5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Mon 3/17 ††† (Crosses) Does Deftones frontman Chino Moreno—as the rumor rounding the music blogs a few years back claimed—actually have a witch-house band? If you’re referring to the strain of ambient techno music made by young molly-poppers with DJ Screw fixations, then not really. Look past those witchy-looking unicode crosses (a tall order considering…
A Death Row Inmate’s Last Words Become A Sensation
Texas death row inmate Ray Jasper Recently, Gawker intensified the controversy over capital punishment when it published a letter from a Texas death row inmate. The provocative missive quickly devolved into an online spectacle as its contents were used to fortify the entrenched positions of both death penalty opponents and supporters. The letter’s author, Ray…
Big League Weekend Giveaway
Sponsored Content Pssst! The Big League Weekend game is coming up on Friday, March 28 and we’ve got our hands on two signed Houston Astros baseball cards, a baseball signed by Texas Rangers baseball pitcher, Yu Darvish, and a pair of tickets to the game. Wanna win ’em? Send us a photo and/or a…
Bert McCracken Talks ‘Imaginary Enemy,’ John Feldman and Living in Australia
Photo by Jaime Monzon The Used just embarked on a tour to promote their new album Imaginary Enemy co-headlining with Taking Back Sunday. During SXSW, I got to speak to lead singer Bert McCracken on the second floor of a bar called the Chuggin’ Monkey on 6th Street while the whole time hearing about five…
What I Ate: Crawfish, “sparkling water” and a booze-filled weekend
After my first crawfish boil this past week, I spent most of the weekend…well, drinking. Do you know how insanely easy it is to make an adult Jameson-laced Shamrock Shake? Very. Also, what’s with people drinking and eating in parking lots? Is that really a thing now?For more food porn, follow me on Instagram at…
Sunday Night Sound Bite: Skrillex: “Stranger”
Recess, the long-awaited full-length debut from six-time Grammy-winner Skrillex isn’t scheduled to drop until Tuesday (March 18), but iTunes is taking pre-orders and offering a “First Play” on iTunes Radio after teasing the release with the free app Alien Ride. Born Sonny John Moore in Los Angeles, the 26-year-old (who formerly fronted the post-hardcore band…
Top 9 Spots in SA to Enjoy St Paddy’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is a day where people can have craic while enjoying a nice size pint or two or maybe three. Heck, have as many pints as you want. No doubt patrons will be adorned in their best St. Patty’s Day green apparel and looking to “get lucky” with some lucky charms this festive holiday. Here…
16 Days Left for Best of San Antonio Voting
We are officially past the half-way mark for voting in the Best of San Antonio readers’ poll. The write-in ballot will close officially after March 31, 2014. So, if you haven’t voted yet, get on it! Not only is it important to rep your favorite people and places in SA, but we also look…
SXSW Saturday Dispatch: Forest Swords, Eagulls, Perfect Pussy, The Toadies
Finally, the final day of SXSW, where even the people wearing all black all week looked dirty and the bluff of serious rain kept the partially committed at bay. Through aching knees and splitting ears, we saw: Forest Swords – Holy Mountain Starting their set with a…
Preparing for St. Paddy’s Day with Guinness floats
Guinness float (left) and Jameson Shamrock Shake (right). I recently watched a group of bar-goers down delicious Irish Car Bombs at Bootleggers. I left the bar with a crazy craving for both Guinness and Jameson, but since I’m not about to start taking shots at home, I decided to sneak the booze in via dessert…
Steve-O Jumped into the San Antonio River off a Bridge
… and apparently lived to tell the tale. Or at least post a photo to Facebook: He wants you to know “it’s not safe … I hit the bottom when I landed this gainer flip.” Yeah dude, we know. Steve-O is doing his stand-up thing at Rivercenter Comedy through Sunday. You can read an interview…
SXSW Friday Dispatch: EMA, Angel Olsen, Sun Kil Moon
Friday evening, we cruised by the Central Presbyterian Church, just a few blocks North of the 6th Street madness, to catch a showcase from Pitchfork, the tastemaker internet publication based in Chicago. A stacked lineup featuring artists that alloy experimental and pop music, each artist was strikingly individual and spiritually resonant, if not in a…
Bonehead Quote of the Week: Bobbie Mueller on Miley Cyrus
One local mom’s crusade to protect San Antonio youth involves shielding them from the crude atrocity that is a Miley Cyrus concert. via Kens5 screen shot Bobbie Mueller is asking the City to implement a “foul-language” ordinance she helped champion a decade ago, reported the Express News earlier this week. The rule penalizes guardians…
SXSW Thursday Dispatch: Black Lips, BADBADNOTGOOD, Parquet Courts
For better or worse, Wednesday’s tragedy could not stop the bacchanalia and brand promotion of SXSW. With beefed-up security and a midnight moment of silence for the victims of the car crash on Red River, the festival continued into Thursday without interference. Here’s the rundown on what sets we caught. BADBADNOTGOOD (ft. Tyler the Creator)…
Why Is non-ALEC Member Joe Straus Hosting An ALEC Party?
Typically praised for his political moderation, Speaker of the Texas House and San Antonio-based Republican Rep. Joe Straus may be treading into ultra-conservative (and corporatist) waters. via Joe Straus web site According to a letter obtained by the Texas Observer, Straus and fellow Republicans state Sen. Kelly Hancock, Rep. Jodie Laubenberg and Rep. Phil King…
9 Kickass Bands To Catch at Burger Records Hangover Fest
Together Pangea In the itty-bitty lull between SXSW and the Maverick Music Festival, there’s the Burger Records Hangover Fest at the Korova this Sunday. James Woodard gives a rundown of nine untamable bands you have to hear. Read his full review, Burgers Records Brings its Hangover Fest to Town. Together Pangea LA’s…
Twin Shadow’s Super Exclusive SXSW Dumpster Show
“Five seconds in your heart/ straight to your heart …” #dumpstershow This crossed my radar thanks to Current street teamer Jenn Flores, who said “Somehow [I] love this band even more now.” We agree, Jenn. So does frustrated chillwaver Oscar the Grouch. Even better than this is that the synthpop project will be here next…
Shot of the Week: The Tiny Toddy
Anyone under the weather? (Dustin Dooling) Your favorite shot jockey is a little under the weather so this week’s shot is a break from the usual colorful concoctions. As many libations have been known to have positive medicinal qualities, such as Jagermeister’s ability to calm an upset stomach and help digestion, I sought something for…
10 Free Events Happening This Week
Art exhibition: Andrés Ferrandis’ “Numinous” 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday, through March 22 In evocative collages and digital prints, Spanish-born artist Andrés Ferrandis, a Miami resident since 2002, explores intuition, perception and memory. “Numinous” consists of small collages and large digital prints displaying a clean, well-designed, semi-abstract aesthetic that you might expect from…
First Course Fodder: Spring Menu at Max’s Wine and New Juicer Heroes
First Course brings in exciting food news to you in tiny, digestible bits. Max’s new quinoa salad (Courtesy) Bring on the sun. Max’s Wine Dive (340 E Basse) has announced their new spring menu with small and large plates, soups, salads and desserts with local and seasonal ingredients. On the spring menu is barbacoa con…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 3/13 Calabrese If B-movie star Bruce Campbell had his own late night talk show, Calabrese would be the house band (and I’d totally watch that over Fallon’s Tonight Show). The Italian-American brothers Calabrese funnel their fascination with horror flicks, comic books and the occult into straightforward punk rock that’s sometimes called Gothabilly, and more…
Comedian Steve-O on His Stand-up Career, His Audience and His Balls
Although he might not be pulling his dick out of his pants nearly as much today as he did during his years as a star on the popular MTV’s series Jackass in the early aughts, comedian Steve-O is still putting himself out there more than he’s ever done before. Now a consistent presence on the…
Joaquin Castro (Initially) Boycotts Buc-ee’s After Store Gets Cozy With Dan Patrick
U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro said he’ll no longer step foot into popular Texas gas and convenience store, Buc-ee’s, after chain owners publicly got behind state Senator and Republican runoff candidate for lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick. One of these people is masquerading as a flamboyant beaver. Photo from Dan Patrick Facebook. A day after Patrick posted photos of…
Two Dead in Car Crash Outside Mohawk at SXSW
Two people were killed early Thursday morning when a car crashed into the crowd outside the Mohawk on Red River Street, trivializing this week’s celebration of music and music industry at SXSW. Austin Chief of Police Art Acevado confirmed the death of two victims at the scene, a man and a woman riding a moped.…
Video: Robert Rodriguez Says El Rey is for Viewers Like His Kids
How many kids does Robert Rodriguez have? Uh, five. He made a channel for them, so they, and other millennials, can engage with content that appeals to anyone, but has a cast a crew that’s mostly Hispanic. Cinesnob Kiko Martinez has been chatting it up with every filmmaker and actor at SXSW. Here, he sits…
SXSW Interactive Shrugged the App and Launched Some Heavy Conversation
Has South by Southwest jumped the shark? That’s a question SXSW Interactive director Hugh Forest half-heartedly posed to an audience Sunday afternoon on the topic of SXSW trends. It’s a question he often gets. It’s year 21 for the interactive conference, and Forest was the one who launched the arm, then named the SXSW Film…
‘Autumn Wanderer,’ SA Native’s Award-winning Indie Film, at Blue Star
Within the first couple minutes of our phone conversation, the star and director of Autumn Wanderer, which screens at Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum for one night next week and will be available via video-on-demand* April 8, was asking me to guess how much it cost to make the dreamy, gorgeous and unsettling film. “Um…
Recipe We Love: Thomas Keller’s Roasted Chicken
A before and after of my bird. (Courtesy) I first learned of Thomas Keller’s recipe via Buzzfeed of all places. The recipe seemed too good to be true: three ingredients and less than two hours is all it takes to make a great roasted bird? I had to see for myself. The recipe is…
4 ‘Wicked’ Recipes
Wicked is in San Antonio for the third time. Clearly we’re getting ready with these four witching recipes inspired by the Broadway musical. 1. Green Cauldron Fondue Witch’s dip. (Courtesy) Chocolate, whipping cream, a little green food color and 20 minutes for a delectable witch’s brew. Recipe via Betty Crocker 2. Ruby Red Velvet Whoopie Pies…
Lüke San Antonio’s John Russ Shares His Chicken Brine Recipe
Chef John Russ (Courtesy) A fan of Peeler Farms chickens, Lüke’s chef de cuisine brines his bird in a fragrant mixture overnight for tender and juicy results. He shared his recipe below. Chicken Brine 2 quarts of water 1/2 cup of kosher salt 1/2 cup of granulated sugar 1/2 cup dark sugar 1 tablespoon crushed…
Douche City: San Antonio ranks a dubious third in d-bags
So many rankings, so little time! Just yesterday San Antonio landed high on a list that’s even less desirable than “least literate” or “apartment boomtown.” I am sorry to inform you, folks, that San Antonio is the third “douchiest” city in America, according to credible polling source/real-estate blog Estately. But, something seems suspicious about this…
4 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on This Week
New Braunfels Brewing Co. will take over the taps tonight at World of Beer. (Courtesy) Wednesday, March 12: New Braunfels Brewing Co. takes over the taps at World of Beer tonight with a lineup of six brews including LuftWeiss, ErdeWeiss, FeuerWeiss, WasserWeiss, Shiva’s Tears and Wicked Fuel, an ErdeWeiss beer brewed with Jet Fuel Coffe.…
Americans For Prosperity-Linked Activist Halts Effort To Recall Bernal Over LGBT Ordinance
It looks like ardent foes of the City’s LGBT non-discrimination ordinance have waved the white flag in their months-long fight to unseat ordinance author, District 1 council member Diego Bernal. Coming up 1,000 signatures short of the 5,800 needed to begin the recall effort, activists decided to call it quits, an Express-News column first reported.…
Booze News: George’s Keep Opens, Beer and Bison and a Tour of Italy
Booze News slings up the latest gulp downs around town every Tuesday. A Sweet Nothing’s cocktail from George’s Keep. (Courtesy) Steve Mahoney’s latest bar George’s Keep (17101 La Cantera Pkwy, (210) 310-3733) is holding a soft open tonight. The bar, will feature a The Terrace level bar will feature 3,027 square feet of intimate European…
San Antonio Is An Apartment Boom Town: Here’s Why That Should Depress You
A blog that covers the dynamic self-storage beat (yes, really) has ranked San Antonio as one of America’s top cities for new apartment developments. According to Sparefoot.com, the Alamo City is number 13 in the top 15 apartment boom towns. Anyone who has driven around the city or heard Mayor Julián Castro drum on about the “Decade…
Alt-chicks: What goes into the trendy, tasty and expensive boutique poultry
[Photos from Parker Creek Ranch] There’s a certain sense of guilt that comes along with eating mass-produced poultry. There’s only so many blinders we can put on to block out knowledge of where our food comes from. Gone are the picturesque Old McDonald farms. Instead, most of the poultry we consume comes via factories and…
Lunchtime Snob: Loaded mini tacos at Taqueria Chapala Jalisco
Yes, Lunchtime Snobs can eat Mexican, and it’s damn good, if you must know. The purpose of this column is finding great, inexpensive lunches and doggone if Taqueria Chapala Jalisco (1819 McCullough, (210) 735-5352) offers exactly that without leaving the eater with a guilty conscience or an oil-stained shirt. Taco-hounds familiar with the area might…
Glitter Political: Good Will Huntzinger and the Democratic Divide
Aside from a few predictable runoffs, Greg Abbott’s hot mic and Matt McCall’s entertaining, emotional (#TMI) KTSA interview, many would agree that the most dramatic local contest from last week’s mostly lukewarm primary elections was the climactic clash between defense attorneys Nico LaHood and Therese Huntzinger in the Democratic primary for Bexar County District Attorney.…
Fierce Emcee Ana Tijoux Returns to SA with Free Show
First things first, don’t blame Ana Tijoux for her slightly spotty English. Blame me for not speaking Spanish or French, the two languages Tijoux employs fluently in life and in her notable hip-hop career. The Chilean rapper, who grew up in political exile in France, will add another chapter to her story on March 18,…
Burger Records brings its Hangover Fest to town
It’s a wonderful time of year to enjoy live music in San Antonio. Every March, we here in ol’ San Antone get to feast on all the scrumptious little musical crumbs that fall off of Austin’s SXSW table, which runneth over aplenty. We are treated to cheap shows packed with bands passing through looking for…
‘Need for Speed’ Threatens to Stall Aaron Paul’s Film Career
When we first see Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul in Need for Speed, the new action flick from director Scott Waugh (Act of Valor), he turns around and scowls. It’s a look we got accustomed to seeing in Breaking Bad, the terrific TV drama in which Paul played the conflicted drug addict Jesse Pinkman. But what…
‘Better Living Through Chemistry’ is Dumb Fun
Ah, life in a quiet suburb. The monotony. The temperamental school kids. The pill popping. The murder plots. You know, the stuff we find beneath the surface, or at least the stuff we find beneath the surface in every movie that takes place in the ’burbs. Better Living Through Chemistry has all those things, along with…
Bangerz Sisters: Icona Pop opens for Miley
Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz tour is coming to town, a rolling twerk-cus of sorts featuring all your favorite pre-packaged WTF moments—bondage-inspired outfits, furies, hot dog riding, licking, a Big Sean puppet—all rolled into one fun-filled night. But there may be a bit more to Bangerz that just recreating Cyrus’ infamous VMA performance on a nightly basis.…
The Curator Diaries Week 4: It All Becomes Clear
For a few weeks I have been focused on visiting artists’ studios in some attempt to decide what the Contemporary Art Month Perennial exhibition will look like. Throughout the quest I have had the increasingly nagging feeling that I need to know more about the history of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and the community…
Savage Love: Faithful
I have a slowly terminal disease and don’t have more than five or six years left. I haven’t told my wife, which brings me to my problem. We had lived together for seven years when she cheated on me the first time. We got back together, but we continued to live separately. Then I cheated…
Happy Hour Hound: Seriously cheap drinks and addictive snacks at Palenque Grill
Juan Francisco “Pancho” Ochoa founded the quick-service Mexican food chains El Pollo Loco, in Guasave, Mexico, in the 1970s, and Taco Palenque, in Laredo, in the ’80s. Come the aughts and Pancho and family were at it again, this time establishing a full-service, authentic Mexican restaurant in 2005 in Laredo called Palenque Grill. A second…
Pop-up Art Installation Lets Viewers Create Their Own Music
Manuel Rocha Iturbide is a sound artist, theorist and composer from Mexico City, whose exhibition “La Tensión Extendida” alights at a pop-up warehouse space on March 14, thanks to newly established residency Casa Chuck and Michele Monseau’s Three Walls Gallery. Iturbide’s sound installations and compositions as a solo artist and collaborator have been performed and…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “There was another life that I might have had, but I am having this one.” So says a character in Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel The Unconsoled. At this juncture in your life story, Aries, it might be healing for you to make a similar declaration. Now is an excellent moment to say…
Flavor File: Cockasian food truck featured on SNL and an “interesting” Flambeau Grand Marshal
One cheeky food truck name has San Antonio all hot and bothered. Cockasian’s name is a pun of sorts, as Caucasian owner Candie Yoder will be slinging spicy Korean eats once the truck finally launches. Cockasian has been in the development stage since last fall when Yoder launched a Kickstarter to raise funds for the…
Celebrating St. Paddy’s Day in Local Irish Bars
Ah, Saint Patrick’s Day. The celebration many look forward to in the days and weeks leading up to it (St. Pat’s falls on Monday, March 17 this year), and many regret the day immediately following it (which, unfortunately for most, will not be Saturday or Sunday.) When you tell your story of regret on Tuesday…
Local Electro-pop Project FILMSTRIPS Celebrates New Album
Even though he’s only 30 years old, Chris Maddin has been an important force in the local music scene for more than 10 years. His indie rock band Blowing Trees and his solo folk-rock project the Tiago Splitters have showcased Maddin’s knack for writing cinematic songs that convey a sense of universality, immediacy and topicality…
Ruiz-Healy Takes Big Steps toward Becoming Olmos Park’s ‘It’ Gallery
In evocative collages and digital prints, Spanish-born artist Andrés Ferrandis, a Miami resident since 2002, explores intuition, perception and memory. But, more concretely next door to this exhibit, workmen are busy transforming the former Bistro Bakery into what promises to be a destination gallery for Olmos Park. After years of appointment-only shows in the living…
On Miley, From a New Father’s Perspective
Unless you have been living under a rock (with no wi-fi) for the past year, you have probably been made aware of the fact that Miley Cyrus has a new album (Bangerz) and that she’s been promoting the hell out of it. No big deal there, hardly a shocking turn of events—pop star makes a…
After Local and State Primary Elections, Runoffs Emerge
Cadillac Bar was abuzz with election night fervor on Tuesday, March 4. The Bexar County Democratic Party took over the Downtown watering hole to celebrate wins, await totals and get down on the dance floor. “It’s an exciting time for us; there are more local Democratic candidates running today than ever before,” Chair Manuel Medina…
Warhol Shoots and Scores with SAMA’s ‘Athletes Series’
In 1977, Richard Weisman, the investment banker son of Los Angeles-based art collectors Frederick and Marcia Weisman, spent $800,000 commissioning Andy Warhol to create the Athletes Series, 10 photo-based portraits of celebrity sports stars of the era, ranging from skating champion Dorothy Hamill to NBA scoring sensation Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Weisman said he hoped “the series…
On the Rocks: Five Texan Bourbons Reviewed
Sorry, Kentucky, but you don’t have a lock on bourbon. America’s special spirit can be made from sea to shining sea—it only needs to be at least 51 percent corn (the rest being wheat and/or rye and sometimes barley) and aged in new, charred oak barrels to be card-carrying. A quick mosey down the brown…
Spurs Forward Matt Bonner Brings SXSW To San Antonio
So So Glos is so so coming If you like the idea of SXSW, but would rather not schlep to Austin to battle the harrowing crowds, then you are in luck. Several acts from the music festival are making the jaunt south for a performance in our home court, thanks to Spurs forward Matt Bonner.…
Testing, Testing: We sample chocolate chip cookie sparkling water
Late night grocery shopping trips always make for some sort of surprise. Last night, as I stocked up on Topo Chico, I stumbled on this little gem: Aghast, I snapped a quick Instagram photo and posted it to my profile before bedtime. This morning, I awoke to several friends who echoed my sentiment: There’s a…
