Fort Worth, 5.18.2025

I will admit to having divided attention this month. While there are a bunch of shows that merit my attention, I have been preoccupied with the attempt by the Republican majority in Tarrant County's commissioners court to implement a racist gerrymander of precinct lines, which were already reviewed after the 2020 census -- with input from the community -- and deemed to be representative of the county's current population. The majority, led by extremist county judge Tim O'Hare, has undertaken to redraw the lines to dilute and silence the voices of communities of color, robbing Precinct 1 of resources and infrastructure, and diluting the voice of Arlington residents (Texas's most diverse city) in Precinct 2 by lumping them in with the predominantly Anglo communities of Benbrook and Crowley, far to the west. 

It was a hurried process, without community input, and my own Precinct 4 county commissioner, Manny Ramirez, couldn't be bothered to show up to meet with his constituents at a scheduled event in Azle. Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), the law firm that was hired to consult with the court, has ties with the group responsible for Project 2025 and has refused to present the criteria for their proposed redistricting. The PILF representative who was scheduled present at the meeting I attended at the Como Community Center stood in the back of the room throughout the meeting, refusing to come forward when invited. 

But their intent is clear. They want a Precinct 2 that will have a Republican majority in perpetuity (kind of like what the state legislature did with TX-12) and, more to the point, where Commissioner Alissa Simmons -- whom O'Hare has told in court to "sit down and be quiet" -- cannot win re-election. Tomorrow I'll be attending the commissioners court meeting to speak out against the colossal arrogance and flagrant disrespect the court majority has shown for Tarrant County residents of color.

But about last night...

EKSEPTION 2: a festival of unique musics was an eclectic melange of creative music, curated by Grackle Art Gallery music honcho Kavin Allenson (who performed in his Leaking Bright guise). The Grackle's the only place in my town that consistently books music I want to hear, and the fact that they're a short walk from mi casa and the shows are always early is the icing on the cake. I missed Kavin's opening set, but arrived as the duo Kitbashes was casting a spell of multi-layered electronic wonderment. Kavin had devised a schedule that had different acts performing in different rooms, with overlapping set times. I wasn't sure how this was going to work, as the Grackle is a small space -- basically my house with different stuff in it -- but it proved to be quite successful and effective.

As Kitbashes concluded their set, Ogonosu -- the solo rubric for musician/photographer Taylor Collins -- was getting started in the "east room." I'd witnessed an Ogonosu performance before, but had never gotten to see Taylor's keyboard close up. The keys are color coded in a way that matches his synesthetic perception of their sounds. His untutored piano technique is highly expressive, and he creates lyrical beds of tinkling texture, which he then treats and mutates using his analog synth. Next Tuesday, I plan to see Taylor perform in Denton at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios with guitarists Max Twaddle and Dorian Marsh. (I believe the rubric is Solan Dorr.) 

I got distracted from his set by the presence of a couple of friends, including DJ Phil Ford, whom I hadn't seen in a minute. After awhile, they headed off to The Cicada to catch Groove Gallery, a first-and-third Sunday evening jazz jam fronted by saxophonist Bobby Williams which I need to catch. But not before Aaron Gonzalez, recently returned from a European tour with Humanization 4tet, played a solo set of manic intensity, using standup bass, voice, and even the kitchen sink.

Aaron's sibling/Humanization 4tet bandmate Stefan Gonzalez didn't plan to perform in the kitchen, but when he realized that once assembled, his vibraphone wouldn't fit through the door, that's where it went down. Stefan has always been a performer of great physicality as well as invention, and his improvisation had some of the qualities of dance as well as great musicality. A pleasant surprise was the injection of wordless vocalisms by the Austin-based Turkish vocalist Esin Gunduz, who started with a jazzy soprano that gave way to more guttural sounds and extended vocal fry. An intriguing performer whom I'd dig to hear more of; perhaps I shall, as she and Stefan plan to collaborate more. 

The closing slot belonged to guitarist extraordinaire Gregg Prickett, who brought the heat on classical and electric guitars, using a similar setup to his recent duo outing at Dallas's Full City Rooster with duo partner Jonathan F. Horne. His signal chain included delay, an octave pedal to accentuate the low end of the frequency spectrum, and a Korg Miku Stomp aka "the Japanese syllable pedal." Prickett's always adventurous and inventive, and Linda Little's swirling visuals added atmosphere to the proceedings.

Kavin and Linda are getting ready to shut the Grackle down for the summer, but not before hosting a fundraiser in the form of a Bob Dylan-themed open mic, Throw the Bums a Dime, starting at 4pm on Saturday May 31st. I would be remiss if I neglected to mention that I have volunteered to serve as the sacrificial opener, making my debut as a solo acoustic-strumming song schlepper (not Bob per se, but in his spirit), at this event. Don't you dare miss it.