Mexican? Honduran? Chinese? Have It All at El Jalapeño
I am not wary of fast-fusion restaurants in general. To wit, there’s a terrific Vietnamese-Honduran place in Gulfton called Hoagies & More. The place doesn’t serve any hoagies at all, but does make some excellent pupusas and bubble teas. But it can go terribly wrong, as with the Chinese-Italian-Mexican hybrid…
Early Warning: Your Weekend Traffic Nightmare Will Involve the East Freeway Near Downtown
TxDOT wants you to know it just might suck driving on I-10 near downtown this weekend. From 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday, all eastbound mainlanes of I-10 East Freeway between the Eastex (a.k.a. U.S. 59) and Gregg Street will be closed. You’ll be diverted onto various service roads,…
MLS Suspends Dynamo Colin Clark for “Faggot” Comment
Major League Soccer has suspended the Dynamo’s Colin Clark for three games for calling a ball boy a “fucking faggot” over live TV. “Major League Soccer will not tolerate this type of behavior from its players or staff at any time, under any circumstances,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in…
Readers Poll: The Best Third Albums Ever
This week in 1980, Van Halen released their third album Women And Children First, which contained the hits “And the Cradle Will Rock…,” “Everybody Wants Some!! and fan favorite “Romeo Delight.” It’s not the best VH album ever, but it was, in fact, their third album. Most VH super-freaks I…
EPA Can’t Block Texas’s Clean-Air Rules for Being Too Lax, Appeals Court Says
The federal Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its bounds when it rejected a Texas clean-air plan it thought was too lax, an appellate court has ruled. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says the EPA was limited to reviewing whether Texas’s controversial plan met the absolute minimums of Clean Air…
Friday Brunch at Max’s Wine Dive
When visitors come into town, the first thing that pops into my head is, “Where am I taking these people to eat?” (This is mostly because I’m trying to avoid ever going to the Space Center again, and I need to distract them with something really, really good.) With such…
The Changing Cost of Bread Service
Complimentary bread service in restaurants was once as ubiquitous as free chips and salsa at any Tex-Mex spot. And it’s still seen in a majority of restaurants, from fast food (free breadsticks at Fazoli’s) to high end (a beautiful basket of gratis bread at Triniti). But as former New York…
This Grandpa Only Knows Five Bands On This Year’s Warped Tour
It’s my job to have at least a passing knowledge of what most bands and artists sound like. In my one of seven capacities here at the paper, I am in charge of music listings, those things in the back of the paper that tell you what is happening every…
Cover Story: In Search of Spring Break on Galveston Island
Earlier this year, Coed magazine cobbled together a listicle of America’s ten trashiest Spring Break locales. Among the criteria: the number of liquor stores, tattoo parlors and Hooter’s in a given town, and the number of visits from the Girls Gone Wild bus. (And it should be noted that “trashy”…
Chicken Parmigian-icles: Pronto Cucinino
I love chicken parmesan. It’s one of my top-three foods. If for some reason I went crazy and routinely executed a number of innocent humans — for whatever reason; I’m not being specific — and then somehow regained my sanity with spare time enough to choose a last meal, chicken…
Trinity Lutheran Elementary Teacher Had Students Become Pen Pals with Child Molester, Suit Says (UPDATED)
Parents have filed a lawsuit against Trinity Lutheran School that claims a teacher had students become pen pals with a man who has been convicted of child molestation. The suit also says the teacher’s fiancé, under indictment for possession of child pornography, was allowed to interact with the nine- and…
Texas Sons The Mars Volta Strip Down To Progress With New Album, Movie
El Paso natives Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala of The Mars Volta have long been known for their bombast and progressive-rock self-indulgence. Ever since they departed the seminal post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, they’ve spent their time making what can only be described as “epics.” At the end of the…
Reality Bites: Million Dollar Listing New York
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. The subjects of most reality shows mostly fall into two broad categories: people who are quote a bit more successful than you are, and people you want to make fun…
Eat It, Don’t Tweet It
This pretty much sums up how I feel about Instagram. Follow Eating Our Words on Facebook and on Twitter @EatingOurWords…
Rafa & Cuco: Smuggling 17 Illegals in a Toyota Tundra
Two men received stiff sentences for running an illegal-immigrant smuggling business that was exposed when a Toyota Tundra carrying 17 of their clients crashed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Houston announced today. Rafael Valles, “a.k.a. El Viejo or Rafa,” and Refugio Reyna-Huerta, “a.k.a. Cuco,” respectively got sentences of ten years…
Turn The Radio On: Top 10 Musicians Who Should Be DJs
A few years ago, Van Halen front man David Lee Roth filled in for Howard Stern on his nationally syndicated radio show. Roth also served a stint as a deejay for New York’s 92.3 Free FM. This is nothing new, because many artists have at some point served as DJs,…
DEFCON Dining: Jenni’s Noodle House
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-work…
Christine Goerke in Verdi’s Don Carlos
Opera soprano Christine Goerke had never even thought about taking on Eboli, the princess in Giuseppe Verdi’s Don Carlos. “This role is most often sung by mezzo sopranos. I had never considered it for that reason and I’d never really given it a good look.” But when Houston Grand Opera…
Farm-to-Table: Sometimes You Don’t Want It On Your Table!
Farm-to-table is all the rage these days. All the big-name chefs are touting their farm-to-table menus – Chris Shepherd, Randy Rucker, Ryan Hildebrand, Randy Evans, and many others. And let me tell you, they are some of the best meals you will ever have. But there is another side to…
Texas MC Snow Tha Product Signs With Atlantic Records
“You mean to tell me that you think I don’t know that I ain’t black? Or that I don’t know that usually Latin girls ain’t really been all up in rap? I didn’t know that my color or gender could be the preventer of getting on tracks See the last…
Comment of the Day: UT’s Trayvon Martin Cartoon
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Ernesto Montemayor: ROTC Instructor Had Sex with Teen Student, Including in the Classroom
Police have arrested a 56-year old former ROTC instructor at Pasadena High, for repeatedly having sex with a teenaged student. Ernesto Montemayor, a former Marine gunnery sergeant according to reports, was arrested in San Antonio. Court documents filed here in Harris County say that Montemayor had sex with a student…
Top 10 Harlan Ellison Short Stories
The total amount of insanity in a person is directly proportionate to the number of Harlan Ellison works that they have read. The master of all speculative fiction, Ellison has published hundreds of mind-bending works that obliterate all your comfortably held ideas about sex, science, morality, or any subject you…
Keith Judd: Totally Qualified Texas Prisoner on Presidential Ballot (Democrat, of Course)
Just when we threw up our hands in despair over the dearth of worthwhile presidential candidates, a federal prisoner in Texas has made it onto the ballot in West Virginia. Keith Russell Judd, who’s serving 210 months in a decidedly un-oval office in Texarkana for making threats while on the…
Trend Alert: 10 Artist/Brand Partnerships We’d Like To See
One of the most notable trends emerging from SXSW earlier this month was the increasing prevalence of financial partnerships between artists and brands. The highest-profile example of this phenomenon came courtesy of Lil Wayne, who taped a Mountain Dew spot from the stage at his Young Money/Cash Money showcase gig…
100 Creatives 2012: Nicoletta Maranos
What She Does: Sharp-eyed readers might recognize Nicoletta Maranos from previous coverage on Comicpalooza and the Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds concerts. If you did, you’re well ahead of this reporter because every time we see her she dazzles us, and we never recognize it’s the same girl. Maranos has made…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
Urban Swank: We’re leading off this week with a new [to us] local food blog, Urban Swank. And coincidentally, the latest post is on one of the 2012 Burger Bracket Final 4: Bernie’s Burger Bus. Of the tried-and-true food truck, Urban Swank says: “You can pretty much guarantee that if…
Evie Herrin and Amelia Crew: Police Say Mom and Daughter Robbed Four Banks in Two States
Move over Bonnie and Clyde and Frank and Jesse James, you’ve got (alleged) multistate bank-robbing company: Evie and Amelia. Yesterday Police in Gulfport, Mississippi, busted 57-year-old Evie Mearlene Herrin and her 30-year-old daughter Amelia Darci Crew, both of the Texas town of Cleveland, as they were speeding down I-10 away…
Bang Bangz “Photograph” The Dark Streets Of Houston
Tax the Wolf offshoot Bang Bangz is currently our favorite Houston band, based on their debut, self-titled EP, which is full of a magical, minimalistic electronic brilliance and buoyed on the angelic tones of Elizabeth Salazar’s voice. We keep the album on hand for whatever moment of deep self-realization may…
The Most Anticipated TV Shows for the Fall Season
Every year scores of television pilots are green-lit and produced on the off chance that they will make it to prime-time. The majority of them never get past episode one. For the fall 2012 lineup, more than 80 pilots have been beefing up to compete for a shot on one…
Darrel Franklin Clay Jr.: Wounded, Now Charged After Shooting By Metro Officer
A man who was wounded after being shot by a moonlighting Metro officer has been charged with aggravated assault against a public servant, Houston police say. Darrel Franklin Clay Jr., 20, got into an altercation with Metro police officer P.M. Martinez about 5:40 p.m. in the 800 block of Green…
You Won’t Believe UT’s Daily Texan Trayvon Martin Cartoon (UPDATED)
It’s no surprise that the Web sites for the University of Texas’s Daily Texan and their cartoonist Stephanie Eisner are overloaded at the moment. That’s because an astonishing Eisner cartoon on the Trayvon Martin case is whipping `round the Web. Gawker, among others, has highlighted it. Thanks to them, we’re…
The Store-Bought Chocolate Chip Cookie Challenge: Not Much of a Challenge
Spoiler alert: Store-bought cookies suck. I wish I could be more positive about this, but I just can’t. They are full of so many chemicals and preservatives and weird “softening” agents that they don’t resemble a real, home-baked chocolate chip cookie any more than a clay pigeon does. I had…
Alvin Foley III, Jordan Sampson & Prince Fair: Three Teens Shot In Apartment Complex Fight
Houston police say three teenagers were shot Sunday night at a southwest side apartment complex after the got into an altercation. The victims are Alvin Foley III, 18, of Houston, Jordan Sampson, 17, of Houston, and Prince Fair, 18, police said. Foley suffered multiple gunshot wounds and is in critical…
Hits and Misses at Nabi
A reunion with some old friends prompted a dinner at Nabi. Having recently tried some smashing Korean Fried Chicken at Bon Chon in Virginia, I was eager to try Nabi’s version as well as some of their small plates and sushi. Never has a restaurant inspired such ambivalence. The morning…
Madonna’s New MDNA Is Quality Dangerous Grandmother Monster
Today Madonna’s 12th studio album, MDNA, is in stores and on iTunes. It’s her first since 2008’s Hard Candy, and the album title is already bringing the ire of electronic artist deadmau5, who took exception with what he saw as her excessive use of drug references in tandem with her…
DVDs & Blu-rays: Corman’s World, In the Land of Blood and Honey, and more
Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel stars Quentin Tarantino, William Shatner, Pam Grier and Jack Nicholson; Alex Stapleton directs. The Setup: If you love indie films, you owe a big thank-you to Roger Corman. The writer/director/producer has been called the king of the B flicks, and it’s true that…
Tuesday March 27, 2012 Deals of the Day
Today’s Houston Press Voice Daily Deal is good for half off ($10 for $20) at The Catfish Station. Enjoy ocean-fresh, made-to-order nautical fare seven days a week. Classic fried catfish po’boys or catfish baskets are served with a side of fries and sweet corn hush puppies, or give their crispy…
Section 8 Video Game: Judge Rejects $7 Million Award to Publishers
A federal judge has rejected the $7.3 million award an arbitrator gave publishers of the first-person shoot game Section 8 in their lawsuit against the game’s publishers. Game developer TimeGate had sued publisher Gone Off Deep (and the companies that subsequently purchased it) in 2009 over royalties for the game…
Houston Architecture Rocks: 2012 AIA Winners Announced
This town is freaking beautiful, according to a couple of real-deal architects and the editor in chief of a hip magazine. On March 22, architects Craig Scott and Jon Pickard as well as Susan Szenasy of Metropolis determined the best of Houston architecture. At the end of the day, the…
But Seriously, Folks… Joe Walsh Coming To Nutty Jerry’s May 18
One of the best parts about seeing the Eagles in the 21st century, besides all the jokes about grandchildren and Ben-Gay that they make, is seeing Joe Walsh onstage. That survivor with the dull Everyman stare. The man who did enough drugs to stay awake until the Sun explodes. Because…
The Cinnamon Challenge: The Internet’s Mass Manifestation of Insanity
What’s dumber than chugging an entire bottle of Cristal or eating a whole ghost pepper? Attempting to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon. Why is it dumber? Because unlike the Cristal or ghost peppers — fairly isolated incidents, according to my brief, anecdotal research on the Internet — dozens of people…
Sugarland Says It Will Play New BBVA Compass Stadium
Updated with comments from BBVA Compass Stadium Director of Marketing, PR & Booking Gina Rotolo — 12:24 p.m., as well as reflect a more recent picture. Pop-country duo Sugarland will be playing the Houston Dynamo’s new stadium, BBVA Compass Stadium, the band announced in a set of tour dates on…
UH Board Approves New Football Stadium, Construction to Begin
The UH Board of Regents has approved plans to build a new football stadium on the other end of campus from site of Robertson Stadium, president Renu Khator says. “Board approves construction of stadium at current site…watch for the new stadium rising!” she tweeted a short while ago. The school…
Below the Belt: A Corporate Fantasyland from Hell at Country Playhouse
The setup: Existential comedy gets an effective workout at the intimate Black Box Theater inside Country Playhouse. That the audience comes out a bit stronger afterward is testament to the ensemble cast that gives these Everyman ciphers real flesh and blood. The execution: Best known perhaps for his television series…
Point-Counterpoint: The Monte Cristo Sandwich Is an Absurd Joke
There are very few foods I don’t like. It comes with the territory. And I am incredibly stubborn about the foods I dislike. By stubborn, though, I don’t mean that I’ve pledged to hate them eternally. I mean that I will keep stubbornly trying foods I hate, year after year,…
Summer Fest Ticket Prices Go Up At 10 p.m.; More Talent “Soon-Ish”
Free Press Summer Fest is increasing ticket prices tonight, with a promise to compensate by adding more talent to the two-day music festival on the banks of Buffalo Bayou. According to FPSF’s email blast this morning, the price of passes will go up at 10 p.m. tonight, and the festival…
Comment of the Day: Strippers & Society Writers
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Upcoming: Avicii, Buxton, Down, The Knux, Nada Surf, Etc.
311, Slightly Stoopid: Sun., July 15. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, Spring. .38 Special, Blackberry Smoke, Folk Family Revival: Sat., May 19. Sam Houston Race Park, 7575 N. Sam Houston Parkway W., Houston. “3rd Annual Disco Green Electronic Music Festival”: Sat., May 5. Discovery Green Conservancy, 1500…
The Hangover Guidebook
Crusted over with dense sleep, your eyes creak open like an old gatepost. Your first breath lacks the sweet new kiss of life that a newborn inhales, replaced by a cloud of bar smell and metabolized-alcohol breath. After a few feeble attempts, your tongue comes unstuck to bask in an…
“Thin Places” Not Quite Thick Enough
In the current exhibition “Thin Places,” on display at The Vineyard Church of Houston in the Heights, each artist has given his or her interpretation of the “veil that separates heaven from Earth.” Peel back a corner of the veil and just maybe you will see your maker. The exhibition…
Cactus Flower from 1965 Is Still Blooming at Company OnStage
The setup: Abe Burrows’s 1965 farce about a dentist pretending to be married to escape the shackles of marriage gets a lively presentation at Company OnStage, with some very attractive and talented actors giving the vehicle a push when necessary. The execution: The set is less elaborate than the authentic…
Brew Blog: Green Flash Brewing Co. Rayon Vert Belgian-Style Pale Ale
I tried to saber this beer. It didn’t work out. I’d brought a few bottles to a friend’s house for New Year’s, one of a few shared selections. That night, one of the guests gave me my first live sabering demonstration, and I became somewhat obsessed. Declaring 2012 The Year…
Houston Scores Big-Time In Latest Editon Of Encyclopedia Of Country Music: Part 3
The further one digs into the second edition of The Encyclopedia of Country Music, the deeper one’s appreciation of the contributions of Houston’s country-music pioneers becomes. Yeah, just check out the black circles under the eyes and drunk-ass grins on Leon Payne’s band above. That photo alone speaks volumes about…
App of the Week: Badge
App: Badge Platform: iPhone, iPad Web site: thebadgeapp.com Cost: $0.99 I think most of us have, at one time or another, left our phone behind somewhere. On occasion, that somewhere happens to be a public place. I know I have left my phone at a couple different restaurants over the…
The Most Hideous “Cinnamon Challenge” Video Ever — A Zapruder Breakdown
Invention begins with a conversation. I’ve often said I’d love to have a DVD of the conversations that took place in creating some of the items or concepts that are woven into the daily fabric of our lives. Deep dish pizza, strip clubs, YouTube, pretty much everything started with someone…
Pop Rocks: Breaking Down The Breaking Dawn: Part 2 Trailer…with Animated Gifs
The final installment in the nigh-interminable Twilight movie franchise doesn’t come out until November, but that doesn’t mean Summit Entertainment is about to sit on its thumbs while rival The Hunger Games rakes in $155 million its first weekend. The decision to drop the first teaser for Twilight: Breaking Dawn:…
Kevin Corley’s Murder-for-Hire/Drug Complaint Reads Like Quentin Tarantino Movie
Kevin Corley was one of a group of men whose arrests were announced today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Houston, and let’s just say the man makes for a good criminal complaint. It reads like a Quentin Tarantino rip-off and has guns, drugs and a murder for hire in…
Where Are We Drinking?
This popular Montrose bar recently hosted a crawfish boil. The picnic tables on its rear patio already bore marks like these from crawfish boils past, and I’m sure at least a few more Sharpie drawings were added that day. Look familiar? Think you know where we’re drinking this week? Leave…
Work It: Judging Costumed Pups at the Humane Society K-9 Fun Run
Check out our slideshow for even more dogs. This Sunday afternoon I was one of the judges at the Houston Humane Society’s K-9 Fun Run, helping award prizes to the best-dressed dogs. Even as a straight man I have an affinity for dressing dogs up in funny clothes and costumes,…
A Very Special Message: The 10 Best Rock-Star Public Service Announcements
Ever since the Ad Council introduced the “Rosie the Riveter” poster, public service announcements have either warned us of the dangers of such risky behaviors as having unsafe sex, as well as reasons you should vote, or even to spay and neuter your pets. As rock and roll became more…
Texas Rangers Unveil Two-Foot-Long Hot Dog Covered in Everything (w/ “Making Of” VIDEO)
Whether it’s the television show Man vs Food or our fascination with the competitive eating circuit, never has the American public been more hell-bent on trying to eat its collective self into a collective coma. As new and exciting food challenges at bars and restaurants drive cholesterol and heart rates…
5 Ways to Keep Your Vampire Novel from Sucking
Let’s say you’ve written a vampire novel, and just hypothetically we’ll say it’s called Last Rites and your name is Kevin R. Given. Vampires are still riding high on a giant wave of popularity, and though it shows signs of slowing down, there are still a lot of people out…
Keep It Up: 5 Songs For Viagra
It was on this day in 1998 that your email inbox was changed forever when the FDA OK-ed the use of Viagra for use in treating erectile dysfunction, the first pill in the United States approved to do so. The drug was originally researched as a treatment for angina, but…
Unidentified Male Drive-By Victim, 24, Bayou Body Count No. 40
A man walking along the 1400 block of Tarberry Sunday evening died when he was shot from a passing truck, Houston police say. The 24-year-old male, whose name has not been released pending notification of family members, was walking in the northside neighborhood about 7:15 p.m. when, witnesses said, “a…
Unidentified Male Shot in Car at Stoplight, 29, Bayou Body Count No. 39
A man sitting in his car at a stoplight on the far south side was shot in broad daylight Saturday, Houston police say. The name of the male victim, 29, has not been released pending verification. Police say he was stopped at a red light at 12400 Cullen about 4…
Denise Vivaldo: Food Styling, Sandra Lee and Tips for Better Food Photos
Denise Vivaldo is scooping fluffy spoonfuls of mashed potatoes atop a mountain of cotton balls. She tamps them down a bit with the edge of her spoon, securing them to the cotton mound underneath, then smiles and moves on to her next task: using a pair of tweezers to apply…
Kylar Johnson: Pit Bulls Bring a Horrific End to a 4-Year-Old’s Life
An extensive search for a missing four-year-old Victoria boy ended in horrific fashion with the discovery of the boy’s body earlier today. A family friend has told the Victoria Advocate that the boy was mauled to death by a pack of pit bulls belonging to a neighbor. As his father…
Fast Times: Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco
The degree to which the new Taco Bell Doritos Taco is “loco” is up for debate, but the taco is most certainly Doritos-heavy in flavor. Nacho Cheese, of course — can you imagine a Cool Ranch Doritos taco? Yikes. Once again my drive-thru order was delivered incorrectly — I ordered…
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Is (Finally) Hiring Again
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has lifted a hiring freeze that began in October 2009, touting steps he’s taken to balance the department’s budget. “The hiring freeze is over,” Garcia said. “Our budget controls have put us in a better position for the future. I will make sure we hold…
Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” And The Death Of The Word “Swag”
Sunday night, when Justin Bieber’s new song “Boyfriend” dropped, the social-media landscape at large began comparing it to the work of Justin Timberlake, the music industry’s somewhat dormant leading man. I was sad, because I like the Timberlake. Justin Bieber, I bought Justin Timberlake records, I watched Justin Timberlake videos,…
Wine of the Week: Your Grandfather’s Chianti But I Like It
Italian wine is our thing. And when I say that, I don’t mean that we don’t like and drink French, Spanish, and Californian wine. But when it comes to the wine that my wife and I serve and drink in our home, that we drink most often when we go…
Google Earth’s New “Ballparks of America” Video Can’t Be Bothered to Get the Mets’ Stadium Name Right
Google Earth is celebrating the return of the baseball season with a swooping bird’s-eye view of the country’s ballparks. The video zooms you in and out of cities coast-to-coast, including the Astros’ Minute Maid Park. And, of course, the New York Mets’ semi-new Shea Stadium. Not the Shea Stadium that…
ZZ Top & Their Gang Of Outlaws Hit The Woodlands June 23
ZZ Top is returning to the Houston stage June 23 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, for their “Gang Of Outlaws” tour, along with openers 3 Doors Down and Gretchen Wilson. Before you complain, Rocks Off would like to kindly remind that ZZ Top is the greatest group to come…
Emelia Oregon-Cruz, 27, Killed By Jealous Common-Law Husband, Bayou Body Count No. 38
Emelia Oregon-Cruz, 27, was leaving the home of her boyfriend on the far southwest side about 1 a.m. Sunday. She didn’t get far. Her common-law husband had been sitting in his van outside the apartment in the 12600 block of Gessner, having learned of her date, Houston police say. When…
Tex-Mex vs. New Mex: Not Just About Jalapeños or Green Chiles
I recently made a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was my first trip there, and I was eager to have my first New Mexican cuisine experience. I am a native Texan, proud of my heritage and proud of the food culture that is Tex-Mex food, but I’m willing…
Saturday Night: The Manichean At Walter’s
The Manichean, The Clouds are Ghosts, Bang Bangz, Glass the Sky Walter’s March 24, 2012 Houston’s The Manichean kept it going strong Saturday night, following a well-received show the night before in Beaumont. A locally acclaimed act, they held up with much live energy. The album posted on their Facebook…
Frank Sinatra’s Vocals Pair With Twyla Tharp’s Dance Steps in Come Fly Away
It was his ice-skating teacher from Russia who got Nathan Madden into ballet. Madden, the son of two Air Force parents, ended up in Minot, North Dakota (known worldwide for its question motto: “Why Not Minot?”), and the only two options were ice skating and hockey, Madden says. “I’m not…
Aerosmith & Cheap Trick Rock Toyota Center July 30
This morning Aerosmith, the band that wouldn’t die (or refuses to go away), announced a Houston stop on this summer’s “Global Warming” tour at Toyota Center Monday, July 30. Taking a break from the casino/state-fair circuit, Illinois power-pop heroes Cheap Trick open. Aerosmith is still be rumored to be working…
The All-Time Ultimate Astros Roster
The Astros are celebrating their 50th season in major league baseball this year. The team’s going to be rolling out the throwback uniforms on Friday nights, and they’ll probably find other ways to celebrate their history before making a new start of it in the American League next season. I…
Burger Bracket 2012: The Final 4
Now that our Burger Bracket judges have all finished signing their new endorsement deals with Lipitor, the Final 4 have been chosen. Each of the Final 4 burgers represents a favorite Houston style of burger: Fast Food, Extreme, Veggie and Fancy-Pants burgers. And all will compete against each other at…
Mad Men Season Opener: We Can Do Better, Guys
When Don Draper et al shut their office doors in October of 2010, no one thought it would take close to 18 months before they would open them again. We’ve all heard the gripes the network had with the show (too expensive, too many characters) and the kick back from…
Seven Dos and Don’ts for Online Passwords and How to Manage Them
In the Mel Brooks movie Spaceballs, Dark Helmet (played by Rick Moranis) finds out the passcode to the shield guarding Druidia, a planet from which he intends to steal all the air, is “12345.” When hearing it, he responds, “So the combination is… one, two, three, four, five? That’s the…
Our House from Black Lab Theatre: Must-See “TV”
The setup: Don’t adjust the horizontal and don’t try to fix the vertical on this TV at Black Lab Theatre. It’s programmed for satire of the biting kind. Anyway, you’ll be too enthralled by this cautionary tale from Theresa Rebeck to move off the couch to change the channel. The…
Friday Night: Knife Party At Stereo Live
Knife Party Stereo Live March 23, 2012 Friday night, a DJing duo from Australia clever enough to call itself Knife Party had a show at Stereo Live. Knife Party is classified within the dubstep genre, but that relationship is, at best, tenuous; mostly, they’re an electro/house group. That’s a semantic…
What’s Cooking This Week?
Last week was filled with classic favorites, Galumpkis, Corned Beef Deli Sandwiches & Blackened Tilapia. I picked up some amazing sweet potato gnocchi and an awesome-looking mango chutney last weekend, so this week I’ll definitely be using both in my menu. Here’s what I’m making: Veal Saltimbocca over Arugula Beef…
Friday Night: Winter Jam 2012 At Toyota Center
Winter Jam 2012 feat. Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Building 429, Dara Maclean and Group 1 Crew March 23, 2012 Toyota Center Hosted by NewSong and starring Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler (former lead singer of the Newsboys), Kari Jobe, Building 429, Dara Maclean, Group 1 Crew, For…
William Shatner at Jones Hall: Shakespeare, Horses and Coming to Terms with Star Trek
Bill Shatner doesn’t think George Takei is very funny. And he’s right. Sorry to break it to everybody who likes to repost the latter’s photos every day, but Shatner has video proof. Namely, Takei’s awkward joke delivery at that Comedy Central Roast. It was just one of several video clips…
Modernist Cuisine Volume 5: Plated-Dish Recipes
We have been on a very modern journey over the past few weeks. We have explored food history and fundamentals in Volume 1, techniques and equipment in Volume 2, animals and plants in Volume 3, and very modern ingredients and preparations in Volume 4. We wind this series up with…
Picking Rockets Team of the 2000s Not an Easy Task
Throughout the course of this frustrating season, the Houston Rockets have been allowing fans to pick their choices for the starting team of the decade beginning with the 1970s and continuing with the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s. They had all but one of their starting five for the 2000s on…
Friday Night: That Big Metal Show At Bayou Music Center
That Big Metal Show Bayou Music Center March 23, 2012 Early in his band’s set on Friday night, Downfall 2012 front man Danny Gil told the crowd to expect something special. “Get ready for a metal show like you’ve never seen,” he said. Gill wasn’t exaggerating — Downfall 2012 delivered…
HISD Likely Cheated on Standardized Tests, Study Says
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has published a massive project studying standardized-test scores across the nation in the wake of a scandal in that city. Their analysis showed, the paper said, “that test scores in hundreds of cities followed a pattern that, in Atlanta, indicated cheating in multiple schools.” One of the…
The Cowboy Spirit Is Alive and Kicking at the William Reaves Gallery
Imagine you have just been transported to the wild west of the 1800s. You stumble upon gritty images of broken-down cowboys, dusty trails and corrals of horses. In reality, you have just walked through the doors of the William Reaves Fine Art gallery and into the world of photographer Robb…
Dynamo Colin Clark Calls Ball Boy “Faggot” on Live TV
These are the kind of tweets you madly send out after being caught on camera calling a ball boy a “fucking faggot.” The Dynamo’s Colin Clark has become the latest Houston athlete to get in trouble for using a homophobic slur, joining the Aeros’ Justin Fontaine and the Texans’ Rashad…
Dead Man’s Cell Phone Rings, and Strangeness Follows
The setup: A woman at a cafe rises to answer a cell phone when its owner does not, only to discover that the man has died. She answers the phone anyway, and becomes embroiled with his family and his business. The execution: Playwright Sarah Ruhl has the talent to seize…
Where Are We Eating?
This local chain serves up cheap, tasty Gulf oysters in season and if you grab the right seat, you get to see them shucked right in front of you. Mondays are the best days to go, when those same fat Gulf oysters are $5.99 a dozen during happy hour from…
Islands: Bone Jangles In “Hallways”
Islands is a band that’s been through a lot over the course of the career, with many change-ups in style and personnel. Through it all, Nick Thorburn has managed to slowly build up the act in an innovative and astounding institution that can always be counted on to do the…
Sarah Tressler: Houston Chronicle Society Writer By Day, Stripper By Night (UPDATED)
It sounds like a bad rom-com book and movie, which no doubt its author hopes it will be — society reporter for a big-city newspaper by day, stripper by night. That’s apparently the life being led by Sarah Tressler, who began writing society stuff for the Houston Chronicle after Douglas…
“Like Warm Apple Pie”: Things We Can Thank the American Pie Movies for
April 6 sees the release of the eighth American Pie flick, with American Reunion reuniting the original cast for another romp in East Great Falls, Michigan, for the first time since 2003’s American Wedding. Released on July 9, 1999, the first Pie movie was a torrid, hilarious and somehow heartwarming…
Micheal McClain, 21, Bayou Body Count No. 37
A man was shot to death on the east side Wednesday night during an argument, police say. Micheal M. McClain, 21, was shot in an apartment in the 600 block of Maxey Road about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police say he had been visiting the apartment with two other males when…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where springtime is here again, which can only mean one thing: any day now we’re going to start seeing the annual news reports coming in from the Valley of yokels who claim to have shot a “chupacabra.” SPOILER ALERT:…
Houston Aeros Aim For Playoffs
John RoyalMeet Joe Fallon, the AHL Player of the WeekWhen last we checked in on the Houston Aeros, they had just returned to Toyota Center after a month on the road (having gone 4-7). They went 1-1 on the first two games of a six-game homestand, and they had fallen…
Deputy Constable Christopher Kerr To Handcuffed Woman: “Adjust” My Erect Penis
A woman who says she was groped and fondled by a Harris County deputy constable has filed a civil suit in which she provides more details from the alleged August 2011 incident. The woman says deputy Christopher Kerr, a deputy in Constable Precinct 3, pulled her over, then handcuffed her…
Daniel Kramer’s Post-Ike Snapshot Wins FotoFest Award
Hearty congratulations are in order for former Houston Press staff photographer Daniel Kramer. His haunting snapshot “Bolivar After Ike” won the People’s Choice award at last night’s FotoFest opening night reception hosted by the Houston chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers. I was there when Kramer got the…
Upcoming Events: Crawfish Across Houston
It’s high crawfish season in Houston, with a slew of different boils coming up to satisfy all your head-sucking pursuits. But first, you don’t want to miss this weekend’s big charity event: Kicking Cancer’s Ass. The fundraiser dinner will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 25…
John Goodman Guilty Of Intoxication Manslaughter
A South Florida jury took just six hours to convict Houston-bred bazillionaire air-conditioning heir / polo honcho John Goodman on a charge of intoxication manslaughter. The state claimed that Goodman had consumed 16 to 18 drinks before he slumped behind the wheel of his Bentley and rammed it into a…
Comment of the Day: What? The Heights-Area Walmart Will Cause Problems?
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Wine Time: What To Do When Fine Wine Service Is Really Bad?
Historically, a sommelier was a cellar master who managed a wine collection. He — and I say he because in the pre-sexual-revolution era, the sommelier was always male — tracked and tallied the sums of wine (originally stored in cask and later in bottle). Today, the word is used loosely to…
The Time Imaginary Cheese Upended A Perfectly Fine Music Experiment
The original idea wasn’t even that original, which is why it didn’t work, I suppose. In 2003, a ferociously cool writer named Rob Harvilla (Google him; he’s a vocabularian superhero) wrote an article about how he played a Radiohead album for a group of fifth graders and then asked them…
José Gustavo Diaz-Velasquez: Used Craigslist, YouTube To Recruit Immigrant Smugglers
Doing business in this modern world can be cutthroat — you either keep up with the times, or you die. Any good business gets itself on the web. Even if that business is smuggling illegal immigrants. The U.S> Attorney’s Office in Houston has announced the arrest of José Gustavo Diaz-Velasquez,…
Week in Photos: Saturn Rocket
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. We’re looking for pictures that represent the best of Houston, from food to art to events, to secret hidden spots of beauty. Just drop them in our Flickr…
Mudbug Music: The Perfect Soundtrack for Your Next Crawfish Boil
Fat Pat’s “Tops Drop” on the way to buy the crawfish in Kemah and UGK’s “Wood Wheel” for the drive back. These are just two of the songs that Rocks Off’s Nathan Smith recommends to start your day-long crawfish boiling festivities. If you think that zydeco music and only zydeco…
Happy Birthday, Eliminator: Three Decades Of ZZ Top’s Iconic Album
I can’t be the only one on Earth, or even in Houston, who thinks that ZZ Top’s 1983 album Eliminator should be played at ear-bleeding levels. Yes, even “Dirty Dog” and “Thug.” By the time you get past “I Got The Six” and “Legs” you need a breather anyway. Today…
You Can’t Beat the Kids in Annie from TUTS
The set-up: There’s always an exception to every rule. When it comes to the blockbuster Tony-winning Annie (1977) presented by Theatre Under the Stars with an optimistic grin a mile wide, the old showbiz canard that’s been attributed to the great curmudgeon W.C. Fields, “Never work with children or animals,”…
Community: “Contemporary Impressionists”
I wonder if Alison Brie has finally tired of the attention paid to her chest on (and off) Community. Aside from the brief reappearance last week of Annie’s Boobs, the monkey, her cleavage has been largely contained. If it’s a conscious strategy, good for her. Brie’s *other* show, Mad Men,…
Catholic Schools To TAPPS: Your Treatment Of Muslim & Jewish Schools Is Biased, Insensitive
The education department of the Texas Catholic Conference, which represents the 43 Catholic high schools in the state, has sent a strongly worded letter to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools criticizing it for biased treatment against Muslim and Jewish schools. TAPPS has been under fire for refusing…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Aquiles Chavez of La Fisheria – The Tasting
The last two days, Latin TV personality Aquiles Chavez, chef and owner of the new restaurant La Fisheria, shared stories about his mustache, his French training, his TV shows and how he hopes to show Houstonians real food from Mexico. From what he’s shown me, Mexican food is vibrant, complex,…
8 Cool & Cheap Things To Do This Weekend
Scoremore presents a release party for up-and-coming local rapper Doughbeezy for his new CD Blue Magic at Warehouse Live tonight ($15). The album features Dough’s collaboration with Killa Kyleon, “F*ck You,” which should not be mistaken for the Cee-Lo song of the same partially censored name. Watch the Houston Press…
Happy Handyman: The Week in Photos
It’s time again to check out the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. We love street art, unique perspectives and beautiful photos of Houston’s creative community. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool…
Project Runway All-Stars: The Grandest Finale of All
This week on PRAS: Final three Michael Costello, Austin Scarlett, and Mondo are ready to face judgment day. The three boys dress in their Sunday finest–Austin rocks a Liza Minelli-style black sequined jacket, while Mondo and Michael settle for button down shirts and ties–and head out to meet their fate…
Hospital District Wi-Fi: Out Magazine Barred, Marlboro.com Just Fine
We received an e-mail from someone who was sitting in the waiting room at LBJ Hospital while his partner was getting treated. LBJ is part of the Harris County Hospital District, and it offers wi-fi in the waiting room. ” I tried to access an article on Out.com and I…
After American Idol And Bad Record Deal, Sundance Head Starts Over
Rocks Off hadn’t thought much about Sundance Head since his 13th-place American Idol finish in 2007 and the momentary ballyhoo that followed. Head, the son of legendary Houston blue-eyed soul man Roy Head, remains the only artist who didn’t finish in the Top 5 on Idol to sign a major-label…
Openings & Closings: Adieu, Chez Roux et Bonjour, L’Olivier
When one French door closes, another opens. Case in point: L’Olivier, the much anticipated restaurant from former Tony’s executive chef Olivier Ciesielski, had its soft opening last night. At the same time, news hit that Chez Roux — the fine dining destination restaurant at La Toretta del Lago’s resort in…
The Art — and Artists — of Underbelly’s Wine Menu
Underbelly’s wine menu is getting a lot of attention, and it’s not because of the selection. 29-95.com’s Greg Morago called the new Westheimer restaurant’s wine book possibly the “most entertaining and diverting restaurant document in town.” And since Underbelly opened earlier this month, the colorful menu hasn’t gone unnoticed by…
Tim Tebow’s First Day As A New York Jet — A Screenplay
EXT. NEW YORK JETS HEADQUARTERS BUILDING, FLORHAM PARK, NJ — DAY It’s a cold, crisp late March afternoon as a limousine pulls into the front driveway of the Jets headquarters building. Out steps the newest New York Jet, quarterback Tim Tebow, dressed in jeans and a long coat. As he…
Mercury Baroque Gets Hip New Name and Image
Along with the new name of “Mercury – The Orchestra Redefined,” the circa 1999 group (formerly known as Mercury Baroque) is revamping its image with an updated logo and website. Of late, this has been the trend for classical-music organizations that have expanded the repertoire outside of their namesakes. For…
Health Department Roundup
Starting with an update from last week – no, Juan Mon’s is not closed. In fact, the sandwich shop now has an “international bar.” Which sounds like a backstreet den in Kiev where, if you don’t get a $200 drink-slash-prostitute, you get a free walk to an ATM in the…
Last Night: Experience Hendrix Tour At Arena Theatre
Experience Hendrix Tour Arena Theatre March 22, 2012 It was a guitar-gasm of monstrous proportions at the Arena Theatre when string shredders, bass thumpers, keyboard squealers, and one very, very hardworking drummer paid tribute to the musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix in a 3+ hour show that expertly mined the…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: The Hunger Games
Title: The Hunger Games Did You Finally Read The Book? Yes, but only because I reached a natural stopping point in my revisiting of Judy Blume’s canon. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film Three-and-a-half nightlock berries out of five. Tagline: “The World Will Be Watching.” Better Tagline: “Who…
Five Funny French Films: Comedies from Across the Pond Screen at MFAH
Intouchables (Untouchable) The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Five Funny French Films festival is the MFAH’s alternative to hopping a plane and heading to Paris. “The lag time between when a film made the festival rounds and then finally gets general release can be significant,” the museum’s Curator for Film…
Last Night: Young The Giant At Warehouse Live
Young The Giant Warehouse Live March 22, 2012 Young The Giant’s gig Thursday night sold out weeks before they even hit town, moving away from it’s previous locale, Fitzgerald’s, to the larger confines of Warehouse Live, and still managed to also sell out that venue. All of this happened virtually…
Bartender Chat: PJ of PJ’s Sports Bar
This week, we stayed close to home because of the shitty weather and walked over to PJ’s Sports Bar. Although it wasn’t raining when we left the house, it was pouring five minutes into the 10-minute walk. We arrived with wet hair, soaked to the bone and a little raccoon-eyed…(Where…
Magazine Sales Crew Stabbin’ its Way Through Dallas; Is Houston Next?
We just wanted to warn y’all of a magazine sales crew whose agents have allegedly stabbed and threatened residents of an upscale Dallas neighborhood, as these trolls tend to hit Houston whenever they’re in Texas. A resident told WFAA in Dallas that a sales agent stabbed him in the face…
The Most Anticipated Summer Films Of 2012
I hate to break it to everyone, but the summer blockbuster movie season doesn’t begin when the kids get out of school, or when the calendar hits Memorial Day weekend. It now gears up sometime in late March with a handful of studio gambles, and really kicks into overdrive by…
Celebrity Tech Endorsements: 5 Cool and 5 Highly Annoying Examples Of Product Pimpage
Celebrity endorsements are nothing new. They have been around as long as there were celebrities and companies willing to pay them to say they smoked Kool’s or drove Chevy, or force us to explain to children and the elderly why we would giggle every time we saw the milk-stained upper…
Moonshining On The Rise in East Texas
For the second time this month, East Texas cops have broken up a moonshining operation. The latest case took place near Tyler, in tiny New Chapel Hill. Smith County Constables seized two stills belonging to one man whom they have charged with a misdemeanor, with more charges possibly pending. Cops…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 Happy Hour Menus
For the next 20 weeks, we’ll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year’s winner is no easy task. We’ll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants. I…
The Perfect Soundtrack To Your Next Crawfish Boil
Crawfish boils have become a springtime ritual in Houston. At least once a season, it’s an accepted necessity that we waste an entire day pinching tails, sucking heads and covering ourselves in spicy, stinky seafood slime. Finding the bugs typically isn’t a problem — you can hit up any number…
100 Creatives 2012: Carol Simmons
What She Does: Carol Simmons is known for her work as a hair stylist. She’s handled the tresses of hundreds of models at various events, including fashion shows showcasing Azreal’s Accomplice lines. She also does wedding hair, and admits that between goth fashion shows and bridal dos the brides are…
Forget Etch-a-Sketch: Vintage `60s Toys For Newt, Obama & Rick
A spokesman for Mitt Romney stepped in it this week when he cited the 1960s toy Etch-a-Sketch when discussing how easy it would be for his candidate to pivot, issues-wise, from appealing to the rightwingers of the GOP primary to the more centrist voters in the general election. It was…
30 Seconds With The Clouds Are Ghosts
Clouds are Ghosts put out one the greatest EPs we’ve ever heard in the form of Harbinger. Seriously, with all its shining brilliance, it’s been on a constant loop in our house over the last three days. We hit pause just long enough to chat with vocalist Jason Morris. Here’s…
Low Budget Hell: The Other Side of John Waters
You’ll pardon us for more or less dedicating our lives to talking about legendary director John Waters (Hairspray, Pink Flamingoes) over the last two weeks. It’s just, well, him coming here was a big deal and we wanted to make sure that we covered every facet of it that we…
Coroner: Drowning, Drugs Killed Whitney Houston
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has finally released the toxicology report in Whitney Houston’s death shortly before the Grammys last month, and it both is and is not a surprise. According to Yahoo, the coroner says Houston, who was found in the bathtub of her fourth-floor room in the…
College Basketball: Sweet Sixteen Best Bets
The casual fan likes March Madness because, unquestionably more than any other major sports postseason, the odds are at least only stacked manageably against the Davids (as opposed to football and series-based postseasons like baseball and in the NBA). In short, when there’s no personal interest, people tend to like…
City of Houston to Vote on Charitable Feeding Ordinance
Every Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m., volunteers for Noah’s Kitchen gather at Jenni’s Noodle House in the Heights and begin prepping for their day ahead. Since 2010, the charity’s mission has been to feed Houston’s homeless one meal at a time. In their first year, Noah’s Kitchen volunteers fed 5,000…
Comment of the Day: Other Ways Dynamo Tailgaters Can Break The Law
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Free for All: Art Without a Price Tag (The All Film Edition)
It’s Greek Week at Market Square Park, presented by Niko Niko’s, and as part of the celebration the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow has an outdoor screening Zack Snyder’s 300 on Friday. The action flick is Snyder’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s acclaimed graphic novel based on the Battle of Thermopylae. In…
Top 5 Old Musicians Actually Using Twitter
Like youth itself, Twitter is wasted on the young. But not everyone over 35 has completely tuned it out — after a recent upgrade to a smartphone, even I’m using it now after years of Twitterphobia. (Hit me up at @ThePhantomTX.) Since I’ve been on, I’ve learned that most musicians…
Dieter Palmer: Child Porn Fan, Former Navy CPO — In Retrospect, His Web Postings Sure Seem Creepy
Dieter David Palmer, a retired chief petty officer naval officer, has been senteced to more than 13 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Palmer, 42, entered a guilty plea. When he was first charged, prosecutors said they had found more than 1,800 images and 36 videos of…
The Anachronistic Chef: Pisco Punch
When Bobby Heugel featured the pisco sour as his cocktail of the week back in 2010, I stood up and cheered, for I had become a huge fan of pisco after visiting Peru. Rereading his post last week, I also learned about another old-school pisco cocktail, thanks to commenter Walter…
A Couple of Stand-up Guys Do a Comedy Show
What happens when a Scottish immigrant, former Army Sergeant and Psychology Student at UHD walks into a bar? Well if the bar is Rudyards and the Scottish Psych major is Kevin Farren, then he invites a bunch of comics to showcase their acts for an evening of stand-up comedy. “A…
Ryan Earl Whitton: Swipes Bar Tip Jar, Racks Up Felony DWI
Looks like 24-year-old Ryan Earl Whitton was wearing his bad-idea jorts when he hit the bars of Bryan Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. Police there say Whitton swiped a tip jar off the bar at Carney’s Pub and Grill — a surefire way to endear yourself to bar staff…
In the Wake of Trayvon Martin’s Murder, a Pretty Art Show About Guns Falls Flat
I was almost seduced by Harlow Tighe’s photograms. The sepia-toned images of various handguns — Colt Dragoon, Browning Buckmark, Ruger Vacquero — are repeated throughout Gallery Two1Four. The monochromatic effect of the brown paper and white, seemingly absent guns in various formation makes for an alluring show. That’s kind of…
Top 10 Local Covers Of Famous Songs
A good cover song must reach a perfect balance between innovation and preserving the original’s appeal. There have been some really great covers from Houston’s music scene, and we wanted to pay tribute to them…
HISD Wants You to Know There Is No Pink Slime In Its School Lunches
In the wake of the recent “pink slime” scandal, EOW has received press releases from various grocery stores and restaurant chains assuring us that no pink slime — or boneless lean beef trimmings, in non-neologism speak — is used in their food products or sold in their establishments. Pink slime…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Aquiles Chavez of La Fisheria
Yesterday, we chatted with owner and Executive Chef Aquiles Chavez of La Fisheria about attending school in France with Alain Ducasse and about his famous mustache. Today, we talk about his TV shows and the food he’s making at La Fisheria. EOW: So, when Utilisima called you, what kind of…
Scott Braddock: Radio Reporter Fired After Abortion-Sonogram Discussion
Scott Braddock, a respected reporter who has been with the fledgling newsradio station KROI since November, has been fired. Twitter supporters and some fellow reporters have been questioning whether the ax fell because of a Braddock report on Texas’ abortion-sonogram law, but he won’t go that far. We caught up…
5 Easy Ways To Stream Music From A Smartphone
Radio has always been one of the best ways to discover new music. A song would play on the radio and you would wait for the song title. But the advent of Internet radio aided the discovery of new music a lot more, with song titles and background information immediately…
Last Night: Apocalypse Town
You may know Anthony Barilla for his many, many stellar productions with Infernal Bridegroom Productions. In 2007 he left IBP to move to Mitrovica, Kosovo with his wife, and the result of his time there is a new musical called Apocalypse Town. The show speaks with a biting hometown humor…
Lose Your Rims Or Tires At Hobby? Blame These Guys, Maybe
Three dudes with cut-and-paste names have been arrested for a string of rim-and-tire thefts at Hobby Airport, HPD says. Temirlan Kantay, 27, Nurbol Tangatov, 22, and Yerzhigit Zhanbolatu Serikbay, 19, were arrested earlier this month, although the HPD announcement just came out yesterday. The hit high-end vehicles on at least…
Cricket Trailer: A Minimalist Version Of The American Dream
As the weather heats up, one Houston entrepreneur is preparing to market a cool little trailer that will make enjoying the great outdoors a bit more comfortable. Garrett Finney is the architect behind the adorably minimalist Cricket Trailer, an “un-RV” designed and manufactured in Houston, in a factory just south…
Control the Flavor: Make Your Own Spice & Herb Blends
I’ve always been a sucker for taco seasoning packets. While I usually like to make things from scratch, the store-bought packets remind me of the better days when I played manhunt outside before my mom called us in dinner. (Remember manhunt? How cool was that shit?) I had big plans…
Houston R&B Singer Lee-Lonn Braces For Stardom
Each week, 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 sheaserrano@gmail.com. A couple of days ago, Grammy-winning rapper Chamillionaire…
Bumbaklat Hits: Pop’s 10 Most Unforgivable Reggae Misappropriations
Can you feel it yet? Don’t let all this rain fool you — Summer is on its way. Sure, that means triple-digit temperatures, mutant mosquitos and Astros-fan apathy, but it also means live music outdoors. And where there’s live music outdoors, there is always reggae. It’s some kind of rule…
Is There a Chocolate Factory in Houston’s Future?
Tejas Chocolate is a young company. Scott Moore, Jr. and his partner Michelle Holland started making chocolate from scratch and working with cacao beans in 2010, and Tejas Chocolate began in earnest in 2011. Scott and Michelle are still working their day jobs running a railroad supply company, while spending…
Kurt Russell Rocks: Our Top 5 Russell Flicks
We got very excited to read that tonight, the Alamo Draft House in Katy is screening the absurdist-action flick, Big Trouble in Little China. This made us daydream about how ab-ripplingly amazing Kurt Russell used to be, and then we wondered where in the hell he had been in the…
Anti-Social: Employers Want Candidates’ Facebook and Twitter Logins
Privacy has increasingly become an important topic in the technology world. There are concerns that web sites like Google and Facebook are collecting data to sell to advertisers. There is the worry that the government is using the massive amounts of information passed around the Internet every day to spy…
UPDATED: Some Members of the Hyde Park Civic Association Don’t Like Their New Neighbors, Underbelly and Hay Merchant
UPDATE: Bobby Heugel, co-owner of Hay Merchant, contacted us and requested that we publish his unedited response to the situation. You’ll find it on page two of this post in its entirety, along with our own response. Maybe the guests at Chances and Mary’s were quieter back in their days,…
Pollen Is Coming On Strong
Guess what? If you’re not sneezing, battling a runny nose or sore throat, then count yourself lucky. For everyone else, high levels of pollen are kicking their ass. The drought, an early spring: a number of factors are combining to make it a bad pollen season. It could be worse:…
Pop Rocks: Let’s Pick Apart The Hunger Games
The movie adaptation of The Hunger Games opens nationwide starting at midnight. You’re welcome to check it out, provided you can get a ticket: As if we needed any more proof that The Hunger Games is going to be a box-office bonanza this weekend, Fandango announced Tuesday that the movie…
Walmart Development Compromising Yale Street Bridge Stability, Critics Say
Jeff Jackson, director of Responsible Urban Development for Houston, thinks that something apocalyptic could happen to the Yale Street Bridge, especially when construction of the controversial new Heights-area Walmart is completed. In November, the Texas Department of Transportation performed a study of the circa 1931 bridge, which crosses over White…
Boy Bands Are Back In Fashion, But Did They Ever Go Away?
One Direction, the newest UK pop import to make it to colonial shores, announced a full-scale summer tour Tuesday, including a Houston date on June 24 up at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Pretty big venue for a group that is just now breaking in America, and the Brit-Irish boy…
Literary Slap Fight: Gaiman’s Death vs. Pratchett’s Death
Hate to be the stereotypical goth, but we do spend a fair amount of time thinking about death. It’s how we relax, just sitting in a dark bathroom surrounded by black candles while Joy Division plays on a constant, unending loop and we cheerfully meditate on the beauty of a…
The Memes of Texas Are Upon You: 30 Takes On Lone Star Life
A while back we gave you the “Success Kid” meme as it applied to Houston. Today we set our sights broader — the subject is all of Texas, and the memes are more diverse. But, of course, we have to start out with the Kid. Can’t get enough of this…
Top 10 Novelizations That Are Actually Worth Reading
If someone turns a book into a movie, no one bats an eye. It’s such an accepted part of the artistic world that of the nine films nominated for best Picture at the last Academy Awards, six of them were based on previously written works. However, turning a movie into…
Morgue City: Pulling Names From A Coffin Box
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. Recently your humble nameologist has been on a fervent quest to chronicle the history of goth music in our fair city of Houston. One…
C. J. Box: Force of Nature
It’s going to be difficult for C.J. Box, appearing today in a reading and signing session of his new thriller Force of Nature, to find a section of the book that won’t be a bit bloody. Although it’s from the Joe Pickett series, the main focus here is on his…
Greek Week: 300
There are some films that should only be seen on the big screen – among them, all of director Zack Snyder’s. He brings fantastic feats of badassery to life with all the energy of an Iron Maiden music video. As part of Greek Week, Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow is presenting…
Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo: Songs of Mirth and Melancholy
Think you know saxophonist Branford Marsalis? Think again. His latest CD, Songs of Mirth and Melancholy, on which he’s joined by pianist Joey Calderazzo, is a departure from his previous material, a drastic departure based less on virtuosity and more on melodic style. Bottom line, it’s less note-y. And it’s…
“Roberta Stokes: TIE-BREAKER”
That paisley tie you gave your dad for Father’s Day last year might just be part of Roberta Stokes’s ”TIE-BREAKER” exhibition, now on display at Art League Houston. It’s a collection of mostly secondhand ties, bow ties and tie labels, all woven and put into frames or manipulated into shapes…
1st Annual Houston Improv Festival
A dozen comedy troupes are on the schedule for the 1st Annual Houston Improv Festival. This is live, unscripted comedy created on the spot by the various troupes, which vary greatly in style and size. Houston-based two-woman team Ophelia’s Rope is made up of Autumn Clack and Ruth Shauberger and…
Re-Marking Twain’s Equator
In 1995, Houston photographer Daniel Kramer (former staff photographer for the Houston Press) set out to retrace Mark Twain’s 1896 epic journey around the world. When Twain was finished, he wrote Following the Equator. When Kramer was finished, he compiled Re-Marking Twain’s Equator, a book of photographs. The book is…
2012 Vietnamese Festival
Hope Initiative pays honor to the founders of Vietnam at today’s 2012 Vietnamese Festival. A highlight of the day-long festival is the Chopped Competition. The well-known YouTube duo Tran Can Cook (Viet and Kevin Tran) will act as judges for the face-off between local chefs (everyone will be given the…
Rob Landes Trio
Please don’t call what Houston pianist Rob Landes does smooth jazz. Yes, it’s jazz, and yes, it’s smooth, but not that kind of smooth. More accurately, it’s swing with a dash of bebop. For today’s performance, From Ella to Ellington, the Rob Landes Trio concentrates mostly on the Great American…
Five Funny French Films
This year’s crop of Five Funny French Films runs the gamut from charming to satirical, and beyond. There’s sweet and lighthearted Les émotifs anonymes (Romantics Anonymous), by Jean-Pierre Améris, scheduled to screen on Friday. Isabelle Carré stars as the painfully shy Angélique. Her boss, Jean-René (Benoît Poelvoorde), is equally bashful…
Pauly Shore
Early in his career, comedian Pauly Shore developed an alter-ego, a stoner named Weasel, whose catchphrase was the slow “Hey, BU-DDY.” Shore and Weasel left a pop culture mark on anyone who watched MTV in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Since then the comedian has alternately embraced and detached himself from…
A Little Night Music
The Houston Symphony will be showcasing a trio of gentle works in A Little Night Music. The program’s title comes from a loose translation of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, one of the pieces to be performed. The work’s opening allegro is one of the most famous classical works in the…
Margarett Root Brown Reading Series: Tea Obreht and Gary Shteyngart
She looks like she belongs on the cover of Seventeen magazine, not on the New York Times best-seller list. But don’t let appearances fool you; Tea Obreht is an extremely talented and gifted novelist. Appearing at today’s Margarett Root Brown Reading Series, Obreht will discuss her acclaimed 2011 debut release,…
Awready Kickoff Artist Reception & Graffiti, B-Boy and B-Girl Exhibition
Houston’s hip-hop community takes front and center at the Awready Kickoff Artist Reception & Graffiti, B-Boy and B-Girl Exhibition. The event is a launch for Awready, a two-day conference on Houston’s unique hip-hop culture, as well as an opening for the “Graffiti, B-Boy and B-Girl Exhibition,” a FotoFest-related showing of…
Below the Belt
In Below the Belt, every single character wants to be anywhere but here, no matter where they are. The three-man comedy is directed by Trevor B. Cone, who tells us the action is set in an unnamed corporation’s offshore quality-control facility. “It’s a satirical look at corporate America, or corporate…
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
It may not get all the hype that other local parades do, but the annual St. Patrick’s Parade is in many ways the most fun. “I like to think we’re the Mardi Gras of Houston parades. A little bit different, a lot of fun, and definitely geared toward families,” says…
Crimes of the Heart
In Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart, at least one of the crimes in question is a federal offense. The Pulitzer Prize-winning dark comedy features the three Magrath sisters (Meg, Babe and Lenny), who get together after Babe shoots her abusive husband. Babe’s crime involved a gun and blood, but…
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies
Years before he was rocking the pencil-thin, silent-era ’stache and picking up an Oscar for Best Actor in The Artist, Gallic heartthrob Jean Dujardin lit up movie screens as the French James Bond looking into the death of a fellow spy, seducing ladies and, oh, trying to bring peace to…
Dead Man’s Cell Phone
An optimistic woman makes amends for a deceased stranger in Sarah Ruhl’s stage comedy Dead Man’s Cell Phone. Jennifer Decker, artistic director of Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Company, plays Jean, a kindhearted soul who just wants everyone to be happy — even if she has to tell them outrageous lies in…
Murder for Dummies
Murder is rarely as much fun as it is in Philip Nichols’s Murder for Dummies. Presented in a concert reading, Dummies features Nichols, an experienced ventriloquist, in the role of — would you ever guess? — ventriloquist Lester “The Great” Winchell. Along with his dummy Corky, Winchell appears as the…
Pin Oak Charity Horse Show
The hooves will be clip-clopping rapidly as smartly-dressed humans and their equine counterparts compete at the 67th Annual Pin Oak Charity Horse Show: Step Up & Step Out for Children. “Horses bring out the best in all of us,” Pin Oak President Lynn Walsh explains in the show program. “Riders…
David Hockney: A Bigger Picture
Meet the filmmaker who captured one of the 20th century’s greatest artists at today’s screening of David Hockney: A Bigger Picture. Documentarian Bruno Wollheim filmed Hockney for three years. At the time Hockney had just returned to his native Yorkshire, England, and was beginning a series of landscapes. With the…
Cuttin’ Up
Among the canon of plays set in barbershops and beauty parlors is Charles Randolph-Wright’s Cuttin’ Up. As in its counterparts, Steel Magnolias and, of course, Barbershop, stories are told and history uncovered as hair is cut and combed. In an article in LA Stage, Randolph-Wright called Cuttin’ Up a “drama…
He’s Still Got It
See the dining room at Arturo Boada Cuisine on a rare quiet afternoon in our slideshow. There are two restaurants in Houston that bear Arturo Boada’s name. But Boada himself can only be found at one of them. Nearly every night of the week, you can see him — black…
Downfall 2012
Downfall 2012 is celebrating its 15th anniversary at the top of its game. Liberally drawing from industrial, progressive and alternative rock, the trio was already a familiar name in Houston metal circles, both a multiple Houston Press Music Awards nominee and the 94.5 FM-sponsored Texas Buzz awards’ reigning Best Metal…
Promised Land
It’s hard to bat an eyelash at SXSW sightings anymore. Kanye West hanging out with Hammer (yes, the Hammer) at the Belmont? Yawn. Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers singing “Lady” onstage together? Meh. Stumbling onto Snoop Dogg’s private party on the Doritos Jacked stage? Ho-hum. Eminem as 50 Cent’s almost-surprise…
Knife Party
If you have been following dubstep and the new electronic-music movement at all, you have been seeing the name Knife Party in magazines and online for the past year. The Australian production duo, featuring Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen of drum-and-bass act Pendulum, has been building drops for audiences for…
Paintstick and Perception
At 72, Richard Serra is a force to be reckoned with. You can still tell that this is a guy who started working in a steel mill at age 16 to earn money for school, and who later started a furniture-moving business, hauling heavy crap up the stairs of walk-ups…
Multiples of Black
In 1982 James Rivera, he of the shrieking voice that can out-Rob Halford the Judas Priest singer himself, founded a Houston heavy-metal band that has never stopped rocking. Once signed to the same label as Megadeth and Exodus, it looked like nothing but guitar-shaped pools and hot and cold running…
The Rose of Houston
“Well I was sittin’ in this beer joint down in Houston, Texas.” — Johnny Paycheck, “Colorado Kool-Aid” That song came out in 1977. Have you heard it? It’s about a guy sitting in a beer joint down in Houston, Texas. It starts out normal enough, but then spirals into bizarro…
North America’s Next Top Killer
“If no one watches, then they don’t have a game,” a teenager says in this faithful if cautious adaptation of the first volume of Suzanne Collins’s astronomically successful dystopic YA trilogy. A withering indictment of omnipresent screens, endless spectacle and debased celebrity culture, The Hunger Games was inspired, the author…
Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren’s unique solo career almost gets forgotten next to his lengthy production résumé, which includes influential artists such as Badfinger, New York Dolls, XTC, Meat Loaf and Bad Religion. Beginning with garage-rockers the Nazz in the late ’60s, the Pennsylvania-born Rundgren went solo with 1970’s Runt, with the help…
Fathers & Sons in Suck City
Written and directed by Paul Weitz, Being Flynn is an adaptation of Nick Flynn’s 2004 memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, which explored the author’s pivotal experience working at the Boston homeless shelter where his down-and-out dad Jonathan was a frequent guest. In the movie, Paul Dano and Robert…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Anodyne,” “Elegance and Refinement: The Still-Life Paintings of Willem van Aelst,” “Perspectives 177: McArthur Binion,” “Pictures and Words,” “Push Play”
“Anodyne” It’s difficult to label Joe Mancuso’s work by any traditional means. Is it sculpture? Painting? Installation? All of the above seem appropriate in the Houston artist’s latest show at Barbara Davis Gallery. These art vocabulary-defying conundrums begin with the piece Bouquet. It’s a careful arrangement of polywood, with flower…
Setting Boundaries
EDUCATION Setting Boundaries Port Arthur does have limits, we find By Craig Malisow Port Arthur police are investigating an elementary school principal who reportedly hit fifth-grade students who performed poorly on practice tests a few weeks ago. The Beaumont Enterprise reported that the Port Arthur Independent School District has apologized…
The Naked and Famous
By his own admission, Thom Powers, guitarist/vocalist in the Naked and Famous, has been part of several “terrible, terrible bands.” By the time he helped to form the fresh-faced five-piece who have effectively become New Zealand’s great white indie-rock hope in 2007, Powers’s tastes had changed considerably. After leaving high…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Il Trovatore, Crimes of the Heart, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)
Il Trovatore Giuseppe Verdi’s monumental and monumentally exciting opera (1853) roars into Opera in the Heights and flattens everything else around. It leaves one breathless. In the first scene of Act II, the gypsy camp is swarming with excitement (the famous “Anvil Chorus”), but earth mother Azucena (mezzo Jenni Bank)…
chicana-mexican-accordion
Dear Mexican, I was born in los estados unidos, my father Tamaulipas, and my mother is a third-generation Chicana. Being married to a mexicano, we recently vacationed in his hometown of Apatzingan, Michoacán. It was my first time meeting my in-laws and everyone from his colonia. It seems I got…
The Mastersons
After years of polishing their résumés with some of the biggest names in roots-rock and Americana, it’s time to meet the Mastersons. Guitarist Chris Masterson and his violinist — or is that fiddler? — wife Eleanor Whitmore have put in time with Son Volt and most recently the touring company…
Lowering the Boom
The audio alone sounds like a prison riot. On January 27, a fight between students broke out during the lunch hour at Andy Dekaney High School, located near Farm to Market Road 1960 and Interstate 45. Cell-phone video shows complete mayhem as more than 30 teenagers unleashed haymakers at any…
The Columbine Effect
The news first surfaced in the Hollywood trade press last month: The Lifetime cable network is developing a miniseries about the 1999 school shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Based on a best-selling book about the tragedy, the project involves a team of heavyweight producers whose collective film…
