The Broken Spoke Tomorrow, Avant Garden Wednesdays, and Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue on Thursdays and Saturdays—Nothing Beats Houston in the Summertime . . .
Hey, Everybody!
Just a quick reminder about the Houston Press Music Awards: I would surely appreciate it if you would take five minutes to nominate me for “Best Folk” and “Best Country” at http://polls.houstonpress.com/polls/hou/musicawards2010/ if you haven’t already done that.
Also, I’m pleased to announce that my friend and fellow songwriter, Matt McDonald, invited me to join him again tomorrow evening (Tuesday, May 25) at one of Houston's newer venues, The Broken Spoke over on the recently revamped Washington Avenue strip between the Heights and Downtown Houston. Don't let the name throw you. When I first heard of the place, I thought it would be what one would naturally imagine in Texas—the old wagon wheel sign out front with the "broken spoke." But, in fact, this is a Belgian cafe with good food (including fresh clams!) and a romantic ambience that is comfortable and yet not stuffy or highbrow. Check out the moderately-priced menu on their Web site at http://www.brokenspokecafe.com
And check out Matt, too. His music mesmerized me the last time I heard him! Here's a link to his site: http://www.myspace.com/mattmcdonaldsmusic
The show runs from 8:30-10 p.m. and I will be playing from 9-9:30. Admission is free, and all ages are welcome.
And another Avant Garden Wednesday with Jimmy Pizzitola is right around the corner. We’re there from 8-10:30 p.m. most of the time, but every now and then there’s a private party, so you might want to email me first at glenna@glennabell.com. The Avant Garden Web site is at http://www.avantgardenhouston.com/
We’re really enjoying building this weekly gathering of people who like songs, and we’re happy with the enthusiastic responses we’ve been getting from such a friendly bunch of listeners. I hope that you will keep our Wednesday shows in mind if you’re in the area. Word of mouth is how these things develop, so please mention it to anybody you might know who would appreciate a relaxed good time and original songs with some off-the-beaten-path covers thrown in at one of Houston’s established artistic spaces—the charming Avant Garden, which the New York Times called “one of Houston’s must-visit venues.” Avant Garden is located in Houston’s Montrose arts district at the corner of Westheimer and Taft, and there is a parking lot, as well as parking behind the venue on Lovett Street near the KPFT radio station. Admission is free, but I believe you have to be at least twenty-one years old to attend since they serve a variety of coffee drinks, etc. but also a nice selection of better beers, wines, and liqueurs.
And speaking of the New York Times, a place I love to play—Jimmy’s family’s restaurant, Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue—was written up in the NYT Travel guide just a couple of weeks ago. It has officially been named the restaurant of choice for bar-b-cue in Houston, which confirmed my “good taste.” Hah! Here’s an excerpt that I posted on my Web site before the NYT review came out:
Pizzitola's Bar-B-Cue joint over on Shepherd near I-10 is the kind of place that goes way back in Houston, just like the family who owns it. The neighborhood's certainly changed in the many decades since Pizzitola's opened, but its 70-year-old smoker is still spreading the attractive smells of meats cooked over East Texas hickory. With the rampage take over of town home complexes, chain restaurants and bars on the "new" Washington strip nearby, Pizzitola's is a welcomed reminder of "THE REAL HOUSTON"—the kind of spot to take folks from out of town, one of the last restaurants in Houston that actually feels like Texas. I find myself making my way to Pizzitola's just about every week when I'm in town, so Jimmy and I decided to make it official, and I'll be sitting in more regularly this summer on Thursday evenings between 7 and 8 p.m. and on Saturdays between noon and 2:30 or so. A variety of good players from bands around town often show up and accompany Jimmy, and local songwriters like Matt Harlan who was recently on the Billboard chart also perform when they're not on the road. I'm really having fun doing these family-friendly shows, and I hope that you will join us for supper one Thursday evening or for lunch on a Saturday. There is plenty of parking, and the bar-b-cue is THE BEST. In May 2010, the New York Times said that Pizzitola's is THE place to go for the real deal in Houston. See for yourself at http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/travel/09hours.html?hpw
Now, you can't beat THAT.
Pizzitola’s is located on Shepherd near the I-10 freeway, across from The Cadillac Bar. Check out the Pizzitola's Web site at http://www.pizzitolas.com
Hear tracks from Jimmy Pizzitola's new release at http://www.poetontherun.net
And y’all come!