• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Good as Hell

    Houston's superstar Lizzo brings the juice in her dazzling homecoming at Toyota Center

    Johnston Farrow
    Oct 27, 2022 | 3:05 am

    About damn time.

    Chart-topping, international pop sensation, and hometown hero, Lizzo, finally played the massive show her fans patiently waited to see at Toyota Center on Wednesday, October 26.

    And it was good as hell.

    It’s been nearly three long years since Lizzo — born Melissa Viviane Jefferson — was set to perform what would have been the biggest show of her stratospheric career at RodeoHouston in early 2020. That performance was cancelled along with everything else due to the COVID-19 pandemic and when the rodeo eventually returned in 2022, organizers and Lizzo’s team couldn’t make schedules work.

    That made her two-hours-plus appearance Wednesday night a de facto victory lap, her legions of diehards filling the arena to the rafters.

    The evening also served as a tribute to the 34-year-old Lizzo’s years growing up in southwest Houston, attending Alief Elsik High School, and later University of Houston where she studied music. A true rags to riches story, she moved to Minneapolis to pursue her career as a recording artist, struggling for years as a quirky alternative rapper before embracing funk, soul, and disco and garnering massive acclaim as a multiple Grammy, Emmy, and BET Award winner.

    It was a classy touch to see the Alief Elsik Rams Marching Band performing in front of the building before the show.

    Not surprisingly, based on Lizzo’s messages of female empowerment throughout her catalog, women made up the vast majority of the crowd, dressed in wild outfits, bedazzled sequins, and colorful boas.

    After pulse-building sets from rappers Saucy Santana and fast-rising “Big Energy” star Latto, Lizzo kicked off the night with “The Sign” from this year’s No. 2 hit album, Special. The crowd instantly gravitated to the charismatic entertainer dressed in a suggestive pink jumpsuit as she rose from under the stage in front of a fantastic all-female, five-piece backup band that kicked out the jams all night long.

    “Houston mother****ing Texas!” Lizzo screamed at the end of the song, the decibels ratcheted well past healthy levels. That kicked into “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)” and its indie keyboard riff, Lizzo’s Big Grrrls dancers showing off with choreographed twerking moves.

    The impossibly louder response following that song was one of a few moments when the star performer became emotional in front of the hometown crowd, turning around to show the Houston skyline lovingly painted onto her wig.

    “I am not going to cry tonight — that is the goal,” Lizzo declared hopefully. “[But] we gonna be acting out. It’s a home show, honey!”

    Love was a big theme throughout the night — loving each other, self-love, body love, Black love, female love, LGBTQIA+ love, love gone wrong — at times it felt like a self-help convention with Lizzo directing the crowd through positive affirmations. Not that it was a surprise to anyone who watched the recent Lizzo-produced, Emmy Award-winning reality competition series, Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.

    Not coincidentally, “Tempo,” the Missy Elliot featuring song from the No. 4 hit 2019 album, Cuz I Love You, featured a solo dance by Houston influencer, fashion model and Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls star Sydney Bell.

    Highlights included the Cardi B-guesting “Rumors,” which alluded to the online chatter that has been surrounding Lizzo online, including her supposed relationship with Captain America himself, Chris Evans. Cuz I Love You highlight and break-up song, “Jerome,” had Lizzo showing off her powerful vocal pipes on a therapy couch.

    The Special title-track had her tearing up again to extended applause, showing how much the night meant to her.

    Much like Lady Gaga’s show at Minute Maid Park last month, Lizzo used her platform to talk politics. “Naked” featured visually striking projections onto her bodysuit, ending with “My Body My Choice” in bold letters, drawing a hugely positive reaction from the female-centric crowd.

    After “Everybody’s Gay,” she alluded to the negative punditry from right-wing conservatives when she recently played James Madison’s crystal flute (yes, this was a whole thing), an opportunity provided by the Library of Congress. (Read our story here.)

    She followed that by imploring the crowd to participate in the upcoming elections:

    “We have an opportunity to vote for the people who are passing these laws that are supposed to be protecting us,” she said, everyone staying in their seats. “Because human rights should be a necessity. It shouldn’t be politicized, it should be a given, the bare f***ing minimum, so please go vote.”

    She later took a moment to acknowledge the Alief Elsik marching band in attendance, recalling her time at the high school and giving a shoutout to her mother, who was also in the building.

    She then asked for the house lights to be brought up and proceeded to thank almost every single section of the arena for 10 minutes, telling us all, “I see you," as happy audience members flashed on the big stage screens.

    The triple-punch combo of the record-breaking No. 1 track “Truth Hurts,” “I Love You Bitch,” and always great “Good As Hell” concluded the set with massive singalongs, Lizzo vocals not necessary. And perhaps the most fun moments came when she busted out her flute on “Coldplay” and encore bangers, “Juice” and No. 1 disco throwback, “About Damn Time.”

    Perhaps the greatest thing about Lizzo’s talent besides her otherworldly charm and friendly sincerity was her ability to distill the best of multiple musical genres that cover a wide diversity of tastes, providing something for everyone to enjoy. She’s claimed to be a closet Radiohead fan in high school, and she is obviously influenced by Beyoncé, ‘70s funk, soul, and disco.

    All of this made for a varied and accessible set in what was one of the more enjoyable performances of the year.

    “This is the place I’m from, this is the place I call home,” she said, 713 pride on full display. “I just want to remind you how special you are. I want you to take this feeling home with you and I know I sound like a broken record, but I love you, you are beautiful, and you can do anything!”

    Setlist
    “The Sign”
    “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)”
    “Soulmate”
    “Phone / Grrrls”
    “Boys” (with intro from Heart of the Sunrise by Yes)
    “Tempo”
    “Rumors”
    “Fitness” (band played live, Lizzo on tape)
    “Naked”
    “Jerome”
    “Break Up Twice”
    “Doo Wop (That Thing) ” (Lauryn Hill cover)
    “Special”
    “I'm Every Woman” (Chaka Khan cover)
    “Like a Girl”
    “Birthday Girl/Happy Birthday”
    “Everybody’s Gay” (followed by band introductions)
    “Water Me”
    “Cuz I Love You”
    “If You Love Me”
    “Coldplay”
    “Truth Hurts”
    “I Love You Bitch”
    “Good as Hell”

    Encore
    “Juice”
    “About Damn Time”

    Lizzo Houston Toyota Center 2022
      

    Photo by Marco Torres

    Working the crowd all night, the UH flautist vowed not to get emotional.

    news/entertainment
    popular
    CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME
    Get Houston intel delivered daily.

    Movie Review

    Heartfelt movie The Life of Chuck adapts optimistic Stephen King story

    Alex Bentley
    Jun 13, 2025 | 5:30 pm
    Tom Hiddleston in The Life of Chuck
    Photo courtesy of NEON
    Tom Hiddleston in The Life of Chuck.

    Just like actors, once a filmmaker becomes known for a certain genre, it can be difficult to escape that pigeonholing. Writer/director Mike Flanagan has worked for 20 years in both film and television, and literally every project he’s done has been related to horror. He’s finally breaking out with The Life of Chuck, which is ironically based on a short story of the same name by Stephen King.



    Told in three chapters in reverse order, the film is almost impossible to describe without giving away its magic. The first section centers on Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a teacher grappling, like everyone around him, with what seems to be the world falling apart. He’s comforted to a degree by reuniting with his ex-wife, Felicia (Karen Gillan), but is also baffled by multiple ads touting the retirement of Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) after “39 great years.”

    The second section consists of little more than a slightly younger Chuck happening upon Taylor (The Pocket Queen), a drummer busking on a street corner, giving Chuck and a younger woman, Janice (Annalise Basso), the inspiration to start dancing. The final section goes back to the childhood of Chuck (Benjamin Pajak), where he’s raised by his grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara), discovers dance as an outlet, and wonders about various small mysteries.

    Flanagan finds a way to deliver a lot of story with relatively little effort. Using a wry narrator (Nick Offerman), a limited number of locations, and a series of great small performances, he creates an intriguing premise with few straightforward answers. The structure of the film is designed to confuse the viewer until just the right moment, and the revelation forces you to reexamine everything that came before.

    The biggest accomplishment by Flanagan is making what are essentially three short films and having each of them resonate equally. The film contains elements of science fiction, although the first section may hit a bit too close to home for some of those watching. All three sections, though, have a heartwarming bent to them that sells their central idea without becoming overly saccharine.

    To do so, each of the characters have to connect in a short amount of time. The casting of the film is crucial, and not only does that department succeed with the main roles, but a series of small roles are filled expertly as well. Carl Lumbly as a funeral home owner, David Dastmalchian and Harvey Guillen as parents of students, Matthew Lillard as Marty’s neighbor, Q’orianka Kilcher as Chuck’s wife, and Jacob Tremblay as a teenage Chuck are just a few of the recognizable actors that do yeoman’s work in their brief time on screen.

    Hiddleston is only prominently featured in the second chapter, but his performance there and in small glimpses throughout makes a big impression. Ejiofor is given the star turn in the first chapter and he absolutely kills, both in moments by himself and in scenes with Gillan, with whom he has great chemistry. Hamill, making a rare non-voiceover appearance outside of the Star Wars universe, and Sara, in her first notable role in 11 years, are also very memorable in the final chapter.

    The Life of Chuck is a film that’s filled with emotion, but the full impact of the story is not felt until the final moments. It has a mysterious journey that is initially frustrating, but the performances keep the film going until it gets to its satisfying payoff.

    ---

    The Life of Chuck is now playing in theaters.

    moviesfilm
    news/entertainment
    popular
    CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME
    Get Houston intel delivered daily.
    Loading...