Following fire department shut-down, 'Acoustic Nerves' will reemerge at Dallas' Texas Theatre

It was supposed to be a thing of pure beauty. Organizers behind the hybrid art and electronic music show Acoustic Nerves had found the perfect venue, a raw warehouse in West Dallas called the Ice House, to create a custom-built set suited to the show's particular needs. Its gritty aesthetic and ample space set just the right tone for the planned three-night performance over May 5-7, and early rehearsals by its enthusiastic lineup of artists suggested they'd pull off a resoundingly successful show. Instead, they faced disappointment.

In the middle of the second night's performance, inspectors from the Dallas Fire Department arrived and ordered performers and audience members to vacate the building. Organizers Dean Terry and Patrick Murphy had no choice but to comply and cancel the following night's show as well. In the days following, Terry was disappointed, but optimistic; he said, "We are made up of very strong willed and talented people who are raring to go at the next opportunity."

They will soon have their chance.

Acoustic Nerves' third and final performance has been rescheduled for June 10 at new location: the Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff.

The fire department's reason for closing down Acoustic Nerves seemed ambiguous and confusing; ultimately, they cited the building's lack of a Certificate of Occupancy. Murphy stepped outside to speak with the marshals and wondered why a number of events he'd seen at the Ice House, some much bigger, weren't handled similarly. The marshals reportedly responded that an anonymous person had asked them to "check on it."

Terry doesn't know why anyone would have reported the event to the fire department, but he says it has been happening more frequently in the area. In the days following the shut-down he told us, "I think the story is bigger than what I can see."

It was strange: The city of Dallas had given the event a $5,000 grant with the understanding the it would take place at that location. And, yet, another city department interrupted it, an irony not lost on many, including the Observer's Jeremy Hallock, who reported on the shut-down in the days following. Both the fire department and the Ice House's owner, Butch McGregor, continue to decline comment.

Organizers followed the rules to the best of their knowledge, ensuring there were fire extinguishers and proper safety measures, Terry says. Not to mention, they'd put in a tremendous amount of effort to create a custom-built set in a raw warehouse that fittingly juxtaposed the show's aesthetic. He says he "still [doesn't] have the complete picture" as to what happened, but he stands with McGregor:

"Butch is one of the city's great art supporters, period."

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Grateful for an outpouring of support -- Terry says that, despite the fact the event's third night was sold-out, only one ticket holder requested a refund -- Murphy and Terry immediately began looking for an alternatively location.  As for the performers, they weren't ready to call it quits either. That's one reason this week's announcement that the third and final Acoustic Nerves performance has been rescheduled seems particularly uplifting.

You can catch it at the Texas Theatre on Friday June 10 at 8 p.m., and all tickets from "previous, interrupted, and cancelled evenings" will be honored. If you weren't among the original ticket-holders, additional tickets are also available for purchase online. The lineup includes some new additions, and Murphy will perform an after-party DJ set under his stage name Bohm, beginning at 11 p.m.