Dallas Music Office to launch busking artist initiative in 2025

Remy Reilly on stage in Denton. Photo: Jessica Waffles

In recent months, the civic leaders of Dallas have made visible overtures to the city’s creative class, specifically its musicians.

In June, the Dallas Music Office was formally launched in a bid to turbocharge an already vibrant, expansive local music scene, strengthening infrastructure and fostering community.

“We literally have all the puzzle pieces — we just don’t have that final puzzle piece to bring it together and give the industry people a sense of community,” Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, director of the Dallas Music Office, told our sister station KERA earlier this year. “Ultimately, we want to hear from the broader community.”

With the expansion and enrichment of the community in mind, the Dallas Music Office, in collaboration with long-time local booking agency Spune, will host a busking artist showcase on Thursday at Club Dada in Deep Ellum.

According to press materials, this event will “mark the kick-off of Dallas’ new busking initiative, designed to transform the city’s downtown public spaces into vibrant cultural hubs.” The initiative, modeled after New York City’s MUNY program, will launch in January, with auditions opening for artists to perform across Dallas from March to December.

The busking initiative feeds into a larger vision, the Dallas Music Office’s Directory for Hire, which will help connect musicians to event organizers, venues and businesses interested in hiring musical talent, potentially opening up new avenues for artists to find paying gigs.

The line-up for Thursday’s showcase features a broad range of Dallas talent, including Sam Cormier, Joshua Stone, Gracen Wynn, Remy Reilly, Dorian Marsh, David Arvisu, Erfan Ebadipour and Jon Fig, each of whom will play brief sets of three to four songs each.

“I love how Dallas Music Office is bringing back busking,” Reilly said in a statement. “Live music is a huge part of Dallas, however, you see less and less of it on the streets. With the new busking performances, I believe it will bring a lively atmosphere to the city.”

So, come spring time, as patrons spill out of restaurants in Uptown, a Mavericks game at American Airlines Center or stroll through the Dallas Farmer’s Market, they may find their visits soundtracked by some of the city’s finest musicians.

Busking Artist Showcase at Club Dada, Dallas. 7 p.m. Thursday. Admission is free, but RSVPs are encouraged.

Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.

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