Joe Paterno Will Retire at Season’s End — Not Good Enough
“The worst people. The twisted and demented psychos who kill people for pleasure, the cannibals, the degenerate bastards that molest and torture little kids.” — Tony Soprano, in response to the question “Who deserves to go to hell?” Exactly, Tony. People like Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky, the retired Penn State defensive…
Comment of the Day: AY, Mami!
Here on Eating Our Words, the commenters absolutely make the blog, and our Comment of the Day honors the best of the bunch. Every day, we read you guys and pick the commenter, or commenters, who made us laugh, cry, salivate over something delicious, or think about things in a…
HPMA Preview: Get This Party Started Edition
Music is primal. Sure, it can be intellectual, make you think and even change perspectives. But, at it’s heart, music is about making you want to shake what your momma gave you. After all, rock and roll was just a euphemism for sex. Let’s face it, where there’s music, there…
David Cruz: Gets in Accident & Flees, Grabbing the Beers But Leaving Passenger to Die
David Cruz, 20, definitely has priorities. He just doesn’t have very good ones. According to court documents, Cruz was driving three other men around after midnight on Halloween when he got in an accident. The three passengers were hurt, one severely. Cruz drove on for two miles until he got…
Who Should Replace Eddie Murphy As Host of the 2012 Oscars?
Today, in the wake of producer Brett Ratner stepping down from helming the 2012 Academy Awards telecast, host Eddie Murphy also exited the production, leaving two gaping holes in the February 26, 2012 event. As of this writing, no substitutes have been named. Ratner made a remark last week that…
Limited Edition Nestle Oatmeal Scotchies
Between October and December it’s rare to find a “limited edition” food product that doesn’t have something to do with the impending holidays. That’s exactly why I gravitated toward the new “Oatmeal Scotchies” break-and-bake cookies from Nestle. Their cultural uniqueness. Oh, who the hell am I kidding? I’m a sucker…
2011 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase
As it has always done since its inception in 1989, the Houston Press Music Awards offers the most bang for your local music dollar anywhere. Where else are you gonna see pop-rockers like Otenki alongside verified blues legends like Texas Johnny Brown and Little Joe Washington? Staples like DRUM and…
Marcus Manchild Loves Scottsdale
Houston rapper Marcus Manchild and his label partners at AMG (Authentik Music Group), George, Chad and Nate, are currently traveling the country as part of the Smoker’s Club Tour, headlined by Method Man, Curren$y and Big K.R.I.T. The Smoker’s Club tour comes to Warehouse Live November 11, and Marcus agreed…
Luis’ Migas at My Fit Foods
A few months ago, I received a coupon for a free entree from My Fit Foods in a road race swag bag. I resisted redeeming it for a while, because I wasn’t really interested in any of their menu options. But one morning after a longish run, I had an…
Gurjeet Singh: Sets Self on Fire While on Run from Law
A 29-year-old charged last month in Harris County with the aggravated assault of a family member was taken to a San Antonio burn unit yesterday after he apparently stripped nude, doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire. Police in the Central Texas town of Rockdale say Gurjeet Singh…
Trace Aerosol Warfare’s History at the “ARTifacts” Exhibition
Most fans know GONZO247 as a street artist and activist/organizer/curator/teacher. They may not know that GONZO247 is also a pack rat. A co-founder of Aerosol Warfare, an artist collective and gallery, he’s kept artwork and memorabilia from each of the gallery’s shows. “All these years I’ve kept bits and pieces…
West Eggs: A Weekend of Breakfasts on Eldridge
As discussed in this week’s two-fer cafe review of Pecan Creek Grille and Chatter’s, it wasn’t too long ago that you’d be hard-pressed to find a decent, non-chain breakfast on the west side of town. Growing up over there, our best bet for Sunday mornings after church was the Le…
Drinking With Drinkify: Website Concocts Cocktails For You Based On Your Musical Tastes
The website Drinkify combines your musical tastes with your booze tastes, with sometimes hilarious and dangerous results. The site does what we have been doing since we first took our first sip of the hard stuff, and that’s finding the right music for your liver-killing. Though, if you followed the…
Michelle DeJean Drops the Bad Girl Roles for White Christmas
Michelle DeJean has made “a very successful career of playing bad women,” she says (Roxie Hart in Chicago, for one) both on and off Broadway. “So it’s going to be very nice to play someone who I can see some of myself in.” Playing the part of Betty Haynes (think…
New Braunfels Voters Ban Beer Cans for Tubers
New Braunfels’s new law banning beer cans for people tubing on the Guadalupe and Comal was upheld by voters yesterday. About 58 percent of the voters voted in favor of the ban, a convincing victory in a huge turnout. The new law was triggered by this year’s drought, which killed…
Best Thing I Ever Ate: Comfort Food
Whether you’re sad, sick, tired or lonely, sometimes you just need a little bit of comfort in your life. Productive people go for a run, others head to the nearest mall for a shoe fix, and some, they wallow in a hot piping bowl of (insert favorite comfort food here)…
Rap Boom Reload: Thanks and So Forth
Every time somebody writes a cover story, there’s an accompanying blog post that goes with it, giving some sort of back story or little anecdote or whatever. That’s what this is. This week, there will be, including the sidebar, a 4,000-word story in the paper tying what happened with Houston…
Police Arrest Occupy Houston Participants (With Video)
Occupy Houston and the Houston Police Department have confirmed that a number of arrests took place last night at Tranquility Park during an Occupy Houston protest, though the number remains in question. According to Occupy Houston, ten protesters were detained by HPD officers at approximately 11 p.m. last night as…
A Chat with Tequila Master Francisco Alcaraz
By the time the Eagles released “Tequila Sunrise,” the first single from their second album Desperado in 1973, tequila — the distillate made from blue agave cultivated in Jalisco, Mexico — had already entered into the American cocktail vernacular. The recipe for the tequila sunrise is believed to have been developed…
Free for All: Art Without a Price Tag
The exhibit “Homelands: Classic Texas Paintings by Jack Erwin, Eugene Thurston and Noe Perez” opens on Friday with a large number of images of the Lone Star State. Erwin’s work shows small towns in North Texas during the 1970s. Erwin, who is also an architect, captured scenes common in rural…
HPMA Preview: Nobody Leaves Without Singing The Blues Edition
In the movie Adventures in Babysitting, Houston native bluesman Albert Collins inadvertently assists the getaway of young Elizabeth Shue (meow) and her charges from a gang of thugs, but only after she sings. Collins blocks the attackers with the same retort he gave Shue’s character before she sang an off-key…
5 TV Chefs We’d Rather See Naked Than Anthony Bourdain (and 5 We Wouldn’t)
A nude photo of Anthony Bourdain surfaced yesterday, in case you hadn’t heard (especially since the man himself Tweeted the pic). It was taken 12 years prior while on vacation, and Bourdain can be seen swimming naked along with his sous chef at the time. To quote Bourdain on the…
Mike Laster, Manuel Rodriguez Jr.: One Gay Elected, One Anti-Gay Bigot Re-Elected
There weren’t a ton of surprises in last night’s elections; Annise Parker’s barely escaping a runoff is likely getting the most notice, as it probably sets up a well-financed challenge in 2013. But there were some other things. Houston elected another openly gay person, as newly created District J was…
ERRRRRR: Get Ready to Get Emergency Broadcasted On, Y’All
A nationwide test of Emergency Alert System is set for today at 1 p.m. Houston time, when a half-minute message will air on all television and radio stations. The purpose is to test out the preparedness of the system to break into radio and TV channels to give instructions and…
Last Night: Five Finger Death Punch, Hateebreed, All That Remains at House of Blues
Confidence in our domestic brand of capitalism may be approaching new lows these days, but Five Finger Death Punch rolled into the House of Blues on Tuesday night riding high on the American dream. The L.A. headbangers’ new album, American Capitalist, debuted at number three on the charts last month…
Top 5 Houston Restaurants With Gluten-Free Options
Before you roll your eyes at this post title and think, “God, I’m so ready for that trend to be over,” (as I admittedly have done on previous occasions), consider that gluten-free dining is not just a casual lifestyle for many Americans. One in three 133 (apologies! -ed) Americans suffers…
Get Lit: Everything is an Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson by Kevin Avery
Everything is an Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson by Kevin Avery 584 pp., $29.99, Fantagraphics Books It was a scene like out of the hardboiled detective novels that Paul Nelson loved so much when police broke into his New York apartment in 2006. What they found was…
When McDonald’s Kept Us Thin
I recently found myself on the quiet side of the glass partition from the McDonald’s Playland at the new Ella location, in what I like to call the Old-Timers section, the place in just about every small-town McDonald’s where retirees congregate. Oak Forest is like a small town, just outside…
Newspapers: Hard Copy and Social Media
To say that the death of newspapers started with social media would be a false reading of not-so-ancient history. (Art Attack herself has seen this up close and personal, having previously worked for the daily in Houston that died, the daily in Dallas that died and the two paper daily…
Top 10 Vintage Things We Miss About Football
Tear-away jerseys, the XFL and concussion-causing headhunters aren’t things we miss about football. We pine for these ten items. 10. Uniforms That Don’t Suck This mostly applies to college football, where repeat offenders Oregon were joined by Georgia, Ohio State, Maryland and Syracuse (pictured) in wearing dumb stuff…
Comment of the Day: We Are Really Sick
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Master Pancake Theater: Hearthrob Ryan Gosling Ripe for a Mocking
Actor Ryan Gosling has been having a field day lately, fresh after starring in one of the best action movies of 2011, Drive. Since then he’s become a hero to feminists and hipsters everywhere, even causing the entire city of Austin to nearly melt down in his presence at Fun…
5 Food Celebrities We’d Rather See Naked Than Anthony Bourdain (and 5 We Wouldn’t)
In case you hadn’t heard — especially since the man himself Tweeted the pic — a nude photo of Anthony Bourdain surfaced yesterday, taken 12 years prior while on vacation. To quote Bourdain on the photo’s origin, “My wife took ’em. Fuck it. Welcome to the Caribbean.” It’s not the…
The Eight Most Beautiful Churches in Houston
Last month we gave you our list of the six ugliest (and rich) churches in Houston, monstrosities foisted upon us by well-to-do congregations. Today it’s time to walk on the sunny side of the street, and present the eight most beautiful churches in town, with photos by Rachel Bohanan. 8…
You’re a Naughty One, Saucy Jack: A Playlist for Jack the Ripper
Today marks the last known murder by the infamous Jack the Ripper, that of a prostitute named Mary Jane Kelly the Ripper brutally mutilated in 1888. What happened to Jack after the death of Kelly has never been discovered, whether he died, emigrated out of England, or was imprisoned on…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
TEDx Houston: How do you create a food culture? That’s the question asked by Houston’s own Justin Yu in this TEDx talk from June 2011. Yu emphasizes the importance of staging — working for free in a kitchen in order to learn new skills, techniques and cuisines — and bringing…
Zelda: 6 Legendary Video Game Trailers and 2 Hilarious Parodies
It’s official! Nintendo of America will be sending your humble narrator a copy of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for review, and you won’t be hearing from us for quite a while once that happens because we plan to hole up with some water and beef jerky until Hyrule is…
The 10 Most Unintentionally Hilarious Business Names in Houston
Legend has it that back in that glorious half-season when Randy Johnson was mowing ’em down for the red-hot Astros, Drayton McLane thought up what he believed was a brilliant way to part Astros fans from still more money had one of his famous food-service brainstorms. He wanted to unsheath…
Comment of the Day: The Felix Sushi Roll
Here on Eating Our Words, the commenters absolutely make the blog, and our Comment of the Day honors the best of the bunch. Every day, we read you guys and pick the commenter, or commenters, who made us laugh, cry, salivate over something delicious, or think about things in a…
HPMA Preview: Seven Nominated Bands Perfect For Ear Fatigue
Oh, yes, it is that time again, time for the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase You can almost smell it…well, hopefully not. This week we will be profiling the bands who will be performing at this Saturday’s HPMA showcase at venues all over downtown and the Warehouse Live area, with…
RIP Heavy D: Why Are The ’90s Slowly Dying On Us?
Word just came from TMZ on Twitter – yeah, yeah – that hip-hopper Heavy D has passed away at the age of 44. The artist, born Dwight Arrington Myers, was the leader of Heavy D & The Boyz, best known for cuts like “Chunky But Funky” and “Now That We…
James Adcock, Child Rapist, Keeps Bluetooth on During Arrest
James Adcock of Vidor was one of six Texas sex offenders arrested for committing parole violations on Halloween night. Because if a registered sex offender violates his parole on Halloween night, it’s probably not for a good reason. Adcock, 25, is from Vidor and was convicted of raping a 13-year-old…
Misty Mountain Blog: Led Zeppelin IV Turns Forty
Today one of the greatest rock albums of all-time, Led Zeppelin IV, turns 40 years old, and it’s still a vital, nasty, stanky, and heavy LP. Released on November 8, 1971, it cemented the Zeppelin legacy with cuts like, well, the whole damned thing. It’s all good, and no doubt…
HPMA Preview: Seven Nominated Bands That Will Melt Your Face Clean Off
You feel that, Houston? No, it’s not just that cold front coming through that is currently dropping much needed rain on our city, it’s the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase ramping up to rock your bodies. Cheesy, we know, but we have a window seat at the office and all…
Fernet French Toast
So John Kiely beat me to the weird-French-Toast punch with his piece on French Toasted Tortillas, simultaneously making me shake my fist a la Jerry Seinfeld, muttering his name under my breath, and creating what is probably an unhealthy fixation on the idea of French Toast Enchiladas. I’m a life-long…
Rick Perry Makes Blow Job/Glory Hole Reference
Apparently thinking the GOP presidential primary needed a sexual element beyond Herman Cain’s alleged history, Rick Santorum’s googleness and Newt Gingrich’s sequential wives, Rick Perry has added his little bit. Which consisted of referencing glory-hole blow jobs. In a radio interview with Bill O’Reilly, Perry said of the current Cain…
Ask A Rapper: Scooby on Officially Being a Solo Artist (But Also Still Part of a Group)
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good – so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to…
Carrots: The Good and the Bad
The unique challenge to carrot-growing in Houston is simply a question of depth. A productive local garden can be made with a mere four or five inches of raised-bed soil, but carrots grow to be much longer, or should I say, deeper than that. A few inches underneath the garden…
Psophonia Dance Company: New Pulse
Rehearsal footage from Psophonia Dance Company’s upcoming New Pulse. Psophonia Dance Company Co-Artistic Directors Sonia Noriega and Sophia L. Torres handed choreography duties over to several past and current company members for the group’s upcoming performance, New Pulse. All but one of the pieces are new to Houston audiences. Company…
Career Counseling Scammers Still at It
Six years ago, we wrote about a group of vultures purporting to sell “career counseling” to mostly upper-level folks who were either unemployed or looking for a career change. It was, in a word, bullshit. Called “TCM” at the time of the story, it was a franchise of the troubled…
Jandek Set To Kick Out The Funk Jams (Maybe) At The Menil On December 17
The Houston-based, heavily-adored, and altogether elusive Jandek will be performing at the Menil on December 17. Jandek’s last show in here town, at Rudyard’s on April 5, 2009, was by all accounts and visual documents, a straight-up funk throw down, complete with bass, drum, and guitar freakouts that astounded the…
Tuesday November 8, 2011 Deals of the Day
Today’s VOICE Daily Deal from the Houston Press is good for 52 percent off ($12 for $25) casual American dining at Sandtrap Grill overlooking Heron Lakes Golf Course. They offer a menu for everyone, from Houston’s best burgers to the chef’s house special, Baja Fish Tacos. Enjoy beautiful views of…
Upcoming: Radiohead, In Flames, Man Or Astro-Man?, Wu-Tang Clan, Robert Ellis
“94.5 Buzzfestivus” With Chevelle: Tue., Dec. 6. Verizon Wireless Theater. Defending the Kingdom, The Linus Pauling Quartet, Dead Mineral: Sat., Dec. 3. Rudyard’s. Designer Drugs: Fri., Dec. 16. Antique Bar. Emilie Autumn: Sat., Feb. 11. Warehouse Live. Hymn For Her: Fri., Nov. 25. Jet Lounge. In Flames, Trivium, Veil of…
We Might Finally Have to Start Playing Grand Theft Auto
Sure, like most people we were pretty impressed when the first Grand Theft Auto came out. It was something new, something exciting and pretty damn original. However, we’d be lying if we told you we played more than a quarter into the game, and we’ve never bothered to pick up…
Veronica Salmeron: HPD Cop Breaks Up with HPD Cop, Gets Tased
Bad Cop Break-Ups, Part II: Earlier today we told you about a bad break-up between Galena Park cops. This one concerns HPD. It doesn’t involve nude pictures, but it does involve a cop getting tased. KPRC reports that Houston cop Veronica Salmeron, 25, has been charged with criminal mischief after…
Trader Joes Confirms The Woodlands as First Houston-Area Location
Sorry, Inner Loopers. Consider your bubble burst. Trader Joe’s confirmed this morning that its first Houston-area grocery store will be located at the Woodlands Crossing Shopping Center in… The Woodlands. This news runs contrary to earlier speculation that the California-based grocery chain had set its sights on redeveloping the old…
Last Night: Peter Murphy At House Of Blues
Aftermath first became familiar with Peter Murphy long after his musical heyday. By the time we began listening to him, Bauhaus had already disbanded, and it was only by chance that we came across his music. While looking up Nine Inch Nails videos on YouTube, we happened upon a recording…
Get Lit for the Holidays at Book Signings This Week
It’s definitely too early to start putting up Christmas decorations, but it’s not too early to start stocking up on presents for the holidays. And although this may just be me, a signed book is always a fantastic gift to open up on Christmas Day or after singing Ma’oz Tzur…
Stephen Colbert Has State Rep Larry Taylor’s Back
The Colbert ReportGet More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video ArchiveState Rep Larry Taylor of League City may have thought his whole “Jew them down” crisis had passed over. But last night, it went national. The Colbert Report tackled the subject. Stephen Colbert suggested better phrases for a…
30 Seconds With Chuck Ragan
Chuck Ragan made waves in the punk scene as part of Hot Water Music, but now he’s turned the fire into folk perfection that burns no less fiercely. We bro fisted briefly with Ragan and pestered him just long enough to find out what we could about him in 30…
When Thanksgiving is Scarier than Halloween: Two Resources for the Calorie Conscious
Thanksgiving. Just thinking about it makes the button on my pants give way. I am a weak woman when it comes to a good feast, and I will eat until I am downright uncomfortable–and then maybe throw in a piece of pie. Unfortunately, that strategy has led to some painful…
Conductor Michael Hofstetter Is Caught Up in Fidelio’s Story and Music
The most difficult thing in Fidelio “is that there is this tendency to be loud from the first to the last note. You have to really work on the fine and subtle moments,” German conductor Michael Hofstetter told Art Attack. He does that, he said, while trying “to bring out…
DVDs & Blu-rays: The Cinephile Edition — Blue Velvet and Vintage Alfred Hitchcock
Blue Velvet stars Dennis Hopper, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan; David Lynch directs. The Setup: It’s been 25 years since David Lynch’s tale of sadism and evil, Blue Velvet, hit the big screen. It was a scandalous bit of great filmmaking then; it’s an only slightly less scandalous…
Police Officer Corrie Long: Her Nude Pictures Lead to EEOC Complaint
As shocking as it might be to believe, a woman sending nude pictures of herself to a boyfriend led to some complications. For the Galena Park police force, it’s led to an embarrassing discrimination suit, somehow. GPPD officer Corrie Long was going out with fellow cop Terry Pena, KPRC reports…
Rap Round Table: Who is Currently the Best Producer in Rap?
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week’s Panel: Slim Thug, Mug, Yung Redd, Delo, Preemo, Chane, Brad Gilmore, Herney the Great, Mic Skills, more.This Week’s Panel: Z-Ro, Preemo, Fat Tony, Tha…
Night After Monsters: Winner and Craft Beer Labels Announced
We had 29 entries for last week’s Night After Monsters contest, in which we asked our readers to identify 15 craft beer labels which had been edited to remove all identifying text. And of those 29 entries, an impressive 19 got all 15 correct. Houston, you know your craft beer…
John Alexander’s Lush Lilies and Angry Birds Go Up at McClain Gallery
John Alexander has come full circle. The Beaumont native started his career in landscapes, making painterly paintings inspired by his Texas environs — the flora and fauna of the marshlands of the bayou and the Gulf Coast. After following that up with a series of paintings of grotesque animals, and…
The Funky Chicken: Good Stuff in the Mailbox
Once again our mailbox has filled to overflowing with CDs (and zip files). The desk looks like a Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown of jewel cases, and the entire room is littered with (largely unread) piles of hype-and-tout. And while much of what comes over the transom is less than…
Ingredient of the Week: Lamb Chops
Have you ever noticed how so many of the dinner plates in cartoons look the same? The family sits down to supper, and each place setting has a round, white plate containing a cut of meat and two sides. The sides are usually white or orange or green, representing mashed…
Comment of the Day: Nah, That HISD Board Member’s Flyer Wasn’t Anti-Gay
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Five Works Artists Should Never Ever Copycat
In the studio working on an exact replica of a famed abstract painting? Stop. Thinking about displaying a readymade for irony’s sake? Don’t…
Pop Rocks: Here’s Some Gay Sex to Prepare You for Tonight’s Glee (NSFW)
A Very Special Episode of the oft-vilified television variety show Glee airs tonight. Titled “The First Time,” it promises to be quite the, uh, humdinger: Television watchdog groups have not been kind to Glee in the past, often taking aim at the show and its stars. So as the show…
Pop Rocks: So You Won’t Be Shocked By Tonight’s Glee, Here’s Some Gay Sex (NSFW)
A Very Special Episode of the oft-vilified television variety show Glee airs tonight. Titled “The First Time,” it promises to be quite the, uh, humdinger: Television watchdog groups have not been kind to Glee in the past, often taking aim at the show and its stars. So as the show…
Noel Sosa-Ruiz: Bizarre End for Man Who Killed His Kids’ Mother at Her Office
Photo by HPDNoel Sosa-Ruiz: Tries to escape to CubaThe death of 29-year-old Yodani Cruz-Rojas was odd enough — the father of her children walked into the suburban dentist’s office where she worked and killed her in a hail of gunfire — but now there’s an odd finale. The suspected killer,…
“Get Thru This”: Art of Dying is the Art of Living
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. Fun fact, Rocks Off is always sort of thinking about killing ourselves. Part of it is the music we listen to, part of it…
It’s Toy Buying Season: What to Buy your Kids This Holiday
Is it Christmas time already? Not really, considering it just became November. Try telling that to the toy retailers who have been holding multiple pre-black Friday, cyber-Tuesday, Christmas in July sales since, well, July. Last week we received our “Hot Toy” preview email from Amazon and yesterday’s snailbox produced Target’s…
Where Are We Drinking?
You only need to see the faintest bit of a neon sign and a hint of a mural to guess this infamous watering hole. This week’s Where Are We Drinking should be like shooting fish in a barrel. Think you know where we’re drinking? Leave your best guess in the…
It’s Election Day!! Go Out & Vote!!
You probably don’t realize it, but today is election day. Mayor Annise Parker is running for another term, there’s a crowded and interesting race to represent the new Montrose-Heights council district, and an HISD board member is trying to keep his job via anti-gay mailings. Not to mention a whole…
Texans/Browns — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
The Texans beat the Browns soundly yesterday by a score of 30-12, and for the first time in the history of the franchise, your hometown team is three games over .500. The Texans have never tasted this rarefied air before, so I don’t really know what to do. Do we…
Saturday Afternoon: Girl in a Coma at Cactus Records
Girl in a Coma graced Houston with their presence for the second time in a week Saturday afternoon. The San Antonio trio officially introduced Exits & All the Rest to Houston fans Saturday at Cactus Music to kick off the Rocks Off in-store concert series. Their CD, released Tuesday on…
Once Upon a Time: Swordplay, Happy Endings, and Meh
Once Upon a Time continues to underwhelm us, and if the next episode doesn’t do something drastic then next Monday will be our final thoughts on this experiment. We’re skipping Pan-Am (Which is amazing) and the Walking Dead (Which we haven’t even had the time to touch on our DVR…
Saving the Arches: Uchi’s Daryl Kunik on Renovating the Old Felix Restaurant
Uchi, the new sushi restaurant opening soon at Westheimer and Montrose, is finally taking shape. The famous arched windows of its predecessor — the much beloved Felix Mexican Restaurant — have been recreated and installed. The drywall is up. The lighting is being wired. And the Austin import is hiring…
Conrad Murray Damages Reputation of Medical Care in Acres Homes
If there’s one thing Acres Homes is known for, it’s quality medical care, but somehow Doctor Conrad Murray has managed to stain that illustrious reputation. A California jury found Murray guilty today of involuntary manslaughter in the case of Michael Jackson, who was an entertainer, at least until Murray started…
Video: Running Like A Girl at the Stiletto Stampede
Check out our pics from the first-ever Houston Stiletto Stampede for the Cure. It wasn’t your typical fundraising race. Both men and women donned sky-high heels this weekend for Breast Cancer Awareness by competing in a series of races at CityCentre benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation…
Saturday Night: Davila 666 at Mango’s
We were initially pretty thrown off by the lineup for the Davila 666 show at Mango’s on Saturday night. It was mixed bag of indie pop openers and rock ‘n roll headliners. We’re all about diversity, but there wasn’t anything distinctive about Kingwood indie rockers New York City Queens. It’s…
In Fashion: Eight Must-Reads In Style
After a hectic month we finally got to flop down on the couch with a glass of wine and a stack of fashion glossies from November, and the new issues for December. There are so many yummy articles, features, and slideshows we had to share a few with you. Whether…
Celtic Gardens: Midtown Goes Irish, Sort Of
There are certain things you claim to regret having one more of without meaning it – drinks, usually, but we wouldn’t fault you for anything more physically or emotionally damaging. You’ll keep getting that extra serving, though, because moderately bad decisions can lead to decent stories, or at least give…
Unidentified Male Passenger of DWI Driver, Bayou Body Count No. 173
Houston police have charged man with intoxication manslaughter after the death of his passenger in a crash early Saturday morning. Franklin P. Canales, 50, faces the charge. The victim’s name was not released pending notification of family members. Police say Canales was driving a Toyota in the 7200 block of…
Fun Fun Fun Fest: The Dust-Covered Aftermath Featuring The Damned, Spoon, Tinariwen, And Slayer
This year Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest moved away from Waterloo Park, the festival’s stomping grounds since it began in 2006, and into the large expanse of Auditorium Shores right off Lady Bird Lake. It was a major step for the festival, which keeps growing by leaps and bounds year…
Once on this Island at Applause Theatre Well-Acted by a Young Cast
The set-up: Young children and early teenagers re-tell a Caribbean story of class warfare, with enticing results. The execution: Applause Theatre is one of Houston’s several theatrical gems tucked away in unimposing malls, this one recessed steeply behind a huge car wash. Inside an unpretentious building is a small, comfortable…
What’s Cooking This Week?
Another week, another menu. Last week, I enjoyed a delicious cream of tomato soup and an equally awesome fried egg BLT. I enjoyed them so much, actually, that I’m putting another soup and grilled sandwich in the plans for this week. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Here’s what…
Derrick Tyrone Williams, 40, Bayou Body Count No. 172
An argument turned deadly in a northwest-side apartment complex Saturday afternoon, Houston police say. Derrick Tyrone Williams, 40, got into an altercation with another man about 3:30 p.m. in the complex’s courtyard in the 4200 block of West 34th Street. “The suspect went into his apartment, retrieved a gun, and…
Awesomeness and Hearing Loss at the 2011 Texas BigBeat
In the Cameron Crowe-directed documentary Pearl Jam Twenty, lead singer Eddie Vedder discusses the detrimental impact of the band’s Spinal Tap-like replacement of drummers, equating each change to an organ transplant and saying, “When you remove the drummer it’s like removing the heart.” And when a five or six dozen…
Speed-the-Plow at Country Playhouse: a Withering Takedown of Hollywood Insiders
The set-up: David Mamet’s 1988 withering, perverse dissection of Hollywood insiders achieves a caustic, take-no-prisoners production at Country Playhouse. The execution: On his first day as head of production at a nameless studio, Bobby Gould (Trevor B. Cone) greenlights an inane blockbuster that’s brought to him by long-time partner and…
Wine of the Week: A “No Sulfites Added” Texas Wine
There’s good news and there’s bad news. First, the bad news. In the wake of last Friday’s “myth-debunking” post on sulfites in wine, I scoured the internets in search of “NSA” (“no sulfite added”) wine available for sale in Houston but sadly didn’t come up with much: Beyond the Frey…
Craig Seldin: Attorney Jailed After Temp Tapes Him Jacking Off
One evening in the summer of last year, “Simone” was washing the dishes in her Memorial-area condo. When she glanced up, she was presented with a shocking sight: a man, one she’d often seen walking past her unit on his way to the pool, was standing on the other side…
Saturday Night: Taylor Swift At Minute Maid Park
See pics of Taylor Swift taking over The Juice Box in our slideshow. It’s perhaps unfair to say Taylor Swift has “snuck up” on us, considering she’s sold over 20 million albums and was featured on just about every one of last year’s “top entertainer” lists. But that’s what happens…
Cumin Take It: The 5th Annual No Holds Barred Chili Cook-off at Shady Tavern
Now in its fifth year, the annual No Holds Barred Chili Cook-off at Shady Tavern has become a neighborhood institution in the Heights. This year — appropriately enough — the competition benefited the Houston Heights Association. The HHA itself also won Fan Favorite, which came with a cash prize as…
Dana Dark Debuts Disturbing Halloween Short, More to Come
When Rocks Off sat down to review Liisa Ladouceur’s Encyclopedia Gothica the first thing we did was flip through it to see if any of Houston’s own had made it in. The answer was unfortunately no, and to us the most glaring omission was that of model and musician Dana…
Shaun Ruff: Goes to Hug Suicidal Friend, Gets Accidentally Shot
Talk about no good deed going unpunished: Shaun Ruff was with a friend in a Galveston Island rental home this weekend, attending the Lone Star Rally. The friend was in bad shape, the Galveston County Daily News reports: He was in the middle of a divorce and was distraught about…
Fun Fun Fun Fest: Houston Shines And Scares In Austin With Fat Tony And B L A C K I E
In a weekend that was fraught with Danzig’s sad faded rocker antics and dust dust dust, two Houston artists brought their “A” games to Fun Fun Fun Fest’s inaugural Auditorium Shores appearance in Austin. B L A C K I E and Fat Tony, two wildly different kinds of rappers,…
Avant-Garde Czech Erotica and More in “New Formations” From the Roy and Mary Cullen Collection
Avant-garde Czech erotica, anyone? “New Formations,” an assemblage of early 20th-century Czech work collected by Mary and Roy Cullen, presents some pretty wonderful things: everything from glassware to periodicals to the aforementioned erotica. And like most shows of private collections, you should visit it for the objects and glimpses of…
The 6th Annual Feast with the Beasts at the Houston Zoo
Check out all the tasty-looking dishes in out slideshow from Feast With The Beasts. For the last six years, the Houston Zoo has been home to an autumnal fundraiser and eating extravaganza cheekily referred to as “Feast with the Beasts.” The feast part of the equation is provided by local…
Unidentified Male, 24, Bayou Body Count No. 171
A 24-year-old man was found dead of a gunshot wound on the south side of town Sunday morning, Houston police say. The victim, whose name was not released pending verification, was found dead in the 7000 block of Scott about 3 a.m., dead from a gunshot wound, police say. Anyone…
Rodeo Houston Announces First Four Performers
Yeehaw. It’s not even December, but it’s apparently time to talk rodeo. This is Texas, after all, and boots are in season, even if in Houston you’re more likely to see Prada than cowboy despite what northerners might be inclined to believe. Rodeo Houston announced today that Alabama (February 28),…
10 Pumpkin Dishes to Try in Houston: #5 Pumpkin Phosphate at Down House
In 2010, I had a grand ol’ time scouring Houston for outstanding pumpkin dishes. One year later I’m older, definitely not wiser, and still in love with orange squash. So from now until Thanksgiving I’ll be counting down (again) 10 Pumpkin Dishes to Try in Houston. Forks at the ready!…
The Week in TV: Win Some, Lose Some
This was the week in TV Land: • Andy Rooney died Friday after complications from surgery, according to his longtime employer, CBS News. He was 92. Rooney was in the news just a few weeks back when he retired from his post as a commentator and complainer-about-town for 60 Minutes,…
Touring Is Easy: Radiohead Hitting Houston On March 3; First Houston Date In Almost 4 Years
This morning Radiohead loaded dates for a 2012 arena tour, with Houston getting a ‘Head appearance at the Toyota Center on March 3, which seems incredibly far away. That will be right in the middle of the busy RodeoHouston season too. The band is touring with/behind this year’s King Of…
Friday Night: Guns N’ Roses At Toyota Center
Let’s get it all out in the open. Axl Rose, we’ve been told, is a head case who ran off Slash and Izzy and the rest of his former bandmates with his increasingly erratic and dictatorial behavior. The delays behind “Guns N’ Roses” latest album, Chinese Democracy, became the music…
Fast Times: Einstein Bros. Bagels Santa Fe Wrap
I love eating fast food for breakfast more than any other meal. I feel like it gives me a leg up on the calorie situation — since I’m eating it early, I have all day to work off as much of the junk food as I can. During the two…
Saturday Night: James McMurtry, Jason Isbell at Firehouse Saloon
Wow, Rocks Off is a huge fan of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, but Saturday night this hard-charging band from Muscle Shoals, Alabama got a lesson in Texas big beat. Isbell himself was sitting in the backstage area while James McMurtry was laying down the law according to Texas,…
Comment of the Day: The All-Caps PC Police On The “Hang An Iranian” BBQ Fracas
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
5 Actors Who are Never, Ever Going to Get Their Due
Look, America worships its actors, both the stars and the underdogs. The former shine brilliantly as proof of the American dream of fame and fortune. The latter we hold dear as guardians of secret brilliance the masses are too sheeplike to ever understand the genius of. Still, there are some…
Owls Defeat The Miners While The Cougars Remain Perfect
If the Rice Owls only played football in November at home and against non-BCS conference schools, they’d be an unstoppable force. Like on Saturday when they played their most complete of the season in defeating UTEP 41-37. Unfortunately for the Owls (3-6, 2-4 in conference), they also have to play…
Cakewalk at Main Street Theater Lacks Drama, But Features Good Performances
The set-up: In this world premiere from Nalsey Tinberg at Main Street Theater, the last decade in the life of “Sprintze,” the ultimate Jewish mother and Holocaust survivor (Luisa Amaral-Smith), is dutifully depicted as a domestic battle of wills between “Ma” and her equally stubborn “should be more Jewish” daughter…
Manuel Rodriguez, Jr.: HISD Board Member’s Anti-Gay Screed
No one really cares much about Houston school-board elections, unfortunately, so incumbent Manuel Rodriguez Jr. was expected to win re-election because he wasn’t indicted or anything. The Houston Chronicle endorsed him for re-election. But apparently he was nervous about his chances, or he just really, really hates gays. A flyer…
Friday Night: Mates of State at Fitzgerald’s
While many of our fellow Rocks Off cohorts had already left for Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest by Friday, we stuck around to catch Lawrence, Kansas pop-duo Mates of State, who were slated to perform at the fest later that weekend. Though (sadly) there were no Ryan Gosling sightings at…
Opera in the Heights: Così fan tutte
Even a month of 100+ degree weather this summer didn’t dampen Opera in the Heights Artistic Director Enrique Carreón-Robledo’s enthusiasm for his new opera family. He was appointed to the position in April, but spent a few months commuting from his home in London before making the move to Texas…
Where Are We Eating?
The Double Burger at this west side burger joint is so big, it requires the use of a third hand to eat, so bring a friend. Does this towering majesty look familiar? Think you know where we’re eating this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
Texans 30, Browns 12: Five Things We Learned
See visual proof of the Texans’ winning streak in our slideshow. When Gary Kubiak wins a replay challenge, you know it’s your day. It was that and then some for the Texans on Sunday, who cruised past the Browns and moved to 6-3 on the season. It’s the first time…
RIP Crash Collins, Rock Disc Jockey Extraordinaire
Dennis “Crash” Collins, a legend of Houston rock radio, died this morning of prostate cancer complications. He was 68. Originally a musician who played with B.J. Thomas and the Winter brothers, Johnny and Edgar, Collins’ true calling was radio. He is best know for his time at KLOL-FM when the…
Father-Daughter Wedding Dance Video Goes Viral
After upending most everyone’s expectations of what a father-daughter wedding dance should be, Ashley Richmond from Houston and her father David Sparks are on their way to an appearance on NBC’s Today Show this Monday. A video of their dance — actually a series of dances — was featured on…
Baby Goose On The Loose: Ryan Gosling At Fun Fun Fun Fest, Catches A Fat Tony Set
Ryan Gosling, current Hollywood it boy and probable Oscar nominee for this year’s Drive, is here in Austin with director Terence Malick filming scenes for the upcoming feature Lawless. You may remember that at Austin City Limits Festival in September that Christian Bale was also with Malick lensing with Malick…
Fun Fun Fun Fest: Danzig Cuts His Closing Set Short And Tries To Incite A Riot (VIDEO)
Last night’s Danzig Legacy set at the opening night of Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 was marred by the short (LOL, right) set that Glenn Danzig turned in. The ex-Misfits and Samhain goth-rocker was scheduled to perform hits sets from his days in his two seminal punk bands and selections…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where even today we sometimes think back fondly to the muffin boom of the late ’90s. Remember? Before all this cupcake business? I don’t know how we, as a society, turned our back on the muffin. It is by…
Comment of the Day: One Badass Bartender
Here on Eating Our Words, the commenters absolutely make the blog, and our Comment of the Day honors the best of the bunch. Every day, we read you guys and pick the commenter, or commenters, who made us laugh, cry, salivate over something delicious, or think about things in a…
Duane Brown Fined $7,500 for Not Punching Clint Session
“It’s outrageous, man. Like I said, I was trying to help on the tackle when he got the fumble recovery…I was getting up, pushing off my own leg to get up and one of his teammates came and gave me a little shove, and to catch my balance from falling…
Daylight Saving Time: Who Needs It?
Most of you are probably happy to get that extra hour of sleep Sunday, but at what cost? Think of all those days to come that you’ll get up before dawn, plus, the drive home from work will be in the dark, because if you’re working at all nowadays, you’re…
Upcoming Events: Learn the Holiday Skills Your Parents Never Taught You
Get lit this month, with several book signings from authors both local and national. First up is Jack Bishop, host of one of TV’s best cooking shows, America’s Test Kitchen, and editor of America’s Test Kitchen, the show’s just-as-awesome magazine. (Sorry, can you tell I have the DVD box set…
Girl in a Coma on Fans Making Up Lyrics and 12 Hours in a Van
Rocks Off told you yesterday about our sponsorship of the Cactus In-Store series of concerts. We caught up with Girl in a Coma’s percussionist Phanie Diaz who’ll be in town for the second time this week to kick off the first show in the series lineup at 5:30 p.m. Saturday…
Chad Foster: Youth Pastor Has Sex with 16-Year-Old
A Cypress youth pastor has been charged with raping a teenager who met him through the church. Chad Foster, 32, faces three counts of raping the 16-year-old girl, according to court documents. Foster was reportedly a pastor for high school-aged students at the Community of Faith Church this summer when…
Five Rappers Who Should Be Actors
Sometimes it’s fun to see some of our favorite rappers take on acting roles outside of their music videos. At other times, rappers taking on movie roles can end up being horrible idea. Not every rapper can be a convincing drug dealer like DMX is in Belly. The biggest mistake…
Mary Ann Rivera: Cold-Case Murder Charge Dropped
We wrote last month about Mary Ann Rivera, an elderly woman arrested for the 1970 murder of her husband. She had been charged with killing him by pouring hot grease over him; she posted bond and then disappeared. Today, the Houston Chronicle reports, the charge has been dropped. Rivera’s attorney…
Bon Baguette: In the Right Place
When I spotted the Bon Baguette sign on Holcombe near Kirby, I got a momentary flash of hope that I could find a great loaf of French bread without driving the distance to French Riviera Bakery. When I approached the door, I was met by Tony, who informed me that…
Texas Big Beat Drums for Charity This Sunday
Five years ago, drummer Donna Fisher noticed that Seattle had been doing a charity drum gathering each year called Woodstick, and it sparked an idea. “They got over 400 drummers and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to do that in Houston,'” she told Rocks Off. This Sunday, Texas…
4 Minutes in Heaven: The Christian Siriano Interview
Christian Siriano has come a long way since his Project Runway days. He is arguably the most successful designer in the show’s history, with collections showing each year at New York Fashion Week and a list of clients that includes Heidi Klum, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift…
Chef Chat, Part 3: David Guerrero of Samba Grille – His Brand of Authentic South American
The last two days, we’ve been chatting with Samba Grille’s new executive chef, David Guerrero, who candidly shared details about his precarious fight brain cancer and his struggle to survive after a stroke during his surgery, which left his taste buds crippled and half of his body numb. In spite…
Nonmacher’s Bar-B-Q Stands by Its “Hang an Iranian” Display
You know what’s funny? A picture of an Iranian being hanged by a guy wearing a T-shirt that says “Iranians Suck,” captioned “Let’s play cowboys and Iranians.” It’s funny, at least, to John Nonmacher, owner of Nonmacher’s Bar-B-Q in Katy. He’s had it up for years, but now it’s getting…
Five Spot: New Music From Jack Freeman, The Monster, Scooyunda, Brook Gang and More
Boy A and Boy B play their last soccer game of the season this Saturday. It’s a little sad, really. They’re just now to where they’re excited to play. They were uncomfortable at first because, for real, 4-5-year-old soccer is, like, light years ahead of 3-year-old soccer. With the 3-year-olds,…
Person of Interest: Can We Get a “Witness?”
Hang on, I’m about to ruin every movie and TV show you’ll ever watch again. Or maybe not, because of course you’re all aware of the “Law of Economy of Characters,” which states that movie budgets make it impossible to have unnecessary actors. If you’re watching a movie or TV…
The Keystone XL Pipeline: Houston’s Cardno Entrix in the Crosshairs
Houston-based Cardno Entrix is the latest target of scrutiny in the newest allegations of cronyism surrounding TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline project. A group of U.S. senators has called for an investigation into the State Department’s handling of the Keystone XL permitting process, dragging the local environmental consultant company into the…
Zigga Zig Ah: 10 Girl-Powered Facts About The Spice Girls
Today, November 4, marks 15 years since the Spice Girls first album, Spice, was released. Closing out 1996 with a titanic dose of girl power, the album would go on to sell almost 24 million copies and spawn countless imitators like B*Witched, All Saints, and later on, the Pussycat Dolls…
Thrill Kill Jill: The Week in Photos
It’s time again to check out the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. We love street art, unique perspectives and beautiful photos of Houston’s creative community. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool…
Openings & Closings: October 2011
It’s been a busy month for restaurant openings, closings, name changes and remodels. Hang onto your coffee cups — we’ve got a lot of restaurant news to get through in one post. Openings: BlackFinn American Grille is close to opening in Midtown, and the North Carolina-based chain is the first…
Dynamo Defeat Philadelphia: 4 Things We Learned
See pics of The Dynamo’s final game at Robertson Stadium. For the fourth time in six seasons, the Houston Dynamo are back in the MLS Conference Championship Game. They arrived via their 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Union, 3-1 on the aggregate score. They’ll travel to Kansas City to face…
Feast of Charles Borromeo: A Saint’s Playlist
Though we have no desire to live by the teachings of Cathol and his popular ism, we are huge fans of the saints. To us, saints represent God’s Avengers, and yeah, some of them are in charge of stupid things like equestrians, but there are also plenty of them with…
O Canada! Can We Have Some of Your TV Shows?
Oh Canada, indeed. Every time things get dodgy over here in the U.S. of A., like right now, we have secret flights of fancy. Sadly, the only other country that seems worth re-rooting in always winds up being Canada. Normally we would mock Canada for its laid-back, socialized behavior and…
Wine Time: Wine and Sulfur Dioxide
A post earlier this week (“Wine of the Week: A Wine with No Detectable Sulfites”) inspired a lot of acidic (pun intended) discussion here at Eating Our Words and around the enoblogosphere. The question of sulfites in wine, their effect on the aroma and flavor of the wine, and their…
The X Factor: Lying Liars and the Lies They Tell
I suppose it was inevitable. After moving the early stages of The X Factor along at a fairly good clip, we have now moved into Phase 2 of this music competition: Interminably slow elimination rounds. After Wednesday’s two-hour performances, America was invited to vote online, by phone, and even Twitter;…
Did the Cougars Run Up the Score on Rice? Does It Really Matter?
I’ve got a friend who is just starting out as a sports agent. His sport is football. It appears that there’s this preseason list of college players that is put together by scouts that can be purchased by agents. And this list provides the preseason draft-slotting for each player who…
Grammy Nomination Fantasies
Once again all the Grammy nomination razzamatazz has fired up, with local label ZenHill Records of course leading the charge with its recent press release, “ZenHill Artists on the Long List for a Grammy.” One of our editors took a couple of incoming email shots from a so-called “reporter” over…
Bartender Chat: Dino of Bistro Lancaster
As of this Sunday, I’ll be a Montrosian (?) again. For the past year, I’ve been living Downtown and have really loved every minute of it. I learned so much about my city, rode my bike and walked everywhere, admired our beautiful skyline nightly, experienced great new watering holes and…
Community: The Edible Complex
Before it became known for its more outlandish, high-concept theme episodes, Community had to settle for just being the best and smartest comedy on the air, packed with whip-crack jokes that were able to turn on a dime into moments of genuine pathos. This week’s episode, “Advanced Gay,” was a…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
Title: A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas So Did You See This Stoned? How dare you? And no, not that it would have helped. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two Wafflebots(TM) out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Stoner buds Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn),…
Is Spotify Ripping off Artists?
Spotify made one hell of an entrance in July. Swedish-founded and U.K.-headquartered, Spotify arrived the States three months ago to adoring fans. Like a new bride, glowing in the light, flashing that pizza smile logo at us. Everyone wanted a piece of the sexy digital jukebox. Now that the veil…
How is Everything? The 5 Most Annoying Types of Waiters
We Houstonians love to eat out. Of course the number one thing we all want from our experience is great food, but sometimes other factors can affect our memory of the whole evening — our company for the evening, the restaurant’s ambiance, and especially the service we get. Having never…
Comment of the Day: Anti-Condiment PSAs
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
Week in Photos: Hearsay
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. We’re looking for pictures that represent the best of Houston, from food to art to events, to secret hidden spots of beauty. Just drop them in our Flickr…
Tara Conley’s and Tria Wood’s New Installation: “My Life as a Doll”
Watch what you say during your visit to the exhibit “My Life as a Doll.” Sculptor Tara Conley has been known to write down snippets of overheard conversation to use in her work. Conley paired up with writer Tria Wood to create “My Life as a Doll.” The installation covers…
The City Elections Are Coming (You Knew That, Right?) Take Our Quiz
You were aware there’s a citywide election Tuesday, right? You get the chance to elect a new mayor, councilmembers AND weigh in on vitally important proposed state constitutional amendments like whether El Paso County should be added to the list of counties authorized to create conservation and reclamation districts to…
The 11 Best Female Rock Bassists of All Time
While there are and have been so many notable women in rock-and-roll, and we’d like to honor them all, we’ve chosen the specific starting point of recognizing rock’s best female bassists. As a bassist, I looked up to nearly each and every one of these women as I learned the…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 5 Hidden Treasures
For the next 20 weeks, we’ll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year’s winner is no easy task. We’ll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants…
Suing the Kardashians and 5 Other Absurd Lawsuits
On Monday the interwebs went on high alert when Rob Delaney, comedian and columnist for Vice magazine, announced that he was suing Kim Kardashian for defying the good, trustworthy people of the world, Ryan Seacrest and the E! Networks in pretending her marriage to Kris Humphries was anything other than…
Football! This Weekend’s Best Bets
It’s the first weekend of football in November. In college football, this means we get into nut-cutting time, weekends that completely weed out the real championship contenders. This weekend includes a quasi-final four in the SEC with the huge LSU- Alabama tilt and the Arkansas-South Carolina game (brilliantly scheduled at…
Comment of the Day: A Mythical Sandwich
Here on Eating Our Words, the commenters absolutely make the blog, and our Comment of the Day honors the best of the bunch. Every day, we read you guys and pick the commenter, or commenters, who made us laugh, cry, salivate over something delicious, or think about things in a…
The Peyton Manning Saga — A Very Special 4 Winners, 4 Losers
“Peyton Manning’s not going to let (the Colts) draft Andrew Luck.” — Phil Simms “I don’t talk to Phil. Phil doesn’t talk to me. He did text me after that, saying ‘Hey, sorry to drag your name into this.’ I wrote back, ‘Phil I don’t know what you’re talking about.’…
Houston Press to Host Benefit in Support of Music Editor Chris Gray
Photo by Ramon MedinaChris Gray, on the right, with musician Benjamin Wesley.In order to help with his hospital bills, the Houston Press will be hosting a benefit for Music Editor Chris Gray, who suffered an apparent heart attack last Friday. As of today, things were looking up for Chris. He…
A Houston Press Benefit for Chris Gray
Photo by Ramon MedinaChris Gray, on the right, with musician Benjamin Wesley.In order to help with his hospital bills, the Houston Press will be hosting a benefit for Music Editor Chris Gray, who suffered an apparent heart attack last Friday. As of today, things were looking up for Chris. He…
One Year Later: Plonk Doesn’t Need No Stinking Sign
When I reviewed Plonk a year ago, I mentioned that the wine bar didn’t have any signage to speak of — not even above their endcap space in a Garden Oaks strip center. I got lost heading there for the first time, and all of my dining companions did too…
State Rep Larry Taylor At Committee Hearing: “Don’t Try to Jew Them Down”
Larry Taylor is League City’s state rep, and a co-chair of the state’s Joint Legislative Committee on Windstorm Insurance. According to the Quorum Report, at a hearing today he “was discussing delivery of quick and fair payments for windstorm victims.” What’s so bad about that? Well, here’s how he “discussed”…
Rocks Off Is Giving Away Five Pairs Of Guns N’ Roses Tickets On Facebook
At 4:30 p.m. on Rocks Off’s Facebook page, we will be throwing out five pairs of tickets to the much-anticipated Guns N’ Roses show tomorrow night at the Toyota Center. That means you must “like” the page to have a chance to win. In order to win, be one of…
Dynamo Bids Farewell To Robertson Stadium
Tonight brings an end to an era — but hopefully not the season — for the Houston Dynamo. They’re playing their last game at Robertson Stadium; next season they move into their fancy new stadium downtown. Tonight, though, is the second game of their playoff series against the Philadelphia Union…
Y’all Musta Forgot: Third World’s Strut
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Strut (Self-released, 2010) Strut, created by the enigmatic musician/photographer/beard enthusiast Third World, is either a beat tape or simply…
Health Department Roundup
The list of inspection reports for this week is hundreds deep. We have no idea what happened that allowed city employees to get that much done in the matter of days. On Halloween alone there were more than 100 reports entered. (Apparently October 31 is not a city holiday. Thanks,…
Money-Hungry MLB: Author Says the League is Treating Some Retirees Like Garbage
Specific Major League Baseball retirees are getting the shaft, according to the author of the controversial A Bitter Cup of Coffee: How MLB and the Players Association Threw 874 Retirees a Curve. The crux of Douglas Gladstone’s book concerns ex-big leaguers who were denied pensions “as a result of the…
Rocks Off Presents the Cactus In-Store Series: Girl in a Coma
Rocks Off is now the proud sponsor of the Cactus In-Store series of concerts and right out of the gate will be San Antonio rockers Girl in a Coma this Saturday, November 5 at 5:30 p.m. Don’t miss them as they celebrate the release of their new release Exits &…
Free for All: Art Without a Price Tag
It’s Buster Keaton at his best during the Houston Public Radio Silent Film Concert Series: The Cameraman with Bee vs. Moth on Friday. The 1928 silent is considered by many to be among Keaton’s sweetest, although not physical, comedies. Keaton plays Buster, a portrait photographer who falls for Sally, a…
Chef Chat, Part 2: David Guerrero of Samba Grille, On His Road to Recovery and Becoming Executive Chef
Yesterday, we talked to Samba Grille’s Executive Chef David Guerrero about how he was diagnosed with brain cancer early last year. You can read about it here. Today, he tells us the rest of his story about his extraordinary recovery from brain cancer surgery. EOW: How long did it take…
Avacu Arroyo: Second Brother Arrested In 1980 Bar Killing
They’d been on the run from murder charges for more than 40 years, but the second of two brothers wanted for a 1980 bar killing has been arrested in Chicago and extradited here. Avacu Arroyo, 60, and his brother Epifanio Jaime Arroyo, 55, “used multiple names and changed their identities…
New Venues Announced For Next Week’s HPMA Showcase
This morning we finalized the last two venues for next Saturday’s Houston Press Music Awards showcase, adding Reserve 101 and Jet Lounge to the rest of the lineup. Reserve 101 is that cool whiskey-oriented bar next door to The Dirt and across the street from the House Of Blues. Jet…
American Horror Story: A Modern Penny Dreadful
Last night Art Attack dove headfirst into the middle of American Horror Story. We’d been meaning to catch the series, but have instead spent our time reviewing Once Upon a Time, a decision we are really coming to regret. The powers that be decided that our readers might enjoy a…
Ingredient of the Week: Purple Potatoes
Another discovery from last month’s trip to Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc Restaurant is these little bites of purple delight. Simply prepared yet full of earthy goodness, the potatoes were my favorite thing on the dish; I raved about them even more than I did the Wagyu beef skewers and slow-roasted…
Beware: Magazine Scammers in Houston
A roving band of scamming douchebags calling themselves Nxcess Sales have parked themselves in Houston; these bottom-feeders have been making their way across the country, telling people they’re selling magazines to raise funds for, among other things, local children’s hospitals. This particular crew, which is incorporated in Phoenix and also…
A Nomenclature Battle: What’s in an Abyss?
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re working hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. Rocks Off was looking at the weekly concert listings when we noticed a weird coincidence. On Friday White Swan will host Seal the Abyss,…
Houston Is Mecca for Quilters Once Again
If it’s fall, that can only mean one thing: Houston is the center of the quilting universe once again. Now through Sunday, quilters and the people who love them can be found at the George R. Brown Convention Center for the International Quilt Festival — a long weekend of classes,…
Guess the Craft Beer Label, Win a $100 Ticket to Night After Monsters
If you’re like me, you desperately want to attend the Night After Monsters beer event at Whole Foods Market on Waugh on November 13, but you don’t have the spare $100 to pony up for a ticket. That’s where we come in. In association with Houston Beer Week, the Night…
BP to Pay $50 Million in Civil Penalties for Pollution Connected to Texas City Blast, AG Says
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has announced that BP has agreed to pay a $50 million fine “for unlawfully emitting pollutants during and after the March 2005 explosion” at its Texas City plant. The civil penalties come two years after BP paid $50 million to resolve federal criminal charges. “The…
Top 20 Throwback TV Theme Songs Part 2
Yesterday, we hit you up with the best ten TV theme songs that didn’t quite make the top of our list. We heard a few quibbles from fellow television aficionados, but their cries of frustration were muffled by the sounds of “The LOOOVVE BOAT…” Today, we return with the best of…
X Factor: America Votes!
This roller coaster ride called The X Factor has already brought us down to 12 final contestants, and now the interactive fun begins. America–the lines are open! (well, they were open last night) and you get to choose the next big super star … or at least the next somewhat…
Endless Shrimp At Red Lobster: A Good or Bad Idea?
Recently, during a particularly rowdy Sunday Funday, a three-second flash across the screen of Red Lobster’s famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits caught the attention of a few friends of mine. The Red Lobster commercial was promoting the restaurant’s limited-time-only Endless Shrimp deal, but it was the cheddar biscuits that really caught…
Phillip Little, 40, Pizza Driver Shot During Robbery, Bayou Body Count No. 170
A Domino’s deliveryman was shot and killed during an apparent robbery on the south side of town last night. Phillip Little, 40, was found slumped over his steering wheel after an accident at the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Canterway, police say. Witnesses reported hearing shots shortly before…
James McMurtry Can Make It Here
One of the truly gifted Texas songsmiths, James McMurtry has carved a nice, viable career out of great lyrics, stellar playing, hard touring, a good work ethic, and common sense. His last two studio albums, Childish Things (2005) and Just Us Kids (2008), established McMurtry as one of the most…
Art League Houston Looking for “Gambol” Submissions
It was a real wing-dinger last year — attendance was twice the amount compared to a standard monthly exhibit — so Art League Houston is doing it again. The non-profit organization, which boasts a new executive director, announced this week that “Gambol” is returning for a second year. First, second…
My 10 Favorite Houston Sandwiches
Like Ginny Braud, I love sandwiches. Let me say that again: I LOVE sandwiches. Everyone who knows me knows this. It’s become almost embarrassing given the fact that I’m on the wrong side of 40 and I still get giddy over a food item designed almost specifically for children. And…
Whipping Judge William Adams: Daughter & Wife Go on Today Show
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economyThe daughter who was whipped by Aransas County judge William Adams and caused an internet sensation by posting the video to YouTube took to the Today show to tell her story. Her mother, now, Adams’s ex-wife — who also…
Baby’s Cryin’: Rockabye Baby Sends Us Lullaby Renditions of Van Halen
The folks at Rockabye Baby! remake hard rock from the likes of AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Tool, and the Smashing Pumpkins into baby-friendly jams with “soothing mellotrons, vibraphones and bells,” replacing all the things that made those bands perfect for well, making rock and roll babies. This week in the mail…
$10 for 10 Tacos at Tacos a Go-Go, Today Only
What are the odds that Tacos a Go-Go would announce a one-day-only sale on its tacos the day after our own Marco Torres announced that he’s going taco-less (and Mexican food-less) for the next 30 days? Sorry, Marco. Better luck next time… For the rest of us, this is a…
Trailer Park: First Look At Jonah Hill’s Big Screen 21 Jump Street (Semi-NSFW)
Call us crazy but the big screen 21 Jump Street remake looks decent, or maybe that’s just because we have a soft spot for star Jonah Hill, and will watch anything with Nick Offerman and Rob Riggle who both make appearances in the trailer, released yesterday. Channing Tatum seems to…
Janice Guidry: 3-Month-Old Baby in Her Care Weighed Less Than Nine Pounds
Janice Guidry of Houston has been charged with endangering a child after a three-month-old girl in her care was found to be malnourished and suffering from physical trauma. Court documents say that the child weighed about eight and a half pounds. Her legs were fractured. The condition of the baby…
Pop Rocks: The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Makes Super Bowl Halftimes Safe for Nipples Again
Over seven years after the FCC went into a tizzy over Janet Jackson exposing her breast during the 2004 Super Bowl (making a D-cup out of an A-cup, perhaps), a federal appeals court upheld its finding yesterday that the commission acted improperly in fining CBS: A three-judge panel from…
Pop Rocks: Finally, the Super Bowl Is Safe for PG-13-Rated Entertainment Again
Over seven years after the FCC went into a tizzy over Janet Jackson exposing her breast during the 2004 Super Bowl (making a D-cup out of an A-cup, perhaps), a federal appeals court upheld its finding yesterday that the commission acted improperly in fining CBS: A three-judge panel from…
Comment of the Day: Judge William Adams & “Tough Love”
We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it’s time we paid some damn attention to them. So we’ll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day’s work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula…
30 Seconds With Ledisi
Rocks Off blushed and fumbled awkwardly while asking rising R&B songstress Ledisi if she’d mind answering a few questions to see what we could learn about her in 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is the worst song in the world? Ledisi: Ha ha! I’m not answering this one. RO: What…
Top Chef: Texas – Let the Games Begin
I have absolutely no tolerance for reality shows of any kind, and I watch little food television programming aside from Chopped, Alton Brown and the PBS Saturday morning line-up. I do not understand the modern paradigm of chef as rock star. I don’t know why food blogging has become so…
Nuptials Stranger Than When The Art Guys Married That Plant
On November 19, the Art Guys will commemorate their June 13, 2009 marriage to a plant with a tree dedication at the Menil Collection. On that curious ceremony back in ’09, the Guys — Michael Galbreth and Jack Massing — married a live oak tree at the Contemporary Arts Museum…
Eight Very Strange PSAs from the ’70s, Featuring Terrible Sideburns and a War on Condiments
In the course of our assiduous research into strange and ineffective anti-drug PSAs (public service announcements), we got somewhat immersed in the whole 1970s PSA world. It’s a world in which you want to tread lightly. The PSAs can be creepy, ill-lit, grainy things that dare you to watch them,…
The Met Live in HD: Siegfried
Eat a big breakfast before you head over to The Met Live in HD: Siegfried; the performance lasts just short of six hours! The story, based on a Norse legend, follows Siegfried, a young man being raised in the woods by a dwarf. Fearless, Siegfried battles his way from one…
red, black and GREEN: a blues
Spoken-word artist and environmental activist Marc Bamuthi Joseph spent three years hosting environmental festivals in African-American communities in Chicago, Houston, Harlem, and Oakland. Of each city, he would ask the same question: What sustains life in your community? The multimedia show red, black & GREEN: a blues is the result…
Stitched
The documentary Stitched follows three fabric artists (translation: quilters) as they complete their projects for the International Quilt Festival/Houston. The film looks not only at the individual artists, but at the industry that’s grown up around quilting and fabric art. Part of the 37th Annual International Quilt Festival/Houston, Stitched screens…
Festival of Contemporary Films from India
Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of Mani Kaul; you’re probably not the only one. Even in India, where the late filmmaker broke new ground in the country’s relatively unknown avant-garde scene, Kaul isn’t well-known. “I don’t think a Mani Kaul film has been screened in Houston,” says Ratheesh…
The Barber of Seville
Patrick Carfizzi, currently appearing as Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville, is in great demand as an opera singer. At Houston Grand Opera alone, he’s sung Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro (2011), Swallow in Peter Grimes (2010), Papageno in The Magic Flute (2008), Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola…
Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney
The music of legendary former Beatle Paul McCartney gets the big sound treatment during today’s Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney. The four-piece band, Classical Mystery Tour, led by McCartney look-alike/sound-alike Tony Kishman, joins the Houston Symphony and performs several Beatles tunes (“Hey Jude,” “Let It Be”…
Brilliant Lectures: Sidney Poitier
The star of of such films as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night, Sidney Poitier is famous for his incredible accomplishments as an actor (his performance in The Lilies of the Fields earned him an Oscar, the first ever for a black man). But…
Vivienne Schiffer: Camp Nine
Houston attorney Vivienne Schiffer recalls the little-known story of Japanese Americans who were held in an internment camp in Arkansas during WWII in her novel Camp Nine. Schiffer based her book on her mother’s real-life experiences living near the camp. Though fictionalized, Camp Nine captures the essence of the era,…
West Side Story’s 50th Anniversary
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the multiple Academy Award-winning West Side Story, there’s a nationwide screening of the digitally restored film. At the screening, you’ll be looking at Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno and the rest of the sensational cast, but you’ll be listening to someone else during the songs…
Robin Miller: Robin Takes 5
Author and nutritionist Robin Miller will be teaching a class based on recipes from her latest bestselling book, Robin Takes 5, today at Central Market. Miller is the host of Food Network’s Quick Fix Meals and has more than 15 years of experience in preparing nutritional meals for the family. The…
El Meson Spanish Wine Dinner with Jean Leon
See Chef Pedro Garcia at his best at the El Meson Spanish Wine Dinner with Jean Leon. The five-course feast includes Gran Reserva wines from 1994, 2000 and 2001 paired with some of Chef Pedro’s favorite dishes, including paella with snails and rabbit, and elk chop with currant and port…
“Mary McCleary: A Survey 1996-2011”
The Art League Houston turns over both of its gallery spaces to the exhibit “Mary McCleary: A Survey 1996-2011.” Twenty-six collages created over the last 15 years and seen together for the first time make up the exhibit. One of the most striking works is Swimming in my tiny, tiny…
Donna Johnson: Holy Ghost Girl
One of the last of the traveling tent preachers, David Terrell had a huge following – and a few secrets. Author Donna Johnson’s new memoir Holy Ghost Girl captures her whirlwind childhood as the daughter of one of Terrell’s many mistresses. Johnson was still a toddler when her mother joined…
Cinema Arts Festival Houston
In just three years, the Cinema Arts Festival Houston has become a force to be reckoned with on the American film festival circuit. Why? Not only have festival organizers been able to snag stellar films, they’ve also brought in directors like Chilean Patricio Guzmán for appearances. Guzmán will present four…
Keisha Hunt
It bothers us that 90 percent of the descriptions you see of comedian Keisha Hunt mention how short she is, but how she still manages to be “a petite powerhouse.” We don’t know who coined that phrase, but any grown man who has been laid low by the iron grip…
“Go West I”
A bilateral contemporary art exhibit between Paris and Houston, “Go West I” is astonishing in its range and quality. (Early buzz is that the show is a contender to become Houston’s best group exhibit in 2011.) “Go West I,” which was displayed at Paris’s UNESCO Headquarters in late September, includes…
Michael Moore: Here Comes Trouble
Award-winning filmmaker and author Michael Moore is one of the most divisive figures in modern media. The director of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Capitalism: A Love Story, he’s either seen as a bastion of sanity against a corrupt world, or burned in effigy as a socialist rabble-rouser. In his films, Moore…
Spotlight on World Cinema: Korea: The Housemaid
If we can only get four films with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Spotlight on World Cinema: Korea, we’re glad they’re these four. Korean film directors have helped to reinvigorate the horror genre, moving it from slice-and-dice slasher flicks to terrifying stories that are heavy on characters and plot,…
Movies at Miller: Grease (Rockin’ Rydell Edition)
Movies at Miller shows Grease (The Rockin’ Rydell), a special singalong edition of the classic film. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John star as young lovers Danny and Sandy in this romp through the 1950s at Rydell High School. Fresh from a summer romance, they find things complicated by their polarized…
The Skin I Live In
The morality of the mad-scientist tale has remained more or less fixed since the beginning of sound cinema: From Dr. Frankenstein’s hubristic claim to “know what it feels like to be God,” to Jurassic Park’s criticism of “scientists [who] were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn’t stop…
Heights Burglary Ring Busted
CRIME Heights Burglary Ring Busted Don’t brag on Facebook, kids By John Nova Lomax An alert area resident and diligent Central Patrol officers have taken in a quartet of Heights miscreants they say broke into four area homes recently. Police say Nathaniel Dean Cook, Octavius Demone Harris, Eli Marquez Ortiz…
Why do Americans Call Mexicans “Illegal”?
Dear Mexican, These days, using the word “nigger” is considered so offensive that, in its place, we now use the term “n-word.” Of course, never mind that African-Americans use it amongst themselves as a term of endearment, pero esa es una historia para un otro dia. Sin embargo, it raises…
Survival Skills
“Trying to sell creative, interesting songs to pop country artists? You’d have better luck selling shirts to Dave Navarro.” So reads a Facebook status update from Jason Isbell, the Alabama singer-songwriter playing the Firehouse Saturday night with Lightning Rod Records labelmate James McMurtry. Another example of Isbell’s humor was a…
Ode to Joy
Beethoven’s only opera (1805, revised 1814), Fidelio, is a mighty ode to joy, political freedom and conjugal bliss. In coarse hands, the work — an amalgam of “rescue” melodrama, fluffy musical theater and blood-filled realism — often comes across as lumpy and overcooked. Happily, Houston Grand Opera’s production, anchored by…
Saves the Day
Awhole generation of indie-rockers grew up on Princeton, New Jersey’s Saves The Day, as the power-pop/emo/punk band helped soundtrack the lives of the bespectacled and tight-panted hordes since 1999’s Through Being Cool. The band’s lone constant member has been lead singer and guitarist Chris Conley, whose high warble helped make…
Mormons: Whether We Should Hate Them or Not
Last month, evangelical leaders gathered in D.C. for the Values Voter Summit, where disciples of the Pissed-Off Jesus harrumphed and yammered about how much America sucked. That’s when the bomb ignited. Dallas megachurch preacher Robert Jeffress was on hand to introduce Rick Perry. He warned that Mormon “cult” members were…
Davila 666
Davila 666 is a garage-rock force of nature from San Juan, Puerto Rico, a six-piece quickly becoming known for their manic live shows and recorded output that is quickly catching up to their gruelingly energetic onstage presence. This past March, the band released the psychedelic punk leap Tan Bajo on…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Book Report,” “Building Arts: Alexander Apostol, Dias & Riedweg, Thomas Glassford, Marco Maggi and Clarissa Tossin,” “Insperity Golf Experience,” “Katja Loher: Multiverse,” “Mary McCleary: A Survey 1996-2011,” “Oil Sketch
“Book Report” As the electronic word slowly usurps the printed word, books are becoming increasingly fetishized. “Book Report,” organized by Kinzelman Art Consulting in the lobby of the Bank of America building, brings together a host of book-related works. Given all the recent bank bailouts (and my personal animosity towards…
Taylor Swift
In a sea of pop starlets, Taylor Swift shines like a modest diamond: The 21-year-old singer-songwriter has been making records about innocent teenage love and heartbreak since her freshman year in high school. Stylistically, Swift has the rare gift of being a country-to-pop crossover, combining the literal storytelling template of…
Bottom Lines
For the past seven years, Veronica Bass has worked as a teacher’s assistant in the Houston Independent School District. Besides helping out in the classroom of her middle school, she’s been a head softball coach and a volleyball coach, and she helps out coaching Special Olympics students. She’s also the…
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
The title of Jason Isbell’s third solo album, Here We Rest, was taken from the first motto of his home state of Alabama, which was long ago dropped in favor of something far more antagonistic. Though the phrase was originally meant to suggest an idyllic retreat from a troubled world,…
High-rise Robbery
A revenge of the have-nots playing on the clear class stratification of the luxury high-rise, Tower Heist pits lobby against penthouse. Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) is the manager of The Tower, an exclusive apartment building on Columbus Circle (the Trump International, in fact). Josh’s job is to know every peccadillo…
Tinariwen
The African commercial music revival of the past two decades has mostly focused on reissued or never-before-heard records from 1970s Nigeria, Ghana and Benin. A step below that, in terms of a worldwide heads-up, are the further-inland or opposite-coast sounds of Egypt’s Group Doueh and Niger’s Etran Finatawa that have…
Merguez in Midtown
As my dining companion and I approached Majorca Bistro & Tapas on foot one night, we saw an unusual sight among the chairs and tables on the patio: a runway had been constructed, with lights and a DJ booth set up on the broad patio that fronts West Gray in…
Dreaming Big
As the mastermind behind M83’s electronic dream-pop, Anthony Gonzalez constantly seeks to create a more fantastical substitute for the humdrum grind of the real world. And when I first step into his discerningly decorated condo — on a stretch of Melrose pockmarked by gas stations and Scientology centers — it…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Damaged Divas of the Decades, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Oliver Twist, There Is a Happiness That Morning Is, Zombie Prom
Damaged Divas of the Decades A particularly high style of cabaret is in performance through November at Music Box Theater. This second production from the newly minted troupe is called Damaged Divas of the Decades, and if that title alone doesn’t propel you to Colquitt and Kirby, what kind of…
Lost Boys
Life is life, and you gotta do what you gotta do. It’s like everybody can’t be a doctor, a teacher or have rich parents take care of us. And it’s gonna teach us, like — when we get older, we’re gonna be stronger, ’cause we know life experience and stuff…
Bizarre Bazaar
It’s 2:15 on a Sunday, and Club La Noche is filling up quickly. Several members of the band, the cumbia-spouting eight-piece Grupo Rayon, are swinging side to side. Their energy spills out onto the dance floor. People are dancing and drinking and laughing and talking. A few people are eating…
Lost Boys: Senate Bill 596
If there is not a tsunami of underage prostitutes in America, that is not to say that there are no children trapped in this world. Of course there are. Yet, as we have pointed out in numerous stories, few resources have been devoted to sheltering the victims. If you want…
People Who Need People
As taut and economical as its title is unwieldy, Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene — a first feature that won the Best Director award last January at Sundance — is a deft, old-school psychological thriller (or perhaps horror film) that relies mainly on the power of suggestion and memories…
