Pick Five (Plus)

Your weekly guide to Houston: Pet meals on wheels, a city on the Fringe, freeconcerts & cocky Jets

River Oaks Chamber Orchestra founder and oboist Alecia Lawyer always finds a wayto bring interactivity to all the ensemble's performances.
On the fringe? Hosted by Frenetic Theater and Super Happy Fun Land, thethree-weekend Fringe Festival redefines what it means to be creative andartistic.
Mark Sanchez and the Jets are in town Monday night.
Love your furry friend? Seniors on the Meals on Wheels program go as well andoften share their limited resoures with them. Won't you help?
Photo by Jerry Jones
Courtney Jones & Nick Leschke in Swedish Meatballs part of Lemonade Stand II.
Photo by Simon Gentry
Houston has a rich architecture history. Over three days, learn about threearchitects who have influence the direction of form and function in the city.

Evil isn't necessarily bad, when we experience it through art.

A scene where tattoos — and I mean that literally as ink artist Antone Pham from Texas Tattoo Emporium was busy branding concert goers with an icon designed by violist Jo Bird — and music darkly commingled, the CD release of Two Star Symphony Titus Andronicus turned fine arts to the dark side at Divergence Music and Arts last Saturday night.

Thankfully, no Jedis were found to ruin the sinister music orgy.

Titus Andronicus is the ensembles first full-length soundtrack developed in collaboration with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and inspired by the vengeful Shakespeare play. People get raped, tongues and limbs get ripped off, throats get slit and almost — almost — everyone dies but the leftover hero, if you can call him that.

It's a lovely, delightful bedtime story.

Two Star rocked this concert, seriously. The music is deliciously wicked and dirty, the stuff that would accompany the nightmares of a possessed child in need of an old fashioned exorcism, with a few moments of comic and sunny relief via traditional classical structure. Perhaps it's the child of Darth Vader and the Sugar Plum fairy?

People get raped, tongues and limbs get ripped off, throats get slit and almost — almost — everyone dies but the leftover hero, if you can call him that. It's a lovely, delightful bedtime story.

The music has so many allusions it's almost impossible to count them. Repetitive and soporific Philip Glass-esque textures mutated into what sounded like Shostakovich — the Piano Trio in E minor — on a Trainspotting crack trip. Others thought Titus Andronicus intermixed the writing of Danny Elfman (known mainly for his collaborations with Tim Burton) with Rasputina.

At Neighborhood Center's "Farewell to Summer" event, young professionals gathered to get a glimpse at some of the programs making a large impact in the Gufton neighborhood. At the Baker-Ripley community center, drumming, poetry and visual art helped the Young Neighbors supporters group raise funds to underwrite the scholarships of 15 students.

Did you make it to White Linen Night? We had a blast.

Last week we also checked out the Berry Benefit Concert for Hope and Healing, Houston Shakespeare Festival, CANTARE walking concerts at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the International Jazz Festival at Discovery Green.

This week, we continue the summer fun with family programs, films about architecture, helping pets, supporting students and lots of weird, zany performances.

Summer Family Programs Finale Performance with River Oaks Chamber Orchestra at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

If you haven't yet taken advantage of the family summer programs at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, you have one more chance to do so — though do not think for a moment that kid-friendly activities end with this finale performance. Mingling music and art together seems to awaken curiosity in children and adults alike.

The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra — call them ROCO — go for an innovative, inspiring and interactive approach. This is not just a concert. Expect to participate and learn a few things, while making friends with the musicians. Best of all, it's free.

Just head to the second floor of the Audrey Jones Beck Building at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Architecture Center Houston Film Festival

It's the Architecture Center Houston's first go around at a film festival and that, has piqued my interest. We tend to think of Houston as a newer city and fault it for lacking historical substance. When it comes to architecture, that's just not the case.

The film series highlights three architects whose principles continue to influence form and function today. You may find yourself as an expert in humanitarian, aesthete and modernist architecture.

When? Thursday through Saturday at Architecture Center Houston.

aniMeals on Wheels Pet Food Drive at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston

Do you treat your pets like family? I am happily guilty of doing so while claiming that my six-pound Maltese — aptly named Spike — does more for me than I for him. He's my friend and I am fortunate to be able to provide for him.

Others may not be so lucky and find themselves sharing what little they have with their furry companions. This is where you can help. Dog and kitty food — dry and wet — is needed to help seniors benefiting fro the Meals on Wheels program through Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston at 3217 Montrose Blvd.

Be a good doer. It feels good. Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Houston Young Playwrights Exchange (HYPE) 2011 Staged Readings at Alley Theatre

If you are curious about what's murmuring inside the minds of the next generation of leaders, the Houston Young Playwrights Exchange may give you an opportunity to find out. For 15 years, the Alley Theatre has worked side-by-side with up-and-coming writers to boost and diversify their penmanship skills.

Six 10-minute plays were chosen for development with Alley's professional theater staff and they will all receive staged readings during this three-day festival that runs Friday through Sunday.

2011 Houston Fringe Festival

Fringing on the edges of the quirky, zany and slightly weird, the Houston Fringe Festival hosted by Frenetic Theater — with a few performances at Super Happy Fun Land — gives you a close look at the alternative world of experimental artists who do not quite fit the traditional mold in Houston, New York, Los Angeles or the United Kingdom.

The festival mingles independent theater, film, dance, music, visual arts and multidisciplinary genres, presenting them over three weekends and ending with two days of "Anything Goes."

If you love to participate, check out the workshops offered by the festival artists. Begins Thursday and runs through Aug. 27.

Find my colleagues at these fab Houston happenings:

Arts contributor and Dancehunter Nancy Wozny's pick: Hope Stone's Lemonade Stand

Nancy says: "The first weekend of Houston Dance Festival's month of performances launches with Hope Stone's Lemonade Stand, which offers a chance to see Jane Weiner's new work, including the Mad Men-ish trio of Houston Ballet stars Connor Walsh, Melody Mennite and Kelly Myernick, along with snippets of her greatest hits. And get this, Weiner in her own talk show, called Jane Knows Stuff.

"Of course she does. It's all happening at Barnevelder, Thursday through Saturday."

Assistant editor and art savant Steven Thomson's pick: Opening of Project Row Houses' Summer Artist Studio Residency Installations

Steven says: "The shotgun shacks that comprise Project Row Houses have been reinterpreted by seven local art students toiling for six weeks. On this evening, the inspired installations that will be revealed to the public. It's a perfect snapshot of what concepts are springing from Houston's bright young things.

"The content is always varied in this annual night out in the Third Ward." Saturday at 6 p.m.

Assistant editor and nightlife expert Caroline Gallay's pick: KILT Summer Jam featuring Cory Morrow

Caroline says: "My pick this week is Cory Morrow at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Let's count up the reasons: One, it's a free concert. Two, he's a homegrown star. Three, picnic." Saturday at 8 p.m.

Managing editor Chris Baldwin's pick: New York Jets vs. Houston Texans

Chris says: "It's hard to recommend a preseason football game ... unless it's the brash, Super-Bowl-driven Jets rolling into Houston for a nationally-televised Monday night affair. Sure, you shouldn't expect to see New York pretty boy quarterback Mark Sanchez for more than a series or two and maybe not Texans tailback Arian Foster (tweaked hamstring) at all, but football is finally back and there's more buzz around this meaningless game than most.

"This will be a chance for Texans' fans to see whether Matt Leinart gives Houston the best backup quarterback in the NFL. They'll either be a lot of excitement or anxiety after Leinart's performance. Even if it's only preseason." Monday night at 7.

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Texas Primary Election

Talarico wins Texas Senate Dem showdown while Republicans head to runoff

Senate Candidate James Talarico Holds Primary Night Event

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

James Talarico won the Texas Senate Democratic nomination on March 3, 2026.

DALLAS (AP) — State Rep. James Talarico topped Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in an expensive and fiercely contested Texas Senate Democratic primary that once again has the party dreaming of a big upset in November.

Who Talarico will face depends on a May runoff between longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn and MAGA favorite Ken Paxton — a race expected to get increasingly nasty over coming months and could hinge on whether or not President Donald Trump offers an endorsement.

Texas, along with North Carolina and Arkansas, on Tuesday, March 3 kicked off midterm elections with control of Congress at stake and against the backdrop of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

No Democrat has won a statewide race in the reliably Republican state in over 30 years, but in a statement after his victory, Talarico proclaimed “We're about to take back Texas.”

Crockett’s campaign said she planned to sue over voting issues in Dallas and she spoke only briefly on Tuesday night to warn that “people have been disenfranchised."

Republicans head to round 2
Cornyn, meanwhile, is seeking a fifth term but is facing a tough challenge from Paxton, the state attorney general. Cornyn hopes to avoid becoming the first Republican senator in Texas history to seek re-election and not be renominated.

The GOP contest also featured U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, who finished a distant third and conceded. But him making it a three-way race made it tougher for any candidate to reach the 50% vote threshold needed to win the nomination outright and avoid the May 26 runoff.

All three campaigned on their ties to Trump, who did not make an endorsement in the race. Now both Cornyn and Paxton will again fiercely compete to curry the president's favor.

Cornyn was facing a tough enough battle that he didn't hold an election night party. Instead, in comments to reporters in Austin, he sought to make the case that a runoff win by Paxton would leave “a dead weight at the top of the ticket for Republicans.”

“I’ve worked for decades to build the Republican Party, both here in Texas and nationally,” Cornyn said. “I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton to risk everything we’ve worked so hard to build over these many years.”

Addressing supporters in Dallas, Paxton made a point of saying he felt like he had during a recent trip to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate. He also proclaimed: “We proved something they’ll never understand in Washington.”

“Texas is not for sale,” he said.

Cornyn’s cool relationship with Trump is part of what made him vulnerable. He and allied groups spent at least $64 million in television advertising alone since July to try stabilize his support.

Paxton, who began campaigning in earnest only last month, has made national headlines for filing lawsuits against Democratic initiatives. He remained popular in Texas despite a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges, of which he was acquitted, and accusations of marital infidelity by his wife.

Senate GOP leaders, who are backing Cornyn, worry that Paxton’s liabilities would make it harder to defend the seat if he is the nominee — and require significant spending that could be better used elsewhere.

Confusion at some polling places
In the Democratic campaign, Crockett and Talarico each argued that they would be the stronger general election candidate in a state that backed Trump by almost 14 percentage points in 2024.

Voting was extended in Dallas County and Williamson County, outside Austin, after voters reported being turned away and directed to different voting precincts because of new primary rules. Paxton’s office later challenged a decision keeping the polls open longer, and the state Supreme Court ruled that ballots cast by people not in line by 7 pm should be separated from others.

It was not immediately clear how the court’s action would be carried out or how many eligible ballots remained to be counted in Dallas County, Crockett’s home base. Crockett said she would seek legal action after voting was concluded.

And in Harris County, which includes Houston, a spokesperson said that as of 10 pm there were still voters at 20 centers.

Democratic race featured clash of styles
Crockett and Talarico waged a spirited race as Democrats look for their first Senate win in Texas since 1988.

Crockett has built a national profile for zinger attacks on Republicans and focused on turning out Black voters in the Dallas and Houston areas. Talarico, a seminarian who often references the Bible, held rallies across the state, including in heavily Republican areas.

“We are not just trying to win an election," a jubilant Talarico told supporters in Austin before the race was called. “ We are trying to fundamentally change our politics. And it’s working.”

Dallas voter Tanu Sani said she cast her ballot for Talarico because he “really spoke to me in the way he tries to unify.”

Tomas Sanchez, a voter in Dallas County, said he supported Crockett because “she cares about immigrants, she cares about the American people in a way that a lot of the Republicans have proven they haven’t.”

Talarico outspent Crockett on television advertising by more than four to one as of late February. He got a burst of attention — and campaign contributions — last month from CBS' decision not to air his interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert, who said the network pulled the interview for fear of angering Trump's FCC.

Other key primaries
Texas’ races also featured new congressional district boundaries that GOP lawmakers — urged on by Trump — redrew to help elect more Republicans. The result matched several Democratic incumbents in primary fights and set up new general election battlegrounds.

Republican former Rep. Mayra Flores was attempting a comeback but was defeated by Eric Flores, a lawyer endorsed by Trump, for the nomination to run against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Mayra Flores made history in a 2022 special election as the first Republican to win in the Rio Grande Valley in 150 years but lost her bid for a full term later that year.

Incumbent Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost his primary to state Rep. Steve Toth, who was endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz.

Another incumbent GOP incumbent, Rep. Tony Gonzales, was considered vulnerable after an alleged affair with a staffer who killed herself. He was challenged by gun manufacturer and YouTube influencer Brandon Herrera, who calls himself “the AK guy.” The two will head to a runoff in a district that includes Uvalde, site of a deadly 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School.

Former Major League Baseball star Mark Teixeira clinched the Republican primary to succeed GOP Chip Roy in southwest Texas.

Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy winner, won his party's primary in South Texas against physician Ada Cuellar. Pulido will face two-term Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz.

In suburban Dallas, Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson was facing former Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and 2024 Senate nominee.

Democratic Rep. Al Green was fighting to stay in office after his Houston-based district was drawn to lean Republican. Green, 78, ran in a newly drawn district against Democratic Rep. Christian Menefee, 37, who won a January special election for the current 18th District.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott easily won his primary and will face Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Roy advanced to a primary runoff with Mayes Middleton for attorney general.

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