"Confections and Fictions"
As the local art crowd knows, the citywide celebration known as Contemporary Art Month often arrives early and stays late. Leading the pack of eager beavers, the Southwest School of Art’s trio of CAM exhibitions opens with a winning combination of local and national talent. Bound by an attitude that “challenges assumptions of popular culture, the medical industry, and even the constructed and natural worlds,” New York-based British artist Andrew Havenhand joins celebrated San Antonio artists Jesse Amado and Kelly O’Connor to present “Confections and Fictions” in Russell Hill Rogers Gallery I. Founded by Australian twins Margaret and Christine Wertheim, the Los Angeles-based Institute for Figuring exists at the crossroads of art and science and has creatively explored topics ranging from the physics of snowflakes to the hyperbolic geometry of sea slugs. Described as a “collective artistic response to global warming,” the IFF’s traveling Crochet Coral Reef project takes over the adjoining gallery. And across Navarro in the Ursuline Hall Gallery, local artist and Current contributor Jeremiah Teutsch unveils “Epicaricacy,” a selection of “political caricatures and drawings of local personalities.” Free, 6-8pm Thu, Southwest School of Art, 300 Augusta, 224-1848, swschool.org. — Bryan Rindfuss
Thu 2/12
Chubby Checker
Courtesy
Chubby Checker
Seventy-three-year-old rock and roll pioneer Chubby Checker was just 18 when he released his landmark version in 1960 of Hank Ballard’s song “The Twist.” The song’s chart-topping success catapulted him to superstardom and spawned a whole rock and roll dance movement, which led to hits like “Let’s Twist Again” and “Limbo Rock.” As the 1960s got weird and Checker’s style fell out of vogue, he reinvented himself, as he has countless times over the years. Thursday, catch this legend in action, drawing from his expansive and diverse catalog in the historic confines of Gruene Hall. $35, 8pm Thu, Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene, New Braunfels, (830) 606-1281, gruenehall.com. — James Courtney
Thu 1/12
Bianca Del Rio's Rolodex of Hate
The Rolodex — a flippy-do thing people used to keep on their desks — is rapidly going the way of those phones with wires connecting them to the wall. But if you want an idea of what to expect from RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio’s Rolodex of Hate, check out the personalized insult videos she posts on YouTube. The combination of her loud mouth and immaculately put-together looks is more delightful than the typical barroom shtick. Last August, when Joan Rivers asked her what she was like under the elaborate makeup, Del Rio didn’t miss a beat: “Just as hateful,” she said. $32-$77, 8pm Thu, The Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s, 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Jeremy Martin
Fri 2/13
"Unabashed Trash"
Billed as a “romp through America’s finest underground cultures,” K23 Gallery’s latest assembles “nonsensical, light hearted, and downright weird images” by SA’s own Bexar Bellamy and Weston Ryan and New York-based artist, director and musician Jim Tozzi. A member of the multimedia collective PFFR, Tozzi has collaborated with the likes of Adult Swim and PlayStation and seems to have a thing for putting cartoon animals in compromising positions. The celebration of “lowbrow pop-surrealism” opens with a reception promising music by Executive Realness and refreshments courtesy of Alamo Beer. Free, 7pm Fri, K23 Gallery, 702 Fredericksburg, facebook.com/k23gallery. — Bryan Rindfuss
Fri 2/13
Blithe, Massiver, Filthy
SA punk quintet Blithe borrows its name from a lovely and overlooked adjective that Merriam-Webster defines as “of a happy lighthearted character or disposition.” This must be an instance where the band name sounds better than its meaning, ’cause there’s little about Blithe’s EP False Sense of Entitlement that feels lighthearted or carefree. The inaugural release reeks of anxiety, pounding over flickering dance-punk rhythms and tightly-wound guitar riffs. Made up of guitarist Cameron Taylor (Ghost Police, Killer Kill), drummer Ethan Campa (Ghost Police,), guitarist Brian Henderson, bassist Jared Flores (The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, The Beers) and frontman Ryan Ward (Selfies, Modern Monarchs), Blithe has certainly put in their collective 10,000 hours in San Anto bars and venues. Out on Crowquill Records, SA duo Massiver creates an overwhelming wall of computer-based drone, crashing over audiences like a tidal wave. Highly energetic at a trap-slow pace, Filthy works in a thick and noisy waveform, as if trapped between dial numbers on the FM band. Free, 10pm Fri, Bottom Bracket Social Club, 1603 N. Colorado, 267-9160, facebook.com/bottombracketsocialclub. — Matt Stieb
Fri 2/13 - Sun2/15
Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare’s doomed couple has uttered countless monologues for 500 years, but don’t expect to hear “O Romeo, Romeo” in Ballet San Antonio’s Romeo and Juliet, produced in partnership with the San Antonio Symphony. Using Ben Stevenson’s legendary choreography and Sergei Prokofiev’s iconic score, the piece weaves together the tragic narrative solely through movement and music. In the words of the Symphony’s associate conductor Akiko Fukimoto: “The music will literally break your heart as it becomes one with the dancing on stage.” $26.60-$168, 8pm Fri, 2pm & 8pm Sat, 2pm Sun, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Murphi Cook
Fri 2/13 - Sun 2/15
Alamo City Leather & Fetish Weekend
Conceived by Steven Parker, Alamo City Leather & Fetish Weekend aims to connect an array of subcultures bound by a shared “fondness for kink and leather.” Hosted in the rustic-chic confines of the Hilton San Antonio Hill Country Hotel & Spa, the third annual affair is anchored by the Mr. Alamo City Leather contest, which judges entrants on physique, attire and Q&A sessions. Other weekend highlights include daytime demos (covering everything from flogging and spanking to fisting and mummification) and games of strip bingo and naked Twister. $10-$25, 7pm-2am Fri, 10am-2am Sat, 11am-2pm Sun, Hilton San Antonio Hill Country Hotel & Spa, 9800 Westover Hills, 509-9800, aclfw.org. — BR
Fri 2/13 - Sun 2/15
The Merchant of Venice
In Shakespeare’s twisted tale of love and revenge, a merchant borrows money so his friend may woo an heiress. If the debt goes unpaid, the lender is entitled to a pound of the borrower’s flesh. For years, critics have been troubled by anti-Semitic tones surrounding the play’s Jewish moneylender, Shylock. While some companies deem it “unplayable,” others carefully craft a delicate balance between villain and victim for modern audiences. Matthew Byron Cassi directs Allan S. Ross, Christie Beckham and Mark Stringham in the Classic Theatre’s production. $10-$25, 8pm Fri-Sat, 3pm Sun, Classic Theatre of San Antonio, 1924 Fredericksburg, 589-8450, classictheatresanantonio.org. — MC
Sat 2/14
Kat Edmonson
Houston-born singer-songwriter Kat Edmonson makes vintage pop music that includes interpretations of old standards and tightly crafted originals. Though her 2002 American Idol run saw her advance to the final group of 48, her rise to acclaim started with the release of her first album Take to the Sky (2009), and it has accelerated ever since. Her 2014 album The Big Picture, comprised almost entirely of originals that Edmonson wrote or co-wrote, is her strongest effort yet. Fans of timeless pop and pure vocal exuberance won’t want to miss Edmonson’s live show. $26-$36, 8pm Sat, Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s, 226-5700, majesticempire.com. — James Courtney
Sat 2/14 - Sun 2/15
United San Antonio Pow Wow
Founded in 1998, United San Antonio Pow Wow is dedicated to promoting the history and culture of America’s first inhabitants. Each year, the nonprofit hosts a weekend pow wow combining a grand entry procession, traditional drumming, gourd dances and a Native American church service. Presided over by Lee Walters, the 18th annual gathering unites members of nearly 50 Native American tribes and features an “Indian Two Step” led by Amileah Davis, as well as vendors offering everything from arts and crafts to frybread and buffalo burgers. Free, 10am-10pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun, Antonian High School Gymnasium, 6425 West Avenue, unitedsanantoniopowwow.com. — Bryan Rindfuss
