Good Reads, Good Times
With the rise of technological advances (sorry, Amazon Kindle we’re just not into you), the old-fashioned book circles are something of a dying breed, right? Well … last week San Antonio had its first National Book Critics Circle — Good Reads event held at Gemini Ink. Participants included: Sandra Cisneros, Steven G. Kellman (Current contributing…
It was a landmark to us …
Goodnight, Mr. Bricks. And there goes another downtown landmark. Of course, none of us young whippersnappers knew there was a landmark under that ’60s-era tin facade until the Historic Preservation & Design office made the current owners (American Payroll Association, we think) tear down the big panels so that the city could appreciate what lies…
Good Reads, Good Times
With the rise of technological advances (sorry, Amazon Kindle we’re just not into you), the old-fashioned book circles are something of a dying breed, right? Well … last week San Antonio had its first National Book Critics Circle — Good Reads event held at Gemini Ink. Participants included: Sandra Cisneros, Steven G. Kellman (Current contributing writer),…
It was a landmark to us …
Goodnight, Mr. Bricks. And there goes another downtown landmark. Of course, none of us young whippersnappers knew there was a landmark under that ’60s-era tin facade until the Historic Preservation & Design office made the current owners (American Payroll Association, we think) tear down the big panels so that the city could appreciate what lies…
So what about the illustrated Henry Miller?
Most of the media reports on the San Antonio Public Library’s expanded obscenity-monitoring capabilities are wrong, says SAPL’s Jennifer Velasquez. “The software isn’t monitoring what people are looking at,” she told the Current by phone this morning. Nor does it reflect a change in the library’s policy. “What we do is we ask users to…
Brewing Bone War
In a growing dispute over a collection of “archaic” human remains exhumed from the Del Rio area, archeologists are all over the map. The Witte Museum, which began its collection in 1928, is adamant: The bones will stay put. However, an equally impassioned assortment of Native American tribal members, activists, and local students are taking…
On the Street
“Telling the truth is not the same as not getting caught in a lie.” Letters (to the On the Street Penthouse Suite) #1 Miracle Fruit and Flavor Tripping (sin permiso) Evidently, people in NYC are breaking all rules of flavor… The video is insane. People are gurgling vinegar and drinking tabasco and stuff Weirdness http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html?_r=1&oref=slogin…
Free the children
A demonstration in Taylor, TX drew a crowd of 100 or so immigrant rights organizations, residents of Williamson County, and grass roots citizens who came out to protest the incarceration of asylum-seeking families by the Department of Homeland Security at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, TX on a sweltering Saturday afternoon: Meanwhile,…
So what about the illustrated Henry Miller?
Most of the media reports on the San Antonio Public Library’s expanded obscenity-monitoring capabilities are wrong, says SAPL’s Jennifer Velasquez. “The software isn’t monitoring what people are looking at,” she told the Current by phone this morning. Nor does it reflect a change in the library’s policy. “What we do is we ask users to…
Brewing Bone War
In a growing dispute over a collection of “archaic” human remains exhumed from the Del Rio area, archeologists are all over the map. The Witte Museum, which began its collection in 1928, is adamant: The bones will stay put. However, an equally impassioned assortment of Native American tribal members, activists, and local students are taking…
On the Street
“Telling the truth is not the same as not getting caught in a lie.” Letters (to the On the Street Penthouse Suite) #1 Miracle Fruit and Flavor Tripping (sin permiso) Evidently, people in NYC are breaking all rules of flavor… The video is insane. People are gurgling vinegar and drinking tabasco and stuff Weirdness http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html?_r=1&oref=slogin…
Free the children
A demonstration in Taylor, TX drew a crowd of 100 or so immigrant rights organizations, residents of Williamson County, and grass roots citizens who came out to protest the incarceration of asylum-seeking families by the Department of Homeland Security at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, TX on a sweltering Saturday afternoon: Meanwhile,…
Get to it!
As we work on our deadline all the other creative-types in San Anto are (hopefully) doing the same. The Office of Cultural Affairs FY 09 funding cycle for arts & cultural programs deadline for neighborhood arts applications is tomorrow, Friday May 30 @ 5pm. For more info, visit SAHearts.com.
The cotton-eyed joe
Climb aboard The Tejas, a civil-rights rollercoaster constructed on a daily basis from the remnants of the American Revolution. First, the long haul up the hill: the Texas Supreme Court ruled today that the state’s Child Protective Services overspent its authority allowance when it grabbed 400+ kids from the Yearning for Zion FLDS colony in…
Get to it!
As we work on our deadline all the other creative-types in San Anto are (hopefully) doing the same. The Office of Cultural Affairs FY 09 funding cycle for arts & cultural programs deadline for neighborhood arts applications is tomorrow, Friday May 30 @ 5pm. For more info, visit SAHearts.com.
The cotton-eyed joe
Climb aboard The Tejas, a civil-rights rollercoaster constructed on a daily basis from the remnants of the American Revolution. First, the long haul up the hill: the Texas Supreme Court ruled today that the state’s Child Protective Services overspent its authority allowance when it grabbed 400+ kids from the Yearning for Zion FLDS colony in…
Arm’s Way
Arm’s Way Composer: Islands Conductor: Islands Label: Anti- Release Date: 2008-05-28 Rated: NONE Media: CD Length: LP Format: Album Genre: Indie Rock Nick Thorburn was born a Unicorn, but has since become the Magellan of indie-rock. His latest project, Islands, explores uncharted musical waters in search of sunken treasure — and he dredges up plenty…
Boo!
Boo! Composer: Was (Not Was) Conductor: Was (Not Was) Label: Rykodisc Release Date: 2008-05-28 Rated: NONE Media: CD Length: LP Format: Album Genre: Funk It’s been 18 years since this Detroit-born funk-jazz-pop-art collective released its last album — and the world’s grown a whole lot crazier during that time, especially America over the last eight…
The Strangers
The Strangers Director: Bryan Bertino Screenwriter: Bryan Bertino Cast: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman Release Date: 2008-05-28 Website: http://www.thestrangers.net/ Rated: R Genre: Horror Nameless, faceless killers invading America’s homesteads is still one of horror’s most reliable fear-generators, but lately the idea’s suffered benign neglect at the hands of mainstream horror directors attempting to out-gross each other…
Bombasta
Release Date: 2008-05-28 Local musical co-op Bombasta continues to establish themselves as the local go-to group for touring Latin Alternative bands. Brooklyn’s Pistolera (right) is touring in support of their current CD, Siempre Hay Salida, and the four-piece defines the Latin alt-folklorico genre by drawing from traditional styles of Mexican music and fusing it with…
Jägermeister Music Tour w. Hatebreed & Type O Negative
Release Date: 2008-05-28 This spring tour is louder and heavier than ever with a co-headlining bill featuring the undisputed heavyweights of hardcore metal, Hatebreed, and kings of goth metal, Type O Negative. Hatebreed have been touring non-stop in support of their 2006 release “Supremacy,” and recently entered into a new multi-tiered, worldwide deal with KOCH…
Underground Comedy Railroad
Release Date: 2008-05-28 This alternative, local comedy circus debuted at the Cameo on May 1, featuring a diverse group of San Anto comics who’ve teemed together to beef up our city’s comedy scene. They’re using the space to explore material they can’t do for tourists in other venues, incorporating original thought, abstract character scenes, improvised…
The Marshall Tucker Band w. Clay McClinton
Release Date: 2008-05-28 The Marshall Tucker Band has played countless concert venues around the world, and although the band configuration has changed, their powerful stage presence hasn’t. They’re a bit more country than southern-rock pioneers and label mates The Allman Brothers Band, probably best known for their hits “Can’t You See,” and “Heard it in…
Brotherhood CD Release, Falling For Days, Bangladesh, Horse Called War, Under Nothing, & more
Release Date: 2008-05-28 Simultaneously one of the most loved and hated bands on the scene, Brotherhood revels in the dichotomy. Their intense, aggressive live performance is unrivaled, evidenced by the devoted fans that continually pack their shows. But Saturday is a cause for celebration — the band releases their anticipated EP, Despised, with a blistering…
Budo Grape, The Offbeats, & To Be Me
Release Date: 2008-05-28 Budo Grape is sure to win over fans with their catchy, high-energy live show. Based out of Nagoya, Japan, the happy quintet blends super-cute female vocals with playful low-fi keyboards and tight, clean electric guitars. Fronted by model and radio personality Quminco and music legend Nagai of The Shockers, the group is…
We Shot The Moon
Release Date: 2008-05-28 In the black-and-white video for their song “Meat Market,” the members of Everybody Else look like they’ve come straight from rock ’n’ roll central casting. Decked out in tight pants, leather jackets, and perfect ’70s bangs, they enter a party and clap together while walking side-by-side. It’s one of those retro fantasy…
Politics, Italian-style
My Brother is an Only Child Director: Daniele Luchetti Screenwriter: Daniele Luchetti Cast: Riccardo Scamarcio, Elio Germano Release Date: 2008-05-28 Website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0846040/ Rated: R Genre: Foreign Calling My Brother Is an Only Child a baby-boomer nostalgia trip may not be entirely accurate. Its depiction of ’60s radical politics isn’t exactly flattering. Nevertheless, it’s definitely enamored…
Dear Uncle Mat
I recently heard through the grapevine that an ex-fling told an ex-boyfriend of mine that I was seeing both of them at the same time. The last time I saw this ex-boyfriend he was weirdly distant and uncommunicative. It’s actually been a while (as in years) since we were dating, but it upsets me that…
A casual relationship
Kids like to knock things over. And watch them blow up. As a gaming concept, this is what you call bedrock — it supports everything from serious gaming fare like Portal and The Hulk to Crackdown. Oh, yeah, and Boom Blox. Surely, you’ve heard of Boom Blox. A few years ago, Steven Spielberg, the man…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Ernest Hemingway said that his best work was a very short story consisting of six words: “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.” Alan Moore’s brief masterpiece of fiction is, I think, just as good: “Machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time.” Here’s another gem, written anonymously: “The last man on earth heard…
Why we ride
Riding a bike in the city can feel like an isolated act as you try to navigate an endless parade of cars on narrow or non-existent lanes. Perhaps this is the reason cyclists often band together for support. Despite persistent stereotypes to the contrary, the local cycling community is vast and varied, and too often…
¡Ask a Mexican!
I’m a Mexican-American, but I always lie and tell people my ancestors were from Spain and immigrated to the United States in the 1920s. My whole family says this. We feel embarrassed if we tell people that our heritage is Mexican because Mexicans in the USA are so dirty, mostly gang- bangers, and they spray…
Mining Martian earth and germinating prosperity
Major Tom, you there? El Phoenix Mars Lander: Um, blip. Whirwm. Ground is cracky, Ground Control. As you said. Commencing scout at Green Valley, North Pole. (beep) Ground Control: Roger, Phoenix. Your seven minutes of terror were exhilarating. El Phoenix Mars Lander: Chinnngk. For you, maybe. Arm gimpy. Legs goosey. (blip) Ground Control: One thing,…
Clothes-minded
The magazines are telling us this is the summer of the wedge, the season of the gladiator sandal. Great looks — go out and get a pair or two. But fashion magazines will probably never cop to the real shoe of summer, the flip-flop. Especially in laid-back San Antonio — where the less you can…
Spring court season: Witch trials out, evidence in
“The sad parallels between the Texas polygamy raid and Guantánamo” is the subtitle on a Slate column reviewing our post-9/11 impatience with the niceties of American jurisprudence. This is actually the least alarming of the historical precedents invoked since April 3, when law enforcement (including Texas Rangers) and Child Protective Services raided the Yearning for…
Farmers market theory
The marketplaces of the world have always been charged with the energy of trade, an activity with its own language, which, like the language of love, is hardwired into humanity. From the perfumed bazaars of Timbuktu to NASDAQ’s digitized stock exchange to the farmers markets blooming across the USA, visceral energy exists anywhere you find…
Fisher King Redux
In a sidebar to his piece on Game One of the Spurs-Lakers series, USA Today writer Jon Saraceno placed that game’s second-half meltdown fourth in a list of the 10 worst moments in Spurs history. At the time, I thought Saraceno’s inclusion of Game One was premature. After all, a low moment only becomes memorable…
Amuse-BOUCHE
The strawberries are almost gone at Fredericksburg’s Marburger Orchards, according to the website and a San Anto family connection: Lauren Jane Bailey, aka head baker at Janie’s Pie Factory. You can still pick your own blackberries, and peaches are just coming into season at the orchard, which is owned by Janie’s cousin, Gary Marburger. Berry…
River Rats
Dear downstreamers, Sorry we messed up your river. You know, nothing personal. It’s just so much easier to flush our filth than to deal with it. You could even call it tradition. We know it doesn’t help that San Antonio Water System sometimes exceeds its permitted pollution levels of bacteria-feeding nitrogen. But they’re pretty good,…
Around the world in 8 pinots
It’s true that Sideways did push pinot noir into the spotlight, sparking a rise in sales and, most likely, an increase in acreage planted with the “heartbreak” grape. But let’s get real; it takes four or five years for vines to start producing in sufficient quantity to justify a viable harvest. The global push to…
Reality Rescue
So the crew had the good sense to pack it up and move on before I signed on with Wildlife Rescue last year for a short stint, which means this here reality stitch may have a shot at offering good, clean, family fun… Here’s the release: Life at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation (WRR) in Kendalia,…
Hoop years
After the Spurs’ wide-awake-nightmare loss to the Lakers in Game One of the Western Conference Finals, Gregg Popovich astutely anticipated the angle of choice for countless sports pundits. “When we win, we’re the experienced team,” he said, with characteristic sarcasm. “When we lose, we’re older than dirt.” We’ve seen the same kind of mindless pontificating…
Scout’s honor
It would be an understatement to say that San Antonians are wondering about Scout Bar. Music scenesters are buzzing, and loudly — I couldn’t go an hour last week without someone asking me if I knew when Scout was opening. Thomas Wilson, the owner and operator of the original Scout Bar in Houston, may be…
THE SOUND & THE FURY
Bombasta will take its funked-up cumbias to Sam’s Burger Joint on Friday, May 30, for a special show with Brooklyn-based, Latino indie-folk quartet Pistolera. Fronted by dynamic singer/lefty-guitarist Sandra Lilia Velásquez, Pistolera also includes Sound and Fury favorite Ani Cordero (fiery singer for the band Cordero) on drums. Cordero, who happens to be Velásquez’s cousin,…
Family fruit
After her brother-husband Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead, was sliced into a dozen pieces and scattered along the shores of the Nile, Isis set about recovering and rejoining the fragments. She was able to locate only 11. Like Osiris, Carl Brenner was a man of many parts — trial lawyer, big-game hunter, gun…
Tijuana sound machine
“Tijuana is one of the most important new cultural meccas.” — Newsweek “Welcome to Tijuana … Tequila, sexo, marihuana … ” — Manu Chao’s “Welcome To Tijuana” Tijuana is like India without God. And, if you can see beyond the dirt, the gap between the rich and poor, the chaos, the narcos, and possess sufficient…
ARTIFACTS
School’s out (well at least for mostcollege kids), temperatures are nearing the 100s, and we’ve stocked our freezer with iced goodness.Yeah, summer’s definitely arrived. For local art and culture lovers that means more art shows, theater in the park, and picking up a good book to read poolside. As for art, the summer is jam-packed…
CDs Nuts
The In Crowd Kidz in the Hall (Duck Down Music) The Kidz gank attitude – and occasionally hooks – straight from the best of their predecessors. Witness the graceful copy-and-pasting of Outkast's “Elevators (Me and You)” on “Drivin' Down the Block (Low End Theory),” and the outright biting of Black Sheep's “Flavor of the Month”…
Fisher King Redux
In a sidebar to his piece on Game One of the Spurs-Lakers series, USA Today writer Jon Saraceno placed that game’s second-half meltdown fourth in a list of the 10 worst moments in Spurs history. At the time, I thought Saraceno’s inclusion of Game One was premature. After all, a low moment only becomes memorable…
Short, sharp, fresh
Even in San Antonio, where last night’s brilliant star of the stage is tomorrow’s familiar-faced waiter and some of our best-known directors are also most-adored professors, the path to the footlights can be elusive. Enter the Renaissance Guild’s Act One Series, developed to provide a venue and a voice to independent writers. Each year, the…
Coming to terms with ‘Sex’
I started out among what exec-producer Michael Patrick King refers to as the “cocoa-time” Sex and the City viewers. When the HBO series’ episodes were handed over to TBS for syndication and harsh editing — the sometimes-explicit, commercial-free, half-hour-long show was whittled down to something safer, blander, and short enough to accommodate ads — (reformed)…
River Rats
Dear downstreamers, Sorry we messed up your river. You know, nothing personal. It’s just so much easier to flush our filth than to deal with it. You could even call it tradition. We know it doesn’t help that San Antonio Water System sometimes exceeds its permitted pollution levels of bacteria-feeding nitrogen. But they’re pretty good,…
Everything’s comin’ up roses
Hooray! After a particularly middling Broadway Across America season — however lusty its May, we’re still in a coma from Camelot — the good folks at Arts Center Enterprises have lined up a season that not only resists bottom-drawer offerings, but actually lands some of the most tempting tours in the nation. Though many stage-o-philes…
CRITICAL Darling
Are you done with that neighboring piece of self-indulgence yet? (Yeah, that˜) It’s like, we get it, it’s not your favorite thing, but you’re glad it exists. Fine. Next thing you know it’ll be, like, Aidan or Big? Aidan or Big? Bah. Are you ready to read something you’ll actually be concerned about? Good, because…
Reality Rescue
So the crew had the good sense to pack it up and move on before I signed on with Wildlife Rescue last year for a short stint, which means this here reality stitch may have a shot at offering good, clean, family fun… Here’s the release: Life at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation (WRR) in Kendalia,…
From the outside looking in
Greg Pelner isn’t a child, although his work resembles that of a young artist. He’s a 40-year-old outsider artist who dabbles in various media, including oil, acrylic, clay, and aluminum foil. Pelner suffers from autism and epilepsy, but this hasn’t stopped him from traveling and showing off his work, which hangs in the permanent collection…
YouTube’s mild kingdom
Battle at Kruger (National Geographic Channel, originally aired Sunday May 11 at 9 pm) The majority of television, like the majority of everything else, is crap. It’s commercialized. It panders. It candy-coats. For the longest time, though, one kind of TV managed to be exciting as hell without resorting to trickery: The pure drama of…
Serious playtime
Lynda Barry, the cartoonist behind the classic alt-weekly strip “Ernie Pook’s Comeek,” has kept busy in recent years with a number of side ventures. She sells original art — drawings of “Pook” characters like Marlys, and stranger ink paintings featuring subjects like a meditating monkey — on eBay; she has produced the occasional hand-decorated messenger…
Stuff tacos, not ballots!
Jay-zus! Must the Current always defend the virtue of its Best of SA winners? Last year, a disgruntled local blogger (hi, Erik!) as much as said that we sell the winners’ slots, implying that our readers’ favorite joints are just well-heeled heels. Now “On the Street” investigator Mark Jones reports that a review update in…
Stuff tacos, not ballots!
Jay-zus! Must the Current always defend the virtue of its Best of SA winners? Last year, a disgruntled local blogger (hi, Erik!) as much as said that we sell the winners’ slots, implying that our readers’ favorite joints are just well-heeled heels. Now “On the Street” investigator Mark Jones reports that a review update in…
