Web Exclusive

Inside the Music Issue Bash

Mike Charlton
Cliff Gordon, Sam Knight, Steph Cooksey and Troy Creagh

On a decidedly warm Tuesday evening, Houston CityBook hosted an al fresco party celebrating its second annual Music Issue, and the photogenic musicians featured within. Guests were pleasantly surprised when they stepped outside on the ninth floor of Downtown’s swanky new Catalyst apartment tower, finding a breezy, shaded pool deck awaiting.

The views were pure Houston — skyscrapers, palm trees and and Minute Maid Park — but the vibe may have been more Miami, thanks to house beats spun by a DJs from Ryde, which just opened a spin studio nearby. Partygoers grabbed cocktails and bites from neighborhood gems Irma’s Southwest and Xochi, chatting it up with several local musicians highlighted in CityBook’s May feature “Sound Check,” photographed by Steven Visneau at the new Hotel ZaZa Memorial City.

Cover star Tobe Nwigwe, who performs at BET’s L.A. music festival next month, arrived with his posse, graciously posing for pics. CityBook Editor in Chief Jeff Gremillion welcomed the crowd of 200-plus, offering remarks on the diversity and depth of the city’s music scene before the spotlight shifted to jazz artists Steph Cooksey and Stephen Richard, two of the May issue’s featured artists. They performed a sulty set as more pretty people pored out onto the pool deck, with bartenders continuing to sling cocktails until well after sunset.

From Your Site Articles
Party People
promoted

Fall Philanthropy Report: Urban Harvest Farmers Market Helps ‘Transform Food Accessibility’

Fall Philanthropy Report: Urban Harvest Farmers Market Helps ‘Transform Food Accessibility’

What year was your organization launched? Urban Harvest’s Saturday Farmers Market started in 2004 with just seven vendors, providing an outlet for local farms, community and backyard gardeners to sell fresh produce harvested directly from their soils. Now in its 20th year, the market has grown to be one of the largest markets in Texas, supporting over 100 local farmers, ranchers, and food artisans all from within 180 miles of Houston. The market draws 3,000 customers every Saturday morning and includes many original vendors like Animal Farm, Atkinson Farms, and Wood Duck Farm.

Keep Reading Show less
promoted

Wellness Pro LeBrina Jackson on Gratitude at the Holidays: It’s a ‘Reset Button for my Mind’

LeBrina Jackson

AS WE GET into the holiday season, we’re reminded of what we have, what we want and what might be lacking. As Sheryl Crow says in her song, Soak up the Sun, “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you've got.” We caught up with LeBrina Jackson, owner of Escape Spa in Cypress, Texas, and learned how she tackles the holiday season with hope, love and most importantly, gratitude.

Keep Reading Show less
food

Októ Joins Mi Luna and Marmo as Hot Spots at Mediterranean-Marvelous Montrose Collective

Paella Valenciana at Mi Luna

THOUGH IT'S BEEN in Houston less than a decade, Sof Hospitality has made major inroads with foodies and critics alike. Its concepts include Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa and Badolina Bakery, all of which deliver the rich flavors of Israeli cuisine in complex, photogenic and delicious dishes. Its newest, Októ, opened earlier this year, one of several energetic restaurants to bow in the Montrose Collective, just in time for the holidays.

Keep Reading Show less
Food