5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Tue 7/8 Cinema Tuesdays: Oscar Shorts A wide-ranging and easily digested component of Texas Public Radio’s Cinema Tuesdays series, Oscar Shorts rounds up all 10 short films nominated in the 86th Academy Awards. Likened by Variety to a “global sampler” crafted by “the next generation of feature directors,” the live-action program deals with a number…
Leave the Beer Run to the Beer Runners
(Via) Next time you’re at your buddy’s house drinking a few cold ones and the stash runs low, you won’t have to get behind the wheel and make a beer fun. Beer Runners can help with that. “After drinking, there’s always a risk of having to go get more beer, and we’ve seen both sides…
Aural Pleasure Review: How to Dress Well’s ‘What Is This Heart?’
How to Dress Well | “What Is This Heart?” | Domino | **** Tom Krell cut his first record as How to Dress Well in 2010, back when he seemed to typify the burgeoning movement of indie R&B (read: white guys singing falsetto). At the time Krell and his counterparts James Blake and Justin Vernon didn’t…
10 Free Events Happening This Week
Tues 7/8 Cars 2 Travis Park and the city of San Antonio will be hosting Movies by Moonlight with this week’s presentation of Disney and Pixar’s 2011 flick Cars 2 featuring voices of Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy. The champion racecar Lightning McQueen is back as he and his pal Mater journey overseas…
SA Food Pics: Stars, stripes and endless calories
This past week SA locals celebrated their freedom by toasting, snacking and munching at such eateries as Pappasito’s Cantina (10501 I-10), Quarry Hofbräu & Beer Garden (7310 Jones Maltsberger), Henry’s Puffy Taco (Multiple Locations), Frozen Friday’s (447 W Hildebrand), Hot Joy (1014 S Alamo), Kumori Sushi & Teppanyaki (700 E Sonterra) and Big Lou’s Pizza (2048 S WW White). Cure…
What I Ate: Reviews, Fourth of July and a quickie Houston trip
Short work weeks make for long food weekends. Fourth of July included stops at Bakery Lorraine for red, white and blue macs, a buttermilk pie and later ice pops and grilled miscellany at a friend’s backyard shindig. Not content with that, I made my way to Houston for a friend’s birthday and included stops at…
Quick Peek: Bexar County Commissioners Court meeting agenda
This screen grab shows the Bexar County Commissioners Court. Tuesday at 10 a.m., the Bexar County Commissioners Court will meet to discuss everything from announcing a Bexar County Veterans Service Office logo contest to presenting a proclamation to the Floresville Peanut Festival Association, which will celebrate its 70th annual festival this October. The commission will…
Sunday Night Sound Bite: Little Dragon: “Pretty Girls”
Formed in 1996, Swedish trip-hop/electronica quartet Little Dragon (frontwoman Yukimi Nagano plus bandmates Erik Bodin, Fredrik Källgren Wallin and Håkan Wirenstrand) struck an international chord with the title track off 2011’s Ritual Union and is scheduled to play Austin’s Moody Theater August 31 in support of 2014’s Nabuma Rubberband, which takes admitted cues from some…
SA Comic Artist Fred Perry Inks ‘Star Wars’ Parody with Steampunk
via “Not so long ago, in a galaxy relatively close by ” there exists a comic book series that gives Star Wars a whole new make-over, called Steam Wars. San Antonian comic writer Fred Perry both authors and illustrates the series. Perry got his start in comics in the 1990s when he submitted some of his…
Home with The Armadillo: a chat with Texas country royalty Gary P. Nunn
Gary P. Nunn (Courtesy photo) Texas country singer, songwriter and picker Gary P. Nunn was right there at ground zero for the outlaw country explosion of the 1970s. And the man was far from an innocent bystander. From playing with Jerry Jeff Walker’s best backing crew the Lost Gonzo Band, to gigging with Willie Nelson…
5 Shows to See this Weekend
Ruben V, Jimmy Spacek & Will Owen Gage (Friday July 4) Jimmy Spacek and Strat Ruben V sounds like a pretty rad name for a stripper or a sandwich, but alas, it’s the moniker of a SA blues outfit led by the guitarist of the same name. With capable guitarist Jimmy Spacek and Will Owen…
What to the Negro Today is the Fourth of July?
Frederick Douglass (Via)In 1852, the famous abolitionist, author, and former slave, Frederick Douglass, addressed Rochester, New York’s Corinthian Hall at an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was there in which Douglass gave one of his most famous speeches, asking what such a holiday meant to those…
Holiday Detours for July 4th and Pride Parades
Via Two parades fire up this holiday weekend, and we can’t have total fabulous celebrations without some headaches from commuter congestion and detour drama. So just breathe. Straight from Via’s website, here is the reroute plan in place: The Leon Valley Fourth of July Parade marches down Huebner Road, Evers Road, and Poss Road. The following detours…
Texas Gov: Send undocumented immigrant children home immediately
Texas Governor Rick Perry speaks at a press conference in the Rio Grande Valley as Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw looks on. This photo from Perry’s website was taken during a press conference detailing a law enforcement surge on the border. A day before July 4 Independence Day celebrations, Texas Governor Rick Perry…
Brooklynite’s Jeret Peña Featured on TravelChannel.com
Bottoms up, muchachos. (Via) San Anto’s 15-minutes continue with a TravelChannel.com vid with host Shane-O and local guide and bar-boss Jeret Peña. The vid includes stops at Mission Reach, Natural Bridge Caverns and other local must-stops, along with eats and drinks at Brooklynite (OBVIOUSLY), Esquire Tavern, Local Coffee, Pearl Farmers Market (based on Peña’s recommendations)…
National Cheesecake Day Specials at The Cheesecake Factory
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake (Courtesy) National Cheesecake Day is Wednesday, July 30 so to celebrate, The Cheesecake Factory (multiple locations) is offering dine-in guests half off of any one slice of cheesecake on July 30 and 31. The newest flavor, lemon meringue cheesecake with lemon and topped with layers of lemon mascarpone mousse and meringue will debut on…
Celebrate National Fried Chicken Day the SA Way
Sunday, July 6 is National Fried Chicken Day and what better way to honor this great Sunday than to eat the best fried chicken San Antonio has to offer. From the famous Church’s that started in downtown San Antonio in the 1950s to the newest eateries in town serving up chicken on the fried side.…
First Course: Umai Mi hosts Houston’s Rebecca Masson AKA the Sugar Fairy
First Course Fodder brings in exciting food news to you in tiny, digestible bits. Braised beef at Tost Tost Bistro (14415 Blanco) is offering a tasty deal this month with a 50percent off special now until July 31 Tuesdays through Fridays. Guests who mention the promo and buy one meal and two drinks with get half off the…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 7/3 – Fri 7/4 “Work Prints” Last Chance Saloon, ©Kevin G. Saunders 2014. All rights reserved. Secession Gallery 107 opens its doors at Blue Star this week with the first look at an ambitious photography project focusing on a variety of issues including oil exploration, the environment and multiculturalism. Titled “Work Prints,” the two-year-long…
Report: SA leads Texas in school construction costs
This screen shot is from the Texas Comptroller’s office and reflects data collected from Texas school districts on school construction costs. In response to public information requests from Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, school districts all across Texas submitted construction costs for new schools built between 2007 and 2013. And San Antonio school districts were at…
New Late Night Dining Option on the Way
(Via) Just this May, Current copy editor, writer and all-around badass Miriam Sitz called out a slew of downtown eateries for closing their doors early on a Thursday night. You can read about her saga to find a late night snack here. Well, it’s time for some progress, people. Since then, Hot Joy (1014 S…
4 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on this Week
(Via) Friday, July 4: Nightrocker might be closed, but the joint continues its annual Fourth of July Twinkie-eating contest at Studio One Zero Three. Sign up via Facebook for a spot, take a side dish and nosh on meats provided by organizers while you listen to live performances Bryson Brooks, Dark Planes and Los Nahuatlatos.…
Shots of the Week: The All-American
(Via Dustin Dooling) This week we celebrate The Fourth of July. In order to truly honor this holiday I decided to throw as much of America into a shot glass as possible, unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your plans) one glass wasn’t enough. Then again, what better way to celebrate the true spirit of the…
Local Arts And Craft Alternatives If You’re Angry About Hobby Lobby
Photo via Pinterest If you love découpage, but also believe women should have contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act, well, it just hasn’t been your week. On Monday, the Supreme Court sided with Hobby Lobby in one of the most controversial cases in this past term. Five male judges of the court held that…
Aural Pleasure Review: Big Freedia’s ‘Just Be Free’
Big Freedia | Just Be Free | Queen Diva | **** For years, Big Freedia’s ass-shaking, high BPM spectacle has been the sleeper, must-see act of big-name festivals’ daytime hours, a space that helped expose the Queen Diva’s raucous bounce to huge swaths of new fans. With Just Be Free, the rapper who brought New Orleans’…
10 Food- and Booze-filled Songs
Food is everywhere. On our plates and even in our songs. Take a look back at these jams that mention food along with those that have food-related themes in its titles. 1. Marcy Playground- “Sex and Candy” 2. Weezer- “Pork And beans” 3. Lana Del Rey- “Diet Mountain Dew” 4. Don McLean- “American Pie” 5.…
10 Meaty Dishes for Fourth Of July
Cue’ the fireworks and the grills for this holiday weekend with these recipes. Sparks are sure to fly once your guests have had their fingers on this meaty delicacies. 1. Apricot Glazed BBQ Chicken (via) Recipe via Candice Kumai 2. Lemon Garlic Shrimp Kabobs (via) Recipe via Damn Delicious 3. Grilled Buttery Chicken Skewers with Crazy…
Single Malt Smackdown: Texas vs. Scotland
In September, Scotland will vote on this proposition: Should the land of Bobby Burns leave the UK? In this regard, Texan would-be secessionists are no doubt green with envy; here, we only talk the talk, but the Scots may actually walk the walk. In the interest of acknowledging maverick tendencies in both countries (make that…
Flavor File: The Monterey’s new chef, no tipping at H-E-B’s first restaurant and National Fried Chicken Day
The Monterey (1127 S St. Mary’s, (210) 745-2581) has added a new chef to its lineup after former chef Zach Garza took on a chef de cuisine post at Johnny Hernandez’s The Fruteria. Luis Segovia, a Culinary Institute of America-Hyde Park grad who’s worked at Sandbar Fish House & Market and Il Sogno, is manning…
Pride Q&A: Partners and collaborators Britt Lorraine and Kristy Perez
An illustrative story about Kristy Perez: She exhibited her sculptural work this year as part of “Bruit rose” at Maison Populaire, a contemporary art center in Paris. Her piece Fight! began when she found an old crutch on a trash heap near her Southtown studio. She decided to reify the crutch by covering it in…
Damon McMahon Sheds Self on Amen Dunes’ ‘Love’
“The best way I can describe Love is as a cowboy worship record,” says Damon McMahon, explaining his newest output as Amen Dunes. “Literally, in, like, the character I aspired to as a little kid and cowboy worship [as] a way of being in the world.” When I hear the phrase “cowboy worship” in music,…
Taylor Kitsch Proves Looks Aren’t Everything in ‘The Grand Seduction’
The Grand Seduction is cute and smart and loves its characters, but one thing will nag at the back of your brain over and over throughout viewing it: Why would anyone want to hire a doctor who’s as dumb as Dr. Paul Lewis (Taylor Kitsch)? Sure, the town at the center of The Grand Seduction is desperate…
Lunchtime Snob: Savory sammies at Station Café
Sometimes you just need a really great sandwich. While Southtown is replete with dinner full-service evening options, the area lacks in quickie spots where you order at the counter, chow down on a tasty meal and get a move on. Thankfully, there’s always Station Café. After opening in late 2006 as Filling Station, the Station…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Would you like your savings account to grow? Then deposit money into in it on a consistent basis. Would you like to feel good and have a lot of physical energy? Eat healthy food, sleep as much as you need to and exercise regularly. Do you want people to see the…
Where Do SA’s HIV-positive Homeless Go?
It’s raining … well, cats and dogs … outside the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, and I say so to the clients who are chatting in one of the hallways. “Is it raining men?” a gentleman in a wheelchair retorts, and waves disappointedly at the answer. The residents at the SAAF house are here for skilled…
SA Author Karen Ranney Caps off Her Clan Sinclair Trilogy on an Erotic Note
It’s summer, and even the most literary of us are sighing at the thought of lugging The Goldfinch to the beach, Pulitzer Prize notwithstanding. When the temperature rises and the brain starts to melt, we want a small, simple paperback that provides adequate shade when placed over our eyes while lying on a lounge chair—what…
Savage Love: Unicorn Hunters
I am a single woman, 31, in LA, and on OkCupid. (We all are.) I’ve gotten a number of unicorn requests. (Maybe because I mention being a subscriber to the Savage Lovecast magnum version in my profile?) I’ve never responded—until the other day. One unicorn request stood out. I wrote back. They seem like cool,…
Live Oak Singers Bring LGBT Chorus Back to SA
When Ron Casola hands me a business card for the Live Oak Singers, San Antonio’s latest LGBT chorus, the logo of a multicolored tree trunk leaning demurely into its right hip above the frisky font of his name doesn’t go unnoticed. Hoping to fill the artistic void left by the now dissolved Alamo City Men’s…
Chameleon Moses Rose’s Hideout Open to All
It’s not often that we head back for re-do nightlife reviews. But our initial 2011 write-up about Moses Rose’s Hideout isn’t quite applicable these days. Back then, Alamo history (the bar is named after Louis “Moses” Rose, a famous battle deserter) and loud local jams were the bar’s bread and butter, but things have changed.…
Just Happens to be LGBT: Does Pride Month have anything to do with politics?
Pride Month. What exactly does this month mean for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people? Is it primarily a time for a community and cultural celebration, or is it a political action of sorts? A reminder to take it to the streets? San Antonio’s own Pride “Bigger than Texas” takes place this weekend on…
Op-Ed: Don’t deny Ivy Taylor’s chance to ‘evolve’
The San Antonio City Council may gain a major accomplishment in the city’s already progressive history in race relations. When Julian Castro announced his intentions to step down as mayor in order to serve in the Obama Administration as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, speculation began as to who on the council would take…
Smoke Shack Finds Home on Broadway
This is Texas–barbecue doesn’t have moments, it has never-ending eras. But it seems business owners are zeroing in on the current ’cue movement as of late. And the good ’cue is moving closer to Downtown: Dady stretched his legs with B&D Ice House, Augie Cortez (of Augie’s Barbedwire Smokehouse) is staking his spot on Broadway…
Cityscrapes: Why smart San Antonians keep moving to Austin
Last week, a longtime University of Texas—San Antonio tech staffer stopped by my classroom to say goodbye. She announced that she was leaving UTSA for a better job with much better pay. In the tech sector. With a private employer. In Austin. Her story is by no means unique. A number of tech folks have…
Young, Gifted and Queer: Q&A with SA musicians Saakred and Pink Leche
Hit the bars where SA music makes its home and who do you see on stage? Dudes unlimited, on every instrument, of every genre and playing on every evening. Of course, women represent a good take of the creative musical space in San Antonio, but as Saakred says, it’s largely a hetero male space. As…
Strange Narratives Unfold in ‘Spinning Yarns: Photographic Storytellers’
There are fuzzy, house-shaped monsters hiding under bedroom furniture, a shadowy ghoul stalking a redheaded gentleman and modern torture devices shown in the exhibition “Spinning Yarns: Photographic Storytellers,” on view at Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum through August 3. Curated by Anne Leighton Massoni and Libby Rowe, the traveling show builds upon the idea of narrative storytelling…
Austin’s Inaugural Stargayzer Fest Celebrates LGBTQ Music and Community
Here’s something you don’t hear much: “Austin needs another music festival.” Between the behemoth SXSW, the exponentially growing ACL, the quirky Fun Fun Fun, the tripped-out Psych Fest and several smaller fests in Austin’s orbit, one might well presume that the city’s music festival market is already quite saturated. But if you ask Stargayzer Fest…
Mayoral Horse Race: Villarreal makes it official, but can he campaign?
With Mayor Julian Castro enjoying relatively smooth sailing toward his Senate confirmation for the HUD Secretary gig, some mayoral hopefuls are feeling more emboldened. Last week current state Representative Mike Villarreal sent a fundraising email confirming his decision to trade the Pink Dome for a shot at City Hall, meaning he will resign from the…
Nashville’s Brandy Clark explores the low life on ‘12 Stories’
There’s a new girl’s club in Nashville writing with a refreshing, honest and provocative no-holds-barred agenda about trailer park life: gold-diggers, pill-popping, illegitimate children, murder and all. Their talent is turning depressing subjects into road-tripping, sing-along anthems with an upbeat country twang. The leader of these renegade women is singer-songwriter Brandy Clark. Her hit single…
San Antonio’s Transgender Community Shows its Pride
Despite the common belief that it was transgender activist Sylvia Rivera who sparked the beginning of the modern gay rights movement by flinging her high heel shoe at the cops during a 1969 police raid of the now-famed Stonewall Inn, the transgender community has clung to the letter “T” in the backseat of the “LGB”…
10 Vegetarian Options for Fourth Of July
This weekend isn’t all about the carnivores. Veggie lovers can have fun, too. Here are some dishes to celebrate our freedom in a fruitful and healthful way. 1. Grilled Pineapple Salad with Strawberry Citrus Vinaigrette (via) Recipe via Simple and Satisfying 2. Stuffed Peppers on the Barbie (via) Recipe via BBC GoodFood 3. Beet and…
10 Side Dishes for Fourth Of July
Let’s face it, a meal isn’t complete without some spectacular side entrees. So to help you out, we’ve rounded up some recipes to accompany your lovely meaty dishes. 1. BBQ Pulled Pork Stuffed Hasselback Sweet Potatoes (via) Recipe via Le Creme De La Crumb 2. Chicken, Mango and Black Rice Salad (via) Recipe via Bon…
The Politics of Public Transportation, or Streetcar Blues
As plans for the streetcar connecting various corners of San Antonio move forward, the movement against these plans are picking up steam. The Let SA Vote group is collecting signatures to push forward a petition to put the streetcar issue on the November ballot. Setting aside that the matter has already been decided (and…
What I Ate: Misadventures from the RGV
I traveled down to my hometown this past weekend for family time and taco time. I picked up the minis from Mr. Taco, appropriately enough, before heading to South Padre Island to catch some rays. I don’t mean to incite a riot…by any means…but corn tortillas from the Valley are what dreams are made of,…
The Unwitting, Unethical Facebook Emotion Study
This weekend, the Facebook-using public—so essentially everyone but your off-the-grid friends who may be a little bit snobby but are relishing their “I told you so”s right about now—were livid to learn about a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science titled “Experimental Evidence of Massive-Scale Emotional Contagion Through Social…
Top 10 Songs with Notes of San Antonio
“San Antonio, TX” by Frank Black and the Catholics is hardly the most adoring song about the city. San Antonio may not have as many referential songs as New York or London, but our beloved home city has a few good hits. Heavy on folk and country and light on other genres, most songs about this…
