Gazed and Confused Fest Readies for Debut in Deep Ellum

New three-day festival blends emo, indie, and metalcore in intimate Dallas venue

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Gazed and Confused Fest, a new three-day music festival, is set to debut in Deep Ellum, Dallas from March 20-22. The festival will feature a diverse lineup of alternative, metal, and shoegaze bands, curated by Jewel Patani of Third String Entertainment. The goal is to create an intimate, fan-focused experience that celebrates the thriving local music scenes in Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond.

Why it matters

The festival aims to showcase the vibrant and interconnected alternative music scenes in Texas, blending artists from different genres to create a dynamic and unpredictable experience for attendees. By hosting the event in the intimate Puzzles venue in Deep Ellum, the organizers hope to foster a sense of community and connection between the performers and the audience.

The details

Gazed and Confused Fest was inspired by the energy Patani and Third String co-founder Mike Ziemer experienced at South by Southwest, where they noticed a resurgence of emo, shoegaze, and indie rock acts. Ziemer proposed the festival name, and Patani was tasked with curating a lineup that would capture the diverse emotional landscape of modern alternative music. The result is a bill that features headliners like Bleed, Pool Kids, and HolyWatr, as well as regional acts like the Dallas-based post-hardcore band Gene Ross and the Houston-based shoegaze group Daze.

  • Gazed and Confused Fest will take place from March 20-22, 2026 in Deep Ellum, Dallas.
  • The festival is making its debut this year.

The players

Jewel Patani

Co-founder, talent buyer, and executive assistant at Third String Entertainment, who was tasked with curating the festival's lineup.

Mike Ziemer

Co-founder of Third String Entertainment, who came up with the festival's name.

Gene Ross

A post-hardcore outfit from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, who will be performing at the festival.

Daze

A Houston-based band whose sound blends shoegaze and darker elements, and will be performing at the festival.

Puzzles

The 500-capacity venue in Deep Ellum, Dallas where Gazed and Confused Fest will take place.

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What they’re saying

“I love playing in DFW because it's a melting pot, and you get to work with people that have such diverse influences from you. But we're all unified through the same values that this culture and scene hold.”

— Trent Adams, Guitarist, Gene Ross (Dallas Observer)

“There's a really strong sense of community amongst bands and artists. Anybody working in music here, [we're] very closely intertwined. And I think it's really cool and very unique amongst large music areas that there's just such a strong sense of community here.”

— Jacob Barton, Lead Guitarist, Gene Ross (Dallas Observer)

“The lyrics are straight from my journal. Everything lyrically comes from something that hurt me.”

— Nikki Perez, Frontwoman, Daze (Dallas Observer)

What’s next

Tickets for Gazed and Confused Fest are available now for the three-day event taking place March 20-22, 2026 in Deep Ellum, Dallas.

The takeaway

Gazed and Confused Fest is a new festival that aims to celebrate the thriving alternative music scenes in Texas, bringing together a diverse lineup of emo, indie, and metalcore acts in an intimate, community-focused setting. By hosting the event in the 500-capacity Puzzles venue in Deep Ellum, the organizers hope to foster a sense of connection between the performers and the audience, offering fans an up-close and personal experience with the artists they love.