Public News #38 by Public News

HOUSTON’S ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT DIGITAL PRESS

#38 | MARCH 16 - 29, 2016 | FREE

PUBLIC NEWS www.publicnewsonline.com

SCOTT MOORE and the tejas chocolate CRAFtory NEWS THEATRE FILM FRAME BY FRAME

THE FORCE AWAKENS

MUSIC DINING ART HUMOR POP CULTURE LEGAL EASE

LETTER RIP page 22

ET TU ANADARKO, ET TU?

page 3

CELL PHONE SEARCHES LEGAL?

page 10

EDITORIAL CHAIRMAN KEN PETTY MUSIC EDITOR JASON PALMER FILM EDITOR GLEN RYAN TADYCH ART EDITOR ROSANNE FRIEDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: MIKE BAXTER, MARK CRAMPTON, ROXANNE DAVIS, MATT DELUCA, SUSAN LOVE FITTS, CINDY GROOVER, JEB KICKER, TOM DAREN LISKEY, BART PEARSTON, ANNA ‘PINION’ PENA, NICK RAMA, ANDY SINGER, PHOTOGRAPHY: KEN PETTY, TOM DAREN LISKEY, ROSANNE FRIEDMAN GRAPHICS/LAYOUT: KEN PETTY ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE: KEN PETTY DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS: ISSUU, PRESS READER FAKE CELEBRITY INTERN: TIM ALLEN Public News is an arts & entertainment fortnightly published on Thursday and distributed to metro Houston subscribers via email, distribution channel partners and to anyone else via our website. We welcome community news, press releases, and article ideas; sent by mail or email. Deadline for calendar items and advertising is the Friday prior to our Thursday publication date. Letters to the Editor and filtered Hate Mail are always encouraged. Subscriptions to the Public News are free and can be obtained by going to the subscribe link on our website: www.publicnewsonline.com Subscriber benefits include special perks and voting in the Readers Choice Awards this summer. Contents of Public News are the sole property of Public News Co. and are protected under copyright. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher... he does check things out most times. You are encouraged to share as many copies of the Public News to as many friends as you’d like! Feel free to share on any and all social media outlets. #PublicNews DUE DATE FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS AND ADVERTISING IS 5pm THURSDAY PRIOR TO PUBLICATION DATE

“Get all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” ~ John Wesley

PUBLIC NEWS

is a free arts and entertainment fortnightly serving metro Houston, published on Wednesday and distributed via email to subscribers

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General Information......... info@publicnewsonline.com Letters To The Editor...... editor@publicnewsonline.com News & Press Releases.. news@publicnewsonline.com Events for Calendar...... events@publicnewsonline.com Music/Venue News...... music@publicnewsonline.com Advertising........................ ads@publicnewsonline.com Writer Submissions....... writers@publicnewsonline.com

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

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PUBLIC NEWS #38 March 16 - 29, 2016

ARTS

JULIA GILMORE AT THE WATERWAY FEST

COVER STORY

SCOTT MOORE & THE TEJAS CHOCOLATE CRAFTORY

MUSIC

COLUMNISTS & STUFF

Letter Rip / No Exit To The Republic Legal Ease Events Calendar Music Listings Foodie Pic Of The Week Backpage Classifieds

3 8 10 11 14 23 24

THE CONTORTIONIST

FILM

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

“Pardon my French, but Cameron is so tight that if you stuck a lump of coal up his ass, in two weeks you’d have a diamond.” Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

LETTER RIP

ET TU ANADARKO, ET TU? THE IDES OF MARCH WHITTLE AWAY AT THE LOCAL MIDDLE CLASS It was like a tornado warning, it came, it took and then it went. Then a few more tornados like the first, they came, they took, they went. Life went on, just with fewer people. The tornados were called Anadarko, Chevron, Exxon and Shell. Ripping apart at the fabric of the community, namely the middle class workers at these companies. Ken Petty The deep pockets of the executive class were spared, after all, how would they pay for their extra homes, luxurious vacations, private schools

and <cough> ladies in waiting <cough>? Granted, I’m not a Bernie Sanders fan, but the Demo-socialist makes an interesting point. The middle class is shrinking. Shrinking at the hands of the executives of these companies figuring out how to trim the fat without touching their own wallet in dire economic times. Economic times, mind you, that were created over 16 years since 9-11. Some features of this bad economy were created through the fear-mongering among the political class. Some by the bad policies generated by the executive branch and the Democratic ruling class. And now, following through the self-interest/selfpreservation moves of those who can afford to cut fat where the fat can’t touch them. The poor and middle class are sorely caught in the cross-hairs,

nowhere to turn, nowhere to go. And, with that, the local mom and pop shops that are preferred by the middle class struggle to find new customers. Struggle is good, but not when the struggle was never necessary in the first place. How many deep pockets executives could have cut their salaries and saved a few hundred jobs? Saved the local economy. Saved the middle class. I hope and pray that these thoughts cross their minds the next time a wave of employment cuts are needed to be made. Let’s save the middle class. On A Personal Note:

The last few months you may have been wondering what happened to the Public News. And what happened and where it happened was with me, the publisher, editor, layout guy, ad sales, et al. I got very sick, so sick I could

not spend much time on the paper, without being interupted to take care of things. I suffer from diabetes, and diabetic complications come and go. Mine decided to stay and is still here with me. I’m just learning to manage it. I appreciate all the prayers and concerns, expecially when I announced the illness on my personal Facebook page. Your love, concerns and prayers have sustained me along with a trust that the God of the Universe is not unaware of all this and knows what He is doing with me. All things working together for the good. It’s good to be back!

PUBLIC NEWS

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MORE HISTORY OF THE DIGITAL PUBLIC NEWS DESIGNING COVERS WERE ALWAYS A CHALLENGE

An older colleague of mine told me that successful magazine covers were usually of someone’s face or artwork. Here are some of the covers that haven’t been published. 4

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

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LASAGNA HOUSE III COMING BACK LATE FALL 2016 and corporate collections. As a returning artist at The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, Julia considers this event to be the most valuable appearance she makes every year. Julia states, “The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is the highlight of my art show season! The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is pure synchronicity … a true gem which blends an extremely wellorganized show, good-natured staff, neighborly volunteers, fantastic musical entertainment, world class art, exquisite cuisine and all in an idyllic setting ... I am honored and delighted to be representing The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival as The Featured Artist of 2016.”

Featured artist Julia Gilmore brings retro style to The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival In keeping with this year’s theme to Escape to a Weekend of Art and Music, The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival has selected Julia Gilmore as the Featured Artist of the 2016 Festival. Her bold, retro flair is the perfect complement to this year’s theme, and is instantly apparent in her spotlight image for the Festival, with the Houston skyline visible in the rear-view mirror of a classic car. Julia’s artistic vision can be attributed to the

juxtaposition of her rural roots and a sophisticated urban background. Raised in a small New Hampshire town, Julia migrated north to Montreal, and now makes her home outside Toronto, Canada. Julia travels to various major U.S. cities throughout spring, summer and fall to show her work at prestigious outdoor art exhibitions, and her work is represented by several U.S. galleries and hangs in numerous private

Now in its 11th year, The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival opens Friday, April 8, and runs through Sunday, April 10, 2016. Admission to the three-day Festival is just $15 for all three days, and children under 12 are admitted free. The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is produced by The Woodlands Arts Council, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide regional cultural enrichment opportunities to inspire, encourage, support and promote visual and performing arts. A portion of the proceeds from the Festival benefits the council’s community and education outreach programs, fondly named “Because Art Matters.”

SAME GREAT LOCATION

SAME GREAT FOOD

PENNE ALL’ AMATRICIANA LINGUINE PASTICCIO LASAGNA PARMIGIANA MARSALA

Pasta e Pesto Authentic Italian Restaurant 1678 FM 1960 W, Houston, TX 77090 281-580-1430

Moore oore Tim Ti e $3 WATCH BATTERY WITH AD

202 MAIN ST OLD TOWN SPRING

281-528-5400 Mon-Sat 10-6

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Every Day’s A New Day

MUSIC, ART, FOOD, THEATER, ROTATION

With all the demands and requests by writers for cover stories, the PN implimented a rotation system around the various elements that comprise the arts & entertainment community. That way everyone got a fair shot at the cover. The Public News was still a weekly publication. PUBLIC NEWS #13

PUBLIC NEWS #14 PUBLIC NEWS

T RY O UR H O L I D A Y OUR NEWEST LOCATION F L AV O R E D C O F F E E S COMINGT OTOD A YTOMBALL! !

2015 PUBLIC NEWS READERS CHOICE AWARDS VOTED BEST COFFEE VOTED BEST SMOOTHIES

4880 Louetta Rd. Spring, TX OPEN DAILY 5:30 am to 8 pm MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

LSC-MONTGOMERY ANNOUNCES SPRING 2016 FINE ARTS CALENDAR Into The Woods will be performed in the Mainstage Theatre (building D) Thursday-Saturday, April 2123, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 23, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets: $7 student/employee; $10 seniors 55+; $15 general admission. Preview performance Wednesday, April 20, at 5:30 p.m., and is free for Lone Star College students/employees and $5 general admission. The Nerd will be performed in the Mainstage Theatre (building D) Thursday-Saturday, July 7-9, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, July 9, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets: $5 student/employee; $7 seniors 55+; $10 general admission. Preview performance Wednesday, Jul. 6, at 5:30 p.m. and is free for Lone Star College students/employees and $5 general admission. Season tickets are also available. For more information and ticket prices for these shows, visit www. LoneStar.edu/drama-dept-montgomery. Spring Semester Dance Performances:

CONROE -- The Lone Star College-Montgomery fine arts department has announced an exciting lineup for the upcoming spring semester. Mark your calendars now, and come enjoy the many talented artists and performers at LSC-Montgomery. All events are open to the community and admission prices vary, with many being free of charge. Fall Semester Art Gallery Exhibits: LSC Montgomery Art Faculty Show will be displayed from March 7-25. Art opening reception will be Tuesday, March 8, at 12 p.m.

is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. All art exhibits are free of charge and open to the public. For more information on these exhibits, visit www.LoneStar.edu/montgomery-artgallery. Spring Semester Music Concerts: Jazz Ensemble Concert performs Thursday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. Music Department Showcase performs on Thursday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m.

All performances take place in the Recital Hall venue (building H). General pricing for tickets: $5 student/employee; $7 seniors 55+; and $10 general admission, except the Music Department Showcase, which are $10 student/employee; $18 seniors 55+; and $20 general admission. Season tickets are available. For more information on these concerts, visit www.LoneStar.edu/montgomery-music-department. Spring Semester Drama Performances:

Dancescape will be performed in the Mainstage Theatre (building D) on Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m. Tickets: $5 student/employee; $7 seniors 55+; $10 general admission. Call (936) 273-7021 or visit LoneStar.edu/artsmontgomery for more information and a complete listing of the college’s upcoming fine arts events. The LSC-Montgomery fine arts department offers a variety of concerts, theatrical productions, art exhibitions and lectures, workshops and more throughout the year.\For more information about the college, call (936) 273-7000, or visit www. LoneStar.edu/montgomery.

“Re-Western” by Felice House and Dana Younger will be displayed from April 4-29. Art opening reception will be Monday, April 4, at 12 p.m. Juried Student Show works will be displayed from May 9-13. Art reception will be Monday, May 10, from 5-7 p.m. All exhibits and artist receptions are held in the Mary Matteson-Parrish Art Gallery located in the Performing Arts Center (building D). The gallery

PENNE ALL’ AMATRICIANA LINGUINE PASTICCIO LASAGNA PARMIGIANA MARSALA

Pasta e Pesto Authentic Italian Restaurant 1678 FM 1960 W, Houston, TX 77090 281-580-1430

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

PUBLIC NEWS GOES UNDER A SLIGHT REDESIGN

Now that the Public News is using the entire cover as a way to market the cover idea, it was time to finish the redesign. The PN moved away from the “all red” PN logo and started changing out the Texas Star for other items. PUBLIC NEWS #15 PUBLIC NEWS www.publicnewsonline.com

PUBLIC NEWS #16

PASTA E PESTO OPENS TO RAVE REVIEWS THE LATEST ESPRESSION OF AUTHENTIC ITALIAN GOODNESS IN THE AREA While the owners of the Lasagna House III are earnestly working hard toward their grand re-opening later this year, owners Matt Vernon and Mary Spessato have opened up a taste of the Italian Cafe with Pasta e Pesto. Pasta e Pesto is located just west of Ella on FM 1960, behind the Whataburger. Their telephone number is 281580-1430. Pasta e Pesto offers a very quaint dine in cafe experience with all the Italian cuisine selections to satisfy the most discerning palate for authentic Italian flavors! Offerings include AntiPasto, Salads, Panini, Spaghetti, Fettuccine, Linquine, Lasagna, Parmigiana as well as Marsala. The Public News has been there several times since their opening back in January, including a special pre-opening invite in December. The food is beyond description when it comes to flavor and aroma. The taste is what dining Italian is all about. Even the garlic toast is worth waiting for and always ask for seconds! The wait staff is efficient and very pleasant. The manager on duty is frequently visiting the dining area and engaging diners. There is something for everyone to enjoy at Pasta e Pesto. You may hear comparisons to the Lasagna House III to the effect that Pasta e Pesto is a scaled down version of the parent company. In some ways it is, and in many other ways it is not. Lasagna House III was a full service, sit down restaurant with a bar and full menu. Pasta e Pesto is an Italian Cafe, set up in a style similar to Italian sidewalk cafes in Italy. The offerings may be limited compared to a full-fledged restaurant, but that is not the case with Pasta e Pesto. Their

WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE SUCCESSFULLY SPEAKING TOASTMASTERS DENNY’S RESTAURANT 20015 Interstate 45 Spring, TX

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS 7:15pm - 8:45pm GREAT SPEAKERS

EXPErIENCE A LITtLE CUBA IN HOUSTON

offerings are tailored to down sized crowd with prices to match. Oh, and forget about small portions, the portions at Pasta e Pesto are generous. Folks who enjoy Italian food on the go, or on the quick would find Pasta e Pesto a perfect match to their daily pace. Pasta e Pesto has been open since the first of the year and is already enjoying 5-star reviews on Yelp and a huge 5-star rating here in the Public News. Make note that Pasta e Pesto also caters. Their facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/ pastaepesto1960

EL MOJITO CUBAN CUISINE 5210 FM 2920 StE 600 SprINg, TX 77388 (832) 823-5157

TEAM MEMBER ABBEY GARHMAN WITH OWNER MATT VERNON

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AS A WEEKLY, THE PUBLIC NEWS HITS ITS STRIDE

Now at a regular 20-24 page publication, the Public News is enjoying a robust download rate so much that its original server went down, twice. To counter that, the Public News started using its other domain name publicnews.us. That was short lived as some ISPs don’t render the .us domain correctly. PUBLIC NEWS #17

PUBLIC NEWS #18 PUBLIC NEWS

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

TO THE REPUBLIC

TEXAS DEMOCRATS WANT WHO ? by Bart Pearston

Remember that old joke about how can you tell if a career politician is lying? Answer: Her lips are moving. In the recent confusion of exactly what Hillary actually stands for I came up with this: o Coverup of Use of personal email for official business ALL in violation of Federal Records Act. o Wall Street speaking fees were ok because she was not running for office; THEN after running, their donations are ok. o Against combat troops in Mideast; BUT special forces ok.

o Hawk for invading Iraq, urged regime change in Libya, and Syria; THEN, Oops, Iraq was a ‘mistake. o Wants ‘no-fly’ zone in Syria. So US jets will or would have shot down Russian jets supporting Assad? o For, THEN against private prisons. o “Proud to be a moderate,” and THEN a “progressive.” o SUPER DUPER ‘Embellishments’ to her Resume: “Corkscrew landing, running through sniper fire, life on line, just like our warriors.” THEN, “Oops, did not happen.” o Against, THEN for gay marriage. o For Hillarycare, THEN against Obamacare, THEN

for Obamacare, THEN against Universal Healthcare. o Against Glass-Steagall, and absolutely NOT influenced by $1.8 million from 8 speeches to bankers. o Attack on Single Payer Healthcare absolutely NOT influenced by $2.8 million from 13 speeches to health industry. o For Keystone Pipeline, THEN against it. o Pro-fracking. o For NAFTA, and TPP, saying “TPP IS THE GOLD STANDARD IN TRADE AGREEMENTS,” THEN against TPP. o For outsourcing to India, THEN US job loss is an issue.

o Opposed entry of kids escaping murderous regimes in Central America (“Send them back as a message”), THEN such children should have access to lawyers and not be held in family prisons. o Opposed drivers licenses for undocumented, THEN supports them. o Against illegals, need stronger borders, stop hiring of illegals; THEN supports Dreamers. o She lobbied Congress to expand the drug war and mass incarceration in ways that we continue to live with today, and that have a significantly more harmful impact on black and brown people than white people; BUT now we have more people in jail than any other country in the world, including China with four times our population o Touts her role in Welfare reform: “By the time Bill and I left the White House, welfare rolls had dropped 60 percent.” BUT the 60% drop was due to a reduction in federal benefits to those living in poverty, many of them working poor. o Clinton Family / Foundation accepted cash from 20 foreign governments, while Hillary’s State Department approved $151 billion, then additional $163 billion of weapons exports to such govts, including those w/ systematic human rights abuses (eg, Algeria). In all, governments and corporations involved in the arms deals approved by Clinton’s State Department have delivered over $54 million to the Clinton Foundation as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to the Clinton family, according to foundation and State Department records. o For 30% credit card interest. o Turning $1,000 into $100,000 was beginner’s luck in cattle futures trading, THEN had “assistance” from Tyson Food’s attorney and futures trader. o Fired White House travel staff for financial improprieties to install her own friends, THEN had to rehire them when FBI found nothing but wrongful termination due to her false statements. And guess who the Democrats of Texas voted for on March 1st to be their candidate?

Think Local - Buy Local - Be Local Buy Local...Support yourself Support community groups Keep our community unique Reduce environmental impact Create more good jobs Get better service Invest in community Put your taxes to good use Encourage local prosperity Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

THE PUBLIC NEWS AT 24 PAGES

As a weekly, the Public News hit a glass ceiling. Twenty-four pages of content was the most we could muster without additonal ad revenue on a weekly basis. The goal was to get up to a 32 page publication with 15,000 downloads per issue by the end of summer. The fortnightly idea was looking like a golden opportunity to exceed that goal. [to be continued in PN #39] PUBLIC NEWS #21 PUBLIC NEWS www.publicnewsonline.com

PUBLIC NEWS #22

LSC-Tomball Veterinary Technology Program Receives Recognition for Work Lone Star College-Tomball students were recognized on Jan. 26 when Lone Star College hosted the Charley Wootan Grant Reception at LSC-University Park to honor and recognize the Wootan grant recipients system-wide. The Charley Wootan Grant Program provides post-secondary scholarships to students with financial need. Since 2000, the program has awarded more than $30 million to students in Texas and across the nation. Lone Star College received $100,000 to award 20 student scholarships over a two-year period. LSCTomball is one of the three Lone Star College campuses that participated in the program along with LSC-CyFair and LSC-University Park. The grant is named for Dr. Charley V. Wootan, former chairperson of the board for TG, a non-profit dedicated to pairing students with resources that allow them to reach their educational goals. While many students were recommended and/or applied for the grant, only a handful qualified because of the stringent criteria, the academic achievement requirements, and commitment involved. The LSC-Tomball recipients of the Charley Wootan Grant were: Angely Alvarez, Isai Angelina, Vannessa Araniva, Claudia Laguna, Ana Duran, Cynthia Romero, Maria Gonzalez-Trevino, Dereje Mikell, Edwin Hernandez, Guadalupe Sanchez, and Jennifer Swanson.

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THE WEIGHT OF A WEEKLY ARTS PAPER STARTS DRAINING WRITERS As a young newspaper, even as a digital, the Public News contributing writers were feeling the weight of a weekly deadline. Since ad revenue was near non-existant, we had to make a change to keep the Public News vibrant. A decision to change our publication schedule to a fortnightly was met with cheer. PUBLIC NEWS #19

832-298-5246 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET STARTED

PUBLIC NEWS #20 PUBLIC NEWS

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

HAPPINESS IS.... YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ENJOYING THE GREAT FOOD AND ATMOSPHERE AT....

LEGAL EASE

CAN A POLICE OFFICER SEARCH MY CELL PHONE?

PASTA E PESTO Aggressive Criminal Defense The Law Office of Matt DeLuca

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OPEN 11am - 9pm Mon - Sat Closed Sundays tacocrave.net NAMED BEST MEXICAN STREET TACOS NICK RAMA’S / PUBLIC NEWS BEST OF 2014 2015 PUBLIC NEWS READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

by Matt DeLuca matt@mattdelucalaw.com Most citizens are raised with a healthy respect for law enforcement. We rely on law enforcement to do the right thing to protect us. But it’s frustrating to hear when certain officers take advantage of their position and overstep their authority. If we’re being realistic, I think most citizens would allow a police officer to search their possessions if asked. But I believe that’s partly because most citizens simply do not understand that they have a right to say no. So let’s say a police officer stops you in your vehicle or even while you’re walking down the sidewalk, and in the process of his stop he asks if he can see your cell phone. Is he allowed to do that? The short answer is that a police officer cannot simply order you to give up your cell phone for search. Last summer, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that police could not generally search cell phones without first getting a warrant. In doing so, the Court acknowledged that cell phones today are not simply portable devices used to make telephone calls. Cell phones hold a lot of personal information. I for one would not feel comfortable allowing any stranger, especially law enforcement, access to my personal and private information.

Matt DeLuca

But in what circumstances can a police officer search my cell phone? Generally there are two circumstances – by permission or by warrant. If you are stopped or detained by a police officer, that officer may only search

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

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your cell phone if he has a valid search warrant signed by a judge or if you give the officer permission to search. As with all privacy protections we hold as citizens, we also hold the right to waive those protections. And some citizens may be waiving those protections without even thinking about it. Recently, Texas law was amended to allow drivers to show proof of vehicle insurance by pulling it up on their cell phones, rather than carrying around a hard copy. While convenient, I would urge anyone to think twice before handing their cell phone over to a police officer. I can already hear some of you responding to this issue now. If you’re a law-abiding citizen with nothing to hide, why not just allow a police officer to look at your phone if asked? While I completely understand that mindset, to me it’s always about the broader picture. We cannot allow the government, and law enforcement as an extension of government, to overstep its bounds. We, as citizens, have certain privacy protections that have been put in place to protect our individual rights. I believe it’s extremely important that the government understand and respect our privacy rights – regardless of whether or not we have anything to hide. By waiving any of these rights, even if seemingly harmless at the moment, we allow the government greater access which could lead to a gradual erosion of the rights we hold so dear. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about this or any other legal issue. You can reach me by e-mail at matt@ mattdelucalaw.com.

PUBLIC NEWS EVENTS

ONGOING EVENTS ARTS Conroe Art League Every Monday 9:30am-12:30pm Every Tuesday 6pm-9pm Every Wednesday 1pm The Wonders of Watercolor Classes with Carrie Allbritton! Carrie discounts that old saying that watercolor is the hardest media and unforgiving, believing instead that when you understand the paints and what they do on paper, you will find it fun, rewarding and very forgiving. Ongoing watercolor classes every Monday from 9:30am - 12:30pm AND every Tuesday from 6:00pm - 9:00pm at the Conroe Art League Gallery. Contact Carrie directly at: carrieallbritton@gmail. com or 936-444-7303 Cost: $25 per class (payable a month in advance)

NATALIA WIERNIK, GIRL WITH A ROOSTER Send us your events for inclusion in our Events Calendar events@publicnewsonline.com

THIS WEEK & BEYOND ARTS Dobrostan by Natalia Wiernik Opening Reception: Friday, March 18, 6:00 – 8:30 pm The Artist will be present. On view: March 18 - April 16, 2016 Anya Tish Gallery 4411 Montrose Blvd.• Houston,TX,77006 Anya Tish Gallery is delighted to present Dobrostan, a solo exhibition of new and recent photographs by multi-media, Poland-based artist Natalia Wiernik. In the Polish language, the word “Dobrostan” means “to be in a state of well being”, or “comfort”. This exhibition is in conjunction with the 2016 FotoFest Biennial, and will mark Wiernik’s inaugural solo exhibition in the United States. A leader among a new generation of innovative European artists and recognized internationally for the lush optical cacophonies she orchestrates, Wiernik combines her experiences as a painter, photographer, and graphic artist to weave together portraits of offbeat modern “families”. Hinged on the notion that emotional connections are often formed through shared values and experiences, the subjects of each photograph are linked togeth-

er through a visual-kinship of shared oddities and eccentricities rather than genealogical ties. The extravagant pattern and texture, both abundant and deliberate, simultaneously construct homogenous settings, suggesting the foreground and background have become continuations of each other, and render each subject distinctly visible within it’s kindred environment. Familiar yet eccentric, the baroque atmosphere of Wiernik’s works invite a nostalgic projection of personal narratives, causing the viewer to internalize each photograph’s framework while exalting one’s own memories into surreal mythology. Natalia Wiernik was recently invited to Paris to collaborate with Le Figaro Magazine, and selected photographs from that project will be on view in this exhibition. Wiernik has won numerous awards for her work, including the Sony World Photography Award; the PDN Photo Annual Award, New York City, New York; the International Photo Awards, Los Angeles, California; and the Paris Photography Prize. In 2011, the artist was chosen to represent Poland in the Künstlerhaus International Photography Contest in Munich, Germany. Wiernik is a recipient of national grants from Poland’s Ministry of Culture as well as the Ministry of Science & Higher Education, and is currently pursuing a PhD from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland. continued on page 12

Conroe Art League Every Tuesday 1pm-3:30pm Oil Painting Classes w/Gary Hernandez Each student works at his/her own pace in a creative and pleasant atmosphere. The students will learn the tools and materials of oil painting. New students will be painting a new painting at the first session. You will copy master paintings as a pathway to creating your own style of painting. You will learn.... -How to use a grid to quickly layout the painting. -How to select the right palette. -How to select and mix colors. -How to select the right paint brushes -How to apply color theory and use the color wheel. -How to pick the right canvas and how to coat a canvas. -How to varnish a painting. -How to paint in Grisaille These are only a few of the tips I will teach you to create successful paintings and more importantly have an enjoyable painting experience. Ongoing classes every Tuesday from 1:00pm 3:30pm at the Conroe Art League Gallery- 127 Simonton St. - Conroe, TX 77301 Contact Gary Hernandez directly to sign up: 713569-9209 or garyhernandezstudio@yahoo.com Cost: $35/per class paid in advance monthly. Conroe Art League First Thursday of the month 11am-5pm Photography Learning Center w/Ed Gorman The Photography Learning Center is back at the Conroe Art Gallery!! If you have questions about photography or how to use your camera, whether it’s a DSLR, SLR, film, cell phone, iPad, etc., then come to the Conroe Art Gallery on the first Thursday of each month from 11am - 5pm. The Conroe Art Gallery is at 127 Simonton St., Conroe, TX 77301. Ed will show you how to work your camera and take better photographs. Contact Ed Gorman: edgorman1973@gmail.com or call 936-443-3487 for more information. Conroe Art League First and Third Thursday 1pm-3:30pm Figure Drawing Group Classes are at the Conroe Art League Gallery 127 Simonton St. Conroe, TX 77301 Live Model, All Skill Levels Welcome! For more information contact: Darby Kachmar darbykachmar@me.com 936-228-5126 or Marilyn Lowry mlowry3@comcast.net or 936-447-1579 Fee is $10 per session, no reservation necessary Conroe Art League Every Thursday 2pm-4:30pm

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Painting with Pastels This is an ongoing weekly course, beginning February 5, 2015. The class meets every Thursday from 2:00pm - 4:30pm in the upstairs classroom at the Conroe Art League Gallery - 127 Simonton St. - Conroe, TX 77301. Painting in pastels is quick, easy, colorful, beautiful, very portable - and FUN! Handled correctly, pastels will last many lifetimes and their pure colors never fade, crack, or peel. No stress and no pressure here to paint a masterpiece. You’ll learn how to turn “happy accidents” into a part of your painting, or erase it - pastels are very forgiving. Everyone will hjave a chance to experiment with different techniques and materials, and you’ll develop your own unique style over time. For those who are new to art, you’ll learn the basics of drawing and painting. For more experienced artists who are new to pastels, you’ll learn the characteristics and techniques that are unique to pastels. At the end of each class, you’ll have a finished or nearly-finished painting to take home, ready for framing. Each student is encouraged to learn at their own pace. You are welcomed to do a class-based painting from reference photos provided by the instructor, or bring in your own reference materials to use. We may also paint from life, or go outdoors to paint as the weather permits. During this ongoing course, you will: -Improve your drawing skills, including proportions and perspective. -Learn how to see and paint values, types of underpaintings, both wet and dry. -Create different effects using hard vs. soft pastels. -Layer and blend pastels to get exactly the color you want. -Develop and use a portable pastel kit for outdoor painting and travel. -Know how to paint trees, clouds and water. -Learn how to paint and draw from life and en plein air (outdoors). There’s no pressure to develop a masterpiece or “do it right”. This class is all about having fun and discovering the artist in you. You’ll have lots of individual attention from the instructor with helpful feedback so your paintings keep getting better. Your supply list has options to fit a budget, and everyone is welcomed to register and join us any time. Please contact the instructor, Kathy Fediw, at Kathy@jfaconsultingbiz.com or call her business number at 281-687-6966, if you have any questions and for a list of materials. Cost: $30.00 per class, payable at the first of each month or at the beginning of each session. Instructor: Kathy Fediw, LEED AP ID+C, CLP, CLT

EDUCATION Barbara Bush Branch Library Ongoing [call for class dates & times] Ongoing Computer Classes Dave Smith, computer instructor, will be teaching seven different computer classes at the Barbara Bush Branch Library in March 2015. The classes are Computer Basics, Introduction to the Internet, Email, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and MS Publisher. He also teaches additional classes which are offered at various times throughout the year, including Digital Photography and Smartphone Tips. Please call for the dates and times of the classes and to register. Each class meets for a single 2-hour session. As class size is limited to 12 people, pre-registration is required for each class. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration opens 30 days prior to the class. continued on page 12

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continued from page 11 Please visit the website (www.hcpl.net) or call the library at 281-376-4610 for more information and to register for these classes. The classes are held in the Barbara Bush Library Friends Computer Lab at 6817 Cypresswood Drive in Spring. Baldwin Boettcher Library Ongoing English As A Second Language The Baldwin Boettcher Library Staff provides ESL classes for folks who want to learn to speak English or improve their English speaking skills. Our beginning classes are scheduled on Mondays, 6-7:30 pm; Fridays 1-3 pm; Our intermediate ESL classes are on Wednesdays, 6-7:30 pm and Thursdays, 1-3 pm; Our conversational English class is on Tuesdays 10-12 pm; Our advanced English class is on Tuesdays 4-5 pm. Call the library at 281-821-1320 for more information about the ESL classes. Barbara Bush Branch Library Every Thursday noon-1pm Yoga For Stress Relief Certified yoga instructor, Linda Popinksi, offers this free class every Thursday from 12:00-1:00 in the Earl Elliott Room at the Barbara Bush Branch Library, 6817 Cypresswood Drive in Spring. Both men and women are welcome. Bring your own yoga mat and a beach towel. Barbara Bush Branch Library Every Friday noon-2pm French Classes with Marie Come and learn French with Marie on Fridays from 12:00-2:00. The class is intermediate level and so some knowledge of French is required. No registration is necessary. The class will meet in the Robin Bush Room at the Barbara Bush Branch Library, 6817 Cypresswood Drive in Spring.

AREA TOURS Big Thicket Distilling Every Saturday noon, 2pm, 4pm Big Thicket Distilling Tours Big Thicket Distilling offer tours at 12, 2 and 4pm on Saturdays. $10 per person. Includes a distillery tour and tasting of our products. Make your reservation online at BigThicketDistilling.com Big Thicket Distillery’s telephone number is 936666-1341 Conroe Art League By Appointment Conroe Art League 127 Simonton, Conroe TX 77301 The Conroe Art League invites all Montgomery County residents and friends to come in and see their award-winning artists and their masterpieces. They are located at 127 Simonton, Conroe 77301. Their gallery exhibit includes paintings, prints, sculptures, pottery, jewelry and much, much more. If you are wondering what to do for fun this summer, contact Kerry Conkling at kerryart127@gmail.com to arrange a guided tour of the 103 year old historic gallery for groups of from 5 – 25 people. Your free tour includes refreshments (coffee, afternoon tea or happy hour) and an artist demonstration. This would be great fun for couples or for a group of friends. Southern Star Brewing Saturdays 2pm Southern Star Brewing Co. 1207 N. FM 3083 East Conroe, TX 77303 Southern Star Brewing Co invites everyone to come and enjoy a free tour of their brewery on Saturdays starting at around 2pm. The tour includes one free beer and there is no

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reservation or sign up required. Oh My Darling! Hot Dogs will be there to serve up some of the best artisan hot dogs around! Children are allowed at the brewery provided they are with a legal guardian. Unruly children will be asked to leave Due to health code, Dogs are not allowed inside the actual tasting room, but are allowed outside Absolutely no outside alcohol is permitted on brewery property Southern Star Tasting Room Hours Fridays 5pm - 9pm Saturdays noon - 6pm For more information on the tours or anything else regarding Southern Star Brewing call 936441-2739 or visit them on the web at www.souothernstarbrewing.com

GAMING Beginner HeroClix Sundays at 4:30pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 292-8444 HeroClix is a fun game that allows players to pit their favorite Heroes and Villains against each other in combat! Battle characters from multiple series, from Lord of the Rings to the Justice League! Who will reign victorious on the fields of battle? For beginners or casual players HeroClix Tournament Night Mondays at 7pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 292-8444 HeroClix is a fun game that allows players to pit their favorite Heroes and Villains against each other in combat! Battle characters from multiple series, from Lord of the Rings to the Justice League! Who will reign victorious on the fields of battle? For more experienced players, and competitive players Netrunner Meetup Night Mondays at 6pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 292-8444 Netrunner is an amazing living card game, with an amazing story and amazing game mechanics. Players compete using one of two decks they construct, either the Corporation or the Runner. In a Matrix style world, Runners jack into the computer system in order to hack into the Corporation’s systems in order to discover their secret agendas. Casual meetup night for players of all experience levels X-Wing Meetup Night Tuesdays at 6pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 292-8444 Star Wars X-Wing is a fun and innovative dogfighting game, in which you must defeat your opponents in space combat! Use ships from the Star Wars universe as you construct your custom squadrons, and fight for either the Empire or the Rebel Alliance! Casual meetup night for players of all experience levels Pokemon League Wednesdays 5pm - 8pm Space Cadets Collection Collection 27326 Robinson Road #117 Oak Ridge North, Free and open to all. Learn to play, trade cards, have fun with friends and make new friends. Earn free League only Pokemon foil cards by playing 7 games (DS or card). On any given week we have 25-40 players aged from 6-40+ (yes we have moms and dads that play also :) World War Wednesday

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Wednesdays at 6pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 292-8444 This is a meet up for all our Historical themed miniatures games. Bolt Action, Flames of War, and Saga players rejoice! We have tables as well as beautiful terrain for players to use. It’s a great event for both beginners and veterans alike, and a great way to spend a Wednesday! Casual meetup night for players of all experience levels Magic Commander Night Wednesdays at 6pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 292-8444 Test your mettle in one of Magic the Gathering’s most popular multiplayer format! As one of the most fun and casual formats for Magic, Commander night is a blast! Players Construct a 100 card deck with no duplicates allowed, and play in a multi-man game leading to some crazy shenanigans. See you on the battlefield! Casual meetup night for players of all experience levels Warmachine and Hordes Meetup Night Thursdays at 6pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 292-8444 Warmachine and Hordes (commonly known as Warma/Hordes) is an awesome Miniatures game where players assume the role of a general leading their warriors into combat. Control amazing machines called Jacks or harness the wild power of powerful beasts and monsters to destroy your adversaries. Casual meetup night for players of all experience levels My Little Pony Collectable Card Game Thursdays All Day Space Cadets Collection Collection 27326 Robinson Road #117 Oak Ridge North Come learn how to play the My Little Pony collectible card game. Free event each week. Magic Draft Night Thursdays at 7pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 2928444 Players purchase 3 booster packs from standard (depending on what the group votes to draft), and an additional 2 booster packs of any available expansion to add to the prize pool! Players then construct a 40 card deck from the contents of their draft to compete with, battling for prizes and glory! Fun event for players of all experience levels, and perfect for players to expand their collection For more Details go to: https://www.facebook.com/ events/340064569532538/ Friday Night Magic Fridays at 7pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 2928444 Experience one of the most intense and fun Standard Magic tournaments in the area every Friday at Fat Ogre! Players bring a 60 card Standard legal deck to compete in a massive tournament! A fun night for players of all ages and experience levels, Friday Night Magic is your premier Magic event. Fun event for players of all experience levels For more Details go to: https://www.facebook.com/

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events/510118335795397/ Warhammer Meetup Night Fridays at 6pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 2928444 A fun meetup night for both Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k players, Fat Ogre has an amazing community for Warhammer. A great night for players of all experience levels, new players can feel free to stop by and learn! Fun event for players of all experience levels Hero Clix Saturdays 3pm – 5pm Space Cadets Collection Collection 27326 Robinson Road #117 Oak Ridge North, TX 77385 Come on out and learn how to play Hero Clix. We are an official HeroClix tournament site , so come and enjoy the fun. We have added a full line of Hero Clix items. Marval Dice Masters League Saturdays 5pm – 8pm Space Cadets Collection Collection 27326 Robinson Road #117 Oak Ridge North, TX 77385 Learn how to play this exciting new game, which sold out all over the nation as soon as it was released. It is an inexpensive game to start , at around $15 for a starter and $1.00 for boosters. If you have ever played the dace game Quarriors, this will seem familiar to you, as it is created by the same company. Join us! Board Game Night Saturdays 5pm – 8pm Space Cadets Collection Collection 27326 Robinson Road #117 Oak Ridge North, TX 77385 Bring your favorite board or card game. Meet up with friends or make new ones while you are here! Please only bring all ages appropriate games. Monopoly anyone? We want everybody to be able to participate. Magic Modern Tournament Saturdays at 6pm Fat Ogre Games & Comics 525 Sawdust Rd, Spring TX, P: (281) 2928444 A fun tournament for Magic the Gathering players to test their competitive skill with access to older and more powerful cards. Players bring a Modern legal deck comprised of 60 cards, and compete for prizes and glory! Players may use any Magic the Gathering card printed after 8th edition, with a few specific exceptions. Fun event for players of all experience levels For more Details go to: https://www.facebook.com/ events/1376049572715159/

SUPPORT GROUPS Free 2B Support Group Tuesdays, 6:45-8:30pm Faith Bible Church, The Woodlands FREE 2B is a faith-based codependency support group, where those facing relational difficulties can share their struggles and begin the process of restoring healthy balance in their lives. Free 2B is open to the public for individuals and couples 18 and older and is free to attend. For an information packet, email Scott at free2b@consolidated.net.

PUBLIC NEWS MUSIC magazine and calendar. After a series of radio festivals and showcases, Cilver found themselves on a boat with Motorhead for the Motorboat Cruise this past fall. In similar fashion, the band also participated on the ShipRocked Cruise this January, which sailed from Miami to the Bahamas.

THE CONTORTIONIST

MUSIC NEWS & NOTES THE CONTORTIONIST RELEASE NEW MUSIC VIDEO VIA ALTERNATIVE PRESS MAGAZINE LANGUAGE (REDISCOVERED EDITION) + 4 REWORKED TRACKS OUT NOW! ON TOUR WITH TESSERACT THROUGH MARCH 2016 The Contortionist have released a “Rediscovered” version of their most recent LP, Language. The new version contains four re-worked tracks recorded and engineered by John Douglass and mixed/mastered by Jamie King. The rediscovered tracks are accompanied by four all new music videos for the same tracks. The video for “Language: Rediscovered” premiered exclusively via Alternative Press Magazine. “This song was the result of our music naturally leading itself through new ideas developed onstage and in rehearsal,” says Keyboardist Eric Guenther. “In a way, you could think of it as an artistically selfish move. We want these songs to continue their evolution and life. I can’t wait to do something like this again. Reinterpreting the songs after months of experimenting onstage keeps the experience and energy fresh for everyone that celebrates them with us.” Directed by Erez Bader, these four videos are by far the most intimate depiction of the band to date. The band previously premiered the first rediscovered video for the track “The Parable” via Prog Magazine earlier this month. The band released two original videos from the Language LP for “Language I: Intuition” and “Primordial Sound,” both directed by Corey Norman. The Contortionist just wrapped up a stretch of dates supporting Tesseract. The band will then head to Europe, also supporting Tesseract. “Language keeps up with this idea of call and response between spacey ambient melodies and heavy-hitting metal tunes all the way through its 48-minute run.” Aquarian Weekly

“What The Contortionist has given us isn’t space travel but a journey through a dream state.” Substream Magazine “A well-balanced cocktail of skillful songwriting, diverse but focused vocals, admirable musicianship, progressive metal that lurks menacingly.” Lambgoat “There’s lots of technical dazzle, but the instrumental end is kept in check to ensure the writing shines through.” Revolver Magazine “The Contortionist’s ever-bending arrays of genre-defying riffage are more present than ever in Language.” New Noise Magazine “This is a fantastic release that is best digested as one long piece.” Metal Injection

CILVER DEBUT NEW SINGLE “I’M AMERICA” VIA REVOLVER MAGAZINE NOT THE END OF THE WORLD DUE OUT MARCH 18, 2016 New York rock act Cilver has debuted a brand new single today exclusively via Revolver Magazine for their first single “I’m America.” The track is the first bit of new music we’ve heard from the band since the release of their previous EP, In My Head that came out in 2013. “I’m America” is the anthem that America needs today,” says vocalist Uliana Preotu. “It is an anthem for everyone and about everything that America is with the good and the bad. While the song is inspired from my personal story, it is the story of everyone who lives in and loves this country. It’s a song that sheds light about people’s journey to America, living in America, all the sacrifices everyone makes, and in the ene just how great this country is. It’s a beautiful place, you can drink the water!” The single can also be heard on SiriusXM’s Octane channel starting today. Cilver will release Not The End Of The World

on March 18th, 2016 via Entertainment One Music, the first since signing with the indie label last year. The band’s own Leon Lyazidi produced the record with help from well known producer Johnny K, who executive produced. The band is eager to release their songs to the world, the band spent a good portion of the spring locked away in Groovemaster Studios in Chicago. “This is the perfect time to release this record,” says Preotu. “A time where America is angry, frustrated, lost, but hopeful. The songs are honest and biographical to the point that every lyric made me cry as it transported me to important and memorable moments of my life. Moments of loss and hope, moments that every citizen and immigrant can relate to.” Anchored by songwriting duo Uliana and guitarist Leon Lyazidi, the band has come a long way from their previous projects in New York City. What served as an artistic restart has turned into a runaway train of accomplishment that seems to be going faster as time goes on. The band signed a new deal with eOne Music last year. “eOne is real,” says Leon. “When we set out to launch Cilver, we were looking for people who ate, slept and bled music just like we did. eOne was clearly a cut above everyone else and we couldn’t be more excited to be part an amazing roster, led by a passionate and creative team.” After landing a management deal with The RSE Group (Slayer, Gojira, Ghost, Mastodon), representation from The Circle Talent Agency, and legal from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, 2014 and 2015 ended up as the band’s busiest years yet. The band gained traction touring as openers on the Revolver Magazine Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock tour with Sick Puppies and Lacuna Coil. Uliana was also featured in the Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock issue of the

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AVATAR ENTER STUDIO WITH SYLVIA MASSY NEW LP DUE OUT MID-2016 2016 US TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED Sweden’s own AVATAR have entered the studio to begin work on a new album this week, the followup to highly successful HAIL THE APOCALYPSE released in 2014, cracking the Billboard Top 200 Chart and debuting at #97. “Every band makes a point out of saying they’re pushing boundaries, but I see few who keep on challenging themselves the way we do.” says frontman Johannes Eckerström. “There is no formula, no cheapness, no shortcuts. We are once again embarking on a journey completely new to us.” The new effort will be released next year by Entertainment One Music in the U.S. / Canada and Century Media overseas. Fans can get involved right off the bat too. The band has launched an Instagram campaign on their official website that diligently follows the band while they make progress in the studio. The band will split their time between three studios throughout Europe with all of the music being made in the aptly named Castle Studios in Röhrsdorf, Germany. Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland and Spinroad Studios in Lindome, Sweden will also play a part in the process. Avatar has tapped none other than Sylvia Massy to produce the yet to be titled release. “Avatar is an amazing band!” says Massy. She is perhaps best recognized for her work on 1993’s Undertow, the full-length double platinumselling TOOL debut and her works with System Of A Down. “The singer has the wild energy and charisma I love, and the players are relentless. The album we’re making is an epic. Each song powerfully stands on it’s own, but is only a piece of a larger story. This album is the project I’ve been dreaming about for years!” The band has been on quite a run since Hail The Apocalypse was released, most notably for their music videos and visually stunning live shows. The band released three music videos off that record. One for the title track “Hail The Apocalypse,” hit single “Bloody Angel” and “Vultures Fly,” which just took home the Loudwire Rock Video Of The Year. Avatar will hit the road stateside in January with a highlighted performance scheduled aboard the ever popular ShipRocked Cruise. Click here for all tour dates. The band has also been confirmed to participate in Rock on the Range, Welcome to Rockville, Fort Rock, and Carolina Rebellion festivals in 2016. After making more trips to the U.S. than ever before over the last two years, the band is ready to sink their teeth into a new album, Eckerström continues: “Avatar is growing higher and deeper and I am proud to say we are outdoing ourselves again. If we didn’t make sure to feel like this every time, we wouldn’t bother at all. I’m very excited, and you should be too.”

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LIVE MUSIC GUIDE - MONTGOMERY COUNTY CONROE 1

April’s/Tuts 711 Madeley Conroe 713-539-1500

Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct., Conroe 936-273-0203 www.backwoodssaloon.com

The Corner Pub 302 N. Main St., Conroe 936-788-2390 www.thecornerpubinconroe.com

Dosey Doe Music Cafe 463 FM 1488, Conroe 936-321-2171 www.doseydoe.com

Game On Sports Bar 1717 N. Fraiser Conroe 936-788-6209 www.gameonsportsandmusic.com

5 1

Kat Daddy Bar 463 FM 1488, Conroe 936-273-9342 www.katdaddysbar.com

3 7

Red Brick Tavern 119 Simonton, Conroe 936-539-2000 www.theredbricktavern.com

MAGNOLIA Bernhardt Winery 9043 County Road 204, Plantersville www.bernhardtwinery.com

Lyssa Warren & Friends with Emily Cole Caleb Hoelscher & the Home Grown Tomatoes Legacy

April 3rd 7pm Tickets are $10

Available at doseydoe.com

Dosey Doe Music Cafe Off FM1488 at I-45 in Conroe

Genuwine Tasting Room 6503 FM 1488 #401 Magnolia 832-934-2675 www.mygenuwine.com [no cover unless stated *]

EMILY COLE

APRIL 2016 TOUR SCHEDULE March 26 6-6:45pm Midtown Bar & Grill

Celebration of Last Concert Cafe’s 46th Birthday! SPRING TIME 90.1 FM KPFT BENEFIT AND SILENT AUCTION hosted by Night Sounds March 26th 2016, Saturday from 3pm-2am, all donations go to KPFT to help keep our 100% community radio on air!

April 1 6-10pm Bernies Backyard in the new Wine Lounge April 2 6-10pm Rising Sun Sushi & Fusion April 3 7pm Lyssa Warren & Friends [$10 cover] Dosey Doe Music Cafe April 10 11:25am The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival April 15 6-10pm Bernies Backyard in the new Wine Lounge April 16 3-6pm Envy Wine Room April 21 6:30pm Warehouse Live (Studio Room) [$12] April 22 7-10pm Cisco’s Salsa Company April 23 7-10pm The Tasting Room, Kings Harbor, Kingwood

www.imemilycole.com 14

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PUBLIC NEWS

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LIVE MUSIC GUIDE - SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY & NORTH HARRIS COUNTY 23 13 11

2470 Cypress Creek Pkwy., Houston 281-583-8111 www.theconcertpub.com

OLD TOWN SPRING

26 27

18 19 20

Saloon 18 Jailhouse 310 Preston, Spring 281-288-0255

www.jailhousesaloontx.com

19 Puffabellys

100 Main St, Spring 281-350-3376 www.puffabellys.com

SPRING Place Sports Bar & Grill 22 Makâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5200 Louetta Rd., Houston 832-698-1611

17 The Concert Pub North

www.maksplacesportsbar.com

One Bar 23 That 4660 Louetta #100, Spring 832-562-3942

www.thatonebar.com

Two Mules Tavern

24 http://www.twomulestavern.com

NORTH SPRING

100 Cypresswood Dr., Spring 281-528-0600

10 19th Hole Grill & Bar

THE WOODLANDS

202 Sawdust Rd #118, Spring 281-363-2574 www.19th.cc [$10 cover on all shows] Daddy 11 Crabby 25186 I-45, The Woodlands 281-296-2722

www.crabbydaddy.com Shows begin at 7pm no music reported

Moon Wine Bar 12 Crescent 440 Rayford Rd., #115, Spring 281-364-WINE (9463)

www.crescentmoonwinebar.com Every Thursday is Salsa Music Night

Doe Big Barn 13 Dosey 25911 I-45 N., The Woodlands 281-367-3774 www.doseydoe.com

CYPRESS CREEK 15 Acadia

3939 FM 1960 W., Houston 281-893-2860 www.acadiabarandgrill.com

16 BFE Rock Club

11528 Jones Rd. Houston (281) 894-1811 www.bferockclub.com

PUBLIC NEWS

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion The Woodlands, 281-210-1105 www.woodlandscenter.org Sun, April 3, 2016 7:30pm Mumford & Sons Fri, April 8, 2016 8pm Bryan Adams Tue, July 5, 2016 7pm Twenty One Pilots Sun, Sept. 18, 2016 7:30pm 5 Seconds of Summer

23 2005 Lake Robbins,

TOMBALL 24 Brautigams Bar & Grill

106 Market St, Tomball 832-698-4461 www.brautigamsbarngrill.com

25 Cheers

916 West Main St., Tomball 281-351-2599 no website

26 Main Street Crossing

111 West Main St., Tomball 281-290-0431 www.mainstreetcrossing.com

27 The Empty Glass

104 Market Street, Tomball 832-698-4722 www.theemptyglass.com Thursdays are Open Mic Nights

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

SCOTT MOORE and the tejas chocolate CRAFtory story and photos by Nick Rama 16

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

PUBLIC NEWS

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TEJAS CHOCOLATE CRAFTORY Old Town Tomball’s answer to great BBQ, Beer and Gourmet Chocolates Authentic Texas Style BBQ has finally come to Tomball, TX in one of the strangest places, a converted house turned into a specialty chocolate shop called Tejas Chocolate Craftory. Located in Old Town Tomball (where this Foodie does most of his eating when he’s in the area) on N Elm St by the railroad tracks down the street from The Depot. Owned by Michelle (Vice President /Operations), Scott Moore Jr. (Pitmaster & Chocolatier) and his brother Greg Moore (Chef/Pitmaster). I noticed this place one day when I went down the street to Jane and John Dough Bakery for a quick lunch. I had already heard about the wonderful hand-crafted chocolates at Tejas Chocolate, and was intrigued when I saw the three signs hanging from the front porch of this adorable old house that said “Beer” “Barbecue” “Chocolates.”

smelled amazing while waiting for my food, which didn’t take long at all. I picked up my food, and stopped by the condiment bar to pick up some pickles and a small plastic cup of their house BBQ sauce, in doing so, I discovered that they have two additional sauces available, a green sauce and a mole. Odd right? I wanted to try their BBQ by itself first and was unsure why a BBQ place would have these other sauces

available. Looking around the place, I thought it had a hill country feel to it, which is a good thing because, in my opinion, that’s where some of the best BBQ in Texas is from. I sat towards the back of the place where there is a small section that leads out to the pit room and a partially covered patio with picnic tables. The back

section of the restaurant has a cool window looking into another room where you can see where and how they make the chocolates. Now back to the task at hand - lunch! I looked at my chopped beef sandwich and noticed that it was not served on an average hamburger bun like so many other places, but rather a gourmet brioche bun. I grabbed a fork full of the meat, and I just had to smile, because it was so good. I knew I

I went in for the first time on a Tuesday ready to try some BBQ; I walked up to the counter and Tricia, who also happens to be the house Confectioner, informed me that BBQ was only served Wed thru Saturday. She talked to me about the BBQ and convinced me that I had to come back tomorrow because it’s that good. I returned Wednesday, walked in and placed my order at the front counter. If you have a sweet tooth as I do, and you look to the left while you are waiting to place your order, there is a lovely case of Tejas’ chocolates and chocolate truffles so you can start thinking about dessert. I ordered a chopped beef sandwich, with potato salad, and an additional side that intrigued me, cornbread pudding. Tricia told me they would call my name when my order was ready and that they have a pickup window around the corner with their sauces and condiments. The place

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MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

just found BBQ that was as good if not better than my two beloved places in Spring, TX Corkscrew BBQ, and BBQ-Godfather. The bun matched the quality of the chopped beef, and both were great in every way. Tender beef with the perfect amount of smoke and seasonings. The cornbread pudding was delicious and made me think of a savory bread pudding with corn, onions, and herbs. It has an almost quiche-like texture. The potato salad was quite good, but I would have liked a little less mayonnaise in it and maybe a little more mustard. One thing for sure, I was coming back for more BBQ because it was the best I have found for a very long time. I finished my meal, and sine I couldn’t walk into a chocolate shop with getting some chocolate, I stopped for a milk chocolate truffle with 70% cocoa. One bite of this truffle and I knew exactly why the place was called Tejas Chocolate Craftory. The truffle was intensely chocolaty and rich and so much better than anything I could have gotten at Godiva. I also got to meet the pitmaster and head chocolatier, Scott, that day because he was walking around checking on tables while tending on the pit outside. I told him how much I loved the BBQ and his place, and he was very appreciative. Visit number two: I am a lover of a good pulled pork, so a pulled pork sandwich it had to be, along with a side of pinto beans. I asked Tricia what their best dessert was and she said that the chocolate crème brulee is amazing and is one of her favorites. Once again, it took one bite to figure out that this pulled pork was every bit as good as their beef. The right amount of smoke and once again no sauce needed. I know a lot of people that love putting coleslaw on their pulled pork sandwich, but so far it’s not one of their sides or options. On their condiment bar they have the regular pickles, raw red onions, and Jalapeños. The great addition to my pull pork is the option of pickled onions; I liked it better than coleslaw since the pickled onions complimented the pulled pork. Such a simple addition to a condiment bar, and one that works well with the BBQ’s flavor profiles. I was hesitant to order a chocolate crème brule because original crème brule it is one of my all time favorite desserts, but this chocolate crème brule is spectacular. The texture was a

MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

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little heavier than a traditional brule, probably because of all the wonderful chocolates that they packed into it. Oh yeah, chocolaty goodness! This visit I was also met my favorite BBQ connoisseur and well-seasoned home barbecue chef, Paul Van Deusen. He ordered the brisket and pork ribs, and agreed with my assessment that this is the real deal authentic Texas Q! He was smiling with each bite. Visit number 3: I decided early on a Saturday morning to invite my Foodie friends and family to have a “Foodie Takeover” at Tejas Chocolate Craftory. We had quite a few people show up to meet and eat some really good BBQ. Everyone agreed that the all the food and service was fantastic. (I have included a sidebar of some quotes from the people that showed up). Since we had family and friends, we ordered ½ lb. of all the meats and four different side dishes. The brisket was moist with a very nice smoke flavor, and a perfect smoke ring. The sausage had a nice snap to the casing and was nice and peppery. The ribs were fall off the bone tender, and the turkey was pretty darn good too. I mentioned two other sauces earlier and let me tell you that the green sauce and the house made mole are both very good on the turkey. The green sauce reminded me of Indian coconut chutney, and the mole is the best I have had anywhere (which makes sense since mole has chocolate as one of the main ingredients, and I was at a gourmet chocolate place). The most intriguing side and the most addictive was the carrot soufflé. Think of the texture of a good sweet potatoes pie, but instead it’s carrot based. This is definitely another signature dish from Chef Greg along with his cornbread pudding. Green Beans and Potato Salad rounded out our meal. We were all pretty darn full from lunch and almost in a meat coma, but that didn’t stop us from taking home a “Hi-Five”, which is any 5 of their house made chocolate truffles for 12 bucks. Beautiful and rich chocolate truffles like the Margarita truffle - 70% Madagascar cacao with lime and salt, and an instant favorite for me. Whiskey coffee latte, honey lavender, dark chocolate & coffee, mole and coconut cream, chili chocolate chipotle, single origin Madagascar and even a praline truffle.

I could go on and on about each of my previous visits, but I have to go into our visit with our family from California. I walked in, and Scott said we have “your” sandwich today. I asked Scott and Greg the week before if the could do a stacked sandwich with chopped beef and sliced sausage (one of my favorite combinations). Well, they took it to another level and named a sandwich after me. The “Stack N’ Rama” (pulled pork, sliced brisket, and sausage on a brioche bun topped with an over easy egg). I have to say that this sandwich was incredibly great. The textures were amazing and the perfectly fried Egg was like having the best Barbecue turned into a breakfast/Brunch sandwich. ½ lb. of meat on a delicious bun may be as perfect as it gets. I am very honored that I have my very own menu item at my new favorite find. As I was ordering, I looked down at the cash register and on a piece of butcher paper written in sharpie was the words “Burnt Ends $5 served in a paper boat.” I love some good burnt ends, so along with my giant sandwich, I had to order them. Talk about a perfect char on little morsels of meat that packed so much delicious smoky flavor of goodness. Tejas recently introduced a new Beef Rib and If the BBQ world had a BBQ Walk of Fame, this new 1/2 LB Ancho Cocoa Coffee Rubbed Beef Rib would have its own star. Incredible flavor profile, perfect crusty bark, rubbed with Scott and Greg’s new outstanding rub, this is one of the best pieces of beef I have ever had. Their plan is to have Beef Ribs only on Saturdays, so get to Tejas early if you want one of these masterpieces. My family from California loved everything they tried and wished they had BBQ this good back home in or around Visalia. They thought the different sauces were a genius idea. I thought Uncle Brian was going to take shots of the green coconut sauce and the mole. They sampled the brisket, ribs, turkey, pulled pork and burnt ends and they were highly impressed that one BBQ joint can do all of these so well. On the same visit, we ran into a Tomball Foodie, Chris Clements. He ordered some food and posted such a great review directly afterwards on the “Northside Eateries” Facebook page, I include it here.

“I’m not even sure where to start! Other than I’m not sure why I’m writing this review, as I’d like this place to be a secret. Serving some really amazing bbq Wednesday through Saturday and sides that are, from what I sampled today, just as good, which to me is an oddity worthy of notation. Pictured is moist, succulent brisket, well rendered and not overly smoky, pretty much melted in my mouth! Pork spare ribs that are done exactly how I like them rub not too sweet or overbearing, so the porky flavor can still be detected and not over cooked, the meat pulled off the bone just the way it should! The turkey...just amazing! The rub on that, whatever it is, is perfectly balanced, and the salt is perfect and shines through the super moistness and tender flesh! Burnt ends are spectacular. The good kind of charred caramelization with a deep yet once again mild smoke penetration and a tender almost gelatinous interior that will make your eyeballs roll back into your head! Now the two sides I ordered, and let it be known that I usually hate sides at BBQ joints, but that just changed! While the potato salad isn’t my all time fav, it’s a close second. It wasn’t mashed potato salad. The potatoes were cooked perfectly with just a little bite to them and good texture. Mostly a mayo based dressing but really good flavor, described by Michelle, one of the owners as Louisiana style potato salad... wherever it’s from, it’s good eating excellently prepared! On to the best side I’ve ever put into my mouth ever in a bbq restaurant! This carrot soufflé. Just OMG! Where has this been my whole drab and dreary life? It was raining outside, and I’m pretty sure the clouds parted and shone down upon me as this masterpiece hit my tongue! It was everything I could do to stop eating it at the halfway point, so my wife could taste this manna after she got off work! I mentioned to Scott, another of the owners, that a little crème anglaise would have just made it amazing, but it was still pretty much perfect! Service here was great. Both Scott and Michelle are very personable, super nice and obviously dedicated to putting out high-quality food! I’ll not only be returning for more; I may just actually buy some chocolate too! That’s right they make chocolates...all I saw looked great, but I did not get to sample any on this visit as all I had eyes for was some astounding Q! Give em

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a try, it’s worth the trip, you’ll be glad you did!” Tejas also has some great sandwiches, happy hour gourmet BBQ bites, several varieties and methods of coffee also and, of course, two of my favorite things all in one place, BBQ, and Chocolate… doesn’t get much better than that. I got to sit down and chat with Michelle, Greg and Scott and pick their brains for a Q & A session, here is what they had to say about all things related to Tejas Chocolate Craftory current and future. Nick Rama: Michelle, how long has Tejas Chocolate been in business? Michelle: Tejas was founded in 2011. Nick Rama: I noticed your website just says Tejas Chocolate, but your sign and the Facebook page says Tejas Chocolate Craftory, so which one are you going with? Michelle: Our domain is tejaschocolate.com, but I think we’ll update it to add The Craftory which is what the new location is called. Nick Rama: Scott, how did you get into making chocolate? Scott: Watching TV one rainy Saturday and came across a show about “bean to bar” chocolate. It was interesting to learn about the craft methods and from that came research. The research and discovery of great chocolate led me to want to be the neighborhood chocolate maker. Turned out the neighborhood was Texas and Tejas was the first. Nick Rama: What is drinking chocolate? Scott: Drinking chocolate is a rich and intensely cocoa hot drink. It is pure chocolate in a cup. There can be many variations in spice and cocoa intensity. Nick Rama: Chocolates and barbecue is either an odd combination or marriage made in heaven. Which is it and what made you decide to add BBQ to the mix? Scott: A total marriage made in heaven. Many old Latin American villages roast cacao over an open flame. It’s sort of like barbecue in that sense. Two of the oldest foods on the earth. The flavors are big and pair so well together. The two foods pair perfectly in our house mole sauce which naturally has our chocolate in it.

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Nick Rama: Where did you learn the art of “Authentic Texas Style BBQ”? Scott: I’ve been a backyard weekend barbecue warrior my whole life. I’ve been playing with fire since I was a kid. Ha ha. In Texas, Chef Greg and I have spent hours upon hours discussing the places we like that we’ve visited and dissecting what might make Texas Q so great. The fundamentals of cooking meat and specific cuts are there if you’re logical. It’s all about the proper application of temperature and time. Nick Rama: Scott, tell us more about the meats you serve on a daily basis and I heard you even named your Pit? Scott: Greg named the pit The Black October as we all love the movie The Red October and our pit looks like a ballistic missile submarine. Nick Rama: Greg, what is your culinary background? Greg: I started in Tomball as a kitchen helper at a place called La Tavala where present day Ciscos is located. I was fortunate that I got to work with Chef John, a classically trained Italian chef. We worked a few places together as he got me ready for my own chef gig. I’ve done several different cuisines around town. Last stop was back to Italian at Mancusso’s Table in Tanglewood. Nick Rama: Greg, I see you are making some of your BBQ into gourmet sandwiches and salads. What are some of your most popular dishes? Greg: Brisket and Blues have been a big hit. The great classic combination of blue cheese on beef is amped up with the meat being a 16-hour smoked brisket. This combination of flavors in our sandwich or salad is very popular. Same holds true for our great smoked turkey that we pair with avocado, bacon, and house cilantro buttermilk dressing. Nick Rama: Michelle, Tejas Chocolate has become well known for their different coffees and even different brewing methods. What are some of those? Michelle: We use local coffee roasters exclusively. District Roasters in Tomball is our primary coffee supplier. We also use Orazure Hand Roasted Coffee, a small artisan roaster out of The Woodlands. We take these great beans and

brew them using craft methods like Aero Press, Siphon, and pour overs. These methods bring out the best flavors in coffee. Nick Rama: Michelle, why Tomball, TX to start this awesome venture and who was the one who came up with the décor? Michelle: Tomball is awesome, and that’s why. It’s a small town in a big city with people who are very community driven. We came across the building on Elm Street while looking for a place in Tomball where there is a great collection of independent business owners. In Old Town, you won’t find the big chains like you see in every other regional shopping area. Nick Rama: Scott, I know chocolate making from the cocoa bean to the actual chocolate that people can come in to buy is a very complex process. Give us a short explanation of the process of making a bar of Tejas Chocolate? Scott: Premium cocoa beans are hand sorted, roasted in a brick oven, winnowed to remove the shell, stone ground for days, the chocolate is rested for weeks, then tempered and molded. The process takes on average about 30 days. It’s a truly handcrafted manufacturing process. Nick Rama: Michelle, Where do the names for your chocolate bars come from? Michelle: We name our single origin bars after several of the old Spanish missions that are so well preserved around the state. Single origin chocolate and the origins of Texas was the idea. Then for other bars it just sort of evolves. Our dark chocolate bar with black lava sea salt and black pepper is a good example. Dark chocolate, black salt, and black pepper became “Dark Matter”. Nick Rama: Each of you describes to me your perfect Tejas Chocolate Craftory meal from start to finish, of course including dessert or chocolate: Michelle: Love a good salad, so I’m going with our Bird and Bacon Salad, Glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and finish up with a bite or two of our honey lavender truffle. Greg: Brisket and Blues Salad. Smokey brisket, big blue cheese, and romaine wedge to get my vegetables. I’ll wash it down with a beer like Love Street by Karbach and then end with our chocolate bread pudding. I love making bread

pudding, and our chocolate version with the house cajeta caramel is subtle in its sweetness and chocolate flavor. Scott: Ribs. I love pork ribs and a side of potato salad. Put that with a good beer like Saint Arnold’s Santo and it’s a good day. I’ll end with Greg’s panna cotta. It’s chocolate pudding on steroids. Nick Rama: Scott, what is the crowd favorite of all the bbq you do? Scott: The brisket is the popular choice. A great brisket is hard to make but easy to love. I like to tell people we make chocolate because we needed something to do while waiting for the briskets to cook. Nick Rama: Scott, what makes Saturday’s at Tejas Chocolate Craftory so special? Scott: We are now doing Breakfast Tacos and Micheladas starting at 8:30am, so far they have been a hit. Starting at 11am we have our 1/2 LB Ancho Cocoa Coffee Rubbed Beef Rib, we are very proud of the way it came out. Nick Rama: Michelle, what is the crowd favorite chocolate bar and truffle? Michelle: Dark Matter for bars is the leader and its hard to say on truffles. Probably our Good Life truffle. It’s so rich and decadent. Nick Rama: Michelle, do you all cater and/or do private parties? Michelle: In a very limited way for now. We will work towards developing a staff for this eventually. Nick Rama: Which one of you writes the Blog on your website and tell us more about it? Michelle: Scott does this. Usually on a Sunday now after he is done yelling at The Texans and needs to calm down. Nick Rama: Tell me five words to describe Tejas Chocolate Craftory. Scott: Great chocolate and better barbecue The Tejas Chocolate Craftory is located at 200 N. Elm Street in Tomball, Texas. They are open at 11am till 7pm and can be reached by phone at 832-761-0670. They are also online at www.tejaschocolate.com.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING & PRAISING ABOUT TEJAS CHOCOLATE CRAFTORY “The brisket was spot on, moist, tender, well rendered fat, and not too heavy on the smoke. The pork ribs were fantastic, too, just enough smoke, great bark with just enough black pepper, and the meat pulled right off the bone with minimal effort.” Paul V. “Its some serious craft BBQ, soon to be a major force in the Houston BBQ scene.” - Cliff E. “The BBQ at TCC (Tejas Chocolate Craftory) is so tasty that it requires no sauce-neither to flavor nor moisten the meat. Most BBQ in this area I’ve found to be too dry, but not at TCC. The meat was moist, very flavorful and supremely tender. I believe it to be the best BBQ in the Tomball area.” - Chris G. “Fat boy approved! Addicting. You either like Tejas or you’re wrong. Honestly, words escape me when trying to describe just how good they really are. It’s also refreshing that the owners are so nice.” - Heath P. ““It’s GOOD!!! and the Hot Chocolate is decadent!” - Alok K. “After leaving texas over 21 years ago to move to central California, great barbeque has continually been the missing link in my food chain.... So naturally, upon arriving back for a visit, my best food friend Nick hurried me straight over to Tejas Chocolate Craftory Barbeque...OH WOW! Better than anything I ever. I honestly haven’t enjoyed a meal since I’ve been back in Cali, I’m now dreaming of a Brisket for Christmas...thanks a bunch.“ - Brian K. “Having tried and loved just about everything Tejas has to offer, it’s obvious to me that the Houston area has yet another heavy hitter in the bbq world that can go up against the best of the best. Add in top notch sides and some of the finest chocolate around and you can’t lose!” - Matt B. “Everything was amazingly good, but next time I’m ordering nothing but Turkey, smothering it with that incredible mole, and gonna be one happy lady for the rest of the day.” - Lynn H. “Okay folks..The hype is real!! This new place, Tejas Chocolate Craftory is great, fantastic, and delicious! Don’t let the name fool you. They have the best brisket i’ve had in houston…the best. Barbecue sauce is unlike anything i’ve had before. The mole sauce is very good. The carrot souffle is to die for. And the chocolate is great, especially the hot chocolate that they sell at the front counter.” - Stephen F.

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by Glen Ryan Tadych Returning from Public News’ 3-month hiatus and diving into 2016 cinema, I already have enough to discuss until summer. However, it’s impossible for me to jump into any 2016 film commentary without touching on 2015’s closing smash, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. One of last year’s most anticipated films, The Force Awakens opened Dec. 18 with a record-breaking domestic gross of $119 million, surpassing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2’s (2011) $91 million, according to Box Office Mojo. It set the record for highest domestic opening weekend at $529 million, and ultimately surpassed Avatar (2009) as highest grossing domestic film at $928.8 million. Nearly three months since its release, The Force Awakens stands as the third-highest grossing film of all time worldwide at $2.052 billion—the third film in history to surpass $2 billion, and the second to do so in its original run. Now, obviously these are just numbers. A movie could make $1 trillion and I wouldn’t care if it were complete garbage. But it’s certainly inaccurate to say The Force Awakens was Glen Ryan Tadych anything but a success, and believe me, The Walt Disney Company knows it. With all the upcoming changes in their theme parks to fit new Star Wars-themed attractions, as well as five more films (at least) slated for release through 2020, Disney is taking the Star Wars cow for everything it can. As a fan, I have mixed feelings about all this new Star Wars hype. While I was alive for the 1997 Special Edition re-releases and Prequel Trilogy era, I can’t say I recall Star Wars hype and fandom resembling anything like what it is right now. That being said, a 10-year break between film releases, combined with a (somewhat)

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dwindling hype due to a lack of fresh live-action material, did seem to make this newfound hype come out of nowhere. My greatest fear is Disney will drown any and all Star Wars interest with all this milking. It’s the kind of effect something has when it just inevitably runs its course, which eventually leads to reboots and things of that nature. The fact we’re getting spinoff films is already something I’m not too thrilled about, because I personally feel Star Wars doesn’t need spinoffs. To me, that’s when you get to the point where you’re going, “OK, how far can we actually go with this?” I won’t lie though. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story— due for release on Dec. 15—has definitely sparked my interest. I can’t say I’m all that gung-ho about Han Solo and Boba Fett spinoff films, but a film telling the story of the rebel spies who stole the Death Star plans prior to the events in Star Wars (1977) sounds like it could be interesting to watch. All of this was up in the air though without knowing how The Force Awakens would perform, and now that we’re in March, it’s safe to say Star Wars is back and here to stay. This, of course, brings up inevitable question: As a diehard Star Wars fan, what did I think of the film? To put it simply, I loved it. I saw The Force Awakens four times over the course of a month, and with each viewing, my opinion didn’t change one bit. I knew I would have to see it at least twice because anyone who is a hardcore fan of something knows there will always be that adrenaline rush we all get with the initial viewing. It normally takes a repeat viewing to see things on more of an objective keel and walk away with a better understanding of what you watched. Before I go on, I’ll just put it out there that everything is fair game regarding spoilers at this point. The Force Awakens has been out for quite some time now, and honestly, if you haven’t taken the time to see it in a theater—which any real Star Wars fan would in my opinion—you don’t care. The story of The Force Awakens deals with the search for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who’s been missing

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for years following the failed attempt at establishing a new Jedi Order. As he’s furiously hunted by his sadistic and conflicted nephew Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)—a former padawan of Luke’s, born to Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) as Ben Solo—a rogue stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega) and scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley) work with Han and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) to find Luke first. The Force Awakens very much evoked the spirit of the Original Trilogy, paying various nostalgic respects while exploring new characters and ideas. That is my overall assessment, but in terms of the film’s broader audience, it’s one side of a coin. The other side of said coin, and probably The Force Awakens’ most common criticism, is that it was “too much like” Star Wars. Many viewers said it was a “carbon copy” or “remake” of A New Hope (the original film’s eventual subtitle which I refuse to use in general conversation). I find this criticism absurd, and this isn’t coming from someone who was blind to all the similarities between The Force Awakens and Star Wars. The very night I screened the film I said, discussing it with my coworkers, there was a lot of the original film embedded in The Force Awakens. I, along with many others, see this as a benefit and one of the contributors to the film’s success. A lot of the assholes out there will just say, “Well, yeah, because all of you sheep will pay to watch the same regurgitated garbage over and over again.” I honestly can’t even see how such words could come out of a Star Wars fan’s mouth. Some people were even saying The Force Awakens made the Prequel Trilogy look like the originals. No. Just no. Anyone who even thinks such a thing, in my opinion, forfeits the right to watch any Star Wars film ever again. And such people might say, “Fine, good riddance.” To which all I’d say is, “Yeah, more for me, prick.” This is the world we live in, where nerds take this stuff so seriously, they can actually anger people and lose friends over it. I like to think I’m able to keep myself in check, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t passionate about these films for what they mean to me and my love

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of cinema. If I hated The Force Awakens, I wouldn’t have sat through the damn thing four times. It was action-packed, adventurous, funny and emotional—everything a Star Wars film should be. Not to mention the film looked incredible. To start, the creative team did an outstanding job with choosing locations. The real-world settings and lack of green screen added to the film what the prequels lacked in authenticity. Like the original films, we feel immersed in these worlds again. And it’s always astounding to see such settings in a film, getting to remember such environments on this planet still exist. All of the film’s visuals were top-notch. Everything from the ships to the battle sequences was executed in a way to where we don’t just see the elements, but we can almost feel them, especially the lightsabers. The lighting effects they’re able to achieve with the lightsabers now are so effective now, you’re really able to get a sense of what these weapons would be like in reality. And the way they established a clear difference between Kylo Ren’s and Luke’s sabers in function and appearance was a new and unique way of expanding on the series’ mythology. My favorite part of the film is definitely the climatic duel between Rey and Kylo Ren in the forest. It was a match that wasn’t exactly expected since no promotional material featured Rey wielding a lightsaber, and the moment in which she wields it for the first time was, for me, by far the most invigorating moment of the entire film. It was like Neo realizing he was The One all over again. And like Neo to Mr. Smith (sort of), Rey kicked Kylo Ren’s ass; something that was also unexpected, but to be fair, Kylo Ren had just been shot. This fight also seemed to bear more emotion than anything in the prequels, much like that of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), which was something else the prequels lacked. Just the intensity of it put you on the edge of your seat. On a related note, the most talked about subject regarding The Force Awakens though is without doubt Ridley’s character Rey. I give credit to the film’s marketing continued on page 23

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story in this direction. Yes, it’s obvious, but we don’t need a damn twist in every single thing we watch nowadays. What in the hell is wrong with a narrative that’s team for keeping Rey’s significance out of promotions straightforward and doesn’t try to pull the rug out from because while I expected Rey to have some significance under you all the time? (given she’s in the center of the damn poster), I never anWe have a ways to go before Episode VIII hits theaters, ticipated the story revolve almost solely around her. Rey and believe me, there will be much more to talk about really is the Luke of this new trilogy, that much is clear. as time passes. But for now, I feel I’ve said all I need to Now, of course, everything concerning her character say regarding this film, given how much time has passed is speculation at this point. Numerous theories have since its release. Plus, anything else I’d have to say emerged as to who she really is and where she comes isn’t fresh and has been said virtually everywhere else from. I for one am a proponent of the theory that she already, and anyone who’s seen it has their mind more is Luke’s daughter. To me, it’s the one that makes the than likely made up by now. most sense, and despite how obvious that direction may I’ll close by simply saying The Force Awakens met seem, this film saga is about the Skywalker family, and all my expectations, and in some instances exceeded that comes from Lucasfilm Ltd. CEO Kathleen Kennedy them. I loved it, I can’t wait for more, and anyone who herself. dismisses the film or finds me to be nothing more than a There are so many signs pointing to Rey as Luke’s mindless sheep can shove it because I don’t care. daughter (and no, I’m not going to go through them, as one can find that speculative mess anywhere on the web now), it would be stupid for the writers to not take the

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HELP WANTED KITCHEN COOK/PREP HELP WANTED Le Chef on FM 2920 is now hiring kitchen staff, must have 3 years experience and is able to work weekends, nights and holidays. Call 832-585-1840 or email lachef2920@att.net ___________________ SERVERS & KITCHEN HELP WANTED I-45 Diner looking for help in service and cooking. Contact Javier at 713-389-5627 _______________________ ACCOUNT SALES HELP WANTED Public News is looking for energetic and enthusiastic individuals to promote, sell and service accounts for Public News advertisers. This is probably going to be the best career move you’ve ever made. Meet and negotiate with some of the best of the best, movers and shakers in the metro Houston area. Send resumes to ken.petty@publicnewsonline.com or call 832-298-5246 for more information. ___________________ PIZZA PRO WANTED Donally’s Pizza on Rayford Road near Kroger is hiring. Call Don at (832) 585-0500. ___________________ We’ve got a job opening! Become a part of the TUTS team as an Assistant Director of Development focusing on Annual and Major Gifts. This fulltime position is accountable for the development and implementation of annual strategic plans, securing support from individual donors and overseeing giving clubs, direct mail appeals, internet fundraising and stewardship programs. Interested? Send cover letter, resume and references to Gina Sullivan, Director of Development, at gina@tuts.com. ____________________ RESTAURANT HELP WANTED Top class North Houston restaurant hiring for all positions. Competitive pay, great working environment, local ownership. Contact Matt or Mary at 281-580-7797 after 2pm

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DRUMMER WANTED Houston Doom band “Well Of Souls” Auditioning for a permanent drummer to perform live in concert as well as write and create new music for future releases. Must be a solid professional drummer who plays for the love of music.

MUSICIAN ADS Contact John Calvin at wos_1997@yahoo.com or Tim Wayne at twp1313@gmail.com ____________________ LOOKING FOR A DRUMMER Must own your own kit, have one year experience, have your own vehicle, live in North Houston and we prefer that you are 19 to 24 years old. Contact Bernardo at 832-655-5270 or Scott at 832-524-2206 ____________________ ROCKING ALONE AT HOME? SO AM I. New to Houston, looking for other musicians to jam with. Love heavy metal, especially power metal, progressive metal and classic stuff from the 70’s and 80’s. I play guitar and keyboards and play a little bass and drums. If interested contact Jacob Butcher at jabutcher128@gmail.com or call 410-562-4978 ____________________ I TRANSCRIBE I write down on sheet music, your own songs! Call Luis 713-392-5354 ____________________ DEDICATED DRUMMER WANTED Rock project starting up. I am a singer/guitarist and I have a dedicated bass player and singer. We have a lot of stage experience and are interested in gigging, recording, etc. No egos, no bullshit. Call Rob at 832-717-4129 ____________________ VOCALIST BASS PLAYER NEEDED Rock n’ Roll trio playing Elvis to Creedence. Spring area rehearsals. Pro Level only please. Call Paul 832-654-0860 ___________________ KEYBOARD PLAYER Looking for Jazz or Blues oriented group. Call me 713-305-6876 ____________________ NOW HIRING MUSIC TEACHERS Lessons taught in student’s home in The Woodlands & Spring, Texas. Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Violin, Viola, Cella plus Voice. Call 281-401-9580 or apply at Lessonsonthego.com ___________________ SUGARHILL America’s Most Historic Recording Studio Est. 1941 Analog/Digital recordings and transfers contact Jeremy jeremy@sugarhillstudios.com 832-444-2766 ___________________ DRUMMER NEEDED! Variety Band

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MUSICIAN ADS Current country and pop, top 40, classic rock Experienced musicians ready to book gigs. Looking for versatile drummer. Back up vocals would be a bonus but not mandatory. 832-610-7394 SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY PLEASE We are not looking to be your first band, but would like to be your only. ____________________ SEEKING A GUITARIST New “rock-out” band Room 7, is looking for a guitarist. Seven string guitarist preferred but not required. Backing vocalist a plus! We practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact Heather at 281-216-5914 or Scott at 713-384-2053 ____________________ DRUMMER SEEKING A BAND Drummer looking for a working band. Has 7 years experience and owns own P.A. Contact Mark at 832-756-3638 ____________________ GUITARIST, DRUMMER NEEDED Industrial Rock, Goth, Punk, Metal Guitarist must be able to solo well Drummer must be proficient on tom solos. Minimum age is 16 Call or text us at 936-648-4361

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MARCH 16 - 29, 2016

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