Leticia Van de Putte and Dan Patrick Spar in First and Only Lt Gov Debate
Dan Patrick and Leticia Van de Putte debated Monday night in Austin. Photo via Texas Tribune livestream. State sens. Leticia Van de Putte and Dan Patrick squared off Monday night during their first and only debate as candidates for Texas Lieutenant Governor, sparring over issues like public education funding, the Texas DREAM Act, immigration, women’s…
A Portrait of the Artist as a Cosplayer
Cosplayer Nicole Marie Jean (Courtesy Photo) Nicole Marie Jean has to pee very badly, but she won’t stop chatting, cracking jokes and posing for photos with her fans. That’s because she won’t let her fans down. This past weekend, Alamo City Comic Con gathered some of the most popular cosplayers from around the nation for…
SAPD Video: Donate to Charities, Not Directly To Panhandlers
The San Antonio Police Department posted a nine-minute video today entitled “Change that Makes a Difference,” featuring interviews with panhandlers to show that our donations don’t in fact help them, but are rather used for drugs. The video pivots quickly to highlighting the benefits of Haven for Hope, which offers a wide variety of resources…
San Antonio: This Week In City Government
Mission Concepcion, courtesy of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. There’s a lot of interesting soon-to-be news happening on the local government level this week. In several meetings, council members will discuss everything from a resolution aimed at achieving World Heritage designation for the Spanish Missions to a police presentation summing up the department’s…
SA Food Pics: 10 pics to cure a case of the Mondays
There’s nothing like going back to work after a relaxing weekend, but this means many of us go back to work with a case of the Mondays. Whether it’s at Pho Nguyen (18410 U.S. 281), La Gloria (100 E Grayson), or Green Vegetarian Cuisine (Multiple Locations) our trusted SA Foodies have snapped some great pics…
Alamo City Comic Con: bigger, better, and still growing
Artist Boulevard at Alamo City Comic Con. Photo by Rick Canfield For its second annual event, Alamo City Comic Con (ACCC) went all out, bringing in celebrities and comic artists from around the nation. However, the convention struggled somewhat with its panels and management of the large crowds. Fans from all around Texas flocked to…
10 People Baristas Meet in Coffee Shops
National Coffee Day is happening Monday, September 29 and in honor of this glorious day (coffee is the only reason society hasn’t collapsed on itself) we are saluting the 10 people who go to coffee shops. (via) 1. The Coffee Chain Addict. They don’t care what your menu says and they don’t mind letting you…
5 Things You Have to do This Week
Mon 9/29 Experience Hendrix In case you were wondering, here’s exactly how awesome Jimi Hendrix is: The online directory tribute-band.com lists 55 pages of acts covering everyone from the Beatles to Nightwish to Michael Bublé, but a million in unpaid royalties says none of them boasts a lineup featuring the likes of Zakk Wylde, Kenny…
How Broken Bells May Have Saved The Shins: an interview with James Mercer
James Mercer and Bryan Burton (aka Danger Mouse) of Broken Bells. Courtesy Photo James Mercer, The Shins’ lead man and one half of Broken Bells, has established himself as a defining music-maker for our times. He’s a meticulous writer that brings his unique aesthetic feel to every project that he works on. He’s a singularly…
Bad Lip Reading Gives The Walking Dead’s Carl Some Mad Hip-Hop Skills
Courtesy of AMC Bad Lip Reading is pretty self-explanatory. The popular YouTube channel re-dubs dialog from movies and television shows. As a result, the actors’ emotionally-charged, dramatic performances are hilariously undercut by the ridiculous and nonsensical things their characters are made to say. The web series has poorly re-dubbed shows and films like Game of…
8 Places to Celebrate National Drink Beer Day
This is Texas and in Texas we drink beer in large amounts. This Sunday, September 28 is National Drink a Beer Day and we’ve got a few places you can go to celebrate. Get your pint ready and let’s drink some beer. (via) Big Hops Growler Station (8313 Broadway) is a kid-friendly joint that offers…
Fracking Bolsters Economic Development Despite Environmental Risks
Photo: Scott Tower/Flickr A recent study conducted by University of Texas at San Antonio’s Institute for Economic Development determined that the Eagle Ford Shale—an ancient sedimentary rock formation that underlies much of South Texas—generated a whopping $87 billion during the production of oil and natural gas last year. Additionally, the Shale supported an estimated 155,000…
10 Books Banned by Texas Schools
(via) This week is Banned Books Week, and The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has released their 18th Annual Banned Books Report. According to the report, 10 books were banned in select Texas schools during the 2013-2014 school year. Of those 10 books, 5 were banned at Vanguard Academy Charter School (which has some…
10 Alamo City Comic Con Panels to Put on Your Itinerary
This weekend, thousands will descend upon the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center to get their geek on at Alamo City Comic Con. Last year’s inaugural con attracted 35,000 comic, sci-fi and pop culture fanatics. But this year, organizers took the event to a whole new level with their impressive roster of celebrities and comic book…
6 Shows to See This Weekend
Castle Numbskull Cassette Celebration and Benefit Show (Friday, September 26) The noise/sound art house Castle Numbskull is hosting a benefit for Gabriel Quintanilla, an SA native recently injured in a biking accident. In addition to the music, the gig celebrates International Cassette Store Day. Acts will include SKN KVR, Wholly Vible and Mighty Craic. 6pm,…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 9/25 Cultura Dura Álvaro Díaz Billed as a celebration of the future of urban Latin music, Cultura Dura is an eight-city tour presented by Brooklyn’s Remezcla and Mike’s Harder Lemonade. The San Anto incarnation of the tour will feature Austin’s shape-shifting Latin-fusion/EDM tribe Peligrosa and the bilingual, salsa- and cumbia-sampling hip-hop stylists Third Root…
A Closer Look at Jeff Bezos and His Online Retail Colossus Amazon
(via) In his classic 1936 comedy, Modern Times, silent filmmaker Charlie Chaplin depicts the trials and tribulations of a harried factory worker trying to cope with the sprockets, cogs, conveyor belts and “efficiencies” of the new industrial culture. The poor fellow finds himself caught up (almost literally) in the grinding tyranny of the machine. The…
Shot of the Week: Rocky Balboa
Via Dustin Dooling Yo, Adrienne! Have I eva’ got a shot for you! This week’s shot is a classic knockout punch; a homage to the finest boxing movie of all time. The Rocky Balboa owes its inspiration to the movie by the same name. Step in the ring with this contender and show you got…
3 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on this Week
Friday, September 26: Tap, tap, tap into Texas’ burgeoning craft beer scene at the Institute of Texan Cultures. San Antonio’s own Busted Sandal will lead the way with samples, while other Texas-based craft beer companies showcase their goods. Light fare will be available, along with beer tips via the San Antonio Cerveceros. Free, 6-8pm, 801…
Can You Guess Texas’ Signature Dish?
(via) Sometimes you run across something on the internet that reassures you that all is right with the world and that everything will be OK. This week that comforting online tidbit is a map of each state’s most iconic dish, and when it comes to our great state, this map is 100 percent correct. Yes,…
First Course: Urban barbecues and boozy events
(via) Land in The Hangar (8203 Broadway) on Sunday, September 28th for National Drink A Beer Day. All of their beers will be on special at Happy Hour price all day. ALL DAY. If you’re also a fan of beer buckets you should try their new craft beer buckets. It takes a certain kind of…
More Shady Business at Crisis Pregnancy Centers
The Texas Legislature has increased the funding to the Texas Alternatives to Abortion Program over the years. Texas Pregnancy Care Network receives almost 100% of the program’s funding. Courtesy NARAL Pro-Choice Texas An updated investigation of crisis pregnancy centers in Texas by NARAL Pro-Choice Texas reveals personnel at the centers continue to use misinformation, scare…
Texas Would Be Fourth Largest Legal Marijuana Market
The number crunching financial website nerdwallet says Texas is the fourth largest potential marijuana market in the U.S. Graphic Courtesy of nerdwallet. If the Lone Star State legalized weed, how much revenue would the famously free mark state draw into its coffers? According to NerdWallet, a number crunching financial website, Texas, conservatively, would earn a…
San Antonio Rebounds From Great Recession
“San Fernado Cathedral and Municipal Plaza Building, San Antonio” by Brad Holt from Ada, OK, USA – SanAntonio_SanFernadoCathedral_24Sept2009_Uploaded by xnatedawgx. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons Do you feel less of a pinch in your wallet or purse? According to one research group, which bills itself as a finance social network, San…
3 Essential Pit Stops for Big Bend-bound Travelers
El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas (Courtesy Photo) Alpine After long hours heading west on Interstate 10 from San Antonio to Fort Stockton, small mountains begin to line the southbound Highway 67 toward Alpine, an easy-paced town of friendly folks. Home of Sul Ross State University, Alpine is located in the foothills of the Davis Mountains…
Modern Roots at the First Moonamp Music Festival
This Saturday at the Sunken Garden Theater, you can usher in the fall feels with a rousing round of roots rock, alt-country and Americana-leaning performances by a group of like-minded yet diverse acts. Here’s a quick run-down of the earthy ambience and heartland tunes to look forward to at Moonamp. Ryan Bingham Steeped in the…
Sheets of Sound: Santana at the Tobin
A self-serving guitar solo is the near equivalent of musical masturbation, requested only by that drunk guy at the bar who also asked three times for “Freebird.” This is the golden rule for any guitarist. But the rule is ambiguous when applied to songwriters known for their guitar playing—Frank Zappa, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix…
The Bad Plus Continues to Evolve on ‘Inevitable Western’
For over 14 years and 12 albums, pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King have redefined the expectations of the jazz trio. Their sophomore release, These Are the Vistas, broke onto the scene in 2003 with technically deep, whimsically played Aphex Twin, Nirvana and Blondie covers intermeshed with equally enthralling originals that…
(Dog)gone Drinkin’ at Bad Dogz Beer & Bites
Bad Dogz Beer & Bites, located just inside Helotes, embraces its canine theme through and through. From meals served in dog bowls (albeit, nice dog bowls) to restrooms that make you feel like you are peeing on a shed (again, a very nice shed), and pictures of patrons’ furry friends adorning the walls, the motif…
Value Vino: Giving Cru Beau some love
First, a warning: Beware the ides of…November. No, not March. In the Roman calendar, the ides marked the approximate middle of any month, and as we’re referring here to the release of Beaujolais nouveau on the third Thursday of November (theoretically, it could happen on the 14 or 15—just not this year), it’s an occasion…
Va Bene Pizzeria Napoletana: Luciano’s OK take on Italian dining
For better or worse, Luciano—er excuse me, Va Bene Pizzeria Napoletana since this summer—is a shopping mall eatery. Opened by the same folks behind the franchise that includes several iterations (there’s Ristorante Italianos, Neighborhood Pizzerias, a Family Pizzeria and five Luciano Express locations that double as mall food-court staples) of the same concept within San…
Carmens Launches Kickstarter as Brooklynite Rakes in Votes
If you’ve been missing Carmens de la Calle since it closed its doors at 720 E Mistletoe early this year, then you can help speed the reopening process along by donating to the joint’s recently launched Kickstarter campaign. The $55,000 fundraising goal would help cover the costs of new equipment, the addition of a new…
SAPD Didn’t Get Guns from Military Surplus Program
After a white police officer shot an unarmed black man in a small St. Louis suburb, a national conversation about race rocketed into a national zeitgeist. Police clad in body armor and wielding long guns greeted protestors who descended on Ferguson, Missouri, with tear gas, batons and many arrests. And then another conversation started: Was…
Panhandling Proposal Lacks Supporters, and Logic
Support is dwindling for San Antonio Police Chief William McManus’ proposal to ticket those of us who want to give change or food to a homeless person. McManus’ logic: Most of that money will be spent on drugs or alcohol anyway, and why shouldn’t it be illegal to give to panhandlers, who are also committing…
Savage Love: Making a Move
I’m a 28-year-old pan-curious married guy from the Midwest about to move to San Francisco. I’ve been with my wife for 10 years (married four), and we’ve started to explore being monogamish. I am also reexploring my bi attractions. I’ve been thinking a lot about the opportunities for reinvention that our cross-country move might provide.…
Mayoral Horse Race
During the September 18 city council meeting, before the $2.4 billion Fiscal Year 2015 budget was approved, Mayor Ivy Taylor received thunderous applause from fire and police union members who packed the chambers. The uniformed employees’ applause rose to decibel levels that echoed deeply. The sound was one of strong support for Taylor, who confronted…
Where to Eat During Alamo City Comic Con
Zinc Bistro & Wine Bar’s two-alarm hummus (Courtesy Photo) The food lineup at my first comic con was definitely bleak. Unless I’m at a Missions game or maybe a Spurs game (but really, there’s Whataburger in the arena, so we all know what I’m getting), the idea of a boat of nachos with coagulated Ricos…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): It’s no secret. The wealthy one percent of the population has been getting progressively wealthier. Meanwhile, the poor are becoming steadily poorer. I’m worried there is a metaphorically similar trend in your life. Am I right? If so, please do all you can to reverse it. Borrow energy from the rich…
Day Trips: 10 ways to have fun outside near San Antonio
Who wouldn’t love to take a long trip to the Rocky Mountains or the Adirondacks, but let’s get real: not all of us have time (or the funds) to do that. And while saving up for that dream outdoor experience is a must, here are 10 short day trips from San Antonio to itch that…
Alamo City Comic Con Elevated by Mainstream Acceptance of Geekdom
Credit the horde of Marvel blockbusters that have hit the theaters in recent years or the fostering of online communities amongst fanboys and girls to the fact that yesterday’s computer dweeb is today’s Apple CEO, and the phrase “geek culture” is no longer synonymous with “subculture.” Now, nerding out is the new normal. Making an…
Monarch Migration: King of Butterflies to Arrive in South Texas
From habitat loss to global warming to pollution, monarch butterflies face a host of threats that have negatively impacted the species. The monarch has the longest migration of any butterfly. Twice a year, the butterflies make a 3,000-mile-long journey. In the fall, the butterflies leave roosts that are as far north as Canada and head…
Linda Blair on Her Fans, the Brilliance of ‘The Exorcist’
It’s difficult not to think about Oscar-nominated actress Linda Blair and not visualize the demonic face of her 12-year-old character Regan MacNeil in the critically acclaimed 1973 horror film The Exorcist. It’s a role she’s learned to embrace over the last 41 years, especially since her celebrity status has offered her a platform to talk…
Wimberley Zipline Serves Up Thrills With a Bird’s-eye View
If you find yourself in need of a stiff jolt of adrenaline, but don’t want the actual chance to meet your maker while getting said jolt, then I’ve got something for you. Wimberley Zipline Adventures is located, appropriately enough, in the scenic hamlet of Wimberley. They offer visitors a way to glimpse the majesty of…
Gay Marriage, Couch Surfing and Stellar Acting in ‘Love Is Strange’
We’ve all had that moment—or that series of moments—when members of our family drive us nuts. And there are two common tropes used to portray that family dynamic in the bulk of feature films. There’s the madcap angle in evidence in the current release This Is Where I Leave You, a movie in which each…
Don’t Be A Muggle, Geocache: A digital twist on outdoor fun
A little more than 14 years ago, on May 3, 2000, the first geocache was hidden in Beavercreek, Oregon. Now, all across the world, there are approximately 2.5 million caches with more than 6 million geocachers worldwide. So what is a geocache anyway? Well, a geocache can be as small as a key chain or…
Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig Get Dramatic in ‘The Skeleton Twins’
It’s been the year for finding tender drama in unexpected places. Obvious Child took chances by mixing broad comedy and the sensitive topic of abortion; Boyhood impressed us with its directorial vision; and Locke held us in an emotional vice grip for its duration despite its single setting and character. Who says cinematic innovation is…
A Rookie’s Guide to Big Bend National Park
With a spectrum of stunning desert microclimates and a land area slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island, Big Bend can be a daunting trip to prep for. The largest national park in Texas and the eighth largest in the lower 48, for an abbreviated visit, you’ll have to make some triage decisions on…
A Guide to the 2014 San Antonio Music Awards Showcases
In preparation for the 2014 San Antonio Music Awards announced in next week’s issue, the Current and SATX Music have staged an ambitious and badass evening of music scattered throughout the city. At 10 stages, we’ve booked over 40 acts to play, congregated by venue according to genre. Below is a guide to three of…
3 New Books Illuminate the Intersection of Art, Craft and Activism
Betsy Greer, Leanne Prain and Kim Piper Werker are all makers—or crafters, or artists, or whatever label you want to use to identify the process of making a thing where before there was no thing. All three have books out now (-ish; Prain’s publication date has been pushed forward to Oct 14) that ask the…
Glish Releases ‘Pretty Car’
Emerging from the swampy marsh of the Big Easy, Glish makes a comfortable nest in the Texas music scene after signing onto San Antonio’s Texas is Funny Records. The company will put on their first CMJ showcase in Brooklyn, New York, featuring a colorful array of artist signed to the label, including SA’s own The…
SA’s Bryana Salaz Survives Blind Auditions on ‘The Voice’
Courtesy of NBC 17-year-old San Antonian Bryana Salaz turned chairs on last night’s season premiere episode of The Voice on NBC. Bryana sang Ariana Grande’s “Problem,” complete with divalicious hand gestures, on the show’s season 7 opener. She says she was nervous right before stepping onstage, but the judges took no notice. Adam Levine, Gwen…
Slowlikefire Release Video for ‘With Envy’
Slowlikefire rockin’ out. (Courtesy Photo) As the first single released after 2013’s Thieves by Nature, Slowlikefire’s “With Envy” is sophisticated with a razor sharp edge. The SA natives are made up of Circa Survive-esque vocalist Jojo Badillo, guitarist brothers, David and Jaime Monzon, drums courtesy of Nicholas Ochoa, and precise bass by Lalo Rodriguez. (Full…
It’s Official: Another Mass Family Detention Center Opening in South Texas
Photo via Texas Prison Bid’ness. The Karnes family detention center began detaining women and children on Aug. 1, 2014. A second mass-detention facility south of San Antonio will open in November. This week, Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officials formally announced plans to open another migrant family detention center south of San Antonio, this time…
Texans Like To Google Facebook
(via) Direct Capital has compiled a list of the most-searched brands in each U.S. state by analyzing the popularity of over 200 brand names in Google Trends. Why Direct Capital has done this, I’m not entirely sure, but it gives us another chance to look at pictures and shamelessly judge our neighboring states. Unfortunately, some…
RAW’s ‘Scope’ Promotes Local, Independent Artists
Selected works from ToniTunes (Courtesy RAW: Natural Born Artists) RAW: Natural Born Artists, a worldwide platform for promoting independent artists, is hosting Scope this Thursday at 210 Kapone’s. RAW, founded in 2003, prides itself on hand-picking talented local artists as they are starting out and giving those artists a venue to showcase their works and…
SA Food Pics: 10 Pics that made our mouths water
What do Boiler House (312 Pearl Pkwy), Hot Joy (1014 S Alamo), and Osteria Il Sogno (200 E Grayson) have in common? They all had mouth-watering pics snapped by San Antonio foodies and now I’m drooling over my computer screen. Check out these pics that’ll immediately make you regret what you ate for lunch. As…
What I Ate: Pizza, brunch and ‘half-assed’ ramen
Last week included lots of pizza (no, really, lots!), a bit of ramen, a visit with Troy Ball, owner and distiller of Troy & Sons whiskey. Get familiar with Troy & Sons, the sweet stuff is now in shelves across the city. For more food adventures follow me on Instagram: @JessElizarraras. Let’s be friends! //instagram.com/p/tB1uwhi4jz…
Perry: Restrictive Abortion Regulations Could Have Saved Joan Rivers
Courtesy of Texas Tribune Over the weekend, Governor Rick Perry broached the topic of the HB2 abortion bill while attending the fourth annual Texas Tribune Festival. The bill, which required clinics to meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers, resulted in the shutdown of over 20 abortion facilities. While critics of the HB2 bill…
