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

New thriller Crime 101 majors in cool with Hemsworth at the wheel

Photo courtesy of Amazon Content Services

Chris Hemsworth in Crime 101.

The career of actor Chris Hemsworth is a curious one, as it feels like he’s a huge star (mostly from playing Thor in Marvel movies) and not at the same time, with most of the non-MCU movies featuring him in a lead role failing to become big successes. But he still has a certain presence about him, which is why he’s being given another chance to prove his star power in the new thriller, Crime 101.

Hemsworth plays Davis, a talented thief who knows how to get what he wants without resorting to violence. When a job early in the movie turns slightly sideways, it makes him think twice about working with his handler (Nick Nolte), who seems to prefer someone with a stronger touch, like the up-and-coming Ormon (Barry Keoghan).

Davis is the main character, but two others who come into his orbit get their own subplots. Lou (Mark Ruffalo) is a slightly schlubby LAPD detective who’s convinced he knows the pattern of an unknown thief that likes to hit places close to Highway 101. Sharon (Halle Berry) works for a high-end insurance agency known for working with ultra-wealthy clients, the types who might be a great target for a thief like Davis.

Written and directed by Bart Layton, the film has a decent propulsion to it that comes with most crime thrillers. Davis and Ormon represent the yin and the yang of criminal approaches, and and it’s interesting to see the juxtaposition between the two as their simmering rivalry heats up over the course of the film. When the film commits to actually showing its crimes, it has an excitement that’s worth watching.

Unfortunately, Layton displays a real lack of focus, taking the audience into subplots with each of the three main characters that prove unnecessarily distracting. Lou’s marriage problems may explain his disheveled appearance, but there’s no need to see him deal with them with wife Angie (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Sharon’s troubles with her male-dominated company prove slightly pivotal, but still don’t merit the time put into exploring them.

The most baffling subplot is Davis pursuing a relationship with Maya (Monica Barbaro), a woman he randomly meets. At different points in the movie, including many of his interactions with Maya, Davis seems like the most uncomfortable, antisocial person in the world. And yet he somehow morphs into a suave smooth-talker who’s able to convince anyone to do what he wants at other key points, making it unclear exactly what kind of person he really is.

Hemsworth does relatively well in the lead role, but he’s still missing that certain something to make his character, and therefore the movie, truly compelling. The rest of the cast is fine, too, but each of them seem to be putting in just the minimal amount of effort to make the film watchable. Ruffalo and Barbaro come off the best, but with the talent in the cast (11 Oscar nominations and one win), they could have been used better.

Crime 101 has most of the ingredients to be another great entry in the genre, and it succeeds when it actually decides to deliver on its promise. But too much of the film is spent on things that have no real bearing on plot or character development, leaving the movie in the middle of the pack.

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Crime 101 is now playing in the theaters.

movies film

a festive saturday

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

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Movie Review

New thriller Crime 101 majors in cool with Hemsworth at the wheel