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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2013 Stories by Chris Gray

• The Rocks Off 100: Chris Gerhardt, Mastermind of Giant Battle Monster

  published May 23, 2013

  Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're i... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Fanged: Houston Rockers Brawl With Self-Proclaimed Vampire On Tour

  published May 22, 2013

  Maybe the band should have expected strange things to happen when they headed out on tour with Hollywood Undead. Considering their own name, American Fangs, this couldn't have come as a complete shock... More >>

• HPMA Nominations Close at Midnight Tonight

  published May 22, 2013

  Rocks Off is not going to make this long, because we don't have much to say. But it's important. If you haven't filled in your choices for this year's Houston Press Music Awards, you don't have much ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Texas Concert For Conservation at Sam Houston Race Park, 5/18/2013

  published May 21, 2013

  Texas Concert For Conservation Featuring Dwight Yoakam, Robert Earl Keen, Hayes Carll & Ray Wylie Hubbard Sam Houston Race Park May 18, 2013 If I wanted to make a dopey analogy, which I'm going to d... More >>

• RIP Ray Manzarek: Bespectacled Keyboardist of The Doors Was 74

  published May 20, 2013

  Ray Manzarek, the Doors keyboardist who brought both a light jazz touch and some seriously heavy piano-pounding to one of the most influential American bands of the late '60s and early '70s, passed aw... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Win Tickets to Scoremore's Jambalaya Festival Right Now

  published May 20, 2013

  Normally Rocks Off's first post of every week is our selections for the best shows happening in Houston for that given Monday through Thursday. This week we'd like to try something a little different.... More >>

• HPMA Nomination Ballot Is Going, Going... Only One Week Left

  published May 16, 2013

  Hard to believe it's already been almost two weeks since we put up the 2013 Houston Press Music Awards nomination ballot. This year has not been a slow one, that's for sure. But now there is official... More >>

• UPDATED: The Rocks Off 100: Kimberly M'Carver, Missouri City's Nightingale

  published May 16, 2013

  Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're i... More >>

• La Mafia Lead Singer Assaulted Outside Local Bar

  published May 13, 2013

  Accoding to the group's Facebook page, Oscar de la Rosa, lead singer of Houston-based Tejano stars La Mafia is recovering after an assault early Monday morning outside an unnamed Houston bar. This mes... More >>

• Kirk Franklin Puts Dynamic Stamp On House of Blues' Gospel Brunch

  published May 10, 2013

  Even talking to Kirk Franklin makes you want to straighten up and fly right, not to mention feel a little lazy. The 43-year-old Fort Worth native is arguably the most decorated gospel performer of his... More >>

• Houston Artists Up For Some Big Blues Awards Tonight

  published May 09, 2013

  Blues artists -- like real, legitimate rhythm-and-blues players -- aren't in the headlines very often these days. But whenever they are, Rocks Off is both happy and proud to point out that unlike most... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  UPDATED: Is ACL Festival Ignoring Houstonr Does It Even Matterr

  published May 08, 2013

  UPDATED (Thursday, 2:50 p.m.) to reflect the Houston-area roots of a few ACL performers this year, as pointed out by reader comments. We stand by our original point, though. As most of our readers no... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Depeche Mode, The Cure, Kings of Leon, Phoenix, Lionel Richie Head 2013 ACL Fest Lineup

  published May 07, 2013

  Moments ago, Depeche Mode, The Cure, MUSE, Kings of Leon, Atoms For Peace (featuring Thom Yorke and Flea), Lionel Richie, Phoenix, Wilco, Vampire Weekend, The National, and Eric Church were announced ... More >>

• Experience Justin Timberlake at Toyota Center December 5

  published May 06, 2013

  Justin Timberlake, star of stage and screen, will visit Houston in early December, Live Nation announced this morning. The "20/20 Experience World Tour," which is scheduled to visit four continents a... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  2013 Houston Press Music Award Nominations Now Open

  published May 03, 2013

  It's hard to believe it's already that time of year again. People seem to say that when it comes to anything from graduation time (congrats!) to holiday shopping, but for Rocks Off it's hardest of all... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Red, Diana Krall, W&W, etc.

  published May 03, 2013

  Red Warehouse Live, May 3 The latest Christian band to cross over into the "active rock" mainstream, Nashville quartet Red indeed takes its name from the blood of the Lamb, but not in an overly dogma... More >>

• A Few Houston Rappers Remember Kris Kross' Chris Kelly

  published May 02, 2013

  Most of the music world is still a little stunned this morning after Chris Kelly, one-half of '90s rap duo Kris Kross, was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Wednesday. According to the Atlanta Journ... More >>

• The Rocks Off 100: Jack Saunders, Dealer of Grit & Jangle

  published May 02, 2013

  Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're i... More >>

• Free Press Summer Fest Releases 2013 Schedule & Stage Times

  published May 01, 2013

  The moment many of you have been dreading has arrived: this morning Free Press Summer Fest announced this year's schedule and stage times for its fifth year, scheduled for June 1 and 2 in Eleanor Tins... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Can 56 Parking Meters Fix Washington Avenue's Traffic Messr

  published May 01, 2013

  At 7 a.m. today, 56 parking meters scattered along the Washington Avenue area will be turned on, the first step in a new plan the City of Houston hopes will eventually relieve the severe traffic conge... More >>

• Friday Night: Peter Murphy at Numbers

  published Apr 30, 2013

  Peter Murphy Numbers April 25, 2013 Maybe Peter Murphy should get arrested more often. That may be a horrible thing to say, but if you had seen him at Numbers, you'd understand. This tour had been p... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Randy Rogers Band Springs Surprise Trouble Release Show at Firehouse Saloon Tonight

  published Apr 29, 2013

  The Randy Rogers Band has become a big enough name on the highly competitive Texas country/Red Dirt circuit that the quintet was chosen to open for George Strait and Martina McBride on Strait's Housto... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Here's That George Jones Lawn Mower Story One More Time

  published Apr 26, 2013

  Although it was hardly a surprise, country-music fans around the world have heavy hearts today after the passing of George Jones. Jones, a native of the Southeast Texas town of Saratoga who broke into... More >>

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  UPDATED: RIP George Jones: Texas-Born Country Legend Dies at Age 81

  published Apr 26, 2013

  UPDATE (April 27, 11:20 a.m.): George Jones' "Farewell Concert" was announced, but did not take place, this past February. It had been scheduled for November 22. Rocks Off regrets the error. George J... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: Carrie Underwood at Toyota Center

  published Apr 24, 2013

  Carrie Underwood Toyota Center April 23, 2013 It's different at the top of the world. Because critics are the spoiled little creatures that we are, we are traditionally given seats that cost most fa... More >>