Abrahan Garza

Severe Weather Is Here (w/Pictures!): Save Those Files, Use The Tunnels & Tip Your Pizza Guy Better (Updated: Person Hit By Lightning)

If you don't have a window, you might not realize it's 10 p.m. in parts of Houston. It's a dark and stormy night out there, as Edward George Bulwer-Lytton would say. Last night saw some major thunderstorm activity, with impressive lightning shows in some parts of town. (This being Houston, other ... More >>

New Bicycle Laws For Houston? Take Our Quiz!

In a long-overdue move, the city of Houston has passed an ordinance intended to make the roads safer for bicyclists and other non-car users of the road. How enforceable it is, we'll find out. Until then, it's important to arm yourself with KNOWLEDGE!!, and the best way to do it is by taking our six ... More >>

The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Zombie Crawls, Crawfish Boils and Kolaches -- All for Charity

Kolache Benefit for West, Texas Saturday, 8 a.m. Revival Market, 550 Heights Boulevard Revival Market will be selling its delicious, housemade kolaches and klobosneks for breakfast tomorrow morning starting at 8 a.m., with 50 percent of the proceeds going to benefit victims of the fertilizer plant ... More >>

Frank's Americana Revival and Chef Kevin Naderi of Roost: 2013 Menu of Menu's Big Winners

The annual Menu of Menus grand tasting is much more than just a night for our readers to come out, meet their favorite restaurants, find new favorites and get their faces stuffed with delicious grub. It's also a fierce competition. A wooden token was given to each guest as they entered Silver Stree ... More >>

Photo-Mashing Old & Modern Houston, Volume 6: Astrodome Edition

For our sixth installment of vintage photos mashed with their present-day locations we entered the doomed Reliant Astrodome with photos from a 1968 Astrodome tour guide. It highlighted numerous events the dome accommodated for. It opened in 1965 as the Harris County Domed Stadium. From being the hom ... More >>

Another Visit Inside The Abandoned Astrodome, And Still No One Knows What To Do With It

It's been a common theme every year around RodeoHouston season: Houstonians start asking again about the plight of the Reliant Astrodome and arguing amongst themselves about what is to be done with the dilapidated Eighth Wonder. It's a giant elephant sitting in the middle of Houston's biggest annual ... More >>

RIP Macy's/Foley's, 1947-2013: Pictures From The Wake

It started out as a Foley's turned into a Macy's and ended up a sad, empty hulk in the middle of downtown. The big blank block that served as a downtown department store for almost 66 years closed down over the weekend. We listed six oddities you may not have known about the store (A fallout shelt ... More >>

Daddy, Why Is Numbers Called Numbers?

One thing has always bothered me whenever I attend concerts and dance nights at Numbers, and that is, "Why the Hell is it called Numbers, anyway?" Now, I know that I have something of a fixation on the meaning of names in the music scene, but I've also had several readers ask me to look into it over ... More >>

Houston's 10 Best British Pubs: Close Your Eyes and Think of England

You'll notice several things upon entering a British pub for the first time, especially if your only pub experiences to date have been in the States: The pubs are clean, bright and welcoming. The food is usually quite good. And pubs are family-friendly places -- for the most part -- which makes sens ... More >>

Saturday Night: Girl In a Coma at Fitzgerald's

Girl In a Coma Fitzgerald's February 2, 2013 In the same way that Girl In a Coma's hometown of San Antonio is both beautiful and haunted, the band's aesthetic sound and presence lingers in your mind long after you push play. With rich tones and a confident demeanor, this attitude is amplified durin ... More >>

[PHOTO] The Day After: Wondering if The Guy with the Texans-Themed Truck Has Regrets

Boy oh boy oh boy, Sunday was a tough day for football fans in Houston. The Texans got crushed once again by the New England Patriots in Foxboro, this time ending their season on a decidedly down note. Our own Abrahán Garza happened to spy this Texans-themed truck with the "SKOOL" license plate par ... More >>

VIDEO: Ben Milam Hotel Building Goes Boom

With the booming blasts that sounded off like a 21-gun salute, spectators gathered as Houston said goodbye to the Ben Milam Hotel on Sunday, December 9, 2012. The 80-year-old building that stood across from Union Station had been closed since the 1970s and was imploded to make room from a 380 unit a ... More >>

[PHOTOS] Houston Texans Fans Decorate an Entire Block

Yesterday, we posted about a rabid Texans fan who painted his house with the logo and marks for wins and losses throughout the season. Today, we've got an entire street. After being alerted to the existence of another house decorated for the Texans, our own Abrahán Garza went for a drive and found ... More >>

Where Have All Our Heroes Gone?: The Four Saddest Fallen Idols of Our Generation

When we're kids, we'll look anywhere for idols and role models. Most often, we look to pop culture and we find our heroes there by way of idolizing whoever's work we enjoy the most. We copy them in the worst ways. We adopt their style of dress, their opinions on music, their viewpoints on the world ... More >>

"The Smiths Are Never Going To Reunite Ever": When Are The Smiths Reuniting?

This week, Morrissey's possibly long-suffering publicist told Rolling Stone that "The Smiths are never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going to reunite -- ever." The statement, meant to quell old rumors and quotes being dragged out on a slow music news week, was meant with smirks and laugh ... More >>

Cover Story: Mashing Houston Old & New, Via Photos

We've had some good results when our Abrahan Garza has roamed the Houston streets mashing up present-day scenes with old photographs. Today, as part of our annual Best of Houston® issue, he's at it again. "Houston: Now & Then" takes a look at how the city has evolved -- or hasn't. Garza hunts up ... More >>

Have A Drink On Us: AC/DC Sells Wine Now, and We Had a Tasting

Shout-out to the oenophiles out there, there is a new kid on the wine block these days, with the introduction of two varieties of vino geared towards fans of classic-rock band AC/DC. Now, I know what you are saying: Since their music goes so well with the hard stuff, shouldn't AC/DC be making their ... More >>

UPDATED: [PHOTOS] Striking Janitors Protest Outside Exxon Building

Update: According to a press release, more than a dozen janitors were arrested amid protests on Wednesday for civil disobedience as strikes continued downtown. More information as it becomes available. Original Post:For those unaware, janitors across the city of Houston have been on strike for the ... More >>

Our Mashed-Up Historic Houston Photos, As Seen On TV

Our series of mashed-up past and present Houston photos got some TV love yesterday. Abrahan Garza, who painstakingly puts together the photos -- it's not as easy as it looks -- was on Great Day Houston to talk about the project. Follow Hair Balls News on Fac ... More >>

Cool: Old Houston Photos Mashed With Their Present-Day Houston Equivalent

Houston Press staffer Abrahan Garza likes to meld Houston's past and present together. He goes around town matching up old postcards to present-day sites, something he saw on the web a year or so ago. "I'll find a remnant in the old photo I will try to match it up perfectly," he says. "It's defini ... More >>

Top 5 Old Musicians Actually Using Twitter

Like youth itself, Twitter is wasted on the young. But not everyone over 35 has completely tuned it out -- after a recent upgrade to a smartphone, even I'm using it now after years of Twitterphobia. (Hit me up at @ThePhantomTX.) Since I've been on, I've learned that most musicians have handed off t ... More >>

Houston Bikers Being Harassed By an Idiot in a Honda Civic?

There may be a serial harasser of Houston bikers out on the city's inner-loop streets. Biker Hayley Anna Jones wrote on the Critical Mass Houston Facebook page of a harrowing incident last night: [A] motorist decide to harass me. First it was honking and speeding up/ getting super close and eventu ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 Neighborhood Bars

For the next 20 weeks, we'll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year's winner is no easy task. We'll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants. Here it ... More >>

Saturday Afternoon: Girl in a Coma at Cactus Records

Photo by Abrahan Garza​Girl in a Coma graced Houston with their presence for the second time in a week Saturday afternoon. The San Antonio trio officially introduced Exits & All the Rest to Houston fans Saturday at Cactus Music to kick off the Rocks Off in-store concert series. Their CD, rele ... More >>

Last Night: Concrete Blonde At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Abrahan Garza​Concrete Blonde, Girl In a Coma Fitzgerald's October 30, 2011 Aftermath was as bummed as anyone when Concrete Blonde, after a few fits and starts, apparently called it quits back in 2006. We also kicked ourselves repeatedly when we were unable to make any of the dates ... More >>

Can One Person Eat a 28-Inch Pizza In an Hour? With Video

Can one person eat a 28-inch pizza in an hour? The short answer is: no. But that didn't stop two devoted Houston Press staffers from taking on Russo's New York Pizzeria's party pizza challenge. Although other Russo's have carried the 28-inch party pizza for a while, it's still somewhat new to the R ... More >>

Ice Storm II -- It Cometh Again? (With a Closings List)

Photo by Abrahan GarzaThe re-reckoning​The forecasters got everything right about the big snowstorm that hit us last week, except for the fact it didn't include snow. It did include plenty of dangerous icy road conditions, though. Get ready: The sequel is here. It's been drizzling all day an ... More >>

Numbers Update: Don't Mourn Goth Sanctuary Just Yet

Abrahan GarzaYes, this is Numbers.​Houston already has a bad case of shaken cat syndrome after the upheavals involving once-stable institutions like Fitzgerald's and KTRU this year, and when the Chronicle posted a listing saying that Numbers was up for sale, longtime fans and patrons went abs ... More >>

Mexican Microbrews Hit Houston

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​The first thing that struck me about the cans of Sierra Madre that were delivered to my office was that they looked almost cartoonish, like one of the Simpsons illustrators had created a satirical beer based on an amalgam of a Coors Light can and a Corona bottle. I ... More >>

Rocks Off's YouTube Video Explosion 2009: U2, Steve Earle, 10th Grade Cutie and Everything In Between

This year Rocks Off added a few Flip cameras to our devastatingly amazing blogatory weapons. We have been taking as many live videos at shows as we possibly can, and what better way to show our thanks to the Flip this Thanksgiving weekend than by showcasing its powers? From Ghostland Observatory, s ... More >>

Aftermath: Morrissey at Jones Hall

Craig HlavatyTropical Storm Morrissey blew through Jones Hall Saturday night, leaving a full house of hyperventilated fans - never more so than when, during "Let Me Kiss You," he removed his shirt to reveal an enviable set of abs - and more than a few moist eyes in its wake; after the sh ... More >>

Morrissey Taps His Never-ending Reserve of Lyrical Bons Mots

Bigmouth strikes again.

Girl In a Coma Members Released From Jail After Weekend Brawl

Michael RubensteinTwo members of San Antonio-based punk band Girl In a Coma were released from jail this morning after a fight with two off-duty Houston police officers late Saturday night at Montrose bar Chances, an eyewitness and friend of the band told Rocks Off Tuesday. Singer/guitar ... More >>

From Our Rocks Off Blog: San Antonio Punk Rockers Take On HPD, Lose

Michael RubensteinTwo members of San Antonio-based punk band Girl In a Coma were released from jail this morning after a fight with two off-duty Houston police officers late Saturday night at Montrose bar Chances, an eyewitness and friend of the band told Rocks Off Tuesday. Singer/guitari ... More >>

Snow (Cone) Day: Keeping Cool at Tampico

Thirty-two degrees outside. Ice on the ground. Snow in the air. No customers, and Tampico Refresceria (4520 N. Main, 713-880-3040) was still open for business last night. Seemed as great a reason as any for our very own Abrahan Garza to pull over and grab a couple.

Help, My Street is Broken!

Turns Out Sisyphus Actually Had It Pretty Easy

Photoshop Is for Wusses

Rainchild

This Charming Hombre

Morrissey's mad love among Mexican-Americans