The 2008 Houston Press "Best of Houston" Launch Party was a big success Thursday night. The event was held at Lucky's Pub and it entertained a packed crowd of Houstonians as the event featured the sounds of 80 Proof and their red hot go-go dancers. In the VIP room, the spinning of DJ Andrew Lawrence kept the crowd in a mellow grove as they enjoyed complimentary alcohol and food. In the back area, patrons had......

Houstonist just discovered, courtesy of the Houston Blues Society, The Houston Press and the Beaumont Enterprise, Gatemouth's grave in the Hollywood Cemetery in Orange, Texas is without a headstone, three years after his death. Brown, born in Vinton, Louisiana, was raised in Orange and got his music career going in 1945, when he began playing drums professionally in San Antonio. He became famous in Houston at Don Robey's Bronze Peacock in 1947, when T-Bone Walker......

Houstonist braved the heat, crowds, light rail trains, random panhandlers and city sidewalks to enjoy this year's Houston Press Music Awards Showcase. The event was held at various spots along Main St. and points beyond. We snapped photos of as many bands as we could but couldn't be everywhere, so here are some highlights from this year's event.......

The Houston Press has once again announced their 2008 nominees for the highly-anticipated Houston Press Music Awards. It's not too late to vote for your favorite band, performer, album, underground rapper, drummer, zydeco outfit, tribute band or any number of exciting music geek categories. Just remember that voting ends tomorrow, July 27th. Of course, if you've already voted and want to take in a Sunday afternoon that's fit to bursting with local musical talent, then......

>> Wintry mix blasts Panhandle, North Texas with sleet, snow: They came from the north and helped freeze your tootsies. Yep, those darn north winds are to blame for the uber chill around town today writes Meteorologist Tim Heller on the Houston Weather Blog. The same system that blanketed North Texas with nine inches of snow and caused Dallas-Ft. Worth airport to cancel 200 flights will share its chill with Houston. "This type of......

:: FOTOFEST BIENNIAL :: Fotofest starts tomorrow and continues until April 20th. Houston will be covered inside out with some amazing photography and photo-related art, and we heartily encourage you to see as much as you can. The theme this year is China and the ancillary theme (like minoring in college?) is transformations. Get a preview of the outstanding work on show here. Start tomorrow with the opening over at official HQ: the Vine......

After a week off for prayer and fasting in the hope that Roger Clemens would finally appear in the media again, our supplications were heard and we feel up to posting this roundup again. For those of you who are new around these parts, this is where we take a look at what the blogs and other media are saying about our hometown sports teams each week. - On the heels (rimshot) of Yao Ming's......

Pitchers and catchers report this week! Hell yes! Our long national nightmare is over! We'll take a look at the Astros roster in more detail later this week, but until then, here's what the blogs are saying about our local teams. Warning: not responsible for ball jokes about the Rockets. - So supposedly Roger Clemens is still in the news. Who knew? Rather than slog through all the syringes and attorney b.s., here's the Dugout's......

Perspectives 159: Superconscious, Automatisms Now December 14, 2007 – March 9, 2008 Opening reception December 13, 2007, 6:30-9:00 p.m. Sigh. This is Houston's last hurrah with Senior CAMH Curator Paola Morsiani, and we are sad. Having been with the CAMH for over eight years, Morsiani is heading north to become Curator of Contemporary Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art, an internationally renowned encyclopedic museum in the midst of a $258 million renovation and expansion.......

When you first hear Katie voice, you know that you've hit the goldmine. That's probably why she quickly won local music awards not long after moving back to her hometown, Houston. Katie Stuckey and the Straggler, her band, will be performing tomorrow night at Rudyard's. It'll be a great show, and a good chance to see her in a smaller venue: We know she'll quickly outgrow these small venues. We bounced some questions off......

Here are a few things that have been said about local rockers Southern Backtones. "The only way this could get any beautifully darker is if it grew black wings and flew away." - Ft. Worth Weekly "Alt-rock guitars, darkly poetic lyrics and a vocal style reminiscent of the mid-90s Britpop movement...the musicianship and songwriting on this effort are top notch. Highly recommended." - Exclaim! Canada's Music Authority "Smacks of mass appeal!" - Houston Press "If......

Goat cheese is another one of those ingredients that people either love or hate. On the one hand, we think goat cheese is a delectable, multi-talented piece of dairy. On the other hand, one hater told us he thought it tasted like 'farm'. Hmmm. Hopefully this article will inspire a second taste, perhaps even transforming 'farm' to 'farmtastic? Goat cheese, also known as chevre cheese, has a slightly tart taste due to the higher content......

Well, good news from the Texans, Cougars, and Dynamo camps. All three were winners this weekend. But there was a lot more going on in the Houston sports universe this week. Let's take a look at what people were saying: - Chronicle columnist Jose de Jesus Ortiz got called out for misdiagnosing the Astros offseason needs, and the commenter used complete sentences and no profanity. Intelligent comments on a sports blog (other than this one,......

Spent all your cash on girlie drinks and shattered dreams again this weekend, didn't you? No worries - Thriftster gives you the lowdown on cheap stuff to do until Paycheck Friday. Monday: If you're still in the Halloween mood, after all that blood red jell-o shot slurping and blacklight body paint application, hit the Lawndale Center's (4912 Main St.) retablo exhibit. Doors close at 5pm, which gives you plenty of time to nosh on some......

::Vinyl Ranch at Leon's Lounge:: As the Houston Press finally put to rest the debate of Houston's oldest bar yesterday, we were busy planning our strategic involvement in the 2nd Annual Vinyl Ranch at Leon's Lounge. Yes, DJ Dave Wrangler is doing it again,. If you missed the first Vinyl Ranch, you are probably still kicking your self. Well, at least we are. (Kicking oursevles, not kicking you.) So what is Vinyl Ranch? Think: Gilley's......

"Biggio" is the word on many bloggers minds this week, so this'll be a pretty Astros-heavy week here at the blog roundup. - Orange Whoopass is putting together some of the most poignant tributes to number 7. Here are a couple of them. - Biggio didn't break the all-time hit-by-pitch record (he came two short, but still holds the modern-era record). Plunk Biggio breaks it down with a great tribute, and some finger pointing. -......

Another reminder about 600 sq mi, Houstonist's photo show? Well, now that you mention it, yes: The show's on display now at M2 Gallery in the Heights, and the opening reception is 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the gallery. Which brings us to our point: If you picked up this week's Houston Press, you might have noticed the listing for the show in the Night & Day section. It's amazing — including a big......

For once, this week's music calendar is light on local acts, heavy on touring acts. Tonight, catch classic crooner Tony Bennett (who turns 80 this year) at Jones Hall. Tomorrow night, we recommend California indie rock band Rocco Deluca & the Burden at Warehouse Live. Mix things up a little bit Wednesday night and catch Austin's Belleville Outfit at the Duck, combining jazz, swing and Americana. Houston's own R&B legend Archie Bell will "tighten......

Oodles of noodles on Shepherd at W. Alabama! Today marks the grand opening of the second Jenni’s Noodle House. The original Jenni’s Noodle House, located in Old Chinatown downtown, opened its doors six years ago. Houstonist loves Jenni’s because of the big personality that co-owner Scott Weaver brings to the store. Always the approachable and high energy character, we chatted with Scott about Jenni, Jenni’s and the new restaurant. What were the inspirations for the......

The Dimes may not have swept the Houston Press Music Awards last week, but they did leave with the most trophies – three, to be exact (Best New Act, Best Indie Rock, and Song of the Year). While puppies (in age, that is) compared to many on the Houston music scene, they’re making a big splash right out-of-the-box. We caught up with Carlos Sanchez, guitarist and lead vocalist for The Dimes, as he and the......

This week, don’t be looking for the big, A-list concerts, but that doesn’t mean that there’s a void of good live music choices. Last week’s big winner at the Houston Press Music Awards, The Dimes, will be playing at The Proletariat with several other bands Friday night. Sam Houston Race Park continues their summer concert series with Cory Morrow the same night. Saturday, you can take a step back into the 80’s with legendary......

Last night, Warehouse Live played host to the annual Houston Press Music Awards. Houstonist was there to absorb all of the entertainment and was treated to some of the best local music around. The Dimes (pictured above) walked away as big winners, with three awards – Best New Act, Best Indie Rock, and Song of the Year, for “Delilah,” which they performed on stage midway through the night. Other performers included Million Year Dance......

With all of the rain we’ve been having, it’d be nice to just sit (or stand) indoors somewhere and enjoy some good music. So, that’s what Houstonist is going to do. Many good choices for this weekend – here are our picks: Tonight Jazz comes to Fitzgerald’s tonight. However, this isn’t your grandfather’s jazz. One of our local favorites, Drop Trio (pictured on the left), will be joining headliner O’2L (which features a member of......

Only a few times (a week) does Houstonist gets so excited about an event that we forget about this summer's deluge for a few moments. Weather was the last thing on our minds when our mother told us we found out about this event. More like, "weather" or not we should just go camp out now and wait for the opening. (Please don't let our contrived puns keep you from reading.) Perspectives 157: Xaviera Simmons,......

As you get ready to head out for your July 4th holiday, we thought you might like to have some tunes to play on the way. Houstonist contributors have put together a collection of songs that are currently on the most played list on our iPod. There is a variety, so you should find something you like (and if you're open-minded musically, you'll probably like them all). This month, we have a couple of Houston......

Houston Symphony Summer Nights The Symphony must have heard what you said about Miller Outdoor Theatre, readers. Tonight they will perform a concert at the auspicious venue, and - like all Miller events - it's totally free. It might be a little wet, so remember that tickets for the covered seating area are available at the Miller Theatre Box Office between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm on the day of the performance. Remaining tickets are......

Not too long after having a minor heart attack, Frank Piazza drove down Bissonett to eat some healthy food at Cleburne's, heeding the advice of the cardiologist who fixed him up. On his way there, at the intersection of Wakeforest, he eyed an available corner suite in a strip center that used to house a Philly Cheesesteak Connection. The space, with its prominent location, long profile, and spacious windows, immediately caught Frank's eye. Already......

Hotel ZaZa Opening Party Every once in awhile we like to take you into the world of the social elite in a little feature we call Social-ist (we know, we are so clever with those -ists!). Last week we attended the preview party of the new Hotel ZaZa. We had been hearing a lot about this swank tank, and we were looking forward to checking it out. Seeing as the old Warwick's transformation into a......

Local singer/songwriter Lee Alexander has been working the pub and wine bar scene for the last few years, and it’s paid off. His CD Out of Place was on many local critic’s “Best of 2006” list and has received several regional music nominations and awards. Alexander plays tonight at one of our favorite wine bars – The Corkscrew. They are hosting a new Monday evening acoustic set, which puts Lee Alexander right at home (and......

A Roman Feast: Menu of Menus Extravaganza + Imperial Rome Exhibit Feast your sights and tastes on an evening of grandeur when the Houston Press and Houston Museum of Natural Science host the 5th annual Menu of Menus Extravaganza. Delve into the aromas of cuisine sampling from over 40 Houston-area restaurants, as well as wine, vodka, beer-tasting, and live entertainment. When in need of a gastronomical break, wander into an extensive collection of over......