Reunion Tower Revue and the 2007 DOMAs

Another Dallas Observer Music Awards show has come and gone. And naturally we didn't win anything. Heck, this year we weren't even nominated for anything (not that we're bitter or anything). In spite of our low profile we did have the unique pleasure of providing all the music for the show. The house band, if you will.

It went like this: In November of 2007 I (Don) and the beloved Trey Johnson (of Sorta) dreamed up a show we dubbed The Reunion Tower Revue. It's a sort of survey of the history of Dallas music - songs by Dallas artists (big and small), songs about Dallas, songs that tangentially reference Dallas, and songs recorded in Dallas. We found 20 great old songs and asked some of Dallas' finest current singers to sing them with Shibboleth backing everybody up. And not just the four-piece. No that would be too simple. We added three background singers, two horn players, a five-person choir, and pedal steel. And to top it all off, this was our first show with the amazing Bobby Patterson. The first of many as it turns out. All for charity as well.

So after a month of mind-numbingly hard work, and in spite of an ice storm, the show went on and was a resounding success. We couldn't have been prouder.

As it turns out Senor Robert Wilonsky from the Observer was in the audience that night in December and was quite taken with the show. So taken, in fact, that several months down the road he asked us to put the show together again - this time as the sole musical act at the awards show. Wow. So we did a little tweaking to the show - added some new singers and some new songs - and pulled it off. Again.

Chances are this isn't the end of the Reunion Tower Revue. Keep your ears and eyes open.