Remembering ‘El Parche’ a year after his death
August 13 will mark the first anniversary of the death of accordion legend Esteban “Steve” Jordan. He left behind a musical legacy that will never be equaled in Chicano history: close to 60 albums (eight of them unreleased), a Jordan-ized band of sons, and a string of regional hit songs that spanned over four decades.…
Remembering ‘El Parche’ a year after his death
August 13 will mark the first anniversary of the death of accordion legend Esteban “Steve” Jordan. He left behind a musical legacy that will never be equaled in Chicano history: close to 60 albums (eight of them unreleased), a Jordan-ized band of sons, and a string of regional hit songs that spanned over four decades.…
Redfern suggests the real ‘Men in Black’ are alien enforcers
This past weekend I had the distinct pleasure of spending time with my close friend and best-selling author Nick Redfern. A resident of Arlington, Nick is well known as the creator of some 20 books, with topics ranging from UFOs and conspiracies to monsters and other high weirdness. The British-born Redfern is a unique individual,…
Cargill’s salmonella nets wrist-slap; SWAT raid for raw-milk supplier
Thirty-six million pounds of Cargill Inc. conventional ground turkey was recalled last week due to salmonella contamination. One person is dead, 22 people have been hospitalized, and countless others made ill by the meat. Victims range from the very young to the elderly; from those under the age of one to those aged 88 years…
The Missing Child ID App, FBI’s first mobile app
The FBI has released the Child ID app, a free iTunes download, which provides parents with iPhones a place to store “photos and vital information” about their children. For now the Child ID app is only available on an iPhone, but the FBI plans to develop the cell phone app for other types devices. According…
Dancing as the Divine: workshop helps balance masculine and feminine energies
I’m still feeling high off of a workshop I participated in Saturday with Katrina Rivers, called Dancing AS the Divine. The primary focus was exploring the divine masculine and feminine within each of us, and what’s been out of sync with these two energies for so long. It was such a moving experience that I…
Business is booming for private prison giants
Over the past decade, the number of immigrants held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities has skyrocketed. And if you’re in the immigrant detention game, times have never been better. This week, private prison giant the GEO Group posted a 40 percent boost in second quarter earnings with profits of $21.6 million, up…
Interview with ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ director Rupert Wyatt
He might be a first-time studio director, but British filmmaker Rupert Wyatt was given the opportunity to make his big-screen debut with a reboot of one of the most iconic sci-fi franchises of the last 50 years. In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a prequel to the original 1968 film starring Charlton Heston,…
First Friday August preview
“A Delivery To Your Senses” at UTSA Satellite Space launched a strong show last night with works by Nikki Anderson and Paul Northway. If you brave the heat and the crowds at tonight’s First Friday, make sure to stop by to check it out. Above, one of a handful of Anderson’s constructed scenes, shot in Iceland.…
Better Business Bureau: online zombie-killer rifles and silencers slow to come
Whether you’re stockpiling to protect yourself and your loved ones from the coming zombie apocalypse or merely enjoy causing heartburn among your Obamaton friends after a dinner party by trotting out your growing collection of flat-black marksman rifles for an unprompted show-and-tell, online gun purchases can be a risky business. Your Better Business Bureau wants…
‘Holding on’ by Jordan Rivas
Ahhh, the heart-pounding giddiness of first dates, so innocent and death-defying. I suppose in many ways it’s a feeling we try to capture over and over again. In reading “Holding on” by Jordan Rivas we can do just that. And while the outcome may not be of the most pleasant variety, it does still conjure…
‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ sets a new standard for troubled franchise
Poor James Franco. First, he loses an arm after it got trapped by a boulder; then he hosts the Oscars (only Letterman was a bigger fiasco), and now he stars in a movie that is totally, absolutely, stolen by a character that’s half human, half computer-generated. What Andy Serkis did with his portrayal of Caesar,…
What would you do if the person next to you had a seizure?
As the mother of someone who has seizures, the news about Mike Patterson from the Eagles having a seizure during practice reminded me just how often seizures strike (The CDC estimates that 10% of people will have a seizure during their lifetime) and how unprepared the general public is to help during a seizure event.…
Alameda to showcase bilingual play ‘Frida: Un Canto de Dolor’
On July 7, we celebrated Frida Kahlo’s birthday, and this Saturday at The Alameda, the celebration will continue. See below for more information, or call The Alameda to secure your tickets. Feel free to send your love letters and/or hate mail to me at cx@sacurrent.com, or follow @chrissygarza on Twitter.
Roots of Change’s ‘People’s Market’ provides chance to vote with your wallet
Mark your calendars for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, August 6. Here’s your chance to support the San Antonio community, vote with your wallet, and discover unique goods, handcrafted and grown by your neighbors. The Roots of Change Urban Garden and Co-op is hosting a People’s Market at 1416 East Commerce, showcasing local…
KEDA vs. KEDA: Will the spirit of Radio Jalapeño survive?
On Friday, July 29, “Güero Polkas” (Ricky Dávila, the Wolfman Jack of San Antonio radio) signed off the air for the last time in 44 years. It was his last show and the beginning of the end of KEDA Radio Jalapeño 1540 AM, the family-owned conjunto radio station that has broadcasted from an old building…
‘Margins’ art show at UTSA closing party tonight
Not every painting tells a story. “Margins,” the summer art show at UTSA main campus, presents six artists who have taken what show organizer Larry Graeber calls “the nonobjective initiative.” Though nothing has been literally abstracted, references to architecture and explorations with the stuff-ness of art materials abound. The show includes Nate Cassie, Joseph Cohen, Larry…
DJ Raff: Latino & Proud
DJ Raff’s U.S. debut is a strange bird. First, it’s not a new album, but a collection pulling from his most recent Chilean release, Collage Binario, and including choice cuts from 2008’s Raffolution and two other EPs (also Chilean releases). Second, the title is misleading — the album is hardly politicized or otherwise socially conscious.…
When inner space mattered
Before Star Wars ruined everything for science fiction by introducing to the general public a fallen Republic, which J.G. Ballard aptly called “Hobbits in Space,” there was a short-lived literary movement referred to as the New Wave (really just a ripple) that took inspiration from the pataphysics of Alfred Jarry and the cinema of Godard.…
Willy Chirino: My Beatles Heart
Cuban-born, Miami-based Willy Chirino is one of the world’s best salsa producers, but he’s not even trying. His thing is being Willy Chirino, and with Oxígeno (1991) he added neurons, crisp production, sophisticated arrangements, and smart, edgy singles to the usually cheesy Miami sound. But Chirino’s talent has always been dumbed down by his hatred…
Four Commandments for scoring at Rollergirls-hosted speed-dating event
How can you not score on a first date when your third wheel is an entire team of roller derby girls? Not to mention that said date takes place at a punk-rock metal venue that often features $1 tequila shots? Plus: The entire venue is painted jet black, save for some horrific zombie-themed art embedded…
HUARACHES AT EL TACO H, $4
A bite of what we’re eating here at the Current
Fast Foodie: Fattboy Burgers & Dogs
So yes, I ordered rings and got fries, I asked for grilled onions and grilled mushrooms as toppings and got “All The Way” with the addition of mayo, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles … and still I’d go back for more. With one exception: I would go full-Fatt. It must have been an excess…
Zep ‘feature’ band to raise money for paralyzed teen
Seventeen-year-old Eddie Moreno was the backup point guard at Alamo Heights High School. “He was one of the key reasons the team had such a successful [31-5] season,” his coach Charlie Boggess told KSAT soon after Eddie was shot in the jaw the morning of March 26 in what’s been described as an expression of…
Warming up Full Throttle
A Q&A with GM Angel Castorena
¡ASK A MEXICAN!
Dear Mexican: A few years back when I was in high school, my social studies teacher and the leader of our high school M.E.Ch.A. club had deep resentment toward the Spaniards/conquistadors that killed hundreds — probably thousands — of Aztecs. He went so far as to deny that his own heritage comes partly from Spain,…
Texas Craft Brewers Guild
TEXAS BEER INVASION For the first time, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild will have a showcase at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Texas breweries have a history of providing samples to the more than 50,000 annual attendees from their own booths, but the showcase will allow brewers to highlight what Texas has to…
Selena adds light to a complicated week
After a recent Vincent Vega show at the Pedicab, some jerk or jerks broke into some cars to steal a mixer, two mics, a backpack full of cords, several pedals, a Fender amplifier, and a Fender Stratocaster from VV’s Alyson Alonzo and Jeff Escamilla. Fortunately, fundraiser shows were organized July 30 and 31 at Pedicab,…
Grilling your own meats at Kiku Garden
Cooking your own food at a restaurant may seem anathema to most people. While most will agree that cooking can be enjoyable, eating out offers a respite from the hassle (and dishes). But there’s a way to both enjoy cooking with all of the creature comforts of eating out without breaking the bank at a…
Page One: Inside the New York Times
“You have lived through the worst cyclical recession the publishing business has ever seen in modern times,” New York Times media columnist and culture reporter David Carr tells the attendees at a publishing conference in his Minneapolis, Minn., hometown toward the end of director Andrew Rossi’s compelling documentary Page One: Inside the New York Times.…
Mariachi El Bronx: Mariachi El Bronx (II)
Mariachi El Bronx is the ranchero alter ego of L.A. punk band the Bronx, formed by singer Matt Caughthran, guitarists Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne, bassist Brad Magers, and drummer Jorma Vik. After three albums as the Bronx, in 2006 they were asked to do an unplugged set, which they hate. So they took…
Wang explores foot binding and female bonding as he sells out for mass appeal
Podiatry is destiny, not merely for ballerino Rudolf Nureyev and soccer star David Beckham. In pre-Mao China, foot binding shaped a girl’s matrimonial prospects, and marriage determined a woman’s lot. Lisa See set her 2005 novel Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which Wayne Wang has now adapted into a feature film, in a 19th-century…
Critic’s Pick: Cowboys and Aliens
When God made Daniel Craig, He mixed two parts Steve McQueen to one part Paul “Crocodile Dundee” Hogan, garnished with a sprig of Charles Atlas, and served the whole business up ice-cold in light-blue, surf-kissed Bond hot pants. You know, for the ladies. Just so you know your history. More than four decades after that…
The Apoca-List
AKA The “We’re Fucked” Index
Spectacle: Elvis Costello with … offered compelling lessons in songwriting
After a few seconds of a Hammond-driven version of U2’s “Mysterious Ways,” Elvis Costello puts his guitar down, grabs the microphone, and, while the band keeps playing the song, transforms himself into Spectacle’s master of ceremonies. He’s equal parts preacher, rapper, and circus ringmaster. “Long ago, my friends, giants and monsters walked the Earth,” he…
Free Will Astrology
Note: We mistakenly flip-flopped Rob Brezsny’s Free Will Astrology columns for the past two weeks. Rob knows which week is which; we just had a small karmic conundrum. We sincerely hope that you can forgive us. We’re back on track this week! ARIES (March 21-April 19): I love how the poet Rachel Loden describes…
Longtime jailhouse tattoo artist explains the business of incarcerated skin
From its origins as decorative body modification in various ancient cultures, tattooing has gone mainstream in America during the last generation. Its detail-oriented evolution as art exemplified by modern tattoo artists like Guy Aitchison, Nikko Hurtado, Paul Booth, and others is equally matched by the gaudy overdrive of popular culture and its take on the…
Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane
When dealing with a musician whose career looms as large as Duke Ellington’s (more than five decades and 1,000-plus original recordings), finding a place to start can be daunting. Credit Impulse for this beautifully remastered reissue of two of Ellington’s finest releases for that label: Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins and Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. The similarities between…
Starving extras, unite!
San Antonio’s own Bryan Ramírez has big plans for his upcoming movie, MP, including unique trailers for each character and nationwide marketing. Likely — as with HBO’s True Blood promotional campaign — we’ll all be asking ourselves, “What the hell is this?” when it rolls out. MP is an acronym — the meaning of which…
McNay brings ‘makers of pictures’
This Thursday night the McNay continues its series “Artists Looking at Art” with a talk by John Dyer, a Montana-born photographer who has spent over 30 years documenting the people of San Antonio and South Texas. McNay Chief Curator Rene P. Barilleaux noticed Dyer’s portraiture several years ago when it was shown at the opening…
Live & Local: The Krayolas at San Antonio Botanical Gardens
Sitting on collapsible canvas chairs and sipping from cups of overpriced Shiner in the 105-degree SA heat, 200 people came to the Botanical Garden in order to watch five guys wearing all black play some Tex-Mex Blues. The Krayolas have been tooling and tweaking their pop/Tejano grooviness since 1975. “We are unknown all over the…
Conquistadora: a nation incomplete
At first it’s difficult to understand why Ana Larragoity Cubillas — the heroic protagonist in Esmeralda Santiago’s Conquistadora — is so “enthralled by the land, its mystery and romance,” as the author puts it in an early passage. She is a young woman born to high society in 19th-century Sevilla who figures out a way…
All She Can, a story about what a girl can lift
In efforts to escape her dusty, small south Texas town of Benavides, Luz García (Corina Calderón) turns to a power-lifting scholarship to help pay for her education. Coming from a poverty-stricken background, she must learn to deal with and face the challenges that await her. Director Amy Wendel’s All She Can (her first narrative feature)…
Methodist pastor opts for life of protest on the street
After a week living on the street, Lorenza Andrade-Smith’s focus is drifting. “It hasn’t been long and I’m already exhausted,” she says, heaving a bulky backpack off tired shoulders and onto a nearby park bench at Alamo Plaza. The blazing July sun has fallen, and the tourists are dissipating as she starts to settle in…
Rex Hausmann weighs a lost ‘Ithica’ against the journey
San Antonio native Rex Hausmann is perhaps best known in town as both the ebullient impresario of Hausmann Millworks, the artists’ studio enclave sited in his family’s retired woodworking shop off Fredericksburg Road, and as the tireless organizer of group shows that have brought SA artists to Iowa and NYC. While the local artists Hausmann…
The QueQue: State murder? Nothing to see here, High jail suicide rate continues, Sleepy shale watchdogs, Cost of healthy aquifer going up
State murder? Nothing to see here If history is any indicator, we should have known state officials would never willingly settle a years-long investigation into one of the state’s most contentious executions, the death of Cameron Todd Willingham. On Friday, Attorney General Greg Abbott issued a ruling that will once and for all quash the…
Evlove Intimates: design your underwear in your underwear
Evlove Intimates makes shopping for sexy lingerie easier, thanks to its online design studio. Bralets, camis, and thongs are just a few of the pretty little things available for purchase, with one twist — each garment is designed by you! Who isn’t tired of the one-size-fits-all products online these days? Perhaps you’d like to order…
