Caleb Karrenbrock
There’s a sort of built-in rowdiness that comes with a packed concert: the thump of an angry drum beat and the swing of a guitar riff, showered by the yelping cries of a gyrating singer burning under a spotlight, all hitting at the same decibel. It’s total sensory overload, and completely by design.
But then there’s the antithesis, and here, it’s called Dallas Ambient Music Nights (DAMN).
Founded over ten years ago by Cody McPhail, the live audio and video anthology has paired local electronic musicians with visual artists across staple venues like The Prophet Bar, RBC, the Green Elephant and most notably, the Texas Theatre.
McPhail’s inaugural DAMN event took place in January 2015 at The Prophet Bar, featuring a small curated lineup made by McPhail himself.
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“It went really well, it was kind of shocking,” he said. “I hadn’t produced a show before, and for it to be 40 or 50 people there in a small club, it felt really special.”
Years of obsessing over the experimental sounds of Brian Eno and the early Aphex Twin records were the precursor to McPhail finding his niche in live events. After the first show, it was clear he had to keep it going. Over 10 years later, DAMN is gearing up for its 50th formal event, set for the Texas Theatre on Dec. 27. The Oak Cliff artistic haven has served as the primary home for the series in recent years.
For the 50th installment, McPhail has booked his biggest lineup yet, featuring seasoned DAMN veterans and others making their series debut. Polyphonic Spree violinist and experimental songwriter Leoncarlo Canlas is a standout on the musical lineup, as is local electro-punk outfit O-D-EX.
Grace Sydney Pham is a DAMN rookie, performing under the moniker “Hexpartner,” presenting a “neoclassical electronic project inspired by medieval music.”
“DAMN shatters expectations about what a typical city’s electronic music scene can be,” Pham said. “In most cities I’ve visited or lived in, EDM, techno or house tend to completely dominate most electronic music spaces, while ambient music is relegated to DIY and experimental venues. I have never seen ambient music celebrated and brought to the forefront of electronic music the way DAMN does it.”
The Texas Theatre stage is one befitting of an influential Dallas legacy, and Kent Evans knows all about that. He’s performing on Saturday with a looping project called Heavy Refuge. The artist was part of Dallas’ early electronic music scene, befriending Evans at live shows before the concept of DAMN was conceived. Being around to see the early formation of DAMN and the subsequent 49 shows that followed ahead of Saturday’s 50th, Evans spoke about the uniqueness of the series.
“DAMN is so special, there’s nothing quite like it in Dallas,” he says. “The intersection of music and visual art here is a huge part of what makes the series special, but for me it’s about how much these shows encourage you to slow down and just take it all in, to enjoy the company around you and be grateful for whatever you can be grateful for. I think at DAMN, I find it very easy to be hopeful. In today’s climate, that means everything to me.”
McPhail emphasized the importance of the DAMN mission as allowing oneself to slow down and appreciate one’s surroundings.
“It isn’t rock and roll,” McPhail says. “… But just allow it to wash over you, makes you forget you’re in a theater. That’s the point of going to shows, to get to that point where I’m closing my eyes and I forget I’m even there. There’s video art, so you shouldn’t close your eyes for too long, but that combination creates this more meditative thing. It creates a vibe that’s kinda like ‘cool church.’”
To secure a seat in the pew at the cool church’s newest worship service, tickets to DAMN50 are still available for $25 or $30 at the door. The event is scheduled to run from 8 p.m. to midnight.