On the road: Follies in DC
So I thought I had my theater-going schedule worked out perfectly: first, I would catch the opening weekend of the Cellar’s Corpus Christi—with attendant protests, charges of artistic and moral bankruptcy, soaring tickets sales, etc, etc.—to be followed by a weekend in DC, where I (and 1500 show queens) would catch the final weekend of…
Interview with ‘Orgasm Inc.’ director Liz Canner
In her documentary Orgasm Inc., filmmaker Liz Canner investigates the race between U.S. pharmaceutical companies all vying for the same objective – to create the first FDA-approved drug to treat a medical condition deemed Female Sexual Dysfunction. During her work with a drug-development company called Vivus, Canner became unconvinced that FSD was even a disease…
NY Senate passes marriage equality bill
As of just a few moments ago, gay men and women will now have the legal right to marry in the state of New York. In a bipartisan vote, the state Senate approved a bill that would grant same-sex couples the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts, making New York the sixth and largest state…
“5 Minutes before Nagasaki” by Eric Dreyer Smith
Introduction What I like about Eric Smith’s story “5 Minutes before Nagasaki” is that the title really does encompass the piece. By showing just a few lives, random but interlaced in the grimmest possible way, Smith reminds us of the devastation we wreck on one another. The disjointed quality of the narrative proves to be…
The Southwest Championship, presented by Alamo Gaming
I remember back in the the 90’s when I was growing up the local Blockbuster and H-E-B Video (later known as Hollywood Video) would hold gaming tournaments for the customers. Prizes would range from a free week game rental, gift card and sometimes a game and even a system if there was a sizable crowd. The feeling…
Perry receives less-than-warm welcome in San Antonio
Gov. Rick Perry’s reception in San Antonio Thursday was anything but warm. As the governor openly plays with the idea of a White-House run, protestors outside his speech to a group of Hispanic leaders called the visit “insulting” and a clear attempt to court the Hispanic vote. Dozens gathered outside the Grand Hyatt downtown to…
Flippin’ San Antonio
Texas has been plagued with illegal immigrants for ages. Less than a decade after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, additional troops were sent to the northern border to deal with pesky American and European border jumpers that were raiding the district for land and flaunting the Republic’s laws by bringing African slaves to…
Squat your way to a stronger back
Yoga Posture of the Week: Malasana or Squat Pose This posture is one of my favorites, as it is one of the most natural human body positions. Almost as soon as a child learns to walk, they learn to squat like this. Unfortunately, despite how natural this position is for our body, in western cultures…
Making San Antonio a better place to work and play
Do you have ideas about how to improve our city? Share them! The City of San Antonio is partnering with the Project for Public Spaces to identify new ideas for downtown. You can submit your ideas online here. You can also join the Downtown Strategy Session: July 19 Downtown Strategic Planning Session La Villita Assembly…
Tubers still hitting the Guadalupe, Comal but in fewer numbers
There’s not much in the river above the Canyon Lake Dam but white rocks; it’s underground springs that are feeding the lake today, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But tubing outfits beneath the dam are still doing a reasonable business with a “low and low” Guadalupe River as parched Texans make…
Move over Dora, here comes Baby Besos
Story by Desiree Prieto Many of our parents and grandparents were taught as Hispanics growing up in South Texas, “If you want to prosper in the U.S., do not speak Spanish, do not teach your children Spanish.” Fortunately, times they have a-changed; parents can and should teach their children more about their culture. I met…
SAISD delays cuts to Pre-Kindergarten
Recommendations to cut SAISD Pre-kindergarten to primarily half-day sessions in the 2011-12 school year were overturned by trustees June 21. The planned reductions were due to state budget cuts. An SAISD news release states, “Though the Legislature has not adopted its final budget, SAISD is confident that the reduction in state funding will be lower…
Tax the Wolf bring SA a howling rock ’n’ roll cocktail
Tax the Wolf w. Cartographers The Limelight No cover, 21+ 11pm Thu, June 23 2718 N St. Mary’s (210) 735-7775 thelimelightsa.com By the second track of Tax the Wolf’s debut album, Hold the Sun (2010), you’ll likely be dialing through the recesses of your musical catalogue for a touchstone, searching to compare them to any…
Ask a Mexican!
MUY CALIENTE SUMMER EDITION Dear Mexican: I’m wondering how Mexicans feel about the communities of American expats springing up all over Mexico (especially those who live near or in these communities). Also, are there places in Mexico where it doesn’t get so hot that Americans are generally pretty comfortable year-round? Could you name a couple…
‘Dov Davidoff is awesome’… says Dov Davidoff Super Fan Chris Payne
Dov Davidoff is not your typical comedian. His style is manic and easy, but underneath it all are intelligent jokes shuffled within a deck of random exploits. His hyper kinetic, audience-engaging act has been noticed by Variety magazine, which named him one of their “Top 10 Comics to Watch,” but don’t their word for it.…
Warped Tour still sucking devotion and sweat from the sneakered set
Vans Warped Tour w. 3OH!3, A Day to Remember, Gym Class Heroes, Asking Alexandria, The Devil Wears Prada, and more $21.72-$40 Noon Sun, June 26 AT&T Center One AT&T Center (800) 745-3000 attcenter.com This experience is not for the faint of heart (or eardrum). By definition, “warped” means “to cause to become abnormal or…
Heat of the season invites some playful drink reinvention
So, it’s now officially summer — not that we needed a calendar to tell us that. But if we did need an equinox-related excuse to indulge in some new, lighter drinks, let’s take advantage by taking one of the warhorses of San Antonio summers, gin and tonic, and playing with it a little. This simple…
The Current’s list of must-see summer shows
June 23: Jerry Seinfeld $48-$78; The Majestic Theatre, majesticempire.com 24: Bart Crow Band $10-$20; Cowboys Dance Hall, cowboysdancehall.com 24: The Oak Ridge Boys $25-$45; Majestic Theatre, majesticempire.com 25: Tejas Brothers & Stone River Boys $10; Gruene Hall, gruenehall.com 25: Girl Talk $23.09-$41.57; WhiteWater Amphitheater, whitewaterrocks.com 26: Vans Warped Tour $21.72-$40; AT&T Center, attcenter.com 26: Lyle…
Janis Martin (1940-2007): The female Elvis
Since 2007, San Antonio-born singer-songwriter Rosie Flores has had a dream: to release the album she produced for country/rockabilly star Janis Martin (1940-2007), “The Female Elvis,” who passed away shortly after the recording of the album. “Through the years of our friendship I never gave up on trying to get Janis back in the studio…
Pat Metheny: What’s It All About
Instrumental covers of pop songs have always been tricky business, a razor-thin line separating interesting reinterpretations from elevator music. Of course, there are few better candidates to navigate safely across that razor’s edge than Pat Metheny, who throughout a four-decade career as the most popular guitarist in the jazz world has consistently managed to inject…
Let’s Get Campy
Camp Artpace Teenagers 13-17 participate in the Young Artists-in-Residence program where they learn new techniques in a one-on-one setting with some of SA’s most inspiring artist educators. The registration deadline for this program is July 9. $250, July 19-July 29, 9am-noon Tue-Fri, Artpace, 445 N Main Ave, (210) 212-4900, artpace.org. Camp Showbiz 2011 2-Week…
Fast Foodie: El Milagrito
El Milagrito Café 521 E Woodlawn (210) 737-8646 El Milagrito, “home of the Feo and the Loco,” is one of those places I’m always driving by on my way to somewhere else. Considering the lively lunchtime crowd in this colorful, hodgepodge of a place, it’s apparent many folks don’t have my commitment problem. From the…
Perry’s immigration ‘emergency’ speeds Texas toward sea of red ink
Trying once more to tackle his self-proclaimed Texas immigration emergency, Governor Rick Perry added the second permutation of anti-sanctuary cities legislation to the special session roster, sparking a repeat of the tense and ugly immigration debate that mired the regular session. The measure, which would keep police departments from banning immigration checks and expand the…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Golden orb spiders of Madagascar spin robust webs. Their silk is stronger than steel yet able to bend and expand when struck by insects. Here’s an equally amazing facet of their work: Each morning they eat what remains of yesterday’s web and spend an hour or so weaving a fresh one.…
Returning tribal realities and Obama’s backlash
It’s beyond satire. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, telling the New York Times what he had learned during his long tenure under Presidents Bush and Obama, explained that “I will always be an advocate in terms of wars of necessity. I am just much more cautious on wars of choice.” Gosh, Bob, does that mean…
Cody Canada & the Departed: This is Indian Land
Cody Canada shaped the Texas/Red Dirt sound with his long-running band Cross Canadian Ragweed, exploring a decidedly non-Nashville brand of country rock. From the mid ’90s until last year they played a kind of hippy honky-tonk rock that blends loose-limbed jams with barroom country and ’70s conceptual arena rock. With CCR on semi-permanent hiatus, Canada’s…
The festival that needs no help?
I confess: I have been spoiled. After enriching, inspiring experiences covering the French Film Festival, the Jewish Film Festival, and CineFestival, all held in SA, I was expecting that when the time came I’d have everything I needed to do a proper preview of the San Antonio Film Festival — my mistake. I should not…
Piranha Killer Sushi
If you find yourself cooking the same dishes over and over, you need to add some new recipes to your repertoire. This Saturday, June 25, you can take a free cooking class at La Taza Coffee House with chef Michael Flores and learn how to make some seasonal Mexican-inspired dishes, like jalapeno-cheese spread and tomatillo…
San Pedro’s production of Corpus Christi sings with passion
Corpus Christi $15-$25 (No one under age 18 admitted.) 8pm Fri-Sat, 2:30pm matinee Sun Special Thursday performances: 8pm June 30 & July 7 Cellar Theater @ San Pedro Playhouse 800 West Ashby (210) 733-7258 sanpedroplayhouse.com Through July 10 Better pray for your sins Better pray for your sins ’Cause the gay messiah’s coming — Rufus…
Cool Summer
Photographs and fashion styling by Bryan Rindfuss Original artwork by Kelly O’Connor Hair and makeup by Angelina Mata 1. Austin-born Delaney Anderson, seen here wearing a dress, hat, and necklace from Jive Refried (919 S Alamo, jiverefried.blogspot.com) just finished her junior year of high school and is represented by Dallas-based Wallflower Management (wallflowermanagement.com). Her summer…
Tubers still hitting the Guadalupe, Comal but in fewer numbers
There’s not much in the river above the Canyon Lake Dam but white rocks; it’s underground springs that are feeding the lake today, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But tubing outfits beneath the dam are still doing a reasonable business with a “low and slow” Guadalupe River as parched Texans make the…
Critic’s Pick: The Godfather: Part II
Texas Public Radio Cinema Tuesdays series $10 for TPR members $12 for non-members 7:30pm Tuesday, June 28 Santikos Bijou 4522 Fredericksburg Rd. (210) 614-8977 tpr.org/cinema “I could make five failures, and I’d still be the guy who directed The Godfather,” Francis Ford Coppola, who reportedly refused six times to direct a sequel to his gangster…
Notes on the Biennial
Biennale! The word conjures visions of Venice, and perhaps Istanbul, Havana, and Sydney. Big international contemporary art shows all, but Biennale di Venezia, begun in 1895, is the grande dame, the international benchmark. The Texas Biennial is a newcomer, and a local. Begun in 2005, the TB is a project of the Austin-based arts nonprofit…
Texas Biennial could learn a few things from Venice art explosion
VENICE, Italy — What can the Texas Biennial learn from the Venice Biennale? First off, it would seem advantageous to have a city with canals as your site. Not to sound too self-serving, but a river walk might work. The Venice Biennale has two main venues, the Giardini and the Arsenale, and dozens of far…
Critic’s Pick: The Godfather: Part II
Texas Public Radio Cinema Tuesdays series $10 for TPR members $12 for non-members 7:30pm Tuesday, June 28 Santikos Bijou 4522 Fredericksburg Rd. (210) 614-8977 tpr.org/cinema “I could make five failures, and I’d still be the guy who directed The Godfather,” Francis Ford Coppola, who reportedly refused six times to direct a sequel to his gangster…
Las Nieves offers a pinnacle of summer pleasure
Las Nieves 4310 Blanco Rd (210) 735-9884 I first happened upon Las Nieves completely by accident, in a manner that recalls the great explorers of our time (Columbus, Lewis & Clark, Dora). I had just finished a puffy taco at Los Barrios and was on my way home when something caught my eye. A line…
Texas fracking critics tour the Eagle Ford as complaints of contamination surface
Calvin Tillman set out on his weekend tour across South Texas hoping to alert area landowners about the dark side of the growing oil shale boom. Beginning at a Laredo forum packed with local farmers, environmental activists, and industry reps, Tillman worked his way northeast from the Rio Grande, crossing a region teeming with drilling…
Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life roots itself in grief and touches the stars
The Tree of Life Writ. and dir. Terrence Malick; feat. Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn. (PG-13) The Tree of Life, a film bracketed by nothing less than the inception and the end of a universe of suffering, moves its audience from the empathy of dinosaurs to the enmity of forced dining-room etiquette. Following a…
Quesadilla de Veggies from Urban Taco
A bite of what we’re eating here at the Current
The QueQue, June 22, 2011
Green unveiling It may smack sustainable-city leaders in such affluent locales as Berkeley, Portland, or Chicago as an upstart challenge, but on Monday San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro minced no words in declaring that the Alamo City is now officially gunning to be the nation’s top dog in clean-technology development. Castro told hundreds of influential…
Live & Local: Yes, Inferno at Limelight
“Something just died, no clue,” said Richard Garcia, one of two guitarists for heavy math rockers Yes, Inferno, after their album release set on Friday, June 17, at Limelight. Richard, always one to banter since his earliest days as solo artist Romeo Golf, had to run his mouth a little extra after his pedal board…
Fêted 15’s
June of 1996 was a good month for San Antonio beer lovers. Fifteen years ago this weekend, Blue Star Brewing Co. opened its doors in an old warehouse on the edge of the King William district and Real Ale Brewing Co. started brewing just up U.S. Highway 281 in Blanco. One was a brewpub and…
Artifacts
A lot of ink is spilled every day on border issues, causing the mention of immigration to prompt images of the usual suspects — ICE agents, coyotes, and crossings in the night from the south. But behind the headlines, there is a whole world of newcomers in our midst. This Thursday is the opening reception…
La Vida Bohème: Nuestra
Venezuela has never been known as a stronghold of rock en español. Mexico, Argentina, and Spain still lead the pack, while Chile and Colombia have joined the rocanrol map in more recent years. But indie-dance-punk quartet La Vida Bohème can brag about having what’s arguably the best Venezuelan rock album ever. Henry D’Arthenay (guitar, vocals),…
Easy summer destinations, complete with cool drinks on the backside
In this era of “Just Google it,” it’s true: there is very likely “an app for that.” Chances are the restaurant you went to last night was the product of a lazy iPhone search. Likely the digital modulations of a GPS voice guided you into the order lane cooing, “Your destination is on your left.”…
Churchwood: Churchwood
If Mike Patton ever led a blues band on an impromptu 30-night tour through Louisiana swamp country, the end result might sound something like Churchwood’s latest offering. Don’t let the "church" fool you; this Austin quintet certainly isn’t spreading that gospel. But lead singer Joe Doerr’s vocals do jangle with the bravado of a snake-oil…
Castro says San Antonio committed to dominating new energy economy
In was a spectacle that we at the Current will be digesting for quite some time, but it can be said that whatever we knew about Mission Verde is now owned by Mayor Julián Castro. With the roll-out of new-energy partners, several of which have committed to locating their headquarters here, and the announcement of…
