weekend event planner

Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend

Bark in the park with the canine-friendly Sunday event, DOGust.

Photo by Lynn Sabo

Who feels like going back to the '90s this weekend?

If you long for the days of Zima wine coolers and appointment television like Melrose Place, you might also dig this concert featuring Green Day, Weezer and Fall Out Boy, going down this Thursday at Minute Maid Park. (You don't have to show up in JNCO jeans, but it wouldn't hurt.)

If you don't feel like getting your '90s on, you could also head over to East End Backyard the same night and check out the Concacaf Gold Cup watch party. Qatar vs USA will be at 6:30 pm, while Mexico vs. Canada will be at 9 pm.

Also, look for art happenings, cool concerts, an adorable dog adoption bash, and the nicest way to tell someone they're in the Friend Zone. Here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, July 29

Miller Outdoor Theatre presents Summer Mixtape Series
The Miller Summer Mixtape series is a three-day, multi-genre, independent music showcase featuring Houston’s top local acts. From jazz to punk, reggae to country and indie rock to pop, music lovers are invited to enjoy their favorite local artists on the lawn under the stars or from the pavilion seats. You can also watch it on the Miller Outdoor Theatre website, YouTube channel or Facebook page. 8:30 pm.

Second Promises at Two Headed Dog
Midtown hangout Two Headed Dog will be having quite the birthday-party experience for one of its employees, Khrystah Luisa de los Santos. There will be showing a double bill of Teen Wolf and An American Werewolf in London. The b-day girl will be serving up drink specials, while pop-up kitchen Knives in Water will provide an "after-school lunch program." There will also be a $2 crush-letter note passing and trivia with prizes. 9 pm.

Friday, July 30

Regal Edwards Greenway Grand Palace presents Without Getting Killed or Caught
This documentary is the true story of Guy Clark, the dean of Texas songwriters, who struggles to write poetic yet indelible songs while balancing a complicated marriage with wife Susanna, and a deep friendship with singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, whom Susanna forged a passionate dependence. There are multiple screenings each day following the listed start time; go to the theater's website for a full schedule. Through Thursday, August 5. 1:05 pm.

Friend Zone Friday at State of Mind
Do you have a friend who's trying to take it to that next level, but you're like, "Nah, I'm good"? Don't worry about it — State of Mind has your back with this event. The nightclub will have fabulous food (including vegan options), a full bar, vendors, free parking, and a DJ playing music. So, when you tell your buddy you don't think of them that way, at least refreshments and entertainment will be there to make them feel better. 7 pm.

The Texas Lottery & Resound presents Luck Happens Live
To us, D.C. rapper Wale will always be known as the guy who found a way to bring the TV show Seinfeld into hip-hop. He memorably released two mixtapes, The Mixtape About Nothing and More About Nothing, sliding in snippets from the show. He eventually got with Jerry Seinfeld himself for The Album About Nothing. Anyway, he'll be headlining Texas Lottery's Luck Happens Live, with Riders Against the Storm. 8 pm.

Saturday, July 31

BLK Beetles Run CRW at Tipping Point Coffee
BLK Beetles is designed to inspire, empower and support community members throughout their wellness journey. They provide opportunities for community members to build authentic fellowships while collectively creating new and thriving wellness spaces. They are days away from the first community run meet-up, starting at Tipping Point Coffee. Everyone is welcome. Radical and inclusive, just the way a running CRW should be. 7 am.

Shaping the Past Exhibition Opening at Project Row Houses
The Shaping the Past Exhibition will open to the public for the first time this Saturday at Project Row Houses' Community Gallery, together with the opening event of "Round 52: Gulf Coast Anthropocene." This Round questions what public art can inform us about this era, our connection to the built and natural environments, and our need for a more just and sustainable here-and-now. 3 pm.

Jason Mraz (and Southern Avenue) at White Oak Music Hall
Yes, Jason Mraz will be performing in Houston this weekend, but let's rap a taste about his opening act, Southern Avenue. The Memphis-based, Grammy-nominated band bridges the power of Memphis soul with jam-band liberation, gospel blues, and R&B to craft their own timeless brand of American music. The band will be releasing their new album Be the Love You Want on Friday, August 27. 8 pm.

Sunday, August 1

DOGust at Woodshed Smokehouse
Chef Tim Love's Levy Park smokehouse will host rescue awareness days every Sunday in August with Lola's Lucky Day, a Houston non-profit that rescues stray dogs in Texas and finds them homes in Wisconsin. Woodshed will offer a free appetizer and peanut butter milk-bone with any purchase during the events. Dog lovers can pet and play with the pups on the dog-friendly patio, or bring their own furry friend for a day in the park. Noon.

Main Street Theater presents Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School
Main Street Theater will present the final performance of Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School, the sequel to Junie B. Jones the Musical. This is the wisecracking first grader’s newest adventure, writing her own survival guide with tips and tricks on surviving an entire day at school. (This sounds cute as hell.) Also, the new performance location will be MECA at TBH on S. Jensen Dr. 3:30 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Two-part documentary STEVE! shows the many facets of Steve Martin

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Steve Martin in STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in two pieces.

Not many people have been able to reinvent themselves as seemingly easily as Steve Martin has. Arguably the premier comedian of the late 1970s, he walked away from his unique version of stand-up comedy to become a movie star, a title he earned for almost 30 years. Along the way, he also became an acclaimed playwright, banjo player, and art collector, and now in his seventies, he’s returned to his first love alongside fellow comedian Martin Short.

Given the multitude of titles he’s held over the years, it should come as no surprise that the new Apple TV+ documentary about him, STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in two pieces, is not one film but two. The first, subtitled Then, is about his showbiz beginnings in the 1960s and his ascent to stardom in the mid-1970s. Anyone who has read Martin’s stellar 2007 memoir, Born Standing Up, will be familiar with much of the details, but they still remain fascinating.

Using a variety of clips and original animation to illustrate Martin’s history, director Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) takes the audience on a trip through Martin’s highlights. These include his first job as a magician at Disneyland, working for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, dating the daughter of blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, hosting Saturday Night Live, and more. For those not well-versed in Martin’s history, the film does an effective job at showing just how unusual Martin’s comedy was, and how big of a celebrity he became.

With Martin appearing in old clips and via a voiceover, it’s not immediately apparent that the first film features no actual footage filmed by Neville. Everything shown is either archival or animated, with Martin and interviewees like Jerry Seinfeld, Lorne Michaels, Martin’s collaborator John McEuen, and Martin’s sister Melinda Dobbs only speaking via audio clips. The film is no less engrossing because of this decision, and demonstrates an understanding on Neville’s part that no embellishment is needed for this part of the story.

It’s in the second part, Now, that the modern-day Martin makes his first on-camera appearance, and there’s an immediate difference, with the first scene showing him making breakfast in his kitchen setting the tone. While many of his movies – like Three Amigos, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, L.A. Story, and Father of the Bride – are brought up, it’s less a celebration of his great work and more a wistful reflection on the remarkable life he’s led by Martin.

Neville does include short clips of sit-down interviews with luminaries like Michaels, Tina Fey, Eric Idle, and Diane Keaton, but the two most notable celebrity appearances are a one-on-one conversation between Martin and Seinfeld, and multiple scenes showing the day-to-day friendship between Martin and Short. The comic duo, who have been touring together since 2014, are shown going biking, working on their stage show, and more, demonstrating the deep affection the two have for each other.

So much has happened in Martin’s life that Neville doesn’t even have time for his music efforts, including with his band, the Steep Canyon Rangers, or his collaborations with Edie Brickell, the latter of which resulted in the Tony-nominated musical, Bright Star. Time is made for Martin’s late-in-life family, including his wife, Anne Stringfield, and his daughter, who is hilariously kept off camera by being represented by a stick figure.

The second part also shows Martin taking on yet-another title, as he collaborates with cartoonist/illustrator Harry Bliss on a book featuring comic strips with anecdotes about Martin’s many movies. With Martin also currently starring in the hit Hulu show Only Murders in the Building alongside Short and Selena Gomez, it seems that his ability to reinvent himself knows no bounds.

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STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in two pieces is now streaming on Apple TV+.

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Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend

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Movie Review

Two-part documentary STEVE! shows the many facets of Steve Martin

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Houston intel delivered daily.