weekend event planner

Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend

Bark in the park with the canine-friendly Sunday event, DOGust.

Photo by Lynn Sabo

Who feels like going back to the '90s this weekend?

If you long for the days of Zima wine coolers and appointment television like Melrose Place, you might also dig this concert featuring Green Day, Weezer and Fall Out Boy, going down this Thursday at Minute Maid Park. (You don't have to show up in JNCO jeans, but it wouldn't hurt.)

If you don't feel like getting your '90s on, you could also head over to East End Backyard the same night and check out the Concacaf Gold Cup watch party. Qatar vs USA will be at 6:30 pm, while Mexico vs. Canada will be at 9 pm.

Also, look for art happenings, cool concerts, an adorable dog adoption bash, and the nicest way to tell someone they're in the Friend Zone. Here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, July 29

Miller Outdoor Theatre presents Summer Mixtape Series
The Miller Summer Mixtape series is a three-day, multi-genre, independent music showcase featuring Houston’s top local acts. From jazz to punk, reggae to country and indie rock to pop, music lovers are invited to enjoy their favorite local artists on the lawn under the stars or from the pavilion seats. You can also watch it on the Miller Outdoor Theatre website, YouTube channel or Facebook page. 8:30 pm.

Second Promises at Two Headed Dog
Midtown hangout Two Headed Dog will be having quite the birthday-party experience for one of its employees, Khrystah Luisa de los Santos. There will be showing a double bill of Teen Wolf and An American Werewolf in London. The b-day girl will be serving up drink specials, while pop-up kitchen Knives in Water will provide an "after-school lunch program." There will also be a $2 crush-letter note passing and trivia with prizes. 9 pm.

Friday, July 30

Regal Edwards Greenway Grand Palace presents Without Getting Killed or Caught
This documentary is the true story of Guy Clark, the dean of Texas songwriters, who struggles to write poetic yet indelible songs while balancing a complicated marriage with wife Susanna, and a deep friendship with singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, whom Susanna forged a passionate dependence. There are multiple screenings each day following the listed start time; go to the theater's website for a full schedule. Through Thursday, August 5. 1:05 pm.

Friend Zone Friday at State of Mind
Do you have a friend who's trying to take it to that next level, but you're like, "Nah, I'm good"? Don't worry about it — State of Mind has your back with this event. The nightclub will have fabulous food (including vegan options), a full bar, vendors, free parking, and a DJ playing music. So, when you tell your buddy you don't think of them that way, at least refreshments and entertainment will be there to make them feel better. 7 pm.

The Texas Lottery & Resound presents Luck Happens Live
To us, D.C. rapper Wale will always be known as the guy who found a way to bring the TV show Seinfeld into hip-hop. He memorably released two mixtapes, The Mixtape About Nothing and More About Nothing, sliding in snippets from the show. He eventually got with Jerry Seinfeld himself for The Album About Nothing. Anyway, he'll be headlining Texas Lottery's Luck Happens Live, with Riders Against the Storm. 8 pm.

Saturday, July 31

BLK Beetles Run CRW at Tipping Point Coffee
BLK Beetles is designed to inspire, empower and support community members throughout their wellness journey. They provide opportunities for community members to build authentic fellowships while collectively creating new and thriving wellness spaces. They are days away from the first community run meet-up, starting at Tipping Point Coffee. Everyone is welcome. Radical and inclusive, just the way a running CRW should be. 7 am.

Shaping the Past Exhibition Opening at Project Row Houses
The Shaping the Past Exhibition will open to the public for the first time this Saturday at Project Row Houses' Community Gallery, together with the opening event of "Round 52: Gulf Coast Anthropocene." This Round questions what public art can inform us about this era, our connection to the built and natural environments, and our need for a more just and sustainable here-and-now. 3 pm.

Jason Mraz (and Southern Avenue) at White Oak Music Hall
Yes, Jason Mraz will be performing in Houston this weekend, but let's rap a taste about his opening act, Southern Avenue. The Memphis-based, Grammy-nominated band bridges the power of Memphis soul with jam-band liberation, gospel blues, and R&B to craft their own timeless brand of American music. The band will be releasing their new album Be the Love You Want on Friday, August 27. 8 pm.

Sunday, August 1

DOGust at Woodshed Smokehouse
Chef Tim Love's Levy Park smokehouse will host rescue awareness days every Sunday in August with Lola's Lucky Day, a Houston non-profit that rescues stray dogs in Texas and finds them homes in Wisconsin. Woodshed will offer a free appetizer and peanut butter milk-bone with any purchase during the events. Dog lovers can pet and play with the pups on the dog-friendly patio, or bring their own furry friend for a day in the park. Noon.

Main Street Theater presents Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School
Main Street Theater will present the final performance of Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School, the sequel to Junie B. Jones the Musical. This is the wisecracking first grader’s newest adventure, writing her own survival guide with tips and tricks on surviving an entire day at school. (This sounds cute as hell.) Also, the new performance location will be MECA at TBH on S. Jensen Dr. 3:30 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

movies film