Party time: Granada Theater lights up Lower Greenville to celebrate 8th anniversary

Before Mike Schoder took over the Granada Theater [https: /dallas.culturemap.com/mapdetail/granada-theater] eight years ago, it was run with the same kind of protocol you see in too many mid-size venues — an impersonal sense of obligatory hospitality. The room was often oversold, and the vintage, 50-ton air-conditioning unit consistently underperformed. The theater was a hot, sweaty, overcrowded venue with no real personality. Today, the Granada is arguably the best live-music venue in Dallas. Schoder and girlfriend Julia Garton, together with a very dedicated crew of youngsters and music geeks, run the venue with a balance of head and heart, as opposed to viewing it like some sort of income generator. They treat it more like their home, and it shows in the musical performances. On October 2, Schoder, Garton and crew threw a hell of a party to celebrate eight years of changing the way Dallas listens to music.