Indianapolis

Woodlands Pavilion Moves Up to World's No. 2 Amphitheatre, Says Pollstar

Houston's edgy restaurants and diverse museums may have drawn the attention of The New York Times, but both alternative and classic rockers, plus brawny country stars, scattered boy bands and Latin lovers, drew enough people through the turnstiles of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion that concert- ... More >>

The Chitlin' Circuit: Road to Rock & Roll Ran Straight Through Houston

Above: Walter Barnes and the Royal Creolians, the first kings of the Chitlin' Circuit Most music critics, writers, historians, and aficianados in Houston don't think this city has ever gotten enough credit for its contributions to blues, soul, and, the Holy Grail, the birth of rock and roll. Well, ... More >>

According to This, San Antonio Has a Better Music Scene Than Houston

Like any and all lists, the Martin Prosperity Institute (MPI)'s list regarding the best music scenes in the country will leave most of you passing out side-eyes and stares. Easy to spot and digest, Nashville, New York and Los Angeles ranked 1-3, but after that it's a complete flaming crapshoot. Th ... More >>

10 Best Modern Political Speeches

We'll be hearing a lot of great speeches this election season, but lets take a second to remember the true giants of political rhetoric. 10. Martin Luther King: I've Been to the Mountaintop King delivered this speech in Memphis, Tennessee the day before he was assassinated. After talking for a whi ... More >>

Hammered Miami Heat Fan Strips To Bra & Panties To Celebrate A Win (VIDEO Analysis)

I realize that, unless you're a member of LeBron James' or Dwyane Wade's immediate family, it's awfully tough to find a reason to root for the Miami Heat. While they're not the lightning rod for vitriol that they were coming off of LeBron's "Decision" in the summer of 2010, the Heat are still quit ... More >>

The 10 Funniest Lines In Recent Extreme-Music Press Releases

Most days, Rocks Off's email inbox is swamped with dozens of messages from industrious publicists eager for us to write something about their artists. That's their job. Hitting the "save" or "delete" button is ours. We certainly have our own lapses sometimes, but we have also been writing (and readi ... More >>

The Hair Balls Super Bowl Live Blog: Remember To Piss

In some alternate universe, the streets of Houston are currently bathed in Miller Lite, Reliant Stadium and every bar in town is a watch party, with even the homeless folks are wearing soiled Texans jerseys. But alas, our Houston Texans only made it into the second round of the playoffs, and here we ... More >>

4 Warnings -- Your Guide to Listening to Super Bowl Week Talk Radio

Super Bowl hype week is underway, and I know that many of you will be consuming sports talk radio this week in an effort to get ready for the big game. (I know many of you won't be, and I understand that as well. I hate me some me sometimes, too. It's okay.) The general public service announcement ... More >>

How to Appear Knowledgeable at a Texans Gamewatch Sunday (From the Bad Advice Dept.)

Photo by Marco TorresOh, and wear a mask.​You don't have to be a football fan to find yourself at a Houston Texans gamewatch party Sunday when they take on Baltimore. Which can be a problem, because you'll be surrounded by fanatics and you don't want to look foolish. Luckily, you can look li ... More >>

Five Things Madonna Should Avoid For A Successful Super Bowl

Lose the cigarette, for crying out loud. Super Bowl halftime shows are supposed to be tasteful.​Long rumored, now confirmed, Madonna will be the featured halftime performer at Super Bowl XLVI: She's also only the second major female artist (besides Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas) to grace th ... More >>

Football! This Weekend's Best Bets: Stanford, Wisconsin & Other Bullies

Not seen at Camp Randall.​Nobody likes a bully. Unless, of course, that bully can win you some money! Through the first ten weeks of the college football season, in my mind, four BCS conference college football teams have set themselves apart as "bullies" of the college football world, meanin ... More >>

Marcus Manchild Puts on a Show at KFC

Houston rapper Marcus Manchild and his label partners at AMG (Authentik Music Group), George, Chad and Wodie, are currently traveling the country as part of the Smoker's Club Tour, headlined by Method Man, Curren$y and Big K.R.I.T. The Smoker's Club tour comes to Warehouse Live November 11, and Marc ... More >>

Houston Rappers Freak Out Indiana KFC Diners

Photo by OrbitDidIt/Smoker's Club Tour​Hopefully you've been keeping up with the exploits of Patron-loving Houston MC Marcus Manchild as he winds his way toward Warehouse Live with Method Man, Big K.R.I.T. and a bunch of others on the Smoker's Club 2011 tour. Marcus will be filing his usual re ... More >>

How To Survive An Outdoor Concert Disaster: Ten Semi-Helpful Tips

​The summer festival season is winding down, but even as that stops, the fall festival season begins. The weather will be getting nicer, and it will actually be pleasant to be outside, so we're looking forward to it, especially with Austin City Limits, our own BestFest and Fun Fun Fun Fest all ... More >>

Houston Led Nation in Population Growth in Last Decade, Rice Finds

Rice U video No city in America grew more in population in the last decade than Houston, a Rice study said today. And if you don't believe it, they put out the slick video above to erase any doubt. Houston added 1,231,393 residents between 2000 and 2012, the study of census figures said; the next ... More >>

Yay? Houston One Of Few Cities To Get The Sarah Palin Movie

Comin' atcha, Houston!!!!​You've been holding your breath for weeks now, wondering if Houston would be blessed enough to be one of the cities picked for the limited initial release of The Undefeated, the documentary that proves beyond all doubt that Sarah Palin is the heart and soul of America ... More >>

Top 10 On-Air Gaffes: A List Inspired by Pattie Shieh

This current Houstonian locks down the top spot.​As an ode to the "spit" blast uttered last night by Pattie Shieh of Fox 26, Hair Balls looks back at the top 10 on-air fuc_, uh, mess-ups of all-time.

Frank Ulysses "Frenchfry" Tiller: Texas Man Arrested for 1999 Murder of 83-Year-Old Man in Six-Dollar Robbery

"Frenchfry": Charged with killing an elderly man taking out the garbage​Two months ago, Illinois police used a fingerprint to arrest a man for the 1988 rape of a 12-year-old girl in Orange County, Texas. In another OC-related cold case, police in Orange County last week arrested Frank Ulysses ... More >>

Blessed

Anderson Fair alumna Lucinda Williams returns to Houston.

Final Four Watch Parties, Team by Team

Brittanie SheyHotel Derek, all gaudied up.​Judging by traffic, alumni from the schools playing in this weekend's Final Four are already swarming town, and if you want to get some of the sweet team-pride action, we've compiled a list of the official and unofficial watch parties happening this w ... More >>

The Cutters Slice Off Mink Show Before Japanese Tour

​The Cutters have a lot on their plates this month. Rocks Off had the pleasure of spending last Thursday night with four-fifths of the group while they practiced for their tonight's show at the Mink, an upcoming weeklong tour in Japan, and CD release, all to be completed by the end of the mont ... More >>

War and Remembrance

Menil presents Vija Celmins's early work.

Jaguars 31, Texans 24: Were You Even Surprised?

Hail Mary, full of grace....​Until eight days ago, it still felt different. Sure, the Texans were 4-3 and coming off a rough loss to the Colts. But until then, when the Texans had been beaten, they were clearly the lesser team -- losing by at least 13 points to physically superior opponents o ... More >>

Chargers 29, Texans 23: If The Offense Can't Be Trusted, Then Why Is Kubiak Here?

Oy.​See photos from the game and the tailgating competition in our slideshow. The Andre Johnson drop-turned-interception was the epitome of fluke. The Arian Foster touchdown-that-wasn't was an awful call that resulted from a terrible rule. But when the 4-4 Texans reflected on their heartbrea ... More >>

Cowboys 27, Texans 13: Defensive Help Wanted, Preferably With A Pulse

Docking at Reliant Stadium​Attention, Houston owner Bob McNair. Your defense needs help, and the key may be opening your pocketbook. Ideally, do it in a hurry.Tony Romo and the Cowboys (1-2) exposed the previously unbeaten Texans' dirty little secret on Sunday, throwing for 284 yards, two touchdow ... More >>

Sexiest Cities: Don't Get Too Excited, Houston

Houston;'s hot, but not as hot as....Bakersfield?​Men's Health has found, once again, a surefire way to get mentioned in a bunch of cities who otherwise wouldn't pay it much mind: It's come up with a list of the nation's sexiest cities.How? By, it claims, examining condom sales, birth rates and ST ... More >>

Game Time: NFL 2010 -- A Journey In Wagering

Betting is fun! If you don't mind losing​The first week of the NFL season is always one of the busiest for me. I've never been an accountant, nor will I ever be an accountant, but I would imagine that the first week of college and NFL football together is how the week of April 15 feels for someon ... More >>

Texans' First Pre-Season Game: Some Things Never Change

Still baffled by the red zone​Preseason football games, I think we can all agree, are essentially worthless games for the fans. The final score means nothing. And a winning record in preseason doesn't translate to a winning record in the regular season. The games are important to the coaches an ... More >>

Game Time: LeBron-athon -- Five Backstabbings That Will Get You Ready For Tonight

Anakin Skywalker: Thanks for nothing, kid​In anticipation of LeBron James' decision as to where he will ply his trade for the next few years, shares of MSG stock rose 6 percent yesterday for a period of time before settling back to where they were earlier in the day. The reason for the brief bump ... More >>

Game Time: What If Gordon Hayward's Shot Goes In?

As sports fans, I think we probably let single events define players and coaches more than we should. In this era where we want to evaluate things quickly and neatly, it's always easier (and oftentimes, lazier) to just let one play on a big stage define somebody. It's clear, it's concise, it's also ... More >>

Game Time: "Oh My God....He's Gonna Throw It.....NOOOOOOO!!!!"

​"That's the thing about defining moments -- when they define you as really, really good or really, really bad, you pretty much know them the minute they occur; when the jury is still out on whether you're good or bad, ultimately you have to go back and find the defining moment."  -- Sean Pen ... More >>

For World Toilet Day, the Most Creative Lyrical Uses of the S-Word

According to an email Rocks Off received from none other than the World Toilet Organization, today is World Toilet Day. We're told it's an "internationally recognized" occasion for drawing attention to the plight of the 2.5 billion people on the planet who lack proper facilities. To this end (heh), ... More >>

Houston One Of Safest Cities In The Country, If You Look At It A Certain (Wrong, Houston Proud) Way

Photo courtesy GHCVB​Houston may be fat, polluted, sprawling and ugly, but it's got one thing going for it, according to Forbes magazine -- it's one of the safest cities in the country.Say what? Don't they read our Bayou Body Count? What, you go ten days without a murder and all of a sudden you're ... More >>

Big, Loud & Live! 6

Web exclusive!

Tonight: Snoop Dogg at House of Blues

Roger Caldwell/ Dallas ObserverIf you're headed to see the Doggfather Wednesday evning at House of Blues, you might want to be careful. Though Snoop denies any wrongdoing, MTV reported last week that a fan who rushed the stage at a 2005 Seattle show is alleging the rapper clocked him with a brass-kn ... More >>

Tonight: Margo & the Nuclear So and So's at the Mink

Readers Respond to Our Magazine Sales Crew Story

The Mag Racket

Here Comes the Black

This Just In: Radioheaded This Way

Pickin’ Aint Easy: Forecasting the NFL Playoffs

Jamaal Tinsley's Car Gets Shot Up in Indy

The Hits Just Keep on Coming…

Jason Friedman’s NFL Picks, Week Six: Forget Dog Fighting. Parity Is the League’s Biggest Problem.

Laptop Battles

Blogging: Hip-hop's new element?

Pat McGee Band, Michael Tolcher and Pilot Radio

Friday, May 14

Unlucky Winners

Is there a Houston Press Music Award jinx?

Pumped Up

Threatened station dealers score big in wins against oil giants

Letters

Ministry Magic, Rice Wars, Cross to Bear

Meltdown at Fox

Several staffers move over to Channel 39's start-up effort

The Wild Side, Circa 1954

Going All the Way freshens an overworked decade