Name: Ashley
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Body Art Tattoo Expo
June 16th, 2009
Enthusiasts of ink and skin turned up from around the country on May 22 – 24 to attend Houston’s first annual Body Art Expo. Contrary to popular opinion, the event was a true family affair, where all kinds of people showed up to see true artists go to work.
Brian from Undisputed Tattoos based in San Antonio said the Houston show is the largest he’s been to. “It’s great to be around so many different artists and see so many different portfolios,” said the artist, who like so many others, does not offer up his last name.
The show featured freestyle art competitions, musical performances and of course on the spot tattooing. MegaProductions, the host of the event, would not release how much money the event drew in, but an average tattoo expo has 30 to 50 booths. The body art expo had 140, and the Reliant Center was packed.
Photography by, Jamie Lockard
NEWS & INFO
June 15th, 2009
Michael Strahan and Daryl Mitchell will be starring in a FOX family sitcom called Brothers this fall. The future hall of famer will try his acting chops in a show about two brothers who are forced to move back with their family in Houston. Sounds like a grown-up mix between the Cosby Show and Everybody Loves Raymond. As long as this show steers clear of the yuck yuck jokes, we’re sure it’ll be a hit.
Ed Gonzalez won the highly contested seat for District H for city council. The seat was vacated by current Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia. Gonzalez defeated Maverick Welsh with 61 percent of the vote with 13 precincts reporting.
Frankie Beverly and Maze along with Teena Marie are slated to hit Houston in November for the Houston Music Festival. There has been much speculation about the health and condition of the lead singer, and conflicting messaging about whether the outfit will close out the Essence festival as they always do. Either way, the group has plans to return to the H. Stay tuned to theblvdmag.com for the latest information.
Sade , Gallery Furniture, and Mr. West
June 1st, 2009
Sade
Prince and the rest of the world can rejoice because Sade is putting out its first album in nine years. The group, led by frontwoman Helen Folasade Adu – but lovingly known as Sade – has created a new website: www.sade2009.com and is floating around a potential release date of November 2009. This means tour Boulevardiers, prepare yourselves now for the good music blitzkrieg coming from the people who have been in the shadows for a while: Prince, Maxwell and now Sade.
Gallery Furniture
The official cause of the four-alarm blaze that brought Gallery Furniture to its knees is arson. Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale has said that the fire has cost him millions of dollars in merchandise at the flagship warehouse. Both of his showrooms are in tact.
Paranoid- Kanye West
Refusing to sit through an entire episode of 106 and park would be very understandable…so here’s the most talked about music video of the week, Paranoid featuring Rihanna
Before The Final Bow
May 7th, 2009
You should know by now that UGK released its last album in April. By most standards the release of UGK 4 Life made a respectable showing. It sold 77,000 units the first week and debuted no. 6 on the Billboard 200. But it also marks the last time any of us will hear Bernard “Bun B” Freeman and Chad “Pimp C” Butler create that Port Arthur/Houston sound that has come to define east Texas for more than two decades.
Saying it’s the last hurrah would be nothing short of an understatement. It is the end of the golden age of Houston hip hop. The tough questions about Pimp C’s death in December 2007 have been asked, and somewhat answered, but what lingered was how would Bun B and those who have loved UGK since Too Hard To Swallow would close the final chapter of the Underground Kingz. Theblvdmag.com caught up with Bun B for a brief moment to get his thoughts about UGK 4 Life and life after UGK.
BLVD: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. You’ve said that working on this album was overwhelming at times. Can you take us back to the days and evenings you spent finishing the album without Pimp C?
BUN B: Everyone involved with the process was close friends with Pimp C, so even though we put our all in all of our projects, this one was different. Everyone tried to walk it the way that Pimp would walk it, but no one could fully duplicate his touch on everything we did.
BLVD: Do you think that he’s proud of what you created?
BUN B: I like to believe so. I like to believe that he’s pleased with what we produced.
BLVD: What are some of your peers saying about the album?
BUN B: They’re telling me they like it and I have to believe that they’re telling me the truth. I have friends who are real friends in this industry and they would let me know if I was heading down a wrong path with this one, but I think they’re telling me the truth.
BLVD: Pimp C’s final album will be released in a few months, what’s next for you and your solo career?
BUN B: I’m trying to get back into the studio, get back to recording and doing shows, and talking to people. I’m interested in a few projects that I can’t discuss yet.
BLVD: I’m sure what you have planned is going to be out of the box because the recording industry is crumbling.
BUN B: I think everybody is just trying to get the reorganization and structure of the music industry. The economy is having an effect on the way people are doing business across the board, including these CEOs. They’re looking at their bottom line differently. Either way, at the end of the day we gotta keep making music.
BLVD: But, you can make music and people still won’t buy it. Do you think the fans will still be there to support this industry?
BUN B: People aren’t buying music like they used to, and artists have to understand that you can’t rely on your last hit. What’s going to make a difference is about people having a real relationship with the music. It’s about making yourself accessible and out there as an artist.
BLVD: When not making music, what else are you doing?
BUN B: I’m making myself more available to the community. It’s not always about money, but more time and energy.
BLVD: That’s commendable.
BUN B: I’m really just doing what I would do if I weren’t an entertainer. It’s my civic duty, not only as an entertainer, but as a citizen.
Good Grief: A DJ You Should Know
May 5th, 2009
There are some DJs that gain their fame from prolific mixtape output. You know their names because they’re blasted in echo effect on every song of every mixtape. They chose DJ’ing as their means to become famous, smashing songs together with no care or concern for the music.
Then there are those DJs who are legendary because they understand that DJing is an art. In Houston, the DJ of note is Robert Davis, better known as DJ Screw, who transformed the hip hop landscape by creating a genre of music that transcended the city he repped – Houston. But, he’s not alone. Houston can claim another legend in the making, DJ Good Grief.
Those in the know can find Grief mixing at EJs and The Spot, the least likely place for a white guy form Channelview to be at, but his homebase non-the-less. They’re the kind of spots that serve all you can eat crawfish for $20. And eating crawfish was the perfect way to pass the time on a sticky night while waiting for Grief to show up. His scheduled time was 8 p.m., one bucket of crawfish and two gin and tonic’s later the man of the night arrives in the most unassuming manner. He walked in swiftly, fresh from DJing a gig in the rain. With headphones on his head, he began to set up shop.
Ten minutes later EJs was popping. The guy in the black t-shirt and plaid shorts immediately spun rap classics from ESG, Mystikal and Eric B and the crowd rocked with him while they played dominoes and watched the playoffs. So, how did this DJ become a Houston classic affectionately known as just Grief by his fans? “My mom is a record head and my sister plays bass in her own band,” he says in his soft spoken demeanor. “I just grew up around music.” He may have grown up around music, but found a particular kinship to all things funky. Grief’s choices have a similar heavy bass line that overpowers any 808. The music is pulsing and groovy; selections that could have only been chosen by a true music lover.
His first gig was in 1987, recording songs on a Beta Max VCR and made a few bucks playing tunes for the neighborhood. He honed his skills by working the ones and twos at legendary Houston club scenes such as Maxx’s and The Roxy.
“From Electro-Boogie to the Auto-Tune, I feel like I’ve been able to stay ahead of the sound. Back in the day it was the only way of survival (as a DJ) to be an original. Now-a-days it’s a big factory where every DJ is equipped with a laptop and downloads of what a program director is paid to say is hot.”
Since then, he’s toured overseas, headlining in Paris with DJ Jazzy Jeff, and put out a few mixtapes himself. Grief isn’t interested in the fame that his peers around Houston compete for; his interest is in the acclaim from the fans who appreciate his pure love for what he does. “He really loves music,” says Billye Jordan, a close friend of Grief and a member of the legendary Coughee Sister crew. “He’s a hip hop historian. It’s rare that you find this kind of talent at this level.”
Grief reaches all the way back to Houston classics from the SUC and recent hits from Dallas to Boosty Collins and the Isley Brothers, and it’s evident that he has a mastery of what blends musical tastes. He’s one of the few Houston DJs who makes you want to stay for his entire set.
What’s more impressive than his musical styling is how approachable, humble and just plain ol’ nice he is. When he’s not working the turn table and a white Apple laptop, he’s moving around talking to people, pushing in chairs strewn about the club and occasionally picking up a fallen napkin from the floor. No, he’s not a Go DJ, wearing T-Pain hats and talking on the microphone every five seconds. “I respect those dudes, but that’s not what I’m into,” Grief says. He understands the game, and recognizes his own prowess on the turntables, which has lent itself to hate from outsiders at times. “I try to stay out of the media,” he says. “I don’t want to be a part of that crowd. It’s wack, and it’s boring to be that kind of DJ.”
See, it’s not that Grief is being confrontational, he just sees so much more for the Houston music scene. “There’s not really Houston rap,” he explains. “There’s not really a sound in Houston anymore, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s expanding and it’s becoming universal. Pop is rap.” True as that may be, it’s still sad to see the Houston sound fade, and the grind to keep up with the change is wearing on Grief. “I want to chill with my family and get into some other projects,” says the 30-something who plans on retiring at the end of 2009.
He plans to begin teaching DJ courses at Caanes High School, an alternative school for kids who want to find a different way to pursue their passions, one similar to the one he attended when he was younger. “I got bored with school and felt like there was something else I could put my energy towards,” he says. In that same vein, he’s in the planning stages of a not-for-profit music school for grammar and middle school-aged children. The hope is to be an alternative for children who have had the music programs removed from their respective schools. “He’s a very nice person,” Jordan says. “He’s family oriented, generous, and is genuinely interested in offering alternatives for the kids around Houston.”
In the meantime, he’s DJing throughout the Houston social and club scene, consistently at EJs on Saturdays. Catch him if you can, he’s worth it. And get a taste of his style when you check on the exclusive theblvdmag.com/Good Grief mixtape. For more info check his site djgoodgrief.com. You can also find him blogging about his experiences as a DJ on thegriefgoodlife.com
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE EXCLUSIVE THEBLVDMAG.COM MIX
SPECIAL THANKS TO GOOD GRIEF
EJ’s
May 5th, 2009
Missouri City doesn’t know what hit it. A dope-ass sports bar right off of Cartwright and 1092 complete with more than eight screens and a hot DJ every night. This bar is tucked in the corner next to the Shell gas station and is a hole in the wall in the best sense of the phrase. If you come on Mondays, it’s Ladies Monday Martini’s where the drinks are only $4 all night. If you have a taste for wings it’s .50 wing Wednesdays, and don’t forget about Grown Folk Fridays where teachers, accountants, waste management specialists, hell anybody paying bills can go and enjoy sounds from the O’Jays and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Don’t fear though, this isn’t just your mom’s favorite hangout. DJ Good Grief is just one of the special attractions. If you come in on a good night there’s all you can eat crawfish for $20, and people playing dominoes until 2 a.m. Friday through Saturday bring out the home folk from the Mo. Dress to enjoy yourself, but no baseball caps indoors. There’s plenty of parking for biker crews that come through EJ’s and occasionally there are motorcycle shows outside, but if you arrive in a vehicle with doors parking is limited after midnight. No cover ever and plenty of security, not that it’s needed. The crowd is relaxed and just looking for a drama free night. The owners, Enos Cabell and Jarrod Oliver, wanted to make sure there wasn’t a bad seat in the house and they got it right.
EJ’s Sports Bar
The corner of Cartwright and F.M. 1092 in the same shopping center as Ed’s Pharmacy
A New Day, A New Dawn
April 19th, 2009
The problem with reality television is that when the drama is so big, so over-the-top, so ridiculous our natural tendency is to think it’s scripted. The people involved are nothing more than caricatures of characters played by humans…or something like that. So, when you’re sitting on your couch trying to stifle the “no, he did not just cry like that,” or yell loudly “What the hell happened to your face Aub…” it’s easy to forget that at the end of the day, these are people who followed their dream of being famous.
It’s hard to forget the ones that have talent though. Take Dawn Richard. You know her as the sweet Southern girl whose life was ripped apart by Hurricane Katrina and partially made whole by her life-changing experience with Sean Combs’ “Making the Band.” You know her as the one with the voice, the one who dated Qwanell, the one who stuck the ride out until the very end.
What you don’t know is that this hardworking 26-year-old has a true underestimated level of grit and determination. She also has a slight problem of being on time. When she did finally make it downstairs from primping and whatnot, the person that sat down for her interview with THE BLVD. was surprisingly candid, polite, poised and ready to talk about her journey.
Since the storm Richard and her family relocated to Baltimore; still, being in Houston felt like a homecoming for her. An appearance at the Cotton Exchange put a little change in her pocket, but it was the heavy humid weather of Houston that did wonders for her soul. “Any chance I can get to Houston, I do,” she said. Richard’s been busy since her Making the Band days. She’s preparing for her second comic book, Danity Kane, coming out on www.Danitykanecomics.com and has a soundtrack to accompany with a scheduled release of December 2009. Fans of the show will remember that it was Richard who created the name based off of a character she created – Danity Kane.
“I’ve always liked to draw, it’s been my outlet,” she said while casually sitting in the lounge area of the hotel. “As a child, I knew that I had thoughts and ideas that made me a bit different from other kids.” Her days as a college student at the University of New Orleans – main campus she felt that she wasn’t like her peers. Her saving grace – singing. “You know how parents will put their children in everything,” said Richard, who has been singing since seven-years-old. “I hated it at first, but I fell in love with how I was able to express myself.”
It was vitally important to her after Hurricane Katrina devastated the lives of New Orleans residents in late 2005. It was during that time that Richards found her strength despite people telling her that she played the victim. “I’m so past that because everybody goes through struggles, but during the time it was all I could see,” she said. “In the end it’s a blessing. Sometimes we use the place we’re born as a crutch.”
That wisdom helped her get through her most recent storm, the dissolution of her band. The group saw platinum record sales, sold out tours and two hot albums, but it wasn’t enough to keep egos in check, communication open and the drive to succeed intact. True enough, she’s still in a state of delayed shock, but it’s not something that is going to deter her. “I knew coming in that this is a business,” she said. “I chose to look at the bigger picture and acknowledge what it was,” she steadies her tone for a second to collect her thoughts. “I didn’t come in with friends,” she continues. “I wanted a good business, I wanted success. It was a job like any other job.” That meant that the five members: Shannon Bex, Wanita “D.Woods” Woodgette, Aundrea Fimbres, Aubrey O’Day and Richard had to deal with the struggles of day to day business; showing up on time, taking accountability for individual decisions.
They were able to make it work for three years, but having your personal and professional lives played on the screen will take a toll on any group. “95 percent of these groups don’t like each other,” she said. “But it’s true, we did form a sisterhood, it’s only natural after you spend more than a year with anyone.” But, at the end of the day it’s still a business. “I wish people could see it for what it is,” she said, while fidgeting with loose aquamarine and purple top that drapes her 5’3 frame. “It’s nothing more and nothing less.”
Wait, does that mean that the fights and arguments splashed in vivid color were real and not staged. “Absolutely,” she said. “We had no choice, but to be real. We lived, worked, loved together. A lot of people had money invested in us and we had obligations to work hard. We were dealing with men, and they don’t care about the bull, they want to see your numbers, how much you sold.”
That grind gets so tiring that in a way, Richard feels relieved that part of her life is over. The lights shone too bright, especially on her relationship with ex-boyfriend Qwanell Moseley. Moseley, also known as Que from Day 26, fell in love on the show and the two remain close friends despite the decision to go their separate ways. “I feel bad for Que right now,” she says referring to the shenanigans occurring on the current season of Making the Band. “You have to keep in mind, he’s 20. He’s a boy trying to become a man. You made the same decisions when you were 20, the difference is it’s not being played on a public stage. Would you want someone judging you for those decisions?”
It’s a lesson that she’s had to learn along the way, and as she prepares for the next phase in her life one can tell it’s going to be done on Richard’s terms. It’s in glimmer in her eyes when the mention of a possible solo project is in the works. While she can’t discuss the details, tracks from various collaborations have been leaked for the better part of a year, including one incredibly hot collabo with Lil’ Wayne titled “Phase.” Those tracks garnered a great amount of hate from fans, blogs and the like, but it doesn’t faze her. “I appreciate the opinion, but you choose to listen to what you want to listen to,” she said. It’s time for her to leave, and as she prepares to exit she turns around and imparts one last piece of wisdom. “I know God is a good God,” she said. “I try to make my choices righteous, I’m not perfect, but I try to do the right thing for me. I think we all should.”
Get A Brasilian
April 16th, 2009
In Houston, any given Spring day can lead you all over the city, and in a town known for its superb cuisine, that means you’ve gotta stop somewhere and get a bite to eat. There’s no better place to rest your haunches than Brasil. Tucked away inside lush brush, bush, and hanging vines the brick and old oak wood exterior gives way to an open, airy, café where the wait staff is friendly, and the entrees are as aesthetically pleasing as they are tasty. The spacious restaurant, located at 2604 Dunlavy and Westheimer, has a breezy brick courtyard that has enough gentle wind coming through it at any given time to keep all patrons comfortable. For fare, assortments of red and white wines are available, along with imported and domestic beer, juice, lemonade and water. Brasil mastered the art of a good salad. The Duck Salad is a divine treat with crumbled feta cheese over leafy baby spinach. Fresh cooked duck is roasted to a medium well leaving just enough pink to keep the meat tender and sliced on top of the salad, with fresh blackberries bursting underneath the heat of the duck. A rich vinaigrette is drizzled on top giving contrasting sweet savory flavors. Or try the four cheese grilled cheese sandwich, replete with fries and chips. Four Italian cheeses are melted together on lightly toasted white bread to make the ultimate in grilled cheese sandwiches. Prices are beyond reasonable and range from $6 to $13, but generally hovering around $7.
Brasil: 2604 Dunlavy
(713) 523-1998
Photo Courtesy of: imneverfull.blogspot.com
