Deep Ellum Club News

Lizard Lounge to spawn little lizard in Deep Ellum

The Lizard Lounge, Dallas' temple of electronic dance music, is spawning a baby lizard, and it's going into one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city: Deep Ellum.

Owner Don Nedler has secured the space at 2911 Main St., where previous tenants have included Eden Lounge and Santiago Cantina.

"We love what's happening in Deep Ellum — how can you not?" Nedler says. "You have old clubs like Trees and newer places like Three Links and Black Swan. And I love that it's becoming a dining destination.

The new club is smaller than Lizard Lounge and therefore can serve as a venue for smaller shows featuring up-and-coming performers and DJs.

"That's a mainstream audience that needs some late-night options, and I feel like a boutique dance hall would do really well."

Nedler looked at a few spots in Deep Ellum before finding this jewel of a space, which includes a 3,000-square-foot interior and a spacious rooftop deck.

"I liked it for several reasons," he says. "The deck is amazing. It's a free-standing building with parking, which is unusual. Also, it's near but not in the middle of an entertainment district. That's a formula with which we've succeeded in the past."

His intent is to provide an alternate smaller space where customers can go on nights that the Lizard Lounge is not open.

"We wanted to create something to complement what we're already doing," he says. "We have two faithful audiences: the Lizard Lounge and The Church, our gothic/industry-music nightclub-within-a-nightclub that we host every Thursday and Sunday night.

"But we needed another venue. The people who like The Church don't have a lot of options. So we'll provide a place where they can go on nights of the week other than Thursday and Sunday."

Since it opened in 1991, the Lizard Lounge has welcomed every meaningful act in dance music, from Moby to Crystal Method to Deadmau5, often before they broke out big. It has also over the years hosted rock shows in its parking lot featuring acts such as 311 and Barenaked Ladies, with the downtown skyline as a backdrop.

The new club, which Nedler has yet to name, is smaller than the Lizard Lounge and therefore can serve as a venue for smaller shows featuring up-and-coming performers and DJs.

"We'll move the boutique dance acts in there, and it also gives us a chance for shows on Tuesday or Wednesday, since the Lizard Lounge isn't open those nights," Nedler says. "We love the idea of having a place for our customers on other nights of the week."

Key to his plans is the acquisition of a dance-hall permit, the outmoded document required by the City of Dallas to allow for dancing on the premises.

"I've already applied," he says. "The definition of 'dance hall' has changed. Dance halls are different now. It's no longer a thing where two people dance on the dance floor. Dancing erupts spontaneously all over the place. But we're going to do it legally and get the permit."

That said, it won't be a loud place. He'll build in quiet zones where people can have a drink and not be overwhelmed by the music. Over the next few months, he'll redo the sound system and refresh the interior, while hosting the occasional spontaneous event. And this weekend, he'll host a preview party on Saturday night, with info to come on the Lounge's Facebook page, to give his faithful legions a sneak peek.

"But no dancing!" he says. "Until we get the permit, I cannot allow dancing."

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Movie Review

Twin sisters set out for revenge in Tarantino-esque film 'Is God Is'

Photo by Patti Perret

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is.

The revenge story is one of the most enduring in all of cinema as it can be adapted to multiple different genres. It most naturally fits in the action/thriller genre, but comedies, dramas, Westerns, and more have made good use of characters seeking revenge. The new film Is God Is demonstrates that malleability by detailing an intensely personal story that turns into something bigger.

Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have lived a difficult life, going in and out of foster care and forced to endure stares and taunts because each bears burn scars from a childhood attack. Racine, whose scars are “only” on her left arm, has developed into the protector of Anaia, who suffered burns over much of her face.

An unexpected call from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), who was burned almost beyond recognition in the attack, gives them a purpose: Seeking revenge on the man who ruined their lives. Setting out in a barely working car and with only a small amount of direction, the sisters attempt to fulfill the mission without losing their souls.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aleasha Harris, the film may remind some viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and not just because Fox has small roles in both films. Harris has a knack for dialogue, especially between the twins, that ably gets across the story exposition and entertains at the same time. There are many instances where she has the sisters hold silent conversations told on screen via subtitles to convey twin-speak, a method that deepens their connection and draws the viewer in.

Harris also has her characters engage in the type of shocking violence that Tarantino has used to great effect. The difference here, though, is that even though the story is heightened to a certain degree, the egregious nature of the crime perpetrated upon the girls and their mother makes the whole thing feel bracingly real. This revenge plot is not meant to merely entertain; it’s designed to put the audience in Racine and Anaia’s shoes and fully embrace the call for justice.

There are a few times when the lack of experience by Harris shows up, especially in the climactic sequence where the stunt work could have used some more precision. But overall, it’s a self-assured filmmaking debut for the playwright-turned-director, who’s adapted her own play with a richness and depth that is not often found from someone stepping behind the camera for the first time.

Young and Johnson don’t especially look alike, but they embody the essence of twin sisters, and it’s their chemistry together that makes the story as impactful as it is. They’re joined by other strong female performances by Fox, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe, each of whom brings a different vibe. And anyone who loves This is Us or Paradise should prepare themselves for a completely different kind of role for Sterling K. Brown.

Is God Is uses a variety of inspirations for its storytelling, but in the end it becomes its own thing. The filmmaking world can always stand to have another strong Black voice, and Harris has made an auspicious debut, one that should have cinephiles wondering what she’ll do next.

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Is God Is opens in theaters on May 15.

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