a night to remember

Where to eat, drink, and party on White Linen Night in the Heights

We strongly suggest wearing white.

Photo courtesy of White Linen Night in the Heights

One of summer’s most popular evenings takes place this Saturday, August 4. White Linen Night returns to the Heights this weekend.

The original festival on 19th Street is still going strong. As CultureMap reported back in April, the nonprofit 19th Street Merchants Association is charging $10 this year, which helps defray expenses associated with security and logistics from the massive party. All of the street’s shops will be open, restaurants will be running specials, and bands will perform on the closed off section of 19th Street between Yale and Ashland.

One thing to note: It is important to take the name seriously when deciding on what to wear.

“You want to wear all white. You will stick out like a sore thumb if you do not join the crowd,” The Feel Good Group founder Casey Barbles said in April. “Linen is a good idea, because it breathes. It’s hot, but when the sun sets it’s a perfect evening.”

But of course, 19th Street isn’t the only place where people will be partying on Saturday night. White Linen Night has spread across the Heights and even to adjacent neighborhoods like Shady Acres and Garden Oaks. We’ve rounded up more than a dozen options for those who want to make it a White Linen Day, White Linen Night, and White Linen Late Night.

Bauhaus will have a WLN afterparty. Machine Elves will take over the patio, along with Flight Controllers, Rick Arter and Tré, with special guest Colton Cameron. You will have access to that event and SOSA in the main room. 10 pm.

Christian’s Tailgate will hold its first beer die tournament on WLN. Experience fun entertainment and deals like live DJs, food trucks, karaoke, photo booth opportunities, and local vendors. 4 pm.

Dan Electros suggests that you might wanna wear white dashikis for their WLN party. Roots reggae legends DEM Roots and longtime homies GALVEZTON will jam the music all night. Food will be provided by the food dudes. 8 pm.

Elevate Creative Studios will have an unforgettable fusion of creativity and margaritas at Agave and Art. Enjoy complimentary margaritas as you immerse yourself in a gallery filled with bright and captivating artistry. 3 pm.

EZ’s Liquor Lounge will be all geared up and ready for White Linen Night revelers. Western Jelly will provide live entertainment from 7-10 pm. 11 am.

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Heights & Co. will have a complimentary mimosa with any brunch order and $7 Bloody Marys from noon to 1 pm. To get you ready for the nighttime festivities, sip on $10 espresso martinis until 6 pm. Noon.

Heights Antiques on Yale will celebrate WLN with a storewide sale, full of items that’ll be 20-50% off. There will also be a sidewalk sale as well as complimentary appetizers and a drinks buffet. 10 am.

Heights Grocer will host a wine tasting with David Mayfield Selections. Stop by between 2-4 pm to sample three tasty wines.

The Heights Theater wants people to enjoy local shopping, live music, great local eateries, and more along 19th Street this WLN. They also hope that people will eventually stop by the theater, where DJ G-Funk will have a destined-to-be-funky set. 7 pm.

Little Woodrow’s in the Heights will have what they call a WLN glow party. They’ve got DJ sets all day and night, drink specials, and plenty of surprises in store. 1 pm.

Moonshine Deck says it will have the most epic party on 20th Street. There will be non-stop beats from some of Houston’s best DJs, including Ak Ya Daddy and DJ Palmo. Add to that photo ops, sips, bites, and surprises galore. 11 am.

Onion Creek Cafe says their WLN will be served up carnival style. Denverado’s Movers & Shakers will be performing, along with DJ Melodic & some go-go dancers. Deck yourself out in a cool white outfit and come dance under the giant disco ball with your friends. 7:30 pm.

Permission Whiskey interior Permission Whiskey will be full on White Linen Night. Courtesy of Permission Whiskey

Permission Whiskey goes all out for WLN by tenting its parking lot, booking DJs, and keeping the party going until 2 am. Look for drink specials and a special toast at midnight. James, the bar’s companion speakeasy, will host a champagne takeover beginning at 6 pm. 4 pm.

Re•Vive Salon & Spa will be hosting a free event. Come meet all the beauty professionals that are housed at Re•Vive. They will have music, a food truck, local vendors, photo booth, hookahs and 100 swag bags to the first 100 visitors. 6:30 pm.

Shady Acres Saloon will have a lot of things going down. We’re talking arts and crafts vendors, beer specials courtesy of Saint Arnold, giveaways & new product samples, and live performances from Patrick B. Ray and Walker County Line. 5 pm.

The Stomping Grounds and Jim Beam have teamed up for a free event to celebrate WLN. Pop Shop America will have a market with 30 local makers and artists, while Bayou City Funk and DJ Good Soul will provide the grooves. 6 pm.

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Movie Review

Fun final act isn't enough to make Clayface DC's next great movie

Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie in Clayface

Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh

Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie are patient and doctor in Clayface.

The history of DC Comics in movies has been hit-and-miss, especially when it comes to anything not directly involving Batman or Superman. Over the years, films have been headlined by heroes like Catwoman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Shazam, the Flash, and more, and while some succeeded, none left a lasting mark on moviegoers’ imaginations.

Much like they did with Joker, the powers-that-be behind DC Studios productions are trying to entice viewers with a no-holds-barred story in Clayface. Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is an A-list movie actor with both critical and commercial appeal. Unfortunately, a night of celebration for his recent Oscar nomination leads to him sleeping with Theresa (Ruby Sear), the girlfriend of Markos Szabo (David Dencik), a prominent mobster in Gotham City. Markos then enacts revenge by taking a razor to Matt’s face.

Desperate to find a way to look like his old self again, Matt seeks out Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), who’s conducting cutting-edge nanotechnology research that can heal any kind of damage. While the solution works on Matt, it also has the side effect of his body doing unintended things, even morphing into those with whom he comes into contact. After initially struggling with his new body, Matt decides to use his powers to enact revenge on those who’ve done him wrong.

Directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil) and written by Mike Flanagan (The Life of Chuck) and Hossein Amini, the film is only intermittently entertaining as it tries to sell its ridiculous premise. Right from the start, it seems like the filmmakers have been given a limited budget, as everything from the sets to the CGI to the stilted dialogue feels cheap. For a film coming from a major studio, the whole thing comes off as schlocky and undercooked.

Watkins and his team try to make up for that shoddiness by delivering R-rated thrills like nudity and body horror, but those elements can only distract for so long. Much of the film is spent dealing with Matt’s trauma, and the downbeat nature of his body issues combined with very little action makes the movie not very fun to watch. The film also tries to make hay with more than a doctor-patient bond between Caitlyn — who has a boyfriend on the police force — and Matt, but like the most of the film, it never connects.

It’s not until the final third of the movie that the filmmakers land on the tone they should have been using the whole time. Matt’s ability to transform himself, while illogical and confounding, provides multiple over-the-top, funny moments and some legitimately creative kills. Instead of taking forever to set up Matt/Clayface’s origin story, Watkins and his team should have just cut to the chase and let him loose to see what the character could truly do.

This is the first big role for Welsh actor Harries, and while he’s not exactly magnetic, he proves himself worthy of the lead role. Ackie is also fine, but after several years of trying to advance up the Hollywood ladder, she may be running out of time to show she’s a star. The supporting cast has a couple of familiar faces, but it’s mostly lesser-known actors who do nothing to indicate they deserve bigger showcases.

It’s difficult to imagine any non-DC Comics fans having a strong attachment to the character of Clayface, and the film fails to make the case that he should be a continuing character. The poor quality of almost everything that appears on screen is indicative of the kind of effort and money that was put into the film, and sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

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Clayface opens in theaters on October 23.

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