San Antonio Is Closer to Finding Out How Dirty Its Air Is
San Antonio’s day of reckoning on air quality has crept that much closer. In a federal filing last week, the EPA said it would comply with a court-imposed July 17 deadline to rule whether the San Antonio region meets more stringent air pollution standards. Until then, the agency hadn’t said whether it planned to appeal…
With a Third Store, Bedoy’s Bakery is More Culturally Relevant Than Ever
The interiors are warm and inviting at the newest location of Bedoy’s Bakery on Hillcrest, which doesn’t need excessive signage. Inside the cozy panaderia, which is celebrating its 57th anniversary this year, photos of the founders hang at the entryway as Juan Gabriel’s biggest hits waft to the front from the kitchen. And though it’s…
Indie OnslAUGHT: Bands From The Early 2000s Headed to San Antonio This Year
It’s so weird to think of the year 2000 as almost twenty years ago, but I guess time flies when you’re living your best life, San Antonio. If you were exploring new music through the early 2000s, you undoubtedly discovered the wave of indie, Americana, folk rock, and just overall strange sounds creeping to the…
Introducing Our New Food Podcast, the Current Chats with the Women Behind The People’s Nite Market
The People’s Nite Market launched in 2015 and has helped underserved areas of the city gain access to fresh produce and locally made goods. As their eighth season winds down, founders Valeria Hernandez and Jovanna Lopez sit down with us to chat about what it takes to put together The People’s Nite Market, what areas…
Meet Alan and Beverly Williams, the Couple Behind the Largest Restaurant Facebook Group in San Antonio
Editor’s Note: The following is The Big Spoon, an opinion column on San Antonio’s food and drink scene. Z Mediterranean Cuisine was empty last Thursday as my partner and I met Alan and Beverly Williams for dinner. And the relative silence of the restaurant, along with the quality shirazi salad, spicy hummus and chicken schwarma,…
San Antonio and Canary Islands Artists Venture ‘Beyond the Wall’ in Artpace Exhibition
Contemporary Art Month in San Antonio reached across the Atlantic Ocean to the Canary Islands, where some of the city’s earliest 18th-century settlers originated, and invited curator Adonay Bermúdez to re-colonize the city’s imagination by organizing a cross-cultural exchange for the Tricentennial’s CAM Perennial. With three artists from the Canary Islands and three from San…
Texas Lawmakers Are Derailing Affordable Housing for Seniors
This story originally appeared in the Texas Observer. Long before Joan Hawn moved to Oak Bluff Village in Columbus, a Colorado River town about halfway between Houston and Austin, she knew it was the place for her when she got older. Now, at 72, she doesn’t know where else she could live. Her apartment at…
Dustin Ybarra Takes Over Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club This Weekend
You might have seen Bedford-born stand-up Dustin Ybarra as a character actor in Gotham, We Bought a Zoo or Ted 2, but watching him on stage, it’s impossible to imagine him being anyone but himself. In all the right ways, Ybarra’s act seems indistinguishable from watching him telling a story to friends at a party…
Treat Yourself to Some Funk and Catch The Main Squeeze at Paper Tiger
OK, so besides the classics like George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, we don’t really spin too much funk over here in the office. And I honestly can’t remember the last time I was at a bar or club, and some funk slipped into the mix. The Main Squeeze, however, might be reminding us why we need…
Japanese Breakfast Playing Paper Tiger This Week
“Diving Woman” by Japanese Breakfast might be my new favorite song right now. If you listen to hoards of new music like I do, you know that when a song hits you in all the right places that it causes you to stop what you’re doing and say out loud, “Holy shit, this is amazing”…
The DoSeum Throws Smashing Piñata Party Just for Grownups!
On Friday, April 20th from 7:00pm-9:30pm, adults are invited to The DoSeum to relive their childhood at the latest ReDO: Adult Night. ReDO: Piñata Party is to feature bites, sips, DJs and musicians, a market, and access to all The DoSeum’s exhibits. This year ReDO is back bigger than ever and ready to entertain your…
Nirenberg Lifts the Curtain on Plans to Turbocharge S.A.’s Transit System
Mayor Ron Nirenberg today unveiled the first step toward creating a modern multimodal transit system that could become his legacy achievement. If voters support it. At an annual Mayor’s State of the City speech sponsored by San Antonio’s myriad chambers of commerce, Nirenberg said he’d minted a nonprofit called ConnectSA to collect community input, do research…
City Manager Sheryl Sculley Has Her Detractors. We Sort Out a Few of the Reasons.
Editor’s Note: The following is Their Town, a column of opinion and analysis. The next time something hits the news about City Manager Sheryl Sculley – especially if it’s about her pay or performance bonus – turn on talk radio if you’re not already listening. Angry people. It’s not much different on social media, especially…
Edgewood ISD Teachers Parody Bruno Mars’ ‘Finesse’ to Motivate Students
How do you prepare students for academic success during standardized testing? You make parody videos to motivate them, of course! Teachers from Gardendale Elementary in Edgewood Independent School District put together a special rendition of Bruno Mars’ “Finesse” remix with Cardi B to get students hyped about the STAAR test. Some students got to show…
Star Trek’s William Shatner is Coming to San Antonio
Calling all Trekkies! Captain Kirk is coming to San Antonio this summer. Actor turned Priceline spokesman William Shatner will host a special screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan at the Tobin Center on Friday, June 22. Following the film, Shatner will lead a “live conversation,” according to a press release. If you’re…
That Pro-Trump Propaganda Ploy Last Week? Just Another Day in Sinclair’s Newsrooms
When Deadspin last week spliced together footage of anchors at Sinclair Broadcast Group TV stations across the country reading an identical statement decrying “fake news,” the effect was creepy. It perfectly captured the point at which a media giant injected politics into local news. But, in reality, there’s nothing new here. Sinclair — owner of…
Ben & Jerry’s Giving Away Free Cones Today
Ben & Jerry’s wants to make you feel appreciated and is giving away free cones to customers today. From noon to 8 p.m., customers who visit participating locations can score a free cone. No purchase is necessary to get your sweet treat. All you have to do is show up and enjoy. San Antonio only…
Scorpions Are Coming to San Antonio – For Real This Time
The gods of rock ‘n’ roll have heard our cries: German hard rockers Scorpions have set a new date for San Antonio for their Crazy World tour. In a October press release, the German metal band said vocalist Klaus Meine had developed severe laryngitis and had been advised by a top throat specialist in Los…
Manu Ginobili Mural Unveiled at Beloved Southside Staple
Rudy’s Seafood is recognizing one of the greatest players to ever wear a Spurs jersey – Manu Ginobili. On Sunday, artist Nik Soupè shared a photo of his latest piece, a mural on a wall outside the South Side staple, located on South Flores, with a black-and-white Ginobili (with hair). In his post, Soupè included a quote…
Texas Parks and Wildlife Finds Alligator with Broken Glass in Its Mouth
The Texas Parks and Wildlife is warning state park visitors not to leave trash behind because it can harm animals. Last week, the Texas Parks and Wildlife shared a photo of an alligator at Brazos Bend State Park that had a large piece of broken glass resembling a pitcher in its mouth. Luckily, the alligator…
Coolio is Coming to San Antonio Because ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ Still Goes Hard After 20+ Years
Ok, so we’re literally blasting Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” in the office right now, and that shit still goes hard af. And ya know, I don’t mind that this is becoming a trope. San Antonio loves the ’90s – fuck it. We live for that shit. And there’s definitely worse shit out there that we could be into,…
McDonald’s Giving Free Breakfast to Students, Teachers on Tuesday Ahead of STAAR Test
Attention parents and teachers: McDonald’s is doing you a solid and taking care of breakfast Tuesday morning. In anticipation of the state standardized test, the STAAR test, Mickey D’s is giving away free breakfasts for teachers and students in grades 3-8 on Tuesday, April 10, from 6 to 9 a.m. Those eligible can get a…
Here’s How Much Previous Border Troop Deployments Cost Taxpayers
While Barack Obama and George W. Bush are frequent targets of President Trump’s Twitter tantrums, his decision to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border is straight out of the previous presidents’ playbooks. And judging from those deployments, Trump’s game of sandbox soldiers will carry a hefty price tag. Likely in the billions. Bush sent…
U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold Resigns from Congress
This story originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, resigned on Friday. The decision marks the capstone of a tumultuous few months for the four-term congressman, who has been dogged by sexual harassment allegations and an ongoing ethics investigation. “While I planned on serving out the remainder of…
Trump’s Border Wall Would Mess With Texas Wildlife, New Report Finds
As if Texans didn’t need another reason to feel violated by Trump’s pinche border wall, a new peer-peer reviewed publication by University of Texas at Austin scientists catalogs the extensive damage the project would do to the state’s delicate ecosystems and already endangered wildlife. The report in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment by researchers Tim…
Thelma and the Sleaze Delivers Refreshing, No-Filler Rock ‘N’ Roll
With all the commercial music coming out today, it’s hard to stay open to listening to anything new for fear of being bored to death or throwing your phone because of how shitty the music is. Thankfully, Nashville’s Thelma and the Sleaze are not pop- or commercial-anything, and with songs like “Cum” and “Motor Tits,”…
Jared Leto Spotted in Texas During Trek Across the Country
Actor and 30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto vowed to travel across the United States to promote his band’s newest album, America, released Friday. Naturally, his voyage included a stop in Texas. Although Leto didn’t quite make it as far south as San Antonio, the Oscar-winning actor shared photos from his visit to Texas…
Darkwave Duo Cursus Joins Baltimore’s Curse for Faust Tavern Show
According to Isabella van Elferen, a professor of musicology at Kingston University in London, the term “darkwave” originated in the 1980s as “an indicator of the dark counterpart of new wave.” Van Elferen cited bands like Cocteau Twins, Soft Cell, and Depeche Mode as exponents of that first generation of darkwave, pointing to the bands’…
Just Gimme The Light and Pass The Dro: Sean Paul Is Playing Oyster Bake
Sean Paul is headlining Oyster Bake this year and we’re already doing the heel-toe. At first, we thought, “oh wow, a nice change-up from the usual nu-metal lineup” (see P.O.D. and Chevelle from years past). However, it’s still pretty true-to-form for Oyster Bake to secure an artist from the late ’90s, so this doesn’t come across…
NAO to Close — New Restaurant In The Works for The Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio
You’ve got a few months to enjoy NAO, the Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio’s student-run restaurant, as it prepares to close its doors this September. First opened in 2012, NAO serves as a living classroom for students where they learn about restaurant life in the front of the house, back of the house and everything in…
Taco Cabana Making Mondays Suck Less with $3 Margaritas
If y’all are looking for a reason to drink more, here it is. Taco Cabana is making Mondays better with $3 margaritas. The San Antonio-based chain will offer discounted margaritas (usually priced at $5.75) all day long on Mondays as part of its “Margarita Mondays” deal. Be warned: the eatery will limit the deal to…
Paul Cherry Brings Catalog of Garage Rock, Jazzy Pop and Vaporwave to Limelight
One of the perks of writing about music for a living is discovering new music, since I sort of need to listen to a new band before I can really say anything about them. Now, it’s not like every band I check out that’s coming through San Antonio is my absolute favorite. However, Paul Cherry…
Teachers in Other States are Striking. Texas Teachers Can’t Do That.
This story was originally published in The Texas Tribune. Teachers in states across the nation are going on strike to protest funding cuts for public education. But a Texas law is quashing talk of teachers here joining the walkouts. The statute says any employees who “strike or engage in an organized work stoppage against the…
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery Introduces New Spring Menu Items
For spring, Snooze, an A.M. Eatery is introducing four new sweet and savory breakfast/brunch options and three new cocktails (yes – morning cocktails are okay). New menu items include I Want Sum’oa Cakes, which are buttermilk pancakes topped with eerily Girl Scout-like toppings; Spring Harvest Benny, which is like a fancy, black tie eggs Benedict;…
LGBT Artist Mitch D’Arte Explores Faith, Belief and Religion in Newest Exhibit
This story originally appeared in our sister publication, Out In SA. Nationally recognized artist Mitch D’Arte works in a variety of styles — from lotería graphics to typographic collages, to acrylic paintings which evoke the colorful traditions and art of Mexico. For her latest exhibit, Christ Like: Restoring Faith and Inspiring Reverence, which opens on…
Cullum’s Attagirl Will Host Fantom Kitchen Pop-Up Featuring Freetail and Ghost Pixel Beers
Fantom Kitchen, a San Antonio-based pop-up kitchen launched by Harrison Civick of San Antonio Beer Magazine, will host its first official event at Cullum’s Attagirl this coming Monday, April 9 from 6 to 10 p.m. Fans of Freetail Brewing Co. will want to pencil the event in as it will feature the brewery’s side project,…
Collaboration with Pinch Boil House Kicks Off Hot Joy’s Fourth Anniversary Weekend
Pinch Boil House & Bia Bar will takeover the kitchen at Southtown’s Hot Joy tonight as the eatery celebrates turning four this weekend. The Pinch menu will feature tofu and sesame hummus with cucumber relish and wonton chips; salt and pepper calamari with dragon sauce; Viet-crawfish omelette; sweet potato green curry; OG shrimp and mussel…
The Spazmatics + More Headlining Barbacoa & Big Red Festival
Barbacoa & Big Red. Find us a more puro San Anto combination. We’ll wait. To celebrate the dynamic duo, the Barbacoa & Big Red Festival returns for its eighth year and features live music and, of course, barbacoa and Big Red. On Tuesday, the festival’s Facebook event page released the lineup of musical performances including…
Council Members Hammer CPS on Board Diversity During Vote on New Trustee
Dogged by questions about the diversity of its oversight board, CPS Energy’s newest trustee was approved today by City Council with a 8-3 vote that broke down largely along gender lines. It marks the second time in recent weeks that what once might have been a rubber-stamp approval of utility board member triggered sparks before…
A Few Ways to Support San Antonio Breweries (And Drink Beer) This Weekend
Thursday, April 5 Music for Advanced Listeners // Dorcol Distilling + Brewing Co.’s monthly music takeover by Labkids (DJ Novasoul & Darby) will feature happy hour from 5 to 7, and charcuterie by Swine House. Prices vary, 6pm, 1902 S. Flores St., (210) 229-0607. Saturday, April 7 Drink for a Good Cause // Künstler Brewing will…
Stars and Garters Kicks Off 2018 Season with Sexy Tricentennial Tease
It’s been a minute since we’ve cozied up with the lovely ladies of Stars and Garters, a beloved troupe that did a lot of heavy lifting (not to mention bumping, grinding, shimmying and shaking) to help build a burlesque scene in sleepy San Antonio. And with the Alamo City in the midst of 300th anniversary…
San Antonio Author David Liss On Writing Black Panther: The Man Without Fear for Marvel Comics
Before Black Panther was a $1.3 billion box office breakout, he was a mid-level Marvel Comics superhero — ranking somewhere between Spider Man and, say, Moon Knight. And a few years before he clawed his way onto the silver screen, David Liss — a San Antonio author best known for historical thrillers like The Whiskey…
Lou Diamond Phillips Pleads Guilty to Drunk Driving Near Corpus Christi
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, best known for starring as Ritchie Valens in La Bamba, has pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in Portland, Texas. On Wednesday, Phillips appeared at the San Patricio County Courthouse with his father and entered a plea deal. The 56-year-old actor was given two years probation and must not drink for…
There’s a Reason San Antonio Ranks Ahead of Other Texas Cities on Solar
San Antonio’s solar energy capacity grew 37 percent last year, helping it rise to No. 6 on the list of U.S. cities with the biggest solar deployments, according to Environment Texas Research & Policy Center’s annual Shining Cities survey. Last year, the Alamo City ranked 8th. Worthy of note, cities with municipally owned utilities — such as…
Latino Comedians Unite as The Undeportables to Take On the Border Wall
“Trump is after us!” comedian Jesus Sepulveda said last year on Chingo Bling’s Netflix special They Can’t Deport Us All. “Half my family’s freaking the fuck out. My dad is watching CNN every day — ‘Chinga su madre! We gotta fight back! The Trump won!’” Sepulveda and fellow Latino comedians Jerry Garcia and Jose Sarduy…
¡Viva Hemisfair! Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Iconic Park with Three-day Celebration
For some San Antonians — let’s call them the well-seasoned set — it may be hard to believe that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1968 World’s Fair and the creation of iconic Hemisfair Park. For the rest of us, it’s hard to believe there was ever a time without the cherished space…
San Antonio Musicians Channel Inner ’90s Stars for Lollapalooza 94′
File this one under just bonkers enough to be badass, folks. Masterminded by the twisted and delightful music-curatorial force Mondo Nation, Lollapalooza 94′ is just what you might think it is from the name. For this random one-off a bevy of adventurous local music acts, some in various mutated forms, will play period-appropriate sets of…
Viva Poesía: ‘La Battle Royale’ Fuses Spoken-word y Lucha Libre
Organized by the San Antonio World Heritage Office in celebration of National Poetry Month, the latest incarnation of Viva Poesía encourages attendees to don lucha libre masks for “an exciting fusion of two beloved cultural traditions — the literary art of spoken-word and the colorful, well-known styling of the popular Mexican variety of wrestling.” Emceed…
San Antonio Post-Punkers Filthy Have A New EP, and It Destroys
The DIY music community in San Antonio is something to be proud of. It’s filled with hard-working artists committed to getting their music out to as many people as possible, no matter how weird, abrasive or loud it is. And because of this freedom to create whatever the fuck we want, the scene includes a…
Beto O’Rourke Says Ted Cruz and Donald Trump “Want You to Be Afraid of Mexicans”
This story was originally published in The Texas Tribune. U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, lit into U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and President Donald Trump during an interview in Waco on Tuesday, suggesting the two Republicans were inciting fear in Texas voters. “Let me tell you what the president and our junior senator are doing…
Councilman Rey Saldaña Drops Cake On Camera, Doesn’t Use 10-Second Rule
San Antonio council members: They’re just like us. District 4 Councilman Rey Saldaña posted a video to his social media pages that is hilariously relatable. Saldaña was walking out of his home with a carrot cake in hand when the container opened, causing the cake the splatter onto the pavement. And it was caught on camera. He…
Gallego to Make It Official: He’s Running for Uresti’s Senate Seat
Pete Gallego, a nearly 30-year veteran of Texas politics, tomorrow will become the highest-profile candidate running for the state Senate seat of San Antonio’s Carlos Uresti, convicted in February of 11 felonies. Gallego, an Alpine-based Democrat, will formally kick off his campaign tomorrow night in San Antonio after filing papers last week to identify a…
Presa House Gallery Exhibit Explores Vibrant Works Influenced by Border Culture
Opening on First Friday and on view throughout April, Presa House’s latest exhibit, whether intentionally or not, pairs perfectly with this month’s primary preoccupation for much of San Antonio: Fiesta. Featuring work from rising South Texas artist Cande Aguilar, the solo show is called “barrioPOP.” Over the top, inescapably engaging, low-brow, gorgeous, and poignant in…
Real Food Costs Money: Sandwich Edition
Editor’s Note: The following is The Big Spoon, an opinion column on San Antonio’s food and drink scene. In my third week as a columnist, I tried encouraging the general San Antonio public to eat out during the week. Essentially, Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday brunches are tasked with making up the bulk of a restaurant’s…
Eccentric Party-Boy-Turned-Comedian Bert Kreischer Taking Over Laugh Out Loud Club
Screw Horatio Alger, here’s a real American success story: Bert Kreischer spent a six-year stint as a Florida State undergraduate partying so hard that Rolling Stone — the magazine that spent the ’70s watching rockstars ride motorcycles through luxury hotels — wrote an article about him, which inspired the movie Van Wilder and also inspired…
Isle of Dogs is a Deadpan, Whimsical Animation Wes Anderson Fans will Lap Up
Looking back at filmmaker Wes Anderson’s past projects, one could argue the writer/director hasn’t been kind to man’s best friend. In 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums, a wild-eyed Owen Wilson drives his Austin-Healey off the road and runs over the family’s beagle Buckley. Seemingly unaffected, the Tenenbaums replace the pet in a matter of minutes with…
Savage Love: Royal Oak Music Theatre
I visited Royal Oak, Michigan, for Savage Love Live at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. I didn’t get to all of the questions submitted by the large and tipsy crowd — a crowd that skipped the Stormy Daniels interview on 60 Minutes to spend the evening with me (so honored, you guys!) — so I’m…
Free Will Astrology (4/4/18-4/10/18)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Eighty-three-year-old author Harlan Ellison has had a long and successful career. In the course of publishing hundreds of literary works in seven different genres, he has won numerous awards. But when he was in his thirties, there was an interruption in the upward arc of his career. The film production company…
The Comedy Get Down Brings Legends Eddie Griffin, George Lopez to San Antonio
A few years ago, the best way to spot all the names on this lineup in the same place would’ve been to open the TV Guide to any primetime page at random. Veteran actors and stand-ups Cedric the Entertainer (Barbershop, The Original Kings of Comedy) Eddie Griffin (Undercover Brother, Malcolm & Eddie), D.L. Hughley (The…
If You Love The Killers, Check Out Hunny’s Show at Paper Tiger
Oh sweet, angsty, post-punky, indie pop goodness! Hunny is pretty much this generation’s answer to The Killers, without really sounding like them. If that’s confusing, what we mean is they sort of take all the trendy indie sounds of right now and manage to squeeze them into delectable 3-minute bass-forward indie pop jams that you…
Comedy Legend John Cleese Hosting Screening of Monty Python & The Holy Grail
If you could ask God a question, what would it be? Would you ask why bad things happen to good people, or what happens when we die? Or would you just cut to the chase and ask for the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? You might not have the chance to speak with God…
San Antonio Book Festival Opens Its Sixth Chapter with Wide-ranging Lineup and Spotlight on Nonfiction
The San Antonio Book Festival (SABF), put on by the San Antonio Public Library Foundation and a host of sponsors, is now in its sixth year. And, while it’s not a baby anymore, it still has a bit of growing to do. The one-day literary onslaught, which boasts a little something for readers of every…
LA’s Chicano Batman Returns to San Antonio
Formed in the streets of Los Angeles in 2008, Chicano Batman blend elements of soul, psychedelic rock and Brazilian Tropicalia for a weird, but grooving, old-school sound that’s both familiar and new. Drawing more attention after opening for Jack White on a few tour dates and playing Coachella, this LA four-piece is definitely a must-see…
Sheryl Sculley’s Hays Bridge Decision Undercuts Residents, Activists
City Manager Sheryl Sculley may have made the controversial decision to conditionally green-light a five-story apartment complex next to the historic Hays Street Bridge, but it’s her elected boss who will feel the political heat. Sculley’s surprise intervention into the process late last month may be the most visible test so far of Mayor Ron…
Poke Know-How: Tips On Designing a Better Bowl
Who knew sashimi-grade fish bowls would be San Antonio’s next big thing in fast-casual dining? Poke — it rhymes with “okay” — started out as a way for Hawaiian fishermen to snack on the day’s catch. Since jumping to the U.S. mainland a few years ago, it’s become a sushi bar staple and popped up everywhere…
The San Antonio Symphony Is Local Government’s Baby Now
Editor’s Note: The following is Their Town, a column of opinion and analysis. The 79-year-old San Antonio Symphony is now effectively a ward of local government. Consider what happened at the symphony’s performance on January 6. As the Express-News reported, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff stood on stage at the Tobin Center…
