Deep Ellum News

Noise task force recommends breaking Dallas' Deep Ellum into tiers

Shh, Traveling Man, keep it down.

Photo by Joseph Haubert

Following an incomprehensible crackdown on noise in Deep Ellum — Dallas' biggest entertainment district — a task force has come up with a list of recommendations that include breaking the neighborhood into tiers where different noise levels would be allowed.

Noise became an issue in April 2021 when residents and businesses in the district started filing noise complaints to Code Compliance. These were noise ordinances that already existed, but had not been enforced diligently.

Deep Ellum venues banded together to defend their right to be noisy, and in July, the Deep Ellum Noise Task Force was created, comprised of the Deep Ellum Foundation, Deep Ellum Community Association, Code Compliance, Dallas Police Department, and live music venue owners.

After five months surveying residents and businesses, taking and monitoring decibel readings, and assessing international best practices, they issued a report which is online.

Recommendations include:

creating an overlay district featuring several tiers of allowable noise
expanding band loading zones
clarifying and streamlining the Department of Code Compliance Services' practices
ramping up education on noise within the district

There are three tiers, as follows:

Tier 1 will be a core in Deep Ellum that allows noise levels up to 92 decibels until midnight on weekdays and 2 am on weekends.
Tier 2 will be a commercial and entertainment corridor that allows up to 78 decibels until 10 pm on weekdays and 12 am on weekends.
A third tier, the Deep Ellum Cultural District, will follow regular city of Dallas noise levels.

As a point of comparison: For "office, retail, and parking districts," 63 decibels is the maximum permissible daytime decibel limit allowed. In "light and heavy commercial districts," it's 65 decibels. In "industrial districts," it's 70 decibels.

Their report also recommends not pointing speakers towards the right of way.

The task force's surveys found that it wasn't just music venues and bars, but also restaurants.

And here's an interesting tidbit: "The majority of complaints were received in relation to venues operating on Good Latimer Expressway." Someone has it in for Bottled Blonde.

"This Noise Task Force worked diligently to really understand the needs of all stakeholders who come to be a part of this community, and we are proud to present a set of recommendations that will allow Deep Ellum businesses and residents to continue to grow and thrive together," said Stephanie Keller Hudiburg, Executive Director of The Deep Ellum Foundation.

The task force included resident and musician Trey Carmichael who says in a statement that, "after a few decades playing and/or living down here, I’m happy to see a more comprehensive ordinance developed. Noise is a problem in any busy neighborhood, but it’s a complex matter in our live/play areas. The standard ordinance was simply too broad for all stakeholders to be treated fairly. The task force worked hard to find solutions that work for everyone in Deep Ellum."

Business owner Allen Falkner says in a statement that it's important to preserve Deep Ellum's role as an entertainment district.

"It’s been a very difficult couple of years with COVID-19," Falkner says. "All the businesses in Deep Ellum have suffered greatly and are doing their best to recoup losses and return to some form of normalcy. "The one thing that has remained the same is that Deep Ellum has been known as an entertainment district for a century. For many, it’s the heart and soul of Dallas with music being the cornerstone to its success and survival. These recommendations on the noise ordinance support music, entertainment and small businesses. They will not only help Deep Ellum, but will keep Dallas the cultural icon of Texas that it deserves to be."

nightlife concerts deep-ellum

Movie Review

Resident Evil reboot is a blast for fans of horror movies

Photo by Dušan Martinček

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In just two films (Barbarian and Weapons), writer/director Zach Cregger has established himself as one of the top horror filmmakers working today. His unique methodology involves taking audiences down familiar pathways before veering off into unexpected areas that feature copious amounts of gore and comically bizarre visuals.

His new film, Resident Evil, plays out in much the same way, resulting in something starkly different from the previous action-heavy films based on the video game series. Bryan (Austin Abrams) is a courier tasked with bringing special deliveries like organs to hospitals. After one delivery, he gets roped in to making another to the distant location of Raccoon City, a mission he accepts despite being ill-prepared for the journey.

Traveling down a snowy and icy road, Bryan gets waylaid after accidentally hitting a woman crossing the road. His attempt to save her jump starts a series of adventures in which he tries his best to survive in the face of an onslaught of numerous zombie-like people and creatures. All the while, Bryan is hellbent on completing his delivery at all costs.

Cregger, who co-wrote the film with Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4), is in complete command of the tone of the movie from minute one. Leaning into his comedy background, Cregger aims for humor first, with both horror and non-horror moments eliciting laughs. One of the biggest pleasures of the film is the way Bryan — who more often than not is by himself — mutters incredulously after experiencing yet another unbelievable incident. His reactions feel close to how a real person would be acting in such an extreme situation, giving the audience a dose of needed relief.

The episodic nature of the story also allows the film to play out like a video game without it ever feeling stilted. Every scene is like a new level of the game for Bryan as he faces increasingly difficult situations and monsters along the way. He gets some help from characters played by Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, and Zach Cherry, but he’s mostly on his own, figuring out how to use guns and improvising ways to avoid or attack opponents.

What Cregger seems to understand better than most filmmakers who have adapted video games into films is how to pay tribute to the series without becoming too much about fan service. There are references aplenty to the different games, but the movie works just as well even if you’ve never played a single second. There is no shortage of tense situations, blood-soaked scenes, and outrageous imagery — and Cregger knows how to stage all of it to maximum effect.

Abrams is dynamite in the film, using understated line readings to make Bryan both funny and relatable. After being on the verge of breaking out for years, Abrams just might do so with this and the upcoming Whalefall. The appearances by Reis, Hauser, Cherry, Johnno Wilson, and others don’t last long, but each does a great job in helping the film keep the story going.

Cregger is now three-for-three in his young career, making films that both pay tribute to and subvert horror conventions at the same time. Resident Evil is a blast for fans of the genre, featuring a great lead character, a slew of memorable moments, and indelible visuals that might haunt your dreams.

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Resident Evil opens in theaters on September 18.

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