Phillyist commenters spent the early part of the week debating whether Barack Obama is an asshole. Phillyist concluded that the political assholes were, however, the St. Paul police for their treatment of a local photographer covering the RNC.
Gothamist was intrigued by photographs of Hart Island, a prisoner of war camp and a missile base (it also housed a prison and a women's asylum) in the Bronx.
It's the start of another Texans football season! Catch the Texans as they take on the Steelers at noon today!
________________________________________________________________ If you have a passion for Houston and photography, consider joining a whole bunch of Houston's best photographers in the Houstonist Flickr Photo Group. If Houstonist uses your photo for Photo Of The Day, submit it here and for more great Houston photography, check out the Houston Photobloggers.
Here's a great night shot with fantastic tones and shadows of one of the entrances to Rice stadium. We really like how the lights reflect off of the fence.
________________________________________________________________ If you have a passion for Houston and photography, consider joining a whole bunch of Houston's best photographers in the Houstonist Flickr Photo Group. If Houstonist uses your photo for Photo Of The Day, submit it here and for more great Houston photography, check out the Houston Photobloggers.
Look, it's been a long few weeks, what with the Olympics and the hurricanes and the conventions and various and sundry other dramas dominating the web and television. Sometimes a person just wants to engage in a little mindless entertainment, a frivolity, if you will.
Which is why Houstonist presents you with this perplexing yet mesmerizing video of a space-aged bikini-clad Raquel Welch gyrating along with two futuristic explorers in front of a bunch of crazy deserted statues. Don't ask questions. Just sit back and enjoy.
Fashion icon, sex symbol and overall hotness Welch turns 68 today. Incidentally, the statues she's dancing in front of were erected in Mexico City exactly 40 years ago for the 1968 Summer Olympics.
It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since Max Fischer got kicked out of Rushmore and "made a go of it" at Grover Cleveland High. But it has been ten years, so to celebrate, Discovery Green is presenting Screen on the Green - RUSHMORE 10TH CLASS REUNION! A free screening of this indie classic by Houstonian Wes Anderson at the Anheuser-Busch Stage and Fondren Performance Space, otherwise known as the hill.
Rushmore is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) and his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray), and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson. The soundtrack was scored by regular Anderson collaborator Mark Mothersbaugh and features several songs by bands associated with the British Invasion of the 1960s.
Filmed around Houston, including St. John's School, Lamar High School, Doug & Don's Barber Shop in the Heights, SAW Pipes USA (Blume's company), Hollywood Cemetery, Delmar Stadium, the old Hotel Warwick as well as many other notable locations around Houston.
--- Time: 7:30pm Date: Friday, September 5th Place:Discovery Green Admission: Free
________________________________________________________________ If you have a passion for Houston and photography, consider joining a whole bunch of Houston's best photographers in the Houstonist Flickr Photo Group. If Houstonist uses your photo for Photo Of The Day, submit it here and for more great Houston photography, check out the Houston Photobloggers.
Welcome to our new feature here at H-Town Rock. It has been a pleasure to provide you with our weekly music calendar for the past few months, but we wanted to up the ante a bit and diversify what we’re offering to the dozen or so readers of Houstonist. So, we’re introducing “H-Town Rock Interviews:” and hoping that everyone enjoys our attempt to shed a bit more light on local (i.e. Houston and Texas-wide) bands. For our first installment, Houstonist had the opportunity to interview the Austin, TX-based indie-punk four-piece, The Midgetmen.
H-Town Rock: It's evident from your new album, Show Pony, that The Midgetmen love to have fun and love making music. What's been the driving force for the band for all of these years? What propels the four of you to keep making music?
Justin Petro: Well, some people are in it to ogle women, have sexual encounters, drink copious amounts of alcohol, and/or do all sorts of illicit and illegal drugs. We play for the love of the music. Isn’t that right guys?!?
Jon Loyens: Beer. It’s a good excuse to drink and have fun with my closest friends. We all have other things outside of music too, so I never feel any pressure to conform, produce, or play anything I don’t want to (except when Marc makes us play Don’t Stop Believing)
Alex Victoria: Twiddling bits at a software job can make anything seem cool.
Marc Perlman: Free drink tickets and my unrelenting desire to make these guys have a hobby.
HTR: Talk about the recording process for Show Pony. The record sounds really gritty, raw, and comparable to the band’s live sound.
AV: By far, the best records in history have captured the raw live sound of a group performing in small room: Neil Young's Tonight's the Night, Pixies’ Surfer Rosa and Come on Pilgrim, Exile on Main Street, Spoon's Girls Can Tell, and pretty much everything from Silkworm. While the big arena sounds works well for a lot of really great bands, capturing the sound of a small rock venue seems a lot more difficult to us -- and worth striving for. That said, maybe it is really easy for everyone else and they're just not letting us in on the joke. Regardless, we are making a significant effort to sound good.
JL: We’ve really evolved the recording process over the course of our three records and that evolution is function of both our musical and production abilities. They both started near nil.
On the first record, to keep things simple and quick, we stuck up a bunch of mics and recorded. No overdubs, even on the vocals.
On the second record, we went the complete opposite direction: guide tracks, overdubs, the whole nine yards. What we ended up realizing was that, while we got the production level we wanted, it lacked the energy. In a certain way, the process used on the second record also served to expose our overall lack of musical prowess even more.
By the time we were ready to do a third record, we’d improved exponentially as musicians, but were weary of losing the energy again. As an experiment, I grabbed my laptop, stuck up some mics, and recorded us practicing without vocals. We were able to use those basic live tracks and then overdub the vocals, guitar solos (where necessary – a lot of the guitar solos were also played live), etc. We started with tracks with energy and then added precision only where it was necessary with overdubs.
HTR: What are some of your favorite tracks from the new album? How many of them will make their way into the band's raucous live set?
JP: I'm too lazy to change the CD’s in my car, so I basically have to listen to it [Show Pony] every six times. I think the tracks I like a lot are the ones we actually don't play live like "Moo Cows." I think the songs we play regularly are vastly better than what is on the record. Certain parts are more comfortable (or I don't screw them up any more).
AV: My favorite moments are the surprises. Songs like "Words" that were almost abandoned forever, but were added at the last minute. "Rodeo" was recorded on whim the last day of tracking. Similarly, "Jimmy and Skippy" was almost left on the floor. I think these tracks add a lot to the record. "Trickle Down" proves that Marc is the lead singer of the band! My biggest regret is "Bunk Sock," but only because people don't get that's it is only partially about playing with titties.
MP: We’ve played every song on the album at least a dozen times live, with the exception of “Moo Cows + Horsies”. On a given night, if we play 12 songs, 7 or 8 will probably be from Show Pony.
HTR: In general, what does the songwriting process look like for The Midgetmen? Is there one person who takes the lead or is it more of a mutually collaborative theme?
JP: Thankfully, a good deal of the songs is collaborative. That probably shows, as we tend to be a bit schizophrenic. If you don't like it, wait 30 seconds; the next one is almost guaranteed to be different.
HTR: A few bands started to take the environment into account when recording, packaging their music, and even touring. The Midgemen are a part of that movement. What are some of the things the band does to honor and protect the environment when music-making?
AV: We hate the environment, natural meat, and local produce. We only use it to sell millions of records and lay young co-eds. Unlike Willie Neslon, we pay taxes and can't afford a Hemp Powered Bus.
JP: We only drink biodegradable beer. We try to do what's right when we can. I think that's what everyone should shoot for.
JL: I like to turn down the AC in our practice room: lower energy usage = sweatier Midgetmen. The more you sweat, the more you rock.
MP: We threw a party during SXSW that was carbon offset by MoveNeutral.com. Our tour to the Northeast in May was also carbon offset by them. It probably matters more to me than the rest of the gang, but I think we’re all acutely aware of how bad for the planet we are. HTR: What kind of touring can we expect from the band in Fall 2008?
JP: Nothing other than some more Texas shows unless Pavement re-unites. We had a blast this spring in the North East, but we need to pay the bills this fall back home.
JL: Please god, no more (there’s only so much Petro snuggling one can take)!
HTR: What has the band been listening to recently, whether for fun or inspiration?
JP: Basically whatever Marc tells me to. The Hold Steady, Against Me!, Titus Andronicus, Desaparecidos (still one of my favorite albums), The Big Sleep, Blood on the Wall, Boston, and Billy Joel (seriously, go listen to Angry Young Man).
JL: My recent playlist: new Hold Steady, new My Morning Jacket, new Sloan, Destroyer, Richard Hell, new Matthew Sweet.
AV: Titus Andronicus, The Hold Steady, Islands. Everything else is shit.
MP: The sound of spinning chaos (thank you RNC on CNN!), Ted Leo, The Evens, Jay Reatard, The Who.
The Midgetmen will be performing at Notsuoh on Saturday, September 6th with fellow Austinites, The Platforms.
If you're still mistakenly laboring under the impression that ballet is dry, dusty and boring, the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater would like the chance to persuade you otherwise.
This Saturday and Sunday night at Miller Outdoor Theatre, the Dominic Walsh company is putting on a decidedly modern and contemporary production of the classic ballet Sleeping Beauty, set to Tchaikovsky's original score but with choreography and costumes that are anything but traditional. Dominic Walsh himself was a principal dancer with the acclaimed Houston Ballet until 2004, when he left to devote his full energy to the dance company he'd created in 2002, the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater. Today, the company provides a unique service to the local arts community by presenting the only contemporary ballet performances in Houston, along with master classes, lectures and open rehearsals.
This weekend's performance of Sleeping Beauty will open the company's 2008 - 2009 season, which will include Titus Andronicus and Walsh's own work, Mozart. There are two ways to see the ballet this weekend: you can pay $25 and receive a reserved seat in the covered area at Miller Outdoor Theatre along with a boxed supper and cocktails that will be served before the show. Or, you can come and see the performance for free from the comfort of a blanket on the soft, grassy lawn.
Not all Dominic Walsh Dance Theater shows are free; the remaining performances this season will be at their regular home base, Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center, where tickets will start at $23. To reserve your seat (and dinner and cocktails) for this weekend's performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre, simply call 713.652.3938 or visit the company's website at www.dwdt.org. Reserved tickets will be held at will call and dinners will be served at 6:30 p.m. However, if you'd just like to take the performance in for free, then come and spread out on the lawn before the show starts at 8:00 p.m. Parking is available at the Houston Garden Center or the Houston Zoo. Or, as we always suggest, you can take the light rail and get off at the Houston Zoo stop.
Curiosity not yet fully piqued? Then check out a preview of the performance below the jump...
Sleeping Beauty, performed by the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater
Saturday, September 6 and 7, 8:00 p.m. (dinner and cocktails at 6:30 p.m.) Miller Outdoor Theatre
100 Concert Drive (in Hermann Park)
713.652.3938
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. That being said, we'd like to expound on some news in today's Chronicle, a lawsuit filed in federal court by a Baytown woman against her lender claiming predatory lending practices and reverse redlining (racial targeting). Nanette Lewis and her husband refinanced their home in an effort to obtain a better deal, only to find that the mortage they signed was not only an adjustable rate mortgage, in which the purchaser's payments are subject to change due to rate increases, it included a balloon payment of $103,000 due at the end of the term. Seriously, how do you NOT see a number of THAT magnitude? She would never have known that the loan she and her husband executed was not a "good deal", until she lost her job and sought legal advice, in the event a payment was missed. What we reasonably infer from the Chronicle is that the actual loan documents were not one time, over the course of four years, ever read. "A fool and their money are soon parted". Just saying.
It is our understanding that there are last minute changes to final documents as lenders adjust terms, or in some cases, better the previously quoted rates. A reasonably complete, final copy of all documents is typically provided prior to closing. It is not uncommon for lenders to hurry the closing process, as you have to sign and initial your way into a case of carpal tunnel syndrome (seriously, don't waste tax dollars on that lawsuit, it's a euphemism). Scanning the final set of documents prior to signing for any inconsistencies is good practice, but, first you must either read the documents yourself or utilize the services of a trusted realtor, mortgage broker or attorney. We are certainly not rocket scientists when it comes to legal matters or sometimes finances. However, having reached the age of majority (eighteen) and having educated ourselves and moved toward attainment of the "American Dream", we find ourselves responsible for our actions, all of them. The victories and the pitfalls and the horrible mistakes that cost us some of our hard-earned money. To that end, we commend the Lewis' for sueing for the removal of the lien and to "get the word out about what happened", and not all sorts of additional monies. If successful, however, the lawsuit will leave in it's proverbial wake a mortage to be repaid which is in excess of the value of the property, to the tune of approximately $20,000 and still at an adjustable rate. We do wonder, did they see the "bottom line" on the documents? It should not be about the monthly payment, but, what you pay overall. Caveat emptor, know what you are getting into and what products are available by doing your own research. We know individuals who purchased property and summarily sucked every scrap of equity out by way of cash-out refinancing, in some cases ending up with adjustable rate mortgages. Regardless of race, color, sex, or religion - we don't feel that this is a wise decision, after all our economy is not guaranteed to stay stable or grow. In today's shakier housing and job market, it is becoming more and more glaringly obvious that living and borrowing beyond our means does not pay off.
Bottom Line: P. T. Barnum hit the nail on the head, there is a fool born every minute. It is unfortunate that the Lewis' executed a mortgage not in their best interest, but, any contract that binds an individual for such a long term an a large sum should be completely read and fully understood. At the least, seek the services of an individual who, for a nominal fee, will ensure your best interests are being met and advise you of the potential dangers or downsides.
Here are some comments from the Chronicle:
- She was a victim of predatory lending practices because she signed something she shouldn't
- Please, don't throw down that tired old race card.
Ignorance and ineptitude come in all colors.
She failed in her responsibility to exercise due diligence.
caveat emptor.
- Why does every wrong doing become a race issue? I've been hooked and crooked a few times too. Was it because I was white? I don't think so...I think it was because I was dealing with crooks.
-...and by the way...if they have a low income advocacy group fighting for them (ACORN), why are they living in a 4 bedroom house when their son is in college? Can we say downsize?
-can honstley relate i have been blessed with a beqautiful 2 story home and am a single mom of 3-remaining. this home the owner obviously could not sell, so i am leasing it @ this time, but there were problems and i have the advantage of knowing that these problem will affect this house in the future,and will be the owner's or the banks problem. i would not be intrested in purchasing it. i think it would be great to anyone if we could have the opportunit to have that great advantage to give them a dose of their own medicine...............
Houstonist readers, what do you think? Should someone be protected from themselves, essentially? Are the described lending practices fraudulent, mis-leading or otherwise bad? Please let us know, we're off to scrutinize the two dozen credit card solicitations we received in this week's mail bag, that promise a brighter financial future and low introductory rates. We are looking forward to your comments, thoughts and musings, who knows, perhaps we missed the mark with our humble opinion.
You weren't happy with your close proximity to downtown, the Medical Center and the Museum District; your tree-lined streets and quaint houses; your dining options that run the gamut from upscale (Hugo's, Indika, Feast, Da Marco) to down-home (Baba Yega, Cafe Montrose, Ziggy's, Lankford Grocery); your endless thrift stores and antique shops and clothing boutiques; your quirky coffee shops and bars. It just wasn't enough, was it, Montrose? Now you want your own farmer's market, too?
Fine, be like that. You're finally getting your way: the first ever Montrose Farmer's Market is slated to be held in the parking lot of La Strada this Saturday, September 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Currently, the farmer's market will be held here every Saturday for the rest of the year, and hopefully for many years thereafter. According to a press release, the owner of La Strada, Aldo Catania, sees the market as a point of pride and a way of giving back: "Hosting the Farmer's Market is our little contribution to the Montrose community."
Confirmed vendors at the Montrose Farmer's Market include produce stands with local fruits and vegetables, specialty dessert items, homemade breads and pastas from La Strada, freshly-made soups, Sage Salads, an assortment of goodies like lotions, candles and soaps, and an intriguing-sounding vegan chili purveyor. As other spots fill up in the coming weeks, the Montrose Farmer's Market will be a strong member of the market community while filling a need for fresh, local produce in the immediate neighborhood.
Happy now, Montrose?
Montrose Farmer's Market
Saturday, September 6, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 322 Westheimer Road
(in the La Strada parking lot)
Photographers description: "Rust and weeds overtake a large abandoned grain warehouse in Katy, Texas. A plaque on this building indicates it was erected in 1965. That seems a pretty short useful lifetime for a structure of this size, but large tracts of the Katy Prairie that had been used for rice farming have been converted to subdivisions and commercial use. There are two or three other grain warehouses standing next to this one, one of which appears still to be in operable condition. It is for sale. As we take more land out of agricultural production, consolidate what is left in large corporations, and devote large portions of grain production to fuel production, sights like this seem likely to be more and more common."
________________________________________________________________ If you have a passion for Houston and photography, consider joining a whole bunch of Houston's best photographers in the Houstonist Flickr Photo Group. If Houstonist uses your photo for Photo Of The Day, submit it here and for more great Houston photography, check out the Houston Photobloggers.
From time to time, Houstonist is curious about the search terms that draw people to our site. As you might imagine, "Houstonist" itself is a popular search term, as is just plain "Houston." However, deep within the bowels of the traffic meter's analytics lie far more interesting search terms, some of which we'd like to share with you this morning.
elephant porn: There were six different searches for "elephant porn" over the course of the last week, which somehow led the searcher to Houstonist. Opinions are divided as to whether or not the six searches were all run by one person, or if there's an underground Usenet group devoted to pruriant pachyderm procreation. Although the smart money is on the former, wouldn't the latter be more interesting? Alt.sex.elephants, indeed.
would you like to be a ___ too?: Would we like to be a what? A Pepper? A crime-solving astronaut with perfect hair? A Mousketeer? A deep-sea treasure diver? An owner of the world's largest chocolate factory? What? The suspense is killing us!
Various unsavory and illegal activities: These search terms include queries on where in Houston one can find "naughty cell phone pics," "easy sex," "heroin" and places to "sell copper wire" that was probably stolen off a construction site or from an abandoned building. We honestly didn't think that you people could use the Internet, much less read and write. Guess those prison literacy programs are doing some good after all.
Keep searching below the jump...
what does a drink called aqua velva have in it?: Well, that one we cananswer for you. In fact, we have a whole series on alcoholic beverages which you might find interesting: Houstonist Bartender. Now that we've clued you into that little service, how about making us a round of delicious Car Bombs?
what is the crime rate in philly?: We can tell you that it's higher than the crime rate in Houston, but for a more well-rounded answer we'd like to direct your question to Phillyist. Yes, there really is a Phillyist. Yeah, we were surprised, too.
rushmore song barber shop scene: We love hometown hero Wes Anderson and his epic flick Rushmore, too. Even if the film wasn't incredibly awesome on its own merits (which it is), we'd still love it for being filmed in Houston. And even if it wasn't filmed in Houston, we'd still love it for its unique soundtrack. Which brings us back to your question. The answer is "Take Ten" by Paul Desmond. You can read all about the Rushmore soundtrack here: The Music of Wes Anderson Films: Rushmore, and then read the entries on the music of The Royal Tenenbaums and Bottle Rocket when you're finished. You're welcome.
look! up in the sky, it's a bi...plane, no it's our supervisor!: We honestly have no idea what this means, but we're fascinated nevertheless.
ist porn: To probably everyone's very great relief, there is no -ist porn floating around...that we know of. ::shudder::
deer stuck in my yard: Haven't we all had that problem?
Houston's new plan to improve our recycling habits involves recycling revenue from recycling into a pilot program where — yes! — we could put all our recyclable stuff into a single, wheeled container
An off-duty HPD officer shot and killed a man who was trying to break into his home yesterday afternoon — and police say the invasion took place even though the officer's squad car was parked outside
Boy chokes on an aspirin. Mother calls 911. Ambulance arrives and boy finally swallows aspirin. Ambulance leaves and mother gets charged $125. Normal? Yes, say health care officials
A man was hit by a MetroRail train downtown Wednesday morning; he was taken to the hospital, but details on his condition weren't released
HISD is reaching out and touching its dropouts, the fifth straight year the district has tried to get the ex-students back in the classroom
And, speaking of Gustav, evacuees are finally heading home — but they're keeping an eye on the Gulf just in case
City animal control officer Beverly Tucker said the a/c wiring in her truck burned, leading to the deaths of several dogs left in the vehicle while Tucker lunched Aug. 26
Computer companies must provide free recycling for Texans' computer stuff, thanks to a law that went into effect Monday
Today's weather: Looking outside these days, you'd almost think it was fall — except for the soul-crushing heat and humidity, that is. Expect more of the same today: Beautiful skies with a high of 91 and a low around 72.
We here at H-Town Rock hope that everyone had a great time over Labor Day Weekend, whether you spent it with friends, family, or the throngs of people reliving the ‘80s over at Rock The Bayou. Yet, upon looking over the slightly slim concert offerings for this upcoming weekend in Houston, it seems that the city is still recovering from the effects of the three-day holiday. Thankfully, there are some great shows out there, including a Saturday brimming with performances from some of the best bands Houston has to offer. Thus, you have only yourselves to blame if you don’t find anything to do – we will be out and about enjoying the first weekend in September.
Thursday, September 4th The Donkeys and listenlisten at Rudyard's
Ivoryline, There For Tomorrow, In:Aviate, and The Bigger Lights at The Meridian
Peekaboo Theory and Hueman Group at Dean's Credit Clothing
Friday, September 5th
Really? Seriously? People are still willing to pay good money to see Maroon 5 and Counting Crows perform? Well, color us annoying rock snobs, but at least we admit it when we toss overt jabs at bands that have dominated pop radio with the same handful of songs for the past decade. Thus, while our nouveaux kicker brother will enjoy Shooter Jennings out at SHRP and our crazy roommate drinks it up with Skyblue 72 at Warehouse, we’ll probably be at the Duck for Bruce Robison. And for those of you singing about Jane & Mrs. Jones in the suburbs, don’t take our good-natured teasing too seriously.
Band of Heathens at The Continental Club
Bruce Robison In-Store Appearance at Cactus Music
Bruce Robison CD Release Show at McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Jack Ingram and Shooter Jennings at Sam Houston Race Park
Little Brother Project CD Release Show: Featuring Skyblue 72 and Bayou Monster at Warehouse Live
Maroon 5, Counting Crows, and Augustana at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
The Ne Plus Ultra, Dual Exhaust, and The World's Most Dangerous at Rudyard's
Saturday, September 6th
For those of you who have friends who consistently complain about the dearth of a decent music scene in Houston, you are compelled to drag them out to experience the great rock bands that are playing all day and night long. Start them off at the iconic Cactus Music from about 1pm to 5pm for the Mia Kat Empire Showcase, bring them over to Late Nite Pie for pizza and The McKenzies, and then take your pick from shows at Rudyard’s, Notsuoh, or The Orange Show. These are the weekends that Houston should be made of and we’d all be fools to ignore it.
Dremt the End and My Own I at Fitzgerald's
Indiehouston.org Benefit Show: Featuring Paris Falls, The McKenzies, Giant Princess, and Harlem at Late Nite Pie
Kate Voegele and Matt White at Warehouse Live
Lazlo at Rudyard's
Mia Kat Empire Day; Featuring The Mayapples, The Goods, Convair, Gretchen Schmaltz, Hollywood Black, Wood & Felt, and Buxton at Cactus Music
The Midgetmen and The Platforms at Notsuoh
The Orange Show Foam Raiser: Featuring Sideshow Tramps, The Grass Skirts, and more at The Orange Show
Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, Carter's Chord, Mica Rober, and Trailer Choir at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sunday, September 7th Eric Sardinas and Hamilton Loomis at The Meridian
Ginger Leigh at McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Megafest 2008: Featuring Marc Anthony, Alejandro Fernandez, Enrique Iglesias, Aventura, DJ Flex, and Fanny Lu at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
September has arrived. You need a good mix of tunes while you go back to school, work, or the unemployment line. Whichever it is, we have the cure: the new edition of the Houstonist iMix.
We have several great fresh songs this time around. We kick it off with the first single from King of Leon’s “Sex on Fire,” from their upcoming album Only By The Night. Also included are two bands that released their first studio album in over a decade: Portishead and recently reunited The Verve. From this spring, we have M83’s “Graveyard Girl.”
Classics range from this decade to the 50’s. From a few years ago, we have a track from the soulful balladeer Ray Lamontagne’s Trouble and a song from Sufjan Steven’s first state-themed album Michigan. From one of the best female singer/songwriter albums of the 90’s, Tidal, we have Fiona Apple’s “Slow Like Honey.” From the 80’s, we included one of our favorite twisted love songs ever, “There is a Light that Never Goes Out” by The Smiths. Finally, from the 50’s, the instrumental “Rumble” from electric guitarist Link Wray.
We love the perspective on this downtown shot. The title "Wannabe Lomo" is a reference to a lomo camera, a small camera that produces various effects including oversaturated colors, off-kilter focus and blurring.
________________________________________________________________ If you have a passion for Houston and photography, consider joining a whole bunch of Houston's best photographers in the Houstonist Flickr Photo Group. If Houstonist uses your photo for Photo Of The Day, submit it here and for more great Houston photography, check out the Houston Photobloggers.
Texas Girls For A Cure is throwing an 80's themed extravaganza benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Saturday, September 6 at the Caroline Collective. The party starts at 6:00 PM and will feature screenings of The Breakfast Club (8:00 PM) and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (10:00 PM).
Texas Girls For A Cure was officially formed in January 2008 by two best friends, Erin Nies and Carissa Hernandez, who met while training for endurance events for Team in Training. Says Nies, "After several years of fund raising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, we had to think of more creative ways to raise money other than just asking our friends for donations. We came up with the name for our group (each event has always been hosted by at least three female teammates), started a website and began planning large fund raising events". Since January Texas Girls For A Cure has raised almost $20,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
On the idea for the Save Ferris Party, Nies explains, "We were trying to think of something different to do as a fundraiser and thought it would be fun to do some sort of 80's themed party. I remembered how successful Lebowski Fest was, so we thought it would be perfect to show some great 80's movies to go along with our 80's theme. John Hughes is synonymous with the 80's so we chose what we considered his two most classic 80's films - The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off".
Admission is $20.00 for adults or $10.00 for kids, which is chump change considering it includes refreshments, all-you-can-drink beer and Tito's vodka (not for the kiddies) and DJs spinning your favorite tunes from the 80's. There is also a costume contest for the best character from any John Hughes movie. Houstonist is desperately seeking (get it?!?) anything made of black mesh or a fringed white jacket with football player shoulder pads a la Sloane Peterson. And if you are a penny pinching Alex Keaton you should know that admission is tax-deductible, with all proceeds going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to be used for cancer research and patient assistance programs.
Seating is outside so please bring a lawn chair or blanket.
Save Ferris...Save Lives
benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Saturday, September 6
6:00 PM to 12:00 PM
The Caroline Collective 4820 Caroline Street
David Bowie's 1972 manifesto could be the theme music for the last few weeks on Houston's restaurant scene. It's been busy to say the least, as demonstrated by several resignations, hirings and announcements. Houstonist is here to round up the highs and the lows.
The newly-opened Americas in The Woodlands has lost both their head chef, Jonathan Jones, and their pastry chef, Plinio Sandalio. Jones was the original chef at Max's Wine Dive and Sandalio is currently a contender for My Table's Houston Culinary Award for Pastry Chef of the Year. Even though they've lost some major talent, at least the Cordua group has one of the twenty best steaks in the country with which they can console themselves.
Jonathan Jones will be moving to Beaver's on Sawyer, just off Washington Avenue, where he'll assume the head chef position from Dax McAnear. In the comments section at Alison Cook's posting on the news, Jones himself commented that it's "great to see all the positive energy. I am excited to be back home. Texas coastal cuisine is my thing and bbq is just another part of it."
This, of course, leaves two questions: where will Dax McAnear go and will Bobby Heugel (Beaver's highly acclaimed mixmaster) remain at Beaver's with all these changes? The second answer first: Bobby Heugel has left Beaver's to open a new bar on lower Westheimer in the former location of the old Daiquiri Factory. The new bar will be called Anvil and Heugel is in the process of remodeling the building with his business partners, with an eye to opening in mid-November. In his article on Drink Dogma, Heugel says of Anvil, "In addition to great cocktails, Anvil will have a carefully stocked wine cellar built in an old loft positioned over the bar. Our beer list will include the best microbrews in the country, and we will offer alternative taps at all times that will change every week." If this pans out, it sounds like a more than welcome addition to the Montrose bar scene.
More news, after the jump...
So what about Dax McAnear? From Alison Cook, we find out that McAnear will be working with Scott Tycer at his new restaurant in the Heights, Textile. Located directly next to his bakery, Krafts'men Baking, in the century-old Oriental Textile Mill on West 22nd, the restaurant is the much-anticipated followup to Tycer's former restaurant, Aries. Houston food lovers went into mourning when Aries closed, and are expected to turn out in droves to Tycer's new venture, which will feature progressive French-American cuisine, a cozy eating environment, an affordable wine list and the same spirit that made Aries so popular.
Speaking of Scott Tycer ventures, we haven't forgotten about Plinio Sandalio. The pastry chef will now be working at Tycer-founded restaurant Gravitas with chef Jason Gould. Sandalio is looking forward to overhauling the dessert menu at Gravitas and will perhaps be working his magic at Textile alongside McAnear and Tycer, if all goes as planned. His excitement for both projects is palatable: "It would be a perfect balance of bistro desserts and modern desserts."
And keeping it in the Heights, another exciting restaurant is set to open soon: Robert Gadsby's signature operation, Bedford. Formerly of Noe (at the Galleria-area Omni Hotel) and Soma (the neo-sushi restaurant on Washington), Gadsby is building a two-story monument to progressive, experimental cuisine on 10th Street at Studewood, which is set to open at year's end. Between Bedford, Textile, Shade and Glass Wall, the predominantly residential Heights is poised to become the unlikely new destination for adventurous, high-end dining options, once again leaving poor downtown Houston out in the cold.
Heard any other food news worth sharing? Let us know!
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The Rice University Design Alliance and the American Institute of Architects, Houston Chapter have a timely idea: challenge designers and architects to design an energy efficient and sustainable small house for under $99,000. Even better still, the house must take into account the hot and humid Houston weather and will be donated to a low-income family. This challenge, known as The 99K House Competition, received 182 entries from around the country. Considering the negative press we've gotten recently about our recycling habits, Houstonist feels slightly vindicated that this idea arose from our own community. Oh yeah, and plans for the winning design include replication throughout the Gulf Coast region. Take that, New York Times!
The winning entry from Hybrid/ORA (Seattle, WA), pictured right, is an adaptable design that can accommodate up to four bedrooms or can be split into two duplex units. The plan features a reduced-size foundation that minimizes impact on the trees at the site. It uses green materials like reclaimed wood, wheat panels for interior partitions and mold-proof magnesium oxide wall boards. The house is situated so that it takes advantage of prevailing summer winds for ventilation and it even has cisterns to collect rainwater for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation. It might be a bit soon to pat ourselves on the back, but we love to see Houston rising to the challenge to foster the development of innovative and sustainable housing options.
Hybrid/ORA will exhibit their design at a reception this Wednesday, September 3 at the Architecture Center Houston (315 Capitol). The reception will be from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with Mayor Bill White scheduled to make opening remarks at 6:30 PM. For more information on the reception visit the AIA Houston Chapter site. You can also see examples from the other finalists, many local, on the 99K House Competition site.
We've probably all been upset by people who turn from lanes from which turns aren't permitted, and there must be something officials can do about that, right? Well, actually, no
Today's weather: Looks like there's a fairly good chance of rain today — 40 percent, to be exact, with a high around 91 and a low tonight in the mid 70s.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. That being said, we'd like to expound on some 
From time to time, Houstonist is curious about the search terms that draw people to our site. As you might imagine, "Houstonist" itself is a popular search term, as is just plain "Houston." However, deep within the bowels of the traffic meter's analytics lie far more interesting search terms, some of which we'd like to share with you this morning.
The newly-opened 
So what about Dax McAnear? From Alison Cook, we find out that McAnear will be working with Scott Tycer at his new restaurant in the Heights, 
And keeping it in the Heights, another exciting restaurant is set to open soon: 
