Quinn's Big City - 2010 January

2010-02-01/28 Monthly LOVIEE

posted 2010-01-31T23:31 last mod. 2010-02-01T09:24

Yes, this month is a bit light. I did not put my usual effort in, I’ll just come right out and say it. Maybe I’ll end the experiment of changing the style and mission in time for March’s monthly LOVIEE. I don’t know yet.

All month

Ron Hoover: “A Retrospective”, Art Car Museum, 140 Heights, Wed-Sun 11am-6pm, free admission. Hoover’s art is known not just for being great art but for embodying his political activism. While Hoover passed away in 2008, he left a legacy that will be rememberd by generations to come. Exhibit will remain on view until March 5. 10-RHR

Friday 02-05

2600 Magazine meeting, Ninfa’s Express seating area, Galleria IV (near Nordstrom’s). Monthly gathering of computer and technology enthusiasts to discuss programming, operating systems, computer security, hacking, geek culture, and related topics. 10-M02-1

Friday 02-12 through Sunday 02-14

STOMP, Jones Hall, Fri 8pm, Sat 5pm & 9pm, Sun 3pm & 7pm. Presented by the Society for the Performing Arts. 10-M02-2

Saturday 02-27

Johnny Cash Bash, The Continental Club, 3700 Main, doors 8pm, no cover charge mentioned. Featuring: The Skeletons, Glenna Bell with Jimmy Pizzitola, The Band in Black, Craig Kinsey Band, and W. S. “Fluke” Holland Band. 10-M02-3

posted by Shawn K. Quinn

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2010-01-25/31 Weekly LOVIEE

posted 2010-01-24T18:54 last mod. 2010-01-25T00:54

Regular readers may notice this week’s LOVIEE is lighter than usual. This is about what they’ll probably look like for a while. I’m putting the finishing touches on February’s monthly LOVIEE and it too will be lighter than usual. I’d say check the ongoing LOVIEE but it’s starting to show that it’s out of date.

I may even change the format entirely. I’m going to post another “verbiage” post in a couple of days once I get it all straightened out.

Wednesday 01-27

Your Amsterdam as part of Wicked Wednesdays at Continental Club, 3700 Main, 8pm, $5. Also featuring Whiskey Boat, which apparently will be the usual Wednesday night act to start 2010. 10-M01-6

Wednesday 01-27 through Sunday 01-31 (and beyond)

Friday 01-29

The Flamin’ Hellcats, Rudyard’s, 2010 Waugh, 9pm, $7. (Not sure if the time is doors or show.) Great rock and roll very close to the style of the rock and roll pioneers of the 1950s and 1960s, with hints of newer styles. 10-W04-1

Beginning Friday 01-29

Mrs. Mannerly, Alley Theatre (Neuhaus Stage), 615 Louisiana, times vary by day, $40. A play inspired by memories of a childhood etiquette class, in which a young boy named Jeffrey is determined to be the first to get a perfect score in the title character’s demanding etiquette class. Tickets available at website or by calling 713-220-5700. 10-ATMM

The Turn of the Screw, Houston Grand Opera, Fri 7:30pm, Sun 2pm. $29+. A story of two children, drawn into the world of the dead by the ghosts of their prior governess and her lover. As an added bonus for those new to opera: this one is sung in English with English supertitles. 10-HGOTOTS

Saturday 01-30

D.R.U.M. at Continental Club, 3700 Main, $10 advance/$15 at door. African rhythm with a healthy influence of jazz, R&B, Latin, and pop. A true testament to the diversity of Houston’s music scene! 10-M01-7

posted by Shawn K. Quinn

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The new era

posted 2010-01-21T11:10 last mod. 2010-01-21T17:11

One often-quoted saying, which I have used as a title of a blog post in the past is “the only constant is change.” (I’m not going to link it here, as it’s not really that relevant.) And such it is here. These are big changes and those left who actually read this blog should know what is happening. That’s why this verbiage is posted here and not on another blog of mine, where rants like this normally go.

The landscape is completely different now than what it was approximately five months ago when I soft-launched this blog. It’s different than it was three months and change from when I wide-launched. I’m not going to lie; I had hoped to have a much larger readership than I wound up with.

And then it hit me. Remember the infamous last lines from Joshua, the computer in WarGames? “The only winning move is not to play. [pause] How about a nice game of chess?” And maybe, given some of my motivations, that was the winning move, of sorts. But I’m in the game, so short of withdrawing (taking the blog down entirely), I think my winning move is a complete change of mission and focus. It will take me a few days to update the Facebook page and the about page to reflect where this project of mine is going now.

I have serious doubts people take the LOVIEE feature seriously. I doubt I will do another holiday special LOVIEE again; that was way too much energy for very little reward. And I have received almost no feedback. No “nice list” or “wow, this little blog of yours is coming along great.” No retweets that I’ve noticed.

So this is the new rationale:

I’m dropping “The best of” in favor of some other tagline to be determined. It doesn’t fit at all with the new direction.
The LOVIEE feature more or less reflects where I’d spend my time given unlimited money, transportation, and multiplicity (i.e. if I could clone myself I’d be everywhere on the list). To be honest, for some weeks this is what the weekly LOVIEE was.
The LOVIEE feature might even get renamed. At the time I was proud of my stroke of genius. Now, I’m not even sure how much I really like Houston any more.
The recaps are more or less a memoir I’m sharing with the rest of you. If you guys like them, great. If not, well, maybe you should read professional reviews instead. I’m not for everyone. I’m a lot like the old MTV slogan: “MTV: we’re not known for our good taste.” And so it is with me. I love America, I love the First Amendment, and by all means, if my style of event recaps bore you, vote with your keyboard and mouse.
I no longer feel bound by a desire to try to attract readers. If I get more readers, great. If I lose a few, well, I pay by the byte, so it saves me a few pennies here and there if a few people leave. (I do have some level of fixed expenses charged by my host, due to increase sometime soon.)

I haven’t even decided what I’m going to do about the yet-to-be-launched “On the Horizon” feature. I’ve drawn a graphic and everything. I may just show off the graphic, once, to show what it would have looked like if anyone actually cares, and then bury the concept unused.

I do regret it a little bit if this disappoints anyone. But these changes are necessary to keep this blog fun for me. I’d rather make an effort to put the fun back into it than just shut it down completely. Maybe this will teach me there is no fun to be had in it at all. Maybe I’ll get new readers that enjoy watching the cyberspace equivalent of a train wreck. I don’t know what the future holds, but just because I don’t know what is on the other side of a door does not mean I refuse to open it.

posted by Shawn K. Quinn modified by

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2010-01-18/24 Weekly LOVIEE

posted 2010-01-17T18:37 last mod. 2010-01-18T14:47

This week’s LOVIEE is a bit lighter than I had hoped it to be. Nevertheless, I have something for every day but Tuesday. A few things–actually, it may wind up being more like a lot of things–will be changing up around here and I will have a more complete announcement later this week.

Monday 01-18

The Ice at Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney. $10 including tax and skate rental, see Web site for detailed hours and group discount information. More details in the monthly LOVIEE. LAST DAY. 09/10-IADG

Wednesday 01-20

Insurgent Theatre presents “Ulysses’ Crewmen” at Sedition Books, 901 Richmond, 6:30pm. The play is written within the framework of Homer’s Odyssey, and shows the opposite outcome to illustrate political economies and bureaucracy in today’s world. From the calendar entry: “The show is intense, high energy, and contains strong language.” (I’m guessing that is the rough equivalent of the MPAA’s “R” or maybe even “NC-17” rating.) Preceded by a set from Torry Mercer and the Deconstruction Crew, a folk/acoustic act. 10-W03-1

Garbage Dreams, Rice University, entrance no. 8 (University Blvd. at Stockton Dr.), 7pm, free admission. This film is an epic tale of three young garbage collectors from Cairo who make a living by recycling their haul, and the large global waste companies which threaten their way of life. 10-W03-2

Thursday 01-21

Houston Press Flashback Thursdays: Gene’s Addiction (KISS tribute band) at Lucky’s Pub, 801 St. Emanuel, 8pm, no cover. 10-W03-3

Thursday 01-21 through Saturday 01-23

Company Clare Dyson’s Voyeur at DiverseWorks, 1117 East Freeway, 8pm, tickets available online and are priced “pay what you want.” This is the US premiere of the performance installation of the Australian-based Company Clare Dyson. From the description: “In this exciting new work, audiences are not passive viewers, they choose where and how they view the performance. Seats on stage surround the set, situated in front of specially designed ‘peepholes,’ giving specialized viewing experiences. Some seats have binoculars, others headsets that reveal the performers’ inner monologues.” One of the most innovative twists on performing arts that I have heard of. A definite “don’t miss” performance! 10-M01-4

Friday 01-22

Be The Ball, Hermann Park Golf Course clubhouse, 2155 North MacGregor Dr. (at Almeda), 8-11pm (underwriters’ preview at 7pm), $100. Tickets available online at Glasstire or by calling 713-850-0939. Featuring 80s music from Molly & the Ringwalds and an art auction with work from several top Texas artists, as well as the usual adult beverages (provided by Savvy Vodka, The Tasting Room, Max’s Wine Dive, and Saint Arnold Brewery) and snacks. 10-M01-5

Sunday 01-24

Anvil at House of Blues, 1204 Caroline, 7pm, $20+. Metal band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which sounds a lot like a cross between KISS, Motley Crue, and Alice Cooper, updated a bit for the current decade. Also featuring Sid 17. 10-W03-4

posted by Shawn K. Quinn

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