Tampa

Open Letter to the Bar Owner Who Wrote the Open Letter to Musicians on Craigslist

Dear Guy Who Owns a Bar in Tampa and wrote this letter to musicians on Craigslist, I've been playing music for over 25 years. I've worked in a lot of different places from absolute ratholes to really wonderful venues. I've seen all sorts of bad behavior on the part of musicians, fans, sound guys, b ... More >>

Merchandise

Thus Endeth The Republican Convention: The Best Of Our Miami Sister Paper's Coverage

Florida has survived the 2012 Republican National Convention, which perhaps should not surprise too many people because Florida has always shown a knack for surviving whatever gets thrown at it. Even if it's Clint Eastwood arguing with a chair. The RNC was in Tampa, but our sister paper Miami New ... More >>

From The GOP Convention: The Seven Craziest Souvenirs

Our sister paper Miami New Times is hard at work covering the 2012 Republican convention in Florida. To which we say Thank Christ because, you know, someone has to. We did our time in the Dome in 1992. New Times' Victor Gonzalez has been roaming the halls, looking for the mementoes available to att ... More >>

The Republican Candidate's Guide To Picking Campaign Music

This week Republicans from around the country gather in Florida to celebrate all things conservative and curse Issac for stealing the national spotlight. For me the 2012 Republican National Convention marks the true start of the presidential campaign season, the playoffs to the primaries' regular se ... More >>

How to Speak Republican

Leaked document reveals the secrets of the GOP's coded language.

Your Gonzo Guide to the Republican National Convention

From cash-hungry strippers to protesters dressed as vaginas.

According to This, San Antonio Has a Better Music Scene Than Houston

Like any and all lists, the Martin Prosperity Institute (MPI)'s list regarding the best music scenes in the country will leave most of you passing out side-eyes and stares. Easy to spot and digest, Nashville, New York and Los Angeles ranked 1-3, but after that it's a complete flaming crapshoot. Th ... More >>

Magic Mike

No so revealing.

Who Should Induct Axl Rose And Guns N' Roses Into The Rock Hall?

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is coming up quick on April 14, and the presenters for the event have been announced, except for one artist. Just who will speak about and induct Guns N' Roses? Who is even qualified? Rapper Chuck D will induct the Beastie Boys, while funnyman Ch ... More >>

Former Astro Luke Scott Hates Boston and Is Not Afraid to Tell You

Sometimes, it takes years to evaluate a trade and determine which side got the better of the deal. In 2007, when the Astros traded five players to Baltimore for shortstop Miguel Tejada, it was widely thought that the barometer for whether or not the Astros got the better of the deal would be the per ... More >>

The Super Bowl Prostitution Hoax

Indianapolis mobilizes for an epic battle with an urban legend.

Anna in the Tropics

Pop Rocks: A (Not Really) Canonical List Of Wardrobe Malfunctions (NSFW)

Bad idea.​The "wardrobe malfunction" is a phenomenon I confess I wasn't really aware of until Super Bowl XXXVIII. Half of us at the party were watching the actual Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake halftime show, the other half were watching the South Park (or was it Family Guy?) episode running ... More >>

Pop Rocks: What's Your [Wardrobe] Malfunction? (NSFW)

Bad idea.​The "wardrobe malfunction" is a phenomenon I confess I wasn't really aware of until Super Bowl XXXVIII. Half of us at the party were watching the actual Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake halftime show, the other half were watching the South Park (or was it Family Guy?) episode running ... More >>

Top 5 Worst Fireworks Foul-Ups: A Video Collection

​Jackasses. That's the best way to sum up these best-worst fireworks extravaganzas. Again, like in past lists that are centered around idiocy, incidences where folks were killed and/or little kids were burned were not included in the American-centric nonsense. By the way, King Moron of Fou ... More >>

Good Tequila Actually Does Come (Relatively) Cheap

​It's 4:32 in the afternoon and I have a box of booze and nowhere to be. A box filled with two giant bottles of Familia Camarena tequila, a brand that I am not familiar with. Lord knows I do love me some tequila, but testing out strange booze can be a risky endeavor. And strange tequila is per ... More >>

The Olsen Twins: Now Chopped And Screwed!

​Now that screwing and chopping can be done without even using turntables, the technique has become all the rage on the Internet. And it's made a great leap forward into video. Now not only are the jams slowed and throwed, but so are the pictures. Nowhere has this been pulled off more hilari ... More >>

This Week In Set Lists: Pixies, Kings Of Leon, Tom Petty, Rush, Etc.

GroovehouseKings of Leon, Toyota Center, October 2009​Rocks Off has been both eagerly anticipating and dreading this week for months now. Anticipating because several of our all-time favorite bands are playing within the span of a few days, as are a couple of our favorite newer bands (though n ... More >>

Answers To Rocks Off's Musical Nickname Quiz

​Rocks Off hopes you enjoyed our musical nickname quiz earlier today. We have had a few nicknames ourselves over the years - our dad called us "Boog" after former Baltimore Orioles first baseman Boog Powell, and we were known for years around the Austin Chronicle offices as "Weezer," which we ... More >>

Grouper Sandwich From Frenchy's Rockaway Grill

​With an empty stomach and a heart full of hope, we headed to Frenchy's Rockaway Grill in Clearwater Beach, Florida on the recommendation of a local on our quest to find the ultimate grouper sandwich. After a dip in the Gulf of Mexico, which is only about the length of a football field away f ... More >>

True Blood: Elmore James, Vampire Grudge Sex Hurt Us Too

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. Season 3, Episode 3: "It Hurts Me Too" ​Being able to fo ... More >>

Tampa Bay Brewing Company

Photo by shyzaboy​After last weeks lament that there aren't any locally owned brewpubs in the fourth largest city in the country, I just so happened to find myself in Tampa, FL for a wedding. Where was the rehearsal dinner? At Tampa Bay Brewing Company of course. Started back in 1996 by the D ... More >>

Lord Save Us: Houston A Finalist For The 2012 GOP Convention

An elephant stampede may be coming, and it will look like "Oliver's Army"​Hotline is reporting that the Republican National Committee has picked four finalists for the 2012 GOP convention, and Houston is one of them.We have to assume that they mean Houston, Texas, so be prepared to face horror.The ... More >>

Another Anonymous Male, Bayou Body Count No. 16

​The list of anonymous bodies and unknown killers continues to grow, as Houston homicide detectives opened another case over the weekend.On Friday at about 10:30 p.m., the cops got a call from a resident along the 3400 block of Tampa, a little east of Hermann Park, about a dead body in a nearby ho ... More >>

Alley Theatre's Artistic Director Gregory Boyd Goes Down the Rabbit Hole With Alice

Photos courtesy of the Alley TheatreNikki Snelson plays the Mad Hatter​Alice is a children's book writer who's estranged from her husband and not doing well at all with her daughter. Worst of all, to Hair Balls's way of thinking, she has writer's block. So she goes to the strange and crazy pl ... More >>

The Italian-Cuban Sandwich

​While the Akaushi burger at Logan Farms didn't knock my socks off, a new sandwich there called the "Cuban pesto" did. It's not hard to imagine that a roast pork, ham and cheese sandwich would taste pretty damn good with the Italian paste of garlic, basil, pine nuts and olive oil on it. But wo ... More >>

Bragging Rights Retained: Houston Keeps Its Status As A Top-Ten TV Market

Photo by Frankie Roberto​Those of you who toil in the world of local TV can rest easy -- you're still in a Top Ten market.It's an important piece of braggadocio to throw around, so people like to keep their eye on Neilsen's annual rankings of television markets.It came out today, and shows Houston ... More >>

The Big Tweet: Wild Moccasins Tour Edition

Kim DouglassIt's now been exactly a week since the Wild Moccasins kicked off their first-ever extended tour with a sweaty show before a packed house at Mango's, and like a lot of people (we imagine), Rocks Off is curious how the H-pop heroes are faring on the road. Luckily, instead of having to rely ... More >>

Yo! Majesty

Houston Likes Its Caffeine Cold And Bubbly

Houston, you love your caffeine, but only when it comes cold and bubbly.The second annual Caffeinated Cities survey came out today; it's conducted by something called HealthSaver and looks at caffeine use across the country.The Most Caffeinated City in America? Tampa. (Huh?) Followed by Seattle (tha ... More >>

What Is It About Houston and Burgers?

More Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurants are on their way to Houston. Last August, Robb Walsh told you about the new chain location at 24004 Southwest Freeway in Rosenberg brought in by John Hooff who told us he plans 10 in all in Houston Now, the big kahuna Bob Dorfman, president of TCH (Tampa ... More >>

Rabbit in the Moon

Sysco Slapped for Bait and Switch with Florida Fish

Sysco Slapped for Bait and Switch with Florida Fish

Astros-Orioles: Birds Win, Luke Scott Talks Smack

Steroids and Roger Clemens: Looks Like Two More Ladies Might've Taken a Ride on the Rocket

Honeydripper Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Spring Training: What a Glorious Place to Be, Unless Your Name Is Carlos Lee

Spring Training: Milo Hamilton, Harry Caray, Drayton McLane, Roger Clemens and Ria Cortesio

Jason’s Friedman’s NFL Picks, Week Seven: No Light at the End of the Tunnel Just Yet

What's Albert Einstein Got to Do with Ashley Judd? More Than You Might Think.

For What It's Worth

Anniversaries

Rotation: Yo Majesty

Letters to the Editor

Please Check Your Seatbacks -- and Pilot

War Is Afoot

"Eyes Wide Open" brings statistics to life

Ronny Elliott

Hep (Blue Heart Records)

Super Bowl Special

Houston's game will beckon the big leagues of a profession far older than the NFL

News of the Weird