‘This Bright Future: A Memoir’ by Bobby Hall, a.k.a. Logic. Photo: amazon
Bobby Hall, a.k.a. Logic, is a Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling recording artist, author, actor, streamer, and film producer. In addition to his three number-one albums, ten platinum singles, and billions of streams, Hall’s debut book, “Supermarket,” made him the first hip-hop artist to have a #1 New York Times bestselling novel. His new book “This Bright Future: A Memoir” is a raw and unfiltered journey into the life and mind of Bobby Hall who emerged from the wreckage of a horrifically abusive childhood to become an era-defining artist of our tumultuous age. (amazon, 2021)
“This Bright Future: A Memoir” – A self-described orphan with parents, Bobby Hall began life as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, the only child of an alcoholic, mentally ill mother on welfare and an absent, crack-addicted father. After enduring seventeen years of abuse and neglect, Bobby ran away from home and—with nothing more than a discarded laptop and a ninth-grade education—he found his voice in the world of hip-hop and a new home in a place he never expected: the untamed and uncharted wilderness of the social media age. In the message boards and livestreams of this brave new world, Bobby became Logic, transforming a childhood of violence, anger, and trauma into music that spread a resilient message of peace, love, and positivity. His songs would touch the lives of millions, taking him to dizzying heights of success, where the wounds of his childhood and the perils of Internet fame would nearly be his undoing. A landmark achievement in an already remarkable career, “This Bright Future” looks back on Bobby’s extraordinary life with lacerating humor and fearless honesty. Heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting, this book completes the incredible true story and transformation of a human being who, against all odds, refused to be broken.
‘Taco Treats For A Cause’ coupon booklets contain five coupons for a free Bean and Cheese taco. Photo: Taco Cabana, used with permission.
Available now, Taco Cabana is treating guests this Halloween season with the return of its popular Bean and Cheese taco coupon booklets. For a limited time and while supplies last, guests can purchase the booklets for $2 each at all Taco Cabana restaurants across Texas now through October 31, 2021. Each booklet will include five coupons for a free TC classic Bean and Cheese taco. (Taco Cabana, 2021)
The $2 donation from each booklet sold will directly benefit local food banks in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and El Paso. Coupons are redeemable for free TC Bean and Cheese tacos (one per person, per visit) through November 30, 2021. Coupons may be redeemed in-restaurant or via TC’s convenient drive-thru.
Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of YTC Enterprises, LLC, was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, tacos, flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of beer and tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up and delivery. As of October 1, 2021, Taco Cabana operates 142 company-owned restaurants in Texas.
Taco Cabana’s Halloween coupon booklets. Photo: Taco Cabana, used with permission.
Oxtail Mash Up will benefit the community while enriching cultural identity. Photo: Oxtail Mash Up, used with permission.
Oxtail Mash Up, Houston’s coveted culinary mash is back and this year there will be a boozy twist and big national names. On Sunday, November 14 Houston chefs and prized bartenders will come together for a ‘mash up’ of food, drink, art, and music in celebration of the culinary diversity of oxtail and the playfulness of punch. This spirited competition of both food and drink will take place in the lush garden of Project Row Houses, where resident artists will exhibit in the venerable open studios aimed at “encouraging artists to extend their practice outside of the studio into the social context.” Not only are event attendees invited to drink, dine, and dance, but also to step into each exhibit being fully encapsulated by the power of both culinary and resident art. (Oxtail Mashup, 2021)
A percentage of proceeds raised throughout the evening will benefit Project Row Houses and Texas’ Children’s Sickle Cell Anemia programs throughout Houston. Under the glow of Project Row Houses, chefs and bartenders will go head-to-head in two inventive competitions where both judges and attendees crown the evening’s winners.
The Oxtail Mash Up is a culinary competition that brings together some of the industries’ favorite chefs, bartenders, and DJs for an evening of food and drink all for charity. Founded in 2017, this spirited competition is the brainchild of Shakti Baum and partner Warren Luckett, and held in the lush garden of Project Row Houses. The event brings awareness to Texas Children’s Sickle Cell Anemia program and its effects on the African American Community.
Oxtail Mashup welcomes the local-supporting community to gather at Project Row Houses from 6p.m. – 10p.m. on Sunday, November 14, 2021 for an evening tasting event filled with luscious chef-prepared oxtail, custom-crafted punches, black-owned/black-crafted wines, Houston craft beer, and more. Project Row Houses installations will be open and DJ Melodic will be spinning for the season’ premiere evening experience.
EAT: Fourteen chefs will pull from their diverse roots as well as gastronomic inspirations in a challenge to create stellar oxtail creations. Each chef will battle it out for smack-talking rights (people’s choice wins $500) as well as a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico (judges choice).
DRINK: Five bartenders will set the mode onto ‘Island Time’ as they work with previously selected spirits and locally sourced ingredients to craft Tiki-inspired punches. Attendees will crown the best barkeep of the night while our panel of experts selects their own winner for a grand prize of $500 cash. To bring the heat, Oxtail Mashup cofounders – chef, instructor, and event creator Shakti Baum and Black Restaurant Week Founder Warren Luckett – have invited Houston food and drink stars to battle against nationally recognized names. With each chef and bar star a master of their craft and leaders within the industry.
2021 OXTAIL MASHUP CHEFS ● Andre Burns – Burns BBQ (Houston, TX) ● Andremica Braggs – One Feisty Chef (Houston, TX) ● Curtis Evans – EMI Dinner Series / Everybody Eats Philly (Philadelphia, PA) ● Don Bowie – Taste Bar / Rare HTX (Houston, TX) ● Javani King – JKO Kitchen (Houston, TX and Oxtail Mashup 2018 winner) ● Jonny Rhodes – Broham Soul Food and Grocery / Restaurant Indigo (Houston, TX) ● Mark Clayton – Squable (Houston, TX) ● Nicola Blaque – The Jerk Shack / Mi Roti (San Antonio, TX) ● Ossume Collins – KISS (Houston, TX) ● Rishi Singh – Hotel Derek (Houston, TX) ● Robert Butts – Twisted Soul Cookhouse + Pours (Atlanta, GA) (additional chefs to be announced in the coming weeks)
2021 OXTAIL MASH UP BARTENDERS ● Ryan Perry – Rabbit Got the Gun (Houston, TX) ● Jamal Rashad – Slush (Atlanta, GA) (additional bartenders to be announced in the coming weeks)
VIP Event tickets cost $135 and include admission and early entry into the Third Annual Oxtail Mashup event, unlimited sampling of all chef-prepared bites, complimentary cocktails + Hot Toddy Bar (must be 21 or over to consume alcoholic beverages), entry into all Project Row Houses installations, and one parking pass.
General Admission event tickets cost $75 and include admission into the Third Annual Oxtail Mashup event, one sample of each chef-prepared bite, five cocktail tickets + Hot Toddy Bar (must be 21 or over to consume alcoholic beverages, and entry into all Project Row Houses installations).
Project Row Houses is a community platform that enriches lives through art with an emphasis on cultural identity and its impact on the urban landscape. We engage neighbors, artists, and enterprises in collective creative action to help materialize sustainable opportunities in marginalized communities.
Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds of the West hosts Los Callejeros De San Anto on October 24, 2021. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
From the banks of the River Walk, travel to Northern Mexico as you enjoy a night of music under the stars at the Briscoe’s “Sips and Sounds of the West” Norteño Night on October 24. Celebrating all things vaquero in honor of Hispanic heritage and the Briscoe’s fantastic fall exhibition, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo: Contemporary Photography of the Northern Mexican Cowboy, the Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds series will spotlight Norteño music with band Los Callejeros De San Anto in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden at 6p.m. The ticketed event is a night of music, drinks and tacos under the stars. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)
Launched by Piñata Protest front man Alvaro Del Norte with bandmates Jose Morales on bajo sexton, bassist Richie Brown and Chris Ramirez on drums, Los Callejeros De San Anto blends well known influences of Conjunto and Norteño into the perfect Tex-Mex street band and is “abuela approved.” Sips and Sounds of the West: Norteño Night tickets are $15 for museum members and $25 for non-members. Each ticket includes two complimentary beer tickets. Food Truck fare is available for purchase from Dona Kika’s Tacos & Gorditas.
Norteño music is native to the Mexican state of Sonora, the birthplace of the modern cowboy featured in Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo. Making its United States debut at the Briscoe, the exhibition details a legacy with profound influence on the American West. With almost sixty images that span more than twenty years of the lives of the vaqueros, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo features celebrated photographer Werner Segarra inviting audiences to peer into the world of the Norteño Cowboys, not as a casual tourist, but as an intimate observer. The exhibition is open to the public through January 24, 2022, and is included with museum admission.
Courtesy photo, used with permission
The Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds of the West series highlights the soundtrack of the West through live music while surrounded by the beauty of the garden’s fantastic bronze sculptures and lush greenery. The museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden is an oasis featuring a beautiful courtyard surrounded by bronze sculptures depicting iconic figures of the American West. The sculpture garden offers the perfect respite during any River Walk visit, with tables, chairs and benches to rest and enjoy the view. With the lights of downtown in the background and stars overhead, the garden becomes magical at night, making it the perfect spot for a date night or a night out with friends.
Preserving and presenting the art, history and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.
SA Examiner 