Convenience Big Store: A new year, a Tina Turner musical and a thank you

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A new year, a Tina Turner musical and a thank you for holding me up.

Happy New Year, y'all! How were your holidays?

I've talked about my mom here before. I've also written about her. Which is why I hesitated to do it again. But the feedback has always been affirming and sincere. So here we are again. I thought about her a lot over the holidays. I think about her every day. My mom loved Christmas and New Year's Eve and everything in between. These were the first without her. They weren't so much difficult as they were numbing. I subconsciously compartmentalized to get through it and to ensure it was special for my son. And I think it was. We went to see lights, spent time with friends and celebrated with family. It will never be the same. But for his sake, and mine, we go on.

We saw lots of theater, too. I recently interviewed Ari Groover and Parris Lewis, who alternate in "Tina — The Tina Turner Musical" as the legendary performer. We spoke about diversity in theater and Turner's legacy. But what struck me most was when Parris likened her experience in the show with a personal tragedy. She was unexpectedly asked to sing at a sorority sister's funeral and said she "felt this girl's hands come and hold my back up."

"When I sing, 'Better Be Good to Me,' the ancestors and the way that they show up in our show, but also the reverence and space that they hold for Tina and the people that she has lost, the people that are still in her journey, they're still there. And in this moment of reckoning, she's making a choice, but she's not making a choice alone. You're covered, you're guided, you are supported."

That sense of support is what has helped me, not just through the holidays, but every day. It's come from everywhere: family, friends, readers, local musicians, Instagram followers, even the Rodeo. It's still incredibly difficult. But thank you for holding me up.

Joey Guerra, music reporter

joey.guerra@houstonchronicle.com

My music picks

Photo by: Courtesy

Jazz and a meal

Jazz vocalist Tianna Hall performs classics and reworked contemporary hits during her weekly gig at this French restaurant. She's one of the city's hardest-working performers. 6 p.m. Jan. 5 at Artisans Restaurant, 5745 Westheimer; reservations online.

A very Bowie birthday: Cactus Music celebrates David Bowie's birthday a bit early with an in-store bash featuring DJ Scary Monster and DJ Hallo Spaceboy. They'll be spinning Bowie classics throughout the afternoon. 1 p.m. Jan. 6 at 2110 Portsmouth; free.
Beyoncé watch: The Renaissance is never really over. But it is on sale. Amazon's exclusive run of tour merch has been marked down, with some shirts as low as $20. I. Am. So. Tempted. Don't ask me how many Beyoncé shirts I bought over the last month.

Fun family favs

Rene Hernandez, 3, stands with his grandfather, Pancho Claus, Richard Reyes, as he hands out toys to children in the neighborhood of Second Ward for Dia De Los Reyes / Three Kings Day on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 in Houston.

Photo by: Raquel Natalicchio/Staff Photographer

We three kings

Casa Ramirez FOLKART Gallery, one of the coolest places in the city, celebrates El Dia de los Tres Reyes, also known as Three Kings Day, with hot chocolate, pan dulce and a visit from Pancho Claus. And pick up a free 2024 calendar if they still have some. 1-3:30 p.m. Jan. 6 at 241 W. 19th; free.

(Not so) dirty pop: The sanitized hits of Kidz Bop will soundtrack the College Football Playoff in Houston. The free event, part of AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!, is Jan. 5 at Shell Energy Stadium in downtown Houston. Tickets are available through the CFP official app. 6 p.m. at 220 Texas. (Jack Harlow and Latto are there Jan. 6 for the older kids.)
Japanese New Year: Levy Park hosts its second annual Japan Junction: Oshogatsu Celebration to kick off the new year. There will be live performances, traditional Japanese games, omikuji fortune telling, Japanese calligraphy and lots more. 11 a.m. Jan. 6 at 3801 Eastside; free.

Houston on the cheap

Photo by: Morris Malakoff

Cheap skates

Discovery Green lets two people skate for the price of one on We Love Houston Wednesdays. I'm no skater by any means, but it's still a good time. 5-10 p.m. Jan. 10 at 1500 McKinney; $17 for two people; discoverygreen.com.

Boot scootin' boogie: You will probably have to line dance at least once in your life. I promise. These free lessons from Love Dance HTX and Post Houston, then, are a necessity. The class includes multiple types of line dances. 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at 401 Franklin; free with registration.

Where to eat

The Dream Catcher pizza at The Gypsy Poet in Midtown

Photo by: Alison Cook / Staff

A-plus pizza

Chronicle foodies Bao Ong, Greg Morago, Jody Schmal and Alison Cook curated a great list of the best pizza places in Houston. I haven't tried them all. But I can tell you that Gypsy Poet's pizzas are the stuff of dreams. So good. What's your favorite in town?

Terrific tacos: There's also this list of the 25 best taco spots in Houston. It's a solid mix of trendy spots and neighborhood favorites. I think we need a separate breakfast tacos list, right?

Everything else you need to know

Freebies: Out of the Darkness: Alliance Music Fest 3 features an assortment of OPM (Original Pilipino Music) bands from all over Texas, spanning a variety of genres. 5 p.m. Jan. 6 at 8282 Bellaire.
Entertainer to know: Four in one to kick off the new year. Scrappy pop-rock bands Jumprope, Marley Moon, Blossom Aloe and Primaries are each worth a listen. They come together for a Houston music showcase. 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at Bad Astronaut, 1519 Fulton; $10.