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

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: Solange at Fitzgerald's

  published Mar 13, 2013

  Solange Fitzgerald's March 12, 2013 Solange has a famous sister. You've probably heard of her; both women grew up around here. And now let that be the last time we mention the elder Knowles sibling,... More >>

• Wonders Never Cease

  published March 14, 2013

  Only in Houston About six months ago, Rocks Off wrote an article expressing our surprise and disappointment at the paucity of... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: Jason Aldean at Reliant Stadium

  published Mar 12, 2013

  Jason Aldean Reliant Stadium March 11, 2013 Somewhere along the way Jason Aldean rubbed me the wrong way, and whenever I did have a stray thought about him, the words "massive tool" weren't far behin... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  The Rocks Off 100: Blaggards, Houston's St. Paddy's Day House Band

  published Mar 12, 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 >>

• Last Night: Ryan Bingham at House of Blues

  published Mar 11, 2013

  Ryan Bingham House of Blues March 10, 2013 It's tempting to label Ryan Bingham a "throwback," because nothing he does is especially modern. The former rodeo cowboy's brand of classic rock, country-bl... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Looks Like We Can Pour One Out for Pearl Bar

  published Mar 07, 2013

  This may be the end of the line for Pearl Bar. The once-crowded jewel of the Washington Avenue bar scene has apparently been locked out by its landlord for nonpayment of rent. The above notice was po... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: Dierks Bentley at Reliant Stadium

  published Mar 07, 2013

  Dierks Bentley Reliant Stadium March 6, 2013 I never, ever do something like this, for reasons I hope should be obvious to our readers, but after watching Dierks Bentley (and the crowd) Wednesday nig... More >>

• Last Night: Lady Antebellum at Reliant Stadium

  published Mar 06, 2013

  Lady Antebellum Reliant Stadium March 6, 2013 No doubt other critics do all sorts of mental gymnastics to rationalize listening to Lady Antebellum. This one decided the relentlessly sunny Nashville t... More >>

• Raw Power

  published March 7, 2013

  Only in Houston Last week Free Press Summer Fest announced most of the artists who will play its fifth edition, scheduled for... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Rocks Off Would Like for You to Join Us; Music Freelancers Wanted

  published Mar 05, 2013

  We have some excellent music writers here at the Houston Press and Rocks Off. But we'd like a few more. It's a big city out there, and a vast music scene. So Rocks Off is looking to add a few more st... More >>

• Saturday Night: Brantley Gilbert at Reliant Stadium

  published Mar 04, 2013

  Brantley Gilbert Reliant Stadium March 2, 2013 The specter of Honey Boo Boo hovered over Brantley Gilbert Saturday at RodeoHouston. If one single human being apart from the not-so-pint-sized TLC real... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Friday Night: Mary J. Blige at Reliant Stadium

  published Mar 04, 2013

  Mary J. Blige Reliant Stadium March 1, 2013 Watching Mary J. Blige's bravura Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo performance Friday night brought to mind the old, old Hollywood saying about Ginger Rogers ... More >>

• RodeoHouston Hops on "Harlem Shake" Bandwagon

  published Mar 04, 2013

  The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo doesn't stay so successful by not keeping up with the times. So before each of this year's evening concerts, you can watch a bunch of people who work at the rodeo ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Houston Makes Great Strides in Selling Its Own Music Scene

  published Mar 01, 2013

  A few months ago, Rocks Off wrote an article expressing our surprise and disappointment at the paucity of musical content on the City of Houston's tourism site, visithoustontexas.com, the Texas-friend... More >>

• Nosaprise Opens His Book of the Dead Vol. 1

  published Feb 28, 2013

  You have to hand it to Nosaprise. although you can't help worrying a little, too. This month the Houston rapper/musician's grownup job as an arts teacher presented an opportunity for him to attend a l... More >>

• FPSF Adds Dozens More Acts, Many Locals

  published Feb 28, 2013

  After the 2013 Free Press Summer Festival headliners leaked Wednesday night, this morning the festival sent out an email with a few dozen more names, including many local performers. Rewind: Free Pr... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Free Press Summer Fest '13 Announces Postal Service, Stooges, Cat Power, TV On the Radio, Social D, Geto Boys, Calvin Harris, etc.

  published Feb 27, 2013

  Moments ago, the lineup for the 2013 Free Press Summer Festival was announced online at fpsf.com. Let's get to it, shall wer The Postal Service Bassnectar Iggy Pop & the Stooges TV on the Radio ... More >>

• Last Night: Gary Allan at Reliant Stadium

  published Feb 27, 2013

  Gary Allan Reliant Stadium February 26, 2013 Gary Allan is a complicated man. If no one understands him but his woman, it doesn't matter because she's already 30,000 feet above him, on an airplane bo... More >>

• Blanco's Supposedly Needs a New Home by November

  published Feb 26, 2013

  Houston has known for a little while that Blanco's days are numbered. About six weeks ago, the Houston Chronicle reported that the honky-tonk in River Oaks had been sold to nearby St. John's School as... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: Toby Keith at Reliant Stadium

  published Feb 26, 2013

  Toby Keith Reliant Stadium February 25, 2013 Toby Keith. That big galoot. Thanks to one song that he didn't even play Monday night, Toby Keith is still painted in much of the media as a frothing, fl... More >>

• Saturday Night: Buxton at the Continental Club

  published Feb 25, 2013

  Buxton Continental Club February 23, 2013 Buxton's songs project an odd kind of innocence for a band that has been getting pretty seasoned the past couple of years. It's been five since they appeared... More >>

• Your All-Star Weekend Celebrity Guestbook, Part 2

  published Feb 17, 2013

  Houston is by most accounts one of America's more cultured and sophisticated cities, but it still loses its damn mind when a lot of famous people come to town. The swarm of people created by celebriti... More >>

• Your All-Star Weekend Celebrity Guestbook

  published Feb 16, 2013

  Rocks Off thought we'd stay as far away as the NBA All-Star Weekend hoopla as possible, so Friday night we went to see the wonderful Tift Merritt at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, where a friend of ours who ... More >>

• Tift Merritt Looks Outside Herself to Kindle a Spark

  published Feb 15, 2013

  Tift Merritt makes country music for city dwellers, the kinds of songs that NPR adores but Nashville doesn't have much use for anymore. Still, the thirtysomething singer-songwriter managed to score a ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: fun. at Bayou Music Center

  published Feb 14, 2013

  fun. Bayou Music Center February 13, 2013 How long has it been since America's young people have had something to be optimistic about besides the music on the radior The '80sr That must be the guid... More >>