5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Tue 4/22 The Return of Godzilla That director Ishiro Honda had Katsumi Tezuka don that suffocating radioactive-reptile suit to stomp a scale-model of Tokyo in 1954’s Gojira rather than, say, Washington, D.C., might indicate something about Nihonjinron versus Toby Keith’s boot in yer ass, but we’ve come to praise Godzilla, not to write an ill-informed…
Aural Pleasure Review: John Frusciante’s ‘Enclosure’
Since guitarist John Frusciante first joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the late 1980s, the band’s albums have been successful in direct proportion to his involvement. Ironically enough, Frusciante, for all his pop gifts, has largely forgone anything resembling pop for his own impressive solo catalog. His 11th effort, Enclosure, is the best evidence…
A Special Glitter Political with King and Queen Anchovy 2014
Steve and Jody Newman’s extreme makeovers As she sits across from me on a backless, metal stool at B & D Icehouse in Southtown, Jody Newman, 38, admits that the adventures of the past five years have taken her way out of her comfort zone. She’s switched careers, bore a second child, started five different businesses and earned a…
A Voice for Children: Serving as a Child Advocate in San Antonio
Judge Richard Garcia and Karen Kracjer This essay is not meant to tweak your guilt, nor do I intend for it to horrify you into volunteer work. This April, National Child Abuse Awareness Month, I just want you to know that volunteering for public service isn’t as hard as you might think, and yes, you’re…
San Antonio Is “Happy” In This Pharrell Williams Music Video Remake
My 12-year-old stepson listens to Pharrell Williams’ ear worm of a song “Happy” when he brushes his teeth. He bops his head, and dances in front of the sink. He really likes that song, but he’s not the only one. In fact, so many people like this song they’ve taken to making their own inspired…
SA Conservation Society Op-Ed: NIOSA, the Purpose Beyond the Party
Barb Machado is the fourth vice president of the San Antonio Conservation Society and the chairman of “A Night In Old San Antonio.” She wrote this op-ed on the legacy of NIOSA. NIOSA Posters from 1983 – 2014 What do a taco and the historic buildings of San Antonio have in common? Not much, unless the taco…
‘Mad Men’ Recap, Episode 2: It’s all in “A Day’s Work”
Sally Draper, perhaps she can find the real Don Draper It’s All in “A Day’s Work”: Promotions, Power Struggles and Reality Checks (Season 7, Episode 2) “Liberation has left everyone in an undefined state (it is always the same: once you are liberated, you are forced to ask who you are).” -Jean Baudrillard, America The…
Sunday Night Sound Bite: DJ Quake featuring Nina Duran: “#Selfie Fiesta Remix”
Released early this year and highlighted by the March 2 edition of this weekly blog, The Chainsmokers’ hit song “#SELFIE” has been described as both “garbage, paint-by-numbers EDM” and “shit-white-girls-say-meets-a-club-remix.” Viral from the get-go thanks in part to a video packed with celebrity cameos (Snoop Dogg, Pete Tong, Steve Aoki and David Hasselhoff, to name…
Local Menswear S.C.R. Swings with Weekend Women’s Lines
Pop up shops are becoming more and more of a thing as of late. In places like New York, Los Angeles, and at music festivals, designers and online shops who don’t have a brick and mortar location pick a space to display their merchandise, giving customers a chance to try things on the spot. For…
Caption Contest: What is this cop thinking?
KSAT got a hold of this viewer-submitted photo, of what looks to be a SAPD motorcycle cop testing his faith on Good Friday. Look for the follow-up story, “SAPD officer in critical condition after car reversed into him on I-35,” tonight at 10.
A Break from Crap: Nicholas Cage Returns in ‘Joe’
Someone should tell Joe (Nicolas Cage) that’s not the way to get out of a traffic ticket. Joe is being hailed as a return by Nicolas Cage to his indie roots. That’s not accurate. Cage never had indie roots. His real name is Coppola. In reality, Joe is a return to non-dogshit movies for Cage.…
“Mount Spursmore” Haircut Is A True Fan’s Monument
Sometimes, jerseys, and t-shirts aren’t enough to express ones deep love for the Spurs, but a tattoo is just too far. Perhaps, the middle ground is getting a haircut dedicated to the Spurs. San Antonio barber, Joe Barajas of Kardzmatic Barbershop, has been sculpting Spurs players into customers’ scalp as far back as 2006, reports…
A Strange SA Coincidence: Time Magazine, King Krule, and Eisenhower-Era Alamo City
At 19, Archie Marshall, pen name King Krule, has carved out a remarkably refined style for any age, merging his South London accent and a druthers for jazz chords with an immersive songwriting style in 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, his momentous debut LP. Archie’s is a songwriting style that absorbs the listener into his…
Rampage Sled Hockey Team Wins Everything This Year
Being a champion must feel pretty good. People pay attention to you, you get trophies and medals, plus you receive validation for all that hard work you put into your craft or sport What’s better than being a champion? Being a champion twice over. In this video, Josh Sweeney, Rico Roman, and Jen Lee of…
Bonehead Quote of the Week: David Barton on SA’s LGBT Non-Discrimination Ordinance
During an evangelical conference held in Austin earlier this month, Texas’ self-taught pseudo-historian David Barton took aim at San Antonio’s recently passed non-discrimination ordinance, a measure that grants equal protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents in hiring and firing, public accommodations, fair housing, city employment, contracts and board appointments by adding sexual orientation…
Shot of of the Week: Pomelo Solo
Drink up. (Dustin Dooling) Equal parts playful and refreshing, this shot embodies Fiesta. Based on the wildly popular Mexican beverage, the Paloma Blanca, the Pomelo Solo uses the flavor of grapefruit and lime to take the “bite” out of the tequila. The sweetness of the grapefruit soda masks the tequila scent while the shot finishes…
Spurs Matt Bonner Raps with Bushwick Bill in Latest Video
“He likes rappers and he likes wraps, so why not talk with rappers eatin’ wraps?” Update: Riff Raff wants to make up. SHOUT OUT TO MATT BONNER FROM THE SPURS WE STiLL GOTTA HAVE A 3 POiNT SHOOTiNG CONTEST WHEN i AM iN SAN ANTONiO pic.twitter.com/m4m8pTgqa3 — JODY HiGHROLLER (@JODYHiGHROLLER) April 17, 2014 …
6 Free Events Happening This Weekend
Art: Paula Owen’s “Vague Chatter” Friday-Saturday April 18-19, Noon-6pm Paula Owen is best known as the calm, cool, collected president of the Southwest School of Art, but at heart she’s an artist. In “Vague Chatter” at the REM Gallery, she’s created a whole new visual language of signs and symbols that might be drifting in…
Drake Sued for $300K By Estate of Late Jazz Organist Jimmy Smith
When it comes to rap samples, it’s better to ask for permission first than to do it anyway and apologize later. It’s been a staple of the game since its roots to sample or reinterpret the works of other artists in beats and instrumental tracks, but forget that compositional credit to the original artist and…
Books on TV: CSPAN2 will broadcast SA Book Fest panels this weekend
Miss the San Antonio Book Festival did you? Well, stop doing that! This year’s fest lived up to the hype and then some. (Who knew the literary death match would end up talking about strippers, high heels and cholos?) If you didn’t experience it first-hand, discover a lot of what you missed this weekend, as…
Tapa Tapa Owner Opening First Restaurant On St. Mary’s
Parked outside its new home. (Courtesy) Fans of Tapa Tapa truck who’ve missed stumbling out of the Brooklynite to order fish tacos or watermelon and Pop Rocks salad can rejoice–owner Rudolfo Martinez has found a location for his first restaurant at 2327 N St. Mary’s. While Martinez isn’t talking about the menu just yet, he…
Survey Finds Texans Support Marijuana Regulation
A recently conducted survey shows Texans don’t mind if you toke up. Progress Texas created a confidential online survey two weeks ago, asking Texans if they support marijuana decriminalization, medicinal use and full regulation. It turns out each policy received more than 90 percent support from the roughly 8,000 respondents, according to preliminary results from the progressive advocacy group.…
Orange is the New Black Returns on June 6
Earlier today, Netflix released the trailer for the second season of Orange Is the New Black, a star on their emerging roster of original programs. Starring Taylor Schilling as yuppie inmate Piper Chapman, the dramatic comedy offers a 360 degree, black comedic view of a women’s prison. Orange was inspired by Piper Kerman’s memoir of the…
The Ballers’ Play-off Tradition: Spurs Win and We Get Free Coffee
via Denise Comer’s fanatical Spurs Nation Pinterest board I may not know the difference between a “foul” and “technical foul,” but I do know the difference between when something is “free” and something is “technically free.” Valero offering free coffee during the Spurs playoffs is definitely “free.” The morning after every Spurs playoff game win,…
Report: San Antonio Air Quality To Worsen As Eagle Ford Shale Booms
San Antonio’s air quality may suffer dramatically as a result of the Eagle Ford Shale’s projected oil boom, according to figures presented in a new study assessing the shale industry’s impact. Eagle Ford flares at night from NASA’s Suomi satellite. Photo screen shot from AACOG report. The report, conducted by Alamo Area Council of Governments…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 4/17 – Sat 4/19 Tejano Explosion Lifting its name from the Danny Trejo flick of my dreams, Tejano Explosion is here to rock its way through Fiesta. Though it’s already been blasting through a lineup of Tejano, cumbia and norteño artists for almost a week, the detonación continues through 2014’s marathon Fiesta celebration. This…
Practice Makes Perfect: Lis Forsythe prepares for Speed Rack Nationals
Forsythe’s sharpening her tools for the May 8 competition. Miss Speed Rack Texas is getting ready for nationals and that means practice rounds. Lis Forsythe, this year’s winner of Miss Speed Rack Texas is preparing for nationals on May 8 in NYC with a round of practice sessions at Hot Joy (1014 S Alamo), the…
5 Shows to See this Weekend
Jenn Alva’s Birthday Show feat. Fantastico and Kill Liberal (Thursday 4/16) “It’s not very pretty, that’s why we’re called FEA,” said Jenn Alva at FEA’s debut show at Maverick Music Festival back in March. Though the music isn’t conventionally “pretty,” it sure as hell shreds, as Girl in a Coma’s Jenn Alva and Phanie Diaz…
“Support SARA’s Goodwill”: a Big Green Recycle Event with a Medal
Here’s a chance to shake off some bad juju from too much Fiesta polluting and declutter your pad at the same time. Thursday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Goodwill and the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) are hosting a recycling jamboree. And prizes, there will be prizes to win, like the coveted…
San Antonians Will Date Almost Anybody, Says Zoosk
Internet dating mega-site Zoosk has named San Antonio the 5th open-minded city in the nation when it comes to selecting dating partners. According to the report, San Antonians will still date people even if they’ve previously married, have a different body type, or have a different religion. And, we are more accepting of smoking and drinking habits. San Antonio…
Mike Bloomberg: More Bucks for Less Bangs
My hero this morning I try to approach contentious political issues with an open mind, willing to be swayed by new evidence, or at least willing to acknowledge that the other side has some valid points. Surely my ideological opponent has logical thoughts, given their starting principles, right? I have no monopoly on good ideas,…
5 Local Eggs Benedict Dishes for National Eggs Benedict Day
Today is National Eggs Benedict Day so for all you eggs bennie lovers, we have five local dishes to eat today or at brunch this weekend. The Monterey, Madhatters Tea House and Cafe and Candlelight Cafe all serve the delicious egg dish their own way making it impossible to chose just one favorite place. Did…
Super Adorable Baby Komodo Dragon At The San Antonio Zoo
When Scatha, one of San Antonio Zoo’s resident Komodo Dragons, died back in December 2013 in a tragic fire, she left behind eight unhatched eggs. On April 4, one of those eggs hatched: meet Phoenix, the San Antonio Zoo’s the newest male komodo dragon. According to San Antonio Express-News, Phoenix weighs 114 grams and is…
The Crip Moon Twitter brings Humor, Gang Warfare to the Solar System
Here’s to the topical joke Twitter, helping the site’s 232 million active users unwind with an instantaneous and office-interrupting laugh. From the dedicated dailies to the burnt out stars, Twitter pages that dedicate themselves to a single joke represent the best of the internet: a circulation of one person’s stupid, but great idea to a mass…
Aural Pleasures Review: OFF!’s ‘Wasted Years’
Wasted Years may seem a strange title for a band fronted by a guy who founded two of punk’s most seminal acts. But that’d be overlooking Keith Morris’ almost two decades in punk purgatory following his departure from Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, a time in which he mostly settled into his role as…
Cocktails in Loopland: George’s Keep adds serious drinks to Eilan
If you’re one of the well-to-do Eilan dwellers who ably shells out the $1,500 a month for a studio or $3K for a two bed/2.5 bath apartment, I imagine finding your way to George’s Keep doesn’t require a compass. But if you’re coming from anywhere other than the European-style luxury development, finding the Keep might…
In Immigration Debate With Mayor Castro, Patrick Sticks To Politics
After weeks of feuding over social media, San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and state Senator Dan Patrick (R-Houston) finally met face-to-face in the Univision television studios to duke it out over immigration. The much-anticipated Tuesday evening debate, meant to be a refreshing departure from ideological posturing and an exchange focusing on policy rather than politics, devolved…
The Man Who Would Be King: ‘Maximilian and Carlota’ recounts Mexico’s last European rulers
This month marks the 150th anniversary of the last attempt at European rule in Mexico. Local historian M. M. McAllen brings this fascinating story to life in her new book, Maximilian and Carlota. It goes a little something like this: French Emperor Napoleon III, nephew of Bonaparte, sees an opening in the unsteady beginnings of…
On the Rocks: The tyranny of candy-colored cherries and blue-cheese-stuffed olives
“You shouldn’t have to shove the garnish out of the way to get to the drink,” said Dorcol Distillery bartender Nick Kenna. That means you, Carmen Miranda cocktails—tiki and bloody alike (with or without paper umbrellas). You, too, craft concoctions with slabs of orange peel as big as the side of a ship. A garnish…
Poet Jenny Browne on Long Walks and Love Letters to Strangers
The Yanaguana is not just a place forgotten in history. The waters that once satisfied the thirst of our early settlers continue to nurture deep thought in the writers of San Antonio. Our river is one of poet Jenny Browne’s favorite places in the city, and she confessed in a phone interview that “taking the…
Record Store Day Celebrates Vinyl and Independent Stores
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of physical mediums past, vinyl has seen a strong resurgence in the 21st century. Billboard reports that in 2013, as digital music sales fell for the first time since iTunes launched in 2003, vinyl sales grew by an impressive 32 percent to 6 million units. For the people…
Live and Local: Tatsuya Nakatani on the Hays Street Bridge
Ranging from sparse, five-piece kits to wraparound Neil Pert monstrosities, drums generally play a very traditional role in contemporary music, acting as the timekeeper. The drummer holds down the fort, grounding a band in rhythm to allow other musicians to veer off in directions of melody and harmony. From hip-hop to rock ‘n’ roll, conjunto…
Albert Alvarez Hopes You’re Horrified
If Goya’s The Disasters of War impregnated the Garbage Pail Kids, Albert Alvarez’s “La Chamba/Dirty Work” would be their child. Thirty-four drawings from the last several years span the walls of the Bihl Haus Arts Gallery. They are elaborate, chimeric meltdowns; traces of an imagination in the dark. In 2012’s Mosh Pit, a large head…
Alamo Colleges Barely Passed Its Own Accountability Test
After months of passionate protest, petitions and public forums, faculty, students and administration of the five Alamo Community Colleges let out a sigh of relief early last week when Chancellor Bruce Leslie rescinded his proposal to require all students enroll in EDUC 1300, largely based on Stephen Covey’s self-help book The 7 Habits of Highly…
‘Jodorowsky’s Dune’ Documents a Cult Director’s Ambitious Failure
We’ve all seen David Lynch’s 1984 film, Dune. For kids of the ’80s and ’90s, it was a staple in Dad’s VHS library. As an adult looking back on it, or as a fan of the novel that stands as a religious experience to certain types of D&D worshipping über nerds, it is a wholly…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): It’s Compensation Week. If you have in the past suffered from injustice, it’s an excellent time to go in quest of restitution. If you have been deprived of the beauty you need to thrive, now is the time to get filled up. Wherever your life has been out of balance, you…
Cityscrapes: A historic argument for a streetcar vote
Here in San Antonio, we’re really, really good at remembering some things: Travis, Barrett, Crockett, the defenders of the Alamo and the story of the creation of the Republic of Texas. We also show off the heritage of the Missions and the triumph of HemisFair. We’re equally good at forgetting other things. Recent weeks have…
Savage Love: Girls
I’m a 26-year-old girl, and my boyfriend is bi. I assumed he would be less jealous than the average man. After all, a lot of bi men have faced irrational jealousy from women. But my BF is more jealous than average. He accuses me of having slept with my male friends in the past. He…
Flavor File: Block party at Dorcol, Bar America reopens and Easter brunch options
Bar America opened this past Friday under new ownership. Brian Correa, grandson and nephew to former owners Joe, Martin and Angie Ramirez, took over ownership this winter and has rehabilitated the bar by adding necessary changes to the women’s restrooms and a new paint job. The bar will now accept debit and credit cards while…
Protestors Won’t Give Up on Immigration Reform
“Obama, Obama, don’t deport my mama!,” chanted dozens of protestors at the University of Texas—Austin last week. In a call to President Barack Obama, who was visiting the campus to deliver the keynote speech at the Civil Rights Summit, activists demanded the administration stop deportations and provide extended relief for undocumented immigrants. The rally, streaming…
Market Eats: Crepelandia’s crepe factory
It took Will Ferrell’s Ricky Bobby some time (and a bruised shoulder) to change his mind about crepes. And if you’re a Francophile you might have noticed a severe lack of them in our fair city. But when the mood strikes for one of these Parisian treats, don’t fret—there’s always market-favorite Crepelandia. The booth isn’t…
There’s plenty to celebrate on the Old 97’s 20th birthday
Back in the 1990s, when major labels would still propose multi-album deals to relative unknowns, Rhett Miller and the Old 97’s sat in the offices of Elektra Records. “They were talking about this record or maybe two records down the line, and we were saying, ‘We don’t wanna just think about that, we wanna think…
Hit or Miss Eats at Kogi Korean Grill
I’ve never been much of a gambler in the traditional sense. I hate scratch-offs (they make my nails dirty), I’ve never understood over/under math and the only reason I’d go to Vegas is to watch Britney’s residency at Planet Hollywood. But part of my job is gambling—taking a chance on a new restaurant, visiting for…
5 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on This Week
Thursday, April 17: It’s time to don those Hawaiian shirts and down some exotic brews at Big Hops Growler Station on Broadway. The Jimmy Buffets at Big Hops will pour passion fruit, hibiscus and Mosaic hops into a Randall double-chamber filter and blend it with Karbach Brewery’s Weekend Warrior Pale Ale. Those wearing Hawaiian shirts,…
Man Sentenced To 18 Months For Peeing On The Alamo
A man who lacks original ideas was sentenced to 18 months in state prison yesterday for urinating on the Alamo. No, you haven’t been magically transported to 1982, and, no, that man is not Ozzy Osbourne. Meet Daniel Athens. The 23-year-old El Paso resident recently pleaded guilty to criminal mischief in February for not walking…
‘The Voice’ To Kick-Off Live Tour In San Antonio
Fans of NBC’s The Voice, prepare to get excited. The reality singing competition with the mechanized chairs that turn to reveal things like Blake Shelton, is kicking-off its summer tour in San Antonio at the Majestic Theatre on June 21. Think of it like the American Idol concert tour or the Glee concert tour, but for The Voice instead. Those partial to Adam Levine, People’s…
