Best Of Houston Music Awards That Didn't Quite Make The Cut

Craig Hlavaty

Grand Prize beckons...

There is nothing like watching hipsters and preppie folk drinking next to each other at Grand Prize. Some of the latter still show expecting the same vibe as Ernie's On Banks only to find beards and chicks in leather leggings. Some nights you can see party buses stop by dropping off livers. The few fights (seven) we have seen here have been odd clashes involving women of course, which is nothing new. One time, a dude threw a full beer bottle at another guy and he totally got suds on our Ted Nugent shirt. Not cool.

BEST WASHINGTON BAR THAT WILL MAKE A GOOD MUSIC VENUE ONE DAY

Our vote for Best New Old Venue for when the Great Washington Decline Of 2015 begins is Rebels Honky Tonk. With its raised VIP area and chicken-wired DJ booth, large parking lot, two bars and spacious patio, we can't wait to see grindcore bands playing on the dance floor. True enough, we love RHT now, but all things must pass.

Roky Moon & BOLT on Facebook

Roky Moon & BOLT seem to convert everyone who sees their live show. We've seen friends, young and old, gray and thinning, turning into happy drooling BOLTers after just two songs. For us, converted since March 2009, it's nice to welcome more people into the fold. The band is gearing up for their full-length release in the next few months, with a handful of shows to follow. Expect to see more people preaching Roky's gospel in 2011.

MOST-HYPED AREA OF TOWN, TWO YEARS RUNNING

In some alternate universe, East Downtown is a bustling mini-metropolis full of chic boutiques, record stores, sushi spots, piano bars and yoga studios. For now, it's quiet, containing the new Moon Tower, some swanky apartments, Warehouse Live and soon its own Little Woodrow's right across the way.