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

• ZZ Top To Receive Texas Medal Of Arts

  published Feb 17, 2011

  While they take their sweet time getting around to record that long-anticipated, Rick Rubin-produced next album - which, at this point, could well come out a solid decade after their last, 2003's Mesc... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Jesse Dayton's "Fans": Singer Is "Faggy," "Douchebag"

  published Feb 16, 2011

  Jesse Dayton is learning the joys of Facebook. The ex-Houston honky-tonker and Rob Zombie rockabilly muse, who plays the Armadillo Palace February 26 and Conroe's Texas Independence Day Festival March... More >>

• Carrie Rodriguez

  published February 17, 2011

  After years of touring with Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, then a fruitful partnership with songwriter emeritus Chip Taylor ("Wild... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Weezer, Ween, Sharon Jones, Bun B Head Summer Fest Lineup

  published Feb 14, 2011

  UPDATE: Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears have been added to the lineup. "I'm gonna pull out some shit on stage that will make the Flaming Lips cry and possibly retire in awe." - Hayes Carll, via @hp... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Friday Night: Joe Ely Band At Rockefeller Hall

  published Feb 14, 2011

  Joe Ely Band Rockefeller Hall February 11, 2011 Saturday night, almost exactly 24 hours after the Joe Ely Band's triumphant return to Rockefeller's Rockefeller Hall, Aftermath and a friend were chatt... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Lucinda Williams, Spearhead, Kronos Quartet Headed To iFest

  published Feb 11, 2011

  The Houston International Festival, better known as iFest, announced its 2011 lineup late Thursday night. Here are some of the highlights: FRIDAY, APRIL 29 World Stage: Kronos Quartet feat. Homayun ... More >>

• 25 Famous Bands' Less Famous Previous Names

  published Feb 09, 2011

  As promised, here are the answers to Rocks Off's "Original Band Name" quiz from Tuesday. John St. Lee, if you'd care to email us, we'll see what we can do about getting you a prize. Do you like Devor ... More >>

• Match These Bands With Their Awful Original Names

  published Feb 08, 2011

  Provided they didn't take the easy way out and name themselves after a song (Rolling Stones), their hometown (Boston) or each other (Hall & Oates), almost every band that went on to sell millions of r... More >>

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  COVER STORY

  Getting Past the Bouncer

  published February 10, 2011

  Imani Rose is a seasoned party and event planner and general Houston nightlife veteran. She's worked as a personal assistant for famous people and... More >>

• Joe Ely Band, Mike Stinson

  published February 10, 2011

  It's been said over and over and over and over, so what's one more time? If Joe Ely is Texas's own Bruce Springsteen, seeing him at Rockefeller... More >>

• Ethnic Heritage Ensemble

  published February 10, 2011

  For only three men, Chicago's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble brings a wealth of history, variety and versatility to the stage. Founder and percussion... More >>

• Christina Aguilera's National Anthem: Better Than Carl Lewis', Anyway

  published Feb 07, 2011

  Today, Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are presumably on their way to Disney World, the Pittsburgh Steelers are praying Ben Roethlisberger did not do anything in the many, many ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Houstonians Place High In International Blues Contest

  published Feb 07, 2011

  Updated at 5:25 p.m. with Orq's account of the weekend. This past week, Ezra Charles & the Works and The Mighty Orq, both long-running pillars of the local blues scene, each represented Houston and t... More >>

• Willie Nelson Show Postponed Until April 28

  published Feb 04, 2011

  Well, shit. Willie Nelson just announced via Twitter that tonight's show at Verizon Wireless Theater, which had sold out, has been postponed until April 28 due to the treacherous driving conditions br... More >>

• Z-Ro Actually Smiles, Laughs - We Have Proof!

  published Feb 02, 2011

  This morning, one of Rocks Off's readers in Dallas sent us an email. In fact, that sentence was almost the headline of this blog - apparently we actually have readers up there, so maybe those North Te... More >>

• Rory Miggins Irish Stew Cook-off

  published February 3, 2011

  Elsewhere on this page, you can read about Flogging Molly's local stop on the Celtic Californians' annual "Green 17" tour. With all due respect to... More >>

• Ladysmith Black Mambazo

  published February 3, 2011

  Since they only appeared on a couple of songs, it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say Ladysmith Black Mambazo stole Paul Simon's 1986 album... More >>

• H-Town Blues Festival

  published February 3, 2011

  In a recent issue of Spin, music editor Charles Aaron did something the big-city bicoastal music media almost never does: paid some... More >>

• When We Ruled H-Town

  published February 3, 2011

  It looks like the wheel of musical nostalgia has finally spun all the way around to the '90s. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's... More >>

• Joe Ely's Top Five Live Shots, By iFest's Rick Mitchell

  published Jan 31, 2011

  Next Friday, Feb. 11, the Joe Ely Band returns to Rockefeller Hall for the first time in more than a decade, since the legendary Washington Avenue showcase club stopped presenting live music to focus ... More >>

• Texas Watchdog Unearths More KTRU Sale Documents

  published Jan 28, 2011

  We're all still waiting to see if the Federal Communications Commission will approve the proposed sale of Rice University's student-staffed station KTRU to the University of Houston, which (among othe... More >>

• Play A Bad Solo, Get Smacked Upside The Head

  published Jan 27, 2011

  If you're like Rocks Off, you could probably use a good laugh this afternoon. Judging by the number of times this video has been shared on break.com, you may have already seen this, but just in case... More >>

• Surprise... Houston Is Sending Some People To SXSW

  published Jan 26, 2011

  In the past couple of weeks, Rocks Off's already-groaning email inbox has begun sagging even further with pings from random Australian bands looking for "coverage" for their SXSW appearances - we reco... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Barrie Hall Jr., Famed Trumpeter, TSU And Duke Ellington Alum, Dies At 61

  published Jan 25, 2011

  Today the jazz world is mourning the loss of one of its greats...and one of Houston's. Barrie Lee Hall Jr., whom Duke Ellington plucked out of Texas Southern University to join his orchestra and late... More >>

• Barrie Hall Jr., TSU And Duke Ellington Alum, Dies At 61

  published Jan 25, 2011

  UPDATED at 4:49 p.m. with more information. Barrie Lee Hall Jr., whom Duke Ellington plucked out of Texas Southern University to join his orchestra and later became its leader, passed away Monday at ... More >>