Weekend events planner

Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend

UPDATED: The weekend is almost here, and we’re ready to hit the town. Music to our ears, the lineup this week includes five amazing concerts. There’s also a fun-filled theater district kick-off, festive gelato celebration, can’t-miss market, and an epic fighting match. Read on for the nine best things to do in Houston this weekend.

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Chill out
Thursday, August 24
Amorino at River Oaks District celebrates its first year of business with a special on its eye-catching Italian gelatos. Small-sized orders ($5.05) get upgraded to classic (medium), and classics ($6.25) get upgraded to large. The festivities also include a photo booth, tote bags, drawings for gift cards, and free balloons for the little ones. (4-10 pm; tickets: free entry)
4444 Westheimer Rd.; 346-319-2194

Cowboy man
Thursday, August 24
Grammy Award winner and Houston hometown favorite Lyle Lovett takes over the stage at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, along with His Big Band. Coupled with a gift for storytelling, Lovett fuses elements of Americana, swing, jazz, folk, gospel, and blues into his music. (8 pm; tickets: $42-$93 per person)
800 Bagby St.; 713-315-2525

Rock on
Thursday, August 24
Austin-based alt-rock band Culture Wars performs songs from their new EP at White Oak Music Hall. Houston's Deep Cuts band and Austin’s DJ Charles Mxxn will also perform. (8 pm; tickets:$10 per person)
2915 N Main St.; 713-237-0370

Magic — UPDATE: This event has been postponed due to expected severe weather.
Friday, August 25
Coldplay returns to Houston for a performance at NRG Stadium. Songs from the British band's seventh album, A Head Full of Dreams, include "Adventure of a Lifetime," "Hymn for the Weekend," and "Up & Up." (7 pm; tickets: $67.50-$688 per person)
8400 Kirby Dr.; 713-629-3700

Glow up — UPDATE: This event has been postponed due to expected severe weather.
Friday, August 25
Mary J. Blige brings her Strength of a Woman Tour to Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land. Opening act Lalah Hathaway shares the bill. (8 pm; tickets: $40.50-$333 per person)
18111 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land; 281-207-6278

Shop ‘til you drop — UPDATE: This event has been cancelled due to expected severe weather.
Saturday, August 26
Shop it up at the Presidio Market in the Heights. The roster of vendors rotates, but previous vendors include Houston Gardening Market, tin Cup Farms, and Anvil Cards. (9 am-1 pm; tickets: free entry)
911 W 11th St.; 832-740-4574

Knockout
Saturday, August 26
Don’t miss the super-fight between undefeated world champion Floyd Mayweather and UFC superstar Conor McGregor. The epic match airs on the big screen at three area movie theaters: Houston Marq*E Stadium 23, Memorial City Mall, and Willowbrook 24. (8 pm; tickets: $40-$45 per person)
Multiple locations.

Need you now — UPDATE: This event has been postponed due to expected severe weather.
Sunday, August 27
Lady Antebellum performs at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, with Kelsea Ballerini and Brett Young. Songs from Lady Antebellum’s 2017 album, Heart Break, include "You Look Good,”Somebody Else's Heart,” and the title track. (7:30 pm; tickets: $30.75-$178 per person)
2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands; 281-363-3300

Raise the curtain — UPDATE: This event has been cancelled due to expected severe weather.
Sunday, August 27
Experience live performances, meet performers, and go backstage at several downtown performing arts spaces at the Theater District Open House. The annual event marks the kick-off of the fall performing arts season in Houston. (Noon-5 pm; tickets: free entry)
912 Prairie St.; 713-658-8938

Lady Antebellum plays in concert at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

Photo by Eric Ray Davidson Photography

Lady Antebellum plays in concert at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

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Movie Review

Ben Affleck cooks the books in chaotic sequel The Accountant 2

Photo by Warrick Page/Prime

Jon Bernthal and Ben Affleck in The Accountant 2.

In this Hollywood era of franchises, finding one to call their own is a priority for many movie stars. Over 30 years into his career, Ben Affleck had yet to find one; he did star as Batman in multiple movies, but that role has been interchangeable. He seemed to get a prime action hero role with 2016’s The Accountant, but somehow it’s taken nine years for The Accountant 2 to come out.

Affleck’s character of Christian Wolff is a high-functioning autistic man whose abilities to comb through mounds of data quickly and efficiently are matched only by his fighting skills. When Ray King (J.K. Simmons), a former Treasury agent who had previously hunted Christian, is murdered, King’s replacement, Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), calls on Christian to help figure out what happened and track down his killer.

The search quickly finds multiple criminal conspiracies, including a hitman ring, a scheme to abduct migrants, and more. Naturally, Wolff claims to need help in the endeavor, so his mercenary brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) soon joins in on the quest. The two brothers work together to figure out the puzzle while also stopping to have some fun every now and then.

Directed by Gavin O’Connor and written by Bill Dubuque (both returning from the original), the film feels like it is missing many connective scenes. It often starts down one road and seems to be making good progress when it suddenly veers into another storytelling lane with no explanation. This happens multiple times throughout the film, to the point that it becomes almost impossible to tell what the main story is supposed to be.

In the first film, the oddity of having an autistic math genius also being a world-class marksman and fighter somehow made sense. This film leans much more into Christian’s physical skills, with the autistic side of things showing up in his (mostly) emotionless demeanor. While that works to a certain degree, the choppiness of the story undercuts the character traits that Affleck does his best to impart.

The best examples of the messiness of the film come in the multiple scenes that serve as nothing more than comic relief, with not even an attempt at connecting them to the main plot, such as it is. Two of them involve Christian proving himself to be a ladies man despite his lack of conversational skills, both of which fall flat as they seem to be making fun of his autism rather than highlighting positive aspects of it. Each of the comic scenes is so disparate in tone from the rest of the film that they essentially bring the story to a screeching halt.

Affleck is fine in the part, although he’s much better when Christian turns toward action hero mode than when he has to display the character’s autistic traits. Bernthal is great at being an over-the-top macho guy, and he gets to indulge that side of him throughout the film. Addai-Robinson is disserved by a role that doesn’t give her character any autonomy despite her high-powered position.

Affleck’s career has been one of the most up-and-down ones of any supposed A-list actor, and The Accountant 2 marks another down moment for him. He may have finally gotten his first sequel for a film in which he’s the main character, but don’t expect there to be a third installment.

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The Accountant 2 opens in theaters on April 25.

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Movie Review

Ben Affleck cooks the books in chaotic sequel The Accountant 2