Rhythms of the Bay

BY PATTY ANDREW PHOTOS BY GH ANDREW

SHEMEKIA COPELAND, renown Blues performer, brought her powerful voice and unforgettable music to the Bayou Theatre at University of Houston Clear Lake in January. Daughter of Grammy Award winning Blues Artist Johnny Copeland of Houston, Shemekia’s passion resonated throughout her concert, thrilling the audience with one hit after another.

The creator of 10 albums with more to come, Shemekia entertained the audience with her storytelling through song and word. She is wickedly funny, weaving in her heritage of New York grit and Southern determination into a riveting evening filled an emotional roller coaster of soul-searching heartache, gut-wrenching pain, and heart-thrilling love.

Shemekia’s music sings of the raw human experience, showing her social conscience about injustice, disparity, and despair, but rounding it out with a message of reconciliation. She has surrounded herself with world class musicians who can make their guitars weep and sigh then testify to greatness.

Shemekia is very well known in the professional music world having worked with greats such as Dr. John, Santana, BB King, Eric Clapton, and The Rolling Stones. She has countless accolades and awards, including many who consider her the finest female blues singer in the industry. Her current album, Uncivil War,

SHEMEKIA COPELAND

is nominated for a Grammy - Blues Album of the Year.

Find out more about Shemekia on her website, http://www.shemekiacopeland.com/, Facebook (Shemekia Copeland), and on her Sirius XM show, BB Kings’ Bluesville.

CHINESE NEW YEAR - CELEBRATING THE

YEAR OF THE TIGER

February 2nd marked the beginning of the Chinese (Lunar) New Year festivities around the Greater Houston Area. One local restaurant, Grand Buffet in Deer Park, hosted a Lion Dance for its patrons as they enjoyed delicious Asian cuisine in the newly renovated locale.

The Lion Dance is a tradition in Asian cultures to bring good luck and drive away evil spirits who would stop happiness. Each “lion” has two people inside the costume: one to show the emotions by controlling the head, eyes, and mouth, and, the other to wag the tail during dances and support the first one on their shoulders during acrobatics.

The lions pranced merrily through the crowd to the steady beat of the young musicians’ percussion. Two clowns, dressed as middleaged Asian men, provided antics that drew much laughter from the audience. The energetic children and teenagers of this Lion Dance troupe provided delightful entertainment for all.

SUPER BOWL PARTY AT T-BONE TOM’S – CELEBRATING FOOTBALL

T-Bone Tom’s held its annual Super Bowl Party on February 13th with televisions blasting everywhere so all could watch the big game. There did seem to be more Cincinnati Bengals fans cheering the plays than those for the Los Angeles Rams, but everyone was having a great time as the game, and those wonderful commercials, showed on the screens.

T-Bone Tom’s kept the party atmosphere alive during the entire evening with many free give-

aways and tastings. They also sponsored two competitions: indoor putting and flick ball, an annual tradition. Coach Bruce puts in tons of time organizing these events every year and the winners walk away with great prizes.

T-Bone Tom’s has year-round entertainment including live music, sports, and special events.

T-Bone’s is located at 707 TX-146 in Kemah and hosts a full menu including steaks, shrimp, sandwiches, appetizers, and desserts.

It is Mardi Gras Time, that special carnival season between Christmas and Ash Wednesday that pulls out all the stops for food, fun, and frivolity!

Made famous in New Orleans, Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” the last day to indulge in food and drink before the beginning of the Lenten Season, a time of fasting and sacrifice.

Galveston, both the city and county, host colorful events to revel in the Mardi Gras spirit. Highlighted below are some of our favorites.

BRYAN MUSEUM MARDI GRAS EXHIBIT

The Bryan Museum in Galveston has designed a special exhibit about the Krewes, Mardi Gras Galveston: Pageantry and Revelry, running from January 21st through March 27th. It features the elaborate costumes worn by Krewe members in the local balls, parties, and parades, the hallmarks of Mardi Gras Season. The exhibit is a tribute to those who keep the traditions alive and flourishing in the local Galveston area. The Bryan Museum is known for its promotion of Texas History and the American West as demonstrated through its fine art, artifacts, rare books, and antique arms collections. It is located at 1315 21st Street in Galveston and is present on Facebook at The Bryan Museum – Galveston. For more information, visit their website at: https://thebryanmuseum.o

MARDI GRAS PARADES & BALLS: NOT JUST ON THE ISLAND

While most of the Mardi Gras parades and balls occur in the City of Galveston along the Seawall and on The Strand, two of the county’s inland cities boast great cavalcades with multiple floats and bead-throwing fun.

The Mainland Mardi Gras Parade is a threemile trek down Palmer Highway in Texas City. Hundreds of people line the street gleefully grabbing for beads, toys, and candy thrown from one of the many floats and vehicles participating. This year’s event was on January 29th, kicking off the season in glorious fashion for Galveston County. They continued the festivities with their annual gala on February 5th.

Krewe du Lac of Kemah, Texas hosted their annual Krewes into Kemah Mardi Gras Parade in the city famous as the Gateway to the Bay. Revelers were able to snatch plenty of beads and throws from the participants including many Jeeps, golf carts, and even pirate ships. Krewe du Lac hosted its annual Ball on February 18th at Landry’s on the Boardwalk to continue the Mardi Gras merrymaking. Follow Krewe du Lac on Facebook.