Can't decide what to do for the Fourth of July and upcoming three-day weekend? Don't know which Independence Day scene is quite right for you? Don't worry, patriots: Houstonist is here to help. Freedom Over Texas For the traditionalist in you, the City of Houston will hold its annual Freedom Over Texas event at Eleanor Tinsley Park in downtown. Sponsored by Chevy, you can all but count on the attendance of truck-owners and NASCAR fans.......

Up and coming singer/songwriter Alice Smith [pictured] is scheduled to perform on the Ellen DeGeneres show this week. Monday -ABC, 11:05pm: Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maroon 5 Tuesday -CBS, 10:35p: Late Show with David Letterman, Lenny Kravitz -NBC, 10:35pm: Tonight Show with Jay Leno, John Fogerty Wednesday -CBS, 12:05am: Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Collective Soul -NBC, 2:05am: Last Call with Carson Daly, A Fine Frenzy -CBS, 10:35p: Late Show with David Letterman, Ayo -NBC,......

You might want to set your TiVo for these. PBS is re-airing three great music docs on Saturday night, including a live performance of Willie Nelson's new classic country album and a collection of archival concert footage of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Monday -ABC, 11:05pm: Jimmy Kimmel Live, Hot Hot Heat Tuesday -NBC, 7am: Today Show, James Taylor -ABC, 9am: Regis and Kelly, Jordin Sparks -NBC, 12pm: Ellen DeGeneres, Soulja Boy Wednesday -NBC, 7am: Today Show,......

You don't have to be Willie Nelson or even McDonald's to be so cool as to run biodiesel in your tank. In fact, you can fill up right here in Houston, thanks to Chris Powers, the originator and driving force behind Houston Biodiesel. Houstonist has been visiting Houston Biodiesel for almost a year, and has found the prices to be as good, if not better, than regular diesel. In addition, Houstonist's recent model Jetta is......

Houston Arts Alliance Literary Salon Tonight, longtime Texas singer/songwriter and current Poet Laureate of Texas, Steve Fromholz will take the stage at Houston Arts Alliance’s (HAA) Literary Salon, and this time he will be without his guitar. Fromholz will speak at the event and read from a collection of his poetry. With a career spanning more than 40 years and involving the likes of Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, John Denver and Jerry Jeff Walker, Fromholz’......

Houston native and country music legend Johnny Bush will be appearing at Brazos Bookstore tonight, to sign copies of his memoirs Whiskey River (Take My Mind): The True Story of Texas Honky-Tonk. Bush was born in Houston, but found himself traveling to central Texas as a teenager, trying to make it as a country singer. A decade later, Bush played with several different bands, including Ray Price’s and Willie Nelson’s – where he became a......

Good morning, Houston. We don't know about you, but we at Houstonist have long been fans of Willie Nelson. And so, apparently, has local rapper/promoter/jeweler Paul Wall: Wall tells MTV News that he booked time at Nelson's studio to record his new album, Get Money, Stay True because he thought he would run into the Red-Headed Stranger while he was there — but alas, there was no Willie for Wall. "I didn't get a......

Before we get into this week's calendar, here are some upcoming concerts recently added that you may want to snag tickets for in advance: The Shins – 3/6 @ Verizon Wireless (on sale today @ 5 p.m.) The Toadies – 3/14 @ Verizon Wireless (reunion show) My Chemical Romance – 4/14 @ Reliant Arena Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – 4/26 @ Warehouse Live As for this week: if you want some Willie on......

There's no velvet rope to hurdle or doorman to bribe to gain entry, but you may need to wait three-deep at the bar because this Houston institution appeals to folks from all walks of life who have booze on the brain. Corporate cube pilots stop in to take off the edge after work. Actors and stage folk from nearby theatres are known to unwind here after a performance. Houstonist even saw two country-strong gentlemen......

Believe it or not, Willie Nelson used to go to church — in fact, he cites church as where he honed his musical skills as a young boy. But did you know he loved his church so much that when it came up for sale in May and Willie got a call from childhood friend Donald Reed, Nelson decided to buy the church building and preserve it forever? Well, now you do. The Abbott......

Wednesday Start your concert week off with some British electronica. The Orb has returned to a more ambient sound with Okie Dokie It's the Orb on Kompakt. 8 p.m. at Warehouse Live | tickets and info Thursday Another fine example of great local talent is Scattered Pages. Their smart indie-pop landed them a record deal with Three Ring records. Expect an EP out this spring. Music: “Americant” 10 p.m. at the Continental Club |......

Who can forget "Don't Mess with Texas?" This year, the anti-litter ad campaign that's become part of our state's consciousness turns 20 — and TxDOT is marking its birthday with a star-studded series of ads that will debut during the Cotton Bowl today featuring Texans including Lance Armstrong and Erykah Badu. We were kind of amazed by how versatile the campaign has been: The inaugural "Don't Mess with Texas" campaign targeted sports-and-music-loving, pickup-truck-driving men......

We heard a lot of hubbub about the Country Music Association awards show being held in New York City ("New York City?!") last week. Houstonist yawned at that news, knowing that it would be a showcase of corporate-generated pop music out of Nashville disguised as country. Fortunately, we still treasure the more traditional style of country music in our state (usually referred to as Americana), with many musicians from the Houston area that have been......