H-Town Sneaker Summit | Dec. 27
December 16, 2009
Spent all your money for the Holidays? Well make sure you spend some more and check out the H-town Sneaker Summit. Keep Houston Rich by purchasing the latest kicks from across the nation and cyberspace.
Where:
Meridian
Houston, TX
Sun, Dec 27, 2009 03:00 PM
meridianhouston.com
htownsneakersummit.com
$15.00
SCREWED ANTHOLOGIES 11/27/09 7-10pm
November 20, 2009
Exhibition opening & musical performances Friday, November 27th:
7pm David Dove/ Lucas Gorham
8:30pm DJ Dre J, SUC Affiliated DJ
Saturday, November 28th 1pm Talk by SUC special invited guest
1:30-2:30 Screening of DJ Screw: The Untold Story
Exhibition open until December 31st
Artists featured in the exhibition include: D. Denenge Akpem, Inge Hoonte, Wura-Natasha Ogunji, Carlos Pozo, Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez, Odie Rynell Cash, Y.E.Torres, Carolina Vasquez
Screwed Anthologies is a disjointed “exhibition” of performances, videos, sound art, and lectures that draw inspiration from the art of “screwed and chopped” music. Screwed Anthologies moves beyond linear time to feature work by artists who frame time travel, sampling and appropriating, stopping and freezing time and pace to create new states of existence. Based in Houston, Texas the home of screw music, Screwed Anthologies will challenge traditional ideas about art, its location, its practice and its curation.
labotanica 2316 Elgin (at Dowling), Houston, TX 77004
Hours: Saturday, 1pm- 5pm, and by appointment
Slide photo credit: Ben De Soto
Mama’s Cafe
November 4, 2009
As I pulled into Mama’s Café on Westheimer, I noticed that the words “Steaks-Beer” were perched on top of the rusty restaurant sign. I knew I’d come home. Upon entering, I noted that the décor was a comfortable Houston retro. Old beer cans with forgotten brands lined the walls, dusty old Texas license plates painted the ceiling, and pages from old calendars from the 40s and 50s hung proudly on the walls. Even the booth we were led to had a personal juke box, but sadly only served for decorative purposes..
A glance at the menu tells customers that this establishment proudly serves authentic Southern home cookin’. A deeper look divulged the diversity of the dishes, from classics like meatloaf, to Tex-Mex like fajitas, to surprises like Huevos Hofbrau (migas with a German twist). The breakfast menu is served until the early afternoon, and those dishes seemed equally as tantalizing as the dinner menu’s. The price range was affordable, with most of the appetizers falling under $10 and their pricier items like steaks averaging $20. At $14.99, Mama’s famous Ribeye is a steal.
When it came time to order, I decided to get the test for authentic Southern home cookin’: chicken fried steak. My boyfriend/food soul mate, Ivan, decided to try the pork chops. Their side dishes were listed on a wipe board, signifying that their sides are made from scratch and changed on a daily basis. Their variety was extensive and featured all of the Southern classics from broccoli rice casserole to black-eyed peas. The comfortable aroma of food wafted through the room causing our stomachs to growl. When the waiter placed my chicken fried steak in front of me, I couldn’t believe it. That thing was almost the length of a baby. Not only was my chicken fried steak huge, it came with generous portions of red-skinned mashed potatoes and corn. My boyfriend’s pork chops were also hefty in portion, served as two center-cut bone-in chops weighing in at 6 oz. each.
Ladies and gentlemen, the quality certainly matched the quantity. The crust of the chicken fried steak was crispy and flaky without being too heavy. The meat inside was juicy and tender, not chewy like some lesser competitors. The country gravy is the element that glued the dish together; it was savory, buttery and perfectly seasoned. My red-skinned mashed potatoes were the perfect combination of whipped, creamy perfection with both soft, chunky textures. Even my corn exceeded my expectations, with its delicate sweetness.
My initial fear of the dreaded dry pork chops was immediately quelled as my teeth sunk into the tender meat. Because the meat was cut near the bone, the flavor and juices were retained. An error of many chefs is that they tend to over-season meat rather than letting the meat be the star. This was not the case at Mama’s Café. The pork chops were seasoned and sautéed carefully, and had a flavor that reminded me of homemade pork chops but with a quality of meat that was worthy of a five-star restaurant.
Overall, Mama’s Café provided a great experience. It should be noted that most dishes probably aren’t for the calorie conscious, but for those readers who take great pleasure indulging in hearty, comforting, savory Southern cuisine, Mama’s Café will gladly oblige.
As promised.....THEBLVD Shouts out- Chris Jahmez!
Festivals and Fashion Markets
October 19, 2009
There will never be another Woodstock. Never. We’ve seen the images of flower kidz, zonked out from the overindulgence of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. The mud baths, the iconic performances of artists, Hendrix, Dylan, Santana, The Band….since 1969, many festivals have tried to do repeat- think Lalapalooza and Coachella, but ya can’t redo an era.
I’ve heard references to the new Obama generation as a light weight spin off to the 1970’s hippie movement. It’s quite far-fetched and our hybrids wouldn’t support muddy interiors anyway.
Here are some great examples of festival fashion. There were hipsters who seemed to Battle each other for the coolest concert t-shirts, Structured leather jackets (the temp was a nice 85 degees in Austin)and free spirited beauties roaming in bliss on the grassy park.
RAPHAEL SAADIQ LOOKED RATHER CLASSIC IN his 60’s styled vintage black suit.
If you missed The Find, this past weekend you missed out on a treat. Mostly women, vintage lovers came from all over River Oaks and The Heights in search of unfound diggs to sport for the fall. I came across the best booth of the entire market. A young lady by the name of Samadhi and she happens to have one of the largest vintage collections in Houston, Texas. She’s been in business for over 10 years with her mother. After salivating over a vintage gucci bag that I was close to buying, but in guilt passed off to my cousin, I was able to cop an eel skin clutch made in the 60’s for amazingly $60. Eel skin clutches run about $300 in high end stores. Check out her website at ancestorvintage.etsy.com.
HOT SPOT: MonnaLisa
October 19, 2009
If you’re tired of the same scene in the heights, downtown, midtown or even uptown, consider the MonnaLisa Lounge located at Hotel Sorella in the new City Centre in West Houston. This upscale modern lounge has a sexy scene along with a pool area decked out with cozy cabanas draped with white linen. Enjoy sipping one of their specialty martinis like the Lychee Martini when you’re with friends when you’re sitting poolside. Inside, the bar features top shelf drinks as well as delicious gourmet sandwiches. This is a great place to have a drink with a few friends or get cozy with that special someone. The ambiance is tranquil with ambient music playing as the soundtrack of the evening. The next time you are in a mood to just chill, relax and have a good time, consider the MonnaLisa Lounge.
MonnaLisa Lounge
Hotel Sorella
800 West Sam Houston Parkway, Bldg 9
Houston, TX 77024
713.973.1601
The FIND | Friday and Saturday October 9th & 10th from 9am-6pm
September 30, 2009
THE FIND is an emerging designer show that travels with new and underground designers exposing shoppers to fabulous up-and-coming collections including: jewelry, handbags, shoes, and ready-to-wear items for public viewing and purchase. THE FIND experience draws inspiration from both New York and Los Angeles to provide a unique shopping atmosphere to each city. We give local shoppers the opportunity to discover those designers who haven’t saturated mainstream retail locations. While this is not a charity event, each designer gives a portion of their profit from THE FIND to a charity of their choosing.
Currently, THE FIND is planning for upcoming shows in Houston, New Orleans, Dallas and New York.
Houston Details:
Collections: Adults & Kids
Friday and Saturday October 9th & 10th from 9am-6pm
@ Winter Street Studios Gallery
2101 Winter Street Houston, TX 77007
For information about these shows and the showroom events at THE FIND, sign THE FIND’s guestbook at www.thefindhouston.com to receive e-mail updates.
Contact information: Creative Director: Chelsea Dreyer Chelsea@thefindhouston.com 713.213.6997
If You’re Not Here to Perform, Keep Yo Ass at Home
August 6, 2009
Well fuck you too lame dudes from San Bernardino who got no respect from the “H”!
Next up Bobby Ray, aka B.O.B stepped up to the bitter but sweet challenge of moving the Texas crowd with his high energy set mixed with a live guitar solo, a solid acapella flow about “crappy rap,” and the blessing of Bun B. Other than Bun’s obvious excitement for the newcomer with flip camera in hand, the crowd was really feeling the dude. With his two female background singers, he brought the essence of a Bob Marley festival with a southern twang. His excitement for music was refreshing and it was obvious he was comfortable on the stage.
B.O.B
Despite the lack of radio play, he’s not a no-name. Bobby Ray has been featured on the cover of XXL and Vibe as a promising newcomer with the likes of Wale and Asher Roth. He also has the ok from the big boss T.I being signed with Grand Hustle. So yeah that’s all sweet. The bitter fact is that he gave a huge shout out to Austin, Texas in the city of Houston. We hate shitty, irresponsible mistakes and we’ll show it. This city barely gives non-radio heavy hitters a chance. Of course, Houston did what Houston does best, we booed and booed some more just in case he didn’t hear it. But Bobby Ray stuck to his guns and killed the nonsense with his talent — and talent can never be denied.
Act three was Asher Roth and friends. A pale blue-eyed dirty blond graced us with his presence as he rode his toy Cadillac scooter onto the stage. With a hype man, a drummer, a lion mascot and DJ on stage; Asher partied like it was the last day of school.
Asher Roth
He’s slick for a white dude. You either go hard or go home as a rapper regardless of race and he is definitely in this game to win it. Folks compare him to Eminem, which is way off. If one had to compare him to a non black rapper it should be a group, The Beastie Boys. He’s like the little brother who just wants to get put on. He gave so much energy that his shirt was soaked with sweat and water breaks were his relief as the crowd cheered him on. He had full control of his entire set.
Asher allowed his drummer and DJ to show their skills with solos, and he gave the crowd what they wanted — a show. To compare him to a character in college, I would call him the white guy who was up for the challenge to dance with the black chicks at the party. The one who had the basic rhythm, just enough to keep from getting cracked on. He’s slowly making his name relevant to the dominate black music genre with smart lyrics, bold lines like “I like boobies like you like nuts, Lets get together and make them touch.” His performance is a mix of comedy and Animal House all on one stage. Bun B, one of the elder statesman of the Southern Hip Hop game, was visibly feeling him. He had the groupies backstage jumping and he allowed his female fans to dance on stage as they snapped photos to brag on Facebook. Smart marketing.
So what about the nappy headed hoes twitter comment? Who cares? He apologized. Black girls were on that stage and filled HOB, and they loved him — end of story. As he exits, he gives the crowd some well taken advice, “Stay outta trouble, smoke weed everyday.”
Kid Cudi
The superstar genius we know as Kid Cudi started at 10:40 p.m. The crowd chants his name Cuuddi, Cuuddi, Cuuddi, Cuuddi. The stage goes black. All dramatic and shit to the fullest. And there he was, the man of the hour, alone, in his rock start stance, silohoutte in full glow from all the flashy lights. The fans are really hype now. As the drama builds, the energy of the House of Blues was electric.
He went through a list of songs. It was an odd performance because his lyrics are thought provoking and it was hard to fully get into it. With the drama of the show, he couldn’t give the excitement the crowd was exposed to previously. His performance was just him, no hype man, no background singer, drummers –just his DJ, and even that dude was in the dark. Fuck it, we were all in the dark. Other than the lights you could barely see or understand what was going on. We knew we were supposed to feel excited, this Kanye protégé has been the most talked about artist next to Drake, and he seems to be more respected, but damn, give us a little more crowd artist participation.
He was saved by “Poker Face,” a final escape from all the melancholy. Act like you wanna be here Damn it! So there were some interesting moments, he did an acapella sting. His voice was soothing and clear, the first time I could here him clearly. Because of his mysteriousness, women will swoon as long as he doesn’t get all Lady Ga Ga on us.
Lord please save him from being a Diva.
Finally, he performs “Day N’ Night,” his last song. That’s what everyone waited for but due to the lack of energy from the crowd, concert goers made a pre-exit to their cars. It was late and folks were ready to either party or go home.
Photo Cred: Travis Bankett, tbankett.webs.com
Those Who Create Are Rare
August 5, 2009
Those who create are rare; those who cannot are numerous. Therefore, the latter are stronger.- CoCo Chanel
Shuffling through the crowd of a fashion show on Montrose, I bumped into a young lady that I’d met before at a past event. JeyFree caught my attention with her carefree style of dress, small barbell nose ring, huge circular ornate earrings, and of course her mutual feeling of discontent of the late, humid, and unorganized show we were both attending. After a brief conversation over beer, and exchange of numbers I was able to schedule some one-on-one girl talk with this Bronx, New York native.
Upon arriving to her humble and eclectic apartment she mentioned she was in transition to move yet again to Chicago. As I checked out her place, her dining room wall, a collection of inspiration from clippings of magazines, art, and pop icons was a montage of art itself. We casually sipped Kool-Aid as we talked about music, Kenya, and the need for unity between females.
“What are you running away from?” I asked.
“Spiritually I feel that I belong in Chicago right now. I have an opportunity to do some marketing with my new line and I have some friends out there….I plan to come back, eventually.”
Not at all surprised by the excitement in her voice and her willingness to leave Houston in pursuit of her dreams, she began to explain a life changing trip to Nairobi, Kenya a week prior. Jey’s love for people and the quest to get an understanding of the history of African art lead her to work for the Go Down Art Center in Nairobi, where she assisted in art workshops and AIDS awareness. Witnessing the strength of the women and their laborious work load left her feeling proud of her heritage and thankful she’s American.
Jey’s pieces reflect that sense of self awareness she found so inspiring in the shanti towns in Nairobi, Kenya. Her pieces are unique and fun to wear. She’s definitely aware of color theory and she takes the time to handcraft each piece with canvas and acrylic paint. Most pieces have a common theme of Africa, female empowerment and color. What’s more satisfying is her ornate earrings are not heavy on the ear. “I’m not into trends, I want my pieces to speak for the consumer and for themselves,” she said.
It’s true, her ear candies are hanging on her wall, and you could imagine hundreds of these circular canvases all together, along with her wall o’ cool stuff, her accessories definitely have something to say.
JeyFree, birth name Jana Freeman, attended Mariste College in New York and tried a stint at Texas Southern University’s Liberal Arts program.
“I didn’t graduate from college. I guess you can call me a drop out but I continue to educate myself,” she casually mentions.
A child of diversity, her mother’s biracial and father a native of Trinidad, she fell in love with art at the adult age of 20. How she discovered her craft is straight out of every girl’s personal necessity to accessorize an outfit on a night out.
“I didn’t have any jewelry to wear and there was nothing original to buy at a store,” she said. “I paint therapeutically, so I decided to give it a try with earrings.”
A blessing upon her many talents, she decided to step out on faith and in her New York way of hustling sh
e opened up shop with a table and 20 handcrafted pieces of her now famed earrings in Uptown Tapas on Richmond. “I had a feeling they would sale well,” she said. “Not too many people hustle jewelry at lounges and clubs.”
Jeyfree’s a definite flower child. She’s a huge music fan of Chrisette Michelle, Erykah Badu and Solange Knowles. Her muse is her cool and introverted sister Amber and she describes herself as a “Freedom Fighter.”
With the last name Freeman, it’s a birthright. What’s it looking like for JeyFREE’s future? She plans to open a museum style gallery of accessories where people can purchase and experience her finds from across the world. You can check her out and order your customized accessories at http://jeyflysfree.blogspot.com/.
Photos by: Arnea Williams, livefreshvintage.com
The Chocolate Bar
July 7, 2009
Attention chocolate lovers. Willy Wonka has nothing on this establishment. Before I get into how ridiculously decadent everything was, let me say that this place has so much character and charm — the vibe was cool. One side of the shop actually does sort of resemble a bar. In fact, on Tuesday evenings, you can enjoy listening to a live band while indulging in your favorite chocolate treat. Speaking of chocolate, did I mention this was a chocolate lover’s paradise? How has this place been in existence for eight years and I not know about it?
They offer everything from truffles to chocolate-dipped fresh fruit, cheesecake, homemade ice cream and even chocolate novelties, which also make great gifts. You can also find unusual items covered in chocolate like Pringles, Twinkies and Lucky Charms cereal to name a few. But what really caught my eye were these massive four layer chocolate cakes on display. I felt like I gained five pounds just looking at them. That didn’t stop me though, I had to try a slice. I chose the cake oddly named Uncle Darryl’s; four layers of extremely moist dark chocolate cake with toffee and bittersweet chocolate bits between each layer. They top it off with a rich chocolate ganache. Seriously, every bite was pure unadulterated bliss. This slice of heaven will cost you around $10, not exactly cheap, but worth it. They’re also conscious of the diabetic population offering the best sugar free chocolate treats in town. The Chocolate Bar didn’t forget about the pooches in your life. They offer a variety of carob (not chocolate) and peanut butter covered treats for you pet lovers as well. Try them out, they even stay open until midnight on weekends. The Chocolate Bar, where every hour is happy hour.
The Chocolate Bar
1835 W. Alabama
Houston, TX 77098
713.520.8599
New Location – Rice Village
2521 University Boulevard
Houston, TX 77005
713.520.8888
www.theoriginalchocolatebar.com
photography cred: Jamie Lockard
Reigning Glory
July 1, 2009
Houston is rapidly perfecting the, now not so foreign, concept of luxury lounges, which are quickly lining up the streets of “The Corridor.” What started with the occasional bottle of Dom service and mood lighting has now transformed Washington Ave. into a hotbed of girls dressed in Vegas-wear and an abundance of blazer/Ed Hardy combos.
And now with the opening of the posh upscale lounge Reign, Houston may have found its new hotspot to see and be seen. Promoting the “Keep Houston Rich” theme, the lounge hopes to push the envelope of opulence. Oh, they have all the trimmings; dripping crystal chandeliers, rooftop bar with downtown views, and a softly lit fireplace. The true test of its longevity in the fast paced nightlife business is the crowd. Judging from the jam packed grand opening, it looks like this one’s gonna stick around for awhile.
Looks like it’s time to slip on those Louboutins.
Reign Lounge
4105 Washington Ave. between Bonner and Thompson Streets
713.869.0404
www.reignlounge.com
Photo Cred: Jaime Lockard
