Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916

Sunday, November 24, 2024 — Houston, TX

Arts and Entertainment






A&E 11/12/19 9:25pm

Houston Cinema Arts Festival coming to campus

The Houston Cinema Arts Festival will bring diverse programming, from foreign films to experimental cinema to Rice Media Center this weekend, Nov. 15-18. Eight screening events will include discussion from award-winning filmmakers, and each screening requires a $12 ticket. 


A&E 11/12/19 9:18pm

FKA twigs' sophomore album "MAGDALENE" is a masterpiece

The creative process of multi-genre singer, producer and dancer FKA twigs (Tahliah Barnett) is one of deliberation and perfection — a quality that has left fans waiting years for new music. Five years after her debut album, twigs delivers with her sophomore album “MAGDALENE,” a nine-track triumph released Nov. 8. 




A&E 11/12/19 9:14pm

Rice Village’s new food hall Politan Row opens to public

Last weekend, long-awaited food hall Politan Row opened in Rice Village, expanding nearby restaurant options beyond tried-and-true Rice Village favorites. While most universities boast giant fast-food names like McDonald’s or Subway on their campuses, Rice’s unique culture allows student-run businesses and other smaller eateries to dominate the food scene outside of the serveries. 


A&E 11/5/19 9:35pm

Best of the Fest: The Austin Film Festival Showcases Indie Filmmaker Talent

More than 180 films screened at this year’s Austin Film Festival, which ran from Oct. 24 to 31. Now in its 26th year, the festival is known for its focus on screenwriting and for its solid slate of Oscar-bait films. I waited in hour-long lines and chatted with retired couples, an Airbnb “entrepreneur” and a woman who had once been Woody Harrelson’s temporary bodyguard in order to watch a half-dozen feature films in three days. Here are the indie films that rose above the rest.


A&E 11/5/19 9:31pm

Caffeinated creativity: David Buehrer talks McNair Hall’s incoming coffee shop and his own entrepreneurial history

Nestled away in the southwest side of the McNair Hall courtyard is a room full of construction, espresso and hope. This is where I met David Buehrer this past Saturday. When I arrived, Buehrer was bustling around the room, talking with his employees and prepping for Audrey’s, the coffee shop that will open in the Jones Graduate School of Business this coming spring.




A&E 10/29/19 9:50pm

Good Eats: The Houston Black Food Truck Festival

From Jamaican jerk chicken to loaded grilled cheese, the Third Annual Houston Black Food Truck Festival confirmed my belief that a happy stomach leads to a happy life. Taking place every October, the festival rallies together the greatest mobile eats of the greater Houston area. 


A&E 10/29/19 9:48pm

A night of chills and thrills in the Haunted Hall

Something dark and twisted appeared on campus last Friday. While students were hiding from the cold that unexpectedly swept through the city, a large circus-like tent materialized in the Rice Memorial Center Grand Hall. Unknown creatures were heard shuffling behind the tapered sheets, murmuring in incomprehensible voices.


A&E 10/29/19 9:47pm

Rex Orange County’s “Pony” is lackluster but genuine

With “Pony,” indie pop artist Rex Orange County makes his debut with a major label while sticking to his genre-defying roots. The overall sound of the album is nigh impossible to define as songs alternate between crooning over gentle acoustics to rap to synth-pop. Despite this, each song in the album is connected by a common thread in the utter genuinity in Rex Orange County’s delivery.




A&E 10/29/19 9:43pm

“Cats” captivates Hobby Center in single week production

“Cats,” one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most famous musicals, returned to Houston for one week only, wowing audiences with its elaborate dancing, stunning lighting and most of all, its cats. Running Oct. 22 to Oct. 27 at Hobby Center to a house nearly full with patrons of all ages dressed in cheetah print and cat ears, “Cats” was captivating throughout the show. 


A&E 10/22/19 10:25pm

Best and Worst of ACL 2019

Along with at least half of Rice’s student body, the Thresher made yet another road trip to Austin City Limits Music Festival Weekend Two over midterm break. Despite the inflated food prices and suffocating crowds, I can honestly say that this year was by far the best I have experienced in three consecutive years of attending my hometown’s festival.