Culture / Entertainment

The Weekend Guru: 5 Under-the-Radar Events in Houston This Weekend — Emoji Fever Included

BY // 03.31.17

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.

Get Lucky
One of the coolest events on the spring arts calendar year in and year out is DiverseWorks’ Luck of the Draw. At heart a fundraiser, once you purchase a ticket you can also purchase Art Chances, which entitle you to an original artwork from names like Mel Chin, Earl Staley, Billy Al Bengston, and Sheila Pepe. The “catch” as always is you risk losing out on a favorite piece if you don’t get a chance til the second or later rounds.

So show up early, keep your eyes open, and be prepared to spend some extra money if you really want a certain piece. The bash includes bites, drinks, and live jazz. Tickets for entry start at $125, with Art Chances running $100 each. 7 pm Friday at MATCH.

Heart-Eyes Emoji
The vaunted River Oaks Chamber Orchestra‘s “Double Trouble” concerts also serve as ROCO’s 12th season In Concert series closer, which means you better get out and catch one of these shows. Both nights feature the premiere of ROCO’s newest commissioned piece: ROCOmoji, a concerto grosso written by composer Alexander Miller, wherein every movement explores the meaning of, and is represented by, an emoji, a decidedly modern take on whatever presumably fussy and old-fashioned images pop up in your head when you think of chamber music.

Other pieces include Mercadante‘s Concerto for Flute in E-minor, Holst‘s Green Book Suite, and Schoenberg‘s Verklarte Nact. Friday’s show is at The Woodlands United Methodist Church, and kicks off at 7:30 pm. Saturday’s concert is at the Church of St. John the Divine in River Oaks and kicks off at 5 pm. Tickets range from $15 for students to $35 for general admission.

Issa Tour
Twenty-fouryear-old Atlanta rapper 21 Savage has made a name for himself with his chilly, ominous brand of street-rap. He doesn’t so much rap as much as speak in a monotone voice behind somnambulant beats — and I mean that in a good way (his music would make sense on the upcoming reboot of Twin Peaks). It also helps, as with all things, he’s embraced becoming a meme, showing up on ESPN seemingly only to freak out the squares and owning his “issa knife” moment (his response when asked about his prominent face tattoo — a deadpan moment that echoed his art, straightforward, self-evident, and confident).

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The rising Young M.A. (of “Ooouuu” fame) opens for him Friday at House of Blues, with doors opening at 7 and the show starting at 8 pm. General admission starts at $29.50.

A Combination of Fergie and Jesus
Tennessee’s Starlito and Don Trip are touring behind their great recent album Step Brothers 3, which, true to its name, is the third in a series of albums that began in 2011. Their brand of smart, warts-and-all hip-hop takes a mature look at genre staples, which is why it was so disappointing when they became the unwitting targets of an email scandal from a Houston venue when their promoter attempted to book them for a show.

Starlito has a solo record called I’m Moving to Houston and was briefly signed to Cash Money Records; Don Trip is from Memphis and has been great at his job for years. These are two southern vets who show the South love, and it’s time the South loves them back. Support a duo who really has done everything the right way, and ignore the prejudiced, short-sighted attacks on their art. Saturday at Warehouse Live, doors open at 8 and the show begins at 9 pm. Tickets start at $20.

Talkin’ Baseball
Vegas has the odds of the Astros winning the World Series at 12-1. 2017 is, according to an infamous 2014 Sports Illustrated cover, the year the Astros will win the fall classic. After a slightly disappointing 2016 campaign, the Astros loaded up on offense, bringing back fan favorite Carlos Beltran, signing Brian McCann, and filling out the roster with Josh Reddick and Nori Aoki. Combine that with the continued progress of Alex Bregman, the MVP-worthy dominance of Jose Altuve, and hopefully a bounce-back year from Carlos Correa, and the Astros (according to most reputable publications) have a chance to dominate the American League West and make a long postseason run if their pitching staff holds up.

The Astros kick things off at Minute Maid Park with a home opening series against the division rivalsSeattle Mariners. Check out the new center field restaurant locale, which features a Torchy’s Tacos, and replaces the confusing, and seemingly injury-enabling Tal’s Hill. Opening Day is Monday, April 3. Ticket prices vary.

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