The 12 Greatest Christmas Songs of All Time, Part 1
Mahalia Jackson The 12 days of Christmas begin Thursday and run until Epiphany, January 5. Here is a song for half those days. See what’s in the other half tomorrow morning. 12. “Silent Night,” Mahalia Jackson. The supreme Christmas melody requires the supreme voice, and if anybody’s ever sung it…
Merry Early Christmas from SXSW
Primal Scream ‘Twas the afternoon before Christmas, and all through the blogosphere, not a blogger was blogging, not even Pitchfork. As an early gift, the organizers at SXSW announced even more performers for next year’s booze-tastic week out West. A major list is coming in the next few weeks, so…
Artist of the Week: Lamb to the Slaughter
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. We headed out to the Pitt, Pasadena’s finest…
It Was 40 Years Ago Today: The First Earthrise
Forty years ago on Christmas Eve, men saw something that had never before been seen: an Earthrise.Apollo 8 was circling the moon, carrying the first men who had ever left earth’s orbit and traveled to another celestial body.As they circled the moon, frantically taking every picture they could, astronaut Frank…
Aftermath: Noontime Carilion Concert at First United Methodist Church
Aftermath has always had a thing for bells. The call of a carilion has to be one of the most sublime sounds man ever created – if you’ve never heard one play Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” well, it would make the devil himself a believer. One of Aftermath’s favorite things about…
The Year in Food-Related Photos
As you can see, we had quite a few gastronomic slideshows in 2008. Click each photo below for more action. Houston Texans Tailgating World Gyro Eating Championship Burger Porn…
NASA Has Stocking Woes
In November, Hair Balls interviewed Ryan “Shaggy” Hull about his future with the NASA Space Program. The local indie rocker volunteered for a bed-rest study that helps keep our astronauts comfortable in outer space. Hull will spend three months in bed with his feet elevated and doctors study the effects…
The First George Bush, A Houston Stud Muffin
There’s a process under way to pick someone to be vice-president of the US.One candidate is “very attractive,” but is young and doesn’t have much experience.A rival to that candidate moans that he would never “win a personality contest” with the young foe.Who’s the sparkling but inexperienced veep possibility? Sarah…
Lost Tuneage: Spooky Tooth
Who Dat? Spooky Tooth was formed in 1967 out of the ashes of a band called Art, which featured Mike Harrison (vocals/keyboards), Luther Grosvenor (guitar), Greg Ridley (bass), and Mike Kellie (drums). Signed to Chris Blackwell’s Island label, Art’s debut album went nowhere. Blackwell spotted vocalist/organist Gary Wright in another…
Houston: Cradle Of Black Coaches
College football is getting a lot of well-deserved heat for its lack of minority head coaches at its highest level, the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1-A).Of the 119 coaches at FBS programs, only six are black. And that’s in a sport where, safe to say, there are plenty of…
Port for the Holidays
I was at Spec’s the other evening and ended up in the Port section. I struck up a conversation with a guy who looked a little overwhelmed by all of the different choices and we ended up having a nice conversation about port. Here’s some basic information that I hope…
Sonidos y Mas: NovaLima
Novalima Coba Coba (Cumbancha) www.novalima.net If you hear similarities between Novalima’s modern Afro-Peruvian music and the rhythms brought from Cuba by Celia Cruz and Tito Puente in the ’50s, you’re on the right track: Peruvians have borrowed a lot from the Africans taken to South America as slaves during the…
Organ Failure’s M.I.A./Santa Claus Mash-Up
Local Beefheart-style rockers Organ Failure have recorded a parody of M.I.A.’s late-blooming smash “Paper Planes” with a Santa twist. The Sri Lankan indie-rap star’s Clash-sampling hit gets turned into the Santa-hustlin’ jam “Christmas Wrapping Paper Planes.” “Paper Planes” was everywhere this year. We heard it in movie trailers, grocery stores, women’s…
Busted Rhymes: The Top Ten Most Preposterous Rap Songs of 2008
Hip-hop A-listers including Rick Ross, Akon and Plies were caught grossly exaggerating their gangster credentials this year. (Turns out they were painfully law-abiding. The horror!) But even if your favorite rapper wasn’t caught in a lie, you can bet he or she put out a hilariously absurd record or two…
Blog on Blog: Greg’s Opinion’s Greg Wythe
Each week Hair Balls interviews other area e-writers to explore what they’re writing about, why they write about it and why you should read what they write about. This week it’s Greg Wythe of Greg’s Opinion. His blog covers a healthy dose of political opinion, high-school sports updates and funny videos…
Order your Holiday Oysters Now
The French eat more oysters per capita than anybody in the Western world. And 80% of the oysters in France are eaten during the holiday season–from a few days before Christmas until a little after New Year’s Day. Why? Because oysters are at their peak this time of year. And…
Bad Day For Child-Pornography Fans (Good Day For The Rest Of Us)
A teacher and a volunteer at a children’s theater were among the four child-porn indictments announced today by the US Attorney’s office.Among the highlights from the lowlifes:Fernando Gonzalez, a teacher at North Shore High in the Galena Park school district, gets no marks for subtlety or brains: “Students looked through…
T-Mac Puts Up His Benz On E-Bay (Not For Charity, Either)
If you happen to be sitting on a big pile of cash because you never invested in sub-prime mortgages or wrote Bernie Madoff a check, you might want to scoot on over to eBay and bid on Houston Rocket Tracy McGrady’s sweet ride.That’s right: T-Mac is auctioning his customized CL-Class…
Christmas Eve Dining, Without the Duck Heads
Want to take the family out for a nice meal tomorrow night so someone else can wash the dishes for a change? Worn out from holiday shopping and don’t want to cook dinner? Or have the Bumpus hounds destroyed your turkey and you’re looking for an alternative? Never fear! There…
Houston, Texas, America, Meet Huntzville…and Watch the Eff Out
Hard to believe it’s been 20 years since gangsta rap went overground with N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton. Through Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg to Tupac and Eminem, it launched most of hip-hop’s biggest stars for a good decade, but these days even artists like T.I. and Lil Wayne have sacrificed…
Texas To Get More And More U.S. Representatives, Thank God
You know what this country needs? More congressmen and -women from Texas.And it’s going to get them.Election Data Services, a company that..ummmm….specializes in providing data about elections, has made its initial study of Census Bureau statistics for the 2010 Congressional re-apportionment, and it predicts Texas will pick up at least…
Santa Round-Up Part Six
This and every Christmas season the most important person is the baby Jesus, with a bearded, white-haired toy factory owner coming in a close second. Every year we flock to the malls to sit in our kids down on Santa’s lap. Sometimes they run off screaming, while others take to…
Simonton’s Place In History, Revisited
Simonton, Texas doesn’t figure in many history books. Orville Schell thinks it should. Schell, a former correspondent for the New Yorker, believes that it was in this northwest Fort Bend County hamlet that Chinese-American relations finally normalized.In 1979, Deng Xiaoping became the first senior Chinese official to visit the US…
Digitalia: Sir Shambling’s Deep Soul Heaven
Do you find yourself listening to the radio and suddenly envying the deaf? Do you long for the days when people had no idea what AutoTune was and sang in a way that didn’t remind you of R2D2? Do you miss R&B and soul music that actually sounds like R&B…
Aftermath: Hungry Villagers at Boondocks
Aftermath thinks the thing he likes the most about new bands is the sheer lack of pretense and ego. We love it when bands do sound check five minutes before they play to two dozen friends upstairs at a bar, with no setlist to be seen. Only armed with the songs they’ve…
Eyeballin’: Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell
A shy and awkward Iowan prairie boy sits down in front of the camera somewhere in late 1970s New York, and out comes one of the most enigmatic and genre-confounding voices of our time. Recently released DVD Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell is less of a documentary and…
Burglar Unknowingly Steals Museum-Quality World War II Stuff
A Houston burglar was doing what he does in a Spring Branch house — grabbing electronics and jewelry — when he noticed two FedEx packages filled with something. He grabbed them and took off.”He probably thought they had Christmas presents in them,” Amy Smith, Crime Stoppers spokeswoman, tells Hair Balls.What…
Criminal Sez: Merry X-Mas
As I turned the corner in front of my building today, historic Isabella Court on Main Street, my heart sank. Some ass had tagged the front of the building and the huge concrete potted plants lining the street. It looks hideous. The building itself can be painted, but we are…
Houston’s Child-Porn-Lovin’ Attorney Arrested Again
Man, the Christmas season really blows for disbarred attorney Tom Zaratti.First, on Christmas Eve 2003, he was arrested for possession of child pornography, which ultimately led to a ten-year, $10,000 sentence. But while fortune smiled in the form of early parole, the anti-Christmas spirit came back to bite him in…
You’ve Put Off That Christmas Shopping Long Enough
You have just a few shopping hours left, but if you still haven’t done all of your Christmas shopping, Hair Balls has a few suggestions. Aquarium World Yeah, walking in with a goldfish in one of those little plastic bags might be really lame, but the folks at Aquarium World…
Congratulations to 2008’s Sammy Award Winners
Favorite Live Act; Popsters; EP; 7″ 2008: Wild Moccasins A bunch of local musicians’ Christmases got a little merrier Saturday night. At the everybody-loves-it Big Star Bar (nice fire pit, adorable kitty cat), scenesters from all quadrants of the city gathered to learn who would be going home with nicely framed certificates…
The Nation Notices Harris County Ain’t Killing People Much These Days
We first broke the news in October; the Houston Chronicle noticed it earlier this month, and now Time magazine has discovered it: There will be no one sent to Death Row from Harris County this year.Which, in historical terms, is kind of like saying Texas high schools will not be…
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo at Al-T’s
For Houston drivers headed east on I-10 towards Beaumont and Louisiana, the small town of Winnie, Texas is not much more than the usual collection of truck stops, McDonald’s and Super 8 motels that mark such highway oases. But just as I-10 bends north towards Beaumont, if you look to…
Southwest Airlines Going All International On Us
You are now free to move about…another country?Has Southwest Airlines, the little Texas company that introduced cattle-call boarding, going all international on us?The airline announced today it’s taking the first steps to offering flights to Canada, which is a country somewhere to the north of the U.S. It has different…
Tuesday Morning Quarterbacking: Hooters and Houston Texans
I’m in a Hooters in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and the Houston Texans are losing to the Oakland Raiders. And I’m the only one in the place watching the game. The requisite Redskins fans are scattered about, watching the Redskins on a majority of the TVs – really, is there any…
Tuesday Morning Quarterbacking: Hooters and Houston Texans
I’m in a Hooters in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and the Houston Texans are losing to the Oakland Raiders. And I’m the only one in the place watching the game. The requisite Redskins fans are scattered about, watching the Redskins on a majority of the TVs – really, is there any…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: Envy vs. the Service Industry
Nursing a medicinal Saint Arnold’s Elissa draught while casually flipping through Envy, LOM actually saw something that looked interesting: Adam P. Newton’s review of the Service Industry’s new album, Keep the Babies Warm. My first thought: why in God’s name would a conspicuous-consumption rag like Envy be wasting space in…
The Houston Group Children At Risk Unfortunately Still Finds Its Name Relevant
Children at Risk’s 10th report on Houston-area children is out, and it’s as grim as ever.”The 2008-2010 edition of Growing Up in Houston continues to underscore the many needs of our children,” the respected organization says.Among the highlights:-47% of Harris County children live in or near poverty.-Texas has the highest…
Your Northern Chinese Breakfast
When you’re in the mood to break away from the breakfast as usual, make your way over to the Classic Kitchen (9888 Bellaire #108) for something different. The crispy cruller shows up on the menu as deep fried long bread. I noticed that most of the diners ordered this with…
Exiled: Not the Sweet Revenge I Thought It Would Be
Okay, so My Super Sweet Sixteen is this hellaciously horrible MTV show about rich brats whose mommies and daddies throw them insanely crazy parties to celebrate the fact that they haven’t died in the past 16 years. And it’s just terrible. And sometimes I watch it. Observing such snots makes…
Top Ten Indie Rock Albums of 2008
In 2008, independent rock returned to the underground, where it belongs. Given the grand catastrophe that is today’s record industry, most major-label executives don’t have the time or energy to convince music fans they might like something a little out of the ordinary. They’re too busy recycling variations on what…
High-Speed Rail Coming To Texas, Once Again
Last week, the Houston Business Journal reported that high speed rail is coming to Houston. At a speech at New York’s Penn Station, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced that her office will soon begin “accepting expressions of interest to finance, design, build, operate and maintain high-speed trains…
Troubled Jail Inmate Arrested Again
Early this morning, Laura Howard was arrested with her boyfriend because they allegedly broke into a gas station and took cigarettes sometime last week. It’s been about two weeks since we published a story about Howard, who was first arrested last year after a suicide attempt at her home and…
New EPA List Of Polluted Cities Leaves Off Houston, To Some Folks’ Dismay
The good news is that the Environmental Protection Agency has issued its list of counties that don’t meet the agency’s standards for fine-particle air pollution, and Harris County is not on that list.The bad news is that the American Lung Association thinks it damn well should be on the list.The…
Slideshow: Snakes on an Album
One of the songs slithering around Rocks Off’s head lately is “Snake Farm,” the title track to grizzled Hill Country troubador Ray Wylie Hubbard’s 2006 album, where the singer and a comely employee of the ramshackle reptile house between San Marcos and New Braunfels get it on amongst the other tongue-flicking…
The Famous And Not-So-Famous Of HISD’s “Prominent Alumni” List
You probably don’t realize it, but the Houston school district’s website has a page dedicated to prominent alumni, listed by high school.Unfortunately, many of the “prominent” alumni are politicians, especially current and former HISD board members. Any definition of “prominent” that includes HISD board members is probably a little too…
Luscious Little York Burger
Leonard’s Famous Burgers at 1913 W. Little York makes a very moist hand-formed burger. I opted for the cheeseburger, which came with the familiar square of American cheese. Nobody asked me what I wanted on it , but it was dressed with exactly the same condiments I would have asked…
All I want for Christmas is My … Tax Receipt
Do the arts community and the bottom line on your taxes some good with a contribution to one of Houston’s non-profit arts organizations. Hurricane Ike really kicked some organizations in the pants; some are close to closing and others have all their plans on hold.The sluggish economy means corporate sponsors…
Art Rock: Death by Texas at Boondocks
Note: for a preview of the show, click here. …
Festivus Miracle Meatloaf
If you aren’t preparing to celebrate Christmas in your household this week, then there’s a good chance that you are instead erecting a Festivus pole and warming up to face Uncle Joey for this year’s Feats of Strength. And since you needed a Festivus miracle last year to pin the old man…
Madd Hatta to Party with 500 “Elves”
Last week, The Boxx (97.9 FM) DJ Madd Hatta (right) had Houston-area parents write him, not Santa, letters recommending their kids be chosen as one of 500 “Hatta’s Elves.” One hundred children were chosen each day, with the lucky youngsters receiving invitations to Hatta’s private party tomorrow morning at Dave &…
KHOU’s Ike Coverage Garners An Award
Hurricane Ike was a pain in the ass to everybody, but for media outlets it was a chance to shine.Every daily newspaper whose town gets hit by a hurricane dreams of a Pulitzer awarded not only for content but for the bravery, dedication and heroic actions of the staff. It…
Rosa’s Photo Corner: Gay Marriage, the Quarentines, Golden Axe and Born Liars
Photos by Rosa Guerrero “Gay Marriage in my “studio”. Uh, that would be Rudyard’s men’s room before the hideous striped paint job. The band returns to Rudz (and the bathroom) tomorrow night. Nikon FA, available light, 1/30 of a second, 20mm lens.” “Part of the Southmore House series. For me this photograph…
Final Five Cheerleaders Get Off
The last five of the seven Morton Ranch High cheerleaders who were indicted for hazing hijinks are getting the same nice deal that a pair of them got earlier, the DAs office has just announced.The girls are 17-year-old Kelly Buffa, Kirsten Davis and Madison Tanner and 18-year-old Hannah Cochran and…
Turning the Screw: Promise Pseudo, Soulja Boy, Scarface, Rick Rubin, Akon, T.I., Doug E. Fresh, the Bee Gees 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: “Sunny,” Promise Pseudo Wire To Wire We disliked Soulja Boy, and then we read this Scarface interview where ‘Face…
Santa Round-Up Part Five: The Crying Game
This and every Christmas season the most important person is the baby Jesus, with a bearded, white-haired toy factory owner coming in a close second. Every year we flock to the malls to sit in our kids down on Santa’s lap. Sometimes they run off screaming, while others take to…
Flashback: B L A C K I E at the Mink
Photos by Craig Hlavaty …
Cy Springs Grad Loses Job In Porn Industry
Cypress Springs High no doubt was proud of 2000 graduate Christopher Jack Reid when he joined the Marines and served in Iraq.They might have been a little less proud when he returned, adopted the name “Jack Venice,” and started starring in porno films. Although hey, maybe they were still proud…
Classic Rock Corner: The Greatest Band Logos of All Time, Part 2
An early example of rock art… We’re back to reveal the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the cappo di tutti cappi of classic-rock band logos evah! And when we say “greatest,” we look for a combination of things including memorability, longevity, graphic design, influence and appearances…
Five Spot: Prince Drives Us to Distraction
Welcome back to The Five Spot, another new Rocks Off recurrent. Every Friday (but sometimes Monday), 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. So we were all pumped about the songs that the enigmatic Prince…
You Are Now Free To Bounce Around The Runway
Think you had a bad weekend?It could have been worse: You could have been coming home from Denver on Contintental.As you’ve no doubt heard, a Continental jet skidded off the runway into a ravine while trying to take off Saturday.Continental has issued an Official Statement: “The care of our passengers,…
She Caught The Katy To The Championship
The Katy Tigers beat down Wylie 17-3 Saturday, December 20, in front of more than 18,000 fans at Reliant Stadium. Beginning the season 0-2 and finishing at 13-3, the Tigers are now back-to-back Class 5A Division II Texas state champs. Click here for a slideshow. — Daniel Kramer…
Will Blog for (Free) Food?
It must be an interesting time to own a restaurant. On the one hand you’re pummeled by a shrinking economy and rising food costs. On the other hand you’re assailed by a growing number of (mostly uncredentialed) food bloggers ready to pounce on even the slightest misstep and proclaim your…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives
A few months back, Music Editor Chris Gray’s Noise column bemoaned the fact that the ‘roll’ has pretty much disappeared from rock and roll. Enter John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives. Keith has an interesting history and rock and roll pedigree. His roommate in Knoxville, Tennessee, back in…
Katy Tigers Win State Championship
The Katy Tigers beat down Wylie 17-3 Saturday, December 20, in front of more than 18,000 fans at Reliant Stadium. Beginning the season 0-2 and finishing at 13-3, the Tigers are now back-to-back Class 5A Division II Texas state champs. Click here for a slideshow. – Daniel Kramer…
Katy Tigers Win State Championship
The Katy Tigers beat down Wylie 17-3 Saturday, December 20, in front of more than 18,000 fans at Reliant Stadium. Beginning the season 0-2 and finishing at 13-3, the Tigers are now back-to-back Class 5A Division II Texas state champs. Click here for a slideshow. – Daniel Kramer…
Top Ten Americana Albums of 2008
Picking the best folk and Americana records of the year isn’t nearly as hard as discarding those great records that just didn’t feel right stuck in the category. Releases by Calexico and DeVotchKa felt far too worldly to pigeonhole as folk or country, for instance, while Blitzen Trapper’s fantastic Furr…
Best Nightlife Photos of 2008
We’ve loaded up the mother of all nightlife slideshows, which just might be perfect hair-of-the-dog viewing for a lazy Sunday. — Keith Plocek…
Top Ten Houston Sports Moments of 2008
10. I never really followed the Houston Comets, who folded several weeks ago. By the time they came on the scene I was getting pretty sick of professional basketball. So I never became invested in the team, and I can’t feel any real loss behind their demise. Still, unlike the…
Top Ten Houston Sports Moments of 2008
10. I never really followed the Houston Comets, who folded several weeks ago. By the time they came on the scene I was getting pretty sick of professional basketball. So I never became invested in the team, and I can’t feel any real loss behind their demise. Still, unlike the…
College Bowl Season: Previews By A Real Expert
The college football bowl season is here, and it’s become such a confusing mess of odd-sounding games played in smallish towns with mediocre teams that you need an expert to figure it out. And nothing says “expert” more than a teen-aged kid, whether the subject is football, driving, or how…
College Bowl Season: Previews By A Real Expert
The college football bowl season is here, and it’s become such a confusing mess of odd-sounding games played in smallish towns with mediocre teams that you need an expert to figure it out. And nothing says “expert” more than a teen-aged kid, whether the subject is football, driving, or how…
HISD Teachers Now Have The Cleanest Cars In The World, Apparently
Even though our noble effort to get the drug-addled teaching corps of HISD free detailing at Bubbles Car Wash ultimately failed, it appears the need for clean ultimately got through.HISD spokesman Norm Uhl reports that Cracky the drug-sniffing dog (our name for him this week) has searched 58 school parking…
It’s A Bright Christmas At The Pawn Shop
Haven’t finished your shopping yet, but you don’t have much cash? “Try a pawn shop,” says Chris Upton, vice president of operations of the Money Mart Pawn chain of resale shops. “We’ve got a lot of people coming in looking for bargains; I guess that’s spurred on by tough times.”…
“When They Tried To Plug Their Motor Home In, They Blew Our Christmas Lights (Budget)”
Driving around, you might have noticed the lights aren’t as big and bright deep in the heart of Houston. When Hair Balls went out house hunting for our Christmas Lights slideshow, it was slim pickings. On average, there were only about three or four houses per block lit up in…
Tough Day To Be A Goat
Thursday was a bad day to be a goat at Fort Sam Houston. For emergency medical training, medics on the cusp of deployment go through classes using both simulated patients and a “live tissue lab,” i.e., Goat Central. Hair Balls spoke with Col. Dr. Patricia Hastings, the head of US Army…
Aftermath: Lil Wayne at Toyota Center
And while we didn’t get all the answers Thursday night at Toyota Center, one thing was clear – Lil Wayne is the most important artist in the world. He is the epitome of what it means to be the idea of urbanity in a country run by an administration who…
Tonight: Toys for Tots Drive at the Mink
If you’re at all like Rocks Off – and God bless you, every one – you spend most of December trying to catch up on all the local music you missed during the previous 11 months. And, well, drinking. Luckily, you can do both tonight at the Mink’s Toys for Tots…
Aftermath: Samantha Ronson at Rich’s
She wasn’t there. Yeah, I know why you clicked this headline. Lindsay Lohan was not at Rich’s last night with her ladyfriend DJ, Samantha Ronson. Sorry, we had to get that out of the way. Last night at Rich’s, all manner of celebrity-stalking, Perez-reading, catty-hating denizens were out in brute…
Criminal Genius In Galveston
It seemed like a great idea — in this crazy, busy world, who has time to actually go pick up their crack? Doesn’t the convenience of free delivery make a great deal of sense?John Lacour of Galveston thought so. He took orders by phone and delivered your rock to you,…
Mom’s Christmas Fudge
My mother is known for many things, but chief among them is her famous Christmas fudge. Each year, lucky friends and family make out with a tin or two. And until my grandfather passed away last year, she would always make an enormous gift basket for him each year at…
Cutout Bin: The Mastertone Chorale’s A Singer Christmas for the Family
The Mastertone Chorale A Singer Christmas for the Family (The Singer Company, 1963) The year: 1963. A good wife was only as good as the callous on her thimble finger. So many socks to darn, so many hems to raise, and so few hours in the day. Singer to the…
Local Rotation: Evangeline’s We’re Alright Down Here
Evangeline’s We’re Alright Down Here is like that. Simply put, it’s a local release that could easily stand toe to toe with almost any million-dollar album being forced down our throats today. Stylistically, the album is reminiscent of Tori Amos’s covers album Strange Little Girls, her piano and voice replaced with…
Countdown To Championship Saturday: Calm In Katy
Hair Balls learned there would be a little hoopla in Katy last night, as the team and town geared up for Saturday’s state championship game, so we went there expecting to see bonfires lining the streets with the band, drill team and cheerleaders marching down Stadium Lane. We were wrong,…
Vinson & Elkins’ Ron Kirk, Following In The DC Footsteps Of Vinson & Elkins’ Alberto Gonzales
Media across the country are reporting that former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk is about to be named US Trade Representative by Barack Obama.Kirk is a partner in the Houston law firm of Vinson & Elkins.Now, there’s nothing wrong with V&E, especially if you’re a client like Enron who needs a…
Is 1986 Coming Again to Houston?
The ever-cheerful blogger Lou Minatti, by way of warning everyone about Houston’s coming fiscal apocalypse, has unearthed a 1986 Time article largely comparing booming Massachusetts and oil-bust Texas.Houston plays a part: Houston is the big city hardest hit. The town once giddily expansive on oil money has an unemployment rate…
Driving Your Dream Car Ain’t A Green Thing
This year, all the gift ideas Hair Balls keeps hearing about are green, green, green: The Chron recently suggested a bamboo hard drive, crocheted purses made from aluminum can tops and used books as environmentally friendly options.Which is one reason Hair Balls’ eyebrows were raised by a recent email with…
Top Ten Dance Collections of 2008, Both Mixed and Unmixed
Any knucklehead with DSL and a laptop can now make an electronic track. With a half hour of clicking and fiddling, you can sample enough cheesy beats and mashups to clog arteries from here to Berlin. Simple dropdown mouse maneuvers can transform electro tracks into progressive house tracks (from dry…
Salty Perro Rojo
When I was in the Valley I bought a bag of red grapefruit. Then the friend I went to see down there gave me a bag from her backyard. When I got home, some neighbors gave us another bag of little bitty ones. We’ve got grapefruit coming out of our…
Blog on Blog: Off the Kuff’s Charles Kuffner
Hair Balls introduces a new regular feature: Blog on Blog. Each week we’ll interview other area e-writers and explore what they’re writing about, why they write about it and why you should read what they write about. Starting things off is Off the Kuff’s Charles Kuffner, who we gave Best…
Texans-Raiders: Don’t Bet on Black
Lots of you don’t like what I write about the Texans. You think I’m too negative. That I don’t give the team proper credit. Hell, some of you have actually written that you want me to die. To which I respond, if you want homers who are always positive, go…
Texans-Raiders: Don’t Bet on Black
Lots of you don’t like what I write about the Texans. You think I’m too negative. That I don’t give the team proper credit. Hell, some of you have actually written that you want me to die. To which I respond, if you want homers who are always positive, go…
The Whole Wide World: Asha Bhosle’s Precious Platinum
One basic characteristic of Bollywood films is the fact that actors generally do not use their own singing voices during the musical numbers – that task goes to playback singers like Asha Bhosle, who over the span of six decades has participated in almost 1,000 such flicks. In the meantime, she…
Can’t Get It Out of My Head: “Shadow of a Doubt”
It may come as a great shock to regular readers that Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ Damn the Torpedoes has been in Rocks Off’s heavy rotation lately. Or maybe it won’t. Either way, the entire album could pretty much apply to Can’t Get It Out of My Head. “Shadow of…
The Secret World Of Dan Patrick, Via Twitter
Dan Patrick — hyperbolic talk-show host, slightly unhinged state senator — has joined the Twitter world.Normally, that wouldn’t be too exciting, as his Twitter page proves (“Getting ready for the 81st Texas Legislature session”).But the decision gave his compadres at Lone Star Times the chance to come up with what…
Digitalia: Sarah Elizabeth Foster and Creative Commons
Foster used the hotly debated Creative Commons (or “CC”) license that allows listeners to share and remix her music for free. Although the EP is available for purchase online, Foster seems positioned to lose money. She is relatively unknown, and the CC license she chose legalizes any non-commercial use of…
Miley Cyrus’s Successor At Houston’s Most Senselessly Lavish Party? Maybe Elton John
Texas Lawyer magazine is reporting that Mark Lanier, the lawyer who puts on an amazingly expensive Christmas party each year, will follow up Miley Cyrus with Elton John next year.The magazine’s blog also notes that Lanier says his “Have A Miley Christmas” bash raised $250,000 for a charity that helps…
Hayes Carll is “Grateful for Christmas”
Houston’s own Hayes Carll, whose smash Trouble in Mind LP you will no doubt see strewn across Best Album lists for the next month, has a Christmas tune, “I’m Grateful for Christmas This Year,” available for download on his label’s Web site. The track was recorded during an appearance on “Imus…
The Mother Of All Baby Coincidences
This week’s cover photo is of an adorable Hispanic baby wrapped in an American flag, a striking image that accompanies a story on how many Hispanics delivered by midwives along the border are having trouble as adults getting a passport.As it turns out, however, there is a story behind the…
Countdown To Championship Saturday: The Chart
The Big Day in local high-school football is one day closer: Come Saturday, both Katy and Hightower will be playing for the state championship in their respective Class 5A divisions.In Katy they’re excited; at Hightower, things are pretty calm.How can you tell these two championship contenders apart? We’re here to…
Santa Round-Up Part Four: Finding The Real Thing In A Dying Mall
This and every Christmas season the most important person is the baby Jesus, with a bearded, white-haired toy factory owner coming in a close second. Every year we flock to the malls to sit in our kids down on Santa’s lap. Sometimes they run off screaming, while others take to…
Steroids and Roger Clemens: The Soap Opera Continues…
Things have been quiet on the Rocket/steroid front lately. But things change. As some of you might remember, Roger Clemens has filed a defamation suit against Brian McNamee, claiming that McNamee’s statements to George Mitchell were lies. McNamee’s attorneys have countered that the statements are true – which is a…
Steroids and Roger Clemens: The Soap Opera Continues…
Things have been quiet on the Rocket/steroid front lately. But things change. As some of you might remember, Roger Clemens has filed a defamation suit against Brian McNamee, claiming that McNamee’s statements to George Mitchell were lies. McNamee’s attorneys have countered that the statements are true – which is a…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: Envy, You’re Up
Best In Texas music magazine can breathe a sigh of relief this month. We’ve found a new publication of supreme arrogance and ineptitude to ponder and dissect. Other than pedophiles, no group of people pisses Lonesome Onry & Mean off more than Elitist Pricks. Dallas is full of them –…
Bacliff Gets Ready For An Ike Invasion
Shortly after Hurricane Ike, San Leon resident Tommy Dixon praised the spirit of his hometown and its will to rebuild by saying “All we need now are FEMA trailers and mosquito repellent.”We don’t know about the mosquito repellent, but they are getting the FEMA trailers. Two hundred of them are…
The Times Finds A Rich Texas Rube To Laugh At
Houston, we have just what you need to keep up your classy image in these dire economic days: A large story in The New York Times about a home here so lavishly decorated that “it’s hard not to gape at a gilt and mirrored hall so boisterously baroque that you…
A UH-Downtown By Any Other Name
As we first reported back in August, UH-Downtown is trying very, very hard not to be UH-Downtown anymore.The rumored change is more or less a done deal; all that’s left is to decide what the new name will be.Why give up the brand name of UH, especially as UH is…
Aftermath: Raul Malo at House of Blues
Photos by William Michael Smith I’ve never been a particularly big Raul Malo fan. Sure, he and his Mavericks had a few stellar singles that were pure gold from the first note, most notably (for me anyway) the Dwight Yoakam-ish twanger “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down.” But…
Dave Smith, RIP
Dave Smith died of a heart attack yesterday. That’s a loss to his family. That’s a loss to his friends. That’s a loss to Astros nation. Those who didn’t come along for the Astros ride until Minute Maid Park might not really know who Dave Smith is. After all, his…
Dave Smith, RIP
Dave Smith died of a heart attack yesterday. That’s a loss to his family. That’s a loss to his friends. That’s a loss to Astros nation. Those who didn’t come along for the Astros ride until Minute Maid Park might not really know who Dave Smith is. After all, his…
A Foggy Day In Houston Town
Dickensian fog has settled over Houston this morning, making the morning commute a hassle.But that’s not all the problems it’s causing.There are delays at the airport — up to 45 minutes and increasing at Bush (Hobby seems to be doing better).Not only that, but ships are stacking up outside the…
Top Ten Hip-Hop Albums Of 2008
A couple of weeks ago, an expert on the Harry Potter series told an audience of high school kids how lucky they were to have this Big Shared Experience–these seven books and 41,000 words in common. What does Harry Potter have to do with hip-hop in 2008? In an age…
The Scoop on Three Brothers Bakery
Three Brothers Bakery is sorely missed around my house. The holidays aren’t the same without the gingerbread men and the gooey poppyseed strudel. And I haven’t had a loaf of caraway rye that came close to theirs since they closed. Three Brothers had three locations up until a couple of…
Retro Active: The Five Worst ’80s Christmas Songs
OK, sure, the truly worst ’80s Christmas songs are doubtlessly “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” and Band Aid’s (above) “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” But everyone knows this. However, there were many other holiday songs released during the ’80s that nearly reached such heights of crapulence . BIlly…
Vince Young Can’t Get Any Playing Time, But He Can Still Sue
Former University of Texas star and could-have-been Texans quarterback Vince Young has filed a lawsuit against three Houston men for stealing the rights to his nicknames. The men and their company, Three Friends, are accused of applying for trademarks on “VY” and “INVINCEABLE” in interest of making money, specifically in…
Vince Young Can’t Get Any Playing Time, But He Can Still Sue
Former University of Texas star and could-have-been Texans quarterback Vince Young has filed a lawsuit against three Houston men for stealing the rights to his nicknames. The men and their company, Three Friends, are accused of applying for trademarks on “VY” and “INVINCEABLE” in interest of making money, specifically in…
Meryl Streep Is Pretty Much Scaring the Hell Out of Me Right About Now
So I get the fact that this new movie Doubt starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman is really supposed to be about faith and trust and, well, doubt (duh), but am I the only one who is totally and completely freaked out by the trailer / commercials and the…
Eyeballin’: A Technicolor Dream
This documentary, originally broadcast on BBC television, traces the coalition of the “underground” movement in swinging ’60s London. Beginning with a groundbreaking 1965 gathering/reading of the Beat poets at the Royal Albert Hall and following with the opening of the Indica bookstore and gallery, the London Free School, the revival…
Chamillioniare & Martin Luther King: They Have A Dream
Houston’s MLK Parade Foundation recently announced the crowning of Chamillionaire as a co-Grand Marshal in the 2009 MLK parade. At first blush, some might think that a dude who spends a great deal of time talking about his dick, his riches, and his gun is an unusual choice to represent…
Vince Young Can’t Get Any Playing Time, But He Can Still Sue
Former University of Texas star and could-have-been Texans quarterback Vince Young has filed a lawsuit against three Houston men for stealing the rights to his nicknames. The men and their company, Three Friends, are accused of applying for trademarks on “VY” and “INVINCEABLE” in interest of making money, specifically in…
Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark Give-a-way
There might not be such a thing as a free lunch anymore, but, for today at least, there is a free helmet. The first 50 skaters at the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark this morning get a free S-1 helmet, thanks to the nice folks at Scion. And it’s free,…
Elf
Will Ferrell ensures that hilarity ensues over the holidays with Elf. The former Saturday Night Live star portrays Buddy, a human who was adopted and raised by Santa’s elves. As Buddy gets older, he outgrows his surroundings — both literally and figuratively — and decides to leave the candy-coated life…
Holiday Pet Adoption
“Home for the holidays” takes on a new meaning when you drop by the Holiday Pet Adoption center. Kittens, puppies, cats and dogs are all waiting for the best Christmas present ever — a loving family. If you already have all the furry friends you can handle, you can still…
Kermit Oliver: “Broken Notes”
At first glance, Kermit Oliver’s work might seem to just be paintings of cows and lambs. Take another look. There’s a depth to the paintings that makes them much, much more. His latest exhibit, “Broken Notes,” features works such as An Arcadian Pan. It’s a painting of a goat, but…
Sugar Land Town Square Christmas Concert and Movie
Looking for some free family fun this holiday season? Try the Sugar Land Town Square for a variety of outdoor events. There’s a Christmas Concert and Sing-along (7 p.m., Friday, December19), the children’s musical The Plane Truth about Christmas (6:30 p.m. Saturday, December 20), and an outdoor screening of It’s…
The Closet
Okay, so it’s Christmas and a) you don’t celebrate Christmas, b) your family’s far, far away, or c) they’re in the next room and you’ll do anything to get away from them. Never fear, the French are here to save you with The Closet. The 2001 comedy about an accountant…
Rocky Horror Picture Show with Shadow Cast
Be among the beautiful ones at this screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show with a shadow cast. The live actors, from the Beautiful Creatures ensemble, will mirror the on-screen actors, doubling your Rocky fun. Wear your own costume and grab a Rocky bag ($2) full of the necessary supplies…
Scrooge
Don’t let the lush score fool you — the made-for-the-big-screen holiday musical Scrooge is still a ghostly tale of woe and warnings. The ‘70s film adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol stars the young Albert Finney in his Golden Globe-winning performance as everyone’s favorite holiday humbug. This…
Playhouse Disney Live
Mickey Mouse, Tigger and Pooh, Handy Manny and all those Little Ensteins will be center stage at today’s Playhouse Disney Live. Kids will be thrilled as they watch their favorite Disney characters put together a musical party, from writing the songs and working out the dances to finally putting on…
Woodlands Outdoor Ice Rink
Leave the holiday blues behind when you glide around the tenth annual Woodlands Outdoor Ice Rink. Don’t worry if you’re not too steady on your skates, you can take some lessons from the nice professionals on hand. (Here’s a hint: wear gloves. They’ll save your hands when you fall on…
Bayou Bend Family Day
Carolers and storytellers will stroll the grounds, performing for visitors during Bayou Bend Family Day. Inside, you’ll tour Christmas scenes of yesteryear, and then try your hand at making your own traditional decorations. Both Christmas and Hannukah activities are planned, so bring your Santa hat and dreidel. 1 to 5…
Chanukah on Ice
Hit the rink with the Houston Rockets mascot Clutch and the Aeros’ Chilly at Chanukah on Ice. Music, ice skating, dreidel games and a Menorah lighting ceremony are all part of the fun. 7 to 9 p.m. Galleria Ice Rink, 5085 Westheimer. For information, call 713-774-0300 or visit www.chanukahinhouston.com. Free…
The Annual Jewish Community Center Bagel Ball
Looking for a “Jingle Bells”-free zone? Try the Annual Jewish Community Center Bagel Ball. You’ll have a good time drinking and dancing, and some local charities will benefit from your admission fee. 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel Street. For information, call 713-729-3200 or visit www.jcchouston.org…
Catastrophic Theatre: Spirits to Enforce
Catastrophic Theatre takes on a second Mickle Maher play with Spirits to Enforce (the first was The Strangerer). The plot revolves around 12 characters on 12 phones for a telethon. Who are these people? Why are they on phones? Well, that’s where things get tricky, so pay attention: The characters…
Optical Illusions
Kids will look at things differently at Optical Illusions, a learning session for six-to-12-year-olds in which they’ll decipher impossible shapes, visual illusions and ambiguous pictures. After the session, kids can take a tour of the Houston Museum of Natural Science/Woodlands’ display of prehistoric beasts or the “Geopalooza” exhibit, a collection…
Divine Performing Arts World Tour
It’s the season of sparkle and magical lights, and the glow’s going global with The Divine Performing Arts World Tour from China. The colorful touring variety show that’s traveled around the world features beautiful costumes, lovely dancers, musicians and loads of bling. Add in a fog machine, enormous drums, state-of-the-art…
Houston Film Critics Society 2008 Awards Presentation
Film buffs now have an excellent reason to take a nice long break from their last-minute shopping thanks to The Houston Film Critics Society 2008 Awards Presentation. This year marks the second time this group has gotten together to grant awards and the very first time they’re holding an actual…
Ice Worlds
Get ready for skinny polar bears and a colder Europe if we can’t stop global warming Mother Earth gets the cold shoulder in Ice Worlds, a new full-dome documentary at the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Burke Baker Planetarium that examines nature at its most severe. The film chronicles the…
H-Town Holiday Shootout
If all you want for Christmas is to see a consistently dominant basketball team play at the Toyota Center, it’s time to retire the Rockets red and come watch some of the college game’s best battle at the H-Town Holiday Shootout doubleheader. Game one pits the Texas Longhorns against the…
Handel’s Messiah
It’s not nearly as hummable as the theme to “Jingle Bells,” but George Frideric Handel sure knew about writing a hook when he penned his Messiah oratorio — you know, the one with the “HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH!” chorus. Written in 1741 to accompany a libretto by Charles Jennens, the entire work…
Season of Light Trio Angelico
Is the repeated playing of “Feliz Navidad” making your ears bleed? Take a break from José Feliciano’s famous take on Christmas when Trio Angelico, composed of mezzo-soprano Sonja Bruzauskas, flautist Jennifer Keeney and pianist Anita Kruse, performs Season of Light. The trio will premiere a new composition by Paul English,…
The Cooking Show Holiday Special con Mero Cocinero Karimi
Latino actor Robert Karimi stirs up some tasty humor in The Cooking Show Holiday Special con Mero Cocinero Karimi, the show that’s part cooking demonstration, part group therapy, part down-home political forum. This is the holiday version of the show that was a big hit during Talento Bilingüe’s last season,…
Emily Sloan: To Whom It May Concern
Emily Sloan left a message for you…and you, and you, and you, and, well, everyone. For To Whom It May Concern, her outdoor installation at Lawndale Art Center, the artist spelled out the words “Thank You” and “To Whom It May Concern” using pebbles and mulch, respectively. “I was thinking…
“Lest We Forget”
The Army is always looking for a few good men — and women, according to the exhibit “Lest We Forget.” Housed in the lobby of the historic Central Library Julia Ideson Building Texas Room and Archives, the exhibit features a recruitment poster from WWII with a pretty young blond, hard…
“Hot Glass, Cool Collections”
Glass — cheap, practical and simple — is often overlooked as an art medium, but you won’t be able to look away from the vessels, sculptures and shapes on display at “Hot Glass, Cool Collections,” the newly opened exhibition at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. The wide–ranging show, which…
The Light Before Christmas 2D
The Candleman knows exactly what Katie and Makean need after getting lost in the snow on Christmas Eve — hot chocolate! In the delightful stop-motion animated film The Light Before Christmas 2D, the Candleman (he wears lit candles on his wide-brimmed hat) not only rescues the kids, once they’ve warmed…
Thaïs
Even non-opera fans will appreciate the importance of the following name: Renée Fleming. The immensely popular diva will not, unfortunately, be coming to a Houston stage in person but will instead be beamed live (and in high definition) into local movie theaters as part of the Metropolitan Opera’s broadcast of…
“Cooking Where Your Food Lives: How to Use Local and Seasonal Ingredients”
Award-winning local chef Monica Pope will show you how to get mmm-mmm goodness out of your backyard at “Cooking Where Your Food Lives: How to Use Local and Seasonal Ingredients,” a lesson on how to make fresh, nutritional and, most importantly, tasty meals from produce grown in the Bayou City…
Jake Johannsen
Jake Johannsen is a David Letterman darling. The comedian is one of the most frequent stand-up guests on The Late Show, chalking up more than 35 appearances. He’s also joked around on almost every other late-night talk show and had a few HBO specials. With an accessible style, Johannsen pokes…
A Gift of Christmas — LIVE
American Idol contestant Rickey Hayes and Christian recording artist April Diggers lead the cast of A Gift of Christmas — LIVE at Moody Gardens. A live stage show with rousing performances, Gift mixes traditional and contemporary holiday music. There are two performance options — a matinee, which will leave you…
Wine-Tasting Dinner Cruise
Enjoy an afternoon out on a 100 foot-plus luxury yacht with some great good, live entertainment and (here’s the really fun part) plenty of wine. 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. FantaSea Yacht Charters, 2551 South Shore, League City. For information, call 281-538-9600. $69.95. Sun., Dec. 21, 2:30-5 p.m., 2008…
Seasons of Sharing: Merry Christmas
Introduce your kids to santons, the colorful handmade clay figures that people French nativity scenes, during the two-day Seasons of Sharing: Merry Christmas celebration. But this isn’t just an exhibit, there’s lots of make-and-take craft activities, too. Children can make their own santon figure, reindeer antlers, Christmas tree ornaments and…
Aterciopelados: Rio
While social and political issues are not new to the music of this Colombian rock duo formed by Andrea Echeverri and Hector Buitrago, Rio is actually the first time they effectively bring forth a call to action for a cause close to their hearts: on the title track, which (as…
Doubt Wags the Finger of Moral Relativism
Back in the early 1980s, when I was a graduate student in Boston, a prominent professor I knew was accused of sexually harassing a female colleague. This man was a compulsive flirt who couldn’t get within feet of a woman without coming on to her, so I wasn’t altogether surprised…
It’s a Miserable Life in Seven Pounds
Two years ago nearly to the day, Will Smith and Italian director Gabriele Muccino released The Pursuit of Happyness, one of the most underrated of recent Hollywood movies, which starred Smith as a single father navigating a hand-to-mouth existence on the streets of San Francisco. Writing at the time, I…
Capsule Stage Reviews: But Not Goodbye, A Fertle Holiday, The Gifts of Christmas, The Nutcracker, Panto Cinderella, Santaland Diaries, Spirits to Enforce, Twelve Ways of Christmas
But Not Goodbye Main Street Theater’s But Not Goodbye has nothing to do with Christmas except its family spirit and joy of giving, but George Seaton’s fantasy comedy is exceptionally well wrapped. Sam dies before he can rectify the muddle he has made of family finances, but when his father…
Drive-Thru Prayer
Want some spiritual comfort, but not badly enough to get out of your car? Houston — where else? — has got you covered. The Christian nondenominational Succeed in Life Center near Shepherd and Tidwell has been offering drive-through prayer service to members and nonmembers alike a couple of Saturdays a…
2008 in Plastic: Seven inches at a time…
Two thousand seven was a banner year for the album in Houston indie rock; with recession looming in 2008, local bands adjusted their ambitions, rediscovering the pithy charms of the 7″ — or, as R.E.M.’s Peter Buck once put it, the “piece of crap usually purchased by teenagers.” Local labels…
SPECIAL NAVIDAD SHOPPING GUIDE EDITION
Dear Readers, A couple of columnas ago, I published a short list of my favorite books regarding Mexicans and Mexican Americans and urged ustedes to submit better choices so that gabachos can have a Christmas shopping list for their favorite Mexicans, or to understand nosotros better. Muchos responded, and below…
King’s X
Simply put, King’s X is a marvel. The Katy-based trio has been hanging around the margins of hard rock for nearly 30 years; next year marks the 20th anniversary of Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (“Summerland,” “Over My Head”), one of the pivotal albums of the high Headbanger’s Ball years. Though never…
The Best Christmas Album of 2008 is… Metal?
Perhaps Willie Nelson said it best: “This looks like a December day.” Or Merle Haggard: “If we make it through December…” The icy wind whips through the trees, retail checkout lines resemble a stock pit on one of those massive Wall Street sell-off days and Noise is already so burdened…
Ludacris: Theater of the Mind
Ludacris’s strength as a rapper has been, and always will be, an unfortunate irony: he’s a schizophrenic mess of disputatious bravado and wit. It serves him well on guest appearances and mixtapes, when his bawling spit is leashed by time restraints or non-agendas, but it translates poorly to full-length efforts…
Hispanics Delivered by Border Midwives Are Having Trouble Getting U.S. Passports
David Hernandez is crying alone in an empty field. There used to be a house here; it’s where he was delivered by midwife Albina Pedraza 44 years ago. The home is gone. And with it, proof that Hernandez was born in the United States. For Hernandez, tracking down as much…
Waylon Jennings & the .357s: Waylon Forever
With his final works in the American Recordings series, Johnny Cash had some of his biggest commercial and critical success, setting the bar ridiculously high for departed country singers. On Waylon Forever, billed as the country outlaw’s final record, Jennings doesn’t come close to Cash — although the album does…
Backlash Upon Backlash Upon Backlash
Online readers respond to “Backlash Upon Backlash,” by Margaret Downing, December 4: Classic HISD: A bunch of boneheads. They trash schools with problems, but have no respect for the hard collaborative work on the part of teachers, students and parents that goes into developing a constructive school community. Larry Marshall…
Can Lil Wayne Overcome His Spotty Live Track Record?
Lil Wayne is scheduled to bring his “I Am Music” tour to Toyota Center Thursday, but be warned before you drop nearly $50 on a ticket. While the New Orleans native born Dwayne Carter Jr. has in many ways had the best year of his career, he has repeatedly wasted…
Yes Man Repackages Jim Carrey’s Greatest Hits, Which Maybe Weren’t So Great to Start With
For so major a movie star — at least, once upon a time — Jim Carrey seems to make a lot of awfully minor films, several of them over and over again. Isn’t Yes Man, in which Carrey’s self-absorbed Debbie Downer green-lights every bad decision in an effort to reinvent…
Gate of Heaven is a Gift for All
I defy anyone to leave Gate of Heaven unaffected. Although this tremendously moving drama, a co-production between Nova Arts Project and The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association, has nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas, its universal message of brotherhood, compassion and redemption could fill dozens of stockings. It’s a drama for…
The Broken Spoke
Don’t be surprised if you see lots of bikes parked outside The Broken Spoke (1809 Washington, 713-863-7029) — that’s what the racks are for. Owner Ray De La Garza has always enjoyed biking and believes that the “bicycle cafe” will be a trend. “A bicycle cafe is a neighborhood place…
Hispanics Delivered by Border Midwives Are Having Trouble Getting U.S. Passports: Location, Location
The delivery room in Mary Saldano’s home looks like a children’s hospital suite that a piñata threw up on. Bright pinks, yellows, blues and reds radiate from the chaotic, pack-rat collage of dozens of dolls, stuffed animals, Virgin Marys, little dresses, diapers, blankets and other baby stuff covering the bed,…
Taste of Tuscany at McCormick & Schmick’s
In its simplest form, the Italian appetizer called bruschetta is toasted bread scraped with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and topped with tomatoes. The dish also can be as complex as the chef wishes it to be. At McCormick & Schmick’s (1201 Fannin, 713-658-8100), they take six thin slices of…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Frank Zeni,” “Proscenia,” “Thrive,” “We the People…”
“Frank Zeni” New bar/gallery Khon’s celebrates its grand opening on Milam with an exhibit of paintings by local artist/architect Frank Zeni. Known mostly for his Roman temple-themed folk-art house “Tempietto Zeni,” Frank’s paintings reflect a fascination with masters like Caravaggio, Chagall and Toulouse-Lautrec. This particular series utilizes liberal doses of…
HOUSTON PRESS NEW YEAR’S EVE GUIDE
To a New Year Ready to say goodbye to 2008 with its Hurricane Ike and economic tailspin? Not sure about how the next year will go? Don’t sit at home brooding — get your party best on and hit the town. Houston’s bars, clubs and restaurants are setting up for…
Bayousphere
“God bless us, everyone,” as Tiny Tim says. This year at Galveston’s annual Dickens on the Strand celebration, maybe it was better to say, “God bless us, everyone who’s still here.” No one seemed too daunted, though, as the event symbolized the beginning of the comeback of the island town…
Bombay Salad and Colossal Shrimp at King’s Inn
Every meal at the King’s Inn on Loyola Beach starts with a plate of sliced tomatoes and a dish of the restaurant’s mysterious “tartar sauce.” I usually eat huge gobs of the stuff on the tomatoes. It’s not really tartar sauce; it’s more of a stiff, zesty spread with a…
Samantha Ronson
It’s not easy traveling the world with your tarnished sex-symbol girlfriend Lindsay Lohan while you are trying to DJ at dance clubs all over the world, but somehow Samantha Ronson does it, every single night fueled on Red Bull and Marlboros. The brother of slickster producer Mark Ronson and stepdaughter…
Caught in a Mosh at The Pitt
It’s just gone nearly pitch-black inside Pasadena all-ages metal stomping ground The Pitt (109 N. Spooner), and all things considered, we’d prefer it hadn’t. We’re not trying to be all cutesy-ironic, like, “Oh, look at us, we’re afraid of clowns, aren’t we quirky?” Shortly before the lights went black, visceral…
Bianca Noons Tribute
Bianca Noons, who passed away peacefully November 29 after lying in a diabetic coma for a year, was half of Houston sibling reggae duo the Neutral Sisters, memorably profiled by the Houston Press’s John Nova Lomax in a 2003 cover story. “Two African-born, white-skinned Jamaican sisters leading a reggae band…
Chris Masterson & Eleanor Whitmore
Anyone who saw 13-year-old Chris Masterson shredding a Strat at the Fabulous Satellite Lounge or Big Easy in the late ’80s probably had a clue the little guy was going to grow to have some serious stature in the world of guitars. And Masterson hasn’t disappointed, although I’d bet few…
