“Bayou City Noir: The Photography of Marvin Zindler”
Houstonians get a look at a little known side of news reporter Marvin Zindler in “Bayou City Noir: The Photography of Marvin Zindler.” The exhibit, made up of some 50 photos, was developed by John Gonzales, a copy editor at the Houston Chronicle and writer of its Bayou City History…
The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest
The docudrama The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest is equal parts love story and mystery. In 1924, charismatic adventurer George Mallory was hoping to become the first man to climb Mt. Everest. Devoted to his wife, Mallory had planned to place her photograph on the mountaintop to mark the accomplishment…
Amadeus
A convoluted tangle of jealousy, rage and fear, Amadeus is the fictionalized story of mediocre musician Antonio Salieri and his hatred for the incredibly gifted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Both men are Viennese court composers at the same time during the 18th century, and Salieri greatly admires Mozart’s heavenly music —…
Late Nite Catechism 4: Sister’s Easter Catechism: Will My Bunny Go to Heaven?
Houston audiences have followed the exploits of Sister, from the Late Nite Catechism series, for years. Now she’s back with a brand-new show, Sister’s Easter Catechism: Will My Bunny Go to Heaven? Actress Denise Fennell plays the over-the-top nun, who is blisteringly funny as she tries to explain how bunnies,…
Jitney
Set in Pittsburgh during the fall of 1977, August Wilson’s Jitney is one of the formidable playwright’s most loved of his ten-play Pittsburgh cycle. The body of work tells a story of African-American life through each decade of the 20th century. Jitney covers the funky world of the ’70s, when…
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
Seventy-five Shakespearian characters are brought to life by three actors in the Dionysus Theatre production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Playwrights Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield contemporized and shortened Shakespeare’s comedies, tragedies and sonnets into 90 minutes’ worth of stage time. Rap music, a cooking…
An Ideal Husband
Oscar Wilde wrote, “Sooner or later, we shall all have to pay for what we do.” That’s certainly true for the characters in Wilde’s stage comedy An Ideal Husband. The story opens with a group of genteel and upstanding guests at a posh dinner party, each of them with a…
Comment of the Day
Today Amber Ambrose wrote about fava beans for her Ingredient of the Week, and commenter A Fool Once More wrote in with some additional information: You’re describing a dish called fool (or foul) medamas, which is sold canned at HEB, Fiesta, as well as the Middle Eastern grocery stores around…
The Best and the Worst of the States: Texas, We’re Schizophrenic
Via our sister blog at Seattle Weekly comes this pair of maps, put together by the Mother Nature Network. One map shows what each state is best at — what it leads the nation in — and the other shows where each state comes up short the most. Texas, we’re…
Seven Food-Inspired Rap Songs
Yeah, they actually exist. Here are seven tasty rap tributes to food sure to get you salivating. 7. Freestyle Fellowship – “Cornbread” Aceyalone recommends a meal plan that will have you reaching for a bottle of Pepto. Cherry coke, cantaloupe, and a trip to the chocolate bar? Uh…no, thanks. But…
Bangkok Soft-Shell Crabs at Nidda Thai Cuisine
Geri Maria Harris’s recent post on Houston’s Top 5 Thai Restaurants definitely included one of my favorites: Nidda. Geri named stir-fried eggplant and the Nidda Shrimp as standout dishes; to that list I would add the Bangkok Soft-Shell Crabs. I’m always seeking out my favorite crustacean in all its full-body…
Whole Foods Now Hiring 300 Houston Workers
Anarcho-socialist free range green organic vegan gluten-free hippie liberal commie pinko grocery chain Whole Foods has announced that they’re hiring 300 (or so) workers in the Houston area. And we have a totally legit Whole Foods job application for you to check out after the jump…
Why We Read Previews (A Prelude to My Astros 2011 Preview)
Thanks to the Internet — specifically blogs, YouTube, chat rooms and porn — the competition for the few spare minutes that you have in your day to consume items not related to work, family, or sleep has never been fiercer. So why would you spend the next several minutes reading…
Top 5 Albums: Duran Duran
It’s Duran Duran Day in Houston, everybody. Word has it that fans are already lining up at Warehouse Live for the band’s sold-out club show, and you can bet that it will be a hot evening inside the venue until the last strains of “Rio” echo out onto the street…
Health Department Roundup
In honor of the NCAA Tournament ending, we’re going to highlight some health inspection Cinderella stories. These are the little guys that lack citywide recognition but still have to conform to the same tough sanitation standards as the big-name restaurants. For these places, inspections sometimes result in relief; sometimes, in…
Last Night: The Damnwells at Fitzgerald’s
The Damnwells Fitzgerald’s April 5, 2011 Before playing a single note, Alex Dezen, singer for Brooklyn-based rock band The Damnwells, let the audience know what it was in store. He said the band’s new release Nobody Listens to the Band Anymore was full of mid-tempo rock songs and “We’re going…
Suits and Sneakers Descend on New Downtown Walking Path
Though it may be an artery-cloggingly delicious way to live, make no mistake. Heart disease is still the number-one killer of Americans. And according to the American Heart Association, almost 67 percent of Texans are considered overweight or obese. That’s why more than 100 suits turned up downtown today, wearing…
The Off-Kilter World of Federico Fellini and Music
Opening nightmare from Fellini’s 8 1/2. When studying the films of the great Italian director Federico Fellini (b. January 1920, d. October 1993), composer Michel Chion, also a professor of film studies, believes “you can’t separate out individual layers. Image, dialogue, music, they all work together.” You’ll get no argument…
Why Would We Review The Men’s Club? This Is Why
This week’s cafe review of The Men’s Club was only posted an hour ago, and the angry emails are already rolling in. I guess that’s to be expected. And in response to each email and each question of “Why on earth would you review The Men’s Club?!”, I’ve been giving…
Five Best Glenn Beck Freakouts: We’ll Miss You, Dude
As he hinted at his Houston appearance, Glenn Beck, the face of Fox News to so many Americans who recoil in horror at Fox News, will be ending his TV show. He’ll still do occasional specials, and tour, but your daily dose of Beckensian madness will no longer be on…
BalletForte and the Ballet Coppelia AKA Frankenstein Light
This weekend Fort Bend’s BalletForte will perform the darkly comic ballet Coppelia. Leo Delibe’s music sets the stage for the tale of a vaguely ominous inventor who crafts a life-size dancing doll so realistic that a local village boy falls in love with her. The ballet is often seen as…
Get Blazed: 15 Stoner Hip-Hop Songs
Wiz Khalifa just dropped Rolling Papers. Yeah, we know, who gives a shit? To us, it just sounds like Eminem’s Encore with entirely too much bad singing and. You may have already heard “Roll Up” on the radio; we’ll save your 10 bucks: every other track on the album has…
Disney Cruises Coming to Galveston (Instead of Bayport)
Good news if you’re the type of person who enjoys a Disney cruise, and may God have mercy on your tortured soul if you do: Galveston is one of the new ports of call. Disney announced today that beginning in September 2012, a dozen seven-night cruises each year will depart…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: Brian Wright’s House on Fire
After a slow start for 2011 compared to the deluge of excellent records that fell upon Lonesome, Onry and Mean at the beginning of 2010, we’ve received some fine albums in March. Lucinda Williams, Shawn Phillips, the Hickoids, Candy Golde, and Ian Moore all have new material out and much…
Michael Bill: Gets Caught Printing Homemade Child Porn at a Walmart
If what court documents say is true, Michael Bill is one cheap sicko. He took pictures of a relative having sex with an underage girl, thus qualifying for the sicko part (although he added to his credentials, as you’ll see). He then was a) too cheap to buy a printer,…
WorldFest: Where Stars are Born
Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee and the Coen Brothers all got their first film festival award at WorldFest – Houston International Film and Video Festival. So did Ridley Scott, Robert Rodriguez, Oliver Stone, David Lynch and Brian de Palma. All big name filmmakers who might be in for a…
Off the Wall: A Torta at Gorditas Aguascalientes
This Top 5 from Geri Maria Harris on the city’s best Mexican restaurants drew comments in the triple digits — a perfect place to find a good one. Sweetmomo1’s response was short and sweet: “Gorditas aguascalientes!!!” I decided to keep things simple and order the milanesa torta — my equivalent…
The Laurenzo Family’s New Chispas del Tiempo
El Real isn’t the only Tex-Mex place with a distinguished pedigree that opened recently. The Laurenzo family, which currently operates Laurenzo’s and the El Tiempo Cantinas (but is perhaps best known for its connection to Ninfa’s on Navigation, founded and run for 23 years by late family matriarch Ninfa Laurenzo),…
McDade Parents Don’t Want School Closed or to Go to Kashmere Gardens
Houston ISD Trustee Carol Mims Galloway wasn’t exactly booed last night, but she was rewarded with a chorus of disbelieving “No”s when she told more than 100 parents at McDade Elementary that Kashmere Gardens is a good school. McDade is one of the four elementaries that are being considered for…
Khaled M. Leverages Hip-Hop To Raise Consciousness For Libya
Perhaps Chicago-based, Kentucky-raised rapper Khaled M. should’ve made a hip-hop anthem for his home state’s Wildcats as they made a run for the Final Four. Like Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow” for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a “Blue and White” remix could have caught fire. Ashley Judd might have Tweeted the…
Houston Park May See Big Money From National Award
People love Houston for its cheap cost of living, ample outdoor parks, and knowledge of the proper response to “The stars at night are big and bright.” Today, the world celebrates the second of Houston’s lures. Two local parks have been named finalists for the 2011 Urban Land Institute Amanda…
City Council Redistricting Map: Montrose and the Heights, (Somewhat) Together
The official map of proposed city council redistricting came out this morning, and the big news is new District J, which would combine much of Montrose and the Heights to create an almost painfully hip, edgy, so-cool-it-hurts district. Anyone repping this one better be driving a hybrid, is all we…
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Whiskey: Get Some for Your Honey
I get sent a lot of samples here at the Houston Press offices. A lot. Most go straight to the newsroom to be quickly drunk or devoured by our staff writers. And although I may taste them myself, I’m rarely inclined to write about any of them. Such is life…
Better Block Houston: Hip Street Life Comes This Saturday
For 12 hours this Saturday, a lonely block near the Houston Community College main campus will be transformed into a bit of Portland, with bike lanes, street life and everything else that seems so elusive in Houston. From 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., the intersection of Holman and LaBranch in…
Showing Off Our Photogs at Shot In The Dark Photo Show
In 2008, Rocks Off began giving our readers some of the best live concert reviews and photos to go along with them. When we started, it was usually up to the writers themselves to take the pictures from the photo pit or from the crowd. This writer remembers shooting the…
Rocks Off Shows Off Its Rock Shots With the Shot In The Dark Photo Exhibit
On April 21, at 7 p.m. inside the Green Room at Warehouse Live, the Houston Press music blog, Rocks Off, salutes 12 of its best photographers who spend the first three songs of every concert snapping pics of some of the biggest musical acts that come through town. These photographers…
Hope Stone Dance Company:Pass the Circus, Please
Jane Weiner, of Hope Stone Dance Company, wants to twist your brain. Nothing too painful, just enough to open your mind up to new ideas. Her latest program, An Evening of Bread and Circus, a presentation by Hope Stone in conjunction with Houston Ballet II, is part of that plan…
Get Paid to Lose that Weight, Houston
Hey, Fatty McFatterson — how much would you need to be paid to put down that moon pie? Ten bucks? Fifty? A hundred? Well, a company called HealthyWage is sponsoring a weight-loss contest where teams of five can win up to $10,000. Starting April 15, Houstonians can register for the…
Craig’s Hlist: Our Favorite “Black” Bands
This is a hlist of our favorite bands with black names, not a sick racist joke, though have you heard the one about the balding Czech-Mex music blogger who had the best intentions in writing a weekly playlist and had to re-explain the premise of this one at least three…
Ingredient of the Week: Fava Beans
What are they? Immortalized by Dr. Hannibal Lector in the Oscar-winning film Silence of the Lambs, these fat, light green legumes are one of the oldest cultivated plants in civilization, and they’re currently in season. Coming in a pod that’s around six inches long, they require a little effort on…
Comment of the Day: Everything But the Getaway
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…
Artist of the Week: Kaitlyn Knippers
Three months ago, the precocious Mary Sarah became the first under 16 Artist of the Week in the history of the world. She sat alone in the teen division of our stables. Today, she gets a labelmate. Kaitlyn Knippers is another talented singer/song writer/multi instrumentalist/world beater who can do just…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Mike Potowski of benjy’s on Washington
Competition in the restaurant scene on Washington Avenue is fierce. This week, we catch up with one of the main players, Chef Mike Potowski of benjy’s on Washington. EOW: When did this benjy’s on Washington open? MP: It opened up on December 27, 2008. EOW: Where was your previous stop?…
Browse Like a Victorian With a Steampunk Mouse
Art Attack is very keen on steampunk, mostly because when other children were reading the Bible we were playing Final Fantasy VI. The artistic movement combining early technology with Victorian fashion continues to build momentum in the geek community, and every day a few more trappings of the sub-genre become…
And in the End: 20 Final Thoughts on the Final Four
John RoyalLeAnn all dressed up for a white wedding.In an attempt to wipe that awful excuse for a basketball game on Monday night from my head, I thought I would purge a few things still running through from my mind about the whole Final Four weekend. So… 1. I like…
Jerry Eversole’s Trial: The Winners and Losers
Jerry Eversole surprised a lot of people when he escaped conviction on bribery charges. A hung jury ended in a mistrial, but prosecutors expect to take another swing at it soon. In the meantime, everyone is poking through the wreckage of that first attempt. There were winners and there were…
Kris Krunk Offers Online Mastering Magic
It’s good to be Chris Folmer, better known as Kris Krunk, rapper and owner of the award-winning Space City Records. His latest project promises to be a real game changer for the broke independent musician. Last week Folmer launched Real Studio Magic http://www.realstudiomagic.com, a user-friendly site that allows you to…
Some Incredible Work: “Larassa Kabel: and all of this so far from Heaven”
Colored pencils get a bad rap. As is the case with the equally derided watercolor, there is nothing inherently wrong with the medium, it’s just that they both seem to attract so many people who make such bad art. Larassa Kabel’s work at Peel Gallery is, for the most part,…
Germans Pull One of the Best April Fools’ Pranks Ever
Garry Winogrand is not turning over in his grave. On April 1, Rogge & Pott, a Hamburg, Germany-based design company, unveiled a jump-up-and-down-with-excitement product that would, once again in the digital age, completely change photography. The RE-35 cartridge, the business promised, would be a swift and seamless replacement to 24-…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Houston Food Adventures: Phaedra is back and blogging, and just in time…
Photographers Reeling After German April Fools’ Day
Looks like the Germans have us beat in soccer, old-school communism and April Fools’ Day gags. On April 1, Rogge & Pott, a Hamburg, Germany-based design company, unveiled a jump-up-and-down-with-excitement product that would, once again in the digital age, completely change photography. The RE-35 cartridge, the business promised, would be…
The 15 Worst Astros Baseball Cards
It’s Astros season again, which more than likely means copious losses, manly tears, beer bottles broken over televisions, and the testicular fortitude of a snake-charmer to get through nine innings of a game without the aid of alcohol, narcotics, or a distracting game of Angry Birds. When we were young,…
NCAA Tournament — Four Winners, Four Losers
Well, if a Final Four of a three, four, eight and 11 seed wasn’t a metaphor for Houston sports in 2011, then Connecticut and Butler establishing a watchability bar that the women’s final may actually surpass tonight (okay, I am totally joking, but still…) most certainly was. How bad was…
Comment of the Day
Kevin Shalin went to Chappell Hill Bakery and Deli and made us hungry for kolaches, one of the many items on offer at this spot off 290 in Chappell Hill. If you make the trip, just be careful around the meat case, as commenter Ali discovered: I was there this…
On the Menu: Pesto Chicken at Empire Café
I have long adored the relaxing sanctuary that is the patio at Empire Café. I have been there more times than I can count, and I always get a latte and an omelet or sandwich. Since I am leaving Houston in just two months, I recently decided to get out…
Rendez-Vous Houston, 25 Years Later: Some Memories
Today was the 25th anniversary of Rendez-Vous Houston, a massive downtown concert/light show put on by Jean Michel Jarre. Foul weather hampered the effort to set up the concert, and a massive traffic jam followed it. But Houstonians seemed to love it. (Although we don’t quite believe this line from…
Nine Songs on Gary Busey’s Playlist with Video Evidence
We’ve all been so caught up with Charlie Sheen’s personal life that it seems we’ve forgotten about the O.G. Gary Busey. He might not be “winning” as much as Sheen, but at least he still has an acting job with Celebrity Apprentice and the occasional TV movie like Gingerdead Man…
Metro Says Final Four Set Ridership Records
Metro says it set or came close to records for riders using the light-rail corridor during the Final Four, with about 148,000 boardings during the event. The night of the championship game saw 51,851 boardings, making it the heaviest Monday in seven years of operation. The previous best was 51,724…
Imran Mynuddin: He’s Not Stalking His Former Psychiatrist, He’s Just Trying to Help
It’s only April, but thanks to KHOU, we became aware of a top contender for the Alleged Creep of the Year Award: Imran Mynuddin has been charged in Harris County on suspicion of stalking his former psychiatrist, who’s now on the faculty of MD Anderson Cancer Center. Mynuddin, of Palo…
This Week’s Deals
Last Saturday I went through my online “deals” accounts, printed out the coupons I’ve purchased lately and put them all in a pile; it looks like a manuscript. That said, I’m ready to do it all again. Read on for today’s deals: Houston Press VOICE Deal of the Day: 50…
“Perspectives 174: Re: Generation” Is Ready for Its Close-up
Visual artist Robert A. Pruitt is the juror for “Perspectives 174: Re: Generation,” the latest Contemporary Arts Museum Houston exhibit featuring works by teen artists. This isn’t the first time Pruitt has been associated with CAMH. He used to be a security guard there while he was in college. “It…
Let’s Have Fun With TweetForger!
This weekend we discovered TweetForger, a nifty new way to waste your life online and on Twitter. The concept of the website is simple enough; all you need is someone’s Twitter handle, and your imagination to make fake tweets from anyone, be it your friends of celebrities. There have been…
Duran Duran Through the Eyes of David Lynch
Better start off by telling you that Duran Duran is huge in the House With One F. The wife has an immense collection of rare singles on vinyl and CD, and bassist John Taylor is referred to only as “Happy Birthday Sweetheart” after wishing her just that when they met…
One Potato, Two Potatoes…
What’s the difference between these potatoes? If you’re going by size, you know the spud on the right is from Texas — it’s bigger. The one on the left doesn’t look so good, because it’s a seed potato. It hasn’t been treated with a growth retardant, like most produce potatoes,…
Juan Antonio Aranda: Cops Say Fugitive Abused Seven-Year-Old
Police are looking for Juan Antonio Aranda, 37, who they say at least twice sexually abused a seven-year-old girl. He’s been charged with sexually assaulting the girl at her residence here in Houston, and then threatening the girl’s mother if she reported the incident. Later, Crime Stoppers says, he “pushed…
Houston Restaurant and Bar Industry Rallies for One of Its Own
Linda Salinas is a talented sommelier and bartender. She’s worked at and with some of Houston’s best bars and restaurants: Voice, Anvil, Branch Water Tavern, Bootsie’s, Beaver’s, 13 Celsius and Kata Robata. She is a fixture within the industry scene, helping out at every single Houston Chowhound throwdown and working…
Amy Blonn: HISD Teacher to Freeze Her Butt Off Near North Pole
A Houston schoolteacher has been selected as one of six across the country to be sent to the Arctic as part of a National Geographic program, HISD announced today. Amy Blonn teaches fifth graders at the district’s Outdoor Education Center in Trinity along Lake Livingston, where hundreds of students go…
The 2011 Cinema Arts Festival Houston Gives Art Car: The Movie a Sneak Peek
The 2011 Cinema Arts Festival Houston is still several months away (it’s set for November 9 through 13), but you won’t have to wait that long to see Art Car: The Movie, slated to make its official world premiere on the festival’s closing night. Presented by the Houston Cinema Arts…
Seven Movie Roles We Think Would Be Perfect for Nicki Minaj
Hip hop artist Nicki Minaj might be getting an opportunity to use the drama skills she acquired when she was studying acting at the performing arts high school she attended in New York. She’s already exhibited her acting skills in two of her music videos as well as on SNL,…
Wine of the Week: Clos du Bois 2009 California Riesling
Part of the Clos du Bois Spring Collection 2011, this aromatic Riesling reminds us of Tinkerbell. The wine and the fairy are both tart and sweet; they’re light on their feet; and they share a “green” factor – the wine has a slight green tint and comes in a cute…
Last Night: Scissor Sisters At Warehouse Live
Scissor Sisters Warehouse Live April 4, 2011 Check out our slideshow. There are few bands that make Rocks Off grin like an idiot, and last night we officially added the Scissors Sisters to that short list. For the next few days we will probably be lamenting that we didn’t dance…
Hearst and H-E-B: A Beautiful Friendship
A San Antonio blog has broken an interesting piece of news about the San Antonio Express-News, the sister paper to the Houston Chronicle (a relationship that gets closer and closer as budget cuts force consolidation). The Plaza de Armas story is behind a subcription wall, but Jim Romenesko’s journalism site…
Showcasing the Poster Boy of the Art Car Scene: “Mark Bradford: A 20 Year Survey”
Mark Bradford, the no-holds-barred poster boy of Houston’s art car scene, has a 20-year survey on view at, fittingly, the Art Car Museum. Bradford has received a lot of national attention for his work, even hosting the History Channel show Scrapyard Scavenger. While this survey includes some more traditional sculpture…
New Music Releases April 5: Leon Russell, Robbie Robertson, The Ravonettes, The Kills, Etc.
Last week brought new releases from Britney Spears, Radiohead, and a few Pearl Jam re-issues hitting store shelves amid reports that the industry was finally starting to see some improvement. Spears’ Femme Fatale is currently projected to enter the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart with sales of almost…
Google Street View, Houston Circa 1891 and 1912
We seem to be all about the zooming in on graphics today. A site called BigMapBlog apparently specializes in adapting old bird’s-eye map illustrations of cities into Google Street View-like zoomability. They’ve got Fort Worth in 1891 and Amarillo in 1912, and they’ve got Houston for both years…
The Intertubes: Fred
Once a week, the Intertubes will look at popular internet-only television-style series and comment on them. We’re trying to avoid porn, but you really never can tell with the internet. To start off the Intertubes properly, it seemed like there could really be only one choice: the first YouTube channel…
Jonathan’s the Rub Sweeps the 2011 Burger Bracket
Virginia Commonwealth University may not have advanced to play in last night’s national championship NCAA game, but another underdog team ended up sweeping a Final Four at yesterday’s 2011 Burger Bracket Championship. Jonathan’s the Rub, a small steakhouse in Hedwig Village, swept the championship tasting in an overall upset last…
Chappell Hill Bakery and Deli Is Worth the Drive
Last year, former EOW blogger Ruthie Johnson wrote a piece highlighting the Chappell Hill Bakery and Deli Express. Fast-forward to a year later. This family-run establishment, once located in an Exxon station on the side of Highway 290 in tiny Chappell Hill, is all grown up. Now called the Chappell…
Yet Another Plan for the Downtown Maharishi Hotel
The former Days Inn hotel downtown, which famously became the Heaven on Earth facility for the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and then faded into seemingly permanent decline, has long been the subject of renovation rumors. Four years ago we included it on our list of downtown eyesores that showed no signs…
Distant Early Warning: Britney Spears, Cracker, Eels, The Go-Go’s, Ke$ha, Kid Rock, Etc.
Aiden, Eyes Set To Kill, Get Scared, Vampires Everywhere!: Tue., June 7. Warehouse Live. David Bazan: Sat., July 2. Fitzgerald’s. Billy Joe Shaver: Fri., May 13. The Firehouse Saloon. Britney Spears: Wed., July 13. Toyota Center. Centro-matic, Sarah Jaffe: Fri., July 8. Fitzgerald’s. Cracker: Thu., May 19. Fitzgerald’s. Devin The…
A Thrilling Ride: Jitney at Ensemble Theater
The setup: In August Wilson’s thrilling Jitney, Becker (an incandescent Wayne DeHart) and his son Booster (Timothy Eric in full boil) meet for the first time in 20 years inside the car-service company owned by Becker in the hardscrabble Hill district of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where all ten plays of Wilson’s…
Final Four: Find Yourself at the Game
SI.com has got a neat feature up today — a gigapan, searchable photo of last night’s NCAA Final. In case you don’t know what that is (and we probably got the terminology wrong), it’s basically a GoogleStreetview of the arena last night — you can zoom in, pan around and…
Comment of the Day: Reading About Reckless Parents While Trying to Adopt
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…
Crazy8 Giving Back With New Release
t.h.e. MisFit Crazy8 has often been labeled as unconventional and even “insane” for his socially conscious, occasionally sarcastic brand of hip-hop. Some have also criticized his direct contributions to the homeless in Houston. The altruistic rapper is attempting to help “redefine insanity” by hosting an album release and charity event…
The Chopped Bleu at Zelko Bistro
The Chopped Bleu at Zelko Bistro is one of those salads you would be loathe to call “rabbit food.” Prior to an entrée of the juicy Boss Burger, I ordered the Chopped Bleu in an attempt to round out a meat-centric meal. At heart (and from the menu description) I…
Street Scenes: Coolidge, Houston’s Answer To Banksy
Since hopping astride a bicycle a couple of years ago, my perception of Houston’s physical landscape has altered utterly. No longer are my eyes subject to rivers of tail-lights and ceaseless processions of giant freeway billboards. Instead, I’m watching for cracked pavement and feasting my eyes on street art. People…
30 Seconds With Ryan Key of Yellowcard
Rocks Off sat down with guitarist and vocalist for alternative punk rock sensation Yellowcard http://www.yellowcardrock.com, whose new video “Hang You Up” is the only reason we can think of to brave MTV these days, to see what we could learn about him in 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is the…
On the Menu: An Oporto Portobello
Say that three times. Actually, at Oporto Food and Wine Bar, it’s called an Oportobello. This was one of the many delicious tapas plates my group of friends consumed a few nights back at the hip Greenway Plaza-area establishment. Everything I ate that night was very pleasing, but the Oportobello…
Notable Deaths: the March 2011 Collection
Art Attack is back with another installment of dead folks for everyone’s perusal. Of course, the world is well aware of the passing of stars like Dame Elizabeth Taylor and rap legend Nate Dogg, aka Nathan Hale. So here’s a peek at some other notable people that left us in…
The NCAA Title Game: Forget One Shining Moment, Try a Brick House Instead
John RoyalAnd so begins one of the worst championship games in NCAA Tournament history.Houston is the home city of two Conference USA basketball teams. That means that there’s been some really bad basketball played in this city the last several years. So perhaps it was the lingering stench of C-USA…
Ask A (Producer For) Rapper(s)
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good – so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to…
Pop Rocks: Pocket Full of Kryptonite
I’d done a decent job putting the fact they’re rebooting the Superman franchise *again* next year out of my mind, that is until a flurry of recent Man of Steel-related news items popped up in the last week or so. “Wait,” you’re saying, “Didn’t they just make a Superman movie?”…
Pop Rocks: Go Ahead, Tug On Superman’s Cape
I’d done a decent job putting the fact they’re rebooting the Superman franchise *again* next year out of my mind, that is until a flurry of recent Man of Steel-related news items popped up in the last week or so. “Wait,” you’re saying, “Didn’t they just make a Superman movie?”…
UPDATED: ACLU: When Facing Death, Lizards Are Treated More Humanely Than Humans
UPDATED: This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to stop Cleve Foster’s execution scheduled for tonight, reported The Chronicle. It would have been the first execution in Texas by way of pentobarbital. The pets of those on death row would be treated more humanely than their owners, if the animals…
Where Are We Drinking?
We don’t even need to show the drinks at this popular spot; the decor here should speak for itself. Think you recognize the bright paintings and comfy chairs below? Do you know where we’re drinking this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
100 Creatives: Tracy Robertson aka Batty
(Part of our ongoing series profiling 100 Houston-area artists. No rankings; no order. Check back every Tuesday and Thursday for another edition.) What does she do: Tracy Robertson, better known by the goth moniker Batty, is Houston’s long-running queen of goth and Victorian fashion through her company Azreal’s Accomplice …
Andy Surface: Alvin Man Sends Fake E-Mail Invoice to Fancy New York Magazine Publisher, Gets $8 Million
While we never endorse fraud, we have to give up some grudging applause for one Andy Surface, of Alvin. According to federal prosecutors, Surface set up a company with a name that sounded a bit like that of the company that does the publishing for Condé Nast, the media giant…
Final Four: Six Prop Bets for Tonight’s NCAA Game
Of the four schools in this year’s NCAA basketball Final Four, the two biggest fan bases at Reliant Stadium on Saturday night (in my purely unscientific opinion) appeared to be Virginia Commonwealth’s (the biggest of the four schools in the Final Four by enrollment, over 34,000) and Kentucky’s (27,000 enrollment…
Comment of the Day
In Katharine Shilcutt’s “Mayonnaise vs. Miracle Whip: Kraft’s Clever Ad Campaign,” she wrote that she’s been listening to people debate the two condiments her entire life. But after reading the comments section, one has to wonder: Who besides Katharine will admit they like Miracle Whip? Wrote Matthew: “Liking Miracle Whip…
Odd Pairs: Ten Upcoming Nights of Music Bring Wild Variations
Diversity is a big deal in H-Town. In fact, our cultural diversity creates such a wide variety of musical styles, it is hard to figure out just what kind of music town we are. In places like Memphis, Nashville, Seattle and even Austin, it’s fairly easy to recognize the sound…
Sundae Sundays: Marble Slab Creamery, Part Two
Although I haven’t yet tried all the ice cream shops in Houston during my Sundae Sunday adventures, I decided Marble Slab Creamery deserved a premature repeat visit when I saw an advertisement for the new Double Toffee Sundae. Crushed chocolate-covered toffee is my crack cocaine; it was my one off-theme…
Final Four: Metro Thinks It’s Ready to Handle the Load
Metro sounds confident that it can handle the rush hour/Final Four crowds this evening, with extra buses, more maps and CEO George Greanias personally directing lost hoops fans. As for the poor misbegotten folks who thought it would be easy to get a taxi in Houston and found out otherwise…
R&B Round Table: Can You Make Love To Your Own Music?
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn’t a national holiday, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Disclaimer: Normally, this is a round table discussion among Houston’s prominent rappers. However, there has, in no uncertain terms, been a…
Jessica Nicole Grays: Driving While Smashed on PCP with Infant in Car
Driving while intoxicated is a very, very bad idea. Doing so with a one-year-old in the car is still worse. Driving while apparently knee-bucklingly high on PCP with an infant in the car takes the whole concept of intoxicated driving to levels of mind-boggling carelessness we at Hair Balls Crime…
Searching for a Slice: Barry’s on Richmond
In all fairness, my visit to Barry’s didn’t start off perfectly when I realized that they don’t serve pizza by the slice. I was alone for lunch and without anyone to share a pie with, so I was forced to order a personal pizza from the lunch specials menu (two-topping…
Space Shuttle Battle: City Hall Rally to Demand Houston Gets a Used Orbiter
As we’ve noted before, Houston is in a life-or-death battle to get one of the two retiring space shuttles that have flown missions, and they need all the help they can get. The solution: A City Hall rally, complete with Mayor Annise Parker, County Judge Ed Emmett and “surviving Columbia…
WorldFest set to Screen 55 Features and 100+ Shorts
WorldFest Houston International Film Festival has announced its lineup as well as its nominees for the Remi Awards. The 44th annual shebang — scheduled to take place from April 8 through April 17 at AMC Studio 30, 2949 Dunvale — will showcase daily film screenings that include 21 world premieres…
How to Make: Simple Syrup
Simple. Syrup. The name says it all. It should be a staple of restaurants and cafes, yet seems strangely ignored in favor of packets of “raw sugar,” resulting in sub-par chilled beverages. As Houstonians surviving on unlimited refills of iced-tea during the sweltering months, we should be clamoring for the…
Going to Pieces Over the Weekend at the Art Galleries
In his solo show “Things Have Gone to Pieces,” San Antonio artist Ed Saavedra has confidently assembled a hugely disparate ensemble of recent works. Hosted by G Gallery, the show opened Saturday night. It’s not easy to get a sense of scale in Saavedra’s show in which an eight-foot-tall canvas…
Last Night: John Mellencamp At Jones Hall
John Mellencamp Jones Hall April 3, 2011 See pics of a dapper-looking John Mellencamp on stage in our slideshow. Don’t call him Cougar. John Mellencamp has been trying to live down that record label-foisted moniker for over 30 years, ditching it entirely in 1990 and making music much more in…
Powerful: Suchu Dance’s Masters of Semblance
The setup: No programs, no caveats, and no explanations precede Suchu Dance’s Masters of Semblance. Even the set has just one element — the gray table sitting askew on the marley floor. You’re pretty much left alone to decide what exactly is going on. The execution: Luckily, the eight dancers…
Last Night: Kenny Chesney at Discovery Green
Kenny Chesney Discovery Green April 3, 2011 Check out our slideshows from this weekend’s Big Dance Concert Series: the bands and the fans. A little before 9 p.m., Kenny Chesney took to the stage donning a tattered, straw cowboy hat and a faded, sleeveless shirt to match as the crowd…
Unidentified Female, 24, Bayou Body Count No. 46
A drunk driver killed a 24-year-old woman early Sunday morning, Houston police say. The woman, whose name has not been released, was driving eastbound in the 5900 block of Clay Road about 2:20 a.m. when Porfiro Cruz Almendarez, 47, failed to yield the right of way and turned in front…
Canopy’s Spring Revamp
After hearing that Canopy had recently revamped things for the spring, I stopped by earlier this week to check it out. Surprised that the restaurant is serving a full breakfast menu every morning, I asked if it would be possible to try a little something from that menu even though…
Houston’s Best Patios: The 10 Best to Pretend You’re On Vacation
With patio weather season in full swing, Houstonians are absolutely spoiled for places to enjoy the day outside. And sometimes all you know is that you’re in the mood for a patio, but can’t figure out where to go. So how do you choose? Over the next five weeks, we’ll…
En Wang: Yes, a Man Named Wang Gets Three Years for Selling Fake Viagra
En Wang is one great name to put on a business card, especially if you’re selling fake Viagra. And since your company is called Jiao Long USAO, you can get even more creative and emphasize some words. Wang isn’t around to hear this advice, however; he is on the run…
Saturday Night: Chris Cornell At The House Of Blues
Chris Cornell Warehouse Live April 2, 2011 Check out our slideshow of Chris Cornell performing solo at House of Blues. We can only assume that this current cross-country solo acoustic jaunt by Chris Cornell is a warm-up for a full assault by his recently reunited Soundgarden in the coming months…
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: Author David Sedaris Returns to Houston
Ian Falconer illustration for Aesop’s The Writer and the Publicist To help celebrate the return of author David Sedaris to Houston whose most recent book Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary addresses the human condition through the medium of morality tales featuring talking animals and insects, Art Attack brings you…
What a Crock: Lasagna
Lasagna is one of those meals that can be labor intensive. Well, that’s until you find a good crock pot version. The rundown The ingredients for this crock pot lasagna are all very basic, although I would recommend adding a few dried herbs (basil and oregano) and maybe even a…
Final Four: Expect Airport Madness
At least one airline is telling passengers that if they hope to leave Houston tomorrow, they better get their butts to the airport early. An expected rush of Final Four evacuees — some happy, some crushed — could mean long lines at security, ticket counters and, perhaps most importantly, Starbucks…
Saturday Afternoon: Kings Of Leon At Discovery Green
Kings of Leon, Panic! at the Disco Discovery Green April 2, 2011 Check out our slideshows from this weekend’s Big Dance Concert Series: the bands and the fans. About halfway through Saturday’s Kings Of Leon show at Discovery Green, part of the corporate Big Dance Concert Series in conjunction with…
A Surprising Start for Public Poetry
Poets Guadalupe Hernandez and Mayor Annise Parker Two unexpected things happened at the Public Poetry reading on Saturday. First, Mayor Annise Parker, who was slated to read a few of her favorite poems to launch the series, read from her own work (a bi-lingual piece about a dead ocelot). And…
The Penis-Size Map: One More Reason Texas Should Secede
This map, from the Web site TargetMap, offers a vicious slur on American males when it comes to dick size, clearly giving us the short end of the stick, as it were. The trouble, as far as we can tell, is that wimpy small-dick states like Vermont and, we don’t…
The Wondrous Fools of Urinetown
The setup: Gimme an I. Gimme an R. Gimme an O-N-Y! What does it spell? Contemporary Broadway! Where would the musical be without the wash of irony? The heirs of playwright Bertolt Brecht really should sue for copyright infringement, since it seems that every recent work has his alienated, expressionist…
Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 45
A brawl outside a southwest bar last night ended with one man dying after being beaten with a baseball bat and another in the hospital after being run over by a car. The dead man’s identity has not been released. The condition of the other victim also has not been…
Mayonnaise vs. Miracle Whip: Kraft’s Clever New Ad Campaign
“Is that a commercial for mayonnaise?” my boyfriend asked as he glanced at one of the new Miracle Whip ads on TV last night. I found myself responding quickly and almost furiously: “No, it’s for Miracle Whip!” “Jesus. Okay.” It was almost as if the commercial had stirred some mayonnaise…
Friday Night: DJ Scratch at the Drake
DJ Scratch and J.Cole The Drake April 1, 2010 See pics of DJ Scrath at the Drake in our slideshow. Roc Nation descended upon Houston Friday night as Smirnoff presented rapper J.Cole as host of the grown and sexy Final Four weekend edition of Drake Fridays. The fashionable club on…
Friday Night: Something Fierce Record Release Party at Mango’s
Something Fierce Mango’s April 1, 2011 There are terms in music that cause audible groans and visual displeasure at their mere mention, and while these vary from person to person, some are fairly universal. Emo, yacht rock, muzak, and pop punk all fall into these categories. Something Fierce is certainly…
Houston’s NORML Chapter Pees on the DEA in Protest
It’s not likely to rank up there with the great protests of all time, but it has been documented forever. Members of the Houston chapter of NORML gathered outside the regional offices of the Drug Enforcement Agency yesterday to protest what they say is the agency’s habit of killing pets…
Meme Of The Week: Nicolas Cage As Everyone
You know that Art Attack is a firm believer in actor Nicolas Cage,from the best movies in his canon, like Raising Arizona and Leaving Las Vegas, to listless blockbusters such as The Rock and Face/Off, all the way to recent cinematic uber-blunders The Wicker Man and The Knowing. Speaking of…
Strawberry & Cream Cake from Dessert Gallery Bakery & Café
In my opinion, in general, fruit should not be the main ingredient in a dessert. I always shudder when, at fancy restaurants, I see tables full of pastel-wearing underfed women all request $15 dishes of whole poached pears lightly drizzled in caramel sauce (or some similar crap) and then practically…
The Week in TV
Don Draper’s coming back! (Eventually.) This was the week in TV Land: • Weeks like this, I’m glad I only have to get a handle on TV news once every seven days. Just about every day last week seemed to bring some new development in the growing trouble between AMC,…
Friday Night: Sublime at Discovery Green
Sublime Discovery Green April 1, 2011 Check out our slideshows from this weekend’s Big Dance Concert Series: the bands and the fans. Aftermath has been listening to Sublime as long as we can remember. They helped define our childhood, but we never thought we would get the chance to see…
Top 5 Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants
After listening to The Smith’s Meat is Murder album one too many times, I was a vegetarian for many years. And actually when I’m not setting out to sample a restaurant’s most popular or signature dishes, I generally prefer to stick to the vegetarian menu options. When I’m going veggie,…
Comment of the Day: Oh, East Texas
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…
Rice Thunders Past Marshall, Sweeps the Herd
John RoyalRice pitcher Austin Kubitza with another dominating performance on Friday.The Final Four dominated the attention of the sports media this weekend, rightly or wrongly. But while that whole NCAA exercise, especially UConn and Kentucky, was making a mockery of the concept of amateur athletics, just down the road from…
Wanted: $100 Music Video From Emmy Winner
Rocks Off likes to troll the musicians section of Craigslist in an effort to catch interesting acts at their very inception. Usually we get the same old thing day in and day out: Need FOC (Friend of Christ) bass player for worship band. Must have ride. 18 SERIOUS singer looking…
5 Reasons to Visit MFAH’s Hidden Jewel in 2011
We often need to be reminded that the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is so much more than the Building at 1001 Bissonnet. In addition to the galleries in the museum district, the organization is comprised of a sculpture garden, library, movie theater, two art schools, and two house museums…
Dynamo Take Another Tie in a Tough Road Game
For the second consecutive week, Tally Hall came up big as the Houston Dynamo 1-1 tied in New York against the Red Bulls. Hall finished the game with eight saves, most of them coming in the second half as the Red Bulls were relentless in their pursuit for a game-winner…
Tai Chi and Circling Peacocks: The Instant Composers Pool Orchestra
Instant Composers Pool Video created & directed by Barbara Hin & Martin van der Veen Catching a train. Riding an elevator. Stepping in a puddle. Doing Tai Chi in an alley while being circled by a peacock. These are all activities we engage in on a daily basis and never…
Where Are We Eating?
Although you may have your mouth set for burgers tonight at Lucky’s Pub when we present our Final Four burgers to be judged for the 2011 Eating Our Words Burger Bracket, we’re all about Tex-Mex today. Does this plate of shrimp and charro beans from an old Houston favorite look…
Final Four Astrology: It’s Butler, Bitches
So we turn to an astrological expert to predict the Final Four winners, and she comes up 50-50. Which, frankly, we could have done. We suppose she could have gone 0-for-2, so there’s that. In any case, the stars speak again about what will happen tonight. We asked Figgy Jones…
Final Four: Ethics, And How Empty Will Reliant be Monday?
John RoyalUConn’s Jim Calhoun, the Don Corleone of the Final Four coaches.UConn coach Jim Calhoun went the bizarre route on Friday afternoon, comparing himself and this group of Final Four coaches to the old 1960s sitcom My Three Sons, with Calhoun, of course, assuming the role of Fred MacMurray, the…
Comment of the Day
Today Katharine Shilcutt filed an exclusive report on the new restaurant opening downtown, The Dark Horse, which will be serving human lardo. Commenter Evan Vinumguy T. had more info on the mysterious Chef Hamish, having worked with him in the past: I was the wine director for Chef Hamish years…
More Local Music News Than Final Four Traffic Snarls
The Final Four descends upon Houston this weekend. Oh, if there were only four feeds we had to follow to bring all this lovely Houston music news to everyone. Instead, MCM crawls through more feeds than there are colleges in the NCAA, gathering up every bit we can. Before we…
Astronaut Lisa Nowak Has Apparently Never Heard of Google
Everyone’s favorite Fatal Attraction astronaut, Lisa Nowak, has apparently never heard of the concept of Googling someone’s name. She asked the Florida judge who heard the case against her (for driving across country to confront a romantic rival) to have her criminal record sealed. She said it would hurt her…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where if it can’t be eaten with gravy, it’s not worth eating. Luckily, everything can be eaten with gravy, even frozen drinks! As you no doubt already know, we like to avoid controversy and arguing here at Eating Our…
Upcoming Events
First things first: The 2011 Burger Bracket Championship is on like Donkey Kong this coming Monday, April 4, at Lucky’s Pub. The first 100 people there before 6 p.m. will receive a ticket and a judging token and will have 30 minutes to taste samples from the Final Four burger…
Houses of Import: The Out-of-Towners
This year’s Rice Design Alliance’s annual architecture tour has turned to out-of-town architects for their take on what we should be doing with our buildings in Houston. Austin-based architect David Heymann, created a house specific to the Gulf Coast Houston condition. He says, “I wanted to account for the amount…
Final Four Watch Parties, Team by Team
Brittanie SheyHotel Derek, all gaudied up.Judging by traffic, alumni from the schools playing in this weekend’s Final Four are already swarming town, and if you want to get some of the sweet team-pride action, we’ve compiled a list of the official and unofficial watch parties happening this weekend for those…
Deluge Of Underground Rap Releases Keeps On Coming
Leaving Flo’ from Zo Rill on Vimeo. Apparently, the City of Houston has enacted some sort of bill stating that everybody release new rap music every single day of the goddamn year. How else to explain the abundance of emails received these past few weeks with music? It very nearly…
Monarch Restaurant: Party Brunch is Baaack!
I have to admit that I never actually experienced the craziness that supposedly ensued at La Strada’s infamous brunch back in the day. So when I was invited to experience the rebirth of the “party brunch,” this time housed in Hotel Zaza’s Monarch Restaurant, I wasn’t sure what to expect…
Houston Modern Market and Lawndale Design Fair Meet in the Middle
Design lovers in Houston now have almost a continuous week of events celebrating form and function, thanks to changes in Lawndale Art Center’s long-established post-war market and a new event co-sponsored by Houston Mod that starts next weekend. The inaugural Houston Modern Market will showcase post-war art, furniture and architecture…
Hickoids Indulge Deviant UK Fetish On Twits
At least for Lonesome, Onry and Mean, a good cover is one that takes an old chestnut in a new direction. And if about halfway through the chorus a light bulb flashes on in the brain: “Eureka, Batman, I know this song.” The Hickoids’ new album of all British-rock covers…
Marc Bane: I Was “Cleaning the Roadways,” Not Stealing a Fallen Highway Sign
No good deed goes unpunished, apparently. Sterling citizen Marc Bane, 36, of the rural hamlet of Porter was volunteering to improve the visual blight caused by the large pipe-like stand for a fallen highway sign on U.S. 59 in Montgomery County. At least that’s what he told cops, according to…
Happy Hour Scene: Simone on Sunset
The place: Simone on Sunset 2418 Sunset 713-636-3033 www.simonelounge.com The hours: 2 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays The deals: $3 wells, $1 off bottled beer, $5 house wine The scene: I don’t usually imagine what bars would be like if they were women. Simone is the exception, probably thanks…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Insidious
Title: Insidious Not Another Haunted House Movie… Oh, buck up. This one is from Leigh Whannel and James Wan, creators of the Saw franchise. What Does That Have To Do With Anything? I dunno, those movies made a lot of money, right? Plus, there’s a good likelihood of creepy puppets…
Jim Andrew Lee, 58, Bayou Body Count No. 44
A homeless man has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of a security guard, police say. Antone Richie, 53, is still on the run. He is wanted for the murder of Jim Andrew Lee, 58. Lee was a security guard at an office building in the 5300 block…
Scooby Doo Crew Could Use A Break At Their Beach Parties
The Scooby Doo Crew (SDC) should be feeling great. After all, the production group that provides sound and electronic services for raves, parties and the like will celebrate its 15th anniversary April 16, and the popularity of its parties has been on the rise since the crew was formed. Unfortunately,…
Community’s Dean: Jim Rash
You know who Jim Rash is, you just don’t know you know him. He’s had minor roles in a number of TV series and movies, and up until a couple years ago, he was probably most known for playing Andrew, the adorable sexual deviant on Reno 911! who kept getting…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Dwight Stewart of The Men’s Club
I was standing poolside at The Men’s Club talking to a cocktail waitress I used to date while the chef I was interviewing (see the rest of our conversation here and here) was inside checking on some VIPs. I asked her what Chef Dwight Stewart is really like, and she…
TV Party: Dress Codes at Bars?
On last night’s “Between The Lines” on CW 39’s Newsfix, you get a bit of the background related to the past cover story we ran, “Getting Past the Bouncer,” that was spun off the Hudson Lounge debacle that started over Christmas 2010 and reached a head in early January. You…
Ginuwine’s “Pony”: The Best Solo YouTube Dances
In honor of Ginuwine being in town tonight with Lloyd at the Arena Theatre, Rocks Off compiled the best videos of people dancing, alone, to the R&B singer’s 1996 hit “Pony.” The filthy slow jam, with that naughty mid-90’s beat and those lyrics… God. By “pony,” he means his erect…
Rich Levy Goes Public
We can’t tell you what Rich Levy is going to read this Saturday during his appearance at Public Poetry, a new reading series. That’s because Levy, even at this late date, hasn’t decided. “I tend to think about what I’m going to read the night before,” he admits, slightly embarrassed…
Openings & Closings: March 2011
Haven’t read the exclusive Martin Hamish press release about his new gastro-tavern, The Dark Horse? See it here. Blind item of the week (and one that I’m incredibly excited about): A craft beer bar will be coming to Midtown in roughly the same time it takes to conceive and gestate…
Fish Sandwich Fridays: Hillstone
In honor of Lent and in an attempt to revive my own (lapsed) Catholicism, I will be reviewing a (loosely defined) fish sandwich each Friday from a local Houston restaurant. Sorry, Mickey D’s fans: no Filet-o-Fish. Feel free to send in your suggestions even if you’re not a Fish Eater…
Legislature Axes Fine Arts in Favor of the Elderly
The state legislature today faced a stark choice today: Kill the Texas Commission on the Arts or help the elderly. The vote involved whether to budget $3.5 million for commission (enough to keep it alive for federal matching grants), or the Community Based Alternative, which helps elderly and disabled transition…
Arts vs. Grannies: Texas Lege Axes Culture
The state’s budget crisis is making for some stark choices in the legislature, clear-cut votes that lay things out for all to see. One of them came today, when House members voted on whether to budget $3.5 million to the Texas Commission on the Arts (enough to keep it alive…
March 26 – April 1: The Week in Art 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…
Solo Albums: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Tomorrow night, former Audioslave lead singer and (thankfully) current Soundgarden member Chris Cornell will be at House of Blues for a long-sold-out acoustic show. Recent set lists have included a number of Temple of the Dog songs, some solo work, the usual ‘Garden and ‘Slave tracks, plus a handful of…
Lesbian Video!! Get In on the Action!!
Are you a lesbian? Are you single? Do you live in Texas? Are you not freaked out by the idea of living your life online? No, we’re not here to offer you a gig on our fledgling “erotica” Web site, but to tip you off to a casting call for…
Filled with Clichés: Curtains
The setup: I ask you, what’s the hardest job on Broadway? Writing a lousy show or acting in one? Granted, nobody, except The Producers’ Max Bialystock wants to produce a bomb, so when musical veterans John Kander and Fred Ebb (composer and lyricist of classics Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the…
Odd Pair: Cinnamon Buns & Pinot Noir
I have a love/ hate relationship with cinnamon buns. I would never consume the prepackaged kinds you get wrapped in cheap plastic at a grocery store, and I’m not even really that big of a cinnamon person in general, but there are moments when I wake up craving a hot…
Concert Pub’s Battle Of The Bands Wages War On Autism
Autism is a developmental disorder that currently affects nine out of every 1,000 American children, a number that has steadily risen since the 1980s. Symptoms usually appear by age three, and often encompass difficulties in communicating within normal developmental and social parameters. Late Pink Floyd founding member Syd Barrett is…
Idol Beat: Nine Crimes
55 million. That’s how many votes were cast to determine which two unfortunates would be given the boot last night on American Idol. To those who like to get up in arms about the “outrage” that the show draws such massive numbers from an otherwise apathetic population, I’d remind you…
April Fool’s for Lincoln, Gandhi and Others
Someone got a late-night/early-morning start on April Fool’s Day — and the victims were Lincoln at the president-heads sculpture on I-10, the Gandhi statue in the Hermann Park Rose Garden and the new statues at Allen Parkway and Montrose…
Vince Young: No Questions About the Titans, Please
The Houston school district sent out a proud announcement saying they are partnering with Vince Young on a golf tournament that will raise $110,000 in scholarships. The Madison High alumnus’ event will be April 4, and news coverage would be appreciated. Shortly after sending the announcement, HISD spokesman Jason Spencer…
Jessica Tata: Now She’s Facing Murder Charges
The stakes have been raised against Jessica Tata, the owner of the daycare center where four children died in a fire. Previously charged with manslaughter, now Tata faces murder charges after court filings yesterday by the Harris County District Attorney’s office. The documents charge her with abandoning the children and…
Bebe Zeva, Internet Sensation Documentary, Screens at The Joanna This Weekend
On the surface, Bebe Zeva may be a run-of-the-mill online personality. But not everybody thinks so, especially MDMAfilms, who have helped the teen elevate herself over the steaming rubbish heap that is the blogosphere. For the uninitiated, Zeva is a 17-year-old fashion commentator and founder of the I Am Carles…
Idol Beat: He-Man Woman Hater’s Club
55 million. That’s how many votes were cast to determine which two unfortunates would be given the boot last night on American Idol. To those who like to get up in arms about the “outrage” that the show draws such massive numbers from an otherwise apathetic population, I’d remind you…
Shiftwork Bites: Eggs Benedict
Undaunted by last week’s failed attempts at countertop egg poaching, I decided to give it another go over the weekend. Every Sunday day shift, my crew has a tradition of breakfasting on homemade biscuits and gravy, courtesy of a coworker’s wife. Last weekend, she was out of town. When Steve…
Kosher Coke: The Real Real Thing
Often I pop into Belden’s in Meyerland because it’s a throwback supermarket with unique food items, and right now it has “Houston’s Largest Selection Kosher for Passover.” That matters because it’s the short season for Kosher Coca-Cola. I’m not from Sugar Land, but I love sugar in my Coke. In…
Houston By The Book: River Oaks Bookstore
For Mike Jones, heading in to the family business every day is hardly a chore. Years ago he and his wife joined Mike’s mother, Jeanne Jard, who’s has been running River Oaks Bookstore over the course of its 35-year history, helming the little shop that’s spent its past 16 years…
Last Night: Cold War Kids At Warehouse Live
Cold War Kids Warehouse Live March 31, 2011 “HOUSTON: A BRACKET TOWN,” read signs posted around downtown last night. HPD had begun arranging road-closures and tents were already stocked with T-shirts and Final Four swag, as the city prepared itself for this weekend’s inevitable mass of tourists and March Madness…
Comment of the Day: The Never-Ending Debate on Semi-Public Sex in Marfreless
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…
March 26 – April 1: The Week in Photos
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. Heading out to Bracket Town this weekend, or catching one of the free Final Four concerts at Discovery Green? We want to see your pics. Just drop them…
Billy Bob Thornton Producing ZZ Top Biopic, Sources Say
How how how how will this not be Rocks Off’s favorite movie of all time after it comes out? If the rumors coming out of Hollywood and last month’s SXSW conference are true, the story of that Lil’ Ol’ Band from Texas, ZZ Top, is coming to the big screen…
Final Four: A Non-Expert Guide on Who to Root For
Houston, you must get wrapped up in the Final Four, simply because it’s here. If, like us, your love of basketball evaporated away awhile back, that means you need to get caught up on the teams playing so you can sound like an expert at your viewing party. Luckily, even…
Exclusive: New Restaurant Opening Today in Time for NCAA Weekend
Been wondering about the construction going on at 363 Travis near Market Square in downtown? Wonder no longer. The Houston Press has received an exclusive press release from Scottish celebrity chef Martin Hamish about the new gastro-tavern that he’s opening today, April 1, just in time for the big NCAA…
Fourth Annual Houston Indie Book Fest
The fourth annual Houston Indie Book Fest is coming up on what’s looking to be a glorious Saturday afternoon at Menil Park. Before we grab our spectacles and peruse the tables of titles, Art Attack engaged in a quick chat with Becca Wadlinger, co-producer of the festival. Art Attack: How…
The Most Unbelievable East Texas Crime Ever
Just when we think we’d seen it all, there comes a story like this one… If the events described in an indictment unsealed in Angelina County Court today are true, it’s one of the most shockingly sordid and brutal cases of animal abuse imaginable. Authorities in the East Texas hamlet…
Undertaker’s 18-0 Wrestlemania Record — The Definitive Anthology (with VIDEO)
Yeah, it’s Final Four weekend in Houston. We’re all very excited. But a little secret (that’s not very well kept) — for me, the Saturday and Monday games are a mere buffer surrounding Wrestlemania Sunday, baby! This year is special because Houston’s very own Undertaker (real name Mark Calloway, Waltrip…
Comment of the Day
Today Katharine Shilcutt confirmed that the Health Dept. outlawed customers bringing dogs to Moon Tower Inn, much to our collective chagrin. One commenter, Zippy, made some good points: I get not bringing dogs INTO restaurants, but the rule against having dogs on patios is ridiculous. And it’s not a health…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Dwight Stewart of the Men’s Club
When I walked into The Men’s Club to interview Chef Dwight Stewart and find out the inside story on a chef at a titty bar, I was surprised to find the nicest chef in the world, who is just like any other hardworking chef. He preps, works the line, crunches…
Benjamin Childress: High School Orchestra Director Busted for Soliciting Underage Boy
The orchestra director at Pasadena’s Dobie High School has been arrested for online solicitation of a 15-year-old boy, police in Pearland say. Benjamin Clark Childress, 26, met the boy through a Craigslist ad and was found drunk in a car parked with him at a remote field in Manvel on…
5 Restaurants to Hit for Final Four Weekend (And 5 to Miss)
Dining out this weekend is guaranteed to be mass (or approaching critical mass) chaos. Shelby Hodge, writing for CultureMap, reports that nearly all of the high-end places close to downtown are booked solid for the weekend, while just as many other popular restaurants have been designated as official Final Four…
League Of Extraordinary G’z Pack Power Of The Closed Fist
Each Wednesday or thereabouts, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com. In the three-year-history of the Artist…
Sundance Cinemas Slated To Occupy Angelika Space
The rumors that we’ve been hearing via Twitter and through the grapevine are true: The City of Houston announced today that the Bayou Place venue formerly known as Angelika Film Center will become Sundance Cinemas Houston. The Robert Redford-spearheaded endeavor, which currently boasts theaters in San Francisco and Madison, Wisconsin,…
The Woodlands Wants to Make You Dizzy
You think you know The Woodlands? You don’t know it until you’ve made yourself dizzy spinning around a set of 360-degree views put together for The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau…
For The Final Four: 9 Musicians Who Love College Sports
After weeks of anticipation and preemptory hand-wringing over where we’re going to park on Washington Ave. this weekend, the Final Four is Finally here. As with any other time a marquee sporting event comes to Houston, you can count on some familiar themes in media coverage: Where to party, which…
Cheeky Vintage, A Modern Classic
When walking into Cheeky Vintage it’s a relief to find out that designer clothes do not meet their untimely end at the bottom of a trash bin. They live on, they persevere and they are born again all under one roof. Those lucky garments spend their twilight years in the…
Facing Food Fears: #4 Pig’s Ears
To hell with trepidation. I’m forcing myself to try those five intriguing foods that scare me. I may barf, I may cry, and I may not always enjoy myself, but at least I won’t be a coward. #4: Pig’s Ears I was nervous about finally trying prune juice and just…
Worthing High Shooting — the HISD Reaction
The Houston school district is not really commenting on last evening’s gang-related fatal shooting at Worthing High School because “it is the focus of an HPD ongoing criminal investigation,” spokesman Jason Spencer says. But it has issued a statement from the district’s police chief, Jimmy Dodson. HISD’s Gang Suppression Unit…
Eight Alternatives to Frozen Margaritas
When I think “summer” in Houston, I also think “margarita.” It’s a natural thought progression in a city that’s oppressively hot in the summer but also blessed with a plethora of great Tex-Mex restaurants whose frozen concoctions help repel the humid heat. But Houston is more than just margaritas. And…
Po It Up: Pharmacist Hopes “Lean” Will Slo Up Syrup Use
“Relaxation Just Got Sexier” If you pay attention to rap lyrics from Southern artists, there are countless references to drinking cough syrup. “I got that syrup in my cup, I got that lean, I got that drank in my cup.” But the recreational drug has a dark side. Texas rap…
The Houston Zoo’s Ten Cutest Baby-Animal Pictures
The Houston Zoo has a new calf, Sam, according to a tweet today. The Zoo is getting pretty efficient at spreading the news of cutie-wootie widdle baby animals, and who can blame them? We decided to comb the Zoo’s Flickr page for ten of the best zoo-baby pictures. 10. Cocquerel’s…
Cooking with Beer: Cold Soba with Soba Ale Tsuyu
In last week’s Brew Blog, I mentioned that Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale would make a nice sauce for some actual soba. So I set about verifying that hunch over dinner a few nights ago. I love Soba. I eat it in all of sorts of non-traditional ways. This time, though,…
Menil Community Arts Festival: Free But Cash Would Be Handy
If you plan to attend the all-day Menil Community Arts Festival,be sure to stop by the Menil Bookstore first to pick up a schedule and map. A half-dozen readings, about as many musical performances, film screenings, a “family drum circle,” and an overlapping series of workshops are scheduled over six…
Something Fierce Rolls Out Don’t Be So Cruel
Tomorrow night at Mango’s, Something Fierce releases their new LP, Don’t Be So Cruel, their follow-up to 2009 full-length There Are No Answers, and the band’s first release since last year’s 7″ “Where You Goin Man.” The trio of Steven Garcia, Niki Sevven, and Andrew Keith has made one of…
Tremaine Paul, 18, Bayou Body Count No. 43
A fight at an informal girls’ football game at Worthing High turned into a deadly shooting last evening, Houston police say. Tremaine Paul, 18, was shot at least once and was pronounced dead at the hospital; at least five other people were injured. HPD says the fight began at the…
Shadaysha Little, Aricka Isaac: Pregnant Robbers Get Busted
If you’re 36 weeks pregnant — that’s nine months, if you’re not a math whiz — as far as we can tell, you don’t want to do much except have the damn baby. If you’re Shadaysha Little, 18, you’re not going to let a little pregnancy get in the way…
Hot Dogs Still Allowed at Moon Tower; Wiener Dogs Out
Confusion reigned momentarily on Twitter yesterday afternoon when word started spreading that dogs had been banned at Moon Tower Inn, the East End icehouse and sausage joint that cranks out hot dogs by the dozen. Kyle Nielsen was one of the first to Tweet the news: “Health Department dropped the…
Kim Zimmer in Curtains on Starting Over and Cracking Eggs
After 25 years holding down the same job as an actress on Guiding Light, Kim Zimmer says she didn’t know if she’d find work again when the venerable TV soap was canceled. Now in Houston, she’s appearing as the character Carmen (who she describes as “a real ball buster”) in…
Musical Dads & Daughters: The Good, The Bad & The Awkward
Blood, they say, is thicker than water. When Matthew Knowles and Beyonce ended their business relationship earlier this week, both stressed the fact that family is still family. “He is my father for life and I love my dad dearly,” Beyonce said in her statement. “I love my daughter and…
Astros 2011: It Ain’t Going to Be Pretty
Bad news: The Astros are actually playing baseball this season.The Astros are probably opening up the season tomorrow — they’re scheduled to play, but the weather in Philadelphia might not cooperate. And if the stories that have been kicking around are true, this might be the last opening day that…
Idol Beat: Don’t Go Breaking Thia’s Heart
Hans Gruber: You are most troublesome, for a security guard. John McClane: Eeeh! Sorry Hans, wrong guess. Would you like to go for Double Jeopardy where the scores can really change? It’s double jeopardy of a sort for the remaining 11 Idol hopefuls, because thanks to the judges’ save of…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Dwight Stewart of The Men’s Club
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a chef at a strip club? I have. I always thought it would be a non-stop cooking party with sex, drugs and hot rolls. I called Treasures, The Colorado and even the Gold Cup to see if my theory…
Last Night: Lil Keke’s Birthday Bash At House Of Blues
Lil Keke’s Birthday Bash House of Blues March 30, 2011 9:51 p.m.: Got the tickets. Waiting outside to meet a guy that was supposed to be here 30 minutes ago. There’s a white guy here dressed like he had auditioned for Reservoir Dogs and didn’t get a part and never…
Final Four Astrology: It’s UK and Butler, Sayeth the Stars
You probably want to know who’s going to win the two semifinal games Saturday, just so you can place a bet or two. Fortunately, there is a scientifically based, rigorous system of analysis that is foolproof in predicting such things: Astrology. At least that’s what astrologers say. (Actually, most of…
Spotlight on: Houston Arts and Media
If you were fascinated in Marvin Zindler’s photographs from his staff photographer days at the other Houston Press, you’ll probably be interested in other efforts by Houston Arts and Media, which put that show together with the Museum of Printing History. HAM’s mission is simple: to help filmmakers, scriptwriters, authors…
Idol Beat: Mona Lisas And Mad Haleys
Hans Gruber: You are most troublesome, for a security guard. John McClane: Eeeh! Sorry Hans, wrong guess. Would you like to go for Double Jeopardy where the scores can really change? It’s double jeopardy of a sort for the remaining 11 Idol hopefuls, because thanks to the judges’ save of…
Beyond the EVOO
There is one isle in Central Market that mystifies me more than any other: the oil aisle. I mean, how many types of oil does one need? As an avid Food Network watcher, it seems I’ve fallen under the Rachael Ray curse of cooking only with EVOO. Yes, I just…
The Anti-Four Loko: Lean Slow Motion Potion
If you pay attention to rap lyrics from Southern artists, there are countless references to drinking cough syrup. “I got that syrup in my cup, I got that lean, I got that drank in my cup.” But the recreational drug has a dark side. Texas rap legends Pimp C and…
Last Night: Juanes At Toyota Center
Juanes, Antonio Orozco Toyota Center March 30, 2011 Right on cue at 8 p.m., the Toyota Center house lights go down and the show starts, although instead of Juanes, it’s Antonio Orozco that takes the stage. That was the first tease of the evening, and a foreshadowing of the many…
Food Fight: Mission-Style Burritos
Just turn your head, and odds are you’ll find a chain place serving up mission-style burritos. We’ve all consumed these inexpensive, oversize, foil-wrapped, handheld eats. Today’s battle is between Chipotle Mexican Grill and Freebird’s World Burrito. Freebird’s World Burrito First, has Freebird’s always been called Freebird’s World Burrito? I have…
The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest
The docudrama The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest is as much a love story as it is a mystery. In 1924, George Mallory, a charismatic adventurer, attempted to become the first man to climb Mt. Everest. Devoted to his wife, Mallory had planned to place her photograph on the mountaintop…
Comment of the Day: Oy, Those Facebook Friends
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…
Pop Rocks: Alternatives for Your Iglesia-less Britney Spears Tour
By now you’ve all heard the devastating news; not about the continuing problems at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear facility, though that’s still pretty important…I guess — no, I’m of course referring to Enrique Iglesias’s decision to bail on the just-announced Britney Spears tour. Despite a big-time announcement on Good Morning America…
Pop Rocks: No Enrique? No Problem For Britney.
By now you’ve all heard the devastating news; not about the continuing problems at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear facility, though that’s still pretty important…I guess – no, I’m of course referring to Enrique Iglesias’ decision to bail on the just-announced Britney Spears tour. Despite a big-time announcement on Good Morning America…
Gothic Council Debates Possible Sandman TV Series
Now that we’ve finally seen something as difficult as Alan Moore’s Watchmen turned into a decent, if not groundbreaking, film, the question on many comic fans’ minds is whether or not the long-awaited adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman may finally happen. The past month has been a slew of conflicting…
KUHF CEO John Proffitt Thinks You Are Stupid, Rejoices He Is No Republican
John Proffitt gives ammo to the NPR hatahsKUHF CEO John Proffitt thinks you are a moron.Well, that’s what you could say if you saw his Facebook page a little earlier this week.With NPR dealing with the fallout from its recent right-wing sneak attack, you’d think everyone even remotely in a…
Deer Sausage and Eggs at Goode Co. Taqueria
The recent news that Goode Co. Taqueria will start serving its breakfast menu seven days a week starting on May 1 got me very excited. Perhaps too excited, as I dragged my boyfriend over there first thing Saturday morning to celebrate the new breakfast schedule with, well, breakfast. For at…
100 Creatives: Tierney Malone
BohemianPhotography.com/Jack PottsTierney Malone(Part of our ongoing series profiling 100 Houston-area artists. No rankings; no order. Check back every Tuesday and Thursday for another edition.) What does he do: Malone, who is represented by McClain Gallery, is a self-confessed “story teller, crooner [and] poet using the vehicle of signs to convey…
Final Four Visitors: Ten Alternative Places to Visit in Houston
So, you’ve made it to town for the Final Four and you are shocked to find out there are no tumbleweeds, we all aren’t walking around in ten-gallon hats and the area surrounding downtown and the medical center is not filled with strip malls and urban decay. Welcome to Houston!…
Yo-Yo Ma with the Silk Road Ensemble
When Yo-Yo Ma performs with the Silk Road Ensemble, which has 60 members from 24 countries, audiences can expect everything from centuries-old traditional tunes to compositions that were just completed last week (the group has collectively performed 65 new commissions). “It’s a huge repertoire in terms of its geographic scope,”…
Enemies of the People
Theth Sambath was just ten years old when he fled Cambodia in the late ‘70s, after his parents were killed in the Khmer Rouge genocide. They were among an estimated 2 million people who per-ished from a combination of famine, torture and arbitrary executions. Sambath, who became a prominent journalist,…
The Whole Shootin’ Match
Actor/director Robert Redford credits The Whole Shootin’ Match (1978) as one of the films that inspired him to launch the Sundance Institute. The first film by Eagle Pennell, The Whole Shootin’ Match features Lou Perryman and Sonny Carl Davis as two small-time con artists chasing a big score. Match had…
Black Death
Actor Sean Bean leads the cast in Christopher Smith’s film Black Death. Set in the mid-14th century during the plague, Black Death is the tale of a brave knight (Bean) who goes in search of a mythical village untouched by the illness. Accompanied by a monk (Eddie Redmayne) and a…
Prison Reform Film Festival
The Romanian shocker If I Want to Whistle, I’ll Whistle opens the Prison Reform Film Festival today. Director Florin Serban’s 2010 movie is an unsentimental dissection of juvenile delinquency with an amazingly detailed performance by high school music student George Pistereanu as hard-boiled Silviu. Other films in the series include…
Shell Houston Open
The greens will be as good as gold when the Shell Houston Open begins play at the Redstone Golf Club. Anthony Kim, a native Texan, defeated Vaughan Taylor in a head-to-head playoff round for last year’s championship. Kim returns to defend his title against some of the world’s best golfers,…
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Getting mentioned in a major motion picture starring Matt Damon is a sign that things are going well. In The Adjustment Bureau, Damon’s love interest, played by Emily Blunt, is an alluring ballerina with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, an actual modern dance troupe based in Manhattan. The Society for the…
Miracle Worker
One of the most well-loved stories in the American theater, The Miracle Worker dramatizes the real-life relationship of the deaf and blind girl Helen Keller and her newly hired governess, Anne Sullivan, who finds a way to break through the silence and darkness of the girl’s existence. The new Country…
Menil Community Arts Festival
Houston’s indie-arts community comes together at the annual Menil Community Arts Festival. Joining forces with the Menil Collection are a num-ber of local nonprofit arts organizations, including the Aurora Picture Show, Da Camera, the Catastrophic Theatre and Inprint, for a free day of in-door and outdoor art, films, performances, readings,…
A Night in Madrid
Houston’s Mercury Baroque ensemble is ready to take you on A Night in Madrid with a concert dedicated to the works of the classical composer and cellist Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805). Though Italian by birth, Boccherini lived most of his working life in Spain, whose geography was a great influ-ence on…
The Pearl Fishers
Famed composer Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, the tale of two loyal friends and their shared passion for a woman, makes its Houston premiere at Opera in the Heights. At first the men recant their feelings in order to save their friendship, but when the woman comes back into their…
Fahrenheit 451
In a world where houses don’t burn, there isn’t much for a fireman to do, except harass intellectuals and burn books — at least, that’s the job description for firefighters in François Truffaut’s film Fahrenheit 451. The story, based on the novel by Ray Bradbury, takes place in a futuristic…
Becoming Kinky
Finally, a show for Kinky Friedman fans. Becoming Kinky: The World According to Kinky Friedman was conceived by Ted Swindley, founding director of Stages Repertory Theatre, who created the monster hit Always, Patsy Kline and other jukebox compilation shows, like Bubba’s Revenge and Honky Tonk Angels. He may have outdone…
NCAA® presented by Lowes Senior CLASS Award ®
Kids under the age of 18 can join the fun during the NCAA® presented by Lowes Senior CLASS Award ® and dribble a basketball from Houston City Hall to the George R. Brown Convention Center. Each participant gets a free basketball, T-shirt and other goodies, including free admission to Bracket…
NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship
It’s crunch time, with the NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship down to just four teams. Both single elimination semi-final games take place today. The first has a tip-off time of 5:09 p.m. The second begins 40 minutes after the finish of the first game. The games are sold out,…
Reese’s College All-Star Game
Two teams made up of the top collegiate senior student-athletes in the country go head-to-head during the Reese’s College All-Star Game. NCAA basketball fans get the chance to see the best college basketball players in action, and it’s all free. For information, visit www.ncaa.com/finalfour. Fri., April 1, 4:30 p.m., 2011…
Powerade® NCAA® Youth Clinic – University of Houston
Kids spend time with NCAA® coaches and student-athletes during the four Powerade® NCAA® Youth Clinics around town. During the clinic, kids get hands-on sports instruction as well as information regarding good sportsmanship, fitness and healthy lifestyles. There’s also information for parents and guardians about making the most of the student-athlete…
Bracket Town
During the NCAA® Final Four weekend, Bracket Town is the place to be for basketball fans. Players of all ages and skill levels will enjoy lots of hands-on fun with basketball competitions, skills clinics, live music, interactive games and demonstrations. There are also autograph sessions and photo ops with celebrity…
Eroica Trio
In the classical world, musicians make their reputations based on their skills, not their looks. The Eroica Trio has both. They released their debut CD in the late 1990s to praise from eager audiences. As of 2006, the group has featured Erika Nickrenz (piano), Susie Park (violin) and Sara Sant’Ambrogio…
Alexander McCall Smith
With his penchant for bow ties and a position teaching medical law at the University of Edinburgh, Alexander McCall Smith might seem an unlikely creator of Precious Ramotswe, the world’s most famous Botswanan detective. McCall Smith, however, was born in modern-day Zimbabwe and spent many years living in Africa, which…
KATSU
Choreographer Michele Brangwen considers her latest piece, KATSU, to be her wildest and most experimental to date. Named after the Zen word for roar, KATSU explores the power of human emotions and our response to change. “We hear the roar of change approaching, but we don’t know to run with…
Duran Duran
By the mid-’90s, Simon Le Bon, John Taylor and the other Duran Durans were long past “Rio” and even “Come Undone,” and grasping for anything that would put them back on course. Yet subsequent albums such as the covers collection Thank You and Medazzaland suggested the band’s glory days were…
Film Collage
Forty years ago, the phrase “Take me to Cuba” had become a running joke. In January of 1969 alone, there were eight planes hijacked to Cuba. The late-’60s and early-’70s spate of radicals, homesick Cubans and the unbalanced hijacking planes to the communist island, led the country to expand its…
Tighten Up
Lance Stewart, a dance instructor whose business card reads “Teacher of Dancing,” is whisking a woman around the dance floor of Caps Piano Bar (2610 Briar Ridge). He’s been here a time or two before. “I’ve been coming since the day it opened,” says Stewart. “I come here because I love the band. I bring…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Donald Baechler: Sculptures and Paintings,” “First Take: Okay Mountain,” “Heimir Bjorgulfsson: The Classical,” “Tony Smith: Drawings”
“Donald Baechler: Sculptures and Paintings” Like a kindergartner, Donald Baechler always seems to be painting with a brush that’s way too big. But the artist somehow manages to channel the “childlike” without getting hokey, and he’s offering up his appealingly lumpy work at McClain Gallery. His series of flower paintings,…
Skip the Charades
Cold War Kids are hoping their next step is a big one. They’ve achieved mid-level stardom by plugging away for six years, touring with the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!. They churned out two albums and a slew of EPs before hooking up…
Capsule Stage Reviews: A Fertle Farewell, I Do! I Do!, The Miracle Worker, The Pearl Fishers
A Fertle Farewell A Fertle Farewell chronicles the demise of the hamlet of Dumpster, Texas, population 12, a distant relative of Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon, but most definitely on the other side of the railroad tracks. But the chance of revival may be in the works when an executive from…
KGOW’S KAPOW KAPOW
John Granato and Lance Zierlein need to leave. Their show ended five minutes ago, but they’re still talking. The conversation has turned to Hakeem Olajuwon’s lame commercials, and Zierlein has asked Raheel Ramzanali, whose show with John Harris was supposed to start at 10 a.m., to look up Olajuwon’s embarrassing…
SPECIAL APRIL FOOLS’ EDICION
Dear Readers, Rather than me punk ustedes with a prank, I give you the cruelest joke of all — ex-congressman and eternal Know Nothing Tom Tancredo! In return for him graciously allowing us to debate in Denver last year, I’ve allowed him to answer two questions of my picking, with…
John Mellencamp
Strip away the arena-rock production, which the man himself has done on recent tours, and it’s easy enough to see John Mellencamp’s Woody Guthrie-esque destiny in even his biggest early-’80s hits. Anthemic chorus aside, “Jack and Diane” is a simple folk song about, well, “two kids growing up in the…
House Party
Ever wanted to see the inside of a traditional Bedouin tent? Check out our slideshow for that and more at Cafe Mawal. I’ve yet to eat a meal at Cafe Mawal that I haven’t enjoyed outside. A massive wooden deck attached to the rear of the restaurant — which used…
In Search of Tossed Time
Moon director Duncan Jones’s sophomore feature, Source Code — a pseudo-cerebral, modestly budgeted sci-fi thriller with ambitions more Philip K. Dick-like in scope than the recent Dick adaptation The Adjustment Bureau — is a propulsive ride worth your popcorn dollar, not for its preposterous genre tinkering but for its refreshingly humanist…
The Price of Rebellion
Houston may have changed a lot since 1991, but the Poor Dumb Bastards haven’t. Flashier bands have come and gone, but the band founded by Byron Dean and Mike Porterfield has remained true to their creed of “Texas Drunk Rock” — barroom blues and R-rated lyrics delivered at punk-rock speed…
3 BR, Designer Touches, Great Spook Views
There is a great deal of prowling motion in Insidious: a recurring sideways dolly outside an ominous house, a trench-coat-clad cacodemon pacing outside a second-story window. It’s the restless motion of a movie stalking its prey — you, dear viewer. A married couple, Josh and Renai (Patrick Wilson and Rose…
Beth Schapiro responds to “Weird Science”
“We stand fully behind our work” Beth Schapiro responds to “Weird Science” For 27 years, The Schapiro Group has been carefully and meticulously conducting strategic research for a variety of government, corporate and nonprofit clients — distinguished organizations that profoundly influence how communities work and thrive. In a subject area…
Metro Etiquette
SPACED CITY Five Rules MetroRail Should Consider Adding By Jeff Balke Houstonians are generally an amiable folk. We have a reputation for being friendly almost to a fault. So, when we read about the controversy stirred up in New York City over a video of a fight between a subway…
Yonder Mountain String Band
It’s not surprising that the majority of Yonder Mountain String Band’s catalog is culled from live performances. A leading proponent of the so-called “newgrass” phenomenon (think The Dead or Phish), the band couples guitars with banjos, bouzouki and mandolins to spur the communal enthusiasm. The Colorado-based group’s last album, 2009’s…
Del The Funky Homosapien
For most of Del the Funky Homosapien’s career, we’ve had to wait years for him to come down from the mountain with a stone disc etched in dizzying hieroglyphics. Now he’s producing prolifically — since 2008, the Oakland rapper has released four LPs. And it was only a few weeks…
Scissor Sisters
If you shook the Rolling Stones’ disco period, namely Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You, in a glittery blender with the sleaziest Prince jams you could find and sprinkled some Bravo Network on top for garnish, you would get the mightily fab and ridiculously catchy Scissor Sisters. After spending most of…
Dierks Bentley
Dierks Bentley’s mop of curls is his career barometer. Untamed and devoid of style in 2003, they gamely accompanied his enjoyable but superficial debut. By 2005’s Modern Day Drifter, the weave was tempered with Merle-loving grit and a handful of bona fide country radio hits. 2006? Backlit dramatics. He was…
