TMZ: Dwight Howard “Blows More Reds Than Communist Hooker”
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard is a happy, free-spirited guy to go with his tremendous talent on the court. He is also, apparently, a scofflaw, at least in Florida. According to a report by TMZ, Howard recently had his Florida license suspended for multiple traffic violations, mostly running red lights…
Reality Bites: Toughest Place to Be a Taxi Driver
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. In my lengthy and casualty-ridden campaign to avoid Bravo programming, I decided to check out a channel not often known for frivolous time wastage, namely, Al Jazeera America. And wouldn’t…
Adrian Peterson’s Childhood Beatings Recalled by Family Members
If it comes down to a jury trial, Adrian Peterson’s potential lack of guilt in his recent indictment on charges of child abuse are held together by one simple premise: Adrian Peterson’s brutal discipline methods (used on at least one of his children) are a product of the same (or…
“Texas Before the Boom”: Texas Art Before the Turn of the Century and Before Clichés Set In
The exhibition “Texas Before the Boom, 1850-1900: Selections from the Bobbie and John L. Nau Collection,” currently on view at the Pearl Fincher Art Museum in Spring, consists of 40 or so paintings and drawings made in Texas or by Texans, mostly before 1900. Since most people, when they think…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar
We haven’t had a Chef Chat with Becky Masson since 2010 and a whole heck of a lot has happened since then. Here are just a few highlights. In 2011, she competed on “Top Chef: Just Desserts” and represented Houston admirably, despite not winning. Not too much later, for the first…
10 Things You Never Hear Houstonians Say
“Everything is bigger in Texas.” “If you don’t like the weather here, wait.” “Hey, y’all.” There are certain phrases synonymous with Texas. Some of them you hear with regularity. Yes, we do occasionally quip about everything being bigger here and warn people not to mess with us. We even use…
Don’t Worry, Rene Steinke’s Novel Friendswood Is Not About You
The inspiration for her novel Friendswood came when author Rene Steinke was back visiting friends in her hometown of the same name. “They were talking about a neighborhood on the edge of town that had to be demolished,” explained Steinke. “It was close to an old oil refinery where chemicals…
Reefer Madness, The Musical Sings Its Way Through the Myths of the Evil Wacky Tobacky
In the 1930s a church group decided to put together a film, using unknown actors, that would lay out in chilling fashion the horrible way that marijuana could destroy lives. Clearly some folks knew gold when they saw it as many years later it was made into a musical comedy…
This Week In Food Blogs: Go Fried Chicken-Crazy at The Bird House
Culturemap Houston: Eric Sandler posted the lowdown on The Bird House and it’s especially worth mentioning now. H-Town StrEATs food truck chefs Jason Hill and Matt Opaleski have opened what’s essentially a long-term fried chicken pop-up. It’s in the space that normally houses Boil House at 606 East 11th Street…
Minnesota Vikings Reverse Course, Remove Adrian Peterson From Team Activities
With pressure from state government and corporate sponsors mounting, the Minnesota Vikings did an about-face early Wednesday morning and decided to remove Adrian Peterson from all team activities until his child-abuse case in Montgomery County is resolved, placing the Pro Bowl running back on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list. The decision,…
Review: Ordering Family Style Is a Good Way to Go at Pico’s Mex-Mex
The Chiles en Nogada Tradicionales, a regional specialty from the Mexican state of Puebla, is extraordinary. Typically available only during pomegranate season in Mexico, the pulled-pork filled poblano chiles, topped with a creamy walnut sauce and fresh pomegranate kernels, are so in demand that they’ve become a permanent feature on…
5 Types of Halloween Costumes That Need to Go Away
I love Halloween. I have ever since I was a child. I was the spooky kid who was into horror movies and who would plan Halloween costumes for months before the holiday arrived. And I’m still one of the spooky people who love Halloween, although I’m far from being a…
Studying “Tiki 101” at Lei Low, Sunset Heights’ Rum-Happy Oasis
“Try this! No, seriously…try this!” That’s how most conversations start at Lei Low, a traditional tiki bar in Sunset Heights, for good reason. This place makes some serious drinks. I’m here on a hot Saturday night to get exotic and learn the ways of island life. Bartender Stephen Caronna suggests a…
100 Creatives 2014: Shipra Mehrotra, Odissi Dancer and Choreographer
It seems that for Shipra Mehrotra, a life in dance was always in the making. She began her training in Odissi, one of India’s eight classical dance forms, at an early age. In addition to learning Odissi at Washington D.C.’s Nrityalaya School of Classical Indian Dance, she studied ballet for…
SpaceX, Boeing to Launch Humans Under NASA’s Watch
For the first time in American history, commercial spaceflight companies will send astronauts to the International Space Station. SpaceX and Boeing have been awarded NASA contracts to pursue the technology necessary for sustaining human life in space. Pending certification by NASA, American astronauts will again travel to and from the…
Try These Seven Non-Burger Sliders in Houston
These days, there’s way more to sliders than just burgers. And while we of course love the mini beefcakes, we’re pretty excited to see some new kids on the block. From a breakfast treat to mini dogs, here are five new kinds of sliders to check out in Houston: Chili…
5 Questions a Father Is Tired of Being Asked About Having a Daughter
As a full-time writer who works from home, I am the parent who is tasked with most of the errands, and because I have a five-year-old girl, she’s usually out and about with me on those errands. Partly because I enjoy the company and partly because I’m pretty sure if…
First Look at Pho & Crab Restaurant, a New Vietnamese Restaurant on Houston’s West Side
Approaching from the west, the prominent signage of the one month old Pho & Crab Restaurant is easy to spot. The letters are in bold, the sign’s black background pops, and, despite the neon brightness of the Ninfa’s sign behind it (its neighbor), the words Pho & Crab Restaurant Vietnamese…
Skeleton Dick Helps Robot Bunny Save the World
On The Level Games, the Houston-based software developers behind the golf/hack-and-slash game Curse of Nordic Cove have a brand-new game out on Steam called Boo Bunny Plague. It’s the timeless tale of a robotic bunny rabbit searching for Thor while singing songs and beating things to death with a guitar…
When a Lesson Took a Dangerous Turn, a Room Full of Firefighters Couldn’t Save Neal Smith
Firefighter Neal Smith was almost out of the second floor of the six-story training tower when he became disoriented and fell to his knees. Smith had excelled through the first day’s exercises, and he was doing fine on day two. He was one of a few to clear a bunker…
Leonard Cohen’s Five Best Collaborations
In honor of his 80th birthday this year, Leonard Cohen will release a new record of original material entitled Popular Problems next week. Both the album’s title and its first single, “Almost Like the Blues,” show the Canadian maestro firmly in his comfort zone, exactly where he should be. Nobody…
The Brief, Bizarre Wave of Good Synth-Metal Bands
Earlier this year, I wrote about the wave of dubstep metal that is ruining everything. That might have led some readers to believe that I’m fundamentally against the idea of mixing synthesizers and other electronics into metal, but that is absolutely not true. The problem with dubstep metal is that…
Sampling Joe Sample: 1976
If 1975 was a whirlwind year for Joe Sample, the Crusader who passed away last Friday, 1976 was a full-blown hurricane. The newer, funkier Crusaders were increasingly popular, so much so that United Artists began to repackage and reissue some of the early 1960s Jazz Crusaders tracks the group made…
Newly Discovered Jonestown Remains Include Texas Women
Officials are seeking relatives of two Texas women whose ashes were among cremains discovered in a Delaware funeral home last month and identified as victims of the 1978 Jonestown massacre in Guyana, South America. The victims were identified as Victoria native and former Houston resident Katherine Martha Domineck, who died…
Fan Fighting League! LSU Bro Fight Video Is Delightfully Absurd (VIDEO)
This past weekend, I traveled to Norman, OK to watch the Sooners take on the Tennessee Volunteers with some friends. Among them was my radio partner Ted Johnson, a three time Super Bowl champion and 10 year NFL player from 1995-2004. Ted and I started doing our show together, along…
Goatwhore at Fitzgeralds, 9/15/2014
Goatwhore, Venomous Maximus, Demoniacal Genuflection, Legion Fitzgerald’s September 15, 2014 Of all the days of the week, none are less metal than Mondays. The domain of alarm clocks and rent payments, Monday must necessarily be the sworn enemy of middle fingers and Jager shots. Nobody applies KISS makeup on a…
In Our Undies Celebrating the ’80s Music Scene at The Music Box Theatre
The setup: Four talented performers now rehearsing for Reefer Madness at TUTS Underground found time as well to prepare a tribute to ’80s music, under the title In Our Undies. Despite the name, and some performers getting down to their skivvies, the evening was about as sensual as a church…
Growing Crowds Can’t Spoil UtopiaFest’s Blissful Vibe
During Aaron Behrens & the Midnight Stroll’s Friday-evening set, while the dancing crowd was surrounded by the darkened hillsides that surround UtopiaFest, the singer said, “I don’t feel like we’re a part of any continent or country, I just feel like we’re floating in space.” That sentiment wasn’t too far…
Meridian Sale Disrupts Houston Food Park
With the recent sale of the former Meridian nightclub – and by extension its parking lot – the Houston Food Park is prepared to pack up and roll out of East Downtown. In 2013, the abandoned warehouse at 1503 Chartres St. seemed like the perfect place to open the city’s…
Chicken Sandwich Chronicles: Jerrybuilt
Following a less-than-stellar experience with Smashburger’s chicken sandwiches, advice poured in as to where better versions could be found. Among those venues suggested was JerryBuilt Homegrown Burgers, whose seasonal burgers, at least, have been impressive. In fact, prior to the chicken sandwich tipoff, I had planned a trip to the…
Romping Through (and over) Hitchcock with A.D. Players and The 39 Steps
The set-up: A.D. Players produces one of its freshest, funniest productions in memory with Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps. This 2008 Tony-winner and Drama Desk award recipient for “unique theatrical experience” is just plain goofy – and that goofiness is its utter, unique charm. The execution:…
JohnMichael Lynch Named Executive Chef of Hotel Granduca
After a nationwide, year-long search, the Hotel Granduca has finally named a new executive chef: JohnMichael Lynch. Since taking the reins approximately five weeks ago, the classically trained 31-year-old — who is responsible for all aspects of hotel dining, from banquets, to pool and bar, in-room dining and the flagship…
Pop Rocks: 5 New Fall Network TV Shows Already Locked Into My DVR
With the fall comes cooler weather, fewer hurricanes — a worry for those of us along the Gulf Coast, especially — and new TV shows. Television has become rich with quality programming over the last decade, for all intents and purposes surpassing films in practically every way. Now that cable-only…
Adrian Peterson Child Abuse Case Is Latest NFL Crisis
All last week, we were worn down to a nub by the Ray Rice domestic assault case. Elevator security videos, indefinite suspensions, and allegations that the commissioner of the NFL may be lying about what he knew, didn’t know, or at the very least efforted during the due diligence process…
The Rocks Off 200: Melissa Lonchambon Ryan, Omotai’s Mistress of Metal
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? Melissa Lonchambon…
“Earl Staley: Reconstructions” Mixes Greco-Roman Myths With More Modern Techniques
The first thing a person notices in entering the Jung Center gallery rooms is that there is a strangeness to the paintings. Not strange in the sense of inappropriate, but strange in the sense that they are highly unusual and distinctive. The explanation lies in the duality of the art…
Charming Service and Terrific Takeout from Peru Cafe Express
It’s fine day in Houston when a diner has a choice of several good restaurants serving Peruvian food. Even finer is the fact that one of them, Peru Cafe Express, offers a super casual atmosphere, reasonable prices, takeout, and delivery. Lomo saltado and an Inca Cola delivered to your doorstep?…
5 More Crazy Things in Texas’s New Textbooks: Climate Change Edition
If you were already disturbed by what we’ve already told you is in the proposed social studies textbooks soon to (most likely) be in a Texas classroom near you, you probably don’t want to know what the books say about climate change, since a lot of it is about as…
Doctor Who: You’ve Really Got to Listen to “Listen”
I can honestly say that “Listen” is probably the most difficult episode of Doctor Who I’ve ever had to review. Even aside from the fact that it’s probably the most atypical episode since “Blink’, it’s nearly impossible to discuss it without revealing major plot points. To that end, I’m going…
Houston Texans Don’t Get Arrested That Often, Compared to Other NFL Teams
The outing of Ray Rice, whose stunning knockout of his fiance (now wife) was caught on elevator cameras and viewed more than 8.6 million times on YouTube, has caused football fans around the country to take a second look at the NFL stars they thought they knew. Good news for…
5 Houston Meat Markets That Will Make Any Carnivore Happy
For many people, heading to the local megachain supermarket to get a few steaks or some ground meat for the evening’s meal just won’t cut it. Instead, those folks prefer to seek out meaty treasures from a standalone meat market, a type of business that is not as common as…
Upcoming: Brand New, Café Tacvba, Gladys Knight, ICP, Nick Jonas, Royal Blood, etc.
’90s Burned Out: With Hayden Jones, Shadow Hound, Thrill. Sat., September 20, 8:30 p.m., $10. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston, 713-862-3838. Aaron Einhouse: Sat., November 15, 8 p.m., $8. Cypress Saloon, 12710 Telge, Cypress, 281-304-7777. Advance Cassette: With the Freebie, Banshee Bones. Fri., November 21, 8 p.m., $3 to $7…
Overkill Schools Us on Classic East Coast Thrash-Metal
As the screamin’ front man for New Jersey thrash-metal legends Over Kill since the group’s formation, Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth has seen, experienced, and learned a lot in three and a half decades. So what is the one piece of advice that his 2014 self might offer the 1980 Blitz? “Give…
Wiig and Hader Brave Despair in The Skeleton Twins — and Still Get Laughs
Surprisingly moving for a film assembled from such familiar scenes, Craig Johnson’s The Skeleton Twins mushes together queasy/quirky indie family drama with the beats of a romantic comedy. You know the outline just from eyeballing the poster: Kristen Wiig’s Maggie and Bill Hader’s Milo find their way toward loving each…
A Walk Among the Tombstones Is the Kind of Thriller Liam Neeson Deserves
They’ve done it at last: made a Liam Neeson-stomps-some-ass flick where, as the credits roll, there’s more stuff to be glad you saw than Neeson himself. Based on one of those Lawrence Block novels that’s pretty smart but also too invested in the mechanics of rape and torture, the movie’s…
If You’re Not a Rich Dope, This Is Where I Leave You Offers Nothing
“I’ve spent my whole life playing it safe,” whines Judd Altman (Jason Bateman), the middle-class milquetoast at the center of This Is Where I Leave You. Yes, well, so has director Shawn Levy, but on the basis of his latest vacuous trifle he has no apparent intention, as Altman does,…
Kevin Smith’s Tusk Labors for Infamy
Kevin Smith is a bright guy who over the years has become a little too taken with his own persona, his own jokes, his own cult following — it’s the filmmaker’s equivalent of getting high on your own supply. No matter how awkwardly pontifical or ill-shapen his movies have gotten…
Sampling Joe Sample: 1975
With the wild, platinum-selling commercial success of Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark in 1974, Joe Sample’s studio-session career went into warp drive. Throughout the remainder of the decade, he would sprint from one important project to the next. Sample’s Crusaders dropped Those Southern Nights in early 1975 and Chain Reaction…
Fat Tony’s Fall Function Turns Up All the Way
Does Fat Tony know how to throw a party? The answer will always and forever be “Hell Yeah!” With the help of sponsor Remy Martin, Tony invited his Houston homies DJ Good Grief, Bombón and Rai P to assist him with the kickoff soiree for his upcoming tour. Our own…
My Preferred Hangover Cure, and More, at Juan Mon’s International Sandwiches
Juan Mon’s is unassuming. Driving down Taft Street, you could easily miss it, and probably have already: From that vantage point, the view of the restaurant is mostly that of an alcove evidently once intended as a drive-thru, where a food truck which has clearly fallen out of use resides,…
That Stinky Seaweed in Galveston Could Soon Be Edible
Unless you’re without a sense of smell (and thus lucky in this case) you’ve probably noticed that Galveston kind of smells like it’s on the edge of the bowels of something unspeakably nasty these days because of the many tons of seaweed that have washed up on our hallowed shores…
What Modern Gaming Can Learn From Left Behind: Eternal Forces
Recently the trailer (Above) for the film adaptation of the Christian apocalyptic novel Left Behind was released. If you’re somehow ignorant of one of the most famous bits of religious propaganda of the 20th century then know it’s about how people who miss the Rapture will have to deal with…
Lone Star Music Fest Abruptly Cancels
The Lone Star Music Festival, which promised to bring an eclectic crop of national, regional and local artists to Discovery Green on November 7 and 8, abruptly and mysteriously scratched the event over the weekend, leaving only the following cryptic message on its Web site. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the…
Dish of the Week: Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
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 an Italian classic: puttanesca sauce. Said to have originated in Naples (likely in the mid…
Hits and Misses in These Variations on Shakespeare’s Othello and Desdemona
The set-up: The glories of Shakespeare run so deep that endless variations can be played on his themes and characters. Trebuchet Players, one of Houston’s youngest theater companies, present two one-acts that spin his great tragedy Othello. Waiting for Othello is a gleeful drunk, stumbling about like a sloshed frat…
The 10 Best Texans-Raiders 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…
Harris County Treasurer Candidate Brings His Moms Into Politics
Rick Perry does it; Ted Cruz does it; Harris County treasurer nominee David Rosen doesn’t see why he can’t run on a family values platform too just because he has two moms. In a bid to redefine the tired jargon of political ads, Rosen released a video starring his mothers,…
Texans 30, Raiders 14: 4 Winners, 4 Losers
After a methodical 30-14 choking out of the Oakland Raiders on Sunday afternoon, the Texans moved to 2-0 on the season, Bill O’Brien becoming the first of the Texans’ three head coaches in their short history to win his first two games. The Texans have been here, at 2-0, before,…
Pachanga Tour w/ Los Rakas & Bomba Estereo at Warehouse Live, 9/12/2014
Pachanga Tour Feat. Bomba Estéreo, Los Rakas, Bombón Houston Warehouse Live September 12, 2014 “Maaannn…. We’ve got a million stories!” proclaimed Raka Rich as we chilled in the Los Rakas green room at Warehouse Live last Friday night. Stories about meeting fellow Panameño musician El General at the “white people…
Testing Williams-Sonoma’s Make-Your-Own-Butter Kit
Eager to tap into the metro yeoman hipster market, Williams-Sonoma now offers a line of “DIY” kits for smoking salmon, making your own nut milk, fermenting your own mead, etc., etc. These kits are, unsurprisingly, fairly expensive and the end-product, of course, highly subject to user error. You’re better off…
The Changing Face of Houston: Sharpstown Then and Now
The Sharpstown area has changed a great deal over the decades since its creation, and those changes reflect the way Houston has continued to evolve, a city constantly in motion. Originally the vision of developer Frank Sharp, who also created Oak Forest, construction of Sharpstown began in the mid ’50s…
The Best Acts at Yes, Indeed! Fest 2014
By Matthew Keever and Angelica Leicht CATCH FEVER Six months after the release of their debut album, Shiny Eyes, Catch Fever’s pop rock continues to please longtime fans and grab the attention of new listeners as well. The power trio rocked the Continental Club Saturday night at 8pm, with vocalist/guitarist…
Juvenile Probation Takes on Child Trafficking in Houston
On September 4th, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office gave the Juvenile Probation Department a check for $300,000 in an effort to help victims of child trafficking. Houston is often called a hub for trafficking victims, both domestic and international, but to no one’s surprise, these numbers are far more complicated,…
Sweet Sarriette Pop-Up Dinner to Spotlight Four Talented Young Pastry Chefs
On the surface, it might seem like just another pop-up at Paulie’s, but this Sunday’s “Sweet Sarriette” pop-up dinner — an eight-course with wine pairing gourmet dinner prepared by Christina Au, Samantha Mendoza, Andrew Musico and Johnny Wesley — promises to be extraordinary. The collaborating chefs represent some of Houston’s…
Writing for the Houston Press Arts Website: Here’s Your Chance
Once again we are looking to expand the number of freelancers we have on the Houston Press arts website. If you’ve ever wanted to write about the arts — dance, the symphony, pop culture in Houston and in some cases the larger world — and you can put together sentences…
8 Unconventional Vampire Films That Don’t Suck
As a lifelong horror movie fan, I’ve grown to dread most vampire films. How can such a venerable and classic film monster be so off-putting to me? Most vampire films just seem to suck, and not just in the cool, neck-bitey way. I guess that I see a particularly common…
The Five Best Underrated Fried Chickens (According to You)
Y’all Facebooked and Tweeted your little hearts out about fried chicken and for that, we thank you! It was a tight race, with Spanish Village and Jones Fried Chicken just barely missing out on the top 5. And though reader Deborah Swanson was campaigning for her “mama’s” fried chicken, she…
Aggies (And Kyle Field) Take Out Owls
The story should be the Texas Aggies (3-0) defeating the Rice Owls (0-2) by a 38-10 score. It should be about the thrilling play of A&M quarterback Kenny Hill. The story could have been about the Owls trying for their first win against Texas A&M since 1980, or the first…
Lily Allen at House of Blues, 9/13/2014
Lily Allen House of Blues September 13, 2014 During the span of her decade-long career, Lily Allen has managed to attract consistent press attention for her outspoken, disparaging remarks towards pop-music heavyweights, and when she dropped new album Sheezus earlier this year, that bodacious attitude came right along with it…
Sampling Joe Sample’s Album Credits: 1964-75
Anyone who follows jazz or has much sense of Houston’s music history knows that Joseph Leslie Sample, who passed away Friday night after a losing battle with lung cancer, is a giant. But Sample was not simply a virtuoso pianist, a prolific composer and one of the inventors of jazz-funk…
The Five Best Concerts In Houston This Week: Overkill, Blaggards, Coheed and Cambria, etc.
Overkill Scout Bar, September 16 As the screamin’ front man for New Jersey thrash-metal legends Overkill since Day 1 of the group’s formation, Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth has seen, experienced and learned a lot in three and a half decades. So what is the one piece of advice that his 2014…
RIP Joe Sample: Houston Music Icon Dies at 75
Joe Sample, the Houston native whose masterful keyboard playing made him a leading figure in the jazz fusion movement of the ’60s and ’70s and a top session musician in jazz, R&B and pop for several decades, passed away Friday night, according to his Facebook page. His family announced his…
Sheriff Unwittingly Rehires Investigator Forced Out by DA’s Office
The curious case of Ruben Carrizal — the investigator forced out of the Harris County District Attorney’s Affice for misconduct only to be rehired by the sheriff’s office three days later — just didn’t seem right to us when we first saw KPRC’s report earlier this week. We just didn’t…
Hurricane Season 2014: Don’t Believe the Hype of the Latest Tropical Disturbance
You are likely going to hear quite a bit about a tropical disturbance designated 92L by the National Hurricane Center that is currently dropping a bunch of rain on the Florida peninsula. The reason there will be news about this rainmaker is because forecast models have 92L making its way…
Lyle Lovett & Robert Earl Keen at The Woodlands, 9/11/2014
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, Robert Earl Keen Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 11, 2014 Between Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen, it’s a miracle there was any room left in the Woodlands Pavilion for paying customers Thursday. Both men’s extensive roots in the Houston area were reflected in…
Free Game Day: A Temple of Two Worlds
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: A Temple of Two Worlds Genre: Interactive Story Made By: StormAlligator Play at: Kongregate http://www.kongregate.com/games/StormAlligator/a-temple-of-two-worlds…
Eat This: Dry-Style Beef Chow Fun at House of Bowls
Driving on Bellaire Boulevard to get to the majority of Chinatown eateries has been a challenge for some time now. The construction on Bellaire Boulevard in areas with the densest concentration of good eats has been ongoing mercilessly for at least a year, and traffic, not to mention safety issues…
Where to Watch Out-of-State College Football
College football fans just can’t hold a candle to their NFL counterparts. It’s hardly anyone’s fault but the alumni associations that charge bars an arm and a leg to host their watch parties, but with Houston’s transplant culture the way it is, it’s probably harder to get five Northwestern fans…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: The Drop
Title: The Drop Is This Set In Boston Like Every Other Dennis Lehane Story? No, Brooklyn. Maybe Gandolfini couldn’t do a Southie accent. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Three-and-a-half Members Only jackets out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Good-natured bartender finds a dog, a girl, and a…
When It Comes to the Astros, Reporting the News Doesn’t Mean Forcing a Negative Narrative
It appears the Astros will win 70-plus games this season. It appears the Astros won’t finish with the worst record in Major League Baseball for the fourth season in a row. It’s possible that Jose Altuve will be the MLB batting champ and that Chris Carter will the MLB home…
MALK Offers All-Natural Plant-Based Milks to Houston
Alternative milks, such as soy, almond and coconut, have become a lot more popular over the years. Those who are lactose intolerant or don’t eat products from animals have opted for plant-based products, such as the aforementioned variations on milk. August Vega has been making alternative milks for years. After…
The Black Lips at Fitzgerald’s, 9/11/14
Black Lips, King Khan and BBQ Show Fitzgerald’s September 11, 2014 Summer may be officially over in Houston, but that didn’t stop Thursday night’s crowd at Fitzgerald’s from turning in one of the sweatiest shows of the year. Hell, when the Black Lips are in town, sweat should be the…
Houston’s Newest Woodhouse Day Spa Location Opens September 20 in Tanglewood
In which I show up for a tour, and receive a luxurious, complimentary volcanic massage. Located at the corner of Bering and San Felipe, Houston’s newest luxury day spa is preparing for its grand opening on September 20. A modest sign hangs along the San Felipe side of the building,…
Ted Cruz: The Heckler of the Senate Gets Heckled Over Israel
The champion heckler of the U.S. Senate was finally heckled right off stage. Yes, shocking as it is, it’s finally happened. Houston’s own Sen. Ted Cruz has proved impervious to censure, to disapproval and even to heckling since his big leap onto the national political stage back in 2012. This…
5 Best Memorials in World of Warcraft
The difference between games like World of Warcraft and non MMORPGs is that it is literally a created world full of real people. Granted they’re running around pretending to be axe-wielding dwarves, but most people in life are running around pretending to be adults in the first place so it’s…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Fielding’s Wood Grill Celebrates Its First Year Anniversary
Cooking Class with Tory McPhail @ Brennan’s of Houston Friday, 6:30 p.m. 3300 Smith Brennan’s of Houston will host Tory McPhail, executive chef of Commander’s Palace, tonight at 6:30 p.m. for a special cooking class demonstration along with Brennan’s executive chef Danny Trace. The duo will prepare a three-course meal…
Fat Tony: “Ain’t No Rest in This Business”
In the middle of July, during another random rap show at Warehouse Live, Fat Tony emerged with a distinct smile on his face. It’s common with Tony, the Houston indie-rap darling whose last two projects — 2012’s Double Dragon with frequent collaborator Tom Cruz and 2013’s Smart Ass Black Boy…
Upcoming Events: Corn Tamales Are Now at Hugo’s
Hugo’s now has corn tamales, but it’s only for the month of September. Chef Hugo Ortega is using fresh corn from Mexico, where it is harvested every year, to make these traditional tamales. Each order is made with masa, rajas (sliced poblano peppers), queso fresco, crema and tomatillo salsa and…
This Weekends Best Bets: “Cleveland Punter Gets Face Stomped” Edition
Finally, a safe haven from TMZ videos of domestic violence incidents and replays of Roger Goodell’s sweaty face, lying his ass off to America. Actual football! If you’re someone who is more the traditionalist, you can say what you want about Thursday Night Football — the short week dilutes the…
100 Creatives 2014: Winston Williams, What Happens to Confiscated Comics?
What He Does: So there you are in school, just trying to dull the pain of public education by quietly reading an issue of The Maxx (For the sake of narrative in this case you’re me, it’s the ’90s, and you better believe you’re wearing JNCOs). Suddenly, the teacher swarms…
10 Crazy Things in Texas’s Proposed New Social Studies Textbooks
UPDATE September 16, 2014: Crazy things in textbooks aren’t just limited to the field of social studies. A new report found some pretty crazy things on the subject of climate change as well. It seems the Texas education system is still nursing a hangover from the State Board of Education’s…
10 Acts to Watch at Yes, Indeed! Fest 2014
By Chris Gray and Matthew Keever Weekends that go by without another multi-stage festival setting up shop somewhere in Houston are getting pretty scarce, but Yes, Indeed~ has a definite leg up due to its track record and homegrown appeal. For its third edition, the nine-hour event relocates to mid-Main…
The 5 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Opening Night Concert With Andrés & More
The eight women currently in residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft — Christina Carfora, Paris Jomadiao, Grace Zuniga, Lauren Salazar, Caitie Sellers, Delaney Smith, Kamila Szczesna and Demitra Thomloudis — exhibit their latest creations in the group show “In Residence: Work by 2013 Resident Artists.” Two of the…
Openings & Closings: Tout Suite is Finally Open in EaDo
The Pappas Bar-B-Q located at 3814 Little York burned to the ground early in the morning on Sunday, September 7. The restaurant was closed during the time of the fire and no firefighters were injured while responding to the two-alarm blaze. The cause of the fire has not been determined,…
Five More Epic ’80s Tours That Deserve The Wall Treatment
Ex-Pink Floyd bandleader Roger Waters celebrated his 71st birthday in typically dramatic fashion last Saturday: he premiered a new movie at the Toronto International Film Festival. Roger Waters: The Wall is a documentary chronicling the songwriter’s massive, three-year world tour, “The Wall Live,” featuring the famous tunes from one of…
Kemo for Emo Explains Recent Reunion
One of Houston’s best bands, Kemo for Emo is back in the saddle and rocking this weekend after a breakup that saw Larry Fenix leave the band to join Mike Terror. Lead guitarist Jake Rawls sat down with us to do a brief interview about the reunification. Rocks Off: What…
The 10 Best Concerts in Houston This Weekend: Los Rakas, Gareth Emery, Lily Allen, etc.
Los Rakas Warehouse Live, September 12 Equally competent remixing Wiz Khaifa’s “We Dem Boyz” as they are grooving a smooth reggaeton love jam, Panamanian cousins Raka Dun and Raka Rich are as cool and colorful as their adopted city of Oakland, Calif. Their major-label debut, this year’s El Negrito Dun…
The Daily Show Pitches a New Name for Rice University
Nobody wants anything to do with Ray Rice just now. Go figure, beating your significant other to the point she’s knocked unconscious will tend to cause public opinion to go sour. Eventually. At least once TMZ gets hold of a tape of the beating and it is plastered all over…
Breaking News: Two Alarm Fire Breaks Out at the Alley Theatre
Update 12:21 p.m: A two-alarm fire broke out The Alley Theatre around 11:15 this morning. It appears to have been caused by construction workers doing welding work in the Hubbard Theater near the roof of the building. No one was hurt in the fire. The Alley is undergoing renovations and…
The Galleria Teams Up the ‘Glamour’ and ‘GQ’ for a Must-See Fashion Night
Interested in viewing the national trends up close and personal, hob-nobbing with the style experts from your favorite national fashion magazines, and participating in interactive style challenges in hopes of winning lots of Simon shopping center swag? Then you need to beeline it to The Galleria this Friday, September 9…
Lifestyling the Less Rich and Unfamous: Blake Lively’s Preserve
When Blake Lively’s lifestyle website Preserve debuted, it drew the expected comparisons to Martha Stewart (a hero of Lively’s) and–more sharply–Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop. Pretty actresses turning themselves into lifestyle gurus/mavens/experts with a slick website are bound to draw ire, especially since Gwyneth’s goop scoop on her “Conscious Uncoupling” from husband…
Fan Fighting League 2014 Is Under Way! Texas Tech and UTEP Fans Brawl
Beauty is probably in the eye of the beholder when it comes to the proliferation of cameras (security, cell phone, or otherwise) in public places. I mean, I’m guessing right about now, Ray Rice (and to a “walls are closing in” extent, Roger Goodell) probably longs for the days where…
3 Legendary Texas Sideshow Performers to Prepare for AHS: Freak Show
Next month we’ll see the return of American Horror StoryFreak Show centers one of the last traveling sideshows in America filled with human oddities like conjoined twins, bearded ladies, crab boys, and the like. Beyond that, not much is known yet, but the trailer above gives a pretty good ook…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Amalia Pferd of Good Dog Houston
Food trucks are awesome. They’re also a challenge to run and sometimes even finding a stable location to park and do business is problematic. Good Dog Houston still has its truck, but they’ve successfully made the transition from being on the road to being a traditional restaurant in the Heights…
New York Times Publishes Chilling Archive of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane
Very few, if any, buildings escaped injury. There is hardly a habitable, dry house in the city. When the people who had escaped death went out at daylight to view the work of the tempest and the floods they saw the most horrible sights imaginable. In the three blocks from…
Video Game High School Releases Trailer for Third/Final Season
In a pleasant surprise the trailer for the last season of the acclaimed web series Video Game High School hit the web this month. Last season saw the series blossom into full primetime TV format at a time when web series and streaming content are all finding a new kind…
One-Eyed Doll & Vanilla Sugar at Scout Bar, 9/10/2014
One-Eyed Doll, Vanilla Sugar Scout Bar September 10, 2014 A solid but small crowd that gathered at Scout Bar Wednesday night to view the greatest Texas goth-punk band in the world, Austin’s One-Eyed Doll. Earlier, around 8 p.m., a line of about 20 or 30 people had waited to meet…
Seeking More Houston-Based Food Freelancers
The Houston Press is looking for a few more freelance food writers to help our readers sort through what the Houston area had to offer in food and restaurants. Applicants need to not only know about food, but are willing to interview other people about it…
Red Collar Dog Rescue Calls Out a Pair of Owners for Alleged Douchebaggery
Hell hath no fury like an animal rescue scorned. Such groups are unfortunately used to dealing with dogs mistreated by a-hole owners, but Red Collar Rescue recently took the unusual step of Facebook-shaming a Houston couple it says abandoned a dog they adopted seven years ago. The couple, Gustaf and…
The 5 Best Happy Hours in Midtown
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…
9 Types of Houston Drivers We Could Do Without
Houston is enormous, and has a vast road and highway system to get everyone from point A to B. We’ve also never really embraced public transit systems in the Houston area. Sure, we have the buses and a rail system that doesn’t really do much as of yet, but Houston…
10 Things We Are Sick of Seeing on Houston Cars and Trucks
Sitting in traffic, particularly during morning rush hour, life feels tedious. Your mind wanders. Your faith in humanity wanes. You glance around at your fellow drivers hoping for a glimmer of hope in what feels like a cruel, unforgiving world. Then you see it, out of the corner of your…
7 Seasonal Brews to Kick Off the Fall Season in Houston
You know fall is almost here when Starbucks starts selling Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Oktoberfest beers start popping up all over the place. Too bad it’s still hot as ever outside. We’re almost halfway through September and the grocery store beer aisles are already filled with a multitude of fall…
Peace in Our Time Explores What a German-Occupied Great Britain Would Have Been Like
In a departure from history and from his usual brittle and sophisticated comedies, playwright Noel Coward wrote a story in which the Battle of Britain was lost to Germany which has taken over England. Little produced – it has a large cast and while it has humorous elements it is…
Keeton Coffman EP Comes Face to Face With a Ghost
The 71’s was literally the first band I ever covered professionally, and I’ve always been impressed by the energy and passion of front man Keeton Coffman. He’s equal parts indie pretty-boy with a soul and punk-rock attitude. But what’s he like away from his band? The Ghost is six tremendous…
Former Jefferson Elementary Teacher Fights Back, Sues Investigators for $1 Million-Plus
Elsa Rodriguez, who was among several teachers accused this year by Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier and his administration of manipulating test scores when the 2013 statewide tests were administered to Jefferson Elementary school students that April, has decided to fight back with a civil lawsuit calling for more than…
10 Real Houstonians We’ll Need the Most in the Zombie Apocalypse
Many people have a zombie plan because they’re a little insane. Me? I have a zombie plan for the whole city because I’m a lot of insane. It’s all well and good to talk of fleeing north where the undead will freeze or fortifying an apartment building by destroying the…
How Did Restaurants Do During Houston Restaurant Weeks 2014?
Houston Restaurant Weeks came to a close on Monday, September 1. The total amount of money raised from the approximately 165 participating restaurants has not been announced yet, but we spoke with a few restaurant general managers/owners about their experience during HRW this year to get some feedback from the…
UtopiaFest Again Beckons Southwest’s Free Spirits
For the sixth year running, this weekend a little slice of heaven known as UtopiaFest will take over the Four Sisters Ranch in the middle of the Texas Hill Country, just outside the quaint village of Utopia and about two hours northwest of San Antonio, Nearly 2,000 kind folk will…
Capsule Art reviews: September 11, 2014
“Aloe Vera: group show” Gray Contemporary is a new gallery in the Houston Design Center, large, high-ceilinged and beautifully air-conditioned. Several paintings are quite bright and colorful, with Shape Study 8 (Three Sides), by Christopher Derek Bruno, the most intriguing. It has four three-dimensional vertical square pillars, with the front…
Always a Bridesmaid
In Always a Bridesmaid, it’s senior prom night and four friends promise to be in each other’s weddings no matter what. It’s a vow that comes back to haunt them. Now it’s some 30 years later and just as they promised, the four are making “the long walk” for each…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Septmeber 11, 2014
Full Gallop Let’s talk D.V. That would be Diana Vreeland, or Dee-ahh-na, for those of you not in the loop. For decades she was the reigning monarch of fashion, first as columnist and stylish greyhound at Harper’s Bazaar, then as editor-in-chief of Vogue, later as curator of the Metropolitan Museum’s…
“In Residence: Work by 2013 Resident Artists”
The eight women currently in residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft — Christina Carfora, Paris Jomadiao, Grace Zuniga, Lauren Salazar, Caitie Sellers, Delaney Smith, Kamila Szczesna and Demitra Thomloudis — exhibit their latest creations in the group show “In Residence: Work by 2013 Resident Artists.” Two of the…
Don’t Watch That, Watch This: Geek Cinema Selfie Party
What’s fascinating, new and neglected across all major video platforms. Among other things, cinema has always been a ready-made self-eulogizer — Hollywood was making two-reeler silent comedies about the craft of moviemaking before the viewing public even knew what it entailed, and documentaries about famous and forgotten threads of film…
“Ground Zero 360: Never Forget”
As the assassination of President John Kennedy was for a previous generation, the 9/11 attacks became a dividing line. There was life before the attacks; there was life after the attacks. And there was that one moment between the two when people first learned what was going on. It wasn’t…
How Kevin Smith Got Young Again
This summer, a prankster stole Kevin Smith’s Twitter account and tweeted, “Before this comes out I want to state that I am a gay proud man.” Ninety minutes later, Smith responded: “Not me. Been hacked. Proud to be bi-curious, not brave enough to commit.” But the internet already knew that…
Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt? Has the Year’s Funniest Sex Scene
The sex scene almost makes it worth sitting through Atlas Shrugged III, the last and least of the cheapjack adaptations of Ayn Rand’s brick-thick celebration of taking your ball and going home. About an hour in, after she’s toured and left the hidden Colorado enclave of the captains of industry…
The Texas Tenors
Power trios are nothing new in rock and roll, but for opera, they’re a relatively rare combination. On the heels of the Three Tenors and the Irish Tenors come the cowboy-hatted studs The Texas Tenors. Since their debut five years ago on America’s Got Talent (they auditioned for the show…
“Triple Threat featuring Dandee Warhol, Shelbi-Nicole and Daniel Anguilu”
“Triple Threat featuring Dandee Warhol, Shelbi-Nicole and Daniel Anguilu,” the long and unwieldy moniker chosen for the massive art show at Bayou Music Center, is hardly a stretch of the imagination; after all, these three artists really are among Houston’s most talked-about painters. Dandee Warhol attacks pop art in his…
Opening Night Concert with Andrés
The Houston Symphony is pulling out all the stops to welcome incoming music director Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Along with two free laid-back concerts, there’s the more formal Opening Night Concert with Andrés. Orozco-Estrada, or Andrés as the symphony likes to call him, will be the 15th director of the symphony, following…
El Grito featuring Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles
As independence day celebrations go, Mexico’s annual El Grito is one of the loudest. In a vocal celebration of Mexico’s freedom, millions of revelers in Mexico and beyond (including Houston) gather to partake in the cries of Viva! The tradition mirrors the historical roots of Mexico’s revolution, in which Father…
The Miró Quartet
It’s been an impressive 20 years for The Miró Quartet. There have been important awards (first prize in the Coleman Chamber Music Competition and a Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Avery Fisher Career Grant) and gushing accolades (The New York Times said their performance had “explosive vigor and finesse”)…
Happy Hour — the Play
Catch the world premiere of Joe Barnes’s Happy Hour — the Play. The action is simple — and hilarious. Four weary co-workers from a local mega-store go out for a well-deserved happy hour. (Chelsea Aldrich, Deborah Anderson, Cheramie Hopper and Tari Moon portray the thirsty, beleaguered characters.) Gathered together are…
I Accidentally Slept With My Friend’s Girl. 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! I’M THINKING OF LEAVING MY BORING HUSBAND Dear Willie D: I have three kids and a…
Victor/Victoria
A survival plan born of mutual desperation is at the heart of the gender-bending musical Victor/Victoria, now at the Hobby Center for the Performing arts as the Theatre Under the Stars’ 2014-15 season opener. Tony nominee Tony Sheldon (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) is here to play Toddy, the flamboyant…
The Last of Robin Hood Wrestles with a Star’s Underage Love
If older man/younger women matchups make many people uncomfortable, the older man/much younger women combo tends to make them apoplectic. It would be impossible for Nabokov to publish Lolita today, now that all of life, and all of art, must be arranged, categorized and restricted as a way of protecting…
’90s Music Trends That Should Stay Dead
By Angelica Leicht and Selena Dieringer It turns out some musical trends that emerged in the ’90s are not quite the fine wine you remember them to be. While that post-grunge or SoCal pop music a la Sugar Ray may have once seemed palatable, but you were young and your…
Illegals and Mexican Beer
Dear Mexican, The Mexican-American community is the most adversely affected by the influx of illegals. Only the politicians have any gain from lumping all Hispanics into the Latino category. Are proud, hardworking Mexican-Americans actually willing to continually diminish their own children’s American future purely to facilitate the radical Chicano politician’s…
Dolphin Tale 2 Is a Warm, Wise Animal Tale
Even the most inspiration-averse will have eyes as moist as blowholes by the end credits of Dolphin Tale 2, a good-hearted kids’ drama whose earnestness and surprising moral complexity put other sunny-weepy sea-mammal flicks to shame. After the story wraps up, the filmmakers work a trick that’s become common in…
The Drop (and Gandolfini) Find New Life in Lowlifes
Petty Greatness The Drop (and Gandolfini) find new life in lowlifes. The Drop, the richly textured, beautifully acted film collaboration between Belgian director Michaël R. Roskam (Bullhead) and novelist-turned-screenwriter Dennis Lehane (Mystic River), takes place in the present, but its heart lies in the noirish past of both movies and…
