The Hurdy Gurdy Man: Donovan To Provide Intimate Tobin Performance
Although art school had sparked his interest, a young Donovan Leitch found himself ready to drop-out. It wasn’t a decision based on sloth or a lack of creativity, but rather a desire to hit the road for a bit of adventure. Donovan’s songwriting would flourish from those bohemian origins, starting with his 1965 debut album, What’s…
Angelic Future Folk: Wye Oak Plays 502
Blending elements folk and Americana into contemporary rock and dream pop, Wye Oak formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 2006. A short two years after coming together, they inked a deal with the fairly large independent label, Merge Records, in 2008, leading to run of phenomenal records before this year’s Tween, the group’s fifth studio album. The fact…
Sludge Heads The Melvins Ooze Into Paper Tiger
“They’re a force of nature. Not even a band—a force of nature,” says Faith No More’s Mike Patton in the aptly titled film, Collusus of Destiny, which documents the career of the Seattle sludge metal gurus the Melvins. Led by its core duo of guitarist Roger Osbourne (aka: Buzz/King Buzzo) and drummer Dale Crover, the…
Heaters Blaze Into the Limelight
Hailing all the way from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Heaters are a three-piece psychedelic rock band set to play Limelight in support of their brand new album, Baptisma, which debuted on the independent psychedelic rock label, Beyond Beyond Is Beyond Records earlier this summer. With an album trending high up on college radio charts, the Heaters…
Lunchtime Snob: Bachan Is a Must at Seoul Garden
Believe me when I say that although I ended up at Seoul Garden by accident, it was the tastiest accident I’ve ever made. Anyone familiar with the area around Rittiman and Wurzbach could understand my mistake. I’d wanted to eat at Seoul Oriental Market, but found myself surrounded by similarly named hole-in-the-wall Korean joints. So I accidentally stumbled into Seoul Garden, delirious with hunger and…
The Sweet Sounds of Garbage
Breaking out of the saturated crowd of alternative rock bands clamoring for attention and emerging onto an international stage was an extraordinary accomplishment for any band in the early 1990s. But then again, Garbage was always far from ordinary. Several years prior to their formation in 1993, hip-hop had begun to take the world by…
10 Free Events Happening This Week
Thu 9/1 Southtown Vinyl Happy Hour Southtown Vinyl puts a soulful spin on happy hour with brews from Freetail and a performance by local R&B vocalist Amea, plus 10 percent off records. Free (RSVP here for complimentary drinks), 6-8pm Thu, Southtown Vinyl, 1010 S. Flores St., Suite 120, (210) 730-6941, southtownvinyl.com. Thu 9/1 Shop Rare Marketplace Having drawn…
Michin’s Social Hour Brings Cheap Drinks to an Intimate Setting
We’ve all been there, we start wanting to go out and have a fun night out, but our wallets tell us to stay in. Well Michin Mexican Kitchen offers an opportunity to start your night late and still save money. Most happy hours in San Antonio will end around 7, or 8 (some even as…
The Zen Funk of Mild High Club
Perhaps logging a lot of mileage between Los Angeles and Chicago— two cities where the members of the Mild High Club split their time— gave rise to the tongue-in-cheek allusion of the band’s name to the notorious act of certain deeds done mid-flight in lavatories of airplanes. However, the five-piece’s exotic, warm, and laid back slacker…
The Bands of Labor Day’s Échale Latino Music Festival & Block Party
Now in its second year, the Échale Festival on Labor Day is certainly one of the most fun and unique outdoor events happening in San Antonio this fall with a major focus on recognizing, fostering, and celebrating Latin American arts and culture in San Antonio and South Texas. Free and open to families and revelers of…
Bexar County DA Nico LaHood Insists “Vaccines Can and Do Cause Autism”
Bexar County’s top law enforcement official says he believes in a widely discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. In the short video produced by the filmmakers who made Vaxxed: From Cover-up to Catastrophe, Bexar County District Attorney Nicholas “Nico” LaHood is seen in his office at the Bexar County District Attorneys’ headquarters downtown saying: “I’m…
Six Shows to See This Week
The Texases It’s not often that a cover band would generate the kind of buzz to warrant a must see affair; however, the Texases are most certainly not your grand-pappy’s run of the mill country-cover-crooners. Featuring Travis Buffkin (DT Buffkin), Adam Fleming, and several members of El Campo, these gentlemen got together and collaborated in…
Pokemon Go Players Stumble Upon Body in New Braunfels Cemetery, Two Arrested and Charged With Murder
The Comal County Sheriff’s Department announced it arrested two people they say are responsible for the death of a man found last week by two people playing Pokemon Go in a historic cemetery. Luis Alberto DeLeon, 36, and Sunee Marie Schriewer, 29, both of New Braunfels, were arrested and charged with murdering 34-year-old Christopher Robert…
Enjoy Refreshing Summer Cocktails During Grayze Happy Hour
It may come as a surprise to learn that happy hour is banned in eight states — likely for daddy-knows-best reasons. It’s surprising that Texas isn’t among them. But pressure on those self-righteous states is bound to increase as restaurant traffic decreases; industry publications are touting a decline, in any case. But with that slump…
Judge Calls Texas Craft Beer Distribution Law Unconstitutional
Beer brewers in Texas are celebrating a victory after a Travis County judge ruled that a 2013 law that prohibited craft breweries from selling lucrative territorial distribution rights is unconstitutional. Three breweries sued the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission nearly two years ago over the 2013 law that expressly took away the right for breweries to…
The Border Bard: Remembering Juan Gabriel (1950-2016)
Juan Gabriel (born Alberto Aguilera Valadez in Michoacán, but raised from an early age in an orphanage in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua) was a lot more than a Mexican icon who wrote over 1,800 songs, sold more than 100 million copies of his 45 albums and died Sunday at age 66, after performing his last sold-out…
Former Hitman from San Antonio Won’t be Executed This Week
A confessed hitman who murdered a San Antonio woman in 1992 won’t be put to death Wednesday. The Texas Supreme Court granted a stay of execution for Rolando Ruiz, 45, who killed 29-year-old Theresa Rodriguez in a murder-for-hire plot. The Texas Supreme Court put the execution on hold as it takes up legal claims…
Charting the New & Familiar: Duran Duran Hits SA
Coming together in Birmingham, UK in the late nineteen-seventies, Duran Duran would evolve out of the English new-wave scene into one of the most iconic, influential, and striking acts of not only the decade, but the century. In particular, the MTV premiere of their 1982 music video for Hungry Like the Wolf off their critically acclaimed…
Going Full-Frontal: FLAX Studio Drops a Different Kind of F-Bomb
Feminism has turned into such a dirty word. A quick search of the term snowballs into largely misinformed conversations about female politicians, the dissolution of the nuclear family and the many supposed hazards of political correctness. But, as it goes, reality is not a smattering of politicized headlines. Present-day feminism strives to mend social ills…
Northside ISD Police Chief May Face Charges for Ignoring Racial Profiling Reports
A state organization that monitors police organizations has accused Northside ISD’s police chief of ignoring racial profiling requirements and tampering with government records. As first reported by KENS 5 Friday, a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) investigation found that Northside ISD Police Chief Charles Carnes ignored racial profiling reporting requirements for traffic stops and claimed that…
Local Shopping Center Tied to Mexican Corruption Case Sells for $6.75 Million
The first of eight local properties the feds say were bought with public money laundered from the Mexican borders state of Coahuila was sold for nearly $7 million Thursday. The San Antonio Express-News reports that the highest bidder, who paid $6.75 million for the North Pointe Shopping Center at Redland Road and U.S. 281, declined…
Private Equity Firm Buys Rackspace for $4.3 Billion
After weeks of speculation, Rackspace announced that a private investment firm is buying the San Antonio tech giant for $4.3 billion. Apollo Global Management acquired the cloud company for $32 a share. When the transaction is complete, Rackspace should become a privately held company. Graham Weston, co-founder and chairman of the board at Rackspace, said…
Astou Ndour Offers Silver Lining for the Stars
The San Antonio Stars resume their WNBA season this Friday against the New York Liberty, following a month-long break for the Summer Olympics. Stars Center Astou Ndour excelled in Rio, capturing the silver medal as a vital cog for Team Spain. The 22-year-old averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds per game, in her first Olympic campaign. A native of…
Joaquin Castro: Local Police Union Contract “Incomplete” Without Reforms
Congressman Joaquin Castro on Thursday became the latest public official to vocally oppose the city’s new contract with the San Antonio Police Officers Association, which City Council is set to vote on next week. “The proposed police contract is incomplete,” Castro said in a prepared statement. “Of the three main issues up for negotiation –…
The Final Mala Luna Music Festival Lineup Is Here at Last
Debuting on Diá de los Muertos weekend at the Lone Star Brewery, the inaugural two-day Mala Luna Music Festival will treat music lovers and hip hop heads to a lineup of both national and local artist, including Travis Scott and G-Eazy. Made possible by Texas-based music promoters ScoreMore Shows, the final lineup is here at…
San Antonio 100: Why We Love Rise Up’s Chocolate Açai Bowl
We’re compiling a list of our favorite 100 dishes in the city with the San Antonio 100. Check back weekly for a new dish we love that either screams SA or you need to enjoy ASAP. This spring the Broadway corridor was gifted with a new way to stay cool, but more importantly stay full.…
Another Crystal City Official Admits to Role in Bribery, Kickback Scheme
A saga of rampant corruption in the small South Texas town of Crystal City continues to slowly crawl toward conclusion with another city official pleading guilty to their role in a widespread bribery and kickback scheme. Former Crystal City Councilman Gilbert Urrabazo, 45, plead guilty Thursday afternoon in Del Rio to a federal bribery charge,…
UIW Put President on “Medical Leave” After Weird Comments About Black, Native American Students’ Skin Color
(See update at bottom of post) Last week, the University of Incarnate Word made the abrupt, surprising decision to place its president of 30 years on medical leave for 90 days. In a statement that was emailed to people within the UIW community late last week, board chairman Charles Lutz apologized to anyone offended by…
San Antonio Cop Suspended for Putting Whataburger Before His Job
A total of nine San Antonio police officers were suspended during the month of June, according to disciplinary records recently obtained by the Current. Depending on how much you love Whataburger, SAPD Officer Gary R. Nel’s suspension probably makes the most, or least, sense. During the early morning hours of November 22, 2015, disciplinary reports show, SAPD…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 8/25 – Sat 8/27 Jazz, TX Opening Week A new music venue has arrived at the Pearl and looks to become an instant go-to for lovers of jazz, blues, big band, Texas swing, salsa, conjunto and Americana. Owned by noted local musician Brent “Doc” Watkins, a masterful pianist, organist and bandleader who performs constantly…
The Current is Looking for Freelance Writers
The San Antonio Current is seeking scribes-for-hire to help us cover the city and keep our pages and website filled with diverse and engaging stories from across San Antonio and South Texas. We’re looking to expand our stable of folks who contribute to everything from brief calendar write-ups on the latest happenings to previews and…
The “Pinche Gringo”: SA’s Beloved Garrett T. Capps
“I was born in San Antone,” belts Garrett T. Capps in a song featuring shout outs to everyone from Avery Johnson and El Rey Feo to Flaco Jiménez, USAA, and Valero in a track from his Y Los Lonely Hipsters album that debuted in April of 2016. As goofy as all those nods to local…
State Sues Over Unsafe South Side Tire Disposal Site
This week Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the state’s third lawsuit in 16 years against a tire dump on the south side that officials say would burn for 9 months straight if it were to ever catch fire. The 36-acre tract of land called Applewhite Safe Tire, which is currently operated by Eclipse Renewables,…
How Paramour Changed SA’s Bar Culture in One Year
Paramour, Downtown’s first public rooftop bar as of yet, is turning one Thursday, August 25. Guests who arrive between 5 and 9 p.m. can order the top five cocktails of the year for $6. Party-goers that make it ’til midnight will get a complimentary shot and a slice of anniversary cake. If you can’t make…
Employee Fires Real Gun at San Antonio Steakhouse Where Servers Carry Fake Guns
Waiter at little red barn was strapped and started shooting #wtf #almostdied #shotsfired #freemeal A photo posted by Richard Alaquinez (@dick_13) on Aug 24, 2016 at 11:22am PDT After an angry customer put him in a headlock, a server at a southeast side steakhouse returned with a gun during the lunch rush hour and fired…
Pujol Speaks His Mind
Pujol is a four-piece project based out of Nashville, Tennessee headed by musician, Daniel Pujol, who has been writing, producing, performing, and delivering a wild amalgamation of garage, punk, and abstract spoken word since a string of singles, EPs, and albums dating back to 2009— the newest of which being his digital single, “Stinky Toy.”…
How Would Texas’ Cyberbullying Law Navigate the Murky Waters of Free Speech?
Senator José Menéndez will have to bridge a tough line in his proposal to make cyberbullying a crime — one that balances the First Amendment rights of students with his attempt to crack down on online harassment. The proposed legislation is called “David’s Law.” It’s named after 16-year-old David Molak, an Alamo Heights resident who…
Jason Dady Celebrates Second Annual Texas Chefs Week
Starting Tuesday, September 6, Jason Dady and his staff at Tre Enoteca (555 W. Bitters Road) are celebrating great Texas chefs and Italy in one fell swoop with the second annual Texas Chefs Week. During said week, Dady will invite chef-pals over from across the state to takeover the Tuscan eatery and create four-course prix-fixe…
Painter JD Morera Explores the ‘Infinite Realm of Abstraction’ at Bihl Haus Arts
One of several creative forces behind Tamara Adira’s Artist Foundation Award-winning flamenco fusion performance Angel of Gravity, JD Morera is known for abstract paintings he says are “neither premeditated nor contrived.” Distinguished by dramatic sweeps of bold color, his large-format canvases at times evoke figures, structures or landscapes — unintentional visual triggers Morera likens to…
Savage Love: Had to Get Away
DEAR READERS: This is the final week of my summer vacation — but you’ve been getting a new column every week I’ve been gone, all of them written by Dan Savage, none of them written by me. Our final guest Dan Savage is an independent designer, illustrator, and animation director based in Brooklyn, New York.…
Free Will Astrology (8/24/16-8/30/16)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks, I hope you won’t scream curses at the rain, demanding that it stop falling on you. Similarly, I suggest you refrain from punching walls that seem to be hemming you in, and I beg you not to spit into the wind when it’s blowing in your face.…
Authorities ID Headless, Handless Man Found Burning By a Dumpster This Weekend
Authorities have released the identity of a handless, decapitated man found burning by a dumpster at an apartment complex last weekend. The Bexar County Medical Examiner says the victim is 43-year-old Javier T. Soto, the San Antonio Express-News reports. He died from “homicidal violence including sharp force injury,” according to the newspaper. SAPD released an…
Police Union President Says He Couldn’t Change Contract Even if He Wanted To (Also: He Doesn’t Want To)
On Tuesday the San Antonio Police Officers Association came out swinging, calling Councilman Rey Saldaña’s increasingly vocal push for reforms to local police disciplinary procedures “misleading” and a “self-serving attempt to build his name to run for higher office.” At issue is the deal SAPOA and Mayor Ivy Taylor’s office negotiated this past summer to…
Report: Income Inequality in Bexar County “Resembles That of China and the Dominican Republic.”
A report released by the Bexar County Health Collaborative paints a bleak picture of how San Antonio’s poor face more health problems simply because of where they live. And life’s not getting any easier in the city’s poor neighborhoods as poverty and low education attainment remain stubbornly stagnant. “Some, like income inequality and segregation, are getting…
Independence Brewing Will Release New Beer During Thursday’s Ceviche y Cervezas
If you’re already familiar with Independence Brewing Co.’s lineup, you’ll want to get your tickets ASAP for Thursday’s Ceviche y Cervezas, which combines the breweries offerings with citrusy dishes from some of SA’s best eateries at the Southtown Flats. Even if you’re not familiar, who doesn’t love beer and ceviche? Independence owner Amy Cartwright will…
Seguin ISD’s Attempt to Buy Radio Station That Criticized District Fails
A deal that would have allowed the Seguin Independent School District to take over a radio station that was critical of it won’t go down after all. KWED, which also publishes the Seguin Daily News, said on Facebook Wednesday morning that Guadalupe Media, its parent company, backed out of talks with Seguin ISD over the…
Take It And Come: Texas Students Protest Guns on Campus With a Bunch of Dildos
Starting today, students plan to descend on the University of Texas campus to protest the state’s new “campus carry” with a less conventional means — a whole lot of dildos. Organized by UT alumna Jessica Jin and current student Ana López, the demonstration aims to highlight what they say is an absurd law — welcoming…
De Niro Returns to the Ring in Roberto Durán Biopic ‘Hands of Stone’
Part boxing movie and part biopic, Hands of Stone tells the story of Roberto Durán (Edgar Ramírez), a boxer who rose from poverty in Panama to become a world champion. Yes, you’ve seen this kind of movie plenty of times before, and the fact that this is based on a true story isn’t necessarily adding…
The Mini Art Museum Brings Home ‘Slanguage: Chicos Pero Locos’
Back in 2010, Mary Elizabeth Cantu launched Spare Parts in response to a lack of creativity in K-12 classrooms and statewide budget cuts for arts education, among other issues. Over the years, the creative entrepreneur and certified Master Reuser has built her organization into a repository for donated art supplies that get distributed among Bexar…
Kneaders Bakery and Cafe Announces Second SA Location
Quick service bakeries are so hot right now. Kneaders Bakery & Cafe, which was launched in 1997 in Orem, Utah, is opening its second location in San Antonio. It’s got a similar vibe as Panera and La Madeleine, which also focuses on fast casual, home-made breads, sandwiches and breakfast things. The second Kneaders will open…
Spirited Imports: Irish Whiskey
The Irish haven’t always been well received on these shores. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “No Irish Need Apply” sentiments were attached to many help wanted ads and displayed in shop windows. The devil du jour, of course, is refugees from Middle Eastern countries. But these days, the Irish are being welcomed…
You Probably Can’t Drink on the Hays Street Bridge Anymore
As I write in this week’s cover feature, this city is changing — fast. Some of those changes are overt, the result of so-called “transformational” projects. Like the remaking of San Antonio’s urban core through the redevelopment of Hemisfair Park, the restoration of San Pedro Creek, downtown housing incentives for apartment and condo builders or…
Report: Efforts to Dissuade Central American Kids From Fleeing to U.S. Aren’t Working Because Central America is Still Super Dangerous
The flow of migrant children from Central America seeking refuge in the United States is growing again despite efforts to dissuade unaccompanied minors from coming here after record numbers of them fled to the U.S. border in mid-2014. A new report released by the international child welfare organization UNICEF called “Broken Dreams: Central American children’s…
Getcha Sommore This Weekend at Rivercenter’s Improv Comedy Club
In 2001’s The Queens of Comedy, stand-up Sommore (Def Comedy Jam, Showtime at the Apollo, Friday After Next) jokingly compares herself to Tupac Shakur, and she’s not wrong. Her act, like many of Shakur’s songs, gives the relentlessly horny id a charming, engaging voice, persuasively, impeccably delivered. The same sort of explicit-content warnings apply, but even…
SAMA’s Friday Screening of Chilean Film ‘No’ Puts Election Drama in Perspective
Although most North Americans haven’t heard of it, one of the most important elections in modern history was Chile’s 1988 referendum asking voters if they wished military dictator Augusto Pinochet to continue or step down for democratic elections. The lively movie No, nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar, stars Gael Garcia Bernal as an…
SA Tomorrow: Your City is Going to Look Real Different Real Soon
Before the Obama Administration snatched him up for a cabinet position in 2014, Julián Castro seemed determined to make sure he was the kind of mayor people remembered. Not only was he the youngest mayor of a major American city but, just three years in, he’d already managed to get voters to pass a $30…
Documentary Showcases the Famous Verbal Volatility of Iconic Counterculture Star Frank Zappa
Though he’s been gone for more than 22 years, there hasn’t yet been an authorized expository documentary about iconic 20th-century musician and composer Frank Zappa. It’s a surprise; Zappa self-documented thoroughly and won over rabid fans, not to mention a cult following equally divided among rock, jazz and classical musicians. Eat That Question: Frank Zappa…
Grammy-winning Fusionista Lila Downs Teams Up with Guadalupe Dance Company for Friday Concert
Born in Oaxaca, raised in Minnesota, Lila Downs is the perfect bicultural machine. Boleros effortlessly turn into hard rock, polkas into hip-hop, folk into electronica. If you’re not careful, listening to “Mano Negra” (from her superb 2015 album Balas y Chocolate) could turn you into a dancing Cossack within 90 seconds. The fact that Downs cleverly…
Longtime San Antonio Spurs Photographer D. Clarke Evans Trains His Lens on Veterans and Marines
Upon graduating from Santa Barbara, California’s esteemed Brooks Institute of Photography in the 1980s, D. Clarke Evans wrote two important letters — one to the San Antonio Spurs and one to the Texas Photographic Society. Not only was he hired as the official photographer for the Spurs, he eventually became the president of the nonprofit…
Texas Continues to Fight Against Transgender Rights, Sues Feds…Again
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday continued to push against federal protections for transgender people. At issue is a recent move by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that added gender identity to its non-discrimination rules. On Tuesday, Paxton said the HHS rule threatens the constitutional rights of Texans. “I am disappointed…
San Antonio Man Accused of Killing a 4-Year-Old out of Frustration over Unemployment
A 21-year-old man told police that he killed his girlfriend’s 4-year-old child because he was frustrated at mounting bills, unemployment and the stress from caring for his partner’s children, including the victim, according to local media reports. San Antonio Police arrested Ricardo Hernandez Monday night and charged him with capital murder for assaulting and killing…
Local Food Truck Building Company Gets Its Own Reality TV Show
San Antonio’s very own Cruising Kitchens is about to get a taste for that cable limelight. Owner Cameron Davies, who we can credit for SA’s food truck craze by opening The Boardwalk on Bulverde in 2011, and his crew of food truck builders will star in Discovery Channel’s Blue Collar Backers, a show about a…
UT Professors Lose Bid to Ban Concealed Carry in Their Classrooms
A federal judge denied a request from three University of Texas-Austin professors who wanted to ban the concealed carrying of handguns in their classes just one day before school starts. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel blocked a request for a preliminary injunction filed by professors Lisa Moore, Mia Carter and Jennifer Lynn Glass, ruling that…
Concrete Jungle Is Closing This Week, Will Become Icehouse
In not so tiki af news, we’re pouring out a little rum this morning. Concrete Jungle, the little tiki-themed bar that opened December 2014 is closing its doors. Opened by Tapa Tapa truck owner and chef Rudolfo Martinez, Concrete Jungle served up rum-fueled punches and cocktails along with Caribbean grub. The bar grew popular on…
EPA Tells Railroad Commission that Fracking Is Causing Earthquakes in North Texas
The Environmental Protection Agency has finally admitted that fracking can cause earthquakes. In an August 15 letter to the Railroad Commission of Texas, EPA Water Division Director William K. Honker tells the agency that it’s concerned with the amount of earthquake activity in North Texas because of its potential impact on public health and the…
Comedy Veteran Sinbad Brings His Clean Stand-up to the Majestic on Thursday
Stand-up David Adkins, better known as Sinbad, is also known as Coach Walter Oakes (A Different World), Andre Krimm (Necessary Roughness), David Bryan (The Sinbad Show) and by many other character names, but the role that really stands out on his IMDb page is that of Condom. Even then, the famously clean comic (he named…
Steeling Your Heart Away— Futurebirds Soar Into SA
Reverb laden pedal-steel guitars, bright and twangy-Fender licks, and even some banjo-work will be filling the Paper Tiger complex this Wednesday evening as the Athens, Georgia based five-piece band, Futurebirds, prepares to glide into San Antonio with their broad range of alternative country rock sounds spiked with a tinge of psychedelic auras. The fellows have…
The McNay Revisits the Grim Realities of Darren Aronofsky’s Modern Classic ‘Requiem for a Dream’
In between his personal and eye-popping films Pi and The Fountain, Darren Aronofsky found critical and commercial success with Requiem for a Dream, interweaving the downward spirals of four drug addicts. Three of them (Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans) are junkies who deal drugs at Coney Island. The fourth (Oscar-nominated Ellen Burstyn) is a middle-aged housewife…
Local Lawmaker Wants to Make Cyberbullying of Minors a Crime
Texas legislators will hear from the families of two teens who were anonymously harassed by online bullies, including one who eventually took his own life, during the first state hearing on legislation that would make cyberbullying a crime. The proposed legislation is being called “David’s Law” in remembrance of 16-year-old David Molak, an Alamo Heights resident…
The Pearl’s Swanky New Venue Jazz, TX Opens with a Week of Live Shows
A new music venue has arrived at the Pearl and looks to become an instant go-to for lovers of jazz, blues, big band, Texas swing, salsa, conjunto and Americana. Owned by noted local musician Brent “Doc” Watkins, a masterful pianist, organist and bandleader who performs constantly and has long been invested in supporting/championing the San…
Lauryn Hill Announces November Concert in San Antonio
That’s right, Lauryn Hill is stopping by the Alamo City Nov. 29 on her MLH Caravan: A Diaspora Calling! Concert Series, and we couldn’t be more excited. Announced by the Aztec Theater earlier today, each show along the tour will include guest performances by artists from throughout the African diaspora. “In these days of tension, tumult and transition,…
Avi Buffalo Returns to San Antonio with Intimate Indie Rock in September
Critically acclaimed musician Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg will be dropping by San Antonio on Saturday September 10th with his band, Avi Buffalo, for a show with the Kickback of Chicago, Illinois and local favorites, the Rich Hands. Beginning his recording experiments as a teenager around 2007, Avidgor’s music eventually caught the attention of major independent label, Sub…
Frank’s St. Francis Room’s Happy Hour is Worthy of Praise
The stairway up from ground-floor Frank to St. Francis has a narrow, ascent to the choir loft feel — all the better to set one up for a dramatic entry. Cue the swell of a long-gone organ and take in the former Alamo Methodist Church sanctuary now devoted in equal measure to sausage, suds and…
Texas Federal Judge Issues Nationwide Injunction Against School Protections for Transgender Students
A federal judge in Fort Worth ruled late Sunday that conservative states that oppose allowing trans kids in public schools to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity won’t face punishment for maintaining the status quo. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor issued a nationwide injunction stopping the U.S. Department of Education and Department…
First Impressions: Get Your Dancing Shoes Ready for Jazz, TX
A few weeks ago, at a hard-hat preview of Jazz, TX, Brent “Doc” Watkins, looking all of 18 (OK, maybe 21), explained his vision for the basement venue beneath the reconstructed Pearl Bottling Department. “Locavore” music, he called it, with bands from within a 100-mile radius balanced with some “carefully curated” modern jazz. (San Antonio’s…
Report: Yes, It’s Quickly Becoming More Expensive to Buy a House in San Antonio
Following a nationwide trend, the yearly salary required to buy a house in San Antonio rose by nearly $2,000 during the last three months. Potential home buyers here need to earn $48,752 a year to make the leap from renter to homeowner and if they put down 10 percent instead of 20 percent, the required…
Police Found a Decapitated, Handless Body Burning in a South Side Dumpster This Weekend
Authorities in San Antonio are investigating a grisly discovery made this weekend: a headless and handless body found burning in a dumpster. A resident at an apartment complex on the 2300 block of Goliad Road thought a trash bag was burning at around midnight on Sunday morning, but when they tried to extinguish the fire…
SA’s Getting Its First Asian Shaved Snow Shop
We’re THISCLOSE to rolled ice cream (which is so hot or should we say cold right now), but until then, San Antonians with a sweet tooth can get their fill of Taiwanese shaved snow when Snopioca opens next Saturday, September 3*. The shop, opened by Texas transplant Steven Lee and business partner Jerry Han, will…
Chill Wave Band Neon Indian Returns to Paper Tiger October 21
Retro aestheticist, synth enthusiast and composer of dance brilliance, Neon Indian founder Alan Palomo is making his way back to where he grew up — San Antonio. Mexico-born, SA-raised Palomo started Neon Indian as a solo project, before the idea’s evolution into a full-piece band and – three albums later – an acclaimed project. Palomo’s…
Alamo Archeologists Find More than 1,700 Artifacts in 4 Weeks
After four weeks of digging in Alamo Plaza, a team of archeologists has finished up work. And they found a variety of cool stuff — more than 1,700 artifacts in all. The effort is just the beginning of what could be a massive overhaul of Alamo Plaza. The team, which is led by Nesta Anderson,…
Mala Luna Music Festival Announces Expanded Music Lineup Including Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert
San Antonio’s inaugural Mala Luna Music Festival just announced its expanded lineup of hip hop and EDM artists. The newest additions to the lineup are his hop’s biggest breakouts Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Jacquees and G Herbo. Also, Sango and Lunice are added to the EDM squad. Previously announced headliners include tidal wave makers Travis Scott, DJ…
Donald Trump Makes First Visit to Texas Next Week as Republican Presidential Nominee
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is coming back to Texas next week where he’ll hold a public rally. He campaigned here during the primary, but this will be his first visit as the Republican nominee. Trump is scheduled to appear at the Luedecke Arena at 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday in Austin. According to Texas Tribune reporter Patrick…
Head to Brass Monkey Sept. 1 for Bey Day
Beyoncé’s birthday is right around the corner, September 4 to be exact, and Brass Monkey (2702 N. St. Mary’s St.) already has several plans in the works. Queen Bey’s third annual birthday bash, which coincides with Thurzgayz, will be packed with tribute sets and drink specials, plus a special gift for the first 80 folks…
Chow Train Heads to Louisiana for 9th Relief Effort
More San Antonians are heading to Louisiana to help victims of the recent flood. Joan Cheever of The Chow Train will lead a group of 10 people in helping feed flood victims this weekend. The truck and a trailer pulling supplies and donations from local farms left for the water-ravaged city of Denham Springs on…
Jury Acquits San Antonio Lawyer of Fraud Charges in BP Oil Spill Lawsuit
A prominent San Antonio lawyer who has been a major Democratic fundraiser over the years was acquitted Thursday of allegations he helped create some 40,000 bogus clients in order to file $2 billion in fraudulent claims against BP for damages from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In September 2015, the Department of Justice indicted Mikal…
Goo Goo Dolls Will Play the Aztec Theatre On December 6
You’ll get a chance to hear melodramatic masterpiece “Iris” sung by the Goo Goo Dolls — not a wedding band — when they hit the Aztec Theatre Tuesday, December 6. The Goo Goo Dolls, formed in ’85 by the only two standing members. Singer John Rzeznik and bassist Robby Takac are best known for a string…
Boomers Ball as France and Argentina Fall
Ce fut une magnifique aventure… 🇫🇷 Merci ! 3/3 pic.twitter.com/P1FB8CIEQQ — Tony Parker (@tonyparker) August 17, 2016 The Olympic curtain closed for Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili on Wednesday in Rio, as the Spurs icons retired from international play in defeat. Parker’s French squad fell first, as Les Bleus looked unmotivated in a blowout loss to Pau…
Will Hurd Voted for Language That Tanked the Zika-Prevention Bill in Congress, But Did He Even Read It?
Congressman Will Hurd was either playing dumb during an August 7 listening tour stop at a Helotes Dairy Queen or actually didn’t know about controversial language in Zika funding legislation that stalled in the Senate. Pete Gallego, who is campaigning against Hurd for the hotly contested 23rd Congressional District, tweeted out a video from the…
Even As DOJ Phases Them Out, Business Is Booming for Private Prisons Thanks to Immigrant Detention
The Department of Justice announced that it no longer wants to do business with for-profit prison corporations that jail federal prisoners. DOJ Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates sent a memo Thursday morning to the Bureau of Prisons directing the agency to decline renewal of private prison contracts when they expire or to renew the…
Pregnancy Mortality Rates Have Inexplicably Doubled in Texas
A new study shows that the number of women dying from pregnancy complications in Texas has inexplicably doubled, a trend that seems isolated to the Lone Star State. The findings are set to be published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, a peer-reviewed medical journal that is the official publication of the American…
Shows to See This Weekend
Thursday, August 18 Monolord Hailing from the metal holy of land Sweden, Monolord carries on the brütal tradition. With an ambiguous band name, Monolord can mean one god or, most likely, a guy that is really good at spreading mono, but their music is more of an anomaly. Coming from the land of storybook melodic…
Remembering the Sex Pistols’ Stop in SA
Dug up this week by Dangerous Minds, this gem of a video shows one of SA’s more memorable concert moments, when the Sex Pistols stopped in the Alamo City on a brief tour through the United States. Booked at Randy’s Rodeo, a former bowling alley now known as Randy’s Bingo and Ballroom, the iconic punk…
Touring Downtown SA with the Latest Bar Crawl
If you’re new to San Antonio, visiting from out of town, or wanting to try something different, My City Crawl has a great event occurring every Friday. It’s the perfect opportunity to safely experience bars in the Downtown area while making new friends and learning about what the city has to offer. Since launching in…
Deez Nuts, Dead Gorilla Are About as Popular as Jill Stein in Texas
If third-party enthusiasts in Texas believe Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein is a viable alternative to Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, they might want to take a look at a recent poll that shows she is tied with a dead gorilla and down a percentage point from a teenage prankster that goes by “Deez…
San Antonio Native Who Won Gold Medal at Rio Olympics Accused of Fabricating Robbery Story
More and more doubt is being cast on four U.S. swimmers, including a San Antonio native, who claimed they were robbed at gunpoint in Rio over the weekend. U.S. gold medalist Ryan Lochte claimed on social media that he, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, a Churchill graduate, were accosted by armed robbers early…
Black Lives Matter Activists Push for a Police Union Contract That Doesn’t Cover Up Officer Discipline
Activists pushing for more police accountability in San Antonio say they’re stunned that some of the most basic reforms they’ve been asking for likely won’t be included in the new police union contract that goes before City Council for approval in two weeks. At issue are disciplinary procedures that remain unchanged in the negotiated contract…
City Arts Department Proposes Increasing Film Incentive So San Antonio Can Actually Compete
The Texas Legislature was not a friend to filmmakers last year when it slashed $32 million from an incentive program that’s meant to lure movie producers to the Lone Star State. The decision hit San Antonio’s motion picture economy hard because the city’s film incentive, which is the most generous in the state, is tied…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 8/18 – Sun 8/21 The Foreigner Likened by theater critic Ben Brantley to “a Beverly Hillbillies or Green Acres episode with a social conscience,” The Foreigner is one of two enduring farces left behind by Larry Shue, a playwright and actor who died in a 1985 plane crash at age 39. Only slightly lesser…
