Tex-Mex Temples: Combo Platters of Hopes and Dreams
Diana Kennedy has always trashed the “so-called Mexican restaurants” north of the border and the “overly large platters of mixed messes” they serve. Following her lead, food snobs on the East and West Coasts ridicule Tex-Mex–which they seem to think is the invention of a bunch of dumb rednecks who…
Mexico City Huaraches
Hats off once again to Barry Popick’s food history Web site. It was while reading the “huarache” etymology on Popick’s blog that I discovered that the restaurant I was reviewing this week, Stafford’s “Huarache Azteca Express,” was named after Mexico City’s “El Huarache Azteca,” a restaurant which was opened in…
Music Awards Nominees Announced Today; UGK, Indian Jewelry, Arthur Yoria, Tontons Head List
Last year’s big Houston Press Music Awards winners, the Dimes, are now known as Young Mammals. Photo by Rosa Guerrero We hope you do every week, but please pick up an actual paper copy of the Press this week and take a gander at the 2008 Houston Press Music Awards…
Astros-Dodgers: Extra Innings Not Enough
Joe Torre did something in the seventh inning last night that I’ve been wondering why more teams haven’t been doing for a very long time: He intentionally walked Lance Berkman to face Carlos Lee. I’ve never seen the need to pitch to Berkman when Lee’s essentially worthless. And yeah, Lee…
The Healthiest Soup in the World
My homemade version… Ash-e Reshteh gets my vote for being the healthiest soup in the world. Chickpeas, navy beans, red kidney beans, green lentils, beets, spinach, parsley and dill make up the vegetables and greens in this soup, to which are added the Persian noodles called reshteh and a thick…
I Cannot Stop Watching the Trojan Vibrator Ad
Um, has anyone else seen the Trojan ad for that new purple vibrator you can wear on your fingertip? You have? You want to see it again? I first saw the ad on late night cable, and I was initially stunned as I watched two bad actresses discuss Trojan’s new…
Ten Jinxed Houston Restaurant Locations
Can restaurant locations be jinxed? Those who dwell in the cold, hard world of facts would say no. They will tell you that restaurants fail because of things like poor frontage, inadequate parking, hard to see locations, a bad report from Marvin Zindler (or his successor if such can be…
National Non-fiction Writers Conference in Texas
Non-fiction writers who’d like to improve their long-form narrative style and would-be true-story book writers burning to find an agent might want to look into the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest ’08. Sponsored by the Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism out of the University of North Texas,…
Bummer: Downtown YMCA to Be Demolished
We can’t help but be a little bummed about the news that the Downtown YMCA is slated for demolition, even though it looks like the new building might wind up right next door to the Houston Press. The new digs will probably be nice and shiny, but there’s just something…
Astros-Dodgers: Speaking of Predictions, Guess Who Got Last Month Right
It’s not often I get to write this, but… Damn, Cecil Cooper out-managed someone last night. Of course, it’s more of a case of Joe Torre making more mistakes than Cooper really out-managing, but the Astros beat the Dodgers 4-1 last night because of a bad move by Torre. The…
R.I.P. Benny Thurman, Original Thirteenth Floor Elevators Bassist
Photo by John Anderson/Austin Chronicle Benny Thurman in 2004 Benny Thurman, the original bass player for the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, passed away last month. Thurman, 65, died June 22 after two and a half weeks in the intensive-care unit of Austin’s Seton Hospital with an undisclosed illness, according to a…
Homosexual Makes the Olympics
It must be tough to be one of the Don Wildmon-type Christians. The Muslims are trying to convert you to their God, who’s actually the same God. The Atheists keep telling you that you are descended from monkeys. And you’re afraid that you will become gay if a homosexual moves…
On Deck: A Look at the Astros’ Schedule for July
God. Was June an awful month for the Astros, or what? Sure, I predicted they would have a bad month, but I didn’t think they would look so damn bad while losing. I sure as hell didn’t see them needing three weeks to win three games. I didn’t foresee an…
Fixin’ to BBQ: D.W. Vasbinder’s in Richmond
When your barbecue breaks down, you need to know about the folks at D.W. Vasbinder’s (90A in Richmond, 281-342-0535). Not only do they repair barbecue rigs, they also take trade-ins and buy burned-out smokers for scrap. The barbecue pits made here are way cheaper than better-known competitors like Pitts and…
Holiday Road: Linus Pauling Quartet Hits Terrastock
[About a week ago, Houston’s Linus Pauling Quartet returned from performing at Terrastock, the periodic psych-rock/noise festival, held this year in Louisville, Kentucky and a family vacation for LP4’s Ramon Medina, his wife Rosa Guerrero and their son Orion. LP4’s Charlie Horshack was kind enough to let us reprint his…
High Gas Prices: Protests, Segways and Prostitutes
Shell Oil was the latest target of a Big Oil/gas prices protest. Members of the Harris County AFL-CIO led the protest on Friday, on a sidewalk in front of Shell’s downtown office. Richard Shaw, secretary-treasurer for the labor union, said the protest was prompted, in part, by John McCain’s recent…
This Just In: Terry Abbott Leaves HISD
Terry Abbott, for years the spokesman for the alleged “Houston Miracle” of HISD, the man who spun Rod Paige into a conservative saint serving well above his abilities as U.S. Department of Education, is leaving the school district. Abbott announced in a press release the official confirmation of what he…
Over the Weekend: Houston Pride Parade
This isn’t even the half of it. This year, at least for my group of Pride-goers, the parade was all about the swag. It started coming even before we left the house. A friend lives on Kipling near Woodhead, in the neighborhood where all the floats are set up, and…
Matt Taibbi Doesn’t Heart Joel Osteen
Memo to Joel Osteen – we know Rolling Stone is a must-read for you, but it’s probably better if you give it a skip this month. RS’s Matt Taibbi, who’s a very, let’s say, enthusiastic writer, has a profile of John McCain. At one point he goes after McCain’s blithe…
This Just In: Watermelon Good for Blood Flow (and Erections)
Remember that scene in the movie Kids where one of the protagonists talks about how he got turned on watching a girl eat a watermelon on a hot summer day? If you were thinking his arousal was the result of his being a teenage boy, you’re totally right. However, according…
Don’t Make Labor Day Weekend Plans…
…If you either a) miss Astroworld; b) like to rock the eff out; or preferably c) both. From August 29-September 1, the former site of Six Flags Houston will be transformed into the grounds of the first-ever Rock the Bayou festival, starring many of your favorite hair-metal icons from the…
Notes from the 2008 Southwest Foodservice Expo: Austin Java’s David Deschodt
I had the pleasure of meeting David Deschodt of Austin Java at the Foodservice Expo. Here is a video of Deschodt walking me through the espresso making process:…
Shade Tree Barbecue with Dewayne Pines
On Saturdays, Dewayne Pines tows his barbecue trailer to a quiet spot in the parking lot of the Rose Rich shopping center on 90A on the Richmond Rosenberg line and sets up a shade tree barbecue operation he calls Smokey’s Barbecue and Grill. The trailer is licensed by the City…
Pop Culture on Speed…or, “I Love The New Millennium”
Remember low-rise jeans?!? Or when that Ken Jennings guy would not stop winning at “Jeopardy”?!? Or that crazy time Mel Gibson got arrested and he was totally wasted and spit out all that anti-Semitic hatred?!? OMG. I was, like, 28 when that happened. I remember it so well… Because it…
What’s Wrong with Richard Justice, Jose de Jesus Ortiz, Cecil Cooper and Carlos Lee, to Name a Few
Richard Justice and Jose de Jesus Ortiz had items in yesterday’s Chron representing everything that, to me, is wrong with the Astros. And it’s not so much that I disagree with Justice or Ortiz, it’s that I disagree with what they write. Because I see them as writing what the…
Over the Weekend: Pride Parade, La Carafe, Frank’s Pizza, Stone Temple Pilots and Houston Astros
We hope everyone had a loud and proud weekend. We sure did, and we’ll have a wrap-up of Saturday’s Houston Pride Parade festivities in a little bit. Promise. 1:17 a.m. at La Carafe Photog Bill Olive hit up Market Square for a glass of wine… 2:04 a.m. at Frank’s Pizza…
Astros-Red Sox: 33 Runs = Two Out of Three for Houston
I’m going to be honest here. I know that many of you probably love games like the one the Astros and Red Sox played on Saturday night. Sure, it was a 11-10 Astros win – and wins have been in short supply this month – and the Astros had to…
Slideshow: Stone Temple Pilots at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
We’ve just loaded up a slideshow of images from last night’s STP concert. Happy viewing. — KP…
Craig Ackerman Has to Be an Improvement over Gene Peterson and Jim Foley
The Houston Rockets named their replacement for Gene Peterson and Jim Foley on Thursday. And the jobs are going to one person, Craig Ackerman. Ackerman has worked for the team for 14 years, having started as an intern. For the past five years, he’s done studio work, and he’s filled…
Tonight: Hollywood Black EP Release at Walter’s
I knew I was forgetting something yesterday. Tonight at Walter’s on Washington, Houston’s Hollywood Black releases their Crooked Shepherd EP, the latest from the folks at Mia Kat Empire, who brought you Buxton’s A Family Light earlier this year. Tambersauro and the Goods round out the bill. Cover is $10,…
Review: A Voyage Long and Strange, by Tony Horwitz
Pulitzer-Prize winner Tony Horwitz hit the best-seller lists a while back with the critically praised Confederates in the Attic, but since I’m not much of a Civil War buff I took a pass on it. Now that I’ve read his new book, A Voyage Long and Strange, I definitely understand…
Is Ed Wade a Saint in the Shawn Chacon Debacle? Signs Point to No.
If you listened to the Houston Astros press conference Thursday, you might have gotten the opinion that Ed Wade is just an innocent weakling who never raises his voice and who does not have a temper. And that might be what the Astros want you to think, that Ed Wade…
Aftermath: Matt and Kim, the Death Set and Team Robespierre at Walter’s on Washington
Photos by Alex Begley Not many bands play at ground level, and fewer still invite audience members to sit in on drums. These were just a few of the many unexpected actions taken at Thursday’s Matt and Kim/Death Set/Team Robespierre at Walter’s. During the Death Set’s time on stage (or…
Remembering Houston’s ’60s Psych Clubs
Besides here, here, here and, OK, Stone Temple Pilots – if you’re going, at least go early enough to catch opener Black Francis, whose new EP s vn f ng rs is excellent – and a bunch of free instores at Cactus Music, it’s kind of a slow weekend for…
Review: The Broken Window (A Lincoln Rhyme novel), by Jeffery Deaver
Anyone who has experienced identity theft knows that there is no simple way to clear it up; there is no one-call-solves-all approach and that, in fact, it may take weeks, months or even years to get your life straightened out. Bestselling murder mystery writer Jeffery Deaver taps into this for…
Anarchy in the Astros Clubhouse
Wednesday night, just after the Shawn Chacon/Ed Wade cage match, but just before the Astros went out to lose to the Rangers, the clubhouse doors were closed and Drayton McLane had a little chat with his boys. “We can’t have anarchy,” McLane told them. “You can’t have rebellion.” Drayton, I’ve…
Astros-Rangers: Arlington Gets the Silver Boot. Now We Just Need a Texas Team to Actually Win the World Series.
Wow. Talk about a miracle. Not only did the Houston Astros defeat the Texas Rangers last night, but they defeated the Texas Rangers by a 7-2 score. Wandy Rodriguez dominated, and the team looked to be trying to exorcise any demons left behind by Shawn Chacon. The offense came to…
The Weather Channel: So What’s Up?
What with all this “extreme weather” we’re having lately (read that as global climate change wreaking havoc on our oil gluttonous-lifestyles of which I am personally totally guilty…but I digress)…anyway, what with all this “extreme weather” we’re having lately, I can’t help but wander on over to The Weather Channel…
A Modest Proposal: Teach the Gangbangers Respect
Of late, even a cursory perusal of the B-section of the Houston Chronicle reveals a disturbing trend. Gang crime, of the most odious sort. In today’s paper alone, there are accounts of three MS-13 members accused of stabbing Ernesto Garcia to death on Wednesday. Three other gangbangers shot up a…
Houston Astros Dump Shawn Chacon
Well, the Astros are in the process of conducting a press conference regarding last night’s action involving Shawn Chacon and Ed Wade. As would be expected from the Astros, they are not at fault. Everything is the fault of Shawn Chacon. Despite what the Chron reported, Wade states he never…
Aftermath: Islands at Walter’s on Washington
Photos by Brigitte B. Zabak Islands, a sextet of indie rockers from Montreal, Quebec, didn’t always have it quite so together. The last couple of years have been an unstable buoy upon which lead singer/songwriter Nicholas Thorburn floated unsteadily, waiting for people with the right combination of passion, dexterity and…
Aftermath: Shinyribs at Under the Volcano
Photos by Barbara Misto Better Than: Unshiny ribs. Download: The Gourds’ classic cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice.” In fact, just watch this: Former Houstonian and Gourds frontman Kevin Russell is one of the few performers who seems almost unbound from convention and routine. His solo shows are, if…
Can a Houston Texan outrap Shaq?
Since I spend the rest of the day listening to music, most of the time I enjoy (for lack of a better word) waking up to Marc Vandermeer and Andre Ware on SportsRadio 610, even though they’re both entirely too in love with the Texans. I mean, I know the…
Jason Friedman Signs Off
Resident Rockets guy Jason Friedman apparently loved covering T-Mac and Yao so much, he decided to marry them. Okay, not exactly, but he did recently take a job as staff writer for the Houston Rockets, which means he can no longer write for us. We’re definitely gonna miss Jason, but…
Morning MP3s: A Thousand Cranes Seek “Mexican Refuge”
Travis Kershen (pictured) from A Thousand Cranes, who – despite how it appears the lovely poster – open Free Press Houston’s Recession Thursdays tonight at Numbers with Tense, Future Blondes, Balaclavas and Voidmate was kind enough to send me his group’s Mexican Refuge CD a couple of weeks back. To…
The Kids are Alright: Sixth Grader Also Reviews My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges
My Morning Jacket Evil Urges www.mymorningjacket.com I listened to this CD by a band called My Morning Jacket. To me, the name of the band made me think of “Pocket Full of Sunshine,” because sunshine is in the morning, but they turned out to be not as good. Here’s what…
The Kids are Alright: Eighth Grader Reviews My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges
[Today’s Young Writers entries are both reviews of My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges. The view from sixth grade will be posted in a bit.] My Morning Jacket Evil Urges www.mymorningjacket.com One tends to judge what an entire CD will sound like by the first couple of songs. For My Morning…
Anarchy in the Astros Clubhouse?
During last night’s Astros game, there was a play late in the game that had me really asking some questions. A Texas Rangers batter popped up in first base foul territory near the Astros dugout. Brad Ausmus settled under the ball, and looked prepared to make the catch, only to…
Astros-Rangers: Shawn Chacon Is Suspended, Carlos Lee Is Fat
There seems to be a pattern developing with this week’s games between the Rangers and Astros. Rangers lead-off batter Ian Kinsler starts things off with an extra-base hit, then scores the run to put the Rangers up 1-0. Then the Astros take the lead 2-1 on a home run –…
Summer Drinks: Perrier Menthe
Qu’est-ce qu’il faut chaud aujord hui alors! In France, your summer drink of choice could very well be Perrier Menthe, i.e. a sparkling soda flavored with mint syrup. I love this drink and was very pleased to discover that you can get the Teisseire Sirop Menthe at French Riviera Bakery…
Less Mess: Crispy Oven-Baked Bacon
I’ve found the best way to crisp up the thick-sliced bacon I picked up at Vincek’s: You will need a wire rack like the one used for cooling cakes and cookies and a pan to catch the bacon drippings…
Slideshow: Vintage Vegas Signs at the Museum of Printing History
Texas photographer Marilyn Davenport smooth-talked her way in to the Neon Museum’s boneyard in Las Vegas a while back and took pictures of the retired signs that live there. The resulting exhibit, “Modern Jackpot: Vintage Vegas Signs by Marilyn Davenport,” will soon be on display at the Museum of Printing…
“Sentient: Elements”
“Sentient: Elements” pairs the oil-on-canvas art of Angelina Nasso and Katsumi Hayakawa. The works look like opposites — Nasso blurs landscapes and Hayakawa sharpens them up. Nasso’s paintings, among them Gentle People and Imbue, look like scenes washed away with only streaks of blue, green, purple and yellow left behind…
U2
As if Bono couldn’t get any larger than life, the planetarium has decided to supersize his music in the appropriately titled U2. The laser spectacular features the sounds of the Irish rock powerhouse set to lights and animation on the largest screen in the city. Hits like “With or Without…
“Modern Jackpot: Vintage Vegas Signs by Marilyn Davenport”
Las Vegas in the 1950s was an explosion of style, glamour and excitement. Everything was bigger, bolder and better — including the neon signs that adorned the casinos and hotels. Those days are gone, but happily, some of the signs remain in the Neon Museum on the outskirts of Las…
Bob Saget
Want to know why Full House and America’s Funniest Home Videos are still funny? Ask Bob Saget (and give yourself 45 minutes for an answer). The comedian — who will always be Danny Tanner to anyone born before the ‘90s — still likes to talk about his sitcom days onstage…
Deep Red (Profondo Rosso)
Having a bad day? Yours might actually look really terrific after you watch Italian director Dario Argento’s 1975 classic horror film Deep Red (Profondo Rosso), screening today at Domy Books. The colorful film follows a music teacher as he investigates the gruesome murder of a psychic. Argento is especially known…
“Extremely Shorts 11”
It’s no surprise that Aurora Picture Show has found success going after the smaller end of that spectrum with its extremely popular “Extremely Shorts” series, which screens teeny tiny films from around the world (each is three minutes or less). The latest installment coincides with the film house’s ten-year anniversary,…
Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo fans are itching for a win against FC Dallas this season. The teams had ties in both of their previous meetings, with a 3-3 score at home in April and a 2-2 result in Dallas in May. See if the Dynamo can settle the score when they square…
The Sharon Montgomery Cabaret
What’s the difference between a regular piano-and-singer show and a cabaret show? “I talk to you,” says Sharon Montgomery, star of the Bistro Calais cabaret. “You’re part of the show. We really cater to you and involve you. It’s personal. It’s like a party in my living room, but with…
“NeoHooDoo: Art for a Forgotten Faith”
“NeoHooDoo: Art for a Forgotten Faith” at the Menil Collection looks at spirituality and ritual. There is Michael Tracy’s literal Cruz de la Paz Sagrada (Cross of the Sacred Peace), a cross adorned with metal hearts, trinkets, rosary beads, cactus needles and even human hair, as well as the more…
Brown Bag Gallery Tour
Interpreting modern art is always easier when the artist is on hand to explain it all — kind of like a walking, talking cheat sheet. Today’s Brown Bag Gallery Tour at the University of Houston’s Blaffer Gallery features an informal presentation by four artists from the ongoing “2008 Houston Area…
Ain’t Misbehavin’
The joint will be jumping with tunes from Fats Waller at The Ensemble Theatre’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, the 1978 Tony Award-winning musical revue that’s jam-packed with hot sounds from the Jazz Age. Songs like “‘T Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness,” “Your Feet’s Too Big” and, of course, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” will make the summer…
“Stars & Stripes”
Kids can get a jump start on the 4th of July at the “Stars & Stripes” celebration, a special all-day event where visitors can create works of art, patriotic or otherwise, using the colors of the flag. There will be red, white and blue shapes for concocting abstract works (channeling…
Forever Plaid
Never heard of The Plaids? They’re the clean-cut 1950s quartet that make up the cast of the off-Broadway musical Forever Plaid. The foursome is a group of high-school friends who share one dream — to hit it big. Unfortunately, they met with an unfortunate end when they crashed into a…
“Cohesive Discord”
“Cohesive Discord” features the collaborative efforts of the artists behind the recently formed collective BOX 13, at space125gallery. The 11 participating artists usually work independently, but they have embraced this opportunity to familiarize themselves with their studio mates. “Even though we kind of knew each other before, none of us…
Mediterranean Tour with Chef Emily Swantner
Take a Mediterranean Tour with chef Emily Swantner as she demonstrates recipes from Greece, North Africa and the south of France. The dishes include green olive and almond tapenade and marinated lamb loin with spicy eggplant salad. She’ll also prepare chilled golden beet and orange soup with iced yogurt cubes,…
“Die Operette Mit Schlag!”
Those who detect a missing link in the evolution between grandiose operas like Madame Butterfly and, say, Oklahoma!, might be able to fill in their musical education with a dalliance in operetta — a lighter, often more comedic version of opera that’s the modern musical’s natural predecessor. Tonight the Lone…
Dock Dogs
Sure, your beloved Fido might be able to get the paper or your slippers, but how is he at leaping and bounding? Coming to Houston for the first time is the Dock Dogs competition, where leaping and bounding is just the beginning of things. In the sport, water dogs compete…
Houston Pride Festival
Get those rainbow flags ready — Houston’s GLBT community is celebrating 30 years of community pride this weekend. First, there’s an all-day festival with two stages offering non-stop entertainment, an “oasis” (read: cool zone), and plenty of food. (It’s family-oriented, so you can bring the kids.) After the festival, there’s…
Glenn Shaheen
Poet Glenn Shaheen doesn’t always start off on the right foot, but he says the ends justify the means. Take the thoughts on his poem “I Am the Wall in the House and I Have a Duty to Remain Erect”: “It sounds stupid if I say where that one came…
Koppel on Discovery: The People’s Republic of Capitalism
When Ted Koppel and Tom Bettag set out to explore China’s economy, they were met with an unexpected reception. “We found this totally shocking — that we had almost no government interference whatsoever,” says Bettag, the executive producer for the four-part program Koppel on Discovery: The People’s Republic of Capitalism…
Justin C. Gordon
Out of the Gutter, now on issue No. 4, is a journal of degenerate literature whose writers seem to think of the word “pulp” in the sense of “beaten to” rather than “printed on.” Bum fights, botched boob jobs, lab-rat prostitutes and murder (!) drip from its pages, which are…
Stone Temple Pilots, with Black Francis
Scott Weiland had barely wiped Slash’s bootprint from his ass when he and his Stone Temple Pilots bandmates announced their own reunion tour. Seriously. After the singer was kicked out of Velvet Revolver, in a matter of weeks he had hooked up with his old group and set up a…
Neo-soul’s dapper, unusual Peter Hadar
For a self-described “cool weirdo,” Peter Hadar doesn’t sound that weird. “Everyone says that, man,” he laughs. “I got the interview face on right now.” During this particular phone interview, Hadar sounds like an indie-soul artist who just wants folks to know he’s doing things a little differently. What’s so…
My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges
My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James claims the overall theme of Evil Urges, his band’s fifth album, is one of moral confusion. But after a few listens, the most mystifying thing about the record is its vast sonic landscape. The 14-track masterpiece throws listeners for a loop, cramming in everything…
Ten Things I Love About the Houston Music Scene
Whether driving or dating or writing a weekly column, once you get past that first time, it’s all gravy. So for my first go-round as music editor, I thought I’d list a few reasons why, during my recent three-month leave of absence from the Press, moving back to Austin never…
Local H: Twelve Angry Months
Think you’ve had a bad year? Get a load of Local H’s. On Twelve Angry Months, the Chicago alt-rock duo flips through its calendar and recalls 365 days’ worth of lousy dates, psycho girlfriends and sleepless nights. Over a dozen songs that sound like they time-warped from another decade (the…
Tamarie at Target
The Tamarie Cooper Show has arrived at Stages Repertory Theatre, and what a tangy tonic it is. It helps to know a little bit about the history before seeing the show; otherwise, you’re likely to feel a bit like you’re sitting at a party full of very funny people —…
To Catch a Rapist
Corey Williams comes home from work after midnight, tired usually, and sometimes thinking about the joy he used to feel “knocking people over.” As a powerful defensive end, he certainly didn’t mind the violence of football, but what he craved even more was the attention that violence brought — the…
The Hates: 30 Years of Hate 1978-2008
Houston’s Hates — or at least the trio’s sole remaining original member, singer/guitarist Christian Arnheiter — have been waving the circle-A punk-rock flag loud and proud since 1978. How long ago was that? Sid Vicious was still alive, Joey and Johnny Ramone were still speaking to each other and Arnheiter…
Violence Is Golden in Wanted
Of the summer’s many revenge-of-the-nerd fulfillment fantasies — from The Incredible Hulk all the way down the megaplex food chain to The Foot Fist Way — Wanted stands the best chance of dislodging Fight Club from fanboys’ Facebook pages. It has the same dizzying flipbook style, the same kicky ultraviolence,…
Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III
Destined to be a stoner classic, Tha Carter III should silence critics who think Lil Wayne can’t make a cohesive album. His vision and self-confidence have improved exponentially since the humorless mish-mash of styles that was Tha Carter II. III is pop-rap to giggle to and marvel at, from “Phone…
Empire Strikes Back in Mongol
You want a history lesson? Take a class. You want clanging swords, sneering villains, storybook romance and bloody vengeance? Here’s a brawny old-school epic to make the CGI tumult of 300, Alexander and Troy look like sissy-boy slap parties. Mongol, alias Genghis Khan: The Early Years, may compress, elide and…
A New Retreat for the ManKind Project Houston
When Kathy and Ralph Scinto decided to sue a men’s group after their son killed himself following one of the organization’s weekend getaways, they said to themselves that they didn’t want a lot of money. Instead, they wanted to make sure that no one else would have to endure the…
Majesco’s Blast Works: Blowing stuff up DIY-style
The words “user-generated content” usually mean you’re about to encounter one of two things: an irritating Super Bowl commercial made by 16-year-olds, or another dramatic chipmunk. Still, people love this stuff. So it’s no surprise that video-game developers are catering to the YouTube generation with Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy…
Being a Kid at Crave Cupcakes
A good date requires a little indulgence — something sweet and fun to eat, like a cupcake. We caught up with Brad Dorsey, one of the owners of the brand-new Crave Cupcakes (1151-06 Uptown Park Blvd.), on the day they opened. “Cupcakes bring out the kid in all of us,”…
Useless Protest
If you’re a homeowner who has seen the assessment on your house rise a significant amount, you usually protest it. You might bring evidence to your hearing like the fact that a ton of homes in your neighborhood are in foreclosure. Surely that would have some effect on your assessment,…
The Almeda-Genoa Icehouse Crawl
If you’re gonna open up a service establishment like a bar or restaurant, you need permits: alcohol permits, food permits, Dumpster permits, blah, blah, blah. But if you want to open up a real Texas-style icehouse, there’s a whole ‘nother list of permits you’ll need. You’ll need stuffed-animal-head permits and…
What Happens When Chronically Ill Kids Grow Up
Doctors once predicted that Miguel Guevara would not survive his childhood. Born with muscular dystrophy, he was told as a young teenager he would not see 20. Then doctors delayed muscle deterioration with physical therapy. A spinal surgery fixed his backbone, which had twisted into the shape of an “S.”…
The Death Set, with Matt and Kim
Luckily for Houstonians, this East Coast pack of semi-underground, hipster-friendly, DIY punks has scraped together enough gas money for its first Texas trip since last March’s buzzworthy SXSW appearance. Scenesters may already be familiar with the ever-adorable, hip-hop infused noise of Matt and Kim, but the night’s dark horse is…
Her Space Holiday, with Lymbyc Systym
Like Casiotone for the Painfully Alone or Say Hi, Her Space Holiday perfects the delicate balance of deadpan bittersweetness. Over the past decade, Marc Bianchi, the primary force behind the San Mateo, California-based project, has crafted lo-fi electronic odes that meld the Notwist’s indie beats with Bright Eyes’ hopeless romanticism…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Ruth Pastine: Ever Present,” “Jason Salavon: Annex and Catalogue,”
“Ruth Pastine: Ever Present” Ruth Pastine’s paintings at Gallery Sonja Roesch have some amazingly subtle coloration going on. What at first seem to be shadows on ostensibly monochromatic minimalist works are actually faint underlays of color. Using a tiny brush and thin layers of paint, Pastine builds up delicate, luminous…
Canada Day, with the Drams
Houstonians who know when Canada Day is are few and far between, but not at the Maple Leaf Pub, where hockey is king and stellar Denton rockers the Drams will lead lovers of the frozen north through an all-day festival featuring local slide guitar ace Aaron Loesch, long-running folk trio…
Extra Crispy at Russo’s New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria
“Was the crust black on the edges?” a fellow pizza geek asked me when I reported on my first experience at Russo’s New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria. “It was dark brown here and there, but not black,” I reported. “Didn’t you tell them to make it extra-crispy?” my friend nearly shouted…
Riff Tiffs, Tontons, Fat Tony, Lisa’s Sons
All too often, local talent goes unnoticed by most Houstonians, so a big venue such as Warehouse Live hosting a slew of local bands is both a rare treat and an opportunity for those bands to really turn some heads (and sell some T-shirts). Expect low-key, melodic rock from headliners…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Electile Dysfunction, Exit the Body, Gilligan’s Island, Moments in a Decade
Electile Dysfunction Radio Music Theatre has tackled the wild and wacky political season with this funny play, which is full of characters as kooky as the past few months have been. Writer/director Steve Farrell knows just how to put things into perspective. His silly show features the Jones family from…
Just Like Heaven: Isla Coqui
Just like heaven: The tres leches ($5) at Isla Coqui (1801 Durham, 713-861-1000) is a four-inch square of heaven — a cake so incredibly moist, if you squeezed it like a sponge, you’d extract at least a half cup of sweetened condensed milk. And that’s just one of the three leches,…
“The Old Weird America: Folk Themes in Contemporary Art”
America is a weird place, all the more so because most Americans think our country is completely normal. (All those other countries are the weird ones.) Toby Kamps knows we’re strange. Senior curator at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, he organized the show “The Old Weird America: Folk Themes in…
Dr Pepper, Planned Parenthood and Air Conditioning
Dr. Fill Worth the drive: While it may be possible to get bootleg bottles of Dublin Dr Pepper all over the state, anyone from Hico to Weatherford will tell you the best way to enjoy it is from a fountain in a cup full of ice from the local Chicken…
Bayousphere
“If you keep blasting that a/c, I’m gonna need more paint here!!” Vonetta Berry deals with touchy issues as she makes a piece of art out of Kat Jones at H Gallery. The gallery is featuring an exhibit of Soloman Kane’s Psycho-Spirituality Under the Black Lights. It’s also featuring topless…
Mexican Property and Evil Eyes
Dear Mexican, What do you think would happen if U.S. citizens could as easily buy land and set up businesses in Mexico as Mexicans can do in the U.S.? Might that be a big boost to the Mexican economy? I know there are provisions in the Mexican Constitution that prevent…
