::Max's Goes Underground:: Max's Wine Dive first caught our attention way back in December of 2006 with what has to be the best URL ever conceived: www.friedchickenandchampagneaftermidnight.com Since then, Max's has been serving up home cooked goodies alongside a steller wine and spirits list. Tonight, Max's embarks on a new concept, Max's Underground. About MAX’s Underground This new addition to Max's Wine Dive is a club that gets members exclusive details on all things......

The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is hosting The Beer Can Opener this Friday from 7 p.m. until Midnight! Officially, the Beer Can House opens to the general public on March 1st, however, you can participate in the special preview party, which will be resplendent with zydeco & honky tonk music, barbecue and beer! Shuttling you to and fro are, ART CARS, of course (and, how cool, we might add) - the "to" part......

Do you remember what fun is? More to the point, have you ever voluntarily subjected yourself to the bizarre and inexplicably enjoyed it? If you haven't, that probably only because you haven't heard the music of Leslie and the Ly's performed live yet. No worries, though; such a problem can be easily remedied and sooner than you think. Whether it be in gem sweaters or spandex pants, Leslie Hall knows how to rock the party.......

The Mink's Backroom seems like a haven for music events these days. We say "music events" because these don't seem like your run of the mill shows: we're talking exhaustive musical experiences. First was the Hootenanny, and now there's Menage e Trois. And it's only three dollars! Billing some of Houston's most eccentric bands, Menage e Trois looks like it's going to be a night overflowing with bitingly experimental sounds. The Balaclavas will offer up......

::Vinyl Ranch #6: A Tribute to the Female Legends of Country Music:: Oh Lordy do we need some country lovin'! Vinyl Ranch will be playing the best of the best tonight at the smallest country dance floor in Texas, currently in place at Leon's Lounge. Dave Wrangler and LJ Walker host this very special ladies night, along with guest DJ Chris Kairo. It's February, and if any month could use a little more honky......

This week marks the debut of the new location for Super Happy Fun Land. They have moved to 3801 Polk Street, and you can join their "Grand Opening Polka Party" (get it?) Friday night. Monday night, the Van Halen returns to Houston at the Toyota Center. We're hoping that Diamond Dave and boys don't have the same tuning mishap that they had at the beginning of their tour. Did we miss something? Let us......

::KTRU DJ Night at the Proletariat:: Yes, folks the rumors are true. The Proletariat will officially be closing it's doors on Feb 3rd, 2008. We've had a few weeks to stomach the news, but still get a little misty-eyed when we think about those damn red walls being knocked down. Leading up to the closing, the Pro is hitting it hard, with some killer events scheduled to bring the prolific Houston dive down with......

We recently told you about Dr. Sketchy and that they were having their first event this past Sunday at Avant Garden. Well, in true Houstonist fashion, we showed up to see what all the hype was about and had a blast while we were there. Billed as an anti-art school, Dr. Sketchy Houston provides models, a DJ, a cash bar, room to draw, prizes and all the fun, you provide the cover to get in,......

We all have that one friend who is just 100% too cool to shop at just any boring Land O' Retail - and that's where hip little spots like Sucker Punch Clothing (2609 Dunlavy) come into play. Tucked away in a tiny corner shop next to Raye (and across the street from Brasil's), Sucker Punch does indeed serve up a feisty fist to your average retail experience. Run by a crew of artists, DJs......

December always brings some good mini-festivals, and this week is a good example. It starts tonight with the KILT 10-Man Jam, featuring many popular country radio stars. Tomorrow night, the husband/wife team of Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis come into town for their annual Christmas show. Saturday, Chron.com showcases some of the best local talent in their concert at Warehouse Live. Finally, KRBE's annual Jingle Jam brings pop radio's favorite to the Toyota Center......

Update: Yesterday's news of Pimp C's dead shot across the city of Houston via blogs, message boards, and shocked emails. Rumors of foul play, even a mention of fellow rapper Spice 1 also being involved in a shooting, buzzed around town. The two incidents are not thought to be related. Capt. Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner's office said Butler had apparently died in bed. "At this time there's no signs of foul......

Steveland Hardaway Judkins is in town tonight. Why aren't you excited? Wait, you might know him by his stage name: Stevie Wonder. That's right, the R&B/pop master graces the stage of the Toyota Center as part of the final leg of his current tour. In fact, we expect to hear a minimum of two Stevie Wonder tracks at every wedding party we attend, and not just because we actually request that the DJ squeeze it......

::Steel Lounge Underground at the CAMH:: Did you miss the HIWI party last night at Lawndale? (Apparently some of us probably should have, given we mistook it for a drinking contest.) Well loyal readers, you are in luck. Two great things rolled into one awesome basement tonight: the Houston: It's Worth It folks will be hosting the final Steel Lounge of the year at the CAMH. In almost a deja vu of last night, DJ......

Radio rock fans have a decision to make tonight: see the currently hot band Avenged Sevenfold at Warehouse Live or catch the now-grown-up Silverchair at The Meridian. Speaking of the 90's, old school rapper Tone Loc will stop off at Fitzgerald's Thursday night. Local eclectic classical trio Two Star Symphony plays a special show Saturday night on the St. Thomas campus. Another local favorite, The Mathletes, open a show at Rudyard's Saturday night. The......

There are so many freaking cool things happening this weekend -- here's just a list of what Houstonist has on hand. Please send us the rest. Thursday November 29th HOUSTON. IT'S WORTH IT. Book Launch Party At the Lawndale Parking Lot, 4912 Main Street 6:30PM-9PM Images from the book will be projected on North wall of Lawndale art center. DJ Pooks spins the tunes and there will be refreshments. Proceeds from sales of the......

We've already told about the concerts we're most excited about this week: Peter Bjorn and John at Warehouse Live and local artist Ethan Durelle at Fitzgerald's, both this Friday night. We also told you about Tori Amos' visit to Jones Hall this Sunday. If that's not enough for you, a lot of local acts are leaving their parent's dinner table early and playing some great shows all throughout the holiday weekend. Maybe you should......

A lot of jokes are made at the expense of the boy-girl synth and vocal duo. Granted, it has become a recipe in the D.I.Y. music scene. And sure, the charming and attractive female singer and the quietly reserved guy on the keys being relatively easy to come by, but Portland's Glass Candy is anything but formulaic. So polish those dancing shoes because these heralds of the newly revived Italo disco movement are coming back......

Indie/hip-hop fans will enjoy tonight's line up at Warehouse Live, headlined by Aesop Rock. Tomorrow night, check out local rock band Days Drive at Rudyard's. Originally from New Orleans, but transplanted to Houston after Hurricane Katrina, the Rebirth Brass Band always puts on a horn-filled funk show - catch them at the Meridian Friday night. Songwriter/guitarist Anne McCue lands at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar Saturday night. The alt/rock band Brand New is playing two......

Happy Halloween ghosts and ghouls! There’s a slew of great bands playing in Houston this week before heading up to a certain festival this weekend (hint: ____ ). We’ve got mega-celebs that have their own fragrances wrecking the Toyota Center in English AND Espanol on Wed., we’ve got huge indie bands Spoon and the New Pornographers teaching class on Thurs, and we have the Houstonist pick o’ the week: M.I.A. and Paul Wall on......

Mash-up DJ Girl Talk rolls into town to play a show at the Engine Room on Thursday night. Armed with his laptop and ready arsenal of body-thumping mixes, Girl Talk’s Gregg Gillis will make you move. If you don’t know, now you know; less than two years ago, Gillis worked as a biomedical engineer by day-turned-mad scientist of beats and samples at night and on the weekends, mixing potent mash-ups and performing in front of......

Calling all cool kids (or, just kids aiming to be cool at some point in the future...cool adults are fine, too...or, well, you know...)...Contemporary Arts Museum Houston brings us a Steel Lounge Underground Halloween Bash tonight with their friends at KTRU 91.7 Rice Radio. Come early for a special preview screening of the season premier of art:21, focusing on contemporary artists and romance, beginning at 8 p.m. in the Cullen Education Resource Room at......

We're moving the weekly Live Music Calendar to Wednesdays to make room for our new weekly New CD Releases feature on Tuesday. OK, let's pretend you have a five-day date with some wannabe Sirius radio DJ and you have to wade through everything the city has to offer this week. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Well, good thing you listen to everything we have to say! May we recommend that you start off in familiar territory......

::Vinyl Ranch at Leon's Lounge:: As the Houston Press finally put to rest the debate of Houston's oldest bar yesterday, we were busy planning our strategic involvement in the 2nd Annual Vinyl Ranch at Leon's Lounge. Yes, DJ Dave Wrangler is doing it again,. If you missed the first Vinyl Ranch, you are probably still kicking your self. Well, at least we are. (Kicking oursevles, not kicking you.) So what is Vinyl Ranch? Think: Gilley's......

During our daily scrummage though Houston's many local music blogs, we ran across this event brought to us by HoustonSoReal. We'll just let you hear it from Sonzala... Thursday Sept. 27th Witnes and I are bringing DJ Queen Majesty and Grimy Styles to the Proletariat for a Punky Reggae Party. For those who don't know, Punky Reggae is a term, I think coined by Bob Marley and/or Lee Scratch Perry, anyway it was their reaction......

If you can't find a live show you like this week, then you're not trying hard enough. Tonight, NYC's (once) indie-rockers Interpol hits the Verizon Wireless Theater. For something more local, check out John Evans roots rock set at the Mucky Duck. Tomorrow night, German DJ Paul Van Dyke will have everyone dancing at Warehouse Live. The Meridian turns down the amp (just a bit) on Thursday night to host Americana flavored Junior Brown......

Spent all your cash on girlie drinks and shattered dreams again this weekend, didn't you? No worries - Thriftster gives you the lowdown on cheap stuff to do until Paycheck Friday. Monday: Fight the Monday blues with booze, munchies and beats. Hit Berryhill Tamales all over the city for cheap-o specials (like $2 fish tacos in Montrose and free tamales with bar drinks in River Oaks). After you've devoured your share, head over to Brasil......

Back in February of this year, Houstonist attended a screening of the 1983 ground-breaking documentary Style Wars, as part of the MFA's "Movies Houstonians Love" series. The film, presented by one half of UGK,Bun B, was screened to a sold out crowd of Houstonians, and was followed by more than an hour's worth of conversation surrounding Houston's underground music and art culture, that was co-led by Style Wars star and DJ legend, Kay Slay.......

Triple Threat Edition So we couldn't decide on one event for tonight, so we're giving you three. We are so damn generous some times. Besides, this week has been so long we figured you needed an extra long Friday to make up for it. Well, of course there's the Txt Me L8r SPIN Party at HCP that we'll all be at. Two of your favorite Houstonist contributors (wait, you have favorites, right?) will be participating......

Houstonist Co-Hosts Ben Kweller After Party Sulking at home tonight because you didn't get tickets to the sold out Ben Kweller show at Walter's on Washington? Come drown you sorrows with the rest of us as Houstonist co-hosts with Squad Car Media the Ben Kweller After Party at Pearl Bar [4216 Washington] --formerly Mary Jane's. Kweller is often touted as one of the greatest song writers of his generation. In the vein of Tom Petty,......

Vinyl Ranch @ Leon's Lounge Sure, living in Texas you'd think that we'd get enough of the cowboy culture, but sometimes it seems we are trying so hard to smash that stereotype, we aren't embracing what we love about our drawls and spit cups. We're all about a party where we can "take a ride on Trigger the Wonder Horse" and "take a whack at the last call pinata" (wait, that's not the bartender?). Especially......