5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Mon 2/3 Aziz Ansari If you only know Aziz Ansari as the swagger-obsessed, would-be entrepreneur Tom Haverford on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, that’s OK. Ansari managed to turn television’s most shallow character into a somehow heartwarming dude who can still stick lines like “sometimes you gotta work a little, so you can ball a lot.”…
The Last Night at Nightrocker: World Bizarre Reunited After 20 Years
Roland Fuentes (fourth from left) with World Bizarre, the band that gave him his “Nightrocker” nickname (photo by Bell Solloa) World Bizarre reunited last night for the first time in 20 years to bid farewell to Nightrocker:Live, the nightclub on San Pedro Avenue that closed its doors. The last song they played around 1:45 a.m.…
Something Fiction: In Deep with Local Psych-Electro Group
Photo: James Courtney Over the past few years, some of the most interesting music coming out of San Antonio has been of the electronic/atmospheric kind. Artists like Ernest Gonzales/Mexicans with Guns, Trip the Light, and Saakred (to name a few) have produced intoxicating works of staggering warmth and complexity, within the loose confines of the…
Live and Local Video: Fiction at Hi-Tones 1/31/14
I’ve seen the future of SA rock and roll, and its name is Mercedes Smith. Excuse me for ripping off Jon Landau, who in 1974 used the same line to famously predict the impact Bruce Springsteen would have in American music. Smith ain’t no Bruce, but I couldn’t stop thinking of the line when I…
Here Are The Best Super Bowl Ads So You Don’t Have To Watch The Superb Owl
Super Bowl XLVIII, America’s collective time-waster or pinnacle of athletic competition, depending on who you ask, takes place this Sunday. Millions will gorge on chicken wings and guacamole while they witness the $4 million anthems to American gluttony, debauchery and consumerism and the football game that takes place in between them. Most people will watch the…
Bonehead Quote(s) of the Week: Lt. Gov. GOP Candidates on Abortion
It’s safe to say, the Republican primary for lieutenant governor is shaping up to be a race to the most extreme. Incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, state Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson showcased their radical views earlier this week during a televised debate via KERA news. The debate kicked off with…
Writer David Stuart Maclean on the Contradictions of a Memoir About Amnesia
Photo Credit: Heather Eidson Photography When David Stuart Maclean awoke on a train platform in Secunderabad, India, he had no passport, no companion, and no memory. Having been a writer, he had relied on the narratives of his life; in this case, he had none to provide as an answer to the police officer who…
Authorities Seize Over Two Tons Of Pot Wrapped In Poblano Peppers
Photo Courtesy of the San Antonio Police Department Drug traffickers have devised a way to make bud extra tasty. In what can only be described as puro San Antonio, authorities intercepted an 18-wheeler downtown hauling poblano peppers that were packed with over 5,000 pounds of pot. Authorities discovered that the spicy produce was wrapped around 95 bundles…
Hearse Thief Thwarted By Unpaid Hamburger
Photo courtesy of Kimble County Jail The Kimble County Sheriff’s Office nabbed a criminal mastermind who tried to put his own “fun” in “funeral.” Omar Alejandro Gutierrez, 19, was arrested Tuesday in Junction after admitting to police that he stole a hearse intended for a funeral procession in San Antonio. The theft took place January 28 at…
Johnny Hernandez Announces 5th Corona Paella Challenge
Paella dish from 2012 challenge (Courtesy) Chef Johnny Hernandez is hosting the fifth annual Corona Paella Challenge on Sunday, March 9 at 11 a.m. to 4 p.m at The Pearl (220 E Grayson). Chefs and high school teams will compete to create the most impressive paella dish. The event will host chefs from San Antonio,…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 1/30 Skinny Puppy Formed in 1982 by cEvin Key and Nivek Ogre, Canadian industrial pioneers Skinny Puppy first infiltrated alternative airwaves and fog-filled Goth clubs with ominous dance tracks like “Smothered Hope.” Marked by Ogre’s distorted, menacing vocals and Key’s haunting layers of synths and beats peppered with samples from horror movies and radio…
Shot of the Week: Snowball in Hell
sweet and creamy (Courtesy) This shot may look a little bit too frosty for San Antonians trying to escape snowpocalypse 2014, but don’t let the frosty façade fool you. The Snowball in Hell packs a spicy punch, thanks to the Fireball whiskey, that is sure to warm you up on even the coldest nights. To…
Mexico Crushes S. Korea 4-0 at the Alamodome in front of Record-Setting Crowd Of 54,313
Pulido (11) celebrates his third goal with his teammates (photo by Josh Huskin for the Current) A wonderful goal by Oribe Peralta and a hat-trick by Man of the Match Alan Pulido was all Mexico needed to beat a surprisingly weak South Korean team Wednesday at the Alamodome in front of a record-setting 54,313 vociferous…
Bigfoot is Coming to Town Feb 19-23
A photo released by Rick Dyer of “Hank” I’m a skeptic and I hate cheap ploys for internet attention, but I can no longer hold out on the news that Bigfoot (or at least something bearing an apparently passable resemblance to Bigfoot’s corpse) will be in SA February 19-23. Just to be clear, that’s…
New Bar Menu and Hours at The Granary
The Granary’s buttermilk chess pie (Courtesy) The Granary ‘Cue and Brew (602 Avenue A) has announced that service will start at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday for bar service with a small menu. The menu includes grit fritters ($6), Texas toast ($7), cheese board ($15), chicharron ($5), daily barbecue meat and buttermilk cheese pie ($6).…
Gaucho Gourmet to Offer Valentine’s Cooking Class
Truffles from Gaucho’s cooking class last year. (Courtesy) Instead of buying chocolates for Valentine’s Day, make your own truffles or crunchy chocolate bar. Gaucho Gourmet (935 Isom) is offering a Valentine’s Chocolate Affair cooking class with pastry chef Ernest Lopez of Sustenio. The class is on Saturday, February 8 from 11 to 12:30 p.m. Students…
Fogo de Chao to Offer Complimentary Meal for Diners
Chocolate mousse cake (Courtesy) Fogo de Chão (849 E Commerce) will offer diners a complimentary lunch or dinner Valentine’s card on Valentine’s Day. Patrons who dine at Fogo de Chão on Friday, February 14 through Sunday, February 16 will receive a Valentine’s card for a complimentary meal on their next visit.
Bettie Page Look-alike Contest at Brass Monkey
Last year’s contest winner. (Courtesy) Brass Monkey (2702 N Saint Mary’s) will host the 11th annual Bettie Page Look-Alike Contest on Friday, February 14. The event is sponsored by Lone Star and is for patrons 21 years of age and up. Admission is free with $3 Dos XX available throughout the night. The contest starts…
Your Money’s (Almost) No Good at Barter Markets
Do you like the idea of homegrown produce and natural goods, but balk at Whole Foods or farmers market prices? A barter and trade group just might be the solution. Canned fruits and veggies, handmade soaps, fresh meat, soy candles and even bags of good compost; these are just a few of the items you’re…
Kate Winslet Can’t Save ‘Labor Day’
A fantastic actress who’s still at the top of her game, Kate Winslet has the ability to turn a bad movie into a good one. But even she can’t even redeem Jason Reitman’s new film Labor Day. OK, so Winslet was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role here as a single mom struggling…
Bexar County DA Democrat Candidates Face Off Over Checkered Past
Local attorneys Nicholas “Nico” LaHood and Therese Huntzinger are going head to head this March to duke it out for a shot to defeat long-time Republican incumbent District Attorney Susan Reed. While Huntzinger makes her inaugural bid, it’s LaHood’s second attempt to unseat Reed—he lost to the current DA by eight percentage points in 2010.…
Op-Ed: Why Black History month?
There are many reasons why Black History Month is as relevant today as when the idea was first conceived by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Initially it was a week’s celebration but expanded to the full month of February in 1976. Throughout its long history, the one overarching theme has been a people’s struggle…
Savage Love: Working the Kinks Out
I’m what was once quaintly called a “woman of a certain age” who started reading your column to broaden my horizons. As a result, some curiosities peeped their heads over the boundaries of my once happily repressed existence. I summoned the courage to join an online BDSM dating site. I got a response almost immediately…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): On my 15th birthday, I finally figured out that eating dairy products was the cause of my chronic respiratory problems. From that day forward, I avoided foods made from cow’s milk. My health improved. I kept up this regimen for years. But a month ago, I decided to see if my…
Meet the SA-tied Couples Suing Texas for Marriage Equality
With the national battle for marriage equality waging across the states following the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage last year, a set of couples in Texas—backed by a high-powered law firm—vowed to take up the fight here. Challenging Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage, one couple wishes to wed while the other hopes…
Asian Festival and New Eastern Eateries Highlight SA’s Latest Food Trend
It’s the Year of the Horse and the Institute of Texan Cultures is celebrating like they have for the last 26 years–with another huge Eastern culture blowout via the Asian Festival. For its 27th year, the Festival expects to draw approximately 10,000 people to the Institute for a day of music, dance, fashion, crafts, trinkets,…
Artist on Artist: Gary Sweeney interviews Jayne Lawrence
Jayne Lawrence is an artist whose work I’ve admired for a long time. Originally coming from a graphic design background, she moved to San Antonio to get a studio art degree at University of Texas-San Antonio during an era when the graduate program had local hot shots Riley Robinson, Jack Robbins, Nate Cassie and Karen…
Talented Cast Scores in Playhouse’s Sexy ‘Venus in Fur’
Kacey Griffin, as the protagonist of David Ives’ terrific play Venus in Fur, gives the best performance I’ve seen in San Antonio in months. Sexy, slinky and subversive, Griffin anchors Ives’ marvelous exploration of power and pelts, as a down-and-out stage director (Michael Holley) attempts to mount his own adaptation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s classic…
Hardcore Punk Legends D.O.A. Say Goodbye at Limelight
D.O.A. will be dead on arrival soon, but the band’s last few shows should be as lively as they ever were. Last September, Canada’s influential hardcore punk trio released the stirring live collection Welcome to Chinatown (its third live album and 21st overall), and now the band is stopping at Limelight on Friday to say…
Just Happens to Be LGBT: True diversity in SA’s MLK march
[Photos: The MLK March 100] For years, San Antonio has had the privilege of hosting what many call the largest Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in the country. This year, organizers of the event touted 175,000 participants, which famously garners as many corporate and political attendees as it does “grassroots” folks. I attended my…
Psych Stalwarts Dead Meadow Get Weird in SA
Like hardcore pioneers Minor Threat before them, psych-rockers Dead Meadow arose as a reaction to their D.C. environment. But where Ian MacKaye and D.C. punk defied the Reagan-era vibe of the nation’s capital, Dead Meadow branched out against the MacKaye-soaked music establishment itself, opting instead to slow down, space out and get weird. “We grew…
Bottle & Tap: Texas’ $2.3 billion dollar craft brew market
The Texas craft brewing scene has arrived. I believe the time has finally come for us to stop having an inferiority complex about how our industry stacks up against more celebrated beer states like California, Colorado and Oregon. The Brewers Association, a trade group of small and craft brewers, released a report last month celebrating…
Super Brews: What to pair with your game-time eats
It’s all set. Sunday, February 2 will see the Denver Broncos take on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII. Even if we don’t have a “local” stake in the matter, many of us are still thrilled at the prospect of getting together a bunch of buddies, brews and snacks (lots of snacks) to watch…
Flavor File: SA’s Second Vegan Restaurant Opens Friday
Southtown will be the home to San Antonio’s second vegan-only restaurant as Señor Veggie (620 S Presa, (210) 788-8430) opens its doors on Friday, January 31. Formerly a catering company and Quarry Farmers and Ranchers Market staple, Señor Veggie replaces Mr. Tim’s Country Kitchen, which closed up shop mid-2013 and relocated to La Vernia. The…
8 Recipes for the Chinese New Year
Friday, January 31 marks the Chinese New Year and the year of the horse. Celebrate the Chinese New Year and good fortune with these delicious recipes: 1. Vegetable Spring Rolls Happiness in a roll. (Courtesy) Recipe via Steamy Kitchen 2. Chicken Fried Rice Better than takeout. (Courtesy) Recipe via Rachel Schultz 3. Boiled Pork Dumplings With…
5 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on This Week
Grab a pillow talk at The Brooklynite (Courtesy) Wednesday, January 29: Wear your best or rattiest pajamas while sipping on the Brooklynite’s ever-popular pillow talk cocktail ($6) made with chamomile pisco, lime, simple syrup and violette. The pajama party will include music by Steven Lee Moya. Free admission, 5pm-2am, 516 Brooklyn, (210) 444-0707, thebrooklynitesa.com. Thursday,…
State Senate Primary Candidates Campbell and Chan Vie for Most Homophobic During Meeting
If you didn’t know it already, conservative Republicans, state Sen. Donna Campbell and former San Antonio council woman turned Senate hopeful Elisa Chan, aren’t big fans of the LGBT community. But if you needed a reminder before primary voting season, their latest comments— given during an editorial meeting with SA’s local daily— should do the…
Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum Names New Executive Director
Blue Star’s main gallery during last year’s Texas Biennial exhibition. Credit: Justin Parr Yesterday, Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum named Mary Heathcott as its latest executive director. Last spring, Blue Star’s longtime executive director, Bill FitzGibbons, announced he’d be stepping down from the role—which he held for about a decade. Steven Evans, the…
Maverick Fest 2014 Reveals Final Lineup: Lonely Horse Is In
The final lineup for the major stage of the second annual Maverick Music Festival was announced today. In addition to the first list of performers, the final list includes Georgia-based singer-songwriter Washed Out, alternative rock band Candlebox, hip-hop duo Run the Jewels (El-P and Killer Mike) and San Antonio favorite two-piece Lonely Horse. A second…
