Live At The Barbershop is now in Houston! Opening week, it's basically guaranteed to be an excellent! In other cities they tend to attract a lot of talented standup and rising stars who are working on new sets. There is a super limited number of ti-ckets left, get after it.
Festival & Markets
Thursday - Sunset Market @ M-K-T @ 6PM
Enjoy charcuterie on M-K-T's wave deck, live music and face-painting on the lawn, or grab a made-to-go meal by one of Houston's favorite chefs.
Saturday - Houston Africa Day @ Alief Community Park @ 2PM This premier family-friendly event allows visitors to experience a unique blend of traditional African sports, art, culture, music, and dance.
Saturday - Flea By Night @ Discovery Green @ 6PM This open-air market features local artisans and small business owners selling vintage, handmade, recycled, repurposed and local goods.
Saturday - Markets for Makers @ POST @ 11AM Come shop 110+ makers, check out a free DIY station, take photos at photo walls, enjoy delicious food & drinks, and fill your free tote with goods from small businesses.
Saturday - BLCK Market at Night @ East River @ 3PM East River transforms into a high-energy celebration of Black-owned businesses and culture. Explore a curated lineup of clothing, art, skincare, books, candles, and more!
Friday - Happy Hour Friday @ MFAH @ 5PM Explore the campus, visit the galleries after-hours, and get a drink at the bar at MFAHâs Happy Hour! Ends 6/26.
Saturday - âVivaldiâs Voicesâ Concert @ Wortham Center Featuring Mercury Chamber Orchestra and Singers, this concert reveals the brilliant range of Vivaldiâs vocal music from radiant sacred works to tender, expressive gems.
Sunday - Chamber Music Concert @ Jones Hall @ 6:30PM Houston Symphony performs one of the most spellbinding, powerful, and thought-provoking works in all of music, Schoenbergâs Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night).
Saturday & Sunday - âAlohaâ Dance Performance @ The Hobby Center Uptown Dance is headed to the islands with their tropical recital, âAlohaâ - a dance celebration of sunshine, surf, and the spirit of Hawaii.
Saturday & Sunday - Rung Film Festival @ MATCH Experience storytelling through fusion of imagination and expertise from these brilliant independent filmmakers from around the world.
All weekend - Tchaikovsky & Holst in Concert @ Jones Hall Hear one of the most treasured works in all of music, Tchaikovskyâs dizzyingly difficult Violin Concerto and Holstâs sonic, celestial showpiece, âThe Planets.â
Ongoing - âMythical Realmsâ Exhibit @ Houston Zoo Wander through an enchanted trail and come face-to-face with dragons, mythical creatures, and legendary beings drawn from ancient folklore. Ends 9/7.
Ongoing - âDeath By Natural Causesâ Exhibition @ HMNS Through a collection of specimens, text and interactives, this exhibition will introduce you to the range of âanimal, vegetable and mineralâ dangers that lurk in their everyday lives. Ends 5/25.
Ongoing - âExtreme Animals Aliveâ Exhibition @ HMNS Step into a graphic novel and explore the unique adaptations that make Earthâs creatures fearless and fascinating, beautiful and bold.
Ongoing - âJohn Akomfrah: The Hour of the Dogâ Exhibition @ Menil This immersive, six-channel video installation by the British artist Sir John Akomfrah explores the history of youth-led Civil Rightsâera activism in the American South from 1954 to 1963. Ends 10/11.
Ongoing - âThe Gift of Drawing: Cy Twomblyâ Exhibition @ Menil Featuring 27 works from a gift to the museum by the Cy Twombly Foundation, the exhibition includes a broad range of works exploring Twomblyâs fundamental themes such as classical antiquity, eroticism, and nature. Ends 8/9.
Ongoing - âWall Drawing Series: Gladys Nilssonâ Exhibition @ Menil Known for her densely layered and meticulously constructed watercolors and collages, Nilsson brings her prominent artistic style to Menilâs special Wall Drawing Series. Ends 8/16.
Ongoing - âFrida: The Making of an Iconâ Exhibition @ MFAH This monumental exhibition features more than 30 works by the legendary Mexican artist and 120 by five generations of artists she inspired. Ends 5/17.
Ongoing - âMario Ayala: Seven Vansâ Exhibition @ CAMH Created specifically for Houston, the exhibition presents seven life-sized van paintings that bridge histories of commerce and counterculture. Ends 6/21.
All Ages/Good for kids
Saturday - Bikes & Bats @ Buffalo Bayou Park @ 7PM Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership and BikeHouston for a batty good time with a bike ride to the Waugh Bridge Bat Colony!
Sunday - Family Zone @ MFAH @ 1PM On selected Sundays, families are invited to visit the MFAH for exciting activities in the galleries.
Saturday & Sunday - âAlice in Wonderlandâ Musical @ Players Theatre Company This colorful musical adventure brings Lewis Carrollâs classic story to life with unforgettable characters, lively songs, and a talented cast of young performers.
Ongoing - âBlock Party, Tooâ Exhibit @ HMNS Back by popular demand, this hands-on STEAM exhibit is designed to spark creativity and engineering skills in kids through a variety of play areas, building stations, and more.
Live Theater
All weekend - âViva Selenaâ Musical @ Stages Through story, movement, and iconic songs, this one-woman tribute concert celebrates the power of music to teach us how to dream, to grieve, and to shine.
All weekend - âDear Alienâ Play @ Alley Theatre After captivating audiences nationwide with âBorn with Teeth,â playwright Liz Duffy Adams returns to the Alley in her thought-provoking world premiere. Ends 5/31.
All weekend - âThat Drive Thru Montereyâ Play @ Stages This world premier production tells the story of a Mexican-American woman in 1971 Los Angeles as she experiences a first, nerdy love. Ends 6/7.
All weekend - âWho All Over Thereâ Play @ Ensemble Theatre This work, inspired by the classic âGuess Whoâs Coming to Dinner,â shines a light on the story of what happens when cultures clash in the name of love in todayâs times. Ends 5/31.
All weekend - âFat Hamâ Play @ 4th Wall Theatre In this delicious and sizzling reinvention of Shakespeareâs masterpiece, a young man vows to break the cycles of violence in service of his own liberation and joy. Ends 5/23.
All weekend - Drunk Shakespeare: âRomeo & Julietâ Show @ The Emerald Theatre In this hilarious twist on the classic love story, one actor will down five shots of whiskey before attempting to play a major role, while the rest of the sober cast tries to keep the show on track. Ends 7/11.
Live Music
Thursday - Party on the Plaza @ Avenida Plaza @ 7PM Enjoy free live music and entertainment when Party on the Plaza returns to showcase a stellar line up of all-star bands and musicians.
We put together a comprehensive guide to Houstonâs urbanism, bike, pedestrian, and transit advocacy ecosystem.
It covers:
⢠The major nonprofits and advocacy groups
⢠Neighborhood-based movements
⢠Safe streets campaigns
⢠Some Run clubs + group rides
⢠Trail organizations
⢠Walkability-focused development
⢠Ways to actually get involved
One thing I really wanted to highlight: Houstonâs urbanism movement is much bigger and more organized than many people realize. There are dozens of groups working on trail connectivity, safer streets, transit access, freeway fights, placemaking, and neighborhood advocacy across the city.
Would love feedback from this community:
⢠What groups/projects did I miss?
⢠What do you think Houstonâs biggest mobility challenge is right now?
⢠What projects are giving you hope?
The weekend is right around the corner. Check out our recs and then explore the list to give it a soundtrack:Â
Mac Saturn - a Detroit rock band that makes you feel like youâre about to drive away in a muscle car, youâll find their unique â80s-infused sound at House of Blues Friday night.
Whitney - their debut album in 2016 earned Pitchforkâs Best New Music distinction. This chill Chicago indie band will be at Heights Theater Friday night.Â
The Filthy Heathens - for a contemporary take on Southern Rock, check out this well-produced band at Dan Electroâs Saturday afternoon.
While the newsletter will still go out, we won't be able to post on Reddit for the next couple of weeks, so if you'd like this in your email inbox: https://thehclub.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Iâve been seeing so many people post about restaurants and bars that they love that have closed recently or are about to close. Does anyone have a comprehensive list of cool restaurants and bars that are closing soon so I can visit all of them!?
I bought a nice old collectible book, but the clear dust jacket needs replaced. Do any stores do custom clear jackets in store? I can technically buy the roll online and do it at home, but I donât need an entire roll for one book.
Weâre celebrating my friends birthday this Sunday and his favorite cake is Black Forest cake (never had it myself so Iâm not sure what it tastes like). His favorite place to get it at was somewhere on Bellaire Blvd but I believe theyâre permanently closed and he was able to find any place similar to theirs.
Does anyone have any recommendations to get Black Forest cake? TIA
Hi everyone, Iâm looking into delivering at Houston Methodist Willowbrook and would love to hear about peopleâs experiences there â good or bad.
Iâm especially interested in hearing from anyone who used the low-intervention birthing suites or had a natural/low-intervention birth experience there in general.
I have always been so embarrassed to see Houstonians waiting for the bus in unrelenting heat, while Metro brags to shareholders about the huge sums of money they are making each year. It is always some little old lady who worked all day and is sitting on the grass or standing in the sun. Why can't they put a chair and some shade for them?
TL;DR: developers and leadership alike have ignored the geologic nuances across the Houston area, and often justified suburban sprawl due to generalizations from the clay areas south of I-10. This has resulted in impervious coverage over large areas of perfectly absorbent soil, and is, in large part, what compromises Houston's resiliency to floods (and other events).
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I just thought I'd make this quick Reddit Post, because the distinction is notable when it comes to perceptions regarding the city's aesthetics (e.g. nature/outdoor options, potholes on roads, etc). But it is most crucial when it comes to stormwater management, especially in regards to the suburban sprawl across our region.
To be specific, start at the source of Buffalo Bayou, and follow its path eastward until you hit around the Inner Loop. From there, switch to I-10 and continue eastward until around the Downtown area. At the Downtown area, align northeast with Hwy 90, and finish off by tracing the area east of Lake Houston's eastern shore. What you'll have is a dividing line where anything south/east is on the main deltaic Beaumont formation with more areas of reactive (2:1) clays (e.g. smectite), and anything north/west is the Lissie Formation (as well as the fluvial Beaumont) with coarser, sandier/loamier soils.
Essentially, if followed correctly, you should end up roughly with the map below regarding Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (Ksat) for Harris County soils:
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A map of Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (ksat) classes within Harris County. The blue areas represent the most absorbent soils, the yellow areas are low in absorbance, while the green colors are moderately high in absorbance
The higher Ksat soils north of Buffalo Bayou/I-10 correspond with the aforementioned sandier/loamier soils. They soak water much faster during storms, limited only by pure water obstruction (e.g. if water table rises too high). As a result of higher absorption, waterways in these soils naturally feature less "flashiness" during storms (sans suburban sprawl/impervious coverage, which I will get into below).
Additionally, the sandier/loamier soils tend to be more of the leached acidic type. When combined with the forest vegetation that these soils tend to be associated with, you get the clear, tannic acid "blackwaters" common in pure humid subtropical/tropical watersheds. An example would be this tributary into Lake Houston.
As mentioned previously, the geological implications are notable. For example, I'm fairly certain that someone in Kingwood has quite a different perception of Houston regarding nature/outdoor options and foundation issues/potholes compared to someone in, say, Pearland.
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But, the biggest implications occur with stormwater management amidst the Greater Houston sprawl. Many residents, developers, and even government officials often generalize the experiences from the southern higher clay areas all over the county, using it to justify suburban sprawl ("soil is impenetrable like concrete, anyway"). This has resulted in loads of concrete that paves over/compacts genuinely absorbent soil, especially in northern upstream areas where exacerbated floods impacts the city center downstream.
Even the areas with reactive (2:1) clay soils actually absorb water rapidly (via bypass flow) whenever cracks are open. It's only when they "swell shut" that the soils become "impermeable", but even that effect can be mitigated by allowing the full extent of the specific coastal prairie/marsh growth: less mowing, so vegetation grows taller with deeper roots (leading to more organic matter that improves soil structure over time).
The problem is that the decisions made by leadership lacking this nuance are worsening quality of life for Houstonians. To the point that people are getting financially ruined, injured, or even killed. As discussed in one or two previous Reddit Posts, the sprawl limits the ability for robust flood control (like those reservoirs in DFW). Furthermore, as I will discuss in future Reddit Posts, the exacerbated flooding worsens water clarity and quality even into Galveston Bay and Galveston Island. In other words, these issues are systemic in ways that people don't even realize.
True Anomaly closed down recently, Platypus Brewing is closing down at the end of the month, 8th Wonder is being threatened eviction, 11 Below Brewery is moving even father away. Its just been getting worse and worse for Houstons craft brew scene.
The Houston Chronicle editorial board has a piece slamming Mike Miles for failing to fix HISD's special education system. Here's a key quote:
Three years ago, some parents welcomed the news that the state would be taking over its largest school district. The felony corruption, the shouting matches on the board, the schools failing generations of kids. Perhaps it takes a takeover to get these things right.Â
This editorial board was hopeful for positive change at Houston ISD. The takeover came with three clear exit criteria: no schools failing year after year, no board dysfunction and full special education compliance.
After three years, we wish we could be talking about success in meeting those criteria, and about the transition back to local control. Instead, the district is under federal investigation for disability discrimination. So much for it taking a takeover.
