SAT 8/27
Veteran punk rocker Allison Wolfe didn't exactly get a welcoming vibe when she moved to our nation's capital two years ago. "It was definitely a harsher toke," says Wolfe of the stuffy sausage-fest that was Washington, D.C.'s music scene. "We felt like there needed to be girl bands." So in answer, Wolfe formed her all-girl trio, Partyline. And really, who better to shake things up in Dubya's backyard than this cagey feminist veteran? Wolfe's previous band, Bratmobile, was a fixture of the early-'90s riot grrrl movement. She also founded Ladyfest five years ago in Olympia, Washington, and it has turned into an annual, international summer event. Now with Partyline, she's on the road promoting the group's first EP, Girls With Glasses. The six songs are chock-full of straight-ahead punk rock riffage and anthemic declarations of girl power. Sings Wolfe, "Girls like me were born to rock 'n' roll!"
Daisy Lacy
Wolfe pack: Partyline.
Troy Fields
Mia Bella's Hot and Extra Dry Martini
Crash Course
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"We don't have any goals except to have fun," she says. "We're a new band on our first tour, and some nights we're really seeing how small crowds can be when we leave D.C.," she says. "You appreciate your hometown when you hit the road sometimes."
The band is hoping for a big crowd when it headlines the Summer Bash at the Proletariat, with the discordant, key-twiddling ladies of Rua Minx supporting. Go Spread Your Wings and New Kids on the Rock are also on the bill, and Ceeplus & the House of Bad Knives will spin between sets starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, August 27. 903 Richmond. For tickets, call 713-523-1199 or visit www.theproletariathouston.com. $5. -- Travis Ritter
Mia Bella's Hot and Extra Dry
After a long, hot day in the downtown kitchen where I work, I head over to Mia Bella(320 Main St., 713-237-0505) to meet my friend Cat for a drink. I arrive at the cozy little trattoria and see a familiar face: Maggie from my Boulevard Bistrot days is tending bar. Knowing I like to drink, she flashes me a smile and shakes me up a "hot and extra dirty martini." It's plenty dirty and cold, and I take it down in one slurp, then wink at her, asking for another. She looks at my empty glass. "Thirsty?" She smirks at me. When Cat shows up, I tell her she has to try this martini. Actually, what I say is "This martini fucking rocks." She orders one, and we drink a few more, engaging in silly, loud conversation that seems inappropriate in this upscale restaurant -- that is, until I look outside through the large glass windows on Main Street and see a man picking through the trash. I bet he could use a hot and extra dirty martini.
6 ounces Skyy vodka
1 fresh jalapeño
1 ounce olive juice
Salt the rim of a chilled martini glass. Shake the vodka and ice in a shaker vigorously, and strain into a glass. De-seed and slice the jalapeño, place it in the glass and pour the olive juice into the vodka. -- Jason Kerr
Crash Course
SAT 8/27
Remember the good old days when an educational film was an educational film and not just some namby-pamby PC public service announcement? You don't? Well, never fear, because the freaks -- er, archivists -- at Cinema Bomar will happily remember for you at a screening this week, featuring such compelling titles as Productivity: The Key to Plenty, Drugs -- Use or Abuse and the likely gore-fest But Jack Was a Good Driver. Oh, it's at Super Happy Fun Land, so some bands are playing, too. Yeah, yeah -- get to the car crashes already. 8 p.m. Saturday, August 27. 2610 Ashland. For information, call 713-880-2100 or visit www.superhappyfunland.com. $5. -- Scott Faingold
Get (Drunk and) Involved
THU 8/25
Here's a frightening thought: Thanks to recent changes in the Supreme Court, some of the basic freedoms you enjoy could very well be gone soon. "People in their teens to their thirties are forgetting that their reproductive rights are up for grabs," says Planned Parenthood of Houston's Rochelle Tafolla. Help stave off legislative morality at Cocktails for a Cause, hosted by Planned Parenthood's Young Leaders. Concerned citizens can gather information about the group and learn how to get involved; slackers can get hammered and check out the digs at new Montrose lounge The Flat. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, August 25. 1702 Commonwealth. For information, call 713-522-6240 or visit www.pphouston.org. $10. -- Steven Devadanam
