Culture / Entertainment

Ariana Grande Bursts Into Houston (and Sorry Mariah, She’s Legit): The Weekend Guru’s Top Picks

BY // 04.07.17

Houston’s weekends are packed full of events, but how many of them are truly worthy of your time? PaperCity’s Matthew Ramirez cuts through the clutter to give you the best options in this weekly series.

Ball Out
In the midst of another spectacular Art Car Parade weekend (you can read the full preview here) comes the Legendary Art Car Ball, Friday from 7 to 11 pm at Herman Square at City Hall. A raucous time that is nothing like a stuffy black-tie gala, party goers usually don their most outrageous outfits and hit the night in the name of all things art cars and the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art.

This year’s installment is hosted by local queen Kam Franklin of The Suffers, a nationally renowned band who still calls Houston home. (You can read PaperCity‘s interview with her here.) Arnaldo Richards’ Picos provides food and beverages, alongside local and regional musicians. Tickets $35 at the door.

Don’t forget to catch the Art Car Parade as well, Saturday, 2 to 4 pm, with comedy legend Cheech Marin as grand marshal. The full guide, penned by yours truly, can be read here.

Wild and Crazy Guys
Comedy legends and transitive property namesakes Steve Martin and Martin Short hit the snazzy confines of Sugar Land’s Smart Financial Centre for a special appearance, performing their two-man show An Evening You Will Forget. Part career retrospectives, part storytelling revue, and complete with singing and banjo playing courtesy Steve Martin and bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers, the night promises to be something you, well, won’t forget.

Tickets start at $89.50, show at 8 pm Friday. Martin and Short also hit North Texas’ Verizon Theatre at 8 pm Saturday night.

She Has the Range
Pop superstar Ariana Grande hits the Toyota Center on Saturday night. Grande, who burst onto the scene in 2013 with her solid debut album Yours Truly, is now three albums deep into a surprisingly varied and smart career.

Grande approaches the range of Mariah Carey (who claims not to know who Ariana is) and has a solid ear for melodies, and her stellar 2016 record Dangerous Woman did not stray from her M.O. She’s a crossover talent with plenty of legit songwriting and performing chops, a standout in a contemporary pop scene ruled by mediocrity.

Little Mix and Victoria Monet open, with the Toyota letting fans in at 6:30 pm and show scheduled to begin at 7:30. Tickets start at $29.95.

Want Some Cheese with That Wine
The Sugar Land Wine and Food Affair, the annual four-day extravaganza, runs through Sunday. It’a bite and vino pop-up. For the full rundown of the festival, check out PaperCity‘s complete guide. Ticket prices vary.

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