Rolling out the carbon-cutting guillotine
Greg Harman gharman@sacurrent.com Over the weekend a new audience got a little better acquainted with Mayor Hardberger’s rush to lay down new tracks in his final months in office â?? tracks that ideally would steer San Antonio on course to become an international leader in pollution-free energy development, if all goes well. Even if much…
An Art Correspondent
The Wit & Wisdom of Gene Elder Kenneth Garrett, Gene Elder (in red, with cowboy hat), and the late Wade Strauch with friends at the NAMES Quilt. Washington, D.C. 1987. Photo taken by Hap Veltman. Gene Elder â?? artist, activist, and archivist at the HAPPY Foundation’s LGBT archives â?? views all of life’s details, no…
Heartless Bastards and Dance Like Robots Rock San Antonio
Greg M. Schwartz Gschwartz@sacurrent.com The Heartless Bastards, a rising alt-garage-rock buzz band from Austin (by way of Ohio) made their first visit to the Alamo City last night, with a rocking performance at Sam’s Burger Joint. The band, fronted by powerhouse vocalist/guitarist Erika Wennerstrom, hit the stage around 9:45 p.m. and delivered a 100-minute crowd-pleasing…
Your input wanted: Candidate questionnaire
Dear readers, Please take a few minutes to help us craft our council candidate questionnaire. Beginning next Wednesday, we’ll email it to all of the candidates who file (deadline’s March 9, tortoises). They’ll have until March 20 to craft compelling answers. We’ll run them in their entirety online, and print excerpts in our April 1…
Border Wall: bidness per usual?
Sunrise over Redford: Site of last fatal experiment in hosting U.S. Marines on border. Texas Governor Perry is game to give it another go. Greg Harman gharman@sacurrent.com Granted its only been a month and a week since President Obama was sworn in, but for those living on la frontera under an expanding border wall, little…
U.S. military deepening commitment to Calderon?
Brian Thompson bthompsoe@gmail.com An apparently deepening military relationship between the U.S. and Mexico “may or may not” involve military training outside the U.S., according to Pentagon spokesperson Commander Jeffrey Gordon. “Generally we do the training here in the United States but, uh … yeah … I’m not going to discuss at this point … I’m…
Oscar bet-a-thon loser karaoke: ‘A Whole New World’
1992’s Best Original Song “A Whole New World” from Disney’s Aladdin as performed by Current contributor Lynn Weingarten and an unseen but nonetheless glorious baritone. There’s more humiliation coming, so stay tuned.
SA Mayor’s race: All y’all are invited!!
From the inexplicable rumors department: Trish DeBerry-Mejia’s policy/communications guy Donze Lopez put off his candidate’s scheduled interview with the Current today so that he could air a few concerns he’d picked up from the rumor mill. Including: that candidate Julian Castro had been invited to our 2009 Best of SA party, April 23 at the…
Oscar bet-a-thon loser karaoke: ‘Born Free’
And now 1967 winner “Born Free” by John Barry and Don Black, as performed by staff writer Greg Harman.
Oscar bet-a-thon winner victory lap: ‘Eye of the Tiger’
Staff writer Greg Schwartz actually won the bet and was not required to sing, but he decided to really rub it in with a rendition of the ultimate winner’s anthem, “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, which was actually nominated in 1982, but tragically lost to “Up Where We Belong.” Where’s your messiah now? We’d…
Oscar bet-a-thon loser karaoke: ‘Theme From “Shaft”‘
Next up: 1972 winner “Theme from Shaft” by Isaac Hayes, as interpreted by art director Chuck Kerr, with the back-up dance stylings of retail account representative Jenny Herrmann and associate editor Jeremy Martin.
Oscar bet-a-thon loser karaoke: ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight?’
Last week, nine Current writers bet their dignity they’d be able to correctly pick the winners of this year’s Oscars. Eight of us lost, of course, and the punishment for bad punditry is (or should be) public humiliation, so we agreed to post videos of ourselves singing past Oscar-winning songs karaoke style on the blog…
SNAP calls on archbishop for action against credibly accused pedophile clergymen
Greg M. Schwartz gschwartz@sacurrent.com The local chapter of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, attempted to hand deliver a letter of complaint to San Antonio Catholic Archbishop Jose Gomez yesterday, with the letter alleging inaction by Gomez in dealing with two clergymen whose religious orders have found “credible” claims against each of…
On the Street: Domestic Correspondence, The Latest Messiah,
“Yes, againâ?¦” A few random events this week, but first to the letters… Letters (to the 2nd Story Ghetto Mid-Century Modern Efficiency Apartment) 1. She’s a Maniac (I Know) From Texas photographer Barry, this email comes in… Howdy, Mae as a maniac and Ann, Austin, TX, 2.23.2009 can be seen at http://www.barrystone.com/ Cheers, Barry 2.…
FILM SAN ANTONIO PLEASE
FILM SAN ANTONIO PLEASE On the Case: Cosmo Inserra You may know Cosmo Inserra â?? San Antonian, producer at Well Rounded Films, actor (notably in the recent indie film Buster), musician, writer, and most recently, citizen investigator of the San Antonio Film Commission (SAFC). You may be saying to yourself, “The hell? There’s a San…
Duty-dance with death
Waltz With Bashir Director: Ari Folman Screenwriter: Ari Folman Cast: Ari Folman, Ori Sivan, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Dror Harazi Release Date: 2009-02-26 Rated: R Genre: Film Filmmaker Ari Folman’s friend has nightmares about dogs. As an Israeli soldier in the 1982 Lebanon War, Folman’s friend couldn’t be trusted to pull the trigger on another…
Red all over: More cuts reported at Express-News
The Current has been hearing rumors for two weeks now that the Express-News planned to reduce its staff again to deal with the economic slowdown, which has dramatically multiplied the effects of the ongoing decline in print revenue (scroll down at www.sacurrent.com/columns/story.asp?id=69606). Daily reporters had mentioned it to story sources, and the suits were spotted…
Light Rail, Light Heat
Greg Harman gharman@gmail.com While Gov Perry struggles to figure out how to score the most political points by criticizing the federal attempt to bailout working Texans (now why didn’t the banks have these problems?), your diligent state rep, Mike Villarreal, has moved forward with a plan to allow San Antonio voters the ability to tax…
Travels with Frenchie Part VI: the old world
Release Date: 2009-02-25 Welcome to the sixth and final installment of Travels with Frenchie, a monthly food series in which a trio of culturally mismatched San Antonians explores our city’s culinary nooks and crannies. As with last month’s championing of India Taj-Palace’s buffet, our core team consisted of Frenchie (aka Fabien Jacob, sommelier at Le…
Poetry In Motion
Release Date: 2009-02-25 The Ballet Conservatory of South Texas presents original works of contemporary and classical ballet that educate audiences about various styles, simultaneously entertaining and inspiring with cutting-edge choreography. Giselle, Act II is a hauntingly beautiful example of romantic style; the performance tells the story of the Willies, beautiful young women who are driven…
The Century of Self
The Century of Self Composer: â?¦And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Conductor: â?¦And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Label: Justice Release Date: 2009-02-25 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording Listening to the latest album from Austin’s Trail of Dead is almost physically demanding. The proggy keyboard fanfare of opener…
The Heartless Bastards
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2009-02-25 The Heartless Bastards mix ethereal blues and lo-fi alt-rock into a unique formula on their third album, The Mountain, which they’re supporting on tour now. The soaring title track oozes sonic majesty, with pedal-steel guitar and Erika Wennerstrom’s vocals surfing over waves of crashing guitars. A few of the band’s…
It’s Not Me, It’s You
It’s Not Me, It’s You Composer: Lily Allen Conductor: Lily Allen Label: Capitol Release Date: 2009-02-25 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording Since she released her 2006 debut Alright, Still, singer-songwriter Lily Allen’s offstage antics have attracted far more attention than her cheeky, fast-talking music. That’s unfortunate, because the songs on It’s Not Me, It’s You are…
Riley Robinson & Joey Fauerso
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2009-02-25 Riley Robinson is the studio director at Artpace and a sculptor. He’s also the husband of Hunting Prize finalist painter Joey Fauerso. They’re like the Hart to Hart of the San Anto art world! They have a show, too — not on TV, but at Gallery 100 at Palo Alto…
Live
Live Composer: Keller Williams Conductor: Keller Williams Label: SCI Fidelity Release Date: 2009-02-25 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording Keller Williams built a rep on the jam-rock scene first as a solo acoustic troubadour, then as a one-man band accompanying himself with looping technology. For many, he was most impressive fronting the String Cheese Incident in the…
Noche de Cultura
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2009-02-25 Join some of the city’s most talented artists, writers, and performers in a night that promises the finest in puro San Anto culture. Local writer Barbara Renaud Gonzalez kicks off the event with excerpts from her upcoming novel, Golondrina, why did you leave me?, the first Chicana fiction to be…
Perfect Time for a Breakdown
Perfect Time for a Breakdown Composer: Sharon Little Conductor: Sharon Little Label: CBS Records Release Date: 2009-02-25 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording 2008 was a big year for Little, who went from waiting tables in Philadelphia to scoring a record deal and opening for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on their Raising Sand tour. Her debut…
David Copperfield
Release Date: 2009-02-25 Armed with his signature off-the-cuff humor, David Copperfield breaks new ground with “Grand Illusion,” a new stage show in which the conjurer takes one’s dreams (and maybe a few nightmares) and turns them into reality. The Majestic Theatre provides the perfect setting for the intimate affair, which is extremely audience interactive and…
Gimme a ‘C’(-plus)!
Fired Up Director: Will Gluck Screenwriter: Will Gluck Cast: Nicholas Dâ??Agosto, Eric Christian Olsen, Sarah Roemer, Molly Sims, John Michael Higgins Release Date: 2009-02-25 Rated: R Genre: Film In the annals of cheer cinema (or, as I may immediately regret typing, “cheerinema,” which bears an unfortunate phonetic resemblance — if perhaps not an entirely inappropriate…
Two Lovers
Two Lovers Director: James Gray Screenwriter: James Gray Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Isabella Rossellini, Samantha Ivers Release Date: 2009-02-25 Rated: R Genre: Film Any press for this film is going to focus on Joaquin Phoenix’s bushy beard and Andy Kaufman act, and that’s kind of a shame, though the title is lame…
Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail
Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail Director: Tyler Perry Screenwriter: Tyler Perry Cast: Tyler Perry, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Derek Luke, Tamela J. Mann, Ion Overman Release Date: 2009-02-25 Rated: PG-13 Genre: Film Madea Goes to Jail would’ve benefited from being a straight-up comedy. The film makes use of an obvious gimmick, as writer-director Tyler Perry…
He’s Just Not That Into You
Heâ??s Just Not That Into You Director: Ken Kwapis Screenwriter: Ken Kwapis Cast: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, Justin Long Release Date: 2009-02-25 Rated: PG-13 Genre: Film This latte-frothy, star-studded, overstuffed romantic comedy got its title (and inspiration) from a Sex and the City gag line that spawned…
Slipknot, Coheed and Cambria, & Trivium
Release Date: 2009-02-25 In one of the strangest tour pairings since Slayer and Marilyn Manson in ’07, special guests Coheed and Cambria join metal masters Slipknot on the Iowa-based ninesome’s largest American tour to date. Come to think of it, Slipknot and Disturbed was a pretty strange pairing for last year’s Rockstar Mayhem Festival, and…
David Copperfield
Release Date: 2009-02-25 Armed with his signature off-the-cuff humor, David Copperfield breaks new ground with “Grand Illusion,” a new stage show in which the conjurer takes one’s dreams (and maybe a few nightmares) and turns them into reality. The Majestic Theatre provides the perfect setting for the intimate affair, which is extremely audience interactive and…
Glow Your Spirit: Love In ’09
Release Date: 2009-02-25 The Current never quite knows what will transpire when local artist L.A. David throws one of his eclectic art ’n’ music mashup parties. What we do know: there will be a combination of space burros and burras, atypical artwork, and rockin’ tunes by I Ching Gatos, Heather Leather, Los Rokmantix, and Confusing…
Jeff Corwin
Release Date: 2009-02-25 Award-winning Animal Planet host Jeff Corwin unleashes his “Tales from the Field” presentation on wildlife, ecology, and conservation at SAC, bringing along live reptiles for display and discussion. The adventure-seeking wildlife biologist is widely recognized for his work in communicating the need for a sustainable approach to using natural resources, and has…
Last Call at Cigar Club w. The Jackson Parten Catastrophe, Mike Gomez & DJ Vinny, Chris Taylor & The Million Dollar Trio, Tim Phillips Trio, Elijah Zane Trio and The Vinyl Affair
Release Date: 2009-02-25 Stone Oak staple Cigar Club says goodbye to its beloved patrons with a weekend of drinks, stogies, and live music to close out 13 successful years. The party gets started on Friday with a CD Release by Johnny Goudie (below), stretching into Saturday with the all-day “Last Call” music fest. Doors close…
There may be only one
Release Date: 2009-02-25 What’s worse: actively seeking a fern bar, or failing to find one? This was the existential question I faced as I walked into Highlander Bar and Grill and wondered, where did all the ferns go? (Evidently, fern bars vanished after Bennigans and similar chains appropriated their 1970s love of plants, oak paneling, and…
8th Annual JCC Jewish Film Festival
Release Date: 2009-02-25 From the uproarious coming-of-age film Sixty Six to the melancholy memoir Fugitive Pieces, the Barshop JCC’s festival aims to move attendees from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. This year’s lineup includes forays into forbidden religion and relationships (The Secrets), a delayed assassination that hopes to achieve redemption (The…
Growing in the dark
Whether by necessity or desire, the selection of artwork from the AT&T Collection on view in the McNay’s Stieren exhibition wing makes for an incisive monograph on painting’s development in the ’80s and early ’90s, when it was still recovering from the suffocating grip of Abstract Expressionism’s titans and Donald Judd’s brutal eulogy. It’s a…
Dear Uncle Mat
I ended a relationship of one year today. I had been feeling overburdened with expectations and I let her know this several weeks before, giving her the ultimatum that if things didn’t improve, then I would leave. I have said this several times to her in the past, but never really followed through, so she…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Beware of people who act like polite jerks or tone-deaf music critics or emotionally numb lovers. While they may be able to teach you a lot about what you don’t need, they’re not worthy candidates for enduring relationships. Now let’s turn our attention to the question of who exactly does belong…
Recession chic
This past weekend, local designers Angelina Mata and Elizabeth Ciarfeo joined together to debut spring lines and raise funds for the Artist Foundation. Mata, the creative director for Southtown’s “Art of Fashion” show, usually uses the Contemporary Art Month event at Blue Star as the forum for her designs. The textually reversed “Fashion is Art”…
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I believe that the words people use to describe other people, intentionally or unintentionally, reflect their political values. But I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, so I write to you. You described Cesar Chavez as hating “illegals” in a previous column, and as being ethnocentric early in his career.…
Portuguese reds
Tinta roriz, aragonez, trincadeira, periquita … the names fall trippingly off the tongue, but their meaning is altogether obscure to even some of the most sophisticated wine drinkers. Port aficionados who have been paying attention, however, will have a leg up on the competition, for many of these grapes are the same ones used in…
Amuse-BOUCHE
After a couple of meatless meals at home, my craving for carne got the better of me, so I hit the nearest Texas Land & Cattle. While some restaurants are encountering hard times, the three TXLCs in San Antonio appear to be doing well. Mine, at 410 and McCullough, was sufficiently full at 6 p.m., that I…
The roots of doo-dooism
The year is 1994. It’s another sweltering June night in San Antonio, and hip-hop is in the air. Off Fredericksburg Road, Club Miami is packed and abuzz, anticipating the debut album from Alamo City teenage rap duo Spooky G and Black Jack — a full-length cassette titled Straight Doo-Dooism. Performers Divine Soul, Madd Skillz, Last…
THE SOUND & THE FURY
Over the last 15 years, the Gourds’ productivity has been matched only by the consistency of their work. Smart, self-critical, and blessed with three tunesmiths (Kevin Russell, Jimmy Smith, and Max Johnston) to perpetually replenish the song cupboards, they rarely make a false move. Their latest, Haymaker!, finds them continuing their recent, subtle shift toward…
Nothing More
Nothing More’s merch dude JC climbs onstage with a guitar. The Unwritten Law cover he’s about to perform, he says, is dedicated to his girlfriend, whom he calls up onstage. Afterwards, obviously, he unpockets a ring box and asks the question, leaving Nothing More to follow a Hollywood-style wedding proposal. It’s an appropriate beginning for…
“The Only Day There Is” — Vanessa Lively
SA-born, Austin-based singer-songwriter Vanessa Lively lets the elaborately folksy instrumentals build for more than a minute before adding vocals, allowing the backing band free rein long enough to convince you “Only Day” is going to be a lyricless blue-grass jam informed by old-world influences. And — considering her opening couplet after all of that is…
Tuesday with Maury
It’s 8 a.m., and Kim and I are standing in line at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan waiting to see a taping of The Maury Show. Why? Well, a lot of reasons. We thought it would be a fun thing to do on a random Tuesday. And there’s an awfully short waiting list for tickets,…
S’Nuff film
Is your Marfa Film Festival (marfafilmfestival.org) entry in the mail yet? It must be postmarked by TODAY (Wednesday, February 25). Good. We can proceed then. The eighth-annual Jewish Film Festival, put on by the Jewish Community Center, begins Saturday, February 28, and continues through March 5 at the Santikos Bijou (4522 Fredericksburg). Check out p.…
Punk Monk
Brad Warner has practiced Zen for more than 20 years. He’s become an internationally noted teacher of the spiritual discipline, but it hasn’t eliminated his problems. Staring down a divorce and pondering an affair, the punk-bassist-turned-Zen-teacher had the idea for his new book, Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate: A Trip Through Death, Sex,…
The QueQue
Brown like me The Brown Berets and representatives from the Cesar Chavez Foundation and the Mexican American Catholic College sat down with Balcones Heights Mayor Suzanne de Leon Monday to discuss recent allegations that the northwest hamlet’s police force is using racial profiling to run illegal immigrants out of town. The Berets’ Carlos de Leon…
Cut on the bias
Only once did I own a Chanel dress. It had been stripped of its buttons and altered, but the dress itself had the undeniable whiff of early Lagerfeld for Chanel: its drop waist a nod to Coco’s first creations, and its burnished silk the blond-oak hue of a mid-century Swedish sideboard. I never wore it; it…
San Antonio returns to its ailing Yanaguana
Imagine stepping into the San Antonio River. Close your eyes and imagine wading in, without fear. There’s no rusted old bed frame lodged in the muck to cut you. No colonies of E. coli or cryptosporidium ready to turn your digestive tract into a razor-tipped cockfight. Imagine cool sensuality inching up your chest. The sweet…
ARTIFACTS
The justly celebrated Say Sí represents that rarest of all arts nonprofits: competent, accomplished, and fully coherent in its mission. Rather than padding résumés and preaching platitudes, Say Sí educates kids (age 14+) in the arts without dumbing either down, emphasizes artistic excellence as well as employment readiness, and fosters a community of forward-thinking youth…
South Texas nuke challenge deadline nears
Refueling at STNP: Is it time to double our pleasure? (DOE courtesy pic) Greg Harman gharman@sacurrent.com When the phone book is distributed in Bay City, there are two fluorescent pages inside: one to inform emergency responders that you have evacuated because of a meltdown at the nearby South Texas Nuclear Project, another to say you…
Little ditty about Ted and Diane
By Gilbert Garcia Diane Cibrian would probably like to forget last week ever happened, but online viewers of her strange, inexplicably tense interview with FOX 29’s Sylvia Rincon won’t let their memories die so quickly. Rincon’s sit-down exchange with Cibrian was part of a five-minute feature on the three major candidates in this year’s mayoral…
