Actor Val Kilmer isn’t a stranger to portraying real-life men in history. From playing musician Jim Morrison in the 1991 biopic The Doors to gunslinger Doc Holliday in the 1993 Western Tombstone to porn star John Holmes in the 2003 crime drama Wonderland, Kilmer has made these type of performances some of the cornerstones of…
San Antonio’s music community is rich and diverse, spanning multiple genres, from the R&B vibes of Amea to the post-rock sounds of Bright Like The Sun. However, it’s plain to see that our town still has an affinity for metal and its numerous sub-genres. Why else would bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Dream Theatre or Mayhem play…
If you’ve been paying attention these past few weeks, stories about lawmakers’ attacks on immigrant, LGBTQ and women’s rights have probably dominated your news feed. Yes, sometimes it feels like a reality show, but this is indeed real life. There are ways to get involved (besides voting, obviously) and help support the causes you care about and…
You know that feeling you get when you discover music that’s so good you’re torn between either jumping on Facebook to share your found treasure or keeping it to yourself like you’re Gollum from The Lord of The Rings whispering “my preciousss”? Amea, which is an acronym for the full name Ayanna Moriah-Eliza Allen, released…
Chuck Hernandez, chef, caterer and author of Pesto Power, passed away on Wednesday morning. Hernandez moved to San Antonio more than 20 years ago to help his father run restaurants. He brought Arugula Catering with him and became known for his elaborate and tasty spreads. Hernandez opened O’liva at Plaza de Armas in 2015, with…
A video uploaded to YouTube on May 5 by 19-year-old Noria Alward shows an intoxicated man harassing a Muslim-American family at South Padre Island and has quickly made its rounds around the internet. It shows the family being aggressively, verbally attacked by another vacationer and self-described Donald Trump supporter. Alexander Jennes Downing, the piss-drunk man who…
This legislative session has kept reproductive rights advocates busy fighting the wave of aggressive anti-abortion bills crashing through committees. But while these groups rally to keep fetal burial bills or Planned Parenthood cuts off the governor’s desk, they’ve also got an eye on the dozens of abortion restrictions already embedded in Texas law. While the…
This story originally appeared in our sister publication, Out in SA. State Senator Carlos Uresti of San Antonio was one of four Democrats who sided with Republican colleagues on the preliminary approval of a bill that lets the University Interscholastic League disqualify student athletes on steroids, including trans boys taking testosterone for gender dysphoria. Joining…
As man’s best friends, dogs have been known to provide their owners with emotional support, physical help (to those with impairments), and have even saved the lives of their human counterparts. The New York Dog Film Festival honors our four-legged friends by featuring some highly trained dogs in some touching and hysterical short films, while…
Proudly billed as “quite possibly the largest single economic development in the history of the state of Texas,” the ginormous oil- and gas-containing behemoth known as the Eagle Ford Shale (EFS) has made a deep and lasting impression on a ribbon of the Lone Star State that’s approximately 50 miles wide and 400 miles long.…
Thu 5/11 “MetaDada: High Art for the POPulace” While its title may spark images of Big Brother listening in on your phone calls and squirreling away your emoji-filled texts for safe keeping, the City of San Antonio’s Arts & Culture department’s group show “MetaDada: High Art for the POPulace” is not about metadata (literally “data…
A mild, but still active April when it comes to openings and closings around the city. Here’s what’s new to eat: Carnitas Lonja, opened by Alex Paredes formerly of Lüke San Antonio, held a soft opening the first weekend of Fiesta. The small shop with plenty of outdoor seating and plenty of pork carnitas to…
On Thursday morning, the San Antonio City Council will decide whether to give “conceptual approval” to specific designs on the Alamo Master Plan, including plans to close down streets around the Plaza and relocating the Cenotaph. Aspects of the design have evolved to address citizen feedback, but updated blueprints still include building over the historic acequia —and,…
This week, Texas lawmakers advanced a bill crafted by for-profit prison interests that would license lockups for asylum-seeking immigrant families as child care providers. Senate Bill 1018, which would lower state standards for two South Texas immigrant detention centers so they can qualify as Texas-approved “family residential centers,” passed its first hurdle in the Texas…
Minutes into his Wednesday morning inquiry on the Texas House floor, Rep. Jonathan Stickland interrupted himself. “Can we get the parliamentarian to smile for us today?” he asked, with a grin. His question was directed at Assistant Parliamentarian Shalla Sluyter, who’s spent the session working double-time to provide nonpartisan guidance on parliamentary rules and procedures…
Donuts and ice cream will make the perfect pair on Saturday, May 20, when Lick Honest Ice Creams hosts Halee Edwards, most widely known as @theginger_snap on Instagram. The small-batch artisanal baker is known for her old school donuts and fun, seasonal flavors. For the pop-up, Edwards will feature lemon poppy, honey lavender, blueberry, strawberry,…
If you missed the Hello Kitty Cafe’s stop at La Cantera last year, you’re in luck. The super-cute, super-pink truck will make a return to San Antonio from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat., June 3. The cafe truck will park near the Barnes & Noble at the Shops at La Cantera, offering a Hello…
Only 11 percent of registered voters in Bexar County cast a ballot in last week’s local election. But, since the majority of the city council races were incredibly close (including the mayor’s seat), San Antonians have a second chance to exercise their democratic muscle in a June 10 runoff election — even if they didn’t…
You had the feeling the Spurs’ role players were in for a big night when 39-year-old Manu Ginobili threw down an emphatic dunk in the first half. And when an ankle injury forced Kawhi Leonard out later on, you knew they’d have to deliver one. Ginobili was one of a few reserves to step up…
I tend to think of rosé as the hefeweizen of wine. It’s easy to drink, it doesn’t offend the senses, it definitely won’t break the bank and it has the potential for subtle but tasty notes. And although I’ve been known to drink rosé during the heart of South Texas winter, summer is really the…
Have you ever been curious to hear someone unpack the subtleties and layers of early Houston rap? Maybe you’re wondering how to get your great grandfather’s collection of 78rpm records collecting dust at your parent’s house into your iTunes. Well, the 51st annual Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) conference wants to school you on…
There are people who see beauty in the world, and there are people who make beauty in the world. Cristina Martinez, founder of VeryThat and all-around badass Chicana, does both. I first met Martinez in early 2014 at an art market on South Flores Street. Among a crowd of crafty vendors selling everything from artisanal…
On Saturday night, as election returns made it clear Mayor Ivy Taylor would have to fight to keep her job in a June 10 runoff election, she emerged from an upstairs room at the Wyndham Garden and joined a small group of cheering supporters that had gathered inside a conference room on the River Walk…
My husband is nearly 20 years older than me, which was never an issue early in our relationship. However, for approximately the last eight years, we have not been able to have fulfilling sex because my husband can’t keep an erection for more than a few thrusts. I love my husband and I am committed…
A lowrider is a kind of customized car most associated with the Mexican-American community in Los Angeles. Customization features hydraulics that raise, lower and bounce the chassis, and painted murals on the hood. Lowriders are highly personal works of art for their dude creators — pretty much always a dude — in which a dude also looks…
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The process by which Zoo Jeans are manufactured is unusual. First, workers wrap and secure sheets of denim around car tires or big rubber balls, and take their raw creations to the Kamine Zoo in Hitachi City, Japan. There the denim-swaddled objects are thrown into pits where tigers or lions live.…
Although bound by a fascination with animals, artists Diane Fox (Knoxville, Tennessee) and Abigail Brown (London, England) approach their beasts from opposite ends of the spectrum. A senior lecturer at the University of Tennessee’s College of Architecture and Design, Fox creatively addresses the objectification of nature (in zoos, on TV and elsewhere) via UnNatural History…
With little time left this legislative session, supporters of House Bill 2107 will stand outside the Texas Capitol today in hopes of pressuring lawmakers to put their bill on the state Senate’s calendar. If not, Texans will have to wait another two years for another crack at changing the state’s practically useless medical marijuana law. “We…
The American Civil Liberties Union has issued a “travel warning” for anyone planning on coming to Texas in the near future, all thanks to a new law that critics say will lead to racial profiling by police. If the courts don’t block it first, the law, which is set to go into effect September 1,…
On Sunday afternoon, someone in a far West Side neighborhood heard a noise, walked out into her front yard and found a cat that had been shot with an arrow. Animal cruelty investigators with the city’s Animal Care Services department say the cat, an orange tabby named Maggie, was discovered off Valley Hi Drive, near…
At Monday’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on Russia’s interference in the Presidential election, Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn were eager to talk about anything but the matter at hand. Instead, they put their energy into badgering former acting attorney general Sally Yates about her refusal to enforce President Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim travel ban.…
Update 5/10/17 @ 10am: Late Tuesday night, the Texas House approved House Bill 3859 on a 94-51 vote. The bill would allow state-funded childcare providers to refuse certain services or treatments for kids in their care based on “sincerely held religious beliefs” – like denying referrals to reproductive healthcare and abortion services. The bill would…
Less than 24 hours after Gov. Greg Abbott signed Texas’ “show me your papers” bill into law, the state filed a lawsuit against the bill’s biggest opponents. On Monday, state Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Austin’s top city and county officials (including the entire city council, mayor, city manager, and sheriff) and civil rights organization…
Congrats. You’ve finally, fully recovered from Fiesta — just in time to trade those cascarones for Cascade hops and parades for pub crawls. That’s right, resilient drinkers: San Antonio Beer Week is upon us, and it’s going to be a killer time. Beer Week 2017, which officially kicks off at Main Plaza at 4 p.m.…
Boston Wednesday, May 10 Boston is far more than just a band. Lead guitarist Tom Scholz is famous not only for being the lead guitarist of a legendary American rock group, but also for his inventions and contributions to music. Brad Delp, original lead singer, can reach the high-notes of a screeching guitar riff. Curly…
Whether drawing in pencil or flattening birdcages into sculptural compositions, Colombian artist Johanna Calle pushes one of art’s purest elements — the line — to unexpected destinations, questioning and commenting on the growth of developing countries, environmental decay and humanitarian tragedies. Widely exhibited and represented in an impressive array of permanent collections (including New York’s…
“Southern Momma Hunt’in with Randy!” is fairly typical of a comedy video posted to Facebook. The black vertical bars on either side indicate somebody shot it on their phone, and Munford, Alabama comic Darren Knight, playing the sass-drawling Southern Momma breaks character to laugh at himself and cracks up completely when a dog walks into…
While its title may spark images of Big Brother listening in on your phone calls and squirreling away your emoji-filled texts for safe keeping, the City of San Antonio’s Arts & Culture department’s group show “MetaDada: High Art for the POPulace” is not about metadata (literally “data about data”) but a fusion of concepts and…
Students from the Henry Ford Academy Alameda School for Art + Design have earned a spot in the top 50 semi-finalists for the Vans Custom Culture Art Competition — a competition where Vans provides four pairs of blank canvas shoes to schools, and students are tasked to design the four themes of Vans’ “Off the Wall” lifestyle: action…
Long before the days of touring with huge names like Morrissey, Social Distortion and Tegan and Sara, Girl In A Coma was just three women from San Antonio eager to do what most bands want when they first start out: to make a living playing music. While that goal was eventually met, the road of…
After months of Texas’ top police chiefs warning Gov. Greg Abbott that the state’s “show me your papers” bill will only endanger public safety — Abbott merrily signed the bill into law Sunday night. Unsurprisingly, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus is not pleased. “There’s nothing positive that this bill does in the community or…
Watching Alyson Alonzo sing is a spiritual experience. When she’s performing at a bar or venue, you can hear a hush wash over the crowd as soon as she releases a string of breathy notes from her lungs. She’s that good. Apparently, she’s been that good for a while. Alonzo told the Current that when…
Top law enforcement officials in Texas’ largest cities spent much of last week urging state lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott to reject a bill that would extend the reach of federal immigration enforcement to local police departments. In a 5-minute Facebook live video Sunday night, Abbott gleefully ignored them, signing into law his promise to…
Series tied 2-2. We're back home Tuesday for Game 5. #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/9Qp84KT94z — San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 8, 2017 The Spurs opened Game 4 giving up a flurry of open three-point looks and transition baskets – two big no-nos in any defensive game plan, but especially against an unforgiving Houston offense that was due…
Election night in San Antonio wrapped with several seats still up for grabs and headed for a June 10 runoff, including the race for mayor, several incumbent-less city council posts, and two sitting city council members still fighting to keep their jobs. While Mayor Ivy Taylor came out ahead in Saturday’s crowded race with 42…
On Friday night, Atlanta-based, experimental indie rock stalwarts Deerhunter played Paper Tiger—the critically celebrated crew’s first ever stop in the 210. Since 2001, Deerhunter, led by the troubled, brilliant, and unpredictable Bradford Cox (who also makes insanely good music as Atlas Sound), has constantly grown the sonic spectrum of its swampy, noisy, emotionally threadbare, and idiosyncratic…
If you’ve been keeping on social media, you must have noticed some of the tone-deaf Cinco De Mayo parties popping up this week, like the one at Baylor University last weekend where students reportedly dressed up as maids, construction workers, or wore sombreros, ponchos, and…brown face (yikes). While some in the audience at 502 Bar were…
SPURS WIN! We now lead 2-1 in the series. #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/LEarCvhxPQ — San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 6, 2017 The void left behind by Tony Parker, lost for the playoffs to a knee injury sustained in Game 2, was never going to be filled by one player. It would take multiple Spurs stepping up and…
Sometime in early February 2014, residents at Mission Trails spotted two yellow rezoning signs posted near the entrance of their community. They would eventually learn of plans by local real estate developer, White-Conlee Builders, to rezone the 21-acre mobile home park to make way for a 600 unit luxury apartment complex. Rents for a one-bedroom…
Rising into the tsunami wave of music festivals in Texas this year is the fifth annual River City Rockfest. The day-long event is a celebration of old meets nü, in the realm of rock and metal with performance including everything from the ’80s hair metal dads, Def Leppard, to the dissonant chord progressions of metal…
Days after Gov. Greg Abbott indicated he’ll sign a bill to crack down on so-called “sanctuary cities”, Bexar County’s top officials held an emergency press conference asking him to reconsider. “We are being asked to enforce a law that has no connection to crime on the streets,” said County Judge Nelson Wolff, standing in front…
Back for it’s 36th year, the annual Tejano Conjunto Festival, presented by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, is gearing up for what’s looking like a pretty impressive event. The festival will include performances from 30 of the most popular Conjunto musicians including the Grammy Award winning Flaco Jimenez and his son Santiago Jimenez Jr. The…
For conservative lawmakers, the Thursday passage of the American Health Care Act in the U.S. House came as a resounding victory — a sign that their years-long fight to repeal Obamacare may soon come to an end. But not all GOP representatives were pumping “Eye of the Tiger” or scooting gleefully out of session after the…
Are you fan of spending the weekend in the garden? Also enjoy hanging out in the buff? Wish there was a day dedicated to both? Well, you’re in luck. Saturday, May 6, is World Naked Gardening Day (yes, it’s actually a thing), which is when thousands of nudists and horticulturist around the world head outdoors…
The rumor is now officially fact. The legendary Jay-Z, husband to Beyonce, father to Blue Ivy, arguably one of the best rappers on the planet, is playing Austin City Limits Music Festival this year! Yesterday, hours after the the “final” lineup was announced a sort of cryptic message was sent out through the official ACL…
Marking the 155th anniversary of Mexico’s victory over the French Army at the Battle of Puebla, today is Cinco de Mayo — a day that has become synonymous with cheap margaritas, taco specials and classless party favors. Outside of Puebla, Mexico, the holiday isn’t typically celebrated elsewhere, so it’s often baffling to Mexican and Mexican-American communities…
Just because we live over 1,000 miles away from Louisville, Kentucky, doesn’t mean that San Antonians don’t know celebrate Derby. This weekend, you’ll have several opportunities — from a Cinco de Mayo-Derby mashup to a Derby Extravaganza — to pull out your Derby hats and chow down on some Kentucky Hot Browns. From 3 to…
We were invited to catch Opera San Antonio’s dress rehearsal of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and are delighted to report that the production is in good shape, aided by some terrific singing (particularly by Sarah Coburn as Rosina and Luis Ledesma as Figaro) as well as some innovative stagecraft. While much of the stage…
If you don’t recognize sometimes-musical stand-up comic Nick Thune from his dozen-plus late night talk show stop-ins (including 10 Tonight Show sets), maybe you saw him in his brief appearance as “Alison’s Friend” in Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up. In a perfect comedy world, however, Thune — whose self-explanatory My Comedy Special is available on Netflix…
On Thursday, the Spurs confirmed what many were dreading after Tony Parker went down in the fourth quarter of Game 2: the guard will miss the rest of the 2017 Playoffs. The news is devastating on multiple levels. Parker is the longest-tenured player on the team, a leader on the floor, and adored by the…
The bodies of a woman and her boyfriend were discovered in a Northside San Antonio apartment on Wednesday, days after their death. Police believe that 37-year-old Johnny Eoff shot himself in the head with the shotgun found lying beside him, but it remains unclear how 26-year-old Marian Baltran died. According to mySA, the unit manager…
Before you make your way over to the bar for drink specials on margaritas and tequila shots in “honor” of Cinco de Mayo, let’s get one thing straight: Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, as some people might believe. The holiday, which outside of the U.S. is observed only in Puebla, Mexico, celebrates…
What’s better than celebrating National Burger Month at MAX’s Wine Dive? Knowing that your good eating will do some good as well. Prized for its gourmet comfort food, MAX’s Wine Dive San Antonio will donate $1 to the San Antonio Humane Society for every “Signature Burger” purchased in May. “Our staff is very passionate about…
The Rackspace CEO who led the company through a multi-billion dollar sale to a private equity firm last year is stepping down. Taylor Rhodes announced his resignation in a blog post on the Rackspace website Wednesday, calling it “the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make.” His resignation, effective May 16, comes just three months…
The music does not stop in Texas. This week, the Austin City Limits Music Festival released its final lineup to the public with headliners to include Ryan Adams, Gorillaz and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. From Oct. 6 through 8 for weekend one and Oct. 13 through 15 for weekend two, 140 bands will play…
An investigative report from the Waco Tribune-Herald reveals that cases of lead exposure in young children have soared in one Waco neighborhood even higher than the percentage of cases in Flint, Michigan two years ago. Texas Department of State Health Services show that, statewide, 2.6 percent of children under age 6 have what the CDC considers…
Last night’s victory over the Houston Rockets tied the series at 1-1 and brought relief to thousands of San Antonians, ending the game at 121-96. Though the big win over Houston couldn’t have been possible without Pau Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills, the real stars of last night’s game took to the court before the game…
On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott’s “priority” legislation to extend immigration enforcement to local police departments cleared its final legislative hurdle, meaning the bill’s fate now rests in his hands. And in case anyone had any doubt about how giddy Abbott is to sign Senate Bill 4, a measure to crack down on so-called “sanctuary cities”…
Spurs win to tie the series at 1-1.#GOSPURSGO pic.twitter.com/aXjpD3o40y — San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 4, 2017 After Monday night’s blowout loss, the question wasn’t whether the Spurs needed to change their game plan but how. The Rockets’ dynamic pick-and-roll game presented a major problem with no easy solutions; the Spurs needed speed, defensive versatility…
From its early days in the Blue Star Arts Complex to its stint in the shadow of the Pearl, The Overtime Theater has consistently captured our attention with truly unusual (even absurd) programming that’s taken shape in nearly 100 original works since its inception back in 2007. Having recently celebrated the grand opening of its…
The Playhouse stages a production of Greg Kotis’ comedic story of socio-economic oppression, capitalism, corporate greed and the individuals willing to fight for freedom of urination. Inspired by his encounter with a pay-per-use toilet while traveling through Europe, Kotis began writing Urinetown in the late ’90s. Teaming up with composer Mark Hollmann, he brought the…
Make your way down to Hotel Emma this Sunday to taste modern interpretations of food and drink by chefs from San Antonio and Mexico. The festival at Hotel Emma, recently named as one of the world’s 40 best “food-centric” hotels, will center around a multi-course dinner. Six esteemed local chefs, including Jennifer Riesman and Jaime…
