The San Antonio Aquarium is on course to correct the code violations cited by the Leon Valley Fire Department that forced it into an eight-day shutdown. The privately-owned attraction passed city inspections of upgrades to its electrical system on Tuesday afternoon and will reopen pending further review of the work, General Manager Jenny Spellman said.…
San Antonio business groups just won’t let mandatory paid sick leave go. The North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, along with eight other organizations representing local business owners, delivered a letter to the mayor and city council asking them to repeal the paid sick leave ordinance passed this summer on a 9-2 vote. The groups…
Of all the second-generation post-hardcore bands to emerge during the late aughts, Emarosa was at the top of the game. With a blend of emotional boy-band melodies and glittery sounding guitar riffs, the Kentucky-based four-piece has managed to stay true to its roots while garnering a solid fan base. Former frontman Jonny Craig could sing…
“We looked like giants / in the back of my grey sub compact / fumbling to make compact as the others slept inside/” Oh early 2000s indie rock, how we still have a special place in our heart for you. And to be honest, I’m kind of having a meta moment thinking about 20 years…
Your wildest dream is coming true, San Antonio. The Tobin Center is bringing in the one and only Lou Diamond Phillips, who played Ritchie Valens in the 1987 film La Bamba (certainly a contender for S.A.’s collective favorite movie). La Bamba follows the life story of the late Valens, who became an overnight rock ‘n’ roll…
San Antonians got excited when IKEA announced an Alamo City store in November 2016, and now they can get even more excited about knowing its actual opening date. The Swedish retailer announced today that its Live Oak location will open Wednesday, February 13, at 9 a.m. This will be IKEA’s fifth store in Texas and…
Air horn! Air horn! Air horn! Air horn! The San Antonio Parks Foundation just announced Celebrate SA, the official downtown celebration for the City of San Antonio and the lineup features a very familiar face. Yup, DJ Red Mamba aka Matt Bonner is a headlining DJ at this year’s countdown to the new year and…
There are already many great places to get BBQ in Texas, but a new challenger is about to enter the pit. Veteran pitmaster Christopher Haynes is ready to join the battle with his new food trailer 1836 BBQ. Having worked as a pitmaster for eight years, Haynes says his new establishment (which was named after…
A Bexar County judge on Monday signed papers erasing the criminal histories of four women wrongly convicted in 1994 of sexually assaulting two girls, according to a News4 report. Elizabeth Ramirez, Kristie Mayhugh, Cassandra Rivera, and Anna Vasquez — known as the “San Antonio Four” during coverage of their high-profile case — were wrongly convicted of gang-raping Ramirez’s nieces,…
This article was originally published by the Texas Tribune. When the White House endorsed a bipartisan effort to reduce the federal prison population and improve the lives of inmates already behind bars, President Donald Trump made one thing clear: He wants “criminal justice reform, Texas style.” “You know, you think of Texas as a tough…
If builders install solar panels on all new Texas homes and apartment buildings by 2045, the state could generate a ten-fold increase in solar capacity and drastically cut air pollution, according to a new study. Carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation would drop by 3.2 percent if building codes in the Lone Star State required builders…
An Austin family’s Christmas light display is so good it’s just like a scene out of a movie. That’s the whole point, really. The Heerlein family went the clever route for its light display and recreated the famous scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold dangles from the gutters after a…
While Insane Clown Posse or the genre horrcore may not be everyone’s cup of tea, you can’t really hate on the Posse for being one of the most recognized brands in the music industry (get that money, ya scary clowns). While Shaggy 2 Dope usually rolls with his partner crime, this go-around we’ll only be…
It’s no secret San Antonio drivers can be wild, if not reckless, but one spotted recently just might take the cake. In a local Facebook group focused on “only in San Antonio” posts, a woman named Jocelyn Estrada shared pictures of a pickup truck she spotted carrying a Smart car in its bed on Saturday…
San Antonio U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro has been elected chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, taking over as the group’s membership swells to its largest in history. When the next Congress convenes in January, the CHC will have 31 members — two in the Senate and 29 in the House. The caucus selected new leadership Friday, allowing…
Forty to fifty students at the University of Texas at San Antonio chanted “change rape culture” and “We believe you” as they marched to the Student Union’s annual Light the Paseo on Thursday to protest against sexual abuse occurring on college campuses. This protest comes after Kimiya Factory and Taylor Waits sat down with KENS5 and…
The world-renowned glass restaurant Ocho at Hotel Havana is getting a brand new brunch menu. Assembled by Chef Edward Villareal, this great menu features a variety of items to choose from, such as Cuban hash and eggs, fideo loco, mojo marinated wings, a tequila-soaked grapefruit and more. This new menu stays true to Ocho’s roots,…
If Chipotle is your cup of tea (or bowl of chicken?), we have good news for you. From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, December 3 through Wednesday, December 5, guacamole is free. Yep, that’s right, free. It usually costs extra (as memes will have you know), but not for this time period, due…
This article was originally published by the Texas Tribune. Texas is suing the city of San Antonio for an alleged violation of the state’s new anti-“sanctuary cities” law, in the state’s first enforcement action against a city under the controversial statue. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Travis County District Court, centers on a December 2017…
Donella Drive has actively been playing shows in the San Antonio music circuit since 2013, and to be honest, I wasn’t the hugest fan, so I really didn’t pay attention to much of what they were doing until recently. Bassist Andrew Salazar reached out to me to check out their music video for a brand new…
The cleanest restrooms in America are getting an upgrade, y’all. Buc-ee’s, the Texas-based travel center chain that’s worshipped by locals, recently announced it will instal Tooshlights, a light sensor that lets visitors know which stalls are available. The chain said the move is to reduce potty wait times. The lights will be placed over each…
It’s been four days since the Internet found out what Senator Ted Cruz looks like with a beard. Business Insider reporter Joe Perticone shared a photo to Twitter of Cruz on Monday, saying the senator “grew a beard over Thanksgiving!” Ted Cruz grew a beard over Thanksgiving! pic.twitter.com/g8I58uPn9o — Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) November 26, 2018…
After a successful pop-up this April at Cullum’s Attagirl, Fantom Kitchen is heading south in more ways than one. For their December 14 (6-11pm) pop-up, the kitchen series will take over Dorćol Distilling + Brewing Co. with dinner by chef Conrado Gonzalez II. The à la carte “Limón y Sal” menu will feature a Mezcal…
Word on the street this fall was that Aldo Ristorante was moving its long-standing Wurzbach Road location north. But given the holidays and the need to accommodate guests, the move has been postponed until the new year. “We have many long-time customers who rely on us for parties and family gatherings during the holidays,” said…
Pokéworks, the Manhattan-based poke company that’s quickly spreading throughout the country, will open its first San Antonio location this December 8. During the grand opening, the DIY eatery will offer buy-one-get-one bowls throughout the day, and the first 50 guests will receive a free Pokéworks branded coconut. The customizable bowls are making their way to San…
Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun — Billy Corgan’s first post-2000 Smashing Pumpkins album with both guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin — came out in early November, and it looked like they were skipping San Antonio on their tour to support the release. But,…
Even as President Trump kept up threats to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. House passed a bipartisan bill that would expand an Obama-era program fostering cross-border academic collaboration. The measure’s approval could mean additional opportunities for San Antonio and South Texas colleges with U.S.-Mexico exchange programs, said Katsuo Nishikawa Chavez, director of Trinity…
First Sheryl Sculley Then the City’s dropped lawsuit Touché, Mr. Steele Hours After Sculley’s Announced Retirement, San Antonio Drops Its Lawsuit Against the Fire Union After Charter Amendment Vote, San Antonio City Manager Sheryl Sculley Announces Her Retirement Stay on top of San Antonio news and views. Sign up for our Weekly Headlines Newsletter.
When the Trail Blazers trounced the Spurs in Portland earlier this season, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined for 53 points and 11 assists in triumph. San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan and Bryn Forbes were no slouches in defeat, teaming up for 45 and 12 assists of their own. With Coach Pop recently favoring DeRozan and…
Birthed from the distortion that brought us bands like Norma Jean, Underoath and Zao, the Devil Wears Prada were another early-aughts Christian metalcore band that managed to soar beyond much of the genre’s mediocrity and staleness. On the heels of a recent signing with Christian metal-/hardcore label Solid State records (Norma Jean, Phinehas, Silent Planet,…
The City of San Antonio has dropped its lawsuit challenging the evergreen clause in the contract of its firefighters’ union, potentially hitting restart for negotiations for a new labor deal, according to media reports. The union has cited the suit as its reason for refusing talks to replace its contract, which expired four years ago. The…
Is the year over yet? No, “It’s Not Over,” because Daughtry is coming to the Alamo City. You know you can’t get enough of the ‘90s and early aughts, San Antonio, and it’s OK. It’s who we are, and we’ve accepted it. This Saturday, the former American Idol contestant will hit the Aztec Theatre. While…
For the past 40 years, URBAN-15 has presented performance-based art, in a multitude of different forms, to communities in San Antonio and beyond. As it has grown, the multidisciplinary group of artists, dancers and musicians has parlayed its enthusiasm for the arts into a boon for our community in both education and entertainment. A creative…
Is it just us or has there been an outpouring of beautiful, unique, indie rock produced by females rolling into our sights as of late? Like out-of-towners Japanese Breakfast, Snail Mail, Football, and then our own Elnuh and Survival Guide – all dope indie bands with female front-runners and it’s dope. Soccer Mommy was already…
To paraphrase a former president: You won’t have Sheryl Sculley to kick around anymore, San Antonio. The powerful but controversial city manager will retire next year, the announcement coming less than a month after voters approved a charter amendment limiting pay and tenure for future holders of the office. “I have decided to retire from the…
As fate would have it, I decided to go to 2M Smokehouse on the day after online apostle Eater’s sages declared it one of America’s 38 Essential Restaurants. Congrats, guys. The news hadn’t made it to SA yet, given the evidence of the line. Arriving at a little before 11, it took me just shy…
The San Antonio Cocktail Conference will return this January with loads of seminars and parties, but one of the most underrated parts of the entire affair will take place on one night. Billed as paired dinners, and hosted across town in advance of the conference for the last several years, these curated dinners will all…
There will be more coffee in the East Side in the coming year with the opening of Blüm Coffee and Tea. The shop will be spearheaded by Lisa Mireles and chef Christopher Jara, the latter who’s become known for his desserts and pastries. The 600-square-foot café will be the first phase of the project, which…
It’s suddenly creeping back up on us. First, it’s Thanksgiving break. Then, it’s that never ending holiday break where you are at home, unable to escape your family that’s coming into town – your laundry and dishes that can never seem to stay clean – and your kids who are wanting to play video games,…
Organizers of the San Antonio Coffee Festival have announced details for its 2019 offering, set for Saturday, January 5. A year after large crowds caused vendors to run out of java early, leaving attendees grumpy, the coffee fest is set to return to La Villita. The seventh annual event will include expanded areas to accommodate…
The Leon Valley Fire Department ordered the evacuation of the San Antonio Aquarium on Wednesday after finding multiple safety hazards during a routine inspection. Firefighters discovered “unsecured propane tanks, heaters in unvented enclosures, a hazardous gas main tap, blocked or inappropriate emergency exits and non-compliant, hazardous electrical wiring,” according to a news release from the…
Need more proof Texas is becoming a swing state? Republican Sen. John Cornyn this week said his home state is no longer “reliably red” and looking closer to lilac on the political color wheel. “Texas is no longer, I believe, a reliably red state,” Cornyn told radio host Hugh Hewitt. “We are on the precipice…
Piff the Magic Dragon — “the world’s second most famous magic dragon” — gave a surprise turn on the 2015 season of America’s Got Talent, and delighted the judges with increasingly elaborate card tricks that vaulted him all the way to the final round of competition. Now, Piff’s got his own Vegas residency at the…
It’s almost laughable to think that only 30 years ago, an entire political campaign for a U.S. presidential hopeful collapsed under the weight of a sordid extramarital affair. In comparison to the numerous sexual misconduct allegations raised about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016 — not to mention his countless public gaffes that would’ve destroyed…
Celtic Thunder’s X Tour celebrates the 10th anniversary of the all-male Irish vocal ensemble with an eclectic mix of hit songs. Originally founded to promote music of Celtic heritage, Celtic Thunder has evolved to include poppy crowd pleasers mixed in with Irish ballads and other folk classics. This year’s tour features famous folk tunes like…
Before you throw your computer or phone or whatever you’re reading this on, chill out. While Nu Metal was certainly one of the most commercial, uncool periods the genre went through, it wasn’t universally terrible, and Drowning Pool wasn’t the worst band out there. So go ahead and let the bodies hit the floor, y’all.…
I don’t get mad anymore when artists from the ‘90s and 2000s announce San Antonio dates these days because it happens so often. I’m just like, “Lol, more?” Next up in this revolving door of throwback musicians is beloved electronic act Crystal Method. Along with the Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers and the like, the Crystal…
Doubling as a gift-seeker’s go-to as well as a festive opportunity to catch up on (or revisit) exhibitions like “Becoming John Marin: Modernist at Work,” “Harry Bertoia: Sculptor and Modernist Designer” and the recently “re-imagined” Texas art collection, the San Antonio Museum of Art’s annual Museum Shop Holiday Fair brings an eclectic assortment of giftable…
Fresh off a recently completed stint at Künstlerhaus Bethanien via Blue Star Contemporary’s Berlin Residency program, local artist Amada Miller will present a new body of work, beginning this weekend in conjunction with Sala Diaz’s inaugural Winter Warmer fundraiser/shindig. For this exhibition, which was partially developed during her residency, Miller digs deeper into her work…
Texas children face high rates of poverty, health risk and educational inequality, according to the Center for Public Policy Priorities’ recently released State of Texas Children report. There’s a good chance none of that is news to you, and the Austin-based public interest group’s previous editions of that annual report haven’t exactly prompted Texas lawmakers…
San Antonio’s Pinch Boil House and Bia Bar, an informal eatery that stirs up Southeast Asia with the Gulf Coast, will open a second location — this one in Austin. “Don’t fret, we still plan on being crazy present in the SATX food & bev community, and we definitely have fun things planned in the…
After decades in the making, Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Museum is set to evacuate Alamo Heights. Earlier this year, Smith teased his retirement from the museum and said he was searching for a bidder that would take his entire collection of more than 1,400 toilet seats he decorated himself. The 97-year-old recently found that bidder…
Let’s cook-off, San Antonio! The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo will debut a new cooking competition in February – the Vaquero Cook-Off. Set for February 1-2 at La Villita, the event will run in conjunction with the Western Heritage Parade and Cattle Drive. The first day will pit challengers against each other cooking Spanish…
San Antonio has always had really good artists weaving in and out of the city. Some were born and raised here but moved out-of-state, like Neon Indian, while others moved in from out of town like ex-Tsunami Bomb’s Emily Whitehurst. Others have just spent a couple years here to cut their teeth and figure out…
San Antonians just can’t get enough ramen and poké, so another spot for the delicious bowls is opening this week. Big Aloha’s Ali’i Cove, found in Universal City, will hold its soft opening Thursday and is already bracing for lots of customers. The restaurant, which previously operated out of a food truck, is only accepting…
So this definitely isn’t the first time we’ve heard of metal cruises, but this lineup is actually still pretty sick. Introducing Megacruise, brought to you by, you guessed it, Megadeth, who will play a concert with additional performances from folks like Anthrax, Testament, DragonForce, Overkill and Armored Saint to name a few. The cruise launches…
In 2010, acclaimed Charleston chef Sean Brock, proclaimed “Southern food is the best food in the world.” The South, in his eyes, had risen again — and food was its new foundation. Putting aside the fact that Southern cooking is hardly monolithic, other chefs, in other cities, have rallied to the born-again Rebel cause: Donald…
This playful sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice opens on the tableau of Christmas 1815, a few years after Elizabeth Bennet wed Fitzwilliam Darcy (sorry, we’re not gonna spoiler-tag a 200-year-old novel, y’all). Feeling left out as her other sisters find love, bookish middle-daughter Mary Bennet travels to the Darcys’ Pemberley estate for familial…
Ever the provocateur as a performer and persona, young Canadian indie pop oddball Mac DeMarco makes gently psychedelic music that is magnetic, groovy and relatable. At only 28 years old, DeMarco has become a bonafide star, winning fans over the course of nine releases (LPs and EPs) in as many years. He’s also been touring…
Winner of the tenth season of American Idol in 2011, country music singer-songwriter Scotty McCreery is hitting the road with a tour in support of Seasons Change, a new album released early this year. The tour hits the Alamo City Friday at the Aztec Theatre with special guests including the critically-acclaimed country music newcomer Jimmie…
You know, we heap all kinds of praise on all of the humans who have been to space, especially the first ones, and rightly so — but where’s the love for the first mammal in space? That mammal, a Soviet dog named Laika, who was probably pretty damn shook about the whole affair, deserves some…
If you had told the creators of St. Sucia back in 2014 that their work would end up in university libraries across the country, they would have never believed you. Thirteen issues later, the entire collection of the self-proclaimed zine exposing what it is to be a mujer in contemporary society can be found in…
“Don’t be mad,” I said to my boyfriend through a FaceTime call as he was getting home from work. “But I’m going to Turnstile and Angel Du$t tonight.” He hangs up on me and I laugh out loud ‘cause I know he’s pissed he can’t go since he lives in Austin and has to be…
If you just can’t wait for a look at the new uniforms of the San Antonio Commanders — the city’s umpteenth non-NFL football franchise — you’re in luck. The Alliance of American Football has debuted the uniforms for all eight of its franchises via Twitter. Although the startup league already bandied about logos for the…
Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale’s first year in “dark money” politics was no timid affair. New tax documents show Trump might even say the one-time San Antonio web designer and ad exec made his entrance “bigly.” According to a recent federal tax return, the Parscale-founded America First Policies Inc. spent $4.3 million to tip…
When Sylvester Stallone handed writer/director Ryan Coogler the reigns of his beloved Rocky franchise a few years ago, Coogler transformed what was arguably a stagnant series into Creed — a nostalgic drama with depth and meaning. At that point, Stallone had already done his part, giving audiences an unexpected Best Picture Oscar win in 1976…
Q: I’m a 30-year-old, Asian American, hetero-flexible cis woman. I’m also newly diagnosed with bipolar II. I’m on medication – the doctor is trying to figure that out – but no talk therapy for right now, as my last therapist wasn’t great and I haven’t managed to find a new one. My question for you…
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Every year the bird known as the Arctic tern experiences two summers and enjoys more daylight than any other animal. That’s because it regularly makes a long-distance journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again. Let’s designate this hardy traveler as your inspirational creature for the next eleven months.…
On November 8, the two of us traveled with Strikecorps, a nonprofit workers’ movement from New York City, and other activists to livestream, record and provide media equipment to the refugee caravan in Mexico City. After weeks of President Donald Trump demonizing the refugees as criminals and invaders, trying to thrill his base ahead of…
D.R.I. (that’s Dirty Rotten Imbeciles to those still hung up on formality) was one of the key bands during the Reagan era to mate hardcore tempos with metallic kerrang and birth an ugly-ass baby called thrash. As testament to the band’s ferocity, its debut LP packed in 22 blasts of hyper-speed, hyper-pissed suburban fury, only…
It’s man vs. swamp rat in Rodents of Unusual Size, an award-winning documentary about the invasion of coastal Louisiana by hordes of “nutria” (or “coypu”), a semiaquatic beaver-like rodent native to South America that can grow up to 20 pounds. To give the nutria a little credit, most people probably wouldn’t consider them as grotesque…
Jacksonville, Florida’s Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow Revue specializes in performances as unpredictable and outrageous as its namesake — a 1938 Broadway musical hodgepodge that lampooned Hitler (with a Yiddish accent), Mussolini (in blackface) and Roosevelt (speaking gibberish) while showcasing clowns, dwarfs, trained pigeons and chorus girls. Launched in Dallas in 2008 by Garland native Bryce “the Govna”…
Following the success of their eight-time Oscar-winning 1954 smash On the Waterfront, director/producer Elia Kazan and screenwriter Budd Schulberg reunited for 1957’s A Face in the Crowd — an originally overlooked film that questioned the power of the media, called out the soullessness of Hollywood and specifically warned viewers about the dangers of blindly believing everything…
Living in San Antonio now for a decade, I’ve witnessed the ebb and flow of a growing and changing music landscape. During this time, I’ve watched a musicians move to the Alamo City and a lot of musicians move away (a lot more of the latter). It came as a little bit of a surprise that…
