Khalid and Harry Potter Collide in Houston — the 6 Best Things to do This Weekend

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 — or two.

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

Khalid

Hailing from El Paso, the 21-year-old Khalid is an unlikely pop star, performing a brand of R&B that flirts with enough contemporary SoundCloud/Internet-inspired weirdness to appeal to teens and soundtrack movies and TV shows while doing big numbers on streaming services. ‘

While arguments any given artist’s “authenticity” is an archaic and frankly boring topic, Khalid’s immense popularity is a testament to his ability to tap into universal feelings of teenage longing and romanticism. The genre-less star who burst onto the scene with the sweet “Location” has transitioned into a something just a little more outré, collaborating with Ty Dolla Sign on the smooth, vintage R&B cut “OTW” (which was a personal favorite of mine from last year) to the Disclosure-produced “Talk,” which is inescapable if you ever turn on the radio.

The charming pop songwriting of 20-year-old Atlanta native Clairo is the concert’s opening act. Thursday, July 18, at the Toyota Center. Doors open at 6:30 pm; tickets start at $49.50. – Matthew Ramirez

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Built to Spill

Idaho-bred, indie-rock lifers Built to Spill are coming to Houston for the first time in a few years, on a 20th anniversary tour in honor of their landmark 1999 album, Keep it Like a Secret. After making their name in 1994 with the independently released There’s Nothing Wrong with Love,

Built to Spill signed to Warner and released a string of classic records that were welcomed by indie fans during a time when every band signing to a major label was decried as a sell out. The run from 1997’s Perfect From Now On through 2006’s You in Reverse (peaking with Keep it Like a Secret) is an all-timer in the history of indie-turned-majors rock music.

Behind Doug Martsch’s (the only constant member of BTS) elliptical yet tender songwriting and classic-rock indebted shredding, Built to Spill have remained a stalwart among rock fans who came up during the heyday of the mid-1990s gold rush.

They’ll be downstairs at White Oak Music Hall Thursday, July 18. Doors at open 8 pm; tickets are $25. -Matthew Ramirez

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

ARMSTRONG at 14 Pews

If you can’t make it out to the Space Center Houston showing of ARMSTRONG, opt instead for the unique confines of 14 Pews, a former house of worship-turned community-focused movie theater in The Heights. As PaperCity‘s own moon mania expert Annie Gallay notes:

“… the compelling new documentary Armstrong, [chronicles] the life and times of Neil Armstrong from his formative years in the Midwest to his world-changing moonwalk. You’ll find a blend of Armstrong’s home videos and never-before-seen NASA footage.”

Friday, July 19, at 14 Pews. The movie starts at 7 pm; tickets are just $11.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ In Concert

It’s been years since the final film in the Harry Potter series was in theaters (2011 to be exact), and even longer since J.K Rowling released the final book (2007). Feel old yet?

But no matter how many years may pass by, the love for Harry Potter never dies (sorry, Voldy). We’re thankful for the frequent Potter marathons on Freeform, and truly appreciate the spinoffs, musicals, parodies, and parks that continue to satiate our common craving for more Potter.

But this weekend, take things to another level. This Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20, the Houston Symphony will be performing Nicholas Hooper’s incredible score from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with the iconic film projected just behind them. Between the live orchestra and the film projected on the giant screen, you might feel like you’re walking the cloisters of Hogwarts alongside the wizards themselves.

Revel in the delight of once again hearing these spooky and wildly magical tunes that have become so emblematic of the series (and/or your childhood).

Tickets for the concert start at $35.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Apollo 11 50th Live

Houston, it’s time to lean into our Space City name. Unless you’re living under a (moon) rock, you’ve probably heard that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Though space launches and missions may seem common and frequent today, the undertaking of this historic feat was momentous – and frankly almost unbelievable. So let’s celebrate!

Space Center Houston has hosted all sorts of events throughout the week, from a special lunch with the flight controllers to a partial screening of Robert Stone’s six-hour documentary Chasing the Moon. But head down I-45 on Saturday, July 20 for Apollo 11 50th Live – the ultimate lunar celebration.

The day will be one giant party, complete with speakers from the Apollo-era; parachute demonstrations from the US Army’s aerial parachute demonstration team, The Golden Knights; and panel presentations with flight controllers from the Apollo-era. Oh, and an exciting outdoor festival and concert featuring WALK THE MOON and Phillip Phillips. If not WALK THE MOON, than who?

General admission is $49.95.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

MFAH Summer Festival: Celebrating the Moon

If you can’t quite make the drive to NASA Parkway for Space Center Houston’s party, there are still plenty of events and celebrations in town for you to hit. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will be hosting a lunar event of its own on Saturday, July 20 called Summer Festival: Celebrating the Moon.

The event will kickoff in the evening, and will celebrate both the Golden Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and the opening of the exhibition Shooting the Moon: Photographs from the Museum’s Collection 50 Years after Apollo 11. The exhibition includes a variety of lunar-themed images, photographs and portraits.

Enjoy all sorts of crafts, games, activities with experts from NASA, plus bites from food carts Popston and Coffee-Q, moon pies and cake from the MFAH Cafe, stargazing on the Roof Garden, and more.

The event is free to attend.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.