Sam Houston

Perry Believes Opposing Slavery Is the Same as Opposing Gay Rights, Apparently

I don't think there are many out there that would say Rick Perry is unprincipled. The epithets are plenty, and his mistakes are many, but there are few that would claim that Perry is anything approaching the slippery flip-floppery of Mitt Romney. He's a man of his word. Thus, when Rick Perry, flyin ... More >>

Friday Night: Rain, Beatles Tribute Band, at Bayou Music Center

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles Bayou Music Center April 12, 2013 Apparently the Beatles began when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 -- four fully formed lads from Liverpool in moptops and nifty dark suits. That is the premise behind Rain, whose five-man touring company reache ... More >>

Doubling Down: Texas and Casino Gambling

The Alabama-Coushatta want their casino back. The Texas horse tracks say betting on races isn’t enough. Both see expanded gambling in the state as their ticket to solvency.

Taking Risks, Making Provisions

Terrence Gallivan and Seth Siegel-Gardner are taking risks, most of which are paying off.

Pamela C. Dixon Charged W/ Intoxication Manslaughter in Death of Alan Jeffrey Mininni: Bayou Body Count No. 194

A 26-year-old man standing by his apparently stalled-out truck and trailer was hit and killed by a car driven by Pamela C. Dixon, who police say was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Houston police say the 44-year-old Dixon was driving a Honda Accord about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 6, ... More >>

Unidentified Male In Westside Drive-By, Bayou Body Count No. 171; He Called 911 But Too Late

Two men were shot early this morning as they sat in a car in front of a far westside apartment complex, police say; they managed to drive away and call 911 but one died and the other is hospitalized with gun wounds. HPD has not released the name of either victim involved in the incident that happen ... More >>

Remembering the ABA: 5 Things That Would Never Happen in the NBA

Thirty-six years ago this week, avant-garde basketball went away when the American Basketball Association merged with the National Basketball Association. The old ABA (1967-1976) helped revolutionize the game through the invention of the three-point shot and the drafting of underclassmen. At one t ... More >>

2012 Summer Guide: Summer in the City

Unidentified Male Shot at Club, Bayou Body Count No. 195

Dead in a westside restaurant/club.​Homicide police are investigating the death of a man found shot to death at a westside restaurant and club last week. The man, whose identity has not been released pending notification to family members, was shot in Clayton's Restaurant and Club in the 190 ... More >>

Romanian-Sounding Family Charged in $1.6M Gandhi District Gold Heist

​Police are seeking four family members in connection with a brazen September 4 heist at an Indian-American jewelry store on Hillcroft. Police say Ion Miclescu, Ileana Miclescu, Mirela Miclescu and Constantin Miclescu (and at least three other accomplices) made off with over $1.6 million in go ... More >>

Four Artists Who Died Before Playing Houston

theindependent.co.uk​When Amy Winehouse died Saturday, almost everyone noted how the troubled British soul singer had joined the "27 Club," the list of legendary musicians who passed away at that age that also includes Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, ... More >>

Our San Jacinto Quiz, Including Silk Underwear, Syphilis and Dennis Quaid

Good thing he wasn't named Sam Schnackenpfefferhausen​Today marks the 175th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, the glorious day when a ragtag Texan army surprised a siesta-enjoying Mexican force and won independence for the Lone Star State. The battle, fought near present-day Refinery ... More >>

Texas Seceded 150 Years Ago Today: Five Reasons It Was a Great Idea

Sam Houston said no to this​On this day 150 years ago, the Texas legislature voted to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy. Nowadays, of course, we have a governor who daydreams about the seceding, if not (necessarily) the Confederacy part. So it makes sense to look at how things w ... More >>

Openings & Closings: November 2010

Zelko Bistro and Katz's have some new fried pickle competition in the new Natachee's.​It's been a while since we've done a monthly roundup of openings and closings, but we're getting that train back on track now, and what a month to pick for that re-railment. November was busy, both in terms o ... More >>

Springsteen Darkness Reissue Includes 1978 Houston Show

​Did you know Bruce Springsteen mentions bygone downtown venue Liberty Hall in his song "This Hard Land"? Of course you did, because Rocks Off is contractually obligated to mention it every time we post something about The Boss. So now that's out of the way, here's something else Houston-re ... More >>

Horse Racing in Texas, On Its Way to the Last Round-up?

And they're off....​Is the Texas horse race industry in a death spiral? That seems to be the concern in a report filed today by Steven Long of Horseback Magazine who spent today with the Texas Racing Commission at Sam Houston Race Park.According to Long, Andrea Young of Sam Houston said the park's ... More >>

A Few Bits Of Texas-Related Neil Young Trivia

"Comes a Time," live at Farm Aid 1986 at Manor Downs racetrack near Austin Both Rocks Off Sr. and Jr. are pretty pumped for tomorrow night's Neil Young show at Jones Hall, and have the over/under on the number of guitars he uses at eight. We combed the Internet for a little bit this morning and cam ... More >>

For San Jacinto Day: Five Victories More Lopsided Than The Texas Army's

​I probably didn't need to remind you that today is the 174th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, where Sam Houston led the Texas Army to victory over the forces of General Antonio López de Santa Anna. The battle brought an end to the bloody Texas Revolution, and made siestas unfashiona ... More >>

Game Time: "I've Done Some Pretty Bad Things"

​"I've done some pretty bad things..." -- Tiger Woods, 3.21.10That makes two of us, Tiger. Of course, while the bad things you did were decidedly more kinky and homewrecking than my transgressions, it doesn't make me feel any less remorseful than you. Hey, by the way, saw your texts to Joslyn ... More >>

Hiding on the Backstreets: Remembering Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band In Houston

Daniel KramerThe Boss at Toyota Center, April 2009​This past weekend's show in Buffalo, N.Y., was the last date on a nearly two-year (and two-album-supporting) trek by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which found them criss-crossing the country and the globe several times to rapt audiences ... More >>

Five Direct Beatles Connections to Texas

Four postcards included in the limited edition of The Beatles: Rock Band​ Looks like Beatlemania 2.0 is in full swing. Rocks Off may have mentioned how excited we are to play The Beatles: Rock Band at Coffee Groundz tonight, with prizes, drink specials and much laughter as we try to gnash our way ... More >>

Hit Hermann

In time for summer, the park's had a facelift.

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.

Houston as a Movie Stand-In: The Top Five

Jimmie's Place

Willie Nelson stories and shoeshines at Jimmie's

Dark Water

A reporter, a photographer and canoeist Tom Helm paddle from the Galleria to Galveston Bay by canoe and kayak, finding beauty, danger and urban debris in equal measure

Holy Sh--!

The most-hyped hurricane season ever is upon us

Just Say Ho

A Tennessee-based Virginia rocker salutes the Big Drunk in song; also: Mary Cutrufello gets back on track

Meeting of the Minds

Hilarity ensues after a UH scheduling mix-up

Houston's Best Public High Schools

Counting down: Our sixth- through tenth-place finishers

Out of the Park

Second Ward slugger Aaron Treviño scores a scholarship and prepares to leave the barrio behind

On Their Backs

Sugar Land spreads its legs

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

A Room with a View

The Montagu Hotel, where the keyhole is more entertaining than the TV

Talking Turkey

Time again to honor the best in Houston

Shooting Star

Houston’s busiest filmmaker relies on Zen calm — and guerrilla tactics

Carrying the Torch

Rangers get fired up over Bush's Healthy Forests Initiative

Stealth Statue

Sssh! There's a secret project under way for the senior Bush

One Million Dollars? You Bet

Sam Houston Race Park hosts its own Kentucky Derby

Best Texas Stuff

Houston Visitors Center in City Hall

Bulldozers at the Gate

Houston fiddles while its architectural and cultural heritage disappears

Meet Mr. and Mrs. and Mrs. Jones

Some Houstonians say monogamy doesn't work for them. They don't cheat. They don't swing. They do have more than one spouse at a time. And the whole family knows about it.

Grave Importance

Old cemeteries rarely die. They just get buried under weeds, development and indifference.

The Art of Smoke

Technology has changed the nature of barbecue. But deep in the heart of Texas, a few true artists still cling to the old ways. We go in search of greater Houston's greatest pits.

Back to the Future

HISD discovers it can be hard to keep a TAAS-tarnished principal down

The Katy: Railing On

Fears of a future light train trouble Katy Freeway expansion critics

Press Picks

Sputnik at Colonus

Book 'Em

A principal's "detention" policy proves controversial -- and effective

All the Law Enforcement You Can Afford

Harris County has abdicated a basic responsibility of government: to provide for the public safety of all. Instead, those who have get and those who don't get the leftovers.