Art Partners

FRI 9/12

Behold Houston’s latest artistic couple: Microcinema International and Infernal
Bridegroom Productions. “When Fire Station [No. 3] decided to close, we wanted
to continue working in Houston,” says Microcinema curator Patrick Kwiatkowski.
“Our goal was to find an underground or independent art venue that wasn’t catering
to the film crowd — at least not yet. We were also looking for a place that
wasn’t a classic theatera place where you can have a drink and sit down
in a non-theater-type chair, have casual conversation with your neighbor and
watch film.” The Microcinema folks approached the folks at The Axiom, home of
IBP, and — voilà! — a new couple is now holding hands, walking down
the high school hallways. The first Microcinema endeavor under its new roof
is this weekend’s “Sizzling Summer Edition,” a bill of 14 short films, some
with themes having to do with heat — though Kwiatkowski says that’s partly
accidental. “We’re typically not a thematic curating group,” he says. “We shy
away from overcurating. Our unwritten motto is, You’re gonna love some films
and hate some films, and if you walk away feeling that way we’ve done our job.”
In Niels Post’s Dreams California, animated cigarettes sing about smoking
in California. In Joel Sadilek’s The Summer House, a novelist escapes
the city to spend the summer in a rural home, only to be bothered by its former
tenant. And in Stefan Weinert’s Always Sergej, a man has a gaze so fiery
it entraps not one but two women. 8 p.m. Friday, September 12. The Axiom, 2524
McKinney. For information, call 713-527-8412 or visit www.microcinemna.com.
$5; 21 and older. — Cathy Matusow

THU 9/11

Songs of Praise

September 11 reminded us all to appreciate the folks whose jobs involve risking
their lives on a daily basis. To pay tribute to the victims of that day, the
Katy Performing Arts Society has organized a benefit concert for the everyday
heroes of the Katy Volunteer Fire Department. “Now Come the Names: A Tribute
to the Victims of September 11″ includes performances by members of the Katy
Wind Symphony, the Katy Symphony Orchestra and the West Houston-Katy Children’s
Chorus. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 11. First United Methodist Church, 5601
Fifth Street in historic downtown Katy. For information, call 281-829-0947 or
visit www.katyarts.org. Free, but reservations
are required. — Keith Plocek

FRI 9/12

Nature vs. Nurture It is one of the fundamental questions about humans: nature or nurture? You
can wax existential at Mixture Gallery, where two artists have tackled both
sides of this quandary in deliciously colorful ways. Dannielle Tegeder takes
the side of nurture, using diagrams and flowcharts as a launching pad for subterranean
paintings rife with pop motifs. On the side of nature is Jane Callister, who
lets candy-colored paint flow, drip and splotch all over her canvases, creating
lava-lamp skies and floating landscapes. The colorful cocktail that results
from mixing the two artists together serves up an intoxicating concoction of
complement and contrast. The show opens at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 12, and
runs through Saturday, October 18. Mixture Contemporary Art, 1709 Westheimer.
For information, call 713-520-6809 or visit www.mixturegallery.com.
Free. — Keith Plocek

Alligator Dundee See dead alligators at the Texas Gatorfest

‘Tis the season for killin’ gators. If you’ve shot yourself a big boy, don’t
head straight to the tanner’s. Your new boots can wait. Instead, stop at this
weekend’s Texas Gatorfest in Anahuac. Hunters will be dragging their spoils
to the fest in hopes of winning prize money based on gator length; one year
brought in a 13-and-a-half-footer. The event also features airboat and carnival
rides, arts and crafts and baby alligators for kids to terrify. And musical
guests include Cross Canadian Ragweed, Cooder Graw, Kevin Fowler, Aaron Watson,
Wayne Toups, Hannah’s Reef, Al White & Chaparral and Carl Manchaca. 6 p.m. to
midnight Friday, September 12; 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, September 13; and
noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, September 14. Fort Anahuac Park, 1704 South Main. For
information, call 409-267-4190 or visit www.texasgatorfest.com.
$5 to $8. — Cathy Matusow

SUN 9/14

The Woman of Steel

Forget everything you think you know about the pedal steel guitar. Susan Alcorn
has rescued the instrument from the back of the honky-tonk and placed it center
stage in her funky mix of free-form jazz and avant-garde classical music. Her
eerie melodies might echo the whining and pining of typical country-and-western
fare, but her virtuosity and abstract improvisations quickly drown out such
comparisons, instead evoking jazz greats John Coltrane and Duke Ellington. Maybe
Alcorn is so revered because she’s elevated a background instrument to a new
level of experimentation, or maybe she’s just that damn good. 8 p.m. Sunday,
September 14. Super Happy Funland, 2610 Ashland. For information, call 713-880-2100
or visit www.superhappyfunland.com.
$5. — Keith Plocek