Cover Story
Luminaria Lights up SAMA and Maverick Park for Its Eighth Incarnation
Update: Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 4 p.m. Due to expected severe weather, Luminaria has cancelled and/or postponed a number of outdoor events and exhibitions. Indoor Luminaria events will go on as planned. For a list of Luminaria cancellations, click here. In its first seven years, Luminaria has showcased more than 3,000 artists in multiple disciplines…
Hotel Emma Sets Opening Date
San Antonio is finally going to get a good look at Hotel Emma at The Pearl and all its dining components on November 9. Larder, the hotel’s in-house market and cafe, John Brand-helmed restaurant Supper and bar/club room Sternewirth are all housed inside the former brewhouse. The 121-year-old building will contain all of Hotel Emma’s 146…
University of the Incarnate Word Briefly Locked Down After Reports of Gunman on Campus
Update 9:15 p.m.: UIW Police Chief Robert Chavez said that the campus is now completely open after reports of a gunman briefly put the university “on alert.” “Campus is open, everything is fine. We’ve done as much as we know to do,” Chavez said at a press briefing. UIW was never technically on lockdown, according…
Symphony’s Lang-Lessing to Set Soundtrack to 28 Chinese
The San Antonio Museum of Art has a show right now called 28 Chinese which is a collection of art from twenty-eight Chinese people (you guessed it) taking place in six galleries. You may have heard of it. So… Sebastian Lang-Lessing, our very own San Antonio Symphony conductor, went to see this art show that…
Report: Texas Schools Performing Better Than Expected
A new analysis of a national education evaluation paints a rosier-than-expected picture of Texas schools. Under the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a nationwide education report card, Texas has typically lagged behind other states. Lone Star State 4th and 8th graders, the two grades which the NAEP measures, placed 32nd in the 2013 rankings. But…
Can You Guess How Many San Antonio Businesses Failed Recent TABC Stings?
The Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission’s latest undercover operation targeting people who sell alcohol to minors tested more than 900 businesses across the Lone Star State as fall semesters for college students began. Less than 10 percent of targeted businesses fail the stings. A whopping 91 percent of businesses passed. “We are pleased to see that…
Find Out Which Beers Pair Best With the Candy in Your Halloween Haul
Like any responsible parent, you are going to accompany your costumed children door-to-door on Halloween night and help your offspring collect massive amounts of candy. And because you earned it, damn it, after you tuck your tikes to sleep, you’re going to eat their candy. Walking is hard, and you deserve a reward. Plus candy…
City Council to Vote on Contract to Equip All SAPD Officers with Body Cameras
Over the past year, the San Antonio Police Department has been working to integrate body cameras into its repertoire of equipment. That long road could come to an end Thursday if San Antonio City Council approves a contract between the SAPD and TASER International, Inc., for 2,200 body cameras at a cost of up to…
2016 Experience Hendrix Tour Coming to The Majestic
Although he has become increasingly synonymous with tie-dye shirts further stained and streaked with highly-caffeinated soda hanging off of gangly, teenage-gamer bodies, Planet K-purchased dorm room, black light posters and white dudes that listen exclusively to Tool, Sublime and Bob Marley (but always have really good weed), Jimi Hendrix is still the shit…. And he…
Governor Greg Abbott Working to Make Texas More Hostile Toward Immigrants
Texas Governor Greg Abbott filed somewhere around 30 lawsuits against the federal government while he was attorney general — a point he was proud of. Nothing says bonafide Lone Star State conservative Republican like an impassioned hatred for the federal government and President Barack Obama. However, this is all politics and Abbott actually loves the…
Memorial for SA Musician Shawn Terry at La Botanica, Faust
Shawn Terry, longtime San Antonio musician and generally cool dude, has passed away. Terry had long been involved in the local music scene, most recently playing guitar and writing music for Guilty Strangers, who were recently featured on a tape compilation release from the Noise Loves Audio label. Shawn formerly worked at Robot Monster and…
Texas Thinks Cancer-Causing Bacon Is a Load of Hogwash
This morning, a great majority of the United States gave a resounding “meh” to news that bacon and other delicious meat products can kill you. Yes, not only is meat murder, it’s also a murderer. A report released by the World Health Organization’ International Agency for Research of Cancer attempted to suck all the joy…
Diwali San Antonio Festival of Lights Will Illuminate La Villita This Year
The best of India will shine at La Villita this year during the Diwali San Antonio Festival of Lights, the city’s annual celebration of Indian culture and traditions. The event is Saturday, November 14, from 5 to 11 p.m. Diwali is co-hosted by the city and Anuja SA, a local nonprofit organization from San Antonio’s…
Victoria’s Secret PINK Panty Party at UTSA is Going Down
In a submission of proof of where UTSA’s priorities lie, the school is hosting the Victoria’s Secret PINK Game On! Bash on Wednesday. The university won in the 2015 PINK Campus Showdown, a social competition/marketing campaign that pitted UTSA against 98 other schools last month. For tapping on their phones repeatedly and not paying attention…
The Nike Whataburger Kicks Are Real
Today in “This is uhmazing,” Whataburger published a photo of a Whataburger sneaker on its official Twitter account. WHAT ARE THOOOOOSSSSEEEE?!?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/SVgRlsgaUI — Whataburger® (@Whataburger) October 26, 2015 It’s orange and white and beautiful, and we want a pair right now. The shoe can’t be real, right? Well, the shoe isn’t just the product of some…
10 Free Events Happening This Week
Tuesday, October 27 Dia de Los Muertos Altar Workshop Historic Casa Navarro hosts a crafting workshop to shed light on traditional Día de los Muertos altars (bring a copy of a photo of a dearly departed loved one). Free, 5pm, Tue., Casa Navarro State Historic Site, 228 South Laredo, (210) 226-4801, visitcasanavarro.com Tuesday, October 27…
Just In Time For Halloween, A Coffin Was Found On Elm Street In Mission
Halloween is almost here, and it’s getting creepy pretty early. A new homeowner in Mission, Texas, was having renovations done in the backyard and was surprised when workers unearthed a coffin, reports KGBT from the Valley. “It’s just a crazy story, because it’s almost Halloween,” said Deedee Oliveira, who decided it would be fine (and not…
SA Food Pics: Catfish Comfort Food
This weekend was packed with nothing but comfort food, which is only appropriate for this sliver of Fall weather we are receiving and SA Food Pics is here to show it all. Cullum’s Attagirl (726 E. Mistletoe Ave.) served up huge catfish (your choice of original or spicy) paired with their signature Attaboy fries and a…
Christmas Arrives Early: Spurs H-E-B Commercials to Premiere Wednesday
Raise your hand if you are ready for some laughs. The San Antonio Spurs’ 2015-16 season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder is this Wednesday in OKC, and fans are getting a special treat. The Spurs and H-E-B will premiere of this year’s crop of H-E-B commercials, which have a cult following nationwide. The always…
5 Shows to See This Week
Monday, October 26More-Eaze/Marcus Rubio Ex-pat Marcus Rubio’s More Eaze provide the jack-of-all-trades with an outlet for his more Appalachian proclivities. Rubio still incorporates his signature sirens and swirls crafting noise-scapes to fill in the analog forest with digital trees. With Kevin Greenspon, Freebies, Porridge Fist, Selfies, MXCG. 8pm. The Ten Eleven. 1011 Avenue B, (210)…
5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Monday, October 26 CineSnob.net Presents: Tucker & Dale vs. Evil As part of their monthly film series at Alamo Drafthouse, CineSnob.net is welcoming October with the hilarious horror-comedy Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil. Free with purchase of $5 food voucher, 7:30pm, Mon., Oct. 26, Alamo Drafthouse Park North, 618 N.W. Loop 410, (210) 677-8500, drafthouse.com…
SA Man Miraculously Alive After Being Swept Away In Weekend Flooding
In an amazing turn of events, a 41-year-old man who was swept into a drainage tunnel Saturday morning by Babcock and Fredericksburg roads is alive a well. On Facebook, the San Antonio Fire Department said crews were searching Woodlawn Lake for several hours Saturday and Sunday, but the man was found alive and well yesterday…
The Mix to Host Día de Los Muertos Festival Party
The Dia De Los Muertos Celebration has been cancelled due to the shitty weather, pero, it will resume tomorrow at noon as planned. However, starting at 9 p.m., The Mix will be hosting Los Master Plus and Master Blaster Sound System whose club-cumbia beats drive their bilingual samples, along with La Trinidad and Grupo Frackaso, SA’s rowdiest cumbia…
SA Native Shea Serrano’s ‘Rap Yearbook’ Is on NYT Bestseller List
I haven’t even read Shea Serrano’s The Rap Yearbook, but based on the Amazon reviews he left for himself, it’s funny as shit. Maybe via my big-ups here, Serrano will feel inclined to send one to 915 Dallas, San Antonio, Tx 78215 c/o D.T. Buffkin. He did it for the last music editor/critic/godhead here. Maybe…
Luminaria Cancelled; Muertos Fest Called Off for Saturday — Not Sunday
Update, noon: Muertos Fest is cancelled for today. However, organizers say Sunday is a go. Organizers say Los Masters Plus and Master Blaster Sound System will play at The Mix at 9 p.m., followed by La Trinidad and Grupo Frackaso. There will be free tacos from Taco Cabana at 7 p.m. and later El Milagro…
Let’s Taco ’bout It: Why the New Taco Emoji Is Kind of a Letdown
The iOS 9.1 update is out as of this week and with it came a slew of new, fabulous ways for me to avoid communicating with words. Even as a writer, there’s a tedium that goes along with typing out all my rapid-fire, usually nonsensical thoughts. These days I can text my pals about an…
Our Favorite Bands for Halloween: CocoRosie
While not scary like a typical slasher flick, CocoRosie is chillingly subtle like a psychological thriller and gruesomely beautiful like gothic horror fiction – compared to the pop-up scares of the Misfits, the Cramps, or even the shit-slinging GG Allin. A sister duo formed by Sierra and Bianca Casady, CocoRosie’s dynamics lie in direct contradiction: the…
The Official (and Unofficial) Weird and Avant Garde Music of Luminaria
In order to augment our now-NYC-bound former music editor’s engrossing interview with still-NYC-based tape-loop guru William Basinski, we’ve highlighted three other musical events occasioned by Luminaria this weekend. Don’t let the weekend’s frog-drowner forecast put the proverbial damper on your plans to attend. Grip yourself a Sears poncho and find the driest path between the…
Pinche Rain: Find Out Which Events Are Cancelled This Weekend in San Antonio
Friday, October 23 Luminaria: Certain portions of the event are cancelled due to weather. More information here. Muertos Fest: Organizers are moving ahead as planned; bands are being moved indoors. More information here. 2015 SACTACULAR: This event has been postponed to Friday, November 6. Lebanese Food Festival: This event is a go, rain or shine. The SA…
Bonehead Quote of the Week: A Palestinian Gave Hitler the Idea for the Holocaust
We hop across the pond for this week’s bonehead quote. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech to the Zionist Congress last Tuesday that genocidal maniac Adolf Hitler never wanted to exterminate Jews, he wanted to expel them, the New York Times reported. Netanyahu claimed the grand mufti of Jerusalem, a Palestinian, gave…
Sunday’s Culinaria Jazz Brunch Is Cancelled
Culinaria San Antonio Jazz Brunch that was scheduled for this Sunday at La Cantera (15900 La Cantera Pkwy, Ste 6698) has been cancelled. The event was to include a chef-prepared brunch, some jazz music and art, but because of our Texas bi-polar weather they have decided to cancel the event for the safety of their guests. …
Devin the Dude Postpones Alamo City Show
Houston’s wordsmith of wizard, or crooner of chronic, poet of pot, rhymer of resin, gangsta of ganja, bard of bud, (I could go all day), Shakespeare of shake, rapper of reefer, melodist of Mary Jane, etc. etc. etc. has postponed tonight’s (10/23) show at the Alamo City Music Hall, whamp wah. Citing “unforeseen circumstances,” the other Dude’s…
Be Careful out There, San Antonio
Get ready for stormy weather. The National Weather Service Austin-San Antonio says we should expect heavy rainfall plus flooding this weekend. There’s a flash flood watch in place through Sunday morning, with Bexar County listed as high risk for dangerous rising water. The weather agency says expect anywhere from 5 to 10 inches of rain. …
SAPD Offers Safe Zones for Craigslist Exchanges
You don’t have to look hard to find stories about Craigslist ads that end in robbery in San Antonio. Take 22-year-old Truddy May, who posted a Craigslist ad for a massage. However, instead of a massage, she allegedly lured two men to her apartment and allegedly attempted to rob them, News 4 San Antonio reported…
Many Words with Gang of Four’s Andy Gill
Andy Gill, original guitarist of British, post-punk outfit Gang of Four, knows that his band has been copied, duplicated and appropriated by a plethora of groups since its ’77 inception. He also knows that, as the only remaining original member, many fans are poised to berate and lambast him with cries of “Sellout!” He also…
Texas Subpoenas Planned Parenthood, Sets 24-hour Deadline
This morning, officials from the Office of the Inspector General, Texas Health and Human Services Commission unexpectedly showed up at the San Antonio Planned Parenthood facility on Babcock Road to serve a subpoena. The state is seeking tons of documents and gave Planned Parenthood just 24 hours to compile it all. Jeffrey Hons, president and…
Boo-rito Returns This Halloween Night
Chipotle returns to scare Halloweeners in their annual tradition, “Boorito.” The event exposes the additives which include artificial flavoring and coloring used in typical fast food restaurants. If you are looking to carbo-load for your Halloween night stop by any Chipotle restaurant from 5 p.m. to closing when costume-donning customers can order $3 burritos, tacos,…
Cruz Ortiz Designs Special Edition Spurs Pizza Box
I don’t think there is ever a time where San Antonians stop cheering for the Spurs. Preseason is upon us and we are seeing the Spurs everywhere lately, and we aren’t complaining. Their logo will be brought even closer to us this season with a new Papa John’s box designed by local artist Cruz Ortiz, founder…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 10/22 CARMEN.maquia Established in 1970 by National Medal of Arts recipient Tina Ramirez and under the artistic direction of Eduardo Vilaro since 2009, New York-based Ballet Hispanico premiered its production of Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s edgy CARMEN.maquia to ovations in 2014. With a title that marries Bizet’s groundbreaking opera Carmen and the dynamics of tauromaquia…
San Antonio’s Newest Honorary Citizen Is Already A Spurs Fan
Today, San Antonio City Council bestowed a honorary citizenship to an adorable, yet equally creepy bear. As we reported yesterday, his name is Kumamon, and he’s the the official mascot of Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, as well as the main characters in ongoing waking nightmare. Kumamon, who is absolutely, totally real and not just some man in…
Faust Tavern Hosts Indian Pop-up This Weekend
The Faust Tavern (517 E. Woodlawn Ave.) is hosting a three night Bhairava pop-up with all your favorite Indian delicacies. The Indian inspired menu will have lamb kebabs, aloo tikki, mushroom katar, even vegan saag for all you plant lovers. This is happening all weekend long starting Thursday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Rain or…
Don’t Be Caitlyn Jenner for Halloween, Texas
Caitlyn Jenner is the Halloween costume Texas is googling more than another state. Being that Texas isn’t exactly the most tolerant state when it comes to LGBT issues — a record number of anti-LGBT legislation was introduced during the last session this year — and given that other popular costume searches in Texas include “Ku…
The Unofficial Best Videos of the 35th Tejano Music Awards
The 35th annual Tejano Music Awards take place this weekend at the Tobin Center. In honor of three-and-a-half decades of San Antonio hosting the show, which draws 90,000 people to its festivities each year, we have gathered some of the best (and worst) videos from this year’s nominees. Song of the Year Up for “Song…
New Dallas-based Eatery Opening at The Rim
Moonshine and “Rebellious American” fare will share the spotlight at the newest restaurant to open at The Rim Shopping Center this fall. MASH’D at the Rim, the third of it’s kind via a privately owned Dallas company co-owned by executive chef David Kazarian will open November 11 at 17623 La Cantera Pkwy. MASH’D will join…
Amazon Prime Now Brings 1-Hour Delivery to San Antonio
Amazon Prime’s fast delivery is now getting faster with Amazon Prime Now, which offers to deliver your items within the same hour. The service currently operates in certain zip codes in San Antonio and can only be accessed through the iOS and Android app. The delivery service operates seven days a week from 10 a.m.…
10 Shows To See This Weekend
Thursday, October 22 FEA Also signed to Joan Jett’s label Blackheart Records, Fea, comprised of Girl in a Coma’s Phanie Diaz and Jenn Alva, address zine culture and riot-grrrl jams with a Tex-Mex flair. RSVP only, 6:30pm, Alamo Lounge at Alpha Media, 4050 Eisenhauer Rd, (210) 658-5100 Thursday, October 22 Froth If you are familiar with Lollipop…
Check out the New Public Art at Woodlawn Lake Park
With 22 colors and nearly 1,000 pieces held together by 20,000 rivets, “Spineway” at Woodlawn Lake Park joins San Antonio’s robust displays of public art. The large-scale outdoor sculpture was unveiled and dedicated earlier this week. French-born, New York-based artist Marc Fornes created “Spineway,” his first outdoor public art installation in the United States. The…
Is It Time to Remove the Word Aliens from Federal Law?
The word “alien” is peppered throughout federal law, and it has nothing to do with extraterrestrial life illegally visiting the United States. The law uses the word to describe people who aren’t citizens or nationals of America. So for example, when a human smuggler gets caught with a car full of Central Americans somewhere, they…
Flavor File: New Snacks at AT&T Center
A $100 million-plus dollar remodeling project at the AT&T Center included several food/booze venues and bites, which were highlighted during a recent media sneak-peak. New updates included a beefed-up Whataburger that’ll be open to the public on non-event days; two new corner bars stocked with local and Texan craft brews located at the northeast and…
Muertos Fest Will Go On, Barring Severe Thunderstorms or Flooding
Despite the rain and severe weather forecasts this weekend, the Dia de los Muertos Celebration in La Villita is still happening. Contingency plans are being made for the live music acts should it rain. (It will) Live music will go ahead as scheduled unless the rain gets serious. The entire event will be suspended if…
Dead Kennedys Add Second Matinee Show at Korova
The Dead Kennedy’s have sold out their original show on Saturday, December 12 at The Korova and have added a second matinee show for Sunday, December 13. While East coasters Henry Rollins, Ian Mackaye and Glenn Danzig were flexing their muscles, and heads in Mackaye’s case, in front of hordes of writhing, swinging, akimbo-ed juveniles,…
Insane Clown Posse Gives SA Current Shout Out
Shannon Sweet, yes, that Shannon Sweet, the one who unintentionally poked the hornet’s nest that is Courtney Love’s megalomania in her astute write-up of the former Hole frontwoman and widow of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, is receiving some props from two dudes that understand pop-culture-related humor probably better than most multi-millionaire rock stars. Insane Clown Posse…
Terrible Thieves Make Off With Barbecue Pit Full of Meat for Funeral Guests
First the brisket bandit went on a meat-stealing spree. Then a young woman’s body was stolen from a funeral home. Now it looks like we’ve reached the singularity of the two crimes. According to KENS5, thieves took the pit from the Bumpkin Bar where owner Paul Minnick parked it Tuesday night as it cooked barbecue for…
Luminaria Cancels Some Outdoor Events Due to Severe Weather Possibility
Rain or shine, Luminaria 2015 is going down. The festival, which is Friday and Saturday, is being held in and around the San Antonio Museum of Art. However, if the National Weather Service is correct, it’s going to rain cats and dogs this weekend. Luckily, there are plenty of indoor events that will continue as…
Vegeria Will Close Broadway Location This Spring
Come February 1, the original Vegeria Vegan Tex-Mex eatery will not be found at 8407 Broadway, Suite 1. According to a Facebook post by owner Fred-Anthony Garza, the eatery will close its doors on January 30, 2016 as building owners prepare to sell the property. Here’s Garza’s statement in full: Vegeria on Broadway has saved…
Meet SA’s Newest Citizen: Kumamon, the Rosey-Cheeked Japanese Tourism Bear
Kumamon, the official mascot of Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, is a divisive figure. Is Kumamon an endearing cute and cuddly bear, or the terrifying product of some nightmarish fever dream? Either way, he (or she? or it?) is coming to the Alamo City tomorrow. As a representative of one of San Antonio’s sister cities, Kumamon will…
Send Us Your Letters!
Who writes letters anymore? Well you, hopefully. To us. We want to hear from you. The San Antonio Current editorial staff is bringing back the ‘Letters to the Editor’ section. We’re calling it ‘First Words.’ We kicked off the feature off this week with a letter from Jason Davis, director of brewing operations for Freetail…
San Antonio May Get a Huge Downpour
The National Weather Service says there’s a good chance that Bexar County will be drenched in rain during the next few days. According to science, Gulf and Pacific moisture will steadily increase over South and Central Texas through the weekend, which combined with a disturbance from the west, will create a round of showers Thursday…
Can You Be Too Pumped for a Pre-season Game?
The answer is no, if you’re a die-hard Spurs fan or if you’re shooting guard Danny Green. The 28-year-old preemptively ran onto the court during team intros during last night’s pre-season matchup against the Phoenix Suns. Let’s just say he’s eager to start the race for seis. Watch the video below. Can you blame him?…
Bexar County Jury Sentences ‘Cop Killer’ To Death
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, 45, is the third person in Texas this year to be sentenced to death. Bexar County jurors levied the sentence on Tuesday against Gonzalez, who is convicted of shooting Bexar County Sgt. Kenneth Vann more 26 times in 2011. “Today, jurors made the right decision,” District Attorney Nico LaHood said in a…
A Letter to the Monterey, from a Grateful Food Writer
Dear Monty, It seems silly to write this now, with your doors still open and sherry still flowing. Some would argue getting verklempt over the closing of a restaurant seems over the top or ridiculous and they’d be correct. But something about this particular closing warrants more introspection than other closures. In 2010, when you…
Box Street Social’s Flavors Are on Point
There was a time when food trucks were a novelty in San Antonio, when we didn’t have dedicated parks and hundreds of trucks roaming the city. Food trucks used to be regarded as diners on wheels. Now, they’re seen as a way for a new chef to make their mark, or try something new, and…
Savage Love: One Last Time
I’m a straight guy, married for 16 years, kids in school. My wife cannot find a way to be intimate with me. We’ve had therapy individually and together. I nearly divorced her, but we decided to stay together—we do love each other, and the economics and child-rearing favor it. After I asked for a divorce,…
‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race’ Star Ginger Minj Takes the Stage As Dr. Frank-n-furter
Fresh off her appearance on season seven of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Orlando’s Ginger Minj is starring as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in this year’s production of the Woodlawn Theatre’s The Rocky Horror Show. We spoke with Minj over the phone about her time on Drag Race, a new album in the works and how she plans to…
First Words: Brewing and Stewing
I first caught wind of your article “The High Life: An Ode to Cheap Beer” (The Beer Issue, Oct. 14) on Facebook when I noticed a beer blogger up in arms over it. My first reaction was that we (the craft-brew industry) may take ourselves too seriously, and we probably need to develop a better…
Why You Live and Die With the Silver and Black
The comments read more like telegrams from some hostile foreign front than a reaction to a basketball game. “Everything hurts and I’m dying.” “I’m out of words. I feel immense sadness. … The sudden drop of stress gave me an actual headache.” “Speechless.” “I don’t even know what to say.” “I just cried.” Those are…
Walking the Footprint: A Preview of Selected Artists/Performers by Area
Update: Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 4 p.m. Due to expected severe weather, Luminaria has cancelled and/or postponed a number of outdoor events and exhibitions. Indoor Luminaria events will go on as planned. For a list of Luminaria cancellations, click here. SAMA Nils Westergard This nomadic Belgian-American street artist and filmmaker, who creates striking works that…
What Did He Say? A Guide to the Young Thug Idioglossia
Since the embryonic days of the genre, lasting success in rap means locating your own idiolect, navigating through the language in a way no one else can. Atlanta phenom Young Thug bailed on this step, opting for a private, constructed language in his bars. Like Finnegan’s Wake or the Furby, The Young Thug idioglossia is…
‘Steve Jobs’ Is a Mediocre Look into the Man Behind the Mac
Give screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director Danny Boyle credit for making a biopic that skirts tradition. Give them demerits for the Aaron Sorkin-ness of it all, the non-Danny Boyle-ness of it all. Sorkin has written a screenplay that resembles a three-act play—he did start his career as a playwright, after all. And he has filled…
‘Beasts of No Nation’ Chronicles the Making of a Murderer
Netflix’s original film Beasts of No Nation is not simply a personal story of one child’s schooling in warfare and death, but a collapsed, expedited look at the creation of a soldier. In the condensed brutality of a war-torn Western African village, carnage moves quickly. What takes years of schooling and social reinforcement to learn…
Free Will Astrology, Week of October 19
ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to the online etymological dictionary, the verb “fascinate” entered the English language in the 16th century. It was derived from the Middle French fasciner and the Latin fascinatus, which are translated as “bewitch, enchant, put under a spell.” In the 19th century, “fascinate” expanded in meaning to include “delight, attract,…
New Comics Collections From ‘Drawn & Quarterly’ Cut to the Quick
In Adrian Tomine’s latest collection of graphic short stories, Killing and Dying, broken people navigate clumsily through their lives. Whether revving wheels that seem permanently stuck in the mud or trudging away from an emotional car crash, gingerly checking themselves for injury, Tomine’s characters do eventually arrive at some form of peace or at least…
William Basinski Hits Luminaria With Arresting Tape Loop Work
Update: Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 4 p.m. Due to expected severe weather, Luminaria has cancelled and/or postponed a number of outdoor events and exhibitions. Indoor Luminaria events will go on as planned. For a list of Luminaria cancellations, click here. With a jaw cut from granite and a roster of unkempt, leonine haircuts, a subway-stop…
There’s More and More Concern About the Vista Ridge Pipeline
Nearly a year ago, San Antonio City Council unanimously approved a $3.4 billion deal to pump water into the city from nearly 150 miles away in Lee and Burleson counties. The vote followed nearly four hours of public comment from the deal’s opponents, who ranged from homeowners to activist groups, and from supporters who were…
Newsmonger: Uber Rides Again, the Budget Gets Tweaked and Hillary Plays SA
Yo Hablo, Hillary? Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner for president, kicked off her Latino outreach campaign in San Antonio during a rally at Sunset Station on Thursday, October 15. Bolstered by endorsements from the brothers Castro, San Antonio’s political wunderkinds, Clinton touted her experience organizing in South Texas for George McGovern’s…
Nectar Brings Highbrow on LoBro
Broadway is booming by the Pearl. Still, the famously long street struggles out of downtown where seedy hotels and bus stations dot the cityscape. “We’re taking back LoBro,” says Rob Stephens, who, along with his wife Rachel, recently opened Nectar in the long-neglected Calcasieu building. Nectar is a wine bar. Yep, you read that right.…
Stephan Mendez Shakes It up at The Boulevardier Group
We can’t call Stephan Mendez a new face, exactly — the dude’s been around. Before hopping onto The Boulevardier in April as bar manager for The Last Word, the 29-year-old had already spent the last half of his 20s shaking and stirring at some of the city’s best bars and some of its northernmost watering holes,…
