SEIU Janitors Protest at ExxonMobil
Janitors had a protest today in front of the ExxonMobil building, among others, to protest low wages. “Houston janitors are urging energy giants Exxon and Chevron to uphold the principles of corporate responsibility and revitalize communities,” SEIU”S Houston chapter tweeted. There have been other demonstrations around downtown as the union…
Stephanie Irene Santana, Allegedly Drunk & Pregnant: Clubhouse Leader in Bad Mom of the Year Stakes
Houston police say that 20-year-old pregnant mother Stephanie Irene Santana was drunk early this morning when she left her infant in the car to go get a body piercing at a North Freeway tattoo parlor. Whew. Let’s unpack that sentence, shall we… Drinking underage is against the law, so there’s…
Southwest Rolls Over United in Hobby Battle
In the end, it wasn’t even close. The epic battle between Southwest and United was won by SWA, with council voting 16-1 today to allow expansion that will enable international flights out of Hobby. United flies internationally out of Bush Intercontinental, and wanted to keep that status very much quo…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 87, Pastelitos de Carne at El Jalapeño
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…
Summer Fest Round Table: 9 Locals To Watch This Weekend
Rocks Off polled our writers to see which local or regional artist they most wanted to see at Free Press Summer Fest this weekend. Alexa Crenshaw: Robert Ellis recently rebooted his mid-week honky-tonk events, fittingly dubbed Whiskey Wednesday with Robert Ellis. The problem now, though, is that these weekly treats…
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Will Open in Midtown and Northwest Houston
It looks like the much-anticipated Inner-Loop Alamo Drafthouse in the Midtown area is finally going to happen. In news announced today, Triple Tap Ventures LLC, the group that already has Alamo Drafthouse Cinema locations in West Oaks Mall and on Mason Road in Katy, is going to add a spot…
Oh My, A List!: 7 Tips For Free Press Summer Fest Newbs
This will be the Rocks Off team’s fourth Free Press Summer Fest outing since the festival began that summer of 2009. I remember it well: The small stages, the blistering August heat, The Sword, rolling in the grass with Hippie Mike, all of it. The main stage headliners were Of…
Spurs Fans and Thunder Fans Brawl in the Stands (w/ VIDEO)
Well, the Conference Finals are in full swing in the NBA, and you know the old saying — the Conference Finals don’t really start until the two fan bases have a drunken brawl over something really, really stupid. (It used to be the series didn’t start until the road team…
Gay Bullying: Efforts to Fight It Are Improving
Being gay in the harsh environment of high school or college can be difficult and depressing. It’s been that way for years, as a gay classmate of Mitt Romney found out. While the problem is still persistent, efforts to fight it have become both more widespread and more effective. It’s…
Trailer Park: Another Film Version of Les Miserables? Big Gulps, Huh? Welp, See Ya Later!
Today the first trailer for the upcoming Les Misérables hit the Web. The film, starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried, is directed by Tom Hooper, who also helmed The King’s Speech. The money shot in the trailer is the sight of Hathaway getting her hair cut…
Houston Has Another “End of the Universe” in Chinatown with Banana Leaf II
Most Houstonians remember when the city was briefly thrust into the national spotlight for something far stupider than our usual assortment of bad press: The time several years back when comedian Lewis Black called Houston the “end of the universe” for having two Starbucks on opposite sides of the street…
Hot Band Alert: Lumineers Light Up Fitz Tonight
A few times a year, word of mouth about a band spreads at an unusually rapid pace. You can almost track the buzz in real time. First you hear a murmur or see a headline on some music blog that this band or that one might be good, then somebody…
Pat Lykos’s Loss Brings Joy to Lots of Ex-Prosecutors
Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos was soundly defeated in her GOP-primary re-election race yesterday, a result that greatly cheered the nearly 100 prosecutors who had left the DA’s office in her single term. Many of them were at the victory party for Mike Anderson, the former prosecutor who grabbed…
The White Stuff at Inman Gallery
David Aylsworth tried working with red the same way he works with white once, but it wasn’t meant to be. Despite that failed relationship, I don’t think anyone’s in mourning (red’s more Rothko’s thing, anyway). White has been incredibly generous to the Houston artist. In “The Reverses Wiped Away,” a…
What Are “Tannins” in Wine?
Have you ever been to a wine tasting or dinner party and heard some blowhard try to befuddle and belittle an enthusiastic however neophyte wine lover by asking can you taste how smooth the tannins are in this [red] wine? One of the most common misperceptions in the wine world…
Last Night: Chickenfoot at Bayou Music Center
Chickenfoot Bayou Music Center May 29, 2012 To quote a signature Sammy Hagar tune, “There’s only one way to rock.” For the legendary Sammy Hagar, his way comes with bells, whistles and this time teaming up with legends such as Joe Satriani and Van Halen’s Michael Anthony, among others. Chickenfoot…
Comment of the Day: Pat Lykos’s Replacement
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…
Pam Matranga Loses: Galveston Voters Toss Allegedly Forced-Motorboating, Public-Peeing Constable
Pam Matranga, the Galveston County constable who, according to a sexual harassment lawsuit, forced a deputy to motorboat her, gave the world such awful vaginal euphemisms as “duck taco” and was caught on video allegedly peeing in a park, has lost her primary re-election race. WHAT MORE COULD SHE HAVE…
Trina Turk Capsule Collection at Banana Republic on June 7
Move over, Target — Banana Republic is the latest destination for high-end design house capsule collections. On June 7, beach and casual-wear designer Trina Turk will be launching her 60-piece collection — chock-full of bright colors and splashy prints — at urban sophisticate-driven, workwear-centric retailer Banana Republic. Trina Turk is…
Sweat and Shrimp Heads: Behind the Scenes as Eat St. Films The Modular
It didn’t matter that it was high noon on a weekday afternoon in crushing heat and humidity: The line of customers at Grand Prize wrapped from the rear of the Montrose bar all the way to the city sidewalk out front. Sweaty fans were lined up on the hot concrete…
Unidentified Robber, Bayou Body Count No. 72
One half of a robbery team was shot and killed by someone in the house they were trying to hit, Houston police said. Shortly before noon Saturday, residents came home to their northside house in the 500 block of Reid to discover their electricity was out. One went back to…
Ruby Revue Burlesque Ticket Giveaway (w/ sNSFW VIDEO)
Video by Heather Alexander It’s no secret we love the ladies (and gents) of Ruby Revue Burlesque. That’s why we sent videographer Heather Alexander to their show at House of Blues this past weekend, where she talked to fellow fans and interviewed Missy Lisa, founder of the Dallas-based troupe. Peep…
A Roman Repast at Giacomo’s Cibo e Vino
When I told my husband I wanted to go to the May Roman Feast at Giacomo’s Cibo e Vino, he responded: “Will there be a vomitorium?”* “Good God, I hope not,” I said. “Though its presence might actually suggest people were really enjoying the food.” And they were. Light tones…
It’s Summer Season Television Time
As the fall season of television comes to a close, couch potatoes everywhere are left with an electronic void in their hearts. What the hell do you do with all the free time you have now that you have no new episodes to watch? Worry not, as your options are…
Fish, (Non) Finger Food, and a First Look at Concepción
Dining out with children is an exercise in situational awareness. Each experience is unique, with different variables leading to different possible outcomes, DEFCON-like in their escalating threat levels. Keen observation, forward planning and prior experience are critical in determining the proper strategy. Here at DEFCON Dining, we do the grunt…
Big Freedia: The Queen Diva of Bounce Music
Hip-hop, like any other form of music, is subject to localization. Different cities have different scenes with different sounds and different superstars. These scenes go largely underappreciated in the mainstream until a local hero makes good or the sound becomes too big to ignore. Like the San Francisco Bay’s hyphy…
Comment of the Day: Does the Chron’s Sports Coverage Suck?
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…
5 Most Overrated Photos of All Time
First we rated the five most overrated paintings of all time. Now it’s photography’s turn. Man Ray, Ansel Adams, Cindy Sherman, Joel-Peter Witkin, Weegee, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson. Who made the list and who didn’t? Read more to find out…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 Milkshakes
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. Milkshakes…
Legendary Appalachian Picker Doc Watson Passes Away at 89
Arthel “Doc” Watson, one of the all-time virtuosos of Appalachian guitar and a beloved figure in both the bluegrass and Americana communities, passed away Tuesday night at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a statement on his Web site www.docsguitar.com said. He was 89. It was reported…
Hurricane Season 2012: The Predictions — A Quiet Year in the Tropics?
With so few storms impacting the U.S. last season and with one of the worst droughts in recorded history gripping our region, it would be tempting to think that last year was a down year in hurricane production. In fact, it was quite the opposite. In 2011, the Atlantic produced…
La Pulga 59: Move Your Show Outside the Loop
Since moving out of Montrose, I have learned two valuable lessons. The first lesson will be disclosed later on. The second lesson is more relevant to the topic at hand: There is life, and copious amounts of culture, outside of the Loop. In the past few months I’ve been back…
This Week In Food Blogs: Brand-New Beer Bars and Capri in Spring
CultureMap: Craft beer fans have been waiting patiently for Mongoose versus Cobra to open since news of the Midtown beer bar broke earlier this year. Sarah Rufca has news on its impending opening — any day now! — and what you can expect in the newly renovated space. Home.: In…
100 Creatives 2012: Patrick Palmer; He Paints Big Heads
Patrick Palmer is a head case in the best way possible. Palmer, Dean of the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, spends a lot of his time away from work painting beautiful (and sometimes abstract) portraits of the human head. Some of Palmer’s impressive pieces…
Know Your Local Media: Laura Reynolds and Her Sexy Traffic
Each week, we will profile an esteemed member of the local media and ask them five questions, for better or worse. Name: Laura Reynolds Employer: CBS Radio Title: Assistant Program Director/Traffic Reporter Laura Reynolds wears a lot of hats for the various CBS-owned radio stations including 610 AM, 650 AM…
Frankie Rose Goes for a “Night Swim”
I was already familiar with the stunning work of Frankie Rose from her role in the Dum Dum Girls. Now she’s out unsupervised with a solo album, Interstellar, and it more than lives up to her “other” project’s excellence. I was sent along a promotional video for the song “Night…
Wear Sunscreen: Great Commencement Speeches for Graduation Season
Graduation season for college and high school is over, and hell, I guess they let kindergarteners graduate, too, with great fanfare. I remember mine like it was yesterday. I drank so much punch at the party afterwards I almost peed my He-Man underwear. It’s a grand time for students, who…
The Heat Is On: Temps Will Feel Like Summer Has Arrived This Week
Welcome to summer, Houston! While the actual beginning to summer is next month, Memorial Day is the unofficial signal that the hot weather is coming and every place you like to go for coffee will be packed with kids out of school. For Houstonians, it also marks the time of…
Ten of the Stranger Words on the Homeland Security Watch List
The Internet is buzzing today over the story from the UK Daily Mail revealing a long list of words that the Department of Homeland Security monitors on social media and online media for signs of terrorist activity. As you might expect, the list contains words that are not surprising –…
Texas Number 14 on List of Most Christian States, Houston Ninth Most Religious Among Cities
A study released by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) covering the religious affiliations by region of the country ranked Texas as the 14th most Christian state, with more than 53 percent of Texans identifying themselves as members of a Christian religion. Not surprisingly, the majority of…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 88, Honey Badger Omelet at Kraftsmen Cafe
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…
Readers Poll: Album Titles As Your Legal Name?
Two weeks ago, Led Zeppelin II of Bethalto, Illinois, passed away after suffering a heart attack at the age of 64. No, the Zep album didn’t die. We all know that that album will last forever because it’s damned awesome and loud, and the cover rules. The former George Blackburn…
Ten Other Gum-Themed Gang Names to Rival the “Big Red Gangstas”
According to reports, there was a spate of vandalism over the weekend out in the Willowbrook area. Car windows were smashed, things were spray-painted and general breaking of things happened. And apparently it was the work of the Big Red Gangstas. No one yet knows if this is an actual…
Feel-Good Story of the Week: Local Waiter Receives $5,000 Tip
If you thought the story of a Killen’s Steakhouse waiter receiving a nearly $3,000 tip on a $12,000 bill last week was heartwarming, that’s nothing compared to what happened this past weekend at D’Amico’s Italian Market Café. Server Greg Rubar has worked at the restaurant’s Rice Village location for 16…
Unidentified Woman, 76, in Hit and Run, Bayou Body Count No. 71
An unidentified 76-year-old woman was killed when a vehicle struck her in the 6700 block of Ranchester in southwest Houston around 7:45 p.m. Sunday night. She was pronounced dead after being rushed to Ben Taub Hospital. According to police, the woman was hit by a man driving a green Toyota…
Broadway Classic The Fantasticks Charms at Houston Family Arts Center
The setup: The long-running and fabled off-Broadway hit The Fantasticks returns to Houston with its sweetness and charm intact, courtesy of Houston Family Arts Center. The execution: Part of the appeal of this vehicle is its deliberately low production values, as the audience is asked to use its imagination, for…
Half-off on Tapas Around Town: Convivio Restaurant, Majorca Bistro Offer Big Savings on Small Plates
Big Memorial Day portions leave you feeling stuffed to the gills? Today’s Houston Press Voice Deal of the Day delivers delicious tapas to your plate with $15 for $30 at Convivio Restaurant. Delivering all of the complex, decadent flavors you expect, with a generous side of Spanish romance, Convivio offers…
Upcoming: The Shins, MC Chris, Supersuckers, Indigo Girls, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Etc.
7Horse: Wed., June 20, 8 p.m., Free. Under The Volcano, 2349 Bissonnet, Houston. And So I Watch You From Afar, Zechs Marquise: Thu., July 5, 8 p.m., $10/$12. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Archnemesis: Thu., July 26, 8 p.m., $10/$12. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Bulletboys, Faster Pussycat: Thu., July…
ZZ Top Readies New Texicali EP for Release Next Week (UPDATED)
UPDATE: Also according to the publicist, the still-unnamed album is scheduled for release in late summer or early fall. UPDATE DEAUX: Check out our release day review of Texicali here. Our long national nightmare is over: ZZ Top is finally releasing new music next Tuesday, June 5. Their Texicali EP…
Hottest Cosplay at Comicpalooza 2012
Read our full Comicpalooza adventures: Day 1 with Ron Paul, shopping on Day 2, horror on Day 3 and the entire Comicpalooza convention in slideshow form. One of the best parts of any festival like Comicpalooza is the costumes. What we mean by that is that it’s one of the…
A Handy Guide to What Photos NOT to Post on Facebook This Summer
With the first “official” weekend of summer in the books, I think it might be a good time to review what your personal policies on posting photos to Facebook should be this year. Judging by what some of you post on a regular basis and by the responses of your…
Summer Reading: Our Top Five Novels
We know you’ll have some time on your hands this summer so we’ve figured out a way to help fill it for you. Yes, we’re talking books. 5. Bared to You by Sylvia Day If you’ve already finished Fifty Shades of Grey and you’re ready for another erotic title, try…
Muscadet: A Best Value Summer White Wine
On a conference call with New York and Chicago last week, my colleagues were surprised to learn that it’s already hitting 90 degrees Fahrenheit here along the Gulf Coast. They’re still wearing evening sweaters, they said. I’m already in flip-flops and bathing trunks (even though we don’t have a pool)…
Eve 6 2.0: Alt-Rockers Find Life After a Radio Hit
In 1998, my sister bought Eve 6’s self-titled debut album and wouldn’t let me listen to it. So I did what every younger sibling did in that situation: I stole it from her room while she was out with her friends. I took it to my room and carefully placed…
Sketchy Evangelist K.A. Paul Arrested in Connection with Brother’s Death
K.A. Paul, our favorite leper-stealing evangelist, has been arrested in India for allegedly conspiring to kill an aide who police suspect Paul had hired to kill his own brother in 2010. Paul and his brother, David Raju, had become embroiled in a bitter property dispute, and the latter was found…
Fitz & The Tantrums: Don’t Call Them “Retro”
Fitz and The Tantrums, a group Rolling Stone named one of its “bands to watch” last year, will be gracing Houston with their presence Sunday at Free Press Summer Fest. The six-piece soul-influenced indie-pop band likes to embrace difference. Influenced by Motown and Stax, the band lacks guitars, but makes…
Where Are We Drinking? Clue: It’s a Bit O’ Irish
Houston’s got its fair share of Irish pubs — authentic or otherwise — but on this street, you’ll find two of the city’s best right across the way from each other. If we told you one, you’d easily be able to guess the other…so just tell us which one of…
My Wonderful Day at Main Street Theater: Truly a Wonderful Play
Read our interview with director Jonathan Gonzalez. The setup: British playwright Alan Ayckbourn (House and Garden, Norman Conquests, Absurd Person Singular) is so prolific, he writes plays like we use the ATM machine. This recent comedy, in a marvelously entertaining production from Main Street Theater, is a beauty. The execution:…
Comment of the Day: In Honor of Memorial Day?
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…
Fast and Fresh Times at Georgia’s Farm-to-Market Downtown
Note: I wrote this entry before learning that Georgia Bost of Georgia’s Farm to Market had passed away. I was sad to hear that, and she seems like an awesome lady. My best friend and his wife were visiting this past week from St. Cloud, Minnesota, and when they come…
Gothic Council on Gothic Hate Crime
There was another random attack on United Kingdom goths last week. Melody McDermott, 22, was knocked across a tram by a head butt delivered from Kenneth Kelsall, 47. Kelsall then proceeded to punch and kick the downed McDermott while his accomplice, Gareth Farrar, attacked McDermott’s companion Stephen Stafford before the…
Your Quick Guide to Cannes 2012
While us normal folk were working our 40 hours and anticipating the long holiday weekend, the beautiful people were over in France attending the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Cannes is often considered the cream of the crop of the festival circuit. This is no Sundance, with its snow boots, Motorola-sponsored…
Get Your Vote On: Where to Vote in Today’s Primary
That’s right, kids, don’t check your calendars, it’s time to vote. Normally, this type of thing in Texas happens a bit sooner, but thanks to a crazy redistricting battle, it got pushed back to today. As per usual, nice weather will contribute to a healthy turnout, even if the GOP…
DVDs & Blu-rays: Memorial Day and Coriolanus
Memorial Day stars Jonathan Bennett and James Cromwell; Sam Fischer directs. It’s the day after Memorial Day, but we’re still in the mood for heroes. Two films being released on DVD/Blu-ray today feature, if not out-and-out heroes, at least heroic warriors. First up is Memorial Day, the story of an…
La Lupita Lives Up to Its Tagline: “No Tex. Just Mex.”
Upon stepping through La Lupita’s heavy, black-iron door, you’re greeted with rustic shelves holding tequila and baskets of colorful produce; a lively painting of La Virgen de Guadalupe; and a bright-red ceiling centerpiece made of hand-blown glass hearts. A grand spiral staircase with a wrought-iron railing beckons you to the…
Walking Through the Five Stages of Grief with Ghostface Killah
This weekend, my father and I had a falling-out. The specifics of the exchange will not advance the narrative in any meaningful way. You just need to know that he felt one way about something and I felt another way about that same thing, and we let each other know…
BBVA Compass Stadium Has to Wait a Little Longer for Music
The brand-new BBVA Compass Stadium, the home of the Houston Dynamo and TSU football Tigers, will have to wait a little longer for its first concert. Pop-country duo Sugarland has canceled its scheduled August 26 show at BBVA due to the ever-ambiguous “scheduling conflict,” the stadium announced late Monday afternoon…
Facebook: There Are Too Many Apps for That
Mark Zuckerberg and his minions team at Facebook have never been ones to follow the trends, and that, in some ways, has led to the unprecedented success they have had since the monolithic social network came online. But as their bottom line has increased, they have often confused the living…
Pop Rocks: Is Pete Campbell the Biggest Tool in TV History? We Have Some Other Contenders.
Last Sunday’s Mad Men found the normally unctuous Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), junior partner and SCDP, in rare form: engineering an office push to get Joan to sleep with a Jaguar big shot in order to secure their account, calling a vote when Don left the room and self-righteously defending…
Who’s Got the Power?: The Musicians on Forbes’s Most Powerful Celebrities List
Fame and fortune might not be the ultimate goal for every person to ever write a song or learn an instrument, but it is for a lot of people out there. It would be lovely to believe that music is done 100% of the time for the “right” reasons, but…
A Helluva Italian Sub at Raia’s Italian Cafe and Market
Being from New Jersey, where a gazillion old-school delis are right at my fingertips, I often find myself craving a good Italian sub. The perfect sub is like an antipasto stuffed inside bread — with quality ingredients, it can’t not be good. But not every deli meets the criteria. Luckily,…
Saturday Night: Plants and Animals at Fitzgerald’s
Plants and Animals, Vestibule Fitzgerald’s May 27, 2012 “It takes a good friend to say you’ve got your head up your ass,” sang Plants and Animals lead vocalist Warren Spicer Saturday. It does. These Montreal musicians played their hearts out to a small but mighty crowd at Fitzgerald’s. Truthfully, I…
Why Can’t Houston Media Actually Employ People from Houston?
You probably don’t know who Nick Mathews and Randy Harvey are. But as of next month, they’ll be the new sports editor and new sports columnist at the Houston Chronicle. Congratulations to the both of them, but frankly, I’m troubled by their additions to the Houston sports scene. Neither’s a…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 Patios
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. Nope,…
Fashion and Design Book Obsession: Assouline Publishing
I adore fashion books. And as much as I adore shopping at small, local bookstores, I can’t always find what I am looking for — and I can’t always wait for them to order it. My go-to source for the best of the high-end publications on luxury fashion, travel and…
Jack Bell Tenas, 24, Bayou Body Count No. 70
A Missouri City man was shot in south Houston Thursday night as he was talking with friends. Jack Bell Tenas, 24, was sitting in his truck with a female friend in the 2100 block of Holly Hall about 11:30 Thursday. They were talking with a third friend when three men…
Video Game High School: Rock O’Clock is 3:32
Video Game High School continues to be one of the greatest things on the Internet in last week’s episode. I’m always a big fan of dream sequences, having been weaned on red rooms and the dancing dwarf in Twin Peaks, and the one that opens the episode is something else…
In Memoriam: The Daily New Orleans Times-Picayune
And so it has come to pass: A venerable and award-winning major metropolitan daily soon cease publishing every day. Last week, Newhouse Newspapers announced that this fall the 175-year-old New Orleans Times-Picayune, would only hit the streets in print form three days a week: Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. When the…
Comment of the Day: Another Vote to Raze the Dome
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…
Houston 101: Will Hogg, Houston’s Forgotten, Eccentric and Downright Badass Philanthropist
What better time than Memorial Day to remember Will Hogg, the man who founded Memorial Park? If that (and the Arboretum) was all Will Hogg gave Houston, that would rank as one of the grandest local legacies anyone has ever achieved. But Will Hogg did so much more. He founded…
Sticky Fingers: 10 Musicians Who Deserve Their Own Ice Cream
Ice cream is good — especially in the summer and of course today. With the advent of the deliciously yummy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, among others, ice-cream companies have been naming their flavors after artists for years. Ben & Jerry’s especially has been at the forefront of naming their…
Mad Men: You Can Never Truly Own a Woman
It was a rough one for our Mr. Don Draper during this week’s episode of Mad Men. Things just got moving along for the team at SCDP, and the season has only two episodes left! This is standard fare for creator Matthew Weiner. It feels as if he has an…
Where Are We Eating? Clue: Let’s Have a Chaat
At this southwest Houston restaurant, you can chat over an afternoon spread of chaat, or snacks. And the samosas seen below are not only stuffed with potatoes and peas but are also served with an assortment of other snackworthy vegetables and rich chutneys. Does the plate below look familiar? If…
App of the Week: Let iTranslate Voice Do Your Talking for You
App: iTranslate Voice Platform: iPhone Web site: iTranslate Voice Cost: $0.99 Back in the ’90s, there was this cool band from Denton called Ten Hands. They were sort of a weird mix of the Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel and Frank Zappa. They had really quirky material and covered a wide…
What’s Cooking This Week? For One, Turkey Cheddar Burgers with Blue Cheese Slaw
I love homemade meals with my fiancé, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to 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…
Second Annual Brazarre Supports American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life
Most know Sam VanBibber as a local artist and, until last year, owner of Westheimer vintage clothing store Wear It Again, Sam. But she is also a breast cancer survivor. VanBibber was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. Soon after, she started a blog, Lifeisshortdancefast, to share her trials with…
Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino: Enemy of Bad Taste
It’s been a busy year for Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino. Last week, the duo of Cosentino and Bobb Bruno released their sophomore album, The Only Place, for which they recruited production bigwig Jon Brion. The very same week, Cosentino also launched a vintage-inspired line for hipster haven Urban Outfitters. Best…
Get Grilling: A Memorial Day Barbecue Roundup
Like most red-blooded Americans, I’ll be grilling out with my family today in celebration of Memorial Day. (You’re not barbecuing? COMMIE. McCarthy is coming for you.) So while I’m out back helping my dad tend to his famous pork butt, here are a few links to help you enjoy the…
Game of Thrones: “Blackwater”
What’s been most surprising about the lead-up to the Battle of the Blackwater, the decisive clash between the forces of King Joffrey and his uncle, Stannis Baratheon, is how little preparation Joffrey seemed to be putting into it. All we were privy to, at least, were some brief discussions between…
Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na… Playlist!
I just got back from Comicpalooza and have Batman on the brain. I mean, I always have Batman on the brain because he’s freakin’ Batman, but now it’s reached the jumping from furniture to furniture with a blanket tied around my neck screaming, “I am vengeance! I am the night!”…
Summer’s Here: The 11 Best Flag-Bikini Photos from Our Collection
Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer, and that means it’s time for women to break out the bikinis. Sometimes, this bikini-breakening-out can mean a display of pride in their native land, whether that involves American-flag bikinis, Confederate-flag bikinis, Texas-flag bikinis or bikinis featuring flags from around the world…
Presidents’ Sons at War: 13 Service Records, from the Mediocre to the Ultimate Sacrifice
Being the parent of someone fighting in a war is no picnic, even if you’re a president. In the modern era, several future or incumbent presidents had sons in the military in wartime. Some of those sons did much, some very little, one paid the ultimate price. Let’s look, building…
The Ten Greatest War Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen
Broadly speaking, Hollywood makes war movies for two reasons that aren’t profit-related (which we take as a given): to give the audience the slightest inkling of what actual battle is like (the closest most of us come is our biannual paintball game), and to commemorate the sacrifices our fighting men…
The Foodie’s List of 100 Things to Eat Before You Die…in Houston
When we published our “Foodie’s List of 100 Things to Eat Before You Die,” the suggestion was made by several people that we reprint the list — this time with instructions on where to find these various delicacies in Houston. I’ll tell you that not all of the dishes or…
5 Memorial Day Pornos to Honor Our Country
Every Memorial Day, networks run marathons of classic war movies that dramatize the tragedies and victories our brave veterans experienced in service to their country. You bet we’ll be watching Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, The Longest Day and a host of others. But you know what else we’ll be watching?…
Hunting Down Heinz Varieties at H-E-B
For a glimpse of the impressive assortment of Heinz products available at the West Alabama H-E-B, see our slideshow. In his “totally biased supermarket ranking,” Sam Brown listed the H-E-B on West Alabama as No. 1. I heartily agree, but admit I, too, am heavily biased because it’s a stone’s…
Happy Memorial Day: 10 Songs To Honor Our Veterans
Memorial Day, the last Monday of May is a federal holiday originated to commemorate our country’s fallen soldiers. Yes, some view it as a work holiday and a good time to barbecue, but our veterans would have to disagree. To honor our vets, we put together a playlist this day…
Houston Ballet Proud to Be Made in America
Houston Ballet’s Made in America is the company’s annual celebration of stateside-developed choreography. This year’s program includes works by ballet icons George Balanchine and Mark Morris, as well a newly commissioned piece by dance sensation Nicolo Fonte. Honoring America’s role in the development of ballet is a tradition worth keeping,…
5 Ridiculous/Offensive Memorial Day Commercials
Some businesses are jerks for pimping a junk heap on wheels on Memorial Day. Others are silly for trying to sell sexual innuendo-heavy mattresses (“firm,” “spread out,” “not squishy”) on a day that’s supposed to be all about giving it up to American servicemen and women. Then there are these…
Friday Night: Rammstein at Toyota Center
Rammstein Toyota Center May 25, 2012 See pics from Rammstein’s fire-fueled concert in our slideshow. When the house lights came up at the end of Friday night’s Rammstein show, the crowd headed toward the exits and the custodial crew of the Toyota Center hit the floor. Mops in hand, they…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: Ketzal’s Corridors
The Game: Ketzal’s Corridors Platform: 3DS (eShop) Developer: Nintendo Genre: Puzzle Describe This Game in Three Words: A Better Tetris Plot Synopsis: Once a loving god named Ketzal built glorious temples in the spirit world, only for the evil god Koruptal to invade and steal Ketzal’s hearts. With the spirit…
Comicpalooza Day 3: What Is Real Horror?
Read my adventures from Day 1, and Craig Hlavaty’s take on Day 2, then head over to our slideshow to see more Comicpalooza action and cosplay. Being the Houston Press’s resident goth, it’s probably not a surprise that I view morning the same way Ron Paul views income tax. It’s…
Comicpalooza Day 2: Bring Money
Check out our first day at Comicpalooza. And Day 3, then head over to our slideshow to see more Comicpalooza action and cosplay. Guess what? Gum that was manufactured in 1988 doesn’t taste good. Heck, I don’t think it tasted good in 1988. I learned this after I bought a…
Comicpalooza Day 1: Ron Paul Endorses Ghostbusters
Check out our second day at Comicpalooza and Day 3, then head over to our slideshow to see more Comicpalooza action and cosplay. Former or current presidential candidate — depending on your level of optimism — Ron Paul was just roaming the halls of Comicpalooza. Obama I would’ve expected, he’s…
This Week in Deliciousness: Pet Food, Pets As Food, and More
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating…Our Words, where the kinds of things we’re filling watermelons with would make your head spin. I mean, sure, everybody goes with vodka, but how many of you have tried an Absinthe & Everclear bomb? Not many of you, judging from the…
5 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: Umbrella Man, Robert Cray, Etc.
A short one this week, for the long holiday weekend. But worthwhile. Outside-the-Loop gig of the weekend: The Mighty Orq at Main Street Crossing in Tomball tonight at 8 p.m.. Ask Orq about the band’s European tour last month. Soulful Space City spokesman Nick Gaitan celebrates the release of his…
Galveston Pleasure Pier Opens Just in Time for Memorial Day (UPDATED)
Be sure to check out our pictures of the Pleasure Pier and our Summer Guide story on its construction and history. You can barely tell that the Flagship was ever there. The past-its-prime hotel, which was destroyed in 2008 by Hurricane Ike, has been replaced by Landry’s new Galveston Island…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 89, Beer-Battered Asparagus at Hearsay
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…
The Lot of a Freelance Writer, from One of Our Own
Freelance writing is probably not for you if you’re a fan of rejection. But if you’re determined to speak your piece, not to mention a little thick-skinned and willing to hear the word “no” a lot, you might even be able to make a living at it. This morning for…
Amelia Perez, 46, Bayou Body Count No. 69
A 46-year-old woman died when the driver of the SUV she was in got into a wild accident, Houston police say. Amelia Perez was a passenger in a Chevrolet Suburban driven by Casimiro Campos, 64, in the 5400 block of Anderson on the southwest side about 2 p.m. Wednesday. “Campos…
Last Night: Ty Segall at Walter’s
Ty Segall, White Fence, Useless Eaters, Mikey and the Drags Walter’s May 24, 2012 This was all just garage/psychedelic/whatever-you-may-call-it rock at its finest. You could say that Ty Segall brought a rowdy crowd that used the larger space at Walter’s on Naylor well indeed, to say the least. Segall, along…
Last-Minute Memorial Day Weddings on the Cheap
It’s the weekend of weddings. Have you been debating getting married but thought you couldn’t pull it off? Need to shotgun it? Or maybe you are just loco and met the guy of your dreams at 2 a.m. last night at Poison Girl and are desperate to tie the knot…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Benjy Mason of Down House and His Take on Classic American Dishes
Benjy Mason Down House 1801 Yale St. 713-864-3696 www.downhousehouston.com This is the last installment of a three-part chef chat series. Click to read Part 1 and Part 2. For the last two days, we’ve been chatting with Down House’s executive chef, Benjy Mason, about his love of Chinese food as…
Which One of You Dead Mother******* Asked for a Men in Black III?
I guess I liked Men in Black as much as the next freshman in high school back in the summer of 1997. Will Smith was just coming off of Independence Day the year before, Tommy Lee Jones is always a pleasure to watch perform, the special effects were cool and…
Kevin Bernard Hunter, 51, Learns Box Cutter No Match for Two HPD Guns, Bayou Body Count No. 68
A man armed with a box cutter attacked two undercover police officers in a car and was shot to death by them, HPD says. Kevin Bernard Hunter, 51, was killed about 9:15 last night in the 2000 block of Dewalt, near Tidwell and I-45. Police say the two undercover cops…
Rock On: 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…
Last Night: Father John Misty & Har Mar Superstar at Fitzgerald’s
Father John Misty & Har Mar Superstar Fitzgerald’s May 24, 2012 “I’m going to be the first to combine sad bastard music and men’s fitness, and maintain my integrity in each,” said Josh Tillman, fronting Father John Misty, or inhabiting the Father John Misty, last night at Fitzgerald’s, right before…
Upcoming Events: Southern Star in Northern Houston and Wino Wednesdays
If you don’t quite know how to pair wines with Indian food, let Narin’s Bombay Brasserie be your guide at its upcoming Summer Wine Dinner on June 7. Chef Gary Grewal will be serving an array of Indian dishes, all matched with international wines from Republic National sommelier Brett Walters…
Hammered Miami Heat Fan Strips to Bra & Panties to Celebrate a Win (VIDEO Analysis)
I realize that, unless you’re a member of LeBron James’s or Dwyane Wade’s immediate family, it’s awfully tough to find a reason to root for the Miami Heat. While they’re not the lightning rod for vitriol that they were coming off of LeBron’s “Decision” in the summer of 2010, the…
Week in Photos: Solar Eclipse
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…
Ten Must-Read Articles for Your Memorial Day Weekend Lounging Pleasure
Break out the white shoes, everyone — summer is here! Memorial Day Weekend is coming up and it’s time to do all those Memorial Day Weekend-y things: barbecue, lie by the pool (or on the beach) with a trashy novel and a stack of fashion glossies, get a wicked sunburn…
The Avengers: Rise of the Shawarma
Anyone who has ever watched a movie based on a Marvel comic knows you’ve got to stay put until after the final credits roll. There’s always a clip that alludes to the sequel, prequel or a spin-off — but no one would have imagined that the post-credits scene from The…
Knights of the Fire Kingdom: Houston’s Hottest Band
Yes, another article about the same band. See a different take on Knights of the Fire Kingdom in Jef With One F’s “bus-stop” interview. Houston has known Jeoaf Johnson as the burly beardo playing drums in Roky Moon & BOLT for the past three years. Yes, him. Now that the…
Last Night: Buxton & The Tontons at Discovery Green
Buxton, the Tontons Discovery Green May 24, 2012 I was pretty proud of myself Thursday night: I managed to kill three birds with one stone. I’d never seen local darlings Buxton or the Tontons live before, and I’d never been to a concert at Discovery Green, either. Thanks to UH-Downtown’s…
Rest in Peace, Astrodome, You Deserved So Much Better
From April 1988 through January 2000, I spent a lot of time at the Astrodome. About 100-150 nights a year, each year, more or less. My first job was operating the out-of-town games scoreboard for the Astros. I carried camera cables on the turf during Oiler games, dodged Monster Trucks…
Health Department Roundup: Stirrings at Yelapa, and a Banana Mystery
This week’s inspection report listing is a wasteland of fast-food establishments. They all have franchise numbers attached to differentiate between locations, but somehow those four- and five-digit identifiers make each Burger King and McDonald’s seem more anonymous. Could you tell the difference between a Subway with dirty non-food-contact surfaces on…
Comicpalooza This Weekend!
Last year Houston Press spent three glorious days hanging out in the George R. Brown Convention Center for Comicpalooza. The event is growing by leaps and bounds, and this year looks to be even better than the year before. We’ll be there for the duration, letting you know what bits…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Chernobyl Diaries
Title: Chernobyl Diaries Is This Anything Like The Princess Diaries? Chernobyl Diaries has fewer mutants. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant to the Film: One and a half cooling towers out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Stupid tourists sneak into site of nuclear disaster, are justifiably murdered. Tagline: “Experience the fallout.”…
Henri Bendel Opening Boutique in the Galleria on June 22
Fashionable ladies, mark your calendars for the June 22 grand opening of Henri Bendel at the Galleria. Finally, the retailer — known for lovely accessories, gifts, fragrance and cosmetics — is coming to Houston. The signature brown-and-white-striped Henri Bendel shopping bag will soon swing from the hands of many a…
Yello Echo: Complicated Instigators Keep Disco Torch Lit
Each week, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? E-mail their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Here’s what you’re about to walk into: A…
Openings & Closings: Making the Most of Main Street
It was a week full of news items, both big and small, starting with the big news that Ronnie Killen of Killen’s Steakhouse in Pearland has leased the old Stella Sola space in the Heights. He plans to open a second location of his steakhouse in the spot after it’s…
Know Your Local Media: Adam Clanton, the Jim Rome-Impersonating Sports Guy from Channel 2
Each week, we will profile an esteemed member of the local media and ask them five questions, for better or worse. Name: Adam Clanton Employer: KPRC-TV Channel 2 Title: Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter/Producer With so many local sports personalities hailing from up north — we have more than our fair share…
Early NFL Season Win Total Lines Have Brought Out a New Trash-Talky Side of Bob McNair
“I think we are a contender, so that’s no surprise to me. I guess they got tired of losing money out there, putting our over-and-under too low, so they’re getting more realistic.” — Houston Texans owner Bob McNair trash-talking the oddsmakers when asked about the Texans’ status as favorites in…
Knights of the Fire Kingdom: “I Dunno Why Fire Is Awesome”
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. I was sitting in my office about to begin the night’s drinking when Roky Moon and BOLT’s Aaron Echegaray came in without knocking. He…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock
The Game: Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock Platform: PSN Developer: Supermassive Games Genre: Action Describe This Game in Three Words: You’re the Doctor Plot Synopsis: A deadly time storm threatens to rip the universe apart, and only a trip to the Eternity Clock, a planet that stands as the ultimate…
Whitney of the Ginger Man: Local Beers Make Her Proud
This week, I paid a visit to that Rice Village staple, the original Ginger Man, to have a post-work beer at a picnic table in the evening sun. You can always count on the Ginger Man for a great beer selection featuring some of Texas’s and Houston’s finest labels, and…
So You Want to Buy a Former Meth Lab!: Meth-Testing Houses the New Big Thing
There are lots of important things to consider when choosing an apartment, house or trailer: commute time, distance to retail centers, public schools — but perhaps the most important thing of all is, “How do I get rid of that stagnant meth-lab odor?” Well, thanks to companies like USA Decon,…
The Ultimate Wes Anderson Soundtrack Playlist: Extra Superlatives
Last week I told you about the soundtrack for director Wes Anderson’s upcoming feature Moonrise Kingdom, which showcases the work of composers Leonard Bernstein and Alexandre Desplat, Benjamin Britten and strange bedfellow Hank Williams Sr. Anderson’s films are the most anticipated movies of most every year, because they are like…
100 Creatives 2012: Ana Mae Holmes, Jewelry Designer
What she does: Ana Mae Holmes is the creator and owner of {temple street}, a line of handcrafted, limited-edition jewelry. “I do a limited run on my designs, which means I may only make ten of a certain necklace, and when it’s sold out, it’s gone,” Holmes said. Holmes describes…
For Memorial Day: 10 Great Surprise Soldier Reunions (VIDEO)
Memorial Day is, of course, the day we honor those soldiers, sailors, airmen (of both sexes) and Marines who have given that last full measure of devotion. Luckily, most who serve do not have to do that. They sacrifice time with friends and family and put themselves in danger, but…
Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 8 Dance Clubs
With the term “dance club,” there are two ways to go. There’s the myopic view, where the term strictly means the glitzy, glamorous, fabulous clubs (once known as “discotheques”) that maybe aren’t specifically for dancing but certainly do include it in their arsenals, and there’s the panoptic view, which refers…
9 Tips on Being a Paid Freelance Writer
Recently I passed a personal milestone and finished my 1,000th blog entry for the Houston Press over the course of a four-year career. When you throw in print work I do here and for other publications, the total number of articles I’ve had published ranks closer to 1,200. It’s a…
Rich’s Property Owner Locks Out Tenants
The property owner of Rich’s Nightclub, the Midtown dance club about to celebrate its 29th anniversary this fall, has locked out his tenants, who had been running the club since October 2011, and terminated their lease. Nassim Joseph Jr., Managing Member of 2401 San Jacinto, LLC, confirmed to Rocks Off…
Nicholas Scott Grammer: Almost Dies on a Stolen Motorcycle, Swipes Another Weeks Later, Police Say
From looking at his court records and two Facebook pages, it’s clear that Nicholas Scott Grammer loves motorcycles. Unfortunately for the 22-year-old Deer Park native and everyone else in the Galveston Bay area, it seems that he loves two things even more: 1) not paying for them, and 2) speeding…
This Means War: $1K Reward Offered for Info on the Heathens Who Vandalized Pearland’s Football Field
Messing with The Rig? Have people no sense of decency these days? The Rig, which is what they call Pearland High School’s football stadium, has been attacked by persons who somehow do not hold Pearland football in the high esteem it has earned. We’re thinking someone from Friendswood. The Texas-map…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 90, Chicken Sandwich at JerryBuilt Homegrown Burgers
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…
Bluegrass Great Doc Watson Hospitalized
Word has come that Doc Watson, beloved 89-year-old flat-picking genius and elder statesman of the Americana music scene, has been airlifted to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after suffering a fall at his home. According to reports in Bluegrass Today and the Raleigh News & Observer, Watson is being…
Beer Tasting : Me :: Broccoli : 4-Year-Olds Popperings Hommel and Inappropriate Analogies
The first time I tried Popperings Hommel, a 750ml purchase meant to assuage my disappointment at not being able to try it at Hay Merchant, I didn’t really like it. I think my palate must have been sabotaged by jealousy, a bitter soul poisoning my perceptions. In general, I treat…
Troy Allen Randle, 45, Biker Killed by Allegedly Drunk Driver. Bayou Body Count No. 67
A drunk driver slammed into a motorcyclist who was in the midst of a traffic stop and killed him, Houston police say. Monson Durham, 43, faces charges of intoxication manslaughter. Troy Allen Randle, 45, was on his Kawasaki about 12:45 this morning when cops began a traffic stop on Yellowstone’s…
Vintage Nerdcore: Pac-Man Fever at 30
Much like pro wrestling, video games are another part of pop culture easily referenced by the modern artist, whether it’s Styles P checking Red Dead Redemption in “B.M.F. (Blowing Money Fast),” Del The Funky Homosapian’s love letter to video games “Proto Culture” or Childish Gambino sampling the music from Donkey…
DVDs & Blu-rays: Sherlock, Season Two
We admit television series don’t get much attention in this column, but this week’s release of Sherlock, Season Two is just too good to pass up. Benedict Cumberbatch is Sherlock, gifted as a detective but completely bereft of social skills. Martin Freeman is his partner and friend John Watson, a…
R.I.P. Georgia Bost, Founder of Georgia’s Texas Grassfed Beef and Georgia’s Farm to Market
Houston has lost a visionary, a pioneer and a truly kindhearted soul: Georgia Bost, the amazing woman behind Georgia’s Grass-Fed Beef and the two Georgia’s Farm to Markets that sold natural, organic and local products to thousands of Houstonians, has passed away after an illness. She was 62. “Her spirit…
El Salvador vs. New Zealand: BBVA’s First International Match Ends in a 2-2 draw
So what do you get when you cross FIFA’s 49th-ranked team against its 130th? You get BBVA Compass Stadium’s first international soccer match featuring El Salvador and New Zealand. And it didn’t disappoint. The 2-2 draw had more goals than either of the Dynamo’s first two games at BBVA. A…
Lose Your Illusion: 5 Lowlights of the Tour That Tore Guns N’ Roses Apart
On May 24, 1991, Guns N’ Roses embarked on its Use Your Illusion Tour, a massive 192-date concert spectacular that took the band to every place on the planet with electricity. The string of shows marked the very height of Guns’ popularity, with more than seven million people in 27…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Benjy Mason of Down House, on Going from Staging at Feast to Executive Chef at Down House in Nine Months
Benjy Mason Down House 1801 Yale St. 713-864-3696 www.downhousehouston.com This is the second part of a three-part chef chat series. Read Part 1 here and Part 3. Yesterday we chatted with Benjy Mason about his learning to make dumplings as an exchange student in China, and how he was given…
Free for All: The Emotional Life of a Spy, SK8 and Rock, and Memorial Day
Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film The 39 Steps colors Houston artist Sasha Dela’s installation The Emotional Life of a Spy, which opens on Friday. A collection of found objects and video, the work reflects the film noir style of Hitchcock’s suspenseful whodunit about a man trying to foil a plot to…
Barry Walter Bujol Jr. Gets 20 Years for Trying to Help Al Qaeda
A Hempstead man got 20 years in prison today for trying to smuggle GPS devices and prepaid phone cards to Al Qaeda. Former Prairie View A&M student Barry Walter Bujol Jr., 30, had been convicted in November after defending himself in the trial, which featured a boatload of incriminating evidence,…
Is the Metroid/Star Fox Game Real? 6 More Crossovers We Want If So
There is a rumor going around that Nintendo will unleash something amazing at the Electronics Entertainment Expo this year in the form of a fused adventure between two of their biggest franchises, Star Fox and Metroid. The rumor comes from the usually reliable Paul Gale Network, but can still only…
Nominate Your Favorites for the 2012 Houston Web Awards
If you love food and you live in Houston, chances are you follow at least one food truck on Twitter, one restaurant on Facebook or one beer blog (remember blogging? People still do it, and in more than 140-character bursts). The 2012 Houston Web Awards are fast approaching, which means…
Our Mashed-Up Historic Houston Photos, As Seen On TV
Our series of mashed-up past and present Houston photos got some TV love yesterday. Abrahán Garza, who painstakingly puts together the photos — it’s not as easy as it looks — was on Great Day Houston to talk about the project. Follow Hair Balls News on Facebook and on Twitter…
How Do You Eat Your Cupcake?
It has come to my attention that there is more than one way to eat a cupcake. Two, three, even five ways, in fact. This shocking realization occurred during a recent family gathering, when I watched my relatives consume chocolate-frosted birthday cupcakes…all using different techniques. My niece adopted a traditional…
Preemo & Tawn P Team Up to Form All Day
Hip-hop, like any genre, changes and evolves, but one thing you could always count on (at least until the early part of the last decade) was the notion of the hip-hop group. When you look at MTV’s rankings of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time, you’d have a hard…
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Roars Its Way Back to Houston
In 1990, as the final curtain came down on opening night at The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Marvin Zindler took to the stage and began twirling his baton. “The audience went insane,” remembers John Holly, the former executive producer of Theatre Under the Stars, who has returned to Houston…
Celebrate Memorial Day with a Festive Fruit Pizza
Memorial Day is just around the corner. With my brother, a U.S. Marine (oorah!), currently back home from his first deployment in Afghanistan, the holiday is near and dear to my heart. Wanting to make something special to celebrate and honor all those who have served and who continue to…
Last Night: Armin van Buuren at Stereo Live
Armin van Buuren Stereo Live May 23, 2012 After a crazy night at Stereo Live with Rusko’s breakdown Tuesday, I couldn’t help but imagine what was in store for Wednesday night’s Armin van Buuren set. Hailing from the Netherlands, Armin started making music at age 14 and had his first…
Stretching the Definition of Printmaking at McClain Gallery
McClain Gallery’s current participation in PrintHouston 2012 — an ongoing celebration of both traditional and nontraditional printmaking — will satisfy those seeking either representation of the form thanks to three concurrent exhibitions. Bo Joseph falls squarely into the nontraditional camp. In “Empire of Spoils,” his first solo show at McClain,…
Video: The 10 Best Hits from Houston Roller Derby’s Latest Win
The Psych Ward Sirens, defending Houston champs, took on the Suicide Shifters from the Dallas Derby Devil at the Bayou Music Center recently, and it wasn’t close. The Sirens won 262-82, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a whole lot of hits dished out by either side. We put together…
Pop Rocks: James Bond Drinks Beer, Civilization As We Know It Ceases to Exist
Skyfall, the 23rd “official” James Bond film, hits theaters in November. In keeping with Eon Productions’ apparent desire to distance the franchise from its occasionally cheesy past, this new movie is chock full of some cinematic heavy hitters. Oscar winners Javier Bardem (“Raoul Silva”) and Dame Judi Dench (“M”) share…
John Harris: Plays Music in His Front Lawn, Gets a Double Dose of Taser
The Bad Drugs, fresh off a rollicking performance at Big Star Bar, were too pumped to let the night end on Saturday, May 5. After leaving the Heights-area drinkery, the band headed to the drummer’s house on Washington Avenue, where the garage-punk group would play an encore performance…in the front…
Five More Foods I Wish Would Migrate South from Central New York
I’ve been a little homesick lately. Maybe that’s why I was so excited when the announcement came about Hofmann Hot Dogs coming to Texas. Don’t get me wrong — my favorite thing about living in Houston is hands-down the amazing variety of food. I have never lived in a city…
Joshua Tree of Money: 5 Ways for Bono to Spend His Facebook Windfall
A few things fell and swooped in from last Friday’s giant Facebok IPO announcement. The first being Mark Zuckerberg changing his relationship status from “in a relationship” to “married, but with a prenup the size of that screen Roger Waters is using for The Wall,” second being the stock didn’t…
Trinity Mugshot Round-Up Part Two: More of the Best in Texas
The shutterbug jailhouse artistes up in the Lake Livingston-area town of Trinity have just unveiled their spring collection, and it’s a feast for the eyes. As we’ve pointed out before, no jurisdiction in Texas can match Trinity’s quality in the fine art of the booking photo. The lighting, the angle,…
Trinity Man Charged with Exposing Himself at a Sonic Drive-Thru
Sonic is known for its hot dogs and coneys, but one man tried to put his very own wiener on the menu at a Sonic Drive-Thru in Trinity, just north of Conroe. Kevin Walker, 35, was arrested by the Trinity Police Department on May 1 after he was accused of…
A Second Chance at Who Should Play Steve Jobs
Recently, Sony pictures announced that the new Steve Jobs biopic would be penned by Social Network writer extraordinaire Aaron Sorkin. The movie, titled for some reason Steve Jobs, will be based on the best-selling biography by Walter Isaacson. Contrary to what you are thinking, this is not the indie Steve…
Phil Anselmo Talks Solo Records, New Down Material & Pantera’s Legacy
Phil Anselmo, former lead singer of the mighty Pantera, currently of Down, is a busy man. But he always has time to talk about his beloved New Orleans Saints, who are going through a trying offseason, to put it mildly. “I can talk Saints all day. I think we have…
Tracy McGrady’s Chinese Beer Commercial, Dissected (w/ VIDEO)
Maybe it’s because he was given official “ambassador” status a couple years ago, perhaps it’s because China is one of the few locales left where he hasn’t lost a playoff series, but most likely because he happened to share roster space (and the benefits of a robust health plan) with…
5 Most Overrated Paintings of All Time
You got a scene of a half-occupied cafe patio, a generic grocery store item and some old, bored woman. These belong in the canon of the greatest artworks ever! No they don’t. Though folks have been forever going apeshit over these five artworks, they seem to be more about hype…
Steve Hogarth & Richard Barbieri: “Naked” on the Stage
Steve Hogarth of Marillion and Richard Barbieri of Porcupine Tree are two incredibly prolific, daring artists who have teamed up on a new record called Not the Weapon But the Hand. Earlier this year, they released a music video for the song “Naked,” whose stark sadness and theatrical grace is…
Tiempo Libre: Hot in Havana
Cuban music group Tiempo Libre has a goal for its Hot in Havana concert series with the Houston Symphony — to get people up and dancing. “When people hear our music, they want to dance, but they’re in a concert hall, so they don’t know if they should or not,”…
Made in America
There are lots of firsts in Houston Ballet’s spring repertory program, Made in America. There’s the company premiere of Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes by Mark Morris. There’s a reprise of Theme and Variations by George Balanchine, one of the first works by the choreographer that the Houston…
“It is what it is. Or is it?”
It’s been almost 100 years since Marcel Duchamp created his Bicycle Wheel and launched the ready-made art movement. The exhibit “It is what it is. Or is it?” explores the current status of the once revolutionary form. Has ready-made become static, so integrated into today’s art scene that it’s lost…
”Blues in All Its Colors”
The blues, according to visual artist Martin Miglioretti, aren’t just blue. They’re a rainbow of reds, purples, yellows and greens, too. Miglioretti’s series of tribute posters to local blues musicians is part of the exhibit “Blues in All Its Colors,” currently on display at the Heritage Society. A collection of…
2012 Summer Guide
Also check out our Summer Guide event listings, concert listings and movie previews. Beyond the Bridges Adventurers are rediscovering the wilderness of Buffalo Bayou right in the middle of the city. By Brittanie Shey On a recent Friday evening around dusk, a pontoon boat came to rest below the Waugh…
2012 Summer Guide: It’s a Scorcher
The temperature will not be the only hot thing going in Houston this summer as the concert season is shaping up to be a scorcher for your wallet and your ear holes. It’s a classic-rock wonderland with the Beach Boys, Van Halen and Aerosmith coming through. And if those old…
2012 Summer Guide: Summer Movie Preview
In a movie season worshipped for its CGI-boosted, spiritually bankrupt juvenilia, it’s heartening to know that filmmakers still create — and maybe more significantly, that studios still distribute — summer entertainment for grown-ups. Not that those buckets of popcorn are going to empty themselves, but who needs to be reminded…
2012 Summer Guide: Summer in the City
LISTINGS: Theater, outdoor activities, nearby escapes and more. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 100 Concert Dr., Hermann Park, 281-373-3386 www.milleroutdoortheatre.com Miller Outdoor Theatre will be presenting this event, featuring many of Houston’s most talented vocalists and dancers, accompanied by the 23-piece BACEMENT Orchestra. 8:15 to 11 p.m.; free tickets are available at…
Tiempo Libre: Hot in Havana
Cuban music group Tiempo Libre has a goal for its Hot in Havana concert series with the Houston Symphony — to get people up and dancing. “When people hear our music, they want to dance, but they’re in a concert hall, so they don’t know if they should or not,”…
8th Annual Empty Bowls Houston
Do something real about hunger at the 8th Annual Empty Bowls Houston. For a mere $25, you get a simple lunch and your choice of bowls created by local artisans, with proceeds benefiting the Houston Food Bank. More than 1,200 handcrafted bowls were donated last year, and this year the…
Comicpalooza
Comicpalooza, the convention about all things pop culture, has established itself as a major player on the expo circuit. Fans experience all manner of magnificent geekdom over the convention’s three-day run. Topping the list of celebrity attendees this year is the one and only George Takei. Known for his role…
American Falls
She’s already made a name for herself as an award-winning actor, and now with Catastrophic Theatre’s world premiere of American Falls, Miki Johnson adds playwright to her résumé. American Falls begins with the line “Let me tell you a story,” and each of the characters does just that. Lisa, who…
Rammstein
Most people on this side of the world only know Rammstein for their late-’90s fluke MTV hit “Du Hast,” but they are much more than that monstrously catchy, secretly emo anthem. Rammstein have sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, and are by far one of the biggest gateway bands…
Brown Case Gets Uglier
COURTS Brown Case Gets Uglier Yes, it’s possible By Craig Malisow 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…
Summer of Love 45th Anniversary
Hippie alert! Next month will be the 45th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival, which drew tens of thousands of people to the California seaside and cast a long shadow across the rest of ’60s music. But where Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding and The Who made the Monterey Pop headlines,…
Down
Phil Anselmo is a busy man. Besides remaining one of the most iconic voices in metal, he’s running his own imprint, Housecore Records, and working hands-on, one-on-one with Housecore bands such as Haarp and Warbeast. “I like to work with my guys and see their vision through,” Anselmo says. He’s…
Men in Black Goes Back in Time
Can any one of the millions of Americans who saw Men in Black 2 in 2002 describe its plot today? A single scene? I saw both MIB movies upon their original release and have as little memory of the experience as if I’d been mind-wiped with one of those “neuralyzing”…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Next to Normal, Travelsty, Twelve Angry Men, What We’re Up Against
Next to Normal The regional premiere of the rock musical Next to Normal has opened at Stages Repertory Theatre, giving us a vehicle of pure entertainment that will break your heart as well. Diana is wed to Dan, and they live with their daughter, 16-year-old Natalie. Diana is bipolar, and…
Milton Hopkins & Jewel Brown
Austin’s Dialtone Records has already done right by Houston blues, releasing albums by Little Joe Washington and the late Earl Gilliam as well as the Texas Southside Kings CD, but the pairing of Jewel Brown and Milton Hopkins deserves some attention on more than just a local level. Both Brown…
MUY CALIENTE SUMMER EDITION
Dear Mexican, I was wondering why Mexicans in Chicago are meaner than Mexicans in California? I love my Mexican brothers and sisters in California (I’m from Cali) but they are the biggest pendejos in Chicago! Does cold weather make Mexicans pissed-off? And why do Mexican women like to ram white…
Buxton, The Tontons
On the surface, Buxton and the Tontons don’t have much in common: A folky alt-country band and psychedelic-tinged garage-rock crew fronted by a bewitching jazz singer. But they’ve come up in the local scene at about the same time (both emerged around 2007 or ’08), and have developed into successful…
Pradaxa Patients Can’t Stop the Bleeding
Less than 24 hours after Loraine Franklin fell on the kitchen floor of her Georgetown home, she was dead. It was December 29, 2011, and Franklin’s daughters say today that, had Franklin, 80, not been prescribed a blood thinner called Pradaxa, she’d have lived to see the new year and…
Burgers and Nostalgia at Lankford Grocery
To see more photos from Lankford Grocery, check out our slideshow. For a 73-year-old restaurant, Lankford Grocery is a breath of fresh air. Straddling the quickly gentrifying neighborhoods of Montrose and the Fourth Ward, the tumbledown burger joint in circus hues of red and white has never suffered the crippling…
Long Live King Hedley
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 end of…
Closing Time
For the past four and a half years, I’ve spent weekend nights (and a few weeknights) trolling through Houston nightclubs and bars. I suppose that’s no different from the way a lot of twenty- and thirtysomethings have spent their nights, save for one semi-big difference: It’s been my job. It’s…
Greg Laswell Needs a Landline
It’s almost a decade since Greg Laswell first darkly won his way into our hearts in the form of Good Movie. From day one, he has shown himself to be the master of the deft lyric and cutting notes that turn simple songs into treatises on the human heart. Slowly,…
Umbrella Man’s Bridges and Bayous.
No disrespect to the drummer (Gabriel Alaniz for a while now), but the three other members of Umbrella Man and their instruments make three legs of an almost-perfect Texas musical triangle: Namesake upright bassist Nick Gaitan brings wood-slapping swamp pop and rockabilly; standing steel guitarist Bart Maloney supplies honky-tonk swing…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Endearing the Line,” “The Graphic Arts of Hans Erni,” “HJ Bott: Rhythm and Rhetoric,” “Members,” “reverse of volume RG,” “Shifting Paradigms in Contemporary Ceramics,” “Space Zombie Mayan Apocalyptic Human Sacrifice Uplift Mofo Part
“Endearing the Line” Berlin-based artist Dirk Rathke has quickly built himself a reputation here in Houston. After several shows at Gallery Sonja Roesch, he’s known for his curved canvases — monochrome shapes that bend, twist and seemingly ripple ever so slightly; you have to check the edge of the work…
Father John Misty
When he isn’t going into full social-media combat with hapless Pitchfork bloggers, former Fleet Foxes drummer Joshua Tillman reels out great lived-in, sturdy folk-rock as Father John Misty. You may remember his pre-Misty project, J. Tillman, as a somber, snowy affair not too far removed from the Foxes, whom he…
