5 Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend — From Pool Movies to Under-the-Radar Concerts

Houston weekends are packed full of events, but how many of them are truly worthy of your time? PaperCity’s new events calendar offers a curated look at all the best things to do in the area. But everyone can still use a guru.

PaperCity Weekend Gurus Matthew Ramirez and Virginia Reynolds cull our calendar for your weekend must dos in this weekly series.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

I must have been in my teens when I first saw Footloose. There was no uncertainty as to what made the classic film a classic – from its toe-tapping tunes to the fun and athletic dancing to the all-star cast. And since that not-so-fateful day, Footloose has remained an all-time favorite movie. While many argue that the 2011 Kenny Wormald/Julianne Hough version is just as good, there is no denying that the original will always reign supreme.

On Thursday, June 27, Hotel Derek will be screening the original Footloose at its SPLASH pool on the outdoor movie wall as part of the Float & Flick Summer Movie Series. This showing is just the first of four pool movie showings this summer, and for $25 with plenty of perks, it’s worth it.

With your ticket, you get gourmet popcorn, a free Revolve Kitchen + Bar signature drink, free self-parking, and access to the hotel pool before the movie begins. It’s like going to a swanky theater, but better.

Access to the pool begins at 7:30 pm, with the movie starting at sunset (around 8:15pm).

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Pure Comedy

“Is he joking or not?” is one of the most boring and cynical questions in music —boring, because that joke isn’t funny anymore, to quote a deeply problematic man on the wrong side of history — and cynical, because it assumes the audience isn’t smart enough to know it’s been done before.

Father John Misty, the full-band name behind what is primarily one-time Fleet Foxes member Josh Tillman’s creative endeavor, is not particularly easy to like, but there is something reluctantly compelling about him, and I’m not alone. Fellow FJM fans include Beyonce and Lady Gaga, who enlisted the easy-listening songwriter for help with their albums Lemonade and Joanne, respectively.

Behind FJM’s confrontational persona and song lyrics is well-heeled, downright quaint tunes, reminiscent of ‘70s AOR, everyone from Elton John to The Carpenters to the Doobie Brothers, to less-heralded soft-rock forebears like Christopher Cross. The disconnect between the lyrics and music is a trojan horse to persuade skeptics like me that maybe Tillman’s voice is something worth paying attention to.

After three albums of antics, 2018’s God’s Favorite Customer, on its face at least, is Tillman’s most sincere and open hearted record to date, signaling his days of irony are behind him.

He’ll perform on the lawn at White Oak Music Hall this Friday, June 28, with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. Doors open at 6:30 pm; the show goes on rain or shine. Tickets start at $49.50.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing. – Matthew Ramirez

Music at the Park

Kick off your weekend with a chill concert with Market Square Park’s Summer Concert this Friday, June 28.

First to perform will be Kalu and The Electric Joint, an Austin-based band known for its psychedelic soul sound, rock and roll elements and African rhythms. Hailing from Nigeria, Kalu James moved to Austin at the age of 18, and and put together a group of fellow musicians to create this one-of-a-kind crew. Before heading to the park, take a listen to their 2017 album Time Undone for a taste of their super-smooth beats.

Taking the stage as the headliner for the evening will be Tomar and the FCs, also out of Austin. This soul band signals a ’60s/’70s vibe, but with a fresh and modern flare. You have to listen to “Do You Feel It” or “Heart Attack” from their 2016 album Heart Attack to understand — and while you’re at it, I dare you to resist the urge to get up and dance.

While you are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs and bites for the concert, you can also purchase Niko Niko’s delicious fare. Admission is free.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

For the Love of Spain

Houston and Spain seem to be two-peas-in-a-pod right now. Barcelona-inspired restaurant BCN opened up several years ago, and MAD just flew in to bring the food of Madrid to the Space City. But there are no signs that this Spain-loving-train is going to be slowing down any time soon.

From Thursday, June 27 through Saturday, June 29 at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion, Houston will be holding the first-ever Made in Spain Fest, produced by Driven Marketing and CrossRoad Services LLC. The three-day festival will be an opportunity to purchase goods from select Spanish designers.

Surround yourself with some of Spain’s finest goods, including footwear from Pons Quintana, Yōsuru, and Pretty Ballerinas; a collection of handbags from Valgut & Bag; and jewelry from Marybola. And of course there will also be music, food and sweet treats.

Admission is free, and all sales will go directly to the designers.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Never Meant

Between last weekend’s Jawbreaker reunion show and this Saturday’s American Football concert, White Oak Music Hall has become ground zero for old school punk and emo diehards to congregate and listen to bands come around on tour when that idea would have been inconceivable just a few years ago.

‘90s punk and emo was often as dramatic as an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 by the amount of landmark records that serve as any given act’s sole claim to fame predating immediate implosion, and for most of my adult life American Football’s 1999 self-titled album was one of them.

In 2014, the band reunited and sold out a weekend’s worth of shows in New York City in minutes. 2016 saw LP2, emo’s answer to mbv, 2013’s long-awaited return to form from shoe-gaze pioneers My Bloody Valentine.

Since then, “Never Meant” has become a meme far extending the reach any devotee of mid-western turn-of-the-century emo could ever imagine, a fitting metaphor for how easily adaptable American Football’s music is in 2019.

This year’s LP3 is a starkly adult record that attests to the unexpected but welcome growth of one of the best emo bands of all time. See them Saturday, June 29, downstairs at WOMH; doors open at 8 pm, with tickets $25.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing. – Matthew Ramirez