World > U.S. > Texas

Sig's Lagoon

This tiny hole-in-the-wall's namesake, Sig Byrd, was the coolest cat in town in the 1950's and 60's, covering the local music and club scene for two dailies, the Houston Press and the Houston Chronicle. Owners Jennifer and Thomas Escalente pay tribute to Byrd and Houston's beatnik years in the bamboo-walled Sig's Lagoon, a record store (vinyl only) that more than dabbles in other merchandise, including decoupaged T-shirts and jeans by local designer Judy Masliyah, tiki mugs, campy lunchboxes and action figures, and merchandise that sends up the Lone Star State's mythology (the hilarious line of Boss Lady products—soap, shampoo, and other essentials for the cowgirl—for example). Also on sale here: Houston—It's Worth It, a sardonic photography book that grew out of two artists' faux advertising campaign for the city.