game over

5 fiery Houston Game of Thrones watch parties to toast the series finale

How hot will it get for the Mother of Dragons? Find out Sunday with your fellow Houstonians.

Photo courtesy of HBO

Come Sunday night, May 19, the saga that is Game of Thrones will come to an end.

No more Westeros. No more Starks vs. Lannisters. No more Jon Snow. No more "Winter is coming." No more dragons ridden by attractive queens. And, more importantly, no more people complaining about how the show continues to go downhill.

Will the Mother of Dragons cool off? Will Jon Snow and Grey Worm face off? Many will hunker down at home in front of their flat screens for the finale's answers. But if you would like to view the final installment in a public setting, the following five places have you covered.

Axelrad
It's gonna be a free ol' time at this spot. Friends and GoT parties are welcome to check out the last episode at this joint, where it will be playing on all the TVs, as well as a projected big screen. There will also be custom GoT drinks available. 8 pm.

Camerata at Paulie's
Fine wine will be continuously poured at this watch party. Lots of Rhone Valley vino will be served, including Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier. There will also be a costume contest for the best-dressed guest and maybe even some GoT-themed snacks. 8 pm.

Liberty Station
The Washington Avenue establishment isn't just hosting a watch party. Before it goes down, there will be a trivia night! Teams of six or fewer will be able to compete, with prizes going to the top three teams. (Here's hoping somebody might win some GoT liquor!) 6:30 pm.

Rec Room
This nonprofit spot will screen the finale on the big screen in the theater. Beer and wine will be available at the bar, and there will also be a raffle held for door prizes. The event is free, but since space is very limited, you must reserve a ticket for a seat. 7 pm.

Rudyard's British Pub
This beloved Montrose pub will close out its season of GoT watch parties with a feast that includes smoked turkey leg with a mead demi-glace, served with roasted baby rainbow carrots in carrot green gremolata and black garlic mushroom risotto. 8 pm.

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howling for you

Houston's interdimensional art exhibit books 4 local acts for summer concerts

The four members of Swimwear Department hugging

Photo provided by Meow Wolf

Swimwear Department is heading to Meow Wolf

Things are heating up this summer at Meow Wolf as they host their first ever summer concert series. Four hometown bands will take the stage at the immersive art complex for a series of shows in June and July.

“Houston’s music scene has always been bold, genre-defying, and deeply original, so it felt natural to bring that same energy into our Radio Tave world,” said Aaron Johnson, general manager of Meow Wolf Houston. “This concert series is about celebrating the artists who define Texas' sound and give guests a new reason to experience Meow Wolf in a whole new way.”

Ever since Meow Wolf first opened during Halloween last year in Fifth Ward, the collection of artistic spaces has wowed, delighted, and sometimes confused audiences. Cowboix Hevvven, the venue's "dive bar" with possible links to extraterrestrials, was designed by fifth generation Texan Cole Wilson and features a jukebox of 30 original songs Wilson created in collaboration with other Texas artists. Radio Tave, Meow Wolf's name for the exhibit as a whole, has been a huge critical and popular hit for Meow Wolf, winning two Webby Awards last month.

It's also the perfect place to show off some of the more esoteric bands that make up the Houston sound. The odd four-piece rock band Swimwear Department burst onto the scene in 2023, winning over audiences with their songs about pools and malls as well as a series of stellar music videos shot around the city. Their potent mix of quirk and early-alternative music has made them one of the best novelty acts in Houston.

Meanwhile, The Mighty Orq and Mango Punch have been mainstays for more than a decade. Orq is swamp blues royalty, and always adds a sense of the strange to his concerts thanks to his near-mystical aura. Mango Punch is almost custom built for Meow Wolf thanks to a hectic swirl of Top 40, disco and cumbia.

The schedule for the concerts is below with links to tickets.

Though Houston has never hurt for places weird bands can play, wedding the popular immersive art space at Meow Wolf with concerts is an opportunity to reframe music as performance art rather than just something to listen to while having a drink (though you can still do that at Meow Wolf). Should the summer concert series prove a success, it could quickly become one of the prime venues in the city, at least for groups looking to be a little out there.

meow wolf concerts