Alamo Drafthouse Offers Free Viewing of Gravity to Furloughed NASA Workers in Houston
Declaring that “NASA employees have been furloughed and need an activity!” the Houston area Alamo Drafhouse theaters are offering any NASA employee a free screening of of the movie Gravity in 2D or 3D. The offer to check out the moview starring Sandra Bullock an dGeorge Clooney s good now…
Harris County Precinct One: On the Hunt for Unpaid Warrants
Hey all you scofflaws out there — Harris County Precinct One officials would like you to know it’s time to pay the freakin’ piper! Yeah, that’s right, Precinct One constables will hit the streets for a warrant run October 12, which gives you enough time to either pay for any…
Finally, Gary Kubiak Is Right. It’s on Him.
In between not one but two live NFL games on Sunday night and one cross-country flight on Monday, I had plenty of time these last couple of days to think about the current state of the Houston Texans. And as they sit amid the charred, barely recyclable remnants of what…
“Rachel Hecker: Group Show” Defies Artistic Rigidity
The massive foam finger isn’t even the strangest thing you see in the exhibition. Nor is the snowman, the twirling bottle of Xanax or the huge ear stuffed with a cotton ball. Indeed, the most curious thing in “Rachel Hecker: Group Show,” Hecker’s new exhibition at Art League Houston, is…
Rise of the Takis
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos have long been the favored spicy snack in many elementary schools. At the school where I taught, the cafeteria sold small bags of them, and several students would sneak the Hot Cheetos out and snack on them in the halls between classes. I didn’t mind. Chris G…
Weather Week: Pool Weather Is Over, But Who Cares?
I have a pool. It’s great. Okay, I won’t go beyond saying it is fantastic. But as awesome as that fact may be, I had to come to grips this week with the fact that pool weather is done in Houston. Chalk this up as a First World Problem, I…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Deepak Doshi of Doshi House, on Making Tasty Vegetarian and Building a Community Space
This is the second part of a two-part Chef Chat series. If you missed our previous post, you can read it here. Yesterday, in our chat with Deepak Doshi of Doshi House, we talked about his vegetarianism and growing up in the area of Houston called Alief. Today we talk…
Government Shutdown Gets Personal For One Houston Kid
For most of us the government shutdown is a bad joke that seems like it will never end, but for 12-year-old Justin Clark and his family, the shutdown that has frozen the works of federal government is a lot closer to a very unfunny hostage situation. Two months ago Justin…
Lizzie, A Theatrical Concept Double Album, Offers Rollicking Chills
From the straining and broken opening chords of the prologue to the gleefully riotous curtain music, both a rendition of the Lizzie Borden jump-rope rhyme set to music, the Music by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt with additional music by Tim Maner and Orchestrations by Alan Stevens Hewitt on…
Saint Arnold’s Brock Wagner Named a Legend of Houston Restaurants
While many of Houston’s finest in the culinary realm received awards at Sunday’s 17th My Table Magazine Houston Culinary Awards in honor of their contributions to the Houston dining and restaurant scene, the most prestigious award — The Legends of Houston Restaurants — was bestowed upon the founder of Saint…
Secure the Border, Fight Obama: Dan Patrick’s Lt. Gov. Tagline
State Sen. Dan Patrick wants to be Lieutenant Governor, and he’s boiled it down to a very simple message in his latest campaign ad. “If Sam Houston, Travis, Bowie and Austin were here today, they’d be proud of Texas, but they’d be ashamed of Washington,” Patrick says in voice over,…
Top 10 Worst Halloween Candies
Not all candy is created equal. In the candy caste system, some treats are more deserving than others when it comes to securing a place in Halloween treat bags. Here are ten candies that should almost certainly be excluded: 10. Green Tea Kit Kats. Why did this happen? One word:…
Doctor Who: Is It Time to Break The Sonic Screwdriver Again?
The sonic screwdriver… aside from the Tardis itself no object is more directly tied to The Doctor. It’s his handy dandy, all-purpose, non-lethal tool, ever ready to do whatever he needs in a pinch. It’s hard to imagine him without the device. And it’s also time to shatter it into…
The Rocks Off 200: DJ AudiTory, the Maestro of LuvItMane
Welcome to The Rocks Off 200, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. See previous entries in the Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? Tory “DJ AudiTory” Bryant…
The Blame for the Current Government Crisis: Not the Answer You Expected
American exceptionalism, for being an abstract idea, is a real aspect of American politics. Especially among those on the right — see, e.g., Sarah Palin — there is a belief that we are a blessed, unique nation (note the underlying theological tones). Part and parcel of American exceptionalism is a…
Terry McMillan at Brazos Bookstore, Valerie Plame at MBTB, and Academy Award Winner Octavia Spencer at Blue Willow Bookstore
October got a jump on us, but there are plenty of great author events to be had for the rest of October here in Houston. Our favorite group of indie bookstores–Brazos Bookstore, Murder By The Book, and Blue Willow–all boast major author events. Hurry! Cancel all your plans and attend…
The Rest of the Best: The Top Ten Burgers in Houston 2013
Our 2013 Best of Houston issue is here, and in many cases, picking the best item in many of the categories was no easy task. In order to show off all the culinary greatness Houston has to offer, we’ll be rounding up the “rest of the best” in some of…
Gravity Hits NASA: Shutdown as “Nonessential” NASA Turns 55
Last week was NASA’s 55th birthday. However, the folks over at NASA didn’t have a giant cake or some crazy party to celebrate 55 years of the space program. Instead, 97 percent of NASA employees were deemed “nonessential,” sent home without pay and told to wait and not work until…
PETA Takes Issue With French Fry-Stuffed Burrito at Taqueria Arandas
Last week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to Judy Camarena, the president of Arandas Franchises, asking that the popular Tex-Mex chain Taqueria Arandas create a vegan version of its new french fry-stuffed El Mateo burrito, which was given away for free on Sunday at…
The Random Fashion Trends of ACL 2013
Wanna know the best thing about festivals, aside from the music? The random fashion, of course. Where else can you find folks sporting questionable headdresses and capes, without earning a second glance? Nowhere, that’s where. And when it came to random festival fashion choices, this year’s ACL festival sure delivered…
Author Dave Thompson Reveals the Roger Waters Behind The Wall
Roger Waters: The Man Behind the Wall By Dave Thompson Backbeat Books, 288 pp., $27.99 It is one of classic rock’s pillar albums — and not even the only one from its creators. But Pink Floyd’s 1979 opus The Wall has definitely taken on a life well outside of just…
One and Done: 10 Great Bands With Only One Album
In today’s society of more, more, more, it’s becoming a bit of a rarity, especially with all those reunion albums that keep coming out, but sometimes legends have been made from just one big hit. Ever so often one album comes along that is so monumental, we all fall in…
Five Odd Local Spots Where We’d Love to See a Show
If you enjoy live music, chances are you have your favorite venue. Whether you love a smaller room because of its intimacy and cheap beer prices, or you prefer one of the larger (and pricier) venues because they provide seats with a view, we here at Rocks Off know that…
The Best Things We Overheard at ACL Fest This Weekend
Angelica Leicht and Marco Torres report back with the most outrageous sound bites they overheard at Weekend 1 of the 2013 Austin City Limits Music Festival. “I think Bigfoot just copped a feel!” “Um, these guys are a little bit weird…” — a very confused chick to her very confused…
Texans Official Browser Background Image: Whatever You Do, DON’T THROW THE BALL!
In what is no doubt an ironic twist the day after one of the worst losses in franchise history, the Texans browser theme had a photo of quarterback Matt Schaub handing the ball off to Arian Foster. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be considered anything other than a cool shot…
Homeland: Everyone Is Losing It
Last week Showtime’s award-winning drama about a CIA agent and her intermingling with terrorists, Homeland, premiered; however, unfortunately it aired smack up against the finale of Breaking Bad. My decision of which program to watch and which to DVR was made for me. But I have since caught up on…
Top Five Acts at ACL Festival, 10/6/2013
ATOMS FOR PEACE Can you be a fair-weather Radiohead fan and still really like Atoms for Peace? Well, sure. It may be Thom Yorke’s side project, but he’s got Flea in tow, and something about the combination of Flea’s uber-charismatic personality and Thom Yorke’s ability to make music out of…
IndyCar Returns With a Double Feature for Houston
For the first time in six years, open-wheel racing made its return to the Bayou City this past weekend, as the IZOD IndyCar Series hosted a two-race weekend at Reliant Park. The timing couldn’t have been better for the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston. Race fans saw –…
The Beaux’ Stratagem: A Comedy At UH About 2 Young Men Who’re Desperately Seeking Women & Money
The set-up: The Beaux’ Stratagem, a Restoration comedy by George Farquhar, first produced in 1807, newly re-discovered and growing in popularity, charts the chicanery of two young gentlemen, having spent their fortunes on carousing and high living, who now travel outside London to seek wealthy women. One pretends to be…
Monica Pope Creates Dateworthy Hot Dog at James Coney Island
It’s Chef Monica Pope’s turn in the James Coney Island Houston Chefs and Show Dog series. The Sparrow Bar + Cookshop chef has created one heck of a gourmet hot dog that you will definitely want to make a date to try. Throughout the entire month of October, James Coney…
From Santelli’s Rant to Shutdown: A Short History of the Tea Party
In popular “lore”, Rick Santelli’s infamous rant on the free-market schill network that is CNBC, was the spark that lit the fire creating the tea party. There is something to this, indeed there is a lot to this (“tea party” became the perfect rallying cry for disgruntled coservatives), but it…
Ten Alternative Films for this Horror Viewing Season
If you’re like me, by now you’re probably looking for some good alternatives to the typical classic films, like Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street, that we horror fans tend to watch every year during this spooky season, … So I’ve dug around in the movie bin and picked out…
What’s Cooking This Week? Shrimp Spring Rolls & More
I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but cooking for two often proves to be difficult. If I don’t make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient’s I’ve bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter What’s Cooking This…
fun. at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 10/6/2013
fun., Hunter Hunted, Rosco Bandana Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 10.6.13 I’ve got fantastic news for anyone who has been searching, was concerned, or had altogether given up: not every band today is content to half-heartedly mumble indie drivel into microphones while nonchalantly touching their instruments. Doubtful Houstonians, I give you…
Out of Lethal Injection Drugs, Texas Turns to Houston to Make More
Texas, the state with the most executions under its belt since reinstating the death penalty in 1976, is solving a shortage on execution drugs by having a Houston compounding pharmacy make the drugs required for lethal injection, according to the Associated Press. Texas and other death penalty states have been…
Book Check: “In the Balance: Law and Politics on the Roberts Court”
Title: In the Balance: Law and Politics on the Roberts Court Rating: Five gavels out of five. But with a caveat: you have to care about the U.S. Supreme Court and politics. Politics Play a Role on the Supreme Court? Yep a big role . . . but Not as…
CRAVE Cupcakes Wants to Help You Spread Holiday Cheer With New Shipping Service
It might be a tad bit early to start planning holiday gifts, but CRAVE Cupcakes begs to differ. The local cupcakery will now ship its creations to areas within 450 miles of Houston. That means you can share the cupcakes with friends and family in New Orleans, Little Rock and…
Texans-49ers: The 10 Angriest Rapper Tweets
Plzzzzzzz throw another pick u bitch! so yo ass can be outta here! U FUCKIN WEAK LINK!— Countryraptunes.com (@OGRONC) October 7, 2013 Houston has a professional football team. They are called the Houston Texans. A lot of people like them. Some of the people who like them are rappers. The…
Yes, It’s Early, But Seriously, UH and Rice Could Go Bowling
This college football season is still early, but early though it might be, it’s becoming increasingly evident that both the Rice Owls and Houston Cougars are going bowling. Each team still has some obstacles to overcome, but both teams are fast approaching the needed number of wins for bowl qualification…
Italy in Rice Village: A First Look at Fellini Caffè
The best espresso drinks in Houston
You Are Not From Houston, 10 Surefire Ways To Know
Houstonians are a distinct breed of Texan. There are many unique characteristics that make the people of this great city, well… great. We’re a little bit liberal and a little bit conservative, a little bit weird, with a very normal streak. We are a little bit business-minded with a little…
13 Injured During Crash During Final Lap of the Grand Prix of Houston
Racing is dangerous business. Watching a race can be just as scary. On Sunday during the final lap of the Grand Prix of Houston, 13 spectators were injured with Dario Franchitti’s car went flying through the air and into the fence sending debris into the stands. According to reports, two…
La Traviata: Verdi’s Emotional Roller-Coaster Ride at Opera in the Heights
The set-up: For Wagnerian dramatic sopranos, the ultimate role is Brunhilde, the warrior goddess stripped of her godhead by her father Wotan and put into a magic sleep upon a mountain top surrounded by fire. For Verdian dramatic sopranos, opera’s own special breed, the ultimate role is found in La…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Deepak Doshi of Doshi House Cafe
This is the first part of a two-part Chef Chat series. Part 2 will be published tomorrow. Stepping into Doshi House Cafe for the first time, one definitely feels more community center and cafe than restaurant. Chairs of all shapes and sizes, some with armrests, some with colored cushions –…
49ers 34, Texans 3: Mad Matt Beyond Schauberdome
If anyone thought last week’s loss to Seattle was rock bottom, think again. That loss was a mere night in the drunk tank. Sunday night in San Francisco for the Texans was more like having your stomach pumped after being found unconscious covered in your own vomit. In one week,…
Build-A-Bar: The Devil and Carl Jeppson
I’ve always found the notion of “acquired tastes” to be a bit odd. Given that the label is typically reserved for those experiences which are generally off-putting on first try, it seems strange that we would attach so much cachet to the concept. Is it a sort of braggadocio, the…
Goths Suck At Halloween
Yes, I said it, and no, I don’t feel the least bit bad about it at all. My fellow goths, we are just pathetic at doing Halloween, and that is why every year for the last several I make sure to spend my favorite holiday with the normals rather than…
Metallica’s James Hetfield: “Plenty of Places to Die On That Stage”
After selling more than 100 million records and decimating virtually every arena, stadium and amphitheater on the planet, there’s little doubt at this point that Metallica is the biggest heavy-metal band in history. More than three decades into a career that has seen both unprecedented triumph and intense tragedy, the…
Franz Ferdinand at House of Blues, 10/4/2013
Franz Ferdinand House of Blues October 4, 2013 Forty-five minutes into Friday night’s show at House of Blues, as the band wrapped up “Can’t Stop Feeling,” Franz Ferdinand performed one of the most energetic jam sessions I’ve ever seen. As the crowd’s dull roar grew louder and more boisterous, so…
10 Albums Any True Urban Cowboy Should Own
There’s no telling the reasoning that caused Kings of Leon to call their sixth album, released late last month, Mechanical Bull. But to venture a wild guess, could be the Nashville-via-Oklahoma rockers are trying to put across a general image of toughness after a difficult few years, or perhaps suggest…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Week: Phosphorescent, The Dodos, Toro Y Moi, etc.
John Egan The Big Easy, October 7 Solo bluesman John Egan sings in a tone that suggests someone is constantly walking over his grave, and his lyrics are loaded with bad mojo like nature gone haywire and apocalyptic visions. All he needs live is his National Resonator, one of those shiny silver…
Bringing Kids to ACL Can Make Some Sticky-Icky Situations
Seeing all the ACL kids running around in the Zilker Park grass, playing football with pierced and tatted dads, or showing off their dancing skills with mom, was a bit of a surprise. As a parent who has kind of a rad job, I suppose I have never really considered…
Top Five Acts at ACL Festival, 10/5/2013
THE CURE The Cure was one of the acts, if not the act, that I was really looking forward to seeing in Austin. They’re, dare I say, legendary. That word gets thrown around way too often, but I stand by it with The Cure, especially after Saturday night’s performance. It…
House of Blues: Whitney Cummings Channels the Crazy
Funny lady Whitney Cummings, the former star of Whitney and the co-creator and writer of the successful comedy sitcom 2 Broke Girls is making a return to the stand-up comedy scene and will soon be making a stop in our city as part of a 30-city tour she’s doing around…
The People of ACL 2013: Who Let the Breaking Bad Guys In?
Another year, another ACL Music Festival. This is a magical time in Texas, when the blazing summer makes way for a pleasant autumn. The weather and the promise of world-class musical wonders draws thousands to Zilker Park, ready to let loose and jam over the three day weekend. Here are…
How to Make Friends at ACL Fest: The Wine Thermos
My sister and I stumbled upon a life lesson unicorn at ACL yesterday. Being the classy broads we are, we decided that the tiny cans of beer weren’t working their alcohol-fueled magic quickly enough, and we were sick of having to walk back and forth during a really good Arctic…
Top Five Acts at ACL Festival, 10/4/2013
ARCTIC MONKEYS I spent a good part of the mid-’00s torturing every passenger in my car with the Arctic Monkeys’ album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not on repeat. I still enjoy busting out that album (and my faux accent) to screech along with them. So needless…
Jim Crane’s Letter to Astros Season Ticket Holders
Correspondence matters. Not enough people tell other people how awesome they are these days in writing, mostly because it takes time and effort, and quite frankly, a lot of you are really lazy. Jim Crane is a lot of things, but lazy isn’t one of them. And after a 2013…
Weekend Weather: A Change Is Gonna Come
Normally, if there were a 60-mph tropical storm spinning in the Gulf of Mexico, most of us would be breaking down the doors of H-E-B to grab bottled water we’d still have two years later. Buying up all the bottled water during a storm in a big city is a…
Rachael Ray Serves Up Big Bucks to Citizens for Animal Protection
Citizens for Animal Protection has won $40,000 in the ASPCA Rachael Ray Challenge, a national contest where animal shelters try to raise their adoption numbers to win much-needed grant money. CAP “found homes for 1,807 pets during the three-month competition, an increase of 625 lives saved over the same [three]…
Butter- and Spice-Injected Fried Cornish Game Hen at Boheme’s Test Kitchen Tuesday
A few weeks ago, when I visited Rishi Singh of Boheme for a chef chat, we sampled one of his “test kitchen” items, a fried Cornish game hen injected with spiced butter and covered in a chickpea flour mix. At the time, the dish showed promise but was not ready…
Get Wet, Get Wild, Get Dancing: The Top 10 Photos of the Week
We here at the Houston Press have long believed that some of the best photographers in the world live right here in Houston. Between the slideshows and blogs we publish and the images you share with us in our Flickr Pool, we see tons of amazing photos every week, and…
Social Media Summons the Ghost of Gilley’s at Urban Cowboy Reunion
In the late ’70s, New York City had Studio 54. Pasadena, Texas, had Gilley’s. The massive honky-tonk nightclub, which was the real star of the 1980 John Travolta flick Urban Cowboy, was an entertainment mecca in the booming chemical-plant town — a place where plant workers could catch big-name country…
EJ Viso: Go-Kart Racing Leads to Career In IndyCar
There will be a thunderous roar echoing through around the stadia at Reliant Park this weekend, and the 2-2 Texans won’t have anything to do with it. For the first time since 2007, the IZOD IndyCar Series makes it return to Reliant Park for the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 81, Catfish and Grits at The Breakfast Klub
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. She’ll compile a collection of the dishes she thinks are the most awesome, most creative and, of course, most delicious in town. It’s a…
TV Club: Crystal Maze
This week we defy all logic in television space and time, and, based on Jef’s recommendation, the TV Club watched the hit British game show The Crystal Maze. Rather than suffer through with his comrades, Pete decided that he’d rather go on a soul-searching walkabout through the Mojave desert. Hopefully…
Three Amigos: Trio Shoots Each Other Dead
They say never bring a gun to a knife fight. You know what else can be really dangerous in a gun fight? Another gun. According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, three people were found dead after reports of gunfire came in just before 10 a.m. on Thursday. The HCSO…
Shutdown Not Affecting Houston Food Safety, Yet
Think of the government shutdown as you would a hurricane. Stock up on canned food, sit tight and wait it out. Evacuate if you must, but you’re going to have to travel pretty far to get out of this mess. The government has been getting a lot of (much deserved)…
Ice Skating at Discovery Green and Hollywood’s Love of That Cold, Hard Playground
In less than a month and a half, the model boat basin at Discovery Green will receive its annual makeover, turning it into a treacherous slick of cold, hard ice that punishes people who dare to step onto it a pristine outdoor skating rink. Thanks to the miracle of modern…
A Tropical Evening With Buena Vista Social Club
El Social Club de Buena Vista, or the Buena Vista Social Club, is a collection of the best representatives of Cuban music ever to be exported from the island nation 90 miles south of Florida. Back in the year 2000, a documentary following guitarist Ry Cooder into Cuba won an…
The Astros and the Grand Experiment
The Houston Astros are a grand academic exercise. Blow up the major league roster and start all over again. Stock the minor league system with as many talented players as possible. Dump aging, over-priced veterans. It’s a noble gesture, destroying to rebuild, attempting to accelerate a project that had been…
The Naked and Famous at House of Blues, 10/03/2013
The Naked and Famous, The Colourist House of Blues October 3, 2013 Let’s talk clichés. One of my favorites is the one about the burden of having that “one song.” Sure, it makes you money and gets audiences in the door, but money doesn’t buy happiness and is playing to…
Enjoy Savings at The Fish, Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant, Simply Pho and More!
Just in time for date night, today’s Houston Press Voice Daily Deal is good for half-off ($20 for $40) on breakfast or dinner at The Fish Restaurant and Sushi Bar. This Houston Press “Best of Houston: Atmosphere” winner is serving an innovative menu of Japanese, seafood, and sushi in a…
Aida Delivers Loyalty, Passion and Betrayal in a Four-Act Verdi Classic at HGO
“You have love, war, passion and betrayal — all the situations that you can sing about in an opera, you can find them in Aida.” — Riccardo Massi, Italian spinto tenor He’s a soldier, captain of the Egyptian guard, and his first loyalty is to his king. All that falls…
David Lee Garza and Sunny Ozuna at Festival Chicano, 10/3/2013
The 34th Annual Festival Chicano kicked off Thursday night, smack dab in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month (which is actually stretched over two months; you know how we do it). Icons of Tejano, conjunto and mariachi music will take Miller Outdoor Theatre’s stage the next couple of nights to…
Family Sues After a Man’s Electrocution Death in a Hilton Hotel Pool
It’s been only a month since it happened. Maria Isabel Duran’s body has healed. Her youngest son, David Duran, 11, has gone back to school. But there’s a space at the dining room table where her oldest son, Raul Hernandez, used to sit and the family walks around in a…
Upcoming Events: Margarita, Queso and Caesar Salad Competitions, Beer & Whiskey Dinners & More
Reserve 101 hosts a tasting of Glenfiddich single malt scotch whiskey on Tuesday, October 8, at 6:30 p.m. David Allardice, brand ambassador of Glenfiddich, will be there to offer samples of his company’s whiskeys and to answer any questions you have about the distillery. Each ticket costs $20 and all…
10 Reasons Grand Theft Auto VI Should be Set in Houston
Our colleagues up in Dallas tackled this question in a semi-serious manner, which is awesome because I completely forgot to tell them how wrong they were yet again (It’s not their fault… closer proximity to Oklahoma causes mild brain damage). All kidding aside, it really had never occurred to me…
Saving the Astrodome: Demolition Crews to Tear Down the Dome Already?
According to Swamplot, Reliant already has crews in place to begin demoing parts of the Astrodome as soon as next week. But before you go into a panic, the work is only being done to portions of the facade and the outer structure that is apparently beyond repair and would…
100 Creatives 2013: Rachael Pavlik, A Writer Mommy Who Wants to Pee Alone
What She Does: You may have noticed that we’ve added articles on the art of parenting here at Art Attack, and as anyone who has attempted it can tell you it is indeed an art. One of the best voices out there on the subject is Rachael Pavlik, who blogs…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Cold Front Pool Party, Brewfest & More
Samuel Adams Fall Beer Dinner @ The Palm Friday, 6:30 p.m. 6100 Westheimer The Palm is hosting a four-course fall dinner paired with Samuel Adams beers. The night begins with a reception at which Samuel Adams Double Agent IPL will be served with crostini topped with caramelized onions, apple chutney…
BATTLE-DRINK, Week 5: I Left My Liver In San Francisco
Sunday night, the Texans take on the San Francisco 49ers, and I think of all the possible BATTLE-DRINK challenges, Sunday night games pose the most daunting one. Think about it, Thursday night games are all right because there’s only one per year, and who’s really focused on Friday at work…
Top Five Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Fringe Festival, Brewfest, La Traviata and More
The annual Houston Fringe Festival, now in its sixth year, is one of the most popular performing arts events every season. It’s our pick for Friday. Top of the not-to-miss list this year is Red Rocket Burlesque’s Soul-Sucking Panties (October 3 and 4 at Frenetic Theater). A combination of traditional…
Openings & Closings: A Pair of Fire Closures, Refuge in The Woodlands & More
The week began with a couple of fires; one forced a renowned sushi restaurant to close its doors, and the other took a brand-new creperie food truck off the road. Let’s start with the badnews before taking a look at all of the new restaurants that opened this week. On…
Andre Williams, Black Godfather, Is Still Slick as “Bacon Fat”
Andre Williams is a true musical journeyman. Now a most ripe 76 years old, he’s had the kind of career that seems like it could hardly be real to us 21st-century folk. He came of age in a time of segregated lunch counters and when musicians — particularly ribald ones…
10 Texas Acts We Totally Want to Smell Like
Last week, pop goddess Katy Perry unveiled her brand-new perfume, Killer Queen — a fruity, intoxicating scent named after some old Beatles song or something. The fragrance’s official Web site claims it features top notes of dark plum, wild berries and bergamot with subtle hints of cashmeron, natural patchouli heart…
Houston’s Top 10 Martini Bars
As our sister blog Eating… Our Words does, from time to time Rocks Off will be giving your our picks for the top taverns in various Houston-area neighborhoods. Of course, the lines can be porous, but here anything with a TABC license that cannot reasonably be considered either a restaurant,…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Franz Ferdinand, Ca$h Out, Fidlar, etc.
Franz Ferdinand House of Blues, October 4 In the post-Britpop era, Franz Ferdinand was once neck and neck with Arctic Monkeys for the title of the British Isles’ top alt-rock export. Debut single “Take Me Out” seemed to take out everything else on the airwaves upon its 2004 release, welding…
Does Rick Perry Have an Ulterior Motive With His “Jobs Trips”?
As I have noted in the past, Rick Perry is on a mission, a mission to steal, er, lure, er, convince companies to move to Texas where we have the alleged best business climate in America. Perry has visited six states — California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri and New York…
Rolling Stone List of Coolest Stadiums Doesn’t Include Texas
As part of its “Venues that Rock” story, Rolling Stone magazine polled “26 industry insiders and musicians” to vote on the best stadiums and arenas in the country. Let me rephrase: the COOLEST arenas and stadiums in the country. Madison Square Garden tops the list and, frankly, it is difficult…
A Story of Love: Silver Oak Wines at The Houston Cellar Classic
The great thing about wine is that it can be an endless source of conversation. You can talk about everything from the nose to the feel on the palate to how it pairs with food. You can debate how it should be made, whether it should be aged in oak,…
The Pine: A Too Long and Uneven Farce/Drama But We Did Like That Cat
The set-up: “Astound me! I’ll wait for you to astound me,” dared Ballets Russes impresario Serge Diaghilev to young pup Jean Cocteau, who had just been inducted into the great man’s inner circle of choreographers, artists, musicians, and writers in 1912 Paris. If only Diaghilev had met Mickle Maher. This…
Texas Law Prompts Creation of More Abortion Clinics (And One Will be in Houston)
The new anti-abortion legislation is expected to do what a lot of its proponents were hoping for – closing down a bunch of the abortion clinics in Texas – but it’s also had a couple of upshots the pro-choice people weren’t aiming for, like, say creating more abortion clinics in…
DEFCON Dining: A Bowl of Gumbo and a Protégé
Dining out with children is an exercise in situational awareness. Each experience is unique, with different variables leading to different possible outcomes, DEFCON-like in their escalating threat levels. Keen observation, forward planning and prior experience are critical in determining the proper strategy. Here at DEFCON Dining, we do the grunt…
The 10 Horror Films You Must See to be a Well-Rounded Film Fan
There are some folks out there that don’t watch horror movies. Some see the genre as nothing but boring trash, others don’t like to be scared, and some just never got over a bad experience as a child. These are all valid reasons to not watch something: with more media…
Federal Government Shutdown And College Sports: The Best Press Release Ever
As we drink our morning coffee and watch President Obama talk about how avoidable the federal government shutdown is and hear Republicans counter with their arguments, it’s important to note that there have actually been several government shutdowns over the last few decades. So while this is more than a…
The Top 5 Texan Creamy Creations Flavors in Honor of New Texans Tackle Crackle
One of the biggest debates in Texas has nothing to do with sports or politics or even barbecue. It’s about ice cream. Blue Bell versus H-E-B’s Creamy Creations. There is many a wonderful thing to be said about Blue Bell ice cream. It’s the third-best-selling ice cream brand in the…
Fall TV Pilot: Super Fun Night
Title: Super Fun Night Network – Day – Time: ABC – Wednesday – 8:30 PM Brief Plot Synopsis: Kimmy (Rebel Wilson) is somehow a budding lawyer with a recent promotion, despite a lack of social and public speaking skills. She and her two nerdy friends are looking to expand their…
Forget the Acting, Songs Tell CBGB’s Cinematic Story
CBGB, the movie about the iconic club, opens in theaters in a week; but, in an exclusive arrangement with DirecTV Cinema, it’s been playing on demand for the last month. So, I rented the movie because it’s cheaper to pay 11 bucks and drink PBR at home than take the…
Americans Are Actually Quite Conservative Right Now, But Demography Tells Us Not for Long
Despite — or, more likely, because of — the past two elections that have gone the Democrats’ way, public opinion is the most conservative it has been in over 50 years. Surprised? Well, it’s true. Political scientist Larry Stimson has shown that public opinion is as conservative as it’s been…
Pop Rocks: Emma Watson/Benedict Cumberbatch Voted Sexiest People. Them?
I am a woman (spoiler alert), and given that information I know that my female definition of “sexy” and the male definition of “sexy” is quite different. Women think shoes are sexy; men think of footwear as utilitarian, i.e. not stepping on rocks and beer bottles you just broke. Women…
The Rocks Off 200: The Nephilim Terror’s Death-Metal Growler Danny Carroll
Welcome to The Rocks Off 200, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. See previous entries in the Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? Danny Carroll…
Top Five Reasons Kids’ Cooking Shows Are Awesome
When I was a little kid, I never wanted to go into the kitchen and help my mom make dinner. Sure, I would do the dishes and clean up the kitchen afterward, but there was no way I was going to stop watching what my father calls “squeaky voice television”…
Suspect Allegedly Took HISD Officer’s Gun (Doubtful He’ll be Let Off With a Warning Now)
A traffic stop turned stupid when a suspect apparently decided that it was a good idea to try and take an HISD police officer’s gun on Wednesday morning. The incident happened about 8:30 a.m. when an officer made a traffic stop near Chavez High School. We’ve all had traffic stops…
Legacy of Kain Returns (Sort Of) in New PvP Game
Ever since I played the new Tomb Raider, which used to be under the control of Crystal Dymanics and is now part of the Square Enix brand, I wondered if CD’s other, and in my opinion superior work, Legacy of Kain would also be receiving a reboot for the modern…
Sunday Brunching With TQLA’s Insanely Decadent Mole
On a recent Sunday “morning,” I woke up with a massive craving for chicken enchiladas. Okay, so it was nearing noon and I may have had a teeny bit of a hangover, but all the better to brunch with, my dear. My fiancé and I decided to try out TQLA…
Wendy is Running: Five Tips for Davis in the Gubernatorial Race
It’s was unofficially official last week that Sen. Wendy Davis would run for governor, but Davis will make the official announcement today and the race is really on. Ever since Davis donned her hot pink running shoes and proceeded to stand on the floor of the Texas Senate in a…
I Have Trouble Talking to the Ladies. 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! NATURE VS. NURTURE Dear Willie D: Never in my life have I ever wanted kids. After…
Rest of the Best: 10 Best Houston Places to Have a Drink on Your 21st Birthday
I get it. You’re finally legally able to imbibe Brother Booze without all that The Man getting up in your grill. It’s pretty much the last hurdle you clear into adulthood (Renting a car at age 25 just doesn’t have that same oomph, you know?). The question is, now where…
Here’s the Food for Your Perfect Halloween Party
If your first reaction to this post is “Whoa! It is way too early to be thinking of Halloween,” then 1) you are not my friend, 2) stop reading and 3) be grateful my editor at the Houston Press prevented me from publishing it in August, which is approximately when…
The Last VJ’s Top Five Music Videos of the Week
Today we’re starting a new segment here on Rocks Off I’m calling The Last VJ. Each week we’ll look at five new music videos and allow you (the readers) to judge which ones deserve to be called the absolute best, and which ones deserve to be left to rot underneath…
10 Prominent ACL Festival Veterans: Where Are They Now?
Well, it’s time to gear up for another Austin City Limits Music Festival, which kicks off this Friday in Austin’s Zilker Park and this year runs not only through Sunday the 6th, but next Friday through Sunday with the same lineup. As usual, the lineup is really decent: The Cure,…
”The Out List”
The Hiram Butler Gallery celebrates LGBT National Coming Out Month with Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’s ”The OUT List.” The gallery is a longtime promoter of LGBT-themed art and artists (it was Hiram Butler’s founder and namesake who vocally railed against The Art Guys’ Marry A Plant project in 2009). The show includes…
Z-Ro: An Even Darker Version of Drake
Drake catches plenty of slack for being “emotional.” It’s an odd thing. Some of hip-hop’s brightest moments have come from a place of catharsis and authenticity. When considering the Drake discography, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the word Drake was actually Latin for “catharsis” and “authenticity.” With that…
Food Expiration Date Labels
Food Policy Last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council released a report titled “The Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to Food Waste in America.” The gist of it is something that most Americans can probably agree on: Labels on our food that seek to aid us are…
Fast-Tracked
When the Texas Education Agency issued a reprieve for North Forest Independent School District in the spring of 2012, then-superintendent Edna Forte and other district officials believed they had a year to turn things around, Silvia Brooks Williams, a trustee on the board when North Forest closed, said. Everyone from…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Calaveras Mexicanas: The Art and Influence of Jose Guadalupe Posada,” “Funnel Tunnel,” “Gary Komarin: The Bowman Sixpence Has Got to Have Soul,” “Gifts from the Past: The Isabel Brown Wilson Collection,” “MOVING/STILL: Recent Photo
“Calaveras Mexicanas: The Art and Influence of Jose Guadalupe Posada” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, commemorates the 100th anniversary of Posada’s death with an exhibition titled “Calavaveras Mexicanas: The Art and Influence of Jose Guadalupe Posada.” The exhibit decorates the white walls between the lower-level staircase of MFAH’s Caroline…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Arsenic and Old Lace, Immediate Family, The Real Thing, You Can’t Take It With You
Arsenic and Old Lace Arsenic and Old Lace was a huge Broadway hit, opening in 1941 for 1,444 performances, and is currently on three Houston stages — a tribute to the enduring appeal of farce. The members of the Brewster family are a few cards short of a full deck,…
Mexican Catholics, Trash Can Finds and Slavery
Dear Mexican, I’m a Mexican-American Catholic who is really upset about something I saw after Mass last night. As I waited for my son to come out of Confirmation class (yes, I had already attended Mass myself), I noticed something really odd. I saw a grocery cart parked by a…
Everyone Says They Want the Best for North Forest Students, As Long As They Stand to Benefit.
Fifth-grader Bianca Cardenas sniffed the air, searching for the musty smell she’d always associated with school, as she walked into Thurgood Marshall Elementary. She inhaled the stinging aroma, a mix of fresh paint and cleaning supplies, while her seven-year-old sister Ceanna gaped at the gleaming mural of storybook characters splashed…
Growing Pains: The Newest El Tiempo Cantina Is Struggling With the Basics
It takes major cojones to build a new Tex-Mex restaurant a stone’s throw from quirky Irma’s downtown and right next door to the original Ninfa’s, on Navigation. It takes even bigger cojones if the eponymous Ninfa Laurenzo was your grandmother. But that’s exactly what Domenic Laurenzo did this past February when he…
Parkland Can’t Quite Honor Life After JFK
‘What a shitty place to die.” Whatever your feelings about Dallas, that’s a pretty harsh assessment. Then again, the character in Peter Landesman’s well-intentioned but unfulfilling Parkland who says it, an aide to fallen President John F. Kennedy, can probably be forgiven for his snotty Yankee attitude. Next month marks…
After 7 Years Away From Directing, Alfonso Cuarón Scores a Thrilling Breakthrough with Gravity
Some movies are so tense and deeply affecting that they shave years off your life as you’re watching, only to give back that lost time, and more, at the end. Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity is one of those movies. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney play astronauts — one a medical engineer,…
Jeremy Lin May Be Secretly Interesting, But Linsanity Is Wooden and Dull
What’s important to Jeremy Lin? He’ll tell you. In fact, he’ll even rank it. What are the 25-year-old NBA point guard’s favorite cartoon blankets? No. 1: The Lion King. No. 2: Garfield. No. 3: Sesame Street. What about his priorities in life? No. 1: God. No. 2: School. No. 3:…
Desperate Act
Highlights from Hair Balls Breaking News A man in a suit doused himself with liquid from a gas can outside the Exxon building on the corner of Milam Street and Leeland Street at about 5 p.m. last Friday. Houston police spokesman Kes Smith said the 25-year-old man approached a security…
The New Sasha Fierce
Only in Houston When Ty Moore heard Destiny Child’s first radio single, more than a decade ago, a unique kind of love was sparked — one that would take the young Houstonian to the far lengths of fandom and straight into a personal limelight of dedicated idolatry. Today, Moore spends…
