Gayby’s Monday Musings
Today, thirty-seven years ago, The Carpenters’ “Top of the World” was the No. 1 song, according to Billboard. (Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s a good jam.) I don’t know if Karen Carpenter was a basketball fan, but she aptly described how it feels to be a San Antonio Spurs fan, right now, when she sang…
Daughter of Immigrants – Deluxe Version
Because we all want to know more about María… María Antonietta Berriozábal, a woman whose name is synonymous with community organizing and political movement, will release her memoir in May 2011, chronicling her family’s experience of immigrating to the United States and her subsequent rise to become the first Latina to serve on the city…
Late Night, Great Bite
Thanksgiving weekend was the perfect time to check out Evil Olive Elixir Lounge, the new bar/diner that just opened on Thousand Oaks and Jones Maltsberger. Although Evil Olive occupies the former site of Jack’s Patio Bar, the interior has been completely redone and is markedly spacious. Doors officially opened on the ever-popular bar night of…
Mack Lindsay : Comedy Without The Leather
Anytime a comic comes across as dark, heavy, or political they’re always accused of trying to be a “Bill Hicks.” Sometimes it’s accurate. Some comics are visibly copping Bill Hicks’ mannerisms, aggressively creating an image of danger to seem edgy (go to any Open Mic and look for the guy in the leather jacket). Then…
“El Show de Oprah” by Sofia Garcia
Introduction Another Oprah convert. Or rather, this is why people watch Oprah: despair, that feeling of being trapped. If we only did what Oprah told us to do we would much, much happier. Free us from the shadows, Oh Oprah Sofia Garcia is certainly making us think here with this wonderful character development (I can just see…
Interview: Carlos Cabral
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Carlos Cabral, a character supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios, says there is a fine line between art and technology when it comes to today’s animated films. “I’ve been interested in the intersection of art and technology all my life,” Cabral told me during a phone interview last week. “My…
5MB 11/26
I hope that everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Let’s get right to the fun stuff, shall we? 1MB Axl Rose, the front man of the greatest band in the world Guns N’ Roses (yes, Chinese Democracy still counts) has finally found time to file a $20 million lawsuit against Activision for using Slash on the…
Aztec Calendar Coloring Book: “A Gift to Children of All Ages”
Aztlan Libre Press is the San Antonio-based small independent press run by Anisa Onofre and Juan Tejeda. The duo is driven by their dedication and preservation of Chicano literature and art, which has enabled them to work on projects that not only speak to them but also the community. Aztlan Libre’s first publication, Tunaluna, earned…
Call for Public Action: DREAM Act Now
UTSA’s DREAM Act Now! Student Organization is planning a public action to continue to urge Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison to support the DREAM Act in the upcoming lame duck session, per an e-mail blast sent by the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. Other statewide actions are also planned. Today marks the 15th day of an infinite hunger strike…
Travels with Frenchie
It’s the end of the month and therefore another installment of Travels with Frenchie, the monthly food series in which a trio of culturally mismatched San Antonians explores the city in search of dining adventure. As always, the culinary vice squad consisted of Frenchie (aka Fabien Jacob, celebrated local sommelier), Carlos the Bike Mechanic (aka…
¡Ask A Mexican!
Dear Mexican, I am a mutt. My father’s father was an illegal immigrant from Mexico. My mother’s father was an illegal immigrant from Ireland. My surname is Mexican and is usually mispronounced by gabachos and pendejos alike. I look more Irish than Mexican. And as my father never spoke it at home, the only Spanish…
Tech Tease
In a city like San Antonio, with an enormous digital divide and serious disconnect between our community and potential resources, it’s a rough lot writing a tech column. With economic doom and gloom around every corner, discussion of media (both access and literacy) tends to fall flat in the face of the ever-present knowledge: resources…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Should you rely on hard facts or soft feelings? Would it be advisable to trust your tried-and-true medicine or else a potion brewed from the tongue of a snake, the feather of a crow, and a mandrake root? Can you get better results by mingling with staunch allies or with rebel…
J’adore la mode
With winter finally here, there’s a wide array of fashionable choices that’ll make you look like a seductress with the touch of elegance. And it’s as easy as A B C! Attitude: You might be clothed in all the high-couture trends, but if your shoulders are drooping, and you’re slouching like a Debbie Downer, then…
Holiday happenings
2nd Annual Gruene Turkey Trot: 11/25 Trot off that turkey and pie with an exhilarating 5K run/walk through the historic Gruene district. Kids under 12 will have a blast as they try to chase a Turkey Mascot on a quarter-mile race through Gruene. Races begin and end in front of Gruene Hall. Registration 6:30-8am, run/walk…
The QueQue
We feel for ya. Not only was your check-in delayed several hours because the rooms weren’t ready, but the hospital corners on your king-sized mattress look more like something a stoop-backed arthritic mashed together. Judging by the recent case studies and a monumental complaint pending before Occupational Safety and Health Administration, they likely were. So…
The Omniboire
The holiday season is hard upon us, and as of the end of September, America’s 2010 trade imbalance with France was a negative $10 billion, give or take a little global-scale pocket change. The first sentence suggests Champagne — the real stuff with a capital “C.” The second implies a look at trading the big…
Empire of the Sohns
There’s making lemonade out of lemons, and then there’s Sohns. Over the past year, the local band survived a car crash and a major line-up change, and it only seemed to make the group stronger. Sohns first sparked on the music scene in 2006 as We Are Sohns, an aggressive rock duo featuring Alex Mendez…
Q&A with 127 Hours Director
During an interview with the Current, Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) explained why his new film 127 Hours is more than just a survival story. He considers it a journey of self-discovery. Boyle, 54, says he hopes audiences can find value in that and maybe even become part of the narrative themselves. What…
The Bottom Line
The High Brow: Mark Jones received his MFA in Film from UT Austin. His most unusual job was moving Tom Cruise’s personal tent on the set of War of the Worlds. The Low Brow: Beto Gonzales is a San Antonio-based visual artist with an appreciation of the less-than-finer things in life. He loves his Roku…
Mr. Perry isn’t likely for the Oval Office
Is Rick Perry running for president? This has been the question on many minds both before and since the Texas governor won his third election bid, becoming the longest-sitting governor in the state’s history. But the chatter has grown more acute with the straight-off-the-election publication of Fed Up, a tome that might be read as…
Don’t fight the feeling
It’s funny how two of 2010’s best films bloomed from box-office poison. A nerdy misanthrope writing computer code followed by courtroom depositions: boring. A lone hiker stranded in a desolate crevice for a weekend: sounds more like a Discovery Channel TV special. Place it in the right hands, though, and the geeky procedural drama soars…
How to host a Tea Party
From what I hear, California provides all sorts of commie perks and socialist freebies that Texas doesn’t. Of course, that’s why California had that 20-something billion-dollar budget deficit, right? So, when I grabbed Governor Rick Perry’s new whodunit Fed Up!, I expected the answer to a nagging question: how is it Texas provides comparatively few…
Hopes up high
For many, Joe Ely is a man who needs no introduction, and I won’t take up much space offering one. From his brief but storied tenure with The Flatlanders, to his dozen or so solo efforts, Ely has been a driving force and an inspiration in Texas music for three decades. He was gracious enough…
Home for the holidays
Winning over a crowd is no simple feat. It takes exemplary stage energy and a thirst for challenge. It also requires the innate ability to feel out different audiences. Opening bands continually face hurdles on tour — without the custom light show or production enjoyed by a headliner, support acts must play into their own…
On The Rocks (mixed messages)
Apples are looking good in the markets right now; it’s the time of year when it’s easy to get your daily dose. It’s also the time when we think of apples in other forms: in pies, in stuffing … and, oh yes, in booze. Cider-based drinks are perfect for holiday entertaining — or simply enjoyed…
DJ Pop Quiz: Smartypants
Last week, we showed up unannounced at Voodoo Vinyl, DJ Smartypants’ Monday night party at the Mix (2423 N St. Mary’s). CDs or vinyl? Vinyl ? till they’re too scratched to play. Where/how do you buy music? Thrift stores, garage sales, anywhere it’s sold for $1. Favorite track right this second? “Can’t Stop Now (Love…
SA led nation with Foster Grandparent program
When the need arises… Everyone is familiar with charities such as United Way, American Red Cross, or Salvation Army. These are large organizations with big budgets and a correspondingly wide-ranging community reach. On the other hand, there are many smaller, lesser-known organizations, which are no less valuable to the causes they serve. I first learned…
Incredible Tech: VozMob’s Internet-less Community’s Internet Presence
In a city like San Antonio, with an enormous digital divide and serious disconnect between our community and potential resources, it’s a rough lot writing a tech column. With economic doom and gloom around every corner, discussion of media (both access and literacy), tends to fall flat in the face of the ever-present knowledge: resources…
Las Nuevas Tamaleras
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-23 SA-native Alicia Mena’s holiday favorite returns to the Guadalupe, where it originally debuted in 1993. In Mena’s one-act comedy, the ghosts of Doña Juanita and Doña Mercedes, tamale experts, mean well when they attempt to spiritually guide a new crop of tamaleras through their struggle to make flawless tamales. This…
Mercado de Paz
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-23 Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s Mercado de Paz/Peace Market offers a socially conscious holiday alternative to buying plastic with plastic in big box stores. This weekend, more than 90 local artists will be joined by artisans from the Mexican states of Puebla, Guerrero, and Oaxaca who craft unique items (wood…
Annie The Broadway Musical
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-23 At Sandra Bernhard’s poorly attended (I’m extremely disappointed in all but about 150 of you), tailor-made-for Texas show at the Woodlawn this past Friday, the multi-talented diva glanced at the freshly-painted set around her and joked, “Can you believe they’re puttin’ on Annie? I’m sure you’re all gonna be rushing…
Sesame Street Live: Elmo’s Green Thumb
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-23 When “Sunny” outgrows its pot, Elmo transplants his special sunflower to Big Bird’s garden, where fairy-in-training Abby Cadabby accidentally shrinks her pals down to the size of bugs. This live action musical aims to make learning about the tiny creatures of the ecosystem fun, with classic Sesame Street tunes like…
A BIG Bug Movie: Tarantula (1955)
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-23 When a special nutrient designed to increase the size of food-producing animals gets way out of hand, a massive bloodthirsty tarantula stages a terror attack on a sleepy desert town — and nothing short of a napalm attack will stop the madness. Trick photography and deadpan acting aside, Jack Arnold’s…
AGUA Fundraiser with Mexicans with Guns, Mnlo, Butcher Bear and Charlie, Sonora, Le Doom, & Pena
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-23 Burn off your holiday excess dancing with AGUA, Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas. Not only does this environmental action group protect the Edwards Aquifer, they throw a serious party too. Their post-Thanksgiving shindig aims to increase awareness about water issues, but unless the hot electro line-up goes with a liquid-themed…
The Nutcracker
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-23 The variations of the original storyline are endless, but typically follow the ballet classic’s illustrious narrative. Customarily, young German protagonist Clara dreams she wages war with a Mouse King, her broken nutcracker is transformed into a fully functioning German Prince, and she is subsequently greeted by dancing snowflakes and an…
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Release Date: 2010-11-23 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording After mending his broken heart with plenty of AutoTune and self-pity on 2008’s 808s & Heartbreak, hip-hop’s most visionary player comes back strong on his fifth album — an hour-plus journey into the dark, twisted, and brilliant mind of Kanye West. He’s all…
Cannibal
Cannibal Release Date: 2010-11-23 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording Sudden, all-encompassing celebrity often has a corrosive effect on pop stars, draining their subsequent work of vitality, humanity, and humor while infusing it with a fatal self-seriousness. So it’s a relief to report that Ke$ha, paradoxically, is a funnier, more melodically dynamic tart-diva in the wake of…
Loud
Loud Release Date: 2010-11-23 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording Don’t be fooled by the title of Rihanna’s fifth album — Loud isn’t a guitar record. In fact, it sounds like Rihanna had Thriller on repeat when she was putting it together. Thankfully, the 11 songs are customized to her brand of club beats. Rihanna sounds melodic…
Not Music
Not Music Release Date: 2010-11-23 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording It’s been a rough decade for Stereolab. One member died in 2002 after being hit by a truck. Then the band was dropped by its record company for poor sales. They finally pulled the plug last year, going on indefinite hiatus. Their 12th album, Not Music,…
2010 Ford Holiday River Parade & Lighting Ceremony
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-23 The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (which attracts in excess of 3.5 million to the streets of NY while another 50 million watch on NBC) it ain’t. And thank God. In picturesque River City, there’s no danger of getting showered with debris falling from dangerously-large likenesses of Dudley the Dragon (1995),…
