This is the National Public Radio affiliate that Beyonce listens to! When she's not trotting the…read moreglobe, she's at home listening to NPR, I assume. I can just picture her there in her Houston mansion guessing at Wait Wait Don't Tell Me or getting her info on the latest Harris County bond proposal on Houston Matters. Just like Beyonce, you can listen to this station at 88.7 on the FM dial or you ask your smart radio to pick it up. They have all the regular NPR shows, but their schedule seems to differ from some other NPR Texas affiliates. But I love listening to this NPR affiliate while I'm stuck in traffic, which makes H-Town traffic a bit better. I frequently get that "Driveway Moment" where I'm at my destination, but want to hear the end of the Steve Inskeep bit on Croatian truckers in Nairobi. Of course, it's free to listen to this radio station, but it doesn't have to be. You can always chip in on the programming around here. It's always a bummer when it's pledge drive week and all stories lead back to how you should give KUHF money. You're not going to hear any ads for Mattress Mack, because it's listener funded radio. The signal here originates from the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting, which is located on the campus for University of Houston. I don't believe the signal of 88.7 MHz FM is in the ultrahigh frequency (UHF) range.

I absolutely love the National Public Radio station the is KUHF 88.7…read more I spend a lot of time in the car and the music played in the morning usually helps keep me balanced in the painful Houston traffic snarls. I feel more peaceful listening to this than any of the morning shows on the other stations. It helps me gain an appreciation and more knowledge of classical music - things I've loved for a long time and things I've never heard. The news segments also keep me up to date on things going on in the world in a deeper way than just snippets of news thrown in the regular morning shows like a commercial break Online you can also find out more about the additional things the station is doing, like vacation tours or the random free movie screening. I am thankful for stations like KUHF and hope more people tune in each day and appreciate all they have to offer.

Listener supported community radio! These guys have a long…read morehistory of speaking truth to power, and looking out for the little guys. In fact, this is the only radio station in the USA that's ever been bombed in an effort to get it off the air. Not just once, but twice the KKK bombed this station to get them to keep quiet. But this radio station isn't very good at staying quiet- what good radio stations remain quiet? They came back each time louder and better! They do a lot of political talks on this station. Get ready for a lean to the left. But my favorite part is when they play the eclectic foreign music- especially the Bollywood music. There's just something great about jamming to the sitar while cruising down Westheimer. It's Houston's home to Al Jazeera on the radio dial. The DJs are kinda special. They just run their own show, which they're interested in. It's not like they're all spinning the same music. I think they're all volunteers. I believe that if you have an idea for a show, they'll let you show up and broadcast if you ask nicely enough!

I began listening to Pacifica radio in DC, NYC and SF whilst traveling. As soon as I moved back to…read moreHouston the first thing I did was call KPFT and made a pledge. It is unparalleled.

You might cringe at the words "free jazz", so let's call it something else. New music? Untamed…read moresound? Experimental audibles? The magic of improv? Whatever you want to call it, David Dove and company at Nameless Sound program great performances at ultra-low prices, time and time again. I've seen some of the best shows of my life courtesy of these cats - not all of them chaotic and dissonant, either. Randomly, this is also a great singles scene if you're looking for someone who's really into art/music/intellectual pursuits. Check out their upcoming shows on their site - they choose great performance space, too, so be prepared to expand your horizons beyond Verizon. Nameless Sound also does great music education work in the community - read more on the website.

This is a really nice outdoor theater/part to bring your friends and have a picnic or maybe take…read morethe kids to roll down the hill.. you can even do workouts out there. I had so much fun doing a picnic with my friends. Make sure you bring water in bug spray!!!!!! and if you have allergies, please bring Benadryl or any allergy pills because there's tons of grass and trees!

Parking: Lot E is a gamble about 30-40 minutes from showtime, but you can get lucky…read more Seriously one of the bastions of Houston. It's a miracle that they're still able to provide high quality, free entertainment in this day and age. The booking process is a bit random - for extremely popular shows, there's a lottery, but otherwise you refresh during the ticket drop and get into a queue and can pick up to four tickets in the covered seating area (which also has huge ceiling fans. Huge plus.) or just hang out on the hill. Digital tickets are a huge upgrade where you don't have to wait at will call anymore. Seating is fantastic - plenty of walking space, seats have cupholders, and pretty much every seat has a clear view of the stage at a different angle for adults of all heights. There is difficulty in seeing ground level acts like the contortionist. (The interpretation of Da Vinci was phenomenal though, you can imagine). I always try to make it to at least one Cirque show every year and it's always a blast. Cheers to what they do here.

Wonderful organization, dynamic team members and impactful mission. So thankful to have ROCO in the…read moreHouston community. If you have not seen a show definitely check it out - such a talented group of folks! Love the collaborations and interactive experiences they are creating also. Huge fan and will continue to attend as many shows as possible!

For those of you not familiar with the large lexicon of Yelpisms, the acronym, FTR, stands for…read more"first to review". Yelp acknowledges FTRs on its site to encourage their review community to further expand its coverage of reviewed businesses. In the Houston area, I often get acknowledged for FTRs because I primarily review places outside the loop (OTL) which are ripe pickings compared to the over-Yelped establishments found inside the loop (ITL). When I stumble upon an ITL FTR opportunity these days, it usually represents an under-appreciated gem. This is the case here in spades. The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (known as ROCO to its fans) was founded four years ago by its very talented Principal Oboist, Alecia Lawyer. It is long overdue to be acknowledged here with a five-star FTR. I was prompted to write this today because I was listening to Performance Today Online ( http://performancetoday.publicradio.org/?month=1&day=27&year=2009 ) and heard a lilting performance by ROCO of Bach's Concerto for Violin and Oboe. I thought, "Wow! They're being discovered around the country, but we still barely know them in our own backyard!" Hence, this review. ROCO is one of a bevy of chamber groups in the Houston area that deserve four or five star recognition. Others include Da Camera, Mercury Baroque and Ars Lyrica. As a professional singer in town, I've had the opportunity and privilege to perform with all these groups when they needed a chamber choir to round out their performing personnel. I most recently performed with ROCO last November. What impressed me most about this group in addition to their virtuosity, sensitivity and flexibility was their very innovative way of engaging their audiences and make their performances fun. Most of the ROCO musicians are quite young and they defy any of the "stuffy" or "boring" stereotypes that are hung on classical music by those who really don't know better. These musicians rock. Let me explain more. They perform works in an order that doesn't necessarily reflect what is printed in the program, they always add "surprise" works, and they allow raffle winners to sit on stage amongst the orchestra during one of the works. Their coolest innovation is their ROCOrooters program. It's a child care / music education program that runs in tandem with their concerts and allows couples with kids to have a date night while giving their kids an opportunity to learn about the music that made Western civilization great. Kudos upon kudos to ROCO for this! Their principal venue is the Church of St. John the Divine in River Oaks. Come to a concert and hear them. You'll be better for it.

NO PLACE LIKE THIS IN HOUSTON! Forget The Laff Stop and all the other tired "comedy" venues…read more Massive Improv offers unrehearsed, uninhibited and unparalleled entertainment. I have been a regular for over 4 years and I am continously impressed with the performances week after week. Truly FUNNY! Think "Who's Line is it Anyway" without the corny antics -- just the good stuff. If you like witty and smart entertainment then this is the spot for you. You won't be disappointed. Please support the arts in Houston!

Went to improv show on 7/21/12…read more Close and intimate setting. Free parking. Nice midtown location. Cool art on building Exterior. $3 local draft beer (one keg of a local choice). I had to leave half way thru because I was sweating. It was hot. They host various show types and I'll give it another try when the weather is cooler.

The Midtown Art Center, located right across from the HCC downtown campus, boasts a well-maintained…read moreblackbox theater with several rows of not-too-rickety stadium-style seats. The lighting and sound equipment are decent. There's a small parking lot off of Holman, or metered parking on La Branch. The offices upstairs are home to an ever-changing mix of community organizations and recording studios. Rentals seem to be pretty inexpensive; details are on the website./ Technically, "[t]he Midtown Art Center is a 501(c)(3), not-for profit community supported cultural arts organization. Midtown enriches the neighborhood and the city with vitality of artistic and cultural expression by offering visual and performing exhibitions at Midtown Art Center and in Houston." They hold dance classes and other arts classes from time to time; just call them for the schedule.

The people who own this wonderful place are also the actors ! So they have a invested interest in…read morethis place more so than just an owner It's so much fun in here. I've never been that. I didn't just have a blast with my friends, and it was also always very memorable. I love the free parking that you have in the garage very close by if you're with women you do not need to worry it's very safe I will go here as often as I can ...

Amazingly talented and funny group of singers and musicians! Cozy and intimate venue with helpful…read morestaff. Validated parking on site. Can't believe I've been overlooking this gem all these years. Can't wait to return!