Woman: Security Didn’t Want Her Waving Palestinian Flag During Israel Game in Houston
A woman watching the Honduras-Israel soccer match at BBVA Compass Stadium June 1 says a security guard tried to confiscate her Palestinian flag because it was a “racial slur.” Buthayna Hammad says she was waving the flag about fifteen minutes into the match when four stadium security officers and four…
@HiddenCash Copycat Pops Up in Texas
We hope someone starts slapping greenbacks down around here. For now, the @HiddenCash meme is in San Antonio. The viral Twitter account @HiddenCash, started by a purported rich real-estate developer in San Francisco, has spawned an offshoot in Texas…
Bobby Stuckey, a Master Sommelier Not Afraid to Get His Hands Dirty
The A-list always comes out when Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey and his business partner, celebrity chef Lachlan Patterson, come to town to cook and taste wine. Last night found the two of them at Reef, where Patterson prepared a meal inspired by the cuisine of Friuli (northeastern Italy) and Stuckey…
Reality Bites: Sex Sent Me To The ER
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. When you think about mankind’s obsession with a) putting their genitals into things, and/or b) putting things in their genitals (and other areas), it’s a wonder our emergency rooms aren’t…
Learn About Houston’s Newest Food Trucks in This Week’s Feature
Yesterday, we told you about the trend of food trucks turning into brick and mortar restaurants. Perhaps trend isn’t the right word, though. Some food truck owners will tell you it’s a necessity or that it was the plan all along. Who wants to work on a food truck forever?…
If It’s True, UT Austin Nursing Students Can’t Show Too Much This Summer [Updated]
Update 5p.m.: We did hear back from UT Austin officials who had to send out a statement on the matter. An update post follows. After the feminist website Jezebel broke news of a sign hung up around the UT Austin’s school of nursing sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday, university officials…
Saint Arnold Celebrates 20 Years of Beers This Weekend
On June 9, 1994, Saint Arnold Brewing Company shipped the first keg of Amber Ale it ever produced for retail sale. It was brewed with a mission that brewer and co-founder Brock Wagner stands by even today, 20 years later: “Brew and sell the best beer in Texas and create…
Houston Rockets Reportedly Will Decline Chandler Parsons’s Team Option
During his first handful of offseasons as general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey spent most of his time tweaking the roster, piling up small assets, and trying to work around the balky knees and feet (and massive contracts) of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Then in 2012, Morey…
A Reading of The Sleeping Girl at Stark Naked Theatre, Complete With Mermaid
In The Sleeping Girl by Suzanne Bradbeer, Susan Draper plays Rita Faye Pruitte who’s relocated from Florida to New York City under mysterious circumstances. “Her story is she is longing for something to happen that she’s worked to happen for a long time. She was a mermaid long ago,” Draper…
The Texas Aesthetic VII: Minding the Texas Tradition Shows a Remarkable Variety of Work
Willliam Reaves Fine Art specializes in art by Texas artists who are influenced by and carry on the traditional portrayal of Texas landscapes. This is the seventh year of an annual group show, with 16 Texas artists exhibiting. In The Texas Aesthetic VII: Minding the Texas Tradition the works are…
This Week in Food Blogs: Summer Calls for Snow Cones, Galveston Trips & Pie
CultureMap Houston: It’s that time of year when the heat settles in and we all start looking for ways to cool off. If you’re not close to a pool and a jug of ice water doesn’t do it for you, then a snow cone should do the trick. CultureMap Houston’s…
Who’s Got the Best Shot at CSN Houston: NBC Sports Group, AT&T or Fox Sports?
It’s been a little more than three months since Judge Marvin Isgur put CSN Houston into bankruptcy. It’s been nearly three months since the Houston Astros appealed that ruling to Judge Lynn Hughes. Hughes has received the parties’ briefs on the bankruptcy ruling, and he’s attempted multiple times to mediate…
Report Says iFest Group Will File for Bankruptcy This Week
After several years of financial troubles, the nonprofit that produces the Houston International Festival will file for federal bankruptcy protection this week, according to a report in today’s Houston Chronicle that claims spending has begun to exceed income by as much as $250,000 a year and has led to debts…
Where to Eat on Father’s Day in Houston 2014
Father’s Day is less than two weeks away and it will be here before you know it. Houston restaurants are gearing up for the big day, and so should you. On Sunday, June 15, various establishments will offer celebratory brunches, lunches and dinners along with some drink specials. Check out…
Why Slenderman Is the Internet’s Favorite Monster
If you’ve spent any time on popular news sites over the past few days, you may have come across the bizarre story out of Wisconsin about a 12-year-old who was stabbed by her classmates. While this is one of those things that are shocking on their own, it’s made weirder…
“Welcome to Houston” FPSF Set Could Lead to Album and Tour…Eventually
“Anything is possible.” That was the response we received from Bun B’s management team when we asked them to confirm the following rumor: A “Welcome to Houston” full-length album (not mixtape) and tour are in the works. Monday night, Rocks Off received notice from a source that after providing a…
NRA Doesn’t Co-Sign Open Carry Protests, No, Wait…Yes, They Do (Update)
Updated 9:45 a.m. This post was updated to reflect news of an NRA rebound on the matter when they apologized and said they do support the open carry movement. It’s not only us normal folk who find it odd when open carry nuts walk into a coffee shop with AKs…
100 Creatives 2014: Henry Yau, The Children’s Museum of Houston’s Publicity and Promotions Guru
Henry Yau’s job description doesn’t really cover all of various duties and responsibilities he has as Public Relations & Promotions Director for the Children’s Museum of Houston. Sure, the part about maintaining the museum’s visibility in the community is covered, like working with the museum’s leadership, overseeing promotional campaigns and…
The Big Kahuna Cheesesteak at Jersey Mike’s Subs
When I read Kaitlin Steinberg’s recent experience trying a philly cheesesteak for the first time, my first thought was, “Hot damn! It’s been years since I’ve had a good cheesesteak.” Well, in all honesty, my first admittedly snarky thought actually related to her dining companion’s ridiculous proscription, ‘you can’t get…
Marketing Houston’s “Coolness” in New Campaign to Draw People With Big Brains to the City
Photo by Aaron ReissAn iPad captures what Houston means to this woman. Standing among NRG Stadium’s club seats, in front of guests and media in an almost entirely empty arena, Paul Hobby couldn’t help making a football analogy. “When you have the lead, what do you do?” the Greater Houston…
Five Outdoor Texas Festivals That Went South
Free Press Summer Fest dodged a pretty serious bullet this year. When festival officials announced that the grounds around Eleanor Tinsley Park needed to be evacuated around 2 p.m. last Saturday afternoon, some of us who were there had visions of pandemonium at the exits and the kind of heavy…
Fantasy Crime League: Buffalo’s Marcell Dareus on the Board Again!
It’s really not hard to make it onto the offseason police blotter. One bad night of drinking, one misstep behind the wheel, one furious temper tantrum, and next thing you know you have a misdemeanor for something or other. It doesn’t take very much. However, it takes a special type…
Rest of the Best 2014: Houston’s Top 10 Italian Restaurants
Our 2013 Best of Houston® winners were announced a while back, but in many cases, picking the best item in any category was no easy task. In order to show off all the culinary greatness Houston has to offer, we’re continuing to round up the “rest of the best” in…
Your Dad Is Cooler than That Tie: Five Gift Ideas for Father’s Day
Another tie? Bo-ring. A new set of grilling tools? Wow–now that’s out of the box. Let’s face it, Father’s Day may be the most cliché-laden of the gift-giving holidays, but since we’re talking about our dads here, let’s all agree to give it a little bit more effort this year…
Acts We’d Love to See Play Free Press Summer Fest 2015
Before that carton of leftover FSPF 2014 milk in the fridge starts to smell a little ripe, we had to ask…who should the festival bring in next year? BECK This one’s pretty self-explanatory. He fits the general aesthetic of the festival, and would be the perfect-sized headliner. That, and his…
The Heavy-Metal Past of a Beloved Houston Karaoke Joint
Spotlight Karaoke is a popular Galleria-area destination that has been open for more than 15 years now. Located at Westheimer and Fountainview, it holds a large space with several rooms’ worth of karaoke, and an adjacent store equipped with scads of karaoke music and machines. A man named Charlie Chang…
Five Songs That Were Grossly Misinterpreted
Songs get misinterpreted all the time. Sometimes it’s because they have vague lyrics, others it’s because singers can’t enunciate properly — looking at you, Eddie Vedder — and still others it’s just because they’re misleading and people don’t take the time to think them through all the way. That happens…
Perry Joins Parker for Human Trafficking Campaign Kick-Off at City Hall
“Human trafficking is a crime that impacts communities around the world. Unfortunately, in the U.S., our state ranks second in number of calls to the human trafficking hotline, next to California, and most of the calls from Texas come from Houston,” Mayor Annise Parker said today at a gathering of…
Austin Man Used His Stick in a Knife Fight
Sometimes, it doesn’t take much more than good intentions and determination. Just ask Alvin Wilson. A man was allegedly stabbing his wife outside of an Austin elementary school Monday when Wilson came to the rescue. Wilson told KTBC he lives across the street from the school, and when he saw…
Why the Hell Aren’t You Watching Penny Dreadful?
As someone whose only real night of television fun is Sunday, I feel your (probable) pain. Mad Men is gone for another year, Breaking Bad is gone for good, and Game of Thrones will be going away in two weeks. Where can the sitcom/reality show averse person go for entertainment?…
This Is a Terrible Way to End the School Year
At times it seems like the whole teacher-having-sex-with-student thing is some long played out joke around here. It happens way too often, and now that the summer’s almost here and most schools are letting out, we won’t hear more about that for a few months at least. However, as if…
Recipe: Indian Meat Loaf
The most logical way to make use of my husband’s over-abundance of Indian spices would be to make some sort of Indian dish. But that particular evening I was feeling not so logical (thanks, perhaps, to the consumption of a glass of a very full-bodied petite sirah). I wanted Indian…
As More Food Trucks Go Brick & Mortar, the Houston Scene Evolves
This week’s cover story (online tomorrow and in this week’s print edition) looks at five exciting new food trucks that have opened in Houston in the past year and at how the local food truck scene is evolving. Three or four years ago, a new wave of gourmet food trucks…
The 12 Most Ironic Tweets From Aaron Hernandez’s Twitter Account
“We lead the world in computerized data collection!” — Artie Bucco, The Sopranos Before social media, before the internet, hell, before computers, there was a time where the “fingerprint” we left behind was essentially hand written documents, stories from loved ones, and yes, our actual fingerprint. These days, though, for…
5 Best Soft-Shell Crab Dishes to Try In Houston
With the advent of soft-shell crab season, many Houston restaurants are featuring specials using these supple crustaceans, while some establishments that offer soft-shell crab year-round are simply taking advantage of the fresh crop. If you’ve got a soft spot for soft-shell crabs, check out some of these outstanding dishes in…
Over the River and Through the Woods Is Family-Friendly in the Best Possible Way
The set-up: Writer Joe DiPietro’s warm and cuddly play about family and those ties that bind (if not smother) opened off-Broadway in 1998 while his tremendous first success, the musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (1996), was still running downtown. Change would continue to run for an another…
“Fallen Timber” at New Living Beautifully Reclaims Wood
We all know the old saying, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” What if that tree is taken and turned into something beautiful or functional, then does it make noise? If you are talking about the…
Top Five Things That Will Surprise You About Houston
So, you’ve come here and you’ve figured out some of the downsides about life in the H. Now how about the many pluses? We’ve got an outstanding restaurant scene. And our theater scene rivals the best, Broadway shows have been created here. We were drawn to the Bayou City by…
Food Fight: Battle Cannoli in Houston
Making the perfect cannoli is an art. It requires much expertise, experience and practice. From the components (filling, shell and decorations) to the assembly process (making the cream, frying the shell and piping the cream into the shell), everything must be executed just right so the shell cracks upon first…
How Houston Cooks: Boheme Makes Continental Food for a Continental Crowd
Every other week, we’ll be bringing you videos that take a behind-the-scenes look at restaurants, breweries, marketplaces, bars and any other spots that define Houston food and drink. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Most restaurants have a kitchen. In fact, it might be safe to say that all…
The Rocks Off 200: John Alton, the Madness of Cosmic Bug Loaf
Welcome to The Rocks Off 200, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. See previous entries in the Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? Every Cosmic…
Zapruder Analysis of a Crazy Road Rage Incident in Russia
At its most recent pay per view event, UFC 173, UFC did a live gate of around $1.7 million. They pulled in another God knows how many million on pay per view from fans watching at home. UFC does a few dozen events (some pay per view, some on regular…
Pop Rocks: Short Shorts and Skirts Cause Problems, Apparently
In recent weeks, both I and my colleague with one less “F” in his similar name have written about the alleged scourge of sagging pants. Both of us think the concern is not only overblown, but pretty stupid. I never liked dress codes, particularly when they are born out of…
Singleton Gets Promotion and New Contract From Astros
A promotion and up to $35 million dollars? It’s not a bad day to be Jon Singleton. The Astros have called up their hard-hitting first baseman, who will be available today against the Los Angeles Angels, the Houston Chronicle reports. To top it off, according to Yahoo!, Singleton, 23, has…
100 Favorite Dishes 2014-15: No. 92, Chirashi Lunch at Sushi Miyagi
Once again, Kaitlin Steinberg is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes as we work our way toward our annual Menu of Menus® issue and culinary extravaganza. She’ll compile a collection of the dishes she thinks are the most delicious, most creative and, of course,…
Five Reasons to Visit (and Revisit) Thompson’s Antique Center of Houston
Just to the west of everyone’s favorite interchange at 610 and 290, on Hempstead Highway, is an old shopping mall with a huge, irresistible yellow sign that reads “Thompson’s Antique Center of Texas–Texas’ Largest.” Don’t resist temptation–you should really go inside. And, at 108,000 square feet, you’ll probably have to…
The Best Surprises of Free Press Summer Fest 2014
ANOTHER RUN Sunday, Jupiter stage I could hear Another Run from outside the festival, and I followed their sound all the way from the gates to the stage, where I stood impressed for the remainder of their show. You guys who know about them know how good they are, but…
2014 Summer Preview: What Will Sustain Us as a Sports Nation?
The dirty little semi-secret in sports talk radio is that there are many hosts out there who dread the months of June, July, and the first part of August. Yes, the same time of year to which the rest of the free world counts down like a prisoner approaching their…
Top 10 CBS Sitcoms of the 1970s
The ’70s happened to be both the first decade of my childhood and the true birth of the modern television sitcom. The comedies of the ’70s broke new ground and changed the way Americans would view the short form comedy vehicle. So many of the great shows of the ’70s…
Houston Summer Food Bucket List
Summer is a time to relax, enjoy the weather and eat some really good food. Thank goodness we live in a city bursting with opportunities to satisfy our adventurous food cravings. We have listed ten food-centric tasks for you to do this summer. Think of it as a bucket list…
25 People Having More Fun Than Us at FPSF
When you’re pushing 40 at a festival like Free Press Summer Fest, you often find yourself thinking things like, “What in the hell is going on?” and “Is there somewhere I can go take a nap?” Rocks Off would like to doff our slightly mud-spattered cap to the following people…
Upcoming: Aretha Franklin, Sam Smith, Black Lips, Erasure, Yelle, Rachael Yamagata, etc.
Allison Fisher: Sat., June 14, 10 p.m., Free. Big Top Lounge, 3714 Main, Houston, 713-529-9666. ALX: Sat., June 28, 9 p.m., $5. Stereo Live, 6400 Richmond, Houston, 832-251-9600. Aretha Franklin: Tue., September 9, 8:30 p.m., $69.50 to $119.50. Arena Theatre, 7326 SW Fwy, Houston, 713-988-1020. Avant & Donnel Jones: Sat.,…
The Best Things We Overheard at Free Press Summer Fest
“Already attacked by the Cracker Jack’d” “I got laid last night, it was a good night” — Mariachi El Bronx “Crazy people watching, man…” “I SMELL MARIJUANA!” — like it was their first time “I think we’re spending more time pretending we’re watching shows that actually watching shows” — some…
Ten Things All Houstonians Should Have Now in Preparation for Hurricane Season
Sunday was the first day of Hurricane Season 2014. It is an annual ritual along the Gulf and Atlantic coastlines to get ready for potential tropical storms. Depressions can drop boatloads of rain, as can tropical storms (Allison, anyone?), so we would do well to be wary of even non-hurricane…
Difference Between What You Make and How far It Goes in Houston and Four Other Cities
It’s called real personal income. You might make more than the median yearly salary here, which is $31,265, but how much bang for your buck are you really getting? Here’s a look (via Planet Money’s breakdown of Bureau of Economic Analysis Data) at the real value of median income in…
Five Food-Centric Things to Do With Dad on Father’s Day
Father’s Day in the Dunn household typically starts with my mother, brother and me making my dad his favorite breakfast dish: pancakes. Tall stacks of buttermilk and blueberry pancakes topped with butter and lots of maple syrup always made him a happy camper. Throw in some crispy, crunchy bacon, fluffy…
Thanks to CenterPoint, We’ll Get Biking Trails and LED Streetlights
We told you last week that a bike plan was on the way for Houston. Thanks to CenterPoint Energy, Houston cyclists have another win to celebrate. Hiking and biking trails will be allowed along CenterPoint’s utility ROWs (that’s right-of-ways). According to a press release from the mayor’s office, the ROWs…
Sharon Kopriva: Illuminations Offers an Arboretum Pulsing With Life
“God may be everywhere” says artist Sharon Kopriva, “But God talks to me in the woods.” Kopriva has a summer home in the mountain forests of northern Idaho, and Kopriva’s spiritual and artistic journey has been strongly influenced by these surroundings. This is very much in evidence in her solo…
FPSF Preview Breakfast Is Almost Too Hot to Handle
If you want to see a bunch of food writers turn into divas, make them stand outside in the heat and mud and don’t feed them. The first day of Free Press Summer Fest saw some ticketing hiccups early in the morning before the annual preview breakfast featuring the musical…
Is This Houston Woman Running a Nationwide Scam?
Kimberly Humphrey of South Carolina had a simple and noble goal: She wanted to start a nonprofit group, Teens of Power, to “encourage [t]eens to continually excel in their personal lives and environment.” The dream got derailed, she says, when she entrusted a Houston woman to incorporate the group as…
The Biggest WTF Moments of Free Press Summer Fest 2014
Holding a Festival in a Park then Getting Mad When People Climb Trees Being a security guard is largely a thankless job, and while I get there are things like liability and whatnot, can you really blame people for climbing trees to get the best look they can? You’re holding…
Game of Thrones: “The Mountain and The Viper”
All anyone really wanted to see in last night’s episode was the fight between Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) aka The Red Viper of Dorne and Gregor Clegane (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) aka The Mountain That Rides. So, of course, this was saved until the final minutes of this week’s Game of…
Five Things You Can Do With the Seaweed in Galveston
If you’re still bothered by the mounds upon mounds of seaweed that’s been washing up on the shores of Galveston, you’re not alone. We’re not fans of the stuff, the sight of it, the smell of it or the feel of it. However, we figured there had to be some…
Midtown Mobile Cuisine, Houston’s Newest Food Park, Hopes to Bring the Party
At first, I didn’t even notice it. The sounds of I-59 echo around the concrete lot and the grassy underpass. A light breeze ruffles the leaves on a few nearby trees. Syncopated beats pour forth from speakers on a table in the center of a raised deck. From one corner…
Good People Looks at the Class Divide and How Some Folks Negotiate It
In its final production on the Neuhaus Stage, before everything is packed up and moved over to the University of Houston for a year while home base is being retrofitted, the Alley Theatre presents David Lindsay-Abaire’s Good People, a bitingly funny and ultimately serious look at the class divide. Alley…
The Worst Music of Free Press Summer Fest 2014
CHILDISH GAMBINO Saturday, Mars stage Maybe it was the heat; maybe I’m just getting old. Or maybe Childish Gambino just isn’t really all that good. The man clearly has a passion for performing, and more style than he knows what to do with. What he doesn’t seem to have are…
A Guide to Comic Convention Panel Etiquette
This year at Comicpalooza I didn’t get to attend many panels, and none of the big celebrity ones as my journalism skills were required elsewhere at the convention. It’s OK, though because I got a play by play from fellow geeks and reporters, and I’ve got to tell you Houston…
The Best Music of Free Press Summer Fest 2014
ABOVE & BEYOND Sunday, Saturn Stage No group in electronic music knows how to play to a listener’s emotional core than Above & Beyond. It was almost jarring how beautiful their set sounded after two days of heat and rain and evacuations and mud and lack of sleep and the…
Hair Balls Viral Video Box Set From Over the Weekend
It’s summertime. Not officially yet, the official start of summer is June 21 (I think), but after a weekend of stifling humidity surrounded by multiple torrential thunderstorms, for all intents and purposes, it’s now summertime. And that means that it officially sucks for most of you to have to go…
Dish of the Week: Gazpacho
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. See the complete list of recipes at the end of this post. This week, we’re looking at a classic cold soup from southern Spain: gazpacho. A common dish in Andalusian cuisine…
Shakespeare in Hollywood: A Lark of a Comedy at Theatre Southwest
The setup: Having to say Ken Ludwig and William Shakespeare in the same sentence initiates my gag reflex, but it’s unavoidable for Shakespeare in Hollywood, now rampaging through Theatre Southwest. The execution: Mr. Ludwig’s knockabout farce is set at Warner Bros. Studios in 1935, where legendary theater director Max Reinhardt…
Beyond Cocoa Puffs: Top Other 5 Chocolate Cereals to Try
You know, in theory, morning is probably the best time (metabolically speaking) to eat chocolate since your body will have the rest of the day to burn off the calories. So, there’s your justification for eating a Hershey bar for breakfast. Or, if you want to disguise (sort of) your…
Say Hello (And Goodbye) to the George Mason Patriots, the Sacrificial Lambs of the Rice Regional (Update)
Update: This was updated with a summary of games, which you can find after the jump. When you’re the fourth seed in a four-team regional, nothing but fodder for the bigger boys on their way to Omaha, it’s not about winning the games. Winning the games would be awesome, but…
The Ten Summer Openings We’re Most Excited About
Just as the warmer weather, longer days and lack of school bring out the blockbuster films in Hollywood-land, summer is generally a time to welcome a slew of new blockbuster restaurants in Houston. Last summer was fairly slow for restaurant openings, but this year is poised to shake up the…
Charlie Wilson, Erykah Badu & the O’Jays at The Woodlands, 5/31/2014
Note: Eddie Levert was originally identified as his late son Gerald. Rocks Off regrets the error. Magic 102.1 Under the Stars Featuring Charlie Wilson, Erykah Badu & the O’Jays Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 31, 2014 On a night of classic and modern R&B at a packed house in The…
Doctor Who:It’s Time to Start Talking About a Female Doctor
Peter Capaldi lands as the new Doctor this Fall, and may his reign be long, fun, and full of running. I am as stoked as I could possibly be about seeing Capaldi take on the part. It’s a welcome change for the new series, and I think that even the…
Summer of Johnny II: Johnny Football Goes to Hollywood
“Suspect intangibles — not a leader by example or known to inspire by his words. Carries a sense of entitlement and prima-donna arrogance seeking out the bright lights of Hollywood. Is known to party too much and is drawn to all the trappings of the game. … Has defied the…
What FPSF Looked Like to the Festival’s Vendors
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to work at FPSF? Those of us who have ever willingly worked or volunteered for a festival know that the experience is largely contingent upon interaction with the public. This past Saturday, Rocks Off asked four delightful characters to tell us…
Mixtape Monday: Post-FPSF Edition
Last week, naturally, Memorial Day and all the BBQ destruction that came with it sort of derailed our weekly look at Houston’s rap scene, but never fear. This week we’ve got De’Wayne Jackson and Donnie Houston, RetroKash, and Yves to deal with for the week. You might add this to…
The Five Best Shows in Houston This Week: Parquet Courts, Borgore, Avril Lavigne, etc.
Parquet Courts Fitzgerald’s, June 2 Since their 2010 debut, Parquet Courts’ have been frequently branded with variations of “slacker-rock ’90s revivalists,” a description that really pisses the Brooklynites off. While their music does bear a striking likeness to at least the spirit of golden-child ’90s bands like Pavement, transplanted Texan…
How We Spent the FPSF Evacuation
Saturday will no doubt go down as one of the most interesting days in Free Press Summer Fest’s still-young history. Shortly before 2 p.m., festival officials suspended performances and urged everyone to evacuate Eleanor Tinsley Park, citing “impending weather conditions.” At first fans seemed to react with indifference or disbelief…
The Six Best Stages at Free Press Summer Fest
Even for a music festival that is already not quite like any other, one of the most unique aspects of Free Press Summer Fest is its ever-shifting footprint. From one year to the next, very little about the two-day bash — including the admission gates, vendor booths, music stages and…
BAT BOY: The Musical An Ambitious Undertaking With a Great Score
The setup: A made-up tabloid article about a boy who grew up living in a cave inspired this musical, about a mutant half boy, half bat, first produced in Tim Robbins’s Actors’ Gang Theatre in 1997 in Culver City, CA, then off-Broadway in 2001 for a very respectable run, then…
Free Press Summer Fest Temporarily Being Evacuated
“@fpsf: Due to impending weather conditions we are putting in a temp evacuation order. Seek shelter outside fest grounds. Stay tuned for all clear” That was the message that just went out here at the festival. From where I’m standing, plenty of people seem content to hang out under an…
Heavy Rains Could Mean More West Nile Trouble
With the unusual amount of wet weather we’re having (with more expected this weekend), the threat of mosquitoes is bearing down on us. Last year, there were 183 statewide reports of West Nile virus in people. Harris County had a total of nine of those cases. Here in Houston, at…
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike: A Comedy With Insights and Great Abs
The setup: Chistopher Durang has been good to off-Broadway, providing it with a string of well-received comedic plays – and off-Broadway has responded with eager audiences and critical acceptance. Now Fate has launched Durang into the heady atmosphere of Broadway. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike moved from off-Broadway’s…
What’s the Deal with 6737 Southwest Freeway?
“Thank you for calling the Tennessee Titans. If you know your party’s extension, please dial now.” Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you’ve seen it and wondered what the hell it was doing just sitting there. At 6737 Southwest Freeway you’ll find an abandoned car dealership. For years, as I drove…
What’s in Fashion: Jeans Make You Depressed, a T-Shirt That Talks
Lots of breaking fashion news hits the interwebs and I don’t want you to miss one bit of it. So, I present some of the biggest headlines each week for your reading pleasure. Click and enjoy!…
Congress Votes to End War on Medical Marijuana
Medical marijuana patients, rejoice. The federal government is no longer in fear of your (state-legal) reefer. Late last night, Congress voted to essentially end the federal war on medical marijuana by approving a measure that prohibits the Department of Justice — which includes the DEA, by the way — from…
“The Slopper” at James Coney Island
When I first saw a picture of James Coney Island’s new limited-edition burger, “The Slopper,” I realized two things: 1) I had to try it. 2) Public decency laws dictate I should do so in the privacy of my own home. The “Slopper,” as its name might suggest, is very,…
Is There a Point to LinkedIn’s Endorsements?
It happened again. Usually it happens about once a month, but sometimes it happens once a day. This week it happened to me five times: I’m talking about getting endorsed on LinkedIn. There’s one thing about getting endorsed for skills you have by those who are familiar with them, but…
Top 5 Creepiest Baby Foods
The New York Times recently reported that baby food manufacturers have been forced to revamp their products to combat the increasing numbers of parents who are making their own infant grub. Hardly surprising. Have you seen some of the weird sh*t on the shelves that we’re supposed to want to…
The Pride of the Northside: La Mafia Celebrates Amor y Sexo
“Their music takes me back to The Unicorn Ballroom, dancing and drinking all night, really feeling the honesty of their sound” recalled my amigo Reverend Butter as we caught up over a few cervezas in the parking lot of The Gatsby (formerly the Drake) last night. “They are the band…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: A Million Ways to Die in the West
Title: A Million Ways To Die In The West How Many Ways To Die In The West Do We See? A few dozen. Bit of a ripoff, really. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two Men With No Name out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Well-meaning sheep farmer…
Jimmy Buffett at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 05/29/2014
Jimmy Buffett Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 29, 2014 When I grow up, I want to be Jimmy Buffett. Dude has everything. At 67, he runs around in bermuda shorts and worn old T-shirts, singing about the lives of sailors and beach bums while his adoring fans known as “Parrotheads”…
Cocky Spelling Bee Kid Gets Punked By “Kabaragoya” (VIDEO)
As made-for-television events go, about the only bad thing I can say about the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee is that it ended in a tie. After getting me to emotionally invest in a back-and-forth that was the spelling equivalent of Michael Jordan versus Dominique Wilkins in the 1986 Slam…
Eleven XI to Host Culinary Carnival Featuring Food-on-a-Stick
When there’s no carnival in town, might as well make your own. We assume that’s what Eleven XI chef Kevin Bryant and managing partner Joe Welborn were thinking when they planned what they intend to be the first of many Culinary Carnivals to benefit PULSE at the St. Luke’s Foundation…
Comedian Ralphie May on Jesus in Arizona, Gays in Midland and His New Barbecue Sauce
Comedian and former Houstonian Ralphie May says comedy depends on your point of view. “It’s my job to take that point of view and flip it, so people can see how ridiculous they are. Especially when it comes to racism and discrimination, I don’t even have to change what they’re…
An Easy Guide to the FPSF Mobile App
Are you ready, kiddos? Because Free Press Summer Fest begins tomorrow. To help newcomers and veterans alike, the powers that be have released a convenient app in which users can create calendars, reminders and view all kinds of information about the artists, including their schedules and profiles. It can also…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Snack on Meatballs & Watch a Movie on the Lawn
H-E-B Movie Night @ Discovery Green Friday, 7:45 p.m. 1500 McKinney Spend the evening at Discovery Green during the H-E-B Movie Night featuring Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on the lawn during this free event. Spaghetti Warehouse will provide meatballs…
Houston Woman Bares All in Stripper Memoir
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that in a room full of suits, the naked chick holds all the cards.” Ever wonder what it would be like to walk in to the Men’s Club and take your clothes off for an audition? Read the first eight pages of Stacey Keith’s…
For Houston Cyclists, Bike Plan Is on the Way
Not much good could’ve come from Chelsea Norman dying in December 2013, killed while biking her way home from Whole Foods. It was past 10 p.m. when she was hit by a car that did not stop. It wasn’t until February that the woman driving the car that hit Norman…
Upcoming Events: Who Can Make the Best Dish on a Stick?
On Tuesday, June 3, Damian’s Cucina Italiana will host a wine tasting event featuring selections from Cru Artisan Wines. From 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., guests will spend time upstairs in the Italian restaurant sampling vino, including Banfi Centine Rosso, Fontanelle Chardonnay and San Angelo Pinot Grigio. Speak with artisan…
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ 20 Best Songs
Get excited. Next Saturday morning at 10 a.m., tickets go on sale for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ first Houston-area show in four years, September 25 at Toyota Center with old friend Steve Winwood opening. A copy of the band’s new album, Hypnotic Eye, is included with each concert ticket…
100 Creatives 2014: Angeli Pidcock, Fantasy Writer and Mentor
What She Does: One of the many new talents I discovered at Comicplaooza was author Angeli Pidcock, Angel to her friends. The fantasy author has been writing since she was a little girl. Her first work was a knock-off of Disney’s The Cat From Outer Space that she hammered out…
Donald Sterling’s Punishment: Selling the LA Clippers for $2 Billion
Ever since the audio surfaced of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s lambasting his girlfriend (who will now and forever be known as “V. Stiviano”) for her inclination to post pictures of herself with African Americans, namely Magic Johnson, on her Instagram account, the saga of “What will happen to…
Please Don’t Ever Call Parquet Courts Slackers
In Journalism 101, students are taught to use adjectives sparingly, as their overuse actually weakens a description. Parquet Courts, a band that’s been descriptively categorized by critics ad nauseam, might be particularly interested in recalling this oft-forgotten rule of thumb. Since their 2010 debut, the Brooklynites have been frequently branded…
The 5 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Bat Boy: The Musical , Debut Novelist Jennifer Mathieu and More
Looking for a way to kick off your weekend? how about catching Bat Boy: The Musical, currently at Bayou City Theatrics, on Friday. Colton Berry, artistic director for the group, has been waiting to perform Bat Boy: The Musical for more than a decade. Berry first learned about a boy…
Openings & Closings: Lucky Burger Says Goodbye After 40 Years & Siphon Coffee Finally Opens
Swamplot broke the news this week that Lucky Burger at 1601 Richmond Avenue will close on Saturday, May 31. Now that the burger joint’s lease is up, the restaurant will turn off the lights after 40 years of operation. But, if you want to take a piece of the restaurant…
Drugmaker Will Pay $650 Million to Settle Pradaxa Claims
The manufacturer of a blood thinner will pay $650 million to settle claims brought by 4,000 consumers and next of kin who claimed to have been injured by the drug. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, makers of Pradaxa, agreed on the settlement this week, resolving litigation that began in November 2011. The…
The 10 Best Wild Cards at Free Press Summer Fest
Die Antwoord There’s nothing like Die Antwoord anywhere before Die Antwoord or since Die Antwoord. I dare anyone to prove me wrong. The band’s members, Ninja and Yolandi Visser, gained global popularity by way of a unique sound and a stunning look brilliantly captured in a series of borderline-disturbing videos…
Casey Donahew Band’s Foolproof Anti-Theft System
Plenty of Texas country bands sing about people on the wrong side of the law, a tradition that goes back at least as far as Willie and Waylon. But recently the Casey Donahew Band did their peers one better when several members foiled the attempted theft of one of them’s…
The 10 Best Alternatives to Free Press Summer Fest
Trans Am Rudyard’s, May 30 Traditionally identified with other “post-rock” bands like Tortoise (an early champion) and Bastro, Trans Am have outlived most of their onetime peers, not to mention the curious indie subgenre’s brief late-’90s moment in the wider spotlight. It was pretty brief. Though the trio began in…
Jennifer Mathieu:The Truth About Alice
The “slut stall” in the girls’ bathroom at Healy High School is filled with nasty postings about Alice. “Alice got an abortion last semester” and “Alice had sex in exchange for math test answers” among them. More stories about Alice are spread through the school: “Alice had sex with two…
Ad Deum Dance: From One Heart
Randall Flinn’s From One Heart provides the title for Ad Deum Dance Company’s spring show. The group’s artistic director, Flinn crafted an uplifting work with a powerful message of love. The concert also features Love in Blood, a premiere by Limón Dance Company member Durell Ron Comedy. Moody and reflective…
Ralphie May
Comedian and former Houstonian Ralphie May says comedy depends on your point of view. “It’s my job to take that point of viewand flip it, so people can see how ridiculous they are. Especially when it comes to racism and discrimination, I don’t even have to change what they’re saying…
Swing, Jive, Pop! Into Dance
Kids, get an idea of what your grandparents looked like during their disco days at MET Dance’s interactive concert Swing, Jive, Pop! Into Dance. The show takes the audience on a tour of America’s most popular dances and fashion through the decades. The journey starts with the Lindy Hop of…
Bat Boy: The Musical
Colton Berry, artistic director for Bayou City Theatrics, has been waiting to perform Bat Boy: The Musical for more than a decade. Berry first learned about a boy who was reportedly half-bat, half-boy from a series of absurd news stories in tabloids. “I remember seeing photos of the bat boy…
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike declares its origins early on. Call it Chekhov with a twist. “The title gives you a very strong indication by adding the word ‘Spike’ in there,” says visiting director Jonathan Moscone, who’s heading up the Alley Theatre production of the 2013 Tony Award…
“Extreme Bugs”
We don’t often see red-tailed bumblebees in Houston, but at the exhibit “Extreme Bugs” not only will there be red-tailed bumblebees, they’ll be 60 times as large as usual. In “Extreme Bugs,” a family exhibit that will spend the summer at the Houston Zoo, giant animatronic versions of bugs both…
Capsule Art Reviews: May 29, 2014
“Ann Harithas: Memory” is the first exhibition of this artist after she recovered completely from what may have been a stroke last year, in which her memory and ability to recognize old friends were damaged. Harithas began reviewing old photographs, and her faculties and memory were restored. She works with…
“Facing Mars”
Get ready to free fall 28 feet (while wearing a safety harness, of course), experience simulated reduced gravity and see the effects of microgravity on your face (ah, it ain’t pretty) at the interactive exhibit “Facing Mars”. With our always advancing aerospace technology, it’s a given that we’ll be able…
Bring Me the Head of Han Solo
Harrison Ford has been a good soldier in the Star Wars. He did whatever was asked of him by his commanding officer, George Lucas, even when his commanding officer was wrong. Now that Ford is back in Star Wars, and J.J. Abrams is running the show, Abrams’s first order of…
Cannes Report: Grace of Monaco at Least Has Clothes
Greetings from Cannes! It’s an unwritten rule – maybe it should even be a written one – that no one who is lucky enough to come to Cannes for the film festival, now in its 67th year, should, in any way, shape, or form, complain about being here. But may…
Cannes Report: In Foxcatcher, Channing Tatum Gives What Must Be One of the Year’s Best Performances
If all of Cannes isn’t it love with Channing Tatum right now, it should be. During the photo-call for Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher on Monday afternoon Tatum — relaxed, affable, light on his feet despite being seriously built — turned toward the press and took a few photographs of the corps…
Cannes Report: Timothy Spall Gives the Performance of His Career in Mr. Turner
If you’ve ever loved a terrible person, Mike Leigh’s quietly sensational Cannes competition entry Mr. Turner — a biopic, of sorts, covering the last 25 years of the life of the great 19th century British painter J.M.W. Turner – is the movie for you. In his seascapes and landscapes, Turner…
Cannes Report: Euro Men Can Dress! Plus: Damian Szifron’s Standout Wild Tales
Cannes, on festival weekends, is wild: Every night is busy on the Croisette, the long boulevard that winds along the shore and past the Palais des Festivals, the large complex where most of the festival action — including screenings, premieres, and red-carpet walking — take place. But the crowds swell…
Blockbusted
Let’s rewind 20 years, to the summer of 1994. O.J. Simpson has been arrested for murder, the World Cup is in America and being ignored, and the biggest hits at the multiplex are Forrest Gump, The Lion King, True Lies and Speed. Notice anything odd about those movies? There’s not…
James McAvoy loved wallowing for Filth
James McAvoy knows not to trust the British tabloids. While flogging his grotty drama Filth, based on the Irvine Welsh novel about a coke-addicted, double-crossing cop, they breathlessly reported that the Scottish actor had dived so deep into method acting that he’d convinced a German hooker to punch him in…
A Rom-Com of One’s Own
When first-time director Gillian Robespierre’s festival favorite Obvious Child makes its theatrical debut in June, it could herald the sweetest, funniest, most unassuming cinematic revolution in years. Starring former Saturday Night Live bit player Jenny Slate in a ravishing star turn, the romantic comedy quickly caught attention at Sundance for…
Maleficent: Why Must a World-Class Star Be Hung Up on Some Twerp?
Boil Maleficent down to one newt’s nose-size piece of advice and you’d get this: Don’t dump Angelina Jolie. It’s not a problem most mortals will face, but as seen through director Robert Stromberg’s lens, the antlered arch-villain of Sleeping Beauty is a sympathetic scorned woman, equal parts Gloria Gaynor, Princess…
Seth MacFarlane’s Comedy Western Pulls Off Its Trick Shot
We’re still adjusting to Seth MacFarlane as a big-screen star. Not just because his breakneck absurdist humor often demands viewers pause and rewind, but because the man himself looks like a hand-inked cartoon, with his black, pupil-less eyes and an alabaster baby face that, lacking cheekbones that could carve in…
The Bull and The Pearl: Meet Houston’s Latest Hip Pop-Up
Local Spotlight ‘I kind of stay away from pretentious food, but I try to bring something a little different to the table,” Ben McPherson says before launching into an explanation of his reimagined hush puppy. It’s more like abeignet than a dense ball of cornbread, but it retains the sense…
USDA, PETA Go After Dude Whose Primate Hit Great Day Houston Host
Highlights from Hair Balls Whatever It was the slap seen ’round the world: A capuchin monkey bopped Great Day Houston host Deborah Duncan in the face in April, and almost everyone thought it was super-cute. Of course, the party poopers at PETA didn’t think it was cute, especially given the…
Hank Williams Jr. Keeps Up the Family Tradition
Hillbilly Highway It’s not hard to believe the Coastal Conservation Association enlisted Hank Williams Jr. for its third annual Concert for Conservation, given all the hunting and fishing talk in “A Country Boy Can Survive” alone. What is hard to believe is that it’s been some 13 years since Bocephus…
Capsule Stage Reviews: May 29, 2014
Capsule reviews by Jim J. Tommaney Heartbreak House George Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House, set in 1913, is a wonderful comedy of delightful cynicism. The setting is the large estate of Captain Shotover, excellently played by Charles Krohn. Shotover savors his rum, and is forgetful, but is often wise, except for…
Greetings and Handshakes
Dear Mexican, While vacationing in Mexico, a couple of times I have had vendors or waiters address me as chica. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but when I related a conversation with one of these guys to a Mexican friend of mine back in the U.S.,…
Eight Reasons Why Congress Offers the Worst Job in America
Imagine, in a moment of suspended disbelief, that your job pays 174 grand a year. And comes with a $1.3 million expense account. And a staff of 18 Ivy League yes-men whose sole duty is to bray loud and wide about the miracle that is you — when they’re not…
At Artisans Restaurant, What Matters Is that the Ingredients Are the Best of the Best
I almost parked in the spot reserved for the chef because it was empty when I arrived. I was there for a late dinner — 8 p.m. — but the chef was clearly not. At times like this, a critic is bound to wonder: Should I stay and eat or…
For the First Time, the Texans are Building an Identity as a Team
“I know what I believe in. To me, it’s all about the team. Everybody on this football team will have a role. Those guys on this football team will determine their own role. They’ll determine it by practicing well, playing well, and, to me, it’s about accountability, it’s about demanding…
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Opens Its Vaults for Two Small Shows of Rarely Seen Works
We’ve had a good run of blockbuster art exhibits this year: Berni and Braque, Sargent and Magritte, the battle of West and Copley, among others. But now it’s time for something a little different — something a little smaller. True, maybe it’s shows along the lines of “Picasso in Black…
