Raise your vibration with kirtan chanting this Friday
If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, chances are you’ve chanted the mantra “Om” (or listened while the rest of the students chanted). It probably seemed like some sort of weird ritual to mark the beginning or end of the yoga practice. But there’s actually a lot more to explore with the healing yogic…
Girl’s Night Out at The D.I.Y. Factory: An Ode to Palmolive
The DIY Factory is hosting another monthly Girl’s Night Out crafting social. July we will be remembering the days of D.I.Y. (do it yourself) dishwashing by celebrating the classic-green-hand-softening dish washing liquid, Palmolive! Guests will learn the art of glassware painting, be provided supplies for do-it-yourself manicures with a complimentary Palmolive soak, have an opportunity…
USDA plays Big Brother to San Antonio students to curb obesity
If, like most parents, you’re concerned for your school-aged child’s health and well-being, be encouraged: this year, United States Department of Agriculture spent $2 million in research money to find the culprit in America’s childhood-obesity epidemic. And for some San Antonio parents, there’s bad news: most likely, your kid’s to blame. Thanks to the USDA,…
‘Yakuza: Like A Dragon’ proves that not all VG movies are bad
This is an edited version of a post that originally posted earlier this morning. — What I love about video games and the industry is the way they cross over into other forms of media such as books, fashion, film, politics — and movies. Yes we are going to talk about the taboo that is…
Gay Fish in a Big Pond: Thoughts on Christianity and Queer Identity
There seems to be a sort of “either/or” situation going on with Christianity and homosexuality. Either you’re Christian, or you’re gay. I’m not saying that there aren’t a few of us out there — myself included — who identify with a Christian faith while also identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or transgender. I am saying, however, that identifying…
Is CPS-Summit deal contingent on greenhouse gas performance?
For Seattle-based Summit Power, capturing its climate-destabilizing carbon dioxide is one thing — consider it an expensive ($2.2 billion expensive) but doable proposition. But whether that CO2 stays in the ground once it has been sold off to oilfield operators to help extract more crude from old wells is another matter. So too is federal…
Interview with voice actor George DelHoyo
As one of the most sought-out voiceover actors in the TV and film industries, George DelHoyo is using his talent to do something he’s never done before – give life to an animated character in a feature film. In Rango, DelHoyo, who has narrated over 500 movie trailers and a number of TV show promotions…
International-style street art ramps up at the Guadalupe with ‘By Permit Only’
SA has a strong muralista tradition on the Westside, and some pretty decent–if traditional–graffiti writing, too. But where’s the wheatpaste art hanging in this town? If you don’t know WTF “wheatpaste” is, check out “By Permit Only” tonight at the Guadalupe. Playing off of “permission walls,” the name given property-owner approved graffiti works, the show…
‘Another One of Life’s Lackluster Moments (in Fabulous Techno-color)’ by William Lemley
Some people are more lackluster than others, perhaps, but we all have those lackluster moments. William Lemley has got you having a doozie of one (though that may seem contradictory, read on and you’ll see that it’s not). I love the emotion he’s able to tap into. It’s not overwrought but definitely calls up a…
Fracking Eagle Ford to take 14 billion gallons of water a year, while recycling stays low
Across the state, today’s 37,000 acre-feet of water (or 12 billion gallons) used to frack deep shale formations for oil and gas is expected to climb to 120,000 acre-feet (39.1 billion gallons) by 2020-2030, according to a report released recently by the Texas Water Development Board. And — at best — only about 20 percent…
We want environmental justice, not (just) clean technology
The following statement was delivered to CPS Energy CEO Doyle Beneby today. It reflects the position of a number of social- and environmental-justice organizations in town. While I expressed my opinion of the decision to shutter our oldest coal plant by 2018 — and the need for ramped-up climate action in the region — in…
Check out ChickRocks handmade jewelry and stationery
Story by Desiree Prieto When Marianna Urutia graduated from her Master’s program in architecture at the University of Houston, the recession had already begun. Undeterred, the native San Antonian found a way to use her skills and passion. “I took it as a clue to experiment and explore,” Urutia explains, “I’d already been very crafty…
Caution! fun in the sun could cause skin cancer
It’s summertime and I know we’re all out there enjoying activities in the beautiful Texas sunshine. What better time to remind y’all to be careful and protect yourself against skin cancer. Your skin is your body’s largest organ and it’s what holds all the rest of you together. Skin cancer from sun exposure is one…
NORML director on pot, states’ rights and Texas’ own Rep. Lamar Smith
Last month U.S. Reps. Ron Paul and Barney Frank reached across the aisle to introduce legislation that would effectively end the federal war on marijuana, granting states authority to do as they please with pot. Frank, while saying he doesn’t advocate for drug use, insisted marijuana criminalization, a major tenet in the long and costly…
Good cops, badder cops
This week we profile two forgotten films that both depict corruption within American law enforcement. The rogue cops, in this case, are actually the ones trying to fight the corruption. Border Cop (1979) is an unusual movie. It stars Telly Savalas (aka "Kojak") as a hard-assed but kind-hearted border cop who is disillusioned with the…
Various Artists: Blow Your Head Vol. 2: Dave Nada Presents Moombahton
For those that don’t know, the bouncy, EDM sub-genre known as "moombahton" was born when DJ Dave Nada slowed down "Moombah" (a song by Chuckie and Silvio Ecomo) in front of some drunken high-school kids who were craving reggaetón (the Panama/Puerto Rico mix of dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, and Afro-Cuban). "Moombah" was itself a sped up…
Germany’s kings of “country-trash-punk rock” invade Texas
The BossHoss feat. the Hickoids and Piñata Protest $7, 10pm Friday, July 15 Saluté International Bar 2801 N. St. Mary’s (210) 732-5307 Germans and country rock? Not the most typical combination, but it seems to work well for the Berlin-based band the BossHoss. They started out in 2004 primarily as a cover band, transforming pop…
To all the songs I’ve screwed up before
An Evening with Julio Iglesias $47.50-$112.50 7:30pm Thu, July 14 Majestic Theatre 224 E. Houston (210) 226-3333 majesticempire.com When Julio Iglesias’ PR people told me he would only answer questions in writing due to the fact that “he’s traveling in different time zones,” I was disappointed. In my 32-year career, no interviewee was ever funnier…
‘Clean’ coal sticks its snout under San Antonio’s tent
In the slow-motion planetary train wreck that is fossil-fuel-derived climate disruption — whether you call it global warming, global ‘weirding,’ or a worldwide conspiracy of the labcoat class — no one factor ranks higher in the blame game than coal. Once burned, the dark rock we level mountains for releases a range of poisonous substances,…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming days you have permission from the universe to dwell less on what needs to be resisted, protested, flushed out, and overcome. Instead you have license to concentrate on what deserves to be fostered, encouraged, bolstered, and invited in. Sound like fun? It will be if you can do…
Intentionally or not, Political Art Month breeds rabbits and maize
It’s been two years since Contemporary Art Month decamped from its traditional summer home for the tourist-friendly month of March, but Gene Elder claims he doesn’t give a damn. “It was pretty bleak back in 1985 when everything started, and CAM was just a goal,” he said last week at his home on River Road.…
Carmens offers a hidden universe for heart escapes, eyelash batting
Carmens de la Calle Café 720 E. Mistletoe (210) 737-8272 carmensdelacalle.com Vibe The romantic, casual feel of a well-worn European haunt, emphasis awarded to Spain. Best Use Date destination, Friday nights, and to satisfy a craving for homemade sangria. Prices $5-10 cover, $3.50-4.50 import bottles, $7-8 wine by the glass, $28 wine by the bottle,…
Business owners reflect on the difficulty of operating in the shadow of King William
“I don’t want a black wreath.” Agosto Cuellar, owner of Jive Refried Vintage, hung up his antique phone, a replica of a ’70s Budweiser can. Calls were pouring in while Cuellar prepared for his last First Friday in the Southtown space he’s called home since 1999. For over a decade his rock ’n’ roll boutique…
The QueQue: Tar sands to Houston, So long, ocelots, Secure Communities: backdooring national IDs, Leal execution violates international law
Tar sands to Houston If there were a single red flag signaling either the End of the Oil Age or us: the mining of the Canadian tar sands — where massive strip mines must excavate up to four tons of oily sand and rock to wrest a single barrel of oil from the ground —…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Say the immigrant makes a few bucks and goes back to his/her hometown. Think they’ll put up with the shit that prompted them to move in the first place? (How ya’ gonna keep them down on the farm … ). Putting the Red into Redneck Dear Gabacho: Absolutely not. I love…
Fast Foodie: Tootie Pie Gourmet Café
Tootie Pie Gourmet Café 5130 Broadway (210) 829-4959 tootiepiegourmetcafe.com Tootie Pie is an almost-too-cutsey-pie name, but as the company’s own literature touts Tootie as "a classic story of humble beginnings" and lets us know that "Tootie" is the nickname of the founder, I’ll just leave that one alone. For the company to have expanded from…
Critick’s Pick: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Dir. David Yates; writ. Steve Kloves; feat. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon. (PG-13) Whether Harry Potter’s increased maturity over the last decade is most evident in the fearlessness he summons within himself in Harry Potter and the…
The Apoca-List
AKA The “We’re Fucked” Index
Green Bowl at Green Vegetarian Cuisine, $7.50
A bite of what we’re eating here at the Current
Pistolera: El desierto y la cuidad
Since 2005, Brooklyn-based bilingual band Pistolera (Spanish for “female gunslinger”) has been all about great intentions. Despite solid, engaging live performances and two decent albums, they haven’t been able to come up with enough great songs to be considered a studio force. Their third — and most ambitious — studio recording is, sadly, their weakest.…
Goony, giddy, and insecure: a masterful Christopher Plummer comes out
Beginners Writ. and dir. Mike Mills; feat. Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent. (R) Christopher Plummer is glorious. As glorious in rainbow scarves and fitted sweaters and hospital gowns as Hal in Beginners as he was in those dark, dashing suits as the whistle-happy Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Consider this the…
Artifacts: Deborah Kuetzpalin Vasquez
One of the artists in the NALC show at R Gallery is Deborah Kuetzpalin Vasquez, whose paintings and drawings deal with themes of feminine empowerment from an Out Queer Latina and Indigenous viewpoint. Currently a visiting professor at Our Lady of the Lake University, Vasquez has taught art at a number of community centers in…
Live & Local: Espira at Saluté International Bar
What a difference extended musical partnerships can make. Five-piece bilingual rock band Espira (es-PEE-rah, Spanish for “the spiral motion before it disintegrates,” or something like that, I was told) has kept the same lineup since 1999, when they were known as Broken Down, an all-English nu-metal alternative group. They made the name and language switch…
Limited Releases Abound
The great thing about microbreweries and brewpubs is their agility. This means fresh new releases year-round, with some as rare as a South Texas rain shower. Freetail Brewing Co.’s Jason Davis has tapped a special version of the brewpub’s standard Rye Wit with the addition of sweet orange peel and chamomile in the final stages.…
Sales pitch rings stronger than the Latin Grill’s delivery
Sazo’s Latin Grill 101 Bowie St. Rivercenter Marriott, Second Floor sazoslatingrill.com (210) 223-1000, ext. 6806 for reservations The Skinny Very good room-service fare. Problem is, it’s a restaurant. Best Bets Gazpacho soup disguised as salsa; lump crab salad Hours 11am-11pm daily; breakfast at 6am Prices $7 to $22 for lunch Making decent…
Taking Back Sunday: Taking Back Sunday
Welcome to the rebirth of Taking Back Sunday. Guitarist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper have rejoined the band (they quit in 2003 to form indie rock outfit Straylight Run), marking a return to the original lineup that made Taking Back Sunday the poster boys of post-hardcore in 2002. After declaring themselves New Again with…
All American Burgerfest back for 2nd year
Everyone loves burgers. That’s why the All-American Burger Fest is back for a second year on Saturday, July 16. The fest starts at 11 a.m. at Mark’s Outing on East Commerce (down the street from Sunset Station), and features a burger cookoff between Mayor Julián Castro and County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson. I hope they stick…
The Great ’85: Believe It
Post-punk duo the Great ’85’s debut album is edgy and playful, pushing the project stylistically with a schizoid soundscape that incorporates an unexpected ambience due in part to a collaboration with experimental indie rockers Deer Vibes. The chaos is controlled, but barely. Anyone who’s seen Diana Marie (Heather Go Psycho) and Nick Mery (Merykid) perform live…
Classic and Overtime Theaters serve up strange brews
Buried Child $10-$25 8pm Fri and Sat, 3pm Sun The Sterling Houston Theater at Jump-Start 108 Blue Star (210) 589-8450 classictheatre.org Through July 24 Life, or a Reasonable Approximation Thereof $9-$12 8pm Thu, Fri, Sat 3pm Sun matinee July 24 No performance Fri, Aug 5 Overtime Theater 1414 S. Alamo, #103 (210) 557-7562 theovertimetheater.org…
Local songwriters make the cut for Troubadour, TX
Back in April, the producers of the 22-episode Troubadour, TX (a docu-reality TV series to premiere nationwide on the CW network and local NBC affiliates on September 24) were in town auditioning local songwriters. “We are planning on following artists on the road, in their everyday life, and at performances,” producer Erin Gardner told the…
Former SA Mayor Cisneros perpetuates AT&T megamerger falsehoods
In a July 10 “Viewpoint” piece, former SA Mayor Henry Cisneros advocates giving Latinos tools to succeed. That’s a great idea. But Cisneros’s shilling for an AT&T/T-Mobile merger as a boon for Latinos strains his remaining credibility. It’s understandable – though inexcusable – that AT&T would stretch the truth while seeking to eliminate competition from…
Death of SA rockabilly staple Chadd Thomas under investigation
Chadd Thomas, leader of Austin rockabilly band Chadd Thomas and the Crazy Kings, was found dead Monday morning in South Austin. Although details are sketchy, rumors indicate his death was the result of a homicide, but the Austin Police Department is cautious at this point. “Right now, all we have is a deceased person,” APD…
