5 Things You Have to Do This Week
Mondays through 10/27 Jim Cullum Jazz Band via Some consider the legendary jazz cornetist and band leader Jim Cullum, a landmark figure in the Riverwalk Jazz scene, to be the star attraction of his son’s joint, Tucker’s Kozy Korner—even bigger than gospel brunch. Playing the music of King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and Bix Beiderbecke,…
What I Ate: The Cove’s blue corn tortillas and a visit to Mimi’s Barbacoa
Update: 2:10pm, September 8, 2014 Stay for the Food, the new food truck that is highlighted in this article, announced yesterday that they have closed. We have reached out to owners Daniel Dominguez and Samuel Wratten for comment. Original story follows below: I love finding new joints. I especially love when folks tell me about…
Live and Local: Nina Diaz, Lonely Horse and Davíd Garza
Girl in a Coma’s Nina Diaz duets with Austin-based musician David Garza at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts’ River Walk Plaza on Saturday, September 6, 2014. Photo by Ismael Rodriguez. Standing as a stark contrast against the traditional River Walk, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts is a behemoth of modern architecture…
Audio: Matthew Hileman Releases NDO Complaint Recording
The first complainant under San Antonio’s amended non-discrimination ordinance, Matthew Hileman, speaks to media after mediation talks with AT&T ended this week. Photo by Mark Reagan Exactly one year after San Antonio amended its non-discrimination ordinance, complainant Matthew Hileman released audio of a conversation that he says verifies his discrimination claims. Hileman, a transgender man,…
SA Food Pics: 10 Ways to Taste SA
San Antonio foodies spent the last few weeks tasting their way across SA. Today we have a few tastes from Mooyah (22502 U.S. 281), Malinalli (2211 NW Military), Olmos Perk (5223 McCullough) , The Friendly Spot (943 S Alamo) and a few places in between. How do you taste your way across SA? Share your favorite food…
It Goes Without Question: San Antonio Loves The Dallas Cowboys
It looks that Texas turned blue sooner than expected. NFL season started yesterday. Today, Facebook released an image today that outlines the football fandom of users in the United States. Poor Houston Texans, clearly they don’t get as much love as the Dallas Cowboys, which dominates Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and oddly Nevada. Is…
‘@Midnight’ Offers Better Names for the ‘Zero Batman-y’ Six Flags’ Coaster
Chris Hardwick is the nerdy host for Comedy Central’s @Midnight Last night, nerd crush and host of @Midnight Chris Hardwick called out Six Flags Fiesta Texas’ Batman: the Ride for having “nothing to do with Batman except that it might kill your parents in an alley.” Ripping the ride in his “Rapid Refresh” segment, Hardwick…
Everything is Awesome at Bricks and Minifigs
This weekend, the San Antonio Botanical Garden reveals their latest exhibit, “Nature Connects,” to the public, featuring fantastic, life-size LEGO creations from artist Sean Kenney interspersed among the fauna. Opening day is on Saturday, and it’s definitely worth checking out. The full-size buffalo, made of 45,153 bricks is enough to inspire you to run to The…
Leticia Van de Putte Releases Ads in English and Spanish
Photo by Mary Tuma Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio) released her first two 30-second television ads in the race for lieutenant governor, one in English and one in Spanish, focusing on education and attacking her Republican opponent Dan Patrick for voting to cut public education funding. According to the campaign, Van de Putte’s ads will…
6 Shows to See this Weekend
Indie Overnight Radio Invasion (Friday, September 5) Deer Vibes The first gig put on by KRTU’s indie programming since a 2010 Radiohead tribute from Chris Madden and Chuck Kerr, the Indie Overnight Radio Invasion is a welcome reprise from the Trinity station. Maddin returns in absurdist form as Loose Eel Ball, an exercise in wordplay,…
Alamo Drafthouse Celebrates 10 Years in San Antonio
Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes (via) This September, Alamo Drafthouse, the laid-back movie theater where you can have your fill of burgers, pizza, and beer while taking in the latest blockbuster, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in San Antonio. San Antonio has three Alamo Drafthouse locations, and each of them is celebrating the theater’s 10th anniversary with…
Shot of the Week : Game Time
Photo by Dustin Dooling It’s that time of year again. The kids are back in school. The nights begin to get a little colder. You’re a little bit older. None of that matters. Let’s focus on what really matters: Football is back. It’s time for tailgating, beer-swigging, bratwurst-smoking, and concussion-inducing football. Lazy Sundays are now…
Can You Guess What Texans Buy The Most on eBay?
Courtesy of eBay Purely for your entertainment, eBay has released data that outlines the best-selling products of each individual U.S. state. It is even accompanied with a convenient map with little pictures of said items because this is America and we are too lazy to read too many words. Some of the top-sellers are pretty…
5 Ways to Get Your Drink/Grub on this Week
Pop into Sandy Oaks this weekend. (Via) Saturday, September 6: Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard opens it doors for a “Garden Seminar” with horticulturist Robbi Will. Learn how to grow your own Mediterranean-style garden, and catch a demo with executive chef Chris Cook on using your new herbs. Free (call to register), 9:30am, 25195 Mathis, Elemendorf,…
SAPD’s McManus Wants to Criminalize Giving to Panhandlers
(via) San Antonio Police Chief William McManus wants drivers to stop giving to panhandlers. The city’s top law enforcement official presented an update on SAPD’s Quality of Life Strategic Plan (view the presentation slideshow here) to the San Antonio City Council Public Safety Committee yesterday. He stated his intention to present an ordinance to the…
10 Things You Have to Do This Weekend
Thu 9/4 – Fri 9/5 “Dark and Lovely” Mark Menjivar Hair might seem like an odd source of inspiration for a ceramic sculptor, yet Ohio-born, New York-raised, San Antonio-based Jennifer Ling Datchuk reminds that “these delicate strands have the power to identify us to the world, and this world can make assumptions about us based…
First Course: Kicking off fall with football season and Oktoberfest
Can I say that the wings at Hurricane Grill & Wings are a “touchdown?” Hurricane Grill & Wings (2611 SE Military) is a great choice for football fans to rejoice and watch their favorite team, offering a fun dining atmosphere and large televisions throughout. This season, Hurricane Grill & Wings will be offering a football…
Should SA Fund Teen Pregnancy Prevention?
High school junior Shalon Lewis shows off her life goals through artwork as part of the National Day To Prevent Teen Pregnancy event. (Photo by Mary Tuma) Two North Side City Council members voted against funding a teen pregnancy prevention program during Thursday’s meeting. The item was part of a larger ordinance seeking approval for…
Twin Productions Moves Shows From White Rabbit
AFI at The White Rabbit (Jaime Monzon) According to an official release, Twin Productions has dropped the White Rabbit for its upcoming round of shows in San Antonio. In the release, the Texas-based promotions company cites the lack of communication about the venue’s sale by the Sciaraffa family to the restaurant owner Chad Carey. “On August 28,…
Looking Forward: Who is in charge of SA’s water policy?
This photo posted on the San Antonio Water System’s Facebook page shows Texas legislators visiting a SAWS facility in March. During a Tuesday budget meeting, several council members shifted focus from the Planning and Community Development Department’s proposed budget toward who will steer the future of water policy in the Alamo City. John Dugan, the department’s…
LGBT Organizations on College Campuses in San Antonio
In the Current’s September 3, 2014 issue Richard Farias, board chair for the PRIDE Center in San Antonio, wrote a survival guide for college students looking to come out of the closet. To supplement his story, here’s a list of on-campus LGBT organizations at area colleges and universities. Our Lady of the Lake University: The…
Lunchtime Snob: La Panadería
It is hard to argue that, of all things, San Antonio needs more bread. But La Panadería on Broadway fills an empty space in Alamo Heights that is already saturated with flour tortillas and cupcakes. This “Bakería/Pastelería/Lonchería” makes an array of fresh breads daily and the taste is straight outta Mexico City. Owners Jose and…
Flavor File: Folc Opens, Augie’s Does Steak, Plus a New Food Truck
Folc (226 E Olmos (210) 822-0100), the first of three adjacent concepts by chef Luis Colon, wine director Cecilia Barretto and bar director David Naylor (all previous members with the Texas Cooks’ Co-Op) opens its doors today. The eatery sits inside the former Ciao Lavanderia (first opened by Damien Watel) and features contemporary takes on…
The Return of the San Antonio Record Show
For Alamo City audiophiles and pop culture collectors, this is joyous news: For the first time in some time, San Antonio will host a record show this Sunday. Thanks to Jesse Galvan of the Music Connection, SA vinyl freaks won’t have to visit the Austin convention to cruise through stacks of their favorite 7- and…
Real Riffs Only: A Marnie Stern prep guide
A five-foot-tall, pixie-voiced girl who shreds like Eddie Van Halen, Marnie Stern had all the makings of a novelty when she debuted in 2007. But it didn’t take long for her impressive gifts as a songwriter and her limitless creativity on the fretboard to establish her alongside Annie Clark, Dave Longstreth and Carrie Brownstein as…
The NDO at One Year: A struggle to enforce
This week marks a year since the San Antonio City Council amended its 20-year-old non-discrimination ordinance to include gender identity, gender orientation and veteran status. And to be sure, that ordinance didn’t pass easily. The vote to include gender identity and orientation in the NDO passed eight to three and included plenty of controversy–namely, former…
Mayoral Horserace
After receiving smaller donations from individuals at house parties and cozier gatherings over the last several months, lone mayoral candidate Mike Villarreal plans to throw a larger fundraiser in September, where he’ll roll out what he said is an impressive list of supporters. “I want to have people from every part of town, folks who…
Coming Out in College, A Survival Guide
Ah, college! Whether you’re new to a local campus this semester or you’ve been before, there’s something about the teeming possibilities in a university or college atmosphere. Maybe you’ve sensed it before, wafting through the air—not necessarily the feel of “classroom learning,” but maybe the sense that peoples’ eyes are being opened for the first…
Fotoseptiembre Pic(k)s: 5 shows not to miss at this year’s fest
These are the dog days, you guys. The post-Spurs, pre-football, 90 degrees at 10 p.m., sweat-stained, mosquito-bitten, grouchy summer doldrums. I think San Antonians experience a kind of seasonal affective disorder at this time of year comparable to that suffered by Minnesotans in March; one of these days, it won’t be unpleasant and plain dangerous…
Artist on Artist: Gary Sweeney interviews Bill FitzGibbons
Bill FitzGibbons is certainly one of San Antonio’s high-profile art icons: public artist, curator, Fulbright Scholar, world traveler, head of sculpture departments, art activist and former director of Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum. Since leaving his post at Blue Star last year, Bill has been on a tear, lighting underpasses and doing public and private…
Girl in a Coma’s Nina Diaz Inaugurates Tobin Center’s River Walk Plaza
With her lifetime’s work rooted in the SA trio Girl in a Coma, 2014 marked the year for singer Nina Diaz to branch out on her own thing. In the practice space early this year with Coma-mates Jenn Alva and (sister) Phanie Diaz, Nina realized that her new compositions might be better suited in solo…
Malcolm Brooks’ Novel ‘Painted Horses’ is a Love Song to the Western Frontier
Painted Horses by Malcolm Brooks Grove Atlantic | $26 | 367 pp In Malcolm Brooks’ inspiring debut novel Painted Horses, it’s 1956, and archaeologist Catherine Lemay is sent by the Smithsonian to survey a canyon basin in Montana. She is meant to determine if any artifacts of cultural or historical importance would be disrupted by…
Savage Love: Crazy in Love
My wife and I went through a long-distance period when we were still dating and she went away to school. I used porn as a masturbatory aid during that time. I did not tell her this, as she believes that porn use is equivalent to cheating. Well, fast-forward a couple years (and a marriage), and…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I don’t usually do this kind of thing, but I’m going to suggest that you monitor the number six. My hypothesis is that six has been trying to grab your attention, perhaps even in askew or inconvenient ways. Its purpose? To nudge you to tune in to beneficial influences that you…
‘The Trip to Italy’ Charts a Comedic Journey on the Amalfi Coast
If you weren’t lucky enough to see the 2010 film The Trip (as I was not, but will soon be remedying), starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, here are a few things worth knowing: The Trip is a feature-length cutdown of a BBC miniseries directed by Michael Winterbottom with the cockamamie premise that Coogan would…
People-watching, Dancing at Wax Club Lounge
Perhaps I was feeling melancholy about the impending series finale of HBO’s smutty vampire soap opera a few Sundays ago, but the scene at San Pedro’s Wax Club Lounge was a bit too reminiscent of True Blood’s Fangtasia. Bear with me a minute—the bar’s edifice isn’t much to look at (and they could use a…
Teamwork Leads to Better, More Daring Brews
Clichés are of little use in determining the virtue of collaboration. Do too many cooks spoil the broth, or are two heads better than one? Adages aside, the communal, come-and-taste-it spirit of independent brewing has yielded some delightful and delightfully unexpected collaborations between brewers, cooks and even musicians in the pursuit of a better beer.…
Sweets, Tasty Falafel Help Darna Grill Soar
Sometimes you have to get dessert to go. Sometimes that means ordering a pound of Mediterranean sweets after polishing off way too much hummus. This is what cheat days at Darna Grill are made for. Let me backtrack for a minute–my first visit to Darna Grill was on a recent Friday evening, where I stayed…
10 Free Events Happening This Week
Wed 9/3 San Antonio | The Saga French artist Xavier de Richemont has created high-tech sets for theater and opera and collaborated with the avant-garde visionary Robert Wilson but is arguably best known for his dazzling video installations, which have graced the facades of historic locales across Europe, Canada and Mexico. On view periodically for…
Aural Pleasure Review: Calico Club’s ‘Permanent Night’
Calico Club / Permanent Night / Self-released / **** “She has her smells, she’s using them well,” sings PleasureFaces of SA duo Calico Club on “Melissa Ethereal.” In the wrong context, that’s a second-tier line from a gross-out track on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job. But as the hook for Calico Club’s fourth…
Aural Pleasure Review: the Ugly Beats’ ‘Brand New Day’
Ugly Beats / Brand New Day / Get Hip / *** For the Ugly Beats, making something old new again is like putting a smokin’ engine in your grandpa’s old, but totally classic VW bus from the Woodstock days. The veteran Austin quartet does just this with ’60s garage, updating the music without losing the…
Aural Pleasure Review: Ty Segall’s ‘Manipulator’
Ty Segall / Manipulator / Drag City / **** ½ Over the past few years, you could mark the changing of the seasons with the release of a new Ty Segall record. Between solo and side projects, LPs and one-off singles, the dude made more music in the past five years than David Bowie has…
What I Ate: Mediterranean desserts & brunch at Tucker’s
Here’s a quickie glimpse at my work-filled week, which also included a birthday celebration for my sister. We kept the party going until Sunday with a soulful brunch at Tucker’s Kozy Korner. Follow #whatiate for more food adventures, and don’t miss a minute of all the eating and drinking by following me on Instagram: @JessElizarraras.…
Soccer for a Cause Announces Stadium Expansion
An artist rendering of the planned expansion of Toyota Field. Courtesy of Soccer for a Cause. A week after a San Antonio City Council member said the Alamo City should seek a Major League Soccer expansion team, Soccer for a Cause unveiled a proposed $38 to $45 million expansion at Toyota field. Gordon Hartman, who…
