Grier’s State of the Schools Address: Happy Campuses, Except for the Ones That No One Wants to Send Their Kids To
The 50-minute State of the Schools address given by Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier Wednesday reached its in-your-face moment just before the 17-minute mark when he told the sold-out room at the Hilton Americas Hotel that “We should support our strong magnet schools. But you know we really can’t deny…
Aaron Hernandez’s Fiancée Granted Immunity for Her Testimony
Since the time Aaron Hernandez was indicted for the murder of Odin Lloyd back in 2013, we knew there would always be two problems for the prosecution when it came time to try and get a conviction — a lack of credible witnesses from the night of the murder willing…
With Campus Carry Bill Fast-Tracked, Opponents Are Scrambling
The woman who will lead the anti-campus carry movement in Texas has fired a gun all of once, at an outdoor recreation class in a Round Rock middle school. That certainly didn’t set Kristen Katz on the path of an anti-campus carry activist. The epiphany came when Katz attended a…
How to Spice Up the (Probably) Terrible Fifty Shades of Grey Movie
The adaptation of E.L. James’s preposterous BDSM novel (that famously started life as Twilight fan fiction) drops into theaters like so many hastily doffed panties this Friday. Universal Pictures is hoping a not insignificant chunk of the 60 million people who bought the book will show up to see R-rated…
Former Katy Resident Excommunicated From the Mormon Church
By Stephan Wyatt John Dehlin did not have to wait until long to find out his fate in the Mormon church. In a letter dated February 9, John Dehlin, a long-time Katy resident now living in Logan, Utah, was excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints –…
Enabler Turns Way Up at Walters
Enabler, Call of the Void, Blasé, STRESS33 Walters Downtown February 10, 2015 It’s a rather small crowd that turns out to hear extreme sounds at Walters on a Tuesday night in February — one that typically shows up with callouses on their cochleas. But even the saltier veterans of the…
Stanton Welch’s Romeo and Juliet Brings Authentic Italian Design to Houston
For the past year and a half, world-renowned Italian costume and scenic designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno has worked to design the sets and costumes for the first new production for Houston Ballet in 28 years — Artistic Director Stanton Welch’s Romeo and Juliet. Guidi di Bagno and Welch met…
Chef Chat, Part 1: John Watt of Prego and Trevisio
Many people probably don’t know that James Beard-nominated Hugo Ortega of Hugo’s, Backstreet Café and Caracol, is not Tracy Vaught’s only partner in the restaurant industry, nor was he the original executive chef at Backstreet. Chef John Watt, who also co-owns Prego and co-operates Trevisio with Vaught, was the first…
Andreanne Nadeau, the Moon Goddess in Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna
Sneak Peak: Amaluna by Cirque Du Soleil from Voice Media Group on Vimeo. The audience won’t be the only ones in awe at performances of Cirque du Soleil Presents Amaluna. According to performer Andreanne Nadeau, when they aren’t onstage, the other members of the circus acts stand in the wings…
How Will the Rockets Survive Without Dwight Howard? An Eight-Week Breakdown
This week we learned that Rockets center Dwight Howard could miss as few as four or as many as eight weeks after a bone marrow aspiration procedure to attempt to help his ailing knee. The team says he’ll be re-evaluated after four weeks. Howard says it is more likely between…
The Speckled Band Really Isn’t Much of a Mystery, Alas
The set-up: Other than Shakespeare’s era, is there any other literary period with more illustrative characters than the Victorian? Think of all those immortal fictions who have bored into our consciousness, people penned by Dickens, Barrie, and Carroll: Fagin, Scrooge, Miss Haversham, Pip, Little Nell, Peter Pan, Alice, the Mad…
Hay Merchant Third Anniversary Party Preview
Three years ago, half of the location of the old Chances bar was converted into the Hay Merchant (1100 Westheimer Road, 713-528-9805), which quickly became the go-to spot in Montrose for craft beer. Once again, the Hay Merchant is clearing out its tap lines in preparation for an anniversary party,…
5 Good Bills Filed in the Texas Legislature
We’ve been enjoying the dark side of the 84th biennial Texas Legislative Session, but it occurred to us that maybe we should take some time out to look at some legislation with some potential for real positive change. Of course, with a Republican-dominated Lege, the odds are good that some…
J.J. Watt Actually Takes a Vacation (w/ Tropical Photo)
I’ll be honest, I didn’t realize that J.J. Watt’s inventor had programmed his 300 pound cyborg to take vacations. I just thought that the modern day Dr. Frankenstein that created Watt embedded some code into his hard drive that triggered an offseason routine that largely resembled the slogan on any…
I Just Watched Friends for the First Time on Netflix
Post written by Chris Packham. In 2004, I worked at a bar in Kansas City’s River Market district. One night, a woman handed me her credit card to pay her tab; I looked at it and said, “HAHA. Your name is Monica Ross!” She made a big, exasperated noise and…
Chase Hamblin Heads “Way Back” to Start 2015
Their name notwithstanding, Chase Hamblin and crew are anything but roustabouts. Rooted in ’60s-era pop-rock with hooks catchy enough to entice listeners of all ages, Hamblin has been a staple of the local music scene for nearly a decade. Not being one to sit still for too long, Hamblin kicked…
Try These 5 Outrageously Chocolaty Desserts in Houston
They say life is like a box of chocolates. That’s cool, but we prefer to think of life like a box of chocolate-chunk-loaded, ganache-filled, buttercream-iced chocolate cupcakes. We don’t have an analogy for it — we just really, really love chocolate. If you do too, check out these 5 seriously…
Local Acts We’d Like to See at Free Press Summer Fest ’15
About this time of year, local acts begin to wonder if they’ll get called to represent the best in Houston music at Free Press Summer Fest. As the event has grown larger, though, this opportunity has grown smaller, which in turn makes the honor of getting called even greater. Excusing…
Upcoming: Bad Religion, George Clinton, Echosmith, Imagine Dragons, Supersuckers, etc.
2015 Fuzz-A-Rama Beat Stomp: With The Motion, Modfag, The Blind Owls, Jimmy Shadeaux & the Steel Toe Soul, The Ripe, Ketchy Shuby, The Phantomatics, Allen Oldies Band, King Pelican, The Dead Barons, Blaire Alise & the Bombshells, Mikey & the Drags, Official Bubble Puppy Band, Stewart Anderton, Reverberation Houston, Alamo…
Stalking the Elusive Vanilla Whale: Hard Rock Ahoy!
Blackbeard Recording Studios off Kuykendahl Road in Spring isn’t the easiest place to find. There’s no eye-catching sign on the plain, box-shaped concrete building behind a strip center, which also houses a mechanic, tattoo parlor and some sort of kids’ play facility. Then you have to drive around a dumpster…
Halliburton to Cut Up to 6,500 Jobs
In a move that should surprise exactly no one, Halliburton announced more layoffs on Tuesday. Specifically, the oil field service company will be cutting 5,000 to 6,500 jobs to deal with the sharp drop in crude oil prices. Halliburton issued a statement on the upcoming layoffs, according to Bloomberg, confirming…
Just in Case You’re Going to Walmart in Deer Park…
Watch out. In Deer Park, Walmart patrons resolve arguments in front of the $2.99 baby wipes the same way billy goats resolve their differences: a swift headbutt. Check out this video posted to YouTube yesterday:…
Houston Community College Still Wants to Seal Records in Lawsuit
Lawyers for Houston Community College went to court yesterday to argue that internal records from a public institution would harm said public institution if made public. As the legal battle between HCC, one of the largest community college systems in the country, and the college’s ousted top lawyer continues to…
Berlin Film Festival: Jafar Panahi Tweaks Iran and Shariah Law in Taxi
BERLIN — Riding from the Berlin-Tegel airport to my hotel on a crisp, sunny day last week, my cab passed the magnificent golden angel statue known as the Victory Column, a monument erected by the city in 1874 to commemorate assorted Prussian military victories of the day. But people all…
People Are Stoked About KTRU’s FM Return
“KTRU lives on.” In a message posted on the station’s Web site Monday evening, KTRU station manager Sal Tijerina announced that the Federal Communications Commission had granted permission for the station to return to the FM dial after a nearly four-year absence on the low-power 96.1 frequency. His letter said…
Zoya Tommy Reunites Contemporary Artists for Final Show Before Moving Downtown
Viewing the New Work: Group Show exhibit at Zoya Tommy Gallery is a bit like attending a class reunion – an opportunity to see classmates from years past and find out what they’re doing today. A collective of ten artists, most of who have shown here in the past, represents…
This Week in Food Blogs: $14 for a Burger Is No Guarantee of Greatness
This week, we’re welcoming a few blogs that are new to the rotation. First up is the Beckijuice blog. Becki is a yoga instructor and is pursuing a registered dietician certification. She recently went to Brazil and while the never-ending meat and starch parade got to be a bit much…
9-1-1 Call for Cowboys RB Joseph Randle Incident Released
We are in the midst of a dawning of a new age for dramatic television. Cable television and the propensity of consumers to binge watch on mechanisms like Hulu and Netflix have upped the ante and given us instant classics like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and dozens of other…
Radio Milano at CityCentre Deserves Your Attention for What It Does Well
Not much has changed about the space in Hotel Sorella that used to house Bistro Alex, and that’s just fine. With its ceiling of roughly hewn beams cut vertically from tree trunks and its high glass walls, looks were never the issue. In all fairness, Bistro Alex wasn’t a bad…
Female Service Members Can Go to War but Can’t Give Birth in a VA Hospital
For Amelia “Mali” Templeton, this doctor’s visit is cause for both joy and fear. She is nearly into her second trimester of her second pregnancy, but this is the first time she has seen an obstetrician since an initial brief “yes, you’re pregnant” confirmation of her home pregnancy test results…
Really Red Recalls the Early Days of Houston Punk
Thanks to Alternative Tentacles’ new reissue of Really Red’s entire discography on vinyl and CD, you can finally hear the local punk heroes’ music blaring out of your handcrafted tube amp anytime you like, from the comfort of your own home. Or anywhere else, for that matter. In fact, the…
Berlin Film Festival: In Knight of Cups, Terrence Malick Doesn’t Even Get the Shoes Right
The steps leading to the altar of Terrence Malick are practically a safety hazard, cluttered as they are with assorted offerings of frankincense and myrrh, bouquets draped with sashes that shout “Good job!” and perhaps a virgin sacrifice or two. Critics and certain moviegoers love him that much, which explains…
Catastrophic Theatre’sThe Blackest Shore: Finding a Voice
Stuart is a high school student who has decided to make a movie, with graphic violence, extreme sex and the walking dead. It’s “a kind of vampire overlord thing,” says actor Josh Morrison who plays Craig, the latest love interest of Stuart’s mom and the man who’s about to move…
Doctor Who: Why Are All the Doctor’s Enemies Becoming His Friends?
It started at the very end of the Russell T. Davies era, but for some reason the modern incarnation of Doctor Who has given The Doctor a friend from almost every major recurring villain class. If there is one lesson that we can truly learn from Steven Moffat, it seems…
The New Gridiron: UT and A&M Battle It Out These Days in Teenagers’ Living Rooms
It’s the Thursday evening before college football’s National Signing Day, recruiting’s answer to Christmas morning, and the whereabouts of Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin are the worst-kept secret in the state of Texas. Sumlin and his offensive coordinator, Jake Spavital, are visiting the home of all-everything quarterback Kyler Murray,…
Bernadette Peters Brings Broadway to Houston
Actress/singer Bernadette Peters has a very simple plan for keeping her concerts fresh night after night: “I go out there and I do the best that I can. That’s all I can do.” Peters, a three-time Tony Award winner, brings her best to Houston for a one-night performance with the…
Enjoy the Least Metal Video Ever Made
If you don’t remember Chris Holmes from his stint as lead guitarist in W.A.S.P., you may be forgiven. They were, after all, just another hair-metal act and not one whose work has particularly stood the test of time. On the other hand, if you don’t remember Chris Holmes from his…
Here’s Our Tip: Rush to Amalfi Before Everyone Finds Out About It
“Rush” is the key word right now when it comes to Amalfi, the new Mediterranean restaurant with entrees prepared by Chef Giancarlo Ferrara. Rush to get to it because while there’s usually not a large wait for a table, that will change. Once you do get to Amalfi, do not…
How My Five-Year-Old Daughter Reacted to Seeing Her First Open Carry Demonstration
Funny things start going through your head when you and your five-year-old daughter are suddenly surrounded by a dozen people wielding high-powered weaponry. Mostly, you know, expletives and panic, but also an agonizing moment of loss where you are suddenly trying to distill decades of complicated gun nuttery to a…
Republic of Texas Rappers Vow “Come and Take It”
Republic of Texas Tour Feat. GT Garza, Doeman, Dustin Cavazos & Dro FÉ Fitzgerald’s February 8, 2015 There was a moment last night where I felt a cold rush through my spine, a feeling of equal parts amazement and fear. Onstage stood Doeman, a young Mexicano from Southeast Houston with…
12 Budget-Friendly Ideas for Dining-Out Romance in Houston
We recently posted a list of 20 Romantic Restaurants, and while the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, a few readers pointed out that most of these places are on the expensive side. It’s a fair point that needed to be addressed, so here are a dozen budget-friendly ideas for dates that…
Houston’s 10 Most Romantic Bars
Note: list is in alphabetical order. ABSINTHE Unmarked doors and low lighting seem to lend themselves to romance, and Absinthe in Montrose is a bar that meets these two requirements; the fact that absinthe, the drink, was embraced by famous artists and writers including Pablo Picasso, James Joyce, Vincent van…
Robyn Hitchcock Brings Pure Joy to the Mucky Duck
Robyn Hitchcock McGonigel’s Mucky Duck February 6, 2013 I’m not sure whether to review Robyn Hitchcock’s banter or his musical performance. The Mucky Duck was blessed with two evening performances from Mr. Hitchcock Friday, with not an empty seat in the house. Backs pressed against the Duck’s bar, no one…
Where Houston Beatlemaniacs Get Their Fix
Not too long ago, in what may have seemed like a huge prank but was totally real, the Internet all but broke when people on the Internet didn’t use the Internet to find out who Paul McCartney was. Yep. You read that right. Instead, they took to Twitter to ignorantly…
Cochon 555 Highlights Heritage Pig Goodness
Last night was all about pork, whiskey and wine as the Cochon 555 tour made its stand at the JW Marriott downtown. Five chefs competed to see who could make the best use out of a locally-raised heritage breed pig. The competitors were host chef Erin Smith of Main Kitchen…
Reel Big Fish & Less Than Jake Do It Their Way
Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Authority Zero House of Blues February 8, 2015 Maybe it’s better that some bands never become uber-famous. That’s the selfish position of a music fan, a sign of our increasingly entitled culture for sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong either. Consider this: the…
DPS Will Stop Collecting Fingerprints of Driver’s License Applicants
If you went to a Texas Department of Public Safety office after January 2014 to apply for a driver’s license or get a state-issued ID card, more than likely your full set of fingerprints is now locked away in some state database. The little-known, unannounced policy — up until last…
Whole Foods Post Oak Kicks Off Its Beer Dinner Series in Style
In November, Whole Foods Market opened a new location on Post Oak, and in this location also opened its first brewery, making and selling its own, original beers under the WFM Brewing label. You may recall that around this time, I attended a meet-and-greet beer pairing dinner with brewmaster Dave…
Move, Breathe, Learn at the Sixth Annual Texas Yoga Conference, February 20-22
All six of the Texas Yoga Conferences that Jenny Buergermeister has organized have been hosted in a different location, but this year she thinks they’ve finally found a home at the new ISKON Hare Krishna Houston temple in Oak Forest. “One of the benefits of moving around was to connect…
Richie Incognito Is Back in the NFL With the Buffalo Bills
“I’m not going to let our fans down. I’m not going to do that. I know it’s been 15 years [since Buffalo reached the playoffs]. Well, get ready. We’re going. We are going to build a bully, and we’re gonna see if you want to play it for 60 minutes.”…
Sore Throat Can’t Stop St. Paul & the Broken Bones’ Soul Power
St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Sean Rowe Fitzgerald’s February 6, 2015 St. Paul & the Broken Bones, the Southern blues band from Alabama, is experiencing skyrocketing popularity as they landed in Space City to perform for a packed house. Friday night’s show at Fitzgerald’s had been sold out for…
This Week In Food Events: Happy Valentine’s Week!
Monday, February 9 Malbec Class With Bear Dalton Spec’s fine wine buyer Bear Dalton will guide attendees through a tasting class and lecture on Malbec. The class is at the Wine School at l’Alliance Française. Malbec will be traced from its homeland in the southwest of France to its new…
Prepare Yourself for a Journey Into Darkness
Prepare yourself for a journey into darkness at William Reaves Fine Art, with its current modernist exhibition, The Reductive Landscape: Paintings & Drawings by Jack Boynton and McKie Trotter. Boynton’s Blind Beast, a monstrously large side profile of a flat nosed mythical creature’s head with course hair and yellow mouth…
Teen Says He Was Forced Out of Local Private School for Being Gay
Early this month, 17-year-old YouTube blogger Austin Wallis posted an emotional 10-minute video in which he said he’d been forced to leave his private school because he’s gay. The school’s principal, he said, called him into the office and delivered an ultimatum: Wallis was to delete all of his social…
Valentine’s Day Gifts He Will Actually Like
If you are shopping for the lady in your life, check out my previous gift list for women. If you’re hunting for men’s items, you have clicked to the right place…
Buca di Beppo Celebrates Valentine’s Day With Heart-Shaped Lasagna
Newsflash: heart-shaped pizzas and cookies are so 2014. This year’s hottest culinary trend, um, at least in the realm of heart-shaped foods, is the lasagna valentine. The engineer of this particular ingenuity is Buca di Beppo, which first created this novel entree for the wedding of former ‘N Syncer Lance…
Dish of the Week: Buttermilk Pie
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here. This week, we’re sharing a sweet Southern classic: buttermilk pie. Buttermilk pie is a custard pie made with, you guessed it buttermilk. Though it’s…
The City Started Painting a Downtown Bike Lane Saturday
City workers began slapping some green paint on Lamar Street just east of Sam Houston Park Saturday, marking what will ultimately be the city’s first dedicated bike lane. Over the next few weekends workers will build the lane in tiers, ultimately ending at Discovery Green. The lane will be painted…
6 Great Motorcycle Road Trips in Texas
Many motorcyclists begin to view the roads they travel very differently than people driving cars. The experience of riding in the open air on a good road is very different than taking the same route in a car. Somehow the world seems to open up more, rather than being distanced…
Hold ESPN to the Blogger Standard: If Broadcasting the Game, Then Have Announcers at the Game
ESPN televised the UH versus Tulsa game from Hofheinz Pavilion on Thursday night. It was a live broadcast going into the heart of primetime East Coast college basketball viewing. And it involved two teams from a conference to which ESPN paid lots of money for the broadcasting rights. The game…
Spirited Buddy Holly Revival Overplays Texas Accent
While the well-heeled, mostly gray-to-graying crowd was quite happy with Society of Performing Arts’ presentation of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Jones Hall Friday night, one nagging issue hampered the performance. The problem with any play or film about a Texas musical/cultural icon like Buddy Holly is one of…
J.J. Watt Charity Classic Ticket Sales Crash Skeeters Ticket Website (Again)
You people love J.J. Watt. This is undeniable. You buy his jerseys by the truckload. You bookmark all of his “Mic’d Up” videos and fall asleep to them at night. The man is the center of your universe. If J.J. Watt were a plate full of gravy, you’d sop him…
Billy Hinkle Brings East Side Ethic to Poison Girl Turntables
Pasadena hardcore outfit H.R.A., named after television personality Marvin Zindler’s “heavy roach activity” blurb from his famous and often-amusing weekly rundown of local health-inspection violations, makes music to kill cats by, pens theme songs for nightmares, belches anthems for the apocalypse. Fast, furious, industrial-strength, and filled with rage, this is…
Houston’s Five Best Concerts This Week: Steve Earle, Kat Edmondson, Chubby Checker, etc.
Steve Earle Cactus Music, Tuesday 10 (6 p.m.) Busy as he stays acting, writing books and hosting a satellite-radio program, Steve Earle remains an astoundingly prolific musician. He’s released an album every odd-numbered year without fail since 2007’s Washington Square Serenade; the latest, Terraplane Blues (New West), is due next…
Striking Refinery Workers Hold Rally at Shell HQ
At noon Friday, about 125 United Steel Worker union members gathered across the street from Shell’s Houston headquarters. Most arrived on a yellow school bus that pulled up to the curb across the street from One Shell Plaza, a gleaming tower of cream-colored concrete located at 910 Louisiana Street in…
Bob Marley at 70: Does Houston Have a Reggae Problem?
[Updated Friday at 4:30 p.m. with comments from a former Houston reggae promoter who asked to remain anonymous, because “I still have hopes of continuing in the Houston reggae industry.” His comments are underneath the original story.[ Today would have been the late Bob Marley’s 70th birthday. A simple Facebook…
5 More Crazy Bills Filed in the Texas Legislature
We approached the start of the 84th biennial Texas Legislative session with a mix of fear and giddy anticipation. There were a few things we knew going in — mainly that open carry and anti-gay marriage stuff would be big — but as for the rest of the political show,…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Seventh Son
Title: Seventh Son Specifically, The Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, Right? Yes. Referring not only to one of Iron Maiden’s best albums, but also — according to folklore — a person possessing paranormal abilities. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: One glaive out of five. Brief Plot…
5 Events to Check Out This Weekend and Beyond
For those of you in the more civic-minded crowd, there’s plenty going on this week you’ll want to keep an eye on. If you care about the state of your city or state, you might consider attending any one of these events around town this week…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water
Title: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Did They Keep The Elevator Scene? You’re thinking of 50 Shades of Grey. And ew. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Three Bikini Atoll H-bomb tests out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Mutant sea creatures rise from the ocean’s depths…
James Harden Named Western Conference Player of the Month (Again)
When Daryl Morey pulled off what, in retrospect, may be the greatest heist in the NBA over the past 20 years, acquiring James Harden for Jeremy Lamb, a draft pick that would become Steven Adams, and the remaining carcass of Kevin Martin, there was certainly a level of excitement that…
Houston Lawyer Sues Downstairs Neighbor for 42 Alleged Nights of Sleeplessness
The ancient Hebrews may have spent 40 days and 40 nights in the desert while Moses chewed the fat with God, but we assume they managed to work in at least 40 winks when they weren’t partying with that golden calf. Houston attorney Kiri Martin, on the other hand, accuses…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Mardi Gras Kickoff Celebrations
Mardi Gras @ Galveston Island Friday, February 6 through Tuesday, February 17 20 to 25and Harborside to Mechanic Galveston’s annual Mardi Gras celebration running through Fat Tuesday (February 17) — kicks off this Friday. Head to the downtown historic district for an all out street festival featuring balcony parties, awesome…
Upcoming Events: Lots of Chocolate, Champagne and Wine
On Wednesday, February 11, enjoy a free pre-Valentine wine tasting at French Country Wines, 2433 Barlett. Head to the winery from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to enjoy Chateau Les Valentines wines along with crackers and Houston Dairy Maid cheeses. The winery will have boxes of Chocolat du Monde Valentine’s…
Elizabeth Bunch and Chris Hutchison Are Perfect in As You Like It
The set-up: Do you know the showbiz term “jumping the shark”? The phrase has gone viral ever since Fonzie (Henry Winkler) waterskied over a shark during the fifth season of the old hit sitcom Happy Days. It’s a term that means a successful show has finally reached a point of…
ESPN Broadcasts UH Game but Doesn’t Bother to Send Any Announcers
It’s just a little after 6 p.m. on a Thursday night inside Hofheinz Pavilion. The building’s perhaps seven-eighths empty, but that doesn’t prevent UH (9-13) and Tulsa (17-5) from tipping off and playing a game of basketball in front of almost no one. Hell, ESPN, which was broadcasting the game,…
Stop Complaining and Just Enjoy the Grammys
This Sunday the 57th annual Grammy Awards will take place, which for me translates into an awful amount of unnecessary rants on social media and memes being posted over and over on Tumblr, but most of all lots of complaining. What is supposed to be “music’s biggest night” has turned…
The 5 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Jo Koy, The Flesh Peddler’s Ball and More
Comedian Jo Koy, in town for a Friday and Saturday run, got his start in stand-up in Las Vegas. It was a tough city for a young performer, and Koy spent lots of his time in those days booking himself. “I did everything,” he recalls, laughing. “I’d rent a hall…
Openings & Closings: Farewell to a 50-Year-Old Classic
It’s a mixed bag, isn’t it? On one hand, it’s wonderful to see so many new restaurants putting Houston on the culinary map, but on the other, it’s sad to see doors of reliable favorites close, one by one. Texas Cafeteria is the latest one to say goodbye, but thankfully,…
Houston’s 10 Best Bars Close to Rice University
10. ARMADILLO PALACE Part of the Goode Company empire of Houston restaurants, this music venue, barbecue joint and bar can be easily spotted by passersby on Kirby thanks to the giant 12-foot metal armadillo hanging out in front. Inside the all-Texan, western theme continues with mounted longhorns, ranch paraphernalia, and…
Digging Into the Recordings That Really Red Never Knew Existed
It’s been an exciting week for fans of classic Texas punk. Why? Well, the more-or-less complete recordings of Really Red, the top-flight Houston punks who were among the very first independent bands in the state to tour the country and release their own music, were remastered and re-released on Tuesday…
The 10 Best Concerts in Houston This Weekend: Robyn Hitchcock, Sam Hunt, Reel Big Fish, etc.
Robyn Hitchcock McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, February 6 Robyn Hitchcock’s music mixes in enough British eccentricity and psychedelic pixie dust to rank him as one of alternative pop’s most esteemed elders. Beginning as a folksinger on the UK college circuit, the London native broke through as leader of the Soft Boys,…
Federal Investigators Say Design Flaws Caused the DuPont Accident
Federal investigators in Houston on Thursday shared some more details about the incident that killed four workers at DuPont’s LaPorte facility back in November. Investigators say that a design flaw in DuPont’s pipes and valves screwed up the ventilation system. Liquids would routinely build up in the ventilation system and…
Alley Theatre Announces an LBJ Play in Co-Production With Dallas
Houston’s Alley Theatre and the Dallas Theatre Center have just announced they will be doing a co-production of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan’s All The Way about Lyndon Baines Johnson and his presidency. Scheduled as part of the inaugural 2015-16 season in the Alley’s renovated building,the play about LBJ’s early…
Signing Day 2015: College Football Recruiting Scorecard
I think we can all agree that Les Miles is a national treasure and that all of his weekly press conferences should be chronicled in either a 30 for 30 or a DVD-style box set on iTunes, right? Well, in the treasure trove of old Les Miles weekly press conferences,…
While NASA Gets a Bigger Budget, There May Also Be Big Problems
NASA has been a rudderless ship since the space shuttle program was canceled a few years ago. In fact, it seemed like the space agency’s best days were long behind it, but lately things are looking up for NASA. They have plans to go places and do things. They have…
NFL Fantasy Crime League Opening Week 2015 Is a Criminal Bonanza!
Football season is over. It’s a completely somber time, and we as football fans are now left counting down the days until September like we’ve been sentenced to seven months in Sports Shawshank. For years, that’s exactly what I did. i sat there like a mope in my bedroom keeping…
Conservative Group: Executing Mentally Ill Killer Undermines Public Faith in Justice System
A group of self-described conservative policy experts and “thought leaders” say that executing a mentally ill Texas murderer would violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment and undermine public trust in the justice system. Calling themselves the “National Conservative Movement Leaders,” the group — which includes the former…
Jim Brochu Mines Broadway Legends Gold in Character Man
The set-up: Jim Brochu’s one-man musical tribute to those unsung supporting players of Broadway’s golden age, Character Man, radiates such a warm autumnal glow, you want to rush right out and buy every original Broadway cast album Brochu so lovingly remembers. (If you’re already a Broadway baby, you have these…
Perrier and Verpiand Named Master Chefs of France
Three years ago almost to the day, it was announced that chef Philippe Schmit (at Philippe Restaurant + Bar at the time; currently at Drexel House) had achieved the prestigious title of Maître Cuisinier de France, or Master Chef of France. Houston can now add two more names to that…
Valentine’s Day Gifts Void of Hugging Bears and Naked Cupid Babies
Valentine’s Day is next week – pause for those who didn’t know and are now in a panic. If you haven’t purchased a gift for your significant other, you still have a handful of shopping days left, so make the most of them by high tailing it to the nearest…
Rodney Crowell Goes Geographic on “East Houston Blues”
Leave it to the Houston Kid, Rodney Crowell, to debut a new song about his former home town live on BBC. Rocks Off received a message from local music savant Father Sean Horrigan early Wednesday with a link to Crowell’s performance. Crowell, whose work has always been informed by his…
Family of Man Killed in Conroe Workplace Explosion Awarded $29 Million
The family of an oilfield services worker killed on the job by an explosion of an industrial battery was awarded $29 million by a Houston jury on Wednesday. On July 30, 2011, Garland Rickie Kelley was working at Professional Directional Enterprises in Conroe when a lithium thionyl chloride battery exploded…
Burger Shot: House of Pies’ Texas Cheeseburger
Get your burger with a side of nostalgia at the 24-hour Houston classic diner, House of Pies, 3112 Kirby. Here we have the monster-size Texas Cheeseburger ($9.95). But be warned: Whether you’re going for a mid-afternoon lunch or a late-night snack, you’ll likely need a long nap after devouring this…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: Life Is Strange
Game: Life is Strange Platform: PS4, Xbox 360, PC Publisher/Developer: Square Enix/Dontnod Genre: Interactive drama Score: 7 out of 10 Synopsis: Max Caulfield has returned to her small town to study photography with a famous artist, only to discover that she can rewind time itself to change outcomes. How she…
Mike Jones Has Another Surprise Hit: A Lawyer Ad
“He gone get you right, whatever it is.” — Mike Jones in Georgia attorney Mark Jones’ TV commercial. Mike Jones, from here to Albuquerque had one of the first “original” meme’s of the hip-hop Internet age. His repetition of “Who Is..?” was the “Got Milk” of it’s day. A new…
I’m Pregnant by a Married Man. Help!
Welcome to Ask Willie D, Rocks Off’s advice column where the Geto Boys MC answers reader questions about matters, in his own words, “funny, serious or unpredictable.” Something on your mind? Ask Willie D! I’M PREGNANT BY A MARRIED MAN. SHOULD I KEEP IT? Dear Willie D: I’m embarrassed to…
ReelAbilities: Houston Disabilities Film Festival
Now in its third year, the ReelAbilities: Houston Disabilities Film Festival is presented in conjunction with the City of Houston and the Mayor’s Office for People With Disabilities. There’s a lineup of award-winning films, art exhibits and speaking events that promote acceptance and understanding of those who are differently-abled. Kicking…
Marvel Universe Live!
Can’t wait for Avengers: Age of Ultron? No problem; get your dose of comic-book action with Marvel Universe Live! It brings more Marvel characters than ever before together in a live-action performance. More than 25 of them, including Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man and Wolverine, will be onstage…
National Theatre Live: Treasure Island
London’s National Theatre brings a live production of Treasure Island to American audiences via screenings in movie theaters including Houston. With a new stage adaptation by Bryony Lavery, Treasure Island is an action-driven tale of murder, mutiny, and money. Giving a new spin on the classic, the beloved cabin-boy, Jim,…
Mardi Gras! Galveston
Partygoers of every stripe will find something to enjoy at Mardi Gras! Galveston. Want traditional parades with lots of beads and other trinkets? There are dozens of processions, including the Tremont House’s A&M Mardi Gras Parade Viewing Party. Want something fancy? Try the San Luis Salute hosted by Tilman and…
The Speckled Band
Classical Theatre Company spares its audience the usual Sherlock Holmes clichés in its reboot of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Speckled Band: An Adventure of Sherlock Holmes. (There’s no “Elementary, my dear Watson,” for example.) Doyle’s original short story, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, centers on Helen Stoner and…
Jupiter Ascending is a Fascinating Mess, Grand and Gaudy
“You ready for another miserable video game?” I heard one critic crack to another as I settled in for Jupiter Ascending. “Maybe in March we’ll see this year’s first good movie,” his pal said back, as if Girlhood, Hard to Be a God, Amira & Sam, Timbuktu, Joy of Man’s…
Kinky Boots
A young man living in London suddenly inherits a struggling British shoe factory when his father dies. Faced with a company near bankruptcy and row upon row of shoes that no one wants to buy, he resolves to save his father’s legacy although he doesn’t know how. It’s Kinky Boots,…
Flesh Peddler’s Ball at Cover Girls
ABC Body Art, with ten years experience to its credit, presents The Flesh Peddler’s Ball at Cover Girls. It’s a “circus-styled celebration of body art.” Vonetta Berry of ABC Body Art is a veteran of the Body Art Battles hosted at Fitzgerald’s back in 2007. To Berry, this is the…
Jason Moran
Pianist Jason Moran grew up listening to hip-hop. One day, he heard Thelonious Monk’s “’Round Midnight,” and a jazz lover/artist was born. He’s an acclaimed pianist and composer, his work most recently being heard on the soundtrack of the new civil rights flick Selma. Moran hails from Houston’s Third Ward…
Jo Koy
Twenty-five years ago, Jo Koy was a wannabe comic in Las Vegas. It was a tough city for a young performer, and Koy spent lots of his time in those days booking himself. “I did everything,” he recalls, laughing. “I’d rent a hall for $600. I’d sell advertising on the…
River Oaks Theatre Weekend Midnight Movie: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Steven Spielberg followed the success of Jaws, about a huge and hungry shark, with this sci-fi adventure starring Richard Dreyfuss as one of several people affected by a UFO sighting. Feb. 6-7, 11:55 p.m., 2015…
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
Buddy Holly had a brief 18-month career. In that short time, the Lubbock-born rock and roller carved out a Mount Rushmore-like place in pop culture. He died, along with fellow performers Ritchie Valens, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson, in a plane crash on February 3, 1959…
10 Auspicious 1985 Musical Debuts
HELLOWEEN, Helloween EP Heavily influenced by Iron Maiden down to the outrageous album covers, German power-metal meisters Helloween layered welcome tongue-in-cheek humor into their arcane epics about long-vanished pagan tribes and Wagner’s Ring cycle. They never quite broke through to the U.S. metal mainstream, but albums like Keeper of the…
Wicked Yet Nice, The Voices Offers Peak Ryan Reynolds
The creators of The Voices, a sad comedy about a man and his talking cat, are aware that star Ryan Reynolds is an unusual leading man. At a glance, he looks as everyday normal as a sweatshirt. But zoom in and he’s much more complex: His button eyes are dark…
Forget the Generic Title — Appropriate Behavior Is Dirty, Hilarious and Moving
Forget its generic title, its breakup setup and its indie-standard Brooklyn walk-and-talks: Writer/director Desiree Akhavan’s Appropriate Behavior is the freshest comedy of life and love in the city since Obvious Child. Hilarious and heartbroken, Akhavan stars as Shirin, a bisexual Iranian-American video artist just bounced from her lover’s Gowanus apartment…
Capsule Art Reviews: Frbeuary 5, 2015
“The Art of Celebration” Bright, happy colors, complex themes and a strong use of red are all evident in the exhibit “The Art of Celebration” at Nicole Longnecker Gallery, which features artists from Houston’s Jewish Family Service’s Celebration Company, a program for adults with disabilities. The common theme of this…
Capsule Stage Reviews: February 5, 2015
La Clemenza di Tito Mozart’s penultimate opera is music fit for a king, certainly appropriate since it was commissioned to celebrate the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II’s coronation as King of Bohemia in September 1791. The celebrations were hastily planned, leaving only about two months to ready Prague for the…
