BEST DANCER
Pole power
In a bar known for having the sexiest dancers around, it can be hard to stand out and make an impression. But there’s no denying Wesley at TMC: The Mining Company has done just that in the seven months since he started dancing. A personal trainer at a private studio by day, Wesley spends his nights indulging his new-found passion for the art of pole dancing.
— Tammye Nash
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EDITORS CHOICE
karaoke host: Quinton Jones
Karaoke kink
4011 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas
214-520-6629
Instagram: @WoodysDallas
Leave it to the gays to mix kink with their karaoke, and, thankfully, there’s Quintin Jones to keep it all in order. The local actor/dancer/singer hosts karaoke every Wednesday at Dallas Woody’s, but every second Wednesday, it gets a little spicier. Those nights also feature the groups DFW Rubber and the Society of Servicing Pups and Handlers or DFW PAHS. We’re here for the karaoke twist but how exactly can you sing with a ball gag? Maybe Jones will give us permission to remove it and belt out a Dolly tune.
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EDITORS CHOICE
Best local arts organization: oak lawn band
March on
Oak Lawn Band
OakLawnBand.org
Created in 1980 so that the first Dallas Pride parade would have a marching band included, The Oak Lawn Band has been performing at events throughout the community ever since that long-ago parade. And rising from those humble beginnings, in addition to its marching band component, Oak Lawn Band now has a symphonic band, chamber ensembles, a color guard and a jazz band.
Coming out of the pandemic, the band had 38 members. By its spring 2023 concert, the organization had grown to 86 musicians. And for Pride that year, the band celebrated its 40th anniversary with 125 band members and former members who flew in from around the country to march in the parade, compared to the just 50 who marched the year before. That continued growth is reflected in Oak Lawn Band’s new leadership, with Nick Nunley having recently been hired as the band’s new artistic director.
The band rehearses weekly from August through June on Tuesdays from 6:30-10 p.m. at the Sammons Center for the Arts. All skill levels are welcome to perform in challenging concerts or marching band with no auditions necessary. Just go online and fill out a form that lets the band know just where you will fit in.
Because of its commitment to growth and how well it represents the LGBTQ community in everything from large public parades to smaller events like the Dallas Voice Readers Voice Awards party, we name the Oak Lawn Band an Editor’s Choice Award winner.
— David Taffet
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Best Karaoke Host
Wayne Smith
Facebook.com/WayneSmithAsCher
Wednesdays, Fridays,
Saturdays at 9:30 p.m.
Liquid Zoo, 2506 Knight St., Dallas
Best Local
Performer Non-drag
Kameron Ross
Instagram: @KameronRoss
Best DJ
DJ Mateo
Instagram: @ItsDJMateo
Spins at TMC The Mining Company,
3903 Cedar Springs Road
Best Dancer
Wesley at TMC
Best Theater Company
Uptown Players
Kalita Humphreys Theater
3636 Turtle Creek Blvd.
214-219-2718
UptownPlayers.org
Best Local Arts Organization
Turtle Creek Chorale
Sammons Center for the Arts
3630 Harry Hines Blvd., Ste. 306
214-526-3214
TurtleCreekChorale.com
Best Performance Venue
Bass Performance Hall
525 Commerce St., Fort Worth
817-212-4280
BassHall.com