15 April 10–16, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Deep Impact Jeff Swaney’s None of the Answers chronicles Deep Ellum’s magic, mischief and meaning. BY PRESTON BARTA J eff Swaney may not be a house- hold name to everyone in Dallas, but for those who’ve felt the pull of Deep Ellum’s slightly offbeat gravitational field, he is the un- sung architect of an era. His new book, None of the Answers: Racing Through Life in Re- verse, is more than a memoir. It’s an unapol- ogetic love letter to a time and place where creativity dripped from warehouse walls and history was made one wild night at a time. Swaney’s name is synonymous with Club Clearview, the legendary nightlife hotspot that became the heartbeat of Deep Ellum’s cultural metamorphosis in the late ‘80s and ‘90s. His book isn’t just about his life as an entrepreneur; it’s a gritty, poetic and, at times, laugh-out-loud exploration of what it means to chase passion headfirst into uncer- tainty. “If you know Dallas, you know Deep Ellum,” Mark Cuban writes in endorsement of the book. “But what you don’t know are the stories of how it became a Dallas desti- nation and how Jeff Swaney grew into the person who made it happen.” A Golden Era, Rendered in “Gonzo” The pages of None of the Answers are a neon-soaked time machine back to Deep El- lum’s golden years. Long before the glassy high-rises and craft cocktail bars moved in, it was an untamed haven of artistry, rebel- lion and community. Swaney’s style, de- scribed aptly as “gonzo journalism,” captures the chaos. “I never learned to write or read the ‘right way,’” Swaney says in a re- cent interview, drawing comparisons to Kerouac, Bukowski and Salinger. His words tumble together in a whirlwind of raw hon- esty, humor, and defiance of convention. That whirlwind matches the spirit of the neighborhood he helped build. Deep Ellum wasn’t a place where things were polished or perfect. It was anarchic, exhilarating and sometimes downright dangerous. Swaney fondly recalls hosting the Red Hot Chili Pep- pers at Club Clearview before they were sell- ing out arenas. “It was so intense. It’s hard to describe that kind of energy,” he says now as if trying to bottle electricity with words. There’s a sense of nostalgia in None of the An- swers, but it’s not merely sentimen- tal. It urges you to look closer at what makes something special. “It was a magical time,” Swaney says. “We had hip- pies and yippies and punks and yuppies all on the street. And everybody was cool with each other. Everybody was digging the scene, taking it in.” The Man Behind the Madness Born in Detroit in 1958, Swaney came of age as Motown hummed on car radios and the counterculture took hold in Haight-Ash- bury in San Francisco. “I missed the ‘60s by a hair,” he says regretfully. But that spirit in- fused everything he touched decades later in Dallas. From the blacklight rooms at Club Clearview to psychedelic murals splashed across factory walls, his work carried echoes of the ‘60s rebellion with a Texas flair. Swaney doesn’t just have a soft spot for the audacious; he lives it. A Michigan State engineering grad turned backpacking vagabond, his life reads like a novel that refuses to settle on one genre. Right out of college, he spent 14 months trekking around the world, penni- less but inspired. There, he saw “cool under- ground clubs” that would eventually influence his vision for Deep Ellum. When he landed in Dallas, he found his muse in those cracked brick streets. “The writing style came from my ADHD,” he says, joking, though there’s truth in it. “I cobbled it together, raw, cryp- tic, not exact prose.” That unfiltered ap- proach mirrors his on-the-fly creativity when building businesses like Club Clear- view and later spearheading revitalization efforts along Commerce Street. Defying the Norms, One Mural at a Time One of the grander anecdotes from Swaney’s book involves a mural contest he organized at Club Clearview. He handed 15 to 20 artists gigantic 14-by-14-foot blank panels and told them to go wild. For three weeks, the walls evolved into vibrant, collaborative master- pieces. “I think creating that mural and getting all those guys to come out and put their blood, sweat and tears into it was super cool,” Swaney recalls. The project captured the “rawness” of the time and heralded the start of a more organized art movement in the area. “It defied sensibility, and the city just scratched their heads, unable to figure out how to fine me.” When asked about other artists who in- spired him, Swaney said he genuinely ad- mires Clay Austin, Bill Haveron and Greg Contestable. Austin’s talent for creating im- mersive spaces helped Clearview thrive, while Haveron’s off-the-wall brilliance left a lasting impression. These creative collabo- rations blurred the line between entrepre- neur and artist, a balance Swaney continues to champion. Club Clearview and the Birth of Community The story of Deep Ellum isn’t just one of art and music; it’s a story of people. At Club Clearview, the people made the place. Swaney fondly recalls the loyalty and sharp sense of humor that defined the staff, enter- tainers and patrons. It became a chosen fam- ily for many, where philosophies about living fully and authentically were tested and shared. While talking to Swaney, it’s clear he val- ues community over dollars. Even during Deep Ellum’s “rough patches,” his efforts were about fostering connection. Whether it was the lovingly curated legacy of local res- taurants such as Baker’s Ribs and Crescent City Cafe or impromptu parties that blurred the line between stage and street, the focus was always on people. Swaney sums up his philosophy with four cornerstones, something he calls “the four Ps” — patience, perseverance, persis- tence and purpose. “That’s what made this whole thing happen. It wasn’t just me; it was everyone who believed in the potential of Deep Ellum, who dared to step outside what was safe or easy.” He also doesn’t shy away from discuss- ing the challenges. From dodging police raids to narrowly averting a near-electrocu- tion fiasco that could have fried the entire club (and a four-block radius), the book dives headfirst into the chaos of trusting your gut. “Trust your gut and follow your heart, and you’ll have no regrets,” Swaney writes. It’s a mantra he’s lived by, and one he hopes resonates with readers, especially those reminiscing about their own Deep Ellum es- capades. Dallas Obsessions, Deep Ellum Forever Dallas constantly remakes itself, and None of the Answers reminds the reader of what makes the city tick. Beyond the skyscrapers and sprawling suburbs, neighborhoods like Deep Ellum ground the city in its authentic, scrappy soul. Swaney’s work wasn’t about gentrifying the past but amplifying its raw, rebel yell energy into something the world couldn’t ignore. His story is a call to remember and find places where art is born and community thrives. As Swaney says, “Find your place in it. And if you weren’t there, take the ride and read about a neighborhood that’s really spe- cial and unique.” Whether through his words or his un- shakable impact on Dallas culture, Swaney ensures Deep Ellum’s legacy isn’t just his- tory. It’s alive, pulsing with the same energy that drew vagabond creatives and adventur- ous spirits to its streets decades ago. If you’ve ever walked down Elm or Com- merce, feeling a spark you couldn’t quite ex- plain, welcome back. Swaney saved a seat for you. Tim Karpinski Jeff Swaney was there at the beginning of Deep Ellum’s birth as a center of live music in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Now he’s back in town with a book recounting his and the ‘hood’s history. ▼ Music
