Oklahoma City

Fall Out Boy's Emo Adventures In the World of Prose

Folks, recently one of my longest-awaited moments in music came to fruition: Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy bassist and songwriter, finally decided to release his full-length prose narrative Gray. He first mentioned it seven years ago, and now we finally have our hands on the book. With the recent reunio ... More >>

Thank Heaven: 7-Eleven Returning to Houston

I am barely old enough to remember 7-Eleven, which departed the Houston market in the 1980s following the Dallas-based company's financial decline in that decade, but I remember the stores being awesome. Since it left the southern part of the state, 7-Eleven has mushroomed into a multi-national cor ... More >>

Michael Vernon: Treasures Customer Says He Was Ripped Off, Assaulted by Staff

Last September, Michael Vernon had just moved from Oklahoma City, where he was a managing partner in a law firm, to Houston for a new job. He'd only been in town for a few hours when he and his buddy decided they wanted to see some boobs, and maybe help some young, tattooed women who were working th ... More >>

The Return of Roger Clemens and Some Other Dumb Ideas for Jim Crane

I've been onboard with most of what the Houston Astros have done this season. The team needed to be blown up. New blood was needed in the front office, the dugout, and on the roster. All that has happened, and though the team has been bad, the promise of the future has kept me invested in this team. ... More >>

Astros Put Fans Out Of Their Misery And Fire Brad Mills

So the Astros bloodletting continued this weekend. Manager Brad Mills, hitting coach Mike Barnett, and first base coach Bobby Meacham were fired after Saturday night's embarrassing lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The firing of Mills was expected (as was the firing of most of the coaching staff) th ... More >>

Capsule Stage Reviews: The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, Little Shop of Horrors, The Psychic, Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins, Travelsty

Grady Gaines, the Upsetter

Houston sax lion has always been in the "hottest band around."

Springboard South: A Peculiar New Festival Arises At Citycentre

Springboard South Music Festival Citycentre May 6, 2012 An interesting experiment unfolded this weekend at Citycentre. The Springboard South music festival was the brainchild of Barry Coffing, a music and film industry vet who's the director for the Houston chapter of the National Association of Re ... More >>

Aeros Bombing at the Wrong Time

A very wise man named John Blutarsky once said, "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no." But after this weekend, even though the Germans didn't bomb the Houston Aeros, it might be getting to that point where it can be said that the season's over. The Aeros played three games thi ... More >>

Last Night: Robert Earl Keen At House Of Blues

Robert Earl Keen House of Blues December 28, 2011 It sucks when your college roommate is more successful than you. Heaven knows Rocks Off was pleased as punch to hear ours had ended up blowing merchant marines for salvia in Vladivostok (just kidding, Doug!), but Robert Earl Keen's old front porch p ... More >>

We're Rich: Houston Income Growth Tops Nation, Survey Says

It comes in, but it also goes out​Income in Houston grew faster than any other city in the nation last decade, a new report says. On Numbers studied U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.numbers and found that total income in Houston grew at an annual rate of 5.69 percent between 2000 and 2010. T ... More >>

Aeros Plan to Take Care of Unfinished Business

Four months ago the Houston Aeros stood on the Toyota Center ice stunned. Stunned that they'd lost to the Binghamton Senators. Stunned that the AHL Calder Cup, which has been in their grasp, was gone. Stunned that the Senators were celebrating on their ice. Stunned that their magnificent playoff ... More >>

Odd Pair: Wine Pairings for Fast Food (Part I)

Photo by Jeremy ParzenBacon cheeseburger and fries at Whataburger.​"Sonic, a drive-in chain a based in Oklahoma City," reported The New York Times this week, "added beer and wine to the menu in its new Homestead, Fla., location in July. The addition was based on nearby restaurants' menus, and ... More >>

Scoremore: College Rap Promoters Bank On Diversity, Sharp Ears

He Shoots, He Scores: Scoremore's Sascha Stone Guttfreund​Sascha Stone Guttfreund is a 22-year-old UT-Austin graduate who has already accomplished more than most concert promoters who have been in the game longer than Guttfreund has been in college. In 2008, the Los Angeles native booked his ... More >>

J.A. Happ -- The Quest For 20 Losses

J.A. Happ: Does he have what it takes?​"I was a humble person before I lost twenty, but afterward I became really humble. You don't want to say 'Hey, I lost twenty games in one year,' but at least it has some interest to it." -- Former big league pitcher and 20-game loser Brian Kingman Last n ... More >>

Astros' Pitching Musical Chairs -- Somehow Brandon Lyon Got A Seat

Jeff Fulchino: The latest casualty​"Fulchie's got the stuff, and he's had some success here the last couple years and we wanted him to go down and work on command of his pitches and being able to throw the ball over the strike zone with consistency," manager Brad Mills said. Okay, first thing ... More >>

The Aeros Get Healthy, Prep For The End

John RoyalCasey Wellman reacts to his game winning goal on Friday​It's the homestretch for the Houston Aeros. Just over a month left and 17 games. If they survive this patch they're in the playoffs. But surviving this patch, getting through these 17 games, that may be the tough part. A hoc ... More >>

John Fullbright: Woody Guthrie Sells A Lot Of Hamburgers

johnfullbrightmusic.com​John Fullbright, playing a writers-in-the-round with Jess Klein tonight at Anderson Fair, looks like the kid at the grocery store sacking groceries or gathering carts from the parking lot. The innocent look masks an old-soul singer-songwriter and one of the hottest youn ... More >>

Last Night: Of Montreal And Janelle Monae At Numbers

Photos by Marco Torres​Of Montreal, Janelle Monae Numbers November 4, 2010 At ACL we lamented that The Flaming Lips performances have evolved to be less about the music and more about the floor show. You know what you're getting when you pay for a Lips concert ticket - Wayne Coyne will get in ... More >>

ACL Day 1 Recap: Sonic Youth, Spoon, The Strokes, Nice People...

Brittanie SheySonic Youth​ For lots more pictures from Friday, see our slideshow here. Rocks Off wonders what kind of guitar budget Sonic Youth has. They aren't very gentle with their instruments. This occurred to us as we were standing a few feet from the large screens projecting their exte ... More >>

The Aeros Prepare For Liftoff

tr> aeros.comThe new boss is ready to get started​The Houston Aeros are opening up season number 17 on Saturday when they visit the expansion Oklahoma City Barons.The Aeros are coming off of a disappointing season where they missed the playoffs the year after making the Western Conference Finals, ... More >>

Texans' Tailgating: Where Meat, Booze, Tattoos, Porta-Potty's and Big Ol' Grills Get Together (SLIDESHOW)

Photo by Chasen MarshallTailgating done right, but not "Best of"-worthy.​"Yo man, why you wearing that Tony 'Homo' jersey?"Texans fans were confident and cocky around the mish-mash of cars, RVs, tents and debauchery that was Tailgate City yesterday morning, outside Reliant Stadium.Riding high on i ... More >>

Bitten by Bug

This exciting production from Theatre Southwest will get under your skin.

Catching Up With Sharks & Sailors

Photos by John Van/ myspace.com/sharksandsailors​ Sharks and Sailors last played in Houston in the summer of 2008, riding high on its second release, Builds Brand New, and the resulting accolades. The band--bassist/vocalist Melissa Lonchambon, guitarist/vocalist Michael Rollin, and drummer Phillip ... More >>

Robert Plant Plays The Woodlands - Finally - On July 24

​ Robert Plant remembers Houston. In September 2008, the former Led Zeppelin singer and Allison Krauss were scheduled to play the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion behind their multiple Grammy-winning (and downright spectacular) Raising Sand album, but Hurricane Ike had other ideas, severely dam ... More >>

Aftermath: Ford Shilling Aside, Toby Keith Ain't As Bad As He Once Was

Photos courtesy of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™​It would be an understatement to say Aftermath wasn't exactly looking forward to this show. Our previous experience with the esteemed Mr. Keith was limited to occasionally hearing his songs in bars and one night spent drinking at his restauran ... More >>

Aftermath: AC/DC, Deja Vu All Over Again - Except Maybe Better - at Toyota Center

Photos by Daniel KramerYes, you've seen these photos before - hey, it's not our fault. Trust us, the band pretty much looks the same.​ Aftermath suspected AC/DC's return to Toyota Center might be a little similar to the ageless Aussies' December 2008 Black Ice tour stop here because, well, we chea ... More >>

Move Over, Ron Paul: There's A New Nut In The Texas Congressional Delegation

​Be proud, Lufkin: Your Congressman is a nut.We're not talking even Ron Paul nuttiness; U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert has left even that far behind.Gohmert appeared on the Alex Jones radio show last week. That sentence should be enough to prove nuttiness; Jones (a native Texan! He's appeared in Richard ... More >>

Responses to our Best of Houston® Issue

Best Of Show

Miss Pop Rocks: Britney Spears VMA Redux

Wanda Jackson

Wanda Jackson appears Thursday, October 19, at the Continental Club, 3700 Main. Call 713-529-9899 for more info.

Waves of Fascination

Shortwave radio: Where the lunatic fringe lives, breathes and flourishes

All Duct Up

From leftist camps and corporate security to semi-panic and port patrols, Houstonians tackle terrorism threats. Sort of.

The Thais That Bind

A culinary trip down the Mekong

Executing the Truth in Ads

Just who is behind the McVeigh ads is called into question

Letters

Rockin' On, A Stark Affair, Wrong War?

KPRC Tops Itself

Dr. Freud, breast obsession on Line 2

Very Appealing

Nichols's Houston attorney turns upbeat about the FBI's newest foibles

Letters

Shining Example, KTRU Blues, Not So Nice

Best Lawyer

Richard Burr

Dead or Alive

Dead Horse Walking

Metal Help

The late William "Tray" Folliard, the Hard Rock, and stories from 'round town

News Hostage

X-Filer Fun

Plot holes aside, Scully and Mulder once again manage to entertain

Static

Echo Chamber

Talk radio talks to itself for argument's sake

Looney and Liedtke For the Defense (Almost)

How two Houston lawyers would have represented the most hated man in America

The Great Smokeout

Massive HPD sting nails desperate teenage cigarette thieves

Talkin' Townes Van Zandt

Despite years of commercial and self neglect, the songs are still coming through