Cover Story
King Of The Brown Sound: The Music And Social Movements Of Little Joe
In 1969, on the phone for a routine promo interview, Tejano singer Little Joe sparked the coincidence that would align him with the Chicano cultural movement. Chatting about an upcoming concert on a San Jose radio station, the DJ asked Joe about his thoughts on the work of César Chávez and the United Farm Workers.…
10 Things You Have To Do This Weekend
Thu 2/12 “Confections and Fictions” As the local art crowd knows, the citywide celebration known as Contemporary Art Month often arrives early and stays late. Leading the pack of eager beavers, the Southwest School of Art’s trio of CAM exhibitions opens with a winning combination of local and national talent. Bound by an attitude that…
You Don’t Have To Beg For ’50 Shades of Grey’ Merchandise
Fifty Shades of Grey began as a novel trilogy that served as an insight between the BDSM relationship between college student Anastasia Steele, and magnate/BDSM enthusiast Christian Grey. Because of its worldwide popularity, the trilogy has been translated into 52 languages and has sold over 100 million copies. It is no wonder that the large…
Need A Job? Home Depot Is Hiring 500 People In San Antonio
The recession sucked, and there are a lot of people out there who are still struggling to find jobs and make ends meet. On Tuesday, Home Depot announced it is hiring 500 employees at 16 stores across the Alamo City. While the jobs, which can pay anywhere from minimum wage to nearly $15 an hour,…
Flavor File: A Rose-Filled Weekend And Looking Ahead To March
I’m not single, but even I’m over the lovey-dovey dinners we’ve been sharing over the last few weeks. If you somehow haven’t got your reservation on lock, then you SO can do a lot better. Here are the last remaining Valentine’s Day events we could scrounge up to help you get avoid a possibly getting…
Sip Wine With Sean Elliot And Claudia Zapata at Fleming’s
Talk about a power couple — former Spur (you may remember the Memorial Day Miracle) and Fox Sports Southwest commentator Sean Elliott and wife Claudia Zapata, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, are teaming up with the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Antonio for a wine tasting. Slated for Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. inside…
Watch Chocollazo On The Cooking Channel Tonight
A year after being filmed for Cooking Channel’s Eat St., Chocollazo will finally get its 15 minutes of fame tonight (February 10) at 9:30 p.m. CST. The chocolate-centric truck was one of several to be filmed December 2013, and has been a part of the mobile dining scene since July 2013. The episode, Miami Mia,…
Gregg Popovich Becomes 9th NBA Coach To Reach 1000 Wins
With a 95-93 win over the Pacers last night, Gregg Popovich posted his 1000th win as an NBA head coach. In signaturely curt style, Pop commented on the feat in a post-game press conference. “I’ve been here a long time and I’ve had good players. That’s the formula. Getting the players is difficult, but I’ve been…
SA Food Pics: 10 Fabulous Food Photos
This week in SA Food Pics our readers were quite literally all over the place. We saw the tastiest looking burgers from In-N-Out (10918 Culebra), some Mexican sushi or “Mushi” from Top Golf (5539 N Loop 1604), and a home-made Valentine’s Day cheesecake that looks downright delicious. Don’t forget to include the hashtag #SAfoodpics in…
Burger Hangover Fest Announces Final Lineup feat. Thee Oh Sees, The Coathangers, The Rich Hands and more
Named after the crippling, across-the-industry malaise after SXSW, Burger Hangover Fest III just announced its final lineup for the March 22-23 bash at The Korova (107 E. Martin). On the list are Atlanta trio The Coathangers, sticky-sweet Chicago rockers The Lemons, The Rich Hands, The Bolos (both of SA) and the pre-eminent garage/kraut/psych outfit around,…
Maverick Music Announces Updated Lineup and Submissions for San Antonio Bands
Maverick Music Festival announced its second round of lineups for the two-day gig on April 10-11. Already featuring Cypress Hill, Cake, The Toadies and tUnE-yArDs, Maverick just announced that Best Coast, Portugal. The Man, Brownout (presenting Brown Sabbath), Heartless Bastards, Nina Diaz and Sarah Jaffe will join the SA fest in its third year. With…
Niskanen Center: Obama’s DACA Had Nothing To Do With Child Migrant Surge
A study published by Libertarian think tank the Niskanen Center contradicts claims from conservative circles that President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) encouraged children to immigrate illegally to the United States. Niskanen researchers came to this conclusion after reviewing monthly unaccompanied minor apprehensions from Fiscal Year 2012 that U.S. Customs and Border…
Texas Is Funny Announces SXSW Lineup
SA label Texas is Funny Records’ newly announced lineup for their 2015 SXSW Showcase delivers what the label promises: non-stop indie action. Featured acts include the hazy, spacey, dreamy Glish, badass punkers/screamers/rockers Ex-Breathers and ’90s nostalgists Vetter Kids. Other bands in the musical smorgasbord include Ice Hockey, football, etc., Brother/Ghost, We Leave at Midnight, The Midwestern Charm, Temple, Mariner, Old Problems, plus more to be…
The ‘New Witte’ Is Officially Underway
Marise McDermott, president and CEO of Witte Museum, has announced Phase II of the museum’s “Master Plan” today. The Witte’s Master Plan is to expand the museum’s exhibition areas, thus adding more enriching content than ever before. Once the plan has been brought to fruition, the Witte aims to become a top tier museum in…
Whataburger Adds Honey Barbecue, Bold Barbecue Sauce To Shelves
The reasons to never actually visit a Whataburger location keep piling. The chain has announced the addition of bottled honey barbecue and bold barbecue to its already extensive retail lineup, found inside all H-E-Bs. From the company’s press release: Honey BBQ Sauce A unique blend of savory, sticky sweet goodness, this sauce was made…
McDonald’s Screws Up Another Ad Campaign, This Time In Mexico
In a misguided marketing ploy, McDonald’s managed to piss off an entire country. And, no, this time it wasn’t the United States. In a Facebook ad posted by McDonald’s Mexico last Tuesday, the seers behind the Golden Arches declared that tamales are a thing of the past, Texas Monthly reported Monday. The advertisement featured a…
Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair Announces 2015 Lineup
The Tejano Music Awards announced the lineup for their free annual Fan Fair festival, taking place March 12-15 in Market Square downtown (514 W. Commerce). Among the artists listed are Max Baca y los Texmaniacs, Elida Reyna y Avante, Solido, Shelly Lares, Los Desperadoz, Ricky Valenz and many more. The full lineup features over 125 tejano bands…
8 Local Bakeries Offering Tasty Valentine’s Day Treats
Don’t have time to make anything special on Valentine’s Day? That’s okay, we’ve got you covered. There are plenty of local bakeries that are cooking up a special V-Day treats for your friends family, and your significant other, from simple truffle faves, to a chocolatey cupcakes and flavorful macarons. Don’t worry if you get overwhelmed…
Bexar County Jail Seeks More Female Guards
With an increasing female inmate population at the Bexar County Detention Center, the sheriff’s office is working toward hiring more female jailers. Since 2011, the jail’s female population grew by 65 percent while the jail annex that houses women — up to 1,733 inmates — needs at least 36 deputies to supervise the offenders, the…
5 Things You Have To Do This Week
Monday, February 9 – Wednesday, February 11 Jewish Film Festival The 14th Annual Barshop JCC Jewish Film Festival will continue through Wednesday, February 11. Two of the festival’s films will be shown every day at Santikos Embassy 14, with Bethlehem and The Green Prince, two action-packed films that explore Arab-Israeli conflicts, showing on Monday night.…
UT-Austin Frat Under Fire For Racist ‘Border Patrol’ Party
In a conflagration of racism and violence against women, a University of Texas-Austin fraternity is coming under fire for hosting a “Border Patrol” party where guests showed up wearing sombreros, ponchos and construction gear, The Daily Texan reports. And Monday morning Gawker reported that a tipster sent screenshots from Yik Yak, an anonymous social media…
Former White Rabbit Announces New Name: Phantom Power
After closing at the end of 2014, The White Rabbit has begun its transition under new ownership. The longtime spot on the St. Mary’s strip announced its new name, Phantom Power, yesterday on Facebook. In late 2014, the previous owners, the Sciaraffa family, sold the 1,484 capacity venue to restaurant owner Chad Carey, whose real…
Feds: No Sexual Abuse At Karnes County Immigrant Detention Center
After interviewing 33 witnesses and spending 380 hours investigating allegations of sexual abuse at the Karnes County immigration facility, a federal investigative agency determined no sexual misconduct occurred at the detention center. The Office of Inspector General initiated the investigation after an inmate, sorry, detainee, with no first-hand knowledge, reported rumors that several women held…
San Antonio Judge Sentences Somali Man To 15 Years For Aiding Terrorists
A 43-year-old immigrant from Somalia was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for providing support to a terrorist organization and making a false statement to immigration officials. Abdinassir Mohamud Ibrahim pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced Thursday. According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Ibrahim sent emails to al-Shabaab — a terrorist organization…
Red, Blue and Purple: Political Change Is A-Coming To Texas, But At Snail Pace
Texas has come a long way since the days of Lyndon B. Johnson. As he successfully predicted, Democrats eventually ceded power to Republicans, who have not had a hard time staying up top. No Democrat has won statewide office since 1994. But reversal may be in due order in the near future due to the…
Which SA School Districts Have The Highest Vaccine Exemptions For Students?
Remember those shots you got before starting school as a kid? The recent spike in measles cases across the country—102 cases across 14 states in one month—has sparked a conversation about the efficacy, and safety, of those vaccinations. Still, despite all the the hot air from so-called anti-vaxxers and conservative politicians who choose to reject…
Should SA City Council Members Get Paid $45,000 A Year?
San Antonio City Council have been mulling City Charter changes for awhile now and have been holding a series of public meetings this month on those changes. Included in the proposed changes is a pay raise for City Council and Mayor Ivy Taylor. The increase in compensation would be effective July 1, if approved by…
SA’s Remanon Premieres ‘Calamitous Cacophony’ On YouTube Channel BlankTV
“Calamitous Cacophony” is anything but a discordant collection of sounds, but instead a thought-out, provoking slice of modern prog by San Antonio’s Remanon. Filmed in a decked-out storage space, complete with a fog machine set to full blast, cluttered band equipment and hair whipping, the video sets the scene for a chilling account of love…
New UT Chancellor Expresses Support For Texas DREAM Act
Bill McRaven, retired admiral and the newly appointed chancellor of the University of Texas System, expressed support this week for Texas’ law that offers in-state college tuition rates for undocumented students who graduate from a Texas high school and have lived in the Lone Star State for three years. The law, which passed in 2001…
Pollstar Names Tobin Center as a Top Theater in 2014
Pollstar just announced its 2014 Theater Rankings for the U.S. and world, with the Tobin Center coming in 61st out of the top 200 theaters in the U.S. Among theaters worldwide, the Tobin ranked 79th. For international theaters under 2000 seats, the Tobin came in at the impressive 13th spot. A trade publication for the concert industry, Pollstar…
Report: TX Prisons Overuse Solitary Confinement, Costing Taxpayers Millions
A new report released by the Texas affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Texas Civil Rights Project finds that the state’s department of corrections relies too heavily on solitary confinement of prisoners as a form on punishment. Specifically, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice subjects 4.4 percent of its prisoners to solitary…
‘Magic Mike’ Mayoral Candidate Crudely Insults Leticia Van de Putte On Facebook
Well, that escalated quickly. Yesterday, we reported on the mayoral and presidential candidacies of Pogo Mochello Allen-Reese, an Army veteran, former male stripper and current crusader for Christ. The fringe candidate briefly enlivened the mayoral race with his enthusiasm and his past as an exotic dancer. But in less than a day, what started as a…
SA Missions Will Benefit From President Obama’s Proposed Budget
In his nearly $4 trillion proposed 2016 federal budget, President Barack Obama has included a boost in funding for the National Park Service’s preservation effort dubbed the Centennial Initiative, named for NPS’ 100th anniversary and the next 100 years of park conservation and historical preservation, and one of San Antonio’s most historic and beloved landmarks…
San Anto Throwback Thursday: Royal Jesters’ ‘I Want You Around’
We’re psyched to introduce our new weekly series, riding coattails on a hashtag trend and throwing back to San Antonio’s rich musical history. Let’s tip off with the Royal Jesters, a San Antonio soul band founded by Oscar Lawson and Henry Hernández. Inspired by the doo-wop and sock hop music of the ’50s, the pair formed…
New ‘Current’ Editor: We’re Here For You … Now Chime In!
Hola San Antonio! Feels good to be back. After being gone for a couple of years, I’ve realized how much this place grows on you. To the point where you find yourself in a New York City bar as the lone (and loud) Spurs fan as Manu and company take down the Knicks. Not expecting any such…
U.S. Releases Emergency Warning For Matamoros In Response To Cartel Battle
The U.S. Consulate in Matamoros is warning of increased violence between Matamoros and Reynosa factions of the Gulf Cartel. The Consul released its warning Wednesday, citing reports of large convoys of armed members of the cartel driving through Matamoros and even being spotted near the entrance to Veterans International Bridge, which connects Brownsville with Matamoros.…
7 Shows To See This Weekend
Thursday, February 5 Dayna Kurtz With nods from Norah Jones, Bonnie Raitt and NPR, New Jersey native Dayna Kurtz tugs at singer-songwriter audiences with nimble guitar playing and emotional language. Kurtz’ performance marks the 2015 kickoff of The Cove’s Greenhouse Concert Series. $15, 7:30pm, The Cove, 606 West Cypress, (210) 227-2683 —Matt Stieb Thursday, February 5 Femina-X, Belukahs…
Alamo Specialty Plate Bill Remodeled After SA Rep. Larson Talked To George P. Bush
When we blogged about a San Antonio representative who wanted to create specialty license plates to fund renovations at the Alamo, we noticed the proposed bill on file didn’t include any language regarding renovations. [Slideshow: 16 Specialty License Plates For Texas Drivers] SA Rep. Lyle Larson filed the bill on January 21 and told local media…
Uber: City Regulations May Drive Company Out Of San Antonio
Uber, the ride-share company that has gone back and forth over regulations with established taxi companies and city government since it arrived last year, has notified its drivers of its intentions to leave San Antonio. The company claims that, if the amended transportation ordinance goes into effect on March 1, it would impose “unworkable” regulations…
7 Romantic Movies Screening This Month For Valentine’s
Nothing says date night quite like dinner and a movie. Rest assured, all you terrible planners, we’ve got the movie half of your night covered with this list of romantic films to watch around town this Valentine’s Day. Dinner is still up to you, though we do have a few suggestions. Maybe you should give…
Girl Scout Cookies Have Arrived in San Antonio
Loosen your belts by a couple notches, folks, because cookie season has officially begun. Over one million boxes of Girl Scout cookies are arriving in San Antonio today. Cookie orders were placed early last month, and those of you who ordered boxes on boxes of delectable Thin Mints, caramel and coconut-covered Samoas, and peanut buttery…
San Antonio Could Have The ‘Magic Mike’ Of Mayors
A former stripper has thrown his g-string into the ring for this May’s mayoral election. Pogo Mochello Allen-Reese, Army veteran, former exotic dancer and current “Slave of Jesus,” filed paperwork to declare his candidacy for the city’s top post on January 28. He spoke with the San Antonio Express-News about his campaign, noting that he’s…
Brisket Bandit Strikes Again at B&B Smokehouse
Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wife…hide yo’ brisket? Another local barbecue joint has fallen victim to the beef-stealing jackass we’ve dubbed the Brisket Bandit. This time, B & B Smokehouse at 2627 Pleasanton, was broken into last Friday, January 31. General Manager Catherine Lopez was the first to notice the burglary, who discovered the Brisket…
Radio Bomba: Bombasta Barrio Big Band’s Notes from the Underground
As if Robert “El Robotico Livar”of the cumbia crossover Bombasta Barrio Big Band didn’t do enough to build San Antonio’s creative economy, he’s stepped in to host Radio Bomba, a podcast on SA’s cultural scene. Yesterday, Radio Bomba debuted the third installation of their podcast on San Antonio music, speaking with Femina-X frontwoman Daniela Riojas. In…
Insider’s Guide To The San Antonio Jewish Film Festival
The outstanding Polish film Ida, a nominee for this year’s foreign-language Oscar, seemed a lock for inclusion in the 2015 San Antonio Jewish Film Festival. But then the selection committee (full disclosure: I served as a member) learned that Ida would run at a local commercial theater. Sponsored by Barshop Jewish Community Center of San…
7 Ways To Get Your Drink/Grub On This Week
Wednesday, February 4: Beer infusions are the main event at The Hangar Tavern’s craft beer tasting in February. Guests will have a chance to sample Victory at Sea, Brooklyn Black Chocolate and Deschutes Fresh Squeezed, along with eight samples of house-made infusions, including Captain Crunch cereal, lemongrass, ginger and more made using a French press…
Flavor File: Valentine’s Day Suggestions For All Price Points
Whether you need to impress, want to guarantee a great night out or actually like being around cutesy proposals, here’s a quick list of V-Day ideas to consider. All dates are for Saturday, February 14, unless otherwise noted. Cocktail-lovers can take a hands-on sweet and savory cocktail pairing class at Gustology. The class will include…
Happy Hour Hound: Knife & Fork Gastropub
When I decided to visit Knife & Fork for this Happy Hour review, I did so with a heavy heart. The last time I had been in the eccentric gastropub, the Spurs treated me to a gut-wrenching game six collapse in the 2012-13 Finals. They never recovered, losing in game seven, and I never returned.…
Tone Poet: The San Antonio Symphony’s Strauss Festival
For its annual at-length festival celebrating a master in classical music, the San Antonio Symphony explores the orchestral charts of Richard Strauss. Born in Munich in 1864, Strauss helped bridge the 19th and 20th centuries with a focus on rich texture and tone poems, works that etch into song the story and feeling of a…
Rapeando The Immigrant Struggle: Go On Journey With Itzli Y Chimalli’s ‘MXATX’
Let’s get something straight: Itzli y Chimalli come correct. The SA hip-hop duo of emcee Alvaro “Itzli” Ramirez and producer/emcee Max “Chimalli” Edman pairs well-chosen and diverse samples with socially conscious, street smart, no bullshit, bilingual lyrics. While the two have worked on a few other projects before, their breakthrough started with last year’s excellent…
Explosive Debate: New Report Re-Ignites Hunters’ Ammo Dilemma
No other state in the nation boasts as many doves — and hunters hot on their trail — as the Lone Star State, with its longstanding hunting culture passed down through the generations. So it’s no surprise that a lingering national debate about the use of lead ammunition — whether it should be banned —…
Opponents Of Future Downtown H-E-B Can Only Hope For The Best
Apparently seeing it now as all but inevitable, downtown residents who had previously opposed a new H-E-B supermarket in their neighborhood have thrown in the towel. With multiple news reports confirming that construction on the long-anticipated downtown H-E-B is set to begin this summer – causing closure of a portion of South Main Avenue –…
Puro Charm At Sisters Bar
The evening started much like most these days. I’d wrapped things up at the office and headed out to find a Happy Hour to visit. The bar in question this evening had already eluded me once earlier in the week, and it did so once more as I drove up with pal in tow to…
New Indian Flavors To Explore At Biryani Pot
Do people even have atlases these days — never mind a library to house them in? If you’re the anachronistic owner of one such treasure, now’s the time to pull it out. If not, get thee to Google Earth or your favorite source of geographic information. Today we’re taking a hike to Hyderabad — it’s…
Even In The Dead Of South Texas Winter, Big Daddy’s Eats & Treats Thrives
The idea of opening any sort of eatery or treat shop in the middle of winter seems, well, laughable. There’s the matter of finding staff, training the crew, setting up shop and ultimately preparing to close on holidays as wintry weather finally makes an appearance. That wasn’t the case at Big Daddy’s Eats and Treats…
Dreams Of Flight: Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Varekai’ Lands In SA
In the real world, nobody flies. But step inside Cirque du Soleil, and flight becomes a natural consequence of existence. It’s the fall that brings surprise. [Slideshow: 28 High-Flying Photos Of Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Varekai’] The famed Canadian troupe’s Varekai does just that. In Cirque’s take on the Icarus myth, Icarus plummets from the sky…
AtticRep Revisits Sam Shepard’s Ferocious Drama ‘True West’
Typewriters are now almost as scarce as eight-track tapes. So when Andrew Thornton, playing a manic vagrant named Lee, proceeds to demolish a manual typewriter by repeatedly smashing it with a golf club, it is tempting to alert the Environmental Protection Agency to a violation of the Endangered Species Act. Are there enough typewriters in…
Savage Love: What Would You Do?
My husband and I are a straight couple in our early 50s, and we’ve been married for more than 30 years. We were raised to wait for sex till we got married—this was back in the early ’80s—and we did. Our wedding night was pretty disappointing since neither of us knew what we were doing.…
Free Will Astrology, Week Of February 2
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1979, Monty Python comedian John Cleese helped direct a four-night extravaganza, The Secret Policeman’s Ball. It was a benefit to raise money for the human rights organization Amnesty International. The musicians known as Sting, Bono, and Peter Gabriel later testified that the show was a key factor in igniting their…
Oscar-Nominated Short Films Screening Exclusively At Bijou
If you like your entertainment in small doses (you’re a Vine video addict, you only tune into the fourth quarter of Spurs games or you can rock out to iTunes samples), chances are short films might be the perfect solution for movie watchers who chose to skip Boyhood because of its 165-minute run time. Starting…
