Van Loc Restaurant to Close Soon: Family Owners Decide to Retire
We see restaurants close up shop every week for various reasons, but mostly because business isn’t so hot at the moment or the area of town doesn’t draw the amount of customers the restaurant needs to remain open. It’s not too often, though, that we see a well-established restaurant with…
Classical Theatre Postpones The Speckled Band Until February
Houston’s Classical Theatre Company has announced it is postponing The Speckled Band: An Adventure of Sherlock Holmes that was supposed to open next week. According to a press release Monday, the problem involved “venue scheduling” which in the fine tradition of Arthur Conan Doyle, should be mysterious enough for everyone…
Helen McCrory Crackles With Intensity and Rage in National Theatre Live’ s Medea
The Set-up: On the surface, Medea, the woman who kills her children in order to punish her husband who has abandoned them all, seems impossible to understand. It seems equally impossible to sympathize with her. Helen McCrory’s gut-wrenching performance in the National Theatre production of Medea, filmed live in September…
H-E-B Issues Recall of Samuel Kane Beef Processors’ Beef Products
H-E-B customers who recently bought beef at one of its stores might want to take a closer look at what they brought home. H-E-B has announced it is following the precautionary recall called for by Sam Kane Beef Processors which said there might be foreign material in some of its…
Best Badass Hair Dye Jobs in the Movies for Your Viewing Pleasure and Inspiration
I personally love dying my hair. Although I never go crazy with the colors. Being a brunette, I tend to go for safe chestnut colors or reds. But like a lot of chicks I’ve always had a secret desire to dye my hair some off-the-wall color. So when I see…
Fan Fighting League! Niner Fan on Niner Fan Bathroom Violence (w/ VIDEO)
For decades, it’s been largely agreed that the least safe place as a road team fan to go see a game is Oakland Coliseum. But is that actuality? Yes, the sea of black and silver sets an intimidating backdrop, and the gaggle of societal misfits in their face paint and…
Common Bond Serves First Seated Dinner During Inaugural Pop-Up
We know that Common Bond Cafe & Bakery has perfected its pastries and sweets, such as the ever-popular kugelhopf, almond croissant, chocolate chip cookie and kouign amman. We also know that the Westheimer bakery offers an incredible lunch featuring seasonal sandwiches and mainstay items, such as the turkey confit with…
Taste-Testing the Taco of the Month at Torchy’s Tacos: The Scarecrow
October is finally here and that means another special taco of the month from Torchy’s Tacos. The month-long specials have been packed with flavor, especially the month with four increasingly spicy tacos. And just as every bakery, restaurant and coffee shop has been adding something pumpkin to its menus this…
San Jacinto Dioxin Case Kicks Off
The trifecta of lawsuits filed against companies for allegedly dumping toxic paper waste into the San Jacinto River finally came to trial on Monday. Waste Management, International Paper and McGinnis Industrial Maintenance Corporation are accused of allowing dioxin, a “cancer-enhancer” chemical, to leak uninhibited into a river system where people…
Best Comics in September Part 1: Holmes vs. Houdini and the Death of Wolverine
Each month the staff at 8th Dimension Comics picks out the best book to review. Look for Part 2 tomorrow. Men of Wrath #1 Jason Aaron got my attention with Southern Bastards, and here comes another terrifying trip into southern brutality and another grizzled old badass. Ira Rath is a…
Houston’s Best Music Photographers: Josh Ortiz
Back in June Rocks Off brought you Houston’s ten best music photographers, as selected by a small panel of insiders and professionals. Now we’d like you readers to choose the best. Before voting opens, though, here’s a little more about our finalists, in alphabetical order — and a lot more…
The Supremes Won’t Hear Gay Marriage Cases, So What About Texas?
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court shocked the hell out of everybody when they declined without comment to hear any of the cases brought before them appealing state bans on gay marriage in Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin and Indiana. The move made gay marriage legal in those states, but it…
Pop Rocks: Where the Ladies of Twin Peaks Are Today
David Lynch’s twisted noir crime drama set in the Pacific Northwest will return to television on the 25th anniversary of the series finale with a special batch of episodes on Showtime in 2016. Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost will helm the new show which will update the series a quarter…
Hong Kong Nostalgia, Appropriately, at Confucius Restaurant
If you are an ardent seafood lover, try to go to Hong Kong before you die. The island is home to dozens of restaurants, streetside stalls and market booths serving transcendently delicious dishes involving prawns, octopus, squid, lobster, crab, plus a host of other “fish” from more than a hundred…
Cypress Patient Is Being Monitored for Ebola
Northwest Cypress Medical Center officials say they’re monitoring a patient who is at “extremely low risk” of having the Ebola virus. According to a statement the hospital provided to KTRK, local health officials are monitoring the patient, who recently traveled to West Africa, out of an abundance of caution in…
“Fool’s Gold”: Katy Heinlein & Alika Herreshoff Use Strong Colors to Deliver Their Visions
Strong colors deliver the messages of two artists, one using fabric sculptures and one employing acrylic on canvas. The small but enlightening exhibition is at the intimate Art Palace, which seems to have a knack for displaying innovative art. Katy Heinlein’s Workaround is deceptively simple. Its shape at first glance…
Two Years After Opening, Papa Mio Continues to Excel
Two years ago, a takeout supper from Papa Mio proved very good. Last week, dinner was absolutely terrific. Affordable, high-quality “red sauce” Italian food can be tricky to find in Houston, where most Italian restaurants tend to be higher-end and attend to regional or niche specialties. Not that there’s anything…
Doctor Who: A Writer Completely Disses Moffat on His Own Show
There really isn’t any point in discussing my opinion of “Kill the Moon” without spoilers, so here’s your warning. Nothing but spoilers follows because I honestly believe the granddaddy of “taking the piss out of your boss” must be discussed with all the tools on the table. First-time Doctor Who…
Rosinka Wine & Tea House in Rice Village Transports You Straight to Europe
Rice Village is one of the best areas in the city to walk around visiting shops, restaurants, cafes and farmers markets just as you would in a European country. And that’s exactly why Katerina Belik and Ivan Belik opened Rosinka Wine & Tea House in this neighborhood. Katerina is a…
Pop Quiz: Are These Violent Verses From the Bible or the Koran?
Almost against my will I have been following the tale of Jan Morgan, a proud gun range owner and public speaker on run rights who set the internet ablaze with her blog post, Why I Want My Range to be a Muslim Free Zone. In it she claimed that she’d…
NFL Bye Week Crime Follies: Vikings and Dolphins Both Get Tased
As many of you know, during the offseason months of the NFL calendar, I run a little thing in this space called the Fantasy Crime League. It’s basically a tongue-in-cheek (but unfortunately, frequently updated) tip of the hat to the amount of trouble that some NFL players get into with…
Relax, It’s Okay to Like Weezer Again
“Take me back,” singer Rivers Cuomo intones in the chorus of Weezer’s latest hit single, “Back to the Shack.” It’s a familiar sentiment from him, going all the way back to the early portion of his career when he sang “I’ve got to get back” in Pinkerton classic “The Good…
Upcoming: Bam Margera, B.o.B., Common, Rev. Horton Heat, Wiz Khalifa, Wynonna, etc.
Alan Haynes: Sat., October 25, 9 p.m., $5. The Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club, 5731 Kirby, Houston, 713-523-9999. American Authors: With the Mowgli’s, Echosmith. Sat., October 18, 7 p.m., $18. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston, 713-225-5483. Anna Nalick: Fri., October 10, 8:30 p.m., $24 to $30. Dosey Doe…
What’s the Big Deal About Stage-Diving?
If you were at the recent Joyce Manor show at Walters, you got a rude awakening from the fun of flailing around in a punk-rock mosh pit when Barry Johnson, the band’s lead singer and guitarist, went off on a fan who was stage-diving. All insults to the fan’s patriotic…
The Best Things We Overheard at ACL Fest’s First Weekend
By Cory Garcia and Marco Torres On ACL becoming more like Brochella: “Ive seen dudes chest-bumping.” “It’s disgusting. I don’t think men should wear tank tops.” “I’m too old for this shit!” — a 20 year old blonde girl who literally could not even…
Lawsuit Claims Child-Predator Pastor First Met Victim During Outreach at a Public School
The attorney suing two massive Houston-area churches for employing a youth pastor that sexually exploited young churchgoers claims the minister first found one of his targets during outreach at a local public school. Last week attorney Cris Feldman filed a lawsuit against Second Baptist Church and Community of Faith Church…
Zapruder Analysis of the Craziest College Football Saturday Ever
ESPN’s College GameDay, the gold standard for all sports studio shows and maybe all sports shows period, took its road show this week to Oxford, Mississippi for the most important game in the recent history of Ole Miss football. The Ole Miss Rebels, sitting on the cusp of the AP…
The Best and Worst of ACL Fest, Weekend 1
Best Act That We Didn’t Understand How They Were Making Noise: The Glitch Mob With a battery of touchscreens and drum triggers, The Glitch Mob dropped what was the most impressive set of electronica on the festival, which is saying a lot on a bill that features some of the…
Monet Gets Rollin’ on the River at MFAH Exhibit
Throughout his lengthy artistic life, Claude Monet (1840-1926) painted a lot of different subject matter. But he had a particular fondness for water. And then for one certain body of water. “I have painted the Seine throughout my entire life, at every hour, at every season,” he once said. “I…
Dish of the Week: Chicken-Fried Steak
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. See the complete list of recipes at the end of this post. This week, we’re covering a Texas-bred Southern essential, Chicken-Fried Steak. Though it really needs no explanation, chicken-fried steak –…
7 Titles and Businesses That Should Consider a Name Change
In Houston and throughout Texas, there are a lot of weird names that confuse visitors. It is difficult to explain that Kuykendahl Road is properly pronounced KIRK-un-dahl or that there is something in the state called Waxahachie. That’s before we even get into the influences from the wide variety of…
2015 Houston Firefighters Calendar Premieres October 10
Firefighters out on the street, covering blazes, are almost always kitted out in boots, helmet, heavy gloves and figure-concealing coats. Once a year, all that comes off, though, to benefit the the non profit Houston Fire Fighters Burned Children Fund. Twelve models grace the pages in the hopes that by…
Cowboys 20, Texans 17: 4 Winners, 4 Losers
Well, it’s been a while since we had a game like that to invest in here in Houston. No, I’m not talking about a mere loss by our NFL team. We had 14 of those last season, and already had one a couple weeks ago against the Giants. I’m talking…
The 6 Best Cheap and Lazy Last-Minute Halloween Costumes of 2014
And so it goes that 11 months have gone by, bringing us back to the start of October and the march toward Halloween. For many, this is the most wonderful time of year. We probably all have that one friend who has already decked out his crib with Halloween decorations…
The 10 Best Texans-Cowboys Rapper Tweets
The 2014 Houston Texans have a new coach, new players, new hope and the same dedicated fan base of Houston-based rappers. As in years past, they took to Twitter on game day to comment on the home team’s gridiron action. And, as in years past, Rocks Off read their tweets…
Devil Dog Six Merely Places on Script But Wins on Production
The set up: Move over War Horse, there’s a new pony in town and this one ain’t gonna tug manipulatively on your heart strings in Walt Disney tear-jerky fashion. In fact, this horse is aiming to make you take pause and actually think about real human issues and emotions. Devil…
Baker Spotlight: Annie Rupani, Chocolatier and Owner of Cacao & Cardamom
Annie Rupani makes some of the most beautiful chocolates you have ever seen; each creation is like a work of art. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in Anthropology and Religion, she set her sights on becoming a lawyer. And like every person studying for the LSATs, she…
Sure, Most Abortion Clinics in Texas Have Closed. But There Are Still Plenty of Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Half of the abortion clinics in Texas closed last year and all but eight or less were summarily forced to shutter after a panel of judges from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that House Bill 2, the state law restricting (or as some like to claim “regulating”) abortion…
The Most Underrated Kolaches in Houston…According to You
How many times have you spoken to a non-Texan friend about kolaches and they had absolutely no idea what you were talking about? Probably 99.9 percent of the time, right? Kolaches are a special part of Texas cuisine that the rest of the country is sadly missing out on. And…
Owls Defeat The Rainbow Warriors
The Rice Owls offense looked to be sleeping most of Saturday night. There’d be a three-and-out and a punt. Then a three-and-out and a punt. And on, and on. The Owls had expected a tough contest from Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, and the offense expected that the Hawaii defense would throw…
The Changing Face of Houston – Glenbrook Valley
Houston grew a great deal during the years following the end of World War II, with many new neighborhoods being developed during that time period. When Interstate 45 was built in 1948, Houston began to expand south, with the opening of Hobby Airport, and proximity to NASA, Ellington Field, and…
Iggy Azalea at Bayou Music Center, 10/3/2014
Iggy Azalea Bayou Music Center October 3, 2014 Artists come and go. That’s a fact of the music business. It’s very easy to lose relevancy in any aspect of life, but seems much easier in the music industry. If, as an artist, you don’t stay at the forefront, you’re pushed…
Interpol at House of Blues, 10/3/2014
Interpol House of Blues October 3, 2014 Interpol is, at least in theory, a gem. Heavily influenced by British post-punk, the New York-based quartet-turned-trio remains an indie-rock band at heart more than a decade into its spotty career, one that was arguably never supposed to be as successful as it…
The Five Best Shows in Houston This Week: Nikki Lane, Fitz & the Tantrums, Beck, etc.
Nikki Lane Cactus Music, October 6 (5:30 p.m.) Nikki Lane, the South Carolina-bred singer with haunted songs and a haunting voice, is New West Records’ latest trad-country ingenue. Her album from earlier this year, All or Nothin’,’ takes some getting over, what with lines like “it’s always the right time…
‘American Insurgent Movement’ Leader Pleads Guilty to Plot to Overthrow Government, Rob Banks and Blow Up Mosques
A Katy man who the FBI says tried to form an “American Insurgent Movement” to rob banks, blow up mosques and overthrow the government with “blood and bullets” has pleaded guilty in federal court. Court records show Robert Talbot Jr., 38, admitted to plotting his revolution in a hearing before…
UPDATED Driver Arrested in Hit-and-Run Death of Northwest Side Bicyclist
A 30-year-old Houston man was arrested in the hit-and-run accident that killed Jose Mendez-Manzano on Saturday. Eduardo Torres was charged with failure to stop and render aid, which as of September 2013 is considered a second-degree felony. The victim, Mendez-Manzano, was a 63-year-old grandfather who sold fresh produce from a…
First Female Takes Home a Prize From Iron Somm, But Bubbles Still Win
Female sommeliers have competed in the annual Iron Sommelier Competition for years, but last night marked the first time that one has taken home one of the major award categories. Vanessa Treviño-Boyd of 60 Degrees Mastercrafted scored the Best Presentation award last night. She succeeded in the intimidating task of…
Free Game Day: Triple Adventure
It’s Friday, and we know you’re just going to play on the internet until it’s time to leave work. Each week we’ll be bringing you a free flash game to help the time pass! Game: Triple Adventure Genre: Puzzler Made By: Armor Games Play at: Armor Games Rating: 3 out…
UCF’s Knights Slay the Cougars, Send UH to a Losing Record
American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco spoke to the press before last night’s Houston versus UCF game. He boasted about UH’s new stadium, and the growth of the second-year conference. He noted the multiple NCAA titles gained by the conference last season, and bragged about UCF’s Fiesta Bowl victory. He…
Kacey Musgraves at Warehouse Live, 10/2/2014
Kacey Musgraves Warehouse Live October 2, 2014 Kacey Musgraves feels almost too good to be true. The 26-year-old Texan seems as sweet as can be, both onstage and in her media appearances, and sparks the kind of connection with fans that has them singing her songs back to her without…
The Marijuana Biz Comes to Houston This Weekend
Got a good pot product you want to pitch? Well, you’re in luck. The Marijuana Investment Conference will be happening this weekend, and it will take place right in our fair city. That’s right — the Bayou City is about to be home to quite a few weed deals, and…
UPDATED: Marie Antoinette: Celebrity Scapegoat of the 18th Century
Update: Because of popular demand the Stages production of Marie Antoinette has been extended through November 9. We all know the story of Marie Antoinette: spoiled rich queen who got rather severely punished when the people of France got tired of all the partying. Several authors and directors (Sofia Coppola…
Another Heights-Area Cat Killing — and a $10,000 Reward
This is getting really out of hand: A Lazybrook woman has reported another cat mutilation, which was discovered — but somehow overlooked — shortly before another incident on September 20. The woman says she found the leg, ear, and nose “of what would have been a small sized black cat,”…
The 5 Best Cinnamon Rolls in Houston
Ahh. Cinnamon rolls. You can recognize that smell anywhere. Most of us probably have nostalgic memories of the smell of baking cinnamon rolls in the morning. And when the melted cream cheese frosting is poured over the top, it takes every muscle in your body to resist diving in before…
How to Properly be a Hipster
Hipsters…Where did this group come from and when did they first appear? No clue…but they are everywhere. And apparently anyone from their teens until late into their 30s can be a hipster. But as I’ve recently learned, if someone wants to achieve success at becoming a hipster, there are certain…
JW Marriott Houston Downtown + David Peck Make a Great Pair, Unveil New Clothing Collection
Who says work uniforms have to be cookie cutter boring? Not the folks at swanky new hotel JW Marriott Houston Downtown. Not only have they created one of the chicest hotels to hit our little hamlet as of late, but they have outfitted their hotel associates in the most enviable…
College and Pro Football: This Weekend’s Best Bets
A 5-1 week of prognosticating is like an elite quarterback in the NFL. It can cover up a lot of future mistakes. Two weeks ago, I put up a nice 5-1 week, and began feeling pretty good about myself, like maybe I was turning the corner and shaking a slump…
8 Etsy Items to Show Pumpkin Spice Latte Love
It’s fall, and if you’re anything like me, it means that the phrase “Can you get me coffee on the way back?” is getting uttered in your house a lot more. It’s not coffee, though. Not JUST coffee. It’s time for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, the McRib of overpriced caffeinated beverages…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Pub Night at Saint Arnold & More
Pub Night @ Saint Arnold Brewery Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. 2000 Lyons The October Pub Night at Saint Arnold Brewing Co. has arrived. From 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., the brewery will serve as a bar so you can purchase your beers by the glass or the bottle…
100 Creatives 2014: Deji Osinulu, Photographer
The emotional aspects of photographer Deji Osinulu’s work outweigh the technical ones. Not by much, he says, but by enough that his creative process is focused on making a connection with his subject rather than achieving technical perfection. “My first concern is emotional, but there’s an ebb and flow to…
Upcoming Events: Wagyu & Wine Is Oh So Fine
The Capital Grille is currently offering its “Waygu & Wine” special now through November 23. Guests can choose a gourmet burger paired with a glass of wine for $25. Burger options are the classic Wagyu Cheeseburger featuring a toasted brioche roll, Havarti cheese, a sunny-side up egg and crispy onions;…
How Contagious Is Ebola?
It’s been odd to watch the folks up in Dallas handle being ground zero for the first Ebola case in the United States. Ebola is a nasty, frightening disease, but Dallas and state officials have been cucumber-cool about the whole thing. First, they had a patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, who…
Iggy Pop vs. Iggy Azalea: Two Legit
It’s been a hell of a year for Iggy Azalea. Behind a few monster singles, the Australian hip-hop chanteuse has finally broken out of the novelty-rap ghetto and into the gated community of the mainstream. Sure, she may have accumulated a guerilla army’s worth of haters along the way –…
Sheriff Adrian Garcia Is ‘Damn Mad’ About Conditions Uncovered at the Harris County Jail
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia repeatedly told reporters Thursday that he’s “damn mad” about the deplorable conditions one mentally ill inmate was forced to endure at the county jail last year. “I remain damn angry and I am outraged by the recent accounts of failure in the Harris County Jail,”…
The 5 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Robert Hodge, Sarah Chang and More
Visual artist Robert Hodge won’t have far to drive when he attends his first ever solo museum show on Friday. Hodge grew up in and still has his studio in Third Ward, just a few blocks away from the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. The exhibit, “Robert Hodge: Destroy & Rebuild,”is…
Three Years Later, Did the Texans Win or Lose the 2011 NFL Draft?
The Shiloh Keo Era ended earlier this week. I think most of us could see that coming, what with Keo only being healthy for like one day this entire 2014 preseason and regular season. (To be fair, it was a very productive day, as he had 11 tackles in the…
Jim Mize Falls Down the Rabbit Hole
“Tie me to the chair and lock the door/ Take my shoes and nail ’em to the floor” Nothing short of an envelope stuffed full of crisp new payola $100 bills moves Lonesome, Onry and Mean like hearing a new recording from an unknown artist that causes insomnia to set…
Openings & Closings: Little Bigs Is Getting a Little Bigger
It looks like Little Bigs is moving to a new location and it’s going to be a much bigger space than the current spot at 2703 Montrose. The Houston Chronicle reports that Little Bigs’s last day at its original location will be October 26; the owners expect to open at…
Houston’s 10 Best Bars to Take Out-of-Towners
So you’ve got out-of-towners coming in — old friends, relatives, business prospects from Minneapolis, Titans fans in for a hit-and-run NFL weekend, or whatever. Now the burden is upon you, the local-scene guru, to show them the town. You’ve told them how great Houston is, how much you enjoy living…
Some Nerve’s Latest Cuts Pretty Close to Home
Some Nerve has been gigging with legendary bands like MDC, Casualties, Negative Approach, and 7 Seconds since rising from the local scene in 2013. On their new self-titled album, released by Dying Scene Records, they offer explosive, potent, metal-punk hybrids that leave play-by-numbers bands in the dust. Almost effortlessly, they…
The 10 Best Concerts in Houston This Weekend: Iggy Azalea, Bury the Crown, Jimmy Cliff, etc.
Interpol House of Blues, October 3 After 2010’s self-titled release was met with a collective shrug and following the departure of longtime bassist/co-founder Carlos Dengler, Interpol looked like it might be down for the count. But after a short hiatus and two solo albums from vocalist Paul Banks, the NYC…
Fifth Circuit Ruling Shutters Most of Texas’s Abortion Clinics
More than a dozen abortion clinics in Texas won’t reopen tomorrow. The federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling Thursday afternoon allowing state officials to immediately begin enforcing the second part of House Bill 2 (the one that state Sen. Wendy Davis famously filibustered against) while it fights…
The Chron Takes a Coffee Break
Times is hard in the world of journalism. On the heels of the New York Times announcing that it will cut 100 jobs from its newsroom, we bring you some sad news out of the Houston Chronicle today: the daily’s newsroom has run out of coffee…
Houston’s Surviving Landmarks
The planned demolition of former Wheatley High School in the Fifth Ward started in September was stalled yet again on Monday, this time after a resident sued Houston ISD over concerns about asbestos. Previously, preservationists had fought the district’s plans to replace the historically black, 1929 school with a modern,…
Assessing This Week’s Houston Texans “Bottom of the Roster Shuffle”
Since the time this team started up preseason in late July, the Houston Texans roster has been constantly in motion, with revolving doors built around almost every spot below the starters on the depth chart. Throughout the preseason, training camp and the first few weeks of the regular season, the…
Santana at Bayou Music Center, 10/1/2014
¡Con el corazon, se hace todos los milagros! (With heart, one can make miracles) — Carlos Santana Carlos Santana “Corazón” tour Bayou Music Center October 1, 2014 As I was watching the documentary B.B. King: The Life of Riley last week, I saw a familiar face on screen. It was…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Chris Shepherd of Underbelly
There are very few chefs in the United States who can describe what it’s like to win a James Beard award. As we discussed yesterday, Chris Shepherd is one of them, but success doesn’t seem to have spoiled him yet. Most of the time, he’s where he’s always been for…
Garrison Brothers’ Spring 2014 Single Barrel Bourbon May Be Their Best Yet
I’m a big fan of the Garrison Brothers distillery and their bourbon, as you may have read in one of my recent articles. I am particularly fond of this bourbon not merely because it was the first true bourbon distilled in Texas and represents our state well, but because it’s…
Five Reasons why Australian Guys Are Even Better than British Guys…AND American Guys
So I’d previously written about why I believe British guys are better than American guys…but as in most cases, there is always someone better. So who can take on both the British and the Australians, you ask??… well, the Australians, of course! And here are just five reasons that will…
A Day to Remember at NRG Arena, 10/1/2014
A Day to Remember, Bring Me The Horizon, Chiodos, Motionless in White NRG Arena October 1, 2014 It’s always good to see a band, no matter how big or small, swing for the fences. The reality is that while you can start a rock band and tour the world, you…
Nashville Hurricane: Great Guitar Picking & 4 Memorable Characters All Delivered by One Man
The set-up: If you’ve spent any time following the Fringe Festival circuit in North America, you’re probably already aware of the marvel that is the multi-talented Chase Padgett. He acts, he sings, he plays guitar, he writes and he’s produced two award-winning solo Fringe shows over the last four years…
The 5 Best Happy Hours in Upper Kirby
If you love happy hour as much as we do, you’ll love this new series. We’re taking a look at the best happy hours in town, ‘hood by ‘hood. To narrow it down, we’re focusing on the spots with the best deals on not only drinks, but eats, too. From…
Heads Up: Best of Houston 2014 and the Readers’ Choice Awards Drop Next Week
Just a heads up from your friends here at the Houston Press: We are literally one week away from our Best of Houston 2014 issue hitting the streets. We’ve been all across this great city we call home looking for the very best that Houston has to offer. Food has…
UPDATED Ebola Has Landed in Texas, But Keep Calm
Update: Hospital officials on Wednesday, October 8 announced that Thomas Eric Duncan has died from the Ebola disease. A statement from Presbyterian has been added to the end of this post. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that a man was diagnosed with Ebola up in…
8 Dangerous Toys From Years Past
Most parents probably assume that manufacturers have their kids’ best interests in mind when they release a new toy on the market, and in most cases they are probably correct. If for no other reason, toy companies want to make as much money as possible, and stories of injured children…
SPM Supporters Plan “Day of Unity” Protest
There has never been a figure as polarizing in the Houston hip-hop community as Carlos Coy, the man better known as South Park Mexican. In his heyday circa 2000, the local rapper’s independent Dope House Records label sold millions of units, and “SPM” gave a voice to a generation of…
Try These Five Absolutely Loaded Fries
When it comes to smothered fries, we whole-heartedly believe that the more crap that gets loaded on top, the better. Try these five plates of cheese-drizzled, meat-laden, gravy-and-sauce-slathered fries. What: Tex-Cajun Virgin Fries Where to find them: BB’s Cafe Our love affair with BB’s Cajun take on poutine began when…
7 Things Houstonians Don’t Care About
Houston is a city full of passionate people, but there are a few things that most Houstonians just don’t seem to care about. 7. Doing things on a small scale. Well, this IS the Lone Star State, and everything’s supposedly bigger in Texas, and boy do Houstonians seem to believe…
4 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes for the Fall
Slow cookers are one of those appliances that most people seem to own, but only use for a handful of dishes, primarily of the chili or pot roast variety. There’s nothing wrong with that, I love crock pot roasts and chili. There is something beautiful about being able to fill…
Houston’s Best Music Photographers: Greg Noire
Back in June Rocks Off brought you Houston’s ten best music photographers, as selected by a small panel of insiders and professionals. Now we’d like you readers to choose the best. Before voting opens, though, here’s a little more about our finalists, in alphabetical order — and a lot more…
5 Best Texas Haunted Road Trip Destinations
With Halloween upon us you might be interested in taking to the roads and visiting some of the many places in the Lone Star State famous for their ghost sightings. If you are, we’re here to helpfully point out the five you absolutely should not miss. Yorktown Located just 2…
2002 Houston Texans Made Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Cry (w/ AUDIO)
It’s finally here! Cowboys and Texans! HELL WEEK! Because of the very methodical, easily forecast manner in which the NFL formulates its schedule (we literally know whom the Texans are playing and where they’re playing in 14 of their 16 games from now until the next time the league expands…
Time Is Illmatic: The Inside Story of a Hip-Hop Landmark
Nas: Time Is Illmatic, the new documentary about the rapper’s seminal 1994 debut album Illmatic, is moreso a story about New York City’s infamous Queensbridge public-housing development, its inhabitants and how one family’s thoughts and beliefs were shaped there, and more. The stories about the album have been told repeatedly…
The First (and Probably Last) Feline Film and Video Festival for Humans
Mike Keegan and Jay Wertzler, the organizers behind The First (and Probably Last) Feline Film and Video Festival for Humans, assure us they are not a) making fun of cat videos or b) trying to piss off PETA. Keegan says the festival is actually meant to indulge what seems to…
Kathy Reichs: Bones Never Lie
Novelist Kathy Reichs and Temperance Brennan, the lead character in Reichs’s series of bestselling thrillers, are a lot alike. Both lead fascinating lives working as forensic anthropologists and novelists; both travel the world working on highprofile cases (Reichs helped identify victims of 9/11), training FBI agents and teaching at universities…
Cinema’s Greatest Villain Is Dull and Sad in Dracula Untold
This Dracula Begins-style sword-and-fangs curio plays like someone said, “What if we took a vampire flick but did a find-and-replace swapping out all that bare-neck sensuality for some video-game ass-kicking?” Or: “Remember what the Star Wars prequels did for Darth Vader? Let’s foist the same kind of tragic love story…
Duvall and Downey Jr. Can’t Save Wheezing Courtroom Drama The Judge
God save us from old coots and the actors who play them. Is that a terrible thing to say? Actors, like the rest of us, grow old, and there aren’t a whole lot of good roles available to them. But do we really need to see Robert Duvall playing a…
Shouldn’t a Movie Called Drive Hard Be More Mad?
First there was The Driver, then there was Drive Angry and then there was Drive. Now there’s Drive Hard — because why not? Thomas Jane plays former race-car driver Peter Roberts, now a married dad who runs a not-so-successful driving-instruction school in Gold Coast, Queensland. His crisp, business-y, chief-breadwinner wife…
Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children Despairs at Our Wi-Fi World
The tragedy of Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children is that it was released the year it was made. A snapshot of today’s cultural disconnection, in which Facebook, texting, World of Warcraft, and streaming smut lure people away from dinner with their families, the film’s so current that its observations…
The Tragedy of Gary Webb Stings Even When Kill the Messenger Flags
It was a mystery that reporter Gary Webb would have jumped on: a man who’d made powerful enemies allegedly committing suicide with two gunshots to the head. The tragedy is that Webb was the deceased. Michael Cuesta’s earnest, ire-inducing Kill the Messenger is a David-and-Goliath story where truth is the…
Ebullient Pride Pairs Miners and Gay Activists in ‘80’s Wales
It says something about current global affairs that a movie set during the U.K. miners’ strike of the mid-1980s — an event that tore lives to shreds, representing a dismal and damaging period in late-20th-century British history — is likely to make you feel better rather than worse about the…
Zine Fest Houston 2014
There’s nothing normal about Zine Fest Houston 2014 at The Printing Museum, nor should there be. It is, after all, an event dedicated to promoting all things alternative: Zines, mini-comics, and other forms of small press, alternative, underground and DIY media art are showcased at Zine Fest. Writers, artists and…
Movies Houstonians Love: Je vous aime (I Love You All)
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston continues its showcase of films selected by local residents with Movies Houstonians Love: Michael Zilkha presents Je vous aime (“I Love You All”). This season marks a decade of notable individuals from throughout the community presenting a favorite film; Zilkha is co-chair of the…
“Gandhi and Images of Nonviolence”
Very few individuals can say that they’ve changed the world. Even fewer can say that they did it without firing a shot. Mahatma Gandhi, a proponent of nonviolence, did. “Experiments With the Truth: Gandhi and Images of Nonviolence,” now on exhibit at The Menil Collection, is the first ever visual…
“7: Unlayered, Justin Garcia”
It’s no secret Justin Garcia is one of our favorite artists; he won our Best of Houston® Best Artist award in 2013, was profiled in our 100 Creatives series and most recently was named to our list of Houston’s Top 10 Painters. Garcia hasn’t done a gallery exhibit for a…
Mulan: The Warrior Princess
Long before she was a Disney Princess and cavorted with the likes of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel the Mermaid and Snow White, the young character at the center of Mulan: The Warrior Princess was inspiring young girls to live their dreams. The original sixth-century poem (The Ballad of Mulan) tells…
Damon Wayans
While there are two generations of comics and actors in his family, Damon Wayans is arguably the best known in this family affair. On TV (In Living Color, My Wife and Kids), film (The Last Boy Scout, Major Payne) and stand-up stages, the 54-year-old is an audience favorite. And that…
From Here to Eternity, the Musical
Get a sneak peek at From Here to Eternity, the Musical before it makes its Broadway debut. Directed by Tamara Harvey with book by Bill Oakes, lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Stuart Brayson, the musical follows several soldiers stationed in Hawaii just before the Pearl Harbor attacks. Shot…
48th Annual Greek Festival
It’s been almost five decades since Houston residents first gathered at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, right in the heart of Montrose, for a celebration of all things Greek. And the party keeps getting bigger and better every year. This year’s 48th Annual Greek Festival features four days of delicious food,…
Medea
Helen McCrory (The Last of the Haussmans) takes the title role in Ben Power’s new version of Medea. Directed by Carrie Cracknell and set in the time before the Trojan War, the tragedy chronicles Medea’s heartbreak and descent into madness. A loyal wife, Medea has followed her husband, Jason, into…
Sarah Chang Plus Copeland
Violinist Sarah Chang was eight years old when she stepped on stage for her debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1989. Two years later, she released her first CD. She was ten. In the 15 years since her debut, Chang has continued to impress both critics and fans. During…
Playboy of the Western World
The students at the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance tackle John Millington Synge’s Playboy of the Western World. “It’s a difficult play,” says director Carolyn Houston Boone, citing poetic dialogue and the need for Irish accents. Set in Ireland, Playboy is the story of a young man…
Capsule Art Reviews: October 2, 2014
“The Left Bank on the Bayou: Avant-garde Art & Theater in 1930s Houston” A burgeoning 1930s art scene included Margo Jones founding the Houston Community Players in 1936. The opening of The Little Gallery on Branard Street provided local artists with an opportunity to exhibit their works, including abstract art…
Dracula, the Original Vampire Play
Calling Dracula, the Original Vampire Play “more of a mystery play than a horror play — though there are elements of each genre circling all the time,” Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd says it’s focused on its characters above all. “These characters are mythological by now — the Vampire…
Why Do Women Idolize Marilyn Monroe? Help!
Welcome to Ask Willie D, Rocks Off’s advice column where the Geto Boys MC answers reader questions about matters, in his own words, “funny, serious or unpredictable.” Something on your mind? Ask Willie D! WHY DO SO MANY FEMALES IDOLIZE MARILYN MONROE? Dear Willie D: Please help me understand this…
Left Behind Is Sinfully Boring
Every child who’s thrown a tantrum, packed a bag and plotted to run away has shivered with the same vengeful thought: I wish I could see how sad they’ll be when I’m gone. The Left Behind franchise implies that evangelicals haven’t grown up. This new film version, the latest in…
“Robert Hodge: Destroy & Rebuild”
Visual artist Robert Hodge won’t have far to drive when he attends “Robert Hodge: Destroy & Rebuild,” his first ever solo museum show. Hodge grew up in and still has his studio in Third Ward, just a few blocks away from the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. The exhibit, is a…
Demonic Doll Movie Annabelle Is Surprisingly Unnerving
Annabelle, an effective prequel to horror pastiche The Conjuring, surpasses its predecessor simply by virtue of occasionally being scary. Both films are over-reliant on deafening sound effects and side-eye glimpses of underwhelming ghosts. But Annabelle’s scare scenes are better paced and more thoughtfully lensed. Its hokey, funhouse-worthy spooks — a…
How Austin City Limits Went From TV Show to Blockbuster Brand
It’s shaping up to be a big weekend for Austin City Limits. First, the landmark PBS television show that began taping episodes on the top floor of Building B in UT-Austin’s College of Communications in 1975 salutes its 40-year history with a two-hour special full of past performances. Airing tomorrow…
Gone Girl Is Smartly Crafted, Well Acted – and a Bit Too Slick
Everything about Gone Girl, David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s enormously popular 2012 thriller about a deteriorating marriage and a wife gone missing, is precise and thoughtful — it’s as well planned as the perfect murder, with its share of vicious, shivery delights. But at the end of the perfect…
Capsule Stage Reviews: October 2, 2014
Detroit By the end of Lisa D’Amour’s provocative, spiky, prize-winning Detroit, suburban middle-class couple Mary and Ben (Mischa Hutchings and Jeff Miller) face their own apocalypse. All they have left among the burned-out ruins of their American Dream is each other. It’s not a rosy picture. How they got here…
Green Cards and Scorpions
Dear Mexican, Why don’t Mexicans get green cards and come into the United States legally? After talking to people who have, the process is not hard and only takes a maximum of three years to do. By coming in illegally, they are taking the jobs from legal Mexican citizens and…
André Benjamin Is Hendrix, but the Women Make Jimi.
‘Groupie” has come to be an ugly word, a misogynist dig that’s used all too casually by men and women alike. A groupie is a woman who doesn’t “do” anything; she gets all of her glamour via her association with a strong man, most often a rock star. How can…
New Doc Nas: Time Is Illmatic Looks Back at One of the Greatest Hip-Hop Albums
One rhyme in particular crystallizes the genius of Nas’s 1994 classic Illmatic. It comes in the song “One Love,” which takes the form of a letter to a friend in prison: “Congratulations, you know you got a son,” Nas raps. “I heard he looks like ya, why don’t your lady…
