“Peat Duggins: St. Boniface’s Last Days”
Peat Duggins created some alternative monks for “St. Boniface’s Last Days.” The exhibit explores the life of fictitious holy men through artificial relics, paintings and video. The relics include robes made of felt oak leaves and the paintings of animals eating animals eating animals. In the video, the viewer observes…
Joseph Havel: “Cockroach Poems”
As far as titles in the local art world go, being named the Texas Artist of the Year is right there up at the top. Sculptor Joseph Havel has the honor for 2010 and with good reason. His retrospective “A Decade of Sculpture,” seen at the Museum of Fine Arts,…
Jeffrey Becom: “Mirage: Images from India”
The explosion of color in Jeffrey Becom’s latest exhibition of photographs, “Mirage: Images from India”, gloriously emphasizes the architectural richness found in India. From painted red pillars marking a mustard and sky blue doorway to an orange shrine framed in lime green and found on a saffron-colored wall, Becom’s photographs…
The Doctor’s Dilemma
If you’re unsure about whether we need some sort of national health care, maybe George Bernard Shaw can persuade you. He prefaced his forward-thinking 1906 comedy The Doctor’s Dilemma with an 88-page treatise arguing for socialized medicine and against using animals for research. The play focuses on a doctor named…
Body, Soul & Gershwin
With Body, Soul & Gershwin, a sweeping program that zips from ’40s-era theatricality to neoclassical moodiness, the Houston Ballet not only launches its 2010-2011 season but also welcomes a new principal dancer, Jun Shuang Huang from China. Huang and company will dance two ballets by Artistic Director Stanton Welch: The…
Ticket Giveaway: The Virginity Hit
The fake-doc movie (Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity) meets Porky’s and Superbad in The Virginity Hit, a new film produced by Adam McKay and Will Ferrell. Four teenage boys in New Orleans decide to make a video document, shot on cell phones and video cameras, of their friend’s deflowering. When the failed-attempt…
Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 221
Grand jury will decide if charges will be filedA 90-year-old man and neighborhood fixture shot and killed a man who was acting violently in his northeast side home, and the case will be referred to a grand jury.Police say the elderly man “is known in the neighborhood for his generosity…
Numbers Update: Don’t Mourn Goth Sanctuary Just Yet
Houston already has a bad case of shaken cat syndrome after the upheavals involving once-stable institutions like Fitzgerald’s and KTRU this year, and when the Chronicle posted a listing saying that Numbers was up for lease, longtime fans and patrons went absolutely bonkers. Today Numbers general manager Rudi Bunch released…
Sig Byrd’s Columns Making Their Way On To The Net
Now just a couple of clicks awayThere are many Houstonians who mourn the fact that the columns Sig Byrd did for the old Houston Press are not easily available.That’s changing, though.Byrd wrote for the old daily (and briefly for the Chronicle), describing a city that seems unreal now — seedy…
Bartender Chat: Jillian Fogarty of Soma Sushi
I recently found myself wandering around the heights in search of a good happy hour where I could procure both delicious food and reasonably priced drinks. Somehow this led me to Washington Avenue, which turned into a chance encounter with a wonderful bartender named Jillian Fogarty, who was working her…
Metro Cops Will Be Getting Ticket-Happy Downtown
Metro police will be watchingMetro has announced a project to reduce bus accidents, and it involves cracking down on drivers in those downtown diamond lanes that everybody ignores.Metro “will be looking for drivers who are violating the diamond-lane traffic laws,” the agency announced. Drivers responded “There are diamond-lane traffic laws?”There…
Top Five: Game Shows In Need of Resurrection
Pick a number. Now another number. You sure about that? Only two numbers left–choose wisely. Ugh, somebody, please ease us back off the edge of our seats. What passes for American game shows nowadays is pretty pathetic. But there were times in the not-too-distant past when game shows were original,…
LeBron James — Society Hates You, I Love Society
Mankind, I have to say that I was just about to give up on you. I’m a very patient person, but with every kid running around in a Ben Roethlisberger jersey or every nimrod that decides to turn right on Hamilton at the Texas Street intersection next to Minute Maid…
The Oyster Po’Boy from Antone’s: No, Thanks
Before Monday afternoon my entire exposure to Antone’s Famous Po’Boys had been the prepackaged Kroger-bought sandwiches that a friend brought to a Texans tailgate. To me they tasted exactly how prepackaged, Kroger-bought sandwiches purchased the night before should taste. I became curious as to how a fresh Antone’s sandwich would…
Michael Rucci, Ultimate Technophile, Crafts Synths From Old Nintendos
Synth people are a weird bunch, usually hollow-eyed Neuromancers conjuring strange gods through the use of noise and sound made with bizarre hunks of electronica no sane person would ever dub a musical instrument. We’ve known a few, okay? If Ataris made breakfast, most of them would never leave the…
Philip Grantham: One Of Many Who’ll Be Affected By Further Cuts In Texas’ Mental-Health Budget
If the proposed funding cuts go through, people like Philip Grantham could suffer. For the second time in less than ten years, Texas legislators, faced with a massive budget shortage, are talking about major cuts in mental health funding. If it happens, Texas, which is 48th in the country for…
Stirred & Shaken: Hefley’s Tea
Thanks to Hermine’s all-day downpour, there were only a few people at Hill Country-themed Hefley’s (138 W. Gray, 713-527-8100) last Tuesday night. A bar that quiet is a mixed deal. There isn’t a parade of drinkers waiting to start conversations with you or hook up with you or possibly punch…
Rick Perry & Bill White: Midnight Is Nigh In The Great (And Silly) Deadline For Debates
The finger-pointing continued Wednesday as the great gubernatorial debate over who’s at fault for not having a gubernatorial debate came to Houston.Republican Governor Rick Perry has given Democrat candidate Bill White until midnight tonight to release tax returns from the 1990s as a condition for Perry’s participation in a debate,…
Make a Working Grill from an Altoids Tin
Why are teeny-tiny versions of just about anything so damn adorable? The “Altoids Sours BBQ Grill” looks like a tiny Weber and is “powered by a standard-sized charcoal briquette and capable of cooking a full-size hot dog (cut down to size) or smaller hamburger patties with ease.” We were…
Annise Parker: Only Six Percent Think She’s Doing A Poor Job
Annise Parker: Where are the haters?A new poll from KUHF and KHOU is out, showing Houstonians are generally okay with how things are going economically.How do they feel about new mayor Annise Parker? Let’s just say her ratings haven’t crashed as fast as Obama’s. Only six percent of those polled…
Walmart Tagged, Metro Gets Spotlight At City Council
At least one city council member asked Metro if it’s time to re-evaluate certain plans. At a Houston City Council meeting that was supposed to clear up a few things about a planned Walmart development near the Heights, Metro, and its financial mess, ended up being the issue of the…
Cumin Lamb at Chinese Sichuan Cuisine: As Good As Ever
While Robb Walsh was counting down his 100 favorite dishes in Houston, one of his choices was an unusual and delicious dish he’d encountered while reviewing Chinese Halal Cuisine: cumin lamb, which he placed in the No. 64 spot on his list. The lamb, cooked with — as indicated –…
Music’s Top 10 Biggest Post-Drug Comebacks
The list of drug casualties in rock and roll is a long and sad one. All the suicides, car crashes and the stray gang-related murder are outweighed by the amount of people who just can’t stop putting junk into their system, or at least moderate it to a point where…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Anita Jaisinghani of Indika
Eating Our Words recently had the pleasure of sitting down with one of the most innovative chefs in the city, Anita Jaisinghani. She gave us the back story on Houston hotspot Indika (516 Westheimer) and opened up about her life outside of work. Eating Our Words: Let’s start off by…
Tawin Spence: If You’re Carrying A Half-Pound Of Cocaine, Don’t Half-Ass Where You Put Your License Plate
Pull up to the bumper, babyThe Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has issued a momentous decision today: Front license plates must be displayed on the front bumper. None of this half-assing it by putting it up on your dashboard under the front windshield.This was especially bad news for Tawin Spence,…
The Art of the Crime: The MFAH’s Director Assesses the Threat
Over the summer, it seemed a crime wave was crashing overseas. Left and right, priceless works of art were disappearing from European museums, and most recently in August, Vincent Van Gogh’s Poppy Flowers (valued at $55 million) was stolen from the Mahmoud Khalil Museum in Egypt. On Tuesday, Egypt’s Culture…
Jeanette McCorvey, Jennifer Klinkhammer: Two Local Women Jailed After Parking Lot Demolition Derby
A love triangle on the southwest side led to a vehicular catfight and the arrests of two women on Monday, courthouse sources tell Hair Balls.According to Jeanette McCorvey’s arrest report, she arranged to pick up the unnamed man who was soon to be at the heart of this squabble at…
Which Hip-Hop Movies Are The True Classics?
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good – so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted…
Bailey’s Shutters Seabrook Location; New Venture Planned
The second shocking shuttering of the week — after the discouraging closure of the wonderful Sabetta Cafe & Bar — took place in Seabrook, when employees showed up to Bailey’s American Grille on Monday to find it closed after three years in business. Bailey’s was the “fine dining” portion of…
Brew Blog: Magic Hat’s Blind Faith IPA
We tried, okay? We were very patient, waiting for some flavor, any flavor, to show up in this beer. We texted, we called. We even called the flavor’s roommate. No answer. This “limited-edition,” variety-pack schwag sent over by Vermont’s Magic Hat brewery is shaping up to be a bit odd…
Machete’s Potential Tax Incentives Rile Conservatives
Texas tax breaks for THIS? Tea Party unite!Machete, the bloody, gory, spoofy film by Robert Rodriguez, has become the latest mini-scandal de jour for conservatives.Why? Because it might get tax breaks from Texas, and it portrays a race war that favors immigrants over right-wing politicians like the one portrayed by…
Girls And Richard Julian Both Need Attention
Talking a streak at the edge of the bed She looked like fresh piece of cake Unable to get with the things that she said I pretended I wasn’t awake Unless you have an ear to the New York folk underground or are one of those music fans who gets…
Galveston Gets Its First Marathon In Over A Decade
Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon: No guns allowedAngry runners shut out of this year’s first ever Chevron Houston Marathon lottery still have a chance to go the distance this winter thanks to the revival of a marathon on Galveston Island. The island hasn’t had a full marathon since the mid-1990s, according…
Eating at the Bar
Eating at the bar? Is super-mega-highly underrated. Sure, table service is nice, but I often prefer the casual, practical, down-to-Earth experience of bartender service and bar stools. The menu’s the same, the execution is efficient, and the bartenders are generally happy for the change of pace. Here are a few…
Krunkquistadors Also Keep It Trill After Hours
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Last month, seven-piece krunk/rock/rap band Krunkquistadors’ label, Space…
Last Night: Flawless Escape At 2016 Mainstage
Flawless Escape 2016 Mainstage September 14, 2010 Flawless Escape knows how to make an entrance. The four-piece band kicked off its 2016 Mainstage show Tuesday night with the frenetic groove of “Engagement,” one of their best songs yet. In an ideal world, it would be their last performance; the audience…
Cougars Not Getting Respect From ESPN — Or Their Own Flagship Station (Updated)
Is this where they got their UH-UTEP announcers from?I’ve got an idea for the Houston Cougars. Instead of wasting time going after beat writers for trying to find out health information on players, maybe they should instead use that valuable time for more important things. Like making sure the TV…
TUTS Announces 9th Annual Tommy Tune Awards Participants
Theatre Under The Stars has announced 45 Houston-area high schools will compete in the Ninth Annual Tommy Tune Awards, named of course for the lanky, Houston-native Broadway legend. From the announcement: “Developed by TUTS in 2002, the awards reward musical theatre excellence at the high school level, celebrating outstanding student…
I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): TV Pilot Edition
Hair Balls was excited to learn that one of its favorite old TV shows, Hawaii 5-0, is returning to the air this fall. That show’s success was attributable not just to the swaggering awesomeness of Jack Lord and his haircut, but because the show included a certain timeless element that…
Sampler Plate: This Week In Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Great Food Houston: Our own Ruthie Johnson asks a very timely question…
Kennedy Bakery: 30 Seconds With Erin Rodgers
Rocks Off sat down with guitarist and vocalist Erin Rodgers of Kennedy Bakery to find out what we could learn about her in 30 seconds. RO: What is the worst song in the world? ER: I’m a lyrics girl, so I’m going to go with “Whenever, Wherever” by Shakira. It’s…
Oops! TSU To Spend $50,000 Restoring Murals It Destroyed
Alvia J. Wardlaw, art history professor and university museum director, decided it best to deliver the news in person. When she notified Harvey Johnson the murals he painted so long ago in Texas Southern University’s Hannah Hall had been destroyed, the artist “was devastated” and unable to believe what she…
Illegal Immigration: What Bikini Babes Have To Say About It
But those damn aliens can’t read English!!! The controversy over immigration into America has been discussed ad nauseam on TV, op-ed columns and books, but it is perhaps best dealt with via the medium of bikini-babe posters.At least that’s the thinking of one Alan Sessarego, of Gettysburg, PA. Sessarego tells…
Heights-Area Walmart Poised For Vote Today: Let’s Look At Three Recent Stop-Walmart! Fights
The City Council could vote today to bring a Heights Walmart one step closer. This morning, the Houston City Council is set to vote on a proposed “380 agreement” with developer Michael Ainbinder that would help him build a Walmart-anchored retail center near the Heights. The agreement, posted on the…
Paula Deen Eats a Lasagna Sandwich
The Houston Press Art Attack blog featured a video today that we felt Eating Our Words readers really should see. Thanks goes to internet-video expert Vernon Caldera (full disclosure; he’s a friend of EOW) for making us feel better about splurging at lunch…
Top 5 Lamest Food-Themed (Super?) Heroes and Villains
Surely you’ve heard of Galactus. He’s the arch-enemy of the Fantastic Four, and he happens to be a floating giant with a permanent deadpan grimace and an enormous appetite. How enormous? He eats planets. Despite several attempts, he’s never managed to eat Earth, so we’re not really sure how he…
Game Time: Ines Sainz — Clinton Portis Brings His Own Brand of Clarity
The case of Ines Sainz’ dignity versus the New York Jets is a tricky one. If you haven’t heard the story yet, Sainz was at Jets’ practice last week to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez for TV Azteca when allegedly several of the Jets players crossed the line of appropriateness.The NFL…
Edwin Charles Harrison: Harris County’s Financial Director Indicted For Non-County Related Fraud
Edwin Charles Harrison: “…and I just can’t hide it”The job of being Harris County’s financial director likely includes many requirements: Among them, we presume, is you can’t be indicted for financial fraud.Edwin Charles Harrison, 54, will find out whether that’s true pretty soon. The District Attorney’s office announced today he’s…
Ford Jumping On Houston’s Electric-Car Trend
Horseless carriages that run on electricity?Houston has been getting a lot of attention for its seeming devotion to the electric car — or at least its demonstrated devotion to issuing plans about using electric cars — and now Ford is jumping on the bandwagon.The company announced today it would be…
The Volcano Roll at Blue Fish House
Paul Knight’s recent post on the happy hour at Blue Fish House led me to venture there instead of Miyako recently when I was longing for cheap “American” sushi. By “American” sushi, I am specifically referring to sushi and maki rolls and nigiri, etc., etc., that are inflected by Western…
The Top Five Saturday Night Live Musician Impressions
In the wake of the recent news that feted comedian/actor/YouTube sensation Jay Pharoah – above, known for his spoofs of A-list bait like Drake, Chris Tucker, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Eddie Murphy, and President Obama – will join the cast of Saturday Night Live when its 36th season premieres September 25th,…
UH Seems A Little Testy With The Reporting On Case Keenum
Case Keenum: Info is on a need-to-know basisUH’s Heisman trophy candidate, quarterback Case Keenum, suffered an injury in Friday night’s victory against UTEP.What kind of injury? How bad? When will he be back? UH doesn’t seem to want you to know.The Houston Chronicle’s Cougar beat writer, Steve Campbell, may have…
Elotes la Estrella
In the parking lot of the Fiesta Mart on Fulton is Elotes la Estrella, a food cart that specializes in the Mexican street food elote – roasted corn covered with chile, mayonnaise, grated cheese, lime and salt. It is freaking fantastic. This is one of my favorite places to get…
The Top Five Hidden Rap Tracks
Life bursts at the seams with mysteries we’ll never fully understand, like the Texans’ decision to pass on Vince Young, Kesha’s entire existence and the strange concept of hidden songs. Some of them are superior to the ones that make an album’s final cut and track listing. Why hide a…
Sundae Sundays: Amy’s Ice Cream
Sweet success. After a lackluster time at Ben & Jerry’s and a pretty good experience at Baskin-Robbins, I finally had a spectacular Sundae Sunday at Amy’s Ice Cream…
Mystery Fans Mourn the Passing of Murder By the Book’s David Thompson
The face of Houston’s Murder by the Book, its assistant manager, David Thompson, has died. It’s a mystery as to how we’re going to keep up with the genre without his enthusiastic guidance. He helped all of us explore the mystery realm, whether as readers or, as the publisher of…
Local Spotlight: All-Star Chef Series at Wood Duck Farm
Fabulous news for those of you still kicking yourself for missing out on the Just August Project last month… Two of the three acclaimed pop-up chefs — Justin Yu and Seth Siegel-Gardner — will man the kitchen at Wood Duck Farm’s first-ever All-Star Chef dinner on Saturday, October 2. Both…
Whites Not A Majority In UT-Austin’s Freshman Class
UT’s freshman class becomes majority-minorityFor the first time, whites don’t make up a majority of the freshman class at the University of Texas at Austin.Students self-described as “white” make up 47.6 of the incoming class (that 47.6 percent equals 3,464 students). Last year it was 51.1 percent. Hispanics are 23.1…
John Waters’ Hairspray Moves to River Oaks In Wake of Angelika’s Demise
Theatre Under the Stars, trying to promote its upcoming season opener – the musical Hairspray — had long ago scheduled a special advance event at the Angelika Film Center. Unfortunately, the Angelika abruptly shut down on Sunday, August 29, leaving TUTS without a home for its inaugural “Creative Conversations” featuring…
Want To Lease Numbers?
Amazing what you can find on Facebook these days. The Chronicle’s real-estate blog is reporting some interesting information, namely that Numbers says it isn’t closing, and the owner says he’s not kicking them out. Very interesting, then, that the club appears to be on the market. Rocks Off certainly hopes…
R.I.P, David Thompson Of Murder By The Book
Photo courtesy Murder by the BookDavid Thompson, 1971-2010For avid fans of the murder mystery genre, you’d think death was commonplace. But not when it snatches away one of our own. So we loyal patrons of Murder by the Book, Houston’s go-to place for all things murder and mystery, are devastated…
First Look at Sushipop
“Do you know how to open that?” asked a young, red-headed Sushipop employee as he approached the table with my order. A sly grin was on his face as I looked askance at the bottle of Ramuné I’d quickly chosen from the cooler near the register. “Um…no, I don’t,” I…
Ernest Withers: 5 Other FBI Informants Of Note
Also an FBI informant, but not on our listPretty shocking news via the Memphis Commercial Appeal this morning that Ernest Withers, the well-known photographer of the Civil Rights movement who was seen as a trusted friend by its leaders, was an FBI informant.Because, you know, Martin Luther King was such…
ZZ Top Takes Manhattan, Loudly And “Perfectly”
Rocks Off has had next Friday, when ZZ Top and Tom Petty play The Woodlands, circled in red on our Rhino Records wall calendar for months. God, is that next Friday already? We added a few more red rings this morning after we read The New York Times’ glowing review…
Project Row Houses and Ikea Unveil Swank Homes for Young Mothers
Last week, Project Row Houses allowed us inside two newly renovated houses the organization upkeeps as part of its Young Mothers Residential Program. The homes had been outfitted with furniture and appliances provided by Ikea as a donation to the program. And we have to say, the joints are pretty…
Sexiest Cities: Don’t Get Too Excited, Houston
Houston;’s hot, but not as hot as….Bakersfield?Men’s Health has found, once again, a surefire way to get mentioned in a bunch of cities who otherwise wouldn’t pay it much mind: It’s come up with a list of the nation’s sexiest cities.How? By, it claims, examining condom sales, birth rates and…
Great Food Truck Race Recap, Episode #5: Jonesborough, Tennessee
It was really fun to hear Tyler say “Nom Nom truck” four times in a row as they spliced together each winner announcement from the last four weeks. This week, the trucks find themselves in a town of 5,000 people… “quaint, cute” (according to Tyler) Jonesborough, Tennessee. Or, “in the…
Black Keys-Approved, Hacienda Debuts Here In November
Hacienda, the rapidly ascending San Antonio rock band that recently released its second album, Big Red and Barbacoa, to rave reviews across the spectrum, will play its first-ever Houston-area show at Under the Volcano Thursday, November 4. The band spent most of the past year backing Dan Auerbach of The…
Upcoming: Appleseed Cast, Deftones, Hold Steady, Usher, Etc.
The Appleseed Cast, Ananlog Rebellion: Fri., Nov. 5. Fitzgerald’s. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Os Mutantes: Sun., Nov. 7. Fitzgerald’s. Barenaked Ladies: Wed., Nov. 3. Verizon Wireless Theater. “Best Of Houston Launch Party” With Robert Ellis & The Boys, The Zydeco Dots, Los Skarnales, Hollywood FLOSS: Thu., Sept. 30. Lucky’s Pub…
Jaime Zamora: That’s No City Park Worker, That’s (Allegedly) A Murdering Drug-Cartel Kingpin
Breeding ground for drug kingpinsJaime Zamora had a good, steady job in Houston’s Parks Department.What could be more exciting than that?Importing millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine and murdering rivals, apparently.Zamora, 40, was sentenced today to more than 27 years in federal prison for distributing more than 150 kilograms of…
Vid Picks of the Week
Every week, Art Attack’s internet-video expert Vernon Caldera shares his current faves and curiosities. Got something to recommend? Email him. Check out Caldera’s picks after the jump…
Michaelangelo: A Masterpiece at Gelato Blu
With the last few ragingly hot weekends of the year (hopefully) coming to an end, I celebrated with one of my favorite summer treats over the weekend: gelato. Gelato Blu (5710 Memorial Drive, Suite B) is in a rather bland strip center on Memorial Drive, next to a Subway and…
Slideshow: Danny Nguyen Couture at War’Haus
The War’Haus was packed enough on Saturday night to officially change its name to the “Party’Haus.” Vietnamese-born fashion designer Danny Nguyen put on quite a show with his Japanese-inspired designs. A collection that features both men’s and women’s clothing isn’t something we see from many designers these days. A red…
Westbury Square Up For Sale Again
Westbury Square — Say bye-bye to those buildingsWestbury Square, the semi-dilapidated, uniquely Houston shopping center on the southwest side of town, is once again up for sale.The “original Galleria” to some, the property is a collection of European/New Orleans-y style buildings that once housed shops in the swinging `60s and…
Lady Gaga: Other Foods To Wear Onstage Besides Raw Meat
Rocks Off is pretty Lady Gaga-friendly, what with our covering July’s concerts at Toyota Center like she was the goddamned Pope or something. For a few weeks there we managed to invoke her name at least once a day somehow. Maybe comparing her to Little Joe Washington was a stretch…
Lady Gaga’s Meat Dress: Top 10 Kinds Of Food To Wear Other Than Beef
Among Lady Gaga’s costume changes Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards, which numbered three or four by our count, one was a dress made of raw beef. Not unlike the meat suit she donned for her Terry Richardson-shot cover of the Japanese Vogue, this one allowed for more…
HISD Says No Mas to Foreign-Exchange Students Automatically Getting Into Some Schools
The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts — a much-esteemed program in the Houston ISD that students all over the district apply for and compete to get into — this year has five foreign exchange students.That means, HISD Chief Academic Officer Chuck Morris told trustees at their workshop…
Last Night: Crystal Castles At House Of Blues
Crystal Castles House of Blues September 13, 2010 There are elements of last night’s Crystal Castles show that we still don’t quite know how to put into words. The Canadian duo, plus a drummer, is staking out such new territory piece by piece that they only have themselves and a…
Why Notre Dame Will Win The BCS And UT Won’t, 2010 Edition: Part 3
Montana: He’s back!! KindaTime for another of our weekly efforts at explaining to you benighted Longhorn fans why UT won’t win the BCS this year, but Notre Dame will.It’s going to be difficult to limit the discussion to just the traditional five reasons, but ND fans are all about tradition…
Pop Rocks: A World Without Oprah
The 25th and final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show kicked off yesterday with a John Travolta dance number, an appearance by Paul Simon (of “and Garfunkel” fame, not the deceased U.S. Senator), and an announcement that Oprah would take the 300 studio audience members in attendance on an eight-day…
Where Are We Drinking?
I have little to no idea of what is going on in this photo, but I keep thinking of the foreign exchange student scene — “Cheetah! Rawrrrr!” — in my generation’s seminal classic, Can’t Hardly Wait. Leave your own thoughts as to what’s happening in this picture as well as…
Can Escape The Fate Outrun Eons Of Mythology?
It’s a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we’re trying hard to decode music’s oddest monikers in order to find a little meaning. Escape the Fate is a band whose career may actually be pre-destined. The Vegas post-hardcore powerhouse whose fish-to-the-face aggressiveness…
Pop Rocks: A World Without Oprah
The 25th and final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show kicked off yesterday with a John Travolta dance number, an appearance by Paul Simon (of “and Garfunkel” fame, not the deceased U.S. Senator), and an announcement that Oprah would take the 300 studio audience members in attendance on an eight-day…
NASA’s Space Vomit Recipe: The Video
So apparently the space program needs some next-gen trash bags, and they need to find out if those bags can stand up to every manner of substance that they will be containing.This will include many empty cups of Tang and according to the video after the jump, urine- and fecal…
What Were You Doing Two Years Ago? Hoping The Power Would Come On
No, you’re not getting your ESPNTwo years ago, if you were living in Houston, you were beginning your long, long journey of post-Ike living without electricity.Maybe you were very, very lucky, or maybe you were one of those people who planned ahead and got a generator, but chances instead are…
A Long Night Of The Harmonicas At Minute Maid Park
For more photos from Friday’s Harmonica Night, see our slideshow here. Rocks Off spent a lot of time last week wondering what Minute Maid Park was going to sound like this past Friday. In cooperation with the Astros, the people behind last year’s harmonica documentary Pocket Full of Soul had…
Easy Almond Cake
Easy. Delicious. Able to visually entertain young children. These are just a few of my requirements when baking a cake, and luckily, this almond cake adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess meets all of these requirements. I will make pretty much anything Nigella writes about, mostly…
Gulf Oil Spill: Too Early To Be Optimistic?
Maybe some good news percolating?It is too early to be overly optimistic, to answer the headline’s question, but reports are starting to bubble up that the Gulf and its wetlands might just have gotten lucky with the BP spill.Lucky in that the results don’t seem to be coming close to…
Health Dept. Roundup
City health inspectors really do seem to be taking it easy lately, having found very few big-ticket offenders in recent weeks. We’ll do our best to share a few at least questionable spots they tripped over this week. Arise Cafe (1260 Bissonnet) was closed after a routine visit September 1…
Slideshow: Nestor Topchy’s Funeral-Home Art Opening
Saturday night, well-known Houston artist Nestor Topchy exhibited his ongoing project, the “Iconic Portrait Strand”, in a one-night-only event at Geo. H Lewis & Sons Funeral Home. The portraits, made to look like 800 year-old Byzantine icons, depict local artists and friends of Topchy’s, including Andrea Grover, George Hixson, Hiram…
Warrior Spirit: Vets Band Looks For Members
Paul Delacerda, rockin’ onPaul Delacerda is looking for some bandmates. But not just any bandmates.Delacerda, from Houston, is the founding member of Warrior Spirit, a duo of combat vets that he hopes to grow into a larger band.Delacerda came home from Iraq a retired Staff Sgt. with wounds from an…
Slideshow: Andy Mann DVD Release Party at the Art Car Museum
The Art Car Museum was host last Friday to old and new fans of the late media artist Andy Mann, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2001. Guests celebrated the release of the new DVD produced by Aurora Picture Show: Andy Mann: Street Tapes and Cable Access. The DVD includes…
Why Sweet Tomatoes Is of the Devil
When I head out to Christian’s Tailgate or Lankford Grocery I know full well what I am going to get. I also realize that probably every trip to Beaver’s is going to end up with me ordering something that will add a pound or seven to my waistline. Then there…
Sheriff Adrian Garcia Wins Battle Over Claims He Was Blocking Release Of Public Information
Adrian Garcia wins in courtIn May we told you about a lawsuit against Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia which claimed he was blocking or dragging out the process or releasing public information.That was notable because Garcia has often spoken about his wish to have the fortress-like mentality of the HCSO…
Last Night: Holy F**k At Walter’s On Washington
Holy Fuck, Indian Jewelry, Balaclavas Walter’s on Washington September 12, 2010 Holy Fuck is a band, a swear word and a pretty good marketing ploy. Chances are when you hear a name like that, you won’t soon forget it. That’s why Aftermath was at the noisefest that was Balaclavas, Indian…
Weekly Time-Waster: Connecting The Dots Is Harder Than You Think
This week we’ve got a little social experiment for you: Swarmation. We think it’s best if you just dive right into it and then come back after you’ve given it a try, so go ahead and click that link right now. Click it! Alright, we give up. Here’s the deal…..
Game Time: Colts vs Texans — 5 Winners, 5 Losers
My 12-year-old daughter got braces last week. This made me feel really old. So how did I respond? Well, the same way that any self-respecting 41 year old with no money to buy a Harley Davidson but with access to a computer would — I went to Twitter and started…
Crave Cupcakes Debuts New Flavors, New Store
Crave Cupcakes had three new flavors and a new store to promote (at 5600 Kirby in West University), so they dropped off a six-pack at our office today around lunchtime. A group of employees was scientifically selected (criterion: they would eat cupcakes) to taste and write about the experience of…
Last Night: Disturbed And Avenged Sevenfold At The Woodlands
Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 12, 2010 Say what you will about the genre – it’s too radio-friendly, too mainstream, not hipster enough, if the Buzz plays it, you don’t like it – but Stone Sour, Avenged Sevenfold and Disturbed all put on fantastic live…
A Warm Welcome for Flora & Muse
“I’m surprised at how many people have already been coming on a regular basis,” Hayri Gurbuz told me with a huge smile on his face yesterday afternoon. Part owner of Flora & Muse (12860 Queensbury), the newest addition to CityCentre’s growing ranks of high-end, high-concept restaurants, the Turkish-born entrepreneur seemed…
Harris County Sues Chemical Plant Over Carcinogen Release
County attorney steps in where TCEQ won’tIt’s no secret that when it comes to penalizing industrial plants for violating their emissions permits and endangering public health, TCEQ (the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) is not a very tough sheriff. The state regulatory agency rarely takes enforcement action and often reduces…
Is Tupac Really One Of The Top Five MCs Ever?
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn’t a national holiday Rocks Off will have some of them hear discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week’s Panel: Trae, Mr. Lee, V-Zilla, Fat Tony, Candi Redd, Yung Redd, Kyle Hubbard Not Invited: Blender This Week’s Prompt:…
Lady Gaga: It’s What’s For Dinner, America
The MTV Video Music Awards is the bastard child of award ceremonies, a predictable hotbed of celebrities behaving badly while badly dressed. A few precious moments from VMAs past: Diana Ross fondling Lil’ Kim’s breast, covered only in a neon flower-shaped pastie, Madonna and Britney Spears locking lips–with tongue–after an…
Prosecutions For Choking Family Members Go Way Up
Don’t do this in Harris County, HomerHarris County District Attorney Patricia Lykos has issued a year-end report totaling up work done by her office in 2009.It shows things are getting busier over there, but one chart in particular stands out.Listing the top 10 felony dispositions for 2008 and 2009 reveals…
Learning Is Fun and Intoxicating: “Beer 101” at Anvil Bar & Refuge
Kevin Floyd is a huge beer nerd. In fact, you could say the co-owner of Anvil Bar & Refuge is the Lord of the Beer Nerds. Okay, that may be stretching it just a tad, but Floyd is the biggest beer nerd we’ve encountered, which made the “Beer 101: Beer…
Last Night: Huey Lewis & The News At Arena Theatre
Huey Lewis & the News Arena Theatre September 12, 2010 See photos from Huey Lewis’ concert at the Arena Theatre. Sometimes when Aftermath listens to Huey Lewis and the News we get sad, because they sounded like they were having a lot of fun back in the ’80s. It’s like…
7-Cent Gas Likely Equals One Big Traffic Headache In Cypress
The return of gas lines!Want to fill up your gas tank for 7 cents a gallon? Then be sure to hit the Murphy gas station at 26272 Northwest Freeway in Cypress from 7-9 a.m.Tuesday.Sprint is promoting its new pre-paid cell, Common Cents Mobile, by letting folks fill up for that extremely low…
Jacob Isom: Skateboarder Stops Koran-Burning, But What About The Houston Boycott?
This video, of an Amarillo skateboarder stopping a local wingnut pastor from burning the Koran, has gone viral.But in the course of its viral-ness we’ve learned the bookburning Man of Faith is none other than the guy who called for a boycott of Houston after it elected Annise Parker –…
Adam Lambert: Reviewing Our Review
Rocks Off would like to take this opportunity to address the hundreds of comments that Brandon Hernsberger’s review of Adam Lambert’s performance last Wednesday at the Hobby Center provoked. First of all, Rocks Off is not homophobic, nor would we allow anyone we even suspected of being homophobic – or…
Hamburger Heaven at Hefley’s
I confess to not having very high expectations when Hefley’s (138 West Gray), opened recently in the old Luling BBQ location in Midtown. Perhaps it was due to the former tenant’s proclivity for really poor Texas food, perhaps it was due to the area — which really isn’t known for…
Texans’ Bernard Pollard Hates Cursing. He Effin’ Hates It
Note: Don’t play the above clip at work, at least not loudly. As everyone knows, the Houston Texans’ Bernard Pollard is a prim man. We know that…
Rice Struggles But Gets Out Of Denton With A Win
Hot, muggy day in North TexasThe Rice Owls didn’t get their first victory until November last season, starting off at 0-8. That’s not going to be the case this season as, on Saturday night, the Owls something they never accomplished last season.They hit the .500 mark as their come from…
Ingredient of the Week: Chayote
What is it? This squash with an ugly mug is used widely in Central and South American cuisine. It has a very mild flavor, starchy flesh and can be eaten raw or cooked. Fun fact: In Australia, the chayote is known as choko. It was rumored that chokos were used…
Sally Edmundson takes on Mame at Stages
Houston actress Sally Edmundson is about to take on Mame in Auntie Mame – the first time the actor-heavy play (38 roles) has been performed in 25 years she says – and she guarantees a timelessness to the story that makes it relevant today (think recession.) In 2002, Edmundson portrayed…
Ike Flash Mob Proves Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski Can’t Dance
Galveston had a flash mob downtown over the weekend to prove it’s still standing after Ike, thereby proving some other things.One, the island’s concept of a “flash mob” is perhaps not the generally accepted one, as there was no spontaneity at all. And two, new Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski can’t…
“Really Rocky Road Cake” at The Chocolate Bar
Since cost-value has been a popular subject of debate surrounding some of my more recent posts, perhaps I should preface this write-up with my general attitude toward the prices at The Chocolate Bar: they’re about 30 percent too high. I have in the past tolerated this mark-up because the products…
True Blood: Season 3 Ends With A Touch Of “Evil”
Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He’s lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood – which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. Season 3, Episode 12: “Evil”…
Margaret Cho Will Kick Bristol Palin’s Ass
Margaret Cho flaunted her raunchy, naughty and hilarious nature in Cho Dependent on the House of Blues main stage Friday night. Feisty and energetic as ever, Cho opened the show with details about her new gig on Dancing with the Stars and a promise to kick Bristol Palin’s ass and…
Friday Night: Dave Matthews Band At The Woodlands
Dave Matthews Band Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 10, 2010 It’s easy to dismiss what Dave Matthews and company have accomplished since the release of Under the Table and Dreaming in 1994. They have, after all, only cut a relatively paltry half-dozen studio albums, most of which received little to…
Coogs Win…With A Running Game?
Bryce Beall ran wildFootball is a game of adjustments. The team that makes the proper adjustments at the right time is usually going to be the team that wins when things are otherwise more or less equal. So it was obvious when, come the start of Friday’s Houston/UTEP game, UTEP…
The Week In TV
It was mostly a slow news week in TV Land, aside from a few premieres (which I watched) and the return of pro football (which I barely remembered, then kindly changed the channel). This is the week that was: • The premiere of FX’s Terriers was a rock-solid pilot that…
Texans 34, Colts 24: Foster Dashes To Stardom, But Give Kubiak His Due
Photo by Aaron M. SprecherMario Williams was a stud against the ColtsSee photos from the season-opening game in our slideshow. For a brief time, the script looked all too familiar on Sunday at Reliant Stadium. The Texans raced out to a big first-half lead over the Colts, only to watch…
Where Are We Eating?
A Chicago dog that’s been dragged through the garden, just as it should be. Which restaurant in Houston is serving up these bad boys? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
The Ride Home Rocks Facebook, House Of Pies
Update: The Ride Home emailed us an MP3 of “Girls” Monday afternoon. The Ride Home is a nice cross between pop punk and whatever genre Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” belongs in. It’s also easily the geekiest-looking band Rocks Off has ever seen. Seriously, shorts are supposed to at least hit your…
Christopher Jones, 29, Bayou Body Count No. 220
A double shooting left one man dead and one injured Friday evening on the northeast side, police say.Houston police sources told reporters that a drug deal was suspected in the death of a man found dead in the 9700 block of Galaxy shortly before 7 p.m. Friday.Christopher Jones, 29, was…
What’s My Crime 2: Bad Girls Edition
Welcome to the second installment of What’s My Crime?, a contest wherein you, dear Hair Balls reader, get to try to match a mugshot to a crime.We’re changing things up a little this time around. First, we’ve shortened the list from ten mugs to five.We’re also including a sixth question,…
Loudon Wainwright III’s Top Five Movie Roles
Aside from being the dad of glam-folkie Rufus Wainwright and similarly talented sister Martha, Loudon Wainwright III is one of the most unsung singer-songwriters still strumming today. With his ex-wife, the late, great Kate McGarrigle, he was a part of a folk power-couple, and songs like “Rufus Is A Tit-Man,”…
Etro Turns Over A New Beat At Popular Synth-Pop Night
One of the great local promoter success stories this year was the incredible turnout for Anything Box at Numbers in April. The project was the brainchild of Robert Ehlinger, who has parlayed his potent mix of synth-pop and goth into an ever more successful monthly night at Etro called The…
Holy F**k: Salty Name, Smooth Electro-Indie Sounds
Holy Fuck isn’t trying to shock you, despite the indie-electro outfit’s titillating name and frequent use of random electronics in the creation of its particular blend of pulsating, intelligent dance music. These guys just want to show you a good time, and perhaps leave you with a little bit more…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we’re organizing a bonfire of Paula Deen cookbooks. We found Savannah Style a mere two shelves over from Alain Chapel’s La cuisine c’est beaucoup plus que des recettes in the bookstore and we’re not going to stand for…
FAIL: Morrissey, Scott Weiland, Whitesnake, Conspiracy Theorists
Morrissey Loves Animals So Much It Makes Him Racist: Morrissey has been one of the biggest ambiguously snarky pussies in all of rock music for some years now, popular among 15-year-old bisexuals of all races and creeds. Sometimes, however, the former Smiths frontman likes to make a straightforward statement filled…
Texas City Dike Finally Reopens, Two Years After Ike
It’s been a long time, but the Texas City Dike, that five-mile manmade but of pure Gulf Texana, is set to reopen.Tomorrow morning at 6 a.m., for the first time since Hurricane Ike sent a massive storm surge over its top, the fishing pier will be open for business. There’s…
Recipe: Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sandwich
This one’s for Eating Our Words commenter Meriwether, who likes to be sopped up with a biscuit. Before any road trip or day trips to Galveston, my family would load up our 40-gallon cooler with dozens of banh mi, which I also call the Vietnamese pacifier. “Banh mi” (pronounced “bahn…
The Art of the Chart
Look closely at the above graphic. That giant black blob, that’s Houston. The Rice University School of Architecture commissioned this award-winning infographic last year. The chart isn’t based on current data; it’s based upon expected planning in Houston. It’s not a warning, but it’s a reminder that the radius of…
Rick Perry Chides Redskins Fans, And Is Actually Kind Of Funny Doing So
Rick Perry mocks you, effectivelyGovernor Rick Perry has never exactly come across as someone with a good sense of humor, unless you like tired jabs involving things like “hot air” and “Washington.”But either he’s gotten funnier or (more likely) his staff has stepped up. Because Perry has issued a letter…
10 Reasons Your Restaurant Website Sucks
I have spent more than ten years consulting with companies in a wide range of industries on the design and development of their websites. It’s a job that can be quite challenging because I often work with organizations who don’t know very much about website design and don’t want to…
Marcus Dise: Lawsuit Claims HPD Beat Him Up For Videotaping Them
Marcus Dise’s lawsuit makes some big claimsIt appears as though cops don’t like being photographed or recorded. Just ask Marcus Dise, another man who claims that he was the victim of police misconduct, in this instance allegedly beaten Tarantino-style by a pair of HPD officers after whipping out a video…
Open Tab: Feed Your Belly And Your Head
Pull up a chair, start a tab and order a round of shots, because this is Rocks Off’s weekly roundup of the goings-on in the Houston bar scene. Ups and downs, openings and closings, we will cover it all. Hit us up with any hot tips at craig.hlavaty@houstonpress.com. Maybe it’s…
A Taste of Chicago: 3 Things That Would Do Well in Houston
I recently took a five-day trip to Chicago — my first vacation in three years — to revel in the cool weather, the lake breezes, the iconic architecture, the absorbing museums, and, of course, the food. Chicago’s evolution into a culinary destination began 30 years ago with the annual Taste…
Game Time: Football — This Season’s First Round of Best Bets
Okay, it’s the first officially great football weekend of the season (loaded college slate plus first weekend of NFL).Last weekend’s college slate was sort of like a “soft” opening for a new restaurant, working out the kinks in anticipation of the real schedule. Granted, with a bunch of nail-biter games,…
Fast Food Mega-Chains Fall Short when Consumer Reports Takes on Fast Food Burgers
Consumer Reports tackles the beloved burger in the October 2010 issue. Results are based on an online survey of more than 28,000 Americans asked to rate the burgers they had eaten on their last visit to each restaurant on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best…
Crafting A Remedy For Troubled Times
Currently on view at Lawndale Arts Center is Tobiah Mundt’s “Being.” At first glance, you might wonder what these whimsical and menacing figures are constructed from. Some have limbs and bulbous bodies, others are literally bursting out of frames. Our favorite creature is happily chomping on Cheetos, some of which…
As Transition Begins, A Few Fitzgerald’s Memories For The Road
As Fitzgerald’s embarks on a new chapter in its epic history – Saturday’s show with Caveman Electric, Peekaboo Theory and others is the last one before shutting down and reopening under new management September 23 – it seems fitting to reminisce about the past. The phrase ‘If these walls could…
Josh Daniel Goes From Houston Press To Hillary Clinton’s Speechwriter
Josh Daniel: From the Press to some government jobIn a huge step down that can only be seen as evidence of incredible drug abuse or chronic ineptitude, a former Houston Press copy editor has become the new chief speechwriter for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Josh Daniel, who had been working…
Los Skarnales Play Rare Family-Friendly Set At Discovery Green
The first time Lonesome, Onry and Mean took our Significant Other to see Los Skarnales, a huge fight broke out and she ended up sliding across the floor on her behind until the back wall of the Continental Club stopped her progress. Thursday evening at Discovery Green, it was hard…
Openings and Closings
Richard Di Virgilio, a man who already knows how to serve small, finely crafted plates of food at Oporto, has finally opened his second project just off Kirby: The Queen Vic Pub & Kitchen (2712 Richmond). The proper English pub (as proper as one can get in Houston, at least)…
1 In 5 Texas Republicans Support Secession; 1 In 5 Texans Support Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens: Texas does not have your backPublic Policy Polling is a respected firm that recently did a survey on the governor’s race and other political matters.They threw in some other questions, too, and found some intriguing results. A full 21 percent of Texas Republicans support secession, for instance.Think about…
Happy Hour Scene: King Biscuit
The Place: King Biscuit1606 White Oak Dr. 713-861-2328www.thekingbiscuit.comThe Hours: Monday through Friday, 3-7 p.m.The Deals: Bud Light and Lone Star drafts are $2, and other select drafts are 75 cents cheaper than normal. Well drinks are $4. The Scene: A happy hour for us, when we haven’t had a chance…
Dave Matthews Band’s Seven Best Covers
Tonight the Dave Matthews Band hits the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion with Austin’s Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears as their supporting act. Now into their second decade of massive touring schedules, the DMB is now a cash machine on wheels – a sort of cleaner and less hairy Grateful…
Krystal Baggerly: Barentender Sues Over Beer Bottles
Dammit, Bones…..The life of a bartender can be dangerous, if you work in some club where people come strapped and there’s no security doing door searches. Not to mention the beer bottles.Krystal Baggerly was a bartender at a Friendswood bar called Cheers when, just about a year go, disaster struck.She…
Houston Ballet Kicks Off An Auspicious Season
For kids, it’s back-to-school. For dancers and their fans, it’s back to The Wortham. On opening night the members of Houston Ballet looked well-rested and ready to roll, and there’s plenty of new blood in the ranks. We found the program, for the most part, exhilarating…
Upcoming Events
Fall is in the air (what, you can’t feel it? just trust us), which means that the first of the fall ingredients are hitting tables across the city. At Prego (2520 Amherst), Chef John Watt is featuring a menu of mushroom madness courtesy of the wonderful organic mushrooms he’s been…
Lower Dens’ Jana Hunter On Vulgarity, Exercise And ’70s Housing
Ed. Note: Sometime Press contributor Tex Kerschen of Indian Jewelry spoke with former Houstonian Jana Hunter last week, before her new Baltimore-based band Lower Dens’ show at Walter’s this Saturday. Rocks Off: What is a “lower den”? Jana Hunter: The deeper echelons of the dragon’s hovel, recessed living rooms mft’d…
Dallas Cowboys: America’s Most Popular Team, To America’s Discredit
Dallas Cowboys: America has no tasteThe Neilsen Company, the people who give you TV ratings, have done an extensive study on how popular various NFL teams are.According to the Wall Street Journal, the study examined “each team’s local and national TV rankings, how often they’re mentioned on the Internet and…
The Manichean Order Up Late Night Pie And Acoustic “Laughter”
Soooooo…. The Manichean is a sinister group of musicians whose entire approach to music is detrimental to the mental well being of any civilized being. We like them. A lot. So far, they’ve had a stellar year, having snatched up an HPMA nomination for Best Progressive Rock. If the droning,…
Joan Ogunleye, 41, Bayou Body Count No. 219
Death in a Walmart parking lotA woman was found shot to death in her car in a Walmart parking lot on the southwest side of town around midnight this morning, police say.No robbery was involved, and HPD told KTRK it did not appear to be “a random crime.”The body of…
Odd Pair: Grape Salad and Shiraz
This week’s Odd Pair was truly an accident. The idea was to pair a different Shiraz that some friends had been raving about with a bleu cheese potato salad. But after visiting several stores and leaving without either the wine or the food, I realized I needed to make a…
Joe Montana Rips Rudy
The audio from the Dan Patrick Show interview with legendary quarterback Joe Montana Tuesday morning had us wondering if Montana also enjoys telling eight year-olds the truth about Santa Claus: Dan Patrick: Were you there when Rudy was there? Joe Montana: Yeah. (pause) It’s a movie, remember. Not all that’s…
Notes From Yung Redd’s Eviction Notice 4 Mixer
There is an upcoming music feature in the print queue about Yung Redd, a young, talented, pugnacious-voiced MC who should be way more prominent within the Houston rap biosphere than he is but, for whatever reason, can’t seem to get much further than SwishaHouse’s on-deck circle. And we’ll get into…
Florida Pastor Cancels Koran Bonfire; 4 Things He Should Consider Burning Instead
We’ve established that Rev. Terry Jones — you know, the Florida pastor who told Anderson Cooper that he knew the definition of bigot, but doesn’t see himself as one, even though he is intolerant of other religions, especially Islam — well, he isn’t liked by a whole lot of people right…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Randi Markowitz of Gluten Free Houston
We finish our chat with Markowitz by discussing her transition from a home kitchen to a commercial one. See parts 1 and 2 here and here. EOW: How was the transition from being a home cook and baker to a commercial business? Markowitz: There were a lot of difficulties in…
“I’m On A Boat” Gets Steampunk Makeover, Boba Fett
Rocks Off is quite keen on steampunk, which is basically when you take a bunch of clockwork technology and shoehorn it into Victorian times. It’s a small subset of geekdom, but growing quite a bit in popular literature. So as long as we’re transporting modern improvements into the past, why…
September 3-9: The Week in Photos
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. And now, football season is upon us. Whether you’re tailgating or roller skating, be sure to add your images to our Flickr pool. They might even show up…
The Week in Art Photos
Each week, we scour the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool and every Friday we’ll post the most eye-popping shots. (Be sure to enable the HTML…
UH Looking For Lots Of Crowd Noise For Tonight’s ESPN Game
Bring the noise to Robertson Stadium for ESPNStrange as it may seem, if things had gone a bit differently in the college career of Drew Bledsoe, Kevin Sumlin might not have ended up in Houston. But strange as it may seem, that’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but…
Obama Attempting Again To Brainwash Schoolkids
Those poor, unsuspecting mindsRemember the glorious fall of 2009, when the right-wing universe exploded in paranoid fear that President Obama was going to give a speech to schoolkids? Just like his Republican predecessors had? Talk radio frothed, politicians shouted and school districts scrambled to appease parents who wanted their kids…
Houston Hip of Yesteryear: Frank Davis Remembers Townes Van Zandt, “Mammy Goat”
Houston often seems like a city that loves to tear down everything that’s old and put up anything, as long as it’s new, in its place. Well, whatever your qualms might be with that, we can all agree that sometimes it’s nice to have a little knowledge of what this…
Monday Night: Burger Night at BRC
I love Big Red Cock – BRC Gastropub (519 Shepherd Dr.), that is. And as much as I enjoy stopping by just to find out what they’ve got going on in the mac n’ cheese on any given day, there really is nothing like burger night at this place…
Sheyla Hershey Gets World’s Almost-Biggest Breasts Removed
Sheyla Hershey no longer looks like thisWe’ve been following the strange antics of Sheyla Hershey and her breast implants for a while. Most recently it was her health scare hampering her quest to get the world’s biggest boobs.Now it seems she has given up the fight, if Fox 26 can…
Wine of the Week: Austrian Pepper Grüner Veltliner
Austria is known for imports. Take, for example, ex-bodybuilder-now-governor-of-California Arnold Schwarzenegger, and now, trendy-up-and-comer (or perhaps used-to-be-trendy-but-now-standard) Grüner Veltliner. This white wine is Austria’s much tastier answer to the Pinot Grigio. Light on the palate and fancy-free, this Grüner Veltliner is the perfect wine for the tail end of summer…
Rodney Ray, Rodeo’s “Texas Kid,” Gets Busted On Child-Sex Charges
The Texas Kid gets arrestedIf you’re a fan of professional rodeo, then this week has been a dark one: Trick rider Rodney Ray Hayes, aka “The Texas Kid,” has been indicted on four felony counts of “transportation of minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.”Filed in a Marshall federal…
Houston’s Mercury Baroque Heads to Europe, Blogs for Us
Mercury Baroque will lap the Houston Symphony in European travel next week when the orchestra performs the Jean-Baptiste Lully opera Armide in Paris. It will be the first time in 10 years that a Houston orchestra has performed in Europe (since the last time Mercury Baroque did). The company strives…
Mason Lankford: “Born-Again Texan” Leads A Folk Family Revival
Tonight at Warehouse Live you can catch Robert Ellis & the Boys with Mason Lankford and the Folk Family Revival, all for free. Ellis and his gaggle of musicians are ramping up activity ahead of their weekly Whiskey Wednesdays debut at the new-era Fitzgerald’s on September 29. As for Lankford,…
Arpi’s Deli and Coffee Shop: A New Frontier for Phoenicia
“Did you just pick that flavor at random?” the smiling man behind the counter asked, head cocked, after I’d asked for a cup of cardamom Turkish coffee-flavored gelato. “Yes…” I responded hesitantly. “Why?” “That’s my favorite flavor!” he grinned back. “Do you want to try some first?” He proceeded to…
Game Time: NFL 2010 — A Journey In Wagering
The first week of the NFL season is always one of the busiest for me. I’ve never been an accountant, nor will I ever be an accountant, but I would imagine that the first week of college and NFL football together is how the week of April 15 feels for…
Food Fight: Battle Peking Duck
I’ll refrain from making any “lame duck” or “peeking duck” jokes here because that would be fairly banal on my part. And it would also dumb down a dish that I’ve come to crave. Although Peking Duck has been a storied commodity since Imperial times in China, it has only…
Sideshow Tramps Want To Be Texas State Fair’s “Best Dad Band”
Think of Houston barnburners the Sideshow Tramps and naturally the first thought that comes to mind is “wholesome family enterainment,” right? The band themselves admitted as much in an email they sent to Rocks Off HQ Wednesday afternoon, calling themselves “known for spilt beer, debauchery and young women in the…
Is Rick Perry’s Campaign Losing Its Fastball?
The troubles at Metro have once again become fodder for Governor Rick Perry’s campaign, which released a new video highlighting the latest news.It’s pretty disappointing, actually. You can tag an opponent with trying to use loopholes to avoid a “Buy America” clause and the best you can do is another…
HCC Professor Uses Hip-Hop To Jazz Up His Classes
William Moore can recite The Roots’ “How I Got Over” from top to bottom, down to Black Thought’s rhythm and cadence. The only thing he’s missing is Thought’s mean mug and dark shades; he prefers an amiable smile and rimmed glasses. Moore, a Houstonian by way of New Orleans, has…
Houston, Is There Slime in YOUR Ice Machine?
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) published findings earlier this month from a two-year study that graded the residential kitchens of more than 13,000 participants using Health Department standards. The survey was conducted through their Home Kitchen Self-Inspection Program, an educational initiative designed to promote safer food…
Nestor Topchy Unveils Years-In-The-Making Project … At a Funeral Home
This Saturday, one of the most anticipated and unusual visual-art events of the year is taking place at a Tanglewood-area funeral home. For one night only, the well-known Houston artist Nestor Topchy with exhibit his years-in-the-making portrait series, “The Iconic Portrait Strand,” in its first-ever public presentation. And what better…
Dear Bicycle Bandit: Five Simple Rules To Aid Your Getaway
A bike bandit is on the loose in Houston, of all places. Yes, right here in the anti-Portland, a brigand is holding up banks and making his getaway on a Schwinn.We covered him early in his spree, but he’s now hit six banks in the area.As a fellow cyclist and…
Remember Lil Flip’s Ahead Of My Time?
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Lil Flip Ahead of My Time (Clover G Records, 2010) Flip is a curious case. See, he was a…
Eating Skippy (Not the Peanut Butter)
After dinner at A Ly (11360 Bellaire Boulevard) last night, a pertinent topic arose in conversation amongst a few of my dining companions: What determines what we classify as food? As Dr. Ricky pointed out after our meal, it’s certainly not biological; it’s cultural. It’s a strictly societal and circumstance-driven…
Galveston Island State Park’s Makeover: Your Chance For Input
Photo courtesy TPWDGalveston Island State Park in the wake of IkeGalveston Island State Park was ravaged by Hurricane Ike, but plans are now underway to make it, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, “a premiere destination within the Texas state park system.”Parts of the park have reopened, but…
Metro “Clarifies” That Feds’ Ruling Will Delay Light Rail Construction
Metro: Upon further review……Yesterday’s bombshell announcement that the federal government had found Metro’s purchase of rail cars to have violated “Buy America” laws brought with it assurances that the agency could still stick to its schedule of building the light rail system.That’s not the case this morning.The agency has put…
Rosh Hashanah Foods
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is upon us, and like most religious holidays, it brings with it many food-related traditions. Even my Jewish friends who are generally non-observant make it a point to have a round challah or apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah. Here’s a list of some…
Last Night: Michael Bolton At Jones Hall
Michael Bolton with the Houston Symphony Jones Hall September 8, 2010 It was a little over a year ago that Aftermath saw Yanni, and just a few months back that we saw Kenny G. Wednesday night we saw Michael Bolton, forming a power-trio of artists that you’re not supposed to…
Greenpeace Says Dow’s Freeport Chemical Plant Has Lousy Security
You won’t be smiling when the leak comesThink all those toxic chemicals stockpiled at industrial plants around Houston are safe and secure? Well, think again.According to Greenpeace, the giant holding tanks and railroad cars full full of hazardous materials are ripe for disaster — be it by terrorist attack or…
4 Movies Every Waiter (or Ex-Waiter) Can Sympathize With
I’ve always said that if I have kids, I’m going to make them hold jobs in two industries while they’re in high school or college: retail and restaurant. Your appreciation for the hard, often thankless work these folks do — and your treatment of them — changes in drastic and…
Rockin’ His Life Away, Jerry Lee Lewis Shows Signs Of Age
Lonesome, Onry and Mean waited anxiously as the appointed hour neared. We’d had this feeling around this time last year as we awaited the appearance of Shane MacGowan and the Pogues. Would MacGowan die onstage, spilling his drink? Would he be so drunk he’d make a pathetic fool of himself?…
Al-Jazeera Headed For The Houston Airwaves?
Al-Jazeera: But first, a look at traffic on the Katy FreewayThe Washington Post broke a story this morning on previously undisclosed negotiations between Pacifica and Al-Jazeera that would see Pacifica’s five self-owned stations broadcasting content from the controversial Arabic network.One of the those five stations is KPFT here in Houston…
DVD Giveaway: The Office: Season Six / Parenthood: Season One
As we reported on Monday, rumor has it that Harvey Keitel will fill in for Steve Carell on what will probably be The Office’s last season. Even though executive producer Paul Lieberstein has big ideas for the show, we can’t imagine the series spinning its wheels for long without Carell…
Jonas Brothers Finally Hit The Big Time: League City
Jonas Brothers are playing softballO.M.G. The Jonas Brothers, the biggest trio of musical talent since the Jimi Hendrix Experience or Tony Orlando and Dawn (there were only two Dawns, right?) are finally hitting the big time — League City. Depending on your point of view, it’s either a good or…
Cocktail Recipe: The Merlotte’s Neckbiter
This Sunday marks the Season Three finale of the smash HBO hit True Blood. Several people are hosting parties, and I’ve even heard rumors of bar screenings. Whether you’ll be at home watching alone in the dark or sharing this occasion with friends, it is imperative to set the right…
Last Night: Paramore At The Woodlands
Paramore, Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 8, 2010 Concerts on Wednesdays are a strange ordeal. What’s even stranger are concerts that begin at 6 p.m. in The Woodlands, especially when their target audiences are probably just getting out of their after-school activities right when…
Last Night: Adam Lambert At Hobby Center
Adam Lambert Sarofim Hall, Hobby Center September 8, 2010 For more images from the show, see our slideshow here. It doesn’t matter that Adam Lambert is gay. You might think it does, but it doesn’t. What matters is that he’s not straight. Because we Americans understand straight; straightness has become…
Rice Hopes To Keep Momentum Against North Texas
The Rice Owls played a hell of a football game last Saturday. They played a game that nobody, except for themselves, thought they were capable of playing. They shut down the Texas Longhorn running game, and they even shoved around the Texas offense from time to time. Yet the Owls…
Pop Rocks: What Books Would Jesus Burn?
Talk about your (mostly) lone nuts. Terry Jones, reverend of something called the Dove World Outreach Center (sounds like a rehab facility that uses soap enema therapy), is going ahead with his planned “International Burn-A-Koran Day” on September 11. This in spite of mounting criticism from a diverse array of…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Randi Markowitz of Gluten Free Houston
Today we continue our chat with Randi Markowitz of Gluten Free Houston. EOW: What are the top three things to not do when cooking gluten-free? Markowitz: The first thing is to not leave out ingredients that mimic what gluten does. That would be most of the gums, such as xantham…
Wanted: Creed Tribute Band
Rocks Off is not generally a fan of tribute bands, and even less so of Creed. We did have one guy hear who was a fan, but we left his body in the lobby as a warning to others who would embrace Stapp and Co. with arms wide open. But…
Pop Rocks: What Books Would Jesus Burn?
Talk about your (mostly) lone nuts. Terry Jones, reverend of something called the Dove World Outreach Center (sounds like a rehab facility that uses soap enema therapy), is going ahead with his planned “International Burn-A-Koran Day” on September 11. This in spite of mounting criticism from a diverse array of…
Local Muslims Not Worried About Eid-Ul-Fitr, Which Of Course Is Near 9/11 In The Crazy Year Of 2010
It’s been a tough year to be a Muslim in America: Furious protests that the hallowed ground of a former coat store near a strip joint might become a Manhattan mosque, Koran-burnings that endanger U.S. troops, and demonstrations against proposed mosques across the country, even if they’re not near hallowed…
Metro Gets Bit By The “Buy American” Rule
Metro has received just about the worst news possible: The Federal Transit Administration’s “Buy American” investigation found that Metro did, in fact, violate federal guidelines in its contract with the Spanish rail car company CAF. In a letter to Metro, dated September 7, 2010, the FTA’s chief counsel, Dorval Carter,…
Made in Lanus
We can only wonder if the late Nelly Fernandez Tiscornia, the Argentinean playwright who wrote Made in Lanus, would have taken sides on today’s immigration issues. The play, being produced in Spanish by Gente de Teatro, certainly doesn’t. It introduces us to two Argentinean couples: Mabel and Osvaldo, who emigrate…
Margaret Cho: Cho Dependent Tour
Just recently, comedian and actress Margaret Cho released Cho Dependent, a 13-track album of songs featuring tunes from well-known songwriters such as Ben Lee, Patty Griffin, Jon Brion, Fiona Apple, Grant-Lee Phillips and Ani DiFranco. But before you go and think Cho is leaving stand-up, take a look at some…
Nick Cannon
There’s a big star coming to the Improv…well, he’s a big star if you’re an 11-year-old. Nick Cannon, the actor/comedian/businessman, also known as Mr. Mariah Carey, is ironically the host for the television show America’s Got Talent (We say ironically, because many in show business question his sudden rise from…
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Bayou City Concert Musicals Director Paul Hope warns if audiences “think they know Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, they should think again – ’cause this is one they haven’t seen.” Most people know the story of two showgirls out to catch husbands from the 1953 film adaption in which Marilyn Monroe launched…
First Friday Poetry Reading: Mike Guinn
Author and spoken-word performer Mike Guinn hopes to convey a message of social significance in his work. By merging traditional poetry with spoken word, Guinn believes it’s possible to “bridge the gap between mainstream academic or literary poetry and underground spoken word.” He’ll be doing just that at this month’s…
NANO Fiction Reading Series: Casey Fleming and Sophie Rosenblum
As the spike in ADD medication over the last few years will attest, lots of people have small attention spans. That’s something the NANO Fiction Reading Series has catered to for three years now with short, quick readings by Texas writers. This month’s readers are Casey Fleming and Sophie Rosenblum…
Arianna Huffington
You’ve seen her on Charlie Rose, The Daily Show and Larry King Live. Well, now you can see this mighty warrior of the left in person. The lovely Arianna Huffington, who fights cultural battles every day on her hugely popular Web site The Huffington Post, is coming to Houston. Time…
Smart Chicks Kick It Tour
Hosted by the Blue Willow Bookshop, seven authors of young adult paranormal fiction will kick it in Houston as part of their Smart Chicks Kick It Tour. The brainchild of Wicked Lovely author Melissa Marr, the tour came together as a way of responding to fans’ repeated requests for recommendations…
Cop Out
After obligatory helicopter views of New York’s skyline open Adam McKay’s The Other Guys, we’re introduced to Danson and Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson), a duo of headline-grabbing, unflappable supercops who keep the city exciting, if not safe, with law enforcement by the Michael Baybook. The Other Guys…
Unlikely Porn Star
If the plot of Middle Men sounds familiar — Luke Wilson gets in bed with James Caan, who just wants to fuck him — that’s because it’s the same as the plot of Bottle Rocket, Wes Anderson’s 1996 directorial debut, in which Wilson and Caan worked together for the first…
Chevron Fiesta Sinfónica
Mark the bicentennial of Mexican independence with the Chevron Fiesta Sinfónica. Assistant conductor Brett Mitchell will lead the Houston Symphony orchestra in a program that celebrates music by well-known Mexican composers such as Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 and Blas Galindo’s Sones de Mariachi as well as American Aaron Copland’s…
Firoozeth Dumas
You’ll have the chance to see if author Firoozeth Dumas is indeed Funny in Farsi during her reading today. Dumas is one of the Iranian-American authors being featured this month by Books on the Bayou, but she’s the only one with a book title that promises to make us laugh…
Fall for Dominic Walsh Dance
The Dominic Walsh Dance Theater opens its new season with a sampler program of popular performances intended to share its range and expertise with both dedicated and first-time fans. At Fall for Dominic Walsh Dance, things get emotional as young Italian standout Domenico Luciano dances the White Swan duet from…
2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick certainly knows how to make a movie stick. When it was released back in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was revolutionary. Now, 42 years later, the film continues to have quite an impact on audiences. Before there was CGI, Kubrick managed to make space travel look futuristic and…
Passion: Zarzuelas & Boleros
There is no music more romantic than boleros (slow tempo of Latin love songs), except perhaps zarzuelas (Spanish operettas filled with dance and spoken word). In today’s Passion: Zarzuelas & Boleros, the two genres come together. Laurie Hewett, spokesperson for Opera in the Heights, says, “The concert is going to…
Special Mexican Independence Day Edition
Dear Readers, ¡VIVA MÉXICO, CABRONES! Happy 200th cumpleaños to America’s favorite country, to the land of pretty señoritas and eternal economic crises, to the world’s greatest, drunkest bola de hijos de la chingada! Celebrate this 16th, drive safe, and guys: Remember to wear a helmet before going into battle with…
Dave Matthews Band
Some months back, we were flipping through a Rolling Stone from 1995 wherein the Dave Matthews Band was described as one of the “dark horses” of that year. That was in the wake of the band’s 1994 album Under the Table and Dreaming and subsequent breakout single “What Would You…
Lower Dens
When it comes to Houston music, there are two people you should never miss. One is Don Walsh of Rusted Shut; the other is Jana Hunter, now of Lower Dens. Anywhere they take you is where you need to be. Since Jana relocated to some woebegone place far from our…
Huey Lewis & the News
Other than perhaps Phil Collins and the business-card industry, no one else benefited more from Mary Harron’s film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel American Psycho than Huey Lewis & the News. We haven’t been able to hear “Hip to Be Square” without imagining Christian Bale decimating Jared Leto with…
Holy Fuck
Holy Fuck isn’t just a clever (or not-so-clever) band name formulated to attract press, it’s also the sweaty, wide-eyed reaction that fans have to the band’s live show. The Toronto quartet stands out in a sea of indie electronica acts because of its visceral onstage energy. Proudly advertised as laptop-free,…
Crystal Castles
Way back in 2006, patchy duo Crystal Castles began a rise to high-art infamy based mostly on the negative hype of its supposed 8-bit plagiarism. Along with getting slammed for stealing artist Trevor Brown’s “Bruised Madonna” imagery for unauthorized merchandise (not to mention unsanctioned use of the Chanel logo), the…
Katrina Graffiti
On the news, disasters come and go. In real life, the people affected by them are still suffering after the cameras leave. The hyper-focus of the 24-hour news cycle moves from tragedy to tragedy, in love-’em-and-leave-’em fashion unless some news hook, usually an anniversary, calls them back. We know that…
Los Skarnales
Look no further than the walls of Los Skarnales’ East End practice space to find the group’s musical influences. The walls are covered in posters: Desmond Dekker and the Aces, Bob Marley, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and several of the Clash. There are a smattering of gig posters — including one…
HISD Payola
EDUCATION Pay to Play, HISD BY RICHARD CONNELLY The Houston school district, desperate to get grades and test scores up, is offering cold, hard cash to fifth graders who do their math homework. A kid who masters a bunch of “concepts” can rack up $440 from HISD. That can buy…
Mary Gauthier
Artists talk a lot about how they’ve been waiting to make an album their whole life, but in the case of Mary Gauthier’s The Foundling (Razor & Tie), she really had. The mostly acoustic record (produced by Cowboy Junkies’ Michael Timmins) spans 13 songs to tell the story of a…
Children in Hiding
CIUDAD JUÁREZ — Esteban was riding shotgun in his family’s rusted teal minivan when his dad, Lorenzo, suddenly stopped the car. It was odd — a vehicle facing the opposite direction blocked their way on the narrow street. They were just four blocks from home. The then-six-year-old boy with soft…
A Behanding in Spokane
The lights come up on a ratty hotel room with yellowed transom, smudgy walls and broken Venetian blinds. In Kevin Rigdon’s atmospheric set design, we can smell the stains. On the rumpled bed sits Carmichael (Andrew Weems), a grizzled, longhaired codger with skin the color of ash. He wears a…
Just A Bar
John and German have known each other for about two years and have had numerous conversations, yet neither knows the other’s last name. German is Latino, so his name is pronounced a little closer to “Herman.” “In Spanish the ‘G’ is silent,” says German, who did not give his last…
Cajun Made
Joe Joubert, originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, has opened Cajun Made (7590 W. Bellfort, 713-988-9555). “I’m making all the Louisiana favorites from scratch, like gumbo, red beans and rice, boudin, po-boys, étouffée and even barbecue. And as soon as crawfish season opens in November, we’ll have them too,” he says…
Foreign Relations
Foreign Relations Our online readers responded to “Asylum Denied” by Chris Vogel and Patrick Michel, September 2: If you think Mexico is bad: I have an idea — why don’t we give asylum to the 40,000 Mandaeans fleeing from Iraq due to the American people’s being suckered into an illegal…
Bohemeo’s Baja Vibe
See photos from Bohemeo’s colorful interior and kitchen in our slideshow. “I have a bad feeling about this,” my friend remarked ominously as we traveled down Leeland toward Bohemeo’s one evening. “Why?” I asked, confused. “It’s a coffee shop,” he replied. “They aren’t going to have good food. And I’m…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Being: Tobiah Mundt,” “Kaneem Smith,” “Math of the Afterward”
“Being: Tobiah Mundt” Tobiah Mundt creates tiny felted wool creatures that are one part cuddly stuffed animal and three parts creepy. Balls of the fuzzy white wool seem comforting until you notice the toothy mouths embedded in them. Opaque black or luminous red glass eyes peer out from chubby faces…
Ocean’s $16 Lobster Taco
What taco in the world, you may ask, is worth $16? The answer is simple: a lobster taco. At Ocean’s (819 W. Alabama, 713-520-7744), they place a four-ounce lobster tail inside a corn tortilla which has been layered with black beans. On top of the lobster is a creamy chipotle…
Capsule Stage Reviews; The Marvelous Wonderettes
The Marvelous Wonderettes Okay, kids, let’s write a second-rate musical that has no chance of ever seeing the lights of Broadway. Judging from Roger Bean’s creation from 1999, it’s not too difficult. First we need music — not original music, that’s too iffy. How about great tunes from the ’50s?…
Zimm’s’ Martini & Wine Bar’s White Angel
Last Tuesday, while visiting my mom’s house, I noticed a copy of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s on the end table. I like the movie, which is great ammunition when I’m calculating ways to convince people that I’m sensitive, but I never got around to reading the novelette. I sat…
