Weekend events planner

Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

There's no time like the present to start planning for the weekend. From a food pop-up with a star chef to some terrific concerts, we’ve got your guide to all hottest happenings in H-Town so you don’t miss out on a single moment of fun. Here are the top eight things to do in Houston this weekend.

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

Beers and cheers
Thursday, June 30
Sample bites along with brews by Saint Arnold Brewing Company at La Griglia restaurant. The menu of eight pairings includes Saint Arnold ‘Art Car’ IPA with a beer-battered flounder taco, Saint Arnold Summer Pils with a short rib slider, and recently-released Bishop’s Barrel No. 18 with bread pudding. (7-10 pm; tickets: $45 per person)
2002 West Gray St.; 713-526-4700

Dive ‘n’ movie
Friday, June 30
Swim the day away (10 am- 8 pm) and then catch a showing of hit kiddie film Toy Story poolside at Wet’n’Wild SplashTown. Enjoy DJ-spun tunes and games while you wait for the movie to start. (9 pm with last entry to the park at 8 pm; tickets: general admission to the park is $32.99-$41.99 per person )
21300 Interstate 45, Spring; 281-355-3300

Foodie pop-up
Friday, June 30-Sunday-July 2
Chef Tim Love (Fort Worth’s White Elephant Saloon, the Love Shack, the Woodshed Smokehouse, and Lonesome Dove Western Bistro), who is set to launch Woodshed Houston in 2018, hosts a holiday weekend pop up at Levy Park. Expect live music and a roster of eats includes a pulled pork sandwich ($10), beef taco with house kimchi ($4), elote ($5), and griddled hot dogs ($5 each). (June 30 from 5 pm- 9 pm; July 1 from 10 am-9 pm; July 2 from 10-5 pm; tickets: free entry)
3801 Eastside St.

Break a leg
Friday, June 30-Sunday, July 2
Catastrophic Theatre associate director Tamarie Cooper presents Merry Evening of Mistakes and Regrets with a cabaret setting and seating at Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston. The show takes the audience on a wild ride from youthful folly to unfortunate bedfellows and Judy Garland covers. Merry Evening runs June 30 through August 12. (8 pm; tickets: $10-$75 per person)
3400 Main St.; 713-521-4533

Dance fever
Saturday, July 1
Don your best red party outfit and head to the Red Alert warehouse party featuring spins by a roster of DJ’s like DJ Charles David, Josiah Gabriel, DJ Baby Roo, and Dayta. Your ticket includes entry and drinks by Deep Eddy Vodka, Rogue Brewery, Red Bull, and Topo Chico. (10 pm-2 am; tickets: free but register here)
215 Grove St.

Rock on
Saturday, July 1
British rock band Bush hits the stage at Revention Music Center. The band is on tour in support of their new album, Black and White Rainbows. (8 pm; tickets: $35-$55 per person)
520 Texas Ave.; 713-230-1600

Summer concert
Sunday, July 2
The bill at the inaugural Majic 102.1 Summer Block Party at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion includes Jill Scott, Bell Biv Devoe, Ro James, Brandy, SWV, and Kid Capri. The 2017 event celebrates the radio station’s 40th anniversary and will become part of its yearly repertoire of shows. (6:30 pm; tickets: $29.95-$307 per person)
2005 Lake Robbins Dr.; 281-363-3300

Supreme superstar
Sunday, July 2
Iconic singer Diana Ross brings her In The Name Of Love Tour to Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land. Ross’ famed career has spanned nearly five decades. (8 pm; tickets: $67-$127 per person)
18111 Lexington Blvd.; 281-207-6278

British rock band Bush hits the stage at Revention Music Center.

Houston, what to do this weekend, june 2017, bush rock band

Courtesy of billboard.com

British rock band Bush hits the stage at Revention Music Center.

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Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite

Photo courtesy of A24

Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.

Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.

What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.

Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.

Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.

But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.

In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.

While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.

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The Invite is now playing in theaters.

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Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite