weekend event planner

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

In case you haven't heard, Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival goes down this weekend.

Photo by Julian Bajsel

If you haven't heard from your teenage kids yet, Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival will be back at NRG Park on Saturday.

Yes, the festival created and curated by the superstar Houston rapper, which was a smashing success when it debuted last year, will go down once again near the land where AstroWorld once stood.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of other offerings for what promises to be a gorgeous weekend.

Thursday, November 7

Houstonia Burger Bash at CityCentre
Now in its fifth year, a dozen of the city's top restaurants and chefs (from B & B Butchers, Buffburger, Bosscat Kitchen, etc.) go head-to-head to take home the coveted Best Burger title. There will also be beer, cocktails, cars on display, live entertainment, and a huge raffle benefitting Kids Meals, Inc. 6-9 pm.

An Evening with Gloria Steinem at Congregation Emanu El
As one of America's most iconic, contemporary, feminist crusaders, Gloria Steinem can still give the patriarchal powers that be hell — even at the age of 85. She'll be in Houston this weekend to promote her latest book, aptly titled The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off. It's a collection of Steinem’s lifetime of quotes — powerful and wise, funny and outrageous — complete with an introduction and essays by the feminist writer and activist herself. 7 pm.

Friday, November 8

Archival Screening Night: The Roadshow at MFAH
For the first time, the Association of Moving Images Archivists (AMIA) is touring a compilation that samples films restored by film archives around the world. Featuring some 20 films, in genres spanning jazz, animation, comedy, history, ethnography, dance, and more, this program shows that the efforts of the preservationists are a cause for celebration. Sandra Yates, who manages the preservation and access to the Texas Medical Center Library's special collections, will introduce the collection. 7 pm.

David Spade at Improv Houston
David Spade has made a nice living for himself by being a smart-ass. After making a snarky splash on Saturday Night Live, usually roasting celebs on his "Hollywood Minute" segment, he went on to do buddy comedies with the late, fellow SNL-er Chris Farley and steal every moment as the sarcastic receptionist on Just Shoot Me. He's back to dragging the rich and famous on his nightly Comedy Central show Lights Out with David Spade. But you can catch more of that snarkiness this weekend at the Improv. 7:30 pm (7 and 9:30 pm Saturday).

Saturday, November 9

Freddy Cruz at Barnes & Noble Baybrook
KRBE 104.1 personality Freddy Cruz has just recently added novelist to his list of titles. He recently released When America Fell Silent, his debut work of fiction. It's a dystopian, political thriller about a retired Navy SEAL who will do anything to defend his country and restore the nation’s freedom. And that also includes going after her ex, who stages a coup and takes control of the U.S. government after her presidential parents are assassinated. Cruz will be signing copies of his book over at Baybrook this weekend. 1 pm.

A Woman's Life: The Diary of Virginia Woolf at Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
Da Camera continues its 2019–20 season with this performance of two exquisite song cycles depicting radically different views of a woman’s life — a century apart — featuring Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano and Da Camera artistic director Sarah Rothenberg. The program juxtaposes Robert Schumann's Fraunliebe und Leben, a romantic vision of wife and mother; and Dominick Argento's From the Diary of Virginia Woolf, musings of a literary genius struggling to find her voice and place in the world. 7:30 pm.

Sunday, November 10

Foamhenge Music Fest at Karbach Brewing Co.
Hard rock and great beer — that's really all you need in life (besides money, food and shelter, of course). You'll get both things at this third-annual music festival, where the headliners will be Ace Frehley, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and KISS guitarist, and German heavy metal legends Accept. High on Fire, Pat Travers, Narcotic Wasteland, and Dallas thrash band Power Trip will also be on the bill. Karbach will have a wide array of its craft beers available, including a new release of its barrel-aged Hellfighter series. 12:30-10 pm.

Oxtail Mash Up at Project Row Houses
This celebration of competitive international flavor and festivity is returning for its second year. This event has some of Houston’s most well-known and highly respected chefs going head-to-head in making this traditional dish rooted in rich and vast, cultural flavors. Guests will also enjoy an open bar of craft beer, cocktails, and Hot Toddies, while DJ Big Reeks and DJ Sun will provide music. This also benefits Texas Children’s Hospital’s Sickle Cell Program. 7 pm.

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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.

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