Arts & Culture

Shiver. Hmm, that’s something we’ve been doing a lot of. Flu shot be damned, we acquired a lovely affliction sometime last week that keeps us bobbing between sweaty hot flashes and, well, shivers. Fortunately, Lisa Jackson’s new romantic thriller, Shiver, isn’t about colds, flu-like symptoms or lying around and groaning…

Manchester United has long dominated English soccer’s Premiere League and has a legendary international following. Spain’s Real Madrid is the most accomplished team ever, winning the European club championship a record nine times. On April 9, the two will play each other at Pizza Hut Park. If you’re a Dallas…

There were always the kids that had a bit of nerd in them. They had more books than your mom, and you could see them coming a mile away with their shiny “Library Aide” badges. Now when I say “they,” what I really mean is “me.” It’s true–I’d pick a…

We were recently out in Park City, Utah, for their little “film festival,” and we were impressed. Charming downtown packed with colorful historic houses, nearby ski slopes full of day visitors, dozens of new films showing every day, attracting industry insiders and celebrities alike to cut deals and be creative…But…

It’s pretty rare for an artist to make children’s music that doesn’t make adults reach for their imaginary revolvers, but that’s exactly what Dan Zanes has been doing for more than half a decade. After fronting the Boston roots-rock band the Del Fuegos in the 1980s, Zanes settled down in…

Texas is the fifth state in wine production in the country, and we’ve got Grapevine to thank for its part in achieving that ranking. The home of nine wineries and GrapeFest, the largest wine festival in the Southwest, Grapevine, Texas, is more than just a place to shop. On Friday…

Put your bomber jackets away, kids, and leave the aviator shades at home. In spite of the title, Saturday’s Iceman Triathlon is not a Top Gun-themed competition with costume contests, Air Force dogfights (“Splash that sucker!”) and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” sing-alongs, and even if it were, why would…

There’s nothing more therapeutic than beating on something loud and hard…and with feeling. Percussion is timeless, universal instrumentation. It’s how we all unleash pain and joy, frustration and exultation—whether by sticks on a log, broomsticks on trashcans, wooden spoons on pans or palms on a steering wheel. The world is…

Hear ye, hear ye! Gather ’round and rejoice ye North Texans, for ’tis a wond’rous time in the Year of Our Lord 2006: It’s the season for Scarborough Motha-effin’ Ren Fest, bitches! Bust out your corsets (pun intended), your man-tights, your bigass turkey legs and mugs o’ mead, because somebody’s…

I had the privilege of being in one of Teatro Dallas’ productions back in their old downtown space. A budding actor, I had dreams of Academy and People’s Choice Awards and director Cora Cardona took a small chance on me, albeit with a mid-sized role. But for that one moment…

If only life were like a typical Neil Simon play. Anger would be expressed with quips and gags. So would pain, sadness, happiness, horniness, loneliness and any other -ness you could think of. Existence would play to a laugh track, and the never-ending punch lines would be broad and telegraphed…

The Frisco RoughRiders weren’t too good at baseball last year (they finished 24 games under .500), and yet the minor league club drew more fans than any other Double-A team in the country. Why? Perhaps it was the bathrooms. That’s right, the bathrooms. Visit the RoughRiders’ Web site (ridersbaseball.com), click…

Hit Stout on its one-year anniversary for Casino Night. Play blackjack, roulette and Texas Hold ’Em with chips redeemable for cool gift certificates. And give Stout credit. It’s hung on for 365 days in a location legendary as the home of Poor David’s Pub. Somehow they managed to scrape off…

Listening to artist Max Kazemzadeh talk is like colliding with a truck carrying art history audiobooks. Plus, the guy could wire a remote control to activate his blender if he wanted to. Techy quirks coupled with his art-school pedigree can make for some interesting art. Check out his latest exhibition,…

The French are a cruel, heartless people—just look at how they ruthlessly withhold man’s right to put ketchup on his filet mignon. The Southern Methodist University French Club is continuing the tradition with the latest showing in their French film festival: Qui A Tue Bambi? It translates to “Who Killed…

A writer and comedian whose résumé includes both “contributor for The New Yorker” and “creator of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Andy Borowitz certainly seems interesting. So it’s no surprise that the Dallas Institute for Interesting People has asked him to be a part of their lecture series. What’s surprising…

Q: What did one Deadhead say to the other Deadhead after the LSD wore off? A: “Man, this band sucks!” If you think that joke is totally harsh, you probably won’t definitely avoid seeing Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead cover band making its way to the Lakewood this Thursday…

If you spend your weekends banging your head in rock clubs you should give your head a break this time. Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey examines heavy metal with an anthropological eye toward sex, death and religion. It’s a lot of brain power focused on music that (seemingly) doesn’t require much…

Comics seem to have a good track record at developing sitcoms. There’s Jerry Seinfeld and Ray Romano, of course, but I also have to confess a liking for Kevin James’ King of Queens. Now comic Kevin Brennan is developing a sitcom for NBC. We’ll get to see if he can…

The Andy Milonakis Show: The Complete First Season (MTV) Another Public Enemy (Tartan) A Boy Named Charlie Brown (Paramount) Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King (Sony) Doctor Who: The Beginning Collection (BBC Warner) Don’t Deliver Us From Evil (Mondo Macabre) Godzilla: The Series (Sony) Hot Wheels (Warner Bros.) I Love Your…