The folks at Eastman Gallery don't screw around with semantics. The title of their latest exhibition just seems to be "Art Show." Yep, that's right: "Art Show." Is it an ironic joke or is it laziness? The world may never know, but we can tell you there'll be work by Susan Canter, Richard Eastman, Travis Gorman and Maria Renaud, to name a few. Oh, yeah, and there's also work by a guy named John Painter. Damn, this trend in descriptive naming seems to run deep. Opening reception: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today. Gallery talk with the artists: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, September 10. 7026 Old Katy Road. For information, call 713-426-6669. Free.
Friday, September 3
Janet Wulsin traveled to China, Inner Mongolia and Tibet back when women were expected to keep their keisters in the kitchen. On the road with her anthropologist husband, she snapped incredible pics of now-bygone lands. These images are on display today at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in the exhibit "Vanished Kingdoms: The Wulsin Photographs of Tibet, China and Mongolia 1921-1925." Not only are the images themselves compelling, but the process used to render them is fascinating as hell. Wulsin snapped the shots, which were then transformed by Beijing artisans, who colored each of them by hand. So you get to see the Chinese perspective on the American perspective of China. How meta is that? The exhibit opens today and runs through February 13. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. One Hermann Circle Drive. For information, call 713-639-4629 or visit www.hmns.org. $3.50 to $6.
Or if you're feeling irie, drop by the Caribbean Wave Party at the Island Resort. You can sip on fruity cocktails while bouncing to reggae and soca music. (Soca, by the way, is a combination of soul and calypso. Now do you get it?) 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. 12180 Bissonnet. For information, call 281-798-5487 or visit www.soulrebelproductions.com. $5.
Saturday, September 4
Labor Day weekend is in full swing. Get your ass off the couch and over to Hermann Park for a performance by FLY Dance Company. Entitled "FLY Out the Box," this performance includes military marches, groovy '70s music and dope hip-hop moves. Check it out at 8 p.m. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 100 Concert Drive. For information, call 713-523-3709 or visit www.flydance.com. Free.
Or if you'd rather head out of town, we recommend bustin' a move to Bryan for the Ziegenbock Music Festival and Rib Fest. We have no idea why it wasn't just called the Ziegenbock Music and Rib Festival, but we do know you can expect performances by Kevin Fowler, Roger Creager, Jack Ingram, Jason Boland and a slew of other acts. It should be an ear-ticklin' and finger-lickin'-good festival and fest. 10 a.m. Lake Bryan Park, Sandy Point Road and Rye School Road. For information, call 832-237-8900 or visit www.ziegfest.com. $10.
Sunday, September 5
Fans of the Disney cartoon The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (or Tim Burton's noir update of the tale) should head to ACE Theatre today for -- you guessed it -- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This musical version follows Ichabod Crane in his quest to win the heart of Katrina Van Tassel -- and to keep his wits despite the advances of the Headless Horseman. 3 p.m. Sundays, through September 18. 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, September 3 through 17. 17011 Bamwood. For information, call 877-768-3675 or visit www.acetheatre.org. $5 to $8.
Once you're done being spooked out by musical revues, drop by the Chocolate Bayou Festival. Created to celebrate the history of the Sunnyside neighborhood, this festival drew in about 10,000 people last year. This time around you can expect performances by Regina Belle, Floetry and Rick Marcel, not to mention tons of folks hawking food and spreading good vibes. Noon to 7 p.m. today; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, September 4. Sunnyside Park, 3502 Bellfort. For information, call 713-659-8630 or visit www.chocolatebayoufestival.org. Free.
Monday, September 6
Labor unions take a lot of flak. But, hell, without them, professional sports wouldn't be anywhere near as big as they are now. Seriously. Labor unions helped institute the 40-hour workweek and living wages, which in turn gave people the time and the money to go to the ballpark. So celebrate Labor Day at an Astros game. Today our boys play the Cincinnati Reds. That is, of course, unless those bums decide to strike like they did in '94. 1:05 p.m. Minute Maid Park, 501 Crawford. For tickets, call 877-927-8767 or visit www.astros.com. $5 to $40.
Tuesday, September 7
Most bands have a song or two that'll make you laugh. Whether they're about drugs, politics or STDs, these ditties can really help lighten up a set. But two Austin bands, the Scabs and the Ugly Americans, really took it to the extreme. All of their freakin' songs were one of those songs. It got real annoying real fast. But somehow those two groups (which shared many members) managed to survive in Austin for years, perhaps because of the constant influx of new people into the Hill Country, but most likely because the lead singer of both bands was such a stud. Troubadour Bob Schneider, you see, really had a knack for keeping the coeds satisfied with his onstage antics and wavy hair. Hell, he even dated Sandra Bullock. But Schneider reinvented himself as a singer-songwriter a few years back, and he's playing tonight at the Duck. He's older and he's acoustic, but he's still a little nasty. 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk. For information, call 713-528-5999 or visit www.mcgonigels.com. $12.
Wednesday, September 8
The good folks of Nuestra Palabra have been doing a lot to spread the word about Esmeralda Santiago's new work, The Turkish Lover. The book is about how the author overcame serious difficulties and eventually graduated from Harvard. It's a very inspirational story, but we can't get over the fact Nuestra Palabra keeps introducing her as Harvard graduate Esmeralda Santiago -- time and time again. Come on, guys, she graduated in 1976. We've got nothing against school pride, but you're going a little overboard. She reads from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Beck Building of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 5601 Main. For information, call 713-867-8943 or visit www.nuestrapalabra.org. Free.
