Blissful Romance Call Me By Your Name Sneaks Up on You Like a Sunburn
Guadagnino adeptly captures not just physicality of a burning love but also the emotional and intellectual components, and the film is all the more salient for that careful, realistic interpretation
With Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson Stitches Together a Daringly Quiet Love Story
Phantom Thread unfolds so quietly that the questions it’s asking about the nature of desire and attraction, and its delicately confrontational back and forth between Alma and Reynolds, may not register immediately
It’s Actually NOT All About the Fans Even the Star Wars Ones
In 1977, Star Wars (now referred to as Episode IV: A New Hope) was released, and it became the highest-grossing film of that year. By a lot. There was no Star Wars fandom to please in 1977. In 1984, the horror-comedy Ghostbusters became a surprise hit, coming in just under…
2017 College Football Playoff Semifinals — Four Things To Watch For
We are now four years into the College Football Playoff Era, and I think it’s safe to say that the new postseason format has met or exceeded expectations. To me, it’s provided the perfect balance of justifiable reward and controversial debate. This season’s fourth spot, which ultimately went to 11-1…
Toadies, The Tontons Team Up For Holiday Rock Show
Toadies, The Tontons December 29, 2017 House of Blues Toadies are an interesting case as it pertains to rock music. On one hand, the band is most known for its 1994 debut, Rubberneck, which spawned a number of hit singles and eventually went Platinum, making the band household names in…
Devil’s Gate Looks Great, but Its Story Raises Too Little Hell
In a cardinal sin of genre filmmaking, Staub also lets his audience figure out the twists before his characters do, all while he over-explains the plot
University Athletic Departments Discover a Nasty Surprise in the New Tax Reform Bill
College athletic departments depend heavily on donations from alumni to fund buildings and programs. Lots of these donations come from rich boosters who see this as a way of giving back to the schools where they got their degrees or met their spouses or got the idea for the item…
NFL Football, Week 17: Texans-Colts — The Final Preview
As the Houston Texans’ 2017 season mercifully comes to a close this Sunday afternoon, it’s time to reflect on the various things that the football gods robbed us of when they chose to maliciously tear the ACL in Deshaun Watson’s knee. (Yes, I’m closing 2017 on a vindictive note —…
What We Learned About Pop Music in 2017
The year 2017 was certainly an interesting one as far as pop music was concerned. It featured surprise returns, unwelcome ones, and of course, plenty of hits from previously obscure acts. As the calendar prepares to turn on yet another year, it’s time to look back on what we learned…
The Ten Biggest Sports Stories of 2017
In some previous years in this space, I would finish off the calendar year by crowning one particularly noteworthy person the King of Content in a given year. Back then, I would actually go back through all of my posts and see who (or what) I literally wrote the most…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Ringing in the New Year
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: NYE Hawker Night Market Food Festival at Conservatory Sunday, 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. 1010 Prairie Houston’s first food hall and underground beer garden will be transforming into a full-on night market for New Year’s Eve. The bar will have beer…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Molly’s Game
Jessica Chastain is great, but Molly’s Game never realizes its potential.
My Wish: Progressive Musicians’ Hopes for 2018
This year draws to a merciful close this week for those who identify as socially and politically progressive. While they’re happy to send a sometimes frustrating, often infuriating and mostly befuddling year into the past, they’re also aware that the mere turn of a single page on the calendar does…
Santa and the Exploding Washing Machines: Your Holiday Recalls Guide
If you woke up on Christmas morning to find a shiny, new home appliance beneath the tree, you must have had a gargantuan Christmas tree. Also, beware – your Christmas gift could maim or even kill you. Early indications are this was the best Christmas shopping season since 2011 and…
![Openings and Closings: Houston gets Kulture, Barringer’s Bids Farewell [UPDATED]](https://i0.wp.com/www.houstonpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/klub_grits.webp.webp?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
Openings and Closings: Houston gets Kulture, Barringer’s Bids Farewell [UPDATED]
The Breakfast Klub’s owner, Marcus Davis, is set to open another Houston restaurant, Kulture, 701 Avenida De Las Americas, in early 2018, according to Paper City magazine. Described as an “urban komfort kitchen” by Davis, the new restaurant will feature lunch, dinner, and drinks inspired by the Caribbean and Gulf…
A.D. Players Presents Best of Enemies, a Transformative Tale of Love Versus Hate
He was a card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan, proud to serve his country and family as Grand Cyclops and absolutely, positively convinced that his path was righteous and true. But when C. P. Ellis was invited to serve on an open forum about school problems in Durham, South…
Bettencourt Says Texans Can Pre-Pay Their Taxes, But a 2017 Deduction is Unlikely
As much as homeowners might want it otherwise, Senator Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) says Texans cannot expect to receive a deduction in their 2017 tax bill if they pay their 2018 property taxes before December 31. The rush to pay early is due to the overhaul of our nation’s tax system…
NFL Football, Week 17: This Weekend’s Best Bets
First off, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and an in-advance Happy New Year to all of you! I appreciate your support and your reading these posts, even if some of you have been reading the “Best Bets” the last few weeks just to fade my picks (which would have made you…
Rockets Could Lose More Games This Week Than They Have All Season
Up until last week, the Rockets had the best record in the NBA with only four losses on the season. They have dropped all three games since heading into a back-to-back against two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in Boston and Washington. While their struggles have been…
Houston New Year’s Weather: Get Ready for the Cold
If there is one constant among Houstonians, it is complaining about the weather. In the dead of summer, the heat and humidity elicit groans of “when will fall get here.” An 80-degree day in November has people pining for “real” winter weather. But, when we get our first real taste…
Most Overrated and Underrated New Year’s Resolutions
Want to lose weight? Spend more time with a nose in books and less time poking around online? Become a so-called happy person? Then the only way to accomplish these things is to make a declaration on January 1 to become a better, more fit, healthier, radiant person. Not January…
10 Movies to Look Forward to in Early 2018
The first few months of the year are notorious for being a period of drought at the movies, but the January–March 2018 release calendar offers a surprising deluge of highly anticipated films
Celebrate New Year’s in Un-American Style We Dare You
How do you celebrate New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day? Maybe it’s eating a hot mess of black-eyed peas, watching the ball drop in Times Square on television, or a champagne toast at midnight followed by a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” If you’re itching for something new, perhaps…
The Ten Biggest Houston Texan Stories of 2017
I’ll be honest, for the other two major sports teams for whom I did these lists, the Rockets and the Astros, five stories worthy of year-end lists seemed to be the right amount. Stretching to eight or ten would have really been forcing the boundaries of what a year-end “top…
Ring In The New Year: A Guide To 2017 New Year’s Eve Parties in Houston
It’s the time of year again when those who drink too much only several times a year and Uber prices will both be on the rise. However, New Year’s Eve isn’t a holiday that has to be filled with negativity either. Sure, if you’re eating out at a fancy restaurant,…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Matzo Balls and Sunday Brunch
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: It’s a matzo ball countdown! Sometime in mid-to-late January, someone is going to place an order for a bowl of matzo ball soup at one of the two Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen Restaurants, 2327…
Five Reasons Deshaun Watson Should Still Win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
So it’s a Tuesday morning, and I’m running through my usual routine in preparing for my radio show on SportsRadio 610. During the NFL season, such prep work includes seeking out the various NFL power rankings, which admittedly have become increasingly more depressing with each passing week for us Texan…
Five Ways to Cope with Grief During the Holidays
With the holidays comes an exhausting expectation to act cheerful and light. For people who experienced major losses during the year, however, the festivities sometimes arrive with fear instead of joy. Luckily, there are some strategies to help them cope.
The 12 Best Films of 2017
First, these are my favorite movies of the year, not a claim to rank the definitive best, so don’t write to tell me that your favorite should have made it
First Look: Koji’s Ramen Bistro
First, it was Bahn Mi. Then pho. Now, ramen is the rage. These trends have passed this pasta-making, fajita-eating suburbanite by. As a food writer, I am aware of these restaurant trends. I read about younger, hipper people raving (or complaining) about where to get truly authentic tonkotsu (pork bone broth)…
Street Level: The Best of The Week
The end of 2017 is here and that means that plenty of spots around town will be attempting to earn your New Year’s Eve business. However, there’s still more than enough happening around town that’s not in the final hours of the year. Tonight you could get started with American…
Houston Playwright Debuts New Script With Pirates, Princesses and Dragons
Before there was Claire Underwood, the easy to despise First Lady who moved quickly up the political ladder to Vice President and eventually POTUS incarnate on television’s House of Cards, actress Robin Wright portrayed the considerably sweeter Buttercup in The Princess Bride. Thirty years after its release, the fairy tale…
The Five Biggest Houston Rockets Stories of 2017
Of the big three professional teams in town, the toughest one to process year to year, without question, is the Houston Rockets. The Texans have spent most of the last four seasons beating and losing to the teams they’re supposed to, and the Astros have bought about a decade of…
NFL Football, Week 16: Steelers 34, Texans 6 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
If you’re someone who comes to these recaps for very granular analysis of the previous day’s Texans game, where paragraphs on all four winners and all four losers are solely devoted to breaking down and analyzing aspects of the game, decisions made by coaches, and where we go from here…..
The Five Biggest Houston Astros Stories of 2017
About four and a half years ago, during the summer of 2013, my kids were in town visiting from Chicago. They were all early high school age at the time, and all three wanted badly to go to an Astros game. Yes, even though that team was on its way…
Sounds of the New Year Reverberate with ECHO’s NYE Concert
ECHO in the New Year, featuring guest vocalist Tianna Hall, will be a night of big band, jazz and popular classical favorites at the Queensbury Theatre on Dec. 31.
The Cougars Lost, But the Ed Oliver Heisman Campaign is Just Beginning
The Ed Oliver 2018 Heisman Trophy push got underway on Christmas Eve. The 2017 Outland Award Winner had four tackles, two of them for a loss. He even scored the first touchdown for the Cougars. But while the Cougars may be aiming to get the country’s best college defensive player…
It’s Time For Urban Harvest’s Annual Fruit Tree Sale
Fruit trees don’t give you that instant return that annuals or even perennials do. They usually take a few years to take off, to grow enough and bud and be able to produce fruit. You can forget about any shade from them for years. At the end of one whole…
April Wolfe’s Top 10 Films of 2017
Some of them gave me hope for America, others invited me into foreign-to-me cultures and one even made me delightfully nauseous
Chef Chat: Dimitri Voutsinas of Emmaline Talks Cereal and Burns
The much-anticipated arrival of Emmaline, run by Sam Governale, former operating partner of Fleming’s Steakhouse in River Oaks, as reported by Mai Pham, has everyone talking. The atmosphere upon entering Emmaline is open and warm, yet sleek and sexy. It immediately registers as a place you want to be, and…
Study Ranks Most Dangerous Intersections for Pedestrians in Texas (There’s a Few in Houston)
Walking seems almost antithetical to living in a big city like Houston. The climate is enough to make you pine for the air conditioning of your car, but the infrastructure makes it downright dangerous to trust bipedal locomotion over four wheels on pavement. A recent study has found that there…
Tank Lisenbe Shines on Solo Album
When you listen to some of the top performing artists around Houston, you might realize that there are more than a few bands with heavy hitters in them. For a good while now, Robert Ellis, Vodi, and Dollie Barnes have employed the same drummer in their bands with Tank Lisenbe…
Here’s Hoping Santa Figures Out Where Everyone Went After Harvey
The night the Astros won the World Series, I spent a few hours driving around before making my way down to Minute Maid Park. From behind the wheel, I saw hundreds of TVs tuned into the game, whether they be in overly packed sports bars in strip centers or hanging…
The Top 10 TV series of 2017
I won’t waste your time attempting to sum up the totality of this year’s output, because I can’t, and any critic who claims to have seen enough of the more than 500 scripted series that aired in 2017 to do so is lying
Vodi Gives Us Plenty of Holiday Cheer with Christmas Track
Holiday music can many times be formulaic, tired, or in the least, some sort of cover version of someone else’s work. For Houston’s Vodi, it was a chance to stretch their legs and put out something original while keeping the holiday traditions in tact. With “This Is the Best Christmas,”…
This Week in Houston Food Events: Holiday Soirées and Pappy at Cost
Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings: Seasonal specials Holiday Cocktails at State of Grace State of Grace, 3258 Westheimer, has introduced two new seasonal cocktails. Guests can sip The Poinsettia, a mix of orange and clove-infused vodka combined with cranberries and Cava; and Southern Snow, a drink reminiscent…
NFL Football, Week 16: Steelers-Texans — Four Things To Watch For
On Friday, I received an email from the Texans’ outstanding, award-winning media relations staff informing me that today’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers would be the official Fan Appreciation Day of the 2017 season, complete with a giveaway at the front gate and a halftime scramble where 11 lucky season…
Doctor Who: 5 Best Christmas Specials
Even on years when Whovians don’t get a full new series of Doctor Who, we get a special episode at Christmas. Christmas and The Doctor have been linked from the very beginning of the show. The first thing on my “winning the lottery” list is the various Christmas short stories…
Late Addition Christopher Plummer Is Best Thing in Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World
Over the course of the film, we go from seeing the elder Getty as a figure of great power to one of no power at all, and that is perhaps the most fascinating part of the movie …
Goodnight Charlie’s, Houston’s Newest Honky Tonk, Opens Tonight
The Houston Rodeo is still a few months out, but there’s a good reason to pull out your cowboy boots a little early. Just this morning via press release, it was announced that Good Night Charlie’s, A Houston Honky-Tonk, opens to the public tonight. Named after Texas cattle rancher Charles…
The Five Types of Holiday Commercials We All Just Have to Deal With
With Christmas just days away, we can all look forward to the end of one holiday scourge: the Christmas commercial. We don’t mean ads for candy or kids’ toys. Those could pop up anytime. And this isn’t to say the TV commercials we are thinking about only roll around once…
The Astros Had to Rebuild. The Marlins are Just Broke
The sale of the Miami Marlins to a ownership group featuring former New York Yankee great Derek Jeter was approved by MLB on September 27, 2017. Jeter is the front man of the group. The guy who meets the media, is the focus for the fans, and is the baseball…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Holiday Kolache Pop-Ups
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: Saint Arnold’s Second Annual Naughty List at Conservatory Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. 1010 Prairie Join Saint Arnold and Conservatory for a night of epic proportions, as the brewery takes over 31 taps on the tap wall. The event will…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: The Post
But while watching The Post, it’s impossible to ignore what’s already been lost.
Here’s Your Chance to Win Super Fan Access to the 2018 Rodeo Announcement Party
On Thursday, January 4, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will be holding its Star Entertainer Announcement Party for its entertainment lineup. And the Houston Press is ready to hand out tickets to two lucky winners (who will get two tickets each) to attend that party. While it’s well known…
Five Houston Texans For Whom These Last Two Games Matter
Longtime coaching great Bill Parcells once said, of NFL performance, “You are what your record is,” meaning that there are no excuses, there are no qualifiers — at the end of the day, if your record is, say, 4-10, then that’s what you are. That’s all well and good, but…
One Listener’s Opinion: The Best of 2017, National Edition
In 2017 we saw plenty of acts step up their game while adding to the crowded marketplace that the music industry has become. While some old favorites returned to form, the bulk of this list is acts that you may not know, but who you should get familiar with. Below,…
A Poet Reflects in An Iliad of All the Wars He’s Seen
In 2013 Becky Greene Udden, the artistic director of Main Street Theater in Houston, sent Guy Roberts, artistic director of the Prague Shakespeare Company, the script to An Iliad, saying she really thought he should do it. “But we had so many other big projects going on I didn’t really…
Most Read Houston Press Sports Stories in 2017
The 2017 year in Houston sports will be most memorable for one thing: The Astros winning the World Series. Surprisingly enough — or maybe not given that everyone was watching the game — our coverage announcing the amazing 7th-game win wasn’t one of our top read stories of the year,…
In the Darkest Hour, Liz Hannah and The Post Seize the Moment
The Post tells the story of the late Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep), the longtime publisher of The Washington Post, who took over its operations after her husband committed suicide in the 1970s
Openings and Closings: Hello Ethel Mae, Goodbye Pappa Charlie’s
Ethel Mae Bourbon and Bacon, 10750 Barker Cypress, opened its doors this month to the Cypress area folks who have been curious about the goings on in a nondescript strip center. Once inside, however, the decor gives the feeling of a glammed-up barn, with comfy leather Chesterfield sofas, vintage signs,…
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Had Too Much, Or Maybe Too Little, Christmas Cheer
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Toyota Center December 21, 2K17 Trans-Siberian got a standing ovation as they finished their set, which was not a surprise. Earlier in the show, about half the crowd had roared in response to being asked if they were repeat TSO offenders. That doesn’t mean that the ovation wasn’t…
Rockets’ Winning Streak Ends as Injuries Become an Issue
Even the staunchest fan didn’t think the Rockets were going to win out, but you might excuse them if they had forgotten — given the 14 straight wins — the fact that they had not lost with Chris Paul in the lineup and how they had been winning (before Wednesday…
H-E-B Rises to the Challenge, Announces Elevated Store in Meyerland
As expected, H-E-B has announced it is building another store in Meyerland, leaving behind the store at South Braeswood and Chimney Rock which flooded repeatedly, most recently during Hurricane Harvey. The new 95,000 square foot store, to be built in Meyerland Plaza, will be an elevated two-story to better protect…
NFL Football, Week 16: This Weekend’s Best Bets
After a red hot start to the football betting season that saw me hang consistently above an aggregate winning percentage of 60 percent for much of the season, my plummet back down to earth has been pronounced and precipitous over the last month or so, including an horrific 3-9 record…
The Suffers Turn To Friends For Hurricane Harvey Relief
Kam Franklin and her bandmates, The Suffers, have parlayed oodles of talent into one of Houston music’s biggest recent success stories. Their brand of Gulf Coast soul has garnered fans everywhere, so the band spent the fall performing shows around the United States and across Europe. Invariably, people at those…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: A Tasty Farewell to 2017
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: At Bistro Menil, 1513 West Alabama, chef Greg Martin has created a customizable New Year’s Eve special., available Wednesday, December 27 through Sunday, December 31. Customers can select an individual component of the special (appetizer, entree,…
Houston Press Singles Club: MIEARS, Vodi, Ruiners, etc.
This week in the club, we’ll add the electronica of MIEARS, the pop punk of Turnaways, the smooth sounds of Vodi, the chill vibes of De’Wayne Jackson, and the intense punk of Ruiners to the list. While we’re happy when you subscribe to the playlist, we also ask that you…
Texas’ Own Toadies Lend Houston a Helping Hand
Many Houstonians make no secret of their disdain for Dallas. Hell, the bio at the bottom of this article has received its share of vitriol, and it’s not because of my love for little dogs. But I digress. Point being, all one has to do to earn the ire of…
The Most Viewed Food Slide Shows in 2017 in the Houston Press
Slideshows are usually fascinating to look at, either because of the people involved or in the case of restaurants and food coverage, the carefully designed placements and colors. In 2017 Houston Press readers liked looking at food slideshows that either showed them where to go to have a good time…
Forget Fake News; Houston Artist’s Fake Food is (Almost) Good Enough to Eat
Winter isn’t just coming; it’s arrived over at William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art with the Texas-centric gallery’s annual “Winter Show.” The gallery’s formidable stable of contemporary Texas regionalists has been busier than Santa’s workshop this year with new pieces by Randy Bacon, Mary Baxter, David Caton and Margie Crisp…
9 Food-Related Ways to Give Back in Houston
It’s been an eventful year for Houston. As the year winds down, if you’re looking for ways to give back this holiday season, we’ve got you covered: here are nine food-related ways to give back to the community around you: Visit the Giving Tree at A 2nd Cup: This nonprofit…
DeAndre Hopkins and Jadeveon Clowney Named To 2017 Pro Bowl
As the Houston Texans’ 2017 season has gone from intriguing with Deshaun Watson at quarterback to downright depressing with anyone else under center, not to mention the injuries to J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus derailing the defense, there have remained two big reasons to tune into the team each and…
Drive Thru: The Best Music of The Week in Houston
As we wrap up the final weeks of 2017 and inch closer to New Year’s Eve, this week we’ll have plenty of entertaining options. Performances from the likes of Kash Doll, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Jack Ingram will be around while Fat Tony returns, Mouthing releases their debut, and The Suffers…
Grocery Stores Open on Christmas Eve and Day in Houston, 2017
Maybe it’s because you’re bored and you’ve already seen the latest Star Wars movie and if you stay in the house one minute longer you’re going to tell your uncle what you really think of his politics. Or maybe someone has just sweetly, wouldn’t-want-to-put-you-out decided you just need that one…
At 14-Straight Wins, Rockets Showing Few Signs of Weakness
The Rockets were down five entering the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Toyota Center Monday night. They were trailing by eight with just 9:30 left. They won by 21. All night, the Jazz and had been swarming around James Harden and Chris Paul, effectively shutting them down (as…
No Festival is Perfect, and That Includes Day For Night
Something that is easy to overlook about Day For Night is that it’s still a young festival. Sure, they’ve managed to book some stellar musical acts and some world-class artists, but 2017 was still only the third year that the festival had done its thing. Growing pains are expected, and…
Holiday Gifts That Say You Really, Truly Don’t Care
Forget the endless debate about whether it’s “I couldn’t care less” or “I could care less.” The bottom line is that you’ve been wronged yet, due to some ridiculous societal expectations, you’ve still got to offer up a gift this holiday season. Sure, one could go with the clichéd fruitcake or necktie,…
Suckers May Be Bored Every Minute of the Exhausting The Greatest Showman
Hugh Jackman is charming as ever, and two dance scenes are mildly inventive and well-executed, yet Jackman’s goodwill and a splash of inspired choreography are not enough to earn the “greatest” in the title
The Most Interesting Thing in Pitch Perfect 3 Is Anna Kendrick’s Boredom
The Pitch Perfect films have offered an increasingly unpalatable blend of pop-song empowerment, rah-rah women’s friendship and broad gross-out comedy
Ready for a Cold (Like Really Cold) Christmas in Houston?
Despite half of the world being in the heart of summer right now, most Christmas tales are told in some snowy winter village. Houston is way too big to be a village and, setting aside our early-December snowfall this year, is about as snowy as Miami. Still, many in these…
Holiday Cocktails Around Houston
It’s time for merry making and cocktail shaking and no one does it better than Houston’s friendly mixologist elves. We reached out to some restaurants and bars in town to see what Santa’s little helpers are crafting for the good little boys and girls this year. From posh to dive-y,…
Five Things Almost Everyone Gets Wrong about Improv
Improv is the art of making up a performance without a script. Yet despite this simple premise, many potential audience members and performers still hold some misconceptions about what improv entails.
UHD Students Take Their Superhero Alter Egos to Kids in Homeless Shelters
As it turns out, cosplay isn’t just some self-indulgent endeavor that committed comic book nerds do. Case in point: Abigail Murillo and sister Milimar who along with some other University of Houston-Downtown students formed Cosplay for Kids, a group of volunteers who role play in an attempt to entertain some…
Sometimes the Best Gifts Come in Small Packages: Houston Theater Gems
Big things do come in small packages — who wouldn’t swoon at receiving a small box from Tiffany & Co. — and this year’s holiday productions are no exception. From a door-slamming farce in the East End, to the best of The Beatles and even a pint-sized opera, there are…
The Most Read Houston Press Music Stories in 2017
Performance art gone seriously off the rails at a well-known Houston venue. The death of a beloved Houston musician. Big concerts that came to town. All these and where to park your butt in a Heights bar were among the most read stories in the Houston Press in 2017. Take the…
The Case For Ending The Rick Smith Era In Houston
Since arriving in Houston to take over the role as general manager of the Texans back in June of 2006, Rick Smith has overseen and faced two drastic nadirs that would have probably resulted in termination for most general managers after the first one, and almost certainly would have after…
Chris Shepherd and Team Have A Lot On Their Plates in 2018
Chris Shepherd is playing the game of Westheimer Monopoly. Starting in April 2018 he aims to flip the restaurants concepts of Underbelly and One Fifth: Steak and introduce the new One Fifth: Mediterranean. Underbelly is downsizing and re-shaping its theme, One Fifth: Steak is being reincarnated as Georgia James at…
Frances McDormand Rules, but Three Billboards Proves Too Forgiving
… In Three Billboards, where livid, grieving mother Mildred (Frances McDormand) taunts the local police for not solving her daughter’s rape and murder (by being burned to death) from nine months prior, McDonagh has taken on a situation that demands we take it seriously.
Playing With Light, the Visual Art of Day For Night Wins Again
I go to Day for Night to see things I’ve never seen before. That’s not a diss on the music component of the festival — getting to watch Nine Inch Nails in the rain was one of my personal highlights of the year — and I certainly don’t believe I’m…
The Five Best Acts At Day For Night 2017
Another Day For Night has come and gone and already I find myself blown away by all of the amazing performances and art installations I was lucky enough to experience. In years past, the festival has accumulated a stellar lineup of artists and musicians, and this year was no different…
NFL Football, Week 15: Jaguars 45, Texans 7 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
It’s been a while since the Houston Texans lost a road game in Jacksonville, four years ago to be exact. In fact, the last time the Texans went to Jacksonville and lost a football game was in 2013, a 27-20 loss amidst a lost season made even more frustrating with…
Hallmark’s 2017 Lineup of Holiday Films Reviewed Using Only Their Descriptions
Only in America could a greeting card company become a media conglomerate with its own cable network. But since they do have a channel, it makes sense it would air a parade of schmaltz in the form of low-rate, made-for-TV rom coms. And once the holidays get here, the cheese…
Starbucks is Handing Out $20 Gift Cards Monday Night in Houston
Starbucks has marshaled up some “Give Good” squads in keeping with the holiday season and on Monday, December 18, they’ll be hanging out at the Discovery Green ice skating rink ready to hand you a $20 gift card. The coffee (and more!) company is doing this across the country, dispensing…
The Most Read Arts Stories in the Houston Press in 2017
At the Houston Press, our arts coverage takes in a range of categories from the traditional arts to pop culture to philosophical musings. Perhaps surprisingly for a publication that’s part of the “alternative press,” two of our most read stories in 2017 had to do with parenting. We coupled that…
This Week in Houston Food Events: Seasonal Burgers and Holiday Taps
Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings: December Specials Seasonal Eats at Killen’s Burgers With Director of Operations chef Graham Laborde in the fold, the team at Killen’s Burgers, 2804 South Main, has made some changes to the menu, including adding seasonal specials. This month, guests can dig…
Three Ways the Net Neutrality Repeal Could Directly Affect You
Last Thursday, the FCC, under new leadership, repealed Net Neutrality rules designed to keep internet service providers from creating faster and slower speeds both for their customers and commercial entities using their networks to deliver information or access to apps and websites. In the simplest terms, the old rules prevented…
Queensbury’s Striking 12 Strikes All the Right Chords
Queensbury Theatre stages Striking 12, a New Year’s Eve-set holiday musical for people that don’t like holiday musicals.
Jessica Chastain Takes the Pot in Aaron Sorkin’s Poker Drama Molly’s Game
Chastain seems at times to be both the lead and her own supporting actor in this story, as she oscillates between traditionally feminine and masculine modes of behavior
Downsizing Has the Vision to Shrink Matt Damon but Not to Dare a New POV
Any thinking person watching Downsizing is 10 steps ahead of Damon’s blinkered schlub, and watching him piece together the bare facts about how this future America works — and how our America works today — makes for a frustrating sit
Spielberg’s The Post Weaponizes Nostalgia — for Good
Bradlee and Graham learn over the course of The Post to abandon the clubby congeniality that allowed politicians to lie to the press for so long without ever getting called on it
Jumanji Returns With Weak Jungle Action and Not-Bad Dick Jokes
The new one is bigger and dumber than the previous, a feat considering the relentless clatter of the 1995 iteration …
Christian Bale and Hostiles Brood Their Way Through the Frontier
This surge of internal agony seems intended to pulse throughout the movie’s gruesome state-crossing trek, but Bale, in the part, is much less caricature-adjacent in the lighter beats …
NFL Football, Week 15: Texans-Jaguars — Four Things To Watch For
If you’re looking for a sure sign the Texans’ 2017 season is virtually over, look no further than the two biggest topics this week surrounding the team. Front and center was the team’s handling (mishandling?) of Tom Savage’s concussion against the 49ers. Bill O’Brien was under siege from multiple sides…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The new trilogy continues to impress, but maybe it’s time for some non-Skywalker stories.
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Hit Up a Massive Tamale and Mole Brunch
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: Star Wars specials at Cane Rosso Friday through Sunday 1835 North Shepherd, 4306 Yoakum Both locations of the Star Wars-obsessed, Neapolitan-style pizzeria will be celebrating the release of The Last Jedi with themed specials. Guests can expect a C-3PO pizza (featuring…
Nine Inch Nails’ Legacy Is In More Than Just The Music
It took Trent Reznor a decade to write the perfected version of a very specific type of Nine Inch Nails song. Starting with With Teeth, most Nine Inch Nails records have swung for the mainstream rock fences with a sorta-dancey track that is usually better in theory than practice. “The…
The Astros Look Forward to 2018
The Houston Astros are the defending World Series champions. That’s good. But now it is time to start preparing for the 2018 season. Spring training begins in February, and the Winter Meetings have just ended. Over the past several weeks, the Los Angeles Angels have acquired Japanese phenom Shahei Ohtani…
Houston’s So Soon, The Truth Up Their Game On New Album
Typically speaking, post hardcore is a term that most people probably find tiresome, as it gets thrown on all sorts of music nowadays. However, looking deep into the music of Houston’s So Soon, The Truth, you should find that they not only offer up insight to what the sub genre…
Vincent Van Gogh Gets Animated in Groundbreaking Film
Artist Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) is of course best known for his Impressionistic paintings. But if he were toiling as an animator in 2017, his work might just look like what’s in the groundbreaking new film about him and his tragic life. Loving Vincent is the world’s first fully-oil painted…
Openings and Closings: Emmaline and Doris Metropolitan Debut
Emmaline, 3210 West Dallas, made its much-anticipated debut on December 11. Operating partner and native Houstonian, Sam Governale, has teamed up with executive chef, Dimitri Voutsinas, pastry chef, Alyssa Dole, and designer, Ashley Putman, to bring an “American restaurant with European refinement” to the River Oaks area. Within walking distance…
Breaking Down the Rockets Toughest Two-Week Stretch of the Season So Far
With nearly one-third of the season gone, the Rockets lead the NBA at 22-4, but as we recently pointed out, that doesn’t necessarily make the best team in the league. If there were one solid argument to be made for them not being the best, it would be the relatively…
SING Announces it Will Open in the Spring With Cuisine From Singapore
Come Spring 2018, the Garden Oaks/Oaks Forest area will boast a new fast-casual restaurant with an emphasis on pick-up and to-go orders when SING opens offering Singaporean-inspired dishes, it was announced Wednesday. The brainchild of chef Cuc Lam (former Houston Press food writer and critic) and restaurateur Jerry Lasco (of…
Alley Theatre Announces its All New Festival Lineup
The Alley Theatre has announced its lineup for its All New Festival readings in January and the one that seems most smack your head, why hasn’t someone thought of this before, is an adaptation of Horton Foote’s Oscar-winning Tender Mercies for the stage — done by his daughter Daisy Foote…
Classic Holiday Movies and the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever
We are a society that loves its television programming. And while Netflix, Hulu and Amazon – not to mention on-demand programming – have certainly done their part to provide year-round, at-your-fingertips content, on the whole, the holidays are relatively quiet as far as primetime network television goes. Sure, you could…
County Attorney Vince Ryan Sues Big Pharma
Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan took on Big Pharma Wednesday, filing suit against drug companies, distributors, doctors and a pharmacist accusing them of engaging “in a campaign of lies, half-truths and deceptions to create a market that encourage the over-prescribing and long-term use of opioids.” All the defendants do business…
Eight Star Wars Jams For Your The Last Jedi Weekend Mix
Star Wars is a pop culture juggernaut. Even people who have never seen the movies have a rough idea what the series is all about and recognize the names of the characters involved. With The Last Jedi opening up this weekend, be prepared for your social media accounts to be…
NFL Football, Week 15: This Weekend’s Best Bets
Well, if you poke fun at other people’s misery enough times, eventually the gambling gods will suck you into the “bad beat” vortex along with those sad humans, and I was reminded of that lesson this past weekend. (I can’t say that I’ve LEARNED that lesson, because I am an…
Day For Night Was Made For Shabazz Palaces
Since 2009, Seattle’s Shabazz Palaces duo has dropped four stellar and groundbreaking records while reinventing what you think about modern hip hop. The Houston Press chatted with founding member Ishmael Butler about his time in the music industry, the two new albums the pair dropped this year, and what those in…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Sip Pappy At Cost and Try a New Brunch
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: In honor of National Cupcake Day (today – Friday, December 15) and because cupcakes are sweeter when sharing, guests can get buy one, get one free cupcakes at all three bakery locations of Ooh La La, 23920…
In Bloom Lineup Drops With Big Names
In Bloom is set to take Eleanor Tinsley Park by storm, no pun intended, this March. Scheduled for March 24 and 25, the festival has an eclectic mix of big names and newcomers. Performances from Beck, Queens of The Stone Age, Lil Uzi Vert, T Pain, Martin Garrix, Wolf Alice,…
What’s the Weather Going to Be Like in Houston This Christmas?
Last week Houston saw its first significant snowfall in nearly a decade. Some areas got nearly two inches of the white stuff. Now, northern transplants greeted our giddiness at the scene with a head shake and a knowing chuckle, but to those of us from Texas, this was a big…
Ring in 2018: Here’s Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve and Day in Houston
It’s time to ring in the New Year (which is much welcomed after 2017, we’d say). Whether you’re looking for a festive but low-key dinner, a bubby-popping multi-course affair, or a next day hair-of-the-dog brunch, here’s where to dine on New Year’s Eve and Day in Houston this year. Note:…
Dear World: The Best Houston Music of The Week
It’s that time of year again, when the old downtown post office gets turned into a concert and visual art space when Day For Night returns this weekend. Aside from the festival acts like nine Inch Nails, Thom Yorke, Solange, St Vincent and many more, it’s not the only game…
NFL Verizon Deal Underscores Fans’ Move from TV to Tablet
When talking about cord cutting, there are usually two camps. One grew up in an era when the TV was often the centerpiece of the living room. Many can remember when there were only a handful of channels and no remote control. The other has grown up with the internet…
Rolling Party Bus Hits Houston’s Best Christmas Lights of the 2017 Season
There’s no shortage of urban legends: reports of cattle mutilations by the chupacabra, an end to construction on 290, and a tax bill that benefits the ninety-nine percenters are all up there, but rarely is there a ring of truth. But when it comes to Christmas lights that are so…
The Most Read Houston Press Food Stories in 2017
Normally the most read food stories in a year don’t have a whole lot to do with weather. But 2017 was anything but normal when Hurricane Harvey hit town and people everywhere first hunkered down and then reverted to Neaderthal like warrior status, becoming the hunter-gatherers that would enable them…
Audiences: Get Ready to Boo, Hiss and Clap at TUTS’ Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight
According to John O’Hurley, Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight is like the British style of panto theater, designed for families and humor. “Panto style encourages the kids and the families to interact with the stage. If you want to scream or boo you are certainly welcome. They don’t have…
The Last Jedi Is the Most Entertaining Star Wars Movie in Many a Moon
Writer-director Rian Johnson has certainly made the busiest Star Wars film of them all, but he keeps it from becoming a slog by infusing it with humor, verve and visual charm
The NFL’s All-Injured Reserve Team Is Astounding and Depressing
At one point during Sunday’s game between the Houston Texans and the San Francisco 49ers, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney — the Texans’ last bastion to potential 2018 Pro Bowl participation (not named DeAndre Hopkins) — went down in a heap holding his right hip. For Texan fans, given the injury…
Houston Press Singles Club: El Lago, Black Kite, Kyle Hubbard, etc.
This week we’ll add the lush sounds of Galveston’s El Lago, the three part harmonies of Ancient Cat Society, the dark melody of Black Kite, the jangly indie rock of Astragal and the mike skills of Kyle Hubbard. While we invite you to read about all of the acts and…
Rockets Have Best Record in NBA, Are They Really the Best Team?
With its win over Portland Saturday — a very impressive fourth quarter comeback in Portland for their ninth straight victory — the Rockets took over the spot of the best record in the NBA, albeit by mere percentage points over Boston who has more wins but also more losses. The…
Trent Reznor May Be the Most Underrated Man in Rock Music
Rock music is littered with bands who rose to prominence in the ’90s, have weathered the storm that is life as a mainstream musician, and in the process, earned living legend status. Dave Grohl did it. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke (who plays Day For Night this weekend, but we’ll get to…
Emmaline is Now Open
It’s been almost a year since industry veteran Sam Governale — who was most recently operating partner at Fleming’s Steakhouse in River Oaks — announced that he would be opening Emmaline in the former Teala’s space on West Dallas. Now the wait is over. The stunning new restaurant debuts this…
HISD Considers Tearing Down 4 Schools and Starting From Scratch
Four elementary schools in the Houston ISD were so badly damaged by Hurricane Harvey that school board trustees will vote Thursday night on whether they should be demolished and rebuilt from scratch. The estimated cost would be $126 million and the money would come from operations funds reserves and Tax…
Houston Pub Crawl Turns from Flash Mob to Flashing Santas
They do give the pubs a head’s up first. After all, it can be unsettling to be tending bar and look up to find hot Santas, naughty elves and sexy Peppermint Patties queuing up for shots. Red is the new black, fur is de rigueur, and “ho, ho, ho” takes…
Butter Baby Oysters On Offer at State of Grace
Gulf oysters are on the rise thanks to Murder Point Oyster Company in Alabama and Bobby Matos for making it possible to source them in Houston.
Dallas Beats Houston (at Light Rail), 5 Reasons We Should Follow Their Lead
The Dallas versus Houston debate may be old and worn thin, but there is one area in which Dallas is the clear winner going away (no, not plastic surgery): public transportation. More specifically, rail. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system is not only larger than Houston’s METROrail (much larger,…
Darkest Hour Finds Gary Oldman in Full Roar as Britain’s Last Lion
Wright’s film is fleet but not especially thoughtful, wholly convincing in its production design, and in one crucial sense something rare: Here’s a war movie about rhetoric rather than battle scenes
Guillermo del Toro Made The Shape of Water, but Sally Hawkins Owns It
… Just as the story should start to speed up and get more predictably exciting, it becomes weirder, drawn to odd tangents
Bill O’Brien Names T.J. Yates Starting QB For This Sunday
If you’re a media member covering the Houston Texans, you knew it was going to be a topical Monday morning the moment you got the email from the team that Bill O’Brien’s weekly Monday press conference had been moved to the early 9 a.m spot. Indeed, there wasn’t just the…
Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker Remains a Fluffy Holiday Spectacle
The Houston Ballet present Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker, premiering at Sugar Land’s Smart Financial Centre before moving to the Hobby Center of the Performing Arts.
NFL Football, Week 14: 49ers 26, Texans 16 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
Around this time of year, if you surf your movie channels long enough, you’ll stumble across a Christmas movie called The Family Man starring Nicholas Cage. In the movie, Cage plays a millionaire bachelor who leads an opulent, but emotionally barren life, so an angel (played by Don Cheadle — yeah,…
Houstonians Ask “Now What”? as NHL Approves Expansion to Seattle
It was just last month that the NHL coming to Houston seemed like a sure deal. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta met with the league in regards to getting a team, and he has stated to the media that he has an interest in getting a team in Houston. There’s also…
Houston Volunteering: Harley-Davidson Bloodmobile and Star Wars Food Drive
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice this year, we recommend swinging the pendulum of judgment back to the nice side because Santa Claus is coming to town and he’s got a list. There’s no better way to make a difference than by digging in, helping out, and having a positive…
Day For Night Returns For Killer Year Three
If you’re being honest with yourself, you should admit that festivals aren’t really this “must see” event in most cases. In a time when the experience outweighs the lineup, there aren’t many festivals that evoke excitement. Of course, with Day For Night, the art, the lineup, and the experience are…
The 10 Most Read News Stories in the Houston Press in 2017
It should come as no surprise to anyone in Houston that a list of most read stories in the year 2017 in Houston would have to include Hurricane Harvey, climate change and whether our dams are going to hold. But Houston Press readers have eclectic tastes so there were also…
This Week in Houston Food Events: Holiday Provisions and a Star Wars Pregame
Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings: Seasonal Specials Christmas Takeout Menu at B&B Butchers & Restaurant The Butcher Shop at B&B Butchers & Restaurant, 1814 Washington, is offering a festive Christmas take-out menu, which is available all month with a 24-hour notice (the filet mignon as that is…
Legendary Newsman and Houston Native Dan Rather on Quest to Find “What Unites Us.”
It’s a scenario that will play out time and time again in bookstores across the United States this holiday season: Conservatives will purchase tomes by conservative authors for their conservative friends to give as gifts. And liberals will buy treatises from liberal authors for their liberal friends. But legendary newsman…
I, Tonya Spins Exhilarating Story of Class and Abuse in America
Those expecting camp or catfights won’t find them in Gillespie’s movie, which instead offers thoughtful and somewhat objective critiques …
Hansel and Gretel at Rec Room Arts is a Super Surprise
So far, the best show this holiday season is found inside the tiny, intimate Back Room stage of Rec Room Arts on Jackson Street. Who knew? (And by intimate, I mean only 30 seats per show.) Who knew this edgy, provocative, disturbing theater company (Blackbird, Dead Rock Star Sing-A-Long Club,…
James Franco’s The Disaster Artist Insists Upon the Deep Americanness of Tommy Wiseau
Franco portrays Wiseau as a haughty but charismatic weirdo, someone who isn’t well-liked but who definitely gets noticed
Political Wit Hari Kondabolu Has Bigger Fish To Fry Than Apu from The Simpsons
The idea that you can criticize something that you love, [because] Apu is not there to hurt people, he is there to make you laugh! But why does this make you laugh? And why did the creators think it would make you laugh?
Houston, We Got What it Takes to Make SNOW
If you got up early this morning, or stayed up really late last night, then you are one of the hundreds (?) thousands (?) of people across Houston who saw snow. As Eric Berger at Space City Weather posted last night, snow was hitting College Station, just three days after…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Wonder Wheel
Wonder Wheel is an unpleasant movie about unpleasant people, and Kate Winslet’s standout performance is one of the only things that keeps it from being wholly unwatchable.
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Sip Margaritas Under the Skyline
Tomball German Christmas Market & Festival at Old Town Tomball Friday, 6 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 201 South Elm Hit this Texas-style Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) to find live music and entertainment, with more than 200 vendors, a wine garden…
Another Year, Another High Profile Houston Cougar Job Search
Houston Cougars basketball coach Kelvin Sampson lamented his team’s attendance after last Saturday’s win over Arkansas. His hope, so he said, was that at some point people would come to see his team because they want to see the Cougars play basketball, and not because they want to go see…
Punxmas Picks Houston’s Top Punk Hits
While their neighbors join the herds shepherded into overcrowded malls by promises of big savings, the fans and bands of Punxmas will be ringing in the season as they have for several years now – by cranking up the volume and moshing the holiday blues away. ‘Tis the season. The…
14 Classic Christmas Albums You Should Be Listening to This Christmas
It is often hotly debated around Thanksgiving: When should we start listening to Christmas music? For some, the answer is “now.” For others, and we won’t name names — cough, Scrooge, cough — it’s “NEVER.” If you are in the latter camp, you can move on to other things like…
NFL Football, Week 14: Niners-Texans — Four Things To Watch For
“These are the times that try men’s souls.” — Thomas Paine That quote was written by Paine back in the 1700s as part of a pamphlet in the “American Crisis” series of writings, in which Paine was trying to motivate American citizens to remain part of the Continental Army, no…
Openings & Closings: Brenner’s and Tin Roof BBQ Return
Hurricane Harvey has taken its terrible toll on restaurants and businesses throughout Houston, whether it be from flood damage or lost revenue. So, it is always a delight to see restaurants reopen, ready to serve loyal customers who are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to support their favorite eateries. Brenner’s on…
The Color Purple Comes Back to Houston With Hope
The Color Purple is the story of Celie, a young African-American woman who has been raped by her father and given birth to two babies that he’s taken away from her and how she somehow finally perseveres. Important to her journey of self-awareness, eventual independence and happiness is Shug Avery,…
New Rice Coach Mike Bloomgren Wants the Owls to be the Next Stanford
The Rice Owls went searching for a new head football coach ten days ago. But Mike Bloomgren targeted Rice two years ago. On Thursday, the two formally came together as Bloomgren was officially named as the new head coach of the Owls. Bloomgren was the associate head coach/offensive coordinator for…
Post-Oasis, the Brothers Gallagher Finally Found Their Place
To call Oasis the best band of all time is certainly inaccurate. Even at its abbreviated peak, Oasis was a great band with a seemingly limitless future. However, in-fighting, substance abuse and a weakening musical catalog eventually relegated the band to the all-too-long list of “what might have been” bands…
Get a Sneak Peek at BCK: Kitchen and Cocktail Adventures This Saturday
If you’re wondering what’s happening with the Glass Wall space at 933 Studewood in the Heights, you’ll have the answer this weekend. Beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 9, BCK: Kitchen and Cocktail Adventures, brought to you by the people behind Bosscat Kitchen and Libations in River Oaks, will open…
5 Keys to the Rockets Staying One of the Best Teams in the NBA
It’s a common axiom that real basketball isn’t played until Christmas. In fact, the spate of Christmas Day games is something of an opening day for the NBA despite the fact they will have been playing for two months by December 25. The Rockets are on the schedule for that…
Priests Open Up Ahead of Day For Night
Music can be so many things that you can love a band for who they are, what they stand for, and who they’re striving to be for just as many reasons as you can adore their sound. That’s how most would describe Washington DC’s Priests, a band that’s so much…
On Dasher, on Dancer, Time for BCO’s Annual Reindeer Romp
If reindeer are good enough for Santa’s sleigh, then the corpulent bearded one might be onto something. Whether it’s those mate-attracting antlers or their ability to exist just about anywhere, these circumpolar caribou have inspired plenty of songs, books and film (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, ‘Twas the night before Christmas),…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Hanukkah Feasts and Ugly Sweater Brunch
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: The team at Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen, 2327 Post Oak, 5172 Buffalo Speedway, have come up with enormous Hanukkah and Festival of Lights menus that can be ordered in advance and taken home. Both…
NFL Football, Week 14: This Weekend’s Best Bets
Before we get started on this week’s picks, let’s have one more moment of silence for all you Texans’ backers out there that took the points — anywhere from six to eight points, depending on when and where you bet the game — against the Titans this past weekend. To…
Expect a Whole Lot of Improvisation With Jef Johnson in Open Space at Main Street
Some kids (and grown-ups) are scared of clowns. Some people don’t like clowns. Performer Jef Johnson is having none of that as he wears clown make-up throughout his shows. “I don’t think anyone is scared of clowns. I think people are scared of disguises that seem tricky,” he says. “For me…
The Best Music to Hear in Houston This Coming Week
The end of 2017 is getting closer and closer while the weather is getting cooler and cooler. This week we’ll see plenty of touring acts make their way here before the new year occurs. Performances from Bully, Clutch, Wye Oak, and Poptone while locals like Waterparks, Mojave Red, Sleeperdrone, and…
Where to Dine in Houston on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2017
‘Tis the season to wine, dine and not spend the entire holiday cleaning dishes. With that in mind, we’ve put together a 2017 Christmas Dining Guide. From splurge-worthy holiday feasts to family-friendly brunches, here is where to dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Houston: Note: Don’t forget to…
Three Finalists Named For 2017 Heisman Trophy
During the early part of the summer of 2016, it looked like Baker Mayfield’s 2017 season at Oklahoma wouldn’t even happen. Because of conference eligibility rules that precluded walk-ons from maintaining an extra year of eligibility if they sit out a season after they transfer, Mayfield (who, after his walk-on…
Houston Family Travels the World One Christmas Meal at a Time
Brittney Greene and her family have been planning Christmas dinner since July. This year, it will involve a lot of cheese—raclette, fondue, and hopefully traditional Swiss pastries from a local Houston bakery. For the past 15 years, the family has celebrated Christmas in a decidedly non-traditional way: by learning about…
Breaking Down Day For Night 2017’s Scheduling Quirks
Everyone who goes to festivals knows the road map the promoters are going to follow between announcing the festival is happening and the gates opening for day one of the fest. Fans will weigh whether or not to take a chance on the blind ticket presale, rejoice or complain when…
Look, Up in the Sky, It’s Jupiter Over Houston and the Geminids
It’s a big month for astronomy nuts, with the Supermoon (perigee) on December 3, the Geminids meteor shower on December 13-14, and the Ursid meteor shower on December 23-24. There’s something about a crisp, December night that makes us look to the stars, and the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center…
Airlines Ban Smart Luggage! Wait, What’s Smart Luggage?
Several airlines including American and Delta are beginning to implement a ban of smart luggage and the lithium-ion batteries that powers these apparently smart bags. A bag may still be carried inside the cabin or, if it must be checked, passengers can remove the battery and bring that with them…
Revived Legendary Austin Brewery Now Offered on Draft in Houston
Christine Celis and her daughter Daytona Camps have revived Celis Brewery from its seventeen year hibernation. Pierre Celis’ original Witbier recipe is now available again to the public.
J.J. Watt and Jose Altuve Named Sports Illustrated Sportspeople of the Year
It’s been a while since Houstonians have been able to experience the on-field tour de force that was (and hopefully will be again, soon) J.J. Watt. Nearly two full seasons, to be exact. That dominant version of Watt was good enough to win three Defensive Player of the Year awards…
Does Eminem Still Matter?
I’ve been an Eminem stan since the moment I first heard “My Name Is.” It was a cold winter morning (for South Texas standards) in 1999, and just before leaving for school, Tyrese (yes, Fast & Furious Tyrese) introduced a new video on MTV Jams from some “cat named Eminem.”…
Drinking $1,400, 42-year-old Scotch in a Costco Storeroom
So there we were packed into the back storeroom of the Costco liquor store on Richmond, drinking high level Scotch that ranged in price from $130 to $1,400 a bottle, coming in some cases from distilleries in Scotland that aren’t even in existence any more. Who says life in Houston…
Glide, Skate and Celebrate at Discovery Green’s Rainbow on ICE
Discovery Green is hosting the seventh annual Rainbow on ICE, a party complete with ice skating, drag performances and music to celebrate our city’s LGBTQ community 7 – 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8.
Supreme Court Hears Arguments To Allow States To Legalize Sports Betting
For as far back as there have been sports, there has been sports betting, in some share or form. In the United States, legal sports betting has largely existed exclusively within the borders of Nevada (save the random sports lottery cards available in a scant few other states). Nevada is,…
10 Best Holiday Desserts in Houston to Eat This Season
The season of holiday cookies and eggnog is upon us. Here are some of the hottest spots to get seasonal treats this year: Maple butter with pumpkin spice caramel ice cream at Cloud 10 Creamery: Maple butter has been a Cloud 10 seasonal standard since they opened, but every year,…
My (Passive-Aggressive) FitnessPal: Thanks for That Guilt-Inducing Notification
Dieting is frustrating. Not only is it hard work, but it’s a grind with pounds creeping off ever so slowly while that apple pie stares at you like sirens calling to Odysseus. There’s also the strenuous exercise and the weird way all of it makes you feel, especially around the…
One Listener’s Opinion: The Best of 2017, Houston Edition
Despite what some people might think, despite what people who live in neighboring cities may want to believe, 2017 was the best year in Houston music since, well in as long as I can remember. This year we saw so many new acts drop releases that were far ahead of…
Lady Gaga’s “Ich Bin Ein Houstonian” Moment
Lady Gaga Toyota Center December 3, 2017 Artists frequently receive notes and letters from fans like the one Lady Gaga read onstage last night from a Houston follower named Steven. The letter expressed how her empowering songs gave him the courage and strength to win his life back from crushing…
Cougars Blow Out Arkansas for Best Win of the Season. Where Were the Fans?
The Houston Cougars and Arkansas Razorbacks played a basketball game on Saturday night at TSU’s H&PE Arena. It featured an improving Arkansas basketball team seeking to return to the spotlight of the Nolan Richardson era of the 1990s. The Houston Cougars are also an improving team coming off of two…
College Football, Playoffs and Coaching Hires — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
With the various coaching changes (What up, A&M!), athletic department coups (Hey, Tennessee!), NCAA sanctions (So sorry, Ole Miss!), and playoff drama, there has been no better reality television show than college football over the last week to ten days. It’s been absolutely incredible, and we are just now getting…
Wynonna and The Big Noise Band Bring Christmas Concert to Houston
If you’ve got a hankering for cerebral, top shelf Christmas music this holiday season — without all the sugar-coated frou-frou — then look no further than the Society for the Performing Arts. It’s a bold move for the local arts organization and a deviation from their more traditional Christmas offerings,…
Rev Up and Eat Healthy Before the Holidays in Houston
We bid farewell to Thanksgiving 2017 with happy hearts and not so happy stomachs. Here comes December with its office parties, gift exchanges with friends (including adult beverages) and more zipper-busting holiday dinners. The first week of December is the perfect time to get a little outdoor exercise in our…
Cougars Hawaii Bound for a Bowl Against Fresno State
It will not be a White Christmas for the Houston Cougars. The football team instead heads out to Hawaii to play Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl at 7:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. This will be only the third time the Cougars (7-4) have played a game in Hawaii, and…
Director Joe Grisaffi on Collecting Pinball Tables in Houston
If you know the name of Joe Grisaffi then it’s probably for his popular series of locally-produced independent films. Seriously, you should see Lars the Emo Kid. It’s really good and dirt cheap on Amazon. When he’s not making movies, he spends his time rescuing turtles and collecting pinball tables…
The Drums Return To Houston Revitalized and Refreshed
For anyone who has followed the storied career of The Drums, they should be used to highs and lows. With a lineup that’s changed several times, singer and founder Johnny Pierce has had to reinvent what the group looks and sounds like multiple times. On their latest release Abysmal Thoughts,…
This Week in Houston Food Events: ‘Tis the Season for Desserts
Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings: Seasonal Specials Holiday-inspired sweets at CRAVE Houston favorite Crave Cupcakes, 5600 Kirby, 1151 Uptown Park, 2501 Research Forest, is now offering holiday-inspired cupcakes and bakeshop treats, available for a limited time only this holiday season. Treat yourself or others to cupcake flavors…
NFL Football, Week 13: Titans 24, Texans 13 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
Well, there’s no more rationalizing left to do, no delusional attempts to apply CPR to this Texans season and kid ourselves into thinking something completely unthinkable (like this team making the playoffs without Deshaun Watson under center) might happen. The Texans’ 2017 season functionally ended on Sunday afternoon, 24-13 at…
Reckless Struggles At Being Relatable Or Riotous
Beware a Director’s notes assuring us that Reckless, Craig Lucas’ darkly comedic Christmas play penned in 1983, feels modern and relatable. Of course we notice the lack of cellphones and yes we giggle at the mention of Lotus computer operating systems, but that’s not the reason for the play’s staleness…
Film Stars Deserve Better Than Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool
When these performers get the chance to exchange dialogue, to react to each other rather than declaim the movie’s themes, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool rouses to life
HGO Tries Again For Another Holiday Opera With The House Without a Christmas Tree
In its perennial odyssey to find the perfect seasonal cash-cow equivalent to rival Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker and Alley Theatre’s A Christmas Carol, Houston Grand Opera has come up with another ugly sweater. Why is it that opera seems incapable of creating an original, contemporary, family-friendly holiday musical? It’s not…
Bun B’s Pal Premium Pete Brings Podcast Party and Foodie Sneaker to Houston
When Peter Gibaldi walked out of prison many years ago, he was on a mission to recreate who he was and reconnect with those he loved. And he’s done that, in a large part, thanks to sneakers. He drove himself to become a key figure in the world of sneaker collecting…
4th Wall Theatre Company Finds a Donor, Will Not Shut Down After All
Fourth Wall Theatre Company, which has won recognition and awards for its productions and which was to have shut down after its current run of Reckless due to financial concerns, will instead continue thanks to a donor who has infused new money into their effort, co-founders Philip Lehl and Kim Tobin-Lehl…
From Punk to Puns: How Record Producer Joe Sib Learned The Stand-Up Game
“There’s the irony of how hard I fought authority so much as a kid. And I’m why karma exists, because my kids give push back constantly. And I’m the authority! And I’m so bad at it!”
Reminder: Don’t Go Buying Taylor Swift Tickets Hoping For Beyonce
Nine months is a long time to wait for anything, be it a vacation, baby or concert. More and more, however, buying tickets to a major concert event involves putting down serious cash one year for a show that’ll happen months after the calendar rolls over into a new year…
Where Will the Cougars Be Bowling?
The Houston Cougars are going to a bowl game this season. Which bowl game is still in question, and that answer won’t come until Sunday afternoon. It won’t be one of the glamorous big boy bowl games played on New Year’s. It may not even be one of the middle…
NFL Football, Week 13: Texans-Titans — Four Things To Watch For
As I’ve mentioned here, once Deshaun Watson went down with his knee injury after Week 8 of the NFL season, I subconsciously stopped following where the Texans were in the standings. Two weeks and two losses followed that devastating injury, and I was even more entrenched in my denial of…
Openings & Closings: Bienvenue Maison Pucha Bistro
Maison Pucha Bistro, 1001 Studewood, debuted its dinner service November 22. The much anticipated Heights restaurant is owned and operated by the three Pucha brothers, each with their own specialty, after years in the restaurant worlds of Houston and New York. Manuel, formerly executive chef at La Table, will be…
In Defense of the Elf on the Shelf
I’m not even going to pretend I liked the Elf on the Shelf when my sister-in-law gifted one to my daughter a few years back. I predicted the bloody thing would spiral off into a ridiculous capitalistic nightmare, and that has come to pass. It’s a movie, you can dress…
Rashomon Promises To Be A Different Take On Music Videos
For most of our lives, Houston has always had artists pushing the boundaries of what you think something should look like. In music, there have always been performers here who take what you know about music and make it altogether something different from what’s happening around the rest of the…
Houston’s Best Weekend Food Bets: Kolache, BBQ and Tamales
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: King’s x Killen’s Kolache Pop-Up at King’s Biergarten Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon 1329 East Broadway King’s Biergarten and Killen’s Barbecue are teaming up for an epic kolache pop-up. Show up early if you want first dibs of flavors like Killen’s…
Wortham Center Will Reopen in September, Not May As Originally Hoped
In an announcement late Thursday, Houston First sent out a media advisory saying that the flood damaged Worth Theater Center will reopen in September — a departure from earlier projections that it would be ready to go by mid-May 2018. No specific reason was given for the new, later date, other…
Here’s Your Chance to See Striking 12 And Queensbury Theatre’s New Vision
TUTS Underground was one of the more interesting experiments Theatre Under the Stars ever did. All of a sudden Zilkha Hall, the smaller theater space within the Hobby Center, was being used a lot more and its edgy musicals drew appreciative and often younger audiences. And a lot of local…
NFL Football, Week 13: This Weekend’s Best Bets
On paper, this should be the college football weekend that most excites a college football junkie like me. It’s the weekend of the conference title games, and since the advent of the four team College Football Playoff in 2014, this is by far the closest this weekend has served to…
Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen Dish Out The Dirt
Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will bring their show AC2 Deep Talk and Shallow Tales to Smart Financial Center on Saturday.
Trey Blocker Challenging Ag Commissioner Sid Miller in GOP Primary
Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has a challenger for the Republican primary, which makes all the sense in the world when you think about it. Miller has cut a rather, shall we say, interesting figure on the political stage since he was elected to his post three years ago. He’s been…
Superhero Survival Odds For The Last Two Avengers Movies
The new trailer for Avengers: Infinity War dropped early yesterday. By now, you’ve probably watched it a dozen times and read exhaustive analysis about the meaning behind Natasha’s new Blonde Widow look (she’s in *hiding*, duh). But while it may have been touched upon earlier, the fact that Infinity War,…
Bitcoin Reaches $10k, Should You Care?
Digital “cryptocurrency” bitcoin surpassed $10,000 on Wednesday for the first time in its history. By comparison, at the beginning of 2017, it was only rated at $1,000, a pretty stout jump for the alternative currency that is accepted online for all manner of goods and services and has been criticized…
10 Christmas Gifts for Telling Nazis to Get Stuffed
The holidays are here, by golly, and so is the perennial quest for the perfect gift. This can be an arduous task, as I’m sure everyone who has ever shopped for their dad knows. Well, we here at the Houston Press are nothing if not helpful. Do you have a…
Jenny Hval Plans For Day For Night
In the world of electronica there are plenty of artists that you could say are intriguing, engaging, or just artfully interesting. However with Norway’s Jenny Hval, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t believe that she doesn’t embody all of those traits and more. On the heels of…
610/69 vs. 45/69: Battle of Upcoming Freeway Interchange Construction Projects
On Tuesday, a HAZMAT spill closed down nearly the entire interchange at Interstate 10 and the West Loop. Traffic was brutal for the tens of thousands of people who commute through that area during rush hour. The good news is that spill was cleaned up and the roads eventually cleared…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Yum Cha Dim Sum and Brunch with Santa
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: Yauatcha, 5045 Westheimer, is adding to its weekday lunch service with the addition of Yum Cha (literally translating to “drink tea”), the Cantonese tradition involving Chinese tea and dim sum. The new menu offers patrons a…
Snooze Expands Again, Gets Ready to Move Into the Heights
On the move Snooze, an A.M. eatery, has just announced it is moving to the Heights to open its fourth location in Houston in early 2018. The restaurant will be located at 718-A West 18th, which is also where on December 19 through January 6 it will be interviewing job…
Brian Cushing Returns From Ten Game PED Suspension
If you’re looking for a measure of Brian Cushing’s relevance as a football player right about now, merely compare the anticipation of his return from his two PED suspensions. Back in 2010, Cushing was forced to serve a four-game suspension to begin the season after flunking a PED test in…
Ranking the Rockets Opponents Die Hard Style
Heading into a matchup with the Pacers who are a somewhat respectable 12-9 early in the season, the Rockets stand at 16-4, the best record in the Western Conference and, arguably, the best team in the NBA. With all due respect to Boston and their impressive 18-4, only two of…
What We Learned From the 2018 Grammy Nominations
Sure, the Grammy Awards may not have the pop or cachet they once did. Hell, Drake didn’t even submit this time around. Nevertheless, the Grammys are still the unquestioned standard bearer as music industry awards go. The 60th Annual Grammy Awards are scheduled for late January 2018, but the nominations…
Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker Becomes a Traveling Road Show
Still displaced after the destructive flooding of the Wortham Center from Hurricane Harvey, Houston Ballet will once again perform Artistic Director Stanton Welch’s choreography in The Nutcracker, but on different stages. Allison Miller, who will be dancing the now more important role of Clara, is looking forward to performing at…
Report Says Situation is “Bleak” For Disabled Children in Harris County
The Texans Care for Children group has posted a followup to its 2016 report and the news isn’t especially good if you’re a disabled child in need of services age 3 or younger. Particularly for children of color. What the group is decrying are the Medicaid cuts made by the…
Perfect Illusion: The Best of The Week
Now that the end of year is inching closer and closer, the last of the big tours in 2017 will be making their way into town. This week we’ll see sets from the likes of Royal Blood, Susto, Actress, and Lady Gaga while locals like Giant Kitty, LIMB, and Velveteen…
Isn’t It Weird That Apple Doesn’t Understand Podcasting?
Holiday travel season is here, and that means visiting for quite a few of us. No matter how you’re getting to where you’re going, odds are you probably want some background noise to pass the time, which means in the middle of packing and adjusting sleep schedules and the like,…
5 Tips on Large Scale Holiday Baking
“We need to prepare The Baking,” my wife said to me. I’m not sure the Houston Press website has the formatting options to adequately display the weight of the phrase “The Baking” when my wife says it, so I’ll use an analogy. You remember the look on Ellen Burstyn’s face…
Rice Fires David Bailiff, Begins Search for New Head Coach
The Rice Owls fired head coach David Bailiff on Monday morning. This was expected from this last point last season when Bailiff was brought back for another season despite a 3-9 record. But Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard made it clear last year that he wanted the Owls to win football…
Benjy’s On Washington to Close After New Year’s Eve & Will Make Way For The Classic
Benjy’s on Washington has announced it will present its final dinner service on New Year’s Eve. Restaurateur Benjy Levit has decided to close it and replace it with The Classic — All Day, which will open in summer 2018. the Classic will be “a fresh take on the classic neighborhood…
A Christmas Carol Is Full of Delights, Not the Least of Which Is the Alley Theatre’s Return Home
The Alley Theatre has returned to its home base after the bashing from Hurricane Harvey and a relocation to the University of Houston. The Alley’s main stage, the Hubbard, was spared damage, but the lower-level Neuhaus, the theater’s blackbox, along with everything else downstairs (dressing rooms, prop storage) was obliterated…
NFL Football, Week 12: Ravens 23, Texans 16 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
With the math of their playoff situation already putting the Houston Texans in a precarious position on Monday night in Baltimore, they ultimately did themselves no favors in the game, with crucial mistakes in all three phases and three gigantic turnovers by Tom Savage handing the Baltimore Ravens a 23-16…
The Escatones Say Your Band Could Very Well Suck
Houston’s The Escatones return with a new self-titled album.
Time to Get Silly With Stages’ Reprisal of Panto Cinderella
There’s no better feeling than giggling till your face hurts, and the holiday season means it’s time to get silly over at Stages Repertory Theatre. We’re talking big laughs, slapstick, vaudeville, commedia dell’arte and cross-dressing characters, and it’s all part of the fun with Stages’ annual panto. It’s Stages’ tenth year…
Duck Donuts Expanding to Texas, Picks Houston First
It’s not here yet, but soon, and probably well in time for Christmas. Duck Donuts is scheduled for a December arrival in Houston at 3157 West Holcombe and according to the North Carolina-based company, the possibilities are endless. Well as long as you don’t want gluten-free; their website says they…
Women Don’t Trust Male Feminists. We’ve Given Them No Reason To.
I started writing this piece after the article Melena Ryzik, Cara Buckley and Jodi Kantor’s wrote in The New York Times that blew open the long-held rumors regarding comedian Louis C.K.’s sexual misconduct with female comedians. I never finished it, probably because I saw something shiny in the street. That’s okay…
Lady Gaga Shows Pop Stars Can Evolve Too
Terrestrial radio is struggling. Physical album sales (Taylor Swift notwithstanding, but we’ll get to her in a bit) are on the decline. And pop-life publications like Spin (which now operates as a web-only enterprise) and Rolling Stone (a shell of its former self) are dying. In short, the things that…
NASA’s Voyager Golden Record Now Available to the Public
It’s been 30 years since NASA scientists launched the famed Golden Records — described by NASA as a mixed tape “intended to communicate the story of our world to extraterrestrials” — on Voyager spacecrafts 1 and 2, and while aliens have had the opportunity to give the records a listen…
How to Get Your Garth Brooks Tickets at the 2018 Houston Rodeo
This Friday, December 1, Garth Brooks tickets at the Houston rodeo will go on sale and because of the demand for the country star, the tickets will only be sold online, rodeo officials have announced. And while Brooks is book-ending the Houston Rodeo concert lineup this year one rule they’ve…
Rice Finishes Season With Loss, Goes 1-11 for the Season
The 2017 Rice Owls football season ended with a 30-14 loss to North Texas (9-3) and a 1-11 overall record. This season was supposed to be a make-or-break year for head coach David Bailiff; a decision on his future should come down sometime Monday. The Owls briefly led the game…
NFL Football, Week 12: Texans-Ravens — Four Things To Watch For
We know who the Texans’ division foes are because we see them every year. Twice every year, in fact. Tennessee, Indianapolis, Jacksonville — that’s the AFC South.There was a time not all that long ago, though, where the Baltimore Ravens felt sort of like a division foe. Because of the…
Want to Know Something? Take a Rolling Tour on the Houston History Bus
The Houston History Bus – a modified, open-aired, yellow school bus that is essentially a mobile classroom – frequently rolls over downtown Houston’s streets. The teacher in this school-on-wheels is R.W. McKinney, better known as Mister McKinney. Think of him as a snazzier-dressed, faster-talking version of Mister Rogers. McKinney explained…
7 Ways to Get Your Holiday Music Fix This Week in Houston
Usher in the holiday season with classic and contemporary Christmas music, including offerings from English composers, 1960s icons, Latin American folk tales and even a nod to Dr. Seuss’s most grumpy character, the Grinch. Why is it that Christmas classics by Baroque and Renaissance English composers have remained perennial favorites…
Houston Press Singles Club: Rose Ette, Arthur Yoria, Brand New Hearts, etc.
Looking to the end of the year, there’s always something worth checking out from the artists in this city. This edition of Singles Club will feature a doo wop head bopper from Rose Ette, as well as a catchy gem from Arthur Yoria, a rocker from Brand New Hearts, and…
How to Survive the Texas Bite Law When Fido Goes to Jail
I’m not the worst mom ever; it just feels that way because my ignorance caused our beloved pet to be imprisoned for ten days. Now I know how my own mother felt when, as kids, we’d tear in to each other with Hot Wheels tracks, croquet mallets and other pint-sized…
Talking to Compassionate Cultivation, One of the First Medical Marijuana Companies in Texas
Under the Compassionate Use Act, Texas’s new medical marijuana program, the Texas Department of Public Safety is licensing three companies to provide low-THC cannabis-based medicines to people with untreatable epilepsy. Compassionate Cultivation is one of them. Based in Manchaca, south of Austin, the company planted cannabis in November and plans…
This Week in Houston Food Events: Wine Bar Mondays and a Tamale Fest
Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings: Mondays through December 18 Wine Bar Mondays at Helen Greek Food & Wine Every Monday through December 18, the usually closed Helen Greek Food & Wine, 2429 Rice, will open its doors to holiday shoppers looking to take a break with…
Cougars Dominate Second Half to Defeat Navy 24-14
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was a tale of two halves. The Navy Midshipmen (6-5) won the first half. The Houston Cougars (7-4) won the second. It was the second half that mattered as UH came back from a 14-7 first half…
Rice Owls Wilt Under Glare of Bright Vegas Lights
College basketball coaches love to talk about how basketball is a game of runs, and how it is a game of confidence. All teams go on runs, bursting out for spurts where no shots can be missed while the opponent struggles to make a shot. It’s even an official stat…
Steve Aoki Brings the Funk Back to Spire
Steve Aoki Spire Nightclub 11/22/17 Thanksgiving eve is one of the biggest party nights of year. People returning home from all over the country have used this night to party for ages. Throwing down on Thanksgiving eve is as traditional turkey and dressing for the holiday meal. This year superstar…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Brews, Brunch and Local Love
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: Black Friday Brunch at The General Public Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 797 Sorella The General Public is starting its weekend brunch early, offering locals a refuge from the post-Thanksgiving shopping madness with a Black Friday Brunch. Unwind with boozy…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: A Houston vs. Austin BBQ Throwdown
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: Pak-Man — a brand new food truck dishing out Pakistani Halal eats — will be celebrating its grand opening at Levy Park, 3801 Eastside, on Friday, November 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The “Pak…
A Sugar Land Holiday Light Show to Make Clark Griswold Proud
It’s our annual holiday nightmare, pulling boxes of stringed lights out of storage only to find a tangled, garbled mess. Gremlins have been busy, obvs, but imagine the horror when the folks over at Constellation Field pull out 2.5 million lights for their annual holiday spectacular. “Oh my goodness. I…
Stand Back! New Bio on Stevie Nicks Has Plenty of Gold-and-Fairy Dust
Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks By Stephen Davis 352 pp. $27.99 St. Martin’s Press There have been a rash of Fleetwood Mac books in recent years, as well as another full-length bio on the band’s ethereal, chiffon-and-lace draped witchy gypsy front woman (2015’s Stevie Nicks: Visions, Dreams…
NFL Football, Week 12: Houston Texans Playoff Viewing Guide
So you have a refrigerator full of leftovers, and you read my Wednesday post about the renewed playoff hopes for the 4-6 Houston Texans. You have no Texans game to watch on Sunday, and you now need to know for whom to root on Sunday to best increase the Texans’…
Openings & Closings: Hello Union Kitchen Washington, Goodbye Liberty Kitchen Garden Oaks
Union Kitchen, 6011 Washington, opened November 20. This is the fifth location, with four others in Bellaire, Kingwood, Memorial City, and Garden Oaks. The restaurant concept from Gr8 Hospitality will have a large outdoor patio and a private dining room available for events. There will be a limited menu to…
Quest Surveys How One African-American Family Fared During the Obama Age — and Is One of the Year’s Best Docs
Quest becomes, then, less about the disruptions to the Raineys’ existence than about the continuities, how love and community-mindedness make it all better no matter how rough things get
Wonder Wheel’s Nostalgic Glow Can’t Hide Its Creator’s Score Settling
As Ginny and her life unravel, Allen’s sympathy for her seems to dry up, and she becomes something like the villain of the piece
Houston’s Waterparks Set Their Focus Outside of Town
If you’re in a band nowadays, you’re smart to focus your efforts outside the city you grew up in. Ask any band that’s had success and they should tell you that reaching as many people as possible is what led them to being able to live off their music. When…
NFL Football, Week 12: This Weekend’s Best Bets
If you’re reading this on Thursday morning, I realize that all of you have far more important things to do than read a long preamble to my gambling picks for this weekend, especially because I have a Thanksgiving Day pick on one of the NFL games below, so let’s get…
Houston Theaters Still Struggling With Arts Funding Post Harvey
As funding questions loom larger in post-Harvey Houston than perhaps ever before, small theater companies and independent artists are entrenched in a financial climate that is largely unfamiliar territory. Even though Houston still very much lives up to its moniker of Boomtown, this hasn’t always rung true in terms of…
The Story Behind Our Epic Classic: “A Very Costco Thanksgiving” With Thanksgiving in a Box
In 2012, Katharine Shilcutt, then our food critic, wrote a story about going to Costco to investigate its offer of Thanksgiving in a Box designed to feed eight to ten people. Her story, which we reproduce below, caught the imagination of thousands upon thousands of readers. And still does to…
On your Feet! Delivers High-Energy Standout Performances at the Hobby Center
When you’re choreographic whiz Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis) who needs tap shoes? A chorus line wearing huaraches can slap out salsa rhythm even better. And does it ever in this high-energy, hip-shaking jukebox ode to Gloria and Emilio Estefan and the phenomenal Miami Sound Machine. Act I ends with…
Brewery Shows Are Making Houston’s Music Scene More Stout
One of the best shows I attended this year featured Genesis Blu, the ambitious, rising hip-hop star whose affinity for the city is so great there’s no room for I, J or K in her alphabet, because it’s all about the H. Some of the city’s most-acclaimed acts, like the…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Coco
Title: Coco Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: Patty: This is Selma taking a siesta. Bart: Ay, caramba! Brief Plot Synopsis: Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Four Conan O’Briens out of five. Tagline: “The adventure of a lifetime.” Better Tagline: “That is not dead which can eternal lie / ¡Ay,…
Houston Grand Opera Presents A House Without a Christmas Tree
A daughter can’t understand why her father won’t allow them to have a Christmas tree in their house. It is, of course, a symbol of the deeper problems that run through a family in which a widower doesn’t communicate with his child and holds on to his grief. It’s the…
Some Houston Bars to Suit Your Thanksgiving Mood
Save for designated drinking holidays such as New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving weekend may very well be the most boozy of all the holidays. For many, it marks a four-day weekend, perhaps a chance to host family/friends or head elsewhere to visit those same…
The March of Dimes Signature Chefs Gala 2017 Raises $400K
A 20th Anniversary event calls for glitter and glam. It calls free flowing libations, scrumptious cuisine and opulent surroundings. And when we look back on 2017’s Signature Chefs Gala — a culinary fundraiser for the Houston-area March of Dimes that has raised more than $8 million towards the charity’s research…
Don’t Look Now, Houston Texans One Game Out of Playoff Spot
Whether it’s sports turmoil or life turmoil, we’ve all been there before — so engrossed, maybe even wallowing, in whatever life has handed us, so much so that we aren’t paying attention to what’s going on outside our own little cocoon. That was me the last few weeks as a…
How to Outsmart a Murderous Sultan, or A Scheherazade Thanksgiving
“Who Shot J.R.?” may be one of the most memorable cliffhangers in television history, but the technique of plunging a character into peril to keep the audience coming back for more predates our ’80s guilty pleasure, television’s Dallas. The Arabian Nights: One Thousand and One Nights tells the story of…
Sunbeam Special: Houston’s Best of The Week
This being a holiday weekend, the touring acts shows aren’t as plentiful. However that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of entertaining options,. Acts like Australia’s Multiple Man, Texas’ Billy Joe Shaver, and Miami’s Lil Pump will all be here while locals like Gio Chamba, Poizon, and Rough Sleepers fill in…
First Look at Pho Con Bo, Southern Vietnamese-Style Pho with Filet Mignon
Pho Con Bo seemed to appear overnight, taking the place of Texas Cantina Restaurant in a standalone building located right next to the sprawling Hong Kong City Mall IV on Bellaire Boulevard. I noticed the large white sign a couple of months ago, but didn’t really give it a second…
2017 Guide to the Houston Rockets (Now That the Astros are in the Offseason)
Houston sports fans might be forgiven if they had forgotten it was basketball season again. Not only did the NBA get going about two weeks earlier than usual (a move that eliminates the dreaded four-games-in-five-nights scheduling), but we were kinda busy with a World Series victory and some kid named…
WWE Survivor Series Makes Houston the Epicenter of Wrestling
Over a four-day period, the WWE has made the Houston the epicenter of the sports entertainment world with the events surrounding Survivor Series. Testosterone and sweat filled the Toyota Center from the floor to the rafters as the thrills and spills kept fans on the edge of their seats while…
Houston Theater District Parking Garages to Reopen on Thanksgiving Day
Houston First Corporation, the entity that oversees the city’s buildings, has announced that it will be able to reopen its underground parking garages in time for the H-E-B Thanksgiving Parade and the Alley Theatre’s offering of A Christmas Carol. The garages were flooded during Hurricane Harvey and it has taken…
WWE’s NXT Shows Even the Development League Can Bring It
NXT Takeover: WarGames Toyota Center The WWE’s four-day run in Houston comes to a close on Tuesday night. But they kicked it off Saturday night with their lesser named wrestlers doing big things, like fatal-four-way matches and humongous caged match wars. Professional wrestling fandom seems so intricate these days. It’s…
Reckless: A Dark Quirky Comedy About Christmas and Being Redeemed
Rachel is one just really happy person by nature – this despite the fact that her husband tells her he has hired a hit man to kill her. She’s really happy but not completely stupid and flees their home as the sound of bullets whiz about her, embarking upon a…
Arthur Yoria Debuts First Video From Upcoming Album
If you pay attention to the singer songwriter genre of music, you should notice that locally, we have a pretty diverse crowd of artists in that group. Though he is originally from Chicago, Houston transplant Arthur Yoria is definitely one of the different singer songwriters that call Houston home. Known…
2017 College Football Playoff: Has Alabama Clinched a Playoff Spot?
As college football viewers, the older we get, the less time we have to spend complete Saturdays vegging out in front of the television from noon until midnight watching college football. In our teenage and college years, this was easily done. The weight of the world was not yet upon…
5 Reasons I Love The Price is Right
When I was a kid I was prone to really bad sinus infections that were so severe I missed a lot of school. While being more snot than boy was no fun, it did give me time to watch a lot of daytime gameshows. I loved Press Your Luck and…
Don’t Be a Jive Turkey: Tips For Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner
There are two types of holiday hosts; those who live for giving lavish feasts and those who dread it for weeks ahead of time. Whether you willingly invite 20 people to your home every Thanksgiving or have been conned into it by your mom who refuses to do it anymore,…
Step Back in Time During Galveston’s Dickens on The Strand
We all have branches on our family tree that we’d rather forget about: Uncle Freddy who always gets sauced at Thanksgiving, Great Aunt Myrna with the garish make-up and tropical mumus and that distant ancestor who had more than a few run-ins with the law. Then there are the lucky…
Hidden Gem: Adriatic Cafe in Tomball
My family has had its fill of Mexican restaurants lately, so we decided to try something different and opted for the new location of Adriatic Cafe. The original location in Jersey Village is in an austere strip center along Highway 290. We make the trip for their garlic knots, basic…
Hockey Is Coming to Houston. It’s Just a Matter of When
The expansion Vegas Golden Knights have the fourth most points of any team in the NHL’s Western Conference. The Golden Knights have won 12 of 19 games and sit right behind the Los Angeles Kings for first place in the Pacific Divison. The first major professional team in the city…
Brewery Shows Are Watering Down Houston’s Music Scene
It’s happened, or at least it’s happening: Someone in this town is doing his best to water down the Houston music scene like so many watered down lagers. Hear me out here, I’m not against beer companies. But, when bands play at a brewery, they’re essentially turning Houston into Austin…
Liberty Kitchen Garden Oaks Closes, Says it Was Done In By Street Construction & Harvey
The combo punches of more than six months of street construction near its restaurant as well as the financial downturn caused by Hurricane Harvey, has resulted in F.E.E.D. TX Restaurant Group’s announcement today that it is calling it quits at its Garden Oaks location. The Houston Press this year had named…
Charles Manson: Madness and the Snake Who Slithered Away
Member of the Family: My Story of Charles Manson, Life Inside His Cult, and the Darkness That Ended the Sixties By Dianne Lake and Deborah Herman 384 pp. $27.99 William Morrow Dianne Lake was just 14 years old when she joined Charles Manson and his cult of slavish followers –…
NFL Football, Week 11: Texans 31, Cardinals 21 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
If you want the Houston Texans’ 2017 season summed up in about ten seconds of football, look no further than D’Onta Foreman’s game clinching 34-yard touchdown run to put the Texans up 31-21 on the Arizona Cardinals in a game they would eventually win by that score. The first nine…
We Were Wolves Keep Things Heavy on Empty Plans
If you’re reading music blogs, the phrase “guitar rock is dead” gets uttered enough to almost render it a lie. The truth is, that while traditional guitar rock isn’t as readily available nowadays, rock n’ roll that isn’t of the indie fare has gotten heavier and heavier in the absence…
Check Out The Art and Coffee at Art of Coffee in Kemah
Once the ordinary ambiance and neutral color schemes of big chain coffee shops no longer seem welcoming and fun, make a short trip over to Kemah and check out one of the most colorful and unique coffee shops in Houston’s Bay Area. This flower shop turned coffee shop and art…
Just in Time For the Holidays, Alley Theatre Comes Home With A Christmas Carol
As Houston nears the winter holidays and life continues to slowly get back to the normal that existed before we were visited by Hurricane Harvey, it’s appropriate that one of the most lasting and welcomed traditions of the city will return: A Christmas Carol at the Alley Theatre. “From the…
Cougars Sunk By Green Wave, Lose 20-17 to Tulane
The Houston Cougars (6-4) lost a winnable game to the Tulane Green Wave (5-6) on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars trailed 13-3 at the half, thanks to turnovers and questionable play calling. They came back and scored two second half touchdowns, taking a 17-13 lead with just under seven minutes left…
NASA Scientist Held in Turkey Denied Bail Yet Again
At this point it’s not exactly a surprise that Serkan Golge, a 37-year-old physicist and U.S.-Turkish dual citizen who has been held in Turkey for more than a year on charges of his alleged involvement in the failed coup last year, was once again denied bail at his latest hearing…
The 6 Profile Pics That Hint You’re a Douchebag
I spend a lot of time on social media. I’m also on medication for alcoholism. Do you think the two are related? My therapist does. She also says writing articles like this are unhealthy. Oh well… One of the things you learn when tracking social media is your job is…
More DJs Are Spinning More Vinyl in Houston Bars and Clubs
Long gone are the days when we could turn on our radios and choose from a variety of stations with live DJs on the air. DJs that knew what they were spinning and took the time to craft their playlist and answer calls from the audience. Though Houston may only…
This Week in Houston Food Events: Turkey Day Eats and Black Friday Brunch
Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings: Thanksgiving Sweets Pies and Cakes at Three Brothers Bakery Three Brothers Bakery, 12393 Kingsride, 4036 South Braeswood, 4606 Washington, is offering its fan favorite pies this holiday season. Get pecan pie made with scratch-made pie crust and filled with a mound of southern pecans…
You Should Probably Bring Some Tissues to Wonder
It starts off as the portrait of a troubled child, but expands to become a film about community
Rhinoceros Thrillingly Sounds The Alarm Bell
Everything old is new again – Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel Meet the new boss, same as the old boss – The Who It was these quotes and songs that…
Roman J. Israel, Esq. Worries About the Right Things but Never Makes Them Thrilling
The drama is mostly interior, and Washington’s quiet performance tends to reveal the jittery surface rather than the tortured soul
Spoiler: Justice League Is Fleet and Fun, Even With the Emo Gloom
Action scenes start and stop and then start again, then go in different directions, and it was a few moments into The Big Climactic Face-Off before I realized we’d arrived at The Big Climactic Face-Off
Netflix’s Cuba and the Cameraman Charts 45 Years of Life Under Fidel Castro
Alpert checks in again and again with the same three families over 45 years of visits to the island, with sometimes heartbreaking results
Mr. Robot: Who Says the Revolution Has to Make Sense?
Despite, or probably because of, the density of its plot, Mr. Robot is almost more enjoyable if you don’t really know what’s going on
No, You’re the One Bawling at Pixar’s Death-Carnival Wonder Coco
Here’s a kiddo’s quest to define a self, in this case the descent of young Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) into a land of the dead inspired by Dia de los Muertos celebrations
The Man Who Invented Christmas Is Plummy Fun but Could Use the Real Dickens’ Outrage
Nalluri’s emphasis is on amateur theatrical performances, magic-lantern projections and comically competitive authors.
Soulful Sounds of Christmas Has Groove If Not Greatness
Confession – traditional holiday shows make me want to run, hide and not resurface until the New Year has begun. It’s not that I’m a Scrooge this time of year. I actually like all the fun, family, food and festivities the season brings. But as a critic, watching show after…
Can the Houston Astros Repeat as Champs in 2018?
The Houston Astros are the 2017 World Series champions. So what about 2018? To most fans, it is too early to think about next season. Especially now after the Astros have just won the team’s first ever title. But repeating is something that no MLB team has been able to…
Al Franken and How Consent in Performance Works
It came out recently that Senator Al Franken (D-MN) – a man I was honestly hoping would be Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential pick – had groped model and sports commentator Leeann Tweeden against her will on a USO tour, as well as forcibly kissing her. She broke the story herself…
NFL Football, Week 11: Cardinals-Texans — Four Things To Watch For
I believe it was the Counting Crows who lamented via song about a “long December,” and as we watch the Houston Texans’ 2017 season crumble into dust before our very eyes, you wonder if perhaps the Crows had a crystal ball and were writing about our hometown football team. (Admittedly,…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Justice League
Title: Justice League Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: Chief O’Hara: Faith and begorrah, Batman. How did’ja ever escape? Batman: Fortunately, I always carry my Carousel Reversal Spray. Brief Plot Synopsis: “I’m only a man in a funny red sheet I’m only a man looking for a dream” Rating Using Random Objects…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: The Gr8 Taco Challenge Returns
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: Astros Celebration at Biggio’s Sports Bar Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. 1777 Walker Biggio’s Sports Bar is excited to keep the ‘stros love alive. Astros legend Craig Biggio will be making the rounds throughout the restaurant to celebrate with fans from…
Rolling Stone’s Jann Wenner Gets the Bio He Deserves…But Doesn’t Want
Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine By Joe Hagan 560 pp. $29.95 Knopf Joe Hagan is one smart guy. The seasoned journalist was assuredly flattered when Rolling Stone magazine co-founder and guiding light Jann Wenner began courting him to write his biography. But…
Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan Sues Arkema
Not to pile it on, but Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan announced Thursday he had filed suit against beleaguered Arkema, Inc. now under a mountain of criticism for how it handled its Crosby plant operation during Hurricane Harvey flooding. “This was a very dangerous situation,” County Attorney Ryan said in…
Openings and Closings: EaDo Welcomes Nancy’s Hustle
Houston’s increasingly hip historic East End is about to get a new wine bar and bistro. Nancy’s Hustle, 2704 Polk, is set to open later this month. With reclaimed bowling lane counters and a vintage reel-to-reel tape deck playing blues and funk, partners Jason Vaughan and Sean Jensen hope to…
Real McCoys Earn Some Buzz With Their New Album, Barfly
Members of the Real McCoys discuss a couple of their favorite Houston barflies, those sotted and sometimes sordid characters who lurk in local drinkeries day and night. Without naming names, they share exploits of booze guzzlers who “never lose a battle against alcohol.” It’s a gritty subject, but one close…
WWE Resurrects WarGames This Weekend in Houston, Kinda
Beyond the towering classic that is Wrestlemania 17 and the one match wonder that was Wrestlemania 25, recent years have seen Houston play host to some interesting moments in WWE history. Back in 2013, John Cena battled Randy Orton in a WWE/World Heavyweight Championship unification match. In 2015, WWE Hall…
Jose Altuve Wins American League MVP In Landslide Over Yankees’ Judge
Of the Houston Astros’ core everyday players, by stature, both physical and baseball pedigree stature, diminutive second baseman Jose Altuve is the one player who wasn’t supposed to be here, thriving at the big league level. Outfielder George Springer was a first round pick who looks the part, shortstop Carlos…
Jacob Banks Brings His British Soul to the House of Blues This Week
Jacob Banks might have had a great career in politics were it not for his very promising career in music. The British singer-songwriter is thoughtful, candid and has been keenly observant of American life while touring to support his musical endeavors. His latest trek through the States includes a stop…
Harris County Medical Society Cites Meagan Flynn’s Work in Journalism Contest
Former staffer Meagan Flynn has received top honors in a journalism contest sponsored by the Harris County Medical Society for three articles she wrote in the past year for the Houston Press. Flynn won a first place Award of Excellence in the “Medical Economics Print, TV or Radio Story” category…
Saint Arnold is Offering Free Beer For Life
Labeling it “The perfect gift for the beer lover in your life,” Saint Arnold Brewing Company has announced it is offering limited memberships in its Saint Arnold Society with the chief perk being free beer for life. Of course to access that membership and open tap, someone has to either…
Time to Paint the Town Red, Plus Blue, Green and Everything In Between
Art pioneer GONZO247 has been busy assembling his dream team, and if you feel that electricity crackling in the air, it’s because street art luminaries like Pixel Pancho (Argentina), Pepe Gracmor (Mexico) and Ben Johnston (Canada) are jetting in to H-Town for the third annual HUE Mural Festival. “For us,…
Opponents of STORM Oyster Lease Deal Score Another Court Victory
For years private oyster leaseholders have been duking it out in court over whether one family had the right to lease and seize control over a massive tract of oyster reefs in Galveston Bay with Sustainable Texas Oyster Resource Management (STORM), a company created as a means to take control…
Whit Shines On Wait, What?
No matter what you think about the Houston music world, it’s always had bands who were eclectic. As far back as most can remember, there have always been bands from here who did things differently, while offering up a sound that was all their own. That’s what anyone who heard…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Taste Exotic Specials at Kata Robata
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: With the holiday season in full swing, The General Public, 797 Sorella, Suite 118, is serving up two of its specialty pies – the Whole Peanut Butter Pie ($27.95) and the Whole Butterscotch Pie ($24.95). The…
Stand-Up Erica Rhodes Charts Trail from Prairie Home to Bayou Stage
My manager asked me what my dream was? I said to be on SNL. He said: “Get a new dream.”
NFL Football, Week 11: This Weekend’s Best Bets
We are back on that “above .500” horse after a 4-2 week last weekend that could have easily been 5-1, if only Jacksonville defensive back Aaron Colvin could have controlled himself after A.J. Bouye’s interception in overtime against the Chargers. To set the scene, a game in which the Jags…
Six Things the Texans Can Do To Improve Andre Johnson’s Ring of Honor Induction
With the injury to Deshaun Watson and the resulting terrible football being played with Tom Savage under center, one of the more overblown storylines is how “nobody will be showing up at the Texans games for the rest of the season.” Never mind that every ticket is already sold, so…
Willie Nelson, Spry As Ever, Delights A Sold-Out Smart Financial Centre
Willie Nelson plays the hits, new singles at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land
DC’s Justice League and the Benefit of Tempered Expectations
Justice League hits theaters on Thursday. Early reviews don’t reveal a whole lot because, well, as of this writing on Tuesday afternoon, early reviews were embargoed. This isn’t exactly good news. After all, if Warner Bros. Pictures were satisfied with this franchise cornerstone, and felt critics were as well, one…
Pho 101 with Local Pho
A huge white root arcs off a metal tray filled with onions, ginger, a fat carrot, a tin of rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, and various herbs and spices: the building blocks for my semi-private lesson in pho-making. “This is daikon,” says Tom Pham, co-owner and executive chef, pointing to the root…
Droppin’ Seeds: The Best of The Week
This week we have plenty of entertainment options from touring acts and locals alike happening throughout our city. Performances from the likes of Tyler The Creator, Ice Cube, Japandroids and Deer Tick will all be here while locals like Scarface, Bayou City Funk, and India Tigers in Texas will all…
That Time A Texas Bar Owner Shoved Me Over an Amp Because He Didn’t Like My Music
Music-venue staff has threatened to pull the plug on me and have told me “not to bother” on playing a second set. That’s nothing. But in all of these years of playing shows, the owner of a bar-venue had never physically attacked me onstage during what was basically the sound…
Late Rock and Roll Pioneer Fats Domino Had a Big Life and Houston Connections
Fats Domino, the beloved icon and master pianist partly responsible for the nascency of Rock and Roll, was as great an ambassador for the music of New Orleans as Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet or Allen Toussaint. Domino’s 1949 hit “Fat Man,” recorded at legendary engineer Cosimo Matassa’s…
Review: A Midnight Clear: A Musical Tale of Christmas is Beautifully Sung
As if you haven’t realized it, just walk down the aisles of Walgreen’s or spy the house on Waugh that’s festooned in multicolored holiday lights, and you’ll know the season of Christmas is fast upon us. Next year, I swear, there will be no pumpkins on any front porch during…
The Helping Hand of Food Hall Operators in Houston
It was only a matter of time until the popular food hall trend would trickle down to Houston. Food trucks are drifting further away from the city and into the suburbs. But in the same way the food truck model helped springboard up-and-coming restaurateurs, so now do food halls, with…
The Holidays Get Hot With Ensemble Theatre’s Soulful Sounds of Christmas
The Ensemble Theatre will present Soulful Sounds of Christmas Nov. 16 through Dec. 30 at 3535 Main Street.
2017 College Football Playoff: Seven Teams That Control Their Own Destiny
Sometimes, college football Saturdays look better on paper than they wind up being in actuality, and this past Saturday certainly fits that description. Three match-ups between top ten teams had every college football fan salivating over the “de facto playoff elimination” implications and the likelihood of three instant classics. Well,…
Houston Press Singles Club: Waterparks, Flower Graves, Genesis Blu, etc.
For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been building a playlist of Houston acts that we feels represent this city so well while also releasing some of the strongest music to come out today. The Houston Press Singles Club is all about music discovery, but we encourage you to find…
Alice Blue Excels at Good Appetizers
I haven’t had brandade since I was a teenager in Paris—I remember having to double check that the sea of what looked like mashed potatoes served in an enormous casserole dish was my order. I’ve carried fond memories of that burbling dish since, and so I was delighted to see…
Are Voters Ready to Elect a Gay Judge to the Texas Supreme Court?
It was when the Texas Supreme Court justices reversed themselves on benefits to same-sex partners, that Harris County District Judge Steven Kirkland decided he’d had enough. Just the year before those exact same nine judges had upheld a ruling that the City of Houston could provide the benefits. But now,…
5 Ways to Get Your Art Fix This Week in Houston: Art Crawl and Ugly Sweaters
From ugly sweaters to multimedia concerts, and from nerd-tastic art to stunning jewels, there are plenty of opportunities for getting your art fix this week in Houston. One dip of a madeleine cookie into tea and French writer Marcel Proust was off to the races in a rush of memories…
Will the Real Taylor Swift Please Stand Up?
You will hear from many fans and critics that Taylor Swift’s latest soon-to-be-smash album, Reputation, is, relatively speaking, a failure. This isn’t entirely accurate. Yes, Reputation is probably Swift’s worst album, in that it feels somewhat cobbled together, as if Swift felt the time was right to make a new…
![Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is a Warm-hearted, if Predictable Story [UPDATED]](https://i0.wp.com/www.houstonpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/missbennet800.webp.webp?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is a Warm-hearted, if Predictable Story [UPDATED]
Calling all Janeites and acolytes of JASNA (the Jane Austen Society of North America, as if you didn’t know) or anyone who ever panted over the sight of tousled Colin Firth in a wet muslin shirt. There’s a new Jane in town, and Main Street’s got her. Miss Bennet: Christmas…
NFL Football, Week 10: Rams 33, Texans 7 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
Last week, the Texans started off slowly before coming on at the end of the game only to lose on the final play against the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 20-14. This week, the Texans got off to a nice start, even taking a second quarter lead against the…
Shana Falana Brings Her Psych-Pop To Houston
In the psych music genre, there are tons of sub-genres that echo throughout the scene. Typically, these are subsets of guitar pedal drenched sounds that remind any listener of how lush and beautiful music can be while taking them to a far and away place. For psych-pop veteran Shana Falana,…
Rice Fights, Never Dies, Yet Still Loses to Southern Miss
It was just another home game for the Rice Owls, playing before a sparse crowd and hosting a better squad. And just like with every other home game this season, the final result was a loss as the Owls lost 43-34 to Southern Miss to drop to 1-9 on the…
This Week in Houston Food Events: Wings, Pies and Holiday Tamales
Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings: Tuesday, November 14 Outdoor Cooking Series at Eight Row Eight Row Flint, 1039 Yale, continues its Outdoor Cooking Series with char-grilled chicken wings from Agricole sous chef Marcelo Garcia, plus pies by the slice from Fluff Bake Bar’s Rebecca Masson. The…
Where to Dine in Houston on Thanksgiving Day 2017
From family-friendly buffets and traditional turkey plates with all the fixin’s to extravagant holiday prix fixes and a few of spots that offer late-night snack packs, here’s where to dine in Houston this Thanksgiving: Note: Don’t forget to make reservations, as many of these spots will fill up. B&B Butchers…
The “Women Can’t Fight Men” Power Myth
I recently wrote a piece called “Teach Your Daughters to Hit People Who Touch Them.” You can read it if you like – and thanks for reading if you do – but really, the title says it all. Inappropriate touching is sexual assault, not enough people in authority take it…
Opera in the Heights Does Well By a Mozart Favorite: The Magic Flute
The last months of Mozart’s obscenely short life (he died December 5, 1791, in Vienna, age 35) were spent like every other month – writing music. Tireless and never at a loss for inspiration, he poured out composition after composition – the opera seria La clemenza di Tito, the Clarinet…
Guns N’ Roses Prove Rock Isn’t Dead Just Yet
Guns N’ Roses Toyota Center November 10, 2017 I saw something I never thought I’d see again on Friday night, along with something I never thought I’d see at all. Let’s start with the latter … By the time Guns N’ Roses’ commercial peak had come and gone, I was…
Netflix’s Engrossing Historic Ensemble Drama Mudbound Digs Deep Into Race Down South
The movie turns on a series of revelations about the characters, whose hushed, intimate narration — split between Laura, Jamie, Ronsel, Hap and Florence — reveals rich inner lives
Best Marvel comic of early ’00s is now an agonizingly slow Hulu series
This is the first time a Marvel TV show has stunned me: Why in the era of binge-able continued-narrative TV series would the producers kill dead their momentum
Zine Culture Is Having Its Moment Again in Houston
I first met Maria-Elisa Heg at the Anarchist book fair in Houston. It was in a sea of people who didn’t want their photos taken and many who didn’t even want to deal with someone from the press, but Heg was different. Heg, who’s well-known in the local arts community,…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Murder on the Orient Express
Title: Murder on the Orient Express Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: Sideshow Bob: The killer is out there. I would stake my entire fortune of cigarettes on it. Brief Plot Synopsis: A man is spiked on a train, so a famous detective interviews the passengers, attempting to gauge their responses…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Get Creamy, Dreamy Risotto
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: King’s Kolache Pop Up a King’s BierHaus Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon (or until sold out) 2044 East T.C. Jester Kolache lovers can head to the Heights hotspot for some early morning deliciousness. The bierhaus will serve bottomless mimosa and Bloody…
Lots of Changes Greet the Start of College Basketball in Houston
The Houston Cougars are playing in a different arena. The Rice Owls have a new coach and lots and lots of new players. For the TSU Tigers it’s essentially more of the same. And Friday night, the 2017-2018 college basketball season officially gets underway. The Houston Cougars are coming off…
Marilyn Manson Tries to Turn His Bad Month Around With a Gun
Most shock rockers move into the middle and late stages of their career gracefully. That sounds weird, but consider: *Alice Cooper became a golfer who still decapitates himself on stage and was awesome in Wayne’s World. *Gwar have become an institution, a band that you’re almost required to see if…
Openings and Closings: Welcome International Smoke, Goodbye Happy Fatz
Chef Michael Mina and cookbook author Ayesha Curry plan to open the third location of International Smoke at City Centre in early 2018, as reported here in the Houston Press. The menu highlights global flavors in bold and dynamic dishes. There are two other locations in Waikiki and San Francisco…
NFL Football, Week 10: Texans-Rams — Four Things To Watch For
In the world of professional wrestling, there is a category of performer that is somewhat degradingly referred to as “enhancement talent.” These are the nondescript guys you see on the weekend television shows that the big stars of the company generally squash in about three or four minutes. (They are…
Tiny Paintings and Golden Carpets Unveiled in MFAH’s “Bestowing Beauty”
From teeny tiny paintings with a royal pedigree to monumental carpets that shimmer with actual gold, the “Bestowing Beauty: Masterpieces from Persian Lands” exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston mines a super-secret (but not for long) private collection of Persian art. Aimée Froom, Ph. D., curator of the MFAH’s…
Louis C.K.’s Movie Leaned Ickily Into the Rumors That Have Finally Gone Public
Set in present-day New York, the film has a classic Hollywood texture and a classic Hollywood conceit: a brilliant old man paired with a beautiful young ingenue
Jay-Z’s ‘4:44 Tour’ Proves The GOAT Is Still The Greatest
The 4:44 Tour Jay-Z, Vic Mensa Toyota Center November 8, 2017 Expecting Jay-Z to be defiant, even at 47 is akin to asking a known superstar to go out and score 30 on a given night. It’s what Jay-Z does. It’s what he has done for the better part of…
Tonight’s Your Last Chance to See Glory Denied, the Opera About the Longest Held POW
It’s one of the most surreal experiences Houston audiences will ever have a chance to have. Painful, exhilarating, at times far too true for comfort, Glory Denied being performed at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum Hangar right by Hobby Airport is something that’s not like anything else. A large part…
The Jesus & Mary Chain Don’t Miss A Beat At White Oak Music Hall
In the midst of our latest cold snap, upon the grounds of White Oak Music Hall, those of us in attendance were there for one and one reason only; to catch a glimpse of Scotland’s The Jesus & Mary Chain. Here in support of their latest offering, this year’s Damage…
Houston Ballet Renames Its Jubilee of Dance After Major Donor
Houston Ballet has announced that its annual Jubilee of Dance has been permanently renamed after one of its biggest longtime benefactors: Margaret Alkek Williams. This year’s Jubilee will feature performances from Clear, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Carousel (A Dance), Marie, The Sleeping Beauty, Punctilious, Raymonda, The Ladies and Symphony in…
NFL Football, Week 10: This Weekend’s Best Bets
It’s been almost exactly a week since the horrific news of Deshaun Watson’s torn ACL came down, and I still don’t want to believe it’s happened. Each morning over the past week, I’ve woken up hoping that everything from Ian Rapoport’s tweet announcing Watson’s injury to Tom Savage’s soul crushing…
World Leaders Really Shouldn’t Have Personal Twitter Accounts
Depending on your echo chamber, for 11 minutes on November 2 the world was a beautiful place and nothing hurt as Donald Trump’s personal Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, went offline. Memes are still being spread about those 11 minutes of confusion and elation, when it seemed like the age of 100…
Vic Mensa Finds Fear To Be A Useless Emotion
Vic Mensa is having a tough time getting through Canada because of fingerprint issues. A week before he plays the undercard to another round of Jay-Z’s ‘4:44’ tour dates, the 24-year-old Mensa is sarcastically enjoying the rigors of re-entering the country after a few shows north of the border. “It’s…
Ten Things to Do in Houston for $10 or Less (Eight Free), November 9-15
Check out the Houston Press calendar for even more things to do.
Guns N’ Roses Crafted One Complicated Legacy
People can take many angles when assessing the legacy of Guns N’ Roses. Some choose to analyze the band’s ascent to the top of rock and roll’s mountain. Others dwell on their (relatively short) run atop said mountain. Many prefer to harp on the band’s much-publicized downfall because, well, people…
Yet Another Judge Rules That Montrose Property Owners Were Cheated Out of $6.6 Million
Management districts took yet another judicial blow last week. On October 31, state district Judge Daryl L. Moore ruled that the Montrose Management District (which was initially formed as the West and East Montrose management districts) violated Texas law and illegally assessed and collected approximately $6.6 million from business property…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Pair Bourbon with Churrasco
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: Texas de Brazil Churrascaria, 822 Town and Country, is hosting an in-depth look at bourbon at its upcoming Kentucky Bourbon Dinner on Wednesday, November 15 at 6:30 p.m. The multi-course dinner will pair notable whiskey brands…
If You’re on its Track, Murder on the Orient Express Is a Cozy Delight
Despite the bright cinematography, there’s something quaint and comforting about this film and its brand of old-fashioned storytelling …
Harris County DA Mails Out Another 7,700 Defendant Notices Related to Precinct 4 Evidence Debacle
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office mailed out 7,754 notices Wednesday informing defense attorneys that their former clients may have been affected by the 2016 Harris County Precinct 4 evidence debacle, concluding roughly a year of investigation to determine which specific cases were affected. That’s in addition to another 2,730…
Hey, Hollywood, How About Not Casting Mel Gibson in Cheery Family Comedies
Why is Mel Gibson in the holiday family comedy Daddy’s Home 2? When Gibson’s relentlessly bloody, morally incoherent 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge inexplicably became a critical darling, I watched in horror at the love and attention lavished on the director. In what world were we living where, when Gibson’s name…
Netflix’s Magnificent Alias Grace: Not Just of the Moment, but Urgently of All Time
Over six episodes crafted with the rich complexity of the novel, “celebrated murderess” Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), tells her own story, Scheherazade-style, to a doctor (Edward Holcroft) with the power to arrange for her pardon
Houston Voters Support Mayor Turner’s Pension Reform Plan
Not that many people turned out to vote Tuesday but the ones who did gave Mayor Sylvester Turner what he wanted: approval of his pension bond reform proposal which includes issuing $1 billion in bonds and a way for the city to climb its way back out of substantial debt…
Texans Continue QB Shuffle, Sign Free Agent Josh Johnson
As the injuries pile up and the Houston Texans’ 2017 season continues to slide into the abyss, one thing is abundantly certain — Tuesdays will not be boring around NRG Stadium. That’s the day each week that coaches and personnel people spend working out street free agents to see if…
Houston Eateries Offering Veterans Day Free Meals and Specials
From free wings and waffle fries to a three-course pork chop feast on the house, here are the Houston eateries offering Veterans Day specials this weekend. Saturday, November 11 Applebees Veterans and active military members can choose from one of seven free entrees — including Double Crunch Shrimp, Fiesta Lime…
Tiptoe Through the Decades With the 2017 Via Colori Street Painting Festival
Salvador Dalí had an eye for the surreal and you’ll find plenty of that — plus trompe l’oeil, celebrity portraits and a trip down memory lane — during Houston’s annual street painting festival. Now celebrating its 12th year (and with a new presenting sponsor to boot) Texas Children’s Hospital presents the…
Justin Verlander Made the Astros Houston Strong
August saps the will to live of every Houstonian. The unbearable heat and humidity make existence miserable. Yet the joy that is the Houston Astros winning the World Series would not be possible were it not for the month of August. It was in August that the ability of the…
Best Bites from the Houston Zoo’s Feast with the Beasts 2017
Just a few hours after a euphoric Astros parade through downtown Houston last Friday, more than 3,000 critter and food-loving fans headed to the Houston Zoo for the park’s popular culinary fundraiser, Feast with the Beasts. As in years past, this year’s 12th annual production gave attendees the chance to…
Pauly Shore Is Alive And Making Documentaries
“My family owns the Comedy Store on Sunset, my mom started that in 1972. My dad [Sammy Shore] is a comedian. And I’ve been doing that since, you know, I was 17. But I’ve been around it since I was born.”
Jay-Z’s 4:44 Proves First Impressions Don’t Always Hold Up
I always found the first spin through a new record akin to a first date. Sure, you may not know after one night of dinner, drinks and awkward get-to-know-you conversation if you’re going to spend the rest of your life with this person. But you damn sure now if you’re…
2017 College Football Playoff: Assessing the Contenders, Part 3
The first set of College Football Playoff rankings were released last Tuesday night, and if the results of the games this past weekend are any indicator, the shake up after one week will probably occur a tier or two below the four schools sitting at pole position for the playoff…
21 Best Things to Do in Houston This Week: The Nutcracker Market and Cinema Arts Festival
Check out the Houston Press calendar for even more things to do.
Forest Brook Middle School Students Are Making Up For Lost Time
At this point, Dequerion Sherrard has decided he just won’t look at the calendar. Calendars mean dates and dates mean tests and tests mean enough time to sit and stress about the questions but never enough to actually finish. Like a few weeks ago, as Dequerion, a 13 year old…
NFL Football, Week 9: Colts 20, Texans 14 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
There is an age old question around the NFL as to just how much a good quarterback is worth, and how or whether we can quantify it in terms of points in an NFL game. For example, you’ll hear “wise guys” in Vegas say that Aaron Rodgers of the Green…
This Week in Houston Food Events: A New Brunch and Iron Sommelier
Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings: New Special Brunch launch at HS Green HS Green, 5092 Richmond, is celebrating Houston’s love for brunch with its own grand brunch opening, offering a menu of healthy choices and guilty pleasures. Indulge your a.m. cravings with avocado eggs benny, bagel…
The Houston Women Behind the #FindYourSweat Holiday Challenge
A viral challenge where both men and women can reach potentials they never imagined.
Is Houston’s Shea Serrano An Internet Hero? A Thought Experiment
A happy ending for the Houston Press freelancer turned New York Times-bestselling author.
Long Spaceflights Squish the Brains of Astronauts, Study Finds
It’s been understood for a while now that spending time in space can damage the bodies of astronauts. Famed retired Astronaut Capt. Scott Kelly has noted in both his public appearances and in his recently published memoir, “Endurance: A Year in Space,” that he knew going into his final mission…
Ayesha Curry’s Restaurant International Smoke Will Open in Houston
International Smoke, a new restaurant from celebrity cookbook author, Food Network star and new face of CoverGirl, Ayesha Curry, in partnership with San Francisco-based chef Michael Mina of the massive MINA Group hospitality empire, will open at City Centre in 2018. The eatery will offer dishes with an emphasis on all…
Shows of the Week: Fall Out Boy Return to Help Lift Houston’s Spirits
The livest live music in the Bayou City for the first full week of November 2017.
With D’Eriq King At The Helm, Cougars Demolish ECU Pirates 52-27
D’Eriq King took the reins of the Houston Cougars (6-3) offense on Saturday morning and it was a beautiful thing to behold. The very first University of Houston drive was an 11-play, 75-yard drive mixing rush and pass and climaxing in a King TD rush. The Cougars led from that…
UH Production of Topdog/Underdog an Expressionistic Feat
The University of Houston presents Suzan-Lori Parks’s Topdog/Underdog, the story of two brothers weighed down by history and society.
The Sonic Life of a Tortoise Examines Our Lack Of Fulfillment
Can we all pause for a minute and give thanks that Horsehead Theatre Co. exists in Houston. While so many other companies in the city fill their programming with shows that fall into one or more of the following categories – well-known, classic, beloved, uplifting, genre-specific, acclaimed, traditional, new but…
The Presses Have Stopped, But the Press Lives On
Print is dead. Long live digital. Long live the Houston Press. In dot com form. As of today and going forward, there will be no more print copies of the Houston Press. We’ll be online-only at houstonpress.com, a business decision brought about by declining advertising revenues seen throughout the print…
VOICE MEDIA GROUP SHEDS LEGACY NEWSPRINT OPERATIONS IN HOUSTON AND LOS ANGELES
Voice Media Group announced today that the Houston Press ceased print publication with its November 2 edition, capping a 28-year run as one of the nation’s leading alternative weekly newspapers and concluding a wild ride as an irascible and irreverent part of Houston’s cultural fabric. Although the Press successfully steered…
Ringo Starr Plays Grand Marshal of His Friends’ Hit Parade
The forever Beatles drummer is a born entertainer.
Russian Trolls Behind Both Sides of Islamic Center Protest In Houston
Outside of the Islamic Da’wah Center in downtown Houston, two groups clashed over a newly installed Library of Islamic Knowledge this past May. Now it appears both groups — the protesters and the counter-protesters — were coaxed there by the same source. After Democrats from the House Intelligence Committee released…
Judge Questions HHA CEO’s Credibility for Trying to Evict Seniors
A judge in Harris County is questioning Houston Housing Authority CEO Tory Gunsolley’s credibility after Gunsolley issued eviction notices to nearly 200 seniors a month after Hurricane Harvey due to flood damage —instead of just making repairs. Roughly one month after Harvey flooded the basement and damaged the fire-control system…
Rick Perry Claims Fossil Fuels Can Prevent Sexual Assault in Africa
Energy Secretary Rick Perry has been reliable for saying and doing ridiculous things ever since he was just a first-term governor way back in 2000, but he really stepped in it on Thursday when he claimed that increasing the use of fossil fuels in Africa will reduce the number of…
Lamar Smith, the Anti-Climate Change-iest Congressman, Is Retiring in 2018
Representative Lamar Smith, the chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, says he will not seek re-election in 2018. Smith, a San Antonio Republican, has held his seat since 1987 and there had been rumors knocking around Congress for a while that he might opt to retire after…
Houston’s Historic Punk-Rock Women Heat Up the Stage Again
“This is the real countercultural narrative, especially in the time of marauding males,” says the organizer.
Deshaun Watson Out for Season With Torn ACL
In a season where the Houston Texans had already lost two of their three best defensive players (J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus), deep down, we still knew they could at least compete each week, something that was difficult to fathom a couple years ago during peak J.J. Watt days. We…
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Despite Missed Time After Harvey, HISD Cancels Friday Classes for Astros Parade [UPDATE]
With the Astros World Series championship parade slated for Friday, the Houston Independent School District has announced a district-wide closing of schools on Friday to allow students and staff to attend the celebration. “This is a memorable moment for our city and a time to celebrate, especially after the challenges…
Abbott Has Asked For $61 Billion in Harvey Aid, But Will Texas Get It?
It’s been more than two months since Hurricane Harvey plowed into the Texas Gulf Coast, unleashing trillions of gallons of water on Houston and other cities in its path, and while Congress kicked some money to Texas, Governor Greg Abbott flew to Washington D.C. this week to request an additional…
“51 Inches of Rain and a 5-1 Win”: Officials Celebrate Astros, Unveil Parade Details
The Astros are coming home as world champs. And the City of Houston will be welcoming them as such while they parade the Commissioners Trophy all across downtown. The parade will start at 2 p.m. Friday at Smith and Lamar streets, and then zigzag through the city. The ‘Stros will…
How I Survived Decades of Houston Heartbreaks for the Euphoria of These Astros
As the remote control hit the floor, pieces went flying in multiple directions. It was early 1994 and the Rockets had blown another lead in some meaningless late-season game. Despite being one of the best teams in the NBA that year, the frustration of this long-suffering Houston sports fan mounted…
A Setback for Los Skarnales Won’t Stop the Party
“These thieves took our stuff, but they can never break our spirit!”
