Chamillionaire Comes Aboard BestFest Lineup
Remember that announcement Rocks Off promised you about another addition to next month’s Best of Houston® BestFest lineup lo those many years months days hours ago? Like, yesterday? Here it is: Chamillionaire. Sorry it took so long, but the music business tends to run at its own speed. Those of…
Kissing the Canvas: 5 Bizarre Attacks on Art
A few days ago, freelancer Lauren Marmaduke sent us a link to a Washington Post story about a woman who recently assaulted a Matisse painting at the National Gallery. Naturally, we appreciated the irony of this so-called “art attack” and its significance to this blog’s name. But what’s interesting about…
Comment of the Day
Today new EOW blogger Ginny Braud wrote about funky-smelling asparagus pee. Commenter Trisch shared her thoughts on the subject: Haha, the special at the company cafeteria today is asparagus and goat cheese pizza. How appropriate. Artichokes have a similar effect, although not nearly as pungent. Interestingly enough, I have a relative…
Andre Johnson Doesn’t Deny Knowing the Rogue Miami Booster
In what has the potential to be the most explosive college football scandal since Eric Dickerson was pumping bass out of the speakers of his shiny new gold Trans-Am in the late ’70s, a rogue University of Miami booster who doubles as a convicted felon (Ponzi scheme represent yo!) revealed…
Top Five Cannibal Country Songs
Songs about singers and other songs has long been one of Rocks Off’s favorite fields of study within the wide-ranging curriculum of popular music. Off the very tippy-top of our heads, ABC’s “When Smokey Sings,” the Replacements’ “Alex Chilton” and the Pogues’ “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” come to mind…
Sex Cures Teenage Delinquency, UT Study Says
Worried about your teenaged son or daughter becoming a delinquent? Get them into someone’s pants, quick. A new study from the University of Texas says sex is the secret to solving delinquency. But before you get all riled up, understand that it’s “romantic” sex they’re talking about, not a bunch…
Attention Arts Geeks: Art Attack Is Looking for Writers
Yes, it’s true: Art Attack is expanding its inner circle of gallery crawlers, theater lovers, comics geeks, pop culture fiends and bookworms. If you have a passion for the arts and can write about it in a smart, concise and above all entertaining way, we’d love to talk to you…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 38, Crepes at Melange Creperie
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Billy Walker Barrett: Cops Say He Drugged 14-Year-Old, Who Woke Up to Find Him Raping Her
A 14-year-old girl was given a soda by family “friend” Billy Walker Barrett and immediately began to feel sleepy, prosecutors say. When she woke up, Barrett was on top of her, naked and in the act of raping her. Court documents say the Jersey Village man was watching the girl…
Dominic Walsh Dance Theater Kicks Off 10th Season with Free Samples
Dominic Walsh Dance Theater will kick off its tenth season with a poignant look back with a sampling of three audience favorites from last season. The free Fall For Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, which takes place at Miller Outdoor Theatre on August 26, will allow contemporary dance neophytes to get…
Alleged White Supremacists Beat Black Man, But DA Doesn’t File Hate Crime Charge
In a crime that hearkened back to the skinhead days of the early ’90s, or modern-day Dallas, four white men remain behind bars today charged with assaulting a black man at a downtown bus stop early Sunday morning. Police want the incident classed as a hate crime, but the Harris…
How To: Roast Green Chiles
Even if the temperature is 104˚ next weekend, I’ll be outside, next to a red-hot grill, roasting green chiles. That’s what chile addicts have to do this time of year. I’m just thankful that Central Market is trucking them in for their Hatch Chile Festival, saving me a thousand-mile trek…
Señorita Cinema Film Festival Announces All-Latina Lineup
A socioeconomic dissection of Houston’s overlapping African-American and Hispanic/Latino communities, an experimental film about a pronoun-cake monster and a love story exclusively en español. Not your typical presentation of films, right? Right? Yes, right, especially when talking about Stephanie Saint Sanchez’s brainchild that is the Señorita Cinema Film Festival. Entering…
BRRRRR: Chilly Songs About Cold Weather
It works like this: when it’s hot out in Houston, we fantasize about freezing weather, parkas, knit caps, and cuddling up in bed with someone warm. When it’s cold, really cold, for those few scattered days all we want to do is sit on a patio in shorts, sip margaritas…
Cover Story: Concussions in Youth Sports: Is The Risk Worth It?
Kayla Meyer was a normal kid growing up on the family farm in New Prague, Minnesota, where she used to ride horses around the property. But now, the 14-year-old can no longer ride or even attend school on a regular basis after receiving two concussions in ice hockey. Ali Champness,…
Breakfast and Booze: Reviewing Flora & Muse
For a very long time, it used be that my family and I would trek over to the Le Peep at Wilcrest and Westheimer when we wanted brunch in West Houston. Le Peep is neither the best nor the worst brunch spot in town, but it is consistently packed. And…
Cinema Slap Fight: King Kong Vs. Godzilla
In which I settle an old score. Obviously, there is already a movie dedicated to the entire proposition of Gojira and Kong beating the crap out of each other. Shockingly, it was called King Kong vs. Godzilla and came out in 1962. In the film, Kong appears to emerge victorious,…
What Google & Motorola’s Marriage Means To The Music Industry
Google stunned the tech world last week when it tied the knot with Motorola for $12.5 billion. But it’s the music business that should be raising its brows at the union. Like any typical suitor, Google weighed Motorola’s considerably large assets in its decision to get in bed with the…
Are Police Downplaying Sexual Assault in the Third Ward?
When Third Ward activists get together with HPD, the results aren’t usually rosy. But last night’s standing-room-only meeting of the Positive Interaction Program (PIP), which gives citizens the chance to ask questions of the South Central Patrol, was surprisingly calm — at least in the beginning. The meeting was spurred…
35 Bands You Should Never, Ever Search On Google Images
Here at Rocks Off, we take our blog ideas where we can get them – even from mistakes. Allow us to explain. About a month ago, we went to Rihanna at Toyota Center, and afterward stopped by Jet Lounge to see what was going on because we hadn’t been there…
Tasting Notes: This Week in Wine Blogs
Eats Blog: Texas has a new top sommelier, and his name is Bill Elsey (right), winner of the “best sommelier in Texas” competition held each year at the Texas Sommelier Conference. The title was conferred late yesterday afternoon in Irving, Texas on the last day of the event, and the…
Shawn Asil Jordan: Masturbating in Jail Adds to His Problems
When you’re sitting in jail on an aggravated robbery charge, time passes slowly. Thoughts drift to happier times. If those happier times involve sex — even if it’s just a fantasy “happier time” of you, say, banging Rihanna like she’s never been banged before — well, sometimes urges can get…
Japanese Teeth Tattoos and Our Top 10 Most Regrettable Body Art Trends
No one can say that the Japanese aren’t progressive. They’ve cornered the market on electronics, Anime, robots, Hello Kitty and Pocky Sticks. Americans love to jump on Japan’s more efficient mini-bandwagons as quickly as we can. We eat up their fads like Futomaki rolls with cream cheese. However, Art Attack…
Colton & Farb’s “Use Your Illusion” Not About Guns N’ Roses
Colton & Farb Gallery’s summer group show “Use Your Illusion” takes its name from a Guns N’ Roses album, out of context, to play around with the idea of reality vs. unreality. (What’s with the Houston gallery scene’s fandom over Axl Rose’s former band, by the way? Anya Tish Gallery…
The Stinky Truth About Asparagus
I’m just gonna put it out there. What is with asparagus pee? It’s an age-old question (okay, maybe not). Novelist Marcel Proust wrote in 1913 that asparagus “transforms my chamber-pot into a flask of perfume.” Eau d’Asparagus? I’m not quite sure what passed for perfume in France in 1913, but…
HGO Commissions a Special 9/11 Work for, and of, Houston
Last fall and winter, librettist Gene Scheer interviewed Texas firefighters who’d gone to New York City ten years ago to help in human recovery efforts after 9/11. “About a week later, they were sent there as part of the national response at the time,” Scheer said in an interview with…
Comment of the Day: Gayness Is Not a Zero-Sum Game
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Don Juan Davis, 31, Bayou Body Count No. 124
The third killing in less than a week in an obscure Houston neighborhood happened Sunday evening, Houston police say. The death of Don Juan Davis, 31, came about 10:30 p.m. after an argument in a parking lot in the 10100 block of Forum Park Drive. The location is in the…
Pimped Out S’mores
Since the beginning of summer I’ve consumed an inordinate amount of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers, most often in the form of Campfire Bars. And I since I so worship this glorious trifecta, I can’t believe I only found out about these Jumbo Marshmallow bad boys just this week:…
Top 10 Nu-Metal Fashion Violations
Life is filled with ups and downs, and music is no exception. Just as the rock and roll renaissance of the ’60s and ’70s gave way to the mindless era of disco, the depth and fury of the punk and grunge movements eventually degenerated into the watered-down genre commonly referred…
Bad Poetry Day Round Robin: Your First Line, Courtesy of Local Poet Rich Levy
Bad Poetry Day is almost here, and, as promised, here is the first line of bad poetry in what we hope will be an annual tradition, producing tomes of bad poems and encouraging hosts of bad poets for generations to come. The first to comment writes the next line of…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Jeramie Robison of Restaurant Cinq at La Colombe d’Or
Last year, Chef Jeramie Robison had his bags packed. He was leaving the Houston area, and along with it, a bumpy road during his stint at Tesar’s in the Woodlands, when he received a call from Dan Zimmerman at La Colombe d’Or. Robison initially told Zimmerman that he was leaving…
SYDTHEMAN: Don’t Get On This Guy’s Nerves
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. This is SYDTHEMAN. (Or his record; his picture…
Checking in with UH AD Mack Rhoades
This has got to be a strange season that’s coming up for Houston Cougar Athletic Director Mack Rhoades. His first year was spent settling into the city and the school as the football team went on an amazing ride. Last year saw the school introducing numerous new head coaches, including…
Out of Time: 10 Notable Movie Anachronisms
Don’t know if you’ve seen Captain America: The First Avenger yet (and if you haven’t, you’re missing out on some quality pectoral action). If so, you may have noticed a little historical revisionism, namely the presence of African-American troops fighting alongside whites (also that closed-circuit TV cameras were already in…
Messy Lawsuit Features Rival Crime Scene Clean-Up Companies
Who knew the crime scene/trauma clean-up business was so, um, cut-throat? If the allegations in a local civil court case are to be believed, only rival drug lords conduct their business more ruthlessly. According to plaintiffs John DiGulio and K.P. Management, two area men and their respective companies have conspired…
Dudely Jones Graduates To Full Comedy Web Series
Rocks Off has been chronicling the rise of comedy rapper Evan Cassidy and his Dudely Jones Comedy Tribe for quite some time. He’s broken down for us the sweet honey lure of his dinosaur sweater, proven that there is a place in rap for modesty, and showed us his firecrotch…
Enron: The Six Weirdest Items from the Auction
It was ten years ago that Enron went up in flames. Recently some reorganizing of the home office revealed that we had somehow kept the catalog for the 2002 auction of the company’s assets. It’s mostly page after page of computer equipment and office furniture, but there were some other…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. This week, we’re spotlighting some national sites with local interest, as well…
10 Confederate Flag Bikinis and the Subtle Political Statements They Make
Despite Sam Houston’s fervent wishes, Texas joined the Confederacy during the Civil War. Perhaps old Sam would have endorsed the move if he knew it would eventually lead to the phenomenon of Confederate-flag bikinis. These bikinis, to be sure, do not promote slavery or racism. Instead they make a much…
Comment of the Day
Today Katharine Shilcutt wrote an interesting story about a patron who tweeted while eating at a restaurant and got kicked out. Who was wrong, and who was right? Readers were pretty split, but one commenter, Ralphy, didn’t seem to care much: Darn!! Late to the show again. But my popcorn’s…
UPDATE: Local Poet Rich Levy Will Provide First Line For Tomorrow’s Bad Poetry Round Robin
Thursday is Bad Poetry Day, and Art Attack is calling on our readers to don their berets and turtlenecks and help us write Houston’s worst poem. At 9:30 tomorrow morning, we’ll post a single line of bad poetry. Trust us, it will be horrible. The first to comment on the…
Houston Texans Game A — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
Photos by Marco Torres There are certain things in life that even when they’re bad by their standards, they’re still pretty decent by society’s standards. Pizza, sex with an attractive partner, the last couple seasons of The Office, to name a few examples. I would add NFL football to that…
Robert L. Hedrick: Pan Am’s Big Comeback Likely Stalled With Its President’s Child-Porn Indictment
Robert L. Hedrick made a big splash last October, inviting former Pan Am employees back to Brownsville’s original pan Am building to announce the creation of an airline with a similar name that had plans to fly routes from that city to Latin America and even Johannesburg. “Hedrick and his…
Major BestFest Lineup Announcement Coming Wednesday
It’s getting toward the end of the day and Rocks Off is sure you’re about to shut down your computer and head out for the day, so we’d just like to plant a little bug in your brain to come back tomorrow afternoon for a major announcement about the Houston…
Khanh Vu: Fish-Farm Owner Says Ignore the Shotgun Shells, Those Protected Birds Died Because of Transmission Lines
The owner of a Palacios fish farm was found guilty of killing 90 protected brown pelicans and a slew of other birds, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says. Khanh Vu, the owner of Seaside Aquaculture Inc., faces a fine of up to $15,000 and six months in prison for his conviction…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 39, Tacos at Karanchos
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
The Top 15 Bands To Come Out Of CBGB
Today is the 37th anniversary of the Ramones’ first gig at New York City club CBGB. The Bowery venue would be an integral part of punk-rock history, with the bands who played there nightly in its musty confines becoming the legends that would pave the way for millions of bands…
Why Dora the Explorer’s Swiper the Fox Is an Absolutely Terrifying Maniac
Once upon a time, the Daughter With One F was a firm devotee of Yo Gabba Gabba and the kind, pure lessons taught by DJ Lance Rock. We never minded when her trusting hand would seek ours and insist that we cuddle her as together we watched the gang’s hijinks…
Edrich Mack: State Moves to Seize $8,600 Mechanic Found Under Hood
When a mechanic at a Wallisville Road lube shop lifted the hood on Edrich Mack’s car, he saw a puzzling sight: a brown plastic bag tucked between the block and the firewall on the left side of the engine. The mechanic peered inside and saw that the bag contained a…
Bartender Chat: Lindsay Howard of Darkhorse Tavern
When you wake up on Sunday morning feeling less then stellar, all you need is a little hair of the dog…and maybe some actual dog hair too. As my mom says, “Just rub some dirt on it and get back in.” Sunday afternoon we went over to Darkhorse Tavern to…
Subterranean Radio Brings Houston Music to Chicagoland
It started like most things do, when your humble narrator was obsessively Googling himself to see who on the Internet might be talking about us. That’s when we came across Subterranean Radio, hosted every Thursday from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. on WRLR 98.3 FM in Round Lake Heights, Ill. Turns out…
Today’s DVDs: The Bang Bang Club, The Killing and Priest
The Bang Bang Club stars Ryan Phillipe and Malin Akerman, Steven Silver is screenwriter and director. The setup: It was the end of apartheid in South Africa; reporters and photographers from around the world were there to capture the end of a violent era and, hopefully, a new beginning for…
Lexus, Meet Wet Concrete: How Not to Park Your Car
This photo and other, fuzzier ones have gone up on Reddit of a Lexus whose driver made an operator error today on Norfolk near Kirby. The orange cones are there for a reason, people…
Wine of the Week: A Desert Island Wine from Lebanon
Wine professionals get the question all the time: What’s your favorite wine? When I get asked this question (and I get it all the time), I always respond with my stock answer: It depends on what I’m eating (never wine without food, never food without wine). In other words, if…
Biehn Counters: Michael Biehn’s Top 5 Movies
Michael Biehn’s been acting since the 1970s — IMDb lists more than 80 appearances, which is damn impressive — but in recent years he’s branched into writing and directing. His latest creative effort, the grindhouse-style thriller The Victim, is screening Wednesday at the Landmark River Oaks on West Gray, with…
Crusty Texan Bounces Watch The Throne From Amazon’s Top MP3 Album Spot
Proving once again that old age and treachery beats youth and skill every time, grizzled Texas singer-songwriter emeritus Guy Clark has knocked Jay-Z & Kanye West’s Watch the Throne from the top MP3 albums sales spot on Amazon.com. Employing the same budget-pricing strategy that helped Lady Gaga’s Born This Way…
UH Is Not a Tier 1 School When It Comes to Geography
This picture is making the net rounds, of a campus-map sign at the University of Houston. Geography can be so confusing……
Tuesday August 16, 2011 Deals of the Day
Today’s VOICE Daily Deal from the Houston Press is good for 50 percent off ($7 for $14) of wings at King of Wings on the U of H campus. Turn up the heat with “hot” and “atomic” wings, or explore KoW’s other tasty flavors like teriyaki, BBQ (hickory or honey),…
Attention Artists: Spruce Up a Piece of Tin for Día de los Muertos
It’s more than two months away, but Lawndale Art Center is already preparing for its annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) exhibition. The exhibition will include musical performances, paper-cutting and sugar skull-making (yum) workshops and the annual retablo silent auction and gala. The retablo is a small…
Tom DeLay’s Appeal Brief Is As Hilariously Over the Top As He Is
Tom DeLay’s embarrassing stint on Dancing with the Stars apparently taught him one thng: Go Hollywood and go brash. The appellate brief filed seeking to overturn his money-laundering conviction is, courtesy of Houston lawyer Brian Wice, as over the top as the man himself. In a three-page prologue, it quotes…
Restaurant Ejects Diner for Tweeting While Eating – UPDATED
Ever since Te House of Tea and its sister restaurant, the now-defunct Saute World Bistro, signed up for Twitter accounts in August 2008 — the first two restaurants in Houston to do so — it’s become not only de rigeur but almost necessary for a restaurant to have a Twitter…
Texans 20, Jets 16: Defense Shines, But Backup QB Troubles Remain
In the big picture, the narrative from Monday’s preseason opener at Reliant Stadium was a promising one for Gary Kubiak’s Texans. First and foremost, there were no major injuries. Secondly, the retooled unit of renowned defensive coordinator Wade Phillips put the Jets under siege, with relentless pressure from the likes…
Show Me the Money: Ranking Cameron Crowe’s Films
To celebrate 100 years in the business, the Santikos Theater in Tomball is holding Tuesday night special screenings of some of the most random movies you can think of. It’s their Centennial Celebration Film Series to honor cinema, America and there will be hot apple pie. Tonight, they will be…
Sopapillas at Taco Cabana
Last Tuesday, Taco Cabana gave away free sopapillas. “Free what?!” asked a man at the next table, when the manager offered to bring him an order. No wonder Taco Cabana was giving them away; how can you sell something if customers don’t know what it is? I wouldn’t have a…
Doesn’t Rick Perry Know Cursive?
We’ve seen more Rick Perry autographs lately than we have in a long time, because basically we had never seen one before. So we were unaware that his autograph resembles a third grader’s. Didn’t they teach cursive in Paint Creek?…
10 Odd Things Left At Elvis Presley’s Grave
Today is the 34th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, which means that even as you read this, Graceland workers are hard at work sorting, cataloging and otherwise disposing of the thousands of flowers, cards, framed pictures, candles, and Christ and angel figurines left over from Monday’s overnight candlelight vigil. The…
Five Famous Indian and Pakistani Houstonians
Dust off your South Asian flags, because this week we celebrate India’s (August 15) and Pakistan’s (August 14) Independence Days. Sixty-four years ago, India freed itself from the Brits and split itself into two countries. Luckily many crossed the hemispheres all the way to Houston, making us indebted to the…
We’re Gaga for This Champagne Glass Necklace at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft celebrates its ten-year anniversary with this show, an alumni exhibition of its Artist Residency Program. Around 35 former residents participated, creating new works based on their level of artistry today, and the results are impressive. Much of the work on display contains craft elements,…
Upcoming: Bun B, Chris Brown, Lucinda Williams, Maze, Saxon, Etc.
“9th Annual Ziegenbock Music Festival” With Eli Young Band, Dierks Bentley, Roger Creager, Bob Schneider, Robert Ellis, Folk Family Revival: Sat., Oct. 29, 11 a.m. The Showgrounds @ Sam Houston Race Park. Austra, Cloud Nothings: Sat., Nov. 5. Fitzgerald’s. Andrew Karnavas & Runaway Sun: Wed., Sept. 7. Rudyard’s. The Antlers,…
Valentino’s All-You-Can-Eat Summer Sashimi Event
If you weren’t there, you missed out. More than 100 people attended Valentino’s all-you-can-eat Summer Sashimi event last Thursday night, an extravaganza that included sashimi, more sashimi, and a bottomless selection of four wines — a Riesling, a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a Pinot Grigio — for just $25…
Comment of the Day: Of Lizards and Wasps
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Scarface: Say Hello to My Little Friend…Again
It’s been nearly 30 years since Brian De Palma’s classic Scarface first hit movie theaters. The film stars Al Pacino as Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who works his way up to be the kingpin of a cocaine empire. Michelle Pfeiffer appears as his anorexic trophy wife and Steven Bauer…
5 Intriguing Cocktails I Saw on TV
The Food Network and Cooking Channel have turned me into a couch potato. I wouldn’t get up at 4 a.m. to watch the royal wedding, but I’ll burn the midnight oil watching episode after episode of Iron Chef America and Unique Eats. Imagine my delight when I saw an hour…
How To Avoid A Sophomore Slump, Starring Twenty Eleven
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place -lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good- so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask…
RIP Gay Montrose? Community Members Say Yes, No and Maybe So
Montrose’s “gayborhood” status is officially over. Or it’s just like it has been for the past five to ten years. It depends on who you ask. Hair Balls recently spoke with various movers and shakers of the neighborhood’s GLBT community about Montrose, which was (and maybe still is?) one of…
Pop Rocks: What’s Your [Wardrobe] Malfunction? (NSFW)
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 at the same…
Pop Rocks: A (Not Really) Canonical List Of Wardrobe Malfunctions (NSFW)
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 at the same…
Pop Rocks: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Malfunction (NSFW)
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 at the same…
I’d Like To Teach the World To Sing: 5 Songs About Coca-Cola
It’s hot outside, folks. We’re starting to think the Aztecs were onto something, and if we could find a virgin and a sharp knife we might see if a little human sacrifice would appease the hateful sun god. Until then, we’ll have to settle for staying indoors and drinking many…
Council Candidate Allegedly Sends Out E-Mail Ripping Jolanda Jones, Even Though He’s Not Running Against Her
An anonymous, widely distributed e-mail criticizing Houston City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones appears to have come from the campaign of council candidate Bolivar Fraga. Fraga and Jones represent different districts; however, Fraga was just endorsed by exiting At Large 2 Councilwoman Sue Lovell, who has criticized Jones in past campaigns. Sent…
100 Creatives: Alex “PR!MO” Luster
What He Does: Founder of the production company Shoot, Edit, Sleep, Alex “Pr!mo” Luster is a documentary filmmaker, four-time Emmy award-winning television producer/editor and the creator/director of a number of short films and projects in digital media. Luster’s reach touches everything from subculture, musicians and artists, to scenes of life…
Where Are We Drinking?
For this week’s Where Are We Drinking? post, we’ve done something a little different. This longtime downtown destination has recently gotten a facelift, rendering it almost unrecognizable save for its famously rhyming name (which we’ve handily covered up). Does this spiffed up classic look familiar to you? Leave your best…
Rice Scrimmage Recap: The Owls Out to Kick the Longhorns’ @%#
“What are you dreaming about? What are you dreaming about? You should be dreaming about whuppin’ Texas’s ass.” That’s Rice head football coach David Bailiff, who is gathered in front of his entire team at midfield of Rice Stadium. He continues to pick players at random and challenges them, with…
Saturday Night: Stevie Nicks At The Woodlands
Stevie Nicks Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 13, 2011 Aftermath can’t help but wonder if the people who think Stevie Nicks is some kind of wand-waving white-witch faerie queen have paid much attention to anything she’s done besides “Rihannon.” Not that Nicks didn’t give those Woodlands creatures what they wanted…
URGENT Texans Update: There Will Be No Jonathan Weeks Game
Well, earlier today I gave you five reasons to watch the Texans tonight against the Jets. I guess we’re down to four reasons now, because apparently long snapper extraordinaire Jonathan Weeks is out with an ankle injury. I thought I felt a tremor in the Force last week. Anyway, that’s…
Comment of the Day
Today Joanna O’Leary shared her top five movie quotes about food, and EOW Nation chimed in with more. Commenter FattyFatBastard had lots of them, and he didn’t attribute: Just one little mint, monsieur? They are wafer-thin. Heineken? F*** that sh**! Pabst Blue Ribbon! I will not eat oysters. I want…
Mandatory Water Conservation: City Buildings Will Be Dirtier, Your Lawn Will Be Browner
Mayor Annise Parker announced mandatory water conservation in the city because levels at Lake Houston have gotten too low. That means you have 72 hours to fix any detectable water leaks at your house, you lazy bastard, and you’re limited in your lawn-sprinkling: Keep it between the hours of 8…
Great Minds: Best of Houston® Voting Is Open Now
The annual assessment of all that is great about this city is now open for your participation. Voting for the Best of Houston® issue is ready to go. Just head here and express your opinions, or look for ballots in the print edition later this week. And don’t forget to…
Happy Birthday Leon Theremin: His Invention’s Greatest Hits
Today marks the 115th birthday of Russian inventor Leon Theremin, inventor of the theremin, one of the eeriest and ookiest instruments created in this past century. Mr. Theremin celebrated quietly with family and friends in his native Russia. Just kidding, he died in 1993. The theremin consists of two antennas…
Bite-Sized Paintings, Recycled Plywood and Caribbean Girls : Weekend Art Crawl
After a run of covering moody, monochromatic sketches, we were happy to find color in the city’s art galleries. All three galleries we visited this weekend showcased artists who had no fear of the rainbow. The first stop was Lawndale Art Center on Friday. The broken air conditioning didn’t keep…
Houston, You Are the Tenth Most Promiscuous City, You Slut
Man, you host one slutwalk and…. Houston has been named the tenth most promiscuous city in the nation, in a study that we don’t doubt for a second is rigorous, peer-reviewed and unassailable. It comes from a dating site called OKCupid, but the people at OKCupid aren’t answering our questions…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 40, Seafood Gumbo at Cajun Town Cafe
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Wasp vs. Lizard: An Epic Battle in Photos
You’re sitting in your backyard, sipping a coffee or beer, utterly unaware that nature is surrounding you with tenacious drama along the food chain. Photographer Barry Sigman noticed one such epic battle Sunday, when a lizard and a wasp faced off over who would get to enjoy the great feast…
Tumblrin’ Dice: Kanye West Does Like White People
This morning in our daily Tumblr stroll for skull and Katy Perry pics, we found Kanye West With White People, a site dedicated to pictures of Der Fuhrer West with various white folks who are in natural poses, even smiling, while standing next to West. Considering his staunch opinion that…
Fast Times: Angus Cool Deli Sandwich at Arby’s
Lately, it seems like every other commercial that comes on is an Arby’s ad for its new Angus Cool Deli sandwich. They can claim that their marketing dollars got at least one customer, as I found myself at the Arby’s one afternoon. Arby’s is not the first place that comes…
Houston’s TranStar Gets Some Major Tech-Geek Love
The Web site Jalopnik, home to all things automotive, takes a lengthy and glowing look today at TranStar’s use of Bluetooth devices to track traffic jams. “[N]o one has tried snatching real-time data directly from Bluetooth devices along a network of sensors the way Houston’s cutting edge TranStar traffic monitoring…
Last Night: Goo Goo Dolls & Michelle Branch At The Woodlands
Goo Goo Dolls, Michelle Branch, Parachute Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 13, 2011 The Goo Goo Dolls, Michelle Branch and Parachutes made an interesting lineup at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion Sunday night. The bill sounded more like a mini-music festival from a time long past, featuring one band you…
Yeah Baby! 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Austin Powers Movies
Today, we found out that Mike Myers is interested in a fourth installment of the Austin Powers franchise. While we find this news only slightly less despicable than the news of a third Bridget Jones movie, we are huge fans of the first film, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,…
Ingredient of the Week: Thai Basil
A few weeks ago, we featured Genovese basil, a staple of Italian cuisine, as the Ingredient of the Week. This week, we’re highlighting Thai basil, a key ingredient in not just Thai food but many other southeast Asian dishes. What is it? Native to southeast Asia, Thai basil has a…
Cops Knock, Man Opens Door with Bloody Arms & a Corpse: Unidentified Female, 31, Bayou Body Count No. 123
Police answered a 911 call in the 8100 block of Sands Point Sunday afternoon and rapped on the door. It was answered by Alexander Cutino-Cabrera, 42, who happened to have bloody arms. And when the cops looked behind him, they saw a blood-spattered corpse. Cutino-Cabrera admitted he had stabbed the…
UpStage’s Festival of Comedy, a Triumph of Inventive Writing Over Hit-Or-Miss Acting
The setup: UpStage Theatre’s Second Annual Festival of Comedy allows local playwrights to strut their stuff in one-act plays that are comic, yet stay safely within the boundaries of “family-oriented” appeal. The execution: The writing shows imagination and comedic verve, suggesting good things to come from these four talented playwrights…
Despite Blue Laws, Texas Sommelier Conference Opens on Schedule
“You’ll note that there are pastries in the foyer,” said Master Sommelier James Tidwell, as he and Houston’s own Master Sommelier, Drew Hendricks, opened the Texas Sommelier Conference promptly at 9 a.m. yesterday morning at the Four Seasons Las Colinas Resort in Irving, Texas. The two co-founders were addressing the…
Five Songs For Congo’s Independence Day
Rocks Off remains fascinated with obscure holidays like World Rabies Day. Usually we focus on either lesser-known American holidays, or international holidays endorsed by the United Nations. Today though, we decided to branch out to other countries and wish a happy Independence Day to the citizens of the Republic of…
Lyle Monroe Bensley: Galveston Teen Vampire Joins Pantheon of Weird Seawall Criminals
Man, what is it about the Seawall? There’s just something about that place: nuts on the run from all over Texas wind up there because they just can’t run any farther. If we can liken the state of Texas proper to a margarita, Seawall Boulevard is the bath-salts-crusted rim of…
Five Reasons to Watch the Texans Tonight
I don’t know that there was ever any point during the NFL lockout where I was fearful that we wouldn’t have football this season. Still, the specter of the work stoppage that loomed over us throughout this summer made us at least ponder life without the NFL. Thankfully, cooler heads…
The Week in TV: George Lopez Canceled, Nation Mostly Shrugs
Lopez Tonight was canceled, but going by the numbers, you didn’t even know it was on. This was the week in TV Land: • File under The More Things Change: A year after Conan O’Brien left NBC for TBS amid a dispute over time slots, TBS has canceled George Lopez’s…
The Next Food Network Star
So, the Next Food Network Star has been announced. We’ll get to the winner, but first, I’m writing as I watch the reunion show and revisiting some of the contestants eliminated early on: the ones I rooted for and the ones I rolled my eyes at. The show started off…
Saturday Night: Ghostface, Raekwon & Mobb Deep At House Of Blues
Rock the Bells Tour feat. Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, Cappadonna, Supernatural & Fat Tony House of Blues August 12, 2011 Near the end of Ghostface and Raekwon’s hourlong set, Ghost stood at the edge of the stage like he was about to keel over. The rapper looked around and,…
Nathaniel Deron Kelley, 19, Bayou Body Count No. 122
A drive-by killing on the Sam Houston Parkway was fatal to a 19-year-old male early Saturday morning, Houston police say. Nathaniel Deron Kelley, 19, had attended a party with a friend at the Milan Pavilion at 6303 Harwin, HPD says. As they were leaving they apparently got in three separate…
Woody Allen’s God and Death: The Perfect Pair
The setup: The Back Porch Players makes a welcome return to a full season of productions with Woody Allen’s two one-act comedies God and Death. God begins as a satire on Greek playwrights but quickly segues into a take-no-prisoners comedy complete with anachronisms, and missing only pratfalls. Death is a…
Feed the Ballot Box: We’re Hungry for Your Votes
Although it doesn’t seem like it’s been a year since our last Best of Houston® issue, the time has come once again to cast your votes for the city’s longest-running reader poll of our best restaurants, bars, dishes and drinks. The theme of this year’s Best of Houston® — our…
UH Scrimmage Recap: The Return of Case Keenum to Patrick Edwards
(Note: The University of Houston athletic staff, citing potential game-planning advantages by opponents, did not allow photography during the scrimmage.) The Houston Cougars’ scrimmage on Saturday afternoon at Robertson Stadium did not start well. With Case Keenum finally back under center, an offensive lineman moved early, drawing a five-yard false…
Puppets, Homemade Instruments and Self-Amputation: Just Another Weekend at Fringe Festival
Houston Fringe Festival Wrap-Up — Weekend One This past weekend was the kickoff to the Houston Fringe Festival. Art Attack wanted to cover as much of the weekend’s events as we could, so I took on the personal challenge of doing my own Fringe Crawl. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to…
True Grit: David Mamet’s American Buffalo
The setup: American Buffalo is an early David Mamet play, so you know that it’s going to feature tough talk from unsavory, pathetic people. Men, to be precise. This 1976 play is set in a basement junk shop of an unspecified city. Don (Steve Irish), the proprietor, is a low-key,…
Comment of the Day: Sex & Death
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Build-A-Bar: Pimm’s No. 1
Pimm’s is another spirit in the grand tradition of booze as medicine. Its creator, James Pimm, developed the liqueur as a digestive aid for the patrons of his London oyster bar. The flavor caught the fancy of the British people. Say Pimm’s out loud. I bet you even feel a…
Rappers Onstage: Who’s Dramatic Enough For Broadway?
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn’t a national holiday Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Have something you’ve always wanted to ask a rapper? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. This Week’s Panel: Herney, Bun B, Mac, OG Ron C,…
German Moreno: Fugitive Serial Child Rapist Found But Can’t Be Deported
A man who fled Houston after being charged with sexual assault of a minor in 2005 has been found in Costa Rica, according to reporters there. German Moreno was already a fugitive from Costa Rica, where he’d been convicted of sexually assaulting minors, when he was charged with similar crimes…
True Blood: True Goth (It’s About Time)
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. Look, we know that True…
Friday Night: 311 & Sublime With Rome At The Woodlands
Check out these ’90s all-stars in our slideshow. 311, Sublime With Rome Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 12, 2011 Aftermath could smell the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion before we even crossed the street for Friday night’s 311/Sublime With Rome concert. The whole place was like a giant white-rasta vaporizer. In…
Top 5 Movie Quotes About Food and Drink
Robb Walsh blogged about food and sex in movies, and Katharine Shilcutt provided us with the ten most disturbing food-related scenes in horror flicks. And while a picture (or some footage) is worth a thousand words, sometimes a passing reference to food and drink in film can be just as…
Robert Jones, 60, Bayou Body Count No. 121
HPDWalter Hinton: Wanted in shooting death.A fight over a dog bite led to a man shooting three people in the Third Ward early Saturday morning, killing one. Robert Jones, 60, was shot to death about 1:10 a.m. in the 3000 block of Truxillo. Walter Hinton, 38, is wanted by the…
Breakdancing, Beer and General Gnarliness at Neopopstreetfunk 3
Neopopstreetfunk 3 further solidified our belief that if you’re living on a budget — and in this economy, who isn’t? — weekend gallery openings are the way to go. Hot music, a lively crowd, plenty of thought-provoking visual stimulation, and last but certainly not least, beer, all for the bargain…
True Blood : Finally, Some Freakin’ Siouxsie
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. Look, we know that True…
Can UH Save the Big 12 Despite UT’s Best Attempts to Kill It?
Can the Cougars save the Big 12?When I spoke to UH Athletic Director Mack Rhoades at the football media day a couple of weeks ago, the talk of Texas A&M possibly jumping to the SEC was just something being whispered around, and something not being taken seriously. So I didn’t…
Best of Houston® Voting Is Open Now
The annual assessment of all that is great about this city is now open for your participation. Voting for the Best of Houston® issue is ready to go. Just head here and express your opinions, or look for ballots in the print edition later this week. And don’t forget to…
Where Are We Eating?
Last week, we touched on the tasty goodness of arepas when we looked at CNN’s list of the world’s 50 most delicious dishes (and where you can find them in Houston). This week, we’re spotlighting yet another place in town where you can find arepas. But does the arepa below…
Facebook Sets Level 3 Emoticon-Overload Warning for First Day of School
Facebook has (possibly) issued the following alert for Houston: To: Our FB friends Re: Level 3 Emoticon Overload warning Today is the first day of school for the Houston school district. As such, countless moms will be sending off their children to their first day of kindergarten. In the past,…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 41, Country-Fried Chicken Livers at Haven
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 42, Akaushi Short Ribs at Soma Sushi
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Comment of the Day
Today Glenn Livet told us about happy hour at the Maple Leaf Pub. He had a good time, but what captured the commenters’ collective imagination was the other Maple Leaf, in New Orleans. Commenter Ted Stickles shared that he’s barfed there 7.75 times. And commenter Dante pretty much summed up…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where sometimes it all seems kind of pointless considering we don’t think any of us have ever enjoyed a meal as much as my cat enjoys eating lizards. We started the week off right by suggesting some fowl alternatives…
Gregory Thompson: City Worker Nabbed in Hooker Sting in City Vehicle
At least they bought local.Your City of Houston Employee of the Month award might very well go to Gregory Bernard Thompson, who was arrested yesterday when he negotiated a blow job from what turned out to be an undercover cop. He was in a city truck at the time, police…
Frances Bean Cobain’s Sexy Shoot Reminds Us, Once Again, That We Are Old
There’s a line from Knocked Up I think of often these days, when the doorman of a swanky nightclub tells big sister Debbie, “I can’t let you in ’cause you’re old as fuck… for this club, you know, not for the earth.” I know I’m not old – you know,…
Don’t Be Sad About Saturday’s Bummerfest
The name of the event is actually kind of paradoxical. Jonathan Patrick of White Crime has put together the festival as a launch party for his new cassette label, Bummer Tapes, at the Ponderosa House (1503 Nance, near Last Concert Cafe) with 12 other local bands. The party also marks…
Last Night: Ian Moore Band At The Continental Club
Ian Moore Band Continental Club August 11, 2011 Nostalgia has a funny way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. Aftermath suspects the Ian Moore Band would agree. As the quartet hit the home stretch of its 90-minute set Thursday with “Blue Sky” and “How Does It…
Westland YMCA on Fondren to Close
The 31-year-old Westland branch of the YMCA, on Fondren in southwest Houston, is closing at the end of the month. YMCA spokesperson Ann Herlocher tells Hair Balls the organization got an unsolicited offer for the building and land from the Westbury Christian School. “We had to consider it,” she says,…
Another Breed of Service: Luis Carlos Montalván and Until Tuesday
In 2007, Luis Carlos Montalván left the army after 17 years of service. He had seen action in Iraq, where he was deployed to the volatile South Baghdad region and Nineveh province. By the time of his retirement, he had suffered multiple physical injuries as well as a brain injury,…
The 10 Most Lucrative Red-Light Cameras in Houston
As we noted earlier this week, Houston’s red-light camera cash cow money machine is up and running at full speed again, with more than 2,700 citations issued in the first six days of operation. So everyone should be careful out there unless they want to get hit with a bothersome…
Wilfred: “Anger” and the Guy Who Played Mayor Garcia in The Dark Knight
Last night’s Wilfred felt like a bit of a step back from the hilarity of the previous two episodes. There were still some amusing moments, but the attempts to force a reconciliation between Ryan and his sister Kristen (motoring…what’s your price for flight), felt, well…forced. Was there any real hurry…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 43, Real Guacamole at Yelapa Playa Mexicana
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Delo, Propain, OG Ron C & More Usher In The Weekend
Welcome, welcome. Recently, we were reminded that the third installment of the Houston Press Underground Hip-Hop Awards is but a scant couple of weeks away. Yip, yip. So, prepping for that, let’s run through some music that maybe may have skipped past your ears. Let’s go 4-3-2-1 style. Four Videos:…
Building a Better World: Citizen Architect at ArCH’s Architecture Film Festival
While he was still in film school at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Sam Wainwright Douglas took a trip with his family to Hale County in Alabama to visit family friend Sam Mockbee at his Rural Studio. Mockbee had founded the studio a few years before as…
UH to the Big 12? Five Reasons It Would Be a Huge Boost
Everyone’s reporting that Texas A&M has all but decided to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, and the San Antonio Express-News adds an Aggie official says the Big 12 told the school the University of Houston would be a viable replacement. UH had been talking/hoping/trying to get into the…
How to: Pick and Peel a Pineapple
Sing it: Summer, summer, summertime Time to sit back and relax I’m sorry, I caught myself summoning Will Smith there. Moving on. With the advent of summer and record high temps in the Houston area, all I can think of is fresh fruit and light cocktails. It’s a great time…
Rocks Off’s Musical 2011 Texas Football Preview
You wouldn’t know it from walking around outdoors, but fall is just around the corner, and in Texas that means two things: We no longer have to consume our body weight in water for shows at the Pavilion, and it’s almost time for college football. Andy Staples at CNN/SI, obviously…
Five Alternatives to the Root Beer Float
Liquid desserts are ideal for summer, and while I love a good milkshake, sometimes I like a little carbonation with my ice cream. A root beer float is the obvious choice; lately, however, I’ve been craving something a little snazzier. Behold my five alternatives to the classic float. (*Indicates my…
China Nicole Kitchens: The Facebook Updates of a Texas Teen Who Might Have Squandered Break of a Lifetime
After Dick DeGuerin helped her beat a potential capital murder rap at the tender age of 16, you’d think China Nicole Kitchens would try to straighten up and fly right. Today, it’s looking like she has pissed that second chance away. Back in 2008, Kitchens confessed to police that she…
DARKE Gallery’s Thursday Open House: Pizza, Wine and Rubber, Courtesy of Artist Kathryn Kelley
If you’ve ever gone to a gallery opening or art exhibit and wondered, “How do they do that?” you can now find out first hand. DARKE gallery, nestled in the backstreets of Rice Military, invites the public to come in for some pizza and watch the current artist-in-residence, Kathryn Kelley,…
BestFest Tickets Went on Sale at 10 a.m.: Get ‘Em While They’re Hot
Tickets for the Houston Press Best of Houston® BestFest at the Midtown “superblock” September 24 and 25 officially went up for sale this morning at 10, meaning you are already at least two hours late in getting yours. Cake, Bun B, the Tontons and Deer Tick have been announced, with…
Upcoming Events: Foodie Floats and a Month of Martinis
Tonight, the Houston Museum of Natural Science continues with its summer Mixers & Elixers series, the last year that the museum will be sponsoring these Friday night mixers — so enjoy them while you can. Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin will be playing in the Planetarium, and four food trucks…
City of Houston Bangs Screw; Ganksta NIP Bangs Heads
Despite what you may have heard, swag isn’t dead yet; at least not in Houston. Have any swagged-out projects or general ideas? E-mail alliswagoner@gmail.com. This week in Houston (sweltering) swag, Rocks Off is going to stick to the old-fashioned basic news structure, starting on the negative side of the Swagometer…
The Week in Art Photos: Lighthouses and Rail Cars
It’s time again to check out the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. We love street art, unique perspectives and beautiful photos of Houston’s creative community. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool…
Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Today’s Voice Daily Deal: A $12 Ticket to the Texas Renaissance Festival
Giant turkey legs. Beautiful costumes. Jousting. Giant turkey legs. Merrie music and dancing. Falconers. Giant turkey legs. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re gearing up for the Texas Renaissance Festival, the nation’s largest Ren fair, which runs for eight weekends starting October 8 in a 55-acre “village”…
Odd Pair: What Wine Do You Serve with Doritos?
When asked what factors had shaped his palate and his wine collection when he first began collecting fine wine, rockstar (literally, not just figuratively) and winemaker Maynard James Keenan answered: “Mountain Dew and Doritos. Like most American kids, that’s what I grew up on.” This was a few years ago,…
The Five Creepiest Moments of the Warren Jeffs Sex Tapes
The court that convicted Warren Jeffs has released the tapes played during his child-rape trial, of him lecturing girls and women on why they need to have sex with him. The tapes caused at least one juror to break into tears. The incredibly slimy voice of Jeffs ranges from a…
Last Night: The Tontons At Warehouse Live
The Tontons, Sun Hotel, Ancient Cat Society Warehouse Live August 11, 2011 Thursday night, the Houston indie scene wished the Tontons a safe and successful journey on a one-month tour of the East Coast and South with a packed-ass show at Warehouse Live. As is the territory in Houston these…
Project Runway: Farewell, Fallene
Your normal Project Runway recapper, Christina Uticone, is off this week (rumor has it her superhero alter ego, the “Lavender Revenger,” is fighting crime in London), so I bravely volunteered to take the reins for Thursday’s installment. “How hard could it be?” I wondered ignorantly to myself. I mean, I…
CNN Goes In-Depth on Houston and Katrina
CNN’s series Defining America has taken a long look at Houston and its absorption of Katrina evacuees. “Houston, the sprawling, business-friendly oil city, has absorbed some of New Orleans, a compact mecca of music, merriment and food,” the report says. One of the main subjects of the report is Terrence…
Tontons Added To BestFest; Tickets On Sale Now
Rocks Off is thrilled to announce that Houston’s The Tontons will be joining Bun B (with the band, above), Cake, Buxton and Deer Tick at the very first Houston Press Best of Houston® BestFest at the Midtown “superblock” September 24 and 25. We will have a review up shortly of…
RIP Jani Lane: A Piece Of “Cherry Pie” For Breakfast
Last night, word came out of Los Angeles that Warrant lead singer Jani Lane had passed away in his Woodland Hills hotel. The former Warrant lead singer was just 47, and he leaves behind a treasure trove of great ’80s glam anthems like “Cherry Pie” and “Heaven,” which lit up…
HISD Trustees Say Power to the Principals
In a 5-3 vote, Houston ISD trustees passed an amended motion Thursday night to return $18.5 million to principals for the 2011-12 school year with no strings attached — but with an extra designation that the return of the money would be “permanent.” Trustee Anna Eastman’s amendment — more symbolic…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Hicham Nafaa of Majorca Bistro & Tapas
Let the tapas begin… After our chef chat (see parts one and two), Hicham Nafaa of Majorca Bistro & Tapas first whips up a mix of Majorcan tapas — warm, open-faced baguettes topped with vegetables (left), Moroccan sausage, and shrimp (right). The vegetarian slice is topped with melting goat cheese…
So You Think You Can Dance: Season 8 Finale, Melanie Moore America’s Newest Sweetheart
That’s all, folks. After weeks of wading through cheesy personal montages, interpreting incoherent judges’ comments, subjecting ourselves to meh musical performances, oh yeah, and watching a lot of dancing, Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance was over just seconds after Melanie Moore was named America’s Favorite Dancer…
Happy International Youth Day: 6 Songs For The Young
Rocks Off has become obsessed lately with finding playlists to celebrated some of the more obscure holidays on the calendar, and thankfully the United Nations is just great at providing those. Today is International Youth Day, a holiday that started in 2000 and is designed to bring international focus on…
Happy Hour Scene: Maple Leaf Pub
The Place: The Maple Leaf Pub 514 Elgin 713-520-6464 http://www.themapleleafpub.com The Deals: $3 wells; $2.50 pints of Miller Lite and Bud Light; various other weekly and daily specials, including cheap shots of the day and $3 martinis on Mondays, which also feature bingo. The Hours: 3 to 7 p.m. The…
Comment of the Day: Tattoos Will Be the Secret to Extra Retirement-Home Pudding
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Cool Geeks, Un-Beer and Planet Hollywood: 10 More Things We’ll Never Miss About the ’90s
Last week, Art Attack assaulted the recent wave of ’90s nostalgia with a list of ten things we will never miss about the ’90s. Sure, it was the era of the adventures of Pete & Pete and Seinfeld; there were also a lot of things that only seemed like good…
The Week in Photos: The Poet
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. School is almost back in session and summer is winding down. We want to see photos of how you’re spending your hot days and nights. Just drop them…
10 Semi-Obscure Facts About Led Zeppelin
On this date in 1968, former Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, and session musicians John Paul Jones and John Bonham played together for the first time, rehearsing in a West End studio space in London, England. The first song they played together was a version of “Train Kept…
Berlin Wall at 50: Five Iconic Moments
Fifty years ago today, East German construction crews were in the last stages of preparation for building the Berlin Wall. On August 13, they began, instantly giving an incredible propaganda tool to the free world. The Wall has been down for 22 years and will soon be a faint memory…
Openings & Closings: Fisch, Fish and More Fish
Unfortunately, we’re ending the week on a sad note: Sweet ‘n’ Namkin, which I just spotlighted on Wednesday as having my favorite dahi puri in town, has closed. Anyone want to try and direct me to a new place for dahi puri, preferably a place where I can cry into…
100 Creatives: Chris Nguyen
What he does: Chris Nguyen is a graphic designer, photographer, blogger and interior designer with a knack for making the most of a tiny space. He recently caught our eye with his modernist design for a 569-square-foot apartment in Houston House as part of their emerging designers showcase. In 2010,…
Sports-Talk 1560 Loses Another Veteran: Lance Zierlein Calls It Quits at The Game, Heads To 790
In what feels like the dismantling of KGOW 1560 The Game, long-time morning show co-host Lance Zierlein announced via his Houston Chronicle blog that he would be turning in his microphone and leaving the station effective immediately. Over the last year, the station has gone through some big changes and has begun…
My Plea to Chris Johnson (the One from the Titans, Not the Astros)
When I first got on Twitter a couple years ago, I followed Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson for the first few months. For whatever reason, around this time, athletes thought it was a good idea to put up links to a uStream feed where they would take questions in…
Comment of the Day: Bad Poets Abound
Yesterday, we announced our first-ever bad poetry round robin, which will take place on August 17 and 18 in honor of Bad Poetry Day. We figured it would be a chance for us to engage with our readers, have a little bit of fun and, while we’re at it, participate…
Comment of the Day
Christine Ha took one for the team, eating some donuts and kolaches at the venerable Christie’s, and commenter Eberhard took issue with one of her observations: They almost always throw in a few donut holes. They are not “trying to get rid of old food” it’s called lagniappe and it…
Bar Light, Bar Bright: Beer Signs & Songs That Light Them Up
Rocks Off has a bad habit of what some people refer to as “honky-tonkin’.” Single, childless and a lifelong Lone Star drinker, we have no reservations about staying out till all hours, even if sometimes it does make us feel like we’re trapped in George Jones’ “Bartender’s Blues.” No use…
Seven MS-13 Gang Members Indicted Here
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the unsealing of indictments for racketeering and murder against seven members of the notorious MS-13 gang, who have been arrested. The USAO says MS-13 is: a criminal organization in Houston that functioned as a unit engaged in murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, robbery, extortion and…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 44, Hot Dogs at Moon Tower Inn
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Let the PerryMania Begin!!
Everyone is reporting it: Rick Perry’s spokesman says he will announce his intent to run for president this weekend. The suspense is over!! It looks like he’ll announce it in visits to the early primary states of South Carolina and New Hampshire, according to the Associated Press, which got the…
Meme of the Week: Uber Frosh, the Clueless College Freshman
Ah, the college life, where you learn things about the world, yourself and the opposite sex that you couldn’t learn from 12 years of elementary, junior and high school. Even with the Internet and unlimited amounts of free music, movies and porn, you are still clueless, hapless and crude. Hell,…
Vermouth and the Lost Art of the Aperitif
Many might think that vermouth should be covered by one of my excellent cocktail blogging colleagues like Nicholas Hall (as a fan of all things Italian, I loved his recent post on Fernet Branca). In the U.S. we only think of vermouth as a liqueur and an ingredient used in…
All the World’s a Stage: Vagabond Theatre Project Brings Fool for Love to Local Bar
When the Bard wrote “All the world’s a stage,” he probably wasn’t thinking of the roof of Khon’s. But Khon’s is probably the perfect place for the Vagabond Theatre Project to practice its mission of taking theater to the public, instead of making the public come to the theater. “Our…
Golfers Menaced by Troll Armed with Machete and Tomahawk; Also, Long Blades a Trend in Weird Coastal Bend Crime?
A golfing foursome came upon an unexpected and highly unusual hazard as they approached the 15th hole at Corpus Christi’s Oso Beach Municipal Golf Course Wednesday morning. The men — all in their 60s and 70s — would later tell police that just as they were preparing to tee off,…
Your Weekly Heat Wave Music Blog: Hotter Than Hell Edition
Ed. Note: Remember that “songs about Hell” blog we mentioned a couple of days ago? It’s still hot, and here it is. There’s an old saying in Botswana: “Shitfire is it hot!” Wait, maybe that was Bandera. Anyway, whatever hemisphere you’re talking about, the heat in Texas has been well…
Health Department Roundup
Rick Perry prays for America. We pray for lots of interesting inspection reports to make writing this roundup easier. Enjoy this divine bounty of dirty kitchens. If you are of a certain age and demographic, you probably remember Dem Damn Doggs (mobile, listed at 5912 North Freeway), the hot dog…
Beauty and the Beat: The Knock Out Brings Brooklyn Aesthetic to Houston Fashion
The ’80s were undoubtedly an uncertain time in fashion; a terrible mix between the tail end of ABBA-esque disco pants and the beginnings of Nirvana’s dirty grunge uniform. It was a bipolar fiasco filled with poly-blend prints, and thanks to all our hipster friends, we have seen a bit of…
Five Reasons Why Texas A&M Needs to Elope to the SEC
Hey, Texas A&M and the Southeastern Conference: Get a room already! Then get married or whatever because this idle flirtation, which has been going on for years, is getting tired. For the past few weeks, a potential move by A&M to the SEC has become a hot topic, especially after…
Last Night: XV, The Niceguys & More At Warehouse Live
XV, The Niceguys, Fat Tony, Uzoy Warehouse Live Studio August 10, 2011 XV has shitty luck in Houston. Every time he performs here, something terrible happens. Last time, his tour bus broke down. Wednesday night, his car flipped over three times on I-45. Luckily, he made it out alive with…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Hicham Nafaa of Majorca Bistro & Tapas
Today, we continue our conversation with owner and executive chef Hicham Nafaa of Majorca Bistro & Tapas (see part one here). The beautiful tapas joint just opened last week. Majorca stays open late — on the weekends, it’ll be serving until 4 a.m. EOW: Tell me about the menu…
Fright Night: Tell Us About Your Worst Neighbor, Win Movie Passes
Neighbors. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live…well, maybe you could live without ’em. We at Art Attack could certainly live without that guy who keeps coming to our door asking for cigarette money or the guy who leaves three-paragraph notes on our windshield complaining about the angle at which we…
Amanda Kueht: Drug Counselor Arrested For Sexing Up Underage Patient
A West U substance-abuse counselor has been charged with having sex with a 16-year-old male patient. Amanda Leann Kueht, 28, and the male were discovered by a West U cop a little after midnight July 25 in the back seat of a car in a church parking lot. They were…
The Brazilian Burger: Bedlam on a Bun
In this week’s cafe review, we spotlight Friends Pizzeria, a little Brazilian restaurant that — despite its name — specializes in Brazilian burgers and hot dogs just as much as it does in pizza. And while its pizzas are very good, it’s those madly messy burgers that have me captivated…
Remember Lil O’s Grind Hard, Pray Harder?
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Lil O Grind Hard, Pray Harder (Bar None Ent, 2011) A decade ago, the ageless Lil O released Da…
Happy Birthday Woz: Ten Facts About Apple Founder Steve Wozniak
Today, August 11, is Steve “Woz” Wozniak’s 61st birthday. We know, 61 is really an insignificant birthday for us to be mentioning it. Normally, once you pass the big 6-0, any birthdays you have up until 80 are pointless and involve “Over-the-Hill” party favors that usually have crows flying over…
Robert Copeland: A Ponzi Schemer Gets Ponzi Schemed Out of $10 Million
You are so freaking clever and smart that you have scammed $45 million out of 125 people in a Ponzi scheme. So when someone offers you a risk-free return of 30-40 percent on foreign exchange markets with a personal guarantee you will at least get your money back, well, you…
Cuban Love at Cafe Piquet
Cafe Piquet never lets me down. I’ll be the first to say this is not the place you go to when you’re in a hurry. We Latinos believe in taking our time to enjoy a meal; we’ll chat with our table-mates, take our time with each plate set before us,…
Ian Moore: When Good Record Deals Go Bad
Ian Moore had both the good fortune and misfortune to be a young, good-looking Austin guitar hero who came to prominence shortly after Stevie Ray Vaughan’s death created an opening for the position. Joe Ely drafted the native Austinite for the recording and touring cycle behind 1992’s Love and Danger,…
Summer TV Wrap-Up: The Good, the Bad and the Downright Annoying
Summer TV is always a mixed bag: Though more cable networks are programming quality summer fare, it’s still a dead zone on the majors. As a result, viewers are treated to great series alongside some genuinely awful ones, and it’s possible to flip from a groundbreaking comedy or drama over…
Lady Gaga Allegedly A Song Thief, Sign Of Ragnarok
Mason Lankford said, “There will come a day when we forget the Rapture ever even happened,” but Rocks Off is keeping an eye out for signs of our impending Armageddon. We were wrong last time, but we’re totally right this time! Lady Gaga is under fire from allegations that a…
Chastity Marie Brandon’s Bad Luck: Cops Come to Serve Warrant in Midst of Drug Deal
You know it’s a bad day when the law comes to your house to serve a warrant on you for drug dealing. It becomes a worst day when they arrive right in the middle of your latest transaction. That’s what happened to Chastity Marie Brandon of New Caney last week,…
Tunnel Explorer: How Do You Roll?
Tunnel Sushi. Just the sound of it makes me shudder a little bit. Even more so than tunnel filet, this just sounds like a recipe for disaster. When I first learned about How Do You Roll?, I was less than enthusiastic. Of course, I take my job as Tunnel Explorer…
So You Think You Can Dance: Top Four Finale Performances, Katie Holmes Loves Everything
Last night’s finale, in which weeks of preparation, competition, fall-flats and comebacks were supposed to culminate in one gloriously loud, flashy and tacky farewell, was kind of a letdown. The incredibly talented Sasha was little more than a prop in her cha-cha routine with Tadd, Melanie and Marko’s disco routine…
Racing Rachael: Great Indoor Grilling
As the stores are packed with back-to-school goodies, I am trying to enjoy the last few weeks of summer by ignoring the blistering heat and getting my fill of grilled goodies. So, although this meal was entitled “Great Indoor Grilling,” I, as always, chose the outdoor grill over the indoor…
Comment of the Day: A Race-Baiting Genius Gets His Comeuppance
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Pop Rocks: Come On People, Bert and Ernie Are Totally Straight
Pop quiz, PBS. Now that your government is once again threatening to slash funding for anything not related to defense or entitlement spending, and your continued liberal heresies have put you squarely on the chopping block, do you: a) Let Philip Morris start advertising on Bill Moyers Journal b) Send…
Pop Rocks: Sorry, But Bert And Ernie Aren’t Gay
Pop quiz, PBS. Now that your government is once again threatening to slash funding for anything not related to defense or entitlement spending, and your continued liberal heresies have put you squarely on the chopping block, do you: a) Let Philip Morris start advertising on Bill Moyers Journal b) Send…
Buddy Holly Raves On Into 21st Century
Lonesome Onry and Mean’s buddy doesn’t like the new tribute to Buddy Holly, Rave On, which features a major-league lineup of artists ranging from Sir Paul McCartney, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, and Graham Nash to youngsters like Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Black Keys and the unlikely inclusion of Cee-Lo…
Back-to-Back Killings in Neighboring Blocks: Fushan Zhang, 71, Bayou Body Count No. 120
On Tuesday, a man was shot to death in the 10200 block of Forum West Drive. On Wednesday, a man was stabbed to death in the 10100 block of the street, which is tucked into a neighborhood near the Southwest Freeway and the West Sam Houston Tollway. (See update for…
100 Creatives: Sophia Vassilakidis
What She Does: We came across Sophia while reviewing Two Star Symphony’s latest album, Titus Andronicus. Violinist Jerry Ochoa mentioned to us that a Vancouver animation student who had just moved back to Houston was producing music videos for them. She used a pencil test video of their song “Goblin…
First Look at Kobecue: Korean Fusion Food
Kobecue opened quietly four months ago, tucked between Skewers and Aroma Classique in the flagstone-fronted strip center at Richmond and Weslayan. “Most of our customers come over after seeing us from Costco,” said the young man at the counter when I dropped by this past Sunday. I’d ended up there…
Five Crazy Mandatory Water Restrictions: Coming Soon, Maybe
Yesterday, the mayor announced her plan to ration H2O next week if we don’t get any rain. No more of this Stage 1 voluntary nonsense. If we don’t want to wash our faces with Gulf Coast fish brine, we’re going to have to move to Stage 2: no car washing,…
Who Was That Masked Man?
One matinee performance is already sold out, and Theatre Suburbia recommends reservations for all the other shows – that’s how popular this long-standing Houston melodrama is around town. The whole thing is utter silliness. Who Was That Masked Man? features a damsel in distress, a mustachioed villain and, of course,…
American Buffalo
We strongly suspect that playwright David Mamet has snakes in his head. That’s the only way he can concoct his complicated, surreal stories. The Landing Theatre Company is tackling Mamet’s American Buffalo, the story of four friends who conspire to steal a coin collection. Set in the junk shop that…
God and Death
The topics for Woody Allen’s plays God and Death might seem a bit heavy, but Nicholas Collins, director of the two one-acts currently being produced by The Back Porch Players, says both plays are filled with humor. “In these dark and brooding dramas…we get some real gut-buster laughs,” says Collins…
“Elderly Animals”
By giving up technical control of her camera, photographer Isa Leshko was able to focus on the emotional aspects of the images she created for her exhibit “Elderly Animals.” Leshko used a Helga, a toy camera with a fixed lens, to photograph former farm animals living in sanctuaries due to…
“Beauty, Humor and Social Justice”
Houstonian and art aficionado Joan Morgenstern, who has generously donated more than 1,000 works to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is honored with a special exhibit, “Beauty, Humor and Social Justice.” The show is made up of some 50 of the finest photographs she’s donated to the museum over…
The United States of Tamarie: An All-American Revue (Made in China)
If you were among the many Houston fans who had withdrawal symptoms last year when Tamarie Cooper didn’t present a new installment in her long-running series of original musical comedies, you can blame it on the baby. Cooper took a year off from her 13-year streak of performances to take…
Blank City
French filmmaker and journalist Celine Danhier emulated the artists of the New York No Wave movement — supposedly the genesis for today’s indy film genre — during the making of her documentary Blank City (2010). No Wave, also called the Cinema of Transgression, was born in New York during the…
Intimate Grammar (HaDikduk HaPnimi)
Everyone and everything is falling apart in Intimate Grammar (HaDikduk HaPnimi). Based on David Grossman’s novel The Book of Intimate Grammar, the film’s set in 1965 Jerusalem, a landmark time for the country as it faced conflicts with Syria and Egypt. Like his country, 13-year-old protagonist Aharon is on the…
The Great Oil Scam of Sulfur Flats
The stage is no bigger than a postage stamp, and the audience will throw things at the actors any chance they get. That’s just the way they like it at Old West Melodrama, an outfit that brings interactive silliness to Puffabelly’s Restaurant out in Spring. The show this summer is…
Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
DJ Mr. Rogers is over there, being all DJ Mr. Rogers. It’s approaching midnight on an obstinately warm Wednesday evening at Scott Gertner’s Sports Bar, and Rogers is standing behind a laptop on a computer stand on a table on the patio. One of Houston’s very best DJs, Rogers is…
Mean Girls vs. the Maids
More than just the Hollywood It Girl of the moment, Emma Stone is a real actress, and in The Help, she gets an ostentatious, Oscar-baiting Big Scene in which to prove it. Stone is, to borrow a phrase from Bret Easton Ellis’s Twitter account, thoroughly post-empire — she doesn’t need…
It’s All in the Delivery
Money-back guarantees feel like such a remnant of the old economy. Does the depressed consumer class even expect companies to make good on their advertised word anymore? But maybe the dream of free slices scammed from over-promising pizza parlors springs eternal. At least that’s the game being run on Jesse…
The Fish That Got Away
Check out our interactive graphic of fish from the Gulf of Mexico and their sushi counterparts. You can also see a video of chef Brandon Fisch preparing a fish ike jime style. Last year, PJ Stoops, a fishmonger with Louisiana Foods, persuaded a Gulf fisherman to process a few flounder…
Panhandling Banned at Sidewalk Cafes
SPORTS Longhorn Network Shows: Awful You won’t be watching By Richard Connelly The amazingly awesome Longhorn Network, which will provide all the UT anyone could ever hope for, announced five new shows recently. And no one in their right mind will watch any of them. Of course, the Longhorn Network…
Readers React to our River Oaks Monster Tale
A Conning Pro Online readers comment on “Friends with Benefits,” by John Nova Lomax, July 27: Cautionary tale: Really, short of blood or marriage, you can’t know anyone enough to trust them. I read a story like this and I know I did the right thing by admitting my mom…
A Painterly Painter
“By the time i tell you it will all be forgotten” at Inman Gallery has some of Angela Fraleigh’s best painting yet. Inman has been showing Fraleigh’s work since 2005 when she was still a Core Fellow at the Glassell School, and it’s been interesting to see her development. Fraleigh…
Dinner with Friends
To see more of Friends Pizzeria’s big, beautiful burgers and pizzas, check out our slideshow. Nothing could have prepared me for my first X-Tudo burger. I’d read about them before. Seen a few grainy pictures on the Internet, but never expected to find it here in Houston. And yet here…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Collections: Annual HSPVA Juried Show,” “Dan Kopp: TIMEAWAY,” “Hayden Fosdick: Paper Compounds,” Marc Swanson: The Second Story, “Mitch Dobrowner: New Work,” “R.W. Northcutt: Indigenous Genius”
“Collections: Annual HSPVA Juried Show” This popular annual exhibit is an interesting look at the up-and-coming artists at Texas’s premier arts magnet school. The works span a broad range of media and technique (painting, sculpture, photography, collage, printmaking, drawing, mixed media, Photoshop), and there’s terrific skill on display, but nothing…
Earth Angel
There may be nothing as Old Hollywood as the narrative about a pretty girl summoning up a dose of pluck to triumph over adversity. And yet Brit Marling — the lithe, stunning co-writer and star of 2011 Sundance Film Festival hits Another Earth and Sound of My Voice, who gives…
Third Degree
Ian Moore has had one of the most curious career paths of any Texas musician Chatter can think of. Moore and his current band the Lossy Coils have already released one of 2011’s best albums, the hard-driving power-pop masterpiece El Sonido Nuevo (Spark & Shine Records). But the album he’s…
Simian Disobedience
The latest descendant of the half-century old de-evolution concept that began with Pierre Boulle’s novel Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an origin story. Predicting an ape-supremacist future, Rupert Wyatt’s film is set in a contemporary America so preoccupied with the Chinese and the coming Singularity that it’s…
Capsule Stage Reviews: RENT, Three Murders and It’s Only Monday, Who Was That Masked Man?
RENT The rock musical RENT, inspired by La Bohème, recreates Manhattan’s East Village, with its poverty, artistic drive and the ever-present specter of AIDS. But in the Stage Door production, the exuberant joy of living bursts through the grime to make this a celebration of life, love and the transforming power…
Invasion of Piracy
The bad news arrived in John Doe 2,057’s mailbox in May. His wife unsealed a thick envelope from Comcast and read a carefully worded message explaining that a company called Imperial Enterprises, Inc. had filed a lawsuit against him in Washington, D.C., federal court. He stood accused of having illegally…
Leslie Newman Memorial
Leslie Newman was such a soft-spoken, mild-mannered man that we never synced up the retail runner and deliveryman who worked here at the Houston Press for years with the Old Quarter-ish singer-songwriter who was a staple of Last Concert Cafe’s musical menu for even longer. It was the way Newman,…
Raekwon
Can enough praise be heaped upon Raekwon’s 1995 solo debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx? Constantly heralded as a landmark in hip-hop, Cuban Linx made a strong case for rap’s ability to tell rich stories, laced as it is with cinematic scenes of gritty drug deals and gangsters living in…
Dharmageddon
It’s hard to believe that the funding for a Nepalese Buddhist monastery and teaching center will come from the likes of bands named Come See My Dead Person and Thunderkunt, but that’s Houston love for ya. Friday night at Fitzgerald’s, 13 bands will gather for “Dharmageddon” to help raise cash…
The Tontons
If their new single “Golden” is any indication, the Tontons are about to beat the world into submission. The track all but jumps out of your speakers, with the four-piece hitting a pop-crunch stride fans had all been hoping for; imagine the early Strokes on steroids with a bluesy Debbie…
Jason Cassidy
Recently Peter Cooper of The Tennessean took Nashville’s male chart-toppers to task for the late outbreak of “party in the woods” songs — which he rightly called disingenuous because their suburban upbringings suggest their preferred venue for throwing down with their brahs was most likely a Sonic parking lot. Furthermore,…
How Can a Gabacho Deal with a Mexican Family?
Here is my problem, I was raised in a typical gabacho family. My siblings and I all enjoyed a typical gabacho relationship. We are close as cats. I phoned my brother year-before-last, and was gratified to learn that he was still alive. That call went so well, I may phone…
Heroes in a Half Shell
A turtle is walking down an alley. From nowhere, a gang of slugs jumps out, attacks and robs him, then vanishes. A policeman arrives, doing his best to subdue the turtle. “Calm down, calm down,” the officer says. “Focus. Tell me everything that happened.” “I don’t know,” says the turtle…
