We spoke to Clint Barlow, still aglow after his quick and painless pass from the Dallas City Council approving the specific use permit for Trees.
“We’re ultra excited it went so smoothly because to be honest I was always a little worried since we had so many things riding on it,” said Barlow of his time (roughly three minutes) spent at City Hall.
When asked about a final date set in stone for Trees to open, he said it’s literally “drying in concrete.” Barring any major construction snafus -- eight weeks of work are left on the sprinkler systems --Trees should reopen on August 14.
As for today, Barlow is on-site as construction begins on the landmark club’s interior. Traveling on the road with Rob Van Winkle has turned Barlow into “a bit of a snob” when it comes to club bathrooms. Thus his first order of business overseeing today’s construction is the revamping of the restrooms.
Knocking down walls has its rewards. Workers found a signed Stabbing Westward poster from ’94 and a signed Dread Zeppelin poster behind a rusty file cabinet. Barlow said he’s going to frame the old school finds and throw them on the wall with black and white photographs taken at Trees during the ‘90s. The second floor pool tables are out, but Barlow is toying with the idea of putting in some video games and the interior trees aren't going anywhere.
Mums the word on the band lineup for opening day. Barlow says he wants to keep it a surprise, but check this space for listings of the complete lineup and full opening night coverage.
