Arts and Entertainment

Catch live music at these venues

Houston is home to a host of talented musicians, comedians, poets and more, including some right here at Rice. They showcase their artistry at various venues around the city, each with their own unique flair and personality. Here are some of the worthwhile spots, including many with open mic nights for anyone — i.e. Rice students — to try out their art  on stage and wow the crowd. 

Review: Machine Gun Kelly, are you okay?

Since rapper turned self proclaimed “new face” of pop-punk Machine Gun Kelly released “Tickets to my Downfall” in 2020 and broke into the pop-punk scene, Kelly has been the subject of public vitriol, and his recently released album “mainstream sellout” revolves around this, lamenting his perceived outcast status, pop-punk gatekeepers shunning his music and his own struggles with mental health. The 2022 release is, unfortunately, an album that feels forgettable in its sameness between songs and as if it borders on parody of the genre with none of the humor of satire.

Beer Bike shirt designers talk inspiration

The festivities of Beer Bike pick up and will continue throughout the week, and Beer Bike itself quickly approaches this Saturday, April 2. Students will don their college Beer Bike as their college teams race around the track and vie for one of the most hotly contested titles at Rice — champions of Beer Bike 2022. For the first time since Beer Bike 2019, eager students will be able to not only wear their college’s shirt but will be able to display the designs with pride while they cheer on their college biking and chug teams. The artists and designers behind the Beer Bike shirts emailed the Thresher about their inspiration for the shirt as well as the thought that went into the design process.

Acappellooza raises vibrations in this year’s showcase

Last Saturday, March 26, Rice’s five a cappella groups combined forces for an evening of performances that couldn’t have been more pitch perfect. The Philharmonics, Basmati Beats, Nocturnal, the Apollos and Low Keys each took the Grand Hall stage to perform their sets featuring creative arrangements and mashups of popular hits. The groups came together at the end of the evening for a joint performance of Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open,” with singers from the featured groups alternating solos.

Black-owned beauty: Explore these brands owned by Black women

The beauty and wellness industries are worth billions of dollars, but despite their massive consumer base, there has been a lack of dialogue surrounding inclusivity in product design and marketing up until very recently. Many Black women-owned beauty businesses are working to make the beauty industry more inclusive. Here are just a few beauty and skincare brands owned by Black women to invest in after Women’s History Month is over, including those that call Houston home. 

‘The Lost City’: A Crowd-Pleasing Comedic Hit

“The Lost City” is a well-crafted adventure-comedy perfect for casual viewing. Though by no means transcendent, “The Lost City” lives on the excellent timing of its jokes while giving surprisingly insightful commentary on the adventure genre. Though not a full parody, the film’s self-awareness allows for moments of true hilarity while leaving room for heartfelt scenes. Throughout the film, there were genuine moments of laughter from the audience in the theater. I believe this movie is one of the best comedies of the year so far and one that I would highly recommend. 

Y2K Style: Check out these 2000’s inspired outfits

It has been two long years since the last public, but after much waiting and anticipation, McMurtry finally held the first public of the year this past Saturday March 26: Y2K. Donning butterfly clips and fishnet, jerseys and glitter, Rice students drew inspiration from decades-olds trends for the party. The Rice community submitted their best 2000’s-inspired outfits from the weekend to the Thresher for us to compile.

Weekly Scenes and Screens, Mar. 23

Moody Center for the Arts celebrates fifth anniversary, return to in-person exhibits

Moody Center for the Arts officially rings in its fifth birthday this year. Since its opening in 2017, the Moody, according to Founding Executive Director Alison Weaver, aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue through the arts and provide an on-campus hub for artistic expression.

Check out these Houston women in the visual arts

March might be nearing a close, but Women’s History Month isn’t over quite yet, so I am here to give you a short list of women visual artists in Houston to engage with and continue to support even when the month is over. Research by the National Museum of Women in the Arts show that women visual artists typically earn less than men, are underrepresented in museum leadership positions and are significantly less represented in the 18 major art museums in the United States when compared with men — 87 percent of those collections are male. 

No car? Catch a bus to these cafes

We’re in the home stretch of the spring semester, with the promise of summer vacation just out of reach. Amid troublesome problem sets and unwritten papers, the Thresher is here to make sure you have one less thing to figure out — where to find coffee close to campus. No car? No problem. There are still many great cafe options for those who enjoy a non squirrel-ridden study environment from time to time, but are running low on goodwill from friends with cars (or on the patience required to drive in Houston). 

Archi-Arts celebrates its centennial with student art, performances

Archi-Arts, the annual art show organized by students of the school of architecture, has returned from a COVID-19 related hiatus  to celebrate its centennial on March 26 from 7 to 10 p.m. in Anderson Hall. The event will highlight the work of student artists and performers.  

Review: Charli XCX is content to dance alone in the flames of pop music in ‘CRASH’

When an artist’s ninth project feels nostalgic, it’s usually a bad sign. It figures that pop music chameleon Charli XCX would buck that trend, delivering tracks simultaneously yearning for early aughts dancefloors and pushing modern pop forward. Despite profound senses of déjà vu, “Crash” navigates between Charli XCX’s past sounds of moody teen pop (“True Romance”), diva snark (“Sucker”) and sawtooth buzz (“I Love It”). The results are solid but ultimately replaceable in the context of Charli XCX’s discography.

Spring Break Scenes and Screens

Review: Conway the Machine reintroduces himself and opens up on ‘God Don’t Make Mistakes’

In the past few years, Conway the Machine has been one of the most interesting rap lyricists active, crafting meticulous bars about street life and the perils of drug dealing. A member of Griselda Records with brother Westside Gunn and cousin Benny the Butcher, Conway has been gaining notoriety in the past few years, and largely crafted “God Don’t Make Mistakes” as an introduction for new fans who may have discovered him through high profile collaborations, like his appearance on “Keep My Spirit Alive” from Kanye West’s “Donda.”

Review: EARTHGANG creates socially conscious Southern hip hop on ‘GHETTO GODS’

Similar to many people’s experience, the pandemic and lockdown was a time of reflection for Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot, the duo behind EARTHGANG. Instead of  touring or interacting with fans, the members of EARTHGANG put their energy towards “the godly part of really just transforming yourself.” This transformation has led to an album that deals with a form of godliness and success achievable through hard work and the uplifting support of their community. 

Check out these local restaurants from Eat Drink HTX

Eat Drink HTX is an event put on by the Cleverley Stone Foundation, named after a mom who, inspired by Houston Restaurant Week, wanted to help bring awareness to casual dining restaurants in Houston by connecting the restaurants to their communities. Participating restaurants offer a special menu for lunch, dinner and brunch, each one making donations to the Houston Food Bank and Star of Hope, a Christian organization dedicated to helping Houston’s homeless population.

Listen to these trans women this Women’s History Month

I never need an excuse to listen to some of the phenomenal music that women make, but I’ll take one when I can get it. The Rice Thresher is celebrating Women’s History Month with a playlist of some of my favorite trans women musicians. Underrepresented in the music world, trans women nevertheless have released some of the best music of the last decade. Ranging from groundbreaking experimental music to bread and butter pop, trans women show that they can both bring a new perspective and thrive in existing norms. 

Review: ‘Jeen-Yuhs’ offers insight into Kanye’s career

It’s hard to know exactly where to begin when writing about Kanye West.  As one of the few artists who has maintained relevance for nearly the entirety of the 21st century, capturing his every album, design, and controversy is no easy feat. Despite this challenge, “Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy” is a testament to West’s success and artistry over the last two decades, dissecting his drive and creative process to reveal a constantly working, ever-changing figure. By chronicling Kanye’s rise as an artist, directors Chike Ozah and Coodie Simmons manage to portray his complexity while creating parallels to their own lives and giving hip-hop fans an engaging look behind the scenes.

'The Batman': A Masterpiece of Superhero Storytelling

Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” succeeds in all aspects from direction, story and acting, and it provides a strong foundation for a new DC comics continuity. The film is the best film of the year thus far as well as one of the greatest comic book films ever made.