Fort Worth Weekly // December 30, 2020 - January 5, 2021

December 30, 2020 January 5, 2021 FREE fwweekly.com

2020

RECAP While taking a look back at all that was and could have been, we also turn our gaze toward a brand-new year and a brand-new outlook.

FEATURE Fort Worth was part of a national conversation that involved change on some levels but not enough on others.

BY EDWARD BROWN

FEATURE Twenty-Twenty was a year of firsts but not of lasts.

BY ANTHONY MARIANI

EATS While we mourn the closures, we celebrate the openings.

BY EDWARD BROWN

MUSIC Despite the pandemic or perhaps because of it, the 817 was lousy with good music.

BY PAT R I C K H I G G I N S A N D JUAN R. GOVEA

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N umber 38

D ecember 30, 2020 - J anuar y 5, 2021

INSIDE STAFF

2020 Recap

Anthony Mariani, Editor Lee Newquist, Publisher Bob Niehoff, General Manager Ryan Burger, Art Director Jim Erickson, Circulation Director

Hello, 2021

After a slow 2020, Fort Worth’s major museums and galleries are back in action.

By Anthony Mariani

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Cover photo by Jason Brimmer

Jennifer Bovee, Marketing Director Stacey Hammons, Senior Account Executive Julie Strehl, Account Executive Tony Diaz, Account Executive Wyatt Newquist, Digital Coordinator Clintastic, Brand Ambassador

Bye, Don

With the election over (yes, it’s over — for, like, the 60th time), some scars still linger.

By Anthony Mariani

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Loads of Tunes

For many local musos, 2020 was fertile.

By Juan R. Govea and Patrick Higgins

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4 5 9 11 13

Stuff Feature Feature 2 Art New Year’s Eve

23 Classifieds

14 N&D Big Ticket . . . . . . . 12

16 Eats & Drinks 21 Music

Backpage . . . . . . . . 24

Hearsay . . . . . . . . . 21

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No portion may be reproduced in whole or in

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email: question@fwweekly.com

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Michael Newquist, Regional Sales Director

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As 2020 proved, Fort Worth is on the cusp of being a great, progressive city.

Taylor Provost, Proofreader

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A Long, Strange Trip

By Edward Brown

Edward Brown, Staff Writer

G a g e S k i d m o r e C C BY- S A 2 . 0 c r e a t i ve c o m m o n s . o r g

Since 2020 was such a big year, we thought we would memorialize it with a full issue, equally a look back at all that was (mostly bad) and a look forward of all that awaits 2021 (a vaccine, new businesses, a new, normal president — mostly good, me-thinks). From sports to eats and music to art, we’ve got it covered. Plus, there’s no shortage of NYE ideas inside. Just mask up, socially distance, and warsh your damn hands. — Anthony Mariani

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Sports Town?

We might need to seriously rethink which sports Metroplex maniacs draw pride from.

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It’s become nauseatingly clichéd to speak of 2020 as an unusual year, but, in sports, it was and is truly exceptional in many ways that won’t soon be forgotten. The standard sports rotation schedule that coincides with the Earth’s seasons ceased relevance.

Contests occurred whenever and wherever possible the governing body deemed most prudent. Some — like the NHL and NBA — were bubbled, in which players were isolated away from fans, travel, and family in the interest that contact with disease carriers could be tightly regulated. The NFL and MLB adopted more of a devilmay-care attitude and hoped — rather gullibly — that their players would be disciplined enough in the outside world to insulate themselves and consequently their teams and sports from COVID contamination. We’re cruising into a new year with even fewer promises that sports will return to normal anytime soon, but it seems like they’ll be starting on their normal schedules.

As basketball begins and football winds toward a playoff race that the Dallas Cowboys might be involved with only against their best interests, now seems as good a time as any to evaluate North Texas sports in a descending graded manner that public schools have abandoned for at least one more year.

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A-Team: Dallas Stars

Ice hockey is holding things down for professional sports in the DFW area.

If that isn’t irony, I’m not sure what is.

Texas isn’t generally known for being a producer of premier slapshot talent. It’s just not what we’re supposed to be in the sun-scorched state. In fact, Blake Coleman of the Tampa Bay Lightning was the first

Cour tesy Facebook

STUFF

Despite our Stars’ inability to secure the championship this season, their simple escalation past the first round of the NHL playoffs makes them the unquestioned flag-bearer of Metroplex pro sports for 2020.

native Texan to ever win Lord Stanley’s Cup, and that was this season. Despite our Stars’ inability to secure the championship this season, their simple escalation past the first round of the NHL playoffs makes them the unquestioned flag-bearer of Metroplex pro sports for 2020. Dallas didn’t start the season as a favorite to skate the distance and won only one game in their first nine faceoffs. They quickly hooked themselves back on track to an even record by their 17th game of the season. COVID might have been a godsend for this crew as they toiled in the throes of a six-game skid when quarantine melted their ice for five months. When the Stars returned in August, staunch defense helped elevate them past an opening six-game series with the Calgary Flames before a heart-stopping seventh-game-overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche before their dominant five-game win against another regionally unlikely opponent in the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas, who was second in the league in their ability to stop goals, simply couldn’t produce enough offense to win the cup against Tampa Bay, who flexed their offensive dominance in a sixth-game win. The Stars are tied with the Mavericks in total league championships with one each but deserve our collective respect for protecting any modicum of sports relevance for the metro area in recent memory.

B-Teams: Dallas Mavericks, TCU, SMU

Professional ballers took a four-month hiatus in the midst of their seasons before venturing to their Orlando-based bubble to continue balling in front of empty seats, cameras on rails, and faux-crowd noise.

All that said, the NBA can be applauded for continuing their season as fluidly as any, partially thanks to their comparably small roster sizes compared with other sports. Our Mavericks are experiencing a renaissance after the retirement of Dirk Nowitzki and the arrival and thriving of point guard Luka Doncic, who is arguably the most exciting young player in the NBA.

To aid him, Mark Cuban orchestrated a trade for the constantly injured Kristaps Porzingis. The 7-foot-3 Latvian forward from the Knicks and Doncic both battled injuries throughout the year, but the Mavs performed consistently with dynamic offense at the dribble of Doncic and never lost more than two consecutive tips during the regular season. The Mavs were eliminated during the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against the L.A. Clippers, who consequently lost to the Denver Nuggets, who would then lose to the eventual champion L.A. Lakers. The Mavericks’ seventh-place finish during the regular season meant their playoff loss wasn’t unexpected. The health of Cuban’s roster hamstrung them at several points in the season. Cuban will face difficult decisions in the coming years as Doncic has become a household name and could be traded as a superstar to create a more well-rounded squad.

TCU football, as we’ve discussed extensively here at the Weekly, fit the definition of a “B” or average season perfectly by finishing fifth among the 10 teams in the Big 12 conference. An impressive win over Oklahoma State as well as victories over all of their in-state opponents elevates them from a lower placement, even considering their losses to Kansas State and West Virginia.

SMU football might be the biggest surprise of the year. The Mustangs began the season at breakneck speed with five wins in a row on the arm of former Longhorn Shane Buechele. Top10 Cincinnati whipped the ponies’ hopes of breaking the group-of-five ceiling.

Unfortunately, the Dallasites caught a limp in November, losing to Tulsa and East Carolina in consecutive games. Still, a 7-3 finish from the parkies is an impressive effort for a region that might be short on football pride this year.

C-Minus Team: Dallas Cowboys

Another year, another round of soulsearching for lifelong fans of a team that

seems more brand than balls with every passing season. The Cowboys of my parents’ generation made their living and won their championships with something called the “Doomsday Defense.” Veteran defenders like Bob Lily and Ed “Too Tall” Jones must be feeling indescribable shame in today’s group, who are statistically the worst defense in franchise history. The Cowboys began this season with hope from a vaunted offense and star-studded receiving corps before a mildly grotesque injury to quarterback Dak Prescott after a scramble gone wrong looked like it would derail the silver and blue’s playoff hopes for good. (There’s still a chance.) Even with a serviceable and veteran backup in former Horned Frog Andy Dalton, these Cowboys are winning just enough games to avoid a franchise-shifting draft pick. Dead money in the form of an overpaid Ezekiel Elliott and a formerly formidable offensive line, who have both been reduced to shells of their former glory, have left little hope for a team who can’t even register near the top of one of worst NFL divisions ever.

Fail — No Credit: Texas Rangers

Welcome to the epitome of modern DFW sports mediocrity. The fact that the City of Arlington just built perhaps one of the most beautiful and technologically advanced homes for this shit show of a franchise is just honey mustard on a turd sandwich.

The Rangers finished their abbreviated regular season with just 22 wins versus 38 losses and won only a quarter of their road games. The owners don’t spend the requisite money to field a competitive squad, and front-office leadership is continually rewarded for a product that to call “mediocre” is the height of decorum.

The only team in pro baseball with fewer wins last season were the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. I thought sincerely about sticking our Rangers with a “D” for their season, but then I would have failed. Pandemic or no pandemic, this team is unwatchable. l

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ehind Dickies Arena, and largely hidden from passersby, several lines of cars crept toward dozens of volunteers who were stocking trunks with frozen turkeys, orange juice, and other foodstuffs as part of a mobile pantry by the Tarrant Area Food Bank (TABF).

“Most of these folks, around 40%, are brand-new to our services,” said Julie Butner, president and CEO of the TAFB. “These are folks who held two or three jobs and lost one.

These are working families, but they don’t have enough money to meet their food needs.”

Butner said the need for massive food pantry operations won’t go away until the economy returns to normal. Fort Worth’s economic recovery has been steady but uneven. Just under 11 million Americans remain unemployed, according to December jobs figures released by the U.S. Department of Labor, and certain sectors of the economy (dining, tourism, entertainment) are still struggling to recover amid a largely uncontrolled pandemic. While rows of shuttered buildings outwardly mark economic upheaval in cities like Detroit and Toledo, Fort Worth’s businesses inwardly carry burdensome debt that will restrict their ability to hire or expand for many years to come.

As of Saturday, 1,361 Tarrant County residents have died from COVID-19. Many more have lost their lives due to delayed medical treatments and other fallout from the pandemic. Texas remains under a mask mandate as the first COVID-19 vaccines begin a slow ramp-up to inoculate an American population that is increasingly open to taking the vaccinations. Just over 70% of respondents to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll said they would “definitely or probably” take the vaccine.

The pandemic struck Fort Worth unevenly, opening generations-old fissures along lines of economic inequality and race.

The stories of survival told in the Weekly offer insight into the day-to-day struggles of people in underserved communities who suffered from underdevelopment before the novel coronavirus further decimated them.

Community leaders from the East, West, and North sides told us that outright starvation was prevented through close collaborations

Dressed in purply pink, Mayor Betsy Price opened her State of the City speech with optimism and folksy charm. Fort Worth is a city on the ascendency, buoyed by a growing population and an influx of new businesses, she said in February. Local corporations were praised as the mayor made her case for Fort Worth’s business-friendly future. Not one mention was made of COVID-19 — a disease that had yet to raise alarm bells in Tarrant County or anywhere in Texas despite the fact that Trump was notified of the first case in January.

As Fort Worth families set off on spring break vacations, the first massive surges of the disease began hitting North America and popular vacation destinations in Europe and Mexico. Many North Texas families were left stranded overseas or they returned after narrowly escaping a cascade of government shutdowns and travel restrictions. By midMarch, the full extent of the pandemic began to be known. On March 23, Price urged Fort Worthians to shelter in place as Dallas went a step beyond and closed restaurants and bars.

Tarrant County experienced its first confirmed COVID-19-related death that month when Pat James died in an Arlington hospital.

Price, joined by Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, announced strict shelter-inplace orders the next day. The declaration,

Julie Butner: “Most of these folks, around 40%, are brand-new to our services.”

enforceable through fines and possibly jail time, required Tarrant County residents to remain home unless they were performing essential activities.

The term “essential worker,” which had existed in principle, gained tangible meaning as nurses, maintenance crews, delivery drivers, and retail workers were recognized as the men and women who enable modern life.

TCU economics professor John Harvey, in an early April interview with us, commented on the irony that many of Fort Worth’s essential workers subsist on low wages.

Those workers “are living on very little, and they are the people who we desperately need to work right now,” he said, referring to the men and women who stock shelves, ship freight, repair roads, and more. “Their industries turn out to be the essential ones.

There’s a book called Are Economists as Important as Garbage Men? If all the economists stopped working, it would be a long time before anyone noticed. If the garbageman stopped working, we would notice pretty quickly. [The author] begs the question: Which jobs are really essential and how much of our wages are driven by our subjective values rather than how important someone really is to our day-to-today lives?”

Massive layoffs across the city impacted workers in retail, restaurants, bars, and entertainment early on in the pandemic.

Chris Strayer, vice president of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, said his team began calling its 1,700 business members to listen to their needs around that time.

“That gave us insight into the programming that companies needed to address their challenges,” he said.

Chamber directors connected displaced workers with new job openings in e-commerce and grocery stores, Strayer said.

A top concern for business owners was how to access financial aid like the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Chamber staff developed webinars and online resources to guide business owners through the complicated application process.

Fort Worth’s newspapers and magazines were hit by a precipitous drop in ad revenue.

The forced temporary closing of restaurants

and bars and subsequent slog of an economic recovery have left the Weekly a leaner yet still efficient independent voice in a market that continues to favor pro-business, pro-status quo publications and media.

As Americans adjusted to working from home, swaths of Fort Worth were left without the option of remote work. As reported in Vice, just 16.2% of Latinx workers have been able to work from home, compared to 30% of whites and 37% of Asian Americans.

The “telework disparity” was one of several factors that led to disproportionate economic devastation in underserved communities.

The inability of Black and Latinx workers to socially distance would play a role in the higher percentages of those populations dying from COVID-19 and contracting it.

By mid-April, large food pantry lines were a daily reality in parts of the North Side.

Longtime Northside resident Esmeralda Morales said her family was able to scrape by.

“Some people are going to every church that offers food pantries,” she said at the time.

Those churches are “offering essential items.

We don’t hear a lot of people asking for [help publicly]. It might be due to a sense of pride.

We do see packed drive-thru lines at [the local church]. It’s unreal how many people need help right now. We see a lot of those vehicles go back to our area.”

Morales said Northside residents regularly checked in with neighbors, and anonymous gift card donations went to the poorest and most vulnerable families.

Community organizer Arnoldo Hurtado was stranded in Spain at the time but kept his neighborhood informed and connected via a Northside Facebook group page.

“If we stay inside, we starve because there is no food, due to lack of money,” he said.

“We’ve learned that it has to be we the people who stop relying on the big, messy political and institutional departments who are only looking out for themselves and their” money.

Willie Rankin, executive director of the Westside-based nonprofit LVTRise, said his community stepped up to meet the challenges of widespread job losses. Residents were checking in on neighbors, especially the elderly, and Westside families were sharing

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Nonviolent protests, a deadly pandemic, and divisive elections shook Fort Worth in 2020, and there’s no going back to business as usual.

among nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and government agencies. Charities like the TAFB, with the help of many others, stepped up to feed thousands of families as monetary donations dwindled.

As Fort Worth enters 2021, its residents remain split, both ideologically and politically. For the first time since 1964, Tarrant County voted blue in a presidential election. President-elect Joe Biden earned a narrow 49.31% of county votes and 58% of Fort Worth votes. For now, political winds in Texas and across the nation favor progressive ideals that seek ecological and civil justice. As with millennials, members of the youngest voting contingent — Generation Z — see diversity in all of its human forms as a good thing, according to polls by the Pew Research Center. Less than a quarter of those 18- to 23-year-olds approved of Donald Trump’s presidency, according to the Pew center.

The Nov. 3 election left Tarrant County with a status quo conservative 3-2 majority in the commissioners court, while Republican Sheriff Bill Waybourn defeated Democrat Vance Keyes in a heated contest that pitted reform-minded groups against “rule-of-law” notions of law enforcement.

Whether Fort Worth continues down an economically segregated path or makes room for a larger bloc of Fort Worthians to shape the future, locals may see 2020 decades from now as a formative year on par with the decision of the Swift and Armour meatpacking plants to set up shop on the North Side or the establishment of the military base Camp Bowie in 1917.

Photo cour tesy of Community Enrichment Center

Forever Changed

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Jason Brimmer

are stepping up. We can last, but that doesn’t mean that we need to be neglected in the meantime.”

As the Black Lives Matter movement made criminal justice reform a central mandate of its cause, the Weekly dug into local policing and prosecutorial habits that disproportionately harass, arrest, and incarcerate Fort Worth’s poor.

his Stop Six community. Working through a nonprofit he cofounded, CommUnity Frontline, Phillips and other leaders organized online mental health forums, made grocery runs for elderly residents, volunteered at food pantries, and raised funds to help struggling families.

“I look at our community as indestructible in many ways because we already had to deal with poverty,” he said. “We can rise through anything, but that does not mean that there won’t be consequences or a loss of life. How long will we last? As long as it takes. The church community and volunteers

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what scarce resources they had, Rankin said this summer.

Eastside resident and Fort Worth school district trustee Quinton Phillips spent the early part of the pandemic guiding the district through an abrupt shift to online learning.

“Schools mean a lot [to the East Side] from a childcare and nutritional perspective,” Phillips said. “That began to affect everything. Parents had to make tough decisions on whether to let young people stay at home rather than miss work.”

Once online classes were available across the district, Phillips turned his attention to

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Near Southside’s service sector and creative class especially hard. The neighborhood’s economy is fueled in no small part by artists, musicians, and waiters who subsist on gigs.

Many singer-songwriters wait tables by day to add financial stability to the fluctuating work by night. When times are good, artists can make a modest but comfortable living, and Fort Worth enjoys the fruits of their creative endeavors. Several new restaurants like Tinie’s Mexican Cuisine and The Bearded Lady were forced to lay off or furlough staff just as they were building followings.

The nonprofit responsible for developing and promoting that community, Near Southside Inc., created Southside C.A.R.E.S. (Culinary Arts Retail Entertainment and Service Fund) to give $250 grants to struggling workers in the service and entertainment sectors. International R&B sensation and famous Fort Worthian Leon Bridges offered a performance opportunity to Marty and Marilyn Englander, co-owners of Kent & Co. Wines, a bar/restaurant on West Magnolia Avenue, with the idea of organizing a benefit concert for the fund. Near Southside Inc. leaders hoped to raise $20,000 through the April 30 livestream event at Kent &

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Co. Wines. Soon after singer-songwriter Abraham Alexander opened the two-act virtual concert, the fund tallied $15,000. By the end of Bridges’ set, $63,000 had been raised. Megan Henderson, Near Southside Inc. director of events and communications, said over $150,000 has been raised to date, and more than 500 grants have been issued to help Southsiders in need.

“It was a special night,” Alexander recalled. “All the money we raised was incredible, truly incredible. I’m humbled and thankful. To use our talents that God has given us for something like this, that is humbling. That is what it is all about.”

Three weeks later, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, left a Minneapolis convenience store before being approached by four police officers. A store clerk had called 911 and told police that Floyd had bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill.

During the subsequent arrest, one officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck as three officers looked on. Floyd died on the scene.

The officer responsible for Floyd’s death faces second-degree murder charges while the three officers who did not intervene to save Floyd’s life face second-degree charges for aiding and abetting murder. Massive protests over Floyd’s death began in the MinneapolisSaint Paul metroplex before spreading to cities across the United States and the world.

On May 31, the third day of protests in Fort Worth were marked by the use of tear gas and smoke bombs by heavily armed Fort

In the spring, public schools and universities across the country abruptly closed their campuses to slow the spread of COVID-19. Fort Worth school district leadership was faced with a shortage of tablets and other devices that were needed for the shift to online learning. The district eventually distributed 6,000 AT&T WiFi hotspots so students in underserved communities could access the internet.

A majority of public school students rely on free or reduced meals, meaning the campus closing risked cutting off one of the few sources of healthy food for tens of thousands of children and teens.

The school district, with the help of its food service vendor, SODEXO Magic, began offering meals to-go at select campuses soon after the temporary closing of school buildings. The school district partnered with the TAFB to address food shortages for

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the families of students. Mobile pantry sites provided 5-pound boxes of nonperishable food to families on select days, a district spokesperson said.

As spring led to summer break, many parents assumed the pandemic would subside enough to allow for a safe transition to inperson learning in the fall. By July, deaths from COVID-19 in Texas reached 4,000.

Despite the lack of meaningful progress containing the pandemic, Trump tweeted that “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!” Texas public school leaders followed several shifts in reopening mandates throughout July, both from Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which governs public and charter schools in the Lone Star State. School district leaders initially went into the month with the understanding that campuses must reopen due to TEA guidelines that tie funding to classroom attendance.

Abbott loosened those restrictions in mid-July by allowing local public health officials to order schools to delay opening campuses for health-related reasons. In late July, officials from Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) ordered a delay in school classroom reopenings until Sept. 28 while allowing for online learning six weeks before that date. The order did not affect religious private schools.

“Discussion with community partners, including school superintendents, elected leaders, as well as medical professionals, were considered when making this decision,” read a statement by TCPH. Wealthy white families rallied outside of the Tarrant County Administration Building on July 27 to demand that public and private schools reopen immediately.

“It is frustrating and confusing that one doctor has in her hands the fate” of every family in Tarrant county, one mother said, speaking to county head Whitley inside the building as around two dozen parents listened on.

The “one doctor” was Dr. Catherine Colquitt, an infectious disease specialist with decades of professional experience.

The following day, indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton again reversed the state’s position on school reopenings and allowed school district trustees to decide when to open campuses. On July 30, Fort Worth school district trustees voted 8-1 to begin online classes on Sept. 8. After four weeks of online learning, the board planned to reopen campuses if public health considerations allowed. A small but vocal contingent of white parents, largely from the affluent Tanglewood neighborhood, began contacting trustees and speaking at board meetings, demanding that classrooms reopen immediately.

The debate over when to reopen campuses basically fell into two camps. Many parents, public health officials, and teachers worried that reopening classes too quickly would endanger teachers, lead to repeated school shutdowns, and spread infections to vulnerable populations as children returned to multi-generation families living under

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town hall meetings in August. Constituents asked budget-related questions or suggested how city funds should be used.

The final city budget — $1.9 billion — includes increased funds for communitybased police programs (partnerships with nonprofits), funds for an expanded Mental Health Crisis Intervention Team, and the removal of police militarization funding from the Crime Control and Prevention District (CCPD), a half-cent tax that raises more than $80 million a year for the police department.

A budget was also set for a new 10-member Community Service Professional Program that will respond to non-emergency calls such as “helping stranded motorists, animalrelated issues, and calls where no suspect is on the scene,” according to the city.

A spokesperson for the city’s budget office said steps were taken to address requests for greater community-based programming within the police budget.

“Having said that,” the spokesperson continued, “the budget is a process that must be completed in a timely manner. We would encourage citizens to be involved year-round.

The CCPD board holds quarterly meetings.”

Newly reelected Sheriff Waybourn has committed to creating a mental health diversion center for Tarrant County.

Speaking to the Weekly in July, Waybourn said the center would “allow us to take people who would benefit from mental health care out of our jail and place them in an environment that would help get them the care they need,” he said.

“Secondly,” he continued, “I hope to bring to fruition a complete reentry program that starts within the jail and partners with private companies and nonprofits to set the table for success as individuals come out of the jail and into the free world. Thirdly, [I will] work to create a use-of-force laboratory that allows our officers and deputies to train on de-escalation strategies and real-life scenarios, allowing our Sheriff ’s Office team to keep calm in tense situations.”

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Worth police officers. Around 50 protesters were arrested that Sunday evening near the West 7th Street Bridge. Police department press releases stated that protesters had thrown water bottles at officers and made verbal threats to damage West 7th properties.

The next evening saw another standoff between protesters and police, this time in front of the Tarrant County Courthouse. In response to the heated confrontations the day before, Price issued a 72-hour 8 p.m. curfew.

As a church bell marked the beginning of the curfew, a few hundred protesters approached a line of officers. Police Chief Ed Kraus took a knee and prayed with protesters. What appeared at the time to be a moment of reconciliation would mark the beginning of heavy protests that kept the city on edge as other major cities like Chicago, New York City, and Seattle dealt with violent protests.

For the first two weeks of June, Fort Worth’s protests were driven by several disparate factions — Enough Is Enough, FW4Change, United My Justice, and others — that largely worked together toward the common goals of reducing police violence against unarmed persons of color, reallocating city funds toward public services, and chipping away at a criminal justice system that subsists on incarcerating nonviolent drug users and individuals who suffer from mental health conditions.

As the Black Lives Matter movement made criminal justice reform a central mandate of its cause, the Weekly dug into local policing and prosecutorial habits that disproportionately harass, arrest, and incarcerate Fort Worth’s poor. Greg Westfall, a criminal defense lawyer with 25 years of experience, said many of the impoverished men and women who languish (and increasingly die) in Tarrant County Jail are where they are due to over-policing.

Speaking in July, Westfall said, “There are a lot of folks who are in the system who shouldn’t be. The defendants are often overcharged, over-arrested, and overlooked.”

Westfall allocates part of his law practice to indigent defense, which pays $50 to $125 per hour in Tarrant County — a small fraction of what a skilled lawyer can earn in private practice. Monetary bail is incredibly efficient at ensuring that the poor remain in jail, he said, where they are less likely to be able to mount a defense. Bail, the mechanism for leaving jail, can be posted in full by the defendant (cash bail) or paid through a line of credit issued from a bail bondsman (bail bond). Tarrant County Jail became a frequent target of large marches where muffled chants of “You are not alone!” were heard by jailed men and women who lacked the financial resources to buy their freedom.

In response to public cries for police reforms and participating in budget negotiations at the city level, local leaders met several protester demands. Fort Worthians sent nearly 300 letters to City Hall, demanding a participatory budgeting process. In response to the letters, every city councilmember except Dennis Shingleton (District 7) and Cary Moon (District 6) held

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POWER OF COMMUNITY Carlo Capua and his Mother Janet Serve Up More Than Just Meals Carlo Capua always knew his mom Janet was a good cook. Early on, he also realized that not everyone ate like his family. His mom cooked what he calls “real authentic food” from her mother’s recipes, and by the time Capua was in high school, he noticed that many of his friends were inviting themselves over for dinner.

Janet’s love of cooking and her Family First mindset led her to start Z’s Café in 2008.

Z’s quickly became the first Blue Zones Project Approved™ catering business in Fort Worth with a menu offering plantbased options – a Plant Slant in Power 9® terms – along with whole grain bread, wraps, and fruit for dessert. But Z’s offered more than just healthy options. Early on, the Capuas partnered with Samaritan House to provide jobs, skills, and self-confidence to its residents. Twelve years in, they had 163 employees, many of whom never thought they’d have a second chance. Capua believes in the power of transformation, and power of Purpose. “Give people a reason to get out of bed in the morning, so they feel wanted and needed,” he said.

When COVID-19 brought events and business lunches to a halt, the Capuas had a group of employees in danger of losing their livelihoods, and freezers full of product in danger of spoiling. “We had to pivot with a capitol PIVOT,” Capua said. They started the Crisis Meals Program, filling a major need in a time when hunger was spiking.

Harnessing the power of giving back, Capua reached out to friends and owners in the restaurant industry. Capital Grill, Chadra Mezza, Higginbotham and Associates, Chicken Express, and LULAC jumped on board. In 32 weeks, their partnership with the United Way produced 150,000 meals for families in Fort Worth ISD and Tarrant County. Clients, friends, and 200 volunteers kept the meal train rolling.

Sadly, the Capua family announced in October that Z’s would be closing, a decision Capua says makes him feel both remorseful and liberated. “It’s important to know when it’s time to say goodbye.” For Capua, that means graduate school for a master’s degree in International Affairs.

As one of the youngest presidents of The Rotary Club of Fort Worth and a longtime Sister Cities participant, Capua has been honing diplomacy and advocacy skills for years. “My mom taught me that God gave you two hands – one to take care of yourself and one to care for other people.”

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one roof. With less access to health care and paid time off, many families from Black and Latinx communities urged caution. A small but vocal contingent of white parents conversely believed that the emotional stress and potential academic setbacks posed by virtual learning posed a bigger danger than COVID-19, which has claimed 335,000 American lives since January and counting.

After numerous heated school board meetings, Fort Worth trustees adopted a plan to allow all campuses to reopen by Oct. 19.

That compromise may not have been good enough for parents at Fort Worth’s wealthiest public schools: Overton Park Elementary and Tanglewood Elementary. Both schools used a TEA loophole that allowed a school campus to reopen if access to WiFi was inadequate.

The use of a loophole by uber-rich white parents that was intended to protect underserved communities (and other actions taken by the small group of elites) smacked of white privilege in action, said TCU associate professor of history Max Krochmal in September.

Fort Worth school district’s “default decision-making processes have long prioritized the needs of wealthy white families (a tiny percentage of the district) over the voices of the massive Black and Brown super-majority,” he wrote, “and the current moment promises to exacerbate this trend.

Like the larger phenomenon of whiteness, this pattern is often invisible, and it often creeps up without warning. It extends far beyond the board to inform the decisions of executive staff members starting with the superintendent on down to middle managers and even teachers on campuses.”

Texas remains one of the most restrictive states to vote in, but several grassroots groups successfully chipped away at voter suppression in 2020. In September, lawyers with the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP), a 30-year-old equality and justice nonprofit, eliminated an arbitrary means of invalidating ballots: signature analysis.

For decades, county election officials and volunteers were allowed to discard ballots simply based on the perceived difference between two signatures by the same voter.

“We filed suit to make sure that voters were provided Constitutional due process for any signature mismatch issue,” said Hani Mirza, TCRP senior attorney.

The nonprofit’s second successful litigation effort gives Texans the ability to register to vote online when residents apply for or renew their driver’s licenses. Mirza said nearly 2 million Texans update their driving information through the Department of Public Safety’s online portal. The biggest prize for reform-minded groups, universal mail-in ballots, remains verboten in the Lone Star State.

“We have to understand that limiting access to the ballot is an intentional measure to prevent voting,” said Charlie Bonner,

communications director for MOVE Texas, a nonpartisan group that works to promote voting and civic engagement among young Texans. “That is something that has been built up through voter-suppression laws.”

Texas typically ranks near the bottom in voter turnout, but the 2020 election brought out record levels of early voting in Tarrant County with 729,558 local residents casting their ballots before Election Day. Early voting across the state (which accounted for 9.7 million Texans or 57% of registered voters) broke 2016 totals, according to the Texas Tribune. President-elect Biden won 49.31% of Tarrant County votes while Trump won 49.09%, marking the first time since 1964 that Tarrant County voted blue in a presidential election.

Just days before the Nov. 3 election, Sen. Kamala Harris visited Fort Worth to make her case for ousting Trump and for turning the country away from xenophobic presidential tweets and policies and for returning the presidency to an office that defers to reason, justice, and empathy when making decisions that affect the lives of more than 300 million people.

“Let’s get rid of mandatory minimum” sentences, she said at a socially distanced outdoor rally near First St. John Cathedral on the South Side. “Let us decriminalize marijuana and expunge the record of people who have been convicted for marijuana offenses. Let’s shut down the private prisons.

Let’s get rid of monetary bail. People are sitting in jail for weeks and months and years because they can’t afford to get out, which makes it an economic justice issue as much as a criminal justice issue.”

In the final presidential electoral tally, Biden (with 302 electoral votes) trumped the president, who garnered 232 votes. Two Tarrant County commissioner incumbents (Democrat Roy Brooks and Republican Gary Fickes) won reelection, thereby maintaining the five-member court’s status quo of four male commissioners (three of whom are white) and no Latinx representation in a county that is 27% Hispanic.

Fort Worth’s city council will expand from nine to 11 members in 2021. Two new districts will be created to accommodate that growth. The expansion was approved by locals in 2016 as part of an amendment to the city charter.

Arguably the most lasting change brought by 2020 is renewed civic engagement from all political persuasions. The swell of young progressives who took to the streets for weeks of protest against social and economic injustice — the same millennials and members of Gen Z who were struck hardest by the recent recession — have made their intentions known along with swells of Trump supporters who will make their political allegiances known in the post-Trump era. The 2021 state legislative session and Fort Worth Municipal General Election (May 1) will be the first test of whether grassroots social justice causes that gained boisterous support in street protests across Texas can translate into new city leadership and meaningful state reforms. l

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was sick of it at first. After Donald Trump won the election in 2016, I couldn’t stand to look at my dumb newsfeed. The dumping on Trump was just overbearing. Don’t get me wrong.

I agreed with every vengeful, depressed, angry, inconsolable word. The guy ascended to the highest office in the land by demonizing minorities and promising tax breaks for the 1%. That he got his

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set us back another 50 years. That’s all.

Just a 49-year-old adult male nervously pounding Molson Goldens, rocking back and forth like a grandpa on bathtub-meth, and refreshing his newsfeed as quickly as if pedaling a bike uphill. Nothing to see here.

Am I still checking my Apple newsfeed constantly? Not nearly as much, I’m happy to say. The months leading up to the election went by so fast, March seems like two days ago. I had lucked out in many many-splendored ways. In midFebruary, my wife and I had just returned from Italy, specifically Venice, a COVID hotspot unbeknownst to us and where I caught the worst case of food poisoning anyone’s ever had, the worst ever, ask anyone, they’ll tell you, everyone says, it was the worst. Or was it something else that had me throwing up into the toilet of our hotel room all night long? At this point, I may have heard the term “novel coronavirus” once or twice. That’s it.

And in March, my son and I had just returned from a spring break trip to my hometown of Pittsburgh when Texas and nearly every other state went into lockdown. I guess you could say I’m also lucky that no one in my family has caught the virus. *knocks on wood* There’s that, too.

Throughout the year, most of my beliefs were reassured. Of course, the Republican-controlled Senate cleared

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Twenty-Twenty was a horrible year, except for the fact that our wannabe dictator tasted glorious defeat in a landslide that rang like the bell of freedom throughout the land, even in little ol’ Fort Worth.

become as an old, married suburban dad or an indication that Fort Worth is another planet. Except for two or three of them, most of my friends/“friends” who rallied for justice in 2020 are Black. I know 99.9% of them through either my young Black son (friends’ families) or the local hip-hop scene. Whatever I’m doing, it isn’t enough.

Whatever my friends/“friends” are doing isn’t enough, either. Should I tell them now or wait until after they read this, when they “unfriend” me? Haha. Please. By all means. Put me out of my miserable misery.

I wouldn’t say that the U.S. presidential election was the biggest national story of 2020 — the pandemic is definitely bigger — only that it was the only one that my healthy self can talk about from experience.

To be totally honest, I was scared. I was shitting my pants over four more years of hatred, bigotry, and us-versus-them animosity. I was way more afraid of another Trump presidency than I was of COVID but mostly because I could control where I went and what I did. Unlike voting. Which seems so meaningless. One little tiny ballot in a sea of them? It’s hard not to become a little woe’s-me about that. I still did it, naturally, still waited in line with my mask on, went into that booth with my fingers on fire, and I still checked all the right little boxes. I just spent the past two months checking (natch) my Apple newsfeed every other 30 seconds anticipating some new, fresh, Donald Trump-created hell to

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

The Year of No DoOvers

ass handed to him by President-elect Joe Biden made me happier than every one of Santa’s elves on Dec. 26. My problem was that with all of this venom directed toward a single politician, a non-local figure, were my friends and “friends” going to forget about the problems in our own state? In our own cities? In our own school districts?

Who knows! I sure don’t because unless you’re also friends/“friends” with everyone I’m friends/“friends” with, we will remain in the dark. I check my newsfeed once a day, purely to see if anyone’s talking shit on me (you have no idea), and after that, I forget about it.

Mark Zuckerberg knows enough about me, and you, to take advantage of us until well after we’re dead, and contributing to his psychologically, often financially predatory behavior by liking and sharing stuff seems self-destructive at the least, world-ending at most. An evil twat who looks like that guy behind you in Biology 2 who kept failing at secretly picking his nose, Fuckerberg is one of the biggest reasons local journalism barely exists anymore. Why bother reading vetted articles from professional writers — “So long!” “So many words!” —when you can just kick back, put your feet up, and bask in Uncle Ronny’s political screeds. Enjoy your time in techno-hell, goofballs!

I know of only a couple people who masked up and marched this summer, and that’s either a statement about who I’ve

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this year, I realized I should start playing the frickin’ Lotto. Most of the crap that I expected to happen did. And I guarantee you I’m not the only personal doomsayer.

Show of hands: How many of you expected a Trump landslide? (That’s the only thing I got right. You’re welcome.)

The election was not, necessarily, about Biden’s victory. No one I know who thinks like me is ecstatic that yet another wealthy seventysomething white guy is now in charge. We are giddy, instead, that the misogynistic, racist wannabe dictator is going bye-bye — despite his best efforts to stay in power like we’re a Pacific island nation. He has tried every legal trick to overturn the will of We, the People, and judges have rejected him like Mutombo in the paint. Uh, uh, uh! Even if by some miracle he had been able to change the outcome of one swing state, it would not have been enough to change the entire election that he lost by 74 electoral votes and more than 7 million popular votes.

Having never been to prison but having watched Oz, I can understand Donnie’s reluctance to concede. From what I understand, there’s no McDonald’s in the clink, either.

I’m as guilty as most of my friends/“friends” of not doing enough, of neither protesting nor registering voters.

Being the father of a special needs 9-yearold, I can only fire off what little money I have to good causes, and if the never-

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Trump of two impeachment charges.

Of course, his lack of leadership at the beginning of the pandemic cost hundreds of thousands of lives and 20 million jobs.

Of course, police shot and killed a young Black woman, Breonna Taylor, at her home.

Of course, Trumpers defied stay-at-home orders, essentially sacrificing themselves for his reelection. (Cult much, folks?) Of course, police killed a Black man, George Floyd, for passing a counterfeit note. Of course, an established culture of sexual assault and a history of violence at an Army base led to the murder of one young woman, Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén. Of course, the man we needed the most in Congress, John Lewis, died, and of course, the woman we needed the most on the U.S. Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, also passed away. Of course, her dying wish that she not be replaced until after a new president was installed was trashed by Trump, who appointed a Christian zealot to the bench. Of course, the president of the United States of America was asked to denounce white supremacists and replied by telling the asshole Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” Of course, this year is to be forgotten.

There’s a little game I play with myself: If I don’t want something to happen, I imagine all the ways in which it can, knowing that the universe cannot be wrangled, that it cannot be bent to our whims. Playing the game with myself

On Jan. 20, Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States, and there’s nothing anyone can do to change that.

ending stream of Act Blue emails crowding my inbox is to be believed, I’m making some kind of difference. Hey, 81,283,485 Joe Biden voters can’t be wrong. (You’re welcome. Again.)

As I was writing this, my wife lay sick in bed in the next room (probably allergies) while my son and I sat at the dinner table together, him in front of a plate of homemade meatloaf, couscous, and pea salad and me with my infernal laptop in my face. Between bites, he asked what I was working on. I told him a special issue about all that was good and bad about

2020. He asked why.

“Honestly, my man,” I replied, “I have no idea. Maybe because people like to remember stuff and know that they got over it or through it?”

“Yeah,” he answered, chewing. “That way, they can learn from it.”

Great point, little dude. What we have learned, if anything at all, will take a couple of months to figure out. In the meantime, you can catch me ignoring all of your online comments. (Screw you, Zuck.) l

ART

M A R I A N I

The good thing about art viewing is that social distancing is built into the experience. Even if you’re on a tour, you can still hang back, which is nice — it’s common courtesy to poke people with your 6-foot pole in the back rather than the front. Whichever way you’re checking out art these days in the flesh, be sure to also wash those hands and mask the eff up.

There’s a lot to be excited about locally. After suffering for months in lockdown like every other small business and nonprofit institution, Fort Worth’s Big Three — the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Kimbell Art Museum, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth — returned to effervescent life recently to hang new shows.

Since End Papers closes on Jan. 10, the Modern should be your first stop.

Los Angeles-based artist Mark Bradford’s monumentalist abstractions anchored by end papers — small, thin sheets that protect hair from overheating at salons — are mostly all of a single visual theme: deterioration. Some pieces are huge, darkly monochromatic billboards of the damned. There is no levity, no lightness.

Nearly all of the dozens of works are dense, moody, and unforgiving. The rococo rot is appropriate. Taking in the show this summer, I couldn’t think of a better contemporary, readily available visual manifestation of the protests rumbling just a few miles away downtown than Bradford’s work. This dialectical coup for the Modern proves once again that the museum’s efforts to highlight diversity are

John Hartley’s oil painting “Combat” is part of a mega-celebration at Artspace 111 through Thursday.

paying off and are cementing the Modern’s reputation as a go-to place for mostly young, almost always diverse artists on the rise. Visit TheModern.org.

Right across the street, the Kimbell recently opened Queen Nefertari’s Egypt.

Hanging now through March 14, the enormous exhibit comes from the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, home to one of the most important collections of ancient Egyptian work outside of Cairo. Most of Museo Egizio’s current holdings can be traced back to 1904, when the Italian archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli discovered Nefertari’s tomb, “the most richly decorated in the Valley of the Queens,” the Kimbell says, “with brilliantly painted scenes depicting her perilous journey toward immortality.”

Schiaparelli, the museum adds, also made “significant discoveries” in the nearby village of Deir el-Medina that “reveal what daily life would have been like for the artisans who constructed Nefertari’s magnificent tomb.” Work from Deir elMedina is also part of the exhibit that features rituals of death and a look at life in the royal women’s household, in addition to Nefertari’s spellbinding tomb. One of the most celebrated queens of ancient Egypt and beyond, the favorite wife of the great pharaoh Ramesses II (who reigned from about 1279 to 1213 BCE) was “highly regarded, educated, and could read and write hieroglyphs,” the Kimbell says. Visit KimbellArt.org.

Mythmaking certainly didn’t die along with the queens and pharaohs of the

ancient world. It’s still going on today in the form of athletes, influencers, and even the worst politician of all time who is still alive somehow. The heroic stories and images based in fact but not always married to it which arise around oft-depicted and ceaselessly disseminated figures reached an apotheosis in art around the fin de siècle. The Amon Carter recently opened a show that examines the “unexpected resonances and moments of convergence between the themes, artistic sensibilities, and technical processes” of two mythmakers: Winslow Homer, the iconic ocean painter, and legendary cowboy artist Frederic Remington. Mythmakers is the first exhibition to explore the two men whose work “reinforced an American identity rooted in action, independence, and communion with the outdoors,” the museum says. The chief reason Homer and Remington have never been considered together, the Carter adds, is that their subject matter is too contradictory. Ocean? Meet the high plains. Visit CarterMuseum.org.

As 2020 began its long slouching toward the door (and stay out!), the galleries also began to open up a little. Closing on Thursday is To 40 More! Artspace 111’s 40th birthday celebration is an openended group show of select work by artists currently represented by the downtown gallery. Joining newbies Jon Flaming, Dennis Farris, Layla Luna, Robert McAn, Erika Huddleston, Ender Martos, Mihee Nahm, and Stella Alesi will be longtime Artspace names Carly Allen-Martin, Linda Blackburn, Daniel Blagg, Dennis Blagg, Doug Blagg, Woodrow Blagg,

Danville Chadbourne, Janet Chaffee, Matt Clark, Ann Ekstrom, Pat Gabriel, William Greiner, John Hartley, Cindi Holt, Carol Ivey, Jill Johnson, Nancy Lamb, Leslie Lanzotti, Jim Malone, Devon Nowlin, J.C. Pace III, Winter Rusiloski, and Jo Lemay Rutledge. Visit Artspace111.com.

At William Campbell Contemporary Art through Jan. 16, catch a collection of recent works by Kevin Tolman. The title Alignments applies to the Albuquerque artist’s nonrepresentational paintings as well as to his spiritual ethos — he built his studio directly on the sun’s axis during the winter solstice. Amoeba-like shapes, freeform markings, odd juxtapositions, and sometimes bright, sometimes dark hues dominate his tableaux, the result of “a spontaneous creative process in which he lets each composition evolve as he paints,” WCCA says. With no “end” in mind, as it were, Tolman is “free to experience the unique journey of each piece as it comes, and, in turn, create a visual and emotional space for viewers to forge their own path into the work.” Visit WilliamCampbellContemporaryArt.com.

And on the way on Jan. 23, Fort Works Art will present a group show of more than 75 paintings and sculptures by the local and national artists represented by the gallery. Visit FortWorksArt.com.

For those of you whose health is still iffy and who do not want to risk any in-person contact, all of the museums are offering virtual experiences. Check the websites above for more. Happy art viewing, and cheers to a brand-new year. l

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Since 2020 was quiet for most museums and galleries, considering, the New Year — and with it a new vaccine — can only be better.

Cour tesy Ar tspace 111

Arting Forward into ’21

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December 6, 2020--March 14, 2021 The exhibition is organized by the Museo Egizio, Turin, and StArt, in collaboration with the Kimbell Art Museum.

It is supported by the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District, and the Consulate General of Italy in Houston.

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NEW YEAR, NEW ASPIRATIONS!

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It feels so good feelin’ good again.

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Texas’ official troubadour Robert Earl Keen is bringing his Merry Christmas Wednesday from the Fam-O-Lee: Secret Santa Xmas show to Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plz, 817-624-7117) at 8pm with doors opening at 6pm.

(As the first recipient of BMI’s official Troubadour Award celebrating songwriters who have made a lasting impact on the songwriting community, REK is indeed the official troubadour of Texas.) For those who still aren’t going out, check out some of REK’s podcasts at AmericanaPodcast. com or participate in a virtual scavenger hunt at RobertEarlKeen.com/SecretSanta.

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Fort Brewery & Pizza (1001 W Magnolia Av, 817-923-8000) has trivia every Thu evening, but this one is special. At 7pm, Thursday test your knowledge of the crazy, historic, wild times that were 2020 at Year in Review Trivia Night hosted by HeadTilt Entertainment. It’s a competition, so there will be prizes. Food specials and $10 beer pitchers are available. (Are you looking for more NYE ideas? Go to FWWeekly.com and search by “Peace Out 2020.”)

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If you own a motorcycle — or are ready to buy one — head to Texas Harley-Davidson in Bedford (1 Texas Harley Way, 817-267Friday 2646) for the annual Hangover Ride. KSU time — “Kickstands Up” — is 11:30am, and the group will ride to Fort Worth for lunch at Gloria’s at Montgomery Plaza (2600 W 7th St, 817-332-8800). There is no cost to participate other than paying your own way at Gloria’s.

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At 10am, head to The Paw Pad (5201 White Settlement Rd, 817-386-0884) — a one-stop pet services shop for boarding, grooming, Saturday retail shopping, and training — for the inaugural Weenie Dog Races. For your dachshund to enter the race, the fee is $25 and includes a goodie bag and T-shirt. Sibling doggos can join for $20 each. There will be prizes for first, second, and third place. Spectators are welcome to attend for free, but you must sit, stay, social distance, and be a good boi or good gurl.

3

From 2pm to 3:40pm, join up with the folks at Facebook.com/TexasHistoryandCulture for the curated online event Van Gogh Sunday Museum: Amsterdam Livestream Art Tour. In contrast to the well-known items at other museums, art historian Robert Kelleman will discuss the

museum’s pieces in the context of the life and legacy of Dutch post-impressionist Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).

This program is free, but donations are appreciated. Email RKelleman@yahoo.com to register. Further instructions and the Zoom link will be emailed to you before the event.

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If you enjoy going for a drive and seeing movies outdoors, this might be your thing.

The Oak Cliff Cultural Center has played Monday two short films created by Los Artes Unidos — In Cages and A Peaceful Protest — outside the center’s windows on a continuous loop since Dec 4, and tonight is the final night. In Cages delves into the topic of immigrant families and children separated in detention facilities. A Peaceful Protest combines footage from a BLM protest filmed in Dallas with poetry and stories to promote healing.

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Are your kids ready to get out of the house?

At 9am, children ages 5 and up are welcome to participate in the final day of English Tuesday Riding Holiday Horse Camp at Full Circle Riding Academy (6301 Chapman Rd, Watauga). The cost is $65 and is open to academy students or non-students alike. The day’s activities include a 90-minute riding lesson, activities outdoors, barn chores, holiday crafts, and the opportunity to learn all about horses. Popcorn and hot chocolate will be provided for snacks, but kids should bring a sack lunch and water, plus a warm jacket and gloves. Call 817-223-6036 to register.

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Days a Week

Have a Creepy Crawly New Year! I have always loved spiders, so I’m hyped about this event. (Someone read Charlotte’s Web to me when I was way too young, and now every spider is Charlotte.) Tue-Sat thru Jan 30 from 9am to 5pm, The Art & Science of Arachnids Traveling Exhibit is stationed at River Legacy Living Science Center (703 NW Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, 817-860-6752) featuring more than 100 live arachnids, including tarantulas and scorpions. Visitors will explore the human-arachnid cultural connection through hands-on science and art activities. Tickets can be purchased at the onsite gift shop for $3-5. For more info, go to bit.ly/TheArtandScienceofArachnids.

By Jennifer Bovee

Cour tesy iStock

NIGHT&DAY

Cour tesy Facebook

BIG TICKET

Bacon and weenie dogs. What a week!

National Bacon Day

Want to shake off the turkey and ham blues? Reset your palate with National Bacon Day. Celebrated across the country every Dec 30, we have some local options to check out. Mmm, bacon.

The Post at River East (2925 Race St, 817945-8890) offers special bacon-inspired snacks and cocktails all day Wednesday. Squeezebox Bandits will play on the patio from 6pm to 9pm. There is no cover charge, and all ages are welcome to attend.

(Note: The regular menu includes a jalapeno-bacon brie wheel served with jalapeno-bacon jam, housepickled veggies, and warm crostini for $12.)

If you’re craving a classic bacon cheeseburger and shake, Shaw’s Patio Bar & Grill (1051 W Magnolia Av, 817-926-2116) is your place. Shaw’s menu includes bison, lamb, and mushroom burgers.

The shakes are old-school, served in a parfait glass and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. And, yes, you can get fries with that — regular, sweet potato, or waffle-cut. (In other non-bacon-related news, Shaw’s will be open for lunch and dinner Thursday for NYE. “Drinking optional.”)

What is Million Dollar Bacon? At breakfast/ brunch/lunch restaurant First Watch (6333 Camp Bowie Blvd, 817-731-3447 or 3001 Heritage Trace Pkwy, 817-662-6363), it is a seasonal starter with four slices of signature hardwood smoked bacon baked with black pepper, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and a drizzle of maple syrup for $5.49. There is also a Million Dollar Bloody Mary featuring New Amsterdam Vodka, Bloody Mary mix, and Million Dollar Bacon for $8.

Along with the Fort Worth locations, you can also enjoy these items at other area First Watch locations, including Euless (1230 Red River Dr, Ste 100, 817-409-4381), Grand Prairie (3150 S, State Hwy 161, 972-945-1455), Mansfield (1695 E Broad St, 817-383-4036), and North Richland Hills (9159 Blvd 26, 817-427-3444).

And what would National Bacon Day be without checking in with everyone’s favorite “bacon,” Kevin Bacon? Besides his successful acting career and the cult popularity of the parlor game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon (in which players find the shortest path from any arbitrary actor and our man KB), he is a touring musician. During the pandemic, the Bacon Brothers — an Americana band that Bacon formed with his brother — have kept busy with virtual charity events and the release of their new album The Way We Love, which can be streamed for free at BaconBros.com.

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Open Tables

Fort Worth lost restaurant stalwarts while gaining a new crop of bars, coffee houses, and restaurants in 2020.

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY 16

E D W A R D

B R O W N

Even when times are good and free of government-mandated shutdowns, bar and restaurant owners work on thin profit margins. Few would say the hospitality industry offers easy money, but running a bar or restaurant affords the opportunity to be around people and to build community, and some folks care about those sorts of things.

The garbage year that has been 2020 forced small business owners across Tarrant County to lay off or furlough workers and reset business growth plans. Moving forward, many of these establishments will have to find ways to pay back rent and other debt that accrued over the past nine months. While some restaurants — Bird Cafè, Hoffbrau Steak and Grill House, Z’s Cafe & Catering — shuttered for good due to COVID-19-related reasons, many bars, coffeehouses, and restaurants opened their doors during the most economically challenging year experienced in generations.

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B Y

This WestBend restaurant has a warm coffeehouse feel and deep beer, food, and wine offerings. The java options include everything from café au lait to doki doki, a cold brew made using a centuries-old Japanese slow drip technique. Brunch items (including a sensory-overloading Eggs Benedict) are offered all day, and the craft sammies and salads are made with the finest ingredients.

Paslay, already famed as the restaurateur behind Clay Pigeon in the Foundry District and Piattello in the Waterside development, focuses on traditional Texas dishes with his newest venture, Provender Hall. Whether you spring for the smoked trout dip, deviled eggs, iceberg wedge salad, shrimp and grits, or other regional favorites, you can expect a culinary experience that comes from quality ingredients prepared using traditional techniques.

Berry Street Ice House

Tinie’s Mexican Cuisine

Berry Street Ice House occupies an amazing space. From the indoor stage, bar, and dining area to the large outdoor patio and even larger event space in the rear, the TCU-area newcomer is a great spot to watch a game over a beer and burger or dine out with a group of friends. The Frog Burger (made with double-stacked beef patties grilled in duck fat and topped with white cheddar) and smoked and fried bologna sandwich (with homemade Cheese Whiz, of course) are just a few of the quirkier offerings. Berry Street Ice House also has lots and lots of great craft beer options on tap.

With Fort Worth’s plethora of Tex-Mex restaurants, it’s easy to forget that even the best queso-drenched enchiladas, rice, and beans don’t reflect a truly authentic Mexican dining experience. Enter: Tinie’s Mexican Cuisine, the Near Southside restaurant inspired by owner Sarah Castillo’s childhood experiences dining with family. The light, nuanced dishes are largely served, not surprisingly, family style. The empanadas are sublime morsels of savory goodness.

The bar has a tequila- and mezcal-forward cocktail menu, and the upstairs patio has to be seen to be truly appreciated.

CURFEW

After a scuttled opening in March, CURFEW recently reopened in downtown Fort Worth. There’s a strong dance club vibe here and plenty of partitioned tables to sling shots with friends. The bar offers several original drinks, including the Black Orchid, a delicious mix of Añejo tequila, cinnamon agave, squid ink, and pink Himalayan salt.

There’s a lot to like about this new spot, so don’t let the mechanical fortune teller, Zoltar, spook you away from entering. He’s a dummy.

Tarantula Tiki Lounge opened in a beating of a year. Co-owner Autumn Brackeen navigated the openings and reopenings with the safety of her employees and visitors high on her mind. Mid-year, Brackeen and her team brought the Near Southside community a resplendent Polynesian-themed bar with cocktails that eschewed the cheap, sweet stuff in favor of fresh-squeezed juices and primo rum options. Tiki lounges have never been anchored in reality, and you no longer have to wait for this boozy escape.

Provender Hall

Tulips

Chef Marcus Paslay is a natural addition to Mule Alley, the massive development that came online this year in the Stockyards.

Tarantula Tiki Lounge

Tulips is a music venue where food, drinks, and coffee are not mere afterthoughts.

Fort Worth native Jason Suder has crafted

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Ascension Coffee

Tarantula Tiki Lounge brought Fort Worth a resplendent Polynesian-themed bar with cocktails that eschewed the cheap, sweet stuff in favor of fresh-squeezed juices and primo rum options.

something special in the space formerly occupied by now-shuttered The Collective Brewing Project. *pours sour ale out in respect* The cozy space offers craft coffee, made-to-order panini, craft cocktails, and well over a dozen craft beers. The real magic starts at night, though, when local faves like Big Mike Richardson and flute virtuoso Juan Ospina enrapture audiences seated on church pews. It’s a unique spot, to say the least.

Wild Acre Camp Bowie

What happens when an amazing brewery opens up a brewpub and hires a local celebrity chef to head a scratch-made menu? Well, at least in one case, you end up with Wild Acre Camp Bowie. The Ridglea Hills brewpub offers unique brews not found at Wild Acre Brewing Company.

The elevated sandwiches — including my favorite, the Billy Jenkins (Akaushi Wagyu shank, fried egg, gorgonzola) — are worth the visit, even without a beer. l

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R . G O V E A H I G G I N S

A N D

One day, when we look back on the unholy year that has been 2000 and 10 times two, the cataloguing of unbearable tragedies, atrocities, and absolute insanities that we’ve all somehow endured this year will read more like CliffsNotes exposition from a clichéd dystopian young adult novel rather than actual historical text. Sadly, in real life, there appears to be no precocious yet aloof and mysterious female lead armed with elite and useful skills to lead us out of pending Armageddon anywhere on the horizon.

In a dark era defined by a once-in-acentury international health crisis complete with the predictable disastrous economic fallout exacerbated by a half-century of ineffectual Norquistian governmental philosophy, we’re forced to cherish what few bright spots occasionally peek from behind the toxic clouds. Through it all, one such candle in the dark has been just how prolific local musicians have continued to be and doing so in the face of such extraordinary adversity.

In the spring, when lockdowns began, many music creators were robbed of their way of earning a living. Whether they were working musicians used to paying their bills from door receipts or those sustained via the service industry, a large segment of artists lost their income altogether. Many are just now beginning to find work again.

Others are still searching. Despite all that, their real work has never stopped. In a twist of irony, the “freedom” from having to punch a clock allowed artists so much more time to punch the “record” button instead.

No matter what type of tuneage you prefer to rattle your earbuds, local musos have continued to deliver the goods throughout.

Here’s a (strictly noncomprehensive) look back on some of our favorite rays of light that penetrated our personal darknesses. We think you should cherish them — like we do

Social distancing seemed an appropriate motif to explore with the haunting stylings of Cody Lynn Boyd. Known for his characteristically dark and dramatic story songs, his latest, the single “I Want You Near,” has a more hopeful tone than what’s expected of him. Similarly, darkfolk singer/ composer Clint Niosi is also known for diving deep into moody musics. His latest album, Panorama Avenue, was released earlier this month and is composed of eight COVIDinspired tracks attempting to partially heal the wounds so many have suffered from lost gigs and canceled tours.

One of Cowtown’s most fecund songwriters, Cameron Smith certainly didn’t let lockdown stifle his songcraft. He recently dropped “Can’t Even Pretend,” the third single from the much-awaited sophomore album from Sur Duda, the vehicle he’s used for “full band” solo material since the dissolution of his former group, garage-punk darlings War Party, two years ago. He and his wife, Stevie Smith, also released a beautiful cover of Elliott Smith’s “Angeles,” the first from a potential “The Smiths Covering the Smiths” album (Elliott Smith, The Smiths, Mark E. Smith, and more) recorded together during lockdown. These, and a pair of other projects our Smith has been working on, are nearing completion.

Acid rock enthusiasts got plenty to microdose with by releases from the young and old(er) alike. Newcomers Siamese Hips introduced their first single, “Analysis Paralysis,” while acid rock pioneer Johndavid Bartlett finally saw his anticipated collaboration with the youthful Acid Carousel, In Your Dreams, pressed in wax and consequently our free-floating subconscious.

Denver Williams, frontman for the experimental and gnarly psych-rock group Chillamundo, released his debut solo album late last year. This spring, he recorded and released a live session of those songs. The resulting River Song was filmed at Cloudland Studios right as the pandemic hit. It’s a great document of Williams’ clever lyrical turns and his deceptively intricate guitar playing.

More great news for champions of the great six-stringed instrument: Former Oil Boom frontman Ryan Taylor joined forces with members of The Orbans to form Yeah Huh, which released a three-song EP of

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B Y J U A N P A T R I C K

Twenty-Twenty wasn’t fine, but it certainly was musical.

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This year, despite many losing their means to make a living, local musicians proved the pandemic couldn’t lock down their creativity.

smart and hookie guitar-centric rock just last month. For those who might prefer plastic keys to steel strings, synth-poppers Vogue Machine managed a trio of singles featuring their danceable, infectious electroclash.

If you like it darker, longtime scene guitarist Brock Miller (Andy Pickett, Big Heaven) has a brand-new gothy throwback project called The Nova Blak. The duo released an EP of delectably moody darkwave called Near Dark, which proves that while Bela Lugosi might be dead, contemporary goth-inspired music is alive and well.

Industrial durge-rockers All Clean also debuted an EP of frontman Zack Edwards’ signature angular, suspenseful sound. Their long-awaited proper debut LP has been pushed back (again) for pandemic-related reasons.

If you like it fast and loud, Fort Worth punk saw a banner year with a new EP from the Black Flag-ian Phorids as well as debuts from noise rockers Hoaries and emo-core purveyors Unspell. And you can cap all that with the unexpected return of 817 hardcore pioneers Garuda. They surprisingly resurfaced with Immemorial, their first new music in nearly 18 years.

The year Twenny-Twenny continued to prove that Panther City’s hip-hop scene remains the most underappreciated of its culture creation centers. But, thankfully, that’s starting to change. Philosophical rhyme mason Clay Perry achieved a viral level of impressions with his burn and turn anthem “Roll and Ride,” which has garnered literally millions of views. Todd Faroe claimed his throne with a pair of highly streamed singles in “Heavy Crown” and “Smile.” Lou CharLe$ offered several potential answers to his signature catchphrase “Who is Lou?” by dropping a jaw-dropping nine (!) singles this year.

Twenty-Twenty was also a year of deep collaborations. Fort Worth’s resident hiphop guru Wrex teamed up with veteran MC Dru B’ Shinin’ for the buzz-heavy Bruceleeroy joint. The blaxploitation B-movie Last Dragon-inspired affair was well worth the wait. Another stellar collab was between this town’s undisputed beating heart of emotional and inspirational hiphop, Tornup, and unsung lo-fi beatmaker BLKrKRT. Their single, “Atatiana,” about the murder of Atatiana Jefferson at the hands of Fort Worth police, is the sort of stirring stuff that movements are built from.

Add to all of this that we were also graced with material from solo artists like Tommy Luke, Ryker Hall, Ayden Trammell, and Matthew McNeal. We were also fortunate enough to catch new songs from Yoyko, Retrophonics, and ALG. Toss in new rock from Polydogs, Son of Stan, Josh & The Jet Noise, Bruce Magnus, and Siberian Traps to name but a few, and despite the pain, 2020 has had plenty of musical salves. While we all sat like that dog at a table surrounded by fire and collectively resigned ourselves to “This is fine,” it kinda really was fine. At least we had some great music to keep us company. l

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

Hindsight on 2020

Collage by Patrick Higgins

MUSIC

— with all the zeal of a Gollum hoarding a precious ring.

Singer-songwriters of all stripes were ready to inoculate our eardrums with freshly tuned antibody vibes to cure our COVID blues. Locals who’ve gone national still repped their roots in the 817 well.

Hometown alt-country star Vincent Neil Emerson further broadened his fanbase out of state by riding a pair of singles to follow last year’s celebrated Fried Chicken and Evil Women. He was featured in a virtual concert performance to tribute the late John Prine slotted alongside gigantic names like Jason Isbell and Margot Price.

Winner of the Sounds of Resilience grant — a government-funded commission meant to benefit artists struggling during the pandemic — Joe Savage continued the climb he’s begun in recent years. A series of singles helped solidify him as the closest thing our town has to The Man in Black. Nashville transplant Van Darien graced our front page this year when she released Levee. The debut full-length mixes folk-style songwriting with experimental pop and a dreamy indie guitar sound, creating an engaging and intimate texture. Garrett Owen released his sophomore album, Quiet Lives, with producer and contributor Taylor Tatsch (Shadows of Jets, Cut Throat Finches). Folk songstress Jaimee Harris helped with backing vocals while Polydogs captain Matt Tedder tore off a few fiery solos to raise the temperature on Owen’s sweet, soothing sound.

Folk/gospel songbird Summer Lane Emerson (little sis to aforementioned VNE) helped us fight through pandemic-induced depression by openly describing her own struggles with the same. She said she was able to overcome them through a series of singles. Emerson’s bright and hopeful lyrics, sweetened by her warm, molassesy vocal tone, have us in high anticipation for her debut album, Redbird, due out next year.

While we were all in lockdown, Spoonfed Tribe alum and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Katsük tried his best to get us out of the house, at least in our imaginations. The album Commissions & Recommissions, Vol. 1. plays out a spiritual adventure inspired by the artist’s adventuring in New Zealand. It chronicles his time busking at the island’s hot spots and gigging in the country’s foreign streets.

Pianist and vocalist Ashley VanArsdel’s latest solo EP describes a life spent performing in lost but not forgotten venues like The Grotto.

The self-titled four-song reads as a tender ode to Ghosts of Live Shows Past. Songs like “When the Bill Comes Due” and “Get Back Up” seem to embrace the loss and thereby recover from some of the grief over the hole created by the absence of local nightlife, a particularly poignant theme for these times.

Spiritual synth-pop siren Gollay’s latest tracks from her May release, Narrow Bridge, shined a devotional light on these days. “Dayenu,” a Passover song, showcases Gollay’s understated but no less influencing faith. The two-track EP follows her celebrated 2019 album Override.

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We are soon launching a brand new offering- MJS Summer Music Project. Keep an eye out for more details.

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DETAILS OF OFFER: Offer expires 12/31/2020. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Buy one (1) window or patio door, get one (1) window or patio door 40% off, and 12 months $0 money down, $0 monthly payments, $0 interest when you purchase four (4) or more windows or patio doors between 7/1/2020 and 12/31/2020. 40% off windows and patio doors are less than or equal to lowest cost window or patio door in the order. Subject to credit approval. Interest is billed during the promotional period, but all interest is waived if the purchase amount is paid before the expiration of the promotional period. Financing for GreenSky® consumer loan programs is provided by federally insured, federal and state chartered financial institutions without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, or familial status. Savings comparison based on purchase of a single unit at list price. Available at participating locations and offer applies throughout the service area. See your local Renewal by Andersen location for details. License MN:BC130983/WI:266951. Excludes MN insurance work per MSA 325E.66. Los Angeles License #992285. Orange County License #990416. MHIC #121441. VA License #2705155684. DC License #420215000125. All other license numbers available upon request. Some Renewal by Andersen locations are independently owned and operated. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. © 2020 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. rba12288 *Using U.S. and imported parts.

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Speed performance allowing you to stream & download shows, music, photos, large files and more on multiple devices HughesNet is a registered trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar company. The HughsNet Gen5 service plans are designed to deliver download speeds of 25 Mbps and upload speeds of 3 Mbps, but individual customers may experience different speeds at different times of the day. Speeds and uninterrupted use are not guaranteed and may vary based on a variety of factors including: the configuration of your computer, the number of concurrent users, network of Internet congestion, the capabilities and content of the websites you are accessing, network management practices as deemed necessary, and other factors. When you connected to HughesNet service using Wi-Fi, your experience will vary based on your proximity to the Wi-Fi source and the strength of the signal. *Speeds may vary depending on distance, line quality and number of devices used concurrently. Subject to availability. Some prices shown may be introductory offers. Equipment fees, taxes and other fees and restrictions may apply. **Speed comparison based on 1.5 Mbps DSL.

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Offer expires 3/31/21. ‡ Most Bath Fitter tub installations are completed in one day. Some exceptions apply.

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If you need to hire staff or promote your business, let us help you online and/or in print. For more info, call 817-987-7689 or email stacey@fwweekly.com today.

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