5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Mon 1/6 – Wed 1/8 Free Week Looking to fill the post-holiday void with live local music, Transmission Events founder Graham Williams launched Austin’s Free Week back in 2003. Since then, the annual event has grown to encompass hundreds of bands playing at more than 25 locations across the city. In response, the folks at…
Blue Box Bartender To Represent San Antonio at Speed Rack Austin
Forsythe during season 2 of Speed Rack. (Courtesy) Blue Box’s (312 Pearl Pkwy) bartender Elisabeth Forsythe will serve as San Antonio’s only ‘tender during Wednesday, January 15’s Speed Rack Austin competition. The event, held at Red 7 (611 E 7th St), pits female bartenders against each other based on accuracy and speed (duh). Forsythe…
Fifth Circuit Panel ‘Skeptical’ Of Texas Abortion Law’s Negative Impact
No abortion access in the Rio Grande Valley? No huge deal, a federal three-judge panel basically retorted this morning. Judge Edith Jones of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. During a hearing that challenges Texas’ abortion law before the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, conservative panelist Justice Edith Jones questioned a group of reproductive…
10 FREE EVENTS HAPPENING THIS WEEK, JAN. 6 – JAN. 12
1) Bill Wright book signing Saturday, Jan. 11 4-6 p.m. Native Texas writer Bill Wright will be doing a signing for his book, Authentic Texas: People Of the Big Bend. Wright interviewed unique voices of the inhabitants of the Texas Big Bend while compiling his book and will share their stories with readers Saturday at…
Live and Local: Lucas Jack Belongs to SA Now
“Good evening,” he said, sitting in front of an old beat-up piano that sounded like heaven. “We’re the Lucas Jack band, and we’re from San Antonio.” Technically speaking, Lucas Jack is from Kalamazoo, Michigan and worked as an attorney in Chicago, Illinois. But after recently moving to San Antonio he quickly established himself as one…
Devil in the Barrio: A Review of ‘Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones’
Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) taking crusty eyelids to a whole new level. If Mexicans are going to fight ghosts, they better be the toughest Mexicans you can find—Oxnard, that is, the place where most badass Latino boxers come from or train at in Southern California. That’s what immediately hooked me to the new Paranormal Activity installment,…
The Essence of John: Porn, Money, and Murder
John Snavely, right of center, in a 2010 photo of Club Essence dancers [UPDATE 01/07/2014: According to the Broward County 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Snavely’s jury trial will now take place March 17, 2014.] During our annual Drink Issue coverage of the gay Strip on North Main Avenue, we republished a 2010 photo of Club Essence’s…
Bonehead Quote of the Week: State Board of Education Candidate On Texas Secession
While he (self-admittedly) has no authority to do so, a candidate for Texas State Board of Education recently vowed to support Texas secession. Dave Mundy, a Republican SBOE candidate from District 3— an area that encompasses several counties, including parts of Bexar and Hidalgo— signed a pledge with the Texas Nationalist Movement that advocates for Texas exiting…
The Monterey Gears Up For Fideo Pop-Up
(Courtesy) Here’s some exciting news, kids. The Monterey (1127 S St Mary’s) is getting ready to host E’Chingon, a fideo-based pop-up put on by guest chef Mara Serna. Serna, who spent a year in the Monty kitchen before relocating to Houston, has also cooked at Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill, and several Houston joints including The…
Shot of the Week: The Wheatgrass Shot
It’s not easy being green. (Courtesy) Let’s start 2014 with a green boost, shall we? This is the original green monster. You’re getting a blast of enzyme-rich chlorophyll as well as some bragging rights as you down the bright green and grassy concoction. Still not convinced? Here are 50 more reasons to drink the stuff…
Local Coffee’s Pearl Location in Soft Opening Stage
Tables made from barrel legs. Local Coffee’s third location, this time at the Pearl Brewery, is in its soft opening stages this weekend, but the process of getting the store to open was years in the making. The Current sat down with owner Robby Grubbs to chat about what folks can expect out of the…
Watch Hydra Melody’s New Video: “You’re What I Do On The Weekends”
Photo by Ralph Jason Lozano Hydra Melody had a fantastic 2013 and is one of the top local bands to watch in 2014. The band (Jordan Berlanga on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Jason Harari on bass and vocals, Taylor Ferguson on lead guitar and keyboards, Manny Prince on percussion and keyboards and Matt Gomez on…
The (Unarmed) Drones Are Coming To A City Near You
Get ready to see flying unarmed vehicles in South Texas skies. Via Creative Commons Images. Texas A&M University Corpus Christi won a federal bid to create drone test areas earlier this week, according to the Associated Press, making Texas among the six states to host research sites. Other states include North Dakota, Nevada and New York.…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Fri 1/3 Moodie Black “This is a celebration of the emerging shift of consciousness in human beings, and the ascent into the unknown,” says Arizona noise rapper/producer Moodie Black (Chris Martínez) about the Six. Dark. Days. Tour he’s launching in San Antonio. “The performances are a commentary on the current state in which people are…
Top 4 SA Films of the Year: The Film Editor’s Picks
A still from Travis Lippert’s ‘Ghocial.’ For the biggest-hyped SA films of the year, 2013 saw an overabundance of sex, drugs and guns, and my feeling about the whole thing is best summarized by something Callie Khouri (screenwriter of Thelma & Louise) told me in October. “I think guns and sex are the two areas…
James Woodard’s Best Albums of 2013
Current critics pick their favorite sounds of the year. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats / Mind Control / (Rise Above) Uncle Acid makes me believe in rock and roll again. Since the first time I spun their breakout album Blood Lust, I was hooked on the lo-fi, riddled with mistakes, recorded-in-a-barn aesthetic coupled with Blue…
Matthew Stieb’s Best Albums of 2013
Current critics pick their favorite sounds of the year. 1. Kanye West / Yeezus / (Def Jam/UMG) Duh. Kanye West is ’93 Michael Jordan, weaving his way through the competition with grace, precision and absolute execution. Let’s just hope Kanye’s extracurricular pursuits are more inspired than Jordan’s stint in baseball pinstripes, though the spectacle of…
5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Tue 12/31 New Year’s Eve Party with Two Tons of Steel Once described as “equal parts Elvis Presley and Elvis Costello, with a liberal dose of Buddy Holly and a dollop of The Ramones,” the local quartet Two Tons of Steel has unleashed its rockabilly-punk fusion on stages from Euro Disney to the National Theater…
J.D. Swerzenski’s Best Albums of 2013
Current critics pick their favorite sounds of the year. LOCAL Cryin’ D.T. Buffkin & the Bad Breath/ Tattooed Rose / (self-released) Buffkin’s debut stands out among the year’s best releases on the strength of its excellent original songs and the unique throwback instrumentation that sets it far apart from anything else on the SA scene. (Cryin’ D.T.…
10 FREE EVENTS HAPPENING THIS WEEK, DEC. 30 – JAN. 5
1. Valero Alamo Bowl Fan Zone Monday, Dec. 30 noon-5 p.m. The perfect pre-game destination, the Fan Zone will feature a wide variety of interactive, family-friendly festivities. Mobile video games, snacks, face painting and an inflatable obstacle course will all be on the premises, as well as tons of fellow fans. Location: Sunset Station, 1174…
The CineSnob Picks His Top 10 Films of 2013
‘Short Term’ Before anybody asks, yes, I saw Gravity and The Wolf of Wall Street. Those films, along with the other 193 new movies I was able to check out over the last year, made for a busy and very interesting time at the theater. From the 1960s folk music scene in Lower Manhattan to…
2013: The Film Year in Review
‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ Another Year, Another Damn List ‘Tis the season to make year-end lists and, while I have my faves, I think it might be a tad more interesting to explore some of the year’s cinematic trends and thematic triumphs. Near-misses, almost-rans and abject failures are often more worthy of comment than the…
Jeff Meyers’ Top 10 Films of 2013
In our latest issue, film reviewer Jeff Meyers reflects on the year in film for 2013. Here is his list of top 10 favorites. 10. 12 Years A Slave 9. Gravity 8. All Is Lost 7. Mud 6. Upstream Color 5. Short Term 12 4. Inside Llewyn Davis 3. Stories…
3 Ways to Get Your Grub/Drink On This Week
Saturday, January 4: Sharpen your knife skills at Sur La Table. The staff will show students how to practice fundamental cuts (mince, dice, brunoise, bâtonnet and julienne) and find a knife that fits your needs. $38.96, 2-4pm, 15900 La Cantera Pkwy, Ste 19120, (210) 978-5586, surlatable.com. Tuesday, January 7: It’s oyster season at Central Market.…
Dining Resolutions for 2014
I might be biased, but 2013 was a huge food year for SA. Still, there’s plenty of work to be done. Here are a few suggestions food lovers and restaurant owners should try on for size to make 2014 even more delicious. Pop that bubble: Most specifically, visit the West Side. As Garrett Heath, food…
Top 5 Resolutions for SA and Her Leaders
5. New Councilmembers, Act Like the Mic is on at All Times. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard the infamous anti-LGBT words uttered by former councilmember-turned-Texas Senate hopeful, Elisa Chan, captured on a covert recording by one of her aides earlier this year. If you’ve learned anything as an SA public official…
How to Enjoy Music in the 21st Century
• Go to Goodwill and buy yourself a good cassette deck, because tapes kick ass. • Don’t listen to music on your iPhone’s internal speaker, you loser. • If you don’t own a real stereo, you don’t really like music, and you’ve probably never heard your favorite music properly. • Listen to the entire album,…
Resolutions for SA's Arts Community
If you’ve ever witnessed what goes down when a designer puppy is brought home to a family with a faithful mutt in its sunset years, then you’ll know this can be a tricky, even heartbreaking, situation. As the dogs learn to coexist and cope with disparate energy levels, the family members ideally remember to spread…
Flavor File: Openings and closings of note in 2013
It’d be no surprise if your waist has grown a few inches in 2013. It seems just about every kind of restaurant opened within the last 12 months. Here’s a quick breakdown: Southtown flourished in the spring with the addition of Halcyon (1414 S Alamo, Ste 101), the San Antonio counterpart to the Austin establishment…
Just Happens to be LGBT: Resolutions for the LGBT community
If we wanted to, we could have made this article all about the successes the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community witnessed in the last year. The Human Rights Campaign declared 2013 to be “The Year of Greatest Accomplishments of the LGBT Movement” and they’re not wrong. If you want to get your jollies and…
Booze and Bar Resolutions for Drinkers, Tenders and Owners
If you want to attract a core of young, upwardly mobile thinkers (and drinkers)—which has been on SA’s to-do list since the dawn of the new millennium—you need a hot bar scene. And if you want to attract a hot bar scene, you have to not be lame-os to the bartenders serving up your drinks.…
Five Places I did Most of My Drinking in 2013
The year is drawing to a close, and you know what that means—year-end lists. We journalists love them, and readers love to tell us why we’re wrong and what we overlooked. As I’ve mentioned before, I live in Austin, but business brings me into San Antonio about every other week. Sometimes overnight. Spend that much…
Jimmy James Canales and Michael Menchaca Relive a Great Year
By this time last year, Jimmy James Canales and Michael Menchaca had both caught our attention with intriguing shows downtown and somewhat surprising inclusions uptown at the McNay. While Menchaca, who’s currently earning his MFA from Providence’s Rhode Island School of Design, got into the museum the old fashioned way (contributing a serigraph to “Estampas…
Savage Love: Let It Go
I’m a 34-year-old straight female. I am morbidly obese and have been for most of my life. I have never dated. I’ve been on a couple of dates, and only when I asked the guy out. From reading your columns and books, I am aware that some men are attracted to fat women. But since…
New Year’s Eve Parties for Every Personality
Still need plans for New Year’s Eve? Here’s nine ways to get down while the ball drops. Bonham Exchange will host a New Year’s Eve bash with 94.1 KTFM broadcasting Top 40 hits live on the main dance floor. VIP membership cards will be given away every hour and guests will receive a party pack…
Top 20 Concerts: From Kanye to Brahms, with tons of locals in between
J.D. Swerzenski San Antonio Symphony • Brahms Fest • Feb 15 • Majestic Theater Two minutes into the opening swells of Brahms’ Concerto for Violin and Cello, violinist Vadim Gluzman strode to front center stage, clearly deep in some sort of trance. The orchestra subsided, and on cue Gluzman unleashed a breathtaking 15-minutes of soloing,…
An Interview With Julia Barbosa Landois
2013 was a very busy year for Julia Barbosa Landois, the San Antonio-based performance, installation, and video artist. Star-Crossed II, a video describing a woman’s relationship with Jesus through ranchera song, was included in the McNay “He Said, She Said” exhibition curated by Chris Davila. The more you honor Me, the more I will bless…
Top 10 Things I Ate in 2013
If my scale is to be believed, I ate a lot of food this year. As I’ve said before, 2013 was quite the banner year for the San Antonio food scene. I had just as difficult a time choosing the best dishes I ate this year as I will losing gained weight, but nonetheless, here’s…
Best Local Music of 2013—Music Editor’s Edition
This was a great year for local music. Since 2004, when I arrived to San Antonio, I haven’t seen so many strong albums, songs and new bands coming out. While in our annual Music Issue the winners are picked via a write-in readers’ poll, now it’s my turn to pick the highlights of a great…
5 Top Local Plays and Musicals This Year
Paige Blend, Roy Bumgarner, Twyla Lamont in Roads Courageous at The Playhouse. We asked our theater critics, Thomas Jenkins and Steven G. Kellman, for their top picks from the theater scene in 2013. Beyond the productions, Jenkins also noted the considerable movement—both physical and conceptual—at some of the city’s top companies, which started this year…
Gone Rouge on Main Street: Herrera’s “Adam” Alights on Main Plaza
Arturo Herrera’s “Adam” on Main Street Arturo Herrera, in person, is charming, smily, self-deprecating and personable. He’s undergone many interviews in the last few days surrounding the (re-)unveiling of Red, his 2,500-square-foot wall painting in Main Plaza commissioned by the Linda Pace Foundation. During one TV interview, he says, the interviewer has to keep reminding…
The 10 Worst Movies of 2013
A critic’s nightmare: ‘Grown Ups 2.’ I’ve got a cool job, but there are many, many times when the film critic’s life becomes a struggle for survival against a soulless dream factory intent on crushing your mind and spirit. Mediocre, disposable movies are a weekly hazard, but truly bad movies leave a stain on everything…
Top 10 Tips for Your Ultimate Alamo Bowl Tailgating Experience
Tailgate essentials, via Megan Ann on Flickr More than 65,000 University of Texas Longhorns and University of Oregon Ducks fans will flock to the Alamodome December 30 for the 2013 Alamo Bowl. Before the two teams from the Big 12 and the PAC-10, respectively, collide on the gridiron, fans will pack the Dome’s parking lot…
SA is Second Drunkest City in America
Chingos of drinks. Before we start tooting our own horn and toasting to our rather spectacular placement on this year’s Drunkest Cities Survey by Men’s Health’s November issue (at least we beat Austin?), let’s consider the criteria used to land us at the No. 2 spot (technically 99 out of 100 from most sober to…
10 Pieces of Life Advice from Big Freedia
It may come as no surprise that boundary-busting bounce artist Big Freedia is highly quotable. During a recent interview for a story previewing her appearance in SA on Saturday she dropped a lot of wisdom, too much to include in one piece, really. And a lot of it was smart, positive and practical. So, until Big…
Top 10 Bonehead Quotes of 2013
Still in its infancy, we started our Bonehead Quote of the Week blog earlier this year to expose some of the hypocritical, nonsensical and just plain nutty remarks from our local, state and national elected officials and public personalities. From calling for the impeachment of President Obama to non-apologetic LGBT intolerance, it’s safe to say…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 12/26 – Sun 12/29 How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical Dr. Seuss’ timeless tale hits the stage with Max the Dog narrating as the ruthless Grinch attempts to sabotage the Whos’ Christmas celebration by stealing gifts, decorations and even the Who Hash. Featuring cherished songs from the TV special (including “You’re a Mean…
10 Most Newsworthy Local Stories of 2013
H Photo by Mary Tuma 10. CPS Feels The Heat After Proposing Rate Hike: While top-level CPS energy executives enjoyed millions in bonus pay, the city-owned utility unabashedly asked customers to cough up extra cash for monthly electric bills—on top of the request, critics described the average $5.19/month as a low-ball estimate sure to strain…
Friendly Spot Welcomes Duck Fans During Alamo Bowl
Quack the night away at Friendly Spot. The Friendly Spot will play host to flocks of University of Oregon Duck fans as the school takes on the Longhorns during the Valero Alamo Bowl on Monday, December 30. Attendees will be able to watch the game at Friendly, a designated “Drink Deschutes Beer Spot,” from a…
Shot of the Week: Champagne Jell-O Shots
Jell-O meets bubbly. (Via Erica’s Sweets) I’d ditch real Champagne for just about any kind of sparkling wine to create this recipe. Celebrate the end of 2013 with these fun and easy-to-make Jell-O shots which call for four ingredients and congeal within an hour. The recipe comes via Erica’s Sweet, which uses a loaf…
Cured at Pearl Opens Saturday, December 28
Chef Steve McHugh during the early stages of Cured. (Photo by David Rangel) The Pearl’s newest restaurant is about ready to open its doors. Already in a quasi-soft opening stage (they’re open for friends and family services through December 27), Cured will be open for dinner on Saturday, December 28 with its menu of charcuterie…
Food Porn: Top 13 Food Pics of 2013
Via the Texas Cooks’ Co-Op Taps Y Tapas’ Tortas Three Ways by www.paytonphotography.com Barbaro’s Stone Fruit Salad by Ana Aguirre Saveurs 209’s Smoked salmon blini by Ana Aguirre Chaat House’s Goat Curry by Ana Aguirre La Tequilera del Patron’s Arrachera del General by Ana Aguirre Boiler House’s Quail Poppers via Ana Aguirre Arcade Midtown Kitchen’s…
Your Christmas on Instagram, SA
What makes a Christmas story in San Antonio? It’s not just the Riverwalk lights. For Christmas in San Antonio, Spurs tickets, Mi Tierra, familia, and much more. [View the story “Your Christmas on Instagram, SA (1)” on Storify] [View the story “Your Christmas on Instagram, SA (2)” on Storify] [View the story “Your Christmas on…
Last-Second Gifts: Two New Nirvana Books
This gorgeously designed, objective look at Nirvana comes from a variety of reputable sources, including Todd Martens (pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times), Jim DeRogatis (author of the ultimate Lester Bangs biography) and Gillian Gaar (author of four books on Nirvana). But The Complete Illustrated History is unique in that it includes rare…
Garrett T. Capps Rocks Sam’s With New ‘San Antone’ Anthem
(photo by Steve Circeo) Garrett T. Capps’ show last night at Sam’s was one of those occasions you almost missed, then you were glad you were there. After a long day of work, I was so close to passing out on the couch, when a mysterious force told me to get in the car and…
