Lightnin' Hopkins

"Discovery Green" Is Classy?

Lomax on Lomax

Day of the Dead at the Graves of Southeast Texas Music Legends

Last Night: Over the Rhine at the Mucky Duck

Rememberin' Lightnin'

Tonight: Michael Hardie and Milton Hopkins at Red Cat Jazz Cafe

Pretty Ugly

Brooklyn's Barkmarket tries to hack off every oppressively prettified, mass-market notion of music

The Man With the Blue Guitar

Chris Smither uses the blues as a launching pad for a sound that could make you cry

The Collector: Mack McCormick's Huge Archive of Culture and Lore

A great American folklorist has spent a life squirreling away bits and pieces of Texas culture. Now time is running out on him and his inventory.

House of Lightnin'

A great American folklorist has spent a life squirreling away bits and pieces of Texas culture. Now time is running out on him and his inventory.

The Scene Is Dead. Long Live the Scene!

Ideas toward a Houston-style musical Day of the Dead

Voodoo Healing

Stan Ridgway is still tuning in "Mexican Radio."

The Houston Slide

The Medicine Show rocks the ephemeral city with eternal music

Snit's Dog and Pony Show

Friday, April 7, at the Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club, 5731 Kirby, 713-523-9999

Snooks Eaglin

New Orleans Street Singer

The O.G. of Love

Johnny "Guitar" Watson gets his due with a terrific two disc set

Moment in the Sun

Helios shines on undiscovered talent

Musical Chairs

It's never the same show with the Good Luck Band

Treasure Hunter

Chris Strachwitz's 40-year journey through ethnic music deserves an arhoolie of its own

A Musical Guide to Post-Secession Texas: Houston and "Brazoria"

The final installment of our Five States of Texas project brings it all back home, to the new state of Brazoria, encompassing all of Southeast Texas from the Brazos Valley to Sabine Pass. ​Patron Saint: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. A master of rock and roll, country, Cajun/Creole, blues and jazz, n ... More >>

Is Lightnin' Hopkins Finally About to Get His Own Official Historical Marker?

​Both Rocks Off and our predecessor in the music editor's chair have written about what a travesty it is that there is no official marker honoring perhaps the most famous and influential musician to ever call Houston home, country-blues icon Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins. Along the way, we've both menti ... More >>

Is Lightnin' Hopkins Finally About to Get His Own Official Historical Marker?

​Both Rocks Off and our predecessor in the music editor's chair have written about what a travesty it is that there is no official marker honoring perhaps the most famous and influential musician to ever call Houston home, country-blues icon Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins. Along the way, we've both ment ... More >>

Aftermath: Deer Tick Remembers Lightnin' Hopkins - Do You? - at Warehouse Live

Photos by Eggs/ breakfastontour.com​ Deer Tick's set Sunday night at Warehouse Live, opening for the lovely and photo-shy Neko Case, was the perfect capper to a weekend that saw us become sleep-challenged conspiracy hounds and road-weary travelers all within the span of a day. Too bad that the ban ... More >>

Lightnin' Hopkins may finally get his marker

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

Rocks Off Has Some Issues This Morning, But Not as Many as This Guy

​Rocks Off came into the office this morning to discover we had been beset by a bad case of the gremlins. One of our photographers' Web site was down, there was another mix-up with the Willie Nelson photos from Saturday night (which has since been fixed) and... well, it's just a Monday. However, w ... More >>

More Good News In the Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker Campaign

​ Eric Davis, whose application to erect a state historical marker for iconic Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins was approved by the Harris County Historical Commission in November, said today his campaign to raise money to pay for the marker reached its goal of $1,800 dollars last month. "I'm just ... More >>

More Good News In The Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker Campaign

​ Eric Davis, whose application to erect a state historical marker for iconic Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins was approved by the Harris County Historical Commission in November, said today his campaign to raise money to pay for the marker reached its goal of $1,800 dollars last month. "I'm just ... More >>

It's Really Happening: Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker on the Way

​ Yes, you read that headline correctly. Today the Texas Historical Commission announced that Eric Davis' petition to honor Houston blues icon Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins with an official state historical marker has been approved. Along with 243 others. Took them long enough. "I am completely thrilled ... More >>

It's Really Happening: Lightnin' Hopkims Historical Marker On The Way

​ Yes, you read that headline correctly. Today the Texas Historical Commission announced that Eric Davis' petition to honor Houston blues icon Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins with an official state historical marker has been approved. Along with 243 others. Took them long enough. "I am completely thrille ... More >>

Which Other Local Musical Landmarks Deserve Historical Markers?

Chris Gray SugarHill Studios​Monday's announcement that the Texas Historical Commission has approved Eric Davis' proposal for an official state historical marker honoring Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins is wonderful news, but it's also only the tip of the iceberg. Plenty of other spots around town, ... More >>

Lightnin' Strikes

The late legendary Houston bluseman finally gets an official historical marker.

Inquiring Minds: Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes On Billy Gibbons, Lightnin' Hopkins, Ray LaMontagne And More

Shore Fire Media​ In this week's print edition of the Press, Warren Haynes talks about juggling his membership in the Alpha and Omega of jam bands, the Allman Brothers Band and The Dead, with the musclebound blues-rock engine he started in 1994, Gov't Mule. The Mule pulls into House of Blues Satur ... More >>

Devin The Dude Vs. Texas Board Of Education; Summerfest Prices Go Up Tonight; Rare Lightnin' Hopkins Portraits For Sale; ZZ Top To Play Chile Benefit

The Awl writes about Devin the Dude, making fun of the dumbifying of Texas' public-school curriculum. Today is your last chance to get Summerfest passes for the low, low price of $22.50. They go up at midnight. Prince Paul, who only produced De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, has signed on to DJ ... More >>

Beyond His Years

A bluesman since age ten, Bernard Allison has learned his lessons well.

Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker Text Approved

Andrew Hanson, 1959​The Texas Historical Commission has approved the text that Eric Davis submitted for the historical marker honoring late Houston blues legend Lightnin' Hopkins, and will now send the text to a foundry so the marker can be cast. The commission approved Davis' proposal for the mar ... More >>

Road Dogs

LP on the way, Houston's American Fangs stay sharp through constant touring.

It Might Get Loud At Alamo Drafthouse Tonight

Hollywood Shuffle comes to you a day early this week because Alamo Drafthouse is hosting a screening tonight, and we'd never forgive ourselves if we didn't let you know about it. What film is it, you ask? Oh, just a little "rockumentary" from 2008 called It Might Get Loud, in which Jimmy Fucking ... More >>

Lightnin' Hopkins Marker Cast, Ready For Dedication

​Good news on the Lightnin' Hopkins historical marker front: It officially exists. R. Eric Davis, who raised the necessary funds and successfully petitioned the Texas Historical Commission to approve the marker, has received the monument to the legendary bluesman who spent the majority of his ... More >>

Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker Dedication

​Good news on the Lightnin' Hopkins historical marker front: It officially exists. R. Eric Davis, who raised the necessary funds and successfully petitioned the Texas Historical Commission to approve the marker, has received the monument to the legendary bluesman who spent the majority of his ... More >>

Lightnin' Hopkins' Six Best Songs, By Mr. Blues In Hi-Fi

​Tomorrow, Rocks Off - and, we hope, a lot of our readers - will drag our raggedy asses out of bed and over to Project Row Houses in Third Ward at 10 a.m. to witness something incredible: The dedication of a Texas State Historical Marker to the greatest bluesman to ever hang his hat in Houston ... More >>

Lightnin' Hopkins Dedication Draws Overflow Crowd

Photos by Matthew KeeverL-R: R. Eric Davis, Texas Johnny Brown, Milton Hopkins. For more photos from Saturday, see our slideshow here.​Lightnin' Hopkins is official. Saturday morning, a crowd that overflowed the tent erected due to the inclement weather (though it never actually rained) showe ... More >>

Sam's Place

Lightnin' Hopkins finally gets his own historical marker.

Music We're Thankful For This Year

​After the turkey comas subside and Black Friday opens the holiday retail floodgates, this year in music will be all but over. Yes, there's another month until the calendar flips over, but from here until early January, the only "new" music coming out will be the tide of reissues, box sets and ... More >>

Po Lightnin': Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life and Blues

​Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life and Blues By Alan Govenar Chicago Review Press, 368 pp., $28.95. With the dedication of a state historical marker in the Third Ward where he lived and played, Lightnin' Hopkins' name and music has gotten a bit of a boost lately. Long overdue, many would say, and ... More >>

Lightnin' Hopkins Finally Gets What's Coming To Him

This week Rocks Off is counting down our choices for the Top 5 local music stories of 2010. Matthew KeeverR. Eric Davis, Texas Johnny Brown and Milton Hopkins at the Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker dedication ceremony, November 13​WHAT HAPPENED? Coming in at No. 5 on our year-end list is ... More >>

What's New In The Houston Scene Since You Were Here Last

Craig HlavatyThe jukebox at Grand Prize Bar. Note George Jones, ZZ Top, Lightnin' Hopkins, Prince...​Imagine that you have been frozen since September, or at least the beginning of the fall college semester. Or maybe you are an adult coming back to Houston to visit the folks, return Christmas ... More >>

Houston's Best Gifts To The Music World

Ed. Note: Rocks Off is still in a holiday frame of mind... actually we meant to post this before Christmas, but they're just as true now. No refunds, no exchanges. ​Here is Craig's Hlist point of view: Houston has given so much to the world, from ZZ Top, Jandek, Beyonce Knowles, and everythin ... 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 >>

Old School

Musicians in their 70s and 80s are keeping Houston's traditional blues scene real.