“Once Uponse a Time in the Land of O-Poppida”
There’s a certain childlike whimsy to the work in Wendy Wagner’s new solo exhibit, “Once Uponse a Time in the Land of O-Poppida,” which is appropriate, considering that many of the works are concerned with themes of childhood and family memories. One painting shows a girl napping with a stuffed…
Poetry
“What does it mean…to be writing poetry when prospects of an ongoing future seem dismal?” This is the question that award-winning director Chang-dong Lee poses in his latest film, Poetry (Shi), premiering this weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Poetry, which recently took home the award for Best…
Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune
The documentary Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune details the turbulent two-decade career of Phil Ochs, a folk singer who rose to fame during the ’60s with his songs about social justice. However, his fame became too much for him to handle and it eventually tore him apart. The film…
Malayaka House
During a trip to Uganda in 2005, Robert Fleming reached a turning point in his life. He found a baby girl left for dead in a trash can. Scooping her up, he made the decision to stay in Uganda and raise the child. He named her Malayaka, which means angel…
“Titian and the Golden Age of Venetian Painting”
Considered the undisputed master of Venetian Renaissance painting, Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) was the subject of some controversy in 2009 when London’s National Gallery and the National Galleries of Scotland jointly purchased his painting Diana and Actaeon for $71 million. Almost half of the funds to buy the artwork came from…
ExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights
Houston Symphony performs from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. For information, call 281-373-3386 or visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com. Free. May 24-June 25, 8:30-10:30 p.m.; June 17-18, 8:30-10:30 p.m., 2011…
Houston International Boat, Sport and Travel Show
The latest brands in boats, yachts, jet skis and other marine-themed vehicles will be showcased in all five halls of Reliant Center. The five-day show will present more than 200 exhibits with boats of all makes and models for fishing, skiing/wakeboarding and pleasure cruising. There will also be exhibits filled…
Buffalo Bayou Boat Rides
These 30-minute boat rides are a great way to spend the afternoon with your family. Leave the city to experience the cool breeze as you glide along the bayou’s waters. Look for birds, fish and even alligators. After your cruise, enjoy a picnic lunch on the Sabine-to-Bagby Promenade grounds. There…
Pygmalion
The first thing you need to know about the Alley Theatre’s production of Pygmalion is that it isn’t just a staged version of the popular Audrey Heburn/Rex Harrison film. No, this Pygmalion is much darker, exploring the rigid class divisions and earnest sexual politics of English society at the turn…
Swing, Jive and Pop into Dance
Houston Metropolitan Dance Company’s incorporates history, fashion, music and the arts into this event, which will occur from 11 a.m. to noon. For information, call 281-373-3386 or visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com Free. Thu., June 2, 11 a.m., 2011…
Dancin’ in the Streets: Motown and More Revue
Miller Outdoor Theatre will be presenting this event, which will feature many of Houston’s most talented vocalists and dancers, accompanied by the 23-piece BACEMENT Orchestra. For information, call 281-373-3386 or visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com. Free. May 26-29, 2011…
Stitched
The documentary film Stitched showcases the freakish enormity of the quilting world, which spans some 21 million devotees and has its own superstars and underdogs (one award-less quilter describes the festival as the Academy Awards of the quilting world and goes on to say she has practiced her acceptance speech…
On The Bowery
The faces are eerily familiar. Grizzled and glowing like Rembrandt’s old men, infused with monumental fervor like Eisenstein’s revolutionary heroes, etched in crushing worry like Jacob Riis’s Lower East Side pushcart handlers. Lost in the shadows underneath the noisy Third Avenue El, the men subsist. They drink cheap muscatel or…
Harmony and Me
Months after his girlfriend dumped him, mopey Harmony (Bishop Allen musician Justin Rice) still wears her picture inside a locket around his neck. “She broke my heart,” he tells everyone he meets (or repeats to those he’s already told). Mournfully, he adds, “She still hasn’t finished the job, she’s still…
Summer Wars
After you’ve networked through Houston Comicpalooza this weekend, learning how to survive a zombie attack, live a Steampunk life, and role-play through Vampire 102 (all legitimate workshops, by the way), you’ll be primed for Summer Wars, a family-friendly anime film from Madhouse, one of Japan’s most prolific animation studios. This…
Space, Land and Time: Underground Adventures with Ant Farm
Drive 600 miles northwest and you’ll come across a strange sight: a row of vintage Cadillacs, buried halfway in the Amarillo ground, their trunks jutting into the sky. This artwork, Cadillac Ranch, is the most famous project of the radical ’70s architecture collective Ant Farm, whose work is chronicled in…
“Museum of Broken Relationships”
What becomes of a broken heart? Well, in the case of the “Museum of Broken Relationships” art exhibit, it just might go on display. Items like a wedding dress and an “I Love You” teddy bear take on unique meaning when placed within the context of a failed romance. So,…
The Ima Hogg Competition
The Ima Hogg Competition provides an opportunity for musicians between the ages of 16 and 29 to advance their careers by competing for prizes and performance opportunities. The semi-final round of performances are open to the public. In the final round, four contestants will perform with the Houston Symphony. And…
Comment of the Day
Today John Kiely declared Classic Donuts better than Shipley’s. Then commenter Mike Simon alerted us to the following: There is a new Shipley Do-Nuts “Concept Store” at 12225 Westheimer which takes things to another level. They serve hot donuts, beignets and fresh kolaches (try the Italian sausage with Provolone cheese)…
Number of HISD Exemplary and Recognized Schools Drops in Preliminary TAKS Results
Houston ISD has fewer exemplary and recognized schools, stayed exactly the same in the number of acceptable schools and increased in the number of its unacceptable schools, according to state accountability ratings based on preliminary TAKS results. Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier has called for a news conference at 11…
Health Department Roundup
Health inspectors worked like engineering students on Adderrall last week, inspecting more than 50 places on Thursday alone. This resulted in a few citations and a couple of closures. Just be grateful you don’t have to allow anyone except God and possibly whoever you manage to convince to come home…
Montrose Icon Mary’s to Remain, in Some Form
It’s been quite awhile since iconic gay bar Mary’s has closed its Westheimer Road doors, and a lot of people have given up hope that the building will be saved. OutSmart is reporting, though, that things might be looking up: The building has an owner who is pledging that “there’s…
New JFK Tapes Show Doubts About Going for the Moon
Today’s the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy urging Congress to put a man on the moon before the decade is out. The JFK Library has released a new batch of tapes of Kennedy speaking with NASA head Jim Webb, still expressing doubts about it all. var so = new SWFObject(“http://media.houstonpress.com/players/vvmMiniPlayer2.swf?k==yl(L2DaZ|&autoPlay=no”,”theSWF”,…
Mobley: Austin Band Confirms Houston Scene Is “Excellent”
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. The Artist of the Week mailbox is littered…
Happy Birthday Frank Oz: A Wild & Varied Career
Today is Frank Oz”s birthday, and the director, Jim Henson acolyte, and voice actor has been the voice of Yoda since 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. Oh, and he also voiced Bert, Cookie Monster, Grover, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Animal, and Sam The Eagle. So if you have been a…
The Astros Beg You to Come See Their Games
Remember those good ol’ days when a baseball ticket used to cost two bucks? And you’d get change back from your quarter for a Hershey bar and Coke? Well, you can forget about the chocolate-and-soda thing, but the Houston Astros have become so desperate to attract anyone to view their…
Houston Grand Opera Names Patrick Summers Artistic and Music Director
Today, Houston Grand Opera announced Patrick Summers as its new artistic and music director. He moves into the position vacated by Anthony Freud, who left HGO in April to become the general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago “My initial attraction to Houston Grand Opera has greatly deepened during my…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Renato De Pirro of Ristorante Cavour
Last April, Renato De Pirro took over for David Denis as executive chef at Ristorante Cavour, the jewel box of a restaurant inside Uptown Park’s Hotel Granduca. Whereas the Provence-born Denis had turned out sumptuous French-accented Italian fare, De Pirro, a native of Tuscany, had a more straightforward mandate: create…
Little India: The Reflection of a Small but Vibrant Community
I was discussing Nigerian restaurants with a friend last night over dinner. “Are there any?” she asked. “In Houston?” I replied. “Of course! Why?” It was a rhetorical question; I knew the answer. Despite making up nearly 2 percent of our city’s population, Nigerians in Houston — and their restaurants…
Art Review: Mary Hayslip and Trey Speegle’s Voodoo Pop
This retrospective exhibition embodies three decades of Trey Speegle and Mary Hayslip’s friendship, featuring items from their personal collections, paintings, collage, textile works, bits of correspondence and photos. After bonding with Hayslip in late-’70s Houston, Speegle relocated to NYC in 1980, but he and Hayslip remained friends for over 30…
Five Texans Who Will Never Be Official State Musician
Before the Texas Legislature did something completely predictable and sold out the state’s public schools declared Western Swing the state’s official music, it did something slightly less predictable and appointed two people not from Austin or the Hill Country as the next two official state musicians. They’re even from the…
Bedbugs in Houston: Hey, We Ain’t Too Bad
Anytime there’s a list involving annoying bugs or pests, you expect Houston to be making a bold bid for the title. But exterminator giant Terminix has just released its list of the worst bedbug-infested cities in America, and Houston isn’t on it. We don’t make the top 15. Which probably…
The Brisket House: A Barbecue Tradition
The Brisket House — the subject of this week’s cafe review — may only be a year old, but it brings with it years of barbecue tradition in the form of owner and pitmaster Wayne Kammerl. A&M grads or fans of Central Texas barbecue may remember Kammerl as one of…
PISD Off: Pasadena High School Experiences Toilet Distress
A friend of Hair Balls contacted us this morning with an SOS — that thanks to a water main break last night, South Houston High School had been reduced to three restrooms for 3,000 people. The teacher, who did not want to be identified, raised the flag of “public health…
Mitch Fatel Loves the Ladies…Of All Cup Sizes
It’s not hard to tell what’s mainly on the brain of comedian Mitch Fatel when he sends out tweets like this: “Leaving AZ and coming home to a warm vagina…if my gf remembered to take it out of the fridge.”…
Texans Love Gay Marriage/Civil Unions, Kinda
Texas, you are filled with homo-loving, or at least homo-live-and-let-live, people. You’re supposed to hate the idea of gays period, much less giving them any sort of rights like straights have earned through their Leviticus-quoting ways. But a new poll by UT and the Texas Tribune shows that 61 percent…
Tasting Notes: This Week in Wine Blogs
This is the first of a series of wine blog roundups. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Wine Camp: Craig Camp out on the west coast is always at the top of our Google reader feed. This week…
10 Great Bob Dylan Songs Rolling Stone Left Off Its List
Yesterday was Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday, and to honor the milestone, Rolling Stone releaseda list of the best 70 songs from his now 50-year-old catalog. With contributors like Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, David Crosby, and Tom Morello, they came up with a stellar list, a primer for anyone who has…
Chingo Bling Gets New York Times Love – Food Love
Hey, guess what? A Houston musician finally got some love from The New York Times – not the semi-weekly Texas Tribune spread printed special for the paper’s Lone Star press run, but the actual Gray Lady herself. Guess what else? It’s in the food section. Sigh. Rocks Off should have…
Michael Wayne Turner: Drunk, Crack-Addled, and Dogbit Is No Way to Drive Through Lufkin, Son
When you see a young man with a bloody mess of a face driving a PT Cruiser around your neighborhood, it’s probably a good idea to go ahead and call the police. That’s just what some concerned Lufkin citizens did early Monday evening when just that very scenario unfolded. Lufkin…
The Music Box, Opened
The set-up: Five veteran performers from Masquerade Theatre, Houston’s repertory company of Broadway musicals, have left that company to form their own: Music Box Theater. This is the company’s first show. The five artists (Rebekah Dahl, Brad Scarborough, Luke Wrobel, Cay Taylor, Colton Berry) use the cabaret format to showcase…
Getting the Munchies: The 10 Tastiest-Sounding Weed Strains
Though the New York Times story on “haute stoner cuisine” from 2010 has been mostly debunked by now, the general knowledge that marijuana has long been a part of the professional kitchen’s culture remains intact. To wit, culinary terms have crept into the language of growers, stoners and pot dealers…
Five Houston Supergroups We’d Like To See
Houston has become a cornucopia of musical talent. With so much goodness going on, it would be selfish to wish for more. So here’s us, being a selfish ass and daydreaming about what could be Houston’s greatest supergroups. MR. X Surf/Spy The first group we imagine would sound sort of…
Comment of the Day: Men and Abortions
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…
DEFCON Dining: House of Pies
Have you ever shown up at a party that was supposed to feature food, only to find nobody eating? Maybe they already ate it all, those greedy bastards. Maybe you’re running behind, and everyone else has had their fill by the time you arrive, and the food has been put…
The Voice: Battle Round 3
The battle episodes continued this week on NBC’s The Voice, with each coach pitting members of their own teams against one another to earn a spot in the live singing competition. I’ve officially stopped listening to the inane Carson Daly voice-overs, so if you think he said anything remotely interesting…
Tumblrin’ Dice: Our 10 New Favorite Tumblr Sites
It’s safe to say I spend more time on Tumblr now than I do on Twitter or Facebook. It’s also safe to say that I see more pictures of Katy Perry half-clothed or Saved By The Bell screencaps than most any person in Houston, considering I follow 10 Perry sites…
Judge Kevin Fine Tosses Out Jury’s Murder Conviction and His Sentence
You can’t say that state district judge Kevin Fine doesn’t know how to grab attention. Elected in the 2008 Democratic wave, the tattooed former drug addict has issued such pronouncements as doubting a woman was raped because she was on top at the time, not to mention throwing the Texas…
Idol Beat: The Beginning Of The End
7:07 p.m.: Okay, so the sir who typically writes this column – Pete Vonder Haar, or, as he’s also referred to: the Television Demigod – has a bit of personal business to tend to, so we’re stepping in for him. I have seen exactly zero hours of American Idol in…
Top 5 Local Food Products
The local and sustainable food movement is not a new one, but for the last few years the interest here in Houston has grown as more and more chefs and restaurants have really begun to prominently feature and use local foods. The term “local” is still loosely interpreted, but in…
Idol Beat: Only Two More Hours Of This To Go
7:07 p.m.: Okay, so the sir who typically writes this column – Pete Vonder Haar, or, as he’s also referred to: the Television Demigod – has a bit of personal business to tend to, so we’re stepping in for him. I have seen exactly zero hours of American Idol in…
Wade Wilson Welcomes the AAM
On the occasion of the massive convention of the American Association of Museums, which is still underway, Wade Wilson Art opened its doors for several days of receptions to welcome the conventioneers into Houston’s community of collectors and fans of Modernist painting. Wade Wilson has been showing works by American…
Bobby Whitlock: Derek’s Main Domino Dishes On Layla & More
It’s been an active, and retroactive, time for singer-songwriter/keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, best known as one of the playing pieces in the Eric Clapton-led group Derek and the Dominos, along with bassist Carl Radle (who died in 1980) and drummer Jim Gordon, currently in prison for fatally stabbing his mother. And…
Better than Shipley’s: Classic Donuts
Long ago, I accepted Shipley’s dominance of Houston as a case of always had, always will. The warm glazed donuts at the Ella Shipley’s are indeed superb, but I avoid other locations. I was thrilled when Krispy Kreme entered the market, with their ethereally light donuts, but after a few…
Aeros Defeat Bulldogs, Advance to Calder Cup Finals
John RoyalThe Aeros surround Jon DiSalvatore after his game-winning goal.The Houston Aeros don’t believe in doing things the easy way. They battled to make the playoffs, after being near last place toward the end of December. They struggled throughout the playoffs, going to a game seven against Milwaukee in a…
Comment of the Day: Jazz Hands!
Yesterday, Dan Carlson gave us his picks for the new TV shows this fall. One notable absence was felt by reader Tracy C., who reminded us of SMASH, an NBC drama that revolves around the cast of a Broadway musical and stars Debra Messing: You forgot SMASH!! Great cast PLUS…
Hideous, Strange and Disturbing Photos from Houston Real-Estate Listings
For a while now, the lively real estate blog Swamplot has been running a daily feature on well, unusual photos included on listings in the area. Editor Gus Allen tells Hair Balls the photos are not merely picked on the basis of their oddity or horrendousness, although there’s plenty of…
Gothic Council Debates How To Rule Our New Planet
After years of searching, scientists have finally discovered a planet that may be able to support human life. Gliese 581d, as it is known is 20 light years from Earth, and though it’s just a bit on the cool side for comfortable human habitation, it looks like a pretty good…
Green With Envy Countdown: 10 Classic Cameos from the Muppet Movies
Earlier this week, the trailer for Green With Envy, Jason Segal’s “Muppet” movie surfaced on the interwebs, simultaneously causing shudders of horror and quivers of excitement to resound throughout the world of Muppet fandom. On the one hand are the purists: followers of the Stewie Griffin school that says (dead-on)…
The Oprah Finale: Five Ways to Improve It
Believe us when we tell you we are not Guy Who Never Watches TV. But somehow we’ve never seen an Oprah show. Of course, we’ve seen YouTube clips of Tom Cruise jumping up and down, and we’re sure we saw snatches here and there in a waiting room or something…
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. Eater: The big news of the week is that national food blog…
Five Texas Sluts Worth Admiring
SlutWalk Houston is right around the corner, and we’ve decided to celebrate, (Hair) Balls out. In case you’re not familiar with the march, SlutWalk was born of a Toronto police officer’s comment that women should avoid “dressing like sluts” in order not to be raped. It’s a chance to stop…
Comment of the Day
Katharine Shilcutt dined at Brasserie 19 and enjoyed the food, though she wasn’t happy with the lack of options on the wine list. Neither was commenter Lillian: I weigh 135 lbs. Know what happens when I drink more than 2 glasses of wine? I’d tell you but I don’t remember. …
Nikki Araguz’s Marriage Voided by Judge
Fox 26 is reporting that the attorney fighting Nikki Araguz, the transgender widow of a Wharton firefighter, says a judge has ruled that Araguz’s marriage is not valid under Texas law and she will not get her husband’s benefits. The Wharton County Judge agreed with the family’s attorneys ruling re-affirms…
Biggest Loser, v 1.0 — Brewer Lawn Ornament Hoarder
New feature alert for this space! Every now and then, stories come to my attention that deserve to see the light of day, if for no other reason than to ridicule the subject matter and serve as a de facto “public service announcement” for you, the reader, to never partake…
Vietnamese Coffee and Green Pastries at Parisian Bakery III
Rarely do I encounter a restaurant in Houston where the language barrier is so insurmountable that I can barely order a cup of coffee. But that was just one of the charms of Parisian Bakery III; stepping foot inside this airy bakery in the Viet Hoa strip center is like…
Oprah Vs. Bob Dylan: A Side-By-Side Showdown
In case you’ve been under a complete self-imposed total media blackout – how do those work, by the way? – you no doubt know this week is a pretty important milestone in the lives of two of America’s most important cultural figureheads. Maybe the two most important. Oprah Winfrey is…
Robert Caro: Understanding Texas and the Importance of Place to LBJ’s Story
We’ve written before about our unabashed admiration for Robert Caro’s towering and ongoing multi-volume LBJ biography. A tweet from Lisa Gray alerts us to a presentation Caro recently gave on “the power of place” when it comes to biographers trying to capture their subject. Caro, a native New Yorker with…
Garden Fresh: Green Beans
If there’s any such thing as easy success in a warm-season Houston garden, it’s green beans. As a first-time grower, I just plowed a 2-inch-deep furrow, dropped in the curved white seeds of Bush Snap beans, covered them with dirt, and watered daily. The sprouts popped up in a week,…
Today’s DVDs: The Big Bang and I am Number Four
The Big Bang stars Antonio Banderas, Sam Elliot, Sienna Guillory, Autumn Reeser, Jimmy Simpson and Snoop Dogg. Unless you were in New York or LA, you probably didn’t see The Big Bang in the theaters. The film, by director Tony Krantz, had a very limited release before going to DVD/Blu-ray…
Out Today: Other Things Besides Born This Way… Seriously
This past weekend was magical, what with Rocks Off finally getting to see Foo Fighters play songs from Wasting Light and all. You may remember that we have been wanking over Light since it came out in April, but it’s really good. Best rock album of the year? Maybe, unless…
Port of Houston Hires Rusty Hardin to Guide Them into Scary New World of Transparency
One thing you can say about the Port of Houston — they don’t like questions. Any reporter in town who’s tried to deal with them on anything but a fawning story quickly finds that getting straight and full answers can often be a struggle. The Port currently finds itself in…
Printmatters Houston Spices Things Up with The Roux
Last Friday, the Houston Museum of African American Culture turned on the fire. Familial sentimentality was overheard as guests stirred the pot, reminiscing their way around a circle of lithographs and intaglio paintings. “It’s so fragile. And to put a baby on it is perfect,” said a woman to her…
Brew Blog: Mudbug Beer
Recently, my business unit scheduled a weekend “team building exercise.” I know what you’re thinking – ropes courses, name tags and “sharing sessions.” Nope. My team (god bless them) rolls a little bit differently. We had a crawfish boil. No, we’re not hiring. Our IT staff hosted and cooked for…
Tuesday May 24, 2011 Deals of the Day
Before we round up today’s online deals on food around town, we have an announcement about our VOICE Deal of the Day. From today forward, the VOICE Deal of the Day will be known as the VOICE Daily Deal, and the new name comes with a new online destination, so…
Sonogram Bill Signed: Three White Guys Sitting Around Talking
Texas, you may now consider yourself even more safe when it comes to women abortin’ babies just `cause they feel like it. Governor Rick Perry, in a big ceremonial show, signed into law the bill that mandates women seeking abortions must undergo sonograms. His official statement on the matter included…
14 Things You Didn’t Know About Rick Springfield
2. Rick Springfield is a stone cold sex fiend… In recent years, many musicians have put down their instruments (at least temporarily) and picked up the computer keyboard to produce some pretty revelatory memoirs. And in one case, perhaps too revelatory – Billy Joel recently pulled the plug on his…
Houston: Deadly for Pedestrians, Study Says
You know why no one walks anywhere in Houston? The godawful humidity and the relentless, soul-searing sun? No — it’s because you can get killed here doing a crazy thing like being a pedestrian. Transportation for America, a group who we assume involves itself with American-centric transportation issues, has come…
Last Night: Way Rare Borbetomagus Performance Screened for the First Time
It was, at times, so unlistenable that it was listenable, so absurd that it made perfect sense. Last night at Avant Garden, a handful of They, Who Sound attendees were hipped to a rare Borbetomagus film. The avant-garde band, formed in upstate New York in the late 1970s, is known…
Nigerian Brunch at Peppersoup Cafe
Michelle Ukegbu isn’t messing around when it comes to the food at her one-month-old restaurant, Peppersoup Cafe. Her mother opened Houston’s first African restaurant, Safari Restaurant, literally right around the corner back in the early 1980s. And their family owns restaurants back in their native Nigeria. “Food is in my…
On The Road Again: Bikinis And Bands At The Hangout Festival
See the bands and bikinis of the Hangout Festival in our slideshows. Imagine the Austin City Limits Music Festival or even the rapidly approaching Free Press Summer Fest on pure, white sand just feet away from a (variably) blue ocean, or as Thurgood Jenkins from Half Baked would say, “Right…
Payday Lending: Texas Takes Teeny, Tiny Step to (Barely) Regulate
Payday lending, where lower-income, lesser-educated, financially strapped people get some instant cash but sometimes end up paying 500 percent interest, is an industry ripe for some regulating, you would think. But that’s why you’re not a member of the Texas legislature. The Texas Senate passed a bill yesterday that did…
From Taipei to Houston: A Tang Palace Rhapsody
Houston gets a taste of Taipei in this year’s Museum Expo. Hailing from the National Palace Museum in Taiwan,Tang Palace Rhapsody uses motion sensing and digital technology to bring an entertaining perspective to interactive museum exhibits. The exhibit begins with the Tang Dynasty painting A Palace Concert projected on a large screen. As…
Off the Wall: Burger Alternatives and Leaner Meats
Last week, Kristen Majewski’s “Five Healthy Burger Alternatives” didn’t include ostrich, which is low in fat and cholesterol and high in calcium, protein and iron. Fat FattyBastard commented that I might be able to find an ostrich burger at Fuddrucker’s, so I set out to do just that. But I…
Last Night: Primus At Verizon Wireless Theater
Primus Verizon Wireless Theater May 23, 2011 The most important thing Curtis Armstrong, who would also appear that year as Booger in Revenge of the Nerds, tells Tom Cruise in 1983’s Risky Business is this indispensable piece of advice: “Every now and then, say ‘What the fuck.'” See Primus, and…
Unidentified Man in His 20s, Bayou Body Count No. 72
Police discovered the body of a man reportedly stabbed to death in a park near downtown this morning. The man, who has not been identified, was in his 20s, police say. KPRC reports the man was stabbed to death. The body was found about 4 a.m. today in Emancipation Park…
Mortal Kombat: Legacy: Daddy, Why Does the Ninja Hate You?
Episode 7 brings us into another two-part arc in Mortal Kombat: Legacy and focuses on two of the video games series’ most famous and beloved characters, namely the ninjas Scorpion and Sub Zero. The rival ninjas are the like Wolverine in the X-men series in that filmmakers should know that…
Doeman Sounds Off On Hip-Hop Headlines
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…
Bettencourt’s Worst Argument Ever: Voters Were Misled on Drainage-Fee Vote (UPDATED With Judge’s Decision)
Paul Bettencourt, the Republican who never met a government that couldn’t be smaller, is in court this week leading the charge against the new drainage fees in Houston. Voters approved the fees in a referendum, but Bettencourt, according to the Houston Chronicle, is arguing that those darn voters just didn’t…
Top 5 Houston Restaurants Featured on the Food Network
Houston may feel a little like Rodney Dangerfield when it comes to being recognized as a top culinary city — we get no respect. But the Food Network has always shown Houston a little love. As early as 2003, shows on the Food Network were featuring Houston institutions, and as…
Fall TV Preview: Crossing Our Fingers for Something Good
The upfront season just ended, meaning TV networks have set their slates for the fall and are already looking to midseason. As usual, the choices on offer are a mix of intriguing and off-putting. The dramas still revolve around cops or doctors, while the comedies usually target modern relationships. Still,…
$9 American Kobe Beef Burger at the Mockingbird Bistro Bar
There’s nothing more fun that sitting at a bar and eating a burger. When the burger happens to be a $9 American Kobe Beef Burger, and the bar happens to be at Mockingbird Bistro on a lively Friday night, the enjoyability factor goes up several notches. Arriving after 8 p.m…
Upcoming: Aretha Franklin, Blink-182, Kyuss Lives!, Etc.
Agnostic Front, The Mongoloids: Mon., Sept. 19. Walter’s On Washington. Amon Amarth: Fri., Aug. 26. House of Blues. Aretha Franklin: Tue., June 14. Arena Theatre. blink-182, My Chemical Romance, Matt & Kim: Mon., Sept. 26. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Buxton: Fri., July 8. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck. Christina Perri: Fri., July…
Comment of the Day: Sluts, Rape and “Asking For It”
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…
Last Hurrah: Kooky Costumes at the Art Car Parade
The Art Car parade is one of my very favorite things to do in Houston, and this year I went with an eye toward what the parade participants would be wearing, as well as the cool cars. The art cars were fun and the costumes were funky: weird, wacky, and…
Pop Rocks: Confession Time — Schwarzenegger Edition
It’s old news now, but the repercussions from California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s admission that he fathered a child with his longtime housekeeper have only just begun. Soon-to-be ex-wife Maria Shriver has hired Hollywood divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, his [legally recognized] kids are changing their last names (at least temporarily) and…
Pop Rocks: Confession Time – Sympathy For The Ah-nold
It’s old news now, but the repercussions from California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s admission that he fathered a child with his longtime housekeeper have only just begun. Soon-to-be ex-wife Maria Shriver has hired Hollywood divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, his [legally recognized] kids are changing their last names (at least temporarily) and…
In Legend: Bow Before the Might of Piano Metal
Metal is a lot like religion… and we don’t just mean the bits about massacre and the end of the world. Adherents to the genre will explain to you, often at great lengths and whether you want them to or not, exactly what is proper metal and what is not…
10 Great Hairstyles Rocked by Oprah Winfrey
Wednesday marks the broadcast of the final episode of Oprah Winfrey’s talk show. Oh, isn’t it tragic? Oh, what are we going to do between 4 and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday? Oh, who will inadvertently expose to us who in Hollywood is certifiably nutty-bananas just by asking a mundane…
Unidentified Homeless Man, Bayou Body Count No. 71
Houston homicide detectives are asking the public’s help in identifying a homeless man whose body was found in Buffalo Bayou downtown Saturday morning. The man had apparently suffered gunshot wounds, HPD said. The body was found near the 700 block of Franklin about 6:50 a.m. Saturday. Police did not release…
Where Are We Drinking?
If you recognize this guarana-based soft drink from Primo Schincariol, it’ll get you a very long way toward recognizing where we’re drinking it (as well as getting a wee bit jittery). Look familiar? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
100 Creatives: Stacy Davidson
What He Does: Davidson is the head of Odyssey Pictures, an independent horror studio that puts out some very high quality splatter fests that are well beyond what you think someone at this level could accomplish. He himself is a dedicated and brilliant director and screenwriter, having been the driving…
A Possible Houston Cure for Crack Addiction Runs into Red-Tape Problems
While a Houston doctor thinks he has found the cure for cocaine addiction, bureaucratic red tape is hindering the vaccine’s approval and building doubts for its future success. “My hopes are pretty simple: number one, find some company in the U.S. that will actually make the vaccine,” said Dr. Thomas…
Comments of the Day: Bloggers Edition
Today’s most interesting comments were actually by Eating Our Words bloggers, and they were on a Where Are We Eating? post. I know. Weird. Anyway, Christine Ha’s comment concerned the frustrating service she received at Catalina Coffee, while Nick Hall wrote in with a heartwarming tale about the very same…
Ray Lewis Predicts Crime-ageddon If There’s No NFL
“Do this research if we don’t have a season — watch how much evil, which we call crime, watch how much crime picks up, if you take away our game.” — Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio Well, that’s a new one. I’ve heard that losing a…
William Gammon, Prominent Homeowners Association Attorney, Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charges
William Gammon, a leading figure in the move to make highly annoying homeowners associations even more powerful and annoying, has entered a guilty plea to charges of possessing child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today. Gammon remains free on bond pending sentencing, which is set for August 22. Gammon,…
First Look at Brasserie 19
On a drizzly Thursday night, the warmly glowing interior of Brasserie 19 beckoned the crowds inside its crisp white interior and onto its broad patio. The restaurant’s neighbors in River Oaks are already so fond of the new place that they were intentionally occupying that patio despite the hair-frizzing, suit-wrinkling…
Kelly Clarkson Christening Galleria Microsoft Store Next Month
Rebecca Black turned out to be a hoax, but the Galleria might still be getting a visit from a pop star soon. According to Chronicle technology columnist and blogger Dwight Silverman’s blog this afternoon, the former American Idol winner will perform at the Galleria’s brand-new Microsoft store on June 25,…
75 MPH Speed Limit Passes: Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines
The Texas Senate has sent to the governor’s desk a bill allowing 75 mph speed limits in semi-deserted parts of Texas. Assuming that the Tea Party is not against, Rick Perry is expected to sign it. So get ready to put the pedal to the metal, Texas, and try to…
The Week in TV: The New TV Shows Are Here! The New TV Shows Are Here!
The season may be over, but next fall’s already in the news. This was the week in TV Land: • It’s been quite the week in TV Land, thanks to the network upfronts, the annual parade of sizzle reels and hype in which TV executives present their new fall series…
Tunnel Explorer: Miller’s Cafe
My last trip into the fabulous world below the world yielded little but confusion and disappointment. I’m beginning to believe that the tunnels are just one large, subterranean cavern of “meh.” I descended again last week in search of something delicious to eat, and found Miller’s Café. I wish I…
Unidentified Female in Murder-Suicide, Bayou Body Count No. 70
A woman was killed this morning on the east side by a man who then committed suicide, police say. The names of the couple have not been released, but Houston police say the incident happened about 8:30 this morning in the 12700 block of Woodforest. The two, apparently an estranged…
Legislature Makes Western Swing Official Texas Music
Ed. Note: When we checked again at 7:40 p.m. Monday, the mistakes in the AP/Chron article had been corrected. News Flash: Hank Williams still not a Texan It appears Rocks Off’s efforts of a few weeks ago were all for naught. Despite presenting what we thought was a fairly persuasive…
Keep on Truckin’: A Specialty Fusion Taco
Each week, I’ll be visiting a different food truck and reviewing one of their items. Know of a particular food truck I should move to the top of my list? Let me know in the comments section. This week, I made a stop by Fusion Taco at the Urban Harvest…
Menil Announces First-Ever Joint Acquisition With Dallas Museum of Art
The Menil Collection announced today that it, along with the Dallas Museum of Art, has acquired Untitled, a mixture of painting and sculpture by Italian artist Maurizio Cattalan. It is the first time either organization has acquired a work of art with a fellow museum. “Following our recent solo Cattelan…
Jesse Dayton & Friends Silence Old Quarter Cafe
Aftermath is so busy in the city, we don’t get down to Wrecks Bell’s Old Quarter Acoustic Café in Galveston enough. But we caught a free ride down Saturday and rectified that situation. And what a unique show we were privy to, with Jesse Dayton playing with two of his…
Crime Rate Drops in Houston, Nation
Violent-crime rates have dropped in both Houston and the nation, according to the FBI’s just-released annual report on crime statistics. Nationally violent crime dropped 5.5 percent; in Texas six percent and in Houston the drop was 5.9 percent. (You can see the Texas stats here.) DPS “does not speculate on…
Art Review: Wendy Wagner’s Fantasy World
2008 Hunting Prize winner Wendy Wagner makes fantasy-world imagery from the childlike realm of puppy dogs and cartoons. In early 2008, she presented her animated short The Eternity of a Second in DiverseWorks’ “Flicker Fusion” video exhibit. That video (and others), as well as framed still images from Eternity and…
The Pasadena Strawberry Festival in Photos
The 38th annual Pasadena Strawberry Festival drew an estimated 50,000 attendees this year, but it also drew our new photographer Adrienne Byard, whose photos from the event capture a slice of Houston so sweetly and unintentionally nostalgic that they could have been taken in 1978. From Byard’s photos, you’d think…
Bush Intercontinental’s Billion-Dollar Terminal Renovation: Things That Have Cost Less
Mayor Annise Parker has announced a billion-with-a-friggin’-b expansion and renovation of Terminal B at Bush Intercontinental Airport. According to a release, the new Terminal B will feature: — A wide connecting bridge to a modern central passenger lounge — Spacious passenger lounge areas with ample concession choices, restroom facilities and…
Wine of the Week: A 13-Year-Old Rosé… Yes, Aged Rosé from Spain
There was a lot of positive response to a post from a few weeks ago, “Righting the Wrong of Rosé,” and so I thought folks might enjoy hearing about the 1998 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rosado Gran Reserva (Grand Reserve Rosé), a true gem and one of the greatest…
The Killing: “Undertow”
The scant number of episodes in a season on premium TV (10 or 13 or thereabouts) was often seen as an advantage over the two dozen or so we’re subjected to on network television. With fewer shows, audiences are left wanting more from a series that otherwise might grow stale…
Ke$ha Invites Fans To Send Her Their Teeth
Reigning slutwave queen Ke$ha is requesting than fans send her their teeth in order for her to make a necklace she hopes to wear at a future awards show. Apparently one fan has already done so in the past, and Kesha has taken to wearing the single tooth around her…
Carlos Beltran and Buyer’s Remorse: Something to Make Astro Fans Feel Better
It’s been a disastrous, disheartening season for Astro fans, and it doesn’t show any signs of getting better. So you try to take your bright spots where you can. Today’s semi-bright spot is a frank admission of buyer’s remorse on the part of New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon, who…
Catastrophic Theatre’s Courageous Crave
The set-up: Crave is by Sarah Kane, the acclaimed British playwright who committed suicide at the age of 28, and the Catastrophic Theatre describes Crave as a tour-de-force tone poem for four voices. It’s not really a tour de force and it’s not especially poetic, but it does have four…
Top 5: Foods Best Eaten Alive
While I’m not a full-on advocate of the raw food or paleo eating movements, I have to admit that both have their strong points. Many foods are, in fact, better left uncooked. And some are flat-out best eaten at their most uncooked: when they’re still alive. But I’m not a…
Montrose’s Wilshire Village Apartments, Treeless & Paved Over
Swamplot photographer Candace Garcia has a Flickr page documenting the ongoing teardown of the former long-vacated but still-funky Wilshire Village apartment complex, now essentially a parking lot. That’s the Fiesta on the corner of West Alabama and Dunlavy in the far background of the above picture, just to orient you…
Saturday Night: Erykah Badu At Arena Theatre
Erykah Badu Arena Theatre May 21, 2011 Even if she never drops another album, Erykah Badu will still go down as one of the most important artists of our generation. Few can massage a neo-soul groove, seduce a jazz tune, and straddle a hip-hop beat the way she can. On…
Racing Rachael: Turbo Classics Meal
Rachael Ray makes whipping up a meal in 30 minutes look like a breeze, but we all know that there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work going on. Last week it took me, sans television magic, 47 minutes to make one of her meals. How will I do this week? The…
Game Of Thrones: “A Golden Crown”
They could just as easily have called this episode “Exit the Dragon.” If we compare House Targaryen to the Brady Bunch daughters – which I’m going to do because I’ve been sick all weekend and don’t have a lot of energy – then Rhaegar, killed by Robert on the Trident,…
Dominique Sachse, Prom Queen
Isn’t it pretty much a given that good prom photos are few and far between? If you doubted it, you need to look at KPRC’s Web site, where they are going prom craaaazy for no very discernible reason. There are prom photos of anchors and reporters…
Who Is The Best Non-Black Rapper Ever?
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. This Week’s Panel: Hollywood Floss, Delo, Preemo, Tha Centop, Niq, O.N.E., Fat Tony, hasHBrown, Mac and more. Not Invited: MC Serch,…
Dynamo’s Disappointing Tie Has Coach Happy?
The Houston Dynamo finished their game Saturday night at Robertson Stadium the same way they started it — by giving up a goal. The New York Red Bulls were able to sneak one in 39 seconds into the match. Then in the 90th minute, a corner kick spelled doomed for…
Masquerade Theatre Masters Jekyll and Hyde
The set-up: Robert Louis Stevenson wrote his classic novel about the duality of man — the good Dr. Jekyll experiments upon himself and transforms into the beast Mr. Hyde — two years before Jack the Ripper’s autumn reign of terror in 1888 London. The monsters share surprising similarities. In Frank…
Friday Night: The Avett Brothers At Verizon Wireless Theater
Ed. Note: This review was written by photographer Jason Wolter. The Avett Brothers Verizon Wireless Theater May 20, 2011 Friday night’s Avett Brothers show started out much like any assignment would for me: In the pit photographing the Brothers’ opening salvo and then drifting off to the back of the…
Ingredient of the Week: Chickpeas
What is it? Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are part of the legume family. They are one of the oldest cultivated vegetables in existence and are mostly used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking…
Farewell Art Lies, and Some Gallery-Hopping
Friday night, Houston said good-bye to Art Lies … for now. The final issue hit the stands at Domy Books, where the magazine’s staff and board invited well wishers to take a free copy and bid a fond farewell to Houston’s premiere arts publication. As interim director Elizabeth Murray put…
Robb Walsh’s Top 10 Ice Cream Experiences in Houston
With the weather heating up, we thought we’d revive Robb Walsh’s favorite ice cream experiences, which he first shared in August 2009, in conjunction with his feature story on Houston ice cream parlors, “The Scoop.” 10. CreamWorx 8817 Hwy. 6, Missouri City 281-778-2732 CreamWorx is an independent frozen-custard maker down…
Comment of the Day: It Ain’t Just Traffic Tickets
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…
Friday Night: My Chemical Romance At House Of Blues
My Chemical Romance House of Blues May 20, 2011 See Friday’s Black Parade in our slideshow. Less than a third of the way through Friday night’s show, as the dark and ominous riffs of “Mama” faded out, vocalist Gerard Way dropped to the floor, and the stage lights abruptly went…
Comment of the Day: We Still Miss Someone
Our Gilda Radner tribute got some decent attention via social media Friday: It got 24 shares on Facebook, beating out all our Friday stories (even our photo tribute to Macho Man Randy Savage, which got only three Facebook shares and three retweets). It was touching to see that after 22…
SlutWalk Houston Sure to Shock and Empower
SlutWalk is coming to a park near you. It all started earlier this year in Toronto, when a constable with the Toronto Police Service told a group of law school students at a safety seminar how not to become victims. His advice: Women should avoid dressing like “sluts.” And you…
The Four Best Books with Corresponding Soundtracks
It goes without saying when you’re talking to a music journalist, but music can be the greatest inspiration for a writer. Even if you’re not writing about the music itself, it can still be an indispensible catalyst for the written word. More and more in modern literature, the afterwards feature…
Director Anders Cato Brings on the Rain in Pygmalion at the Alley Theatre
Director Anders Cato never intended to do playwright George Bernard Shaw’s work. Cato, born and raised in Sweden before moving to the United States, always saw himself as someone who’d specialize in Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg. But life interrupted and Cato found himself doing Shaw, whom he describes as…
Sherry White, 51 and Kyle Lavergne, 20, Bayou Body Count Nos. 68 and 69
A man has been charged with capital murder in the killing of a Sunnyside woman and her son. Police say Jeffery Prevost, 51, shot Sherry White, 51 and her son Kyle Lavergne, 20, Saturday about noon. Police have told reporters that Prevost said he shot White, a girlfriend, out of…
Texas Director Terrence Malick Wins Big in Cannes for Tree of Life
Film director and Austin resident Terrence Malick won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for The Tree of Life over the weekend,according to the Associated Press. Tree of Life, a family drama starring Brad Pitt, was filmed in several locations in Texas, including Houston, Dallas, Austin and Waco…
Where Are We Eating?
This is our favorite pastry from one of our favorite places in town, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a restaurant. Does the patio below look familiar to you? You shouldn’t even need caffeine this morning to get this one right — it’s almost a gimme. Leave your best guess…
Aeros Poised to Make History — The Wrong Kind of History
John RoyalA despondent Matt Hackett lies on the ice after Hamilton gets the winning goal in the second overtime.Only twice in AHL history had a team had to go to a game seven in a playoff series after grabbing a 3-0 series lead. But things change. And when a team…
Comment of the Day
Today brought another Odd Pair from Jeremy Parzen: chicken spaghetti with Zinfandel. Commenter Bruce R found it interesting: Jeremy, clearly you are a man of extremes. First, you showed a picture of Carne Asada Tampiquena from Fonda San Miguel. That meal looked absolutely wonderful. Then, on the other end of…
Randy “Macho Man” Savage (1952-2011) — A Video Anthology
In 1999, I was invited by my buddy Ken Hoffman of the Houston Chronicle to go to lunch with Randy “The Macho Man” Savage. Having grown up a child of the ’80’s, I was absolutely giddy. (Giddiness factor for me was a fraction of Hoffy’s, although admittedly that had more…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where nothing signals the arrival of summer like the seasonal spring bocks turning into summer pilsners in our local beer aisle. We sure did wish we had some booze at last weekend’s Haute Wheels Festival, which, while admirable, seems…
Cracker: A Belated Hillbilly Revelation At Fitzgerald’s
Sometime after Cracker deposited Rocks Off’s jaw on the floor of Fitzgerald’s Thursday night, we decided reviewing the show would be superfluous. Our buddy Lonesome Onry and Mean was standing next to us the whole time, and we told him afterward it was hard to think of anything more critical…
Texas Secessionists to Obama: Israel With 1967 Borders? We Want Texas With 1845 Borders
President Obama’s call for Israel to revert to its 1967 borders has caught the attention of one of the most forward-thinking, sophisticated political thinkers of our state, Daniel Miller, the president of the Texas Nationalist Movement. He has dashed off a letter to Obama saying, in essence, you think those…
More Local Music News Than Flying Elbow Drops
We may have lost Macho Man Randy Savage this morning, but MCM is still alive and dropping that flying elbow full of local music news. Snap into the latest installment of our Magnolia City Mixtape. Ooooohhh Yeeaaahhh! Before we dive in, don’t forget that the poster show for Free Press…
Burgers the Brazilian Way at Friends Pizzeria
Upon initial glance, there are so many flummoxing things about the newly opened Friends Pizzeria: A pizza place that’s Brazilian? A pizza place that serves hamburgers? Hamburgers and pizza with corn and peas on them? Houston might have become familiar over the years with its fair share of ethnic cuisines…
Sex Equality in the Workplace: Not in Texas
If you’re looking for cities where women are not treated equally in the workplace, welcome to Texas, according to a report by US News & World Report. They’ve ranked cities all across the country on gender equality, and four of the bottom ten are in the Lone Star State. Houston…
Blues Community Going To The Doghouse For Earl Gilliam
The Houston blues community will come together Sunday to pay homage to one of the godfathers of blues piano, Earl Gilliam. Gilliam, whose youth was spent in the company of giants like Albert Collins, Gatemouth Brown, Ivory Lee Simien, and Johnny Clyde Copeland, worked extensively with another Houston guitar legend,…
A Page Outa: The Beginning
After I posted the last Shiftwork Bites piece, the same question kept popping up from friends and well wishers – “What’s next?” I pondered that for a while, trying to find a new avenue for creativity, exploration, and challenge. Cooking from The French Laundry Cookbook and Alinea was a deeply…
Local Child-Porn, Child-Predator Prosecutors Win National Award
Earlier this month we talked to two veteran federal prosecutors who put in prison child predators and child-porn users and creators. This week the two received a national award for their efforts raising awareness of child-endangerment problems. Robert Stabe and Sherri Zack — along with fellow prosecutor Megan Paulson and…
Tha Centop Keeps His “Ear 2 Tha Streetz”
In March, Rocks Off posted the first installment of the 2011 Houston Underground Rap Awards (second installment coming next month, by the way). In it, Tha Centop, a talented, forceful rapper who had never even had his name typed by Rocks Off, took home two awards. Now, similar to last…
Uplifting and Universal: Justin Chadwick and The First Grader
When the Hollywood machine gets behind filming on location, Hollywood gets flown to the location–shipping in everything from cast and crew to equipment and catering. But to create his film The First Grader director Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) arrived in Africa with fewer than 10 people and adjusted…
Grilled Lemongrass Beef Vermicelli at Com Tam Kieu Giang
When people who have never tried Vietnamese food ask me what they should try, I usually recommend the grilled pork and rice vermicelli, or bun thit nuong, and a pineapple milkshake, or sinh to thom. As with any other ethnic food, recommending easy-on-the-palate dishes is meant to lessen the fear…
Keith Monteds Brown, 40, Bayou Body Count No. 67
A man answered a knock on the door at his south Houston home last night and was shot to death, police say. Keith Monteds Brown, 40, was in his home in the 4200 block of Groton around 9 p.m. last night when he answered the door, HPD says. He was…
Avoid Cheap Fog Machines: Building A Better Stage Show
If Rocks Off could talk to ourselves from six years ago, the advice we would give that young aspiring rock star would be to not bother with any gigs for the first year playing with the band, and instead have everyone save up as much money as possible to fund…
Art Car 2011: Our Predictions
Art Car Weekend is finally here, and we all know we can expect to see some pretty outlandish vehicles over the next few days, from tiki-themed roadsters to a Jimmy Buffet tribute on wheels. But we’ve come up with some wild predictions ourselves, so keep your eyes peeled for variations…
Derek Boogaard Died by Accidental Overdose of Alcohol and Oxycodone
Derek Boogaard, the former Houston Aero fan favorite who was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment May 13, died from having too much alcohol and oxycodone in his system, according the medical examiner’s report released today. The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office declared the…
Traffic-Ticket Apocalypse Is Upon Us
As difficult as it may be to believe, in times of tight budget constraints law enforcement — in a never-ending devotion to duty — is somehow finding the resources to hand out a boatload of traffic tickets and ramp up efforts to collect on outstanding fines. So far it’s a…
Top 5: Better with Ranch Dressing
Salad is better with ranch dressing, to be sure, and so is pizza, although Italians and Brooklyn guys may not realize that dipping pizza in ranch is protected by the Constitution. Here are five other foods that are better with ranch dressing: 5. Chicken Tenders The acme of this All-American…
Rest in Peace, Randy Savage: 10 Great Photos of the Macho Man
WWE icon “Macho Man” Randy Savage, born Randall Mario Poffo, has died in a car accident in Florida, TMZ reports. He was 58 years old. According to the TMZ story, Savage was driving his 2009 Jeep Wrangler when he veered across a concrete median through oncoming traffic and ran into…
RIP Macho Man: Randy Savage, Illest Rapping Wrestler Ever
Rocks Off was heartbroken to hear that former WWF/WWE and WCW wrestling champion Randy “Macho Man” Savage died this morning after losing control of his car and striking a tree near his home in Tampa, Florida. According to our sister paper Broward Palm Beach New Times, Savage suffered a heart…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides “Pirates?” Who’s Back From The First Three? The notable absences are Keira “Elizabeth Turner (nee Swann)” Knightley and Orlando “Will Turner” Bloom. Besides Jack Sparrow, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and Gibbs return, and a couple of new characters are introduced. Because otherwise -…
United: Continental’s Merger Partner Keeps Tripping Up on 9/11
Remember the good old days, when Houston’s Continental Airlines only had to endure PR fiascos like killing off the Concorde? The airline has, of course, merged with United Airlines, and things have not gone smoothly from a public-relations standpoint. The new planes carry the name “United” on them, and there…
Upcoming Events
Fans of Little Bitty Burger Barn’s burgers will be happy to hear about the email we received from owner Ricardo Luna about today’s special at the restaurant: We are excited to announce that on Friday, 5/20, from 6PM-8PM, we will be giving away free 1/4 Basic Burgers at Little Bitty…
May 14 to 20: 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…
Wanda Jackson Loves Jesus, Jack White & Adele
Rocks Off conducted an unusual interview this week. We say “interview,” when perhaps a better word is “exchange.” Recently we have been tinkering with the composition of our interviews, in the hopes of avoiding boilerplate questions like “Who are your influences?” in favor of something, we hope, will give our…
Light Reading: Our Favorite Fashion Blogs
I love reading about fashion and I don’t limit myself to reading print, although I don’t know what I’d do without my stack of Vogue, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE and Cosmo mags. Some of my favorite online sources for style, fashion, and beauty news come in the form of fashion…
Odd Pair: Chicken Spaghetti and Zinfandel
There is pleasure in life… and then there is guilty pleasure. You know the kind. The type of indulgence that you are embarrassed to admit to your friends and colleagues… certain forms of gratification best enjoyed — ahem, how shall I put this? — whilst alone. For me one such delight is…
Brian Greenhouse: Hi-Miler Roller Coaster Death Ruled an Accident
The death of the man who was thrown from the Hi-Miler roller coaster during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has been ruled an accident. Brian Greenhouse, 46, fell 28 feet to his death in March, resulting in lawsuits that keep the relevant parties from commenting. But the “accident” ruling…
Crazy In Alabama: Hangout Festival Preview
This weekend this member of Rocks Off is heading to Gulf Shores, Alabama, for the Hangout Festival on the beach. Well, hopefully, considering the drive may take us through some rough waters due to the flooding in the deep South. Let us pray… Anyhow, this is the second year for…
Rick Perry Wades into Foreign Policy
Governor Rick Perry has told reporters he’s too busy with the legislative session to think about running for the presidency, but luckily — news flash!! — the legislative session is dealing with American foreign policy. Apparently. Perry’s office issued an official statement in the wake of President Obama’s speech on…
Idol Beat: Another Wonder Bread Finale
In addition to going on the Idol tour, one of the “perks,” if you want to call it that, of making it to the Top 13 or whatever is that you get to come back and sit in the audience during the final selection. I only point this out because…
Bartender Chat: Amber Southerland of Blue Bar at Brenner’s on the Bayou
There’s nothing better than enjoying the last few days of wonderful weather before the hellish summer hits with a delicious cocktail and a beautiful view. Blue Bar at Brenner’s on the Bayou offers just that: yummy cocktails, great scenery and a relaxed atmosphere. The mixer of those delicious libations? Amber…
Idol Beat: Haley Freezes Over
In addition to going on the Idol tour, one of the “perks,” if you want to call it that, of making it to the Top 13 or whatever is that you get to come back and sit in the audience during the final selection. I only point this out because…
Remembering Gilda Radner
“I don’t get what you see in Gilda Radner,” I was surprised to hear my friend say. He was one of my first friends in college, and we had connected because we could both recite classic Saturday Night Live lines by rote. Still, he had his favorites (usually Mike Myers…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Ray Busch of Ray’s Real Pit BBQ Shack
A steaming hot plate of barbecued meats arrives at my booth. It’s covered in a velvety blanket of red sauce. Hard to recall the last time I was offered something so sexy. I dive in at the left with Ray’s favorite, his homemade pork and beef sausage. Words can hardly…
Comment of the Day: More Suggested Andy Fastow Jobs
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…
Comment of the Day: What About Brewster McCloud?
Yesterday, in reaction to a Texas-themed movie festival that left Houston off its schedule, we posted a list of five great movies filmed in Houston. We got a few retweets, a few kind comments, a few shares on Facebook. But reader Robert Boyd was less than thrilled with our selections…
May 14 — 20: 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. Lots of events are happening around town this May. From the Art Car festivities to Memorial Day celebrations, we want to see your hottest shots. Just drop them…
This Looks Legit: 4 Craigslist Music Ads We Passed On
Rocks Off likes to troll CraigsList looking for ads in the musicians section. You can often find some truly original and interesting people at the very inception of their careers. You can also find rampaging lunatics who are interesting enough to talk to. But nyone who has spent more than…
Get Ready: The Five Best Post-Apocalypse Books Not Written by Stephen King
The Rapture, as has been reported, is coming tomorrow morning. About this there is no doubt, according to some of the most influential and knowledgeable billboards in the nation. Being bright-side-of-life kinda people, we’ve offered five terrific results to come from the apocalypse; now, to further assist your transition to…
100 Creatives: Jennifer Wood
What she does: Jennifer Wood is able to give an a typically sizable amount of artistic freedom to the dancers she works with while maintaining her creative control. “I’m kind of like Willy Wonka, but with an iron fist,” says the founder and artistic director of Suchu Dance, a contemporary…
Openings & Closings
It’s been a week of good news, which is a rare and precious thing around here. No real closings to report, only a few openings and some chef shuffles, which makes for a happy Friday around these parts. News that San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing Co. is planning a three-story brewpub…
Battle App — Echofon vs. Twitter: App of the Week
App: Echofon Platforms: iPhone Web site: Apple Link Cost: Free ad-supported or $4.99 Pro version App: Twitter Platforms: iPhone Web site: Apple Link Cost: Free I’m on Twitter a lot, probably more than I should be. As a result, a lot of my time spent on Twitter is via an iPhone app. I am willing to pay for…
Pools and Community Centers Come Under Parker’s Budget Ax
Pool’s closed today, and all summer.Eight swimming pools and seven community centers won’t open this summer and about 750 city employees will be laid off under the new budget proposed by Mayor Annise Parker today.The fire and police departments avoided layoffs. “Developing this budget has not been without difficulty, challenges…
Finances: No. 1 Cause of Marital Discord and HISD Trustee Testiness
Husbands and wives play this game all the time. They’re short of money and need to put themselves on a stricter budget. They agree they can get by with the worldly goods they already have until better times. Resolute and united, they pause for a smooch, and, holding hands, march…
Comment of the Day
Today Katharine Shilcutt wrote about stumbling onto Cajun Town Café, which turned out to be an awesome discovery. She loved the gumbo, a version made with oysters, crawfish, shrimp and crab, which got some readers discussing how things are done in New Orleans. Commenter Brandius stepped in with some info:…
Former Texan QB Rex Grossman Declares Himself the Starter for a Team He’s Not Signed with
Let me preface what I’m about to say by saying that I like Rex Grossman. Kind of like pizza or midgets, he’s always struck me as a clear “any time you add him to the current scenario, the atmosphere improves” kind of guy — as long as the “current scenario”…
Five Memorable Swimming Pool Scenes
Earlier today, the mayor unveiled a budget proposal that would close down eight of the city’s pools, no doubt a loss to the community. Pools are an essential part of summertime and, more importantly, a part of growing up. Forget fending off heat stroke and learning a life-saving skill. Chlorine-swollen…
HCC Board Finally Takes Some Action on Its Members’ Ethics
Seven freaking years ago our Josh Harkinson wrote about the board members of the Houston Community College System and their very relaxed attitude toward ethics and conflicts of interest and so on. HCCS pretty much closed up the ranks and did nothing much. Now it looks like at least something…
My Five Favorite Amusement Park Foods
This summer I’m heading back to the east coast. My “To Visit” list includes small-town diners, Civil War battlegrounds, and amusement parks. Knoebels Grove, Hershey Park, Six Flags: these were the beloved family vacation destinations of my youth. Even though I refused to get on a roller coaster until age…
Charlie Fondow’s Eccentric House Is on the Market
Ten years ago we looked at the owner and builder of an extremely odd Third Ward house, Charlie Fondow. The guy just could not stop adding to his house in the 2300 block of Wichita, whether it was gables, turrets or proposed Plexigas elevators. We learn today via Swamplot that…
Hong Kong Chef, Feeding Three Generations and Counting
When I visited the Hong Kong Chef recently, I chatted with the cutest older couple. I could tell they were regulars from the assertive way they walked into the dining room and asked for a table for 12. They said they had been coming to Hong Kong Chef since 1966…
The Party Begins: Art Car Weekend 2011
Art Car Weekend is upon us in all its quirky extravagance, so make sure to check out at least one of these three upcoming events. Art Car Ball The festivities kick off Friday with the Art Car Ball, an event that many Houstonians consider the party of the year. Here,…
Augie Busch Replaces the Late Mark Taylor as UH Swimming Coach
Late yesterday afternoon, the University of Houston announced the appointment of Augie Busch as its swimming coach. Busch, the son of USA swimming national team director Frank Busch (a six-time NCAA Coach of the Year), replaces Mark Taylor, who died on March 18. “I am beyond excited about the opportunity…
As Seen On TV: The 20 Best Made-For-TV Compilations
One of the saddest side effects of the digital music explosion in the late ’90s and early ’00s was the decline of the made-for-television compilation. Nevertheless, companies like Razor & Tie and Time Life still continue to put out monstrous collections of music for you to order online and by…
Murray’s Cheese Plate: Is $13.99 Too Much?
Short answer: yes. $14 is too much to pay for a cheese plate from Kroger, even if it does come from the famed Murray’s Cheese kiosk in the deli. That’s not to say I’m not a fan in general of the pre-composed cheese plate. There’s a cheesy-looking (pardon the pun)…
Five Ways Technology Can Entertain You During Your Boring Graduation Ceremony
If there is one thing technology is good for, it’s killing time. Yes, there are also databases and documents and blah, blah, blah. But, we all know the main reason God killed the dinosaurs and invented the Internet was so we could waste time watching videos of people falling down and animated…
Last Night: Bruno Mars & Janelle Monae At Reliant Arena
Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae Reliant Arena May 18, 2011 See Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae and their fans, just the way they are, in our slideshow. Somewhere, Michael Jackson is smiling again. At last. The King of Pop may be gone, but he was very much there in spirit Wednesday at…
Tunnel Explorer: Charlie’s Old Fashioned BBQ
I had to go to Charlie’s Old Fashioned BBQ (713-750-0562) three times before I made up my mind about it. For a while, I was half-convinced I had stumbled on some unexpected gem of Houston barbecue, hidden in the bowels of the First City Tower. I don’t know if it…
Roxann Michelle Thomas: Actually (And Illegally) Got Something From Those “Are You Owed Money?” Lists
Newspapers and media Web sites regularly publish lists of people who are owed money by public institutions; if anyone bothers to read them, they check their name hoping to see they’ve forgotten all about that five-digit deposit in some bank they used to use. Then they move on, crushed. Not…
Author Michael Robertson has a New Take on Sherlock Holmes
The Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made the London address 221B Baker Street famous all around the world. Doyle died more than 80 years ago, but his famous detective continues to receive fan mail and letters asking him for help. It’s those missives that author Michael Robertson…
Amanda Gail Walker: Another Longview Mom Mixes Meth and Kids
Here’s another candidate for mom of the year… For the second day in a row, news has emerged about a meth-lovin’ mama exposing her kids to danger in the East Texas metropolis of Longview. In the latest case, Longview police responded to a call about a cat-fight in progress Tuesday…
Company OnStage Seduces With Classic Farce The Threesome
The set-up: The ambitious and scrappy Company OnStage, long a valued Houston fixture, brings a classic French farce to humorous life in The Threesome as a young man continues an affair with the wife of a friend, the friend seeks the favors of a female employee, and past indiscretions arise…
Wanna Date Nikki Araguz? AND Be on a Reality Show?
If you’ve been dying for the chance to date Nikki Araguz, transgender widow of a fallen Wharton firefighter, wait no longer: Local filmmaker Cressandra Thibodeaux is working on a reality series called Being Nikki that will include Araguz’s quest for a new man. “We are in search of single men…
Picnic at Miller Outdoor Theater
Two weekends ago I made the trek up the big hill at Miller Outdoor Theater to see Houston Ballet’s performance of The Core, Tu Tu and Hush. The weather was perfect and all three ballets were impressive, but as I looked around at my fellow picnickers on the hill with…
Stone Deaf Forever: Rockers With Hearing Loss
The wages we pay to rock and roll aren’t always of the sinful and hungover variety. Some of us pay, dearly, with our hearing, one of the best gifts that God has given humanity. Besides Kate Upton that is. Today is Pete Townshend’s 66th birthday, and The Who guitarist is…
Leadbelly’s “Midnight Special” Prison in Sugar Land Closing (Although It Might Not Be the Prison He “Wrote” It in)
Texas legislators are likely to agree to closing the century-old Central Unit prison in Sugar Land, mostly because it sits on land near the airport that can be developed. It’s one of several Texas Department of Criminal Justice units in the area; a compound of four units is nearby in…
Pre- and Post-War Sudan Immortalized in Photography Book
Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher’s body of work illustrates a different type of Africa, one that isn’t about the mainstream, safari-like viewpoint of the continent. Since the 1970s, the U.S.-born Beckwith and Australian native Fisher have traveled to an interesting part of Africa to document the Dinka people. Beckwith refers…
A Cold Shot At Brittmoore Ice House
It’s not always about the music out there in Lonesome, Onry and Mean’s world. For instance, two nights ago we drove to west Houston near the I-10/Beltway 8 intersection to hear local bluesman John McVey & the Stumble play at a cool little venue called the Brittmoore Ice House. This…
Houston Astros & Minute Maid Park Begin Process for Covert Name Change
Yesterday while filming segments for KIAH’s “Newsfix” in the monument park at Minute Maid Park, my camera crew and I came across this sign, defaced for your pleasure. It looked as if the sign had been modified for some time, as there were no pieces of the departed “M” near…
First Look at Greatfull Taco
Yes, Paul West is a little eccentric. But looking around his newly opened restaurant, Greatfull Taco, on a sunny Saturday morning, it was evident that any eccentricities were clearly and charmingly manifested in the bright colors, roller-coaster menu and intriguing deep cuts playing from vinyl records on an LP near…
Five Great Movies Filmed in Houston
Earlier this week, the Alamo Drafthouse and Texas Monthly announced the schedule for their Rolling Roadshow, a film tour that pairs 10 great Texas movies with the places they were filmed. Giant and No Country for Old Men will be screened in Marfa, Tender Mercies will be shown in Waxahatchie,…
Hurricane Predictions: Feds Say to Hunker Down
The time to predict hurricane season has arrived, and — as with Texans season previews — what’s predicted doesn’t always tend to be what happens. So get your grain of salt ready. (On the other hand, severe weather has been the norm elsewhere in the U.S. recently, so perhaps it…
Food Fight: Potato Salad
Potato salad is not, strictly speaking, an American concept, but the mayonnaise-based version that most of us know and love is in fact American – or at least its origins are murky enough that we might as well claim it. And claim it we do — in some towns it’s…
Ryan Wheeler: Goes to Pay Traffic Ticket with Coke in Pocket
Let’s give civic-duty props where they are due: Ryan Dan Wheeler had a traffic ticket he needed to pay, and he manned up and went to the Santa Fe municipal court to do so. Why he would do so while he had a suspended license, not to mention while he…
Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead: Almost Almost Famous
Neil Strauss Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead: Journeys into Fame and Madness ItBooks, 554 pp., $16.99 While most music-journo compendiums usually collect a sonic scribe’s most famous interview pieces into one book, Strauss – one of the finest currently practicing the trade – takes a wholly different approach with…
Remember Yungstar’s Throwed Yung Playa?
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Yungstar Throwed Yung Playa (Straight Profit Records, 1999) Man, remember Yungstar, the acute-voiced MC that sprung into the troposhere…
Clarence Brandley: Demanded, Denied Compensation for Decade on Death Row
It’s hard to put a price on ten years wrongfully spent in prison, but Texas won’t even try. Clarence Brandley, once the janitor at Conroe High School, spent a decade on Death Row after being wrongfully convicted of the 1980 rape and murder of a white 16-year-old student there. He…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Ray Busch of Ray’s Real Pit BBQ Shack
Yesterday, Ray Busch told us how he got his barbecue start by sampling food trucks outside of nightclubs. After setting up a truck of his own at his friend’s car wash almost two decades ago, he opened a restaurant 100 feet from the same spot. He’s manning the venture with…
Idol Beat: For Haley The Bell Tolls
Two hours. We’re down to three contestants and the program last night lingered for two freaking hours. It’s hard to blame Fox. NBC is coming up on the outside with The Voice, ABC has a slew of new programs debuting in the fall (a reboot of Charlie’s Angels!!!), and CBS…
Idol Beat: The Doom That Came To Haley
Two hours. We’re down to three contestants and the program last night lingered for two freaking hours. It’s hard to blame Fox. NBC is coming up on the outside with The Voice, ABC has a slew of new programs debuting in the fall (a reboot of Charlie’s Angels!!!), and CBS…
Street Scenes #2: The Time Is Now 2:12
In the second of our series on Houston’s street artists, Art Attack features 2:12, whose singularly colorful, fiendishly-cleverly placed works abound in the older, more run-down fringes of the Houston Heights. While recent trends in his work — an altar to the Virgin Mary and “Lupe,” a demure yet sexy…
Happy Hour and a Pop-Up Dinner at Grand Prize Bar
Driving into town from the Southwest side for happy hour is especially challenging for me, as I always seem to run into traffic. Luckily, Grand Prize Bar’s happy hour lasts from 4 to 8 p.m., which means that I can get there a little later and still partake in the…
Comment of the Day: Rick Perry’s Debate Guts
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…
Comment of the Day: Thanks for the Warning
Though it was published Tuesday, Craig Hlavaty’s collection of awkward Arnold Schwarzenegger is still getting quite a bit of attention. Reader Zibby was particularly grateful that we had issued a Not Safe For Work Warning for a particularly statuesque picture of the Governator in the nude. wow, thanks for the…
Dangerous Ponies Are Wild, Majestic Beasts
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. Rocks Off has been thoroughly digging on the Philadelphia band Dangerous Ponies lately. They describe themselves as a “7 piece queer and allied band…
Andy Fastow Needs Work: Some Potential Jobs
As you might have heard, Andy Fastow has returned to Houston after his stint in a federal prison. He’s currently in a halfway house and, let’s face it, he needs a job. Luckily the rules allow him to leave the facility for work or community service. But Fastow comes back…
100 Creatives: GONZO247
What he does GONZO247 has been in the graffiti art game for almost 30 years. In that time he’s founded Aerosol Warfare (Houston’s only street art gallery), done designs for major brands’ (like Playstation) advertising campaigns, created murals throughout Houston, and has taught street art class to budding artists through…
Oyster & Okra Gumbo at Cajun Town Cafe
On the way back from the horse track on Saturday night, I took an unusual route home (okay, I was out of change for the tollway). And that alternate route landed me heading south toward 290 on North Houston Rosslyn, past a mostly unfamiliar part of town. And as I…
Houston SPCA Suddenly Has 200 Small Dogs to Care for, Give Away
The Houston SPCA is going to be needing help very soon getting about 200 small dogs adopted after a massive haul from a Waller County facility that was filthy and disorganized. The owners of the facility were an elderly couple “who became overwhelmed by all the dogs” and voluntarily called…
Art Car Weekend
With gas at around $4 a gallon, we’re wondering if this year’s Art Car Weekend might feature a lot more parking than actual driving. (And who can blame the artists? The automotive creations aren’t known for getting high miles-per-gallon.) Though it’s markedly less outré than the lost weekends of ten…
Madame Butterfly
“Opera” and “free” are not two words that commonly appear in the same sentence, but today the Houston Grand Opera puts on a show at Miller Outdoor Theatre that is not only gratis but one of the most adored masterworks of all time: Madame Butterfly. Sung in Italian with English…
Justin Cronin: The Passage
Most successful authors have to choose between literary and commercial success. Houstonian Justin Cronin has both. (He says the difference between the two is that literary works are appreciated and commercial works are sold.) A professor at Rice University, Cronin had quietly published two well-received literary novels before writing The…
Sizzling Summer Dance
Head to Miller Outdoor Theater to enjoy an evening of sizzling summer dance guaranteed to please everyone. The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company will explode onto stage in Sizzling Summer Dance, a performance of color, movement, music, diversity and dance. 8:30 to 10 p.m. For information, call 281-373-3387 or visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com…
Primus
Check out the list of influences of most any bass player going these days, and you will find a sworn allegiance to Primus’s Les Claypool, who for seven albums and countless side projects and guest appearances has been warping the fat-stringed minds of rock bassmen everywhere. Jokey in all places…
Asobi Seksu
Asobi Seksu couldn’t be a less fitting name for a band that creates such sentimental dream pop (it’s Japanese slang for “casual sex”). Influenced by the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Mazzy Star, the New York band employs lush instrumentation, distortion and breathy vocals on its lovelorn melodies. Fluorescence,…
Slap Slap Slap
Ideally, the Death Set’s punk-meets-electro live shows are sweaty, zealous affairs in DIY hovels, with crowds perpetually moving back and forth and the band rarely standing still. Dating back to the band’s origins in Australia and following developments through Baltimore, Philadelphia and Brooklyn, lead screamer Johnny Siera says the group’s…
Raging Moderate
Let’s be quite clear: Cracker/Camper van Beethoven front man David Lowery doesn’t play the rock-star game. “The night before the news broke about bin Laden being killed, we were playing this private party in a biker bar,” Lowery recalls. “A guy dressed in a dinosaur costume comes up afterward and…
The Mayor of Montrose
In Montrose, there’s no holiday that can’t be celebrated in a pair of tight white briefs. Tonight it’s Easter, and the go-go boys in bunny ears, white sneakers, and cottontails pinned to their underwear are exiting the stage at JR’s Bar & Grill. It’s last call at Houston’s most popular…
Is “Brown Pride” the Same as “White Pride”?
Dear Mexican, What happened to my friend? She is white (Irish — her only aunt was a Catholic nun!), she grew up in Pico Rivera (so most people think she is Mexican with green eyes), she is converting to Judaism, and guess what? All she meets are Mexicans! And all…
Captain Jack Won’t Die
After sinking into self-important tedium with its prior two overstuffed installments, Pirates of the Caribbean seemed destined for permanent burial at sea. And yet the soggy franchise and Johnny Depp’s foppish rapscallion return again for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides — to search for the fountain of youth,…
Dealing with Child Porn
COURTS, CRIME Dealing with Child Porn Prosecutors talk about the evidence By Richard Connelly Prosecuting those who produce or enjoy child pornography is a vitally important yet seemingly horrible job — to do it, you must face looking at the evidence. In some cases it’s “easy” — some child-porn consumers…
Monster Talent
The Monster at the Door, in its world premiere at the Alley Theatre, begins innocently enough. An artist named Maya (Portia) arrives at the corporate headquarters of a global securities firm to discuss her bid to create a mural for the corporation’s new building. Maya is a nervous sort, and…
Bootsie’s Kicks Butt
For more photos from Bootsie’s (and to see how that chicken-fried rabbit is made), take a look through our slideshow. A colleague and I were enjoying the bluesy rock on the hi-fi at Bootsie’s Heritage Cafe when our genial waitress delivered our lunch entrées. The music faded in my head…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Guns and Roses,” “Heinrich Kühn: The Perfect Photograph,” “Henry Horenstein: Show,” “Minimalux,” “Round 34: A Matter of Food,” “The Whole World Was Watching: Civil Rights-Era Photographs”
“Guns and Roses” On the surface, the new show at Anya Tish Gallery recalls happy childhood memories and tooth-rotting sweetness. But there’s dark commentary lurking in the work of Texas artists Shannon Cannings and Ann Wood. Cannings paints toy guns with an emphasis on their bright colors and plastic details,…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Debt Collectors, I Am Barbie, Four Places, [title of show]
Debt Collectors It’s a wonder the influential Swedish playwright (also painter, novelist, photographer and essayist) August Strindberg wrote any autobiography at all. After all, his life is richly detailed in every play — all his psychoses, neurotic desires, internal demons, prejudices and dreams. He changed theater forever with such sexy…
Carolyn Wonderland, John Egan
We didn’t do an exact count, but Carolyn Wonderland has probably won more Houston Press Music Awards than anyone else. At the very least, the singer-guitarist is right up there with D.R.U.M. and Los Skarnales, which is especially remarkable because she hasn’t won any since 2004, around the time she…
Yanni
During a recent teleconference with a pool of journalists, someone asked Yanni about his newest album, Truth of Touch, and he gave one of the most rock and roll answers we will ever hear from him: “It’s not the typical Yanni album. I took a lot of chances with it…
The Octanes
The Octanes don’t mess around — the Houston quartet plays straight-ahead three-on-the-tree rockabilly, with the hillbilly twang of Bart Maloney’s steel guitar and the mighty thump of Nick Gaitan’s upright bass and Snit Fitzpatrick’s formidable drums. Adam Burchfield is the man with the plan, toasting the Reverend Horton Heat with…
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man is arguably one of the hardest-working bands making music. They’ve released a record every year since 2006, and five EPs between 2005 and 2007. They tour tirelessly, constantly churning out their psychedelic funk grooves for the enjoyment of their dedicated fans. The Portland-via-Alaska band got its start…
