a festive saturday

Here are the 15 best places to celebrate Record Store Day and 4/20 in Houston

On Saturday, April 20, Houstonians will celebrate two holidays that appeals to specific — potentially overlapping — groups of people.

Vinyl enthusiasts across the city will be lining up for Record Store Day. The holiday celebrates independent record stores with almost 400 limited edition releases from musical artists in a wide range of genres.

At the same time, cannabis enthusiasts will celebrate 4/20. The holiday is devoted to appreciation for the herb’s beneficial qualities as well as promoting legalization efforts.

Here are the best bets for a very festive Saturday.

Record Store Day

Cactus Music will have a special guest for RSD. The English Beat founding member Dave Wakeling will be there for a meet-and-greet. In addition to RSD specials, Cactus will also have reissues of classic English Beat albums. 2 pm.

Sig’s Lagoon will have one fancy RSD. After buying some new records, head over to The Alley Kat Bar & Lounge down the street, where DJ Big Reeks may play your purchase during brunch. 11 am.

ZT Records over in the Woodlands will be getting exclusive RSD vinyl. They will also have a "what's in the box" live unboxing prior to the event as well, so shoppers can see what they’ve received. 10 am.

4/20

Cheba Hut will be curing 4/20 munchies with Nug subs for $4.20 all day long. Homies will also receive a free Cheba Hut-branded frisbee which can be used to play catch with some buds or as a rolling tray for another kind of bud. 10 am.

8th Wonder Cannabis will be celebrating 4/20 with food, music, and the introduction of Ocho Verde, its newest cannabis-infused seltzer. Dine on three pounds of crawfish and shrimp from Clutch City Crawfish. Musical acts include Marley Moon, Dollar Disco, The Stevie Clear Experience, and DJ G-Funk. They will also have an open air market, laser light shows, and more. Noon.

Over at The Flying Saucer, celebrate 4/20 with dank beer flights, food specials and, of course, munchies. A special-edition glass, courtesy of Great Heights Brewing, will also be available. 11 am.

Gas Gods is hosting the ultimate 4/20 All Gas No Smoke Car Meet. Houston’s own Slim Thug and Le$ will make appearances, and there will be a live performance by LaRussell. There will also be food truck vendors, a designated kids zone and, of course, exotic cars. 12 pm.

Over in EaDo, J-Bar-M Barbecue will host CannaFest HTX. The free event features a market with more than 40 vendors selling art, clothing, vintage gear, and smoking accessories. A percentage of proceeds from the market will go to The Courage To Bee Project, a non-profit organization that aims to increase access to school supplies and technology to economically disadvantaged youth in Texas, Latin America, and the Caribbean. 12 pm.

The Original Ninfa’s is kicking off 4/20 by offering a cannabis-infused Tranquilita Margarita. This is a refreshing and delightful alternative for those who want to unwind without the alcohol-related effects of a traditional margarita or cocktail. 10 am.

Velvet Taco will be granting guests the chance to get high (in the sky) with a prize of skydiving for two, followed by lunch at Velvet Taco. All guests have to do to enter is grab a 420 Blazin’ Taco on the loyalty app or follow the entry instructions on their Instagram page. 11 am.

Both WILD Concepts locations in Montrose and The Heights will have a 4/20 BBQ bash with a menu curated by chef German Mosquera. The cafes will also offer a bake sale with next-level, infused edibles, as well as a special 4/20 cocktail bar menu. 11 am

Both

The Blessings Gallery will be throwing a combined 4/20/RSD shindig, complete with live music and new records. It’s also a birthday party for singer Karina Nistal, who’ll be performing with her band The Cosmic Cats. 4:20 pm.

Cool Heads Prevail will have a 4/20-friendly RSD party with half-off vinyl. They’ll also have sounds from SCA Productions, boozy drinks, and snacks for all the elevated record collectors in attendance. 3 pm.

Both Sound Revolution locations will be opening up real early for Record Store Day. They will also celebrate 4/20 with a gift card raffle, 20 percent off glasses, and 20 percent off all wellness products. 8 am.

The Toasted Coconut will celebrate the holiday with food and drink specials as well as a market selling vinyl and ceramic pipes made by local artist Lori Muñoz. Specials include a Mapo Hotdog, Big Rib sandwich, and the Purple Kush cocktail. A DJ will spin from 9 pm until midnight. 4:20 pm.

Courtesy of Gas Gods

Gas Gods is hosting the All Gas No Smoke Car Meet.

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Movie Review

Sheriff Bob Odenkirk is back in over-the-top new action movie 'Normal'

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Bob Odenkirk in Normal.

Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first three John Wick movies, has essentially had a blank check to do what he wants in the movie landscape since 2014. In recent years that has meant writing the action series Nobody for Bob Odenkirk, who has turned from a comedian into an unlikely action star in his sixties. Kolstad and Odenkirk are teaming up again in Normal.

A film that tries to evoke Fargo in multiple ways, Normal finds Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) serving as a temporary sheriff for the small town of Normal, Minnesota after the previous sheriff died. Knowing he’s just a steward until a new sheriff is elected, Ulysses takes a live-and-let-live approach to the job, letting the deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy MacLellan) do the grunt work and trying to stay out of everyone’s way, including Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler).

A bank robbery attempt by two non-citizens upsets his best-laid plans in more ways than he can imagine. Not only is he forced to confront a crime not often seen in a town like Normal, but the robbery uncovers secrets that turn the film into an all-out bloodbath. Soon, almost everyone in town becomes involved in what comes to resemble a war, along with — you guessed it — Yakuza henchmen from Japan.

Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Kolstad, the film is a slight twist on the everyman-turned-hero character Odenkirk played in the two Nobody films. While Ulysses is in law enforcement, he prefers to use words instead of weapons, and it’s only when he’s pushed to the brink that he crosses that line. Naturally, his skills are beyond what anyone would expect of him, allowing him to match up well with people half his age.

The film is not a comedy in the traditional sense, but instead aims for laughs by catching the audience off-guard with its ultraviolence. Some characters are dispatched in shockingly unexpected ways, with one of the only natural reactions to the jarring nature of their deaths being laughter. That’s not necessarily the case for other killings, which range from blasé to sadistic, and the only reason they count as entertainment is because the filmmakers have primed the audience to accept them as such.

After a relatively solid setup, where Wheatley and Kolstad seem to take their time getting to know the main characters, the second half of the film is pure action that dispenses with good storytelling. Like many action movies, there are double crosses, surprise revelations, and more, but the filmmakers don’t seem to care about making sense of any character arcs. All they care about is delivering mayhem, and they succeed on that front.

Odenkirk has perfected the mild-yet-intimidating nature of his action characters, and it is satisfying to see him get the better of those who have done him wrong. He doesn’t run or jump like fellow 63-year-old Tom Cruise, but — with the help of fast-paced editing — he still makes for a credible action hero. The only other actors of any note in the film are Winkler, who’s a nice presence with his sardonic personality, and Lena Headey, whose small role doesn't match up with her experience.

You have to have a certain mindset to enjoy a film like Normal, but if you can abide its over-the-top bloodiness, it’s a serviceable action film. Few would have expected Odenkirk to take on these kinds of roles at this late stage of his career, but he’s making the most of his opportunities.

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Normal opens in theaters on April 17.

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