Nine Songs You Didn’t Know Were From Movie Sound Tracks
Play just the first few bars of songs like “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds or even “Mad World” covered by Gary Jules for any average movi-goer, and their response will be filled with nostalgia and vivid memories of the…
Ornette Coleman Stayed Light-Years Ahead Until the Very End
Ornette Coleman was always light years ahead of everyone else in terms of his ability to function as a constantly evolving nonconformist who took risks and created new spaces where art and experiential reality meshed. The liner notes to his The Change of the Century album, released in 1960, reveal how Coleman…
The Who Got Hard on First “Farewell” Tour
The Who: Live at Shea Stadium 1982 Eagle Rock Entertainment, 146 mins., $14.98 DVD/$19.98 Blu-Ray It’s become a standard joke in rock journalism that a band that perhaps milks things on the road past their sell-by date has “more farewell tours than The Who.” And while the band’s current worldwide jaunt in…
Four Ridiculous Rock Myths That People Actually Believed
Rock music has been around for almost 60 years now, and has had plenty of time to spawn countless rumors and legends about the stars who’ have been a part of its history. It’s amazing that some of the more ridiculous ones ever gained much traction, but since rock and…
Zipperneck’s Mel Hell: A Punk Rock Recovery Project
Rock and roll history is mired in the trials and tribulations of self-abuse, including tales of potent, intelligent and savvy musicians taking the highway to hell, literally. Yet too often the other side of the equation goes unnoticed. For some, rock and roll offers a recurring salvation, recovery and coping…
Philip Anselmo and Superjoint Are Still Smokin’
Philip Anselmo just celebrated his 47th birthday, but don’t think for a minute that he’s slowing down. The ex-Pantera front man and Texas metal icon isn’t the type of guy to sit still for long. He’ll be touring with long-running New Orleans sludge supergroup Down this summer, and after that,…
Houston’s 10 Best Bars & Clubs In the Suburbs
Many of us frequent the happening bars and clubs inside Loop 610, but have you ventured out to the suburbs and nearby cities to check out the nightlife scenes out there? With rents in popular Houston neighborhoods like Montrose and The Heights continuing to increase, many young people just starting out…
100 Favorite Houston Dishes 2015: No. 82, Tex-Cajun Fries a.k.a. Tex-Cajun Virgin at BB’s Café
Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It’s a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It’s a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern…
The Bristling Activism Behind Kevin Carnes’ Relentless Beat
For people tuned into late-1980s San Francisco punk, the Beatnigs carried forward the promise of its experimentation and core political ethos with uncanny finesse and artful adventure. Signed to legendary label Alternative Tentacles, the band launched smoldering tunes like 1988’s “Television: The Drug of Nation,” which became a calling card…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Alberto Baffoni of Mascalzone
Chef Alberto Baffoni first made waves in Houston when he arrived to open Simposio. The classical Italian restaurant was well-received by diners and critics alike. A later effort, Sapori, was regrettably short-lived and he spent years working at various Houston restaurants. Now, though, it seems he has a home at…
5 Scary Television Pranks That May Have Gone Too Far
Prank shows have been popular on television since the beginning of TV broadcasting, with the legendary “Candid Camera” show first airing in 1948 and running through the 1970s. That show has been revived off and on since then, continuing into the present. “Candid Camera” was so hugely popular that it…
Houston Music Venues and the Disabled: A Report Card
When planning an evening out, many considerations come into play before going to a concert. How early do you need to arrive to get a good spot? Is there going to be a lot of traffic on the way? (If going to Cynthia Woods, the answer is likely yes.) Did…
State Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. Calls for Supreme Court Impeachment and Other Awesome Stuff
Time will tell if Texas Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. will be remembered as a political visionary or a hackneyed yahoo with a tenuous grip on both grade school civics and reality. For now, we’ll just have to weigh the merits of an “action plan” the perpetually cowboy-hatted Magnolia Republican…
Florida State QB Kicked Out of School After Brutal Assault of Woman in Bar (w/ VIDEO)
It’s been a rough couple years for the quarterback position at Florida State. Forget about the rocky transition from the college ranks to the NFL for Christian Ponder and E.J. Manuel, that’s the least of the Seminole Nation’s worries. Between his shoplifting of crab legs, his penchant for screaming obscenities…
Wandering Songstress Karima Walker Sets Her Sights On Houston
We asked Karima Walker to glance out the window of her tour vehicle and describe what she saw. “So much green! Kudzu and rivers with running water, and when you can see the earth it’s these flashes of bright red clay,” she relays. “We haven’t washed the windshield since this…
Hundreds of Detained Immigrant Kids in Texas Accidentally Given Overdose of Hepatitis A Vaccine
The T. Don Hutto detention center in Taylor, Texas finally stopped jailing immigrant families in 2009 after a lawsuit alleged the conditions at the immigration lockup violated even the feds’ own minimum standards for housing minors. Court filings describe children forced to wear orange prison jumpsuits, sleeping with the lights…
This Week in Houston Food Blogs: Ben & Jerry’s Texas Churned Tour and A New Blog
This week, a blogger made a tough ice cream decision, a few had less-than-awesome dining experiences and we’ve got a delicious summer cocktail recipe. If you’ve got any kind of social media presence, you’ve probably seen the Ben & Jerry’s advertisements asking you to select your favorite flavor— Bar-Be-Que Peach…
Rick Perry, the Moderate GOP Presidential Candidate?
Lately, we’ve noticed something different about former Gov. Rick Perry. He’s been busy running for the 2016 GOP presidential nod, but it hasn’t been the same old sprinting-to-the-right rhetoric of 2012. The perfect hair is still there but Perry is now sporting “smart guy” glasses and selling himself as something a little…
Sud Italia Offers a Different Kind of Southern Comfort Food
Puccia is like pita bread’s Italian cousin, but thicker and with a softer texture. The outside is toasted to a mild crisp in a pan and the bread is then used for simple sandwiches. At lunchtime, Sud Italia offers three types of puccia in the style of the Puglia region…
Video: A Bird’s-Eye View of Freedom Over Texas
The Fourth of July conjures up a lot of images – flags, eagles, Will Smith – but only one sound: the boom of fireworks. Even if you’re not the type that goes out and watches the displays, you probably heard at least a few exploding in your neighborhood. One of…
100 Favorite Houston Dishes 2015: No. 83, Mac & Cheese at The Oceanaire Seafood Room
Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It’s a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It’s a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern…
2015 Fantasy Crime League Update: Green Bay TE Fires Gun, Hides Behind Potted Plant
NFL training camp will be underway in a couple weeks, which means that 2015 Fantasy Crime season is winding down. It would appear that the moniker “black and blue division” for the NFC North is taking on a whole new meaning this summer, with the Detroit Lions (on the strength…
Ten Best Sunsets In Houston
There’s something absolutely stunning about the sunsets in Houston. The manner in which a gorgeous sunset ushers in the end of a long workday, transitioning Houstonians into a night full of hot urban adventures, is simply magical. The sweet combination of smog, humidity, and the city’s proximity to the Gulf…
Funky Dog Series at James Coney Island Concludes With “Opa” Dog
It’s the end of a (funky) era. Beginning July 1st, James Coney Island will feature its final “funky dog” in its series created by Chef Randy Evans. This intrepid hot dog-snarfing reporter is ever so proud to have watched this parade of enviable designer frankfurters since day one, and…
Upcoming: 30FootFALL, Breathe Carolina, Get Up Kids, Kinky Friedman, Passion Pit, Patty Griffin, Titus Andronicus, etc.
2015 Freshmen of the Year: With Kap G, Dat Boi, King Lil G. Mon., July 27, 9 p.m., $30. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston, 713-225-5483. 30footFALL: With Ape Machine, Skeleton Dick. Sat., August 29, 9 p.m., $12. Walters Downtown, 1120 Naylor, Houston, 713-222-2679. 500 Megatons of Boogie: Fri., August…
Drilled Hard: For Thousands of Jobless Texans, Cheap Oil Comes With a Hefty Price
T.J. Arterberry sits on his front porch and watches his two-year-old son, Trey. The boy had been searching for dead fish that washed up in the yard after rain flooded the creek near the house, and now he’s thirsty and trying to take a bottle of wine out of an…
In a Good Place Now, Shuggie Otis Shakes Off the Rust
At 61, Shuggie Otis is still restless and still inspired. Otis, who comes the Continental Club Friday night, is experiencing a resurgence of his career with a new record deal with Los Angeles’ Cleopatra Records, and he is embarking on an extended tour that will see him pretty much cover…
Houston Roller Derby at 10: A Jammin’ Good Time
Not too long ago, local bad-ass and onetime Houston Press writer John Nova Lomax postulated a very good argument that Houston might very well be America’s Most Miserable Sports City. Surely we have our highs, like the Rockets’ recent so-close-we-can-almost-taste-it run this spring or the Astros playing the improbable role…
Not So Fast With the Expansion Talk, UH Fans
Two weeks ago the words “expansion” and “Big 12” were mentioned in the same conversation. That conversation being one started by Oklahoma president David Boren. He said the conference should strive for 12 teams, and stated that the conference continuing on with just 10 teams could destroy it. And while…
Ken Paxton, Texas’ Top Lawyer, Ignores the Law. Again.
Maybe this all could have been avoided had Ken Paxton actually been forced to campaign for his seat as state attorney general before last fall’s general election, rather than hiding from – and, in one case, physically blocking – reporters with questions. Even before voters made him the state’s top…
Ex-Galveston Judge Posts Fake Escort Ads of Ex-Girlfriends
Former Galveston County Court-at-Law Judge Christopher Dupuy has gone from posting Joel Osteen aphorisms on his Facebook page to posting fake prostitution ads featuring two ex-girlfriends, authorities say. Dupuy was arrested July 2 in Galveston and charged with online harassment. He remains in Galveston County Jail in lieu of $600,000…
100 Favorite Houston Dishes 2015: No. 84, The Principal Burger At Bernie’s Burger Bus
Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It’s a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It’s a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern…
mewithoutYou Takes Fitz Faithful to a Fever Pitch
mewithoutYou, Lithuania Fitzgerald’s July 2, 2015 The folks I observed waiting for last Thursday’s concert to begin on Fitz’s upstairs stage looked just like the crowd for every mewithoutYou show I’ve attended in the past 11 or 12 years — a bunch of scruffy white indie kids comprised of equal…
Trailer Released For The Seventh Movie In The “Rocky” Series (w/ VIDEO)
It’s hard to believe that the Rocky saga turns 39 in November of this year. It was in 1976 that a street-tough collector for the mob and part time club fighter named Rocky Balboa took the world by storm, and gave a prototype for every underdog trying to overcome seemingly…
Dish of the Week: Cleveland’s Signature Sandwich, The Polish Boy
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here. This week, we’re bringing you a dish that will most definitely up your summer grill out game: The Polish Boy. A Polish Boy is…
Women’s World Cup: USA 5, Japan 2 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
It’s hard to believe that before yesterday, it’d been 16 years since the United States won the Women’s World Cup in soccer. Who knew on that fateful day in 1999, when Brandi Chastain made history by ripping her jersey off and making the sports bra famous, that we would go…
Homophobes Upset About Mortal Kombat X’s Gay Fighter Are Hilarious
The latest entry in the Mortal Kombat franchise is weirdly progressive. For one, nearly all the female fighters actually dress like they’re here for a battle, not mud wrestling for the titillation of the boys. Even Mileena, our piranha-mouthed sexpot doesn’t look like she forgot how clothes work for the…
Rockets Re-Sign Beverley And Brewer, Band Pretty Much Back Together
Until he was able to secure a foundational star post-Yao Ming, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey conducted his management of the team’s roster each offseason like the producers of True Detective, cycling out virtually the entire cast for a brand new set of characters. It made it hard for all…
This Week in Houston Food Events: National Fried Chicken Day (UPDATED)
Monday, July 6 National Fried Chicken Day at MAX’s You can celebrate this extremely important holiday many different ways at MAX’s Wine Dive, including their standard fried chicken offerings and a gluten-free fried chicken with mashed potatoes and collard greens. The Washington location will offer a fried chicken picnic basket,…
The 2015 Houston Press Music Award Nominees
It always amazes us when the Houston Press Music Awards ballot comes out every year. First, because it means the damn thing is finally done — which it usually isn’t until the very, very last minute — and more importantly, because of the wide-angle image, both mosaic and mural, it…
The Five Best Concerts In Houston This Week: Mana, INZI, Yasiin Bey, Flyleaf, etc.
Mana Toyota Center, July 7 The AllMusic Guide has a nicely succinct one-sentence description of Mana: “Highly successful Mexican band known as the U2 of rock en espanol.” That’s not an understatement considering the Guadalajara-formed quartet once sold out L.A.’s Staples Center for seven nights straight, owing to their passionate…
Jimmie Vaughan’s Family Style Has Never Been Stronger
It’s not very often the official Texas State Musician is on the other end of the phone. This year, that’s Jimmie Vaughan: master guitarist, sharp-dressed man and embodiment of a certain brand of Texas cool signified by jet-black shades, slicked-back hair and vintage hot rods like his 1963 chopped Buick…
The Former Lab Chimps in San Antonio Deserve a Break
Opal the chimpanzee is 34 years old and lives in an enclosure at the Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio. Her medical file describes her as “light complexion, freckled, thin, big ears that stick out, white beard, green eyes.” The file also states that she’s endured 19 liver biopsies…
Yes, Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional Still Have Fans — and They’re Really Loud
Third Eye Blind, Dashboard Confessional, Augustana Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion July 2, 2015 Have you ever considered the amount of confidence it takes to step out onstage and play music? True, the money helps, if you’re lucky enough to be paid to play, but confidence is one of those less appreciated…
5 Things To Consider About 4th Of July Fireworks
The 4th of July is upon us, as Americans all over the country prepare to celebrate our nation’s biggest patriotic holiday in grand style. Fireworks have been a part of those festivities since the very beginning, when founding father John Adams envisioned a spectacular celebration including them. On the first…
NFL Suspends Multiple Players for Drug Test Failures and PED Use
If we’ve learned one thing about the NFL, it’s that the best time to keep your eye on the newswire isn’t on draft night, during training camp, or the day of the Super Bowl. The one time to watch for news is on the afternoon of the getaway day before…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets, Plus One More (for America!)
Back To The Future @ Houston Food Park Friday, 6 p.m. 1311 Leeland The cult classic film Back to the Future is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Catch an outdoor showing on the big screen, plus a lineup of awesome food trucks – including Mahalo Munchies, Foreign Policy, Smoosh Cookies, and The…
Why ‘Amy’ Is One of the Best Music Documentaries Ever
The upcoming Amy Winehouse documentary Amy is one of the best music docs Village Voice film critic Stephanie Zacharek has ever seen, and she explains why to Voice film editor Alan Scherstuhl and LA Weekly film critic Amy Nicholson this week. Also this week: The confusing (yet really, really enjoyable)…
Ellington Field Is Now an Official Spaceport. Why That’s No Big Deal
When it was announced that Ellington Airport was getting a license to become a spaceport this week, Mayor Annise Parker gave a speech that the Houston Chronicle compared to President John F. Kennedy’s famed Rice speech where he announced that the United States was going to the moon. “This represents…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: A Reverse Beer Dinner With Kevin & Chris
The flavors of summer in France have arrived on a new menu at Genevieve Guy’s popular west side French dining destination, Bistro Provence, 13616 Memorial.The new menu debuts Monday, July 6 and features dishes such as Medaillon D’Agneau, tender-roasted cuts of lamb served with a house-made tomato sauce; Veau Marengo,…
The Cardinals Find a Patsy Yet Still Deny Wrongdoing
His name is Chris Correa. He’s the former scouting director of the St. Louis Cardinals. Former that is, as of yesterday, after he the Cardinals made him the scapegoat of the Astros-hacking scandal that exposed the Cardinals as cheaters. The Cardinals state that his hacking into the Astros database had…
Doomstress Alexis Helps Homeless Kids Get By With a Little Help From Her Friends
After the Supreme Court decision that made last weekend’s Pride events more jubilant, Project Armageddon’s Doomstress Alexis took to Facebook from the road to remind friends at home to celebrate, but also to remember there’s still important work ahead. “One victory has been won but discrimination and persecution will persist…
Openings and Closings in Houston: Bramble (and the Return of Randy Rucker) Arriving Soon
Bramble at 2231 South Voss is finally nearing its grand opening. The restaurant’s Facebook page boasts of the all-clear from sundry inspectors and a series of so-called soundcheck dinners, which bodes well for a soft opening in the near future. It’s chef Randy Rucker’s big return to Houston, and, with more…
This Was a Thing: “Too Close,” Next’s Ode to Boners
In the 1990s, God determined that we needed a large number of male R&B groups. He also determined that within those groups, only one member was destined to go solo and flourish while the rest were consigned to mediocrity or roles as evil ex-boyfriends in Tyler Perry stage plays. Sadly,…
The 10 Best Concerts This Weekend: Knights of the Fire Kingdom, Floetry, Freedom Over Texas, etc.
Knights of the Fire Kingdom Fitzgerald’s, July 3 Houst on’s Knights of the Fire Kingdom play the kind of over-the-top thrill-seeking rock that is almost pure id, celebrating the kind of eternal adolescence that pulls as much from Monty Python as Led Zeppelin. Without a second thought, the five-piece taps…
New Sheriff Ron Hickman Ends Jail Chaplain Services Contract
After a decade playing pro football for the Houston Oilers and Los Angeles Rams, Mike Barber decided he wanted to preach to prisoners. “It’s the best re-entry program in the world,” Barber says, explaining why he started Mike Barber Ministries back in 1986. Five years ago Barber moved from Dallas…
Lack of Access to Water Hospitalizes Pride Parade Attendee
Emily Day ventured downtown last weekend to attend the annual Gay Pride Parade and ended up in Methodist Hospital with severe heat exhaustion after her water was confiscated by parade staffers and she was unable to buy more because of the long lines. The 2015 Gay Pride Parade saw a…
Sen. Whitmire Thinks Outsourcing County Jail Inmates Was a Dumb, Avoidable Move
Seems state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, isn’t at all pleased with Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman’s recent decision to transfer county inmates to another jail to alleviate overcrowding at the local county lockup. “I am adamantly opposed to your decision to transfer Harris County residents confined in Harris County jails…
A Top Gun Sequel? Negative, Ghost Rider. The Pattern Is Full.
Watched Top Gun for the first time in many, many years last weekend. Truth be told, I lost my interest in fighter jets when the Air Force recruiter told me my eyes were too bad for F-16s at my high school’s career fair. But my wife and I weren’t able…
Sergio Llull Says “No Thanks” To Rockets, So Now What?
As a Rockets fan, I am going to ride the “In Morey We Trust” thing until it bucks us. He turned nothing into James Harden and Dwight Howard, recovered from the Great Chris Bosh Disappointment of 2014 to assemble a team that went to the Western Conference Finals, and I…
Quit Freaking Out About Kim Kardashian’s Rolling Stone Cover
Yesterday, Rolling Stone seemed to piss off a lot of its fans, subscribers and social-media followers when by revealing that their latest issue, which hits stands tomorrow, features Kim Kardashian West as the cover story. In a post on the magazine’s Instagram account, the cover girl was described as a “reality-TV juggernaut, selfie…
Harris County Attorney to Judges: Marry Gay Couples or Marry No One
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting same-sex couples the right to marry came down nearly a week ago, and still clerks in numerous Texas counties are refusing to follow the ruling and do their jobs. You can largely thank state Attorney General Ken Paxton that particular embarrassment. It was Paxton…
The Streak Is Over, First Houston Texans Arrest in More Than Six Years
In retrospect, considering the times we live in and the tendency for NFL players with a little bit of money in their pockets to live on the edge, it’s one of the more amazing streaks in all of sports. Up until yesterday, the Houston Texans had gone over six calendar…
But How Do I Explain People Who Hate Marriage Equality to My Kids?
Wait, what? Yep. I’m co-opting the battle cry of the opponents of marriage equality to address a more pressing problem. You still see it even in the aftermath of the landmark Supreme Court ruling to legalize marriage for all, gay and straight. “How am I supposed to explain this to…
100 Favorite Houston Dishes 2015: No. 85, Hunter’s Honey Roasted Duck At Brennan’s of Houston
Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It’s a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It’s a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern…
Gonna Miss Jon Stewart? Don’t Worry, Larry Wilmore’s Hitting His Stride
After 12years on the air, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart became required viewing during the Dubya years, when much of the nation was desperate to look to almost anyone else for political leadership. The Comedy Central series offered nightly catharsis in five- or eight-minute bursts, voicing the anger and frustration…
What’s Going on With the Halliburton/Baker Hughes Merger?
Things have been quietly rolling along in the merger between two of the largest oil field services companies in the United States. Since the $35 billion deal to combine Halliburton and Baker Hughes was announced last November, everything required to pull off a merger of this size and stature —…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Joey Galluzzi of Brooklyn Meatball Company
Being on a reality show doesn’t solve all problems. Just ask Joey Galluzzi of Brooklyn Meatball Company. After landing a runner-up on America’s Next Great Restaurant, he was confronted with something he didn’t expect: silence. There were no calls, no talk show invitations, no book advances. So, Galluzzi took his…
10 Facts About America That Show We’re Not Really Free
It’s time for Independence Day, American’s annual explosion expo and hot dog eating contest. It’s the day we’re supposed to celebrate seceding from England, but it ends to become more of an affirmation of American exceptionalism and the freedom we fought for. I find that a little nauseating because frankly…
That Awkward Moment When You Realize That “Closing Time” Is About Dying
I was driving along this week just minding my own business and doing my daddy errands when Semisonic’s “Closing Time” came on my iPod. God alone knows why I ever put it on there in the first place, but it had been a long time since I had heard it…
We’re Swingers With a Small Child. Help!
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE AN OPEN RELATIONSHIP Dear Willie D: My husband and I are swingers and we also have an open relationship. When we swing, we are together and neither of us can have sexual relations with someone else unless we’re together. When we’re open, we can do…
We Were Wolves Ready to ‘Ruin Your Weekend’ By Kicking Some Ass
Give thanks, lovers of rock music, because Houston’s sweatiest grunge-rockers We Were Wolves have returned. Following their 2013 sophomore effort Wolf House, the band has released a 15-minute-long EP Ruin Your Weekend, and it’s quite good. The four-piece first caught my attention at last year’s Yes, Indeed! Fest on Mid-Main…
Kung Fu Saloons Agree to Stop Discriminating
Minorities have just as much right to hang out at douchey bars as anyone, according to a settlement that ends the U.S. Department of Justice’s complaint against Kung Fu Saloons in Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Triggered by a would-be patron’s 2013 complaint against the Dallas location, in which an African-American…
NBA Free Agency Begins, Here’s Where We Are With The Craziness
The NBA, with ample help from Twitter and the 24 hour news cycle, have done a phenomenal job of turning the stroke of midnight Eastern time on July 1 into a “thing.” It is the witching hour, when NBA teams can now tamper and negotiate in full public view with…
Why the Harris County Jail is Overcrowded With Legally Innocent People
This week the Harris County Sheriff’s Office announced it has been forced to ship about 100 inmates to other jails because the county lockup is approaching maximum capacity, an unfortunate reminder of the jail’s overcrowded heydays. The Harris County jail has battled overcrowding since at least 2007, when then Sheriff…
Blonde Redhead Delivers Brilliant Career-Spanning Set to Fitz Faithful
Blonde Redhead Fitzgerald’s June 30, 2015 Blonde Redhead is the most fearless band on the planet. Simply compare and contrast their body of work with any band, extant or defunct, and even in artificial light it reveals moments of near-perfection and drastically miserable failures. They lack the formulaic predictability found…
Mindful Eating at a Houston Food Bank Dinner
Last week, the Houston Food Bank and IKEA Houston joined forces to put on a dinner to remind people what it’s really like to survive on a low income. Attendees randomly received tickets that corresponded to a financial position: wealth, middle class and poverty. I initially drew middle class and…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Terminator Genisys
Title: Terminator Genisys Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: “Smithers, release the robotic Richard Simmons.” Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two Nike Vandals out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: It’s once again time to rage against the machine(s). Tagline: “New mission. New fate.” Better Tagline: “Listen,…
Feds Declare Captive Chimps Endangered
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week declared all captive chimpanzees “endangered,” restricting their use in biomedical research, granting the chimps at San Antonio’s Southwest National Primate Research Center more protection. The Center is one of a handful of federal research facilities housing chimps — it has “more than…
An Inside Look at Rehearsals for TUTS’ Next Show:Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Tuesday was Day 4 of rehearsals for the Theatre Under the Stars production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe, the free summer offering this year at Miller Outdoor Theatre and the Houston Press had a chance to sit in on the proceedings — which were coming together in fast-paced rhythms under the…
What It Took to Bring Afrobeat Royalty Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 to Houston
Anyone lucky enough to see Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 live doesn’t soon forget it. The son of Fela Kuti, the late Nigerian-born musician whose transcendent music and consciousness-raising rhetoric put him the same class as fellow icons James Brown and Bob Marley, the Seun first played with his father’s…
Shadow Monsters Turns You Into Your Own Nightmare
A new art installation by Philip Worthington at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston allows your shadow to transform into a childhood nightmare in real time. I can’t speak for you, but the things that always pursued me through my bad dreams as a kid were little more than vague…
Inside “Sleephop” Duo Matsu Mixu’s Enigmatic Electronic World
Long before electronic music was capitalized by hordes of laptop and Digital Audio Workstation enthusiasts, a portentous duo called Suicide employed vocal manipulations, hypnotic drum machine rhythms and throat-grabbing keyboard lines to draw listeners into a world that was entirely of their own creation. Like Suicide before them Houston-based electronic…
Supreme Court Justice Questions Death Penalty, Cites Two Texans Who Were (Probably) Wrongly Executed
Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it’s fine, constitutionally speaking, to execute inmates with the sedative midazolam, a drug that, in some ways, has become emblematic of the death penalty debate in America today. Midazolam is the drug Oklahoma officials used in last year’s botched execution of convicted murderer…
Terminator Genisys: Arnold’s Back, but New Terminator Is a Past-Future Muddle
Five films into the franchise, Terminator: Genisys feels like a VHS cassette that’s been rewound and recorded over for 21 years. Director Alan Taylor (of the unmemorable Thor: The Dark World) gives us images — a thumbs-up, an abandoned factory, a liquid-metal cop smashing through the windshield of a car…
Magic Mike XXL: The Men Look Great but Could Grow Up Some
Steven Soderbergh’s 2012 Magic Mike was a cocktease. The ads tempted audiences with sweaty chests and thrusting crotches, but after Soderbergh lured us in to his all-male strip club, he turned on the lights to show us the squalor. His hunks were drugged and morally decayed. The women — the…
