Guy Says He Gave Homeless Man 75 Cents, Wound Up Handcuffed in Back of Cop Car
Greg Snider has a question for the Houston Police Department that we don’t find unreasonable but that HPD finds freakin’ annoying: He says he wants to know why multiple police officers descended upon him, handcuffed him and shoved him in the back of a squad car for an hour after…
Officially Kind of Obsessed With Taco Bell’s Grilled Stuft Nachos
Before we talk about how the new Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Nachos taste, let’s all agree that the spelling is stupid and move on. I’d like to not move on — cutesy, pointless misspelling is a pet peeve — but the fact is, no matter how the thing is spelled,…
Weather Week: Chamber of Commerce Weather in January
If you were hoping the very cold weather would start to ease up just a bit, your wish has come true. Despite dropping into the 20s last week, the warmup came with haste and by the weekend, we were back in the 70s. Yes, a 50-degree turnaround in just a…
Your 2014 Academy Award Nominees. And What the Hell, Here Are the Winners As Well.
You can tell it’s awards season again because … no one will stop telling you it’s awards season. For example, the Golden Globes were last Sunday, and even after all the drunken jocularity and unfortunate screen captures, we didn’t learn a whole lot. 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle…
Cheer Your NFL Team to Victory With Cupcakes
This weekend is crucial for four NFL teams. The playoffs are coming to a close, and two teams will walk away from this weekend with tickets to the Super Bowl. To accompany your game-day party dishes of potato skins, barbecue, burgers, chips, dips and everything else in between, why not…
Fan Fighting League, NFL Playoffs! Fat Charger Fans Bludgeon Fat Bronco Fan (w/ VIDEO)
Today was the first time I thought to myself that the Fan Fighting League might finally need it’s own homepage, like with past results, standings, and maybe even a trade machine like ESPN.com’s. That’s because I know we’ve seen Chargers fans participate in the fun at some point, but I…
MasterMinds 2013 Revisited: Philip Lehl and Stark Naked Theatre Company
There were lots of high points in 2013 for Stark Naked Theatre Company, Philip Lehl, co-artistic director with Kim Tobin, tells us. Pressed to pick just one, Lehl says, “I’d have to say the scene in Macbeth where Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are plotting the murder of Duncan just because…
Baker Spotlight: Angie Jackson, Cake Ball Designer and Owner of Angie’s Cake
The cake-ball hype took off just a couple of years ago, but Angie Jackson of Angie’s Cake began her cake ball and pop business before anyone even knew what a cake ball was. In fact, the mecca for these bite-size sweets, a.k.a. Pinterest, hadn’t been invented when Jackson made her…
UPDATED: Arian Foster Baby Momma Alleges He Is Pressuring Her to Abort Pregnancy
UPDATED: Arian Foster has responded to Brittany Norwood’s allegations with legal documents of his own. According to TMZ, Arian Foster believes the woman carrying his child is trying to use the fetus to launch a reality television show and calls her a “shameless fame whore.” Norwood has chosen to go…
PSA: Stop Sharing Photos of Receipts With Crazy Tips and Messages
Two thousand thirteen will go down in history as the year of sharing restaurant receipts via social media. First it was the Applebee’s employee who shared a a photo of a check left by a pastor who included no tip, for religious reasons.Then there was the pushback and subsequent Instagram…
The Houston Press Is Looking for a Photo Intern and a Multimedia Intern
Are you the type of person who has decided to go all in on a career in photography or video? Are you interested in getting real-world experience putting together slideshows or editing videos? Good news: The Houston Press is looking for a photo intern and a multimedia intern and we’ll…
Man Refuses Treatment After Motorcycle Accident, Dies Later of Head Injuries
If there were ever a cautionary tale about the dangers of ignoring injures after an automobile accident, this is it. An unidentified motorcycle rider, 65, was involved in an accident with a BMW on the service road of Interstate 45 South at about 3:40 p.m. Wednesday, January 8. The male…
The Rocks Off 200: John Smith, Goodtime Continental Club Manager
Welcome to The Rocks Off 200, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. See previous entries in the Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? John Smith…
5 Glitches in Video Games the Makers Tried to Pass Off as Intentional
Making a video game is an extremely nit-picky and touchy thing. All programming is because programming is based on logic. If X happens, then Y must happen, leading to Z. For more information on this principal, hang around However, just like real life, if you make a mistake in a…
Fuel Up for the Houston Marathon With the Right Food
If you have been training to run in the Houston Marathon, which takes place this year on Sunday, January 19, you probably know by now that what you put inside your stomach is crucial to how well you’ll do in the race. It doesn’t matter if you run two miles,…
There Could Be a Supernova in the Sky, NASA Says
While pottering around the universe, the Hubble Space Telescope recently clicked a photo of a dying star. The image sent back to Earth looks like a giant lidless eye peering back at the telescope, as described in unexpectedly poetic terms in a NASA release. At the center of the nebula…
Of Short Ribs, Cheese and Honey at Zelko Bistro
The “problem” with being a loyal fan of any restaurant is that each visit is laden with high expectations based on a history of good experiences. For me, such is the case with Zelko Bistro, site of many successful dinners with friends, festive feasts, and tête-à-têtes with my friend Maggie…
The Barber of Seville and The Consul Are Paired for UH’s January Opera Offerings
For the first time in more than 20 years, the University of Houston Moores Opera Center is presenting The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini. “While it might not seem a radical programming choice, actually for us we just haven’t had the right people at any one time and we…
Fan “Black Is the New Brown” UT Shirt Might Be Racist, Definitely Stupid
People do dumb things without thinking about them and sometimes while thinking about them. Let’s just say people do stupid stuff way too often. The most recent example is that of an alleged UT fan who created a t-shirt for sale on Etsy (see above) with a picture of recently…
The 10 Most Epic Moments on the Holy Ship!!! EDM Cruise
Note: this article was written by Kat Bein of Rocks Off’s Miami New Times sister blog Crossfade. Photos by Ian WitlenAfter three years of raging at sea, Hard Events’ Holy Ship cruise has proven itself to be the best nautical EDM adventure that money can buy. (Of course we enjoyed…
Your Anonymous Reviews and Comments May Not Be Anonymous Much Longer
So much for free speech. Last week, a Virginia court ruled that Yelp must turn over the identities of seven anonymous reviewers of a carpet store because the commenters may not have been actual customers. According to Yelp’s terms of service: “You may expose yourself to liability if, for example,…
Doctor Who: The Problem of Peter Cushing Resolved
Sadly, Steven Moffat didn’t get his wish. The celebration of 50 years of Doctor Who contained no references to the strange spin-off Doctor played by Peter Cushing in the ’60s. However, Moffat’s words do possibly clear up one of the great faux pas in the show’s history. First, some background…
Just Who Is OutKast Again?
Two years ago at Coachella, Dr. Dre reunited with his The Chronic homie Snoop Dogg, a standout performance that also featured a special appearance by Hologram Tupac Shakur. Last year, it was ’90s backpack-rap group Jurassic 5’s turn to reunite in the desert. Last week another hip-hop reunion was announced,…
Upcoming: Paramore & Fall Out Boy, Uncle Kracker, Shinyribs, Rhett Miller, etc.
Austin Lounge Lizards: Sat., February 1, 7 p.m., $20 to $22. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk, Houston, 713-528-5999. Betty Soo, Matt Harlan, Reed Turner: Thu., January 30, 7:30 p.m., $20 to $22. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk, Houston, 713-528-5999. Bill Kirchen: Tue., February 4, 7:30 p.m., $20 to $22. McGonigel’s…
Soul Screamer Barrence Whitfield Will Make You “Bleed From the Eyeballs”
Attention, those of you planning to go the Barrence Whitfield and the Savages show tomorrow. Want to visit backstage or get in good with the screaming fireball of a soul man? All you need to do is cater to his sweet tooth. “There was this club we used to play…
10 Hot Houston Rap Tapes for 2014
In a fun way, Houston’s rap class has jumped into hyperdrive in terms of creating memorable content and records. At times it could be categorized in any of the following aspects: personable, eccentric, braggadocious, stoic. No Houston rap release in 2013 felt like an artist was mired in the same…
Classic 1981 News Report About Online Newspapers
It might be hard to imagine now, but in 1981, very few people had home computers. Truth is, there wasn’t much you could do with one unless you were a computer programmer. They were enormous boxes and the screens were tiny and looked like the encoded version of the Matrix,…
We Will Rock You: Saving the World With the Help of Queen
Imagine a world where music is controlled by the government and there is no rock and roll. No, this isn’t a time trip into the past, but the future “on a planet once called Earth” as a Theatre Under the Stars press release proclaims. As it turns out in We…
What’s Cooking This Week? Kale, for Starters
I love cooking for my fiancé and planning meals for us, but cooking for two often proves to be difficult. If I don’t make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredients I’ve bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter…
Dwight Howard Is Exactly the Athlete We All Want, So Why Do So Many Dislike Him?
The Rockets and Washington Wizards had a rain delay on Saturday night. Yes, a rain delay. The roof at the Verizon Center in D.C. had a fairly serious leak during a rainstorm. As a result, both teams were forced to wait out the weather. During that time, Dwight Howard did…
True Detective’s First Episode Slow Moving and Dreary
When two talented actors like Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson sign up for a television series, it’s pretty obvious to me that that show is going to be a good one. Which is why I was surprised that I was not that impressed by True Detective, HBO’s new crime drama…
Recipe: Make Your Own Adults-Only Hot Cocoa
Baby, it’s cold outside. Just because we were not victims of the polar vortex doesn’t mean we don’t deserve a wintery liquid treat to help us cope with the sub-sixty degree temperatures. Hot chocolate or cocoa is the classic choice and there are certainly plenty of good options in Houston…
2014 Golden Globes Fashion, With Bonus Fuzzy Screenshot Footage!
I’ll leave the commentary on the content of the awards ceremony to someone else–although how about that Michael J. Fox/Parkinson’s “fun fact” E! Network put up, huh?–and deal strictly with the fashion that came down the red carpet at last night’s Golden Globes awards. Since the Globes kick off award…
Winter of Johnny: Manziel Takes a Twitter Vacation
Last year, once the 2012 college football season was over, the 2013 Johnny Football season began, and for those of us in the blog and radio business, life was good. You could count on it. Almost weekly, there would be at least one episode of Johnny Manziel going to Cabo,…
The Shoulda Saids: 5 Things I Should Have Said to That Screaming Woman at the Bank
Have you ever found yourself in an unexpected situation that rendered you gob-smacked speechless, but then you later thought of a whole litany of retorts and snappy comebacks that would have felt so good to deliver in response? No? And when was it that you arrived here on Earth, from…
A Repast With a Rich Past: The Hot Pastrami Sandwich
If you grew up in a delicatessen desert, as I did, then you’re probably familiar with the feeling of complete abject ignorance you experience when forced to choose between different cold-cut sandwiches. Up until my early twenties, I could differentiate pretty much only ham, turkey, and bologna, because, well, that’s…
Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals at Warehouse Live, 1/10/2014
Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals, Author & Punisher, Hymns Warehouse Live January 10, 2014 Philip Anselmo might be a New Orleans metal icon, but it’s hard to imagine he’s any less beloved here in Houston than in his hometown. This city is home to a vast number of frustrated…
Bridgegate: Let’s Take the Long View
Last week, the major political story was Bridgegate, shorthand for the revelation that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s top political aides, along with his high school buddy at the Port Authority, intentionally created traffic interruptions for commuters from Fort Lee, New Jersey because their mayor had not supported Christie’s re-election…
Into The Woods: Where Fairy Tale Legends Aren’t Always What They Seem
Long before there was the TV show “Once Upon a Time,” there was Into the Woods with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. Into the Woods also intermingled fairy tale creatures with various twists that departed from legend. Christina Stroup says she jumped at the…
Oysters and Tuna Tacos: First Look at Caracol
“I could come here just for this,” I thought to myself as I sampled the unbelievably tasty ostiones asados, or wood grilled oysters, topped with chipotle butter at Caracol. The first of several dishes I tried during my first visit to Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught’s new coastal Mexican seafood…
CSN Houston: Are the Rockets Making Progress With AEG?
The Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, CSN Houston and hundreds of thousands of attorneys collecting tons in billable hours met before bankruptcy judge Marvin Isgur last Tuesday. There wasn’t a lot of real news made during the hearing, which is why the hearing got buried in the news — that and…
You Want This: Vietnamese Steak and Eggs at Blacksmith
There I was, on New Year’s day, my plans for a fantastic brunch at Hugo’s unexpectedly dashed at the last minute. Looking for a fast casual place for lunch, it looked like pretty much everything — Eatsie Boys, Doshi House, Paulie’s, Cafe TH — was closed, until I came upon…
Disney Princess Lingerie….Really Disney…Really?
Yes, you read that right. Disney has a line of lingerie and it is princess-themed. I’ll give you a few seconds to allow the shock and awe to pass. The people of Disney, well the people Disney licensed to, have taken their crew of sweet singing princesses and given them…
The Texas Supreme Court Is Interested in the Keystone Pipeline Case; Go Figure
When the Texas Supreme Court agreed to take a look at the case, The Crawford Family Farm Partnership vs. TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LLC. it’s a fair bet that everyone and their dog thought the justices would have their minds made up before they even got the case file. Well, it…
Woodlands Market Hubbell & Hudson to Close
A beloved market in the Woodlands will soon leave residents without nearby access to dry-aged beef, farm-to-market produce and cooking classes — at least until Whole Foods opens there in 2015. Hubbell & Hudson market and cooking school will be closing, reported CultureMap’s Eric Sandler, after rumors started swirling on…
A Raisin in the Sun: 50 Years Later Still Relevant
The setup: Lorraine Hansberry’s acclaimed play A Raisin in the Sun opened on Broadway in 1959 and received four Tony nominations. It chronicles how an African-American family purchases a house in a white neighborhood, while a neighborhood association attempts to persuade them not to occupy it. The execution: This is…
Lessons in Twitter: How NOT to Troll a Radio Personality on Twitter
In case you haven’t heard (or don’t read the tag at the bottom of each of these posts), I just recently started up at a new job working afternoon drive co-hosting with Rich Lord on SportsRadio 610. So far, so good. The show is evolving, and I’m extremely happy with…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 47, CFC Deviled Eggs at Liberty Kitchen & Oyster Bar
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus® issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. She’ll compile a collection of the dishes she thinks are the most awesome, most creative and, of course, most delicious in town. It’s a…
Is It Wrong to Feel (Slightly) Bad for Shia LaBeouf?
I have no idea what to make of Shia LaBeouf. The controversy swirling around the young actor continued when on Friday, LaBeouf tweeted that he would forever be retiring from the public eye. Why would such a young up and coming actor/director do such a thing? To catch you up,…
Five Post-Hardcore Bands Who Should Get Back Together
Living in the end times, every band who ever played music and had ten fans is scrambling to get back together before it’s too late. Or, at least before the gravy train stops and people get tired of nostalgia. That being said, we’ve seen some great ones make their return,…
Pitbull’s “Timber” Is Just the Worst
[Note: in his column Serrano Time, Houston’s award-winning writer and goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times.] Right now, Pitbull’s “Timber,” featuring Ke$ha, is No. 2 on Billboard and No. 1 on my GTFOH chart. I don’t remember the first time I heard it — it seems like…
The Best Shows in Houston This Week: John Egan, New Politics, Barrence Whitfield, etc.
John Egan The Big Easy, January 13 Solo bluesman John Egan sings in a tone that suggests someone is constantly walking over his grave, and his lyrics are loaded with bad mojo like nature gone haywire and apocalyptic visions. All he needs live is his National Resonator, one of those…
RodeoHouston 2014 Lineup: Reba, Usher, Robin Thicke, Selena Gomez, FGL, etc.
Moments ago the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo released its scheduled entertainers for its three-week 2014 run March 4-23 at Reliant Stadium. Heading up the lineup are country A-listers Florida Georgia Line, Reba, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Eli Young Band, The Band Perry, Jake Owen, Chris…
UPDATED: Judge Denise Pratt Either Dismisses Hundreds of Cases in a Single Day Or District Clerk’s Office Has Massive Computer Problems
Update: Harris County District Clerk’s Office spokesman Bill Murphy tells us via email that the office “cannot verify whether notices of upcoming dismissal hearings were sent because the DCO is not responsible for sending out the notices. This duty falls on court coordinators. Each court has a court coordinator. Technically,…
NFL Playoffs: Like Andy Dalton, Still Seeking My First Playoff Win
Well, any chance of pulling out of my season-long tailspin in the post-season appears to be out the window. In excruciating fashion, the first weekend of the NFL postseason continued to bully me like Richie Incognito, jamming my head in the gambling restroom toilet and swirly-ing me into the poor…
Interesting People, Interesting Buildings: The Top 10 Photos of the Week
We here at the Houston Press have long believed that some of the best photographers in the world live right here in Houston. Between the slideshows and blogs we publish and the images you share with us in our Flickr Pool, we see tons of amazing photos every week, and…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 48, El Real Burger at El Real Tex-Mex Cafe
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus® issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. She’ll compile a collection of the dishes she thinks are the most awesome, most creative and, of course, most delicious in town. It’s a…
County Attorney Wants to Ban Bloods and Crips From Neighborhood — Nothing Scares Those Dudes Like a Court Order!
Gang members make bad neighbors — Bloods are notorious violators of homeowner association driveway maintenance rules, and Crips have been known to not mow their lawns for weeks at a time — which is why Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan wants to ban those gangs from a north Harris County…
Knock-Knock! Who’s There? Girl Scouts! Cookie Season Is Back With Two New Flavors
So, you’re probably well into your New Year’s resolution of giving up sweets or eating healthier. After the past few months of indulging in Christmas cookies, holiday dinners and endless amounts of booze, the last thing you need is more sugary food. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to put that…
Gexa Energy Broadway Announces its 2014-15 Season: Co-Sponsoring With TUTS The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Starring the Rockettes
The Rockettes will be coming to Houston with a special Christmas show at the end of this year, courtesy of Gexa Energy Broadway and Theatre Under the Stars in a special co-production. That news was just one part of the announcement Gexa released today about its upcoming season which will…
Dennis Rodman: 5 WWE Promos (Maybe the Only 5) That Were More Insane Than His CNN Rant
Dennis Rodman’s relationship with North Korea started with the best intentions (to film a documentary and help raise money to build a basketball court for some kids), but somewhere along the way, in a misguided twist, Rodman’s trip became one of the more bizarre and, to many Americans, infuriating campaigns…
MasterMinds 2013 Revisited: Enrique Carreón-Robledo and Opera in the Heights
Last year Opera in the Heights, a 2013 MasterMinds Award winner, had an ambitious all-Shakespeare season that featured operas unfamiliar to most audience members. There was Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi and Rossini’s Otello, both making their Houston premieres, along with Verdi’s Macbeth and Falstaff. “Last year was about…
Films for Foodies: Eat Pray Love, in Which an Annoying Character Eats Great Food
Movie studios scramble to have big-name stars headline their films, but in many of my favorite movies food is the star. Few things are better than pairing a foodie film with a great meal so we can enjoy ourselves just as much as the folks onscreen are enjoying their own…
Metal Lord Marzi Montazeri Is Heavy as Texas
Marzi Montazeri is certainly no stranger in the Houston music scene. Since the ’80s, the enigmatic guitar player has played all over town with a succession of heavy rock, blues and metal bands, rarely failing to turn heads with his astonishing, obsessive shredding skills. Tonight, those talents will be showcased…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: The Legend of Hercules
Title: The Legend of Hercules Who Is This Kellan Lutz Person, Anyway? He was one of those Cullen dudes in the Twilight movies, though he’s probably grateful to be remembered as one of that franchise’s less terrible actors. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Zero Lernean hydras out…
UPDATED: Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Obamacare Fail Continues
UPDATED: Louis Adams, the media director for the Dallas branch of Blue Cross Blue Shield, got back to us with a statement via email on Monday morning: “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas understands our members’ frustration as they call our customer service line, which has experienced high volume…
Failure: A Love Story Where Mortimer Mortimer Loves and Loses All 3 Fail Sisters
This is the story of the three Fail sisters, whose immigrant parents make it to America only to die in a car wreck in their new home town of Chicago. Each of the daughters is loved, and lost, in turn by Mortimer Mortimer (yes, that’s his name) played by David…
Velveeta Cheesepocalypse Causes Queso Contemplation
When you hear the word “queso,” what do you picture? If you live anywhere outside of South Texas, you probably see cheese, possibly a Mexican cheese like queso fresco or cotija. If you grew up with Tex-Mex in your life like I did, you hear queso and think of a…
Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and the Moral Scolds of the Baseball Hall of Fame
I’ve been to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown. It’s a nice place, tucked in the middle of a small, picturesque town in a hard-to-get-to part of New York. You can get lost for hours in the museum, looking at the artifacts of the game’s past, being…
Happy Birthday, LSD Creator Albert Hoffman, & 5 Great Acid Trips
One hundred and eight years ago on January 11, scientist Albert Hoffman was born in Baden, Switzerland. Hoffman’s name may not be one for the history books, but his work is something that most of us are familiar with. Some of you may have even tried out the synthetic compounds…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Fried Chicken for Brunch, Thai Chicken for Dinner
Food Truck Friday @ Houston Press Friday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 2603 La Branch Food Truck Fridays continue at our office with Speers Rolling Bistro. Stop by the Houston Press during lunch to grab a bite to eat from this food truck, which specializes in pork sandwiches, beef burgers and fries…
Turning Off Phone Amber Alerts: The Guilt vs. the Terror
One night this past week, the amber alert signal built into my iPhone went off three times in about 15 minutes after 9 p.m. None of them were alerts I could do anything about, but that really isn’t the point. One of them, at some point, could be. Still, the…
100 Creatives 2014: Rene Fernandez, Painter
What He Does: Regular Art Attack readers may recognize the subject of Rene Fernandez’s piece “The Religionation of Science” (Left) as Domina Shannon, who pours drinks at Numbers at night and, well, also at night is a well-known Houston dominatrix. The work is very typical of Fernandez’s style of painting,…
Upcoming Events: Cocktail Lessons and Baking With Citrus
On January 14, Down House will host a Cocktail Foundations class that will teach you everything you need to know about making drinks. Resident head bartender Jeremy Olivier will lead the class, which runs from 6:30 until 9 p.m and costs $150. While Olivier teaches you about the basics of…
Full-time Temporary News Blogger Needed
The Houston Press has an immediate opening for a full-time temporary position with benefits for a news blogger who will fill in for a full-time staffer who is out on leave. Applicants should have strong news judgment as well as the ability to write quickly, cleanly and in an interesting…
Openings & Closings: Philippe to Become Table & Brian O’Neill’s Isn’t Closed
After Chef Philippe Schmit left his namesake restaurant, Philippe, back in September, the chef de cuisine at the time, Manuel Pucha, took the reins as executive chef. Now, Philippe’s name will change to Table; the restaurant will close on Saturday, January 11, to prepare for its reopening, which is scheduled…
Predicting This Year’s Rodeo Lineup
This Sunday night at the stroke of 11:59 p.m., the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo will announce its 2014 lineup, this year’s model of arguably the biggest three-week assortment of top-drawer entertainer talent anywhere in the nation — or even the world. Each year it strives to engage its increasingly…
Top 5 Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Pilobolus, Mercury, The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology and More
Illusionists Penn and Teller collaborated with members of the inventive, outside-the-box-thinking Pilobolus dance company for [esc], one of the works the group will perform on Friday. The work premiered in the summer of 2013 and is on the program for the performance along with other pieces from the company’s repertoire…
Things You Can Do Until the Good Shows Come Back
If you reach mid-month and feel the boredom begin to gnaw at your brain like some Lovecraftian monster, get to Reliant Center next weekend (January 18-19) for the America’s Got Talent open auditions. You’re sure to see something truly nightmarish there – particularly if Howard Stern shows up. Even if he…
Every Night’s a Winner On the Montrose Mile
The howls and whistles of approval are deafening, causing a temporary lapse in drink-ordering at the overcrowded bar. Somehow the floor at Blur Bar has cleared enough for an impromptu dance-off to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” and these men are working it out, honey. It’s barely 10 p.m. on New Year’s…
Houston’s Top 10 Hipster Bars, Clubs & Icehouses 2014
As our sister blog Eating…Our Words does, from time to time Rocks Off will be giving your our picks for the top taverns in various Houston-area neighborhoods. Of course, the lines can be porous, but here anything with a TABC license that cannot reasonably be considered either a restaurant, coffeehouse…
The Best Shows In Houston This Weekend: Phil Anselmo, Harpeth Rising, Whiskey Sisters, etc.
Phillip H. Anselmo & the Illegals Warehouse Live, January 10 It’s been more than a decade since Texas metal gods Pantera broke up, but lead screamer Philip H. Anselmo still sits upon a throne of reverence in the Lone Star State’s headbanging community. Anselmo’s main musical project these days is…
“Dan Gorski: Hard Edge, Then and Now”
The paintings seen in “Dan Gorski: Hard Edge, Then and Now” feature colorful monochromatic, geometric shapes and clean lines. In Poon’s Pajamas (detail seen above), created in 1964, during his last year at Yale, where he earned a master’s in fine arts, solid blue, red, pink and green shapes fill…
A Raisin in the Sun
The Houston Family Arts Center opens 2014 with Lorraine Hansberry’s family drama A Raisin in the Sun. In 1950s Chicago, the Younger family anticipates the arrival of a large life insurance check following the death of the family patriarch. The African American Youngers have big plans for the money, including…
“Jan Banning: Bureaucratics”
Dutch photographer Jan Banning’s “Bureaucratics” is part documentary, part sociology study. Banning photographed civil servants in eight countries over a five-year period for the series. Beginning in 2003, Banning, accompanied by writer Will Tinnemans, arrived unannounced at a series of public government offices. Tinnemans immediately began to interview the workers…
Pilobolus
Illusionists Penn and Teller collaborated with members of the inventive, outside-the-box-thinking Pilobolus dance company for [esc]. The work premiered in the summer of 2013 and is on the program for today’s performance along with other pieces from the company’s repertoire. As its title implies, the piece is about escaping from…
Betty Buckley: The Vixens of Broadway
Theater Hall of Fame inductee, actor and singer Betty Buckley gives a nod to women in musicals in her one-person show The Vixens of Broadway. Along with songs from Evita, Chicago, Company, Into the Woods and Oklahoma, Buckley sings selections from Dear World, which she starred in during its London…
Victoria Laurie: The Ghoul Next Door
Professional psychic and author Victoria Laurie, who’s based in Austin, reads from her newly released Ghost Hunter mystery series, The Ghoul Next Door. Laurie reads from and signs Ghoul, which follows the adventures of the Ghoul Getters television show team on an investigation of a reported haunting. In case you…
Mercury: Tchaikovsky’s Serenade
Mercury — The Orchestra Redefined performs one of the Romantic period’s most accomplished works on period instruments during today’s Tchaikovsky Serenade concert. The four-movement Serenade for Strings starts with a stirring and highly accented 36‑bar introduction reportedly meant to echo Mozart’s style. The motif is repeated at the end of…
Apollo Chamber Players: Scandinavian Spirit
Hear Norwegian folk tunes on an authentic Hardanger fiddle during the Apollo Chamber Players’ Scandinavian Spirit concert. The fiddle has eight or nine strings as opposed to a violin’s four, though only four are played, while the others resonate with a sort of echo sound. Dedicated to exploring European folk…
The Planets and The Earth
The Houston Symphony performs the first two installments in the HD Odyssey multimedia series back to back during today’s The Planets and The Earth concert. Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts while Charles Hausmann directs members of the Houston Symphony Chorus. The program includes Holst’s The Planets, Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30…
Cool Brains! Inprint Readings for Young People: R. J. Palacio
Author R.J. Palacio was out with her children getting ice cream when she saw a little girl with a deformed face. The girl had Treacher Collins Syndrome, a condition characterized by an abnormally small lower jaw, downward slanted eyes and malformed ears. Palacio’s young son started to cry at the…
Mongoose versus Cobra Monthly Reading Series: Bridget Lowe
Poet Bridget Lowe found inspiration for her book At the Autopsy of Vaslav Nijinsky in the lives of two artists who had to leave the United States to find fame, namely dancer Isadora Duncan and actor Sean Young. (Duncan was shunned in America, but then went on to success in…
E.R. Bills: Texas Obscurities
Heads up, conspiracy theorists — here’s a little-known fact about Texas history: During the 1940s, scientists took bats from the Ney Caves and Devil’s Sinkhole in the Hill Country to develop as covert weapons during WWII. We’re not quite sure what the bats were supposed to do — maybe be…
Dial M for Murder in 3D
Director Alfred Hitchcock accomplishes the near-impossible in his 1954 thriller Dial M for Murder. He makes his leading lady extremely sympathetic even though she’s having an extramarital affair. Her husband, the wronged party, remember, doesn’t come off quite as sympathetically — but then again, he’s a ruthless killer who spent…
The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology
Sophie Fiennes and Slavoj Zizek’s The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology is a semi-sequel to the duo’s last outing, The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema. Like its predecessor, Ideology features a series of lectures by intellectual rock star Zizek psychoanalyzing Hollywood films. In Zizek’s view, Titanic was a message to the upper…
Skip the Script and Double-Down on the Beefcakery in The Legend of Hercules
January! Just the time to snuggle up with a 3D sword-and-pectoral extravaganza. And although some of its more imaginative plot details would make Edith Hamilton blanch, Renny Harlin’s Legend of Hercules fulfills every silly, flimsy promise that it makes in the first place: There are lots of battles (albeit rather…
Capsule art Reviews: “50 Shades of Green,” “The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute,” “Antonio Berni: Juanito and Ramona,” “Funnel Tunnel,” “São Paulo 2013,” “SPRAWL,”
“50 Shades of Green” The influence of the impressionists is very much at play in the new collection “50 Shades of Green,” at the Archway Gallery. The show is composed of the works of painters Judy Elias and Harold Joiner. The collaborative collection features a variety of oil paintings, mostly of outdoor…
Amarillo Highway
On the Road This past year my daughter moved to Colorado for college. Like a lot of young people striking out on their own, she decided she wanted to celebrate her first holiday away by coming back to visit. Last month her boyfriend drove her to Amarillo, and my wife…
Capsule Stage Reviews: How the Other Half Loves, Under a Cowboy Moon
How the Other Half Loves Bob Phillips’s shoe is in the wastebasket. Taken for granted, his wife, Theresa, is slovenly and edgy. Their baby is covered with prunes and honey. Frank Foster, Bob’s boss, has settled into a predictable married routine. Frank’s neglected wife, Fiona, finds excitement by having an…
The Undocumented, Cervantes and Death Squads
Dear Mexican, How do we humanize the illegals in this country? My reasons for asking this question are many, but mainly a very personal one. I’ve been in this country illegally for 16 years, y ya chole no? For sixteen years I lived my life like anyone else: going to…
Fighting for Control: Can Buffalo Bayou Survive the Latest Plan to Save It?
December 1935: The water was everywhere. After the rains drenched the banks of Buffalo Bayou, it had nowhere else to go. It slopped over the smooth, tree-lined banks, filling the streets, covering 25 blocks of Houston’s downtown business district as it hissed and rushed, moved and reshaped the city trapped…
With Houston’s History of Wonderful Belgian Food, Why Is Café Brussels All It Has Left?
Not even ten minutes into brunch on a lazy Sunday afternoon, the bad jokes started flowing. “Geez, did they go all the way to Brussels for the food?” “Nothing says Belgium like Reddi-wip!” “Oh my God, this tastes like IKEA! Or Belgian Luby’s!” Clearly, things were not going well that…
Ringing in the New Year in Montrose Is a Sight to Behold
The howls and whistles of approval are deafening, causing a temporary lapse in drink-ordering at the overcrowded bar. Somehow the floor at Blur Bar has cleared enough for an impromptu dance-off to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies,” and these men are working it out, honey. It’s barely 10 p.m. on New Year’s…
Lone Survivor Shows Our Boys Suffering but Doesn’t Ask Why
Here’s a movie that’ll flop in Kabul. Lone Survivor, the latest by Battleship director Peter Berg, is a jingoistic snuff film about a Navy SEAL squadron outgunned by the Taliban in the mountainous Kunar province. After four soldiers — played with muscles and machismo by Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile…
Interview: Oscar Isaac of Inside Llewyn Davis
Three types of artists hinge on authenticity: punk bands, folk singers, and rappers. Actors, like Oscar Isaac, are by definition phonies. But the star of Joel and Ethan Coen’s new film, Inside Llewyn Davis, gets that pressure to keep it real. In high school, he was a straight-edge punk frontman…
Ten Most Anticipated Restaurants Coming to Houston in 2014
Top Ten Many have said that 2013 was a disappointing year for restaurant openings in Houston. Writers and eaters alike lamented the fact that there was no Uchi last year, no Underbelly, no Oxheart. Plenty of great restaurants opened, to be sure, but nothing with the immediate star power of…
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones Is Business as Paranormal, but Meaner and Outside the Suburbs
Rosemary’s Baby notwithstanding, it’s usually only white suburban people who fall prey to movie ghosts and demons — they’re always the ones opening doors to rooms that shouldn’t be entered, stepping witlessly into pentagrams painted on the floor in goat’s blood, and wondering aloud, “You think this is some sort…
It’s a Wrap
Highlights from Hair Balls Spaced City It’s been a busy year in Houston. It always seems to be a busy year in the nation’s fourth-largest city. In particular, 2013 saw some significant developments in Houston’s landmarks. From light rail to stadiums to iconic stores, real estate was in the news…
