UPDATED A Closer Look at Maurice Williams, a.k.a. Enzo Weinberg, a.k.a. Mr. Iggy Azalea
An attorney for Maurice Lasel Williams, the Houston ex-con claiming to be rap star Iggy Azalea’s common-law husband and mentor, says two bond companies illegally revoked Williams’ bond in a power-play to keep Williams out of divorce court. Federal filings in another case suggest Williams — who legally changed his…
Houston Has Another Big Batch of James Beard Semifinalists
Last year, chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly brought home the first James Beard: Best Chef Southwest award for the first time since Robert del Grande did it in 1992…
DA: Accused Islamic Center Arsonist Said He “Hated Muslims”
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office claims the man charged with setting fire to a southeast Houston Islamic community center told a witness he “hated Muslims” sometime after starting the blaze. Darryl D. Ferguson, 55, was arrested late Monday and charged with felony first degree arson in the torching of…
Texas Central Railway Settles on Route for Houston-Dallas Bullet Train
The private company hoping to build a bullet train connecting Houston and Dallas says it has opted for a route that will ultimately impact as few landowners as possible. In a statement yesterday, Texas Central Railway officials said they’ve told the Federal Highway Administration that the company has chosen the…
Alex Rodriguez’s Handwritten Apology Letter to You, Baseball Fan
It feels like it’s been so long since Alex Rodriguez has been part of our lives, I had almost forgotten he existed. I knew there was a reason why food tasted slightly better, sleep was slightly more sound and the air was slightly fresher the past year or so –…
Birdman, Boyhood or Budapest? Predicting the 87th Academy Awards
Oscar days are here again That most pompous time of year again So, let’s get ‘faced on all our beer again Oscar days are here again. The 87th Academy Awards will be handed out this Sunday. In between Neil Patrick Harris rendering the plot of American Sniper through interpretive dance…
Chef Chat — The Pit MastersPart 1: Will & Nichole Buckman of CorkScrew BBQ
It’s February, the time of year when Houstonian thoughts turn to barbecue. The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo World’s Championship Bar-B-Que is just around the corner. April will bring the Third Annual Houston Barbecue Festival. (Hopefully, April won’t also bring showers during the festival like it did last year.) With…
Where to Eat Seafood During Lent 2015 in Houston
With the all out decadence of “Fat Tuesday” behind us, the 40 days of Lent — a time of prayer, atonement, and (most importantly for the purposes of this article) meat-free Fridays — has begun. But just because you may sacrifice meat, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice deliciousness…
Gov. Greg Abbott’s Perfectly Adequate First State of the State
Gov. Greg Abbott’s first State of the State on Tuesday was pretty much the dog and pony show everyone expected it to be, but we couldn’t help thinking that something was missing. He sat up there in his first address to the Texas Legislature and we couldn’t help pondering how…
Hal Holbrook Channels His Inner Mark Twain in Galveston Performance
A person can find symmetry in the life of a man born shortly after the 1835 appearance of Halley’s Comet, and who predicted that he would “go out with it,” too. Such was the case for Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who died the day after its 1910 return, and who was…
“Wine Lists in Gay Bars Don’t Have to Be Bad”: Montrose Beverage Director Hal Brock Shakes Things Up
Of all the nightlife hotspots in Montrose, Boheme on Fairview might have the most diverse crowd. Even on a chilly evening in February, you’ll find a balanced mix of gay and straight couples, singles (men and women), and a preponderance of young southeast Asian expats who, like many Houstonians, come…
Unbranded: 4 Men Riding Mustangs Across the American West and It Started in Aggieland
The photographs are breathtaking, the idea for the enterprise and how they were able to carry it out equally so. In Unbranded, author Ben Masters tells the story of how he got the idea that what he really needed to do was to ride horses across the American West. He…
Houston Rockets Not on Goran Dragic’s List of Desired Trade Destinations
It was the summer of 2012, the NBA’s offseason, and it was time for the Houston Rockets to begin making some moves. Goran Dragic, the smooth, Slovenian point guard that the Rockets had acquired in a trade for Aaron Brooks a little over a year prior, was coming off of…
In Compilation Nation: The Very Best of the Best-of Albums
A few weeks ago, a Facebook friend of mine posted a simple query: Tell me of some greatest-hits/singles comps that somehow became as (or more) essential as the artists’ LPs. I chimed in, as did several dozen others. What resulted was a series of “why didn’t I think of that?”…
Doctor Who: 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Regeneration
It’s one of The Doctor’s most amazing feats, the ability to cheat death by changing his form and adopting a new face and personality. How exactly the process works remains a mystery explored in depth only in non-television media, and therefore is of dubious canonicity. Still, there’s a fair amount…
Try These 5 Seriously Outrageous Sushi Rolls in Houston
Preparing sushi is an intricate form of art. Balancing flavors as to not overwhelm the impeccably fresh fish; Adding just the right subtle accouterments to form the perfect bite. It’s all so beautiful. But then there’s the kind of sushi rolls that you load up with Cheetos and smother in…
Why #Hashtags Are So Damned Irresistible to Record Companies
Picture this: you are in a Capitol Records executive meeting. Katy Perry is sitting at the table with her big shot manager L.A. Reid right next to her. It’s the final meeting before the label drops the press release announcing Katy’s huge comeback single, and there are papers with different…
Mike Rutherford’s Living Years in Genesis Had Many Revelations
The Living Years: The First Genesis Memoir By Mike Rutherford Thomas Dunne Books, 256 pp., $25.99. While best known as the guitarist (and sometimes bassist/guitarist) for prog rockers-turned-pop-sensations Genesis, Rutherford takes the title of his autobiography from the 1988 hit of his offshoot group, Mike + the Mechanics. Guaranteed to…
Six New Creative Directions Most Fans Hated
Modern music has seen some extreme highs and lows over the years, but it’s always weird when a band or solo artist suddenly throws their fans for a loop by abruptly changing their musical direction or image. Whether it’s a clumsy attempt to stay relevant by tailoring their sound to…
UPDATED Chron Unknowingly Runs Faked Photo Provided by Dead-Raisin’ Evangelical Ministry
Update: So, Bonnke’s ministry got back to us with the original photo of Bonnke preaching. It was taken at a crusade in Jos, Nigeria, in 2005. The faked photo submitted to the Chron was of two separate events, in different cities, five years apart. Margo Williams tells us, ” CfaN…
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Obama’s Immigration Order
If there’s one thing we’ve all learned from the federal judge who blocked President Obama’s executive action for undocumented immigrants, it’s that it’s hard to get toothpaste back into the tube. The toothpaste in this case is access to work permits and other relief the controversial action would have granted…
A Peek Inside Rescued Pets Movement’s Lawsuit Against a Foster
In December 2014, Rescued Pets Movement, the animal rescue group that is the subject of this week’s cover story, took the unusual move of suing one of its own fosters. The group, which transports thousands of animals from Houston’s Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care to Colorado, Utah and Wyoming,…
Upcoming: Bad Ass Weekend 3, Bob Dylan, Quiet Company, Sleater-Kinney, Steely Dan, etc.
8th Wonder Brewery’s 2nd Anniversary: A Celebr8ion of Beer: With The Suffers, Earphunk, Stooges Brass Band, Wild Moccasins, DJ Sun, Fox & Cats., Sat., March 21, 3 p.m., $25 to $125. 8th Wonder Brewery, 2202 Dallas, Houston, 713-397-0072. A Lot Like Birds: With Icarus The Owl, Crimson Arrow, Mosaic Dream,…
Ugly Social Media Response to Suspected Arson at Islamic Community Center
In the wake of the fire that gutted a building owned by the Quba Islamic Institute last Friday, people have taken to social media to air their thoughts and opinions about the suspicious fire. Go figure that a lot of those thoughts have been remarkably ugly and lobbed directly at…
Modern Dance BARE Sprinkles Dancers Among the Audience at Nicole Longnecker Gallery
The Setup: On February 14 and 15, the Nicole Longnecker Gallery was home to new dance work by Houston dancer/choreographer Laura Gutierrez. BARE proved to be an appropriate title for the evening, as the conventions of dance were pared down to their most essential. With no music and no traditional…
The Fish Heads are Distinctive, but it’s the Sole That Will Warm Your Heart at Spicy Hunan
‘Fish heads are a delicacy all over China,” said my dinner companion, Tony. Chinese by descent, Tony devoured about two-thirds of our spicy fish head plate, a Hunan specialty, all by himself. “The eyes — the slimy parts — they are the best,” he explained as he contentedly ate his…
Memorial Hermann’s Dr. Mahasti Chalajour Is the First Dentist a Lot of Poor Kids Ever See
One basic direction Dr. Mahasti Chalajour gave dental assistant Miriam Montelongo from the start: “You never show a reaction.” When a child comes to them for the first time, no matter how many rotting teeth, no matter what his or her breath smells like, no matter how terrible the damage…
Sorry, Hugh, There’s Just No Room for Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
That Spider-Man will be joining his fellow heroes of the Marvel cinematic universe is a minor miracle worth celebrating. While his inclusion in the films was never in the realm of the impossible, it was thought by most to be pretty unlikely. Hollywood is a silly, complicated place, but in…
SNL Anniversary Special Triples NBA All Star Game Rating (w/ Eddie Murphy SNL VIDEO)
In some ways, it’s never been easier to be a couch potato. There’s more good TV than there’s ever been, and so long as you have a DVR with the proper wherewithal to record multiple shows at any one time, you can relax and binge watch for days on end…
The Tapestries Are Nice, but the True Stars of “Spectacular Rubens” Are the Paintings
An exhibition with the formidable title “Spectacular Rubens: The Triumph of the Eucharist” opened this week at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The show comes to us from the Prado Museum in Madrid by way of the Getty in Los Angeles. It consists of four huge 17th-century tapestries along…
Gatlin’s BBQ Kicked Out of Its Space; Will Make Do With a Food Truck for Now
Don’t look for Gatlin’s BBQ at 1221 W. 19th Street anymore. According to Syd Kearney at the Houston Chronicle, it’s gone–for now. After five years in the same space, it’s had to close up shop. Back in December, Greg Gatlin announced that he was making a much-needed move to a…
Rather Than Fix the Problem, Houston Officials Ship Stray Animals Off to Other States
On a Tuesday morning in a former performance hall in the Heights, a few hundred dogs and cats are getting ready for a 19-hour drive to Colorado. Former residents of the city’s continually overcrowded pound, BARC, the animals were pulled and placed in foster homes by a rescue group called…
This Week in Food Blogs: Is That a Jalapeño or Are You Just Happy to See Me?
When it comes to phallic symbols, one is just not enough at Barnaby’s at 2802 White Oak. It’s one thing to order and receive a big burrito, which is already rather oblong and cylindrical. Let’s add a second one, nestle a rounded scoop of guacamole between them and stick a…
Finally Some Movement on Eagerly Awaited Portal Fan Film
In 2012 images appeared online from Alex Zemke that showed what looked like it would be the be-all, end-all of Portal fan films. Coming across as something between Pixar and Star Wars Rebels, Companionship was pretty much as perfect as anyone could hope for regarding an expanded adventure of Chell…
“Surprise Albums” Might Be the New Normal
If you’re reading this and are just now finding out about Drake’s new album, you’re a little late. In your defense, the Canada-based rapper just dropped his new mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, via Twitter in the late hours of last Thursday night, creating a bit of…
Ex-Grateful Dead Manager Has Quite a Tale
Richard Loren was a button-down, straight-laced, business-minded recent college graduate in 1966 when, as manager of a company that staged musicals in large tents, he handled a string of shows by razzle-dazzle piano man Liberace. Impressed with his skills, the piano man hired him, which led to another job as…
Houston’s 10 Most Eccentric Musicians
Let’s preface this with the fact that I was once one of Houston’s premiere musical weirdoes, staging insane protests and inventing toilet-paper cannons for the Black Math Experiment’s live shows. So when I say that the following ten H-town rockers are a little crazy, I mean that in the most…
BOB: A Life in Five Acts Doesn’t Entirely Disappoint at Rice University
Every other character is played by one of four “Chorus” members. The script notes on the Chorus call them “dispassionate but eloquent” and their roles are “vivid, bright, sharp, and distinct.” The Chorus plays not only their characters, but also the Chorus member beneath each character. The play is divided into…
Happy Presidents’ Day! 5 Great Presidential Sports Moments (w/ VIDEO)
It’s Presidents’ Day, a semi-fabricated holiday made up by somebody who got tired of giving us days off on both Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays. Those were good times, and they’ve been ruined by one morphed-together holiday where Washington and Lincoln are now each getting just a little bit screwed. I…
Drake’s Surprise Album Raises His Game Further Still
Last Thursday night was Drake night. Again. A year after the Toronto rapper not only stamped his name as hip-hop’s current king with a tour of his Nothing Was the Same album and a virtual parade in his honor in Houston last June, the rapper decided the time was right…
Perlman Showcases Virtuosic Performance as Player and Conductor
Itzhak Perlman has refined the fine art of multitasking in the 21st Century. Wearing both a performer’s and conductor’s hat Sunday afternoon to an adoring audience at Jones Hall, Perlman showcased his virtuosity as the world’s greatest violinist. And in a lesser known role, but an equally invigorating and entertaining…
Patrick Beverley Rubs My Nose in It, and 6 Other Observations From NBA All-Star Weekend
Let’s face it, the second full season as the starting point guard for the Rockets has not gone exactly how Patrick Beverley (or anybody rooting for or associated with the Rockets) planned. Last year, heading into the postseason, you could have made the argument that Beverley was the Rockets’ third…
Bob Seger’s System Satisfies Every Time
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, Heartless Bastards Toyota Center February 14, 2015 Love was undoubtedly in the air on Valentine’s evening at Toyota Center. Throngs of die-hard Bob Seger fans poured into the arena to celebrate their undying devotion to their favorite Detroit son, while he and his…
A Sneak Peek of the New H-E-B and Table 57 Restaurant
When it comes to its new, 91,000 square foot location at 5895 San Felipe at Fountainview, H-E-B is making sure there’s a whole lot of fun in-store for shoppers. The company is touting this location as its “finest store in Houston.” It was a stroke of good fortune that when…
Rick Perry Sends New Hampshire a Belated Valentine
Either Rick Perry has taken to making short travel films for each state he visits, or he definitely plans to make another slog around the GOP presidential primary circuit. On Sunday, fresh off a trip to the oh-so-important primary state of New Hampshire, the former governor’s political action committee RickPAC…
Sarah Leonard in Ruthless! The Musical Has the Pipes, the Stage Presence & Comic Timing to Boot
The set-up: If there’s a soft spot in your jaded little heart for a skewed, off-centered, off-Broadway musical, this quirky little show at Standing Room Only will be catnip. The execution: A wacky combo of Gypsy, The Bad Seed, and Forbidden Broadway, with more than an elbow-poke of All About…
Alice Cooper Makes a Ghoulishly Good Valentine’s Date
Alice Cooper Bayou Music Center February 14, 2015 Sure, it might not have seemed like a traditional date-night destination. But scores of couples in the nearly-sold out Bayou Music Center chose to spend the most romantic evening of the year watching a man strangle a nurse with the arms of…
Patrick Renner’s Sentinel Stands Guard at City Hall
There’s a plain esplanade, with grass and trees, on Montrose in front of the Art League of Houston building now. Up until recently, the colorful, whimsical Funnel Tunnel snaked its way through the trees. The public art installation was created by Patrick Renner, a 2015 Houston Press MasterMind Award winner…
Kevin Durant Turns Heel, Says Media at All Star Weekend “Don’t Know S**t”
At one time or another, for reasons valid or invalid, star players in the NBA get hated on by the fans. In LeBron’s first year after “The Decision”, he was the biggest heel in all of team sports. Kobe Bryant has gone through his entire adult life being despised outside…
The Blackest Shore: A Muddled Plotline But Some Outstanding Acting
The set up: In a theater season stuffed with so many tried and true productions or imports boasting newness via their supposed regional premiere status, it’s truly refreshing to see a work on stage performed for the very first time. It’s even more intriguing when that work comes to us…
Dish of the Week: French Onion Soup
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here. This week, we figured we’d get one more (slightly) cold weather recipe in before it warms up for good. We’re covering French onion soup…
6 Popular Internet Words That I Have Grown to Dislike
The English language is a constantly evolving one, and that keeps things interesting.Words are fascinating in that they can elicit a strong response from some people. I know a few people who can’t stand the word “moist,” for instance. Some words have a lifespan of sorts, initially starting as a…
Rice Splits With Texas to Start a New Baseball Season
The Rice Owls opened this college baseball season the same way it ended last year’s college baseball season, by losing a game to the Texas Longhorns. Of course, yesterday’s 4-3 loss to Texas didn’t end Rice’s season the way last year’s loss in the NCAA Regionals did, but one would…
UPDATED: This Week in Food Events: It’s Mardi Gras Time!
Monday, Febuary 16 Wine Class: Vintage Focus on Bordeaux 2006 Spec’s fine wine buyer Bear Dalton is teaching a class with a lineup of 12 Bordeaux all from 2006. Dalton writes that the “vintage was initially under-rated by the press and has been ignored for the last several years. While…
The Blasters Show the Young’uns How It’s Done
The Blasters Continental Club February 14, 2015 Old age and treachery will overcome youth and exuberance every time. No one who saw the Blasters, the everlasting kings of early-’80s roots-rock, at the Continental Valentine’s night has much doubt about the truth of this old saw about the value of experience…
The Five Best Concerts in Houston This Week: Sons of Texas, Maroon 5, Pete Yorn, etc.
Sons of Texas Scout Bar, February 16 An early leader in the race for the Lone Star State’s breakout band of 2015, Sons of Texas have come storming not out of one of Texas’ big cities but the Rio Grande Valley, as their “Baptized In the Rio Grande” has already…
Arson Suspected in Fire at Islamic Community Center
After a fire at an Islamic community center in southeast Houston, a group is calling on law enforcement to investigate the incident to find out if it’s a hate crime. Houston fire officials say the fire at the Quba Islamic Institute started at about 5 a.m. Friday morning, according to…
13th Floor Elevators Reuniting at Austin’s Levitation In May
Here’s a Friday the 13th surprise we can only hope turns out to be true: Levitation, the trippy three-day weekend formerly known as Austin Psych Fest, has already landed some big names this year, like Spiritualized, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Primal Scream and Tame Impala. But Friday morning the…
Eliza Rickman Brings Tour Somewhere Different: a Comic Shop
There’s plenty of places to play in Houston, but one of the more unconventional places that’s been hosting comics lately is 8th Dimension Comics and Games. In general they pick up a more specialized crowd such as chiptune artists and other acts that appeal to the geek demographic, but tonight…
Suns Make Former Rocket Goran Dragic Available in Trade
Even amidst a 36-17 start that has exceeded the expectations of most experts who cover the NBA and has certainly far exceeded the expectations of the wagering public (the Rockets were forecast for a 48-34 record by wagering outlets in the preseason), the Rockets have needs, needs that have frankly…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Fifty Shades of Grey
Title: Fifty Shades of Grey Is This Movie Really A Sign Of The Apocalypse? It’ll have to hold us over until the next Magic Mike, I suppose. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: One and a half W. Somerset Maughams out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: “Hey babe,…
10 Presidents’ Day Sales, Because We Can’t Stop Shopping in Houston
Presidents’ Day may be the most forgotten winter holiday. We roll out the red carpet for Valentine’s Day and Martin Luther King Day has a parade, but good old Prez Day gets no love, unless you are a career shopper. Since Prez Day is the last holiday before spring, it…
The El Gets a Superior Menu
I didn’t go to The El Cantina Superior (let’s just call it “The El” for short) when it initially opened at 602 Studewood. The feedback from others who had was consistently lackluster. The only visit I made was during the Houston Press Tequila & Tamales event. Since then, the F.E.E.D…
Amaluna by Cirque du Soleil Soars Under the Big Top
The Setup: A person could give a host of reasons to try and explain the appeal of Cirque du Soleil productions, but at the end of the day it really all comes down to this: The human body is a fascinating machine. We tend to forget this in our mundane,…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: V-Day Bike Rides & Plenty of Booze
V-Day Farmers Market Bike Ride @ Onion Creek Saturday, 8 a.m. 3106 White Oak Nothing says “I love you” like waking up early to shop for local jams, fresh produce, and artisan goods with your significant other. Start with a morning coffee at Onion Creek before making your way to…
Guns: Coming Soon to a Government Building Near You
Here’s the good news and bad news on proposed gun bills at the Capitol: The good news is that metal detectors at the front door of government buildings may go away. The bad news is that it would be because some lawmakers think people have a right to carry guns…
Complexions Contemporary Ballet Is Moving to the Unexpected
People don’t usually associate ballet with the music of Prince and Stevie Wonder, but Complexions Contemporary Ballet isn’t interested in replication. “We are not afraid to entertain,” says Co-Artistic Director/Co-Founder Desmond Richardson. Hailing from New York City, Complexions Contemporary Ballet was founded in 1994 by Richardson and Dwight Rhoden–two directors…
Kinky Boots: Predictable But With Loads of Charm and Showbiz Know-How
The set-up: The rousing, boisterous Act I finale to the Tony award-winning Kinky Boots is a non-stop, perpetual mobile of high kicks and swirling stage action, set to Cyndi Lauper’s triumphant feel-good disco anthem, “Everybody Say Yeah.” It raises the roof. Set in a shoe factory and making the utmost…
Upcoming Events: Mardi Gras & Lenten Lunches
Facon Brazilian Steakhouse, 126 Vintage Park, will be hosting two Houston sports celebrities on Tuesday, February 17. From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Astros legend Jeff Bagwell and current second baseman Jose Altuve will both be making an appearance for a meet and greet at the restaurant. The event will…
PuraPharm Kills It on Debut EP
I spend so much of my time looking for the strange and the peculiar that sometimes I forget what rock and roll sounds like. Just old-school, well-done rock and roll executed to the acme of its ability. Thank God PuraPharm is around to remind me. The band is finally releasing…
Cougars Trying to Follow in SMU’s Footsteps, But Hopefully Not Too Closely
The last time SMU visited Hofheinz Pavilion, the Mustangs defeated the Cougars 75-68. But head coach Larry Brown was ambushed in the post-games about condoning grade tampering by playing freshman Keith Frazier. The allegations arose not from actions taken by SMU but from one of Frazier’s grades being changed to…
The Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: The (Mostly) Valentine’s Day Edition
Met Dance has a Valentine’s Day treat for fans — Duo. Marlana Doyle, the Met’s artistic director, says, “Every year my husband and I go out to dinner for Valentine’s Day. I thought people need to have something else to do besides dinner. We came up with Duo.” The program,…
The Grateful Dead’s Journey Is Far From Over
No Simple Highway: A Cultural History of the Grateful Dead By Peter Richardson St. Martin’s, 384 pp., $26.99 With 2015 marking the 50th anniversary of their formation, expect a lot of attention paid this year to the musical and cultural legacy of the Grateful Dead. The four surviving members of…
Openings & Closings: Clutch City Squire Loses Its Grip
The plywood mounted around the front door was a big hint. Clutch City Squire at 410 Main has closed. that entire side of the block look like a ghost town. The parade of new bar openings marches on, however. Eater Houston reports that a replacement bar is coming: an upscale…
Couples Ask Fifth Circuit to Lift Stay on Same-Sex Marriages
Attorneys for two gay couples at the heart of De Leon v. Perry have asked the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to lift a stay that will allow same-sex marriages to start happening immediately. A motion filed on Thursday asks the Fifth Circuit judges to lift a stay a federal…
The 10 Best Bars in Galveston
With the last weekend of Mardi Gras coming up, we thought we would share our favorite bars on Galveston Island. Most of the action during Mardis Gras happens on the historic Strand and we are sharing a few bars located down there, as well as bars located elsewhere in Galveston,…
How Robert Ehlinger Became Houston’s Prince of Synth-Pop
Walking through the club is like stepping back 30 years in time. Moving among the people dancing to songs by bands like Erasure and Anything Box, one could be forgiven for mistakenly thinking a time warp had opened onto a dance club in the 1980s. But this is The New…
The 10 Best Concerts in Houston This Weekend: Sunny Sweeney, Bob Seger, the Blasters, etc.
PuraPharm Warehouse Live, February 13 Easily one of Houston’s most unique bands, PuraPharm manages to balance several imposing musical elements — Tessa Kole’s foreboding vocals; Niki Sims’ palate-cleansing woodwinds; the fog of effects-mottled guitars — to arrive at a coherent sound, whereas any one of those might overwhelm a lesser…
Sen. John Cornyn Wants All of the Guns Everywhere
Sometimes we think that nothing will ever surprise us again, and then Sen. John Cornyn turns around and proves us wrong by filing a bill so comically “Texas” that at first we thought it was a joke. Specifically, on Thursday Cornyn filed what is described in a press release from…
SpaceX (Finally) Launched NASA’s Deep Space Weather Observatory
After way too many stops, starts and scrubs, SpaceX launched NASA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory (aka DSCOVR) on Wednesday evening. DSCOVR is a $340 million project designed to keep an electronic-type eye on solar flares and geomagnetic storms. With DSCOVR — a project that NASA worked on with the US…
HCC Trustee Asks for Transparency in Lawsuit With College’s Fired Top Lawyer
Seems we’re not the only ones who think it’s a little gauche for a public institution to fight to keep internal records out of the public eye. Over the past month, lawyers for Houston Community College, a taxpayer-funded institution, have twice asked a judge to seal certain internal emails, memos,…
James Harden to Start NBA All-Star Game (And My Plea That He Plays As Little As Possible)
I find it intriguing how personally people take individual accolades for their favorite professional sports players. I don’t find it insulting nor offensive, mind you. Just intriguing, intriguing that people (with jobs and families) would take individual awards for someone other than themselves so seriously, that they would let it…
Podcast: Fifty Shades of Grey Is Coming, Starring Sex Batman
Fifty Shades of Grey is opening is nationwide, and in New York, Village Voice film editor Alan Scherstuhl connects via the magic of the Internet with LA Weekly film critic Amy Nicholson discuss the hotly anticipated movie starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, adapted from the E. L. James novel…
Students Want UH to Fire Three Administrators Over TDECU Fiasco
The University of Houston’s brand-new $128 million football stadium was supposed to be a point of pride when it opened to students and fans last summer. Fast-forward seven months, and TDECU Stadium is just a continuing source of heartburn for UH officials. Last night UH’s student government cast a vote…
Meet the Comics Behind the Biting Vamp-Com What We Do in the Shadows
Ten years ago, Wellington, New Zealand, was less welcoming of vampires. When Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, two unknown comedians, walked the streets in velvet frocks and ruffles for a 2005 sketch, dudes would drive by and scream homophobic slurs. Says Clement, “We were constantly abused.” Over the next decade,…
Chef Chat, Part 2: John Watt of Prego and Trevisio
Chef John Watt has been part of Houston’s restaurant scene for over 30 years–long enough to witness its slow evolution into a nationally-acclaimed dining destination. In Part 2 of our Chef Chat, Watt notes how times have changed–in expectations for restaurant wine programs, for example–and elaborates on some of the…
Dan Patrick’s Lonely Border Surge
While Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is still intent on fighting the good fight to keep the borders secure with expensive National Guard troops, it looks like Patrick might have to wage this particular battle alone. Patrick held a press conference on Tuesday declaring his unwavering determination to keep National Guard…
D’Artagnan Celebrates Its Houston Distribution Center With a Feast
For 30 years, D’Artagnan, which is based in New York, has been a godsend for chefs who want scarce, high-end ingredients to execute classic recipes that call for them. Well, now supplies from D’Artagnan are closer to home. The company has been on an expansion track, first opening a distribution…
BeatKing Strikes Again for Valentine’s Day
After a successful trial run in 2014, the New Houston Rap column is back. Sure, we took a bit of time in between weeks because of the NFL playoffs and Houston, like much of the rap world at large, took a bit of a break, but things have become wide-open…
Is Aphex Twin Up to His Old Tricks Again?
When Richard D. James stated to a reporter that he possesses a vault of over 1,000 songs, fans never doubted his claim; they, however, wished for him to dump out the entire treasure trove of buried gems all at once. Be careful what you wish for, especially from Mr. James…
Best 5 Spots for Bar Dining in Houston
In this month’s issue of GQ Magazine, chef and restauranteur David Chang offers a take on why he thinks the best seat in the house is at the bar. “When I’m eating at the bar of an amazing restaurant–like, say, Del Posto, Mario Batali’s super-luxurious Italian mecca–I’m usually free from…
Spring Sprung: Nine Ways to Know Winter Is (Almost) Over in Houston
Houston is not exactly a place where the transitions between seasons are direct and obvious. Weather here flows from warm to hot to warm to less warm and back again. Trees lose their leaves but only in the midst of what most of the country refers to as the dead…
10 Things I’m Going to Have to Tell My Gamer Daughter
At five-years-old my daughter has three times the gaming cred I did when I was her age. She plays the original Super Mario Bros. on my Wii (she prefers the original because while it’s harder it’s also less complex), various adventure titles with my help ranging from Sly Cooper on…
A Hill Country Romantic Getaway, Starring Shinyribs
For this month of wine and roses, Rocks Off recommends a romantic jaunt to Gruene, Tex. Cue Dating Game theme music and announcer voice: You’ll sweep your sweetheart off his or her feet with leisurely antiquing, sumptuous cuisine, a cozy bed and breakfast and an evening at Gruene Hall, the…
The Houston Symphony: Bernadette Peters
Actress/singer Bernadette Peters has a very simple plan for keeping her concerts fresh night after night: “I go out there and I do the best that I can. That’s all I can do.” Peters is bringing her best to Houston for a one-night performance with the Houston Symphony. The concert…
MET Dance Company: DUO
Met Dance has a Valentine’s Day treat for fans — Duo. Marlana Doyle, the Met’s artistic director, says, “Every year my husband and I go out to dinner for Valentine’s Day. I thought people need to have something else to do besides dinner. We came up with Duo.” The program…
Hiroshima Mon Amour
After a stunning early career as a documentary filmmaker (Night and Fog, his achingly evocative film about Auschwitz, is an acclaimed masterpiece), Frenchman Alain Resnais turned to features. His debut full-length, Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959), is a stunner, too, a poetic, mesmerizing, maddening exploration of time and memory, love and…
BARE … New Dance by Laura Gutierrez
Don’t let the photo on the poster fool you — BARE…New Dance by Laura Gutierrez won’t be performed by totally nude dancers. True, choreographer Laura Gutierrez wants the audience to see pure movement unencumbered by the usual costumes or sets, but the dancers will be wearing clothing. Not a lot,…
Musical Evening with Maestro Hans Graf: Love Songs Without Words
Houston Symphony Conductor Laureate Hans Graf leads an intimate program of romantic music in Musical Evening with Maestro Hans Graf: Love Songs Without Words. Graf discusses and introduces the music for the evening in the tiny (compared to Jones Hall) Russian Cultural Center in the Museum District. (The space accommodates…
I Need a Cheap Valentine’s Day Gift. 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! WHAT’S A CHEAP VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT FOR MY MAN? Dear Willie D: I wanted to get…
The Blackest Shore
Stuart is a high school student who has decided to make a movie, with graphic violence, extreme sex and the walking dead. It’s “a kind of vampire overlord thing,” says actor Josh Morrison, who plays Craig, the latest love interest of Stuart’s mom and the man who’s about to move…
Here’s a Treasure Trove of Vintage Numbers Art
Tomorrow night at Numbers, the producers of the documentary-in-progress Friday I’m In Love are encouraging supporters of the hallowed Montrose club to come on down, where they’ll be interviewing couples and individuals about their experiences with the very timely subject of love, presumably as it relates to Numbers (but you…
Fifty Shades of Grey Is a Film That Punishes Its Fans
Even fans of Fifty Shades of Grey admit the book is a literary atrocity. Novelist E.L. James’s erotic reveries read like the rantings of a drunk yokel — less “His firm hands cupped my breasts” and more “Holy crap! He’s touching my boobs!” The story is simple: Twenty-one-year-old virgin Anastasia…
Crazy-Pants Spy Parody Kingsman Smartly Exposes Us as the Bad Guys
Those more devoted to the genre can debate whether Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman is the best comic-book movie of the past few years. What’s beyond argument, however, is that Vaughn has whipped up the most interesting one, the only to make ferocious, unsettling art out of the great contradiction of superheroic…
Capsule Art Reviews: February 12, 2015
“Field of Light” The stars have fallen on Discovery Green courtesy of British artist Bruce Munro and his “Field of Light” installation of illuminated fiber optics. For those of us who live in the nation’s fourth-largest city, light pollution has made it impossible to see the more than 2,500 stars…
Capsule Stage Reviews: February 12, 2015
Character Man Jim Brochu’s one-man musical tribute to those unsung supporting players of Broadway’s golden age radiates such a warm autumnal glow, you want to rush right out and buy every original Broadway cast album of the shows Brochu so lovingly remembers. (If you’re already a Broadway baby, you have…
Another Great Marion Cotillard Performance Anchors Two Days, One Night
In the opening moments of Two Days, One Night, a working-class Belgian woman named Sandra (Marion Cotillard) wakes from a midday nap, takes a phone call, removes a tart from the oven, pops a pill and begs herself not to cry. With a sense of having arrived in the middle…
Julianne Moore Will Move You in Alzheimer’s Drama Still Alice
Most of us can’t imagine having a disease that tugs and tears at the very threads of who we are. When we wake up in the middle of the night with outlandish fears, we strike reassuring bargains with ourselves: If I lose my sight, I’ll still have music. If I…
