WIN FREE TICKETS FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR

StubDog.com is giving one lucky winner a FREE pair of tickets, each month, for an entire year. This is your chance to see the best events Houston has to offer, all year round on our dime!

It has always been our goal to provide you with great opportunities to experience all that Houston has to offer. StubDog has grown mostly by word of mouth, people like you telling your friends about us. That is why we want to reward you for all of your help. So tell a couple of your friends, co-workers, family members and anyone you think might be interested in great deals on great events.

Don’t miss this opportunity. Someone has to win.

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For more information visit StubDog.com

This week marks the end of Black History Month, and if we had to choose one living African American who has made the biggest cultural contribution in the past century, 94-year-old music legend David “Honeyboy” Edwards would seem a pretty clear choice.

One of the only surviving practitioners of true Delta blues, the earliest style of blues music, Honeyboy Edwards is a living legend in the truest sense.  Born in the Mississippi Delta in 1915, Edwards left home at 14 to travel the South, riding freight trains and performing on the streets or in local juke joints.  He quickly became a part of the tight-knit group of Bluesmen who would shape American folk music, even laying the foundation for rock ‘n’ roll decades later.  Among them were Charlie Patton, Big Joe Williams and the legendary Robert Johnson, who is widely regarded as the father of blues; Edwards claims he was there the night Johnson died from drinking strychnine-laced whiskey.

Nearly a century later, Honeyboy carries on the Delta tradition on behalf of his iconic friends.  He has continued to record new music, releasing an album in 2008 and lending his musical genius to the work of countless other artists over the decades.  He received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys last month, and he’ll spend 2010 touring the country, usually performing in intimate venues without band accompaniment.

Next month, Honeyboy Edwards makes a one-night-only appearance at the BB King Blues Club in NYC, where he’ll perform alongside Marc Benno.

Once upon a time, burlesque was a well-loved and relatively respectable form of American theater that incorporated humor, eroticism and elaborate costumes.  But post-Pussycat Dolls, when any group of women dancing in their underwear now seems to qualify as a burlesque troupe, the art has long lost its mystique, particularly in Los Angeles.

Amanda Marquardt, aka Gypsy Diamond, must have been well aware of this when she founded LA’s Rag Dolls Burlesque.  That’s why, rather than starting yet another cheesy performance group that would make Gypsy Rose Lee turn in her grave, she created a uniquely fun and classy show that pays homage to burlesque’s roots in early 20th-century vaudeville.  Under the former Shakespeare director’s careful guidance, Rag Doll Burlesque strives to revive the art of real burlesque, which Marquardt has described as a celebration of women’s sexuality.  Rag Dolls’ performances draw inspiration from the original burlesque revues of the ’20s and ’30s, using dialogue and choreography from actual vaudeville acts.  The stars are definitely more Dita von Teese than Nicole Scherzinger, while the costumes are pure glamor, and the backdrop, the Bordello Bar (once a brothel!), is as glitzy and historical as can be.

Even those who now roll their eyes at the mention of “burlesque” should check out the Rag Dolls– because who wouldn’t enjoy sipping a drink while taking in glamor, history and, yes, women dancing in their underwear?

In light of the recent drastic decrease in donations to Haiti relief organizations, this month, StubDog.com, Flavorpill and more than a dozen venues and arts organizations in NYC, LA, Houston and Dallas are partnering to raise money for Doctors Without Borders.  All proceeds from tickets sold the week of Feb. 22 will go directly to the organization to support its relief efforts in Haiti and around the world.

Since 1971, French humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) has been working to provide emergency medical assistance to populations around the world, specifically those affected by violence, neglect or catastrophe. In 1999, the organization received the Noble Peace Prize for its profound charitable impact.

StubDog is honored to work with such a prestigious organization; we hope the money raised will help enable them to continue their phenomenal work.

Participants in the “Unite for Healing Haiti” event include Ars Nova, ComedySportz, Crown City Theatre, Houston Ballet, Houston Family Arts Center, Main Street Theatre, Musiqa, Murder Mystery Los Angeles, OC Roller Girls, Pacific Resident Theatre, Pocket Sandwich Theatre, SPQR Stage Company, The Duplex, The Kitchen, Unity Theater, and many more.

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Unless you’re in Ireland, an “authentically” Irish St. Patrick’s Day celebration is probably pretty hard to come by– which is fine, since some of the best St. Patty’s Day parties don’t even try to be authentic, and instead take inspiration from Irish cultures add their own local flair.

Such is the case with the Los Angeles St. Patrick’s Day Festival 2010, which, though definitely Irish, is distinctly LA.  Set to take place at Hollywood and Vine’s Taglyan Complex the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day, the hugely popular fest will feature great food, entertainment, and yes, plenty of beer.

Authentic performances by world champion Irish dancers The Claddagh Dance Company and the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society will be paired with live-band karaoke, courtesy of Steel Rod, and the much-loved frat boy pastime of beer pong.  Drinks are equally diverse, ranging from Irish whiskies and fine wines from around the world to champagnes and domestic beers.  Food will include gourmet cheeses and bread, Boar’s Head deli sandwiches, See’s Candies, and catering from LA landmarks PINKS Hot Dogs and Pig N’ Whistle, in addition to dozens of other local vendors.

Having the stunning Taglyan Complex as a backdrop will add a touch of elegance to the otherwise laid-back vibe.  Meanwhile, attendees will be partying for a good cause, as ticket sales will go to directly to The Children’s Tumor Foundation and the Irish Center of Los Angeles.

In LA, catching a movie being filmed is nothing to bat an eye at, let alone pay for as a form of entertainment.  But how many Angelenos can say that they’ve seen a film shot, scored and edited before their eyes in the span of a Saturday night out?

LA comedy landmark the iOWest’s the Live Improv Movie Project (LIMP), offers just that, with a completely improvised film that goes from concept to completion in front of a live audience.

This novelty improv concoction starts with –what else?– an audience suggestion, paired with props provided by the audience.  Then, three improv teams armed with cameras and sound equipment head out into the streets of Hollywood to shoot.  The film is streamed live back to the theater, where the crowd witnesses “the magic happen” firsthand, as editors transform raw footage into a coherent narrative, complete with a soundtrack.  Surprisingly, the spontaneity of improv is enhanced rather than lost in the process; the audience provides creative input throughout, and is even responsible for choosing a title. Finally, the finished product is screened: a one-of-a-kind work of film that is unique to that night’s place, time and creativity.

LIMP is part classic improv show, part voyeuristic filmmaking experiment, and just the type of innovative improv invention you’d expect from the West Coast branch of the legendary Chicago iO.

Judging solely from its name, one would expect the Houston Hobby Center to be a quaint community center that hosts quilting bees and scrap-booking parties.  But upon seeing the HHC, a visitor quickly realizes that it’s anything but a place for Texan soccer moms to do arts and crafts.  Made of 60-foot sheets of glass, the massive, architectural wonder known as the Houston Hobby Center was designed by reknown architect Robert M. Stern with the goal of catering to cultural connoisseurs from around the world.  The state-of-the-art entertainment complex, located in the heart of Houston’s arts district, is the stunning result of a $102 million dollar effort to create an opulent home for the region’s finest theater.

The HHC hosts acclaimed touring Broadway productions in the swank Sarofim Hall, an accoustically tailored 2,650-seat theater, while the center’s smaller but equally luxe Zilkha Hall welcomes more intimate performances from local theater organizations.

Among Zilkha Hall’s regular performances is “Uniquely Houston,” HHC’s program series that celebrates diverse Houston-based talent by providing small and local non-profit performing arts organizations with the resources they need to maximize the quality of their productions.  The 2010 Discovery series, a part of Uniquely Houston, showcases classroom-oriented music, theater and dance performances from Houston’s Musiqua and Travesty Dance Group.

But the extravagant HHC is still best known as an elegant place for patrons to experience world-class theater on the third coast, and the center’s calendar is dominated by some of Broadway’s most successful touring acts.  This season’s “A Chorus Line” is a nine-time Tony Award-winning production, and the longest-running Broadway musical ever, while “Cirque Dreams: Illumination” is the stunning sequel to Neil Goldberg’s Broadway hit “Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy.”  And residing permanently at the Houston Hobby Center is Theater Under the Stars, an acclaimed production company whose internationally-touring performances have raked in Tony Awards since its 1968 founding.  Sarofim Hall’s domed fiber-optic ceiling brings the Texas night sky to TUTS’ for an even more breathtaking theater experience.

While its name may be unassuming, you can be sure that there’s nothing quaint or down-home about the Houston Hobby Center.

In a time when payola rules, it’s tough to take a radio station seriously when it claims to be “all about the music”– especially in the music industry capital, Los Angeles.  But even jaded industry professionals have to tip their hats to KCRW, one of LA’s longest-running and most respected public radio stations.  Once a radio training workshop for servicemen in WWII, the nationally-syndicated station is known today as one of the most influential forces in independent music, and was once named by Coldplay’s Chris Martin as LA’s go-to source for learning about the best new artists.

KCRW, or 89.9, is a non-commercial, listener-supported station that broadcasts from the campus of Santa Monica College, attracting more than 500,000 listeners each week with a mix of talk radio, news programs from NPR and BBC, and highly eclectic music, ranging from hip hop to progressive.  The station’s reputation for launching the careers of unknown artists caused the New York Times to label it a “star maker of the semi-popular.”  Coldplay, Beck, Fiona Apple, Nora Jones, and Dido were all introduced to a wider audience by KCRW’s flagship morning program, “The Morning Becomes Eclectic.”  Many of KCRW’s DJs (who actually choose the music!) have become known as global taste-makers, sought after by record label executives for their uncanny ability to hand-pick the best emerging artists.   In 2008, the station decided to eliminate the names of its programs, because the DJ names had become bigger brands than the programs themselves.

Today, when even “indie” stations play a predictable mix of manufactured tunes, KCRW remains a rare champion of “real” music,  scouring the world for unknown artists and inviting them into the studio for interviews and live performances.  If there’s any LA station that could truly be described as “all about the music,” 89.9 would be it.

New Yorkers know that the art world is a notoriously difficult one to penetrate.  In the country’s art capital, big galleries are often inaccessible to just-out-of-school artists, and it is increasingly difficult for experimental artists to receive the funding and recognition they deserve.  Fortunately, small artist collectives like The Kitchen are determined to bring under-recognized artists to the forefront of the art scene.

One of the city’s foremost nonprofit centers for visual and performance art, The Kitchen was founded in 1971 by artists Woody and Steina Vasulka.   Their goal was to provide a safe place for both new and established artists to take creative risks.  Over the years, The Kitchen became known as a hotbed of creative experimentation, as well as a career-launching venue for up-and-coming artists with a flair for the avant garde.  In the three decades since its inception, the collective has showcased an impressive range of visionary artists, many of whom have gone on to earn international prominence, including Lucinda Childs, John Cage, Gary Hill, and Constance de Jong.

Dedicated to identifying each generation’s talent, The Kitchen continually gathers submissions from young artists from around the world.  In addition to curated gallery exhibitions, the organization regularly hosts live performances by local artists, which implement elements of theater, music and dance.

In a city where thousands of artists are competing for recognition, The Kitchen is a place where artists can gather and collaborate with like-minded colleagues.