weekend event planner

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

Funnyman/songman/pitchman/doorman Craig Robinson brings the laughs this weekend.

Photo courtesy of Craig Robinson/IMPROV Houston

Houston is still recovering from last week’s epic College Football Championship weekend and Monday night game, but plenty of fun awaits this weekend.

Funnyman/songman/pitchman/doorman Craig Robinson heads to town for some laffs and can’t-miss stories. Holocaust Museum of Houston unveils a groundbreaking showcase of contributions of Black Americans from 1595 to the present — just in time for MLK Day. And MATCH brings a weekend of fun ranging from cocktails (adults) to bounce houses (kids).

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, January 11

Nicole Longnecker Gallery presents Todd Williamson & Andreas Somogyi Artist Meet and Greet

“Track and Soul: the Intersection of Velocity and Introspection,” the dual exhibit for Todd Williamson and Andreas Somogyi, closes with an artist meet and greet. "Track and Soul" is an exploration of contrasts and harmonies. It questions the boundaries between the silent strength that Williamson's abstract pieces exude and the roaring momentum in Somogyi's artworks. It's an invitation for viewers to move between moments of quiet contemplation and pulsating narratives. 6 pm.

Improv Houston presents Craig Robinson

Craig Robinson is arguably best known for his role as acerbic Dunder-Mifflin employee Darryl Philbin on NBC’s Emmy-winning The Office. (Personally, we know him as that big guy who shows up in a Judd Apatow or Seth Rogen movie and steals whatever scene he’s in.) Regardless of what you know him from, he is definitely a world away from his original career intentions. The former K-8 teacher is now a veteran in the comedy scene, killing it either onstage or in movies. 7:30 pm (7:30 & 9:45 Friday; 7 & 9:30 pm Saturday; 7:30 pm Sunday).

The Lone Bellow in concert

Coming straight outta Nashville, The Lone Bellow is a trio known for their transcendent harmonies, serious musicianship, and live performances. They'll celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut self-titled album. Their most recent release is 2022's Love Songs for Losers. Recorded at the possibly haunted former home of the legendary Roy Orbison, the result is an intimate meditation on the pain and joy and ineffable wonder of being human, at turns heartbreaking, irreverent, and sublimely transcendent. 8 pm.

Friday, January 12

Holocaust Museum Houston presents "The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection" opening day

Holocaust Museum Houston presents "The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection," celebrating the achievements and contributions of Black Americans from 1595 to the present.

The exhibition will feature over 100 of the shared treasures amassed by Bernard and Shirley Kinsey during their five decades of marriage. The collection includes masterful paintings and sculptures, photographs, rare books, letters, manuscripts, and more, including several new and yet-to-be seen pieces in the collection. Through Sunday, June 23. 10 am.

Box13 ArtSpace presents Raul Rene Gonzalez: "So Many Styles, I Am A Group Show" opening reception

To kick off 2024, Box13 Artspace’s Front Box Gallery will debut "So Many Styles, I Am A Group Show," a solo exhibition by multi-faceted artist Raul Rene Gonzalez. The exhibition features a selection of new works in painting, sculpture, drawing, and performance, largely influenced by the artist’s interests in work, play, family, music, and Houston. Through Saturday, February 10. 6 pm.

Houston Symphony presents "Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony + Yoonshin Song"

When composer Felix Mendelssohn toured Scotland at the age of 20, his experiences inspired a shining jewel of a memento in the joyful and invigorating Symphony No. 3 (aka the Scottish). One of the great concertos of the 20th century, Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2 will spotlight the talents of concertmaster Yoonshin Song. The concert, conducted by Juraj Valčuha, will also feature A. Clyne's Color Field. 8 pm (2:30 pm Sunday).

Smart Financial Centre presents Ron White

Out of all the comics who went on those popular Blue Collar Comedy Tours back in the day, you have to admit that Ron White was the least blue-collar of all of them. The Texas native usually comes out onstage in a sharp suit, smoking a cigar, sipping whiskey, and riffing on everything from politics to his upbringing to stupid people. If anything, the guy is more like the Southern version of Alan King. Anyway, check out his show this weekend. 8 pm.

Saturday, January 13

National Rubber Ducky Day at Dig World

Get ready for a quacking good time as Dig World celebrates National Rubber Ducky Day. 20 rubber duckies have been hidden throughout the park. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find one of the duckies and turn it in for a fabulous prize. It's a fantastic opportunity to make your visit even more memorable and add a touch of excitement to your National Rubber Ducky Day celebration. Whether you're visiting with family or friends, this playful activity is sure to bring joy and laughter to your day. 9 am.

Ars Lyrica Houston presents "Fugal Games"

Going down at Rice Duncan Recital Hall, "Fugal Games" celebrates the release of artistic director Matthew Dirst’s latest book on Bach’s Art of Fugue and Musical Offering, with a program featuring excerpts from both works. Dirst will be joined by an intimate instrumental ensemble, including violinists Elizabeth Blumenstock & Stephen Redfield and traverso player Colin St-Martin on this quintessentially Baroque program. 4 pm.

The Kyle Blue presents Give Me My Flowers Anniversary Show

Dynamic storyteller The Kyle Blue spends most days giving "flowers" to others while truly wanting flowers in return. Nothing makes him happier than bringing smiles to others with entertainment. In this one-man show that’s a mixture of comedy, poetry, hip-hop, theater, and improv, he’ll discuss the ups and downs of life, share stories, and provide a spark. Various artists will also perform. Hosted by The Legendary Black Snow. 7 pm.

Keith Sweat in concert with Dru Hill, Johnny Gill, and LeVelle

It’s time to break out the Hennessy and Crown Royal, because Keith Sweat is coming to town! The ’90s R&B icon will be performing all his new-jack classics and quiet-storm ditties to an audience of people who probably did the Running Man to his songs back in the day. But he’s also bringing with him fellow Clinton-era soul stars Dru Hill and Johnny Gill. Rising R&B singer LeVelle will open this throwback extravaganza. 7 pm.

Sunday, January 14

MATCH presents Mix-MATCH: A Mixed Arts Festival and Family Fun Day (Saturday and Sunday)

On Saturday, MATCH-Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston presents the first-ever Mix-MATCH: A Mixed Arts Festival along with Friends of River Oaks Theatre. The one-of-a-kind celebration of the creative spirit of Houston's small to mid-sized arts organizations, from theater to dance, from visual arts to community engagement. Look for brunch bites and cocktails before the shows. Tickets are $25. 10 am.

Sunday sees the 7th annual MATCH Family Fun Day, featuring an entire city block filled with performances and activities. Live performances will include Main Street Theater, concerts from Prelude Music, and Open Dance Project. There will also be bounce houses, face painters, balloon artists, stilt walkers, chalk artists, and more. Free. 1 pm.

Chefs for Paws

Chefs for Paws is back to celebrate another year of saving lives. You are invited to join them for a cocktail hour, followed by an exquisite, multi-course dinner prepared by some of Houston’s finest chefs and restaurants. All proceeds from this event will directly support Rescued Pets Movement’s life-saving mission, which has saved more than 84,000 homeless pets over the past decade. There will also be a silent auction featuring a variety of fantastic items and experiences, including jewelry, trips, sports memorabilia, gift cards, and more. 5 pm.

A Musical Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Join Community Music Center Houston and St. Mary of the Purification R.C. Church for a delightful, free and family-friendly concert featuring a diverse range of musical genres, including African American spirituals, classical compositions, as well as a hip-hop orchestra fusion. The "Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra," led by music director Dr. Anne Lundy, will be performing. Donations are warmly appreciated to support their mission. 5 pm.

Movie Review

Rachel McAdams goes feral in Sam Raimi's gory new comedy Send Help

Photo by Brook Rushton

Rachel McAdams in Send Help.

Director Sam Raimi has gone through different phases as a filmmaker, including leading the first Spider-Man trilogy and joining the MCU with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But he first gained notice with the gory and funny Evil Dead movies, a sensibility he’s returning to with his latest film, Send Help.

Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is a meek and eccentric middle manager at a financial firm that’s just named Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien) as its new nepo CEO. Bradley’s dad had promised Linda a promotion to vice president, but she gets passed over in favor of one of Bradley’s frat buddies, sending her into a mild rage. Still, she gets invited along on a planned business trip to Thailand, during which she hopes to prove her worth.

Unfortunately for most of the passengers on the private plane, it crashes into the ocean, leaving only Linda and Bradley alive on a deserted island. Linda, who has privately developed survival skills, adapts quickly to the forbidding environment, while Bradley tries to revert to bossing her around. But Linda quickly understands the power dynamic has shifted, and she uses this knowledge to try to keep Bradley in line, turning their stranding into a battle of wills.

Directed by Raimi and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, the film is the classic “so bad it’s good” kind of experience. McAdams, inarguably an attractive and charming person, is given stringy hair, an antisocial personality, and quirks like eating tuna fish at her desk to make her as off-putting as possible. Bradley, along with almost everyone else at her office, is stereotyped just as hard in order to set up the twist of fate.

When the action shifts to the island, things get even more over the top. The audience has already been primed for Linda to demonstrate her survival expertise, but the film does way more than just show her making fire. Whether it’s flawlessly building a shelter or hunting a wild boar, everything Linda does is portrayed in a slightly off-kilter manner. Then they turn everything up to 11, indulging in gore that is so unnecessary that you can’t help but laugh.

The filmmakers prove they’re in on the joke the rest of the way, including a variety of preposterous but hilarious scenarios that would cause massive eyerolls if they were actually trying to take the film seriously. While they do a great job of showing Linda’s ability to handle herself in the wild, they also show that she is somehow the only person in the world who could get a glow up after a plane crash and weeks living in nature.

McAdams, an Oscar-nominated actor for Spotlight, is way too high class for a movie like this, which makes her presence here all the more interesting. She is all-in on whatever Raimi wants her to do, and she’s at her most fun when she goes the animalistic route. O’Brien, who was great in the recent Twinless, doesn’t get as much of an opportunity to show his range, but he still proves to be an interesting foil for her.

Were it released in any other month, Send Help might be looked at as bottom of the barrel material. But with the movie year just getting started, it’s easier to forgive its outrageous plot twists and just have fun, especially since Raimi and his team put the rest of the film together so well.

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Send Help opens in theaters on January 30.

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