Deutsch Dawg: JCI Grill’s “German Style” Hot Dog of the Month
Last month, we relished (pun intended) “The Colombian,” the first in the series of “funky dawgs” designed by Chef Randy Evans. The verdict: ¡Deli! This May saw the debut of Funky Dawg #2, a “German Style” Texas Hill Country Dog. This plump number is a 44 Farms, all-Angus beef, jalapeno and cheddar cheese…
Young Houston Songwriters Talk Songwriting (What Else?)
Everything done here is predicated on songs. Songs that make up albums and live shows, the ones we add to our mental and literal playlists. Some really special songs transcend temporary fixation and become parts of our lives, like familiar and reliable friends. For a subject so important, it feels…
Five Music Acts That Make Sense For the New Muppet Show
The small-screen buzz of the month is the ABC television network is dusting off the frog and all the other ones for a new version of The Muppet Show. Why not? The Muppets won’t ever go out of vogue like Fred Flintstone, who smoked cigarettes in TV ads and perpetuated…
‘Firewalker’ Announces Venomous Maximus’ New Wave of Houston Metal
Like a dank fog hanging over the bayou, rumors have been slowly swirling around a new Venomous Maximus album for the better part of a year. Lord knows there’s been no shortage of anticipation for it. After their first record, Beg Upon the Light, helped propel these local masters of…
The Venerable Boz Scaggs Is Nobody’s ‘Fool’
Throughout his lengthy recording career — now clocking in at five decades — Boz Scaggs has been a tireless sonic alchemist, whose output is the epitome of musical amalgamation. While best known for the blue-eyed soul and dance grooves of the monstrously successful 1976 Silk Degrees record, a casual listen…
Houston’s 10 Best Bars For Aspiring Authors
Dear reader, lest you write this one off by observing that practically any activity of life can be happily set in a bar, thereby opening the doors to “Best Houston Bar to Do Yoga In” or “Best Local Saloon That Doubles as a Daycare,” please know those aren’t forthcoming entries…
Gregg Allman Goes O Solo Mio
Gregg Allman, his publicist tells me, rarely does phone interviews anymore. And really, who can blame him? Why would the 67-year-old classic rock icon want to answer another talking litany of queries about the past and future of the Allman Brothers Band, brother Duane, Berry and Dickey, drugs, health and…
Death to Pagination: The New HoustonPress.com is Coming
There’s probably a lovely quote about the passage of time and how things change that we could start this blog off, but since the headline has already spoiled the surprise, let’s cut to the chase: HoustonPress.com is getting a facelift…
Death to Pagination: The New HoustonPress.com is Coming
There’s probably a lovely quote about the passage of time and how things change that we could start this blog off, but since the headline has already spoiled the surprise, let’s cut to the chase: HoustonPress.com is getting a facelift…
Death to Pagination: The New HoustonPress.com is Coming
There’s probably a lovely quote about the passage of time and how things change that we could start this blog off, but since the headline has already spoiled the surprise, let’s cut to the chase: HoustonPress.com is getting a facelift…
Death to Pagination: The New HoustonPress.com is Coming
There’s probably a lovely quote about the passage of time and how things change that we could start this blog off, but since the headline has already spoiled the surprise, let’s cut to the chase: HoustonPress.com is getting a facelift…
Helmed by a Respected Chef, the New Mascalzone is Rich in Risotto and Other Offerings
There’s a dish at the new Mascalzone on Shepherd that will have everyone at the table jockeying for the next bite. It’s a bowl of creamy, rich, Parmesan-laden risotto, its indented center holding a well of chopped, braised veal and carrots in jus. Accenting it is a big spoonful of…
Bob Dylan’s Texas Connections Run Deep
Bob Dylan’s ribald, satirical ode to ’60s sartorial fetishism, “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat,” reveals a deep connection the visionary musician has had to Texas. The song, which appears on his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde, was produced by Texas native Bob Johnston and faithfully replicates the tone, song structure and…
Upcoming: Action Bronson, D’Angelo, Fifth Harmony, Lukas Nelson, Toro y Moi, etc.
2-Bit Palomino: With Derek Aramburu., Fri., May 29, 8 p.m., $15. Main Street Crossing, 111 E. Main, Tomball, 281-290-0431. Aaron Einhouse: Thu., June 4, 7 p.m., Free. Redneck Country Club, 11110 W Airport, Stafford, 281-809-4867. Aborted: With Fit For An Autopsy, Archspire, Dark Sermon, Desec rate The Faith, Diminished., Thu.,…
100 Favorite Dishes 2015: No. 96, Carnitas Salad At Chipotle
Oh, the glamorous life of a food writer, sitting in front of a fine meal on a table with good silverware and a white tablecloth, wine glass in hand, laughing at some witty waiter’s jokes. Sometimes, it is that. More often, it’s sitting on your ass in front of a…
Los Lobos Make It a Memorable Cinco de Mayo
Los Lobos, Mariachi Luna Llena Miller Outdoor Theatre May 3, 2015 “East Los.” Those were the words written across the image of the Dia de Los Muertos calavera that served as the backdrop to Sunday night’s show at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The rest of the name wasn’t necessary, we already…
Tens of Thousands of Dogs are Still Used in Laboratory Testing Every Year
The purpose-bred laboratory beagle is a remarkably versatile animal. It can be used to ingest a toxic compound until it dies and to ascertain human safety guidelines for pesticides. Its heart, brain and prostate are easily accessible for cancer studies. It is bred to be docile and obedient, and, if…
Even Left-Footed Dancers Are Welcome at Stampede Houston
“OK. So are you guys now ready to do spins?” Karen politely, yet eagerly, asks our class as she struts over to grab another partner. Sadly, I’ve already been sitting out for a good five minutes now because I can’t keep up with the rest of the dance class. Luckily,…
Sugar Land Artist Continues Work on Epic 300-Character Frieze
Something epic is happening over at G Gallery, courtesy of Italian-born Sugar Land artist Fabio D’Aroma, who is working on a series of paintings – think Leonardo da Vinci meets Blackhawk Leather – which eventually will be morphed together into a 300-character frieze. The exhibit, A Pound of Pursuit (Studies…
This Week In Houston Food Blogs: New Looks at Crisp, Pizaro’s and Lupe Tortilla
The “I Chew and Review” blog takes a look at the new Crisp wine bar at 2520 Research Forest in The Woodlands. Among the good points are early lunch times, serve-yourself-by-the-glass wine machines and a good beer selection. The burger at Crisp is quite good, although the blog deems the…
Geraldine Chaplin Says Sand Dollars is Her Best Work Ever
Directors/co-writers Laura Amelia Guzman and Israel Cardenas had the cast and crew of their latest film, the Spanish-language drama Sand Dollars, live in primitive huts in an unpopulated section of the Dominican Republic for the seven weeks of filming. “We were out 20 miles away from East Jesus,” laughs Sand…
Abbott Vows to Ensure Jade Helm Isn’t Really A Coup d’Etat
A federal takeover of Texas, ordered by a Kenyan Marxist bent on taking our guns and forcing abortions on every man, woman, and child after they’ve been rounded up and forced into FEMA Death Domes? Not on Governor Greg Abbott’s watch! That’s why our right-minded, non-pandering state leader has vowed…
Madness On Main Ignites Festival Season
On a warm Saturday evening in early May, a throng of music-loving Houstonians made their way to Midtown for the first local music festival of the summer months. As if any of us needed additional incentive to visit The Island, Madness On Main Street was as fun as a refresher…
Game Of Thrones S05E04: “All Sinners Are Equal Before The Gods”
The fourth episode of Game of Thrones’ fifth season aired last night, and as has been the case with many of its earlier counterparts (“Oathkeeper,” “And Now His Watch Had Ended”), there was a good deal of table setting in “The Sons of the Harpy:” Tyrion gets to know his…
Second Lovers Leap Past Americana With Rock Attitude
Second Lovers, The Docs House of Blues May 1, 2015 A plethora of groundbreaking local acts have risen to the surface in the past few years, with The Suffers anointed by David Letterman — and now ACL Fest — and Flcon Fcker performing a genre-bending set at Bonnaroo. On the…
Judicial Commission Scolds Controversial Judge in Sex Offender Cases
A controversial Conroe judge who oversees civil committment cases of violent sexual predators has been publicly reprimanded by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Houston Chronicle reports. The Commission ordered Montgomery County District Judge Michael Seiler to “undergo additional judicial training” after finding that Seiler “berated and belittled attorneys…
Elton John Rolls In Like Thunder at Cynthia Woods
Elton John Cynthia Woods Pavilion May 1, 2015 What constitutes a “force of nature”? Hurricanes, droughts, torrential downpours? How about a bespectacled Brit in a bedazzled purple suit? Last Friday night, a 66-year old Elton John rolled in like thunder and reigned over a packed Cynthia Woods Pavilion, displaying why…
The Spiritualist at Stages: A Rollicking and Thoughtful Examination of Celebrity
The set-up: Validation is a powerful thing. We all crave it in some form, whether we’re artists or CEOs. In The Spiritualist, playing now at Stages Repertory Theatre in its Texas premiere (and second ever production), an English widow goes as far as to validate her musical creations by claiming…
Meet Your 2015 Texans Rookie Class On Twitter!
It used to be that when your favorite NFL team drafted its next wave of rookies, for the most part, they were just a list of names on a piece of paper. Sure, you probably knew your team’s first round pick, and if a guy played for a good college…
No Pressure For ZZ Top and Jeff Beck at The Woodlands
ZZ Top, Jeff Beck Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 2, 2015 All right, fine, ZZ Top. You win. I guess every girl is crazy about a sharp dressed man. Well, at least this girl is anyway, after the sharp-dressed and sharp-sounding show the boys from Texas put on at Cynthia…
“Pool Party” Exhibit Is Light, Fun and Refreshingly Cool
Summer is already here, or at least that’s the way it feels when visiting Anya Tish Gallery’s Pool Party exhibit. Inspired by the very Zen swimming pool acrylics by Kristen Martincic, the gallery invited a handful of artists to contribute similarly themed works; the result is light, fun and -…
UPDATED: This Week In Food Events: It’s Cinco de Mayo Time!
Monday, May 4 May The Fourth Be With You At Flying Saucer That’s right. It’s Star Wars Day, so it’s only appropriate to drink the beers. The Flying Saucer downtown is tapping Firestone Walker Wookie Jack and No Label Hop Solo. Come in your best Star Wars outfit to compete…
7 Great Texas Swimming Holes to Visit This Summer
Texas has a lot of things that make it a great place to live, but our summers are hot. Heck, sometimes our winters are even hot, but being outside in August can make a person wonder if maybe they accidentally opened an exhaust vent from Hell, and begin to ponder…
Floyd Mayweather, Michelle Beadle, and the Dangers of Reporting The Facts
A credential is perhaps the most important thing that any person covering a sporting event can possess. The credential provides access to the press box, to the playing surface, to the locker room. A reporter needs the credential to speak to an athlete or a coach before or after a…
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche is one Soggy and Overcooked Meal
The set up: I suppose there is some quip to be made about the fact that two men, Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood, are the playwrights behind 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche. After all, aren’t men supposed to have some machismo aversion to the oft maligned egg pie? But both…
Dish of the Week: Chicken Taquitos
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here. This week, we’re taking a look at taquitos. A taquito is a small, rolled-up taco that is stuffed with some type of filling –…
Steph Curry To Be Named NBA MVP, James Harden Runner Up
Every year, the NBA hands out its awards as the postseason rolls along, with a different honor being announced every few days. Thus far, the 2015 awards season has not been kind to the Houston Rockets. A week or so ago, the Coach of the Year award was given to…
100 Favorite Dishes 2015: No. 97, Pickled Shrimp at Punk’s Simple Southern Food
Thanks to Mexican, Peruvian and other Latin influences, many Houstonians are quite familiar with the concept of seafood pickled or “cooked” in citrus juice. There’s an abundance of good ceviches to choose from in the city. They don’t have a lock on this technique, though. Pickled shrimp is a Southern…
Doctor Who: The 10 Best Non-Human Companions
In general The Doctor prefers the company of us humans over pretty much anyone else. Nearly every traveling companion of his has been human and despite the vastness of the universe most of them are also from Earth. Today we celebrate a few of the rare non-human companions that have…
The Suffers Look Headed to ACL Fest’s First Weekend
Houston’s the Suffers appear to be headed to at least the first weekend of this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival. The lineup was not scheduled to be released until early Tuesday morning, but a link to the rosters for both weekends — or a cleverly planted decoy — appeared…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Week: Bob Dylan, Nightwish, Lana Del Rey, etc.
Bob Dylan Bayou Music Center, May 5 It says something that Bob Dylan is playing a venue that can hold less than 3,000 people; namely, that his time as a pop star is long in the past while his legend continues to grow and his work ethic never tires. Most…
Houston Community College Sues Texas Attorney General Over Public Records
Boy, for a public institution, the Houston Community College System really hates state public record laws: the embattled institution has sued the Texas Attorney General’s Office, arguing that it erred in saying that HCC must release payment records related to HCC’s outside law firm. Last December, blogger Manuel Barrera, the…
10 Things You Should Know About Houston Texan CB Kevin Johnson
Over the last couple decades, the NFL Draft has become big business, particularly with the move a few years ago to a three-day draft with Round One in primetime. The draft has become an event conducive to big parties and large celebrations. It’s safe to say that most teams conduct…
Primus Unlocks a World of Pure Imagination
Primus Bayou Music Center April 30, 2015 When funk-metal weirdoes Primus released an album of cover tunes reimagining the soundtrack from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory last year, it was welcomed by the trio’s loyal fans as another fine addition to the band’s catalogue of strange experiments. It was…
Pearland’s Mystery Mansion Is Back on the Market & Buyers Are Looking
Almost six years ago, our former writer Katharine Shilcutt wrote a fascinating piece on two semi-finished houses each sitting on 15 acres of adjoining land in Pearland that owner and pediatrician, Dr. Ulysses W. Watkins, had up for sale. She was able to get some never-before-seen photos of the inside…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Title: Avengers: Age Of Ultron Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: “William Faulkner could write an exhaust pipe gag that would really make you think.” Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Three-and-a-half Emma Peels out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Earth’s mightiest heroes fight Steff from Pretty…
Houston Rappers Predict the Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight
This weekend is a big one in the sports world. With The NHL and NBA playoffs in full swing, and Major League Baseball rounding out its first month of the season, fans of all ages and backgrounds will certainly have something to cheer for. But one event stands to outshine…
100 Favorite Dishes 2015: No. 98, Lobster Roll at Maine-ly Sandwiches
I’d never had a lobster roll until Maine-ly Sandwiches opened their original shop on the feeder of I-45 North near West Road. I’d heard of them but didn’t know of any place that served them in Houston. There aren’t many places serving notable food in the Greenspoint area and the…
Why Avengers: Age of Ultron Fills This Buffy Fan With Despair
Depending on whom you talk to, we live in an era of conformity or one of anything-goes individuality; in a golden age of television or the brightest of movie galaxies. But just about everyone will agree that we’re ruled by screens of all sizes, which means it’s harder than ever…
While You Weren’t Watching, the Houston Astros Took Over First Place
Look, I know that there are seemingly more important sporting events occurring in Houston besides an early season Houston Astros game. There’s that whole NFL draft thing where a mediocre team strives to remain solidly mired in the mediocrity that it has found so comforting (and profitable) since its founding…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Celebrate Derby Day & Cinco de Drinko
May Beer Dinner @ Kipper Club Test Kitchen Friday, 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. seatings 4400 Yale Treadsack chefs Graham Laborde, P.J. Stoops, Richard Knight, Mara Serna and Daniel Blue will be joining forces on a five-course, Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co.-paired May Beer Dinner that is sure to knock your…
Heartbreak USA: An Original Musical With Country Music Coming to Houston
When Kitty Wells sang about heartbreak in 1961, her musical heroine was worried about her man straying from home. In Standing Room Only Production Company’s original work Heartbreak USA, the musical heroine, Missy, is worried about her man, Jerry, getting off the couch. “Missy is fed up. She’s been with…
Tristan & Yseult: Nothing Is Off-limits in This Glorious Production at the Alley
This may come as a surprise to some of you, but we theater critics do not love to bash a show. It gives us no pleasure to pan a poor production, no matter how much it deserves it, that fades in view even while we’re watching it. However deserving of…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: A Cinco de Mayo Fiesta with Luchador Thumb Wrestling
For the first two weeks in May, Cloud 10 Creamery, 5216 Morningside, will offer a one-of-kind cloud bar, called the Fudgemallow Delight Cloud Bar. The cloud bar is a collaboration with Fresh Arts, an organization dedicated to supporting Houston’s individual artists and indie groups, in honor of the group’s upcoming…
Tough Times for the Texas Racing Commission With the Texas Legislature
Texas track owners were hoping this would be the year that they rallied the ailing Texas racing industry. After more than a decade of decline they were poised to see some improvement in their situation, but the 84th biennial Texas Legislature has proved even less open to the idea of…
Houston Rappers Have a Message: “Stop Killing Us”
You ever get the feeling you’re watching a re-run when you think something is brand new? That’s how it has felt for the past eight months watching the unrest and uproar from Ferguson to Staten Island to Baltimore. Names change, hashtags change; the sentiment, however, doesn’t. Last summer, mass protests…
Openings & Closings in Houston: BLU Is NOT Closed
A few weeks ago, Eater Houston reported that Blu in Sugar Land was closing and would re-emerge as the second location of Songkran Thai. We noted their post in our weekly Openings & Closings roundup. Chef Junnajet “Jett” Hurapan and Songkran Hospitality, LP co-owner Amy Karnani informed us that Eater…
The 5 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Latin Wave 10, Bill Maher and More
Start your weekend with a Friday visit to the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s “Marilyn Minter: Pretty/Dirty” exhibit. Minter has long challenged our conceptions about physical beauty through her hyperrealistic paintings and photography. featuring more than 25 examples of her work. “She’s been a very strong conceptual political painter. She looks…
NFL Draft 2015: 4 Winners, 4 Losers
As NFL Draft first rounds go, last night’s was fine. No remarkable plummets for any quarterbacks, no really hideous suits (other than Cam Erving’s tux, which looked like he’d just got done ripping tickets at a movie theater), and no remarkable significant others to wrest the title for Best WAG…
H-Town’s 10 Best H-Bars
Houston was given the popular nickname H-Town some time ago, and the name has resonated within our city and beyond; the term seems to have originated in Houston’s hip-hop and rap community, from what we can nail down. An R&B group known as H-Town that formed in 1991 is from…
The Who Reign O’er Houston
The Who, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Toyota Center April 29, 2015 A generation or two removed from The Who’s heyday, I came around to them late. It took watching a bunch of Austin bands playing Who songs one night in a small, crowded bar about 15 years ago for…
The 10 Best Concerts in Houston This Weekend: Sir Elton John, Madness on Main Street, etc.
Sir Elton John Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, May 1 Sir Elton John’s list of accomplishments is as big as his wardrobe, so we’ll spare you the introductions. The 68-year-old superstar is coming off another run of “Million Dollar Piano” shows at The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas (where…
The 2015 Kinder Houston Area Survey Is Here!
A slight majority of people in the greater Houston area feel abortion is morally wrong but oppose laws restricting a woman’s reproductive rights; believe gays should be able to get married; favor improved public transportation over building more highways; and believe increased immigration strengthens, rather than weakens, the country. That’s…
Lawmakers Hear Payday Loan Bill Testimony
State House committee members heard testimony Wednesday regarding a group of bills that would modify payday and auto-title loans. The bills would set limits on how many times lenders can refinance loans, and would require that 25 percent of each payment installment go toward the principal. Advocacy groups like Texas…
Scott Weiland Is Still Capital-T Trouble
Scott Weiland & the Wildabouts Warehouse Live April 29, 2015 When Stone Temple Pilots first took over the alt-rock airwaves — and MTV Unplugged — in the ’90s, it was apparent that front man Scott Weiland was trouble with a capital T. Not that trouble was a bad thing, at…
Houston Now a Regular Destination for Top U.S. Wine Educators
Roughly 30 of Houston’s leading wine professionals, together with a collector or two and a local wine writer, crammed into one of the private dining rooms at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse on Tuesday morning for a highly anticipated seminar on Napa Valley wines by Guild of Sommeliers Education Director and Master…
2015 NFL Draft Preview (Through The Lens Of Prop Bets)
The NFL Draft begins tonight. This first night of the draft is truly the only night in the NFL where being utterly terrible the year before has any redeeming quality. This time last year the Texans were ready to be the belle of the ball, sitting on the number one…
A Voice Daily Deal on BrewFest Tickets Has Arrived
Now on sale through May 5, is a Voice Daily Deal for BrewFest Tickets (GA and VIP) that will run though Tuesday, May 5. General admission tickets are on sale for $20 (a $45 value) and VIP tickets for $39 (a $70 value). Both kinds of tickets will include a…
HGO Hosts Its Second Mariachi Opera — The Past is Never Finished
In 2010 Houston Grand Opera scored a major hit with its (and the world’s) first mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna/To Cross the Face of the Moon which they successfully traveled across the country and to Paris, France to tell the story of Mexican immigrants to the United…
The 10 Best Houston Conspiracy Theories
Back in the olden days people used to make sense of the scariest parts of the world by inventing monsters and then inventing even more improbable ways of defeating them or avoiding them. The 21st century has turned vampires and werewolves into teen heartthrobs, so instead we now trade stories…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Danny Trace of Brennan’s of Houston
Moving from one dining market to another can make you question what you thought you knew. As we learned yesterday, despite the years he spent at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, chef Danny Trace received some unexpected demands from diners when Brennan’s of Houston reopened after the fire. Houstonians have…
Podcast: Avengers 2 Is Better Than Avengers 1
Avengers: Age of Ultron director and screenwriter Joss Whedon wants to give us everything in his movie, and that he fits it all in is its own kind of feat, writes LA Weekly film critic Amy Nicholson in her review of the film, which opens May 1. Joining her on…
Grateful Dead Drummer Gives Readers the Straight Deal
Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead By Bill Kreutzmann with Benjy Eisen St. Martin’s Press, 400 pp., $27.99. The latest in a slate of books about the Grateful Dead out just in time for the band’s 50th anniversary and farewell shows this summer…
My Kid’s Teacher Dresses Slutty. 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! I’M NEVER GOING TO MARRY MY LAZY GIRLFRIEND Dear Willie D: I’ve been living with my…
The Mystery of Brand New’s Missing Lyric Booklets
When Long Island quartet Brand New hit the scene in 2000, no one could have predicted the mystery that would someday surround them. Now, 15 years after their formation, fans and critics alike are beginning to unearth the meaning behind a string of easter eggs the band seems to have…
Ranking (All) the Marvel Comics Movies
Avengers: Age of Ultron opens this Friday. It’s the penultimate film of the so-called Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the last will be Ant-Man, coming later this summer). When all is said and done, there will be 22 movies in the MCU. Now as you may know, Marvel…
The 10 Best Rockets-Mavs Rapper Tweets
Rocks Off has peeked at tweets by Houston’s best rappers during the last several Houston Texans football seasons. But, like most local sports fans these days, the city’s rappers are also Houston Rockets fans. With Clutch Redux on the verge of its first first-round playoff series win in years, coming…
Former Department of Defense Worker Pleads Guilty to Having Sex With a Minor
A Department of Defense employee has pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year-girl while working in Honduras, and faces up to 30 years in federal prison. Mark Curry McGrath, 55, was the civilian director of the Network Enterprise Center at the Soto Cano Air Base in Comayagua, Honduras, from…
Spend the Fourth of July With Garth Brooks In Houston
Just in case you missed it around the social-media water cooler earlier this morning, this July 4 in Houston promises to be bigger and more “God Bless the U.S.A.” than usual. The media machine behind #GarthBrooks finally announced when the recently reactivated country superstar will visit perform in Houston, his…
Houston Texans Rumored To Be Shopping Safety D.J. Swearinger
This time last year, everyone around the Houston Texans was still getting used to each other, feeling each other out (metaphorically). Rick Smith was learning how to work with Bill O’Brien, Bill O’Brien was weeks removed from assembling a new staff, and fans had no idea what O’Brien was all…
Roger Goodell Announces NFL Will Forego Its Tax Exempt Status
When you’re under a public relations siege, largely due to your own failings as a leader and a disciplinarian, making the noise go away has a price point. What is the number that makes it worth it for at least some of the public scrutiny to subside? Of course, the…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Danny Trace of Brennan’s of Houston
Chef Danny Trace didn’t initially see Houston at its best. It was not long after Hurricane Ike had devastated the area in and around Houston. The storm sparked a fire that destroyed the original Brennan’s Of Houston building and seriously burned employee James Koonce and his daughter. Trace also was…
100 Favorite Dishes 2015: No. 99, Chili-Cheese Coneys at JCI Grill
Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It’s a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It’s a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern…
HISD Has Second Thoughts About Opt-Out Kids and Summer School
Houston ISD Monday dispatched a second letter to parents in which it kind of took back the threat that students who didn’t take the STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) test had better plan on summer school this year. Notably absent from this letter signed by Daniel Gohl,…
Fifth Circuit Hears Texas Voter ID Arguments
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals finally waded into the Texas voter ID law case on Tuesday, and based on how things went, it’s almost impossible to guess how the Fifth will rule. Texas has one of the strictest voter ID laws in the country. The law, Senate Bill…
Try These Five Seriously Meaty Dishes in Houston
From a caveman worthy beef rib to a pizza with 5 kinds of carne, these seriously meaty dishes are sure to put you into the most blissful of meat comas: See also: Try These 5 Seriously Outrageous Pork Dishes Try These 5 Seriously Awesome Sliders Try These 5 Outrageously Awesome…
J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy Makes a Successful Leap to the Small Screen
Author J.K. Rowling’s rags-to-riches biography is arguably better known than her most famous creation, Harry Potter. As the oft-repeated origin story goes, Rowling was a single mother making ends meet, aided by government assistance while she was scribbling the first installment of her phenomenally successful fantasy series in a café…
Blackberry Smoke Is Reinvigorating Southern Rock
It’s the kind of press coverage that any band would openly salivate for: cover stories, lengthy features, worshipful album and concert reviews, and breaking news on musical activities. However, in order to read said coverage, U.S. fans of Blackberry Smoke will have to pay in pounds. That’s the Queen’s pounds,…
T.H.E.M.’s Nonpareil Is a Houston Rap Friday
This past Sunday, the film Friday celebrated its 20th anniversary. It’s a comedy in the way that life is sometimes a comedy. There are funny moments, characters who have achieved cult stardom, quotes that have parlayed themselves into everyday life and an intense desire for the franchise to return to…
Canada…Land of Many, Many Rock Stars
The History of Canadian Rock ‘n’ Roll By Bob Mersereau Backbeat Books, 288 pp., $24.99. Any book that attempts to offer bite-size career capsules of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, the Guess Who, Triumph, Loverboy, Bryan Adams, K.D. Lang, Alanis Morissette, Rush, Leonard Cohen, Ian & Sylvia, April Wine, Celine Dion,…
God Bless Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Pete Townshend doesn’t pick his openers lightly. To be fair, he probably doesn’t pick his openers at all, but the last time The Who passed through Houston Chrissie Hynde’s Pretenders had the honors. So at the very least, it’s an educated guess that someone in The Who’s camp might have…
Family of Man Electrocuted in Hilton Hotel Pool Reaches Settlement
Almost two years after Raul Hernandez died from electric shock received while pulling his little brother out of a malfunctioning Hilton hotel pool, his family has reached a financial settlement with the hotel operators of Hilton Westchase. On August 31, 2013, 27-year-old Raul Hernandez and his girlfriend, Lorena Mendoza, and…
J.J. Watt Tweets Letter to Get Fan Excused From Work
Of all the athlete-driven charity events in town, one of the most successful and certainly the most fun is J.J. Watt’s charity softball game at Constellation Field in Sugar Land. In the two years that the event has existed, Watt has raised more than $700,000 for his foundation, which is…
Time Sensitive: Dinnertime Is the Only Good Time at Weights + Measures
Weights + Measures sports a flavor bomb of a pizza. It’s an imaginative rendition that’s topped with carrots, of all things. The crust is simply perfect — thin and blistered on the edges with just the right amount of char. Thin rounds of carrots lend sweetness, an oniony sauce adds…
5 Ridiculous Things Texans Have Said About Gay Marriage
On Tuesday the U.S. Supreme Court is finally hearing arguments on the issue of gay marriage in the United States. The subject has already come up plenty around Texas and various politicians and public figures have put in their thoughts on the matter. This being the Lone Star State of…
Pablo Bronstein Has Fun Opening Up a World of Deceit, Corruption, Beauty and Fantasy
Who could have foreseen it? A young Buenos Aires-born, London-based artist who does pseudo-18th-century architectural drawings of fantasy ceramics factories, set amid faux-mechanical renderings of early manufacturing equipment, interspersed with real (though equally fantastic) teapots, storming the ramparts of our bastion of serious art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston…
MVP or Not, James Harden Has Upped His Game in Every Direction
It was October 27, 2012, and the Houston Rockets were days away from beginning another season in basketball purgatory. Coming off three straight seasons of being the best lottery team in basketball, the NBA equivalent of winning a dunk contest made up entirely of middle-aged white guys, the team had…
Reviewing Herman Marshall Whiskey’s Bourbon, Rye & Single Malt
When I first heard of Herman Marshall whiskey, I assumed, as with so many of the American whiskeys and bourbons I’ve tried and seen, that it was named after an ancient founder of the company, a master distiller from generations past, or a similar historical figure– a name meant to…
“When You See a Blue Dog Painting, It Really Makes You Happy” – Don Sanders
The art of the late George Rodrigue, famous for his Blue Dog paintings, is arranged chronologically in the satellite gallery at West Ave., allowing the viewer to follow the artist’s path from dark Louisiana landscapes, to portraits and scenes from Cajun life, to the illustration of a ghost story with…
Upcoming: Charlie Daniels Band, Deadhorse, KMFDM, The Rentals, Social Distortion, etc.
Aenimus: With WRVTH, An Oath Of Misdirection, Cloudshift, Deflorator, Virulent. Tue., May 19, 6:30 p.m., $10. Walters Downtown, 1120 Naylor, Houston, 713-222-2679. Al Staehely: Tue., May 19, 7 p.m., $20 to $22. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk, Houston, 713-528-5999. Albert Lee & Cindy Cashdollar: Sat., July 18, 8:30 p.m., $58…
This Week in Houston Food Blogs: How to Open Wine Without Looking Like a Tool
Sommeliers make it look easy, but most of us aren’t trained in how to properly open a bottle of wine. This week, the Where’s My Gravy blog gives us on overview on several types of corkscrews and some instructions on how to not look like a total wine newb in…
U.S. Copyright Office to Explore Making Some Video Games Public Domain
The U.S. Copyright Office is looking into an exemption that may for the first time make some video games exempt from copyright infringements. Among a long list of new proposed rules regarding electronics, there’s one section in particular that has old-school video game fans really excited. Proposed Class 23 would…
With an Illegal Buzzer in Hand, Roman Chapa Made Horse-Racing History in the Worst Way
None of this would have happened if the Sam Houston Race Park track photographer hadn’t been shooting from the inside rail. The $50,000 Richard King Turf Stakes on January 17, 2015, was the ninth race of the night, the seventh that jockey Roman Chapa had competed in since the start…
Jimbo Mathus Sticks With Southern Gothic on Blue Healer
North Mississippi native Jimbo Mathus is the definition of modern, Southern Gothic homo sapiens. Raised in that hard hill country, since returning home after a stint in the Raleigh Triangle area as head axe-slayer for Squirrel Nut Zippers Mathus has issued an astonishing body of work, working with guys like…
Illegal Wiretaps’ Underdosed EP Is Their Most Mature Yet
The Illegal Wiretaps are probably my overall favorite band in Houston for several reasons. The fact that they produce a mind-boggling amount of music is part of it. I’ve lost count, but Underdosed is something like their 84th release, and while they’re known for their shorter works it’s still an…
Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett Make Beautiful Music Together
A calculated move on paper, the cross-generational pop stars easily charmed two quite different fan bases Friday night.
Chron Kills Inmate. Twice.
For those of you who read the Houston Chronicle in print, you likely awoke to this headline across the front page of the city/state section this morning: “Garcia Urged to step down over death of inmate: Quanell X says sheriff hasn’t faced discipline since mentally ill man died.” The article…
USW Accuses LyondellBasell of Refusing to Negotiate
Anyone who thought the United Steelworkers oil refinery strike was over has another thing coming. Even though the national USW strike technically ended for most of the more than 6,000 striking union workers about a month ago, the local members of USW Distrct 13-227, the union at LyondellBasell’s Pasadena refinery,…
Game Of Thrones S05E03: “It’s Her Name I Need, Not Her Virtue.”
It was an episode of unions and potentially unpleasant alliances last night. One wedding completed (and thankfully lacking any pigment-related modifiers) and another one planned, a possible detente at the Wall, and a dwarf kidnapping; beat *that*, Good Wife. We still have our outliers: Arya is hellbent on becoming a…
The Sold-Out Houston Barbecue Festival Shows Off Lamb, Pig and, of Course, Beef
The Third Annual Houston Barbecue Festival at NRG Park yesterday sold out, attracting attendees from all over Texas and even a restaurant owner from France. It was a great opportunity to catch up with several notable pit masters and get updates on their newest ventures, too. More than 20 vendors…
Matt and Kim Throw a Huge House Party at House of Blues
Matt and Kim House of Blues April 25, 2015 When was the last time you went to an awesome party? Like, a party that was actually fun, where all the music was great, everyone around you was having a blast, and you never wanted it to end? Well, if you…
NBA Playoffs 2015: Dallas Is Still Screwed, But Cracks in the Rockets Are Evident
The Houston Rockets are still going to beat the Dallas Mavericks in this opening-round NBA Playoff series, let’s get that out of the way right now. They’ll probably do it at home on Tuesday night, and they’ll probably do it fairly resoundingly, perhaps just as resoundingly as the Mavericks thrashed…
100 Favorite Dishes 2015: No. 100, Corned Beef Hash and Eggs at House of Pies
Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It’s a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It’s a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern…
Don’t Call It a Sequel: Attica Locke Revisits Houston in Her Latest Novel, Pleasantville
Attica Locke hasn’t lived in Houston for 20 years, but the city in which she grew up leaps off the pages of her latest novel, Pleasantville. The book is a follow-up to her popular 2009 novel Black Water Rising–a look at the intersection of race, oil money, and politics in…
Don’t Call it a Sequel: Attica Locke Revisits Houston in Her Latest Novel Pleasantville
Attica Locke hasn’t lived in Houston for 20 years, but the city in which she grew up leaps off the pages of her latest novel, Pleasantville. The book is a follow-up to her popular 2009 novel Black Water Rising–a look at the intersection of race, oil money, and politics in…
“Live at the Gateway” Gives Houston Diners a Taste of Five Different Restaurants
If you work around Memorial City or pass by on the way home, stop and check out the “Live At The Gateway” patio parties scheduled between 5:30 and 8 p.m. on May 4 and May 20. It’s a lot more fun than slogging home in rush hour traffic. Gateway Memorial…
Give It Up, Hockey’s Not Returning to Houston
It’s been two years since professional hockey was last played in Houston. The game, played April 28, 2013, was a 3-2 Aeros loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins in game two of the first round of the AHL’s Calder Cup playoffs. The Aeros, not able to come to terms with…
Houston Creatives 2015: J.L. Clark, Young Adult Book Author
J.L. Clark grew up reading mysteries like the Nancy Drew series, but didn’t connect that love of logic with psychiatry until later in her studies. “I went into medical school thinking I would do pediatrics,” she recalled. “But I realized I enjoy piecing the puzzle pieces together in the field…
Dish of the Week: Scratch-Made Hummus
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here. This week, we’re taking a look into hummus. The Arabic word for “chickpeas,” hummus is a spread or dip made of cooked chickpeas mashed…
More Intense Insanity Needed in HGO’s Sweeney Todd
The set-up: Why is Houston Grand Opera’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s distinctively sour Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979) so dull? Where is the righteous fire, the scalding hypocrisy, the intense insanity? What happened to this “musical thriller” that so galvanized Broadway and won every theater award…
6 Ways Living in Houston Will Keep You on Your Toes
Living in Houston is often an adventure of sorts. I think of Houston as constantly changing, and that’s part of what keeps things interesting. There is an odd rhythm to this city. It’s fast paced, but not absurdly so, and there are quite a few things that keep things exciting,…
NFL Draft 2015: Six Questions That Will Impact the Houston Texans’ Draft
We are down to the final three days before the first round of the NFL Draft, and we are just now beginning to drift into the part of the draft calendar where guys begin inexplicably rising up draft boards (Todd Gurley) or plummeting (Vic Beasley’s somehow not being a first…
UPDATED: This Week In Houston Food Events: Dine Out For Life Thursday, Derby Day Saturday
Monday, April 27 Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey Dinner At Prohibition Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey master distiller Dave Pickerell is visiting Houston for a pairings dinner at Prohibition Supperclub & Bar. Resident burlesque troupe The Moonlight Dolls will start the night off with some eye-opening entertainment. Then, Pickerell and Whistle Pig…
Things to Know When Buying Your First Guitar
America loves guitar players, or at least that’s what those of us who play keep telling ourselves, so it seems like buying a guitar is something a lot of people are faced with at some point in their lives. Whether inspiration strikes and a person decides to learn to play,…
PopeNQM’s Weird-Ass Old Montrose Noise
When everyone talks about Houston’s “sound,” the focus is almost exclusively on our contributions to the world of rap. I’m not knocking that or anything. I’m as proud of the Dirty South as I can be, but there are other sounds that seem to fly under the radar. PopeNQM is…
The Five Best Concerts In Houston This Week: Jimbo Mathus, The Who, Scott Weiland, etc.
NEEDTOBREATHE Bayou Music Center, April 28 Without a whole lot of fanfare, South Carolina’s NEEDTOBREATHE is probably the first band since Switchfoot to fully cross over from contemporary Christian music into the mainstream; beyond even that, they’ve become one of the biggest rock groups of the 21st century, period. Since…
Nearly 40 Detention Officers Disciplined in the Case of Man Trapped in Feces-Covered Cell For Weeks
More than six months ago, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia told reporters he was “damn mad” upon learning that a mentally ill inmate at his jail had been confined in a squalid, feces-covered cell for weeks on end. Today, heads rolled at the sheriff’s office. Garcia announced on Friday that…
Wilco Does Wilco for a Long, Long Time
It must be fascinating to watch Wilco rehearse, if only to gain a little insight into how and perhaps why they make the decisions they do. This is a group that can play for well over two hours, as they did Thursday at Bayou Music Center, and leave quite a…
Texas Republicans Are Still Trying to Chip Away at Abortion Rights
Last session, the GOP-dominated Legislature successfully decimated abortion access across the state. We’re still waiting on the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to make a decision on the legal challenge to HB 2, which Wendy Davis famously filibustered before Rick Perry called a second special session to pass the…
UPDATED: Houston Chef David Guerrero Faces Major Brain Surgery Again
Last night, Chef David Guerrero of Andes Cafe sent out a note to several members of the Houston food media community letting them know that his brain tumor that he thought was under control has instead grown in size and he is facing another major surgery. Following the surgery scheduled…
Obama Cracks “Deflate-Gate” Joke on Patriots During White House Visit (w/ VIDEO)
There was a time for the New England Patriots, back during the dawning of this new millennium from the 2001 through 2004 football seasons, when visits to the White House became old hat. My radio cohost Ted Johnson was a starting inside linebacker on those first three Patriots Super Bowl…
Reckless Kelly Is Back in Business
When we last spoke with Reckless Kelly fiddler Cody Braun for a cover story on the band for Texas Music last year, Braun was just getting ready to begin gigging again after a freak medical mishap resulted in five operations and a lengthy recuperation. But the burly Idaho transplant is…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Ex Machina
Title: Ex Machina Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: “C:/DOS, C:/DOS/RUN, RUN/DOS/RUN.” Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Four-and-a-half Marias from Metropolis out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Boy meets robot. Boy impressed. Have deep feelings for Sheriff Bart robot. Tagline: “There is nothing more human than…
Father John Misty Gives Fitz a Religious Experience
Father John Misty Fitzgerald’s April 23, 2015 As liters of sweat dripped from my face while standing on the balcony of Fitzgerald’s on Thursday night, I couldn’t tell whether the overwhelming heat in the room was the result of a broken AC unit or Father John Misty’s sultry, sexy moves…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Hot Dogs, Beer & BBQ
Texas Crawfish & Music Festival @ Preservation Park Friday, gates open at 6 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, gates open at noon Old Town SpringHead to the historic 1900s railroad town of Old Town Spring to celebrate the best of Texas mudbugs and music. The family friendly event, offered over this…
The Astros (and Evan Gattis) Are Out to Redefine the Meaning of the Designated Hitter
The Houston Astros front office is comprised of geniuses, including a former rocket scientist. Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” strategy is all well and good, but what the Astros are doing puts Beane to shame. Take this past offseason when the Astros traded highly touted minor league prospects Rio Ruiz and Mike…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Dine Out for Life
Join Backstreet Cafe, 1103 S. Shepherd, in exploring North Greece with a family-style wine dinner featuring special guest sommelier Evan Turner. Held on both Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m., the dinners will showcase 10 diverse regional wines paired with Greek dishes, including octopus carpaccio, collard…
HISD Threatens Kids Who Opt Out of STAAR Testing With Summer School
Parents of children in the Houston ISD were told by letter Thursday that there will be “negative consequences” (HISD’s emphasis) for any student who doesn’t show for next week’s state of Texas standardized tests for grades 3-8 next week. A letter signed by Daniel Gohl, HISD’s special assistant, academics, says…
The 5 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Sweeney Todd, Voices of the Spirit and More
Start your weekend with a blood bath. Friday is the opening night for the Houston Grand Opera’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. At the center of the action is, of course, Sweeney Todd, a barber with a taste for revenge, and Mrs. Lovett, a shop owner who…
Former Texan Andre Johnson: Move to Indy “A Breath of Fresh Air”
The dissolution of long-term relationships is a complicated thing. They tend to fall into two categories. On the one side, you have the bitter breakup, after which both sides wish the interpersonal equivalent of a plague on the other party’s house. Those vitriolic breakups are raw, but honest. Then on…
Openings & Closings in Houston: Trading Spaces, Restaurant-Style
The big news in this week’s Openings and Closings are the various Montrose restaurants opening, closing and taking each other’s spaces. Eric Sandler of Culturemap Houston reports that Eatsie Boys is closing on May 1 and the news is being received by Houston diners with mixed emotions. The little café,…
What Has Happened to Tyler the Creator?
This month, with a week between the announcement and the release, we were gifted with a surprise new album from Odd Future front man Tyler the Creator, his third in four years. Unfortunately, I wish this gift had come with a receipt. Left to his own devices, given the creative…
Houston’s 10 Best Bars on Main Street
Main Street in Houston has a rich, interesting history and in the last several years lots of new bars have been opening up down there, in addition to some of the city’s more perennial spots. The Madness on Main Street Festival is coming up on next Saturday and will feature…
Houston’s 10 Best Concerts This Weekend: Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, Willow Waterhole, etc.
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, April 24 It’s tempting to write off Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga’s Cheek to Cheek as a cynical ploy by Universal to trot out a few Great American Songbook warhorses one more time in the hopes many of her young Little…
Walters Downtown Must Retire Debt by April 30
Zack Palmer, owner of Walters Downtown, says his club must retire the debt it incurred while his late mother, the club’s longtime proprietess Pamela Robinson, battled melanoma by next Thursday or face foreclosure. Palmer, who took over Walters upon Robinson’s death last October, has started an IndieGoGo page, where he…
A Pair of Unlikely 21st-Century Folk Heroes
Two of the most buzzed-about records so far this year come from very different corners of the pop universe, but share a certain kinship. Both might safely fit under the umbrella of “Americana,” but only at the outer extremes, with Bob Dylan likely their only common real ancestor. The first…
Dallas Cowboy Greg Hardy Suspended 10 Games for Domestic Violence Incident
Wow, it was a rough Wednesday for the city of Dallas. Of course, there was the 24 hour period where the Rockets shoved the Mavericks to within a half step of falling into the NBA playoff canyon, and then the team essentially fired its point guard (for whom they traded…
Houston Learned Nothing From Last Month’s Hozier Concert
Hozier Bayou Music Center April 22, 2015 About a month ago, Hozier graced Houston with his presence at Warehouse Live, a show that sold out in a very short amount of time. Wednesday night’s concert at Bayou Music Center allowed people another quick opportunity to catch the budding singer-songwriter during…
Fight Club at HCC: More Allegations Spill Out in College’s Lawsuit Against Former General Counsel
If you believe Renee Byas, the Houston Community College Board of Trustees had devolved into a den of iniquity during her tenure at the school. In court filings made this week in the drawn-out legal fight between Byas, the former general counsel fired by HCC last summer, and the multi-million…
The Spiritualist: Based on a Real-Life Case of a Woman Channeling the Great Composers
In The Spiritualist, main character Rosemary Dunn is an English widow who claims that famous composers of the past – among them Lizst, Debussy, Chopin and Bach – were channeling their new compositions through her. She writes them down and performs their creations from beyond the grave. “It’s actually based…
The 10 Most Heroic Dogs in Houston
Mankind’s partnership with the dog goes back further than our written history. It has been us and the pooches against the world for a very, very long time. This week we’re going to celebrate some of the great deeds done by our four-legged friends here in Houston. Boomer and Tommy…
Rajon Rondo Is Done for the Playoffs With an “Injured Back”
Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t make. Along the multiyear journey of building the 2014-15 Houston Rockets, general manager Daryl Morey has learned and relearned this lesson a handful of times. Ultimately, after an offseason in which they swung and missed on numerous free agents, perhaps this…
5 Video Games Censored For Being Too Christian
You can’t turn on the news these days without listening to someone with a pizza place or a tire store or something beating their breast about how Christians are being driven from America. They are under attack! For the most part the rest of us just roll our eyes and…
Authorities File Charges in Alleged 2012 Honor Killings
Nesreen Irsan told federal authorities she was a prisoner in her Montgomery County home, under the strict control of her devout Muslim father, Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan. In June 2011, while Irsan was away visiting his native Jordan, Nesreen’s mother and sister discovered voicemails, emails and text messages between Nesreen and…
The Music Man Coming to Bayou City Straight From River City
In 1958 it won five tony Awards, beating out West Side Story for Best Musical in the process. It’s The Music Man, the story of con man Harold Hill and his effect on the people of River City, Iowa and their effect on him. Theatre Under the Stars is doing…
Bill Maher Does a One-Night Stand in Houston
Political comedy fans rejoice. Veteran stand-up Bill Maher will be visiting Houston for a one-night affair at the Bayou Music Center on Sunday, May 3. The critically acclaimed but polarizing satirist is known to most for his work as host of the 11-time Emmy nominated Real Time with Bill Maher,…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Jody Stevens of Jodycakes
Baker Jody Stevens went through several phases in her life before coming to Houston to establish her business, Jodycakes. In Part 1 we learned she went from college to serving in the Air Force during Operation Desert Storm, to Houston for a career in finance that spanned a decade, to…
Desert Island Discs: Craig Wilkins of the Wheel Workers
From time to time, we ask local musicians for their Top 5 absolute desert-island discs, the records that made them the musicians they are today. This week: Craig Wilkins, the brilliant guitarist and synth-master general for The Wheel Workers. NINE INCH NAILS, The Downward Spiral Probably my favorite album from…
Capsule Art Reviews: April 23, 2015
“AT the Core of the Algorithm” Upon entering Hiram Butler Gallery to see Michael Petry’s “AT the Core of the Algorithm” installation, one might quickly decide that everything could be seen within five seconds. However, if a visitor looks beyond the simple beauty of hanging glass globes, the piece becomes…
Little Boy Shows How Far Films of Faith Have Fallen
Did you know that there’s a new family-audience feature film that implies God nuked Japan because one plucky American moppet dared to dream? That’s no exaggeration. In the summer of 1945, the kid stands on a California dock, points his fingers magician-style out at the Pacific horizon and screams a…
I’m Cheating On an Older Woman. 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! I’M UNFAITHFUL TO MY OLDER WOMAN Dear Willie D: I’m with a real good woman who…
“Thedra Cullar-Ledford: Drawing the Eye to Nothingness”
Technically, “Thedra Cullar-Ledford: Drawing the Eye to Nothingness” is an art exhibit. Actually, it’s more of a visual intervention-slash-street brawl-slash-party. With a mammogram truck and nipple cupcakes thrown in for good measure. In just 12 short months, Cullar-Ledford (the street brawler) found out she had breast cancer and had her…
Voices of the Spirit 5
Get ready to be moved when Houston Arts Alliance offers up Voices of the Spirit 5 this weekend. The annual concert, which focuses on the faith music of four very different cultures, was originally conceived as a component of HAA’s Sacred Songs, Sacred Sites. “That program, which was originally done…
Welcome to the Neighborhood: New Asiatown
Explore one of Houston’s most vibrant and colorful neighborhoods on Discover Houston’s Welcome to the Neighborhood: New Asiatown tour. Sandra Lord, Discover Houston’s owner and lead tour guide, will walk-and-talk you through the area with stops at the Teo Chew Temple, the Hong Kong City Mall, the Hong Kong Food…
The Cherry Orchard
If you’ve always thought of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard as a tragedy, not the “comedy in four acts” its playwright intended, you can blame the Brits, says Classical Theatre Company’s executive artistic director, John Johnston, whose company is producing the play. “Our filter for Chekhov is largely British,” he…
“John Biggers: MAAME”
Redbud Gallery’s latest coup is “John Biggers: MAAME,” the first commercial exhibition in Houston of work by the muralist in more than 30 years. “I was able to pull together 34 pieces for the show,” gallery owner Gus Kopriva says. “Houston is a treasure trove. He lived here half a…
“Amazing Universe: The Science of Ripley’s Believe It or Not®”
How do you measure up against Robert Wadlow, the world’s tallest man? Have you ever seen a model replica of the International Space Station made entirely out of matchsticks? Or a portrait of Albert Einstein made of toast? How about the world’s smallest production automobile? You’ll see all this and…
Bill Hicks: Relentless
Legendary Houston stand-up comedian the late Bill Hicks gets some time on the big screen when his 1992 concert film Relentless gets a one-night stand at theaters. Shot before a crowd of hundreds at the Dominion Theatre, Relentless finds the antiestablishment funny man in fine form. Hicks jokes about a…
Ex Machina Is a Smart Film About the Shrinking Divide Between Man and Bot
Ex Machina is an egghead thriller with a scary selling point: Unlike Liam Neeson shooting up half of Boston, this actually could be taking place right now. It’s a smart film about the shrinking divide between man and robot. It’s also a hoot, an anti-comedy where all the jokes double…
Roar Is an Odd and Near-Deadly Mad Anti-Masterpiece
A normal movie ends with the American Humane Association’s assurance that “No animals were harmed.” But Tippi Hedren’s doomed 1981 obsession Roar isn’t normal. The AHA’s seal is the first thing on screen — yet, if the authorities had a safety code for humans, Roar would fail. This odd, slight…
Capsule Stage Reviews: April 23, 2015
The Cherry Orchard Recently Houston’s theater scene has been blessed with some very fine Chekhov knockoffs: last season’s superlative rendition of Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Alley; and, recently, a regional premiere, also superlatively produced, of Aaron Posner’s stupid f*****g bird from Stages Rep…
The Best Biography of Lynyrd Skynyrd to Date
Whiskey Bottles and Brand New Cars: The Fast Life and Sudden Death of Lynyrd Skynyrd By Mark Ribowsky Chicago Review Press, 288 pp., $27.95 Of all the major American classic-rock bands, is there any more steeped in legend, lore and a perfect fit for a Shakespearean story than the ragtag…
