As reported onFort Worthology, the large metal poles which once held a billboard at the Cultural District intersection of 7th, Camp Bowie, University, and Bailey but which were stripped clean and bent over by the 2000 tornado are at last being reinstalled in front of the new Museum Place Post Office. Reader Jeff W. sent me this shot of the reinstallation underway now.

The poles will form the centerpiece of a new public plaza in front of the Post Office. The front wall of the building itself (seen in the photo covered in white Tyvek wrap) will be covered by ceramic tiles with a large mural of a thunderstorm crossing the prairie, along with the words “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” The Post Office and the plaza are both still under construction as part of the big Museum Place development.

Personally, I’m very happy to see the distinctive poles reinstalled as a piece of public art. They are an incredible reminder of the power of nature (don’t forget, they were bent simply by the force of wind) and an eye-catching landmark for the rapidly redeveloping Cultural District. It’s great to see a bit of the area’s history brought back as a centerpiece of a development that points towards its future.

Last Friday’s Modern ‘Til Midnight went off well, as always. Steph and I worked our way over a little after 7:30, which meant we got there just in time to enjoy the musical stylings of The Theater Fire. Having never heard these guys before, I must say I enjoyed their set very much. Their music is more or less unclassifiable, blending a wide variety of elements and instruments (mariachi horns, accordion, mandolin, etc.). They pretty much rock. I grabbed both their albums off iTunes the next day. (The dancing cowboy hippies that accompanied their set were entertaining, as well.)

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Don’t forget - tonight is Modern ‘Til Midnight, from 6:00 PM to, well, midnight (hence the name). Music will be many and varied - Yellow Fever, The Theater Fire, Trimble Tech High School Marching Band (directed by Earnest Colvin playing a composition by Patrick Grant), PPT, and Strange Fruit Project. Food and drinks. Admission is $15, or FREE for Modern members.

I’ll be there from about 7:30 or so onwards. Look for the guy in the hat, as usual. Say hi!

It’s going to be a beautiful weekend in the Panther City, and to celebrate, here’s a listing of the music-type events going on throughout our urban core. This is, of course, not listing the guitar-playing hippy or out-of-tune keyboard playing guy who usually inhabit Houston Street in Sundance Square, but I figure their presence goes without saying.

This weekend’s the Main Street Arts Festival, and there’s plenty of live music to go around. Let’s dive right in…

Main Street Arts Festival

Sundance Square Main Stage, Friday:
Can Crush, Trey & The Tritones, Bonnie and Nick Morris, The Sidemen, Beatlegras, Ruthie Foster, The Wailers
Sundance Square Main Stage, Saturday:
Crawfish Band, Breggett Rideau, Mars Hill Band, Red and the Red Hots, Annagrey, Poo Live Crew, Terrance Simien, Dr. John
Sundance Square Main Stage, Sunday:
T-Richard & the Zydeco Stingrays, Joe Pat Hennen, Me & My Monkey, 2tone, Brave Combo

WaMu Stage, Friday:
Bar H Cowboys, Ricki Derek & the Vegas Six, Special Edition, FM, Jim Suler & Monkey Beat, Terri Hendrix, Cowboy Mouth
WaMu Stage, Saturday:
Texas Gypsies, Professor D, 4 Way Street, Joseph Vincelli, Party Crashers, Johnny Red & the Roosters, Quebe Sisters Band, Son Volt
WaMu Stage, Sunday:
Panhandlers Steel Drum Band, 3 Fools on 3 Stools, Fingerprints Band, Latin Express, Grupo Fantasma

Target Performing Arts Stage, Friday:
Michael Bashaw’s Theatre of Sound, Yo Yo People, Ballet Folklorico de Fort Worth, Mark Nizer, Michael Bashaw’s Theatre of Sound, Yo Yo People, Michael Bashaw’s Theatre of Sound, Mark Nizer
Target Performing Arts Stage, Saturday:
Michael Bashaw’s Theatre of Sound, Ballet Folklorico de Fort Worth, Yo Yo People, Mark Nizer, Michael Bashaw’s Theatre of Sound, Drop Top Rockets, Mark Nizer, Michael Bashaw’s Theatre of Sound
Target Performing Arts Stage, Sunday:
The Faith Band, Michael Bashaw’s Theatre of Sound, Yo Yo People, Ballet Folklorico de Fort Worth, Michael Bashaw’s Theatre of Sound

Street Performances, Friday:
Chisholm Trail Cowboys, Jim’s Jazz Band, Yo Yo People, Island Boogie, Charley Lee
Street Performances, Saturday:
Chisolm Trail Cowboys, Yo Yo People, Scott Whitfield Dixieland, The Flow, Prairie Moon, Eric Bailey Bagpipes, Cora Connection, Dean Strickland, Yo Yo People, Musical Saw
Street Performances, Sunday:
Chisolm Trail Cowboys, Yo Yo People, Tenacious Root, Delta Kings, The Flow, Prairie Moon, Eric Bailey Bagpipes, Yo Yo People, Cora Connection, Dean Strickland, Musical Saw

Scat Jazz Lounge | Map
Ricki Derek - Friday - 9:00 PM
The Dave Monsch Quartet - Saturday - 9:00 PM

Bass Performance Hall | Map
No concerts scheduled - Dracula by the Texas Ballet Theater runs Friday at 8:00 PM, Saturday at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM, and Sunday at 2:00 PM

McDavid Studio | Map
Geoff Muldaur & Stephen Bruton - Friday - 7:00 PM

Van Cliburn Hall | Map
No performances scheduled.

The Flying Saucer | Map
Sittin’ Duck - Friday - 9:30 PM
Velvet Love Box - Saturday - 9:30 PM
Mike Richardson - Sunday

The Pour House | Map
Johnie Blanco - Friday
Turning Trixie - Saturday

8.0 | Map
The Spazmatics - Friday
Hearsay - Saturday
Main Street Arts Festival Live Music - Sunday

The Modern Art Museum Of Fort Worth | Map
Modern ‘Til Midnight: Yellow Fever, The Theater Fire, Trimble Tech High School Marching Band w/ Earnest Colvin, PPT, Strange Fruit Project - Friday - 6:00 PM

Fred’s | Map
Scott Copeland - Friday
100 Damned Guns w/ The AM Ramblers and The Whiskey Folk Ramblers - Saturday
Magee Payne and Kurt South - Sunday morning
St. Frinatra - Sunday evening

Lola’s | Map
Chatterton, The Black, Sam Anderson and the Thrift Store Troubadours, Adam Faucett - Friday - 9:00 PM
The Burning Hotels, Throw Me The Statue, The Ruby Suns, The Always Ready - Saturday - 9:00 PM
Catfish Whiskey, Vagabond King, KatsuK, Congratulations, Shuttle, Tarantula Pants, Jordan Mycoskie and the Fire Breathing Fish - Sunday - 2:00 PM

The Chat Room | Map
Maps, Shuttle, Magnets - Saturday
Free Show!!! Pffft! - Sunday

The Fairmount | Map
Chris Knight w/ Mando Saenz - Friday
TBA - Saturday
JR Whitfield - Sunday

1919 Hemphill | Map
Anchors and Teeth, Pools - Friday

The Aardvark | Map
Merkin, Lade, Revolution of Knowledge, Automorrow - Friday - 8:30 PM
Strongpoint, Radioking, Broka’s Bliss, Nine Month Fall - Saturday - 8:30 PM

The Moon | Map
Darth Vato w/ Eleven Fingered Charlie - Friday
4 Way Street - Saturday

The Ridglea Theater | Map
Dillinger, Escape Plan, The Bled, Dear Life, Shaolin Death Squad - Friday
Withheld, Blinded We Fall, Fear of Self, Mod Effect, Dawn Over Zero, Set Adrift - Saturday
Southern Slaughter Fest - 10+ Bands - Sunday - 2:30 PM

As always, if there’s something I missed, please let me know in the comments!

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, and you’re into art, then our fair city is just gushing with opportunities for you.

Please note that this is NOT intended to be all-inclusive, it’s just a few quick links to things that are uncommon or not very well known.

The first is VDAY in Fort Worth. V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls. The main fundraising event for V-Day is a performance of The Vagina Monologues. This year that’s happening at Martin Hall on the TCU campus. The show is Saturday, and there are two performances, at 3PM and 8PM. Tickets are $15, available at the door.

Stuck is the story of a man who in 2001 was hit by a drunk and stoned driver and lodged in her windshield, then left to die by the woman who hit him. It happened here, but the movie is set in Rhode Island. Cinematical covers the story much better than I could, go on over and check it out.

Stuck is showing at AFI Dallas this weekend, so if you happen to find yourself out east tomorrow night and looking for something to do, that’s an option.

I’ll be at Gallery Night Saturday night (and Arts Goggle tonight!). Come out and meet your neighbors and take in some really cool local art tonight, then meet some more neighbors and take in some really good local and international (there are works by names even I recognize in a few galleries on Camp Bowie) art tomorrow night!

I don’t like tense movies anyway. My life is suspenseful enough.

Hot off the “Panther Whispers” tip-line are a couple of tidbits concerning local filmmakers.

First up: North Side High (and UNT Film School) grad Jose Juan Sauceda is currently touring the country promoting his film “Green Eyed Monster.”

It’s a supernatural thriller about a group of young friends seeking buried riches, only to find out that some buried riches are best left un-dug. A nice twist on this one is that “Green Eyed Monster” incorporates some urban legends with Hispanic folk roots, like La Lechusa. Best of all, it’s a movie that could be quite literally rewarding to watch! Jose has embedded clues in the film that could lead to $10,000.

Also, Andrew Disney, maker of the really great short film “Frank’s Last Shot,” which was screened at the Lone Star International Film Festival to a PACKED house, is has a new series of online sketches called “Good Ideas.”

They’re shot in Fort Worth, using Fort Worth talent. These are exactly the sort of things that I like to watch. Short, a little absurdist, and with familiar scenery. Sounds like my life so far.

Check them both out, and support your local filmmakers!

Correction: According to Jose’s blog (and the original e-mail which I apparently didn’t read thoroughly), he is NOT the filmmaker behind Green Eyed Monster, rather it is his friend Gabriel Barboza. Jose was involved in the making of the film and now he’s touring with Gabe to help promote it. And now you know that I’m the moron who screwed that up.

(Also, support your favorite local blog by sending us tips. Don’t think that what you know is too mundane or inconsequential for us to write about here. If it’s happening in Fort Worth or involves people from here, we want to hear about it!)

If you’re really paying attention you’ll notice an interesting theme running through many of top issues discussed around here these days. In essence, how do we view Nature and how do our views affect how we interact with it?

It sounds like an intellectual question, but think about how this question reverberates through contentious issues like the Trinity River Vision, fixing I-35, urban gas drilling, our need for light rail, how our buildings look, etc, et al, ad naseum.

There’s an interesting lecture coming up at the Amon Carter Museum on Saturday, November 10 at 11am that explores this question. Here’s a description from the Carter website:

Noted author and scholar William Cronon explores the various ways Americans have conceived of their national landscape and how competing conceptions of the human place in nature continue to affect environmental politics.

Reservations are required; seating is limited. Please call 817.989.5057 between October 10 and November 5 to register; confirmation will be sent.

This program is in conjunction with Accommodating Nature: The Photographs of Frank Gohlke.