San Antonio Beer Week Highlights
Coinciding with American Craft Beer Week, the fourth annual San Antonio Beer Week (SABW) comprises a variety of events (pub crawls, tap takeovers, beer dinners, seminars and special releases) that celebrate the “ever advancing beer culture here in the U.S.” Among the highlights leading up to May 18’s closing ceremony and “mini beer festival” at Branchline Brewing Co. are A Very Friendly Karbach Cask, starring a “bold and well-rounded” brew from Karbach Brewing Co. (6-11:59pm Monday, The Friendly Spot, 943 S Alamo); beer writer Jeremy Banas and Alamo Beer’s Eugene Simor’s enlightening presentation “Golden Age of Homebrewing” (6-9pm Tuesday, Alamo Brewery, 415 Burnet); and the Shiner Soul Slam—a Shiner tap takeover featuring five brews, food truck fare incorporating Shiner beer and soulful tunes spun by DJ Boo Boo Dan (7-10pm Wednesday, Alamo Street Eat Bar, 609 S Alamo). Prices vary; for a complete schedule of SABW events, visit sanantoniobeerweek.com/events. —Bryan Rindfuss
Tue 5/13
"Summer Solstice"
Recently named Best Gallery in Louisiana by American Art Awards, New Orleans-based Octavia Gallery showcases modern masters like Warhol, Lichtenstein and Haring alongside emerging and established contemporary artists from around the world, with an emphasis on Cuba. Set to open this month, the gallery’s Houston outpost will focus on forging relationships with Texas artists while providing members of Octavia’s international roster a platform in the Lone Star State. Offering a taste of the gallery’s unique curatorial slant, the pop-up exhibition “Summer Solstice” features paintings and sculptures by nine artists including SA’s own Waddy Armstrong, Jerry Cabrera and Rodolfo Choperena. Curated by Alice Carrington Foultz, the group show explores the balance between light and shade via works capturing forest canopies, golf courses, swimming pools and hot summer afternoons. Free, 5:30-8:30pm, Roosevelt Library, 311 Roosevelt, octaviaartgallery.com. —BR
Tue 5/13
"The Fashion of Foreign: Outside Influences on Chinese Ceramics"
As if free admission isn’t enough of a reason to spend the evening exploring the San Antonio Museum of Art, London's Victoria and Albert Museum Curator Emeritus Rose Kerr's one-hour talk "The Fashion of Foreign" will give attendees a better understanding of the global and technological influences on Chinese ceramics—including a number of pieces housed in SAMA’s permanent collection. While there, take in one or all of SAMA's current exhibitions: “Glories of the Baroque: 17th-Century European Art,” “Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct” and “Diego Rivera in San Antonio.” Free, 6:30pm Tuesday, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W Jones, (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org. —BR
Wed 5/14
Letlive & Architects
Different aspects of the post-hardcore genre have influenced a new generation of bands that extract influence and establish their own unique brand. Letlive and Architects are both signed to punk stalwart Bret Gurewitz’ Epitaph Records but have very different sounds. Letlive (above) strives on spastic trebly guitar riffs with gut-busting drums while singer Jason Aalon Alexander Butler juxtaposes screams with croons. The band takes things a step further by adding elements of funk and rock in many of their songs while Butler delivers with Mike Patton-like fluidity. Architects (below), on the other hand, stay in the traditional metalcore scope. Double bass, metal riffs and headbanging breakdowns reign as frontman Sam Carter stretches his vocal cords with melodic screams. One thing they do share is an intense energy best experienced live. $13, 6pm, The White Rabbit, 2410 N St. Mary’s, (210) 737-2221, ticketfly.com. —Erik Casarez
Wed 5/14
The Wizard of Oz
May is observed as everything from Mental Health Month to National Salad Month (and even National Date Your Mate Month), but Alamo Drafthouse leans in a slightly different direction with the month-long “Big Bads” film series, an unlikely foursome tied together by their memorable villains. While seeing Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) on the big screen is indeed a rare opportunity, the visual overload, campy quips and timeless songs delivered by The Wizard of Oz (1939) makes it the most tempting of the lot. Directed primarily by Victor Fleming but also worked on by George Cukor, Mervyn LeRoy, Norman Taurog and King Vidor, the classic film and its source material (L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel of 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) boast a lasting impact that’s played out in such varied offerings as the 1978 Motown Productions and Universal Pictures collaboration The Wiz (starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor), the 1981 comedy Under the Rainbow (following 150 Munchkin hopefuls) and the blockbuster musical Wicked (which is set for a forthcoming film adaptation rumored to be starring Glee’s Lea Michele and One Direction's Harry Styles. $10, 7pm, Alamo Drafthouse Stone Oak, 22806 Hwy 281 N, (210) 677-8500, drafthouse.com.
