Arlington is more than just the home of the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers — it’s a creative hub where local artists thrive.
From bars and coffee shops to the Levitt Pavilion and backyard areas offering a stage, aspiring stars can make a name for themselves within the community.
The Football Team Creative was created in 2017 to bring UTA together through art and music, Lillian Durand, The Football Team Creative president, said. The group’s biggest events are their shows, whether held in a member’s house, local bar or restaurant.
“Since UTA is lacking in that respect of having an actual football team, we wanted to do something that still brought the community together and created a campus culture,” she said. “Instead of doing sports-related events, we like to throw on art and music shows that help support the creative community in Arlington.”
The team aims to give local artists their first paid gig and help provide them a starting point. They try to book bands native to Arlington, many being UTA students, as well as others throughout the Metroplex.
“Every single band that we book, we pay them,” she said. “The reason we charge for our events is [because] we’re a nonprofit, so we don’t seek to really necessarily make money off of the events.”
In a digitalized age where music is at your fingertips, Durand said live music is essential. She said the experience at shows creates a special bond with those around you.
“It’s not just about listening to the music, but hearing the show live and with other people, there’s just a completely different energy to it,” she said.
Dallas artist Niki Joans started her first college band, Summit Valley, in 2019 as a UTA student. Named after Summit Avenue, Joans and a few friends began practicing in a garage.
Their first gig was a live-streamed show with The Football Team Creative in 2020, and after a three-hour live set at The Tipsy Oak on East Front Street in 2021, they started to gain traction.
“Building a community was so important because that’s really what gave us the confidence to take care outside of Arlington,” Joans said.
Since being in college, the band has gained over 800 followers on Instagram and listeners across the world. She said Arlington played a key role in their growth.
“Being in Arlington, going to UTA, meeting the people that we met in the area, definitely really helped us to get on the path of taking things to the next level,” Joans said.
Live performances allow artists to connect with their fans, something that she said isn’t tangible through listening to music digitally.
“You can listen to anybody’s EP or album over the phone, but you are missing a big key component, I feel like, not being in person with your audience,” she said.
Arlington Amplified, a nonprofit program supported by Levitt Pavilion Arlington, connects local artists, venues, businesses and industry professionals through its music ecosystem.
The program started after the Texas Music Office designated Arlington, the 20th city in 2020, a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community. Initially named Music Friendly Community of Arlington, the program rebranded as Arlington Amplified.
The Texas Music Office is the first and longest-running state music office in the nation, according to its website. In 2016, it created the Music Friendly Texas Certified Community Program and provides over 60 communities with networks for fostering industry development.
Angela Peña, Levitt Pavilion communications and program development director, said Arlington Amplified promotes both local artists and Arlington venues, like J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill and Grease Monkey Burger Shop, highlighting shows and concerts, as well as hosting their own events.
Yeslyann Cruz, Arlington Amplified's social media manager, is actively promoting events and venues on their social media accounts.
“We also do host networking events every other month where we can get the community together to network and socialize, and meet one another,” Cruz said. “Through these events, people have been a lot more receptive of Arlington Amplified and what it does for the community.”
Peña said supporting local artists and musicians directly impacts the economy. Each event is an opportunity to create jobs, as artists need managers, graphic designers and agents.
“It’s creating a more open and inviting environment, and it just brings a vibrant community together,” she said.
Visitors who have a free night after a Cowboy’s game, concert or convention can find free, live music throughout Arlington with the Arlington Amplified community calendar.
Artists submit their shows to be approved, and the information is given to the Convention and Visitors Bureau for those passing through town to find a show.
“Every time you visit a city anywhere else, you want to do what the locals do, you don’t want to do the typical trendy things,” Peña said. “You want to go where the locals are.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fort Worth artist Rebecca “Beck Bucks” Luby wanted to experiment with music and find her own artistic value. Luby said the Metroplex’s music scene is small, so having a community in Arlington has been impactful.
She connected with the Football Team Creative a few years ago and over time helped put on house shows. She said it’s a great organization for people wanting to experience different avenues.
“It’s the mission statement, I think on music and Football Team [Creative], is to see your live music scene flourish by giving people the opportunity to make that happen,” Luby said.
She said it was surreal getting her start in Arlington, the city where she was born and raised. She loved performing in an accepting environment.
Although she isn’t currently performing live, Luby books shows for artists in the Metroplex and continues to create music. She said there’s nothing like live music because it gives musicians the chance to engage and talk to their fans.
“I lived there for so long, and I loved it so much,” Luby said. “But also having an environment of people that you already know, and you’re also starting a movement, you’re in that movement, so that felt so good to do that.”
@amandaLaldridge
