What’s So Secret About HPD’s DWI Policy?
The Houston Police Department’s policy for dealing with motorists suspected of driving while inebriated is pretty straight-forward, except for the section about “violent prisoners,” which is curiously redacted. The Houston Press obtained a copy of the policy without the redactions, and although HPD went around the horn trying to explain why…
Cabaret Returns to Houston in a Tony Award-Winning Production
When Andrea Goss was 3 years old, her parents gave her a wonderful gift: piano lessons. From there she added singing, dancing and acting — all enormously helpful to a successful career in musical theater. Goss is on her way to Houston, playing Sally Bowles, the iconic character in the…
Kyler Sharp Is a Mad Genius of Concert Art
From his keen eye for design to his striking and courageous use of color, Kyler Sharp is a man of light, angles, perspective and eye-catching weirdness. His work is best appreciated under a black light in a room full of pot smoke. It’s the stuff we love about concert posters:…
Spinning Dancers Meet Los Trompos at Discovery Green’s Friday Night Sights!
We don’t have to wait for Día de los Muertos or Cinco de Mayo to hear mariachi music because alumni from MECA Houston’s award-winning mariachi program – along with MECA’s Ballet Folklórico – are bringing East End culture to Discovery Green as part of its Friday Night Sights! program. We…
Pitbull Maintains Full-Tilt Energy for Huge Rodeo Crowd
Pitbull Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo NRG Stadium March 8, 2016 Clad in a black suit and sunglasses, surrounded by scantily clad dancers, Miami’s Pitbull shared his personal vision of the American Dream with the biggest RodeoHouston crowd of the year on Tuesday night. Mr. Worldwide’s performance began with a…
Happy Hump Day: A Flash Flood Watch Remains in Effect Pretty Much All Day
So maybe your morning commute wasn’t as full of Houston-sized puddles as anticipated—according to KHOU, as of this morning there were zero reports of street flooding and just 0.03 inches of rain. Hardly enough to bring out the Houston Fire Department’s rescue boats that have been ready to go since…
Finally! Houston Food Truck Chef Wins Chopped
Soon, Houstonians will be able to eat gourmet food truck burgers from a Food Network winner. Chef Shannen Tune, former executive chef of Revolve restaurant at Hotel Derek and co-owner of the forthcoming Craft Burger food truck, won on last night’s episode of “Chopped.” (Tune co-owns the truck along with…
Moody Gardens’ 3D Theater Is Insanity — and Perfect for Star Wars Junkies
You’ve been to Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens once or twice or umpteenth times and you think you’ve really seen it. No. You haven’t. For two weeks in March at Galveston’s Moody Gardens, the center’s recently enhanced, one-of-a-kind 3D movie house will screen The First Order’s galaxy-ruling attempts…
HPD’s Officer-Involved Shootings Almost Always Involve Men of Color
In a report evaluating the state’s first collection of officer-involved shootings, the City of Houston appears to be a microcosm of one of the Black Lives Matter movement’s most resonating protests: that people shot by police are overwhelmingly young black men. According to University of Texas law professor Amanda Woog’s…
Texans Free Agency Roundup: The Ben Jones Era Is Over
As we wake up this morning, on the day where pens can finally hit paper on free agents signing with other NFL teams, there is plenty of Texans news to dig into, so without further ado, let’s start with the saddest news first: Ben Jones To Sign With Titans Yeah,…
Behind the Scenes of Top Texas Winemaker Pedernales Cellars
For the second time in four years, Pedernales Cellars’ Viognier won Top Texas Wine at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Uncorked! Competition. The 2012 vintage first won in 2013 (which was also the first time it had ever been entered) and the 2014 vintage earned the same honors at…
1946 Presents Post War San Antonio Lives in a Time of Change
It was a time of profound change. At the end of World War II post-war lives were being sorted out. “Things are growing; things are being built,” says Patti Bean who will direct the production of 1946 by Thomas Hagemann, making its world premiere at Main Street Theater. The play…
Texas Lawmaker’s Advice to College Women: Stay Sober to Avoid Rape
During a committee hearing on Tuesday to discuss sexual assault on college campus, a Texas lawmaker said that staying sober is a woman’s “best chance” at not getting raped. While State Rep. Myra Crownover, a Republican from Denton, says her comments during a House Higher Education Committee hearing have been…
Is Texas Executing a Mentally Disabled Man Today?
Today, Texas is scheduled to execute a man who may or may not be intellectually disabled. In 1997, Coy Wesbrook killed five people at a party at his ex-wife’s house east of Houston. After his ex-wife headed to the bedroom with two men she was allegedly sleeping with, (according to Westbrook,…
Filling the Gaps at Coltivare
I’ve lived in Houston for 22 23 years. It took me 16 of those to visit the Rothko Chapel for the first time. I didn’t eat at Ninfa’s on Navigation until I’d counted myself a Houstonian for nearly a decade. I still haven’t eaten at Frenchy’s. The list of glaring omissions…
Houston’s Convention Bureau Stands Ready to Vanquish a Comic Con — Space City Indeed!
In the world of comic book superheroes, allegiances can be delicate. One day, everyone is playing nice, fighting villains hellbent on destruction. The next day, former allies are sworn enemies. In real life, the same often holds true, political bedfellows being what they are. But, when the Houston Chronicle reported…
Doughbeezy Attempts to Find Normalcy With ‘Reggie Bush & Kool-Aid 2’
The first time I saw Doughbeezy rap, it was at SF2 North on the Northside. Tucked off in a strip center off Greens Road, Doughbeezy stood in front of a crowd of people, rattling off rapid-fire punchlines to render his invisible opponent useless. He didn’t look physically imposing — a…
Travis County’s Robert Morrow: Political Outlier or More of the Same?
Until election day, Robert Morrow was unknown. But when he was voted chairman of the Travis County Republican Party — a post of little importance in one of Texas’s more liberal counties — his derogatory, sexist, racist, Islamaphobic, homophobic, wildly speculative and entirely inaccurate rantings and ravings on social media…
Reminder: Sneaking Booze Into Shows Is Still a Bad Idea
Recently, someone I genuinely adore went to great measures to ensure that I tasted an excellent adult beverage, one not indigenous or distributed to the United States. This friend produced an ornate bottle, passed it to me and I prepared to deliver my dear old dad’s favorite toast — “Arriba! Abajo!…
The 10 Best Spots to Build Houston’s Live-Music Strip
There’s no shortage of live music in Houston — diverse and quality acts can be found plying their trade on stages large and small all over the city. And that’s a problem: The tunes are too spread out, too scattered, without a central hub to dig in and build around…
Miranda Lambert Makes Being Bad Sound So Good
Miranda Lambert Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo NRG Stadium March 7, 2016 “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” Today the above quote is part of pop-culture parlance, but it stems from a 1976 article by author, historian and Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. This author readily admits to flunking feminist studies,…
Operatic French Concoction Marguerite Is Tough-Minded About Quirkiness
Willful ignorance as a character trait typically evokes annoyance in those who witness it — at least in real life. In many French films, however, a character who’s willfully ignorant is portrayed in the twee manner, encouraging us to believe it is their blissful view of the world we should…
Sally Field Almost Triumphs Over Quirk in Hello, My Name Is Doris
Why is it that little movies about being out of step so often wind up feeling the same? Not long into Michael Showalter’s Hello, My Name Is Doris, a comedy about a misfit frump pining for a much younger hunk, the unlikely target of the heroine’s affections muses to his…
Despite Its View, Drone Drama Eye in the Sky Sees Nothing New
Drone warfare is a moral grey area, and this movie is on it. Gavin Hood’s Eye in the Sky stands alongside Drones and Good Kill as the cinematic equivalent of online commenters shouting “First!” on on a hot topic but not bothering to say anything new or insightful about it…
2016 Cowboy/Cowgirl Diaries: Tyson Durfey
True cowboys are hard to find, but not at the Houston Rodeo. Life on the road leads them here this time every year for the biggest rodeo in the world, where they’ll ride and wrangle livestock for cash and glory. Here we spotlight one person with enough dirt on his…
Prince of Players Admirable, But Not Lovable
The set-up: When the most intriguing part of an opera – Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players, a world premiere, no less, at Houston Grand Opera – occurs before a note of music is heard, something’s terribly wrong. The execution: What is seen upon entering the Wortham is an excerpt from…
The Copley Exhibit at The Menil Is Filled With Wonderful Surprises
Ignorance may not really be bliss, but it can sometimes take you to it. When I walked into the exhibition “William N. Copley: The World According to CPLY,” at The Menil Collection, curated by Toby Kamps, curator of modern and contemporary art, I was in a state of the most…
2016 NFL Fantasy Crime League Update: Rams RB Tre Mason Gets Tased, Racks Up Four Misdemeanors
The Rams haven’t played a single game in their return to Los Angeles yet, but they already lead the league in one category — offseason crime in the year 2016! It’s been a while since Rams running back Tre Mason has carried the mail for his squad. With the Ram…
Stage Magic Is Fully in Place in End of the Rainbow at Stages
The set-up: Stage magic is a wonderful thing. And all of us realize it doesn’t happen every time we go to the theater. To be truthful, it rarely happens. But when it does, it can curl your toes! Go see Carolyn Johnson as Judy Garland at Stages Rep in Peter…
What Happens When a Houston Tagger Puts Down the Krylon?
What happens to a graffiti artist when he puts down the Krylon and gives up writing? If it’s the case of David “Skeez181” Flores, whom we named one of Houston’s top 10 graffiti artists as recently as 2013, you know he can’t just stop creating. The artist/sculptor/art teacher has been…
This Week in Houston Food Blogs: Salty Cakes and Green Cocktails
This week, we look at some delicious baked goods, including pizza, as well as some cute Easter egg ideas and another incredible barbecue road trip from some of Houston’s beloved barbecue bloggers. Fast-casual, create-your-own pizza places are popping up all over Houston, and the Houston Food Blogger Collective paid one…
Court Throws Out Sen. Whitmire’s Special Favor for Man Accused of Killing Deputy
It didn’t take much Monday for Judge Susan Brown to decide that Shannon Miles, charged with killing Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Goforth, will not be allowed to hop the line and be transferred to a state mental hospital earlier than 60 other inmates. Miles was found incompetent to stand…
Upcoming: Art Car Ball, Buzzfest 35, Cypress Hill, Def Leppard, Luna, Weird Al, Whitesnake, Young Mammals, etc.
Note: Events in bold reflect highly recommended shows. 13th Anniversary of SHFL: With Poopy Lungstuffing, Organ Failure, Paper Sparrow, Caleb Fraid, Black Magic Marker, Demonic Hen., Sat., March 26, 8 p.m., TBA. Super Happy Fun Land, 3801 Polk, Houston, 713-880-2100. The 2016 Art Car Ball: With The Suspects, Shake Anderson,…
10 Best Pieces of Donald Trump Art You Can Buy [semi-NSFW]
I’ve sort of resigned myself to the sad fact Donald Trump, the politician, is not going to go away. He’s like athlete’s foot. You keep putting the cream on, the itching dies down, you think “OK, that’s taken care of,” and then then you wake up clawing a hole in…
Foreign Correspondents Offers One Unexpected Hit After Another
Start your dinner with a chunky dip of roasted tomatoes and chilies. A flash of deep, salty funk cuts through sweet, acidic tomato, whose fruity richness is punched up by fragrant garlic. It’s bright and clean, all garden and ocean and umami oomph. A creeping heat insinuates itself, insistent but…
Texans Show Interest in QB Brock Osweiler, Sign Four of Their Own Free Agents
On Monday, the period during which NFL teams can engage other teams’ free agents LEGALLY (that must be pointed out, since illegal engaging of them probably happens all the time) began, and if multiple reports are true, the Houston Texans were busy taking advantage of it prior to the beginning…
How a Few Rent-A-Voters in a Vacant Lot Lead to Millions in Bonds for Taxpayers
To get to Dan Spiecher’s trailer, you’d better be ready to muddy your boots. Southern Oaks Drive in Conroe is just a trail of dirt awaiting the asphalt trucks. The 150-foot driveway winds through an opening in the tree line, across a ribbon of Little Caney Creek and into a…
Because Springsteen Isn’t Coming to Houston, Here’s How He Was in St. Louis
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, MO March 6, 2016 It’s only March, and 2016 has already been a pretty brutal year for music fans: David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Maurice White. And this mass extinction event isn’t likely to abate any time soon, given the…
Get Ready to Test Out Your Flood Plan: Severe Storms on the Way
If you were looking for an excuse to get away from fluorescent lights and white walls and work from home for once, then that excuse may have just arrived. The National Weather Service has issued a severe storm warning for Houston, starting this afternoon and carrying into Wednesday morning. The…
Which Spring Music Fests in Texas Are Worth the Money?
Spring and early summer is a great time to be a music fan in Texas. There’s no shortage of exciting events competing for your attention, and the weather has not reached the kind of temperatures that encourage sidewalk culinary experiments. If you don’t mind driving a few hours here and…
Good News for Katy Residents With “Restless Palates” — a Chef-Driven Restaurant Is on the Way
Hospitality USA—known for concepts like Local Pour and Sherlock’s Baker Street Pub—has tapped Eatsie Boys chef Matt Marcus to develop a menu for a new restaurant at LaCenterra Shopping Center in Cinco Ranch. It will be called Restless Palate and (as reported in last week’s Openings & Closings column) replaces…
Kubo’s in Rice Village Has Closed
Carl Rosa of The Sushi Club of Houston has informed us that he visited Kubo’s Sushi Bar & Grill at 2414 University only to find a closed sign. According to Kubo’s web site, Yoichi ‘Yogi’ Ueno founded the traditional Japanese restaurant more than 14 years ago. The kitchen was most…
Life of the Party: Shawn Mendes Rocks RodeoHouston
Shawn Mendes Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo NRG Stadium March 6, 2016 Ten seconds after Shawn Mendes hopped onto the revolving RodeoHouston stage, I realized that I picked the wrong show to forget my hearing protection. Fresh off his opening run on Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour, the baby-faced Canadian…
Naked Woman Dances Her Heart Out, Stops Traffic on Highway 290
Monday mornings are always tough. Sometimes you just need to hit the snooze button for a few extra minutes, guzzle some coffee, strip off your clothes, climb to the top of an 18-wheeler on Highway 290, and dance like there’s no tomorrow. As KHOU explained, some people had an especially…
Galveston Chef Didn’t Have a Concrete Win on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen
If we didn’t know that this Wednesday’s episode of “Chopped” features exclusively Houston-area chefs, we’d be a little bitter. For the fourth time this year, one of our local chefs landed in the runner-up spot on a Food Network cooking competition show. This time, it was “Cuthroat Kitchen” and chef…
Houston Sucked at Recycling, Got Better, and Now May Outright Ditch Recycling
Houston’s recycling program might be down in the dumps. Since 2010, the City has contracted with Waste Management of Texas to pick up curbside recycling. But that contract just expired and Houston City Council is seriously considering suspending the ubiquitous green-bin-recycling program altogether – all for the sake of city…
A Raucous Saturday Night at Wonky Power Live
Mario Rodriguez, founder of Wonky Power Records, is worried he’s going to sound like he’s complaining or something. He arrived at Satellite Bar on Saturday at 10 a.m. to begin setting up for his label’s all-day-long “Spring Social,” showcasing a diverse lineup of Wonky’s artists. By the time he sat…
Houston Ballet’s Winter Mixed Rep Adds Three Works to its Repertory
A big beautiful tree hangs upside down. Most of the rest of the stage is dark, hiding we don’t know what. The dancers’ job as laid before them by Czech contemporary dance choreographer Jiri Jylian: to defy gravity. Brigitte Martin, stager for Wings of Wax which will be one of…
The Texans’ Torment Ends: Peyton Manning Will Retire
After a month of mostly waiting, some speculating, and a late burst of intrigue fueled by the NFL rumor mill, Peyton Manning is doing what we all figured he would (and should) do upon the heels of winning his second Super Bowl championship back in early February. Peyton Manning will…
Head of State’s Beleaguered Foster Care System Abruptly Resigns
Three months after a federal judge ruled that the Texas foster care system has turned a blind eye to the suffering of thousands of children, the head of the Department of Family and Protective Services has stepped down. The department announced the resignation of John Specia Jr., the department’s seventh…
Another Worker Injured at a Pasadena Plant
On Saturday morning the Houston Ship Channel briefly shut down because of a roaring fire at a Pasadena refinery that injured at least one worker. This weekend’s fire, which broke out at around 10 a.m. Saturday at the Pasadena Refining Systems plant, is a reminder that in the nation’s petrochemical…
Dish of the Week: The Crown Burger
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. With the weather heating up, it’s burger time. So this week, we’re sharing a recipe that’s worthy a spot in your burger rotation: the…
Documenting a Disaster: BP Oil Spill Images on View at Houston Center for Photography
While there may be some argument about how many millions of gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in 2010, sinking and spewing oil and methane gas from its uncapped wellhead for 87 continuous days, nobody is disputing that the event…
The Cougars Are Rebranding, and It’s All About Accountability
Nobody expected the Houston Cougars to win 22 games this year. Or to earn the second seed in the conference tournament. The Cougars just weren’t supposed to be good enough this season. The Cougars were still young, still lacking talent. The team didn’t have the length to compete with the…
Stark Naked Theatre Delivers a Sizzling Production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The set-up: I hope set designer Kevin Rigdon had the foresight to put aside some money in his budget for extra paint, because Stark Naked Theatre’s white-hot, blistering production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf peels it right off the walls. SNT should also have a dermatologist on…
This Week in Houston Food Events: Kenny & Ziggy’s Roumanian Steakhouse Returns
Ongoing Evelyn’s Park Café Naming Contest Help the folks at Evelyn’s Park Conservancy name their new restaurant from Zelko Concepts, which will open this fall. The winner of the contest will have dinner with Jamie and Dahlia Zelko and receive a one-year membership to Evelyn’s Park Conservancy. Get brainstorming, then…
Jason Derulo’s Rodeo Debut Is a Delight
Jason DeRulo Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo NRG Stadium March 4, 2016 Forty-five minutes into his set at RodeoHouston Friday night, Jason DeRulo decided it was time to stir up the crowd of nearly 60,000 screaming fans in attendance. Halfway through “It Girl,” the second single from 2011’s Future History,…
Where to Dine in Houston This Easter Sunday, 2016
From bunny breakfasts and classic buffet brunches to elegant meals featuring egg hunts live jazz, here’s where to eat in Houston this Easter: 024 Grille 945 N. Gessner, 281-501-4350 On Easter Sunday, enjoy a festive brunch featuring breakfast and lunch fare, holiday favorites, and desserts. Brunch will be offered in…
Will Clinton Take a Risk With Texan Julian Castro As VP Pick?
Julian Castro has been called a “Democratic rising star” for so long that it might as well be his unofficial title. He was elected to San Antonio city council in 2001 at the age of 26, at the time becoming the youngest politician elected to council in San Antonio’s history…
8 Alternatives to the Ashby High Rise
For years, residents of Houston’s affluent Southhampton Place and Boulevard Oaks neighborhoods have been engaged in a very public battle against developers set on constructing a 23 story, mixed use residential and commercial building at 1717 Bissonnet. Residents fear that a dreaded “Tower of Traffic” may soon rise above their…
World Premiere: Brian Whelan’s “Americana”
It might seem like career suicide to write a scathing tune about the very genre you operate in, but that’s exactly what former Dwight Yoakam sideman Brian Whelan has done at the beginning of his second solo album, Sugarland. “Americana,” which the Houston Press is premiering today, is a jet-blast critique…
Shows of the Week: Houston’s Modern Rodeo Queen Returns Ready to Party
Miranda Lambert NRG Stadium, March 7 Miranda Lambert’s fifth rodeo appearance comes at the midpoint of a couple of pretty neat career milestones. Last month she received a Platinum certification for 2014’s aptly named Platinum, which spawned the hits “Little Red Wagon,” “Automatic” and the fiery “Somethin’ Bad,” a No…
Loretta Lynn’s Complicated Politics Come Full Circle
In the history of country music, there has been no woman more influential than Loretta Lynn. Over more than 60 years in the business, Lynn has released nearly 60 albums, broken down barriers, and won armfuls of awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. For an artist that has been…
Texas Settles With One Fantasy Sports Site, While Another Keeps Figthing
FanDuel has reached an agreement with the State of Texas that allows the daily fantasy sports website to continue to operate in-state, so long as it only offers the free version of its games to Texans. In return, Texas won’t sue them, according to a press release from the Attorney…
For Joe Ely, Panhandle Poet, Songwriting Is a Way of Life
If one of Joe Ely’s heroes, Buddy Holly, hadn’t already put Lubbock on the musical map, Ely would have done it himself a long time ago. A songwriter who easily twirls the imagery of a McMurtry or McCarthy novel around crisp honky-tonk shuffles, heartfelt ballads and hard-charging rockers alike, as…
Cruz Eats Booger, Trump Discusses Dick Size, And The Republican Debates Don’t Matter
The frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination wanted to guarantee you “there’s no problem” with the size of his dick. He also wanted you to hear his new frat boy-funny nicknames for his rivals: “Lyin’ Ted” and “Little Marco.” Then “Lyin’ Ted” ate what looks like a booger (or, to…
59 Diner Owner Showed Up to Pay Employees — and It Got Tense
Yesterday, the owner of 59 Diner, Naveed Baig, showed up at the Shepherd location of 59 Diner to give his dismissed employees their final pay. It led to a tense confrontation with one former employee, Bryan Malek, after he repeatedly asked for his wages and didn’t get paid. A cameraman…
Marcus Evans Dominates Rice Basketball This Season
The press release arrives in email inboxes every Monday afternoon. Almost like clockwork. It’s Rice announcing that guard Marcus Evans has been named the Conference USA Freshman of the Week. Five straight Mondays such an email has arrived. Those emails about Evans have come nine times this season. Odds are…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: A Sure to Be Epic Sunday Brunch
Crawfish Festival @ The Heights Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 411 W. 20th (behind Heights Floral Shop) Get your mudbug on at this community crawfish fest, where all ages are welcome to join in on the fun. The free admission festival features live music, the finale of the annual…
Top 10 NFL Undrafted Free Agents of the Past 25 Years
When we think about prospects making the jump from college to the NFL, the first images that jump into our heads are those of players making the stroll from the green room to the podium on the first night of the NFL Draft. However, the fact is that the vast…
Houston Artists’ Cinematic Trip to Outer Space Yields Merch…and It’s for Sale
It’s a Möbius strip story about art imitating life imitating art, and it begins with a local family building a rocket ship in their backyard, as part of a commission for the Houston Airport System, City of Houston Civic Art Program. Now, we’re not saying it can actually leave Earth’s…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Title: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: “”Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been to Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, and I can say without hyperbole that this is a million times worse than all of them put together.” Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Three Ernie Pyles out of…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Sip Your Way Through American Whiskeys
Beginning this month, The Durham House, 1200 Durham, is launching its monthly charity brunch series, where they’ll donate proceeds of sales to local charities. The Durham House’s first partnership begins with PledgeCents for a rodeo-themed charity brunch on Sunday, March 6. Guests can expect a sophisticated food and drink menu…
Lawsuit Claims Catholic School Priest Tried to Extort $94K From Local Developer
Spring-based developer Robert Pinard had thought he was being charitable when he agreed to purchase some land from Northwoods Catholic School. The school claimed it was struggling financially and needed to unload some assets to get out of the hole, says Pinard’s attorney, Cris Feldman. Pinard’s daughter attended the school,…
Apparently Some Texas A&M Students Don’t Understand Racism
Texas A&M students accused of yelling racial slurs at visiting high schoolers may not be facing any discipline. But multiple investigations into that incident and interviews with the students involved seem to show that some of them simply don’t understand why what they did could be construed as racist. On…
Shouldn’t Houston’s Official Animal Be Gritty, Unstoppable & Annoying?
Sometimes we question the sanity of certain members of City Council. A few weeks back, we told you about how they were holding up payment to a local artist for a sculpture he was creating for the lobby of the George R. Brown Convention Center because it didn’t fit the…
Openings and Closings in Houston: 59 Problems, And These Diners Are Three of Them
The sudden, dramatic closure of every 59 Diner location in Houston this week became even more controversial after the Houston Press’s Phaedra Cook reported that owner Naveed Baig and his company have an impressive slate of financial and legal obligations that he’s let slide. The totals are more than $200,000…
Custom Confections Wins Three Blue Ribbons at HLS&R Gold Buckle Foodie Awards
There were tears of joy from Kimberly Revis of multiple-time Gold Buckle winner Custom Confections as she and her husband Anthony accepted their third 1st-place award of the day. This is the fifth year in a row Custom Confections has received top honors in the Dessert category. Their winning entry…
Exploring Field Recordings From the Bottom of the Ocean
Maybe Alfie was only too quick to call it when he said, “I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each, I do not think that they will sing to me” in T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. I don’t always make enough time for world music,…
The Five Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Ostrich, Camel and Carnival Rides, plus a Prince and a Lord
It’s a weekend of rarities in Houston, with the once-a-year camel and ostrich races at the horse track, a farewell performance from the Lord of the Dance himself, and the premiere of a new gender-bending opera. It might be the final weekend of the 2016 thoroughbred racing season, but we…
10 Awesomely Bad Heavy-Metal Horror Films
Hard rock and heavy metal has always been about excess, and the over-the-top nature of the types of bands within those genres would seem like a natural fit for horror films. Since the 1980s was both a golden age for terrible horror films and heavy metal, there were quite a…
RIP Lil’ Will: The Tragic Legacy of “Wanna Be a Baller”
A few weeks ago, a debate arose on Twitter about whether or not Lil Troy had died. Troy, the Short Stop Records head honcho, had recently performed at a Houston Rockets game and told the Houston Press that he wouldn’t stop balling. Last month, one Web site attempted to proclaim that…
Pubes, Poops, Periods: How Broad City Takes Body Humor (and Feminism) to the Next Level
The third season of Broad City (Comedy Central) opens with a toilet-centric montage that already feels like one of the year’s TV highlights. At once exuberant, absurd and all-too-real, a split screen reveals besties Ilana (Ilana Glazer) and Abbi (Abbi Jacobson) living their best lives in their respective bathrooms. They…
Conservative Justices Question Whether Abortion Law That Shuttered 20 Texas Clinics…Actually Shuttered 20 Clinics
Before the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2 in 2013, the number of abortion providers in the state might fluctuate by one or two every year. When the law began to kick in, 20 clinics closed their doors because they couldn’t comply. On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments…
Arian Foster’s Run As a Houston Texan Is Over
When stacking Arian Foster’s body of work as a Houston Texan up against the various bodies of work of the hundreds of other Texan players to come through the doors at NRG Stadium, it’s fairly easy to rank. Foster is, without question, the third greatest player in the history of…
At Site of Recent Murder, Mayor Turner and Grieving Mothers Condemn Gun Violence
Mayor Sylvester Turner’s podium was set up next to a tire pump outside the Time Rise Mart gas station on the corner of Cullen and Bellfort, the same street corner where a young man was shot and killed not long ago. Behind him were police officers, pastors, and the parents…
Queensbury Theatre Tackling Mark Twain in “Big River” Musical
Big River, the musical based on Mark Twain’s classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tackles some tough subjects (a violent and abusive alcoholic father), slavery, children’s rights and escaped convicts. It’s also shaping up to be the most ambitious undertaking for Queensbury Theatre since moving into their new state-of-the-art…
Marriott Rep Caught Watching Erin Andrews Video at Restaurant Table
Back in 2008, then-ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews was the victim of a twisted crime in which a stalker by the name of Michael David Barrett requested a room next to Andrews at the Nashville Marriott, and after the property obliged (without getting Andrews’ consent), Barrett proceeded to rig the…
The District Attorney’s Race Will Largely Be About Drugs. Again.
Drugs are about to get a lot of airtime in Harris County in the next several months leading up to the general election — at least in the race for Harris County District Attorney. On Tuesday night, Democratic candidate Kim Ogg managed to avoid a runoff, scoring more than 50…
Compleat Cuisine’s Curated Lunch Boxes Are Cute and Delicious
For more than two decades, the Shanahan family has been keeping Houstonians full through their home-grown catering business, Compleat Cuisine. The full-service operation offers breakfast and lunch options tailored to customers’ nutritional needs as well as special hot entrees that rotate monthly. We were recently invited to sample some March-only…
Big and Bold: Bayou City Expressionists Command Attention at Reaves | Foltz
Some grew up in Houston while others arrived in the ‘50s and ‘60s, but these pioneers all went on to create significant works that helped place Houston on the national arts scene. Now, for the first time in several years, works by these modernists stand side by side at William…
Buying Beer, Part 7: What the Chefs Drink
Hardcore beer collectors often go for those with big flavor, like barrel-aged stouts and IPAs. These, however, are not the beers of the working class. When people are hot, sweaty, tired and busy, the last thing desired is a strong, thick, high-alcohol beer. Enter the American adjunct lager, the top-selling…
8 Shows Set in Texas We Want to See Netflix Reboot
For decades when a TV show you loved went off the air, that was it. It was over, even if it happened in the middle of the plot. Canceled is canceled. But, with streaming services like Netflix and even the glut of cable networks, shows we once thought were lost…
Desiigner’s “Panda”: Why This Song Sucks
Something happened while mulling over Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo. Somewhere around track three, the second portion of “Father Stretch My Hands,” West hands things over to a Brooklyn rapper named Desiigner. If you saw him in the street, Desiigner looks like rap’s most unsuspecting buzzmaker. His viral hit, “Panda,”…
Tramplings, Car-Jackings and Port-A-Potty Stabbings: Howdy, from the Houston Rodeo!
After a port-a-potty stabbing, a trail ride trampling, a chuckwagon disaster and a burglary sting gone awry, Rodeo Houston has had a pretty wild opening week. The rodeo’s bad luck started before the event officially began, when the trail ride heading downtown for the pre-rodeo parade had a frightening hiccup…
Dear Bernie Supporters: You Don’t Have to Vote for Hillary. Honest.
I am jealous of Republicans. While I might find their social policies disgusting and get annoyed when they pretend to be small government, I admire the way the Republican machine operates. Their ends may be awful, but their means are something that I wish Democrats would take a closer look…
Kanye West Has Changed the Album-Release Process Forever
It’s hard to call Kanye West a genius these days. He says it enough himself for all of us, and who wants to feed his ego by admitting that he’s right? Nevertheless, the Chicago kid has grown up to be almost as great as he says he is. Through charting…
Officials: Slow Voters, High Turnout Caused Election Night Disaster
As the KTRK news helicopter hovered overhead, the scene at East Houston’s Dezavala Park polling center slowly came into full view. It was nearly 7:30 p.m. on a hot and humid Tuesday night, and hundreds of people were standing in the dark, the long line snaking outside the building and…
Metal’s 10 Least Sexy Songs
Overall, metal can be a pretty sexy genre as far as rock and roll goes. But for every home run, there are some serious strikeouts — and the occasional no-hitter. We’ve compiled a list of 10 metal songs that are guaranteed to keep you sober, grounded and abstinent should you…
I Found Sex Toys in My Man’s Luggage. Help!
I FOUND SEX TOYS IN MY MAN’S LUGGAGE Dear Willie D: My boyfriend is in a band, so he travels a lot. On his last return trip, I was helping him unpack his luggage and came across a gigantic dildo and some sex beads. When I asked him about it,…
It’s the Studio System Rather Than London That Has Fallen in This Grim Sequel
Two movies, same scenario: Moments before a scheduled execution, just as the blade or gas pellet is set to deliver its fatal blow, the hero bursts into the room and carries the victim to safety. Banter is exchanged: “What took you so long?” “Traffic was a bitch.” “What took you…
59 Diner Owner Owes More Than $200,000 to Employees for Unpaid Wages
As we reported two days ago, all remaining 59 Diner locations closed on Monday: the oldest at 3801 Farnham at Shepherd, a location in Stafford and the Willowbrook location at 17695 Tomball Parkway. Readers informed us that another location in The Woodlands was extremely short-lived. It appears to have closed…
Probate Judge Rory Olsen Complains to State Bar About a Lawyer in His Court
On January 25, Houston attorney Denyse Ward received an alarming call from Tim Baldwin, an investigator with the Texas State Bar: Baldwin said his office had received a complaint about her from Harris County Probate Court Judge Rory Olsen, regarding her involvement in a case before him — an ugly…
The Band Perry’s Pop Smarts Get Rodeo Off on the Right Foot
The Band Perry Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo NRG Stadium March 1, 2016 Well, here we are again, folks. As spring approaches, another RodeoHouston is upon us. And widespread layoffs be damned, Houston is adamant about having this party. The crowd at this year’s opening night was noticeably thinner than…
Report: Immigrants Died in ICE Custody Because of Negligence, Still No Changes
Mauro Rivera Romero lasted three days in an Immigration Customs and Enforcement detention center in El Paso before he died. Originally from El Salvador, 43-year-old Rivera was apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection troopers at a Greyhound bus checkpoint in Texas. He told them he had just been released from…
County Drags Feet on Plan to Give Poor People Lawyers at Bail Hearings
If you’re accused of a crime in Harris County, within 24 hours, you’ll reach a fork in the road: a bail hearing. There, a magistrate will usually set your bail based on whatever the bail schedule says. Either that or you bondsmen or stay in jail. The latter is usually…
Five Perfect Acts for Your Anti-Ted Cruz Mixtape
By his own admission, Ted Cruz is not cool. “If you want someone to grab a beer with, I may not be that guy,” the junior U.S. Senator from Texas said during the third GOP debate last October. “But if you want someone who will drive you home, I will…
UH Campus Carry Proposal Aims to Restrict Guns About As Much As Possible
The University of Houston has released its campus carry draft policy—and officials seem to have banned guns in just about every place where it might possibly be allowed. The campus carry law, allowing students with concealed handgun licenses to carry concealed guns around campus, goes into effect in August. Private…
Let’s Talk About That Bewildering FPSF Lineup
Tuesday’s announcement of the 2016 Free Press Summer Fest lineup left the Houston Press music staff a little dumbfounded. But not for long. CORY GARCIA I imagine some people out there are really excited about this year’s lineup. If you’re into EDM, you’re probably smiling, because the dance-music lineup is full…
District 29 Goes Green, Again
District 29 will again go without a Hispanic representative in Congress. Adrian Garcia, a former “front-runner” in Houston’s mayoral race who ultimately came in third last November, appears to have come up short in his long-shot bid to win the Democratic nomination for the seat, one that has been held…
Ted Cruz Wins Texas, So He Gets to Stay in the Race
Super Tuesday was Sen. Ted Cruz’s last ditch effort to pull his campaign out of its nosedive, and he might have just barely pulled it off. Despite dire predictions and some dicey polls in the days leading up to the vote, the junior senator from Texas did manage to carry…
Disney’s Zootopia Paws at Segregated City Life
In Zootopia, animals do a lot of the things that animals in Disney movies usually do: They speak, to begin with; they walk upright and wear funny clothes; they exhibit attitudes that align or ironically misalign with their species’ appearance and reputation; they hold jobs; they experience outsize emotion and…
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Confirms That the Movies Don’t Get Tina Fey
The title of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s strained dark comedy, in which the war in Afghanistan serves as the backdrop to an American woman’s self-actualizing journey, is the military phonetic-alphabet rendering of WTF. The mild Islamophobia and highly questionable casting choices in the film call to mind other texting…
