Petals on a path

Something you won't see every night: A Zen monk plays the House of Blues

I gotta be honest, Ottmar Liebert does not offer a lot in the way of one-liners for a smart-alec music writer angling to pen quirky quips about him.

There's something funny, or ironic, or something about the fact that Liebert is a German who was born to a Chinese-German father (huh?), and Hungarian mother and grew up to be one of the new masters of Spanish Flamenco music.

But as a writer, if you start poking fun at people's cultural heritage you're cruising for an e-mailbox full of letters charging you with hate crimes.

Liebert's also been ordained as a Zen monk which is also ripe for ribbing.

Religion, though. That's another sticky wicket with a lot of potential backlash.

Let's just leave it at this: Much like Yanni, Liebert is an internationally-renowned, Grammy-acknowledged artist and performer whose fame has not crossed-over as well in the United States as it has other places.

He has recorded with everyone from "Footloose" singer Kenny Loggins to blues guitarist Roy Rogers and his debut album, Nouveau Flamenco, has not only become one of the best world music albums ever, but is the basis for an entire musical genre of the same name.

No doubt Liebert's new album, Petals on a Path is yet another, flamenco delight down the path to enlightenment.

The chances of an award-winning, quirky-cultural, flamenco-strumming monk playing Houston again anytime soon are not good.

If this sounds like your cup of tea, don't miss it.

Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra, 8 tonight at House of Blues

Tickets $25-$40

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"Here come the grannies!"

Walk through the Magic Door to experience the world of Bluey in Houston

bluey and bingo's bedroom at camp in houston

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

Bluey is coming to the Galleria this February “for real life” through an immersive event that invites visitors to enter the world of the famous Australian Heeler family. This one-of-a-kind experience brings the Heeler home and backyard to life with intricate details that will delight fans of all ages.

Tickets are on sale now for Bluey x CAMP, the inaugural interactive experience of the combination toy store, party venue, and immersive theater space. This is The Family Experience Company’s first CAMP location in Houston, with the business securing a 7,500-square-foot permanent retail space in the Galleria.

Through “The Magic Door,” a pivoting wall, visitors step into seasonally rotating interactive spaces beginning with a 5,000-square-foot lifesize replica of Bluey’s house.

Visitors can play games made popular by the show, such as grannies and keepy uppy, and bust a move when “dance mode” is activated. The kitchen’s fridge is covered in drawings by the Heeler puppies, while the living room TV plays Bluey.

Families can explore both a pillow fort and a cardboard castle — two-story structures complete with slides — before venturing into a playroom stocked with toys and costumes from the show. In the backyard, a recreation of the Heeler’s large tree is surrounded by charming gnomes. A photo opportunity with Bluey and Bingo tops off the visit.

Beyond the world of Bluey, CAMP offers even more for visitors in its Canteen space, with a splatter room, The Schmutz Bar (a slime creation station), a party room, and a playable truck. Customers can also shop for toys, clothing, and accessories.

Houston joins a list of CAMP’s locations in Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Installations change seasonally, with other current features including Paw Patrol, The Little Mermaid, and Encanto.

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

bluey galleria-houston camp bluey x camp