weekend event planner

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

Garth is back in Houston this weekend.

Photo by J. Thomas Ford

This weekend, NRG Stadium will welcome country titan Garth Brooks, which promises to be a massive sellout. Speaking of massive, giant dinosaurs take over Houston; folks can get up close and personal with their favorites.

Folks can also get up close and personal with an astronaut this weekend. The symphony celebrates 75 years of India, and a hysterical movie star/comedian comes to town. Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, August 4

Astronaut Days 2022 at Space Center Houston
This weekend, spot a space explorer, get an autograph, have lunch with an astronaut and more at Space Center Houston’s summer event. Astronaut Days provide multiple opportunities to spot a space explorer, from Astronaut Mission Memories and Q&A sessions to bingo and book signings. Hear stories from a space explorer on a tour at NASA Johnson Space Center, and celebrate the space pioneers who have risked everything and made sacrifices to explore the cosmos to further our knowledge of the universe. 9 am.

Jurassic Quest
This weekend, families can walk among the nation’s biggest herd of photorealistic dinosaurs. This event features life-like dinosaurs; some of the largest rideable dinosaurs in North America; live dinosaur shows; interactive science and art activities including a fossil dig and real fossils like T-Rex teeth, a triceratops horn and life-size dino skull; a "Triceratots" soft play area for the littlest explorers; bounce houses and inflatable attractions; photo opportunities, and more. 1 pm (9 am Friday-Sunday).

Kevin Hart: Reality Check Tour
This Thursday and Friday, Kevin Hart comes to Houston with his first major tour in over four years. Hart is one of the most popular comedians working today, regularly filling up arenas and stadiums around the world. And when the dude is not promoting movies he starred in with BFF Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (like he recently did with DC League of Super Pets), he's interviewing/getting drunk with celebs on his Peacock chat show Hart to Heart. 7 pm.

Friday, August 5

Wally Workman Gallery presents Julie Marin: "Spacious" opening day
Wally Workman Gallery presents this solo exhibition of Julie Maren’s work. Maren expands upon her use of negative space for this show, exploring boundaries and ideas of infinity. These works are heavily layered and at the same time heavily redacted, with actual physical pieces of the canvas cut away. She is interested in the space in between, where transitions happen and where light comes through. Through Sunday, September 4. 10 am.

The Menil Collection presents "Samuel Fosso: African Spirits" opening day
The Menil Collection presents this exhibition of the 14 large-scale, gelatin silver prints from Fosso’s African Spirits series. In this series of self-portraits, completed in 2008, Fosso portrays himself as Angela Davis, Martin Luther King Jr., Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Malcolm X, and other prominent figures from 20th century, Black liberation movements. Through Sunday, January 15. 11 am.

On the Verge Theatre presents Runaways
Created from interviews with homeless children, this show takes a hard look at the lives of children who have had to grow up too fast. The production is a collection of songs, dances, and spoken word pieces about personal struggle and the world at large as seen through the eyes of children in New York City in the ’70s. Their heartfelt stories focus on personal struggles and raise the question: Why can't children remain children? Through Sunday, August 21. 7:30 pm (2 & 7:30 pm Saturday; 3 pm Sunday).

Saturday, August 6

15th Annual Back-to-School Drive at PlazAmericas Mall
The Alliance is partnering with PlazAmericas Mall to host this annual school drive. The event is the largest community service project of the year, providing school supplies, books, and other essential items to 3,000 students and their families. Houston Health Department will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to any interested community member ages 6 months and up. The Health Department is also offering $25 gift cards for those receiving a COVID-19 booster dose. 10 am.

“Yoga, Artz and Brunch for Educator’s Empowerment” at RISE Rooftop
Join the Puranik Foundation for this mindfulness event. It is curated for educators and features all levels of yoga practice, a three-course plant-based organic brunch, booths from local artists, mindfulness activities, and live music. Unwind, bring awareness to the now, and give yourself the love you so often give out. This event is free for educators. Non-educator tickets are $44. 11:30 am.

Garth Brooks in concert
Yes, Garth Brooks is back, and he'll be performing all the hits that made him one of the most iconic country artists of all time. But there's a bigger issue we need to address here: When is he going to re-release that Chris Gaines album he did dang near 25 years ago? His first (and last) detour into crossover pop territory — where he assumed the role of a brooding, Australian rock star — is not on any streaming platform. It might've been a flop back then, but there are still fans who wanna hear "Lost in You" again. 7 pm.

Houston Symphony presents India 75th Anniversary Concert
The audience will experience the artistry of India’s violin icon, Dr. L. Subramaniam, in this special performance celebrating the 75th year of India’s independence. Joined by both the Houston Symphony and an Indian ensemble, Dr. Subramaniam will share Indian classical music, perform his own Violin Concerto, and unveil the world premiere of his Mahatma Symphony, which was written specially for this historic celebration, and features well-known Indian vocalist Kavita Krishnamurthy. 7:30 pm.

Monica's Bidi Bidi Tribute at Fireside
Celebrate the queen of Tejano as The Moran CITYCENTRE hosts this tribute. Houston-born and raised, Monica has been performing in live bands since 12 years of age. Her start was in Tex-Mex music, but the first tunes rehearsed at home were mariachi songs and Motown hits. The evening will also feature an a la carte menu of light bites and craft cocktails from Moran Hotel mixologists. 9 pm.

Sunday, August 7

The Market at City Place presents Cars & Coffee
Open to the public and free of charge, this monthly, family-friendly series integrates four, three and two-wheel motor bikes, cars and trucks in a lively automobile showcase. Each event features a DJ, a variety of supporting auto vendors, plus special guest groups. The emphasis is on European and American muscle cars and is now open to electric vehicles. Visitors can enjoy a variety of food and beverage options within City Place including delicious coffee, tea, breakfast and brunch options at Noe’s Café. 10 am.

Improv Houston presents HaHa Davis
Detroit-born and bred Haha Davis found his passion as a comedian/internet sensation in 2013 by creating funny Vine videos and Instagram clips. His hilarious characters soon caught the eye of several celebrities, including Chance the Rapper, and he was featured on his album Coloring Book. In 2017, Haha’s "Dis finna be a breeze” catchphrase became a pop culture sensation that was adopted by celebrities and athletes on social media, from Snoop Dogg to Tom Brady. 7 pm.

Comedy Bang! Bang! Live
Comedy Bang! Bang! is a comedy fixture, a forefather of the podcast boom, and a weekly institution since its inception over 13 years ago. A high-spirited get-together between host Scott Aukerman and his funny friends, "CBB" (as it's known to its fans) is a strange combination of interviews with both real people and improvisational comedians performing as fake characters. Every episode is as different as it is unplanned. 7 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Safe cracking takes center stage in new heist movie Tuner

Photo courtesy of Black Bear

Leo Woodall in Tuner.

Of all the ways that movies depict people trying to steal money and other valuables, safe cracking is among the least exciting. By design, it’s a laborious process that only those with a very certain set of skills can do. While clever editing and the right music can enhance scenes of safes being cracked, there’s a reason that the method is among the least used in heist films.

In the new film Tuner, Niki (Leo Woodall) has a job and a condition that just happens to lend itself well to committing that specific crime. He works as an apprentice piano tuner for Harry (Dustin Hoffman), usually doing the hard work while Harry schmoozes the client. Niki is well-suited for the job because he has a rare condition called hyperacusis, which makes him both sensitive to loud noises and able to hear subtle things that others cannot.

When he runs across a trio of criminals trying to break open a safe at a house where he’s tuning a piano, he helps them more out of frustration than avarice. But when Harry goes into the hospital and racks up huge bills, Niki decides to join the group to make some quick money. They soon want more than he’s willing to give, and he must find a way to extricate himself from them without losing himself completely.

Written and directed by documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher (making his narrative feature debut) and co-written by Robert Ramsey, the film has a nice pace to it despite there being relatively little action. Roher and Ramsey spend the first third or so establishing Niki, Harry, and Harry’s wife Marla (Tovah Feldshuh) as characters, letting the audience understand their relationships and how they interact with each other.

The time they devote to the personal storytelling pays dividends when Niki starts to descend into crime, as his divided loyalties — not to mention the danger of the thefts — insert tension into the plot. That stress is heightened even more when Niki starts a relationship with piano student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), as getting closer to her necessitates a series of lies.

There comes a point, though, where the plot stagnates to a degree. Niki’s end goal, if he has one, is never clear, and it’s obvious that it’s only a matter of time before things start to fall apart. After starting strong in their character development, Roher and Ramsey take shortcuts as the film rushes toward its conclusion. This is most notable in a weird argument scene between Niki and Ruthie that comes out of nowhere and seems to serve no purpose in the story.

Woodall, who had a memorable turn in season 2 of The White Lotus, is on the cusp of breaking out, and this understated-but-compelling lead role should help him become an even bigger name in Hollywood. Hoffman has a small role, but he remains as interesting as ever despite the lack of screentime. Liu (Bottoms) is also an up-and-coming actor who should become a star with more roles like this one.

Tuner is a low-key thriller that succeeds because of the way the filmmakers approach the under-used method of robbery. Even if it doesn’t quite reach its potential, the film maintains a high quality throughout thanks to its storytelling and acting.

---

Tuner is now playing in theaters.

movies film