Moon Madness, Beto Mania, Art Everywhere and a Real Boy Band: Houston’s Crazy Celebrity Weekend is Here

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

Fair Weekend

Firstly, the seventh edition of the Texas Contemporary Art Fair rolls into town at the George R. Brown Convention Center through Sunday, October 7. With the rival Houston Fine Art Fair gone (which then became the Houston Art Fair, which then dissolved a few years ago), top galleries from across the world have fattened up for the Houston market at TXCAF.

I went to the preview Thursday night, and it would appear as if the cream has floated to the top. The Texas Contemporary Art Fair was teeming with visitors, and there wasn’t a dud of a gallery I saw all night. I found myself frequently stopping to take closer looks at pieces (which, of course, all fell out of my price range).

Read PaperCity’s arts editor Catherine D. Anspon’s full preview of the Fair here. Tickets start $25.

Art Stroll

Saturday, head out to Sawyer Yards for the Fall Biannual Art Stroll. It promises to be packed with exciting art, including the opportunity to meet artists inside their private studio space and to buy a wealth of art, from paintings, sculptures, jewelry, etc, at all price ranges.

For PaperCity‘s in-depth preview and more info, click here. The stroll is free.

Moon Landing

This is your last chance to catch moonGARDEN at Discovery Green downtown. The breathtaking exhibit, put together by Lucion Traveling Light out of Montreal, tells the story of Houston and toasts the 10th anniversary of Discovery Green at the same time.

For more info, read my story (which includes a Q+A with Lucion founder Bernard Duguay) here. The moon wonder is free, but it only lasts through Sunday night.

Beto Bold

Monday, October 8 at White Oak Music Hall, be prepared to rock for Democratic Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke. Or just enjoy his celebrity believers.

Feast your eyes on this lineup: Houston staples such as Bun B (newly revitalized off his surprising August release Return of the Trill); Willie D of the Geto Boys; Latinx DJ collective Bombon; indie-rock lifers The Tontons; and, just announced, DJ Windows 98, the stage name of Win Butler, lead singer of the iconic Montreal-via-Houston act Arcade Fire (last seen at Day For Night waxing poetic about Tracy McGrady’s injury woes as a Rocket). Screwed Up Click legend and Houston goodwill ambassador Trae tha Truth and Mexican rapper/comedian Chingo Bling round out the bill, alongside Austin’s massively popular Shakey Graves.

Avert your eyes from the crumbling of our nation’s institutions by enjoying a night of Beto and buddies. You must register to attend. (Click here to register for $25.) It all gets started at 6:30 pm.

All-American Boy Band

California-by-way-of-San Marcos’s homegrown Brockhampton are a diverse hip-hop collective who only half-jokingly refers to itself as “all-American boy band,” and while the independent credentials of the band are legit and hard-won, it’s also true that the band is defiantly all-American. Their last release, September’s Iridescence, landed at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

While their brand of post-Odd Future, left-of-center hip-hop isn’t necessarily for me, they are wildly popular and catnip to the 25-and-under crowd. Odd Future hits Houston for the third time in a calendar year Monday at Revention Music Center. Doors open at 8 pm; tickets start at $35.

Lastly: watch the Astros (who decisively won Game 1 of the ALDS versus the Cleveland Indians Friday afternoon) in Game 2 Saturday, October 6 at 3:30 pm at Minute Maid Park.

PS: I was right last weekend – Lauryn Hill rescheduled her show for May 2019 due to a “cold.”