Slideshow: High School Photo Contest
Javier Morales, South Houston High School We’ve just loaded up a new batch of entries in our high school photo contest. Click the image above for plenty of colorful photos, and be sure to let us know which are your favorites in the comments. — Keith Plocek UPDATE: Click here…
Spring Training: At Least the ‘Stros Aren’t the Rangers
I know I’ve been hard on the Astros so far. And truth is, they really suck. But I’ve got to thank the good people at Texas Monthly for giving me a little perspective. Because, you see, no matter how much the Astros suck, at least they’re not the Texas Rangers…
This Just In: Get Ready for iFest
The Houston International Festival, also known as iFest, has announced the lineup for its 37th annual edition, set to take place April 19-20 and 26-27 on nine stages spread across downtown. Instead of spotlighting a specific country this year, its theme “Out of Africa: The Three Journeys,” encompasses music, dance…
Last Night: NOFX at Warehouse Live
NOFX Warehouse Live February 26, 2008 Better Than: Drawing up cool Barack Obama signs for your Super Tuesday rally. Seriously, “Barack the Vote”? How about “Barack You Like a Hurricane”? Download: The ever-topical and notoriously long-winded “The Decline,” their 18-minute state-of-the-union punk address from 1999. It just keeps getting more…
Steroids and Roger Clemens: Justice Department to Investigate Rocket
Okay, it’s official. Congress today asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Roger Clemens lied under oath. So, if the Yao Ming news was the worst news that Rocket attorney Rusty Hardin has heard in weeks, as he told the Chron, I wonder where this news will rank. Once again,…
Sex, Death & Oysters: Texas Oysters at $46 a Dozen
Rodney’s Oyster House in Toronto put Galveston Bay oysters on sale last weekend at a whopping $3.85 Canadian EACH! Texans think ten bucks a dozen is outrageous – how about $46.20 for twelve? Oysterman Rodney Clark is originally from Prince Edward Island, home of Malpeque Bay and some of Canada’s…
Rockets-Wizards: The Show Goes On
“It’s not fair.” “Why us?” “Here we go again.” Chances are those exact thoughts filtered through the mind of each and every member of the Houston Rockets organization upon first hearing the news that franchise center Yao Ming would be lost for the season due to a stress fracture in…
Miss Pop Rocks Loves (the Second Half of) the Oscars
Okay, my gal pal Tamarie and I were lit on junk food and TaB the last you heard from me, and in my insanity I was unable to do the full report you deserve on the Big Oscar Winners…so here’s my take on those who walked home with the little…
Q&A with Daryl Morey: The Day After
Tuesday was quite a ride on the Rockets roller coaster. The day began with such promise, as fans passed the time by wondering just how long the Rockets’ winning streak would last. Then the news broke: Yao Ming, out for the season. A dominating victory over Washington that evening helped…
Steroids, Roger Clemens, Boob Jobs and Boob Attorneys
I know you’re not going to believe me on this, but really, I want to leave this whole Roger Clemens steroids / HGH thing alone. I’d much rather write about how the Astros are really going to suck this year. But stuff just keeps happening. Rocket is reporting to Astros…
A Grief Observed: Yao Ming’s Injury and the Rest of the Season
I never saw it coming. Standing next to Yao Ming’s locker Sunday night, I saw the big man grimace as he slid his injured left foot into a tub of ice. He was obviously in pain, but he’d also just put in another 36 minutes at the office. He said…
Houstoned Theatre Presents: Students, Sweatshops and, um, a Gigantic Telephone
For the second time, activists from University of Houston Students Against Sweatshops stormed President Renu Khator’s office to demand she sign the Designated Suppliers Program, which would help protect the rights of workers who manufacture University apparel. And for the second time, Khator was not in her office, but this…
Sole of Houston: Deep Harrisburg: Lomax and Beebe Take on the East Side Again
Something about the east side of our fair city keeps drawing the Sole of Houston back. Even after already hiking Clinton / Navigation and Telephone / Griggs / OST, David Beebe and I decided we needed at least one more trek over there. Houston’s east side brings to mind Nelson…
This Just In: Yao Ming Out for Rest of Season Due to Stress Fracture in Foot
I hope Jason doesn’t mind my getting in on his basketball beat, but… The Rockets are holding a press conference later today to announce that All-Star center Yao Ming will be missing the rest of the season (and post-season) due to a stress fracture in his left foot. I’ll let…
Sausage Fest: Southside Market & Barbecue and Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse
This is the inaugural entry for Sausage Fest, an Eating…Our Words analysis of all things tubular. Nothing says “I love you” like sausage. Written in red block letters on a sign between the two service counters at Southside Market & Barbecue, this dandy of a slogan is slapped atop a…
Spring Training: Clemens, Niekro and Cruz…Reliving Bygone (Sucky) Eras
Before I go further, I just want to remind everyone of the contest for the Astros marketing slogan for the 2008 season. Remember, we’re taking entries until 5:00 p.m. Friday, so you still have time to submit if you haven’t already. One of the things I like about spring training,…
Spring Training: Injuries, Photos, Pitchers and Steroids
Welcome to today’s edition of good things happening to bad people. Otherwise known as the baseball injury blotter. Our first entry belongs to one Brandon Backe. Backe, who’s been recovering from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss most of the 2006-2007 seasons, was slotted for a shot in…
Saturday Afternoon: Cobra Starship at Cactus Music
Photo by Linda Leseman Cobra Starship Cactus Music February 23, 2008 Better Than: What’s better than a free show? Download: Listen to songs from the new record on MySpace Judging by the turnout at Saturday’s Cactus Music in-store performance, Cobra Starship has an adamant teenage following in Houston. At least,…
Aeros Win Three in Row
The Aeros had lost three straight games heading into this weekend, but now they’re on a three-game winning streak. They defeated the Syracuse Crunch 5-4 in a shootout on Friday night. They defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 2-1 in overtime on Saturday night, and yesterday they shutout the Rochester Americans 4-0…
Drenched in Blog: The Judy’s Moo Back
Pearland’s The Judy’s have been announced as performers at this year’s Austin Music Awards on March 12. Let’s all hope they haven’t ruled out any secret shows during SXSW. Back in December, their catalog once again became available after years of being out of print. All the new reissues come…
Over the Weekend: Preppies, Forwards and Movie Stars
Morning. Hope everyone had a fun time watching the Oscars. We know Miss Pop Rocks did, but we’ll get to that in a second. First things first… 1 a.m. at Lizzards and 1:30 a.m at Velvet Melvin Bill Olive hit up a couple of bars in Upper Kirby on Saturday…
Rockets-Bulls: Introducing the Next… Bruce Bowen?
As sports fans, we can never leave well enough alone. We’re always in search of the next something. The next Jordan, Magic, Bird, whomever. For whatever reason, we never allow the past, present or future to simply stand on its own. It’s absurd. And yet… one thought kept racing around…
Miss Pop Rocks Loves (the First Half of) the Oscars
As I type this, my belly is swollen with Star Pizza and my dearest pal Tamarie is eating raw cookie dough…yeah, it’s that night. The Oscars. The Super Bowl for girls. The freaking show hasn’t even started yet, and we’ve already eaten too much. So here we go with the…
Radio Houstoned: African Children’s Choir on a Journey of Hope
Click the LISTEN button below for a preview… Angelina Jolie can’t save all the orphans in Africa, can she? Thankfully, the orphans of the African Children’s Choir are saving themselves. The choir, started 23 years ago, takes orphaned or abandoned African children with amazing musical talent on a worldwide tour…
By The Time You Read This, Jennifer Aniston Could Be Dead
By the time you read this, Jennifer Aniston could be dead. Although I suppose it could just as likely end with Angelina on the floor. After all, she’s the one who stole Jen’s pretty boy, so shouldn’t she be the one looking out for Jen’s right hook? For those of…
Houstoned Video: Cow Eyeball Dissection at the Health Museum
It’s not quite as gross as it sounds. Promise. Check it out below…..
Weekend Music: Jucifer Doubles Your Pleasure
Long before the White Stripes became one of the decade’s definitive bands – hell, before Jack and Meg even met, let alone married and divorced – Jucifer were doing the ridiculously loud boy-girl guitar-drums duo thing, only with Amber Valentine handling the amped-up fretwork and Edgar Livengood (Valentine’s offstage companion…
Music, Art Collide in Montrose, Shepherd Plaza
Tonight Houstonians can see, for free, two exhibits that couldn’t be more different, yet that both testify to how crucial photography and visual art can be to music. Luckily, they’re close by. At Sound Exchange (1846 Richmond), the “Gulf Coast Underground Art” show combines Daniel “Sawblade” Shaw’s phantasmagoric drawings, which…
Victoria Silvstedt’s Husband Makes the Show
CBS News must have a thing for former Houston sportscasters. First it was Hannah Storm who, for several years, anchored CBS’s The Early Show. Now it’s Chris Wragge. Who?…
Hey There, Little Lady: David McDavid Nissan Reaches Out to Women
The kind, totally un-condescending patriarchs at David McDavid Nissan have announced the launching of “female-friendly” Web sites designed specifically for women car-shoppers. According to the auto giant’s press release, “The Female Friendly site is an extension of the main site, with many of the same features simply presented in a…
Burning the Midnight Oil with Daryl Morey
Call it the NBA’s version of the shot heard round the world. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, but the moment Memphis Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace dealt Pau Gasol to Los Angeles, general managers around the NBA seemed spurred into a game of one-upmanship; culminating in one of the most fascinating…
Rockets-Heat: A Pair of Pleasant Surprises
I can’t get October 1, 2007 out of my head. I’m in the Rockets locker room after their 112-100 victory over Miami and I’m waiting for Rafer Alston to finish getting dressed so we can start the interview. All the while, I’m vividly recalling the club’s media day on the…
Aeros on the Road
The Houston Aeros come into this weekend in a freefall. They’ve lost three straight, and they’ve only managed one goal total in those three games. Their record, while still above the breakeven point at 27-22-3-2 (59 points), now finds them sitting in seventh place in the AHL Western Conference’s West…
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Austin
6:25 p.m. And we’re in. There’s not quite the circus outside I would’ve expected, although there were some clowns from the Ron Paul campaign, no doubt talking about how their candidate isn’t a racist. (Click here for a slideshow of images from the great outdoors.) 6:35 p.m. I see the…
The Shawn Chacon / Justin Timberlake Connection
The Astros are trying to bring sexy back to baseball. Unfortunately, the signing of free agent pitcher Shawn Chacon is the best way to do that. Chacon, who went 5-4 with 1 save and a 3.94 ERA for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, was signed for one year and two…
To Do: Joe Rogan at the Laff Stop
Ever wondered why Joe Rogan rags on Carlos Mencia so much (besides the obvious fact that the latter totally blows)? Rogan thinks Mencia is a joke thief. Check out the following clip for an example:…
Drenched in Blog: Weird SXSW Alert: Care Bears on Fire
For every breakout band that hits Austin this year, there will be hundreds that trudge back to Omaha and get their jobs back at the video store. Something tells me if this band doesn’t hit it big, they may just try out for the 8th grade volleyball team and record…
Houston’s Golden Horn Is Silenced: Calvin Owens, R.I.P.
Sugar Hill Studios sent out a press release minutes ago announcing the passing of trumpeter Calvin Owens, who led BB King’s band through much of its glory period. The native of Fifth Ward’s Sawdust Alley section, who also played with Big Joe Turner, Archie Bell, T-Bone Walker and Johnny Copeland,…
Web Extra: Amtgard Action
Okay, it might not be 300, but this Amtgard “ditch fight” will hopefully whet your appetite for good ol’-fashioned boffing fun. Amtgarders are always looking for a few good men / women / monsters, so if you think you’ve got what it takes, check out this video and then hop…
Top Ten Bizarre Baseball Injuries
Gesundheit! Well, in light of Hunter Pence’s Monday night incident with the sliding glass door, I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the bizarre injuries which seem to befall major league baseball players. So, in reverse order, I give you my Top Ten Bizarre Baseball…
Woody Williams, Roger Clemens and Steroids: You Better Ask Somebody
The thing about reading these Clemens/McNamee cage match depositions is you learn something new everyday – and judging from what I’ve seen and heard in the news, it’s always something the reporters haven’t learned, because that would mean actually having to read these things, and reading is just something they…
Sliders, Rollers and Monkey Dicks
The trendy little hamburgers called “sliders” are the subject of this week’s review in Café. While I was researching the story, I had trouble pinning down the exact etymology of the word “slider.” Since then I have learned that “sliders” most likely comes from the galley slang of the U.S…
Miss Pop Rocks’s Tips for Going Green
To conserve heat during winter months, drink more alcohol. Because alcohol is nature’s furnace. Stop mowing the lawn. You’ll save gas and all the extra grass will provide a beautiful, undisturbed habitat for God’s bugs. Before you replacing all your regular light bulbs with energy-saving light bulbs, simply steal electricity…
Last Comic Standing Auditions and Showcase
Pack up your puns, one-liners and what’s-the-deal-with’s for the Last Comic Standing Auditions and Showcase. The NBC reality show, which turns a sense of humor into a contest, will make its only stop in Texas at the Improv today. This means local funny guys and gals will have to match…
Regrets Only
Friends and politics don’t always mix. This bit of wisdom is the starting point for Paul Rudnick’s high-concept comedy Regrets Only. Filled with zappy one-liners and a political message, the funny little tale explores what happens when a very successful, thoroughly apolitical gay designer named Hank learns that one of…
“Matter Unmasked,” “Undercurrents” and “Members of the Wedding — A Fantasy Narrative”
FotoFest doesn’t officially start until March, but Hooks-Epstein Galleries is opening three participating exhibitions of photography today. “Matter Unmasked” features photographic collages by Kathryn Dunlevie, who fractures and then reassembles her photos to suggest the building blocks of matter. Les Longues Vacances is a serene beach scene reconstructed into a…
Melancholy Play
Melancholy Play stirs sexy with sad and adds a twist of absurdity. The comic production by Sarah Ruhl (who penned the Pulitzer-nominated The Clean House, which was staged last year at the Alley) stars Tilly, a bank teller whose ho-hum personality attracts both boys and girls. A love quadrangle ensues…
Brand Nubian
In the ‘90s, the New York crew Brand Nubian set itself apart from socially conscious hip-hoppers like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul by taking a more militant approach to politics. A sample from 1994’s “Sweatin Bullets”: “The devils make me sick / I love to fill them…
Hot Fuzz
In 2004, director/writer Edgar Wright and co-writer/actor Simon Pegg impressed critics and slasher flick faithful alike with Shaun of the Dead, a horror comedy that was actually funny. (The parody genre had become a self-parody, with loads of disposable low-budget films that, instead of offering well-written laughs, merely indulged their…
“Production, Not Reproduction: Offset Printed Artist Books”
So what exactly is offset printing anyway? Well, the paper in your hot little hands is one example. Newspapers like the Houston Press start as giant rolls of paper. Those are fed through an offset printing press. Inside the press, inked images … oh, hell, whatever. It’s a printing process,…
G Love and Special Sauce
After 15 years of extensive touring and getting teasingly close to the Billboard Top 20, G. Love & Special Sauce finally found massive, massive exposure thanks to two Virginia Tech students with a Web cam and some spoons. Unless you’ve kept up with semi-successful jam-rock bands of the ‘90s, the…
“Above Ground”
At Premium Goods’s “Above Ground” you can spend more on a pair of limited-edition sneakers than on a piece of original art – and they like it that way. The show features four area artists: Shizoq, Heidi Valdez, Derek Shumate and Melinda Mosheim. “In 2006, I just started to hunt…
Joe Rogan
You may remember Joe Rogan as Joe from News Radio or from his gigs hosting Ultimate Fighting Championship, Fear Factor and The Man Show. But what other comedians will always remember him for is his dedication to outing copycats. Rogan is arguably the most outspoken opponent of popular comedian Carlos…
Wicked Poseur
Wicked Poseur’s “Intoxicating Soap” is a song that makes dancers out of doubters. Listen to the live recording on the local band’s MySpace page, and try to imagine the repetitive opening guitar riffs not drawing you onto the dance floor. Other tracks follow suit with new wave touches — deep,…
Gershwin Glam
The Houston Ballet kicks it up a notch today with Gershwin Glam, a program featuring The Core, a new work by Stanton Welch that’s an ode to George Gershwin and his main stage, New York City. Performers in ‘40s attire (think flirty skirts and lots of leg) will dance to…
Speakerboxx
Rock Boxers jonesin’ for a Thursday night boogie can relocate to Speakerboxx. The weekly event is a spin-off of The Proletariat’s popular dance installment and features two of its resident DJs, Dayta and Squincy Jones. Expect the same mix of hip-hop, indie, ‘80s and pop, as well as guest DJs…
African Children’s Choir
Angelina Jolie can’t save all the orphans in Africa, can she? Thankfully, the orphans of the African Children’s Choir are saving themselves. The choir, started 23 years ago, takes orphaned or abandoned African children with amazing musical talent on a worldwide tour to raise awareness of the plight of Africa’s…
Black History Month Retrospective
Sandra Organ Dance Company has two reasons to celebrate this month: First, this season, which they’ve dubbed “A Season to Remember,” marks the contemporary ballet company’s tenth anniversary. Second, February is Black History Month (and a good time for them to present their many African-American-themed works). Today’s Black History Month…
Hello Dolly!
In 1964, the hit musical Hello Dolly! won a whopping ten Tony Awards and turned Carol Channing into a star. Forty years later, the story, a sweet, wacky tale of love and shenanigans mixed in with some good old brassy Broadway tunes, still delivers. The confection of music and costumes…
Steve Almond
It’s rare that someone else’s rant is tolerable to a listener and rarer still that it’s enjoyable, so writer Steve Almond has achieved quite a feat with his collection of commentaries and essays, (Not That You Asked): Rants, Exploits and Obsessions. The book, which he’ll present today at Brazos Bookstore,…
“Art Official Intelligence”
Texas Southern University hasn’t exactly been getting a lot of positive press coverage lately. (Shout out to Dr. Slade!) Luckily, the University Museum at TSU is a refuge from all the politics and financial fiascos, offering a wonderful permanent collection and championing the work of both well-known and up-and-coming Houston…
“Emotional Realism”
“Emotional Realism,” today’s program at the Aurora Picture Show, has the kind of artsy-fartsy title that usually just sounds smart without actually telling you anything. In this case, though, the show, curated by Canadian multimedia artists Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby, could not have been better named. “Emotional Realism”…
Katherine Paterson
The characters in author Katherine Paterson’s books for children are not awash in sunshine and lollipops. They are picked on, abandoned, orphaned and bullied -— and young readers love them for it. Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia (the story of two children who find a wonderland that was recently…
British Television Advertising Awards
Not all commercials are created equal. You can see what we mean at today’s British Television Advertising Awards. The show is like Super Bowl Sunday for British commercials. These spots transfix viewers instead of sending them packing to the kitchen for snacks or channel surfing for something better. One winning…
Lisa Landolt and Jo Barrett
Some people are just faster at sex than others. Author Lisa Landolt proved that by writing her debut novel, Good Man Hunting, in just ten days. The plot revolves around Sandra Greene, who can’t get a boyfriend. She agrees to let the Hunt Club, a group of wealthy socialites, hook…
Love Is a Disability
The theater is for everyone. Nobody knows that better than Deborah Nowinski, founder and artistic director of Dionysus Theatre, a company devoted to breaking down barriers by mixing disabled actors into the cast of the company’s family-friendly shows. The award-winning group usually focuses on shows like the sweetly tart You’re…
Margot at the Wedding, American Gangster: Unrated Extended Edition, Lust, Caution, Excellent Cadavers
Margot at the Wedding (Paramount) Margot (Nicole Kidman, or someone who looks just like her) is a fiction writer whose tales are based, uncomfortably and unkindly, on the real-life family for whom she seems to care very little. Hence, sister Pauline’s (Jennifer Jason Leigh) late discovery that Margot’s a “monster”…
Joe Lally, Edie Sedgwich
Former Fugazi bassist Joe Lally has been both blessed and cursed by working with Ian MacKaye. Anytime you can collaborate with a musician of MacKaye’s stature, you wind up better for it; the problem is, you also tend to get a bit overshadowed. That’s what happened to Lally. A talented…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Gem of the Ocean, Illyria, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Scarlet Pimpernel,
Gem of the Ocean This is the first play in August Wilson’s monumental ten-drama series chronicling the American black experience during the 20th century with one work for each decade. Gem introduces us to Aunt Ester, a mysterious legend among African-Americans in Pittsburgh. The one character that appears throughout the…
Patterns of Abuse in Taxi to the Dark Side
At the crosswalk the other day, I noticed something peeking out from the usual pasting of flyers on the light pole in front of me. It looked like an address label. In a nondescript font was printed: “OUT OF IRAQ” — a plea unlikely to persuade any policymakers who happened…
Charlie Bartlett Could Use a Dose of Mean
Like most wannabe heroes of the eager-to-please teen comedy, poor little rich boy Charlie Bartlett is charming and quirky. Too charming by half and not nearly quirky enough, as played by an artfully rumpled and wide-eyed Anton Yelchin. Blazered, briefcased and blitzed, Charlie comes to us newly expelled from his…
Are You Hot Enough for Citizen Lounge?
Ever had a doorman tell you and your friends, “Sorry, guys, the club is full? ” Well, we hate to be the ones to tell you this, but that’s just a nice way of saying, “You’re not quite hot enough to get in here.” Yep. It sucks. It’s occupational code-speak, doorman-ese…
Chantal Akerman turns the everyday into the extraordinary
Chantal Akerman: Moving Through Time and Space” at the Blaffer Gallery will quietly blow away just about any video installation you have ever seen. Organized by the Blaffer in collaboration with the MIT List Visual Arts Center, the Miami Art Museum and the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, the show…
Be Kind Rewind Is a Muddle
The pleasures of Be Kind Rewind do not extend far beyond the promise of its premise: Jack Black, magnetized and manic (yawn), erases every single video tape in the rental store where he hangs out and has to reshoot the movies with pal Mos Def. Theirs becomes a ramshackle filmography…
Rap’s Rapidly Vanishing Female MC
In the ever-declining market of hip-hop, it’s becoming more and more apparent that one of its greatest losses may be its estrogen count. Ten years ago, female rappers were steadily gaining on the success of their male counterparts. Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown coasted on the multiplatinum sales of their…
Mexican Problems and the Iberian Peninsula
Dear Mexican, Why do you suppose Mexico has such a hard time getting its act together? It has vast natural resources, a good climate, natural ports, super-generous and good-looking neighbors, and plenty of laborers who seem to be willing to do all sorts of crappy jobs. But instead of having…
The Band’s Visit Is Smart and Dry
Earlier this fall, The Band’s Visit made headlines after being disqualified as Israel’s foreign-language submission to the 2008 Academy Awards — an ironic fate, indeed, for a movie that takes language as its very subject. The official ruling of the Oscar referees was that too much of the film’s dialogue…
Little Bitty Burger Barn
Little Bitty’s Sliders” were four mini hamburgers topped with caramelized onions served on tiny toasted rolls. The cute little burgers seemed like the thing to order at Little Bitty Burger Barn, a cute little burger joint located in a double-wide trailer on Pinemont near Antoine. My dining companion, a burger-obsessed…
Hunan Restaurant Gives Birth to Gigi’s Asian Bistro and Dumpling House
James Huang, one of the pioneers of Asian cuisine in Houston, opened the white-tablecloth Hunan Restaurant on Post Oak in 1976, then added a downtown location (812 Capitol) in 2000. The Post Oak restaurant recently closed because of renovations at the shopping center it occupied, but Gigi, James’s daughter, plans…
Golem
Jewish and Eastern European ethnic-based music has become one of the decade’s unlikeliest and liveliest strains of indie-rock. Much closer to the raucous gypsy-wedding reels of Gogol Bordello than the orchestral serenity of DeVotchKa, New York’s Golem is one of the fastest-rising new stars of this burgeoning movement. Founded by…
The Signal Comes Through Loud and Clear
“Do you have the crazy?” a wild-eyed zombie fighter demands of his duct-taped captive. The Signal has the crazy all right, bless its cold and sick little heart. A roundelay/tag-team triptych filmed by three directors in the hitherto-untapped zombie haven of Atlanta, this uneven but impressive shot-on-digital shocker earns a…
Pearl Bar’s Pearl Martini
A quick cure for headaches, heartaches or boredom is Sunday-afternoon cocktails at a laid-back, friendly bar with super-cool friends. I proved this theory on a recent sunny Sunday at the Pearl Bar (4216 Washington Ave., 713-868-5337) with new pals Lisa and Jenny. To get us started on the road to…
Local Motion at Cactus Music
Cactus Music 2110 Portsmouth, 713-526-9272 1. Carolyn Wonderland, Miss Understood 2. The Judy’s, Washarama 3. Sheryl Crow, Detours 4. Drive-By Truckers, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark 5. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular 6. Shelby Lynne, Just a Little Lovin’ 7. Jack Johnson, Sleep Through the Static 8. Nada Surf, Lucky 9. Mando Saenz,…
Multi-Perspective, Mega-Annoying Vantage Point
Remember the 1985 movie version of the Parker Brothers whodunit board game Clue, with its pre-DVD-era gimmick of multiple endings? Well, Vantage Point is like that, only instead of multiple endings, it gives us multiple beginnings. Oh, and Vantage Point, to the best of my knowledge, isn’t supposed to be…
Live-Action Role-Players Get Boffed in Amtgard
Today’s battle has been tough on the one called Germ. Early on, he took a shield to the nose, knocking him to his knees. This was followed a short while later by the unfortunate meeting of Germ’s face with an opponent’s staff. Sure, the weapons are padded, but with a…
Good Dog and Bad Owners
Team Lobo: I have to side with Lobo on this [“Save Lobo,” by Todd Spivak, February 7]. The Justice of the Peace erred by ordering a dog put down who never harmed anyone. However, Lobo’s family should be aware that if you don’t know a particular dog, especially one as…
Hell Yes: Devil May Cry 4
Let’s just get it out right now: “Devil May Cry” is a weak-ass name for a wicked action game. But what’s in a name? In three previous outings, the brutal, hella-challenging series has consistently delivered some of the greatest hack-and-slash thrills in the genre. Sure, the setup’s as old as sin:…
Local Punks Something Fierce Try to Act Their Age
Something Fierce guitarist/singer Steven Garcia and bassist Nikki Sevven sit, sans drummer Andrew Keith, at a table in Rudyard’s. “Montrose’s Living Room” is a favorite work and play spot for the band, who often ply their Buzzcocks-inspired garage-pop on the upstairs stage. Last month, they also rocked the Casbah as…
Tax Break for the Rich; Roger Clemens at the Capitol; Green Sex
Houston accountant Tim Hebert is pissed about his property taxes. So he decided to do a little research at the Harris County Appraisal District Web site. And there he learned that in 2007, while his taxes were going up, Mayor Bill White’s Memorial-area home had gotten a huge tax break,…
Davie Allan & the Arrows, 3 Balls of Fire
When pressed for an answer, Davie Allan readily admits, “I was never on a motorcycle!” That’s a brave confession for the man Rolling Stone calls the “undisputed boss hog of biker-movie soundtracks.” Allan is also the undisputed king of fuzz guitar, having written and performed scores for more than two…
Trophy Catch at Islamorada Fish Company
Trophy catch: It is hard to resist the lure of the grouper Reuben sandwich at Islamorada Fish Company (1000 Bass Pro Dr., inside the Bass Pro Shop, 713-770-5000). One slice of toasted rye bread is covered in melted Swiss, and the other is spread with a thinly shredded slaw mixed with…
Leslie & the LY’s
They’re festive, bright-knit garments in solid colors or, at their jazziest, maybe an animal print. Their most distinguishing characteristic, though, is a neckline crowded with all manner of shiny baubles, mainly rhinestones and bugle beads. And these tops are often abandoned by the dozens, criminally forgotten in the dustier sections…
Carrie Ann and the Apocalyptics: Strong Wind
Carrie Ann Buchanan may have the best pure vocal tone in Houston. When properly used, her voice is truly an expressive instrument: It soars, rolls, swings and dives, melding an obvious jazz influence with a roots-rock soul. Strong Wind, the debut CD from Buchanan’s stalwart band the Apocalyptics, is chock-full…
Hot Chip: Made in the Dark
London’s Hot Chip has a well-deserved reputation as a stellar live act that can sell out large clubs and draw huge festival crowds, but the band has struggled to make a killer record that exemplifies its members’ vast studio-equipment knowledge. Previous recordings have sounded too polished, but third album Made…
The Mighty Orq
The Mighty Orq is a living, breathing piece of Texas’s musical heritage. Although the band’s music is firmly steeped in the dive-bar blues and boogie-rock of such legends as ZZ Top and Stevie Ray, Orq applies a fresh sense of melody and plenty of poppy hooks, bringing an incredible amount…
Saba: Jidka
Though this Somalian-born singer-songwriter shares a few vocal similarities with Shakira, she does have a distinctive style. Not unlike the Colombian pop star, Saba mixes traditional elements from her native country with contemporary European-influenced instrumentation. Throughout the disc she celebrates her heritage, singing mostly in the Xamar Weyne dialect that…
A New Official State Song for Texas?
Florida did something unusual recently. Shocking, I know, but this wasn’t unusual because it happened in the Sunshine State, rather because it happened at all. Last month, the state adopted a new official song, “Florida (Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky),” written by an elementary-school music teacher from Fort Lauderdale…
Jonny Greenwood: There Will Be Blood: Original Music by Jonny Greenwood
How unfortunate would it be if all the furor surrounding the latest Radiohead album eclipsed this new orchestral film score composed by lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood? Those seeking Greenwood’s rock sensibilities or the echoes of Radiohead’s modernist approach won’t find a trace of them here. Devoid of guitar, this score…
Capsule Art Reviews: “AES+F,” “Agustina Nuñez: Little Polymorphous,” “Flicker Fusion,” “The Thames Mudlarks”
“AES+F” AES+F is a Russian art powerhouse comprised of Tatiana Arzamasova, a conceptual architect; Lev Evzovitch, a conceptual architect and filmmaker; Evgeny Svyatsky, a graphic artist; and Vladimir Fridkes, a fashion photographer for the likes of Vogue. The group combine their diverse skills to spectacular effect: Their work is slick,…
The World’s a Prison in The Unseen
Craig Wright has been super-busy. In addition to all the plays he’s written, the man has penned scripts for some of TV’s hottest shows, including Lost, Six Feet Under and Brothers and Sisters. Not bad for a guy who earned a Masters in Divinity and worked as a fishmonger along…
Bayousphere
Buddy, I think if you move up a foot or two closer you can get an even better shot of her cleavage. And an even bigger smile on your face. Sheyla Almeida poses at the Zone D’Erotica for a couple of very enthusiastic amateur photographers at the store’s Valentine’s Fashion…
Our top DVD picks scheduled for release this week
Black Water (Sony) Catacombs (Lionsgate) Chaos (Lionsgate) Cops: 20th Anniversary Edition (Fox) The Death of Adolf Hitler (Koch Vision) The Easter Bunny Is Comin’ to Town (1977) (Warner Bros.) The Final Inquiry (Fox) Gangsters: The Ultimate Film Collection (Universal) German Expressionism Collection (Kino) In the Valley of Elah (Warner Bros.)…