Cover Story
Cleaning up coal in West Texas expected to help fuel SA and wring out the oil patch
There’s a mean-sounding hiss emanating from one of a dozen pipes rising like stovepipe to feed into a desert-tan battery that intermittently flushes high volumes of fluids 4,500 feet below ground. Larry Pickerel, the robust production foreman for Legato Resources, explains how valves on the water-alternating-gas wellhead skid — as the installation is known —…
Neil Young & Crazy Horse: 'Psychedelic Pill'
Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s second collaborative release of 2012 finds an angry, regretful, and lamenting Young. Opener "Drifting Back" clocks in at just shy of a half hour and wields a heavy hand of free-form songwriting, social commentary, and personal demons. It is as much a rebellion against society’s casual dismissal of art as…
Other People’s Trash
A short film by Chris Haley and Nina Duran, Editor-in-Chief of La Prensa San Antonio. Here’s Nina’s note: “One Sunday we woke up, grabbed his dad’s camera and started dumpster diving. This short was total improv and it was a pain putting together, but we couldn’t be happier with the finish product.” We’re pleased, too.
Assassin or savior? In ‘Dishonored,’ the choice is yours
Tempering choice with narration is a tricky road in the gaming world. In many cases, developers must cater to one side more than the other in order to achieve the primary goals they set out to achieve–complete story, emotional weight, and satisfying gameplay are often the cited excuses for swaying one way more than the…
Interview: Pablo Campos, NASL’s 2012 MVP
Pablo Campos, striker/forward of the San Antonio Scorpions, won this year’s Golden Ball award in pro Soccer’s Division II-the North American Soccer League (NASL). The Golden Ball winner is considered the league’s most valuable player. The Scorpions lost out in the semifinals to the Minnesota Stars. Minnesota plays the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Final. Campos was…
Pick of the Day: American Musical Geniuses: The Beatles
The American Musical Geniuses 2012-2013 performance/lecture series kicks off with the captivating story of iconic British sweethearts The Beatles. Author Herbert Keyser brings his anthology Geniuses of the American Musical Theatre to life as he shows his witty and warmhearted perspective of some of the greatest acts of the golden age of Broadway. Keyser and…
La Prensa Foundation Supports Education in San Antonio
I had the pleasure recently to attend the La Prensa Foundation 2012 Leadership Awards. Founded by Amelia J. Duran, La Prensa Foundation has been supporting education in San Antonio for 13 years. The Foundation has awarded more than $2.3 million in scholarships to students seeking success through higher education. “It’s a great honor for me…
Pop Pistol’s big night: the ‘Animal Prisms’ CD release party
Pop Pistol Album Release Jack’s Music Bar Fri, Oct 26 Pop Pistol’s Alex Scheel (photo by Alvin Alderete) The first decently cool Friday night of the season provided the ideal context for local indie heroes and citizen-artists Pop Pistol to release their second LP Animal Prisms into. The songs on this aptly titled album —…
Pick of the Day: Ballet San Antonio presents Dracula
In an elegant lead-in to Halloween, Ballet San Antonio reprises its original adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Gothic vampire epic Dracula. Set to a “haunting score” by Philip Feeney, choreographed by artistic director Gabriel Zertuche, and enhanced with costumes and sets fabricated by Boerne’s SRO Associates, the season opener stars Sarah Aujon as soon-to-be-married Mina Murray…
Pick of the Day: Dignowity Hill Pushcart Derby
Initiated in 2004 by local art star Cruz Ortiz and reinforced by spare parts founder Mary Cantu as a public art intervention, the Official Dignowity Hill Pushcart Derby encourages community involvement while presenting SA’s East side as a safe place to live and play. Once among the most anticipated events of Contemporary Art Month, the…
UTSA prof suggests women vote with their vaginas
A University of Texas, San Antonio marketing professor is catching heat for a study claiming women’s menstrual cycles sway their decisions at the voting booth. On Wednesday night, CNN posted – then hours later retracted – a story citing UTSA assistant professor of marketing Kristina Durante and her recent study, “The Fluctuating Female Vote: Politics, Religion, and…
Pick of the Day: Sheer Bloody Lunacy!
The 1965 Italian gothic horror movie Bloody Pit of Horror, allegedly based on the writings of the Marquis de Sade, is the springboard for Sheer Bloody Lunacy! — a cabaret-horror-comedy-musical adapted for the stage by Jon Gillespie. True to the film (which stars Mr. Universe 1955 Mickey Hargitay as a musclebound lunatic possessed by the…
Director Michael Paul Stephenson explores Halloween culture in ‘The American Scream’
The new documentary “The American Scream” by director Michael Paul Stephenson airs on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. on the Chiller Network. As a follow up to his impressive 2009 film debut Best Worst Movie, documentary filmmaker Michael Paul Stephenson, 34, explores America’s obsession with the Halloween culture in The American Scream. In the film,…
President Clinton stumps for Gallego at South San
Former President Bill Clinton spoke to an overflow crowd at South San Antonio High School Thursday afternoon, hoping to boost support for congressional hopeful Pete Gallego, who’s locked in a tight race with GOP Congressman Francisco “Quico” Canseco. Clinton’s visit comes at a crucial time for the Gallego campaign. The Hill newspaper, Real Clear Politics…
Another arrest in the East Texas Keystone XL pipeline fight
WINFIELD, Texas — The Price family in Winfield woke up to a world of protestors yesterday morning as the struggle for Texas landowner and environmental rights made its way further across rural East Texas and the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline route. Around 9 a.m., Cherri Foytlin, the 40-year-old Louisiana mother of six, chained herself to…
Pick of the Day: 2012 Bling Bling Fling: A Hallow’s Eve Ball
As the Martinez Street Women’s Center’s biggest annual push, Bling Bling Fling helps the nonprofit continue to provide medically underserved women and girls with valuable services and empowering programs including diabetes and breast cancer education and prevention, parenting classes, and Girl Zone: a year-round after-school program and summer camp. Emceed by Great Day SA co-host…
Downtown workers push for Tip Integrity Act
A Unite Here! protest outside the Grand Hyatt last year When you hear there’s a 22 percent “service charge” added to your bill, you assume it’s a tip, right? Local organizers with Unite Here! contend downtown’s Grand Hyatt has long been misleading guests and skimping workers, pocketing the 22 percent “service charge” for dinners and…
Review: Catch Me If You Can at the Majestic
Well, the Wicked Stage was perfectly ready to spread some snark after discovering that the first national tour of Catch Me If You Can was—horrors!—non-Equity (that is to say, non-union): that’s the sort of cost-cutting measure usually reserved for a tour that has seen a few go-arounds. But for all of our wickedness—and venom normally…
Bat For Lashes: 'The Haunted Man's Guitar'
Natasha Khan’s deliciously eerie The Haunted Man is an album for the end of the world. It’s music made for twirling in a tattered dress while ruthlessly taking out zombies among a sparkling field of wildflowers. The British songstress’ third studio album oscillates between soaring orchestral peaks (“Horses of the Sun”) and gritty piano ballad…
Rosie Flores: 'Working Girl's Guitar'
Four decades haven’t dimmed Rosie Flores’ shine or dinted her swagger. From the opening title track — which celebrates the miles from the perspective of her trusted six-string partner — there’s an acceptance and embrace that says, "Hell yeah, why not?" That sassy vibrancy is a big part of Flores’ allure in any of the…
The Rolling Stones: "Doom and Gloom" (from 'GRRR!', out Nov. 13)
The Stones’ post-millennial output hasn’t been much to write home about, but "Doom and Gloom" is a solid single with a snarling, memorable Keith Richards guitar riff and a mighty rhythm section. Mick’s lyrics and goofy swamp enunciation are a bit silly, but otherwise, "Doom" is a ray of sunshine. ★★★ ½ (out of 5…
Cold-Blooded: Murder by Death Descend on The Korova
Murder by Death is an enigmatic and largely unsung folk-rock outfit hailing from Bloomington, Indiana. For over 10 years they have been cranking out, at a rather prolific pace, tightly crafted albums besmirched by beautiful bleakness and saturated with a unique flavor best described as rural American Gothic. Their latest effort — Bitter Drink, Bitter…
…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead: 'Lost Songs'
Man, we needed this. After a decade spent slowly slipping into prog-rock absurdity (for reference, their last record featured a steam-punk fox with a laser gun on its cover), Austin’s Trail of Dead is back to rocking the fuck out. Described by leader Conrad as a reaction to "the apathy to real world events that…
Pick of the Day: Fashion Week
The fourth-annual Fashion Week San Antonio kicked off Monday and culminates November 1 with an encore gala presenting the Fall/Winter 2012 Collection of Project Runway grad Christian Siriano. On Wednesday, the International Academy of Design & Technology’s rising fashion and graphic design stars take center stage at Illuminate, a collective exhibition and cocktail party at…
¡ASK A MEXICAN!
Dear Mexican: Why is it that every Mexican I know refuses to eat chocolate? My in-laws drink things I wouldn’t clean my carburetor in. They fill their piñatas with every kind of hard candy — but no chocolate! I bring out a bag of M&Ms and everyone backs away to the far side of the…
A Q&A with Ghostpizza’s Miguel Nelson
How do you define Ghostpizza? What are you guys all about? It originally started as a website, started it by myself, and then I started DJing under the name Ghostpizza but still with the idea that it wasn’t just myself. It was a collective, although there wasn’t really a collective yet. It was just for…
Pop Pistol's 'Animal Prisms': the making of a local DIY gem
On Sunday, October 14, Paul Scheel (the father of Alex Scheel, Pop Pistol singer and guitarist) passed away at age 56. "My biggest hero," is how Alex described him in a moving tribute on Facebook. "The music I create is dedicated to him." I never met Paul Scheel, and I don’t know what happens after…
Nightmare on Grayson’s final haunting
Gordon Wise is talking to me, but all I can focus on are the knives. There are hatchets, daggers, and something resembling a DIY katana Japanese sword displayed just above his right shoulder on the black office wall behind him. I spy a small dusty animal skeleton of unknown species propped atop a bookcase. A…
Halloween brings three terrifying tomes to die for
Due to social obligations that include handing out gift coupons and checking apples for needles, Halloween is perhaps best handled by just being haunted by a book. Here are three recent releases that embrace the dark, and are low on snark. The Twelve / Justin Cronin / Ballantine / $28, 568 pages Brutal, blasphemous and unabashedly…
A Taste of San Antonio
The San Antonio Restaurant Association is holding their annual Taste of San Antonio at Freeman Expo Hall on Sunday, October 28. Attendees will get to sample foods from Mi Tierra, Nicha’s Comida Mexicana, La Hacienda De Los Barrios, Fresh Horizons, J. Anthony’s Seafood, CBQ Eatery, and more. Tickets are $35 general admission for adults (includes…
Newsmonger: CNN's solar hit job, 'Gloves are off' in judge race
CNN’s solar hit job There was more confusion than worry when CNN producers began sniffing around San Antonio’s historic 400 kilowatt power-purchase agreement between CPS Energy and South Korea-based OCI Solar Power three weeks ago. First heralded in January, CPS and OCI signed the deal this July, sealing the country’s largest-ever solar project by a…
'Blood Cousins' is entertaining, but needs a serious exorcism
It’s not very difficult to see the impressive little independent comedy trying to fight its way out of the awkward mishmash of genres in the local film Blood Cousins. As the first movie produced by San Antonio-based sketch comedy troupe Comedia A Go-Go, the humor is infectious, especially when scene-stealer Von (Larry Garza) ambushes the…
Not a killer fish, charcuterie is hand-made treats for carnivores
During the worst years of the recession, chef-driven restaurants dropped like flies in the hardest-hit regions; bereft of the corporate credit cards that fueled the party, fine dining was declared dead. Dining clubs with waiters in livery performing synchronized serving shuttered their doors (or dimmed the lights to avoid envy), and a new populism came…
Albert Alvarez: Every day is Halloween
Albert, every time I see you, you’re such a cheerful guy. You look like you’re having a great time. Then I look at your artwork and think — maybe not. Are we living in a nightmare? For the most part we live everyday unscathed, but there are always possibilities … I was going through documentaries…
Cafe Tacuba.: 'El objeto antes llamado disco'
Mexico’s Café Tacuba (also known as "Tacvba") hasn’t released a new album since 2007’s Sino, but they came back with a vengeance. Reuniting with Oscar- and Golden Globe-winner Gustavo Santaolalla as producer and Aníbal Kerpel as engineer and co-producer (the men behind their best albums), with mixing by the legendary Joe Chiccarelli (U2, Beck, White…
Gary Clark Jr.: 'Blak and Blu'
Austin-based Gary Clark Jr.’s first major full-length album came preceded by a lot of hype. "Saviour of the Blues," "Gold Corndog" winner (given by Spin magazine for playing in more major North American festivals than anyone) and, according to Rolling Stone, "Best Young Gun." With The Bright Lights EP in 2011 he introduced himself as…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming days, many of your important tasks will be best accomplished through caginess and craftiness. Are you willing to work behind the scenes and beneath the surface? I suspect you will have a knack for navigating your way skillfully and luckily through mazes and their metaphorical equivalents. The mists…
The original (and best) 'Halloween' returns
Thirty-four years after its release, John Carpenter’s original Halloween remains the best in the Michael Myers series. By today’s standards, the movie has not nearly as much blood as one would think, given its reputation. Instead, Carpenter opted for making the right choices in music and camera placement, a perfect villain, and the ultimate scream…
SA talks of community, but continues to build the divide
San Antonio is often best understood from afar, by a distant observer who can realistically compare it to other places. Recent months have seen three new studies that place San Antonio in a larger context and can help educate us about our community. Local business and political leaders have touted the conclusions of a report…
Franco's dilemna: Fine dining or pizza? Both, please
Before I forget, here’s this: AQ = as quoted. More on this later. With its glittery light fixtures and large, leather-look sofas facing a prominent stage, Franco’s Italian Restaurant & Lounge looks for all the world as though it would really rather be a bar first, restaurant second; pictures of Sinatra and other Rat Packers…
Riff House celebrates three years of intimate concerts
If you’ve never been to the Riff House Concerts, this is a great time to discover it: Little Brave (Stephanie Macías, guitar, vocals, and keyboards, my favorite regional artist of 2011) will perform with Daniel McKenna (bass) and Chris Trafton (drums). "Riff House concerts are my favorite shows to play," said Little Brave, who recently…
Family seeks answers in jail death
Family and friends passed out bracelets reading “Justice for Thomas Taylor” Tuesday outside the Bexar County courthouse At 8 p.m. on August 21, Thomas Reed Taylor, 30, turned himself in to serve time at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center for misdemeanor drunk driving and drug posession warrants in lieu of fines. Guards found him…
Pick of the Day: Fashion Week San Antonio
On Tuesday, meet the new ranks of SA’s fashion scene at Current Collections: The Emerging Designer Competition, an “artsy-luxe runway” experience showcasing collections by Danielle Andrews, Latoya Hudson, Joey Ramirez, and Best of SA winner Samantha Plasencia ($20-$35; cocktail reception at 6pm; fashion show at 7:30pm Tue, Oct 23; Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, 116…
