Music makes you feel things \u2013 sometimes it aches, sometimes it soars, sometimes it shakes the ground under your feet. That\u2019s the spirit at the heart of Gazed and Confused Fest<\/a>, a new three-day event landing at Puzzles in Deep Ellum<\/a> from March 20 \u2013 22. Instead of sticking to a single sound, the festival brings together a vibrant mix of alternative, metal and shoegaze bands.<\/p>\n The idea for the festival sparked, as many great ideas do, from a moment of inspiration at another festival. Jewel Patani, co-founder, talent buyer and executive assistant at Third String Entertainment<\/a>, was at South by Southwest with Third String co-founder Mike Ziemer when the two noticed a distinct trend.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were just seeing a lot of these really cool shoegazey, emo rock acts,\u201d Patani tells the Observer<\/em>.<\/p>\n The energy was undeniable, sparking a renaissance of fuzz and feeling. Ziemer turned to Patani with a simple but bold idea: create a festival to showcase these incredible up-and-coming artists. The name came to him just as quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was like, \u2018What if it was called Gazed and Confused?\u2019 And I was like, \u2018That is actually a perfect name,\u201d Patani says with a laugh, acknowledging the clever nod to the classic Texas film, Dazed and Confused<\/em>.<\/p>\n With the name set, Patani was given the reins to curate a lineup that would embody the festival\u2019s spirit. Her vision wasn\u2019t just to stack bands from one specific genre, but to create a dynamic, whiplash-inducing experience. She wanted to blend artists who were \u201csimilar, but also very different,\u201d giving attendees a journey through the vast emotional landscape of modern alternative music.<\/p>\n The result is a lineup that feels both cohesive and wonderfully unpredictable, featuring headliners like Bleed, Pool Kids and HolyWatr alongside a deep roster of regional and touring talent. It\u2019s a testament to the thriving, interconnected scenes bubbling just beneath the mainstream.<\/p>\n One of those vital scenes lives right here in Dallas-Fort Worth. For the members of post-hardcore outfit Gene Ross<\/a>, DFW is an essential part of their creative DNA.<\/p>\n \u201cI love playing in DFW because it\u2019s a melting pot, and you get to work with people that have such diverse influences from you,\u201d says guitarist Trent Adams. \u201cBut we\u2019re all unified through the same values that this culture and scene hold.\u201d<\/p>\n Lead guitarist Jacob Barton agrees, describing the local music space as less of an industry and more of an \u201cenvironment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a really strong sense of community amongst bands and artists,\u201d Barton says. \u201cAnybody working in music here, [we\u2019re] very closely intertwined. And I think it\u2019s really cool and very unique amongst large music areas that there\u2019s just such a strong sense of community here.\u201d<\/p>\n This sense of community is palpable in the band\u2019s music. Though their sound is a bruising, intricate blend of metalcore and post-hardcore, it\u2019s built on a foundation of friendship and shared passion. The project began as a solo endeavor for vocalist Gene Orozco but transformed as each member brought their own unique flavor to the table.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a lot of common ground that we could all pull from. And I think that was metalcore,\u201d Orozco says. \u201cThat is what bridges the gap between everybody, while also having the diverse music tastes that everyone has, which I think is really incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n From the melodic, \u201ccorny shit\u201d that Barton loves to write, to the collaborative spirit that ensures every member\u2019s influence is felt, Gene Ross embodies the very fusion that Gazed and Confused aims to champion. They are a product of a scene that encourages both diversity and unity, a perfect fit for the festival\u2019s Friday night lineup in Dallas.<\/p>\n Also on the bill for the festival\u2019s final night are Daze, a Houston-based band<\/a> whose sound lives in the dreamy, heavy territory where shoegaze crashes into something much darker. For frontwoman Nikki Perez, joining the festival was a no-brainer, especially with one particular band on the lineup.<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, \u2018Oh my God, I have to open for Bleed, this is the only way I\u2019m gonna see them live,\u2019\u201d she tells us.<\/p>\n Perez\u2019s excitement speaks to the fan-first mentality that runs through this festival. The lineup is packed with bands that other bands are genuinely excited to see, including Dallas\u2019 own Slow Joy<\/a>, a standout local talent whose presence is a testament to the city\u2019s vibrant alternative scene. Perez notes that Daze has crossed paths with several other artists on the bill, including a mini-run with Slow Joy and a memorable show at Dallas\u2019 Black Cat Records \u2018N\u2019 Comics with Fort Worth\u2019s Somebody Else<\/a>, who also play Sunday. This web of connections reinforces the sense of community that both Patani and the members of Gene Ross highlighted.<\/p>\n Daze\u2019s music is a powerful alchemy of sound and soul. Perez describes their style as \u201cheavy-ish shoegaze\u201d with pretty, ethereal parts reminiscent of Cocteau Twins and Mazzy Star. But beneath the layers of reverb and distortion, the songs are fiercely personal.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lyrics are straight from my journal,\u201d Perez says. \u201cEverything lyrically comes from something that hurt me.\u201d<\/p>\n As a Mexican-American woman fronting a band in a genre that hasn\u2019t always been the most diverse, her voice carries a particular weight and urgency. The music often reflects her sense of being marginalized and how that experience fuels the passion and poetry in her songwriting. It\u2019s a reminder that even the heaviest, most aggressive music can be a vessel for profound vulnerability and feeling. What might sound like screaming and noise from the outside is, for those who connect with it, a deeply emotional and cathartic release.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Third String Entertainment<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n This is the core truth of Gazed and Confused. It\u2019s a festival for people who feel music deeply. It\u2019s for the fans who crave the intimacy of a smaller venue, who want to be close enough to see the sweat and passion on an artist\u2019s face. The entire festival will take place on a single stage at Puzzles<\/a>, a 500-capacity room that promises an up-close and personal experience.<\/p>\n \u201cI just feel like this kind of niche, smaller-scaled festival is what people need rather than paying outrageous pricing for a one-day pass to one of those mega festivals,\u201d Patani says.<\/p>\n Being that it\u2019s an inaugural event, Patani acknowledges the festival might come with a few learning curve moments, but her ultimate goal is simple and pure.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want people to have a good time and enjoy themselves in this smaller, intimate festival,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a space curated by a genuine love for the music and the community that surrounds it. From the DFW metalcore revival that Gene Ross drummer Jack Wagner sees happening to the grimy, artistic inspiration Perez finds in Houston, Gazed and Confused is a snapshot of a moment. It\u2019s a platform for the next wave of artists who are pushing boundaries, blending genres and pouring their whole hearts into the noise they make. It is, as the poster promises, \u201cthe emo-indie-grunge gaze-rock mini-fest of your dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n Tickets for Gazed and Confused Fest are available now<\/a>. Three-day passes are about $115, with individual days priced at $40\u2013$50. All performances will take place at Puzzles (2824 Main St.) in Deep Ellum.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nDallas is in the DNA<\/h2>\n
A Festival That\u2019s Both Up-Close and <\/em>Personal<\/h2>\n
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