DALLAS — Editor's note: The video at the top of this article is raw footage from the beginning of Tripping Daisy's February 12, 1994, show at the Deep Ellum venue then known as The Bomb Factory.
Stepping into The Factory for a production meeting ahead of his band's upcoming concert, Tripping Daisy frontman Tim DeLaughter takes in the now-unfamiliar space around him.
Thirty years ago, his iconic Dallas alt-rock band played this same Deep Ellum venue -- right before heading to the studio to record its most popular album, 1995's “I Am An Elastic Firecracker.”
The Factory is no longer the venue it was back then, he notes. The space DeLaughter remembers was a hot warehouse with a makeshift bar, makeshift restrooms and a completely analog system for projections. Known at the time as The Bomb Factory, it was a far cry from the state-of-the-art facility it stands as now.
“That’s how it was back in the day,” DeLaughter says. “A lot of bands were pioneers in turning these empty [Dallas] spaces into eventually becoming clubs and proper venues.”
DeLaughter even remembers what the Factory's ceiling looked like in the Deep Ellum music scene of the '90s. Looking up at it now, he says it's one of the only things in the space that hasn't changed in the past three decades.
Everything else in the venue -- himself included -- has.
“We were young and raw and flying by the seat of our pants to do the shows we did,” DeLaughter says as he continues his trip down memory lane.
He has reason to be somewhat nostalgic: Early this month, Tripping Daisy announced that its Saturday, June 29, performance in this space isn't just a one-off gig, but the possible start of a formal reunion for the beloved Dallas band.
It's been nearly seven years now since the band reunited at Club Dada for its first one-off performance in 17 years. After a handful of additional gigs over the past few years, DeLaughter says the opportunity for Tripping Daisy's officially reunion came after its impromptu show at the Kessler Theater last year.
While previous reunion gigs were done for the fans, DeLaughter says that Kessler date felt to him and his bandmates like “the old times.”
It sparked something in him.
“At this moment in my life, I want to play those songs,” he says. “I want to have that spontaneity. I want to feel that energy again.”
The current Tripping Daisy lineup includes original members DeLaughter and bassist Mark Pirro, along with fellow Dallas-sprung musicians Nick Earl, Dylan Silvers, Bryan Wakeland and Philip Karnats.
It's not the same lineup from the '90s; it couldn't be. The band initially separated two decades ago after the untimely death of its guitarist, Wes Berggren. Then, in 2013, drummer Ben Curtis passed away after a battle with lymphoma.
Pirro says Tripping Daisy's current phase is meant to honor the two members that are no longer with them.
"They’re in the back of our minds while we’re playing all of these songs," Pirro says. "It’s sad that [Wes and Ben] aren’t around and that we can’t do this with them, but I’m fortunate and thankful that we still have enough members and the health to get together and do this."
With no opening act on the bill, Tripping Daisy plans to perform nearly two hours of music at the upcoming Factory gig. Fans new and old will hear the entirety of “I Am An Elastic Firecracker” before the band dives into its other albums and EPs.
Pirro says the decision to perform this way ensured the show offered something for every fan, no matter which era of Tripping Daisy's discography they preferred.
Fans who appreciate the musical spontaneity Tripping Daisy shows are known for are also likely to get their fix, both DeLaughter and Pirro say.
“We’re going to leave some things to mystery -- even for ourselves,” Pirro says.
One thing fans can anticipate is that Saturday's show will honor the band's past. In fact, DeLaughter says, 30 years’ worth of Tripping Daisy merchandise will be available for purchase at the performance.
There's a chance that the concert could offer a glimpse into Tripping Daisy's future, too. DeLaughter says it's possible the band could tour again in 2025, and a new album could be in the works, too.
"I look at all the years that have gone by and the things that have happened," DeLaughter says. "I missed elements of Tripping Daisy, and I missed Wes and I miss Ben. It’s kind of full circle again, and I’m glad it's back."
Tripping Daisy performs Saturday, June 29, at The Factory in Deep Ellum. Head here for tickets and more information.
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