Summer Fest Releases Schedule & Stage Times
Time to make some hard choices, folks. Free Press Summer Fest just released the schedule for this year’s two-day event June 2 and 3 in Eleanor Tinsley Park…
Matthew Eyerly: Produced Child Porn, Says His Girlfriend Also Sent Him Nude Pics of Her Kid
Matthew David Eyerly pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to produce child pornography and possession of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Eyerly, 35, “admitted to digital and oral contact with the genitals of the child and having taken pictures of these acts,” the USAO said. “He said this took…
Shot in the Dark: Angels & A-Holes
When you’re in the photo pit taking pictures for a publication such as Rocks Off, you can become the unwanted center of attention from both the audience and especially the artists. Most of the time you are only a few feet away from the performer, and often in their direct…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 96, Pineapple Wasabi Burger at Lankford Grocery
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Chase “Young Nino” Walker, 20: Calmly Dumped onto the Road After Being Shot in Head, Bayou Body Count No. 61
They didn’t do it like this in Pulp Fiction: A man got shot in the head in a car by someone else in that vehicle Tuesday afternoon, but instead of calling in Mr. Wolf for a clean-up, the car stopped, a passenger got out, pulled the body from the car…
Comment of the Day: A New Job for That Apocalypse-Ranting Teacher
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…
Rent All of Branch Water Tavern for $8,000, Plus More Weekly Dining Deals
This week’s worth of dining deals from around town include half-off Latin lunches, priced-to-sell pizzas and even a private restaurant rental at Branch Water Tavern. Bloomspot • Choose from three deals at Bistro Des Amis: $20 3-course lunch for two, $45 3-course dinner for two, or $99 for 4-course executive…
A GAY ISLAND??: The Best & Worst Facebook Responses to Bun B Supporting Gay Marriage
When President Barack Obama said in an interview last week that he supported same-sex marriage, it lit up the Internet with discussion. The dialogue split between those championing the president’s words, and his detractors damning him (again) for going against what they saw as biblical and social norms. No matter…
Fire at ExxonMobil a Buzzkill for Lunch Crowd
The lunch crowd at ExxonMobil got a surprise today when the food court and dining room had to be evacuated because of a fire in a lower level. Food-service workers say they were in the midst of preparing and serving lunch for some 900 clients when a burning smell was…
5 Things Not to Do If a Food Critic Is Eating at Your Restaurant
Please note: After speaking with the owners, it has become clear that Liberty Kitchen did not comp my first meal at the restaurant; they comped my dining companion’s meal, which I erroneously assumed was my own meal being comped. Also note that chef Lance Fegen did not have anything to…
Cover Story: Houston’s Ancient Baseball History Comes Alive
For most local sports fans, baseball history begins with the Astrodome. Mention the old exploding scoreboard, beer-hawkers and their cries of “Coldest foam in the dome!” and Jose Cruuuuuuuuuuz and you’re sure to bring a tear of nostalgia to many a forty- and fiftysomething. And there are those crotchety old-timers…
Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 8 Latin Nights
Note: This article was written by Rolando Rodriguez and Marco Torres. In March of this year, Houston beat the likes of Los Angeles and New York as the most ethnically diverse metropolitan area in the country and that landmark development was mainly due to the growth of Latinos. Back in…
Reality Bites: South Beach Tow
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. You know, I don’t ask for much. I’m happy to take this weekly bullet for the amusement and horror of Art Attack’s readers, because it (usually) allows me an outlet…
Dolce Delights Is Beautiful, and Here Are Some Photos to Prove It
I’m just getting acquainted with Dolce Delights, the three-month-old patisserie next door to Sushi Raku in Midtown, but I’m already smitten after one croissant and a cup of coffee. It’s charming that way, with a light-filled dining room that encourages lingering in cozy, wool-covered chairs or a green velour sofa…
Former HPD Cop Andrew Blomberg Not Guilty in Chad Holley Case (UPDATED)
A jury has found former HPD officer Andrew Blomberg not guilty of official oppression in connection with the arrest of Chad Holley. The video of the arrest showed officers seemingly whaling away on the teen, who was running from a burglary. Blomberg was one of four HPD officers who were…
Dynamo Draw with Portland Timbers
The Houston Dynamo kept their undefeated record at BBVA Compass Stadium alive on Tuesday night, by virtue of a 0-0 draw against the Portland Timbers. The streak also has the Dynamo earning their second consecutive shutout, a feat they haven’t done since opening the season with a pair of shutout…
Amy’s Kitchen Light & Lean Lasagna Letdown
I’m a big fan of Amy’s Kitchen frozen meals. I like their focus on natural ingredients, that everything is vegetarian or vegan and that for the most part all of their offerings are portioned to within 400 calories (give or take 50). Compared to most of the stuff I have…
Top 7 Promotional Music Gimmicks — Both Used & Unused
One of the most interesting things in the music business is how managers and record companies promote and market their artists. Sometimes they do a great job, and other times they fail. When they do fail, they’re like that hickey you got three weeks ago — still there. But, like…
Top 5 Carrie Fisher Characters
Check out our interview with Carrie Fisher. Now through Sunday, May 20, the lady who once famously donned a gold lamé bikini will make her way to the stage of the Hobby Center. Carrie Fisher, in all her self-actualizing, uncompromising glory, will have a six-day stint in Houston for her…
Houston Drunks, You Now Have Your Very Own Special Jail
City Council approved today a $4.3 million “sobering center” where those arrested for public intoxication will go instead of jail. “This will help reduce the city’s financial burden for handling public intoxication cases, ease crowding in our city jail and make our streets safer,” said Mayor Annise Parker. “There will…
Dear Hollywood, Get Some New Ideas: Little Shop, Carrie
I will preface this with two facts: 1. I am quite fond of the 1986 Little Shop of Horrors movie/musical, and 2. I am madly in love with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Neither of these facts convinces me in any way that there should be talk of a Little Shop remake starring…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Ronnie Killen, a Shy, Silent and Determined Chef with Symphonic Food
Ronnie Killen Killen’s Steakhouse 2804 South Main St., Pearland 281-485-0844 www.killenssteakhouse.com This is the first part of a three-part chef chat series. Look for parts two and three in this space Thursday and Friday. Pearland, 20 miles south of Houston, is a place many call the land of pears but…
The Afrobeat of FELA!Makes its Way to Jones Hall
Paulette Ivory didn’t even know who Fela was when a friend of hers called her up and told her “There’s a role with your name on it.” The British actress who’d done Lion King and been living in Los Angeles went to a meeting and signed on to FELA!, the…
19 Enchiladas and Counting: Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen Debuts the Newest Addition to Its Menu
Though some bemoan the increasingly popular practice of “National [Insert Food Here] Month,” I couldn’t be happier that the 31 days of May are devoted to celebrating the enchilada. I’ve always thought the enchilada was underappreciated compared to, say, fajitas or tacos. A Yankee acquaintance of mine once smirked, “Isn’t…
Houston Scores Big-Time in Latest Edition of Encyclopedia of Country Music: Part 6
Mickey Newbury paved the road from Houston to Nashville for a Hells Angels-ish, hard-drinking, hard-drugging gaggle of songwriters who, like Newbury, would go on to make a serious mark on Music City. Ornery, belligerent, cocky, literary, opinionated and super-talented, this group of Houston transplants would turn staid old Nashville on…
Terrible? Great? Seven Rap Videos About Texas Colleges
Rap is a universal language, except for most old people. So it’s natural that college students would use rap to express their love for their school. Sometimes this is done well, others….not so well. True to form are these Texas schools, be they oh-so-white or not so white. How well…
Paige Parkerson: Killed Fiance Because His Mother’s Day Gift Wasn’t Good Enough? (UPDATED)
A tip for any future suitors of Paige Parkerson, whether it’s in prison or not: Go big on Mother’s Day. Beaumont police say Parkerson killed her fiancé early Monday after the two “had been arguing over the Mother’s Day holiday.” The Beaumont Enterprise says the mother of victim Clifton “JR”…
4 Most Ridiculous Moral Panics in Video Game History
In 2008 the NPD Group did a survey showing that 72 percent of Americans have played video games. It was up from 64 percent in 2006, and it’s probably even higher now. Video games have gone from a novelty to being recognized as a legitimate art form, and their influence…
Jeff Bagwell’s Nightmare with Hand Doctor Michael Brown Gets Worse
Houston Astro legend Jeff Bagwell continues to pay the price for getting involved with the weird, sleazy, black hole that is the court odyssey of TV-ad star hand doctor Michael Brown. Brown has had a series of cases in criminal and divorce court, and vague allegations that Bagwell — who’s…
100 Creatives 2012: Raul Gonzalez, Painter, Photographer, Sculptor, Muralist & More
Raul Gonzalez is a really busy guy. As an artist his mediums are as wide open as the sky. He paints, photographs, sculpts, collages and creates murals; just to name a few of his preferred methods. On top of all that, he works a 9-5 at a print shop in…
This Week in Food Blogs: A Stark Look at Katsuya and Wine’s Greatest Hoax
ROFL House: Been wondering how the sushi is at ultra-luxe L.A. import Katsuya by Starck? Matt took a first look at the West Ave restaurant and came away — shall we say — less than impressed with both the service and the food, saying: “I’ve had better spicy tuna with…
The CD-R Turns 15 Years Old: A Blessing or a Curse?
This year marks 15 years since recordable compact disc technology trickled down to the public at large. Before this, cassette tapes were all the rage for dubbing, recording and other at-home use. The MiniDisc format made a go of it previously in the ’90s, but it wasn’t until companies like…
Brave New Waves Steps In For Binarium Sound Series
Paul Connolly, a seven-year vet of Houston’s improvised music community, hopes that his recently minted Brave New Waves Sound Series will be up to snuff with the other experimental-music happenings around town. With his deep knowledge and grasp of electronic music, there shouldn’t be any worries…
Louisiana Senate Votes to Beg Roger Goodell to Unsuspend Saints Players and Coaches
Let me preface what I am about to say by noting that I love the state of Louisiana. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad trip to the state. It’s one of my favorite places to visit, complete with otherworldly cuisine, ultra-accessible alcohol and gambling, and unintentional comedy galore…
Gothic Council Wants Katy Perry to Go Away
It was noon, the gothic 3 a.m., when the alarm went off. Not the alarm clock, but the big, black one that alerts me to clear and present dangers to goth. I stumbled to the Internet, where my custom-designed goth-defense system presented me with this link. If you don’t want…
What Happened to That ZZ Top Show in The Woodlands?
A few months back, Rocks Off announced that ZZ Top, 3 Doors Down and Gretchen Wilson would be playing the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on June 23. Now it appears that it isn’t happening. After being listed on the venue’s site and the Top site, it is now nowhere to…
Gelareh Bagherzadeh: Crime Stoppers Offers Record $200,000 Reward for Tips on Her Murder
Police are still baffled by the January 16 murder of Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a Texas Medical Center student and activist against the Iranian government who was gunned down in an expensive neighborhood. Today Houston Crime Stoppers announced they are offering the highest reward in their history: Information leading to an arrest…
Amazing Houston Business Journal Scoop: Onion Article Probably Not True
Hold on to your hats, take a seat, take a deep breath, do whatever it takes to absorb some shattering news: An article in The Onion is probably fake. This earth-shattering scoop is brought to you by the Houston Business Journal, with an article entitled “Houston PR Pro Contemplates The…
Junk Drunk Food Gourmet: Your Guide to Late-Night Snacking
Whilst living the life of a broke-ass college student for what felt (to me) like a gazillion years, my fiancé came up with the idea of Junk Drunk Food Gourmet. Think: your college pantry fancied up in a way only way too many games of survivor flip cup can fashion…
Rap Feud Turns Deadly in Southwest Houston
A young man killed in the parking lot of a southwest Houston McDonald’s the night of May 4 was an up-and-coming Alief-area rapper, and police believe he was killed by a former bandmate who left to start a rival group. According to a criminal complaint filed in Harris County District…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 97, Caprichos Mixtos at Taqueria Monterrey Chiquito
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
“Pocahontas” the Stripper: Luerissie Ross Charged with Capital Murder
You think I’m an ignorant savage And you’ve been so many places I guess it must be so The lyrics of “Colors of the Wind” — so inspiring to eight-year-old girls everywhere — probably were not written with Luerissie Ross in mind. She’s a stripper who goes by the name…
Upcoming: Glen Campbell, Toadies, Norah Jones, Crystal Method, Etc.
13 Black Coffins, Ese, Zipperneck, The Failed Attempt: Fri., June 1, 7 p.m., $10. Mango’s, 403 Westheimer, Houston. 23 Shades, The Solidier Thread: Fri., June 1, 8 p.m., $10/$12. The Bronze Peacock Room @ House Of Blues, 1204 Caroline, Houston. Aesop Rock: Fri., Aug. 10, 8 p.m., $18/$22. Fitzgerald’s, 2706…
Burn the Beans, Please
I don’t know how much of this is a facet of my fascination with cooking, and my ever-geekening desire to explore new (to me) ideas, and how much of it is an artifact of my cheap-assery. Regardless, I’ve been on a big kick lately (if lately is the past five…
Hole-Y Trinity! Old Meth-in-the-Vadge Trick Fails for Third Time This Year in East Texas Town
For the third time this year, police in Trinity, Texas, have busted a woman who tried to hide some crystal meth inside her vagina. We have to say that Karen Hale, the 22-year-old suspect in this case, failed to show the creativity or sanitation of her predecessors. Those women allegedly…
Dontay Jerome Leonard, 28, Bayou Body Count No. 60
The body of a man who had been fatally shot was found on a far southwest-side street early Monday morning, Houston police say. Dontay Jerome Leonard, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene in the 6300 block of Berkridge about 1:45 a.m. A driver saw the body lying in the…
New Idea: Give Fans Your Phone Number
Every so often, a ballplayer or musician will accidentally post their private phone number on Twitter, or perhaps a social-media-savvy celeb like Charlie Sheen will tweet out a buddy’s digits as a prank. Hilarity ensues, usually in the form of thousands of text messages, and that person is usually soon…
Bad Weather and a Big Ass Bowl of Gumbo at Hay Merchant
I love Hay Merchant. No, really — I love Hay Merchant. I’m there at least once or twice a week. What can I say? I’m a girl who loves craft beer and Hay Merchant is a place for craft beer lovers. But it’s also a place for food lovers, and…
Comment of the Day: Good Lord, Michael Brown & the Lawyers in His Case
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…
Latin Bites: Peppers and Pisco in Perfect Harmony
Latin Bites has come a long way. First a catering business, then to its miniature space in the Warehouse District on Nance and now to its greatly expanded location on Woodway. The new venue is open, airy and bright. You can saddle up to the pisco bar — the only…
DVDs & Blu-rays: The Grey
The Grey stars Liam Neeson and Dallas Roberts; Joe Carnahan directs, writes and produces. It was easy to like The Grey when it came out last January and its release now on DVD/Blu-ray is a bright spot in an otherwise dreary week. In the film, a group of tough guys…
New Beach Boys Book Digs Deep Under the Sand
The Beach Boys FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About America’s Band By Jon Stebbins Backbeat Books, 400 pp., $19.99. Backbeat’s FAQ series of books are the perfect addendum for those who are already familiar with a band’s basic origin and career. Part biography, part compendium of trivia and odd…
Roy Valdez, 20, Bayou Body Count No. 59
A man was shot several times at a southwest-side restaurant Sunday afternoon and died, Houston police say. Roy Valdez, 20, was at the Taqueria Cancun in the 8100 block of South Gessner with four other men when the shooting occurred. The four men fled. “HPD investigators are asking all of…
Cattle Prices Doubling, While Experts Predict the Beef Industry May Need 5 Years to Recover
The bustling East Texas cattle auction that the Washington Post recently featured in an article about cattle prices couldn’t have been more different from the near-empty auction that I attended last fall, during the worst of the 2011 drought. “Since we’ve gotten rain and everything, the price has really jumped…
Always Evolving: 64 Years of Brian Eno’s Best Nonproduction Work
Although he has more than 15 solo albums to his credit, Brian Eno’s legacy in terms of popular music will always be defined by his work with others. Whether it was his time as a member of Roxy Music or his nearly 40-year production career, his best-known works have always…
Come to the Alley & Get to Find Out What We’re Up Against
What most intrigues director Scott Schwartz about audiences’ reaction to What We’re Up Against is whether they see a woman battling to get ahead in an architecture firm more as a comedy or as a drama. “The audience is the last character in the play,” he says. The black comedy…
App of the Week: Get in Shape with Nike Training Club
App: Nike Training Club Platform: iPhone Web site: App Store Cost: Free “My doctor said I swallowed a lot of aggression…along with a lot of pizzas.” — Dewey Oxburger, Stripes I’ll be honest, I don’t like working out. I see people who just love “feeling the burn” and I’m perplexed,…
Next to Normal: Singing Through the Craziness
Mom is bipolar and as she gets worse, it gets tougher and tougher to be part of her family. So what should we do? Sing about it, of course. Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, nominated for 11 Tony awards and winner of three — best score, orchestration and leading…
First Person Shootr: “Punch-Struck” Will Creep You Out
I don’t know much about First Person Shootr, and naming your band after a genre that makes up roughly 243 percent of all modern video games doesn’t exactly make narrowing it down any easier. After some digging, I found out that it’s simply another stellar side project by producer Lee…
Vive La France: Central Market Kicks off Passport France with a Bang
You really have to appreciate it when someone throws a party and goes all out, no expense spared. That’s what Central Market did for its Passport France kickoff event this past Thursday evening, which was held in a white tented affair that had the high society feel of the Kentucky…
Pop Rocks: How Season 2 of Game of Thrones Differs from the Books, and a Prediction
Season Two of Game of Thrones, HBO’s rat’s-eye-view of the struggle for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros (and beyond), is nearing conclusion. We already know the penultimate episode, “Blackwater,” will focus on the battle for King’s Landing, and the remaining weeks will hopefully offer resolution to matters regarding…
State of Texas Alleges That Gang-Ridden Southwest Houston Condo Complex Is a Public Nuisance
Claiming essentially that it is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, the State of Texas and Harris County are attempting to force a Southwest Houston condominium complex to clean up its act or shut down — and each and every unit owner is listed as a defendant. According to…
San Benito Teacher Replaced After Bizarre Classroom Rant About Jesus, Mary Magdalene, UFOs & The Apocalypse
A ninth-grade teacher at San Benito’s Veterans Memorial High School has been replaced for the remainder of the year after her lesson plan went badly awry last Tuesday and her 12-minute rant was filmed by a student and uploaded to YouTube. Before the teacher was done, she told a roomful…
Burn! Music’s 12 Best Insults & Jabs
One of the not-so-fun things in the world is to get insulted or, in the words of Kelso from That 70’s Show, get “burned.” Now, let’s imagine what it would be like to be insulted by some musician on one of their albums — that “burn” I can only imagine…
Perry House Retrospective at Art Car Museum
It’s not often that an artist gets an opportunity to collect his or her work of the past quarter-century and hang the output on a gallery wall. Along with an art exhibit, there’s another reward that happens before the pieces are hung just right on a freshly hammered nail. Specifically,…
Where Are We Drinking? Clue: This Place Has “Iconic” Manhattans
If you’re tired of plain, cherry-topped Manhattans, you’ll want to check out the “Iconic Manhattan Series” at this chic downtown bar. With five “Formulas” to choose from, you’re sure to find one you’ll like. We tried the Formula #1, with Rittenhouse rye, Campari, dry vermouth and kosher salt, as well…
The Delicious Madness of Ted Cruz’s GOP Senate Campaign Ads
All of Texas is feeling the excitement of the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate. It’s really all that Texans are talking about, apart from everything and anything else. Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, a bland and boring pol, is facing Ted Cruz, a Tea Partier who has been endorsed by…
King Hedley II: August Wilson at His Most Operatic
The setup: Of all contemporary American playwrights, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winner August Wilson, who died in 2005, is perhaps the most old-fashioned. Which is a splendid thing. He loves the well-constructed play, dropping character hints and scene tidbits along the way that will pay off big time by the…
Go Slow: A New Houston Playlist for Your Drive to Work
For parents, it’s hard to find a moment of peace. Watching TV during the day? Please. Reading a book without interruptions that isn’t about a gorilla that has to learn manners or whatthefuckever? Nope. Naps? Dude, forget that shit. I haven’t slept during the day in five years. Best I’ve…
Toyurean Young, 20, Bayou Body Count No. 58 (UPDATED w/ARREST)
Police are searching for a man charged with murder in connection with a shooting in the 10700 block of Beechnut Friday night. The suspect, 19-year-old Jordan Q. Wilson, has been charged with murdering Toyurean Young, 20, as part of an ongoing dispute between the two. “Wilson approached Mr. Young, whom…
A World Naked Gardening Day Playlist
Now, World Naked Gardening Day isn’t the kind of thing I’m really going to get behind with anything remotely resembling gusto. It’s not the being naked part that irks me, it’s the gardening. When one typically putters in the garden, there is usually sunlight involved, and as a dedicated goth,…
Lee West III: UH Graduate Who Alleged Hazing Settles with Omega Psi Phi
The long wait has ended for Lee West III, the University of Houston graduate who had sued Omega Psi Phi over alleged hazing incidents in 2009. Hair Balls learned today that the case, filed in Harris County in April 2010, had been settled out of court. Ayesha Mutope-Johnson, who has…
Digging a German Red Quaffer from Pfalz
Generally, when wine nerds like me think of fine wines from Germany, we think white: Mosel Riesling, with its enormous capacity for longevity and nuance, its bright acidity and vibrant minerality, is considered by many to be one of Europe’s greatest wines. (Celebrity sommelier and winner of this year’s James…
Saturday Night: Styx & REO Speedwagon at The Woodlands
Styx, REO Speedwagon Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 12, 2012 When dinosaurs roamed the earth, Saturday night in America was a pretty awesome place to party. Considering how many times both Styx and REO Speedwagon must have been through Houston, this weekend’s stop on their tandem “Midwest Rock N’ Roll…
Dr. Michael Brown’s Lawyers: Wife’s Lawyer Called Us the C-Word and “Flat-Chested”
In the roughly 87 years we’ve been covering allegations of cocaine-absorbing, pregnant-wife-pummeling, creepy-sex-advice-spouting, alleged-stripper-banging, medical-license-losing doctor Michael Glyn Brown, we’ve yet to see his ever-changing lineup of lawyers sink to such an entertainingly gutter level as in a recent filing accusing the doc’s estranged wife’s attorney of calling the doc’s…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 98, Custard at Petite Sweets
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom Soundtrack Has Houston Ties & a Ton of Hank Sr.
Director Wes Anderson’s upcoming Moonrise Kingdom is easily one of the most anticipated movies of 2012, coming to theaters on May 25, mainly because his movies are like catnip for hipsters and amateur cinéastes alike, and feature completely engrossing soundtracks. From the garage-rock throwdown of Rushmore to Seu Jorge doing…
Houston’s 4th Annual Product Runway Competition Makes Models & Fashion Designers Out of Interior Designers
Houston’s design industry turned out to Bayou Place for the 4th Annual Product Runway competition, in which interior designers turned their skills to fashion design. The event raised more than $14,000, donated to the Houston Furniture Bank, which outfits homes for those in need. Hosts were Rod Ryan from the…
The Berry Children Sue Chrysler
The three Berry children of Houston, who gained national attention when a traffic accident left them orphaned and two of them paralyzed, have filed a lawsuit against Chrysler. The accident last July happened in the family’s 2003 Chrysler Town & Country minivan near Fort Stockton. The suit says all family…
I Don’t Like Sandra Lee, Except for When I Do, PLUS! Three Semi-Homemade Things I Made Up
Not to get all Sam Brown-on-Guy Fieri on you guys, but Sandra Lee bugs me a little. In the past, she did not bug me — in fact, my first attempts in the kitchen were prompted at least in part by her recipes. (I didn’t start cooking until I was…
Mad Men: Green-Eyed Monster & the Two Mrs. Drapers
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey’d monster, which doth mock”; truer words were never spoken (by a fictional character in a Shakespeare play). Last night’s episode of Mad Men was one of my favorites of the season. It dripped with the bitter resentment of each of…
UPDATED: Art Car Parade Celebrated 25 Years (w/ VIDEO)
Updated: we just got the list of this year’s winning cars from the Orange Show. Check their announcement at the bottom of this post. Check out more photos from the 25th Annual Art Car Parade in our slideshow. Ahh, the Art Car Parade. It’s hard to believe Houston’s been letting…
Samuel Moreno-Mares, 25, Bayou Body Count No. 57
A DJ was shot and killed as he came home after work early Sunday morning, police say. Samuel Moreno-Mares, 25, parked in front of his apartment complex in the 800 block of Grow on the northwest side about 3:30 a.m. when someone attempted to rob him, police say. “Moreno-Mares then…
Entertaining Mr. Sloane: A Dark, Inky Farce
The setup: Scrumptious is not an adjective often applied to the subversive work of playwright Joe Orton, but in Country Playhouse’s delicious rendition of his first major hit, Entertaining Mr. Sloane (1964), there’s no other way to describe it: appetizing, delectable, toothsome, yummy…
Last Night: Marilyn Manson at House of Blues
Marilyn Manson House of Blues May 13, 2012 See more Mother’s Day Marilyn Manson photos in our slideshow. “It’s Mother’s Day. Anybody here have my child, or is my child?” howled Marilyn Manson from the stage at the House of Blues Sunday, just as he and the band ended “Disposable…
All Day Desayunos, Sans Daylight, at Poblano’s
I love breakfast. I also love sleep. These two conflicting concerns often result in hunger, crankiness and disappointment. You see, I have figured out, down to the minute, exactly how late I can wake up and get to work on time. This does not allow for breakfast. It barely allows…
Michelle Lyons: TDCJ Flack Says Agency Retaliated After She Questioned Policies
A veteran Texas Department of Criminal Justice press officer has resigned, accusing officials of retaliating against her for questioning department policies and for copying Senator John Whitmire’s office on e-mails detailing her concerns. Michelle Lyons, who had been with TDCJ for 11 years, was one of our favorite flacks. She…
Happy Birthday, Zuckerberg: Our 5 Least Favorite Facebook Annoyances
Facebook is great for a lot of things. It helps us keep in touch with family and friends without having to actually call them, allows us to play games in our browsers when we should be working and helps us remember birthdays we’d forget. It allows me to be a…
5 Food Trends That Aren’t Going to Happen Anytime Soon, Seriously, You Guys
Hot off the heels of the annual National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, food bloggers and industry outlets are furiously compiling lists of food trends for 2012 and beyond based on displays, samples and wares from the three-day-long trade show. Nation’s Restaurant News says that the trendy takeaways from the…
Boots Made for Walkin’: Lucchese Trunk Show at Pinto Ranch
If Dr. Seuss had ever decided to pen a children’s book about cowboys, cowgirls and their beloved cowboy boots, he might’ve gotten inspiration from the Lucchese-lined back wall at Pinto Ranch, Post Oak’s eponymous store for Western wear. Short boots, tall boots, big boots, small boots, thin boots, round boots,…
Ashton Craven Charged with Felony DWI After Woman, Five Months Pregnant, Loses Baby in Accident
Ashton Vincent Craven looks very surprised in his mugshot, and maybe it’s because he has learned of what he’s done. Craven, 38, was diving drunk when he ran a stop sign at Bataan and Rutland a little after 1 Saturday afternoon, cops say. His Taurus struck a Corolla driven by…
I’m Not Drinking Through My Nose; It’s Just the Feeding-Tube Diet
Those of you who don’t watch at least two hours of morning shows and celebrity news per day may not be aware of the latest trend in weight-loss: the feeding-tube diet. Yes, that’s right. In an effort to shed pounds, some women (sorry, but I have yet to read about…
Past Present, Future Perfect: The Future Music Summit 2012 Recap
The most surprising thing, and maybe the most amazing, about the 2012 edition of the Future Music Summit didn’t take place during a presentation or during the concert. It took place during the afterparty at Herzstein Plaza just a little before midnight. During the day, during presentations and meals, attendees…
Game of Thrones: “A Man Without Honor”
Ned Stark can’t catch a break. Executed last season, with his head stuck on a pike outside the Red Keep, the former Lord of Winterfell continues to get his name dragged through the mud. First there’s Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann), insisting to Sansa that dear old dad enjoyed killing just…
What’s Cooking This Week?
I love homemade meals with my fiancé, but most of the time, cooking for two can be difficult. If I don’t have a game plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredients I’ve bought (and I HATE wasting food). Enter What’s…
Rap Round Table: What Is Scarface’s Best Album?
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week’s Panel: Preemo, O.N.E., Medicine Girl, Renzo, Yung Truth, Chane, Scooby, Kane, Kyle Hubbard, Mac, more. Not Invited: The man who cried when he saw…
5X5X5 a Small-Scale Exhibition at Spring Street Studios
This Saturday, Art Attack swung by Spring Street Studios for its monthly Second Saturday with the main purpose of checking out the inaugural exhibition of east2collective’s 5X5X5. East2collective is comprised of Adrienne Wong and Holly Hoyt Miscovich, who share something very special. A wall. The two artists are next-door neighbors…
Owls Baseball Fighting the Expectations
The expectations for the Rice Owls baseball team are a bit different from the expectations for the rest of Rice Owls sports. Whereas the alumni want the football team to win, they expect the baseball team to win. Whereas they just want the basketball teams to make any tournament, the…
Dynamo Open Up BBVA with a Bang
Check out our slideshow from this weekend’s first game in the new Dynamo Stadium. First achievements are always special. A baby’s first step; special. Your first day of school or your first time having sex — both very special moments. The Houston Dynamo officially unveiled BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday…
Travelsty: Singing and Hitting the Road at the Music Box Theater
The setup: Two couples travel around the country, singing songs about various states (Georgia, Tennessee, California), various cities (Coney Island, San Francisco, Houston) or simply a highway (Route 66), and through the alchemy of talent and showmanship turn this slight material into a totally entertaining two hours of pure pleasure…
NBA Formalwear: Chase Budinger’s NBA Socks Worn Under His Suit at Tilman Fertitta’s Charity Event
On the evening of May 2, John Granato and I had the opportunity to broadcast a “very special edition” of our show on 1560 The Game live from local restaurant and casino mogul Tilman Fertitta’s palatial (Understatement Adjective of the Year, by the way) estate in River Oaks. It was…
Where Are We Eating?
It’s not the $95 stuffed truffled Kobe filet, but the piece of beef you see below from this famous Houston restaurant is no slouch, either: It’s a cut of USDA Prime steak, which is tender enough to cut with a fork, with sides of braised romaine lettuce and Brussels sprouts…
Play It Again, Sam: 10 Artists & Comedians Signed to Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records was a record company started by Neil Bogart — no relation to the late legendary actor Humphrey Bogart, although Neil was a big Bogie enthusiast and admirer. In the 1970s, Casablanca Records was the go-to label for disco much like Death Row was the go-to place for gangsta…
Borgias: Three Princes
From the very beginning of The Borgias, the show has centered around the politics of the Vatican and the reach of the church. The sixth episode this season continues to further the plots both for and against the pope. However, rather than focusing on the ways those plots were furthered…
Five Dumb Reasons to Hate Social Media: Stand Up for Twitter & Facebook!
There are lots of annoying things about the various social networks that exist and plenty of reasons to think they are stupid. I’ve enumerated a number of those reasons on this very blog. But, with all things, there are people who will hate just to hate and sites like Twitter…
RIP Donald “Duck” Dunn: 5 Other Great Label Bassists
See Also: “Support Staff: 10 of Pop History’s Greatest Backing Bands” Donald “Duck” Dunn, the bassist for Memphis soul band Booker T & the MGs — the house band at seminal ’60s Stax Records — passed away in his sleep early Sunday morning, according to his friend and longtime bandmate…
Golf and Women’s Fashion: A Retrospective
Check out our retrospective on men’s golf fashion. From a gender standpoint, golf has been an “equal opportunity game” for quite a long time. American women have been playing golf since at least the late 1800s; Harper’s Bazaar was publishing illustrations of women playing golf by 1894. So while the…
Polo Playboy John Goodman Gets 16 Years, Scathing Lecture from Judge for Intoxication Manslaughter
John Goodman, the Houston “polo playboy” who was drunk when he caused a traffic accident that killed a 23-year-old man, was sentenced to 16 years in prison today by a judge who also gave him a scathing lecture. “[Victim] Scott Wilson’s death was senseless,”” Florida state judge Jeffrey Colbath said…
This Week in Deliciousness: Happy Once de Mayo
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating…Our Words, where the Once de Mayo celebrations continue apace. It’s a lot like Cinco de Mayo only with no historical context, no Mexican theme, no real reason for existing, and a much earlier commencement of drinky-time. Spiral? What spiral? Don’t judge…
Five Things for the Rockets to Consider This Offseason
Another offseason is upon us in Houston. While other teams battle it out in the playoffs, Houston Rockets fans are left to wait until next year…again. With three straight lottery seasons and only one second round appearance since 1997, it’s no wonder fans are fatigued and want to see things…
Metro’s Rapping Puppets Make Sweet Beastie Boys Tribute
When December rolls around, of all the days of the year, I imagine I will remember last Friday pretty well. I have not felt the kind of sadness I felt when Craig called from New Orleans to make sure I knew that Adam Yauch, MCA of the Beastie Boys, had…
RIP Carroll Shelby: Texan Developed Mustang, Cobra, Terlingua Chili Cook-Off
Racing and car legend Carroll Shelby died today in Dallas at the age of 89. He’d been ill for some time, but it’s still a sad day in the auto world. Not to mention the decadent Texas chili world. Shelby played a role in developing both the Cobra and the…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 99, Texas Turkey at Spec’s
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
Skits: This Week in Music-Biz WTFery — Katy Perry, B.o.B., Etc.
The music business fuckery continues. An industry so destructive it only benefits the top dogs (and even so, temporarily), while the actual players continue to eat sand out of peanuts. Who’s winning? Who’s losing? Dig in for this week’s music-bidness shenanigans…
For Mother’s Day: Five Very, Very Bad Candidates for Mom of the Year
For at least some part of our lives, all of us have had a mother. Some are great, some are terrible, but most are in-between. But even if your mother was closer to Courtney Love than to Clair Huxtable, you should count yourself lucky you are not the offspring of…
Community: “Curriculum Unavailable”
When last we left the study group, the “Greendale Seven” had just been unceremoniously expelled from college by the board of regents following a failed attempt to oust Chang. My personal hope for this episode was either: The Seven’s ascendance to mythic revolutionary status, à la the Seattle Seven, culminating…
Walter’s Preps for Its First Monthly Swap Meet & Bazaar
Coming up on Sunday, May 27, at 6 p.m., Walter’s will be hosting its first swap meet, or the Walter’s Bazaar as they are calling it. Sort of designed like a punk-rock craft show, the event welcomes vendors and gives them the opportunity to sell records, art, clothing or whatever…
Upcoming Events: Brunch, Burger Guys-Style and a Volcanic Cook-Off
Remember the days when The Burger Guys had first opened and Jake Mazzu was doing these amazing brunches with his crew, like Brandon Fisch and Steve Marques? Well, these days you can find Marques turning out killer food at The Tasting Room Uptown, but Mazzu and Fisch are doing the…
Report: Sara Evans, Billy Currington Playing July 4 Fest
Culturemap, the Houston Web site that loves rubbing shoulders with celebrities and other “insiders” but is generally content to limit its music coverage to the kind of artists familiar to the average People magazine reader, has unleashed a scoop that will surely have the rest of Houston talking until at…
Last Night: Calle 13 at House of Blues
Calle 13 House of Blues May 10, 2012 Repeat after me: “Ka-yeay, Tress-say.” Okay, then, now that we can all pronounce their name, I can begin to tell you how this trio of siblings from Puerto Rico turned a bouncy party song (Atrévete-te-te) into an anthem that helped evolve the…
Alexandria Alexxis Gonzales: Jailhouse Search Misses 92 Xanax in Her “Crotch Area”
Alexandria Alexxis Gonzales may have been drunk enough to get arrested for public intoxication, but she was smart enough to keep the 92 Xanax pills she had hidden during the ensuing jailhouse search. On the other hand, she was unsmart enough to later be overheard by jailers making a statement…
What Wine Are You Pouring for Mother’s Day Brunch?
Wine pairing aside, can you think of a better excuse for daytime drinking than Mother’s Day brunch? And joking aside, can you think of a more challenging occasion for wine pairing than Mother’s Day brunch? A classic Mother’s Day meal at our house may consist of myriad flavors and aromas:…
Hitchin’ a Ride: The Week in Photos
It’s time again to check out the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. We love street art, unique perspectives and beautiful photos of Houston’s creative community. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool…
Person of Interest: “No Good Deed” Goes Unpunished
In recapping this show every week, I often neglect to mention (except in passing) what is arguably the most important component of the Reese-Finch partnership: The Machine itself. We know more or less how it came to be (NSA-funded project headed by the presumed deceased Nathan Ingram) and how it’s…
What a Friend We Have in Marilyn Manson: 18 Years with the God of (Expletive Deleted)
Born Villain, Marilyn Manson’s first album since 2009’s The High End of Low, marks his debut as a cheeky pop-culture gawker, a far cry from where he was just a decade and a half ago. I wrote about some of the best Manson myths on the occasion of his birthday…
If MLB Really Wants to Speed Up the Game, Here’s How to Do It
As a baseball fan, I can freely admit that the game has a few faults that need to be fixed. For instance, games do tend to be a bit long, and it appears that Major League Baseball is figuring this out. They are supposedly going to be taking steps to…
Openings & Closings: Vargo’s and Stella Sola Bid Their Farewells
The big news earlier in the week was the closure of Stella Sola in the Heights, but brace for impact, folks: Houston’s losing an old-timer this week, too. Vargo’s has closed after 47 years; signs are already up in front of the restaurant’s rolling green acreage off Fondren that denote…
CONTEXT: Frame Dance Production’s Latest Work Opens This Weekend
A few months ago, I attended a dance performance by Frame Dance Productions at the Photobooth in Montrose. The evening featured a work in progress, of sorts, that engaged the audience to be active participants. It was an installation piece where the spectators were fully entwined as active participants. It…
Shot in the Dark: Put Down Your Phones and Watch the Show
Take a picture, they say. It’ll last longer. But fans weren’t always able to do that. Only in the last five years or so, with the rise of digital cameras and smartphones, has photography even been an option. Even now, some artists insist on no photography at their shows, and…
Comment of the Day: Rounding Up Black Youths
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…
Bree of 13 Celsius Serving Crisp, Clean Bubbly Where Houstonians Picked Up Crisp, Clean Shirts for Over 70 Years
This week, over a delicious and refreshing Riesling (none of that crappy Blue Nun bullshazzy), we caught up with Bree at 13 Celsius. As other singles and groups trickled in to unwind with a post-work glass of wine in a decidedly low-key, non-Midtown-ish atmosphere, we got to know a little…
Ai Weiwei’s “Five Houses” Needs More Guidance
Going in, Ai Weiwei’s “Five Houses” seemed like an important exhibition. It marks the U.S. premiere of the Chinese artist’s project, which debuted at the Kunsthaus Bregenz in Bregenz, Austria, this past summer. It’s the latest in a lineage of fully designed environments by noted architects such as Josef Hoffmann,…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: God Bless America
Title: God Bless America Opted Out of Dark Shadows, Did We? I had to go to traffic court the night of the DS screening. But I understand Eva Green keeps her clothes on, so no big loss. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant to the Film: Two used tampons out of…
The Bassman Cometh: Jerry Scheff on Working with Elvis, Dylan & The Doors
Way Down: Playing Bass with Elvis, Dylan, The Doors & More By Jerry Scheff Backbeat Books, 240 pp., $19.95 Bassist Jerry Scheff had a bird’s-eye view of a lot of musical greats in the ’60s through the ’80s, and in this memoir, the easygoing, affable storyteller tells about his experiences…
Charlaine Harris: Saying Goodbye to Sookie
Novelist Charlaine Harris is surprisingly unemotional when she discusses the upcoming end of her Sookie Stackhouse series of books. There are only two more titles planned in the Southern Gothic series, which is based on the adventures of a telepathic waitress who lives among vampires, werewolves, fairies and other supernatural…
Health Department Roundup: KFC, Pizza Buffets and the Wok of Shame
We’re going to start with a tale from fast food. The KFC at 6505 Hillcroft had a pretty good inspection — the only issues the city turned up were floors not in good repair and not enough light in working areas. That’s nice and all, but according to our mom,…
Week in Photos: Cycad
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. We’re looking for pictures that represent the best of Houston, from food to art to events, to secret hidden spots of beauty. Just drop them in our Flickr…
The Betting Lines on the First 15 Texans Games Are Here!
Think you have a pretty good idea on how your favorite NFL team will do this upcoming season? More importantly, does your “pretty good idea” differ drastically from the super-early predictions the experts have forecasted for your squad? If so, the gambling gods have given themselves you another way to…
Hey, Look: Chief Keef, Kanye, Future, 2 Chainz, Delo, Etc.
No dalliances, do wayward (and likely unrelated) anecdotes, no nothing. Just good, interesting music: Chief Keef, “I Don’t Like”: There are some details* behind this song that might be interesting to, like, 80 people or so, but mostly this song is important because IT FUCKING ROCKS TITS. Plus, its spine,…
5 Artworks That Should Fetch Millions But Never Will
On Wednesday, Sotheby’s set a new world price record for art sales, bringing in $44.6 million each for Roy Lichtenstein’s Pop Art painting Sleeping Girl and Figure Writing Reflected in a Mirror by British artist Francis Bacon. A total of 46 pieces were sold for a combined $266.6 million, including…
Announcer FAIL: Hockey Host Compares Players to 9/11 First Responders (w/ VIDEO Breakdown)
Oftentimes, you hear radio hosts, announcers and players talk about “going to battle,” describing a player as a “warrior,” or even talk about a game as “going to war.” I have some simple rules when it comes to mixing in analogies involving war or battle or real-life terror and comparing…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 Expense-Account Restaurants
For the next 20 weeks, we’ll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year’s winner is no easy task. We’ll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants. 10…
9 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: Alkari, Black Bananas, Chico Trujillo, Etc.
Pot-luck show of the weekend: ElecTrick, The Space Villains and Los Area 51 tonight at Rudyard’s. Free. It’s the big Art Car Weekend, if you haven’t heard, and you can get a peek at Saturday’s parade at Discovery Green tonight at 6:30 with two solid hours of a murderer’s row…
100 Creatives 2012: Roy Williams, DJ of Medieval Music
What He Does: When you think of a DJ, you think of someone finding the perfect dance mixes or maybe laying out the foundations for a brilliant emcee. You don’t usually start picturing medieval music, but at least one local DJ does. Roy Williams focuses his set on an obscure…
Dawn Williams: Teacher’s Aide Canned for Showing Cell-Phone Porn to Students
Imagine you’re a teacher’s aide in your East Texas hometown. You’re looking to maybe score a better position so you come up with an out-of-the-box idea. In your mind, it’s soooo good that you just got to present it to a handful of teenage students. Well, Dawn Nicole Williams did…
30 Seconds with In This Moment’s Maria Brink
Maria Brink is what would happen if you forced Paris Hilton to consume the entire cast of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. When fronting In This Moment, she’s an unstoppable hellvixen who takes her metal very seriously. Here’s what she screamed at us for 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is the…
Five Beach Accessories You Need for Summer
To paraphrase Game of Thrones: “Summer is coming.” The beastly heat and oppressive humidity are bearing down on us already, so we have to ask — are you ready for beach and/or pool time? Memorial Day Weekend is just around the corner, after all, and we certainly hope you aren’t…
RodeoHouston Adds Special George Strait Concert March 17
It’s getting a little late, but Rocks Off figured we can go ahead and tell you now. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo just announced a tweak in its schedule: There will be no bulls or broncs the final day of RodeoHouston 2013 — a Sunday that happens to fall…
Bobby Petrino’s Busted Motorcycle Is for Sale!
Whether it’s for a radio station or print/Web publication (both of which are entities from whom I draw a paycheck), it’s always good to be the resident expert at something. Ever since Bobby Petrino crashed his motorcycle into that wood pile on that fateful Sunday afternoon in early April, I’ve…
Ian Astbury Talks The Cult’s Upcoming Tour With Against Me! & Laura Jane Grace
This afternoon, Rocks Off talked to The Cult’s Ian Astbury as his band readies to go on tour with Against Me! and the Icarus Line at the end of the month. The monthlong summer jaunt that stops at House of Blues June 19 was seen as a masterful juxtaposition of…
Rebecca Burrell: Her Kids Say She Made Them Take Nude Photos of Her
A 34-year-old Humble woman faces charges after her two daughters told police she made them take nude photos of her to send to a boyfriend. Rebecca Lynn Burrell denied the claims to cops and said her daughters were “liars.” Court documents show the girls told investigators that in March 2011,…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 100, Chili Cheese Mac at Jus’ Mac
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we’re counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston’s cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least once…
A Tipsy Mom Is a Happy Mom: Mother’s Day Bellini Bar
If you’re skipping the restaurant rush and looking for a way to jazz up your annual Mother’s Day Brunch, look no further. Two words. Bellini Bar. I know my mama would appreciate the morning buzz more than she would my not-so-famous quiche Lorraine (by the way, when did quiche become…
West Houston Homeowner Association Director: Call Police If You See Black Youths in the Neighborhood
If there’s one lesson we’ve all learned from the Trayvon Martin controversy, it’s this: Young black males are generally up to no good. This appears to be the message one of the Walnut Bend Home Association directors sent to fellow Walnut Bendians Tuesday. Under the subject heading “Suspicious Black Males…
Trailer Park: The Gangster Squad Featuring Baby Goose, Nick Nolte Slurring and Hip-Hop for Some Reason
Yesterday the first official trailer for this fall’s star-studded, Instagram-colored gangster flick The Gangster Squad was released, featuring Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn with a Dick Tracy-style facial appliance, Nick Nolte Nick Nolte-ing the scenery and Josh Brolin frowning for the big bucks. Emma Stone shows up in glamorous ’50s pin-up…
Last Night: Jane’s Addiction at Bayou Music Center
Jane’s Addiction Bayou Music Center May 9, 2012 Perry Farrell is a twisted freak. Of course that’s intended as a compliment. Farrell has become one of rock’s most successful misfits of the past 25 years, combining an astute business sense with a sincere interest in the any number of alternative…
Passport France: Your Ticket to French Wines, Cheese, Bread & More at Central Market, Now Until May 22
One of my favorite things to do when I visit a foreign country is to roam the grocery store aisles for specialty condiments and canned goods that I can’t find in the U.S. When I came back from Argentina, I brought home pre-made packets of chimichurri herbs, paprika and canned…
Joseph Farley: What, It’s a Crime to Unicycle in the Nude?
If you had “unicycle in the nude across a big bridge” on your bucket list, be warned that the police frown on that activity. At least in Kemah. Joseph Farley, 45, found that out yesterday when police arrested him for doing just that and charged him with indecent exposure. He…
O’Brother’s Tanner Merritt on Trailers, Thrice & 120 Minutes
Atlanta’s heavy, experimental-rock quintet O’Brother has been hitting the road hard in 2012. Rocks Off covered the band’s headlining gig at Warehouse Live back in March, and tomorrow the band rolls into town once again, this time supporting Thrice on that band’s farewell tour. It’s been a busy few months…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top Mom-and-Pop Restaurants
For the next 20 weeks, we’ll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year’s winner is no easy task. We’ll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants. Family-run…
Tiffany Michelle Amos: Teacher Held Off on Sexing Teen Until His 17th Birthday, But Couldn’t Hold Off on the Dirty Pics & Texts
Tiffany Michelle Amos was a substitute teacher in the Spring school district with an apparent hankering for one of her students. She knew not to have sex with him until he turned 17 — and indeed, on his 17th birthday she invited him over and had sex with him, court…
Outernational Brings the Fight to House of Blues Tonight
Coupled with dynamic rhythms that somehow flow together like streams of water, their ripped-from-the-headlines lyrics of liberation struggle had the audience literally — at least in the case of one wild fan in a Mexican wrestling mask — hanging from the rafters. — Nick Turse, Village Voice Miles Solay is…
Free for All: Charlaine Harris, the Art Car Parade and Giselle
Novelist Charlaine Harris is about to pull the plug on Sookie Stackhouse and her friends in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Ater the just-released Deadlocked, there’s only one more title in the series of books that spawned the popular HBO television series True Blood. Harris is in town on Friday to discuss…
The Single Girl’s Guide to Breakup Dining
Is there really such a thing as a non-messy breakup? Is there a breakup in which neither party turns to a tub of Duncan Hines frosting to muffle the yak-like sounds of their latest, mostly unprompted crying jag? Is there a breakup outside of Pennsylvania Dutch country that doesn’t involve…
Gloria Allred to Represent “Angry Stripper” Sarah Tressler Against Chron, Report Says (UPDATED w/Full Tressler Statement)
Noted feminist lawyer/TV personality Gloria Allred will hold a press conference later today to announce she is representing “Angry Stripper” Sarah Tressler in a lawsuit against the Houston Chronicle, the Web site Radar reports. Tressler was a society writer for the paper and a stripper, one who wrote about her…
Comment of the Day: Craig James Killed 5 Hookers, and…
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…
These Shows Have Been Off the Air for 15 Years
As the 2011-12 television season ends, viewers are saying goodbye to House, The Closer, One Tree Hill, Desperate Housewives and Eastbound & Down. NBC’s spy series Chuck ended back in January. The sweaty and gluttonous Man v. Food shuffles off this mortal coil soon, too. Someone is going to miss…
Gothic Council: Is Batman Goth?
Yeah yeah yeah, The Avengers is awesome. Let’s not forget that The Dark Knight Rises will soon be here! I have always been keen to claim Batman as a goth icon, but I thought I’d get clearance from the Gothic Council before I committed myself. Joining us this week are…
Getting Addicted to the Infernal Curry Chicken at Jenni’s Noodle House
Monday nights are generally the most challenging at my house when it comes to dinner. We love to kick off our week with a meal prepared by someone else, but restaurants love to close on Mondays. Last week was an absolute nightmare of circumstances — deadlines, illnesses, thrown-out backs, presentations…
Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 6 Live-Music Sound Systems
It’s often difficult enough to hear a great band or solo artist over the yammering of those in attendance, but it is made worse when the sound system sounds like garbage. We music lovers have often lamented the lack of decorum shown by some local music “fans” when it comes…
Relive Broadway’s Luminous Melodies with One Kiss: The Music of Sigmund Romberg
The setup: Hungarian transplant Sigmund Romberg composed some of Broadway’s most luminous melodies during its ’20s golden age. His lush, operatic songs are in fine hands with Bayou City Concert Musicals’ intimate showcase One Kiss: The Music of Sigmund Romberg, the fifth such cabaret production at Ensemble Theatre’s Performance Centre…
Beer Bandwagoneering Ain’t So Bad: Kulmbacher Brauerei’s EKU 28
I make some “discoveries” all on my own, stumbling on a great bottle through some combination of a passable knowledge of styles and breweries, interesting bottle design and dumb luck. Most of the time, though, I rely on a sophisticated intelligence network of forward scouts, market analysts and “Non-Official Cover”…
App of the Week: Socialcam, New Scourge of Facebook
App: Socialcam Platform: iPhone, Android Website: Socialcam.com Cost: Free Most of the time, this column is dedicated to actual apps that go on smartphones and while this is an app, it’s also something else, but I’ll hit the app part first for the purposes of being thorough. Socialcam has positioned…
Pop Rocks: Let’s Celebrate Sofia Vergara’s Singleness with a Video Retrospective
In case you hadn’t heard, the busty Modern Family star is back on the market: Sofia Vergara is single again after splitting with boyfriend Nick Loeb after more than two years together, Page Six can exclusively reveal. The Colombian stunner and New York-based Loeb broke up over the weekend following…
James O’Donnell Writes His Own Funny, Score-Settling, Honest, Tragic Obituary
James O’Donnell knew he’d die some day, so he decided to write his own paid obituary beforehand. “I’ve sat in too many funeral homes watching people struggle with a creative writing exercise while their hearts were breaking. So they usually get it wrong,” the Galveston resident wrote in it. The…
Speculation & Interaction: A Preview of Future Music Summit 2012
Every year bloggers ask the same questions: What’s going to be the song of the summer? How long before a band’s reunion tour falls apart? Who is the next big thing? When we’re not reviewing shows, doing interviews, waxing nostalgic or making lists, we love to speculate. But that kind…
Money for Nothing: The Scam of iPhone Mobile Hotspot Charges
Over the summer, I will be doing a little traveling, but because I own my own business, I generally need to bring my laptop along, if for nothing more than an emergency. One place I’ll be going does not have wi-fi, so my only access would be with my iPhone,…
Darrell Scott: Loving Life Way Outside the Nashville Mainstream
Since moving to Nashville in 1995, 52-year-old Darrell Scott has had a career most who take that Hillbilly Highway to Music City USA would envy. A triple-threat talent, Scott was for years a session warhorse, a guy who could play about anything with strings on it as well as possessing…
5 Reasons Goonies Is the Greatest Kids’ Flick Ever
This Thursday, the Alamo Drafthouse in Mason Park is hosting another in their series of movie “quote-alongs.” This is nothing new, as they do these events quite regularly. However, what is so special about this month’s quote-along is that the movie being quoted along to is none other than one…
The Foodie’s List of 100 Things to Eat Before You Die
“You may have tried only 20 or so” of the items on the “100 things to eat before you die” list that’s been making the rounds on Facebook, wrote The Sun earlier this week. And while that may be true for a majority of typical eaters, I found that I’d…
Jacoby Jones Finds a New Home (a Lot Like His Old Home)
After being waived by the Texans last week and subsequently visiting the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens within the last few days, the Jacoby Jones Era is officially underway in Baltimore (although some Texan fans would argue it started back in January) as the sixth-year wide receiver inked a two-year,…
Carrie Fisher Wishful Drinking Ticket Giveaway
Read our interview with Carrie Fisher. Okay, so here’s your chance to win two tickets to Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking show, scheduled for May 15-20 at the Hobby Center, brought here courtesy of Gexa Energy Broadway Across America. Just go to our Free Stuff page and sign up for your…
When Car Commercials and Rock and Roll Collide
This weekend is the big Houston Art Car Parade, where children and adults of all ages can gander at their fellow Houstonians’ labors of car love. Each car is a marvel of the ingenuity and the insanity of this race known as the modern Texan. The Art Car festivities have…
King Hedley II
August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, a series of ten plays that tell the story of an African-American neighborhood in Pittsburgh over the ten decades of the twentieth century, is an extraordinary achievement. King Hedley II, which covers the 1980s, is one of the cycle’s darkest stories. It focuses on Hedley, an…
What We’re Up Against
It’s disillusioning for Eliza when she realizes the glass ceiling is still firmly in place at the architectural firm where she works. “Why is it still like this?” she groans. Playwright and Pulitzer Prize nominee Theresa Rebeck’s black comedy What We’re Up Against, addresses that question, with a huge wallop…
”Yasuaki Onishi: reverse of volume RG”
You can say that Japanese artist Yasuaki Onishi focuses on the negative — negative space, that is. His new installation, “Yasuaki Onishi: reverse of volume RG,” commissioned by the Rice University Art Gallery, is the latest addition to his reverse of volume series. Onishi first began this series by draping…
Sam McPheeters: The Loom of Ruin
There aren’t a lot of people who can come to Houston and out-punk us (not with the Hates still kicking and Skeleton Dick rising in success like a grotesque bruise). However, Sam McPheeters, the iconoclastic writer, journalist, ’zine founder and former front man of Born Against, is one such man…
“Egyptomania”
The exhibit “Egyptomania,” currently at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, focuses not on the ancient Egyptian artifacts that have long fascinated us, but instead on the way those artifacts influenced Western culture, especially design, architecture and literature. The perfect companion to “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs,”…
Charlaine Harris: Deadlocked
Sookie Stackhouse’s story is almost at its end; after the just-released Deadlocked, there’s just one more title before novelist Charlaine Harris pulls the plug on the series. Harris is in town today to discuss and sign Deadlocked at Murder by the Book, one of her top two favorite bookstores in…
Homegrown Houston – 3G
There are four good reasons to see Homegrown Houston — 3G. There are the three native Houston musicians who will be performing: Jewel Brown, Joe Sample and Hubert Laws. And then there’s the fact that by buying a ticket, you become what organizers are calling a micro-philanthropist. (All ticket proceeds…
”Treasures of Asian Art: A Rockefeller Legacy”
The Rockerfeller family is associated not only with extreme wealth, but also with some of the finest art collections in America — in the case of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller III, an especially impressive collection of traditional Asian works. The Houston exhibition “Treasures of Asian Art: A Rockefeller…
6th Annual Palestine Film Festival
The films coming out of the Middle East today are impressive. That’s readily apparent in the 2012 Palestine Film Festival. With multiple screenings over the next two weekends, the festival starts off with Man Without a Cell Phone, which will be introduced by director Sameh Zoabi. It tells the story…
”Warriors, Tombs, and Temples: China’s Enduring Legacy”
For those of you who missed the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s esteemed “Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor” exhibition in 2009, you’re in luck. Due to the overwhelming response to the previous exhibition, which garnered an audience of more than a million people world-wide, HMNS has teamed…
25th Annual Art Car Weekend
Art hits the streets during the 25th Annual Houston Art Car Parade Weekend. Carol Simmons, a regular parade organizer, tells us, “It takes art out of the museum and into the streets in a way anyone can enjoy. It brings the community together and shows the world that art doesn’t…
Wanda Sykes
Comedian Wanda Sykes likes traveling for her job. She enjoys the fancy hotels, lavish meals and stretch limos a headliner like her gets while on the road. She especially enjoys all those doormen, waiters and maids who coo, “Yes, Miss Sykes,” “Right through here, Miss Sykes” and “What can I…
Pedestrian Deposit
There’s noise that steadies itself in between electroacoustic, drone and neoclassical. Then there’s noise that doesn’t teeter on anything (for instance, HNW or Harsh Noise Wall) and that swipes open your throat with jagged spheroids. Southern California-based Pedestrian Deposit does the balancing act and the onslaught equally well, all while…
Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking
Carrie Fisher has written candid, autobiographical novels about her family, her long struggle with addiction and being bipolar (she credits electroshock therapy with making her better). Now the fabled daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher (he walked out on the family when she was two to be with Elizabeth…
”Paradoxe Poétique”
”Paradoxe Poétique” might seem to be a change of pace for Wade Wilson Art, which usually features concrete painters. But actually, guest curator Laure Parise selected French painter Jean-Baptiste Lyonnet and photographer Antoine Grospiron-Jaccoux precisely because their work closely reflects the gallery’s abstract aesthetic. Both focus on color and light,…
”Bridge 11: Lia Cook”
You’ll be asking yourself, “Is it a photograph or is it a tapestry?” at the exhibit “Bridge 11: Lia Cook.” Standing far away, you’ll think it’s a photo; standing up close, you’ll see the individual threads that make up the weaving. One of the images is Binary Traces: Young Girl, a…
Giselle
If you missed the Houston Ballet’s fall production of Giselle, you’re in luck. The company is reprising the romantic-era classic about broken hearts and forgiveness during a three-day run at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The company brings a new staging of the work by Ai-Gul Gaisina, who has been a central…
2nd Annual Haute Wheels of Houston — The Food Truck Festival
We don’t know about you, but for us, there’s something especially fun about food on a stick. The 2nd Annual Haute Wheels of Houston — The Food Truck Festival has more food on a stick than you can…well, shake a stick at. Some 34 food trucks will be offering a…
Wordsmyth 2012 Reading Series: Reading of Forgotten Kingdoms by Randy Baker
It’s a question of faith in Randy Baker’s Forgotten Kingdoms, which is getting a staged reading as part of the Wordsmyth Theater Company 2012 Reading Series. In Baker’s two-act play, the Reverend David Holiday is a Christian missionary working in Indonesia. It’s hard work, and the reverend has been so…
Speaking English and Mother Love
BUY TACO USA! Gentle cabrones, my much-promised Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America has finally hit bookstores! Place your order with your favorite local bookstore, your finer online retailers, your craftier piratas, but place it. My libro editor has already promised to deport me from the publishing industry if…
Acid Mothers Temple
Kawabata Makoto, the founder of Acid Mothers Temple, started his career in music in the late 1970s. Whether he experienced Flower Travellin’ Band’s motes of resonating distortion or the dark, haunted droning of Les Rallizes Dénudés firsthand is anyone’s guess. But since founding Acid Mothers in 1995, Kawabata has forged…
Capsule Stage Reviews: The Beams Are Creaking, First Baptist of Ivy Gap, The Foreigner, Magdalene, The Unexpected Man
The Beams Are Creaking The life of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who opposed Hitler and paid for his resistance with his life, is so full of drama that his story should be a natural for the theater. Just the basic facts would fill a play threefold: an international man of…
Houston’s Cryptic New Noise Ordinance
Tensions had been building between Boondocks’ owner Shawn Bermudez and the newly formed Houston Police Department noise-ordinance task force when enforcers paid a visit to the Montrose club on February 25. When police arrived at the edgy little venue on the Westheimer Road curve, they requested that Bermudez escort DJ…
Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows
A significant portion of Tim Burton’s output over the past decade has been concerned with slipping the “Burton treatment” to susceptible texts: Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland — and now, Dark Shadows. A supernaturally themed daily daytime soap,…
Sushi Stop at The Blue Fish
Get your roll on at The Blue Fish in our behind-the-scenes slideshow of the Washington Avenue hand roll hang-out. While I was sitting at the sushi bar at Dallas import The Blue Fish, one thing became clear: It’s probably not the best seating choice when visiting this fairly new Washington…
Michael “5000” Watts and Trillstep
Michael Watts is having an affair. No, not that type of affair. His mistress is a new musical innovation dubbed “trillstep.” Watts is, of course, better known for his steady relationship with chopped and screwed. He rose to prominence in the ’90s as the north side’s answer to Southside pioneer…
Double Dose of Art
The Tony Award-winning international hit Art, by acclaimed playwright Yasmina Reza, has been staged several times in the Houston area, with one production closing recently at College of the Mainland, and dueling productions opening last weekend at Texas Repertory Theatre and at Shunya Theatre. Prior Houston productions were at Generation…
Taylor Momsen Likes It Loud and Rough
One minute she was Cindy Lou Who in Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The next thing you know, 18-year-old Taylor Momsen was fronting a hard-rock band called The Pretty Reckless. The group’s debut album, Light Me Up (2010), did some nice business, and definitely launched the young star…
Low-Key Lounge Bar 5015
Marcus Ellis is a dapper young man wearing a vest, tie, button-up shirt and slacks. During the day, he is a director of customer service at TSU, which means he spends a lot of time talking to people. Currently, though, he is sitting alone with a drink at the bar…
Tanya Tucker
If you take a good long listen to Tanya Tucker’s singles like “Delta Dawn” and “Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone),” you will find yourself flabbergasted that a teenage girl got away with any of it, never mind the men who signed her checks. All of…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Bridge 11: Lia Cook,” “CTRL group two,” “How I Will Die,” “Members,” “Pressing News,” “Prints,” “reverse of volume RG”
“Bridge 11: Lia Cook” There is a great illusion at work in Lia Cook’s show at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Her massive, black-and-white photographs of human faces — children gazing calmly at the camera, or extreme close-ups of lips and noses — are not photographs at all. Rather,…
Pedestrian Deposit
There’s noise that steadies itself in between electroacoustic, drone and neoclassical. Then there’s noise that doesn’t teeter on anything (for instance, HNW or Harsh Noise Wall) and that swipes open your throat with jagged spheroids. Southern California-based Pedestrian Deposit does the balancing act and the onslaught equally well, all while…
Marilyn Manson
Born Villain, Marilyn Manson’s first album since 2009’s The High End of Low, marks his debut as a cheeky pop-culture gawker, a far cry from where he was just a decade and a half ago. He’s not the snarling, scorched-earth God of Fuck from his ’90s parent-baiting heyday anymore, but…
Friends Like These
CRIME Friends Like These Woman sexes hospitalized pal’s teen By Richard Connelly When her good friend was hospitalized, Karen Lee Carstens volunteered to help watch her 13-year-old son. For two years, cops say, she and the boy had a sexual relationship, one where he apparently was more worried about birth…
Thrice
Southern California quartet Thrice has clearly taken the edict of “adapt or die” to heart. Though the band’s been at it under the same name since 1998, the Thrice of 2012 is a wildly different animal. In fact, today’s Thrice would probably not even be recognizable to the Thrice of…
