weekend event planner

Here are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend

Music sensation Maverick City Music hits town with Kirk Franklin this weekend.

This weekend, the hills are alive with a Houston stage return of one of the most cherished movies of all time. One of the hottest musical acts of the summer heads to town, as does a decidedly clean comic. A local brewery gets totally cheesy, and the Moody Center presents a fun family day. And, some female bartenders take action following a controversial Supreme Court ruling.

Enjoy and stay cool; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, July 7

Sabine Street Studios presents "Growing Pleasures" closing reception
The artists at Sabine Street Studios will celebrate the closing of their latest group exhibition, a selection of works inspired by the force of nature and the energy of rebirth. The event celebrates the revival of the art season in Houston; flourishing, nature, harmony and lots of color are part of the collection of works on display. During the closing event, live music and drinks will be offered. Additionally, artist studios will be open. 4 pm.

Community Workshop at Exotic Pop
Houston, Black-owned beverage company Exotic Pop is hosting this free community workshop, with speakers and resources for youth and adults covering a host of topics from kid entrepreneurship to stock options. The workshop is part of a free, community resource program the company recently launched to give back and provide the Houston community, with free resources and knowledge to help people navigate areas like personal finance, entrepreneurship, health and well-being, legal issues, and more. 5 pm.

A.D. Players presents The Sound of Music
Vienna, 1938. The hills are alive with the sound of music — at least that's what Maria believes. The iconic American musical follows the story of free-spirited, young Maria, who finds her place, purpose, and love within the home of the Von Trapp family. Set against the backdrop of the building conflict with Nazi Germany, this story of triumph in the face of adversity has stood the test of time. Through Sunday, August 14. 7:30 pm (8 pm Saturday; 2:30 and 8 pm Sunday).

Friday, July 8

Fresh Arts presents "MythoFutuRiddim" opening reception
The Space Taking Artist Residency, powered by Fresh Arts, is a six-week opportunity for traditionally underrepresented local artists to experiment and “takeover” a public space in new and out-of-the box ways. As part of this residency, MythoFutuRddim, an arts and cultural festival, has been chosen for the summer residency. Along with contemporary art, the festival will also include music performances, poetry readings, an interactive installation, kids' events and more. Through Sunday, August 14. 6 pm.

Improv Houston presents Bruce Bruce
It's always great when our favorite host of BET's long-gone, stand-up showcase ComicView comes back to Houston. Bruce Bruce is a name synonymous with keeping audiences rolling with laughter, thanks to his captivating improv skills and larger-than-life comedic style. Although Bruce is known for his adult comedy, he prides himself on not using vulgarity to win a laugh, and is no stranger in winning over new audiences with every appearance. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 and 9:30 pm Saturday; 7:30 pm Sunday).

Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin in concert with Jonathan McReynolds and Housefires
If you like your gospel with a bit of boom-bap in it, it's time to make a joyful noise. Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin will co-headline this special concert. The Atlanta Christian/gospel collective and the legendary inspirational artist have joined forces for their newest project Kingdom Book One, a live album which raises awareness on the injustice of mass incarceration. They will be joined by Jonathan McReynolds and Housefires. 6:45 pm.

Opera Leggera presents Broadway Serenade
Kingwood-based fans of musical theater will be getting a special treat this weekend. Opera Leggera is bringing the magic of Broadway to the community for two performances. Featuring some of Houston’s finest, local music artists, this musical revue will showcase excerpts of some of America’s most beloved musicals, including Oklahoma, Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof, Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady, and more. 7:30 pm (7 pm Saturday).

Saturday, July 9

Moody Center for the Arts presents Summer Jam Family Day
Open to kids of all ages and families of all types, guests will get a chance to explore the Moody and see the artwork on view. Kids can enjoy face painting, art activities, and a scavenger hunt, while adults sip beverages, shop at the indoor, local food market, and snack on hot food options from Lemond Kitchen, JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ, and Desi Fresh. This event is co-presented with The Informal Grub, creators of the Rice Village and Heights Farmers Markets. Noon.

Giant at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
James M. Vaughn Jr. (1939–2022), a longtime supporter of MFAH Films, had a lifelong interest in mathematics. The Museum honors him with a series called The Mathematician Moviegoer, three weekends of his favorite movies selected by his widow, artist Salle Werner Vaughn. First up is George Stevens's Lone Star saga from 1953. James Dean, Rock Hudson, and Elizabeth Taylor star in this sprawling epic about a wealthy, Texas ranching family. 2 pm.

Eureka Heights Queso Bowl
Eureka Heights Brew Co. will be getting cheesy with it this weekend. They have gathered teams from around the neighborhood to see who makes the best queso. First place gets the biggest trophy, a $200 EH gift card and $200 donated to Kids' Meals Houston in the team's name. For those who just want to eat queso, it's free to attend. All you have to do is show up and be the trusty judges who decide the Queso Bowl Champion. 5 pm.

Dellrose presents Live on the Lawn
Over in Hockley, live music returns to Dellrose during this concert series. The family-friendly evenings will also feature a street market with more than 20 vendors, food trucks, ice cream, and cold beer. This weekend's band will be Breakfast at Tiffany's, a Houston-based variety band that plays music from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, as well as Latin, pop, rock, country, and today’s top radio favorites. 6 pm.

Sunday, July 10

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents "Beauty and Ritual: Judaica from the Jewish Museum, New York" opening day
Examining Jewish ceremonial objects from antiquity to the present, this exhibit (which explores the artistic, ritualistic, and cultural significance of more than 140 works) marks the first in a series of presentations from the world-renowned collection of the Jewish Museum in New York City. The new, ongoing partnership between the MFAH and the Jewish Museum brings exceptional objects to Houston over a period of years. Through Sunday, September 18. 12:30 pm.

Paid In Full - DJ Burb/July B-Day Edition
The Paid in Full team will be having another birthday bash at Cafe 4212 this weekend. This time around, DJ Burb will be the b-day boy, spinning old-school/rare hip-hop and soul from the '80s, '90s, and early '00s, along with Paid in Full crewmates DJ Nimbus and MC Mistagoodbar. (A special unannounced guest will also be joining in on the festivities.) Of course, all the July babies are welcome to the celebration. 3 pm.

An Evening of Ovary-Action at Grand Prize Bar
The female bartenders of Grand Prize Bar, Poison Girl, Double Trouble and Lil' Danny Speedo's Go Fly a Kite Lounge will be taking over Grand Prize for this event, mixing specially-designed cocktails. Plus, there will be lots of resources and folks to talk to about reproductive health, mental health, mutual aid, legal representation, and more. The upstairs bar proceeds will go to ACLU Texas to help them in the fight for reproductive and civil rights. 6 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Amy Adams movie Nightbitch bites into the struggles of motherhood

Photo by Anne Marie Fox/courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Amy Adams in Nightbitch.

There have been many movies about the struggles of being a mother, from ‘80s films like Mommie Dearest and Baby Boom to more recent films like Bad Moms and Tully. The takes those films offer vary wildly, but it’s that last film to which the new Nightbitch can be most easily compared, as each has a mother who manifests an alternate reality in response to their personal issues.

The unnamed mother (Amy Adams) in this film is a former artist who’s now a stay-at-home mom to a toddler. Her days are filled with things like Mommy and Me gatherings at the library or fruitlessly trying to get her son down for a nap. Her husband (Scoot McNairy) travels for work; he’s nice and somewhat helpful when he’s home, but also oblivious to her issues in the way men often can be, especially in movies.

All of the stress of being a single mom for much of the time catches up with her, and she starts believing that things like extra hair growth and sharper teeth are evidence that she is turning into a dog. When she wakes up one morning to a pile of dead animals on her doorstep, her suspicions are confirmed, and she leans into the idea, going so far as to have her son pretend he’s a dog as well by eating out of a dog bowl and sleeping in a dog bed.

Adapted from the book by Rachel Yoder by writer/director Marianne Heller, the film derives a lot of its humor and pathos from the things the mother thinks she can’t say or do. The pressure of living up to the ideals of other moms or her husband’s expectations often has her holding back her true thoughts, although the audience is occasionally privy to them through short fantasy sequences.

The dog part of the film is clearly not supposed to be taken literally, but it’s also leaned into so much that one could reasonably think it was actually happening. Whether the mother is experiencing a mental health episode or is merely using the dog persona as a defense mechanism against stress is up for debate. Regardless, it allows Heller to indulge in a number of outrageous scenarios, some of which work better than others.

What she definitely wants to get across is how underappreciated mothers are in society, and how that can lead to internal thoughts that nothing they do will ever be good enough. The mother in this film is far from perfect, but she’s also doing her best to give her son an engaging and entertaining life, often to her own detriment. If anything, her dissociation that she’s a dog is a chance for her to finally put herself first.

Adams is a six-time Oscar nominee, although she’s not gotten a lot of love for her recent roles. While this part is ridiculous in some ways, Adams also makes the character wholly believable both mentally and physically. McNairy makes you want to punch him at times, which means he’s doing his job well. Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, and Archana Rajan play fellow moms who each get a few good moments.

The prime audience for Nightbitch is mothers, especially those who feel like they haven’t gotten their proper recognition from their husbands or the world at large. The lengths the film goes to prove its point make it compelling, as does the star performance by Adams.

---

Nightbitch opens in theaters on December 6.

movies film