

Cover Story
The Chow Train Rolls On Through Legal Battle
Update: Tuesday, July 14, 2015, 7:00 p.m. After press time, the City of San Antonio announced in a news release Tuesday evening that it would dismiss Joan Cheever’s citation: “Because the City’s food and mobile vending regulations do not address feeding the homeless and in an effort to move forward with the larger discussion, the…
10 Shows To See This Weekend
Thursday, July 23 Thinknothink, Tele Novella, Flower Jesus Zeppelin-creamers Thinknothink make their influences quite clear on “432 Dreams.” In the lyrics to Tele Novella’s recent single, it sounds like the Austin psych-poppers might be in the rut of a deep depression: “You can’t run, you can’t hide / You can’t feel anything inside / You…
5 Dogs To Swipe Right To At San Antonio Pets Alive
As a continuation of the “The Bone-r Blog,” a monthly feature dedicated to help dogs find forever homes, we give you part two. If you’d like to visit any of these eligible pets, please email adopt@sanantoniopetsalive.org and include the ID number. 330171 CiCi I’m four years old now, which is like 28 in dog years, so…
Échale! Announces Free September Concert Featuring The Suffers, Bombasta And More
Originally planned for Memorial Day, the May floodwaters pushed the Pearl’s Échale series deep into the summer. On September 6, the Pearl returns with its free Latin music block party, featuring sets from The Suffers, Los Crema Paraiso, Bombasta and Chulita Vinyl Club. From Houston, The Suffers bring a big band attitude to Southern soul.…
Bexar County Commissioners Vote To Remove Confederate Symbols
The Bexar County Commissioners Court voted unanimously today to remove Confederate symbols from county property. “Slavery is not an issue of any particular political persuasion or any particular race or nation. It is an issue of right or wrong. And no matter what era it happens…the vestiges and the history of that should be put…
Rock For Paws Raises Dough For Animal Defense League
When I think of pups and cute cats, I don’t immediately free associate with hard rock. But the Rock For Paws Festival at Fitzgerald’s looks to place the two closer together. On August 8, Rock For Paws features 17 bands raising money for the Animal Defense League of Texas. Founded in 1934, the Animal Defense League…
Becky Hammon Leads San Antonio Spurs To Summer League Championship
Becky Hammon can’t stop making history. Last night, she led the San Antonio Spurs to a 93-90 win over the Phoenix Suns to clinch the NBA Summer League Championship in Las Vegas. Hammon is the first woman to win a summer league championship and she’s also the first woman to work as head coach in the…
The Sandra Bland Suicide Case Is Now A Murder Investigation
Authorities in Waller County — where a 28-year-old woman was found hanging in a jail cell — are now investigating her death as a murder, not a suicide as they initially reported. Sandra Bland, from the Chicago-area, was found dead last Monday. She was in jail after being pulled over in Waller County, which is…
Last Comic Standing Coming To The Tobin Center
The show that helped give the world Amy Schumer, Gabriel Iglesias and Ralphie May is coming to San Antonio. San Antonio will host the touring version of the NBC series Last Comic Standing this fall. The show will take place at The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in the H-E-B Performance Hall on Thursday, November…
The Texas Cupcake King Is Really, Really Concerned About Image
Turns out Texas’ king of the cupcakes and deep-fried advocate for unhealthy alternatives in school cafeterias thinks image is everything. The Texas Tribune discovered Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s obsession with image after filing an open records request for correspondence originating from the agency. And Miller’s image concerns started immediately, the Tribune reported: Fourteen minutes…
The Granary’s Hosting A Ramen Pop-Up Tonight
The guys at The Granary ‘Cue & Brew (602 Avenue A, 210-228-0124) are making ramen dreams come true this evening starting at 6 p.m. as chef Tim Rattray hosts chef Justin Carlisle of Milwaukee’s Ardent/Red Light Ramen. For one evening only, Rattray and James Beard finalist for 2015’s Best Chef Midwest Carlisle will join forces…
Sorry, SA: Rolando’s Super Tacos Isn’t Moving Into The Pearl
This Saturday as I was unwinding from a hellish week, I received a tagged notification on Instagram. I hopped on over to one of my favorite apps to sharing pics of apps to see what was up and was mildly bemused to find this: Excited about the new #RolandosSuperTacos opening in the former location of…
Bexar County Commissioner Calls For Removal of Travis Park Historical Monument
The San Antonio Coalition for Civil and Human Rights group, along with Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert and former Councilman Mario Salas gathered in protest Saturday, demanding the removal of the confederate statue in Travis Park. Believed to have stood since 1889, the statue commemorates the fallen confederate soldiers, “Lest we forget.” District 4 Councilman…
5 Things You Have To Do This Week
Monday, July 20 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo The commodification of pop-rock in the ’80s owes plenty to the likes of Pat Benatar. Between her vocal range and rock-and-roll attitude, hits like “Heartbreaker” and “Love Is a Battlefield” have become synonymous with the era that brought us “Thriller” and “Like a Virgin.” While new wave…
5 Shows To See This Week
Monday, July 20 Nina Diaz, Alyson Alonzo NPR once gave SA songstress Nina Diaz some impressive cred as “one of the two or three most exciting, scary-good vocalists in rock today.” The praise rings true if you cross-reference the video of Diaz singing “Rebirth,” one of the few tunes Diaz has recorded in hi-fi since…
Texas AG Says A&M Doesn’t Have To Release Info About Animal Testing
A California-based animal rights group says Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is setting a dangerous precedent by siding with Texas A&M, allowing the university to withhold information about animals use for testing and research, the Houston Chronicle reported. The reason? Veterinarian-patient privilege — or so says Paxton, to A&M’s delight. The Chronicle reported that 40…
White Iowa Republican Says He’s As Latino As Julian Castro
Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican, immigration hardliner and noted white guy, is confused. King responded today to the Twitter account @ImmigrationNacion, which tweeted this image of former San Antonio Mayor and Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro: Here’s how King responded: What does Julian Castro know? Does he know that I'm as…
Workplace Sexual Orientation Discrimination Ruled Illegal Under Civil Rights Act
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled yesterday in a 3-2 vote that a provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. The EEOC, which was created through the Civil Rights Act to enforce laws related to workplace discrimination, decided sexual orientation is an inherent part of a…
Texas Commission On Jail Standards Swiftly Cites Waller County Jail For Sandra Bland’s Death
While Sandra Bland’s family and friends in Chicago are mourning — and questioning the official story (suicide by hanging) — the Texas Commission on Jail Standards cited Waller County Thursday after the 28-year-old was found dead earlier in the week, the Houston Press reported. The citation was for poor training regarding how to supervise suicidal…
70 Years Ago, Texas Almost Hosted The First Nuclear Blast
On July 16, 1945, the Manhattan Project successfully detonated its first nuclear rig outside Alamogordo, New Mexico. The explosion at the Trinity site 70 years ago whipped the world into a nuclear age, where the next two detonations would kill hundreds of thousands of civilians a month later in Japan. Chosen for its seclusion and…
That’s Not Fresh Air You’re Breathing In San Antonio
San Antonio is still on the fast-track toward violating air quality standards. Brenda Williams, Interim Director of Natural Resources at the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG), says in a press release that “several months still remain in the ozone season, with the worst peaks in ozone typically occurring in September. It will be a…
San Antonio Man Still Pushing City To Create Indigenous People Day
For years, Antonio Diaz has tried to convince the City of San Antonio to honor Bexar County’s Native Americans by designating October 12 as Indigenous People Day. “Since 2008 there are many cities that have Indigenous People’s Day or Native American Day. Even states. In California, there are several cities. The Dakotas and Oklahoma are more…
Charc Week Starts Monday, July 20
Mike Sohocki’s got a passion for handmade, locally sourced, cured meats. For his third celebration of all things sausage, salumi and bacon, the chef has reached across the region to help beef up the number of restaurants offering specials for Charc Week from Monday, July 20 to Sunday, July 26. “I wanted Charc Week to…
Juniper Tar Adds New Happy Hour
New cocktails are commonplace at Juniper Tar. The San Antonio bar, which opened on April 1, has become popular for its revolving drink list and constantly changing menu, but, alas, there will be a permanent, and pleasant, change to the menu. Owned by Matty Gee, a bartender hailing from New York City, Juniper Tar will…
7 Ways To Get Your Drink/Grub On This Week
Friday, July 17: Move over Tim, Tony and Manu, there’s a new big three in town. To kick-off the weekend, Cumbias Tres Leches will be hosting tres mujeres at La Botanica — all with their own unique talents. There will be music from Alyson Diana Alonzo, Cumbias by DJ P. Cosita Ann Marie Correa, and vegan…
What Happened To Sandy Bland?
The family of a Chicago woman who was found dead in an East Texas jail cell Monday doesn’t buy the official cause of death: suicide by hanging. The Chicago Tribune reports that Sandy Bland — a 28-year-old woman from Chicago — was arrested last Friday in Waller County, which is northeast of Houston. “When you…
HavanaAir Announces Flights From Houston To Havana
Hopping a flight to Havana will soon be easier than ever — provided you’ve got a valid reason to go. HavanaAir Charters, in partnership with Eastern Air Lines Group, announced today that it will begin weekly flights from Houston to Havana in August. The flight will depart every Wednesday from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, according…
10 Things You Have To Do This Weekend
Thu 7/16 Summer 2015 International Artists-in-Residence Acting as guest curator for the summer installment of Artpace’s International Artists-in-Residence program, Istanbul-based Ian Alden Russell selected Gabriel Martinez (Houston), Wafaa Bilal (New York) and Fatma Bucak (London/Istanbul) — a group he felt would “form a sort of family.” With shared “points of connection in their negotiation of…
Things In Texas That Cost More Than The Mission To Pluto
It cost a cool $720 million to get to Pluto, the coldest former planet in the Solar System. That price tag includes the cost of the New Horizons spacecraft, research and development, data analysis, public outreach and launch vehicles from 2001 to 2016. With the second highest GDP of any state in the nation, Texas…
Gosh, We Sure Do Say ‘Motherfucker’ A Lot In Bexar County
Bexar County tweeters have a filthy vocabulary. Don’t believe me? Just look at the motherfucking map above. It pinpoints the areas of this damn country where the vulgarism “motherfucker” is more frequently used. You see that dark orange band that spans westward from the Texas Gulf Coast to Arizona? That ochre area is populated by foul-mouthed…
10 Shows To See This Weekend
Friday, July 17 Salim Nourallah, Wreckless Eric The Fab Four are the typical RIYL reference for Denton’s Salim Nourallah, though for my money, I’d go with Elliott Smith. From the haircut to the cutting language of his five albums, Nourallah carries the depth and bittersweet joy of that late Oregon prophet. On “The Quitter,” from…
Gregg Popovich And Boris Diaw To Participate In First NBA Game In Africa
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, power forward Boris Diaw and general manager R.C. Buford are heading to Johannesburg to participate in the NBA’s first game in Africa. Billed as Team Africa vs. Team World, the exhibition game is slated for August 1 at Ellis Park Arena in the South African capital. Popovich is tapped to coach Team…
MAC Cosmetics Releasing Selena Cosmetics Collection Next Year
Democracy works, people. MAC Cosmetics announced on Instagram today that the company will be releasing a Selena Quintanilla make-up collection in 2016. Earlier this year, fans circulated a Change.org petition calling for the cosmetics company to release a line honoring the Queen of Tejano, similar to other celebrity lines that the company routinely rolls out.…
Red Rocket Returns: Matt Bonner To Re-sign With Spurs
Call him what you want — Red Rocket, Red Mamba, Red Whatever — by any name, Matt Bonner will return to the San Antonio Spurs for at least one more season. Bonner, a three-point specialist and lead guitarist of Spuran Spuran, also garnered interest from the Sacramento Kings. But the San Antonio Express-News reported today…
Chefs Represent SA for ‘Park and Palate’
San Antonio chefs are are taking a pilgrimage to Dallas for the first annual Park and Palate, a weekend fundraising effort for Klyde Warren Park. The event will showcase Texas’ premiere wine and culinary scene, popular chefs, breweries and more to help raise awareness for the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation which serves to provide free…
YWM Healthy Living EXPO Coming Saturday, August 15
SPONSORED Are you looking for the right tools and resources to help you achieve your healthiest weight? The YWM Healthy Living EXPO is a free weight and health event proudly brought to you by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) in partnership with the YMCA of Greater San Antonio on Saturday, August 15 from 8 a.m.…
Jade Helm Is Underway, Still Waiting On That Federal Invasion Though
Jade Helm, the U.S. Government takeover of the, um, United States masked as a multi-state military training exercise is underway today, and if you are not freaking out about Barack HUSSEIN Obama tyrannical invasion of the American Southwest, then you haven’t been paying attention. The training exercise began today in a number of locations around Texas,…
Here’s The Scoop On National Ice Cream Day In SA
What day is National Ice Cream Day? … Sundae. Historic Market Square is hosting their first Ice Cream Social Sunday, July 19 free for all ages. You have your pick of local vendors including Amy’s Ice Cream, Gable’s Ice Cream, Paciugo Italian Ice Cream, Leticia’s Yummy in my Tummy Ice Cream Truck and Jack FM’s…
Governor Greg Abbott Orders Planned Parenthood Investigation
After an anti-abortion group released what Planned Parenthood says is a heavily edited video on YouTube, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Attorney General to investigate the organization. “The video of a high-level Planned Parenthood executive discussing the details of internal abortion procedures – including harvesting…
Happy Hour Hound: Add-In Flavors Aplenty At Taco Garage
There are more specialty margaritas available at Lee’s El Taco Garage than anybody cared to count or write down, so choosing one can be a bit of a fiasco. I’m not a fan of ordering after a long-winded spiel from my waiter about more variety than I can possibly remember, but the margaritas are $4…
Channeling Marilyn: Impressionist Jimmy James’ San Antonio Homecoming
It’s safe to say Jimmy James boasts one of the more colorful careers ever launched in San Antonio. Born James Jude Johnson in Laredo in an undisclosed year (he’s “older than Britney but younger than Madonna”), he started impersonating Marilyn Monroe on a whim in the early 1980s and perfected the act flawlessly enough to…
French & Michigan Brings Various Talents Under One Roof
Sure it’s an overused phrase, but “meeting of the minds” feels especially true when it comes to French & Michigan, a multidisciplinary endeavor that combines the complementary talents of Billy Lambert, Céleste Wackenhut and a solid crew of collaborators. After graduating from UTSA’s College of Architecture, Lambert taught at the school for eight years and…
A Q&A With Horror Punk Glenn Danzig
“Bad artists imitate, great artists steal.” – Pablo Picasso Banksy Surveying Glenn Danzig’s career with this axiom in mind, one could draw the conclusion that he’s one of our finest thieves. From the reappropriation of classic comic and B-horror iconography to the witches’ brew of metal-punk-blues-doo wop-industrial that have at one time or another coursed…
Hydra Melody’s ‘Nocturna’ Is Lush, Radio Ready Alt-rock
Named to indicate a multi-headed driving force and a multi-dimensional sound, Hydra Melody is a synth-and-keys-heavy alt-rock outfit from San Antonio. This ambitious and talented quintet of musicians, with its core trio of Jordan Berlanga (lead vocals, guitar, keys), Matt Gomez (drums) and Manny Prince (percussion, keys), drops its début LP, Nocturna, as part of…
The SA Vanguard Gets Its Time ‘On Roots In The Shadows Of San Antonio’
Encouraged by the hubris of a loud tweed amp and a solid haircut, it’s easy for young musicians to think they’re the only game in town — that their social media strategies, RSVPs and rehashes of old myths are a revival of sorts, resuscitating Bolan glam for a dozen friend-fans on a Wednesday night. But…
Chinati Blues: San Antonio’s Wild Blood Rules The Desert
Like the Eddie Van Halens and Mick Fleetwoods of the world, guitarist and singer Joshua Bloodsworth has one of those names catered perfectly to a rock ‘n’ roll band. And like the aforementioned, Bloodsworth’s voice is only one of a small chorus on Wild Blood’s self-titled debut. With Torrin Metz (another excellent rock ‘n’ roll…
Vera Brittain’s Memoirs Through A Musty Lens In ‘Testament Of Youth’
What makes you hate a movie? In the 1990 début issue of Entertainment Weekly, the magazine’s editor thoroughly outlined an A-to-F grading scale, explaining that an F is reserved for “something utterly without redemption” and that the minus in a D- was meant to “penalize entertainment for excessive violence or sexism.” In other words, you…
‘Mr. Holmes’ Imagines Sherlock’s Final Mystery
Few fictional characters have captivated us as much as Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps that helps explain the instant affection one feels for director Bill Condon’s Mr. Holmes, a touching, dramatic imagining of the final, feeble days of the super sleuth. It’s 1947 and the 93-year-old Holmes — played to perfection by Ian McKellen — lives in…
Savage Love: Quick Hits
I have been happily married for 12 years. I’m deeply in love with my wife—she’s amazing, very sexy and gorgeous. I used to be jealous, but about six years ago, I lost my feelings of jealousy. In their place, I developed a strong desire to share my wife with other men. It’s my only fantasy.…
Free Will Astrology, Week Of July 13
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Would you like to stop pushing and struggling for a while? Is there a clenched attitude you would love to let go of? Do you wish you could take a break from having to give so much and try so hard and be so strong? Then do it! Now would be…
SA Fights Misconceptions Of Being Tech-Averse City
In the late 1990s, CPS Energy began installing a fiber-optic network. At a time when early internet enthusiasts were happy with dial-up and AOL’s “You’ve got mail!” soundbite, San Antonio showed remarkable foresight in planning for broadband. Years later, the city’s reaping the benefits. Not that many people these days readily see the Alamo City…
Dive Right In At Ro-Ho Pork & Bread
“This is the only trick: always use the same hand to eat the torta and don’t clean it [between bites]; that way you’ll have one clean hand for your beverage,” the chef warned. In other words, get ready to get messy. Mexico native Jorge Rojo is a graduate of the St. Philips Culinary Arts program.…
East Side Program Fights Crime With ‘Hot Spot’ BBQs
It didn’t matter that someone had been shot at that gas station just a couple of short weeks before. In fact, that was the very reason for it. East Side dwellers fed up with rampant violence are, as the traditional neighborhood activism saying goes, “trying to take back their streets.” A crowd of denizens streamed on…
Crowning A Boozy Ice Cream Champ At DorCol Distilling, A Gonzo Party For The Library And More
There are plenty of chances to get a few drinks this weekend, under the guise of research and helping your local San Antonio Library Foundation. First off, the guys at Dorcol Distilling Company (1902 S. Flores St.) are opening their doors on Saturday, July 18 from 8-10:30 p.m., and hosting the first ever Borracho Helado:…
Tight Menu, Fun Execution At Alchemy Kombucha And Culture
Back in April, as San Anto geared up for a rowdy Fiesta, the last pieces of a very big puzzle known as Alchemy Kombucha And Culture were falling into place. Several months in, the spot is hitting a strong stride. Opened by business partners Kevin Rayhons and Tim Trofimenkov, the space burst into the local…
At Tony’s, The Vibes Are Chill And The Beers Are Cold
As any puro San Anto resident can attest, it’s a fantastic time to be a Spurs fan right about now. So, whether reveling in Manu’s continued legacy or already daydreaming of LaMarcus Aldridge driving down the paint, now’s the perfect time to think of great-but-less known spots to watch the Spurs next season. In an…






