Saudi National Charged With Not Telling Feds He Intended To Make A Virtual Prisoner Of His Maid
A citizen of Saudi Arabia has been charged by the feds here for lying to obtain a visa for an employee.What’s so bad about that? Well, the lie was that he told visa officials he was bringing the woman over here to be domestic help at $1,300 a month at…
The Rocket Strikes Out Again In Court
Team Rocket lost another battle in court today as Federal District Court Judge Keith Ellison reaffirmed his ruling from earlier this year that dismissed most of Roger Clemens’s defamation suit against Brian McNamee. The portions of the suit that had been dismissed dealt with Brian McNamee’s statements to the feds…
Diners, Drive-Ins and…Pubs?
Once again, a national eye has turned to Houston, which the rest of the country tends to dismiss out of hand as not being a food town. Guy Fieri’s popular Food Network show — Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives — has spent the last few weeks filming at various restaurants around…
This Week In Beyonce: B Acts… Like What?
Rocks Off can’t argue with the fact that Beyonce Knowles is a stone-cold fox when she gets on the microphone and belts out a song, dripping in glitter and wearing a barely-there outfit. Her voice is at once menacing and thundering, but also femininely fragile. Plus she has to be…
Realizing You Don’t Have What It Takes To Want To Be A Millionaire
On the way to our first ever game-show tryout today, we saw what we took at the time to be cosmic encouragement. Competing for space in Airline Drive’s forest of signage was the Moonlight Inn marquee, which spoke to us: “You are awake. Don’t dream it — do it.” Of…
Bayou Body Count: Shot While Sleeping
As the summer temperature in Houston rises, so does the body count. And police have few leads as they begin trying to solve the latest spate of murders. At around 3:30 am on Monday, someone called the Houston police saying they had heard gunshots coming from the corner of Hoover…
Inquiring Minds: Teen Country Queen Katie Armiger
What did you do your senior year? Studying? Prom? So did Sugar Land native and eventual Austin High School graduate Katie Armiger, but she also spent it writing, recording and promoting her second album, 2008’s Believe. Armiger, who co-wrote ten of Believe’s 11 songs and wrote “Gone” and “Bleed” on…
A Cafe Bites Nibble
Fadi Dimassi recently opened two Fruituzy yogurt shops (12360 Westheimer, 281-556-0150 and 8401 Westheimer, 713-782-1366). “While I was in California taking a class on fruit carving, a friend of mine, Malek Soussan, took me to a yogurt shop and that’s where it all started,” said Dimassi. “This is a very…
It’s 110 Down, Much More To Come In County’s Fourth of July DWI Crackdown
The first weekend of the county’s DWI crackdown resulted in 110 arrests at “Hot Spots,” the DA’s office announced today. And the big weekend is still to come.The Hot Spots feature lots of patrol cars and a mobile lab with all that’s necessary to get a blood sample for those…
Bayou Beat: B L A C K I E on Tour, Michael Jackson Tribute at Discovery Green, Ticket Deals and More
Above is some video from B L A C K I E’s performance Monday night at New Orleans’ Dragon’s Den, the first show of his mini-tour. The feedback-loving local rapper visits Baltimore Friday and Brooklyn’s Afro!!Punk!!Fest!! Sunday. Rocks Off has heard through the proverbial grapevine that there’s a Michael Jackson…
Moules Marinieres et Frites: Memories of Cafe Montrose
Catherine Duwez rushed through the doors of Sophia nearly an hour late. She carried boxes and bags of food with her, and although she looked eminently stressed, she still glowed with the passion of a restaurant proprietress who has entered her domain. A round of applause went up from every…
Right-Wing Nut Says Obama Ordered Bush Tribute At Ellington Erased
The Right-Wing Nutjob Forces are on the march again!! Today’s Target: Houston!!Not all conservatives are “nutjobs,” obviously, but Debbie Schlussel is. The Ann Coulter-wannabe spouts nonsense pretty much full-time, and she has a new cause: President Obama has ordered officials at Ellington Field to paint over the “LT G W…
MySpaced Out: Keith Christmas
MySpaced Out’s most recent out-of-the-ether find is British singer-songwriter Keith Christmas. Most ballads are a very hard sell for us, but I was immediately knocked out by Christmas’s stunner, “Better Men.” Of course, MSO immediately got a second opinion from the Significant Other. She gave two thumbs up. I was…
H-E-B Recalls Beef Products
In Robb Walsh’s recent feature story, “Not So Clear Cut,” he explains how meat purveyors treat tough cuts of meat by marinating them with enzymes in commercial vacuum tumblers. But the practice has its risks, as Walsh writes: “We can thank vacuum tumbler technology for turning previously tough cuts into…
Muhammadali Checks In from Tour
Since January, Rocks Off has been a fan of Muhammadali. From the first house shows and split tape with Black Congress, we have been hooked to their Melvins and Jesus Lizard stomp. A few weeks ago at ali’s final Houston show before leaving for a quasi-national tour, we asked them…
Willie D Arraigned, Pleads Not Guilty in Wire Fraud Case
William James Dennis, the 42-year-old rapper best known as Willie D. of the Geto Boys, was arraigned on June 15. According to court papers, the pioneering Southern hip-hop MC pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of wire fraud. If convicted on all counts in the alleged international iPhone scam, Dennis…
Win A T-Shirt (And Maybe More) In Our HPMA Twitter Trivia Contest
Rocks Off is starting the month-long (or nearly month-long) countdown to the Houston Press Music Awards today, and our dear readers get to reap the benefits.Starting today at high noon sharp, we’ll post a HPMA trivia question on both the Houston Press and Rocks Off Twitter pages every day. The…
That Steroids List Sounds True, Even If It Isn’t
Via the blog The Big Lead (linking to the blog Rotoinfo) comes the most eagerly sought list of names in years. That’s right, this is the supposed list of the 104 MLB players who failed the 2003 steroids/HGH drug testing. The Big Lead breaks down the list and provides a…
Houston Vegans Come Out of Hiding
Between June 20 and 28, cities across the world held vegan bake sales to raise money for charities and show everyone that vegan food can be delicious too. The second task was probably more challenging. It’s safe to say that no non-vegan has ever tasted food that doesn’t use any…
Win a T-Shirt (and Maybe More) in Our HPMA Twitter Trivia Contest
Rocks Off is starting the month-long (or nearly month-long) countdown to the Houston Press Music Awards today, and our dear readers get to reap the benefits. Starting today at high noon sharp, we’ll post a HPMA trivia question on both the Houston Press and Rocks Off Twitter pages every day…
Aftermath: Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kid Rock at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
What is this place? Where it’s OK to wear tank tops that cut off mid-abdomen with a pair of Daisy Dukes and a straw cowboy hat? And is that Bret Michaels eating nachos? A place like this could make any outsider feel like Alice only instead of a wonderland, they…
Finally, Americans Who Were Delivered By Midwives Near Mexico Can Breathe Easy
David Hernandez of Harlingen may have been delivered by a midwife not far from the border with Mexico, but he always knew he was born in the United States. The trick was convincing the U.S. Department of State, which refused to issue him a passport based on a history of…
Who Wants To Be A Contestant On Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
The producers of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire are coming to town Friday today to audition contestants for the show. Our Craig Hlavaty has already gone down this road before; here’s his tale and some tips on how to get picked.Back in the summer of 2005, when I was…
Wanna Know Where Meat Comes From?
Food Inc. debuted in Texas last week. The producers of the movie talk about a “curtain” that’s been deliberately placed between consumers and the meat they are eating. “The industry doesn’t want you to know the truth about what you’re eating. Because if you knew, you might not want to…
Artist of the Week: thelastplaceyoulook
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com. We’re fairly big fans of the unkempt, lo-fi,…
Linda Lay, Briefly Back In The Big Apple Spotlight
Linda Lay, wife of Ken, is back in the news!The New York Daily News, that is. And what company she’s keeping: Victoria Gotti, Rith Madoff, Karen Kozlowski, etc. — all members of what the News calls “The Cursed Wives Club.”Cursed? Living for years and years on “I-know-nothing” millions while being…
This Just In: A Wiffle-Ball Bat Is Not A Deadly Weapon
Partying in Beaumont — does it get any better? The smoky industrial fumes, the Golden Triangle aura, the knowledge that at any moment you could up and visit the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum if you wanted to: It’s what makes life in Beaumont so good.As long as you keep the…
H-E-B Introduces My TexasLife
As local grocery stores continue to fight over their share of your food dollars, H-E-B has started up My TexasLife, a monthly magazine to try to get more customers into its stores. The handsome publications (about 30 pages each and published by none other than Texas Monthly) offer bright food photographs,…
The World Salivates At The Thought Of How Bad The New Dallas Cowboys Theme Song Might Be
The Dallas Cowboys will start the NFL season not only with a new stadium worth over a billion dollars, but with a new theme song we’re betting will be worth decidedly less. We can only hope it is as offensively shitty as the team itself.Forbes magazine reports that the team…
This Week In Beyonce: Who Dares Cover the Queen?
Not strictly a cover, just one of those things we never get tired of posting… As if Queen B weren’t (Sasha) fierce enough on her own, it seems her majesty’s minions – let’s face it, we’re all her royal peons; there isn’t anyone left on Earth who hasn’t heard one…
A Q&A With The Man Who Oversees BARC Leaves More Q’s Than A’s
When it comes to the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, Stephen Williams is a man who does not like to dwell on the past. As the director of Houston’s Department of Health and Human Services, he said in an interview Monday that while he was aware of years of…
Seven Skynyrd Songs Better than “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Free Bird”
Allow Rocks Off to let the cat out of the bag for a second: this evening at the Woodlands, Lynyrd Skynyrd will close with “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird.” Taking nothing away from either song – they are, after all, a serious rebuke to Dixie-haters and Southern racists alike…
Taste-Testing Cheap Eats at Whole Foods
There’s a reason that Whole Foods has earned the nickname “Whole Paycheck” over the years. The grocery store, which emphasizes health foods and organic produce, tends to land squarely on the pricey side of the grocery store spectrum. Even with the introduction of its own line of packaged foods and…
Galveston’s Flagship Hotel: Going Once, Going Twice…..
The Flagship Hotel, that iconic building on a pier in Galveston, seems to forever be endangered. It now looks like it’s more endangered than ever.The strange, twisty tale of the now semi-battered building might be coming to a conclusion, the Galveston County Daily News reports. Landry’s Restaurants, Inc., which owns…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: Tremoloco Headed Back Under the Volcano
Doug Sahm is probably up in heaven with a bottle of Big Red in his hand and a huge smile on his face and bending God’s ear about Tremoloco. Lonesome, On’ry and Mean has received an early warning that Tremoloco is returning to Under the Volcano July 22, after a…
R.I.P. Frankie Cooper of Grave Robbers
[Update: Rocks Off has learned Cooper had a congenital defect that enlarged his heart. See the comments section for information on the July 10 memorial show at Walter’s on Washington.] Word has come through the Houston music world that we have lost yet another young musician. Details are very few…
(Allegedly) Sexin’ It Up, Dinosaur-Style
A lawsuit filed in Harris County rips open the (alleged) seamy, sexy underworld of…ummm….a kiddie dinosaur show.According to Courthouse News Service, a Houstonian named Johnny H. Smith is suing the producers of the touring show Walking With Dinosaurs because they fired him for — as he tells the tale –…
Iranian Cuisine at Darband Shish Kabob
One of the oldest and most well-known Iranian restaurants in Houston is Darband Shish Kabob on Hillcroft between Westpark and Harwin. Darband is a counter-service restaurant that serves inexpensive Iranian fast-food dishes. It’s located in a neighborhood teeming with ethnic restaurants and shops that mainly cater to Houston’s Middle Eastern…
Ask a Rapper: Devin The Dude
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good – so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to…
La Migra Arrests A Whole Bunch Of Gang Members
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency — ICE to illegals and legals alike — has announced the results of a big round-up of gang members in Houston, Beaumont and Corpus Christi who are undocumented aliens.”Operation Community Shield” resulted in the arrests of 116 gang members and associates, ICE spokesman Gary…
The Last Roundup: Wild Moccasins Almost Home, Michael Jackson’s MC Friends and More
IndieHouston is keeping up with those crazy kids in Wild Moccasins, who will be home next weekend playing Mango’s for Buxton’s 7-inch release party. Hands Up Houston is giving early warning all over the place: Dinosaur Jr and Built to Spill at Warehouse Live October 23…
Astros’ Solution To A Lousy Rotation: Add More Lousy Pitchers
Over the past two Astros games, Jim Deshaies has been talking about the Astros going to a six-man pitching rotation. And Deshaies has given a lot of reasons for doing this, but as much as I like JD, I’m a little disappointed in that, with all of his discussion about…
Where Are We Eating?
After last week’s excursion to a taco truck on Long Point and Antoine, we’re back indoors in the cool air conditioning and under the twinkling lights at this restaurant. Can you guess where we’re eating this week? Leave your guess in the comments section below…
Aftermath: White Rhino at Boondocks
“They’re ‘classic heavy rock,’ or so they tell me,” Aftermath texted a friend shortly before Austin’s White Rhino went onstage at Boondocks Monday night. “Heavy metal, or just heavy?” came the reply. White Rhino had just gone on, with some menacing guitar spray and a kinetic bassline reminiscent of Detroit…
How To Celebrate Gay Pride Day In Fort Worth: Bust Some Heads
How did cops in Fort Worth celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, that epic day when gays fought back against cops harassing them in a bar? By harassing gays in a bar. Allegedly.Protests have sprung up in Cowtown over events at the Rainbow Lounge Sunday night.The Dallas Voice reports: Sources…
Bayou Body Count: Honey, There’s A Dead Guy In The Bathroom
A couple living at the Shadow Ridge Apartments at 5810 Fondren awoke from a peaceful sleep early Sunday morning to the loud boom of gunshots. They bolted upright and saw two men running out of their apartment, according to Houston police. The couple then got out of bed and began…
Frozen Fast Food Frenzy
It’s hot as balls in Houston. You can do your best to hurry from air-conditioned house to air-conditioned car to air-conditioned movie theater / bar / restaurant / etc., but at some point you’re going to be forced to spend more than 30 seconds outside. Just last night, Eating Our…
Distant Early Warning: D12, the Dodos, Daughtry, Michelle Shocked, Rob Thomas and More
Back in Black (AC/DC Tribute), Tragedy (Metal Bee Gees Tribute): Sat., Aug. 15. House of Blues. Black Congress (7″ Release Show): Fri., Aug. 28, 9 p.m. Rudyard’s. Burn Halo, American Fangs, Dine Alone: Fri., July 31. Scout Bar Clear Lake. Cosmic Gate: Fri., July 3. Rich’s Houston. D12, Potluck: Sat.,…
Billy Mays….And That’s Not All!!!
Not Billy Mays, Too!!!This has been a bad couple of days to be famous. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and now…Billy Mays!Shit. loved this guy. I loved the way he was so totally and completely FIRED UP about his products. Be it OxiClean, Orange Glo, Kaboom, Handy Switch, iCan,…
$13 at Leons BBQ Brisket
Where: Leon’s World’s Finest Bar-B-Que, 55th and Broadway, Galveston Island, 409-744-0070 What $13 Gets You: Leon’s dinner plate gives you a generous serving of meat (your choice of brisket, ribs, two types of links, or yard bird) and two sides for just $9. (Two-meat plates are $12, and three-meat…
New, “Amazingly Clear” Apollo 11 Moon Video Discovered. Maybe
This just in from the Department of Suspiciously Timed Discoveries: The Daily Express in London, which is in some country that is not the US, is reporting that the original, long-thought-missing tapes from Apollo 11’s walk on the moon have been discovered.As the tabloid paper tells it in a “World…
Room At The Inn
As the fourth course of the meal was set in front of me, I marveled at its elegant construction but was more struck by a far subtler thing: Every ingredient in the dish had been plucked fresh from the organic garden outside, no more than a few hundred yards from…
This Week In Beyonce: BET Awards, Remembering Jacko, Michelle Obama in Crowd and More
Queen B: Rocks Off usually loves your style, but this just equals two words: Ask somebody. From one superstar to another: Beyonce pays tribute to Michael Jackson at her concert. “He taught me everything I know,” she told the crowd at Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center last week. Tyra vs. Beyonce: Who’d…
Who Are the Mysterious Sunset Stripperz?
This past weekend, Midtown haunt Coffee Groundz held its first weekend music festival. The music started early Saturday afternoon and didn’t end until late in the day on Sunday. Acts like Runaway Sun and soul-rocker Kenneth Scott were crowd favorites on the back patio. We were coaxed over to the…
Is Yao Ming’s Career Over? It’s Possible, Insiders Say
Adrian Wojnarowski, a longtime respected sportswriter currently working for Yahoo! (oh, these modern times) has an exclusive report out that the Rockets are quietly getting worried that Yao Ming’s latest injury might just end his career.Take it away, Woj: “The realization has hit them that this is grave,” one NBA…
Remembering Fever Tree’s Don Lampton
Besides Michael, Farrah, Ed McMahon and Sky Saxon of the Seeds, last week’s bumper crop for the Grim Reaper also claimed Don Lampton, a founding member of ’60s local psych-rock band Fever Tree. Lampton, 61, played keyboards and rhythm guitar for the Bostwick Vines, which became Fever Tree after husband-and-wife…
Death-Row Inmate Finally Gets A Break In Crime-Lab Case
Hair Balls reported in early June that Charles Raby, who has been sitting on death row since 1994 after being convicted of slaying a grandmother, had received some good news in his ongoing DNA challenge.An outside expert, Patricia P. Hamby, determined that the much-maligned Houston Crime Lab had been, at…
Texas Traveler: Southern Star Brewery
Up until March of last year, there weren’t a whole lot of good reasons to spend a Saturday afternoon in Conroe. But now there’s at least one: The Southern Star Brewing Company. Southern Star celebrated their one-year anniversary this spring with the release of their second canned beer, Bombshell Blonde…
Polluter Begins His Jail Term For Defying Clean-Up Orders
Luis Ortiz, the polluter who was sentenced to five days’ jail time for failing to clean up his auto-salvage business, went behind bars today after a last-ditch effort to stay free.Ella Tyler of the county attorney’s office tells Hair Balls district judge Tony Lindsay ordered Ortiz to begin his sentence…
House of Blues Takes Area Students to Blues School
Class has begun, school is in session and all the pupils are attentively waiting to hear what the teacher has in store. But there are no desks, tests or No. 2 pencils anywhere in sight. These H.I.S.D. students are seated at a special assembly to receive a lesson of great…
Houstonians Have More Sex Than Anyone, Allegedly
Houston, you are one horny town.At least according to a highly scientific survey done for Trojan condoms. Um, make that a semi-demi-scientific survey.A polling company invited people to take an online survey and compiled 1,000 responses; the results: Houstonians can certainly bone it like they own it.The survey says we…
Snackshot: Sushi
This week’s Snackshot comes from wtfsamho and Tomo Sushi. From the photographer’s description: “Sushi.” (He’s a man of few words.)…
Rocks Off Pays a Call on El Campo
This weekend, Rocks Off escaped a Czech family reunion to do some sightseeing around El Campo, the tiny hamlet just off U.S. 59. Before the silent auction, we made sure to gorge ourselves on free beer and kolaches before making a quick exit out the back. El Campo is a…
Houston Man In Center Of Florida Cold Case, Raising Questions Of Justice
MartinThis item is by Thomas Francis, a writer for our sister paper in Broward County/ Palm Beach, Florida. It’s about a Houston guy, so we present it here for your perusal.An arrest in a cold case is supposed to be an occasion for celebrating the enduring cause of justice. There…
NCAA To Recommend Sickle-Cell Testing As A Result Of Rice Football Player’s Death
Dale Lloyd was a promising Rice football player who had shined at Lamar High. Three years ago, the freshman collapsed at a workout and died.His family sued the university and Rice; a settlement was announced today that could go towards seeing that the tragedy helps someone else one day.After his…
Turning the Screw: Archie Lee & Coota Bang, R.I.P. Michael, Lil Jon, Jae Millz, Drake, 50, Tupac, Chris Brown and More
Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off’s weekly rap post. It probably won’t rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: “Down For My Block,” Archie Lee and Coota Bang Wire To Wire Michael passed. Three thoughts: 1. Michael was…
Late Night Scene: Dot Coffee Shop
Pulling up to Dot Coffee Shop off I-45 will remind you of middle-of-the-night bathroom trips at Howard Johnson’s during marathon road trips (even if watching Chevy Chase movies is as close as you’ve come to touring the country via highway). The oh-so-’70s neon sign on the building reads “Steaks, Shakes,…
The Astros, Making Sure That Their Rare Young Talent Stays Hidden
One would think that infielder Edwin Maysonet might be a little pissed about the Astros sending him back down to the minor leagues on Saturday night. He would be justified, seeing as how all he did was play excellent defense at second and third base, while showing off some good…
Aftermath: Michael Jackson Tribute at Numbers
Well, Numbers’ Michael Jackson tribute turned out to be three songs and a few arch comments from the DJ, before a typical Classic Numbers crowd that was more interested in the Cure than the King of Pop. The real action was across the street at Mango’s, where the Tontons enhanced…
The End Of The Road For J. Will Jones Elementary’s Success Story
At J. Will Jones Elementary, workers are busy retrofitting, and the staff is getting ready to leave for good. “It’s sad to walk through the building and see all the rooms empty, the library stripped clean,” Brian Flores, the former principal, tells Hair Balls. After a drawn-out resistance from angry…
Social Distortion: Killing Tom Softly With MySpace’s Song
Oh, 2006. Long lost 2006. The Golden Age of MySpace. Remember MySpace? That social networking site you logged into obsessively before the advent of Facebook and after Friendster’s demise? Where Microsoft Paint made a fourth-quarter comeback in the image editing (and annotating) arena? Where bloody-souled emo ingrates and their bathroom…
Cucuzza Blossom Honey
Cucuzza is a Sicilian squash that’s sometimes eaten young like summer squash and sometimes allowed to grow to three or four feet, when it’s eaten like winter squash. (It’s the one that looks like a green baseball bat.) Cucuzza squash blossoms are also considered a treat in Sicilian cooking. Each…
Eyeballin: Bruce Springsteen: Road Trip – 40 Years of the Boss
While its packaging and title are fairly misleading – the cover photo of Road Trip is a contemporary concert shot, and there’s nothing here covering anything past 1984’s Born in the USA, this nearly three-hour, 2-DVD documentary is still a worthwhile title for the hardcore Boss lover looking to go deeper…
Texas Traveler: Southern Star Brewery
Up until March of last year, there weren’t a whole lot of good reasons to spend a Saturday afternoon in Conroe. But now there’s at least one: The Southern Star Brewing Company. Southern Star celebrated their one-year anniversary this spring with the release of their second canned beer, Bombshell Blonde…
Even Filipino Convicts Are Going to Miss Jacko
Rocks Off had almost completely forgotten about this hilarious video, until our trusty intern Kim stumbled across it via Twitter. We don’t think Jacko would mind our reposting. Have a great weekend!…
Houston’s Torrie Wilson: Back From The Jungle, Still D-List
In May Hair Balls intrepidly reported that local WWE Diva and Playboy cover girl Torrie Wilson would be dropped into the middle of a Costa Rican jungle as a contestant on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, NBC’s not-so-hit reality TV show that also featured people like Sanjaya…
Pride Show: A LGBT Playlist
Sounds like Houston is all set for its annual Pride festival this Saturday. Rocks Off figured we’d chime in with a few (well, 20) of our favorite albums from gay/lesbian/bisexual artists or groups with at least one LGBT member. (Besides Elton, Bowie and Queen, that is… those are a given.)…
Last Call for Art: Cabaret, Houston Center for Photography, Enchanting Taiwan
If you catch Theater Under the Star’s Cabaret on its last weekend, and we suggest you do, here’s a tip: Don’t sing along with the performers. (Hair Balls was treated to a performance of “Willkommen” by a fellow audience member during our visit on opening night.) But even with an…
Friday Night Noise: Caddywhompus and Alarmcock
Caddywhompus, “Fun Times at Whiskey Bay”: If nothing else, this Houston/New Orleans noise-pop unit is a prime contender/offender for an international “worst name imaginable” contest. Singer/percussionist Sean Hart and singer/guitarist/keyboard player Chris Rehm are certainly more plugged-in than the vast majority of noise-related enterprises, updating their blog with a regularity…
This Week In Deliciousness
Welcome back to Eating Our Words’ weekly round-up, the only place in town still selling Mrs. Lovett’s Meat Pies out of the back of our station wagon. Speaking of suspicious meat, this week started off with a rather angry rebuking of inner-skirt and low-quality outer-skirt steak. Please write your congressperson…
Five Great Moments In Houston’s Gay History
Gays, lesbians, transgenders, bisexuals, transsexuals and their friends will be marching in the 2009 Houston Pride parade Saturday night (this year’s theme is “Out for Justice”).To add to the festivities, we thought we’d recap some of the highlights of Houston’s GLBT history. 1958: Ray Hill came out Hair Balls could…
State of Shock: How Michael Jackson (Sort Of) Introduced Rocks Off to the Rolling Stones
Rocks Off grew up in a MTV-free household. Never owned a spangled white glove or a “Beat It” leather jacket, never saw 1983’s Motown 25 TV special that sent Thriller into the stratosphere and had every kid who did see it doing a peculiar dance called the Moonwalk at recess…
Drunk Drivers, Here Are Your Spots To Avoid
The July 4th weekend is coming up, and Harris County is doing us all a favor by having a double-dose of DWI crackdown. Starting tonight, officials will have their mobile lab — complete with nurses and a judge ready to issue a warrant for a blood sample — for everyone…
Saturday: Skyler Stonestreet at Spring Tavern
Skyler Stonestreet is so cute. She started her singing career at a young age singing along to the Olsen twins. This multi-talented young woman who writes her own lyrics and plays everything from the piano to the drums; she’s so damn loveable we’re still trying to get the taste of…
Bayou Body Count: Officer Down, And Brother Vs. Brother
Houston police have charged a pair of men for allegedly killing an undercover officer on Tuesday on the 6700 block of Hillcroft. A 16-year-old girl has also been charged for her alleged involvement.According to police, officer Henry Canales of the auto-theft division, who was working undercover, was negotiating a deal…
$7 at Cali Sandwich
Where: Cali Sandwich What $7 gets you: Delicious Vietnamese sandwiches, and then some. For seven bucks, you can purchase some greasy burger-joint fare, which is similar to methadone in its ability to induce sickly listlessness and regret. Or, if you’re near Midtown, you can pick up what Cali Sandwich markets…
Things to Do This Weekend If You’re (Almost) Broke: “Thriller” at Midnight at Numbers, Free Tickets and More
What’s the best thing about going to see live music? Frickin’ air conditioning, because even the dingiest dive will be pumping out some sort cooled air to calm down all you crybabies who forgot sometime after Ms. Pelz’s tenth-grade IPC class that we live in a humid-as-shit subtropical climate next…
Michael Jackson: Magic Moments With The King Of “Alleged”
It’s a sure bet that when Neil Armstrong dies, coverage will be limited to a two minute retrospective culminating with “One small step for man…” playing over his official NASA photo. Meanwhile, CNBC today is still reporting on the “financial impact of Michael Jackson’s death.” One walked on the moon,…
Railroad Wins Important “Toxic Town” Suit
In 2007, our Todd Spivak did a feature on the “Toxic Town” of Somerville, 90 miles southnorthwest of Houston and home to a Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railway plant.Residents there have much higher cancer rates than normal, a fact some traced to the arsenic, dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons used…
Ben Kweller Remembers Michael Jackson at House of Blues
Rocks Off just found this video of Dallas-born, Austin-dwelling indie-cum-roots-rocker Ben Kweller dedicating a melancholy piano ballad to the late King of Pop at Thursday night’s House of Blues show. Those of you who cheered when Kweller announced “Michael Jackson is gone” can rest assured you’re bound for the same…
Follow Friday for Houston Food Hounds
In the world of Twitter — the love-it-or-hate-it microblogging service — Fridays are known as “Follow Friday,” a day devoted to suggesting new or interesting users for your friends to follow. Depending on who you follow, your Twitter stream will be inundated on Friday mornings with gigantic circle-jerks of “She’s…
Hey, Houston!! Show Off Your Fat Ass For British TV!!
Drangonfly Productions is a London company that makes documentaries. They are working one one now about morbid obesity.They’re filming in Mexico, Europe, the South Pacific Islands, Africa….and Houston.”We are looking for some of the world’s heaviest families — where more than one member of the family suffers from obesity or…
Tonight: Earl Gilliam and I.J. Gosey at the Big Easy
Other than getting to live through umpteen 100-plus degree days each summer and a massive hurricane every now and again, one of the supreme privileges of being a Houstonian is easy access to blues giants like Earl Gilliam and I.J. Gosey. Between them, these two guys know more licks than…
Dale Murphy Is Too Damn Good For These Astros
So I got stuck having to listen to portion of yesterday’s Astros game while I was in my car, which meant that I didn’t get to listen to Jim Deshaies. What I did hear, at one point, was Dave Raymond and Brett Dolan get into a conversation about Dale Murphy…
Five Spot: Just Your Average Everyday Street Gangsta
Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we’ll examine a recent bit of music news and, sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. It’s five videos and occasional cussing. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Two days ago, E.S.G. released Greatest Independent Hits. It’s badass. Buy it. And not…
Upcoming Events
Still mourning the loss of Cafe Montrose? That’s probably because you haven’t yet tried Vinoteca Poscol. But if you’re still looking for your moules et frites fix, act quick: Catherine Duwaz is planning another one-night-only dinner for fans of the erstwhile Belgian restaurant. Her father, Duwez Marcel, was the original chef…
Celebrity Death Is The Death Of Us All
A friend of mine wrote a witty Facebook status update that referenced the passing of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson on the same day. “First the 70s died. Then the 80s. Better watch your back, Spice Girls.”I chuckled at the same time that I realized that in a matter of…
Houston Firm Can Stop Your Smoking Habit — Online!!
Teh Internets can solve almost any problem, it seems, from having to pay for music and news to bringing down Islamofascist dictatorships. Now smoking has apparently joined the list. A small Houston company that runs interactive pay-sites to help with compulsive hair-pulling and skin-picking disorders (called trichotillomania) recently made the…
Tell Us Your Thoughts and Memories of Michael Jackson
The King of Pop is dead, succumbing to a surprise heart attack Thursday. Some unconfirmed reports say the attack came after an injection of Demerol, and naturally the Internet is awash in conspiracy theories. An autopsy is pending; MTV says the results are expected today. Houston (and the rest of…
Bayou Body Count: Some Arrests, And Sex Gone Wrong
Houston police have arrested Harry Dwight Williams for allegedly shooting a 19-year-old man and his girlfriend earlier this month at McCullough Park. Police say that James Smith, 19, was walking through the park with his girlfriend when he saw Williams, and the two men started arguing. When they started exchanging…
Aladdin’s Genie in a Platter
Eating ice cream from a pink spoon makes it taste better. And food on a platter is better than food on a plate. The “Genie in a Platter” ($11.99) at Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine is a vegetarian feast. The contents vary a little from visit to visit, but there are always…
Social Media Smackdown: Facebook vs. LinkedIn
They tell you landing a job via social media that won’t trigger your gag reflex is a piece of cake. They share insider tips and tricks like Carrie and Samantha dishing blowjob techniques over Cosmos. They tell you to keep your nose clean, but if you can’t, don’t post photos…
Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground: Songs for Farrah Fawcett
Though her death has since been eclipsed on headline-news outlets and celebrity-tracking blogs by Michael Jackson’s, Corpus Christi native Farrah Fawcett passed away Thursday after a painful struggle with cancer. She was 62. Remembered mostly for her performance as Jill Munroe in the campy 70’s action show Charlie’s Angels, some…
Michael Jackson in Real Bad Shape… R.I.P. Jacko
[Update: at 5:15 p.m. Houston time, the Los Angeles Times confirmed Jackson’s death, citing “city and law enforcement sources.” The King of Pop was all of 50 years old.] As if there wasn’t enough going on today – Farrah, Roky, Jenny Lewis – the Internet is now exploding with reports…
Judge Kent Ducks One Last Bit Of Shame
Sam Kent, the overly touchy-feely federal judge from Galveston who’s in prison on charges relating to drunken sexual harassment of his female employees, resigned today.He apparently did it to stave off a conviction by the Senate, which along with the House had been fast-tracking his impeachment. Kent had originally tried…
Farrah Fawcett: Unfortunately, These Movies Will Also Be Remembered
Farrah Fawcett passed away today at the age of 62. Males of a certain generation (those born between 1900 and 1972) will always hold the former Jill Munroe in special esteem for the role she played in hastening their adolescence.There was that poster, for starters, and her short-lived but memorable…
Openings and Closings
This week features not only restaurant closings and openings, but reopenings as well. The first of those, as expected, was Cafe Le Jadeite (1952 West Gray), which reopened this past Monday. Despite the fact that the name and decor have remained the same, the owners and the menu have changed…
The Big Tweet: Houston Sounds Off on Jenny Lewis Guitarist’s Scolding
Although Rocks Off agrees with a commenter from our review that people really need to STFU when they go to concerts, especially if the music is intimate and acoustic – if you want to talk at Warehouse Live, folks, Lucky’s Pub is right next door – Jenny Lewis’ rhythm guitarist…
Bayou Body Count: Two Cars, Lots Of Bullets
SWAT officers with the Houston Police Department raided a house early Monday morning, looking for Francisco Odilon Lopez, a suspect in a shooting that left one man dead and another injured. Lopez, however, was not there and police are still looking for him. According to the police department, the shooting…
Aftermath: Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood at Toyota Center
Two words came into Aftermath’s head shortly into the show uniting these former Blind Faith bandmates and arguably two of classic rock’s biggest stars: peerless musicianship. They stayed with us for the rest of the concert. While we can appreciate the bombast and big show of acts like KISS, Springsteen…
David Byrne Bikes Houston
Former Talking Head David Byrne (we’re nor sure, but we’re guessing he hates that description) was in town recently for a show at Jones Hall.Byrne has become a biking fanatic these days; he’s also an occasional diarist about his tour.His piece on Houston has him complaining about the heat (he’s…
A Chat with Steve Scalice of Dean’s Credit Clothing
Steve Scalice, who has co-owned and run Dean’s Credit Clothing downtown for ten years, is the sole owner of the new Dean’s in Montrose, a roomier version of the retro lounge. “The biggest difference between this Dean’s and downtown right now is we don’t have the clothes — yet. The…
Founder of Garage Legends the Seeds Passes Away in Austin
No one is pushing too hard on Sky Saxon anymore. The leader of ’60s garage band the Seeds died overnight in Austin, where he recently relocated. He had been in critical condition in the ICU at St. David’s South Austin Hospital, Saxon’s publicist Jennifer Marchand said. Saxon, born Richard Marsh,…
What Do Allen Stanford And Pete Townshend Have In Common? A Kick-Ass Drug
Houston’s Allen Stanford has told a federal judge here he’s not guilty of a billion-dollar Ponzi scheme; he’s also asking to be let out on bail.Stanford’s attorney, Dick DeGuerin, told federal magistrate that his client has has a bad week, what with all the transferring between jails.He also, according to…
Aftermath: Jenny Lewis at Warehouse Live
Before a crowd of five or six hundred, Jenny Lewis took Warehouse Live by storm Wednesday night with an hour and half set that included a surprise acoustic encore in the midst of the crowd. Lewis powered through virtually her entire solo catalog as well as a crowd-pleasing Rilo Kiley…
R.I.P., Charlie’s Corpus Christi Angel
Farrah Fawcett, the pride of Corpus Christi, has died of cancer at age 62.We’ll have a proper remembrance of her up soon, but for now here’s her nude-in-a-shopping-mall scene from Robert Altman’s Dr. T & The Women…
Aftermath: Heartless Bastards at Warehouse Live
Sometime Wednesday night, Aftermath tweeted into the ether that we were watching a “female-fronted southern fried T Rex” while semi-Austin transplants the Heartless Bastards cranked into “Early In The Morning” about halfway through their set opening up for the Houston-bashing Jenny Lewis (stay tuned) at Warehouse Live. The term “Southern-fried”…
Standing Up Against Obama Propaganda, In Houston
Photos by Craig MalisowThe woman painted up to look like a corpse was holding the sign: “I’m the ghost of healthcare future.” She was one of several dozen demonstrators who rallied outside Houston ABC affiliate KTRK Wednesday, criticizing in advance the network’s Q&A with President Barack Obama on his proposed…
Health Department Roundup: Medical Center Edition
New contributor E. Ting likes eating, but for professional reasons prefers to remain anonymous. Yes, public health violations happen at hospitals, too. Here’s the rundown for this month: St. Joseph Medical Center (1919 LaBranch), “conveniently located on the edge of Houston’s revitalized downtown,” has yet to revitalize its meal preparation,…
The Chronicle’s Columnist, Buying BARC’s Spin
Today’s Chron column by Lisa Falkenberg, headlined “Finally, a bit of good news out of BARC,” might have been more accurately titled “When Public Relations Attacks!” What the column lacks in actual news value and insight, it makes up for by highlighting what might be one of BARC’s thorniest, yet…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: R.I.P. Tim Krekel
Wherever you live, wherever you are/ Just love, love, love” – Tim Krekel, “Love One Another” It is with immense sadness that Lonesome, Onry and Mean reports that Louisville, Kentucky musician and songwriter Tim Krekel has passed away. Krekel had a large tumor removed from his stomach in April and…
The Foie Gras Problem
I love foie gras. Is that bad? Foie gras is the fattened liver of a goose or duck. The fattening is brought about through the technique of gavage, or force-feeding the animal, in this case with corn. The resulting food product is a true delicacy which has a rich, meaty/salty…
How The Hell Can You Be Optimistic About The Astros?
I was listening to sports talk radio yesterday — the past couple of days actually — and it appears that there are people out there who think the Astros still have a chance to make the playoffs. As far as I could tell, these people weren’t on the Astros payroll…
Aftermath: Roky Erickson at the Continental Club
Remember when Little Richard quit rock and roll because he was worried about going to hell? Roky Erickson is what would have happened if he went… and came back. The 61-year-old ’60s survivor, fronting a sleek three-piece band whose collective age may have added to 61, played a 75-minute set…
The Relentless Frigging Heat, In Verse
Good Christ, it’s fucking hot.It’s only June, and already we’re in the triple-digits. There’s been more wind than normal, at least according to our untrained analysis, so things might not be as bad as they could.But still, it’s hot.The Chronicle is offering a haiku contest where people are urged to…
Meeting Of The (Utterly Insane) Minds: Glenn Beck Interviews A Texas Secessionist From Houston
Glenn Beck has stumbled onto an extremely lucrative shtick — act like an insane man, and right-wing nuts will give you incredible ratings (for cable, anyway), they will throw money at you for your supremely silly books, they will take you seriously as a political analyst.Hard to believe, but true.Beck,…
Corpus Christi: Home of the Whataburger
This past weekend, we visited the hometown of Whataburger, Corpus Christi. The burger chain is based there, but the center of operations will be moving to a bigger complex in San Antonio in the next few months. The move is a sad one. The chain has been based in Corpus…
David Byrne Mystified by Houston’s Sprawl, Loves Jones Hall
Yesterday one of our readers (thanks, Mimi!) posted a comment with a link to David Byrne’s blog about the white-haired world-pop eminence’s thoughts and experiences while on tour. Apparently Byrne got to spend quite a bit of time in Houston, because the entry surrounding his (excellent) June 15 Jones Hall show is fairly…
Who Do We Have to Blow Around Here to Get a Lady in Late Night?
Okay, fine. We can deal with not having a lady president (still), but with the recent overflow of testicle-wearing late night hosts, it got me thinking, why no late night lady hosts?Joan Rivers tried once and was ridiculed (and yeah, Joan isn’t my favorite lady comedian of all time, but…
Simon S.C. Tay
Political adviser and environmental policy expert (read: really, really smart guy) Simon S.C. Tay comes to Asia Society Texas to discuss Obama’s Asian Report Card: What the President Needs to Do Next. Tay, who served in both the Singapore Parliament and the United Nations, was just named one of the…
Jamie Freveletti: Running from the Devil
Colombian guerrillas, a hijacked plane that goes down in the jungle, dangerous biological weapons and a scientist with her own agenda make up the elements of Jamie Freveletti’s debut thriller Running from the Devil. In the novel, biochemist Emma Caldridge, thrown from the wreckage of the downed plane, watches as…
I Travel Lite!
When you’re as funny as Ali, a distinctively dapper style of dress is probably unnecessary. Nevertheless, at the I Travel Lite! show, the latest installment in The Good, the Bad & the Funny series, the local comedian will get your attention with his effusive stage costume as well as whatever…
Focus on Houston
Houston’s still regrouping after last year’s uninvited guest, Hurricane Ike. That includes the Oak Dad’s Club, which is trying to rebuild its damaged ballpark. To raise the money it needs, the club is putting on Focus on Houston, a music fest/art fair/crawfish boil/whatever-the-hell-will-part-you-from-your-money party. Roger Creager, Kevin Black and Houston…
Reckless
Company OnStage’s latest production, Reckless, might be a little out of season (the story starts on Christmas Eve), but the message is timeless: It’s not why tragedies happen that matters, it’s how you respond to them. It takes Rachel, the show’s lead, a few turns at bat to learn that,…
Jilliane Hoffman
Some are born mad; some have madness thrust upon them…no, wait, that’s not the right quote. Mad is as mad does? No, that’s not it either. Anyway, madness, the crazies, loco-mania — Jilliane Hoffman’s novel Plea of Insanity explores the differences between them all. Hoffman’s lead character, an ambitious young…
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: The Garden
The most fruitful gardens are filled with worms and shit. After the deadly 1992 L.A. riots, known ever after as the “Rodney King” riots, a 14-acre plot of land at the intersection of 41st and Alameda, smack in the heart of South Central, was miraculously transformed into a community garden…
Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts: “Six Figure Artists”
For the exhibit “Six Figure Artists,” Tomball-area painters Liz Hill, Fred Hulser, Marty Hatcher, Lesley Humphrey, Dawn McKelvy and Howie Doyle painted the same model during one session, ending up with half a dozen similar yet distinctive works. (Each artist also created a second smaller painting inspired by the group’s…
Domy Movie Nights: Lemonade Joe
You don’t have to understand Czech to get the jokes in the cowboy musical Lemonade Joe. A parody of American westerns, Lemonade Joe features a teetotaling hero out to get his fellow cowboys to give up the hard stuff and join him in drinking lemonade (it seems whiskey interferes with…
The Lone Star Symphonic Band: Salute to Freedom
Get a jump start on your 4th of July celebrations with the Lone Star Symphonic Band’s Salute to Freedom. The program includes “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “The Star Spangled Banner,” “Texas Our Texas” and, for some odd reason, a medley of Frank Sinatra tunes. 4 p.m. James Taylor High School…
Funny Girl
Anjelah Johnson certainly doesn’t look like the average comedian. The sexy 27-year-old with a rockin’ bod more resembles an NFL cheerleader…which, in fact, she used to be for the Oakland Raiders. But instead of throwing pom-poms, she’s now throwing punch lines — about her half-Mexican/half-Native-American ancestry, her experience in a…
“Entanglements” Dance Performance
Painter donna e. perkins and dancer jhon stronks have a lot in common, as the exhibit “Entanglements” shows. Both work with lines, forms, shadows and movement. Enjoy an evening of dance created by stronks in response to perkins’s artwork Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Archway Gallery, 2305 Dunlavy. For…
DockDogs
How to train a dog to take a flying leap off a dock is beyond us. But that doesn’t matter — plenty of other owners have tapped their best friends’ athleticism, turning them into first-class jumpers. At DockDogs, canines from all over the country will compete to see who can…
“Luck of the Draw 8: When Art Attacks!”
Get art before it gets you at “Luck of the Draw 8: When Art Attacks!” DiverseWorks’ annual fund-raiser features a raffle-style sale of works by more than 200 national and international artists. Ticket holders draw a number to determine their place in line for the selection process. This year’s event…
The Wiz
Dorothy and all her pals from the land of Oz make their way to the Ensemble Theatre for the new production of The Wiz. Charlie Smalls and William F. Brown’s 1975 Tony Award-winning musical based on L. Frank Baum’s novel gives us a spunky girl who learns there’s no place…
Greater Houston Partnership: Geraldo Rivera
How about a little Geraldo Rivera for lunch? The intrepid attorney, writer, talk-show host, war correspondent and world-renowned mustache-bearer will be in town today for a talk hosted by the Greater Houston Partnership. Whether you prefer Peabody Award-winning journalist Geraldo or -sensational-muckraker Geraldo, you should be interested, as a Houstonian,…
“Blow Up Houston”
Expect to hear a few booms at “Blow Up Houston,” a show of customized vinyl blow-up dolls. Wait, wait, these aren’t the plastic pretend sex-partners you buy off of X-rated Web sites. These dolls are nine inches tall and have heads shaped like explosives. Designer Jamungo created two versions —…
4th Annual Debbie Allen Dance Institute Houston
Jazz hands are passé; you’ve got to learn the newest moves to be a dancer. Kicking, leaping, turning and twisting — all of it. Thankfully, you’ve got one-stop shopping with the crack team assembled by famed dance master (and native Houstonian) Debbie Allen. In association with the Stage Presence Performing…
KPRC Local 2 Summer Symphony Nights featuring Hee-Young Lim
Cellist Hee-Young Lim won the silver medal during the recent Ima Hogg Young Artist Competition. Part of her prize is a solo spot at today’s KPRC Local 2 Summer Symphony Nights performance of Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Opus 38, Spring, with American Fellow Brett Mitchell conducting…
“Extremely Shorts 12: Works 3 Minutes and Under”
See a selection of works by 60-second Scorseses at “Extremely Shorts 12: Works 3 Minutes and Under.” Aurora Picture Show’s annual film festival highlights films that get a point across before most of us can down a Jägerbomb. This year’s winning works (selected by the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s Bill…
Jeff Kass: Columbine: A True Crime Story
It’s been ten years since the shootings at Columbine shocked the nation. Jeff Kass, a reporter for the Rocky Mountain News at the time, was one of the first reporters on the scene. Now he’s written Columbine: A True Crime Story, a Victim, the Killers and the Nation’s Search for…
“Fragmento”
Get ready for a surprise at the Station Museum of Contemporary Art’s latest exhibit, “Fragmento,” by Peruvian sculptor Carlos Runcie-Tanaka. This time the tiny museum isn’t taking on the usual geopolitical issues it’s known for; instead, the exhibition explores spirituality. “It’s a beautiful show,” says Station Assistant Director Timothy Gonzalez…
El Hijo de la Novia (The Bride’s Son)
In El Hijo de la Novia (The Bride’s Son), Rafael is at a crossroads. He can continue to keep the family business going in Buenos Aires and live his life based on the needs and expectations of others, or he can move to Mexico to raise horses and pursue his…
Project Row Houses: Classified X
Filmmaker, novelist, Air Force bombardier, Wall Street trader, composer, actor and provocateur, Melvin Van Peebles loves to kick white butt. He did it way before his 1971 genre-defining blaxploitation hit Sweet Sweetback’s Baadsssss Song, and he continued even after this 1998 made-for-European-TV documentary Classified X, which he wrote and narrated…
Katherine Howe: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
Houston author Katherine Howe is casting a spell over readers with her new book The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. The debut novelist didn’t have to go far for a storyline – she just reached into her family history. Like her lead character Connie Godwin, Howe is the descendent of…
Psophonia Dance Company: Squeeze
With a name like Psophonia, you’d think the dance company would stick with topics light and lilting, but Squeeze, its latest evening-length work, is all about the economic mess we’re mired in and the perilous mind-sets that caused it. Co-Artistic Director Sophia L. Torres has concocted a modern-dance response to…
Seth Harwood: Jack Wakes Up
Jack Palms has been clean and sober for three years. Things have been going well enough, but when he takes a job showing some out-of-town big shots around, all hell breaks loose and people start dropping dead. That might have something to do with the fact that the big shots…
Dying in Vain
Eleven-year-old Anna Fitzgerald’s parents didn’t just plan for her — they customized her in utero, with the specific end of providing spare parts and infusions for her leukemia-sick older sister, Kate. From a 2004 Jodi Picoult best-seller, My Sister’s Keeper mashes Death Be Not Proud with Irreconcilable Differences. When Kate…
ID Theft
It wasn’t long after Brandon Sharp turned 30 that he proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes, and the plans for marriage made him “realize it was time to change my priorities,” namely, time to buy a house. They wanted one in Spring, and when they found the place that…
Outed on the Internet: A Houston professor’s plight becomes a web phenomenon
Courts, Environment Go to Jail Harris County sends polluter behind bars by Richard Connelly Here’s something relatively new: A Harris County polluter is going to jail. Vince Ryan, the new Harris County Attorney, has decided to make pollution a priority, and he went after the owner of a northside auto-parts…
Shacking Up
It’s been 20 years since Sugar Shack released “You’re a Freak,” a bona fide local anthem that perseveres to this day. The legendary Houston band’s complex, 20-plus-year history is full of numerous lineup changes, multiple record labels and wholesale shifts in sound. On the eve of their appearance at Sweatbox…
Cryptacize
It should come as no surprise that a band called Cryptacize plays music that is, well, a bit coy. The band often seems to tiptoe around the issue at hand, with drums that don’t so much keep rhythm as hint at its possibility, and guitars that lay down conceptual riffs…
Confined Youth
In the Group Heartbreaking: These dayhab places are the biggest scam on the planet [“The Recruit,” by Paul Knight, June 11, 2009]. Having gone through three since my son graduated from the public school system in May of last year, my heart is broken by the appalling lack of anything…
Rick Ross: Deeper Than Rap
Rick Ross is the Gorman Thomas of rappers. Forever swinging for the fences, he blasts a home run once in a while but strikes out much more frequently. On Deeper Than Rap, Ross is as bombastic as ever, despite being exposed as a former corrections officer last year by The…
Mexicans in the Movies
Dear Mexican, You once asked why Mexican bands don’t hit it big in the good old US of A. I think the simple answer is that there are no Mexican Mouseketeers. You don’t get to be Justin Timberlake by picking a guitarrón. Slater from Saved by the Bell doesn’t count…
Brooklyn Gumbo
The giant sea scallops at Jonathan’s The Rub were lightly dusted with an herb and pepper rub and seared so that they were opaque on the outside, but still a little translucent in the middle. Each bite of tender white shellfish melted in my mouth. The New England scallops were…
Sippin’ Sideways
Mike Warner is a protection specialist. In other words, he’s in charge of protecting lots of important people, and laying a serious hurt on anyone who intends them harm. Presumably, this makes him deadly. The fact that this isn’t the first thing out of his mouth makes him a perfect…
Catch it while you can at Hugo’s
The literal translation of pan de cazón is “small-shark bread.” It’s the sort-of national dish of Campeche, where they use blacktip sharks to make it; dogfish or “baby” shark is used in Yucatán. At Hugo’s (1602 Westheimer, 713-524-7744), the pan de cazón ($8) consists of cubes of the firm-fleshed dogfish…
Burnin’ for You
Most of the milestones we use to measure our lives are pretty pedestrian. Friends come and go, relationships blossom and wilt, jobs appear and disappear. Children grow up, borrow the car for a few years, come home to do laundry for a few more, then get on with their own…
Goodbye Mak Chin’s, Hello Shuck Daddy’s
Mac Chin’s has become Shuck Daddy’s (1511 Shepherd, 713-861-9888). “We opened Mac Chin’s as our first and only venture into upscale dining; now we’re sticking to casual dining, where we belong,” said Robert McKinley of Mambo Corporation. “We completely gutted the place and turned it into a casual, relaxed, fun, upbeat…
Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller’s sound is constantly evolving. It’s shifted from garage-band yelps to piano-ballad coos, from electric feedback to acoustic resonance. This time, to quote Alan Jackson, “He’s gone country, back to his roots.” Permeated with down-home charm, Kweller’s new album Changing Horses was recorded the old-fashioned way: self-produced, put to tape…
Randy Travis
Randy Travis is as durable and dependable as the photograph on the cover of his 1988 album Old 8X10. First appearing on the country-music radar with 1985’s “1982,” Travis has racked up a catalog of hits that’s — to borrow one of their titles — deeper than the holler. The…
Starlight Mints
Starlight Mints have never quite gotten a fair shake. One could venture that’s because there’s only room enough for one huge psych-pop band from Norman, Oklahoma — that’d be the Flaming Lips — but it’s probably more because the quirky outfit released its first three albums on three different labels,…
Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights
Unlike the rock that has dominated the airwaves as of late, Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights’ Hot Trottin’ mixes all the key styles that originally gave rise to the music: blues, soul, gospel; etc. However, rather than overwhelming listeners, the Dallas-based band somehow pulls it off effortlessly. Faster songs…
Joe, Chico DeBarge
According to House of Blues’s Web site, the official title of this show is the “Road to Essence Festival Featuring Joe w/Special Guest Chico DeBarge.” Presumably, that means if you’re one of the fortunate Houstonians who can afford to make a pilgrimage to New Orleans’s legendary black-music festival — celebrating…
Larry Jon Wilson: Larry Jon Wilson
>With a sonorous voice and brooding storytelling, Georgia country singer Larry Jon Wilson haunted the outskirts of 1970s Nashville, releasing four albums now considered out-of-print treasures. Wilson never followed the rules required for stardom; he once wrote a song called “Drowning in the Mainstream,” and more recently took a 25-year…
Ear Pwr: Super Animal Brothers III
It’s interesting to watch a scene coalesce in real time, taking on a personal musical identity heard and felt by its denizens and noted by the music community at large. Baltimore is currently in the throes of such a revolution, finding itself awash in the Technicolor wink-and-nod glamour of recycled…
Meta-Colonialism
In a recent article in Interview magazine, film director Jim Jarmusch and Interview editorial director Glenn O’Brien were discussing how museums’ colonialism decontextualized cultures by placing artifacts in a type of “art detention.” Jarmusch quoted a Pacific Northwest Native American who was indignant that his people’s most beautiful artifacts were…
St. Vincent: Actor
In 2007, Dallas native Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, released Marry Me — a cute, promising debut that highlighted her sometimes dark, sometimes deep, optimistic voice and a knack for some slight guitar shredding. Actor is something altogether different — a meditation on orchestrated, grandiose-sounding pop that doesn’t sound overstuffed…
Soul Power
They say they don’t make ’em like they used to, but in one case they sure do: Leela James’s new album Let’s Do It Again (Shanachie) is a throwback to the gritty glory days of Ann Peebles and Betty Wright — whose “Clean Up Woman” leads off — that James…
Pay for Play
As the sun sets over the parking lot of the Long Beach Courthouse, one of the best and busiest session drummers in the industry is standing motionless, a pair of shearing scissors in one hand, a plastic comb in the other, poised over the head of one of his biggest…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Cabaret, The Farnsworth Invention, Grey Gardens, Thom Pain (based on nothing)
Cabaret The Kit Kat Klub comes to deliciously naughty life once again with a newly imagined production of Cabaret from Theatre Under the Stars. And the story about Sally Bowles (Leslie Kritzer), a saucy British singer, and Cliff Bradshaw (Tyler Hanes), a thoughtful American writer, both caught up in the…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Anthony Thompson Shumate: Novus Ordo Seclorum,” “Carlos Cruz-Diez: Crosswalk,” “Literally Figurative,” “Perspectives 166: Torsten Slama”
“Anthony Thompson Shumate: Novus Ordo Seclorum” Novus ordo seclorum (“New Order of the Ages”) is one of those bits of Latin written on your dollar bill, as well as the title of Anthony Thompson Shumate’s exhibition at Barbara Davis Gallery. The show is based on a little-known conspiracy theory —…
