Crockett built his early career on Deep Ellum’s streets and stages, busking and playing small clubs before breaking nationally and headlining big venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the Ryman Auditorium.
“I really believe Deep Ellum’s heritage is at serious risk,” he said. “If it’s all new buildings and boutique apartments and cupcake shops, what happens to the history and the beauty of Deep Ellum? It disappears.
“The people of Dallas — especially the wealthy white people in Dallas — need to believe that Deep Ellum is just as historically significant as the French Quarter in New Orleans or Beale Street in Memphis. They need to take pride in it, and they need to protect it.”
If you didn’t snag tickets to Friday’s show — or don’t want to shell out on the resale market — you can see Crockett Aug. 28-29 at the 6,000-capacity Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth.
Crockett is touring behind Clovis, his fourth album in less than 14 months. Surprise-released independently in late April, Clovis vanished from streaming days later amid a legal dispute with his former label, Island Records. He responded by distributing free CDs to fans before re-releasing the album on digital platforms July 3 in partnership with Atlantic Outpost.
It’s not Crockett’s only recent controversy. He dropped the self-described “satanic doo-wop” duo Twin Temple from two West Coast opening slots after objecting to its demonic imagery. “I thought they were like Black Sabbath, but they ain’t,” he said in a statement earlier this month. “Not today, Satan.”
The episode may have been more theater than feud. Days after being dropped, Twin Temple announced that Crockett’s close friend and frequent producer Shooter Jennings had produced its next album.