The Wicked Stage does Dallas
A quick weekend jaunt to Dallas allowed me to catch both The Tempest at the Dallas Theater Center and the soon-to-be-mounted-in-San-Antonio play In the Next Room, Or The Vibrator Play. Now, it’s clear that Beowulf Borritt, the designer for The Tempest, not only has the funkiest name in show biz, but a superb visual imagination.…
ACL 2011: Q&A with The Walkmen
The Walkmen are one of my favorite bands working today. “Working” is actually a great way to describe them — the NYC/D.C. band has been on an incredible creative streak, starting with 2004’s Bows and Arrows (which gave birth to the ultimate bitter anthem, “The Rat”) and cementing itself with the spectacular You & Me (which…
Fast Foodie: La Marginal
Upon entering La Marginal, the first words out of my mouth were, “This smells like home.” I half expected to see my dad scrutinizing the broth of the arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) before striking the rice pot’s metallic lid like a gavel. The salsa music and murals of Puerto Rican landscapes and…
ACL 2011: Twin Shadow, DFA 1979, and other odds and ends
I rolled into Zilker Park late (well, early Saturday), missing some of ACL’s main spectacles, like Santigold and Mr. Ego himself, Kanye West. Sure, Saturday had its heavy hitters (Stevie Wonder!). But for the most part, it was a pretty weak schedule, with a few choice exceptions. Hands down, one of the most interesting performances…
Fast Foodie: La Marginal
Upon entering La Marginal, the first words out of my mouth were, “This smells like home.” I half expected to see my dad scrutinizing the broth of the arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) before striking the rice pot’s metallic lid like a gavel. The salsa music and murals of Puerto Rican landscapes and…
ACL 2011, Day 2: Cut Copy, TV on the Radio, Stevie Wonder, and … Christian Bale?
ACL Day Two got off to a slow start. After last night’s Kanye Fest and Saturday morning’s much-needed rain, my crew didn’t get into Zilker Park until later then we planned. But with the exception of the Antlers, Twin Shadow (who Current writer Mike Barajas saw and is a fan of), and Allison Krauss, Saturday…
124 Contemporary joins the Southtown art scene
Krisanne Frost, a local artist and the former owner of Zara Gallery, is back in business again with 124 Contemporary, a new gallery that opens tonight, Sept. 17, with an “Art Synergy Evening.” The inaugural show presents light-box photography by Jenelle Esparza, a recent UTSA grad, and sculpture by veteran artists Gudjon Bjornason, Greg Elliott,…
Saturday 9/17: printing with a steamroller at Blue Star
Early Saturday morning the rain might come, but the printers of Art to the 3rd Power, Paul Karam, Luis Valderas and Kim Bishop, don’t think it will stop their outdoor printing press. Might just cool things off a bit before they begin their show at 10 am, when a steamroller starts rolling out 4…
ACL 2011, Day 1: Kanye West & Santigold
Greetings from Austin City Limits 2011. I’m currently eating a donut at Hotel Wardlaw and still feeling groggy (hey, Zilker Park allergies, I’ve missed you), but that won’t stop me from recapping the two shows I got to check out at ACL Day One. Two shows might not seem like a lot, but one of…
‘Inheritance’ by Ben Tremillo
We all inherit bad genes (and good ones, true, but we don’t seem to get all worked up about those). But we also inherit other horrible and wonderful things from family members (including stories) like dressers and certificates from the first grade. In Ben Tremillo’s “Inheritance” the unnamed character might have inherited a thing like…
Applause reveals Paprika Steen in an enduring role
Maybe Applause, Danish director Martin Zandvliet’s debut, wouldn’t stand a chance at the Academy Awards (if Oscar ever stooped to embrace non-English language movies, that is), but Paprika Steen would be a serious threat in the Best Actress category. Known to serious American film audiences for her roles in Dogme 95 movies like The Celebration,…
Domestic-partner benefits approved 8-3 by San Antonio City Council
Our circus of a budget season, marred with debate over everything from sidewalks to sodomy, is finally over. But Thursday’s vote may not be the last we’ve heard about domestic-partner benefits in the city. With an 8-3 vote, the City of San Antonio churned out a budget granting domestic partner benefits to gay and straight…
‘Resistance 3’ by Insomniac Games: these Chimera are messing with the wrong dad
The “struggle for survival” game narrative is by no means a new one. Hell, more and more FPS shooters seem to make the most success when mankind is David going up against an interstellar Goliath (they probably have more tentacles than Goliath, but you get my point). The Resistance series by Insomniac Games has proven…
Gary Clark Jr. delivers masterful performance at Sam’s
OK, guys, sorry. Next time, I promise I’ll bring a camera instead of a phone and I’ll make sure I shoot properly. But even though this video sounds like crap, I wanted to give you an idea of what you missed in case you didn’t go to Sam’s Burger Joint last night. Austin’s Gary Clark…
Farm and Food Leadership Conference encourages ‘SOL’ food
Can unnatural foods contribute to illness, even forcing people to rely on pharmaceutical drugs for health stability? That’s what Howard Vlieger, president of Verity Farms, said this week as he spoke at the Farm and Food Leadership Conference inside San Antonio’s Pearl Stables. Specifically, Vlieger addressed genetically modified foods and their cyclical damages to both…
St. Mary’s grad Vanessa Martinez talks role in ‘Warrior’
Actress and 2001 St. Mary’s University graduate Vanessa Martínez, 32, earned her first movie role in the 1996 Academy Award-nominated film Lone Star directed and written by John Sayles and starring Chris Cooper and Matthew McConaughey. Sayles would become an instrumental part of her career, casting her twice more for the dramas Limbo in 1999…
iPhone ‘Phone Story’ game banned from the App Store
Sadly, nowadays I make many assumption about my tech gadgets. I presuppose that most of what I buy comes from China, or somewhere else where cheap labor is exploited. From the Phone Story website: Phone Story is a game for smartphone devices that attempts to provoke a critical reflection on its own technological platform. Under…
Social Media: How I learned to stop worrying and love the political process
Its election season again and that means it’s time for this country to discuss all the important issues and unify as one country moving forward. Wait – I’m sorry that would be ridiculous! (Just ask 1933 Germany.) No, it’s once again time for us to indulge ourselves with semi-educated, wholly self-entitled bumper-sticker slogans and attack…
Kaelen’s Comfortable Spring/Summer 2012 Collection
Story by Desiree Prieto Toronto-born, New York-based designer Kaelen Farncombe presented her Spring/Summer 2012 collection at Chelsea neighborhood’s Root Drive-In Studio. Upon arrival, myself and guests were given a baby pink program with black Rorschachs. But we didn’t know quite what to make of it once we finally previewed the collection, as we were ushered…
Texas wildfires deliver punishing blow to endangered Houston Toad
Those Bastrop fires that have scorched 1,500 acres in Central Texas may also have also provided a killer blow to the endangered Houston Toad as the fires swept 60 percent of the toads’ occupied habitat — about 40 percent of which was scorched by what Texas Parks & Wildlife’s state herpetologist Andy Gluesenkamp termed catastrophic…
Food entrepreneurs get a little kitchen help
If you’re the type of foodie who subscribes to Sauveur and cooks four nights a week, it’s inevitable — at some point, a friend will ask you to braise meats for a barbeque, bake a wedding cake, or assemble hors d’oeuvres for a party of 50. Because you know a lot about food, you say…
War stories de la Raza
The unwavering pride of Chicano Vietnam War veterans is epitomized during a scene in San Antonio director Laura Varela’s documentary As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos when Michael Rodriguez*, one of the three vets featured in the film, displays genuine frustration when a fallen comrade’s name is mispronounced during a ceremony at the Vietnam…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “An awakened Aries would rather err on the side of making a daring, improvisational mistake than cuddle up with passionless peace,” writes astrologer Hunter Reynolds. “He or she knows that creative conflict can be a greater unifying force than superficial harmony.” This is an excellent keynote for you to keep in…
Fast Foodie: Citrus at Hotel Valencia
Citrus, inside the Hotel Valencia on Houston Street downtown, has a great bargain lunch — appetizer, soup, salad, individually tailored paella, with agua fresca or sangria — all for $9.95 on weekdays. Sure, but where do you park downtown, you ask? The hotel throws in complimentary valet parking. After entering the dark, somewhat claustrophobic foyer,…
Ana Popovic: Unconditional
"Blues is unconditional, perhaps the most conservative style of all," says Ana Popovic in the liner notes to her sixth album. "If you alter it too much, it will no longer be the blues." Yet, the Serbian singer-songwriter/guitarist, one of Europe’s top blues players, delivers a dynamic mix of soul, pop, and, yes, blues that…
Primus: Green Naugahyde
If you never "got" Primus you’re excused — Les Claypool’s crazed popping bass lines are not crafted for mass appeal. But longtime fans will be happy to be feasting on new material after more than a decade yearning for a return of the band’s inexplicable and incomparable style. The group’s last full-length release, Antipop, came…
Austin’s other music fest celebrates its 10th anniversary
After 10 years of Austin City Limits, you should know this by now: Get your tickets early. At press time, there are still a few individual tickets for Sunday, and if you look at the lineup (see ticket info box), you’ll realize the $90 tag is actually a bargain. Too late? Too bad. With more…
Coconut Meringue Pie at Earl Abel’s Restaurant, $4.27
A bite of what we’re eating here at the Current
¡ASK A MEXICAN!
Dear Mexican: I live in Upstate New York (that’s any part of the state north of the city, for you West Coasters), and while we have a relatively small Mexican population, we have a large number of Puerto Ricans, especially in the community I live in. Here’s my question: a number of times I’ve overheard…
Old Havana romance translates in many Ocho dishes
It’s hard to know what to call Ocho. Is it a bar-slash-lounge that wants to be a restaurant or a restaurant with a very important bar? As it’s part of the newly resuscitated Hotel Havana, it is obliged to offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner to guests. But then the seating is such, especially if you…
The QueQue: Northside ISD sued in child’s shooting, Defunding firefighters, Chimp alert!
Northside ISD sued in child’s shooting Last November, Northside ISD police officer Daniel Alvarado responded to a routine call — a bus with a flat tire. Moments later, he rushed into the backyard of a Northwest Side home, shooting and killing unarmed 14-year-old Derek Lopez. According to a lawsuit filed last week by Lopez’s mother,…
The Lion King 3D
My 3-year-old godson Leo (yes, how very fitting) jumps around the movie theater and munches on a cookie as he awaits the start of The Lion King 3D. It’s only the second time he has ever been in front of a big screen, but he seems to know the drill. A cozy reserved nook between…
Dream Theater: A Dramatic Turn of Events
After the much-publicized exit of drummer and bandleader Mike Portnoy last year, progressive metal giants Dream Theater hit back hard with their 11th effort. While the music — lengthy tunes, goofball time changes, and guitarist John Petrucci’s ever-stellar searing — contains no huge surprises, this slab differs greatly from Dream Theater’s previous era, where Portnoy’s…
Members allege the American GI Forum has been shilling for Boeing, Big Oil, and AT&T
The story of Dr. Hector P. Garcia is the stuff of legends. The World War II veteran returned from Europe in 1946 to witness injustice all around him. In Corpus Christi, he and his fellow Mexican-American veterans faced segregation from their peers. They saw whites-only funeral homes refusing to bury Latino war heroes, poll taxes…
Tone Bell finds the laugh line between suckers and alcohol
Self-promotion and creative merchandising is a big part of urban entertainment. That is, it’s not unusual for entertainers to expand their performance-derived income through corporate partnerships. Jay-Z has the clothing line Rocawear, Jay-Z has a piece of the New Jersey Nets, Jay-Z has interest in Bud Select, and Beyonce Knowles has… Jay-Z. In this spirit,…
Live & Local: Sight 4 Sore Eyes at The Mix
With his short-haired dome, thick mustache, and gruff demeanor, Fred “Mota” Rodríguez looks like he should be hurling beer-soaked insults at the Cowboys on a Sunday afternoon instead of playing suicide songs on a Friday night. That is, he doesn’t look like a typical New Waver. Of course, he also claims membership to Blood Spill…
The Apoca-List
AKA The “We’re Fucked” Index
Con Safo artists bring El Movimiento to canvas
You may have seen this emblem marked in the corner of a mural or on street art: C/S. It stands for “con safo,” often understood as “with respect.” But it also implies that should you mess with the art, you may find yourself subjected to an equal measure of messing. Con Safo: The Chicano Art…
McPhee exposes nature’s human interface
Of the many photography shows in Fotoseptiembre this year, one of the most compelling is Laura McPhee’s “River of No Return” on view at Southwest School of Art. A visit to the school’s Navarro Campus galleries will show you why this exhibition of landscape photography set attendance records when it showed at Boston’s Museum of…
9/11: A legacy of errors
The attacks of September 11 brought me back to the world. I had a year earlier retreated to a high desert outpost to run a startup weekly paper — ditching what felt like a natural progression from West Texas to Las Vegas with the goal of landing at some major metro on one of the…
Never mind the hype: Attack the Block doesn’t deliver
Written and directed by Joe Cornish, who co-created the weirdo British sketch comedy series The Adam and Joe Show in the ’90s, Attack the Block desperately wants to be for sci-fi thrillers what the hilarious 2004 satire Shaun of the Dead was for zombie horror movies. Even though both films share producers, Cornish is no…
Delgado brothers refresh the Strip with Hi-Tones
Late last month, a brand-new bar and music venue named Hi-Tones opened its doors on the St. Mary’s Strip to an eager crew of partyers. People danced to Piñata Protest, cheap booze and good vibes flowed, and a refreshingly mixed crowd spilled out onto the bar’s makeshift patio. The scene was unfussy, unfancy, and totally…
Cameron Crowe’s PJ20: One day only in SA
Pearl Jam Twenty, a Cameron Crowe-directed documentary that chronicles the rise and impact of one of the world’s top rock bands, will open in San Antonio at the Bijou on September 20. It’s a one-day event with two screenings: 7:30 pm and 9:50 pm. The Bijou is located at 4522 Fredericksburg, and you can get…
Anniversary of San Antonio’s great flood of 1921 passes with little notice
As central Texas burns, a monstrous conflagration that is the terrifying consequence of months of searing heat and historic drought; when so much of the region has been blackened, (and that which has not burned yet is ready to go up in smoke), I can only imagine how tempting it is to pray for rain.…
