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As the Family of a San Antonio Man Shot to Death by Police Mourns, the Family of Marquise Jones Still Seeks Justice
When 36-year-old Antroine Scott arrived home just after 6 p.m. on February 4, he parked his 2008 Mercedes-Benz in the parking lot of his apartment complex, just as thousands of San Antonio residents do at the end of every day. What Scott probably didn’t know was that two undercover police detectives “were in the area,”…
‘T’ for Texas Tuesday: Lightnin’ Hopkins
In this edition of ‘T’ for Texas Tuesday, we will highlight a Texas blues legend who, like most blues musicians, was never given his due until he had already passed away. In an effort to, just maybe, turn on some folks to a musical genius and a fellow Texan, I give you Lightnin’ Hopkins. Born…
Sen. Ted Cruz Stops Selling Merchandise from Racist Street Artist
Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz’s artistic sensibilities are raising red flags about who he is willing to associate with. The Texas Tribune reports that he is ending a relationship with a street artist named Sabo, who created the famous poster of a tattoo-clad Cruz with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Cruz had been selling the…
10 Free Events Happening This Week
Thu 2/25 Towards a More Politically Effective Art: Siqueiros and the “Plastic Integration” Movement University of Louisville professor Christopher Fulton discusses the work of Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros in conjucntion with Trinity’s 2016 Álvarez Seminar. Free, 5:30pm Thu, Trinity University, Northrup Hall, One Trinity Pl., (210) 999-8826, trinity.edu. Thu 2/25 The Lost Honor of Katharina…
Rebelle Earns Honorable Mention in Texas Monthly’s Where to Eat Now List
Citing the restaurant’s char-grilled octopus in its honorable mention nod, Texas Monthly essentially agreed with our latest dining review: Rebelle is not to be missed. The national publication released its yearly Where to Eat Now list for 2016 and though San Anto eateries didn’t make the Top 10 cut, Rebelle (300 E. Travis St.), the…
Hyperbubble to Release CD and Coloring Book at San Antonio Museum of Art
Keeping up with the current coloring-books-for-the-over-10-crowd craze, San Antonio’s Hyperbubble, a quirky husband-wife duo made up of Jeff and Jess DeCuir, is holding a release series for their “Coloring Book Concert” coloring book and the CD Music to Color By on March 6 and March 15. The 12-page coloring book’s illustrations were drawn by the band themselves…
The First Ever Imagine Fest is Going Down at Imagine Books and Records
“Imagine there’s no shitty music/It’s easy if you try/No auto-tune below us/Above us only raw emotion/Imagine all the bands/Living for today.” You get the idea. And, no, Imagine Fest isn’t a John Lennon tribute night. Actually, it’s much better than a bunch 0f musicians covering the slain Beatle’s music ’cause it’ll be seven nights chock full of local bands and a…
Rock ‘n’ Roll Venue The Ten Eleven Hands Over Ownership April 3
For eight years the bar just east of the River Walk and north of the oldest VFW in Texas, the dimly-lit, sticker-splattered meeting ground of hardworking local groups and road-weary rock ‘n’ roll bands, has provided San Antonio with a space to mosh, mock those moshing, mock-mosh and behold some of the best, hardest working…
Whitesnake Brings ‘Greatest Hits Tour’ to Majestic Theatre
Tickets for the tour which will feature songs and hits off of multi-platinum records Slide It In, Whitesnake (1987) and Slip of the Tongue, go on sale Friday, February 26 at 10 a.m. They cost $39.50 to the appropriately-price $69.50 and are available at the theatre box office, by calling (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. The…
Look at This Cute, but Endangered, Tree Kangaroo Born at the San Antonio Zoo
The San Antonio Zoo just published an adorable video on YouTube showing a baby Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo that was born last August starting to become curious about what is outside its mother’s pouch. The zoo calls the birth a huge accomplishment because the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo is an endangered species with fewer than 2,500 left…
Survey Shows Most UTSA Students Feel Threatened by Campus Carry
Senate Bill 11 — the campus carry bill passed during the 2015 legislative session — allows concealed handgun license holders to carry firearms on public universities in Texas starting on August 1, 2016. And that makes a majority of students at the University of Texas at San Antonio nervous for both their safety and for…
If You Take Any of These VIA Routes, Changes Are a Coming
Attention bus riders: VIA Metropolitan Transit has proposed route changes and will host a public meeting Thursday, March 3, at 6 p.m., at VIA Metro Center (1021 San Pedro Ave.) to garner public input on the possible changes, which will be implemented June 6. Here’s the skinny: 7 Sightseer Special – Route will be eliminated…
Vote For San Antonio’s Jordan Corney In Patron’s Margarita of the Year Contest
It’s time to vote for Patron’s Margarita of the Year, which pits margarita recipes and their creators against others across the country. San Antonio’s own Jordan Corney, bar manager at Bohanan’s Bar, is one of the featured finalists. His creation, the Rosa Picante Margarita combines Patron silver, lemon juice, simple syrup, ginger syrup and jalapeño…
Def Leppard Cancels Postponed San Antonio Show
After canceling the concert originally scheduled for February 2 citing ill health, Def Leppard has not included San Antonio on their May tour, foregoing SA for Corpus and Hidalgo, Texas May 5 and 7, respectively. Bummer for Leppardheads. The english mullet-rockin’ spandex junkies, famous for hair metal gems “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Photograph” and…
5 Shows to See This Week
Monday, February 22 PRCA Rodeo with Alan Jackson The don’t-rock-the-jukebox country icon comes through to rock the Spurs’ house. Sold Out, 7pm, AT&T Center, 1 AT&T Center Parkway, 210-444-5140 Tuesday, February 23 PRCA Rodeo Presents Brad Paisley Continuing in the picker-sanger tradition of Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Vince Gill, Paisley is just on the wrong…
Bexar County Commissioners Court to Consider Program to Pave Roads in Some Unincorporated Communities
The Bexar County Commissioners Court will likely consider a measure on March 8 that would help repair roadways in some unincorporated communities with inadequate streets. The issue has been on the court’s radar recently because of organizational efforts in Highland Oaks, a subdvision in south Bexar County where streets are mostly made of sand. Vehicles…
An Atlantan Reflects on San Antonio and its Musical Legacy
I am remarkably unqualified to write about Sunday night’s Patio Andaluz Reunion at the Tobin Center. I did not attend Lanier, South San Antonio or Burbank High School. In fact, I’ve lived in San Antonio for less than a year and before that I had only visited once as a kid for my Uncle’s 1987 wedding, where I think…
Celtic Nights Dances its Way to the Tobin Center
Celebrating the heritage of The Emerald Isle, Celtic Nights will feature the music and dance that’s shaped the island culturally and historically. The theatrical production straight outta Ireland will honor the the Easter Rising of 1916, a centennial event, and feature premier Irish dancers and musicians. The irish have remained at the forefront of pop…
Lost Records’ Get Lost Compilation Hits Streets March 5
Lost Records, a local label founded by Jason Valdez that’s devoted to the best in SoTex ska, punk and rock ‘n’ roll, is throwing a release party for their 2016 Compilation Get Lost: Volume 1. The sampler features bangers from their label family: The Lost Project, Young Costello, Kill Liberal and Harvey McLaughlin & the BottomFeeders,…
San Antonio River Authority: Be Careful on the Mission Reach
To all of those people who don’t have to work Monday and might be thinking about a jaunt down to the Mission Reach, be careful. The San Antonio River Authority posted an advisory on Facebook this morning warning that portions of the hike-and-bike trail are underwater. “Due to the recent rain events, the public is…
More Zika Virus Cases Confirmed in Bexar County
As the Zika virus continues to ravage, Central and South America, more cases of the illness have trickled into Bexar County. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reported on Friday, February 19 that there have been three confirmed cases of the Zika virus in Bexar County, with an additional six cases pending investigation by the…
Coney Island Exhibit’s Only Southwest Stop Is at the McNay Art Museum
An exhibit exploring the cultural symbol that was Coney Island before decades of decline after Astroland Amusement Park closed through more than 140 objects, including paintings, circus posters, photographs and more, arrives at the McNay Art Museum on May 11. “Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, 1861-2008” makes its only Southwest stop in San…
Texas Country Legend Billy Joe Shaver to Play Sam’s
The eight-fingered ol’ lump of coal has become the diamond of a songwriter that he once proclaimed he’d be. He sure had some pressure on him over his 76 years on this Earth. Shaver has seen and done more hellraisin’ than a bad grape in an Al Qaeda brothel. High on the success of 2014’s…
Today Marks 1 Year Since the First Same-Sex Couple Was Legally Married in Texas
Today was huge one year ago. February 19 marks the one-year anniversary of when Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant became Texas’ first legally married same-sex couple. In an Equality Texas blog post, José Andrés Araiza, Chairman of the Equality Texas Foundation Board of Directors, writes of witnessing the marriage in Austin, saying it still brings tears…
On the Move: Tapa Tapa Food Truck’s Latest Endeavor
The food truck competition in San Antonio seems only to be getting stiffer – but hey, we’re not complaining. Since 2011, Chef Rudolfo Martinez has channeled his culinary expertise into Tapa Tapa, the first chef-maintained and operated mobile kitchen in the San Antonio area. Martinez’s consistently innovative and bold approach to New American-style dishes, along with his…
Have Tickets You Haven’t Paid? You’ve Got 2 Weeks to Pay Up
Listen up law-flaunters — if you owe some money to Johnny Law, now’s the time to pay up. Those with outstanding warrants relating to fines from Class C misdemeanors can pay them from Saturday, February 20 through Sunday, March 6. That’s two whole weeks to pay what you owe without fear of being arrested. Class…
San Antonio Man Accused of Pointing Laser at News Helicopter
Federal authorities accuse a 24-year-old man of pointing a laser at a news helicopter in late October 2015. The FBI arrested Christopher B. Evans Thursday evening after a grand jury indicted him on the allegations. A local television news helicopter reported the incident, which happened near the airport. According to the FBI, San Antonio ranks…
CIA Bakery Café to Return in March
It’s celebration time in San Antone. Springtime is (almost) fully under way at this point, the Spurs are a close second in the Western Conference standings, the 125th anniversary of Fiesta is a short 55 days away, and now the Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio (312 Pearl Pkwy., 210-554-6464) has announced the grand reopening of its popular Pop-Up…
The 26th Annual San Antonio International Woman’s Day March & Rally Is March 5
San Antonio will unite March 5 to “uplift the voices of all women and girls” at the 26th annual San Antonio International Woman’s Day March & Rally. “We march through the streets of downtown San Antonio, our city, to say Women, This is the Moment! ¡Mujeres, Este es el Momento! This is the moment to…
Affluenza Adult: Ethan Couch Case Removed from Juvenile Court
A Dallas-area teenager who killed four people while driving drunk and then successfully stayed out of jail after his lawyers said he had “affluenza” because his parents were rich and dysfunctional had his court case moved to adult court, The Dallas Morning News reports. Ethan Couch allegedly broke his probation and fled to Mexico with his…
State Employee Resigns After Moonlighting On Planned Parenthood Study
A Texas Health and Human Services Commission official is resigning after Republican pressure because he co-authored a study published in the The New England Journal of Medicine that showed Medicaid-paid births have increased by 27 percent since the Lone Star State cut Planned Parenthood from public funding in 2013 used to provide contraception. The Texas Tribune reports…
City Council Backs Contract Extension, Raise for City Manager Sheryl Sculley
San Antonio City Council approved an ordinance today which extended City Manager Sheryl Sculley’s contract, gave her a raise and bonuses. The amendment to the contract will keep her on the city payroll through at least 2018. Sculley currently makes $400,000 per year. The new contract will boost her salary by $25,000 per year, bringing…
The Soul Spot, Tucker’s Bi-weekly Dance Party, Turns 6
It’s been six years since DJs Scuba Steve and JJ Lopez began the funky-fresh vinyl throw down which takes place every other Friday at Tucker’s Kozy Korner. Scuba Steve has since moved on but Leonard Trujillo, Matt Vasquez, and Ben Luhrman now join Lopez to provide San Antonio and the iconic east side bar with yesterday’s,…
Crystal City’s Water Looks Like Oil
Crystal City is having a rough time. On February 4, a federal grand jury indicted the small South Texas town’s city manager/attorney, William James Jonas, III, 54; its mayor, Ricardo Lopez, 40; its mayor pro-tem, Rogelio Mata, 43; city councilman Roel Mata, 44; Gilbert Urrabazo, 45, a former councilman; and Ngoc Tri Nguyen, 38, on…
Boban Amps Up the Volume in This New Commercial
Boban Marjanovic of Spurs fame proved to be a Renaissance Man during his recent foray into the world of acting. Rockin’ out to electronic tunes in a too-small Nissan — “This sound system is awesome!” he exclaims — the Serbian import to San Antone is comedic perfection in an advertisement for a local dealership that…
What You Need to Know for Best of San Antonio® 2016
Your time has come, San Antonio. The moment you’ve waited (a year) for has arrived. This could be big for you. The nomination period for Best of San Antonio ® 2016 is in full swing. This year, we’re conducting the contest in two parts: The first stage is to nominate your favorite dog park, coffee shop,…
10 Shows to See This Weekend
Thursday, February 18 mc chris Nerdcore hip-hopper Chris Ward keeps it dweeby, fo sheezy. With Nathan Anderson and Bitforce. $18, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St. Thursday, February 18 Patricia Vonne Austin-based (San Antonio native) Patricia Vonne has released five albums that dance across the border, showing her to be a tough Texas alt-rocker…
Live Music Returns to The Mix Tonight
The Mix, the former dive on the Strip, ain’t so dive-y anymore. At least not the actual atmosphere of the place, once garnished in trippy tinsel, low ceilings and a buffet of smells that I will lovingly refer to as “rock ‘n’ roll aromas.” Although the staff and drink prices will stay the same and…
Texas House Candidate Accuses Speaker of Murder
Well, this is as much a doozy as it is a logical leap that isn’t intellectually honest. But, hey, this is politics, right? This morning Jeff Judson, a conservative Tea Party member who is running for Texas House District 121 in an effort to unseat longtime speaker Joe Straus, released an email accusing his opponent…
The Ultimate Guitar Experience Tour Set to Melt Faces March 5
Dismissed as dad rock in recent memory (your dad’s record collection isn’t complete without Virgin Killer) the Scorpions will always complete the Holy Trinity of German hard rock that found mainstream success in North America, right between Accept and Rammstein. Ex-Scorpions shredder Uli Jon Roth will be joined by glam rock guitarist for Danger Danger, solo artist and Kip…
CineFestival Preview: Top Picks
The 38th annual edition of CineFestival starts Friday with Mi Familia/My Family and ends Saturday, February 27 with Bordertown. Next week, the Current will feature my take on what the festival has and what it needs. For now, here’s a partial list of the key films to watch, in chronological order. All movies at the…
City Council to Consider Contract Extension, Raises for City Manager Sheryl Sculley
San Antonio City Council will soon decide whether to extend City Manager Sheryl Sculley’s contract through 2018, and give her a series of raises that could make her the highest paid city manager in Texas. City Council will discuss the new deal in a B Session today, and again in an A Session tomorrow. The…
Potbelly Sandwich Shop to Open Rivercenter Mall Location
Potbelly Sandwich Shop is expanding its San Antonio footprint from outside Loop 1604 to its epicenter. The sandwich/soup/salad chain, which originated in Chicago, will open its second San Antonio restaurant next month. This one will be in Rivercenter Mall (849 E. Commerce St.). The new location will open on Tuesday, March 15. The first one…
A Specialty Coffee Shop and Quality Goods Store Is Opening on the East Side
A new coffee roasting facility, complete with a coffee bar, and a boutique specialty food and spice supply shop will open in approximately a month on San Antonio’s East Side. The 1,200-square-foot building at 1320 E. Houston St., Suite 101, which is undergoing a complete renovation from a vacant retail space, is the soon-to-be home…
Cured’s Steve McHugh Earns James Beard Semifinalist Nod For Best Chef Southwest
The 2016 James Beard Award Semifinalists were announced this morning. The awards, known as the “Oscars of food,” recognize chefs and restaurateurs changing the landscape of food in the U.S. After a two-year shut-out, San Antonio is back on the semifinalist list with Cured’s Steve McHugh earning a semifinalist nomination in the Best Chef: Southwest…
George Thorogood & The Destroyers ‘Badder Than Ever Tour’ Hits the Aztec in March
I’ll refrain from the dad rock jokes because I’ve never seen George Thorogood & The Destroyers live, maybe it’s the shit. Maybe. Although I hold the music of Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker and the murderer’s row of blues players that Thorogood has built a career off of covering in the highest regard, he has…
Is This Already the Best Fiesta Medal for 2016?
There are 57 days until Fiesta 2016 kicks off (how are we supposed to wait that long?), and the Fiesta medals are already rolling in. One that’s caught my eye thus far was shared this morning by local food blogger Garrett Heath of SA Flavor (not to be confused with the SA Current Flavor taking…
The Miss CAM 2016 Contest is Now Open
There’s one question you need to answer to be Miss CAM Antonio: How would you promote contemporary art in San Antonio? The contest is open to males and females alike, and all ages are welcome. The contest is open to people currently living in the Alamo City. Contestants should post their answers to the Miss…
Sarah Gise Shines in The Amish Project
In the growing litany of atrocities, West Nickel Mines — like Columbine and Sandy Hook — evokes a special horror, the massacre of young innocents. On October 2, 2006, a psychopathic intruder took control of a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. After allowing the teacher and her male pupils to flee, he shot…
Your Next Night Out Should Be at Rebelle
The venerable St. Anthony seems to be slowly coming to terms with its nip-tuck facelift, programming events to keep proud-again Peacock Alley active. Tuesday night’s Jazz on the Rocks at The St. Anthony Club bar just off the Alley is only one way to help populate a place that looks way better with people in…
Going Parisian at Sketch
Lunchtime Snob
Of Badonkadonks and Honky Tonks: the Admirable Hustle of Jamey Johnson
While the country music mainstream continues to set its sights on dominating the popular music milieu with a sound as slick (and a message as vapid) as any boy/girl band who has ever stormed the Top 40, singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson may be torn between the bright lights of superficial success and the Stetson brand laurels…
Prince Paul to Grace SA with His Royal Skills
Prince Paul can’t recall the last time he was in San Antonio, but after 30 years in the music industry you really can’t blame him. Regarded as one of the most influential producers in hip-hop, Paul Huston started collecting records when he was 5-years-old and was spinning wax by age 10. His skills on the…
How Does Anti-Flag Fight Political Fatigue?
Politics is a motherfucker. Governments are the worst. Power blows and those that seek it blow super hard. Human beings do terrible things to human beings. We cut each others’ genitals off and drop bombs on one another, hoping it will convince folks that we’re really not bad people. We strip each others’ rights away…
SA’s Oldest Teenagers: a Romantic Visitation of Patio Andaluz
Her hair is teased tall and coiffed into a hive. His shoes shine and his carnation smells sweet as she rests her rouged cheek upon his shoulder. The band plays smooth and crisp, like a gentle breeze blown upon a breath of spring. The young couple sways in time, arms aching to hold more than…
Spicing Things up with Ancho Reyes
Mezcal, the more inclusive kin to tequila, is having a moment — a moment that San Antonio is only too happy to share before it fizzles out. And along with our all-things-agave awareness, comes an appreciation of other Mexican spirits. Damiana, an herbal liqueur from Baja California (the damiana leaf is said to have aphrodisiacal…
Remix: How to Make a Suburban, 2016’s Next Trendy Cocktail
The end of every year is rife with trend stories, especially in the food and drink press, and so it was that I learned that port is 2016’s Next Big Thing in the cocktail world. It’s not a new assertion, but also not a surprising one. Port is available in a wide range of varieties,…
HBO Relationship Drama Togetherness Returns for Sophomore Season
If there is a thesis that permeates the work of writer/director sibling duo Mark and Jay Duplass, it’s that adult life is messy. Not only are the problems of adolescence and early adulthood still present during middle age, but the stakes are higher and the drama, therefore, more intense. It’s been a running theme throughout…
The Maltese Falcon Turns 75
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the classic film noir flick The Maltese Falcon, directed by legendary filmmaker John Huston (in his directorial debut) and starring the incomparable Humphrey Bogart. Hailed as being the first major film noir to be commercially screened, Huston’s shadowy masterpiece centers around Bogart’s impeccably cool private detective who is…
Marlon Wayans Talks Black, White and Green
Actor/writer/producer/comedian Marlon Wayans (Dance Flick) will make his standup comedy debut in San Antonio Feb. 19 at the Aztec Theater. He talked to the Current via phone recently about his new venture on stage and about his position on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. Are you excited about coming to San Antonio? Yeah, I heard San Antonio…
Savage Love: The Past Is Never Dead
My husband is Native American. I’m white. We’ve been together 16 years, raising a couple kids. We love each other very much, so this isn’t a deal breaker. I’ve got a thing for his long black hair. He’s a drop-dead gorgeous man, and while I gave up asking that he wear leggings or a breechcloth…
Newsmonger: Vista Ridge Pipeline’s Financial Woes, Corruption in Crystal City and Justice Antonin Scalia Dies in West Texas
Water Bills Abengoa, the company responsible for the 142-mile Vista Ridge Pipeline, is leaking cash. And it’s causing headaches for San Antonio officials trying to make the $3 billion water spigot a reality. Abengoa can’t pay its bills. It’s selling off other assets, such as solar panels and ethanol production, and seeking outside investors to…
Free Will Astrology, Week of February 17
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Old paint on a canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent,” said playwright Lillian Hellman. “When that happens, it is possible to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman’s dress, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea.”…
Amateur Hour: Comics Compete for Funniest in South Texas Title
Standing on stage at the Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club in front of an average-sized Wednesday night crowd, Chandra Murthy is fiddling with the base of the microphone, trying to remove it from the stand. The balding, bespectacled 71-year-old India native hasn’t told a joke yet. He’s squirming now, trying to wrestle the mic free.…
This Modern World (2/17/16)
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