the target, but, hell, if you intervened, you might be next. Rescue can be a perilous urge. Especially if you don’t want to spend the get-together listening to that uncle or aunt wax preposterously about how women, gays, and persons of color knew their place in their day or how (insert: ethnicity, creed, or religion, here) knew better than to fuck with their generation.
It rarely fails. There’s a clueless or otherwise offensive ass-hat in every crowd.
But this year, we don’t have to wait for a reunion or cookout or get-together. Cowtown conservatives have taken care of that for us!
Feel that trickle in your ear?
Last October, Tarrant County Republican Chair Bo French was referring to Democratic political advertisements as the “gayest” in history, guaranteeing in a tweet about one ad that “every one of these ‘dudes’ is a homo. There is literally nothing manly about any of them.” He also went all manly neocon on former Republican U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, advising, “Never go full retard.”
Offensive, homophobic, sexist, and just plain stupid, sure, but we thought French might move on. No such luck (or human decency). A few days ago, presumably opining on the Gazan genocide, he was back at it: “Who is a bigger threat to America: Jews or Muslims?”
County Judge Tim O’Hare, whom I wouldn’t trust to leave alone with anybody’s kids at any get-together, is blocking a historical marker at the former site of the historic LGBTQIA+ establishment the Rainbow Lounge.
This entire lot of dangerous though stultifyingly dull Cowtown conservatives is stealing our crazy aunt’s and uncle’s thunder, blundering willy-nilly through the halls of Fort Worth governance with no respect for equal or civil rights, general fairness, cultural accountability, or civic responsibility — and not even bothering to make it the least bit inconspicuous.
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.
And this interrogative was so asinine it even grabbed the attention of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who called for French’s immediate resignation, commenting that “antisemitism and religious bigotry have no place in Texas.” And Dan Patrick is perfectly fine with racism and religious bigotry! He dons them like underwear. It’s like the pot calling the kettle .... oh, yeah ... Patrick doesn’t like “pot,” either. Or Blacks, for that matter.
Meanwhile, Cowtown City Council is eliminating DEI programs (yes, that’s a trickling noise you hear again) because, of course, persons of color don’t deserve equal representation or a level playing field, and Tarrant
The good news is that most of us are not friends with or related to them, so we don’t have to allow them in our backyards or homes. The bad news is, these scumbags largely determine what goes on in our neighborhoods and our community, and these shameless Trump cards will be soiling the entire deck much longer than a summer get-together. These red miscreants are going to continue to piss in our ears, but the delivery system isn’t the only reason it’s yellow. It — and they — are also pathetic and cowardly. Lambs instead of lions. l
Fort Worth native E.R. Bills is the author of seven nonfiction titles, including Tell-Tale Texas: Investigations in Infamous History
This column reflects the opinions and fact-gathering of the author(s) and only the author(s) and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.
NIGHT & DAY
Happy Fourth, Y’all
As I mentioned last week, there has been little to no traction for the No Kings 2.0 event, rumored to be happening this Friday. I have found exactly one in our area. Indivisible is doing a No Kings Bridge Display event at 9am on Friday at the UNT Pedestrian Bridge on I-35 near Airport Road in Denton. With this Fri-Sun being Independence Day weekend, there are numerous events for those feeling patriotic. Read all about them in last week’s Night & Day at FWWeekly.com and in the July Fourth listings below. For those not feeling it — and it’s a lot of us — there are other fun events to check out below.
At 9am, the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History (1600 Gendy St, Fort Worth, 817-255-9300) is hosting a screening of the animated comedy Rio in the new Omni Theater. Rio is the story of Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota who meets the fiercely independent Jewel. The two set off on an adventure to (you guessed it) Rio de Janeiro. Tickets start at $12.50.
While you’re there, the multimedia exhibit Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr.
Jane Goodall runs thru early Sep. Read more about it in our upcoming Creature Comforts special edition (Wed, Jul 30). Becoming Jane is included with general admission ($12-16) or free with a museum membership.
Light Up Liberty, the Granbury Chamber of Commerce’s 51st annual Fourth of July celebration, includes fireworks, a parade, and lots of vendors all weekend. The kickoff is the parade (9am-5pm Fri). Later that evening, around 9:45pm, there will be a fireworks display over Lake Granbury, shot off behind the Pearl Street Bridge. On Saturday, there is a vendor market 10am-5pm and live music by Jadon Rogers and Josh Kennedy 6pm-10pm. Sunday starts with a Gospel Hour at 10am, followed by the final vendor market 10am-4pm. There is no cost to attend. For more information, visit GranburyChamber.com/light-up-liberty/.
The City of Grapevine hosts its annual Fireworks Extravaganza over Lake Grapevine. Fireworks will launch from Oak Grove Soccer Complex (1299 Oak Grove Loop North, Grapevine, 817-4103450) at 9:30pm. For a map of the viewing areas and lake park fees, visit bit.ly/3HMhb6I.
Studio 80 (500 Taylor St, Fort Worth, 817-332-4823) is hosting a Back to the Fourth Glow Party at 7pm. To the Back to the Future theme, Studio 80 assures us that your DeLorean will be safe if you use the valet parking, that hoverboards are optional at the second-floor bar, and that you will glow like a flux capacitor in
your best ’80s garb. “Dress like you just hit 1.21 gigawatts!” they say. Happy hour is 7pm-9pm, but the party goes on all night. For info on VIP bottle service and VIP suites, check out the event page at Facebook.com/StudioEighty/Events.
For me, it’s just not Fourth of July weekend without watching Jaws — more about that in another issue — or seeing Willie Nelson. Tonight, you can (hopefully) see him perform alongside Bob Dylan, the Avett Brothers, and more at the Outlaw Music Festival. I say “hopefully” because his son Lucas Nelson has stepped in on his behalf at a few recent shows. Willie is 92 years old, after all. The 10th anniversary of this tour hits Coca-Cola Starplex — excuse me, Dos Equis Pavilion (1818 1st Av, Dallas, 214-421-1111) — at 4:15pm. Tickets start at $55 on Ticketmaster.com.
You are invited to throw on your boldest caftan, wildest muumuu, or finest cow print and settle in for an afternoon of mimosas (boozy or booze-free) with your choice of bubbles and juice at Muumuus & Mimosas at The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FW). There is no cover, and along with the $3.50 domestic beers and well drinks, there are special discounts for anyone dressed in a muumuu or moo print.
We’re glad to see that Tyler Stevens at The Cicada still has her sense of humor. The club has recently faced some difficult times. Read about the June fundraiser (“Saving the Cicada”) at FWWeekly.com.
“We are so close,” she recently posted. “So close! Today is one of those make-it or break-it days. We just need a little help to get restocked. We’re so close to being caught up and sustainable again, and I’m incredibly hopeful because ... BIG changes are coming. I have some amazing things in the works that will bring new energy to The Cicada and make it an even more vibrant home for artists, musicians, and the community. The plan is in motion! It’s just taking a few more days to come together. But right now, today, I need a little help holding the line. If you’ve ever thought about donating, today is the day it will make the biggest difference. Even small amounts are huge right now. Thank you for standing by me and believing in what we’re building. The future is bright, and it’s almost here.” Those interested in donating to the cause can do so through CashApp ($TyAnnosaurus) or Venmo (@thecicadafortworth).
By Jennifer Bovee
The fun animated comedy Rio screens at the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History’s new Omni Theater on Thursday.
STUFF
Live and Let Die
The addition of “can’t miss” prospect Cooper Flagg presents a perfect opportunity for bitter fans to begin to balance their hatred of the Mavs’ front office with a renewed love for the team.
BY PATRICK HIGGINS
Though more than two months have passed since a Mavericks player has set foot on the court, like it or not, an unavoidable buzz is building around the team. In May, near impossible odds saw Dallas figuratively and literally winning the lottery, securing the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft. Last week, as expected, they selected standout Duke forward Cooper Flagg, the most coveted NBA prospect of the last decade, save for perhaps San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama two years ago.
Naturally, the club’s improbable snagging of the 1:1 pick with a 1.8% chance was some savory red meat for the tinfoil-hat set. If there are three universal truths among the dumb-man’s-idea-of-a-smart-man citizens of the online conspiratorial man-o-sphere, it’s that 1.) the shape of the Earth is far from a settled science, 2.) anything I don’t like or
understand is “woke,” and 3.) the NBA draft lottery is fixed.
Regardless, whether by dint of a weighted ping-pong ball, divine sports intervention, or owed to what hated Mavs GM Nico Harrison infuriatingly described in his post-draft presser as “fortune favoring the bold,” the fact of the matter is that Flagg is a Maverick. His addition presents the perfect off-ramp for fans still bitter about The Worst Trade in Sports History™ to set aside at least some of the ire that’s been directed toward the franchise and embrace the team once again.
I know what many (most?) of you are thinking. “So what? I don’t care. They lost
me with the Luka trade, and I’m not coming back just because Nico lucked into ‘the next one.’ I can’t root for this team while he is still running it.”
To a degree, I get the sentiment. The deal that Harrison pulled in February to send away Luka Dončić, the most beloved athlete in the city and in the peak of his prime, for an aging, injury-prone Anthony Davis was professional malpractice and should have cost him his job. I’ll join right in with the “fire Nico!” chants. Yet the asinine trade was his fault, not the players’, and they’re still worthy of your appreciation. Flagg offers the possibility of a clean slate in which to do so.
Do you realize how lucky we are?
This fall should have been the first time the Mavs have entered a season without a league-redefining superstar in their ranks in more than a quarter century. That has been instantaneously reversed. The line of superstar succession has been repaired. Dirk => Luka => Coop. Sure Flagg is an undeserved fig leaf that might hide Harrison’s shame, but you deny a gift from the sports gods at your own peril.
It’s been an incredibly shitty sports year. The Luka trade. Kyrie Irving tearing his ACL. The Cowboys missed the playoffs and replaced head coach Mike McCarthy with the Michael Scott of NFL coaching candidates, the totally cringeworthy and extremely uninspiring Brian Schottenheimer. The Stars once again fell short of Stanley Cup glory, faltering in the Western Conference Final for the third straight year, and fired their own head coach, Pete DeBoer, only to install a failed retread even more uninspiring than Schottenheimer in Glen Gulutzan, who failed to make the postseason in his two seasons as the Stars bench boss 12 years ago. In fact, he has exactly one playoff series under his belt as a head coach, a sweep at the hands (“webbed feet”?) of the Anaheim Ducks when he helmed the Calgary Flames eight years ago. The Rangers currently sit fourth in the AL West and are a whopping nine games back of first place Houston. It’s ugly.
And that’s just this year. Setting aside the Rangers’ unexpected World Series steal two years ago, the local sports landscape has been full of inexhaustible frustration for a decade and a half. Legitimate reasons to cheer in sports are fleeting, random, and short-lived. When you have one, you should relish it.
Ultimately, the front office of a franchise is not the team. We should be well conditioned around these parts to root for an organization despite a hatred for its decision-makers. Jerry Jones, Tom Hicks, John Daniels toward the end — there’s been no shortage of overconfident idiots who don’t deserve their position to go around. Nico Harrison is far from the first, and he won’t be the last. You shouldn’t let his failures blind you to the efforts of the players on the court. Fans certainly have a right to be bitter, but the players deserve their support, even if the front office doesn’t. Life is too short to hate the team you love. l
Dumb luck. With just a 1.8% chance, the Mavs were able to select phenom Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pic overall in the NBA draft. Courtesy Instagram.com
EATS & drinks
Paradisiacal Pools
Summer’s here, and the time is right for frollicking — and eating and drinking — at local watering holes.
BY CODY NEATHERY
We have officially hit the steamy shores of Summerland and the annual epidemic of PTO being left out to dry. Approximately two-thirds of Americans don’t use all their paid time off, a rate that’s up 14% from 2017 and that leaves a whopping $312 billion on the table. When surveyed, employees said
While Central Texas boasts nearly all the well-known spring-fed swimming holes like Hamilton Pool, Jacob’s Well, and Barton Springs, a lesser-known pool of this type is found right here in the Fort. Located northwest of downtown between River Oaks and the joint reserve base, Burgers Lake (1200 Meandering Rd, Fort Worth, 817-737-3414) has been hosting sunbathers since 1929, making it possibly America’s oldest waterpark. With sandy beaches and shady trees, Burgers Lake lets you bring your own grill, or you can save yourself the trouble and cram $8 cheeseburgers and $5 jalapeno-cheddar dogs down your throat before announcing “cannonball!” from a diving board. Parking passes are $20.
too expensive. If time or money has you limited, then a daycation might be your best vacation, and, luckily for you, our little ville has several low-cost options for
can play bougie with a day pass at a luxury hotel pool or feel outdoorsy grilling at the local swimming hole, all while staying properly hydrated and well-fed. This list is by no means comprehensive. It’s just a glance at some of our faves. l
On the grounds of Tim Love’s tasty Italian restaurant Gemelle sits a community of shipping containers doubling as boutique rooms. Hotel Otto (4400 White Settlement Rd, Fort Worth, 817732-9303) is a tiny slice of the Italian Riviera on the outskirts of the West Side. For $25 on the Resort Pass app, guests can work on maximum tannage from chaise lounges on the deck of a tiny lap pool built for Instagrammable moments. Greenery walls, kitschy neon sayings, and breeze blocks create a lovely backdrop for indulging in happy-hour beverages and light bites from the restaurant. There’s even a bocce ball court. Whatever it is you do, ensure an Aperol Spritz is in one hand if not both. Ciao.
EASY-TOGET-TO EATS
Take a bite out of tra c and parking hassles on the new, FREE Trinity Metro Blue Line! Just find the blue buses circling Downtown Fort Worth every 7 minutes, 7am–7pm, 7 days a week. Then hop on for easy trips to breakfast, lunch, happy hour and more! Plan your trip today at RIDETRINITYMETRO.org/BLUELINE.
Eats & Drinks
For around $30 a day for adults, grab your best matey and sail a short way to Pirate’s Cove (2461 N Burleson Blvd, Burleson, 817-426-5037) at Jellystone Park, a Yogi Bear-themed campground resort off 35-South in Burleson. Complete with a massive skull-ladened pirate ship, a tropical 750-foot lazy river, multiple loopy slides, and nautical statues throughout, Pirate’s Cove really conjures up the swashbuckling spirit, especially after a few adult beverages from the nearby cafe.
The Near Southside’s newest boutique hotel recently set up camp around a former Fort Worth fire station built in 1911 after a devastating blaze leveled the neighborhood. Part of Hilton’s upscale Tapestry Collection, The Nobleman (503 Bryan Av, Fort Worth, 682-432-3000) is named after all those first responders who kept watch from this 114-year-old brick building that’s been respectfully incorporated into the new hotel design. However, for $30 a day on the Resort Pass app, you, too, can keep watch beside the second-floor pool while enjoying cocktails from the hotel bar before ending the day with dinner from the in-house restaurant, The Duchess.
The presence of the Omni (1300 Houston St, Fort Worth, 817-535-6664) downtown is soon to expand with the addition of another tower, but until then, starting at $35 a day on the Resort Pass app (or via the hotel), you can enjoy exceptional views and drinks on the third-floor rooftop pool. Right in time for your summer daycation, the Water Horse pool bar has transformed into a New Orleans-based tiki bar pop-up sure to transport you to the South Seas. Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s Tiki Social will be open only Thu-Sun until 8pm, the usual hours for Water Horse, and access is included with the day pass.
And while this is more picnic-based, the newly renovated Forest Park public pool (2850 Forest Park Av, Fort Worth, 817392-5589) is ready for the sizzling season. For a measly $6, you can kick back under the sun at this most cost-effective option we found. Having an Olympic-sized lap pool on one side and wading pool on the other, along with one twirly-whirly water slide, this no-frills escape is easily accessible and chill enough to make you forget you’re in Cowtown, even for a brief moment in time.
Ate Days of Cookout Recipes
Expertly crafted recipes to impress your July 4th guests
As Independence Day approaches, it’s the perfect time to change up your holiday menu with dishes that combine classic American flavors with a chef’s touch. Chef Dennis Littley, with over 40 years of culinary experience, shares his specially crafted recipes that are both crowd-pleasers and easy to prepare at home. These dishes are guaranteed to impress your guests and make your Fourth of July celebration truly special.
All-American Hot Dog Bar: Create a fun and interactive dining experience with an all-American hot dog bar. Offer a variety of toppings and let guests build their perfect hot dog. First grill your favorite hot dogs and set up a toppings station with options. Such as ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, sauerkraut, cheese, and chili. Guests can get creative with their combinations this way, especially kids. “A hot dog bar is a festive and customizable option that adds excitement to any Fourth of July gathering. Providing a variety of toppings allows guests to personalize their meals, making it a hit for all ages.”
Juicy Smoked Burgers: One way to level up your grill game this 4th of July, is with these juicy smoked burgers. Infused with a smoky flavor and cooked to perfection. Chef Dennis recommends using an 80/20 blend of ground beef to ensure the burgers remain moist during the smoking process. Season the patties with salt and pepper, then smoke them at 225°F until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F. Serve on toasted buns with your favorite toppings. “Smoking burgers adds a depth of flavor that’s hard to beat. It’s a simple technique that brings out the best in your meat. Remember to let the patties rest after smoking to retain their juices, and don’t press down on them while cooking to keep them tender.” Chef Dennis expresses
Atlantic Beach Pie: This tangy and sweet Atlantic Beach Pie features a saltine cracker crust and a creamy lemon-lime filling, making it a refreshing dessert for summer celebrations. To prepare, crush saltine crackers and mix with melted butter and sugar to form the crust. Press into a pie dish and bake until golden. For the filling, whisk together egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon-lime juice, then pour into the crust and bake until set. Top with homemade whipped cream before serving. “The
combination of the salty crust and sweet, citrusy filling makes this pie a standout dessert that’s perfect for summer. It’s a unique twist that surprises and delights guests, and is very often my go to!’’
Grilled Smoked Sausage Cheddar Wurst: These grilled smoked sausage cheddar wursts are a flavorful addition to your Fourth of July cookout. Topped with sautéed onions and peppers, they’re sure to be a hit. Grill the cheddar wurst sausages until heated through. Meanwhile, sauté sliced onions and bell peppers in olive oil until tender. Serve the sausages in buns topped with the sautéed vegetables. “Grilling smoked sausage with cheddar adds a savory twist to your barbecue. It’s a simple yet satisfying option for guests. Don’t forget to toast the buns for added texture and flavor.”
No-Bake Peach Tart: This no-bake peach tart is a delightful dessert that showcases the sweetness of fresh peaches. With a creamy filling and a graham cracker crust, it’s perfect for summer gatherings.
To make the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and press into a tart pan. For the filling, mix mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth. Spread the filling over the crust and top with sliced peaches. Chill before serving. “A no-bake peach tart is a refreshing way to end your Fourth of July meal. It’s light, fruity, and easy to prepare. Using ripe, seasonal peaches enhances the flavor and presentation.”
Hosting Tips:
1.) You don’t need a fancy kitchen to host a great Fourth of July celebration, just a bit of prep and smart planning. Choose dishes you can make ahead, so you’re not stuck in the kitchen all day. Pre-chop your veg, marinate meats, and have your spices ready to go. It’ll make everything feel smoother and more relaxed when guests arrive.’
2.) Set up a simple self-serve drink station with infused waters or iced teas so everyone
can help themselves. Using fresh, seasonal ingredients is an easy way to make your dishes shine. Toss some berries on desserts or mix grilled corn into salads for a summery boost without much extra effort.
3.) If you’re grilling, use a meat thermometer to get perfect results and always let your meat rest before slicing. Simple touches like string lights, patriotic colors, and background music help set a festive vibe without needing a big budget or overthinking the décor.
4.) Interactive stations, like a build-yourown hot dog bar, are always a hit and take the pressure off you as host. Most of all, when you prep smart and keep things flexible, your celebration will feel effortless, fun, and full of flavor.
About Chef Dennis Littley: Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over four decades of experience in professional kitchens. Through his platform, Ask Chef Dennis, he shares approachable, restaurant-quality recipes and cooking tips to inspire home cooks.
For more promotional information and recipes for the holiday, visit AskChefDennis.com/ category/4th-of-july/
By Living Local
RIDGLEA THEATER
THUR 7/17 ASCENSION DRAGONSLAYER PRO WRESTLING
SAT 8/16 ELIZABETH ANNE
RIDGLEA ROOM
SAT 7/5 FOUR DAY WEEKEND
SAT 7/12 DEC BAND
RIDGLEA LOUNGE
FRI 7/11 AVRY, I LEARNED TO TALK IN SPRING, WIRE RIMS& MORE!
FRI 7/18 JOY DR, OLIDAZE, COACH LIFE BAND AND MORE
MUSIC
News and Notes
As the Me-Thinks and Dangits celebrate a split release with a show at Growl Records, Cameron Smith readies the release of his longawaited debut album.
BY STEVE STEWARD
On Saturday, Growl Records/Division Brewing (509 E Abram St, Arlington, 682252-7639) hosts the EP release of Cease & Desist, a 10-inch vinyl split between two of Fort Worth’s longest-running, highest-octane rock ’n’ roll bands: the Me-Thinks and The Dangits. The EP, recorded at Dangits drummer Russ Gender’s home studio, captures these two titans of crumpled tallboys and crusty, tall amp stacks in all their highgain, low-stakes glory covering each other’s songs. The Dangits tackle the Me-Thinks’ “Loudensucke” and “Rock Deaf,” while the Me-Thinks put their spin on The Dangits’ “The Devil” and “The Equalizer.”
Of the Me-Thinks’ side, frontman Ray Liberio said, “Our side sounds a little funny because we fucked it up ... . I think [The Dangits] took their time a bit. Their versions of our songs sound awesome.”
Besides toasting and roasting the EP’s four tracks, the Cease & Desist release party is also the last time Me-Thinks drummer Jon “Trucker Jon” Simpson will play in the band. He and wife Janet Simpson are moving to South Carolina in a few weeks.
“There are so many great things I’d love to say about my time in the Me-Thinks,” Simpson said, “but what should be known is that being in a band with those guys has been one of the most fun and fulfilling experiences ever. They are the best bunch of friends and bandmates that anyone could ever ask for, and they will be missed dearly.”
Doors to the 21+ show open at 7pm, with the bands starting at 8. The Dangits and Me-Thinks will be joined by Grand Prairie garage rockers Positive Shocks, so expect your ears to get that nice, stuffy, scorched feeling by the end of the night. Mine are ringing just thinking about it!
Fort Worth singer-songwriter Cameron Smith has put out a couple singles this spring in anticipation of Gold & Rust, the debut album he’s releasing on Sep 12. The 13 tracks tell a story about “an ordinary kid on an extraordinary journey,” which Smith introduced in May with “The Way Life Ought to Be,” a duet with Hamilton-born Central Texas-based songwriter Presley Haile. The song, in which Smith’s voice embraces his Crowley roots and love for Blaze, Townes, and Willie, is a country-leaning ballad, using tradition to paint with the hues of self-reflection, fiddle and trumpet providing the shading and highlighting. Smith has always been interested in history, and for him to pivot his songwriting from the punk and
indie-rock of his teens and early adulthood to the folk and country music that captivated him as a kid, he’s sort of done a deep dive into his own past, emerging as the kind of songwriter he’s always yearned to be — a storyteller.
“How does a boy become a man without turning into a monster?” This was a question Smith asked himself as Gold & Rust’s songs came together, mapping the narrative out longform as a story, spinning the tale of a kid bound by his own demons, who, pining for freedom from his addictions and despair, finds love and solace in a woman but also the seductive influence of a charlatan known as the Irredeemer. The Irredeemer plants the seeds of nihilism in the rocky soil of the kid’s broken faith with sermons of “artifice and avarice,” encouraging the kid to “become iron in the fire.”
Iron rusts, of course, and Smith’s songs often have a sense of fatalism in them, that time is short but the arc of history is long. On June 20, he released the album’s next single, “Not in Our Stars (the Fine Game of Nil),” which carries the ghosts of bad memories and ennui around like holes in a beloved pair of jeans, as the track’s ramblin’, gamblin’ honkytonk wiggles into the night like a skateboard rattling into the dark at the edge of a parking lot. Despite the song’s breezy boogie — it’s reminiscent of a Jimmy Buffett deep cut like “Big Rig” — the tension between the safety of love and faith and the irresistible attraction of the unknown digs in like a rock in your shoe.
“I know that the fault is not in our stars,” Smith sings. “It’s in these brains that torture us for stories / And paint those lines we keep driving in.”
Is this kid’s fate inescapable? Can the work of the Irredeemer be undone? The answers lie at the end of Smith’s debut album, when the sun sets on a road that goes on forever, even after the story ends. l
Cease & Desist, a 10-inch vinyl split between the loud and rowdy Me-Thinks and Dangits, will be celebrated at Growl Records Sat.
Art by Ray Liberio
Cameron Smith: “How does a boy become a man without turning into a monster?”
BOOKS
Blackfeet Blood
In Stephen Graham
Jones’ new novel The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, American expansionism gets its deadly comeuppance.
BY E.R. BILLS
Like most Americans around my age, I was introduced to the Blackfeet nation by the 1972 Robert Redford film Jeremiah Johnson . The only thing fitting about the portrayal of the Blackfeet in this saccharine slice of Napikwan nostalgia is that none of the Blackfeet characters ever express an emotion much less utter a word. They’re simply disparaged by a dodgy Napikwan (Blackfeet word for “white person/people”) and dispatched callously, some in their sleep. Their scalps — though planted on Redford’s saddle — even earn Johnson a Flathead wife.
Now, over a half-century later, it’s probably just as well. The Blackfeet characters’ presence was simply that of wooden cigar-store Indians, as far removed from who they really were as any painted, wooden Christ on a wooden cross above a Napikwan pulpit. But I have a strong suspicion that a young Blackfeet boy in Texas saw the movie a little while after I did, and it definitely left an impression. Now, a rising (if not the) star of contemporary Texas letters, Blackfeet indigenous writer Stephen Graham Jones mentions Jeremiah Johnson in his latest novel, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter. And payback is the plotline. Knowing Jones a little, this is the book I’ve been looking for from him.
I loved Mongrels , his 2016 exploration of indigenous lycanthropy, and I highly recommend it. But Buffalo Hunter Hunter is something else altogether. It may be Jones’ Moby Dick , and the main character, Good Stab, is a much more layered, poignant Captain Ahab. The epistolary narrative is brilliant and sprawling, detailing major events and minor moments in ways that are pregnant with portent and implication. Good Stab is not Ken Kesey’s Chief Bromden, Fenimore Cooper’s Natty Bumppo, the Lone Ranger’s Tanto, or Ismael’s friend QueeQueg. He really is
Melville’s Ahab without rank or vessel, plying the Blackfeet hinterlands not in search of Moby Dick — which Melville intimated was a symbol for Christianity — but for one Christian pastor in particular, who could easily represent the entire Napikwan expansion and the American conquest and seizure of indigenous lands in general. And in some places — especially for a Napikwan like me — the tale verges on Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being (without the sex).
Good Stab’s quest is existential in the starkest, least philosophical sense, so there is very little lightness. The weight and darkness of the white Anglo subjugation of the high plains is frequently unbearable and challenges the flimsy notion of what being an American means,
In the narrowed and broader American conversation, there was no indigenous cause that justified or legitimized the white Anglo effect.
Good Stab is a dagger that’s been a long time coming. His tale is a good stab at so many things that needed to be said or reemphasized about the beauty and grace of pre-European indigenous cultures in North America and how much inhumanity we Napikwan never really answered for. It’s a wonderful though sometimes disturbing read, even if some faint-hearted Anglos may experience the harrowing sensation that they are slowly being scalped (or, in Good Stab’s way, drained of blood). It’s darkly refreshing, and it’s been a long time coming.
There’s nothing approaching the erstwhile white savior mentality so panderingly glorified in Dances with Wolves or, more recently, Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River . Good Stab uses our medicine against us, then returns to what’s left of his tribe. And therein lies Jones’ unassuming genius. Good Stab doesn’t approach his people’s plight, his personal curse, or his quest for vengeance like the Napikwan caricatures of Stallone’s Hambo or Bruce Willis’ Dumb- Hard . Good Stab considers them, approaches them, and addresses them like an authentic Blackfeet, making all the Kevin Costners and John Waynes look like petty pilgrims and the glaring pretenders they always were.
especially as writers like Jones bring this history to the fore.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter would have been a horror story even if nonfiction, but the supernatural elements of Jones’ tale are poetic and wildly (if not morbidly) thought-provoking. The diabolical antagonist, the Cat Man, is a European or Indo-European monster loosed upon the landscape, a nightmare of the Old World, now corrupting the Blackfeet present and Napikwan New World. It infects Good Stab, and, though it costs him virtually everything, he masters the monstrosity he becomes and uses it against whence it came, exacting bizarre, codified vengeance. And though very few of Jones’ readers or his audience may be Blackfeet, they will find themselves on Good Stab’s side.
In the narrowed and broader American conversation, there was no indigenous cause that justified or legitimized the white Anglo effect. It was more like white Anglo affectation and effect, and Jones lays all that bare. But the humanity he captures in every direction and in all parties is endearing and compelling. It’s probably better than we Napikwan deserve, and it’s captivating.
Though speculative fiction, I think The Buffalo Hunter Hunter — in terms of both information and real understanding surpasses nonfiction classics like Empire of the Summer Moon and Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI . It’s that pure and powerful. l
Fort Worth native E.R. Bills is the author of seven nonfiction titles, including TellTale Texas: Investigations in Infamous History.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones Saga/Simon & Schuster 448 pps.
WEEKLY LISTINGS
Free Will Astrology
By Rob Brezsny
ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19)
Have faith that the cloudy uncertainty will ultimately evolve into clarity, revealing the precise directions you need.
TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20)
Attune yourself to the arrival of unexpected help and gifts. Set aside any tendency to try too hard, and allow life to sing through you.
GEMINI (May 21-Jun 20)
Remember that masterpieces are rarely completed in a jiffy. Steady work is potentially your superpower. Use your imagination to have fun as you attend to the details.
CANCERIAN (Jun 21-Jul 22)
Identify the single desire that motivates you more than any other. Yes, you have many wishes and hopes, and dreams, but one is more crucial than all the rest!
LEO (Jul 23-Aug 22)
Productive adventures are awaiting you in an unmapped territory. Go carefully—but go.
VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 22)
Build the lasting beauty and truth that will serve you well into the future. Don’t rush the carpentry. If it’s not working, don’t force it. Re-cut, re-measure, breathe deeply, and try again.
LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 22)
Your intuition will consistently guide you toward premium sources.
SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21)
You need places and influences that offer you comfort, safety, and tender inspiration. Don’t apologize for making your life a bit less heroic as you tend to your inner world with gentle reverence.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21)
Let unfamiliarity be your muse. Have faith that the truth isn’t vanishing or hiding; it’s simply appearing in unfamiliar guises.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19)
Some people accentuate your finest attributes, while others bring out less flattering aspects. In the coming weeks surround yourself with your favorite mirrors.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20- Feb 18)
Be in love with the unfinished in the coming weeks. Make inquisitiveness your default position. Reconsider abandoned ideas.
PISCES (Feb 19-Mar 20)
Your ability to discern and appreciate multiple perspectives will enable you to create an intriguing kind of harmony. You will have the power to notice and reveal beauty that has been veiled or unnoticed.
EXPANDED HOROSCOPES
For unabridged versions of the horoscopes above by Rob Brezsny, go to FreeWillAstrology.com.
BULLETIN BOARD
For local listings, products, and services, flip to page 20 and check out the back cover!
OPEN THE DOOR TO YOUR NextHome
5020 Bacon Dr // Keller ISD
Sarah Niehoff
NextHome PropertyLink
NextHome is a proud partner with Canine Companions
BULLETIN BOARD
ADVERTISE HERE!
Email Stacey@fwweekly.com today.
American Residential
Heating & Cooling
As temps outside start to climb, the season for savings is now. $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 are available. Licensed and insured professionals. Call today 1-877-447-0546 (MB)
Are You Road-Trip Ready?
CALL COWTOWN ROVER!
With our handy pick-up and drop-off services, having your car checked out could not be easier. www.CowtownRover.com 3958 Vickery | 817.731.3223
CELEBRATION
Located at 908 Pennsylvania Av (817-335-3222), Celebration Community Church 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)
DENTAL INSURANCE
from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400-plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-888361-7095 www.dental50plus.com/fortworth #6258 (MB)
EMPLOYMENT
American Airlines, Inc. has openings in Ft. Worth, TX for: Analyst/Sr. Analyst, Revenue Strategy & Analysis (Ref. 2211): Resp for act’g as the internal biz consult focused on synthesiz’g large data sets to understand market lvl trends & strats, diag, & resolve perform issues, & deliver insights to translate into mean’gful market-lvl actions; Bach degree in Biz, Finance, Biz Analytics, or rltd fld + 3 yrs of exp as Analyst, Associate, or any occup in which the req exp was gained & demos exp. Loc: Ft. Worth, TX To learn more or to apply send inquiries &/ or resume to Gene Womack via email: Gene.Womack@ aa.com. Please include Ref #2211 in subject line. #LIDNI
EMPLOYMENT
General Motors Financial Company has multiple openings in their Ft Worth, TX office: Data Scientist II – OSI (Ref#22029.72.2). Req. Master’s in MIS or CIS & 3 yrs exp as data scientist using python, SQL, data modeling, data analytics, & data science.; Sr Oracle App Dev (Ref#22029.71.4). Req. Bachelor’s in EE or CS & 7 yrs exp in oracle app dev role using SQL, PL/SQL, Oracle BI/XML Publisher, Oracle App Frmwk (OAF) & KoFax.; Sr. Data Enablement Analyst (Ref#22029.39.2). Req. Master’s in Eng, Math, or Stats & 5 yrs exp using data querying & analysis, SQL, Python, & R; data viz using Power BI & Tableau; data modeling, research & analysis related to problem formulation, root cause analysis, & forecasting; statis analysis via hypothesis testing and predictive methods; data quality, data gov, & agile evnt.; Software Development Engineer III (Ref#22029.140.5). Req. Bachelor’s in EE or CS & 7 yrs exp in software dev eng role using C#, JavaScript, ASP.NET MVC, Web Svcs, REST API, Selenium, & Azure DevOps.; Software Development Engineer II (Ref#22029.174.4). Req. Bachelor’s in CS or Comp Eng & 3 yrs exp in software dev eng or related role using SQL Server, ASP.NET, C#, and JavaScript. All jobs allow for 100% telecommuting. To apply, email resume w/ ref code to recruitment@ gmfinancial.com. EOE.
EMPLOYMENT
Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. in Fort Worth, TX seeks to fill the position of Technical Instructor, Prin to deliver Instructor-led training (classroom/virtual), technical job training and direct product sales or business development training for internal and external customers. Supports course design and development/ updates of training content or curriculum based on individual business need. To apply, visit jobs.halliburton. com and enter #200516 in “search by keyword” field. If offered employment, must have legal right to work in U.S. EOE, including disability/veterans.
ERIE METAL ROOFS
Replace your roof with the best-looking and longestlasting material, steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors are available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer of up to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-888-778-0566 (MB)
GET PUBLISHED!
Dorrance Publishing, trusted by authors since 1920, is accepting submissions. Book manuscripts are currently being reviewed. Comprehensive services include consultation, production, promotion, and distribution. Call 1-866-256-0940 or visit our website for your free author’s guide and become a published author. (MB) DorranceInfo.com/ftworth
HERITAGE for the BLIND
Get a break on your taxes! Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous tax credit for 2025. Call Heritage for the Blind Today at 1-855-5031501 today! (MB)
LIFE INSURANCE
Up to $15,000.00 of GUARANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay for the funeral and other final expenses.Call Physicians Life Insurance Company- 844-782-2870 or visit www. Life55plus.info/ftworth (mb)
NEED A FRIEND?
Ronnie D. Long Bail Bonds
Immediate Jail Release 24 Hour Service. City, County, State and Federal Bonds. Located Minutes from Courts. 6004 Airport Freeway.
817-834-9894
RonnieDLongBailBonds.com
NO MORE GUTTER CLEANING!
LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection, will help you eliminate gutter cleaning forever. Schedule a FREE estimate today. Receive 20% off entire purchase, plus a 10% senior and military discount. (MB) Call 1-877-689-1687
POTTER’S HOUSE
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 at www.TPHFW.org.
Prepared for OUTAGES?
Prepare today for POWER OUTAGES with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move. (mb) 1-817-752-9457
SAFE STEP:
North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub
Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-855-868-0192
STUCK WITH A TIMESHARE?
Wesley Financial Group, the Timeshare Cancellation
Experts has over 450 positive reviews and over done over $50 million in successful timeshare debt/fees cancellations. Get free consultation, free info package, and learn how to get rid of your timeshare today. (mb) Call 844-511-2581
PHYSICAL MEDIA ROCKS!
Looking for Cassettes, CDs, DVDs & Vinyl? Come dig around, we have TONS! 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).
