Taj Mahal

Houston Chicken Farmers Trying to Escape the Coop

Ken Cousino knows exactly when the move to legalize chicken farming in Houston took off. Isabella, a nearby nine-year-old, had been a steady customer at Cousino's Quality Feed and Garden, picking up fodder for her few pet chickens. One day, she entered in tears. The city had arrived, she said. Tol ... More >>

4:50 a.m.: The 15 Best Fishing Songs We Could Find

Rocks Off never thought we'd say this, but the country eye candy behind "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer," Billy Currington, turned out to be pretty wise. He was smart enough to record the song "Bad Day of Fishin'" anyway, which contains the sage advice "a bad day of fishing beats a good day of anythin ... More >>

The Great Taj Mahal, Still Whistlin' the Blues

It's been a long time so it's hard to remember exactly, but some time in the winter of 1970-71, Taj Mahal played the Houston Music Hall. Between 1968 and 1971, he had put out five albums and become a staple of the hippie music scene. Yet with his soulful reinterpretations, permutations and homages ... More >>

Comin' Up: Happy 70th Birthday, Paul McCartney

By now you all know that today is Sir Paul McCartney's 70th birthday. Over on chron.com, there is a wire story on the milestone with a curious headline: "Say It Ain't So: Mop Top Paul McCartney Turns 70." Now does this mean that it's a shame he made it seven decades of service, or does it suck that ... More >>

Rest Of The Best: Houston's Top 8 Jukeboxes

Along with pickled pig's feet and a steady supply of Slim Jims, a good jukebox is a prime element for any great bar. But, like dinosaurs, jukeboxes are a vanishing breed. Unlike digital jukes, iPods or DJs, jukeboxes require love, care and maintenance, as well as -- among the truly great ones -- som ... More >>

Last Night: Experience Hendrix Tour At Arena Theatre

Experience Hendrix Tour Arena Theatre March 22, 2012 It was a guitar-gasm of monstrous proportions at the Arena Theatre when string shredders, bass thumpers, keyboard squealers, and one very, very hardworking drummer paid tribute to the musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix in a 3 hour show that expertly ... More >>

Dweezil Zappa: Jimi Hendrix "Rings True To Every Generation"

As far as the estates of deceased classic-rock artists go, few can hold a lighter to the efforts of Jimi Hendrix's in terms of keeping the artist and their music alive. In recent years, Experience Hendrix, LLC -- run by Jimi's half-sister Janie -- has churned out a number of products to satiate bot ... More >>

The 15 Best Bill Graham Presents Posters And Artwork

Photo By Tony MorelliBill Graham in 1974​Twenty years ago this week, legendary concert promoter Bill Graham went to the big backstage party in the sky after the helicopter he was riding in flew into a high-voltage tower in Vallejo, Calif. Also killed in the crash was Graham's girlfriend, Melis ... More >>

Metro Bids Adieu to the Intermodal "Kiss & Ride" Terminal

Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn ArchitectsNo longer needed​In yet another ritual cleansing of the Frank Wilson Era, Metro CEO George Greanias tells the Houston Chronicle that the agency is writing off $168 million in useless expenses racked up by the previous administration. Some of that comes fro ... More >>

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Billy Idol, "Sweet Sixteen" And Wild Women of Wongo

​Before "Cradle of Love," the song that introduced Billy Idol to a generation of '80s babies (this writer included), the shock-haired singer already had one song about a heart-stealing young vixen under his belt. Since the moment we heard "Sweet Sixteen," it's been our favorite piece of Idol's ... More >>

Matt the Electrician

Get Behind the Mule

Gov't Mule main man Warren Haynes swears he takes time off, but we don't really believe him.

Architecture Gone Awry: Houston's 8 Ugliest Buildings

Photo courtesy of SwamplotThe HISD Central Services building, a.k.a. the Taj Mahal​The old HISD Central Services building on Richmond -- called the Taj Mahal by HISD employees, both for its massive size and the massive budget that went into building it -- was torn down in 2007. One of the few ... More >>

Asian Film Festival: The World

Three Chinese filmmakers present an Eastern travelogue

Aftermath: Yanni at Toyota Center

Craig Hlavaty Words like pageantry, wonderment, and spectacle aren't used very much in the Aftermath lexicon. It's hard to divvy out those special labels when we are covering bleeding dudes in bondage gear half-raping each other on stage, the weekly parade of washed-up alt-rock groups making another ... More >>

Seth Walker: Leap of Faith

PBK Architects Brings Its "Build Big" Sales Job To League City

Photo by antkrizPBK Architects, the Houston firm that's in a messy battle because it wanted to build Taj Mahal facilities at a suburban Austin district and that is making Fort Bend parents uneasy with plans to build a Taj Mahal science facility there (official estimate from the superintendent: It's ... More >>

The Year in Albums

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

Dan Aykroyd on the (Mostly Texan) Blues Brothers Band, Our New House of Blues, Lightnin' Hopkins, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Houston Kinfolk, SNL in Campaign '08 and More

Get Lit: Skydog: The Duane Allman Story, by Randy Poe

Mail Call: What's in the Crate?

Juneteenth Revisited

Two arts organizations attempt a new spin on an old event

Sgt. Pepper at Discovery Green

The Houston International Festival Is Upon Us

Houston Music Festivals

The last three weeks of this month promise to be hard on your wallet, eardrums and liver

Mixtape 2: Girl Names

We're Number 3! We're Number 3!

An iFest Fan (and Former Music Programmer) Responds

An open letter to Racket from Rick Mitchell, with Racket's reply

This Week's Houston International Festival Highlights

Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24, downtown in an area bounded by Dallas, Rusk and Louisiana streets and Sam Houston Park. For information, call 713-654-8808.

The Sick Old Man of the Festival Circuit

An open letter to the organizers and music bookers of the Houston International Festival

Curry Favor

Cozy up to India at the International Festival

Best Liquor Store

Moovin' On Up

Does DQ's new drink ring some racist bells?

Taj Mahal & the Hula Blues, with Susan Tedeschi

Sunday, May 2

Roll Over, Eric Clapton. And Tell Stevie Ray the News.

The blues is back -- rawer and louder (and punker) than ever

Legendary Shack Shakers

Cockadoodledon't (Bloodshot Records)

The Art of Oil

Welcome to the "Jewelled Arts of India," made possible by your SUV

Will the Taj Come Tumbling Down?

A prime piece of HISD land goes on sale

Changing of the HISD Guard

Positions open as top Paige deputies depart on the Northbound Train

Letters

Clubland

Rotation

Sound Check

Happy Trails

A cowboy's name hasn't kept bluesman Roy Rogers off his chosen range

Letters

Static

Rockefeller's Return

The venerable bank-turned-club is spiffed-up and awaiting your presence

Goodbye to Lanny Steele