Monday, May 2nd

The Low Anthem at Fitz

Tuesday, May 3rd

Steve Earle In-Store at Cactus Music 5:30pm (album must be pre-ordered from Cactus to get wrist band for entrance)

Man Man @ Fitz

Wednesday, May 4th

Arcade Fire @ The Woodlands

Thursday, May 5th

Dawes at Fitz

Friday, May 6th

WILCO AT VERIZON. period.

Saturday, May 7th

Texas Beer Festival, Humble Convention Center 1-10pm

not so bad waking up to this, eh?

I’ve just returned from West Texas from a long Easter weekend for the Railroad Revival Tour. Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show performed at Marfa’s El Cosmico as part of a six city tour along the railroad.

To sum up the experience in one word, it was Marfabulous. Is that a word? It is now.

I’ve been traveling to Marfa and West Texas for the past year, thanks to my friend John Demers. And this trip I managed to talk about 10 of my friends into making the trip with me. A little bribery of amazing bands didn’t hurt.

I had a great time showing them around Marfa and West Texas. We drove down to the border and did the River Road trip through Presidio County, Terlingua, and Lajitas. After making this trip 4 times I’m still in awe of the beauty of our great state, even in the midst of a drought. I’m convinced more than ever that we live in the greatest state of our nation, and I am lucky to have shared these experiences will some awesome peeps.

I’ll be posting some videos later this week of the amazing music performances.

I didn’t take as many photos this time, but here are a select few from me:

Flickr

Tumblr

Instagram

And a Flickr group from our group of peeps: Marfa Bound

As usual, while I am in Marfa, I’m always planning my next trip back. Won’t you come along on the next trip?

Put your pain to good use in the name of art.

In collaboration with the American Association of Museum’s 2011 Annual Meeting & Museum Expo, the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston will present an exhibition from the permanent collection of the Museum of Broken Relationships (MBR).  The exhibition will feature detritus from failed relationships – be it a wedding dress, an “I Love You” teddy bear, or a set of fuzzy handcuffs – donated to the museum by people from around the world. Objects from the permanent collection will be on view alongside ephemera offered by Houstonians and AAM conference attendees looking to exhibit their own love legacy. The exhibit will open at Blaffer Art Museum on Saturday, May 21, and will be on view through June 4.

Want to donate your items? Check out the deets here.

Are you really gonna keep that Grandaddy/Flaming Lips mixed tape he made you? (Of course you are.)

Click here for a cool interactive zoom.

Also, Pearl Jam’s Ten will be TWENTY YEARS old next year. Yeah. Put that in your Garden and Black it.

Tuesday, Nov 16

BooTown Grown-Up Story Time @ Rudz (2010 Waugh), 10pm (video above)
You sent [them] stories, [they] picked the best ones, and then assigned them to [their] rotating crack squad of highly skilled story readers. They will, on Tuesday, surprise and delight us with their storytelling skillz.Come hang out! And bring $5.

AIA Houston presents Authors in Architecture
Hill Country Deco
Architecture Center Houston – 315 Capitol, Suite 120
7 p.m. – reception and book signing

GHPA staff members David Bush and Jim Parsons will be the featured speakers at Authors in Architecture at 6 p.m., Wednesday, November 17, at Architecture Center Houston (ArCH).

They will give a presentation on the Art Deco and Art Moderne architecture of Austin, San Antonio and the surrounding region. Following the program, they will sign copies of their new book, Hill Country Deco: Modernistic Architecture of Central Texas, published by TCU Press of Fort Worth. Books will be available for purchase at the event.
Hill Country Deco was a featured title at the 2010 Texas Book Festival. The book includes original color photographs, historic images and drawings of more than 120 buildings in Central Texas. It is a follow-up to GHPA’s book Houston Deco published in 2008.

Authors in Architecture is a free event and open to the public. ArCH is located at 315 Capitol, Suite 120, in the Bayou Place complex [map]. Limited on-street parking is available in the vicinity. Metered parking is free after 6 p.m. on downtown streets. Paid parking is available in nearby garages.

Black Angels + Black Mountain @ Warehouse Live

Thursday

Museum District Members Sale Nov 18-21

This is pretty rad. If you are a member of any museum, you can receive 20% at all Museum gift shops. Christmas is right around the corner, dude. I know, right? WTF happened to this year. Dang.

Friday

WHAM – Winter Holiday Arts Market

Celebrating 5 years in 2010!

Friday, November 19th: Exclusive Preview Party, 6 – 10 p.m. Purchase Tickets Here

Saturday, November 20th: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. – Free admission

Sunday, November 21st: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Free admission

Winter Street Studios (2101 Winter Street, Houston TX 77007)

Orange Show Foamraiser with Saint Arnold Brewing Company, 7-10pm, The Orange Show (2402 Munger Street)

Colorful folk art, amazing music and delicious beer- three of our favorite things! This festival features music by Jimmy Pizzitola and Robert Ellis, and samplings of Saint Arnold brews- including a Foam Raiser exclusive special cask of Divine Reserve 10!!! Proceeds benefit the Orange Show Concert Series. 7-10 pm Tickets: $20 Pre-sale / $25 at the door (if available).

Tix here: http://www.orangeshow.org/en/cev/reg/45/

Saturday

WHAM - Saturday, November 20th: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. – Free admission, Winter Street Studios (2101 Winter Street, Houston TX 77007)

ArtCrawl, 10am-9pm

The original cluster of artists warehouses in Downtown Houston annual open studios Artcrawl Houston 2010. This year we have over one hundred eighty artists and art organizations involved! Since 1992, the tradition of the artists “open studios” takes place on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Visitors have the opportunity to pARTicipate in the live/work/show spaces of these neighborhood”urban pioneers”. The mission of the ARTCRAWL is to assist the public in understanding contemporary art by directly involving the visitors in a dialogue with local artists in the Artist Warehouse District of Downtown Houston.

Sunday

WHAM – Sunday, November 21st: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Free admission, Winter Street Studios (2101 Winter Street, Houston TX 77007)

ArtCrawl, noon-5pm

I couldn’t find my face this morning.

It was rocked off at last night’s My Morning Jacket show at Terminal 5 in New York City.

I’m here witnessing this epic run of shows as they play each of their 5 full length albums, 5 nights in a row at Terminal 5.

I say epic, because that’s exactly what it is. I still can’t find my face.

Last night was the first night, their first album, The Tennessee Fire, recorded in 1999. As promised, each track was played from first to last. Jim James was visibly giddy, as he thanked the crowd for joining them on this journey. “Some of these songs have never been played live before.” Whoa.

Here are a few pics I snapped,

…and a video of one of the SEVEN encore songs they did, Rod Stewart’s Hot Legs; among Elton John’s Rocket Man, Erykah Badu’s Call Tyrone, and Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit.

Full Set list here:

Next up tonight: At Dawn

It’s been a rough summer, but working on getting back to the blog soon. thanks for hanging in there.

“Three fantastic events below to support Houston arts and they’re all for free.  If you can’t join me at all 3, I hope you can make it to at least one — they are not to be missed!

Thank you for your support and if you have any questions, just ask! Also, feel free to pass the information to any of your interested friends!” – hp

Ballet Barre
Young Professionals for Houston Ballet
Season Kick-off Party
Wednesday, August 25, 6:30-9:00 pm
RDG + Bar Annie, 1728 Post Oak Blvd

Ballet Barre has an amazing schedule planned for the 2010-2011 season (you can view it here, www.houstonballet.org/balletbarre) and it goes much beyond attending 4 performances! If you ever wanted an insider’s view of our world-renowned ballet company, this is the way to do it. Membership starts at $125! Join tomorrow night and receive 2 free drinks.

You do not need to be a member to attend tomorrow night.

Capital One Bank Culture Collision Version Theater District
Thursday, August 26, 6-8 pm
ArCH, 315 Capitol, Suite 120

Join Houston arts & culture enthusiasts to kick-off the 2010-2011 Theater District season amidst an outstanding exhibition,Ready, Set, Go showcasing Houston stage designers.

Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One Bank, Cadillac Dealers of Houston, Smith & Wollensky, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Cafe Moustache, Sprinkles Cupcakes, AIA-Houston, CultureMap and Houston Downtown Alliance.

Complimentary valet or $8 parking in Hobby Center garage.

www.houstondowntownalliance.com/hypa for more information!

RSVP: info@downtownhouston.org.

Experience Dance, Music & Theater at the 17th Annual Capital One Bank Theater District Open House!

It’s a free family day of performances, artist meet-and-greets and much, much more!

It is also the best day to purchase season tickets!  One-day-only specials on Sunday ONLY.

Visit www.houstontheaterdistrict.org for a complete listing of performances and ticketing specials!

]]> http://www.cosmopolitician.com/1-2-3-please-join-me-and-heather-pray/feed 0 http://www.cosmopolitician.com/andrew-karnavas-solo-release-party http://www.cosmopolitician.com/andrew-karnavas-solo-release-party#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:00:32 +0000 Monica Danna http://www.cosmopolitician.net/?p=1226 It’s here, folks.

poster design by jason mcelweenie

After a year in the making, Andrew Karnavas‘ solo CD, Film Noir, is recorded, packaged, and ready for your grimey little hands. And it’s spectacular. I seriously can’t wait for you to hear it. No really. Call me when you hear it. I don’t care what time it is. You’re gonna flip. Your lid.

After 5 years in the making, countless solo shows, enduring painful relationships just for the sake of writing a song, our favorite Houston crooner is ready to share with you his melancholy tales of love and loss. And if I have anything to do with it, a few poppy tunes. And maybe a MMJ cover? Maybe? Oh, a girl can dream.

You may have seen Andrew perform solo many times, or with his band Runaway Sun. But on April 24th, you’ll hear him perform like never before. Backed by a legion of strings, steel, and vinyl. Andrew has invited all the incredible musicians who played on Film Noir to play live with him at the Continental Club. Upright bass, pedal steel, violin, mandolin. He’s got it all. And it’s all for you.

See you there? You bet I will.

Buy Tickets. They WILL sell out.

And I couldn’t let you miss this hilarious video from the guys. Happy 2 Year Anniversary!

Runaway Sun, 2-year Anniversary Thank You Video from Runaway Sun on Vimeo.

After five days in the car, Andrew and I were low on energy and exhausted from late nights and early mornings. But as soon as we caught glimpse of the NYC skyline, our morale instantly improved with the thought of meeting up with the rest of the band shortly.

I’ve been to New York many times, but driving into the city that never sleeps is an experience I’ll never forget. Our day five commute had us departing Silver Spring, just outside of D.C. at 7am and through New Jersey, Delaware, and a quick detour through Philly, PA on the Ben Franklin bridge. Philly sure does have a purdy skyline, and that’s pretty much all we saw of it.

We rolled into Williamsburg about noon, met up with the rest of the band and Andrew’s buddy, Matt Pace, and artist and DJ in Brooklyn.  It was quite the experience driving through Brooklyn in a huge Texas-sized SUV. Of course, I rolled down all the windows and blasted Jay-Z. What else was I to do? ;-)

Matt took us to get some lunch in Williamsburg at Anna Maria’s Pizza, we then headed into the city to setup for the band’s first show of the day at Best Buy in Union Square. I drove the guys and their equipment across the Williamsburg Bridge and said a big hello to Manhattan!

The guys unloaded and I headed to attempt the daunting task of finding a place to park the tank. I found a parking garage near Union Square, only a measly $20/hour + $10 for it being an oversized vehicle. Yep.

I met up with the guys inside the huge Best Buy, the only 24-hour store in the world. They played an awesome set for a nice-sized group of passers-by. We didn’t really know what to expect playing inside a Best Buy, but I was pleasantly surprised at the group of captive shoppers who stopped to watch.

Brian’s Dad, Andrew’s sister, Stephanie, and Daniel’s brother, Dominic, all met us at the show. It was so great to see so many familiar faces. After the show we headed to Arlene’s Grocery to load in for the midnight show. Arlene’s is somewhat of a legendary venue in NYC. The guys were super stoked to be playing there, and the energy was high despite all of us being on little sleep and experience overload.

After load in I took the guys a few blocks over  to Marfa NYC, a Texas BBQ joint in the Lower East Side that I visited when I was here back in December. Mac’n'cheese to die for and great homemade BBQ sauce. After dinner we headed to The Library in Alphabet City, a bar that reminds me of Houston’s Poison Girl, and met up with Andrew’s dad, Mr. Big, who was serendipitously in New York for work this weekend.

We all walked over to Arlene’s to catch a a few of the opening bands before the guys went on at midnight. A few of Daniel’s cousins met up with us, as well as Andrew’s dad and sister and Brian’s dad. It was a family affair!

Their set was fantastic. Probably the tightest I’ve ever heard them play. They filmed the entire show and I can’t wait to share it once it’s all downloaded.

We got in pretty late, and were able to sleep in this morning, thankfully! The guys just headed into the city to do some sightseeing and I’m about to do some shopping and a pedicure in Williamsburg. Come on, I know we’re on tour but I need some girl time. (I can hear Everson now, “there’s no pedicure in touring!”)

While walking around this morning, Andrew and Daniel ran into Houston band, News on the March in Williamsburg, also on an east coast tour. Small freaking world.

One more show tonight in Brooklyn at Legion Bar, then headed back to Houston. It’s been an awesome trip, and I still have to digest it all. We’re hoping to be home by Tuesday, still haven’t figured out our route back yet, but that’s what iPhones are for, right? ;-)