The Yardbirds Still Got It Live If You Want It
Coming out of the suburbs of London in 1963, the quintessentially English Yardbirds had one of the more interesting career trajectories of bands in terms of sound. They hatched as a mostly hardcore blues-based group, specializing in covers like “Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl” “Got Love If You Want It,” and…
The Supreme Court Strikes Down the Texas Abortion Law HB2
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday made its decision on the stringent abortion laws passed by the Texas Legislature in 2013, voting 5-3 to strike down House Bill 2 on the case Whole Women’s Health vs. Hellerstedt. The law hinged on two key requirements for abortion clinics. The first required doctors…
The Mighty Orq: Blues for All Kinds of Weather
The title track of the Mighty Orq’s fifth studio album, Love in a Hurricane, is a beautiful paean to marital bliss as it follows a couple from their hometown of Odessa to the “bright lights” of Houston, and finally to a suburban love nest west of the city. Most listeners…
Bonkers New Doc Tickled Digs Into the Strangest of Cover-Ups
In a stark white room, four boys huddle on a mattress, addressing the camera. They’re athletic, the picture of youth and every Abercrombie & Fitch catalog. A blond boy says, “We want to thank Jane O’Brien Media for this opportunity,” and they all smile and wave. They’re about to take…
10 Artists You May Have Forgotten Played Warped Tour
Since the mid-’90s, the Vans Warped Tour has been an annual staple on the summer festival scene. A travelling circus of big names, has-beens, never-weres, and just-might-bes, the tour tends to cater to the punk and pop-punk crowd. As much will be evident when it rolls through NRG Park this…
What, Exactly, Is a “Certified” Neapolitan Pizza Place?
Neapolitan pizza, or, the style of pizza from Naples, Italy, is something many consumers are learning about. It is nothing like what comes from Pizza Hut, Papa John’s or Domino’s. It is not a thick-crust pizza, nor is it a thin, crispy pizza. It cooks in 90 seconds or less…
Happy Father’s Day! Here Are The Five Best and Worst Sports Dads
Sunday is Father’s Day, so allow me to begin by wishing all of the dads out there a very happy day this Sunday. Hopefully, your family allows you to lay around on the sofa watching golf all day long with one hand tucked in your waistband and the other wrapped…
NBA Finals, Game 6: Cavaliers 115, Warriors 101 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
If you believe, like Draymond Green does, that if Green were on the floor in Game 5 and not suspended because he punched LeBron James in the nuts in Game 4 of the NBA Finals (giving Green enough flagrant fouls in the postseason to earn a suspension) that the Golden…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Treat Dad To Brunch, Scotch & Crawfish
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: Galveston Cajun Crawfish Festival @ Kermit Courville Stadium (Parking lot) Friday, noon to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 1207 27th This three-day island festival celebrates the best of Louisiana and Texas-style foods alongside…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: A Brunch Showdown & the Return of a Summer Favorite
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary events: It’s soft shell Gulf Blue Crab time at Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen, 1212 Waugh, which is serving soft shell crabs topped with blackened jumbo shrimp, bay scallops, oysters and jumbo lump crab meat in a…
The Clinton/Trump Ticket That Could Unite the Country
As we hurtle forward towards election day, and with two presumptive presidential candidates in place, there’s an overwhelming feeling of dissatisfaction. It’s not ennui – this is perhaps the most entertaining election year in recent history – but it begs the question: why are we, the United States, the land…
Openings & Closings in Houston: A Cat Café & Nobu Coming To Town
Brace yourselves– a cat café is finally coming to Houston. According to Alice Levitt at Houstonia, Renée Reed, a CPA, is teaming up with her boyfriend Josh Cormier, a restaurant manager and bartender, to create El Gato Coffeehouse Cat Café. Confused about cat cafés? They’re places that serve light café…
The Five Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Comicpalooza, Aliens Reunion and a Do-Over for Charlie Hunnam
What in the world could top a 30-year anniversary Aliens reunion at Comicpalooza 2016, the largest comic and pop culture event in Texas? How about the best do-over in the history of ever, with Sons of Anarchy bad boy Charlie Hunnam returning to the Bayou City, making good on promises…
Maceo Parker Brings the Funk to Houston’s Juneteenth Celebration
With long stints in James Brown’s band as well as George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic, Maceo Parker, who leads an all-star band headlining Sunday’s Juneteenth celebration at Miller Outdoor Theatre, is one of the most storied and respected saxophonists in the country. After thousands of gigs and a mind-boggling list of recording…
10 Essential Houston Things For the First Bar On the Moon
Mankind went to the moon in 1969 and famously stopped going just a few years later. Because we haven’t returned, tales of crater monsters and faked moon landings have abounded. But the real reason we have not revisited Earth’s satellite could be its lack of a decent bar. Sure, other amenities…
Blood of an Outlaw Prepare to Unleash Epic ‘Southern Hymns’
On warm spring day a few months back, I found myself navigating the wide grid of roads of farmland and homesteads that sit just west of highway 288. I’d been given the opportunity to attend Houston’s metalcore band Blood of an Outlaw’s weekly scheduled practice session, and met the invitation…
Hundreds Stand With Orlando, LGBTQ Community at City Hall Vigil
The candles were lit at dusk, more than a thousand of them on the lawn of City Hall. The crowd of people — many with rainbow flags and signs calling for love and remembrance of the 49 people killed in a shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub early Sunday morning —…
Four Houston Texans Who Have Improved Without Even Putting On Pads Yet
In today’s NFL, with less practice and less contact collectively bargained, educated observations on how a player has improved through the offseason are harder than ever to ascertain in June. The real proof of a player progressing from Point A to Point B in his career comes in August and…
City Will Give Away 2,000 “Car Escape Tools” Amid Hurricane Season, Potentially More Flooding
Wednesday may not have been the last time that a Houston police officer will smash a car door’s window to pieces in the middle of City Hall. On Wednesday, Turner presented the new “car escape tools” that will be given away to up to 2,000 residents over the next month…
Jackson Street BBQ Marks Juneteenth With East Texas African-American Tradition
This Sunday, June 19, Jackson Street BBQ is serving a type of barbecue that rarely gets the same glamorous recognition as brisket or ribs: East Texas links. The spicy beef sausages are also referred to as “garlic bombs” and “grease balls” thanks to the high fat content of the meat…
Selena Gomez Is All Grown Up, But Still Not Terribly Interesting Live
Selena Gomez, DNCE, Bea Miller Toyota Center June 15, 2016 Watching a pop spectacular feels like watching a Vegas magician at times: you start looking past all the misdirection in hopes of finding something more than just cheese. There are moments in a Selena Gomez show where her greatness starts…
Stirred and Shaken: Spanish Air At Bad News Bar
Second-floor, speakeasy-ish Bad News Bar is dark, old and long with a varnished bar counter that seems to stretch into infinity. The space seems doused in history because the downtown building it’s in was built in 1880 after a fire destroyed half the block. It’s reminiscent of the historic bars…
Houston City Councilman Fires “Community Outreach” Director Who Ranted Against Islam
Almost a month after he was caught on video ranting against Islam at a meeting for the Harris County GOP Precinct 415, Trebor Gordon was fired from his position on the staff of at-large Houston city councilman Mike Knox. Gordon made national news after the video went viral, showing him…
5 Houston Restaurants With Great Values On Rosé
The scorching temperatures of summer are hitting hard but the cool, crisp, refreshing qualities of rosé are primed for rescue. If when hearing “rosé” the only thing that comes to mind are sickly-sweet, cheap wines, then it’s time to reconsider. (By the way: men can drink pink, too. It demonstrates…
Drayton McLane Reportedly Pushing Baylor to Bring Back Art Briles
A second Title IX lawsuit was filed against Baylor Wednesday. Another in what promises to be a series of lawsuits arising out of a series of alleged sexual assaults involving Baylor football players and various Baylor female students. The resulting scandal has already resulted in Baylor president Ken Starr losing…
Everyone’s A Bad Parent. Yes, Even You.
A two-year old boy was killed by an alligator at Disneyworld’s Grand Floridian Resort last Tuesday. Lane Graves was on the beach of Seven Seas Lagoon, which the Floridian shares with one other resort (Polynesian Village; the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness are on adjacent Bay Lake), with his father, mother,…
DEFCON Dining: No Norman Rockwell Moments at Hanz Diner
Dining out with children is an exercise in situational awareness. Each experience is unique, with different variables leading to different possible outcomes, DEFCON-like in their escalating threat levels. Keen observation, forward planning and prior experience are critical in determining the proper strategy. Here at DEFCON Dining, we do the grunt…
A Place to Bury Strangers Find Satisfaction in Destruction
Heard about Led Zeppelin and the mud shark? Rock and roll continues to collect mythological tales that dances on the paper-thin line between logic and bullshit. Considering he did link the recent deaths of Merle Haggard and Prince to chemtrails, controversy-courting talk-show might entertain a theory like the 1966 car…
10 Unconventional Things to Do in Houston for Father’s Day
If you’re a Hallmark store lurker like yours truly, you know that Father’s Day is very much a cookie cutter set of ideas about traditional American masculinity. Dad wants to hit the golf ball, eat the steak, drink the beer, watch the sports, go fishing, and stuff like that. Everything…
New Houston Shop Decides Best Way to Get Attention is To Give Away an Assault Rifle
The blocky phrase AR-15 sticks out like a poorly parked car these days, particularly when it’s stretched across the news following a deadly mass shooting. It was the rifle used to kill murder 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando; the weapon used to kill 14 people in San Bernardino, California; 20…
Little Can Be Done When Fans’ Obsessions Turn Deadly
Last Friday Christina Grimmie, a 22-year-old singer who had risen to fame online and after appearing on the NBC’s The Voice, was shot and killed while signing autographs after a show in Florida. The murderer, a man named Kevin James Loibl, also killed himself. His motivations are still unknown, but the…
When Death Strikes a Music Festival, Is It Time to Make a Change?
After so many music festivals come familiar headlines: “Police investigating death of UM student who attended Ultra Music Festival.” (Miami) “At least 2 dead and nearly 60 others hospitalized after Florida music festival.” (Tampa) “Five die at Argentina Time Warp electronic music festival.” (Buenos Aires) And those headlines? Those are…
I Can Only Have Sex When I’m Drunk or High. Help!
I CAN ONLY HAVE SEX WITH MY LADY WHEN I’M DRUNK OR HIGH Dear Willie D: It’s bad when you’re married to a woman who don’t turn you on unless you’re chemically imbalanced. My wife used to be gorgeous, but in the past six years she’s fell so far off…
Pixar Dives Under the Sea Again — and Into Memory Itself
Finding Nemo may have been a cartoon about a clownfish traveling across the ocean looking for his son, but it was also one of Pixar’s first overt forays into the workings of the human mind. The film, from 2003, was haunted by loss: The protagonist, Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks),…
Donald Trump Settles on The Woodlands for Houston Stop
Donald Trump is coming to Houston on Friday, but he’s currently not scheduled to hold any campaign rallies or make public appearances while he’s here. However, apparently this isn’t because the controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee (and possible future overlord) doesn’t wish to make these appearances. Nope, instead it turns…
A Look At Jane & John Dough Bakery In Tomball
It’s noon on a Saturday and customers have lined up inside the pretty little cottage that houses Jane & John Dough Bakery, 208 North Elm in Tomball. (Actually, all of the places in this quaint business district are in pretty little cottages.) Some are here for a late breakfast. Others…
What If Houston Bars Were Named For What They’re Really Like?
Sometimes a bar’s name alone doesn’t give a clue as to what it’s really like. What’s its niche? Who are the patrons? Is it cheap, expensive, pretentious or fancy? Is it a dive? What a bar starts out as isn’t necessarily how it ends up, either. They evolve and acquire…
Could the Alabama-Coushatta Be Forced to Close Their Just-Opened Casino Again?
The Alabama-Coushatta’s Naskila Entertainment Center has been up and running since the beginning of June without a word of reproach from the state authorities. However, a recent decision from a federal judge in Texas could open the door to new legal problems for the Alabama-Coushatta, despite the fact that the ruling…
The Texas Music Festival Presents a Concert for Outdoors and Indoors
Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka tells the story of the puppet Petrushka, who falls in love with the beautiful Ballerina puppet. She rejects him for the Moor puppet, and Petrushka, hurt, challenges him to a duel. The Moor kills Petrushka, whose ghost rises above the puppet theater, shaking his fist at the…
The Other “Black Gold”: A Guide To Seven Of Houston’s Boutique Coffee Roasters
Roasting coffee beans is a skill honed over years of practice. Once mastered, it creates a product of perfect balance, flavor and aroma. Coffee roasting began in the 12th century and today, Americans drink more than 350 million cups of coffee per day. This means coffee is the second most…
UH and Hofheinz Family Settle Their Pavilion Squabble
And now, some happy news for a change: after months of fighting over how the University of Houston’s Hofheinz Pavillion basketball arena would be named following a planned reconstruction, UH officials and the Hofheinz family have reached an “amicable resolution.” Here’s what they hammered out, according to a UH…
TUTS Rethinks its 2016-17 Season, Starting Now
Where was the Sondheim? That’s just one of the questions Sheldon Epps asked when he reviewed the previously announced upcoming season for Theatre Under the Stars and found that while there were some gems he wanted to retain, there were other musicals on the schedule that seemed a bit tired…
Brock Osweiler Just Needs To Be As Good As Matt Schaub
I realize the title of this post may have sent many of you straight for the bathroom to go toss up whatever it was you ate for breakfast, and for that I sincerely apologize. Indeed, if you’ve been “Schaubbed,” I feel terrible. What I would ask of you is that…
The Geto Boys’ 33 1/3 Book May Be Useful For Anyone Not Already a Fan
The Geto Boys By Rolf Potts 33 1/3/Bloomsbury, 2016 My first memory of the Geto Boys was learning how to play the iconic hook from “Mind Playing Tricks On Me” in middle-school band. I know now that the warbling guitar lick fueling the track is sampled from a 1974 Isaac…
The 10 Hottest New Restaurants In Houston For June 2016
It’s time again to check in on Houston’s ever-dynamic food scene and see what’s new and which places diners are gravitating to. This month, the list has brand-new spots, some holdovers and perhaps a slightly premature declaration, but we’re betting we’re right. We’ll also take a moment to honor this…
Historic Galveston Island Serves as the Birthplace of Juneteenth
Galveston is steeped in history, and perhaps no better reminder can be found than with this weekend’s emancipation festivities on the Island, the birthplace of Juneteenth. It seems hard to believe, especially in this day and age of immediacy in news, but the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 did…
Most Bus Riders Can’t Access Reliable, High-Frequency Transit in Houston, Especially if They’re Black, Study Says [UPDATED]
Earlier this spring, two national organizations that study public transportation teamed up to create a giant map showcasing how hundreds of cities’ transit networks cater to different neighborhoods. It also ranked cities on a ten-point scale based mostly on the accessibility of routes, along with how effectively they get people…
40 Years of Ramones Mania
The influence of the Ramones is actually hard to exaggerate, since they literally jump-started the punk musical insurrection that leapfrogged across the globe. No doubt, others of their ilk across the country, which was barely disentangling itself from “Me Generation” soft rock, had starting paving the way too — among…
Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen: Texas Country’s Greatest Bromance
Whatever you want to say about Texas country music, one thing has always been true: ours is a tight-knit scene full of artists who are constantly cheering each other on. Outside of the camaraderie, though, these relationships also produce some of the genre’s finest collaborations. Instead of slicked-up studio albums,…
10 Summer Music Festivals Worth Travelling the World For
Even though Houston has some killer summer concerts coming to town in the next few months, our city’s climate sometimes makes sweating it out at a show too much to bear. The weather — whether it be heat indexes over 100 degrees or the never-ending rain — is sending a clear message:…
Outlaw No More Charlie Hunnam Coming Back to Houston For the Best Do-Over in the History of Ever
While we’re all still trying to sort out the mess that occurred at last month’s Space City Comic Con (and boy was it a whopper), we’re pumped about the fact that Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam (Jax Teller) is coming back to town, only this time it’s a scheduled…
Houston Anti-Trans Group Takes Time to Spread More Hate in Wake of Orlando Tragedy
The sputtering homophobes behind Houston’s anti-trans/anti-Target “Campaign for USA” want you to know that while they mourn the Orlando tragedy, they still despise homosexuality. An opinion piece posted on the Campaign for USA site — launched by Houston attorney Jared Woodfill and Houston technically-a-doctor Steve Hotze, the hate-hydra that helped…
One Charge Dropped Against Undercover Anti-Abortion Activist Who Infiltrated Planned Parenthood
The case against the anti-abortion activists who face criminal charges after entering a Planned Parenthood using fake IDs in effort to “investigate” the alleged sale of fetal tissue has now become even more ironic than it already was. Late Monday, County Judge Diane Bull dropped the misdemeanor charges of offering…
NBA Finals, Game 5: Cleveland 112, Golden State 97 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
As the minutes were winding off of the clock late in the fourth quarter on Friday night in Game 4, with the Golden State Warriors firmly in control of the game and, once the game ended, the series, Game 5 was shaping up to be a coronation more than a…
Rising Duo HAKEEM Readies For a Sweaty Summer
If you’ve ever had your car towed for a parking violation, you know the misery which ensues. The shock at being towed from an area you thought safe swiftly gives way to the frustration and anger of finding the impounded vehicle and forking over big bucks to rescue it. Practically…
This Week in Houston Food Blogs: Fajitas & Grilling Ideas Galore
This week, we’ve got a review of a top Houston eatery’s current seasonal menu, a look at the Houston Fajita Festival, and a couple of grill-oriented recipes for you to try this summer. Shanna Jones of Urban Swank stopped by MAX’s Wine Dive, 214 Fairview, to check out the new…
Marquee Texas College Football Programs Have Struggled Since the Aggies Move to the SEC
Floridians will try to convince you that their state is the fulcrum of the high school and college football universe. Californians will do the same. However, there’s a reason that Friday Night Lights was based in the rural reaches of West Texas. That’s because Texas is football, and football is…
Listeria Contamination Of Sunflower Seeds And Potential Undeclared Peanut Content Prompt Latest Batch Of Recalls
A voluntary recall by SunOpta of sunflower seeds due to possible listeria contamination is having a huge trick-down effect, prompting dozens of recalls of big, brand-name food products. A similar series of recalls have been issued due to the accidental inclusion of peanuts in flour. The potential sunflower seed contamination…
How An HPD Investigator Tracked Down A Man Suspected Of Raping 15 Or More Women
On Monday the Houston Police Department announced that they had arrested and charged a suspect they believe may have raped as many as 15 women and possibly more in the Fifth Ward area since 2012. For now, 33-year-old Marquis Tate is charged with eight counts of aggravated sexual assault and…
Little Women at A.D. Players is a Warm Slice of Americana
The set-up: Long, long before mega-musical Wicked, there was an American novel that empowered young girls to be the best they could be. Anyone remember Louisa May Alcott and best-seller Little Women (1868)? Alcott’s warm slice of Americana was a definite precursor to feminism. Tomboy Jo wants a career, and,…
German Artist Nicholas Bodde’s exhibit “Color Rhythm” Offers Cheerfulness and Joy at Gallery Sonja Roesch
About 25 years ago, German artist Nicholas Bodde began painting stripes – parallel lines of various thicknesses in contrasting and complementary colors – and he never looked back. What has changed over the years is the form taken for his two-and three-dimensional abstractions, which touch on themes of European constructivism…
2016 Heisman Odds Released, State Of Texas Barely Represented
It’s always interesting when the Heisman Trophy is handed down in an election year in our country because it magnifies the truth behind college football’s most prestigious award — it’s the closest on-field sports award to our actual election, complete with propaganda, campaigning, privilege, and talking heads screaming their opinions…
The People To Convince On “No Tipping” Are Customers And Servers
New York restaurateur Danny Meyer of Union Square Hospitality Group caused a stir in the restaurant industry last year when he announced that his restaurants, which include The Modern and Gramercy Tavern, would move to a no-tipping model called, “Hospitality Included.” Customers would no longer need to tip, employees would…
Muslim Faith Leader: “There Is Nothing ‘Islamic’ Or Religious About Murdering Innocent People”
Following the nation’s deadliest mass shooting in history at the Orlando gay nightclub Pulse on Sunday morning, more than a dozen interfaith leaders gathered at the Montrose Center in Houston Monday to stand in solidarity against the attack that killed 50 people and injured 53 more, and to provide support…
Upcoming: Black Sabbath, Elvis Costello, Fea, Eric Johnson, Kongos, Maxo Kream, Private Excitement, Rodney Crowell, etc.
Note: Events in bold reflect highly recommended shows. 40 Below Summer: With Serosia, Twelve Years Driven, 72down, MadSons, Black Standard. Fri., August 26, 8 p.m., TBA. BFE Rock Club, 11528 Jones, Houston, 281-894-1811. Adema: With The Apostles, The Return of Sol34, Devil’s Adversary, Intrapulse, Burning Winter. Sat., August 6, 8…
Selling Space: Entrepreneurs Offer Dreams and Schemes in the Hope of Making a Buck Off the Cosmos
It’s July 2010, and one of the world’s first “space lawyers” is accepting the prestigious “Pioneer of NewSpace Award” from the Space Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group dedicated to space exploration and settlement. Art Dula isn’t just a pioneer in space law — he’s a bona fide spaceship owner, with…
Tejas Chocolate Craftory Puts Beer, Barbecue and Chocolate on the Menu
Craft Beer. Barbecue. Chocolate. Three words painted on signings hanging over the porch of the charming cottage that houses Tejas Chocolate Craftory should warm all but the stoniest of hearts. But those gently swaying signs are the only clues that indicate the restaurant with “chocolate” in its name also makes…
7 Great Alternative Comics From The 1980s
I’ve been a comic book fan since I was a kid, but after an early fascination with super hero and horror titles had begun to wane in my teen years, I discovered underground comix from the 1960s and ’70s, and never really cared about super beings in spandex suits again…
Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis Wants to Erase Rock’s Gender Lines
Draped over an amp on the stage at Walters Downtown Sunday night, and at every stage Speedy Ortiz plays on, was a black jersey that says boldly in all caps: “Gender Is Over.” It comes from a campaign of the same name, inspired by Yoko and John Lennon’s “War Is…
NASA is Now Partnering With the United Arab Emirates
NASA just signed an agreement to work with the United Arab Emirates to explore space. And this isn’t just any deal. The federal space agency has agreed to share scientific data, telescopes, and maybe even spacecraft with the oil-rich country, with the main focus being on the “exploration of Mars.”…
Dante Higgins, Houston’s Underappreciated Man of the People
In a strange twist in the career of Dante Higgins, he’s right back in underdog territory. Imagine his mental state when understanding that. Imagine his emotions when he learned that his friend, Michael Irving, had been shot and killed at the same church in Third Ward where he was the audio…
Music’s 10 Most Notable Plagiarism Lawsuits
Ed Sheeran is famous around the world for myriad hit singles, for being Taylor Swift’s BFF, and for being a rarity in today’s musical climate — a solo artist who can move millions of records on the back of strong mainstream terrestrial radio play. Turns out he may have taken a…
Decline, Death and Consumerism Inform Houston’s “Salon of Desert Martyrs”
In Matthew Couper’s first showing with Zoya Tommy in 2012, his work being the skulls portion of the “Guns and Skulls” group exhibit, the artist offered up recurring themes of capitalism, the death of our nation, crucifixion, snakes, skulls and the all-seeing eye. Presented in the dark and muted tones…
When Houston Met Gordie Howe
Hockey legend Gordie Howe died last Friday. I never met Howe, and I never had any type of interaction with him, so I can’t write about Howe the person. I choose instead to write of Howe, the legend. Of Howe, the hockey great who had retired from hockey in 1971…
Dish of the Week: Eggs In Purgatory
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here. This week, we’re sharing an easy dish that works for any meal, from breakfast to a late night snack: eggs in purgatory. For this…
Run-D.M.C. Are the Once and Forever Kings
Boom 92 Boom Bash Featuring Run-D.M.C., Rakim, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Naughty By Nature Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 11, 2016 Did you know that Run-D.M.C. was coming to town? Maybe I just run in the wrong circles, but it felt like this rare appearance by one of the most important…
Asian Market Know-How: Six Awesome Asian Snacks
The larger Asian markets have snack aisles filled with an abundance of interesting products with wacky names. Don’t let the names scare you! Wrapped in bright, colorful packaging with Chinese, Korean and Japanese characters splattered across the bags are hidden treasures of sweet, sour and savory flavors! Of all the…
Hundreds of Immigrants Gather To Tell Sheriff Hickman To Stop Facilitating Deportations
On Saturday afternoon, roughly 1,000 immigrants, driving in from 33 states, descended on San Jacinto Street right outside the Harris County Jail bearing messages for the sheriff: “Dear Ron Hickman,” one sign read, “please keep our families together.” The immigrants were protesting the sheriff’s office’s participation in a controversial federal…
The Biggest Street Race in the World is Coming to NRG Park in Houston
When you see the smoke coming off the hard top in the NRG Park parking lot, don’t call 911. EMS will already be on site, plus the cops, but nobody’s heading over to Riesner because street racing is now legal, or at least the fast-paced no-prep version of the sport…
Melissa Pritchett Shines in Born Yesterday at the Alley Theatre
The set-up: Once upon a time, circa 1946 in Garson Kanin’s delicious, not-so-retro retelling of the Pygmalion tale Born Yesterday, which is brightening the downtown sky via the Alley’s lively production, dumb broad Billie Dawn (a heavenly lowbrow Melissa Pritchett), the mistress of heavy-handed junk magnate Harry Brock (Stephen Pelinski,…
NFL Contract Negotiations In 2016: Super Bowl MVP Von Miller Crops John Elway Out Of Instagram Pic
Back in the day, before social media became a governing force in all of our lives, if you were an NFL player mired in a contract dispute with your team and you wanted to make yourself heard, you or your agent needed to go to the local media, state your…
First Look At Cane Rosso In The Heights
Jay Jerrier opened his first Cane Rosso pizzeria in Dallas in 2011 and it’s been hailed by national publications such as Eater and The Daily Meal as one of the best pizzerias in America. So, it was entirely unsurprising last Friday night that new Houston location at 1835 North Shepherd in…
This Week in Houston Food Events: A Week for Wine-O’s, Plus Father’s Day!
All Week Through Saturday, Bistro Provence at 13616 Memorial will celebrate all things rosé with 50-percent off many top-notch bottles, as well as daily food specials to pair with the wine. Not a fan of rosé? Other wines will also be discounted throughout the week. Tuesday, June 14 The Burger…
Woman Who Went On 31 Dates in 31 Days Responds To Her Critics At Reveal Party
She went on 29 first dates and two second dates in 31 days in May, nicknamed herself “Extra Cash Cathy Chapman,” and called her dating experiment “Operation: No Pay May.” “I may or may not be doing it for the free food,” her Twitter bio notes. Yes, Cathy Smith has…
Music Scene Mourns the Loss of Superfan Paige Balinski
As multiple Houston news sources reported last week, Paige Balinski was bicycling to her Crosby-area home in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 4 when she was struck and killed by a motor vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, believed to be a white Jeep Cherokee authorities have seized,…
NASA and SpaceX Are Partnering to Send the Red Dragon to Mars
NASA is partnering up with SpaceX to send an unmanned spaceship to Mars. It’s a deal that should pay off well for the federal space agency. NASA and SpaceX are going to be working together to send SpaceX’s unmanned spacecraft, the Red Dragon, to Mars in 2018. The Red Dragon…
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Reaps Tons of Criticism for His Social Media Post After the Orlando Shootings
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick drew a firestorm of criticism on Sunday when his account posted a Bible verse stating “man reaps what he sows” just hours after a Florida gay club became the scene of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. The post went up on Facebook and Twitter…
Nearly a Decade of Falling Asleep to Radiohead Albums
Radiohead is not actually a boring band. Engaged, active listening to their music reveals layers upon layers of hidden sounds, deep, melancholic lyrical content, innovative guitar playing, and complex drum patterns. Their sound as a band has been known to abruptly change between albums, often in exciting and influential directions…
Shows of the Week: A Moment of Truth For Selena Gomez
SELENA GOMEZ, DNCE Toyota Center, June 15 Selena Gomez is all grown up, and that’s for the best. The last time she was in town, she was still straddling that weird line between teen and adult pop star, and the result was a show that had the crowd screaming less…
Houston’s 10 Best Bars For a Weeknight
Some folks work weekends and do it purely out of convenience. Many know it’s the best time to find a good deal. Others do it simply because drinking alone in public feels less alcoholic-y than drinking alone at home. Whatever your reason, weeknight drinking is a regular pastime in Houston…
Get Ready for the Tony Awards With James Corden’s Car Pool Karaoke
Sunday night it’s the Tony Awards and while everyone expects a huge sweep by Hamilton with its 16 awards, we can at least know we’ll hear some really good music. So get ready to start at 7 p.m. central time Sunday on CBS, Channel 11 in Houston. To get you…
Libby Koch Is Ready to ‘Just Move On’
For her last album, 2014’s Tennessee Colony, Libby Koch fashioned songs out of stories her family had been telling each other for generations, some that date all the way back to their settlement near Palestine (Texas) in the 1830s and ’40s. This time out, she wanted something a little less…
Willie D Remembers Muhammad Ali
Editor’s note: Willie D is a member of the legendary platinum-selling rap group the Geto Boys, and writes Ask Willie D, a top-rated weekly advice column that appears in the Houston Press each Thursday. He is a former boxer and aficionado of the sport who in part credits his confidence…
Texas Appeals Court Throws Out Texas Racing Commission’s Historic Racing Appeal
Well, it ‘s now official. Even the Texas court system seems convinced that the Texas Racing Commission was overreaching when it passed rules allowing historic racing at Texas racetracks in 2014. The push to put historic racing, a setup where people bet on races that are shown on video with…
Three Houston Chefs Are Jockeying for Votes in James Beard Foundation Burger Competition
The James Beard Foundation is challenging chefs to create burgers as tasty as they are conscientious with the 2nd Annual “Blended Burger Project.” Three Houston chefs— Antoine Ware of Harold’s in the Heights, recent Chopped winner and operator of Craft Burger Truck, Shannen Tune, and Bernie’s Burger Bus owner/chef Justin…
Inmate Sues Jailers Who Strangled Him for Smiling During Mugshot
Instead of trying to smack an allegedly intoxicated man’s smile off his face, jailers at the Harris County Jail apparently thought they could choke it off. That’s what Christopher Johnson claimed they tried to do to him while taking a mugshot at the jail, after being arrested on suspicion of…
Giselle at Houston Ballet Has a Spectacular Second Act
How does a choreographer approach reconfiguring one of the foundation story ballets? If you’re Stanton Welch, it’s making the narrative stronger than what it already is. Such is the case with his shimmery new Giselle, a tale of love and betrayal and the power of the supernatural Willis, spirits of…
Rum, Mixology and the Last of Negroni Week
While Negroni week will continue on through the weekend, this marks the last entry of our week-long series. It’s been a whirlwind tour of bars across the city that are slinging Campari in a dizzying array of drinks and styles. Some hold close to the Negroni tradition, others take some…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: A Germany vs. USA Battle of the Brews
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: Woodlands Wine & Food Week Friday–Sunday Close out Woodlands Wine & Food Week with events like Friday’s Sips, Suds & Tacos event, a taco and beer tasting held at the The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, 1601 Lake Robbins, from 6…
Videos: This Is What It Was Like to Ride the Rides of AstroWorld
Houston needs an amusement park. Sure, from go karts to the various tourist traps along to the coast to taking the 610 to 59 South exit during rush hour, there are still plenty of ways for an adrenaline junkie to get their fix in the greater Houston area, but it’s…
Mayor Turner Asks Gov. Abbott to Declare the Zika Virus a Public Health Emergency
On Thursday Mayor Sylvester Turner called on Gov. Greg Abbott to declare the Zika virus a public health emergency so that the city could access millions of dollars in already-available funds and take more preventative measures. With the onslaught of heavy rains and flooding this spring, Turner said he and…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Get a Blended Burger
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary events: Bernie’s Burger Bus, 5407 Bellaire, is participating a cool new project hosted by the James Beard Foundation. The Blended Burger Project is a nationwide initiative to encourage restaurants to create a burger that blends beef with…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: The Conjuring 2
Title: The Conjuring 2 Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: Lisa: “It chose to destroy itself rather than live with us. You can’t help but feel a little rejected.” Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Three-and-a-half David Soul singles out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Evil spirit would’ve gotten away with it too,…
Openings & Closings in Houston: Niko Niko’s, Local Foods & Antone’s Sprout New Locations
The big news this week is that John Besh, a James Beard Award-winning chef based in New Orleans, will open a restaurant in Houston next year. Eunice, a Cajun and Creole brasserie, will be located at 3737 Buffalo Speedway, and chef Drake Leonards will relocate from Lüke, another Besh concept…
International Noise Conference Turns Up in Houston
INTERNATIONAL NOISE CONFERENCE: HOUSTON EDITIONFeaturing the Laundry Room Squelchers, Concrete Violin, Kai/ros, Mephedrone, Peiiste, Electric Sleep Don’t let the name fool you: there won’t be any PowerPoint, perhaps there will be no laptops at all in evidence tonight at Notsuoh. Die Slow presents the Houston edition of the rambling International…
Johnny Manziel Served Papers While Outside Club in Hollywood (w/ VIDEO)
Excuse me while I lay out the latest Johnny Manziel story in my Hubie Brown, narrating-in-second-person voice: “So you’re the owner of a house in Souther California, and you recently rented that house out to Johnny Manziel…. and he caused over $30,000 in damage to the house. So now you’re suing Johnny…
The Five Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Copa, Kusama and Rainbows
It’s safe to say that everybody is excited about this summer’s don’t miss exhibit at the MFAH, featuring cute and colorful works by the insanely popular Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. But “At the End of the Universe” doesn’t open until Sunday, which leaves plenty of time for clever wink-wink comedy on…
Solving the Mystery of What DJ Khaled Actually Does
The world’s most intriguing DJ Khaled mystery has officially been solved. In casual conversation, allow his name to come up. Had this been around 2006, you’d basically center Khaled around being a DJ from Miami who managed to put together these absurd posse cuts. He routinely found spots for Trick…
Friday Free For All: Remembering Megan Tilton, ColleGrove, Sally Allen, etc.
The Friday Free For All relays albums, artists, videos and vibes the Houston Press Music staff has been grooving to (or grieving) over the past week. RIP MEGAN TILTON What a terrible reason to say “I told you so.” Not a handful of hours after I published my piece outlining…
Houston Faithful Have Hardly Forgotten Thrice
Thrice House of Blues June 8, 2016 Thrice has been missed. The California quartet returned to Houston Wednesday evening for the first time in five years, on tour in support of its new record To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere. Its name may be a mouthful, but Thrice’s ninth studio…
So Why Are There Nitrogen Tanks on Scott Street?
We’ve all seen them off and on over the years. The nitrogen canisters pop up on some street corner or another, remain there for a while, chained to a utility pole or a box covering access to phone lines, and then they disappear. It’s been that way for so long…
How Did a Man Robbed of His Car Keys End Up in Jail for Robbery?
On May 25, Gatney Yaw pulled over at a gas station in southwest Houston to make the most expensive phone call of his life—one that would ultimately cost him a job and a car and lead to six days in jail. He didn’t want to talk and drive, he said,…
Stirred and Shaken: Taking Flight With the Daiquiri at Moving Sidewalk
It’s a sedate Wednesday night at Moving Sidewalk and a bartender is explaining a cocktail garnish that was in flames moments ago, sending up a tongue of impressively tall blue fire. “Alex hates lime wheels. The only way he’d let us use them is if we set them on fire…
Negroni Week 2016: South of the Border and Beyond
So far in Negroni Week 2016, we’ve seen edible Negronis, Negroni-coladas and frozen tiki riffs. We’ve seen whiskey every which way, and we’ve gotten whimsical with booze-filled watermelons and frozen tiki drinks. The Negroni blueprint is nothing if not flexible. Today, we’re taking it down to Mexico and points beyond,…
Calm Down, Beach-Goers: There Are Zero Reported “Sea Lice” Cases in Galveston
On Tuesday evening, KHOU aired a story about a “handful of sea lice cases” reported at Galveston Beach. Little microscopic larvae that come from marine life like jellyfish that latch onto you and make you break out in a painful rash. So then, people freaked out. They started texting their…
Houston Police Department Says Restaurant Burglaries Are Increasing
If it seems like more Houston restaurants are being broken into these days, you’re not just imagining it. According to statistics received from the Houston Police Department, burglaries targeting restaurants are up 27.3 percent over last year. Citywide, there were 147 in a 90-day period in 2015. For the same…
The Arian Foster Market — Where Could He Land Now?
It’s still only OTA’s, so it probably hasn’t hit a lot of Texans fans yet, but, for the first time since 2008, there will be no Arian Foster in a Texans’ uniform in training camp. I’m not going to lie, when those sweltering late July early training camp sessions begin,…
13 Rue de L’Amour: Theatre Southwest Presents the Mother of All Feydeau Farces
The set-up: Belle Epoch French playwright Georges Feydeau single-handedly invented the sex comedy. There were precursors – comedians Labiche (The Italian Straw Hat) and Hennequin (forgotten like Labiche, but in his prime in the 1870s, feted and terribly successful) – but at the turn of the 20th century, Feydeau eclipsed…
Does Intergender Wrestling Have a Place in the Modern WWE?
It’s both interesting and tragic to ponder what the WWE might look like if they had embraced Chyna before she passed away. That’s not to suggest that there would have been massive sweeping changes; it’s not even to suggest that she would have worked at the training center like Lita…
My Husband Is a Real Jekyll and Hyde. Help!
MY JEKYLL AND HYDE HUSBAND Dear Willie D: All of my friends and family think of my husband as Mr. Wonderful, but he is anything but that. They think of him that way because he’s nice and helpful. He’s the type who will help you move, or clean up after…
Girl’s Death Leads to Revelation of FPSF Ownership Change
Both on social media and elsewhere, much chatter surrounding last weekend’s Free Press Summer Fest focused on how the festival seemed somehow different this year. Although no public announcement was ever made, the apparent drug-related death of an 18-year-old girl after the festival on Sunday has led to the revelation…
Astros Surge Worthless if They Can’t Master the Rangers
In-state rivals are a good thing, or so goes the notion in sports. The closer a team is to you in proximity, the greater the natural rivalry. There are certainly some rivalries that transcend geography, but there is a reason why a Yankees/Mets matchup in baseball is fun and interesting…
Judge Who Halted Obama’s Immigration Reforms Suspends Punishments for Feds, Immigrants
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, who successfully halted President Barack Obama’s executive-action immigrant reforms last year, temporarily suspended the order he issued in May that contained two punishments for federal attorneys who defended the reforms and undocumented immigrants alike. In May, Hanen accused the attorneys of making intentionally…
Behind the Scenes of an Illegal Kush Operation
Like a kid flipping through his parents’ old photo album, Mike remembers seeing the pictures of a time when nobody knew anything about synthetic marijuana, when it wasn’t in any way illegal and his company could sell it with no restrictions. He saw a few old snapshots of a launch…
Asian Market Know-How: Seven Herbs and What to Do With Them
Shoppers who go to Viet Hoa Asian Market early enough in the morning will find an overflowing bin of fresh, green bunches of mysterious leaves in the back corner. Avid shoppers and cooks bump elbows to find just the perfect bundle for their noodle soups and rice dishes. It’s called…
The Worst Daypart: Daytime TV Genres, Ranked
No matter what the reason – vacation, sickness, unemployment – there’s a reality that anyone who has ever been home on a weekday has had to face: daytime TV is awful. Oh sure, staying home from school and watching all of the TV might have sounded grand back when you…
Houston’s Best Places to See Free Music This Summer
AFTER THE BOOM, THE BUST Here, in post-boom Houston, we’re still waiting for the other shoe to fall, but odds are it’s a good time to start tucking away small bills. We can’t help you with your repossessed large-screen TVs or the interest rates on your super-truck, not in this…
Negroni Week 2016: Whiskey Wednesday and a Couple of Camparis
The first Negroni variant I learned was the Boulevardier. Both drinks follow the same format, with a 1:1 swap of gin for bourbon, keeping the bitter one-two punch of Campari and sweet vermouth. (I know plenty of folks who up the bourbon, but I also know plenty who do that…
Five Great Texas Country Artists Who Aren’t From Texas
For the most part, Texas country as a genre contains artists playing some sort of roots-driven music, leaning either more to the country end of the scale or the rock end. Also, the band probably needs to have some sort of connection to Texas. In recent years, more and more artists…
The 25 Best Concerts In Houston This Summer
No need to sugarcoat anything: summer in Houston can be a grind. OK, it stinks. Amateur lexicographers could coin a different synonym for “unpleasant” for each day between Free Press Summer Fest and well past the autumnal equinox, and going outside would still be awful. Local weather during the middle…
