Subject:

Marco Torres

  • Blogs

    March 14, 2013

    Today's 10 Most Predictable Acts to See In Concert

    There's nothing quite as soul-crushing as a disappointing concert. We've all been there; shit rolls downhill the minute the dude behind you dumps his beer on your girl's shoes, or the security bro doesn't find your umpteenth "Freebird" request to be quite as funny as you did. It'll ruin the night wi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 18, 2013

    Oh, You Mean There Is Actually A Game During NBA All-Star Weekend? (Plus, Can You Name The Rappers In Our Courtside Photo?)

    After a weekend of human gridlock at the Galleria, traffic snarls, bottles poppin', and all the parties you could handle, NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston came to a close on Sunday with the Western Conference defeating their Eastern foes 143-138, the Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul getting the game' ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 12, 2013

    Top 10 Bands Your Girlfriend Cannot Stand

    A shared taste in music can be a critical part of any couple's relationship, from going to a concert on their first date to narrowing down that one special song for their first wedding dance. But what if that's not the case? Just from a bit of casual Googling, it's not difficult to find divorce atto ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 16, 2013

    Top 5 Reasons Not to Be a Concert Promoter

    Have you ever dreamed of promoting your own shows? I'll bet you've even sat around at times plotting out your own bills, dreaming of how awesome it would be to see an all-star line-up of, let's say, Poison, Ratt, Tesla, WASP, White Lion, and Cinderella. And while that sounds absolutely horrific, I'm ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 10, 2013

    Match the Anticipated Crowds For Selected RodeoHouston Concerts

    This week's RodeoHouston lineup announcement officially kicked off 2013 for Houston's party people and rodeo fans. The lineup is dependable as always, with your standard country acts, classic-rockers, kiddie-pop acts, R&B, and norteño offerings making up the month of music. Sadly, once again this ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 8, 2013

    Rodeo Touches Every Corner of Pop Universe, Almost Misses Texas

    I live too far away from the coasts to care about Coachella all that much, and have done far too much time in both the ACL and SXSW trenches to get too excited about anything that happens in far west Houston anymore. So instead, I have started looking forward to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 12, 2012

    15 Notable Houston Concerts of 2012

    As we look back over 2012 this week, it is now time to revisit some of this year's memorable shows. It wasn't easy narrowing the list down to 15. Concerts are in chronological order. CHRIS GRAY DAY, The Continental Club So much local talent and so much love. Uh, if I'm maybe a little too biased on ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 11, 2012

    Rocks Off's 10 Biggest Musical Disappointments of 2012

    Everyone's mother once told them, or should have, that life is not always going to be a puppy mill full of unicorns and rainbows. Remember why all those puppies are there. Sometimes life -- and especially pop music -- doesn't turn out like you were expecting, so now we present Rocks Off's Biggest Mu ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 1, 2012

    Rocks Off's Picks For This Weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest

    First off, the entire Rocks Off team agrees unanimously that we are all excited to see Run-D.M.C. at this year's edition of Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, even though writer /photographer Marco Torres has already seen them this year at Jay-Z's Made In America Music Festival. REWIND: Fun Fun Fun Fest ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 19, 2012

    The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 5 Hip-Hop Venues

    5. Grooves of Houston Grooves is an apropos name for this Third Ward hot spot: It's groovy. Besides hip-hop and R&B, the club also also plays jazz, which probably accounts for the mixed bag of ages found here. One word of caution, though: Get there early, and dress to impress. Grooves' popularity me ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 13, 2012

    ACL 2012: Friday's 12 Best & Funniest Moments at Zilker

    Check out our slideshow of the crowds at Day 1 of Austin City Limits. In the interest of being tidy and not boring you with minute details of the three-day exercise in sweaty and human endurance underway in Zilker Park this weekend, Rocks Off is giving you a break. Our team on the ground at the Aus ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 30, 2012

    thelastplaceyoulook Turn To Their Fans To Help Kickstart Their First National Tour

    To make the most out of the chance of a lifetime, you may have to make some sacrifices. For thelastplaceyoulook that means quitting their day jobs, looking for more affordable housing, and leaving their families behind for six weeks. Having built a dedicated fan base here at home the band now find ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 11, 2012

    Shot In The Dark: Put Down Your Phones And Watch The Show

    Take a picture, they say. It'll last longer. But fans weren't always able to do that. Only in the last five years or so, with the rise of digital cameras and smartphones, has photography even been an option. Even now, some artists insist on no photography at their shows, and a few venues still ask ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 9, 2012

    Shot in the Dark: A Brief Preview of Next Week's Show

    Gosh, it's almost a week away from Rocks Off's second Shot in the Dark photo show. Snuck up on us. Today we just wanted to show you a few pictures you'll be seeing at War'Hous Visual Studios (4715 Main) next Thursday, May 17, from 7 to 10 p.m., like Marco Torres's striking photo of DJ Jazzy Jeff fr ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 18, 2012

    The Best of SXSW Music: Saturday 3/17/2012

    So, we come to it: the end of all things. Four days of madness, Doritos, Skrillex and finally, St. Patrick's Day. Before we bid SXSW 2012 farewell, allow us to share our favorite moments from SXSW day four. Later, we'll let you know which shows weren't so hot. Find our favorites below, and if there ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 16, 2012

    Shanti: Music's Top 10 Yoga Enthusiasts

    This weekend, the Texas Yoga Conference hits town at the University of Houston Recreation and Wellness Center. It's like a big party where everyone practices yoga and learns or improves yoga techniques. At the end of the weekend, there will be musical performances by the Desert Dwellers, Tyagaraja, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 18, 2012

    10 Rock Stars the GOP Should Nominate for President

    As the 2012 presidential race begins to heat up in earnest, Rocks Off can't help but feel that the front-runners for the Republican nomination are lacking a certain je ne sais quoi. Call it star power. Call it sex appeal. Whatever it is, these guys ain't got it. If the GOP is serious about wresti ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 16, 2011

    Operation "No Tacos" Progress Report: Taco Torture

    Photos by Marco TorresMexico City Tacos 2009, a.k.a. The Photo That Haunts My Dreams​It's been 15 days since I started this challenge. Fifteen. Long. Days. But I'm hanging in there! People still think I'm crazy, and I partly agree, but the truth is... my mind was made up to take on this chal ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 3, 2011

    $10 for 10 Tacos at Tacos a Go-Go, Today Only

    Photo by Jason McElweenie​What are the odds that Tacos a Go-Go would announce a one-day-only sale on its tacos the day after our own Marco Torres announced that he's going taco-less (and Mexican food-less) for the next 30 days? Sorry, Marco. Better luck next time... For the rest of us, this i ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 28, 2011

    Last Night: Mastodon At Fitzgerald's

    Photo by Marco TorresMastodon gets the devil horns.​Mastodon, Black Tusk, Venomous Maximus Fitzgerald's October 27, 2011 Mastodon on the stage upstairs at Fitzgerald's is like a bull in a china closet, an anaconda in a cage full of mice, or at least John Travolta in a room full of handsome me ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 13, 2011

    Last Night: Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull at Toyota Center

    Photos by Marco Torres​What do you get when a Latino playboy from Spain joins forces with a Cuban party animal from Miami? The biggest fucking dance party that Houston has ever seen, that's what. The Euphoria Tour rolled into the Toyota Center last night and filled it with party anthems, lase ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 18, 2011

    ACL: The Rain Came Down, To The Delight Of Thousands

    Marco Torres​Yesterday at about midday at Zilker, a front of dark clouds began drizzling on us during J. Roddy Walston & The Business' set at the ginormo Bud Light, and the rain continues off and on until later in the afternoon. It was a welcome sight and feeling after months now of the jerky- ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 18, 2011

    ACL: Batman's Bale At Bingham, Nick 13 is a 10 On Sunday Afternoon

    Marco Torresoh hai Batman!​The widget on our phone says it's only 91 degrees here at Zilker Park but we don't believe that voodoo. The humidity and heat pounding the park reminds us of Houston. We smell Pasadena and our fair city's taco trucks all the way from Austin. Our day started by walk ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 15, 2011

    10 Rappers In The Guinness Book Of World Records*

    *At one point or another Marco TorresComing in at No. 10...​The Guinness Book of World Records has always been a fascinating and somewhat random thing to be a part of. Some people strive to be in the book to get noticed, while others get in the book completely by accident for good and bad th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 8, 2011

    Trae & Friends Go Gangsta For A Day On "Strapped Up"

    Photos by Marco Torres​Tuesday night, Trae The Truth called upon his followers to meet him at 2001 Commerce Street for the "Strapped Up" video shoot, the first track from his album Street King. His specific instructions were to "wear all black & ski mask", and wanted all of his fans to show ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 5, 2011

    Swagometer: Brawling Strippers & Fat Tony's Filthy New Band Name

    Despite what you may have heard, swag isn't dead yet; at least not in Houston. Have any swagged-out projects or general ideas? E-mail alliswagoner@gmail.com. Ryan GrimesBest. Photo. Ever.​Aside from working every day at Girls Rock Camp Houston, this week provided Rocks Off with its usually co ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 5, 2011

    Houston Press Music Awards Moved To November (Probably)

    Marco Torres2010 HPMA Musician of the Year Nick Gaitan accepts his award.​Recently Rocks Off has been getting phone calls, emails and even one early-morning text message from someone who apparently has our private number (but we don't have theirs) wondering whatever happened to the Houston Pre ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 1, 2011

    Houston Web Awards: The Best Tweets From Last Night's Ceremony

    Marco TorresJenny Kelley of I Love Flavor accepts the award for Best Food Video.​Check out all our pics from last night's inaugural Houston Web Awards. Bun B was a busy man last night. If you check the Houston Twitterverse's timelime from about 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., you'll probably see dozens of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 21, 2011

    Houston Dynamo Support Groups Squash the Drama, Unite Forces

    Marco Torres​It's an hour before game time on a late Saturday afternoon and members of the Texian Army and La Bateria congregate in a modest grassy area outside of Robertson Stadium. The Dynamo support groups have been camped out here since 1 p.m. in advance of seeing the home team take on the ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 13, 2011

    World Naked Bike Ride Comes To Houston (Semi-NSFW)

    Photos by Marco Torres​(This Item was written by Marco Torres, who also took the photos.) A select group of free spirits congregated at Super Happy Fun Land on Saturday night for the first-ever session of the World Naked Bike Ride to be held in Houston. Organizer David Collins, who dubs hims ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 25, 2011

    Chingo Bling Gets New York Times Love - Food Love

    Marco TorresChingo Bling, sans tamales in L.A.​Hey, guess what? A Houston musician finally got some love from The New York Times - not the semi-weekly Texas Tribune spread printed special for the paper's Lone Star press run, but the actual Gray Lady herself. Guess what else? It's in the food ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 6, 2011

    Mr. Boomtown Coats Bun B, E-40 With "Candy Paint"

    Marco TorresE-40 on the set of "Candy Paint"​(phone rings) "What's up, this is Boom... Sure, I can do Boston... It's gonna cost ya." (click) The acclaimed music-video director and filmmaker Nahala Johnson, better known as Mr. Boomtown, sits inside of a Midtown bar one night last week, drink ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 6, 2011

    Showing Off Our Photogs at Shot In The Dark Photo Show

    Photo by Jay Lee​In 2008, Rocks Off began giving our readers some of the best live concert reviews and photos to go along with them. When we started, it was usually up to the writers themselves to take the pictures from the photo pit or from the crowd. This writer remembers shooting the Foo Fi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 19, 2011

    SXSW Last Night: Birthday Boy Bun B & Erykah Badu Team Up For Noisey.com Launch Party

    Marco Torres​Bun B celebrated his 38th birthday last night at the launch of Vice magazine's new music site, Noisey.com at Austin warehouse district club Kiss & Fly.

  • Blogs

    March 18, 2011

    SXSW Live Pics: Tyler The Creator's Ripped Abs & Odd Future At The Fader Fort #SWAG

    Marco Torres ​Rocks Off has these exclusive pics from Odd Future's set at the Fader Fort, just a hours ago. It was an insane hour of hysterics from Tyler The Creator and his group of full-contact loudmouthed young hip-hoppers. SWAG!

  • Blogs

    March 3, 2011

    Last Night: Ice Cube At House Of Blues

    "Look at me; I'm just doing my motherfuckin' thang!" Photos by Marco Torres​Ice Cube House of Blues March 2, 2011 We all know the drill: You attend a rap show, buy a few drinks, say hello to your cousin/co-worker/pastor who also bought tickets, and then proceed to sit through a slew of openi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 15, 2011

    Is It Right To Ask Fans To Pitch In For Health Care?

    ​The current economic environment has made times a bit rougher for artists in America, particularly musicians. Take DJ Kool Herc. The pioneering hip-hop DJ, who created the music's breakbeat foundation by switching back and forth between the breakdown section of two different funk sides, was h ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 21, 2010

    Rocks Off's Most-Viewed Slideshows of 2010

    Faith Silva10. Adam Lambert at Hobby Center​Rocks Off will be pulling together a collection of our favorite concert shots from the past year shortly, including some pics of you all in the audience. But right now we've decided to take a look at your favorite music slideshows of 2010 -- that is, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 26, 2010

    In Case You Missed It...

    Marco TorresIt's a bird... it's a plane... it's... Usher!​Rocks Off knows you have had a busy week. So have we. But, we figured, what with Thanksgiving and Black Friday and traveling to and from your various other holiday ports of call, you may not have had as much time in front a computer as ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 18, 2010

    Friday Night: Legends Of Rap At Verizon Wireless Theater

    Photos by Marco TorresRakim​"Legends of Rap" featuring Rakim, Slick Rick, Whodini, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte Verizon Wireless Theater October 15, 2010 For more photos from Friday, see our slideshow here. Friday night at Verizon Theater was a celebration of hip-hop legends, the types that would ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 10, 2010

    ACL Day 2 Recap: M.I.A., Gogol Bordello, Deadmau5, Mouse Masks

    credReturn of the Bamboo Banger: M.I.A.​Aftermath was eager to catch Gogol Bordello, only because our companion had missed their last Houston show at Meridian in 2008. We were convinced he'd get a kick out of them so we dragged him over to the AMD stage early in order to get a good view. One ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 9, 2010

    Live From The Austin City Limits Festival, Day 2

    Brittanie Shey: When you go to a festival lit this, you're always looking for the discovery. The one band that either blows you away or causes you to alter all your expectations. Today it was Dan Black, a performer we caught only because there was nothing else going on. As soon as we get home, we' ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 8, 2010

    Live From The Austin City Limits Festival, Day 1

    Brittanie SheyThe Ettes​Brittanie Shey: Things seem incredibly crowded, and hotter than Houston, if that's even possible. The dust is already flying. Some of us here braved the bro-crowd at the Black Keys (see jump) but some of us, seeing the mile of bodies wobbling before the stage, decided t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 11, 2010

    Live: More Notes From the HPMA Awards Ceremony

    Marco TorresThe Umbrella Man​More notes from the awards, in full swing: The Mighty Org just won best guitarist. Practice those cards, presenters. Fat Tony's acceptance speech for Underground Hip-Hop: "Third time for Third Ward." Tony says he's meeting with a label Monday -- he didn't say whi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 4, 2010

    Bun B Has A Trill Tuesday At Greenspoint Meet & Greet

    UPDATE (9:59 a.m.): Hip-hop journal The Source has just published its opinion of Trill OG, giving it the magazine's first five-microphone rating in more than five years. Photos by Marco Torres​Like Kanye West before him, Houston's beloved Bun B is getting to know this thing called Twitter. Tu ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 14, 2010

    A Feast Of Fun At Menu Of Menus

    Photos by Marco Torres​If a large crowd happily swaying and singing loudly to a cover band belting out "Purple Rain" at only 9 p.m. on a Tuesday night is any indication of success, last night's Houston Press Menu of Menus was a hit. Clever folks who bought V.I.P. tickets started noshing at 6 ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 5, 2010

    Slide Show: Alicia Keys And Robin Thicke At Toyota Center

    Marco Torres​ If time is indeed money, occasionally the amount of time reviewers can spend waiting for artists' management to approve our requests for tickets and photo passes can add up to more than if we'd actually paid for them ourselves. That's what happened over the weekend, as Rocks Off ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 5, 2010

    The Opening Day Street Festival Is in Full Swing

    Photo by Marco Torres​It's not just a nice day out -- it's a nice Opening Day. And the street festival in front of Minute Maid Park is already in full swing.A ton of Clear Channel radio stations are on hand, there are interactive games, Junction Jack is walking around, and later this afterno ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 4, 2009

    Flashback: Rakim at House of Blues

    Marco Torres​ One of the true architects of hip-hop, Rakim stopped by House of Blues' Bronze Peacock Room Tuesday night to conduct a clinic in peerless lyricism. Rocks Off's lensman Marco Torres was there. Did you know Rakim is the nephew of R&B trailblazer Ruth Brown? We didn't either. Click ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 22, 2009

    Slide Show: Bun B and Friends at Warehouse Live

    Marco Torres A who's who of rap talent from both Houston (Devin the Dude, Lil' Flip, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire) and out of town (Lupe Fiasco, the Cool Kids) turned up at Warehouse Live Saturday, June 20, to help the one and only Bun B "Swang on 'Em" for a couple of hours. Photographer Marco Torres w ... More >>

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