Unidentified Male, 29, Shot to Death While Watching a Girl Fight: Bayou Body Count No. 202
Filed under “what not to do when two women are duking it out,” an unidentified male, 29, is dead after he was shot by an unknown black male in the courtyard of an apartment complex while standing in a crowd watching two women fight. Because nothing could ever possibly go…
The Houston Chronicle Tries Its Hand at a Paywall
Houston’s only daily has hopped on the paywall bandwagon with the release of its new HoustonChronicle.com Web site that is different from Chron.com…and 29-95.com. We think that’s all of them. According to CultureMap, the Chron is employing a paywall for a separate Web site similar to the one used by…
Baby Boy, 15 Months, Dies in Incident Under Investigation: Bayou Body Count No. 203
Houston Police are investigating the death of a baby boy following an incident at 850 Harvest Time Lane in the Greenspoint area Thursday, November 15. The victim, 15 months old, was pronounced dead at Memorial Hermann Hospital on Friday after suffering head trauma and being admitted Thursday night. Police say…
55 Years of the Whopper: The Wisconsin White Cheddar Burger Is Hardly a Celebration
There is something to be said for going with your gut at the drive-through window. I was torn between the two burgers BK is featuring to celebrate 55 years of the Whopper, and was tempted to go with the “Angry Whopper” (which comes with spicy “onion petals,” “angry sauce,” jalapeños…
Houstonian Kenda Carroll Wins Swimsuit USA International Title
See the slideshow of participants in bikinis here. The Texans are 9-1. The Rockets have a new, exciting young team. The Dynamo are going to the MLS Cup. It’s fall and hurricane season for the Gulf Coast is over. The holidays are upon us. It’s a great time to be…
Upcoming: Diana Ross, Dropkick Murphys, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Etc.
The 71’s: With The Rocketboys, Megafauna, Mechanical Boy., Fri., Dec. 14, 8 p.m., $10/$14. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston. American Fangs: With Southern Backtones, Deep Cuts., Fri., Dec. 14, 8 p.m., $10/$11. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Arrival from Sweden (ABBA Tribute): Thu., Jan. 17, 8 p.m., $30-$100. Stafford Centre,…
All Is Not Lost: 5 Twinkie Alternatives Just in Case the Worst Comes to Pass
We’ve all heard about it by now: Hostess Brands company is shutting its doors, thanks to mismanagement, skyrocketing debt, poor restructuring, union difficulties…and yogurt. Hostess’s beloved treats, little slices of Americana which have been hawked by Spider-Man and used as a teaching tool by prominent parapsychologists, will soon be gone…
Sad Trevino Is Sad: A Meme-Worth Mugshot from the Recently Indicted Constable
No law enforcement official wants to be on the other side of the mugshot camera. Unfortunately for Victor Trevino, he had to see things from the other side of the lens and his mugshot reveals that was not a good day for Constable Trevino. If you hadn’t been keeping up,…
Looking for the Familiar and Finding Faces in Jonathan Faber’s Oil Paintings
Looking at Jonathan Faber’s new work up at David Shelton Gallery, I see faces looking back at me. As with some Rorschach test that replaces black and white for neon colors and blots for primal geometric shapes, I can’t help but see faces. In Surface, there are sleepy, swollen eyes,…
Cypress Hill Sounds Off Before a Loco Scout Bar Show
Amidst the cacophony of talented rappers and rap crews that have emerged from the West Coast, one group has been breaking barriers with a distinct style and voice for more than 20 years. Cypress Hill, with their hyper-realistic street poetry and smoke-filled party records, continues to speak to the weedheads,…
Wine Foreplay: 5 Tips for Priming Your Stemware
Every Thanksgiving, it happens all across America: Well-intentioned hosts do a disservice to wine appreciation by serving wines in dusty, dirty or detergent-tainted stemware. Thanksgiving is a time when families get together. As a result, it’s one of the few times each year when people use all of the stemware…
Karen Stokes Dance Explores the Intimate in Vine Leaf Dances
The Setup: On November 15-17, Karen Stokes Dance presented Vine Leaf Dances, a collection of four short works, at Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex. The concert takes its name from the French word “vignette,” an intimate character study or narrative small enough to fit on a vine leaf. The Execution: The…
App of the Week: Three Great Apps to Ease Your Travel During the Holidays
Whether you are going over the river and through the woods or cross country this year for the holidays, most of us will have to climb into a car or onto a plane at some point to spend time with relatives and friends for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Fortunately, technology has…
5 Rock-Star Biographies That Should Be Broadway Musicals
According to Nikki Sixx, Nikki Sixx gets asked this a lot and yes, his biography The Heroin Diaries is being turned into a Broadway musical, ostensibly quenching theater fans’ dire thirst for a musical based on the life of a Motley Crue member. All joking aside, this sort of thing…
5 Thanksgiving Sides That Need to Go Away
The Pilgrims knew how to feast, man. Back in the day, they had it all — wild turkey, venison, lobster, chestnuts, pumpkins, plums and even freaking seal. These guys set out the perfectly laid plan: Come together as a community and give thanks while gluttonously* feasting on locally sourced meat,…
Unidentified Driver, 34, Killed by Alleged Drunk Driver: Bayou Body Count No. 201
The holidays are an especially dangerous time to be on the road. Hundreds of people are killed every year over the holidays on the roadways and many of the deaths are the result of drunk drivers. Unfortunately for a 34-year-old woman, it appears she may be added to the statistics…
Dining Out on Turkey Day: Where to Eat This Thanksgiving
Let’s face it, sometimes a “home-cooked” meal in a restaurant is better than anything we can whip up at home. Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most difficult, time-consuming and stressful meals to make if you don’t normally cook meals at home. But there’s one thing to be thankful for…
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die, Asks Our Beloved Willie
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings from the Road By Willie Nelson William Morrow, 192 pp., $22.99 Willie Nelson is such a state treasure, that whoever’s ass happens to occupy the governor’s chair at the time of the event referenced in this books title should order…
Gift Guide: Ten Stylish Gifts for Women
Sweet Jesus, it’s almost Christmas. Pun intended. Thanksgiving is Thursday, people, which means Black Friday is Friday, which means the shopping begins — unless you’re my mother, in which case your shopping is done. But for those of us with less foresight and ambition than good ol’ Martha U., panic…
Pop Rocks: Are There Any ’80s Movies They Won’t Remake?
The Red Dawn remake nobody asked for hits theaters tomorrow. The original featured a group of high schoolers fighting a guerilla war against invading Soviet and Cuban soldiers. The new one features some high schoolers led by a couple twentysomethings against a “coalition” led by a North Korean army that…
The Eating…Our Words 100: Kevin Strickland, Herder of Cats at gratifi, a.k.a. Ziggy’s
As discussed a few weeks ago, Ziggy’s Healthy Grill has undergone a lot of recent changes under the stewardship of owner Kevin Strickland. Ziggy’s Healthy Grill has changed to gratifi — what Strickland calls simply an “American bistro” — and was the first restaurant in Houston to score a Paws…
The Rocks Off 100: Paige Mann, House of Blues’ Box-Office Diva
Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. Who? A former sales manager at doomed Houston record distributors Southwest Wholesale — which…
Turkey Day Forecast: Mild and Dry, Could the Drought Be Back?
If you hadn’t really noticed, it’s been really dry lately in Texas. Not the levels of dry we experienced in 2011, but rain has been in pretty short supply and our area of the state is creeping back toward drought conditions. Now, we mostly don’t care because it’s fall and…
A Guide to Black Friday: Where, When and How to Shop for What
Online shopping options, the economy and a taste for instant entertainment have all had an impact on Black Friday. Long lines in front of stores are still common, but not as frequent as they have been in the past. And standing in line is not not the only way to…
Rocks Off Gives Thanks For Health, Houston, Better Sound and… Raffi?
Allowing ourselves to become dangerously sentimental, Rocks Off polled our regular contributors to ask them the one music-related thing they’re thankful for this year. We’ll stop before we cue up Dido. Chris Gray: Besides being grateful to be here at all — in a way that, an all-too-short time ago,…
Don’t Be a Turkey: Ten Suggestions for a More Peaceful Thanksgiving Celebration
When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. I got up in the morning, watched the parades on TV and listened as my parents made food for the soon-to-be-arriving guests. Both sides of my parents’ families would merge for this holiday — the only such merging to be…
Top 10 Restaurants in Memorial
The last time we rounded up the 10 best places to eat in Memorial was in 2009. CityCentre was still under construction and Memorial City Mall had just emerged from years of redevelopment to rival The Galleria as the city’s best shopping center. The Memorial you see today is not…
Roll Tide! Zapruder Analysis of a Portly Alabama Family’s Whorish Love for Stanford
The current system in college football makes for strange bedfellows. Because the margin for error is so slim, and one loss can derail a potentially magical season, most teams with championship aspirations are left at some point rooting for another school to handle its dirty work. Not only does the…
(UPDATED: Arlo Responds!) 45 Years Later, What’s The Big Deal About Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant”?
Updated: Arlo Guthrie contacted us after this first posted. See his comments below. A few days ago Houston Press music editor Chris Gray was bemoaning the lack of quality Thanksgiving songs. There are really only six that he could think of. That Adam Sandler song doesn’t count either. “It’s Thanksgiving”…
Spoiler Alert! A Handy Infographic Guide to the Shelf Life of Meat and Fish
This is the second of a five-part series on keeping your groceries safe and sound. Check back at the same time each morning all week long for our guides to fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and dry goods. How long can you keep that lunch meat you bought in bulk at…
Rockin’ Houston Site Is a Glorious Monument to Local Concerts Past
Bruce Kessler’s RockinHouston.com is quite simply the best collection of Houston’s rock and roll concert past, period. Kessler, a former Pace Concerts house photographer, has amassed a database of every show that he and others shot in Houston from 1965 up until 2005. The works of the late Larry Lent…
Today’s DVDs & Blu-rays: Doctor Who Gift Set, the Tarantino 8 Film Collection and More
Check out Your New to Who FAQ: A Guide for People Ready to Meet the Doctor by our own Doctor Who expert, Jef with One F. Doctor Who fans have been peeing in the pants waiting for the new Doctor Who Limited Edition Gift Set. The set includes more than…
Where to Eat on Thanksgiving If You’re Poor and Lonely but Appreciate Nice Butts
So you’ve decided that the Costco box of Thanksgiving is too much work and that dining out at a fancy restaurant is too expensive. Your family has still suspiciously not issued a Thanksgiving invitation and all of your friends have “out of town” plans. Where are you going to spend…
Would-be “Grandpa Bandit” Leaves Chase Bank Empty Handed
The Houston FBI Bank Robbery Task Force is looking for help from the public after a man said to be in his 60s wearing a “short-sleeved light blue button down shirt,” walked into a Chase bank, handed over a threatening note, but left without any money last Friday. According to…
1-1 draw lands Dynamo in fourth MLS Cup Final
For the fourth time in seven years, the Houston Dynamo will be a participant in the MLS Cup. They earned their spot as the 2012 Eastern Conference Champions, with their 1-1 tie against DC United Sunday afternoon. The Dynamo knew heading into the game that United was going to come…
AC/DC Finally Comes to iTunes: What You Should Listen to First
Today Aussie rockers AC/DC announced that they are finally coming to Apple’s iTunes music store, following longtime holdouts the Beatles and Metallica. The other big iTunes absentee, Garth Brooks, is probably waiting to join the Apple cult when he reportedly goes on tour in late 2013. Yeah, you read that…
Via Colori Festival W/Video: Where You Can Write All Over the Street and Not Get in Trouble
Great weather graced the seventh annual Via Colori Street Painting Festival this past weekend as more than 240 artists arrived to create a massive mural while passersby watched their steps, making sure they didn’t destroy genius in the making. The mural, depicting the Houston downtown skyline, was just one of…
Police Say the Catt Family Robs Banks Together, and Now They Get to Stay Together, in Jail.
A Katy father and his adult son and daughter have all been charged with bank robbery, and police believe that the family team might have knocked over as many as six other banks in Oregon and Texas. Ten days ago police arrested 50-year-old Ronald Scott Catt, his 20-year-old son Hayden…
5 SXSW Keynote Speakers Who Would Be More Fun Than Dave Grohl
It’s official: Your SXSW keynote speaker for 2013 is Dave Grohl. A reliable choice who commands a great deal of clout and respect in the music industry, the same as speakers of years past such as Bruce Springsteen. I’m sure Grohl will do a great job and I only have…
Lesson From a Master Sushi Chef: Masayoshi Kazato from Chiba, Japan
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is the type of documentary that makes you want to get up close and personal with its subject. For me, the subject I wanted to get to know at the end of the film was not Jiro himself, but the art, skill and trade of sushi…
Eric Clapton Gives Toyota Center Some Slowhand March 16
Eric Clapton, the gentleman’s rock star (or something like that), will interrupt Toyota Center’s springtime pop programming — Maroon 5, Pink, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood — for an evening of British Invasion blues and psychedelic classic rock when the man behind “Layla” and other assorted love songs performs with his band…
Last Night: Bill Cosby At Arena Theatre
Even at the age of 75, Dr. Bill Cosby is still able to spin a yarn. It seems to me that only the most gifted of comedians and musicians, the more base arts, can remain enthralling into their seventh decade. It was just last week that the 70-year-old Paul McCartney…
Liberty Kitchen Launching Second Location in Former “Sexy Tex-Mex” Spot
Love the gumbo and raw bar at Liberty Kitchen, but hate driving into the Heights? Good news — especially for Galleria-area food fans — because owners Lee Ellis and Lance Fegen are launching a second location of the seafood restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Vida Sexy Tex-Mex. The…
The Last Time Notre Dame Was #1 In The A.P. Poll….
Heading into this weekend, only three undefeated teams remained in Division 1-A college football — top ranked Kansas State, number two ranked Oregon, and third ranked Notre Dame. The formula to figure out who would play in the BCS national title game was pretty simple if things held to form:…
Meet America’s Best New Reality Show: #RihannaPlane
I had a dream last week. I was married (complete shock) and sat up in bed with the wife, who had gotten off of a long shift at her job and wanted to relax. I couldn’t do anything else besides raving about something either idiotic or self-centered, so I finally…
The Turkeys are Coming! The Turkeys are Coming!
The Turkey of the Year is coming. You cannot run. You cannot hide. You can, however, guess who will be wearing the feathers this year. Lord knows there’s no shortage of choices. Our technicians in the Super-Secret Underground Turkey Calculator Bunker & Ice Cream Shoppe had another difficult year of…
Saturday Night: deadhorse at the Engine Room
deadhorse, Blunt Force Trauma, Demon Driver, etc. The Engine Room November 1, 2012 There’s life in that old deadhorse, yet. That’s the message sounding loud and clear from the Houston metal icons’ camp these days. At the Engine Room on Saturday, the band celebrated the release of its first-ever live…
Crazy For You: Song and Dance Delivered With Enthusiasm By Talented Young Actors
The set-up: Crazy For You is an 1992 musical; comedy version of B’way’s 1930 Girl Crazy, with a revised book by the prolific award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig, and with the music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin intact. Some songs were dropped, while Gershwin classics from other shows…
Thanksgiving Guilty Pleasure: Cranberry Turkey Panini at Murphy’s Deli
There is a Murphy’s Deli two blocks away from my office, but I only visit it a few times a year. Why? Because if I gave in to my daily temptations, I’d be eating a cranberry turkey panini there 365 days in a row. As it stands, I only allow…
The Draft: A Monster of a Beer Festival
Over the weekend, charity organizers and a host of volunteers staged The Draft, a charity beer festival that has wrapped up Houston Beer Week for the past three years. Known as Monsters of Beer in years prior, the third annual beer festival sought to raise over $30,000 to benefit local…
My Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish: Creamy Corn Casserole
As a six-year-old, I helped my mom make Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. Of course, I wasn’t able to help with every dish, but the one dish I always helped prepare was the corn casserole. Each Thanksgiving has included this side dish and it’s usually the one we never…
What Do These 7 Artists All Have in Common? The Answer May Surprise You
One of my first reactions to seeing the names involved in “Flying Solo,” a new group exhibition at Art League Houston featuring Houston artists who aren’t represented by a commercial gallery, was surprise that so many of them aren’t represented. The seven artists included offer such unique, distinct voices, and,…
Bad Rap: California Group Won’t Come Clean on Spindletop Dogs
We continue to be disgusted and saddened by the continued silence of Spindletop Dog Refuge owner Leah Purcell, and her lawyer, Zandra Anderson, who refuse to disclose the fates of dogs that are still unaccounted for. When Montgomery County authorities and the Humane Society of the United States workers revealed…
Friday Night: Rusko at Warehouse Live
Rusko Warehouse Live November 16, 2012 If anyone ever films a documentary about the EDM movement, the role of “Bad Boy” could easily be filled by Rusko. The 27-year-old Leeds, England-bred dubstep producer and DJ has a reputation for dramatic outbursts and a hearty disdain for sound engineers. Yet, as…
Dining Out on Turkey Day: Where to Eat This Thanksgiving
Let’s face it, sometimes a “home-cooked” meal in a restaurant is better than anything we can whip up at home. Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most difficult, time-consuming and stressful meals to make if you don’t normally cook meals at home. But, there’s one thing to be thankful for…
Home For the Dysfunctional Family: Skirting the Edges of Bawdy With a Christmas Comedy
The set-up: The Houston-born best-selling motivational speaker, John Bradshaw, once wrote that 80 percent of families were dysfunctional, but later corrected this to 100 percent. This dismal statistic is treated with light-hearted humor as two actresses with operatic voices take us through some of the holiday pitfalls, assisted by a…
Yes, the Rice Owls Might Still Go Bowling
The Rice Owls were 1-5 at the halfway point of this season. It looked like just another lost season. Something to which the Owls and their fans have become far too accustomed. Then a funny thing happened. The Owls started winning games. The Owls easily handled SMU on Saturday, winning…
Michael Vackar: Ex-Employee Says He Was Fired for Not Taking Clients to Strip Clubs
Editor’s note: U.S. District Court Judge Lee Roseinthal ruled in 2013 that Michael Vackar’s claims were false, and she later ruled that Vackar engaged in fraud, libel and slander, and business disparagement. Rosenthal also granted Superior’s motion for sanctions. Superior Steel and its employees have been vindicated. There seems to…
Gothic Council on a Really Good Pair of Boots
My wife has a pair of boots she calls her “gig boots” that got that name because they have managed to be comfortable and reliable for over a decade, no matter how many crappy concerts she has stood around at. Recently the zipper broke on one of them and I…
What’s Cooking This Week? Day-After Turkey Sandwiches & More
I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don’t make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient’s I’ve bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter…
Betz Gallery’s “Twelve by Twelve” Show Disappoints
Saturday night marked the opening of the Betz Art Gallery’s new home at the Summer Street Studio Warehouse. Betz has been in existence for roughly 10 years but was looking to make a move. Summer Street offers an exciting opportunity for both the gallery and the studios. If this corridor…
5 Fast Food “Secret Menu” Items: Sandwich & Wrap Edition
Remember the McGangbang? Yeah, sorry…We’re sorry we brought it up again, too. But it got us thinking: Surely there have to be other “secret menu” items lurking out there, just waiting to be discovered. And because we live in a sick, sick world, there are. So we dug them up…
Sylvia: A Shaggy Dog Tale With a Big Slobbery Kiss
The set-up: “You never say the things to me you say to her, like…you’re beautiful…or I love you.” The “you” is harried husband Greg (Wayne White), going through mid-life crises. The accusing “me” is neglected wife Kate (Ruth S. McCleskey), who knows a rival to her affections when she sees…
Texans-Jaguars: The 10 Best Rapper Tweets
Houston has a professional football team called the Houston Texans. A lot of people like them; some are rappers. The Internet has several forms of social media; one is called Twitter. A lot of people use it. Some of them are rappers. Like many weeks before, Rocks Off perused Twitter…
Texans 43, Jaguars 37: Four Red Flags, Four Silver Linings
Check out our photos of Sunday’s hard-fought game against the Jaguars. Arizona in 2009. Baltimore in 2010. Oakland in 2011. This was that game for the Texans. The one they seemingly have every season where they repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot with self-inflicted errors and stage a valiant comeback,…
Spoiler Alert! A Handy Infographic Guide to the Shelf Life of Fruit
This is the first of a five-part series on keeping your groceries safe and sound. Check back at the same time each morning all week long for our guides to vegetables, meats, dairy and dry goods. Have you ever been really excited to get a sweet deal on a clamshell…
Texans 43, Jags 37: Andre Johnson’s 14 Catch, 273 Yard Middle Finger To The Talking Heads
Check out our photos of Sunday’s hard-fought game against the Jaguars. The life of the sports fan is a brutal, tortured one most of the time, with heavy emotional investment yielding very few true payoffs. It’s this battered existence that fosters a “sky is falling” negativity even when your team…
The 5 Best Shows In Houston This Week: November 19-22
Cypress Hill Scout Bar, November 19 The first Latino hip-hop group to gain stardom, Cypress Hill brought a whiff of Cheech & Chong comedy to their red-eyed rapping, but were hardly playing around on songs like “Hand on the Pump” and “How I Could Just Kill a Man.” Sen Dog and B…
3 Hated Sequels That Are Clearly Better Than the Original
Making a sequel isn’t hard. Of the ten top grossing movies of 2012, six are sequels. Seven if you count the Spider-Man reboot as a one. That’s what Hollywood does, find something that works and finger bang it with two digits wrapped in a coke-dusted $100 bill until the movie-going…
R.I.P. Twinkies: Anthony Bourdain, John McCain and Herman Cain Weigh In on Hostess Brands’ Closure
Fans of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and Wonder Bread reacted strongly to news today that Hostess Brands is closing down all of its operations after a prolonged strike and continued financial woes. Read a press release on Hostess Brands’ website: Hostess Brands Inc. today announced that it is winding…
This Week in Deliciousness: Never Feed a Giblet After Midnight
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating… Our Words, where leftover Halloween candy is still causing expensive dental work. I usually open this column with a joke, but I couldn’t think of anything funnier or more absurd than reality, in which our chief food critic destroyed two of…
Surgical Technician Sues M.D. Anderson Over Raunchy Talk in the O.R.
Sheila Gordon, a certified surgical technician, is suing U.T. – M.D. Anderson, claiming that the world-renowned cancer treatment center is a sexually hostile workplace. According to the suit filed on November 6 by Gordon and attorney Martin A. Shellist, Gordon was placed by an agency at M.D. Anderson in September…
PB&J Permutations: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
There are certain combinations of foods that have become so iconic in the American food psyche (e.g., apple pie and vanilla ice cream, spaghetti and meatballs) that it seems wrong to have one without the other. The illustrious union of peanut butter and jelly — which has proved so successful…
Preemo & Tawn P Are Good Every Day, and Good On “Everyday”
Tawn P is a girl who raps very well and Preemo is a guy who raps very well. Together, as Rocks Off told readers back in May, they’re also in a group called All Day that raps very well. That song up there, that’s “Everyday,” presumably the first track from…
Remembering DJ Screw, 12 Whole Years Later
Death sucks. In all honesty, death is the one relationship you know will inevitably happen, but you spend every waking hour trying to avoid it. Like that girl who wants to honor herself by slut-shaming and gives you the clap. Or the guy who’s so drunk he’s braying like a…
Magical Bubbles: The Week in Art Photos
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…
A Very Costco Thanksgiving: Feeding 8 People for $80 (Plus the Cost of Pie)
Even though it’s just me and the mister at home, I still do enough shopping at Costco that I could be mistaken for a Mormon housewife. Why? I’m a sucker for a good deal. (Also, I go through a ridiculous amount of onions, peppers and tomatoes at home each week…
Person Of Interest: “Critical” Care
I think it’s time for Reese to get a new suit. It’s a nice look, don’t get me wrong, but threatening to become cartoonish, like Bart Simpson’s red t-shirt or June Cleaver’s pearl necklace (stop that). He doesn’t even employ Finch’s strategy of changing neckties every week. For a guy…
John Carl Arabie, Jr.: Judge Won’t Let Murderer Wear Pimp Coat to Sentencing
Yesterday a Waco jury sentenced John Carl Arabie Jr. to life in prison for the October 2011 killing of 74-year-old David Loyd Sanders. After insisting on appearing in shackles and black-and-white-striped McLennan County jail attire to the first few days of his trial, Arabie reportedly wanted to do it up…
deadhorse Comes Galloping Back With New DVD Saturday
When the rumors started to swirl last year, they were a little hard to believe at first. Was deadhorse, the Houston death/thrash band that amassed a large and loyal following in the early ’90s, really going to show up and play a gig at Warehouse Live? It had been nearly…
Top Five Things to Do This Weekend: Chucho Valdés, Vine Leaf Dances and More
Houston gets a visit from Latin jazz royalty on Friday when Da Camera presents the Chucho Valdés Quintet. The New York Times called the Cuban musician/bandleader “one of the world’s great virtuosic pianists”; Jazziz magazine dubbed him “the most complete pianist in the world.” The four Grammy Awards sitting on…
Why Beaujolais & Thanksgiving Pair Well (Not the Reason You’d Expect)
“There are three rivers that run through Lyon.” That’s the first thing that every taxi driver tells first-time visitors to the city. “The Rhône and the Saône,” which actually converge there, “and the river of Beaujolais” wine. The wine, made from the historically maligned Gamay grape, grown and raised about…
Texans-Jags: NEW BATTLE-DRINK Bingo Drinking Card, “Shahid Khan’s Fabulous Mustache” Ride
I know there are Texan fans out there who are wondering if I am going to have the creative juices and the time to recreate the Battle-Drink BINGO card each and every week. (And to make sure full credit is shared properly, it’s actually Monica Fuentes who creates the actual…
60 Second Cookies…In A Mug
It’s official. I am now obsessed with microwavable desserts in a mug. It started a few weeks ago when I made 60-second brownies. They were fantastic and way too easy. And so my fixation began… See also: What’s Cooking on Pinterest? Nutella Mug Cake This time, I tried out this…
Broken Promises: 5 Albums That Will Probably Never Be Released
Kevin Shields is at it again. Quickly becoming the Axl Rose of indie rock, the shoegaze star of My Bloody Valentine is back to promising a new MBV album. In fact, he’s guaranteeing that it’s going to come out this year. For those keeping track at home, that gives him…
John Feltch in A Christmas Carol – You Bet It’ll Be With A British Accent!
Actor John Feltch has returned to the Alley Theatre after an absence of 12 years (other than to play in To Kill a Mockingbird in April 2007, Treasure Island in May 2007 and Eurydice in February 2009) to take on the role of Jacob Marley’s ghost/Mrs. Dilber in this year’s…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
Title: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Those Vampires Are Pretty Popular, Huh? Less and less every day. Which is bad news for my Blacula remake script. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two-and-a-half Bunk Morelands out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis:Newly vampified Bella Swan must…
Wretched Owner of BlueHippo To Pay Back Texans He Ripped Off
The Texas Attorney General’s Office has announced an agreed judgment with the a-hole behind the BlueHippo uber-scam that defrauded consumers in Texas and across the country. The sole shareholder of the defunct Maryland-based company, whose advertisements for computers bought on layaway targeted low-income folks, has agreed to pay $175,000 in…
Upcoming Events: Afternoon Tea and the Art of Smoke
Beer-lovers, this weekend is for you! Although Houston Beer Week is wrapping up, you can still celebrate at two different events on Friday and Saturday. Tonight is our very own Craft Beer Hoppy Hour at Phoenicia’s MKT Bar, in which we spotlight local microbreweries and pair their brews with food…
Aussie DJ Dirty South: Global Citizen of “City of Dreams”
Unlike certain genres that dominate the airwaves here in the U.S., EDM is a global phenomenon. That’s not to say that there aren’t rappers and country singers in other parts of the world, but very few of those acts become stars here. EDM is something completely different. If you’re heading…
Your New to Who FAQ: A Guide For People Ready to Meet the Doctor
Having taken Doctor Who as an official religion about a year ago, then managing to trick a major metropolitan news outlet in paying me to talk about it constantly, you’re probably not surprised to hear that I have a lot of people on Facebook and other social media asking me…
Week in Photos: Hubcap Grill
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. We’re looking for pictures that represent the best of Houston, from food to art to events, to secret hidden spots of beauty. Just drop them in our Flickr…
Rex Brown Talks All Things Pantera
When bassist Rex Brown takes the stage at Concert Pub North tomorrow with his new supergroup Kill Devil Hill, he’ll be carrying a significant musical legacy along with him. As a founding member of Pantera, Brown helped to export a unique brand of dynamic Texas metal around the world in…
‘Tis The Season For Spirits and Cheese: Whisk(e)y Edition
This holiday season, turn the tables on the traditional “wine and cheese” combo by pairing cheeses with your favorite hard alcohol. In this special series, I’ll be investigating which fromages go best with distilled spirits as well as offering tips on how to construct a tasting without breaking the bank…
100 Creatives 2012 Leighza Walker, Theater Owner, Actress, Writer, Theatrical Everywoman
Just as some families go to church multiple nights a week, Leighza Walker’s family regularly attended the altar of the performing arts–spending most nights at the theater. Becoming an active member of the Conroe Community Players when she was 7, Walker recalls theater as being an important aspect of her…
In Defense of American Craft Beer Producers: An Open Letter to Joe Queenan and the Wall Street Journal
An open letter to Joe Queenan, in response to his article on craft beer in the Wall Street Journal on November 9: Dear Mr. Queenan, I read your recent article in the Wall Street Journal outlining your personal distaste and seeming confusion regarding the proliferation in popularity of American craft…
UPDATED: The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 Karaoke Bars
10. MO’S PLACE UPDATED: Mo’s in Katy is not to be confused with Mo’s the Galleria-area steakhouse. Rocks Off regrets the error. Mo’s advertises itself as a “Place for Steaks,” and its location is way out in Katy, but that doesn’t make it any less deserving of a place on…
Brush Up On Your Bill Cosby Before This Weekend’s Arena Theatre Gig
It’s hard to believe that legendary comedian and public speaker Bill Cosby is 75. It’s even harder to believe that The Cosby Show has been off the air since 1992. This Sunday night Dr. Cosby plays the Arena Theatre. Tickets are still on sale too, and the venue is small…
10 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: November 16-18
Rusko Warehouse Live, November 16 Rusko’s show at Stereo Live back in May didn’t go so well, so it’s a little surprising to see the bad boy of dubstep back in Houston so soon. The 27-year-old British DJ and producer cursed and wobbled his way through a bass-drenched set that…
Football! This Weekend’s Best Bets (And Andrew Bynum’s WORST Bet)
Every week, I give you some of what I think are my best picks in this column, because I know that many of you out there gamble. Some of you are in harmless office pools and some of you are flat out hardcore gamblers. For those of you in the…
Openings & Closings: Bruce Molzan Returns and Blacksmith Breaks Ground
Hang on to your lobster bibs; it’s been a busy week for openings, closings and chef shuffles in Houston, starting with news that everyone’s favorite (fill in the blank with the adjective of your choice, Mad Libs-style) chef is back: Bruce Molzan. After being closed for a year, The Brownstone…
Brett Hartmann: Ex-Texans Punter Sues Reliant Owners Over Career-Threatening Injury
Former Houston Texans punter Brett Hartmann is suing the owners of Reliant Stadium, and the company that provides the grass playing surface, for negligence in a career-threatening knee injury he sustained when his foot got caught in a seam during a game last December. Unlike other stadiums, where grass is…
Holiday Shopping And Safety Tips From Hair Balls And The Harris County Sheriff’s Office
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Unit and The Texas Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority are worried about your stuff getting stolen this holiday shopping season. And they know as well as anyone that thieves are flipping scumbags that would steal a diaper bag if they thought there…
Thanksgiving Alterna-Recipe: Savory Bacon Chive Pumpkin Quiche
Having eaten my fill of pumpkin-flavored grocery store products, I thought it time to start developing my own squash-themed dishes. My pantry was already overflowing with sweets and treats leftover from Halloween, so I decided to go the savory route and make a pumpkin quiche for brinner, the most important…
Start Your Holiday Shopping with Delicious Voice Daily Deals
Today’s Houston Press Voice Daily Deal offers you three delicious options at Angus Grill Brazilian Steakhouse: enjoy half-off a three-course, all-you-can-eat dinner for two, four or six. Dinner includes nine different meats, carved tableside, along with a variety of hot sides, and a huge salad bar. This voucher is valid…
Paul McCartney: What Becomes a Legend Most?
Somewhere outside London, or perhaps Liverpool, must be a warehouse that stores all the raw materials used to create the collage that scrolled down the two giant vertical video screens flanking the Minute Maid Park stage Wednesday. This thing had photographs, newspaper clippings, postcards from Liverpool, tour paraphrenalia (Wings lapel…
The Bizarre Christian Sex Cult Death of Bethany Leidlein Deaton
A young Arlington woman is dead and her husband along with several other members of her secretive prayer group are suspected of raping her, then killing her and trying to make it look like a suicide. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the body of 27-year-old Bethany Leidlein Deaton was…
Christmas Comes Early: WHAM is Here
Christmas is coming early for all you art lovers out there – the 7th Annual Winter Holiday Art Market (WHAM) is just around the corner. The annual holiday market, filled with wares from local artists, takes place November 16 through 18 at the Winter Street Studios and it’s not just…
Winners Announced in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s 10th Annual International Wine Competition
Now in its 10th year, the annual International Wine Competition at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo has grown from a small wine judging contest that flew relatively under the radar to a well-respected competition that saw a record number of entries: 2,884 wines from 943 wineries in Texas, across…
The Arrival of Correct Hip-Hop “Grammer”
It’s no secret. Houston has a robust rap underground. We have many reasons to be proud of our hip-hop scene. And there’s nothing wrong with having one more. Every now and then, an artist comes out of the clear blue sky, and makes such an undeniable musical introduction, their newness…
Unidentified 20-year-old Robbery Suspect Shot by Store Owner: Bayou Body Count No. 200
An armed robbery suspect was shot to death at a Cricket Wireless Store by the store’s owner just after 6 p.m. Wednesday, Houston police report. The identity of the 20-year-old suspect is pending notification of family members. The shooting occurred at 1419 South Loop West (South Interstate Highway 610). The…
Gen. Petraeus: A Possible Glimpse at the Spymaster’s iPod
Nuge the Stooge knows what CIA director needed. Enough already about Gen. David Petraeus and his private harem … err, his embedded biographer with the flashy wardrobe and bad vision. Petraeus is a patriot, a winner of wars, a brilliant strategerizer, a man dedicated to little beyond his own career…
Mayo Clinic Talks Turkey: 10 Tips for Choosing & Preparing a Thanksgiving Bird
We love Thanksgiving and its star — the beloved turkey — but making the perfect bird can be pretty intimidating. But fear no more: Thanks to the gang over at the Mayo Clinic, everything Turkey Day — from selection to serving — has been demystified. Check out these 10 Tips…
American Horror Story: Asylum: Nazi vs. Serial Killer
The way that Asylum manages to hold onto its psychological peaks and artistic climaxes is really quite remarkable. Unlike the last season, which mostly stuck with a pretty set formula of ghost-like scares, Asylum continues to change everything up so constantly that no one scare tactic ever grows stale. The…
Galveston Principal Busted in Adult Video Booth
Okay, pervy teachers and school administrators need to pass a resolution at the next Texas Masturbators Local Union meeting: no more jerkin’ it in adult video stores, no matter how strong the urge. Because apparently police are conducting raids these days at decidedly non-peak Wanking Hours, like 9:45 a.m. That’s…
Royce White Versus The Ignorant Mob
Can someone please explain to me why so many people are so pissed off at Royce White? I know why the Rockets are upset – I don’t necessarily agree with the Rockets being angry with him, but I get it – but I don’t get why my twitter timeline and…
Last Night: Sir Paul McCartney at Minute Maid Park
Sir Paul McCartney Minute Maid Park November 14, 2012 SLIDESHOW: Beatlemania: Paul McCartney Plays Minute Maid Park Seeing Paul McCartney live is a lot of things. It’s communing with a spirit that touched millions and will touch millions for as long as humanity lurches forward. It’s hearing the old schmaltzy…
What Are Houston Chefs Doing for Thanksgiving (Besides Cooking for You)?
With so many great restaurants open for Thanksgiving Day — and so many chefs working hard on a day when the rest of us are enjoying family time or simply a much-needed day off — it’s tough to find a chef who’s celebrating Thanksgiving in any sort of traditional sense…
Free for All: Mediterranean Film Festival, Via Colori and Prem Souri Kishore
Turkey, France, Israel, Italy, Egypt and Greece, are all scheduled stops on the Mediterranean Film Festival’s cinematic tour. There’s Greece’s Nicostratos, Olivier Horlait’s cuddly family-friendly about a boy who rescues and raises a pelican on Friday and France’s Khamsa by director Karim Dridi which follows a young boy who runs…
Benji Frank: Online Eyewear Line Gives Back With Every Pair of Glasses Sold
Benjamin Franklin, one of the shapers and signers of the Declaration of Independence, was also an inventor of many products we still use today, including the bifocals. (Franklin called them “double spectacles.”) Rather than patent and sell his discoveries off, however, Franklin chose to use his inventions to help others…
Pop Rocks: For Your Consideration, Five Men Sexier Than “Sexiest Man Alive” Channing Tatum
People magazine named Magic Mike star Channing Tatum their 2012 Sexiest Man Alive. He’s the 24th person to win the title (four have won it twice), a venerable and tradition-soaked honor that’s included the likes of Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Harry Hamlin and … Nick Nolte? The hell? Oh right,…
Ron Chen, Owner and “Head Coach” at Rattan Pan-Asian Bistro
What he does Ron Chen is quick to note something right up front: “I am not a chef. I’m like a coach. As in, I don’t play basketball but I coach the game, you know?” The owner of Rattan Pan-Asian Bistro, Chen has already put in a lifetime in the…
The Rocks Off 100: Willow Villarreal, Hatetank Maniac
Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. If you are under 30 in Houston and grew up going to punk or…
Royce White’s Twitter Rant: 10 Ignorant Replies
“Is he worth it?” In the sports world, it’s the answer to that one simple question that ultimately determines the length of a player’s shelf life in whatever league he plays in. Extrapolated in more detail and reworded, is the combination of a player’s skill set, salary, and performance worth…
IHOP at Home: Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches
I always enjoy looking at the frozen section in the grocery store. If you look hard enough, you’ll find something you’ve never seen before. This past week, I discovered IHOP at Home frozen breakfast items and intriguingly bought the French toast maple sausage breakfast sandwiches. You can’t go wrong with…
More Rex Brown: On the Music Industry, Being “Cut In Half” & Pantera’s True Story
Twenty years after Texas metal deities Pantera delivered their seminal Vulgar Display of Power, bassist Rex Brown is back with a new band, Kill Devil Hill. The monstrously heavy supergroup, formed by legendary Black Sabbath/Dio drummer Vinny Appice, plays Concert Pub North on Saturday. Rewind: Rex Brown On Moving On,…
Fan Direction: 5 Great Music-Video Contest Winners
One of the latest trends I’ve observed in music is that almost everyone is outsourcing their videos these days, even top artists. It’s much easier and cheaper to hold a fan contest, asking your fans to create videos for you, than it is to go out and shoot the video…
ICYMI, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction Are Coming Back To Theaters For One Night Only
Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, arguably the twin masterpieces of director Quentin Tarantino (“Hey! Jackie Brown was rad too!”) are returning to the big screen for one night only, on December 4 and December 6 respectively. And there are a handful of Houston-area theaters that will be hosting screenings, according…
Houston’s Top 10 All-Day Breakfasts
Houstonians love a few things above all others: burgers, Tex-Mex barbecue, pizza, crawfish and breakfast. These are the foods that get us crazy passionate, the meals that fuel endless debates here in the city where residents eat for sport. We even have breakfast sub-categories that we love to jaw about:…
Mad at Your Boyfriend’s Eighth Grade Son? Why Not Plant a Gun in His Backpack and Send Him to School?
A gun scare at a junior high school earlier this month apparently was not the brainstorm of a disturbed teen, but instead the twisted revenge scheme of his father’s girlfriend. According to the Montgomery County Police Reporter, on November 5, constables moonlighting as school security got a phone call tipping…
Good Spielberg’s Bad Moments
The first few minutes of Lincoln play out like a parody of the expectations of Steven Spielberg’s detractors. The Great Emancipator rests like a humble Solomon upon a hard wooden chair, surrounded by freely mixing black and white soldiers of that great war of his. One black soldier dares to…
Cypress Hill
The first Latino hip-hop group to gain stardom, Cypress Hill brought a whiff of Cheech & Chong comedy to their red-eyed rapping, but were hardly playing around on songs like “Hand on the Pump” and “How I Could Just Kill a Man.” Sen Dog and B Real’s gritty rhymes could…
Mostly Cloudy
Silver Linings Playbook, which stars Bradley Cooper as a manic-depressive man-child attempting to get his life back together after a breakdown, won the coveted Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and subsequently shot to the top of most Oscar prognosticators’ Best Picture short list. The film’s…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Cleve Gray: 1967 Silver Paintings,” “CraftTexas 2012,” “Debra Barrera: Kissing in Cars, Driving Alone,” “[Houston Times Eight],” “Liz Ward: Cryosphere,” “Structural Impermanence: New Works by Renée Lotenero”
“Cleve Gray: 1967 Silver Paintings” It was 1967. The late, great Cleve Gray was angry with his painting — a semi-Cubist composition of black and a bit of green — because it was “boring.” So he threw a bucket of aluminum paint on it that he had lying around, likely…
Generationals
Straight outta New Orleans, two-man outfit Generationals is finally starting to gather steam outside of the Crescent City with synths and vocals that recall prime Pet Shop Boys. Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer keep their songs compact, hanging hooks in all the right places on the new Lucky Numbers EP,…
Tamaryn
New Zealand-born vocalist Tamaryn is making waves this fall with newest release Tender New Signs, a nine-track ode to dream-pop that comes coated in washes of reverb. Though the music could stand to be a little less anonymous, the San Francisco-based Tamaryn and main collaborator Rex John Shelverton make great…
Rusko
Rusko’s show at Stereo Live back in May didn’t go so well, so it’s a little surprising to see the bad boy of dubstep back in Houston so soon. The 27-year-old British DJ and producer cursed and wobbled his way through a bass-drenched set that was one of the raunchier…
An Open Letter to People I Un-Followed During the Election
Political Animals An Open Letter to People I Un-Followed During the Election BY JEFF BALKE It’s been a particularly rough election season if you spend any time at all on social media. Worse than Farmville, worse than exercise tweets and worse than food photos, the presidential election seems to have…
FallCore
Yes, it’s FallCore time again, an annual must-attend event for local metalheads, hardcore kids and even a few wayward pop-punkers. This long-running mini-festival, brainchild of Hatetank Productions promoter Willow Villarreal, is still going strong on its twelfth edition and you know it just wouldn’t be a FallCore without Will to…
Special Texas Edición: Why do Mexicans Love Ska?
Dear Mexican, Lately, I’ve noticed a few bands, como Voodoo Glow Skulls, have embraced ska music both at home and in Mexico. I was curious what the appeal is for Mexicans of ska music? Also, if you had to turn people to Mexican ska, what would be your top five…
Paul Ramirez Band
A weekly gig is about the best way for guitarists to hone their craft, and Houston’s Paul Ramirez has done just that Wednesday nights at the Continental Club for more than a year now. It pays off in Sex With a Dragon, his debut CD that throws in a little…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Beebo Brinker’s Chronicles, Fleaven, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Murdering Marlowe,
Beebo Brinker’s Chronicles Celebration Theatre specializes in gay theater, and presents its third production, a play set in Greenwich Village in the ’50s, centering on the lives and loves of lesbians. The script is based on the pulp fiction novels of Ann Bannon, and is sincere in resisting the temptation…
Returning War Contractors Face Second Battle, Against AIG
Ever since that June day in 2010 when the roadside bomb detonated ten feet from the cab of his truck on a dusty road in Iraq, Terry Enzweiler has not been the same. He gets lost coming back from the same grocery store he’s shopped in hundreds of times; his…
Paul McCartney’s Wonderful, Bizarre McCartney II
Classic Rock Corner Paul McCartney’s set lists are largely built on his Beatles work, making his Minute Maid Park show an historic chance to hear one-half of one of the greatest songwriting duos of all time play some of the most cherished musical works of the past century. But out…
Refinery: A Burger-centric Icehouse
See more of The Refinery’s petroleum-themed dining room that pays homage to Houston’s history in our slideshow. Even though it’s only been open a few months, The Refinery is already shaping up to be a love-it-or-hate-it type of place. Some people love the oilfield-themed decor, while others find it kitschy…
Young Lovers and a Hypocrite
I Capuleti e i Montecchi You can hear the haste in Vincenzo Bellini’s The Capulets and the Montagues (1830), whose libretto is a maladroit rewrite of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. (The Bard was horribly ill-served by most opera adaptations until Verdi set him right.) The musical patchwork is uneven, but…
Lincoln: A Tall, Tall Film
There’s an unfun tendency in American life to fictionalize our national heroes as rigid statue-people who only speak as though they are delivering commencement addresses, a kind of unlovable, Al Gore–ish anti-charisma that would inhibit anyone in real life from becoming a national hero in the first place. Own it,…
Philly Poutine
Restaurant News Just because I didn’t include Pappa Geno’s wicked Philly on my recent list of Houston’s Top 10 Sandwiches (which was reserved strictly for deli sandwiches) doesn’t mean I don’t lust after the thing. I do. I have terrible urges for Pappa Geno’s at least once a week. I…
Death of Cinema
That the American cinema is deader than Dillinger is a fact no right-thinking observer unwilling to be laughed out of the room would even think of denying today. To do the current round of think piece writers one better, we will add that not only are the movies dead, but…
