Michael Peranteau Becomes Second Art League Executive Director in Four Months
This week, Art League Houston announced the appointment of Michael Peranteau to the position of executive director. Peranteau, who began his new gig on Tuesday, was most recently the development director of Project Row Houses. Peranteau replaces outgoing executive director Glenn Weiss, who left Art League under rather mysterious circumstances…
Sherlock’s Baker Street Pub Closes in Wake of Cop Shooting
Shit, no Sherlock. Sherlock’s Baker Street Pub, the troubled River Oaks bar that was the scene of a fatal police shooting, is closing, Eater reports. The popular bar won a Best of Houston® for its open-mike night last year. Sherlock’s was where off-duty HPD officer Jose Coronado killed Omar Ventura…
Celtics-Heat Postgame Fun-Fest: Crazy KG, D-Wade’s Hipster-ish Fake Glasses and “Good Job, Good Effort!” Kid (w/ VIDEO)
I love NBA basketball, but I’ll be the first to admit that I am oftentimes more compelled by what goes on after the games — in the press conferences, in the locker room, on the set of TNT — than I am in the games themselves. I’m the guy who…
Spurs’ Stephen Jackson: His Three Best/Worst Quotes About Port Arthur in Grantland Piece
Stephen Jackson is getting known as a quote machine as he and his fellow San Antonio Spurs struggle to survive in the NBA Western Conference finals. He’s the subject of a piece in Grantland, the Web site devoted to long-form sports journalism. In it he talks a bit about growing…
Third Ward Treasure Jewel Brown: “I’ve Seen ‘Em All”
Along with Lightnin’ Hopkins’s cousin Milton Hopkins, Houston jazz diva Jewel Brown heads north to Chicago this weekend, where she and Hopkins will entertain folks with their new album, Milton Hopkins and Jewel Brown. The festival is paying tribute to Lightnin’ Hopkins since this would have been his 100th year…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 82, Short Rib Sandwich at Shepherd Park Draught House
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…
Cover Story: The War on Mexicans Has to Stop
America’s peculiar war on Mexicans has gone too far, says this week’s cover package from Village Voice Media. A hostile Supreme Court and a feckless Obama administration have resulted in abominations like Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070, which gives cops all but carte blanche to question the immigration status of anyone…
New One Hunnidt Album Admirably Wrestles Cognitive Dissonance
“As artists, it’s like we have the responsibility to paint a certain picture of our own lifestyles. It’s almost not allowed to be like, ‘Man, my life sucks. I’m sad about this or that.'” — One Hunnidt Three days ago, my fuel pump went out. Now, were I in Houston…
FELA! at Jones Hall: An Immortal Feast
If ever a show’s name deserved the all-caps, exclamation mark treatment, FELA! is it. Both the man and the multiple-Tony Award-winning musical about him are larger than life, spectacles equally spiritual, sensual and cerebral. Nigerian afrobeat creator Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s life had two acts, and so does this show, though Sierra…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 BYOBs
This is the second week in a row that I’ve [inadvertently] reviewed a terrific restaurant that also happens to encourage BYOB. Banana Leaf — the subject of last week’s cafe review — offers Malaysian and Singaporean food with a fantastic $0 corkage fee. And Lucio’s BYOB — the subject of…
The Secret History of “You Are So Beautiful”
Six years ago today, on June 6, 2006, the world lost Houston-born musician Billy Preston. The session man, kind soul and all-around secret weapon was in the mix for some of the best and brightest moments of rock’s heyday. The man backed up Little Richard and Sam Cooke, and as…
Awesome: Jonathan Thompson, Arrested, Has Tattoo That Says the Constable “Can Suck My Dick”
How to get on the good side of the people who have arrested you: Be sure to have, permanently inked on your arm, a message telling the head of that office that he can suck your dick. Jonathan Thompson, 30, was arrested in Trinity for fighting with his stepfather. As…
Salade Niçoise Recipe (and Bandol Rosé Porn)
When it comes to making a great salade niçoise, it’s all about the quality of the ingredients. But that doesn’t mean that you need to make a special trip to Whole Foods Market just to make this humble summer dish. In fact, I make my niçoise using ingredients I buy…
Ricky Armendariz Sets Art League Ablaze With His Carved Paintings
The hallway gallery at Art League Houston is on fire. In the compact show “Tu Eres O No Tu Eres Mi Baby,” Ricky Armendariz’s text-based carved paintings are at times smoking, other times blazing red like a sunrise. And the text the artist uses is often repeated, giving it a…
RIP Ray Bradbury: 5 Musicians Who Love the Sci-Fi Author
Sci-fi fans across the world were saddened when prolific author Ray Bradbury died Tuesday, Wired magazine reported. The typewriter-loving Bradbury was 91 and lived in Los Angeles. Bradbury was best known for writing that set the standard for post-WWII science fiction such as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles and Something…
Houston Is Finally Getting Out of the Crime-Lab Business
The chronically hapless Houston police crime lab will be no more, thanks to a City Council vote today. Council approved a measure taking the first steps to close the lab and outsource its work to an independent nonprofit organization…
Reality Bites: American Ninja Warrior
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. Why wasn’t this show made in the 1980s? America was ninja-crazy during the Reagan years. Not only were the black-pajama-clad assassins used as villains in everything from The Octagon (Chuck…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Mario Valdez of The Rainbow Lodge, on Becoming Chef de Cuisine at 23
Mario Valdez The Rainbow Lodge 2011 Ella Blvd. 713-861-8666 www.rainbow-lodge.com This is the first part of a three-part chef chat series. Look for Part 2 and Part 3 in this space Thursday and Friday. Most of us are just starting our careers at age 24, but not Mario Valdez. Having…
Bun B: On the Road with the Trill OG During Gumball 3000
Bun B is a busy man. A quick search of this publication finds him supporting the local music scene, doing his duties as an associate professor at Rice University, rallying over social issues and even receiving an official proclamation from the mayor of Houston. He is active in the local…
Ray Bradbury, Freaking Awesome Writer, Dies at 91; Our Pick for His Creepiest Short Story
We can’t help but wonder if, just before literary genius Ray Bradbury died Tuesday night at age 91, a strange crowd appeared before him to decide if he should live or die. If our thought was odd, or slightly offensive, blame it on the man himself: In 1943, he published…
Hops, Ham and the Hall Family Haggadah: He’Brew Genesis
I’m Catholic. My parents converted shortly after they got married. My dad got his PhD from Catholic University of America. He teaches at a Catholic university renowned for its Thomistic Studies program. My brothers and I attended Catholic schools all the way through. High school was an all-boys affair, run…
Michael Tapley Plays Melvin P. Thorpe A.K.A. Marvin Zindler in TheBest Little Whorehouse in Texas
Michael Tapley has played Melvin P. Thorpe — based on the late Marvin Zindler — before, but somehow, his character didn’t have as much resonance in Portland, Maine, as it does in Houston, Texas. That’s why he’s really looking forward to playing the part of the pesky newsman who uncovers…
PrintMatters Turns Two With PrintHouston: NEXT
Printmaking is a clever medium; like an iceberg, on the surface it’s just a mass, a sulking stillness. (In the case of printmaking, just a bunch of lines and squiggles.) However, look beneath and you’ll see something bigger: That mass turns into a massive collection of etched and engraved lines…
Apples vs. Bananas: A Showdown for the Ages
When I was in college, my roommates and I had an ongoing debate about which would win in a fight: a fully grown male African lion or a fully grown male grizzly bear. Obviously, if you say “lion” you are an idiot unworthy of continuing to breathe air. The grizzly…
Rocks Off’s Music-Centric Hurricane Survival Kit
Lost in the middle of all the pre-Summer Fest excitement was the fact that the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season started on June 1. Of course, that’s only the official start; unofficially things kicked off back on May 19 with the formation of Tropical Storm Alberto. While forecasters predict this to…
Comment of the Day: Phish Phans Revolt
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 or afternoon from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous…
Know Your Local Media: Isiah Carey on YouTube Celebrity, Homebodies and How the Devil Is Busy
Each week, we will profile an esteemed member of the local media and ask them five questions, for better or worse. Name: Isiah Carey Employer: KRIV Fox 26 Title: Investigative Reporter Fox 26 investigative reporter Isiah Carey is a YouTube celebrity, an often dubious distinction and a source of embarrassment…
Best Comics in May Part 2: Borg and Cybermen… We Are SO Fucked
Once a month the amazing staff at 8th Dimension Comics selects a pile of the best new releases for us to peruse and judge. Yesterday we looked at the massive crossovers dominating the Marvel and DC landscapes. Today we look at the books that aren’t involved. After Twilight #4 Finally…
13 Celebrity Chef Doppelgangers
I didn’t know Rocco DiSpirito was a Jonas Brother! And was that really Gordon Ramsay starring opposite Will Ferrell in Step Brothers? Who knew! Check out these and more Celebrity Chef Doppelgangers: 13. Rocco DiSpirito vs. Nick Jonas Renowned chef, cookbook author and the fifth Jonas Brother…
Houston Mom Escapes Robbery in Getaway Car
I don’t think anyone’s ever come up with a superhero whose special power is stopping crime by complete accident. Luckily we have the real-life equivalent, a Houston mother of four named Blanca, patrolling our streets. Blanca was waiting to cash a check at Chase Bank on I-10 East when armed,…
100 Creatives 2012: Sandie Zilker, Art Jewelry Maker & Glassell School Teacher
Texas native Sandie Zilker creates jewelry and has been doing that for the last 38 years. She first fell in love with jewelry making after taking an art class in college. Soon after realizing her passion for the arts she quickly switched her major from psychology to fine art. After…
Leon Hendrix Weaves a Tale of Brotherly Love
Jimi Hendrix: A Brother’s Story By Leon Hendrix with Adam Mitchell Thomas Dunne Books, 276 pp. $25.99 Memoirs about rock stars written by family members, friends, ex-wives and quickie backstage assignations are a wildly divergent lot that alternately take the narrative tracks of score-settling, axe-grinding, deification or exploitation. Fortunately, this…
This Week in Food Blogs: Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants?
29-95: To quote Peter Gabriel, the “big big big big big big big big big” news this week was the release of Alison Cook’s top 100 restaurants in Houston. I can’t imagine how monumental of a task it was to compile not only the list, but all of the write-ups…
The Mets Impostor “No Hitter Celebrator” Is Awesome, But He’s Kind of a Crappy Dad (w/ VIDEO)
It hasn’t been easy being a Mets fan these last few years. Since moving into their new home (Citi Field) in 2009, they have yet to crack the 80-win barrier. Also, mired in the throes of a Ponzi scheme, their ownership group has become a punch line. But things are…
Why Naming Anchorage the Worst-Dressed City in America is Stupid, and Also Wrong (Because It’s Obviously Fairbanks)
Last Friday I was bombarded with the link to this Yahoo! story about Anchorage being voted the Worst Dressed city in America by Travel & Leisure magazine readers. Having lived in Alaska for three years before moving to Houston, I’m used to people sending me Alaska-related news items. (August 29,…
Ulver: Murder in “Magic Hollow”
Norwegian black metal band Ulver has a very interesting record coming up. Childhood’s End will be a cover album focusing on classic and obscure psychedelic songs from the ’60s. Such tunes have always been a fetish for vocalist Kristoffer Rygg, who recently told Kscope Magazine, “My feeling is that most…
Erika Perdue: Feds Bust Dallas “Socialite” for Huge Hoard of Child Porn
In a story so stunning and disturbing it’s taken the Hair Balls Crime Bureau four days to summon the gumption to write up, a wealthy 41-year-old Dallas woman has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. According to investigators, at least some of it consisted of extremely graphic…
Jason Windham, 40, Bayou Body Count No. 75
A man was shot to death after several men forced their way into his motel room early Monday, Houston police said. Jason Windham, 40, was staying with his girlfriend at the America’s Best Inns & Suites in the 700 block of North Sam Houston tollway, HPD says. About two in…
UPDATED: Family Suing Camp La Junta Over Sexual Assault of 11-Year-Old Son
Correction March 5, 2014:In our initial account, we incorrectly stated the charges to which Matthew Bovee pleaded guilty. Bovee is serving nine years in prison for injury to a child in the third degree. The family of a boy who was sexually assaulted three years ago at Camp La Junta…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 83, Pretzel at Anvil Bar & Refuge
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…
ZZ Top: A Double-Sided Take on the New Texicali EP
Craig Hlavaty: What a way to tease your first album of original material in nine years, ZZ Top. You managed to record three songs and one ballad that instantly fit into your canon alongside the rest of your ballbusters without sounding like a classic-rock act reaching for straws. This is…
Try Thai at Thai Jasmine, Steak at Spencer’s and Other Great Deals Around Houston
Enjoy half-off of Thai food at Thai Jasmine ($10 for $20) with this week’s Houston Press Voice Daily Deal. Fresh, made-to-order Thai classics are made with a health-conscious twist; favorite appetizers include crispy, spicy hot wings and house-made soups while popular entrées include traditional Pad Thai, cashew chicken and fried…
DVDs & Blu-rays: Tomboy is a Different Type of Coming of Age Story
Tomboy stars Sophie Cattani, Zoé Heran, and Jeanen Disson; Céline Sciamma directs. French writer/director Céline Sciamma and child actor Zoé Heran lift Tomboy from being just another coming of age story (admittedly with a twist) to being a breathtakingly beautiful examination of childhood, gender and identity. Heran plays the boyish…
Calculate Your Hurricane Risk with New Web Site
The city of Houston and Rice University have produced a risk calculator that tells you your chances of getting flood or wind damage from a direct-hit hurricane. The Storm Risk Calculator isn’t the fastest thing around, but you can enter your address and eventually it will show you your risks…
Upcoming: Swans, Charles Bradley, Bonnie Raitt, Dwight Yoakam, Joe Ely, Etc.
“93Q’s Day in the Country” with Dierks Bentley, Ronnie Dunn, Chris Cagle, Wade Bowen, Jana Kramer, Thomas Rhett, The Lost Trailers, Lunabelles: Sat., June 16, 7 p.m., $16-$99.50. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr., Spring. Adam Hood: Fri., July 27, 9 p.m., $12. The Firehouse Saloon, 5930 Southwest…
Rap Round Table: Dissecting the Best 2 Chainz Lines
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week’s Panel: Delo, Chingo Bling, Brad Gilmore, Yung Truth, Mac, D-Risha, Kiotti, Chane, Mic Skills, TroubleSum, Killa Kyleon Not Invited: Future This Week’s Prompt: 2…
Taste-Testing Two-Thirds of Wendy’s New “Signature Sides” Side-Dish Menu
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I saw that Wendy’s had added a baked sweet potato to their side-dish menu. One of my go-to fast-food meals is a Wendy’s Sour Cream & Chives baked potato (320 calories) plus a small chili (210 calories) — when we moved…
Village Executive Suites: Melding Arts and Business & Shooting for Not Boring
The Village Executive Suites, an artfully designed office complex, started when Jeremy Wells toured an empty, nondescript five-bedroom house and saw not what it was, but what it could be. “The house had sat on the market for years. As a house, it wasn’t really working, it didn’t seem to…
Stephen Houston: Bonds Out of Jail, Gets Caught Whacking Off in Front of Child Six Hours Later
We have to think that, on the short list of “Things Not to Do Immediately After Bonding Out of Jail,” jerking off in front of a toddler would rank near the top. Evidently it didn’t even make Stephen Benet Houston’s list, as the 24-year-old Texas City man was charged with…
Where Are We Drinking? Clue: Get Down With the Clown
At this homey spot, you can enjoy healthy food without sacrificing flavor — or drinks. The beverage list here is immense, from cocktails with Texas liquors to a huge, Houston-centric craft beer list. The black bean burger with pepper jack and jalapeños, for example, pairs perfectly with a can of…
Theatre Southwest Puts the Tingle in Extremities
The set-up: Who would ever think that a creepy play about rape and revenge would be such a diverting Sunday afternoon’s delight? But Theatre Southwest’s production of Extremities has put the tingle into William Mastrosimone’s Off-Broadway hit. The execution: The plot is fairly basic, all the better when it turns…
Visiting Brits Search for the Soul of Rock and Roll
Live Fast, Die Young: Misadventures in Rock ‘n’ Roll America by Chris Price and Joe Harland Trafalgar Square Publishing, 320 pp., $13.95 Friends and former coworkers at the BBC — where they programmed radio and video music — Price and Harland’s jumping-off point for this music travelogue across the U.S…
Freeman, Monkey Who’d Been Forced to Drink, Get High and Not Exercise, Is Rescued & in Texas
Sitting around not moving, surrounded by shit, eating a crap diet and getting high and drunk may be okay if you’re a twentysomething Phish Phan, but it’s not the best life for a monkey. It’s the life that was forced upon a long-tailed macaque named JR in Michigan, where some…
Comment of the Day: Not Buying the Explanation from Diane Tran’s Judge
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 or afternoon from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous…
Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 7 Downtown Bars
Life is about perspective and so is Houston’s downtown. Perhaps some look at it as a commercial district and once wannabe party king that lost its luster with the emergence of its cousin Midtown. Or you can see it as a beautiful skyline — the best in Texas — that’s…
Best Comics in May Part 1: The Big Ol’ Crossovers
Once a month the amazing staff at 8th Dimension Comics selects a pile of the best new releases for us to peruse and judge. This month we’ll feature our usual breakdown, but first let’s look at the two big crossover events going on in comics right now. Avengers vs. X-Men…
Pastry Chef Chris Leung Debuts New Dessert Menu at Kata Robata
When we talk about pastry in Houston, it would be impossible to overlook Chris Leung. Though he’s only been at it for four and a half years (read our Chef Chats Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 from December if you want to know the details), Leung’s whimsical dessert…
Wilson Phillips’s Wendy Wilson: “We Are Who We Are”
In the early ’90s, Wilson Phillips calmly came onto the music scene with their 1990 self-titled debut album and launched such hits as “Hold On,” “Impulsive” and “You’re in Love.” They received Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo…
Rum and Vodka from Thunderclap Productions: As Hypnotizing as a Car Wreck
The set-up: Don’t ever get between the Man (Andy Ingalls) and a pint of stout. You’ll be steamrolled. Maybe punched out. The encounter will certainly be colorful. In Conor McPherson’s (The Wier, The Seafarer) boozy monologue, written when he was a college student and soon to become a rising star…
Killen’s Steakhouse in the Heights Begins Build-Out
Ronnie Killen has already started making his mark in The Heights. Killen’s Steakhouse has taken over the Stella Sola space on Studewood and is making it their own. Still deciding between “Killen’s Steakhouse in The Heights” and “KS2,” Chef Killen has the interior envisioned and in final blueprints. For now,…
App of the Week: The Easiest Lists You’ll Ever Make, with Clear
App: Clear Platform: iPhone Web site: Apple Store Link Cost: $2.99 I’ve mentioned on this blog before that I’m a list maker. I make tons of them. The to-do list I have every week is basically the reason anything in my life gets done. The truth is that I make…
Pop Rocks: The Official Jason Alexander Memorial List Of Things That Are Gay
No, Jason Alexander’s not dead, but his career probably is: Jason Alexander issued a lengthy apology over the weekend after he referred to cricket as a “gay game” during his appearance Friday on CBS’ Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. “It’s the pitch,” the former Seinfeld star remarked to Ferguson…
Two Men Take Roak to Court, Each Claiming Assaults on Premises of Upper Kirby Lounge
Roak, the former Upper Kirby funeral home turned trendy, South Beach-esque oontz-oontz lounge, was taken to court twice last month. Alleged assaults on the premises figure in both cases. On May 23, attorney J. Michael Moore asked for and was granted a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction against…
Top 5 Snacks I Still Like (But Shouldn’t)
Ever look down at your cart and contemplate throwing in a box of baby wipes or kids’ sunscreen just so people think you’re shopping for children? Some of the snacks I still enjoy as a 20-something-year-old female are just downright embarrassing. At what point will I stop liking this crap?…
RFK, Shot 44 Years Ago Today: Definitive, Indisputable Answers to 5 “What Ifs?” About His Political Future
Forty-four years ago today, Robert Kennedy was shot in an L.A. hotel’s kitchen and died a day later. He had just won the California primary and ended his victory speech with “And now it’s on to Chicago and let’s win there!” But would he have won there? Would he have…
Ask a Rapper: Reggie Eviscerates Rap’s Worst Diss Tracks
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place — lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good — so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to…
Summer Fest: Not Just Championing Music, But Also Local Art and Design
If you spent any time at Free Press Summer Fest this weekend, you could tell that not only did the music festival have some killer musical programming (Willie, Snoop, the Flaming Lips…), it was also pretty as hell. Okay, aside from all the vendors slinging pipes, lemonade and ice cream…
If New York City Bans Big Gulps, Here Are 5 Texan Foods Worth Banning, Too
In the latest blow to common sense, New York City has moved to ban Big Gulps — the extra-large soft drinks of the type you usually see in Styrofoam cups triple the size of a human’s normal stomach capacity, or anything more than 16 ounces in capacity (which is close…
5 Things Texans Safety Troy Nolan Could Be Doing in This Picture OTHER Than Urinating
This just in — sometimes men pee in places other than the bathroom. Sometimes it’s out of choice, sometimes it’s out of necessity, sometimes it’s out of spite. Or it can be a combination of all three. (My co-host on 1560 The Game and noted LSU fan John Granato famously…
Review for the Lazy Parent: Animal Poppers
Toy Name(s): Animal and Rapid Fire Power Poppers from Hog Wild Age Group: Four and up Cost: Animal Poppers $9.99, Rapid Fire Power Poppers $16.99 Are These Recreational Poppers? Yes, but not in the way you are thinking. Animal Poppers are rubber toys geared at the little ones in your…
Video Game Sheet-Music Availability Rising, But Still Fairly Rare
Despite the enduring popularity of video games and the increasing amount of recognition that they receive as art, sheet music for their iconic scores remains very rare. Some of the most popular themes have recently become available, but publishers have been slow to tap this market. Super Mario Bros. and…
Lashonda Moye, 37, Found in Bathtub: Bayou Body Count No. 74
Houston police have identified the mother of two who was found dead in her bathtub early this morning. She’s 37-year-old Lashonda Moye.At 1:05 a.m. today, HPD got a call from Moye’s house reporting a home invasion. When police arrived on the scene, no one answered the door and it seemed…
Armando Liceaga’s Triple Play: 1) Steals Copper. 2) FROM A CHURCH. 3) Leaves Kid in Hot Car While Doing It
People steal copper all the time, from businesses to construction sites. It’s not an especially noble criminal enterprise, but few of them are. Armando Liceaga found a way to pump the heinousness, though. According to court documents, Liceaga, 31, decided to hit a Pasadena church for its copper. Because, you…
General Observations from the Free Press Summer Fest
See our slideshow of the food at Summer Fest. Observations while standing near a classic-style mosh pit to see The Descendents, as my friend Jay swigged Beam from a flask in one hand and deflated beach balls with a pocket knife in the other hand: There is probably not a…
Toshia McMurray: Clocked Hubby Eight Times with Cinder Block, Police Say
A Bryan woman was jailed for much of the weekend after she was arrested in connection with the brick-beating of her husband’s head. According to the Bryan-College Station Eagle, after Bryan police arrived on the scene Friday, 22-year-old Toshia Lasha McMurray told them that her 40-year-old husband had pushed her…
Caribbean American Heritage Month Is Here: Five Ways You Can Celebrate
On Saturday, the Caribbean American Heritage Foundation of Texas (CAHFT) celebrated the arrival of Caribbean American Heritage Month — held in June — with an afternoon festival at Jones Plaza. Just a few miles away from the Free Press Summer Fest, CAHFT held its own with three live bands, a…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 84, Breakfast Croissant at BB Donuts
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…
Aromatic White Wines for the Foods of Summer
Salade niçoise is a favorite summer dish at our house (and I’ve already made it twice since Memorial Day). Its simple summer flavors, combined with chunky olive oil-cured tuna and gently hard-boiled eggs, make for a nearly perfect balance of lightness and substance. While Bandol rosé is always going to…
Best of Free Press Summer Fest Day 2: Willie Nelson, Avett Bros., Wallpaper, Etc.
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday Nathan Smith: The best part…
Mad Men: Good-bye, Lane
If you were like me, you had been thinking for a few weeks now that someone is going to commit suicide on Mad Men. Last night, sadly, this suspicion came true. Last night’s episode was rather dark as compared to the show’s usual focus on relationships and business; this episode…
Manuel Tovar: Secretly Installed Camera to Get Nude Pics of Ex-Wife, Cops Say
Manuel Tovar had the simplest of explanations for installing a hidden camera in his ex-wife’s bedroom, according to documents. He “wanted to see her naked,” he told her when she confronted him in a taped phone call, the documents say. The two had been divorced for nine years, but he…
Update: Art Car Stolen During Summer Fest
When Shelley Buschur and Kirk Suddreath came home from a long day out at Free Press Summer Fest and saw Buschur’s vehicle missing from the driveway, they may have thought that the heat had gotten to their heads. Unfortunately, they weren’t seeing things…
Last Night: Primus at Free Press Summer Fest
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday Primus Free Press Summer Fest,…
Borgias: The Beauty of Mercy
I don’t often comment on Jeremy Irons and his portrayal of Alexander VI in my reviews of the show that’s nominally based around him. A great part of that is the fact that François Arnaud, Sean Harris, Julian Bleach and others are turning in performances that are so engaging that…
Josh Samples of BRC Was Once in a David Byrne Movie and Keeps It “Clasual”
This week, I paid a visit to the Big Red Cock on Shepherd. It was happy hour, snacks were half off and they were knocking $2 off all drafts so a little happy hour-ing somehow morphed into a sort of dinner/me completely stuffing myself. I “tried” the charred brisket chile…
Free Press Summer Fest: Top 10 WTF Moments of 2012
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday Cory Garcia: Walking past the…
Theogil Cuttler: Geezer Not Only Had Sex With Underage Teen Boy, He Video’d Him Masturbating
Theogil Cuttler, the 73-year-old man who gave a 15-year-old five bucks to let him give a blow job, now faces child-porn charges, too. The boy told police that in addition to the sexual assault, Cuttler had offered him “small amounts of money” for posing nude for photos and videos, according…
Where Are We Eating? Clue: Every Dish Is a Work of Art
Every single dish at this restaurant is an exquisite work of art, including the potatoes and chard sofrito seen below. And eating at this place is akin to making a trip to a museum or art gallery — except that each work of art is meant for you to consume…
Connor’s Corner: Texans LB Barwin Goes to Free Press Summer Fest
Recently I began work with Houston Texans linebacker Connor Barwin on an upcoming print feature. Anyone who follows him on Twitter knows that he is a huge fan of live music in Houston and can be seen at gigs all over town. I asked him if he wanted to write…
FELA! A Pounding Dance & Song Production Set to an Afrobeat
Art Attack also talked with actress Paulette Ivory, who plays the Black Panther member who radicalized Fela. In FELA!, the story of Fela Kuti, a Nigerian musician who became a civic activist, Melanie Marshall, who plays Fela’s mother, Funmilayo, spends most of the play as a ghost. “I only appear…
Video Game High School: Your Life Will NEVER Be This Cool
Producer Matthew Arnold promised me a break from first-person shooters in the fourth episode of the ever more amazing Video Game High School via e-mail this week, and the best show on the Internet did not disappoint. In fact…what’s the opposite of disappoint? Whatever it is, my jeans are full…
Laugh While You Eat: Comedians on Food
“Eat, drink and be merry” is often a salutation thrown out at weddings, bar mitzvahs and other life-affirming events. They rank among my favorite things to do. Combining food and comedy is great, but throw in some drinking and you are sure to get some good, deep belly laughs. Stand-up…
Last Night: Pretty Lights at Free Press Summer Fest
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday Pretty Lights Free Press Summer…
Adventures in DUI: Jacksonville Jags WR Justin Blackmon (w/ Mugshot!)
While the new NFL collective bargaining agreement has brought rookie salaries, particularly first-round rookie salaries, more in line with their true value, there is no denying that NFL teams are still investing significant chunks of change in a bunch of unproven commodities. Along those lines, it’s no wonder that the…
Game of Thrones: “Valar Morghulis”
As refreshingly awesome as it was to have the action centered on one location in last week’s “Blackwater,” last night’s season finale felt necessarily rushed. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have split up four major narratives into twice that, and with most of those demanding some sort of end point,…
Saturday Night: Nickelback & Bush at Toyota Center
Nickelback, Bush, Seether, My Darkest Days Toyota Center June 2, 2012 While the rest of the Rocks Off crew at Summer Fest was settling in for a long night of Snoop Dogg, Flaming Lips, and more, this guy was leaving the Fest and making the short trip over to the…
Perfect Fit Meals Are Definitely Fit, But Need Perfecting
I am a big fan of grab-and-go meals. I rarely hit the drive-thru and am always on the lookout for prepared meals that only need a quick zap in the microwave. If I’m feeling really fancy, I might do the freezer-to-oven thing, but most of the time I like something…
Kiss of the Spider Woman: Weaving Fantasy Out of Thin Air to Find a Connection
The setup: This isn’t Kander & Ebb’s musical version of Manuel Puig’s best-selling novel. There are no shirtless chorus boys gyrating around Chita Rivera in a birdcage. This is the earlier stage play adaptation of the novel, dramatized by Puig and translated into English by Allan Baker for its first…
Comment of the Day: Jon Matthews & KPFT
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 or afternoon from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous…
Last Night: The Descendents at Free Press Summer Fest
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday The Descendents Free Press Summer…
The Owls Can Forget About Omaha for Another Year
The Rice Owls last advanced to Omaha and the College World Series in 2008. They last made the Super Regional in 2009. And after yesterday’s 4-1 loss to Sam Houston State, it will be at least another year before the Owls can talk about going to Omaha for the College…
Friday Night: Collective Soul at House of Blues
Collective Soul House of Blues June 1, 2012 What does a Collective Soul concert look like in 2012? That was the question I found myself seeking an answer to on Friday night when the ’90s radio hitmakers rolled into House of Blues. Anyone who’s listened to 97.5 The Buzz in…
Summer Fest’s Most Fashionable Folks
A two-day outdoor music festival held in Houston in June might not be the ideal arena for flaunting your mad fashion sense — but it’s not this town’s first rodeo. We spotted lots of fest-goers who managed to circumvent the 95-degree heat and sport some enviable festival styles. As usual,…
What’s Cooking This Week? Grilled Barbecue Chicken Thighs, Antipasto Salad & More
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…
Will You Turn into a Hoarder? See What the Stars Have to Say: Astrology Signs, Ranked for Hoardiness
Will you turn into a hoarder? Let’s see what astrology says, courtesy of our favorite local astrologer, Figgy Jones. Here’s what she told us: On June 11, the big ol’ jolly planet of abundance and goodies, Jupiter, moves into the sign of Gemini — the most garrulous sign. Gemini is…
Things I Intend to Keep Doing Even Though I Know Better
Life is full of enough rules as it is, and the food world especially can be easily overtaken by snobbery and excess etiquette. To combat this soul-crushing feeling, there are a few areas in which I willfully misbehave — things which I stubbornly continue to do even though I know…
DryDudz Swimwear Attempts to Combine Style and Performance
My super-cute new bikini is just that — super cute. A recent weekend trip to Galveston proved that it was no match for an active session of beach Frisbee, or even a shallow dive into the water. Since I’m not a nip-slip kind of girl, I knew I would need…
Diane Tran’s Judge Offers a Defense, Sorta
The judge who put an honors student behind bars for missing school has issued a statement in hopes of easing the international backlash against him. (Good luck with that, judge.) Montgomery County Judge Lanny Moriarty became the latest Texas judge to earn Internet scorn (remember daughter-whipping Judge William Adams?) when…
Gorilla Monsoon: A Birthday Playlist for a Wrestling Legend
Growing up as I did in the ’80s, professional wrestling was more than entertainment, it was religion. The Hulkster, Roddy Piper, Randy Savage and Andre were all unapologetically over-the-top, one-dimensional; comic characters that did glorious battle for dubious reasons. It was a great time to watch people beat the crap…
Nicolas Cage Movies for People Who Hate Nicolas Cage
Recently I had the (dis)pleasure of watching 1998’s City of Angels, starring Nicolas Cage as a horny angel with the hots for San Francisco emergency-room doctor Meg Ryan. It’s a loathsome, offensive movie, yet I couldn’t look away. Plus, it features Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” on the soundtrack, way back when…
Best of Free Press Summer Fest Day 1: Quintron, Big Freedia, Morris Day, Etc.
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday Cory Garcia: Stage 7 isn’t…
Last Night: Major Lazer at Free Press Summer Fest
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday Major Lazer Free Press Summer…
Last Night: Erykah Badu at Free Press Summer Fest
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday Erykah Badu Free Press Summer…
Last Night: The Flaming Lips at Free Press Summer Fest
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday The Flaming Lips Free Press…
Last Night: Snoop Dogg at Free Press Summer Fest
More FPSF 2012 Coverage: • Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog. • Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds • Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest • FPSF: The Bands from Saturday • FPSF: The Bands from Sunday Snoop Dogg Free Press Summer…
Comment of the Day: Passionately Defending Dynamo Fans
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 or afternoon from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous…
Follow Rocks Off at Summer Fest, Wherever You Are
Rocks Off is about to wrap up our Free Press Summer Fest pregame coverage for the afternoon…sort of. Really, it’s just a pause. Of course we will be out at the festival all…weekend…long…and won’t be shy about letting our readers know exactly what’s going on. Even stuff besides the gorgeous…
Week in Photos: Masthead
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…
Heritage Society Brings “Blues in All Its Colors”
Before we wrap up for the weekend (and Summer Fest), Rocks Off would like to call our readers’ attention to something our sister blog Art Attack posted earlier this afternoon. Abby Koenig attended the opening reception for “Blues in All Its Colors,” at the Heritage Society in Sam Houston Park…
Montrose Business Owners Say They’re Being Illegally Taxed
Some business owners in Montrose are up in arms over a taxing district they say continues to, uh, tax, despite a petition voiding the district’s existence. At issue is the Montrose Management District, which levies taxes on commercial land and improvements in the eponymous locale, for what — as far…
UME’s Lauren Larson: “Summer Fest Will Always Be Special to Us”
Not until I conversed with UME front woman Lauren Larson did I realize that 2009’s Summer Fest was the band’s first real festival, and afterwards they would find themselves on even bigger stages than the one at Eleanor Tinsley Park. The Austin-based band plays this year’s fest at 6 p.m…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 85, Wild Boar and Crab Pizza at Boheme
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…
Houston Rockets 2012: Tales from the Stinkhole, Volume 2 (“At Least We’re Not Charlotte”)
The plight of the Rocket fan has been well documented in this space. One playoff series win in the last 15 years. Both of the other Texas franchises winning NBA titles within the last five years. Three straight finishes in the highest spot outside of the playoffs (the proverbial “stinkhole”)…
6 Cool & Cheap Summer Fest Alternatives: Accordion Kings & Queens, Etc.
Believe it or not — although you’d have a hard time convincing anyone in this office of that right now — for the next two days Houstonians will go right on eating, drinking, sleeping, driving, praying, shopping, working out, raising their children or whatever else it is they do in…
What’s the Deal with “Old” Wine?
So, what’s the deal with old wine, anyway? Wednesday’s post on What Are “Tannins” in Wine? got me thinking about the widely divergent ways Europeans and Americans perceive and approach the consumption of “old wine.” Tannins and “tannic structure,” after all, are part of what gives wine its longevity. Not…
Kids, Don’t Drink and Then Drive Your Riding Mower (w/ VIDEO)
As we head into the first weekend post-Memorial Day, summer is now in full swing, which means two things — yard work and beer drinking. Unto themselves, both are harmless, invigorating, highly necessary activities. When combined, the results can be disastrous. Or hilarious. Or both. Kids, don’t be like Charles…
Americana Music Association Nominates Robert Ellis As Emerging Artist of the Year
Houston’s own globe-trekking Robert Ellis received an Emerging Artist of the Year nomination from the Americana Music Association Thursday afternoon. The ceremony was officiated by actor and musician John C. Reilly and featured performances by Ellis and a few other big names like Lucinda Williams and Shelby Lynne. In the…
“Blues in All Its Colors” Brightens Up The Heritage Society
Last night, Art Attack swung by The Heritage Society for the opening of its latest exhibition, “Blues in All Its Colors.” The exhibit is a collection of art and artifacts chronicling Houston’s colorful blues history. The moment we walked through the door, we were struck with the sweet sounds of…
This Week in Deliciousness: Fancy-Ass Nobel-Type Prize-Winning Pizza and More
Welcome back to the weekend roundup here at Eating…Our Words, where we’re actually kind of looking forward to two straight days of festival food this weekend. It’ll be a welcome vacation from reality and sanity. We started the week off right with a look at the many, many, many different…
Diane Tran, Jailed Honors Student: Her Lawyer Urges Her Not to Reject Donations
Diane Tran, the straight-A student who was jailed for missing too many classes while working two jobs to support her younger brother, says she may not accept the $100,000 or so raised on her behalf, saying other kids are more needy. Her lawyer, however, is urging her to. “Diane has…
Last Night: Flux Pavilion at Stereo Live
Flux Pavilion Stereo Live May 31, 2012 Bass, a sold-out show and Flux Pavilion. I smell trouble, or maybe just a cannon? What better way than to end the month of May with some bass cannon to get your ears wet and ringing? Having said that, I sure hope you…
Dance Dance: 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…
Arirang Korean Restaurant Is Now Arirang Delicious Dumplings
Arirang Korean Restaurant was never as popular as the Tofu Village down the street. Maybe it was the poor ventilation, which had you reeking of Korean barbecue by the time you left its doors, or the notoriously poor service. Whatever the case, the owners have done the smart thing and…
Jon Matthews, Conservative Talk-Show Host & Sex Offender, Pulled from KPFT’s Prison Show
We’d almost forgotten about Jon Matthews, one of the worst, if popular, right-wing blowhards to inhabit the Houston talk-radio universe. He was convicted of exposing himself to an 11-year-old girl, which, given his monotonous blubberings about Bill Clinton’s lack of morals, seemed to be odd. He was given probation, but…
4 Iconic Wardrobe Choices That Were Actually Mistakes
Costume designers are human like the rest of us, and 99 percent of the time they know exactly what they’re doing. When George Lucas came up with the idea of Indiana Jones, he had the iconic silhouette of Indy’s fedora, jacket, bag and whip all in mind from both a…
Summer Fest Round Table: What About Next Year?
Assuming we all survive this weekend, and then the supposed Mayan apocalypse, Free Press Summer Fest will return to Eleanor Tinsley Park in June 2013. Pegstar’s Jagi Katial and Jason Petzold told the Houston Press this week that they’ll start booking next year’s acts in about a month, so Rocks…
Upcoming Events: A Birthday Barbecue at the Best Block in Houston
This Thursday, June 7, head out to the so-called Best Block in Houston to help celebrate the birthday of a local legend, pitmaster Adam Fisher. From 6 to 10 p.m., the Continental Club will be hosting a birthday extravaganza for Fisher, whose barbecue has been a fixture at the concert…
We Knew It! The Green Lantern Is DC’s Gay Superhero
The epic decision has been made: The DC comic hero who is coming out of the closet is…the Green Lantern. Or should it be the Chartreuse Lantern, amirite. know what I’m sayin’? Of course, the Green Lantern was on our list of six top candidates to be given The Gay…
A Summer Fest Blind Taste Test
As part of our Free Press Summer Fest coverage, Rocks Off asked our writers to investigate an artist they’d never seen playing this weekend and report back on the results. In hindsight, the assignment was a little confusing, but Cory Garcia came through. The Eastern Sea: There’s a certain type…
Connor Barwin Wants You at the Houston Web Awards (w/ VIDEO)
Today’s the last day to submit your nominations for the best and brightest in Houston’s online community. You have until 5 p.m. this afternoon to nominate in over 30 categories for the 2012 Houston Web Awards sponsored by Houston Press. Then all that’s left to do is come on June…
Connor Barwin Wants You at the Houston Web Awards (w/ VIDEO)
Today’s the last day to submit your nominations for the best and brightest in Houston’s online community. You have until 5 p.m. this afternoon to nominate in over 30 categories for the 2012 Houston Web Awards sponsored by Houston Press. Then all that’s left to do is come on June…
Houston Web Awards: Special Guests, and Last Day for Nominations (w/ VIDEO)
Today’s the last day to submit your nominations for the best and brightest in Houston’s online community. You have until 5 p.m. this afternoon to nominate in over 30 categories for the 2012 Houston Web Awards sponsored by Houston Press. Then all that’s left to do is come on June…
Houston Web Awards: Special Guests, and Last Day for Nominations (w/ VIDEO)
Today’s the last day to submit your nominations for the best and brightest in Houston’s online community. You have until 5 p.m. this afternoon to nominate in over 30 categories for the 2012 Houston Web Awards sponsored by the Houston Press. Then all that’s left to do is come on…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Snow White and the Huntsman
Title: Snow White and the Huntsman What, No Dwarves? Oh, there are “dwarves” all right. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant to the Film: Two and a half Charlize Theron/Teri Hatcher catfight pics from Two Days in the Valley out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Orphaned princess gets medieval on evil…
The Journey Agents: Flamboyance, Chops & Soul at Summer Fest
The Journey Agents can be described in one word: Funky. When we say funky, we mean like early Red Hot Chili Peppers. If you listen to their 2011 release, All Up in It!, you will either want to dance or turn the bass up to the max level. Rocks Off…
Food Network Star Turns Former Judges into Competitors
At my house, the DVR is always set to record Food Network Star (née The Next Food Network Star). The only Food Network mega-star to emerge from the show was Season Two winner Guy Fieri, although other contestants have developed lasting concepts that continue to air on Food Network. I…
Summer Fest Art: The Latest from TxRx Labs and {exurb}
There’s going to be a Watergate, one of ginormous proportions, at this weekend’s Free Press Summer Fest. A collaborative project between TxRx Labs and {exurb}, Watergate is a site-specific water wall that, at 12 feet high by 35 feet long, will span the westbound lanes of Allen Parkway. According to…
Fatal Flying Guilloteens Reunite at Summer Fest Saturday
The scene that Houston’s Fatal Flying Guilloteens came up in in the early ’00s was a sight different from the one in the here and now. Guys like Robert Ellis, the Buxton and Wild Moccasins boys and girls, and Fat Tony weren’t roaming the city and now the Earth touring…
Longtime Car Salesman Rocky McCullough: Dealership Fired Me Because I Have Cancer
You might recognize Rocky McCullough from his Goodson Honda TV spots, where he guaranteed low prices while standing next to a buxom model or two. But now McCullough is playing a different role: the plaintiff in an employment discrimination lawsuit against Southern Ford in Pearland. McCullough claims he was fired…
Do the Right Thing, Astros. Retire J.R. Richard’s Number
Let’s stipulate that the Houston Astros have retired too many numbers, especially for a franchise that’s been to just one World Series. Let’s also stipulate that most of the retired numbers are for players who, while fan favorites, really didn’t do anything to deserve having their numbers retired. Let’s further…
Health Department Roundup: Home Foods Racks Up 20 Violations in One Visit
I had to do a little detective work this week to get background info on one of the worst health code violators I’ve ever seen. And by detective work, I mean walking over to Katharine Shilcutt’s desk and tapping her on the shoulder until she took her headphones off, rolled…
Real-World Advice for the Class of 2012: Tough Love
As the class of 2012 embarks upon its next journey in life, no doubt words of wisdom are flying around their heads like flies on the outdoor patio of a Houston bar. “Keep your nose to the grindstone.” “You are what you eat.” “Plastics.” As we are wiser and elder,…
Michael Oshay Hudson: Day-Care Owner Charged with Molesting 7-Year-Old Boy
Police have charged a day-care owner with molesting a seven-year-old boy four years ago. Michael Oshay Hudson, 39, was the owner of Shoelaces Learning Center in Sunnyside when the alleged attack occurred. The boy made an outcry to his mother at the time of the incident, but she told police…
100 Creatives 2012: Philip Hays, Actor & Chameleon
If you have gone to the theater in Houston at some point this past year, you probably caught a performance by Philip Hays. A Sugar Land native, Hays graduated from the University of Houston’s theater program in 2006 and has been steadily following his passion since. His bio is quite…
National Punch a Hipster Day: Are You a Music Hipster?
Today, June 1, has been declared National Punch a Hipster Day. First off, who the hell comes up with these random-ass holidays? As someone who gets called a hipster at times, I don’t think I am. Maybe I’m a music hipster, in a sense. Most would say repeating this quote…
Openings & Closings: Pepper Jacks the Old Cabo Space and We Wrap Up May
Because sometimes around EOW, we like to take a little poetic license with things, here is the past week’s restaurant news presented in some merry iambic pentameter: Though downtown’s lost a Mexican rest’rant, Fear not because another soon will haunt The Cabo space with patio sublime: Pepper Jacks will open…
John Fullbright Growls Like Hayes Carll, or Vice Versa
At last, the promise we’ve always seen in John Fullbright is signed, sealed, delivered and certified in his first full-length studio album, From the Ground Up. Having seen Fullbright solo and duo the last two years and loving the starkness of his windblown Leon Russell Okie plaint, hearing him with…
Grave Babies Want You to “F*ck Off”
Making a low-budget gothic music video is a double-edged sword. Sometimes you get stuck with the soul-crushing awfulness of Candy Apple Blue’s “Graveyard,” which was so bad that its very existence birthed the Gothic Council just to mock it. Other times you get Town Monster’s “Bela Lugosi,” which was just…
NBA Draft: Recent Stinkhole History to Enlighten Rocket Fans
Prior to Wednesday night’s game between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics, the 27th annual NBA Draft Lottery took place, or, as Rocket fans like to call it, “a tradition like no other.” For those Rocket fans, their 0.5 percent chance of coming away with the top pick gave…
Your Summer Wardrobe is Already Passé — Resort 2013 Is Here!
Because fashion and online editors know there is nothing we hate more than productivity, they have been compiling slideshow after slideshow of the best looks from the Resort 2013 collections. Who could expect us to finish an article or complete a month’s worth of invoicing or hit a deadline for…
Houston’s Kirko Bangz Is Now a Bona Fide No. 1 Star
At the end of last summer, Kirko Bangz, the flagship artist of the much ballyhooed new generation of Houston rappers, released a song called “Drank in My Cup.” In it, he did everything people enjoyed him doing in his breakout single “What Yo’ Name Iz” (turn his libido into its…
Miguel Angel Rangel Charged with Murdering Teen in Drive-By
Police arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with a drive-by murder at a party hall in October. Miguel Angel Rangel has been charged with murder for the shooting of Luis Armando Rodriguez, 18, at the Royal Palace club on the far west side. Two other suspects are on the run…
Houston Press Music Awards Nominations Now Open
Surprise! The runup to the 2012 Houston Press Music Awards starts right now. You didn’t think we’d forget about our own HPMAs just because Free Press Summer Fest is this weekend, did you? Of course not. Nominations are now open — like, right now — in almost 40 categories in…
West University Warns Residents: Hawks May Kill Your Beloved Pets
West University has issued an ominous warning to residents: Your beloved small pets might get carted off by a hawk. “There has recently been a resident report of hawks or other large birds of prey nesting in the central portion of West University Place, seen near the intersection of Auden…
100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 86, Pancakes at Union Kitchen
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: Guilty Pleasures & Geeking Out
Today Rocks Off asks our writers covering Free Press Summer Fest this weekend, “Which artist playing the festival is your guilty pleasure or makes you geek out the most?” We’re glad to see we have so many Morris Day fans in our midst. Neph Basedow: My Summer Fest guilty pleasure…
Celebrate Good Times, C’mon: Astros Breaking Out the Rainbow Jerseys Tomorrow
Tomorrow brings a rare chance to see awful-jersey awesomeness, as the Astros will be wearing their love-’em-or-hate-’em rainbow jerseys. Each month this season brings a different throwback jersey for Friday night home games, and it’s the rainbow’s turn. The first two months featured the smoking-gun Colt .45 jersey and the…
10 Things Randy Rogers Wants to Tell You
When the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo announced earlier this month that King George Strait will close next year’s rodeo with a special concert on Sunday, March 17, the happiest person in all of Texas may have been Randy Rogers. The Dallas-area native, a mainstay on the Texas country scene…
Noises Off : A Whiplash, Slapstick Valentine to Theater
The setup: I’m still laughing! It’s been hours since the final blackout at Alley Theatre’s peerless rendition of Michael Frayn’s peerless farce, Noises Off!, and the smiles continue, and the more I think about this riotous comedy, the laughs start all over again. If this isn’t the funniest play ever…
Last Night: Lumineers at Fitzgerald’s
Lumineers Fitzgerald’s May 30, 2012 Denver-based Lumineers packed Fitzgerald’s to the rafters Wednesday night, turning the upstairs stage into a 90-degree cauldron of sweat. I still don’t understand why, although I think I understand why the band is named after smile-enhancing denture products. One of the longest lines I’ve ever…
Megabus Is Coming: A Buck Can Get You to the Big D, the Big Easy and the Alamo
New Jersey-based express bus service Megabus is coming June 19, and you can already start booking $2 round-trips to Dallas, New Orleans and San Antonio. There will be 18 nonstop departures a day from two locations: Polk and Travis downtown, and the Eastwood Transit Center at 4400 Gulf Freeway. Fares…
Beer for Breakfast, or Breakfast for Dinner? Pale Dog Pale Ale and Klobasniky
I recently found myself in central Texas on business. As is often the case, I tried to mix in a little pleasure as well, and I think I succeeded. In the course of 12 hours, I attended two meetings in two different cities, procured approximately ten pounds of barbecue from…
The Tontons: “We Are Really Into ELO”
One of the best things about living in Houston is the music. The city is very diverse and unique, as are its bands. Not to mention some of the greatest artists from various genres have come from here: Scarface, ZZ Top, Clay Walker and plenty more. Right at the cusp…
Reginald Sheppard, 23, Bayou Body Count No. 73
A man was shot to death by his neighbor Tuesday night, but police don’t know why. Reginald Sheppard, 23, was shot by Jairo Umanzor, 27, about 9:40 p.m. in the 4300 block of Fallen Oaks, near Tidwell and T.C. Jester. “Umanzor admitted to his involvement in Sheppard’s death,” HPD says…
Michael Martin Murphey: The Cosmic Cowboy Years
Texas singer-songwriter and real by-god cowboy Michael Martin Murphey has already walked Rocks Off through a healthy bit of the past 100 years of American folk music this morning, as well as a good bit of his own. But dissatisfied with the folk scene he found out in late-’60s Southern…
Where the Chefs Eat: Anita Jaisinghani, Elouise Adams Jones and Erin Smith
Two weeks ago, we started talking to chefs about where they eat during their time off. You can read what they said here and here. Today, we continue our Where the Chefs Eat series with a female perspective when we chat with Anita Jaisinghani, Elouise Adams Jones and Erin Smith…
Skydive’s Odd Couple Play Well Together
Brian Dupont and Chris Rusak both work in language, though good luck trying to read anything they make. That’s because their art also deals with transformation — using collage to deconstruct a text, or stenciling letters onto abstract 3-D wall sculptures — and plays with language in subtle, unexpected ways…
King of Memes Gotye Hitting Houston October 11
In wishful touring news, an October 11 Gotye date has been announced at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Right now, you are asking who Goatee is and why he, she or they are headlining an outdoor pavilion. I say wishful because the guy has one single to his credit, but a…
Pearland Police Statue a Copy of Sugar Land’s, Lawsuit Claims
Sugar Land sculptor Bob Pack created the statue in front of Sugar Land police headquarters, and he’s claiming a competitor copied the design for a statue for the Pearland police department. Pack has filed a federal suit against Matt Glenn of Big Statues, a Utah company, saying that he ripped…
Get $20 Worth of Food for $10 at Kim Son
There is hardly a Houston Press Best of Houston® award that Kim Son hasn’t won, from Best Crab to Best Dim Sum — twice. We’ve always been fans of the giant, pan-Asian palaces that serve everything from Vietnamese fajitas marinated in lemongrass to black pepper soft shell crabs. Oh, and…
Free for All: A Touring Taste of Dance Salad Festival, Ace Atkins, Sandcastles and Beth Secor
Dance Salad Festival 2011 was an intoxicating mixture of grace, strength, audacity and humor. Founder and Artistic Director Nancy Henderek travels around the globe every year searching for the best the dance world has to offer. The crop for 2011 was among the best the festival’s ever seen. (That’s the…
Missed Connections: 5 Summer Fest Weekend Team-Ups We’d Like to See
In terms of pure variety, the weekend of June 1-3 may be the most stacked weekend of music Houston will see this year, and that’s not just because of Summer Fest. In addition to the wide variety of acts playing Eleanor Tinsley Park, there’s the regular weekend mass of shows…
Mary Gonzalez: The Lege Gets Its First Out Lesbian
Texas voters, even in the midst of a so-called “conservative uprising,” managed to elect the first openly gay woman to the Texas House on Tuesday night. Mary Gonzalez, to be more specific, will be both the first woman to win House District 75 in El Paso and the second openly…
The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris Has Gone High Tech: There’s an App for That
The indispensable guidebook to Paris by French food authority Patricia Wells is The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris. Wells knows exactly where to find the flakiest croissants, the essential bistros, the most knowledgeable wine merchants, the richest, darkest chocolates, the most sublime cheeses, the earthiest charcuterie, the sturdiest copper pots,…
Jaston Williams: Camping with Gasoline & Other Childhood Memories
In junior high, Jaston Williams was in a Boy Scout troop whose members smoked, drank and slept late. He’s included their most outrageous episodes in Camping with Gasoline, scheduled for the middle of June at Galveston’s The Grand 1894 Opera House. But don’t expect a searing teenage drama. The same…
Last Night: Eve 6 at Scout Bar
Eve 6 Scout Bar May 30, 2012 It isn’t every day that you’re given the opportunity to time-travel, to go back to a simpler time and relive it vicariously through the music that was near and dear to you when things weren’t so damn complicated. So, when that chance presents…
10 Things to Do Before Labor Day: My Summer To-Taste List
Summer’s back, and although it feels like it’s here to stay, Labor Day has its way of creeping up on you. Every year, I give myself a list of things I’d like to accomplish before the end of summer (this usually involves a promise of nightly laps in the pool…
Michael Martin Murphey: Cowboys & Bluegrass
When last we left Texas singer-songwriter and rancher Michael Martin Murphey, he was explaining how he went against the country-music grain of the late ’80s by recording the improbably successful album of traditional trail songs and ballads, Cowboy Songs. Here he tells us how he continued exploring cowboy music’s connection…
Cover Story: Gavel Comes Down Hard on H Gallery, Heidi Powell-Prera and Sandra Bernstein
A little over a year ago, in “The Great Heights Art Heist,” we brought you the story of H Gallery and the half-dozen or so artists who claimed to have been defrauded by owner Heidi Powell-Prera and Sandra Bernstein, H Gallery’s bookkeeper and Powell-Prera’s mother. Painter Claire Richards and sculptor…
Dynamo Fan Gets Tased at Game (VIDEO)
In its five-plus years of existence, the raucous folks of El Batallon — one of four longstanding support groups that show up to Houston Dynamo home matches (and sometimes away games) — had never gone to the media. That’s changed since one of their boys got the stun-gun treatment during…
Rob Eissler Loses GOP Primary: What It Means for Next Session (Hint: It’s Not Good)
Cross-party Republican spats may take all the energy out of any effort to fix public school finance and high-stakes testing next session. When lawmakers announced cuts of up to $10 billion from public education last session, parents and teachers rallied at the Capitol under the Save Our Schools banner. They…
Pop Rocks: Is Anything More Embarrassing Than Getting Beat Up by Justin Bieber?
I’m still having a hard time becoming accustomed to the phrase “Justin Bieber: Bad Ass:” Police investigating the criminal battery complaint against Justin Bieber have spoken to the alleged victim in the case and are now looking to talk to other witnesses to Sunday’s altercation, including Bieber and girlfriend Selena…
Pie-magination: 5 Improbable Pizza Pies
Considered from a local, regional, national and international perspective, the world is home to a great variety of pizzas. From authentic to fusion to deep dish to Sicilian-thin, the term “pizza” covers all manner of sins. I think that we owe it to ourselves, as a pizza-obsessed nation, to do…
From Beyond: An Excellent 9-Minute Year
Once upon a time I fell in love with a band called Thunderkunt…because they were called Thunderkunt. What can I say? I am a man of simple pleasures. Sadly, that band didn’t quite hold its center, and from its decaying orbit send it slowly onto the sun rises From Beyond,…
Diane Tran: Houston Judge Slams Honors Student with Jail Time (UPDATED)
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Michael Martin Murphey: “I Was Always Proud of Texas”
Michael Martin Murphey will not get off the phone. The Texas singer-songwriter, arguably America’s foremost ambassador and scholar of traditional cowboy ballads and trail songs, is the kind of person who has answered two or three other questions by the time his interviewer is ready to ask another one. Murphey…
First Look at Sweet Paris Creperie
Although it’s generally agreed upon that Melange Creperie serves the best crepes in Houston, there is one distinct disadvantage to the crepe cart: the weather. When it’s raining or blazing hot (as it’s about to get very shortly), head crepe-maker Buffalo Sean and his gang will often close up shop…
Top 5 Graduation Party Movies
School’s out for summer! Yes, it’s graduation overload time. If you know of any high school seniors, you can only imagine the breadth of awesomeness running through their pubescent bodies. If you do not regularly cross paths with the 18-year-old crowd, try to recall that moment of exhalation from when…
JFK at 95: What If He Had Lived?
Had he not been felled by assassin’s bullets back in 1963, President John F. Kennedy would have turned 95 years old this week. That’s if old age and some tragic and wacky Kennedy-curse accident hadn’t done him in first. Would he and Jackie have spent their entire lives together, or…
Erykah Badu’s Adventure Time: “We Just Freak It”
Songstress Erykah Badu first brought her own brand of spirituality, sensuality and street smarts into the R&B/hip-hop charts over a decade ago with her debut album Baduizm. Her sound, managing to speak to the worlds of both hip-hop and soul, as then predicted has proven to be something of long-term…
American Falls from Catastrophic Theatre: Dark, Funny and Rocking with Humanity
The setup: New playwright Miki Johnson creates a series of interlocking vignettes that come together in a powerful finale, creating vivid characters with weakness, fears, needs, audacity and love, in a superb production that seems to have captured lightning in a bottle. The execution: Failure is an orphan, but success…
The Artist’s Eye — Beth Secor on Danny Lyon
Artist Beth Secor discusses the works of photographer Danny Lyon during today’s talk, “The Artist’s Eye — Beth Secor on Danny Lyon,” at The Menil Collection. She’ll focus on the works from his current exhibition, “This World Is Not My Home,” as well as works from the Menil’s permanent collection…
Sasha Dela: The Emotional Life of a Spy
The film noir style of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film The 39 Steps colors Houston artist Sasha Dela’s installation The Emotional Life of a Spy. A collection of found objects and video, the work reflects Hitchcock’s suspenseful whodunit about a man trying to foil a plot to steal British military…
”Perry House: Elegance/Violence”
Putting together a quarter-century’s worth of work by a single artist on a gallery wall allows viewers to see the way that artist has grown over the years, the way his style has changed, his focus shifted. That’s true for “Perry House: Elegance/Violence,” currently at the Art Car Museum. In…
Collective Soul
Sturdy nice-guy rockers who came above ground in the post-grunge explosion, Collective Soul never claimed to be tortured artists, unlike the souls in Bush and Live. Albums like 1993 debut Hints, Allegations & Things Left Unsaid, a 1995 eponymous disc and 1997’s Disciplined Breakdown made them mainstays on pop radio,…
FELA!
Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician with 27 wives who turned into a civic activist after meeting Sandra Isadore, a member of the Black Panthers in the 1970s. “She was instrumental in changing his political views. She really pushed his buttons,” says actress Paulette Ivory, who plays Isadore in FELA!,…
10th Big Range Dance Festival
Sixteen dancers turn an empty store in West Oaks Mall into a postmodern performance space for the 10th Big Range Dance Festival. The location was once a JCPenny store, but with today’s show, Afternono, a premiere by Houston’s Jennifer Wood and Suchu Dance, the immense space will become an atypical…
Kiss of the Spiderwoman
Set in the darkness of an Argentine prison cell in the mid-1970s, Manuel Puig’s provocative Kiss of the Spiderwoman is the story of an unexpected, hard-earned friendship. Valentin, a Marxist sympathizer, is an imprisoned political activist. He’s sharing a cell with Molina, a flamboyant gay window dresser. What Valentin doesn’t…
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is back, and so is John Holly, former executive producer of Theatre Under the Stars, here to play the cameo role of the governor — the same part he played 22 years ago. The show hasn’t been done in Houston since the early ’90s…
Gerhard Richter Painting
Very few living artists can say their works are sold for more than $10 million. Among them is 80-year-old German visual artist Gerhard Richter, whose acclaimed works include Zwei Liebespaare, an oil painting featuring two reclining, happy couples in 1960s bathing suits, which netted more than $14 million at auction a…
Ace Atkins: The Lost Ones and Lullaby
Novelist Ace Atkins goes straight for the throat in The Lost Ones, one of the two recently released titles he’ll be discussing and signing today at Murder by the Book. After meeting a sorry assortment of criminals, crooked officials and reluctant good guys, readers are taken directly to a rat-trap…
Annual AIA Houston SandCastle Competition
Just because sandcastles don’t last forever doesn’t mean they can’t be epic in size. Just ask the Jacobs of Houston building firm, winners of the acclaimed Golden Bucket prize in last year’s Annual AIA Houston SandCastle Competition. The group got the nod for first place for their huge creation of…
Jon Lovitz
It was 1984 when Jon Lovitz started doing stand-up comedy; just one year later, he was on Saturday Night Live performing unforgettable, over-the-top characters like Tommy Flanagan, The Pathological Liar and Mephistopheles. Lovitz eventually left SNL for films; his résumé includes 3000 Miles to Graceland, Trapped in Paradise and The…
Jimmy Buffett
If you’ve ever been to a Jimmy Buffett show, we’re just preaching to the choir when we say it’s a one-of-a-kind experience. The Parrothead community is one of the great followings in music history, on par with Deadheads. Arriving at the venue, you might be momentarily disoriented by the atmosphere,…
Protecting Gay Kids
Bottle-blond bangs swept over one eye — this, the other boys whispered, was not a man’s haircut. One of them — a popular, handsome specimen — grew particularly incensed at his classmate’s new look. He formed a posse and found a pair of scissors. After locating the blond boy, the…
Double Happiness at Banana Leaf
Get a double dose of Banana Leaf in our slideshow. Comedian Lewis Black once spoke about finding the “end of the universe” in Houston, when he stumbled across the intersection of West Gray and Shepherd, where two Starbucks sit directly across the street from one another. “I looked back and…
How Summer Fest Was Born
Hate to disappoint anyone, but there won’t be a Tupac Shakur-style hologram at Free Press Summer Fest. The slain rapper’s translucent appearance with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg (a FPSF 2012 headliner) at Coachella this spring did set a rather unique bar for other music festivals, but don’t expect a…
Snow White and the Huntsman
If ever there were a perfect example of pure, fresh, classical simplicity unnecessarily trodden under with complications, it is Snow White and the Huntsman. Had it trusted to the native charm of its cast and the sensory seduction of its often-astonishing images to humbly, naively retell its story, this Snow…
Lawndale’s Stellar Studio Show
In 1980 Hurricane Allen hit Brownsville, traveled west and spawned tornadoes in San Antonio. If you search YouTube, you can find a clip of a period San Antonio newscast about the storm from KENS TV Eyewitness News. The 30-year-old video includes a report of a Bexar County trailer home being…
At War with the Mystics
The Flaming Lips are genuinely peculiar. In an era where most bands fall comfortably into some category (even new genres like chillwave and the recent, super-questionable seapunk), the group has defied any sort of definition. After speaking to front man Wayne Coyne, we’re not sure even he knows what kind…
Carls’ Jr. Testing New Ice Cream Burger
Highlights from Eating…Our Words Wait, no, it’s not an ice cream burger. It’s a Brrrger. BRRRger. Jesus Christ. Carl’s Jr. is testing this confection in a few California locations and, yes, it looks ridiculous, but I also think I’m…jealous. I’d like to try it. I mean, I like a good…
Tracy Lawrence
In the ’90s, Tracy Lawrence was part of the wave of pop-country marked by massive touring dollars and record sales levels not seen since, save for by a few blond girls. Like Alan Jackson and Clint Black, the nasally Lawrence was one of the most normal guys in country, turning…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Bo Joseph: Empire of Spoils,” “Endearing the Line,” “HJ Bott: Rhythm and Rhetoric,” “How I Will Die,” “Members,” “reverse of volume RG,” “Jason Yates: All We Ever Wanted Was Everything”
“Bo Joseph: Empire of Spoils” In Bo Joseph’s first solo show at McClain Gallery, his paintings are hardly reproducible — they’re made through a complicated method involving layers of oil pastels, water-based tempera and acrylic-based ink on sheet paper that often damages the delicate paper in the process. Joseph works…
Fun for Kids, Circa 1972
Highlights from Hair Balls SPACED CITY Fun for Kids, Circa 1972 Houston guidebook has (bad) tips By John Nova Lomax With school winding down, you might be wondering how you are going to amuse your idle whippersnappers all summer long. While it is no easy feat, you, the parents of…
Runaway Sun
There’s no better time for a road trip than early summer, and there just happens to be a car on the cover of Runaway Sun’s Let’s Run. That makes sense: The Houston four-piece’s second album and first in three years is a bit of a musical travelogue itself, the adventures…
Capsule Stage Reviews: The Foreigner, King Hedley II, Made in America, Next to Normal
The Foreigner Larry Shue’s sweet backwoods comedy (1983), a staple of regional theaters, receives an equally sweet rendition at Company OnStage. Shy, profoundly boring Englishman Charlie (David James Barron), a dear friend of U.K. staff sergeant Froggy (Mark S. Jones), is brought by his friend to a fishing lodge owned…
Nickelback
Say what you will about Nickelback, those polarizing Canadians know how to write an infectious radio anthem. The multiplatinum-selling group may be one of the most maligned in recent memory for a loud minority full of anti-Nickelback venom, but they have an even louder majority that hangs on their every…
What’s in a Name?
Dear Mexican, Why can’t the United States and Mexico agree on one only name for the Rio Bravo-Grande river? And I don t understand why the Americans lo dice in español? Marfa Maven Dear Wabette, The Mexican is a Californian by the grace of God so doesn’t dare tread the…
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
Gillian Welch seems preserved in amber. Her music is so far out of time it’s a little startling to stumble across a photo of her even wearing jeans. Since Welch arrived in the mid-’90s, her songs have belonged to another era, full of laborers and orphans, brushing up against ancient…
