Sarah Johnson. Photo: CultureHype
For Dallas singer-songwriter and painter Sarah Johnson, the driving force behind the new “Girls of DFW” concert series, appreciation begat inspiration.
“The impetus for ‘Girls of DFW’ was seeing the incredible female talent that North Texas has and wanting to create a listening room environment where we could really listen and appreciate the music,” Johnson said via email.
Johnson’s dream becomes a reality Thursday when she, along with Corina Grove, Elaina Kay and Frankie Leonie, will perform at 8 p.m. at Poor David’s Pub.
While the initial line-up skews more folk and Americana, Johnson, who dropped a new single, “Look What You’ve Done,” on February 11, hopes future installments will expand the series’ sonic scope while preserving the intimacy of a listening room presentation.
“The launch artists are just a few of the girls who have welcomed me into the Dallas music scene with warmth and love,” Johnson said via email. “Corina, Frankie and Elaina got started before me, but have become great friends as we’ve navigated pursuing music together.”
In addition to the quartet of artists performing, the concert’s sponsors are all female entrepreneurs, including Katie Scott of Red Zeppelin Records, Amber LaFrance of CultureHype and Kelli Macatee of Macatee and Wells Compass Real Estate.
“Everyone involved in ‘Girls of DFW’ is a small business owner, even musicians,” Johnson said via email. “We are trying to make our passions into our jobs, which is no easy task, so any ounce of support truly means the world to us. We love our men entrepreneurs and artists as well, but this is a chance to put a spotlight on DFW’s ‘girls’ and show how we are all working together to grow and support each other.”
Johnson’s hope is that this series is the first of several, ideally occurring twice yearly: “I anticipate doing a fall and spring show every year,” she said via email. “I am always trying to get more and more involved in the Dallas music scene and meet everyone I can, so the next round will probably be more friends I’ve made along the way!”
Preston Jones is a freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT.
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