This Week’s Cafe Review: Mr. Peeples Isn’t Kidding, But I Kind of Wish It Was
When I first heard about Mr. Peeples, I thought it was a joke. I heard that there was a steak and seafood restaurant using a graffiti artist to decorate the walls and hiring a DJ to spin tunes while wealthy patrons dined. I saw photos of the interior — a…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: The Wolf of Wall Street
Title: The Wolf of Wall Street So How Many Rolling Stones Songs Does Scorsese Use? Amazingly, in a soundtrack of 30-odd songs, Mick and Keith and the boys don’t make an appearance. Rating Using Random Objects Related To The Film: Three-and-a-half rogue waves out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis:…
Photo With Santa Turns Into “I Do” for Homeless Couple
Christmas can be tough when your budget is stretched thin. Now, imagine being homeless. Sometimes, all you have is each other. Such is the case with one happy couple, who ran into Santa outside the Harris County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center where he had been with SCSO Chaplain Virginia Howell…
My Christmas Gift To You: Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (w/ VIDEO)
When you work in media for a living, how do you properly thank thousands of people that you can’t see or don’t know personally? The thousands of people (we hope) who listen to your show, read your blog, follow you on Twitter, what’s an appropriate show of gratitude? Sure, a…
How to Make 5 Different Cookies From a Single Roll of Dough
Pressed for time this holiday season, yet simultaneously committed to multiple cookie exchanges? Take the shortcut of all shortcuts (Sandra Lee would be so proud) and buy a single roll of pre-made cookie dough (I chose peanut butter, but plain sugar works, too). Incorporate just a few additional ingredients, bake…
Podcast: Our Film Critics Count Down Their Favorite Movies of 2013
Before you run out to see one of the several movies opening on this Christmas Day 2013, listen to this very special Voice Film Club podcast: Voice film editor Alan Scherstuhl runs point while Voice film critic Stephanie Zacharek and L.A. Weekly film critic Amy Nicholson run down their top…
Happy Holidays!: Celebrating the Best Part of the Texans 2013 Season
Let’s not beat a dead horse here. The Texans are 2-13 and literally the best thing they can do at this point in the season is lose and get that number 1 draft pick. We all know how increasingly disappointing that’s been for fans, but hey, it’s Christmas, so let’s…
Five Trap Christmas Songs to Get Your Party Turnt Up
Christmas is here, food is cooking, family is visiting and presents are waiting to be opened. Now is the time to think about setting the right atmosphere for the occasion. Christmas day is supposed to be a happy day, an exciting day, one full of laughs and merriment. For the…
100 Creatives 2013: Bruce Small, He’ll Teach You to Draw Vampires on YouTube
What He Does: If you want a lighthearted cartoon about awkward teenage monsters, look no further than Bruce Small, the creator of the wonderful web comic Transyltown presented by Brass Comics. It follows his hero, Timmy, a meek geek of a vampire trying his hardest to impress his folks and…
Texans’ Starter Sunday Will Be….Not T.J. Yates
As the bodies continue to pile up over on Kirby, let’s take inventory of where the Texans are with their offensive personnel. They will likely be starting the fifth running back in the pecking order this Sunday, Jonathan Grimes, who was picked up off the street a week ago. (NOTE:…
Happy Holidays!: What Happened When We Searched for “Sexy Christmas Food”
The task was simple: Go to a stock image website and find some holiday food photos for a “Happy Holidays from Eating Our Words” post. The problem is that searching stock image sites is so utterly boring. After a few minutes of searching in vain for an image that spoke…
Merry Christmas From Art Attack! Five Underappreciated Holiday Classics to Watch
Did the weeks of pre-holiday shopping, cooking, and family interaction leave you feeling a bit run down? It’s understandable; there’s just something about the most wonderful time of year that can leave even the the strongest among us looking for peace away from our friends and family. Perhaps you should…
10 Sexy Christmas Songs to Stuff Your Chimney Right
Note: This is one of Rocks Off’s favorite holiday-themed blogs we’ve ever run, and it’s still fresh today. Pardon the pun, and enjoy! The approach of Christmas presents a number of dilemmas. Should you put the moves on that hot co-worker at the holiday party? Is now really the best…
The 25 Best Houston Rap Projects of 2013, Nos. 25-21
And so it came in the year of our Lord 2013 that Houston rap decided enough was enough. 2012 was already a banner year for the city in terms of local product, all roads leading towards The Niceguys’ sophomore project James Kelley as king of the hill. Randomly, have you…
Blue Christmas: A Love Story
This is a love story. I’d like to think that it’s still being written, although the reality is that the last chapter may have already been recorded. First things first: I caused this. I hurt her. And now we are no longer united. It was a beautiful thing, our love…
The 25 Best Music Videos of 2013, Nos. 25-21
It was another exceptional year for music videos, and Rocks Off scoured literally hundreds to track down the 25 that really broke the mold and showed the world the art of the music video is alive and well. From now until New Year’s Eve, we’ll be counting down the absolute…
10 Frightfully Festive Goth Christmas Carols
Note: In a new holiday tradition, Rocks Off would like to re-present to our readers this 2011 blog of the blackest Christmas songs we would find. Dude, religious Christmas is pretty macabre. All kinds of scandal, sex with a ghost, strangers bringing mystical gifts, and everyone predicting this young couple’s…
Five Christmas Traditions That Need to End
That feeling of dread starts building in October, as stores begin festooning their aisles with tinsel and giant candy canes even before Halloween is over. By the time Thanksgiving roll around, we’ve already been inundated with enough ads, TV shows, and radio stations switching to 100 percent holiday music to…
Christmas Weather: Cold and Sunny for Christmas Week
As the jolly fat man makes his way towards the southern part of the U.S., he must breathe a sigh of relief. After all, he’s spent a bunch of his night in Europe, Russia and the northeastern U.S. — we’ll forget for the moment about his trip to Africa. By…
Study: Voter Fraud Nonexistent, Partisanship at Heart of Voter Laws
The George W. Bush DOJ went after voter fraud hard. It became a mantra in right-wing talking circles that voter fraud was rampant, perhaps swinging elections. The problem with this narrative was that there simply wasn’t much evidence to support it. Undeterred by the lack of evidence, right-wing activists, led…
Cone Man Running Productions Puts on a Show, Collects Money for the Houston Food Bank
Under the title “A Spontaneous Smattering: Holiday Edition – Oh! Holy (#!@%*)!”, Cone Man Running Productions staged a festive holiday gathering at Obsidian Art Space on December 21, the culmination of 24-hours of intense creativity, generating seven “instant” plays by seven talented playwrights. Admission was $15, with all proceeds going…
An Open Letter to Everyone Outraged That Some of Us Have to Work on Christmas
Dear Well-Meaning Sirs and Madames, Though it was more prevalent over the Thanksgiving holidays, my Facebook newsfeed seems constantly inundated with outrage that some stores will be open on Christmas Day. Starbucks, for instance will be serving people the caffeine they need to face another political discussion across the dinner…
Bowl Season Shenanigans: Boise State Quarterback Sent Home For Allegedly Peeing Off A Balcony
To this day, it still might be the most famous finish to a game of the BCS Era. A decided underdog in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, upstart Boise State built up a huge lead over Big 12 champion Oklahoma before the Sooners came storming back to take a late lead,…
5 Reasons “A Charlie Brown Christmas” Is the Greatest Holiday Special
With all the classic holiday films and TV specials, it can be difficult to watch them all during the holidays. You might even get sick of them. Hell, if you flip on Lifetime or the Hallmark Channel, you could probably watch a new Christmas movie every hour on the hour…
The Rocks Off 200: Steven Higginbotham, Hard-Working Wheel Worker
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? Steven Higginbotham…
Five Breakfast Dishes for Christmas Morning
It’s hard to sit down to a nice breakfast on Christmas morning if you have children who want to tear into their presents as soon as they lay their eyes on that Christmas tree. But, with a scrumptious and enticing breakfast, you just might be able to pull their eyes…
Ginsburg and Breyer: Liberals Seek to Replace Justices Before a Conservative President Does It for Them
Liberal activists are calling on Justice Ginsburg, at least, and, hopefully, Justice Breyer to resign. Not because they’re incompetent and unable to do their job, but because they are worried that if the 80-year old two-time cancer survivor Ginsburg and the 75-year-old Breyer cannot make through a hypothetical Republican presidency…
Secret Santa Gifts for Our Favorite Texas Politicians
The U.S. Senate can’t seem to agree on much these days, but that doesn’t mean that the spirit of Christmas has escaped them. For the third year in a row, the Senate held its annual Secret Santa gift exchange. Originally started by Minnesota Senator Al Franken, the gift exchange is…
Five 2013 Food Trends We’d Like to See Alive and Well in 2014
Not all food trends are annoying, and though we know “to each his/her own” is a good rule by which to live, there are a few gems out there in the food world that we cannot wait to see more of. Here are Five 2013 Food Trends That We Hope…
Fan Fighting League! Cowboy Fan Fights Falcon Fan On MARTA Train
A lot of angst this time of year for football fans. Think about it, even the richest of the rich have something to bitch about this time of year. The Broncos beat the Texans on Sunday, but lost pass rusher extraordinaire Von Miller for the rest of the season to…
Facebook Dislike Button. Like or Dislike?
You know when you’re on Facebook, and someone posts something along the lines of, “The diagnoses came in, it’s cancer.” How do you respond? You may immediately comment that they are in your thoughts or “Noo!” or “So sorry to hear,” or whatever you deem appropriate, but more often than…
Eating Our Words Presents: Holiday Family Gathering BINGO!
Mom and Dad have arrived, the Christmas tree is gaudy as ever, and the dog is wearing antlers and a festive sweater. You’re gonna need some booze to make it through the next week. But don’t just sit around and drink. Drink with a purpose, my friend! To help you…
Joe “King” Carrasco Wishes Houston a “Tamale Christmas”
As the Reigning Royalty of Tex-Mex Party Rock, Joe “King” Carrasco has been playing his utterly unique mixture of early and garage-rock, polka, cumbias, and Latin rhythm since the mid-’70s. But while others dream of sugar plums and hams and fruitcakes during the holiday season, for Carrasco it’s the time…
Five Christmas Songs That Will Totally Bum You Out
Note: This article originally appeared in December 2010. Rocks Off brought it back for all you grinches out there. Happy Festivus! 5. Steve Earle & Emmylou Harris, “Christmas In Washington” Steve Earle recounts how he felt while we were gearing up to (sort of, almost, kind of, not really) elect…
Upcoming: Bayside, Brett Dennen, G-Eazy, Lorde, Neutral Milk Hotel, Il Divo, etc.
1st Annual New Years Blackout feat. Maze: With Frankie Beverly, Sheryl Underwood, Mint Condition, Keke Wyatt, K Michelle., Tue., December 31, 8 p.m., $59.50 to $79.50. Reliant Arena, 8400 Kirby, Houston, 713-799-9500. 2 Good to be T.R.U.: Fri., March 14, 9 p.m., $37.50. Bayou Music Center, 520 Texas, Houston, 713-225-8551…
High-School Journalists Review Recent Houston Releases
Last year, my kids’ bands teamed up for an idea to attract younger local followers. They sent sampler CDs to the entertainment editors of about two dozen area high schools and asked them to review the music in their school newspapers. To prove they weren’t entirely self-serving, they included a…
Christmas PSA: Zapruder of a Jillion-Car Pile-Up in Snowy Wisconsin
It’s Christmastime, a time of giving, and as much as I would love to give all of you an actual, tangible gift for your loyal readership, I am but a humble radio host and cannot afford to do so. I can, however, give you my sage advice on all things…
Dwight Howard’s Early Christmas Present: An MVP Level Performance In Detroit
In a perfect world, good NBA teams would like to be able to manage the regular season the way that the San Antonio Spurs do every year. Play your superstars around 70 games, know exactly which games to rest them (and maybe even win a few of those, like the…
The 12 Bars of Christmas and Then Some
“I’m too pretty to look like a devil!” — the gentleman in the photo above Christmas is only two days away. Another year full of laughs and cries and cheers and tears. A year spent with family and friends is never a bad one. And when the time for visiting…
Old School Christmas: 9 Gifts That Got (Get?) Kids Out of the House and In Better Shape w/Video
Since the advent of video games, kids have increasingly spent time inside huddled around game consoles. Even for an older guy like me, I grew up with Atari and early handheld video games that were pretty damn addictive, but nothing like the sophisticated games out today that not only look…
Bold, Petite, Enthusiastic Fare at Trenza
At the recently opened Latin-Indian fusion restaurant named Trenza, Susie Jimenez creates dishes that match her physical and personality traits: bold, petite, enthusiastic, and colorful. All over the menu, Indian spices and Latin foods — and vice versa — play together in bold strides to create an animated dance of…
Last One Out Close The Roof: Texans-Broncos (4 Winners, 4 Losers)
Heading into the season, all that most NFL teams can ask for is to be playing a meaningful game in Week 17 with an opportunity to control their own destiny. With one game to go, thanks to yet another loss (their 13th in a row) and a 24-23 win by…
What’s Cooking This Week? Christmas Eve Lobster Mac & Cheese and Classic Minestrone
I love cooking for my fiancé and planning meals for us, but cooking for two often proves to be difficult. If I don’t make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredients I’ve bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter…
A Menagerie of Lights at the Houston Zoo
It’s a weird feeling walking into the Houston Zoo after dark. I’ve been visiting the gardens since as early as I can remember, and every inch of it in memory is painted with the bright summer Houston sun. To walk under the trees in cold weather with every visible inch…
Le$ at Warehouse Live, 12/22/2013
Le$, Cheldon McQueen Warehouse Live December 22, 2013 Le$, the prolific local rapper and Boss Hogg Outlawz affiliate, managed to cram one last big hip-hop show into Warehouse Live’s studio room on Sunday night, and it really couldn’t have come at a better time. The man who made his name…
Texas Monthly Gives Astros Bum Steer Award, Puts Wrong Unis, Players on Cover
As if the humiliation couldn’t get any worse, Texas Monthly decided to pile on. The Astros and Texans have humiliated Houston this season and the Astrodome is likely being torn down. So, on the cover the annual Bum Steer Awards issue, TM decided to put all three, the Dome being…
‘Tis the Season to Be Blotto (Not Bloated) With This Toasted White Cranberry Cocktail
I believe the holidays are the time to indulge, to throw off the straitjacket of nutritional paranoia, and give yourself a break from eating quinoa, goji berries, and kale. Christmas comes but once a year, and if you take decent care of yourself the other 11 months, it’s okay to…
5 Lessons America Needs to Learn From A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is not only one of my favorite holiday stories, it’s one of my favorite stories period. I’ve seen it on stage a dozen times. Even played Ebenezer Scrooge myself once in high school. It’s the perfect mixture of Christmas magic, winter horror, and moral lesson…
Dear Santa, All I Want in Houston Sports For Christmas Is…
Christmas is just around the corner, and I’ve once again come to accept that Mrs. Santa’s sister won’t be visiting me this year. But I think I’ve been a good boy this year, and if Santa can’t give me her, or money, then there are a few more things that…
Last Minute Xmas Gifts for the Cinephile (DVD/Blu-ray Stocking Stuffers)
Looking for some stocking stuffers for a movie lover? We’ve got some suggestions, both expensive and budget friendly, classy and trashy, serious and not so much. Let’s start with the samurai classic Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman box set released by the Criterion Collection. The first 25 films in the series…
Five Easy Christmas Desserts
Planning a Christmas Eve and/or Day dinner can be stressful. But it doesn’t have to be. Or at least the dessert part doesn’t have to be. After you have prepared and cooked a delicious meal for your family, the last thing you want to do is stress over the dessert…
New Polling Shows Politicians Less Trustworthy Than Car Salesman; Trust in Clergy Dropping As Well
According to a recent Gallup Poll, Members of Congress have now slipped below car salesmen in terms of the public’s trust in them; only lobbyists are lower. State elected officials are only slightly higher than MCs. And judges come in at a lowly 46 percent. What is also interesting to…
Fashion 2014, What We Will All Be Talking About Next Year
In a few days, the ball will drop and we will be greeting 2014. Year ends usually inspire moments of reflection, but I see a year end as a moment of anticipation. New products, media and technology are just waiting to be debuted come 2014 and I for one can’t…
Season’s Eatings in December 1913: Memories of Christmas Past
As a Victorianist, I’m often nostalgic for a past I’ve never experienced. The material trappings of the late 19th century and early 20th century fascinate me, and while I certainly don’t want to return to a time of corsets and cholera epidemics, I still long for some of the culinary…
Broncos 37, Texans 13: Last Year’s Would-Be Texan Shows Them How It’s Done
It was 16-13 entering the fourth quarter of the Broncos-Texans game at Reliant on Sunday. After three quarters, the Texans actually had a shot at beating the team many believe will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this year. Then Peyton Manning did what he does. He threw three…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 56, Eggplant Fries at Batanga
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. She’ll compile a collection of the dishes she thinks are the most awesome, most creative and, of course, most delicious in town. It’s a…
Dwight Yoakam at Arena Theatre, 12/20/2013
Dwight Yoakam Arena Theatre December 20, 2013 An odd thing occurred at the Dwight Yoakam show at Arena Theatre Friday night: the cast of Federico Fellini’s epic remake of Urban Cowboy showed up to party. Rhinestones, Jack and Coke, and all. While Yoakam and his band of musical throat-cutters ran…
5 Best Uses of Reversed Speech in Video Games
When I was a kid America was under this really bizarre spell where it saw the actual devil everywhere. The devil had worshippers working in daycares that secretly used your children for black mass purposes. The devil lived inside the dodecahedron you rolled to determine you next move in Dungeons…
Chris Gray’s 10 Favorite Houston Records of 2013
10. Born Liars, Show Some Couth Show Some Couth has yet to make its way to iTunes, no doubt because those Apple prudes are still trying to figure out what to do with its filthy cover. The garagers’ first (and loudest) album since 2010’s Fast Songs Is All We Know,…
Houston’s 10 Gnarliest Mosh Pits of 2013
Punks and metalheads don’t always see eye to eye, but one commonality they can always high-five over is the predilection to batter one another senseless at every opportunity. Houston played host to countless shows and tours this year that forced fans to keep their knees bent and their elbows out…
This Illustrated Kanye Quiz Has All the Answers
Note: In his column Serrano Time, Houston’s award-winning writer and goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times. All illustrations by me. I’m Shea. This game is very simple: Look at the pictures and guess what Kanye West song each one represents. Boom. That’s it. That’s all. You’re done…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Week: DJ Sun, Free Radicals, Thunderado, etc.
DJ Sun The Flat, December 23 Now that some of the well-deserved publicity surrounding the release of DJ Sun’s first-ever full-length release, One Hundred, has subsided a little, his true accomplishment on the disc seems even more impressive. In the span of 70 minutes, Sun pours his 20-plus-year career as one…
Grand Jury No-Bills Judge Denise Pratt
A Harris County grand jury has declined to indict Family Court Judge Denise Pratt, the subject of a records-tampering probe, according to her attorney. Lawyer Terry W. Yates stated in a press release, “We are pleased that the grand jury agrees with us that there’s absolutely no evidence that Judge…
Ranking the Top 10 Bowl Games From a Fat Person’s Perspective
One very underrated calendar quirk this year is the fact that Christmas and New Year’s both fall on a Wednesday. Anyone with a regular Monday-to-Friday nine-to-five job knows what I am talking about. A Wednesday standalone holiday is basically a reason to say, “Ah, eff this…I’m just gonna take the…
This Weekend’s Best Bets: One Last Stab at Christmas Spending Money
I think of all the sports, the NFL strikes the perfect balance of regular season meaningfulness, rewards for regular season success, and playoff inclusiveness. Certainly, the 2013 NFL season backs that up with a Week 16 slate that sees almost two thirds of the league with playoff hopes still alive…
Christmas in Texas and Dogs in the Snow: The Top 10 Photos of the Week
We here at the Houston Press have long believed that some of the best photographers in the world live right here in Houston. Between the slideshows and blogs we publish and the images you share with us in our Flickr Pool, we see tons of amazing photos every week, and…
Buy Your Christmas Dinner Fixings Early, Because Most Stores Will Be Closed
If you find yourself with some last-minute Christmas shopping to take care of on Christmas Eve, you might be in luck. Many stores have expanded their hours on December 24 to ensure that you have everything you need for the perfect holiday. If, however, you find yourself inexplicably out of…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Her
Title: Her Where Does It Rank Among Other “Pronoun” Films? Right up there with Them and well ahead of She and It. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Four Marvin the Paranoid Androids out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Man falls in love with operating system, kills Sarah…
The Drones are (Probably) Coming to Texas
If you thought drones were the stuff of Terminator movies and bombings in countries that aren’t us, you’ve got another think coming. The world of drones and drone research is coming to Texas, pending FAA approval. The FAA is due to announce the designation of six test sites for unmanned…
In the House Margarita at Pappasito’s, a Bottom-Shelf Tequila Rises to the Top
Go for the Agavales margaritas at Pappasito’s.
Jay Z at Toyota Center, 12/19/2013
Jay Z Toyota Center December 19, 2013 Jay Z is the king. A few other rappers have enjoyed their time at the top throughout the years, but Hov’s been perched upon the throne for the better part of a decade and a half. A handful of others have tried to…
Blame Gary Kubiak All You Want, But Rick Smith Shares the Responsibility for the Texans’ Failure
So Gary Kubiak’s been fired and it looks like Wade Phillips is coaching himself out of a job. But truth of the matter is that Bob McNair could con Jon Gruden or Tony Dungy into taking this job and that still wouldn’t be enough. The problems with this team go…
The Future Is Nigh: Plastic Money Is Taking Over
Paper or plastic? Wait, no, that’s what they ask about supermarket bagging. How about, “Cash or plastic?” We’ve maybe heard that phrase before or something along those lines. Well now residents of Britain will no longer have to make that choice. Britain announced on Wednesday that it would begin phasing…
Hugo Ortega’s Caracol Opens; Expect Crowds
For those who speak Spanish, the word caracol is instantly evocative of seafood. It translates to conch, or shell, and in addition to rolling off the tongue, the word has special meaning for Hugo Ortega and his wife, Tracy Vaught, of Hugo’s and Backstreet Cafe. “Hugo’s brother used to be…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Saving Mr. Banks
Title: Saving Mr. Banks Is This The Sequel To Saving Private Ryan? I only hope it inspired similar porn parody titles. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two penguins out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Children’s book author locks horns with Walt Disney, who cons her into giving…
U.S. Woman Got ‘Invasive Cavity Searches’ Coming Back to the U.S., ACLU Says
If there’s anything worse than rolling up to the U.S.-Texas border and getting flagged by agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, it’s getting flagged, searched and probed by those agents. On December 8, 2012, agents frisked and strip-searched a U.S. citizen as she was trying to return to…
Voice Film Club Podcast: Her and Anchorman 2
Joaquin Phoenix in Her.On this week’s Voice Film Club podcast, this paper’s film critics talk about Spike Jonze’s Her and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, in addition to the wave of films all coming out before the year’s over. Listen to it on iTunes or below on Soundcloud:…
The 13 Most Overcooked Food Trends of 2013
Except the cronut. We love the cronut. (Photo: Tejal Rao)Here are 13 food trends that have become ubiquitous and shed the sheen of novelty — now they’re just dull and sometimes annoying, in spite of an exciting debut. (To keep things interesting, we’ve included a few food trends we hope…
Galveston Officials Give Up Fight Over Great Dane, But Are Still Mum About Cruelty Investigation
A Great Dane at the center of a custody dispute between an animal welfare group and Galveston County officials has been formally awarded to the welfare group, according to a lawyer for the New York-based Lexus Project. Unfortunately, Nina — who was brought injured and bloody to the Galveston County…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Food Truck Friday, Party With Santa & Triniti’s Anniversary Dinner
Food Truck Friday @ Houston Press Friday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 2603 La Branch Come grab a bite to eat for lunch during Food Truck Friday at our office. This week, Third Coast Steak Sandwiches will be serving up the grub. Make your own sandwich, or choose from the favorites such…
5 Best Scenes From Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker
Ask horror fans what their favorite Christmas-themed horror flick is and they’ll maybe tell you Gremlins or Black Christmas, but they’ll definitely mention Silent Night, Deadly Night. The first film is a classic that shocked audiences with its audacity when it was first released in 1984. A killer Santa? Who…
City Councilman James Rodriguez Gets in a Fight on Twitter
Yesterday the Houston City Council passed some pretty important law regarding payday loan lending. And then things got really interesting when District I City Councilman James G. Rodriguez took to Twitter to let everyone know his feelings on the subject. Obviously when a politician wants to be an ass, Twitter…
It Could Be a While Before We See Garth Brooks Here
Without question, one of the music’s biggest sweepstakes in the weeks and months to come will be speculation on Garth Brooks’ impending tour, his first since more or less retiring in 2001. But with his children about to leave the nest and his four-year residency at Las Vegas’ Wynn Resort…
100 Creatives 2013: Greg Dean, Actor
Actor Greg Dean settled on his choice of professions early in life — at around age seven. “When I was around four years old, my heroes were all the villains on Batman. I had no idea why they were doing what they were doing, but they sure looked like they…
Upcoming Events: Enjoy the Holiday Smorgasbord, Then Start Dieting
On the Monday before Christmas (December 23), Saint Arnold and the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow bring you a special airing of Bad Santa. Head to the Saint Arnold Brewery for beers on tap at 6 p.m.; the movie screens at 7 p.m. A $15 admission ticket will get you the…
Pendergast to Leave 1560, Join Rich Lord on 610 Drive Time Show
Pendergast joins Lord in the afternoon drive at 610.Back in March, I wrote my list of fantasy sports talk radio pairings based on the current hosts. One of them was long-time host at KILT 610 and Texans sideline reporter Rich Lord with KGOW co-host and Houston Press contributor Sean Pendergast…
Saturday, El Birthday Metal Fest III Crushes Christmas
Looking for an eggnog-free outlet for your holiday frustrations? You’re in luck! Local doomsayers Sanctus Bellum unwrap Houston’s headbangin’-est birthday party tomorrow at the third annual El Birthday Metal Festival at Fitzgerald’s, and you’re invited! But be warned: the now-traditional heavy-metal blowout won’t be held in celebration of the birth…
Openings & Closings: The Burger Guys Close & Caracol Officially Opens
It was a very unlucky day for The Burger Guys on Friday, December 13. Kaitlin Steinberg broke the news that The Burger Guys on Westheimer had officially closed. The downtown location closed in September, so this is the end of Burger Guys in Houston. Chef and owner Jake Mazzu gave…
The Top 5 Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Max and the Junkmen, “The Age of Impressionism,” Santa and More
Claude Sautet’s 1971 crime drama Max and the Junkmen (“Max et les ferrailleurs”) never hit American theaters, but fans have a chance to see it on Friday: A 35mm restored print is being screened as part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Revival film series. The story follows Max…
Music’s Biggest Douchebags: 2013 Edition
Just like I told you last year, the musical landscape abounds with douchebags of all stripes. Normally their D-bag behavior is pretty amusing, but this year things took a turn for the completely messed-up. Music might have had more douchebags in 2013 than ever before. It was tough sifting through…
Exclusive: “Gwan” Listen to the Suffers’ New Single
“We all need a little fuel to get the engine going every now and then, and ‘Gwan’ is that fuel.” — Kam Franklin, lead singer of The Suffers From the very first notes of “Gwan,” the newly recorded track by Houston Press Music Award winners the Suffers, the listener is…
Houston’s Top 10 Bars Open Christmas Day
As our sister blog Eating…Our Words does, from time to time Rocks Off will be giving your our picks for the top taverns in various Houston-area neighborhoods. Of course, the lines can be porous, but here anything with a TABC license that cannot reasonably be considered either a restaurant, coffeehouse…
Houston’s Best Concerts This Weekend: Dwight Yoakam, Max Bemis, Eightball & MJG, etc.
Dwight Yoakam Arena Theatre, December 20 Throughout his career in the public eye, Dwight Yoakam has successully negotiated the perils of country stardom without ever once coming close to being labeled a sellout. The looming 30-year anniversary of his 1986 debut Hillbilly Deluxe is a big one — alongside albums…
BATTLE-DRINK, Week 16: Bearded Schaub’s Revenge!
We are officially at the point where we can start counting down to the end of the 2013 NFL season…the seemingly interminable blight on Houston football history that’s been the 2013 NFL season. The end is near, thank God! Go back to Week 1’s BATTLE-DRINK game, and it reflects a…
Who Joins Kubiak on the (Get Paid Lots of Severance) Bread Line
Sometime within the next several weeks, the Texans will be hiring a new head coach, and when they do, that will be a happy day for whoever that person is. (Hopefully, it’s a happy day for the Texans’ fan base, too.) Years will go by, and that coach will likely…
Chef Kristofer Jakob Displays Talent and Versatility Through His Wine Dinner Series
In the most recent edition of a year-long “Around the World” wine dinner series — an evening that paired Spanish and Portuguese wines with the cuisine of Spain — chef Kristofer Jakob of Kris Bistro & Wine Lounge, the restaurant inside Culinary Institute LeNôtre, left diners impressed. Jakob isn’t “just”…
Weekend Weather: Perhaps Some Strong Storms on the Way
After some rather bizarre weather over the past few weeks, it appears to be leveling off as Houston experiences some rather normal weather for this time of year. It may be a tad warm today with highs in the 70s, but that’s not particularly abnormal for us during the holidays…
Drinking Cookies: The Gingerbread Crunch Cocktail
About a week ago a good friend and I hosted our second-annual holiday cookie exchange. We had a wonderful turnout, and thanks to our adventurous baking companions, had quite the diverse spread of baked goods, including lemon tea cookies, cranberry polenta cookies, peanut butter blossoms and peppermint patty cookies. Absent,…
Texas, Harris County Still No. 1 in Executions, but Numbers Down Sharply Nationwide
According to a report from the Death Penalty Information Center, there have been only 39 executions in the United States this year, only the second time that number has been below 40 since 1994 and down 4 from last year’s 43. This is additionally a decline of 60 percent since…
It’s Time to Make Your Very Own Panettone
Each country has its own traditional dishes and desserts for Christmas and the holidays. The French make Thirteen Desserts of Provence, Germans make Christstollen, Brits make Christmas pudding and Italians make panettone. This sweet bread originated in Milan (or so the story is told) and has become a popular item…
Contrast, and Why There Is Nothing Wrong With Short Games
As far as I was concerned, the PS4 launched with two titles, Knack and Contrast. I’m not a huge first-person shooter fan, so Killzone didn’t really appeal to me. Nor did the latest entries in the various sports franchises. After that, you were more properly left with upgraded PS3 titles…
Backstreet Boys at Bayou Music Center, 12/18/2013
Backstreet Boys Bayou Music Center December 18, 2013 Backstreet’s back…all right? There comes a point when it’s disingenuous to keep calling these nostalgic boy bands “boys,” and we’ve definitely reached that point here. There’s nothing boyish about these men. They’re fathers, husbands and Little League coaches. There also comes a…
Google’s Most Searched Athletes of 2013 Shows We Love to Consume Dark, Miserable Stories
“Mostly I’m tired of people being ugly to each other. I’m tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world everyday. There’s too much of it. It’s like pieces of glass in my head all the time. Can you understand?” — John Coffey, The Green Mile I…
How to Prepare to Fry an Egg and Prevent a Mess
Frying an egg is easy, but preparation is key.
Gifts That Stink: Your Gift-Giving Guide to Candles, Home Scent and Perfume
Giving someone perfume, or a high-end home scent, or even just a fancy candle can be fraught with danger. We’re not talking about swinging by the old (horrible) Yankee Candle for those last-minute hostess gifts, here — we’re talking about a truly thoughtful, gift-worthy, and high-quality scent. Laying out a…
Rockets Beat Bulls at Start of Tough Stretch to End 2013
Sitting on the bench in the waning moments of the Rockets’ 109-94 win over Chicago on Wednesday night, even the injured players — one of whom may not be a Rocket by this weekend — were smiling. It was the kind of victory that helps to wipe out some of…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 57, Macarons at Ganache Dessert Bar
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. She’ll compile a collection of the dishes she thinks are the most awesome, most creative and, of course, most delicious in town. It’s a…
The Rocks Off 200: Alisha Pattillo & Her Swaggering, Soulful Sax
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? Alisha Pattillo…
Pop Rocks: Long Live TV! 5 Shows to Look Forward to in 2014
Last week saw two major cable dramas, Sons of Anarchy and Homeland, close another season. While I don’t have amazing things to say about either season, aside from the insane finales of both shows, I am still sad to have nothing new to watch. I don’t know what’s more depressing:…
Polygamists Rejoice: Federal Court Hands Win to “Sister Wives”
Sister Wives is a reality television show on TLC which depicts (totally unscripted, I’m sure) the joys, trial and tribulations of plural families, i.e., polygamists. While I have never watched the show, nor do I have much of a desire to, what is of interest, beyond the cloistered world of…
Book Check: The Lowland, By Jhumpa Lahiri
Title: The Lowland Tell Me About the Author: Jhumpa Lahiri is the beloved author of The Namesake, which was made into a 2006 film by Mira Nair. Her collection of short stories, 1999’s The Interpreter of Maladies, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The win was notable on several fronts…
Our Top Wines for a Bayou City Christmas (And a Few Vino-Related Gifts)
As I have done every year since I moved to Texas five holiday seasons ago, I’ll be spending Christmas eve on Cow Bayou in Bridge City, East Texas (about 20 minutes up the road from Orange, where my wife was born). Uncle Tim will make his famous gumbo, spiked with…
HISD Stalls in Reading on Nation’s Report Card, Sees Math Gains
In another indicator that the Houston ISD hasn’t mastered the art of teaching reading, today’s release of scores in the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that while there are some gains in fourth and eighth grade math, average HISD reading scores have not improved since 2007 and, in fact,…
Rest of the Best: 10 Best Business Signs in Houston
You know what the best part about capitalism is? No, not that each man has the opportunity to rise to fame and fortune. The real answer is marketing. Glorious, marketing, where artistic skill is dedicated to getting the attention of a potential consumer in the name of trade. The purest…
Nara Debuts Korean Grill Room With an Upscale Take on Traditional Meals
In Korean, gogigui means, literally, roasting meat, and that’s exactly what you do in Nara’s new grill room, which opens to the public today, December 19. Traditionally, diners prepare the Korean “barbecue” themselves at tables with built-in gas or charcoal grills in an informal setting. But at Nara, chef Donald…
Saturday Night Live’s 12 Best Holiday Musical Guests
Watching the Saturday Night Live Christmas special last week, I was reminded how the show has revered — and skewered — the holiday season over the years. From Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song” to Alec Baldwin’s “Schweddy Balls,” the show’s churned out enough holiday-themed material to keep us laughing for 12…
Jay Z In Pictures: Can I Get a…
When I first began to listen to rap music as a student at Jesse H. Jones Senior High, it was mostly screwed-down versions of hits by UGK and freestyles by Lil Keke, Lil Flip and Yungstar. Only after I graduated did I begin digging deeper into rap’s history, with East…
“Sub-Saharan African Art from the Collection of Matthew Scheiner and Lisa Qualls”
See the best works from an impressive private collection in “Sub-Saharan African Art from the Collection of Matthew Scheiner and Lisa Qualls.” The husband-and-wife team has lent Lone Star College works from Cameroon, Congo, Mali, and Nigeria – some dating as far back as the 18th century. “I have loved…
Five of the Year’s Best Films — That You Can Stream on Netflix Right Now
For professional film critics, you’ll notice, the year in film tends to conclude prematurely. Those “Best Of” lists you see popping up everywhere around now have often been tallied, decided, and finalized by mid-November — and in the web’s ever-harried race for clicks and pageviews, that date seems to be…
“Unsilent Night”
After successful performances in Hong Kong, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, Saskatchewan, and San Francisco, Phil Kline’s “Unsilent Night” (which he’s called “a little electric massage of Advent-y stuff”) comes to Houston. The 43 minute composition was created especially to be heard outdoors during December. Participants, who have numbered in…
Santa Hustle Half Marathon & 5K
Here comes the second annual Santa Hustle Half Marathon & 5K in Galveston. Each participant is issued an official Santa Claus hat, beard, and customized Santa drifit shirt in order to head down the course on Strand Avenue in a herd of Fathers Christmas. Along the route Christmas cookies are…
Ali Siddiq
Catch Ali Siddiq’s standup show at the Houston Improv, and you might feel as if you were visiting with a friend—providing, that is, that you have friends who pop up regularly on Showtime, HBO, BET and other network television networks. One of the most successful local comedians to crack the…
Max and the Junkmen (“Max et les ferrailleurs”)
Claude Sautet’s 1971 crime drama Max and the Junkmen (“Max et les ferrailleurs”) never hit American theaters, but fans have a chance to see it now: A 35mm restored print is being screened as part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Revival film series. The story follows Max (Michel…
Winter Wonderettes
Disaster strikes the Harper’s Hardware holiday party – Santa’s vanished and it’s up to Betty Jean (played by Jessica Rohe), Missy (Mandy Kolbaba), Suzy (Nicole Norton-Slatnick) and Cindy Lou (Rachel Rubin) to throw together a Christmas show at the last minute. With their usual spunk and 1960s girl-group singing style,…
I Came Into Money, Now Everybody Wants Some. 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! I WON A SETTLEMENT, NOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET PAID Dear Willie D: Three years ago…
Handel’s Messiah
A host of guest artists, including conductor Nicholas McGegan and singers Dominique Labelle, Christopher Ainsile, Douglas Williams and Thomas Cooley join the Houston Symphony for the orchestra’s annual production of Handel’s Messiah. The Houston Symphony Chorus, led by director Charles Hausmann, also performs. The program includes the “Hallelujah” chorus, “Ev’ry…
A Gotcha’ Christmas
Santa’s been kidnapped and it’s up to the elves to save him in pat Morgan’s holiday musical A Gotcha’ Christmas. The merchants of Gotchaville, a small town near Santa’s Village, have lost their Christmas spirit because holiday sales are down. Their solution? Kidnap Santa and delay Christmas (giving them more…
Greetings!
The Texas Repertory Theatre Company gives fans a different sort of holiday comedy with Greetings! Andy Gorski brings his fiancée home to meet his family on Christmas Eve. His fiancée’s both Jewish and an atheist; his family’s very Catholic, so things seem to be on a collision course until a…
The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical
It’s an all-new adventure for Betty, Lin and the other residents of Armadillo Acres in The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical, commissioned by Stages Repertory Theatre as a follow-up to the company’s successful run of The Great American Trailer Park Musical in 2006. Working with director Kenn McLaughlin to…
A Christmas Carol
John Stevens bravely tackles A Christmas Carol at the award-winning Houston Family Arts Center (the center’s production of Fiddler on the Roof took home the Best Musical award in this past August’s Houston Theater Awards). The show, based on the classic ghost story by Charles Dickens, is a monopolylogue (one…
Shen Yun Performing Arts
It’s an all-new show when the classical dancers, singers and musicians of the Shen Yun Performing Arts take the stage for a nine-day stint in the Theater District. Drawing on a culture more than 5,000 years old, the troupe interprets ancient Chinese legends, imperial dramas and heroic tales through dance,…
“The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute”
Heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune, Sterling Clark and his wife, Francine, were actively collecting art in Paris during the first half of the 20th century. Now many of those works – from one-name-only artists like Renoir, Manet, Degas, Monet, Pisarro and Toulouse-Lautrec – are part of “The Age…
It’s Really Time to Stop Encouraging R. Kelly
He crossed the line with my daughter. It didn’t get to the extreme of that [sex tape] video or else I wouldn’t be here, if you know what I’m talking about… The reason that I’m talking about this, it’s not just for me, it’s not for my wife, it’s not…
Like a Sleek New Phone, Her Still Strains to Connect
The terrible reality of modern life is that even beautiful young people on a first date can’t go a whole evening without checking their phones. We need to be potentially connected to every possibility at all times; merely allowing the present to happen has become increasingly foreign. That’s the idea…
Madea vs. Christmas, Logic and Larry the Cable Guy
Someday there will be a serious academic study on Tyler Perry, the battered and sexually abused child who legally changed his first name at 16 to distance himself from his estranged father and grew rich playing a caricature of his mother in pantyhose and a dress, like a sass-talking Norman…
Hurt Like the Dickens
If you’re a person alive in this age, Ralph Fiennes has at some point probably made you hate him. As the Nazi Amon Goeth in 1993’s Schindler’s List, Fiennes embodied one of history’s great evils, somehow making being utterly detestable compelling. In Martin McDonagh’s riotous, under-regarded In Bruges, Fiennes spat…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Antonio Berni: Juanito and Ramona,” “Funnel Tunnel,” “Nice. Luc Tuymans,” “São Paulo 2013,” “SPRAWL”
“Antonio Berni: Juanito and Ramona” Antonio Berni (1905-1981) was Argentina’s greatest 20th-century artist, a greatness recognized far beyond Argentina during his lifetime. Since his death his fame has faded, especially in North America. The exhibition “Antonio Berni: Juanito and Ramona,” on view at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is an…
Good Deeds: Volunteer Time and Food
Edible Events Most of the year we use this blog to tell you about all the great food in Houston. We tell you what gifts to buy for the food lovers on your list, where to eat a nice meal out and which hot restaurants are opening. But this time…
Capsule Stage Reviews: A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration, Djembe and the Forest of Christmas Forgotten, The White Christmas Album 2, The Sequel
A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration It’s very earnest down by the banks of the Potomac on Christmas Eve, 1864. Extremely earnest. In this musical from Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel (How I Learned to Drive) and Daryl Waters, who arranged the numerous period carols, war anthems and pop…
Coming Down From the Heights
Highlights from Hair Balls Surreal Estate I am a big fan of the Houston Heights. I lived there for the better part of 15 years and spent countless summer days at my grandparents’ house just about eight blocks east of there. It has so many things that make it a…
Run the World
Live Shots The easy way to go about saying you went to a Beyoncé show is to gawk at the way people surrounding you interact with one another, how they smile, wave, twist and contort to every move the 32-year-old Houstonian performs onstage. How they attempt to mirror every strut…
Special Navidad Gift Guide Edition: What Books on Mexicans Should I Buy This Christmas?
Dear Readers: Behold your favorite Mexican’s annual Christmas gift guide, where I give shout-outs to some of my favorite books that deserve your money this holiday season! And for once, I won’t recommend my books—¡Ask a Mexican!, Orange County: A Personal History, and Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America—as…
The Year in Movies 2013: Joaquin Phoenix Returns and the Films of the Year
Want to see the list of the 10 best movies that screened in Houston this year? Check out The Year in Movies 2013: Top 10 Movies, Houston Style. In Spike Jonze’s new sci-fi romance, Her, Joaquin Phoenix plays a divorcé who rebounds by falling in love with his smartphone. On…
A Meal at Pizzeria Solario Can Be Hit or Miss, But the Hits Are Great
Want a behind the scenes look at Pizzeria Solario? Get a closer look in this slideshow. Throughout my meal, this weird little poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow kept running through my head: There was a little girl, Who had a little curl, Right in the middle of her forehead When…
Happy New Year: The 2013 Houston Press New Year’s Eve Guide
This year, the economy finally started turning around. Houston celebrated with more jobs and new people who came to experience the riches of the city’s cultural, culinary, artistic and entertainment worlds. And as this year comes to a close, we arrive at last at New Year’s Eve, the day when,…
Ron Burgundy Is Back, and Anchorman 2 Is Best When It Is Absurd
The audience that shows up for a comedy is the most tyrannical of all. Their very presence is the equivalent of a schoolyard bully’s challenge: “Go ahead — make me laugh.” Which is why there’s danger in following up a hit comedy with a sequel, even nine years after the…
The Year in Movies 2013: Top 10 Movies, Houston Style
The problem with these annual “best of” lists is one of volume: There are just so many of them that it renders much of their findings meaningless. A cursory look at the rankings popping up this time of year will show a few common entries (nobody much feels like defying…
