Houston’s Infamous Stiletto Murder in the News Again
We’re big fans of true crime. There’s something satisfying about delving into a killer’s past to pinpoint that moment in time when he or she went off the deep end into full-tilt cray cray. So, when we heard about a new book about Houston’s infamous “stiletto murder,” we had to…
Rise of the Octagon: New Film Takes a Deeper Look into MMA
Why is it that some sports have fallen out of favor while others have emerged from the shadows to become mainstream entertainment? Mixed martial arts are fast-tracking right now – giving ringed sports some hefty competition in venues like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – and we wanted to know why…
New Glass Mosaics by Libbie Masterson Document Travels With Color and Light
Even if Libbie Masterson’s name doesn’t ring a bell, you still might be familiar with her work: She’s got a large panoramic public art piece at William P. Hobby Airport in the international concourse area. The seven-panel glass mosaic is the perfect respite for harried travelers, delivering a calming water and sky…
Thou Shalt Behold Kieslowski’s Dekalog, Returning With Its Full Mystery and Power
“I don’t have any answers,” Krzysztof Kieslowski once said, “but [I] do know how to pose questions.” Not an uncommon stance for an artist, certainly, but perhaps surprising for one who made a massive, 10-part miniseries based on the Ten Commandments. Later, trying to explain why he and screenwriter Krzysztof…
Zbigniew Preisner on His Longtime Collaboration With Krzysztof Kieslowski
Starting with 1985’s No End, composer Zbigniew Preisner served as one of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s closest collaborators — he worked on all of the director’s films until Kieslowski’s death in 1996, with several of their collaborations actually revolving around the world of music. (The duo even created a fake Dutch composer, Van den Budenmayer,…
For the Birds: Where to Watch the Fall Migration in and Around Houston
Though spring is prime time for watching migratory birds, there are plenty of birding opportunities in and around Houston during the fall migration season, which generally runs from now to early October. Richard Gibbons, conservation director for Houston Audubon, recently told Houston Press the best places to currently peep birds…
Maybe It’s Time to Cool It on All the “Houston’s Music Scene Is Awesome” Talk
“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” — Søren Kierkegaard When we say the Houston music scene is amazing, as many of us do with bordering on annoying frequency these days, are we…
Ixcanul Finds Indigenous Life Pitted Against Modernity
The most destructive villain in this year’s summer movies isn’t some super-powered fiend. It’s us, the consumers of North America, whose desires shape the world. The U.S. looms over Jayro Bustamante’s patient, observant, exquisitely painful debut feature Ixcanul, just as it looms over the Guatemalan coffee plantation in which Bustamante’s…
Dancer Tells the Tale of Ballet Prodigy Sergei Polunin
Prodigies flame out; it happens all the time. But the tale of Sergei Polunin, a young Ukrainian ballet dancer whose family hitched its wagon to his star, is a particularly sad one. Steven Cantor’s doc Dancer illuminates Polunin’s celebrity before it reveals his artistry; much of the film is a…
Ten Best Bowls of Pho in Houston
On any given day, heads are bowed and hovering over steaming bowls of fragrant beef broth and noodles. They’re eating pho, which many consider to be the national dish of Vietnam. Here in Houston, pho can be found in every part of town and is as everyday as a juicy…
Not Plastic But Metal, New Sculptures by William Cannings Invoke Darker Mood
William Cannings is the master of optical illusion. The English-born sculptor got to Texas as fast as he could – living and working in Lubbock with a steady gig as professor of sculpture at Texas Tech’s School of Art. The illusionist produces pieces that look like balloons, inner tubes, beach…
NFL Week 2: Chiefs-Texans — Four Things to Watch For
It’s Friday morning, and I can’t put it any more simply that this — this time next week, after the Thursday night game in New England, the narrative will be drying like a coat of paint on the Houston Texans’ 2016 season. We will THINK we have a pretty good…
Openings & Closings: Welcome to the Village, Hopdoddy
A popular fast-casual burger chain is moving into the space vacated by Baker St. Pub & Grill in Rice Village. The second location of HopDoddy Burger will open at 5510 Morningside, suite 100. The Houston Press reached out to the company for additional information and heard back from Julie Sondecker, who handles…
How Kanye Lost His Way
I didn’t always despise Kanye West. Rather, there was a time when I counted him among the most innovative minds in all of music, not just hip-hop. The College Dropout was an instant classic. Late Registration was a rarity -– a follow-up to a breakout debut that not only matched…
Dancing Madame Butterfly at the Houston Ballet Once Again
He discovered ballet after he accompanied a couple of friends to classes — their coach thought it would improve their baseball skills. She had the more traditional introduction — her parents brought her to see a performance of The Nutcracker and within a few years she became Clara and then…
Best Bets for This Weekend’s College and NFL Games
Each week, as we wager, we try to learn a thing or two. Last week, we went 0-3 betting on college football, but came back and went a perfect 3-0 on the NFL. So what did we learn? Don’t trust teenagers. Don’t ever, ever trust teenagers. Fortunately, we kept our…
Adam Ruins Everything by Forcing You to Learn About Democracy
You know that hair. You know those glasses. You know that smirk. While you might not yet know his name, but Adam Conover’s face seems to be everywhere right now. “The ad campaign they’ve done for the show is remarkable,” the comedian says. “Though it is a little eerie seeing my face so…
Houston’s 10 Best Trivia Bars
Craft beer. Beards. Pretending to like soccer simply to sound like an intellectual sports fan. These are all trends that have risen to prominence over the past several years. Add trivia to that list. And while bars and restaurants around Houston have hosted trivia nights for years, the trend has truly…
New Painting by Vincent Valdez Shows Haunting Scene at David Shelton Gallery
There’s a haunting over at David Shelton Gallery in Montrose, but not the ghost and goblin Halloween spookiness that comes around this time of year. It’s a haunting of the soul, and it starts with the shock of turning the corner to view Vincent Valdez’s massive, panoramic oil painting of…
Donald Trump Proposes VA Fix Obama Already Implemented
At the Commander-in-Chief Forum where both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and real estate mogul Donald Trump were questioned by veterans about their qualifications for serving as head of the world’s largest military, Trump was confronted with how he would reform the Veteran’s Administration. Specifically, he delved into the long…
Here’s Who UH Needs to Win and Lose to Look Like the Best Possible Football Team
We are only two games into the college football season, but in those two games, Tom Herman and the University of Houston Cougars have fast tracked themselves into the College Football Playoff conversation, thanks in large part to a 33-23 win over Oklahoma in their season opener. Most bowl projections…
Eat, Drink and Fight Child Hunger at the 2016 Taste of the Nation
Houston’s Taste of the Nation returns on September 20, bringing together some of the best chefs, mixologists and pitmasters in Houston to raise money for the No Kid Hungry organization. No Kid Hungry works to provide healthy meals for children in need. Last year, the Houston event raised $104,000, helping…
15 Must-See Metal Shows in Houston This Fall
Metal-wise, Houston will be lucky to see a decent smattering of quality top acts and lesser-known gems touring through town during the cooler autumn months. While this article certainly doesn’t cover them all, we’ve collected the top 15 that any self-respecting metalhead would not want to miss. 15. UNCLEANSED Walters…
“6” Things You Might Find at Drake’s The Ballet
Drake loves Houston. He mentions it probably a few times per album, which is saying something because the rapper, singer and walking TV drama routinely makes sure everyone knows he’s from the “6,” aka Toronto. The Bayou City is so dope in Drake’s eyes that during his annual Houston Appreciation…
Moon-hoax Fantasy Operation Avalanche Is Better at Faking Footage Than Making Us Care
Matt Johnson’s prankish Operation Avalanche boasts a strong half hour of footage that’s fully engaged with this question: Could a couple of bright, Kubrick-obsessed A.V. geeks have faked the moon landing in 1969? Like the best speculative fiction, these scenes concern the practicalities. We see the gang’s hidden-camera peek at…
Eighth Houston Cyclist of the Year Hit and Killed Last Night
A bicyclist was hit and killed Monday evening around 8:45 on Mykawa Road near Fuqua Street in southeast Houston, according to police. Police say the driver of a Toyota Corolla hit the 31-year-old male cyclist from behind on a poorly lit section of the road, traveling in the same direction…
Why Drake Is Officially Rap-Game Hillary Clinton
I want to believe Drake isn’t a Hillary Clinton-ass panderer who uses Houston’s societal charges from the people to the strip clubs as a platform to show love and affection. I’ve wanted to believe it for the past three Houston Appreciation Weekends. I’ve wanted to believe it when complete strangers…
Annual UH Opera Benefit on Its Way to McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
Gather up a group of opera singers, take them to a local bar and let them tear into some of the greatest music ever written. “It’s a chance to hear our current crop of singers in an informal setting with food and drink,” says Buck Ross, the director of the University of…
New Washington, D.C. Museum to Open With Art by Houstonian Floyd Newsum
The art world is all abuzz about the soon-to-be-open Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Set to open September 24, the Washington, D.C.-based museum embraces the fact that African-American history is our nation’s history, with explorations into powerful moments in art, community and events over the…
5 Actors Who Would Be Better for The Crow Than Jason Momoa
Warning: Most of the links in this article are to scenes of violence. As 1994 is now far enough back to be nostalgia, it looks like they are finally rebooting The Crow. The decision to remake the story of Eric Draven is kind of an odd one. The Crow is…
How Close Is Too Close to Drill for Oil Near Lake Houston?
It’s hard to believe there’s any site near the famed Humble oil fields that hasn’t been tapped yet, but a Houston-based drilling company is moving toward dropping a new directional exploratory well on the edge of the oil field, right on the shoreline of Lake Houston. So what’s the problem?…
Sam Shepard’s Buried Child and True West Explore and Explode the American Dream
The American Dream. The theme that won’t go away. With just under two months to go until Election Day, we are all once again thinking about, arguing over and choosing between two versions of what the American Dream should and can be. That this year’s two versions are so remarkably…
Seven Restaurants Worth a Day Trip Drive From Houston
Houston is great, but sometimes being surrounded by concrete day after day gets tiresome. One antidote is to drive out of the flatlands and see some of the beautiful scenery just outside the city. Lakes, huge nature preserves, beaches and hills are just a short drive from town. Of course,…
Clients Say Rep. Ron Reynolds Stole Their Money, and Now He Wants Yours
State Rep. Ron Reynolds filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in July but continues to seek donors for his re-election campaign. In fact, supporters can join him for a fundraiser Thursday evening at a Missouri City bar, an email invitation from his campaign states. A helpful donation card attached to the…
How to Feel About Gaming After GamerGate
This week is a weird anniversary for me. It was a year ago that I found myself specifically targeted by GamerGate. I’d been through several minor waves of harassment by them before because of critical coverage of the movement since it started, but being a straight white guy and a…
Five Underrated Plays that Helped the Houston Texans Win on Sunday
A football game is a series of interdependent, symbiotic plays. Generally speaking, none of them occur in a vacuum. They all are affected by what comes before them, and in some way, oftentimes profoundly, they effect what occurs after them. However, some plays are more pivotal and important than others,…
First Look at Joy Love Burgers
Houston is home to some of the most diverse and innovative cuisine in the country, but if there is one type of food this town loves, it’s a good burger. Fortunately, many great burgers are available in a variety of menus ranging from food trucks (Craft Burger, Flip ‘N Patties) to chef-driven concepts (Killen’s…
Upcoming: Bill Kirchen, Cop Warmth, Kris Kristofferson, Margo Price, Lower Dens, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Willie Nelson, etc.
Note: Events in bold reflect highly recommended shows. Air Supply: Thu., November 3, 8 p.m., TBA. Arena Theatre, 7326 Southwest Fwy., Houston, 713-988-1020. Al Staehely, John Staehely and Evelyn Rubio: Sat., October 8, 8 p.m., TBA. Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe, 413 20th, Galveston, 409-762-9199. Alan Haynes: Sat., September 24, 9…
Will the Houston Bike Plan End the Battle Between Bicyclists and Drivers?
The doctors were thrilled that he had beaten the odds, a 20 percent chance of survival after he was run over by a truck. But when 47-year-old Kyle Zumoff woke up in his hospital bed, poked with IVs and stiff in a neck brace, his first thought was that he…
The Creative Peaks and Valleys of Bad Boy Records
Say what you will about Sean “Puffy/Diddy/Puff Daddy” Combs the rapper, but give the man credit for this: he is a keen businessman with an eye for what sells. So it makes sense that Combs noticed the recent ’90s music revival and figured, “What the hell, let’s get the gang…
Five Bits of Friendly Advice for Up-and-Coming Bands
Building a band and an online presence that catches the attention of not only a loyal fan base but managers, booking agents, record labels and other industry insiders is hard work. The startup period can be rough, but worthwhile in the long run; building a musical brand that people want to…
Tense Comedy Miss Stevens Puts Responsibility on a Teacher With Lots to Learn
Lily Rabe’s discomfiting performance anchors the fascinatingly uneasy comedy-drama Miss Stevens. Julia Hart’s film — about a young, slightly hapless English teacher who must chaperone three students to a state drama competition — has a premise that could easily invite cliché. You half expect it to become either an inspirational…
Dear Stoner: Do True Hybrids Still Exist?
Dear Stoner: I’ve tried sativas and indicas, and they’re all fine and dandy, but I’m looking for something more in the middle. What are some good hybrids that are actually hybrids? Happy Jack Dear Jack: All hybrids are actually hybrids. In fact, nearly all of the strains you’ll find nowadays…
No, there is a TV news show that makes sense of this election: The Circus
The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth airs Sundays on Showtime In filmmaking, an assembly cut is when recent dailies are strung together in rough narrative order to create the first, very raw draft of the movie. Though it by no means lacks polish or editorial intent, Showtime’s…
Dear Stoner: Why Does Smoking Weed Make You Hungry?
Dear Stoner: Why does smoking weed make you hungry? Like, does science know why? Stewie Dear Stewie: The munchies are real, man. Although no one could definitively point to a brain reaction and say “There it is” for a long time, by 2015 marijuana’s ability to increase appetite was already…
Paradise, Lost: Your Dude-by-Dude Breakdown of the Masculinity Crisis on Bachelor in Paradise
The Bachelor stands erect as the vanguard of heterosexual romance competitions. Bachelor in Paradise (BIP), whose third season concludes this week, is the sunburnt, daydrunk cousin of the ABC franchise. Set in the Ewok Village on the Planet Endor (the perfect place to fall in love), the summertime distraction stars…
Rockefeller Hall Begins Transitioning Back to Music Venue
Bonnie and Clyde allegedly robbed it, back when the building was a bank. It may be haunted. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble bounced between here and Fitzgerald’s as their main local ports of call on the way to stardom, they and hundreds of other artists helping secure Rockefeller’s place…
Dish of the Week: Borscht
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here. This week, we’re cooling off with an Eastern European classic: borscht. Borscht is a sour soup commonly made with beets, which give the soup…
For Texas AG Ken Paxton, Danger Lurks in Every Target Store
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is so worried about the safety of Texans inside Target department stores that he has decided to offer the corporation “assistance” with security resources. Never mind all that violent crime happening in cities across the state with underfunded and shorthanded police forces, such as in…
Obsidian Theater PresentsThe Motherf*#cker with the Hat: A Horrible, Beautiful Love Story
Don’t balk at the title of the Obsidian Theater-presented The Motherfucker with the Hat (sometimes stylized as Motherf*#cker or Mofo), says actor Luis Galindo, because he says it’s a keeper. “The title of the play might put some people off, but it’s a really beautiful and powerful human story about love and…
Some Guy Made a Racist Video of a Campus-Carry Protester Being Shot
A Frisco, Texas activist-filmmaker-blogger has caused a stir with a film depicting the brutal murder of a University of Texas-Austin “Cocks Not Glocks” campus-carry protester. Brett Sanders is the auteur behind Never Met Her, which depicts a kerchief-masked black man breaking into a white UT student’s apartment and shooting her…
This Week in Houston Food Events: Preview FM Burger’s Chocolate Shake
Here’s a look at this week’s hottest culinary happenings: Monday through Saturday 75th Anniversary Celebration at Molina’s Cantina Molina’s Cantina, 7901 Westheimer, 3801 Bellaire, 4720 Washington, is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a spirited week-long celebration. Now through Friday, the restaurant will offer 75 percent off a signature 1941 Tex-Mex menu item during a random…
Houston Ballet’s Director’s Choice: American Ingenuity Is a Showcase of Technical Prowess
The Houston Ballet’s season opener Director’s Choice: American Ingenuity is a very successful exercise in restraint. The mixed repertory program features the company, including Connor Walsh, Karina Gonzalez, Ian Cassady and Yuriko Kajiya, in three works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and William Forsythe. The trio of works, each performed…
Death Salon Film Festival Urges Houstonians to Discuss Death Openly
Talking about death is no longer only for the morbid Wednesday Addams wannabes among us – at least not according to a social movement known as “death positivity,” which argues that people should actively think and talk about their own mortality. After all, death is the only guarantee in life…
Texas Mead Fest Strives to Bring Mead Into the 21st Century
If you’ve ever wondered what Lord of the Rings characters are drinking that gets them so drunk, you finally have a chance to find out. Mead – LOTR dwarves’ drink of choice and, yes, that alcohol from Beowulf – is coming to the Houston area. Eight meaderies from around the…
NFL Week 1: Texans 23, Bears 14 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
For the last two seasons, during the Bill O’Brien Era, the Houston Texans entered the regular season with a bunch of unknowns on the offensive side of the ball, largely because of injuries and uneven quarterback play. The one thing they could count on was knowing they’d get an All-World…
Eat the Best Pizza in Houston
If anyone thought judging the best doughnut in Houston was hard, they would be sorely mistaken. Attempting to uncover the best pizza in Houston was a monstrous task to tackle when considering the vast pizza landscape in conjunction with the wide, wide range of opinions held by the judging panel…
The Kills Bear the Standard for Early-’00s Rock
The Kills White Oak Music Hall September 9, 2016 The Kills are a band where the future starts slow. For 15 years, Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince have been dishing out sparse, guitar-driven punk rock emblematic of the early aughts. While the rest of us have ambled through that decades,…
Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas Find Unsteady Footing at Toyota Center
Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas Toyota Center September 9, 2016 Formerly a pair of Disney Channel standouts, Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas have evolved into pop stars. (As is tradition.) Lovato’s fifth studio album, Confident, is nearly a year old now, and the lead single from Jonas’ third solo outing –…
Shows of the Week: A Beyoncé Protégé Continues Her House of Blues Residency
INGRID House of Blues, September 13 Since her Trill Feels EP was released earlier this spring, Houston rapper Ingrid has kept herself busy: opening for label boss Beyoncé, continuing to break down her contribution to Lemonade, figuring out the perfect hat to wear, etc. She’s also made a bit of…
Kanye vs. Drake: Tale of the Tape
Drake is arguably the hottest name in hip-hop today. The same could be argued for Kanye West. Drake just played before a packed house at Toyota Center. Kanye will do the same on September 20. Kanye is married to a celebrity; Drake is allegedly dating one. Both have chalked up…
Cougars Dominate Lamar, 42-0, and Set Sights on Cincinnati
Yesterday’s UH versus Lamar football game was literally electric, thanks to the lightning that flashed about the stadium, delaying the game for three hours and 36 minutes in the first quarter. But that was about the only electricity around as UH played a workmanlike game in steamrolling the visiting Cardinals…
Coogs and Kush — Our Most Popular News Stories From the Week
Houston had a heck of a week, starting with a season-defining win by the University of Houston football team and wrapping up with a Harris County crackdown on a local chain for selling kush. Here are some of our most-read stories from the past seven days, in no particular order, in…
Memorable Houston Restaurant Fires
In Houston, like most places, the restaurant life carries with it hard work, triumphs and shutterings. Among the saddest of stories are when a fire brings everything to a halt, particularly if the restaurant is beloved. Here are some of the most memorable of recent Houston restaurant fires (with links…
Former Houston Man Settles Blue Bell Listeria Lawsuit, So It Never Happened, Right?
More than a year after listeria was found in Blue Bell ice cream, former Houston resident David Shockley has settled his lawsuit against the company that he contends gave him listeria, according to court documents. The case was due to finish the discovery phase, where both sides exchange evidence, on…
Rockefeller’s 2.0 Offers a Taste of What’s to Come
In the pantheon of Houston nightclubs that have celebrated their ultimate Last Call, Rockefeller’s was the gold standard. It looked like an important place, the only structure of any real heft on its block of Washington Avenue, just east of where Waugh becomes Heights Boulevard. Designed by renowned Houston architect…
NFL to Kick Off Season With Discovery Green Broadcast
What better place to start the NFL season than the city that will play host to the Super Bowl in February? Workers labored in the early September humidity on Friday to put the final touches on the FOX NFL Sunday set on Discovery Green, where the network plans to broadcast…
Case Keenum Continues to Prove His Doubters Wrong
There was a moment during last week’s UH/Oklahoma game when it was announced that quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. had surpassed Jimmy Klingler for eighth all time for career passing yards as a UH quarterback. Ward, a senior, had just eclipsed 5,243 yards. The next name on the list was David Piland…
John Cornyn Finally Stops Pretending to Tolerate Ted Cruz
After spending four years railing against anything and everything he could to grab headlines and reinforce his reputation as a Tea Party firebrand, it looks like Sen. Ted Cruz is finally getting his comeuppance. Sure, Cruz parlayed his habit of grandstanding and rebelling against whatever was being proposed — even…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: 75 Years of Sabor at Molina’s Cantina
From a pork bun eating contest to a 75th anniversary fiesta, here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: Saturday Morning Bake Sale @ Fluff Bake Bar Saturday, 10 a.m. until sold out 314 Gray Celebrated pastry chef Ruben Ortega of Hugo’s will be joining Fluff owner and pastry…
Amid ITT Fallout, Employees Sue College for Abrupt Mass Layoff
Fifty-six-year-old Carlton Bowen thought he would finish out his career as a counselor at ITT Technical Institute at the Houston West campus and planned to retire in a few years. He has seven kids, two who are still in college, three who still live at home and one who is…
Drake Loves Houston So Much He’s (Maybe) Opening a Strip Club Here
In the days leading up to Drake’s second annual Houston Appreciation Weekend, the rapper teased that the festivities wouldn’t end on Monday night. On his Instagram, Drake promised Houstonians that a mysterious, “new dance experience” called The Ballet was “here to stay.” We were intrigued – after all, this is…
True iPhone Confessions: If Loving You is Wrong…
My name is Jeff and I’m in love with my iPhone. (This is where you say, “Hi, Jeff!”) In the halcyon days of my youth (well, the 2000s anyway), I didn’t care about smartphones. I was busy living my life, attached to the Internet for work, but free everywhere else…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Get Ready for Southern Smoke
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary events, including charitable eats and a winning Houston Texans special: Three Brothers Bakery, 4606 Washington, 4036 South Braeswood, 12393 Kingsride, will be offering a free treat after any Texans home game win this season. To redeem, fans…
Keeton Coffman Reboots Heartland Rock and Roll on Killer Eyes
When people think of “heartland rock and roll,” the likes of Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Bob Seger probably come to mind. Keeton Coffman, however, initially thought he had coined the term. Fortunately, the Houston-based singer-songwriter has found himself in good company, having unintentionally likened his music to…
Turns Out Texas Dentists Don’t Have to Study Much to Sedate Patients
In Texas a dentist can get a permit to sedate patients without ever even practicing – under supervision – on a patient first. Can’t believe it? Well how about that an anesthesia training course lasts just eight hours and can be fitted in on a weekend? Recently we reported the…
The Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Zombies, Mixed Rep and a Ball
Sam Shepard understands family dysfunction, mining that universal common thread to pen almost 50 plays. This Friday we’re celebrating the multihyphenated dramatist (he’s also known as a writer, director and actor) with a double-header of his work: the sibling rivalry comedy True West and the surreal, frozen-in-time Buried Child. Rounding out the…
Why Is Country Radio Ignoring Brandy Clark?
The horrible state of country radio is really not up for debate. Considering the general decline that stations across all genres have faced against the ascendancy of streaming services, country radio is a particularly bizarre case. As country artists began to attract more and more fans away from the mainstream,…
Alison Mosshart, Rock’s Leading Femme Fatale
There are great voices and then there are great rock voices. Alison Mosshart, lead singer for the Kills and the Dead Weather, absolutely resides in the latter. Her dramatic gift isn’t confined to scorching blues-inflected rockers, as evidenced by the fine Ash and Ice, the Kills’ latest album and fifth…
Friday Free for All: Jimmy Eat World, William Shatner, Nick Greer, The Knife, etc.
The Friday Free For All relays albums, artists, videos and vibes the Houston Press Music staff has been grooving to over the past week. JIMMY EAT WORLD There’s that moment between when you find out your favorite band has released a new song and clicking on the play button to…
Harris County Gets Judge to Fine Kush Sellers $1.2 Million [UPDATED]
Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan, with help from the Texas Attorney General, persuaded a judge to fine a local smoke shop and novelty chain $1.2 million for selling kush, Ryan’s office announced Thursday. Katz Boutique and Smoke Shop agreed to pay the fines to settle several lawsuits filed by the state…
After ITT’s Closure, Local Colleges Pounce to Aid Hundreds of Displaced Students
Just one day after ITT Technical Institute closed its campuses across the country, including three in the Houston area, the phones started ringing nonstop at Lone Star College, said Amos McDonald, the college’s vice chancellor of external affairs. With more than 1,600 displaced Houston-area ITT students who will have to…
Lost Doctor Who Adventure, “Power of the Daleks” Returns as Animated Feature
It’s well known that nearly 100 episodes from 26 different Doctor Who television adventures were lost when the BBC erased the masters as a way to save money on film. Many have been recovered, most recently all of “Enemy of the World” and all but one episode of “Web of…
Travis Scott Is Now Rap’s New Director of Vibes
Travis Scott irks a lot of people. That’s the calmest, least offensive statement you can make about him. The far more streamlined and accusatory points? Those can be pointed back to his upbringing, people not exactly having the cleanest of origin stories on him. Or that he may have stolen…
Arts & Drafts Houston Showcases Local Artists and Now Has Lemonade Cocktails
When Arts & Drafts Houston returns to The Silo this year with all its sculptors, painters and stone workers, it’ll be offering something new: the Art of the Cocktail with five gourmet lemonades mixed with an assortment of rum and vodka — courtesy of Grandma’s Boys Lemonade. The second annual…
The Lesson of Stranger Things: Audiences Like Kids
Minor Spoiler Follows A lot has been said about the properties that were obviously influences on Stranger Things, mostly in a positive light. You’d have to blind to miss blatant homages to E.T., Poltergeist and Firestarter, but there are also more subtle references to stuff like The Goonies, Monster Squad…
The Harris County Jail Got So Crowded the Sheriff Delayed Inmate Transfers
County officials have known for some time that the Harris County jail is overcrowded with inmates who haven’t yet been convicted of a crime, who are there in many instances just because they can’t afford to pay bail before trial. But here’s how bad that overcrowding situation became over the…
Six Vietnamese Rolls Other Than Egg Rolls to Try
More than just an appetizer, the roll in Asian cooking is a conduit of proteins and veggies that is as essential as a pair of chop sticks. Like a tortilla for Latinos, a bao for Chinese or matzah for Jews, rice paper holds that position of importance in Vietnamese cuisine…
9/11, The Disintegration Loops and the Search for Meaning
Everyone of a certain age was changed by 9/11, even if that change was incredibly small. You might be multiple steps removed from those who lost a loved one on that day, but 9/11 probably taught you something about the world at large, be it about how safe you feel…
10 Can’t-Miss Hip-Hop/R&B Concerts in Houston This Fall
Hip-hop shows have become music’s big moneymakers. Aside from festivals, massive rap shows have taken on an ever-larger slice of the live entertainment. Elaborate stage design, pyrotechnics, acts both current and part of the third generation that helped establish hip-hop as a cash-cow business — they’re all there. One once…
White Oak Music Hall Owners Insist They’re Playing by City’s Rules
White Oak Music Hall’s outdoor stage, a source of contention between the venue and its neighbors since it opened in April, is again in dispute after Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner denied the owners’ plan to continue operating the stage indefinitely via temporary permit during Wednesday’s City Council meeting. According to…
God Won’t Answer My Prayers. Help!
Dear Willie D: I’m a 27-year-old man who practices the Catholic faith. I got into some trouble with my foster parents a while back, and they forbade me from coming to their house. I don’t know who my biological parents are, but I prayed and prayed that someday they would…
Three Harris County Jailers Suspended After Punching Inmate
Three Harris County Jail detention officers have been suspended following an altercation with an inmate, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday. The jailers were attempting to subdue 28-year-old inmate Jerome Bartee on September 4 at the jail’s medical clinic but may have used excessive force, said Ryan Sullivan, a…
Texas High Court Judge Wants to Deny Houston Gay Couples Marriage Benefits
Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine is among the judges who refuse to give up on trying to discredit Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case granting same-sex couples the right to marry. Instead of just accepting the ruling and moving on like the vast majority of Americans…
Why are Some Texas Lawmakers Getting Behind This Controversial Cancer Doctor?
Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn went to bat for constituents seeking cancer treatment from a Houston physician who used to collect urine from public restrooms to make his alleged wonder-drug, which also allegedly treats everything from AIDS to genital warts. According to STAT, a site that covers medical news,…
Inmate Collapses and Dies in Houston Police Custody
An inmate collapsed and died in Houston police custody on Labor Day before he could be transported to the Harris County Jail, Houston police said. Willie Ray Wright collapsed around 5:15 a.m. Monday at the Houston Police Central Jail and died a few hours later at the hospital. An autopsy…
This Thursday Kevin Naderi Introduces Houston to His Dish That Beat Bobby Flay
Chef Kevin Naderi has been working on his new menu and this Thursday at Roost he will offer his lamb and pistachio cabbage rolls — the dish that enabled him to best Bobby Flay on the Beat Bobby Flay show. But you need to hurry. Naderi has a habit of changing…
How Did a Precinct 4 Deputy Get Away With Destroying Evidence for Nine Years?
The Harris County Precinct 4 deputy who was fired after destroying evidence in hundreds of pending criminal cases this year has been wrongfully tossing evidence without following department protocol since 2007, Constable Mark Herman announced Tuesday. Herman’s announcement comes just after Houston defense attorney Paul Morgan wrote a letter to…
10 Can’t-Miss Country Concerts in Houston This Fall
Fall is the meteorological opposite of rodeo season, so it’s perfectly logical that so many of Houston’s country fans begin feeling disoriented and showing assorted symptoms of withdrawal around this time of year. But never mind all the county fairs and assorted bucolic festivals in the surrounding area (because that’s…
