Stella Hooked a Tripletail
Stella Sola, Brian Caswell’s new joint on Studewood, has been getting a hell of a lot of buzz for a place that hasn’t served any food until this week. We sneaked into the soft opening courtesy of Ben, Brian’s sous chef, and sampled Stella’s already revamped-before-even-opening menu, which was changed…
Sangrias at Sonoma
Sonoma on Richmond Avenue has an impressive wine selection and a wonderful menu of fruits, artisan cheeses, cured meats and gourmet entrees. It also offers a decent sangria. Two of Sonoma’s three sangria options are average. The rose sparkling sangria, however, is worth reordering. The sweeter wine gives the glass…
Bring It On: The 2009 Cinema Arts Festival Houston Starts Tonight
The 2009 Cinema Arts Festival Houston is rolling out the red carpet as we speak, for today’s opening night screenings.Over at the Angelika Film Center, the highly anticipated Precious starts at 7 p.m., while over at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the festival’s opening night gala starts with a…
Game Time: The Dysfunctional Macs
I’m sure if all of you have heard, but Tracy McGrady has set a target date to return from microfracture surgery, and that date is November 18. What he’s going to do once he comes back or whether he’s even ready to come back are secondary issues, because chances are…
We’ve Been Had: The Enduring Wisdom of Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne
Anodyne: Noun. Anything that relieves distress or pain. (dictionary.com) When Son Volt goes onstage tonight at the Continental Club (we’ve heard around 11 p.m.), there’s an outside chance the band might pull out Doug Sahm’s “Give Back the Key to My Heart” – we are in Texas, after all. Otherwise…
Kolache Crawl: All Hail the King of Kolaches
We begin our Texas kolache tour at Weikels’s in LaGrange, home of the best commercial kolaches in Texas. The standard by which I measure sweet kolaches is the poppy seed variety, mainly because I grew up eating poppy seed kolaches in my grandma’s Ruthenian kitchen in Pittsburgh…
Vietnam Vet to America: Stick Veterans Day Where The Sun Don’t Shine
Dave Collins is a Vietnam veteran, and he wants to abolish Veteran’s Day. “I would also like to see yellow-ribbon stickers outlawed along with ‘We Support the Troops’ signs in business and all the other feel good BS of that ilk,” he adds in a personal commentary he e-mailed to…
Sampler Plate: This Week In Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. H-Town Chow Down: Albert runs not only one of our favorite local…
Westheimer Block Party Listology: Bright Men of Learning Remember Their Parents’ Favorite Music
All this week, Rocks Off is previewing Saturday and Sunday’s Westheimer Block Party by asking WBP performers to fill out a list from Lisa Nola’s Music Listography book we’re so fond of. It’s not too late for your band to be up here, either; just email chris.gray@houstonpress.com by noon Thursday…
Veteran’s Day Parade In Downtown Houston: The Photos
Tanks and other military vehicles came down Smith Street at lunchtime today, along with drill squads and a few political honchos, all part of today’s Veteran’s Day Parade.Hair Balls was stationed right by the Houston Public Library, not that it was hard to find a spot since the crowd was…
He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss): Chris Brown and Other Infamous Musical Woman-Beaters
See the rest of Rihanna’s 20/20 interview with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer here. Chris Brown brings his “Fan Appreciation Tour” to town this weekend, leading to several questions. Not the least of which are, “Who the hell is still a fan of this guy?” And, “Will his ‘appreciation’ of same…
Houston’s Roller Grrls Headed To National Championship
The bad-ass chicks of Houston Roller Derby are competing in the national championships in Philly Nov. 13-15, so make sure you check ’em out at www.derbynewsnetwork.com. It’s the first time the Houston Roller Derby league’s travel team, HaRD Knocks, will compete in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s nationals.For those of…
Black Coffee: Houston Style
Here’s some video clips I took while researching this week’s feature, “City of Coffee.” The automated lines are inside the Maximus Coffee Plant on Harrisburg — the old Maxwell House plant…
Artist of the Week: Country Store Buffalo on Breast Implants, Beer-Drinking Bison and That Old Devil Cocaine
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com. You are in the enviable position of someone…
Health Department Roundup: Cafeteria Edition
As with other restaurants, a cafeteria’s quality varies, depending on management and food freshness standards, which — as habitual readers of this column know — often has little to do with menu pricing. The shadow of the Houston health inspector has recently fallen upon the following:The Dinner Bell Cafeteria (6525…
Edinburg Police Foiled In Attempt To Give Pot To State Prison Inmates, Apparently
They do things different down in the Valley. Like, if you’re a police department, you donate some marijuana to inmates at the local state prison.Oh sure, Edinburg police are saying it was all a mistake, and no way did they intend to give 25 pounds of pot to inmates by…
Tonight: Evanescence’s Testosterone-Driven Counterpart, Bella Morte, at Rocbar
Naika Whisperwish and HaVoK continue to bring the sweet, sweet pain to H-Town with tonight’s Goth-tacular appearance by Bella Morte. Once more of a straight death-rock band with shades of metal, Bella Morte has steadily grown into testosterone-driven counterpart to Evanescence, and is one of the top-selling artists on the…
Houston Press MasterMinds Awards: Money For Artists
For the second year in a row, the Houston Press is on the prowl for artists, innovators and entrepreneurs who are changing our creative and cultural landscape.And we need your help.If you know of one of these life-changing artistic types — if you are one yourself — please tell us…
Wine of the Week: A Pick from H-E-B’s Robert Salyers
It’s just so tempting. After a long day of work, you pick up your bread and milk and then turn the corner to find rows and rows of delicious wine, begging you to take it home. You can’t resist. That is exactly what Robert Salyers, Beer and Wine Manager for…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: Dear Local Musicians, Grammy Consideration Is Not the Same Thing As Grammy Nominations
Ah, here we go again with local artists trumpeting “Grammy nominations.” The latest is Atascocita-grown country singer Susan Hickman, who seems to fancy herself as a Miranda Lambert/Martina McBride type. We stumbled across Hickman accidentally through MySpace’s “Status Updates,” and our eye was immediately drawn to: “Susan Hickman Up for…
Bill Gates Helps Out Houston’s KIPP Charter School In A Big Way
The KIPP charter schools in Houston are getting a huge boost from Bill Gates, according to the Wall Street Journal.The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it is guaranteeing $30 million worth of bonds so that KIPP can expand operations here “from 4,500 in 15 schools to 21,000 students…
Westheimer Block Party Listology: Paris Falls’ Favorite, and Least Favorite, Musical Moments In the Movies
All this week, Rocks Off is previewing Saturday and Sunday’s Westheimer Block Party by asking WBP performers to fill out a list from Lisa Nola’s Music Listography book we’re so fond of. It’s not too late for your band to be up here, either; just email chris.gray@houstonpress.com by noon Thursday…
UH’s Case Keenum — What’s A Dude Got To Do To Get Some Heisman Love?
The end of the college football season is fast approaching, and the rest of the nation is finally learning something that Houston Cougar fans have known all season. The best player in the country isn’t Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow. The best player is Case Keenum.Several sites which poll Heisman…
Banh Mi Bo Kho: Soup or Sandwich?
Banh mi means “bread” in Vietnamese and thit means “ham”; banh mi thit is a ham sandwich. So when I saw banh mi bo kho on the menu at Banh Cuon Hoa #2 on Beechnut, the subject of this week’s cafe review, I figured bread + beef stew = a…
Aftermath: Regina Spektor Wins a New Fan at Verizon Wireless Theater
“This bed is on fire with passionate love…” Aftermath has always loved James’ “Laid.” It’s one of our absolute favorite ’90s songs, and there couldn’t be a better one to preface Regina Spektor’s impending appearance at Verizon. The crowd is young, mixed (but mostly white), well-to-do, filling up the floor…
Dancing With the Stars: Puppet Theater of Doom
It’s the eighth week of Dancing With the Stars, and I think we all deserve a warm thanks for making it so far. Although really, most of you aren’t watching the show and only read these blog posts with a sick fascination to see if I’ve actually snapped and killed…
Mid-Week Match-Up: Communication Breakdown, It’s Always The Same
Two key players of two teams decided to break important news in odd ways this week.Steven Tyler, aging frontman for Aerosmith, dropped word that he was quitting the band (maybe; no one’s clear) not by calling his bandmates, but by mentioning it to a British interviewer.Tracy McGrady, aging forward for…
The Shameless Chef: Canned Tamale Casserole
To make up for the complicated nature of the last two weeks’ entries (which included knowing both proper batter consistency and noodle pliancy) I’m going to make this week’s dish ludicrously simple. If you think you’ll have problems with this week’s recipe then you shouldn’t be making it anyway, because…
The Poppies Still Blow In Flanders Fields… A Veteran’s Day Salute from Rocks Off and Lonesome Onry and Mean
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved,…
I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Updates, Both Good And Bad
Due to some technical difficulties having to do with the stimulus package, global warming, and the war on terror, Hair Balls isn’t able to present a brand new batch of adoptable critters this week. Instead, we thought we’d tell you about some dogs who’ve been adopted, and some who are…
Opinions “Mixed” On Obama’s Fort Hood Visit, Waco Paper Says, Demonstrating An Odd Use Of “Mixed”
The once-respected Waco Tribune Herald was purchased this summer by a very conservative family whose first move was to put “In God We Trust” on the front page of each edition.Since then the paper has become very right-wing (even for Waco!!) on its editorial pages. We don’t read it enough…
Westheimer Block Party Listology: The Live Lights Choose 10 Albums to Take Into Space
All this week, Rocks Off is previewing Saturday and Sunday’s Westheimer Block Party by asking WBP performers to fill out a list from Lisa Nola’s Music Listography book we’re so fond of. It’s not too late for your band to be up here, either; just email chris.gray@houstonpress.com by noon Thursday…
As The HS Football Playoffs Begin, Here Are The Three Best Games Of The Past 15 Years
High school football playoffs start this weekend, and Hair Balls is excited.The Woodlands and Hightower High School finished undefeated and, from what we saw this season, look like they’ll be tough to beat. Katy High School, whose only loss came in the team’s opening game against The Woodlands, won a…
BBQ at Buffalo Fred’s
There was a cloud of smoke rising from the parking lot of Buffalo Fred’s Ice house on Shepherd last Sunday morning. I turned my car into the parking lot to see what was going on and found a retired truck driver named Jesse Gamino smoking chickens on an oversize barbecue…
$6.59 For Cheese…Must Be Local
When I can, I buy local ingredients. I feel like I’m doing my good deed for the day, and sometimes they just plain taste better. But when the price for local is almost double the competitor’s price, I break my rule and forgo it. Susan Holle started Cheesygirl in Sealy,…
Minute by Minute at Robin Thicke’s Sex Therapy Listening Party
7:15 p.m. Ack. Parking on Washington Avenue at night is just about the worst. It’s such an uneasy feeling. If we had to choose between parking on Washington or juggling knives with no pants on, it’d end up being something we actually had to think about. We mean, we’re just…
Game Time: The Larry Johnson Situation
Every spring I bring my kids to the Blue-Gold spring football game at the University of Notre Dame. Most seasons, we purchase tickets to that event that allow us (and several hundred other Notre Dame fans) to have breakfast with the team, and then meet all of the players in…
Sonoran Hot Dogs Invade Houston
The new Sonoran hot dogs at James Coney Island may not rival the ones in Tucson, but they are pretty damn good. Two Sonoran dogs, fries and a drink go for $7.99, and a one-dog combo goes for $5.99. The JCI version of the famous Mexican perro caliente features an…
Buff, Sexy Werewolves Descend On The Galleria, And We Talk To Them
How do you get yourself cast in the blockbuster Twilight series? Throw a rager, get in trouble with Dad, and move in with Mom. Maybe you’ll end up going to church with Stephenie Meyer; she’ll suggest you audition to play a werewolf in the series’s second installment New Moon, and…
Five Possible Replacements for Steven Tyler In Aerosmith, Including Morrissey
The remaining members of Aerosmith yesterday confirmed the news that singer Steven Tyler has left the band, and that they are currently looking for a replacement while Steven pursues glory with “Brand Tyler,” whatever the hell that is. Thought Rocks Off has a hard time imagining anyone who could fill…
A Man Who Just Does Not Have The Patience To Rob A Bank
Photo courtesy FBI See this dude here? Rocking the sunglasses and the shaggy locks?NOTE TO CRIMINAL OVERLORDS: Do not hire this guy to rob any banks for you. If you do, give him some Ritalin or something.Here’s what the FBI has to say about this guy’s attempt to rob the…
Early Bird Battle: Cleburne Cafeteria vs. Luby’s
Both slow-roasted in history and sneeze-guarded for your protection, Cleburne and Luby’s have been dueling for the hearts and blood sugar monitors of the Houston cafeteria crowd for the last 60 years, through changes in ownership and that famous fire. Comparing stories and side dishes feels a lot like an…
Ever Been Fingerprinted? Well, You Might Just Be… I Dunno, Oh, SATAN!
Pam McLaurin is a teacher in Big Sandy ISD in Polk County in deep East Texas. The Texas Education Association has asked her to submit to a background check. McLaurin, who has taught for 20 years, has complied with every part of the check save for the mandatory fingerprinting, which…
Westheimer Block Party Listology: Fiskadoro Chooses Artists They’d Bring Back to Life
All this week, Rocks Off is previewing Saturday and Sunday’s Westheimer Block Party by asking WBP performers to fill out a list from Lisa Nola’s Music Listography book we’re so fond of. It’s not too late for your band to be up here; just email chris.gray@houstonpress.com by noon Thursday if…
Lisa Nowak Pleads Guilty…To Providing Endless Punch Lines. Oh, And Two Other Charges
Lisa Nowak, lifetime member of the Mugshot Hall of Fame and the face that launched a thousand diaper jokes, pleaded guilty today to a felony charge of car burglary and misdemeanor assault.This live blog from an Orlando TV station contains the highlights between Nowak, victim Colleen Shipman and Judge Marc…
Not to Bragg
Back in the ’70s, Hobbit Cafe’s claim to fame was being the “only” vegetarian restaurant in Houston. Apparently the owners had another restaurant that served Caribbean food, and they decided to merge the two and create the carnivore-friendly cuisine we indulge in at Hobbit Cafe to this day. When offered…
Unfollowed & Defriended: Online Rejection Sucks
The hefty bovine heartily clearing the moon had nothin’ on you when you located your closest chum from elementary school on Facebook. The only glee rivaling yours was that of the dish skippin’ town with the spoon when your hometown sports hero followed you back on Twitter. But months later,…
AC/DC Was In the Four Seasons Hotel Bar Saturday Night. Were You?
Rocks Off hears members of AC/DC had a grand old time, um, “warming up” for Sunday’s show at Toyota Center. We know they were there because a friend of Rocks Off’s in town from Austin had lunch next to Angus and Mrs. Young Sunday at the Four Seasons’ in-house restaurant,…
This Fall, A New H-E-B for Spring
Texas grocery chain H-E-B is set to open its newest Houston-area store tomorrow, November 11. The new H-E-B Spring Market on FM 2920 has taken cues from both the leviathan at Bunker Hill and I-10 and smaller, more intimate stores like the recently opened Buffalo Market. In fact, the square…
The President Of The UT Health Science Center Finding It Hard To Move Here
Well over a year ago — back in May 2008, when Hillary Clinton was still a viable candidate for the Democratic nomination — the UT Health Science Center here in Houston hired Dr. Larry Kaiser as its new president.How much does he love Houston? So much that the UT Board…
Ask A Rapper An R&B Sensation: Platinum-Selling, Grammy Winning Singer / Songwriter / Heartthrob Robin Thicke
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. Have something you always wanted to ask…
Chinese BBQ at the 99 Market Food Court
You can’t miss the food court at the new 99 Market Asian Supermarket at Blalock and I-10. It’s right inside the front door. And the sushi chefs are out on display — you gotta love the combination of white paper face masks and old-fashioned French toques. The buffet line looks…
Alabama Bookstop: Cinematic Once Again (For Now)
Photos by Katharine ShilcuttWhen we heard that there was going to be a happy hour — a happy hour — in the old Alabama Bookstop on Monday night, Hair Balls simply had to be there. After all, it’s not often you get to visit the emptied husk of your childhood…
On Its 40th Birthday, the Top 10 Sesame Street Musical Guests
Sing the blues, Kermit… or greens. We know how you feel. Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Elmo and Grover have something to celebrate. Sesame Street, their fictional New York borough, and the television show probably responsible for everything you knew as a kid, turns 40 today. Created…
Chef Chat: Kay Soodjai of Khun Kay Thai Café
Kay Soodjai and her sister-in-law Supatra Yooto opened the Golden Room in Montrose 27 years ago. Last year they replaced the venerable Golden Room with Khun (Madame) Kay Thai Café (1209 Montrose), with a fast-casual concept and less expensive meals. Supatra, who describes herself as more of an “old-fashioned” Thai…
Aeros Looking Like They’re Getting On Track
The old joke goes that a guy went to a boxing match and a hockey game broke out. Saturday night, the people in attendance for the Aeros game at Toyota Center got to watch that come true as fight after fight after fight broke out, in between what was some…
Aftermath: Lucero’s Iron-Plated Soul and Douchebag Fisticuffs at Meridian
As we enter the second-to-last month of what was been an alternately amazing and confounding year for music, Aftermath has been thinking a lot about recurring themes we have encountered over the past twelve months. Seeing a rock and roll show every other night isn’t always some sort magical boozical…
Dancing With the Stars: A Grotesque Carnival of Human Misery?
It’s NOT Donny Osmond!Holy flurking schnit! It’s week eight of Dancing With the Stars, which for those who don’t know is when the rubber made of stardust meets the road made of awesome and the car of dreams speeds off into, um, Kickassville. I’m just kidding; the show’s still incredibly…
Why Notre Dame Will Win The BCS And Texas Won’t, Part Ten
This was a tough, tough week for the BCS title hopes of Texas. They played at, what — 11 in the morning? (Again? What are these guys, some effete “Brunch Bunch”?) They played against some directional Florida school? While Oklahoma was exposing itself as worthless, therefore destroying UT’s strength of…
Where Are We Drinking?
A Pearl Sign and a Pee Wee Herman doll. A Lone Star light and a lot of liquor. Can you figure out where we’re drinking this week? Leave your guess in the comment section below…
Distant Early Warning: Better Than Ezra, Cursive, Flogging Molly, Jay-Z, John Mayer, Yo La Tengo, etc.
40 oz. To Freedom (Sublime Tribute): Fri., Jan. 22. Scout Bar Clear Lake. “4th Annual Rudz Thanksgiving Eve” With Born Liars: Wed., Nov. 25. Rudyard’s. Bowling For Soup, Smile Smile: Sat., Dec. 5. Scout Bar Clear Lake. “104.1 KRBE Not So Silent Night” With All-American Rejects, Justin Bieber, Cobra Starship,…
Pop Rocks: I’m Shocked, Shocked To Discover Britney Spears Was Lip-Synching
To think, I almost found myself agreeing with John Mayer.His response to the simmering Britney Spears lip-synching scandal — mocking those who expressed outrage at the fact Spears was faking it during her concert in Perth, Australia last weekend — would appear to be dead-on. One could even take this…
Know Your Roast
A very common question asked in cafes around Houston is, “What is your dark roast?” We think people are trying to ask, “What coffee has the biggest, most pronounced flavor today?” But there’s some confusion here. One aspect of coffee is often overlooked but very important. There are, in essence,…
Los Angeles Times Takes On Toyota’s Acceleration Problems
The Los Angeles Times published a lengthy story this weekend about unintended acceleration in Toyotas, something the Houston Press and Hair Balls have written about from time to time, starting with a cover story in April.The Times wrote the story in response to a highly publicized crash this summer in…
Bivalve Throwdown: Oysters With a Side of Intrigue at Stella Sola
In the heat of battle last night, the oysters — and the chefs — kept their cool. The fourth such event organized by Jenny Wang and the Houston Chowhounds, the Bivalve Throwdown at Stella Sola on Sunday afternoon saw 11 of the city’s best chefs compete to create the best…
Get Lit: Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times by Dr. Ralph Stanley With Eddie Dean
While growing up in rural Virginia in the shadow of his beloved Clinch Mountains, a young Ralph Stanley was given his choice of presents to celebrate his 11th birthday: a pig or a banjo. Thankfully for the history of American country and bluegrass music, he chose the latter, even learning…
36 Years Later, Another Victim Of The Candy Man Will Be Buried
Just a couple of weeks ago we went on a Houston 101 nostalgia trip about Houston’s most notorious mass murderer, Dean Corll.Today in our e-mail-box comes word that one of Corll’s victims will be buried Thursday.Harris County announced today that one of the unidentified victims left over from Corll’s sad…
Chocolate Festival of Texas Adventures, Continued
Another great find at the Chocolate Festival of Texas was Mary Louise Butter’s chocolate brownies. Butter’s Brownies are available in 16 variations, with flavorings ranging from rose water to stout beer. The Aztec God flavor is a take on the spicy-chocolate trend – it gives a nice kick of heat…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: An Artist Best In Texas and LOM Can Agree On. Seriously.
While anyone who follows this column knows that Lonesome, Onry and Mean can’t stand about 90 percent of what gets touted in Best in Texas magazine and labeled Texas/Red Dirt music, we have always had a soft spot for Stillwater, Okla., rockers Cross Canadian Ragweed. Our son took us to…
Houston’s Administaff Accused Of Some Pretty Wild Anti-Semitism
The allegations are so outrageous and outlandish that they almost sound like a fraternity prank, or something a cruel older brother might do to their little brother. Except that they are not. What they are, in fact, are serious accusations made in Maryland federal court against a Houston-based company that…
99 Ranch Market Grand Opening
69¢ Gulf oysters and lobsters for under $9 a pound are among the grand-opening specials worth checking out at 99 Ranch Market, the new supermarket at I-10 and Blalock where the big Fiesta used to be. 99 Ranch Market is an Asian supermarket chain out of Los Angeles. The first…
Aftermath: Our Ten Favorite Performances at Fun Fun Fun Fest
If there’s anything that Aftermath truly loves about music (outside of watching talented people create outstanding art), it’s the innate propensity the medium possesses to bring people together. There is something so idealistically communal about watching a show with five, twenty, one hundred, or five hundred of your friends (some…
Game Time: Kick In The Junk…Wide Left
I woke up Sunday morning thinking that things had to get better. After a week that started off with a right cross from Kobe, a left hook from the Yankees, and a sucker punch in the junk from Notre Dame, I thought surely these events were just karmic balance for…
Top 5 Hot Sauces That Will Make You Cry Like A Baby
Watery eyes, runny nose, burning throat. No, it’s not allergy season. It’s the delicious pain of hot sauce. Here is our list of top five fiery sauces that will make you cry like a baby. 1. El Yucateco Green Habañero Hot Sauce – This is quite possibly the hottest sauce…
Aftermath: Fun Fun Fun Fest In Austin Day 2 – Metallagher, Street Dogs, Lucero, Crystal Castles, Gorilla Biscuits, Danzig
Day two of Fun Fun Fun Fest began with a slow and steady rain shower that turned into an all-day headliner. As we walked the ground and felt the rain soak into our clothes we started getting ACL flashbacks. Before we knew it we were walking through acres of mud…
Bayou Body Count: A Police Shooting Over An Open Beer
There is something to be said about the importance of solid doors, strong locks and a secure home. Think not? Well, the carnage over the past several days may change your mind.It was Friday evening, about 7 p.m., when 18-year-old Jubelle Serano was taking care of her 6-year-old sister at…
Taco Truck Gourmet: Arcelia Taco Bus
The barbacoa taco from the Arcelia taco bus is truly amazing. It consists of two lightly fried tortillas and lots of barbacoa meat, plus soft-cooked onions, salsa and a lime wedge. The barbacoa is moist and tasty too, not crusted over like the stuff at Pancho’s carniceria down the street…
Taking In the Freak Scene at Fun Fun Fun Fest
While we go to festivals such as Fun Fun Fun Fest because we enjoy great music, we are also fans of the sorts of people who attend these events. We’re people-watchers at heart, so we frequently engage in a bit of amateur sociological research in between sets. At South by…
Houston Man Learns It Can Be Dangerous Appearing On Jerry Springer
You know what’s shocking?You go out to appear on The Jerry Springer Show, and you get involved in a fight where police are called.That’s like going to see a Michael Bay movie and — instead of the insightful character study you were expecting — there’s a bunch of explosions.An unnamed…
Chocolate Festival of Texas
This Saturday at the Chocolate Festival of Texas, Eating Our Words set out to see just how much chocolate and wine $25 will buy you at a Sheraton near IAH. The answer is about five half-glasses with no obligation to pour any out, and enough chocolate to make you consider…
Aftermath: Fun Fun Fun Fest In Austin Day 1 – Death, Young Widows, Melt Banana, The Sword, Jesus Lizard
This year’s Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin was the exact thing Aftermath needed in the midst of his fall concert schedule, even though the last day was marred by mud and constant rain. But after last month’s dillo-dirtied Austin City Limits Festival, a little slop on the boots is…
Texans Find Yet Another Way To Turn Breakthrough Into Heartbreak
Before 2004, I remember laughing at Red Sox fans and the Curse of the Bambino. I rolled my eyes while Cubs fans whined about a goat. I remember being baffled that grown men and women could seriously believe or discuss outside forces having an impact on what occurs in the…
Video from Fun Fun Fun Fest In Austin: Metallagher, Death, Jesus Lizard and More
This weekend Rocks Off also brought along our littlest member, our Flip camera, to Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin. It proved to be indispensable in tight places where a regular still camera may not be as useful. Here’s a smattering of what we captured through it’s tiny lense. We…
Dynamo Advance, Thanks To A Brian Ching Goal
The Houston Dynamo found themselves in familiar territory Sunday evening, one step closer to the MLS Cup. After their 1-0 overtime victory against the Seattle Sounders FC, the Dynamo advanced to the Western Conference Finals.Sunday’s game was the second leg of a two-game, aggregate goal series. The first game was…
Native Pecan Report
The native pecans are nice and meaty this year. I knew it was pecan season when I saw two women walking around my neighborhood collecting nuts in a Shipley’s Donut bag. Then I saw a very clever individual shaking the branches of a native pecan tree by means of a…
Aftermath: AC/DC, Deja Vu All Over Again – Except Maybe Better – at Toyota Center
Aftermath suspected AC/DC’s return to Toyota Center might be a little similar to the ageless Aussies’ December 2008 Black Ice tour stop here because, well, we cheated and looked up set lists from the band’s Oklahoma City, Dallas and Austin stops last week on setlist.fm. Lo and behold, we were…
This Week In TV: Miracle Cures From Alien Civilizations
The Yankees won, Doug Hoffman lost, and I’m thinking of joining a neighborhood dad garage band. This was the week in TV Land: • 30 Rock continues to be the quickest comedy on the air and the spiritual descendant of Arrested Development. This week’s episode was stuffed with more meta-jokes…
Where Are We Eating?
This week, we’ve made sure that the name of the establishment isn’t visible in either the plate glass windows or the tent cards on the tables. In fact, we’re not showing you anything at all except the hostess stand at this Houston restaurant. Can you clever things figure this week’s…
Texas Traveler: Two Wheels Good, Four Wheels Bad
Since the weather in Texas is finally what the rest of the world calls normal, nothing beats hitting the streets on two wheels. Texas Traveler can hardly explain the way everything looks and smells different when you get out of the cage (see entry number two). And we’re not just…
Turning the Screw: ESG and Friends, Chamillionaire, Dustin Prestige, 50, Eminem, Jay-Z, Chris Brown, Jeezy, Rihanna, Lil’ Flip, etc.
Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off’s weekly rap post. It probably won’t rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: “Break Dem Boys Off,” ESG feat. Slim Thug and Big Hawk Wire To Wire Chamillionaire continues to market himself…
Cardiac Coogs Test The Hearts Of Their Faithful
It was just last month that Matt Hogan was the third-string kicker and back-up punter for the Houston Cougars. But after his 51-yard field goal soared through the goal posts as the clock reached 00:00 on Saturday night, it’s very doubtful that Hogan will have to worry about winning another…
Loni Love And The Chelsea Lately Comics Hit Houston
Plus-size comic Loni Love is coming to Houston this weekend as part of the Comedians of Chelsea Lately tour.Even though Love has had a successful stand-up career for more than six years now, her frequent appearances during the round-table sections of the late-night talk show hosted by Chelsea Handler on…
Thanks, Mr. Stalin, For All The Traffic This Weekend
Blame Obama if you’re stuck in hopeless traffic on I-10 East at I-45 this weekend. I-10 East will be completely closed, due to that socialistic stimulus act.Best attempt to put a good spin on it, from TxDOT: “With progress there is often sacrifice and the work on I-10 East will…
This Week In Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly round-up here at Eating Our Words, where we have a lovely bouquet and notes of walnut and oak in our boldly earthy flavor. Effervescent, but never insistent. Robb Walsh started us off with some foreign mustard favorites. Sadly, French’s did not make the list. They’re…
Which Hard-Rocking Northern Irishmen Might Blow AC/DC Off the Stage Sunday? The Answer Is The Answer
Rocks Off is about as excited about Sunday’s AC/DC show as we were for the Black Ice ballbreakers’ show 11 months ago, but for a much different reason. Last time it was because we hadn’t seen AC/DC since 1996 at Austin’s Frank Erwin Center; this time it’s because we’re itching…
Upcoming Events
Although it’s taking place next month, spots will fill up quickly for Absinthe: Revealed, so we’re doing you a favor by telling you about it now. On December 5 at 7:30 p.m., Avant Garden will be hosting a “celebration of tastings and truths” about one of the world’s most misunderstood spirits. The…
Last Call For Art: Retablos And UH-D’s Musical Debut
Among the annual must-see shows is Lawndale Art Center’s “Retablo Exhibition.” The show is winding down, with Saturday as its last day, so if you haven’t seen it yet, get to it.Dozens of Texas artists re-interpreted the Mexican tradition of retablos or devotional paintings for the show. The artists, including…
Food Fight: Battle Tamale
That special time of year is quickly approaching again, whether we’re ready for it or not. That’s right: It’s almost tamale time!Tamales at Christmas are a tradition not only in Houston, but in nearly every single area of the world that enjoys tamales. In places like Trinidad — where tamales…
Murdoch’s Pier Reopens On Galveston: Take That, Ike
Hurricane Ike has just officially become Yet Another Storm That Couldn’t Beat Murdoch’s Pier.The historic shop, on a pier stretching out over the Gulf, has had a soft re-opening and is expecting to be fully operational by the end of the month, the Galveston County Daily News reports.Some of the…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: Old Home Weekend at Anderson Fair
Two alumni of Houston’s fabled folk scene return to Anderson Fair this weekend. Vince Bell lives in Santa Fe, N.M., these days, but he will always be associated with the heyday of the Houston folk scene and Anderson Fair. Mentored by Townes van Zandt and Guy Clark, Bell had a…
Fan Mail for a Flounder
Flounder season has just started, and I have had it twice already. It’s a wonderfully flavorful fish that’s almost always cooked whole because it is nearly impossible to get all the meat off the bones in a filet. I had some simple fried flounder last weekend at Captain Benny’s served…
Openings and Closings: October 2009
If restaurant openings are an economic indicator, the last month would seem to signify that things are picking back up — at least in Houston. Things we’ve learned from this month’s openings and closings include: don’t put a “z” in your name if you’re trying to be taken seriously as…
A Big Na Zdrowie For The 12th Annual Polish Film Festival
The director of the 12th Annual Polish Film Festival, Zbigniew Wojciechowski, spoke with Hair Balls about the ever-growing event, including the festival’s beginnings, the current state of Polish cinema, and how he selected this year’s closing film, Mala Moskwa by director Waldemar Krzystek. Hair Balls: How did Houston’s Polish Film…
Please, Kenny Rogers, Just Sing and Spare Us the Pictures of Your Kids
Kenny Rogers is now 71 years old. And, as of a few years ago anyway, his boys can still swim. Aftermath knows this because we were treated to a slideshow of Rogers’ twin five-year-old sons – even some shots from the delivery room – as he sang the ballad “To…
Flaxseed Fad?
Acai berries, whole grain, probiotics and fiber are about to be usurped by flaxseed. Once seen mostly in specialty health food stores and used as an additive to salads, breads and soups, flaxseed-infused products are making their way to the same store shelves that stock things like Cheez-Whiz and Captain…
Game Time: The Cable Guy
For most of his tenure in Oakland, Tom Cable has been your run-of-the-mill, overmatched, “dead man walking” NFL head coach. When he was hired last season in the wake of Lane Kiffin’s firing, the things that jumped out at me about Cable were:– His only head coaching experience consisted of…
Rocks Off’s Picks for This Weekend’s Fun Fun Fun Festival
You can think of this weekend’s Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin as the indie, metal, and hip-hop little brother of the more staid Austin City Limits Music Festival. The fourth edition of the two-day event held in Waterloo Park in Austin starts tomorrow afternoon. Per our stated life path,…
At La Plaza
Machacada con huevo, the Northern Mexican dish of dried beef with scrambled eggs, makes a lovely Saturday morning breakfast. I ate a wonderful version last Saturday at of La Plaza restaurant on Bingle at Long Point. The interior of this place looks like an all-American diner. I was confused when…
How to Trust Your Mate in the Digital Age
Look. We couldn’t miss the collective whoop of joyous philanderers worldwide when Al Gore sat down and decided to invent the Internet. Clandestine, illicit communication via password-protected inboxes on web platforms? On what dotted line can you sign your penis away, and how fast? Salacious messages sent straight to your…
Café Rabelais and Manon
Since we were seeing Opera in the Heights’s production of the French opera Manon, we decided to pay homage by writing about another amazing French feat going on here in Houston. Café Rabelais in the Village is dear to many a European’s displaced heart – it’s the focal point of…
Friday Night Noise: Musicians, Get Your Lazy Asses Off MySpace
There’s no nice way to say this, so Friday Night Noise will just say it: MySpace is not enough, and if you are at all serious about making music and serious about building an audience of fans/listeners (be it 500 or 5,000 or 50,000 or 5 million) – and by…
Metro Vice President To Homeless: Stay Off Our Train
Todd Mason is the vice president of real estate services for Metro. At the time of his hiring, there was some concern that by hiring Mason and dabbling in big-time real estate development at and around Metro properties, the transit organization was extending itself far beyond its mission statement, which…
UH Hoops, Battling The Second-Rate Reputation Of Conference USA
Tom Penders has been tasked with returning the Houston Cougar basketball program to relevance. And that’s a task at which he feels he’s been successful. But he’s yet to succeed with the ultimate goal of basketball relevance, and that’s getting into the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.Now, the Cougars have won…
The Music of True Blood, Episode 1.5: Playing Chicken With the Train, and an AIDS Burger
Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He’s lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood – which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. With Season 2 just completed,…
Thursday Spaghetti at Saint Basil
Doh! I forgot to go to the Thursday spaghetti luncheon at Saint Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church on Eldridge Parkway again. Every Thursday I wake up with the intention of going to the spaghetti luncheon, but then something happens or I just plain forget about it. I love the…
The Week In Photos
The photographers in our Flickr pool capture stunning and cheeky scenes from the city each week. For more information about any of the pictures, including subject and photographer, simply click on them…
Five Spot: Jigga, Skiing, Gay Sex and Swishahouse
Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we’ll examine a recent bit of music news and list five reasons why it’s either brilliant or dumb-assed. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. We’ve got this notebook that we carry around pretty much everywhere with us. A few bullets from there before we get…
The Office: We’re Officially Afraid of Ryan
The Office has always been at its best when it mixes the eccentricities and occasional cruelties of its characters with a kind of sad humanity; basically, every character is constantly rediscovering just how much life can suck, then acting out about it, then dealing with it, then repeating the whole…
Late Night Scene: Taco Cabana
Okay, confession: It’s been years since I went to a Taco Cabana without the aid of a much-needed designated driver. But the bell tolls for all of us, and tonight it’s my turn to drunk-sit and someone else’s turn to drag me there for tortillas and queso. Walking into the…
FlashForward: Already Ghosts
Well, crap. FlashForward is still happening. Every week I think it’ll be replaced by reruns of Sports Night while my TV starts printing $20 bills, but nothing doing. Last night’s ep, “The Gift,” was a big old fist to the face of crazy, mainly because it finally featured a main…
Lone Star Scorecard: What Do Chris Rea, Webb Pierce and the Flamin’ Groovies Know About Texas?
There are a million songs in the naked [Lone Star] state. Some – okay, most – are boastful, some are introspective and some are merely stupid, as the Austin Lounge Lizards once noted. Whatever the case, all must be subjected to the rigorours scrutiny of the Lone Star Scorecard in…
Win Passes To 2012, And See What Other Religious Buildings They Wimped Out On Destroying
Roland Emmerich, who never met a plot hole he couldn’t fill with explosions and shitty dialogue, tells us there’s one place we won’t see bite the big one in his upcoming movie 2012: [T]he 53-year-old director had wanted to demolish the Kaaba, the iconic cube-shaped structure in the Grand Mosque…
The Ultimate Oyster Cracker?
My brother Dave got me hooked on these hot and spicy saltines. He says they’re the perfect oyster crackers. I haven’t tried them with oysters yet, but I will soon. The home version of these has been around for a long time. You mix up a package of dry ranch…
Tomorrow Is Dynamo Day — Break Out Your Hideous Orange Outfits
All right boys and girls, it’s time to bust out the orange ties, scarfs, or thongs.Earlier today, Houston Mayor Bill White announced that tomorrow, November 6, will be “Dynamo Day.”The Houston Dynamo are in the MLS Cup Playoffs, attempting something none of the other current Houston sports franchises have ever…
Inquiring Minds: Lucero’s Ben Nichols Explains Why Stax Soul + The Replacements’ Pleased to Meet Me = His Band
Lucero “Sixes and Sevens” from Lucero on Vimeo. A decade and six albums into their career, Memphis country-punks Lucero made the leap late last year from their own indie label, Liberty & Lament, onto Universal/Republic Records. The band’s rabid, boozy following may have been hesitant at the time of the…
Documentary About Tattoo Legend Being Shown Tonight At Rocbar
For the past three years, director Erich Weiss has been piecing together a documentary on the life of legendary tattooing pioneer Sailor Jerry. Tonight, Rocbar (530 Texas) hosts a special screening of Weiss’ film, Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry, complete with complementary Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum for those attending the screening.I’m…
Tacos & Tits & Ass: Bizarre Love Triangle
There’s food porn — teasing photographs of donuts glistening with a fresh coat of glaze, artfully arranged plates looking like architectural plans, footage of cakes being frosted as the icing is skillfully stroked across each plump layer — and then there’s food porn. Real food porn. With extreme emphasis on…
Game Time: The Lost Speech Of Yankee GM Brian Cashman
So the Yankees are World Champions. Yippee. Between watching Kobe tear out the Rockets’ collective heart last night, and then having to flip over to Fox to watch Alex Rodriguez’ post-game celebration (rehearsed in the mirror no fewer than 100 times, no doubt), November 4, 2009, will live in infamy…
Fiending for Berripop
Berripop is the current designer drug in a long line of addictive frozen yogurts. The consistency is smooth and creamy, with surprisingly few calories. The locations at Greenway and Uptown Park rotate flavors rather haphazardly, keeping customers on their toes and checking in regularly for the occasional surprise. Staples include…
Wednesdays are Honky-Tonk Heaven In Houston, and Thursdays are Hillbilly Hell
It’s no secret Rocks Off is a big fan of the country music, which is why we’re starting to get a little excited about the inner-loop honky-tonk scene that’s taking root. Over the weekend, we caught Sean Reefer & the Resin Valley Boys doing their hemped-up Hank Williams thang at…
Mass Shooting At Fort Hood
Madness has come to Fort Hood in Central Texas.Various media outlets are reporting that gunmen have killed seven people and wounded up to 20 others, and the situation is still fluid.Schools are on lockdown.CNN and others are following events; head there for more info.”At least one person is ‘neutralized’ in…
Feds Not So Sure About Toyota’s Claims That Floor Mats Are The Problem With Priuses
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a statement yesterday indicating that problems of unintended acceleration in Toyotas might be caused by something more than faulty floor mats. The statement from the federal agency was a response to Toyota’s claims, released on Tuesday, that “no defect exists in vehicles in…
Banh Cuon: Huynh in EaDo
We sampled the banh cuon nhan thit nuong, or steamed rice rolls with chargrilled pork, at Huynh on Emanuel for lunch the other day. The cute little rolls came crowded in a soup bowl with a vinegar and fish sauce dip on the side. I thought of them as Vietmanese…
He Said She Said: Songs That Remind Us of Our Grandfathers, Part 2
He Said Grandpa Songs He Said was lucky to have spent twenty-five years on Earth with his Grandpa Hlavaty, who passed away in the summer of 2008 of a brain hemorrhage. The man was arguably one of the biggest musical influences in He Said’s life. The intrepid and stealthy Grandpa…
West Galveston Tells Cops: You’ll Pry Our Golf Carts From Our Cold, Dead, Lazy Hands
Things have been rough on the West End of Galveston, what with the destruction by Hurricane Ike and all that comes from building McMansions one inch about sea level.But now the gods have gone too far. Now they want to take away residents’ golf carts.The Galveston city council meets today…
A Chat with David Mascari of Downing Street
When I sit down at the last free seat along the bar at Downing Street, David Mascari wins me over immediately by getting my name and shaking my hand after he takes my drink order. It’s obvious he’s comfortable behind the bar, and soon I find out why. “I’ve been…
Donut Patrol: Breakfast on Bingle
I tried my first chocolate raised doughnut at the Shipley’s on Bingle just north of Long Point. The chocolate flavor was very faint, and while the doughnut was fresh, it wasn’t warm anymore. The raised and glazed doughnuts, on the other hand, were piping hot. There weren’t any in the…
Houston Finally Learns How To Recycle — Through Dance
You can catch one of the most spontaneous and eclectic events of the season this weekend at The Recycle Club. It’s a combination of dancing, speaking, singing, and video projection in what choreographer Karen Stokes calls “a theatrical re-mix.”Stokes, who has been working as a dancer and choreographer in Houston…
He Said She Said: Songs That Remind Us of Our Grandfathers
She Said has something she wants to admit. Here goes nothing. We… like… country music. No big deal, right? You wouldn’t think so, unless you grew up in a town filled with racist rednecks who thought the glitz of ’90s Nashville qualifies for the only music worth listenin’ to. She…
Meyerland’s Secret Lunch Sandwich
On a trip through Meyerland recently we decided to grab some milk tea from a quaint café called Fioza (9002 Chimney Rock). This is more of a high school coffee hangout at night, but we ended up here at lunch time, and lo and behold, people were eating sandwiches. Not…
Fort Worth Police, TABC Clear Themselves In Gay-Bar Raid
A lot of people were up in arms about the raid by Fort Worth police and TABC agents on the Rainbow Lounge, a gay bar in Fort Worth.Patrons were beat up because, cops reportedly said, they were making goo-goo eyes at police, or however such things are described in official…
The H-Town Countdown, No. 12: Street Military’s Don’t Give a Damn
Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. We’re counting down the 25 best of all time every Thursday. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Street Military Don’t Give a Damn (Wild Pitch, 1999) Surprise. Kids, meet Street…
Chicken Soup in Less than 30 Minutes
This is not a Rachel Ray recipe, so just wipe that thought out of your mind. We can’t stand Rachel Ray and have banned her show from our house. We do all like a fast meal, though. So here’s our version of a 30-minute dish: chicken soup:…
In Make-Or-Break Year, Rockets’ Landry Looks To Fill Low-Post Void
There’s a popular belief in NBA circles that the third year is when a player makes the transition to stardom, if he’s going to make it. Among point guards, that worked for Chris Paul and Deron Williams, and much has been said about Aaron Brooks making a similar – though…
Sunoco — Doing Whatever It Takes In La Porte
We have little understanding of how a local chemical manufacturing plant can flaunt state environmental regulations for an entire year and not get called on the carpet for it until nearly two years later, but that describes the goings-on at the Sunoco, Inc., plant in La Porte.At its facility just…
“Rock Your World” Hot Sauce, Anyone? Like Kenny “Roaster” Rogers, Musicians Will Give Their Name to Anything
Kenny Rogers brings his vast collection of hits and the plastic-surgery disaster he calls a face to Jones Hall to perform with the Houston Symphony tonight, and obviously Rocks Off’s extremities are sweating profusely in anticipation. Not because he can’t wait to hear “She Believes in Me” with full orchestral…
Aeros Are Back Home — At Least Their Penalty-Killing Is In Good Shape
The Houston Aeros are returning home tonight to face the Manitoba Moose at Toyota Center at 7:05 p.m. They spent the past week on the road where they went 0-3 while losing twice in Grand Rapids and once to the Texas Stars in Austin on Sunday. But despite the team’s…
This Is Why You’re Fat: Now In Convenient Book Form!
Back in February, we lauded one of our favorite food websites — This Is Why You’re Fat — for bringing such monstrosities like the Corn Dog Pizza to our attention and for bringing the Deep Fried Mars Bar into the collective consciousness (we couldn’t bear to be the only ones…
A Few of Music’s Biggest Tattoo Enthusiasts – Besides Rocks Off, Of Course
Don’t act so surprised… As we can fatefully attest, rock and roll and tattoos go hand in hand. The first time Rocks Off saw a grizzled punk rocker walk by at Fitzgerald’s back in the ’90s with two sleeves full of tattoos and a chest full of nautical-themed art, we…
Pop Rocks: Dear John…Cusack
You used to be cool, John Cusack.We first noticed it in the 1980s, when “cool” didn’t have a lot of meaning. People used the word in connection with Jan Hammer, the Go-Bots, and Kirk Cameron, which should give you an idea how lost we really were. But somehow you dodged…
The Illuminations Project
The Illuminations Project is a fund-raiser that isn’t concerned with money. “It’s more about [HIV/AIDS] awareness than a big fund-raiser,” says IP Executive Producer Falcon Fuhr. This year the annual music and dance showcase features performances by Regina Dane, Clay Hardy, Hope Stone, City Ballet of Houston and Psophonia Dance,…
The Comedians of Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Handler is giving lots of comics a gig these days, both on her late-night talk show (Chelsea Lately features a roundtable with Handler and three comics in every episode), and on the comedy tour The Comedians of Chelsea Lately. Today’s show includes stand-up routines by Chelsea Lately regulars Heather…
100 Years of Magic
You might experience a case of Disney overload during the spectacular 100 Years of Magic, a Disney on Ice production. More than 60 characters from “the house the mouse built” appear on the ice, including Nemo, Mulan, Pinocchio, Stitch, Goofy and, of course, Mickey and Minnie. Expect to hear renditions…
“Transfusion”
After a change in the G Gallery’s scheduling left a slot open on the exhibit calendar, gallery director and artist Wayne Gilbert happily added the group show “Transfusion.” “This show is an introduction show for the new associate professors at the University of Houston,” Gilbert says. The exhibit includes sculpture…
“Perspectives 168”
For “Perspectives 168,” photographer Anna Krachey shopped around. The artist scavenged eBay for items to photograph, including a backdrop for a princess party. “It’s a giant sheet of really cheap plastic that has a Disney-princess-castle on it,” she says. Krachey cropped out the castle, leaving only a winding road in…
First Friday Poetry Reading Series: Robin Davidson
During this edition of the First Friday Poetry Reading Series, Robin Davidson will be reading some of her new work, much of which deals with women’s lives, isolation and the recent death of her father. She’ll also be reading her translations of work by Polish poet Ewa Lipska. Davidson, who…
Ben Tecumseh DeSoto: “Understanding Poverty”
Ben Tecumseh DeSoto won two Houston Press Best of Houston¨ awards earlier this year; he snagged Best Photographer, and his “Understanding Poverty” show at DiverseWorks was named Best Art Show (an honor he shared with collaborator Ann Walton Sieber). The exhibit has been retooled slightly for its current run at…
Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry
He’s the man most people in the know consider America’s tattoo master, Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins. A film documenting his life through archival footage, photographs and interviews, Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry tells not only his story but the story of American tattooing. The screening, which is presented by Aerosol Warfare…
Berliner on Berliner
How in the hell do you categorize Alan Berliner? Experimental filmmaker? Sure, that’s easy (The Family Album, Wide Awake).Unparalleled audio/videographer? Yeah, simple (Critical Mass, The Art of War). Essayist, aesthetician? Of course (“The Wisdom of the Ancients,” “Chasing Time”). Internet pioneer? Oh, why not (Found Sound)? Emmy Award-winner? He’s got…
The Guy Expo
You have to admit, coming up with an idea for an expo for men, where they can walk around doing manly things, is marketing genius. “We wanted to work on something that we could enjoy doing every day,” Shawna Suckow, one of The Guy Expo’s organizers, tells us. “We knew…
Las Nuevas Tamaleras
Wortham Center will become a tamale factory during today’s presentation of Las Nuevas Tamaleras. Written and directed by Alicia Mena, who also stars, the one-act comedy is the story of a trio of first-time tamale makers. The threesome is guided along by the spirits of two grandmothers and self-proclaimed tamale…
3rd Annual Turkic Cultures & Children’s Festival
Get a glimpse into the rich Turkish heritage at the 3rd Annual Turkic Cultures & Children’s Festival. Celebrating the traditions of peoples from across the Turkic region, including Bosnia, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, the festival offers live music, authentic food, folk dancing, handmade crafts, shadow theater and carnival games. Noon to…
The Recycle Club
Karen Stokes, co-founder of Travesty Dance Group, says The Recycle Club is “an hourlong performance, a swing dance lesson, a party and art installation that all use recycled clothing.” She goes on to explain, “Over the last 11 years, I’ve been doing dance in Houston…[For this show] I’ve picked out…
3rd Annual Chocolate Festival of Texas & Texas Wines
Today we can all celebrate chocolate, that delicious confection, at the 3rd Annual Chocolate Festival of Texas & Texas Wines. Honoring everything dark and creamy, the festival has both local and national chocolatiers offering samplings from bonbons to chocolate fondue, and don’t forget, you can wash it all down with…
Dieter Balzer
Dieter Balzer is known for his complex, clean-lined art objects – boxes on top of boxes and fun layers of primary blues and reds. The sculptural work, a mixture of geometry and ornament, is going up at Gallery Sonja Roesch. Roesch thinks the work is “marvelous, absolutely marvelous, because in…
Chocolate, Champagne, and Charity
The Houston Galveston Institute and friends will take over the Groovy Grill during today’s Chocolate, Champagne, and Charity fund-raiser. (Never heard of the HGI? They concentrate on advancing psychotherapy.) The highlight of the evening is an auction for dozens of wonderful prizes, including a margarita party for 20, a trip…
Pandora’s Box
Prepare to be amazed and awed by luminous beauty Louise Brooks in G.W. Pabst’s masterpiece, Pandora’s Box (1928), part of KUHF’s Silent Film Concert Series. Her innocent/amoral Lulu is one of cinema’s most incandescent accomplishments. Although she took the world by storm with her performance, her independence, pride and deserved…
Taste of the Town
Jessica Meza, administrative assistant for the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, has a bit of advice for anyone planning to attend the 20th Annual Taste of the Town: “Don’t eat anything during the day,” she laughs. With 30 restaurants offering samplings of their signature dishes during the event, that might be…
Truth and Consequences on the Mexico-United States Border: Protecting the Rights of All Border Residents
Lisa Brodyaga, founder of Refugio Del Rio Grande, a refugee camp and law office near Harlingen, will appear at today’s presentation of Truth and Consequences on the Mexico-United States Border: Protecting the Rights of All Border Residents. Brodyaga takes on pro-bono cases of children born to midwives and citizenship cases…
Manon
For a look at an 18th-century version of girls gone wild, catch Jules Massenet’s Manon, opening this week at Opera in the Heights. It’s the tale of a pretty teenage girl who lets loose on her way to the convent. In his essay about the opera, OH’s Maestro William M…
“International Discoveries II”
Just in case you haven’t had time to globe-trot between prestigious international photography events lately, FotoFest is bringing some of the world’s best to you in “International Discoveries II.” The exhibit, which features nine photographers from four continents, required FotoFest curatorial staff to travel to photo reviews and biennials (work,…
Susan Kandel: Dial H for Hitchcock
Cece Caruso is in a bit of a tailspin. The central character in Susan Kandel’s newest release, Dial H for Hitchcock, Cece has called off her wedding (even though she’s not sure why), and her latest project, a biography of master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, is way past its deadline. Hoping…
UN Association Traveling Film Festival
One of the United Nations’ secret weapons in dealing with global economic and humanitarian issues is the UN Association Traveling Film Festival. The documentaries chosen for the showcase highlight hot-button social issues, from Uighur orphans, part of an ethnic group in China fighting to maintain its cultural traditions, to endangered…
Shonen Knife
A little math to put things in perspective: Shonen Knife played its first Osaka, Japan, gigs in 1981, the same year the Go-Go’s released Beauty and the Beat. This means that by the time the trio reduced the usually taciturn Kurt Cobain to a self-described “nine-year-old girl at a Beatles…
Lucero
Lucero isn’t the first group to mix punk rock’s aggression with country’s penchant for twang, but the Memphis, Tennessee, act has spent the last decade becoming the band of choice for PBR-swilling, trucker-hat-wearing fans everywhere. Although the group’s latest release, last month’s 1372 Overton Park, continues down the more rock-oriented…
Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor combines a whimsical, Björk-like sensibility with singing chops and genuine compassion, and she’s usually able to effectively combine the silly and the sweet. While her previous album, Begin to Hope, featured some jaunty numbers and plenty of nonsensical musings, this year’s Far feels more serious. Sure, this is…
Rob Zombie, Captain Clegg & the Night Creatures
Rob Zombie has been spending a lot more time behind the camera than behind the microphone lately — he’s directed both Halloween and Halloween II since his last album, Educated Horses, came out in 2006. But the roots of Zombie’s psychosexual cinematic creepshows lie in his music, which keeps one…
Selma Blair and the Ick Factor
Stage Selma Blair & The Ick Factor Hellboy actress starring in Alley play By Margaret Downing Selma Blair playing Kayleen picks at the blood on fellow actor Brad Fleischer’s face — an action designed to be both comic and in keeping with the title of the terrific new two-actor play…
Toilet Brushes and Total War
German artist Josephine Meckseper’s work upstairs at Blaffer Gallery is billed as engaging “leftist theories and politics in a consumerist reality.” In “Josephine Meckseper,” curated by Cynthia Woods Mitchell Curatorial Fellow Rachel Hooper, the artist presents a mixture of objects — protest signs, ads, mannequins, plastic-wrapped toilet brushes, a plastic…
Our Next Mayor, The Cougars Victory and Sex for Tickets
Come What Mayor No fair: I’m disappointed in the Houston Press. On the cover of the October 22 edition, you forgot to include even smaller boxes for the Socialist, Santa Claus look-alike and Minuteman wannabe [“Houston’s Choice for Mayor,” by Rich Connelly]. Aren’t they legitimate candidates? Justin Webb Kingwood Funny:…
Comrade Ambassadors
Vladivostok, a city of a half-million people in far eastern Russia on the Sea of Japan, is an isolated place for a kid to grow up. A ten-hour flight from Moscow, the city is the eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian railroad. It was once the Soviet Union’s biggest naval port…
Getting Off
Sergei Tukanov drove his gold Nissan Maxima through a red light toward the end of a Sunday night. It T-boned a police cruiser, sending Tukanov into his airbag and the female officer at the wheel to the hospital. An officer from the DWI Task Force was called to the scene…
Animal Art
A mutant frog head with bug eyes grows out of a small metal paint bucket. It’s placed on the floor to greet you as you first walk in the door of the Blaffer Gallery. Crafted from green expandable foam with eyes made from felt scraps, it’s kind of creepy, kind…
A Very CGI Christmas
It’s not hard to see how the director of Forrest Gump would be thought a good fit to adapt the dearly beloved (and much lampooned) Dickens tale that has survived nearly two centuries of retelling if you count the Flintstone, Muppet and Barbie versions. Stuffed with simple souls winning over…
Got Your Goat
Historical cataclysm produces conspiratorial thinking: Germany’s loss in World War I, the JFK assassination and 9/11 are all naturally understood as the stuff of unimaginable plots, unspeakable cover-ups and unseen forces. The guys who made The Men Who Stare at Goats can’t quite decide whether this syndrome is risible or…
THE COUGAR DEN’S COUGAR COOLER
When I attended University of Houston, the only on-campus watering holes I frequented were the stadium parking lot and the Communication Building. (During one end-of-the-semester newspaper party, a colleague who also went on to write for this very column nearly pissed on my head from a second-story walkway. We’re a…
Vision Quest
Before Charlie Hardwick realized he was losing his vision, he had already almost died. Hardwick, 40, is a lifelong Houstonian, former punk rocker, husband to a middle-school teacher/grad student and father to two young girls. As Uncle Charlie, he’s one of the Southwest’s leading concert graphic artists and averages eight…
Capsule Art Reviews: “A Room of Her Own”, “Carlos Cruz-Diez: Crosswalk”, Damascus Gate (Stretch Variation III), “Reduced Visibility”
“A Room of Her Own” Group shows of women artists are exceptionally patronizing when the only connection between the works presented is that they were all made by someone with a vagina. That’s the organizing principle behind “A Room of Her Own” at McClain Gallery. The title is pretty awful…
Dust in the Wind
[Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the Houston Press’s St. Louis sister paper Riverfront Times.] Since Jay Farrar reactivated Son Volt nearly a half-decade ago, he’s wasted no time adding to the band’s influential legacy. Its third studio album in the last four years (and sixth overall), American Central…
Capsule Stage Reviews: The Elixir of Love, Lohengrin, Mary Poppins
The Elixir of Love It takes over an hour and a half before the magic potion finally takes effect at Houston Grand Opera and Gaetano Donizetti’s sparkling opera starts to fizz. We have to wait until nearly the end of the opera for director Annabel Arden to stop being obtrusive…
Black Lightning
Since beginning his professional career at the tender age of 18 in UK folk-rock trailblazers Fairport Convention, for more than 40 years Richard Thompson has blazed one of the truly singular trails in pop music. Equally gifted as a singer, songwriter and guitarist, Thompson returns to the area with Loudon…
Confusion, Intimidation and Royalty
Dear Mexican, Why do beaners or gabachos deliberately try to ignore white people and act like they’re not there, or when you’re walking by, the lady beaners laugh so hard with a repulsive fake laugh that makes you want to just punch them? Not only I have noticed this, but…
Two Saints
Joe Rippey is one of the co-owners of Two Saints (12460 Memorial, 713-465-8967), which is presently exciting Houston’s West Side diners. He’s also the owner of the Vine Wine Room, located right across from the BYOB restaurant. “I am a wine drinker, and I also live three blocks from the…
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
It’s hard to believe the Fabulous Thunderbirds have been around 35 years. Formed in Austin in 1974, the respected band found its way onto stages with bands like the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton long before it ever had a hit song. Despite the massive respect they got from fellow…
Country Cooking
The pappardelle campagnolo ($16) at Carrabba’s (3115 Kirby, 713-522-3131) showcases lots of basic Italian ingredients. Inch-wide, homemade pasta is mixed in a large bowl with sausage (a Carrabba’s family recipe), onions, fresh tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, and the wonderful sauce. The final splash of color comes from a brilliant…
Mojo Nixon, Dash Rip Rock, New Duncan Imperials
Something tells me it’s not the worldwide economic meltdown that has brought Mojo Nixon back out on the road in what he describes on his Web site as “unretirement.” Something tells me that Country Dick Montana’s favorite co-writer misses The Life, the party, the craziness, and that sitting around home…
Looking for a Bull Market
Our USDA Prime, dry-aged, bone-in strip was bright red and rare along the bone, and medium-well toward the thinner edge. It averaged out to the medium-rare we requested. The variance in doneness common in a bone-in cut worked out perfectly. Two of us were splitting the steak, and I like…
