September 2008

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002houston | september 08 | volume 10 | issue 117

hip.current.coolguide

002mag.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

42

4 table of contents

SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE GOT

6 letter from the editor

002 IS ACCEPTING ENTRIES

8 houston map

FOR THE DECEMBER

12 002news | uptown map

10 downtown map

HOLIDAY COVER. A JURY OF ARTISTS, GALLERY OWNERS,

14 calendar

DELIVERY MEN AND US.

18 museum district

58 archichat

20 gallery: green house galllery

60 002profile: eric ladin

21 spacetaker

62 wise guy

22 for art’s sake: daniel-kayne

63 finance

23 gish at the movies

64 vroom vroom

24 non-profit:

65 tools+toys+gadgets

bayou preservation association

66 restaurant listings

26 scene | living smart:

68 dine write: las alamedas

anthony green, phd

70 new restaurants

WILL PICK THE COVER FOR THE 2008 HOLIDAY ISSUE.

visit

16 exhibits+museums+art house listings 17 what’s up downtown

71 chef’s special:

www.002mag.com

FOR DETAILS OR

covercontest@002mag.com

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junnajet "jett" hurapan | gigi’s 28 destination: northern california

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72 sipcodes 73 club review: armadillo palace 74 dj mike relm

30 on our radar

76 cd reviews | scene

32 born cool. grow hip.

78 002 nightlife

33 scene 34 people of houston 36 costumes for cocktails 38 retail wrap: j. silver 39 4 greats 40 things i love

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42 sordid lives

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44 punk rock girl 46 PR 54 architecture+design: one chair 55 r & r 56 where to live

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legendary ko

82 crossword puzzle | before we go

43 scene

froggee and his secret bunny 2007 cover winner wendy wagner

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80 recording: the

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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Photography by Sofia van der Dys |Hair by Elia Graves at Jose Eber salon and Makeup by Pati + Trixi

Isn’t everyone glad school has started up again?

Now that your schedules have opened up, get ready for a full-fledged fall season of arts & entertainment. Perfect timing, we think, since this is the Arts & Entertainment Issue.

This city is so talented we had to cut out many wonderful options for this issue and although we can’t cover everything, we think we’ve covered our fair share.

CARLA VALENCIA de MARTINEZ

We’re not sure if you know just how essential to us, the museums, theaters, restaurants, shops, etc., … publicists are. So, the bunch on the cover plus a few more (all on page 46) are the people behind the things you love in this city. From the happening parties you all want access to, to the opening of that new restaurant you can’t wait to sink your teeth into. The majority are our friends and we are happy to introduce you to them!

daniel-kayne is the featured artist who also happens to be Lawndale Art Center’s first place winner of the Big Show Awards. Our jet-setting writer Nadia Michel interviews the jet-setting artist.

We spotlight the new gallery – the Green House Gallery – that features artists interested in environmental issues. Speaking of environmental issues, the non-profit featured this month is the Bayou Preservation Association, which addresses environmental issues specifically in regards to the creeks and bayous throughout our very green city.

My husband and I are addicted to Generation Kill, the HBO series based on the true story of Marines fighting in the Iraqi war in 2003, as documented by journalist Evan Wright, covering the invasion for Rolling Stone. Houstonian Eric Ladin is one of the Marines in the series and he’s our Profile on page 60..

Even our People of Houston are in the industry: one’s a comedian, the other a musician and the last a stuntman, most recently for Mr. Dark Knight himself.

Art and music mix, mingle and merge with Texan Amanda Dunbar’s vision.. Allison Bagley catches up with the young artist. Lance Scott Walker talks it up with turntablist extraordinaire Mike Relm on page 74 and Tim Moloney, our on-again, off-again Arts & Entertainment Editor, is on again…. well, this month... and catches up with a few Houstonian actors set to take center stage in the new TV series – Sordid Lives.

I think we’ve got it all covered..

Enjoy the beginning of fall.

Carla Valencia - Editor at Large Fashion Director 6. september08 002houston

volume 10

issue 117

PUBLISHER alejandro martinéz ext 16 a.martinez@002mag.com EDITOR AT LARGE | FASHION DIRECTOR carla valencia ext 13 c.valencia@002mag.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR victoria bartlett ART DIRECTOR alex rosa ext 17 arosa@002mag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR | EVENTS beatrice valencia ext 11 bvalencia@002mag.com ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER william king ext 18 w.king@002mag.com ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES carlos valencia ext 12 cevalencia@002mag.com jarrod klawinsky ext 15 jklawinsky@002mag.com lidia spaw ext 19 lidias@002mag.com

isabel terraso ext 14 isabel@002mag.com beenish ahmad beenish@002mag.com PHOTOGRAPHERS sofia van der dys, anthony rathbun, kim coffman, jill hunter, daniel ortiz, kennon evett, gabriella nissen, dax sunga, emily dwyer, steve harris, aaron m. sprecher, jack potts, michelle watson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS eizabeth cencini, matthew millman, michelle watson of lastnightpics.com, genesis photographers, ove søborg, dan carter, hilary charlotte CONTRIBUTING WRITERS michael andre adams, allison bagley, leigh bell, brant croucher, chris dunn, michael garfield, sarah gajkowski-hill, sarah gish, patty gras, sandra gunn, travis jones, hal lynde, tim moloney, myles mellor, nadia michel, katia orellan, regina panis, pete radowick, lance scott walker, wenjing zhang FOR SUGARLAND SALES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE Photography by Sofia van der Dys Stuart Rosenberg’s image by Julie Soefer Art Direction: Alexandre Rosa

002houston Magazine is published monthly by NODO Magazine, L.L.C., 1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002. Copyright © 2008 by NODO Magazine L.L.C. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

002houston Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial, nor do the publishers assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear.

For subscription information, call 713.223.5333x14 or send a check or money order for $35.00 to 002houston Magazine, 1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002.

002HOUSTON MAGAZINE 1310 NANCE ST. STUDIO C | HOUSTON, TX 77002 713.223.5333 | FAX 713.223.4884 | LETTERS@002MAG.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/002HOUSTON | WWW.002MAG.COM

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Downtown......................................1 Holocaust Museum.........................2 Galleria..........................................3 Uptown Park..................................4 River Oaks Park.............................5 Rice Village....................................6 Highland Village............................7 Memorial City................................8 Town & Country Village..................9 Loehmann’s................................10 Sam Houston Race Park..............11 Katy Mills...................................12 Sugar Land.................................13 Zoo ............................................14 Museum District..........................15 George Bush Intl. Airport............16 Hobby Airport.............................17 Space Center Houston.................18 Kemah........................................19 Miller Outdoor Theatre................20 Contemporary Arts Museum........21 Houston Museum of Fine Arts......22 Children’s Museum......................23 Houston Museum of Natural Science..24 Houston Arboretum.....................25 Houston Theater District..............26 The Woodlands............................27

HOUSTON MAP

What's hip.current.cool? Get on our list, e-mail us at events@002mag.com to make sure you're invited.

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NEWS ANYTHING NOTEWORTHY DEVELOPMENT Interfin’s latest development, Vintage Park, an award-winning lifestyle shopping center located at the intersection of Louetta Road and Highway 249 in northwest Houston, has signed leases to bring CoCo’s Crepes & Coffee, Trio Steakhouse and the FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt Café. In addition, the office of Amelia Garrone, D.D.S., will open its doors for business this month. vintageparkhouston.com, for updates.

PRESERVATION There’s finally a plan for the Astrodome.

Dubbed Astrodome Studio, the idea is that the historic landmark will be the future of Houston’s and Texas’ film and entertainment industry. The concept transforms the former stadium into a major sound stage and movie production studio with a minimal amount of reconstruction to the structure and with little conflict with current Reliant Park tenants, the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Major studio productions and events would not be scheduled during Rodeo season and game times.

Museums are also in the works within the studio and are included in the plan. One will showcase the Astrodome’s history, including the Rodeo’s illustrious history. The second museum will archive Texas’ 80-plus years of filmmaking and broadcast history and those Texans who have contributed to the moving image industry both in front of and behind the camera. “Ambassador to the Astrodome” Dene Hofheinz Anton, daughter of the Astrodome’s creator, Judge Roy Hofheinz, says “My priority is the preservation of The Astrodome, our historic landmark: The First of a Kind.” The global design and construction strategy company Irvine Team, responsible for conversions like the former Compaq Center into Lakewood Church, will lead design and construction efforts. For information, contact Elise Hendrix, 337.255.2414, elise@astrodomeproductionstudios.com or Cynthia Neely, 713.562.1483, cynthia@astrodomeproductionstudios.com.

CONGRATULATIONS! Page Parkes graduate Maximillano Wissinger landed the Disney Campaign. After two taped auditions and flying him to Orlando to audition in front of the director...Max nailed it! He already shot in Orlando in early July and was then flown to NYC for another shoot.

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CALENDAR

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september 08

SUNDAY

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Jones HS: Dvorak’s New World Symphony 2:30pm Main Street Third 3pm MOT AAMA, Inc: Adelante con AAMA 7:30pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Chicago Cubs 1:05pm Reliant Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens 3:15pm Stages Unbeatable 3pm & 7:30pm | Always…Patsy Cline 3pm Verizon Houston Roller Derby Championships 5pm Warehouse Graham Colton 7pm Wortham HB: Onegin 2pm

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Minute Maid Astros vs. Pittsburgh Pirates 7:05pm

MOT Comite Patriotico Mexicano: Festival de Independencia “El Grito” 3pm

Austin City Limits Music Festival aclfestival.com

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MOT HGO: Strega Nona 11am

Samskriti Society for Indian Performing Arts in Collaboration with the College of Fine Arts, UH, present Spellbound, 4pm samskritihouston.org

THURSDAY

Main Street Theater Third 7:30pm Warehouse Slightly Stoopid 8pm

Main Street Third 7:30pm Meridian Ivoryline 7pm Stages Repertory Theatre Always…Patsy Cline 7:30pm Wortham HB: Onegin 7:30pm

Minute Maid Astros vs. Pittsburgh Pirates 7:05pm Verizon Corbin Bleu 7pm Warehouse Vallejo 8pm

Hobby The Color Purple 8pm Stages Unbeatable 7:30pm

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Main Street Third 7:30pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Pittsburgh Pirates 7:05pm Toyota The Eagles 8pm Warehouse The Street Dogs 8pm

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Monica Pope Cooking Where Your Food Lives-How to Use Local and Seasonal Ingredients, 6:30-8:30pm at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center.

Tickets start at $60. houstonarboretum.org

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Payless joins with shoppers to raise money in support of higher education for the Hispanic community. 100% of sales from a $4 necklace benefits the Payless Inspiring Possibilities Scholarshipestablished with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Meridian Secondhand Serenade 6pm MOT Young Audiences of Houston: Corazon Espanol 11am Warehouse Hollywood Undead 7pm Wortham An Evening with Markos Moulitsas 7:30pm

Hobby The Color Purple 2 & 8pm; Masquerade Theatre: Man of La Mancha 2pm Jones HS: Mozart and Shostakovich 2:30pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Atlanta Braves 1:05pm Stages Unbeatable 3 & 7:30pm | Always…

Patsy Cline 3pm Wortham HB: Classically Modern 2pm | Indo-American Association Concert Two Bodies, One Soul 8pm

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WEDNESDAY

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Houston Chronicle Job Fair, 10am Reliant Park, reliantpark.com

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Reliant Comets vs. New York Liberty 7:30pm Warehouse Live GZA (The Genius) 8pm

Minute Maid Astros vs. Pittsburgh Pirates 7:05pm Reliant Comets vs.

Connecticut Suns 7:30pm Toyota The Eagles 8pm Verizon Common/N.E.R.D 8pm

Hobby The Color Purple 2 & 7:30pm CWMP 3 Doors Down 6:30pm Jones HS: Gil Shaham Plus Mozart 2:30pm Main Street Third 3pm Meridian Amos Lee 7pm Stages Unbeatable 3 & 7:30pm | Always…Patsy Cline 3pm Warehouse Robert Cray 7pm Wortham HB: Classically Modern 2pm

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TUESDAY

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CWMP MEGAFEST 2008 2pm Jones HS: Chevron Fiesta Sinfonica 6pm Main Street Third 3pm Meridian Red Room: Eric Sardinas 7pm MOT DWDC: Sleeping Beauty 8pm Robertson Stadium Dynamo vs. Kansas City Wizards 2pm Stages Always…Patsy Cline 3pm Wortham HB: Onegin 2pm Houston Brazilian Festival, 10am Jones Plaza, houstonbrazilianfest.org Samskriti Society: Shivoham-Shiva in me 6pm, Sri Chinmaya Prabha, samskritihouston.org or 281.265.2787

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PERFORMING ARTS + CONCERTS + SPORTS + FESTIVALS + GENERAL INTEREST

MONDAY

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Hobby The Color Purple 8pm Meridian Finch/ Scary Kids Scaring Kids 6pm Stages Unbeatable 7:30pm Verizon Guy Clark & Nanci Griffith 8pm Warehouse Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers 7pm

Hobby The Color Purple 8pm Jones HS: Gil Shaham Plus Mozart 8pm Main Street Third 7:30pm Stages Unbeatable 7:30pm Wortham HB: Classically Modern 7:30pm

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Septe mber 18-21, HADA Fall Antiques Show 2008 at The George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall B. hadaantiques.com Hobby The Color Purple 8pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Cincinnati Reds 7:05pm Stages Unbeatable 7:30pm Toyota Free Community Job Fair & Blood Drive 10am

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MOT HGO: Strega Nona 11am Warehouse Atmosphere 8pm

Meridian The Black Keys 8pm

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Hobby The Color Purple 8pm Meridian Drive-by Truckers 8pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Cincinnati Reds 7:05pm Stages Unbeatable 7:30pm Warehouse Del Tha Funky Homosapien 8pm

Hobby The Color Purple 8pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Cincinnati Reds 7:05pm Stages Unbeatable 7:30pm Verizon Flogging Molly 8pm Warehouse Back Door Slam 7pm

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PLAN AHEAD//OCTOBER Oct. 2, Houston Ballet Classics on Pointe featuring Five Tangos, Falling and Symphony in C, 8pm at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Oct. 3, The Music Builds Tour, 6pm at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Oct. 3, Mercury Baroque The Essence of Mercury, 8pm at the Wortham Center Oct. 12, Luis Miguel at Toyota Center Oct. 14, Neil Diamond at Toyota Center Oct. 16, New Kids on the Block at Toyota Center Oct. 21, Janet Jackson at Toyota Center Oct. 26, Vicente Fernandez at Toyota Center

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NOT SURE WHAT TO DO? TRY ONE-STOP SHOPPING AT HOUSTONTHEATERDISTRICT.ORG

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

CWMP Maroon 5 & Counting Crows 7pm Main Street Third 8pm MOT Mercury Baroque: Strings On Fire 8pm Stages Always…Patsy Cline 8pm Warehouse Little Brother Project Release Party 8pm

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Hobby TUTS: Disney’s Geppetto & Son 7:30pm Jones HS: Dvorak’s New World Symphony 8pm Main Street Third 8pm MOT Dance Source Houston: Weekend of Contemporary Dance 8pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Chicago Cubs 7:05pm Stages Always…Patsy Cline 8pm Warehouse Bob Schneider 8pm Wortham HB: Onegin 7:30 pm

CWMP Houston Symphony Music of Mozart 8pm Hobby The Color Purple 8pm | ARS LYRICA: Legendary Lovers 7:30pm Main Street Third 8pm Meridian Nightwish TBDpm Stages Unbeatable 8pm | Always…Patsy Cline 8pm | Toyota Carlos Mencia 7pm

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Sandra Organ Dance Company: Samba , Rumba, Conga, 7pm at The Ensemble Theatre. Tickets $75, organdance.org.

Discovery Green: Fresh Frida ys 7 – 9pm, ‘East meets West’ collaboration with The Best of China from Dance of Asian America and The Best of Slant from the Aurora Video Label.

Austin City Limits Music Festival aclfestival.com CWMP Robert Plant and Allison Krauss 7pm H obby The Color Purple 8pm | Masquerade Theatre: Man of La Mancha 8pm Jones HS: Mozart and Shostakovich 8pm Meridian Spiritualized 8pm MOT Kamari Taiko: Grand Taiko Festival 7:30pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Atlanta Braves 7:05pm Stages Unbeatable 8pm | Always…Patsy Cline 8pm Warehouse The Fratellis 8pm Wortham HB: Classically Modern 7:30pm

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TO PURCHASE TICKETS, PLEASE CONTACT: ALLEY THEATRE alleytheatre.org CWMP woodlandscenter.org HOBBY CENTER 713.315.2525 thehobbycenter.org JONES HALL 713.227.3974 joneshall.org MAIN STREET THEATER 713.524.6706 mainstreettheater.com MERIDIAN meridianhouston.com MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE (MOT) milleroutdoortheatre.com

CWMP Toby Keith 7:30pm Jones HS: Opening Night of 2008-2009 Season Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony 7:30pm Main Street Third 8pm Meridian Main Room: Await the Day 7pm MOT DWDC Sleeping Beauty 8pm Reliant Comets vs. Los Angeles Sparks 7:30pm Toyota HBO Boxing After Dark 6pm Warehouse Kate Voegele 8pm Wortham HB: Onegin 7:30 pm

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Hobby TUTS: Disney’s Geppetto & Son 1:30 & 7:30pm Jones HS: Dvorak’s New World Symphony 8pm Main Street Third 8pm Meridian Sigh 7pm MOT Dance Source Houston: Weekend of Contemporary Dance 8pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Chicago Cubs 6:05pm Reliant Comets vs. Sacramento Monarchs 7:30pm Robertson Houston Cougars vs. Air Force 2:30pm, uhcougars.com Stages Unbeatable 8pm | Always…Pasty Cline 8pm Wortham HB: Onegin 7:30pm

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H obby The Color Purple 2 & 8pm CWMP Santana 7pm Jones HS: Gil Shaham Plus Mozart 8pm Main Street Third 8pm Meridian Houston Metal Fest 11am MOT Dance Source Houston: Tapestry of World Dance 8pm Robertson Houston Dynamo vs. San Jose Earthquakes 7:30pm Stages Unbeatable 8pm | Always…Patsy Cline 8pm Verizon Guitars & Saxes 8pm Warehouse New Monsoon 8pm Wortham HB: Classically Modern 7:30pm Museum District Day, 10am-5pm, houstonmuseumdistrict.org

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Austin City Limits Music Festival aclfestival.com Hobby The Color Purple 2 & 8pm | Masquerade Theatre: Man of La Mancha 8pm Jones HS: Mozart and Shostakovich 8pm Meridian Filo & Peri 9pm MOT Kamari Taiko: 12th Annual Houston Grand Taiko Festival 7:30pm Minute Maid Astros vs. Atlanta Braves 6:05pm Rice Stadium Rice Owls vs. North Texas 4pm, riceowls.com Stages Unbeatable 8pm Always…Patsy Cline 8pm Wortham Sing For Hope: An Evening of Art Songs and Arias 8pm | HB: Classically Modern 2 & 7:30pm

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MINUTE MAID PARK houston.astros.mlb.com MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS mfah.org MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE hmns.org RELIANT PARK reliantpark.com STAGES REPERTORY THEATRE 713.527.0123 stagestheatre.com

THEATER DISTRICT OUTDOOR cityofhouston.gov TOYOTA CENTER 1.866.4HOU.tix houstontoyotacenter.com VERIZON THEATER verizonwirelesstheater.com WAREHOUSE LIVE warehouselive.com WORTHAM CENTER 713.237.1439 worthamcenter.org GENTE DE TEATRO gentedeteatro.org

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EXHIBITS+MUSEUMS+ART HOUSES

•Art Car Museum, 140 Heights Blvd. 713.861.5526 artcarmuseum.com •Art League of Houston, 1953 Montrose 713.523.9530 artleaguehouston.org •Blaffer Gallery, UH Campus, Ent. 16, 713.743.9530 class.uh.edu/blaffer opens September 13, Damaged Romanticism: A Mirror of Modern Emotion •Galveston Arts Center, 2127 Strand St. 409.763.2403 galvestonartscenter.org thru October 5, Helen Altman: Natural Concerns •Heritage Society, 1100 Bagby 713.655.1912 heritagesociety.org •Houston Fire Museum, 2304 Milam 713.524.5395 houstonfiremuseum.org •Museum of Printing History, 1324 W. Clay 713.522.4652 printingmuseum.org •Orange Show, 2402 Munger 713.926.6368 orangeshow.org •Project Row Houses, 2501 Holman 713.526.7662 projectrowhouses.org •University Museum, 3100 Cleburne Ave. 713.313.7145 tsu.edu/museum

art houses

•18 Hands Gallery, 249 West 19th St. 713.869.3099 18handsgallery.com thru September 28, A Letter From Warren MacKenzie •Aerosol Warfare Gallery, 2110 Jefferson aerosolwarfare.com •Anya Tish Gallery, 4411 Montrose 713.524.2299 anyatishgallery.com •Archway Gallery, 2013 West Gray 713.522.2409 archwaygallery.com •The Artful Corner, 3423 White Oak Drive theartfulcorner.com •ArtScan Gallery, 1836 Richmond 713.807.1836 rudolphprojects.com •Barbara Davis Gallery, 4411 Montrose 713.520.9200 barbaradavisgallery.com •Bering & James Gallery, 805 Rhode Place #500, 713.524.0101 beringandjames.com opens September 27, Reflecting Habitus •Booker-Lowe Gallery, 4623 Feagan St. 713.862.8364 bookerlowegallery.com •Canal Street Gallery, 2219 Canal St. 713.223.2219 canalstreetgallery.com/joomla •Community Artists’ Collective, 1501 Elgin 713.523.1616 communityartistscollective.org •Commune on North, 2445 North Blvd. communeonnorth.com •CTRL Gallery, 3907 Main St. 713.523.2875 ctrlgallery.com thru September 6, Dan Kopp & Jay Davis •Dakota Gallery, 2324 Shearn 713.523.7440 dakotaframing.com/dfp/dakotagallery.asp •Deborah Colton Gallery, 2500 Summer St. 713.864.2364 deborahcoltongallery.com •DeSantos Gallery, 1724 Richmond 713.520.1200 desantosgallery.com •DiverseWorks, 1117 East Main at Naylor 713.223.8346 diverseworks.org •Domy Books, 1709 Westheimer 713.523.3669 domystore.com thru September 25, Big Kids/Little Kids: By John Freeborn thru September 27, Rene Cruz: Paradise/Gravedigger •FotoFest, 1113 Vine Street 713.223.5522 fotofest.org •G gallery 301, East 11th Street 713.822.4842 redbudgallery.com/gGalleryIndex.html •Gallery 1724, 1724 Bissonnet 713.523.2547 gallery1724.com •Gallery Sonja Roesch, 2309 Caroline 713.659.5424 gallerysonjaroesch.com opens September 13, John Clement •Goldesberry Gallery, 2625 Colquitt 713.528.0405 goldesberrygallery.com opens September 13, Noi Volkov •Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, 2501 Sunset Blvd. 713.522.2701 gremillion.com opens September 18, Incident at Osbourne Grove •Guthrie Contemporary, 2734 Virginia St. 713.522.8086 •HCC-Central Gallery, 3517 Austin 713.718.6570 centralfinearts.info •Houston Landmark Gallery, 1200 McKinney 713.927.8800 houstonlandmarkgallery.com •Houston Studios, 707 Walnut St. #100, 713.223.0951 •Hollywood Frame Gallery, 2427 Bissonnet 713.942.8885 hollywoodframegallery.com •Hooks-Epstein Gallery, 2631 Colquitt St. 713.522.0718 hooksepsteingalleries.com •Joan Wich & Co. Gallery, 4411 Montrose 713.526.1557 joanwichgallery.com •Kinzelman Art Consulting, 3909 Main Street 713.533.9923 kinzelmanart.com thru October 3, Paintings by Michael Dixon, Mark Nelson and Steve Parker •Koelsch Gallery, 703 Yale 713.626.0175 koelschgallery.com •Laura Rathe Fine Art, 2707 Colquitt 713.527.7700 laurarathe.com •Laura U Collection, 1840 Westheimer 713.522.0855 lauraucollection.com •Lovett Inn Art Gallery, 501 Lovett Blvd. 713.522.5224 lovettinngallery.com •M2 Gallery, 325 W. 19th St. 713.861.6070 m2-houston.com

1.

1. deborah colton gallery |2. gallery sonja roesch | 3. domy books | 4. bering & james gallery | 5. galveston arts center

museums

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3.

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•McClain Gallery, 2242 Richmond 713.520.9988 mcclaingallery.com •McMurtrey Gallery, 3508 Lake St. 713.523.8238 mcmurtreygallery.com •Meredith Long Gallery, 2323 San Felipe 713.523.6671 meredithlonggallery.com •Midtown Art Center, 3414 La Branch 713.521.8803 midtownartcenter.com •Mind Puddles, 2305 Dunlavy 713.529.MIND mindpuddles.com •Moody Gallery, 2815 Colquitt 713.526.9911 moodygallery.com •Mother Dog Studios, 720 Walnut 713.229.9760 home.earthlink.net/~motherdogstudios/motherdogstudios •Moxie, 2307 Dunlavy 713.807.7994 moxiehouston.com •Nauhaus Gallery, 223 E. 11th St. 281.615.4148 texascollaborative.com •Nolan-Rankin Galleries, 6 Chelsea Place 713.528.0664 nolan-rankingalleries.com •O’Kane Gallery, One Main St.@UHD 713.221.8042 uhd.edu thru September 25, Ishmael Soto •Parkerson Gallery, 3510 Lake St.. 713.524.4945 artnet.com opens September 13, Artwork from the Estate of Bob Wilson •Peel Gallery Shop, 4411 Montrose Blvd. 713.520.8122 peelgallery.org •Post Gallery, 2121 Sage, Ste. 390, 713.622.4241 "by appointment only" postgallery.com •Poissant Gallery, 5102 Center St. 713.868.9337 poissantgallery.com •Redbud Gallery, 303 E. 11th St. 713.862.2532 redbudgallery.com •Retro Gallery, 1839 W. Alabama 713.522.7074 retrogallery.com •Rudolph Projects I ArtScan Gallery, 1836 Richmond rudolphprojects.com •Sicardi Gallery, 2246 Richmond 713.529.1313 sicardi.com •Space 125gallery, 3201 Allen Parkway 713.527.9330 haatx.com •Studio, 1107 East Freeway 713.224.5555 16. september08 002houston

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•Talento Bilingue, 333 S. Jensen Drive 713.222.1213 tbhcenter.com •Tansu, 321-B West 19th 713.880.5100 tansustyle.com •Thom Andriola, 2627 Colquitt 713.520.7053 newgallery.net •Thornwood Gallery, 1201 Birdsall 713.861.2787 thornwoodgallery.com •Wade Wilson Art, 4411 Montrose #200, 713.521.2977 wadewilsonart.com •Watercolor Art Society, 1601 West Alabama 713.942.9966 watercolorhouston.org •Winter Street Studios, 2101 Winter Street 713.862.0082 winterstreetstudios.net •XNihilo Gallery, 2115 Taft St. 713.622.1846 2115taft.org •Zarposh India Gallery, 1951 Richmond 713.668.2948 zarposhindia.com

other events September 13–21, In Their Own Element The Impulse Artist Series exists to give an ear to emerging pianists in the early stages of embarking on their professional journeys. The theme for Impulse 2008 is In Their Own Element and displays the diverse artistry of four emerging pianists from all over the globe. Wade Wilson Art Gallery at 4411 Montrose.

September 20, 5:30pm Las Fiestas de Frida In salute to the anniversary of Mexico’s Independence, enjoy an evening celebrating the Life, Art and Cuisine of one of Mexico’s most famous artists, Frida Kahlo, at Canal Street Gallery. On display, images of rare photographs of Kahlo by an anonymous donor. These exceptional photographs were taken by the famous portraitist and close friend of Kahlo, Nickolas Muray (1892-1965).

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WHAT’S UP DOWNTOWN HOUSTON’S THEATER DISTRICT SPRINGS BACK TO LIFE EVERY SEPTEMBER AS SOME OF OUR TOWN’S LEADING PERFORMING ARTS COMPANIES START THEIR NEW SEASONS. THOSE THAT DON’T OPEN THIS MONTH WILL DO SO IN OCTOBER.

Houston Ballet takes the first step this month with the opening of Onegin on September 4 at Wortham Center. Choreographer John Cranko sets the narrative ballet to the lush music of Tchaikovsky and the arrangement and orchestration of Kurt-Heinz Stolze. Six performances of Onegin are slated for the Brown Theater stage at Wortham, culminating on September 14.

The company returns to the same stage on the 18th with a fourfold repertoire that includes the Houston Ballet premieres of Hans van Manen’s Solo and Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun. The program also includes a Stanton Welch world premiere and a George Balanchine work, Symphony in C. This engagement runs through September 28.

Houston Symphony is a company that prefers to unveil its wares early. In fact, it rolled out a pops concert in late August. But it is in September when the orchestra

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PETE RADOWICK IS COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONVENTION & ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES DEPARTMENT.

begins playing in earnest, starting with its opening night extravaganza on September 6. Music director Hans Graf will be at the helm for Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, which features solos by Jennifer Koh on violin, Sophie Shao on cello and Jeremy Denk on piano.

The orchestra offers its usual variety of music this month. The traditional Fiesta Sinfonica concert is September 7, followed by Dvorak’s New World Symphony September 12-14, Gil Shaham Plus Mozart September 18-21, and Mozart and Shostakovich September 26-28. Graf will conduct each of these concerts, all of which will be at Jones Hall.

Theatre Under The Stars also takes the plunge into the new season with Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple, which opens September 16 at Hobby Center and closes on September 28. Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, The Color Purple is a landmark musical.

And just to clarify: Oprah Winfrey’s role in the show is limited to being listed as one of the tour’s producers – she is not in the cast, as she was in the movie version.

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Toyota Center this month features two big acts, the Eagles on September 9 and comedian Carlos Mencia on September 19.

If you haven’t seen the Astros in person this year, you have 13 opportunities to catch the local nine in action at Minute Maid Park this month. The Pirates, Cubs, Reds and Braves come calling at one time or another during September.

Discovery Green provides a drop-off location for recycling materials every Saturday from 10am to 2pm. The downtown park accepts paper, glass, plastic and cans. Environmentally friendly product demonstrations and hands-on recycling activities are also part of the program.

In closing, this is the month for two traditional must-see events for the public at the George R. Brown Convention Center – the Theta Charity Antiques Show, September 17-21, and the HADA Fall Antiques Show, September 18-21.

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MUSEUM DISTRICT MUSEUM DISTRICT DAY | Saturday, September 20, 2008 10am – 5pm

Has the economy got you so broke you can’t even fork over the entrance fee to one of the great museums in the city? Well, no worries! The 12th annual Museum District Day is coming up, so put it on your calendar, Crackberry, iPhone – Lord, just Sharpie® it on your hand. Don’t miss FREE admission and free shuttle service between almost twenty cultural organizations.

5. HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT crafthouston.org

1. THE MENIL COLLECTION menil.org

Thru September 21, NeoHooDoo: Art Forgotten Faith; Imaginary Spaces: Selections from the Menil Collection,

The Children of Theresienstadt closes on September 28.

Dr. Seuss Wants You! highlights Theodor Seuss Geisel’s work for the New York Newspaper PM while he was a

Warren MacKenzie: Legacy of

cartoonist during a time when the Nazi regime prospered

gallery talk with Al Souza, Professor of Painting at the

an American Potter and

from 1941 – 1942. Opens September 26.

University of Houston, 3pm. September 13, Poetry

Inspired: Students of Warren

Reading & Book signing with Quincy Troupe at 6pm; The

MacKenzie on view thru

Menil Collection: Up Close and Personal, 7-

November 30.

thru March 1, 2009. September 7, The Artist’s Eye, a

8:30pm.September 23, Art and Power in the Central African Savannah a lecture with Constantine Petridis, 7:30pm.

9. CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON cmhouston.org

6. LAWNDALE ART CENTER lawndaleartcenter.org

2. HOUSTON CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY hcponline.org

Sage Sohier Man applying tanning lotion before a bodybuilding competition, Worcester, MA 2003

Transcendental Smoothie by Mary Magsamen and

Thru September 27, attend My Home, Planet Earth – a

Stephan Hillerbrand, new work by the husband and wife

bilingual, hands-on traveling exhibit designed to help

team through playful and unexpected use of materials

children understand how the choices they make regard-

and camera viewpoints, exhibited thru September 27.

ing food, water and air impact their health. Moneyville

Other exhibits thru September 27 are What’s in a Line?

debuts September 27 – kids will learn how money makes

by Judith Cottrell and Alex Lopez, a two-person exhibit

the world go round.

September 7, the 26th Anniversary Juried Membership

of independent and integrated sculptural drawings; The

Exhibition closes. Perfectible Worlds – a series about peo-

Grand Tour, Texas by Omar Vera, a grouping of char-

ple’s private passions, opens September 12 as does the

coal and ink drawings and terracotta maquettes executed

2008 Fellowship Exhibition – Mike Osborne: On Location:

on site in the small and obscure Texas cities that take their

September 20th is Museum District Day.

Beijing. Learning Curve 2 is a selection of work by HCP’s

names from iconic European meccas; and Re:

Enjoy a full free day at the Health

teachers and students from the past year that also opens on

Construction; A Visual Preservation by Shannon

Museum from 10am – 5pm.

the 12th.

Duncan, an installation of a directionally accurate decal

3. THE ROTHKO CHAPEL rothkochapel.org

map of Houston’s Inner Loop.

Postville: Immigrant Abuse Beyond America’s Backroads, September 17 with Stephen Bloom and Dr. Erik Camayd-Freixas; September 19, Judaic Meditation,

7. BUFFALO SOLDIERS NATIONAL MUSEUM buffalosoldiersmuseum.com

Jim Blackburn, 7pm.

8. HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON hmh.org

Darfur: Photojournalists

4. BYZANTINE FRESCO CHAPEL MUSEUM menil.org/Byzantine

11. HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE hmns.org

Oh yes, he’s back! Gunther von Hagen’s BODY WORLDS 2 & THE BRAIN: OUR THREE POUND GEM: THE ORIGINAL

noon; September 21, Various Lectures with Robert Fisk; September 30, A Spiritual Quest: Enough? Enough! with

10. THE HEALTH MUSEUM thehealthmuseum.org

Respond – 30 photographs from eight photographers closes September 11 and Escaping Their Boundaries: 18. september08 002houston

EXHIBITION OF REAL HUMAN BODIES OPENS SEPTEMBER 12. On September 19, the highly anticipated Dinosaur Mummy CSI: Crustaceous Science Investigation opens.

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sword hilt from the Glassell Collection of African Gold.

Intimacy: A Two Day Retreat, September 12 – 13, with Michael Lees; Continuum Movement: Exploring the Fluid World within Us, September 24 –25, with Patty Adamik;

12. HOUSTON ZOO houstonzoo.org

A new sea lion arrived via FedEx (yes, really) in July to join the Houston Zoo. Go meet Dino the California sea lion. Finding Birds and Faces of Flight, a presentation, exhibit and book signing with Ted Lee Eubanks, Jr., on bird watching – September 6, 10am – 2pm.

13. RICE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERYricegallery.org A new installation by Aura Robson opens on September 18 with remarks by the artist on The Great Indoors from

15. CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM HOUSTON camh.org

Communicating with Your Teenager: A Crash Course for

The Sam Taylor-Wood exhibit, THE FIRST MAJOR MUSE-

and David Moore.

UM EXHIBITION OF TAYLOR-WOOD’S WORK IN THE

17. CZECH CENTER MUSEUM czechcenter.org

UNITED STATES, from August 2 – October 5 will show how

Parents, September 27, a workshop with Marica Laviage

one of the leading YBAs (Young British Artists) of her generation came to prominence in the mid-1990s through compelling psychological portraits that tap into the ethos of our times.

16. THE JUNG CENTER OF HOUSTON cgjunghouston.org An Evening of Middle Eastern Dance, September 4, with Kristina Koutsoudas. The Nature of

5 – 7pm. Enjoy drinks from St. Arnold’s Brewery. Exhibit on view thru October 26.

14. THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON mfah.org

Audiences get a fresh look at the radical London art scene in END GAME – British Contemporary Art from the Chaney Family Collection thru September 28. Thru October 19, go check out In the Forest of Fontainebleau: Painters and Photographers from Corot to Monet, which showcases landscape paintings inspired by and created in the Forest of Fontainebleau. September 20 opens The Sounds I See: Photographs of Musicians – one series focuses on Edith Piaf taken by Emil Cadoo, another on contemporary jazz guitarists shot by Ralph Gibson. Also visit Houston Collects: African American Art and The Black List Project: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell, pairing the photographer with the public radio commentator and film critic Mitchell in presenting the stories of influential contemporary African Americans through photographic portraits and film interviews, both thru October 26. The MFAH will introduce its new mascot, the first in the institution’s history, at the September Target Free First Sunday on the 7th; and it will officially be named, following voting by visitors, at the October Free First Sunday on October 5. The mascot is inspired by a

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18. JOHN C. FREEMAN WEATHER MUSEUM wxresearch.org KEY TO SYMBOLS

PARKING RESTAURANT



SHOPPING SNACKS FREE ADMISSION

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THE GALLERY

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By Sarah Gajkowski-hill Photography by Elizabeth Cencini

GREEN HOUSE GALLERY: SHOWCASES THE WORK OF LOCAL HOUSTONIANS WHO SHARE A PASSION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

HISTORIC PRESERVATION, CO-OPS AND "GREEN" ARCHITECTURE HAVE ALLOWED MANY ARTISTS TO USE THEIR TALENTS TO PROMOTE A MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WORLD. NOW GREEN HOUSE GALLERY SHOWCASES THE WORK OF LOCAL HOUSTONIANS WHO SHARE A PASSION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. THE NEW SPACE IS A STUNNING EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN A CONCEPT GALLERY IS BROUGHT TO FRUITION. The gallery was conceived when a beautiful, spacious, amethyst-colored home in the Montrose area became available for lease and an initial few artists began to discuss the idea of opening a co-op gallery. Deciding that they’d show their work and split the cost, it became apparent that there was a kindred theme uniting their diverse work – a concern for the environment. As with any cause, the deterrent is often, “What can I do personally?” For the founding artists of Green House, that was exactly the challenge that spurred them on to action. Soon, through word of mouth, several artists of seemingly distinct genres began a dialogue about how to incorporate their love of nature into a mutually beneficial gallery space.

Twelve artists are currently involved in the co-op, and they all contribute to the lease, the utilities, everything down to the soft, professional lighting in the gallery. A supportive and respectful attitude among the artists makes for a joyful and optimistic atmosphere – even when difficult questions are being addressed in the complex pieces. The amount of artists on display and involved has another benefit. During open hours there are always a few artists available to meet and visit with. The intimate setting, the beautifully restored old house and the proximity of the artists to the art all give the venture an appealing and non-pretentious quality.

The co-op determined that its mission was to showcase local Houstonian artists, despite their specific materials, and to advocate art which explored a “green” agenda. The members of the Green House Gallery show the infinite possibilities of an

artist to shape cultural attitudes by the subject matter, materials and techniques they use in their vastly diverse types of expression. Some of the artists create intricate metal work and incorporate items such as antlers, driftwood and recycled batteries through found object sculptures. Others explore the complexity of technology versus natural resources. The jewelry constructed by one of the founding artists is fashioned exclusively from repurposed materials. A delicate gold and pewter chain, upon closer inspection, is actually carefully constructed from the innards of cuckoo clocks and defunct watches. A painter who specializes in large-scale paintings uses only water-soluble paints. She insists the reduction of turpentine in the mixing and cleaning of oil paint not only helps the environment but is better for the artist’s own health. Dangerous fumes are considered a workplace hazard for many painters, but the fantastic precision and ebullient colors of the water-based paints show that they need not be.

It nearly goes without saying that Green House Gallery is an exceptional, unique atmosphere for a town often synonymous with oil, pollution and waste. Every piece of art in the gallery is for sale and for a city that normally caters to high-end investors the prices are incredibly reasonable. A gift-buyer’s treasure, the unique pottery, one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry and the funky metal design is a one-stop shopping center. And what better way to show those you care about that you support the cause of maintaining a cleaner and more sustainable environment for posterity? In addition, many of the artists conMMENDS SPACETAKER RECO tribute parts of their sales to The Green House reputable environmental September 19, 6pm – ion Green House agencies and organizations Opening Night Recept heat waves with that protect animals and Galler y is generating ing emerging artists, mis wildlife.

Houston’s most pro widely recognized joined by established, Green House Gala artists. Go Green at the Chris Dunn . ion Opening Night Recept

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SPACETAKER ARTSCENE

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By Chris Dunn

L

ABOR DAY IN THE UNITED STATES ORIGINATED IN 1882 AS THE CENTRAL LABOR UNION WANTED TO ESTABLISH A DAY FOR THE “WORKING MAN” (REMNANT FROM A PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY). CONGRESS MADE LABOR DAY A FEDERAL HOLIDAY IN 1894, AND IT HAS BEEN CELEBRATED ON THE FIRST MONDAY IN SEPTEMBER IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE THE 1880S. THE DAY WAS DESIGNED TO CELEBRATE “THE STRENGTH AND ESPRIT DE CORPS OF THE TRADE AND LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.” NOWADAYS, LABOR DAY IS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS A DAY OF REST AND MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON FOR THE NFL AND NCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL. LABOR DAY IS ALSO THE LAST DAY TO WEAR WHITE SHOES (UPON PUNISHMENT OF DEATH AS DOLED OUT BY KATHLEEN TURNER’S CHARACTER IN SERIAL MOM). HERE IN TEXAS OUR FASHION ETIQUETTE DICTATES THAT STRAW COWBOY HATS ARE TO BE TRADED IN FOR FELT ONES AFTER LABOR DAY. TAKE A RESPITE THIS SEPTEMBER FROM THE DAILY HUSTLE AND BUSTLE AND ENJOY SOME ART. SEPTEMBER 4, 6PM 2ND ANNUAL THE HEART OF ART Local artist Hanh Tran debuts original oil paintings at the 2nd Annual The Heart of Art exhibition and charity auction. All proceeds from the silent auction benefit Project Sunshine, a non-profit organization that provides free social, education and recreational programs to children and families living with medical challenges. Tran will donate 8 paintings to the silent auction. Admission to the event is free, offering complimentary food, wine and Tito’s vodka cocktails and music by Nuevo Flamenco group Ybarra & Bateman.

Silent auction items include a week-long resort vacation package (with airline tickets) at Costa Rica’s Lookout at Playa Tortuga, custom-designed jewelry by Carol Lipworth, theater district evening packages, rounds of golf at Redstone Golf Course, weekend drives in limited production vehicles from Momentum Audi and more. projectsunshine.org

SEPTEMBER 6 – 13, FRIDAY & SATURDAY 8PM “ZOMBERINA! THE MOVIE.” “Zomberina! The Movie.” is a comedy of necrotic oddities. A ballet company infected with a virus that transforms them into zombies finds themselves at a dance competition. Hilarity ensues as the zomberinas crash the stage, consume the performers and compete for the gold. Including sophisticated special effects, aerial bungee dance and site-specific film.

Performed by FrenetiCore; choreography by Rebekah French with Ashley Horn. Un-deadening at the Frenetic Theater—5102 Navigation St. On the 13th, get in free if you are dressed like a zombie.

Normally $8.

SEPTEMBER 12, 6PM OPENING SAGE SOHIER “PERFECTIBLE WORLDS” This series is about people’s private passions and obsessions.

Begun soon after 9/11/01, the series portrays people transported into worlds and activities over which they have near-total control. The photographs range from portraits of some who make extravagant miniature worlds, to others who have extraordinary collections or who immerse themselves in unusual pursuits.

Each photograph is the discovery of a particular world an individual has found or created for himself — a private world that few are privileged to see.

Houston Center for Photography, hcponline.org

SEPTEMBER 20, 7PM SYNERGY – SPACETAKER GALA Get ready to come together at Spacetaker’s 5th Annual Gala.

Synergy (from the Greek meaning “working together”): A mutually advantageous conjunction where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts – a dynamic state in which combined action is favored over the sum of individual component actions – behavior of whole systems unpredicted by the behavior of their parts taken separately – the cooperative action of two or more stimuli. Be prepared for a dazzling gestalt of art, libation, food and fun. spacetaker.org

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By Nadia Michel Photography by Anthony Rathbun

FOR ART’S SAKE

DANIEL-KAYNE: BUDDHA PIMP

• Dividing GOD opens November 15 at Deborah Colton Gallery and runs through January 3, 2009.

• A Time for Change, a group show at Deborah Colton Gallery, opens September 20 – November 4. into the piece. We’re all part of current events.” The second piece is a large, mini malist metallic painting, which he says reflects his passion to be at peace with himself and the universe.

The paintings are among the large-scale pieces kayne produces in his spacious Houston studio. “Everything is bigger in Texas,” he boasts like a true Texan. “NYC is still an amazing art mecca, however, cities like Houston have matured into major forces in the art world.”

In NYC, he shares space with fellow artists. He uses that time to work on his technique. His current projects include 10’x 6’ paintings that incorporate fiberglass, house paint and aluminum liquid plastic mediums. He is also working on mixed medium sculptures. kayne’s upcoming solo show at the Deborah Colton Gallery is entitled Dividing GOD. The series of paintings and sculptures explores divisions in society. His belief that religious zeal is often at the root of social and political conflict is very much at the forefront. “To me, God is basic; God is seen in nature and God is seen in our true beings. How can we divide and claim that which is universal and belongs to all?” His Zen approach is a long way from his strict, religious upbringing in small-town Texas.

At first glance, daniel-kayne may look like your average Texan.

Wearing jeans and a large belt buckle, one might confuse him for your garden-variety cowboy. But dig a little deeper and the vegan artist is anything but.

He paints, meditates and describes his personal style as “Buddha Pimp.” He once shared an apartment with a Buddhist monk and he loves to philosophize about religion. One might be surprised danny-kayne is as home-grown as it gets.

Born in Liberty, Texas, kayne was a country boy, the son of a long lineage of ranchers and farmers. He grew up learning about hunting and carpentry, doing all the things country folk still do for themselves. kayne credits his great-grandmother for igniting his passion for nature and traveling. This combination of ruggedness and intellectual curiosity shaped little Danny into the worldly, award-winning, urban artist he is today. kayne, who divides his time between studios in downtown Houston and TriBeCa, New York, just gained major local street-cred with his “best of show” award at Lawndale Art Center’s The Big Show. “I was just grateful for having my work selected to be included in what has become an important summer art tradition,” he humbly states. The winning pieces exemplify kayne’s current mindset. “One is a social/political piece, which first took shape in early 2007 while photographing protesters in Salt Lake City. silk screened an image of one of the protesters – whose message I found personally intriguing – onto a mirror, so that the viewer is pulled

Much of the religious evolution kayne has undergone is due to his globetrotting. “I have traveled to Islamic countries and seen their life firsthand. I lived and studied with a Buddhist monk, and I’ve read about Judaism and other world religions.

I find it all very peculiarly complex.” Ultimately, it seems his experience living with the Korean monk, while pursuing a residency at the New York School of Visual Arts, made the biggest impression. His peaceful musings and global vision are very much Buddhist principles. kayne’s work is not all about mystical hullabaloo though. Besides earning a master’s degree from the University of Houston, kayne also attended The Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 2006. In between educational pursuits, he documented his travels in Urban-Mix, a series of over 500 images. The photographs exclusively portray human-made objects showing urban decay due to exposure to the elements, human intervention or both. Think metal boxes, poles and walls in cities from Tokyo to London. kayne has no boundaries when it comes to his art. His credo is “Art is an expression of the soul in the physical form.” He goes wherever this may take him.

With growing recognition and a future chock-full of exhibits, kayne has much to be thankful for. “Life is GOOD! I used to think being spiritual and at peace was a mystical place. But through a constant love of knowledge and seeking, I found that being spiritual and at peace means to love nature, to love life and enjoy your life, while helping others to do the same. Having fun is an integral part of a happy life, and we are meant to be happy.” Amen to that!

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GISH AT THE MOVIES

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By Sarah Gish

DIVERSEWORKS… This month DiverseWorks (diverseworks.org) inaugurates “Flickerlounge,” a season-long cinematic experience in their newly refurbished project gallery. “Flickerlounge” features an eclectic lineup of rotating full-length films, shorts and video presentations to accompany visual arts exhibitions in the Main Gallery. Check their website for the lineup. DW is kicking off their 2008-2009 season with a multimedia installation of Ben Tecumseh DeSoto’s project, “Understanding Poverty,” which intersects film, writings and photography with studies of homelessness in Houston. It’s on view through November 1. The Alamo Drafthouse Mason Park (drafthouse.com) is hosting “A Streetcar Named Desire New Orleans Feast” on Sunday, September 14. at 7:30pm. A gourmet New Orleans feast will accompany the film – and they’re pairing Abita beers with each course.

Laissez le bon temps rouler!

IMAX® and more Fly Me To The Moon, the first animated 3D IMAX film, is showing at the Wortham IMAX Theatre at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (hmns.org) through December 31. It’s about a trio of adventurous flies who hitch a ride on the Apollo 11 spaceship – and end up saving the mission. I Served the King of England opens September 12 at the Angelika Film Center (angelikafilmcenter.com) and the historic Landmark River Oaks Theatre (landmarktheatres.com) is opening Choke on September 26 and these midnighters: Clockwork Orange (9/5 & 9/6); The Rocky Horror Picture Show (9/13); The Wizard of Oz sing-along!

(9/19 & 9/20) and Showgirls (9/26 & 9/27). Domy Books (domystore.com) continues their frequent film screenings this month with The Conversation (9/3); Wasted Orient (9/5); State and Main (9/10); Spectres of the Spectrum (9/12); Who Killed the Electric Car? (9/17); From Tugboats to Polar Bears (9/19); Paris Je T’aime (9/24); and Wholphin 5 (9/26). Zomberina!

The Movie is showing September 6, 12 and 13 (8pm each night with a special midnight screening on

9/13) at FrenetiCore’s (freneticore.net) newly-refurbished space at 5102 Navigation Street. In this wacky film, a ballet company is infected with a virus that transforms them into zombies that perform, among amazing other things, aerial bungee dances.

Dress like a zombie and you’ll get in free!

MFAH and more The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (mfah.org) hosts its “Third Annual Italian Film Retrospective: Pupi Avati” from September 5-28. This year they’re focusing on contemporary Italian cinema and director Pupi Avati, a prolific filmmaker who has produced over 30 eclectic films to date, including comedy, horror and historical dramas. QFest (q-fest.org), the annual Houston Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, returns to the MFAH for its 12th incarnation. This year showcases premieres of new feature films, documentaries and international hits from the festival circuit chosen by QFest’s executive director Kristian Salinas. Sadly, Warner Brothers has closed down its two independent film divisions, Picturehouse and Warner Independent, although they say they are still “committed” to independent films. Their last Picturehouse product, The Women, opens September 12 here (theatre tbd). The Aurora Picture Show (aurorapictureshow.org) is bringing back fave 16mm guy Skip Elsheimer for a couple of screenings of his “educational” films from the treasure trove of his company, A/V Geeks. Catch him on Friday, September 5, at 7pm (The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art) and on Sunday, September 7, at 1pm (Aurora Video Library). “The Shivering Eyelash: Selections from The International Experimental Cinema Exposition” will unroll Saturday, September 20, at 8pm and Sunday, September 21, at 3pm. Body of War will be screened Saturday, September 27, at 8pm and Sunday, September 28, at 3pm with filmmaker Ellen Spiro in attendance.

OTHER NEWS Lamar High School is offering its first-ever IB film course in which students will be analyzing in depth U.S. and foreign films and will produce short movies and documentaries alongside their work producing for their shows on Comcast Channel 18. The kids will get college credit for the film course.

ART FILMS ARE GOOD FOR THE SOUL… TAKE A FRIEND TO ONE! 23. september08 002houston

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NON-PROFIT

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By Ashley Slayton Photography by Kim Christensen

THE BAYOU PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION

bayoupreservation.org

A CREEK WOVE THROUGH THE WOODS NOT FAR FROM KEVIN SHANLEY’S CHILDHOOD HOME IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND WITH HIS DOG CLOSE BEHIND, SHANLEY BECAME FASCINATED BY THE WATER. HE WATCHED THE SPRINGTIME FLOODWATERS RACE BY LIKE AN OLYMPIC TOBOGGAN AND THEN SLOW TO A TRICKLE IN THE SUMMER HEAT.

“canary in the mine,” referring back in time when miners used ultra-sensitive canaries to detect hazardous gas levels underground. If the canary keeled over, the miners knew they needed to get out. Fast.

“I’ve been looking for a canary for our bayous,” he says. “Something that people will really care about.”

As Shanley matured, so did his interest in natural waterways.

Today, as board chairman of the Bayou Preservation Association (BPA), he is concerned with protecting Houston’s water systems for which it’s nicknamed: the Bayou City.

“We have to think about what that nickname means,” Shanley says. “Does it mean concrete storm sewers or diadems of water weaving through the city?”

The BPA actively works with the City of Houston, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Harris County Flood Control District to inspire leaders, educate the community and spur regulations to protect our local bayou system.

The group wants to keep area bayous and streams from “channelization,” a process it considers defacement when the waterway’s sides are dug out and lined with concrete to accommodate floodwaters. Channelization, which the city has implemented in some of the area’s 20-some main waterways, threatens bayou wildlife, reduces urban greenspace and isn’t the only way to prevent flooding, according to BPA. Flooding is better handled by managing the rainfall closer to where it falls, in other words holding more water back in the watershed like a big sponge, rather than rushing the water down to the bayou which creates the potential for flooding, says Shanley, who operates a landscape architecture firm by day.

Roadways, sidewalks, rooftops, pipes and steel that make up a city don’t absorb or slow down this runoff.

“If you have a totally natural landscape in a watershed, the land slows down the water and it can take days for that water to reach a bayou,” he says. “But in an urban system, like Houston, it can take just minutes for the water to run into the streams.”

Too much water flowing too fast creates flooding, and maybe nobody knows that more than Shanley. He lost his home to 4 feet of water after Tropical Storm Allison in June 2001. Everyone was concerned with the city’s water system then, as they are during threats of flood, but that concern wanes when the warnings do, Shanley says.

He and the BPA are trying to change that. Shanley says he’s looking for the

The environment is another concern. When floodwaters don’t soak into the ground, they rush through the city gathering the city’s litter and floating it into the bayou and, eventually, to Galveston Bay. Where does most shrimp in Houston come from? You guessed it.

People are beginning to get it, Shanley says. Strides were made when the City of Houston recently tightened floodplain regulations to reduce development in those areas.

Still, there are miles of water to tread. About 2,500 miles of water, actually, involved in the local bayou system. Its safety is of great concern as Houston, in the next decade or so, expects to grow by millions of people and miles of urban sprawl.

This inevitable truth may have been in the minds of the Memorial-area homeowners who began the Buffalo Bayou Preservation Association in the mid1960s to protect their Buffalo Bayou from channelization. They won the fight, dropped the “Buffalo” and spread efforts to protect all of our city’s bayous.

Shanley joined the BPA during a similar plight around 1991 to stop channelization of Sims Bayou south of the city. He quickly realized the association had a responsibility not only to stop such developments but to foster a community respect for our bayou system that would prevent these developments in the first place.

“It’s easy to get people riled up against something, but it’s hard to get people energized and be for something,” Shanley says.

He’s hoping every young kid with a scrappy dog at his heels will have creeks to explore.

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THE BAYOU PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES ITS 41ST ANNIVERSARY ON SEPT. 18 WITH A MOROCCAN-THEME GALA, “CASABLANCA – An Oasis on the Bayou.” Individual tickets are $150 for ages 35 and younger and $200 for all others. For more information about this event or the association, visit bayoupreservation.org or call 713.529.6443.

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Photography by Anthony Rahbun

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EVENT CULTURE 365 KICK-OFF WHY NETWORK BETWEEN BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT ART AND ARTISTS WHERE CONTINENTAL CLUB WHEN JULY 30

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Hosts Bob & Lane Schultz in conjunction with co-hosts and Spacetaker Board Members Jennifer Brugh, Elaine Dillard, Jenni Rebecca Stephenson and Tina Zulu invited artists and businesses that support the arts to network over great tacos from Tacos A-Go-Go and live music. The Spacetaker Culture 365 program is designed to connect the arts and local businesses.

Lauren Elizabeth Summerville

Federico Bauder, Victoria Filippov

David Brown with Lane and Bob Schultz

James Craig, Elina Htun

Gregory McCardle, Annette McBride, James Winkle, Nutan Patel

Elaine Dillard, Jennifer Brugh, Nicole Haagenson

Jenni Rebecca Stephenson, Jose Solis

David Heller, Anneliese Davis

A

LIVING SMART WITH PATRICIA GRAS

Living Smart airs on Sundays at 3pm and repeats Thursdays at 1pm.

ANTHONY GREEN, PHD In the past few years, Americans have seen several school and college shootings. The greatest massacre on a school campus happened at Virginia Tech and, just as in the school shooting at Columbine High School, the perpetrator expressed bullying as one of the reasons he resorted to violence. Most attackers suffer from a mental disturbance but many argue school administrators failed to intervene to prevent the tragedy.

Anthony Green, PhD, is the director of the Men Aspiring Leaders Through Education program. The after school program has impacted hundreds of at-risk middle school children in public schools. I invited him to Living Smart (which airs on Sundays at 3pm and Thursdays at 1pm on HoustonPBS) to share what he knows about youth violence prevention.

are actually born with a passion to learn at a young age.

Research has proven that the brain is like a sponge and so with the encouragement and mentor guidance and their desire to learn, they will respond and possibly stay out of trouble,” said Green.

Green believes children need discipline and he’s learned how to do it effectively. “If my students misbehave, first of all I don’t respond in a negative way. I don’t embarrass them.

They are so used to being embarrassed.

So what I do is ask questions. ‘Is that appropriate?’ ‘What do you think?’ And then I wait for their response. Usually they just need to stop and think about what they are doing.”

“The young always have the same problem – how to rebel and conform at the same time.”Quentin Crisp

As an educator he realized to teach effectively he had to deal with the problems of his socially and economically fragile students, so he added leadership and character skills to his curriculum. He then pursued a doctorate in education, and his thesis was on youth violence prevention and found from his own experience what these children needed most was a committed mentor. “My students

Green, who faced his own struggles in his youth when he lost his mother at a young age, understands how difficult life can be for driftless young men. “These children come from difficult situations. Most of them are raised by single parents or grandparents.” The curriculum Dr. Green has developed is based on self-respect. “You start with character building which is character trait and to respect and to treat others as you would want to be treated.”

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ANTHONY GREEN + PATRICIA GRAS Since the M.A.L.E. program began, most of the students he has taught have scored 95% or higher in standardized tests. The students are learning different outlets other than violence to control their rage. Dr. Green also teaches interpersonal skills, cooperative skills, getting along with each other and conflict resolution skills. Now instead of a life on the streets, students are looking toward college and owning their own businesses.

On Living Smart Dr. Green will teach us how to train, intervene and engage in dispute resolution techniques in order to stop school violence.

For more resources, go to houstonpbs.org/livingsmart under Dr. Anthony Green.

Contact Dr. Anthony Green at avgreen2@yahoo.com.

Share your experiences, call 713.743.8513 or e-mail livingsmart@houstonpbs.org.

Missed a show? Go to the Internet, Google Video and type in the search term “Living Smart” in quotation marks.

Patricia Gras is an EmmyAward-winning journalist and the producer and host for Living Smart with Patricia Gras. You can reach her at pgras@houstonpbs.org.

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DESTINATION

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By Sandra Ramani Photography by Matthew Millman

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: DRIVE, DRINK + DE-STRESS Solage hotel + spa

Domaine Chandon winery

Rubicon winery (Francis Ford Coppola's estate)

V

isiting the wineries and spas of Northern California has become a classic travelers’ itinerary, a favorite of girlfriend getaways, pre-wedding blowouts and romantic long weekends. But on a recent visit out west, we threw a little adrenaline into the mix of merlots and massages: a day spent driving the latest sports cars at the Audi Forum Sonoma at the Infineon Raceway. Of course, we’re not recommending drinking and driving – seriously, drink responsibly! – but as a separate activity, a stop at the Forum will add some high-speed thrills to your chill weekend.

DRIVE Located between the Napa and Sonoma valleys, the Infineon Raceway is spread out over 1,600 picturesque acres, and is the site of one of only five NASCAR races run on a road course. It’s also home to the Audi Forum Sonoma, a permanent facility based near Turn 1 that showcases Audi’s latest models and lets the non-professional get a feel for just how fast these cars were designed to go.

In April 2008, the Forum launched the Audi Sportscar Experience, which offers oneand two-day courses in the RS 4 and the R8 sports cars (the latter was the sleek silver number featured in Iron Man) that focus on basics like car control, braking and slalom skills, followed by speed-driving time on the speedway; prices for these options start at $1,295.

A little more accessible is the half-day S-Model Introductory Program ($695), which lets you get a taste for racing in the S4, new S5 and 450-bhp S8 models. After covering the fundamentals, participants get to do a few laps around the track – usually following a pace car – then end the session with a friendly handling course competition against fellow classmates. All sessions are taught by professional racing drivers, who make sure things run smoothly and safely. For more on the various Experiences, including videos of course highlights, VISIT AUDIDRIVINGEXPERIENCE.COM.

DRINK There’s no shortage of wineries in the Napa / Sonoma area; whether you’re looking for a small family-run operation or want to trace the origins of that bottle you

Solbar at Solage hotel & spa

picked up in your local wine store, you’ll find it there. But no visit would be complete without a stop at Rubicon Estate, a beautiful property set in Rutherford, one of California’s top Cabernet Sauvignon regions. Formerly known as NiebaumCoppola Estate Winery, Rubicon is the labor of love of director Francis Ford Coppola, who spent over 20 years working to reunite the original vineyards once owned by famed Inglenook winemaker Gustav Niebaum. Now complete, the estate is centered around the ornate Chateau, Niebaum’s original 1880 winery that’s been renovated and expanded to include two tasting rooms, a wine bar, a retail store, some production facilities and a museum. The latter houses both artifacts related to the history of the Estate as well as Coppola’s stunning collection of antique magic lanterns – the precursor to the movie camera – and a few mementoes from his films.

The $25 entrance fee includes the Legacy historical tour, access to the Chateau, wine library and museum, complimentary valet parking and a tasting of five Estate wines, which range from merlots to the stellar Blancaneaux white, a mix of three varietals.

For more information, VISIT RUBICONESTATE.COM.

DE-STRESS After days spent racing cars and swirling wine glasses, relax at the stylish Solage Calistoga, nestled along the edge of the Napa Valley. The resort has won awards for its green-minded design, which makes use of solar panels and interiors made from natural and recycled materials (think wool throws, stone countertops and pebbled showers) in the 89 studio-style rooms. At the excellent Solbar, Chef Brandon Sharp has created a seasonal, sustainable menu highlighting the best local products.

In addition, energy derived from Calistoga’s famous geothermal springs is used to help heat the treatment rooms and soaking pools at the hotel’s 20,000-square-foot spa, where guests can indulge in Kate Sommerville facials and massages using both hot and cold stones. One of the most unique treatments is the Mudslide, which has three steps: a customized mud “cocktail” – made up of mineral mud and essential oils – to slather on in a private heated Mud Lounge; time to wash it all off in a soaking tub filled with hot springs water; and finally, a rest in a state-of-the-art “sound chair,” which incorporates heat, sound and scent to help you bliss out. FOR MORE ON THE SOLAGE CALISTOGA, VISIT SOLAGECALISTOGA.COM.

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the park. This doesn’t include spectators but word is a conservative estimate would be between 10-12,000 visitors combined per month, making it the most popular park in the city per square foot. Numerous photographers come to the park every night to shoot the action, and many spectators come every evening to enjoy the energy of the park and beautiful skyline. In addition, the park has become a global destination for skateboarders and their families, and skate tourists from all over the country visit on a regular basis. Tony Hawk and his crew showed up unannounced one morning. They indicated they liked the park so much they plan on coming back when the weather cools. PUSH – pushhouston.com – continues to emulate the park’s generous donors lead and offers free novice workshops to beginner skaters the third Saturday of every month from 8 –10am. For information, contact estella.espinosa@cityofhouston.net or 713.845.1135

002+magazine

ONOUR RADAR [INNOVATION]

[ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT]

If the fall season has you drinking too much caffeine and you’re finding it hard to wind down, try the world’s first extreme relaxation beverage drank™. The natural calming effects of melatonin, valerian root and rose hips help you capture a stress-free state of mind. Available at Spec’s. drankbeverage.com.

[SHOPS] HOUSTON’S FIRST NAIL BAR to offer manis and pedis with cocktails opened shop last month. BLISS NAIL SPA unveils a 2,200-square-foot sanctuary offering a Nail Bar for quick fixes, massaging Pedi-thrones, a complimentary drink menu offering everything from coffee to cosmos, and a Mani-Pedi Suite where couples, business groups and friends can de-stress together. There’s also waxing, facials and massages for those who need a little more TLC. 701 Shepherd Drive, 713.864.8787 or visit bliss-nailspa.com.

UPDATES IN THE GALLERIA include the opening of Geox as well as opening this month of Adrenalina, the completion of the BCBG relocation, Ed Hardy and Sneaker Lab. The remodel of Louis Vuitton is slated to be open by October.

Cinnabon also opens in October. Coming in November and December are Fredrick’s of Hollywood, Adidas, Valentino and Hilfiger Denim.

See a shoe and pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck… So said Andy Warhol half a century ago, when he first got noticed. For the artist’s 80th birthday on August 6, Bond No. 9 introduces the third in its series of Warhol eau de parfums – Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue. The scent launches this month at Saks Fifth Avenue.

NIXON—the southern Californian premium accessories and watch brand—releases its fifth limited collection, featuring ONE-OF-A-KIND TIMEPIECES DESIGNED BY MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT ICONS. Included in the lineup are designs by Fall Out Boy, Jack Black, Joy Bryant, Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx, Angels and Airwaves, Silversun Pickups, Danny Way, Ozomatli, Ringo Starr, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ryu Nakamura and Tristan Prettyman. Proceeds benefit the Grammy Association’s MusiCares MAP Fund and the Tony Hawk Foundation, two highlyregarded charities aligned with music and action sports culture. The one-of-a-kind timepieces feature original artwork created using paint pens and hard rock maple inlaid to watch bands. $350 and up at nixonnow.com/LTD.

[UPDATE ON THE SKATE PARK] The Lee and Joe Jamail Skate Park is a massive hit with the grand opening event attracting about 5,000 visitors. The Parks & Recreation Department has recorded over 16,000 skaters having visited 30. september08 002houston

jack black

ringo starr

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paint ball KIDS WILL LOVE THIS AND PARENTS CAN JUSTIFY GETTING A LITTLE MESSY WHEN 100% OF THE NET PROCEEDS FROM PAINT YOUR POLO KITS ARE DONATED TO THE PINK PONY FUND OF THE POLO RALPH LAUREN FOUNDATION BENEFITING MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER’S PEDIATRIC ART PROGRAM. BRIGHTLY COLORED PAINTS, AN ARRAY OF PAINT BRUSHES, FUN STAMPS AND A CLASSIC WHITE POLO SHIRT AS THE CANVAS ALL COME NEATLY PACKAGED IN A KID-FRIENDLY RALPH LAUREN PAINT CAN. $45, available at Ralph Lauren Children’s Stores and RalphLauren.com.

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Photography by Michelle Watson for LastNightPics.com

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EVENT PAMPERING AND WELLNESS BAZAAR WHY TO CELEBRATE THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY WHERE NAKED BATH + BODY WHEN JULY 25 Naked Body + Bath celebrated their one year anniversary of the flagship store in West University with a Bazaar sponsored by Total Body Magazine.

Held on a Friday as the perfect way to wrap up a busy week, customers were treated to complimentary chair massages, foot soaks, refreshments and giveaways at the birthday bash. Guests were intoxicated with the natural aromatherapy of the paraban-free products as well as the night of pampering.

Barrye Brown, Shani Roper

Kristiana Webber-Moreno, Amy Garrett, Jerry Maese, Farah Jumshyd

Sam Cole, Christine Borrett

Naima Singletary, Roslyn Bazzelle

Nikki Goldbolt, Tiffany Guillory

Crowded house

Dena Ladner, Farah Jumshyd, Janine Abmayr

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1

KRISTINE MILLS

MARK ANTHONY CHAVARRIA

age 40-ish sign Taurus origin Native Houstonian occupation Singer/Songwriter

age 39 sign Libra (birthday September 30!) origin Houston, Texas occupation Hollywood Stuntman

PEOPLE OF HOUSTON

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Photography by Aaron M. Sprecher

3 ALI SIDDIQ age very well sign +, origin earth occupation youtube.com/ comedyalisiddiq

1. MARK ANTHONY CHAVARRIA -If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy? I would by a new house for my father.

-Who is your favorite musician? Of all time is Buddy Holly.

-What was your most embarrassing moment? Was working on “Pearl Harbor” with Ben Affleck, and I was asked to do a nude stunt scene, and I had to walk around in a towel half the day on set, and I was thinking omg, everyone I know is going to see this and say “I know that nude guy”! lol! I was so nervous on set the whole day. Later on I found out the stunt guys from LA were just joking around with me. (And, no, no nude stunt scene happened!)

-what is your most memorable moment? Holding my son for the first time.

2. KRISTINE MILLS -What’s your favorite trend? Being green.

-What is one thing you can’t live without? My daughter!

-If you could only wear one cosmetic product, what would it be? Kiehl’s Lip Gloss.

-What was the best concert you ever attended?

When I sang with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in Rio de Janeiro during the Brazilian International Jazz Festival – Aug 2007.

3. ALI SIDDIQ -What attracts you to a person?

I look at eyes, teeth – and breathing is always a plus.

-If you never had to work, what would you do?

I’d finally be able to run for president of the PTA (Parent Teacher Association).

-What is your favorite sport? Kickball.

-How would you describe your style? Fashionably confident.

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COSTUMES FOR COCKTAILS

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Styling by Beatrice Valencia Photography by Gabriella Nissen * Illustration by Cynthia Bogart

JULIET & ROMEO COUTURE 2563 Amherst, Rice Village 713.527.8940 julietromeocouture.com SPEC’S WINE AND SPIRITS 2410 Smith Street 713.526.8787 NEIMAN MARCUS 2600 Post Oak Blvd.

713.621.7100 PAYLESS Memorial City Mall 900 Gessner Rd. 713.984.1638 AMERICAN APPAREL 1665 Westheimer Rd. 713.521.7171

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LIFE OF THE PARTY…

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BEING THE LIFE OF THE PARTY IS SECOND NATURE. DRESSING THE PART CAN TAKE SOME WORK BUT WITH FALL’S GRUNGE GLAM CHIC TWIST GETTING IT RIGHT IS NOT ONLY EFFORTLESS BUT ALSO EASY.

1. This dress is too short for me but with shiny leggings it transforms into a glam tunic. *Nancy Rose strapless black woven dress/tunic $300 @ Juliet & Romeo Couture 2. Add a nice pop of color in fall’s typically grey palate with this bag. I’m in a big cross-body bag moment too. Byrna Nicole violet Vega hobo $495 @ byrnanicole.com 3. It’s not cold yet so these peep-toe booties are perfect. You get the fall feel without all the coverage. *Payless tri-color Rio peep-toe booties $32.99 @ payless.com 4. Love this belt to tie it all together. You can skip a necklace when you have a piece like this. *Patricia Field Carrie Studded Belt from Sex & The City $120 5.

Nothing screams rock ’n’ roll quite like shiny leggings! *American Apparel shiny nylon tricot leggings $34 6. Shoulder grazing serpents with dazzling pink stones add the right eye-catching touch to bring the focus up around my face. J.J. Singh Wild Things serpent earrings with pink semi-precious stones $348 @ jjsinghjewelry.com 7. I love the delicate chain and small pendants with a touch of diamonds. Love Rocks NY cut-out evil eye bracelet with blue or white diamonds, evil eye pavé pendant, bracelet chain and infinity bangle $140$1900 @ loverocksny.com 8. I’m not ready for dark harsh colors since it’s still pretty warm outside. This berry color is a “fantastic” transition. *Chanel Fantastic 481 nail polish $20 @ Neiman Marcus 36. september08 002houston

PLAYING HOSTESS? BRING OUT THIS BOTTLE AND BE PREPARED TO AMAZE YOUR GUESTS WITH THE PRESENTATION AND BUBBLES. *Armand de Brignac Champagne $300 @ Spec’s Wine and Spirits

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RETAIL WRAP

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Photography by Emily Dwyer

NAME J. LANDA | BOUTIQUE J. SILVER

years in operation 12 years | address 2412 rice blvd, houston, tx 77005 | phone 713.807.1644 | website jsilverdesigns.com

CURRENT OBSESSION: Black diamonds are my current obsession. Love them…whether mixed with 18kt gold or platinum. I’ve incorporated diamonds in my current Men’s line….it just adds a masculine energy to my pieces.

DESIGN INSPIRATION | ICON: My design inspiration is channeled by everyday occurrences…people, travel, books.

Sometimes I’m inspired by my dreams…and lately in the shower! However, I’m a total popular culture addict…and all of what’s happening around the world affects my designs and my perspective. I live in NY part-time and you couldn’t ask for a better place to inspire YOU! I also draw lots of my designs by listening to my customers, and understanding their needs…Environmental causes are important, so my Summer Collection was totally devoted to “going” green!

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS BUSINESS? Funny thing: I certainly didn’t set out to be in the fashion industry, far from it! I went to the University of Texas and majored in English/government. I actually wanted to contribute to the world, both politically and intellectually. And now look at me!

I started to work for the Gap Corporation and suddenly got recruited by Donna Karan, and moved to NY. Long story short: fell in love and moved to Houston. Started selling jewelry part-time to subsidize my income in Houston, and it became a full time job. I’ve had a very great experience…I love what I do!

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER BOUTIQUES? I take pride in my customers…and in my image. I hunt for the best, and the unusual. Most of the designers I house in my store, if not all, are great friends of mine.

We are truly very customer-service oriented…it’s not just about selling a piece of jewelry but establishing a relationship. We completely style our clients from shoes, clothing, to ultimately jewelry. We do everything to make the experience easy.

Honestly, I’ve made lifetime friends through clients. My staff is very knowledgeable of trends, and classic looks.

WHAT ARE YOU COVETING THIS SEASON? Lately, I’ve been in this very “preppy” mode. I love RALPH LAUREN and JOHN VARVATOS, their tailored shirts, cashmere and vintage riding boots! I’m definitely in the market for the perfect black motorcycle jacket that’s fitted…and sexy! Also, the perfect “faux fur” collared coat for the NY winter!

STYLE COMES FROM WITHIN…WE ALL TRULY HAVE A PERSONAL STYLE , WHETHER IT’S CASUAL, TAILORED OR BOHEMIAN. FASHION SHOULD BE A REFLECTION OF YOUR PERSONALITY, LIFESTYLE AND FUNCTIONALITY.

1. Try to have an open mind about fashion, try new things. STOP the monochromatic look…think “irony”. Let the jewelry speak for itself. I love when you see the clothes, the shoes, and the jewelry…all independent from each other.

5 RULES OF HOME STYLE

2. Mix old pieces with new. I’d love for all my clients to wear my designs, but I truly like when they mix my jewelry with other designers.

3. Stay away from rules…Do what you want – what feels good.

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4. Don’t be afraid of color. Color can brighten your face…and the overall look.

5. Shopping should be a fun experience…Don’t stress it. Have fun with jewelry and clothes.

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ONE GREAT BAYOU.

ONE GREAT PAPARAZZI…

You go to all the trouble of planning an event. You pay the ridiculous fare for the fierce invitations to lure your guests there, then you fork it out to feed them delicious food, which they quickly forget about due to the fact that you blew the budget on the bar. Did you remember to capture the moment? Nope, more times than not, you assume someone will take pictures or you the organizer will. I do this time and time again, but last month I used lastnightpics.com. Seriously it doesn’t get easier.

Michelle over there coordinates your photographer which you can book online (or you can call the old-fashioned way). The night of your shindig you’ve got instant professional paparazzi who can then upload all the images that night for your guests to see themselves in swimsuits when the party all of a sudden turns into a pool party (you know who you are), and you can also get a CD for your eyes only. Lastnightpics.com

ONE GREAT JOULE. No, we didn’t misspell “jewel,” although the new hotel in downtown Dallas is just that. The ultra lux home away from home is the first of its kind, a luxury collection hotel. Based in a historic 16-story, 1920’s National Bank Building, owner Tim Headington recalled his first memory of the street when he was sixteen and used that as inspiration to restore the building.

Using oil, energy and wind as themes, famed interior designer Adam D. Tihany creates a thrilling interior and a cantilevered rooftop pool. A Charlie Palmer restaurant is already making waves with its “best steak” award from Modern Luxury Dallas Magazine. Highlights include: plasma screens, touch screen lighting control, iPod docking stations, Bespoke Labs Featherweight Dryer – oh, and a direct line to Neiman Marcus next door. Sweet dreams….1530 Main Street, Dallas, 214.748.1300, luxurycollection.com

Bet you had no idea there is such a thing as the Texas Dragon Boat Association.

The 501(c)(3)’s mission is to promote Asian and Asian-American art and culture through the tradition of dragon boating; increase awareness of Asian and AsianAmerican culture; enhance cross-cultural understanding; increase awareness of Houston local waterways and bayous through close works with Buffalo Bayou Partnership. How do they do that you ask? They host two major events each year: Houston Dragon Boat Festival each May at Buffalo Bayou at Allen’s Landing and the Annual Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta on Pasadena Lake at Clear Lake Park each October.

002’s suggestion: Every Friday starting this month thru November (weather permitting) board the Buffalo Bayou Partnership new pontoon boat to observe the emergence of approximately 250,000 bats from Waugh Street Bridge. Meet at dusk, approximately 6:45pm at Allen’s Landing. Reservations required, $35 per person. To sign up or to find out more information, call 713.752.0314 ext. 4 or e-mail bfoshee@buffalobayou.org and visit buffalobayou.org.

ONE GREAT BENCH. Kelly Gale Amen’s iron benches for Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Honoring the Promise furniture collection. The commemorative functional art furniture honors those who have lived the promise and fought the battle against breast cancer. The collection includes benches, planters, chairs and tables. All pieces are available in either solid aluminum (painted either pink with brown legs or brown with pink legs) or solid bronze. These pieces are signed, limited edition. Each piece is custom made and can be personalized with a plaque. Available at komen.org in the Promise Shop. This is one great way to commemorate a loved one. Hopefully we’ll see a few throughout the city’s public space this October.

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THINGS I LIKE LOVE

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By Carla Valencia de Martinez Photography by Sofia van der Dys

I look forward to this event every year!

A fashion show just for 002 readers!

Enjoy drinks, fashion, music and HELLO – SHOPPING the latest fall looks.

September 25th at Neiman Marcus in the Galleria.

Got to take your vitamins! It doesn’t get easier than companies like Kinerase and Perricone MD’s pre-packaged daily dose! Pevona Botanic also has some great ones, like the AccuMind to help maintain mental alertness – love that! Available at Sephora.

YOU’VE GOT TO DRINK WATER ANYWAY, SO I SAY, WHY NOT DO YOUR BODY GOOD WHILE DOING IT? GLOWELLE IS A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT PACKED WITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS LIKE GREEN TEA EXTRACT, LYCOPENE, VITAMIN C, POMEGRANATE EXTRACT, GRAPE SEED EXTRACT AND BETA CAROTENE. CREATED BY A GROUP OF WOMEN AT NESTLÉ, THE BEAUTY POWDER IS MIXED IN A BOTTLE OF WATER. AVAILABLE AT NEIMAN MARCUS.

Naturally More Peanut Butter is all natural with no cholesterol (which means my dad can eat it), no trans fatty acids (my skinny sister can eat it), high in protein (my mother will love that), and essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 (my hair and nails will rejoice). Oh – and it tastes great.

Available at health stores.

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One of my girlfriends gave me the Nike+iPod sensor for my birthday.

It’s one of those things I wouldn’t have bought for myself, but LOVE it!

Yes, I know, it’s been out forever, but it’s new to me. I love the lady counting down my workout and I can log it all at nikeplus.com.

Available at Finish Strong on Washington, 713. 861.9779.

I was recently introduced to nude skincare by the line’s retail director Anna Ghee on a visit to Houston to introduce the line to Sephora. The line is very earth-conscious but doesn’t lack in advanced technology insuring the products work. Organic elements are used whenever possible, however advanced ingredients like peptides from milk are not available organically. I have been using a few of the products and my skin is quite literally ecstatic. The cleansing oil, milk or wash clean away eye makeup and grime, leaving the most amazing scent, and the night oil balances the skin rather than breaking me out.

Price range $34 – $108.

Got these bad boys for my birthday too! And they’re another thing I wouldn’t buy for myself, but I love these classic Ray-Ban Aviators – so Top Gun. Can’t get enough of Sephora’s Snag-Free Hair Elastics. Haven’t lost a hair from pulling these out since I started using them years ago. $3.50 for a set of 8.

THIS BLACK MATTE EYELASH CURLER IS FLAWLESS. IT’S MY NEW FAVORITE. NARS, $20.

STRESSED? During the last three years I’ve experienced 15 stress-inducing life events, some more or some less.* I knew life was taking its toll, so when I got a chance to try the new Estee Lauder Nutritious line of skin care, I didn’t hesitate.

After a month of using the “Vita-Mineral” products, I can tell you that my skin feels more supple and looks…well, more alive. And I adore the pomegranate scent (one of the life-affirming ingredients)! The drawback though is that none of the products I tested have any SPF effectiveness, so that’s one more step in my barely-there beauty routine. I am pleased with the way my skin looks, even though I know I could still use some “spackle” as my daughter would say. Victoria Bartlett – 002 Copy Editor Extraordinaire!

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SORDID LIVES: good (almost) clean fun If you missed cult-favorite “Sordid Lives” in the movies or on the stage, you can now catch the antics of a hilariously dysfunctional small-town Texas family on your TV, if you have the LOGO cable channel.

Originally premiered on the stage in 1996, Del Shores’ tale became a 2000 movie starring Delta Burke, Olivia Newton-John, Leslie Jordan of “Will and Grace” fame (an institutionalized cross-dresser who performs as Tammy Wynette) and HOUSTON’S OWN ANN WALKER, WHO HAS BEEN PLAYING THE CHARACTER OF WILD-CHILD LAVONDA DUPREE (daughter of matriarch Peggy Ingram, now played by Rue McClanahan) since the beginning.

Walker, who grew up in Houston’s East End and attended Stephen F. Austin High School, got her start in community theater. “I remember reading in the paper one year that I had been in 11 different plays that season,” she laughs. She’d been bitten by the drama bug early: Saturdays from 10 – 5 you could find her watching movies at Houston’s grand downtown movie palaces, which sadly no longer remain.

“I knew even at that point that I didn’t want to be the people in the movies, I wanted to be the actor playing the characters in the movies.”

She later married her high school sweetheart and went off to study theater in New York. They later moved to California, where they had friends, and before you knew it, she was acting for real – and getting paid for it. “It was one thing to be acting in Houston and just enjoying it, but to get paid for it, now that was something else.”

Walker has been LaVonda Dupree, “the voice of reason” in the play, as she says,

By Tim Moloney Photography provided by LOGO cable channel

since its premiere. (It ran for a year and a half in Los Angeles before going on tour.) Has the character changed much over the years? “Well, she’s getting a bit older,” Walker laughs, “but she’s still fair-minded and loving. She’s also ballsy and speaks her mind!”

Though she’s played the character on stage and in the movie, Walker says that acting on TV is actually the most fun. “Sure, I love the immediacy of being on stage and getting the audience reaction, but with TV, the situations are always different, the story is always changing, and it’s new every episode.”

Some may call "Sordid Lives" simply a gay favorite, but Walker disagrees. “I think the show resonates with ann walker | lavonda dupree people both gay and straight because in every family there’s somebody who’s different or has taken a different path. I think most of all our audience is intelligent. They understand the humor and they see the importance of tolerance for everyone and everything.

So speaking of audiences, does Walker get recognized on the streets when she goes out? “Well, the other day, Del and a few others and I went out to some bars in West Hollywood and everyone knew us and wanted pictures. It was sweet! But if I go to the grocery store or something, nobody bothers me. Of course, I don’t look like LaVonda when I go grocery shopping!”

left to right: Carolina Rhea (Noleta), Rue McClanahan (Peggy), David Steen (G.W. Nethercott), Sarah Hunley (Juanita Bartlett), Newell Alexander (Wardell), Olivia Newton-John (Bitsy Mae Harling), Beth Grant (Sissy Hickey), Jason Dottley (Ty Williamson), Bonnie Bedelia (Latrelle Williamson), Ann Walker (LaVonda Dupree), Leslie Jordan (Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram), Rosemary Alexander (Dr. Eve) 42. september08 002houston

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Photography by Genesis photographers

EVENT CRYSTAL ICON AWARDS WHY TO CELEBRATE ISES ACHIEVEMENTS WHERE OMNI HOTEL WHEN JULY 27 It was a night of firsts at the Crystal Icon Awards held at the new constructed Regency Ballroom at the Omni Hotel on Sunday, July 27th. A new ballroom, a new format, a new name for the awards show and the first time for many of the vendors to showcase new products. One thing wasn’t new and that was the stellar dedication that event Honoree Susan Christian, Deputy Director of Special Events in the Mayor’s office, has given to the industry in Houston for 23 years. Both the current Mayor Bill White and past Mayor Bob Lanier were on hand to celebrate Susan’s achievement at the awards show put on by the International Special Events Society and produced by Deborah Elias and Mia Monroe.

The Crystal Icon

Elyse Lanier and Bob Lanier, Susan Christian

Jim Snow, Deborah Elias

Jon Halbur, Victoria Barclay, Dan O'Brien

Mia Monroe, Judy Blake, Heather Sims

Mya Shia, Tom Griffin, Anne Clutterbuck

Erin Coppens, Matthew Finnan

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Punk Punk Rock Rock

By Allison Bagley Photography by Roger Moore

GIIRRLL

Gallery superstar Amanda Dunbar merges fine art and music with her blinged out guitars

A

PRETEEN PRODIGY WHO REGULARLY CAPTIVATED OPRAH’S AUDIENCE WITH HER IMPRESSIONISTIC PAINTINGS, ARTIST AMANDA DUNBAR HAS MATURED ALONG WITH HER INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BODY OF WORK. NOW 25, SHE WAS NAMED PERSON OF THE WEEK LAST YEAR BY ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT BECAUSE OF HER CULTURAL PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS. AND THIS FALL, THE DALLASITE WILL SHAKE UP THE ART WORLD ONCE AGAIN. The It Girl will officially unveil Precious Rebels, a collection of high-end guitars bejeweled in Swarovski® crystals in time for three of the designs to be sold through Neiman Marcus’ famously luxurious holiday catalogue.

Until now, Dunbar’s medium has primarily been oil on canvas – her Dallas gallery showcases her expansive collection. When she painted her first picture at age 12 after moving to Texas from her native Canada, a wowed teacher encouraged her passion. When she was just 16, Dunbar sold out her first solo exhibit, taking in over $500,000. By 21, she commissioned her first piece (it passed the $1 million mark).

She earned her undergraduate degree from SMU, where she currently attends a fulltime master’s program in art history. Her work has taken her from Brazil to Fiji and throughout Europe, but the idea to use stringed instruments as a canvas sparked right at home. Influenced by her father and sister, who both play, she painted guitars for Grammy MusiCares Foundation for Artists’ charity auctions. The concept eventually became two-dimensional, and Dunbar set off to her own tune. The elaborate jeweled instruments fuse multiple art forms, she says.

“It’s a piece of work that actually produces music,” she says. “It’s important to me to engage as many people as possible back into the world of visual art. People are intimidated – there’s a sterile notion and elitist quality of museums and galleries – and it’s really hard to break that stereotype. I hope I can let people know art that is fun and beautiful is legitimate. There’s nothing less artistic about something you can understand.”

Dunbar’s father helps choose the guitars, and only top of the line brands like PRS are used. “Sometimes I choose them for their shape, but mostly it’s my father who knows how a good guitar is supposed to sound.”

In vibrant tones and gleaming textures, each design is captivating. Styles include an American flag motif dubbed the Working Man, the Black Widow spider web design,

Amanda Dunbar

animal prints, and pieces bedazzled with wings, fiery flames, playing cards and a tuxedo shirt. From there, the pattern is transferred to the instrument before roughly 5,000 crystals are hand-applied one by one. Each guitar is finished with individually fitted custom hardware and accessories.

Humble and discreet about the list of bold-faced names who already own Precious Rebels guitars, Dunbar says she’s in talks to create custom designs for some internationally famous musicians. Rock stars may enjoy her pieces as much for their beauty as their function, but the works are also coveted by people whose music career includes only Guitar Hero jam sessions. One such collector has a Precious Rebels guitar hanging vertically, like a piece of art, on a wall.

Long known for bringing exposure to causes close to her heart, Dunbar has personally donated over $1 million to charities throughout her career. The Precious Rebels collection will continue to raise funds for her pet causes, many of which aid children.

Not only is this a new outlet for me as an artist, it’s another vehicle to raise money for the causes I feel strongly about,” she says. The price tag of the Precious Rebels commissioned by Neiman’s can’t yet be disclosed, but Dunbar has sold similar pieces to private collectors for $15,000 – 30,000 a pop. She says the limited edi-

tion guitars are different from anything she’s done so far, adding, “They are going to rock! I’m really excited. As an artist and as a person, I absolutely love the idea that the pieces can bridge people who are interested in music and fashion and design and jewelry.”

Currently, Dunbar and her team are encrusting a Steinway grand piano using the same pain-staking procedure, and other stringed instruments are in the works.

Dunbar is ready for her next solo. And it’s clear rock ’n roll will never be the same.

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PREDATOR

AN R S E A EY FO M R N FO MO T TLE AISE U O O R T.” T W E LE BOU N C I A EH YA IS L V H G T R CALIFORNIA IS THE RON SUNSHINE Y L T O S N N L T O T’S A I FEE O “N IST, I SES T U AR CA E TH

THE PARISIAN

BLACK JACK

MOON SHADOW

BLACK WIDOW

DRAGONFLY

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Very Public

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Relations Compiled by Carla Valencia | Photography by Sofia van der Dys

KAREN HENRY & GRETCHEN FERGUSON

COMPANY: The PR Boutique AREA OF EXPERTISE: Media Relations, Event Management and Community Development CONTACT INFORMATION: The PR Boutique, 3000 Weslayan, Suite 280, Houston, Texas 77027, 713.599.1271

WEBSITE: theprboutique.com Gretchen’s jacket Roberta Freymann from Muse Karen’s dress Pucci from Tootsies Hair by Michael Kemper Makeup by Craig Lemore for Christi Harris at Michael Kemper

WE ALL STROLL INTO ALL THESE GREAT EVENTS IN OUR CITY WITHOUT GIVING A SECOND THOUGHT TO HOW IT ALL COMES TOGETHER. WHO CAN FORGET THE GRAND OPENING OF THE ZAZA HOTEL – THE DANCING, THE DRINKS, THE FOOD? OR THE UNVEILING OF DISCOVERY GREEN WITH ITS DAYS OF EVENTS FROM A GALA UNDER A COVERED FAIRY TALE TENT TO THE ALLDAY EVENT ON THE GREENS WITH LIVE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT? WHAT ABOUT CHEVY AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON’S FREEDOM OVER TEXAS 4TH OF JULY EVENT? THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN. AND YOU’LL SEE IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE EVENT. THERE’S “BRAND RECOGNITION” SO-TO-SPEAK AND PROMOTION OF A CLIENT. CREATING A BUZZ SO YOU’LL WANT TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY KNOW ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT – HOW TO MAKE, ENJOY IT AND SHARE IT.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? Public relations tells the story about a company, organization or individual through various communication mediums.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? KAREN HENRY – I began right out of college as the personal assistant to advertising and public relations firm owner Tom Vance, handling sports figures Dan Pastorini and Alex Karras and well-known writer George Plimpton before working in LA for Wald, Nanus and Associates who represented Helen Reddy, Donna Summer, Sylvester Stallone and the group Chicago.

GRETCHEN FERGUSON – My introduction to agency life began in New York City working for an international public relations firm managing PetSmart national public relations efforts.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? Together, we have 4 decades of experience.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? Our scope of projects typically includes planning comprehensive local and national media strategies, developing unique event themes and blueprints, managing and executing events, and composing creative community enhancement programs.

WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? To increase sales for our clients. The PR Boutique is a goaloriented firm. We like clear, defined, yet flexible, strategies and consider ourselves an extension of our clients. We know we are successful if both the tangible and intangible return far outweighs the monetary and opportunity costs of our work.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. The Brilliant Lecture Series is a Houston-based non-profit organization dedicated to educating, inspiring and increasing public awareness within the community by providing a forum for interactions with national and international leaders, role models, philanthropists, artists, humanitarians and

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other prominent members of our society. More than 7,000 Houstonians, of which an estimated 50 percent have been have been middle school – college students have been introduced to Diana Ross, Queen Noor, Sidney Poitier, Julie Andrews, Kofi Annan and White House Chef Walter Scheib.

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? TELL US ABOUT IT! We transformed Highland Village into an old-fashioned swanky supper club to create the Highland Village Classic.

The event was an effort to let Houstonians know about the upcoming Keels & Wheels Concours d’ Elegance, a classic car and wooden boat show which takes place each year in Seabrook and benefits Boys and Girls Harbor. We decorated an empty space with silver palm trees and candlelight where guests enjoyed the sultry sounds of jazz and old standards while feasting on delicious food from four area restaurants (RA Sushi, PF Chang’s, Smith & Wollensky, Escalante’s) and sipped martinis donated by Imperia Vodka. More than 1,000 event goers strolled through the red carpeted parking lot perusing an array of classic cars and boats.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? The re-opening of Ristorante Cavour at Hotel Granduca, the Annual Boys & Girls Harbor Gala honoring John and Becca Cason Thrash, Michael Kemper Salon anniversary event, The Friends of the Stehlin Foundation Annual Gala, Family Matters fundraiser at Turnberry Tower featuring The Oceanaire, The Galleria Chamber of Commerce’s Moda in Italia: Houston Celebrates Italy, Karl Rove as the featured speaker for the Brilliant Lecture Series, the opening of Rebecca & Drew, Monique Lhuillier personal appearance at Tootsies, trunk shows and events at Muse, Virtuosi auditions and The Latin Grammys.

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING (EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT!), WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? HOME! GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “Today’s headlines are tomorrow’s trash.”

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HEATHER WAGNER

COMPANY: Juice Consulting LLC AREA OF EXPERTISE: PR, marketing, event planning and consulting CONTACT INFORMATION: JUICECONSULTING.NET

LISA R. BENITEZ

COMPANY: Macy’s AREA OF EXPERTISE: Special Events Planner

WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? Public relations is the act of getting your message out to the masses. It involves having a deep understanding of your key messages and knowing how to strategically disseminate them. I got into PR because I’ve always enjoyed various ways of communicating with people and expressing myself. When I was in college I debated whether I should major in theater or public relations. My business brain won out and I went the route of majoring in PR and got a degree in journalism with a major in PR. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? 15 years.

IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? Houston is fantastic. The people are down to earth and open to new ideas and opportunities. If you can dream it in Houston, you can do it. Before living here, I lived in Europe (the Netherlands) for five years. I was very delighted to find out that Houston wasn’t a culture shock, rather a warm, welcoming place that made me feel completely at home. I’ve been here six years and counting.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? My company’s slogan is “adding vitality to your campaign.” It is a play on words, i.e., Juice Consulting=Energy, Vigor, Vitality, etc. I am a super-energized person and my goal is to help take my clients to the next level by offering “out of the box” ideas, connections and strategic input. I specifically work with clients in the industries of music, art, film, fashion and luxury goods.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. I am a fourth-year board member of The

Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy (The Grammy® Association) and I am very passionate about this group. They are responsible for the Grammy® Awards each year, but they also have a lot of advocacy, music education and support programs for musicians and industry folk alike. I am extremely proud to be involved. And as you know, the Latin Grammys are in Houston this year…what a major honor for our city!

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? TELL US ABOUT IT! Most recently, I produced the Red Bull Art of the Can event. It was one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever done.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? In my early PR days, I once was misquoted in The Wall Street Journal Europe!

DREAM CLIENT? The City of Houston.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? • The Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy’s event for the Latin Grammys on November 11 and the Latin Grammys themselves on November 13.

• Co-hosting Glasstire’s Mirror Ball on December 5.

• Working on the launch of artist Wendy Wagner’s Qwerky’s Doll Collection this fall.

• Painter Joseph Marioni’s (who is locally represented by Wade Wilson Art) Retrospective at the McNay in San Antonio in November.

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? I like to have intimate dinners with good friends…Maybe with a night cap at 13º Celsius or Absinthe.

Give us a favorite quotation about PR. ”Nothing is ever off the record…”

WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? Special Events also encompasses a public relations element and I work closely with Macy’s PR department as well as local and national PR firms every day.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? I have been in the event business for 19 years (YIKES! I am old.).

I started with Foley’s in 1993 and we merged with Macy’s in 2006, so 15 years.

IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? I produce events in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado.

Houston is more receptive and open to new things. Like I always say, “I will go to the opening of an envelope.”

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? Produce high-quality events.

WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? To be cutting-edge.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. I’ve been dedicating my time to AAMA in the East End, which has a school targeting Latino youth who are at great risk for dropping out before graduation, plus a fabulous adult literacy program and a network of drug & gang violence prevention/intervention programs. We just had the dedication ceremony for the new Sanchez School Mosaic Mural the students created with help from Gonzo247. We’ll be celebrating the new mural and new school building at the Tacos y Tacones Gala in October—for those of you who don’t habla Espanol, that’s tacos & high heels, so you know that is going to be a party! Plans for more student art projects to decorate the campus are underway, so keep an eye on AAMA and let me know if you want to get involved.

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? As part of Foley’s Special Event team, for 2 years in a row, the City of Houston brought us in to assist with the production of the Houston Rocket’s NBA Champion’s Victory Parades through Downtown! The crowds, the ticker tape, the fire engines, the bands and of course the players. I was following in a golf cart with two Sports Illustrated photographers. It was hard work and we pulled it together in just a few days!!

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? We produced a $35,000 Girls Pizza Party with a Personal Appearance by Britney Spears (when she was dating JT) and she pulled a no-show on the morning of . . .we had to call 150 tween girls and tell them not to come. However, we could not reach them all, so we spent the morning explaining the situation to about 60 crying girls carrying their I love Britney scrapbooks – NOT FUN! DREAM CLIENT? Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Sean Combs, whatever he is going by these days.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? Madonna in November and the grand opening of our 2 new stores in New Orleans – it is going to be a star-studded affair!!

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? 1308 Cantina, Red Lion, Pearl Bar, 13º Celsius, Grappinos, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Steak Night at the Tavern GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. When I start to stress about the freaking minute details of an event, I simply remind myself (and others): “I am not curing brain cancer here,” so please do not obsess over the color of linens on a table or the color of the napkins!

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ALTON LaDAY

The LaDay Group AREA OF EXPERTISE: Luxury Goods CONTACT INFORMATION: 3730 Kirby Drive #1200, Houston, TX 77098, 713.528.1703 WEBSITE: theladaygroup.com

Photo wardrobe provided by Billy Reid, Houston Galleria 1

STUART ROSENBERG

Photography by Julie Soefer

COMPANY: Studio Communications AREA OF EXPERTISE: media relations for the luxury lifestyle niche (premium hotels, restaurants, commercial real estate and fashion) CONTACT INFORMATION: 713.524.2800 WEBSITE: studiocommunications.net

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WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? Public relations is the act of communicating an entity’s message through media vehicles and events to build a relationship with the public. I was the Marketing Director of Decorative Center Houston and saw the city’s need for an innovative independent publicist with a focus on interior design. I jumped in with both feet!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? Four years!

IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? I’ve had the great pleasure of working on projects in Los Angeles for the last 18 months and I’ve fallen in love with the city and its people. This industry is competitive everywhere, but in LA there is a harder edge to the profession than in Houston.

There is a genuine professional camaraderie among PR firms in this city, particularly among the independents.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? I provide my clients with the opportunity to reach the luxury goods consumer through creative project planning and media placement that provide lasting impressions.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. One of my greatest passions is Spacetaker!, a non-profit Artist Resource Center that provides emerging and mid-career artists with connections and tools to manage and advance their professional careers. Spacetaker affords the artists access to practical professional services, including bi-weekly newsletters and low cost/high value PR and marketing services, digital photography services, current art technology, online portfolio space and other career-building resources. I have the honor of co-chairing the 5th Annual Spacetaker Gala on Saturday, September 20, with fellow publicists Tiffany Halik and Gail Rubin. The Gala is

always a spectacular event that raises awareness and funds for this important organization.

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? An antique rug client acquired a 16th-century tapestry valued at over $300K. He wanted to create an “experience” around this museum-quality piece. We held a limited invitation cocktail party to unveil the tapestry on the 2nd floor of Neiman Marcus (where it was on display for two weeks) where the client also announced his wedding engagement to his girlfriend. Not only did the tapestry sell immediately but partial proceeds benefited a local hospital. It’s most rewarding when you can create a momentous event for the client while giving back to the community.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? I produced a lecture event for an internationally renowned designer to a standing room only group of design professionals one afternoon. Every detail of this lecture was checked and rechecked to assure the success of the event. Moments before she was to take the stage the power in the building went out; there was a major auto accident down the street that knocked out the power line! Twenty minutes later the building’s generators kicked in; it seemed like twenty hours. Once the power was restored all went according to plan.

DREAM CLIENT? Oprah.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? Co-chairing the Spacetaker Gala!

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF??

The ballet or the Alley Theatre followed by an intimate late night dinner.

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some hire publicists.”

WHAT EXACTLY DOES MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? PR means different things to different people and organizations. In its purest sense, PR professionals are information managers who provide – either on a proactive or reactive basis – news, background information and story ideas about clients to journalists. Additional components such as events, speaking engagements and public appearances serve as a method of keeping clients and concepts top of mind in the community. I have a degree in advertising from the University of Texas. PR was somewhat of a serendipitous fluke. An opportunity arose to take an afternoon internship in Houston at Pierpont Communications while holding an advertising/marketing day job in real estate at Beth Wolff.

I loved it. Soon after, an invitation to sublet a bedroom for the summer in a New York apartment led to a career.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? My first PR-related internship was in my senior year of college – WAY back in 1994. The first paying position was around 1995.

IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? I worked in New York for about seven years. I would highly recommend the experience to anyone considering a job in PR. Besides the obvious proximity to national media and opportunity to work on blue chip clients, the sink or swim mentality was exhilarating. The risks and rewards were high, and I found my confidence.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? We provide the strategy and support to introduce, build and expand their brands. Our ultimate goal is to create long-term relationships with clients who find success through our partnership.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. I joined the board of Fresh Arts soon after the organization’s founding and am co-chairing their sixth annual holiday fundraiser, Mirror Ball, on December 5th. The arts community is what sets Houston apart – it’s our treasure. Fresh Arts promotes stellar groups that are uniquely Houston.

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? It was a team effort, but the Hotel ZaZa Houston opening was a night I won’t soon forget with somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 guests in attendance. Thanks – or no thanks – to Mr. Vodka, it might be a hard one for some to remember.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? When my business partner, Gail, took my headset away at Fashion Week Live – not fair…

DREAM CLIENT? Willy Wonka – great hair, great product, great story.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? There was no slowdown in work this summer, so a short vacation would be nice. I am also really excited about the Society of American Travel Writers conference in October. It’s going to be an amazing opportunity to showcase the city.

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? Poison Girl if it’s been a bad day and Armandos if it’s been a good one – it’s a VERY short walk home.

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “No comment.”

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Photography by Phyllis Hand

Marta Fredricks, Dancie Perugini Ware and Ashley Pearce COMPANY: Dancie Perugini Ware Public Relations CONTACT INFORMATION: 713.224.9115 WEBSITE: dpwpr.com

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WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? Our public relations approach focuses on enhancing an image, communicating a message, bolstering market positioning and creating or raising a profile. DPW PR is a firm of 16 PR professionals who share the same passion and energy for producing the best results for our prestige clients.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? Dancie formed the company 20 years ago with George P. Mitchell and The Woodlands as her first clients.

IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? We have worked all over the nation and though we represent clients coastto-coast, Houston has an unparalleled entrepreneurial spirit.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? Our firm offers strong experience in every market, from media relations, community relations, creative concept development and implementation to issues management and strategic marketing communications. We effectively communicate the client’s message, build powerful partnering strategies, leverage events with high impact promotions, enhance lifestyles and increase brand awareness. DPW PR has solidified our upscale niche with a number of luxury lifestyle brands and clients including launching two DeBeers flagship stores in the Houston and Dallas markets; introducing Manhattan-based developer, Boymelgreen’s, newest luxury real estate development in Houston; promoting the San Luis’ Club 10 and H2o at the San Luis Hotel, owned by Fertitta Hospitality; and publicizing the opening of several luxury retailers at The Galleria including Ferragamo and Luca Luca. Our goal always is to deliver amazing result, both qualitative and quantitative.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Houston Symphony are two long-time valued clients. Both of these remarkable Houston institutions are rich with creative and diverse opportunities for integrated partnering

such as Starbucks and MFAH; Houston Symphony and The Galleria’s signature events; MFAH’s Bayou Bend and Bailey Banks & Biddle.

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? TELL US ABOUT IT! We launched the new $83 million Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Audrey Jones Beck Building designed by Rafael Moneo and unveiled the seven architectural/civic arches in Galveston’s Historic District designed by Cesar Pelli, Michael Graves, Aldo Rossi, Helmet Jahn, Stanley Tigerman and Charles Moore. Because our team shares an appreciation for fine design and great architecture, we value the opportunity to work with worldly architects for a variety of clients.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? Creating an over-the-top new business pitch complete with a formal tea service for a foreign dignitary only to be informed upon arrival that they canceled the product launch.

DREAM CLIENT? One who inspires and appreciates creativity.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? • Simon Fashion Now Presented by Cadillac at The Galleria on October 16, at 7pm • Grand Opening of the 2008 Coastal Living Idea House at Beachtown on October 5 • Houston Symphony’s opening night in September 6 • Julia Ideson restoration celebration in October • HOK event at the Menil House in November WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING (EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT, YOU’RE NETWORKING!). WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? Dancie: Being at home, the ranch or the bayhouse with family and good friends.

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “Publicity, publicity, publicity is the greatest moral factor in our force in our public life.” -

“SOME ARE BORN GREAT, SOME ACHIEVE GREATNESS AND SOME HIRE PUBLICISTS.” SHARI OKIN COMPANY: Pogge Marketing Group AREA OF EXPERTISE: Strategic Marketing, Media Buying and Event Marketing CONTACT INFORMATION: 713.343.9001 WEBSITE: gopogge.com

WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? Public relations is an important element of an overall marketing campaign. It compliments a media buy through free exposure and lends credibility to your product by integrating your products into editorial.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? I started in New York at the NBA in International Marketing.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? 18 years.

IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? I’ve only worked in NYC and Houston. Houston is a small network of people.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? Everything! My company turnkeys the marketing plan from strategy, to media buys, added value, creative, third-party partners and PR. WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? Success – and a higher ratio of added value vs. dollars spent.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. Broadway Across America is very close to my heart. I worked for the company when I moved back to Houston from New York, when they were PACE Theatrical, and they have now become my company’s client, so it is a full circle.

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WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? TELL US ABOUT IT! The Houston and Cleveland Grand Prix. It was a great client to work with and we handled both events on every level from the media plan to securing PR opportunities and 30-minute specials with network TV, as well as locking Roger Clemens in as the Grand Marshall for the Houston race.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? A client that didn’t pay their bills to the media.

DREAM CLIENT? A client that treats us like their marketing team rather than an outside vendor.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? Bayou City Arts Festival Downtown, Texans football and the new fall fashions.

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING (EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT, YOU’RE NETWORKING!). WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? Either to the River Oaks theater with my husband or out to dinner with friends.

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.”

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LYDIA BAEHR

COMPANY: Lydia Baehr Public Relations AREA OF EXPERTISE: Cultural and performing arts organizations CONTACT INFORMATION: lydia@ltbaehr.com WEBSITE: ltbaehr.com

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WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? Public relations is a series of planned actions, changes or functions that bring about a desired result. Communication specialists create campaigns designed to influence, gain understanding, provide information and obtain feedback to achieve a client’s business objectives. I started my career as a public relations intern at the Houston Symphony and loved promoting the arts.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? Just over 10 years.

IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? My public relations career has taken me to Tokyo, London and Ethiopia. Houston has better Mexican food.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? Most of my clients are performing arts groups or cultural organizations. I’m usually hired to expand their audience base. My ultimate goal would be that their ticket sales are so good they wouldn’t have to worry about funding each season.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. I’m a huge fan of Mercury Baroque. Artistic Director and Conductor Antoine Plante, Executive Director Debra Lugo and Marketing Director Lindsay Kayser were receptive to trying new PR strategies. It paid off. Ticket sales for the 2007-08 season were up

77 percent over the previous season. The musicians are young, talented, sexy and are great fun to hear and watch on stage.

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? TELL US ABOUT IT! The Party Animals series of social mixers we produced with for the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center in Memorial Park was huge. The Arboretum is dog-friendly, so we had events for dogs and their owners to come to the Arboretum to socialize.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? We hear everything and repeat nothing.

DREAM CLIENT? Michael Phelps.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? Houston Friends of Music is presenting the Houston debut of Jupiter String Quartet in December 2008. In January 2007, it won the Cleveland Quartet Award from , a prize that honors and promotes a rising young string quartet whose artistry demonstrates that it is in the process of establishing a major career.

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? Dinner with my husband and a Broadway show.

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “There’s no business like show business.” If you are fortunate enough to have performing artists as your clients, life is really good.

“Nothing is ever off the record…”

Photography by Phyllis Hand

MAGGI JONES

COMPANY: MJPR GROUP AREA OF EXPERTISE: Hotels, restaurants, luxury goods and services – Agency focus is the marketing and promotion of luxury goods and premium lifestyle products; experience includes relationship with such clients as Tiffany & Co., (statewide) Hermes of Paris, CHANEL, St. Regis Hotel, Houston, Jimmy Choo Shoes, Starbucks Coffee Company (statewide) and several successful projects for the Ritz Hotel, London CONTACT INFORMATION: 2038 Lexington Street, Houston, Texas 77098 | 713.524.7626 WEBSITE: Under construction, maggijonespublicrelations.com

WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? Via the fashion and the luxury hotel business – first in-house PR counsel for Rosewood Hotels, based here in Houston at the Remington on Post Oak Park (now St. Regis Hotel Houston).

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? 25 years – 3 countries, U.K., France and USA. IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? Chester (home town), Paris and London. Houston is the friendliest, most welcoming environment I have ever experienced, both professionally and personally. I am evangelical on the topic of how spoilt we are as Houstonians!

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? My staff might say everything! However, our formal contracts cover media relations, event planning and promotions—for a PR campaign to be successful it should be part of an overall marketing and advertising initiative.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. Houston’s arts and entertainment scene is so vibrant – where to begin, the choices are endless. We have recently partnered Lewis and Maese with the Lawndale Art Center to celebrate their 2nd-year anniversary – this organization’s commitment and support for Houston-based artists is without precedent. To celebrate the opening of the Jimmy Choo boutique in the Galleria, we partnered with Mrs. Wyatt and Houston Grand Opera. For “FOUND for the home,” to mark opening celebration (home accessories and interior design), the Contemporary Arts Museum was the group of choice. Hermes supported the Alley Gala this year and in 50. september08 002houston

2008 was a major sponsor of the Menil Museum’s 25th anniversary celebration. Tiffany & Co., another client, has over many years forged partnerships with such high profile organizations as the MFAH, the American Heart Association, Alley Theatre, CCFA, the Houston Polo Club, the Houston Symphony and the Houston Ballet.

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? mulling this over ….

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? As a publicist I am a perpetual optimist, to hang on to this optimism I have to bury the negative – essentially, I plead the fifth on this one!

DREAM CLIENT? The client who actually listens to the advice and expertise they are paying for and understands we are ‘partners’ in the future growth and success of their business – essentially, that they cannot be a disinterested bystander – it is an ongoing dialogue.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? Personal appearance of Tiffany’s long-time design director and author John Loring, truly a Renaissance Man and someone whom I admire on both a professional and personal level.

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? Movies, movies, movies—I’m an addict! Also, love to meet with friends and enjoy comfort food (my husband says I eat for a living), so when I have a choice, it’s always simple and easy — hamburgers or a great Gin and Tonic or Cosmo at Remington Bar (St. Regis Hotel) or the very same at Bar Annie! Tucked away in a corner, behind a column—perfect!

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “No good deed goes unpunished!”

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KRISTEN J. CANNON

COMPANY: The Cannon Affair AREA OF EXPERTISE: Event Planning, Small Business PR and Marketing CONTACT INFORMATION: kcannon@thecannonaffair.com, Ph: 713.259.9952 Fx: 713.522.1463 WEBSITE: thecannonaffair.com

KATHERINE ORELLANA

AREA OF EXPERTISE: Marketing, Public Relations & Event Coordination CONTACT INFORMATION: katorellana@yahoo.com

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WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? Public relations, to me, is primarily to manage the flow of information between an organization or company and its community with the aim to gain an organization or company positive exposure to their key stakeholders. I have done marketing and PR for non-profits for years (paid and volunteer). I wanted to expand my clientele to all types of clients, so I started The Cannon Affair knowing that I could benefit a broad range of clientele.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? In marketing business since 2001; started my own company November 2007.

IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? Houston is relaxed, laid back, compared to NYC and the clients are a delight to work for. It also helps that everyone has known everyone (or one degree of separation) since basically birth!

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? The Cannon Affair helps the client gain community and media awareness which in turn results in measurable benefits and long-term growth and success. The focus given to the client is to identify and prioritize the audiences, the company’s messages and its bottom-line marketing goals. The goal: Through its plan of action, The Cannon Affair offers such PR services as writing and designing materials, research, promotions and visibility.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. The Alley Theatre!!! I love the Alley. They have some of the most amazing productions come through there that are both well known and never heard of. Plus the talent there on stage and behind stage is amazing. I loved Steel Magnolias, The Underpants, and The Civil War. I always love the Summer Chills series and have probably seen A Christmas Carol 18 times.

I have volunteered countless hours, raised money and supported them for years and will continue to do so.

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? Probably a movie premiere for an award-winning Spanish film, red carpet and all. We had Spanish food, drink and flamenco dancers during the pre and post parties. We also had the director and movie’s actress, Ali Landry.

Yes, boys – Doritos hottie! It was a blast and raised a ton of money.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? The location was a very talked about new residential development.

Everything from sponsors, ads, press releases, décor, entertainment and invitations sent out and set up. The builder was certain it would be finished and in perfect condition for the party. 5 days prior it was obvious that the location would not be done. I had to start cold calling and knocking on doors for a new one. We found somewhere gorgeous and the event was a huge success!

DREAM CLIENT? TARGET! WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? -The Bayou Preservation Association gala, Casablanca, an Oasis on the Bayou, on September 18 at a house in River Oaks will be a FABULOUS Moroccan-themed soiree.

-Houston Freedom Fest gala at Hilton Post Oak November 7, with VERY decorated honored guest (think politics and military) and its all-day festival November 8 at Discovery Green will have celebrity speakers and performers and will be an incredible way to remember and honor our military while raising money for the PTSD of America Foundation.

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? Plenty of wine and good conversation with my friends – Bar Annie, Tasting Room, bar at La Griglia or Armandos. Or a night in with TV or movie with my beloved parents and our dogs.

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “If you want to get known as a singer you hire five sexy chicks and let them fight over you onstage and for the cameras. That’s publicity, man.”

-Sammy Davis, Jr.

“Don’t always try and reinvent the wheel.”

WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? Marketing and PR are very important ways to stay competitive in any industry. It’s vital for an organization to tell its story to the press—it provides a third-party endorsement, which is key. I stumbled into it by way of a prerequisite course in school—public speaking. I wouldn’t shut up after that class.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? 12 years.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? Ultimately, I try and lessen the gap between how my clients see themselves and how others outside/the public perceive them.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. I am a devoted supporter of The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Sciences—The Health Museum! This museum is Houston’s most interactive science learning center and a member institution of the worldrenowned Texas Medical Center. Their one-of-a-kind exhibits educate Houstonians in a fun and exciting way. They encourage the growing interest and regard for healthier lifestyles, fitness and good physical, mental and spiritual health.

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WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? TELL US ABOUT IT! An otherwise boring ground-breaking ceremony for an office building became a widely talked about event and garnered over $50,000 worth of publicity. We buried $5000 in cash under two feet of dirt in a 15X20 foot area construction site. We then had local celebrities dig for their local charity.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? Anytime I’ve had to work with a live animal—it’s never good.

DREAM CLIENT? Richard Branson. I love his style.

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? Pizza and wine at Dolce Vita.

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “The public is the only critic whose opinion is worth anything at all.”

-Mark Twain “Don’t always try and reinvent the wheel.”

“When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves.” -Anthony J. D’Angelo

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SUSAN SCHMAELING, APR

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COMPANY: Susan Schmaeling Public Relations & Marketing AREA OF EXPERTISE: Non-profit cultural Organizations and Media Relations CONTACT INFORMATION: 713.349.0780

WHAT EXACTLY DOES PUBLIC RELATIONS MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? Public relations is a practice that helps people reach a mutual understanding. It’s the sharing of ideas and information. I majored in communications at Douglass College and the public relations field was a natural outlet for my love of writing.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? 25 years – and I still love it.

IF YOU’VE WORKED IN OTHER CITIES, HOW DOES HOUSTON DIFFER? I’m from the East Coast and I started my career in an agency in NYC. There are more media outlets in NYC, but otherwise reporters in both cities are interested in a great story.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? Media relations is the #1 activity for my clients. I work relentlessly, but politely, to share their story with the media.

WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? To land a client on Oprah.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. I am passionate about my client, Dance Source Houston, headed by one of the most dedicated and intelligent women in Houston, Christina Giannelli. Christina developed this organization to assist Houston’s independent dance organizations by providing performance opportunities and critical services, including advertising and marketing. Each September DSH

presents free performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre, A Weekend of Contemporary Dance on September 12-13 and Tapestry of World Dance: Mating Dances, Rituals of Love and Courtship on September 20. Free dance is a beautiful thing and Christina makes it happen every year. Learn more at the DSH website: houstondance.org.

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? I had the privilege of serving as the Houston-based PR consultant on the Robert Rauschenberg retrospective in 1997 at The Menil Collection, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and Museum of Fine Arts Houston. It was an incredible experience to work with the talented staff at each of these museums on an internationally renowned exhibition of the work of this celebrated Texas artist.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? I’ve blocked it out.

DREAM CLIENT? My current client roster is pretty dreamy.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? Museum District Day on September 20.

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? I’m at Minute Maid Park cheering on my Houston Astros.

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “Nothing is ever off the record. Ever.”

WHAT EXACTLY DOES MEAN? HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FIELD? Informing the public about what is going on and how they can participate. I am very lucky to be where I am today! On Career Day in high school, Dancie Ware was our guest speaker and right then and there, I knew I wanted to be in this field. It just took me a few different paths to finally get here.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS? Professionally, 3 years, but I’ve always managed to turn hobbies into some sort of job since I was little.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR CLIENTS? WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL? My clients are the members of Houston Young People for the Arts. I create programming that interests them, which in turn also promotes the Houston art scene. I hope to help continue and sustain Houstonians’ tradition of supporting the arts.

TELL US ABOUT AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. Houston Young People for the Arts was originally a side project of mine and Kathleen Galvan. We had just graduated from college and were curious to see what Houston had to offer…and encourage our friends to join us in the process.

And we are still finding and learning about new great things to do in Houston!

WHAT IS THE MOST AMAZING EVENT YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR A CLIENT? TELL US ABOUT IT! With the former marketing team at the MFAH (Claudia Solis, Andrew Huang and Adrienne Saxe) the closing night of the Beats of Basquiat with Grandmaster Flash. Just watching a

sea of people and flashing lights from the upper level of Cullinan Hall in the Law Building was utterly amazing and gave me chills to think of what we were able to pull off with that event and the ripple it has created in getting young people in the door and seats of institutions around Houston! And the first HYPA gala runs a close second. Kathleen and I had never done anything like that before but we were able to host it for practically nothing and people still talk about it.

NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE? I try to make it a point to work with the best people and so far, so good!

DREAM CLIENT? Madonna.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL SEASON? Cooler weather and the start of new seasons for many arts groups!

WE KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS WORKING, SO WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO OUT ON A NIGHT OFF? So Vino Bistro & Wine Bar for a glass of champagne and some s’mores!

GIVE US A FAVORITE QUOTATION ABOUT PR. “Timing (and lighting) are everything!” and “Simplicity is key!”

“No good deed goes unpunished!”

HEATHER PRAY COMPANY: Houston Young People for the Arts CONTACT INFORMATION: heather@downtownhouston.org WEBSITE: downtownhouston.org and houstonarts.org

Clothing provided by edin, 2605 Dunlavy | Stylist Lauren Pray Makeup by Nikki Hernandez for Dior, Neiman Marcus – Houston Galleria

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ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN

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Photography by Ove Søborg

ONE CHAIR | ANDERS NØRGAARD, DESIGNER BoConcept’s One dining chair has just been awarded the prestigious Red Dot Design Award 2008. Designed by Anders Norgaard, the chair got its name as it was noted that the legs and seat visually appear to be one unified piece.

“A lot of time and effort has been put into making a very light, supple chair that ergonomically regulates itself according to your body,” explains Norgaard. “Add to this, the practicality of being able to stack up to 10 chairs on top of each other.” Chosen by an international jury of renowned experts who assessed 3,203 products, representing 51 countries, during their adjudication process, the products were both examined and tested based on criteria such as degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics, longevity, ecological compatibility and clarity of function. The One chair was honored over the competition for its high quality standards.

Boconcept.com

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R and R FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD? My current favorite neighborhood is Rice Military/Memorial Park Area because of the close proximity to Memorial Park and Downtown. I always loved the metal art houses in this once transitional area. This area has exploded with development and values have gone up quite a bit over the last 5 years. The variety of housing choices and growth of Washington Avenue have made this a favorite area for me and my clients.

HOUSTON’S BEST KEPT SECRET: Low cost of housing prices compared to other major cities and such a wide choice of housing close to the city center.

DO YOU FREQUENT THE MUSEUMS IN HOUSTON? Yes, I frequent museums. I like MFAH because of the major works they bring to the city. I was able to see the French masters recently when they were on tour from New York. I also like the Museum of Natural Science for the IMAX® and special exhibits.

WHAT ABOUT THE THEATERS? IS THERE A PARTICULAR SHOW YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO CATCHING THIS FALL? OR CONCERT? I like the Edwards Movie Theater on Weslayan the best. I like the fall movie season com-

ROBERT GRAY

The Metropolitan – Keller Williams 550 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 350 713.298.1481 GrayHomeTeam.com robert@grayhometeam.com

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IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE WE FLIPPED ROBERT GRAY AND RONNIE KEE’S ANSWERS. HERE ARE THEIR CORRECT ANSWERS, BUT YOU’LL NOTICE THAT THE TWO PROS HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN THE "R" IN THEIR NAMES!

Interviews by Regina Panis | Photography by Wenjing Zhang

ing up. There is a repeat of an old sci-fi flick, coming out in December. For live theater I like The Alley and 1894 Opera House in Galveston. I’m looking forward to and coming to the Alley next season.

FAVORITE HOME DECOR STORE? West Elm. THREE TIPS YOU’D GIVE TO A HOUSTON HOME BUYER? 1. Enlist the services of an experienced Realtor. Do your homework and select a Realtor you feel you can connect with. A home purchase is a big investment and should not be taken lightly.

2. Before you even start looking, get pre-approved for a mortgage and find out exactly what you qualify for. Your Realtor can usually recommend a mortgage person to work with who has a proven track record. There may be issues with your finances that you need to work on to get pre-approved. Don’t wait until the last minute.

3. Buying now vs. waiting is usually your best choice.

Get a local expert opinion about the local real estate and mortgage situation before jumping to conclusions. With all of the talk about real estate in the media and at the watercooler, you might think you should just rent forever. Not so in the local market. Every situation is different, but the Houston market remains strong and is expected to continue growing, especially inside and near the Loop WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN CHANGE THE MOST AND HOW? The largest change I have seen is in the revitalization of so many older Inner Loop neighborhoods over the past 10 years. The demand for housing inside and near the Loop has been phenomenal! With gas prices going up every day, it makes sense to put the savings from commuting towards housing closer to where you work and are most active. The growth of retail, commercial and mixed-used developments to accommodate the influx of Inner Loop residents has also been phenomenal! As a native Houstonian, it is very exciting to see the growth of Houston overall.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD IN HOUSTON? Rice Military/Memorial Park. It’s located by one of the city’s largest parks and within minutes you can be in the Galleria or Downtown but it feels like you’re nowhere near the “Big City.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS HOUSTON’S BEST KEPT SECRET IN TERMS OF LIVING? Rice Military is a secret to most Houstonians; the majority of Houstonians moving into the area don’t even know about it. Also, most people don’t know it’s one of the highest elevated pieces of land in Houston. It’s not even on the map. Rice Military really is “the living” of Memorial Park. It is one of the city’s hottest and most desirable real estate markets inside the Loop.

FAVORITE HOME DESIGN STORE? The Great Indoors.

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DO YOU FREQUENT THE MUSEUMS IN HOUSTON? WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST? I enjoy the Museum of Fine Arts Houston because of its rich history of bringing the world’s best art to our city in an environment that is relaxing and educational. My favorite artist: Monet (and other impressionist artist of the same era).

WHAT ABOUT THE THEATERS? IS THERE A PARTICULAR SHOW YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO CATCHING THIS FALL? OR CONCERT? Besides Houston’s elaborate theatre district, I enjoy live performances at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston. I look forward to seeing among other great performances there year-round.

THREE TIPS YOU’D GIVE TO A HOME BUYER? 1. Before looking, meet with a mortgage professional and get pre-approved or better yet get “Approved”!

2. Choose a real estate agent that specializes in the area you are looking at and ask for more references.

3. Don’t try to make the home work; if it’s not “home” to you, then you’ll know the minute you walk in the front door and set your eyes on it!

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN CHANGE THE MOST AND HOW? Different today than 12 years ago when I began in Real Estate is the level of experience and knowledge required today to be successful.

Because of the Internet and information that is easily obtained by most all home buyers today, an agent must stay educated and informed to better serve their clients.

RONNIE KEE, CRS InnerLoopLiving.com, Realtors Team

1939 West Gray, Suite 100 713.526.5777 ronnie@innerloopliving.com InnerLoopLiving.com

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WHERE TO LIVE

LOCATION

THE BIRDSALL PHASE III

ZEN WUN

SAWYER BROWNSTONES

RICE MILITARY 1525-1545 BIRDSALL HOUSTON 77007

2314-2329 CHARLESTON MEDICAL CENTER

UPPER WEST END, 2110 SHEARN (I-10 AND TAYLOR AT SPRING ST. JUST WEST OF DOWNTOWN)

AMBIENCE

Lofty open spaces with great natural light.

Contemporary design with large loft-style living areas and private yards.

Impressive social lifestyle. Limitless self-expression!

AMENITIES

Unique new construction townhomes with modern industrial design. Open concept living with 9’ and 10’ ceilings, dual balconies, sleek designer finishes, granite countertops, oak hardwoods, recessed lighting and CATV-5 wiring. Kitchen features slab granite, undermount sink, custom cabinets and stainless steel appliances. Third floor master suite includes a vaulted ceiling, bath with separate slate tile shower, jetted tub, slab granite counters and natural slate flooring. 60% sold! Priced right for convenient inner-loop living!

12-25 ft. ceilings, over-sized windows, tons of wall space for artwork, high-end finishes including: bamboo floors, luxurious tiles, slab granite counters in all baths & kitchen, plus stained maple cabinetry

New York-style brownstones are located in bustling Sawyer Heights with its countless amenities.

Contemporary interiors and furnishings make them truly singular. Enjoy the state-of-the-art kitchen enhanced with European-style cabinetry and mosaic backsplash. The kitchen flows into the living area creating an ideal setting for entertaining.

Stylish baths offer freestanding vanities. A variety of finishes and floor plans are available, some with roof decks offering amazing views of downtown Houston. Choose the one that’s right for you.

Three-story townhomes – approximately 1,400 sq. ft., with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2-car garage.

2 bedrooms/2.5 baths with private meditation area and balcony off master

2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths units available. Some include amazing roof top decks.

UNITS/ROOMS

Minutes from Memorial Park and Downtown.

Medical Center, Midtown, Downtown

WITHIN REACH

PRICE CONTACT

Minutes from Downtown and Washington Ave., biking distance to Buffalo Bayou Art Park and walking distance to 15 new retail developments.

$218,900 to $234,900

$274,900 to $289,900

$210s to the $260s

Diane Tate, Prudential Gary Greene Realtors 713.478.5157 ladydi@garygreene.com

Patricia Dajani, 713.569.5839 patricia@patriciadajani.com Kelly Williams, 713.206.8860 kelly@kellywilliams.net

Urban Living, 713.868.7239 urbanliving.com

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ARCHICHAT

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By Sandra Gunn. a native Houstonian and Realtor. Her firm, Sandra Gunn Properties, specializes in the unique and prides themselves on being architects of community. sandragunn.com Photography by Jamie Conlan

A PURPOSEFUL LIFE | IAN ROSENBERG, PRINCIPAL OF INFILL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT LLC.

Ian worked at the Federal Reserve while studying for his degree in architecture from the University of Houston and continued his career at the Federal Reserve in the Facilities Planning Division, acting as one of the project managers on the Michael Graves-designed Federal Reserve Bank on Allen Parkway. We caught up with him at 130 Celsius in Midtown. |WHY ARCHITECTURE? I wanted to be a veterinarian but couldn’t handle the biology classes. I chose architecture because it blends the analytic and creative worlds. Problem solving where there is no ‘correct answer’. |HOW DID YOU COME TO MEET MICHAEL GRAVES? When interviewing the final group of architects on the selection for the Federal Reserve project, we met with Michael Graves at his office in Princeton, New Jersey, and then had dinner at his home. It was a wonderful experience working with a legend who has made such a mark on the profession, is so down to earth, intelligent and is possessed with such a passion for life!

ian rosenberg | sandra gunn at 130 celsius

who worked on one in New York). We kept the tin ceiling, turned one of the dry cleaning presses into a table and the counter into part of the bar. All the custom work was by local artisans. Part of the structure had collapsed so we cleaned it out and created a European styled courtyard. We have wonderful wine, a small food menu and great coffee. We won the 2008 Good Brick Award and Best Wine Bar in a local publication last year. |NOW? Managing the restoration of the International Coffee Building for the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and serving as Director of Planning for Main Street Coalition, working towards the fulfillment of the Coalition’s vision of making Main Street Houston’s signature boulevard. I am a Past Vice Chair and Board Member for the Midtown Management District, with the desire to create the greatest pedestrian,

130 celsius patio

|THEN YOU POURED YOURSELF INTO MIDTOWN. TELL ME ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF 130 CELSIUS. We set out to save a forgotten 1927 vintage building. A building’s style which had such an important evolutionary impact on the future development of our city. The bank said I had to have a tenant in place for the loan and my neighbor, who is in the wine business, suggested creating a great wine bar. One that served each glass at the proper temperature of 13 degrees Celsius. I signed a lease and took it back to the bank. 130 Celsius was born.

The building dictated what we did with it. The exposed and peeling stucco walls, tin ceilings, caved-in roof – all were used as inspirations for 13. We used what the building gave us and just tried not to mess it up. We used reclaimed wood for the roof repairs, furniture from the Warwick Hotel, used restaurant equipment including the deli refrigerator and meat slicer that harks back to the way things used to be done (inspired by my butcher grandfather Joseph,

urban neighborhood in Houston. I really enjoy nonprofit project management and real estate development projects as they 130 celsius bar area have a meaning and fulfill such an important function in all Houstonians’ lives. My goal is to leave Houston a better place. I try to do what makes my heart happy so I can sleep at night and get out of bed in the morning. I am a psychological pipsqueak and have to have a clean conscience!

FAVORITES: FAVORITE BOOK ONE I HAVE NOT READ YET MUSIC LEONARD COHEN RESTAURANT SPICE MARKET, NEW YORK PARK BELL PARK GIFT BOOK FROM MICHAEL GRAVES WITH A PERSONALIZED DRAWING AND NOTE WORK OF ARCHITECTURE IN THE WORLD MONT SAINT-MICHEL BEST LINE TO KEEP THE HOARDS OF WOMEN CUSTOMERS AT BAY?ASK MIKE (MIKE SAMMONS, PROPRIETOR OF 130 CELSIUS) – THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN ME… I JUST WASH THE DISHES. 58. september08 002houston

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002 PROFILE

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Photography by Dan Carter Styled by Ali Marie

ERIC LADIN | ACTOR

ERIC LADIN HAS EMERGED AS ONE OF HOLLYWOOD’S HOT YOUNG ACTORS. YOU’VE SEEN HIM IN THE NEWEST SEASON OF MAD MEN, RECURRING AS JANUARY JONES’ BROTHER, WILLIAM HOFSTADT, AND ALSO RECENTLY IN THE HIGHLY TALKED ABOUT HBO MINI-SERIES GENERATION KILL, BASED ON THE EVAN WRIGHT NOVEL CHRONICLING HIS EXPERIENCE AS AN EMBEDDED REPORTER WITH THE RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION DURING THE 2003 INVASION OF IRAQ. LADIN PLAYED CPL. JAMES CHAFFIN, A 23-YEAR-OLD MARINE FROM A BROKEN FAMILY WHOSE GRITTINESS OFTEN BROUGHT HUMOR TO HIS FELLOW MARINES. WHEN HE WASN’T IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, LADIN WAS BEHIND IT SHOOTING A VIDEO JOURNAL OF HIS EXPERIENCE FOR HBO. HIS FOOTAGE WAS SEEN DURING THE SPECIAL HBO: FIRST LOOK AS WELL AS ON THE DVDS. LADIN ALSO RECENTLY GUEST STARRED IN THE UNIT, AND HE CAN ALSO BE SEEN ON COLD CASE. THE HOUSTON NATIVE RESIDES IN LOS ANGELES. FAVORITES: CITY LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA SNACK JALAPEÑO CHIPS LIBATION CHOPIN VODKA COLOGNE BVLGARI

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WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU? I just competed in my first triathlon.

IF A SANDWICH WAS NAMED AFTER YOU, WHAT WOULD THE INGREDIENTS BE? Mesquite turkey, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, pepperoncinis, tomatoes, pickles, with a pesto, sun-dried tomato spread on a toasted baguette…you figure out what that means.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPOT TO GET AWAY IN HOUSTON? Astros game with my Dad. WHERE DID YOU TAKE YOUR LAST VACATION? WHERE DO YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR NEXT ONE? Last vacation was in La Jolla, California. I’ve always wanted to go to Australia.

HOW MANY MAGAZINES DO YOU SUBSCRIBE TO? 1 - Los Angeles Magazine. Not really a subscriber, I buy them off the rack.

WHAT’S THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? The Match by Mark Frost.

WERE YOU EVER A BOY SCOUT? Nope, Cub Scout was the furthest I got.

WHAT INVENTION DO YOU THINK THE WORLD NEEDS? A car that runs on water. How great would it be to just fill up with your garden hose?!

WHAT’S THE LAST SONG YOU DOWNLOADED OR CD YOU PURCHASED? Coldplay – Viva La Vida.

WHAT’S THE OLDEST PIECE OF CLOTHING YOU OWN? I have a great pair of pants that my grandfather wore during a photoshoot in 1967.

WHAT’S ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND? Clock, book, glasses, remote control, a water bottle.

HOW MANY OF THE UNITED STATES HAVE YOU VISITED? 22.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMENTOES FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD? My mom keeps just about everything, I leave that to her. So, yes, I have a lot of childhood mementoes.

HAVE YOU EVER KEPT A DIARY OR JOURNAL? I kept a journal in Africa.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM MIXIN’?

Oooh, that’s a tough one…..Heath Bar. HAVE YOU EVER CRASHED A PARTY? Who hasn’t?!

WHAT’S THE ONE DISH YOU CAN COOK BETTER THAN ANYONE? Not a dish, but I make a mean sandwich. One day I want to open a sandwich shop.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A HIGH SCHOOL REUNION? Unfortunately I missed my 10 year reunion because I was in Africa working on Generation Kill.

WHAT MOVIE CAN YOU QUOTE DIALOG FROM? The Big Lebowski.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPERSTITIONS? I always step on a plane with my left foot first.

HOW MANY CALENDARS DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE? CLOCKS? Calendars, just one on my computer. Clocks, one in every room in my house.

DO YOU PLAY A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT? Nope, I am really musically challenged.

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE? One Splenda and a drop of half & half.

WHAT DO YOU REGRET? Nothing so far. Our mistakes make us who we are.

WHAT’S THE DEFINITION OF A PERFECT DAY? Honestly, a great day of work. I love what I do right now.

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UMMA-SUMMER TIME IS ON THE WAY OUT WHICH MEANS FOOTBALL SEASON IS IN FULL FORCE AND THAT MAKES THIS WISE GUY MORE THAN A LITTLE HAPPY. SEPTEMBER IS “NATIONAL BOURBON HERITAGE MONTH” IN THE GOOD OLD U.S. OF A. IN 2007, THE U.S. SENATE – WHO CAN SEEMINGLY FIND NO TOPIC OF INSIGNIFICANCE – UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT CALLS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF AMERICA’S “NATIVE SPIRIT” BY CONSUMING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF BOURBON WHISKEY. CITIZENS ARE THEN ENCOURAGED TO TAKE TO THE STREETS IN CHAOTIC MASS AND RAISE HELL UNTIL THE SUN COMES UP. ACTUALLY, THE WORDING SUGGESTS WE “DO SO RESPONSIBLY IN MODERATION,” BUT I’VE NEVER BEEN A FAN OF DETAILS – OR MODERATION.

S wise guy

By Brant Croucher

JACK DANIEL’S, IF YOU PLEASE The Jack Daniel Distillery is offering its special Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey for the third straight year.

The robust amber liquor is bottled in conjunction with the Duck’s Unlimited organization, which reinforces the distiller’s commitment to the preservation of America’s wetlands. A portion of the sales goes to support the conservation efforts of the group, which is regarded as “the world’s largest and most effective waterfowl and wetlands organization.” So next time someone asks you why you drink so much, tell them you’re just doing your part to preserve the environment. 750ml of party in a bottle will set you back about $40.

FOR YOUR LAWFUL ENJOYMENT I’VE FOUND AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-CONSCIOUS BOTTLE OF THE BROWN AND A MAN-CENTRIC GETAWAY FOR “DUDES” THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO THE RED-BLOODED LIBATION.

go? Look no further than Louisville, Kentucky.

Jim Beam and Knob Creek Straight Bourbon Whisky recognized the interest in the “man-cation” and offer an impressive insider’s tour to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Bourbon fans can learn all about the distillation process on a self-guided tour through the Jim Beam Distillery. Afterwards, sip the good stuff in the historic T. Jeremiah Beam home, then wander aimlessly around the distillery grounds babbling gibberish as you learn about Jim Beam’s 213-year history.

video booths offer the opportunity to watch any – or all – of his 15 most famous fights.

The University of Louisville is just down the road, so take in a Division-1 sporting event or relive the glory days at one of the many bars and restaurants near the campus.

Continental Airlines offers several non-stop flights from IAH daily, so there’s no excuse not to pack it up and let it all hang out.

For more info on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, including a list of distilleries, hours, prices, accommodations and other attractions, check out: kybourbontrail.com | AmericasNativeSpirit.com

jdsinglebarrel.com | ducks.org

LOUISVILLE WANTS MEN Recent statistics show 42% of men aged 25-55 would like to take a “man-cation” – a getaway with the fel-

las. Of course, you don’t need statistics to tell you what you already crave, so the question is where to

OH AND… The trip doesn’t have to be all about the drink: Louisville has plenty of alcohol-free entertainment to offer. Chase a fly ball back through childhood at the Louisville Slugger Museum, which features the World’s Largest Bat, weighing in at over 68,000 pounds and standing over 120 ft tall. Count the homerun notches the Babe carved into his bat that resides in the museum’s Oval Room.

BOURBON WHISKEY WAS RECOGNIZED AS A “DISTINCTIVE PRODUCT OF THE UNITED STATES” BY THE U.S. CONGRESS IN 1964 (I’M STARTING TO SEE A TREND WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS). THE CORN-BASED LIQUOR CAN BE PRODUCED ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE PRODUCTION OF SUCH IS LEGAL.

Louisville was also the birthplace of iconic boxing legend Muhammad Ali and now hosts a museum in his honor. The Muhammad Ali Center is chockful of memorabilia and various media presentations that present an in-depth look at the rise of The Greatest of All Time. Interactive exhibits teach the basics of shadow boxing, speed and heavy bags, and even a chance to stand in the ring and “Train with the Ali”. Several

I LIKE TO CONSUME MINE AT KIRBY AVENUE’S 10 DOWNING STREET, DOWNTOWN’S RESERVE 101 AND AT MY OWN HOUSE – WHERE I CAN GET IN NO TROUBLE AS LONG AS I KEEP THE LATE-NIGHT TEXTING TO A MINIMUM. A QUICK TRIP TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD SPEC’S PROVIDES ONE WITH A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS SELECTION OF QUALITY BOURBONS.

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FINANCE

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by Hal Lynde, Managing Director, Morgan Keegan Photography by Daniel Ortiz

LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE...WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? The longer you live, the greater the chances you’ll need some form of long-term care. If you’re concerned about protecting your assets and maintaining your financial independence in your later years, longterm care insurance (LTCI) may be for you.

no choice regarding where you receive care. Only facilities with Medicaid-approved beds can accept you, and your chances of staying in your own home are slimmer, because currently most states’ Medicaid programs only cover limited home health care services.

WHO NEEDS IT? TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS – According to the Administration POST IMPORTANT T hal lynde ELEPHONE NUMBERS IN on Aging, approximately 18 CASE OF EMERGENCY percent of Americans age 85 or (E.G., PHYSICIAN, EMERGENCY older live in nursing homes. (Source: A Profile of SERVICES).

Older Americans, 2006.) And with life expectancies increasing at a steady rate, this figure can be SAFEGUARD YOUR PARENT’S HOME. expected to grow in the years to come.

BUT WON’T THE GOVERNMENT LOOK OUT FOR ME? Medicare pays nothing for nursing home care unless you’ve first been in the hospital for 3 consecutive days. After that, it will pay only if you enter a certified nursing home within 30 days of your discharge from the hospital. For the first 20 days, Medicare pays 100 percent of your nursing home care costs. After that, you’ll pay $128 per day (in 2008) for your care through day 100, and Medicare will pick up the balance. Beyond day 100 in a nursing home, you’re on your own – Medicare doesn’t pay anything.

If you’re at home, Medicare provides minimal short-term coverage for intermediate care (e.g., intravenous feeding or the treatment of dressings), but only if you’re confined to your home and the treatments are ordered by a doctor.

Medicare provides nothing for custodial care, such as help with feeding, bathing or preparing meals.

Medicaid covers long-term nursing home costs (including both intermediate and custodial care costs) but only for individuals who have low income and few assets (eligibility guidelines vary from state to state). You will have to use up most of your savings before you qualify for Medicaid, and aside from a small personal needs allowance (typically $30 to $60 dollars a month), you will have to use all of your retirement income, including Social Security and pension payments, to pay for your care before Medicaid pays anything. And once you qualify for Medicaid, you’ll have little or

COMPLETE FIRST-AID AND CPR COURSES. TALK TO YOUR PARENT ABOUT THE FUTURE; UNDERSTAND HIS OR HER WISHES. MAKE SURE YOUR PARENT HAS A WILL, DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY, HEALTH-CARE PROXY AND LIVING WILL. JOIN A SUPPORT GROUP OR CULTIVATE FRIENDSHIPS WHERE YOU CAN TALK OPENLY ABOUT YOUR CAREGIVING RESPONSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES. SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM FRIENDS AND RELATIVES, COMMUNITY SERVICES (HOME HEALTH CARE, MEAL DELIVERY, ADULT DAY CARE, ETC.) AND OTHER SOURCES. TALK TO YOUR EMPLOYER. SOME EMPLOYERS WILL HELP BY OFFERING FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES OR OTHER ASSISTANCE. BE AWARE THAT THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT REQUIRES EMPLOYERS OF 50 OR MORE EMPLOYEES TO GRANT ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES UNPAID LEAVE TO CARE FOR A MEMBER OF THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY WHO HAS A SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITION.

DON’T MISS HAL’S MARKET UPDATES AT 6:40AM AND 3:40PM AS CAPTAIN CASH ON 94.5 THE BUZZ. 63. september08 002houston

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VROOM, VROOM

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By Michael Andre Adams

AMERICAN CLASSICS PLUS 2008 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE Introduced in 1953, the Corvette is the quintessential American sports car. And regardless of how macho you may be, the moment you enter the cockpit, hit the start button and feel the richness of the roaring engine, the smiles you’ve been holding back in front of your girl are bound to appear.

• Magnetic selective ride control features such as driver selectable tour and sport settings, larger cross drilled brake rotors, in addition to speed sensitive steering gives this lowdown whip a highend ride. Add to that a 430 horsepower engine and you’ve just been given the power to take charge of the road, dusting everything in your

path, or sitting pretty while cruising right along— your choice! In the process, you’ll never have to take your eyes off the road since the speedometer reading and other essentials are visible (to the driver) right on the windshield. • Dollar for dollar at this level of performance, “a Vette,” as it is affectionately known in power circles throughout the country, is a tough deal to beat. Maybe that explains the absence of a fully automatic convertible roof and standard Bluetooth at the $72K level.

Otherwise, it’s baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and a Corvette!

Base Price: $54,575 / $72,460 loaded | Fill Up: $68.20 (18 gallons @ $4.21 per) PREMIUM | MPTank: 292 | Annual Fuel: $3,511 | Floss Points: Staying power!

2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE TOURING Typical choices for a convertible in this price range include a bunch of pint-sized performance cars, to the occasional American-made convertible to be discontinued two years later. Rarely has a full-size American-made convertible experienced the longevity and popularity of this Chrysler classic. • “Regal” is perhaps the first word that comes to mind upon sight (inside and out) of the new Sebring. The same holds true throughout the

entire Chrysler brand since the now departed Mercedes collaboration. Sebring’s ride is equally appealing with stability comparable to many fullsize luxury cars. • Beyond that it’s a pretty basic car. To the naked eye there is nothing too farfetched about it in terms of performance and technology. It is, however, an affordable convertible that has yet to drastically change, with a standard back seat made for grown folks.

Base Price: $28,615 / $32,185 loaded | Fill Up: $60.23 (16.9 gallons @ $3.96 per) Regular $43.65 (16.9 gallons @ $2.87 per) E85 | MPTank: 319 Gas / 228 E85 | Floss Points: You can rent one while on vacation this summer!

2008 INFINITI G37 JOURNEY

A car this size powered by a 330 HP, V6 engine is a perfect option for the late 20s to mid-30s selfproclaimed prince or diva of the city. • Swift exterior lines enhanced by a dazzling chrome grill and chrome dual exhaust finishers says the owner has style. An elite, minimalist interior acknowledges the owner’s recognition that less really

means more. And women will love the back seat with room to comfortably seat the kids and/or a few shopping bags from Neiman’s. • It may be too young to be a classic, but you have to agree that it is one hell of a hot, sexy summer car!

Base Price: $35,000 (add a power moon-roof for $1,000)| Fill Up: $75.78 (20 gallons @ $4.21 per) Premium | MPTank: 360 | Annual Fuel: $3,158 Floss Points: Design and price!

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TOOLS+TOYS+GADGETS

1

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By Michael Garfield Michael Garfield photography by Kennon Evett

MICHAEL GARFIELD IS KNOWN AS "THE HIGH-TECH TEXAN®" TO MILLIONS OF RADIO LISTENERS AND TV VIEWERS. HE CAN BE HEARD AND SEEN ACROSS MANY MARKETS DISPERSING TECHNOLOGY NEWS AND TIPS. HIS RADIO PROGRAM AIRS IN HOUSTON ON THE 9-5-0 EVERY SATURDAY AT 11AM. VISIT HIS WEBSITE AT HIGHTECHTEXAN.COM.

VIDEO PIGGY

VIMEO

YouTube changed the way we view and share videos. It’s simple, it’s fun and it’s free. But one great idea spawns many imitators; some of which can surpass the original. • Such is the case with Vimeo (an anagram of the word movie). The website has been a family-safe, video-focused alternative to YouTube since 2004. It has an easy-to-grasp interface and a sleekly designed, customizable embeddable player. • What makes Vimeo stand out among other video-sharing sites is the quality of the video – it can display high-definition. Uploading videos is also a breeze as there is no immediate need to input titles and tags. With Vimeo you start uploading and get to add the info while the uploads are happening. It’s a great time-saver. Free | vimeo.com

3

SEIKO SMART LABEL PRINTER 450

One of the biggest printing hassles is doing address labels, envelopes and the like. That’s why a label printer is a useful gadget. And with holiday card season coming in a couple months and all that hand addressing, a good label printer can be a real time-saver. • That’s what the Seiko Smart Label Printer 450 does. This is Seiko’s fastest printer to date, spitting out labels at about one second each. It uses direct thermal technology, meaning there is no need for printer cartridges, ink or toner. And it prints a respectable 300 dpi. • It hooks up to the USB port of your computer. Setup takes about five minutes and is easy enough to use that instructions may not be necessary. It also does name tags, business-card labels and it works with both Macs and PCs. $130 | siibusinessproducts.com

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2

Speaking of online videos...one of the most asked questions I get is if online videos can be downloaded from sites like YouTube and Vimeo. Videos are easily viewed online but because they are in the Flash format, can’t be downloaded and saved to your hard drive and then used in, say, a PowerPoint presentation. • But a software program called Video Piggy does it for you. It allows you to convert those Flash videos to AVI, WMV, MPEG, MP4, MOV and 3GP video formats, for easy playback on your computer and DVD player. You can even extract the audio to an MP3 if you want. • Once downloaded on your hard drive the videos can be imported to an iPod or even a mobile phone. $25 | videopiggy.us

4

SWANN FLASHLIGHT DVR

Ever been wandering around in the dark with a flashlight and had a hankering to record what you were seeing? Just in case this scenario pops up, there is a gadget just for you. • The Swann Flashlight DVR is a flashlight with a video camera built in.With a press of the button you can record video with audio to the 128MB of built-in memory or to an inserted memory card.

• The flashlight includes 3 levels of brightness and allows night vision up to 13ft. The videos can be viewed and stored on your computer using the device’s USB port. $499 | swannsecurity.com

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RESTAURANT LISTINGS *17 inside Hotel Alden 1117 Prairie. 832.200.8800 aldenhotels.com ARTISTA In the Hobby Center 800 Bagby.

713.278.4782 cordua.com Antone’s •810 Capitol. 713.224.4679 •2724 West T.C. Jester. 713.686.4338 •4520 San Felipe. 713.623.4464 Antone’s Catering. 713.977.4000

Bistro Lancaster 701 Texas Ave. 713.228.9502 Boom Boom Room 2518 Yale St. 713.868.3740 theboomboomroomhouston.com Bowl 607 Richmond. 832.582.7218 eatbowl.com Daily Review Café 3412 West Lamar. 713.520.9217 dailyreviewcafe.com Farrago 318 Gray. 713.523.6404 farragohouston.com Glass Wall 933 Studemont. 713.868.7930 glasswalltherestaurant.com Gravitas 807 Taft. 713.522.0995 gravitasrestaurant.com

asian

Open City 2416 Brazos. 713.522.0118 ochouston.com artista

AMERICAS cordua.com •1800 Post Oak Blvd. 713.961.1492 •21 Waterway Ave. 281.367.1492 Benjy’s 2424 Dunstan. 713.522.7602 benjys.com

Voice inside Hotel Icon 220 Main. 832.667.4481 hotelicon.com

Noe inside The Omni Hotel Four Riverway. 713.871.8177 noerestaurant.com

american

Auntie Chang’s Dumpling House 2621 S. Shepherd. 713.524.8410 auntiechangs.com

Pesce 3029 Kirby. 713.522.4858 pescehouston.com

Azuma [japanese] •909 Texas. 713.223.0909 •5600 Kirby. 713.423.9649 azumajapanese.com

Polo’s Signature 3800 Southwest Frwy. 713.626.8100 polosignature.com Post Oak Grill 1415 S. Post Oak. 713.993.9966 postoakgrill.com

Quattro inside The Four Seasons Hotel 1300 Lamar. 713.276.4700 fourseasons.com

Ruggles Grill 903 Westheimer. 713.524.3839 rugglesgrill.com Tart Café 4411 Montrose. 713.526.8278 tartcafe.com THE OCEANAIRE SEAFOOD ROOM 5061 Westheimer.

832.487.8862 theoceanaire.com Shade 250 W. 19th St. 713.863.7500 shadeheights.com

Lake House Waterside Cafe Discovery Green North Side. thegrovehouston.com Max’s Wine Dive 4720 Washington. 713.880.8737 maxswinedive.com

SoVino 507 Westheimer. 713.524.1000 sovinowines.com

La Strada 322 Westheimer. 713.523.1014 lastradahouston.com

Monarch inside Hotel ZaZa 5701 Main. 713.527.1800 monarchrestaurant.com

The Grove 1611 Lamar. 713.337.7321 thegrovehouston.com

Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue 1703 Shepherd. 713.227.2283 pizzitolasbbq.com

Bright & Early 4825 Washington. 713.934.8234

Thelma’s 1020 Live Oak @ Lamar. 713.228.2262

Café Brasil 2604 Dunlavy. 713.528.1993

breakfast 11th St. Café 748 E. 11th St. 713.862.0089

Gigi’s Asian Bistro 5085 Westheimer. 713.629.8889

Tiny Boxwoods 3614 W. Alabama St. 713.622.4224 tinyboxwoods.com

Kam’s [fine chinese cuisine] 4500 Montrose Blvd. #C 713.529.5057

Monsoon Wok & Lounge 1200 McKinney, #103.

713.571.SAKE monsoonhou.com

Kraftsmen Baking 4100 Montrose #C. 713.524.7272 kraftsmenbaking.com

Swirl [frozen yogurt] •1944 West Gray.

•15955 City Walk. swirlls.com

spindletop

Zake [japanese] 2946 S. Shepherd.

713.526.6888

Te House of Tea 2402 Woodhead. 713.522.8868 teaagora.com

ra sushi

Teahouse •104 Main. 713.228.3063 •2089 Westheimer.

713.526.6123 teahousebeverage.com

bar-b-que BEAVER’S 2310 Decatur St. 713.864.2328 beavershouston.com

Zushi Japanese cuisine 5900 Memorial Dr., #102.

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The Buffalo Grille •3116 Bissonnet. 713.661.3663 •1301 S. Voss. 713.784.3663 thebuffalogrille.com Empire Café 1732 Westheimer. 713.528.5282 empirecafe.net Fountain View Café 1842 Fountain View. 713.785.9060 Rustika Café 3237 Southwest Frwy.

713.665.6226

Taft Street Coffee 2115 Taft. 713.522.3533

RA SUSHI [japanese] 3908 Westheimer. 713.621.5800 rasushi.com Uptown Sushi Uptown Park. 713.871.1200 uptown-sushi.com

Mango Beach [snow cones] 2304 White Oak

Baby Barnaby’s 602 Fairview. 713.522.4229 barnabyscafe.com

The Breakfast Klub 3711 Travis. 713.528.8561 thebreakfastklub.com

Inversion Coffee House 1953 Montrose, #A. 713.523.4866 inversioncoffee.com

les givral’s kahve

Avalon Drug Co. & Diner •2417 Westheimer. 713.527.8900 •12810 Southwest Frwy. 281.240.0213

Crave Cupcakes 1151 Uptown Park Blvd. 713.622.7283 couture-cupcakes.com

Franklin Street Coffee House 913 Franklin. 713.236.8433

LES GIVRAL’S KAHVE [vietnamese] 801 Congress St. 713.547.0444 lesgivrals.com Mak Chin’s [pan asian] 1511 Shepherd.

713.861.9888 makchins.com

Diedrich Coffee 4005 Montrose. 713.526.1319 diedrich.com

kubo’s

Pagoda [vietnamese] 4705 Inker St. 832.673.0400 pagodabistro.com

SPINDLETOP Hyatt Regency Houston 1200 Louisiana St. Houston, TX 77002 713.375.4775 spindletopathyatt.com Spindletop, atop the Hyatt Regency Houston, features innovative steak and seafood fare.

The elegant atmosphere and superb service create the perfect setting for business dinners and special occasions.

Antidote Coffee 729 Studewood. 713.861.7400 myspace.com/antidotecoffee

Fish [japanese] 309 Gray. 713.526.5294 fishhouston.com

oceanaire

Skyline Bar & Grill Hilton-Americas 1600 Lamar. 713.577.6139

Luling Bar-B-Q Bar 138 West Gray. 713.520.6400

The Coffee Groundz 2503 Bagby. 713.874.0082 coffeegroundz.net

KUBO’S [japanese] 2414 University Blvd. #200 713.528.7878 kubos-sushi.com

Reef 2600 Travis. 713.526.8282 reefhouston.com

bakery+ coffee+tea+others

Goode Company Texas Barbecue 5109 Kirby. 713.522.2530 goodecompany.com

beaver’s

cajun+creole+ southern

BB’s Kitchen 2710 Montrose. 713.524.4499 thebetterbite.com Brennan’s of Houston 3300 Smith. 713.522.9711 brennanshouston.com Houston’s This Is It Soulfood 207 W. Gray. 713.659.1608 thisisithouston.com Mardi Gras Grill 1200 Durham. 713.864.5600 mardigrasgrill.net

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Soul On The Bayeaux 3717 Dowling. 713.528.0732 Treebeards •315 Travis. 713.228.2622 •1117 Texas. 713.229.8248 •1100 Louisiana. 713.752.2601 •700 Rusk. 713.224.6677 Zydeco Louisiana Diner 1119 Pease. 713.759.2001

european+french Bistro Toulouse 5750 Woodway, #174. 713.977.6900 bistrotoulousehouston.com Brasserie Max and Julie [french] 4315 Montrose. 713.524.0070 maxandjulie.net Café Montrose [belgian] 1609 Westheimer. 713.523.1201 cafemontrose.com Charivari Specialty Restaurant [european] 2521 Bagby. 713.271.7231 charivarirest.com

Mingalone Italian Bar & Grill 540 Texas. 713.223.0088 mingalone.com

Feast [rustic european fare] 219 Westheimer. 713.529.7788 feasthouston.googlepages.com

RISTORANTI CAVOUR inside Hotel Granduca 1080 Uptown Park. 713.418.1000 granducahouston.com

indian

1308 CANTINA [mex] 1308 Montrose. 713.807.8996 1308cantina.com

Kiran’s 4100 Westheimer. 713.960.8472 kiranshouston.com

Café Piquet [cuban] 6053 Bissonnet. 713.664.1031

Narin’s Bombay Brasserie 3005 W. Loop South. 713.622.2005 thebombaybrasserie.com Shiva Indian Restaurant 2415 Times Blvd.

713.523.4753 shivarestaurant.com

italian ARCODORO 5000 Westheimer. 713.621.6888 arcodoro.com ARTURO’S ITALIANO Uptown Park. 713.621.1180 arturosuptown.com Divino Italian Restaurant 1830 W. Alabama. 713.807.1123 divinohouston.com Mia Bella 320 Main. 713.237.0505

EL TIEMPO CANTINA [mex] •3130 Richmond. 713.807.1600 •5602 Washington.

713.681.3645 eltiempocantina.com Escalante’s [mex] 4053 Westheimer.

713.623.4200 escalantes.net Hugo’s [mex] 1600 Westheimer. 713.524.7744 hugosrestaurant.net

La Fendee Mediterranean 1402 Westheimer.

713.522.1505

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse 2405 W. Alabama. 713.520.5999 flemingssteakhouse.com niko niko’s

Saffron Moroccan Cuisine 2006 Lexington. 713.522.3562 saffronhouston.com

ninfa’s

Molina’s Cantina [mex] 4220 Washington. 713.862.0013 molinasrestaurants.com NINFA'S THE ORIGINAL 2704 Navigation Blvd. 713.228.1175 Catering 713.977.4000 Picazo Restaurant Bar & Grill 1421 Preston. 713.236.1300 picazodowntown.com

el tiempo

Rioja Spanish Tapas 11920 Westheimer. 281.531.5569 riojarestaurant.com Tacos a Go-Go 3704 Main. 713.807.8226 tacosagogo.com

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Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House 5061 Westheimer. 713.355.2600 delfriscos.com

NIKO NIKO’S 2520 Montrose. 713.528.1308 nikonikos.com

Lucio’s [new american latin] 905 Taft. 713.523.9958

El Patio [mex] •6444 Westheimer. 713.780.0410 •2416 Brazos. 713.523.8181 arcodoro

Irma’s [mex] •22 N. Chenevert. 713.222.0767 •1314 Texas. 713.247.9651

Maria Selma [mex] 1617 Richmond.

713.528.4920 mariaselma.com

steak+chops

Droubi Bros.

•507 Dallas. 713.625.0058 •919 Milam. 713.571.6800

The Lemon Tree [peru] 12591 Whittington. 281.556.0690

El Meson [cuban] 2425 University. 713.522.9306

El Rey [cuban-mex] •233 Main. 713.225.1895 •910 Shepherd. 713.802.9145

mediterranean+ greek

Las Alamedas [mex] 8615 Katy Frwy. 713.461.1503 lasalamedas.com

latin

Indika 516 Westheimer. 713.524.2170 indikausa.com

Ibiza [spanish] 2450 Louisiana. 713.524.0004 ibizafoodandwinebar.com

pizza Candelari’s 6002 Washington. 832.200.1474 candelaris.com Dolce Vita Pizzeria y Enoteca 500 Westheimer. 713.520.8222 dolcevitahouston.com Frank’s Pizza 417 Travis. 713.225.5656 frankspizza.com Pink’s Pizza 1403 Heights Blvd. 713.864.PINK pinkspizza.com Romano’s Flying Pizza 1528 W. Gray. 713.526.1182 Star Pizza •77 Harvard. 713.869.1241 •2111 Norfolk. 713.523.0800 starpizza.net

Morton’s •5000 Westheimer. 713.629.1946 •1001 McKinney. 713.659.3700 mortons.com Perry's Steakhouse & Grille 9827 Katy Freeway. 832.358.9000 perrysrestaurants.com Spencer’s Steaks & Chops 1600 Lamar. 713.577.8325 spencersforsteaksandchops.com Strip House 1200 McKinney. 713.659.6000 theglaziergroup.com SHULA'S STEAKHOUSE Hyatt Regency Houston 1200 Louisiana St. Houston, TX 77002 Reservations: 713.375.4777 Private Dining: 713.375.4709 Shula's is known for serving premium steaks as well as an impressive roster of seafood and chops. Reserve one of three private dining rooms for business meetings or special occasions. shula’s

002houston September 08:002houston

DINE WRITE

8/21/08

3:45 PM

Page 68

By Katia Orlane Photography by Anthony Rathbun

A CLASSIC HACIENDA…REVISITED.

1. paella 2. las alamedas 3. chilean sea bass 1

8615 Katy Freeway | Houston, TX 77024 713.461.1503 | lasalamedas.com

HOURS:

LUNCH: Monday-Friday 11:00-3:00 Sunday Brunch 11:00-3:00 (Closed on Saturdays) DINNER: Monday-Thursday 6:00-10:00 Friday & Saturday 6:00-11:00 Sunday 3:00-9:00 BAR: Monday-Thursday 11:00-10:00 Friday 11:00-11:00, Saturday 6:00-11:00 Sunday 11:00-9:00 HAPPY HOURS: Monday-Friday 4:00-7:30

sample menu selections lunch menu

• Sarape Our own super-thin prime tenderloin beef served with guacamole and charro beans. $18 • Pollo Cuernavaca Tender chicken breast topped with artichoke hearts in a mustard pepper sauce.

Served with a stuffed potato and grilled vegetables. $14 • Huachinango Pontchartrain Fresh red snapper filet sauteed in a light brown butter sauce, topped with Lump Crab Meat, shrimp and mushrooms. Stuffed potato. $15

dinner menu

• Ceviche Costera Fish, shrimp and crab marinated in lime, onions, mushrooms, avocado and spices. $9 • Sopa Especial de Tortilla House Specialty A traditional Mexican soup made with chicken tomato broth and corn tortillas. Served with a special garnish. $6 • Cochinita Pibil Delicious chunks of baby tenderloin pork, simmered in achiote (Yucatan) sauce, wrapped in banana leaves. Served with black refried beans, marinated onions and fresh tortillas. $15

2

a complete, full-flavored Mexican meal, join the fiesta at Las Alamedas, a local favorite that has been serving Houstonians since 1980. Las Alamedas builds on classic Mexican staples of a seaside Acapulco town with fresh seafood, hot sauces and exclusive signature items.

For

In Houston, you can grab a burrito just about anywhere. If your idea of Mexican food includes slopping portions of beans, cheese and sour cream – Las Alamedas won’t meet your expectations. BUT, IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR AN AUTHENTIC MEAL RIVALING THOSE PREPARED IN KITCHENS ALL OVER MEXICO, you’ve found your place.

Las Alamedas offers authentic Mexican fare in a hacienda-style restaurant. The restaurant itself is located along a busy highway, but you won’t even notice it once you venture through the massive, 12-foot high, wooden doors. The traditional Mexicandesigned space divides the restaurant into different, unique environments, each a nod to a specific aspect of Mexican life.

A vast indoor courtyard with high-ceilings and handmade rustic furniture welcome guests as they enter the restaurant.

Taking center stage is a sunken bar, framed with mahogany, wrought iron and stone. The bar features intimate lounge seating, complete with architectural antiques and the occasional mariachi performance.

After such a grand entrance, the dinner that follows does not disappoint. Accentuating the dining room are floor-to-ceiling windows of glowing glass that wrap around the entire room showcasing views of the bayou. Against this romantic backdrop, owner Jorge Sneider serves a quality of Mexican food that simply takes Mexican dining to the next level. Bocaditos, or starters, include: Queso Fundido, melted cheese served piping hot, with chorizo, mushrooms, onions and flour tortillas; Ceviche Costera, fish, shrimp and crab marinated in lime, onions, avocado and spices; and Sopecitos Tapatios, a combination of refried beans, shredded chicken breast, pasilla tomatillo sauce, lettuce, sour cream and queso fresco all layered over three bite-size, corn tortillas.

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3

Dishes at Las Alamedas are easy on the eyes and formally dressed with sides of white rice and refried beans. Entrée’s include: Huachinango Pontchartrain, fresh red snapper filet sauteed in a light brown butter sauce, topped with crab meat, shrimp and mushrooms and served with a hearty stuffed potato; Pollo Acapulco, tender chicken breast stuffed with shrimp and poblano peppers, rolled and baked, topped with creamy lobster sauce; Mixiotes de Cabrito, tender baby goat meat smothered in chile cascabel and herbs wrapped in corn husks and slowly cooked to perfection.

The menu also features such offerings as: Scallops Oaxaca, sea scallops wrapped in Spanish serrano ham, served on top of an Oaxaca style tamal with fresh sundried tomato sauce; and Robalo Chileno, a Chilean sea bass baked in fine herbs, simmered in fresh sundried tomato sauce. One not-to-miss dish is Costillitas Sinaloa, tender baby-back ribs baked to perfection Michoacan style in a mango, ancho and cascabel pepper reduction.

For more common Mexican fare, assortments of enchiladas for every palate are available, from the scrumptious simplicity of Enchiladas de Espinaca y Queso, spinach and cheese enchiladas simmered in poblano sauce, to layers of aromatic spices in Enchiladas de Mole.

To cool things down, guests are always invited to compliement their culinary experience with a flight from their extensive tequila and mezcal list or with any one of the signature margaritas or cocktails. But Las Alamedas’ classic, on-the-rocks margarita with Don Julio, pairs perfectly with any meal. It is subtle and refreshing and doesn’t come across as too sugary or strong.

The restaurant has a main dining room, a private dining room and the bar lounge for a variety of dining options. The lounge is open during restaurant hours and features nightly live music.

LAS ALAMEDAS IS THE PLACE TO GO FOR GREAT FOOD, GREAT ATMOSPHERE AND A GREAT NIGHT OUT. Their classic dishes and traditional, lively atmosphere make it an unforgettable hotspot in a city filled with memorable Mexican cuisine.

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002houston September 08:002houston

NEW RESTAURANTS

8/21/08

3:45 PM

Page 70

Photography by Dax Sunga

NEW RESTAURANT? EMAIL US AT LETTERS@002MAG.COM

POST OAK GRILL-MIDTOWN

BARNABY’S

3017 MILAM ST. 713.523.1010 www.postoakgrill.com

5750 WOODWAY 713.266.0046 www.barnabyscafe.com

CUISINE café style foods

RAIA’S ITALIAN MARKET

HUE

4500 WASHINGTON AVE. 713.861.1042 www.raiasitalianmarket.com

3600 KIRBY DR. 713.526.8858

CUISINE american

CUISINE italian

CUISINE vietnamese

CHEF POLO BECERA

CHEF N/A

CHEF N/A

CHEF JENNY DO

This Galleria Area classic has set up shop in Midtown and is offering some fresh café style fares perfect for a quick lunch. But it also offers great dinner options for Midtowners not wanting to veer out of their hood. There’s a pet-friendly patio perfect for those rare cooler days that I just can’t WAIT any longer to arrive, but until then, the inside is a cooling escape. We started with the Black Bean Soup ($4.95), which tastes just like my mom’s. There’s a dollup of pico de gallo adding just a touch of spice. You won’t want to share. Being the veggie lover I am, I had the Vegetable Sandwich off the Low Fat Sandwiches menu. It’s a whole wheat wrap with carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted bell peppers and alfalfa sprouts with low fat cheddar cheese and low fat ranch dressing. It’s the epitome of fresh.

ON THE SIDE COMES AN EQUALLY FRESH AND CRISP SPINACH SALAD WITH A YOGURT-STYLE DRESSING. Try not to fill yourself up with the hummus and chips served while you wait – YUMMY. We also had the Chicken Sandwich, another low fat item also served on whole wheat with chicken, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, cheddar cheese, spinach and a low fat ranch dressing. Also a good one. The fries are delicious and not at all greasy, although I’m not sure how low fat they are.

An old favorite moves into the suburbs. JEFF GALE, MASTERMIND BEHIND THE CAFÉ’S FOUR LOCATIONS, RECENTLY OPENED UP SHOP IN THE SHOPPING CENTER ON THE CORNER OF BERING AND WOODWAY. Nestled behind another classic, Sweet Mesquite, sits the bustling café. Expect the same quality food, same friendly service, same lunch and dinner rush as we’ve come to expect from the other locations. Because of the location, there are more families hitting this spot. We love their big burgers with the addictive fries that somehow we manage to devour entirely. As well as their salads – big enough to split and chock-full of fresh veggies. Another favorite is the lasagna. We just can’t say enough and I for one am happy to have them in the hood!

Raia’s takes you back to those good ol’ “mom & pop” dives, except this place is far from a dive. The deli/market feel with an outdoor terrace is very European, well as close as we can get to it stateside. The space is open and spacious with large windows overlooking Washington Avenue. The green umbrellas mark the spot if you’re driving by.

The deli selections include meats and cheeses to take home. THE LUNCH AND DINNERMENU IS VERY COMPLETE AND THE FARES ARE DOWNHOME ITALIAN COMFORT FOOD. On the lunch menu are a variety of the usual (calamari, spaghetti, ect.) but the deal breaker is their fantastic $6.99 lunch option, which includes 3 of a variety of weekly picks (the website has them listed). We got to try a sinful gnocchi, an amazing snapper, the most amazing eggplant lasagna, juicy pork chops and a house salad. The total for 3 people was about $26.

While New York City is known for its great Chinese food, Miami for its Cuban, I think that Houston will soon become a leader in Vietnamese cuisine. There seems to be a new Vietnamese restaurant opening every month and all of them exquisitely authentic. This month brings Hue (the name of a province in Vietnam and pronounced Hu-wey) to the exploding Upper Kirby area. THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE DINING ROOM HAS A GREAT VIBE THAT IS IDEAL FOR THOSE OUT-OF-TOWN CLIENTS OR THE PATIO IN THE BACK IS SUITABLE FOR A QUICK BITE BEFORE HITTING THE STRIP ON FRIDAY. The vegetarians will start flocking here once they find out that most of the menu can accommodate their needs and that they can now partake in Imperial Rolls, which can be ordered with shrimp but for the carnivores can be ordered with chicken or pork too. Com Bo Luc Lac (“shaking beef”) is a great way to start off a night with just the right amount of filet mignon and watercress. Equally as good is the Com Tho Ga (“claypot chicken”) and vermicelli. Make sure and take a trip to the bar; the drinks are some of the best in the area.

Carla Valencia de Martinez

Carla Valencia de Martinez

Jarrod Klawinsky

Carla Valencia de Martinez 70. september08 002houston

002houston September 08:002houston

THE CHEF’S SPECIAL

8/21/08

3:55 PM

Page 71

Photography by Gabrielle Nissen

CHEF JUNNAJET "JETT" HURAPAN | RESTAURANT GIGI’S ASIAN BISTRO & DUMPLING BAR cuisine modern asian | attire business casual | catering no | private room private tables up to 10, private room up to 40 address 5085 westheimer, #b2515, houston, tx 77056 | phone 713.629.8889 | website gigisasianbistro.com

FAVORITE LATE NIGHT SPOT FOR A BITE? IHOP. There’s nothing like comfort food at the end of a long night. I get the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. I won’t eat the eggs, just sandwiches. I like the french fries too.

BEST BREAKFAST? My wife makes the best breakfast. She’s the pastry chef at Gigi’s. How can anyone top that? She makes poached eggs with soy sauce. I eat five of them. She also makes Thai French Toast with pork on top. You can’t get it anywhere but my house.

BEST BRUNCH? Gramercy Tavern in New York City. It’s the best in the world, and I always go there when I’m in Manhattan. They have the whole package: servers, ambiance, food. The Eggs Benedict is amazing. They make the hollandaise to order.

I respect that as a chef. They take brunch to the next level.

WHAT INGREDIENT CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT IN THE KITCHEN AND WHY? I can’t live without coconut milk. I’m using coconut milk as stock. Some people use chicken or beef stock. I use the coconut stock because it’s vegetarian friendly.

WHAT UTENSIL CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT? Fork. It’s easy to pick up. I like chopsticks, but I’m not good with them. I’m Thai. We use a spoon and fork.

WHAT’S YOUR PET PEEVE? Whistling. I can’t stand it when people whistle in the kitchen.

FAVORITE AFFORDABLE WINE? I’m not a wine guy. I’m a beer guy. I love any domestic beer.

FAVORITE PLACE FOR DESSERT? Magnolia Bakery in New York. Best cupcakes anywhere. That’s my thing, cupcakes. My wife makes them for the restaurant. I pop, pop, pop them all day long.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE CHEF, RESTAURANT AND DISH? My father, Taweewat Hurapan. He opened my eyes to Asian food. I started as a Mediterranean chef. When I joined him at Rain, he opened my eyes to Asian dishes.

My favorites are the Crispy Whole Fish and Heavenly Beef. That was our thing.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, TELL US YOUR WORST CLIENT EXPERIENCE? When I was at Hue in New York, one guest asked for medium rare chicken. I had to come out and tell him I couldn’t do it. He said, “Do what I say. I’m paying for it.”

He sent it back five times. He said he didn’t like dry chicken. He promised not to sue.

He said he wanted it pink, so I did it and he loved it. He tipped the server double the price of the meal. He came every other month for medium rare chicken. After I left he stopped going because no one else would cook it medium rare.

Gigi’s Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar is the latest venture from legendary Houston restaurateur Gigi Huang. Since its February 2008 debut, Gigi’s Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar has established itself as a see-and-be-seen destination in the Bayou City with an authentic Modern Asian menu, a convenient Galleria location and a hip, sexy nightlife scene.

The restaurant boasts five unique seating options including a spacious outdoor patio, two bars, the main dining room and a row of private tables complete with silk curtains

FAVORITES: STORE R.A.P. TUNING (VOLKSWAGEN PERFORMANCE SHOP) OLYMPIC SPORT SWIMMING CAR VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE COLOGNE I DON’T WEAR IT. BEACH JONES BEACH (LONG ISLAND, NY)

dubbed “The Alley.” Owner Gigi Huang and Executive Chef Junnajet Hurapan – a Thai native who grew up in New York City – have managed to capture the imagination of the city’s fickle social circuit and satisfy Houston’s equally hard-to-impress foodie community. Hurapan, one of only a few Houston chefs reviewed by the New York Times, cut his culinary teeth as Executive Chef at several restaurants including Rain, Hue and Ruby Foo’s in New York and at Buddakan in Atlantic City.

GIGI’S ASIAN BISTRO & DUMPLING BAR 71. september08 002houston

002houston September 08:002houston

SIP CODES

By Beatrice Valencia

8/21/08

Page 72

Restaurateurs, club/bar owners, pubbers, etc., if there is a special event or something you would like the public to know about, email me at bvalencia@002mag.com and I will help spread the word for you. See you out!

ENTERTAINMENTCODE…WITH A DASH OF ART! MORE OFTENTIMES THAN NOT, WHEN SITTING IN A BAR OR RESTAURANT I NOTICE MY SURROUNDINGS. WHAT’S ON THE WALLS, WHY DID THEY CHOOSE THAT? YOU’D BE SURPRISED OF WHAT YOU SEE IF YOU STOP AND LOOK UP. I CONSTANTLY FIND MYSELF SAYING WHAT ON EARTH MADE THEM THINK, “OH YES, THIS COLLECTION OF BOTTLES WOULD BE EXCELLENT TO PUT ON A SHELF IN MY PIZZA JOINT.” REALLY, BOTTLES, EMPTY ONES NONETHELESS. IT’S LIKE KNICK-KNACK HEAVEN IN SOME PLACES. SOMETIMES THE STRUCTURE ITSELF IS A PIECE OF “ART” TO THE CITY; IT STANDS OUT AMONG EVERY OTHER BUILDING AROUND IT AND YOU CAN’T STOP LOOKING AT IT. YOU’LL LIKE IT SO MUCH, YOU’LL WANT ONE TOO. IMPOSSIBLE CONSIDERING IT’S A BUILDING BUT YOU CAN VISIT AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE. GOOD THING THEY ARE ALL LOCATED IN THE SAME THREE-MILE RADIUS! MUSIC SELECTION COMES NEXT. SOME PLACES, ZERO MUSIC; OTHERS HAVE THE TOP 40 PLAYING. STILL OTHERS HAVE LIVE MUSIC. A TREAT FOR SOME; BOTHERSOME FOR THE GROUCHY. MUSIC CREATES A MOOD AND CAN BE ESSENTIAL TO THE SETTING.

[MUSIC TO MY EARS AND VISUALS]

1

COVA HAND SELECTED WINES- 5555 Washington Avenue 713.868.3366, covawines.com With a list of over 40 wines “by the glass,” the hardest decision you’ll make is which one to taste. If you don’t find something that entices you there, you can pull a bottle from the shelves of their wine store instead. The term “hand selected” means that the wine has their stamp of approval. The owner himself has tasted and selected each bottle. On a usual day of business, the music varies from jazzy numbers to Coldplay to the Beatles. A very good mix in mind for what they’re selling: chill music for a chill beverage. Sundays that jazz music plays live. It’s a treat to be able to enjoy classics or a minor jam session right before your eyes and ears.

You can even chat up some of the musicians on their break at the bar.

The food satisfies hunger pangs and the music soothes the soul. I enjoy getting a cheese plate at the bar. Manchego, Gruyere and Gouda are always good, safe bets. I ask a recommendation for the fourth cheese. Served with honey, bread and an edible flower, it’s perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Adorning the walls are contemporary pieces from local artists that are available to purchase. My recent visit, there were these metal squares, real metal, with textured detail throughout. Cova is truly an experience for all the senses.

2

3:57 PM

THE CORKSCREW- 1919 Washington Avenue 713.864.9463, houstoncorkscrew.com I think this place masters in entertainment. Not only do they have var-

ious activities they schedule monthly but also live music on certain nights – and the newsletter is outrageous. You have to sign up for it.

It’s not spam because it’s actually funny and let’s you know what is going on weekly. The one I received at press time has a bit about their Wineapalooza on September 28, information about their acoustic showcase on Mondays, their Steak Night, beer bucket info, Sangria Night, weekend specials and a humorous novella titled .

Acoustic night on Mondays is from 811pm and if you receive the newsletter you get details on the singers featured. If you happen to meet the owners, they’re entertaining as well as full of information. With over 250 wines in stock that are rotated, it’s next to impossible to not be entertained. If you need instant entertainment, check out their website.

3

BOHEME CAFÉ & WINE BAR- 307 Fairview and Taft 713.269.0859 barboheme.com All the rumors are true about this place. This is a hidden gem that will become a favorite of yours. Frustrated singers/ songwriters and the truly gifted make their Open Mic Night a huge hit. Drawing inspiration from his world travels, the owner wanted to create an atmosphere where you could take in foreign culture and local flair. Located in a historical building with most of the original interior as is (walls to window frames and a 6000 square foot garden) those that visit will be charmed by its personality. Various light fixtures and sculptures, collected from travels abroad, along with a spectacular stucco accent on the wall by famed artist Michael Winn, make the bar a constant work of art. If the art baubles aren’t enough to enthrall you, then consider the entertainment.

Monday is The Gypsies night, Tuesday is Open Mic Night, and Behak Kelso & Ginger Doss are live on Wednesday. All shows start at 8:30 and a minimum of a drink is needed upon entry. This enchanting bar is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

4

SO VINO WINE BAR AND BISTRO507 Westheimer Road 713.524.1000, sovinowines.com The interior alone is “knock your socks off” cool. It’s streamlined clean, intimate and glows. Your eyes travel across the room taking in the various elements put together to create such a setting. The fabric, color choice and layout make for a very attractive ambiance.

Mesmerizing contemporary works of art from locals adorn the walls with colors so vivid they complement the vibe. A metal installation from artist George Sacaris sprawls across a vast wall in the dining room. Recurring curves and circles that emulate the curvature of the body ooze sexiness. In the glow of the candlelight, dim lighting and 72. september08 002houston

intense wine flavors, conversation flows freely throughout the room.

It’s definitely a fine establishment that’s proper for a date or cozy enough for a group of friends.

5

[ARTCHITECTURE]

DISCOVERY GREEN PARK THE GROVE/TREEHOUSE- 1611 Lamar 713.337.7321 LAKEHOUSE- 1600 McKinney 713.337.7320 These structures are art considering the landscape they’re in. Located on the outskirts of downtown in Discovery Green Park, these sustainable sanctuaries are a treasure in a concrete city. Like glass houses they stand out due to the nature around them and the way they complement it. The Grove, with floor-to-ceiling windows and the grove glass sliding doors the size I’ve never seen before, provides a harmonious dining experience between man and nature. The Treehouse, located on the second floor of The Grove, is appropriately named with branches and the treehouse tops of massive trees all around its half-covered patio. The Lakehouse, a short walk from the above, is a mini-glass house by a manmade lake that serves delicious burgers. It’s a small structure and lines can go out the door on weekends but the burger is lakehouse worth the wait. In the short distance between them, you pass by a long, clever art installation – “Synchronicity of Color” by Margo Sawyer – that covers the convention district stairwells.

You will also see “The Mist Tree” created by Doug Hollis, a massive interactive water structure that’s a hit with children. Doug Hollis also contributed the listening vessels in the Wortham Foundation gardens.

The gray domes stand out against the lush greenery. The structures are not only a testament to art but also a beautiful relationship between man and nature.

002houston September 08:002houston

CLUB+LOUNGE REVIEW

8/21/08

3:59 PM

Page 73

By Travis Jones Photography by Daniel Ortiz

THE ARMADILLO PALACE | 5015 KIRBY DR. | 713.526.9700 THEARMADILLOPALACE.COM

TEXAS-SIZED CHARACTER – TEXAS-SIZED FUN

THE

Armadillo Palace at 5015 Kirby Drive serves a dual role as a bar and a Texas history museum. YOU KNOW THE PLACE I’M TALKING ABOUT: THE JOINT BY GOODE CO. BARBECUE WITH THE GIGANTIC ARMADILLO STANDING GUARD, red eyed with long horns, like some sort of whiskey-bent nightmare, an ever-present reminder that everything is indeed bigger (and a touch crazier) in this state. Walking in, you might get the…..

Wait. Before I go any further, let’s clear something up. If you live, work or have ever spent any amount of time in Houston, Texas, and do not have a pair of cowboy boots, quit reading this immediately and go find a pair. I don’t care if they’re decades-old, toe-smashing relics from a cowboy-themed 12th birthday or those patent-plastic Halloween kicks that you kept around for some reason. FIND ’EM, DUST ’EM OFF AND SLIP ’EM ON, BECAUSE SOME PLACES JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR NEW MANOLO BLAHNIKS. The Armadillo Palace is one of them. Glad we cleared that up.

Anyway, walking in, you might get the impression that The Armadillo Palace is just too Texas for its own good. Like a place you’d stop for a funnel cake at Six Flags. Or like a place Canadians go to feel tough on a Friday night. Admittedly, The Armadillo Palace is one John Travolta dance solo and mechanical bull ride away from mockery at its finest, but it works.

Upon closer examination you’ll find that this is more than just a Texasthemed Joe’s Crab Shack. THE HODGE-PODGE OF RELICS COVERING THE WALLS IS FROM THE GOODE FAMILY’S VERY OWN COLLECTION. Each artifact as genuine a piece of Texas culture as you’ll find anywhere – a physical incarnation of Texas-style catharsis.

But the ode to our state doesn’t end with the menagerie of stuff nailed to the walls and rafters.

The Armadillo Palace celebrates Texas every Wednesday through Saturday with live music from bands like Honky Tonk Heroes and Two Tons of Steel. There’s a small cover on weekend nights, but nothing unreasonable for the great tunes the place brings in. THE PLACE CAN FILL UP FAST WITH YOUNG PROFESSIONALS LOOKING TO KICK UP THEIR HEELS, PLAY SOME SHUFFLEBOARD, SHOOT SOME POOL OR JUST SADDLE UP TO THE BAR, BUT THE SERVICE DOESN’T LACK. Goode Co. has been in the service industry game for a while now and has hired a crack team of energetic and attentive folks to run The Armadillo Palace.

No, you won’t find a hundred beers on tap or an ice luge of fruity-flavored vodkas, but the bar is well stocked with cold beer and a solid array of whiskey and tequila. And it flows. Especially on Tijuana Tuesdays when you can get half-priced Mexican imports and margaritas, throw down some premium tequilas, and chase it all with $1.50 Tecate and half-priced appetizers. The weekday happy hour specials are hot from 4 to 7 with a Wednesday Ladies Night, and throughout the week The Armadillo Palace runs different specials on various whiskeys for those “Betcha anything I wake up half naked in my driveway wearing a clown wig” nights.

EVEN ON BAND-LESS NIGHTS, THE ARMADILLO PALACE IS A GREAT PLACE TO CATCH THE GAME AND A GREAT MEAL TO BOOT. If you aren’t in the mood for the barbecue from across the street at Goode Co. Barbecue, yeah, you might want to look into some therapy; but fear not, The Armadillo Palace is its own rodeo and has a unique menu full of delectable Texas fare. Order in the A/C or enjoy a great burger and a cold one on the patio.

In Houston, a city as big and bold as Texas itself, you’d better have something that helps you stand out. This is the home of NASA, the Rockets, the Astros, big football and even bigger oil and egos. The Armadillo Palace pulls through though, and with an unapologetic celebration of the Lone Star legacy, proves that it’s no Texas tease.

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DJM MIKERELM

Interview by Lance Scott Walker Photography by Hilary Charlotte

DJ MIKE RELM BREAKS THE RULES. HE BREAKS THE RECORDS. HE DOESN’T JUST SPIN VINYL OR EVEN CDS OR THEIR DIGITAL HEIRS. HE SPINS VIDEO. AND HE SCRATCHES IT. IN FRONT OF LOTS OF PEOPLE. THAT’S WHAT HE’S BEEN DOING ALL SUMMER. HERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS FROM HIM. FOR A MUSICIAN, THERE’S USUALLY A PARTICULAR VENUE THEY LIKE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEIR INSTRUMENT OR THEIR SOUND RESPONDS TO THE SPACE. IS THERE A PARALLEL LIKE THAT FOR YOU?

A STACK OF METALLICA RECORDS BEHIND YOU.

Oh yeah. My favorites are the thousand to two-thousand seat rooms because you can see and hear most everybody, and that’s important when I’m onstage even if the people are talking… I’m just able to gauge what the audience is like. And you play an arena, you get that going and that’s just the most amazing thing ever.

When I was with Blue Man Group, we had shows where there were a good 10, 12 thousand people there and by the end of my set I got a few standing ovations.

It was just like ‘wow, I should really have a camera right now.’ It’s an amazing thing.

FOR WHAT YOU DO, DOES TOURING TAKE AWAY FROM OR ADD TO YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

GETS TO A CERTAIN POINT WHERE IT’S LIKE YOU’RE PLAYING TO AN OCEAN. Yeah, it’s like a sea of heads. And the cool thing is it was sit-down, so when they do stand up, it’s a whole different room. So that is very cool too but for the most part I do like the smaller… you know, like the Fillmore, or the Fox in Boulder, or like The Commodore in Vancouver. Just because it’s still close enough to where you’re really connecting with everybody, but it’s not so small that it’s like… an in-store.

Man! Those get me more nervous than any show.

And they’re ringing people up.

It adds to it. In the beginning it was tough to kind of be creative because you’re so excited about touring. It’s such a new thing, and it’s also difficult because when you’re out you have to pack up every night… you’re moving every day. Your personal belongings, making sure everything’s cool and then you gotta do a show. It’s a different thing every day. Once you get used to that, you can settle in, and it’s like home to me. I mean I spend a month and a half a year at home… total. And that’s not a month and a half straight. It’s like a week here, two weeks there. So the road has become home to me. I’ve gotten really comfortable. Most of my record I did in hotel rooms. All the recording, and just like different studios we found. Like if I wanted to record drums I’d look up a studio a couple of days before and make it happen.

THE SAMPLE-BASED NATURE OF WHAT YOU DO EVEN HAS YOUR NAME COMING UP ON COPYRIGHT LAW WEBSITES. HOW BAD HAS IT GOTTEN FOR YOU? It’s gotten better to where I’m not one of those guys who wants to be publicly… who was that guy who got really busted lately?

PEOPLE CAN TELL WHETHER OR NOT YOU’RE CLEAN-SHAVEN. Yeah! They can smell you and it’s like… you start to sweat and it’s never cool lighting.

DJ DRAMA. WITH THE MIXTAPES.

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The weird thing about that is I thought he was doing exclusive recordings. The whole thing was kind of confusing to me. But I heard about that and I was like Jesus! I mean the FBI was there and there was like 2 million dollars in cash! What the hell?

SEEING AS YOU’VE ALREADY BEGUN TO STEER AWAY FROM THAT WITH SPECTACLE, IN WHICH DIRECTION DO YOU THINK YOU’LL TAKE IT NEXT? I like making a record, and I like the process and it would be nice to be able to do a record where I’m not on the road because… it definitely took longer to do than it would have if I wasn’t on tour. But it was a cool process! It was like ‘I didn’t know we could do this.’ But definitely steering away from samples… because then you start getting into licensing your work and it’s like ‘damn, well… I sampled this…’ And that kinda… it’s not all about money, but it does help and I just don’t want to build a part of my career on sampling other people’s stuff. Because it’s getting out of hand. There’re mixtapes everywhere, everyone’s sampling, and I don’t want to spend most of my time in court or in phone calls with lawyers. I mean, I know a couple of pretty nice ones…

I BET. I mean we go to Giants games all of the time when he’s in town, but I don’t want to spend all of my time like ‘how are we gonna get out of this one?’ Maybe I haven’t gotten to the point of the FBI raiding my house…

IS THERE A MIKE RELM SPORT OF CHOICE? Right now it’s got to be skating. I’m a baseball fan… Giants all the way… but being around these guys, the pro skaters, they’re not unlike DJs and musicians.

We have different crafts that we approach but they work so hard for years and like… Tony [Hawk] always said ‘skating wasn’t always cool, it wasn’t always a cool thing to do.’ And neither was scratching! The cool guys were the DJs, like the party guys. They were like the jocks of the DJ world. But the guys who scratched?

No one wanted to hear that. I mean, just like ‘play the record. I know you have that record. Play it! I don’t wanna hear you scratch it!’

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CD REVIEWS

8/21/08

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By Lance Scott Walker

EVENT PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR WHY PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S GALA WHERE WAREHOUSE LIVE WHEN AUGUST 17

H.I.S.D. Summer Sessions (PeaceUvMine) A tribute to the summertime in Houston, Texas (a season which is still in full tilt this month) at first sounds like a painful, self-deprecating admission of the wicked truth: it’s damn hot. And you’ve got eight months of that ‘damn hot’ with no relief to boot. But as much as Summer Sessions does go out of its way to acknowledge that, it does so in a way that also celebrates it. The Legendary K.O. (featured in this month’s Recording) makes an appearance on what you could call the title track, “Summer’s So Good,” a familiarly (for these two groups) blissed-out beat with equally familiar sense of cooperation in respect to how often each verse is populated by a different rapper. And that’s where it really takes foot—an entire record dedicated to the most brutal of seasons in the Bayou City with a full complement of lyricists nailing that dedication down hand over hand. And then it hits: “Gone on Patron,” a track so invasive and out of place that it forces you to check your CD player to make sure the disc didn’t switch over. It is all at once a tribute to and maybe a check against the glass to the alternate rap culture Houston shows to the outside world: shallow, materialistic and under the influence. But what’s brilliant in the way H.I.S.D. executes it is that it makes you blink, stop and wonder whether or not they’re making fun or making serious, perhaps having a streak around the track to provide balance. I would surmise that it’s a little of both, and that it works more as a skit than an actual track, but it is ultimately effective in the fact that it’s just a good track, funny or not. And while the features from Kay from The Foundation, J. ‘8 Months’ Lewis and the aforementioned Legendary K.O. ring in good and hot, it’s the employ of the services of H.I.S.D.’s own EQuality, who could one day emerge as one of the great new unique voices in Houston rap should he put himself out there, that really squares off this crop of Houston area rappers. He is all at once loose, intelligent, raspy, concise and unpredictable—which is a hell of a lot to pick out of a group that’s already brimming with talent.

Hordes of PP supporters showed up decked out in their best Rock star impersonations to well…party like one! Warehouse Live rocked the house performances by Miser and Forever Falls; music and visuals by Payola and Peekaboo Theory. Sex & the City’s David Eigenberger made an appearane and Teresa from 94.5 the Buzz was the Mistress of Ceremonies. The VIP section was a raging success as guests enjoyed food by Morton’s Steakhouse.

The event broke last year’s numbers, raking in over $40,000.

Christen Faming, Mica England, David Eigenberg, Lorena Hernandez, Jessica Alton

Dianne McAdams, Craig Navarro, Leonard Villa

Norma Comstive, Guy Mahaffey

STUDEMONT PROJECT Warmth of the Midnight Sun (Esthetic Noise) If this mixed bag of rappers and musicians struck an odd chord before, they’ve gone even deeper into the recesses of that chord with this one. And darker. The Studemont Project has always forged a really odd mix of aggro spitting, soulful singing and a musical approach that lays somewhere between late 60s psychedelia/early 70s underground rock and trip hop. I said it. And that’s either their strength or their weakness, depending on from which angle you’re hearing it. The thing that mostly stands out on this record is the fact that warring styles have been quietly and accurately but uncomfortably blended together, like a mammal with a reptile’s face that somehow looks right. Confusing when it supposedly shouldn’t be. That said, one thing The Studes arguably do right on this record is in the sequencing. The fade between “Death and Taxes” and “Mont Rose” could not have been more perfectly timed or, as notes resolve, more musical. Same goes with “This Moment” and “Long Awaited.” Really, you could say that The Studemont Project, even with all of their elements fighting and then shaking hands with one another, has a really solid grip on what their album is all about.

Maybe it’s just that we don’t? So yeah… the title is appropriate. Think about it.

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Stephanie Quisenberry, Jim Peterson Jr.

Lene Endresen, Lisa Begley

Edward Sanchez, Graham Gemoets, Amanda Mills

Photography by Michelle Watson for LastNightPics.com

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Photography by Michelle Watson for LastNightPics.com

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002NIGHT LIFE downtown

702 702 W. Dallas. 713.654.8040 702houston.com A+ BAR inside Alden Hotel 1117 Prairie. 832.200.8800 aldenhotels.com BANK BAR 220 Main. 832.667.4477 hotelicon.com

CABO 417 Travis. 713.225.2060 cabomixmex.com COPA CABANA 114 Main. 713.223.COPA copacabanalounge.com

C&F DRIVE INN 6714 N. Main. 713.861.0704 CHAR BAR 305 Travis. 713.222.8177 charbarhouston.com CLUB ICE/MANTRA 711 Main. 713.225.3500 mantrahouston.com

THE COTTON EXCHANGE 202 Travis. 713.213.1141 cottonexchangelounge.com

DEAN’S CREDIT CLOTHING 316 Main. 713.227.3326 myspace.com/deanscreditclothing

DIVE LOUNGE inside the Aquarium 410 Bagby. 713.223.3474 EIGHTEEN TWENTY 1820 Franklin. 713.224.5535 myspace.com/1820bar ETTA’S LOUNGE 5120 Scott. 713.528.2611 FLYING SAUCER 705 Main. 713.228.7468 beerknurd.com

GLO 505 Main. 713.223.3456 club-go.com

HEAT 511 Main. 713.225.8020 myspace.com/clubheat_houston JAZZ AT THE MAGNOLIA 1100 Texas. 713.221.0011 magnoliahotels.com

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Photography by Monica Kressman + Anthony Rathbun

BARS + CLUBS + LOUNGES + WINE BARS JET LOUNGE 1515 Pease. 713.659.2000 myspace.com/jetlounge

LA CARAFE 813 Congress. 713.229.9399 LEVEL 412 Main. 713.227.0410 myspace.com/levelhouston LIVE SPORTS CAFÉ 407 Main. 713.228.5483 livesportscafe.com

LONE STAR SALOON 1900 Travis. 713.757.1616 MOLLY’S PUB 509 Main. 713.222.1033 mollyspubs.com

NOTSUOH 314 Main. 713.237.8220 myspace.com/notsuohmusic

RED CAT JAZZ CAFÉ 924 Congress. 713.226.7870 redcatjazzcafe.com

TOC BAR 711 Franklin. 713.224.4862 myspace.com/tocbarhouston VENUE 719 Main. 713.236.8150 venuehouston.com

galleria + uptown

BLANCO’S 3406 W. Alabama. 713.439.0072 houstonredneck.com

BELVEDERE 1131 Uptown Park. 713.552.9271 belvedereinfo.com THE BLACK SWAN 4 Riverway. 713.871.8181 (inside the Omni Hotel)

CLUB 26 TEN 2610 Sage. 713.974.4000 myspace.com/club26ten

IDENTITY BAR 5959 Richmond. 713.785.0999 RESERVE 101 1201 Caroline. 713.655.7101 reserve101.com

SAMBUCA JAZZ CAFÉ 909 Texas Ave. 713.224.5299 sambucarestaurant.com SHADOW BAR 213 Milam. 713.221.5483 theshadowbar.com

SHAY MCELROY’S 909-A Texas. 713.223.2444 mcelroyspub.com SKYLINE BAR & GRILL 1600 Lamar. 713.577.6139 (inside Hilton Americas)

STATE BAR & LOUNGE 909 #2-A Texas. 713.229.8888 thestatebar.com

THE TREEHOUSE Discovery Green 1611 Lamar. 713.337.7321 thegrovehouston.com THE VAULT 723 Main. 713.224.6891

THE TASTING ROOM 1101-18 Uptown Park. 713.993.9800 114 Gray. 713.528.6402 2409 W. Alabama. 713.526.2242 tastingroomwines.com

PLANETA BAR-RIO 6400 Richmond. 832.251.9600 bar-rio.com PAPARRUCHOS 3055 Sage. 713.212.3178 paparruchos.com

RA SUSHI 3908 Westheimer. 713.621.5800 rasushi.com

REMINGTON BAR 1919 Briar Oaks Ln. 713.403.2631 (inside St. Regis Hotel) theremingtonrestaurant.com ROXY 5851 W. Alabama. 713.850.ROXY myspace.com/roxyhouston

UROPA 3302 Mercer. 713.627.1132 cluburopahouston.com

WILD WEST 6101 Richmond. 713.266.3455 wildwesthouston.com

heights + washington

BOOM BOOM ROOM 2518 Yale. 713.868.3740 myspace.com/ boomboomroomhouston

CHAISE LOUNGE 4219 Washington. 713.861.2300 chaiseloungehouston.net

CITIZEN LOUNGE 4606 Washington. 713.862.4448 THE CORKSCREW 1919 Washington. 713.864.9463 houstoncorkscrew.com CORELEONE BAR & GRILL 813 Jackson. 713.863.8223 (behind Patrenella’s) patrenellas.net COSMOS CAFÉ 69 Heights. 713.802.2144 cosmoshouston.com

DAN ELECTRO’S GUITAR BAR 1031 E. 24th St. 713.862.8707 danelectrosguitarbar.com

DARKHORSE TAVERN 2207 Washington. 713.426.2442 dhtavern.com THE DIRT 222 Yale. 713.426.4222 myspace.com/dirtbar

THE DRAKE 1902 Washington. 713.861.9600 thedrakebar.com

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FRONT PORCH PUB 217 Gray. 713.571.9571 frontporchpub.com EL TIEMPO CANTINA 5602 Washington. 713.681.3645 eltiempocantina.com KOBAIN 33 Waugh. 713.862.9911 kobain.net

MAK CHIN’S 511 Shepherd. 713.861.9888 makchins.com

MOLINA’S 4720 Washington. 713.862.0013 molinasrestaurants.com ONION CREEK 3106 White Oak. 713.880.0706 onioncreekcafe.com

PEARL BAR 4216 Washington. 713.863.5337 pearlbarhouston.com

THE SOCIAL 3730 Washington. 713.426.5585 thesocialinfo.com

midtown

13 CELSIUS 3000 Caroline. 713.529.8466 13celsius.com

3RD BAR 2600 Travis. 713.526.8282 reefhouston.com

BOND 2700 Milam. 713.529.2663 bond2700.com

COACHES 2204 Louisiana. 713.751.1970 CHRISTIAN’S TAILGATE 2000 Bagby. 713.527.0261 DECO 510 Gray. 713.659.4900 decohouston.com

EL PATIO 2416 Brazos. 713.523.8181 elpatio.com EPIC 3030 Travis. 713.862.4810

FIX LOUNGE 2707 Milam. 832.281.2101 fixlounge.com

HOWL AT THE MOON 612 Hadley. 713.658.9700 howlatthemoon.com

IBIZA LOUNGE NEXT DOOR 2450 Louisiana. 713.520.7300 ibizaloungenextdoor.com KOMODO’S 2004 Baldwin. 713.655.1501

LEON’S LOUNGE 1006 McGowen. 713.659.3052

THE MAPLE LEAF 514 Elgin. 713.520.6464 themapleleafpub.blogspot.com THE MINK/THE BACKROOM 3718 Main. 713.522.9985 themink.org

OPEN CITY 2416-A Brazos. 832.483.8357 ochouston.com RED DOOR 2416 Brazos. 713.225.0640 reddoorhouston.com

RICH’S 2401 San Jacinto. 713.759.9606 richshouston.com

SAMMY’S 2016 Main. 713.751.3101 sammysat2016main.com

STATUS 2404 San Jacinto. 713.659.5400 myspace.com/statushouston SWIVEL 2621 Milam. 713.222.2057 swivelhouston.com THE ROOF 2600 Travis. 713.522.4900 roofbarhouston.com

THE WET SPOT 160 W. Gray. 713.523.7768 wetspot-houston.com TIPSY CLOVER 2416 Brazos. 713.524.8782

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WHISKEY CREEK 2905 Travis. 713.526.4225 whiskeycreekhouston.com

XO BAR & LOUNGE 2611 San Jacinto. 713.651.9900 myspace.com/xohouston

ZEPPELIN 3101 San Jacinto. 713.521.7300 myspace.com/zeppelin713

montrose + shepherd

ABSINTHE 609 Richmond. 713.528.7575 absinthelounge.com

AGORA 1717 Westheimer. 713.526.7212 agorahouston.com AVANTGARDEN 411 Westheimer. 832.519.1429 avantgardenhouston.com

BARTINI 1318 Westheimer. 713.526.2277 clubbartini.com BOHEME WINE & CAFÉ BAR 307 Fairview. 713.269.0859 barboheme.com

BOONDOCKS 1417 Westheimer. 713.522.8500 myspace.com/boondocksbar BYZANTIO 403 W. Gray. 713.520.6896 byzantiohouston.com

CROME 2815 S. Shepherd. 713.523.3100 cromelounge.com CATBIRDS 1336 Westheimer. 713.523.8000 catbirds.com CEZANNE JAZZ CLUB 4100 Montrose. 713.522.9321 blacklaboradorpub.com

GUAVA LAMP 570 Waugh. 713.524.3359 myspace.com/guavalamphouston THE DAVENPORT 2115 Richmond. 713.520.1140

THE FLAT 1702 Commonwealth. 713.521.3528

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ETRO 1424 Westheimer. 713.529.3449 myspace.com/etrohouston

VELVET MELVIN 3303 Richmond. 713.522.6798 myspace.com/thevelvetmelvinpub

THE HARP 1625 Richmond. 713.528.7827

ZAKE LOUNGE 2943 S. Shepherd. 713.526.6888 zakerestaurant.com

GRIFF’S 3416 Roseland. 713.528.9912 griffshouston.com

LOLA’S 2327 Grant. 713.528.8342

LZ PUB 2239 Richmond. 713.522.7118 MARFRELESS 2006 Peden. 713.528.0083

MCELROY’S PUB 3607 Sandman. 713.524.2444 mcelroyspub.com METEOR 2306 Genesee. 713.521.0123 meteorhouston.com

THE NEXT DOOR 2020 Waugh. 713.520.1712 myspace.com/thenextdoorgallery NUMBERS 300 Westheimer. 713.526.6551 numbersnightclub.com PRIVE 910 Westheimer. 713.526.6551 privelounge.com

POISON GIRL 1641-B Westheimer. 713.527.9929 myspace.com/poisongirlbar.com SOUTH BEACH 810 Pacific. 713.529.7623 southbeachthenightclub.com

SLIDER’S BAR 1424 Westheimer. 713.528.2788 slidersbar.com

SCOTT GERTNER’S SKYBAR 3400 Westheimer. 713.520.9688 msypace.com/scottgertnersskybar THE STAG’S HEAD 2128 Portsmouth. 713.533.1199 stagsheadpub.com THE TAVERN 1340 W. Gray. 713.522.5159 thetavernongray.com

VINTAGE 2108 Kipling. 713.522.4200

ZIMM’S MARTINI & WINE 4321 Montrose. 713.521.2002

museum district MONARCH LOUNGE 5701 Main (inside Hotel ZaZa).

713.526.1991 monarchrestauranthouston.com

outer loop

DENIM BAR 16090 City Walk. 281.275.5925 (inside the Burning Pear) theburningpear.com THE DERRICK TAVERN 1127 Eldridge. 281.759.4922 thederricktavern.com

FIREHOUSE SALOON 5930 Southwest Frwy. 713.977.1962 firehousesaloon.com HUSH 15625 Katy Frwy. 713.330.4874 hushonline.com JAPANIERO’S 2168 Texas Dr. 281.242.1121 japaniero.com KONA GRILL 16535 Southwest Frwy.

281.242.7000 konagrill.com

MI LUNA 2298 Texas Dr. 281.277.8272 mi-luna.com

OLIVES MARTINI BAR & GRILLE 2268 Texas Dr. 281.980.2823 olivesmartinis.com

VINE WINE ROOM 12420 Memorial Dr. 713.463.8463 vinewineroom.com VINO 100 11693 Westheimer. 281.759.4100

rice village

ARMADILLO PALACE 5015 Kirby. 713.526.9700 thearmadillopalace.com

BAKER STREET PUB 5510 Morningside. 713.942.9900 bakerstreetpub.com BAM BOU 2540 University. 713.521.7222 bambouhouston.com

BRIAN O’NEILL’S 5555 Morningside. 713.522.2603 brianoneills.com BRONX BAR 5555 Morningside. 713.520.9690 myspace.com/buddhalounge ERNIE’S ON BANKS 1010 Banks. 713.526.4566 erniesonbanks.com

THE GINGER MAN 5607 Morningside. 713.526.2770 gingermanpub.com JOHNNY’S SPORTS BAR 2511 Bissonnet. 713.521.9928 myspace.com/joialounge

KAY’S LOUNGE 2324 Bissonnet. 713.528.9858

LITTLE WOODROW’S 5611 Morningside. 713.521.2337 littlewoodrows.com THE LOUNGE AT BENJI’S 2424 Dunstan. 713.522.7602 benjys.com

VOLCANO 2349 Bissonnet. 713.526.5282

river oaks + kirby

AZTECA’S BAR & GRILL 2207 Richmond. 713.526.1702 aztecasbarandgrill.com THE BIG EASY 5731 Kirby. 713.523.9999 bigeasyblues.com

COVA 5600 Kirby. 713.838.0700 5555 Washington. 713.868.3366 covawine.com

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DOWNING STREET 2549 Kirby. 713.523.2291 downingstreetpub.com

KENNEALLY’S IRISH PUB 2111 S. Shepherd. 713.630.0486 irishpubkenneallys.com LIZZARD’S PUB 2715 Sackett. 713.529.4610

MEZZANINE LOUNGE 2200 Southwest Frwy. 713.528.MEZZ mezzaninelounge.com MUGSY’S 3200 Kirby. 713.526.5595

RICKSHAW BAMBU 2810 Westheimer. 713.942.7272 rickshaw-bambu.com ROLL-N SALOON 4200 San Felipe. 713.622.7487 TACO MILAGRO 2555 Kirby. 713.522.1999 taco-milagro.com

THE WINE BUCKET 2311 W. Alabama. 713.942.9463 thewinebucket.com

warehouse district

EIGHTEEN TWENTY 1820 Franklin. 713.224.5535 1820bar.com

LUCKY’S PUB 801 St. Emanuel. 713.522.2010 luckyspub.com THE MERIDIAN 1503 Chartres. 713.225.1717 meridianhouston.com

NEXT 2020 McKinney. 713.221.8833 whatsnexthouston.com PASHAA ULTRA LOUNGE 2010 McKinney. 713.344.0305 myspace.com/pashaahouston

WAREHOUSE LIVE 813 St. Emanuel. 713.225.5483 warehouselive.com

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RECORDING

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Interview by Lance Scott Walker Photography by Anthony Rathbun

THE LEGENDARY K.O. DAMIEN RANDLE AND MIC "BIG MON" NICKERSON, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LEGENDARY K.O. AND FORMERLY AS K-OTIX, REPRESENT ONE OF THE LONGEST-RUNNING RAP COLLABORATIONS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THEY’VE BEEN DOING IT SINCE 1992 AND THEY STILL DO IT WELL. HERE IS AN EXCERPT FROM A SUMMER’S END CHAT WITH THE DUO AFTER THEIR COLLABORATION WITH H.I.S.D. ON SUMMER SESSIONS. Houston has always been sort of split between the gangsta rap side and the underground side. Why do you think there’s never really been any crossover?

DAMIEN: Well, that’s a good question. You know, I grew up right in the middle of the whole SUC movement, so a lot of the folks that I grew up with were involved with or really gravitated towards that. I don’t think there’s really a conscious effort to not work together. I think, from what I’ve seen, it’s really based on what your influences are. I tend to say that the people who have what people consider the ‘underground’ sound have been influenced not only regionally but from the East Coast and the West Coast and from the different parts they put it all together. Whereas I think a lot of folks in the South Park Coalition and I’d say the SUC really drew their influences from people who were more homegrown. You’re gettin’ to the same place but you’re just taking a different road to get there.

BIG MON: I think that it depends on what you want as the outcome. As far as a underground artist, they may see gathering together with a more Southern artist as a sellout move or more of a ‘get money’ type of maneuver, whereas a more Southern artist might get with a underground artist to try to manipulate the artist to get more of a hip-hop type of crowd for their audience. So I think it depends on the motive as well.

Being that there is a sort of division there, did the Htown explosion of 2005 affect you guys at all?

DAMIEN: It affected us, but not in the way that a lot of people feel. The thing is, we’ve been doing this since 1992... Most of our audience is in other parts of the country or international. So for us, we already had an audience in place that was checking us out. I know a

Mic “Big Mon” Nickerson and Damien Randle

lot of people asked us if we felt sort of left out and we didn’t feel left out. We were still doing shows overseas at the time.

How many different producers are you guys working with right now?

DAMIEN: I guess if you want the one word answer, we’re primarily self-produced, but there’s a pretty diverse group of people that we work with, and our whole thing has always been about inclusion. We’ve been fortunate in that we’ve been able to develop an audience that’s a little bit broader than a lot of people’s audiences around here so we’ve always been inclusive in that if someone is really talented, we really wanna get them involved. So we work with a lot of producers and we still consider them family and we still go to them for tracks, but we primarily produce ourselves.

That’s how it’s been for the last several years, at least.

BIG MON: Instinctively we tried to change our sound with each different album. Each album had a different feel. So for each album we may go to a different producer or set of producers to say ‘okay, we want this type of sound and this is the type of vibe we’re getting,’ and we may get a collection of beats as well from them, but we always have started initially from ourselves.

You guys really escaped the stigma of being ‘the group that did the “George Bush Doesn’t Like Black People” song.’ You were veteran rappers by the time that came out—did you do anything consciously to sort of suppress it to where it didn’t become a novelty?

BIG MON: When we first made the song, we just wanted to capture the moment. I think a lot of people from other parts of the country didn’t really understand how it felt to be in that type of situation. So me and D were like ‘let’s capture the moment, take a snapshot of this 80. september08 002houston

moment,’ to let other people, when they hear it, they can actually feel it. And I think when we made the song, we didn’t really expect it to blow up like it did, and it kind of lit its own fire and kind of went a whole other direction, and the whole point of the topic was really to keep it serious, to kind of, you know, not overshadow the fact that it was a tragedy that happened.

And that’s why we didn’t try to capitalize off of it.

DAMIEN: And the trap that a lot of artists fall into when they come across something like that… you gotta understand that for us, this was something that was written while Mic was at home and I was on my way home from work. Then we recorded it and put it out. So it’s like he said—we wanted to capture the moment.

This sounds like a cliché, but we honestly never knew it would spread like that. You know, we did it on Tuesday.

By Thursday it was already all over the place and we started getting calls from people. It took us by surprise… and we didn’t even have to say this—we’re two grown intelligent dudes and we know this: you can’t turn yourself into a novelty. Truth be told, that’s not really our song. We just kind of put down, in verse, what other people were going through, what other people were feelin’, but we can’t lay claim to the whole thing.

So, we don’t want to make too much out of it because we don’t want to be known as, like you said, the ‘guys that did the George Bush song.’ We didn’t want people to expect us to do more George Bush songs and all of the sudden we become pigeonholed and this and that. We were two dudes that live next door to you or across the state from you that happened to be right in the middle of everything that was going on.

www.k-otix.com

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OO2CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Myers’ role (2 words) 7. Faith or Ant? 10. Ban followers 11. TBS rival 13. The pinball wizard from The Who 15. Basketball star Allen 16. Exercise class 17. Alternative rock band from California

26. “Beetlejuice” star, first name 27. Santa sound 28. “Chorus Line” song 31. Country band 34. “The ___ Mile” movie 36. “Move on __!”

37. Young guy 38. Travolta and Cage movie (2 words) 41. Parisian love

20. Record, for short

42. Tyson blow, for short

21. ___ Supply, 70’s rock group

43. Seattle locale

23. Spanish gold

44. Gun or King?

24. “Ghost” star, first name

45. Tom and Jerry (3 words)

DOWN 1. One of the Jacksons

18. Early film of Jack Nicholson playing a PI

BEFORE WE GO...

32. British horse racing venue 33. __ Wiedersehen (German)

2. Lennon’s lady

19. “Exodus” writer

3. “Interview with the ____,” Tom Cruise movie

22. David Cook was the 2008 winner of this show

35. ___ de toilette

4. Coldplay’s Berriman

25. Mafia

40. Craze

27. “Two and a ___ Men”

41. ____ Dhabi

5. “I’ll stay on the bus, forget about __ “ lyrics 6. “Wizard of Oz” lyric word 8. Cold war movie starring Peter Sellers (2 words)

29. __ Forster, novelist

39. Alias

44. “10” actress Derek

30. British royal • AUGUST ANSWERS •

9. Spielberg political thriller 12. Smooth jazz man George 14. They are Blue in Vegas

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WE TOLD YOU THE CALENDAR WAS JAM PACKED THIS FALL SEASON! MORE EVENTS TO CHECK OUT. SEPTEMBER 6, 9am at Sam Houston Park foodallergywalk.org/houston_tx SEPTEMBER 6, 12pm-10pm at The Meridian – art, music and shopping privatestockexpo.com SEPTEMBER 6, benefiting the March of Dimes, 10am at the Westin Galleria, labordayluncheon.com SEPTEMBER 7, 7am, Prairie View A&M University, tourdepink.org SEPTEMBER 12, @ The Showgrounds at Sam Houston Race Park. theshowgrounds.com or livenation.com SEPTEMBER 13, thegrand.com.

SEPTEMBER 13, 7 & 9:30pm at Ovations, 2536 Times Blvd. voxrss.com SEPTEMBER 18, opens Houston Friends of Music 2008-09 season, 8pm at The Shepherd School of Music on the Rice University Campus, HoustonFriendsofMusic.org SEPTEMBER 18, 6:30pm, teachforamerica.org SEPTEMBER 19 – 21, – The first Annual Charity Garage Sale at the Texas Home & Garden Show at Reliant Center benefits the Remodelers Council’s Cora Casey Project. ghba.org, homeaidhouston.org SEPTEMBER 23, benefiting Lawndale Art Center, 6-8pm at Lewis and Maese Auction House. lmauctionco.com or call 713.880.0891.

SEPTEMBER 24-25, begins at 6:30pm at Lewis and Maese Auction House. Two-day auction of important furniture and exceptional silver from the collection of Lynn Wyatt, Houston-based philanthropist.

Collection of furniture, decorative and fine arts from the estate of Kenneth Franzheim, II, longtime Houston oilman, philanthropist and former US ambassador. For more information, visit lmauctionco.com or call 713.880.0891.

SEPTEMBER 20, Walk MS: Kemah SEPTEMBER 27, Walk MS: Katy SEPTEMBER 27,, Walk MS: The Woodlands Walk and Certified Run SEPTEMBER 28, Walk MS: Downtown Houston Visit walkmstexas.org to register for a walk, support a walker, or volunteer.

SEPTEMBER 22, 6:36pm Minute Maid Park. Join the Houston Astros and the Joe Niekro Foundation for an evening of food, beverages, casino gambling and live entertainment with some of baseball’s greatest legends and country music stars. joeniekrofoundation.org SEPTEMBER 25, luncheon and fashion show. Honorary chairs Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio host the event at The Hilton Americas Hotel. champions.texaschildrens.org SEPTEMBER 25-27, 8pm at Lambert Hall. operaintheheights.org.

SEPTEMBER 26, 8pm at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House. thegrand.com.

SEPTEMBER 26, 7pm at the Hornberger Convention Center. Tickets start at $150. bmontle@arthritis.corg.

SEPTEMBER 27-28, A free event benefiting Habitat for Humanity and Katy Prairie Conservancy. bridgeland.com.

October 4, at the Hilton Post Oak. Planned Parenthood believes love is the most wonderful thing in the world – love for family, community, freedom, each other!

Please contact Elaine.Dillard@pphset.org.

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