Reaping the Wind
The media scrum sweated bullets outside the federal building last week, expectantly awaiting two headliners of the developing legal war on the former Enron leadership. The first executive was in the bag, with former managing director Michael Kopper turning government witness. Both he and Leslie Caldwell, chief prosecutor of the…
New Order World
To misappropriate a choice comment from TV journalist-turned-music-biz impresario Tony Wilson, I’ll just say “Ian Curtis.” If you know what I mean, great; if you don’t, it doesn’t matter, but you should probably read more. That is, one need not be a fan of the late Ian Curtis, the epileptic…
Warmed Over
Warmed Over Taking the heat: Every now and then it’s nice to have confirmation of your beliefs. After reviewing much of the global warming information for a number of years, I had reached pretty much the same conclusions as your article [“Global Warming Is Good for You!” by Dylan Otto…
The Art of Oil
The fly whisk’s handle is carved from jade, inlaid with gold and set with rubies and emeralds. An object used to swat flying pests speaks of the unpleasant realities of life in a superheated clime, but during the Mughal period in India even the most mundane objects were richly ornamented…
Play On
As the nation’s premier African-American opera house, the Houston Ebony Opera Guild is known for making accessible what is usually, shall we say, an acquired taste in music. The current presentation of Mozart’s fairy tale The Magic Flute, for instance, is designed for the whole family. The opera tells the…
Tuna Melt
At The Fish (309 Gray, 713-526-5294), the presentation of each dish is as dramatic as the restaurant’s decor. The spicy tuna rice salad ($10) is no exception. The bottom of the plate is covered by a handful of field greens mixed with thin slices of cucumber. A large scoop of…
The Pierced Elevated
Hard day at the office? The frantic pace of modern life got you down? A few hooks in the back may be just the thing you need to give you a “lift.” CoRE (Constructs of Ritual Evolution) may be a group that specializes in body flesh suspensions, but for them…
Dream a Little Dreamcicle
There’s something exotic about drink menus from Las Vegas — especially when they’re sitting on the bar at the Rickshaw (2810 Westheimer, 713-942-7272) in Houston. I read about a Russian place where every drink was made with top-shelf vodka and a rum establishment that offered 100 different varieties; quirky disclaimers…
Peking Order
Chef Jian Gang Liu of Golden Duck restaurant humbly displays our freshly roasted Peking duck as he prepares to slice it tableside. There is something oddly reminiscent about the plump-in-the-middle shape and the even-pored dark brown skin. Does Peking duck really look like a football with legs, or is it…
Bean Town
Is this town bean enough for the both of them? With Starbucks ever expanding and Diedrich Coffee and Greenberry’s Coffee & Tea trying to carve out a piece of the market, you’d think Houston java joints might start to feel the pinch. Instead, it seems that our heat is the…
Barnyard Boogie
The Gourds have always been known for creative covers. The Austin rock/folk/bluegrass/country band, which revels in the description “music for the unwashed and well read,” was the first and will always be among the most successful twang-based acts to cover a rap tune, as anyone (which by now includes just…
Groupie Grooves
To paraphrase George Carlin, people love to accumulate “stuff.” Through the years, lots of it accrues in dusty boxes, dark attic spaces and basement cabinets. So when Little Feat keyboardist Bill Payne was planning a move, part of the job included sifting through artifacts he’d collected from the band’s 30-plus…
The Power of Tri
If El Tri’s Alex Lora gets his way, after the nuclear holocaust, his band will be kicking out the jams for the cockroaches and Keith Richards. It’s hardly an inconceivable proposition, given Lora’s unnatural career longevity, which can be attributed only to Faustian bargains or fierce determination. Considered a key…
Wood Redux
“For the first time in my life, I’ve written some love songs,” says Greg Wood. He and Racket are at McElroy’s Pub on a Tuesday night, talking about his upcoming solo debut, Ash Wednesday, and other things, and the beer and stories are flowing mightily. Wood’s newfound softer side came…
Industry Fight Night
This week marks two years since I started writing this nightlife column, and oh, what memories I have! There was the time I took a girl to a rave at Funplex only to have her make a booty call on her cell as we left the joint; she went so…
the notwist
The notwist is a German band whose slightly whimsical sound recalls the experimental rock/dance/electronic acts of the late ’70s and early ’80s — German acts like Neu, Cluster or Can, plus British and American acts like Eno, Joy Division or the Talking Heads. Led by brothers Markus Acher (vocals, guitar)…
Bobbie Fine
Bobbie Fine’s debut long player walks the fine line between underground and commercial hip-hop with deft precision. Fine’s forward-thinking production is rough enough to appeal to the most underground diehard and yet never so far outside the box to give the average rap fan pause. The beats hang tough with…
Divorce Over Easy
Michael and Beth Johnson met in their freshman year of college and started dating right away. Michael was everything, says Beth: smart and fun, generous and handsome. Shortly after graduation they got married and had three children together. Michael worked for the family business, and Beth helped out part-time. Their…
Vanilla Ice
Isn’t it fun to talk about Vanilla Ice? Even if you have no interest in the man whatsoever, even if you haven’t listened to anything he’s done musically since “Ice Ice Baby,” even if you have no intention to see him perform live, even if the only time you ever…
Olympic Moments
(A television screen flashes with an aerial shot of Houston, followed by a zoom-in to a stadium broadcast booth.) Bill Smith: Welcome, sports fans from around the world. We’ve finally come to the closing ceremonies of these splendid 2012 Olympic Games. And this competition will certainly rank among the most…
Photo Opportunity
Then Robin Williams was America’s favorite funnyman in films like Mrs. Doubtfire, it always felt a little strange admitting that the guy seemed kinda creepy. When he “got serious” in irritating tearjerkers like Hook and What Dreams May Come, it was certainly in vogue to proclaim him annoying, but few…
Edifice Complex
It’s two down, one to go when it comes to silly special sections and television shows celebrating new Houston sports facilities. We have endured the (née) Enron Field hype, where endless newsprint and airtime were devoted to a roof that retracts, along with details and diagrams of the grass that…
What a Tangled Web
If you’re looking for a horror film to revitalize the genre, keep looking. If you’re looking for a horror movie with believable characters…yes, you’re gonna have to keep looking. But if sudden loud noises, relentless strobe lights, digital hallucinations and mutilated corpses make you jump, and you feel that nothing…