Scream World 2010
When was the last time you were so scared you almost peed your pants? Well, get ready to let go again – ScreamWorld’s season of premeditated horror is here. Chosen last year as one of the country’s best haunted experiences by America’s Best Haunts, and repeating the honor again for…
“Grandalism”
When DiverseWorks’ Diane Barber approached local street artist/curator Gonzo247 with an idea to showcase the latest in Houston’s aerosol movement, he was left with the task of choosing four other artists to participate. “There’re so many talented artists it was hard, but we tried to pick those with the most…
Romeo & Julian
How do you put a new spin on the old classic Romeo & Juliet? If you’re Phoenix INC Theatre, you’ll put on two alternating productions. Ilich Guardiola, the company’s artistic director, says, “One version is more traditional; it’s a straightforward rendition just a little bit modernized. The other is directed…
Sleuth
Anthony Shaffer’s Tony Award-winning thriller Sleuth is set in an English country home whose isolated location feeds into the mystery’s tone. The play focuses on rich and snobby Andrew, who’s at odds with Milo, a younger, penniless hunk in love with Andrew’s wife. When Andrew suggests he might actually allow…
“Hypermorph: New Work by William Cardini”
If there were a truth-in-advertising rule in art, the “Hypermorph: New Work by William Cardini” exhibit that just opened at Domy Books would be called “Really, Really New Work.” That’s because the artist completed several works, including Hypermorph #51,736, the piece used for the show’s poster, just days ago. There…
Brunch at The Grove
I am sure everybody has heard by now that Ryan Pera has left The Grove for bigger and better things. I heard they have decided to not hire another executive chef and just let Robert Del Grande oversee the kitchen…
Gallery Scene: Opening This Week
This week, Montrose’s SKYDIVE Art Space leaves it all on the floor; Lisa Qualls explores tribal adornment at Koelsch Gallery; The CAMH gets sculptural with radio; Aerosol Warfare hosts a kick-off party for the Graffiti Gala; and Redbud Gallery’s got ’em/smokes ’em. Our picks for looking, leering and drinking this…
Happy Anniversary, Nirvana’s Nevermind
This past Friday, a significant musical anniversary came and went with barely a peep. It was only 19 years to the day the last album to cause a legitimate sea change in popular music – both the industry and the art – was released. Rocks Off knows that was a…
Health Dept. Roundup
Inspectors tracked down some fairly heavy hitters in the last week, and we here at Health Department Roundup are only too happy to pass these bad boys on to you, our discerning public. Denny’s at 8199 Southwest Freeway, south of Beechnut, was among the worst offenders this week, with eight…
UT Speech In Favor Of Concealed Handguns Will Go On Tonight
Photo courtesy DPSColton Joshua Tooley: He concealed his gunColton Joshua Tooley didn’t take anyone with him in the incident at UT-Austin today, but he scared to death students and parents who followed events breathlessly on the net. Many of the stories mentioned that a speech was scheduled for tonight by…
Texas Longhorns: The Most Laughable Report Card Ever
There’s an episode of The Sorpanos in Season 5 entitled (ironically so) “All Happy Families.” Sopranos fans will remember the fifth season as the one where Tony and Carmela spent a majority of the season separated, so in turn, they also fought a lot. In “All Happy Families,” during one…
New on DVD: Babies, Chanel & Stravinsky, Get Him to the Greek, Iron Man 2, The Killer Inside Me
(Reporting by Dan Kois, Karina Longworth, Robert Wilonsky, Nick Pinkerton & J. Hoberman.) Babies Did I say “Awww” at Babies? I did. Did I giggle at the adorable things babies do in Babies? Oh my, yes. Did I ovulate like a dozen times during Babies? You better believe it. Is…
Agedashi Tofu and Ladies’ Drinks at Sushi King
“You want me to make you another ladies’ drink?” the bartender teased my boyfriend last night at Sushi King (3401 Kirby, 713-528-8998). His face reddened. He looked at the empty martini glass to his right — which had recently held a peach and tequila combination garnished with a cherry and…
Annise Parker: A City’s Shame
Photo by jessicamichanSurely there must be some way to prevent such heinous, disreputable behavior. Like maybe winning a freaking football game and not losing one of those mayor-to-mayor bets…
Vid Picks of the Week: The YouTube Play Biennial, Part 1
(Above) Meet the YouTube Play Jury: Takashi Murakami Earlier this year, YouTube joined forces with the Guggenheim Museum to create YouTube Play, a Biennial of Creative Video. The first-of-its-kind Biennial aims to unearth and showcase the very best creative video from around the world. Artists were called to submit their…
Fish and Chips at The Queen Vic Pub
An anglophile reading Katharine Shilcutt’s visit to the Queen Vic Pub on an empty stomach is a dangerous thing. This past week I tried a few items off the Queen Vic’s bill o’ fare and for the most part agree with Katharine’s sentiments. The Queen Vic is a true gastropub…
The Ten Funniest Misunderstood Lyrics Ever
Everybody knows that the part in “Purple Haze” where Jimi Hendrix (who died 40 years ago this month) sings “‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky” sounds a lot like “‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy.” There’s even a whole book about it, which has in turn spawned more…
Carnegie Vanguard High In The Fourth Ward: Looking Good
That empty plot of land along Gray in the Montrose/Fourth Ward area, scheduled to be the home of Carnegie Vanguard High, may look like this before long. The Houston Architectural Forum has posted pictures from a Planning Commission agenda item on the proposed project…
Texan Versus Southern Cuisine
Dear Readers, I need your help. In the last few weeks, I’ve found myself attempting to explain the difference between Texas food and traditional Southern cuisine. Since I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, I consider myself something of an authority on the latter, but I find that there’s…
Bon Jovi, Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers? It Could Happen…
This morning the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced this year’s ballot of nominees, with the winners to be announced in December and inducted next March in New York. Fifteen names are on this year’s ballot, ranging from hip-hoppers, proto-metal icons, British Invasion bards, power-poppers, swampers, singer-songwriters and a…
Jason Moran: Houston, HSPVA Officially Produce A Genius
Photo courtesy jasonmoran.comJason Moran: The genius is in the middleIt’s official: jazz pianist Jason Moran, born and raised in Houston and a graduate of the High School for the Performing & Visual Arts, is a genius.He got one of the high-profile $500,000 grants from the MacArthur Foundation today.While most of…
Lunch at Jake’s Philly Steaks
For years I’ve heard coworkers sing the praises of Jake’s Philly Steaks, and for one reason or another, I’ve been unable to join them for lunch trips to the Chimney Rock sports bar. Why, oh why, have I wasted my life until now? All other lunch breaks have been pointless…
Top Five: Micro-Shows
The average person watches about 4 hours of television each day, and there are plenty of hour-long dramas for continual consumption on every channel. For some people, missing those shows would definitely take a toll on their mental stability. Did House eat the Vicodin? Which doctor will the new intern…
John Karrer: Did Facebook Postings Foretell Alleged Drunken Vehicular Assault Spree
Grand Theft Auto: Tumbleweed, Texas?Houstonian John Karrer was amped last Friday about the upcoming debut of Dexter, Showtime’s award-winning series about a serial killer. “More Killing Please!!!” he enthused on the wall of his Facebook page. “Best show ever…Sunday night it is going down!!!” he gushed in the comments that…
Note To Fans: Don’t Give Paul Wall The Finger
Updated at 4:43 p.m. to include Wall’s apology. When last Paul Wall came to TMZ’s attention, it was for some iPhone video he shot of a rather… disgruntled Whataburger customer after his SXSW showcase with Chamillionaire in March. Rocks Off just watched the video again, and it’s still hilarious. This…
Michael Guerra: Accordionist At Home In Texas’ Musical Menudo
At 29, San Antonio accordionista Michael Guerra has built quite a resume, playing with Texmaniacs, the Tex-Mex Experience, Texas Tornados, the Krayolas and Rick Trevino. Not bad for an Angeleno who came to San Antonio for an accordion festival and ended up deep in South Texas’ musical menudo. Guerra’s latest…
Anna Nicole Smith: The U.S. Supreme Court Decides To Get Involved
Anna Nicole Smith’s court case lives onThe Anna Nicole Smith litigation, which seemingly has gone on as long as her career did, is not over yet.The U.S. Supreme Court, of all people, has decided to wade into the case and rule on whether a Houston jury made the right decision…
First Look at The Counter
There is indeed a counter inside The Counter (4601 Washington, 713-966-6123). The large, horseshoe-shaped counter is the centerpiece of the new restaurant — a burger chain from California — that looks like a modern-day malt shop inside, complete with folks contentedly sipping on chocolate shakes as they chat with their…
Brandon Backe Files Suit Over Galveston Wedding Brawl
Brandon Backe will see Galveston police in courtHeeeeeeeeee’s Backe. (sorry, just couldn’t resist).Former Astros pitcher Brandon Backe, along with 11 other alleged victims of police brutality, have decided to sue the City of Galveston and more than 20 city cops over what happened during a well-publicized wedding-day mêlée outside of…
The City Hall Victory Garden
Houston is now a bit prettier, fruitier and greener thanks to the new City Hall Victory Garden downtown. This past weekend, several teams of volunteers came out to complete round one of the project: clearing the land, tilling the soil, setting up planters, and planting fruit trees and the first…
CocoRosie’s Strange Sisterly Journey To Creating Grey Oceans
Sisters Bianca and Sierra Cassady collide in the celestial, moody musical collective known as CocoRosie, which stops in Houston tonight at the newly revamped Fitzgerald’s. A combination of pop, blues, electronica, hip-hop, and even straight-up classical opera, CocoRosie creates an eerie yet inviting landscape that illuminates your aural senses with…
Houston Is A Global City, Foreign Policy Magazine Declares
Photo courtesy GHCVBA global city….with a disappointing football teamForeign Policy magazine, desperate to hike pageviews now that their “Hottest Women of Diplomacy” issue is a thing of the past (or of our imagination) has ranked the 65 “Global Cities” of the world.The magazine looked at 65 cities with more than…
Upcoming: Alejandro Escovedo, Fantasia, Rick Ross, Etc.
The Rocket Summer: Fri., Nov. 26. The Bronze Peacock Room @ House Of Blues. Aaron Karo: Fri., Nov. 12. Fitzgerald’s. Aaron Lewis: Mon., Nov. 1. Verizon Wireless Theater. Alejandro Escovedo: Fri., Nov. 19. ListeningRoom @ NiaMoves. Born Liars, Commie Hilfinger, Really Really, Automatic Thrill: Fri., Oct. 22. Rudyard’s. Eisley, Ives…
The Monte Cristo at Yale Street Grill
Oh, the Monte Cristo, that white trash staple of a bygone era. Besides being one of my favorites, it was the only reason to go to Bennigan’s. House of Pies has one that isn’t too bad, but like a lot of food there, it’s a little tired and limp. On…
Despite Suicide, UT Still On Lockdown
Grim news on UT-Austin’s website:September 28, 2010 at 9:38 amThe university is open.A suspected shooter in PCL library is dead. Police are searching for possible second shooter.Lock doors, do not leave your building. The incident has been going on since shortly after nine this morning, and included some wild twitter…
Rap’s Top 10 Heroes Of 2010 So Far, Part 1
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good – so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted…
Yancey Daniels, 30, Bayou Body Count No. 232
Couple murdered miles apart from each otherA man was shot at a southwest side apartment while his girlfriend was shot killed in her Missouri City home, Houston police said.Yancey Daniels, 30, of Missouri City, was shot several times in the torso about 12:30 a.m. Sunday in the 6300 block of…
Rocky Horror Turns 35…Who Cares?
Last Sunday wasn’t just an unpleasant day for Houston Texans fans, it also marked a largely unheralded anniversary. Fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show mark a big milestone today – they’ve been doing the “Time Warp” for 35 years. The cult classic celebrated the anniversary of its premiere in…
Rocky Horror Turns 35…Who Cares?
Last Sunday wasn’t just an unpleasant day for Houston Texans fans, it also marked a largely unheralded anniversary. Fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show mark a big milestone today – they’ve been doing the “Time Warp” for 35 years. The cult classic celebrated the anniversary of its premiere in…
Who Knew There Are So Many Songs About Rabies?
Monday night, as the crickets sang sweet songs into the early fall air, Rocks Off hung a wreath made of rubber bats on our door, and wrapped up copies of Old Yeller and Cujo to surprise our young daughter with when she awoke the next morning. Ahhh, is there any…
Where Are We Drinking?
We found this photo on Flickr and liked the fact that one of the groups it belongs to is called “Alcohol As Still Life.” Does the beer that’s sitting for its portrait below look familiar to you? Perhaps the backdrop does? Leave your guess for where we’re drinking this week…
Best Month For Weather In Houston? We Say October
No gloom yet in HoustonLos Angeles is broiling, Florida and the Carolinas are still stocking water and batteries for the weeks of hurricane season still remaining, and we here in Houston are basking in our first cold front.Not only does it mean no more hurricanes, it means goodbye to humidity…
Best Of Houston 2010: Predict Our Winners And Win $50 In Gift Cards
Who’s the Best Astro?This week brings the unveiling of the Best of Houston for 2010, where readers weigh in on what our town has to offer, and we do too.The issue comes out Thursday, but you can look for it online early Wednesday afternoon.Do you think you know Houston, and…
Nick Kosir: The Rapping Weatherman’s San Francisco Gig Is Over
All of Houston has been following semi-breathlessly the sage of rapping weatherman Nick Kosir who has either appalled or entertained viewers (in Beaumont and on YouTube) with his white-man-raps schtick.He seemingly rode his talent to the big time — San Francisco, which is a hell of a lot better TV…
Visiting One of America’s Top 10 New Restaurants
As a longtime subscriber to Bon Appetit magazine, I am generally disappointed year after year when Houston’s illustrious restaurant scene is completely neglected in the magazine’s annual restaurant issue. Sadly, this year was no different, but I was at least able to take a bit of solace in the fact…
Sundae Sunday: Marble Slab Creamery
In response to a past Sundae Sunday post, a reader suggested I try Marble Slab Creamery. I had never visited Marble Slab, having incorrectly written it off as a copycat of a similar franchise I visited throughout my youth. (Turns out the marble slab came before the cold stone.)…
Guess the Best Of: Win Stuff!
Our annual Best of Houston issue comes out later this week (watch for it online about midday Wednesday), and it’s consistently our most most-read issue of the year. This year’s theme, Destination: Bayou City, spotlights the arts & entertainment options that make Houston a destination for leisure lovers. It’s our…
Texans-Cowboys Debacle 2010 — 5 Winners, 5 Losers
In retrospect, we probably should have seen this coming. For all the talk about this being a different Texans team, about the Cowboys coming in as a wounded animal, about Wade Phillips being thrilled about the noon kickoff so he wouldn’t miss the early bird special, hasn’t the NFL shown…
Local Spotlight: Swede Farm Dairy
What: Outstanding goat’s milk, goat cheese, and goat’s milk yogurt from a salt-of-the-earth couple that raises a lot of kids. Tim and LeeAnne Carlson never intended to be dairy farmers or cheese makers. In fact, they moved to the country simply to have enough room to raise their expanding brood…
House Of Blues Debuts Free Monthly “Blues Monday” Series Tonight
Back in May, Dan Aykroyd was in town to grand marshal the Art Car Parade and emcee House of Blues’ fundraiser for its educational/cultural outreach nonprofit arm, the International House of Blues Foundation. In our review of that night’s show, starring Little Joe Washington, Rocks Off said we would remember…
Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 231
Photo courtesy HPDPolice want to talk to these peopleA man was shot several times and killed outside a northwest side strip mall early Sunday morning, police say.And HPD is looking for help locating two “persons of interest” in connection with the incident. They are pictured to the right.Police say a…
How Not To Pass A Forged Check
While we are no experts on the subject, we’d bet it was safe to say that if you are trying to pass a forged check, you probably want to move quick, but not too quick, and not attract attention to yourself. You just want everything to seem as nice and…
Weekly Time-Waster: Death vs. Monstars
Sometimes you just don’t want to do anything. Am I right? Well time keeps creeping by and you can’t just sit there. This week’s time wasters are a salute to abulia. Death vs. Monstars doesn’t do much to break the flash-game mold, but it’s well-made and you can play it…
Metro’s Greanias Forcing His Top Execs To Take The Bus Or Rail
Metro is taking away company cars and requiring its “senior management” to ride the bus or rail. At a public hearing this afternoon, Metro released additional details about how it plans to cut this year’s budget by $431 million. George Greanias, Metro’s president, talked again about the plan to save…
Last Night: Slayer, Megadeth And Anthrax At Verizon
Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax Verizon Wireless Theater September 26, 2010 With the end of this concert, Aftermath was sort of sad. Not only did it mark the end of a marathon music week in Houston and for Rocks Off, it also signaled that we had to stop listening to Slayer for…
Ingredient of the Week: Cilantro MiniCubes
What is it? A concentrated mixture of cilantro that, per cube, is equal to two teaspoons of fresh cilantro. There are also some random ingredients packed into these bouillon-like squares, including monosodium glutamate (which I’ve personally never had a problem with), hydrogenated palm oil, dehydrated spinach – for color, presumably…
Bollywood, Philanthropy Honored at Indian Film Festival Awards
Acclaimed Indian Directors and TV stars were in Houston last night for the 2nd Annual Indian Film Festival of Houston. Guests at the award ceremony held at the Royal Oaks Country Club donned their best Indian Chic attire, and were entertained by the eclectic sounds of Moodafaruka. Director Vikramaditya Motwane…
Sparkling Sake: Move Over, Prosecco
I don’t remember the first time I drank sake. That seems odd, in retrospect, considering how virulently I hated the stuff up until a year ago. You think you’d remember the first time you ingested something you truly despised. Perhaps my mind has blocked the occasion from my memory, for…
Michael Brian Crawley: Another Conroe School Teacher Allegedly Tries For Underage Sex Online
Big month of alleged pedophiles in the Conroe school district: Weeks after Thomas Vickers was arrested for soliciting underage sex online, a middle-school teacher was nabbed for the same thing.Michael Brian Crawley, 30, was arrested after describing in detail all the things he’d like to do with the 13-year-old girl…
Saturday Night: Rush At The Woodlands
Rush Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 25, 2010 For more images from Saturday’s show, see our slideshow here. The veteran Canadian nerd-rockers brought their Time Machine tour to The Woodlands Saturday night, with all that the name implies. The stage theme was a steampunk/circus big top mash-up, the video interludes…
Cravings for Chili Rise as Temperatures Fall
Hallelujah! For the first time in nearly five months temperatures will not reach above 80 degrees, and lows tonight will be in the 50s. Overjoyed locals will inevitably seize the opportunity to debut their fall fashions, suffering in cable-knit sweaters, tights and wool scarves because–lord knows–this may be the only…
Texans’ Tailgating: Where Meat, Booze, Tattoos, Porta-Potty’s and Big Ol’ Grills Get Together (SLIDESHOW)
“Yo man, why you wearing that Tony ‘Homo’ jersey?”Texans fans were confident and cocky around the mish-mash of cars, RVs, tents and debauchery that was Tailgate City yesterday morning, outside Reliant Stadium.Riding high on its spotless 2-0 record, TexansNation seemed to believe a trouncing of the rival Dallas Cowboys was…
Friday Night: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers At The Woodlands
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 24, 2010 For more photos from the show, see our slideshow here. In a catalog studded with them, one of the saddest songs Tom Petty ever wrote is also one of the most revealing. As far as we know, it’s…
Dynamo Finally Find The Winning Column
The ball finally bounces the Dynamo’s wayHolding on to halftime leads has been problematic for the Houston Dynamo. In fact, they’ve lost their last two games with halftime leads.So Dominic Kinnear and the boys took a different approach to Saturday’s evening soiree with DC United: trail at halftime then comeback…
Houston Is Haunting
Is there something particularly harrowing about having a successful professional basketball franchise during the 21st century? Rent.com may think so. In their recent list of the “Top 10 Haunted Cities”, the only Texas city they deemed ghoulish enough to make the cutting board was San Antonio. What gives? There is…
Guess the Best Of: Step Right Up and Win a Prize!
The 2010 Best of Houston® issue hits newsstands this Thursday (and hits online Wednesday afternoon, for those of you who just can’t wait). This year’s theme — Destination: Bayou City — takes a look at all the wonderful restaurants, dishes, drinks and dives that make Houston a destination for diners,…
A Bad Day for Football and for Nachos at Reliant Stadium
Although my expectations were very low, when I got a hankering for fake-cheese nachos at the Texans and Cowboys Sunday I knew I had to have some, whatever they actually tasted like…
Clarence Bullard, 40, Bayou Body Count No. 230
Killing in a northside apartment complexA man was shot multiple times in broad daylight Sunday morning on the north side and died, Houston police say.Witnesses heard gunshots and saw Clarence Bullard, 40, running in the Copper Tree Apartments in the 1400 block of West Gulf Bank about 11:45 a.m. Sunday…
Rappers Talk Trash Before And After Cowboys-Texans Debacle
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn’t a national holiday Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week’s Panel: Fat Tony, Kyle Hubbard, Brad Gilmore, John Dew, Free, Young Sensation, Show and Hollywood FLOSS Not Invited: Tony…
Metro May Take Bold, Courageous Step Of Accepting Ads On Buses
Well, maybe not so modernBack in July, when then-interim Metro head George Greanias was making an introductory set of meetings with groups and media outlets like us, we asked him something that had been bugging us — with its money woes, why didn’t Metro accept ads on buses?Found money, right?There…
Friday Night: ZZ Top At The Woodlands
ZZ Top Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 24, 2010 For more photos from the show, see our slideshow here. People talk all the time about the depleting ozone layer, melting polar ice caps, melting polar bears, ravaged rain forests, shortages of crude oil, but that can all go to Hell…
Zelko Bistro’s Captain’s Fried Chicken
Captain…as in Crunch, that is. Yes, that’s right. Houston’s Hottest Chef award winner Jamie Zelko of Zelko Bistro (705 E. 11th St) is serving up farm fresh chicken coated with Cap ‘n Crunch, fried until crispy golden brown. As if that is not enough to make you order it –…
Houston’s Racial And Ethnic Breakdown, As Shown By Dots
Red is white, blue is black and orange is Hispanic Here’s a map of Houston, showing where the city’s whites, blacks and Hispanics live. It’s put together using the most recent census information, by a digital cartographer named Eric Fischer.It looks like races and ethnicities live separately from each other,…
Boardwalk Empire Renewed, Stays Solid in Episode Two
Ep. 2 Preview Clip – Nucky and Van Alden Tim Van Patten had a thankless job directing the second episode of Boardwalk Empire. The pilot was helmed by Martin Scorsese, and it did all the great things pilot episodes can do: It laid out a sprawling world, hinted at the…
Friday Night: The Black Crowes At Verizon Wireless Theater
The Black Crowes Verizon Wireless Theater September 24, 2010 On their sort-of farewell tour before taking a hiatus, the Black Crowes didn’t skimp on the musical goods, spending nearly 3 and a half hours onstage with a set list exploring the deep nooks and crannies of their discography. This was…
Rice-Baylor: Lightning Dulls Owls’ Thunder
The Rice Owl fans must have sniffed something in the air. There can really be no other explanation.The score was only 7-3, Baylor over Rice, when the football game was delayed due to lightning in the area. It wasn’t raining yet — the downpour was still about 20 minutes away…
Adam Ortega, 41, Bayou Body Count No. 229
A neighborly disputeA dispute between neighbors on the north side ended up with one man dead and another on the run, police say.Margarito Mata Venegas, 31, has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his neighbor, Adam Ortega, 41, in an incident that occurred about 8:30 Saturday night…
“The Wreck Of The Old 97”: Country’s First Million-Seller
Before the Edmund Fitzgerald went down with all hands, inspiring Gordon Lightfoot’s famous ballad, there was another wreck and another song. In 1903, The Southern Railway had a deal with the United States Postal Service for mail delivery. One of the trains involved in the mail haul was The Fast…
Where Are We Eating?
Lush falafel tucked inside fluffy pita bread with plenty of crunchy veggies and tangy tzatziki sauce: Now that’s what I call a sandwich. Does this creation look familiar to you? Think you know where we’re eating this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
The Week In TV: Boob Tube
The fall TV season is officially upon us, the weather’s still inexplicably hot, and we think you’re a young Bo Derek stuffed with a Barry Goldwater. This was the week in TV Land: • On Friday, Stephen Colbert gave everyone a reason to remember C-SPAN exists when he appeared before…
UH-Tulane: Beall Overwhelms Waves
Early last week, Houston Cougars junior running back Bryce Beall said that it was up to him and the other playmakers to step up in the absence of injured QB Case Keenum and to ease the burden on freshman quarterback Terrance Broadway. And in the first half Saturday, Beall did…
Cowboys 27, Texans 13: Defensive Help Wanted, Preferably With A Pulse
Docking at Reliant StadiumAttention, Houston owner Bob McNair. Your defense needs help, and the key may be opening your pocketbook. Ideally, do it in a hurry.Tony Romo and the Cowboys (1-2) exposed the previously unbeaten Texans’ dirty little secret on Sunday, throwing for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions…
Blues Benefit Honors Late Drummer “Butch” Dempsey
Longtime Houston blues scenester Mark May is hosting a benefit this afternoon at the Continental Club for his longtime drummer Clyde “Butch” Dempsey, who passed away this past July. Joining May on the bill will be local favorites Luther and the Healers as well as Cold Feet, Gonadz and the…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where THE SPICE MUST FLOW. We started the week off by getting some terrible tapas in the Arcade Fire’s least-favorite Houston suburb, the Woodlands. We had better luck sampling some African food, although we’re pretty easy to win over…
American Heart Association Releases New Cookbook
This month, the American Heart Association released its flagship cookbook, aptly titled The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 8th Edition, and affectionately dubbed “Big Red.” It contains more than 600 heart healthy recipes, including 150 brand-new ones. It is meant to be an all-encompassing cookbook that contains practically every recipe…
Paul Vogt as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray Twirls it Around in Heels
It’s not the wigs or the heavy dresses. It wasn’t the time his dress got stuck in the big hairspray can onstage, prompting him to change the lyrics of his last song on the spot. The hardest part of actor Paul Vogt’s job as he takes on the role of…
FAIL: Carlos Santana, Anniversary Songs, Skynyrd Covers
That’s Enough, Carlos Santana: Carlos Santana has to be one of the most overrated rock artists of all time. Never once has his noodly, choogly brand of boring stoner-rock managed to ignite even the tiniest spark of interest for Fails. Yeah, the guy’s got some serious guitar chops. But as…
Stephen Colbert Testifies In Front Of Sheila Jackson Lee And Ted Poe
Sheila Jackson Lee and Ted Poe were props today in the terrific Stephen Colbert performance at a House hearing. (How terrific was it? GOP House members and Fox News are outraged, OUTRAGED, that such a cheap stunt has sullied the honored floor of the U.S. Congressszzzzzzzz.)Houston’s Sheila Jackson Lee and…
Houston Texans — F the Cowboys (or #FDACOWBOYS on Twitter)
Not long ago, I got into a brief discussion on Twitter with another radio personality whom I am forbidden to name whose name I don’t exactly recall. I don’t remember the crux of the tweet-versation (something having to do with blogs and their inherent evil to anyone over the age…
DVD Giveaway: Robin Hood
Originally titled Nottingham (which would’ve been awful), Ridley Scott’s reimaging of the Robin Hood legend dropped the tights in favor of leather. According to some, it also dropped too much myth in favor of history–and muddy history, at best. The question is: Do you really care? When Scott (or anyone)…
Summer AND Hurricane Season Over For Houston (Unofficially, But We’re Going With It)
We are NOT jinxing anythingNot to jinx anything, but it looks very much like Houston has avoided any real tropical storm experience in what was/is supposed to be the hyperactive hurricane season of 2010.When Eric Berger of the Houston Chronicle says so, that’s good enough for us. And if we’re…
Tom Petty’s Ten Most Underrated Songs
“I Should Have Known It” Rocks Off has an especially acute case of clockwatcher’s syndrome this afternoon, because as soon as we leave the office we’re heading up to The Woodlands for the big Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers/ZZ Top show. Some of you out there might be doing the…
Upcoming Events
Wine and beer lovers, now is your time. This weekend, the inaugural Houston Wine Fest kicks off at Sam Houston Park starting on Saturday, September 25, at noon and continues through Sunday evening. A $35 one-day ticket gets you a glass and five tasting tickets, while a $65 two-day pass…
Houston’s DJ Buddha Disputes DWI Charge
The above mixtape touts Missouri City’s DJ Buddha, as a “Hustler to the End,” but HPD thinks he may have been hustling a little too much. Buddha was involved in a bizarre chain of events in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. It began as, according to the associate of…
Send in the Clowns: Stephen Sondheim Cancels Dallas High School Visit
Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Stephen Sondheim didn’t make his appointment with students at Dallas’ Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts this afternoon due to illness, according to the Dallas Morning News. Sondheim was to participate in a question-and-answer session with students as part of the…
Tracie Denise Bell: Cop Who Bilked Hurricane-Kids Charity Gets 16 Years In Prison
Tracie Denise Bell: Basketball was the road to ill-gotten richesA Houston police officer who tried to bilk $435,000 via a bogus basketball league for hurricane evacuees has been sentenced to 16 years in prison, the DAs office announced.Tracie Denise Bell, 41, had been with HPD for a dozen years when,…
The Night I Snuck Around Jones Hall and…Oh, Yeah…Talked to Anthony Bourdain
Fellow chef Mike Nutt, the Chef de Cuisine at Laurenzo’s Grill on Washington, invited me to tag along with him and the other chefs catering the book signing following Anthony Bourdain’s sold-out talk at Jones Hall, called Up Close and Confidential. I read Medium Raw, Tony’s latest memoir, which followed…
Texans-Cowboys Isn’t Until Sunday, Spend Your Saturday Morning Cleaning The Beaches
Tomorrow morning, rain or shine, thousands of Texans across the 367 miles of state coastline will take to the sand, gloves on and plastic bags in hand. Call it a goodbye and thank you to summer, and hello fall.Groups will be gathering at 28 sites at 9 a.m. for the…
Anthrax’s Charlie Benante Shouts Out King’s X And The Refused
Of the three bands on the bill at Sunday’s Jagermeister Tour Houston stop, Anthrax is perhaps the one with the most varied reach. Sure, everyone loves Slayer, and Megadeth has a dedicated following of Mustaine-iacs, but it was Anthrax who touched the most upon hip-hop and hardcore punk. Their breakdowns…
DJ Buddha Tells His Side Of The “Truck Flies Into Greens Bayou” Story, Including His Arrest
If only this sign had been upWhile Houston police investigate the death of a man whose truck smashed through a guardrail and plunged into Greens Bayou Wednesday, the man who says he was chasing the driver told Hair Balls his side of the story. Aryan Kaivani, a DJ and producer who goes…
Beef Pavilion Burger at Polk Street Pub
Jason Kerr’s review a few months back on the “black jack burger” at Polk Street Pub put this restaurant on my burger radar. After forcing my “meating” companion to navigate through is downtown Houston, we arrived at Polk Street Pub just at the end of happy hour (Monday through Friday,…
You Dress Like a Blogger
We at the Houston Press know that Mod Cloth’s line of literary frocks annoys the hell out of us; we’re just not exactly sure why. After all, we had multiple pairs of Express “Publisher” pants that we wore the hell out of when we were working as an assistant to…
Nine Rappers About To Be Eaten By Their Own Beards
In today’s crowded music industry, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for artists to stand out from the pack, but sometimes a facial package of ample weight and gargantuan growth will do the trick. Look out, these hip-hoppers are one hair strand away from disappearing into the abyss of their own beard…
Harris County Tax Rate: Shockingly, No Increase In An Election Year
Renovated courthouse to open in AugustHarris County’s mid-year budget review is out, and it recommends no change in the tax rate from what it has been since 2007.There will be a little juggling involved: the tax rates for the port and the flood control and hospital district will go up,…
Fitzgerald’s Reopens With A Hint Of Things To Come
For more photos from Thursday’s reopening, see our slideshow here. “I want this place to be the nexus of local music. It’s going to be the anti-Mangos,” Omar Afra told Rocks Off as he points out the changes made to the second floor of Fitzgerald’s on Thursday night as its…
Openings & Closings
Lasting only a little over a year, the not-quite-Hooters seafood spot Shuck Daddy’s (1511 Shepherd) has shucked its last oyster. With Mak Chin suffering a similar fate in the same location in 2009, could it be that Houston has a new cursed restaurant spot? And in case you missed the…
Acid Bombs: Sure, Set Them Off Next Door To A Cop’s House. And Throw One In His Yard For Good Measure
I can haz felony on my record?There’s a certain lack of common sense inherent in building homemade acid bombs, but it’s the type of lack that can be common in males in their teens and early 20s.There’s a very special lack of common sense, however, in building such a bomb…
Smoking Ban Gets Semi-Vaporized In Galveston
Send a few to Galveston, RonnieSmokers can enjoy a rare victory in the Banning Wars thanks to Galveston.The city council there ignored the wishes of the new mayor and in a close vote revised the drastic ban on public smoking that had been in effect since the first of the…
Last Night: Drive-By Truckers At House Of Blues
Drive-By Truckers House of Blues September 23, 2010 To be considered “great,” a rock group needs to occasionally (at least) spread itself beyond the confines of songs about chasing girls/ditching school to touch on more universal themes. Some acts come to this realization early on (Bruce, U2), others…a little longer…
We’re Buzzed About Houston Beer Week
From October 11 to 17, local taprooms, eateries, breweries and beer aficionados will join forces to pay homage to all the creative combinations of hops, malt, yeast and water – better known as beer. The first ever Houston Beer Week will be eight days of beer magic taking place in…
Texans-Cowboys: Five Things To Watch (Actual Football Analysis)
And the prediction is…..The Texans are 60 minutes from reaching their highest point in franchise history.For a team with as short a history as the Texans, it’s easy to be overly dramatic and lose perspective. Yet on this particular Sunday, the game truly is that important.A win over the hated…
Community’s Amped-Up Season Opener Aims to Reinvent the Sitcom
The pressure on creator Dan Harmon must be enormous: Community was one of the most critically adored new comedies of last season, boasting the smartest jokes and best ensemble, and the kind of show that’s unafraid to play with the format. If anything, Community is all about going so far…
Notes from Ram Of Optimo Radio’s Birthday Bash At Isis
Back in June, we made mention of Optimo Radio, a tiny online radio station that, miraculously and wonderfully, had set its playlist to Only Houston Underground Rap and refused to deviate from it. Since then, the station has grown fairly quickly in popularity. Now, that’s not an attempt to try…
Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 228
Killed while trying to barge into a houseA man was killed during a home invasion on the southwest side shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday, Houston police said.The unnamed shooting victim and another man had pried open the door to an apartment in the 7600 block of Moonmist Drive and pushed…
“Healthy” v. “Unhealthy” Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
I had a small get-together for the last Texans game and assigned my friend Heather the dessert duties. She is known for her sweet-treat talents, so I expected that whatever she came up with would be magic. What I didn’t expect was a gridiron battle between two cookie heavyweights…
The Week in Art Photos
Each week, we scour the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool and every Friday we’ll post the most eye-popping shots. (Be sure to enable the HTML…
Last Night: Texas Tornados At Discovery Green
Texas Tornados Discovery Green September 23, 2010 Aftermath’s favorite shows are the ones where we just have to write down the set list and not much else. The Texas Tornados are one of the bands that allow us to do that. We didn’t know all the songs the reconstituted Tex-Mex…
UH Takes On Tulane With Some Very Untested QBs
The Green Wave is not expected to bring much storm surgeThe Houston Cougars might have lost 31-13 to the UCLA Bruins last week. And they might have lost quarterbacks Case Keenum and Cotton Turner for the season. But as they prepare for Saturday afternoon’s home contest versus the Tulane Green…
Tapestries of Hope Director Jailed for Telling the Harsh Truth
In the recent documentary Tapestries of Hope, filmmaker Michealene Cristini Risley says she was reluctant to put herself onscreen. “I did not want to be one of those filmmakers that inserts myself in my own movie,” she says. But the director’s personal experience on-location in Zimbabwe was so extreme, and…
The Black Crowes: Say Goodnight To The Bad Guys
The Black Crowes need a break. Since their 2005 reformation, the group has toured incessantly (tonight’s Verizon show is their fifth Houston stop), released three studio records, one live record, two DVDS and now Croweology. That double-disc effort features new, acoustic recordings of previous material to celebrate the 20th anniversary…
September 17-23: The Week in Photos
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. Fall is here, which means lovely sunsets and (finally) bearable weather outdoors. Be sure to add your images to our Flickr pool. They might even show up online…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Catherine Duwez of the Broken Spoke Cafe
This week Catherine Duwez of The Broken Spoke Cafe (1809 Washington Avenue) sat down for a chat with Eating Our Words and let us sample some of her favorite dishes. It was non-negotiable that we try the mussels. The curried version, with its golden hue, was not only a visual…
R.I.P., Steven Castro: Remembering Crime Victims At A Special Ceremony
courtesy of Maria RomoSteven Castro will be remembered Sunday night.It was a little after 2 a.m. when Steven Castro walked out of an east Houston night club and into the parking lot. Suddenly, a fight broke out. Some of the people involved were armed. And when it was all over,…
Realtor Foot Fetishist Captured; There May Be Others
3 bed 2 bath, wbfp, pool, suckable toesAt least one of the foot fetishists who have been hassling Houston-area Realtors has been captured, the Houston Association of Realtors says.A suspect was arrested by Webster police on Spetember 22, the HAR’s Matt Burrus tells Hair Balls. (We tried unsuccessfully to confirm…
Black Francis and Catastrophic Theatre Stage a Rock Resurrection
It’s been a few days since Monday night when The Pixies came to town on their Doolittle Tour but that doesn’t mean the city has stopped slicing up eyeballs or dancing the manta ray. Art Attack had the pleasure of meeting frontman Black Francis (a.k.a Frank Black, a.k.a. Charles Thompson)…
Last Night: The Black Keys At The Woodlands
The Black Keys Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 20, 2010 “Howlin’ at midnight, winter creepin’ in/ Feel like I’ve gone and lost my best friend” – Lucinda Williams, “Howlin’ At Midnight” Did you see the moon Wednesday night? The “Super Harvest Moon” that, according to NASA, only happens once every…
Money Rains From the Skies For HISD (Updated)
Photo by Margaret DowningTerry Grier: Always nice to announce new money coming inHouston ISD got a double dose of good news today when it learned it’s getting $31.5 million in Teacher Incentive Fund grant money (spread out over five years) to help enable it to continue paying bonuses to teachers…
Sampler Plate: This Week In Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Dude, You Going To Eat That?: In the midst of all the…
YouTube Sports Time Wasters (i.e. VIDEO!!) — “Fans Running On Field” Category
“All things end badly, or else they wouldn’t end.” — Brian Flanagan, Cocktail (Yeah, you saw that right. I just started a sports post with a quote from Cocktail, which, having now seen my first episode of Glee, is strangely only the second gayest thing I’ve done all week.) I…
Top 5 Dumbest Holistic Remedy Foods
Some people prefer to base their belief systems on things like evidence, logic, reason and personal experience. That’s all fine and dandy if you want to go through life believing only in things that can be substantiated by repeated impartial experiments, but gosh, that sounds so boring, doesn’t it? That’s…
“Wetback Wednesdays” Now “Whiskey Wednesdays,” Irish Have Not Protested Yet
Whiskey defuses a crisisThe Draft Pub in Huntsville said it would stand tall against criticism of its “Wetback Wednesday” special, but it has changed its mind.In an odd column defending its decision not to cover the issue, the Huntsville Item says the bar has decided to change the name to…
Downtown’s Sheraton-Lincoln Hotel Coming Down
We’ve written before about the long-empty Sheraton-Lincoln hotel downtown, and the myriad attempts to save itNow it looks like it’s Demolition Time.Swamplot reports that Brookfield Office Properties, which owns a skyscraper across the street from the property, has bought the 28-story hulk and plans to tear it down. The underground…
Bartender Chat: Buck Nekkid from Boheme
This week’s bartender chat turned out a bit different than usual when one of our favorite bartenders from Boheme, who had just made an excellent drink and given us an interview, asked that he not be directly identified by either name or picture. He prefers to remain an international bartender…
Raul Malo: Real Country Music Lost In The Pop-Culture Forest
Former Mavericks lead singer Raul Malo brings a new band and a new album, Saints & Sinners, to House of Blues’ Bronze Peacock Room next Saturday, Oct. 2. Self-produced in Malo’s home studio, Sinners features guest appearances by Augie Meyers and Shawn Sahm of the Texas Tornados – who play…
Steve Mostyn, Anti-Perry Attorney, Tries To Subpoena Reporters’ Notes
Steve Mostyn wants to see Texas Watchdog’s notesWe’ve seen some idiotic legal filings over the years, but there’s something especially mind-boggling when a lawyer files a stinker on his own behalf. Houston’s own Steve Mostyn has just done that — and while he was at it, he decided to subpoena the notes…
Food Fight: Battle Banh Mi
Blame it on the Nom Nom kids from Great Food Truck Race–all those recaps left me with a serious craving for banh mi, the sandwich I basically subsisted on in college. When I discovered that the friend who had been DVRing the show for me had never tried a banh…
HPD Takes To Cyberspace To Fight Gang Crime. Next Thing You Know, They’ll Be On MySpace
A slew of top cop brass from the city, state and federal levels assembled today to announce the latest weapon in the fight against gangs in Houston. A Web site. In 2010. Late as it is, the site could be useful. As the press release tells us, the cops hope…
The Ten Worst Songs About Cowboys
Sunday at noon, the Dallas Cowboys and our own Houston Texans face off at Reliant Stadium. The Texans are 2-0 and the Cowboys have not won one game at all this year. The Texans have won two games, and the Cowboys do not have any wins. At all. Understandably, spirits…
Top 5 Food Trends To Watch
5. Back to Basics. Today’s green-conscious consumer pays attention to nutrition information and ingredients, particularly the ones they can’t pronounce. This, partnered with the continuous barrage of bad press on everything from MSG to high fructose corn syrup, has led many major grocery store brands, including Haagen-Dazs, Frito Lay and…
The Art Guys Are Immortalized in a Bizarre Ceremony
(See a slideshow of photos from the event here.) Yesterday, the Art Guys unveiled their latest project, The Statue of Four Lies, in a ceremony at Lynn Eusan Park on the University of Houston campus. In typical “Art Guise” absurdist fashion (to match the absurd nature of the work), the…
Another Lawsuit Alleging Racism In The Houston Fire Department
HFD: Another racism lawsuit, although this time the plaintiff is representing himselfA noose found hanging in a locker. The word “Nigger” spelled in graffiti on an African-American woman’s dressing quarters. Sadly, the Houston Fire Department has for years been plagued with acts and allegations of racism. Fire Inspector Kenneth Ware…
Happy Hour Scene: The Flying Saucer
The Place: Flying Saucer705 Main St. 713-228-9472www.beerknurd.comThe Hours: Tuesday through Thursday 4-7 p.m.; Friday 4-8 p.m.The Deals: Daily drink specials. Mondays, for example, feature $3 pints and on Wednesdays, you can get 23-ounce beers at pint prices. The Scene: It was sometime during minute seven, or maybe eight, of standing…
The Five Worst Musical NFL Players
Professional football players dabbling in music? What could possibly go wrong? Glad you asked. You did ask, right? 5. Ben Utecht, Cincinnati Bengals Ben Utecht suffered a concussion while working out with the Cincinnati Bengals and decided to give gospel music a shot. All you need to know is that…
UH Graphic Novel Workshop Uncovers Underground Talent
Last night at the University of Houston Anderson Library, participants in Mat Johnson’s Graphic Novel spring workshop displayed the fruits of their labor. The workshop is a unique collaboration between the UH School of Art and the Creative Writing Program. Johnson (follow him on Twitter), a faculty member in the…
Catfish and Ribs at the Nickel
“That’s no Southern Pride cooker,” Robb Walsh said, gazing with admiration at the two barbecue pits that sit behind the Nickel Sandwich Grill (5601 Lyons, 713-674-8020), belching fragrant gray smoke into the air. “I know you hate Southern Pride,” I laughed. “I sure do,” he replied with a grin. I…
HISD Puts Magnets Under the Microscope
Houston ISD may move to a lottery-only system in applications to any of its 113 magnet school programs. “We’re allowing principals to decide who gets in and who doesn’t. We accuse some of our charters of skimming. Well frankly, we’re doing some of the same things,” Superintendent Terry Grier said…
Unidentified Male, 32, Bayou Body Count No. 227
Found beaten to death in a parking lotA 32-year-old man was found beaten to death in a Gulfton apartment complex last night, police say.The man, whose identity was not released, suffered head and chest injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene in the parking lot of the Westward Square…
Recordshop Tycoon: Like High Fidelity, But Online
Being a journalist involves a lot of waiting around for people to get back to you and a lot of time spent at the computer, which is why when Rocks Off was whiling away the week waiting for our interview questions to be answered we got rather addicted to a…
Wine of the Week: Blackstone Winemaker’s Select 2008 Merlot
I have never reviewed a Merlot. I don’t know if it’s a subconscious reaction to the impassioned anti-Merlot rhetoric by Miles in the movie Sideways, or simply because I prefer bolder red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. In any case, this bottle, sent to me from Blackstone’s public relations…
Bullet Train Dream Still Remains Popular, If Not Likely To Happen
Houston to Dallas High Speed Rail Presentation When we wrote earlier this week about a Japanese executive giving a presentation about a bullet train between Houston and Dallas, we really didn’t think much of it. They’ve been talking about this pipe dream for years, so what was one more meeting…
Ticket Giveaway: Let Me In
Sweden, once a hot property for films of the adult variety, has gone mainstream. American remakes of the films based on the Stieg Larsson novels (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire) are currently forthcoming, but first U.S. audiences will be treated to the remake…
Remember Nosaprise’s Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades?
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Nosaprise Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades (self-released, 2010) For a while, it appeared that the adenoidal Nosaprise’s Horse Shoes…
No-Refusal DWI Crackdowns: Every Weekend For The Next Three Years
Because you’re mine, you walk the lineEvery holiday weekend, it seems, the Harris County District Attorney’s office puts out a release touting a “No Refusal Weekend,” where law-enforcement sets up locations targeting drunk drivers.Normally, DWI suspects who refuse to take a Breathalyzer (as attorneys always prefer) are taken downtown and…
Love at First Bite at Absolve Lounge
Sitting in front of a sinful platter of artisan cheeses drinking champagne from a flute at Absolve Lounge, I felt like I was living a scene from Interview with a Vampire. The red velvet drapes, Gothic-looking paintings and furniture make this this plush, dark wine bar unique and luscious. I…
Hurricane Rita Stories: You Suffered, So You Should At Least Win A $50 Kim Son Gift Card
Traffic, sure, but don’t forget the crushing heat and humidityFive years ago, the traffic jam of all Houston traffic jams was starting to build. If you were in it, you know what we mean.Just weeks after Katrina, Hurricane Rita was in the Gulf as a Cat 5 and seemingly headed…
Last Night: Kings Of Leon At The Woodlands
Kings of Leon Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 22, 2010 Sold. It took us long enough, or it took them long enough, but Aftermath has had our last cup of Kings of Leon haterade. We found them tepid at Verizon in 2008 and standoffish at Toyota Center last year (a…
Rice Faces Improving Baylor, Hoping To Cut Down On Key Mistakes
Art Briles comes back to Houston with a good QBThe Rice Owls and Baylor Bears used to play each other every season. Then the Southwest Conference imploded. The Bears used some political clout to get into the Big 12, a conference where they’ve been outclassed every season. The Owls have…
Five Disturbing Films, Plus Five More For Good Measure
I’m going to the unrated remake of I Spit On Your Grave next week. The original, I should point out, was rated “R”, though I still doubt the new one will pack the same punch the first one did back in 1978 (Roger Ebert described sitting through it as “one…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Catherine Duwez of The Broken Spoke
Yesterday we spoke with The Broken Spoke’s (1809 Washington Avenue) chef and owner, Catherine Duwez, about her culinary background. Today we continue our conversation. Eating Our Words: We hear you make some amazing homemade mayonnaise. That must make you pretty popular with diners. Catherine Duwez: Ah yes, I do make…
30 Seconds With Black Congress’ Dann Miller
We sat down with Dann Miller, the bassist of Black Congress, to see what we could learn about him in 30 seconds. And here we go! Rocks Off: What is the worst song in the world? Dann Miller: The first that come to mind are “Old Time Rock and Roll”…
Five Disturbing Films, Plus Five More For Good Measure
I’m going to the unrated remake of I Spit On Your Grave next week. The original, I should point out, was rated “R,” though I still doubt the new one will pack the same punch the first one did back in 1978 (Roger Ebert described sitting through it as “one…
Texans & The Cowboys: A Five-Point Scientific Comparison
Kickoff for the big Texans-Cowboys game (aka “Wade Phillips Farewell”) is drawing nigh.We will have analysis from our sports guys today and tomorrow. We have already had the utter lameness of “trash talk” between the mayors. (What does this even mean, from KTRK: “It gives me a much better feeling…
Choking Game Claims Another Victim; Our Report On The Scary Phenomenon
Some kids put themselves on YouTubeMedia outlets are reporting that a California teen who died entangled in a Bowflex exercise machine had been playing “the choking game.”In the two years since we reported in-depth on the crazy, dangerous, potentially heartbreaking phenomenon that is the choking game, it seems, little has…
16th Annual Weekend of Contemporary Texas Dance
One advantage of contemporary dance’s relentless newness is that an ensemble performance will almost certainly have something for everyone. In the case of the 16th Annual Weekend of Contemporary Texas Dance, this includes tap dancing, trapeze artistry, classical music and intimate pas de deux. Today’s performance includes Frame Dance Productions,…
King Lear
Intrepid Fringe is clearly living up to its name – the theater company has fearlessly picked Shakespeare’s King Lear, one of the darkest, hardest tragedies in the western canon, for its third show. Pride is always a problem for tragic heroes, and so it is for the aging Lear. Throw…
Paul Mooney
Paul Mooney never shies away from the controversial. When he makes his stop in Houston, expect to laugh – and think (those are the two goals Mooney strives for in his performances). The writer/actor /comedian gained notoriety in the early 2000s for showcasing his tell-it-like-it-is brand of comedy in the…
The Tales of Hoffmann (Les Contes d’ Hoffmann)
In The Tales of Hoffmann (Les Contes d’ Hoffmann), poor Hoffmann is in love with a mechanical doll (seems a special pair of glasses allows him to see her as a real woman), then a backstabbing courtesan who wants to steal his reflection from the mirror, and finally a woman…
Galveston Island Shrimp Festival
Are you a lover of all things shrimp? Then head for the first Galveston Island Shrimp Festival. A hundred teams are participating in a cookoff in hopes of placing their winning gumbo on the menu of Yaga’s Cafe for one year – and $1,000 in prize money. There’s also gumbo…
Houston Ballet: Jewels
The evening-length ballet Jewels may not have a plot (when it premiered in 1967, this was almost scandalous), but it does offer a complete survey of the profound talents of its creator, legendary choreographer George Balanchine, who is often credited with popularizing ballet in 20th-century America in the first place…
Pinalcchio
A Pinal County sheriff’s sergeant is discussing Deputy Louie Puroll, who famously claimed on April 30 that a Latino drug smuggler shot him in the desert. “I can’t speak for our sheriff [Paul Babeu],” Dave Hausman says, “but I can speak for our unit, and the sheriff can slap me…
Refreshments
Don’t miss out on the Annual Museum District Day refreshments. Visitors can get free ice cream and cold water at the Rice University Art Gallery; free lemonade at the Menil Bookstore and at the Lawndale Art Center; and healthy drinks and snacks at The Health Museum. Looking for something a…
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Collections and Exhibits
Explore the museum collections and exhibits on your own with family guides including Travel the World at the MFAH: 15 Works of Art Kids & Families Won’t Want to Miss and What to See in an Hour: 20 Works or Art (handouts are available at Guest Services). The current exhibits…
Great Taste of the Gulf
Some 1,500 hungry folks are expected at the “Great Taste of the Gulf,” so you may want to get there early. The big draw is the chance to sample loads and loads of Gulf Coast style seafood, from appetizers to main courses, along with a wide variety of wines and…
Geeks Who Drink: Masters of the Whedonverse
Think you’re a walking encyclopedia of all things Joss Whedon? Test your knowledge against other Whedon fans in town (and trust us, there’s a lot of them) by playing a special edition of the pub quiz with Geeks Who Drink: Masters of the Whedonverse at Little Woodrow’s. Whedon is the…
Anousheh Ansari
The book My Dreams of Stars: from Daughter of Iran to Space Pioneer is the story of how Anousheh Ansari reached her dream of flying in space. It details how American-born Ansari spent her childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and returned to America as a 16-year-old who didn’t…
Some Like It Hot
It doesn’t get much hotter than Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot. The fluff film about a couple of male musicians who go on the run from the mob by donning dresses and joining an all-girl band features not only Monroe, but the considerable comedic talents of Tony Curtis…
Young Professionals for Children Pub Crawl
Drinking, when done in moderation, is fine. However, when it is done in moderation and helps fight child abuse, it’s even better. The Young Professionals for Children Pub Crawl plans to put the fun in fundraising. Stops include various Washington Avenue-area establishments such as Pearl Bar, The Lot, Salt Bar…
Akira Kurosawa at 100: No Regrets for Our Youth
Celebrate famous Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s 100th birthday by attending the special screening of his 1946 classic No Regrets for Our Youth. Part of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s ongoing Kurosawa at 100 film series, the movie centers around Yukie, an idealistic young woman who falls in love with a…
The Shining Feast
It’s certainly hard to top what Alamo Drafthouse has planned for today: one of Stanley Kubrick’s most popular films, a four-course meal and great micro-brewed beer. They’ve created a feast centered around the horror film The Shining and paired it all with Colorado’s Breckenridge beers. The menu is appropriately bloody…
Beauty and the Beast
Disney is pulling Beauty and the Beast out of the vault for a sing-along event in theaters nationwide. Besides a screening of the classic movie, Jordin Sparks of American Idol fame will guide audiences through a behind-the-scenes feature on the film’s high-definition restoration. Those sharing Sparks’s affinity for crooning will…
Michael Buckley: Nerds: M Is for Mama’s Boy
Duncan Dewey, the glue-guzzling character in Michael Buckley’s Nerds: M Is for Mama’s Boy, is usually called Gluestick. That’s because Duncan’s superpower is the ability to stick to walls. Which, as superpowers go, might not be the best one in the world, but hey, a superpower is a superpower, right?…
Opera to Go: The Magic Flute
For centuries, kids have loved Mozart’s story of The Magic Flute. But this presentation by Opera to Go isn’t the typical staging – this time, the story of good versus evil is set inside a modern-day video game. Adapted by Kade Smith, this version of the classic story includes a…
14th Annual Museum District Day
Dance the tango at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; listen to Dr. Christopher Rothko, the son of legendary artist Mark Rothko, discuss his father’s work; play with pirates; watch re-enactments by costumed Buffalo Soldiers; or talk to a Holocaust survivor – you can do all this and much, much more…
Dames at Sea
Enjoy a bit of fluff with Dames at Sea by the Houston Family Arts Center. The musical, which was a hit off-Broadway, spoofs the over-the-top 1930s Hollywood musicals. It’s the oft-told story of a young girl arriving in New York City with stars in her eyes, hoping to make it…
“Preparing for the Dead”
Day of the Dead might seem like a long way off to you, but not to a group of artists busily at work on pieces they plan to show in exhibitions around the city. The group is holding a one-day exhibit, “Preparing for the Dead,” to show the pieces in…
The Waiting Room
The premise behind Samm-Art Williams’s comedy The Waiting Room is simple: There’s nothing like sitting in the waiting room of a hospital to test one’s faith. After patriarch Pullen Innes has a heart attack and ends up in the hospital, his family and friends gather to await his fate. The…
Manhattan Short Film Festival
Today is your only chance to see the Manhattan Short Film Festival in Houston. The festival consists of ten short movies with a variety of subjects selected from countries including Australia and Mexico. One of the animated entries, Daniel Nocke’s 12 Years, is a look at a couple of talking…
“New Tattoos by Fraser Stables”
“New Tattoos by Fraser Stables” The exhibit “New Tattoos by Fraser Stables,” currently in Rice University’s Main Gallery, includes photographs, video and text works about a man, his house and how everything changes with time. It’s part of Stables’ ongoing project Solo Shoot. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through…
Crime, Punishment and Zack de la Rocha
Dear Mexican, What punishment could America give that would FINALLY make crossing America’s borders — repeatedly — unpalatable to Mexicans, when even Mexican natives admit that it is at least as harmful to Mexico as it is to America, and the “needless paperwork” in our immigration process is to TRY…
Texas Tornados
Bands replacing their front men is hardly uncommon these days, but we can’t think of too many that do so with their original singer’s offspring. If there would be one to do it, it would be the Texas Tornados. Shawn Sahm, who appeared with dad Doug on the cover of…
If Nothing Else Matters
You may have noticed the big-ass “For Sale” sign in front of 4411 Montrose. Former Enron executive Jeff Shankman built the gallery complex six years ago and has since declared bankruptcy. The property is being liquidated, but 4411’s gallery tenants appear unfazed. In fact, as they wait for the building…
Drive-By Truckers
As time goes by, it looks less and less likely that the Drive-By Truckers will ever make a truly bad album. The Georgia six-piece’s previous studio effort, 2008’s Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, was longer and more uneven than usual (but plenty dark), but buried within its 75 minutes were recession-foreshadowing…
Wall Street Bailout
Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps doesn’t have the clean, fable-like arc of its predecessor, the tale of the Fox and the Gekko (Charlie Sheen’s upstart broker Bud, Michael Douglas’s Wall Street player Gordon). Only the buccaneer charisma of Douglas’s signature role obscured the “Clean business, clean soul” moral…
Fitzgerald’s Reopening Weekend
Fitzgerald’s begins its new regime under Free Press Houston’s Omar Afra and Pegstar’s Jagi Katial in earnest Thursday night (“Little Friday” to the drinking set) with the Drums, the Young Friends and a slew of locals including Black Congress and Weird Party lined up as support for the venue’s grand…
Atari Teenage Riot’s Empire
Atari Teenage Riot is practically its own genre. Honestly, not many bands combine danceable techno with impossible sheets of near-painful noise, and somehow blend them into a sweaty, ear-bleeding mess that actually bears repeated listens. Those who do manage such an improbable feat are almost assured to invoke comparisons to…
Live Music in Pearland
Pearland has always been viewed as unhip by inner-Loopers. And it makes sense, really. For one thing, its name is centered around pears. Pears. A pear isn’t cool. Nobody’s ever been handed a present and been like, “Oooh, I hope this box is filled with pears.” “Pearland” sounds like a…
All About Adam
All About Adam Online readers respond to “Last Night: Adam Lambert at Hobby Center,” Rocks Off blog, by Brandon K. Hernsberger, September 9: No guilt: This is the worst example of reporting I have ever seen. You merely used this media as a way to spew your own hate and…
Rush
For one of the most successful bands in history, Rush remains a pretty cryptic bunch. Formed in 1968, the Canadian trio of guitarist Alex Lifeson, drummer/lyricist Neil Peart (who joined in 1974) and singer/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee began as a Zeppelin-esque hard-rock combo before mutating into rock’s most progressive, subversive A-list…
Café Layal Midtown
This Is It, that old-time bastion of soul food in Houston, has moved close to the University of Houston, making way for the new Café Layal Midtown (207 Gray, 713-651-0939), an outpost — or should that be in-post? — of the original Café Layal on Richmond at Hillcroft. Layal El…
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
It’s always hard to decide on dessert. But Phil’s Texas Barbecue (110 S. Heights, 713-862-8600) offers two very popular desserts in one. The Bananas Foster Bread Pudding ($2.99) is so good, it’s hard to decide on the best part. Is it the sweet, syrupy Bananas Foster sauce poured over top,…
Black Crowes Pull the Plug
The Black Crowes need a break. Since their 2005 re-formation, the Atlanta-formed, New York-based group has toured incessantly — Friday’s Verizon show will be their fifth Houston visit in that five-year span — and released several new records and DVDs. Now comes Croweology, a double-disc effort that features new acoustic…
Chicago All the Way
See a slideshow from BB’s kitchen and colorful dining room. I opened the white box from BB’s Beef & Hot Dog first. A package weighing about half a pound sat inside. The rich smell of Italian beef hit me even through layers of carefully wrapped white butcher paper. I peeled…
Our Mother of Mercy
Ask any person of the cloth — the Lord works in a mysterious way, and nowhere more so than on the Bolivar Peninsula after Hurricane Ike. Especially for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston: Human logic and raw capitalism would have dictated the opposite outcome Ike delivered. Maddeningly for the Church’s bean…
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, ZZ Top
This show has been making local classic-rock fans salivate all summer long, but aside from the umpteen songs that might be playing this very minute on the Arrow or the Eagle, it’s really the biggest blues blowout the Houston area will probably see all year. Petty & the Heartbreakers’ first…
Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax
Abandon all hope for being able to hear anything at work the morning, or the next two days, after Sunday’s show. Along with the absent Metallica, these three bands helped make up the Big Four of ’80s thrash-metal; all four spawned a multitude of strains of the rough stuff. Since…
Capsule Art Reviews: “35 Years: Anniversary Exhibition,” “Kaneem Smith,” “Math of the Afterward,” “Richard Serra: Weight and Level” and “Houston, can you hear me?”
“35 Years: Anniversary Exhibition” Moody Gallery is 35! Packed with gallery artists, the anniversary show is like a big, riotous family reunion where all the crazy cousins showed up and brought art instead of a covered dish. Among the offerings, Michael Bise has a naked portrait of himself hooked up…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Auntie Mame, The Doctor’s Dilemma, Laura, The Philadelphia Story
Auntie Mame Sad to say, the champagne’s gone flat at Stages Repertory Theatre. The irrepressible Mame (Sally Edmundson) still raises her glass high in Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s classic tale adapted from Patrick Dennis’s 1955 bestseller, but the party’s surprisingly dull. With her incomparable presence and sea-deep voice,…
Ring Toss
CRIME, EDUCATION Aggies & Their Rings Overreaction everywhere in College Station By John Nova Lomax It’s been known to happen before: When multiple fraternities get together to booze in attempted Pan-Hellenic harmony, quite often the result is a fracas. Such was the case recently in College Station, and before it…
The Hideaway’s Boilermaker
I drove out to the Hideaway on Dunvale (3122 Dunvale, 713-977-3515) with a couple friends for Tuesday steak night and to see a blues guitarist named Rick Lee. When we opened the side door of the barn-style building, he and his band, the Night Owls, were getting started on the…
