“Lisa Gralnick: The Gold Standard”
In the exhibition “Lisa Gralnick: The Gold Standard,” Gralnick explores our complicated relationship with the precious metal. One work, The Gold Standard #9, is made up of a stack of plastered lightbulbs, one with an 18-karat gold tip worth $162, the equivalent of a one-month bill for a three-bedroom house…
“2011 Core Exhibition”
See if you can spot the winner of the prestigious Long prize, which includes a $10,000 cash award, at this year’s eagerly anticipated “2010-2011 Core Exhibition.” While the show is made up of works by the 12 Core Program Fellows, only second-year fellows are eligible for the Long prize, which…
“A Twenty Year Survey: Mark Bradford”
For the past 22 years, Mark “Scrapdaddy” Bradford has had an entry in every Art Car Parade, but “Mark David Bradford: aka ‘Scrapdaddy’” is his first showing at the Art Car Museum. In fact, although Bradford’s work has been seen across the globe, he’s never had an actual solo exhibition…
Green Clover Fun Run
The Goose’s Acre Running Club will be hosting its very first Green Clover Fun Run for charity, with all proceeds going to St. Baldricks Organization. Registration will take place on the March 12 from 8 to10 a.m. at The Goose’s Acre. The fun run is a 5K and will start…
Brian O’Neill’s 3rd Annual Shamrock Shuffle
Brian O’Neill’s 3rd Annual Shamrock Shuffle consists of the usual 5K Fun Run and 1K Kids Run benefiting the Houston Ronald McDonald House. The 5K run will start at 10 a.m., while the kids’ run will start at 10:30 a.m. The registration fees are $30 dollars until March 11, and…
Sexy Kilt Contest
The annual Sexy Kilt Contest is back again this year. Men and women are welcome, so throw on a skirt for a chance to win one of the cash prizes awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners. The show starts at 11 p.m.; 21 and older. For information, call Brandi…
St. Patrick’s Day at 88 Keys The Piano Bar
The Piano Bar is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with its specialty drink, the Leapin’ Leprechaun. Made from vodka, Midori, and a splash of pineapple juice, the Leapin’ Leprechaun is perfect for sitting back, relaxing, and listening to the dulcet tones of a piano. Feb. 24-March 17, 2011…
Mardi Gras! Galveston
Grab your party shoes, it’s time for Mardi Gras! Galveston. This is the 100th public celebration of the debauchery-fueled holiday on the island city, and organizers promise everything is bigger and better than ever. (The first Mardi Gras Galveston was held in 1867, but wars, hurricanes and a beleaguered economy…
Marie
She was a queen, and she was a victim. She was a snob, and she was an object of ridicule. She was the stuff of legend and, it seems, perfect fodder for a full-length ballet. Marie, based on the life of French queen Marie Antoinette, isn’t the “Let them eat…
Comment of the Day
Today Craig D. Lindsey made some recipes from Shannen Doherty’s Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life with Style and (the Right) Attitude, with mixed results. Commenter Ali was ready with an explanation for the less-than-stellar recipes: Y’all, Brenda learned all she knows about cooking from Nat at The Peach…
George Rodriguez: New DNA Evidence Proves Innocence
George Rodriguez, 50, served 17 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of rape. He got out in 2004 after a jury overturned the conviction, but it’s only now that moves are being made to declare him innocent. District Attorney Pat Lykos announced today that DNA evidence proves Rodriguez did…
Sneak Peek at Blue Fish (No, the Other Blue Fish)
I have to wonder if, when Dallas-based Blue Fish set its sights on Houston, they realized that there was already two restaurants here with the same name. Not just any restaurants, but fellow sushi restaurants — and fairly popular ones at that. Confusion is bound to play out for the…
“Whacko From Waco” & 10 Other Batsh!t Texas Songs
Happy Texas Independence Day, everyone. Today The Only State That Matters officially enters its 175th year of pissing off the lesser 49 states and producing the best music anywhere on Earth. One of Texas’ biggest honky-tonk heroes is of course Billy Joe Shaver, who is now back on the outlaw-country…
Texas Forces Women to See Their Fetus’s Facebook Page (Possibly)
The Texas House of Representatives spent much of today debating a bill to force women who are seeking abortions to view a sonogram of their fetus. If there is a more august body to discuss such a bill, we don’t know what it is. Unless it’s the Ohio legislature, which…
Eating Red Beans and Rice Without a Fork
I make a killer red beans and rice. It’s so simple and easy to do, it always makes me flinch a little when I get the urge to order it at a restaurant – unless I’m in New Orleans, where it just comes with the territory, along with po-boys, hurricanes…
Ira Perez: Fierce As The Tiger She Will One Day Own
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com. Recently, we happened across a performance by Ira…
Top Five: The SXSW Film Festival
Last week, we gave you our picks for the best bets at the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, which is becoming a hot ticket to rival the flagship music festival. Today we look forward to the SXSW Film Festival (March 11 – 20), which for years has been Texas’ highest…
Sheila Jackson Lee Gets Another Shellacking
In a story that will surprise virtually no one in Houston, the Daily Caller has a harsh, lengthy profile of Sheila Jackson Lee as a boss. The bottom line: She’s not a good one. Many of the tales of staffers being screamed at, made to wait for hours, scramble on…
I Was a Celebrity Goat Milker
See pictures of some of Houston’s biggest media names milking goats, and the hilarity that ensued, in our slideshow. A lifelong dream, a dream that was once a daily reality for my farm-bound Czech ancestors, was achieved yesterday as I firmly grasped the milk-laden teats of a goat named Brownie…
Health Department Roundup
Sometimes, we wonder whether all the health regulations the city enforces actually keep people from getting sick. Were you more likely to suffer unpleasant food-related maladies 50 years ago, when restaurant regulations were less stringent? (We hesitate to call a point in which black and Jewish people weren’t allowed in…
10 Albums We’re Not Supposed To Like But Do
In everyone’s record collection there are junk-food albums, the ones that you feel bad for consuming but coat your ears with happy, because you have been conditioned by everyone else to either hate them or disown them. But when push comes to shove on that media player or stereo, the…
HISD: Still No Specifics Named in Planned Magnet School Reformation
“We’re paying for these people to be our consultants?” one mother whispered to another, rolling her eyes. They and about 13 other parents were gathered in the HISD board room late yesterday afternoon, waiting for a presentation to begin by two former school administrators-turned-consultants from Wake County, North Carolina. HISD…
Fried Chicken from Kroger
It is one of life’s truly great pleasures to find something delicious in an unexpected place. The best meal of my life was found a few years back at a small Japanese restaurant in a non-descript strip mall on the edge of the Columbus, Ohio suburbs. It was wonderful food,…
Cover Story: Connecting H Gallery to Three Prominent Recent Art Scams
This week’s feature is the account of an alleged art heist conducted by an art gallery in the Heights. Over a dozen local and Texas artists claim that Heidi Powell-Prera and her mother Sandy Bernstein, the owner/operators of H Gallery on West 19th Street, have been scamming artists for the…
Top 5: Latin Eateries
Plantains, beans, rice, slow cooked pork, spicy sauces – these are just but a few foods that come to mind when I think of Latin food. We have such a richly diverse Latin population in Houston that narrowing down the five best is extremely difficult. For the sake of fairness,…
Video Pick: Gays With Guns
Metropolis TV is a Dutch website with a unique twist on investigative reporting. All of its stories are produced by local filmmakers, consisting of more than 60 award-winning documentarians all over the world. Each week, correspondents are given a topic and asked to document it locally. A recent assignment, for…
Kirko Bangz Debuts New Mixtape, Makes Women Excited
Kirko Bangz is, at the moment, the most commercially viable option within the New Houston Collective. Tuesday night, he released his DJ Drama cosigned mixtape, Procrastination Kills 3, and hosted a mixer at SF2 to celebrate. They handed out free copies of the tape while he chatted up everyone and…
James Whitehead: Vet’s Family Sues Orange PD Over Police Shooting
Suit filed in federal courtThe survivors of an Army veteran who was shot by an off-duty Orange cop at an auto parts store are suing the officer and the city. James Whitehead was shot by Orange police captain Robert Arnold in July of last year during an altercation over whether…
Niko Niko’s on Market Square Is the Next Chapter In a Restaurant’s Long, Storied History
Back in 2001, Wendy Grossman wrote “Elbow Greece,” a feature for the Houston Press on the long and fascinating history of what was — at that time — already a stalwart Houston favorite: Niko Niko’s. Eleni Fetokakis runs her Greek-American cafe, Niko Niko’s, with a German work ethic. She tells…
Last Night: Clay Walker At RodeoHouston
Clay Walker Reliant Stadium March 1, 2011 Check out pictures from Clay Walker’s show, Rodeo’s opening night, and all the midway has to offer in our slideshow. This year’s round of RodeoHouston performers began with Gov. Rick Perry, Clay Walker, a truckload of patriotism, and a few tears. Those things…
“100 Creatives” Starts Tomorrow on Art Attack
Art Attack is about to begin a project in which we profile 100 Houston artists of all stripes. It’s not a best-of-Houston list; it’s not in any particular order. Simply called “100 Creatives,” it’s a way to introduce you to some of our already-notable artists in the visual and performing…
Gadhafi: Libya’s a Lot Like Waco
Libya leader Muammar Gadhafi, (a.k.a. He Of Many Spellings), the absolute top man these days for giving bizarre speeches who isn’t named Charlie Sheen, rocked the house again today. In a sprawling speech that sometimes, but not too often, flirted with reality, Gadhafi said the young protesters had been given…
Cooking a Badass Feast the Shannen Doherty Way
Last weekend, some friends and I embarked on a one-of-a-kind culinary journey. It was an evening of food and feasting the likes of which we’ll probably never encounter again, mainly because my friends don’t want to go through it ever again. That Saturday evening, we cooked recipes from Shannen Doherty’s…
Last Night: Diana Ross At Verizon Wireless Theater
Diana Ross Verizon Wireless Theater March 1, 2011 See photos of the legendary Diana Ross in our slideshow. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. Blame it on David Bowie, but Aftermath couldn’t help thinking that while settling into our balcony seat at Verizon Tuesday. Diana Ross and her deluxe band were…
Prison Legal News No Longer Banned in Galveston Jail
We told you last year about a suit filed by the owners of Prison Legal News, who said officials at the Galveston County Jail were banning their publication (and pretty much all others). A settlement has been reached, and not only is PLN being delivered to prisoners, the county has…
Recipe: Portobello Pizza
I hate to admit it, but lately many of those good eating habits that I had adopted at the beginning of the year seem to be falling by the wayside. The best way to get myself back on track is to cook healthy and delicious dishes that will keep me…
Playing the Silences
The 2009 comedy Untitled is an affectionate send up of New York City’s pretentious and fashionably hermetic conceptual art and “new music” scenes. Its two main characters, a beautiful, black rubber-clad gallery owner and a scowling, piano abusing composer, share a passion for art and music, and mutual disgust for…
Idol Beat: Male Fraud
Steve Tyler wore a shirt with lips all over it. I couldn’t decide if he was being knowingly self-referential or it was the work of the same costume designer who put him in that leotard in the “Love in an Elevator” video.neither way, it fulfilled its purpose of distracting me…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Joe Apa of Rudz
Sitting at the bar at Rudz, I noticed that Chef Joe Apa was having one of his epic beer tastings on Valentine’s Day, serving five courses paired with beer. I had never been to one of these events, which usually fall on the last Thursday of the month. The dinner…
Comment of the Day: Henry Lee Lucas Redux?
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Rodeo Gunshots: The Video
Channel 39 got its hands on some cellphone camera footage of the gunshots fired over the weekend at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. (In case you’re wondering, the scoreboard so far shows one shooting incident, one cop-allegedly-throwing-tear-gas incident.) Of course, it’s blurry, shaky and very short, but the gunshots…
An Exclusive Look Inside Predator: The Musical
Since 2002, Jon and Al Kaplan have been turning some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters in musicals. Their first effort was Silence of the Lambs, which has gone on to such great success than a new production of it opened last year in London. They’re also on our list of golden…
Duct Tape Holding Pollution Equipment Together: So Bad Even Texas AG Acts
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott took precious time off from suing the federal government to get it to stop forcing Texas to enforce Clean Air provisions in order to do a little Clean Air-ing of his own. Abbott’s office charged Gulf Chemical & Metallurgical Corporation with violating environmental standards. How…
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. Great Food Houston: It seems like downtown has no shortage of fabulous…
Houston’s Six Best Archeological Sites
We were intrigued by Brittanie Shey’s visit to the Camp Logan ruins in Memorial Park last month, so we wondered: Where are the best spots in the Houston area to do some archeological exploring? We asked Louis Aulbach, one of the best Houston historians, for some help. “In the Houston…
An Inspector Calls Pays Off, Predictably
The Setup: Don’t expect fireworks. But for the patient, a highly satisfactory evening can be passed watching J.B. Priestley’s drawing room drama, An Inspector Calls, here set in a formal dining room. The plot is a series of revelations, revolving around the closely knit, though quarrelsome, Birling family. The plot…
Jessica Tata: DA Pat Lykos Says Don’t Blame Me for Her Getting Away (UPDATED with HFD Response)
District Attorney Pat Lykos had an afternoon press conference today to rebut claims that her office did not act quickly enough in the case of Jessica Tata, who owned a daycare where four kids died in a fire, allowing Tata to escape to Nigeria. “Suggestions that anyone in the district…
Made In Houston: Chloe Dao’s Lot 8
There’s no typical month for Chloe Dao–there’s barely a typical day. But that’s the life of a successful fashion designer. “Mondays, there is a staff meeting to go over schedules, goals and projects; figure out what’s selling, what’s not…doing special orders for QVC and production notes. That’s about the only…
Comment of the Day
Katharine Shilcutt had a disastrous brunch at Tiny Boxwood’s, and the commenters by and large agreed with her that the place is overrated. But one commenter, Mai Pham, made us want to give it a try, anyway: I can see why the experience was less than stellar, but I’ll go…
Top Five Songs About Horses
Rocks Off’s regular readers presumably know by now that we love few things more than offbeat anniversaries, and recently we came across one of the oddest yet. Thirty-two years ago Monday, on Feb. 28, 1979, the “actor” who played the original Mr. Ed in the 1960s TV show passed away…
Vintage Houston Restaurant Postcards: The Days of Wine and Roses
Although a good handful of Houston restaurants have been around at least as long as my grandparents, the general rule of thumb in this city is that restaurants live fast and die young. And although you rarely find postcards of current restaurants anymore, in any city, we have that dying…
The Definitive Duke Basketball Flopping Anthology (with VIDEO)
The calendar flip-over from February to March has a definitive feel to it, different than most “calendar flips.” Most of them tend to blend into one another, but March 1 definitely feels like the beginning of something. Most will say it feels like renewal with spring coming up. Good weather…
Charlie Sheen’s New Drug Ad
It’s all been a crazy marketing scheme!! Expect to see this ad in upcoming issues of Newsweek, AARP Magazine, Reader’s Digest and High Times…
Wine of the Week: Intipalka 2009 Ica Valley Tannat
It wasn’t so much the origin of this wine that interested me- it’s the last of three samples from Peru reviewed for Wine of the Week. But the varietal, Tannat, is something that I’ve never tried before on its own. Tannat is a red grape that was originally grown in…
Michael Hamby: HPD Cop Accused of Throwing Tear Gas at BBQ Cook-Off Competitor
People take the barbecue seriously in Texas. But even some competitors would draw the line at throwing tear gas. Not Houston police officer Michael Hamby, if reported allegations are true. Media outlets are saying he’s been relieved of duty after allegedly tossing a tear-gas canister into the tent of a…
Who Was The Best Female Artist Of The ’90s?
Rocks Off Sr. was straightening up our office a few days ago, something that happens like clockwork every time Middle Eastern governments start toppling like dominos. In one of the piles and piles of al fresco CDs, we ran across two of our favorite albums of the ’90s. Two spins…
The Chicken Liver and Pastrami Sandwich at Kenny and Ziggy’s
The problem with the Reuben at Kenny and Ziggy’s is that it has its own gravitational pull. Not only is the sandwich large enough to encourage small moons into orbit, it’s also such an amazing example of its genre that it makes deviation difficult. As soon as I slide into…
Television in the `70s & `80s: Long, Long Attention Span Theater
YouTube goodness stumbled upon: The opening of a new campus for Alvin Community College. Note how much airtime is expended on this. Note the fashions. Note Dave Ward. Of course, it’s not like you didn’t have a choice back then. As this pitch for advertisers from Channel 67(Huh?) shows, you…
Morbid Curiosity: The Month in Notable Deaths
People just won’t stop dying. It’s a never-ending line of death in this world, sometimes tragic, sometimes expected, but always worth a bit of reflection. Here’s a look back (in no particular order) at some notable people who passed away in February. Tura Satana Grindhouse film star Tura Satana (above)…
Houston Needs An Urban Cowboy Statue, Y’all
For the past month, you have no doubt been reading about a group in Detroit lobbying for a Robocop statue in their city to commemorate the fictional (we believe) robotic law enforcement titan created by the evil corporate goons of OCP, using deceased Detroit officer James Murphy. Detroit mayor Dave…
Go, Tomato
February 15 gets its own heart sticker on my Hello Kitty calendar — it means I’ve rolled past Valentine’s, and frost days are likely behind us in Houston. Now I can hazard the other thing I’m a fool for: growing tomatoes. Tomatoes are native to mountain streams of the Peruvian…
DPS Warns the Three People Thinking of Going to Mexico Border Towns for Spring Break Not To
The Texas Department of Public Safety has told Spring Break revelers they shouldn’t go into border towns in Mexico, leading to the question: Were people actually planning to go into Mexican border towns this Spring Break? Apparently so. DPS says Americans should stay on this side of the border, both…
Rodeo Food: By The Numbers
The first day of March is here, with a crisp cold front to kick off the annual Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo season (although this past weekend’s World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest is the real kick-off point). I’m hoping the weather will stay this cool for Thursday, when I’ll be heading…
The Census Reveals La Nueva Houston
Ever since the census figures for Texas have come out, people have been digging through them, inventing incredibly complex interactive maps, coming up with new insights. One chart from the city of Houston, on the changing racial/demographic makeup of our town, reveals that the white and Hispanic populations are going…
Inside A Brand-New Label With AMG MC Marcus Manchild
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. Something you always wanted to…
RIP Jane Russell
Jane Russell, star of The Outlaw, The Paleface, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Double Dynamite with Groucho Marx, passed away Monday at the age of 89 in Santa Maria, California. She was one of the last of the great pinup bombshells from the ’40s and ’50s, rising to stardom with help…
Noah’s Kitchen Locked Out, But Not Locked Down
I got Amber Rodriguez on the phone in the middle of a run to Sam’s, restocking on supplies to reopen her business. Her business is Noah’s Kitchen, a non-profit charity organization that makes both hot and cold meals and hands them out to the homeless and needy around Houston. They…
8-Liner Crackdown Brings Grief to the Mathematically Impaired
Nancy Donalson: One of the alleged ringleadersHouston cops have arrested five people after a lengthy undercover operation found they were running a lucrative 8-liner operation in several area locations. Police say they seized “$1.5 million dollars in currency, nearly $200,000 in bank account assets, 10-acre river-front property in Brazoria County,…
Elaine Bradford’s Elephant in the Room
The vogue for public art in Houston continues apace and even seems to be spreading to the suburbs, with Elaine Bradford snagging the commission for an installation at the Vinson Branch of the Houston Public Library. Bradford opted to fill the library’s rotunda with a sitting elephant plus a gaggle…
Marcos Witt: Christian Superstar, Houston’s Best-Kept Secret
Marcos Witt has won four Latin Grammys, written 10 books, and has more than a million fans on Facebook. Considering he’s also a Houstonian, we were confused as to why we’d never heard anything about him. After some investigative work, we discovered that his niche is obscure, one that we…
Dale Allen Richardson Jr.: This Badge Means I’m an Attorney!
A 28-year-old Plano man is going to federal prison for more than five years after falsely claiming to be a lawyer — despite submitting a badge declaring him to be an “Officer of the Court” of the Cherokee Nation. That’s not good enough? Well, it isn’t when a clerk for…
Today Is National Pancake Day. Plain Old Pancake Day is NEXT Tuesday.
Whether you prefer buttermilk, wheat, blueberry, or banana nut, few things compare with the simple satisfaction of a fresh, hot stack of enthusiastically buttered pancakes, dripping with maple syrup. Variations of the dish can be found in almost every culture the world over — from the French crepe, to the…
Derrick Anthony Lopez: Gets Into a Restaurant Fight, Shoots Eight-Year-Old Girl
HPDDerrick Lopez: Drive-by shooting hits eight-year-old girlA fight in a restaurant led to a drive-by shooting that left an eight-year-old girl critically injured, Houston police say. Derrick Anthony Lopez, 26, has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault with serious bodily injury in connection with the Sunday incident near Hobby…
The Aeros Get Healthy, Prep for the End
John RoyalCasey Wellman reacts to his game-winning goal on FridayIt’s the homestretch for the Houston Aeros. Just over a month left and 17 games. If they survive this patch they’re in the playoffs. But surviving this patch, getting through these 17 games, that may be the tough part. A hockey…
Food Fight: Jersey Breakfast Sandwich
As a Jersey native, I consider the breakfast sandwich to be a sacred item. With magical hangover-healing powers, the traditional Jersey breakfast sandwich consists of pork roll — Taylor Ham is the most well-known brand of the crispy, salty, delicious, life-altering pork roll — fried egg and cheese between two…
What Community Responsibilities Do Rappers Have?
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday or thereabouts, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. “Don’t nobody care about how much your watch cost” This Week’s Panel: Z-Ro, Paul Wall, Bun B, D-Risha, Delo, Renzo, Kyle Hubbard, John Dew,…
New On DVD: 127 Hours, Burlesque, Love & Other Drugs
(Capsule reviews by Eric Hynes, Dan Kois and Karina Longworth) 127 Hours Watch what James Franco–actor/sleepy grad student/tepid writer/viral video comedian/ conceptual artist/aficionado of gender fuckery–can accomplish when he actually focuses for a couple of weeks. In Danny Boyle’s latest, Franco plays Aron Ralston, who in 2003 cut off his…
Upcoming: Bob Seger, Duran Duran, The Low Anthem, Etc.
Black Label Society, All That Remains, Hail The Villain: Wed., May 11. House of Blues. “St. Patrick’s Day Party” with The Blaggards, Come See My Dead Person, Allen Oldies Band: Thu., March 17. Continental Club. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: Sat., April 30. Toyota Center. Bret Michaels: Thu.,…
Off the Wall: Fit for a King?
Joanna O’Leary’s recent post about frosted cookies created quite a stir amongst readers. But one comment stood out, and to no surprise, it was from one of my favorite responders–trisch. I don’t know trisch, but can tell she’s a “glass half full” kind of gal. She writes: “Yesterday I was…
Comment of the Day: Tough Day at the Antique Show
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Me and Charlie Sheen
Barely a week has passed since Charlie Sheen’s Krakatoa-style career meltdown and it’s already hard to think of anything new to say about it. You’ve already got warlock pictures, expert rehab advice from Dr. Drew (who’s already threatening to topple Dr. Phil as Most Annoyingly Omnipresent Medical TV Windbag) and…
I Come To Praise Charlie Sheen, Not To Bury Him
Sort of. Barely a week has passed since Charlie Sheen’s Krakatoa style career meltdown and it’s already hard to think of anything new to say about it. You’ve already got warlock pictures, expert rehab advice from Dr. Drew (who’s already threatening to topple Dr. Phil as Most Annoyingly Omnipresent TV…
The Wacky Adventures Of Frederic Chopin’s Heart
Today is Fredric Chopin’s 201st birthday, although some sources claim he was actually born on February 22. Chopin’s incredible nocturnes, pale complexion, consumption, and melancholy outlook have more than once prompted Rocks Off to christen him the Original Goth. He remains a towering figure of piano composition, and speaking as…
VVM Hosts Our First Ever SXSWi Party and You’re Invited
Village Voice Media is pretty legendary for our party and showcase during the music portion of South By Southwest. (Seriously, have you checked out 2011’s line-up?) This year, for the first time, we’re also hosting a party for SXSW Interactive. The party will take place March 14 from 10 p.m…
Where Are We Drinking?
A beer, a cigarette and the comforting light of a glowing bar. Does this scene full of neon dreams look familiar to you? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
Robert Anthony Realyvasquez, 19, Bayou Body Count No. 27
A 19-year-old man is dead after being shot several times in the head at a northside apartment complex early Saturday morning, police say. Robert Anthony Realyvasquez, 19, of Tomball, died after David Garza, 20, pulled up to him as he was stopped at the complex gate in the 100 block…
Comment of the Day
Today Lauren Marmaduke reported on a bill that, if passed, would allow Texas businesses to sell hard alcohol on Sundays, leading to a debate in the comments on whether or not such a move would really result in more sales. But for at least one commenter, chef504, it wasn’t about…
Jessica Tata, Owner of Daycare Where Four Kids Died, Escapes to Nigeria
The Houston Fire Department says the owner of the daycare where last week’s heartbreaking fire killed four kids has escaped the country. Jessica Tata, 22, is in Nigeria, HFD tells the Houston Chronicle. Tata has been charged with reckless injury to a child involving serious bodily injury, but more charges…
Vintage Rodeo Concert Pictures: Elvis, George Strait And More
Rocks Off was so knocked out by our sister blog Hair Balls’ gallery of vintage Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo pictures a few days back that we emailed the Rodeo (which starts tomorrow with Clay Walker, for all you rock-dwellers) to see what they might have in their concert-photo archive…
Facing Food Fears: #5 Prune Juice
To hell with trepidation. I’m forcing myself to try those five intriguing foods that scare me. I may barf, I may cry, and I may not always enjoy myself, but at least I won’t be a coward. #5: Prune Juice All right, all right, so prune juice isn’t exactly the…
Houston Ballet’s Marie A Classic in the Making
The Setup: It’s time for dirty jokes, food fights and glitter, juxtaposed with beheadings, riots and gang rape: The Houston Ballet and Artistic Director Stanton Welch have returned to the 2009 original ballet Marie. The Execution: This three-act ballet is paired with an intense musical score by Dmitri Shostakovich, impeccably…
Lucky Ward: HPD Says He Was a Serial Killer
Houston police are saying a man they have charged with one murder is linked to four others, all strangulations. Lucky Ward, 46, had been charged with murdering a homeless woman near the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in September; today he was charged with the murder of Carlos Rodriguez in…
Chocolate Extravaganza Class with Ruben Ortega
Though Central Market’s Chocolate Festival is technically over, sweet memories lived on last week as My Table’s Pastry Chef of the Year, Ruben Ortega, taught a packed classroom the ins and outs of cooking with chocolate. Ruben has worked at several Houston restaurant institutions, including most notably Backstreet Café and…
Gourds, Bramhall Play Miller Outdoor Free Show July 22
Austin roots band the Gourds just announced via their Facebook fan page that they will play Miller Outdoor Theatre July 22. The band last played at Miller July 9, 2009, opening for the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Gourds singer and stringer Kevin Russell told Lonesome, Onry and Mean prior to the 2009…
Detroit Pistons Mutiny (with Tracy McGrady video)
If you’re keeping score at home, Tracy McGrady has left scorched earth behind every NBA franchise for whom he has played. He left Toronto for Orlando just as his career was finally beginning to blossom, eventually wore out his welcome (amidst copious amounts of playoff failure) in Orlando and forced…
A Disastrous Brunch at Tiny Boxwood’s
It was the resounding statement from all four of my friends as we left Tiny Boxwood’s at 11:30 a.m. this past Sunday morning: “What on earth do people see in this place?” “Maybe you have to be rich to appreciate it,” laughed one of my girlfriends. Even after a fairly…
Slideshow: Concert Photography by Marco Torres
Marco Torres, a freelance photographer for the Houston Press, celebrated the opening of his first solo photography show Friday evening at Dionysus, a stylishly designed hair salon/gallery in Midtown. Torres shoots all kinds of events, but this evening featured Torres’ best concert shots, many of which have appeared in the…
Multi-Tracks, One By One: An Aural Autopsy
This past weekend Rocks Off hung out with a producer buddy, listening to multitrack recordings of some of the biggest acts in history, including the Beatles, Queen, Beastie Boys, and Van Halen. For someone who spends his entire life trying decipher recorded music as it is released and later performed…
George Robertson, 22, Bayou Body Count No. 26
A fight in a southside park became deadly Friday afternoon when one man shot another in the torso, killing him, Houston police said George Robertson, 22, had argued and fought with a man in St. Lo Park near the 7000 block of Sur Court when the man went, got a…
Ingredient of the Week: Rutabaga
What is it? It’s the root of a vegetable that is essentially a turnip/cabbage hybrid. The actual term “rutabaga” comes from the Swedish word “rotabagge,” which translates to “root bag.” Luckily, it tastes better than it sounds. First plantings of rutabaga in America came around the early 1800s in Illinois,…
Saturday Night: Mojo Nixon At The Continental Club
Mojo Nixon & the Toadliquors Continental Club February 26, 2011 When Mojo Nixon “retired” from recording and touring following 2009’s Whisky Rebellion, the music world breathed a sigh of relief (or sorrow) that one of its principal loose cannons had finally been silenced. Never mind Eminem or Helena Bonham Carter,…
The Five Coolest Things at This Weekend’s Antiques Show
See lots more knick-knacks in our slideshow from the antiques sale. This weekend we visited the Hada Spring Antique Show, upstairs at the George R. Brown Convention Center. It was full of heirlooms, artwork, one-of-a-kind artifacts and plenty of fragile things that we were afraid to look at for fear…
Aurora Picture Show’s Alternative Rodeo
See more pics from Steers & Beers in our slideshow. Saturday night, supporters of Aurora Picture Show showed up at an old, closed-down Academy store in Hedwig Village for Steers & Beers, an “alternative rodeo,” featuring mechanical bull riding, keg roping, steer decorating, brews by Saint Arnold, and of course…
Top 5 Best Bites
The 2011 Best Bites and Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup was the most gluttonous display of food and wine under one roof that these eyes have ever seen. In other words, I was in heaven. I had a few sips of wine but was really there for the food, and in the…
School Bans Christian Group in Order to Keep Out Gay Group
A Corpus Christi-area school district is so determined to keep a gay student group from forming that they’re kicking the Fellowship of Christian Athletes off campus. The Flour Bluff ISD is making the move so it can say no groups not directly tied to curriculum are allowed to meet on…
Friday Night: Acro-Cats At Super Happy Fun Land
Acro-Cats Super Happy Fun Land February 25, 2011 When Aftermath initially saw the event invitation for the “Cat Circus” at Super Happy Fun Land on Friday, we didn’t know how to react. We thought to ourselves, “This could be an actualization of one of our reoccurring dreams, or it could…
What a Crock: Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is always popular. Before temps start to rise, I wanted to work my own crock pot version of this American classic into the mix. It’s one I’ve adapted quite a bit over the years. The rundown Take three frozen chicken filets (from a bag like they carry…
Quintana Patterson, 18, Bayou Body Count No. 25
An 18-year-old girl was in the parking lot of a northside bar at 4 a.m. Saturday and ended up dead from a gunshot. Quintana Patterson was shot in the head “when an unknown black male began shooting” in the parking lot of the Takeover Club in the 2800 block of…
Faith Prince Takes On Billy Elliot the Musical and Maggie Thatcher
She’s a cigarette-smoking tough lady, running a girls dancing school in a North England mining town, just about out of any inspiration when a boy stumbles into her class and she gets him to stay. Tony award winner Faith Prince is in Houston playing Mrs. Wilkinson, the ballet teacher in…
NASA’s New Comet Recordings: Worth Sampling Or Not?
On Valentine’s Day, NASA’s Stardust was able to get within spitting distance of the comet Temple 1. This was the second visit by our spacecraft after Deep Impact buzzed Temple back in 2005, so it gave scientist their first chance to witness how the comet had changed since we last…
College Baseball: Rice Sweeps the Trojans While UH Struggles Against the Rebs
John RoyalRice’s Michael Ratterree tags out USC’s Matt Foat trying to advance on a sac flyIn the first weekend of the college baseball season, it was the Houston Cougars pulling off the home sweep of UT-Arlington while the Rice Owls were losing two of three to visiting Stanford. The competition…
Get Your Passport Stamped Along the Texas Wine Trails
While the trail riders rode into town last Friday, you could be riding out one weekend soon to hit one of Texas’s 11 wine trails just as the bluebonnets are beginning to bloom this spring. The fifth most productive wine-producing state in the nation, Texas features more than 200 vineyards…
Alan Ray Steen: Just a Perv, Not a Child Pornographer
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has formally ruled: Alan Ray Steen is a pervert, he’s not a child pornographer. Steen liked to go to tanning salons and stick a video camera over the cubicle wall to tape women; one day the person he taped turned out to be…
Heyd Fontenot’s “Nude, Nude, Nude, Nude World” at Inman Gallery
Friday night at Inman Gallery, a crowd came to see themselves, and their friends and acquaintances, both in person and on the gallery walls. Artist Heyd Fontenot, who’d turned to portraiture 10 years ago after working as an art director and experimental filmmaker, showed off his latest nude renderings in…
Wu-Tang, Fishbone, Trae Top Village Voice/Frank 151 SXSW Party
We finally have the full lineup for the 2011 Village Voice Media/Frank 151 SXSW party, and it’s a doozy. Heading up the bill are Staten Island Shao-Lin spitters the Wu Tang clan, still coasting on their late 2010 reunion that packed Numbers, and L.A. funk-rock beasts Fishbone. Houston’s own Trae…
Tosh.0 to Make Fox 26’s Isiah Carey Even More Viral
If you’ve been on the net anytime in the past two years, you’ve probably seen the above (very old) clip of Isiah Carey going nuts when a bug gets in his mouth during a stand-up. It’s about to get new life: Carey announced on his blog that he’ll be appearing…
Soul City: Unsung Blues Legend Joe “Guitar” Hughes
Black History Month is always a great time to recall some of Houston’s greatest musical innovators and leaders. This is our final installment. Great Houston blues guitarists makes a long and storied list indeed, arguably headed up by Albert Collins, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, “Texas” Johnny Brown and Sherman Robertson…
Winter Spiced Margarita at Ninfa’s on Navigation
I’m choosing to believe that my decision to try out the new drinks at Ninfa’s on Navigation last week is proof positive that I am clairvoyant. How else can you explain the fact that I tried the new Winter-Spiced Margarita last week, right before it was mentioned in a post…
Saturday Night: Space City Beat Battle At Warehouse Live
Space City Beat Battle Warehouse Live Green Room February 26, 2011 7:36 p.m.: Earlier this morning, our sons played their very first t-ball game. T-ball teams for 3-year-olds are six kids deep, and our group, a tiny version of the San Francisco Giants, is like cut copy from a Disney…
Local State Senator Pushing for Sunday Liquor Sales in Texas
Such times as these – the economy in recession, federal and state governments mired in debt, and more than 8 percent unemployment – are leading state lawmakers around the country to question the financial logistics of blue laws restricting any business from operating during specified hours, including State Senator Rodney…
Comment of the Day: The Monster That Is Lights in the Heights
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
The Week In TV
Spring is a-comin’, TV is still going, and I’m an F-18, bro. This was the week in TV Land: • Holy shit, Charlie Sheen. I mean, holy shit. This has been the craziest week yet in the public life of one Carlos Irwin Estevez. Sheen’s been a noted douchebag for…
College Basketball: Owls Lose a Heartbreaker While Coogs Appear to Give Up
John RoyalRice’s Arsalan Kazemi battles for position under the Rice basketNo coach wants to have to draw up a play with 2.3 seconds left that, if it works, merely ties the score and sends the game to overtime. But such was the position Rice Owls coach Ben Braun was in…
30 Seconds With Roky Moon
Rocks Off sat down with front man of arguably the No. 1 act in Houston at the moment, Roky Moon of Roky Moon & BOLT to see what we could learn about the glam-rocker in 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is the worst song in the world? Roky Moon: That…
Sondheim & Masquerade Theatre: A Winning, Unappreciated Combination
On Friday night Phillip Duggins, the head honcho of Masquerade Theatre and the director of that night’s Sunday in the Park with George, walked out to do the (sadly) obligatory pre-show fund-raising pitch. The show had already gotten glowing reviews from the previous weekend’s performance, but the intimate Zilkha Hall…
Where Are We Eating?
If this stuffed croissant doesn’t look familiar, maybe the bright yellow walls behind it do. Or perhaps the mango lassi to the left is the only hint you’ll need this week. Think you can guess where we’re eating? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
Galveston Sets Most Important World Record of All Time
They said it couldn’t be done. Well, they were probably actually saying it shouldn’t be done, but Galveston went ahead and did it anyway. Their announced attempt to set the world record for most people doing a choreographed umbrella dance — yes, the category exists — went off without a…
Oscar Night 2011: The Live Blog!
We are only less than three hours out from bringing you live-blogging coverage, right here, of this year’s Academy Awards, and we are more than excited to take you through the night for every win, loss, awful dress, awesome dress, foible and foul-up Hollywood throws our way…
Oscar Liveblogging!! Tonight, of All Nights!
Tonight brings the annual event where Hollywood humbly congratulates itself — and all the little people — in the Academy Awards. What everyone’s hoping for, of course, is at least one trainwreck moment. James Franco and Anne Hathaway host, which will be…different. Good different or bad different, that remains to…
Comment of the Day
Katharine Shilcutt brought news that food from Feast is now available at Grand Prize, wondering if the Feast faithful would be comfortable in “what can be perceived as a cliquey, tightly-knit bar of regulars.” Commenter Kyle weighed in: I’ve been really excited about this. It’s hard to imagine a more…
Houston Rockets — Screwed City
It’s no surprise that Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey has a Facebook page. And it’s not one of those aloof “Fan” pages, either, where all you can do is click “Like.” Morey has one of those “regular guy” Facebook pages where you can send him messages, post on his wall…
Arcade Fire Tickets On Sale Next Friday
We’ll lead off this week’s Magnolia City Mixtape with, well, the headline. It’s 10 a.m. next Friday (March 4) at livenation.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. In other late-breaking concert news, Bob Seger hits Toyota Center April 30. Tickets for that one go on sale next Saturday. Our soundtrack this…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we’re celebrating Houston’s early spring weather by – and we apologize for the following imagery – oozing sunburn juice all over our shirt collars. Yes, Monday was definitely not a day to be outside without sunscreen, and we’re…
Hotel Galvez, or Last Year at Marienbad?
Galveston’s Hotel Galvez celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, and the people at Moody Gardens have dug up some old pictures for us. We saw the one above and were taken back to film class at UH. Sure, you think “film class,” you think it’s a breeze….but then you have…
Openings & Closings
News that a new tapas bar is opening in Midtown led to the brief discussion on Twitter this week about pronunciation issues concerning holiday islands in the Mediterranean, and Houstonians’ propensity to open restaurants named after them. Majorca Island Bistro and Tapas, that new tapas restaurant, will open at 207…
Drake Jackson: Harris County Jailer Exposed Himself to Female Inmate, HCSO Says
An employee of the Harris County Jail has been fired for allegedly exposing himself to a female inmate, the Sheriff’s Office announced today. Drake Jackson, 40, has been charged with official oppression because of “sexually offensive behavior while in the presence of a female inmate,” HCSO says. The agency says…
Sneak Peek at Xuco Xicana
Even though we were already full of queso and ceviche when the entrees came out last night at El Patio, my dining companion and I couldn’t help but dig in. “Oh, this tastes just like something my mom or grandma would have made at home, on the stove,” he sighed…
Houston By the Book: Lloyd’s Book Shop
In the modern age, Lloyd’s Book Shop is almost undiscoverable. It has no website, nor any other online listings. There aren’t any author appearances or big events that would draw folks there. That’s because it’s Lloyd Hooker’s home. The only thing identifying the quiet Rice Village bookstore is an unassuming…
Honky Tonk Blood A Macabrely Nice Surprise
Correction: The Honky Tonk Blood Troubador Tuesday date is Tuesday, March 8, not March 1. See more photos from Thursday’s premiere in our slideshow. Rocks Off will admit we were skeptical going into Thursday night’s premiere of Honky Tonk Blood at the River Oaks Theatre. It’s not so much that…
Trickle-Down Economics: Bank Robber So Successful He’s Hired Help
Who says it’s a tough job market? All it takes is a little success and employers will start hiring. Ask the dude who’s wanted in at least seven local bank robberies since November. Let’s put it this way: He’s hiring. His latest escapade, at a Bank of America in the…
Lights in the Heights: Has It Gotten Out of Hand?
Back in the day, we used to live in a tiny duplex near the corner of Euclid and Norhill; our front window looked out on the esplanade that is now center stage for the annual Lights in the Heights celebration. We remember when it was a relatively low-key event. Now…
War Correspondence Illustrated
Is war boring? 32 year-old war correspondent David Axe says yes. “Covering war today is boring, because there’s really just not that much shooting,” Axe told his audience Wednesday at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. Of the seven years Axe has spent in and out of…
Ava Kitchen & Whiskey Bar
We were recently invited to check out the new concept from Houston-based Schiller-Del Grande Restaurant Group, Ava Kitchen & Whiskey Bar. Located in the ultra-chic West Ave complex, Ava is definitely a see-and-be-seen kind of place that is perfectly suited to meeting friends after work for a cocktail and a…
Why Is Thom Yorke Messing With Our Heads?
It’s been a week since Radiohead’s new The King of Limbs came out directly to an online audience before getting a proper release. Besides some middling reviews (including our own), accompanying the album was the first single and video for “Lotus Flower,” featuring lead singer Thom Yorke in black and…
NASA’s Robots: Now They’re Just Trying to Freak Us Out
ZDnet’s put out a photo gallery of the new robot, R2, who is in the shuttle headed up to the International Space Station as we speak. The pictures aren’t new, but seeing them all together can give you the creeps. (You can also see a gallery at NASA’s site.)…
Slick Billy Elliot Is Choreographed Bliss
The Setup: For a show set in the rough-and-tumble mining fields of northern England, this inspirational musical, adapted from Stephen Daldry and Lee Hall’s international hit movie, is the slickest thing imaginable — and won 10 Tony awards to prove it. The Execution: The entire show dances, from the set…
Matzoh Soup at Rustika Cafe and Bakery
My daughter loves matzoh soup. On a recent weekend, before the weather once again shifted gears and sped toward spring, we went out in search of a nice bowl as defense against the chill in the air. Our usual matzoh stop is Kenny and Ziggy’s, whose full-flavored stock and fluffy…
Beyonce In Blackface: Innocent Or Insult?
Good intentions are one thing. Perception vs. reality is another. So goes the story with the recent outpouring of outrage and defensive stances over Beyonce’s French fashion magazine photo shoot for L’Officiel Paris. The Houston icon used dark brown facepaint to pay homage to her roots, specifically African singer Fela…
Beverly Jean Parish, 42, and Curtis Llewellyn Wyatt, 46, Bayou Body Count Nos. 23 and 24
A man and a woman were found shot to death in a south side house Thursday morning, and a third victim escaped, police say. Beverly Jean Parish, 42, and Curtis Llewellyn Wyatt, 46 were found dead about 5 a.m. in a house in the 5600 block of Kenilwood. A third…
Bartender Chat: J. Hal Brock of Hearsay Gastro Lounge
“It’s pronounced ‘Hal’ apeno,” Hal Brock corrected me with a smile as I attempt to order his namesake cocktail. Not like “hall,” but like the name “Hal” or “Al.” Honestly, after taking a few sips of this zesty, yet refreshing, cocktail while chatting with Hal at Hearsay Gastro Lounge, I…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Hall Pass
Title: Hall Pass Directed By: The Farrelly Brothers. The Something About Mary/Dumb and Dumber Farrelly Brothers? No, the Apocalypse Now Farrelly Brothers. Who do you think I’m talking about? Wow, Where Have They Been? Not sure. Probably performing several thousand hours of community service to atone for 2007’s remake of…
Southwest Prepares to Fly to Newark: Five Tips
Southwest Airlines is busy with the final preparations for their new service into Newark Liberty Airport. As a native of the Garden State — one who grew up only a few miles from Newark Airport — we’re here to help. Five tips for the airline: 5. Offer a shuttle bus…
Eminem, Bob Marley, Pink Big With 8th Graders These Days
As a middle-school teacher, you can be certain of a few things: At any given time, no less than three boys in your classroom are plotting to draw penises on something. It’s nuts. They’re penis-crazy. We’ve found penis drawings on everything; books, rocks, test tubes, stopwatches, milk cartons, the back…
Go Vintage Texan
This morning, ArtAttack is pleased to report that the elementary schools of Houston are thronged with children in their Go Texan Day best. Though many a 10 year-old boy refused the western shirts their mothers urged upon them, many others, to use a phrase perhaps coined for another purpose, rocked…
Chef Chat, Part III: Cesar Rodriguez of Samba Grille
In this week’s chef chat, we caught up with Cesar Rodriguez of Samba Grille (see our conversations here and here). Our talk ended with a personal plea to sample the burger. But first Chef Rodriguez brought out an appetizer. Called Lobster Bites and consisting of Serrano-wrapped pieces of lobster over…
Go Texan Day Pictures: The Educators
Don’t forget to send your Go Texan Day pictures to the Houston Press Flickr page, where glory awaits. Meanwhile, we have two entries from the Educators category. Above, Drew Houlihan — the principal at Parker Elementary, HISD’s music magnet and piece of Beyoncé history — sets the bar very high…
Syd Barrett: The Man, The Madness, The Music
A Very Irregular Head: The Life of Syd Barrett By Rob Chapman Da Capo Press, 480 pp., $28. Even the casual Pink Floyd fan knows all there is to know about Syd Barrett, right? Manchild cult-figure forms the band, takes too much LSD, fries his brain out, is left to…
Comment of the Day: Go Texan Day Memories
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Shiftwork Bites: Paneer
The realities of Shiftwork Bites cooking – little space, little equipment, one burner – dictate what I can and cannot reasonably prepare at work. A lot of my meals tend to be one-pot affairs, as this makes setup and cleanup much easier, and doesn’t stretch me too thin. I am…
Landspeed Records: Punk Rock Meets Bebop
1947 performance of Salt Peanuts by Dizzy Gillespie Tempo is a mysterious thing. In music, the word refers to the speed at which one plays a piece of music. In the world of classical music, Italian words such as “largo” and “prestissimo” are written above musical staves to provide clues…
Idol Beat: The Dirty Two Dozen
The fallout from Jennifer Lopez’s Wednesday night freakout only ate up about ten minutes of last night’s show. At least, that’s how much it looked like as I was fast-forwarding my DVR. You’ve got to hand that much the producers of American Idol, they can milk even the most trivial…
Odd Pair: Taco Cabana’s Shrimp Tampico Quesadilla & Pinot Gris
I hate to admit that when Taco Cabana announces the return of the Shrimp Tampico quesadillas, happy little butterflies begin to float in my tummy. It’s embarrassing, ridiculous and, sadly true. Though I’d tried all week to fight the urge and seek out healthier food offerings, I found myself succumbing…
UH and Rice Attempt to Salvage Their Seasons This Weekend (Updated with Bad UH News)
John RoyalMaurice McNeil hopes to lead the Cougars out to three more winsThe Houston Cougars and Rice Owls looked to be moving in different directions as the men’s basketball season got underway. The Cougars had a new head coach, James Dickey, who hadn’t been a head coach since the 1990s…
Community: The Election Episode
The best parts in last night’s “Intro to Political Science” were the details, from the jokes jammed into Troy and Abed’s election telecast to the enjoyable connection between Abed and the Secret Service agent. The student government candidates themselves got some great moments, too: I love that Magnitude came back…
February 19-25: The Week in Photos
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. Since today is Go Texan Day, we want to see picks of you and your coworkers or kids in your finest cowpoke garb. Just drop them in our…
Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship? Find Out Here.
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re trying to find some meaning in the oddest monikers. We’ve said before that New Orleans is providing some really quality acts these days like The Consortium of Genius and Alias: Orion. One of…
15 Awesome Things About This 1987 Phil Simms Workout Video
With the ongoing studies of head trauma and player safety, we’re always talking about how NFL players are “bigger, stronger and faster” in this day and age. A lot of this has to do with advancements in nutrition and training. While the league will likely spend millions paying doctors to…
Upcoming Events
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mardi Gras on Galveston Island. But while the whole island will be celebrating starting today through March 8, you can have your own celebration further inland New Orleans-style at Brennan’s. The restaurant will be hosting a Mardi Gras celebration on Fat Tuesday itself,…
Jesus Is on Facebook!
Last week, we ran across Charlie Sheen on Facebook. We realize many of you were shocked he would be on the mega social networking site, while others were skeptical or even angry. We understand. Sheen is a controversial figure. As we continue to search for interesting and unique people spending time…
Higher Taxes, Fewer Teachers: HISD Readies Itself for a Tough Sell
Higher taxes, a sweeping change in bus times, a cut in the number of police officers in the schools and an end to special school adjustments that for the noted T.H. Rogers elementary and middle school alone would mean a loss of $2.5 million in funding and 42 staff positions…
The Alley’s August Is a Scorcher
Take a look downtown…toward the Alley Theatre specifically. Do you see smoke? You should. Because Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County is setting that venerable institution ablaze. I think the street signs are melting. This is the play that ran riot on Broadway and won the Tony Award for Best Play…
Comment of the Day
Today Kevin Shalin counted down his favorite Golden Oldies, and commenter Markthespot33 agreed with his choice of Lankford Grocery: I swear by those Lankford burgers. They’re the best hangover cure I’ve found yet. I remember one morning, after a Friday night of way too much beer & tequila, I was…
Rockets Trade — Hasheem Thabeet Scouting Report (It’s Not Good)
The NBA trade deadline came and went today and the Rockets managed to muster up some activity. The good news is (stop me if you’ve heard this before) General Manager Daryl Morey appears to have gotten the best of both deals. The bad news is the Rockets are no closer…
Feast-ing at Grand Prize
My friend and I grabbed containers of food one after another over the line from the kitchen at Grand Prize Bar last night. Two filled with duck gizzard soup, two filled with a cassoulet-like mess of duck and beans, two more filled with fish pie and brussels sprouts. On top…
Parents’ Nightmare: Three Kids Die in Daycare Fire
Horrible story out on the west side of town — three children, aged three or younger, have died and another four are hospitalized with serious injuries, the Houston Fire Department and news outlets report. The fire, at Jackie’s Child Care in the 2800 block of Crest Park Lane, began about…
30 Seconds With Civil Twilight’s Richard Wouters
Rocks Off sat down with drummer Richard Wouters of the somber, spectacular indie band Civil Twilight to find out what we could learn about the drummer in 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is the worst song in the world? Richard Wouters: “Happy Birthday to You”? I think they could have…
Lady Gaga, NBA Stars’ Names Forged on Contract, Lawsuit Claims
Taiwanese promoters probably couldn’t believe their luck when a Houston businessman sent them signed contracts promising appearances by Lady Gaga and NBA stars Shannon Brown, Nick Young, Carl Landry and Will Bynum (okay, maybe they’re only “stars” in Taiwan). The promoters gladly paid Ron Siegel and his company, Golden Hoops,…
Brew Blog: St. Arnold Spring Bock
I must admit I was a little worried when I picked up a six-pack of St. Arnold Spring Bock at my local Fiesta. Don’t get me wrong, I love St. Arnold and am a fan of true Bock, with its middle-weight alcohol content and full-bodied maltiness. I think it must…
Pauline Higgins’s Metro Defamation Lawsuit Settled Today, Finally
Two years ago to the day, attorney Pauline Higgins was fired from Metro’s legal department. Metro, under Frank Wilson, publicly gave reasons for her dismissal: Higgins was a bad boss, hired her friends and used company resources to plan a golf tournament, the agency said. Higgins sued for wrongful termination…
The Eagles’ Real Greatest Hits, 1971-1975
Thirty-five years ago today, the Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), became the very first album to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, at least in the modern period of the RIAA keeping track. No doubt before Frey & Henley hit the scene, Elvis and the Beatles…
Startup Weekend Brings Tech Opportunities to Houston This Weekend
Friday night, nerds from all over town will pitch ideas and spend the next two days trying to generate a tech business out of nothing. Think you’ve got the next killer app or Web site idea but you have no idea how to get it off the ground? You might want…
Top Chef Comes to Houston
Calling all would-be chefs in the Houston area: Bravo will be holding open casting calls from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Sunday, February 27, at Mark’s American Cuisine. The casting will be for both the upcoming season 9 Top Chef and the second series of the spin-off Top Chef…
Bayou City Noir: The Photographs of Marvin Zindler
It’s a perfect story, with roots deep in the Houston Public Library archives: a famous Houstonian, a piece of microfilm, crime photographs from over a half-century ago, and an intrepid researcher digging up the dirt. That famous Houstonian is none other than Marvin Zindler, and while the real story might…
Unidentified Female, One Month Old, Bayou Body Count No. 22
Capital murder charges have been filed against the father of a one-month old baby girl who died Monday morning, police say. Milton Rolando Paz, 25, was arrested in connection with the incident that happened in the 3900 block of Arlington Square. “The baby girl was at her residence when her…
Hot Geisha Maki Roll at Miyako
Having become a bit too happy at one bar’s happy hour, I ended up missing another. My original destination HH was at Miyako, but in the process of celebrating National Margarita Day I completely lost track of time. Which is in part how I came to eat and spend twice…
Doug Supernaw: Troubled Former Country Star Surfaces in Bandera
Doug Supernaw likely feels at home in BanderaSince we published our 2007 cover story on troubled one-time country star Doug Supernaw, our site has become something like the de facto Web site for the former Houstonian. He now has virtually no Web presence of his own; both his own site and his fan…
10 Albums That Grew On Us Over Time
The King of Limbs has now been out less than a week, and Radiohead’s latest effort has people torn, even fervent fans who think that Thom Yorke and his crew can do no wrong. Craig’s Hlist listened to the half-hour album at least three times last Friday, just hours after…
Slideshow: The River Oaks Fashion Show
(See a slideshow of photos from the event.) Whether or not it’s for a good cause, shopping is always a good idea, right ladies? Last night, Weingarten Realty Investors and the American Heart Association staged an event that made buying a new dress, bag or heels feel good for your…
Chef Chat, Part II: Cesar Rodriguez of Samba Grille
Yesterday, we caught up with Samba Grille’s Executive Chef Cesar Rodriguez about life in the kitchen. Today, we find out what he’s preparing. EOW: What separates the rodizio dining experience at Samba Grille from some of your competitors? CR: There are three differences. The first is the quality. We buy…
Weed: The Top Ten Texas Stoners of All Time
The 82nd session of the august Texas Legislature will no doubt end as all the others have, without decriminalizing marijuana even for medical use. (We’re just going out on a limb here with this prediction.) More and more states seem to be getting on the weed bandwagon, but Texas will…
Food Fight: Battle Mango Ice Cream Bar
Summer is here, and what better way to celebrate than … What’s that? It’s still winter? And the first day of spring is a month away? Look, all I know is that last weekend the sprinklers were on in the children’s playground, the Heights was lousy with ice cream trucks,…
Remember hasHBrown’s Relationsh*t?
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. hasHBrown Relationsh*t (Council Music Group, 2011) Relationsh*t is hasHBrown’s third tape. It is, in no unclear terms, the best,…
David Axe, War Reporter, Thinks That “War Is Boring”
David Axe, a 32-year-old freelance journalist who’s garnered recognition for his Danger Room blog in Wired, started reporting on wars seven years ago. At first, he expected to be overcome by a steady stream of patriotic and adrenaline-fueled fervor. But after stints in Afghanistan, Iraq, East Timor, Congo, Somalia and…
Breakfast of Champorado-ions
On my last visit to Filipino restaurant/grocery store Wok n Roll (which is, itself, inside another grocery store — the H-E-B at Bellaire and Highway 6), I picked up a few items to take home. One of those, a bright red pouch of champorado, has been languishing in my pantry…
Last Night: Lucero At Fitzgerald’s
Lucero Fitzgerald’s February 23, 2011 See more amber-colored images in our slideshow. About 12:30 a.m. this morning – we know because we wrote it down – Lucero front man Ben Nichols had a question. “Is there any more whiskey left backstage?” That he had to ask at all ought to…
Idol Beat: What Happened In Vegas…
Have you ever had one of those really bad nightmares, the kind that is so horrifying it wakes you up multiple times during the night? And even though your subconscious is trying to offer you escape, each time you manage to get back to sleep it picks right back up…
Joshua Lee Joehlin: Porter Man’s Religion Is “Redneck”
Joshua Lee Joehlin, of the Montgomery County town of Porter, got himself arrested in Florida recently, the Smoking Gun reports. As the above form shows, the local cops asked him his religion and he answered forthrightly: “Redneck.”…
Theatre Southwest Gets the Shakes
The Setup: Theatre Southwest makes its first foray into the thicket of Shakespeare, and emerges bloodied but, we hope, unbowed. The Execution: The company’s courage is to be commended for tackling a comedy, more difficult than historical drama. The Merry Wives of Windsor is a charming but lightweight effort about…
Top 5: Golden Oldies
You want to make this list? You better be old. If you’re a restaurant younger than 35, keep it moving. The places below have been around awhile, a long while, but still churn out an excellent product. 5. Swinging Door I can already hear it, “This is not in Houston.”…
Idol Beat: I’m About To Have A Nervous Breakdown
My head really hurts…sorry, after last night’s shenanigans, I couldn’t help breaking out the Black Flag. Have you ever had one of those really bad nightmares, the kind that is so horrifying it wakes you up multiple times during the night? And even though your subconscious is trying to offer…
HPD Officer Shot in North Side Gunfight
A whole lot of police cars, sirens blaring, ripped through downtown a few minutes ago, apparently headed to the Medical Center, where a fellow officer was taken after being shot by an alleged drug dealer. Details are still coming in on all this, but media reports indicate at the moment…
Happy Hour Scene: Boondocks
The Place: Boondocks 1417 Westheimer 713-522-8500 The Hours: 5 to 8 p.m. daily The Deals: $1 wells and $2.50 for any draft The Scene: Boondocks has earned a dirty reputation, thanks in part to a long stretch of routine closing time fights. Also, last time I went there to see…
Soul City: Talent Scouts Lola Anne Cullum And Lela Macy
Black History Month is always a great time to recall some of Houston’s greatest musical innovators and leaders. Rocks Off will highlight some of them during the remainder of February. At a local blues jam recently, Rocks Off was accosted by an irate informal media critic who wanted to know…
Comment of the Day: You’re Too Sensitive About Religion
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Your Oscar Winners…No, Really
I realize the actual Academy Awards aren’t set to be broadcast until Sunday night, when millions of people will watch — for the first hour, at least — as co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway lob Nerfball zingers at their fellow actors, make passively tasteless jokes about speech impediments, and…
Colin Firth for Best Actor? Not So Fast.
I realize the actual Academy Awards aren’t set to be broadcast until Sunday night, when millions of people will watch — for the first hour, at least — as co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway lob Nerfball zingers at their fellow actors, make passively tasteless jokes about speech impediments and…
Is Rap Ready For DJ Modesty?
Last time we talked to Evan Cassidy of the Dudely Jones Comedy Tribe it was to discuss Nicki Minaj’s “appearance” in his rap tribute to his ho-baiting dinosaur sweater. Well, Cassidy is back to being the most ironic man in hip-hop with his new video, “DJ Modesty.” Don’t know if…
Galveston to Stun World With Record-Breaking “Hokey-Pokey” Umbrella Dance
If you’ve ever dreamed of being in the Guinness Book of World Records, or if you’re a “Hokey Pokey” fanatic, or someone who loves to dance with a lot of people holding umbrellas — you’re in luck. And if you qualify under all three categories, you just might have an…
An Afternoon of Free Wine at Archway
Take a late lunch tomorrow, if you can. And maybe bring along a designated driver. Archway Gallery (2305 Dunlavy, 713-522-2409) is hosting an afternoon of free wine in its Montrose space, and this isn’t your typical gallery showing. From 2 to 4 p.m. tomorrow, Archway will be debuting a new…
Go Texan Day Looms: The Five Horrible Aspects
Friday is Go Texan Day, the annual marking of the beginning of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Everyone is encouraged to dress up in western gear, or cowboy stuff, or just wear a snap-button shirt. It’s a charming little tradition, and we want everyone to fully take part by…
Shawn and Marlon Wayans
Though they spent years in the comedy shadows of older brothers Keenen and Damon, youngest siblings Shawn and Marlon Wayans (there’s ten Wayans siblings in all, if you’re keeping count) have stuck together as a duo, writing and performing on TV’s The Wayans Brothers and in films like Scary Movie,…
Compagnie La Baraka
French-Algerian dancer and choreographer Abou Lagraa doesn’t tell stories onstage. (He considers that old-fashioned.) Instead, he uses abstract movement to tackle abstract ideas such as the soul or emotions. Lagraa studied ballet in Lyon’s National Conservatory of Dance, and though he credits his classical training for providing him key skills…
Shawn and Marlon Wayans
Though they spent years in the comedy shadows of older brothers Keenen and Damon, youngest siblings Shawn and Marlon Wayans (there’s ten Wayans siblings in all, if you’re keeping count) have stuck together as a duo, writing and performing on TV’s The Wayans Brothers and in films like Scary Movie,…
Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
According to Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, if aliens are going to take over the earth, the least they can do is play some prog rock at the same time. Inspired by the H.G. Wells novel, the FrenetiCore production tells the story of man vs…
Bronze Age
Russian sculptor Ernst Neizvestny publicly battled Nikita Khrushchev over so-called degenerate modern art and the right of the artist to depict the world however he chooses. “Why do you disfigure the faces of the Soviet people?” Khrushchev demanded after a 1962 exhibit of Neizvestny’s work. Ironically, at Khrushchev’s death, the…
13th Annual Moores School of Music Jazz Festival
Not too many trombonists manage to gain repute as solo artists, but the Los Angeles-based Andy Martin is a definite exception. The evidence? He’s featured on albums by Coldplay and Michael Bublé as well as on the soundtracks of American Idol, Family Guy, American Dad and King of the Hill…
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3
Pianist Jonathan Biss was destined to become a classical musician, it seems: His mother, a violinist, performed a solo at Carnegie Hall while pregnant with him. Now 30, Biss has established himself as a sought-after artist, and today he’ll join the Houston Symphony and conductor James Gaffigan to perform Beethoven’s…
St. Paddy’s Day Queen Contest
Griff’s annual St. Paddy’s Day Queen Contest will begin at 7 p.m. under the tent. The judging will be based on natural beauty, poise, attire and personality. All contestants will have to apply; check-in starts at 5:30 p.m. Thu., March 10, 7 p.m., 2011…
Death by Disco — ‘70s Murder Mystery Dinner Show and Dance Party
There’s a murderer among the competitors at a dance contest, and it’s the audience’s job to figure out who the killer is in Death by Disco — 70s Murder Mystery Dinner Show and Dance Party. “This play is about campy fun and the lengths people go to in trying to…
2011 Texas Yoga Conference
The 2011 Texas Yoga Conference is coming to Houston, with a bigger and better schedule than before. Boasting 72 sessions led by yoga instructors from around the world, the conference is a perfect opportunity for yoga practitioners, from novice to experienced, to hone their craft. The weekend also features an…
Diana Ross
It’s not easy to write a compact and adequate overview of what Diana Ross has accomplished in her run — now six decades long — as one of the reigning queens of R&B and soul. There was The Supremes, one of the most successful of the girl groups of the…
Ice Cube
Ice Cube has come a long way, from screaming “Burn, Hollywood, Burn” on Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet in 1990 to The New York Times calling him one of Tinseltown’s principal (and only) African-American players earlier this month. Films like Lottery Ticket and the Are We There Yet?…
Where to Get Your Caffeine Fix
The opening of a spate of new coffee shops in town — Black Hole Cafe, Bungalow and Crema Espresso Stand, just to name a few — has inspired us to take a closer look at the existing, well-established coffeehouses in Houston. These are the ones that have been serving straight…
Mojo Working
The bullhorn-voiced San Diego shock-rocker Mojo Nixon is the Foghorn Leghorn of rock and roll, known for his over-the-top, frequently pornographic comic sketches, many of which skewer famous musicians or public figures. He also disc jockeys, no less profanely, for Sirius/XM’s Outlaw Country satellite radio station weekdays from 3-7 p.m…
A Pointed Victory
Into Masquerade Theatre’s immense white set, the painter Georges Seurat purposefully strides. He throws out his arm like a sorcerer as a simple arpeggio of an unresolved chord is played. “White,” says Seurat. “A blank page or canvas.” Another chord plays, and the music sweeps upward, lilting and simple. The…
Ruins in the Park
SPACED CITY Ruins in Memorial Park Searchers hunt for remains of Camp Logan By Brittanie Shey A hidden part of Houston history resides in the underbrush at Memorial Park, and every year a group of amateur urban archeologists sets out to see as much of it as they can find…
Capsule Art Reviews: “California Cool,” “Christian Eckart: The Absurd Vehicle & Other Propositions,” “Plenitude,” “Timothy Greenfield-Sanders: Injured Soldiers and Marines,” “Tony Smith: Drawings”
“California Cool” Peel Gallery is offering up some “California Cool” in its current show of artists and designers who channel the 20th century, blending in some hip L.A. irony. The architecture firm Marmol Radziner presents some covetable low-slung, sleek chairs that riff on modernist icons as well a re-edition of…
Staying for Supper
Natachee’s doors were wide open to our photographer this past week. See the slideshow here. “You need a punch in the mouth,” the sign greeted me as I walked into Natachee’s Supper ‘n Punch one evening. Sly little touches abound in the restaurant — this one a reference to the…
The Pomplamoose Revolution
On an improbably sunny midwinter day, amid green pastures and meandering cows, two unassuming musicians are waging a revolution against the established order of the recording industry. Here, inside a dim shed formerly used as a dog kennel, Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn are recording their next album as Pomplamoose…
Why does everything Mexican jump?
Dear Mexican, The perception of Mexico having a defective culture has come up in your column several times. It’s most important to point out the historical differences. The U.S was invaded by settlers who came to live here permanently. Mexico was conquered by gold-seeking thugs who wanted to return rich…
Honky Tonk Blood Premiere
Everybody knows the music business is a little shady, but at Falstaff Records, it’s downright murder. That’s the premise behind Honky Tonk Blood, the new comedy-noir-thriller-spaghetti western written by Houston music hombres Johnny Falstaff and the Southern Backtones’ Hank Schyma. Almost five years in the making, Blood was filmed in…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Luck of the Draw, Paradise Hotel, The War of the Worlds
Luck of the Draw Earthen Vessels, the Sandra Organ Dance Company is currently showcasing Luck of the Draw, the 13th annual Black History Month Dance Concert, an evening of contemporary dance by choreographer Sandra Organ Solis. Of the nine dances featured, Delight Songs was the winner — the choreography was…
Behind That Door
Behind That Door Online readers comment on “Getting Past the Bouncer,” By Chris Gray and Craig Hlavaty and Shea Serrano, February 10: Why go there? I feel bad for this woman, obviously discriminated against, and in this day and age. However, I can assure her that there are hundreds of…
Hall Pass
Rick and Fred (Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis) are two domesticated husbands whose long marriages (to Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate, respectively) have achieved somnolent routine in suburban Providence, Rhode Island. Yet the wives worry. Rick is a girl watcher; Fred masturbates in the privacy of their parked Honda Odyssey…
High Frequency
Justice Allah has found the ketchup. He is sitting on a couch in an East End warehouse loft that’s been turned into a home and radio-station studio. Allah is now adequately able to eat his takeout from downtown sushi and Chinese restaurant Natto. It’s unclear what he plans to put…
Championship BBQ Cook-Off
Besides a whole lot of good eatin’ and savory smells, and perhaps a run on antacids at Houston-area drugstores, the rodeo’s annual three-day barbecue extavaganza also offers up a full plate of live music. For the KISS Army and all the other classic rockers, AC/DC screechers Back in Black and…
Steve Miller Band
Classic-rock radio has fooled us into thinking that the Steve Miller Band has always been a goofy, rhyme-spitting good-time act that your mom got high to. If you listen to the band’s earliest stuff, at least before 1973’s The Joker, you’ll find that Miller and company were making quirky blues-rock,…
PS I Love You
Hailing from Kingston, Ontario, small guy-big guy duo PS I Love You creates propulsive grunge out of sincerely adroit love songs (see “Butterflies and Boners”), emulating Japandroids’ poppy noise assaults with more technical prowess. Thanks to Paul Saulnier’s incredible knack for arena-sized guitar solos, it’s safe to say that they’re…
