Cover Story
The Bang Bang Bar Wants to Be Your Neighborhood Bar, San Antonio
It’s long been a firmly held belief that San Antonio is a terribly friendly place to live. Tourists and newcomers comment on our polite predilection for holding the door open for each other, saying “excuse me” and “thank you,” bidding good morning to folks we pass on the street — people we don’t know and…
Some Thoughts on Queer Shaming From One SA Rapper to Another
Editor’s Note: To be clear, the artist in question is P2 The Gold Ma$k. P2 The Gold Ma$k has been invited to respond in the hope that a dialogue can be achieved and his opinion can be fairly represented, but has declined. However, the offer is still on the table. P2 The Gold Ma$k did…
4 Things To Do If You’re Single This Weekend
Coffee & Chill: Joseph E. Coffee is hosting two nights of speed dating this Friday and Saturday for anyone that needs a last minute date for Valentine’s Day. A ticket, available online or in store, is $25, which gets you free appetizers two cups of either coffee or a specialty drink, a chance to win the…
Chef Johnny Hernandez Announces 7th Annual Paella Challenge
On Sunday, March 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. chef Johnny Hernandez will host the seventh annual Paella Challenge on Pearl Brewery grounds (200 E. Grayson St.). Featuring an array of delicious food and wine from Spain, the event will also have traditional sangria as well as a variety of fabulous craft and imported beers…
San Antonio Is the Best City in America to Get a Second Date
Giving everyone a splash of hope going into the weekend, Match.com has named the city of San Antonio the best city in America to score a second date in their sixth annual Comprehensive Study of the Single Population. According to the study, three out of four first dates result in a second, so for those…
Troubled Spanish Company Building Vista Ridge Pipeline Seeks New Investors
In November, the Spanish company that’s responsible for building the controversial 142-mile Vista Ridge water pipeline started bankruptcy proceedings. Now, Abengoa is seeking new investors for the project, which has strong support from Mayor Ivy R. Taylor and the San Antonio Water System (SAWS). “We understand that Abengoa is reorienting its global business to focus…
Paper Tiger to Celebrate One Year Anniversary, Give SA the Gift of CocoRosie, Protomartyr, Fat White Family and More
In celebration of their one year anniversary, Paper Tiger, the venue that has given San Antonio an opportunity to witness some of the best bands of the last 40 years and avoid making the trip up 35 to the increasingly white, yuppie enclave of total “weirdness,” has announced their birthday show lineup … and it’s…
Whoopi Goldberg to Perform at the Majestic Theatre
It’s Whoopi! I am going to cash in all of my alt-weekly vulgarity allowances here and just state that I love the fucking shit out of Whoopi Goldberg! From my first exposure to the dreadlocked renaissance woman in The Lion King (yes, I’m still young as shit, I think), to Ghost, which I was allowed to…
Gipsy Kings to Bring Their Old World Flavor to the Majestic Theatre
The band behind smash, quasi-Olive Garden theme song “Bamboléo,” as well as numerous other international hits that combine the rhythms and sensuality of the Old and New Worlds will headline a show on Monday, May 9 at 7:30pm at the Majestic Theatre. The group that united the families Reyes and Baliardo over 25 years ago and…
San Antonio Book Festival Announces Lineup for 4th Annual Festival
The San Antonio Book Festival announced its 85-author lineup for its 4th annual festival today. The free festival will take place on April 2 at the Central Library and the Southwest School of Art. The lineup features heavy literary hitters such as Stephen Harrigan, who wrote The Gates of the Alamo and Skip Hollandsworth, a…
Spurs Tip-off Rodeo Road Trip in MLK Socks
As Mars Blackmon exclaimed back in the day, in the NBA “It’s gotta be the shoes.” When the Spurs embark on their annual Rodeo Road Trip this week though, it’s all about the socks. After surviving Kobe Bryant’s last game in San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard and company will be packing Stance’s official Black History Month…
Dolphin Dies at SeaWorld, Another Under Constant Veterinary Supervision
Another mammal has died at SeaWorld San Antonio. The company reported in a blog post on February 6 that Dart, 12, a Pacific white-sided dolphin, died at the park. SeaWorld says the exact cause of death hasn’t been determined, but veterinarians had been monitoring the dolphin for about a month. The aquatic mammal was under…
San Antonio FC Wants You to Design Its First Scarf
San Antonio’s United Soccer League club, San Antonio FC, recently announced its name and logo. Now it’s turning to fans for the design of that ubiquitous soccer accessory: the scarf. San Antonio FC announced on Monday that the club is holding a contest to decide its first ever scarf design. Fans from the San Antonio…
Progress Texas Files Deceptive Trade Complaint Against Ted Cruz
Sen. Ted Cruz may be violating a 2015 deceptive trade practices law approved by the Texas Legislature that deals with font size, according to one advocacy group.. Progress Texas, a liberal Lone Star State organization, filed an official complaint about one of Cruz’s presidential campaign mailers with the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. The…
Beyoncé Announces 2016 Tour Dates
In case you missed the first commercial following the Super Bowl 50 halftime performance, Beyoncé has announced a tour of the United States and Western Europe to commence this spring. Unfortunately, Bey will not be hitting the Alamo City, but she will be performing in Houston and Dallas, her only two Texas dates. So, in case you’re keeping…
8 Videos and Photos of the Rivercenter Mall Parking Garage Fire
Monday was a big moment for the fire emoji in San Antonio. An early afternoon fire at the parking garage at Rivercenter Mall sent dozens of firefighters Downtown to fight the blaze. The fire started after sparks from a demolition crew’s welding torch ignited pieces of dry wood atop the garage, according to San Antonio…
10 Free Events Happening This Week
Tue 2/9 Shambhala Day- Tibetan New’s Year Day Celebration 2016 is the year of the Fire Monkey, and to celebrate the Tibetan new year The San Antonio Shambhala Meditation Center will offer a toast to the Sun Rise at 7:00 a.m. along with a traditional lhasang ceremony. At 6:00 p.m. there will be a reception…
Spurs Big Man LaMarcus Aldridge Named Western Conference Player of the Week
Spurs fans aren’t the only ones to notice that forward LaMarcus Aldridge is hitting his stride in San Antonio. Aldridge was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week, the Spurs announced today in a news release. This is the ninth time he’s won the award in his career, his first in San Antonio. The…
5 Shows to See This Week
Monday, February 8 Bret Graham Gruene Hall staple Bret Graham has a serious fixation with all things “honky tonk.” For real, his album is named Honky Tonk the Night Away, along with a song called “Honky Tonk Disorder.” At least it’s not “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.” Free, 6pm, Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, 830-606-1281 Tuesday, February…
Local Chefs Host Tacos for Kane Fundraiser
Chefs and others within the food industry will come together Wednesday, February 10 at Mezcaleria Mixtli (5313 McCullough Ave., 210-320-1660) to raise money with Tacos for Kane. San Antonio native, Kane William Sorrells, is a chef currently employed by Qui (1600 E. 6th St., 512-436-9626) in Austin. Sorrells is one part of Tim Doi, a now defunct Thai dining concept he and friend Jerald Head…
Get a Real Job, San Antonio: Be an Internet Spirit Guide
Whether you’ve got one or you need one, jobs can be a drag. So in a San Antonio Current feature, we scan local job boards to find a real gig you could have that you may never have thought of. This week: be an Internet sherpa to some guy who says he needs one, as…
Actor LeVar Burton to Speak at St. Philip’s College
Whether you spent Saturday mornings learning from “Reading Rainbow” or are a fan of Giordi La Forge from Star Trek: The Next Generation or know LeVar Burton from his ground-breaking character Kunta Kinte in the television series Roots, there’s a can’t-miss event going on for this week. This Thursday, February 11, St. Philip’s College (1801 Martin…
8 Mardi Gras Shindigs to Hit up This Tuesday
Finally finished cleaning up after your Super Bowl Party? Mardi Gras is upon us and fear not, chéri, San Antonio has you covered. If you can’t wait until Fiesta for the Taste of New Orleans, the San Antonio Zulu Association has heard your belly grumbles and is ready with food! Join them This Tuesday February 9 for a $10 entry fee at the VFW…
President to Ask Congress for Nearly $2 Billion in Emergency Funding to Combat Zika Virus
President Barack Obama announced Monday that he’s going to ask Congress for more $1.8 billion to fight the Zika virus, which causes mild symptoms that are usually gone in a few days, but can also result in a serious birth defect where infants have small heads. The requested resources will build on our ongoing preparedness…
Billionaire Begs Dallas City Council to Cancel Sex Expo
When people’s free speech and sexuality bug the large majority of Americans, local governments probably receive gigabytes of all-cap emails written by people who want to make America great again. But when sexuality and free speech combine to make a convention, one Dallas billionaire’s concerns won’t fall in the spam box or be quickly deleted.…
Watch: San Antonio Artists’ 2016 NPR Tiny Desk Contest Submissions
Here are just some of the eclectic offerings of a handful of SA’s talented musicians submitted to NPR in their, now annual, contest to find the next “unknown” performer. The winner wins the coveted opportunity to appear on their much-loved Tiny Desk Concert series. Tight competition here. Saakred “Plate Tectonic” There has been a noticeable…
Mardi Gras Hits Paper Tiger Next Tuesday
The last time I was at Paper Tiger (2410 N. St. Mary’s St.), the drinks were decked with Twizzlers and I vaguely remember hitching a ride home with a friend while eating leftover Pizza Classics in his backseat. Hopefully, Paper Tiger’s Mardi Gras crawfish boil set for Tuesday, February 9 is just a little less…
In Case You Missed It: Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy Sings a Lullaby to Stephen Colbert
Tweedy, the grisly prototype of the modern folk-hipster, also happens to be one hell of a songwriter, performer and seemingly funny dude (in case you didn’t know). Last night, as guests on the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Wilco performed “Random Name Generator” off of the groups 2015 release Star Wars. However, Tweedy didn’t…
Local Apparel Company Creates Anti-bullying T-shirt, Plans to Donate Portion of Sales to David’s Legacy
A new Alamo City apparel company that opened in January wants to raise awareness about bullying and raise money for David’s Legacy: #StopTheBullying, a Go Fund Me campaign inspired by the tragic suicide of Alamo Heights teenager David Molak, who was a victim of cyberbullying. The company, San Antonio Battles Everybody, created striking red shirts…
Deftones Drop First Single Off of Forthcoming Gore and Diss Kanye
“Prayers/Triangles,” the first single off of Gore, the Deftones album set for an April 8 release, was uploaded yesterday along with the tracklist and album cover. The LP can be pre-ordered from the band’s website along with numerous other Gore-specific merch. In a press release for the LP frontman Chino Moreno threw a little shade…
River City Rockfest Announces 2016 Lineup Including Megadeth, Disturbed, The Sword, Hatebreed and More
San Antonio’s annual Bud Light-sponsored rock fest has announced this year’s lineup. Held on the AT&T Center grounds every year, the River City Rockfest supplies much of the city with their yearly head-banging, devil horns-flashing fix, bringing huge names in the modern rock game to a city that has been known to kick out a jam. This year will be…
Yanaguana Garden’s New Mockingbird Fest Will Celebrate All-things Texas
San Antonio’s new Yanaguana Garden is building on its success and warm reception by getting into one of this city’s most cherished past-times: a festival. Hemisfair announced Friday that a new celebration of food, culture and Texas fun called the Mockingbird Fest will highlight “the sounds, flavors and traditions of the Lone Star State” on…
Wood Pieces in Caramel Pecan Turtle Ice Cream Causes H-E-B Recall
Is no ice cream safe anymore? First Blue Bell takes a months-long hiatus after some of its product was contaminated by Listeria. Now H-E-B has issued a voluntary recall for its Creamy Creations Caramel Pecan Turtle Ice Cream “due to the possible presence of wood pieces in the product.” Obviously Listeria (which killed three people and…
Say Hello to San Antonio FC: Fans React to New Soccer Team’s Name, Logo
The identity crisis of San Antonio’s new pro soccer club is over. Spurs Sports and Entertainment unveiled the United Soccer League team’s name, logo and first player signings last night at the AT&T Center, dubbing the club “San Antonio FC.” The team explained in a news release that the eponymous title “solidifies San Antonio’s hometown…
Yes, You Can Still Get In Deep Shit for Cattle Rustlin’
Gone are the days where town vigilantes and cowboys would carry out extrajudicial killings of alleged cattle rustlers — by torchlight, we assume. While times have changed and the judicial process is less about mob justice and more about proving someone is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, people haven’t changed — they still steal cattle.…
San Antonio Symphony Announces 2016-2017 Season
From the classics to modern compositions, the San Antonio Symphony’s lineup for their 2016-2017 season is a stellar mix of old and new. Season tickets have been available since February 3, and single tickets will go on sale in August. To purchase tickets, contact the Tobin Center Box Office at (210) 223-8624 or visit the SA Symphony’s website. Below…
Dinner, a Movie and a Striptease: Stars and Garters Burlesque Troupe to Perform Alongside Burlesque Doc
Unless you’ve been living under a totally boring, sexless rock for the last few years, you are aware that the classic art of burlesque has been on the rise. Stars and Garters Burlesque, being one of several troupes to pop up in town, will be performing their palpitations, shimmies and shakes guaranteed to set your…
Report: Raiders and Texans to Play in Mexico City Next Season
It’s official: the Oakland Raiders are indeed coming south. To Mexico City. For one game. That’s according to a report from ESPN, which, citing an anonymous source, claims that the Raiders and the Houston Texans will square off in Mexico City in 2016. This will be the NFL’s first foray into Mexico since 2005. The…
The Invincible Czars to Perform Live Soundtrack to Silent Horror Classic Nosferatu
Drawing inspiration from classic film score composers as well as loud, abrasive rock ‘n’ roll bands, Austin’s Invincible Czars create the soundtracks to a prestigious list of cinematic classics. Here’s how it goes down, four – that’s right, only four – musical foley artists perform the soundtrack, much of it of their own composing, to…
Former KISS Guitarist Ace Frehley to Play San Antonio
Isn’t it a mother when you start a band, in this case one of the most profitable bands of all time, rise to fame and prominence, tour the world and perform for millions, only to find your band taking a direction of which you have no interest in being a part, resulting in your departure…
Shuck Shack Hosts First Crawfish Boil This Friday
You love to celebrate seafood, beads, king cakes and drinking until Mardi Gras is over? And you aren’t going to NoLa this year? So what! Shuck Shack (520 E. Grayson St., 210-236-7422) is throwing its first ever crawfish boil on Friday, February 5, and you need to be there. Plus, your liver is probably praising your…
7 Ways to Spend Your Singles Awareness Day (Yes, We Mean Valentine’s Day)
Single this Valentine’s Day? Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Check out these fine establishments for all your Tinder swiping next weekend. Coyote Ugly: Valentine’s Day is weird; let’s face it. There are expectations to be met and tears to be shed, and a whole lot of fanegaling, too. If you want to get the party…
10 Shows to See This Weekend
Thursday, February 4 Agent Orange Innovators of one of the best music mashups ever: surf-punk, Agent Orange is also the creator of bro-punk (but no one seems to talk about that). With In the Whale. $16, 7pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St. Thursday, February 4 Big Eyes, Flesh Lights I’ll give you three words…
Medicaid-paid Births Increase after Texas Barred Planned Parenthood from Using Public Funds for Contraception
Since Lone Star State legislators decided to cut Planned Parenthood from public funding the organization used to provide contraception, a law that went into effect in 2013, Medicaid-paid births have increased by 27 percent, a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine reports. The researchers found that claims for IUDs and implants…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 2/4 “Landscape Under Your Feet” Not to be confused with the Bill Miller Bar-B-Q co-founder, Bill Miller is a Cleveland-born collage artist and founding member of Pittsburgh’s Industrial Arts Co-op, a collective that constructed large-scale sculptures from salvaged materials inside abandoned buildings. Using vintage linoleum flooring as an artistic medium, Miller creates everything from…
Big Bend’s ‘Powerline Fire’ Burns Approximately 2,000 Acres
A fire sparked Monday afternoon in Big Bend National Park continues burning and causing heavy smoke. The National Park Service is calling it the Powerline Fire. The park service said that as of Tuesday afternoon, the fire had grown to 1,995 acres. Authorities said that additional resources are expected to arrive today to continue maintaining fire…
“Love Poems to San Antonio” Revealed this Afternoon in the Plaza de Armas Building
Love is in the air, but passion for San Antonio is a year-round affair. In testament to Alamo City residents’ love for our historic metropolis (300 years in 2018, y’all), San Anto Poet Laureate Laurie Ann Guerrero’s signature initiative, “Love Poems to San Antonio,” will unveil the visual and poetic tribute by local writers and…
ARTS San Antonio Presents Band of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines Musicians are regarded as one of the most versatile in the military musical world. Most musicians are required to attain a high standard on both a string and a wind instrument. The Corps of Drums have a glittering presence at the front of all Royal Marine Bands on the march and gives a…
Andy Benavides Takes on the FL!GHT Art Challenge
Thu 2/4 – Fri 2/5 Local artist, 1906 South Flores arts complex proprietor and SMART (Supporting Multiple Arts Resources Together) executive director Andy Benavides helps FL!GHT kick off an intriguing new exhibition series designed to fill “unexpected windows of time” in the gallery’s regularly scheduled programming. After being given a mere 12 hours to formulate…
Controversial “Men’s Rights” Group that Supports Legalization of Rape Cancels Meeting at the Alamo
Update: The meet-up is cancelled. Editors note: Story updated to include comment from Texas Rep. Diego Bernal and San Antonio City Councilman Roberto C. Treviño. If you’re doing the age-old bring the relatives from Kansas to the Alamo Saturday, watch out for people who ask you where they can find a pet shop. For real.…
Preview Numero Group’s Forthcoming Wayfaring Strangers: Cosmic American Music
The curators of some of the world’s most profound and obscure music, including last year’s Royal Jesters release, have recently set their sights on what Gram Parsons endearingly dubbed “Cosmic American Music.” To the uninitiated, “Cosmic American Music” may seem like the cool breeze of soft-rock with the sepia tinge of country and western that…
CineFestival, the Largest Latino Film Festival, Announces Schedule
The 38th Annual San Antonio CineFestival is almost underway! The nation’s longest running Latino film festival and San Antonio’s original indie film festival will kick off Friday, February 19 and run through Saturday, February 27 at the historic Guadalupe Theater, located at 1301 Guadalupe Street. Here is what Jim Mendiola, the festival’s director, had to say…
Man Convicted of Random 2013 New Year’s Eve Murder at O.P. Schnabel Park
Update: Bautista was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday afternoon. A Bexar County jury took 20 minutes Tuesday to convict 31-year-old Christian Bautista of murdering 24-year-old Lauren Bump on New Year’s Eve. Bautista attacked Bump with a hunting knife in O.P. Schnabel Park, stabbing her more than 20 times. She was visiting family while on…
Map: Where a New Downtown Restroom Might Go, and Where They Exist Now
Within the next three months, San Antonio will have a new, state-of-the-art public restroom Downtown called the Portland Loo (read more about that here). Portland Loos are open 24/7, and have been installed in over a dozen other cities. Bringing one, and perhaps many more in the future, to San Antonio could alleviate the problem…
Seinfeld Still Kills: the Science of Being an Asshole
Jerry Seinfeld doesn’t need an introduction. The 61-year-old comedian, writer, actor and producer who, along with comedic genius/curmudgeon Larry David, gave us the finest TV show of all time – nine seasons of glorious nothing – can generate laughs, with a studied and vital nonchalance, like no one else. Seinfeld’s comedy, as a standup, as…
Savage Love: The Wilbur Theatre
A large crowd braved a snowstorm to come out to Savage Love Live at Boston’s Wilbur Theatre last week. Questions were submitted on index cards, which allowed questioners to remain anonymous and forced them to be succinct. I got to as many of them as I could over two long, raucous, boozy hours. Here are…
Free Will Astrology, Week of February 3
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Bible’s Book of Exodus tells the story of the time Moses almost met God. “Show me your glory, please,” the prophet says to his deity, who’s hiding. “You cannot see my face,” God replies, “but I will show you my back parts.” That’s good enough for Moses. He agrees. I…
This Modern World (2/3/16)
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Explaining San Antonio’s 9 Sister Cities
World War II divided the world and when it ended, after years of suffering, violence and sacrifice, it needed healing. So in 1956, nine years after Adolf Hitler shot himself and the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, President Dwight D. Eisenhower created Sister Cities International to create bonds between Earth’s…
Twirl’s Lisa Weller Shares Highlights From Haute Couture Week in Paris
In a survey conducted by qualifications authority City & Guilds, hairdressers topped a “contentment list” based on job satisfaction. If the givens of the hair industry — creativity and communication being key — aren’t enough to make you ponder a career switch, tack on coveted bonuses like jet-setting around Europe, collaborating with bigwigs and grooming…
Super Snacks: Bites to Try for the Big Game
The best part of football season being over is the snackage that’s about to go down. With Super Bowl 50 upon us this Sunday, we’ve picked a few classic Southern recipes to try as a nod to North Carolina, while dipping into Denver’s brewing territory with beer cheese and really, really great brownies. Beer Cheese…
Boucherie 2016, Culinaria 5K and Valentine’s Day Options
Fans of Cajun cuisine, farm life and great chefs should pencil in the date for the third annual Boucherie, a tradition that turns a whole hog from snout to tail into several dishes. The day includes demonstrations, brunch and a family-style Sunday supper as you mingle with SA’s best. Participating chefs include John Russ and…
UMO’s Ruban Nielson Is So Good at Being in Trouble
Like David Bowie or Yoplait Go-Gurt, Ruban Nielson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra has an uncanny talent for ideas that feel in the moment and of the near future, just an election cycle or two away. The undisputed hit from his new record Multi-Love, “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone,” pinpoints the feeling of a distracted mind…
Naughty By Nature’s Vin Rock Talks Shop and Hip-Hop
Concert Preview
Will a New Downtown Restroom Relieve Problems or Create Them?
The most common sign in Downtown San Antonio, it seems, isn’t a neon “Open” sign or directions to the River Walk. It’s a phrase plastered to the interior of countless shops and restaurants: “No Public Restrooms.” Public and private San Antonio entities have spent considerable time and money to lure people Downtown. Though a few…
Newsmonger: Tables Turned, Ethics Shake-up and Challenging Texas
Tables Turned Indictments against two anti-abortion activists from the Center for Medical Progress — its founder, David Daleiden, and Susan Merritt — were handed down by a grand jury last week. The two were indicted on charges of tampering with governmental records. The pair used fake California driver’s licenses to sneak into a Gulf Coast…
Comedian Carol Burnett Talks San Antonio and Problems with Modern Television
This past Saturday, television icon Carol Burnett (The Carol Burnett Show), 82, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Born in San Antonio in 1933, Burnett was best known for her namesake variety show from 1967-1978. She spoke to the Current via phone recently about her SAG…
A Ghost Shakes the Foundation of a Couple’s Union in 45 Years
No one knows what goes on inside someone else’s marriage. Friends, acquaintances and even casual observers may think they know, but there’s a wall that keeps others out. In 45 Years, even one-half of the marriage is in the dark. Kate (Charlotte Rampling) and her husband Geoff (Tom Courtenay) are on the verge of celebrating said…
