Mayor Annise Parker to Appear on Colbert Report Tonight
In case you hadn’t heard, Mayor Annise Parker will be a guest tonight on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report tonight, which airs locally at 10:30 p.m. after The Daily Show. The announcement of her appearance came earlier this week. It should be interesting to see the interaction between the two…
Dog Rescuers Shocked and Worried after Spindletop Dog Refuge Raid
Dog rescuers throughout the country are worrying today over the fates of dogs they placed at the Spindletop Refuge in Willis, where authorities say hundreds of dogs were found living in their own waste in cramped, stacked crates, near a mass grave with an unknown number of bodies. The 298…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 52, Tacos at Brothers Taco House
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
@ShellisPrepared: Our Favorite Tweets from the Shell Ad Campaign Hoax
When it comes to the Internet, you have to be pretty damn clever to fake out its users. Even with billions online, it’s uncanny how the Web polices itself whether it be bad grammar or April Fool’s Day hoaxes, even when they aren’t on April 1. But on Wednesday, well-known…
UPDATED: [PHOTOS] Striking Janitors Protest Outside Exxon Building
Update: According to a press release, more than a dozen janitors were arrested amid protests on Wednesday for civil disobedience as strikes continued downtown. More information as it becomes available. Original Post:For those unaware, janitors across the city of Houston have been on strike for the last two weeks protesting…
Mingle with the Stars and Taste a Buttload of Wine at TexSom
Now in its eighth year, TexSom — the annual Texas Sommelier Conference (August 11-13 in Dallas) — has become a national phenomenon, selling out quickly and attracting some of the biggest names on the U.S. wine scene today. This year, Master of Wine Christy Canterbury will be joining the list of…
Cover Story: We’re All Screwed In a Hurricane Katrina-Like Way If Addicks and Barker Dams Are Breached
Last week’s rains and floods might be child’s play compared to what could be in store for Houston if Addicks and Barker dams were to crumble into dust. Located near the intersection of Interstate 10 and Beltway 8, the two flood-control mechanisms have been at an “extremely high risk of…
UPDATED: Rush Limbaugh Thinks Bane in Dark Knight Rises Is an Obama Conspiracy
Update: Chuck Dixon, the well-known conservative comic writer who created the character of Bane commented on this subject calling the idea of using Bane as part of a liberal agenda silly. Unfortunately, I’ve traveled down this road before when Glenn Beck felt the need to blame Obama for the death…
Reality Bites: Friendzone
Here’s the thing: The people who still make jokes about how MTV *used* to play music long ago fell out of step with reality (no pun intended). The Real World debuted in 1992, and if we’re to listen to the whinier members of Generation X, that’s when things apparently started…
What Is a Dhaba? Find Out at Tandoori Nite
Not all food trucks are taco trucks, nor are they gourmet food trucks serving lobster and foie gras in Montrose. There are plenty of mobile food units that occupy a space in between, and Tandoori Nite — the subject of this week’s cafe review — is one of them. Although…
Last Night: Dukes of September Rhythm Revue at The Woodlands
Dukes of September Rhythm Revue Featuring Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs & Donald Fagen Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion July 17, 2012 This show could have been a punchline waiting to happen. Somebody must have thought “Dukes of September” was a more regal name for this tour than the “Superstars of Soft…
Well, Hello: Monkey’s Meme-Worthy Smile for Spy Camera
A camera placed in a Borneo game reserve by partners of the Houston Zoo apparently found one of the cameras placed there to spy on him and he gave it a somewhat blurry show. What looks like a smile is likely an expression of anger, but still, that smile is…
Chef Chat, Part 1: John Sikhattana of Straits, On Growing Up in Hawaii and What It’s Like to Be a Dishwasher
John Sikhattana Executive Chef Straits Asian Bistro 800 West Sam Houston Parkway North 713-365-9922 www.straitsrestaurants.com This is the first part of a three-part chef chat series. Look for Part 2 and Part 3 in this space Thursday and Friday. Houston may be a melting pot, but it’s still pretty uncommon…
The Top 10 French and Saunders Sketches
For the past 20 years, British comedy has seen a major influx of female comediennes. However, none have been more popular than the duo of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Their satirical sketch show, French and Saunders, hit the BBC2 airwaves on March 9, 1989, and lasted for seven seasons…
Meet the 2012 HPMA Showcase Nominees: Nick Greer
Rocks Off reached out to the artists playing this year’s Houston Press Music Awards showcase Sunday, August 5, and asked them to introduce themselves. Here’s what they sent back. Complete HPMA showcase and awards coverage Rocks Off: When and where was your first gig in Houston, and how did it…
App of the Week: Is the Facebook App Getting Worse?
I’ve written here a number of times about Facebook and apps related to it. Most specifically, I wrote about how there are too many apps trying to do multiple jobs the single Facebook app is apparently incapable of handling correctly. But, I’ve also praised the social media giant for taking…
2012 College Football Media Days, From Best to Most All-Out Painful
A few years ago, ESPN anointed the various college football media days as the unofficial start to the season. We get it. Folks are starved for some mutha-effing football so placing an artificial start date on the season and posting previews and interviews is going to get media outlets a…
Top 10 Houston Rappers & Their Wrestler Counterparts
Since the days of Hulkamania, I’ve been a wrestling fan. That’s not slandering anybody who gave up on the attraction or entertainment aspect after the second-generation boom in the late ’90s, that’s just me once again self-deprecating while tossing off a few knife-edged chops in defense. Take that, take that…
Quiet Yet Powerful Landscapes, Constructed Dash By Dash
In “Woven Landscapes,” a mesmerizing new show of Austin artist Bethany Johnson’s work at Moody Gallery, one of the “landscapes” in question features rolling clouds across a vast horizon. The image, called “Horizont II,” is the result of rows of horizontal lines — each line itself composed of tiny dashes…
What’s Cooking on Pinterest? Tiramisu Bread
After trying an array of espresso beverages recently, I’ve developed a craving for anything classically Italian. So, while scrolling through the never-ending pages of “Food and Drink” pins on Pinterest, I came across something to satisfy my Italian cravings and my sweet tooth: tiramisu bread. The fluffy, creamy and espresso…
Closing Time: Some Unhappy With 103.7 FM’s Christian Change
At 5 p.m. Tuesday, 103.7 KHJK left the Houston airwaves, leaving “Houston’s Adult Alternative” without a substitute. Christian alternative format Air 1 Radio has taken its place. The changeover as a result of Cumulus Media’s prepackaged bankruptcy buyout that included KHJK and sports-talk station KFNC (97.5 FM, “The Ticket”). KFNC…
The 5 Fast Food Sides We Miss Most
It’s once again time to look back on some of the discontinued food items that were sadistically ripped from our lives and our stomachs by the soulless monster that is corporate America. It’s a cruel, cruel world out there… In case you missed our rants, we think a life without…
Canines on Canvas: The Reliant Dog Show’s Student Art Contest
Much like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo sponsors an art contest for kids, the Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows gives student artists the chance to show their stuff alongside the champion pedigreed dogs that start hitting the runways today. In the 22nd annual Mari Jon Filla Student…
Comment of the Day: The Paterno Family Investigation
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: Heroes of Ruin
Game: Heroes of Ruin Platform: 3DS Publisher/Developer: Square Enix/n-Space Genre: RPG Describe This Game in Three Words: MMORPG in miniature Plot Synopsis: The city of Nexus has always been under the protection of a powerful sphinx. One day, an evil curse lays the sphinx low, and now a brave band…
Chris Ballew on Composing for Quantum Conundrum
Last week Quantum Conundrum was released for PSN and XBLA after already being available from Steam. It’s a fantastic first-person puzzler developed by Kim Swift, one of the lead designers of the acclaimed Portal It also features an amazing soundtrack by Presidents of the United States of America basitarist and…
Hubcap Grill’s Hangover Burger vs. Jus’ Mac’s Hangover Mac & Cheese
The much-touted, often dubious “Hangover Cure” has existed for almost as long as the hangover itself. In fact, the first hangover cure is said to date to the mid-17th century, when two frat boys at The Sorbonne tried eating salted honey, plum rinds and tree bark to get rid of…
Doug Guller: Bikinis Sports Bar Owner Just Bought a Town, Will Rename it “Bikinis”
Hair Balls is excited because we just decided where we want to go for our next weekend getaway: Bikinis, Texas. What — never heard of it? Maybe that’s because the town’s new owner hasn’t officially changed the name yet. The new owner in question is Doug Guller, who operates the…
100 Creatives 2012: Adriana Soto, Jewelry Designer and Etsy.com Entrepreneur
El Paso native Adriana Soto says she’s always been artsy. She made her own jewelry as a hobby for several years but decided to take the plunge into full-time design after working a temp job at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s gift shop, where she saw other designers selling…
Five Questions for Chef Marcus Samuelsson
For one day this Thursday, July 19, Chef Marcus Samuelsson will be in Houston to promote his book, Yes, Chef: A Memoir. The Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised, James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and TV personality will spend the early afternoon hosting a sold-out, five-course luncheon collaboration with former colleagues Seth…
Meet the 2012 HPMA Showcase Nominees: La Sien
Rocks Off reached out to the artists playing this year’s Houston Press Music Awards showcase Sunday, August 5, and asked them to introduce themselves. Here’s what they sent back. Complete HPMA showcase and awards coverage Rocks Off: When and where was your first gig in Houston, and how did it…
Dez Bryant’s Mom Calls 9-1-1, Vows, “I’m Going to Put an End to It Today!” (w/ AUDIO)
“I think that Dez has a chance to make the kind of impact of people that have worn this jersey before.” — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in 2010 after bestowing the #88 jersey on wide receiver Dez Bryant Cocaine possession. Drug paraphernalia. Various mysterious brushes with assault charges through the…
OG Ron C Purplefies Girl Talk’s All Day
There are a lot of reasons why OG Ron C running Girl Talk’s All Day through his “Chopped Up Not Slopped Up” purplefication process is fun, but one of them seems more substantial — or, at the very least, more appropriate — than the rest. To be entirely reductive: Girl…
Adult Entertainment Expo Or Comic-Con? You Decide
Photos by Nate “Igor” Smith and Shannon Cottrell San Diego’s annual Comic-Con is internationally known as a bastion of film industry intrigue and excitement where fans and journalists alike can lap up the first tastes of some of Hollywood’s hottest sci-fi and action properties. You can meet some of your…
This Week In Food Blogs: Subterranean Sushi and Pizzitola’s Pits
Swamplot: Craft beer lovers are about to have a whole lot more to love in Houston, reports real estate blog Swamplot. Premium Draught will be moving into the old Kaboom Books space next to Antidote Coffee in the Heights, while Cottonwood Bar will be moving in down the block from…
Gathering of the Juggalos Snags Geto Boys Reunion From Houston’s Hands, Bitch
I can’t lie that it doesn’t smart a bit that the Geto Boyz are reuniting for the Gathering of the Juggalos a few hundred miles away in the middle of an Illinois field instead in Houston, but that’s the breaks. When the 2012 lineup for the Insane Clown Posse’s annual…
CongratuLINtions, Houston: It’s a Point Guard!
Over the last few weeks — and, frankly, for quite some time before that — the name Jeremy Lin has been twisted to fit any number of ridiculous puns (check out HPBasketball’s Twitter feed on Tuesday for some hilarious examples), “Linsanity” chief among them as the young phenom brought crowds…
Christian Radio Group Buys 103.7 FM
Update to story originally posted on May 25, 2012: Sounds like the switch became official at 5 p.m. today, and our friends on social media are pissed. Apparently the indie format went out with Semisonic’s “Closing Time” and R.E.M.’s “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It.” Well…
Unidentified Man Shot to Death, Bayou Body Count No. 101
According to reports from KRIV and KHOU, a man was shot to death at a house in northwest Houston. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home at Grand Forest Drive and Sagecroft Drive around 4 a.m. Tuesday morning, where a man was found shot to death. No arrests…
Campaign to End Boy Scouts Gay Ban Gains Steam
A campaign spearheaded by an ousted den mother is gaining some momentum as it picks up the support of board members of the Boy Scouts. Jennifer Tyrrell, a gay mother from Bridgeport, Ohio, was no longer allowed to be a den mother in April of last year. Tyrrell started a…
Sorta Social: Why Do People Use LinkedIn?
As someone who owns a business in the tech industry, I get probably at least three or four calls every week from some offshoring company wanting me to outsource work to them. It’s a little annoying, but easy enough to avoid or swat away upon answering. I also get maybe…
The Onion Skewers Teach For America
Sometimes The Onion does a marvelous job in skewering an issue in just a few words, and its effort on Teach For America is one such gloriously satirical case. In it, a fresh-faced college girl writes about “My Year Volunteering As A Teacher Helped Educate A New Generation Of Underprivileged…
Perry Demands Obama Apologize for Holder’s “Incendiary” Remarks
Governor Rick Perry took time out of his busy schedule of telling the federal government to kiss his ass and whopping up on socialists to demand an apology from the President for remarks made by the U.S. Attorney General at the NAACP convention held in Houston last week. Apparently, Perry…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 53, Mexico City Plate at Molina’s Cantina
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Here’s the 2012 HPMA Showcase Lineup & Schedule
At last… we’ve nailed down the lineup for this year’s Houston Press Music Awards showcase Sunday, August 5. The venues are grouped into three clusters around downtown – Houston Pavilions, Warehouse Live and Phul Court – and some sort of transportation between the three (taxi or shuttle) will be available…
Alternatives to Five of the Pricier Software Titles
The Business Software Alliance announced last week that it had come to an agreement with local business Affordable Power, LP, to settle legal claims that the company pirated software titles. According to the release: As part of the settlement, Affordable Power agreed to pay $150,000 to settle legal claims that…
It’s Raining Cherries at Whole Foods Market
It’s Whole Foods’ 3rd Annual Cherry Festival. It kicked off this past weekend with a steel drum band and cherries in almost every department — produce, cheese, meat, beer, juice bar, deli and bakery. Whole Foods Market celebrates this very short season by going all out. They have three types…
Charalambides Guitarist Tom Carter On the Mend
Tom Carter, guitarist for Charalambides, the influential and prolific ex-Houston avant-garde/psychedelic duo, is out of intensive care and recovering at a rehabilitation hospital in Ahrenshoop, Germany after awakening from a medically induced coma last week. Carter’s bandmate and ex-wife, Christina Carter, says he could be well enough to fly back…
That New HIV Drug Is Great (If You Can Afford It)
The Food and Drug Administration’s approval Monday of a pill shown to reduce the risk of contracting HIV is a “game-changer,” according to AIDS Foundation Houston’s director of prevention services. The pill, Truvada, was shown to “cut the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42 percent,…
Where Are We Drinking? Clue: Gun Bae!
The drink you see below is soju, an essential part of any Korean dinner with friends. I’ve heard it compared to vodka — indeed, the colorless and odorless liquor is often served very chilled, much like vodka — but the distilled rice beverage tastes a bit sweeter than that. Like…
Today’s DVDs & Blu-rays: Bela Tarr’s The Turin Horse, Clive Owen in Intruders and Mel Gibson’s Latest Disaster
The Turin Horse stars Janos Derzsi, Erika Bok and Risci; Béla Tarr directs. Our feature DVD/Blu-ray release this week is Hungarian director Béla Tarr’s The Turin Horse. Bleak, weighty and solemn, The Turin Horse isn’t great entertainment. There aren’t any belly laughs, no car chases, no über-sexy vampires. It is,…
Randy Poe: Diary of a Willie-Stalking “Song Plugger”
Stalking the Red Headed Stranger, or How to Get Your Songs into the Hands of Artists Who Really Matter Through Show Business Trickery, Underhanded Skullduggery, Shrewdness, and Chicanery, as Well as Various Less Nefarious Methods of Song Plugging: A Practical Handbook and Historical Portrait By Randy Poe 276 pp., $19.99,…
Vastie Shakira Coleman Charged in Death of Son, Age 4, Bayou Body Count No. 100
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has charged Vastie Shakira Coleman with injury to a child — serious bodily injury, after she is believed to have beaten her four-year-old son, Kyron Barnes, to death with a cord, according to reports from the Sheriff’s office and KHOU. According to reports, the boy…
Upcoming: Ben Folds Five, D’Angelo, Go-Go’s, Noel Gallagher, Ryan Bingham, Etc.
Adema: Fri., Aug. 24, 8 p.m., $15/$20. The Concert Pub (North), 2470 FM 1960, Houston. Alesana: Fri., Nov. 2, 8 p.m., $18/$22. House of Blues, 1204 Caroline, Houston. Ava Luna, Wild Moccasins: Wed., Aug. 1, 8 p.m., $8/$12. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Band of Heathens: Sat., Aug. 11, 8…
Shadow Show Is Ray Bradbury’s Most Fitting Epitaph
When the amazing collection of authors contributed to Sam Weller and Mort Castle’s new Ray Bradbury-inspired collection of short stories, Shadow Show, the master was obviously still alive. He would die just a month before the book was published, but the stories inside seem to eerily refer to a world…
A Shameless Plug for Finger Lakes Wines
I’m no Jeremy Parzen, but I do know a little bit about wine. Growing up in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, I took the proximity and availability of local wine (and a decent wine education) for granted. When I was 21, “wine trailing” was a cheap way…
Post Carefully: Social Media Now Being Used in Court Cases
For anyone who thought the worst thing social media could do was help turn an embarrassing photo into an Internet meme that would haunt you the rest of your life, think again, Twitter fan. It could also cost you in court. Such is the case in a recent trial where…
Make at Home: Panera Bread’s Signature Macaroni & Cheese
Macaroni and cheese will forever be one of the greatest comfort foods. It doesn’t matter if you’re five years old or 50 years old, you can always enjoy this creamy, cheesy and comforting dish. After browsing through Pinterest for a recipe to make for dinner, I continually came across the…
Artist/Free Spirit J Muzacz Lives the Life, Publishes the Book
Last fall when Art Attack profiled Houstonian J Muzacz — who was and still is teaching English in a remote Japanese town — he told us about his in-progress art book, entitled JAPAN365. Muzacz said that his daily drawing project would capture everyday scenes in Japan and the collective output…
Justin Bieber and the Secret War Against Music
When people start going on about a hip hop illuminati or the secret messages in Lady Gaga videos we tend to laugh at them, call them kooks, and suggest they spend their free time in more productive ways. Jay-Z is powerful but only a crazy person would believe that Blue…
Pop Rocks: Five Things Comic-Con Needs to Fix If It’s Ever Going to Make It
As the ten of you who read the recaps may know, I was in San Diego last weekend for the 2012 Comic-Con. Martinis were consumed, Lou Ferrigno was observed in his natural habitat and we managed to talk our way out of $24 parking fees twice thanks to indifferent attendants…
Comment of the Day: It Was Linevitable
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous…
WWF’s Top 7 Classic “Foreign Heel” Theme Songs
The WWF may have been the most patriotic American institution during the ’80s and ’90s; it turned Hulk Hogan into one of the biggest symbols of patriotism in recent memory. But there’s a fine line between patriotism and nationalism, which the WWF straddled for years. By using jingoist superstars like…
Starbucks Breakfast Wrap Almost Worth the Average Cup of Joe
As ambivalent as I am about Starbucks coffee, I’m really starting to warm up to its food. Over the last year I have had considerable luck with Starbucks’ breakfast sandwiches as well as their fruit-and-cheese “Bistro Box,” so it didn’t feel like too much of a risk when I recently…
Unidentified Woman, 48, Fatally Stabbed Sunday Morning, Bayou Body Count No. 99
Early Sunday morning around 1 a.m., two men broke into the home of a woman and her 16-year-old daughter in Humble, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and stabbed the unidentified woman, 48, more than once. The incident occurred in the 8300 block of Poplar Ridge Lane in Humble…
No Capes! The Gothic Council Has Spoken
There’s an unfortunate stage that most goths go through. I call it the Capetarded Stage, and yes, it involves wearing an actual vampire cape. Why do we do it? I don’t know. I guess it has a lot to do with going a bit overboard when you begin the darksome…
An Espresso Lesson at Ciao Bello with Master Barista Giorgio Milos
Espresso is more than just a beverage — it’s the base ingredient used to create an array of specialty drinks: cocktails, frappes, cappuccinos and other classic coffee beverages. Master barista Giorgio Milos arrived at Ciao Bello Friday, after being stuck in an airport for six hours due to the massive…
Breaking Bad: The Best Possible Cartoonish Plot Lines We Can Hope For
The last season of most every acclaimed (or otherwise) and successful television series is fraught with weirdness. Writers get bored and introduce oddball guest stars, dream sequences, flashbacks, bizarro plot lines and a basic diversion from the perceived balance of the previous seasons. The season premiere of everyone’s favorite meth…
Joe Paterno’s Family Vows to Find the Real Child Molester Harborer
Another day, another story from Happy Valley that makes me question my faith in mankind. Two, actually. First, predictably, three more men have come forward claiming they were sexually abused by Jerry Sandusky, one citing abuse that took place all the away back in the ’70s. If you remember, Sandusky’s…
Generations Theatre’s Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson: A Take-No-Prisoners Production
The setup: The award-winning rock musical that was a New York downtown sensation but fared less well with B’way audiences is given its Houston premiere in a rousing take-no-prisoners production by Generations Theatre that captures the raw vitality of our seventh president. The execution: Jackson is portrayed by Kregg Dailey…
Readers’ Poll: Does Music In The Workplace Make You More Productive?
A recent blog on the Bloomberg Businessweek site detailed a UK study that was done dealing with music in the workplace and its effect on worker productivity. 77 percent of surveyed businesses said that it boosted morale and made output soar. The rest of the 33 percent probably own sweatshops…
Dining Out Near Closing Time: How Late Is Too Late?
How late is too late to order food at a restaurant? That was the thought that plagued me as I sped toward Jeannine’s Bistro last week, determined to get in a necessary lunch of moules-frites for a post. The bistro closes for lunch at 2 p.m.; at best, I was…
Hey Ladies! The 10 Most She-Tastic Artists of All Time
Have you ever noticed this: Men and women have different musical tastes. At times, they do. Why? Because men and women have different interests, for the most part. Think about it, boys: while you may want to play some Metallica, your girlfriend (or mom) may want listen to Sheryl Crow…
CultureMap Makes a Gaffe, Doesn’t Think It’s a Gaffe, But Quietly Changes Story
The joke wasn’t even that funny. New York celebrity chef David Chang, hearing that Jeremy Lin would likely come to Houston to play for the Rockets, at least for three years, tweeted yesterday, “@momofuku is looking to sign a three year lease in Houston, Texas.” As Eater National reported today,…
RIP Kitty Wells: Onetime Queen of Country Music Dies at 92
Legendary Nashville singer Kitty Wells has died at age 92, according to reports from Associated Press within the past hour. Wells was the first female to top the country charts with her song “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky-tonk Angels” in 1952. The song was a reply to Hank Thompson’s…
GOP Senate Candidate Ted Cruz, In Fact, Rich As Sh*t
Last week, after it came out that Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is worth an astonishing $177 million and would become the third-richest member of the U.S. Senate if elected to a body that has at least 54 millionaires, there was one word local media employed to describe his competitor…
OKRA-Run Charity Bar to Open Downtown
Imagine a bar run by Houston’s best bartenders and mixologists where 100 percent of the proceeds would be donated to a local charity at the end of each month. It’s not just a wild-eyed fantasy; it’s about to become a reality in the former Red Cat Jazz Café location at…
Working Together or in Separate Little Cubicles With Only a Computer For Company, HISD Students Post a Lower Dropout Rate, Higher Grad Rate
The percentage of kids officially dropping out of the Houston ISD decreased from 12.6 percent (Class of 2010) to 11.8 percent (Class of 2011), Superintendent Terry Grier announced today. At the same time, the marker on the graduation rate went up as well from 74.3 percent to 78.5 percent in…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 54, Roast Beef Sandwich at Local Foods
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Name Your Child After the Texas Renaissance Festival and Get Lifetime Passes and $1K
Today the Texas Renaissance Festival has announced a special promotion targeting the youth with child or expecting. If you name your child Texas Renaissance, you will be the recipient of lifetime passes to the Renaissance fair in Plantersville, just north of Houston. There is also a $1,000 savings bond for…
“Unit” at Gallery Sonja Roesch: For the Love of Prints, Multiples and Editions of All Stripes
Online shop UNIT is all about making limited edition works accessible to art lovers. There’s a range of prices and sizes to choose from, and the pieces come framed and ready to hang with the hanging hardware included so you can do it yourself. It’s an admirable mission, but how’s…
The Aeration Condom (and Why I Don’t Decant)
Decanting? I’m not a fan. Not that there’s anything wrong with decanting. In fact, some of my best friends are decanters. But when you come to dinner at my house, you’ll rarely see me decant a wine. Ninety-nine percent of the wine we consume today is filtered and shouldn’t have…
It’s CompLINcated: The Continuing Saga of the Rockets’ Pursuit of Jeremy Lin
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Garden (or GAH-den if you are a New Yorker), it appears the New York Knicks, who appeared to have finally re-captured the imagination of basketball fans, are close to letting point guard Jeremy Lin go and join the…
Pollstar: Woodlands Pavilion Now World’s No. 3 Amphitheater
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, site of Sunday night’s aromatic 311 show, has long been one of the country’s busiest concert venues, usually ranking at or near the top in annual attendance. Now it’s officially one of the busiest in the world. In concert trade publication Pollstar’s new survey of…
Apparent Murder-Suicide in Mechanic Shop: Bayou Body Count No. 98
Police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that took place last Friday at 6250 Westward around 6:45 p.m. According to HPD, they believe the female victim was shot by the male victim before he shot himself. The identities of the two were not know, however investigators were told they were in…
Lofts Lend Luxury to Women with Figures Art Exhibition
You never know just where you’ll find an art gallery: stacked into a Midtown mid-rise, tucked away in a suburban community — maybe even held upstairs at a loft-style apartment building just miles outside downtown. Last Saturday, art-loving couple Terrence and Susan Boggs hosted “Women with Figures” at their new…
What’s Cooking This Week? Lots of Broccoli, Grilled Flat Bread Pizza & More
I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two 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…
Saturday Night: Digital Mystikz at Gritsy’s 6th Anniversary
Gritsy’s 6th Anniversary Party feat. Digital Mystikz Warehouse Live July 14, 2012 Back in April, the Press ran a cover story about the rise of dubstep stateside, placing it next to the story of Gritsy, a local DIY promotions company that founded, and remains to run, one of the original…
Comment of the Day: Pray for No More Rain
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous…
Saturday Night: Roky Erickson at the Continental Club
Roky Erickson Continental Club July 14, 2012 With the arid summer of 2011 fresh in our memories, it’s easy to forget that Houston’s often a sweaty, swampy mess. Saturday night it was no different, having rained for a week straight. Though the rain was done by evening, the air was…
Tamarie Cooper’s Doomsday Revue: A Delightful Evening of Inspired Foolishness
See our interview with Tamarie Cooper about Doomsday Revue. The setup: Tamarie Cooper, co-founder of The Catastrophic Theatre, brings her annual musical comedy revue — this is the 15th — and a horde of committed actors and dancers to DiverseWorks in a colorful, splashy production. The execution: The set, designed…
Where Are We Eating? Clue: Not French Frites
This lunchtime portion of moules-frites — a pot of mussels à la marinière and a basket of Belgian-style fries — will run you $14. Not a bad deal, especially when you factor in the housemade mayonnaise and special mussels sauce made by the proprietor of this new restaurant, both of…
What Are We Stuffing? Avocados
Avocados are popular in salads, sandwiches and, of course, smashed into guacamole; everyone loves the avocado. I’ve always stuck to slicing and dicing avocado to add creaminess to my salads or even as a substitute for cheese on a burger, but until now I’d never thought to stuff an avocado…
Friday Night: The Big Show at Lawndale; Little Big Show at WarHous
Check out our pictures from The Big Show and The Little Big Show, both in one handy slideshow. If you have ever spent any time outside at dusk in Houston, then you have seen the mesmerizing attractive powers that a porch light has on the various flying insects of the…
If You Can’t Join Them, Beat Them: Dynamo Win Big
The Major League Soccer All-Star Game is coming up on July 25, 2012, to be played in PPL Park in Philadelphia. Coaching the MLS All-Stars against Chelsea FC is DC United’s Ben Olsen. Like the NBA and MLB All-Star games, MLS fans vote for the starting lineup, known as the…
FrenetiCore Dancers Get Deep, Contemplative in Memoriam
FrenetiCore, a dance company known for its experimental and multimedia works, has created a mature movement narrative that’s all soul and contemplation in Memoriam. The dance/film hybrid features a young woman as its central subject, a twenty-something urbanite who can’t seem to shake the ghosts of her past in order…
Last Night: 311 at The Woodlands
311 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion July 15, 2012 “Three eleven. Three three eleven!” The crowd chanted over and over. The anticipation was crazy. It was all a rush. Especially for my friend and I. I’ll give y’all the scoop of how my night went. My best friend and I went…
The 5 Sexiest Celebrity Chefs: Ladies Edition
We’ve taken a look at the Sexiest Men in the Kitchen (meatballs, anyone?). Now it’s the ladies’ time to turn up the heat. Check out the Top 5 Hottest Female Chefs: 5. Nadia Giosia As in, “Nadia G.” As in, the wild and slightly psychotic Italian but Canadian-born chef, singer…
Rain on Me: Less Rain This Week, but Still…You Know…Rain
Remember when we had all that rain last week and some over the weekend and it flooded and all that? Remember when it was a horrible drought last year and like a billion trees died and we had record temperatures and all that? My point is that we’ve had some…
Falling Skies: “Homecoming”
I have been battling a 103-degree fever for the past few days, which may make my assessment of this week’s episode of Falling Skies somewhat incohesive. That being said, my fever delirium may have enhanced the show, making the already dreamlike quality of this program even trippier. The episode opens…
Top 10 Octopus Dishes in Houston
Octopus. Regardless of how it’s prepared, I generally love eating the squirmy, tentacled creatures. A great, low-fat seafood option, octopus has this wonderfully distinctive texture. It’s also light and fun to eat — the perfect summertime dish. Our city’s chefs must feel the same way I do, because I’ve found…
True Blood: Of Wolf and Anton Newcombe
Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He’s lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood — which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. This is going to be…
To Booze or Not to Booze near the Alamo?
San Antonio is in a tizzy. When officials from the Texas General Land Office okayed a plan to allow caterers to serve hooch at after-hours events at Alamo Hall, a repurposed 1922 fire station near but not on the grounds of the Alamo complex, the Daughters of the Republic of…
How to Spend $1,000 on Cookbooks in an Afternoon: Go to Vegas
Get off the Strip, allow yourself three to four hours and go before gambling to Amber Unicorn Books. One of the best used bookstores in the Las Vegas Valley, Amber Unicorn has, at any given time, more than 200,000 books on hand, of which 16,000 are cookbooks. Amber Unicorn is…
David Rainey and Landing Theatre Company Have Got a Smudge
We haven’t seen the baby at the center of Rachel Axler’s provocative play Smudge, but we’re willing to bet it’s unlike any other baby we’ve ever seen. That’s because it (yes, “it” is the appropriate term here) isn’t quite a baby. It’s more of a … thing. A thing with…
Ten Reasons to Keep Watching the Astros
The Astros, post-All-Star break, have been much like the Astros pre-All-Star break. They’re still losing — they were swept by the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. The offense is still awful. They’re decimated by injuries. And management is still making tons of head-scratching decisions. So you’re probably wondering why…
Holden’s iPod: A Catcher In the Rye Playlist
J. D. Salinger’s most famous novel, Catcher in the Rye, turns 51 years old today. In case you’ve forgotten — because modern television will do that to memory — the book is all about a whiny, privileged kid name Holden Caulfield who struggles for meaning in post-WWII America. He eventually…
I Was Happy for a Few Hours at Saint Genevieve
The last time I went to Saint Genevieve, I very much enjoyed their creative cocktails and not just because one was named in the spirit of a Dickens novel. And while drinking your dinner is okay once in a while, this girl also needs to eat (preferably a lot) when…
I Got a Name: Jim Croce’s Story In a Bottle
I Got A Name: The Jim Croce Story by Ingrid Croce and Jimmy Rock Da Capo Press, 336 pp., $25 That it’s taken nearly four decades since his 1973 plane crash death at the young age of 30 for a biography of singer-songwriter Jim Croce to come out is a…
The Most Expensive Batman Memorabilia On eBay Right Now
Love Batman? So do the women in our Ladies of Batman at Comic-Con slideshow. The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters at midnight on July 20, and the release mania for the finale of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy has begun to reach a fever pitch. Some screenings that week have…
The Knicks Play Hide-and-Seek in Order to Keep the Rockets from Signing Jeremy Lin
For every weird little occurrence in life, there seems to be an episode of Seinfeld to which you can circle back for an analogous situation. Even for something as innocuous as the Rockets’ pursuit of Knicks restricted free agent guard Jeremy Lin. So here goes: Remember that episode of Seinfeld…
Hollywood Couples Who Phone It In
The biggest news to hit the Internet – Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin made out during a recent Cold Play concert, and then they spent the evening canoodling at a Miami restaurant. According to certain sources, “She was all over him!” This is huge news considering that the two are…
The 5 Best Fat Tony Lyrics Involving Food and Drink
Rappers and food go together like peanut butter and bacon (trust me here): Bun B is a well-known supporter of Houston’s food scene — and especially its food trucks. This past Thursday night, the Houston rapper (and one half of rap duo UGK) was spotted at Grand Prize Bar chowing…
Wait a Minute! Who Is That? Top 10 Videos With Famous Actor Cameos
When you are an actor, you take basically whatever will feed you just as long as you get to perform. Many actors either got their start in music videos or they will appeared in one after they got famous. Oftentimes, they are pretty memorable…
5 Tips for Musicians to Avoid IRS Trouble
It’s a fact of life that bears repeating: The IRS does not fuck around, no matter who you are. Legendary musician Chuck Berry received a reminder of this universal truth the hard way 33 years ago this month. Only three days after playing a gig on the White House lawn…
San Diego Comic-Con 2012: Milla Jovovich and Fleeing The Walking Dead
Be sure to check out our slideshows: the celebrities at Comic-con and Comic-Con cosplay. It seems to me there are two general ways to check out the San Diego Comic-Con. The first is for those intent on attending one or a few key Hall H events (Hall H being the…
UH Hires Developers for New $105 Million Football Stadium
Look at the University of Houston, acting all grown up and everything. They are so cute at that age. UH, long suffering in grand old Robertson Stadium, particularly in recent years when the football team has been, you know, actually good, finally is moving forward on a much ballyhooed stadium…
Ex-Goddess Bree Olson Tries Her Hand at Music with “Hollywood Douchebag” (NSFW)
Bree Olson, former porn star and ex-Charlie Sheen girlfriend and goddess, is now trying her hand at music with the song “Hollywood Douchebag” (pairing up with producer Mike Gonsolin), which just hit iTunes and Olson’s official YouTube account today. Judging by her Twitter feed, she and Gonsolin appear to be…
10 of the Most Painful Joe Biden Gaffes
Yesterday at Houston’s NAACP rally, Vice President Joe Biden gave a well-received speech arguing that a Mitt Romney presidency would hurt the black community. As expected, the audience liked him a lot more than Romney, who got booed during his appearance last week for his opposition to Obamacare. People only…
Four Ways to Keep Your Technology and Data Safe During a Storm
It’s been a little wet in Texas recently for those who don’t live here. When we get thunderstorms here, it can create some issues, particularly for technology, which, as you probably know, doesn’t mesh very well with water or power surges from lightning. I mean, have you ever dropped your…
This Week in Deliciousness: Eatin’ With Sticks and Other Bad Ideas
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating…Our Words, where thanks to this week’s plentiful rains, our blood oranges are now constantly being carried off by vulture-sized mosquitoes who don’t understand the hyperbolic nature of fruit-naming. IT REFERS TO THE COLOR, YOU BUZZING BASTARDS. We started the week off…
Sam Raimi and James Franco Take On Baum in Oz: The Great and Powerful
It doesn’t hit screens until March 8, 2013, but this week the trailer for Sam Raimi’s Wizard of Oz prequel, Oz: The Great and Powerful, hit the Web. The original film premiered in August 1939, meaning this film was more or less 74 years in the making. The film stars…
If Any School Deserves the NCAA Death Penalty, It’s Got to Be Penn State
If ever a major collegiate football program deserves the so-called NCAA death penalty, it’s got to be Penn State. The myth of Joe Paterno and his ethical football program has been blown out of the water, and the least the NCAA can do is put this program out of the…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 55, Palestinian Chicken at Al Aseel
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
The Lion King: A Brilliant Collaboration of Theatrical Geniuses
See our interview with Buyi Zama, who plays the wise baboon shaman Rafiki. The setup: Courtesy of Gexa Energy Broadway, Disney’s The Lion King roars into town with its menagerie of spectacle, stagecraft and human emotions grafted onto a pride of lions, showcasing what inventive minds can accomplish with apparently…
Hi, How Is Daniel Johnston?
Rocks Off is very proud to present Daniel Johnston’s in-store performance 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Cactus Music. As always, it’s absolutely free, including the St. Arnold’s. Thinking about the in-store, we realized we hadn’t heard much about Johnston lately, which is good in the “no news is good news” way,…
Last Night: Jandek at Mango’s
Jandek Mango’s July 12, 2012 “So what do you know about tonight’s set?” I ask Dunnock, stalwart soundman at Mango’s, trying to play Jimmy Ace Reporter just minutes before Jandek walks onstage, close to half past 8 p.m. on Thursday night. Without a beat… “Um, it’s Jandek Punk Rock Experience,”…
Reflection: The Week in Photos
It’s time again to check out the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. We love street art, unique perspectives and beautiful photos of Houston’s creative community. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool…
Empirical Research: Examining the League of Extraordinary Gz
There was a show at Jet Lounge last night. I wanted to go for a three reasons: 1. Local rapper D. Risha was performing. He has a brilliant song called “Ebonics” that is a manuscript on Houston slang and I was hoping it’d send whatever crowd was watching him perform…
Sommelier Vanessa Treviño Boyd Doesn’t Kiss and Tell
Philippe sommelier and wine director Vanessa Treviño Boyd is not one to name-drop. But even if she were, you really couldn’t fault her for it. In conversation with her, once the ice is broken, she can rattle off a who’s who of Burgundy and French-wine elites whom she counts among…
[PHOTOS] Remember How the Rain Was Supposed to Stop? Neither Do We
A funny thing happened on the way to drier weather, a funny thing called Mother Nature. After a fairly quiet late afternoon and evening, and with much of the storms we experienced the last couple days moving mostly off to the east of town, there was reason for optimism, reason…
Upcoming Events: Cheap Cheesecake and Free Tequila; What Could Be Better?
Hopefully, you’re already celebrating National French Fries Day today. But hang on — we’ve got two more good ones coming up. What better place to celebrate National Cheesecake Day is there than The Cheesecake Factory itself? The restaurant is known for having more than 30 different flavors of cheesecake, all…
Free for All: “James Turrell: Holograms,” “Kyle Farley: Countenance,” Martin Limón and Maria Dueñas
Looking for something to do on Friday? We recommend “Countenance,” Kyle Farley’s show of his new work at Redbud Gallery in the Heights. One of the strongest images in the show is one of the more straightforward pieces. In Untitled (Navajo Swastikas), there are no lights, no complex parts, just…
San Diego Comic-Con 2012: Apparently Zombies Are Still A Thing
And we took a lot more photos while we were there, so you might want to check them out. I assume there are folks who can handle the San Diego Comic-Con without drinking — children, for example — but I’m not one of them. And while it’s true the convention…
Some Local Doppler Radars are Slower Than Others
With all the rain we’ve had over the last few days, no doubt many of you have been keeping an eye on radar offered on dozens of Web sites and smartphone apps. But, have you ever looked at the time stamp on those radar images? You should, because not all…
7 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: Susan Alcorn, Steel Lounge Underground, Etc.
This ain’t honky-tonk: Presented by They, Who Sound and Signal To Noise, Baltimore-based composer and avant-garde steel guitarist Susan Alcorn performs three sets starting 8 p.m. tonight at 14 Pews (800 Aurora): One solo, and two in trios with David Dove (trombone) and Damon Smith (bass), and Jo Bird (viola)…
Take Control of Your Salad at Salata
After walking by Salata numerous times while shopping in The Woodlands Market Street, I finally decided to step inside and see what this place was all about. Salads are one of my favorite things to make just because you can be so creative and change it up every time. Maybe…
Good-bye, Cruel World: Tamarie Cooper’s Doomsday Revue (The Greatest Musical Ever!)
The world’s supposed to end this year (again). That doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun before we go at the Tamarie Cooper’s Doomsday Revue (The Greatest Musical Ever!). Cooper, co-founder and Associate Director at Catastrophic Theatre, has been producing her original musical revues since 1996 when she performed…
Going Underground with Pablo Gimenez-Zapiola (Steel Lounge Underground, That Is)
Multimedia artist Pablo Gimenez-Zapiola is just one of almost a half-dozen talents appearing at the annual Steel Lounge Underground at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston today, July 13. Derek Jones and Josh Zulu are hosts, with Esteban Torres, Suraj K., DJ Baby Jae and Omari Tau completing the lineup. Torres…
Comment of the Day: You Might Be a Racist
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous…
Rainy Day Blues … and Pinks, and Purples, and Yellows …
What a difference a year makes. Last summer we were all walking around practically naked, baking in the heat of the relentless sun, with nary a drop of water from the sky; this summer (this week in particular) temperatures have been pleasantly rooted in double digits, and there appears to…
Copy Cat Recipe: A Little Piece of Cheddar Bay Right in Your Kitchen
If you know me (and probably 80 percent of America, the obese portion, at least), you know I lurve me some Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits. They are little delicate clouds of cheesy, puffy, buttery, garlicky goodness. These infamous pre-dinner freebies are morsels of the gods; heaven-sent, or, more accurately,…
Indigo Girls: “The Hardest Part Is Deciding What Not to Play”
Thursday, Rocks Off talked to Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, who play House of Blues Saturday night with Atlanta proteges the Shadowboxers, who will open the show and then back up one of the most successful folk-rock duos of the past quarter century. After discussing songwriting, her favorite guitar…
When Art Is Funny: Humor in Craft with Brigitte Martin, Jason Kishell and Nathan Dube
A photo of Smug Mug by Houston artist Jason Kishell is on the cover of Humor in Craft, a new coffee-table photo book that author Brigitte Martin, artist Nathan Dube and Kishell are discussing and signing on Saturday at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. (Dube and Kishell both have…
Top 10 Zaniest “Call Me Maybe” Covers & Remixes
In case if you haven’t heard Canadian songstress Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” above is the song’s official music video. You can also find this jam, which is currently comfortably sitting at the very top of the Billboard charts, blaring after about every other song on most top-hit radio…
Bartender Chat: Emily Hynds of Double Trouble
Double Trouble Caffeine and Cocktails 3622 Main 713-874-0096 With leather and bamboo patio seating behind imposing yet beckoning rebar gates, Double Trouble is one of the newest residents of the so-called “Main Street Island.” Residing one block south of the HCC/Ensemble light-rail stop on Main and billing itself as not…
Ren Fest Tickets at Less Than Half Price
And if you want to remember why you want to be at Ren Fest come fall, here’s some more pretty good reasons. Today’s Daily Deal offered by the Houston Press gives you an unlimited (well, till the tickets run out) chance to buy Texas Renaissance Festival Tickets at more than…
Week in Photos: Fish and Shrimp Special
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. We’re looking for pictures that represent the best of Houston, from food to art to events, to secret hidden spots of beauty. Just drop them in our Flickr…
The Unluckiest Characters in Movie History (In Honor of Friday the You Know)
Today is Friday the 13th — be wary of black cats, throw salt behind your back, don’t text while driving — a date on the calendar which modern folklore has deemed as the unluckiest day of all. I don’t know, but I think that April 15 (Tax Day) is the…
Health Department Roundup: House of Blues, Sparkle’s and more
Which sounds more glamorous, the French cabaret of the 19th century or Houston’s Secret Cabaret of the far end of North Shepherd? It’s difficult to say – we’d have to travel north on 45, and later back in time, to make an assessment, and we’re not going to do either…
Top 7 Secrets of Being a Great Cover Band, by Skyrocket!
Rocks Off is excited about tonight’s first-ever installment of our summer happy-hour “Cocktails and Covers” series at House of Blues’ Bronze Peacock Room, featuring Austin’s Skyrocket! Scattered tickets are still available (just click the link), but Rocks Off regrets to inform you — we guess? — that next week’s show…
Last Night: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
The evening at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey didn’t start out well. Arriving 90 minutes early enabled audience members to tour the animal cages backstage and chat with the performers during the preshow…that was the theory, anyway. In reality, what you got was a huge mass of bodies, no…
Alleged Credit Card Thieves Lead Constables Right to Their Door
From reading his most recent arrest affidavit, it looks like Darren Patrick Scheper had a good thing going there for a while. As his friends would later tell police, Scheper’s hustle was to break into cars, steal whatever valuables he could find inside, and if he was lucky enough to…
Freezepop Raises the Bar on Internet Music Videos
I lost my virginity to a girl obsessed with light-hearted, quirky electronica. She could sing “99 Luftballoons” in the original German and had “Bring Me Edelweiss” on vinyl. Ever since then I’ve been a sucker for electropop rife with irreverence, and modern acts like Hyperbubble and Freezepop prove it’s still…
100 Creatives 2012: Domokos Benczédi, Noise and Collage Artist
For the past 15 years or so, Domokos Benczédi has been a constant presence in experimental acts Rusted Shut and Future Blondes. What the noise kids may or may not know is that Benczédi is also a real-deal visual artist who tends toward making complex collages that have been printed…
Where the Chefs Eat: Bryan Caswell, Randy Evans, Danny Trace
In Houston, the restaurant community is so tight that everyone has worked together in some shape or form over the years. For this week’s Where the Chefs Eat, we check in with chefs Bryan Caswell, Randy Evans and Danny Trace. Evans is affiliated with a bunch of local chefs thanks…
Helena Brown’s Asian Adventures: DMZ, Fighter Jets — But What About The Airlines?
Houston City Council Member Helena Brown issued a press release Wednesday touting her recent trip to Asia, which she funded with $11,000 in public money, as a “successful business trip” — but it’s become clear her journey to Asia was anything but, and, in fact, completely different than the city’s…
Openings & Closings: Guess What Women Don’t Care About? Food.
As we mentioned a few weeks back, Roots Bistro has been planning to open up a little sister spot next door. That spot — a juice bar — is now open. Roots Juice is a fast-casual juice bar as well as a cafe, offering a small vegan menu that partner…
Nick Saban’s Daughter Gets Sued for Beating the Snot Out of Her Sorority Sister
Alabama head coach Nick Saban is known for a few things: winning national championships (two in the last three seasons), a steely demeanor (and by steely, I mean he’s kind of a jerk), meticulous attention to detail (ask the Dolphins office worker who misplaced his Little Debbie snack cakes) and…
Introducing the New Dubstep Drinking Game
OK, I’m sure this has been done before in your own time. But I got bored one day. Hey I live in Katy, Texas, so give me a break. There I was, listening to a few dubstep mixes I have and I was staring at my phone just waiting for…
The 4 Most Depressing Lists on the Internet
We do a lot of lists here in the Houston Press blogs because they’re easy and the Internet likes lists. I like lists, too. It’s fun to gather up the strangest Nintendo controllers and the funniest novels and things like that. You feel like you’re curating a mini-museum of pop…
Houston’s Top 10 French Fries for National French Fry Day
I think I’m firmly on record as thinking that most National ______ Days are dumb. But there are a few I’m happy to celebrate, like National Tequila Day (coming up on July 23) or the recently passed National Fried Chicken Day. That short list also includes National French Fry Day,…
Marilyn Manson & Rob Zombie Coming To Houston For Halloween
And just like that, your Halloween festivities just got all the more freakier with the announcement that gruesome twosome Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie are coming to Houston on October 30. Gross, that means Halloween is on a Wednesday. The concert at Reliant Arena will be the first Bayou City…
Unidentified Victim Shot Multiple Times, Bayou Body Count No. 97
An as yet unidentified male victim was shot multiple times on Wednesday around 9 p.m. at 11100 Albury Drive in southwest Houston. The victim was pronounced dead at Ben Taub General Hospital. Witnesses told police they saw a black male running from the scene. The victim was apparently gunned down…
It’s Raining Tweets: Rain or Sun, No One Seems Happy with Houston Weather
Everyone on Twitter in Houston last year: “This heat and lack of rain sucks.” Everyone on Twitter in Houston this year: “This rain sucks!”— Jeff Balke (@jeffbalke) July 12, 2012 There’s an old saying, “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, wait.” Last year, we suffered through the most…
Air Sex Championships at Fitz’s (w/ sNSFW VIDEO)
Check out our slideshow of the Houston Air Sex Championships I got a lot of puzzled looks when I told people I was going to cover the Houston Air Sex Championships at Fitzgerald’s last night. Don’t pretend like you’ve never played air guitar or air drums. Well, air sex is…
Raining on Their Parade: IKEA Postpones Unveiling of Store’s Solar Energy System
IKEA Houston was all set to unveil its solar-powered energy system today. They had a big ceremony planned and everything. The dedication ceremony would include Houston’s Sustainability Director (we have one of those?) Laura Spanjian, whose last name sounds vaguely like a sofa I bought at the store a few…
Indigo Girls: “We Like Each Other’s Songs Quite a Bit”
Here’s something you might not expect to find out, or Rocks Off certainly didn’t anyway: The Indigo Girls have sold more than 12 million records. That’s a more than respectable tally in the course of 25 years, when Amy Ray and Emily Saliers — who met in elementary school –…
NAACP Likes Joe Biden More Than Mitt Romney (Just in Case You Had Your Doubts)
What did Vice President Joe Biden prove to the delegates of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People? That he’s not as white as super whitey-white GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney who, on Wednesday, jabbed attendees (on purpose, even?) of the 103rd NAACP Annual Convention with a “I would…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 56, Sushi at Sushi Miyagi
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Defying Ambiguity: Jandek & 5 Other Curious Cult Musicians (UPDATED)
UPDATE (July 19, 8:20 a.m.): Some inaccuracies in the Charalambides item have been corrected. As a musician, there are many reasons behind choosing to remain an ambiguous character in the public eye as opposed to taking in all of the public attention one can. Choosing to remain ambiguous or elusive…
ACLU: Police Seizing of Witness’s Phone Illegal and Totally Not Cool
The ACLU of Texas is criticizing a Houston police officer’s alleged seizing of a witness’s cell phone at the scene where the officer shot an unarmed man. HPD says Officer J. McGowan shot Rufino Lara while investigating an alleged assault after he refused both English and Spanish commands to put…
Actor Glynn Turman Is In & Speaks Out About The Obama Effect (w/ Video)
The night Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, people took to the streets, celebrating the first African-American POTUS and what was arguably the peak of a storied history for blacks. In The Obama Effect, a new feature film focusing on the people who supported Obama’s first election campaign (United…
Homeopathy, Headaches and Hops: Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse
Sometimes it’s hard to come up with a good story for you guys. I’m staunchly opposed to the notion of beer review as form letter, simply ticking off the A S T M and calling it a day. For me, food and drink are informed with a greater importance by…
Last Night: Anthrax, Motorhead & Slayer at Mayhem Fest
See more metal and Mayhem from Wednesday in our slideshow. Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion July 11, 2012 This year’s main-stage bill is probably as close to a genuine, bona fide legacy that Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival will ever come up with, ever. Between Motorhead’s…
5 Things You Should Never Do While Driving on the Freeway
Anyone who watched The Matrix and the other two craptastic movies that followed will remember that, inside the Matrix, the freeway was suicide. It was partly the reality of the movie’s, um, altered reality, but partly a joke about the hazards of driving on any freeway system. Driving around Houston,…
The Mediterranean Diet: Listen to Mom
It has long been common knowledge that a diet of healthy fats and lots of complex carbs, fiber and protein is sensible, but more recent nutritional findings have pointed specifically to the Mediterranean diet’s advantages in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A Mediterranean diet consists of fish and lean protein, whole…
Dirty Disney Confessions: We Can’t Look Away (Semi-NSFW)
Tumblr blog Dirty Disney Confessions is doing the Lord’s work by helping expose the population’s deviant Disney fantasies. For wholesome cartoons. Anyone who has spent any amount of time on the Internetz knows that there are some sick puppies out there who like drawing popular cartoon characters (Disney, Pixar, Fox,…
Your 2012 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase Artists
It’s here, the lineup for the 2012 Houston Press Music Awards showcase on Sunday, August 5. We are still finalizing the roster of venues, but it is a triangle between House of Blues, Warehouse Live and Phul Court, the outdoor venue and food-truck gathering spot at 1311 Leeland, with a…
How to Make Beer Ice Cream
It’s tough to make a case for drinking thick, heavy porters and stouts during the sweltering summer months. So here’s a better idea: Make ice cream with them. Beer ice cream is nothing new; restaurants have been serving Guinness ice cream for years. Sweet, creamy beers like porters and stouts…
Peyton Manning and Like-Minded Concussion-Test Cheaters: You Might Not Be Able to Get Away With It
A just-published study shows that even if you try to bomb a concussion test, you might very well get caughtcaughtcaught. That includes you, Peyton Manning. According to a study published in the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, it’s not all that easy to purposely fail a pre-concussion baseline exam. The practice…
Dallas: “People in Texas Are Too Friendly”
Once again I am subbing for Pete in recapping/analyzing his weekly TV show roundup; this time it’s Dallas. In an attempt to fill myself in on the goings-on of the primetime soap, I read and then reread Pete’s various blog posts on the show. I have to say that I…
Last Night: Mayhem Fest Jagermeister Stage at The Woodlands
See more metal and Mayhem from Wednesday in our slideshow. Mayhem Festival Side Stage Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion July 11, 2012 Holding the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival at a suburban amphitheater on a weeknight posed a few serious logistical problems, for the touring company and concertgoers alike. In order…
Adam Carolla Brings His Live Show to Houston
When you think about Adam Carolla it’s unlikely that “good friends with a religious conservative” is the first thing that comes to mind. More likely thinking about Carolla invokes visions of girls in bikinis jumping on trampolines. But the once co-host of the stereotypical, male chauvinistic (but in a good…
Comment of the Day: PETA Sucks, But the Circus Does Too
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous…
Sushi Wabi: Not Your Average Strip Mall Joint
I discovered Sushi Wabi existed when having dinner at Kobecue one evening, and I thought, “Hmmm, I should try it some time.” Months passed before I actually did, and I curse myself for all those missed opportunities. Even then it was an accident — the plan had been to have…
UPDATED: Flash Flooding Will Be a Problem Through Early Afternoon
UPDATE 8:30 a.m. — More than 14,000 residents are without power thanks to the storms rolling through. A line of storms is moving very slowly through the entire area and will continue to be a problem through lunch. Original Post: The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Watch yesterday…
Fun Fun Fun Fest 2012: A$AP Rocky, De La Soul, PiL, Santigold, X, Turbonegro, Etc.
This morning Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest, the best music festival in Texas that isn’t Free Press Summer Fest, announced their full 2012 lineup after months of teasing us and leaking a handful of names at a time — and then hip-hop legends Run-D.M.C Tuesday morning. Scheduled for November 2-4…
Local Rocker Joins Video Game Charity, Raising Money For a Cure For Sick Kids
Rex Nabours III is best known around town for playing in the oft-naked band Clockpole, but now he’s joining with the charity Extra Life to raise money for the Texas Children’s Hospital through a video game marathon. Extra Life was started by the Sarcastic Gaming Community in 2008. The group…
Rainy Day Comfort Food: Tomato Basil Soup and Grilled Cheese
On rainy days, I always crave something warm and comforting, even in summertime. As the temperature falls to a bearable heat, my mind plays tricks on me and makes me think it’s cold and muggy outside, which cues the craving for something that warms my belly and my heart. Hearty…
Let’s All Take a Second And Enjoy One of the Most Compelling Local Rap Songs of the Year
“I don’t feel that I’m the best in Houston, but if you tried to argue it I bet you could prove it.” –Kyle Hubbard, “It’s Burning” Here’s the thing that Kyle Hubbard knows and that a few others around him know but that nobody that’s not actively involved in his…
5 Ways to Tell if You’re Being Racist on the Internet
Railing against the above graphic got me banned from yet another Facebook. I wasn’t really commenting on the mild but overt racism of the image. What set me off was the fact that the poster couldn’t understand the differences between the killings of Trayvon Martin and Jacqueline Gardner, or why…
Shrimp Puffy Tacos at El Real Tex-Mex Cafe
My current favorite entrée at El Real is not even on the menu (yet). This confused me the first time I tried to order this dish, because I had seen it on the El Real Web site. After scanning the menu a few times, I thought perhaps I had missed…
R.I.P. Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s Writing Career, Joins Authors Who Couldn’t Finish His/Her Final Manuscripts
Gabriel Garcia Márquez — the Colombian author of One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera — has hung up his pen/word processor. Insert sad face here. According to a report in The Guardian, Márquez’s memory struggles, exacerbated by continuing treatment for lymphatic cancer, won’t allow…
Celine Dion Sued for Overtime Violations, Starts Apocalypse
Even though Mason Lankford said, “There will come a day when we forget the Rapture ever even happened,” Rocks Off is keeping an eye out for signs of our impending Armageddon. We were wrong last time, but we’re totally right this time! Megastar Celine Dion is involved in a minor…
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Shows Off His Porno-esque Acting Chops
One of the lasting images of last season’s NFL lockout took place in the press conference after the owners and players reached an agreement in late July. Jeff Saturday, at the time the center for the Indianapolis Colts, embraced and paid tribute to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose…
Slightly Stoopid: “All of Us Are Pretty Much Music Nerds”
This summer’s Unity Tour has 311 teaming up with Slightly Stoopid to hit 38 cities. Houston of course is along the road. Known for never sticking to just one specific genre, Slightly Stoopid will hit the stage at Cynthia Woods Sunday evening. Rocks Off got to speak with drummer Ryan…
These People Are Still Alive? I Know, Right?!
On Sunday afternoon while sifting through the wild, varied and onanistic life of the late Ernest Borgnine, I noticed that a few people in my circle of friends thought he died a long time ago, or they thought that Ernest Borgnine was someone else altogether. Some of you assumed he…
Like That Chain Restaurant? Try This Local One Instead
In the last couple of weeks, we’ve explored fun and funky Texas wines to drink in lieu of old standbys like Cabernet and Chardonnay and we’ve showcased local beers that can be enlisted to help wean your friends off adjunct lagers made by giant corporations. And just like we all…
Lady Gaga’s New Little Monsters Site Mashes Up Pinterest & Tumblr
Fans of pop star Lady Gaga now have a social network to call their own with Little Monsters going live this week in beta. The site mashes up elements of Pinterest, Tumblr, and old-school chat room culture to create a place for Gaga’s little monsters to hang out online, trade…
The Lotus Effect in Transition
“What Muse once was, and now only pretends to be, Lotus Effect is.” That’s how Chatter described Lotus Effect in 2010 when they had a death grip on the Houston music scene. The group’s EP Rabbits and Royalties was one of the top releases of the year, and they picked…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Apparition of a Deer,” “Interstitial Spaces: Julia Barello & Beverly Penn,” “Perry House: Elegance/Violence,” “Rita Bernstein: Out of Place,” “Shifting Transforming: Ideas, Shapes & Materials”
“Apparition of a Deer” In this show, Melanie Loew’s paintings come across as highly symbolic and associative. She paints women in the nude, bringing to mind vulnerability, femininity and truth. They’re often depicted with deer or just their antlers, which could connote goddess mythology and power. And they’re painted in…
She Endures
A zealous gumbo of regionalism, magical realism, post-Katrina allegory, myth and ecological parable, Beasts of the Southern Wild, the southern Louisiana-set debut feature of 29-year-old Benh Zeitlin, rests, often cloyingly, on the tiny shoulders of Quvenzhané Wallis. Her character, Hushpuppy, the film’s six-year-old (also Wallis’s age during filming) protagonist and…
Bass Drum of Death, DZ Deathrays
Two death-obsessed duos are set to destroy Fitz on Thursday night. Recent Fat Possum Records signees Bass Drum of Death and the Australian two-piece DZ Deathrays combine their raucous, untamed sound for an incendiary tour that should leave everyone’s ears ringing long into the weekend. After a successful stint opening…
Nipsey Hussle
Science can’t even begin to count how many rainy afternoons are spent concocting the perfect rapper name. While Lil’ Fluffy may have seemed a perfectly acceptable alternative to your birth name before, once Nipsey Hussle crossed your eardrums, you knew you’d better quit while you were behind. Born Ermias Asghedom,…
Second Lovers, The Wheel Workers
If there’s anything approaching a “scene” in Houston at the moment, it’s the sincere yet fun-loving cluster of folk-rock/Americana groups spurred by Buxton and Folk Family Revival and (already!) reaching a second generation. Two of those latest young lions happen to be playing Fitz Friday night, so we’ll just go…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Beehive, Large Animal Games, Alice in Wonderland: the Musical Queen, Black Coffee
Beehive From bubble gum to Southern Comfort, the women of ’60s pop had a radical musical transformation. Whether their music exactly mirrored those changing times as easily as Beehive’s creator Larry Gallagher would like us to think is another matter, and, anyway, we really shouldn’t be thinking such deep thoughts…
“Dukes of September Rhythm Revue”
Can you get any more smooth, dashing and polarizing than this show? We submit that you cannot. Featuring Steely Dan’s swarthy Fagen, falsetto king/demon McDonald and the suave, safe Scaggs, this show will captivate those of us who long ago had our guilty-pleasure chips upgraded to enjoy full-tilt corn. What…
The Undocumented and Chivalry
Dear Mexican, Magdalena has worked for me many years — 15, to be exact. She came over as a mojada with her two little girls when they were four and six. The girls went to school but only until middle school because they are undocumented; they can’t get a job…
Reel Big Fish
Remember back in 1997 when Orange County’s Reel Big Fish made it into heavy radio rotation by singing about the joys of selling out? Of course you don’t — that was more than a decade ago, you were busy shitting your crib. But we remember those days. We hated RBF…
Flaming Young
Top Ten We’ve already covered 20 food words you need to stop mispronouncing. And then 20 more words after that, since apparently people still stumble over the fact that there is no “x” in espresso. And espresso is definitely one of those words that people — even people who work…
Write and Wrong
Highlights from Hair Balls SPACED CITY Write and Wrong Journatic faked Chron bylines. BY JEFF BALKE Tucked neatly beneath a photo of Pitbull, and next to the lotto numbers in last Tuesday’s Houston Chronicle A section (page 2, if you’re curious), was a “Note to our readers” that detailed the Chron’s…
Texas BBQ Predates the Civil War
Check out our slideshow of the long and vast history of open-pit barbecues in Texas. It was early in the morning on Father’s Day and Mark Bolten, the president of the German singing society that owns Millheim Hall, was sitting in a folding chair at one end of a 75-foot-long…
Carbs and Karbach at That Pizza Place on Ella
See how the pies are made and check out That Pizza Place On Ella’s big beer selection in our slideshow. That Pizza Place on Ella — you know the one, the one that used to be a Double Dave’s and still has an army of wooden booths that bear the…
Neil Young’s Ragged Glories
The Houston opening date for Neil Young Journeys has been moved to Friday, July 27. Not to knock his fantastic films such as Rachel Getting Married, The Silence of the Lambs and Something Wild, but there’s something wilder — or at least, more directly stimulating and pure — about Jonathan…
The Zoo Story
Jim Tommaney’s Edge Theatre has given us the alpha and omega of Edward Albee (Tommaney also covers theater for the Houston Press). In February, the company presented Albee’s newest work, the intriguing Me, Myself and I, and its current production is Albee’s oldest, the provocative, haunting one-act The Zoo Story…
Jandek
We can perhaps say with somewhat ironclad certainty that folk-funk-electro-experimental artist Jandek’s legacy will be debated by curious music fans and students of all things avant-garde for eons to come. With every blog, article or harried message-board missive written about the man from Corwood Industries (whatever that is), his outsider…
Roky Erickson
It’s hard to believe it’s been more than three years now since we were so excited about Roky Erickson’s first Houston appearance in nearly two decades. The day of that June 2009 show, we even spent our lunch hour with a little Flip camera, stopping people in the downtown tunnels…
