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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2011 Stories by Chris Gray

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  FEATURED STORY

  Top 10 Louisiana Bands Of All Time

  published Mar 08, 2011

  Pardon the geographical pun, but besides Texas, our neighbor to the east may be the most musical state in these United States. And in terms of per capita, Louisiana, which ranks 25th in population to ... More >>

• The Fleshtones, Ivan Julian

  published March 10, 2011

  "The Island" turns into the Bowery Wednesday night as two Lower East Side survivors of much-mourned NYC nightclub CBGBs blow through on their way... More >>

• Elizabeth Cook

  published March 10, 2011

  Elizabeth Cook's syrupy Southern drawl wakes us up nearly every morning. Not in person, of course — she reserves that honor for her husband... More >>

• Space Cowboys: Big Head Todd Serenades Shuttle Crew

  published Mar 08, 2011

  If someone woke Rocks Off up at 2:30 in the morning with a Big Head Todd & the Monsters song, even the band themselves, we might have a few choice words for them. But we suppose it's a little differen... More >>

• Eldorado Ballroom: A Concise History By Dr. Roger Wood

  published Mar 07, 2011

  Rocks Off was pleased as punch to report last week that, thanks to the efforts of the Texas Blues Project's R. Eric Davis and Project Row Houses, which has owned the historic Third Ward venue since 19... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: Janet Jackson At RodeoHouston

  published Mar 04, 2011

  Janet Jackson Reliant Stadium March 4, 2011 More pics of Ms. Jackson can be found in our slideshow. Keep your shirt on. Janet did. Clad in a sleek silver catsuit so tight it was a miracle she could... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: Alejandro Escovedo At House Of Blues

  published Mar 04, 2011

  Alejandro Escovedo House of Blues Bronze Peacock Room March 3, 2011 This never would have happened in Austin. In our fair state capital, Alejandro Escovedo is worshiped like a god, and more people w... More >>

• Kings Of Leon Playing Free Final Four Discovery Green Show

  published Mar 03, 2011

  According to Houston's KHOU-TV, Tennessee studs Kings of Leon will play a free show at Discovery Green from 12-4 p.m. the afternoon of Saturday, April 2, as part of the Final Four weekend festivites a... More >>

• Eldorado Ballroom To Receive Texas Historical Marker

  published Mar 03, 2011

  A year ago, Third Ward had no music-related official Texas historical markers. Soon, it will have two. Last month, the Texas Historical Commission approved a marker application filed by Project Row H... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  "Whacko From Waco" & 10 Other Batsh!t Texas Songs

  published Mar 02, 2011

  Happy Texas Independence Day, everyone. Today The Only State That Matters officially enters its 175th year of pissing off the lesser 49 states and producing the best music anywhere on Earth. One of Te... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: Diana Ross At Verizon Wireless Theater

  published Mar 02, 2011

  Diana Ross Verizon Wireless Theater March 1, 2011 See photos of the legendary Diana Ross in our slideshow. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Blame it on David Bowie, but Aftermath couldn't help thinking... More >>

• Top Five Songs About Horses

  published Mar 01, 2011

  Rocks Off's regular readers presumably know by now that we love few things more than offbeat anniversaries, and recently we came across one of the oddest yet. Thirty-two years ago Monday, on Feb. 28, ... More >>

• By the End of Tonight

  published March 3, 2011

  Bands get back together for all sorts of reasons, some more unfortunate than others. When their mutual van containing all their gear was stolen in... More >>

• Old 97's

  published March 3, 2011

  Appropriately enough for the band who wrote "Time Bomb," the Old 97's exploded back into alt-country's front rank with last year's The Grand... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Vintage Rodeo Concert Pictures: Elvis, George Strait And More

  published Feb 28, 2011

  Rocks Off was so knocked out by our sister blog Hair Balls' gallery of vintage Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo pictures a few days back that we emailed the Rodeo (which starts tomorrow with Clay Walker... More >>

• Saturday Night: Mojo Nixon At The Continental Club

  published Feb 28, 2011

  Mojo Nixon & the Toadliquors Continental Club February 26, 2011 When Mojo Nixon "retired" from recording and touring following 2009's Whisky Rebellion, the music world breathed a sigh of relief (or s... More >>

• Wu-Tang, Fishbone, Trae Top Village Voice/Frank 151 SXSW Party

  published Feb 28, 2011

  We finally have the full lineup for the 2011 Village Voice Media/Frank 151 SXSW party, and it's a doozy. Heading up the bill are Staten Island Shao-Lin spitters the Wu Tang clan, still coasting on the... More >>

• Honky Tonk Blood A Macabrely Nice Surprise

  published Feb 25, 2011

  Correction: The Honky Tonk Blood Troubador Tuesday date is Tuesday, March 8, not March 1. See more photos from Thursday's premiere in our slideshow. Rocks Off will admit we were skeptical going into... More >>

• Last Night: Lucero At Fitzgerald's

  published Feb 24, 2011

  Lucero Fitzgerald's February 23, 2011 See more amber-colored images in our slideshow. About 12:30 a.m. this morning - we know because we wrote it down - Lucero front man Ben Nichols had a question. ... More >>

• Top 5 Mother-In-Law Songs Besides "Mother In Law"

  published Feb 22, 2011

  Q: What is the ideal weight for a mother-in-lawr A: About 2.3 pounds, including the urn. Rocks Off has more or less been content with bachelorhood our entire life, so we have no idea what having a ... More >>

• Ice Cube

  published February 24, 2011

  Ice Cube has come a long way, from screaming "Burn, Hollywood, Burn" on Public Enemy's Fear of a Black Planet in 1990 to The New York... More >>

• Honky Tonk Blood Premiere

  published February 24, 2011

  Everybody knows the music business is a little shady, but at Falstaff Records, it's downright murder. That's the premise behind Honky Tonk... More >>

• Championship BBQ Cook-Off

  published February 24, 2011

  Besides a whole lot of good eatin' and savory smells, and perhaps a run on antacids at Houston-area drugstores, the rodeo's annual three-day... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Top 10 Musical U.S. Presidents

  published Feb 21, 2011

  "The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music." - Gerald Ford Today is President's Day, and if you'll think back to high-school U.S. Histo... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals At House Of Blues

  published Feb 18, 2011

  Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights House of Blues February 17, 2011 For more totally tasteful pictures from Thursday, see our slideshow here. Ooh la la. Aftermath i... More >>