The 19th Wife — A Book Review
Whenever I see a link to a story about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints — and there have been a lot lately, of course — I can’t help but click on it. And I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. Polygamy holds an undeniable fascination, and…
The City’s New Recycling Effort: Is It Any Good?
While Houston is all set to ratchet up its recycling program, some local experts wonder if the city’s overall philosophy is perhaps too shortsighted. According to a story in today’s Houston Chronicle, the City Council will vote today on new measures such as providing residents with 90-gallon bins to dump…
Houston Texans’ Season Starts, Whether You Want It Or Not
The Houston Texans have come a long way from their “adorable baby” seasons, when they made a lot of mistakes but fans forgave them. The problem is, they haven’t come long enough. As they head into their seventh season, they are still looking for anything better than a .500 finish…
A World Tour of Honey
Those who know me know I hate high fructose syrup sweeteners and avoid products that contain them whenever possible. Lately I’ve been having a lot of fun trying different honeys from around the world. There was the delicious Tej (Ethiopian honey wine) that I enjoyed at the Blue Nile, for…
Fort Bend Transit Has A Charmingly Naive Trust In Its Customers
Things were a little bumpy yesterday on the inauguration of the Fort Bend County-Texas Medical Center Park-and-Ride. One bus broke down and two more got stuck in traffic, making some of the 265 riders a little late to work. Fort Bend Transit officials tried to make it up to riders…
Aftermath: GZA at Warehouse Live
Photos by Kris Ex “So, you here for GZA?” That’s what the guy next to me at the bar awkwardly asks. Initially it seems like an odd question, because, well, umm, he’s the night’s only advertised act. But throughout the evening, a pattern emergesl. The same question is asked by…
Hilary Duff’s Dad — Still Free & On The Prowl
The celebrity world exploded, kinda, late last month when a Houston judge ordered the father of starlet Hilary Duff to spend 10 days in jail for contempt of court. It was reported just about everywhere; perhaps nowhere better than the Teen Hollywood website, which investigated and found he had already…
The Ballad of Richard Justice and Stephanie Stradley
Richard Justice went after Texans offensive line coach Alex Gibbs last week. Since I tend to think Gibbs is a bit overrated in the genius department, I didn’t pay much attention past the original post. I especially didn’t dig through the comments of the post. It appears that I missed…
Art Rock: Love or Perish, the Monocles and the Caprolites at Dean’s Credit Clothing
Tonight at Dean’s Credit Clothing, 316 Main, 713-227-3326…
The 99-Cent Store Of Dogs
So you’re a backyard breeder with a shitload of chihuahas to unload, but The Man (i.e., the state of Texas and Harris County) passes a law that says you can’t sell pets in a parking lot or roadside. What the hell are you going to do with the little yappers?…
Astros-Cubs: Brandon Backe Back in the Lead (for Homers Surrendered)
Despite Brandon Backe giving up three home runs in 4.1 innings, the Astros last night found themselves leading the Chicago Cubs 7-3 in the bottom of the sixth. It should thus be no surprise that the game went into extra innings. Somehow or another, the Astros continued to play over…
Crashing KTRH’s 10th Inning
Houston Press Music Editor Chris Gray shares a story from the airwaves… I’ve been moving through the to-do list of my life pretty fast these days. First it was seeing Tom Petty, and last night I made it on KTRH’s (740 AM) post-Astros 10th Inning call-in show. At this rate,…
Rainbow Hair Is Apparently A “Distraction” In Galveston
Public school administrators with, like totally dorky fashion sense are at it again. This time, they have struck at Galveston’s Ball High School, where student April Barton’s rainbow-hued coif has her on the receiving end of vague threats from the principal’s office, the Galveston County Daily News reports. “[A]dministrators at…
Rocks Off Crashes KTRH’s 10th Inning
I’ve been moving through the to-do list of my life pretty fast these days. First it was seeing Tom Petty, and last night I made it on KTRH’s (740 AM) post-Astros 10th Inning call-in show. At this rate, I’m going to have to get a new hobby pretty soon. Last…
Smoove B Robs A Kroger’s
DJ, cue up “Smooth Operator.” The FBI is at it again with the nicknames, this time branding a guy “The Flirting Felon.” Why? Just because he robbed a Kroger’s bank of an unannounced amount of cash. Oh, and he charmed the pants off the employees doing it, at least according…
Slow Food in San Francisco
The Slow Food Convention in San Francisco was supposed to overcome that movement’s reputation for elitism. Some thought they made progress, others saw a lot of room for improvement. Judging by the experiences of Monica Pope, who blogged about the event for Alison Cook’s blog, it wasn’t exactly Woodstock for…
Artist of the Week: Kenika
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com. Don’t front, you probably can’t name three female…
Houston Texans Cheerleaders and Fans
A wise man once asked, Are you ready for some football? We’ve gathered together a bunch of photos from last year’s season to help you answer in the affirmative. Happy clicking. — Keith Plocek…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: Jon Byrd Tunes Up Country
www.jonbyrd.com When you open the mail and find a record like Jon Byrd’s Byrd’s Auto Parts, for a moment things seem right with the music world. Byrd lives in Nashville, but his music and ethic is so outside Music Row’s corporate-decision-making, public-opinion-molding, radio-program-director-strategerizing that he might as well reside in…
The Triumphant Return of the High School Photo Contest
Hey kids. It’s time again for the Houston Press high school photo contest. Any high school student in the greater Houston area is eligible. The first month’s theme is “faces.” All entries must be sent by September 30. You can read the full rules below. Happy clicking…
College Tuition In Texas Just Keeps Going Up
Going to college this year? Sending your kid? Here’s something to keep in mind: In the five years since the Texas Legislature approved tuition deregulation, the cost of attending a state college has gone up more than 125% at some schools. Ouch. Rates for tuition and fees at University of…
This Just In: Butthole Surfers Moved to Meridian
Well, that didn’t take long. Over the weekend, Rocks Off learned the Butthole Surfers show we reported last week as happening at Fitzgerald’s Thursday, October 23, has now been moved to Meridian. Same day, though. The reason we were given is that, in typically vague music-biz jargon, there was a…
One Leak To Rule Them All
Joe Leydon is a long-time Houston film critic who writes for Variety. Being a film critic may sound like a glamorous job, but it seems it can also involve having to go watch things like Disaster Movie, one of those disposabe, laugh-free spoofs that come out every six months. But…
Slideshow: Saturday at Rock the Bayou
Great White rocked the bayou indeed… for the people there to see it, anyway. Click here for a slideshow. Photo by Chris Gray Although I was battling a severe case of post-Petty depression (and still am, a little), I ventured out to 610 and Kirby, the sprawling, soggy field once…
Houstonian Wins A Million, Doesn’t Come Back To Houston
Here’s something you don’t hear everyday, especially if that day is in August: The weather in Houston is better than Utah. But that’s what Jessica Robinson, the first-ever million-dollar winner on Deal or No Deal, is saying. She’s taking her winnings and getting the hell out of Utah: “I’m from…
Aftermath: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Steve Winwood at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Photos (except where indicated) by Mark C. Austin To be honest, since Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers walked off the Mitchell Pavilion stage shortly before 11 p.m. Friday night – or, more accurately, since the Arrow wrapped up its extended post-concert Petty block shortly before I got home around midnight…
The College Football Review, With a Little More Ashley Judd
Friday, I compared the weekend’s upcoming games to Ashley Judd movies that had great previews but were actually sucky. After watching this first weekend of college football, I confess my error. This was actually a good first weekend of good football with some thrillers, some upsets, and some runaways. So,…
Slideshow: Alice Cooper at Rock the Bayou
We’ve just loaded up some images from Alice Cooper at Rock the Bayou, featuring rednecks, wannabe porn stars, military wives and Mr. No More Mr. Nice Guy himself. — KP…
Astros-Cardinals: Thanking Vincent Chase
I’ve got a confession to make. I didn’t watch the Astros this weekend. That was partly because I was in Austin for my nephew’s birthday and the game was not on TV in Austin. It was also partly because I’m getting to that “I just don’t give a damn” stage…
A Different Kind Of Brink’s Robbery
Uncomfortable moments in retail, Part XVIII — You know how when you’re the manager of, say, a Dave & Buster’s, and there’s a knock on the back door and it’s a guy wearing a Brink’s uniform saying he’s ready for that day’s pick-up? And you know how you go, “What…
Back from the Dead Cocktail at Tampico Mexican Restaurant
Having trouble getting started after the long and festive holiday weekend? I suggest you visit Tampico Mexican Restaurant on Airline and order the famous Mexican seafood cocktail and hangover cure called a “Vuelve a la Vida.” The name means “return to life.” The cocktail is also called “Levanta Muertos” or…
Over the Weekend: Deco, Rock the Bayou, Steel Lounge Underground, Rich’s and Alice Cooper
Three-day weekend? Don’t forget Thursday and Friday… Thursday Night at Deco We started off the weekend a little early at Deco. Rock the Bayou And then, come Friday afternoon, it was time to check out the beginning of Houston’s four-day rock fest…
State Rep. Kino Flores: If The Collar’s Poppin’, The ICE Ain’t Stoppin’
South Texas state representative Kino Flores has some explaining to do. The Brownsville Herald is reporting that over the weekend Flores’ ranch worker Froylen Casares allegedly beat an unnamed man to death with a baseball bat at Flores’s ranch near Mission. “It was a very bloody, very bloody, very gruesome…
Department Of Bad Timing (And Bad News)
Department of Bad Timing, pick up line two: the Houston Chronicle’s travel section Sunday featured a huge story on the fun to be had visiting a certain American city. There were three immediate problems: 1. The city was New Orleans 2. The headline was “Swamped With Fun” 3. The lede…
Turning the Screw: Chamillionaire, Z-Ro, Suge Knight, KRS-One, Snoop, Lil’ Kim, Yung Berg and More
Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off’s weekly rap post. It probably won’t rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: Dwane Sweazie (above), “Drank” Wire To Wire Purchase Chamillionaire’s new mixtape here. We heard the new Z-Ro album, and…
James Dobson, Are You Serious?!?
OMG, y’all. Did you hear how right winger James Dobson and his organization Focus on Your Family With a Judgmental and Righteous Attitude actually asked their followers to pray for rain on the final night of the Democratic Convention, so Obama would be unable to give his speech outdoors? I…
Slideshow: Friday Afternoon at Rock the Bayou
We’ve just loaded up some photos from Rock the Bayou, the four-day rock-fest at the former Astroworld site. We’ve got more coverage on the way. — KP…
Nightlife Photos: Thursday Night at Deco
We’ve just loaded up a batch of photos from Bill Olive’s travels around town. Have a look. — Keith Plocek…
Sunday: The Quietest Makes its First Noise
Remember how cool it feels to say “I saw that band at their first show?” Well, here’s your chance: Local threesome The Quietest will debut at Walter’s tomorrow. “We’ve been preparing for this for like five months,” says guitarist/singer Wade Allen. We’d tell you to head over to MySpace and…
Uh-Oh: Gustav May Test Houston’s Poor Building Codes
The Institute for Business & Home Safety says Houston is dragging behind its Gulf Coast neighbors with regards to improving building codes following Hurricane Katrina. While some coastal communities have stepped up their building standards, the changes haven’t been adopted by nearby inland communities which also run a high risk…
UH To Students: Your Classmates Are Not Drunk
The University of Houston has joined four other colleges in the nation that are getting paid to keep students from drinking too much. For its alcohol-prevention program, the university gets $124,000 of federal money from the always-fun Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. The money is a reward for two…
Hurricane Gustav — Already A Disaster
It’s officially a disaster! The TV weathercasters always get rapped for over-hyping approaching hurricanes, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry is not shy about jumping the gun. From Austin, he’s already declared the counties of Harris, Bexar, Brazoria, Brazos, Calhoun, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange,…
Three Things To Remember During A DWI Crackdown
If you get tanked and drive over Labor Day weekend, you have an increased chance of finding yourself locked up for DWI and missing a bit of blood. (Or more than a bit, if you’re also into one of our favorite pastimes, jail fights. Cops in Houston-area counties will conduct…
Deborah Colton Moves Her Gallery Away From Big, Ugly Heads
Deborah Colton Gallery has new digs, y’all. The main gallery is now located at 2445 North Boulevard in the Upper Kirby District, leased from artist Molly Gochman. It’s a cool building with an AstroTurf courtyard in the back. The concave and convex spheres you see on the outside of the…
Judge (No, Not That One) Pleads Guilty To Sexual Assault
A local judge has pled guilty to sexual assault. No, not the local federal judge, the other local judge accused of feeling up underlings’ breasts. We sure have a a fun bunch of jurists around here. Brazoria County Court at Law Judge James Blackstock resigned and entered his guilty plea…
Aftermath: Z-Ro Listening Party For Crack
Better Than: Hearing that stupid day-job conversation on Monday where Lady A asks Lady B how her weekend was and Lady B responds with “Not long enough,” and then they both fake laugh and walk off. Ugh. Download: Anything from here 7:10: An unexpected bonus for this event: driving up…
More “W.” From Oliver Stone: Bush The Macker
Another clip from Oliver Stone’s W. has surfaced, and while this one doesn’t feature a scene from Houston, it does include a priceless take on W hitting on Laura Bush. Swigging a beer, Bush says “Oh, no” when Laura for some reason makes the assertion that she reads books. (She…
Tom Petty Day, Part 3: Off to the Show!
My friend (and friendly rival) Ramon Medina of Linus Pauling Quartet and Free Press Houston came by the office this morning with the best gift evar: a vintage 97 Rock Tom Petty bumper sticker from the mid-’80s he used to have in his dorm room. Thanks Ramon! Y’all honk if…
Aftermath: Recession Thursday at Numbers, with Blackie, The Mathletes, The Goods, Giant Princess, Reverse X Rays and Generation Landslide at Numbers
Austin’s Reverse X Rays / Photos by Brigitte B. Zabak Five bucks doesn’t seem to get you a whole hell of a lot these days, but there is one place where spending that kind of cash will yield a mighty fine return on your investment. Recession Thursday, the brainchild of…
College Football Preview, Ashley Judd Edition
The start of the college football season always reminds me of Ashley Judd movies. Or rather, of the trailers for Ashley Judd movies. I love Ashley Judd, and I spend way too much money to see her movies, because most of the time, her movies are awful. Now what’s that…
KPRC: Pay No Attention To That Alleged Camera Operator
KPRC news has a fresh set of promos out, featuring the usual TV-news trope of reporters and cameramen dashing about to cover the city they know so deep in their bones. (How come they never show the reporters dashing to Google Maps to look up where the intersection of Chimney…
Texas Peach Preserves and Texas Fig Jam
Photo by Robb Walsh The Kitchen Table, a cookbook by Brennan’s of Houston chef Randy Evans, has a lot of local recipes in it, including Texas peach and fig preserves. Whole Foods has Texas peaches and fresh figs on hand right now, and so do some of the farmers’ markets…
Texans-Buccaneers: Go Team! Or Something…
Man, was that a painful game to watch, or what? At least I didn’t pay regular season prices for a pre-season exhibition, but I still felt like I overpaid even though I was watching the Texans on CW 39. The Texans lost the game – I think. I kept dozing…
Sippin’ Syrup, Checking Out Some T-Bills And ARMs
More than 250 “financial literacy leaders from Texas” will be in Houston in mid-September for something called Money Week. It’s an event featuring experts who will give advice on how to deal with current tough economic conditions. Among the participants: the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Small…
Tom Petty Day, Part 2: TP&HB Videos
More Tom Petty. Lots more Tom Petty. ‘Nuff said. “I Won’t Back Down” “Here Comes My Girl” Oh yes. Click on…..
Astros-Reds: Houston Wins Again, and Tony La Russa Should Be Manager of the Year (Not to Imply Those Two Things Are Related)
You’ve got to give it to the Houston Astros. It seems like every team has a patsy that it can beat upon from year to year, season to season. For the Astros, this patsy appears to be the Cincinnati Reds. The Astros pulled out the victory yesterday, defeating the Reds,…
Tonight: Ratt, Skid Row, Octopus Project, Indian Jewelry, Toadies and More
So I guess not all of us are lucky enough to go to Tom Petty. Pity. Luckily, there’s lots of other cool shows tonight – in fact, this may be the best night of live music in Houston all summer. We’ll start with a double-shot of Rock the Bayou bands…..
Airline Food: Now There’s An Even Better Reason To Ignore It
This just in: Airplane food is not just the butt of jokes anymore – it’s also a charitable donation. The Houston Food Bank recently started accepting unused food from Continental Airlines for its Backpack Buddy program which aids kids classified as “chronically hungry.” Houston Food Bank spokeswoman Betsy Ballard says…
Five Spot: Neil Diamond Gives Money Back (?!)
Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we’ll examine a recent bit of music news and list five reasons why it’s either brilliant or dumb-assed. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Neil Diamond is totally boss: Following a laryngitis induced sub par show in Ohio, Mr. Diamond thought it only right to…
Happy Tom Petty Day!
Well, it’s here. Finally. Yay! To get things going, here’s a neat little “interview” Weird Al Yankovic did with Tom Petty around the time Al’s Off the Deep End LP came out. Much more travelin’ Tom to come… – Chris Gray…
Shubhra’s Texas Peach Lassi
Photo by Robb Walsh This quick and easy Indian yogurt drink is ideal for the end of summer when sweet, juicy Texas peaches are arriving at the farmers’ markets straight from the Hill Country. This drink is quite versatile — it can be served for breakfast, along with appetizers, as…
Top Five Houstonians As Hurricanes
We’re right in the middle of Oh God, Oh God, We’re All Gonna Die season (as Wash might say) and sure enough there’s hurricane Gustav, creeping through the Caribbean and toying with the sphincter control of everyone from Corpus Christi to Destin, FL. Trouble is, Gustav is hardly a name…
Tom Petty Week, Part 5: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Cover “Blue Moon of Kentucky”
Thought I’d flip the script a bit since today is, after all, Tom Petty Day. This is probably more a tribute to Elvis, who got Petty into rock and roll, than the song’s author Bill Monroe, but it works fine either way. See you in the Woodlands! – Chris Gray…
John Royal’s College Football Preview
With college football getting underway this weekend, I thought I would give a brief preview of the metro-Houston college teams along with what I hope to make a weekly feature, my collegiate Top 25. HOUSTON COUGARS: The Cougars begin this season under a new head coach. Kevin Sumlin is the…
Rock the Bayou…Can You Handle It?
I’ve got one word for you people: Dokken. Yeah, Dokken. I said it, and you heard me. I’m also saying Bret Michaels, Twisted Sister, RATT, L.A. Guns, Alice Cooper, and Skid Row. It’s Rock the Bayou time, yes indeedy. As a child of the late 80s, I was into my…
Shipley’s Gets Slapped (Somewhat) On Illegal Immigrants
The Shipley Do-Nut company and its president today received a stern slap as both pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to employing and housing illegal immigrants. Lawrence Shipley III, who took the helm of his family’s Houston-based company in 2005, pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of continuing…
Judge Sam Kent Indicted On Sex Charges (Begone, Mental Image, Begone!)
The Houston Chronicle has the breaking news that U.S. District Judge Sam Kent of Galveston has been indicted, which is not a good career move for a federal judge. Being indicted “on charges of abusive sexual contact and aggravated sexual abuse” just doesn’t sound good on the ol’ resume. Kent,…
Old Sixth Ward Battling Parking Woes
We’re not here to advocate for either side in the never-ending Heights-residents-versus-bars argument, but we are in favor of parking in front of our houses. Recently the Old Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association filed for residential parking permits on streets – such as Decatur Street and Kane Street– near popular bars…
The Horror, The Horror In Katy
Stephanie Hays, the 33-year-old Katy woman who’s in jail after offering up three young children for sex, is — allegedly — scum, seriously disturbed, or an utter psychopath. Hays was arrested after cops nabbed a Missouri man who was trying to have sex with kids and was involved in computer…
Month in Photos: August 2008
We’ve just loaded up the latest installment of Month in Photos, so now you can see what you missed in August when your day job got in the way of that valuable Internet time. Have a look. You deserve it. — KP…
Shipley’s Gets Slapped (Somewhat) On Illegal Immigrants
The Shipley Do-Nut company and its president today received a stern slap as both pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to employing and housing illegal immigrants. Lawrence Shipley III, who took the helm of his family’s Houston-based company in 2005, pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of continuing…
New Orleans: No Astrodome For You! (This Time)
As we’ve noted, some Houstonians are worried — not to say pissed — that another hurricane may send another round of Louisiana evacuees our way. So do they have something to worry about? Does the county plan to once again open up the Astrodome to house evacuees? In a word,…
Rich Gedman Hearts Roger Clemens, and He’ll Cuss You Out to Prove It
It’s been a while since there’s been a Rocket sighting, but last weekend, Roger Clemens decided to go to a Worcester Tornadoes baseball game in Worcester, Massachusetts. You’ve probably never heard of the Worcester Tornadoes, which is probably because the Tornadoes are an independent minor league team in the Cam-Am…
Tonight: Tokio Hotel at Verizon Wireless Theater
What if Rammstein were an emo band? Chances are if you’ve got a tween in your household, especially one that sprechens the Deutsch, you already know. That would be Tokio Hotel, the quartet of German jugend that has sold more than five million albums in its native Deutschland and, this…
Meeting Does Only A Little To Help Parent Having Trouble Because Her Kids Speak English
Kelly Martinez, the Spring Branch woman whose sons couldn’t get into the school she wanted because they spoke English (see update below), met with the principal of Edgewood Elementary this morning. Nothing new was offered for her oldest son, but the school will allow Martinez’s youngest son to attend its…
JCPenney REALLY Wants Mentally Handicapped Woman To Have Credit Card
A Houston family has a bone to pick with JCPenney. Seems a 5th Ward woman with the mental age of a four-year-old was somehow issued a JCPenney charge card. Family members, including the woman’s legal guardian, have been trying to get the account closed, with no luck. As they’ve written…
Rock the Bayou Preview: Bret Michaels Talks About Wrecking His Ferrari, C.C. DeVille, the “Bang Bus” and More
Anyone who’s been paying attention may have picked up on this, but we’re kinda big fans of glam-metal bad-asses Poison. Ever since we were kids, we’ve dreamed of being on tour with them. Imagine Thor standing atop of gigantic mountain of beautiful betties he’s just bedded, rocking out on a…
Houston: It Sucks, But You Can Find Work
Houston may be a sweltering furnace most of the year battling some of the worst pollution in the country, but according to recent employment numbers, it’s a great place to live. Yesterday, the United States Department of Labor released stats showing that the Houston area is second only to Dallas…
This Just In: Butthole Surfers at Fitz’s in October
According to both the band’s and the club’s Web sites, Texas psych-punk terrors the Butthole Surfers have confirmed a Houston show for Thursday, October 23 at Fitzgerald’s, with the lineup of vocalist/”Gibbytronix” sound-effects manipulator Gibby Haynes, guitarist Paul Leary, bassist Jeff Pinkus and drummers King Coffy and Teresa Taylor, which…
Astros-Reds: Roy O Continues to Massacre Cincinnati
Roy Oswalt has had a pretty stellar major league career. But pitchers just normally don’t have career numbers against teams like the numbers Roy Oswalt has against the Reds. Last night was his 25th career start against the Reds. And after last night’s 4-1 victory, Oswalt is now 22-1 all-time…
Art Rock: Blackie, The Mathletes, The Goods, Giant Princess and Generation Landslide at Numbers
Yet another $5 “Recession Thursday” is upon us…..
New Movie To Show Houston’s Good (Racist) Side
Houston’s racism is already on display with an avalanche of comments on the Houston Chronicle web site hoping desperately the city won’t have to welcome any more hurricane refugees. Next up — Hollywood takes a whack. Opening this fall is a movie called Towelhead, based on what we’re told is…
Hilary Duff’s Parents Embarrass The Shit Out Of Themselves
Good Lord. Hilary Duff — the little angel from Houston who audiences adored in Lizzie McGuire — is setting a terrific example for kids. Mostly it’s her parents. They’re in a Harris County court, in the midst of the type of bitter divorce that tends to occur when you have…
Tom Petty Week, Part 4: Vampire Weekend and Andrew W.K. Cover “Don’t Come Around Here No More”
Normally I can’t stand Vampire Weekend, but I do love Andrew W.K., and “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” so in this case I’ll make an exception… – Chris Gray Live at Central Park SummerStage, Manhattan, June 2008…
Who Decides What You Can View on Houston’s Free WiFi?
Last week, when exploring the City of Houston’s free downtown wifi system, we ran into the most dreaded of Internet obstacles: the porn filter. After we recounted the harrowing experience, an anonymous commenter (is there any better kind?) suggested that we investigate just who makes the call as to what…
Smoke Toys: BBQ Pits by Klose
Clarence Pierson, whose outstanding smoked pork is featured in this week’s Cafe review, pulls a brisket out of his bank safe-shaped pit. Pierson & Company’s smoker was built by one of Houston’s most famous custom barbecue pit builders, BBQ Pits by Klose (2216 W. 34th Street, 800-487-7487). These are the…
Johnny Cash Returns: The Living Tribute
Dan Whyms knows how to walk (very close to) the line. The actor/musician is nationally renowned for his portrayal of the Man in Black in Johnny Cash Returns: The Living Tribute. The musical revue features Whyms and the Rock Island Band — which now includes Cash’s piano man Earl Poole…
Clinton Jackson
Cultivating a career in clean comedy and living with yourself after guest-starring on Dharma & Greg are no minor tasks, but Clinton Jackson doesn’t come across like a man bearing a burden. The L.A.-based comedian/actor eschews the blue with style, relying instead on earnest energy and a knack for storytelling…
“Heroes Alter Egos”
“Heroes Alter Egos” shows off the artistic forces of the United Underground Painters Association (a.k.a. UUPA Crust Collective) with mixed-media work by Michael K. Taylor, Lance Flowers, Robert Hodge, and Lovie Olivia. “They’re doing pieces centered around different heroes and alter egos,” says Crystal Benavides, space125gallerygallery manager. “They’re not confined…
“AIGA: 50 Books/50 Covers”
The American Institute of Graphic Arts judges a book by its cover. The organization surveys a year’s worth of reads for its annual awards and now it’s time to reveal the winners. “AIGA: 50 Books/50 Covers” showcases the top-shelf selections of 2007. For the cover of Alter Ego, the designer…
Iconoclastically Yours
DUAL is bringing the outside in. “I’m striving really hard to make people feel like they’re walking on the streets of Houston when they enter the gallery,” he says in an e-mail. The local graffiti artist (who prefers to go by his all-caps moniker) renovated the Aerosol Warfare Gallery for…
An Evening with Emily Giffin
Ever wonder about the one that got away? Emily Giffin’s lead character in her new book Love the One You’re With does. Ellen is happily married — she thinks. Then she runs into an old flame, Leo, who left her heartbroken with no explanation eight years ago. Is he the…
Alive in Necropolis Author Doug Dorst
Being a cop in Colma, California, should be an easy job — the majority of the residents are dead. The city is a northern neighbor of San Francisco, and for decades has served as its burial ground. More than 1.5 million corpses — many of them famous — are lying…
B L A C K I E
B L A C K I E is making a name for himself on Houston stages. This isn’t just because the hip-hop MC’s moniker is so caps-lock-and-spacebar specific, either. The local rhymesayer takes on hip-hop like a slow-motion instant replay, and both rockers and rappers are watching. His backing tracks…
Happy Birthday, Houston
Happy Birthday, Houston — you don’t look a day over 150! Not that anyone’s counting candles (it’s 172, for those who are). The weekend’s celebrations start with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra’s intimate salon recital featuring Rodney Waters on the piano and the orchestra’s founder and Executive Director Alecia Lawyer…
A Murder of Crows
The world is a nasty place in Mac Wellman’s strange play A Murder of Crows, making its Houston premiere. The story takes place in an America where the toxic air is “mustardy” and the ocean so polluted it looks like custard. In this land gone grotesque, a young woman, Susannah,…
The Goonies
The chase for One-Eyed Willy’s treasure is back on the big screen — we’re talking, of course, about The Goonies. The film follows a group of misfit kids — Mikey, Data, Mouth and the truffle-shuffling Chunk — on their quest to find an ancient pirate treasure. The timing couldn’t be…
Luxury Car
Over the past month of Olympics mania, the Chinese have been both so glorified and so vilified that it’s hard to tell what the real China — and its normal people — is like. Those interested in seeing a more nuanced portrait of the very complex nation might check out…
The Conversation
When struggling director Francis Ford Coppola hit it big with the success of The Godfather, he had the clout to make pretty much whatever he wanted for his next project. The result was not another mafia potboiler, but 1974’s unlikely The Conversation. It follows the story of Harry Caul (Gene…
“Warren MacKenzie: Legacy of an American Potter”
When 84-year-old potter Warren Mac-Kenzie was once asked what makes a good pot, he quoted a friend, the legendary Japanese artist Shoji Hamada: “The good pots are the ones I like…for me.” It’s easy to see why MacKenzie has been so successful as a potter: he hand-throws lovely, useful, graceful…
“Moscow and St. Petersburg: A Tale of Two Cities”
So let’s just say that Russia’s reputation, at the moment, is a little tarnished, thanks to that whole war thing, but some of its guiltless cultural contributions are on gleaming display this month at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, in “Moscow and St. Petersburg: A Tale of Two…
Swing!
You might remember that odd period in the mid-’90s when 15-year-old guys started wearing sport coats to school and decorating their bedrooms with neon signs and cocktail shakers. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the forerunners of that decade’s swing revival (along with cohort Brian Setzer), were largely to blame. Their music…
The Killing
Before he filmed malicious spaceship computers, Beethoven-loving psycho killers and Nicole Kidman in the nude, Stanley Kubrick attacked a simpler topic: the heist. But he was still Kubrick, after all, so his 1956 film The Killing, showing today at Alamo Drafthouse, is still dark, quirky and classic. Only Kubrick’s second…
Gipsy Kings
It’s been 20 years since the Gipsy Kings hit the world stage with “Bamboleo,” their infectious flamenco-infused single. The Grammy Award-winning Kings, Roma musicians from France by way of Spain, have traveled the world since then playing what is best described as rumba flamenco with pop and salsa influences. See…
Louis C. Smith: “Ambiguous Places”
Louis C. Smith’s paintings are neither here nor there, neither this nor that. “Ambiguous Places” is a collection of the artist’s black-and-white works depicting places and objects that could be, but then again may not be. Ribbons of white paint twist and turn against black backgrounds to form marble-like apples,…
25th Annual Labor Day Cup
Kick off your holiday celebrations with the 25th Annual Houston Labor Day Cup sponsored by the Houston Dynamo, along with the Bear Creek and Westside Soccer Clubs. More than 300 teams of young soccer players will swarm over Bear Creek Park during the three-day tournament. Competitive and recreational clubs from…
Braid Changes the Game
In the 25 years or so I’ve been playing games, never once have I encountered an earnest conversation about what a game means. You see every other sort of discussion — people talking about how a game looks, or how it plays, how long or short or difficult or easy…
Ludo
Even though Ludo’s theatrical strut “Love Me Dead” screams novelty hit, the Moog-buoyed, pop-rock quintet is no flash in the pan. The St. Louis band formed in early 2003, when ex-theater kid Andrew Volpe and metalhead/meditation enthusiast Tim Ferrell decided to hop in a van and play shows wherever they…
Civil Disobedience at Scout Bar
Scout Bar (18307 Egret Bay Blvd., Clear Lake) is not what we were expecting. See, the combination live-music venue and dance club was opened by Thomas Wilson in 2004. Wilson is keyboardist and vocalist for The Hunger, the still-performing local electronic-rock band with nearly 18 years of experience. Put frankly,…
GZA
Wu-Tang Clan is the closest thing rap has ever had to the Beatles. As Please Please Me kick-started the British Invasion and flipped the meaning of rock and roll on its axis, the Wu did the same for ’90s New York rap. Featuring nine rappers gunning against the world, decapitating…
The Hold Steady: Stay Positive
“Me and my friends are like the drums on ‘Lust for Life,'” sings Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn, opening both “Constructive Summer” and fourth CD Stay Positive with what is almost certainly the perfect rock-and-roll analogy. The line captures the Brooklyn-via-Minnesota band’s essential nature, a marriage of classic-rock exuberance and…
Electric Touch: Electric Touch
Electric Touch, the eponymous debut album by the Austin-based four-piece — two of whom hail from Houston — reaches a level of sophistication to which most new(ish) bands can only aspire. In opener “Love in Our Hearts,” lead singer Shane Lawlor’s gritty voice — easily comparable to that of a…
The Shape of Things Fall Together
s I was leaving the intimate surroundings of Ace Theatre after an intriguing rendition of Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things, co-produced by the new National Repertory Theatre and Ace, I got stuck behind two slow-moving, gray-haired ladies. They were in no hurry, oblivious to the crush they were causing…
Yung Berg: Look What You Made Me
Chances are you’ve had a Yung Berg song stuck in your mental craw without even knowing who he is. On debut Look What You Made Me, the Chi-town rapper and producer is smart enough to stick to polished, chunky and melodic soundscapes. He deploys both known and unknown R&B talent…
Death and Destruction Reign at “END GAME”
There is an ancient story about the beginning of the world that portends the human desire to create and destroy. The world began in a very small way — it was a rock floating in a dark ocean, and on that rock were a bull and a plant. Inside the…
The Octopus Project
Austin’s favorite foursome, the Octopus Project, has had a busy few years. After the success of its independently released second album, 2005’s One Ten Hundred Thousand Million, gave the four-piece a much-deserved nationwide buzz, the Project capitalized on its newfound fanfare with a set at California’s Coachella and almost constant…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Defending Democracy,” “Drapetomania: A Disease Called Freedom,” Dust
“Defending Democracy” “Defending Democracy” displays work by artists who share the belief that art can be a catalyst for change. The show includes political graphic art of former Black Panther Minister of Culture Emory Douglas, the murals and prints of the anonymous artist collective ASARO and the “teach-in” installation of…
Born-Again Shock Rocker (and Golfer) Alice Cooper
As he writes in his highly readable autobiography, Alice Cooper, Golf Monster, the father of shock rock credits the game for helping him maintain his sobriety, replacing a fondness for heavy boozing with the decidedly healthier obsession of birdies and bogeys after his second stint in rehab. Today, Cooper is…
Bayousphere
Sure, the job’s kind of crummy, and the wages are from hunger, but the uniforms are so damn cool. A trustee from the Harris County Jail vacuums out a county car, rocking the orange-stripe look. Trustees, by the way, are strictly prohibited from cleaning the private cars of any county…
The Passion of Victoria Osteen
Every little Catholic boy and girl knows about the Stations of the Cross. (Maybe other religions, too; we can’t speak for them). For one glorious spring day, students get out of class to watch as priests mumble their way around the church. Legend has it the collars are talking about…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Always…Patsy Cline, Baby with the Bathwater, Electile Dysfunction, In the Middle of the Ocean, Smoke on the Mountain: Homecoming
Always…Patsy Cline Stages Repertory Theatre’s favorite cash cow is back and as much fun as ever. Created by Ted Swindley, the Stages founding artistic director, 20 years ago, Always…Patsy Cline is one of the theater’s biggest crowd pleasers. With the current two-woman cast, which includes the hilarious Susan O. Koozin…
Welcome back, Toadies
It was a Big Deal time slot: Lollapalooza co-headliners Wilco and Rage Against the Machine were scheduled to go on at8:30 p.m. Saturday, August 2, about an hour after the Toadies’ slot at the three-day Chicago festival. Almost all roads in Grant Park that day, then, led fans to the…
Logic Goes Out with the Intrigue in Ho-Hum “Thriller” Traitor
Despite his reputation as that rarest of creatures — a Hollywood intellectual — new evidence suggests that Steve Martin reads…prepare yourself…thrillers and spy novels. Or at least that’s the only conclusion one can draw from the “Story by” credit the comedian receives on Traitor, an uneven yet engrossing terrorist thriller…
BBQ on TCJ: Pierson & Company Bar-B-Que
When I asked about the barbecued pork at Pierson & Company, the new barbecue joint on T.C. Jester in Acres Homes near the ruins of William’s Smokehouse, owner and pit boss Clarence Pierson reached inside a stainless steel warmer and extracted some meat that was sealed in cellophane. He unwrapped…
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired Argues the Case…
Along its winding road to crucifying the American judiciary, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired — which aired to mostly warm reviews on HBO a month before its theatrical release — grinds some blunt axes, makes some dizzying leaps to judgment and does a lot of silly editing with movie clips…
Pine Nut Cookies at Drew’s Pastry Place
Andrew Rogers, owner of Drew’s Pastry Place (10300 Louetta, 832-717-3530) in Cypress, truly has created what they call in Italy a pasticceria. The pignoli (pine nut) cookies are wonderful. “They are made from a recipe that my mother-in-law gave me,” says Rogers. Even the sfogliatelle (a cousin to cannoli) are as…
Not Easy Being Green
The City of Houston may be promoting all things eco-friendly these days, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to go green. At least that’s what one local business owner is finding out. Chris Toman is trying to open a Pizza Fusion restaurant, part of a chain with franchises in…
Go to Town at Terlingua Texas Border Cafe
Lajitas is a small town in west Texas, between Laredo and El Paso, with a population of 48, according to www.texasonline.com. It’s also the inspiration for the chicken Lajitas ($13) at Terlingua Texas Border Cafe (920 Studemont, 713-864-3700). A whole chicken breast is sliced in two, then marinated in Mexican spices…
Anita Bump, Michael Phelps and Harris County Jail
From Anita: I grabbed a copy of the Press yesterday to check out the dish on my new grill [“All That Glitters,” by Jason Kerr, August 14]. I was pretty excited when I opened the paper to page 43 and saw the gorgeous picture on the full page write-up. My…
Indian Jewelry: Free Gold
There’s something inherently oceanic about Indian Jewelry’s Free Gold, the densely layered second disc from the (mostly) Houston-based collective headed by ex-Japanic/Swarm of Angels provocateur Tex Kerschen and wife Erika Thrasher. The rolling, tribal rhythms of several songs create an effect similar to being tossed to and fro at the…
Striped Donkeys, Hep Pachucos and Defensive Driving
Dear Mexican: Why do Mexicans paint stripes on their donkeys in Tijuana? Avenida Revolución Reveler Dear Gabacho, Same reason we put worms in tequila bottles, celebrate Cinco de Mayo and star in Beverly Hills Chihuahua: to cheat gabachos out of cash. To paraphrase the classic dictum: A gabacho and his…
Who Stole the Roll?
Say I could stick my pen in my heart and spill it all over the stage. Would it satisfy ya, would it slide on by ya, would you think the boy is strange? Hopefully you recognize those lines as the opening verse to the Rolling Stones’ 1974 hit “It’s Only…
The Mighty Hannibal, Barbara Lynn, Archie Bell
Maybe it’s throwback acts like Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Amy Winehouse pricking the ears of a younger audience (and more than a few older listeners), but it’s clear fresh interest is now stirring in the soul sounds of yesteryear. Fortunately, Texas has always been blessed with soul royalty…
The Edge of Heaven Can Wait
The Edge of Heaven disembarks stateside still flush from an award-reaping Eurasian tour. That the European Film Awards tossed Fatih Akin’s intercontinental, cross-cultural ensemble piece a Best Screenplay statuette makes perfect sense — it’s not brilliant, but it wears current events on its sleeve, feeling out the state of German-Turkish…
Jeremy Enigk
The chance of a conversation about emo not including an in-depth analysis of Sunny Day Real Estate’s impact on the genre is slim indeed, because Jeremy Enigk and his SDRE co-conspirators completely revamped the way indie kids listened to music. That band’s distinctive sound helped create a moment in musical…
FLEMING’S OLD-FASHIONED
I was in the mood for something simple and classic. I wanted to dial it back a few years. I wanted bourbon. I wanted mahogany, low lighting, Sinatra…you get the idea. So imagine my surprise when we got to the bar at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (2405 W. Alabama;…
