Still Sucks to Be a Librarian, Even If You’re Not Passing Out Drugs
Our print edition is out, including an item in the Hair Balls column about how Harris County may be demanding that its librarians stay in town and go to the front lines as responders to a biological or chemical terrorist attack. We probably weren’t clear enough in writing it, though,…
Steven Hotze and William Rea, Sitting in a Tree…
When you’re feeling picked on, it’s generally a good thing for a friend to come to your aid. But what if your friend is kind of a ‘tard? Is there a point where speaking up can do more harm than good? Recently, Dr. Steven Hotze has sent letters to the…
Drenched in Blog: My Day of Outrage
Yesterday was National Outrage Day, a day set outside by Rev. Al Sharpton for him and his cohorts to protest the profane lyrics in hip-hop. The day was marked with demonstrations in front of record stores, including one Soundwaves here in Houston. “I’m here in Motown as a symbol of…
Tales from Transit
In towns with real public transportation, people are used to interacting with the crazies on a daily basis. In Houston, not so much. Most of us keep our windows rolled up and the AC on. But I happen to live on the Main Street rail line, and today I took…
The Media and Barry Bonds
On this day after Barry Bonds hit home run 756, I feel compelled to write on the topic. But I write not to praise Barry Bonds. Nor do I write to condemn Barry Bonds. I’m writing about the media’s take on Barry Bonds. (A brief aside: Barry Bonds is the…
$13 at El Rey
It’s time for another installment of $13, where we hit the streets and find out what you can get for 13 smackers in this restaurant-crazy city. Keith Plocek steps up to the plate: Where: El Rey, 910 Shepherd at Washington, 713-225-1895 What $13 gets you: A finger-licking, dog-choking rotisserie chicken…
$13 at El Rey
It’s time for another installment of $13, where we hit the streets and find out what you can get for 13 smackers in this restaurant-crazy city. Keith Plocek steps up to the plate: Where: El Rey, 910 Shepherd at Washington, 713-225-1895 What $13 gets you: A finger-licking, dog-choking rotisserie chicken…
Jesus Is My Third Base Coach
Okay, admit it. When Woody Williams loaded the bases in the top of the first inning by walking two batters and giving up a single, then walked in a run, with none out, you thought that Astros were going to get blown out. Hell, that’s what I thought. Never did…
Houston Press Podcast: Reefer Madness
Start the school year off with everything your parents warned you about — sex, drugs and … show tunes? Okay, so maybe a musical isn’t what comes to mind for an end-of-the-summer celebration, but Reefer Madness doesn’t exactly posses the wholesome family fun of Guys and Dolls and South Pacific…
Records for Sale… Just Not Yet
Trolling MySpace today, the Press found an open letter from late Poor Dumb Bastards guitarist Hunter Ward’s family to his friends and acquaintances regarding the fate of his prodigious vinyl collection. It’s after the jump. – Chris Gray…
Going to See a Man about a Horse. And Jesus.
Earlier today outside of Houstoned World Headquarters there was one of the nicest proselytizers we’ve ever met (not to mention the first we’ve seen on horseback). His name was Couy Griffin, and he’s riding around the country, praising Jesus. (No, not that Jesus. This one.) Griffin said he started out…
No Need to Worry about the Potential Impact of Richmond Rail (Unless You Liked Your House)
Remember how Metro’s Richmond light-rail line was going to fit into the neighborhood so easily that residents wouldn’t even notice? It turns out some residents won’t notice because they’ll be moving out. KHOU got its hands on Metro’s documents outlining the potential impact of building the line down Richmond. As…
Last Night: Valient Thorr and ASG at the Meridian
Valient Thorr, ASG The Meridian August 6, 2007 Better Than: Staring at your computer screen, repeatedly hitting the refresh button, in your cold and sterile bedroom. Download: “Exit Strategy,” which puts any other anti-war song to somber, clean-shaven shame. With beards of fury and manic stage dances, it’s very possible…
This Just In: Rock the Bells Canceled
According to the Rock the Bells Web site, the hip-hop package tour’s Houston date, featuring Wu-Tang Clan, UGK, Nas, Pharoahe Monche and several others scheduled for Wednesday at Reliant Center, has been canceled. No reason was listed on the Web site, but HoustonSoReal founder and sometime Press contributor Matt Sonzala…
An Open Letter to Richard Justice
Dear Mr. Justice, Mr. Justice, do you mind if I call you Richard? Mr. Justice just sounds all formal, and I know that you’re not the formal type of guy. Richard, first off, let me apologize. I know that it’s been a long time since I last wrote to you,…
This Week in Café: Antonio’s Flying Pizza
Antonio’s Flying Pizza is the subject of this week’s Café. The red-checkered tablecloth joint on Hillcroft reminds me of the pizzerias where I hung out when I was in high school in Connecticut. And no wonder – Antonio’s is owned and operated by a Sicilian-born pizza maker named Antonio Rosa…
This Week in Café: Antonio’s Flying Pizza
Antonio’s Flying Pizza is the subject of this week’s Café. The red-checkered tablecloth joint on Hillcroft reminds me of the pizzerias where I hung out when I was in high school in Connecticut. And no wonder – Antonio’s is owned and operated by a Sicilian-born pizza maker named Antonio Rosa…
The ‘Stros Could Decide Who Wins the NL Central, So at Least There’s That
Wandy Rodriguez continued with his Jekyll and Hyde season last night, pitching eight innings while getting a career high of nine strikeouts. The Astros won the game 2-1 last night when Eric Munson singled Ty Wigginton with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning. This was the 12th…
Drenched In Blog: Death Comes Ripping
Hey Mr. Death, do you have a quota to meet this year? The higher-ups been sweating you? Seriously dude, is there some sort of really cool show in the afterlife that you are trying to book? Because you have been taking all the cool people lately, especially here in Houston…
You Should’ve Been There: The American Sharks at the Proletariat
The American Sharks The Proletariat August 5, 2007 Click here for a slideshow. A lot of bands use crazy onstage antics and energy to mask the fact that, though their music is good, it ’s pretty mediocre. You see it all the time and these days it’s pretty commonplace and,…
Jesus Ortiz Has a Job to Do
Now, example number 1,637 for why Jesus Ortiz is a lousy journalist — and I can’t believe that I glossed over this earlier. As I stated in my last post, Ortiz wrote that he’s changed his mind about Barry Bonds, and that he’s going to vote for Bonds to go…
Re: The BBC’s Spanish Proposition
As we reported last week, two correspondents from BBC Mundo are currently making their way across Texas and speaking only Spanish. Or so we thought. When I arrived at the Doneraki Mexican restaurant at Gulfgate Mall on Friday afternoon to meet the guys, they immediately started speaking English. “¡No, no!…
Big Baseball Weekend. Real Big.
So kids, how about a few notes from the world of major league baseball? Alex Rodriguez is the youngest player to ever hit 500 home runs. He’s also the best shortstop in baseball. He plays third base because Derek Jeter doesn’t want to move, so that makes Rodriguez the best…
Drenched In Blog: Scarlett Johansson Teams Up with Dave Sitek, Is Totally Hot
Well, my nearly four-year long study has finished, with predictable results. Scarlett Johansson is indeed very hot. After doing extensive study of The Island (seriously, have you ever seen it??), various magazine covers and the trash outside her house, the above conclusion has been made. It was a long and…
Services for Jimmy “T99” Nelson
Dr Roger Wood has passed along the following info regarding farewell events for Jimmy “T-99” Nelson:…
Litton Loan Litigants Granted Class Status (say that five times fast)
Speaking of updates, there’s good news for the folks suing Litton Loan, the Houston-based mortgage servicer: They can proceed with a class-action suit. After two years of legal wrangling, a U.S. District Court judge in California has granted class status to a nationwide group of disgruntled mortgagees. The July 30…
The Screwston Soundtrack
Since I moved over to the near Southwest side, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the South Loop. When I drive to shows downtown, I ease on up to town on 288, and I have a little ritual: Every time I’m on the tall interchange from 610 to…
Why John McMullen, Not Drayton McLane, Is the Best Owner in the History of the Astros
I could spend lots of time bitching about the Astros pitching. But I won’t. I’ve got something else I want to discuss. Once again, we go back to the Chron, specifically to the Astros FanBlog, which apparently is written by just some fan. The Chron’s even slapped a disclaimer on…
It’s Gotta Be the Shoes: Stephon Marbury Talks about Going Global
If you walk into any store looking for athletic shoes, chances are you won’t find “quality” shoes for less than $50. After having lived in poverty as a child, NBA All-Star and Knicks player Stephon Marbury was inspired to “create access for people who can’t afford $150 to $200 shoes,”…
Remember That Beaumont Sex Club?
Tommy “Bo” Granger, former coach at Ozen High School and the so-called Father of 3K, has been acquitted of charges of child indecency, the AP reports. You might remember Granger from this story in the paper version of Houstoned. Judge Layne Walker of the 252nd state District Court said there…
Call It a Pitchers’ Battle (to Surrender Runs)
The guys with the Chron sports department write lots of stupid things. But seeing as how the Astros have played this past week, I wonder if Richard Justice would like to take back this statement: “I would think [Purpura is] hustling to sign Jennings to an extension, but I don’t…
The BBC’s Spanish Proposition
The BBC is coming to Houston. The BBC en español, that is. The idea was to send a team on a two-week long trip across the U.S. speaking only Spanish. Reporter José Baig and producer Carlos Ceresole started in Florida last week and are slowly working their way across the…
Playbill: Dave Knudsen’s Mojo Rises
Dave Knudsen, a rank unknown schoolteacher in suburban Los Angeles, surprised the alt-country world with his 2005 debut, The Weeping City. With studio support from L.A. stalwarts like Tony Gilkyson (X, Randy Weeks), Josh Grange (Dwight Yoakam) and Mike Stinson, producer Charlie McGovern’s bare-walls production accented Knudsen’s broken-man vocals and…
Pathetic: Houston Only Places Fourth in Terms of Unhealthy Commutes
Well, the results are in, and unfortunately, Houston only came in fourth. We’ll all have to do better next time. Oh, what’s the competition, you ask. It’s America’s Unhealthiest Commutes…
Inspiring Tears
The Onion lightens up this dismal Astros season by throwing at Craig Biggio’s head. — Brett Koshkin…
Last Night: Nightfly Goes to the Music Awards
Dana Donovan Click here for more photos. This was my first Music Awards. Nearly three years in the city, and I’ve somehow managed to end up elsewhere on awards night, when the local luminaries roll out to collect their statues. The amateur optimist in me expected to show up and…
Retro Active: 1987, Here We Come
How long is long enough to declare an album truly great? Six months is probably pushing it – sorry, Wincing the Night Away – but 20 years seems safe enough. It’s the traditional span of a generation, or at least it used to be. Casting an eye back on 1987,…
Beyonce: Still Trippin’
Today’s New York Post passes along a juicy nugget of hearsay that a certain super-famous ex-Houstonian prone to tripping onstage will unveil “Diamonds,” her new Emporio Armani fragrance, at Saturday’s Madison Square Garden show. Beyonce herself will presumably be busy trying not to fall down, so 20 “brand ambassadors” will…
DeLorean, SchmeLorean. Where’s My Hoverboard?
One of automotive history’s coolest extinct cars may be brought back to life soon by a Houston company, according to the L.A. Times. DeLorean Motor Company has refurbished the eponymous gull-winged beauties for years, but there are plans afoot to build them from scratch. But with a projected manufacturing capacity…
Fire Drayton McLane. Oh, We Can’t Do That? Bummer. Cuz That’s What Needs to Happen.
Hey, I know how you feel Astros fan. You’re disappointed with the Astros. Especially after the team lost its third game in a row. Especially after the team failed to compete for the third time in a row. Especially after the team gave up 12 runs for the second game…
18th Houston Press Music Awards Marked by Politeness, Bleeding
Although they took home the most statues at the 18th annual Houston Press Music Awards, announced Wednesday evening at Warehouse Live, the evening began somewhat ignominiously for the Dimes. “Some guy hit me in the face when he was walking out,” said guitarist Carlos Sanchez, visibly bleeding from a cut…
They Fought the Law
It’s been a cruel summer for Lil’ Flip. New album I Need Mine is, on the real, a stiff. Worse, he turned himself in and appeared in court last month after being charged with credit-card fraud, having allegedly used stolen plastic to buy a $671 Southwest Airlines ticket from Houston…
Valient Thorr, Riverboat Gamblers
People of Earth, the overlords of Valient Thorr have not come here from their RVT Starship Cruiser to dominate, detain or disembowel us. Nay, these manly mountains of rawk simply offer deliverance from a world of pop-punk high-schoolers, whiny emo brats and blinged-out gangsta wannabes, all of whom would quiver…
Houston Texans Open Practice
These days, free test-drives are all the rage; you can test-drive a car, a mattress, a cell phone or a Netflix subscription. Football fans, now it’s your turn. At the Houston Texans Open Practices, you can watch as the 2007 Texans beat, bump and bruise each other into preseason readiness…
Blue October
It took ten years and four albums, but theatrical mood rockers Blue October finally broke out of the regional scene in 2006 with Foiled. Powered by their hit “Hate Me,” the Houston quintet has become a national headline act in the Maroon 5/ Hoobastank niche of mainstream rock. Not that…
Stage Capsule Reviews
All in the Timing Playwright David Ives is what you might call the king of one-acts. Kooky, subversive and piercingly sharp, his mini-works are as accomplished and complex as anyone else’s full-lengths. Fourteen plays comprise Timing (every now and then, Ives will plug in a new one), companies choose which…
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne Ultimatum opens in Russia as the amnesiac superspy Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) does what he does best: elude capture, crack skulls, brood. Lickety-split he’s en route to Paris, nursing his wounds and breaking out with a bad case of those itchy-scratchy hallucinations known as Hollywood Flashback Syndrome. Choice…
Elaine Greer
About a year ago, we wrote about local duo Bluebirds. Sadly, they aren’t together anymore – in more ways than one. “We broke up,” says Elaine Greer, explaining how the pair’s romantic split led to a musical one. Fortunately, the 19-year-old singer/songwriter is pressing on and continues to write her…
White Linen Night
Following the success of last year’s White Linen Night, organizers in the Heights have decided on a bigger and better sequel. Arts and culture hounds, as well as anyone who appreciates a good drink special, are invited to don their coolest whites for a community event with a vaguely Southern…
Mexican-American Culture
Dear Mexican, Why do Mexicans say “Ojalá Dios quiere!”? Ojalá refers to Allah the Muslim god, and Dios is the Christian god. Do Mexicans want to cover their bases and get a double blessing, or maybe they can’t make up their minds? Qu pas con los dos dioses? White Paddy…
The Houston Shakespeare Festival
Forget the endless rain, the suffocating heat, the blasted bugs — now is the summer of love at the Houston Shakespeare estival. And the smoldering heat onstage at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park will go a long way toward making you forget about the weather outside. The most…
Houston Comets vs. L.A. Sparks
Okay, so the Houston Comets are in second-to-last place, not much of a threat to anyone and certainly not worth having as an archenemy. But back in the day when they were whipping everybody’s ass and going four for four in the championships (gosh, does anyone else miss Cynthia Cooper?),…
Tony’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
If you think there’s only one Tony’s in town, think again. This Tony’s — Tony’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina (2222 Ella Blvd., 713-862-6516) — is a delightfully old-fashioned place that specializes in enchiladas. And there are none finer than the enchiladas de marisco ($10.95), a delicious combination of sautéed shrimp…
Infernal Bridegroom Productions shuts down amid financial questions; Galveston development
Infernal Bridegroom Productions has long been a reliably popular theater group out on the “edgy” edge of the local arts scene. Just last year, they received national acclaim via a huge New York Times story and review of Speeding Motorcycle, the premiere of a rock opera featuring Daniel Johnston songs…
“Lynda Benglis: Wax Paintings & Ceramic Sculptures”
Wearing only sunglasses and standing with a huge, veined dildo emerging from between her legs, Lynda Benglis appeared gleaming and naked in an ad in the November 1974 issue of ArtForum. The ad caused an art-world scandal. Texas Gallery had already been showing Benglis for two years when it came…
“Residential Architecture 1948-1966”
Architecture in Houston is kind of like news in George Orwell’s 1984. It’s destroyed, replaced and forgotten pretty quickly. So it’s a testament to Hugo V. Neuhaus, Jr.’s talent that many buildings of the late local architect are not only standing, but cherished. Neuhaus’s work is on display in pictures,…
The Lower End Theory
UrbanDictionary.com defines “lowlife” as “one who lives on a low budget, drinks heavily, and often forgets about common priorities in order to party first.” But a lowlife may also be a part, or fan, of Houston hip-hop crew Lower Life Form: someone who resides in the South and believes drinking…
Art Capsule Reviews
“The Big Show 2007” Juror Rita Gonzalez, assistant curator of special exhibitions for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has managed to keep the crap quotient pretty low for “The Big Show 2007.” Most of the unsuccessful work is only bad in an innocuous way, and she has managed…
Tuna Does Vegas
The homespun characters of Tuna, Texas are back and ready to roll the dice for a whole lot of fun. They’re heading off to Sin City in the world premiere of Tuna Does Vegas. The fourth installment in the Greater Tuna series stars the original dynamic duo — Jaston Williams…
Our top DVD picks scheduled for release this week
The Archie Show: The Complete Series (Genius) Babylon 5: The Lost Tales (Warner Bros.) The Best of the Kids in the Hall: Volume 2 (A&E) Bloodlines (THINKfilm) Creature (MGM) A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (Docurama) Dallas: The Complete Seventh Season (Warner Bros.) Film Noir Classic Collection: Vol. 4 (Warner…
By the End of Tonight
Calling all drummers: By the End of Tonight is in the market for one. If you’re interested, you can check out the instrumental rockers today, but don’t think it will be a walk in the park — these guys channel the likes of Mike Patton and Squarepusher mastermind Tom Jenkinson…
Mom’s Hand Restaurant
I leaned forward over the bowl full of deep red broth and springy noodles to keep them from dripping all over. I even tried to fend off the soup splatters with a paper napkin. It worked for a while. But eventually I became so engrossed in the chewy Korean pasta,…
Artists’ Lofts
No one knows for sure when the first Paleolithic cave-dweller stuck a mammoth tail in crushed-up berries and began painting stick figures on the wall of his rocky abode, but you can bet the market value of the neighboring caves instantly went up. Nothing gentrifies a neighborhood, for better or…
Porgy & Bess
A former Houstonian, tenor David Brewer leads the excitement when the Houston Ebony Opera presents highlights from the Gershwin classic Porgy & Bess. Rich, vibrant and ultimately heartbreaking, Porgy & Bess’s most loved songs include “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and, of course, “I Loves…
The Simpsons Movie
The less that is said about the plot of the long fabled, finally arrived Simpsons Movie the better; I know this instinctively, as a member of that particular segment of geekdom most psyched and apprehensive about its unveiling. I’m talking about the people who ask, “Does it suck?” then prayerfully…
Trick Play
Publisher: 2K Sports
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: E (for Everyone)
Score: 7 (out of 10)
“China Under Construction: Contemporary Art from the People’s Republic
The more than 20 artists in “China Under Construction: Contemporary Art from the People’s Republic” leave the candy-coated, pop imagery of Chinese art behind to embrace a more realistic, dramatic view of industrialized China today. The show features video, photography, sculpture, installation and performance. For the video Lady’s, Cui Xiuwen…
Fuzz Busters
Hot Fuzz (Universal) The second feature from writer-director Edgar Wright and writer-star Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) has been available on home video for decades: Hot Fuzz is, after all, a witty and wisecracking montage of clips from some hundred-plus A-list and bargain-bin action films, chief among them Lethal…
Behind the Scenes: HMNS Hall of Paleontology
They say Jurassic Park is fictional, but did you know that dinosaurs aren’t actually extinct? They’ve evolved into birds, says David Temple, associate curator of paleontology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, speaking to us from a dig site in north Texas. He’ll be back in town to lead…
Mail Call
Excellent job: Thank you for the article about the coin guys defrauding the elderly [“Heads You Lose, Tails You Lose,” by Todd Spivak, July 19]. You did an excellent job. I just hope everyone in the country reads your article, because my mother is still depressed over this (and she…
KAY’S LOUNGE
I have a habit of watching bad late-night TV, especially when it involves sets of 87 knives for the low, low price of $99. They almost hooked me during a Krazy Katana special, but I opted to spend my money at Kay’s Lounge (2324 Bissonnet, 713-521-0010) instead. I’ve been coming…
“Lunch Films”
“It is all literally an accident,” says Mike Plante of “Lunch Films.” The short-films program got started when Plante took his friend, shorts filmmaker James Fotopoulos, out to lunch. “He found out [the restaurant] was cash-only, and he was like, ‘Dude, I don’t have any cash.’” Plante paid for Fotopoulos’s…
Local Motion
Sound Revolution Records and Tapes 1312 FM 1960 West, 281-444-5454 1. Evans Blue, The Pursuit Begins When This Portrayal of Life Ends 2. Chamillionaire, Mixtape Messiah III 3. Linkin Park, Minutes to Midnight 4. Maroon 5, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long 5. Incubus, Light Grenades 6. Marilyn Manson, Eat…
Ty Barnett
Ty Barnett has solutions to the world’s many problems. The comedian’s stand-up routines include ways to reduce crime (if we raise gas prices, drive-by shootings will go down), do better in business (someone should try advertising on homeless people’s signs) and improve public safety (instead of using colors to denote…
Elisabeth Smith
If you believe that ancient peoples communicated with extraterrestrials and even explored interstellar space, Elisabeth Smith’s visually engaging paintings may resemble antediluvian star maps. Smith’s highly contrasting color palette (yellows and oranges paired with blues and greens) tints a kind of primitive snapshot of the cosmos just moments after the…
Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, UGK, Pharoahe Monch, David Banner, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, Supernatural, Rahzel
“This year’s festivals aren’t just the biggest or best shows in hip-hop,” claims Rock the Bells founder Chang Weisberg. “They are some of the most important musical experiences overall.” Lofty claims, but this hip-hop caravan’s scope and lineup is enough to back them up. This year, Rock the Bells debuts…
Shelley Calton
If the words “roller derby” evoke aggression and a kind of grungy sexuality, Shelley Calton’s photography series “Hard Knocks: Rolling with the Derby Girls” reveals the sport’s introspective, philosophical side (it does exist). Whether it’s an image of worn, wheel-less skates, a huddle of skaters decked out in fishnet stockings…
Randy Twaddle
“This isn’t going to be an art history lesson!” says Randy Twaddle emphatically of his upcoming “The Artist’s Eye” gallery talk on Robert Rauschenberg. “I’m really going to talk about the history of Rauschenberg’s influence on me — or lack thereof. Turns out that Rauschenberg is somebody that I used…
Studio Magick Black
I have no idea what the name means, but if the music on Studio Magick Black’s MySpace site offers any clue to what these local rockers have in mind, it has something to do with riff-heavy rock of the monolithic, boulder-rolling-down-a-mountain, amps-to-11 kind. Think Blue Cheer jamming with Skynyrd, or…
Chris Porter
“[T]his guy seems to be the reincarnation of Bill Hicks,” one YouTube poster commented about a clip of Chris Porter performing on Last Comic Standing. This, of course, is blasphemy, but Porter does have a certain semblance to the late, great Hicks. Both attack American norms and have a grimy,…
Knife in the Water
There are many reasons not to pick up a hitchhiker. He could smell, he could want money, he could be a murderer, he could be an attractive young man who turns on the charm whenever your wife comes around, or he could be all of the above. This is what…
Lovemakers, Riff Tiffs
Like with Spoon, being dropped from a major label might be the best thing that ever happened to the Lovemakers. The Bay Area group, anchored around ex-couple Scott Blond and Lisa Light — who were kicked out of their previous band for making out during practice — released 2005’s Times…
Harvest Festival
We thought making your own wine was just for clever prison inmates. But at Messina Hof’s Harvest Festival, you can pluck grapes from the winery’s picturesque vineyard, stomp them (yes, with your bare feet) into ferment-ready pulp and stamp your feet on a commemorative T-shirt. Pricier packages for the festival…
Yvonne Washington
Singer Yvonne Washington remembers the first time she played at the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Mixers, Elixers & IMAX event. “I didn’t know what to expect, and so I brought just a two-piece. Man, I think about 600 people showed up,” she laughs. “And they were ready to party!…
Exile on Main Street
Screw the haters — Million Year Dance is awesome. A stripped-down, acoustic version of the mystical Montrosian rocker band closed out Music Awards night at Livé with a transfixing set. Jonathan Welch’s soaring tenor is a municipal treasure, and it’s a little bit perplexing trying to figure out just why…
Calvin Owens Orchestra, Barbara Lynn, Evelyn Rubio, Pete Mayes, Rue Davis, Tweed Smith
Even a full generation, maybe more, removed from Houston’s heyday as a top-tier blues town, loads of people still consider it the place to be, and they might be right. One reason is that every kind of music that’s put H-town on the map since, from ZZ Top’s backdoor love…
Tyrone Vaughan
In music circles, having a last name like Vaughan is sure to whip heads around. Austin’s Tyrone Vaughan has dropped the hyphenated Fullerton from his last name and embraced the mantle of Austin guitar-slingers the Vaughan brothers Stevie Ray and Jimmy — which is only proper since his father is…
Young Americans Comedy Tour
Start your guys’ night out with the Young Americans Comedy Tour. The showcase features four up-and-coming comedians who lean toward testosterone-fueled humor. Leading off the evening is former Skid Row drummer Phil Varone. (Wait, isn’t this the Young Americans Comedy Tour? Dude is like 40 — we’re just saying…) Varone…
The 17th Annual Houston International Jazz Festival
Eric Roberson and Anthony David will likely be two of the biggest draws at this year’s Houston International Jazz Festival. Some may see this as ironic, considering neither man actually plays jazz. However, if you’re already a fan, that shouldn’t be much of a problem — you’ll be too psyched…
T.I., Yung Joc, Ciara, T-Pain, Lloyd
In terms of hot summer bangers, 2007 is being dragged like roadkill underneath 2006’s whip. Both T.I.’s Grammy-winning “What You Know” and Yung Joc’s grower “It’s Goin’ Down” still get plenty of face time on the radio and in the club. So what about this summer? Sadly, most of the…
Mary Margaret Carlisle
Writer/editor Mary Margaret Carlisle has an easy answer to the question “What is poetry?” “It is your voice / and not so much / what you say / but that you say it” (from her poem What is Poetry). Now, answering the question “Why write?” is a little harder. “The…
Forbidden Zone
Before Danny Elfman was penning sound tracks for The Nightmare Before Christmas, he was part of The Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo, a zany, cabaret-style performance troupe. He and his brother Richard Elfman eventually toned the act down and became just Oingo Boingo, but before it was all said and…