weekend event planner

These are the 14 best things to do in Houston this weekend

This weekend, it’s all about music, comedy, celebration, and getting free chicken.

The Goo Goo Dolls and Kam Franklin will have live concerts. Mo Amer and Kym Whitley will be doing back-to-back stand-up shows. Little Jewford will pay tribute to Kinly Friedman with a live show. Karbach Brewing is bringing back Frida Fest. And Nando PERi-PERi will salute Nelson Mandela Day by giving free chicken and fries to whoever donates some canned goods.

So, let’s ease on down the road and see what’s popping this weekend.

Thursday, July 17

Little Jewford's Sentimental Journey: Remembering Kinky Friedman
Little Jewford's Sentimental Journey will highlight songs from Kinky Friedman's catalog and the Great American Songbook. Little Jewford will also share a few of his favorite memories of Kinky and stories from their travels. Little Jewford was eight years old when he met Kinky Friedman at Echo Hill Ranch in 1958. They began a friendship and musical pairing that would last more than 60 years. Little Jewford is also an accomplished pianist with a unique, entertaining style all his own. 7 pm.

River Oaks Theatre presents Film Strip: Barbarella
Grimm and Ghoulia, headmistresses of The Sisterhood of Lili St. Cyr, present another monthly screening of a cult movie, preceded by a rotating cast of burlesque beauties. This time around, we have Jane Fonda starring in this erotic, space-age, comic-book adaptation from 1968, where she’s a space traveler tasked with finding and stopping the evil Durand-Durand. BTW, quoting and singing along with the film is encouraged. Surprise gags and performances may take place during the film. 8 pm.

Goo Goo Dolls in concert
You can go back to the 2000s this weekend, as rock band Goo Goo Dolls will be performing in Sugar Land's Smart Financial Centre. Currently on the road for their Summer Anthem Tour, the Grammy-nominated, diamond-certified rockers (best known for “Iris,” one of many millennial pop ditties guitar-playing frat guys played for sorority girls at parties back in the day) are also at work on their 15th studio album. Dashboard Confessional, another rock outfit who rose to prominence during the Bush II era, will be the opening act. 8 pm.

Friday, July 18

Nelson Mandela Day at Nando’s Peri-Peri
In honor of Nelson Mandela Day on Friday, Nando’s Peri-Peri is turning compassion into action with a nationwide food drive, rewarding guests with free flame-grilled chicken and Peri Chips in exchange for non-perishable food donations. At the Houston locations in Post Oak and Katy, donations will go to Second Servings, the city’s only perishable food rescue organization. Second Servings is also collecting donations to support those affected by the devastating floods that recently impacted Central Texas. 3 pm.

Mo Amer: El Oso Palestino Tour
Palestinian-American stand-up comedian (and hometown boy made good) Mo Amer may have wrapped up the second and final season of his acclaimed Netflix show Mo this year. But that doesn’t mean the man hasn’t stopped bringing the funny. Before he heads off to do two back-to-back shows at the Dubai Comedy Festival, he’ll do an early show right here in H-Town, as part of his El Oso Palestino Tour. As of press time, only a limited number of standing room only tickets remain. 7 pm.

Punch Line Houston presents Kym Whitley
Kym Whitley knew she was blessed with the gift to make people laugh after Redd Foxx told her she had “the comedic goods.” The comedienne and former host of BET talk show Oh Drama! has appeared in such movies as The Nutty Professor and Next Friday. She’s also done guest shots on My Wife and Kids, Two Broke Girls, That’s So Raven, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, on an episode that saved a man from going to death row. She even appeared in a Netflix documentary about it. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 and 9:15 pm Saturday).

A.D. Players presents The Wizard of Oz
Since we’re all still in a Wicked frame of mind, A.D. Players presents a stage version of the L. Frank Baum classic. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto travel the universe of Dorothy’s imagination, crossing over the rainbow to the beautiful land of Oz. To find her way home, Dorothy must follow the yellow brick road to find the Wizard. But the Wicked Witch of the West threatens to destroy these newfound friends as they make their journey. Through Sunday, August 10. 7:30 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

Saturday, July 19

Houston Pets Alive! And Trust Guss Injury Lawyers present Puppy Palooza
Houston Pets Alive! and Trust Guss Injury Lawyers team up for Puppy Palooza this weekend, at the Houston Pets Alive! headquarters. Houstonians are invited to a family-friendly adoption event where attendees can meet up to 50 adorable puppies of all sizes, breeds, and personalities, looking for their forever homes. The event not only offers a chance to welcome a new furry friend into your life, but also supports Houston’s local shelters by helping reduce overcrowding and giving at-risk pets a second chance.

Moody Center for the Arts presents Summer Jam
Moody's annual Summer Jam will feature art activities, galleries to explore, an indoor farmer’s market, local food vendors, and more. The event includes access to Figurative Histories and Collective Memories as well as programming with Black art/culture reference library The Reading Room. In addition to a scavenger hunt, face painting, and bubble play, Red Bird Press will lead a printmaking activity for the duration of the event. Noon.

Karbach Brewing Co. presents Frida Fest
Karbach Brewing Co. is bringing back its annual Frida Fest, a two-day celebration honoring art icon Frida Kahlo through art, fashion, and community. In partnership with nonprofit MuXerhtx, Karbach’s biergarten will transform into a vibrant cultural hub. Saturday’s festivities will include an art show, a fashion show, and a lookalike contest, while Sunday will have a mariachi performance, a flower-making workshop, and a DJ playing beats. Saturday attendees will get first access to exclusive Frida Fest glassware. 1 pm (11 am Sunday).

The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston presents Iolanthe
The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston, Houston’s longest-running opera company, will present Iolanthe, a hallmark of Gilbert and Sullivan’s signature satire that cheerily blends fantasy and pointed social commentary. It skewers the British legal system, the House of Lords, and Victorian sensibilities with clever wit and a charming score. Iolanthe (pronounced "eye-oh-LAN-thee") is a comic opera sung in English and is enjoyable for all ages. Through Sunday, July 27. 7 pm (7 pm Friday, 2:30 pm Sunday).

Sunday, July 20

National Ice Cream Day
National Ice Cream Day is this Sunday, and these are just some of the several places around town marking the occasion with deals and specials. The Sunrise House in Montrose has both an ice cream-topped waffle and an affogato. Both locations of The Pit Room will take $2 off any creation made with Blue Bell ice cream. Asian American diner Agnes and Sherman will be serving root beer floats and banana splits. Houston-area locations of Lick Honest Ice Creams will donate 10 percent of sales to Buffalo Bayou Partnership. All four Houston-area locations of Jeni’s will add its new sundae fudge sauce for free to any scoop. (Times and locations vary.)

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
Marlee Matlin became the first deaf actor to win an Oscar for her performance in Children of a Lesser God. In this new documentary, she discusses her personal and professional struggles — including her meteoric rise to fame in a predominantly hearing industry, a tumultuous high-profile relationship, getting sober, and years of being overlooked by Hollywood. Through split-screen interviews with both deaf and hearing contributors, the film weaves a poignant narrative of Matlin’s career, highlighting her tireless fight for inclusion. 5 pm.

Dan Electro’s presents Kam Franklin & Friends
Kam Franklin and a bunch of her musical pals will be performing this weekend at Dan Electro’s. Best known for belting powerful vocals as the lead singer of Gulf Coast soul band The Suffers, this dynamic interdisciplinary artist is also a passionate activist for justice and equity — amplifying Black, queer, femme, and non-binary voices across the arts. She’ll be joined by Sergio Trevino, Louis Morales, Sara Van Buskirk, Uncle Tino, and Blacknintendo. 7:30 pm.

Photo courtesy of Goo Goo Dolls

Goo Goo Dolls will play in Sugar Land July 17, 2025.

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Movie Review

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck square off in Netflix crime thriller The Rip

Photo by Claire Folger/Netflix

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in The Rip.

For as closely tied together as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are, it might come as a surprise how few times they’ve led a movie together. They’ve appeared alongside each other in Good Will Hunting, The Last Duel, and Air, but the only time they were on equal footing in a story was Kevin Smith’s Dogma. So the fact that they are the two true stars of the new Netflix movie The Rip makes it a rare opportunity for the longtime friends to square off against each other.

Damon and Affleck play Lt. Dane Dumars and Detective Sgt. J.D Byrne, respectively, the two highest ranking members of a Miami police department squad that specializes in drug and drug money raids. A tragedy to begin the film already has the team — which includes Detectives Mike Ro (Steven Yeun), Numa Baptiste (Teyana Taylor), and Lolo Salazar (Catalina Sandina Moreno) — on edge, with the FBI and DEA breathing down their neck.

Going off a tip, Dumars gathers the team to raid a house in nearby Hialeah that is supposed to have a stash of a relatively small amount of money. But when they get to the house occupied only by Desiree Molina (Sasha Calle), they discover close to $20 million. The team, required by law to count the money on site, must not only fight the urge to skim a little off the top for themselves, but also worry about the Cartel and other agencies that might want a slice of the pie.

Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, the film is a surprisingly effective crime thriller made even better by its high-quality cast, which also includes Kyle Chandler as a DEA agent. The story is designed for the audience to not know who’s trustworthy until the last possible second, and the various twists and turns it takes are well done, with barely a hint of narrative cheating.

Taking place entirely at night, the mood is set right from the start, with the only surprise being that Carnahan didn’t add in rain for extra effect. He keeps things tense with a number of subtle elements, including having the house located in a seemingly deserted cul-de-sac. This allows for the characters to remain on high alert at all times, with anything out of the ordinary — an unexpected noise, a flashing light, etc. — adding to the stress of the situation.

The only element that could have used a bit more of a punch-up is the characterization. The story is set up to cast suspicion on almost everybody, making it tougher to understand exactly what type of person each of them is. As the two leads, more time is spent with Dumars and Byrne, leaving everyone else with slightly underwhelming arcs. It’s to the credit of the actors that everyone else below Damon and Affleck is still compelling.

Damon and Affleck play their sometimes friendly, sometimes adversarial roles well, showing an ease together that’s a result of their friendship and the acting skills they’ve honed over 30+ years. Taylor, an Oscar hopeful for One Battle After Another, and Oscar nominee/Emmy winner Yeun have a pedigree that elevates their supporting roles. Chandler, Moreno, and Calle each get just enough to demonstrate why they were cast in their respective roles.

Damon and Affleck have had their individual ups and downs throughout their careers, but when they choose to work together, the results are usually good-to-great, as they are in The Rip. It’s a different take on a crime thriller that features a story that will keep viewers guessing until the very end.

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The Rip is now streaming on Netflix.

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