Half-Off Savings at Yorktown Deli & Coffee Or Yorktown Lite Nites, Plus More Tasty Deals Around Town
Today’s Houston Press Voice Daily deal is good for 50 percent off ($5 for $10) at either Yorktown Deli and Coffee or Yorktown Lite Nites at Friendly Pop Up Kitchen. Two restaurants, one location, one great deal. Spend your voucher at Yorktown Deli and Coffee Monday through Friday, 8 a.m…
Smooth Criminal: Kinda Cool Looking Dude Sought for Bank Robbery
Seriously, check this cat out. According to a release from the FBI, the guy in the photo strolled (I assume he didn’t just walk) into a Bank of America loacated at 7910 Bissonett just before 2 p.m. Saturday August 24. He walked up to the teller and handed over a…
Neon Boots, Texas’ Biggest Country LGBT Bar, is Open for Business
When I ventured out to Neon Boots on Saturday, August 24, I was ready for a crowd, but I wasn’t quite anticipating what I found. As I made my way down Hempstead, it was suddenly apparent that Neon Boots was not only a huge success, but the biggest bar opening…
Houston Man Charged in 4-State Dogfighting Bust
A Houston man arrested in a four-state, multi-agency investigation into dogfighting ring resulting in the seizure of 367 pitbulls won nearly $35,000 after one fight, according to a recently unsealed indictment. Demontt “Wheelchair” Allen, 37, and 11 others have been charged in an Alabama federal court for their alleged participation…
Hands on a Hardbody: Now You Can Listen to it Before it Comes to TUTS
I was first introduced to the 1997 documentary Hands on a Hardbody as a master’s student at Sam Houston State University. A close friend shared her VHS copy of S.R. Bindler’s acclaimed film with as many people as she could. Soon, our whole circle of friends would quote the film…
50 States of Song Part 1: Alabama to Georgia
When I was in third grade I learned all 50 states in alphabetical order thanks to a catchy tune. Now I’m hoping to stick that bit of trivia in your heads this week, just in time for the new school year by celebrating each state with an appropriate song. Alabama:…
Skeeters to Host Speed Dating Event
Sometimes when you’re single, you have to throw caution to the wind. In some cases, this means one too many apple martinis and a handsy dance partner at some bar you’ve never even considered going into before tonight. Other times, it’s speed dating…I guess. I’ve never really understood the concept,…
Upcoming: Benny Benassi, Lisa Marie Presley, Danzig, J Cole, etc
Action Bronson: With Flatbush Zombies., Fri., November 8, 8 p.m., $20 to $25. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston, 713-225-5483. The Adicts: With The Hates., Sat., September 21, 7 p.m., $20. Scout Bar, 18307 Egret Bay, Houston, 281-335-0002. Allen Shamblin: Tue., October 29, 8 p.m., $55. Dosey Doe, 25911 I-45…
A Community Celebration: The 2013 Houston Theater Awards Ceremony Recap
Monday night is, historically speaking, a quiet night in the world of theater. Last night was different, as many in the Houston theater community came together to celebrate the Houston Theater Awards. It was not a stuffy ceremony of assigned seating and polite applause; this was a party, and before…
Weather Week: As Rain Clears, The Tropics Get Busy
Despite the gloomy conditions the past few days, Houston and the surrounding area hasn’t received a lot of rain. On average about a half to three-quarters of an inch of rain has fallen since Saturday, but we’ll take what we can get. Most of the rain has been due to…
Black Flag at Walters, 8/26/2013
Black Flag and Good for You Walters Downtown August 26, 2013 News that hardcore punk legends Black Flag were heading through Walters on their current tour of the U.S. and Australia inspired no small amount of excitement around these parts. After all, the band hasn’t played Houston (or much of…
Linsanity The Movie Trailer Hits the Interwebs
As if the hype for the upcoming NBA season, specifically for the hometown Houston Rockets, could not get any weirder, we bring you Linsanity, the movie. Between Dwight Howard’s trips to Aspen and China, James Harden’s commercials and Chandler Parsons being singlehandedly transformed into “the man who landed Howard,” it’s…
His Noodly Appendage: Texas “Pastafarian” Wears Colander as Religious Headgear in Driver’s License Photo
Nice strainer.A heathen follower of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has scored a point for infidels in the Lone Star State, by successfully insisting he be allowed to wear a colander on his head for his driver’s license photo. “Once she allowed me to, I put the pasta…
Wingtoberfest Is Back, But First We Need Your Help!
For the past two years, Eating Our Words’ Wingtoberfest has been a beloved tradition in which we gather together and stuff ourselves silly with wings and craft beer in honor of…in honor of…OK, it doesn’t need to honor anything. Wings are delicious, and beer is delicious, and that’s why we…
Rocks Off 100: Melane Gutierrez, The Coffin Queen
Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. See the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who: 13 Black Coffins is…
Doctor Who: The Mysterious History of the Eighth Doctor
This week I have the joy of presenting 1996’s Doctor Who: The Movie at Alamo Drafthouse, starring Paul McGann’s the Eighth Doctor and for reasons that will never be fully appreciated Eric Roberts as The Master. Thus began a period in Doctor Who history that is to this day hotly…
“Room Divider” Proves Susannah Mira’s Flair for Plywood Precision
It would be artistically stifling to refer to Susannah Mira as a master woodsman, right? By definition, a woodsman is “a person who lives in the woods or who is skilled in woodcraft.” Like master craftsman, the designation reeks of male privilege, but alternative titles are no better: lumberjack, river…
Cake Decorating 101: Caramel Upside Down Pear Cake
If you’ve been following our series on cake decorating over the last two months,then you’re probably looking for a little breather. That’s why, this week, we’re letting the oven do the work and introducing you to upside down cake with pears. If you’re going to tackle this it better be…
New “Bootleg Series” Edition Revisits Reviled Period for Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10 Columbia/Legacy “What is this shit?” It is the most famous review opening line in all of rock journalism. And it was penned by Rolling Stone’s Greil Marcus in 1970 in an attempt to explain the unexplainable Bob Dylan Self…
Zapruder Analysis Of Gorilla Pool Dunk Video (Literally, There’s A Gorilla!)
In the summer of 2013, swimming pool dunks are zooming right past varsity sport status and into the 2016 Olympics. That’s just a fact. As August rapidly dwindles to nothing, the caliber of swimming pool alley oop specials that the internet continues to give us gets better and better, with…
At Your Service: Top 10 Etiquette Tips for Restaurant Servers
Waiting tables is no longer the venerable position that it once was in America before World War II. It’s still a fairly prestigious job in much of Europe, but even in the United States, waiters used to pay for the right to work at good restaurants. If a head waiter…
25 More Legendary Houston Music Venues
When Rocks Off published our choices for “Houston’s Top 25 Closed Music Venues” back in July, we knew all along there would be a Part 2. We just didn’t know how many were left. Today, after excavating the memories of 25 more, we’re still probably not done. Please let us…
So You’ve Accidentally Shown Your Four-Year-Old Naked, Bloody Vampires
I am a pretty lenient parent when it comes to what I allow The Daughter With One F to see, as folks here who have read about our mutual obsession with Doctor Who will already know. I can’t help it. I saw Jaws: The Revenge in theaters when I was…
Astros Rake in the Cash While the Team Falters and Fans Can’t Watch on TV
One of the best ways to increase corporate profits is to layoff people. The cutting of salary increases profits by lowering expenses and is usually met with praise from investors who see such moves as a sign the company is streamlining and becoming more efficient. On the other hand, if…
French Fry Heaven Opens in The Woodlands Mall: Not Your Average Fries
Anything in the food court at a mall is never the most delicious or sought after food. But French Fry Heaven in The Woodlands Mall is trying to bring something different to the usual pizza, cheeseburgers and cookies found at every other food court concession stand. Ever since I was…
Rex Ryan’s Season Long Meltdown Has Begun (w/ VIDEO)
Admittedly, compared to many of my peers and counterparts, I haven’t been doing this media thing all that long. Six years is all. It’s longer than a mere few months, but it’s far from a lifetime. Also, I’ve covered teams day to day in just one city, Houston. I haven’t…
The Top Five Stunt Queen Antics From Last Night’s MTV VMAs
Can we just rename last night’s MTV VMAs the MTV JTMAs? Cause really, now. Mr. Justin Timberlake dominated that stage the entire night, even with Lady Gaga warbling off-key and Miley Cyrus grabbing at her crotch every two seconds. It was teh impressive. JT performed a medley of what seemed…
Investigating Food in Film: Peanut Butter and Oreos in The Parent Trap
It’s little surprise many famous movie scenes involve food; there’s a certain pleasure in watching characters eat the foods we enjoy in real life or grapple with the familiar challenges of cooking, say, lobsters. But have you ever been watching a film and someone mentions a food you’ve never heard…
Horse Head Theater Takes The Aliens Behind the Bar for a Unique Experience
The set-up: Youngish playwright Annie Baker now has a third second play of hers produced in Houston, after Circle Mirror Transformation at the Alley Theatre and Body Awareness from the Stark Naked Theatre Company, as the Horse Head Theatre Company produces The Aliens. This work features two slackers and a…
Appeal Filed in Animal Crush Video Case
Four months after a federal judge dismissed charges against a Houston couple who created animal torture videos because the statute was unconstitutional, federal prosecutors have filed an appeal arguing that the judge ruled in error. Crush videos “are unprotected under the First Amendment for the same reasons that child pornography…
Video Game High School: Pwned for the Holidays
Series producer Matthew Arnold continuously warned me that the fifth episode of Video Game High School would be a big shake-up to the established order of things. Every hint he dropped made me hope for a Christmas special because I freakin’ love Christmas specials! I wasn’t disappointed. They call it…
Top 5 Appetizing T-Shirts For Foodies
The worlds of food and fashion have collided before, not always to appetizing or affordable results. Clothing can be a terrific way to wave your foodie freak flag, and when done right, gastronomic apparel can be great fun, comfortable, and even figure-flattering (’cause of course you want to be able…
Underworld Gets a Cyber Sister Night at Numbers
For a guy that makes his living covering the local music and art scene here in Houston I don’t go out much. The wife is in school, and night time is when she studies while I bribe our child into dinner and bed. This last week was a rare night…
It’s College Football Quiz Time (for Houston and Texas)
Another college football season kicks off this weekend. The national media focus, as always, is on Alabama, LSU, and the schools of the SEC. There’s a bunch of interest just up in the road in College Station, with the Aggies being relevant to the world of college football for the…
The Bialy: So Much More Than A Holeless Bagel
Who knew idly researching The Producers online would introduce me to a new food? While looking up info on the film’s co-protagonist, Max Bialystock (famously portrayed by Zero Mostel in the original movie), I hit the “enter” key a bit prematurely and landed on a page explaining the origins of…
JAMerica: Scene Reveals More Than Just Hippies and Noodling
JAMerica: The History of the Jam Band and Festival Scene By Peter Conners Da Capo Press, 320 pp., $25.99 “Hippies and noodling are lazy signifiers tossed up to fill the vacuum of word-count deadlines,” Peter Conners writes about the perceptions of “jam” bands in his new book JAMerica. And it’s…
Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays Presents Master Work By Established Playwrights
The set-up: Nine short plays with a common theme – gay marriage – by established playwrights have been gathered into an evening of entertainment. The plays avoid polemics, proselytizing, and anger, and instead center on loving, long-term relationship, newly-mets, and articulate, voluble mothers. The execution: The audience is addressed directly,…
Texans-Saints: 4 Winners, 4 Losers (Governor Christie’s Pants Edition)
They say the third preseason game is the one that’s supposed to most closely resemble a regular season game. With most of the starters (the available ones, at least) playing a full half, the game against the Saints Sunday was supposed to give Texan fans a decent glimpse at what’s…
Breaking Bad: Walt, the Monster
I failed to mention last week in my recap the meth-shoot-out-blood-fest that occurred at the hand (the very bony and feminine hand) of Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (Laura Fraser) because I had a sneaking suspicion the whole ordeal would be coming back real soon. It did. This week’s Breaking Bad opened with…
Sofar Houston Feat. The Suffers, 8/23/2013
Sofar Houston (Songs From A Room) The Suffers, The Caldwell, Arthur Yoria Secret Location August 23, 2013 The premise is intriguing and creative: hold an exclusive, invitation only concert in a non-traditional venue (like a living room), without charging a cover at the door, specify BYOB, and accept donations for…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 91 Lobster Cake Benedict at Sorrel Urban Bistro
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. Just as Katharine Shilcutt did before her, and Robb Walsh before that, Kaitlin will eat and learn as she goes, compiling a list of…
Dear Mystery METRO Police Complainer: What The Hell Are You Trying To Say?
What’s going on over at METRO Police Department? That’s what Hair Balls has been wondering ever since we got this flier (aka flyer aka handbill) in the mail with a picture of Metro Police Chief Victor Gama Rodriguez with the words “vote of NO confidence” typed above it and the…
Robert Boswell Peoples His New Novel Tumbledown with Familiar Characters
Houston author Robert Boswell has an unusual dedication in his latest book, Tumbledown. The novel is for ”all the clients who survived my tenure as a counselor and to the one who didn’t.” Boswell, who’s appearing in the Inprint: Margarett Root Brown Reading Series: Robert Boswell and James McBride presentation…
What’s Cooking This Week? Gazpacho, Shrimp Bruschetta, & More
I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don’t make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient’s I’ve bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter…
Houston’s 10 Hottest Female Singers
Lately I have had the pleasure of reporting on a lot of our city’s female front women, and let me tell you something; they are a good-looking bunch. We don’t just grow good sets of pipes in Houston, we make sure the packaging is first rate as well. Today we…
Saints 31, Texans 23: Offense Shines, But Can They Stop The Big Plays?
Photo by Marco TorresMatt Schaub had a productive outing, especially when targeting Andre Johnson.The result by itself doesn’t matter. Despite losing to the Saints, the Texans had a mostly good day from a big-picture standpoint. They put up nearly 500 yards of offense (496) against a competent opponent. They came…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Week: Black Flag, Paul Ramirez Band, Alice In Chains, etc.
Black Flag Walters, August 26 Just to be clear, this is the Black Flag fronted by Greg Ginn, the transplanted Central Texan who in late-’70s L.A. founded one of the most aggressive, influential bands American rock has ever seen. It’s not a stretch to say that within the punk world,…
The Houston Valet Conundrum
There are a lot of things Houstonians hate. Humidity. Bad barbecue. The city of Dallas. But there are few more contentious topics in the Bayou City than valet parking. When I first moved here, the whole valet situation was confusing to me. We’re not New York City. We do have…
Dave Chappelle is on the Comeback Trail, but He’s Got a Long Way to Go
Around five minutes into his Saturday night set, in the midst of a bit about hiring Paula Deen as his personal chef, Dave Chappelle said a line, laughed, shook his body and smiled. If you’ve ever watched any of his standup specials, it’s the move he does when he’s surprised…
New Book Explores Houston Hip-Hop’s Fertile Roots
Ed. note: Before now, the history of Houston hip-hop has existed in the archives at Rice University (Swishahouse) and the University of Houston, as well as the songs themselves. But someone has finally written it all down in book form. Maco L. Faniel is a Houston native, hip-hop fan and…
Ryan Braun’s E-Mail Apology Gets Put in Society’s SPAM Folder
After spinning a web of lies that dates back God knows how long, after leaving a trail of jilted friends and defamed sample collectors that stretches from coast to coast, after now yanking an entire baseball franchise completely into harm’s way, and finally getting caught, the decent thing for Milwaukee…
The Book of Mormon: Missionaries Spreading the Good Word (But There’s Bad Words Too in This One)
Grey Henson boasts a babyish face and is 6’3″ tall — a combination that probably isn’t right for every part but turned out to be perfect for that of Elder McKinley, the somewhat repressed missionary in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon. Matt Stone and Trey…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 92 Homeroom at Bernie’s Burger Bus
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. Just as Katharine Shilcutt did before her, and Robb Walsh before that, Kaitlin will eat and learn as she goes, compiling a list of…
Why Aren’t There Any Books About the Astros?
Esquire recently published a list of the 20 best nonfiction baseball books. I have read most of these books, as well as lots of baseball books not listed. But the list got me to thinking. I’ve yet to come across a really good baseball book devoted to the Houston Astros…
Summer TV Club: Doctor Who “Vincent and the Doctor”
You knew it was coming, and as summer draws to a close (in October, since this is Houston), Jef felt that our readers had suffered long enough without the TV Club watching and ruminating on a Doctor Who episode. The episode in question is from the 5th Season, “Vincent and…
Can’t Look Away: The Top 10 MTV VMA Shenanigans
We’re looking forward to Sunday’s Video Music Awards, because despite MTV’s relative lameness these days, the VMA shenanigans still can’t be topped. Musicians come out sporting some of their worst behavior, resulting in a room full of egos and alcohol that generally leads to some pretty awesome antics. In anticipation…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Philippe Verpiand of Etoile and His Classic French Cuisine
This is the third part of a three-part Chef Chat series. If you missed our previous posts, you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. This week, we sat down for a lively chat with chef Philippe Verpiand of Etoile, a French chef who, from an early age,…
Noodle Me Crazy: First Annual Great Ramen Challenge at Ikea Draws Huge Crowds
Ramen was the name of the game last night at the First Annual Great Ramen Challenge held at Ikea. Six sous chefs got their chance to shine as they competed for a golden ramen trophy and bragging rights as the creator of the best bowl of ramen made with $3…
Summer of Johnny: Revenge of the Chancellor
I’m not gonna lie. I miss Johnny Football. No, not Johnny Manziel the risk-taking, freewheeling beast of a quarterback who tortured SEC defenses last season to the tune of over 5,000 yards of total offense. We’ve heard rumblings of his existence at Texas A&M’s practices, and I know someday (like…
Ted Nugent at House of Blues, 8/22/2013
Ted Nugent House of Blues August 22, 2013 Music and politics go hand in hand. Ever since the first person put lyrics to a beat, politics have been involved. Ted Nugent and politics also go hand in hand, which was obvious from the moment he hit the stage at House…
Maybe Now We’ll Finally Have a Good Batman: Ben Affleck is the New Dark Knight
Last night the Internet exploded after the announcement that Ben Affleck would be playing Batman in the film currently known as Batman vs. Superman. From what Twitter tells me, most people are not happy about this choice, mostly because Ben Affleck is not Jon Hamm. This is weird mostly because…
Houston Restaurant Weeks: Sparrow Bar + Cookshop
What they’re up to for Restaurant Weeks: Monica Pope’s Sparrow Bar + Cookshop is offering a two-course HRW lunch menu ($20) and a three-course HRW dinner menu ($45). Service/Atmosphere: I had not been to Sparrow since the name change/concept shift, and it was fun to revisit a space I enjoy…
The Beaumonts Love the Lord, Just Not Nashville Autotune Pop Cowboys
Troy Wayne Delco, fearless leader of the Beaumonts, is not your average alt-country fool. Or tool. No, Mr. Delco is an extraordinary alt-country fool, a buffoon of Country Dick Montana stature, a bard of Mojo Nixonesque talent careening about as far into the bar ditch as he can take his…
Ask Ron Paul (Almost) Anything on Reddit
Ron Paul did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit, and we over at Hair Balls are finding it to be a glorious exercise in that most ancient of arts, the political strip tease, the kind where they pretend to take it all off, but you never even see a sexy…
The Whiskey Sour: 143 Years Young! Celebrate this Sunday, August 25
The whiskey sour was my first cocktail I every ordered (legally) at a bar. I was having a rather angsty college semester and asked the bartender at Daedalus to recommend a drink that was boozy but sweet. I think he could tell I was a neophyte in the world of…
Texas Author Mark Gimenez Launches a New Series with Con Law
Novelist Mark Gimenez won’t have far to travel to his Saturday reading and signing session at Houston’s Murder by the Book; he’s coming in from Fort Worth, where he lives and practices law. Even measured in Texas miles, it’s a short trip in comparison to many of his other appearances…
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst: The Guy to Call If You’re Arrested
When you’re arrested there’s always a question of who to call, but if you happen to be related to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who to call is a no-brainer. Dewhurst’s stepsister’s daughter-in-law was arrested in Allen for allegedly failing to pay for $57 worth of groceries. Now, for the normal…
Upcoming Events: Miracle Fruit and Miracle Fundraisers for People in Need
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is hosting a class on Wednesday, August 28, to introduce intrepid diners to miracle fruit. The miracle fruit, whose scientific name is Synsepalum dulcificum is native to West Africa and has recently experienced a bit of a revival in interest due to its popularity…
UPDATED Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing: Delves Into Truth, Relationships and People Messing With Each Other
Editor’s note: The run for The Real Thing has been extended through October 6. Main Street Theater returns to favorite playwright Tom Stoppard (its 17th production of one of his works) with The Real Thing, a Tony Award-winning comedy (Best Play in 1984, Best Revival in 2000) set in the…
Black Flag and the Five Most Insulting Punk ‘Reunions’ of All Time
On Monday, a band calling itself Black Flag is going to set up and play some tunes at Walters Downtown. For some of us, this is a pretty big deal. If you were too young or two fucked-up to remember the legendary L.A. punks’ storied early-’80s heyday, this gig likely…
Michael Brown Sues the Guy He Hired to Save His Companies
Here’s a riddle: What do you do when you are facing sentencing in federal court for choking a flight attendant after telling her you wanted to “fuck” her and a co-worker, while at the same time ignoring another judge’s bench warrant for your arrest? Well, if you’re Michael “Act Like…
Houston’s Top 10 Gay Bars, Clubs & Icehouses
As our sister blog Eating…Our Words does, from time to time Rocks Off will be giving your our picks for the top taverns in various Houston-area neighborhoods. Of course, the lines can be porous, but here anything with a TABC license that cannot reasonably be considered either a restaurant, coffeehouse…
Openings & Closings: Surprising Shutterings and Provocative Plans
There were about as many openings as closings this week (way to maintain an equilibrium, Houston!), but we did get news of many upcoming restaurants with plans to open in the next several months. First, the bad news. CultureMap reports that River Oaks Coffee House at the corner of Edloe…
100 Creatives 2013: Kiki Maroon, The Sexy Sordid Clown
Who She Is: Perhaps you’ve heard about Kiki’s Sordid Sideshow, and perhaps not. Possibly you did and you heard that clowns were involved and you quite reasonably went scurrying in the other direction. That is a perfectly understandable response. The truth is that Kiki Maroon is the mastermind and driving…
Gary Kubiak Officially Takes “That’s on Me” to a Whole New Level
I’ve spoken privately and on the radio to literally dozens of Texans players during the Gary Kubiak Era, and whether it’s been a role player, a star player, a veteran or an undrafted rookie, unequivocally their assessment of Gary Kubiak as a person has been the same: They all love…
Top Five Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Pauly Shore, I Declare War, Oddball Comedy Fest with Dave Chappelle and More
Continuing the Shore family’s stand-up comedy legacy, Pauly Shore might get a little nostalgic during his two-day stint at Houston’s Improv starting Friday. After all, Shore’s manic mentor was the late laff king Sam Kinison, who cut his comedy baby teeth on Houston’s revered stand-up stages. Shore is like Kinison…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Hickoids, Fat Tony, Houston Global Jam, etc.
The Hickoids Rudyard’s, August 23 To borrow the song’s title, the Hickoids followed the style of drug-ridden, disheveled rock and roll the Rolling Stones perfected on Exile on Main Street all down the line. Formed in the mid-’80s by fellow Ramones fans Jeff Smith and Davy Jones, the San Antonio…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Good Vibes, Good Dogs and Good Coffee
Good Vibes Party @ Liberty Station Friday, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. 2101 Washington Bravado Spice is at it again with their second Good Vibes Party after the great success of their first fête in July that attracted 300 people. The parties are the brainchild of James Nelson and his…
Has Lady Gaga Jumped the Shark, or Is This One Strange Comeback?
Maybe other than rap and rock, pop music is the land of hypothetical questions, a big fun bag of “what if” moments and Monday-morning quarterbacking. We’ll forever wonder about that Britney Spears period where she went gonzo, why Christina thought her “Dirrty” days circa Stripped made for a good career…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Philippe Verpiand on Working Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Moving to Houston, and His Favorite Dishes
This is the second part of a three-part Chef Chat series. You can read Part 1 here and Part 3 in this same space Friday. Yesterday, we chatted with chef and owner Philippe Verpiand of Etoile about growing up in Provence in a family of butchers, going to culinary school…
Astros Rookie Gets First Career RBI with Face, Team Still Loses
When you suck, the universe finds ways to remind you on a daily basis, and the Astros really suck. Unfortunately for rookie catcher Max Stassi, the universe decided the best way to remind the Astros just how terrible their season is was to have him take a pitch to the…
Top 10 Video Game YouTube Channels
YouTube is very, very heavily slanted towards video game coverage, and there are several channels that you should absolutely subscribe to if you want to stay connected with the best of the culture. These are the ten I’ve found make for a great afternoon wasting away talking about games. Special…
Suggestions for What to Put in Place of the Downtown Macy’s
On September 22, the downtown Macy’s (formerly Foley’s for you olds) will be imploded. to make way for…well, we just don’t know. So far, mum’s the word on what will take its place other than a giant hole in the ground, but that should only be temporary. Anyway, given the…
Icona Pop at Fitzgerald’s, 8/21/2013
Icona Pop, K.Flay, Sirah Fitzgerald’s August 21, 2013 Twice this year I have gone to major music shows where someone has thrown on Icona Pop’s breakthrough single “I Love It” and thousands of people have lost their minds. It’s one of those infectious tracks that a lot of people just…
Cap’n Crunch French Toast: Simple, But Oh So Good
One of my biggest cereal weaknesses is Cap’n Crunch. Next to Froot Loops, it is one of those cereal boxes I just can’t keep my hands out of. Because I love me some Cap’n Crunch cereal, I decided to find a creative way to incorporate it into another favorite breakfast…
Keep Calm and Carry the Ball: Foster Returns to the Texans
Preseason football is a fascinating and often frustrating portion of the year. On one hand, there is intrigue and discussion. After a long season of the Astros sucking yet again, it’s a welcome relief to see guys in pads knocking the crap out of each other in the blistering heat…
Do Your Spouse a Favor… Tell Them When You’re a Crappy Parent
The Wife With One F has been going to school to get her nursing degree for more than a year now. That’s more than a year of night school and part time jobs to save up, ten hour clinicals, 17 course hours in twelve weeks, and just in general the…
Masraff’s: A Gem of a Wine List Where You’d Least Expect It
The Houston wine scene is exploding — literally. Between the newly launched Houston Sommelier Association, the growing number of local Master Sommelier and Society of Wine Educators candidates, and the flood of new and groovy wines reaching our market thanks to a new wave of independent wine distributors, there’s never…
My Man’s Junk Is Just Too Big. Help!
Welcome to Ask Willie D, Rocks Off’s advice column where the Geto Boys MC answers reader questions about matters, in his own words, “funny, serious or unpredictable.” Something on your mind? Ask Willie D! DO I CHOOSE THE ONE I LOVE OR THE ONE WHO LOVES ME? Dear Willie D:…
Richie Incognito Was Involved in a Fight with a Security Guard in June
I like Antonio Smith. I don’t approve of what he did on Saturday night, ripping off the helmet of Dolphins guard Richie Incognito and trying to crack his face with it. I understand it, but I don’t approve of it. But overall, even though he cost his team his services…
The Rocks Off 100: The Illegal Wiretaps, Listening to You
Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. See the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? A long way from…
Pop Rocks: Why Hasn’t There Been an MLK Biopic Yet?
August 28 marks a historic event in civil rights, the 50th anniversary of the famous March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom led by civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr. The march, which saw roughly 250,000 people come together in peaceful protest, featured the iconic “I Have Dream Speech”…
Top 5 Houston Desserts for Chocolate-Lovers
5. Belgian Chocolate Milkshake (Amy’s Ice Creams). Here are some famous last words: “I’ll just get a milkshake.” That’s what I said one night when a bunch of friends and I stopped for some dessert at Amy’s. We had just finished dining at Chuy’s, where I ate my weight in…
Weekend Weather: Muggy, Hot and Some Rain in the Forecast
Since the drought in 2011, I had almost forgotten what a typical Houston summer was like. Sitting at dinner with a friend recently, I was reminded how much most people — particularly from more arid climates — hate it. Two summers ago, it was so hot and dry, it felt…
French Fare & Fancy Brunching at Brasserie 19
It didn’t matter that I’d immediately dribbled coffee down the front of my silk blouse, I still felt fancy. How could I not? I was brunching at Brasserie 19, the white-clothed French brewery in one of the city’s most upscale zip codes — the 019 (read that like ‘o-one-nine’ sound…
Black Boots Show Off a New 1984 In “Streetwalkers”
Spend any time on Facebook these days and you’ll find a few folks that declare we’re living in an Orwellian hell. (The Big Brother one, not the one with the pigs and the whips.) It a common paranoia, which is why that book remains so popular even to this day,…
Which Hollywood Hunk is Hot Enough to Be the New Batman?
After the success of Man of Steel, it is no surprise that a spin off has been given the go ahead. Surprisingly though is that it’s not a Justice League movie as most anticipated, but instead will be a Superman/Batman duo film. British hunk Henry Cavill has already said yes…
Vintage AstroWorld TV Ads to Remind Us of Summers Past
Of all the photos I’ve ever taken — from crappy shots as a kid with a Kodak Instamatic — to covers of the Houston Press, the above shot is by far my least favorite. Never mind that it’s not a particularly good shot — nice slanted landscape there, Balke –…
Celebrate the Ramen Phenomenon Tonight at IKEA
Tonight, IKEA will become much more than a storehouse for chic, inexpensive Swedish home goods. Tonight, IKEA will be the Iron Chef kitchen. Well, not the Iron Chef kitchen, but an Iron Chef-style throwdown will be happening in the upstairs kitchen at IKEA, and the theme is ramen. Foodie PR…
Five Unexpected Cover Songs That Actually Worked
Covers are a tricky business. Any time a musician starts trying to do his or her own version of someone else’s song, they instantly take on some pretty hefty expectations. First, they have to satisfy their own fanbase, which may not like the artist being covered to begin with. Then…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 People-watching Spots
We asked our friends, acquaintances, co-workers and even a few strangers about their favorite people-watching spots. We got some silly suggestions: Harris Co. Jail during visiting hours, the bathroom at any bar at 1 a.m. on a Saturday, and, our favorite, the Houston Press lobby. We also got some great…
Free Angela Davis Director Shola Lynch: “Our history is being held hostage by corporations”
Director Shola Lynch has been mining the rich terrain of black American history for a while now, notably in the award-winning 2004 documentary Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed, about the 1972 presidential campaign by the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American and the first woman to mount a serious,…
Super Bowl Shuffle
Only in Houston As I write this, I’m fewer than four days from firing up the grill, knocking back beers and listening to get-pumped music with great friends to watch the Houston Texans meet the Miami Dolphins at Reliant Stadium’s 2013 preseason opener, my 12th in a row. Best week…
Mexican Pride and Spirit Choices
Dear Mexican: In a nutshell, you inspired me to rediscover my culture, my pride as a Mexican and love for my people (though it is hard to love my own people at times). I’m writing a college paper on Latin American issues — more specifically, on Mexican apathy, which is…
Capsule Art Reviews: “The Beauty Box,” “CTRL + P,” “Funnel Tunnel,” “Late Surrealism,” “PRINTTX,” “Unwoven Light”
“The Beauty Box” This is the brainchild of local mixed-media artist Robert Hodge, who, with partner Philip Pyle, a sculptor and digital artist, has converted an open-air space in the Third Ward into a replica of a living room, like “your grandmother’s living room or dining room,” says Hodge. The…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Foxfinder, Little Shop of Horrors, Tarzan the Musical
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Daddy, a wealthy plantation owner, is dying of cancer, though the diagnosis has been withheld from him. His elder son, Gooper, seeks to gain the inheritance, but Big Daddy prefers his younger son, Brick, who is floating in an alcoholic haze to the…
The 2013 Houston Theater Awards: Celebrating the Best in Local Theater
From the dank Transylvanian halls of castle Dracula to a mythic fiddler on the roof, Houston’s 2012-2013 theater season astounded. The breadth of talent rivaled any theater scene anywhere — and I mean anywhere! — with each subsequent week of the season bringing a stage full of exciting new surprises…
Solid Comfort: Every Neighborhood Needs a Place Like Adair Kitchen
Get a behind the scenes look at Adair Kitchen in our slideshow. It’s a little like eating at your mom’s house, if your mom’s house is spacious and airy and looks like a page out of a West Elm catalog. Your mom will bring you solid comfort food like French…
The World’s End Is a Likable Brew, But Not One for the Ages.
The laddish pleasures of The World’s End, Edgar Wright’s comedy about a group of middle-aged guys drinking beer and facing mortality, come with a bittersweet edge. In the old days, the lead character, Gary King, used to be the coolest kid in school, at least in the outlaw sense: He’d…
In You’re Next, There’s No Time for Torture
On September 17, 2011, 1,000 protestors set up tents in Manhattan’s financial district and dubbed themselves Occupy Wall Street. Four days later, Lionsgate purchased You’re Next — a home invasion slasher that slices up a family of useless 1 percenters — and should have released it immediately. Instead, the studio…
The 9 Stupidest Things in the Houston Restaurant Scene Right Now
Food Fight First off, we want you to know that we think Houston has a killer restaurant scene. We have some truly top-notch eateries in this town, and we’re damn proud of them. That said, everyone messes up from time to time. Chefs, waiters and restaurateurs all do stupid things…
Will Rap 4 Weed
Highlights from Hair Balls Whatever Though Houston has enjoyed a rather robust economy even during the recession, money is still tight, which means the many joys in life often get placed on the back burner for necessities like food and rent. One creative, perhaps innovative, woman spotted on lower Westheimer…
