WHAT?! You’re Saying The Whole “Farouk Shami For Governor” Thing Might Not Work Out?
(Updated with statement from Shami.) Hard as it may be to believe, the political career of Houston hair-products guru Farouk Shami might be in a little trouble.His seasoned political staff has quit over strategy disputes with his seasoned hair-products staff.E-mail inboxes in newsroom across the state, including ours, have been…
Sampler Plate: This Week In Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Barley Vine: Tedo considers the latest news from Scottish brewery Brew Dog…
Second Opinion: Country Boy Robert Ellis On Tuesday’s Haggard-Kristofferson Twin Bill
Occasionally Rocks Off is able to get over being a selfish bastard long enough to do something nice for other people (or so we’d like to think, anyway). A few days ago, we asked up-and-coming Houston twanger Robert Ellis if he would like to be our plus-one to Tuesday’s Merle…
Sugar Land Gets One Step Closer To Minor-League Baseball — And A Team Name
The city council of Sugar Land agreed this week to work with a company that specializes in getting cities to build minor-league baseball parks and get teams to go in them.The city approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Opening Day Partners that will provide an exclusive window for the two…
Heini’s Yogurt Cheese vs. Grafton Classic Reserve
On a recent trip to Central Market, we discovered an intriguing product from Heini’s, a “yogurt cheese.” The package said it was made from Amish milk, which, of course, gave us a delightful mental picture of a big block of cheese being delivered by horse-driven carriage to our neighborhood Yuppie-Mart…
Guitar Zero: Music Theory Can Be Fun… Supposedly
An important element of the teacher-student relationship is the instilling of confidence. That little nudge of encouragement that allows the learner to go forth in self-assurance with his newly acquired knowledge and use it for good (or, as is the case with finance majors, to destroy society as we know…
Four Convicted In Labor Day Rice-Area BB-Gun Drive-Bys
Caitlin Barnett and friends John Michael Chargois, Paul Helton and Bonnie Mugg allegedly had quite a Labor Day Weekend last year. Police say various combos of those four young twentysomethings spent the three-day holiday driving around Rice campus and the Gulf Freeway area, shooting people with a BB gun drive-by…
Kick Ass Coconut Soup
The tom kha gai (coconut soup with chicken) at Thai Choice restaurant on Wilcrest at Westheimer was really rich with lots of coconut, galangal and mushroom flavor. But we asked for it “Thai hot,” and what we got wasn’t very spicy at all. We told our waiter that he could…
Rocks Off, Age 4, To His Mom: “Why Is George Strait Only Playing His Radio Hits?”
For someone who would go on to enjoy fire and loud noises and the music of George Strait with a near-crazed abandon, our first concert experience with both was marked with tears and vomit. We are pretty sure that the latter happened but when we were four years old that…
School Board Member Who Gave Oral-Sex Speech Barred From Student Contact
Hitchcock ISD photoLast month brought the tale of Hitchcock school board member Shirley Price, who went to give a speech to middle-schoolers and ended up talking about oral sex in kind of a Blow Jobs for Dummies, DIY way, at least according to some parents.Last night was the first time…
King Crab Season
If you watch Deadliest Catch, you know that most of the world’s king crab fishing takes place during the coldest winter weeks off the coast of Alaska. If you watch Deadliest Catch you also know that king crab fishermen are prolly the biggest bad-asses alive, cooler than Justin Timberlake, stronger…
Game Time: Please, Daryl Morey…Take The Knicks’ Offer For T-Mac, I Beg You
I know this feeling. You see, as a divorced father of three, my time spent with my kids is chopped up into specifically, oftentimes legally mandated, chunks whereby there is a beginning, a middle, and an end to any visit. The beginning and the middle are great, but once the…
Behind The Lyrics: Harkore, A Dread Head Who Reps True Head
Harkore – Bang Bang from Juan Quintanilla on Vimeo. Tuesday morning, a guy named Diamond Dave wrote us on MySpace and all we could think of is why in the hell our mama didn’t name us Dave so we could have called ourselves that. Can you imagine going up to…
Jalapeño Gefilte Fish at Rustika
In this week’s review, I sample the Mexican gefilte fish at Rustika Bakery. Those green peppers strips all over the plate in the photo are actually jalapeños. And I can attest that they are extremely hot. It seems that in Mexico, the Jewish population has come up with a spicy…
They Just Couldn’t Weave It Alone
What is the world coming to when a woman can’t sell hair weaves at a laundromat without being beaten and robbed? The Beaumont Enterprise reported that police in Orange are on the lookout for two black females in their twenties who allegedly punched washateria owner Tae Yoon Kim and stole…
Inquiring Minds: All Along The Watchtower With Ex-Traffic Cop Dave Mason
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason has certainly had a storied career: Founding member of Traffic, guest appearances on records by Hendrix, the Stones and various Beatles, a solid solo career, stint with Fleetwood Mac, and writer of at least one Classic Rock Warhorse in “Feelin’ Alright.” And…
Wine of the Week: Israeli Wine
The other Saturday, we went to a wine tasting at Block 7 devoted to Israeli wines. We hadn’t really heard of Israeli wines but were assured that we would love them. A few glasses later, we were hooked. We even took a few bottles home, and it wasn’t in an…
The Buzz Is Building, Somehow, For Houston And Its Alleged Love Of Electric Cars
Earlier this month city officials announced they’ll be buying more electric cars and also providing (temporarily) free charging stations for such vehicles downtown.The photo op seems to be paying off — there seems to be the beginning of a small groundswell in the national media citing Houston as the very…
Mariah Carey’s Many Knuckle Children, Or The Self-Gratification Of Mimi
[Ed. Note: You know us… always taking the high road.] Thanks to this new thing on YouTube called VEVO, we can watch crisp versions of our favorite music videos, young and old, without worrying about shoddy quality or mislabeling. This also means that we can take a trip down spank…
Renee Longoria, 51, Bayou Body Count No. 44
A man who has been in and out of prison over the past decade is back in jail after allegedly admitting that he killed his girlfriend.Police say that William Robert Stone, 47, confessed to strangling Renee Longoria, 51, on Saturday night at their home 230 West 27th in north Houston…
#98 “You Buy We Fry” Trout Basket at Hank’s Fish Market 4319 Lockwood Fifth Ward
Over the course of the next few months, I’m counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in the comments…
Breaking Down That Backlog Of Complaints Against Sheriff’s Deputies
Yesterday we told you how Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia was trumpeting a reduction in the backlog of citizen complaints against deputies.The Sheriff’s Office said 255 cases had been closed in 2009, three times the number closed in the previous year.The HCSO didn’t have any information on how those cases…
Aftermath: Merle Haggard And Kris Kristofferson Help Us Make It Through The Night
There’s a line in Merle Haggard’s “Are the Good Times Really Over (I Wish a Buck Was Still Silver)” that has become a daily affirmation of sorts for us. It’s not the pre-parenthetical part of the title, although we’ve wondered that often enough. It’s this one: “Are we rolling downhill…
Teachers Will Have To Re-Apply For Their Jobs At HISD Schools Seeking Extended-Year Schedules
Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier is pitching extending the school year to his principals, waiting to see who is going to sign up for the cause. Because the one thing he wants to stress to everyone, he said (taking the pre-emptive action approach) is that it will not be mandatory…
Dinner at Courses
Every few weeks, the Art Institute of Houston holds wine dinners at its student restaurant, Courses. This particular dinner was a tribute to Chef Arue Moore’s daughter, a cancer survivor, and the proceeds went to the American Cancer Society. The place has no more than 10 tables, most of which…
Idol Beat: Your Top 24…Finally
Last night’s American Idol was a transitional episode in more ways than one. Yes, it featured the latest winnowing of contestants as the four judges (and likely some unseen producers) consulted on how best to trim the 71 singers down to 24 semifinalists, 12 men and 12 women. But it…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Carlos Rodriguez of Vic & Anthony’s
As we entered Tilman Fertitta’s venerable mansion, Vic & Anthony’s, we were greeted by his stalwart concept chef, Carlos Rodriquez. He told us about the ins and outs of this dynasty’s crown jewel. Eating Our Words: How long have you been with Vic & Anthony’s? Carlos Rodriguez: Since the very…
American Idol: Your Top 24…Finally
Last night’s American Idol was a transitional episode in more ways than one. Yes, it featured the latest winnowing of contestants as the four judges (and likely some unseen producers) consulted on how best to trim the 71 singers down to 24 semifinalists, 12 men and 12 women. But it…
Aeros Killing Themselves In The Playoff Hunt
The weekend was lined up perfectly for the Houston Aeros. They had three games at home. They were facing one of the worst teams in the AHL on Friday and Saturday, and they were facing a Chicago team that, while one of the best in the division, was playing its…
Artist Of The Week: Dreamy Making The Band Alumnus Patrick Sims
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 sheaserrano@gmail.com. We are not haters, per se; that we…
Stirred and Shaken: The Velvet Melvin’s Grapefruit Delight
If, for the sake of unholy adventure, you want to check out the Diamond Club — once called the Pink Pussycat, it’s the only “cabaret” in the Greenway area — I recommend warming up across the street at the Velvet Melvin Pub (3303 Richmond, 713-522-6798). Here, the tonic water does…
Now the iPhone Has a Non-Vegetarian Friendly Stylus
For a moment, forget our northerly neighbors and their backyard games. Forget slush, forget fog, forget medals, forget that anything else matters but your life and your world (’cause what does, really?). In the face of the latest round of Arctic cold snaps mercilessly pummeling our little slice of heaven,…
Grier Wants the Razor Wire Out of HISD’s Schoolyards
The barbed wire is going down. Along with major initiatives such as a new way to assess teachers and high school credit recovery programs, Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier remains a very busy man, interested in all sorts of district operations, even as he prepares for his first State of…
Fort Bend ISD Pulls Back From The Brink (A Little) With Its Expensive New Science Center
We’ve noted before the Fort Bend school district’s plans to build a very expensive but not overly needed “Science Center” that will take the place of all those labs in individual schools.The price tag is around $24 million, the plans are by an architectural firm that specializes in selling school…
The Ultimate Stuffed Cabbage
My mother made stuffed cabbage; my grandmother made stuffed cabbage. My earliest food memories involve stuffed cabbage (we Ruthenians call it holupki). And as you might expect, I have always preferred stuffed cabbage made exactly the way my mom and grandma made it — beef and rice rolls in cabbage…
Aren’t You Supposed To Be Pretty Mellow Coming Back From Amsterdam?
Robert Wade Prince, 47, is from Alabama. We have a feeling he’s called “Bobby,” if not “Bobby Wade.”He was coming back from Amsterdam when he got a little annoyed with things, and began making a series of seriously bad decisions that ended up with him getting arrested at Bush over…
Texas Traveler: Bolivar Mardi Gras
When Texas Traveler last went to the Bolivar Peninsula, she got a flat tire in the sand, and the small towns of High Island and Crystal Beach were still struggling to rebuild a year after Ike. The flat tire incident was scary — a nail no doubt from one of…
Happy Chinese Mardi Gras New Year, Tiger!
Eat up that king cake, drain those booze bottles. Today is Fat Tuesday, Mardis Gras in French, the last day before Lent. Starting tomorrow, it’s 40 days of atonement and fasting. Which means we need to get rid all of those evil temptations (like sweets, booze and fatty foods) today…
Still Not Sold On SXSW? How About Smokey Robinson, High On Fire, She & Him, Band Of Horses, Drive-By Truckers, Deer Tick, Anya Marina, Black Angels, Major Lazer…
Today the organizers of the SXSW Music Festival announced their showcase schedule for the music portion of the industry fest starting on March 17. This is the news Rocks Off has been looking for, so let’s get it on. We are now one month away from Sixth Street and one…
Your Lucky Break Into The World Of Graphic Novels May Be Here
We’re all about hope and opportunity here at the Houston Press. That’s why we’re looking to give a lucky break to some local frustrated artist out there who sees him- or herself as a graphic novelist.If you can out-Watchmen the Watchmen, if your notebooks are filled with Dark Knight images…
Houston Welcomes Back an Old Friend
Tonight, the dining room at Brennan’s will be filled once again with the happy sounds of clattering plates, clinking wine glasses and content diners after a 17-month rebuilding process. The beloved Houston institution, which first opened in 1967 as a sister restaurant to New Orleans’s famous Commander’s Palace, brought rich…
More On The Billionaire And The Bentley: The Coroner’s Report Is In, The Lawyer Is A Star, And Why Hasn’t Goodman Been Charged?
Some further developments in the case of John Goodman, the billionaire Houston / Palm Beach polo patron who was involved in a fatal Bentley accident last week… The coroner’s report is in on Scott Wilson, the victim in the crash. His death was ruled a drowning. Several reports have it…
My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers: 18 Readings From The Book Of Hag
When Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson take the Verizon stage for tonight’s “Who’s More Grizzled?” grudge match, they’ll bring with them a century of experience as two of the most iconoclastic, poetic voices in popular song, country or any other genre. No disrespect to Kristofferson (four words: “Sunday Morning Comin’…
The Shameless Chef: The Bastard King
No, this isn’t an article about William I of England; today is my 30th Fat Tuesday, and I have yet to sample a Mardi Gras king cake. This will not stand. But I can’t afford to buy one at a bakery (not a good one, anyway), so I’ll do what…
New DVDs This Week: Good Hair by Chris Rock
This is bad hair: that ratty, tatty, tangle of hair that has been relaxed, greased and flattened to within an inch of its life sitting atop the heads of lots of African American women (and some men). Since it won’t do anything even slightly Vanessa Williams-like (no bouncing curls or…
New Braunfels Fights The College Kids With All Their Dang Noise
If there’s one thing that Texans have always prided themselves on, it’s love of Big Government — especially The Man telling you where, and with whom, you can live. Or at least that’s how some folks in New Braunfels see it.Spurred by complaints over noise and parking issues, the NB…
Mardi Gras Mambo: “Krewe de Blue” DJ Clint Broussard’s Favorite Fat Tuesday Jams
It’s Fat Tuesday, which means before you get ashes painted on your forehead tomorrow, you’ll be face-down in the gutter tonight. Rocks Off asked Clint Broussard, DJ for KTRU’s “Blues In Hi-Fi” and tonight’s “Krewe de Blue” Cowboy Mouth pre-party at House of Blues, to give us a few of…
The Basics: Brownies from a Box
How do you screw up brownies from of a box? Trust us, you can. This weekend, we had dry, flavorless caramel brownies that obviously came from a box. They looked delicious until we took our first bite. We immediately regretted our choice, wishing we had grabbed the chocolate candy instead…
Game Time: Shaq And Dwight Howard Battle Over Who Is The Real Fruit Of Jor-El’s Loins
Back when I was a little kid on the mean streets of Austin (Yep, I lived there for two years during my youth) in the mid-`70’s, me and a few of my fellow second-graders would play Star Wars during recess. We would pretend the jungle gym was the Millenium Falcon,…
Post-Valentine’s Day Blues? San Antonio’s Hyperbubble Will Cheer You Up
This is the happiest music in the world. This is the best electronic album to come out of Texas since Asmodeus X’s Morningstar. This is a like a synthpop version of The Wall. This is a really fucking awesome CD. Hyperbubble is a married keyboard/vocalist duo from San Antonio. They…
Thank God Joseph Montross Is A Blithering Idiot
Sure, Joseph Montross is a sick individual — he not only enjoys child pornography, he produces it, and being a sick individual is pretty much a prerequisite for that. But, luckily for the rest of society, Montross is also inutterably stupid.Or maybe we’re judging him too harshly.Let’s say you’re a…
Robb Walsh’s 100 Favorite Houston Dishes, #99: The All-Day Burrito at Cherry Top Bakery on 915 College Ave. South Houston
Over the course of the next few months, I’m counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in the comments…
Unidentified Man, Bayou Body Count No. 43
The Houston police department has let it be known that two anonymous men have been shot. One of the anonymous men was killed, while the other nameless man was only injured.The anonymous victims were standing outside an apartment building at 1323 Witte in west Houston on Saturday night when they…
Bulls On Parade: Our Favorite Songs About Livestock
It’s almost Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo time again. Our annual celebration of sub-par country music and pissed-off bovines stomping poor fools’ nuts in the dirt kicks off March 2 and runs for almost three weeks. During which Houstonians will enjoy traffic-delaying wagon trains and more douchebags in spotless Stetsons…
HISD’s New Hire Leaves Questions Behind In Dallas
The Houston school district announced a major reorganization yesterday, naming three top officials to oversee elementary, middle school and high school education.Two of the three came from out of the district, including David Simmons, who will supervise high school policies.Simmons had been superintendent of the Richardson school district, a Dallas…
New Year’s Dumplings at Dim Sum King
Fresh off celebrating the Lunar New Year at the Chinese Community Center down the road, we headed into Chinatown on Saturday afternoon in search of lunch. True, we could have eaten from the bounty of food stalls serving up fresh fish balls on a stick…if we had remembered to bring…
Mai’s Says It Will Come Back
Photo by Craig HlavatyGood news for the semi-sloshed hordes who will stumble out of clubs this weekend and blindly head to Mai’s, only to find a burned-out hulk: The owners say they will reopen. Or, at least, make “every effort to bring Mai’s Restaurant back as quickly as we can.”…
Magnolia City Mixtape: New Tontons Video, Everyone Loves Summerfest, When Fans Attack, Ugly Haiti Shirts, And Lots More
The Tontons just released a new video for “Leon,” from last year’s self-titled CD. The clip was done by Zenfilm, the same production company that does the Live from SugarHill monthly broadcasts (see a little further down). Look for a cameo by SugarHill’s Gina Miller and her husband Major acting…
Sheriff Touts A Big Reduction In Backlogged Internal-Affairs Investigations
Sheriff Adrian Garcia’s office is announcing that the their man has “shatter[ed]” the backlog of internal-affairs complaints at the department, thus providing “more boots on the ground” to fight evildoers.Soon after taking office last year, Garcia reorganized and combined the two offices that handled complaints against deputies; the streamlining that…
Whiskey Class with Ryan Rouse
In college we knew this guy who was always trying and failing to organize a fundraiser around drinking. He clearly never talked to Cathy Clark, who runs Live It Big, a charity dedicated to helping small nonprofits get off the ground. Many of Clark’s “camps” educate attendees about spirits or…
Ask A Rapper: Big Body Click’s Harole Wayne da Cande Man on… RAPPER SEX TAPES
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place -lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good- so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask…
Memories of Mai’s
As the whole world knows by now, popular Midtown Vietnamese Restaurant Mai’s caught fire yesterday. This Houston institution is so popular, the fire has even gained national coverage outside of the culinary community, which is quite an amazing feat. So why do we mourn Mai’s? Perhaps because it was the…
UH Begins To Look At Renovating Its Football And Basketball Facilities
Lost amidst the news of a tuition increase and the “leave of absence” granted to associate basketball coach Marvin Haralson last week at the University of Houston was some big news coming out of the athletic department. That news was the school’s retaining of Fortune 500 company AECOM to the…
Where Are We Drinking?
Do you think you can tell a place just from its jukebox? We think you should be able to, since the hallmark of any decent bar (by our standards, at least) is the presence of a real jukebox — not one of those sad, neon-accented, Internet-enabled doohickeys that hangs from…
Distant Early Warning: Cannibal Corpse, Coheed & Cambria, Jana Hunter, Jimmy Buffett, Phoenix, Shooter Jennings, etc.
Angels & Airwaves, Say Anything: Tue., May 18. House of Blues. Best Fwends, Balls Deep, Fat Tony: Sat., March 13. Mango’s. Black Congress, Young Mammals, Weird Party: Thu., March 25. Walter’s on Washington. Bleeding Through, Born of Osiris, Sleeping Giant, Oceano: Fri., May 7. Wired Live. Cannibal Corpse, Skeletonwitch, Lecherous…
Pop Rocks: “Fly, Fatass, Fly!”
Before I’m accused of size discrimination, a little source material: If you’ve spent even five second on the internets in the last two days, you’re aware of the escalating hostilities between movie director/”person of size” Kevin Smith and Southwest Airlines. Smith, 39, originally purchased two tickets “as he’s been known…
John Goodman, Bazillionaire Polo Patron, Awaits Possible Charges In Fatal Palm Beach Bentley Wreck
(We’ve updated this story here.)Randall Patterson’s 1998 feature on Houston / Palm Beach polo patron John Goodman ends with the billionaire playboy getting a champagne bath. Right now, Palm Beach police want to know if he also soaked in a little too much booze last Thursday night. That was when…
All-You-Can-Eat Seafood Deal
Baja Seafood and Oyster Bar on Westheimer where Tommy’s Steakhouse used to be is offering a grand opening special: all the oysters, shrimp and fish you can eat for $17. I think I could make a serious dent in the oyster supply at this place. The restaurant is owned by…
With Mai’s Gone, Where Will The Late-Night Crowd Eat After Shows?
[Ed. Note: Musicians and other night owls, we’d love to hear your Mai’s memories… please leave them in the comments.] Today’s devastating fire at Mai’s Restaurant off upper Milam brings an end – a temporary one, we hope – to a beloved late-night institution. For years now, the family-owned Vietnamese…
Good-Bye, Regional HISD Officers: It’s Reorg Time
Houston school superintendent Terry Grier has said he’s been a little baffled by the way the district organizes the top ranks of its bureaucracy by geography.Regional superintendents, he believes, are redundant. So today he’s announced the new way of doing things, with three chief officers handling — districtwide — policies…
Almost, Maine at Stages: Let’s Put on A Show
The Houston production of Almost, Maine now playing on a rented stage at Stages Repertory Theatre has a back story almost as whimsical as the play itself — offering equal measures of love story, pure luck and amazing coincidence. Three of its actors, Kim Tobin, Georgi Silverman and Rick Silverman…
Meat, Cheese, Cupcakes and Sake at 13 Celsius
Late last Tuesday we stopped off at 13 Celsius in Midtown for a glass of wine and a snack. We love the small array of food there — mostly meat and cheese with a few panini. We settled on a glass of Tempranillo and a combination of Manchego, duck rillette…
Update: Pappas to Revisit Goofy Oysters
Pat yourselves on the back, your bitching and moaning has paid off. The ridiculous practive of serving half shell oysters standing upright shoved into a mound of shaved ice is being reevaluated by the Pappas gang. Christina H. Pappas, P.R. Manager of Pappas Restaurants, Inc. emailed me on Friday. She…
Aftermath: The Timeless Two-Tone Of The English Beat And Fishbone
Aftermath’s companion expressed doubt about Sunday night’s English Beat concert at Warehouse Live. He’s a pretty big fan of The Beat, you see, and having listened to their music for more than 20 years but having never seen them live, he was worried the result might be something akin to…
Unidentified Man, Bayou Body Count No. 42
Sometimes it seems like there are so many murders in Houston that no one can keep up. And as the number of killings this year continues to climb, the information gets more and more scant.Case in point:On Sunday night, police say, an unknown number of men kicked down the door…
Happy New Year! Now Go Eat Some Dumplings
This past Saturday, we spent the better part of the afternoon at the Chinese Community Center in Alief, celebrating the Lunar New Year with about 10,000 of our friends. While the Center’s annual festival was filled with spectacles of all shapes and sizes — from a massive, thundering lion dance…
Mix Bag: An Exclusive With Aztek, A Night At The Electric Company And More Mixtapes Galore
Man, what a weekend. We sat down and chopped it up with them Southeast Houston hip-hop veterans Sen and Lil Villain, and Kansas-raised artist Uno. They gave us a rundown of an entirely un-talked about dimension of Houston’s hip-hop history. More on that in Wednesday’s “Behind the Lyrics,” if, and…
Bye-Bye, Mai’s
…and thanks for all the 2 a.m. pho. The popular Vietnamese restaurant, which had been a staple of Midtown dining since 1978, has been mostly destroyed by a fire that started in the rear of the second floor of the building at 3403 Milam early this morning. Although firefighters and…
Baylor Chooses A Sex-Obsessed Pornographer As Its New President
Baylor has ended its search for a new president, and the straitlaced Baptist school has chosen a famous smut peddler.Kenneth Starr, the out-of-control special prosecutor who felt the need to salaciously include every last sordid detail about Bill Clinton’s extra-marital activities, is the new face of Baylor.Baylor doesn’t exactly play…
Burger Break: Pete’s
If you’re ever headed to Kingwood or to Bush airport, it might be worth a round-about drive to Pete’s Burger Place for one solid, two-handed, very balanced hamburger. At 24626 Loop 494 in Porter, just north of Kingwood and 11 miles northeast of Bush airport up U.S. 59, the place…
Aftermath: Balaclavas’ Unsettling LP Release Even Upsets Backroom’s Plumbing
If you were at the Backroom Saturday night and aren’t quite sure what transpired, don’t worry. You aren’t alone. Aftermath is still wrapping her head around the night too. We do know this: Dead Roses played, with our dear friend Ralf Armin on sax. Indian Jewelry’s girls flung their hair…
No Pho-king Way: Bye-Bye Mai’s, At Least For Now
Update: The official HFD release says “Houston Fire Department arson investigators have ruled the cause of a fire at Mai’s Restaurant on Milam due to a cooking fire (wok).” Photos by Craig HlavatyFirefighters continue to battle the blaze at Mai’s, and reports are grim. (In terms of property, at any…
Unidentified Man, Bayou Body Count No. 41
Another body was found. There is not much info, just a few bare facts and loads of questions.On Saturday afternoon, a couple of guys were driving along the 100 block of Gulf Bank, just north of Highland Heights, when they spotted a man lying in a yard.Harris County deputies say…
Turning The Screw: New Hollywood F.L.O.S.S. Track, Mixtapes Galore, Kid Cudi, LeBron, Diddy, Weezy, Sade, Pink 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: Wire To Wire Slim Thug released that Welcome 2 Texas mixtape. Download it. And here’s a downloadable link to…
Odd Pair: Venison Jerky and Pinot Noir
We love deer hunting season – venison sausage, venison chili and venison jerky. Everything just tastes better with venison. Yes, we know there are people out there cursing our name for promoting the hunting of Bambi. But we can’t help it. And in honor of our obsession, this week’s Odd…
Texas Companies Selling “Discount Medical Plans” Can’t Understand Why They Keep Getting Sued
Until Obamacare is passed and we have Death Panels deciding our fate, many folks are left on their own to find affordable insurance, or an insurance-like product. The latter comes in the form of “discount medical plans,” which — surely through no fault of the companies themselves — often wind…
Mai’s — The Photos (Updated)
Photos by Craig HlavatyHouston fire officials say no one was hurt in the fire at Mai’s, but there does seem to be extensive damage. A busboy told Hair Balls that the fire “started in the back” but everyone was able to quickly evacuate the building. The damage seems most severe…
It’s True: Flaming Lips Headlining Summerfest In First Houston Show In 8 Years
In case you hadn’t already heard (like on our Twitter feed), the Flaming Lips are this year’s headliner for Free Press Summerfest, the Oklahoma psych-rockers’ first Houston appearance since their joint tour with Beck stopped at Jones Hall back in 2002. The Free Press’ Omar Afra and Pegstar’s Jagi Katial…
Mai’s Is Burning, Badly
Photo by Craig HlavatyMai’s restaurant, the well-loved place on Milam near Alabama, is burning pretty badly.Kelly Graml, an attorney who has an office across the street, tells Hair Balls: “It’s totally burning down. There are five — no, six — fire trucks here, including one with a ladder, and about…
Robb Walsh’s 100 Favorite Houston Dishes: #100
Over the course of the next few months, I’m counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others because of their cultural or historical significance and others just because they are so damn tasty. # 100. Green chile chicken kebabs…
Aftermath: Snoop Dogg Smokes Out House Of Blues
Snoop Dogg is one of a handful of artists who have carte blanche when it comes to drug use, if you still wanna call the green business “drugs” in the sense that heroin or crack cocaine are drugs. Keith Richards can still rep coke when he wants to, but that’s…
You’ll Pry My Crafts From My Cold, Dead Hands
Our pals at The Bayou have been sent this heartwarming display of what a Texas Wal-Mart considers “crafts.” The reader who took it didn’t specify where in Texas it was taken…..Is there a Wal-Mart in River Oaks? We don’t see Martha Stewart Living or Scrapbook Monthly here, but they probably…
Coogs’ Kelvin Lewis Helps Rip The Mustangs
The Cougars shot only 32.2 percent from the field on Saturday afternoon while the SMU Mustangs shot 38.2 percent. Usually when the Cougars shooting percentage has been this bad this season, they have lost. But they got the 66-60 win on Saturday because the Cougars did have an incredible night…
Aftermath: Gold Sounds Top a Four-Band Texas Variety Pack at Walter’s
While we’re sure that some people feel that Aftermath engages in a bit of hagiography regarding the music of our fair city, we find it mildly difficult not to regularly and frequently express our love for the many excellent artists who call Houston home. We might lament how our scene…
Recipe: Fritas
Last week we asked our Mamacita Cubana what she would like to eat, stipulating that it could not be something we had eaten before – we wanted a culinary adventure. She said she wanted a frita. We asked her, “Fried what?” She set us straight that a frita is like…
Southwest Airlines Picks On The Wrong Fat Guy
Southwest Airlines, the pride of Texas, has picked on the wrong fat guy.Kevin Smith, the director of Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, was tossed off a Southwest plane this weekend in Oakland because he was deemed a safety risk because of his weight.Like any modern person, he…
Aftermath: Texas Johnny Brown, Marcia Ball And An iFest Preview
After Friday’s benefit for the Houston International Festival’s education programs, Aftermath can understand why, in all the recent reminiscing about Rockefeller’s we’ve been doing on Rocks Off, no one has ever had a bad word to say about the place. Never having set foot in the place before, it was…
The Week In TV: Sharktopus!
I’m not sure what the medal count is, I’m definitely ready for spring, and I look good in an elegant ladies’ pantsuit. This was the week in TV Land: • In 2006, I watched the final four episodes of Arrested Development as they aired on Fox opposite the opening ceremonies…
Where Are We Eating?
A restaurant that serves you a plate of traditionally Mexican chicharrones alongside the more Tex-Mex accompaniments of rice and refried beans…all in a styrofoam container. (No, this was not a to-go order.) Can you figure out where we’re eating this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
Where Are We (Fine Arts Types) Peeing?
Never underestimate the creative power of the drunken masses. Clearly, someone was moved after a trip to Houston’s fine arts museum, and found inspiration in the mundane. Who else would turn the vent in a paper towel dispenser into a butt crack?…
Happy New Year!
What’s that? New Year’s has already passed? Not if you’re from China, Japan, Vietnam or a number of other countries that celebrate the new year based on the lunar calendar. And to celebrate the passing of the old year, the Chinese Community Center held its annual Lunar New Year Festival…
Back To The Future: Ska Selecters Who Beat The English Beat
This Sunday, Valentine’s Day if you nasty, Warehouse Live gets a two-tone shot of ska history when the English Beat and Fishbone hit the stage. The two bands tour together quite a bit and have become the sort of elder ambassadors of the genre while bands like the Specials mull…
It’s So Percussion… Our 5 Favorite Unconventional Drumbeats
Buy a five-year-old a fancy toy drum kit and the odds are you’ve wasted your money. But give that kid an empty 2-liter bottle, an overturned cooking pot and a wooden spoon, an oatmeal canister filled with dry beans or a set of car keys and that kid’ll probably be…
Go Speed Racer Go!! (Just Not This Weekend)
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has announced a crackdown on street racing this weekend.They’re not saying exactly what they’ll be doing (“tactics will not be disclosed at this time”), but the HCSO will be teaming with the Precinct 5 Constables office (and DPS), so that should give you some idea…
This Week in Deliciousness
Hello, and welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we were considering being cremated upon death, but now we think we’d rather just lay down some grill marks and stay pink in the middle. We started the week off well with Robb Walsh’s organic dirt…
The Moral Ambiguity of Killing Kasztner
Documentary filmmaker Gaylen Ross’s new film Killing Kasztner: The Jew Who Dealt with Nazis hits the screen at Houston’s Angelika Theater today. If you don’t know the name Rudolf Kasztner, you aren’t alone. Although the Hungarian journalist and lawyer saved more than 1,600 Jews during WWII, he never received the…
Listology: Gold Sounds’ Top 5 Seismic Love Songs for Valentine’s Day
This weekend, starting tonight with a gig at Walter’s On Washington and tomorrow afternoon’s 3 p.m. in-store set Cactus Music, Houston’s Gold Sounds begins properly unfurling long-gestating LP, Seismic Love. It’s fitting that the album gets it’s proper debut over Valentine’s weekend, seeing that it will make you fall in…
Openings and Closings
According to My Table, Philippe Schmit has finally inked a deal for his new restaurant’s new digs…outside Loop 610. You’ll remember that Schmit himself had originally said he’d be moving to an inner loop location and would aim to be open in August. Instead, he’s signed a lease in the…
If You’re Online, You Can Be In Vancouver, Too
The unbridled passion. The raw emotion. The shattered dreams. The unlikely victory despite injury. The unexpected heroes. The unexplained delays in award ceremonies and ensuing bitchy commentary. The desperate tears shed after tragic, untimely crashes during downhill practice runs. The attempted — and successfully landed! — triple salchows, peppered with…
Chinese New Year: The Year of the Tiger
This Saturday, February 13, marks the Chinese New Year’s Eve. Valentine’s Day will usher in the Year of the Tiger, whose zodiac symbol is marked by a fondness for bread and poultry (turkey sandwiches, anyone?). Although the most traditional way to spend Chinese New Year’s Eve is by cleaning your…
Roots-Rocker Chuck Prophet Heads Under the Volcano For St. Patrick’s Day
Chuck Prophet won’t be skipping Houston on his upcoming tour as he makes his way toward Austin and South By Southwest. Under the Volcano announced yesterday that Prophet will play there Wednesday, March 17. The Bissonnet bar has been having music on Wednesday nights for a little over two years…
Valentine’s Day Dining: Good Luck
Although we have attempted to convince you otherwise (just like with New Year’s Eve), some of you foolhardy souls are going to splash out on Valentine’s Day dinners regardless of any advice we give you. We applaud your valor (but not your apparent determination to brave the crowds) and present…
Dems’ Farouk Shami Tries To Out-Nut GOP’s Debra Medina
The gubernatorial primaries in Texas have featured one outrageous statement after other — Texas should secede, 9/11 was an inside job, Kay Bailey Hutchison knew what she was getting into — but we have a new contender for top prize.Democratic candidate Farouk Shami met with the Houston Chronicle editorial board…
David Dow, Of UH And Death Row, Gets Some Book-Selling Help From The New York Times
For years, UH professor David Dow has been Houston’s most famous advocate against the death penalty. He’s the go-to guy for quotes, and the mere mention of his name tends to rile up those who support lethal injunction (and any other method the government uses for killing convicts).He’s written a…
Sexual Napalm: Ill-Advised Rock-Star Hookups, Starring Our Boy John Mayer
John Mayer: He is just fantastic. In a disastrous Playboy interview, Mayer opened up about many things. For example, we discovered that, although some white comedians have successfully worked the “N” word into their jokes, Mayer is not one of them. Thanks to a monster bomb featuring the notorious slur,…
Molto Barrio Beet Green and Potato Soup
The garden squad was thinning the beet patch at the Last Organic Outpost’s Emile Street Garden over in the Fifth Ward the other day. The beets were tiny on the thinned out plants, but the greens were great. I ended up with a bag full. Beet greens sautéed with garlic…
OMG!!!111!!1! Zac Efron Loves Us!!1!!! Totes!1!!
Breathes there a hotter man alive on the face of this earth — nay, in this solar system — than Zac Efron?And before you fans pile on us, we’d take the category to “the entire extent of the galaxy,” but we just don’t know what the stars of Zebon-17’s version…
SXSW Update: Anybody Remember The Zeros? Lemmy, Maybe?
Have you ever been to a party or bar with about 30 or so acquaintances that you all know to some degree or another? You want to try to talk to all of them, or at least hug and say hello. But you can’t because the party just gets louder…
Game Time: Realignment’s “Seven Year Itch” Sending Longhorns Up North?
Well, it’s about to happen again. Collegiate athletics are getting that “seven year itch,” more specifically college football, which let’s face it, is the petroleum that makes the whole athletics engine go. For it was in 2003 that the last real salvo of college football realignment was fired when the…
Scavenger Hunt: Summerfest Lineup Announced At This Houston Landmark 3 p.m. Sunday
If you’re following Rocks Off on Twitter (which you should), don’t bother guessing since we let that horse out of the barn a little earlier today. If not, here’s a clue: It’s where an heiress’ treasure meets the Heart of Dixie. And here’s one more hint straight from Summerfest organizers…
Salt and Pepper Chocolate at Central Market
I tried some of the chile pepper chocolates from Central Market yesterday. The Spicy Maya bar is made by Chuao Chocolatier in San Diego. The label said it was infused with pasilla, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. It was the hottest of the chile pepper chocolates I tried, but a lot…
Sorry, Houston Lawyers: The New U.S. Attorney Is From Laredo
The new U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas has just been announced, and it’s not a Houstonian.Jose Angel Moreno, a 53-year-old ex-Marine from Laredo, has been nominated to fill the important post.”There can be no greater honor nor privilege for a career prosecutor than to serve as the…
Wine Glasses Galore
In less than two days, Valentine’s will be here. Hopefully, you’ve bought the wine and possibly the champagne. (We’re keeping our fingers crossed that you’ve stayed away from the White Zinfandel.) But, what is the best way to drink wine? Straight out of the bottle is not the right answer…
The Hot Seat: Lee-Coc, Richmond Revolutionary
Every Friday, Rocks Off will beam hip-hop artists into our demented, imaginary, incredibly witty, fantasy world of pretend scenarios. We predict it’ll soon be known as a feared interrogation of hip-hop artists, revealing their most-inner thoughts and desires. In reality, it’s just a fucking cool Q&A. Some people take the…
Club’s Landlord Blamed In Lawsuit For Gang Killing
If a bunch of dudes get in a fight outside of a night club and one them kills another, is it the fault of the bar’s landlord?That’s essentially the question at hand in a lawsuit filed in Harris County District Court, claiming that poor security at the Kahlua Disco club…
Would You See A Band Called The Snatch Wranglers? Saturday’s Your Chance…
Cinncinnati seems like an odd place for a band that patterns its schtick on Hank Jr.’s redneck asshole-ism, but that is exactly where Dallas Moore and the Snatch Wranglers are based. They’re touring Texas right now, and will be on Austin Fox affiliate KTBC’s morning news next week. It should…
“Free Brusty,” Aeros Fans Cry
It’s safe to say that this season has probably not gone as Houston Aeros goalie Barry Brust intended for it to go back in September. Brust, who split the number-one goalkeeper duties with Nolan Schaefer for the Aeros the past two seasons, has undergone a season derailed by injuries and…
Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter
When I wrote about radishes and butter for breakfast recently, a reader called Rad commented “aficionados of this dish are REAL particular about the butter, tending to favor high milkfat butter like Plugra.” It doesn’t take much to convince me to go buy some expensive butter. I used to buy…
Historic (For Houston) Immanuel Lutheran Church Is Preserved
Sure, it’s younger than Angie Dickinson, but the Immanuel Lutheran Church at 15th and Cortlandt in the Heights is still historic. (So’s Angie, to Police Woman and Rat Pack fans.)”The building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a wonderful example of early 20th century Gothic…
Five Spot: Texas All-Star Weekend, Movie Critic Killa Kyleon, Scarface Tweets?
Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we’ll examine a recent bit of music news and, albeit sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. It’s five videos and occasional cussing. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. A few things to mention this busy week from our handy-dandy notebook: First,…
HISD Rejects Another New Source of Revenue, For Now
Is the Houston ISD Police Department about to expand its drug interdiction efforts to include the seizure of teachers’ and students’ cars and trucks? No, HISD has no plans for that, a laughing district spokesman Norm Uhl said this morning. Last night the board approved two measures: an HISD officer…
$13 at Kanomwan
Where: Kanomwan Restaurant, 736 1/2 Telephone Rd., 713-923-4236 What $13 gets you: A nice spicy green curry and some killer egg rolls. After a few moments perusing the menu, we decided on the green chicken curry ($8) and some egg rolls ($2). We almost went for some of the soups,…
Amid Boos, HISD Trustees Adopt New Way to Fire a Teacher
The Boo Birds played the Houston ISD Administration Building last night and it was a standing room only crowd.The school board — well, seven of them (trustees Manuel Rodriguez and Carol Mims Galloway weren’t there) — stood behind their earlier vote and went 7-0 in a final vote on the…
Aftermath: How Many Bodies Washed Up At Our Washington Shore Party?
Well… zero, in traditional New Jersey cement-shoes terminology. But despite the miserable weather, which did its part to create a proper Jersey Shore atmosphere, Rocks Off’s Washington Shore party filled the Washington Avenue Drinkery Thursday night. Some people came sporting their best guido gear, others wondered exactly what the hell…
The Office: Will the Documentary Aspect Ever Be Addressed?
Maybe this is just the pattern for The Office: alternate the stronger and weaker episodes. Last week’s “Sabre” was an unfunny slugfest that dared you to remember why you cared about these people, but last night’s “Manager and Salesman” was a chance to enjoy the characters in their natural setting,…
Five Great Examples Of Scorsese Using Rock Music, And A Chance to Win Free Shutter Island Passes
Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island opens next week — check at the end of this item for a chance to win preview passes — and the question is, what’s the soundtrack gonna be?If there’s one guy who knows how to blend classic rock into a movie, it’s Scorsese. Shutter Island, of…
Long Sing Market’s “Rice Box”
Our friends have been patronizing the Long Sing Market at Walker and St. Emanuel for years now, calling it the perfect lunch on a college budget, not to mention some of the best Asian barbecue in a city full of cultural delights. We frequent the place too and recently got…
What’s In a Name? Punk Rock Spirit Animals This Year’s Tiger
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off, we’re trying hard to decode Houston’s oddest monikers in order to find a little meaning. Music is inherently the search for meaning in the meaningless. It’s an attempt to establish rhythm and pattern in…
The Urban Dictionary, It Ain’t What It Used To Be
There was a time not so many years ago when we would immediately turn to the Urban Dictionary when we wanted to find out what, say, a Cleveland Steamer was, or maybe the definition of a Hot Karl (the two are not entirely unrelated). Practices we did not engage in,…
Recipe: Cucumber Raita
We are big fans of Indian food. On a recent night out, we started off slowly with milder dishes like chicken tikka masala and saag paneer, then slowly moved up to the slightly more spicy navratan korma before finally ordering that shrimp curry the waiter had warned us against (he…
Public Denied The Chance To See The $400 Million Quartet
You probably didn’t notice, but Democratic gubernatorial candidates Bill White and Farouk Shami debated Monday.It was a snoresville of an event, but now we know why: Organizers turned down the chance to hear $400 million worth of political charisma.Who could be worth that much money for a political debate? Some…
Oh MY! Pocket Pies in EaDo
Oh MY! Pocket Pies, the mobile fried pocket pie truck, has posted up in the Kim Hung Mall parking lot on St. Emanuel St., very close to Warehouse Live. The day we visited, the weather was windy and cool, and we were craving a snack. This neighborhood has really picked…
International Chocolate Spy
Phoenicia Supermarket on Westheimer and West Houston Center Road has a nice selection of inexpensive imported chocolates on hand for Valentine’s Day. Belgian chocolates are available individually for 65 cents each or $16 a pound. There are several gift boxes you can choose from. There are also several choices of…
Winner, Winner, Turkey Dinner!
We have more than just concert tickets and t-shirts to give away at tonight’s Washington Shore party — giving you even more reason to come out and drink with us. For each drink you purchase at the party tonight, you’ll get a raffle ticket from your friendly Washington Avenue Drinkery…
Whatchoo Gonna Do When They Come…To Houston?
Houston cops and sheriff’s deputies will be the stars in this Saturday’s episode of Cops; this means, of course, that — unknown to us — original episodes of Cops are still being made, we guess.We just assumed they were in endless rerun status, but then again one Cops show is…
He Said She Said: The Sweet, Sweet Sounds of Revenge, Part 2
For someone who wears motorcycle boots and carries a knife, the bald(ing) He Said rightfully looks like he should be one of the most vindictive cats in the world. But in reality, the only revenge we have ever taken has been of the emotional variety, and that’s probably much worse…
Game Time: For Sale — NBA Two Guard, 30 Y/O, Excellent Condition, Trades Accepted
First, I want to thank everyone for their reaction, positive or otherwise, to my post yesterday which chronicled the high points of the era of Tracy McGrady’s Expiring Contract I seem to learn something with every new post that I generate here on Hair Balls, and yesterday I learned that…
Health Dept. Roundup: 77011 to 77020
We’re back to our systematic ways here at Health Dept. round-up, this week tackling zip codes 77011 to 77020. Most remarkable in this bunch was a February 5 inspection triggered by a complaint at Shipley Donuts (3410 Ella Blvd., in 77018). The establishment was cited for not filling or closing…
Dave Wrangler Is Under The Influence… Before Our Washington Shore Party
Rocks Off mentioned this right after Houston’s main man on the mash-ups, Dave Wrangler, agreed to DJ tonight’s Washington Shore party (8 p.m., rain or shine) at the Washington Avenue Drinkery, but it’s worth repeating. Wrangler’s got a new 18-track collection of mix-n-match music, Under the Influence, featuring everyone from…
Houston 101: The Election Of 1838: Doom For Houston As Capital Of Texas, Death For Two Candidates
The Texas Presidential Election of 1838 was likely unique in the history of democracy, if for no other reason than its body count.At the time, there were two political parties in Texas — Houstonites, and anti-Houstonites. The former favored annexation to the United States, relatively gentle treatment of the Indians,…
Goofy Oysters at Papadeaux
I was on my way to go shopping at Phoenicia Supermarket yesterday when sleet starting hitting my windshield. The winter weather gave me a sudden craving for oysters. There’s only a month or so left of peak cold-weather oyster season. I haven’t eaten nearly enough oysters this season. So I…
He Said She Said: The Sweet, Sweet Sounds of Revenge
“A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.” – Sir Francis Bacon She Said has never been one for revenge, preferring to believe (at least), that people make their own beds. But if she was the vengeful type, she’d seek it…
Bad Day On The Political Trail: When Glenn Beck Sounds Saner Than You
(Updated with Perry reaction)How do you know you’re having a bad, momentum-killing day on the campaign trail?When you’re forced to put out an official statement saying No, I don’t believe 9/11 was an inside job.Debra Medina, who had been surging recently in polls of the GOP gubernatorial primary (at least…
A Valentine’s Day Sure Thing
Let’s face it; you want to get lucky this Valentine’s Day. Well, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but chocolate isn’t going to get you there. Neither are oysters, caviar or champagne. We know all the men out there have their heads in their hands, groaning, “Great,…
Ronnie Medina-Giron, 21, Bayou Body Count No. 40
Houston police sketch artists have been hard at work putting together a drawing of someone suspected of gunning down a man outside a bar for no real reason at all.The manhunt is now afoot.Police say that a short Hispanic man in his late teens or early 20s got into tiff…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: A Domino King And A Song About A Big Ol’ Bear
Stevie Newman of the Domino Kings is one of the shredding-est guitarists Lonesome, Onry and Mean has ever seen. Newman plays and sings honky tonk like it’s in his DNA, and he can rock with the best. When he covers Link Wray, Link Wray stays covered. Newman grew up in…
The 10 Essential Kitchen Gadgets
Whether you’re stocking a kitchen for the first time (finally kicking your grown kid out of the house? good for you!) or simply taking stock of what you already have, we’ve put together a list of the 10 essential gadgets that no kitchen should lack. While most of the 100…
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates, As Done In State Rep. District 146: Borris Miles Pees On Air
The rematch of the political year is taking place in State Rep. District 146, where Al Edwards and Borris Miles are going at it yet again.Edwards was the longtime rep for the district until Miles beat him in 2006; Edwards took the seat back after one term, helped by Miles’…
Five Bad Valentine Day’s Gifts That Guys Who Listen To Sports-Talk Radio Will Probably Buy
We know nothing about getting good gifts for women, as our wife would testify. So Valentine’s Day sucks. (in our case, it’s followed by the gift-dilemma of a wedding anniversary four days later. Our wife has long grown used to disappointment, which she hides well.)One thing we do know, though:…
Willie Nelson’s Heir Apparent? It’s Tha D-O-Double-G, Ya See
Remember in the The Santa Clause, when the real Santa dies and Tim Allen’s character has to assume his role out through the miracle of Hollywood plotting? Rocks Off imagines that once Willie Nelson shuffles off this mortal coil – assuming the Red Headed Stranger isn’t immortal; honestly, we’re not…
Cops Cockblock Area Man
In the wee hours of a Saturday morning late last month, police in the Liberty County town of Dayton were patrolling State Highway 146 when they encountered what must have looked like a a streak of metallic gray lightning. They claim to have clocked a silver, late-model, Mercedes coupe at…
Thai Bistro’s Basil Inferno
Thai Bistro and their expansion to West Houston is the subject of this week’s Café review. I tried the popular “Basil Inferno” entrée at the original location in the shopping center at Southwest Freeway just west of Buffalo Speedway last week. The dish can be ordered with shrimp, chicken or…
The H-Town Countdown: Clearing the Table and Tying Up Loose Ends
Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. We’re counting down the 25 best of all time every Thursday. Or we were. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Well, it’s over. We stretched it out just about as…
UH’s Tom Penders, Maybe On The Way Out The Door
Photo courtesy UH(Updated with Haralson’s status.)The Tom Penders radio show has the potential to be rather interesting tonight. Interesting not so much because of the basketball team, but because of the rumors and turmoil currently swirling around the team, primarily those rumors surrounding the coaching staff.The known facts are this…
Lunch in Bombay?
Not quite, but we made a trip to Bombay Pizza Co. (914 Main St.) the other day excited about trying Indian pizza. There was a bustling lunch crowd. But the pizza selection wasn’t what we expected — pepperoni, supreme and veggie, these pizzas by the slice seemed standard. We grabbed…
Aftermath: Flogging Molly’s Celtic-Punk Puppet Show at House of Blues
Aftermath tuned up for Flogging Molly Wednesday night with a Jameson on the rocks and Steve Earle’s “The Galway Girl” on our iPod. One of those should be obvious. As for the other, we needed the whiskey because it was kind of a long day at the office. A few…
American Idol: Hell Hollywood Week Continues
“Welcome back to Hell Week,” Ryan Seacrest intoned at the top of last night’s American Idol. It’s pretty ballsy for a singing competition show to compare itself to SEAL training, since I’m pretty sure none of these kids will be carrying logs or dealing with being drowned. But that’s just…
The “Other” Candidate In Congressional District 18
The Houston Press will be interviewing each of the main contenders in the 18th Congressional District race. First up: Sean Roberts. One of the few local Congressional primary races generating excitement this election season is the 18th Congressional District race. The incumbent, Sheila Jackson Lee, seems to have a polarizing…
Idol Beat: Hell Hollywood Week Continues
“Welcome back to Hell Week,” Ryan Seacrest intoned at the top of last night’s American Idol. It’s pretty ballsy for a singing competition show to compare itself to SEAL training, since I’m pretty sure none of these kids will be carrying logs or dealing with being drowned. But that’s just…
Recipe: Homemade Mayo
The first time we made our own mayo, it was because we actually ran out of the stuff in the jar (we won’t admit we were too lazy to go to the store). We had almost talked ourselves into forgoing mayo on our sandwich when we remembered hearing that it…
Pop Rocks: More Like Hannah “Tetons,” Am I Right?
Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit Issue hit newsstands this week. The cover features model Brooklyn Decker, also known as “Mrs. Andy Roddick.” That’s far from the only athlete connection in this year’s issue, however, as several U.S. Olympians (skiers Lindsey Vonn and Lacy Schnoor and snowboarders Hannah Teter and Clair Bidez)…
STOMP
Back in the early ’90s, a UK street band named Pookiesnackenburger hooked up with a theater group called Cliff Hanger, and the results of this artistic marriage are the stuff of theatrical legend. They created STOMP, a hugely popular and award-winning traveling performance group that’s been going strong for almost…
Second Sundays
Spend your Valentine’s Day with Calla Doll and Hollywood Roadkill at this edition of Freneticore’s Second Sundays. Houston’s best burlesque performers, both of the classic and gothic persuasion, regularly perform for the monthly showcase. But since this is Valentine’s Day, there are a few surprises planned. Expect lots of near-nudity…
Amiri Baraka
Born Everett LeRoi Jones, Amiri Baraka is one of America’s most influential civil rights advocates, but his work as a publisher, poet and playwright is equally impressive. After a stint at Howard University, Baraka landed in New York City, where he founded Totem Press, which went on to publish work…
Bill Minutaglio: Molly Ivins: A Rebel Life
Molly Ivins’s public persona is well known in every corner of Texas. She was born into a moneyed Houston family, carved out a successful career as a journalist and author and eventually became friends with the most powerful and famous people in America. Her private life is much less well…
Artists for Haiti Benefit
Like millions of people, local artist Katherine Houston watched television news coverage of the recent disaster in Haiti. She saw medical personnel and rescue workers rushing to the island to offer assistance. “It made me wonder what I could do to help,” she said via press materials. “It just made…
“An American Season”
With its expansive, five-part spring exhibition “An American Season,” featuring the works of beloved artists Maurice Prendergast, John Singer Sargent, Alice Neel and Charles M. Russell, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston should satisfy anyone with even a passing interest in the fine arts. But one exhibition in particular, “Sargent…
Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!
Time for a reader limerick challenge: Both Peter and Carl K agree / That Houston’s a good place to be / To eat barbecue/And welcome a few / Groupies of ____________. If you guessed Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, you’re right. The National Public Radio news quiz show is headed our…
It’s Alive!
Amateurs go paintbrush to paintbrush with local professionals at Boo Town’s It’s Alive! Organizers call the event an evening of “artsy-fartsy activities for grown-ups.” Working artists will staff booths, ready to demonstrate techniques and to assist visitors as they take a turn at creating artwork. Later in the evening, organizers…
It’s Not You; It’s Me
Staying home and brooding on Valentine’s Day usually backfires, often in the form of ice cream overdoses and accidentally watching an abundance of Hugh Grant films. An antidote: It’s Not You; It’s Me, a screening of short films at Block 7 Wine Company, hosted by Aurora Picture Show, all of…
A Double Bill of Murder and Alienation in the Face of New Technology: Machinal and A Number
The current Main Street Theater production has an especially long name: A Double Bill of Murder and Alienation in the Face of New Technology: Machinal and A Number. The murder half of the evening is fulfilled with Machinal, which playwright Sophie Treadwell based on the 1927 trial and eventual execution…
Tapas on the Trails — A Valentine’s Evening at the Arboretum
Are you in love with a nature nut? Then Tapas on the Trails — A Valentine’s Evening at the Arboretum is the place to be this weekend. Skilled chef Adam Paul has created a special menu of tapas and wine for the occasion. Tables are set out along the Arboretum’s…
“Pop Legends: Charles Fazzino and Michael Godard”
Art lovers have only until February 21 to see the almost 100 pieces in the “Pop Legends: Charles Fazzino and Michael Godard” exhibit. Fazzino, an extremely popular 3-D artist, and Godard, one of the best selling artists in America, will be in attendance for two closing receptions (6 to 8…
F*ck Love, Let’s Party: An Anti-Love Celebration
Mock violence, fried Twinkies and your mother are three things you would not normally associate with Valentine’s Day. But at F*ck Love, Let’s Party: An Anti-Love Celebration, presented by performance group FrenetiCore, they’re on the menu, as you can play ultraviolent videogames, shoot photos of your ex, eat breakup food…
Pomegranate Film Festival
If you’re interested in the younger generation and what fires their synapses into overdrive, go to the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, where the Pomegranate Film Festival will let you in on just what they’re thinking. Why? Because the movies have been hand-picked by the motivated teens of CAMH’s own Teen…
Romeo & Juliet
It’s a Valentine’s Day experience that’s the opposite of eating stale chocolate: In a reprise of what the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater calls “the ultimate performing arts mash-up,” the company combines dance, opera and Baroque music to create an utterly unique production of Shakespeare’s most beloved drama, Romeo & Juliet…
Clizia
Audiences will have to imagine the legendary beauty of Clizia; the object of desire for both Nicomaco and his son Cleandro, she’s never seen onstage. Written by Niccol˜ Machiavelli (yes, that Machiavelli), Clizia is rarely performed despite its being riotously funny. That makes it perfect for the Classical Theatre Company’s…
Lunar New Year Wonder Week
It’s the year of the tiger, and the Children’s Museum of Houston is celebrating with Lunar New Year WonderWeek. The fun starts today with an authentic Lion Dance. Other activities include making dragon puppets and folded paper bracelets in traditional Chinese colors, and learning about fireworks at the museum’s Science…
Anansi the Spider and the Middle Passage
In the play Anansi the Spider and the Middle Passage, Shontay, a young African girl kidnapped by slave traders and captive on a ship to America, has little to comfort her as she makes the treacherous journey. Shontay’s mother distracts her by telling her African legends about Anansi the trickster…
“Maurizio Cattelan”
Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan tweaks reality in smart, occasionally grotesque ways, constructing send-ups of religion, politics and art itself with little regard for politeness. His better-known work includes a 2004 Milan installation that featured three realistic sculptures of children dangling wide-eyed from nooses tied to a tree branch in a…
Alex Berenson: The Midnight House
The still unsolved murder of Benazir Bhutto, America’s troubled relationship with Pakistan and Pakistan’s link with terrorists – these all factor into Alex Berenson’s newest thriller, The Midnight House. The story starts when a CIA operative and a former Army Ranger, both members of a ten-man team that operated the…
An Evening with Erin Chase
Didn’t get any stimulus money? Check out An Evening with Erin Chase, when the author will discuss and sign her book The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook. You may have seen Chase on The Rachael Ray Show or heard her on Oprah Sirius Radio. The founder of 5dollardinners.com, Chase began developing…
“Perspectives 169: Odili Donald Odita”
Nigerian-born, Philadelphia-based artist Odili Donald Odita is a professor of painting at Temple University, so his insights are tinged by professional distance. His dynamic, abstract style – jagged and punctured – gives his canvasses a look of colorful static, yet his paintings are playful in their decorative patterns. His unique…
The Eyes of Me
“I still see, just not with my eyes,” says teenage Meagan, one of four students at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired highlighted by director Keith Maitland in his revealing documentary The Eyes of Me. What we soon realize is that teens will be teens, sighted or…
Reservoir Dogs
It’s a rainbow of bad guys in Quentin Tarantino’s debut film Reservoir Dogs. A robbery goes bad, and the players – old-timer Mr. White (Harvey Keitel), newcomer Mr. Orange (Tim Roth), complainer Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi), psychopath Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) and the not-always-so-nice Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn) -…
John Ross
John Ross, journalist and author of the recently released El Monstruo: Dread and Redemption in Mexico City, has lived in the old colonial quarter of Mexico’s capital for 30 years, reporting on the people and politics of the region for such publications as the San Francisco Bay Guardian, The Nation…
Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
Junie B. Jones has a little brother, and he’s…well…he’s a monkey. At least that’s what Junie thinks in the musical Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. She’s offered her friends Lucille and That Grace the chance to get the first peek at him Ñ for a small fee,…
Shakespeare in Love Feast
Eat your way to ecstasy during the Shakespeare in Love Feast. Viewers will enjoy a four-course meal, complete with wine pairings, while Joseph Fiennes plays William Shakespeare to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Viola De Lesseps. He’s a playwright working on a comedy called Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter, and she’s a…
3rd Houston Brazilian Carnaval
It’s samba, samba, samba at the 3rd Houston Brazilian Carnaval. Singer Katia Moraes, winner of an International Brazilian Press award, headlines the show while dancers wearing beads, feathers and sequins (and very little else); percussionists; DJs; and Capoeira artists also take their turns onstage. A live video feed of Brazil’s…
“The Art of Love”
Pick up an unexpected sort of gift for your beloved on Valentine’s Day during Betz Gallery’s “The Art of Love” exhibit. The show features the work of Jonatan Lopez, well known for his lacey metal sculptures, many of them 3-D hearts and flowers (perfect for V-Day). Also participating is Julie…
Maureen McLane
Maureen McLane has all the credentials any writer could want. She was educated at Harvard, Oxford and the University of Chicago. She’s written three books of poetry (This Carrying Life in 2005, Same Life in 2008 and World Enough in 2010). She had articles appear in The New York Times,…
Jim Gaffigan
Comedian Jim Gaffigan can talk for hours about food, but don’t eat anything yourself while he’s at it. His takes on cakes, pies, vegetables and fruit are hilarious enough to make milk stream out of your nose. The pale humorist has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, The…
Princess Day at the Houston Zoo
It’s strictly BYOT – Bring Your Own Tiara – for the young girls participating in the Houston Zoo’s Princess Day. In between enjoying finger sandwiches, cookies and punch, visiting princesses will see frogs (actually endangered Houston toads) and meet the zoo staffers who care for them. Everyone gets a chance…
Wondering about Wonderland
Wondering about Wonderland Online readers comment on “Enter at Your Own Risk,” by D.L. Groover, January 28: Not a fan: Wonderland was an overblown, horribly written, boring piece of crap. All the characters are bare-bone, empty vessels whose only purpose is to introduce the audience to the next garish set…
See Dick Run
Vice President Richard Bruce “Dick” Cheney liked to have the temperature set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. He requested “Diet Caffeine Free Sprite.” He wanted decaf coffee brewed and waiting for him in his hotel room. He needed every television set turned to Fox News. We know about Cheney’s personal preferences…
Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson
Country music aficionados should find themselves somewhere near heaven when legendary figures Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson take the stage — together — Tuesday night. These two larger-than-life figures, both north of 70 years old, have authored a truly amazing portfolio of songs that have become part and parcel of…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Body in Fragments,” “Cy Twombly: Treatise on the Veil,” “Dana Frankfort: Pictures,” “Robert Pruitt: The Forever People,” “Wishing Well for Houston”
“Body in Fragments” The Menil is always great at creating little mini exhibits from its vast collection, grouping together and juxtaposing modern and contemporary works with primitive art. “Body in Fragments” is no exception. The title says it all — every piece on display contains an element of body fragmentation,…
Absolutely Fabuloco
Think “East L.A.” and “rock and roll,” and the first artist to come to mind — provided you haven’t seen La Bamba lately — is probably Los Lobos. Understandable, but there have been plenty of other artists to emerge off Whittier Boulevard, from ’60s garage-rockers Thee Midnighters to ’90s roots…
Capsule Stage Reviews: I Hate Hamlet, Mrs. Mannerly, Pig Farm
I Hate Hamlet When was the last time you saw a play and eagerly awaited each character’s entrance, knowing that whoever came on next would be funnier than the last? Each character in I Hate Hamlet ratchets up the comedy by being outrageous, bizarre, utterly delightful — and, at times,…
Night Worship
The music of Balaclavas is at once tribal, angular, discordant and completely modern, snagging influences from bands like Public Image Ltd, Can and latter-day local psych legends Indian Jewelry. In Houston’s musical climate of smiling indie-rockers, innovative hip-hoppers and the random grindcore band, the quartet doesn’t cotton to any. They…
Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places
In Pretty Woman, director Garry Marshall’s personal cinematic high score, the opening credits close (and the closing credits open) with the voice of a street freak, barely noticeable in wide shot, chanting an absurd mantra — “Welcome to Hollywood, land of dreams!” Twenty years later, Marshall dips into the same…
Marcia Ball, Texas Johnny Brown
Elsewhere in this issue, you can read (at length) about what Washington Avenue has become. Friday night, provided you can find a place to park, you can get a glimpse of what it used to be. For a solid generation from the late ’70s to the late ’90s, Rockefeller’s ruled…
More Fallout for Toyota
COVER STORY More Fallout for Toyota Problems the Houston Press reported won’t go away By Paul Knight Toyota has announced during the last several months a series of recalls to fix the problem of its cars accelerating out of control. Recently, in perhaps the most dramatic move, the company said…
Greg Wood
Former Horseshoe front man Greg Wood hasn’t done a public gig in over five years and, according to Wood, his performance with Chuck Savage’s Whiskey Boat outfit at the Continental Wednesday night doesn’t really count. “It’s not much of a gig, really, [I’m] just going to do a few songs;…
SPECIAL SEXY EDITION
Dear Mexican, I’ve always been attracted to transgendered women since I was about 13. I’ve noticed, however, that most trannies are Hispanic. Now, before you say that this is ¡Ask a Mexican!, not ¡Ask a Hispanic!, I’ve also noticed that more than half of all Hispanic transsexuals are Mexican. What’s…
Lightnin’ Strikes
No state in the U.S. is prouder of its history than Texas. You might get some argument from folks back East in, hell, maybe Massachusetts, but arguing with Yankees is easy — you can always tell a Texan, you just can’t tell him (or her) much. Anyhow, only God and…
The Gold Sounds
The Gold Sounds snuck onto Houston’s indie music scene in 2008, grabbing attention with a classic blues-rock “boo.” But then the Deer Park trio disappeared. “A lot of stuff kind of happened to us,” says guitarist Chris Fuentes. “Our singer Sean [Donnelly], he had twins during that time, and our…
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey has been a part of the pantheon of modern pop vocalists since she shocked the world with the ethereal registers she reached on 1990’s eponymous debut. Those first singles were syrupy ballads that showcased her vocal tenacity, extremely tame and classy and not too far removed from the…
The Rise and Fall of Bangkokheimer
My dining companion asked for “three peppers” when we ordered the shrimp and pineapple curry at the new Thai Bistro location on Westheimer near Kirkwood. The restaurant employs a heat scale that starts with one pepper (mild) and goes to four peppers (Thai hot). The dish still wasn’t all that…
Bombay Pizza Co.
“This is the first of 3,000 to come!” said Viral Patel of his Bombay Pizza Co. (914 Main, 713-654-4444), expressing his hope that number one will turn into a franchise. Viral is a fan of the movie Slumdog Millionaire, and his menu includes pizzas with names like The Slumdog, Gateway…
Confusion Fusion
On the menu at Saffron Kabob House (5711 Hillcroft, 713-780-7474), the bolani ($4.95) is described as an Afghani calzone, but it looks more like a quesadilla. Sandwiched between two thin, flat, round pieces of naan is a spicy and very tasty mixture of aloo paratha, or potatoes mixed with chopped…
Young Republikans
Here’s the thing you’re either going to hear or have already heard about Republika (2905 Travis): The club only lets white people in. Opened and run by former promoter Ray Mousavi, the two-month-old venue is currently the draw in Midtown for those looking for a clubby good time. Its popularity…
KOMODO’S PUB’S NUCLEAR RAINBOW
It didn’t take long to realize Komodo’s Pub (2004 Baldwin, 713-655-1501) is no dive. The Internet (specifically, Yelp.com) might have you believe that, but careful on-site analysis of the bar reveals that the Internet is full of bullshit. A real dive doesn’t have “nice flow,” unless that’s referring to a…
Wild on Washington
They come in from all over the city and beyond, drawn by the music, the drinks and the high-energy scene. Most are white, favor hair gel and sharp-looking clothes and want to party with people who are exactly like them. The City of Houston is watching. Washington Avenue is a…
