Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb and the Legend of Tom Moore’s Farm
One of my favorite movies about the South is really more about Texas than the Deep “dirty” South, and definitely has the wrong title. It could even be considered provocative for its time, given its pervasive “Texas is Texas” philosophy. Jean Renoir’s The Southerner, which premiered in 1945, is set…
Massive Box Set Offers a Whole Lotta Alice
The largely reissue label Rhino has long bundled up studio album compilation box sets of classic-rock bands in a sort of bang-for-your-buck move that also allows them to add to back catalogue sales. Recent sets include offerings from the Doobie Brothers (10 CDs), America (8 CDs), and two from the…
The Deluxe Treatment For Simon & Garfunkel’s Epic Central Park Epilogue
Simon & Garfunkel: The Concert in Central Park CD/DVD edition Sony Legacy When they came together onstage on after a cool, early-evening rain on September 19, 1981, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel had not performed a full-length show together in more than a decade. After a string of hits —…
Eat the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie in Houston
The search for the best chocolate chip cookie in Houston started as a simple taste test of a handful of chocolate chip cookies. Then I posted a photo on Instagram casually asking for other recommendations and received a mountain of them—which made me realize I couldn’t post an article about…
Upcoming: Dave & Phil Alvin, Digifest Houston, Gravity, The Lettermen, Mint Condition, Todd Snider, The Weeknd, etc.
1 Last Chance: Sun., September 6, 8 p.m., $3 to $7. Super Happy Fun Land, 3801 Polk, Houston, 713-880-2100. Adam Bricks: With Ryan Sambol, Dollie Barnes. Tue., September 22, 8 p.m., $8. Rudyard’s, 2010 Waugh, Houston, 713-521-0521. Ancient Cat Society: Fri., October 2, 9:30 p.m., $15 to $17. McGonigel’s Mucky…
5 Questionable Laws That Go Into Effect This Week
The 84th Texas Legislature got just over 1,200 pieces of legislation processed and then signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott. Some of these new ideas actually turned into some pretty decent laws, as we’ve recently noted. But then there were the other laws, the ones that brought us back…
3 Reasons I Went From Being A Gun Nut To Supporting Gun Control
I have a confession to make. Once upon a time, I was a gun nut. I wasn’t planning for the coming apocalypse or anything like that, but I owned a lot of weapons and ammunition for a guy living in a comfy house in central Houston. People could’ve easily mistaken…
100 Favorite Houston Dishes 2015, No. 64: Frenchy’s Fried Chicken vs Frenchy’s Fried Chicken
Back in 2011, Minh T. Truong wrote an article for the Houston Press entitled, “The Best And The Worst: Frenchy’s Chicken.” It compared the fried chicken at the original location at 3919 Scott to a suburban one in Southwest Houston. The upshot was that the original was superior and at…
This Week in Houston Food Events: Annual BrewMasters Craft Beer Fest
All Week Long Houston Restaurant Weeks We’re nearing the end of Houston Restaurant Weeks, so make sure that you’re eating out to support the Houston Food Bank. Not sure where to go? Check out our list of new restaurants that are participating. 15 Days of the Aztecs at Cuchara You…
Where to Get Freshly Shaved Summer Truffles During HRW 2015
Prized for their intense, aphrodisiacal aromas, fresh truffles are one of the world’s most coveted culinary delicacies. Thanks to Roederer USA, truffles are now more widely available in Houston than ever before. Founded by Diane Roederer and based in Houston, the small company specializes in imported truffles from European countries…
Texans-Saints: Four Things to Watch For
“At some point, guys have to show us what they can do. I don’t really care about draft slots. I don’t care about money. What we care about as a staff is performance. Can everyone in this room make the team? No. Embrace the fact that we’re giving you a…
5 New Laws That Go Into Effect Next Week
We always approach the convening of the biennial state legislature with a mix of abject terror and giddy anticipation, and the 84th Texas Legislature was no exception. But now that the dust has settled, we’ve had the leisure to examine what the Lege actually did while knocking around Capitol Building…
Where The Roca Brothers Ate While They Were in Houston
The Roca Brothers — Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca — of El Celler de Can Roca, currently the number one restaurant in the world according to Restaurant Magazine, landed in Houston this week as a part of a five-stop tour around the world with BBVA Compass. Though most of that…
Netflix’s ‘Narcos’ Tries to Be ‘The Wire’ for Colombia’s Drug War
Narcos, Netflix’s new drug-war docudrama, is nearly as ambitious as its central character, Pablo Escobar. Over the course of 10 dense, sprawling episodes, the series tells the 20-year history of the narcotrafficker’s rise and fall in relation to Colombia’s blood-soaked history and the U.S.’s escalating drug war, from Richard Nixon…
Houston’s Middlechild Puts a Hometown Spin On Emo
For many, emo is still a dirty word, one that brings up connotations of Warped Tour acts or even an aggressive space that is not always inclusive of the audience it attracts. Over the past few years, while some may wince at the term “revival,” there has been a concerted…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Julep Celebrates 1 Year
Food Truck Friday @ Houston Press Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 2603 La Branch Our Food Truck Friday series continues with Backyard Burger Boyz. The Cypress mobile eatery is an event-centric food unit focusing on badass sandwiches, tacos, dogs, and sloppy burgers smothered with things like smoked cheddar, beer…
The Best and Worst of Summer 2015 Movies
Alan Scherstuhl and Stephanie Zacharek of the Village Voice, along with Amy Nicholson of the LA Weekly, run down the worst and best of the movies they saw this summer, which as summers go, wasn’t so terrible! Among the best performances were those by Sam Elliott, wonderful in two movies,…
Finally — Documented Proof of the Homosexual Agenda!
We have to thank the Campaign for Texas Families political action committee for leaking the actual homosexual agenda to the public. The group, which is rallying against the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, was able to penetrate the Inner Sanctum of the Gays and escape with the secret plans that unmask…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: It’s Going to Be a Great Banh Mi Cook-Off
Tickets for the highly anticipated Southern Smoke go on sale this Monday, August 24. The one of a kind event, which plans to raise $100,000 for the MS Society, will be held on Sunday, October 11. Chef Chris Shepherd has invited his friends Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue; Sean Brock…
Houston Fine Art Fair Offers Exclusive Preview of Dorothy Hood Retrospective
This will be the fifth year for the Houston Fine Art Fair, known as “The City’s Art Fair,” with more than 60 Texas-based art institutions participating in the four-day event that kicks off with oh-so-exclusive VIP and Black Card previews. One of those exhibitors, the Art Museum of South Texas,…
Local Authorities Sue Gas Station for Selling Synthetic Pot
A Pasadena gas station is being sued for allegedly selling illegal synthetic marijuana, according to a Harris County press release. Citing the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act, the State of Texas and the City of Houston have filed a restraining order and a lawsuit against Layth Omran,…
Openings and Closings in Houston: Food in a Furniture Store and Goodbye, Big Woodrows
Favorite Cajun sports bar Big Woodrows, 3111 Chimney Rock, has gone from undergoing renovations to permanently closed. The website and Facebook say that, after agreeing to repair the building over the summer, the landlord refused to go forward with the repairs as promised, and Big Woodrows has been forced to…
The 5 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Señorita Cinema Film Festival, Storm Front and More
What’s a Latina film? According to Stephanie Saint Sanchez, founder of the Señorita Cinema Film Festival, a Latina film is “anything made by a Latina!” Over the last five years, the festival has received an amazing variety in subject matter. Yes, many of the films deal with issues or traditions…
The Best Fitz Shows of the Pegstar Era
It’s been an amazing five years for Pegstar at Fitzgerald’s, as the Houston company that started with a humble 9/11 benefit at Numbers ushered the historic Heights venue into an era of unprecedented success, and more or less rescued Houston’s reputation as a viable stop for touring indie musicians in…
The Texans Are a Yawnfest That Will Never Replace the Oilers
The stories about the Houston Oilers are numerous, and legendary. There’s the Stagger Lee. There’s The Comeback. There’s the Mike Renfro non-catch in the end zone. There’s Buddy Ryan throwing a punch at Kevin Gilbride on nationwide television. There’s Dan Pastorini throwing Dale Robertson threw a door at Oilers practice…
Houston’s 11 Best Bars and Clubs in the East End
The East End — including EaDo, aka East Downtown — is one part of Houston that is undergoing a resurgence. New restaurants, bars, art galleries and other businesses are opening up in the area, attracting new residents. Some of the spots on this list are new while others have been…
The 10 Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Indian Jewelry, New Orleans Hustlers Brass Band, ZZ Ward, etc.
Indian Jewelry Walters Downtown, August 28 Indian Jewelry seem to enjoy manipulating their audience’s minds as much as the instruments they use to create their utterly unique brand of Houston noise. For a solid decade, the group headed up by spouses Tex Kerschen and Erika Thrasher have been dunking impossibly…
Get Food Delivered To Your Door: A Look At Houston’s Hottest Delivery Services
You may have taken note of the plethora of mobile and online-based food delivery services that have expanded into Houston. But if you’re starved for time, you may not have had a chance to look into them all. So we’ve done it for you! Here’s out the lowdown on Houston’s…
Something Wicked Books Steve Aoki, Above & Beyond and Jack Ü for 2015
For those folks tired of almost dying of heat exhaustion in order to get their EDM fix, Something Wicked is an oasis in this distance, a chance to dress up and dance all night without feeling like you’re stuck in a sauna for hours. Unless, of course, the fall is…
Vote for Your Favorites in Our Best of Houston Readers’ Choice Awards
Living in Houston, it’s easy to take for granted how much cool stuff there is to do in the city. Multiple sports franchises means that even if you don’t root for the locals your favorite team will be visit eventually. If you like art and/or dinosaur bones, you’ve got world…
Man in Critical Condition After Shooting Near TSU Dorm [UPDATED]
Campus police are investigating a Wednesday night shooting at Texas Southern University that left one man in critical condition. The shooting occurred at about 8:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a university-owned apartment building off Blodgett Street, according Eva Pickens, the university’s vice president of communications and community outreach…
10 Healthy HRW Meals To Get Before They’re Gone
“Healthy” and “dining out” are typically two phrases not fondly looked upon in the same sentence—however, thanks to a partnership between Go Healthy Houston (GHH) and Houston Restaurant Weeks (HRW), diners can now eat healthily almost effortlessly even when indulging in a multi-course meal. So before HRW wraps up on…
Kovanda’s Czech Band Keeps Houston Seniors On Their Toes
The woman in black was 80 years old, if she was a day. She’d just danced nearly non-stop for the better part of an hour to Kovanda’s Czech Band, which visited her and her fellow residents of Treemont, a west Houston retirement community, on a Wednesday night for a show…
Jadeveon Clowney Learns He’ll Be Ready for Week 1 From Media (w/ VIDEO)
Yesterday, following Texans practice, the media met with arguably the three most important members of the Texans defense — J.J. Watt, Vince Wilfork, and Jadeveon Clowney. (Brian Cushing and a few members of the secondary may do the arguing.) Watt gave us the requisite Wednesday review of the previous night’s Hard…
Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against a Trailer Manufacturer After Deadly Crash
It was 5:45 a.m. and Kathryn Dodgen was on her way to work to give a monthly motivational presentation—something she’d volunteered to do a year prior. Kathryn worked as an administrative assistant at an oil and gas company, and during these office-wide presentations she’d recognize workers for outstanding teamwork or…
5 Reasons the Manchild in Movies Needs to Go
I’d like to expand on something my buddy Chris Lane said recently about movie stereotypes that should be eradicated. One of those that he mentioned is the bumbling manchild character, usually played by Adam Sandler, who arrestedly develops throughout the movie into becoming a real person. Lane’s objection to the…
What Did the Feds Actually Approve on the Dallas-to-Houston Bullet Train Line This Month? (Spoiler: Nothing, Really)
When we saw a story in the Dallas Business Journal vaguely announcing an “exclusive” story on the proposed Houston-to-Dallas high-speed rail line, we clicked on the story interested to read about this brand spanking new and oh-so-exclusive development. (We wrote about the project in our August 20 cover story, “On…
100 Favorite Houston Dishes 2015, No. 65: 3 Pig Mac & Cheese at Urban Eats
Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It’s a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It’s a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern…
Massive Medicaid Cuts for Therapy Services on Hold — For Now
On Wednesday morning, dozens of Medicaid therapy providers, parents of kids with disabilities, and healthcare lobbyists expected to spend their day packed into a Travis County court room. They expected to wait hours as lawyers with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission made their case for cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates…
Dine Out and Fight Child Hunger at Houston’s Taste of the Nation
For the past 27 years, national nonprofit Taste Of The Nation has raised money to help fund the organization No Kid Hungry and its partners. Houston has had its own Taste Of The Nation Event for 20 years and in 2014, it raised over $130,000. That money helped feed children…
Transmission’s Plan for Houston: ‘More Bands to the Table’
Lately the medium and small-venue level of the Houston music scene has begun to resemble a chessboard, with pieces moving around quickly and spectators left to look on and wonder who will ultimately hold the upper hand. After one last blowout this Saturday, Pegstar Concerts will relinquish its lease of…
10 Acts Who Haven’t Aged Very Well
You know that old Beatles song “Let It Be,” the one that instructs listeners to let it be, let it be, and so on and so forth? These bands must have never listened to that song. They’ve also never listened to the old saying, “quit while you’re ahead” or even to…
I Found Condoms in My Man’s Car. Help!
MY SISTER’S SON HAS BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, NOT AUTISM Dear Willie D: I’ve decided to stop talking to my sister about her autistic son. Every day, all day, all she talks about is the adventures of her son. I’ll call him Michael. Michael’s goes to a normal school, has normal friends,…
Schlumberger Announces Merger with Houston-based Cameron International Corp.
Schlumberger, the world’s largest oil field services provider, announced Wednesday morning that the company is buying Houston’s Cameron International Corp, an oil field equipment company that puts together blowout preventers and other rig equipment for surface operations. (If the name rings a bell, it’s likely because Cameron sold Transocean the blowout…
Decades of Duke-isms: Remembering Dr. Red Duke
Dr. James “Red” Duke was one of a kind. We knew him from his nationally syndicated TV news segments where the doctor, already known as the most famous trauma surgeon in the world, would talk to viewers in plain English about everything from the art of surgery to life lessons…
Racing Commission Upholds New Gambling Rules, Could Face Lawmakers’ Wrath
The same innovation poised to help keep the horse racing industry alive might instead end up killing it by the end of the month. Yesterday, the Texas Racing Commission voted 4-3 (with one abstainer) to uphold rules for a new type of gambling called “historical racing.” And while industry leaders…
Team Treks Through Texas For New Taco Book
For many, landing a book deal is a dream come true. As with many creative endeavors, actually doing the necessary work is harder that it looks. The creative team behind forthcoming book The Tacos of Texas is Austin-based authors Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece of the Taco Journalism blog; Houston-based…
Houston Texans “Hard Knocks,” Episode 3 Review
We’re nearly at the midway point of the Hard Knocks season, and this should be the part where business is about to, by God, pick up. We were told last week that the producers would be introducing a scary new character by the name of “Jadeveon Clowney,” the quarterback competition is…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: No Escape
Title: No Escape Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: Mayor Quimby: I hereby declare a state of emergency: Code Black. Lenny: Black? That’s the worst color there is … no offense there, Carl. Carl: I get it all the time. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two…
Jeremy Masters Knows How Much Kids Love “Justin Beaver”
Adam P. Newton recently became a father for the first time, so he has decided to explain the entirety of post-WWII Western pop music to his new daughter, “Fig”… one genre at a time. Hey there, Fig. I’m enjoying my chats with other parents about music and raising kids for…
Prairie View Passes Proposal for Sandra Bland Memorial Parkway
The road where Sandra Bland was arrested will now bear her name. Last night, the Prairie View city council passed a proposal to rename the road leading to Prairie View A&M University after Bland. That’s the same road where she was stopped for allegedly making an illegal lane change, removed…
So, the Anti-HERO “Bathroom Bill” Ads Have Finally Started…
A woman who plans on having children one day might change her mind if Houston keeps its equal rights ordinance—or at least that’s what she says in Houston’s first anti-HERO radio ad. The one-minute ad, paid for by the Campaign for Houston PAC, focuses on how HERO—or “Mayor Parker’s bathroom ordinance,”…
Slayer Again Redefines Thrash On Relentless ‘Repentless’
There is no reason for Repentless to be any good. None. All the odds against Slayer could fill this entire review. And, for most bands, just one of the challenges Slayer faced making this album would be enough to crush any momentum or creative energy at all. Yet this may…
One Direction’s Recent NASA Trip, Explained
One Direction fans are searching for answers after one of the pop phenomenon’s members, Niall Horan, announced on Twitter last week that the group will soon be taking a break. Although the split supposedly won’t take effect until next March, after the band concludes its current tour and releases its…
Zac Efron Thumps and Feels Through EDM Drama We Are Your Friends
Remake The Graduate today, and an adult might corner Benjamin Braddock and whisper, “Startups.” Debut director Max Joseph gives that a good shot, though the result — the EDM-fueled, drug-laced dream-crusher We Are Your Friends — is so sweaty and silly people may not notice. Like Mike Nichols, Joseph wants…
There’s No Escaping No Escape‘s Suspense – Or Its Xenophobia
This mean and vigorous men’s adventure pulp throwback has everything going against it. It’s a late-August release whose leads, Owen Wilson and Lake Bell, tend to be the best things in movies you otherwise regret seeing. The trailers, teasing the story of a toothsome American family hunted by peasant-rebels in…
