Email Author Chris Gray

Awards

• 2012 - Best of the West/First Amendment Funding, Inc., published February 10, 2011

  "Getting Past the Bouncer"

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2009 Stories by Chris Gray

• The Lost Weekend?

  published November 12, 2009

  Attention Houston motorists: If you find yourself in the vicinity of lower Westheimer this weekend,please be careful. What you are... More >>

• Westheimer Block Party Listology: Fiskadoro Chooses Artists They'd Bring Back to Life

  published Nov 10, 2009

  All this week, Rocks Off is previewing Saturday and Sunday's Westheimer Block Party by asking WBP performers to fill out a list from Lisa Nola's Music Listography book we're so fond of. It's not too l... More >>

• AC/DC Was In the Four Seasons Hotel Bar Saturday Night. Were Your

  published Nov 10, 2009

  Rocks Off hears members of AC/DC had a grand old time, um, "warming up" for Sunday's show at Toyota Center. We know they were there because a friend of Rocks Off's in town from Austin had lunch next t... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Aftermath: AC/DC, Deja Vu All Over Again - Except Maybe Better - at Toyota Center

  published Nov 09, 2009

  Aftermath suspected AC/DC's return to Toyota Center might be a little similar to the ageless Aussies' December 2008 Black Ice tour stop here because, well, we cheated and looked up set lists from the... More >>

• Art Rock: Crank! (Not the Drug) at the Mink

  published Nov 07, 2009

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• Art Rock: An Albatross at Mango's

  published Nov 06, 2009

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• Which Hard-Rocking Northern Irishmen Might Blow AC/DC Off the Stage Sundayr The Answer Is The Answer

  published Nov 06, 2009

  Rocks Off is about as excited about Sunday's AC/DC show as we were for the Black Ice ballbreakers' show 11 months ago, but for a much different reason. Last time it was because we hadn't seen AC/DC si... More >>

• Please, Kenny Rogers, Just Sing and Spare Us the Pictures of Your Kids

  published Nov 06, 2009

  Kenny Rogers is now 71 years old. And, as of a few years ago anyway, his boys can still swim. Aftermath knows this because we were treated to a slideshow of Rogers' twin five-year-old sons - even som... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Wednesdays are Honky-Tonk Heaven In Houston, and Thursdays are Hillbilly Hell

  published Nov 05, 2009

  It's no secret Rocks Off is a big fan of the country music, which is why we're starting to get a little excited about the inner-loop honky-tonk scene that's taking root. Over the weekend, we caught S... More >>

• Houston Gets the Clap Tonight - the Soul Clap Dance Party, That Is

  published Nov 04, 2009

  Looks like Rocks Off better get out of here pretty quick and take a nap, because it appears we'll be overindulging at Mango's for two nights in a row. We might be able to dance off some of those beers... More >>

• Art Rock: The "Shred 'Til You're Dead" Tour at Meridian

  published Nov 04, 2009

  6:30 p.m. tonight at Meridian, 1503 Chartres, 713-225-1717 or www.meridianhouston.com. r ... More >>

• Enjoy This Fine Selection of Uncle Charlie Posters - and Buy One Saturday

  published Nov 04, 2009

  In our alter ego as a print journalist, this week Rocks Off sits down with Uncle Charlie, whose vibrant posters have been adorning Houston concert halls and living-room walls (like ours, for example)... More >>

• Program Notes: Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor

  published Nov 04, 2009

  Here at Rocks Off, we enjoy album covers with turds on them and making fun of R. Kelly as much as the next guy. And just wait until Chris Brown gets here next weekend. But there's a lot more to music ... More >>

• Flashback: Rakim at House of Blues

  published Nov 04, 2009

  One of the true architects of hip-hop, Rakim stopped by House of Blues' Bronze Peacock Room Tuesday night to conduct a clinic in peerless lyricism. Rocks Off's lensman Marco Torres was there. Did you... More >>

• Did You Know Houston Has Had the Same Official Song Since 1915r Maybe It's Time for a New One.

  published Nov 03, 2009

  We don't know if it's the election or what - actually it's not, but bear with us - but this afternoon Rocks Off got to wondering whether or not Houston had its own official song, lyrics and music off... More >>

• Vision Quest

  published November 5, 2009

  Before Charlie Hardwick realized he was losing his vision, he had already almost died. Hardwick, 40, is a lifelong Houstonian, former punk... More >>

• Rob Zombie, Captain Clegg & the Night Creatures

  published November 5, 2009

  Rob Zombie has been spending a lot more time behind the camera than behind the microphone lately — he's directed both Halloween and... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Also on Your Mayoral Ballot Today: Former Pik N' Pak Owner Ralph Ullrich

  published Nov 03, 2009

  Last Friday, Rocks Off was hanging out with some friends at the West Alabama Ice House and ran into Ralph Ullrich, otherwise known as Ralph the Plumber, also otherwise known as one of Tuesday's mayor... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Somehow, Some Way, Free Press Houston Has Assembled the Westheimer Block Party Stage Schedules

  published Nov 02, 2009

  Because we worked somewhere that shares a property line with SXSW for many, many years, Rocks Off knows a little bit about how the carcinoma-like March music festival places its 1,500-something bands ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Aftermath: Drive-By Truckers' Cathartic, Down-Home Halloween Redemption at House of Blues

  published Nov 02, 2009

  It took Aftermath most of Friday to figure out why we were in such an awful blue funk after Thursday's Pogues show, especially after the band delivered a more brilliant set than even this 20-year fan... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Aftermath: The Pogues Destroy House of Blues, and Rocks Off Is Ready to Move On

  published Oct 30, 2009

  Attention budding music writers, assuming there are still a few of you left who think getting into shows for free is a fair trade for your health, well-being, a decent paycheck and reasonably normal s... More >>

• Listology: Room 101's Roburt Reynolds Chooses Bands He Doesn't Like

  published Oct 29, 2009

  When Rocks Off started asking local musicians to fill out music-related lists as suggested in Lisa Nola's Music Listography, we never expected to get one like this one from one-man skronk-blues machin... More >>

• The Pogues' Rum, Sodomy & the Lash Answers Famous Musical Questions

  published Oct 28, 2009

  Dear Rum, Sodomy & the Lash, Who wrote the book of lover - The Monotones, Newark, NJ Dear Monotones, I'm going to make me a big sharp axe, shining steel-tempered in the fire. I'll chop you down li... More >>

• Art Rock: Robert Ellis and the Boys at Mango's

  published Oct 28, 2009

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• Another Chapter of the Rocks Off Beatles Rock Band Saga Is In the Books

  published Oct 28, 2009

  Despite some technical difficulties that got things off to a late start, Rocks Off and several of our friends had a fine time at our "Helter Skelter Halloween" party Tuesday evening at Coffee Groundz.... More >>