Your 2013-2014 Houston Rockets Schedule Easy Reference Guide
From a purely functional standpoint, the reconstruction of the Houston Rockets meant all new talent on the roster, and a better chance to win games and, hopefully, win NBA titles. And make no mistake, this was a total rebuild. By the time the trade deadline for 2013 rolled around, after…
Scoundrels Make Off With Melange Catering’s BBQ Pit
Back in the wild, wild west, people had to deal with wagon thieves and sneaky neighbors out to steal cattle or horses. These days, the modern felon has evolved to barbecue pit theft. On Sunday around 4 p.m., a surveillance camera outside Melange Catering caught what appears to be a…
Mexico’s Leader Could Open Up Oil Industry, Be Known For More Than Violence And Tequila
Once upon a way-the-hell-back when, Mexico wasn’t just the land of tequila, pretty beaches and drug cartels to all of us across the border. It was also the land of oil — and technically still is — but that’s a fact not remembered too often since the government took over…
Cover Story: The Making of the Houston Bucket List and The Final Nine
I have a soft spot for Houston, this mutt of a city that I’ve called home for nearly all of my 44 years on this earth. During those four decades, it has certainly suffered its share of ups and downs. But, even during the most complicated times our city has…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Dylan Murray of Local Foods and Benjy’s, On Shopping at Farmer’s Markets and His Mission for Local Foods
This is the first part of a three-part chef chat series. Check back with us on Thursday and Friday for the second and third installment of this series. Dylan Murray is eating a colorful salad from a huge stainless steel bowl. A jumble of vibrantly colored vegetables — radicchio, kale,…
Reality Bites: “Shark Week”
I learned two things from the 2013 installment of “Shark Week,” the Discovery Channel’s annual tribute to nature’s lagrest predators and the people/marine fauna that are eaten by them: 1) Nat Geo WILD holds its own version called “SharkFest,” which is simultaneously cute and pathetic. 2) While we weren’t paying…
La Fisheria Bans Kids after 7 p.m. and Everyone on the Internet Has an Opinion
Houston restaurant La Fisheria has made national news after an announcement on Monday that the owner, Aquiles Chavez, has decided to ban kids under 9 years old after 7 p.m. out of respect for other patrons. The announcement was made on La Fisheria’s Facebook page. La Fisheria isn’t open on…
Five Reasons the Houston Press Music Awards Ceremony Was Awesome
You know, I think we may have missed a category during Tuesday’s Houston Press Music Awards ceremony, because we really should have given ourselves the award for “best awards party throwers ever.” I mean, where else are you going to find Willie D, The Hates and Justin Van Sant hanging…
This Week’s Cafe Review: I Want To Know What (Ramen) Love Is
For the past several months, it seems everyone in the Houston food scene has been talking about ramen. It’s already been big in places like New York and Los Angeles (and even Austin) for a while, but the ramen craze has just recently arrived in Houston, and it’s not showing…
Monster.com: Houston Number One for Job Growth in Manufacturing
As if Houston wasn’t already getting enough national accolades, here’s one more: Monster.com has ranked the Bayou City as the U.S. city with the most job growth in manufacturing, according to a press release. Only one other Texas city — Dallas — is in the top ten. Houston also beat…
America Will Never Reveal the Name of That Stubborn “Horse”
It is one of the ’70s’ most analyzed — sometimes in jest — songs. Why does the Horse have no name? Why can no one in the desert remember your name? And why the hell does the narrator let the horse run free after nine days? If the desert has…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 96 Chicken and Waffles at Adair Kitchen
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. Just as Katharine Shilcutt did before her, and Robb Walsh before that, Kaitlin will eat and learn as she goes, compiling a list of…
Top 10 Yo Gabba Gabba Musical Guests
Want to hear the Shins teach a bunch of magical, mismatched creatures about the virtues of trying, trying again? What about Weezer? They’re making friends with bugs, and they’re making songs about it. No, we’re not stoned, sillies…we’re just watching Yo Gabba Gabba, and we think you should too. If…
Texas a Target in March on Washington, 50 Years After MLK Made History
Fifty Years after Martin Luther King’s historic March on Washington, the NAACP is hosting a sequel. Planned for Saturday August 24, the march will begin on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. And Texas is high up on their agenda. “If the year has shown us anything, it’s that the…
Houston Restaurant Weeks: Monarch Bistro
What they’re up to for Restaurant Weeks: Monarch Bistro is located in Hotel Zaza and is offering a casual Houston Restaurant Week menu for dinner only. It’s three courses for $35 and they’re donating $7 per meal to the Houston Food Bank. Service/Atmosphere: Continuing my journey of hitting places I’ve…
Rating Banks on Openess About Their Fees (That Withdraw Money from Your Account)
According to WalletHub.com, a new personal finance social network that is trying to get your attention, nearly all of us have bank accounts, which means we’re paying bank fees and we don’t even know what they are — or where to find out about them. In what’s called its “2013…
The Bozo Porno Circus Diaries: Thursday, April 24, 2002
If you never saw a Bozo Porno Circus show then you just plain missed out. The Tone Zone Records band was a freakout and a half, stuffed to the wall with loud noises and pretty girls getting sparks shot off their metal-covered crotches by belt sanders. Recently, lead guitarist Chris…
Reading for Free: How to Find Good No-Cost E-Books
We like e-books and we like free, so free e-books are just perfect for us. But finding them can be time consuming. And finding good ones – that can seem to be a crapshoot. We’ve got a few suggestions for finding good e-books at no cost without spending hours and…
The Joys of Small-Batch, High Proof Spirits
Up until recently, hearing the phrase “overproof alcohol” would immediately evoke foggy memories of college parties where Everclear punch was the drink of choice. High-alcohol spirits, I thought then, were designed solely to make you piss-ass drunk and offered little else in terms of taste and quality. Well, education, thank…
Five Great Albums That Got Scrapped
With reports last month that Beyonce had scrapped 50 songs to start over completely on the album, I got to wondering what kind of perfectionist Queen Bey must be. I mean, it says something that she couldn’t sift a good album out of 50 tracks from today’s hottest producers. For…
100 Creatives 2013: Shohei Iwahama, Dancer
If you watch dance in Houston, then you’ve seen the grace and elegance that is Shohei Iwahama. The first time we saw the Hope Stone and NobleMotion company member was at the 2010 Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. He performed in Andy Noble’s exuberant “KinkyKool…
The “Mutt Barkus” Dog: August Special at James Coney Island
Every day, sometimes twice a day, I pass by James Coney Island and force myself to resist the siren’s call of their various Coney specials. A hot dog a day does not keep the doctor away or help you avoid heartburn during your run the next morning. But heartburn be…
“In Residence: Work By 2012 Resident Artists”
Like a crop of freshly commenced baccalaureates, the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft’s 2012 residents paraded their year-in-the-making works through the Midtown gallery Friday evening. Unlike a university’s commencement festivities, “In Residence: Work by 2012 Resident Artists.” is no corps of hundreds crossing the stage; instead, it is an intimate…
This Week in Food Blogs: Local IPAs, Cockroach Donuts and Annoying Food Trends
Texas Monthly: Houston got another shout out in the Texas Monthly food section this week with an interview with Adam Dorris of Revival Market. The young chef de cuisine spoke about locally sourcing food for the market as well as for the theme dinners held there on a regular basis…
Tell You What I Want: A Spice Girls Reunion
I admit I am a frequent visitor to and fan of Jezebel.com. Yes, I’m a nearly 50-year-old man, but so what? I grew up in a time when Gloria Steinem was out there burning bras. My mama brought home the bacon and fried it up in a pan. I admired…
Suspect Tries to Shoot Officer’s Dog; HPD Officer Shoots Him Dead
Senior Police Officer E. Newman, a K-9 officer, was called to a “discharge of firearms” scene early Monday evening at 5725 Fondren and located a fleeing suspect who’d already fired shots at other Houston Police Department Officers. Officer M. Alanis had fired at the suspect in return, but missed. According…
The 2013 Houston Press Music Award Winners
SLIDESHOW: The 2013 Houston Press Music Awards In Photos BEST LOCAL RECORDING The Niceguys, James Kelley BEST LOCAL SONG Cindy Pruitt, “Epiphany” BEST LOCAL MUSIC VIDEO Junior Gordon Band, “Big”…
Caroline Collective is Officially Closed
After five years, Caroline Collective, Houston’s largest co-working space, is saying goodbye. Sadly for its members, the time came sooner than expected. Last week, a shooting that occurred outside of the studio space, which is nestled along the quiet, tree-lined Caroline Street in the Museum District, put Caroline’s inevitable closure…
Don Daily, Founding Partner of Cactus Records, Passes Away
Don Daily, a founding partner of Cactus Records and member of Houston’s legendary Daily family, passed away July 31. He was 81, according to his Houston Chronicle obituary, which indicated a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease but said Daily had died “peacefully.” “Don was a tremendously sweet and caring person…
Not Much Ado About Natural Gas: It’s Getting Burned Up In North Dakota
Back in the days of the Great Depression, legend has it, money was so worthless that people were burning it by the barrelful. Though natural gas was once the Tickle Me Elmo of energy, right now it’s got a lot more in common with that legendarily worthless paper money of…
Cake Decorating 101: Zebra Cake
You don’t always have to decorate your cakes on the outside, sometimes you should decorate on the inside. If you really want your friends and family to ooh and aah over your cake, bake a cake with a spectacular decoration on the inside. Trust me, it’s not as hard as…
Houston Restaurant Weeks: Américas River Oaks
What they’re up to for Restaurant Weeks: Three course dinner for $35, with complimentary plantain chips and a choice of their most popular appetizers, entrees and desserts. Mix and match Latin favorites like the ceviche trio, grilled swordfish, and tres leches. Bonus for meat eaters: They have multiple cuts of…
It’s Time For Your Nominations For the 2013 Houston Theater Awards
Been to the theater or opera in Houston at all in the last year? Saw some things you really really liked? Well let us know about them. It’s time for the second annual Houston Theater Awards sponsored by the Houston Press and we’ll be glad to hear from any of…
30 Years of the Melvins Is Not Enough
In the annals of alt-rock, pretty much nobody can lay claim to a longer, stranger trip than the Melvins. Since 1983, the ambitious, eclectic godfathers of sludge have traversed enough territory both creatively and geographically to buckle the knees of even the most dedicated touring acts. Along the way, they’ve…
Dinner at the Sex Shop: Edible Items for Fun Times in Bed
I just want to start by saying edible underwear isn’t always as cool as you think it will be. That’s not a metaphor for life. It’s a legit piece of advice. A couple of weeks ago we ranked condom flavors ’cause we thought it would be fun and it’s minimally…
Les Miles, What the Hell Are You Doing? This Jeremy Hill Thing
In the spring of 2008, after a failed drug test, a sea of absences from class and repeated tardiness to practice, quarterback Ryan Perrilloux was summarily dismissed from the LSU football team by head coach Les Miles. This, just five months after Perrilloux led the Tigers to a win in…
Drink of Ages Brings Local Brews and Bands to Houston Airwaves
Preston Brown and Jon Denman know a lot about good beer and good music. From their perspectives, Houston has plenty of both, and it all keeps getting better. Brown and Denman co-host the Drink of Ages Radio Show, 7 p.m. Saturdays on News 92.1 FM. They’ll be presenting Best Producer,…
Houston Restaurant Weeks: Haven
What they’re up to for Restaurant Weeks: Haven is offering brunch, lunch and dinner for HRW. Lunch and brunch are each $20 and include two courses (no dessert). Dinner is $45 and includes an appetizer, an entrée and dessert. Service/Atmosphere: My mother and I decided on a late dinner at…
Apparently Actually Listening to Women is a Superpower
These last two weeks I found myself a minor celebrity for the second time in my life, assuming that receiving mild fame for writing a love song to David Arquette counted as fame the first time of course. It was all about a brief article I wrote that went over…
Half-Off Savings at Tortas El Angel, Angus Grill Brazilian Steakhouse, Sparrow Bar + Cookshop, and More
Today’s Houston Press Voice Daily deal is good for half-off ($5 for $10) on the “Numero Uno Torta in Houston” from Tortas El Angel. You can choose from 13 different kinds of tortas–including a vegetarian one!–and they all come on fresh telera bread made specially for Tortas El Angel. Topped…
Projections Prove Distracting in Eklektix Theatre Co.’s Rent
The set-up: Jonathan Larson’s popular rock musical Rent, which ran for 12 years on Broadway, is an updating of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème. It returns again to Houston, this time from the Eklektix Theatre Company, a relatively new troupe in Houston that has recently produced Spring Awakening, The Rocky Horror…
Upcoming: A Day to Remember, Glass Candy, Streetlight Manifesto, etc.
Blacklist Royals: Wed., September 4, 7 p.m., $10 to $14. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston, 713-862-3838. Chet Faker: Wed., September 18, 7 p.m., $10 to $14. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston, 713-862-3838. Dax Riggs: Fri., August 30, 8 p.m., $12 to $16. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston, 713-862-3838. A Day…
5 Things in Video Games With Absolutely Horrifying Origins
Video games are art, and art mirrors life… though I have yet to find a mirror that grants me a rocket launcher with infinite ammo to blow up zombies with, but hey, thems the breaks. The point is that the people who make video games draw on real world experiences…
Houston Restaurant Weeks: Glass Wall
What they’re up to for Restaurant Weeks: Glass Wall is on the higher end of pricing ($45 for dinner instead of the usual $35) for Houston Restaurant Weeks but it’s a case of getting what you pay for. They are only open for dinner. There are optional (and astute) wine…
Weather Week: Some Like It Hot
I have yet to find a person who truly loves the unbridled heat and humidity the weather in Houston brings to bear on us between mid-July and late September every year. Unlike animals who develop a natural equilibrium with their environment, we struggle and simply build bigger air-conditioning units…or pay…
The Rocks Off 100: Justice Tirapelli-Jamail, The Manichean’s “Quiet One”
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? The Manichean? Easily one…
Today’s DVDs & Blu-rays: Boris Rodriguez Gets Laughs in Eddie the Sleepwalking Cannibal
Director/screenwriter Boris Rodriguez’s first feature, Eddie the Sleepwalking Cannibal, serves as a cautionary tale to dog owners: shut your noisy dog the hell up or the neighbors will kill him and eat him. And if they can’t catch him, they’re kill and eat you instead. Danish actor Thure Lindhardt plays…
Recipes With Cereal: Fiber One Original Cereal Chocolate-Peanut Butter Haystacks
Cereal is awesome. Period. End of story. Not only is it the perfect meal for breakfast (or dinner), but it is a great ingredient to use for snacks, desserts and some savory dishes. Anytime I have cereal, I always like to read the back of the box, looking for recipes…
Behold, Our Concert Calendar In All Its Beefed-Up Glory
Notice something different about us lately? No? Well, come a little closer and let us show you. Don’t be scared; we won’t bite. We just want to flex for you. We think you’ll be impressed. We know we’re not usually this forward, but we’ve worked hard to get in shape,…
Now It’s Nebraska: More Problems for the Keystone Pipeline Folks
The folks over at TransCanada just cannot seem to catch a break. The company has been working for years to get the Keystone XL Pipeline Project — which will go from the Alberta Tar Sands in Canada to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast, moving up to 830,000 barrels of…
Rules to Drink By: 10 Etiquette Tips for the Bar
We’ve all been there. We walk into a crowded bar on a Saturday night and immediately start to make a game plan. How can I get to the bar and order a drink without shoving, stepping on or cutting in front of anyone? Should I yell at the bartender? Should…
Celebrity Wedding Planner David Tutera’s “Dream Bigger” Tour at House of Blues on Thursday, August 8
Celebrity wedding and event planner David Tutera has seen it all, and then some. Fans of his hit W TV television show “My Fair Wedding with David Tutera” (recently renamed “My Fair Wedding: unveiled”) know that Tutera is well-versed in the art of the wedding, and always brings something special…
Just a Kiss Away: A Tale of Headless Strippers and The Rolling Stones
My story, “Just a Kiss Away” was released last week in the anthology Broken Mirrors Fractured Minds, available for a limited time at just $.99. This is an excerpt from the story dealing with a horrifying legend surrounding the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Tomas Reynolds has just been spellbound by…
Summer of Johnny: Johnny Manziel Las Vegas Odds, Real and Invented
When news broke Sunday about Johnny Manziel and his alleged five-figure payday for affixing his signature to 1,600 Aggie football items, the sports world went back into overdrive. Kevin Sumlin prepped for Aggie media day, the university hired attorneys, bloggers wrote, screamers yelled and Vegas went scrambling to recalibrate any…
Documenting Our Misery, Texas Wants Our Drought Photos
Rather than praying for rain as Gov. Rick Perry might do, the combined intelligence of several of our state’s agencies wants us to document our sad and sorry times by taking photos of just how dry we are, and what it has done to our lives. Got a dry creek…
West Explosion Leads (Slowly) to Push for Chemical Industry Regulation Reform
After the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, back in April left half the little North Texas town looking like a postapocalyptic war zone, the revelations about the sheer scope of the lack of regulation on the chemical industry were staggering. There was a lot of hand wringing and talk…
The Best Things We Overheard at the HPMA Showcase
“Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk,” said a man holding up female at the end of the night. “We don’t fucking live there! We live in Houston, Texas.” “That’s my car! It’s still alive!” “I’m fat. Let’s party!” (T-shirt outside Dirt Bar)…
18 Things I Learned In Two Hours at the 2013 Vans Warped Tour’s Final Stop
Last year I wrote a love letter to nostalgia disguised as a discussion of the Warped Tour. True, much like how your first love always has a small part of your heart (or so the cliché goes), part of my summers will always belong to the touring ball of chaos…
Dynamo Control Their Fate After Clutch Win
Although the MLS regular season is barely past the halfway mark, Saturday’s match between the Dynamo and the Columbus Crew at BBVA Compass Stadium was a must-win. And even though the visiting Crew outshot and — for long stretches in the second half — outplayed the Dynamo, the Orange still…
Our Favorite 2013 HPMA Showcase Discoveries
As in years past, Rocks Off asked our writers covering the HPMA showcase to tell us the act they like best that, until Sunday, they’d never seen before. American Fangs I caught American Fangs for the first time Sunday night, and came away impressed by how polished they sounded. They…
Houston Restaurant Weeks: Hearsay Gastro Lounge
What they’re up to for Restaurant Weeks: Three course lunch for $20 and three course dinner for $35. The price is right and the historic, brick and mirror-walled space is stunning. The lunch entrée selections are the Hearsay burger, grilled salmon and chicken picatta. All entrees come with side items…
Houston Restaurant Weeks: Latin Bites
What they’re up to for Restaurant Weeks: Latin Bites is offering brunch and dinner menus during HRW so this is the perfect time to try out this modern Peruvian hot spot. (Kaitlin Steinberg visited recently, and reviewed LB.) At brunch, $20 will get you two generous courses–but you should really…
Summer of Johnny: The NCAA Finally Comes Knocking
Earlier this year, Texas A&M’s two Heisman Trophy winners, Johnny Manziel and John David Crow, autographed six helmets together. The helmets were auctioned off by various Aggie alumni groups throughout the state of Texas and combined fetched a tidy sum of $81,600, which helped subsidize several A&M scholarships. So Johnny…
ICE Returns MS-13 Fugitive to El Salvador
Federal immigration officials have deported an MS-13 gang member to El Salvador, where he was wanted for extortion. Jorge Alberto Dominguez, 29, had been in custody since a May arrest in Houston, but had evaded capture for almost two years, according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement press release…
Darla Guillen Takes Over Eater After Eric Sandler Moves to CultureMap
He’s been called the Perez Hilton of the Houston food scene due to his sometimes gossipy coverage at Eater, but Eric Sandler insists he’s ready to be a full-time journalist now at CultureMap. The void he’s left in coverage at Eater was filled quickly by Darla Guillen, who confirmed Friday…
Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival at The Woodlands, 8/3/2013
Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival Feat. Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Mastodon, Amon Amarth, etc. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 3, 2013 On Saturday, I couldn’t quite decide which was more brutal: 20 metal bands in one afternoon, or your average Houston summer. Maybe it’s because my brain started…
The Best Acts We Saw at the HPMA Showcase, Part 2
Electric Attitude When the set starts with the band’s lead singer booty-bumping with the ladies in the front row, you know it’s funny. When that same singer, Blake Shephard, stands on top of an amp, shot in hand, not one, but four times, you know it’s fun. When he returns…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: #97 Soft Pretzel from Mongoose Versus Cobra
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. Just as Katharine Shilcutt did before her, and Robb Walsh before that, Kaitlin will eat and learn as she goes, compiling a list of…
Cougars Prepping for the Big Time
The Houston Cougars will have a laser-like focus as they start practice. A focus on the University of Houston. A day-by-day focus of the team getting better. Improving as a program. Improving individually. Of making up for last season’s disaster. Of proving they belong on the so-called national stage offered…
“Dining In: An Artful Experience” Turns Utensils Into Fine Art
Art. It’s what’s for dinner. “Dining In: An Artful Experience,” on view at 18 Hands Gallery, is a juried exhibition of art that you eat with. Gallery co-owner Betsy Evans explains that these pieces are multifunctional, for decorative use or use on a dining room table. However, a close inspection…
Video Game High School: Terrible Ninjas and the Broken Law
Video Game High School is in the midst of trying real hard to be a traditional TV show in an Internet format. That means a 30-minute run time and three commercial breaks. It’s kind of a risky move, considering the even shows like Arrested Development used the freedom of streaming…
The Electronic Traveler: A Good Metro App, Instagram and the Hunger-Saving UrbanSpoon
I spent a day in Washington, D.C. on Friday visiting the Smithsonian, the National Archive, the Capitol Building and a number of other sights in our nation’s capital. Naturally, my phone was well used. In fact, the battery was essentially spent by the time I headed back to where I…
Summer Session: Low Alcohol for High Temps
Back in the summer of ’93, I got heat stroke. And a concussion. It was my first summer in Houston, after 10 years in Indiana, with its average July high of 83. I was playing an all-day soccer tournament out in Bear Creek Park, its freshly-razed expanse offering no respite…
Futurebirds at Fitzgerald’s, 8/2/2013
Futurebirds Fitzgerald’s August 2, 2013 Friday night, Athens, Georgia-based alt-country rockers Futurebirds made their way to a crowded Fitzgerald’s for a rambunctious showcase of their tunes. The Washington Avenue crowd found itself a bit north of its normal destinations, as people crowded the upstairs venue with their collared shirts and…
The Best Acts We Saw at the HPMA Showcase, 8/4/2013
Born Again Virgins Born Again Virgins ripped up their set at Dirt Bar early into the showcase yesterday. I still can’t get over the powerful stage presence that guitarist Adria LeCrone has; she rivals front man James Red, which is pretty impressive given he spent most of the set shirtless,…
Antony and Cleopatra Has Some Strong Performances But Fails to Find the Poetry
The set-up: One of William Shakespeare’s more complex plays, Antony and Cleopatra, is tackled by the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance – complex because it operates as both a power struggle among factions competing for world power, and as an intimate romance between two of the principals…
Chef Hassan Obaye of the Four Seasons: On Helping Houstonians Celebrate the End of Ramadan + Top 5 Reasons To Attend His Eid-al-Fitr
As a freshman in college, I joined my roommate in fasting during one week of Ramadan. I did so as a gesture of solidarity since we were fast becoming close friends and I figured she could use some company in, um, not eating. Quite a silly assumption when you think…
Monday Marks the Peak of Hurricane Season — Weather Museum Gets You Prepared with New App
If you just moved here or you just don’t pay attention, you might not realize that the peak of hurricane season begins in just ten days. August 15 marks the beginning of the busiest portion of the Atlantic hurricane season, which lasts through mid September. The Weather Museum — bet…
Courtney Love at House of Blues, 8/2/2013
Courtney Love House of Blues August 2, 2013 It was always a little puzzling to me that Courtney Love didn’t do more acting. She was quite good opposite Woody Harrelson in The People vs. Larry Flynt, but I suspect eventually she found the business of being “Courtney Love” too exhausting…
Doctor Who: 5 Reasons to be Excited About an Older Doctor
All day Sunday afternoon the American Whovians were glued to their TVs as we waited the announcement of the actor who would take over for Matt Smith as The Doctor. Vegas odds were that Peter Capaldi was the man of the hour, and Vegas turned out to be right, he…
Ten Popular, In-Season Wedding Cake & Groom’s Cake Flavors
Ask any bride or groom what their favorite part of wedding planning is and you’ll most likely hear them say, cake tasting. How many times in your life do you get to sit down and sample a multitude of flavors until you have found the one? Today’s wedding and groom’s…
EPA Says Fracking Is Safe But an Internal Report Says Different
It must be a tricky thing being the Environmental Protection Agency, especially when it comes to the political minefield that is fracking. Hydraulic fracturing — the process of shooting sand, water and chemicals into an oil well to get the oil and natural gas trapped in the formation flowing –…
What’s Cooking This Week? Basil & Tomato Meatballs Sliders + 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…
A Faster HIV Test May Be Coming to Harris County Health (And That’s Really Cool for All Kinds of Reasons.)
We’ve come along way from the plague years when HIV was a death sentence. We’re living in the days when some believe a cure is on the horizon and when the tests to find out if you’ve contracted the disease are getting faster and more precise. It’s becoming ever more…
True Blood: When Sean Lennon Is the Best Thing Going On, You’re In Trouble
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. Much thanks to True-Blood.net, who…
As You Like It a Fun Romp in This Year’s Shakespeare Festival
The set-up: As You Like It is one of William Shakespeare’s pastoral comedies, an entertainment intended to delight, like lolling in a hammock on a summer day, while the movers and shakers of the world are left to grind their teeth elsewhere as they struggle in their machinations for power…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Week: Little Joe Washington, Mike Stinson, the Melvins, etc.
Little Joe Washington Boondocks, August 6 Out of a Third Ward blues guitar school that has now graduated to the great beyond Albert Collins, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Johnny Guitar Watson and Joe Guitar Hughes, Little Joe Washington is the last man standing. And he’s hardly standing still: He’s also pedaling…
Breathe, Houston! J.J. Watt’s Elbow Is Fine, Despite the Return of the Black Menace Brace
I’m not sure if you knew this — stop me if you’ve heard — but J.J. Watt is kind of a big deal around here. Yeah, I know the multiple magazine covers and the Yahoo! fantasy football television commercial were probably a dead giveaway. If you’ve been out to a…
Attack of the Frankenfish!
It’s not available yet, but once the FDA finalizes its assessment of AquAdvantage salmon, the genetically engineered fish may find its way to your grocery store fish counter. And you may have no idea that the fish you’re eating has been modified with growth hormone regulating genes. These genes allow…
All the Pretty Potions: Post-Summer Skincare Roundup
Call me skin-obsessed if you must–because it’s probably true. The sheer number of lotions and potions, sunscreens and creams, ointments and oils that are stashed in my bathroom would boggle.your. mind. Truly, it makes my husband crazy and I often find myself handing out stuff to friends, because I just…
UPDATED: Family of Woman Thrown from Golf Cart Sues Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
UPDATED: “We can’t comment on pending litigation at the advice of our legal counsel. This is a tragic accident,” Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Interim President Leroy Shafer said, noting that Yvonne Herndon is a longtime volunteer with the organization. “This pains us very much, and we’re very concerned for…
“Asian Girlz” Is For Real Racist, Also Flat-Out Terrible
In today’s “things that should never exist, ever” file, we bring you one overtly racist song that is making the rounds. It’s a real winner, with its lyrics about the beauty of an Asian girl’s “creamy yellow thighs,” “slanted eyes,” “fried rice” and, well, “butt-fucking all night.” Yeah. Those are…
The Electronic Traveler: Complaints About Google Maps and Facebook
Yes, I am one of those people with an iPhone who did not upgrade to iOS 6 simply because I enjoyed the standard Google Maps app. But on this road trip, I have to admit, there is one thing that drives me absolutely crazy: resizing the screen. While a tap…
Songwriting Great Eric Taylor: “Houston Is Still a Real Music Town”
Rocks Off hadn’t seen Eric Taylor, once a contemporary of Townes Van Zandt, since his last Houston date at 14 Pews in January 2012. But with the release party for Taylor’s latest CD, Studio 10, this Sunday at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, we caught up with the veteran Texas singer-songwriter behind…
Sick Kicks, Clean Plates, Cool Dudes: The Top 10 Photos of the Week
Photo by EVGF. We here at the Houston Press have long believed that some of the best photographers in the world live right here in Houston. Between the slideshows and blogs we publish and the images you share with us in our Flickr Pool, we see tons of amazing photos…
House of Coffee Beans Celebrates 40 Years in August
Now that I’ve been shopping at House of Coffee Beans for a few years, I have noticed something interesting about the clientele. Not only is everyone smiling when they leave the store, they are smiling before they even walk in. Perhaps they are just grinning at the smell of fresh,…
WhatsYourPrice.com Sinks Internet to New Low, But at Least It’s Honest?
No one who understands the Internet is going to tell you that it doesn’t have its dark places. Hell, there is even a “darknet” that is apparently home to kiddie porn and every manner of disgusting thing a human mind can dream up. But most of it is hidden from…
Louisiana Gets a Golden Nugget, So Texas Gets a Casino Concert Roundup
Soon it will be be easier to drop those dolla-dolla bills at yet another Louisiana casino. This time it comes to us courtesy of a Texas native, the white tiger-loving Landry’s captain, Tilman Fertitta. Earlier this month, Fertitta announced that he has brokered a deal to acquire the property of…
Starburst Minis: Tiny But with Tantalizing Possibilities
Outside the month of October, non-chocolate candy is usually not on my radar. Not that I have anything against Swedish fish or Gobstoppers or Skittles; I’m just more likely to go for a candy bar or a baked good if I want a quick, cheap fix for my sweet tooth…
Rhine Maidens With a Texas Twang in Germany
The Bayreuth Festival in the theater in Bayreuth, Germany built by Richard Wagner is the hottest ticket in the world, with an eight- to ten-year wait. If a person applies for a ticket every year, he or she will eventually be rewarded, but if he misses an application for even…
HPMA Showcase Spotlight: The Suffers, “Houston’s All-Star Soul and Reggae Supergroup”
In the weeks leading up to the Houston Press Music Awards showcase on Sunday, August 4, Rocks Off will be profiling a handful of performers each day, mostly in their own words – part of the best top-to-bottum lineup the showcase has ever had, in our humble opinion. See the…
Weekend Weather: Seriously Hot, Seriously Dry
At the moment, the temperature is 67 degrees outside and there is a mild day in store with highs only reaching the mid-80s. Oh, I’m sorry, I’m not in Houston, where, at the moment, it is already in the 80s and the highs will reach the upper 90s to close…
The Top 4 George Carlin Essays (That Are Completely Bullshit)
I grew up on George Carlin, which explains a lot about me really. All joking aside, he was like having an inappropriate uncle full of wisdom and dirty words. Over the course of my entire growing up experience we would sit down to hear the latest HBO special from Brother…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 98, Bulgogi Tacos with Kimchi at Chi’Lantro
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. Just as Katharine Shilcutt did before her, and Robb Walsh before that, Kaitlin will eat and learn as she goes, compiling a list of…
Numbers Announces Saturday Memorial for Robert “Robot” Burtenshaw
In the wake of the unexpected death of longtime Numbers owner Robert Burtenshaw at the age of 58, a memorial evening of soft tunes, stories, and food is planned at the landmark Houston nightclub on Saturday. Doors will open at 8 p.m. to soft music and catering from the nearby…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: 2 Guns
Title: 2 Guns Sure Looks Like More Than Two Firearms In That Trailer: As both characters favor a single weapon, two is the most both are collectively carrying when engaged with the enemy, which is perhaps a commentary on their puissant skill at … oh, the hell with it. Rating…
HPMA Showcase Spotlight: Buxton, “Five Friends Cook Dinner Together, Watch Seinfeld”
In the weeks leading up to the Houston Press Music Awards showcase on Sunday, August 4, Rocks Off will be profiling a handful of performers each day, mostly in their own words – part of the best top-to-bottum lineup the showcase has ever had, in our humble opinion. See the…
Allen Man Sentenced to Five Years in Biodiesel Investment Scam
An Allen man convicted of defrauding investors in a bogus biodiesel plant project has been sentenced to five years in state prison, according to the Texas State Securities Board. Kenneth Paul Lawrence, convicted July 19 “on two charges for his role in raising money for a purported biodiesel plant in…
The Monkees at Arena Theatre, 8/1/2013
The Monkees Arena Theatre August 1, 2013 Musically speaking, the Monkees are timeless. There’s something about the sound of their big pop hits that is like an auditory time machine that takes you back to the first time you heard it. True, that time may have been sitting on the…
HPMA Showcase Spotlight: Mike Stinson, “Words and Music of Reckless Abandon”
In the weeks leading up to the Houston Press Music Awards showcase on Sunday, August 4, Rocks Off will be profiling a handful of performers each day, mostly in their own words – part of the best top-to-bottum lineup the showcase has ever had, in our humble opinion. See the…
Ellington Airport Could Become a Commercial Spaceport (Could a Moon Vacation Be in the Cards?)
Houston has some great airports, but now the City of Houston and the Houston Airport System are working to see about getting one airport a little something extra as a licensed spaceport. Back in the days of the space race, our rockets were heading for the moon, and it all…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Gumbo, White Linen and…Ice Luges?
Grand Opening & Half Way to Mardi Gras Party @ Mojeauxs Louisiana Drinkery Saturday, 11 a.m. to Sunday, 2 a.m. 2024 Rusk St. Get ready to stuff your face with gumbo and dance to some Zydeco at Mojeauxs Louisiana Drinkery’s grand opening on Saturday. The party begins at 11 a.m…
Your Guide to This Year’s Mayhem Fest
Last week, I told you all about the Summer Slaughter Tour which blew through the House of Blues this past Saturday, and alluded to the numerous metal tours still to come up. Well, you may have just had your ass kicked last weekend, but it’s already time for another one…
Doctor Who: Top 10 Seventh Doctor Stories
Sylvster MCoy will be here this weekend at Space City Con. The Seventh Doctor is one of the odder incarnations of the Time Lord. As the last of the classic series Doctors before the cancellation, he had arguably the shortest run of any Doctor aside from Eccleston and McGann, yet…
Huge Lineup Shifts at 790 Leave Jackson, Wexler Out in the Cold
Less than a year after two of the sharpest minds in the Houston sports radio world joined forces, they were split up. The Lance Zierlein-Charlie Pallilo experiment is over as 790 KMBE will shake up their lineup in dramatic fashion beginning Monday. In the shuffle, veterans Matt Jackson and Adam…
100 Creatives 2013: Erica DelGardo, Metalsmith
Erica DelGardo comes from a family of artists but she resisted making the same career choice. “I always said I wasn’t going to be a starving artist,” DelGardo tells us. “But I guess it was in my blood and I became an artist any way.” DelGardo was born in the…
Upcoming Events: This Little Piggy Went to Market (And Became Dinner)
Katy’s No Label Brewing Co. will be coming all the way to the Loop for a Meet the Brewer event at The Ginger Man on August 6 at 6 p.m. Brewmaster and co-founder Brian Royo or “El Royo Loco” will be at The Ginger Man to show off his beer…
Our 10 Least Favorite One-Hit Wonders
Thursday Rocks Off brought you our list of ten favorite one-hit wonders, an endearing assortment of underdogs and left-field flukes that hit our collective Top 40 sweet spot, if only for one brief shining moment. Now the real fun starts. But for every great song that becomes a one-hit wonder,…
Gauging the Sincerity: The Riley Cooper Apology Video Zapruder
If you’re looking for proof that we’ve never lived in an era where your life can change in the click of an iPhone button in five horrifically racist seconds, and that your digital fingerprint, the gigabytes of visual and audio proof of who you are and what you stand for,…
Openings & Closings: Sunday Brunch Gets a Little Less Fun and Midtown Gets a Little More Boozy
Whew! What a crazy week it’s been for openings and closings! First, the bad news. The worst news this week came from Farrago World Cuisine, whose owners announced it was closing after 13 years due to a massive increase in rent. The restaurant is catty corner to Midtown Park, which…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Truth & Salvage Co., Courtney Love, Vans Warped Tour, Girls Rock Camp Showcase, etc.
Truth and Salvage Co. Fitzgerald’s, August 2 You might expect a band discovered by Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson to be a little on the wooly side, and you wouldn’t be disappointed in Truth & Salvage Co. Although the five-piece is now based in Nashville, Robinson found them in L.A.,…
The Top 5 Things to Do in Houston this Weekend: Shakespeare Festival, Space City Con, Jazz Fest and More
This year’s Houston Shakespeare Festival kicks off on Friday and its offerings of Antony and Cleopatra and As You Like It give a Booker T. Washington graduate, Brandon Dirden, his first chance to return to Houston in two years. A winner of an OBIE award last year for his star…
Summer TV Club Nancy Drew: ” Asylum”
Not only did I not know there was a semi-recent Nancy Drew television show, but I when I heard I figured it was from the 1960s. There was a show called the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, which ran in the late ’70s but this is not the show that our…
Monkees’ Return Has Some Houston Fans Going Ape
Houston gets its first shot of Monkee-mania in at least a generation tonight, when surviving members Peter Tork, Mickey Dolenz and Michael Nesmith visit the Arena Theatre. Judging by informal talk among friends, around the office and the social-media water-cooler, it’s no exaggeration to say this might be one of…
The Electronic Traveler: Traffic, Hotels and Streaming Audio
Day one of my cross-country road trip was dramatically improved by three apps that helped me pass the time, figure out the traffic and land cheap lodging. As I mentioned on Wednesday, I had a number of apps I was planning on utilizing for my travels, and Maps was at…
HPMA Showcase Spotlight: Bang Bangz, “Sweet, Mysterious, Seductive, Transcendental, Euphonic, Aesthetic”
In the weeks leading up to the Houston Press Music Awards showcase on Sunday, August 4, Rocks Off will be profiling a handful of performers each day, mostly in their own words – part of the best top-to-bottum lineup the showcase has ever had, in our humble opinion. See the…
The MLS All-Star Game Rap Video Gets Zapruder Treatment (It’s Special)
There are a lot of ways to show your pride in your work and bring awareness to your brand. There are the traditional marketing methods of advertising, like radio, television, billboards. There are promotional leveraging methods like doing a segment or two on radio shows or television programs. Social media…
Top 5 Recipes Involving Hot Dogs
Hot dogs haven’t always enjoyed the best reputation. Cheap varieties do often include snips and snails and puppy dogs’ tails, but more quality, and, dare I say, classier wieners with actual meat do exist. As a devotee of the dog, I’m thrilled with the wave of new dressed-up, “haute” dogs,…
Telly Leung’s I’ll Cover You is a Mixed Bag of Delights and Duds
Telly Leung, who many would recognize as a Dalton Academy Warbler from FOX’s GLEE, is a bona fide Broadway talent. He debuted on Broadway in the 2002 revival of Flower Drum Song, appeared in the 2005 revival of Pacific Overtures, originated the role of Boq in the Chicago company of…
HPMA Showcase Spotlight: Los Skarnales, “Pachuco Boogie Ska Band With a PUNK Attitude”
In the weeks leading up to the Houston Press Music Awards showcase on Sunday, August 4, Rocks Off will be profiling a handful of performers each day, mostly in their own words – part of the best top-to-bottum lineup the showcase has ever had, in our humble opinion. See the…
So That Was the Smell: San Antonio Fined for More Than 23 Million Gallons of Raw Sewage Dumped in Waterways
Have you ever been strolling by the San Antonio River Walk and thought you smelled something a little, you know, funky? Turns out it may not have all been in your head, or nose. The San Antonio Water System was supposed to be taking care of the raw sewage coming…
Local Metal-Mongers Throw Down In Battle for Mayhem Festival
As metalheads around Houston gather their strength for headbanging and moshing on Saturday at the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival over at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston’s own metal scene is amping up for an epic battle of the bands. Tonight at Walters, ten local bands will go head to…
Houston Independent Booksellers: In-Store Events for August 2013
August seems to me like the longest month of summer here in Houston. The high temps and soaring humidity really start to grind down, and the weary slog toward “autumn” (not sure we really get that here, but that’s another conversation) feels longer than it did in July. There is…
HPMA Showcase Spotlight: Mikey & the Drags, “Garage-Rockin’ Good Times”
In the weeks leading up to the Houston Press Music Awards showcase on Sunday, August 4, Rocks Off will be profiling a handful of performers each day, mostly in their own words – part of the best top-to-bottum lineup the showcase has ever had, in our humble opinion. See the…
Optimistic Owls Aiming for Continued Success
Rice Athletic DepartmentRice QB Taylor McHargue looks to lead the Owls to a second straight bowl appearanceIt’s not going to be an easy start of the season for the Rice Owls, traveling to College Station and taking on Johnny Football and the Aggies. But then again, the Rice Owls don’t…
Top 5 Smiley-Face Foods
“Smile and the whole world smiles with you?” Actually, I prefer: “When your food smiles at you, you’ll smile back.” In a world of emoticon-heavy electronic correspondence, I should be positively sick of smiley-faces, but somehow that dopey grinning visage still cheers me up (albeit for a few seconds) if…
The Word Around Town (WAT) Poetry Tour Features Outspoken Bean (with Video)
Poet Outspoken Bean is among the featured performers at this year’s Word Around Town (W.A.T.) Poetry Tour 2013. As an invited featured artist, Bean was able to bypass the tour’s rigorous draft process. “There were more than 150 poets at the draft this year,” Bean tells us. “It was ridiculous;…
My Girlfriend’s Breasts Are Too Small. 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! TWO SIDES TO A FRIENDSHIP Dear Willie D: The other day I decided to call an…
HPMA Showcase Spotlight: FLCON FCKER, “I * Often * Wear * Feathers * and * Glitter”
In the weeks leading up to the Houston Press Music Awards showcase on Sunday, August 4, Rocks Off will be profiling a handful of performers each day, mostly in their own words – part of the best top-to-bottum lineup the showcase has ever had, in our humble opinion. See the…
Houston Bucket List – 100 Things To Do in Houston Before You Die: Wine and Dine on the Hill
The Houston Press is presenting a series of posts leading up to a feature story in the print edition of the 100 Things to Do in Houston Before You Die. Each blog post contains one of our top 10 bucket list items along with nine others in the top 100…
10 Food-Related Life Hacks, Thanks to Reddit
A wise man once told me, “All good things come from Reddit.” Sure, I found this man on Reddit, but somehow, I believe him. So we perused the life hack section (the number of ways you can use pool noodles is just limitless, you guys) for some kitchen and food-related…
Pop Rocks: Feminine Products Have Amazing Commercials
It’s not very often that I receive e-mails from my mother-in-law with the subject line “Best Tampon Commercial Ever,” so naturally I needed to drop everything I was doing and immediately watch. Within an hour, the Hello Flo commercial was trending, half of my Facebook friends had reposted it (guys…
The Rocks Off 100: Charlie Horshack, LP4’s Guitar Warrior
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? Charlie Horshack (his nom…
Lawyer’s Response to Terrence Jones Stomping a Homeless Guy Confusing
I must admit I was utterly dismayed on Wednesday, first to learn that second-year Rockets forward Terrence Jones was arrested for harassing and stomping on the leg of a homeless man in Portland, and second, that his lawyer seemed befuddled by the charges. Every indication is that Jones, who only…
Best Comics in July Part 2: Fear of a Black Sherlock
Each month the staff at 8th Dimension Comics selects the best titles for us to review. It was a good month, so check out Part 1 from yesterday! Watson and Holmes #1: OK, now I know this is going to sound really stupid and corny, but believe me when I…
Could Elvis Have Been Saved From Himself? One Man Says Yes
When Elvis Presley came into Memphis’ Stax Studios in December 1973 to cut some new material, Norbert Putnam — the experienced Muscle Shoals-born session bassist — could tell that something was off about the King. “He had gained a bit of weight, I noticed. And he had gone through the…
The Non-Pressure Test: Make Chocolate Éclairs Like a MasterChef
MasterChef is back (and with another Houstonian in the mix — Team James)! 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…
WWE’s Randy Orton Gets Nut Shotted By a Fan: Real or Fake? (w/ VIDEO)
Old school wrestlers from back in the territory days, before WWE swallowed up the wrestling universe piece by piece and became a billion dollar publicly held company, will tell stories about fans (mostly in small backwater towns, where the average IQ was slightly above that of a turnip) who would…
New York Bans Sale of Shark Fins, But They’re Still on the Menu in Houston
On Friday, July 26, the state of New York became the eighth U.S. state to ban the sale of shark fins in an effort to protect the world’s sharks. Last May, a bill to ban shark fin trade in Texas died in the Senate, but due to increasing awareness about…
Our 10 Favorite One-Hit Wonders
Where would the world be without one-hit wonders? Well, we really don’t like to think about that. One of the purest guilty pleasures in pop music — and sometimes not even a guilty pleasure but an actual good song — the one-hit wonder is much safer than its real-life counterpart;…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 Tourist Attractions (Outside the City Limits)
Last week we looked at tourist attractions inside Houston proper; this week we rank tourist attractions outside the city limits. Last week our list included museums, shopping destinations, public art and inner city parks. This week, our choices include fewer museums and art, but lots more beach side attractions. High…
Breaking Bad’s Vince Gilligan Reveals the Exact Moment Walter White “Broke Bad” Forever
The lauded “Golden Age” of television just makes Vince Gilligan sad. Let’s get specific: “The sadness for me at the heart of it is that television now makes stories for grown-ups that Hollywood movies don’t allow filmmakers to make,” the Breaking Bad creator/writer/director/producer said Sunday at New York’s Museum of…
Mainstream Movie Porn Sucks: How Real Sex in Real Movies Is a Real Distraction
Porn re-inserts itself into the arthouse with this week’s The Canyons, co-starring adult industry stud James Deen, and next week’s Lovelace, a biopic of the Deep Throat star–two highly publicized releases that reconfirm the hopelessness of going hardcore in mainstream movies. Whether it’s works that inject un-simulated sex into their…
Movies Need Lohan
A movie can be highly imperfect, stilted, or implausible in all sorts of ways—and still be everything you go to the movies for. The Canyons, Paul Schrader’s contemplation of moral decay in Hollywood, is that kind of picture, in some places so crazy-silly you want to laugh and in others…
Art on the Lawn: Endless
The altar columns of St. Peter’s Basilica inspired, in part, Houston artist and Glassell School of Art Director Joseph Havel’s sculpture Endless, currently installed in the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s front lawn fountain. (The piece is part of the ongoing series Art on the Lawn.) ”It’s a beautiful sculpture whose…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Festival of Originals, The Hollow, Tamarie Cooper’s Old as Hell, Wicked
Festival of Originals Theater mavens love Theatre Southwest’s three-weekend program of new short plays. The works are fresh, as in recently written, and usually run under 20 minutes. The length can be a godsend, because if you can’t stand the one you’re watching, your irritation or boredom will soon be…
San Antonio Roses
HPMA Rocks Off is proud to announce that we have signed on Girl In a Coma as our special guest for the Houston Press Music Awards showcase this Sunday. The San Antonio trio is no stranger to these parts, mostly because it seems like they’re here all the time. In…
La Raza
Dear Mexican, I’m curious as to the meaning of the term “Viva la Raza” that I have often heard expressed by my friends and family. I know what it translates to, but I don’t know why we say it. I happen to be what some call a “half-breed,” and therein…
Ten the Hard Way: Introducing the Houston Music Hall of Fame
Houston has a lot of museums, but the city sorely lacks anything tangible that salutes its rich musical legacy. That’s where we come in. In honor of the Houston Press Music Awards’ 25th anniversary, the Houston Press is now creating our own Houston Music Hall of Fame. In the future,…
The Houston Music Hall of Fame: The Ring of Honor
WALT ANDRUS Studio owner/producer/engineer who worked with Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Fever Tree and more, 1937-2009 BIG H.A.W.K. Born John Hawkins (Fat Pat’s brother), Screwed Up Click co-founder and “Swang” rapper, 1969-2006 TEXAS JOHNNY BROWN Blues singer, bandleader and songwriter (“Two Steps from the Blues”), 1928-2013 ALBERT COLLINS Electric-blues guitarist known…
Incan Update: Latin Bites Brings Peruvian Food into the Modern Era
As soon as the sauce of the tiradito tres sabores reached my taste buds, I knew I was embarking on unfamiliar territory. A glance at the menu confirmed my suspicions. Rocoto. Limo. Choclo. I had no idea what those words meant. No wonder my senses were so delighted. The flavors…
Your Guide to the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase
For the silver-anniversary Houston Press Music Awards Showcase this Sunday, August 4, we pulled out all the stops. We prevailed upon some perpetual nominees who had missed the past few showcases to give it another shot, but we’re also proud to have several nominees playing their very first HPMAs. Either…
Home Sweet Almost: The Current State of the Houston Housing Market
We never expected to find a home as quickly as we did. When my fiancée and I started looking, we assumed we would casually search until after our wedding in October, then get serious. But as we watched interest rates slowly begin to tick upward, we decided to speed up…
The Girl with the Most Cake: Courtney Love Is in Charge
In theory, the idea of speaking with Courtney Love is an intimidating prospect, due to the Hole front woman’s notorious history of verbal confrontation. In reality, however, an interview is actually the perfect arena for Love. She gets to talk about herself, exclusively, for a fixed amount of time. Now…
2 Guns Is Too Much of the Same Thing
All you need for a movie are two guys and two guns. Unless that movie is 2 Guns, in which case you probably need a good deal more. The problem with so many current action movies, this one included, is that once you’ve seen one, you can’t help feeling you’ve…
Europa Report: A Found-Footage Failure of Form
No human has left near-Earth orbit since 1972, we’re reminded in Europa Report, a smartly marketed space-horror quickie that purports to be the one-giant-leap for found-footage scares — and also maybe Serious Space-Travel Movies themselves, which have failed to soar past our atmosphere almost as long as NASA has. To…
Capsule Art Reviews: “The Big Show” “Gifts from the Past: The Isabel Brown Wilson Collection” “Ideas Are Free” “Late Surrealism” “PRINTTX” “Some Tree Rings, a Vision, and the Third of May” “Water’s Edge (Mizugiwa)”
“The Big Show” “The Big Show” is Lawndale Art Center’s annual juried exhibition. The gallery drip-drops with life this year; though there is no set theme to Lawndale’s “Big Show” exhibitions, many of the works are figurative pieces. Bryan Forrester’s photograph Imogene C-Print shows a naked man and woman in…
A Pedestrian Oasis
Highlights from Hair Balls Traffic Local blogger Kyle Nielsen put together an essay for the folks at Houston Tomorrow, partly to discuss the tragic death of a young cyclist, who was run over by a Metro train last week, but also to cover the issues with general mobility of vehicles…
Pudgy Pork Dumplings and Crisp Soft-Shell Crab
On the Menu Because of Cafe Chino, I’m going to have to stop saying that it’s hard to find good Chinese food inside the Loop. I’ve probably passed this restaurant at least a hundred times en route to visiting its strip-mall neighbors, Party City and Rustika Cafe, and ignored it…
