Houston Oilman Hal Kuntz Commits Suicide in Penthouse
A prominent Houston oilman committed suicide in his River Oaks penthouse last month, officials confirmed this week. The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office confirms that Hal G. Kuntz died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on August 18. Houston police officers who responded to a call for shots…
Court Scolds Greg Abbott for Midnight Appeal on Abortion Ruling
When Federal District Court Judge Lee Yeakel knocked down a key component of the Texas’ tough new abortion law Friday, we all knew Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott would immediately appeal the ruling. Apparently we underestimated just how quickly Abbott could pull together his argument. While Abbott filed a notice…
Reality Bites: Gypsy Sisters
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. When it comes right down to it, there are three types of reality shows. The first kind, those that attempt — however weakly — to instruct the audience about obscure…
With Energy to Spare: A Preview of the 2014-15 Houston Arts Season
Well, our theater awards for last season’s best have been given out, so it’s time to look ahead. As usual, the field is as crowded as ever. Here’s a sampling of rich choices that look most promising. Dracula The 1927 Broadway adaptation of Bram Stoker’s gothic horror novel starred a…
Help Chef Luis Gallardo in His Fight Against Cancer
The name Luis Gallardo is not a prominent one in Houston food circles. Like the many young chefs just who work hard to get better at their craft, Gallardo spent the earlier part of his career learning English while working 60-plus-hour work weeks. Still, he worked his way up from…
The Best Comics in August Part 2: The Ninth Doctor Returns
Each month the staff at 8th Dimension Comics picks out the best book to review. Check out Part 1 here. Silver Surfer #5: The new adventures of the Silver Surfer are pretty amazing because they are both cosmically relevant and completely irreverent. The surfer is a being of unimaginable power,…
Halliburton Totally Settling the BP Oil Spill
Halliburton has managed to dodge some of the notoriety that has dogged British Petroleum in the wake of the massive BP oil spill (partly because it was called the BP oil spill and all) but the Houston-based company has still been all wrapped up in lawsuits. Some of those lawsuits…
This Week in Food Blogs: Fried Foods to Try at the State Fair of Texas
City of Ate: Our sister paper’s food blog, Dallas Observer’s City of Ate, has the scoop on which food competitors walked away victorious during the 10th Big Tex Choice Awards at the State Fair of Texas. We shared info about the finalists a couple weeks ago, and out of those…
Review: Gyu-Kaku Brings Japanese Barbecue to Houston in Style
“Just 15 to 20 seconds per side,” said our server as she delivered a plate of toro beef tare to the table. One of the several meat selections that came with our course menu for two, this looked different from the rest. Heavily striated with fat, the thin strips looked…
Doctor Who: “Into the Dalek” Is Just Terrible
I don’t think a single episode of Doctor Who has ever been quite as terrible as “Into the Dalek” was. Maybe “Love and Monsters,” but not in the same way. I’ll leave aside the most obvious complaints. Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is for some unknown reason needlessly cruel to Clara, constantly…
Devin the Dude Flies High in New Alamo Drafthouse PSA
Anyone who has caught a movie at an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema knows about the theater’s anti-talking and -texting PSAs. The chain is as celebrated for its super-strict etiquette protocols as it is for its buckets of cold beer. Strike up a conversation or light up a touchscreen while a movie…
Binti Lee Will Never Speak the Same After a Houston Hospital Misdiagnosed Her Stroke
The words were gone. She had no memory of falling. Binti Lee’s boyfriend, Andre Brown, then 30, was in the other room when he heard the thump, a dull, heavy sound — like a lead weight hitting the floor. Brown walked into the living room and saw Lee, then 34,…
Local Neighborfood Plans to Bring Adventurous Houston Foodies Together
Houston is bursting at the seams with adventurous foodies. But most of them only go out to eat with their close friends or loved ones. What if there was a way to bring these food enthusiasts together over dinner? Near the end of this year, this will be a possibility…
100 Creatives 2014: McKenna Jordan, Owner of Murder By The Book
There’s a unique sense of warmth and familiarity that washes over you when entering a local, independent bookstore, and that’s exactly what McKenna Jordan tries to cultivate as owner of Murder By The Book on Bissonnet. Though it wasn’t initially part of her post-college life-plan–she wanted to go to Law…
The 2014 Houston Texans Season Is Basically One Giant Coin Flip
“This is not a long-term rebuilding process. I want to make that clear. We’ve got core players who are outstanding players, and we still need to fill a few holes.” — Bob McNair, 12/6/13 The day Gary Kubiak was fired, this was McNair’s battle cry. Despite 11 consecutive losses, the clear…
8 Holiday Foods I’d Like to See Banished Forever
It won’t be long until Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around, bringing friends and family together to celebrate over a good meal. Some of those holiday feasts can be massive in scale, and there tend to be a few dishes unveiled that are rarely, if ever, brought out the rest of…
Upcoming: Alesana, Beck, D.R.I., Heart, Junior Brown, King’s X, Olivia Newton-John, etc.
77 Jefferson: With Tydings, DML Cartel. Thu., September 18, 8 p.m., $5. Scout Bar, 18307 Egret Bay, Houston, 281-335-0002. Aaron Behrens & the Midnight Stroll: With Ranch Ghost., Thu., September 11, 7 p.m., $12. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston, 713-225-5483. Alesana: With Megosh, Otenki. Mon., September 15, 7 p.m.,…
Fire Chief: Radio Problems Played Role in Southwest Inn Tragedy
Radio communications hampered rescue efforts in the May 2013 fire of a hotel that took the lives of four Houston firefighters, Houston Fire Department Executive Assistant Chief Richard Mann said Tuesday. Mann said at a press conference that the department had just upgraded to a new radio communications and was…
Amazing Houston Comic Con: A Good First Run
It’s a rare convention that doesn’t leave its attendees with much to complain about, so it’s remarkable that Amazing Houston Comic Con accomplished that in its very first roll out of the gate. OK, I do actually have two complaints, but they’re pretty minor. Attendees with three-day passes received blue…
George Young’s Ventage Taps That ’94 Feeling
Remember 1994? It’s arguably the year hip-hop truly decided to grow up and embrace a mix of gangsta attitude and spread-out regionalism. That year, we got Scarface’s The Diary, UGK’s Super Tight, Nas’s Illmatic and the Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die…to start with. I could go on, but our old…
Food for Thought in “All About That Bass”
The new song you can’t escape is called “All About That Bass,” and sounds nothing like its title. You won’t be hearing it in the DJ’s club mix or slow, loud and banging in the streets. But you might hear it if Taylor Swift and Adele ever square off in…
Confessions of Bob Dylan’s Ex-Joint Roller
Another Side of Bob Dylan: A Personal History on the Road and Off the Tracks By Victor Maymudes, co-written and edited by Jacob Maymudes St. Martin’s Press, 304 pp., $26.99 From 1961 to 1966, Victor Maymudes filled a lot of roles — both official and not — for Bob Dylan:…
Seven Fabulous, Fashionable Functions in Houston in September
Schedule your style fix in advance to meet your September quota. Looking for a trunk show for the season’s latest styles? Got it. Wishing for a museum exhibit to whisk you away to a stylish, bygone era? Done. Hoping to meet a designer along with the excitement of seeing brand-new…
Venice Film Festival: Al Pacino Rediscovers His Inside Voice
Most of us would agree that there’s only one Al Pacino. But this year in Venice, there are actually two: Pacino appears in two films at the festival this year, David Gordon Green’s Manglehorn, about a lonely Texas locksmith stuck in a romantic dream, and, playing out of competition, Barry…
Texas Supreme Court Rules in Internet Smear Case
The Texas Supreme Court last week issued a ruling that could change how Texas lawyers fight defamation in the internet age. The State Supremes ruled in the case of Robert Kinney, a Texas legal recruiter for BCG Attorney Search, Inc. who left the firm in 2004 to start a competing…
Mexican Golden Lager, Montejo, Debuts in Houston
Consider yourself lucky, Houston. We’re one of 11 cities to receive Montejo, the first Mexican beer imported from Mexico. The golden lager is available at a variety of bars, restaurants and grocery stores in the Houston area, starting today, September 1. Anheuser-Busch decided to launch the release of Montejo in…
How to Paint a Motorcycle With Spray Paint and Get Great Results
Several months ago I bought a used chopper from its original owner. Great bike, but it had a ridiculous-looking “Tribal tattoo” paint job that was pretty much the exact opposite of anything I would consider cool…
Five NFL Season Win Total Bets You Should Invest In
Two days away from the start of the NFL season, and I’m getting all my ducks in a row for kickoff Thursday night. I have the Texans schedule loaded in my calendar so I know exactly how many Sundays I’ll have to watch a total menu of other teams’ games…
Your Guide to the Best Sunday Football Specials in Houston
Football is back and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Here’s to a great season, especially for the Texans (but also for some other players because at the time of publication we have not yet had our Fantasy Football draft so we really don’t know who we want to do well…
The Best Comics in August Part 1: Barack Obama as Superman
Each month the staff at 8th Dimension Comics picks out the best book to review. Look for Part 2 tomorrow. The Fade Out: To me Ed Brubaker is like Led Zeppelin; I fully recognize the inherent genius of his work and 99 percent of the time I still can’t stand…
Dog Contraception in the Name of Love
Maybe you saw BARC’s recent cry for help, or maybe it was the heartbreaking No One’s Dog photographic exhibit at Diverse Works that finally convinced you to take on a furry roommate fresh off the streets. In any case, you now realize that you are the proud guardian of a…
Smashburger’s Not-So-Smashing Chicken Sandwich
Can a burger joint offer a chicken sandwich that’s as good or better than its hamburgers? Dare to dream, you say. Burger King’s chicken sandwiches have the texture of sponges and are way over-salted, and the jury’s still out whether McDonald’s actually uses actual chicken in its sandwiches. Well, at…
Pop Rocks: Latest Celeb Naked Photo Leak a Reminder That Data Is Never Truly Safe
It was revealed over the weekend that compromising photos of numerous celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Rhianna, Kate Upton and others had been swiped and posted online, mostly on the 4Chan message boards. Hackers managed to get into victims’ iCloud accounts through some type of vulnerability. Prior to the latest version…
The Rocks Off 200: Jessica Perry, the Spice in Vanilla Sugar
Welcome to The Rocks Off 200, 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 previous entries in the Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? Jessica Perry…
J.J. Watt Becomes Highest-Paid Defensive Player in NFL History
Man, you got to feel for the Houston Astros. In a metropolitan area where only 40 percent of the city has the television capability to watch their games, and only a minuscule fraction of those people are choosing to do so, the only headline grabbing maneuver they had left (short…
Shop Fall’s Best Trends in Houston
Trend reports should be reviewed with a skeptical eye (are military-style coats or all-white ensembles ever out of style?) but there are a few genuine, of-the-moment opportunities in fashion right now. If you’ve managed to digest all eighty-thousand pages of the September issues–seriously, have you seen Vogue?–you know that a…
Five Reasons to Give HPD Funding for Body Cameras
Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland is asking City Hall for $8 million to equip 3,500 police officers over three years in order to arm HPD officers with small body cameras in a bid toward police transparency. The push for department-wide body cameras is an expansion on a pilot program that…
Chef David Coffman Joins Cullen’s Upscale American Grille
Chef David Coffman takes the reins of executive chef at Cullen’s Upscale American Grille today, September 2. Coffman has experience at a variety of Houston restaurants, including Goro & Gun, Benjy’s on Washington and in Rice Village, and Katsuya. The decision to bring Coffman on board at Cullen’s was made…
10 Places for Boozy Milkshakes in Houston
Milkshakes are good, but boozy shakes are so much better. The traditional blend of milk, ice cream and syrups makes for an enjoyably sweet refreshment, but the extra splash of tequila, rum or beer just takes it to a new level. When you’re in the mood for an alcoholic drink,…
Thank God My Daughter’s Class Isn’t Just Full of White People
As my daughter and I were walking to her third day of kindergarten I had a really proud moment as a parent. Amid the endless monologue being constantly recited came this exchange. “Saanvi* and I are really different, but that’s OK,” she said. “How are you different?” I asked, expecting…
College Football 2014: Jameis Winston’s Heisman Highlight Reel Begins (VIDEO)
College football is back, and for this we should all be grateful. It was quite the opening weekend over the holiday! The season kicked off with an unexpected Thursday night beatdown by the Texas A&M over the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, launching the career of Kevin Sumlin’s next Heisman…
Welcome to Country Music Time Machine
Country music has an interesting relationship with current events. Unlike other forms of pop that deal with one form of fantasy or another — starlets forever falling in love with that guy who is just out of reach; aspiring rappers’ dreams of a ghetto-fabulous lifestyle, for example — country draws…
The Five Best Unreleased Sisters of Mercy Songs
My hobby is collecting musicians who go utterly shitballs crackernuts. If I had a religion, then Keith Moon would be my God and I would spend every Sunday morning checking into a hotel just to chuck the TV out of the window for no discernable reason. When I read articles…
Are Musicians Right to Ban Fans Recording Their Shows?
Recently Kate Bush began a string of her first live performances in some 35 years, an unprecedented 22-show residency at London’s Hammersmith Apollo now continuing until October 1. That is awesome for her fans in the UK and possibly Europe, but obviously leaves a lot to be desired for those…
Houston in the ’60s Was a Happening Place
One day, in the distant future, hopefully there will be a Vicki Welch Ayo to document Houston’s present-day music scene. If so, that person must now be a dedicated and adventurous showgoer, someone who is enthusiastic about the current acts and venues, and who cares about local music enough to…
Mad Decent Block Party’s Central Texas Stop Was Pretty Good All Right
After a last-minute request and approval to cover the New Braunfels stop of the Mad Decent Block Party, Rocks Off’s own Marco Torres sent in this visual summary of the event, held this past Saturday at the Whitewater Amphitheater…
Texas Among the Worst for Gender Equality
Let’s talk about gender (in)equality, shall we? In 2013, the U.S. failed to make the top 10 — or even the top 20 — of the World Economic Forum’s list of the most gender-equal countries. And we’re guessing that little issue is, at least in part, because of the big…
Dish of the Week: The Chicago-Style Hot Dog
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. See the complete list of recipes at the end of this post. This week, we’re sharing one of the best ways to pump up your last days of summer hot dogs:…
Cougars Embarrass UH on Supposed Glorious Night for New Stadium
Stop me if this sounds familiar. The heavily favored Houston Cougars open up the season at home against a team from Central Texas. But instead of winning the game by double digits, the Cougars are upset by double digits. Just replace Texas State with UTSA and make the final score…
Prep for Fall With a Few Small Tweaks to Your Summer Wardrobe, Because It’s Still Hot
As the Northern hemisphere starts preppin’ for Fall, we Houstonians, really everyone in the Southern United States, scoff and keep trucking along in our cut-off shorts and flip-flops. Our temperatures happily remain in the high 90s through the end of September, if not October. Some years, we see Thanksgiving before…
Meyerland Hipster Church Courts Impossible Demographic
Angie Boudreaux grew up in her grandmother’s conservative Southern Baptist church an odd child who loved going every week just to hear the preacher preach. Eventually, she became a Sunday school teacher and made her living helping young girls read the Bible. It would have been a straightforward story, except…
Three Labor Day Cocktails From Houston Bartenders
The Labor Day holiday is here. And it’s a day for sleeping in, relaxing, swimming at the pool, cooking on the grill and most importantly, not working. When we think about the best plans for a day off from work, we think sipping on a great cocktail is on the…
Two of Houston’s Freeways Top Texas’s 100 Most Congested Roadways
Sorry Austin, but Houston has knocked you out of the top spot. Well, at least when it comes to the top spot on the list of Texas’ 100 most congested roadways, anyway. We haven’t quite caught up to you on being a hipster hot-spot yet, but we suppose there’s always…
Five Burger and Local Craft Beer Pairings for Labor Day
Most of us will spend our Labor Day outside by the pool (weather permitting) and will likely use the grill to make our lunch or dinner. Barbecue ribs and steaks are great Labor Day meals, but so are burgers. And what goes best with burgers? Well, fries, of course, but…
Venice Film Fest: Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence Is More Honest Than The Act of Killing
In 2012, documentary filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer made a splash with The Act of Killing, in which he sought out members of Indonesian killing squads, individuals who murdered thousands of innocent citizens accused of being communists after a military takeover in 1965, and invited them to re-enact their crimes in the…
Happy Labor Day! Houston Has More Workplace Fatalities Than Other Texas Cities
Friday marked the end of the national Labor Rights Week, which takes place every year during the last week of August leading up to Labor Day. But Houston as a city isn’t in the best position when it comes to worker safety. Labor Rights Week — organized by the U.S…
KISS & Def Leppard at The Woodlands, 8/31/2014
KISS, Def Leppard Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 31, 2014 “Everybody’s got a front row seat tonight,” said KISS lead vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley after recognizing fans on the distant lawn, “and just in case you didn’t realize it, you’re looking at a band onstage that’s in the Rock…
The Changing Face of Houston: The Heights Then and Now
I lived in the Heights area as a child in the late ’70s, at that time one of Houston’s well-known neighborhoods with a long history, and an area that had changed a great deal over the previous decades. Today, the Heights is considered by many to be one of the…
The Most Underrated Fried Chicken in Houston…According to You
Texas is known for its juicy barbecue, sensational Tex-Mex and oh so yummy comfort cuisine. But, it’s also known for good old Southern food, and to us that means fried chicken. It’s a staple at picnic lunches or church potluck meals. The crispy, crunchy buttermilk coating around tender, juicy chicken…
Texans Trade for QB Ryan Mallett, Case Keenum Era Over
Waiver wire time in the NFL is like fishing through the discounted $4.99 DVD bin in your local Walmart. One by one, you pick up, glance at and summarily toss aside classic time wasters like A Fish Called Wanda, Can’t Buy Me Love, or any of the ’90s superhero movies…
The 10 Biggest Reasons Houston Is Turnt Up
…because B L A C K I E has a new release out, and it’s a doozy. Entitled Imagine Your Self In a Free and Natural World, it’s subdivided between two tracks that last more than 16 minutes apiece, “Wings Blocking Out the Sun” and “Forest of Ex-Lovers,” and a…
The Five Best Concerts in Houston This Week: Ray Wylie Hubbard, Omotai, Sucre, etc.
Ray Wylie Hubbard Main Street Crossing, September 3 Ray Wylie Hubbard likes to live by words he eventually set to music in the song “Mother Blues” from his 2012 album The Grifters’ Hymnal: “The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days.” The…
Venice Film Fest: In Birdman, Michael Keaton Is Haunted by His Superhero Past
The gent at the Delta check-in counter back in New York sighed when he saw where I was headed. “Romantic Venezia!” he said, and the comment stopped me short, because film festivals located in the most beautiful settings in the world have a way of making you forget – almost…
Houston Man Gets 20 Years in Synthetic-Drug Case
The supposed mastermind behind a Houston-based synthetic drug distributorship linked to the deaths of two teens in Minnesota and North Dakota has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Charles Carlton, sentenced in a North Dakota federal court August 28, was the 15th defendant sentenced in the multi-state…
The 5 Best Fashion Stories of the Week: NFL Style for Women and Worst Looks from the Emmys
Lots of breaking fashion news hits the interwebs and I don’t want you to miss one bit of it. So, I present some of the biggest headlines each week for your reading pleasure. Click and enjoy!…
Sgt. Harris’s Other Unsolved Murder Case
When disgraced ex-HPD detective Ryan Chandler began arbitration hearings last week to try to get his job back, he got an earful from his former colleague: veteran homicide detective Brian Harris, who testified that Chandler was wrong to blame his shoddy work on an unmanageable caseload. Chandler was fired in…
85-Year-Old Woman, a.k.a. “No Soul,” Pleads Guilty to Ordering Hit on Prosecutors
Dorothy Clark Canfield might look like your grandmother, but in lockup she had an ominous nickname: “No Soul.” Canfield, 85, apparently picked up the moniker after being jailed in Montgomery County in 2012 on charges that she swindled undocumented immigrants out of $100,000 after posing as an immigration attorney. It…
Unlimited, Unusual Quesadilla Creations to Be Made at Freebirds
“Why would you ever go to a place that specializes in burritos and order a quesadilla? That’s like getting lo mein at a pizza place.” -Anonymous Because Freebirds, my friends, provides a unique opportunity to make your own funky one-of-a-kind quesadilla. While at most other burrito, Tex-Mex, taco restaurants, your…
Is It Really Bye-Bye to IndyCar Racing in Houston?
There were two IndyCar races in Houston this past June. The races were run on a course laid out around the NRG Park parking lot with NRG Stadium and the Astrodome looming large in the background. The track was bumpy and dangerous. The first day saw racing in the rain,…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: The November Man
Title: The November Man Where Does a November Man Rate On The Scale Of Cinematic Homo sapiens? Slightly above The January Man and substantially below The Omega Man. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two-and-a-half Rubber Souls out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Ex-spook is coaxed out of…
Houston Texans: Final 53-Man Roster Prediction
Normally, in the NFL’s preseason, there’s been a logical progression whereby you learn more and more about a team with each passing preseason game. In years past, the starters play a quarter in the first game, two quarters in the second game, three quarters (roughly) in the third game, and…
These Three Local Products Will Make You a Labor Day Hero
Would you like to be the hero of that Labor Day party you’re going to this weekend? Would you like to be complimented, have your name chanted, and/or be carried around the party like you’re goddamn Cleopatra? If you’ve answered yes to any of the above, we’re here to help…
Free Game Day: Kick the Critter
It’s Friday, and we know you’re just going to play on the internet until it’s time to leave work. Each week we’ll be bringing you a free flash game to help the time pass! Game: Kick the Critter Genre: Distance Made By: Simon “Lachhh” Lachance Play at: Armor Games Rating:…
Texas DPS Launches App for Tracking Sex Offenders, Most Wanted and Human Trafficking
When it comes to apps, I have a great appreciation for simplicity. Often, the most powerful ones are also the easiest to use and understand. If I need to be an engineer to find what I need when I tap an icon on my phone, chances are that app won’t…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Get in Line at Revival Market for Kolaches on Saturday
Food Truck Friday @ Houston Press Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 2603 La Branch Yummy Dog will be at the Houston Press offices today from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. to serve lunch. Come grab one of the truck’s specialty dogs, such as the German Shepherd featuring a bratwurst…
Anita’s Irony: Every Hater Proves Anita Sarkeesian Right
This week Anita Sarkeesian released yet another installment of her Tropes vs. Women series of videos detailing how women are portrayed in gaming and why exactly it’s a problem that needs to change. In response, the internet did what the internet usually does and hurled insults and threats so brutal…
Houston the Top City for Rising Credit Card Debt
It seems that Houstonians are getting pretty darn comfortable swiping that plastic at the register again. So comfortable, in fact, that Houston has become the top city in the United States for rising credit card debt. We’ve finally made it onto the top of a list for something other than…
Upcoming Events: September Is National All-American Breakfast Month
Throughout the entire month of September, several restaurants will be celebrating National All-American Breakfast Month. Funky Chicken is promoting its Funky Brunch offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. featuring chicken and waffles, chicken biscuit sandwiches and mimosas. Bradley’s Fine Diner has an a la carte…
100 Creatives 2014: Steven Trimble, Dirty Dirty Mixed Media
What He Does: Mixed media is kind of a loaded term when describing art. It can indicate a multi-dimensional work of genius, or one thing someone simply splattered with paint and glued more things onto. Steven Trimble, though, is definitely the real deal. His pieces are largely paintings but call…
The 30 Best Concerts In Houston Before Halloween
Islands Walters, September 6 Given the recent excitement of the Unicorns’ first shows in a decade, opening some recent Arcade Fire dates, the good news that their Canadian indie successors Islands are headed back to town for the first time in a while should make a few townies happy. The…
This Weekend’s Best Bets: College Football Is Here
207 days. That’s how long I’ve been waiting. When the piece of cheese sitting at the end of the summer-long maze is redemption, the clock ticks slowly. The pages get ripped off the calendar at a glacial speed. August couldn’t get here soon enough. Because here’s the thing — I…
The 5 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Dark Matter: Evidence of Things Unseen and More
On Friday, NobleMotion Dance, one of our favorite performing arts companies, premieres its latest evening-length program, Dark Matter: Evidence of Things Unseen. Inspired by Einstein’s theory of relativity, Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the Holy Bible, Dark Matter explores such lofty ideas as our place in the universe, the…
Openings & Closings: Play Strip Twister and Get Evicted
Another Upper Kirby establishment closed its doors this week. Irish pub Mugsy’s at 2239 Richmond shuttered on Sunday, August 24, but the co-owner Randy Eddy tells Eater Houston that he is closing the Irish pub and replacing it with a New Orleans-style restaurant, Tavern Orleans. The menu will feature Creole…
UPDATED: Most Texas Abortion Clinics Will NOT Close Next Week
UPDATE: Yeakel issued his ruling on Friday afternoon, and to the surprise of pretty much no one he struck down the requirement that all abortion clinics be certified ambulatory surgical centers, according to the Texas Tribune. The lawsuit also asked that Yeakel suspend the admitting privileges requirement for two clinics…
In Defense of Ace Frehley’s New Solo Album
The drugs and booze sure did a number on Ace Frehley’s face, I remember thinking as I was watching him play alongside the Roots during a recent airing of the Tonight Show. See, I was a KISS fan growing up, and don’t think there’s any shame in that. (For the…
Maybe It’s Time to Retire the Term “Boy Band”
One week ago today, tens of thousands of Houston’s biggest One Direction fans — most of them accompanied by their parents — flocked to the gates of NRG Stadium, toting signs, glow sticks, and homemade T-shirts. It was strange to realize that only 13 years ago, I was on my…
The Supertramp Mystique Extends to Instrumental Records, Too
Singer/guitarist Carl Verheyen probably hasn’t ever needed to file for unemployment with the musicians union. After a couple of decades as a sought-after studio axeman, he launched a solo career more than ten albums deep, teaches music at the university level, and has authored instructional books and DVDs. Oh, and…
Always a Fighter, Bilal Learns to Let It Flow
It hasn’t been an easy ride to international stardom for vocalist and composer Bilal Sayeed Oliver, who performs simply as Bilal. The Philly native, who roomed for a while with jazz pianist and Houston native Robert Glasper, almost quit the business when his second album was rejected by Interscope and…
The Best Concerts in Houston This Week: August Alsina, Better Than Ezra, KISS, etc.
August Alsina Warehouse Live, August 29 This show has already sold out, so time to hit up the “secondary market.” But August Alsina is that hot, no thanks to rumors that he’s now dating Nicki Minaj. She’s definitely a fan of the New Orleans-bred singer’s “No Love” single, because she…
Gambling! Five College Football Season Win Total Bets You Should Play
Each week in this space, I plan to give you, the faithful HoustonPress.com news blog reader, six picks against the spread for the upcoming football weekend. I would encourage you to read them even if you don’t plan to wager since they serve the dual purpose of conveying football predictions…
Houston Rent May Be Skyrocketing, But These Five Areas Are Still Affordable
Looking for an affordable apartment? Good luck — and we mean that. Houston’s rental prices are increasing at the fastest pace on record, and those sky-high apartment tags are no longer limited to the Inner Loop. As of July 2014, the average apartment rent in Houston is about $1,249 a…
Texas Man No Longer Faces Life in Prison for Pot Brownies
Prosecutors have dropped first-degree felony charges against Jacob Lavoro, the Round Rock teenager who faced life in prison for running a small-time edibles operation. Lavoro’s case made national headlines in May after Round Rock police caught the 19-year-old with about a pound and a half of marijuana edibles, a container…
The 5 Best Washington Corridor Happy Hours
If you love happy hour as much as we do, you’ll love this new series. We’re taking a look at the best happy hours in town, ‘hood by ‘hood. To narrow it down, we’re focusing on the spots with the best deals on not only drinks, but eats, too. From…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Gerry Sarmiento of Mezzanotte & Piqueo
During our interview, Gerry Sarmiento, the chef-owner of Mezzanotte and Piqueo restaurants, mentioned that he and his wife Adriana wanted to create the kind of place that they would patronize themselves. Part of that job is to create an atmosphere where customers feel recognized and cared about. I personally experienced…
Podcast: Why Did So Few People See Sin City 2?
Why did so few people see Sin City: A Dame to Kill For over the weekend? That and other topics are discussed in this week’s edition of the Voice Film Club podcast with the Village Voice’s Alan Scherstuhl and Stephanie Zacharek, joined as always by Amy Nicholson of the L.A…
Niners-Texans: Five Players to Watch
By now, four weeks into the preseason, fans should at least have a general idea of how good (or bad) we think their team will be. Yet, here we are on the morning of the final preseason game, and I’m no closer to knowing exactly what the Texans will be…
The 2014 Best of Houston® Readers’ Poll: Vote on Your Favorite Houston Places Now!
Live somewhere long enough and you develop a collection of favorite locations, places you can always count on to deliver a good times or good service. You have your favorite museum to explore, your favorite spot to grab a glass of wine, your favorite place to work out, so on…
The 2014 Best of Houston® Readers’ Poll: Vote Now for the Best of Houston!
Live somewhere long enough and you develop a collection of favorite locations, places you can always count on to deliver a good times or good service. You have your favorite museum to explore, your favorite bike trail, your favorite local sports star, so on and so forth. In a few…
The 2014 Best of Houston® Readers’ Poll: Vote Now for the Best of Houston Nightlife!
Live somewhere long enough and you develop a collection of favorite locations, places you can always count on to deliver a good times or good service. You have your favorite museum to explore, your favorite spot to grab a glass of wine, your favorite place to work out, so on…
Eat This: Thai Hot Pot at Vibe Lounge
Walking into Vibe Lounge on Wilcrest just north of Bellaire Boulevard, the atmosphere is definitely more lounge and bar than restaurant. The lights are dim, and neon blue lighting illuminates the space. There are large, flat screen TVs and a sitting area with comfortable white couches. Tall long tables, with…
We Need to Talk About How We Talk About White Privilege
White privilege. With the exception of “Kim Kardashian,” there is no other two word phrase that gets people frothing at the mouth in irrationality quicker than those two. The phrase “white privilege” hits a switch in certain individuals and turns them from normal, friendly people you don’t mind knowing on…
The 2014 Best of Houston® Readers’ Poll: Vote Now for the Best of Houston Food!
Live somewhere long enough and you develop a collection of favorite locations, places you can always count on to deliver a good times or good service. You have your favorite margarita, your favorite spot for a sandwich, your favorite barbecue, so on and so forth. In a few weeks, our…
Anonymous Tip Leads to Large Pot Bust in North Harris County
An anonymous tip to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office led deputies to a large marijuana grow operation in North Harris County on Tuesday, according to sheriff’s officials. Several marijuana grow areas were discovered in a wooded area off of I-45 N and Rankin Road, near a cemetery, after investigators used…
The Rocks Off 200: Handsomebeast, Silver Jeans Starchildren
Welcome to The Rocks Off 200, 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 previous entries in the Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? Handsomebeast, who…
The 10 Best Places for Desserts in Houston
Sometimes you just want something sweet and when you get that sugar craving, you have to satisfy it right then and there. Baking cookies or brownies takes too long and that small piece of chocolate you have in your pantry just won’t do it for you. But, there are multiple…
Fashion on Demand: Five Fashion-y Things to Watch on HBO Right Now
Other than the insane Simpsons marathon on FXX, there is practically nothing to watch on television at the moment. (Sportsball doesn’t count–it’s always on.) Sure, we’re muddling along with new episodes of Project Runway on Thursday nights, but beyond that we’re talking about a wasteland of reality shows and syndicated…
Trial Set for Case Against Bellaire Cop Who Shot Unarmed Black Man
A federal judge has set a trial date for the civil suit against a white Bellaire police officer who shot an unarmed black man in his parents’ driveway. A federal magistrate on Wednesday put Robbie Tolan’s lawsuit against Bellaire police officer Jeffrey Cotton on course for a September 2015 trial,…
Remembering Chef Grant Gordon’s Life in Food
Anyone who knew chef Grant Gordon, whether it was through a restaurant, eating his food or being his personal friend, knew what an incredible person he was and that he was a truly skilled chef. Gordon established a name for himself in Houston as one of the most talented chefs…
The 10 Best Guinness World Records Broken by Houston
Everyone loves a story of accomplishment, and Houston has them in spades. Quite a few Guinness World Records have been won either in the city or by our people, and today we celebrate the ten best. Jason David Frank – Most pine boards broken in freefall The former Tommy Oliver…
Our Awards for the Weirdest High School Mascot Names in Texas
Anybody can come up with a simple name for a sports team. God knows there are enough Tigers and Lions and Eagles and such to fill a stadium. But, it takes real creativity and bravery to come up with a totally unique nickname for a school. In Texas, where high…
UPDATED: The 10 Biggest Rock Stars Who Live in Texas
Note: this article has been amended to remove Ministry’s Al Jourgensen, who announced that he moved to Los Angeles in July. By Chris Gray and Matthew Keever TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION (Honorable Mention) Some of our more genteel readers may be wondering who the hell Texas Hippie Coalition even is, not…
Minute Maid Park Hosting Huge “House Party” in November
Lately it seems like a week can’t go by without another music festival being announced in Houston. This one makes a little more sense than some of those others, though. Clad in matching custom Astros jerseys, Texas country heartthrobs the Eli Young Band stopped by the picturesque lobby of Minute…
Lithgow, Molina and Manhattan all Move in Love Is Strange
You could be forgiven, after watching the opening minutes of Ira Sachs’s fine-grained and flinty Love Is Strange, for thinking it’s going to be a movie about Gay Marriage, with all the import those initial caps imply. We see two older men, clearly a couple, roll out of bed in…
Forrest Gump Returns, Still With Nothing to Say
Forrest Gump has turned 20 and is celebrating its birthday with a weeklong IMAX release. It’s a significant milestone for the six-time Academy Award winner. Today, 1994 is as far away from the present as the Vietnam War was from it. Forrest Gump was a fable without a moral, the…
I’m Ashamed to Put a Picture on Facebook. 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! ARE MY IN-LAWS STILL MY IN-LAWS AFTER DIVORCE? Dear Willie D: I divorced my wife last…
Elvis Lives in The Identical – and So Does His Boring Twin
The Identical is Elvis slash fiction that could have been written by a spinster church organist. Its premise is intriguing: What if Jesse Presley, Elvis’s twin brother who was stillborn at birth, was in fact secretly given to a traveler minister (Ray Liotta) and his infertile wife (Ashley Judd)? What…
Innocence Could Have Been the Great Prep-School Blood-Thriller
Since it’s the kind of slow-building movie whose very premise is something of a spoiler, a pretty delicious one, let’s get the consumer-guide jazz out of the way first. Hilary Brougher’s YA-ish horror satire/romance/whatzit Innocence, adapted from Jane Mendelsohn’s novel, boasts a wicked setup, some strong performances, several gloriously bloody…
Laugh My Ass Off (LMAO) Comedy Tour
We don’t envy comedian Tony Rock. His brother, Chris Rock, is one of the funniest people on the planet; fans fill huge arenas to catch his live shows. Tony, on the other hand, stars in mostly straight-to-DVD films like The Redemption of a Dog and C’mon Man (we’ve never heard…
Disney in Concert: Magical Music from the Movies
End the summer on a high note at the family-friendly Disney in Concert: Magical Music from the Movies. The Houston Symphony will, of course, be pulling out all the cartoon-laden stops for the show. And that means you should, too, so be prepared to belt out the tunes from those…
John Witherspoon
We first saw actor John Witherspoon in Friday, the 1995 stoner comedy starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker (Witherspoon played a grumpy, rather fetid father who spent most of his time sitting on the toilet). Then we saw him on Soul Plane (the 2004 raunch fest starring D.L. Hughley). And…
Amazing Houston Comic Con
Houston has several new pop-culture conventions coming to town. We just had The Houston Con, a new entry from people previously involved with Space City Con. Now it’s Amazing Houston Comic Con, and organizers are bringing in some big guns to make an impression. DC Comic co-publisher and influential X-men/Batman…
Finding Fela
We like to “watch” movies rather than “listen” to them, but Finding Fela is an exception. We can close our eyes and “listen” to Finding Fela and get the documentary’s full message. Fela Kuti was the founder of the Afrobeat music genre and as such changed the face of music…
Truffaut: On Childhood: The 400 Blows (Les quatre cents coups)
Famed filmmaker François Truffaut made his feature debut in 1959 with the stunning The 400 Blows (Les quatre cents coups). Now considered a French New Wave-era masterpiece, the film launches the series Truffaut: On Childhood, a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the filmmaker’s death, at the Museum of Fine…
In The November Man, Pierce Brosnan Gun-Parties Like It’s 1989
Here’s what an R rating gets you these days: a few splattery headshots, some glimpses of cable TV-style background nudity, a couple kids and families popped by assassins, a brace of fucks, in dialogue, and one un-bracing fuck, in bed, mostly clothed. During its longueurs, this engagingly grim spy-versus-spymasters time-passer…
“Stories About Place: Gustavo Bonevardi, Dias & Riedweg, Cesar González, Liliana Porter, Melanie Smith”
Location is everything. It’s true in real estate, and it’s true in the artwork being shown in “Stories About Place: Gustavo Bonevardi, Dias & Riedweg, Cesar González, Liliana Porter, Melanie Smith,” now on exhibit at Sicardi Gallery. Gustavo Bonevardi, fascinated by archeological sites and ruins, incises letters into soft, black…
“Right Here, Right Now: Houston”
The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston celebrates Houston’s vibrant creative community with “Right Here, Right Now: Houston,” solo installations by local artists Debra Barrera, Nathaniel Donnett and Carrie Marie Schneider. Barrera’s Avalon explores movement, travel and escape routes using “Avalon” as a mythic location. Donnett’s Nothing to See Hear investigates the…
“Sandria Hu: Archeological Dress”
It was a child’s christening gown that inspired the exhibit “Sandria Hu: Archeological Dress.” Hu, a professor of art at the University of Houston — Clear Lake, was a Fulbright Scholar in the mid-1980s. As part of her research, Hu participated in archaeological excavations at an ancient Roman military camp…
“Urban Asia: Kirk Pedersen”
It’s impossible to create a definitive portrait of today’s urban Asia. No one image or setting captures the enormity of the region. No one artist or art form can encompass Asia’s current complex culture. Its residents are young but steeped in history. Technology and tradition remain constant rivals for attention…
Seth Walker’s 10 Favorite Texas Blues Tunes
Seth Walker should be no stranger to Houston audiences from his many years as one of Austin’s hardest-gigging musicians, whose relaxed but precise take on white-man’s blues has built an impressive following in this part of the world. (The similarities between him and John Mayer are undeniable, but Walker is…
Why Do Asian Students Do Better than Mexicans?
Dear Mexican, I see lots of Mexican-Americans struggling in grade school and high school. Many Mexican-American activists claim it’s because they don’t speak English at home or the schools don’t teach them well. But I see lots of Asian-Americans in the same schools who do really well. Many of them…
Robin Wright, as Robin Wright, Seizes a Mod Future in The Congress
After The Princess Bride made Robin Wright a star, she shocked Hollywood by saying no. No to The Firm and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. No to Jurassic Park, Dirty Dancing, Born on the Fourth of July and Batman Forever. She even said no to the cover of Vanity Fair…
Brutal Prison Drama Starred Up Stirs Rare Empathy
The beginning of David Mackenzie’s U.K. prison drama, Starred Up, might make you wonder if you’ll survive to the end: We see a kid with a hard-eyed, shutdown face being matriculated at a new jail — apparently, he’s outgrown his old one, and so he’s been “starred up,” or prematurely…
Capsule Art Reviews: August 28, 2014
“Allison Rathan: The Cutting Bridle” The Exchange, 60″x48″, is a self-portrait of the artist Allison Rathan striding behind a very large wolf on a metal leash. It captures the confidence of this artist, who has blond movie-star looks and the poise and litheness of a fashion model. The leash holder…
Capsule Stage Reviews: August 28, 2014
Full Gallop Let’s talk D.V. That would be Diana Vreeland, or Dee-ahh-na, for those of you not in the loop. For decades she was the reigning monarch of fashion, first as columnist and stylish greyhound at Harper’s Bazaar, then as editor-in-chief of Vogue, later as curator of the Metropolitan Museum’s…
