Texas Loves the Walton Family (Not That One From TV)
Texas and Arkansas used to have a quite a (football) rivalry. Now, it appears that the two get along famously, at least if you’re connected to Bentonville, Arkansas, home of Walmart, Inc. As I noted in a previous post, Walmart had a remarkable run in front of the Texas Supreme…
Estimated Total From Walters’ Cancer Benefits Nears $20K
The results are finally in from the “Keep Calm // Fight Cancer” benefit that was held last weekend for Walters’ owner Pam Robinson. According to Kat Keeter, who works on the booking and management team at Walters, the three-day benefit held at the Northside Village venue brought in “between $15,000…
Wounded Marine Veteran Getting Mortgage-Free Home Today
A wounded U.S. Marine Corps veteran will receive a mortgage-free home today, courtesy of The Texans Sentinels Foundation and Bank of America in Alvin. Bandera native Nick Perales lost his right leg and fractured his left after an improvised explosive device incident in Afghanistan in February 2011. (Perales served two…
Reality Bites: Tattoo Nightmares
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. People have wildly varying opinions about tattoos. Perhaps you consider “body art” as creative and liberating as any other form of self-expression, with deeply personal stories about every naked lady…
This Week’s Cafe Review: You Can’t Teach an Old Dog Nouveau Tricks at Salé-Sucré
Admittedly, it’s been awhile since I spent any amount of time in France. I’ve heard that since I was last there, the dining scene has changed to reflect a more American sensibility and appease tourists. No longer do waiters take themselves a little too seriously and meals last upwards of…
Declawing Cats, Banned in Many Countries, Is Thriving in the United States
So your cat just slashed your prized Australian aborigine drum set. Or maybe that cute as a button kitten you got just a few weeks ago took out the wall paper in your den. No problem: just have your cat declawed and all that goes away. You’ll never have to…
Elderly Local Bluesmen I.J. Gosey, Little Joe Washington Both Ailing
Two of Houston’s last surviving bluesmen have recently suffered significant health setbacks, according to members of the blues community. Guitarist I.J. Gosey, once a member of the session crew that produced a slew of R&B standards for Houston’s Duke/Peacock records in the ’50s and early ’60s, has had a series…
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week: Notes from the Internet
Some of us who love fashion may never get to New York Fashion Week (mocking trends lists probably doesn’t help one secure a front row seat), but we can certainly enjoy it from the comfort of our own homes. The articles, slideshows, and “get the look” Instagrams have been rolling…
The Seven Stages Of Chris Berman Twitter Hate
It’s indisputable that America loves its football. The boffo television ratings, the exploding rights fees for broadcasts, the jam packed stadiums every Saturday and Sunday, we just can’t get enough. Our appetite for football is insatiable. On the first Monday of every NFL season, the league finds it in their…
MetroCooking Houston Features Paula Deen, Her Sons & More
It’s the first time Paula Deen will make a cooking demonstration/public appearance since early this summer, when those nasty racism allegations surfaced, but it’s not the first time she has appeared in The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Houston Show. This weekend at Reliant Stadium, Deen will be joined by her…
Decoding Jay Z and Justin Timberlake’s Brilliant, Dumb “Holy Grail” Video
Jay Z albums are events, mainly because Jay Z declares them to be events and he has a lot of money. In keeping with that, we recently saw the release of his music video for the sort-of-title track of Hova’s latest record Magna Carta Holy Grail, Holy Grail, and it…
It’s Time We Start Allowing Cell Phone Use in Movie Theaters
On Monday, a grown man in Canada picked up his cell phone and dialed 911 to complain that another grown man was using his cell phone in a movie theater. While most folks agree that this was a grand overreaction – 911 is for serious things, even in Canada -…
Houston Remembers 9/11: Day of the Attacks Still Resonates with Locals
The morning of September 11, 2001, I was asleep upstairs at my house in the Heights. It seems like 100 years ago considering all the changes that have happened to the world and for me personally since then. As was typical, my alarm went off. It was the radio tuned…
These Milk & Cookies Are Adults-Only; You Heard Us Right
Ahh, milk and cookies. It doesn’t get better than that. Wait, yes, it does. It gets way, way better because at Saint Genevieve, they serve up the most spectacular, drunk Santa-worthy, wait for it…wait for it…ADULT MILK & COOKIES…
“Who Collects Clouds in the Sky?”
Words can’t describe how phenomenal Katja Loher’s “Who Collects Clouds in the Sky?” exhibition is. The spherical showcase, on view at Anya Tish gallery in Montrose, is one of the few exhibitions that leaves you feeling delighted and befuddled at the same time. The only words one can muster up…
Sibling Revelry: Houston’s Bands of Brothers and Sisters
It’s not unusual for siblings to be in bands together. The Beach Boys, Jackson Five, Heart, Radiohead… the list goes on and on. Brothers and sisters have regularly joined forces to create incredible music. One kid finds a musical niche and his or her siblings voluntarily follow. Or, the group…
Don’t Sweat Your Commute: H-GAC Asks Houstonians To Consider Alternatives
You might think you spend a lot of time sitting in traffic, but did you know that the average Houstonian also spends $6,000 a year on commuting? That’s not just gas. That includes everything from new tires, wear and tear on your car, and wasted productivity. That’s why this month…
First Look at Morton’s Grille, the More Casual Sister of Morton’s the Steakhouse
First thing’s first. Morton’s Grille is being billed as the “casual yet sophisticated” version of Morton’s the Steakhouse, but when I attended the media preview event, journalist uniforms (a.k.a. jeans and a T-shirt) were not in abundance. Casual is not a word I’d use to describe anything about the place…
Top 5 UFO Easter Eggs in Video Games
UFOs are the reason I no longer believe in democracy and are also the reason I can never be mad at Barack Obama. Back in September of 2011 he created the We the People petition system on the White House website, which would allow ordinary people to seek an answer…
Five Acts You Didn’t Know Have New Albums Out This Month
So far 2013 has been marked by a considerable amount of comebacks. Some have made a bigger splash than others; we saw a new Black Sabbath album LP explode while the new Deep Purple floundered. We saw pop explosions from Fall Out Boy and Justin Timberlake, while while a new…
Jimmy Kimmel’s Fake Twerking Video a Cautionary Tale to Media in the Internet Age
There is a reason kids are cynical when it comes to YouTube videos. The number of comments claiming viral videos are fake is directly proportional to the likelihood someone actually captured their ridiculous moment on video. In some cases, the cynicism is overblown and the video is real. However, at…
This Week in Food Blogs: Good Burger vs. Bad Burger and Little Woodrow’s vs. Itself
Almost Veggies: Several weeks back, we checked out the new burger joint BurgerFi and found pretty much the same thing as Almost Veggies blogger Ashli did. It kind of sucks. Ashli’s first complaint about BurgerFi was that the cheeseburger seemed to have no cheese. It’s not that it didn’t have…
100 Creatives 2013: Mauro Luna, Poe-Inspired Photographer
What He Does: Mauro Luna is a photographer currently working with Monica Kressman Photography, which will be unveiling anew website sometime before the end of the year. In the meantime, you can keep an eye out for more of his work during Artcrawl and Art on the Avenue this fall…
The Rest of That Daft Punk Dance-Off Job Interview
Job interviews are so boring. You spend the entire time answering questions about what animal you would be (and why), while sweating your ass off in a wool suit and trying to make sure your poorly chosen tattoos don’t peek out of your sleeves. It’s thisclose to water torture, and…
Texans-Chargers: Top 5 Plays That Sparked Monday’s Comeback
Marco Torres, Houston PressThe Texans needed Matt Schaub to be a gunslinger, and for one night he was.The margin for error is microscopic when trailing by 21 points midway through the third quarter in an NFL road game. Even one hiccup is usually enough to derail hopes. That’s the situation…
It’s National Chicken Month: Ten Stellar Chicken Recipes
Even though most of us eat chicken on a regular basis, the entire month of September is dedicated to the bird. It’s not the most highly praised protein, but it can be prepared in a variety of ways that take it from something quite plain and bland to something bursting…
5 Reasons Authors Should Be on Kickstarter (and 5 Reasons They Really Shouldn’t)
So there I was, doing my monthly Kickstarter round-up to help showcase some of the more amazing crowdsourcing projects our city has to offer (mostly tabletop and video games because that’s what happens when the staff geek does the column). Once again, I ran across yet another first-time author looking…
Top 10 Bands for Oogles, Gutterpunks and “Travel Kids”
My mother-in-law was a Depression-era kid, and she shared stories of the rail-riders who would pass through her small Louisiana hometown looking for work. They carried all they owned from place to place, stopping here and there to do odd jobs for dinner and a place to sleep. Those travelers…
Texans-Chargers: 4 Winners, 4 Losers, Matt Schaub Is Mr. September!
The way that the construction of each season’s NFL schedule works, every team already knows 14 of the 16 teams they will play every season from now until such time that the NFL a) expands, b) realigns, or c) gets bored and changes the way they do the schedule. Simply…
Five Badass Women to Replace Miley on the Vogue Cover
According to various news outlets, the twerk-lovin’ pop artist known as Miley Cyrus has lost her spot on the coveted Vogue cover, thanks to her naughty foam finger and vinyl underoos at her ill-fated MTV VMA performance. Apparently no one wants to take into consideration that she’s just being Miley…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013: No. 88, Sesame Soft Balls at Golden Dim Sum
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. She’ll compile a list of the 100 dishes she thinks are the most awesome, most creative and, of course, most delicious in town. It’s…
Farts and Coke Bumps: Outlaw Dave Lawsuit Turns Even Uglier
Affidavits filed in Houston lawyer James Walker’s breach of contract lawsuit against radio personality “Outlaw” Dave Andrews accuse Walker of openly abusing drugs and threatening a business partner. Walker — you may know him as “Walker: Texas Lawyer” — sued Andrews and Duane Bradley after the co-owners of Outlaw Dave’s…
Upcoming: Charli XCX, Jay Z, Slayer, Cults, Houndmouth, Robert Earl Keen, etc.
Black Milk: Sun., October 6, 8 p.m., $10 to $15. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston, 713-862-3838. The Businessmen: With Blackmarket Syndicate, The Inanimate Objects, Dead to the World., Fri., October 4, 8 p.m., $8 to $10. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston, 713-862-3838. Charli XCX: With Kitten, Twin Idol., Sat., November…
Laura Benanti’s In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention – Live at 54 BELOW Is Lovely and Engrossing
Laura Benanti has been performing on Broadway since the 1998 Revival of The Sound of Music, where she was a nun and the understudy for Maria. She got to play the coveted lead role for two weeks when Rebecca Luker was on vacation and garnered very positive notices. She went…
Brutal Mosquito Season Yet Another Fabulous Part of Houston Summer
The heat. The humidity. The giant roaches. And, yes, the mosquitoes. If you haven’t been outside (hey, good for you), it might be a good idea to consider covering yourself in a thin layer of repellent when and if you do. Last night, sitting in my backyard, it was as…
Texans-Chargers: The 10 Best Rapper Tweets From Last Night’s Game
I am completely amazed that Kubiak even attempted a fake punt— Onehunnidt (@onehunnidt) September 10, 2013 Houston has a professional football team. They are called the Houston Texans. A lot of people like them. Some of the people who like them are rappers. The Internet has several forms of social…
The Rosemont Social Club Is a Room with a View (Plus Great Food and Cocktails)
When a friend mentioned that the Rosemont Social Club was serving up delicious drinks and tasty bites (including my kryptonite, mac and cheese) right in my neighborhood, I was excited to check it out. When the same friend mentioned that the Rosemont is located right upstairs from Uchi and Southside…
Priscilla Is Also Queen of the Costumes
Michelle Harrison is a modern day keeper of the faith. As the costume designer on the road with the national tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical she has to make sure that the costumes are kept in the best shape possible and stay true to the Broadway…
Arcade Fire Fans “Reflekt” Band’s Appeal at Cactus Party
Who on earth would line up at a record store on a Monday night to buy a single that had leaked onto the Internet hours beforehand? Especially when the Texans’ season opener was about to start? True-blue Arcade Fire fans, that’s who. The grooves of indie-rock spun right through kickoff…
The ‘Bird Dog’: September Special at James Coney Island
Although the chef series of specialty hot dogs has been going on all summer, I only jumped on the bandwagon in August but with delicious results. Thus, I needed little convincing to go for round two in September when James Coney Island is showcasing Mockingbird Bistro chef John Sheely’s creation,…
September Kickstarter Round-Up: Monster Card Battle Game and a MOTA for Noobs
Once a month we’ll be bringing you a look at some of the best local Kickstarter campaigns in order to let you know what’s getting ready to be unleashed through the help of small investors. RARRR!! Monster-Building, City-Crushing Card Game: The folks at APE Game have a history of making…
Saving the Astrodome: From Perfectly Fine to Nearly Demolished, the History of the Dome’s Demise and the Rise of New Stadiums in Houston
As the referendum on the Astrodome gets closer, I thought it might be worth taking a look back at the last 20 years of stadium history in Houston. Thought 20 years isn’t a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, a lot has happened. Would you believe that,…
Two Tropical Storms in the Atlantic and Neither is a Threat to the U.S.
For the first time this hurricane season, the Atlantic has two tropical storms simultaneously. Tropical Storm Gabrielle re-formed and should pass over Bermuda this week before gradually moving north, well east of the U.S. coastline. Tropical Storm Humberto has a very good chance to be this season’s first hurricane as…
The Rocks Off 200: Daniel Alexander, Klein’s Backyard MC
Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, 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 the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? Hip-hop began in the…
Top 5 Pork Belly Dishes to Try in Houston
Juicy. Fatty. Sumptuous. That’s pork belly in five words or less. No wonder it has maintained its popularity long after other trendy ingredients have fallen by the wayside and no doubt why chefs continue to find excuses to work it into entrées, appetizers and even desserts. There are many good…
Michael Crowder’s “Retro-spectacle” Is Two Exhibitions In One
Curation is a funny thing. Where there was once a white, wide open space — take the first floor of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Caroline Weiss Law building, for example — the addition or subtraction of a door, a color or a drawn curtain can alter a gallery…
Suspect Sought in Gas Station Robberies: Anyone Know This Dude?
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in identifying a a man wanted for at least three aggravated robberies of gas stations. From HCSO: “The suspect is a Hispanic male in his late teens or early twenties, with a medium build. He uses a semi-automatic handgun during the…
UPDATED: Norwegian Duo’s Pop Sendup = Funniest Song of the Year
UPDATE (Tuesday, 3:45 p.m.): Clarifies the chronology surrounding “Stonehenge.” Hey, remember how hard you laughed at “Gangnam Style” the first time you heard it? Before it got played into the ground and somehow became a legitimate radio hit, separate from the video that made it funny in the first place?…
First Look at Reserve 101’s Food Menu
These days food is a necessity at bars to keep customers throughout the afternoon, evening and night. Reserve 101 finally added a food menu so customers didn’t feel the need to leave in search of food after sipping on whiskey and crafty cocktails. Co-owners Mike Raymond and Steve Long had…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix
Game: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix Platform: PS3 Publisher/Developer: Square Enix Genre: Action RPG Describe This Game in Three Words: Finally on PS3 Plot: The original meshing between Final Fantasy and Disney on the PS2 finally gets an HD remake for the PS3, as well as Re:Chain of Memories and…
Texans 31, Chargers 28: A Tale of Two Halves as Texans Win on Tuesday Morning Football
Nearly three hours after the late start, the game was still in doubt, but that was a massive improvement over where the Texans were about two hours earlier. The Chargers took at 28-7 lead on the Texans in the third quarter only to see the Texans come flying back and…
Have We Failed J.D. Salinger Again?
When I first saw the trailer for the new documentary Salinger, about the reclusive and mysterious author, my initial response was one of enthusiasm. I love J.D. Salinger; no, I lerve him. I love him in a “school girl drawing hearts around our initials” way. I can say without hesitation…
Top 5 Alternative Birthday Cakes to Try in Houston
Every September I am reminded of the fact that a disproportionate number of my friends and family are Virgos. I guess like attracts like, since I am also born under this star sign and almost (one day apart) share a birthday with my husband. In any event, this month is…
Where Have All the Haters Gone?
From Tupac and Biggie to Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj, established rivalries have played a major role in hip-hop’s history. As local legend Bun B once said, “This is rap; we’ve had beef in rap since the beginning of rap.” But today’s local scene may be dawning on an age…
September Is Hunger Action Month; Here’s How You Can Help
Hunger Action Month was started by the organization Feeding America to urge people to join their local food banks in taking action against hunger in the U.S. Throughout September, cities across the country raise awareness of the issue of hunger through a variety of events. Here in Houston, the theme…
Café Tacvba at Arena Theatre, 9/8/2013
Café Tacvba Arena Theatre September 8, 2013 My friend Chapy, percussionist for Los Skarnales and the Suffers, is a hardcore Café Tacvba fan. This past weekend was his 25th birthday, and he celebrated by attending both the Austin and Houston shows of the band’s current U.S. tour. If anyone knows…
Saving the Astrodome: Will Those Who Wouldn’t Support Stadium Financing in the Past Advocate for the Dome?
On November 5, voters in Houston might have extra incentive to hit the voting booth in an off-year election. For years, the Astrodome has sat, falling into disarray and becoming an eyesore and an embarrassment to a city that used that building to define progress decades ago. Plans have been…
UPDATEDThe Real Thing: Infidelity, Relationships and How Much to Give
Editor’s note: The run for The Real Thing has been extended through October 6. The set-up: The Real Thing, the 1982 play from Tom Stoppard, has won two Tony Awards, in 1984 as Best Play, and in 2000 as Best Revival. It explores two contemporary marriages and a third relationship,…
Date Night for Two at Viva Cinema and Cantina, Plus More Great Dining Deals Around Houston
It’s barely Monday and today’s Houston Press Voice Daily Deal has your next date night covered. Our latest voucher is good for 51 percent off ($24 for $49) off on tickets, dinner, and drinks at Viva Cinema and Cantina. Did we mention the large popcorn to share? Your movie package…
Dead Baby in Goodwill Trash Can: Autopsy Results Could Take Four Weeks
Police say it could take up to four weeks to determine the cause of death of a newborn baby discovered in a Goodwill trash can in Webster last Friday night. Autopsy results “could mean the difference between abandonment charges versus the improper disposal of a body by the mother,” whom…
Breaking Bad: There Are No Words
Note to self: If you are going to take over a multinational meth operation that is known specifically for its ice crystal blue-colored drug, be sure that you can make it blue! Now that Todd has taken over the making of the product, Lydia expects better quality and, of course,…
Sweet New Dessert Menu at Rattan Pan-Asian Bistro
When owner Ron Chen puts something new on the menu at Rattan Bistro, it’s usually worth a trip to his restaurant to try it. Currently, Chen is tempting us with a selection of three new desserts: Thai Sticky Rice, Lemongrass Bread Pudding and Chocolate Pot de Crème. If you’ve never…
Chelsea Wolfe at Fitzgerald’s, 9/7/2013
Chelsea Wolfe Fitzgerald’s Downstairs September 7, 2013 Not many artists touring in small and mid-sized venues put on a real production. Then again, not every artist is Chelsea Wolfe. When the L.A. singer-songwriter’s tour stopped by Fitzgerald’s downstairs room on Saturday, she brought autumn’s dark side in with her. As…
It Returns! BATTLE-DRINK, The Houston Texans BINGO Drinking Game, Monday Night Opener Edition
I am banging out this post in the dewey sweet ocean air of San Diego on Sunday morning. Since I make it to California like once every couple years, at best, I plan on spending Sunday watching football near the water somewhere (which I call “show prep” to you IRS…
Edge Theatre’s Nijinsky’s Last Dance, A Worthy Exploration
The set-up: Vaslav Nijinsky was a complicated character. Renowned as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all time, he changed the face of the art through his distinctively angular, sexually-charged choreography, which for his time, the early 1900s, revolutionized the field. By nine he was dancing with the Imperial…
Krewella at Stereo Live, 9/6/2013
Krewella Stereo Live September 6, 2013 Oh how things can change in just under a year. The last time Krewella came to town they were in the opening slot with a single EP under their belt, but it was clear at the time that there were big things ahead for…
Houston’s French Country Wines Set to Help You Comprendre le vin français
The easiest way to get to French Country Wines, oddly enough, is by way of a giant metal armadillo. Located on an unassuming side street off the increasingly garish Kirby Drive, the wine store and tasting room may be easily missed in the presence of larger businesses (e.g., Armadillo Palace)…
Weather Week: Rain, MNF Weather and a Note About Forecasting for a Big City
The weekend brought us widespread rain blowing in off the Gulf of Mexico, though surprisingly, some parts of the city got very little of the wet stuff. In fact, some parts of the region got over an inch while others didn’t even record a trace. It is one of the…
Pam Robinson Benefit at Walters, 9/6/2013
Keep Calm // Fight Cancer Benefit for Pam Robinson Feat. The Tons, The Suffers, New York City Queens, Wild Moccasins, Featherface, Second Lovers and The Manichean Walters September 6, 2013 When push comes to shove, the music community does its best to stick together as much as possible. Whether a…
Fall Trends, Translated: Emerald Green, Winter White and Turtlenecks!
Being knee-deep in the September Issues is always so much fun, and naturally leads to all kinds of shopping sprees to update the wardrobe. But there is a dark side to the September Issues–a sick and twisted secret that everyone in the world already knows about just might shock you:…
Gefilte Fish: Is It Really That Bad?
Short answer: No. Slightly longer answer: It doesn’t have to be. Full answer: See below. Long before I knew anything about Jewish food, long before I had even eaten a bagel with schmear, for God’s sake, I understood gefilte fish was not good. Not that at this point I had…
Texans vs. Chargers on Monday Night Football: Five Players to Watch
NFL football is back…finally. For football fans, the wait for game 1 can be difficult, but when you live in Houston and your summer is filled with another year of bitter disappointment courtesy the Astros, it’s positively excruciating. As if to torture us just a little longer, the NFL scheduled…
10 Best Ayn Rand Tributes on Etsy
I had to stop Googling myself for awhile because some damn Bachelorette contestant stole my nickname and the results were flooded by how right or not right he is/was for some chick named Emily. Once that died down, I discovered the Randex through self-searches, which is an online database that…
Team Behind D&T Drive Inn, Down House and Hunky Dory Announce New Concept
The empire behind some of the Heights’ most exciting ventures is headed north. Northern Thailand, that is. Chris Cusack, Benjy Mason and Richard Knight revealed a few weeks ago that they’ll be opening a neighborhood tavern and whiskey bar at 18th and Shepherd in the coming year, and last week…
Dr. John at Miller Outdoor Theatre, 9/7/2013
Dr. John Miller Outdoor Theatre September 7, 2013 Happy birthday, Miller Outdoor Theatre. This year the Hermann Park amphitheater marks its 90th year of providing all manner of cultural offerings for the low cost of absolutely free, said to be the largest program of its kind in the nation. But…
Dynamo’s Home Touch Fading with Loss To Red Bulls
The Dynamo have seen some cold spells in their time in Houston, but their current situation is ridiculous. They are 0-3-1 in their last four matches, and have been outscored 12-2. Now as bad as that last figure looks, it could be much worse. If you don’t include Sunday’s home…
Mayor Parker Announces Houston’s Fall Arts Season
A crowd of whose who in the Houston arts community gathered last Friday on a very sticky morning for Mayor Anise Parker’s official opening to the Houston Fall Arts Season. Held on the front lawn of the Menil, the purpose of the address was to give a preview of what…
Five Houston Concerts You Should Avoid This Fall
Friday Rocks Off brought you 15 of our choices for shows you shouldn’t miss this fall. Now the worm has turned. Imagine Dragons Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion, September 26 I can’t be the only person who feels a little overwhelmed by Imagine Dragons’ extreme overnight success, can I? I mean,…
What’s Cooking This Week? Game Day Wings, Sprouts Salad, & More
I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don’t make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient’s I’ve bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter…
Cougars Overcome Fear of Red Zone to Defeat Temple
It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t pretty. But the Houston Cougars defeated the Temple Owls 22-13 Saturday afternoon to go 2-0 on the season. They overcame a 13-9 halftime deficit and scored a touchdown at the end of the game to put away the win. The positives were easy to see:…
Chef Hugo Ortega Happy to be Back in the Kitchen and (Sort Of) Back on the Bike
At the beginning of July, Chef Hugo Ortega of Hugo’s and Backstreet Cafe was injured in a bicycle accident. He was out of the kitchen for about ten days while he recovered, and he tells us that the accident helped him re-evaluate his priorities and change his exercise routine. “I…
Top 5 Reasons My Little Pony Is Better Than Any Cartoon I Grew Up With
Don’t worry friends and neighbors, One F isn’t going all brony on you. Though I have long-since buried the hatchet with that community once I discovered some neo-Nazi had made a chart showing how MLP conflicted with proper fascist values, I remain baffled by the herd. I wouldn’t watch this…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Week: “Reflektor” Party, Rhett Miller, Raekwon, etc.
“Reflektor” Listening Party Cactus Music, September 9 According to early reports, Arcade Fire’s first album in three years sounds more “contemparary” than the band’s previous work, which can be a little on the furrowed-brow side. (Though not always, as in “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) from previous LP The Suburbs.)…
15 Houston Concerts You Shouldn’t Miss This Fall
Earlier this week Rocks Off asked our contributors to tell us one or two concerts coming to Houston this fall they considered a “can’t-miss” show. They didn’t disappoint us. Depeche Mode Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, September 18 Maybe this makes me a bit geeky, but I’m totally stoked for Depeche…
First Look at Osteria Mazzantini by Chef John Sheely
Opening night at Osteria Mazzantini drew a decent crowd, but the kitchen and waitstaff were well prepared for the evening’s service after a week of soft opening previews with a perpetually packed house. The upscale Italian restaurant is the newest venture by Mockingbird Bistro chef/owner John Sheely in honor of…
5 Billion and Counting: Music For Stars to Die By
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. At first pass, 5 Billion and Counting is the sort of band I would plant my stompy boots firmly apart on the ground and…
TV Club: Cheers: “Thanksgiving Orphans”
I know that we said last week that we were going to be watching some Seinfeld, and believe me when I say we really wanted to, but sadly it is not available anywhere! And so rather than getting caught by the piracy-torrent police, we opted for a sitcom of equal…
More Places Say Houston Is Awesome, But We Knew That Already
Another week, another couple of lists that say Houston is amazing, happy, funny, perfect, genius…I don’t know. Harris Interactive did a poll to find the happiest cities among America’s top 10 markets and Houston came in second behind Dallas/Ft. Worth. You’d be happy, too, if the boobs you’d just bought…
Team Spirit, Hanging Around, and Speaking Out: The Top 10 Photos of the Week
We here at the Houston Press have long believed that some of the best photographers in the world live right here in Houston. Between the slideshows and blogs we publish and the images you share with us in our Flickr Pool, we see tons of amazing photos every week, and…
The Southern Tailgating Cookbook Helps Satisfy All Your Culinary Tailgate Needs
Food photographer Taylor Mathis has spent the last three football seasons right in the thick of all the rivalry and school spirit, but he’s only been to one game. Instead of watching college athletes toss around the pigskin, Mathis joins tailgaters in eating pig skin. And gumbo. And ribs. And…
30 Seconds With Mexican Institute of Sound
Camilo Lara has a very active and colorful imagination. The DJ/producer from Mexico City performs as the Mexican Institute of Sound (Instituto Mexicano Del Sonido in Spanish), and creates a mix of electronica tunes, traditional folk music, social commentary and vivid visuals with charm and conscience. Recently Rocks Off spoke…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Rishi Singh of Boheme Talks About Starting Out as a Dishwasher, and His Menu of Asian-Influenced American Comfort Food
This is the second part of a two-part Chef Chat series. If you missed our first post, you can read Part 1 here. Yesterday, we chatted with Rishi Singh, the executive chef at Boheme Cafe & Wine Bar, about how the food program at Boheme started inside of a tiny…
World’s Largest Volcano Named After the Aggies. What Other Geographic Landmarks Might Texas Schools Be Named For?
As if Texas A&M, with Johnny Manziel, the move to the SEC and the first real winning team in forever, weren’t insufferable enough, now comes word that the world’s largest (inactive) volcano has been named Tamu Massif (massif is the French word for “massive,” which must thrill Aggies, to know…
What’s a G7?: Vietnamese Coffee on the Go
Vietnamese iced coffee done the right way is a treat and is usually reserved for weekends when you can either set up the small metal drip filter or phin, and read a newspaper as you wait for each thick caffeinated drop to settle over the layer of condensed milk at…
Pepper at House of Blues, 9/5/2013
Pepper House of Blues September 5, 2013 Sixteen years into their career, the members of Pepper still possess a youthful energy onstage. Despite being in their mid-thirties, guitarist Kaleo Wassman, bassist Bret Bollinger and drummer Yesod Williams have the stage presence of spry teenagers. They sing songs of drunk women…
Comedian Alex Reymundo Gets Personal
Comedian Alex Reymundo was supposed to perform in the Houston area in August. When plans for that show fell through, Reymundo reached out to each of the fans that had bought tickets. “I could have let the ticket company send out a mass message,” he tells us. “Instead I looked…
Houston Ballet Opens New Season With Four Premieres
The Setup: Houston Ballet kicks off its 2013-2014 season with Four Premieres, a mixed-rep program featuring the works of master choreographers Christopher Bruce and James Kudelka, and Houston Ballet alumni Melissa Hough and Garrett Smith. The Execution: If there’s one common denominator that links the four pieces in Four Premieres,…
Weekend Weather: Hot, Hotter and Maybe Some Rain?
I would like to say there is a lot to discuss with our current weather, but honestly there just isn’t. It is hot. It will remain that way with highs in the 90s throughout the weekend. There is a chance of rain every day. As on most Houston summer days,…
Tear Up Those Note Cards: The Moth StorySLAM is Coming to Houston
If you’ve been listening to 88.7 KUHF recently, you’ve probably heard an episode of The Moth Radio Hour, the hour-long program dedicated to “true stories, told live, without notes.” On Tuesday, the Moth’s monthly StorySLAM launches in Houston. The first slam will take place on 7:30 p.m. at Stereo Live…
Bartender Robby Cook of J. Black’s Prepares to Compete in National Bombay Sapphire Event
Robby Cook will tell you he is first and foremost a musician. He just bartends to pay the bills. It would seem Cook, a bartender at J. Black’s Feel Good Kitchen and Louge, is pretty darn good at his hobby though. He was recently named the regional winner in the…
Marc Anthony at Toyota Center, 9/5/2013
Marc Anthony Toyota Center September 5, 2013 Some call it re-invention. Others label it a mid-life crisis. But whatever it is that Marc Anthony is going through, he’s making it look damn good! With a new platinum album and hit single to his credit, and a new girlfriend on his…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Riddick
Title: Riddick Vin Diesel Is Still Doing These? Even With All Those Fat Stacks Of Fast & Furious Cash? Riddick is the role that made Diesel a leading man, lo those many years ago. I suspect he does it as a favor to writer/director David Twohy, who has made a…
This Weekend’s Best Bets: God Bless the NFL, Week 1
I am always happy when the NFL season arrives, but especially happy this weekend, because it gives me a diversion from college football for my best bets of the weekend. I’m not sure if you noticed (Yes, I know ALL of you noticed), but I came out of the shoot…
Kanye West & Kendrick Lamar Finish Fall Tour In Houston December 7
New daddy Kanye West must want to get out of the house. This morning on Twitter the headline-grabbing rapper announced his first solo tour in five years, which closes December 7 at Toyota Center, according to West’s Web site. West is supporting Yeezus, his sixth solo album besides 2011 Jay…
Revisiting Blu in Sugar Land
Here’s the thing about Blu Restaurant & Lounge in Sugar Land’s Town Square area: It looks more like a club than a restaurant. With its Miami-white facade and huge projection screen on the back wall, it could also be mistaken for one of the newer, hipper sports bars. And you…
The Book of Mormon: Striking Songs, Great Sets, and Above All, Irreverence
The set-up: The Book of Mormon has been an audience favorite, often selling out on Broadway, an artistic success (winning nine Tony Awards), and a triumphant investment, coming in under budget and recovering its cost in an unheard of 11 months. The Broadway production pioneered aggressive but fair pricing innovations,…
Harris County Files Suit Against Houston Dolls Cabaret for Prostitution, Drugs and General Criminal Activity
There are plenty of sexually oriented businesses in and around Harris County. For the most part, they are basically harmless, unless you count failed marriages, sexual addiction and alcoholism. So, when one goes bad, and, as in this case, allegedly REALLY bad, the Harris County Attorney’s office steps in to…
Mrs. Hall, You Can Actually See a Girl Naked Then Treat Her Like a Human Being
Because I wrote that article on the purity movement and how instead I plan to teach my daughter what I consider healthy respect for her body and sexuality rather than treating her vagina like some ancient tomb to be guarded by cultish warriors I got sent the blog entry by…
Yes Indeed Hopes to Be More Than a Micro-Music Festival
Phil Peterson has his ear to the ground better than most people. The booking agent and promoter, who routes shows into Dean’s, Notsuoh and AvantGarden through his AR*V Productions, deals with many of Houston’s newer and more experimental acts, as well as his share of those it’s difficult to imagine…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Spaghetti and Meatballs Special, Midtown Bar Pub Crawl & More
Spaghetti & Meatballs Friday @ Damian’s Cucina Italiana Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 3011 Smith In honor of Damian’s Cucina Italiana’s 30th anniversary, the restaurant has brought back the month-long spaghetti and meatballs special for $8.30. Starting today and every Friday for the month of September, Damian’s will offer the spaghetti…
Cougars Versus Temple: A Quick Preview
This week the Houston Cougars leave the friendly confines of Reliant Stadium for the City of Brotherly Love. There they’ll face the Temple Owls in the first ever American Athletic Conference game. They’re playing at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. So here’s a brief look at…
100 Creatives 2013: Trond Saeverud, Galveston Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor
The Galveston Symphony Orchestra achieved quite a coup recently when it hired Trond Saeverud, orginally from Norway, as the group’s new music director and conductor. Much in demand as a violinist, conductor and teacher, Saeverud is the founder and artistic director of the Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony Orchestra, concert master for…
Houston’s Top 10 Patio Bars
In honor of summer’s limited days and incoming beauty — not to mention tolerable temperatures — that mark the arrival of fall, Rocks Off has decided to help you brush up on your patio-bar game. It can be hard to remember what the great outdoors look like in this city…
Upcoming Events: Cheesecake Social, Birthday Party & More
Normally wine is paired with cheese, but Jon at Cheesecakes By Jon thinks cheesecake should go hand in hand with a glass of wine as well. For $15 on Wednesday, September 11, at 7 p.m., Cheesecakes By Jon will host the Wine and Cheese(cake) Social at Vintropolis, where guests will…
Royce White Responds to Domestic Abuse Allegations
I probably need to go back and count to get the exact numbers, but if I had to guess on a short list of who the “King of Content” is for the calendar year 2013 (and for my purposes, the “King of Content” is a title awarded to whichever person…
The Top 5 Things to Do in Houston this Weekend: The All Theater Edition
Main Street Theater returns to favorite playwright Tom Stoppard (its 17th production of one of his works) with The Real Thing, a Tony Award-winning comedy (Best Play in 1984, Best Revival in 2000) set in the late 1970s/early ’80s. Directed by Rebecca Greene Udden, The Real Thing is our pick…
Openings & Closings: Failed Concepts & A Mega Burger Bus Expansion
We’re just a few days into the month of September, and several highly anticipated restaurants have finally opened for business and a multitude of future concepts have been announced. But, among all of this exciting news, several restaurants have suddenly closed their doors this week. So, let’s get the bad…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Keep Calm Fight Cancer, Krewella, Dr. John, etc.
Keep Calm, Fight Cancer Benefit Walters, September 6-8 Leave it up to Houstonians to stand up and join the cause. Not even 48 hours after Walters announced that longtime owner/den mother Pam Robinson was battling Stage 4 cancer, that single status update had already reached 15,000 people through shares, likes…
New Arcade Fire Single, “Reflektor,” Coming to Cactus Music Monday
It’s not unexpectedly declassified CIA documents, but information about Arcade Fire’s upcoming album might be the music world’s equivalent. Rumors have been swirling around the imminent follow-up to the partially Woodlands-spawned band’s Grammy-winning 2010 LP The Suburbs for weeks, and Arcade Fire recently posted a teaser video cryptically slugged “9/9/9″…
NFL Player Prop Bets and the Most Questionable Fantasy Football Decision Ever
This is one of those mornings that I’m really thankful that sports betting exists (as opposed to the other 364 mornings out of the year that I’m thankful sports betting exists), because on the morning after my fantasy football auction, I am always dragging, and frankly, things like “player prop…
So You Have 51 Animals in Your Rented Home, Claim to Run a No-Kill Shelter and You Write Notes to Your Dead Veterinarian? Nah, No Reason to Think Those Animals Aren’t Okay!
Last month, Almita Flores of Houston found a gorgeous yellow lab. She says she posted flyers in her neighborhood as well as a notice on Craigslist, but never heard from anyone claiming to be the owner. After two weeks, she says, the dog — who she decided to call Max…
The Beauty of Uni at Kata Robata: A Photographic Essay
Uni (sea urchin) is one of those seafood delicacies that, like oysters, you either love or hate. If you love it, eating it will fill you rapturous delight, often accompanied by a heady rush of endorphin-fueled food pleasure. If you hate it, maybe that’s because you were the recipient of…
Tilman Fertitta to Launch Online Gambling Websites
Good old Tilman Fertitta. The guy is persistent. He’s putting a casino so close to the Texas border, you could hit it with a powerful pellet gun from the other side of the state line. He builds garish neon Ferris wheels in the theater district of downtown Houston complete with…
Rancid at House of Blues, 9/4/2013
Rancid House of Blues September 4, 2013 So, I would like to preface this review by addressing the two guys on the escalator Wednesday night outside House of Blues. Hi there. Here’s my review — that phantom one that you were sure couldn’t exist — and by the way, yes,…
It’s Not a Trick, It’s an Illusion; Felipe Lopez’s Solo Show at the Alliance Gallery
If you have ever had a run in with visual artist Felipe Lopez be prepared to take notes. Lopez, a Houston-based multi-dimensional, multi-media artist has a lot of grand ideas about what art is and what art should be. He threads his notions of science and neurological activity into the…
Save on Tickets to the Houston Hot Sauce Festival, Dinner at Mark’s and More
Today’s Houston Press Voice Daily Deal is bringing the heat–for less. Our latest voucher is good for 50 percent off ($8 for $16) two tickets to the Houston Hot Sauce Festival. The festival is a showcase for award-winning products including hot sauce, salsa, marinades, rubs, wing sauce, and much, much…
Scout Niblett, B.E. Godfrey and Elaine Greer at Mango’s, 9/4/2013
Scout Niblett, B.E. Godfrey, Elaine Greer Mango’s September 4, 2013 When you see employees from local record stores in the crowd, it always seems like a reassuring nod that you’re right where you should be. Needless to say, I was happy to see a few familiar faces when I headed…
Ten Easy and Healthy Before-School Meals
The first meal of the day for kids is the most important meal of the day, but it is hard to whip together a nutritious breakfast for your kids when they are running out the door to catch the bus or drive to school. So you resort to just cereal,…
10 Tips on Picking the Right Daycare Provider
My daughter has been going to the same daycare since she was just six weeks old, and her teacher is as much a part of my family as many extended members are. The Kid With One F loves going there, and I usually overshare ample pictoral evidence online of how…
ChristianSwingers.com Lets You Get Freaky for Jesus
There is this group of women who believe that if they only have anal sex, they are still virgins. Apparently, Jesus doesn’t recognize sex unless your hymen is disturbed. I think it is written in Leviticus. Well, now we have a whole new ball of candle wax on the nipples…
Johnny Manziel on Time Magazine Cover for Article Advocating Paying College Athletes
For its September 6 cover, Time could not have picked a more appropriate approach if it wants to sell magazines. On national, regional and local sports networks, radio stations and magazines, as well as the sports section of every newspaper, the debate has raged on about Johnny Football. But, the…
Body of Royalty Cosmetics: Affordable Luxury in Lipstick Tube
Gluten-free lipstick? Yeah, it’s a thing, and Body of Royalty co-founders Jermelle Pitts (Creative Director, CEO) and Joseph Chargois (President, CEO) believe that their brand of luxury cosmetics will cater to a niche market of women who want affordable, high-quality products that are compatible with a gluten-free lifestyle. (Of course,…
Houston Health Department Roundup: A Ceviche Movie Theater Citation and a Bad Day at Trucker’s Paradise
There are some ideas that, no matter how good they sound initially, maybe don’t turn out so well. Face tattoos. Juice cleanses. Raw seafood from a movie theater. Fortunately, though many people have gone through with their ill-advised plans to tattoo tribal prints across their foreheads, a heroic health inspector…
Am I a Mama’s Boy or a Good Son? 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! MAMA’S BOY OR GOOD SON? Dear Willie D: I’m a single 34-year-old man with no kids…
The NFL Is Back. Thank God!
It’s back. The long, hard summer is finally over and real sports are back. Sure, you’ve tried watching the Astros — if you could watch them at all given the CSN issues. But, let’s be honestly, they are horrible. Awful. A travesty. The only thing that was going to salve…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Rishi Singh of Boheme, on Running a Renegade Kitchen
This is the first part of a two-part Chef Chat series. Check back with us tomorrow for Part 2 of this Chef Chat. Boheme Cafe & Wine Bar is almost like a small utopian village of sorts. The space has all these nooks and crannies — little subdivided rooms with…
The Rocks Off 100: Crystal Toliver, Source of That Yello Echo You Hear
Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, 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 the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? There is no voice…
Pop Rocks: Best Moments of the James Franco Roast (SNSFW)
The Friars Club, a very exclusive frat comprised of comedians and celebrities, has become widely known for its annual roasts. A “roast” is the bizarre process of having a distinguished guest sit awkwardly in front of a large crowd as friends and non-friends make lewd and contemptuous jokes at his…
Elected Supreme Court Justice Criticizes Judicial Elections — This Is Good News
Texas has chosen the worst possible way to select the state’s judiciary: partisan judicial elections. It has resulted in a Court of Criminal Appeals (the state’s highest appeals court for criminal appeals) that is stacked with ex-prosecutors who rarely, if ever, meet a conviction they can’t find some way to…
Video Game High School: King of the Hill
Here we are at the end of another season of Video Game High School, and hopefully it won’t be quite so long a wait until we get into Season 3. Considering that the last time we had a finale it was truly triumphant, a victory that left everyone watching cheering…
Verlasso® Salmon Becomes First Farmed Salmon to Get “Good Alternative” Rating from Seafood Watch
It’s often difficult to find reasonably priced wild salmon at restaurants or local grocery stores in America. Farming salmon is a big industry, and when salmon raised in pens tastes comparable and costs far less than wild salmon, why bother seeking out the good stuff? Verlasso®, a salmon farming company…
More and More Rock Stars Are Turning Into Comic-Book Creators
The idea of rock stars being featured in comics is nothing new. One of the many, many urban legends about KISS is that they used their blood in the red ink of a run featuring the band as part of the Marvel Comics Super Special series that had also done…
Church Group Leader Will Run 24 Hours Straight to Raise Money
The executive director of a nonprofit that works to help low-income and immigrant communities will attempt to run 24 hours straight on October 12 in order to raise $100,000 for the organization. According to its Web site, LINC Houston “is a network of local churches that have joined together in…
Flat-Screens, Game-Day Specials, TD Shots + More: Where to Watch the Texans Season Opener This Monday Night
The Texans’ quest for the championship starts on the road this Monday as they face off against the Chargers at 9:20 p.m. CT. This is all the more reason to get out and watch the game at one of Houston’s awesome sports bars. Because we love nothing more than wings,…
One Band, One Local Bar, All Night Long. What’ll It Be?
This one’s pretty simple: Recently Rocks Off asked our writers to tell us if they could choose any artist, living or dead, active or defunct, to perform all night long at one local bar or club, who would that be and where? Sam Cooke at the Continental Club I would…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 10 Public Lobbies (Downtown)
We asked photographer Abrahan Garza to capture the best public lobbies in the downtown area. Some, like the Lancaster Hotel and the JPMorgan Chase Bank Building, formerly known as the Gulf Building, have pristine vintage lobbies. Some, like Two Shell Plaza (seen above) are like a blast from the 1970s…
Score One for the Phonies: New Documentary Proves Salinger Was Right About Hollywood
‘If they made a movie, Holden wouldn’t like it,” Martin Sheen opines deep into the new documentary Salinger. He’s speaking of the possibility of a film adaptation of The Catcher in the Rye, a disastrous idea that J.D. Salinger prevented in both life and death. Sheen, of course, could be…
Pastafarian Indeed
Highlights from Hair Balls Texas A heathen follower of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has scored a point for infidels in the Lone Star State by successfully insisting he be allowed to wear a colander on his head for his driver’s license photo. “Once she allowed me to,…
LGBT Bar Opening
Only in Houston When I ventured out to Neon Boots on Saturday, August 24, I was ready for a crowd, but I wasn’t quite anticipating what I found. As I made my way down Hempstead, it was suddenly apparent that Neon Boots was not only a huge success, but the…
On the Run from Cartels and Phoning Home
Dear Mexican: I have read (the usual suspects and a few Know Nothings) that illegals can say a few magic words to get temporary, pending review, asylum status. The reports say the illegals can claim asylum from drug gangs. My understanding is that fear of crime in one’s home country…
Venice Update: Kelly Reichardt’s Night Moves, James Franco’s Child of God, and More
In 1953, the Venice Film Festival jury didn’t award its top prize, the Golden Lion. Instead, it made the highly unorthodox decision to award the second-place prize, the Silver Lion, to six films, among them I Vitelloni and Ugetsu. How did I know this? To celebrate the festival’s 70th edition,…
Orange Is the New Black’s Radical Critique of American Prisons
All manner of spoilers below. Nearly anyone with a grievance against America’s dysfunctional prison system can find a scene to illustrate their protest in the first season of Orange Is the New Black, Netflix’s women-behind-bars dramedy. Admittedly, the wonkiest or most disheartening issues, like prison privatization or endemic sexual assault,…
Venice Update: The Wordless Beauty and Brutality of Kim Ki-duk’s Moebius and Scarlett Johansson in Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin
It’s 8:20 and you’re in the breakfast room at your hotel, having your customary bowl of muesli. By 9:20, you’re watching a spurned wife cut off her teenage son’s penis–and eat it–as retribution for her husband’s infidelity. Ah, Tuesday. But wow, Kim Ki-duk’s Moebius is some movie! If you have…
”In-DEPTH Texas Sculpture Group Member Exhibition”
A variety of techniques are represented this season in ”In-DEPTH Texas Sculpture Group Member Exhibition” at the Art Car Museum. Houston’s own James Ciosek has a rather explosive one: He fires guns at a piece of metal until the unassuming bulls’ eye becomes something he calls art. ”It’s a lot…
”Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art”
Pegged an ”artist-orchestrated meal” originally cooked up by University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art, ”Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art” at the University of Houston’s Blaffer Art Museum features contributions from more than 25 artists. ”What does it mean for us to be generous with one another, and what…
Capsule Art Reviews: “The Beauty Box”, “Funnel Tunnel”, “Gifts from the Past: The Isabel Brown Wilson Collection”, “Room Divider”, “Summer Studios 2013”, “Texas Biennial Invitational”,
“The Beauty Box” This is the brainchild of local mixed-media artist Robert Hodge, who, with partner Philip Pyle, a sculptor and digital artist, has converted an open-air space in the Third Ward into a replica of a living room, like “your grandmother’s living room or dining room,” says Hodge. The…
Hitting the Taco Jackpot at Pistolero’s
To get a behind the scenes look at Pistolero’s, check out our slideshow. It didn’t occur to me when I first sat down at the sparkling, copper-tiled bar; heaved a sigh for my long, arduous day; and ordered a drink that it was anything other than a normal evening. The…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, Tarzan the Musical
Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays Nine short plays with a common theme — gay marriage — have been gathered into an evening of entertainment. They avoid polemics, proselytizing and anger, and instead center on loving, long-term relationships, newly-mets, and articulate, voluble mothers. The plays lend themselves to being…
The Houston Valet Conundrum
Restaurant News There are a lot of things Houstonians hate. Humidity. Bad barbecue. The city of Dallas. But there are few more contentious topics in the Bayou City than valet parking. When I first moved here, the whole valet situation was confusing to me. We’re not New York City. We…
Texans Chemistry: Do the Texans Have the Formula to Win a Championship?
“I believe in Matt. He’s the quarterback of our football team. I’ve got no doubt about him. I think over the course of the last two years, he’s won 70-plus percent of his starts. That’s hard to do in this league. I feel very good about our quarterback. Our whole…
Riddick Returns to the Big Screen Lacking Charm
Richard B. Riddick—Dick to his friends, if he had any—is an intergalactic meathead who’s glowered through three movies, two video games and a cartoon. He’s both the luckiest and unluckiest man alive: lucky because he’s impossible to kill, unlucky because everyone keeps trying. In the opening, near-silent sequence of Riddick,…
