Southern Kickback with NOMAD Grills

It was lively as it was active on this festive Saturday evening. Prior to the sun slowly setting, it was a scorching 103 degrees throughout the day. My occupation requires me to work outdoors under the blazing star, you could imagine how tired I would be reaching towards the evening time. On this particular Saturday, I wasn’t. Accompanied my girlfriend Courtney, my long strides maintained a consistent glide on the sidewalk, heading west of 10th St toward Bishop Ave. Weekend festivities, contemporary restaurants and lounges was the cause for Bishop Arts District being flooded with beautiful Dallasites. The 7:00 crowd occupying the sidewalks and the plethora of unique establishments shined with individual vibrance created a fun and energetic aura. The high levels of humidity and questionable air quality wasn’t able to stop residents and onlookers from skipping a beat. Although the sun was beginning to expire, I still able to feel hot temperature across my shoulders. It wasn’t a far walk from my parked truck to our destination, but I began to perspire as if I finished a light jog. Not a second later we reached the corner of Bishop Ave. Across the street were 4 custom Harley bobbers parked in a pocket of a parking space, facing towards the street. Immediately, I knew who one of the bikes belonged to. As we approached the establishment, the aroma of savory meat being cooked on a grill laid flat across my mustache and a couple of individuals were in the middle of playing cornhole. A few paces ahead of us and it was obvious to the eye in the moment, we had arrived at the Camp Nomad event.

Nomad Grills

Initially, I didn’t know much about the event. I was aware of a couple of vendors and the country musicians that were set to perform for the night, including South Texas Tweek. Aside from the list of food and beer portion of the flyer, it didn’t thoroughly examine the rest of the flyer. Hours before arriving to Bishop Arts, I checked out the flyer with a different eye. I wanted to dig a little deeper into what I was about to attend. Viewing the flyer for the second time, I was able to find clarity into what I was looking at; Nomad Grills. I wasn’t aware of Nomad Grills beforehand. After doing a bit of research, I discovered what Nomad grills are and how cool it would be to have one at home.

Essentially, Nomad grills are rugged and portable grills that you can carry like a suitcase, like a grill on the go (hence the name). You can either grill or smoke whatever you want to cook. The advanced thermal architecture maintains a cool temperature on the outside of the grill so you could virtually grill on any surface, perfect for picnic tables. The grill has vent sliders to contain the ashes and any other mess. The anodized finish protects the aluminum surface for superior durability and resists corrosion. The air flow configuration in a Nomad grill is exceptional, its designed to distribute the heat evening for a faster cook while using less energy. The soft ergo grip on the handle makes it comfortable to lug around from place to place with no hassle. The Nomad grill is perfect for any occasion, an early evening kickback or an all-day. Visit Nomad Grills to learn more.

It felt like a communal, family friendly vibe, blended with a touch of dust filling the air as we got our IDs checked at the entrance. There was constant movement in front of me, people were walking in and out of my sight, blurring my peripheral vision. It was a steady influx of people filling in the backyard space, enclosed the surrounding restaurants and other establishments. From a bird’s eye view, the crowd held similar characteristics to a mound of ants in traffic at the base of their ant hill. To my left, behind the row of tables containing products from vendors, was a little kiddie swimming pool filled with floaties and children living their best life. As I scanned the area, I noticed there were more kids than I expected. Dogs, controlled by their owners, were on leashes and on their best behavior. I expected some aggressive interactions between the dogs throughout the night, but I was proven wrong. The sound from the light crunch under my boots from the loose rocks held a slight echo with every forward step. The top side of my cowboy hat was bathing in the sun as much as it possibly could, keeping my neck and face cool. A stray breeze brushed against my exposed skin every few moments at a time. It was imperative to announce my presence to the gentlemen Chris and Nathan from Left Hand Leather Goods. They were standing behind their table of goodies, under a canopy, in mid conversation as I approached. Nathan was the first to give me a hug followed by Chris. Afterwards, Nathan began to mention the details of what was going on, stating that I just missed South Texas Tweek perform on stage. Although my unforgivable tardiness bummed me out, the free alcohol and food he mentioned turned my frown upside down. In the same moment, the dark green dress covered in floral print my girlfriend was wearing slid past my blind side from the right. She ended up at the Topo Chico stand to acquire a bottle and a dark brown koozie that contained a cool, rustic design. After a few gulps, a refreshing smile appeared on her face, reaching from cheek to cheek. “I love Topo Chicos'‘, she stated. The smile on my face was the warm response that agreed.

The event began at 5:00 pm and ended at 9:00pm. I arrived around the early part of 7:00 pm and it looked like more people continued to fill the space. The children that were once in the pool were running around at this point, intersecting my path at every turn. It wasn’t long before I became dehydrated, but I wasn’t quick to grab a drink. My focus was on the mode of observation. It’s in my nature to scan my surroundings, not as much for safety anymore but it still holds its importance. Amongst the numerous of groups of people present, it was a nice blend of small families, groups of friends, couples, summer flings, horny side pieces and their main squeeze. As we made our way towards the photo booth, I spotted Tweek and his bandmates. It was hard to miss him in the crowd, not for any reason other than the distinctive aqua/teal button down with the red southwestern design across the chest. He was moving a little fast for me for a brief moment, so we took the time to wait in line for the photo booth. The group of women in front us exerted enough energy within their conversation it caused accidental eavesdropping to become the reason to sweat even more. It didn’t help standing in one spot for a while in Texas heat could soak your shirt. Minutes later the talkative bunch disappeared into the booth, and it wasn’t long afterwards when they made their exit. The photo booth resembled a small camper with a small a/c unit inside. It was twice as hot inside as it was outside of the booth. On one end was the photo machine connected to a screen to take your photo and on the other end was where folks could take a seat. The space in between had to be no more than five or six feet. We weren’t inside the booth for long, we were beginning to bake like chocolate chip cookies on a Sunday morning. The minute breeze that met us as we stepped out of the camper was a bit refreshing, but it wasn’t enough, it was time for a drink. Tweek’s voice caught my left ear, causing me to divert my attention to him, his band and his merch table. I was happy to see him in North Texas again. I was more bummed than I was earlier in the night when I arrived too late for his performance. After a brief chat, I introduced Tweek to my girlfriend and snapped a couple of photos before purchasing some merch from his table. At this point, my mouth was very dry. I felt like I was panting like a dog catching its breath from running around all day. For whatever silly reason, I thought it was a good idea to quench my thirst with alcohol instead of water. The nearest vendor was Desert Door. Desert Door is a distillery in Driftwood, Texas (near Austin) that specializes in producing distilled spirits called Sotol. The Sotol plant, where the beverage is made from, is unique plant with its origins in Mexico and can be found in West Texas. If you ask me, it tastes like an expensive tequila, possibly the smoothest tequila I have tried. There are many components that add to the rich, smooth flavor of this beverage and is great for a cocktail. After the first shot of sotol the friendly gentleman handed to me, I had to have the cocktail with the complementary pineapple to sweeten the deal. Although I’m not the biggest fan of tequila, I was able to see myself purchasing a bottle or two of the Desert Door Sotol in the future.

Any other day of the week moves past me faster than the blink of an eye and enters into the past, but this night felt like the sun was taking forever to set. It was still light enough to avoid using the camera flash, though it wasn’t my intention to use it to begin with. It was time to head over to the other side of the backyard shenanigans to check out vendors cooking and seasoning their signature sausage and other assortment of meats on the NOMAD Grills. Under the canopy serving the sausage were a few Southern folks putting in work to satisfy the stomachs of each participant in line as they waited for food. By this time, Courtney had a couple of burritos filled with tasty, savory sausages. She redirected my attention to AXEL Chimichurri Vegan Grilling Sauce. First off, this mouthwatering grilling sauce packs a PUNCH, not an intrusive punch to the sense of taste but a satisfying punch, nonetheless (I tried the original flavor). This particular sauce is an Argentine family recipe that has been passed down many generations, consisting of a combination of dry herbs originating from the Argentine Patagonia. Even though I only tried one of the sauces, I could almost guarantee the other flavors of the chimichurri is just as good or probably better.

Vincent Neil Emerson

Natural light began to dim a little with the crowd still amped with energy. The vibes continued and there was no letting up. There was a drop of chimichurri hanging off the right corner of my mouth from the tasty sausage. Without hesitation, I removed the drop with one quick swipe of the tongue, I be damned if I was amongst people with food on my face. At any moment, the stage was about to contain the East Texas country artist Vincent Neil Emerson.

I caught wind of Emerson a couple a years ago while I was on the road making my daily deliveries. Apple music does a fine job of suggesting new artists within its algorithm. At the time, his debut album “Fried Chicken and Evil Women” was available for streaming. The album title itself caught my attention. Initially, I thought it was great marketing, especially in the country music genre. It compelled me to give his album a listen. Instantly, I fell in love with his voice and the tunes that followed. I felt the spirit of old traditional country with a healthy blend of blues. My Texas bias was loving everything from the first chord to the last note of the album. His self-titled he released in 2021 came in right on time for me. Following the same traditional country path with a bit of an Americana flavor, this album was one that tugged on the heart strings a bit. The songs Learning to Drown and High on Gettin By were my favorite tunes on the album.

There wasn’t much time that passed me up when I noticed a pair of white overalls and a beige cowboy hat appeared on stage. Mr. Emerson made his way towards the center with swagger and ease. From the thickness of his eyebrows down to his feet, I couldn’t believe I was sitting in front of him, watching him, listening to him pour his heart out in the microphone and strumming his dark brown Fender Telecaster for everyone’s pleasure. His admirable stage presence kept me locked in. Along with Tweek, I appreciated watching country artists like Emerson on stage. Opposed to moshing or spectating the aggression at hardcore shows, live country shows possess a different level of intimacy I’ve gravitated towards in recent times. Alongside his performance, I couldn’t help but to notice his choice in south-western jewelry, adding to his southern charm. The length of his hair under his hat was longer than I imagined, and it fit him perfectly. I couldn’t help but to be grateful be in his presence. After taking a couple of steps back to get a better view of Emerson, the couple behind the grill cooking the sausage occupied the space front and center. They began to dance together like two small country town high school sweethearts at their senior prom. It was a lovely sight to see so I took a couple of shots to capture the heart- warming moment.

The evening began to birth the night and the city lights took its place with grace. Emerson and his band continued to carry the crowd with his wonderful tunes. I took a few more photos with the external flash before I called it quits. We sat at a vacant picnic table with my back facing the entrance; our bellies continued to rumble, and I wanted to discuss a late-night meal while watching the conclusion of the performance. It was reaching towards 9 pm when we decided it was time to depart. Before my legs began to move, I looked over my right shoulder and noticed a rope was swinging in the air. The rope was in the hands of a woman I could tell had no roping experience; she was playfully attempting to rope the steer head for her friend to capture it on their phone. My hands and wrist began to itch when I noticed her unpleasant form. My hunger for food vanished and my urge to jump up and take the rope began to rise. I expressed to Courtney that before we leave, it was imperative for to rope the steer head a few times. With the rolls of her eyes, she disagreed and wanted to leave, it wasn’t enough to stop me. As soon as the woman put the rope down, I jumped up to head towards it. The rope was in a huge mess, so I had to reset it but re coiling the rope back to its original form. I threw a couple of long shots at the steer head with accuracy but lack the complete rotation. I didn’t properly rotate my wrist; I was only a tad rusty since I haven’t practiced in a couple of weeks. After the first two shots, my accuracy and rotation were aligned, perfecting each shot. With the proper execution, my pride was setting in. A tall gentleman with a white baseball cap, navy Columbia t- shirt and khaki shorts asked me if I was a professional roper. Apart of me was reluctant to tell the truth. For shits and giggles wanted to respond “Yes, I am a professional roper”, but I wouldn’t be able to keep it up. Instead, I did want any humble spirit would do and responded, “No, I’ve been a roper for the past 6 months.” The man couldn’t believe my response and praised me for my skills. A huge smile appeared on my face followed by a genuine “thank you”. After two more long shots, I re coiled the rope, nice and neat for the owner and head towards the exit. I said my goodbyes to the boys at Left Hand Leather before heading towards the truck, on the hunt to satisfy our stomachs and to end the night on the good foot.