Free Week Expands to Red River This Year

In response to economic downturns and the need for local hoodrats to save money all over the music district, Graham Williams (Free Week's founder) has announced an expansion of the annual event. Between January 2nd through the 10th, free week will also be taking place at Mohawk, Club de Ville, Red 7, Beauty Bar and others in addition to the traditional Emo's.

Williams started Free Week years ago when booking at Emo's, but left last year to broaden his horizons under the Transmission umbrella. "After leaving Emo's last year, I decided this January that I'd keep my original concept going at multiple clubs. I began talking to other venues who also had a similar idea," he says. "I'm sure Emo's will continue to do free week as it always has, but I love the idea and always wanted to see all of Red River doing it. It's almost like a free local only SXSW for all the folks in town."

This year's festivities will include bands like Riverboat Gamblers, Loxsly, Golden Boys, Peel, The Laughing, Moth!Fight!, Golden Bear, Complete Control, Crash Gallery, Til We're Blue or Destroy, Tia Carerra, The Strange Attractors, Calm Blue Sea, Transmography, Scorpion Child, Haunting Oboe Music, Pack of Wolves, Lower Class Brats, Harlem, The Applicators, The Ugly Beats, La Snacks, Cry Blood Apache, Weird Weeds, Shapes Have Fangs, Cavedweller and many, many more. Stay tuned.

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By Paige Maguire in Arts & Entertainment on December 1, 2008 1:39 PM 0 Comments

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Room 710

Thanks for suggesting, Shady Lady. Of course, it would be nice if you could mention all of those other Red River bars that are not Transmission owned of which you speak. Is Beerland doing something for free that week, and if so, were they in the article?

For the record, we rarely charge front door covers at Room 710. Sunday-Wednesday shows are almost always free, and we generally charge on the stage side on Thursdays. Fridays and Saturdays charge policies are dictated by the bands on stage, but of course you, as a live music patron with the wits and snap, know all of this.

I guess what we're really trying to say is, don't start considering the Mohawk and Red 7 as strictly Red River Rock Venues when 1. there are other, more established (as in, older) venues not mentioned in the article who do business on Red River and have successfully established a culture and a sound for the district that we created, and 2. Red 7 happens to not be on Red River whereas Emo's (where Graham Reynolds apparently devised the whole concept of Free Week) is on the corner of 6th St and Red River.

Yes, it's fun having paved the way for other people to jump on the trail and call it theirs. Yippee.

But to answer your quetion, how about Mohawk and Red 7 Now Doing Their Own Version of Free Week to Fruther Compete With Emo's. Sure, it's a long headline. But then you won't have to read the article.

shadylady

there are other bars that aren't transmission venues participating in free week, both on red river and off...so if room 710 wants to start suggesting titles, perhaps they should fact check first.