Night comes for the city
I had thought that as soon as The Wire’s final season came to a close — last night at approximately 9:35pm CDT — I would want to run out and buy the available seasons on DVD and start watching the series from the beginning. The HBO drama, which ran five seasons, has been described as…
Dancing in the Rain
As my mind readjusts to the time change, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to conjure up an exciting topic to blog about. I could opt for the most obvious choice of the rain, but what for? Tomorrow it’ll be sunny and rain will be the least of our concerns. I could take a political stance…
Night comes for the city
I had thought that as soon as The Wire’s final season came to a close — last night at approximately 9:35pm CDT — I would want to run out and buy the available seasons on DVD and start watching the series from the beginning. The HBO drama, which ran five seasons, has been described as…
Dancing in the Rain
As my mind readjusts to the time change, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to conjure up an exciting topic to blog about. I could opt for the most obvious choice of the rain, but what for? Tomorrow it’ll be sunny and rain will be the least of our concerns. I could take a political stance…
Tone Deaf Teddy
The Texas primary campaign is over but the melody lingers on, and we’re not talking about the endless caucus counting. One of the most amazing features of the campaign was that it spurred Ted Kennedy, hitting the stump for Barack Obama, to prove his South Texas bona fides by breaking, with little warning, into a-cappella…
On the Street
Letters (to the On the Street Penthouse Suite) The first one came from Steve in San Luis Obispo, California. Perhaps Steve will be the West Coast correspondent? (Though in truth, there can easily be more than one for a state that large and convoluted.) #1 Steve writes, “Mark, hey – cool about the bike blog.…
Lunchtime ink session
I’ve taken it upon myself to be the resident tattoo writer here at the Current not because I have a collection of tat’s or anything (Sorry tattoo fanatics, my skin hasn’t been touched by the ink machine … and it probably never will.) but I do have a genuine interest when it comes to tastefully…
G.O.B. Bluth wants to babysit your vagina
One of my favorite people in the world (him and all of the Bluths), Will Arnett has teamed with MTV’s Human Giant to make this gorgeous, slightly NSFW video. Yay. WILL ARNETT-HUMAN GIANT SEX TAPE on FunnyOrDie.com
Tone Deaf Teddy
The Texas primary campaign is over but the melody lingers on, and we’re not talking about the endless caucus counting. One of the most amazing features of the campaign was that it spurred Ted Kennedy, hitting the stump for Barack Obama, to prove his South Texas bona fides by breaking, with little warning, into a-cappella…
On the Street
Letters (to the On the Street Penthouse Suite) The first one came from Steve in San Luis Obispo, California. Perhaps Steve will be the West Coast correspondent? (Though in truth, there can easily be more than one for a state that large and convoluted.) #1 Steve writes, “Mark, hey – cool about the bike blog.…
Lunchtime ink session
I’ve taken it upon myself to be the resident tattoo writer here at the Current not because I have a collection of tat’s or anything (Sorry tattoo fanatics, my skin hasn’t been touched by the ink machine … and it probably never will.) but I do have a genuine interest when it comes to tastefully…
G.O.B. Bluth wants to babysit your vagina
One of my favorite people in the world (him and all of the Bluths), Will Arnett has teamed with MTV’s Human Giant to make this gorgeous, slightly NSFW video. Yay. WILL ARNETT-HUMAN GIANT SEX TAPE on FunnyOrDie.com
Applewhite goes down in history
Penelope Boyer, one of the community leaders who built the Land Heritage Institute coalition just emailed to say that City Council approved the transfer of 1,200 acres of former Applewhite land to the non-profit, adding “now the real work begins, FINALLY!!!” Congratulations to Penelope, Ramon Vasquez, Peggy and Mark Oppelt, Alston Thoms, and all of…
Demand free radio
For those of you who demand free airwaves, you will be happy to know Senator Byron Dorgan D-ND is at it again. Dorgan, along with 13 co-sponsors, introduced a “resolution of disapproval” to stop the Federal Communication Commission from overturning a 32- year-old ban limiting the number of subsidiaries a media company can own. We…
Applewhite goes down in history
Penelope Boyer, one of the community leaders who built the Land Heritage Institute coalition just emailed to say that City Council approved the transfer of 1,200 acres of former Applewhite land to the non-profit, adding “now the real work begins, FINALLY!!!” Congratulations to Penelope, Ramon Vasquez, Peggy and Mark Oppelt, Alston Thoms, and all of…
Demand free radio
For those of you who demand free airwaves, you will be happy to know Senator Byron Dorgan D-ND is at it again. Dorgan, along with 13 co-sponsors, introduced a “resolution of disapproval” to stop the Federal Communication Commission from overturning a 32- year-old ban limiting the number of subsidiaries a media company can own. We…
Band in Israel banned in Egypt
The Band’s Visit Director: Eran Kolirin Screenwriter: Eran Kolirin Cast: Ronit Elkabetz, Sasson Gabai Release Date: 2008-03-05 Website: http://www.thebandsvisit.com/ Rated: PG-13 Genre: Foreign Cultural exchanges do not always make the noise generated by the New York Philharmonic’s recent visit to North Korea. When the Alexandria Police Ceremonial Orchestra, a troupe of eight anxious Egyptian musicians,…
24-hour party women
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Director: Bharat Nalluri Screenwriter: Bharat Nalluri Cast: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams Release Date: 2008-03-05 Website: http:// Rated: PG-13 Genre: Film If only Miss Pettigrew lived for a week … an awful lot does happen in just this one day. Nevertheless, this spring if you find yourself in search of…
Lust Lust Lust
Lust Lust Lust Composer: The Raveonettes Conductor: The Raveonettes Label: VICE Release Date: 2008-03-05 Rated: NONE Media: CD Length: LP Format: Album Genre: Indie Rock The Velvet Underground’s secret weapon was that, beneath their poetic ambitions, intellectual cynicism, and La Monte Young-inspired sonic experimentation, you could always sense the beating heart of a New York…
Jesus of Cool: 30th Anniversary Edition
Jesus of Cool: 30th Anniversary Edition Composer: Nick Lowe Conductor: Nick Lowe Label: Yep Roc Release Date: 2008-03-05 Rated: NONE Media: CD Length: LP Format: Album Genre: Power pop Due to a religious right that was screwing things up even then, a worried Columbia Records cowardly retitled this seminal New Wave classic Pure Pop for…
Take Action Tour: Everytime I Die, From First to Last, The Bled, August Burns Red, & The Human Abstract
Release Date: 2008-03-05 Put your money where your mouth is and get ready for the Take Action! Tour. Progressive hardcore group Every Time I Die, who’ve dominated at the Van’s Warped Tour and Ozzfest, headline the event and deliver with their unorthodox combination of blistering metal, progressive hardcore rhythms, and a melodic sensibility, while From…
Ta Moko: Rituals of Encounter
Release Date: 2008-03-05 Visual artist Julie Kipa discusses the culture and tradition behind Maori body designs and rituals at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, and she’ll demonstrate the art of Maori tattoo on live models 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. In conjunction with Te Tataitanga / Bind Together, featuring the New Zealand art of Maori tattoo.…
Annual International Woman’s Day March and Rally
Release Date: 2008-03-05 It’s time again for women to stand up and assert their rights. This year’s event pays tribute to Emma Tenayuca, who led more than 10,000 women in a march for better working conditions and wages in 1938. The march begins at Travis Park and ends at Milam Park (500 W. Commerce) where…
Mighty Six Ninety, Run Run Run, Gran Ronde, the Vettes & Brenn
Release Date: 2008-03-05 Mighty Six Ninety looks and sounds like The Cure and The Smithereens met at a crossroads — it’s no surprise this ’80s inspired, L.A.-based pop band is gaining ground. Filling out the SXSW spillover bill is Run, Run, Run, with their indie-pop sound and hypnotic lo-fi lightshow, Gran Ronde, a four-piece known…
Devildriver, Napalm Death, Walls of Jericho, 36 Crazy Fists, & In Vitro
Release Date: 2008-03-05 Devildriver packs a punch with its brutal yet melodic death-metal grind set to the pulsing rhythm of heavy bass and faster-than-fast drums. Based out of Santa Barbara, California, these guys call it black metal. Napalm Death, from the far away land of Birmingham, UK, demonstrates their dedication to sheer brutality and blasting…
Ben Jelen
Release Date: 2008-03-05 Say this for Linda Perry. When she gets behind a project, you can’t question her commitment. But even by her standards,the former frontwoman for 4 Non Blondes, now a successful producer (Pink, Christina Aguilera, Courtney Love), brought a rare level of engagement to Ex-Sensitive, the sophomore album by singer-songwriter Ben Jelen. Perry…
Project Vote Smart
Release Date: 2008-03-05 A traveling motor coach pledges to train voters how to defend themselves from the manipulative claims made by candidates. The Project is rolling a nine-foot American-flag ball coast-to-coast, collecting messages from outraged voters, and will deliver it to Washington, D.C. just before November’s election. Free, 10am-3pm, San Antonio College, Loftin Center, 1300…
Slinging Ink
Release Date: 2008-03-05 Get ready for the high-pitched buzz of tattoo needles as some of the world’s best tattoo artists unite in the Alamo City. Powerman 5000 headlines the music bill, The Desman exhibits his Desperado Motorcycles, and the infamous Strip Club Choppers will be on display. $15-$20/day, 2pm-10pm Friday, 10am-11pm Saturday, Noon-8pm Sunday, Freeman…
SOLI Chamber Ensemble
Release Date: 2008-03-05 Say this for Linda Perry. When she gets behind a project, you can’t question her commitment. But even by her standards,the former frontwoman for 4 Non Blondes, now a successful producer (Pink, Christina Aguilera, Courtney Love), brought a rare level of engagement to Ex-Sensitive, the sophomore album by singer-songwriter Ben Jelen. Perry…
SOLI Chamber Ensemble
Release Date: 2008-03-05 Say this for Linda Perry. When she gets behind a project, you can’t question her commitment. But even by her standards,the former frontwoman for 4 Non Blondes, now a successful producer (Pink, Christina Aguilera, Courtney Love), brought a rare level of engagement to Ex-Sensitive, the sophomore album by singer-songwriter Ben Jelen. Perry…
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Why do Mexicans have padrinos for everything? I never understood why. Can you help me out? — The Godfather Fan Dear Wab: Many gabachos have long wondered about the galaxy of godparents that surround Mexicans from birth to death, but it’s no misterio. Ostensibly, godparents (padrino is a godfather, madrina is a godmother,…
Festoon the bedchambers of Gotham with my milkshake, baby
From SportsCenter to MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann to a T-shirt kiosk near you, the all-the-rage catch-phrase “I drink your milkshake” has been gathering meteorite momentum, and is now destined to lose its fizzle quicker than you can say “Show me the money.” Not since Hannibal Lecter ate a man’s liver with some fava beans and a…
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
On March 17, longtime ARTS San Antonio Executive Director and President Frank Villani will cross the funding aisle to the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs, where he’ll take over an expanded version of the role previously filled by Ernesto Rubio, who retired February 29. Rubio’s official title was executive assistant, but his job duties grew…
Clothes-minded
San Angel Folk Art, in the Blue Star Arts Complex, has been more than a “gift shop” for almost two decades — offering carefully curated pieces from artists ranging from our own Reverend Seymour Perkins to Chicano icon Alex DeLeon with one goal: recognizing San Antonio as a unique cultural crossroads. But this jumbled, welcoming,…
CRITICAL Darling
Critical Darling would like to begin by saying, “Bring me the head of Clint Hale,” but he’d probably just take that as a come-on. Oh, wait — you two aren’t acquainted, are you? And why would you be … unless you had nothing better to do than read a certain faux-weekly-which-shall-not-be-named? I mean, you have…
Dear Uncle Mat
I broke up with my boyfriend just after the New Year. We met in high school and had been together since we both came out of the closet in our senior year. It was a picture-perfect romance. We were equally matched intellectually and physically. I loved him very much and he me for the last…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): This is Celebrate Your Broken Heart Week, Aries. Even if your heart’s not exactly shattered at the moment, it has no doubt been so at sometime in the past. So why celebrate? Because having a broken heart is one of the best things that can happen to you. It strengthens your…
Potty humor
The vajay-jay with teeth, Oprah might call it. The fanged vag, perhaps, to the ever-so slightly less reserved Apatow tribe. However euphemized, Vagina Dentata is scary. Ha — maybe for you, havers of penises! I’m feeling pretty comfortable with the winking eye of god, thanks, deathtrap or no. These separate feelings we have make sense,…
Wings of fire
Buffalo wings, depending on the version of the origin story you believe, were born in their namesake city of ingenuity, desperation, or pragmatism. And like all genesis tales, settling on one retelling only raises another set of begets: Where, of what, and why Frank’s Hot Sauce? for instance. Or when did frying replace broiling as…
Your computer is doomed
Ten years from now, surfing the web won’t require a computer. So says futurist Jamais Cascio, a researcher with Silicon Valley’s forecasting think tank Institute for the Future. He’s been following the development of the web for years, serving as a consultant to web industry groups such as Mozilla, makers of the popular Firefox browser,…
Aubuchon’s d’ailes de poulet
Buffalo sauce ingredients: Crystal Original Wing Sauce, butter, Louisiana Hot Sauce Chef Aubuchon discusses her wings technique While the wings fry in a pot of boiling vegetable oil (Aubuchon checks the temp by spitting in it. If it pops, it’s perfect; if it sizzles, it needs to be turned down a bit), the chef melts…
Elizabeth The Golden Age
We are giving away 5 DVD copies of the movie Elizabeth The Golden Age. For your chance to win send an email to freebies@sacurrent.com Drawingw will be on Monday, March 10th and all winners will be notified by email. Good Luck.
The wing joints (in alphabetical order)
Antonia Padilla Buffalo Wild Wings bw3.com 18410 Highway 281 North (210) 545-9464 $4.59 for 6 This family-sports-bar franchise inundates you with TVs in the bar area (16, including two enormous flat screens over the bar), but the marvelously hot Buffalo sauce will focus your attention on the business at hand. The medium-meaty wings were nicely…
Never Back Down
Never Back Down Tuesday, March 11th 7:30pm at Santikos Palladium 17703 w. IH-10 We are out of tickets for this screening
Amuse-BOUCHE
New York-based filmmaker Matt Bertles doubled his fun and pleasure while he was in SA last week collecting footage for a documentary on Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta. Another of Bertles’ projects is capturing chefs on film, preferably candid in the kitchen. Damien Watel, fresh from the Del Golfo Al Pacifico road rally where he and…
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
On March 17, longtime ARTS San Antonio Executive Director and President Frank Villani will cross the funding aisle to the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs, where he’ll take over an expanded version of the role previously filled by Ernesto Rubio, who retired February 29. Rubio’s official title was executive assistant, but his job duties grew…
Flipping their Whigs
You can always tell when David Letterman likes a musical guest on his show. It’s not so much what he says, but his body language, which conveys either a polite no-comment or an effusive thumbs-up. When Athens, Georgia, power trio The Whigs performed on The Late Night with David Letterman on January 28, the host’s…
Almost Free Movie Night
The San Antonio Current hosts Almost Free Movie Night at the Alamo Drafthouse. Info: Chris Sexson csexson@sacurrent.com WHAT: Almost Free Movie Night, brought to you by the Current. WHEN: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6 WHERE: The Alamo Drafhthouse Cinema, 1255 SW Loop 410 HOW MUCH? Two canned goods are all you need! The Current,…
THE SOUND & THE FURY
Local metal band Eden Burning will play the biggest warmup gig of their two-year career when they open for Australian hard-rockers Airbourne at White Rabbit on Sunday, March 9. Eden Burning, a vehicle for music scene veteran Phil Salazar, will join Ever After and Stone Rider on the bill, with the Melbourne-based Airbourne coming to…
First Friday preview
As the citywide Luminaria Arts Night approaches, local galleries are preparing to be at the forefront within days. So, be prepared for some serious art to be featured throughout March, especially during First Friday … consider it a sampling of what to expect at March 15. Joan Grona gallery has the all-around art lover covered…
Kinky thrills
“Kinky is Soda Stereo’s natural continuation. And Omar Góngora is a fucking animal.” — Charly Alberti, drummer for Argentina’s Soda Stereo, the most influential Spanish- language rock band in history Charly is a little too enthusiastic. To compare Soda Stereo’s song-oriented, elegant, power-pop to Kinky’s frenetic, groovy, bilingual mix of electro rock with Northern…
ARTIFACTS
By the time this column goes to print the official lineup for March 15’s Luminaria Arts Night may have been announced (check out luminariasa.com) — but these past few suspenseful weeks have allowed me to hone my investigative skills and find out, on my own, who will be participating. And let me tell you, you…
CDs Nuts
Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel Atlas Sound (Kranky) Bradford Cox, frontman for Deerhunter and only man for Atlas Sound, is one weird dude. Forget his crowd-baiting onstage drag shows or the fact that he’s chosen to name this album, his longtime solo project’s full-length studio debut, after what must’ve…
‘Small Planet,’ big ideas
The Army has spotted a flying saucer. It’s 1958, and a cast of fumbling characters interrupt their self-involved lives to fend off the threat. Thus begins Gore Vidal’s Visit to a Small Planet, a 1950s comedy that pokes fun at Cold War hysteria and exorcizes fears of impotent authority. Given the recent UFO scare in…
Muro del odio
PART TWO IN A SERIES Champeño — A couple hundred miles downriver from the high desert of Big Bend the mesquite is in bud and huisache trees are exploding with their tight yellow flowers. The river runs wide and deep, with limestone outcroppings spread like shelves over the rushing waters. There are a handful of…
History notes
It’s no surprise that Alex Ross, the New Yorker’s award-winning music critic, would publish a book on 20th-century music. It’s also no surprise that it’s good: Ross is one of the most omnivorous and knowledgeable music lovers out there, and he’s one of the best writers on the market. But his eagerly anticipated first book…
Doing the butterfly in the data stream
Dial M for Mad Queque is hopped up like Richard Simmons on meth, people, her little heart valves flapping like shutters in a dust storm. As she types, it’s primary day in Texas, and the Lone Star state matters, really matters. So screams the headline “All Eyes on Texas” in the daily. It seems to…
W-I-P it real good
Over at Jump-Start Performance Co. you never know what to expect — you could play groupie to two vulgar vamps in As Filthy As It Gets or travel back to 1930s Harlem in Blues for an Alabama Sky — but if you’re a dance enthusiast you should check out Works-In-Progress/Wednesdays-In-Performance. The monthly collaboration with San…
McCain’s $25 million dollar man
MATT.org, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together, is based in the Alamo City where Tejanos and Mexicanos once fought against each other. The non-profit describes its mission in the following manner: “To encourage Mexicans and Americans to come together to bridge the gaps in understanding and quality of life so that we may truly prosper together.”…
They call it an act
Some people think of Elvis Presley as the young, hip-shakin’ rebel who made Ed Sullivan blush and thousands of young women go mad in a Dionysian frenzy, while others only remember the deceased, drug- addicted superstar found face down on a shag rug in front of his toilet. Some people are just too young to…
Republicans at least agree on telecom immunity
One thread in this season’s campaign coverage has focused on the similarities in policy between the Democratic frontrunners in the presidential race. The other side of the aisle, on the other hand, seems torn between the hard-right social and foreign-policy sermons of the ordained minister and the secular pragmatism of the former POW. It’s a…
After you go and vote …
This past weekend the San Antonio Museum of Art reopened the Greek and Roman Galleries and, yes, we understand you’ve been inundated with news about this event for the past weeks but let me tell you it’s definitely a sight to see. SAMA opened their doors to the newly reinstalled Denman Gallery to the public…
After you go and vote …
This past weekend the San Antonio Museum of Art reopened the Greek and Roman Galleries and, yes, we understand you’ve been inundated with news about this event for the past weeks but let me tell you it’s definitely a sight to see. SAMA opened their doors to the newly reinstalled Denman Gallery to the public…
