Tia Chuck, Elevator
First things first. Chuck Ramirez died on Saturday afternoon. Here is the information for his memorial service: WHEN: Thursday evening, November 11, 6:30 pm WHERE: Outdoors at the Blue Star Arts Complex 1400 South Alamo Street San Antonio, TX 78204 (210) 225-6742 The service will take place in the parking lot in order to accommodate…
National Forensics League squelches debate on Ground Zero mosque
Adriene Goodwin iseegreen@gmail.com Kids have had it with idiotic grown-ups. And frankly, so have I. While judging at the MacArthur High School debate tournament over the weekend, I was anxious to hear how the kids felt regarding the Public Forum (PF) debate topic change. In the beginning of November, the National Forensics League released the…
Fun Fun Fun Fest recap – Day 2
Words by Callie Enlow Butcher Bear and Charlie Back-up interpretive dance courtesy of the Little Stolen Moments crew San Antonio’s own Ernest Gonzales turned us onto Butcher Bear and Charlie a couple weeks ago. Their album, which drops November 19, gives a good introduction to the duo’s sexy electro-sound, but to understand why they’re the…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Recap – Friday Night
Words by Callie Enlow Photos by Jeff Turner Proving that it’s a bigger, badder beast this year, Fun Fun Fun Fest officially began the festivities on Friday night. But, to prove they still don’t take themselves too seriously, their Friday night headliner was none-other than nerd magnet Weird Al Yankovic. Apples in Stereo Kindly blowing…
San Antonio has opportunity to grade TCEQ
Michael Cary randolphmetro@hotmail.com Is the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality keeping Texas a great place to live? Or is the agency, tasked with ensuring good air and water quality and proper disposal of hazardous waste, simply playing a shell game? As the agency goes through its Sunset Review process, residents of the state are being…
“Raw” by Nicole Moore and “One Time Thing” by Janet Lee
Welcome, welcome. Now, your complete attention! This is the first creative installment of the Flash Fiction section in its new incarnation. These two pieces, “Raw” by Nicole Moore and “One Time Thing” by Janet Lee are reprints. Long story short: these are the original stories as they should have originally appeared. And here they are.…
5MB 11/5
This installment of MB is brought to you by Officer D-Pad. 1MB Keiji Inafune, former global head of production for Capcom and creator of Mega Man, defended his reasons for leaving Capcom in a recent interview. “In short, it’s like a communist state,” Inafune said. “Working as hard as you can is your own loss.…
The Ballad of Mike Yuchnitz
Local celebrities, as it goes in the pantheon of pop culture, are probably right at the bottom right below Kathy Griffin, and a step above Kathy Griffin’s talent. There have been a select few from my childhood that stand out to this day. The first was Commander K.O. (the one that looked like ace reporter…
AARTVARK VIDEO II
Aartvark II: Chris McKnight and Tippi Hedren at 3 Walls
Alamo Drafthouse Opens In Stone Oak
As if you didn’t already know it, Stone Oak, you’re officially on the grid. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has just opened a third location in SA, and you’re the newest recipient of its specialty screenings, full dinner menu, and extensive beer selection. Located off 281 just North of Stone Oak Parkway, the new location will feature six…
I masturbate, and I vote: wading into the ‘Restore Sanity’ rally
By Adriene Goodwin iseegreen@gmail.com WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two days ago, I was sandwiched between Mickey Mouse and the Mad Hatter on the metro to Washington D.C. We weren’t on our way to a Disney convention; we were winding towards the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. I have been in love with The Daily Show…
Due Date
Critic’s Pick Due Date Director: Todd Phillips Screenwriter: Todd Phillips Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Zach Galifiankis Release Date: 2010-11-03 Rated: NONE Genre: Film When you start your career with documentaries about G.G. Allin and frat house hazing, it’s not much of a leap to move into comedies centered around some of the world’s absolute worst…
One of Us
One of Us Composer: Pomegranates Conductor: Pomegranates Label: Afternoon Release Date: 2010-11-03 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording The inventiveness of this Cincinnati, Ohio, quartet can be as subtle as the hazy lead-in to One of Us’s title track, in which the art-rockers re-imagine an orchestra pit’s pre-show tuning with their own electric instruments. The touch is…
The Fool
The Fool Composer: Warpaint Conductor: Warpaint Label: Rough Trade Release Date: 2010-11-03 Rated: NONE Genre: Recording This debut album from California sirens Warpaint, composed of Emily Kokal (vocals/guitar), Jenny Lee Lindberg (bass/vocals), Stella Mozgawa (drums), and Theresa Wayman (guitar/vocals), is a phenomenal pick for autumn with its haunting, lush folk vocals and crisp warm psychedelic…
Pinkerton
Pinkerton Release Date: 2010-11-03 Genre: Recording Sludgy bass lines. Yearning lyrics. Heart. This is the path we all hoped Weezer would have continued once Pinkerton hit our CD players in the fall of 1996. It wasn’t to be. Instead we got radio friendly yet hollow hits, and a sea of adoring fans quietly dropped away…
Codename: Rondo
Codename: Rondo Release Date: 2010-11-03 Genre: Recording Codename: Rondo suffers from Ghostland Observatory’s greatness. Coming from other hands, this would likely seem a very interesting, dynamic record. Coming from these guys, it’s a bit “meh.” Most of that can be attributed to the relative lack of dynamic frontman Aaron Behrens’ screaming, scorching vocals. The man…
4th Annual Muertitos Fest Fiesta Fundraiser
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-03 SAY Sí’s fourth annual Muertitos Fest offers a feast for the senses. Guests can shop for handmade items, sample regional cuisine, view folk art, photography, altars and ofrendas (including one remembering papel picado artist Jorge Rosano), and enjoy music and dance presentations on two stages. Thursday’s preview event includes performances…
Art Opening: No Country for Old Tippi
Release Date: 2010-11-03 A little over a year ago, Chris McKnight quit his job and took up roaming the country, coast to coast, city to desert, often by train, accompanied by Tippi Hedren. Not the actress, mind you: McKnight’s Tippi is a smallish lady, an aspirational figurine of man-made materials manufactured by Mattel. Fine, she’s…
Diwali San Antonio Festival of Lights
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-03 Let your inner light shine when the India Association of San Antonio celebrates Diwali. Being celebrated formally for the second time in SA, this festival of lights includes live entertainment, a fireworks presentation, 1,000 illuminated diyas, and vendors selling henna tattoos, gifts, and authentic Indian cuisine. Free, 6-10pm HemisFair Park…
San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet presents Hansel and Gretel
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-03 Just in time for the holidays, the alluring scent of gumdrop-encrusted gingerbread fills the air. Among the frightening lessons to be learned from Children’s and Household Tales (as Grimm’s Fairy Tales was originally titled) is don’t trust anyone — especially your parents. Faced with too many mouths to feed during…
Black Veil Brides & the Birthday Massacre
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-03 Get a little more mileage out of your spooky/slutty Halloween costume by recycling it for the Birthday Massacre’s goth dance party. Trust us, you’ll fit right in, just try not to outdo frontwoman Chibi on the spookiness or the sexiness. Despite the band’s gloom-and-doom appearance, the Birthday Massacre’s live shows…
Going Green Gala & Rising Star Fashion Industry Awards
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-03 On Monday, the local chapter of Fashion Group International kicked off the second Fashion Week San Antonio, a commendable effort to “cultivate and broaden a talented local design community.” From the looks of the schedule (visit fashionweeksa.com), Fashion Week SA has grown in its sophomore year, with several smaller shows…
Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears, Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcom & Sheer Khan & the Space Case
Critic’s Pick Release Date: 2010-11-03 Most bands don’t play their first gig opening for Little Richard, but such was the case with eight-piece garage-soul combo Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. Since forming in 2007, the band has received nationwide acclaim, including being listed in Esquire’s “Ten Bands Set to Break Out at 2009’s SXSW…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Marcel Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time, one of the characters makes a vulgar observation about the odd attractions that sometimes come over us human beings: "Anyone who falls in love with a dog’s behind will mistake it for a rose." It’s my duty to point out that the…
The Queque – November 3, 2010
Gnash again Seven-year San Antonio Police officer Craig Nash’s “indefinite suspension” earlier this year matured to termination, SAPD officials confirmed last week. Nash was shitcanned after a local transgender woman charged the officer with raping her while in uniform back in February. But civilian Nash’s troubles are far from over. The former man in blue…
The gilded age
When she was still in high school, singer Greta Morgan’s band the Hush Sound got signed to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz’s label. For the next four years, she got a crash course in the music industry, releasing three albums and opening arena shows for Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco. To…
Dream on
In July of 2006, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raided the Miami home of undocumented student Gaby Pacheco and her family. Pacheco had been making waves in the media as an activist and supporter of educational rights for immigrant students across the country, and word had apparently gotten back to ICE about her antics. But…
Nebbiolo, the Tough
“Quick, I have $100,000 to spend! What can you get me in, say, big-name Bordeaux? My plane is waiting …” This was the essence of a telephone conversation one of the tasters at the latest Omniboire panel had as we were coming to the end of our investigation of Northern Italy’s nebbiolo grape. And it…
Earth stewards
Chef Rick Moonen, executive chef of RM Seafood in Las Vegas, and author of Fish Without a Doubt, visited San Antonio’s Watermark Grill last week to help spread the gospel of sustainable seafood. The term “sustainable” has begun to be as bandied about as much as “recyclable” and “organic,” losing meaning along the way. For…
Our gang
“We’re a formidable gang without the crime” — From “Bulevar 2000” As a gateway to both Latin America and the United States, Tijuana couldn’t be more symbolic: You go there to either get drunk, high, laid, or shot. But if you know the right people and places, you can also enjoy the latest incarnation of…
The Sound & the Fury
Here is a novel idea: why not play local music on local radio? That’s the concept behind Mexican with Guns’ “Radio Revolucion,” a push to get new single “Me Gusto” on Mix 96.1. So, Clear Channel, why not? The electro-conjunto beats and Chico Mann’s laid-back Spanish raps collide with skittering drum ‘n’ bass (and cowbell!).…
The Barenaked Ladies get real
A couple of years ago, things were not all right for Barenaked Ladies. The Canadian pop powerhouse was going through some tough times. In July of 2008, co-founding member Steve Page was arrested on drug charges. Just a month later, frontman Ed Robertson was involved in a plane crash. For a while there, the hits…
Defying Gravity in the Temple of Flesh
What some feared would be a casualty — based on Scout Bar’s recent closing — turned out to be a smashing success, christening a brand new party space with a spank on the bottom. Thrown by Temple of Flesh, Uniform Fetish (the latest incarnation of the San Antonio Fetish Ball) lured ambisexual revelers to a…
Bottle & tap
Beer me, SA San Antonio is on its way to becoming a great beer city. There are now three breweries and brewpubs in operation, ringed by three more in neighboring communities, and yet another hometown brewery is in the works for established beer brand Alamo Beer. Several pub-crawl-worthy areas have sprouted up, most notably Southtown…
Mind over matter
Bye-bye, crazy talking animals. Scatterbrained scientists and superheroes with issues have become the go-to characters in the latest breed of CGI movies. It’s a logical step. After all, not much separates the Spider-Man and Iron Man franchises from, say, Shrek and Madagascar — just a turbo-powered computer or two. Besides, superheroes and scientists are more…
The freaks come out at night
Cine File is a random reference guide to help explore the vast catalog of films available on Netflix instant viewing, with special emphasis on the interesting, the unusual, and the ones that got left behind. This edition, we feature two unique comedies that capture run-down NYC and Los Angeles of the mid-’80s. Martin Scorsese, best…
Blood too simple
Zhang Yimou released his first film, Red Sorghum, in 1987, two years after Ethan and Joel Coen made their cinematic debut with Blood Simple. The exquisite artistry of Zhang’s early work, which also includes Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern, established him as the Ingmar Bergman of China. As impresario of the Beijing Olympic…
On the books
For the past two years, I’ve chronicled the San Antonio arts scene. I’ve documented the ongoing proliferation of visual artists and art movements, and the ups and downs of art institutions, evaluated gallery and museum shows, and discussed the growing theater options in town. But I’ve only written one book review (for Barbara Renaud Gonzalez’s…
Ask the maestros
Two of San Antonio’s foremost writer-educators weigh in on writing-arts education Rosemary Catacalos Director, Gemini Ink, former executive director of the Poetry Center and American Poetry Archives at San Francisco State University, Stegner Fellow in poetry at Stanford University. We’re a city with 25-percent illiteracy in English. That’s where you start. Start in the trenches,…
¡Ask A Mexican!
Dear Mexican, I’m totally serious about my email, so please forgive me if my question sounds ridiculous. I also mean no insult to anyone about my question or questions in this email. There are a lot of antsy/jittery people along the United States’ southern border. Lots of those antsy people seem to want to grab anyone who looks…
Dear Uncle Mat
Dear Uncle Mat, I am having serious man problems. I am completely torn between two very different guys. One is sweet, caring, and financially stable. The other is sweet, fun, but not at all stable financially. The first, referred to as Mr. Military hereafter, would do anything to have a serious, committed relationship with me.…
How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar
If you are one of the many people interested in a career in the nonprofit field, a new book, “How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar” should be at the top of your hit list. With chapters like “How to Write a Kick Butt Bio,” “Cultivate a Slash Career,” “Look Like a Leader,” and “Speak Up,”…
A Short Introduction to Flash Fiction
Flash fiction is short. The first thing people want to know, though, is “how short?” I tend to be very noncommittal about an answer. Who cares? This short piece, that has been ascribed to Hemingway, is just six words: “For sale: baby shoes, never used.” That’s a story. It’s got a beginning, albeit one that…
Do You Watch Reality TV? Don’t Lie
Real Housewives of DC? Ice Road Truckers? Sarah Palin’s Alaska? <—Barf Blood Dolphins? It’s nearly impossible nowadays to click through channels without landing on some sort of “reality TV” show. Do you find yourself identifying with the “real people” on television? Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV, a new book by Jennifer…
SXSW Band deadline this Friday
Go, San Antonio bands, go! Here’s the link to apply… If you’re interested, that is. But you know, it’s $40 bucks. Yeah, and Austin is like, so lame. And who needs SXSW anyway? Things are so much more REAL down here, man. And our 20 fans really like us. And we get free Lonestar beers…
