New Sensation: SA’s Austin Mahone and teen pop superstardom
Like the bulk of Austin Mahone’s Instagram account, this one’s a selfie. In a white tank top, hair coifed up real big, Mahone arranges his facial features in the manner of good-looking people well versed in taking pictures of themselves—lips lightly pursed, eyebrows up, posing without posing. “Running on the beach will be the death…
5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Tue 7/22 Cinema Tuesdays: The Thin Man At 80 years old, The Thin Man is a lot like my Nana: elegant, witty and very appreciative of a good martini. And like Nana, The Thin Man is delightful to this day. Most of this is due to the unparalleled chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy,…
Matt Bonner Re-signs with Spurs
The Red Mamba earning his nickname. Via Getty Images Spurs fans rejoice! The Red Mamba has signed with San Antonio for a one-year contract for the 10-year veteran minimum salary of $1,448,490. Outside of the Big 3, Bonner is the only player left from the ’07 championship team to win a title in 2014. Though his time on…
Gov. Rick Perry orders Texas National Guard to the Rio Grande Valley
Texas Gov. Rick Perry via Shutterstock As rhetoric and political maneuvering continue to revolve around border and immigration policies, Texas’ governor upped the ante and ordered the mobilization of 1,000 Texas National Guard troops, who will be sent to the Rio Grande Valley. “There can be no national security without border security, and Texans have…
10 Free Events Happening This Week
Mon 7/21 Qigong The Village at The University of the Incarnate Word will host a Qigong exercise class made possible and sponsored by Connections and taught by Mary Martha McNeel. Qigong is an ancient Chinese exercise that is combined of breathing techniques, focused intension and physical postures, creating a health care system for a healthier…
What I Ate: Figs, ice cream and a visit to Mariscos El Bucanero
Today’s post is a bit of a mixed bag. I went foraging, I had a bit of a cheat day, I ate lots of ceviche. As evidenced in our #SAfoodpics post, other San Antonians hit the town in search of everything tasty. Word to the wise, if you’re going to Mariscos El Bucanero on a…
SA Food Pics: Goodies, grease and grub around town
Foodies tested their limits this week at eateries all over SA including Quarry Farmers & Ranchers Market (Sunday mornings at 255 E Basse), Chris Madrid’s (1900 Blanco), Sushihana Japanese Restaurant (1810 NW Military Hwy), The Frutería (1401 S Flores), Bakery Lorraine (511 E Grayson), Knife & Fork Gastropub (20626 Stone Oak Pkwy), Beat Street Coffee Co. and Bistro (2512 N Main), Lulu’s…
Before I Check Out: The Ballad of Billy Joe Shaver
Billy Joe Shaver, photo by Jim McGuire The history of country music is full of greats who use two first names. There’s Gary P. Nunn and David Allan Coe, Jerry Jeff Walker and Willis Alan Ramsey, Ray Wylie Hubbard and even (ahem) Billy Ray Cyrus—but none of these mofos are as bad as Texas outlaw…
Updated: Sound Bite: Paquita la del Barrio: “Rata de Dos Patas”
In anticipation of her (now canceled) Sunday performance at the Freeman Coliseum (on a bill shared with Sinaloa-based singer-songwriter Espinoza Paz)* we dug into ranchera/bolero legend Paquita la del Barrio’s archives to find the “official video” for her anthem “Rata de Dos Patas (Two-legged Rat).” Born Francisca Viveros Barradas in Veracruz, Paquita moved to Mexico…
The Current Wins 3 Awards at Houston Press Club’s Lone Star Awards
The San Antonio Current picked up three awards last night at the Houston Press Club’s annual Lone Star Awards. Held at a restaurant and banquet facility offering views of the Port of Houston Ship Channel, the ceremony united outlets from across the state (including reps from newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations, and public relations…
Living in Texas is Apparently a Terrifying Nightmare
Residing in the state of Texas means living in a constant state of abject terror. That’s according to yet another nonsense ranking, courtesy of one of the many real estate blogs that specialize in nonsense rankings of American states and municipalities. According to the folks at Estately, a blog that previously made the bold claim…
Spurs Pick Up Assistant Coach Ettore Messina
Assistant Coach Ettore Messina The Spurs have picked up assistant coach Ettore Messina, a four-time Euroleague champion and two-time Euroleague coach of the year. In the 2011-2012 season, Messina joined the Lakers coaching staff as a consultant to then-coach Mike Brown. For the past two years, the Italian native coached CSKA Moscow in the Euroleague. With over…
Beat Bash 2014: The Playlist
ATL King of Crunk Lil Jon With an affinity for pimp cups and enough bling to outdo Flavor Flav, Lil Jon is back and bigger than ever. Fresh off the release of “Turn Down for What”, his platinum-certified collaboration with trap artist DJ Snake, the King of Crunk proves that he can adapt to the times. With…
5 Shows to See this Weekend
Love is the Message: A Tribute to Philadelphia International Records (Friday, July 18) Love is the Message, Philadelphia is the place Founded in 1971 by the gold-plated songwriting team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, Philadelphia International Records laid the soul scene of Brotherly Love on wax for the world to hear. With Lou Rawls,…
Shot of the Week: Texas Summer
Yeehaw. (Dustin Dooling) Mixing your three favorite flavors is the easiest way to come up with a taste you enjoy, contrary to what most chefs might tell you. Then again, this blog has nothing to do with food and everything to do with booze. This week’s shot, Texas Summer, is a mash-up of my favorite…
San Antonio Talons fan club seeks community support with online petition
SA Talons logo courtesy of the Talons. The official fan club of the San Antonio Talons created an online petition to show community support to potential ownership prospects and the drive has garnered the endorsement of two large business organizations and gathered more than 1,000 signatures since Sunday. “We need to show the City of…
Kawhi Leonard Leaves Team USA to Rest Off-season
Via Getty Images After winning the 2014 NBA Finals MVP award, Kawhi Leonard was a favorite for the Team USA’s roster in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. But speaking with the San Antonio Express-News this week, the 23-year-old said that he removed himself from consideration, citing the previous struggles of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli in the…
First glimpses of Don Cheadle as Miles Davis, Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix in upcoming biopics
Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix (via Oyster Magazine) In the third season of NBC’s 30 Rock, there’s an ongoing gag about Jenna Maroney starring in a Janis Joplin biopic without the rights to Joplin’s name or music. Instead, they move forward with the name Janis Jopler, singing budget versions of Joplin and Big Brother and the…
Recycling: San Antonio to accept plastic bags in curbside pickup
This screen shot shows the San Antonio Solid Waste Management Department’s logo, via its Facebook page. If you don’t have some of those nice reusable shopping bags or say “paper please” when in the checkout line at the grocery store, breath a sigh of relief because San Antonio will now accept plastic bags in its…
5 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on This Week
Chow down on serious sammies via Bite Street Bistro. Friday, July 18: Bite Street Bistro is taking over the kitchen at LOL Comedy Club for John Morgan’s two showings. Shrimp burgers and other Bite Street Bistro favorites will be on my menu. Prices vary, 8 and 10pm, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805, facebook.com/BiteStBistro Saturday, July…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 7/17 “Alternating Currents: A Conversation About Beauty” Jiha Moon, Pied de Grue, 2012. Ink, acrylic, fabric, and embroidery patches on Hanji paper, 47 × 72 in. Courtesy of the artist and Ryan Lee, New York. The McNay’s “Beauty Reigns” unites 13 abstract painters working with vivid colors and stylized motifs. In the exhibition catalog,…
First Course: New hours for Hot Joy and a second location for Kohinoor
First Course Fodder brings in exciting food news to you in tiny, digestible bits. Roast duck salad from Hot Joy Kohinoor (multiple locations) will temporarily close their Starcrest location to open a new location on Fredericksburg. The new location will be at 9425 Fredericksburg and will be open today Thursday, July 17. The Starcrest location…
Tens of Thousands of Texans Sign up for Medicaid and CHIP under ACA
New numbers released this week by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare show enrollment in the Texas’ Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program has increased since the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace opened for business last year. Advocates for expanding Medicaid in Texas. Via Valda Spence. According to the report, 4,441,605 Texans were covered…
Playhouse SA Needs a Toto
The Playhouse SA is holding “dogditions” for the role of Toto in their upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz. This feature will open the 2014-2015 season on October 3rd, but the show can’t go on until the role of Dorothy’s furry companion is filled. If you think that your pup has the qualifications, request an…
Appeals Court sides with UT Austin in race-based admission case
This screen shot from the appeal court’s ruling shows a chart mapping the admission process under UT Austin’s holistic review program. An appeals court ruled Tuesday that the University of Texas at Austin can use race as a factor in its admission process. The story started in 2008 when Abigail Fisher, a white Texas student,…
San Japan: Samurai 7 puts anime culture center stage
Ask San Japan community relations director David Ramirez how the local Japanese animation convention has changed over the last seven years, and the answer ultimately comes down to size. “We’re still trying to wrap our minds around how much it has grown since year one when we had a little over 1,000 people,” said Ramirez,…
Value Vino: Beating the Texas heat with chillable reds
Everybody knows this, right: Serve white wines chilled and red wines at “room” temperature. Just not in Texas. When Conventional Wisdom devised the “room-temp” thing, he (or she) was thinking more mid-sixties to low seventies, so it’s clear that even your big-buck Bordeauxs benefit from 20 minutes or so chilling time. But beyond that, there…
Safe Harbor: SA struggles to embrace its current refugee community
The refugee camps are packed with tents, bamboo huts and nationless people. There is no electricity to speak of and women, men and children wait in lines 100-deep for hours two times daily just to get drinking water, said Sita Regmi, a refugee from Nepal who has been in the U.S. a little more than…
Mayoral Horse Race: Interim mayor selection starts soon
Last week at a Centro San Antonio luncheon, the talk of the town was the future of San Antonio’s urban core and outgoing Mayor Julian Castro, whose nomination as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had just been confirmed, lead the conversation. But the talk of the luncheon table was who…
Why Baton Rouge Rapper Kevin Gates Could Be the Next Rap Superstar
Over the past six years Kevin Gilyard, better known by his rap name Kevin Gates, has fought successfully, with smarts and bravado, to carve his name on the altar of hip-hop credibility. With a style that’s as far-reaching and diverse as it is true to its Dirty South roots, the Baton Rouge native and recent…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I have complete faith in the continued absurdity of whatever’s going on, says satirical news commentator Jon Stewart. That’s a healthy attitude. To do his work, he needs a never-ending supply of stories about people doing crazy, corrupt, and hypocritical things. I’m sure this subject matter makes him sad and angry.…
Lonely Horse and Hawks (of Holy Rosary) Gain National Traction, Islands & Tigers’ Release Fourth EP
Lonely Horse wins a spot at Brooklyn’s Afropunk Festival After electioneering enough votes to enter into a qualifying battle of the bands, last week SA duo Lonely Horse won the final round for Brooklyn’s Afropunk festival (August 23-24). With a prize of $3,000, Lonely Horse will now have an opening slot at Afropunk, featuring D’Angelo,…
Flynn’s Hopes to Bring Back Rev Room’s Heyday
I have two memories of Revolution Room that will stay with me forever. The first hearkens back to my college days, when we celebrated a friend’s 21st birthday with a round of Four Horsemen shots that stayed in the birthday girl’s system for approximately 45 seconds before she threw up all over our table and…
In ‘South, America’ Texas Author Rod Davis Takes a Dangerous Road Trip
South, America Rod Davis | NewSouth Books | $24.95 | 256 pp The newest novel from author Rod Davis begins with a dead body on the curb in Marigny, downriver of the French Quarter in New Orleans. The deceased African-American man, Terrell “Young Henry” Meridian, is found by Jack Prine, a recent resident of New…
Flavor File: More details on Charcuterie Week, a beer delivery service and Kate’s Frosting’s big moves
Details are starting to solidify on the second installment of Charcuterie Week (or Charc Week, the tasty cousin to Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week”). After taking a wee break in 2013, the week-long celebration of all things cured and preserved, hosted by Restaurant Gwendolyn along with new partners Defining Delicious and Culinaria, kicks off next Tuesday.…
Newsmonger: Digging into Castro’s Downtown housing claims
During his last speech (we’ll see) as the mayor of San Antonio, Julián Castro hailed the “Decade of Downtown” and lauded what he said was a significant addition of housing units and investment into the Alamo City’s urban core. San Antonio has changed drastically over the years, a point Castro noted in his July 10…
Lunchtime Snob: Islander eats at L&L Hawaiian Grill
It’s been about a month since L&L Hawaiian Grill graced SA with its presence. The anticipation for the city’s first location of the big island franchise was palpable when we first reported the company’s intentions to open a branch in the Alamo Heights area in February. When the location finally debuted in the same center…
Fresh, Local Comfort Food at Grayson Street Eatery
I’m not much for mystery. Surprise birthday parties aren’t my jam. I like knowing what I’m getting myself into. All. The. Time. I’m a bit of a control freak that way. Given that, I was a bit apprehensive when Grayson Street Eatery first opened its doors days before Fiesta in April. What were the hours?…
Savage Love: Shorties
Two questions, Dan. 1. Recently, I went to a bar with my brother and encountered a friend from high school. My brother told me that, toward the end of the night, my friend followed him into the bathroom and made a drunken pass at him (which apparently involved a clumsy grab at his penis). My…
SA’s Hard Bop Project brings the music of Art Blakey to Artpace
Indulge me for a moment, and imagine the jazz snob: turtleneck, horn-rimmed specs, that goddamned snapping and a nasally tone of condescension for anything but the most difficult of musical forms. It’s a stigma that jazz circles have been suffering for years, giving the genre a bad rap as a deadly serious, no-fun thing. For…
Zach Braff’s ‘Wish I Was Here’ Coasts on Smarm
There have been lots of words bandied about in critics’ circles following screenings of Zach Braff’s Wish I Was Here. Here’s a smattering of the choicest cuts I’ve overheard: “Twee.” “Dickish.” “Navel-gazing.” “Dull.” “Awash in its own ass juice” (I don’t know what that means, but it made me laugh). “An exercise in indulgence.” “A movie…
Happy Hour Hound: Tribeca Di Olmos
The Lower Manhattan neighborhood of Tribeca—a portmanteau for Triangle Below Canal Street—is home to the namesake film festival, beaucoup celebrities and the Hook & Ladder Company No. 8 (where the Ghostbusters movies were filmed, NBD). The Olmos Park restaurant Tribeca Di Olmos, on the other hand, is home to a small but solid happy hour.…
Chamber Orchestra of SA Announces Millennial Committee
At the COSA performance of ‘Elizaveta’ with friends, Natalie Martinez (far right, via) In efforts to attract audiences from the under-30 demographic group, the Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio has established a Millennial Committee to help display the arts to a wider and more youthful audience. COSA has acknowledged the importance of this younger age group to keeping community…
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte Calls for ‘Texas Solution’ to Border Crisis
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (via) Today, Democratic lieutenant governor candidate and state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte added her own set of immigration and border security policy proposals to the growing mix of ideas addressing the child refugee crisis on the border. In her plan titled “Securing the border and Texas’ economic future” Texas First Immigration…
‘For Club and Country’: Where to Go Now for More Soccer
With the close of the World Cup, you may find yourself in soccer withdrawal, wondering where your next fix will come from. Maybe you became caught up in the U.S. men’s team hysteria, maybe it was the game determining penalty kicks, or maybe – just maybe – you were surprised to find that the bite heard…
SA Food Pics: Diners, dives and debauchery
This weekend locals were caught grubbing at many hotspots including Freetail Brewing Co. (4035 N Loop 1604 W), Sam’s Burger Joint (330 E Grayson), Pancake Joe’s (1011 Donaldson), The Luxury (103 E Jones), The Brown Coffee Company (1702 W Kings Hwy), Bird Bakery (5912 Broadway), La Gloria ( 100 E Grayson), Vida Mia Mexican Cuisine (19141 Stone Oak Pkwy), Saltgrass…
Booze News: Yoga at Tacoland, Frankenbike and Belgian Beer Week at The Flying Saucer
Booze News brings you the news that’s buzzworthy (pun intended). Learn more about your wine the old fashioned way — by drinking it. (via) This entire week, The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium (11255 Huebner) will be pouring brews in honor of Belgian Beer Week. Keep on the lookout for special glass releases and new taps each day.…
ArtRave at AT&T: Lady Gaga in Review
Getty Images In anticipation of the ArtRave tour stopping off in SA, Current associate editor Bryan Rindfuss and I weighed out the pros and cons of Lady Gaga. I chose the anti-Gaga, devil on the shoulder position. And after seeing the spectacle last evening at the AT&T Center, I knew I lost brutally. Germany vs. Brazil bad. Gaga’s arena pop…
