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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2010 Stories by Chris Gray

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  FEATURED STORY

  Aftermath: How Many Bodies Washed Up At Our Washington Shore Partyr

  published Feb 12, 2010

  Well... zero, in traditional New Jersey cement-shoes terminology. But despite the miserable weather, which did its part to create a proper Jersey Shore atmosphere, Rocks Off's Washington Shore party f... More >>

• Dave Wrangler Is Under The Influence... Before Our Washington Shore Party

  published Feb 11, 2010

  Rocks Off mentioned this right after Houston's main man on the mash-ups, Dave Wrangler, agreed to DJ tonight's Washington Shore party (8 p.m., rain or shine) at the Washington Avenue Drinkery, but it'... More >>

• Aftermath: Flogging Molly's Celtic-Punk Puppet Show at House of Blues

  published Feb 11, 2010

  rAftermath tuned up for Flogging Molly Wednesday night with a Jameson on the rocks and Steve Earle's "The Galway Girl" on our iPod. One of those should be obvious. As for the other, we needed th... More >>

• Bayou Beat: HOB's "Blues Schoolhouse" Band Seeks Musicians, Discovery Green Announces Spring Lineup, etc.

  published Feb 10, 2010

  [Ed. Note: We are not trying to encroach on Ms. Magnolia City Mixtape's territory, but once in a while the news piles up too fast to wait an entire week.] It's our party and we'll pimp if we want t... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Thanks, But No Thanks: See What Dallas Has to Deal With All the Timer

  published Feb 10, 2010

  Rocks Off would like to thank Force Field PR and, we suppose, Neon Indian for sending the above picture to our email this morning. It nearly made us spray coffee all over our monitor. We don't quite k... More >>

• Attention Houston: What To Do When a Beloved Music Venue Says It's Shutting Down

  published Feb 09, 2010

  Rocks Off is here to help. That's why we keep an eye out for stories that, while they may not have anything to do with Houston per se, can still provide a valuable lesson. So as much as we delight in ... More >>

• Marcia Ball, Texas Johnny Brown

  published February 11, 2010

  Elsewhere in this issue, you can read (at length) about what Washington Avenue has become. Friday night, provided you can find a place to park,... More >>

• Lightnin' Strikes

  published February 11, 2010

  No state in the U.S. is prouder of its history than Texas. You might get some argument from folks back East in, hell, maybe Massachusetts, but... More >>

• Albums All You Sudden Saints "Fans" Can Enjoy While You're Smirking

  published Feb 09, 2010

  Far be it from Rocks Off to rain on anyone's Super Bowl parade, but are we the only ones bothered by this massive, conveniently timed outpouring of love and affection for New Orleansr It started righ... More >>

• Absolutely Fabuloco

  published February 11, 2010

  Think "East L.A." and "rock and roll," and the first artist to come to mind — provided you haven't seen La Bamba lately — is... More >>

• Is The Old Quarter's Wrecks Bell Retiringr Is Brett Favre Going to Throw Another Interconceptionr

  published Feb 08, 2010

  Rocks Off got an eyebrow-raising email this morning from Rex "Wrecks" Bell, owner of Galveston's Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe, the Island's successor to the fabled downtown venue made famous by Townes Va... More >>

• Great Moments With Mr. Rockefeller: Buddy Guy, Erykah Badu and a Naughty Prom

  published Feb 05, 2010

  [Ed. Note: To help spread the word about next Friday's benefit for the Houston International Festival's education programs at Rockefeller Hall, featuring Texas Johnny Brown and Marcia Ball, Rocks Off ... More >>

• Art Rock: Daniel Higgs (Ex-Lungfish) and Weird Weeds at the Husk

  published Feb 04, 2010

  ... More >>

• Some Late-Afternoon Funk From Johnny "Guitar" Watson

  published Feb 03, 2010

  Amid all the Lightnin' Hopkins talk lately, Rocks Off almost let another local blues milestone get by us. Today would have been Third Ward native Johnny "Guitar" Watson's 75th birthday. Watson, who p... More >>

• Inquiring Minds: An Hour With The Red Krayola Mastermind Mayo Thompson

  published Feb 03, 2010

  Last Friday, Rocks Off had the distinct pleasure of talking to Mayo Thompson, the man behind psychedelic (or not) art-rockers The Red Krayola, whose career spans the early days of Houston label Inter... More >>

• Great Moments With Mr. Rockefeller: Ray Price, Bobby "Blue" Bland and the Kansas City All-Stars

  published Feb 03, 2010

  [Ed. Note: To help spread the word about next Friday's benefit for the Houston International Festival's education programs at Rockefeller Hall, featuring Texas Johnny Brown and Marcia Ball, Rocks Off ... More >>

• Which Other Local Musical Landmarks Deserve Historical Markersr

  published Feb 02, 2010

  rMonday's announcement that the Texas Historical Commission has approved Eric Davis' proposal for an official state historical marker honoring Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins is wonderful news, but it... More >>

• Corky's Debt

  published February 4, 2010

  "Give Houston a big old kiss for me," signs off Mayo Thompson after more than an hour on the phone. Even after 15 minutes spent discussing various... More >>

• Whiskey in the Jar

  published February 4, 2010

  Like St. Patrick's Day itself, the Blaggards' "Stout Irish Rock" is a Hibernian-American tradition, folding Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues"... More >>

• Jud Johnson Band

  published February 4, 2010

  Now here's something you don't see every day: a local band headlining House of Blues. In the big room. On a weekend. But head over to the Houston... More >>

• It's Really Happening: Lightnin' Hopkims Historical Marker On The Way

  published Feb 01, 2010

  Yes, you read that headline correctly. Today the Texas Historical Commission announced that Eric Davis' petition to honor Houston blues icon Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins with an official state historical ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  It's Really Happening: Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker on the Way

  published Feb 01, 2010

  Yes, you read that headline correctly. Today the Texas Historical Commission announced that Eric Davis' petition to honor Houston blues icon Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins with an official state historical ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Great Moments With Mr. Rockefeller: Billy Harper, Garth Brooks and Sonny Rollins

  published Feb 01, 2010

  [Ed. Note: To help spread the word about next Friday's benefit for the Houston International Festival's education programs at Rockefeller Hall, featuring Texas Johnny Brown and Marcia Ball, Rocks Off ... More >>

• Guaranteed: You Will Not See an Acceptance Speech This Cool at Sunday's Grammys

  published Jan 29, 2010

  Rocks Off has been holding onto this little nugget of mind-blowing YouTube brilliance all week, waiting for the proper opportunity to use it. If you haven't seen it, underneath all that makeup is Kar... More >>

• Remembering Rockefeller's With iFest's Rick Mitchell

  published Jan 29, 2010

  With the Houston International Festival practically right around the corner, and the "Mardi Gras Party" benefit for iFest's education programs - including the teacher's curriculum guide to the Caribbe... More >>