Rick Perry Announces Another Special Session, Set for July 1
Gov. Rick Perry’s office announced Wednesday afternoon that the governor has called for the second special session of 2013, set to commence at 2 p.m. on July 1. Only hours after Sen. Wendy Davis, her colleagues, and their supporters managed to block passage of legislation that would all but ban…
Hi-Ho, Silver: The Lone Ranger’s Horse has His Day in Houston, Joins HPD
The Lone Ranger was a former Texas Ranger who donned a black mask and rode a white stallion in his quest for justice in the Old West, with his trusty Native American sidekick, Tonto at his side. So maybe that’s why the horse who played the Lone Ranger’s horse, Silver,…
The Winners and Losers of the Great Texas Abortion Filibuster
If you were anywhere near a computer, a phone, or the Hill Country over the past 24 hours, you’ll know that Texas witnessed one of the most memorable, remarkable displays of political will it’s ever known. In lieu of allowing nearly 90 percent of the abortion clinics across the state…
Holy Guacamole: Iguana Joe’s Temporarily Closed Due To Critical Health Violations
Getting sick after eating at a restaurant is never a fun thing. Especially if your entire family gets sick, too. On Father’s Day weekend, approximately a dozen customers apparently got food poisoning from the Iguana Joe’s in Humble, as reported by KHOU-TV. Many of the customers were showing signs of…
Keystone Pipeline Will Only be Approved if it Won’t Make Climate Change Worse
President Obama made a big speech on climate change on Tuesday afternoon at Georgetown University. He’s going to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to draft rules on carbon emissions from power plants, a new round of fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles and a whole bunch of other stuff, but everyone…
Craft Beer, Conversation and Community at Nobi Public House
Nobi Public House, ,the subject of this week’s review sits in a section of Nasa Road 1 strip mall so nondescript, even that description seems too descriptive. Inside, the L-shaped tap-wall and the helpful staff tell a different story. Ask about the Petrus Aged Red on the bottle list, a…
Houston, We Have a New Ramen Restaurant
Rumors that the Austin’s Ramen Tatsu-Ya was soon coming to Houston have been spreading in the last few months. And we may be finally able to confirm that there is definitely truth to the rumors as an inside industry source states Ramen Tatsu-ya chefs/owners Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya “Tako” Matsumoto…
The 2013 Houston Web Awards: The Devil is Busy
When Fox26 investigative reporter Isiah Carey was in his mid-20s, he was just a young reporter working in Little Rock, Arkansas. He never thought that he would one day have a fan club in Ireland, but that’s what the Internet can do for you. In Carey’s case, the Internet and…
Four Days In Vegas: A “First Time At EDC” Travel Journal
“EDM has the power to make people profoundly happy. And if those good vibes are trickling down to the kids, well, that’s alright.” – Katie Bain, LAWeekly Life is all about creating opportunities that will allow you to follow and achieve your dreams, however difficult, weird, or seemingly impossible those…
Citizens Climate Lobby Wants to Tax Carbons, Cut Everybody Checks
While President Obama was making a big speech on climate change on Tuesday afternoon at Georgetown University, somewhere in Washington D.C. a lobbyist group was talking with members of Congress, congressional aides and anyone else who would give a listen about the tax the group is lobbying for, a proposed…
Cooking Lobster At Home in Houston
Many summers spent in New England have made me a huge fan of clam and lobsterbakes. They’re a fun and interactive form of summer dining, not to mention a fabulous way of getting rid of all that extra butter lying around the house. Living in Texas I have missed these…
Reality Bites: Australia’s Deadliest
I’ve traveled to many exotic countries (including some without a single Burger King), but have never made it to the land Down Under. This in spite of a lifelong love of Kylie Minogue and Yahoo Serious, and the main reason is because it’s the only place I know of where…
The Revolutions Will Not Be Televised: Ten Things We Learned About the Internet During the Wendy Davis Filibuster
At one point during Senator Wendy Davis’s marathon filibuster yesterday, the hashtag #StandWithWendy started to go viral. By the end of the night, it was trending worldwide along with a number of other related words, phrases and hashtags. Just before midnight, more than 180,000 people were viewing the live stream…
Shake Hands with The Art Guys This Thursday for Art
They’ve spent eight hours signing their names, walked the longest street in Houston, explored the cardinal points of Houston, conducted the sounds of the Houston Ship Channel and unwound and rewound a spool of thread. Now, they want to shake your hand. This Thursday, The Art Guys will set up…
This Week In Food Blogs: The World Will See How Great Houston Is
Conde Nast Traveler: Oxheart and Underbelly were featured on Conde Nast Traveler’s list of the world’s best new restaurants. The list featured 70 restaurants, including the Spoon Bar & Kitchen in Dallas, giving Texas three spots on this worldwide list. Now the world can start to see just how great…
William Clark Green’s “Rose Queen” Pricks One of Tyler’s Sacred Cows
Shortly after recording his album Misunderstood, Texas singer-songwriter William Clark Green discussed the idea of tackling a song about Tyler’s Texas Rose Festival. The idea became the basis for the title track to his latest album, Rose Queen. “It was one of the easiest songs to ever come together,” Green…
UPDATED SCOTUS: Defense of Marriage Act is Unconstitutional, Prop 8 Appeal Dismissed
The Update: SCOTUS has effectively killed California’s Proposition 8 — and therefore allowed same-sex marriage to continue in that state — by dismissing an appeal from the Prop’s proponents. The justices ruled that the proponents did not have legal standing to appeal the California Supreme Court’s ruling finding Prop 8…
Happy Birthday, Richard Garfield! A Magic: The Gathering Playlist
Today I’d like to say happy 50th birthday to the man that made my teenage years so thoroughly enjoyable. Richard Garfield is the man behind the combat collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, and it would not be remiss to say I was completely obsessed with it. The direct descendant…
The Last Smoker in America (Original Cast Recording) is Humorous and Unexpectedly Touching
Imagine a United States where cigarettes are outlawed. That is the central conceit in The Last Smoker in America, an Off-Broadway musical comedy with book and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Bill Russell and music by Drama Desk Award nominee Peter Melnick. The one-act musical, directed by Andy Sandberg, officially…
Spirited Sweets: Tequila Coconut Lemon Bars
My moderate success making semolina pudding with a ginger vodka sauce inspired me to continue my forays into baking with booze. In this edition, I used my old friend, tequila, to make what I hoped would be sort of like a coconut margarita in baked good form. Although there are…
You Down With HPV? Texas State Study Says Students Don’t Know Jack
College kids are as dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to understanding how to protect themselves from the human papillomavirus (or, as it’s known in the industry, “HPV”) according to a Texas State University study. “Only 15.5 percent of college students know that condoms don’t fully protect…
Guinea Pig Armor and 5 Other Ways to Waste Lots of Money on Ebay
Late last week a picture was being forwarded around of a guinea pig suit of armor being sold on Ebay for the bargain price of $22,000. If you think that what you just read was either in another language or perhaps you had some rare disease in which you confabulate…
The Top Five Most Disastrous Musician Interviews Ever
At Rocks Off, we know a thing or two about interviews, for better or worse. Most of them go pretty good, alright, nothing special. Someone has something to promote and we want to talk to them and then it goes up, people read and enjoy it, and we all go…
Gino’s East Deep Dish Pizza (Supermarket Version)
I received many helpful leads following my post bemoaning the dearth of deep dish pizza options in Houston . I aim to follow up on many of these tips and began with this recommendation from commenter rgwalt: I, too, miss deep dish pizza. The good news is that it is…
Harris County Commissioners Court Pushes the Astrodome Plan on Down the Line
There was a full house at the Harris County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday morning. Seriously, people were packed into the room like so many sardines in a can all to see what will be the next step in plans to repurpose the Astrodome. County Judge Ed Emmett noted wryly…
Houston Press Brings Back Cocktails & Covers For Another Summer Of Awesome Fridays
Cocktails are awesome, and so are bands that are playin’ some sweet tunes that you know and love. So when you combine the two, magic happens. That magic will be exactly what is happening the rest of the summer, thanks to the summer concert series, “Cocktails & Covers,” brought to…
Landmark River Oaks Theatre: Great Cinema & Consistent Cocktails
There was one semester during graduate school in which I felt like I went to the Landmark River Oaks Theatre almost every weekend. The combination of a heavy course load and being long distance from my husband had me chronically stressed out and I found escaping to the movies to…
100 Creatives 2013: David Wilhem, Light Painter
What He Does: David Wilhem has had some success with his stainless steel paintings, but his newest passion is something called light painting. It’s a little difficult to explain, but stick with me here because it’s cool as hell. First Wilhem just keeps an eye out for unusual graffiti or…
NBA Draft: Best Active Player Selected In Each First Round Draft Slot
I’ve said it many times in this space — we are all dorks. I don’t mean we all have pocket protectors and pull our trousers up to an unreasonably high waist level (or even use the word “trousers” instead of the hipper, cooler “pants”), I mean that we all obsess…
The Non-Pressure Test: Make The Perfect Pie Crust & Lemon Meringue Like a Masterchef
Masterchef is back (and with another Houstonian in the mix)! We’ve been loving the season so far, especially the pressure tests. But with a pissed-off Ramsay, daunting time restraints and cameras right in the contestants’ faces waiting for them to break down in an ugly cry in front of the…
Z-Ro the Emo: His Most Passionate Songs, Part 1
Before Drake or Kid Cudi, Houston had its very own passionate singer/rapper. The Mo City Don, Z-Ro, has been pouring his heart out on tracks since the ’90s. Anybody could catch his melodic and heartbroken wrath, whether ladies, “friends” or enemies. Here’s a look at 15 of Z-Ro’s most heartfelt…
5 Things Gamers Don’t Have to Put Up With Anymore
I recently reread an article I had written upon the death of the Playstation 2 talking about how my wife had bought it for me when I asked her to marry me, and how it had brought us together as a family. It’s easily one of my favorite pieces of…
UPDATED: Wendy Davis’s Abortion Filibuster Brings Laughter from Republicans, and History to Capitol
UPDATED: After 12.5 hours of filibuster, a trio of controversial points of order, and one of the most sustained shows of political passion the state has seen in years, the Texas Senate failed to pass Senate Bill 5 Tuesday night. After departing shortly after midnight without a clear ruling, Lt…
Rockets Likely to Deal Robinson Before the Draft to Free Up Cap Room for Howard
According to a report from the Chron, the Rockets are very close to moving power forward Thomas Robinson, the fifth pick in last year’s draft acquired from the Sacramento Kings at the trading deadline, in order to free up enough cap space to make a run at free agent center…
Today’s DVDs & Blu-rays: Saying No to Pinochet, Halle Berry Gets The Call and More
We enthusiastically recommend Pablo Larraín’s No, the true story of a marketing campaign that toppled a dictator. In 1988, General Augusto Pinochet gives in to international pressure and allows a general vote to be taken in Chile – a yes vote means Pinochet stays in power another eight years, a…
Dude Robs Bank Apparently After a Morning of Shaving Gone Awry
Shaving sucks. It’s annoying and you are essentially scraping a razor across your face — not the safest idea. As a result, accidents are bound to happen. And, when they do if they are serious enough, you have to be that weirdo who wears bandages on your face and explain…
Half-off Savings at NAM: Noodles and More, Araya Artisan Chocolate, Sparrow Bar + Cookshop
This week’s Houston Press Voice Daily Deal is good for half-off ($10 for $20) oodles of noodles at NAM: Noodles and More. The authentic Vietnamese and Southeast Asian flavors served up at NAM are created using only locally grown, organic produce and all recipes are MSG-free. You’ll love the casual,…
5 Rappers Who Can Take Paula Deen’s Spot on Food Network
Paula Deen has gotten herself into some down home, southern deep shit. Last week it was exposed that she is okay with using the derogatory n-word and that was just one of the offensive things she said in a deposition. Last Friday she issued a struggle apology video that no…
Fire Fighters, Police on Opposite Sides of Mayoral Race
The Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association announced they will be endorsing Ben Hall in his challenge to incumbent Mayor Annise Parker in this year’s mayoral campaign. This comes well after the Houston Police Officers’ Union endorsed the incumbent mayor back in March and just weeks after a fire that killed…
J.Cole at House Of Blues, 6/24/13
J.Cole House Of Blues June 24 A dollar. At 11:30 AM Monday, someone took a photo of the marquee at House Of Blues, focused squarely on five letters with a singular space in between them. J.Cole. The North Carolina golden child had his fans and more going on a literal…
Tucanos Brazilian Grill Opens in Sugar Land
Houston is home to many Brazilian Churrascarias. Fogo de Chao and Chama Gaucha come to mind as the more well-known of the bunch, with places like Nelore, Tradicao, Angus Brazilian, and Pradaria spread out around town. With the opening of Colorado-based Tucanos Brazilian Grill (16535 Southwest Freeway; (281-277-5477) in the…
Texas-Based Christian Film House Recruits New CEO, Who Enjoys Comparing Gay Sex to Bestiality
For those who’d missed the recent UT/Texas Tribune poll, 30 percent of Texans professed to believing in the literalism of the Bible. That’s nearly eight million of those in our state who believe that God naturally demands the tip of babies’ penises(!), and that it is a sin to eat…
The Hates Pen a Uniquely Punk Ode to Houston
They still talk ’bout West Fest all way to Katy Cruising down by Numbers weekends in the ’80s I’m not talking ’bout New York, London, Paris or Rome The greatest city in the world is Houston home sweet home It’s been a very productive year for Houston’s own The Hates…
Patriotic Cocktails, Part 1: The Betsy Ross
This Independence Day, set yourself free from garish red-white-and-blue cocktails by mixing up some patriotic drinks whose taste as well as appearance honors the spirit of the holiday. In this series, I will explore some off-the-beaten-path adult beverages for your July 4th party. When I was a wee lass, my…
Weather Week: Much Hotter Than Boston
My step-sister-in-law posted a note on her Facebook page this morning. She and my step-brother, both extremely awesome people, live in Boston and are nearing moving day. She said that she hoped it will only get hotter as the big day approaches. I immediately assumed she was being sarcastic, but…
5 Characters From True Blood Better Than the Books
Now that Charlaine Harris has closed the door on the Sookie Stackhouse books there is something that we need to address. No, not the ending. If you’re bitching about that then frankly you didn’t understand the series in the first place. No, it’s the fact that some of True Blood…
Is Houston’s Next Great Chocolate Chip Cookie At H-E-B?
The short answer: I think so. I’ve spent a lot of time researching Houston’s chocolate chip cookies, especially, my personal favorite, the chewy variety. Tiny Boxwood’s vends some damn good chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven and Zoe’s Kitchen , believe it or not, sells some incredible buttery, moist…
Upcoming: Blondie, Buddy Guy & Jimmie Vaughan, Chief Keef, Sammy Kershaw, etc.
10 Years: Sun., Sept. 1, 8 p.m., $21.50 to $25.00. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston, 713-225-5483. The Beans: With Oil Boom, The Docs, Keeton Coffman., Fri., July 26, 8 p.m., $10 to $12. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston, 713-862-3838. Beat King: With DJ Chose., Thu., Aug. 29, 9 p.m.,…
A Long, Hot Summer for ERCOT, and Customers? ERCOT Supplies Still Aren’t Enough for Peak Demand
In case you’ve been living in a hermit-like state under a very cool and air-conditioned rock, you may have noticed that the traditional Texas summer weather settled in long before we actually got to the official start of summer last week. We’ve been, ahem, enjoying those days of 90 degrees…
Cake Decorating 101: Piping & Frosting
Now that you know how to bake a cake worthy of decorating, the next step is to decorate it. I remember my first time decorating a two-layered cake. It was for my mother’s birthday, I was 12 years old, and I thought I could do it all by myself; I…
The Rocks Off 100: Kahna, Brutal Nation’s Metal Booking Queen
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. See the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? Our lady Kahna is…
Ten Questionable T-Shirts Seen at Electric Daisy Carnival (NSFW)
Because one idea is synonymous with the other. Electric Daisy Carnival took place last weekend in Las Vegas, bringing the EDM generation out en masse to celebrate its love of sensory overstimulation and all things electronic. The scene inside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the festival is being held,…
I.V. Hilliard: Pastor Asks Congregation to Finance New Helicopter Blades
Just imagine how many more souls Jesus Christ could have saved if he had a helicopter. That would’ve cut the commute from Tiberias to Jericho by at least a fortnight. So there’s no reason that, in 2013, a preacher of the gospel shouldn’t be able to spread the word as…
Experimenting With Sun Tea
There are some advantages to the unremitting sunshine during Texas summers. For me, fair-skinned and light-eyed, it’s a great excuse to stay indoors in the AC to avoid carcinogenic exposure. I also like to use the intense solar presence to make sun tea. I wasn’t even aware of the existence…
Kathy Fitzgerald of Wicked and How Being Horrible is Great
Kathy Fitzgerald, with several tours on Broadway, says she has made a career of playing funny women. When she was offered the Madame Morrible part in Wicked on Broadway, it gave her the first time chance “to play someone really horrible. She is horrible, but somebody has to be the…
Top Five Chappelle’s Show Musical Sketches
Growing up around the time that Chappelle’s Show was on the air, it was like a cult. Literally the moment that a new episode aired, you’d have any number of hilarious new quotes to throw around with all your friends. Dave Chappelle invented memes on a nightly basis for a…
Texas Legislator Says Rape Kits Cause Abortions, Get Women “Cleaned Out”
You likely know a woman who’s had an abortion. You may not realize it, and she may not have informed you — or you may very well be the woman in question — but with 1.45 percent of women aged 15-44 in Texas getting an abortion annually, the odds are…
Beekeeping 101: Put on the White Suit & Head For the Hive, Honey
Sure, going to the beach or a water park is the typical and standard summer activity, but have you ever thought to sign up for a beekeeping class? Round Rock Honey Beekeeping Academy in Porter teaches you everything you need to know about beekeeping. Konrad Bouffard, founder and Master Beekeeper,…
Brony-Con? Top Five Weirdest Conventions
This past weekend, Houston hosted its annual ApolloCon, a science fiction, fantasy and horror conference, now in its 10th year. That’s right for ten years Houston has been hosting a conference that focuses solely on all things associated with the other fiction genre that is not romance. Who knew such…
The Best and Worst of Electric Daisy Carnival 2013
Note: Once again this year, Rocks Off is proud to share our L.A. sister blog West Coast Sound’s coverage of this weekend’s Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. Photo by Josh “CuriousJosh” ReissIf there is any lingering question about the mass popularity of electronic music, one need look no further…
Tonight at 14 Pews, Hey Bartender Screening and Cocktail Hour
The rise of the cocktail and the return of the bartender as rockstar carries along with it a baggage saddled on every trending topic in modern pop culture. The film follows several threads, interweaving the tales of two contrasting bartenders — one a cocktail bartender crafting high end drinks in…
Incoming: Kaitlin Steinberg, A New Food Critic For the Houston Press
Starting on July 8, Kaitlin Steinberg will become the new fulltime food critic at the Houston Press. Steinberg, who lives in Corpus Christi and graduated from Trinity University before going on to master’s work at the University of Missouri in Colombia Columbia, has most recently been a food writer for…
Electric Daisy Carnival Means So Much. Here’s Why.
Note: Once again this year, Rocks Off is proud to share our L.A. sister blog West Coast Sound’s coverage of this weekend’s Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. Photo by Josh “CuriousJosh” ReissElectric Daisy Carnival, which ended early this morning, promotes itself as being “all about the experience,” and it’s…
State Legislature Says No More Underage Oompa Loompas
Oompa Loompas are probably the best part of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but it’s a fair guess that the 15-year-olds you’ve seen walking down the streets don’t realize or particularly want to look the same striking shade of tanning bed orange as those little guys. Now the state…
MDC and Verbal Abuse at Walters, 6/23/13
MDC, Verbal Abuse, In Defense, HRA, Some Nerve Walters Downtown June 23, 2013 The Texas hardcore scene that birthed MDC and Verbal Abuse came and went in a flash back in the early ’80s, lasting just long enough for both bands to beat feet to the gnarlier climes of California…
Dynamo Look Lacksidasal in Scoreless Draw, Three Things We Learned
In the short history of Houston Dynamo soccer, there’s always been one constant – this team will go through a dry spell in the summer months. But this little lull that the Orange have hit, it’s a bit of a doozy. Even though the Dynamo managed to earn the draw…
Falling Skies: “Man, This Deal’s Getting Worse And Worse.”
While I’ve appreciated the increased emphasis on action in this season of Falling Skies, it’s really starting to feel like producers/writers are forcing the characters to make progressively worse decisions in order to propel us towards some as-yet undetermined outcome. Tom’s decision to being Cochise to meet the President may…
Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils at the Continental Club, 6/22/13
Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils Continental Club June 22, 2013 When Ian Moore asks for giant bottles of Advil and asks for the house lights to be turned down, you oblige. He is, after all, recovering from being cast as the next blues great where long-haired savants and Stevie…
Louie Gohmert Continues to Embarrass Texas, Believes Nuclear Reduction and Border Security Somehow Related
It wasn’t long ago that Hair Balls took it upon themselves to compile the list of the five greatest idiocies Rep. Louie Gohmert has uttered. Inhabiting the worst tendencies of a Tea Party/Christianist, Gohmert has taken it upon himself to remind future students of history that the early 21st century…
Mad Men Season Six: Mommy Issues Galore
What a long strange trip this season of Mad Men has been. With last night’s season finale, the theme of the season, which has been blatantly shoved down the viewers throats, finally came to fruition: Don’s a freaking mess and he needs to figure out what in God’s name is…
What’s Cooking This Week? Kabobs on the Grill & 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…
Pitbull and Ke$ha at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 6/22/13
Pitbull, Ke$ha, Jump Smoker, Justice Crew Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 22, 2013 On paper, a Pitbull/Ke$ha tour makes a lot of sense. They’re both pop stars with a ton of hit singles who write a lot of songs about the dance floor and partying all night. But that kind…
San Jose Attempting to Out-Bully Bud Selig
The city of San Jose, California filed an antitrust lawsuit against Major League Baseball last week. This doesn’t concern Houston. It doesn’t concern the Astros, or Jim Crane, or the Astros dwindling fan base. It is a lawsuit that has almost zero chance of success. Bu, hopefully it will do…
Robert Plant Presents the Sensational Shape Shifters at Bayou Music Center, 6/21/2013
Robert Plant Presents the Sensational Space Shifters, Lil Band O’ Gold Bayou Music Center June 21, 2013 Robert Plant has nothing to prove at this point. So what is he doing starting another band? As he becomes more of a lion in winter, the onetime golden god of ’70s rock…
I Long For Deep Dish Pizza in Houston
In a few weeks I’m going to Chicago, and in addition to catching up with friends and family, I am really really looking forward to having some deep dish pizza. I don’t mean pizza that has an extra thick crust and uses crushed tomatoes instead of sauce. Many pizzas masquerade…
Shakespeare Productions Are All Over Texas This Year
William Shakespeare not only left us with comedic and dramatic works of genius, he also enriched the English language by inventing more than 1,700 words – some say 2,200 – often by changing verbs into nouns, or nouns into verbs, or by adding “un” as a prefix. Included here are…
Jeff Skilling Gets a Ten-Year Shave (off His Sentence)
Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling could be released from prison as early as 2017, thanks to a federal judge’s approval Friday of a sentencing agreement Skilling and prosecutors hashed out in May, the Chronicle reports. Skilling “had more than 10 years cut off his 24-year prison sentence” for securities fraud…
The Houston Press Celebrates Take Your Dog to Work Day
There’s a moment that many dog owners look forward to at the end of every work day: that moment when they get in from a long day of work and their best friend with four legs could not be happier to see them. It’s the type of unconditional love most…
True Blood: The Naked, The Famous, The God, and The Devil (NSFW)
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. The sixth season of True Blood…
Cooking “With” Christine Ha: A Look Inside Recipes from My Home Kitchen
As Christine Ha’s official stalker biggest fan, I was naturally excited to get her cookbook home and start testing out her Recipes from My Home Kitchen–especially after I attended Ha’s recent book signing without making a complete idiot out of myself (I hope), or getting arrested for Aggravated Fangirldom. Recipes…
Beyonce Headed Back to Toyota Center December 10
Beyonce is a busy woman these days, but Houston’s hometown superstar has managed to make some time to get home for the holidays — on her second Toyota Center stop on her “Mrs. Carter World Tour” in a six months. Live Nation announced this morning that Beyonce will return to…
Michael Brown Blames Alleged Flight Attendant Choking on “Involuntary Intoxication”
Lawyers for ex-hand surgeon Michael “Suitcase Full of Dildos” Brown claim that the former creepiest commercial pitchman “suffered involuntary intoxication” and does not recall assaulting flight attendants in January. In papers filed in a Miami federal court last week, Brown’s lawyers say clinical and forensic psychologist Stanford Drob examined the…
Cordina Light Frozen Cocktails
Given my endorsement of Baja Bob’s low-calorie mixers and my reluctant enjoyment of Skinnygirl White Cranberry Cosmo, I think it’s safe to say I have an above-average for tolerance artificially sweetened alcoholic beverages. I was, therefore, open to liking Cordina’s new “light” frozen cocktails, especially since in the sweltering season…
Asia Society Presents the Beauty of Simple with the Art of Tawara Yūsaku
Notable Japanese painter Tawara Yūsaku did something at the peak of his painting career that many artists would never dare to do; he quit making art. Afraid that his work had become too listless, he took to studying artists that he considered to have more “weight.” During his 30-year hiatus,…
Dirty River Boys Use Live Rattler to Give Band’s Sound Real Bite
Originally from El Paso, the Dirty River Boys wanted a name that best described not only where they come from, but also the sound they produce. The band’s simple licks and Southern-fried acoustic performance can best be described as a ragged vibe that straddles the borders between Bluegrass, outlaw country…
Life Lessons From Tony Soprano: Aaron Hernandez Sucks At Murder
In Season 2 of The Sopranos, Christopher begins his ascent up the Soprano family “corporate” ladder by running (ruining?) a local stock brokerage for the sole purpose of artificially inflating the price of shares of some select companies (Webistics!). Along the way, he picks up a couple of flunkies who…
Houston’s Best Concerts This Week: J. Cole, Leon Russell, NKOTB, Mac Miller, etc.
J. Cole Venue TBD, June 24 J. Cole knew his new album Born Sinner was going to be one of 2013’s hottest rap albums no matter what, so he had no problems releasing in on the same day as Kanye West’s Yeezus. He even said as much on its track…
Ten Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Sega Dreamcast
The Sega Dreamcast was Sega’s last best hope as a console maker after their Sega Saturn tanked badly. Released in 1998, it was the first of the sixth generation systems, the first major console to come with a modem and online play capability, and was far superior to not only…
Top 5 Dunkin’ Donuts Menu Items I’m Looking Forward To
It’s been confirmed: Dunkin’ Donuts is coming to my neighborhood. I am excessively excited. Eight years living in Beantown made me take for granted the ubiquitous opportunities for Dunkin’ Donuts fare–and I’m not even talking about its famous iced coffee since I’m not a java drinker. Here are five Dunkin’…
R.I.P. Bobby “Blue” Bland: R&B Singer With Deep Houston Ties Dies at 83
Bobby “Blue” Bland, the legendary R&B singer who made some of his finest records for Houston label Duke/Peacock — including arguably his crowning achievement, 1961’s Two Steps From the Blues — has passed away at age 83, according to reports. Citing a report from the Memphis Music Foundation, that city’s…
People Are Getting Married at Electric Daisy Carnival
Note: Once again this year, Rocks Off is proud to share our L.A. sister blog West Coast Sound’s coverage of this weekend’s Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. A new feature this year at Electric Daisy Carnival is a wedding chapel, which is not actually a chapel but an outdoor…
This Is What’s On the Ground at 6 a.m. at Electric Daisy Carnival
Note: Once again this year, Rocks Off is proud to share our L.A. sister blog West Coast Sound’s coverage of this weekend’s Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. So much of this stuffSaturday night 115,000 ravers, kandi kids, bros, babes and other assorted fun-lovers turned out for the second evening…
Five Reasons Why Electric Daisy Carnival Is Completely Mind-Blowing
Note: Once again this year, Rocks Off is proud to share our L.A. sister blog West Coast Sound’s coverage of this weekend’s Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. Photos by Josh “Curious Josh” ReissElectric Daisy Carnival is crazy, guys! We’re all out here scorching in the heat of the desert…
Look Great for Less: Weekend Shopping in Houston
It’s Friday, and the weekend is upon us. If you’ve got time on your hands and money burning a hole in your pocket, allow us to share a few suggestions on how to spend both. Whether you’re looking for new shoes, a new haircut or a new look from top…
IAH Has Best Airport Lounge in North America, Conveniently Located in the Same Terminal as the Best Hookup Spot
A few weeks ago, we noted that the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Terminal E of George Bush Intercontinental Airport had been ranked as the best spot for an airport hookup in America by MeetAtTheAirport.com. Turns out good old Terminal E has more than just a casual spot for meeting Prince…
The Suffers and Chase Hamblin & the Roustabouts at Discovery Green, 6/20/13
The Suffers, Chase Hamblin and the Roustabouts Discovery Green June 20, 2013 If there’s a better spot to catch a concert in June than the grassy slope of Discovery Green, brother, that spot ain’t in Houston. If you thought that braving the heat to check out some live music beneath…
Shopping: The Week in 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…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Jose Vela of Mockingbird Bistro and the Wows that Come from his Kitchen
This is the third part of a three-part chef chat series. If you missed our previous posts, you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. This week, we’ve been getting to know Jose Vela of Mockingbird Bistro. Vela’s story is the classic one of immigrants everywhere. He came…
Instagram Adds Video, But Is It a Vine Killer?
Facebook has long sought to integrate multimedia options into its platform. It has so far been unsuccessful when it comes to music, but it looks like the company may have a winner on its hands with Instagram’s new video record feature. Instagram, the popular tool for sharing and hipster-izing photos,…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: World War Z
Title: World War Z Christ, Another Zombie Movie? Your lousy puns aside, I have it on good authority the federal government has mandated every third movie must be undead-related by 2016. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Three cricket bats out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: The dead…
Five Alcohol & Cupcake Combinations
For those of you who like to cook with booze, here’s a sweet way to incorporate alcohol. Cupcakes and alcohol are a delicious combination you have to try the next time you decide to whip up some cupcakes. Here are five alcohol and cupcake combinations you’ll absolutely love. 5. Tequila…
The Slapstick, Gonzo Style of Five Modern-Day One-Man Bands
LINCOLN DURHAM Anything goes should have been the catchphrase for one of the most unpredictable one-man bands around, Lincoln Durham. He might throw in occasional odes to girls named Clementine and shed a little ever-loving light, but it definitely isn’t in an old-fashioned gospel kind of way. He prefers a…
NASA Wants Your Ideas for Stopping an Asteroid: Help the Earth NOT Be Destroyed
It turns out that about the time Bruce Willis and his crew of oil-field workers were on a fictional asteroid trying to prevent it from destroying the world in the movie Armageddon, the folks over at NASA were actually starting up a program to try and spot incoming asteroids the…
Two Tons of Steel Unafraid to Cuss While Coming Unraveled
Two decades and 11 albums later, Two Tons of Steel is still out tearing up the Texas blacktop with a hefty touring schedule that currently includes road-testing some new material from their soon-to-be released album, Unraveled. “It’s really the best thing Two Tons has ever done and Lloyd Maines produced…
Upcoming Events: Spend the Day with a Sous Chef & Celebrate National Hot Dog Month
For three hours you can spend time with one of the sous chefs at Brennan’s of Houston during the summer cooking class series, “Saturday with the Sous.” On Saturday, June 29, Sous Chef Jose Arevalo will kick off the summer cooking class series with a three-course demonstration for guests and…
Top Five Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Exit 27, “LaToya Ruby Frazier: Witness,” ApolloCon 2013 and More
Our first pick for Friday is The Landing Theatre Company’s Exit 27 making its world premiere here. It’s a gripping and timely story by playwright Aleks Merilo. The stakes are high here, since the Fundamental Church of Latter-Day Saints expels young men accused of transgressions into the achingly dry desert…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Monsters University
Title: Monsters University Does This Answer All The Burning Questions Left Over At The End Of Monsters Inc.? We do learn that Mr. Waternoose had an Afro at one point. We do not learn why the Abominable Snowman was exiled. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two-and-a-half scream…
Report Highlights Houston’s Pioneering Role in America’s Mass Incarceration
It’s one of America’s worst-kept secrets. In a nation that purports to be the freest in the world — save for when it comes to, say, gay marriage or drug usage — the United States also boasts far and away the highest incarceration of not simply any developed nation, but…
Main Street Theater Announces Its 2013-14 Season: Stoppard & Sondheim & Shaw Oh My!
Two seasons ago, Main Street Theater had a smashing success with Tom Stoppard’s The Coast of Utopia followed in short order by Guy Roberts acting and directing Shakespeare’s Richard III. So it’s not surprising, but very encouraging, that Main Street’s Executive Artistic Director and Founder Rebecca Greene Udden has gone…
Baths, Generationals, Houses and Gringo Star at Fitzgerald’s, 6/20/2013
Baths, Generationals, Houses, Gringo Star Fitzgerald’s June 20, 2013 Thursday night Fitzgerald’s played host to two different shows, with Generationals and Gringo Star in the bigger upstairs room, and Baths and Houses taking over the smaller downstairs area. Both shows pulled in about the same amount of people, a smattering…
NBA Finals: Heat Beat Spurs, Age of LeBron Lives On
When the Heat trailed the Spurs by 5 with less than 30 seconds remaining in Game 6, the odds of them winning that game were hovering around the single digit percent area. That was the darkest hour for LeBron James and company during these NBA Playoffs. Nine months of work…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Hop on Over to Hoppy Hour, Re-create a Work of Art & More
Houston Press’ Hoppy Hour @ Phoenicia Specialty Foods Friday, 4-10 p.m. 1001 Austin Street While some people like to pair chicken and waffles together for the sweet, salty, savory combination of flavors, we like to pair Belgian-style ales with waffles. Head on over to Houston Press’ Hoppy Hour at Phoenicia…
A Half-Decade Under the Influence: The Best Emo Albums, 2001-2005
Roughly ten years ago, the emo genre progressed from its underground roots into a calling card for early-’00s rock. And while there’s no denying that bands like Rites of Spring and The Promise Ring helped pioneer the sound, the turn of the millennium saw emo transform from into a lifestyle for the…
Doctor Who: Reading the Lost Classic Season 4
106 episodes from the ’60s era of Doctor Who are missing. The Second Doctor’s run was especially hard hit by the wiping policy of the BBC to conserve money and space rather than preserving tapes they felt had no more commercial value. Only five stories from Troughton’s era exist in…
No Cash? Now You Can Still Get a Houston Cab
It’s 2 a.m. and you’ve just stumbled out of the bar and discovered — thanks to lots of whiskey and the fact that you’re seeing not one but two versions of your car and wondering who the hell is singing “Enjoy Yourself” in a bad Louis Prima impression, only to…
100 Creatives 2013: Tom Abrahams, Author and Newscaster
The smoke was still rising from the rubble at the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks when Houston news reporter Tom Abrahams hit the scene and went to work. During his 20 year long career as a journalist, Abrahams has interviewed American Presidents, traveled with presidential candidates, and witnessed high ranking…
Top 5 Culinary Things to Do in Galveston
If you’re looking to get some sun and hit the beach with your friends and family this summer, Galveston is easy and handy. Here are five culinary things you can do in Galveston this summer that will definitely make your trip to the Gulf a whole lot more fun. 5…
Cosmic Bug Loaf: The Death of William Shatner Via Spiders
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here on Rocks Off we’re trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. At my day job I have a coworker who makes fun of me because I like what he calls “primitive minimalist” music. By that…
The New Dome Experience Makes the New Coke Experience Look Well-Planned
The Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation has spoken, and like much everything else that it has done during its existence, its great plan to save the Astrodome is a massive fail. A massive fail that, if actually put on the ballot and supported by voters, will end up costing…
Seeking Summer Skin Part Deux: Sunscreen Review
Once I embarked on my search for clearer, better-looking skin via a chemical peel I started thinking seriously about sunscreen. (As opposed to all of the lighthearted, frivolous thinking I normally do.) If you don’t wear sunscreen every single day in Houston–all year round–you qualify as crazy in my book…
Houston’s Best Weekend Concerts: Robert Plant, MDC, Change In the Game, etc.,
Robert Plant Presents the Sensational Space Shifters Bayou Music Center, June 21 Robert Plant’s new project is already on the short list of most awkwardly named bands to visit Houston this year. (Does it have to be “Robert Plant Presents”?) Still, the recent Austin transplant gets a pass because, well,…
Openings & Closings: Houston Gets a Food Truck Park & Many Restaurants Reopen
This week brought more openings and reopenings than closings, so let’s start with some reopenings. Eater Houston reports that Marfreless, the makeout bar that closed in March of this year, posted an announcement on its website on June 14 that it will be reopening at the same location in River…
Five Killer Musical Moments On The Sopranos
People are still in shock at the news of actor James Gandolfini’s passing Wednesday night, no doubt even those without HBO, Italian ancestry or pretensions of an angst-ridden suburban-Jersey gangster lifestyle. Many cultural tastemakers believe at least parts of The Sopranos — and especially Gandolfini’s role as Tony — rank…
Whataburger “Fries” at H-E-B
The next time I’m craving Whataburger french fries, I’m just gonna jump in my car and drive straight to…H-E-B? The supermarket chain is now offering its own version of “Whatafries.” The official press release description is pretty priceless: The H-E-B product is a potato chip version of the French fry,…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 Authors
Houston is a literary hotbed with the University of Houston’s Creative Writing Program, organizations like Inprint, Nuestra Palabra, Arte Publico Press, and others all calling H-town or the immediately surrounding area home. We have our fair share of successful novelists, here’s our list of the top ten. First a few…
Electrical Explosion in Downtown Houston Sends Five Workers to Hospital
An electrical explosion in downtown Houston this morning sent five Centerpoint Energy workers to the hospital, according to the Houston Fire Department. Ruy Lozano, HFD’s spokesman, said the burns were all significant. “The flash burn was very significant to the majority of the bodies,” Lozano told Hair Balls, noting that…
Twitter Improves Notifications, Gives Users More Control
Notifications from any app or Web site can be annoying. By default, most of them leave virtually all notifications on from the start. That means stupid pop-up windows on your phone or an inbox full of e-mails about things you have zero interest in. With Twitter, for quite some time,…
Summer TV Club: Saved By the Bell: “Jessie’s Song”
This week Jef, Pete and I exposed ourselves into the cruel world of high school pressures, drug addiction and overly-teased bangs; we watched Saved By the Bell the episode where Jessie gets addicted to caffeine pills! And guess what, choosing this episode was not my idea, it was Pete’s. I…
2013 Crimesman Trophy: Storm Clouds Gather Around Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez
First, a big thank-you to everybody who helped me cobble together what I think is now a complete 2013 Crimesman Trophy scoreboard. I had no idea there were so many places that tracked NFL crime on the internet! Knowing that these resources are indeed available, who’s in with me on…
Oh My God, My Daughter Is a NPC
Right now I’m about three fourths of the way into The Last of Us, and before that my lot was endlessly replaying BioShock Infinite because there is so much in that game that one run ain’t going to cut it. The two games have something amazing in modern gaming in…
The 20 Best Album Cover Homages and Parodies
One of music’s most tried and true traditions is the album-cover homage. The sheer amount of album covers patterned after the Beatles, for instance, is utterly staggering. That isn’t even counting straight ripoffs or two artists who just happened to use the same photograph or piece of art, which has…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Jose Vela of Mockingbird Bistro, on Working Up the Kitchen Chain While Learning English, and the Specials on His Menu
This is the second part of a three-part Chef Chat series. You can read Part 1 here and part three in this same space Friday. Yesterday, we chatted with Jose Vela of Mockingbird Bistro about coming to the States with dreams of being a drummer in a Mexican rock band…
Study: The Woodlands the Tenth Richest “City” in America
According to Huffington Post, NerdWallet (who?) did a study to determine the richest cities in America by finding out which have the largest percentage of households earning more than $100,000 per year. Turns out The Woodlands was No. 10 on that list, with 53.4 percent of its households earning more…
Classic Film Tropes Cleverly on Repeat in “Playback”
When you first walk into Fresh Arts and survey the TV screens scattered around the darkened gallery, a quick glance might give you the impression that the screens are stuck on frames of couples embracing or kissing. But upon closer inspection, it becomes steadily apparent that these are not frames,…
Silk Knives’ Debut EP Is Hard to Define, But Easy to Like
I discovered Silk Knives in my weekly hunt for a band name to tear apart, but when I noticed that they had a CD release scheduled I thought, “Well, let’s take this doggy for a walk and see if it will piss on Old Lady Higglebottom’s lawn.” A short download…
Top 5 New Restaurants to Try in Galveston
So you can’t stay in the sand and surf over in Galveston all the time. When you’re ready to take a break, here are five (relatively) new Galveston restaurants I’m looking forward to trying this summer. 5. Number 13. Scheduled to open in late summer 2013, Number 13 is an…
Zimmer Out at Men’s Wearhouse: You’re Going to Like These Classic Commercials. I Guarantee It
George Zimmer opened his first Men’s Wearhouse store in 1973 right here in Houston. On Wednesday, the company he built from that first store into the largest men’s suit retailer in the country fired him. The rift, according to reports, may have been over Zimmer’s decreasing role in the company…
My Boss Drove Me to Antidepressants. Help!
Welcome to Ask Willie D, Rocks Off’s advice column where the Geto Boys MC answers reader questions about matters, in his own words, “funny, serious or unpredictable.” Something on your mind? Ask Willie D! BOSS LADY IS A BULLY Dear Willie D: I am a single mother with a small…
Shadowgate Finally Returns Thanks to Kickstarter
Back in the ’80s there was a series of point-and-click first-person puzzle adventures called MacVentures. Some of them got ported to the NES, but for the most part they were just fun little outings on early computers. The best of these was Shadowgate. Oh the storyline wasn’t anything to write…
Houston’s (Better Than) Nice Winery
When Ryan Levy first handed me his business card and told me he and his partner Ian Eastveld ran a winery, I had a total “frah-jee-lay” Christmas Story moment in my head. Nee-chay Winery, I pondered silently. Sort of like how people mispronounce Nietzsche. Italian, probably. Fortunately, Ryan interrupted this…
R.I.P. James Gandolfini (1961-2013)
“Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while, a great wind carries me across the sky.” — Ojibwe saying I didn’t know James Gandolfini, but I knew Tony Soprano. Knew him well. Tony Soprano, that “fat fucking crook from New Jersey” (his words, not mine), that…
The Rocks Off 100: DJ Ill Set, Enemy of Wack Tracks
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. See the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link. DJ Ill-Set has earned a…
Pop Rocks: 5 Ways for Rihanna to Get Over Chris Brown, Aside from Rehab
I hate citing Jezebel.com as a source for anything other than a good place to get riled up over anti-feminist Brawny commercials, but I will assume that if they were completely misinformed about their recent account of the life and times of Rihanna, they would be sued already. According to…
Ten Farmers’ Markets in & Around Houston to Visit This Summer
My favorite thing about the summer is buying fresh, in season, produce from farmers markets. The beauty of Houston is that we are blessed with so many — and ones that are open just about every single day. Here are ten farmers markets in and around the Houston area for…
Lawsuit: Michael Brown Sexually Assaulted Unconscious Woman
Michael “She Had a Nice Ass and I Was Hard” Brown allegedly “sexually assaulted an unconscious woman on his boat in the presence of others,” according to a lawsuit filed by Brown’s former chief of staff. In the suit, filed in Harris County District Court, Ray von Proctor claims he…
Head Nightcat Rick Estrin: “Sometimes I Just Want to Chill”
As one of the most dapper dudes in blues music (or any other genre), vocalist/harp player Rick Estrin has certain panache when it comes to his trademark hirsute upper lip. “I don’t groom it daily, I just shave around it. But yeah, just try to keep it from getting too…
Christiane Noll’s Gifts – Live at 54 BELOW Is Dazzling and Opulent
Following the successful releases of Patti LuPone’s Far Away Places – Live at 54 BELOW and Norbert Leo Butz’s Memory & Mayhem – Live at 54 Below, Broadway Records released Broadway veteran Christiane Noll’s Gifts – Live at 54 BELOW. Noll’s touching and evocative solo cabaret is a tribute to…
Breakfast in a Mug: 90-Second French Toast
It’s fair to say I’ve become obsessed with microwavable desserts in a mug. I’ve made some fudgey 60-Second Brownies, a gooey Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie, a Crumb-Topped Mug Coffee Cake and a Blueberry Muggin. You may think I’d be done now. Sadly, you’d be wrong. This time I’ve made…
Astrodome Worst Nightmares Won’t be Coming True
Want to get a better look at the New Dome Experience plan? Click here. Going into the meeting of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation board on Wednesday afternoon, held in the glassy glory that is Reliant Stadium, there was a certain dread hanging in the air. (This is…
10 More Movies Kanye West Should Star In
It seems Kanye West has got a bit of a movie boner as of late. He’s been promoting the hell out of Yeezus, his new album, by projecting videos on buildings across the nation. He started out innocently enough, by attempting to project the music video for his Yeezus track…
Introducing the New Voice Places, Better Looking and More Powerful Than Ever
By now our lovely regular readers are familiar with Voice Places, the listings engine behind all of the restaurant reviews and calendar picks here at Houston Press. Today that engine got a serious upgrade, headlined by a new design that brings you more content in a cleaner package. Take a…
Will Ferrell Is More Burgundy-Er Than Ever In New Anchorman 2 Trailer
Here’s a secret that anyone who has spent time working at a television station knows: news anchors (and the occasional weather person) who think they’re funny love quoting Anchorman. A “I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch,” here, a “You stay classy, San Diego,” there, so on and so forth. Why…
Why You Should See Craft Cocktail Documentary Hey Bartender, Now in Wide Release
By weaving together the stories behind New York City cocktail lair Employees Only and Westport, Connecticut, corner bar Dunvilles, director Douglas Tirola takes on the changing world of bartending and the rise of craft mixology in his recently released documentary Hey Bartender. And while the film focuses on a pair…
He May Be Older, Healthier and More Responsible, But Paul Wall Is Still Tippin’
Paul Wall has a new gig. Houston’s undisputed king of the parking lot takes his new role as seriously as those icy grills he touts. In addition to rapper, producer and premier grillmaker, he can now add “mentor” to his ridiculous résumé. Don’t get it twisted, though. Wall is still…
World War Z: When Zombies Go Global, All You Need Is Brad Pitt
Destruction is scary, but not half as scary as the act of rebuilding, the moment of looking at the random, jagged pieces you’ve got left and wondering how the hell you’re going to fit them together. In Marc Forster’s World War Z, the world as we know it — or…
If You Can Get Past the Dire Buildup, Monsters University Bursts to Life
Terrorizing children in their bedrooms remains the existential concern of the toothy blobs, hams and pop-pom-furred Wild Things that populate Monsters movies, many of whom look like gummy nothings long stuck to the bottom of Pixar’s junk drawer. Their very lives depend upon coaxing night-screams from human kids, a premise…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Call It Street Art, Call It Fine Art, Call It What You Know,” “Celestial,” “Late Surrealism,” “The Ornamental Plumb Bob”
“Call It Street Art, Call It Fine Art, Call It What You Know” In our time, there may be no art form more divisive than street art. For decades, the public has debated the merits of the genre — from the criminality of the act to the skill and creativity…
The Tattler
Highlights from Hair Balls Courts Ex-hand surgeon Michael “More Cocaine, Please” Brown once told his bodyguard to “suck my dick,” and chased his wife Rachel around the grounds of his Memorial Drive mansion with a gun, according to a former employee scheduled to testify in Brown’s upcoming trial for interfering…
MasterChef Season 3 Winner Christine Ha
Get Lit Well, it appears I’m not Christine Ha’s only stalker huge fan here in Houston. On June 11, the MasterChef Season 3 winner spoke to a full house at Brazos Bookstore, promoting and signing copies of her cookbook, Recipes from my Home Kitchen. By 6:30 p.m., most seats were…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Dracula, Macbeth, Malcolm and Teresa, MBTV, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club
Dracula Fog swirls underfoot and Gregorian chant reverberates. Red light bathes two blanched, debauched brides wearing dusty wedding dresses. They perch on the stairs near the Gothic windows, watching with hungry anticipation. One pets a raven on her arm, the other hisses menacingly. An old crone sheathed in garlic and…
Can’t Hold Us
Only in Houston My family and I have been Houston Texans season ticketholders since Game 1, that celebrated and gratifying franchise opener (Texans 19, Cowboys 10), and we’ve always taken seriously our tailgating privileges. Texans fans tailgate better than most, including the North Texas delusionals up there at JerryWorld. We’ve…
Violence and Tattoos
Dear Mexican, Recently, a coworker turned me on to a Web site that features many videos of unspeakable atrocities the drug cartels are committing in Mexico, many graphically displaying murders and beheadings. I just recently saw one of a woman getting her head cut off with a knife! Now I…
Deadly Charades: Double Lives, Extortion and the Suicide of a Respected Professor
At 10:29 a.m. on January 8, Texas A&M Communications Professor Jim Aune stood on the roof of a campus parking garage and texted the man who had been extorting him for weeks. It was the last thing he would ever do. “Killing myself now And u will be prosecuted for…
Unleashing Houston’s Pride
It has been 44 years since the now-famous Stonewall riots of New York City, which are often considered the single most monumental event in the history of gay and lesbian rights. On a hot June night, a community took action and unleashed a power that had not been seen before…
Unleashing Houston’s Pride: Events
EVENT LISTINGS Friday, June 21 Eden: A Pride Girl Party The Usual, 5519 Allen theusualpub.com Hey, ladies! It’s time to get funky. Swing by The Usual for the first-ever Pride event dedicated to the female gender. Just because this joint was voted the Houston Press’s Best Women’s Bar in 2012…
God Bless Americana: Brooklyn Athletic Club’s Sinful Blend of Comfort Food and Class
To behind the scenes at Brooklyn Athletic Club to see them prepare a dish and get a look at the space in our slideshow: Club Fed: Behind the Scenes at Brooklyn Athletic Club. The porkobuco arrived juicy and steaming, earthy notes of mushrooms and bacon wafting across the room in…
Eternal Egypt Lives on in the Hall of Ancient Egypt
‘Mommy, look, that lady is naked.” The little girl, standing no higher than the bottom of the black Plexiglas case into which she peered, saw her immediately. In the gloom that surrounds the brand-new permanent Hall of Ancient Egypt at the Houston Museum of Natural Science — known for its…
