The Oak Ridge Boys Sure Have Changed
Yes, this is the Oak Ridge Boys, who will be collectively speaking March 19 at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW, about reinvention in changing music markets. The popular country-gospel group is best known as being the band who recorded one of the five albums left in your parents’ LP…
The Search For Ike Victims In Galveston County Ends
The job of looking for Ike victims in the debris piles and swamps of Galveston County — a nasty, brutal job that drained the searchers both physically and emotionally — is over.The county’s second and final search for missing Ike victims ended recently with eight people from the Bolivar area…
Coming To The Defense Of The Harassed Light Drinker
In times like these, when police are cracking down on drunk drivers everywhere, who is willing to stand up and defend the impaired motorist?The American Beverage Institute, that’s who. They have gone on the record today opposing bills in the Texas legislature that call for breathalyzer ignitions for first-time offenders…
Aftermath: Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis and Norah Jones at Jazz at Lincoln Center
When Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis first shared the stage at New York’s Allen Room for Jazz at Lincoln Center almost exactly two years ago, the concert was simply billed as “Willie Nelson Sings the Blues.” There was no hint that music history was about to be made, but the…
What, No One Else Noticed There Were 13 Jurors?
Anyone reading today’s Houston Chronicle story about a murder case that got declared a mistrial because there were 13 jurors instead of 12 might be forgiven for thinking that Judge Mark Ellis threw his bailiff under the bus.”Houston Murder Trail Tossed Out After Bailiff’s Huge Mistake” was the headline, and…
¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Darwin!
On a recent trip to the El Bolillo Bakery in Houston I snapped a random picture of birthday cakes stacked high on a rolling cart. Later that day when I downloaded the pictures to my laptop, I noticed the salutation on one of the cakes — “Feliz cumpleaños Darwin.” Darwin?…
For Valentine’s Day: The Five Worst Romantic Comedies
With Valentine’s Day approaching, tbe best most of you poor single bastards can hope for is to get through the night with your bank account relatively intact. Married folks are better off, as all they’re really expected to come up with is a perfunctory gift and maybe an evening spent…
Pearland Gets The State’s Newest Superfund Site! Take That, Pasadena!
There’s an ugly mess of chemicals in the groundwater on the south side of Pearland. The contamination is severe enough that the abandoned tank farm has become the latest addition to the state’s Superfund Registry.This is no surprise to nearby residents, some of whom are being given bottled water because…
Can’t Get It Out of My Head: “New Madrid”
Wilco, “New Madrid,” live at the Fox Theater, Boulder, Colorado, May 1995 Rocks Off is never really not on an Uncle Tupelo kick, but it sure came flooding back after he heard “New Madrid” on Fred Imus’ Saturday-morning Trailer Park Bash satellite-radio show last weekend. Even among such future alt-country…
Houston Zoo’s Valentine’s Day Gets Out-Sexed By Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan is getting all sexy for Valentine’s Day. Or at least its zoo is.In what a news station is calling “an R-rated show” that is “sure to ruffle some feathers,” the Binder Park Zoo is offering “Zoorotica,” where couples are given “an intimate look at animal mating rituals.”Tickets…
UPDATED: Miguel Tejada Pleads Guilty To Making Misleading Statement
Miguel Tejada appeared in court today and pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of making a misleading statement to Congressional investigators. Tejada acknowledged that he lied when he denied to investigators any knowledge of banned substances being used by other major league players. Prosecutors told the judge that they had…
UPDATED: Miguel Tejada Pleads Guilty To Making Misleading Statement
Miguel Tejada appeared in court today and pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of making a misleading statement to Congressional investigators. Tejada acknowledged that he lied when he denied to investigators any knowledge of banned substances being used by other major league players. Prosecutors told the judge that they had…
This Week in SXSW: Katy Perry Kisses the “Lake of Fire”
There’s now less than a month to go until we here at Rocks Off throw sobriety and sane living to the wind at this year’s SXSW festival. This past week we learned of a boatload of new stuff about the weeklong liver-damaging voyage in March, so here goes… The list…
The Kindest Cut: Meow-ouch!
The Houston Humane Society on Almeda Road was in full swing this morning in the very special way it honors the St. Valentine’s Day season. On Fix Felix For Free Day, the HHS pledges to neuter 500 male cats for free. No females allowed. There was a limit of five…
It’s An Oyster Bonanza!
Sweet mother of mercy, but we’re nuts about oysters today, and with good reason: the recent glut may be your best chance to get plentiful, cheap oysters for years to come. Find out what the weather has to do with great oysters and much, much more in Robb Walsh’s featured…
The Tolan-Bellaire Shooting Story Is Going National
Isiah Carey’s Insite reports the Robbie Tolan/Bellaire police shooting story is going national.Bryant Gumbel of HBO’s Real Sports was in town to interview Tolan, who was shot in his driveway by Bellaire cops. Tolan’s father is former major leaguer Robert Tolan.Carey says Gumbel interviewed the entire family, and the family…
Artist of the Week: Soulbrotha
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. Sitting in the ornate and magnificent chair at…
Southwest Getting Ready To Offer On-Board Wi-Fi (Porn Users Rejoice)
Some Southwest passengers flying through Houston yesterday were among the first to test the airline’s new wi-fi system.There’s no word on how well it went, Southwest spokesman Paul Flaningan tells Hair Balls, but the testing is expected to continue on at least four planes by MarchPassengers can, theoretically, open their…
Slideshow: Valentine’s Day Albums for the Rest of Us
Valentine’s Day is Saturday, and it’s not all roses and chocolates. Rocks Off’s Cutout Bin correspondent Nick DiFonzo combed his collection for a few albums that capture the darker side of the most romantic day of the year. Click here for a slideshow…
Under the Volcano Calls Out the Rodeo
Under the Volcano has announced new bookings for March. Owner Pete Mitchell is launching what he hopes to turn into an annual month-long series to run during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. “I haven’t come up with a name for it yet – the Anti-Rodeo Series, the Real Country Series,…
Miguel Tejada Expected to Plead Guilty of Perjury; A-Rod Still a Scapegoat
At ten o’clock this morning, a federal prosecutor and Miguel Tejada will appear in front of a U.S. District Court judge and a six-page criminal information will be entered before the Court. It is expected that, at that time, Tejada will plead guilty to lying before Congress. It is thought…
Miguel Tejada Expected to Plead Guilty of Perjury; A-Rod Still a Scapegoat
At ten o’clock this morning, a federal prosecutor and Miguel Tejada will appear in front of a U.S. District Court judge and a six-page criminal information will be entered before the Court. It is expected that, at that time, Tejada will plead guilty to lying before Congress. It is thought…
Is Sheila Jackson Lee Thinking Of Leaving Congress?
Good news for Houston politicians trying to get camera time at events, bad news for the rest of the world — rumors are swirling that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee might be taking a job in the State Department.Jackson denies (sorta) the rumors, telling KHOU she’s “baffled” by them and is…
Houston Dog Shows Up All Them New York Bitches (And Dudes)
The winner of the big prize at Madison Square Garden’s prestigious Westminster Dog Show is a spniel from Houston who should be retired and who goes by the true Texas name of Stump.His formal name is Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee, but then again no one calls Racehorse Haynes by…
The City Of Houston Takes On Orbitz And Priceline
The City of Houston and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority are currently suing multiple travel websites such as Orbitz and Priceline over tax revenues it claims the sites owe it. Online travel sites pay wholesale prices to hotels for rooms and then customers book those rooms at a mark-up from…
The Red Carpet Calls For Two Rice Students
Asking questions on the Oscars’ red carpet is not quite as glamorous as getting asked questions on the Oscars’ red carpet, but two students from Rice are hoping fervently they get the chance.The team of Faheem Ahmed and Anish Patel (hopeful correspondent and cameraman, respectively) is among the top three…
After Six Months, Officials Throw In The Towel On That Fort Bend-Med Center Bus Service
Back in September, with great fanfare and more than its share of glitches, officials from Fort Bend County and the Medical Center announced a new bus service for the estimated 14,000 people who worked in one place and lived in the other.Today the dream died.Fort Bend County Commissioners Court accepted…
It’s Official: Live Nation and Ticketmaster Merge
The boards of directors of concert-industry giants Live Nation and Ticketmaster have approved a merger agreement, CNNmoney.com reported today, a deal expected to take effect later this year. The deal is a stock swap that awards Ticketmaster shareholders 1,374 shares in Live Nation per share. Not including debt, the value of the newly named Live…
Sadly, It’s A Busy Time At Houston’s Suicide Hotline
A week ago, The New York Times reported that demands on the city’s 24-hour suicide hotline had ballooned as never before. Alan Ross, a veteran employee of the hotline’s sponsor – the Samaritans of New York – said last year’s 28 percent increase in demand “was like nothing he had…
These Houstonians Are Shocked About That Super Bowl Ad And Want To Talk About It
Although Houstonians who watched Superbowl XLIII didn’t get to see the porn that those lucky Tucson folks witnessed, they got something almost as juicy: an ad for AshleyMadison.com, a website aimed at married people who want to boink someone other than their spouse.This outraged the concerned folks at the Parents’…
Bar Refaeli, Sports Illustrated’s New Cover Girl
This young lady is Bar Refaeli, swimsuit model and the just-announced cover girl for Sports Illustrated’s 2009 Swimsuit Issue. This young lady is also the girlfriend of one Leonardo DiCaprio. Now let’s think about this for a moment…
Bar Refaeli, Sports Illustrated’s New Cover Girl
This young lady is Bar Refaeli, swimsuit model and the just-announced cover girl for Sports Illustrated’s 2009 Swimsuit Issue. This young lady is also the girlfriend of one Leonardo DiCaprio. Now let’s think about this for a moment…
The Perils of Shredding Too Hard
[Note: Watch what happens at the 2:10 mark.]…
Another Hotel Gets Slammed For Ike Price-Gouging
Attorney General Greg Abbott has hit yet another hotel for price-gouging during Ike.This time it’s the Sealy Rodeway Inn. And if you’re going to be staying in lovely Sealy, in a lovely Rodeway Inn, why not be gouged while you’re at it?Abbott’s office says the hotel “charged evacuees a higher,…
A Tale of Two Rums
Just before Christmas I came across this most amazing book and proceeded to learn more about rum and its relation to our history. Wayne Curtis is a spectacularly good writer. I was originally attracted to the book for its section on Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic and the invention…
This Just In: Miguel Tejada Charged With Lying to Congress About the Steroids
It’s just now being reported that charges are being brought against Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada for lying to Congress. Details are still slight and sketchy, so it’s not known if it’s a full-on perjury charge, or if they’re getting at him for interfering with the investigation. Tejada was interviewed…
This Just In: Miguel Tejada Charged With Lying to Congress About the Steroids
It’s just now being reported that charges are being brought against Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada for lying to Congress. Details are still slight and sketchy, so it’s not known if it’s a full-on perjury charge, or if they’re getting at him for interfering with the investigation. Tejada was interviewed…
Oh, Miguel Tejada, Lying To Congress Is Not A Good Thing
The off-season has been pretty lackluster for the Houston Astros.It just got a whole lot more luster-er, but not in a good way. Their shortstop, Miguel Tejada, has been charged with lying to Congress over whether he used steroids.He had denied the allegations in 2005, saying he’d never used any…
Tonight: Jesse Harris at Warehouse Live
Best known for his work as a songwriter and guitarist with Norah Jones – he penned several songs for her first two albums, including the Grammy-winning “Don’t Know Why” – New York-born Jesse Harris has had a long career in his own right, and as a producer and touring sideman…
Tonight: Agnostic Front at Walter’s on Washington
For close to 30 years, Agnostic Front has been the lode-bearer for American street punk and oi. Since forming in 1980, Roger Miret and company have released twelve lengths, numerous splits and a handful of live albums documenting their macho-throwdown, unity-driven stage show. By the time the Front put out…
It’s Not a Thyroid Problem
…it’s the Corn Dog Pizza you just horked down. One of modern society’s greatest questions is now succinctly answered in a single website: This Is Why You’re Fat. Included in the website are such favorites as Rochester’s world-famous garbage plate (I was not a fan, surprisingly — and, yes, I tried…
R.I.P., Eleanor Tinsley
Eleanor Tinsley, who served on the City Council for 16 years, has died.She was big on two things — getting Houston’s billboards taken down, and trying to stop cigarette smoking anywhere and everywhere, it seemed.The elegantly coiffed Tinsley — she always looked like the Dallas-native Baylor alum she was –…
Aftermath: DeVotchKa at Warehouse Live
It’s always nice to see a band that respects its elders, and Denver’s DeVotchKa has taken Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” promise “I wanna rock your gypsy soul” to heart. Finding the seam between Old World traveler tunes and contemporary indie-rock, the quartet (and a few friends) matched the energy of…
Album of the Day: Frank Sinatra’s Seduction: Sinatra Sings of Love
“Witchcraft,” live in Genoa, Italy, 1987 Frank Sinatra Seduction: Sinatra Sings of Love www.sinatra.com Ten years after his death, Frank Sinatra’s cocksure shadow looms as large as ever over affairs of the heart. Francis Albert was the “world’s preeminent Chief Tilted-Hat Attitudinalist, Swingin’est Rake of Nights Unending [and] a Man…
A Second Mistrial For Dymond Milburn, The 12-year-Old “Hooker” Arrested By Galveston Cops
A deadlocked jury resulted in a mistrial for Dymond Milburn, the black girl who — when she was 12 years old — was charged with assaulting police officers who tried to arrest her in her front yard.The cops had been looking for three white hookers. Milburn was hospitalized and later…
Rick Perry, Populist
The sparring has already begun in earnest in what will likely be the most entertaining Texas governor’s race since Clayton Williams was cracking rape jokes.Kay Bailey Hutchison vs. Rick Perry. The Hairspray Hate-Off.Things got ugly when one of Hutchison’s supporters, the head of UT’s investment board, resigned because he paid…
A-Rod’s Steroid Bust: How It Really Went Down
Alex Rodriguez did an Andy Pettitte yesterday and admitted to taking steroids. Though he wasn’t facing any legal jeopardy, it’s probably for the best that he did this as Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Andy Pettitte were all able to easily go on with their careers after their admissions whereas…
A-Rod’s Steroid Bust: How It Really Went Down
Alex Rodriguez did an Andy Pettitte yesterday and admitted to taking steroids. Though he wasn’t facing any legal jeopardy, it’s probably for the best that he did this as Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Andy Pettitte were all able to easily go on with their careers after their admissions whereas…
Real Deal Q: Barbacoa de Borrego
This is some awesome barbecued lamb. It’s the result of a fairly complicated process–a hybrid of braising and smoking. But I figure this is the season for a challenging barbecue recipe, what with the Rodeo BBQ Championship coming up and all. I figure Houston barbecue enthusiasts are ready to show…
That Snowstorm Was No Fun For Fliers Or On-Time Statistics
Remember that freak snowstorm that hit Houston late last year? Fun, right?Not if you’re an airline worried about your on-time statistics.The federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics has released its latest report, and while overall airline performance improved — mostly because there’s fewer flights these days — the December 10 snow…
Sober House: Vegas Odds
Okay, so I don’t actually understand betting odds. (Like, if it’s five to one are those bad odds or good odds? Or what?) Regardless, I can tell you I’ve been making my own little guesstimates on who is going to survive VH1’s “Sober House” (which is the more measured, more…
A Peek Inside That Decrepit, But Potentially Charming, Montrose Apartment Complex
In 20 years at Wilshire Village, Scott Baker has seen his share of the good, bad, and ugly. Most folks who’ve driven by the eight-acre apartment complex on Alabama & Dunlavy have just seen the bad; the crumbling, decaying exterior of what was once a prized, Federal Housing Authority-insured project…
Mail Call: Heartless Bastards, Riverboat Gamblers, Steve Forbert, Thursday and More
Pick of the Litter Heartless Bastards (Austin/Cincinnati), The Mountain (Fat Possum) PR Says: “The record delivers the swamped-up rock howl that fans have always loved – but also brings in this amazing expansion into their sound with pedal steel, mandolin, banjo and strings.” Rocks Off Says: If Cat Power fronted Led…
Municipal Court Will Stay Closed Even Longer Because Of Computer Virus
That computer virus that infected the Houston Municipal Courts is turning out to be one bad-ass bug.Court officials had expected to reopen tomorrow after IT guys worked OT on the virus, which hit Friday afternoon. By late that day the courts announced the virus had been isolated to about 475…
Art Rock: DeVotchKa and Crooked Fingers at Warehouse Live
[Note: Click here for a preview.]…
D.A.R.E. Ain’t What It Used To Be Around Houston
D.A.R.E. was designed to keep a kid off drugs, but that’s a tough feat without adequate funding. In the last five years, waning support from the state has forced some school districts to pull the plug on the program and forced others to downgrade considerably. The Houston school district and…
“Sweet Caroline,” Complete With 10-Minute Guitar Solo
Man, we’re sorry we missed the Grammys last night.Check out the bit of news in this Associated Press story, via the Beaumont Enterprise: “Neil Young, honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year for his aid to Hurricane Ike victims on Oak Island in Galveston Bay, performed his hit ‘Sweet…
Homeless Man Killed On University of Houston Main Campus
Sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning an older man, who the Houston Police are saying was homeless, was shot in the head and killed at a campus bus stop outside Hofheinz Pavilion. His body was discovered by a student around 7 a.m. Saturday morning.HPD is investigating the murder,…
It Was 45 Years Ago Today…
If you’re more than about 50 years old, today is most likely the anniversary of one of your most powerful memories. In the early evening hours of February 9, 1964, more than 73 million people sat glued to their televisions as the course of American pop culture was altered forever. It all…
Mortgage-Company Critic Takes Back All Those Nasty Things He Said
In 2007, the Houston Press wrote about University of Houston student Cyrus Rafizadeh’s online quest to prove that a major mortgage servicing company, Orix, fraudulently foreclosed on an apartment complex owned by his mother. Rafizadeh was so sure of this that he regularly uploaded thousands of pages’ worth of Orix’s…
Rotation: Steve Martin’s The Crow
Steve Martin The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo (40 Productions) www.stevemartin.com The scenario sounds laughable: comedian Steve Martin, a banjo and 15 original bluegrass songs. Is he kidding? Actually, no. Most of The Crow plays with as straight a face as Joaquin Phoenix had when he fumbled through some lousy,…
Classic Rock Corner: Kind of Blue is 50
According to a recent appreciation in Newsweek, if an American household has just one jazz record on the shelf, chances are it’s Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. And we were thinking it was Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’ Whipped Cream & Other Delights. Kind of Blue contains only…
For February: The Five Best Blaxploitation Epics
It’s Black History Month, when America commemorates Africa-American culture with Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns on TBS and wholly unpredictable jokes about Februrary being the shortest month of the year. Here at Hair Balls, we know that the 1970s marked the first point when the black community made significant inroads…
Turning the Screw: Mic Skills, Foxy Brown, KRS-One, Eve, Do or Die, The Kanye, Erykah Badu, 5th Ward Boyz and More
Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off’s weekly rap post. It probably won’t rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: “Criminal,” Mic Skills Wire To Wire Foxy Brown, recently an indirect victim of the 50 Cent/Rick Ross shenanigans, told…
Benjamin Hall Drops Out Of The Mayor’s Race
Benjamin Hall, one of the two black-ex-city attorneys rumored to be running for mayor, is not running for mayor.Hall announced he’s supporting his doppelganger, Gene Locke, the Houston Chronicle reports.The deal was apparently brokered by Congressman Al Green, who obviously enough wasn’t looking fondly on the likelihood of a split…
Nightlife Photos: Turquoise Grill, Pravada and Pearl Bar
As promised, here’s a triple shot of nightlife action. Click the individual photos to get the goods. 10 p.m. at Turquoise Grill 12:17 a.m. at Pravada…
Davis Meat Market’s Lockwood Cheeseburger
The cheeseburger I ate at Davis Meat Market on Lockwood just north of I-10 was just short of greatness. The sesame seed bun wasn’t properly toasted and the burger patty was a little dry. I got sliced tomato, chopped lettuce and onions and some fresh jalapeño along with mustard and…
Astros Spring Training Starts Friday
Pitchers and catchers report to Houston Astros spring training on Friday, which means that come Saturday, the Astros will be out of contention. And the Chron is getting everybody ready for the season to come with a couple of articles in yesterday’s paper on the status of the team and…
Astros Spring Training Starts Friday
Pitchers and catchers report to Houston Astros spring training on Friday, which means that come Saturday, the Astros will be out of contention. And the Chron is getting everybody ready for the season to come with a couple of articles in yesterday’s paper on the status of the team and…
Over the Weekend: Sports Illustrated, Dr. John, Neville Brothers, Pretty Things Peepshow and Aerosol Warfare
Morning! We’ve been plenty busy these last few days. Time to share. Top Ten Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Photos John Royal started things off with an in-depth cultural analysis of the phenomenon that is the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Dr. John at House of Blues Mark C. Austin and Chris…
KTRH Continues To Try To Out-Fox Fox
Remember the days when KTRH was worth listening to?It remains the only AM news station in town, and the largest. But layoffs have damaged the product, although not as much as the decision by Michael Berry to throw objectivity out the window in order to appeal to the Dittoheads and…
Final Arguments Expected In Trial Of Galveston Girl Mistaken For Hooker
Final arguments are expected to begin today in the criminal trail of Dymond Milburn, the 12-year-old Galveston resident who is accused of assaulting cops who tried to arrest her outside her home after mistaking her for a hooker.We first wrote about her here, in a story that rocketed around the…
Evolution-Loving Evangelical Comes To Houston
It’s been 200 years since the birth of Darwin, and 150 years since the publication of his book, On the Origin of Species, so we guess it’s about time that religion and science stopped fighting and figured out some common ground. The Reverend Michael Dowd, an ordained evangelical preacher, and…
Your Favorite Web Sites, Now With More Bacon!
Ever looked at a site and wished it had more bacon? Wish no more, pork lover. Thanks to Bacolicio.us, you can now add a slab of bacon to any page on the Internet. Case in point. Somebody better come up with Lettucio.us real fast, before the Internet collapses from a…
Tonight: “Live In Texas” Photo Exhibit at Cactus Music
Cool photo, huh? That’s the work of Cy-Fair native Stephanie Alexander, who now has one of the choicest jobs any music-loving camera hound could hope for – even if it is in Dallas: house photographer for American Airlines Arena, the Big D counterpart to Toyota Center. The ZZ Top shot…
Top Ten Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Photos
It’s that time of the year, time for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, when young hetero boys first discover the joys of women in bathing suits, when angry mothers and librarians fire off letters to SI decrying the pornography that the magazine has become. In tribute, here’s a quick review…
Top Ten Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Photos
It’s that time of the year, time for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, when young hetero boys first discover the joys of women in bathing suits, when angry mothers and librarians fire off letters to SI decrying the pornography that the magazine has become. In tribute, here’s a quick review…
Luby’s Celebrates Its Birthday with Half-Price LuAnn Platters
Luby’s announced a little stimulus package of its own – the Houston-based cafeteria has cut the price of its LuAnn platter in half for Fridays and Saturdays after 4:30 p.m. That leaves the price at somewhere around four bucks, depending on location. The reduction will remain in effect until the…
Saturday: Don Caballero at Meridian
Perhaps Damon Che should have simply joined Creta Bourzia, rather than assimilating the Pittsburgh band into Don Caballero v 2.0. The allure of riding his own famous coattails certainly had something to do with the decision. It didn’t hurt that the Bourzia boys were Caballero disciples, no doubt thrilled to…
Slideshow: The Neville Brothers at House of Blues
Photo by Mark C. Austin/ Click here for a slideshow…
Houston Lawsuit Calls Foul On Those “Low-Tar” Cigarettes
Vincent Salazar, a Houston man, is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against Philip Morris and its parent company, Altria Group, in Texas, making the state one of four where similar lawsuits were filed in the last two days. The suits are seeking damages allegedly caused by years of…
Bodega’s Taco Shop: Spicing Up the Museum District
Houstonians have long-lamented the dearth of restaurants in the Museum District. In other cities, such destination neighborhoods have plenty of dining action but not in Houston. Instead, the nation’s capital for restaurant saturation has a surprising lack of dining options in close proximity to its finest and most popular museums. …
Aftermath: Dr. John at House of Blues
It must be getting close to Mardi Gras, because Aftermath swore he could smell gumbo during Dr. John and the Lower 911’s roux-thick mambo “Goin’ Back to New Orleans” Thursday night. (Either that or he really needs to eat more.) Too bad more people didn’t feel the same way. A good…
The NFL’s Hottest Cheerleader Is From Deer Park
We are egregiously late in getting you this news, mostly because it involves Maxim magazine, and we get around to checking Maxim right after we Chinese Agricultural Monthly (we read it for the articles, not the pictures, dammit).Anyway, it appears that in yet another one of their highly scientific examinations…
Lunch at 300: Some Things Never Change
When some coworkers suggested heading over to the newly-refurbished bowling alley down the street for lunch, I balked. I’d had my mouth set for some refreshing kimchee and cold green tea, not bowling alley food. They were persistent, however, and ten minutes later I found myself inside 300 Houston, a painfully trendy bowling…
A Drawing Of What The New Soccer Stadium Probably Won’t Look Like
KHOU — who, not coincidentally, happens to have just become a new “partner” with the Houston Dynamo — had an exclusive look last night at artists’ renderings of the proposed new soccer stadium near Minute Maid Park and the George R. Brown Convention Center.It’s a space-ship-looking thingy, very futuristic. And…
Anti-Semitism Rears Its Ugly Head in Klein Independent School District?
Jewish parents at Klein High School want to know what Terri Hall, the academic adviser to the student newspaper, was thinking when she allowed what some of them consider an anti-Semitic news article and editorial to be published in the January 30 edition of the Klein Bearchat.The banner story in…
Chronicle Drops the Ball on Texans’ Illegal Drills
I think it’s pretty common knowledge that the newspaper industry is in pretty bad shape. Reporters, editors, support staff, etc. are being laid off left and right. I think anyone who reads the Chronicle on a daily basis can see how that paper has been hit by this – smaller…
Chronicle Drops the Ball on Texans’ Illegal Drills
I think it’s pretty common knowledge that the newspaper industry is in pretty bad shape. Reporters, editors, support staff, etc. are being laid off left and right. I think anyone who reads the Chronicle on a daily basis can see how that paper has been hit by this – smaller…
Continental: Thanks For Letting Us Screw You
Richard Jones flew on Continental so much that he saw some employees “more than my family members,” but after a recent experience, he says he’s finished doing business with the airline. It all started when Jones booked a flight from College Station to New York last spring and had to…
Wanna Hear Obama Cussing?
Yet another funny bit Rocks Off discovered via the time-wasting miracle that is Twitter, via the Boston Phoenix’s blog – our new president impersonating a foul-mouthed old friend in the audiobook version of his autobiography. As far as Rocks Off can tell, it’s legit – and freaking hilarious. Feel free to sample/remix…
Valentine’s Day: The Lamest Gifts
Valentine’s Day is only a week or so away, dudes. Your restaurant reservations should be made. Your flowers ordered.Or, more likely, it’s going to take you by surprise again this year, and you won’t act until you wonder why there’s all these people pulling up to a tent in a…
Now Open: A Visual Collection Of “Now Open” Signs In Galveston
Galveston is still continuing its lonely struggle to recover from Ike, but more and more local businesses are opening.And when they do, island resident Veronica Hugger is there to document things.Hugger has created a website called “Galveston: Now Open” that consists just about entirely of a slide show of “Now…
New Songs from Metavenge
Metavenge are a gaggle of teenagers in faded Slayer shirts from the Friendswood/Alvin area, but they sound like they opened for Metallica on the Ride The Lightning tour. Ever since we first heard them back in the fall, we have been blasting “Time To Kill” on our iPod as we…
Aftermath: Mike Barfield and Danny Gardner at Under the Volcano
It was a night of mixed emotions as Romeo Dog Danny Gardner and Hollister Mike Barfield took the stage at Under The Volcano. Most people had heard the news about Hollister’s former bandmate Eric Danheim’s loss. There was almost no small group that the subject of Betsy Danheim’s passing didn’t come…
Houston Is The Mecca Of The Middle Class, According To New York Researchers
Although, as we said below, economists aren’t generally predicting great things for Houston in 2009, there is a ray of light: It’s still cheaper to live here than other big cities.In a report released yesterday detailing how the middle class is abandoning New York City, the Center for an Urban…
Five Spot: Scarface Is Dead, But Not Really
Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we’ll examine a recent bit of music news and list five reasons why it’s either brilliant or dumb-assed. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. The rumblings of an Internet rumor are beginning to be heard and, as much we are all about perpetuating untruths, this…
The Last Piece Of Good Economic News?
The 88 major job markets across the U.S. lost a total of 1.2 million jobs in 2008, according to a study by Bizjournals.Only 15 of the 88 markets saw a job increase in the year. And the city with the largest increase of all — Houston.We added 57,300 jobs in…
Four Catholic Schools Closing, Robbing Future Generations of Ruler-Wielding Nun Stereotypes
Maybe it’s just the 12 years of Catholic school in me, but it’s always sad to see one of these tradition-bound institutions close.And now four of them are to be shut in the Houston area.The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston announced that, on the heels of last year’s shutdown of Mt. Carmel…
Top Ten Food & Sex Scenes in the Movies
In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, we now repost this list from our archives. Dinner and a movie at home can be very romantic – especially with the right food and the right flick. Here’s a list of the Top Ten Food & Sex Scenes in the Movies to consider while…
Idol Beat: Hollywood Week, Part 1
[Note: Because a lot of people are apparently into American Idol, Rocks Off asked contributor Ray Cummings to keep track of this season for us. This is his first report.] “Hollywood Week” marks the point in American Idol’s grist-mill rigamorole calendar where the kid gloves come off, when being cute…
Katrina Housing Aid Is Ending. For Real, This Time
It seems like a long, long time ago, those crazy days when hurricanes Katrina and Rita came ashore.In Houston, we mostly felt the effects of Katrina, of course, as New Orleans evacuees came over. Some started lives here, others eventually went home.But now — finally, some would say — the…
Houston Texans Dime Out Kubiak On Illegal Drills
The people of Houston might want to know just what it is that the city did to anger the people at ESPN. That’s the only explanation of which I can think to explain ESPN coming down hard on another Houston sports team. Last summer it was the story of the…
Houston Texans Dime Out Kubiak On Illegal Drills
The people of Houston might want to know just what it is that the city did to anger the people at ESPN. That’s the only explanation of which I can think to explain ESPN coming down hard on another Houston sports team. Last summer it was the story of the…
Thelma’s Says It’s Rebuilding
The latest “news” on the smoldered Thelma’s Bar-B-Que on 1020 Live Oak is… nothing all that new.Alicia White, with the Houston Fire Department, told Hair Balls that since the cause of the fire is still under investigation, information beyond the basics isn’t going to be released any time soon (the…
Thelma’s Says It’s Rebuilding
The latest “news” on the smoldered Thelma’s Bar-B-Que on 1020 Live Oak is… nothing all that new.Alicia White, with the Houston Fire Department, told Hair Balls that since the cause of the fire is still under investigation, information beyond the basics isn’t going to be released any time soon (the…
Tonight: Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers at Walter’s on Washington
Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers are not typical Southern-fried fare, no insipid Nashville muzak served up safe and soft. Think demented Dixieland instead. Imagine vaudevillians, carnies, punks and Tom Waits producing whisky-drizzled psychobilly. The sizzling Shakers are such a mongrel. Bursting with weird flourishes, they trample and resurrect genres with mad glee…
Houston Dominates True Love, If Essence Magazine Is To Be Believed
Houston, we are kicking ass once again — this time in the category of smooth, silky black romancing.Essence magazine, which is sorta like Cosmo for black women (we guess), conducted a nationwide search to find the five most romantic couples who want to get engaged. The winning couple will be…
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria Now Open in Sugarland
The long awaited Grimaldi’s coal oven pizza location in Sugarland’s First Colony mall has finally opened. Grimaldi’s original location in Brooklyn’s trendy DUMBO (down under the Manhattan Bridge overpass) neighborhood is legendary for its coal oven crust and fresh mozzarella cheese topping. The Brooklyn pizzeria was called Patsy’s when I…
Art Rock: Au, Wild Moccasins and listenlisten at the Mink
[Note the early start time.]…
Bill King Not Running For Mayor Or Anything Else
Bill King, the former mayor of Kemah and the man who is perhaps the most tireless proponent of hurricane awareness among local elected officials, has sent out an e-mail telling supporters he is not running for any elected office this year.King had been, at one point, mulling a mayoral race…
That Odd Apartment Complex On Alabama — Is There Development In Its Future? (Updated)
Swamplot reports two fascinating bits of news: 1) Tenants of that funky old apartment complex at West Alabama and Dunlavy are getting eviction notices; and 2) There are still tenants to give eviction notices to in that funky old apartment complex at West Alabama and Dunlavy.The Wilshire Village apartments, as…
Remembering Lux: The Cramps’ Gravest Hits
A few more details are starting to emerge in the death of Cramps frontman Lux Interior. The Los Angeles Times says Interior, 60, passed away Wednesday from a preexisting heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Southern California. He is survived by his wife and bandmate “Poison Ivy” Rorschach and…
Local Rotation: The Snake Charmers’ Been Gone Too Long
The Snake Charmers Been Gone Too Long www.snakecharmers.net Contrary to popular belief, the blues is mostly about restraint; a few carefully chosen and timed notes are almost always preferable to a shower of technically precise show-offery. Luckily, the Snake Charmers don’t have this problem. The Houston quartet’s latest CD, Been…
Local Guitarist’s Wife Dies in Hawaii Swimming Accident
Tragedy has struck a long-standing member of Houston’s musical community. Elizabeth Danheim, 43-year old wife of Eric Danheim, died Jan.30 while swimming in Hawaii. Eric Danheim, who also worked under the alias Eddie Lee Dale, has been a fixture on the Houston roots-music scene for over 20 years, playing with Herschel…
Breaking News: Candy Bars Can’t Cure Alzheimer’s
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced this morning that he’s charging a Fredericksburg company called Nature’s Candy with violating the Texas Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. (Woe to the person who violates the “cosmetic” part of the first act. Grandma with the eyeshadow,…
Wine Trends for 2009: Quality and Value
The best wine bars, like the best restaurants, are always a reflection of the owner’s vision and personality. 13 Celsius Win Bar in midtown Houston is no exception. On the bar side, proprietor Ian Rosenberg, an architect by profession and training, has transformed a circa-1927 Mediterannean-style building into one of…
A Call for More Honesty in Facebook Status Updates
I’ll admit it…I’m as self-absorbed as the next person when it comes to writing Facebook status updates. I know no one really cares if I’m watching Larry King or filing my nails or whatever, yet for some reason I choose to update my status line constantly. Have you noticed that…
The Reckless Robber Goes For The Bald Look
Now the Reckless Robber is just toying with us.He pulled off his sixth bank robbery Wednesday, but — much more importantly — he abandoned the silver-hair trademark that had sent the FBI’s PR department into paroxysms of outrage.The dude is now bald. In the latest security-camera video, he looks like…
Fadi’s Brick Oven Flatbread
When you walk in the front door of the new Fadi’s Mediterranean restaurant in West Houston, you are looking into the business end of a gorgeous Renato pizza oven. And Fadi’s doesn’t even make pizza. The new state-of-the-art Fadi’s, which is located in the Shadowbriar Shopping Center on Westheimer just…
Choosing The New HISD Superintendent
HISD, as you might have heard, is looking for a new superintendent.This is a very complicated process that involves putting out a lot of paperwork, like the “request for proposals” distributed before bids are taken on major projects.We’ve had a preview on the RFP for the new superintendent gig; here’s…
Even Transsexuals Need To Pee Somewhere
If you’re a transsexual and you gotta pee, there are at least 21 locations in Houston where you won’t run into any problems – at least according to safe2pee.org, a website that lists 1,848 transsexual-friendly bathrooms in 476 cities. Hair Balls tried to get in touch with the person who…
At the Death House Door
Carroll Pickett walked into the TDC Huntsville death chamber 95 times. Unlike the men he counseled, he also walked out. At the Death House Door is the chronicle of Pickett’s time as death-house chaplain. The film takes a close look at Pickett’s relationship with Carlos de Luna, a condemned prisoner…
“New Visualism: Abstractions in Photography”
FotoFest goddess (and curator) Wendy Watriss presents “New Visualism: Abstractions in Photography,” an exhibit of contemporary black-and-white photography by tepán Grygar (Czech Republic) and Fernando La Rosa (Peru/USA). Grygar’s photographs read at first as seemingly casual snapshots, but are actually painstakingly crafted. He finds his abstractions out in the world,…
Pretty Things Peepshow
The Pretty Things Peepshow features a hot chick who swallows swords. (What else do you need to know?) This vintage -burlesque-style performance includes Miss Heather Holiday, a corset-clad bombshell with a talent for downing sharp objects…we mean swords, dudes. Keep it in your pants. The rest of the cast includes…
Free Family Fun: The National Acrobats of China
We hope the National Acrobats of China start off today’s Free Family Fun performance with the warning “Don’t try this at home.” The average five-year-old will end up in a knot if she tries some of the complicated contortions the acrobats will perform. 6:30 p.m. Children’s Museum of Houston, 1500…
The Unexpected Guest
You can’t believe your eyes at an Agatha Christie mystery, because nothing is what it seems to be. It’s no different for The Unexpected Guest. As the show begins, Michael Starkwedder has had some car trouble, and he goes to a nearby house for help. Instead of a helping hand,…
Bud, Not Buddy
In Bud, Not Buddy, it’s 1936, the midst of the Great Depression and Bud is a boy who doesn’t have a lot of choices. He can stay with an abusive foster family or he can hit the road and look for the man who might be his father. Bud doesn’t…
Joe Goode Performance Group
It’s hard to be heroic when you’re only three feet tall. Somehow, Wonderboy manages. The puppet character at the center of the Joe Goode Performance Group’s coming-of-age story, Wonderboy sits at a window gazing at the outside world. Paralyzed by his fears (something as simple as the glare from bright…
“Live in Texas” Photo Exhibit
Photographer Stephanie Alexander has been very busy for the last three years. She’s been on the road shooting big-name rock stars. Now she’s ready to share some of those images with us in “Live in Texas,” an art exhibit at the Record Ranch Gallery. You’ll see Alexander’s photos of Mick…
Legally Blonde the Musical
A blond bombshell might not be your typical lawyer, but then again Elle Woods, the pink-loving princess at the center of Legally Blonde the Musical, isn’t typical. Proving that beauty and brains really do go together, the powder-puff sorority girl follows her ex to Harvard Law School, and once she’s…
John Birmingham
The premise of John Birmingham’s new thriller is simple: What if America disappeared? If it just fell off the face of the earth? In Without Warning, Birmingham, who’s written several other novels with equally foreboding titles such as Final Impact and Designated Targets, gives readers a world sans its only…
“PRISMATTAK”
Lisa Marie Godfrey promotes post-psychedelia in “PRISMATTAK.” The curator for Domy’s latest group exhibit says the work on display is something new and trippy for the 21st century. “[It’s] less flowy and more geometric,” says Godfrey. Brent Wadden’s acrylics on paper overlap intense patterning and tribal imagery for a dizzying…
“The Puppet Show”
A hypnotized man making art against his will, a singing penis and dancing marionettes are just a few of the works you’ll see in “The Puppet Show.” Co-curators Ingrid Schaffner and Carin Kuoni have put together a dissimilar and eclectic collection of art that explores the ideas of manipulation, control…
Amazing Astronomers of Ancient Rome
Sure, we’ve made giant strides in our study of the galaxy, with our megacomputers and fancy telescopes. But 2,000 years ago in ancient Rome, with very few tools, astronomers were already deciphering the wonders of the sky. The new film at the Planetarium, The Amazing Astronomers of Ancient Rome, transports…
“Accrochage” Art Exhibit
One of the artists in the “Accrochage” exhibit, German Mario Reis doesn’t use paint or brushes to create his paintings. He lets nature do the work. With tons (literally) of water and minuscule amounts of minerals, Reis creates surprisingly varied paintings. Reis submerges his canvases into streams and rivers around…
Quaternaglia
Thanks to a certain video game, everyone from your great uncle to the six-year-old who lives next door now claims to be a master of the guitar. It might be a relief, then, to be reminded what the guitar can do in the hands of people who can, you know,…
White Dog
Cujo’s got nothing on the German shepherd in White Dog. A young woman who’s just picked up a stray is horrified to discover that he’s been trained to attack black people. She wants to get him retrained, but the only guy willing to take it on is African-American. That makes…
“Are Our Gods the Same Gods?”
Whether you’re a Lakewood Churchgoer, a Kosher-keeping Jew or a dabbler in Zen Buddhism, you’ve no doubt had a moment where you’ve wondered: If I’m right about God, does that mean everyone else is wrong? Though they can’t guarantee an answer, a panel of five top-notch religious scholars will discuss…
Chorus!
Music fans listen to greatest hits compilations in rock, jazz, country, even obscure klezmer music. So why not one for the opera? That’s the idea behind Chorus! The Houston Grand Opera Chorus singers are stringing together famous choral selections, all fully staged and costumed. The show features familiar numbers from…
Marked Passages: Poetry by Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath
Aperio, Music of the Americas blends works by American poets and composers The poetry of Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson flows with style, grace and more than a tinge of melancholy, but can you put a beat to it? That’s the question that the performing group Aperio, Music of the…
Leighton Gage
It happens every day — a dog finds a bone. But this bone is human, and Chief Inspector Mario Silva is sent to find the rest of the body in Leighton Gage’s thriller Buried Strangers. What he discovers shocks even him. First there is one body, then dozens, then secret…
Paleontology Field Trip
Enough with the Guitar Hero already! Do something completely different this weekend — go on the Paleontology Field Trip presented by the Houston Museum of Natural Science. After a quick refresher on geology and the Texas Eocene ecosystem with HMNS experts/guides, you’ll be ready to dig in. Your dig site…
The Power of Chocolate
It’s easy to understand why the Aztecs used chocolate as money — it’s rich, it’s luscious and when ingested in large enough amounts, it makes you glow. Let the staff of the Central Market Cooking School introduce you to The Power of Chocolate. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, you’ll…
Stage Beauty Happy Hour Launch Party
The folks at Mildred’s Umbrella do two things very, very well: They perform. And they party. They’ll do both at today’s Stage Beauty Happy Hour Launch Party, a kick-off for their upcoming show Compleat Female Stage Beauty, which they describe as “an intimate psychosexual backstage historical comedy.” Besides the drinking…
Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
The fact that there’s any green space in New York City at all is due in no small part to William H. Whyte’s 1980 landmark study on the use of the city’s open areas, in which he and his team studied, analyzed, measured and counted every imaginable factor that could…
Green House Gallery: “Love Vibe”
The Green House Gallery embraces the Valentine’s Day groove with “Love Vibe,” a group show featuring the work of Jonatan Lopez (sculpture employing found steel) and Nan Stombaugh (digital collages). You can meet and mingle with Lopez and Stombaugh, along with the other artists, at today’s opening reception from 6…
Seven Blind Women Filmmakers
How would you make a movie if you couldn’t see? Iranian director Mohammad Shirvani started a yearlong filmmaking workshop in 2004 for blind women in Tehran to find out. Out of 200 applicants, seven finished the course, and the result is the feature-length compilation Seven Blind Women Filmmakers. Shirvani laid…
D.L. Hughley
If America ever becomes a “post-racial” society, comedian and TV host D.L. Hughley will probably be out of a job. Don’t get us wrong, his stand-up credentials are above reproach — his skills earned him a place as one of the Original Kings of Comedy, and his stint in the…
Kian Long, Texas Pioneer
Jane Long was one of the first white women to settle in Texas in the 1820s, and her story is well known. But Long didn’t come alone. Her slave and companion Kian was with her. Together they survived harrowing dangers and encountered a Texas on the brink of revolution. The…
The Queen of Black Magic
There are three lessons to learn from The Queen of Black Magic. One, if you throw a woman off a cliff, it’s a good idea to follow through and make sure she’s dead. Two, if you don’t confirm that she’s dead, there’s a good chance she’s going to recuperate, learn…
Authors’ Day at Brazos Bookstore
If you’ve ever fantasized about returning to the era of Paris’s famed literary salons, when local writers gathered in cafes to languidly discuss work and life, then you should head over to Brazos Bookstore for Local Authors’ Day, a gathering of Houston’s finest wordsmiths. Sure, it’s not the Left Bank,…
Diane Stanley
Mozart produced some of the greatest music ever heard. He also lived a short, mostly unhappy life. Author/illustrator Diana Stanley gives kids a glimpse into Mozart’s childhood in Mozart: The Wonder Child: A Puppet Play in Three Acts. Inspired by the Salzburg Marionette Theatre while she was in Austria researching…
Artists on Film
Sculptor Louise Bourgeois, who was best known for the giant spider structures she created in the 1990s, was the first woman who ever earned a major retrospective at the New York Museum of Modern Art. The documentary Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress and the Tangerine shows us why. Filmmakers…
Black History Month Celebrations
You won’t have to go any further than your neighborhood library to find family-friendly Black History Month celebrations. There are various music programs planned recalling African-American music from plantation spirituals to the sounds of Motown. A step crew will not only perform, but will also present the history of the…
Thomas Eakins Lecture
Scientist/artist Thomas Eakins was as exasperating as he was exacting; that didn’t win him many friends, but it also didn’t stop him from being remembered as one of the most important American realists of the early 20th century. Glassell School of Art Senior Lecturer David E. Brauer explores the work…
Houston Poetry Slam
Wordmeister hopefuls will go rhyme to rhyme at Slam! Houston (AKA The Show). The winner gets some pocket change and a chance to represent H-Town in the National Poetry Slam in Florida later this summer. Local poet/singer/songwriter D.E.E.P. hosts the evening, with singer Marium Akilah providing the music. 8 p.m…
Thomas Eakins Lecture
Scientist/artist Thomas Eakins was as exasperating as he was exacting; that didn’t win him many friends, but it also didn’t stop him from being remembered as one of the most important American realists of the early 20th century. Glassell School of Art Senior Lecturer David E. Brauer explores the work…
The Bad Plus
For a band made famous by imitating more famous bands’ songs, jazz trio The Bad Plus has done quite well for itself. From its early covers of Abba and Nirvana, to “Iron Man” and the Pixies, to the more sensible covers on Prog (Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” Bowie’s “Life On Mars?”),…
What Makes Cornbreadd Run
This should be a slam dunk. It’s the Season 1 finale of MTV’s reality show 50 Cent: The Money and the Power. On the line is a $100,000 “investment” by the Queens-born rap superstar — i.e., a suitcase full of cash — and the field of 14 contenders has been narrowed…
Meiko
Meiko is a bona fide iTunes phenomenon, another of those bootstrap success stories we all love to hear in this day of crashing record labels and falling retail sales. Based in Los Angeles but originally from Roberta, Georgia, Meiko self-released Meiko in late 2007 and it stormed up the digital…
Samy Bachachi’s Café Byblos
Samy Bachachi, general manager of the just-opened Café Byblos (6134 Richmond, 832-251-0505), has been in Houston since 1990 and used to own Cent’Anni and Al Diwan. “At Byblos, my partner, Assad Boulos, and I have created an elegant but affordable Lebanese restaurant where proper attire is required, with nightly entertainment…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Arms and the Man, Dryope and Iole, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Arms and the Man G.B. Shaw’s sparkling romantic comedy from 1894 takes on manly soldiers who are praised for desertion, a middle class as snooty as the upper class, headstrong servants, blustery fools, romantic heroines who save the enemy because they’ve just seen an opera where such a thing happens,…
Garlic Fries at Cedar Creek
Not for dates: The garlic fries ($5.50) at Cedar Creek (1034 West 20th, 713-808-9623) come in a ten-inch bowl — too much for one, unless they’re the only thing you’re eating. Whoever said, “There’s no such thing as too much garlic” must have been thinking of these fabulous fries. Imagine…
Star Trek for the Ages
A Houston company is gearing up to — no, goddammit, we will not do a “go where no man has gone before” reference. But from an office in West U, of all places, the planning is proceeding for the ultimate star trek — sending some of the remains of Majel…
Crooked Fingers
Fresh off mining the bottomless influence of Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen over several swell albums, ex-Archers of Loaf barker Eric Bachmann and company turn to chiming, swoon-worthy Motown flair on the new-ish Forfeit/Fortune. Though blessed with blown-out reverb and shivering keys, the balance of seedy character studies and bubblegum…
Comics, MasterMinds, Revolutionaries, Apartments and Transsexuals
Bad idea: I just heard you’re putting comics on “hiatus.” If you don’t mind my saying so, I think that idea sucks. What’s next, get rid of any humor in the paper? Cancel Ask A Mexican or Hairballs? I mean, who wants to enjoy reading a newspaper, right? I may…
Houston Sushi’s Polar Opposites: Soma & Oishii Sushi
As the name suggests, the “Crazy Irishman” roll at Soma on Washington is not one of those restrained-looking creations composed by a Zen-practicing master sushi chef. This over-the-top, fiery-hot and slightly sweet sushi roll combining salmon, tuna and avocado is wrapped in green soybean paper and flash-fried. Then it’s topped…
Moments the Grammy Awards Would Rather Forget
The Grammy Awards are second only to the Oscars for self-aggrandizement and clannish political overtones. They seem to exist only for Vera Wang and Marc Jacobs to stay in business. The Grammys always seem to be about five years behind pop culture, which in the past has been blamed on…
The Story of Los Volcanes and Neil Diamond
In late October, Eddie Rodriguez and his band Los Volcanes were in their label’s home base of Corpus Christi, performing Tejano music on Spanish-language television. Save for a handful of suburban clubs, Tejano is an afterthought in the 42-year-old Rodriguez’s adopted hometown of Seattle (he’s a Brownsville native). But in…
We’re just not that into He’s Just Not That Into You
The smirky, overbearing and subliminally hostile romantic primer He’s Just Not That Into You — which sold a regrettable two million copies when it was published in 2004 — seizes on some partial truths about the gender wars and blows them up into evolutionary gospel, as follows: Since cave-dwelling times,…
THE TIPSY CLOVER’S JAPANESE CAR BOMB
As soon as we sat down at El Patio, the waiter brought out six pitchers of blue margaritas and I knew we were all about to die. The “blues,” with their secret recipe, are legendary and not to be fucked around with. We were a group of 11 thirtysomething guys…
Coraline in Wonderland
If Alice in Wonderland were retold by the Mad Hatter, it might look something like Henry Selick’s 3-D, stop-motion Coraline, in which the bored, blue-haired 11-year-old of the title (voiced by Dakota Fanning) travels through the looking glass and ends up in a world that strangely resembles her own —…
The Force Is Weak with the Long-Delayed Fanboys
Fanboys is meant for the dude who’s content to simply stare at an Imperial stormtrooper’s empty helmet for 90 minutes. It’s for the two childhood friends who parted ways back in junior high over a dispute about whether Captain James T. Kirk could kick Han Solo’s ass. And it’s for…
Chris Squire on 40 Years of Prog Life
Prog-rock kings Yes are known for their intricate and multi-movement songs, ethereal lyrics and harmonies, and fantasy-fueled album-cover art (mostly by Roger Dean, who also designed their distinctive logo). Through the ’60s and ’70s, albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge and Tales from Topographic Oceans, and tracks “Starship Trooper,”…
Randy Weeks
Going My Way, Randy Weeks’s first Texas record since moving from Los Angeles to Austin, involves subtle changes from his likable albums Sugar Finger (2007) and Sold Out at the Cinema (2004). Weeks’s pop smarts and adult plainspeak are still in abundance, but Going My Way has a straight-ahead feel…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Hedwige Jacobs — New Drawings,” Hot and Grounded, “Michael Guidry: How soon is now?,” “Museum of Unnatural History,” “Perspectives 164: Stephanie Syjuco: Total Fabrications”
“Hedwige Jacobs — New Drawings” Raised in the Netherlands, Hedwige Jacobs must have drawn upon the sprawling landscape of Houston — she currently resides here — rather than her Dutch upbringing to create this set of new drawings. Though at first glance some of the works look like large-scale doodles,…
Gov’t Mule
Remember that old running sketch on TV’s In Living Color where the Jamaican family would compete with each other to see who worked the most (“What, you only got tree jobs, mon? You lazy!”)? Well, head Mule Warren Haynes might just be part Islander, given his calendar-busting duties performing as…
Why All the Mexican Narco Hate?
Dear Mexican, I can’t tell you how disappointed I’ve been these past few days, as a U.S. citizen and ciudadano mexicano, how I’ve been seeing more and more stories about los narcos and how the Mexican government keeps getting screwed over in newspapers. I think that you should dedicate a…
Even Novices Will Fall For HGO’s Chorus!
For Houstonians who don’t have the operatic chops to sit through almost three hours of contemporary opera music (and for those who do!), HGO’s General Director Anthony Freud dreamed up Chorus!, a terrifically accessible production created from the music that the chorus sings in famous operas and Broadway musicals. Work…
