Comment of the Day
Today Christine Ha posted five tips for urban gardening in this SDF:&*(&)#$)(*&$ heat. While Ha’s garden for this year is already a goner, commenter Corey is in good shape: Adding a half cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide to your 2 gallons of water will not only kill off any soil…
Ed Wade’s GM Schizophrenia and the Wandy Rodriguez Conundrum
Last winter, Astros General Manager Ed Wade avoided arbitration with lefthanded pitcher Wandy Rodriguez by signing him to a three-year deal worth $34 million, with a crazy fourth-year vesting option for another $11.5 million that would kick in if (among other things) he were moved to another ball club. It…
Hey, Teacher: Our Favorite Teachers in the Movies
With all the kids going back to school this week and college classes starting soon, it’s easy to forget those fine folks that will be lording over them all year, the teachers. It’s a thankless job, the pay is awful (right, Rick Perry?) and at times it can get very…
Art League Houston to Celebrate Texas Artist of the Year Mary McCleary with Collage Exhibit
Art League Houston will celebrate its 2011 selection for Texas Artist of the Year, Mary McCleary, with an exhibit that will span 15 years of the artist’s career and encompass 26 collages next month. In a release, ALH director Vanessa Wodehouse said McCleary “is long-deserving of this title. Her work…
Yolanda Salazar Perez: That’s No Church, That’s an Immigration Scam, AG Says
The state Attorney General has gotten a temporary restraining order against a Houston woman who they say is running a phony church as part of an immigration scam. Yolanda Salazar Perez runs the New Anointing/Nueva Uncion and New Anointing Biblical Institute, and the AG’s office says she told prospective customers…
Eminem’s $3 Million Shows & Other Eye-Popping Performance Fees
Every day, Rocks Off is reminded that we should have taken rapping a bit more seriously in our younger days. Today’s friendly reminder comes in the way of a report saying that Eminem cashed a $3 million check for two nights of work at the UK’s V Fest. Em’s scenario…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 31, Tacos de Cabeza y Orejas at El Ultimo
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
William Bass: Lufkin Man Accused of Molesting Teen After Forcing Him to Watch Him Masturbate to Porn
Lufkin police have arrested a 55-year-old man who they say sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy after forcing him to watch porn. The boy told his mother about the assault on August 15. Police say the boy and his family are friends with suspect William Bass, and, remarkably, that the boy’s…
The Drought War of 2011: 5 Tips for the Urban Garden
Every day so far in August, we’ve watched the mercury climb over 100 degrees. Combined with the lack of rain, this summer has been brutal not only to us but also to our botanicals. My husband and I had planted our first urban garden this spring with the hopes of…
Cinema Slap Fight: James Bond Vs. James Bond…Times Three
In which I destroy any remaining goodwill people harbor towards me. The character of James Bond has been around, in movie format, for almost 50 years. Commander Bond, agent 007 of MI6, made his film debut in 1962’s Dr. No and has been, minus a six-year hiatus (1989-1995), a steady…
BestFest Adds Hayes Carll, Carolyn Wonderland, Slim Thug & Against Me!
Who loves you, Houston? Rocks Off does, silly. We are proud to welcome these four artists to BestFest, September 24 and 25 at the Midtown superblock: Woodlands boy turned alt-country golden child Hayes Carll; native Houstonian blues belter Carolyn Wonderland; boss of all bosses/human tweet Slim Thug; and Tallahassee-bred vein-bulging…
Is Ryan Sumstad a Con Man, a Killer or Both?
In June, four months after Christie Sumstad of Spring was found dead in her home, Montgomery County authorities charged her husband Ryan with murder. Unable to post bond, Sumstad has been sitting in jail; prosecutors have not yet presented the case to a grand jury. Sumstad’s sister Jill, who was…
Lebanese and a Lesson at Droubi’s
My family has been going to Droubi’s for as long as we’ve been in Houston. It was one of the first restaurants my dad visited when scouting properties ahead of our move from South Bend, Indiana. As I’m sure you can guess, it seemed quite exotic to him at the…
Back to School: 10 of the Country’s Prettiest College Campuses
Kenyon College Chapel About a week ago, we posted pictures of ten of the country’s ugliest college campuses. The post was rather popular and garnered a slew of comments (pretty much all about our number one pick — “Anything SUNY. Sorry, SUNY). Encouraged by the response, and recognizing that frosh…
Montrose Thief Grabs Bag of Sex Toys; Owner Really Wants Them Back
Dan Fergus spotted this poster today and uploaded his picture of it to Facebook. We have a number of questions for the creator of the poster, to wit: You really want to get these things back from wherever they’ve been since they’ve been gone? What do you mean, “in good…
R.L. Bell: Smooth Karaoke Crooner Seeks Reality-TV Score
R.L. Bell can’t tell us how far he gets in the upcoming episode of Karaoke Battle USA, but he does say that he’s “feeling great, wonderful,” after his performance of “Three Times a Lady” before the judges’ panel on the ABC reality-competition series. Bell is one of a slew of…
Metropole Center: Three Favorites in One
Metropole Center, on Bellaire Boulevard between Corporate and Ranchester, is one of the oldest strip malls in Chinatown. It’s also home to Yummy Kitchen, the subject of this week’s cafe review, along with a few old and new favorites, namely Six Ping Bakery and Mala Sichuan Cuisine. The trio makes…
Top Chef: Just Desserts Starts Tonight, with Two Houston Contestants
The second season of Top Chef: Just Desserts begins tonight on Bravo at 9 p.m. And unlike the first season, Houston has a dog in the fight. Two, to be precise: pastry chefs Rebecca Masson and Vanarin Kuch. Both Masson and Kuch bring impressive pedigrees to the show. Masson attended…
Spring Wedding Singer R.L. Bell to Appear on ABC’s Karaoke Battle USA Friday Night
R.L. Bell can’t tell us how far he gets in the upcoming episode of Karaoke Battle USA, but he does say that he’s “feeling great, wonderful” after his performance of “Three Times a Lady” before the judges’ panel on the ABC reality-competition series. Bell is one of a slew of…
Red-Light Cameras Are Off, For Good
In Houston’s on-again, off-again relationship with red-light cameras, city council finally decided today to break ties. This morning, they repealed an ordinance allowing the cameras to operate. As a result, the cameras were shut off as of 12:01 p.m. today. The decision was unanimous except for councilmember Sue Lovell, who…
Ten Rock Documentaries To Look Forward To This Year
It’s no secret that Rocks Off loves musical documentaries. We buy as many as we can from Amazon while we are supposed to be working, and it’s rare for us to fall asleep at night without one rolling on our TV at home. The last one we really got into…
Tasting Notes: This Week in Wine Blogs
Know a Houston-based blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Another Wine Blog: We don’t know about you, but we cannot resist a wine blog that quotes from 20th-century feminist icon Gloria Steinem (right, photo via Allyn Scura). Recently returned from…
Fashionable Film: 5 Movies We Love Just for the Clothes
There are some films that, while not “about” fashion, are made all the more interesting by the clothes the characters wear. In movies, the clothes certainly make the man — or woman — more authentic. The right clothes on the right character enhance the way an actor disappears into his…
The Best and The Worst: Frenchy’s Chicken
Chain restaurants: How we love to hate them, but no one can deny that chain restaurants can sometimes offer just what we’re looking for — convenient and recognizable foods that even the fussiest eater will agree with. Most would think that a chain restaurant would also offer consistency, but that…
Jealous Creatures Hit The Punchy Rock Sweet Spot
There’s this man we know whom we call K.O. He is a smart man with an uncommon knowledge of early punk (and just rock music in general), and obscure radio stations you can only pick up at certain times of the day in certain areas of town (as well as…
Joe Chavez: TABC Agent Gets 20 Years For Raping Girl He Used in Underage-Drinking Sting
Usually when you’re accused of having sex with an underage teen, you play the “I swear I thought she was 18” card. That’s a little difficult to do when you’re an agent of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and you’re using a girl as part of an underage-drinking sting. Since…
FotoFest Looks to Russia for Emerging Photographers
FotoFest, the largest and longest-running photography festival in the United States, will look to Russia for inspiration in its 2012 Biennial, which will operate under the theme “Contemporary Russian Photography.” The festival, which is based in Houston, will showcase Russian photographers from the 1950s to the present. Well before then,…
Houston Cougars to Battle BYU Cougars in Battle of Cougar Town
Prepare for Houston to become Cougar Town.The Houston Cougars announced yesterday that they’ll be playing a home-and-home series with the BYU Cougars starting in 2013. The first game will be in Houston on October 19, 2013, and UH will travel to Provo, Utah, on September 27, 2014. So of course…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Kim Ly of Café Shoppe
EaDo’s newest Vietnamese spot, Café Shoppe, opened on August 1. It’s just as bright and cheery as its owner and chef Kim Ly. With colorful walls and a ’70s soundtrack, Ly’s adorable restaurant is like a banh mi boutique. EOW: Tell me how you got into the restaurant business. KL:…
Dig This: Cog Melter, New York City Queens, Crime Wave, Via Cavour & The Rebecca West
The current volume of local music is staggering. New Houston bands are born daily, and all too often pass away just as quickly. Rocks Off wants to help you (and ourselves) keep up. Here’s how this works: With all the time we spend plowing through the Internet, scouring record crates…
Ingredient of the Week: Beer
We recently attempted our first homebrew, which gave us more than 40 bottles of pale ale, all taking up space in our garage fridge. We can only drink so much of the same beer, so what to do with the rest? Cook with it, of course. What is it? Made…
Comment of the Day: Don’t Mess With…Romance-Novel Fans
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Most Eligible Dallas Has Nothing on Houston
Houston is a transient city. Every day it becomes increasingly difficult to find a Houstonian from Houston. According to the Greater Houston Partnership, net migration accounts for 49 percent of Houston’s population growth since 2000. Yet with all of this diversity and constant movement, there is one thing that Houston…
Texan Couple on Real Housewives of New Jersey on Bond for Arson
Shortly after their big debut on the Real Housewives of New Jersey, it has come to light that John Madison Holmes and his wife Jodi Sue might not get to enjoy whatever fruits their measure of fame might bring them. As of today, “Matt” Holmes, 39, and his 36-year-old wife…
Five People Whose Musical Taste Got Them Beaten Up
Here at Rocks Off, we’ve been keeping an eye on the calendar in order to celebrate some of the more obscure holidays that you might not be familiar with. The United Nations is indispensible in this cause, because it seems like the UN will make damn near anything a holiday…
Nine Texas Flag Bikinis and How They Get It Wrong
For Flag Day, we presented you with U.S. flag bikinis and the specific parts of the Flag Code they violate. Then we gave you 10 Confederate flag bikinis and the subtle political arguments they made. Today it’s Texas flag bikinis, and how people just get them wrong. 9. Under a…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Cheap Eats in Houston: Whether you’re interested in learning more about wine,…
How 9/11 Would Have Been Very Different With Ten Modern Technologies
Since September 11, 2001, technology has rapidly evolved, but perhaps not in the ways that we might have expected. It’s no surprise that security systems and methods of terrorist detection ramped up and with good reason. But much of the technology growth over the last ten years — particularly on…
East Coast Earthquake: Our 10 Favorite Tweets
Do I even need to go into how there was an earthquake on the East Coast today? So, there was an earthquake on the East Coast today — a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, to be precise, and now that everyone’s an expert on everything since Twitter got started, we went to…
Comment of the Day
Yesterday, Katharine Shilcutt named No. 33 on her list of 100 favorite dishes in Houston, The Montrose at Amy’s Ice Cream. Commenter Gil Valasquez, for one, agreed with the choice: Thank god someone else likes this one. I was worried about this when I ordered it, as it looked wholly…
Charles Dyer: Fugitive Alleged Child Rapist Seen Locally, FBI Ramping Up Search
The FBI says it has several credible sightings of fugitive Charles Dyer in the area, and they are ramping up the search and offering a $5,000 reward for tips leading to his arrest. “We do suspect there are people in the area who have information on his whereabouts, and we’re…
Attention Artists: Hunting PLC Announces Call For 2012 Art Prize of $50,000
North America’s most generous prize for drawing and painting, the $50,000 Hunting Art Prize, is now accepting submissions for its 2012 competition. The contest, which is going into its 32nd year, is open to Texas residents 18 years or older. To apply, artists must submit a single, two-dimensional painting or…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 32, Lobster Bisque at Philippe
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Four More BestFest Acts Revealed Tomorrow
We’re not kidding around with this BestFest stuff, y’all. Tomorrow afternoon Rocks Off will announce a whopping four new additions to the lineup for our first-ever Houston Press Best of Houston® BestFest, September 24 and 25 at the Midtown superblock near the McGowen rail stop. That’s all we’re going to…
Harris County Courthouse Restored to Its 1910 Beauty
Be sure to check out our slideshow of the newly re-opened courthouse. You may have missed Harris County’s 1910 courthouse the past couple of years. The building, off Fannin and Preston downtown, has been shrouded by fencing and dwarfed by neighboring more modern court buildings since 2008, when it closed…
1910 Courthouse Restored to Classical Revival, Beaux-Arts Beauty
Check out our slideshow to see pics of the newly reopened courthouse. You may have missed Harris County’s 1910 courthouse the past couple of years. The building, off Fannin and Preston downtown, has been shrouded by fencing and dwarfed by neighboring more modern court buildings since 2008, when it closed…
The Ten (Or So) Most Vital Screw Tapes Of All Time
Monday, at the Screwed Up Records & Tapes shop (7717 Cullen Blvd.), from at least 5:20 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. (and likely beyond), the magnanimous Southside, a man who has worked the window there for the past decade or so, sat quiet as a plum. He was reading a Bible,…
Ike Jime or Bust: One Texan’s Battle with Gulf Sushi
“When you can get sushi in Victoria, you know the market has changed,” laughs Jim Naismith over the phone. Naismith lives and works in Corpus Christi, where a strong Gulf breeze has kept the town cooler than much of the heat-wilted state this summer. It’s the Gulf that Naismith lives…
Hurricane Irene: Tips from the Last U.S. City to Get Hit (Includes Hurricane Bingo Game!)
Hurricane Irene, if some computer models are to be believed, is headed as a major storm into the New York/New England area. They’re not real used to hurricanes up there, but here in Houston we deal with tropical-storm fever all the time. Here are some tips and guides. First, as…
Natalie Johnson and Jordan Lane: Sex With Teens Lands Two More East Texas Women in Hot Water
What is going on with these rapacious Texas women and their alleged attractions to teenage boys? Two more — one in Southeast Texas and the other in the northeastern corner of the state — are facing serious charges after their alleged affairs have come to light. Angelina County authorities say…
Today’s DVDs: Secret Sunshine, Poetry and TV on DVD
Secret Sunshine stars Jeon Do-yeon and Kang-ho Song; Lee Chang-dong directs. The setup: A woman and her young son leave city life in Seoul behind and move to a small town after the woman’s husband dies. The pair is settling into their new life when the boy is kidnapped, leaving…
Muppets Get Unnecessary Indie Treatment On The Green Album
Here’s the thing about Muppets: The Green Album, a new collection of classic Muppets tunes performed by some of today’s most adored indie and folk artists: We are incredibly happy that no one attempted or butchered Big Bird’s “Easy Going Day” from 1985’s Follow That Bird. Seriously, that song brings…
One Tequila, Two Tequilas, PURA VIDA!
What’s better than tequila? Free tequila at Brennan’s, d’oh! Last Thursday Pura Vida Tequila held the Tequila Olympics at Brennan’s of Houston, and I got me some. The high-quality blue agave used for Pura Vida has a very high sugar content, which is the heart of great tequila. These special…
Eatsie Boys Do Ice Cream
If you have been jonesing for an Eatsie Boys Frank the Pretzel or, in my case, a No Sleep Til Philly, fear not, they will be back, bigger and better than ever, promises co-owner Ryan Soroka. But when the Houston weather and a hot grill became unbearable, Eatsie Boys decided…
Snow Tha Product, No Slouch Herself, Rates The Best Speed-Rappers
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good – so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to…
HPD Beating Trial Will Stay Here Because You Don’t Read Or Watch News; Reporter Subpoenaed
The trial of four HPD officers accused of beating a young burglary suspect will remain here in Houston, a judge ruled this morning. Why? Partly because, as one prosecutor argued, “the fact is that there are a lot of people who don’t follow the news.” For shame! The officers are…
HFAC Sets Houston Previews for New York-Bound Kissless: The Musical
Houston audiences will have a chance to see Kissless: The Musical, a new work by Chance McClain, a few weeks before it premieres at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Though NYMF entrants are normally not allowed to preview their shows 60 days before the New York performances, Houston Family…
Reggae Scion Andrew Tosh Stands Up For Dad Peter’s Equal Rights
With fellow Jamaican musicians including Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, singer/guitarist Peter Tosh formed the Wailing Wailers in the early ’60s. Shortly thereafter, the now-trio would help lay the foundation for reggae music. And while Tosh and Wailer left the group in 1974 only to see Marley become the de…
Tuesday August 23, 2011 Deals of the Day
Today’s VOICE Daily Deal from the Houston Press is good for 50 percent off ($15 for $30) yummy Italian fare at La Prima Grill. The chef-driven menu features traditional dishes like chicken marsala, shrimp scampi, spaghetti Bolognese, and lasagna. Warm up your taste buds with comforting Italian appetizers like crispy…
Lowell “Cook” Bell, 55, Bayou Body Count No. 130
A busy couple of days for the HPD homicide squad continued with the discovery of a man shot to death on the southeast side of town Monday evening. Family members who had not heard from the man went to his apartment in the 6700 block of Fairway and found his…
Theater District Open House: If You Can’t Get Enough Free Stuff, Swing By Our Table for an Arts Guide
Houston’s theater season kicks off this Sunday with the Theater District Open House, the annual free event that allows dedicated patrons and newcomers to the performing arts to wander the venues’ halls in a scavenger hunt, learn the techie ropes in a backstage tour and even try playing a few…
El Gran Malo: Infused Tequilas, Margaritas and Tacos
This past Friday night, the latest venture from the owners of Houston-staple dive bar The Dirt opened their doors to friends and family, offering a sneak peek of their new space, El Gran Malo. Guests were able to sample unique tequila infusions, cocktails, margaritas and south-of-the-border-inspired bar bites…
Lil B Vs. The Game: Who’s More Wack?
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday or thereabouts, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week’s Panel: Bun B, OG Ron C, ADD, Kyle Hubbard, KAB, D-Risha, Mac, C-Stone, Fat Tony, Young Sensation, Medicine Girl, Kritikal and more…
Updated:HISD Doesn’t Have As Many Kids As It Hoped It Would
Update: Houston ISD spokesman Jason Spencer says “it’s not unusual for a district in the first week of school, for the enrollemnt to be significantly below the projected enrollment for mid-October when we report the final numbers to the state.” He agreed that the comparison of first day numbers was…
5 Questions a New Final Fantasy Player Asks (And We Can’t Answer)
Recently, Art Attack was finally able to convince the Wife With One F to try some of the Final Fantasy games after a decade of wheedling. We started with the DS re-release of Final Fantasy IV, and since then she has been completely hooked. Now, we spend our evenings (after…
Are You Experienced? Can You Tell Fact From Fiction?
Experienced: Rock Music Tales of Fact and Fiction Edited by Roland Goity & John Ottey; Illustrations by Kimy Martinez Vagabondage Press, $12.99 print/$3.99 digital, 150 pp. As its title suggests, this small-press book is an anthology of 16 tales of, by and about rock and roll, with the emphasis on…
Cops Say Husband Kills Wife, Reports Her As Suicide: Ines Aguilar, 31, Bayou Body Count No. 129
A man killed his wife and then tried to convince police she committed suicide, Houston police say. Police responded to a 911 call for a suicide attempt in the 8000 block of Boone Road shortly before noon Sunday. They found the body of Ines Aguilar, 31, and talked to her…
How To: Make Your Own Pizza Dough
Being an Italian-American Jersey girl, I’ve grown up making homemade pizza with my family. Please, no Jersey Shore references — I beg of you! Coming to Texas, I certainly miss my pizza family. So when I want a taste of home, this pizza dough is the perfect solution. Crispy and…
Upcoming: Fishbone, Joe Jonas, Robert Earl Keen, Wild Flag, Etc.
The Acacia Strain, Terror: Wed., Nov. 16. Warehouse Live. Adam Tyler: Sun., Sept. 4. South Beach. Alesana, A Skylit Drive, Memphis May Fire: Fri., Nov. 11. Warehouse Live. Born Again Virgins, The Burns, White Crime: Sat., Sept. 10. Rudyard’s. Art Vs. Science: Fri., Oct. 14. Stereo Live. Buxton: Tue., Nov…
The Bead Shop Moving After 40 Years in Rice Village
The beads are separated by color into jars and bags. But when there are billions of them collected over a 40-year span, moving them seems like a daunting task. But Carl Carlock, owner of The Bead Shop at 2476 Times Boulevard, can’t wait for moving day to come. “I’m excited…
Five Staples of the Redneck Freezer
Before y’all get all hot and bothered by the title of this post, let me say that I don’t consider redneck to necessarily be a pejorative term. I believe there’s a little hick in all of us, and there’s nothing’s shameful if you find yourself nodding along with Jeff Foxworthy…
Five Songs So We Never Forget The Atrocity Of Slavery
Since 1998 the United Nations has dedicated August 23 as International Day for the Remembrance for the Slave Trade and its Abolition. In case you’re wondering why that particular date was chosen, it’s because it was on that night in 1791, the slaves of Haiti rose up and began the…
Comment of the Day: One Way to Stop Tubers from Littering Beer Cans
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Pop Rocks: 10 TV Characters Who’ve Outlived Their Usefulness
We’re but a few scant weeks from the first premieres of the 2011-12 fall TV season, and anticipation is growing — I guess — for the likes of a new Charlie’s Angels and another allegedly hilarious season of The Big Bang Theory. But for all the dutiful effort by the…
Pop Rocks: 10 TV Characters Who Have Overstayed Their Welcome
We’re but a few scant weeks from the first premieres of the 2011-12 fall TV season, and anticipation is growing — I guess — for the likes of a new Charlie’s Angels and another allegedly hilarious season of The Big Bang Theory. But for all the dutiful effort by the…
Ted Nugent Promises “Clear And Present Danger” At HOB Thursday
“I crave dead predators” Ed. Note: Just in case we need to point this out, Uncle Ted’s opinions and his methods of expressing them are entirely his own. The Houston area has been graced by the wildly opinionated Waco resident Ted Nugent and his grindingly satisfying rock and roll revue…
The 10 Sexiest Things About Being in a Historic Drought/Heat Wave
The summer of 2011 has been crushing in Texas: a historic drought that shows no signs of ending, a record-setting heat wave that is unprecedented. But think positive, people!! You can bitch about the heat or you can take advantage of it. Sexual advantage. Here are the 10 sexiest things…
100 Creatives: Van G. Garrett
What He Does: Internationally acclaimed author and artist Van G. Garrett, also known as Fui Koshi — writer, painter, photographer, musician — explores and illuminates the world around him, reflecting clarity through simplicity in the power of his words, rhythms and images. His poetry has been published in journals and…
Where Are We Drinking?
If you like the rich, cinnamon-flavored coffee at this little Montrose haunt, you’re in luck: You can grab a pound of it to go for $7.99, scooped into brown lunch bags like these. The answer to where we’re drinking coffee this week is hiding in plain sight. Can you guess?…
Texas Sues Over Porn Steamy Romance Novel Titled Don’t Mess With Texas
It’s official: The Texas Department of Transportation hates bodice-rippers. Especially the modern ones with their manly, barechested men cradling lissome, sassy cowgirls. Especially if they involve former-cop PIs named “Dallas O’Connor.” And especially if they try to name themselves Don’t Mess With Texas. TxDOT has filed suit against publisher Hachette…
RIP Jerry Leiber, Who Told The Truth Until It Bled
Ed. Note: Jerry Leiber, with Mike Stoller half of one of the most talented and prolific songwriting duos of the rock and roll era (“Hound Dog,” “Stand By Me,” “Poison Ivy”), passed away earlier this afternoon. He was 78, Rolling Stone reported. William Michael Smith’s review of Josh Alan Friedman’s…
Houston Texans Game B — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
You have to be very, very careful not to get overly excited about (nor overly disgusted by) preseason football. The trailer can make almost any movie look good, and let’s face it, when it comes to the players that matter, that’s pretty much what preseason football is — a trailer…
Comment of the Day
Today Ginny Braud shared her recipe for cupcakes that really do look surprisingly like cheeseburgers. The disguised desserts seemed to fill commenter illegal1 with conflicting feelings of anger and desire: That’s false advertisement. I would be upset as well, expecting something so deliciously appealing. Those look like the real deal,…
German Moreno: Houston Fugitive Arrested in Costa Rica on New Kid-Sex Charges
A Houston fugitive living in Costa Rica has been arrested on a new allegation of child molestation there. German Moreno, who goes by German Enrique Morena Rojas, in Costa Rica, was arrested today outside his mother’s house, following a complaint filed last week by a “resident who was [a] minor…
Last Night: Buxton & The Donkeys At Rudyard’s
See pics of the bands (and a birthday girl) in our slideshow. Buxton, The Donkeys, Steve Reno & Wayne Wilkerson Rudyard’s August 21, 2011 For a gig whose poster involved a tragic school-bus wreck, Sunday night’s show at Rudyard’s was anything but disastrous. True, the crowd may have been a…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 33, The Montrose at Amy’s Ice Cream
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Unidentified Female Found Abandoned with No ID, Bayou Body Count No. 128
A security guard patrolling a northeast-side office parking discovered the corpse of a female Friday afternoon, and now police are trying to identify her. “There were signs of trauma to the female, who did not have identification on her,” HPD says. She was found with a Scooby-Doo blanket and a…
From Pencils to Oils: Charting Artist Stephanie Guajardo from “Graphite to Brushes”
It took a few wrong turns and a few repeat trips around the Loop before we were able to find the East End Studio Gallery, where artist Stephanie Guajardo’s solo exhibition, “Graphite to Brushes,” was opening. It wasn’t the normal social fete we were used to; instead, the enclave lay…
Time To Go Back To School, Fools: A Playlist
Today was the first day of school for most elementary and secondary-school kids here in the Houston area. Once again they are faced with dragging themselves up and out of bed for yet another year of boredom, intrigue, and peer pressure. That, and you know, puberty sucks. Over on Art…
Nolan Ryan’s Five Greatest Off-Field TV Appearances
On this date in 1989, Nolan Ryan whiffed Rickey Henderson to become the first and still the only man to rack up 5,000 strikeouts. With the Astros wheezing towards the finish line in their worst season ever, what better time to remember the most popular Astro ever? And what better…
Wine of the Week: Nuns Do It Better
It sounds like a tale from Boccaccio or Chaucer, doesn’t it? Handsome Italian winemaker visits a nunnery outside Rome to consult on “natural” grape growing and ends up staying on to make the wine… You can guess the rest… It doesn’t hurt that the winemaker in question is — how…
WHAT?!?! New Braunfels May Bans Beer Cans on the River
Tubing down the rivers in New Braunfels with a six-pack of beers and a group of good friends is a tradition most Texans have come to love, but as the summer comes to the end, the City of New Braunfels is considering a proposal that could easily anger tubers all…
Cavemen, Twinkies and Choose Your Own Adventure: Weekend Two at the Fringe Festival
With weekend one of the Houston Fringe Festival under our belts, we ventured back for more indie theater, dance and comedy. This weekend brought acts from across the pond, stories from around the globe and even some Houstonians to the stage. Here is our weekend two wrapup. Thursday: Milo and…
Anthony Bourdain Turns “The Layover” Into a Travel Opportunity with New Show
Can chef, writer, traveler, and snark-master Anthony Bourdain turn a traveling minus into a plus? He’s aiming to do just that with his new show, The Layover, which premiers on the Travel Channel Monday, November 21, at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT). Bourdain describes the new show as “a…
Last Night: Blue October At House Of Blues
Blue October House of Blues August 21, 2011 At 10:55 p.m. Sunday, an hour and a half into Blue October’s sold-out show at House of Blues, the formerly Houston-based fivesome had only played a handful of songs Aftermath recognized. A few dozen fans had congregated outside and were discussing the…
Ex-Husband Shoots His Ex-Wife’s Parents: Guillermo Pineda Valdez, 63, Bayou Body Count No. 127
A common-law marriage gone wrong resulted in the ex-husband storming into a trailer on the far southwest side and blasting away at his former wife’s father and mother, killing one and and injuring the other, police say. Guillermo Pineda Valdez, 63, died in the incident in the 4700 block of…
Learning About Lactart
The Urban Dictionary definition of “lactart” paints a very different picture of what this chemical actually is: “A hot chick who is lactose intollerant [sic].” Ah, Internet. But a few days ago, I wouldn’t have known that Lactart existed (or that it wasn’t a lactose intolerant woman) if it weren’t…
Saturday Night: James McMurtry At The Mucky Duck
James McMurtry McGonigel’s Mucky Duck August 20, 2011 If the decline of the American empire has a soundtrack, it’s the music of James McMurtry. Gifted (or saddled) with a somewhat monotone singing voice and sporting a sardonic expression that was likely formed in the womb, McMurtry, 49, will likely never…
Reports: Scarface Released From Jail
Ed. Note: Scarface was actually released from the Harris County Jail, where he had been transferred from Montgomery County last month. “The Twitter” is starting to hum with reports like the one above, saying legendary Houston rapper Scarface has been released from the Harris County Jail, where the former Geto…
The Week in TV: The Situation Officially Asked to Remain Shirtless
The Situation was in the news last week. That’s how rough the summer TV season can be. This was the week in TV Land: • I do most of my shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch. I just can’t help myself: I’ll start thinking I need some distressed cargos, then I’ll…
Where the Water Main Breaks Are Happening
The mayor’s office has released this map showing where water main breaks have occurred around the city. The persistent drought is causing ground shifts that not only make your home’s foundation shift but make water pipes crack, and repairing them is one reason the city has instituted water conservation…
Build-A-Bar: Orange Liqueur
I used to get squirrelly whenever the subject turned to liqueurs. To me, they were the province of poorly conceived ’70s vodka drinks, rec rooms, and key parties. Every time I heard the word, I envisioned a world not unlike Rick Moody’s terribly depressing novel The Ice Storm. Not wanting…
Saturday Night: Ana Gabriel & Marco Antonio Solis At Toyota Center
Ana Gabriel, Marco Antonio Solis Toyota Center August 20, 2011 Ana Gabriel is the unrivaled queen of Mexican music. Rancheras, mariachi, torch songs, ballads – she does them all with a cry in her voice that breaks your heart. So when Gabriel shared the bill with Marco Antonio Solis Saturday…
True Blood: The Dark Side of Taylor Swift
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. We told you that Taylor…
Goodbye Mixers & Elixirs: The HMNS’s Popular Party Goes Extinct
After seven years, Mixers & Elixirs, the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s popular prehistoric dance party, is going the way of the dinosaur. This Friday marks the end of the series forever. Never short of good music, good times and a packed house, Art Attack inquired as to why M&E…
Rosendo Chajal Riquiac, 30, Bayou Body Count No. 126
A man was shot to death early Sunday morning in the Greenspoint area, Houston police say. Rosendo Chajal Riquiac, 30, was killed in front of an apartment complex gate about 6:30 a.m. when he was shot several times, HPD says. The incident happened in the 500 block of Seminar Drive…
How To: Make Cheeseburger Cupcakes
Behold the cheeseburger cupcake. I brought these to a party back in June, and one guy took a bite, made a face, and set it back down. Not because it wasn’t a damn good cupcake, mind you, but I suppose I should have made it clear that they were not…
True Blood: We TOLD You Taylor Swift Was A Goth Icon
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. We told you that Taylor…
10 Things We Miss About Going Back to School
Today is the first day of school for many kids in the area, who no doubt spent all last night fretting over making new friends, being separated from old ones, the horrors of this semester’s classes, and wondering what their teacher is going to look like this year. That’s a…
Last-Second Goal Lifts Dynamo into Third Place in Eastern Conference
Reminiscent of vintage Houston Dynamo, they pulled out a dramatic, last-second 3-2 victory against visiting Real Salt Lake. The unlikely hero for the Orange was homegrown player Alex Dixon, who sent the 16,247 fans at Robertson Stadium home happy with “the last kick of the ball.” “I’m happy for Alex…
Fast Times: McDonald’s Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich (Hold the Mayo)
A Fast Times conundrum presented itself to me at Bush Intercontinental Airport a couple of weeks ago. Before boarding a nine-and-a-half-hour flight to Anchorage, my husband and I had to decide whether to scarf down McDonald’s and skip the in-flight meal, or eat whatever weird pre-heated mess Alaska Airlines had…
Friday Night: The Carpettes At Mango’s
The Carpettes, The Anarchitex, Bass Line Bums, Sober Daze Mango’s August 19, 2011 Despite the “lost control” vibe of the club on a sweltering Friday down in the heart of Montrose, where broken water mains flooded every other corner with spooling brown miasmic water, The Carpettes hit American shores for…
Happy Hour Scene: Christian’s Tailgate
The Place: Christian’s Tailgate 7340 Washington 713-864-9744 christianstailgate.com The Deals: $2.50 wells, $2.50 domestic drafts and bottles, $7.50 pitchers The Hours: noon to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays The Scene: If there’s a reason to mention the adult-to-child ratio, you’re probably not at a wild happy hour. “I think there…
Life Is a Cabaret: “Damaged Divas” at the Music Box
The setup: A particularly high style of cabaret is in performance through November at Music Box Theater. This second production from the newly minted troupe is called Damaged Divas of the Decades, and if that title alone doesn’t propel you to Colquitt and Kirby, what kind of theater queen are…
Comment of the Day: Lord Save Us from PG-13 Titty Bars
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Friday Night: The Judds Say Farewell At Nutty Jerry’s
Say farewell to the Judds in our slideshow. The Judds Nutty Jerry’s August 19, 2011 “I have two teenagers at home now, so I went on tour with my mother to relax,” says Wynonna Judd about halfway through her own solo set in the middle of the only Judds stop…
The Rice Owls Celebrate Their Centennial with a Tough Opening Schedule
It’s 100 years of Rice football.The Rice Owls head into season number 100 of college football on Labor Day weekend when they face the Texas Longhorns in Austin. And as it’s been for much of the last half-century for the Owls, the season is going to be difficult, and the…
Gothic Council Discusses Proper Graveyard Etiquette
The popular image that you may have of our people is that we hang out in graveyards dressed in black while hammered on absinthe and listening to :Wumpscut. Three of the four of those are fairly accurate, but it’s the hanging out in graveyards thing that we’re discussing today. Gothtopia…
Puppy Love: Sylvia at Texas Repertory Theatre
The setup: A.R. Gurney’s much-loved comedy Sylvia, about a man in midlife crisis falling in love with a stray dog (played by an attractive adult woman), is reborn again at Texas Repertory Theatre, along with all the marital problems that the new relationship engenders. The execution: The playwright provides a…
Texans 27, Saints 14: Defensive Blueprint Can Lead to Super Result
Check out the pics of tailgating Texans fans in our slideshow. The Super Bowl blueprint for the Texans stood firmly on the visitor’s sidelines Saturday at Reliant Stadium. For one night, the Texans proved to be astute observers. When the Saints won the Super Bowl two years ago, they did…
How Do Ya Like Them Apples? ComedySportz’s Adept Late-Night Improv
The setup: ComedySportz, known for two decades for its 8 p.m. improv shows, this year added a Saturday show at 10:30 p.m. and has recently added a 10:30 show on Friday evenings as well. The Friday event is produced by ComedySportz, but the performers are AMPERSAND, a six-person troupe that…
Where Are We Eating?
This is no ordinary burger. This is a Tex-Mex burger. Topped with refried beans, Fritos, Mexican white cheese and a roasted poblano pepper, it’s also unlike anything else in town. Think you know where we’re feasting on this fine burger? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
Firefighters Say Policy Change Is Keeping Units Out of Action
The Houston Fire Department has changed its policy on responding to calls, and there have been some gripes that the result is units are kept out of action too long. In the past, ambulances and a fire truck would be sent out on a distress call; if it became clear…
Friday Night: Ben Vereen in Jesus Christ Superstar
The setup: Trying as hard as they can to mess things up, the production team can’t do ultimate damage to Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice’s (lyrics) first international smash hit (1971) that centers around the last seven days of Christ. The show, a pop opera (thoroughly sung through),…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 34, The Houstonian at James Coney Island
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Video of Teardown of Simpson Galleries After Fire Friday Night
See more pics of the blaze in our slideshow. The Simpson Galleries building burned down Friday night and demolition crews got to work Saturday wasting no time. We shot a little video of the walls as they literally came tumbling down. Please excuse the Double Rainbow-like levels of enthusiasm. Video…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 35, Snapper al Cilantro at Teotihuacan
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Fire Strikes Third Antique Store This Year
See more pics of the blaze in our slideshow. A fire broke out just after midnight at Simpson Galleries, a fine art and antiques dealer on Main and Isabella in Midtown. The gallery is just near the popular music spots Continental Club and The Mink. This blaze marks the third…
Texans-Saints: Four Things I’ll Be Watching
In the end, the NFL lockout really didn’t deprive the average NFL fan of anything. Sure, the hardcores didn’t get OTA’s or an extended free agency period (and couch potatoes didn’t get Hard Knocks), but we still got a draft, a condensed free agency period and, most importantly, a season!…
Houston Center For Photography’s First Major Book Up For 2011 Blurb People’s Choice Award
Almost as soon as it announced the publication of its first major catalog, Made By Will: Selections from Four Portfolios, Houston Center for Photography announced that the same book is nominated for a 2011 People’s Choice Award from online custom publishers Blurb in their Photography Book Now competition. The catalog,…
Comment of the Day
Today Katharine Shilcutt reported the sad news that Voice has lost its chef and may become a Mexican restaurant. Commenter CMN says we have no one but ourselves to blame: Awful news about Voice indeed. We can’t really be that shocked though can an we? Each time I ate and/or…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where the leftovers have VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS for re-heating and if you do not follow them to the letter then it is YOUR OWN DAMN FAULT if the roast is stringy. We started the week off with a fine…
Bobby Miller: 19 Years to the Day After Murder, Suspect Arrested
August 18 is not Bobby Miller’s lucky day. In 1992, he made a very bad decision and, police say, murdered an elderly woman in a home invasion; on that date in 2011 he got arrested for it. U.S. Marshals arrested him yesterday in Las Vegas and he will face charges…
Sirrom Studio’s Hosts “Shimmy or Bust” to Send Instructor to London Competition
A Houston dancer has the chance to achieve one of his “lifelong dreams,” Sirrom Studio co-owner and instructor Shakira Masood-Ali said. Sal Vanegas, one of the studio’s belly-dancing and Samba instructors, has been invited to compete in September at London’s “Shimmy in the City,” an international belly-dance festival…
Soul Train’s 10 Most Popular Videos Of All Time
This week in 1970, a television show debuted that became a ritual for some, an aspiration for others. Long before Saturday Night Live, Midnight Special (which also had its debut this week) or MTV, Soul Train brought a legion of performers to the small screen, most of them for the…
Project Runway: “All About Nina”
This week on Project Runway: The designers are assigned a “celebrity client,” Becky and Anthony Ryan choose the same print out of the gazillions of choices at Mood, Anya’s sewing abilities begin to fray, and I think I’m starting to like Minnesota Barbie. On the runway, Heidi presents the designers…
Toys R Us Fights Hooters-Like Restaurant Opening Next to It in Tyler
The noble breastaurant concept has come under fire in Tyler, where a Toys R Us is seeking a judge’s help in preventing a Hooters-like company from opening a location next to their store. Why, the waitresses there wear tight sleeveless T-shirts and tight shorts!! Young children might be able to…
Willie Sue Smith Stewart: The Last Remaining College Classmate of Ronald Reagan Dies
Ronald Reagan was born in 1911, so you might be surprised to learn his college classmates included blacks. One of those was a Houstonian, Willie Sue Smith Stewart, and she died here Wednesday at the age of 101. Eureka College president J. David Arnold told the Bloomington Pentagraph, “Willie Sue…
From the Archives: Photos from Architecture Center Houston’s “Houston 175: 1836 Through Now” Exhibit
The folks at Architecture Center Houston are busy assembling more than 100 photographs encompassing 175 years of the city’s architecture for its portion of the official terquasquicentennial celebration. According to a release, the photos will be organized into ten “clusters”: First (early history), Sacred, Civic, Shelter, Beautiful, Culture, Modern, Tall,…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 36, Guanciale Burger at Plonk
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
The Score: Killa Kyleon 1, Fakes 0
Ah, Killa Kyleon. He is so Guitar Hero. At the moment, Houston is flush with guys that are underappreciated. And for the admiration his fan base chucks at him (watch his TL after he posts a new song, it’s as busy as anybody’s), he still has to be considered chief…
Melsar Bonilla and Cristian Granados: Lufkin Teens Lack Back-to-School Spirit, Allegedly Take Dump in Classroom
Two East Texas teens are in Angelina County Jail facing charges of criminal mischief after police say they vandalized a Lufkin Elementary School. Police there say conically-coiffed Melsar Bonilla, 17, and Cristian Granados, 19, are seen on surveillance video breaking into a temporary classroom. Once inside, Lufkin ISD police say,…
Warehouse Live’s Ailing Amy Shields Could Use Your Help
UPDATE (4:40 p.m.) A benefit for Shields is scheduled for next Wednesday, August 24, in the Warehouse Live Green Room. If you frequent Warehouse Live, you know Amy Shields. She’s the bubbly blonde who checks your tickets outside and makes sure you aren’t bringing rocket launchers inside the venue. She’s…
Odd Pair: Cheeseburger and Barbaresco
My friend and blogging colleague Franco Ziliani — Italy’s top wine blogger and veteran enojournalist — is always astonished at how Americans “apply” the great wines of Italy. In Europe, the food and wine canon guides the “user” in ensuring that the wine will be enjoyed to the fullest by…
Hollywood Babble-On Co-Host Ralph Garman Talks Kevin Smith, Podcasting and Red State
On first glance, it’s easy to dismiss a podcast that makes extended ejaculation jokes and has segments like “How Big is Liam Neeson’s Cock?” But take into account that the podcast is one-half hosted by film director Kevin Smith, and take into account that the podcast features insider news on…
Red-Light Cameras in Dilemma Zone Until Next Week
In today’s special-edition episode of Houston versus (?) Red-Light Cameras, the mayor and city council could have turned off the cameras — immediately and forever. But no decision was made. Within half a second of Parker introducing the item, council jumped on it. Sue Lovell got to her buzzer first,…
Last Night: Dead Prez At Fitzgerald’s
Dead Prez Fitzgerald’s August 18, 2011 M-1 and stic.man of dead prez are not your typical activists. Their message–fight the establishment, eat broccoli, and copulate mentally – isn’t exactly easy feast in a world rife with apathy, junk food, and promiscuity. But that’s never stopped them from kicking knowledge anyway…
Upcoming Events: Support Local, Eat Bacon
At Georgia’s Farm to Market, SLGT doesn’t just mean “Support Local, Grow Together.” It also means “Saturday Local Get Together,” when the market hosts its weekly Local Life Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This Saturday, chow down on Georgia’s award-winning brunch buffet while you listen to local musician…
Happy Birthday, Coco Chanel: 5 Fashion Trademarks from a Legend
My obsession with Coco Chanel began before I even knew who she was. The scent of Chanel No. 5 is as embedded in my memory as any I can think of, reminding me of afternoons playing dress-up from grandmothers’ closets and church on Christmas Eve. Of course I am not…
The Holy Grail of a Neil Armstrong Autograph: One Man’s Quest
Which living person has the world’s most sought-after autograph? Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon. A Houstonian has written a book about it. Anthony Pizzitola is a vice-president of the Universal Autograph Collector’s Club and he’s written Neil Armstrong: The Quest For His Autograph. He says Armstrong’s signature has…
The Week in Art Photos: Locked Gates and Courthouses
It’s time again to check out the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. We love street art, unique perspectives and beautiful photos of Houston’s creative community. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool…
New Bands Mikey & The Drags, Bang Bangz Debut Saturday
Saturday night at Mango’s, two new local acts make their debut. Rocks Off rummaged through our Rolodex and contacted them to find out what to expect. First on the list is Mikey & The Drags, formed by Miguel Ponce, whom many folks will remember as the frontman of The McKenzies…
TV Dinner: This Week in Food TV
With so many food-related shows on television, it’s hard to keep up — it’s not just the Food Network anymore. I don’t know what I’d do without my DVR. This week gave us premieres, finales and Liza Minelli. Here’s a roundup of some of the shows this week. Spoiler alert!…
What’s Cooking Next Week?
I don’t know about you, but when I get home from work, the last thing I want to do is brainstorm a meal for the night. And unfortunately, I’m just not one of those people that will be happy with a lean pocket and Diet Coke. So here’s my solution…
Exxon’s New Giant Oil Find Could Meet World Needs for…a Couple of Months
The energy world is marveling today at news that ExxonMobil’s recent discovery in the Gulf of Mexico could contain up to a billion barrels of oil. “The only thing that surprised the energy industry more than Exxon Mobil Corp.’s mammoth oil find in the Gulf of Mexico is that it…
We are the Willows: Touring With Dead People
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. With the exception of any member of its government who may be running for president, Rocks Off loves us some Minnesota. There’s just something…
Mystery, Philosophy and a Little Bit of Spice This Saturday at Brazos Bookstore
Always wanted to write a book, just not sure where to begin? Why not speak with someone who’s done it, or better yet, 17 people who have done it, tomorrow at Brazos Bookstore’s Local Author’s Day. The biannual event features an open-house setting from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., allowing…
The Great Grinding Debate: Which Song Is Freakiest?
Bun B: “I wouldn’t know. At all.”
Comment of the Day: Abstinence Ain’t Working
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Brew Blog: Bard’s Original Sorghum Malt Beer
I really wanted to like this beer. No, I don’t have Celiac disease, or any other form of gluten intolerance. I did, however, recommend it to someone who does. I suppose I should have known better than to recommend a beer I’d never tried, though I’ll qualify the statement outright,…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Conan the Barbarian
Title: Conan the Barbarian You’re…You’re Giving This A Positive Review, Aren’t You? I am. Because if I don’t stand up for hack directors and the beefcake they cast in their movies, who will? Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Three Thulsa Dooms out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis:…
No Swag: Paul Wall’s Rumored Young Money Deal, Falling Stages
Despite what you may have heard, swag isn’t dead yet; at least not in Houston. Have any swagged-out projects or general ideas? E-mail alliswagoner@gmail.com. Paul Wall Signs to Young Money? People have been saying that The People’s Champ has decided to sign with Lil’ Wayne’s Young Money Empire. Why?! Why,…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Jeramie Robison of Restaurant Cinq at La Colombe d’Or
The last two days, we’ve been chatting with Chef Jeramie Robison; see our conversation here and here. Today, we’ll try some of his food. Christine Uticone recently stopped by Cinq to taste his current menu, so the chef surprised us with a couple of brand-new dishes he’s in the process…
Five Hurdles Google+ Still Faces in the War Between the Social Networks
Google+ launched to much fanfare in June and there were all sorts of people proclaiming either its superiority to Facebook or what an utter failure it would be. Since June, the social networking platform has added 25 million users, but there isn’t a whole lot of buzz about it and…
RAIN — A Tribute to The Beatles — and Riverdance Coming to Houston
In an expansion of its already announced season, Gexa Energy Broadway announced Thursday that it will be bringing two more shows to its 2011-12 season at the Hobby Center — but you better move quickly, they will be here and gone in the proverbial blink of an eye. The window…
The Week in Photos: Texas Love
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. School is almost back in session and summer is winding down. We want to see photos of how you’re spending your hot days and nights. Just drop them…
10 Things You May Not Know About Queen
For week’s dose of facts, we uncovered ten morsels about Queen, whose bassist John Deacon celebrates his 60th birthday today. This year marks several important anniversaries in the Queen universe, most of all the 20th anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s death in late November. It’s also been two decades since their…
Police Union Files State Bar Complaint Against Jolanda Jones
Houston City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones, who last month filed a State Bar complaint against City Attorney David Feldman, is now the subject of a Bar complaint filed by a vice president of the Houston Police Officers Union. Ray Hunt wrote in his July 15 complaint that Jones’s behavior “outrages me,…
100 Creatives: Dominic Walsh
What he does: Dominic Walsh is a leader in the contemporary ballet world, an award-winning choreographer and an accessible artist to boot. He was a principal with the Houston Ballet for more than ten years, eventually starting his own dance company. For the past decade, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater has…
Openings & Closings: Losing Our Voice
The worst news of the week came from My Table early yesterday morning, when the magazine reported that downtown restaurant Voice has lost its executive chef, the very underrated Greg Lowry, and is in talks to “reconcept” and become a Mexican restaurant. No word on whether that’s upscale Mexican, like…
The Rightwing Attack Ads Coming Against Rick Perry
Rick Perry is generally not a man to be out-rightwinged, but he may see an attempt in the GOP primary. He’ll keep citing his Limbaugh-Tea Party bona fides, but there are ways for opponents to put doubt, if not fear, into the hearts of voters considering him. Here’s how four…
International Incident! Georgetown Basketball Loses a Brawl to the Chinese (w/VIDEO)
I’ve said many times that the greatest sports memories that we have tend to fall into that (relatively) carefree part of our lives from teenage years through mid to late 20s, before the burden of life and lack of free time infringe upon our ability to enjoy/consume the genre. So…
Red-Light Cameras, Nearing Death, May Ironically Be Saved By Well-Intentioned City Councilmember
Tomorrow, city council is holding a rare special session that may ring the death knell for red-light cameras. The to-be proposed ordinance, if passed, would immediately turn off the cameras. But yesterday, councilmember Mike Sullivan proposed an amendment that could kill the entire plot. The amendment calls for the immediate…
Gallery Openings and Closings This Weekend: Isa Leshko, GONZO247 and Dandee Warhol
Slackers, procrastinators and those easily overwhelmed by our fair city’s artistic offerings get one final chance this weekend to scope out some of the summer’s awe-inspiring works of art. Keeners can also get a jump-start at an opening at East End Gallery. Once the dog days are over and the…
Comment of the Day
Today Christine Ha blogged about what she learned from her first foray into making her own beer. Of course, we heard from all the home-brewers out there, including commenter Jeff, who wrote: The guys at DeFalco’s are great. They really know their stuff. Definitely agree that that’s the place to…
Was Larry Marshall’s Campaign Treasurer Doing His Laundry?
A local construction company taken off the list of approved contractors for the Houston ISD has alleged in federal court that a rival company funneled kickback money to trustee Larry Marshall through his campaign treasurer in return for his support of that firm’s work with the district. Citing documents uncovered…
The Carpettes: Unsung UK Punks Back For The First Time
Punk bands like The Clash have been lauded by critics and fans spanning across the globe, while other superb acts like The Carpettes have remained stuck between the cracks of history. This is almost tragic, since their blend of fine-etched, unblemished pop-tinged punk was just as riveting as The Boys…
100 Favorite Dishes: No. 37, Gua Bao at Yummy Kitchen
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
UH’s Case Keenum Is a Sexual Beast
A new tweet from Associated Press college football writer Ralph D. Russo: We can’t find the original on Keenum’s twitter account, but if you can’t trust the AP, who can you trust? At any rate, knock yourself out, dude, but save some energy for UCLA. Update: A commenter notes that…
Why It’s So Hot, When It Might End and Why We Should Count Our Blessings
Polite elevator conversation usually includes something like, “How about that weather, huh?” Lately, that conversation might be more along the lines of, “Holy shit, I went outside and thought I was going to die!” Normally, summers in Houston turn the average resident into either a hermit, scurrying from one air…
5 Favorite Fashions Made From Food
Much like taste, fashion is subjective. And these days, it seems the crazier your outfits, the more attention you’re likely to get. And if you can make that outfit out of anything but fabric, well, then that’s just plain fun. Shows like Project Runway highlight the use of unconventional fabrics…
Back to School: 10 of the Country’s Ugliest College Campuses
University of California-Irvine Oh, the college visit, where young freshmen-to-be are introduced to the “cool” professors who hold their classes outside, the “nice” cafeteria with its taco nights and baked-potato bar, the “down-to-earth” kid who has figured out how to balance school, social life and the rowing team (he also…
Estefany Martinez, Ricky Gonzalez: The Bank Robbers Who Bragged About Their Scam On Facebook Plead Guilty
You might remember the story of teenagers Estefany Martinez and Ricky Gonzalez, who worked with two friends on a criminal-genius plan: The two men would rob the bank where the two women worked as tellers, and then the women would give cops all kinds of bad info on what the…
A Cooler Coke: Taylor’s Tonics Chai Cola
I have sort of a hate-hate relationship with Cost Plus World Market. I hate that my wife seems physically incapable of not buying their crap, and I hate that I secretly like most of it. Don’t tell her I said that. Either part, really, but mostly the part about me…
30 Seconds With Powerglove’s Chris Marchiel
We sat down with Chris Marchiel of Powerglove, the power metal monsters most famous for their incredible video-game covers, to see what we could learn about the guitarist in 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is the worst song in the world? Chris Marchiel: “Just the Girl” by the Click Five…
Om Prakash Budha: Faces Prison over Refusals to Fill Out Visa Forms
Man, Om Prakash Budha, 28, does not want to go back to Nepal. He was nabbed in October 2010 crossing the U.S. border at Brownsville without proper documentation. Fine, you got caught, go home and try again, right? Wrong. “On four separate occasions during a four-month period, Budha steadfastly refused…
Health Department Roundup
Not much to see on the city’s health inspection report page this week. Apparently, inspectors took the weekend off – there are no reports for August 13 or 14. Good for them, good for restaurant owners whose blood pressure probably spikes when it’s inspection time, bad for us. It’s like…
Well, That Was Fast: Retablo Tins for Lawndale Art Center’s Silent Auction and Exhibition Are Gone, Baby, Gone
On Tuesday, we announced that Lawndale Art Center was handing out materials (a small sheet of metal or “tin”) for its annual Día de los Muertos retablo exhibition and silent auction. Well, we regret to inform all those procrastinators out there that they’ll have to wait until next year for…
The Dude Shooting Up the Southwest Side Looks Like This
Police say one guy has taken part in three shootings on the southwest side, two of them deadly. They released a composite sketch today. He is described by the cops as “a black male in his late teens to early 20s, 5 feet 7 inches tall, with an average build…
Radical Eats’s Radical New Restaurant Sets Up Shop in Northside Village
Handpainted words on an old window advertise tacos, tortas and menudo in bright red and yellow lettering. This little white restaurant with red trim at the corner of Fulton and Catherine used to be just another taqueria in the neighborhood. These days, its new tenant — Radical Eats — doesn’t…
How To Survive An Outdoor Concert Disaster: Ten Semi-Helpful Tips
The summer festival season is winding down, but even as that stops, the fall festival season begins. The weather will be getting nicer, and it will actually be pleasant to be outside, so we’re looking forward to it, especially with Austin City Limits, our own BestFest and Fun Fun Fun…
DVD Giveaway: The Big Lebowski on Blu-ray
The Dude abides. Where’s the money, Lebowski? We’ll cut off your Johnson. This aggression will not stand. Don’t fuck with the Jesus. The list of quotables from 1998’s The Big Lebowski goes on and on (and on). It’s one of the few movies we can recite over and over in…
Hollywood FLOSS Goes To The Movies On New “Attack”
Rocks Off counted 37 actor references in Hollywood FLOSS’s new song, “Attack of Hollywood,” so we decided to ask the rapper about some of his favorite actors, movies, and get up to speed on his upcoming project. Rcks Off: You’re playing with Dead Prez tonight at Fitzgerald’s. Who are your…
Pâte à Choux and Pilfered Sou(bise)
Some weeks ago, my wife and I were lucky enough to attend a vegetable-focused dinner prepared by Chef Justin Yu. It stands easily as one of the best meals I’ve had this year, and featured many moments during which either my wife or I would lament the fact that we…
Michael Cortez, 22, Bayou Body Count No. 125
Houston homicide detectives are investigating a stabbing death last night that may be a suicide. Michael Cortez, 22, was found dead in an apartment in the 9400 block of Redford about 7:40 p.m. Wednesday. Police had been called to the southeast side residence on a suicide in progress, and discovered…
Create Your Own Zombie: Rancid House’s Special Effects Workshop Explodes Into Houston
Houston never ceases to amaze us. Just when we thought we had seen it all (or a lot of it, anyway), something completely wild and brand-new pops into our inbox. This time, it came in the form of bloody blisters, pimples, broken bones and, of course, zombies. No, we’re not…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Adds Spoon, Black Lips, Cannibal Corpse
That probably spooked you all, huh, thinking we added those three to our own BestFest, right? In addition to previously announced biggies like Slayer, The Damned, Public Enemy, the Hot Snakes reunion gig, and the Danzig Legacy project, these new three only sweeten the deal for FFFF attendees that first…
Comment of the Day: What That Wet-Cement Lexus Is Missing
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Jon Cleary, New Orleans R&B Piano Master, Makes Rare Visit
The last time Rocks Off saw Jon Cleary, he was hammering his piano like a blacksmith at the Big Easy, totally surrounded by adoring blues fans – so many, in fact, that it was difficult to even get a glimpse of the British-born pianist from the rear of the crowd…
5 Lessons Learned From Our First Homebrew
We enjoy the occasional pint and, like much of America, have taken an interest in craft beer ever since we could afford (and thus appreciate) it. While I like to simply imbibe my beers, my husband enjoys discussing the various flavors and styles of beer. “What if,” he asked, “we…
Happy National Bad Poetry Day: Houston’s Worst Poem
Yesterday, we provided readers with a single line of “bad” poetry penned by local poet Rich Levy in a last-minute telephone conversation. We asked readers to mine their inner anti-poets to help us build, line by line, a notoriously bad poem in honor of National Bad Poetry Day, which is…
Watch Two Guys Jump for Their Lives As a Tumbling Car Heads Right for Them
You’re sauntering back to your car from a convenience store and something to your right grabs your attention. When you realize it’s an out-of-control car tumbling after an accident, and it’s headed for you, it really grabs your attention. Two guys nimbly step out of the way of this careening…
“Hortyort” Reinvigorates Epic Poetry with Marvel vs. Capcom’s Mike Haggar
The Internet has shamefully taken the word “epic” and gang-redefined it on a pinball machine while we all look on. Just for the record, here’s how Webstor put it… Well… I’m just a third-rate He-Man villain most of you don’t remember. I mean, I’m not really a linguist or anything,…
Rick Perry Campaign Songs You May Hear Soon
In news that surprised absolutely no one, Rick Perry – governor of the great state of Texas for 11 years running – announced his candidacy for Presidency of the United States last weekend. The news of Perry throwing his hat in the ring stole a healthy share of the spotlight…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Jeramie Robison of Restaurant Cinq at La Colombe d’Or
Yesterday we talked to Chef Jeramie Robison about how he got his start in the restaurant industry at such a young age. Today we talk to him about how he’s been shaking things up since he took over at La Colombe d’Or. EOW: You’ve told me before that Restaurant Cinq…
The Sales-Tax Holiday: The Odd, Inscrutable List of What’s Taxed and What Isn’t
Tomorrow begins the tax-free holiday weekend, aimed mostly at parents of school kids even though some schools, like Houston ISD, have been open for a week. As always, the state has issued official lists of what gets taxed and what doesn’t. And as always, those lists can leave you scratching…
Remember SYDTHEMAN’s Singin’ Rappin’ & Cussin’?
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. SYDTHEMAN Singin’ Rappin’ & Cussin’ (2011, Self-released) Reigning Artist of the Week SYDTHEMAN is a 24-year-old singing, cussing, rapping…
Pop Rocks: Apocalypse, Then
I was discussing career choices (don’t ask) with an acquaintance of mine, and in the course of talking about how we got where we were, I mentioned that I’d never really planned for life beyond college when I was in my teens. The decision wasn’t a “non-decision” or anything like…
Pop Rocks: New Clear Days
I was discussing career choices (don’t ask) with an acquaintance of mine, and in the course of talking about how we got where we were, I mentioned that I’d never really planned for life beyond college when I was in my teens. The decision wasn’t a “non-decision” or anything like…
Cowboys Are Weird: 10 Odd, Often Kinky, Vintage Comic Book Covers
Cowboys & Aliens was the latest failed attempt to bring back the Western in any form possible, but even if the movie had succeeded it wouldn’t have ushered in a cowboy-loving era like before 1970. Cowboys were everywhere, including comic books. And some of those comic book covers were, well,…
100 Creatives: Ibis Fernandez
What He Does: Ibis Fernandez is an animator and inventor developing programs and techniques to help people create animated works on their own. He’s worked as a key framer and inbetweener on Freakazoid, the New Batman Adventures and The New Woody Woodpecker Show. On the development side, he is the…
Joe Vs Smart Shop: An Oasis in a Food Desert
The term “food desert” has been increasingly visible lately, thanks to reports from The Food Trust and the University of Houston’s Community Design Resource Center. A food desert is simply a populated area — whether it be rural or urban — that lacks access to fresh, affordable food. A lack…
Concussions: Avoidance, Protection and Better Helmets
Justin Landers, head athletic trainer at Katy High School, leads me to a secret stash of football equipment. The attic-like room, which is only accessible by one skinny wood ladder, is floor to ceiling and wall to wall with hundreds of helmets and shoulder pads. Landers combs through the well-organized…
That’s a Wrap
It’s the end of summer and kids close out the season with one big hurrah at the That’s A Wrap festival at the Children’s Museum of Houston. Kids can choose from lots of fun activities including karaoke, painting, pinball games and science experiments. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays,…
Jim Dent: Courage Beyond the Game
Texas sports journalist and author Jim Dent has made his mark as one of the foremost chroniclers of college football in the country, having written the New York Times bestselling work The Junction Boys, about Alabama’s team under Bear Bryant, and Resurrection, about Notre Dame’s comeback season. Now, he returns…
RED
There are lots of big-name actors in RED — Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker, Karl Urban, Richard Dreyfuss and Bruce Willis. But there’s another one you should keep an eye out for: Ernest Borgnine, who plays the records keeper. Young moviegoers might know Borgnine as the voice…
Ernest Cline
Austinite Ernest Cline has earned a living in lots of different ways. He donated plasma, gutted fish, worked as a clerk in a video store where he had infinitely better taste in movies than his customers, and even played the role of a condescending tech support worker. A few years…
HeckleVision: Cyber Seduction
Cyber Seduction is universally acknowledged as being a pretty bad movie (a high school kid gets hooked on Internet porn and goes from star athlete to porn freak), and if you’ve ever watched it, it was mostly likely by accident. But you’ll want to go to today’s HeckleVision: Cyber Seduction…
Blue Velvet25th Anniversary Screening
David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986) is arguably the most important American surrealist film of all time. A funny, mysterious and freakish film noir, it follows greenhorn college student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) as he investigates the origins of a severed human ear he finds in a field. His obsession leads…
Music for Silent Films
Composer (and occasional Houston Press contributor) Chris Becker and bassist Thomas Helton will provide improvised music for a group of silent films during an event titled, appropriately enough, Music for Silent Films. Becker, who plays his laptop and Kaoss Pad during the performance, uses music samples to build a template…
Under Great White Northern Lights
The film Under Great White Northern Lights captured the musical group The White Stripes as they traveled through Canada, celebrating their tenth anniversary together. See the group play on every type of stage, from bowling alleys to city buses, as they make their way across the country, eventually performing at…
India Fest 2011: Amazing India @ 65
India hits a milestone this year as it celebrates the 65th anniversary of its independence, and Houston-based ex-pats are celebrating with India Fest 2011: Amazing India @ 65. The day includes dancing, craft booths, musical performances and, of course, food. Best of all, it’s being held inside, so you don’t…
Viva Sapato
Follow Dolores, a Cuban dancer who dreams of opening a beachside restaurant, as she stumbles from one zany adventure to another in Viva Sapato! The action starts when Dolores receives a pair of shoes from her aunt. Having expected the money to start the restaurant, Delores is disgusted, and she…
Jesus Christ Superstar
Almost 40 years after playing Judas in the first Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar, actor Ben Vereen will play Pontius Pilate in The Musical Theatre of Houston’s production of the classic rock opera. “I get a chance to play the judge who makes the decision to crucify Jesus. It’s…
CAMH Video Jam
Filmmakers Carlton Ahrens and Ford Gunter took one of Houston’s most popular annual events from the street to the silver screen with Art Car: The Movie. The two amassed nearly 250 hours of footage, including interviews with past Art Car Parade Grand Marshals Dan Aykroyd and George Clinton, as well…
Dave Barry/Ridley Pearson
At first glance, writing duo Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson might seem to be the odd couple of children’s literature. Barry is a journalist and adult humorist with several bestselling off-kilter books to his credit, while Pearson made his mark as a master of mystery. They joined forces in 2004…
Sinbad
It wasn’t a lack of fans that pushed comedian Sinbad off the stage; it was the Internal Revenue Service. Sinbad got his start in the late ’80s, doing stand-up and appearing in the television series A Different World. He reached a peak in the ’90s, starring in his own show…
2012 Mayan Prophecies
Egypt isn’t the only place in the world with pyramids, you know. Ancient peoples in Latin America, especially the Maya, built a few of their own. Like their Egyptian counterparts, the Mayan pyramids were aligned to the stars in the night sky. As you’ll see in the planetarium show 2012:…
The Judds
If you want to say your final goodbyes to the Judds, venture east to Nutty Jerry’s for the only Southeast Texas stop on the mother-daughter country duo’s farewell tour. Naomi and Wynonna held a tight grip on country from 1983 to 1991, when mom Naomi was diagnosed with Hepatitis C…
Praying with Perry
Praying with Perry Online readers respond to “Prayerapalooza: The Response at Reliant Stadium With Rick Perry and a Packed House,” Hair Balls blog, by Craig Hlavaty, August 6: Good review: Seems pretty well balanced to me (although I will point out that fasting was obviously a suggestion, rather than a…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Collections: Annual HSPVA Juried Show” “Crafting Live(s): 10 Years of Artists-In-Residence” “Hayden Fosdick: Paper Compounds” Marc Swanson: The Second Story “Mitch Dobrowner: New Work” “R.W. Northcutt: Indigenous Genius” “Use Your I
“Collections: Annual HSPVA Juried Show” This popular annual exhibit is an interesting look at the up-and-coming artists at Texas’s premier arts magnet school. The works span a broad range of media and technique (painting, sculpture, photography, collage, printmaking, drawing, mixed media, Photoshop), and there’s terrific skill on display, but nothing…
One Day
Directed by Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by David Nicholls, based on his novel, One Day stars Anne Hathaway as Emma, a too-serious would-be writer in coke-bottle glasses and combat boots. She’s nursing a crush on Dexter (Jim Sturgess), her too-good-looking rich boy college classmate. She’s earnest, tenacious…
Barbarianism’s Underrated
A cinematic reboot for the patron saint of 98-pound weaklings, Conan the Barbarian is both truer to the vision of its character’s creator, Robert E. Howard, and more satisfyingly pulpy than John Milius’s 1982 movie incarnation. Director Marcus Nispel, along with no fewer than three screenwriters, eschews the lugubrious mythmaking…
The Appleseed Cast
With previous addresses in California and North Carolina, and a current one in Kansas, this emo/post-rock quintet has lived like hipster gypsies — settling here, resettling there, uprooting always. Not coincidentally, The Appleseed Cast sounds like a little of everything. On “Steps and Numbers,” from their 2001 album Low Level…
Breakfast on the Beltway
See more of the breakfast and booze at Flora & Muse in our slideshow. One quiet Saturday morning, I sat perched at a marble-topped pub-style table, cushioned into a plush, oversize banquet, sipping strong coffee from a similarly Alice in Wonderland-esque mug. My friend Michael and I were happily jabbering…
The Donkeys
From San Diego, the Donkeys often get lumped in with anyone inspired by the country rock of the ’60s and ’70s. But even a casual listen to its latest release, Born With Stripes, reveals a band not beholden to a specific aesthetic of times past but rather to a sometimes…
Bilal
As a member of artist collective the Soulquarians, founded by the likes of ?uestlove and J Dilla, Bilal has held his own among some impressive company. But while his peers and underground fans are quick to grant him respect, it’s not likely you’ll catch any of his songs on the…
Men on a Mission
The brainchild of local tattoo artist Gregg Higgins, featuring past and present members of Whorehouse and Hell City Kings, Houston’s Venomous Maximus gurgles with the sounds of proto-metal gods Pentagram and Blue Cheer as well as new-school leaders like High on Fire. Friday at Fitzgerald’s, Venomous releases its first EP,…
Capsule Stage Reviews: 2nd Annual Festival of Comedy, American Buffalo, Three Murders and It’s Only Monday, Who Was That Masked Man?
2nd Annual Festival of Comedy UpStage Theatre’s 2nd Annual Festival of Comedy allows local playwrights to strut their stuff in one-act plays that are comic yet stay safely within the boundaries of “family-oriented” appeal. The writing shows imagination and comedic verve, suggesting good things to come from these four talented…
Knocked Out
Natasha Helmick goes up for a header during a Dallas soccer match and gets speared in the left temple by an opponent. The 14-year-old, a talented center midfielder playing in the choice Lake Highlands Girls Classic League, crumples to the ground. She can’t see anything out of her left eye…
Knocked Out: Bell Ringing
David Hovda couldn’t believe his eyes. One afternoon, the director of UCLA’s Brain Injury Research Center was contacted by the school’s football team physician to scan the brain of a concussed middle linebacker from the university squad. “He said his bell was rung, but he was very cognizant,” recalls Hovda…
Return from Porn Exile
TALES FROM TRANSIT Return from Porn Exile Metro CEO Greanias speaks By Richard Connelly Metro CEO George Greanias returned to work August 8 after a one-week suspension for viewing adult Web sites on his laptop in the office, which uses the agency’s wi-fi system. We were allowed a brief interview,…
Take A Second Look!
Dear Readers: Your faithful Mexican is putting the final touches to his coming magnum opus, Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America (out April 2012) and is thus at the rancho, getting handmade tortillas made by his chica in pigtails while I work on rewrites. But instead of a Best…
Nothing Is Wrong
Four L.A. kids in their mid-twenties, Dawes is precocious in sound if not in demeanor. Formed four years ago around the axis of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith — the front man and drummer, respectively, are joined by Tay Strathairn on keys and bassist Wylie Gelber — Dawes made an…
Stand and Deliver
Signature Lounge (5959 Richmond, Ste. 100) is an underappreciated nightclub located in a Richmond Strip strip center that also includes, among other things, a place to buy tickets (Ticket Attractions) and a place to buy artificial melanin (Darque Tan). Fridays, when Signature is at its peak, 200 people may cycle…
Dead Prez
While the snarling synth line of “Hip Hop” that provided a walk-on for Chappelle’s Show might be Dead Prez’s best-known appearance in the mainstream, M-1 and stic.man’s lowercase hip-hop is decidedly less comical. Drawing their antiestablishment antagonism from a history of ghetto life, scorn for police, black power and revolution,…
