Lafayette (Louisiana)

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Lost Bayou Ramblers, Daft Punk Tribute, etc.

Will Downing Bayou Music Center, May 10 Known for his rich baritone vocals and an unabashed devotion to romantic ballads, Will Downing may be the quintessential ladies man, so keep a close eye on your woman as he croons a blend of contemporary jazz and R&B that would make even Luther blush. With a ... More >>

Acts You Shouldn't Miss at iFest's First Weekend

Rocks Off asked our staff members who will be covering the Houston International Festival for us this weekend to give us one or two choices for artists they don't want to miss. Forro In the Dark Bud Light World Music Stage, 2:30 p.m. Saturday/Center Stage, 6:30 p.m. Saturday As one of the first ac ... More >>

LA Bar: A Cajun Restaurant with an Italian Heritage

One of the biggest surprises I found in the course of dining at LA Bar -- the subject of this week's cafe review -- wasn't how expensive the Gulf oysters on the half-shell were ($12 a dozen) nor how much better those oysters tasted when topped with garlic butter and chargrilled (as seen above), but ... More >>

Promised Land's Hard Sell

For Matt Damon and company, the message is the message.

Duane Charles Parker, Johnny Pepper: Police Seek More Victims Of Alleged Online Solicitor/Masturbator

If you or your kid have had any online dealings with a dude who looks like this guy on the right, beware. Law-enforcement officials in Montgomery and Galveston counties say he is a sexual predator who has been stalking and contacting underage girls on the net, and they're not sure how many victims ... More >>

Houston's Bayou Roux Set to Close French Roots Festival

Texas artists have a special rapport with European audiences. Anything rootsy is huge over there. One such act is Bayou Roux, the contemporary-Cajun Houston ensemble that is set to close the Country Rondez-Vous Festival in Craponne, France this weekend (or Festival du musique Country Rondez-Vous). ... More >>

True Blood: The Monsters We Make, We Own

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood -- which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. There's a very interesting metaphor going on right now in True Blo ... More >>

True Blood: Season 5 Opens With Tired Classic Rock

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood -- which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. I did not have high hopes for this season of True Blood, and frank ... More >>

King Of Memes Gotye Hitting Houston October 11

In wishful touring news, an October 11 Gotye date has been announced at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Right now, you are asking who Goatee is and why he, she, or they is headlining an outdoor pavilion. I say wishful because the guy has one single to his credit, but a hell of a lot of memes. Ear ... More >>

Slow, Loud & Bleedin': haarp's New Orleans Sludge Backs Up Into Bayou City

If you're a metal band rolling into Houston for the first time, there aren't too many better guys to have backing you up than Phil Anselmo. The ex-Pantera front man is unabashedly worshipped as a metal god throughout Texas, and when he speaks, Houston's heavy music fans listen. Lately, Anselmo has ... More >>

Black Market Syndicate: Punk Believers Rejoice With Peasants

Black Market Syndicate are true believers. Besides releasing second album And the Peasants Rejoiced at Fitzgerald's Saturday, the Houston punk quartet is streaming it all weekend on their ReverbNation page. For the people. Produced by Street Dogs' Johnny Rioux, Peasants stands up for the powerless ... More >>

Sylvia Casares, Noted Chef, Shot By Boyfriend

Sylvia Casares, the chef and owner of Houston fave Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen, was shot in the stomach Monday night by her boyfriend, our sister blog Eating Our Words reports. Casares was allegedly shot by Michael Warren, who is also her business partner. Warren is on the run and the Fort Bend Cou ... More >>

Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie and File' Gumbo: The Bounty of Lafayette

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file' gumbo / 'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio / Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o / Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou -- Hank Williams, "Jambalaya" In late December, Southern Living announced a contest in which 10 "Southern" cities wo ... More >>

Southern Living's Paula Disbrowe on Houston as One of the South's Tastiest Cities

Houston is the only Texas city recognized by the magazine in its top 10 list.​Southern Living's senior travel editor Paula Disbrowe knows Texas. The chef and food writer will be celebrating her 10th year of living in the Lone Star State this coming January, and was happy to report that a Texa ... More >>

Houston "Doghouse" Blues Pianist Earl Gilliam Dead At 81

​Rocks Off contributor William Michael Smith just called in to regretfully inform us that Houston blues musician Earl Gilliam has passed away. Gilliam's manager, Sheri Goodman, told Smith that Gilliam died at his home near Tomball of advanced lung disease. The piano player was famous for host ... More >>

Earl Gilliam: "A Huge Loss That Can't Be Filled"

Another of Houston's unique blues treasures, the effusive, ebullient and always stylish pianist Earl Gilliam, has moved on to the big juke joint in the sky. Gilliam, 81, died peacefully this morning at his home in Tomball of advanced lung disease.

True Blood: A Couple Of Things We Missed

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series,True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. ​Listen, Gothtopia makes mistakes... mostly mistakes named Amy ... More >>

True Blood: In Death There Is A Heavy Peace

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. Welcome to Bon Temps, population... dropping.​Maybe it's the ... More >>

True Blood: Best. Episode. Ever. Song Ain't Bad, Either.

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. ​For some reason, Gothtopia has spent the last decade complet ... More >>

True Blood: Boxing Gandhis & Other Likely Possibilities

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. ​Each season of True Blood is based on a corresponding novel ... More >>

True Blood: Jinx Titanic & Super 8 Cum Shot for Dinner

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. ​The title of this week's column maybe one of the grossest th ... More >>

“Texas Zydeco”

Juneteenth Celebration

Lions And Tigers And Bearfighters, Oh My!

It's a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we're trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. ​If Rocks Off had a nickel for every time we were compared to Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz we would definitely be wondering how we went ... More >>

Controversial Producer Huey Meaux Dead At 82

​Huey P. Meaux, the onetime studio and record-label owner and chart-topping producer who helped define the Gulf Coast sound through hits by the Sir Douglas Quintet, Freddy Fender and Barbara Lynn, died this morning at age 82. Known as the "Crazy Cajun," Meaux died at his home in Winnie, his n ... More >>

David Beauchemin: Fugitive Louisiana Snake Farmer Busted Again In East Texas

Wood County JailDavid Beauchemin: High End Herps is a great company name​Authorities from several law enforcement agencies and a handful of private-sector reptile experts raided the snake farm of David Beauchemin yesterday in Wood County. Before the day was done, the deputies, game wardens and ... More >>

Top 10 Louisiana Bands Of All Time

​Pardon the geographical pun, but besides Texas, our neighbor to the east may be the most musical state in these United States. And in terms of per capita, Louisiana, which ranks 25th in population to Texas' second, is probably second to none. Outside Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, the program m ... More >>

Soul City: Talent Scouts Lola Anne Cullum And Lela Macy

Black History Month is always a great time to recall some of Houston's greatest musical innovators and leaders. Rocks Off will highlight some of them during the remainder of February. Jody PerryTexas Johnny Brown, one of the few Houston musicians who remembers "Mrs. Cullum"​At a local blues j ... More >>

Comment of the Day

​Katharine Shilcutt reported on which Houston restaurants have opened and which have closed, including three Cajun joints. Which led commenter Tim to reflect on Creole and Cajun, New Orleans and Lafayette: Forgive me for I am about to nitpick: 'Three separate Cajun places went to that big C ... More >>

True Blood: Patty Griffin, Bon Temps Crew Smell A Rat

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. Season 3, Episode 9: "I Smell a Rat" ​"Who can you trust," ... More >>

True Blood: Beautifully Broken With Shelby Lynne

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. Season 3, Episode 2: "Beautifully Broken" Max Crace via WikipediaS ... More >>

Chicken on the Bayou Boudin Shop

​In the past when we've asked friends what makes good boudin, the answer is always simple - "somewhere on the side of the highway." About 15 miles east of Lafayette on I-10 lies Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, also known as "the crawfish capitol of the world." And across the street from the much adv ... More >>

Galveston Beaches, Bars, Hotels Had Big Weekend (Also: From Iran, The Most Unintenionally Funny Galveston Doomsday Scenario)

A true lifeguard rocks the Sam Elliott `stache​It could be the bad economy and high gas prices, it could be the oil spill that's avoided Texas (so far), it could be that the relatively cold winter had people yearning for the beach -- whatever it was, Galveston had a banner Memorial Day Weekend.Pet ... More >>

B L A C K I E

The Music of True Blood, Episode 1.5: Playing Chicken With the Train, and an AIDS Burger

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. With Season 2 just completed, Rocks Off is now working our way backw ... More >>

Love in the Time of Leprosy

The life after death of José and Magdalena Ramirez

Crawfish Season's Tail End

The bugs get bigger and the prices lower as the season comes to a close.

I Am the Walrus, Part 2

Oysters on the half shell aren't the only attraction at the old Magnolia

Letters

Lafayette's Legacy

Denis' Seafood House outclasses the competition

Asian Cajuns

At the Vietnamese-American-owned Cajun Corner, Louisiana mudbugs get a dose of special sauce

The Cajun Rages

Cher Thing

The Zydeco Louisiana Diner doesn't stand on ceremony