Cover Story
Sexual Lessons At Sexology Institute
“Have you seen the box of dildos?” Halfway through the Current’s photo shoot at the Sexology Institute in Southtown, the seemingly offhand comment by Melissa Jones, its executive director, elicited loud giggles. [Slideshow: A Peek Inside Southtown’s New Sexology Institute (NSFW)] The dildos in question are the ones Jones uses for some classes offered at…
Throwback Thursday: Texas Alexander And Little Hat Jones’ ‘Double Crossing Blues’
We’re throwing back deep this week, to a time when San Antonio was an important outlet for the recording industry. In the interwar period, SA served as a dot on the frontier for major labels to collect the scattered sounds of Mexican and blues musicians operating in South Texas. At the time, the idea of…
10 Things You Have To Do This Weekend
Thu 2/19 Washed Out DJ Set Ernest Greene, who creates under the mightily apt moniker Washed Out, rose to indie stardom in 2009 with the release of two fantastic EPs of hypnagogic electronic music. Something akin to dance music on a gigantic dose of Xanax, his style, which involved sampling and electronic composition, resonated as…
Bexar County Wants You To Drink Less Soda, More Water
Bexar County Commissioners Tuesday approved a four-point resolution to promote healthy drinks and reduce the amount of sugary drinks sold in schools and at restaurants. “Approximately, 29 percent of Bexar residents are obese and San Antonio remains one of the most overweight cities in the nation with high rates of obesity, diabetes, and many of…
Inaugural Braunfest Set For February 28
New Braunfels is beefing up its event offerings with Braunfest, which celebrates German beer and fitness culture on February 28 at Sophienburg Museum & Archives (401 W. Coll St, New Braunfels). Along with Soph-Fit challenges (including a beer stein-holding contest), Braunfest will include live music and beer, as the event honors the original New Braunfels…
New Escape For Parents At Utopia Cafe
Kiddos have a new place to hang out, and parents have a new place to unwind from said progeny. Utopia Play Cafe, owned by Jocelyn Cunningham, celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting earlier this week. The shop, found at 565 Eleanor Ave., initially opened its doors in early January, with a “supervised play area, activities,…
10 Free Events Happening This Week
Tuesday, February 17 Braindead Comedy Show Stir up trouble at Zombies’ Braindead Comedy Show with Host Alex ‘KOOLAID’ Ansel of KENS5, WOAI and KABB29 fame. Headliner Raul Sanchez, 2013 Winner of Funniest in Texas, will take the stage with Allie Amrien, Alonzo Cantu, Herman Mendoza and Josh Cabaza. Admission for ages 21 and up. Drink specials…
Tejano Conjunto Festival Announces Winner To 2015 Poster Contest
With El Cucuy, the terrifying Mexican boogeyman, and his alien friends tearing up SA, artist John Medina won first prize in the Tejano Conjunto Festival’s annual poster contest. An artist at Alamo Basement, Medina’s work will be the official poster of the 2015 festival. A full list of finalists is available here. Chosen as the Best…
SA Food Pics: 9 Savory Snaps Of Seriously Seductive Grub
This week on SA Food Pics we have a lot of meat lovers. Many different dishes made their way into our handful of picks this week but the majority of them have one thing in common — meat. We have some yummy ribs from Rudy’s (24152 W. I-10), a lovely grilled flat iron steak from…
Who Is The South Texas Judge That Halted The President’s Immigration Action?
Within walking distance of the Rio Grande, a Brownsville-based federal judge late Monday night ordered a temporary injunction against President Barack Obama’s executive immigration actions that would have allowed roughly 5 million undocumented immigrants to start applying Wednesday for extended stays and work visas. The news ignited on social media after the 123-page opinion was…
La Cantera Announces Lineup To Spring Jazz At The Falls Series
Now in its fifth year, the Spring Jazz at The Falls series will return to La Cantera for four nights of effortlessly smooth jazz. Bring the blankets and chairs, but leave the coolers, for these free shows in March and April beginning at 7:30 p.m at The Falls, between Z Tejas Grill and The Yard…
Rio Grande Valley Judge Temporarily Stops President Obama’s Immigration Executive Actions
Late last night, a South Texas federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against President Barack Obama’s executive immigration actions. The order comes a day before roughly 5 million undocumented immigrants could apply for work authorization and an extended stay, the Valley Morning Star reported. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen granted the request of Texas…
San Antonio Residents Call On Elizabeth Warren To Run For President
If you were near North Star Mall on Saturday and saw a group of people spending their Valentine’s Day proclaiming how they are in love with the idea of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren running for president, we’re here to tell you who they are. The group, called Run Warren Run, really really wants the senator…
Marijuana Advocates To Descend On Austin For Citizen Lobby Day
As marijuana reform activists head to the Texas Capitol Wednesday, those traveling through San Antonio might see an anti-marijuana billboard that may have been erected by a nonprofit organization from Central Texas, according to the Texas Cannabis Report. The billboard, which is linked to the Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse by a phone…
Taco Cabana Celebrates Random Acts of Kindness Day With Free Tacos
Not one to argue with free tacos, I won’t nitpick exactly what Random Acts of Kindness Day is or why Taco Cabanas across Texas are celebrating it tomorrow. It’s free tacos, gente. From 7 to 10 a.m., on Tuesday, February 17, Taco Cabana will send out taco teams to hand out breakfast tacos to the…
SA in NYC: All Star Spurs Recap
Q. Who was the only Spur involved in the NBA All Star Weekend in 2014 and 2015? A. Shooting guard Marco Belinelli. In 2014, the rising Spur shot 24 for 34 in the three point competition, shooting an impressive 70.5 percent. Other SA players involved in the festivities included Tony Parker as a reserve guard…
Surprise, Surprise: Ivy Taylor Will Seek A Full Mayoral Term
Ivy Taylor will officially seek a full mayoral term in office. Cary Clack, director of communications for the mayor’s office, confirmed the news of her candidacy with the Current this morning. Taylor, who previously held the District 2 City Council seat, was voted into the city’s top office in the interim by fellow council members…
What I Ate: Crawfish Season Is Here!
I love, love, love crawfish (crayfish, mudbugs, crawdads, what have you). Even though most other messy foods are a bit of a sell, I can always get into a crawfish boil — ripping the head off a crawfish, giving it a good suck and then digging around for the teensy bit of meat is more…
Freetail Brewing Announces Piñata Protest Beer
In a San Anto collaboration as supreme as finding the Donkey Lady freelancing at the Shane Road ghost tracks, Freetail Brewing Company and Piñata Protest teamed up to produce the Piñata Protest Red Wit. Officially approved by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the seasonal can will be available in March. For those whose jackets aren’t shrouded…
‘Selena Quintanilla for MAC’ Pushing for Songstress-Inspired Cosmetics
Selena’s most devoted fans are desperate to look just like the Queen of Tejano Music. A Change.org petition for a line of Selena MAC cosmetics is being circulated online. Launched by “Selena Quintanilla Fans” just two days ago, the petition has already surpassed its goal of 5,000 signatures with 6,967 and counting. Fans of the…
Drink Like A Boss: Presidential Cocktails For Presidents Day
This post was originally published by the Orlando Weekly. When I heard an interview with Brian Abrams, author of Party Like a President: True Tales of Inebriation, Lechery and Mischief from the Oval Office this morning on the radio, the penny finally dropped: I realized all those puzzling references to three-day weekends I kept hearing…
Where To Get Your Fat Tuesday On
Fat Tuesday always sneaks up on me. Maybe it’s because I’m a bad Catholic, and I often have no idea when Ash Wednesday (the official start date for Lent) is slated for, but you’d think I’d keep better track of a day where we have a caloric free-for-all. We’ve gathered up a quick run-through of…
Bexar County Commission Will Kick The Soda Can Tuesday
Does County Judge Nelson Wolff want to take your soda away? Probably not. Does he want Bexar County residents to drink less of the sugary goodness in an effort to promote wellness and reduce obesity? Yes, he does. At Tuesday’s Bexar County Commissioner’s meeting Wolff will present a resolution in support of reducing consumption of…
5 Things You Have To Do This Week
Monday, February 16 John Legend Legend arrives at the Rodeo Monday night with a quiver full of love songs guaranteed to cure any lingering Valentine’s Day hangover. $10.50-$198.50, 7pm Monday, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, 444-5000, ticketmaster.com. [Related Story: John Legend Brings Magnanimous R&B To The Rodeo] Monday, February 17 DANCE: Metamorphosis In conjunction with the…
Down The Sexology Rabbit Hole
When I first pitched the idea of a story on a Southtown’s latest shop, The Sexology Institute, I figured it would be a fun way for me to use a few X-rated puns and share the news of high-end playthings in Southtown. But that would be too easy (insert “hard” pun here). Instead the story…
Contentious Race Between SA Democrats For Texas Senate Seat Ends Tuesday
The special election to replace Senator Leticia Van de Putte has been in ugly one, and tomorrow voters will put an end to it. Already serving in the Texas House of Representatives, both Reps. Trey Martinez Fischer and José Menéndez have battled through the young year of 2015 to fill Van de Putte’s position in District…
Texas Senator Thinks The United Nations Is Trying To Conquer The Alamo
Remember that time all those blue-helmeted soldiers from the United Nations showed up at Alamo Plaza in a show of aggression? We don’t either. Nonetheless, Senator Donna Campbell, a conservative from New Braunfels, is doing everything in her power to stop this scenario from ever happening. So, naturally, she filed what may be the dumbest…
Amor Crudo Brunch Fundraiser Set For Sunday
Too much wine and chocolate on Valentine’s Day? San Anto Cultural Arts is prepared to nurse your lovey dovey hangover at their “Amor Crudo: Hangover Love Affair Westside Brunch” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Faust Tavern (517 E. Woodlawn) on Sunday, February 15 with some tasty offerings. Expect to find authentic Westside Barbacoa…
TLPA: Don’t Bow To Uber’s Threats To Leave San Antonio
The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association is urging San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor to not bow to ride-share service Uber’s threats to leave the Alamo City unless leaders budge on new regulations for the industry. “Uber has threatened to leave San Antonio if a fingerprint-based criminal background check is put into place, and yet taxicab drivers…
Walmart Cries Spilled Booze Over Texas Liquor Laws
Mega-conglomerate Walmart started a Texas-sized showdown with the Lone Star State Thursday in an Austin court over liquor laws. The oft-criticized low-wage employer that is often the focus of wage labor lawsuits, sued the state challenging Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission that code prevents the super-sized corporation from selling liquor since Walmart is a publicly traded…
Bitter Cocktails For Bitter Singles, Or Anyone Who’s Sick Of Valentine’s Day
This post was originally published by the Orlando Weekly. Right around now, we hit peak Valentine’s Day media saturation. It’s everywhere, in magazines and TV commercials and every site you visit: blah blah blah, sweetness and light, fancy dinners and chocolate. (And if you’re tired of reading about it, imagine how tired we are of…
Previtera Joins Anti-Abortion Protestors At Planned Parenthood
One day after Texas Governor Greg Abbott endorsed Republican Nunzio Previtera for House District 123, Previtera joined a provocative group of protestors outside Planned Parenthood South Texas’ new ambulatory surgical center. Previtera is in a runoff with former City Council member Diego Bernal. The race comes after Mike Villarreal stepped down to run for mayor…
San Antonio Native Jabbar Raisani Makes Directorial Debut With ‘Alien Outpost’
At the age of 17, Jabbar Raisani had already made up his mind about what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. There was no doubt about it. He wanted to work on the visual effects in big Hollywood movies. It was an ambitious idea, but what 9-year-old kid watched Terminator 2:…
Dignowity Hill Farmers Market Sets March 15 Start Date
Huzzah for the future availability of affordable produce on the East Side — Dignowity Hill Farmer’s Market will kick off March 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Founder Michelle Griego, who gathered signatures and support through Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas and District 2 City Councilman Alan E. Warrick, received approval via the…
8 Bars To Visit On Valentine’s Day
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you definitely know that Valentine’s Day is coming up this weekend, and it is not going to care if you’re single or you have that special someone in your life. So you can either be bitter Betty or Bob about it, or you can get out and have yourself…
Get Down And Dirty At Alamo City Leather And Fetish Weekend
This weekend, while thousands of San Antonio couples go the traditional route for Valentine’s Day, with dinner and champagne and chocolate-covered whatnots, dozens will gather to explore their naughtier side. Beginning Friday, the third annual Alamo City Leather and Fetish Weekend takes place at the Hilton Hill Country Resort — classy, right? — giving locals…
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery Readies For Mid-March Opening
We won’t have to wait much longer to chow down on some serious seafood via chef Jeff Balfour’s new project at the Pearl Complex — Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery (136 E. Grayson, Suite 120) is gunning for a mid-March opening. The Current chatted with Balfour about the new eatery, which was announced in October…
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Somewhat Pleasurable, But Far Too Tame To Make A Mark
It’s no secret E.L. James’ best-selling book-of-smut, now adapted into what will inevitably be a major blockbuster, has about as much intellectually-stimulating substance as the Kama Sutra (or Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham). It’s one of those shameful fads in the entertainment industry that 10 years from now people will look back on with…
10 Shows to See This Weekend
Thursday, February 12 Chubby Checker Seventy-three-year-old rock and roll pioneer Chubby Checker was just 18 when he released his landmark version in 1960 of Hank Ballard’s song “The Twist.” The song’s chart-topping success catapulted him to superstardom and spawned a whole rock and roll dance movement, which led to hits like “Let’s Twist Again” and…
San Anto Throwback Thursday: Flaco Jiménez’s ‘El Mojado Sin Licencia’
To help celebrate Flaco Jiménez’s recent Lifetime Achievement Grammy, this week’s Throwback takes us to a live recording of “El Mojado Sin Licencia” in 1975. Recorded in Austin (note the John Trevino for City Council banner), Jiménez and the band tell the irreverent story, roughly translated as “The Wetback Without a License.” With a gold-tooth grin, Jiménez…
Are Texas’ Republican Leaders Divided Over The Border Surge?
There’s no doubt that former Texas Governor Rick Perry was a trendsetter for Lone Star State Republicans. For instance, when Perry announced the “Border Surge” last June, conservatives lined up behind the potential presidential candidate, declaring that the National Guard was, indeed, the only way to secure the border — from waves of undocumented children…
8 Free Events Happening This Week
Thursday, February 12 “Confections and Fictions” As the local art crowd knows, the citywide celebration known as Contemporary Art Month often arrives early and stays late. Leading the pack of eager beavers, the Southwest School of Art’s trio of CAM exhibitions opens with a winning combination of local and national talent. Bound by an attitude…
Bloodletting Redux: ‘San Antonio Express-News’ Quietly Sends Staffers Packing
Update: Thursday, February 12, 2014, 3:08 p.m. The Current erroneously reported that Steve Warns was laid off. Jamie Stockwell, Express-News Managing Editor, confirmed today that Warns’ position was not eliminated and he remains on staff. We apologize to him and the newspaper for our error. Stockwell also clarified that Jay Nanda and Joel Bird, who…
SAPA Will Help You Find Your ‘Furry Valentine’
Looking for a furry face to kiss this Valentine’s Day? No, I’m not talking about beards! You can find yourself a pretty pooch to kiss at San Antonio Pets Alive’s “My Furry Valentine” puppy kissing booth. Yes, a puppy kissing booth. Be still, my heart. But why stop at kissing lonely pups when you could go…
Bottle & Tap: Brews For Your Boo
With the first month of 2015 behind us, it’s safe to assume that most of you have pushed those half-pints of Amstel Light aside and returned whole-heartedly to growlers of the great stuff. As February is a month with more than a passing connection to the commercial potential of unceasing affection, we’ve considered some ways…
The Trials And Titillations Of R. Kelly, The R&B Lothario
Despite lyrical and legal evidence to the contrary, singer R. Kelly wields a complicated public persona. With song names like “I Like the Crotch on You,” an illegal marriage to a famous 15-year-old (Aaliyah) and a sexual assault urination on another (not famous) 15-year-old, perhaps we should let Kelly slide into irrelevance, if not provide…
The Real-Time Romance of ‘Talley’s Folly’
At the beginning of Talley’s Folly, Matt Friedman addresses the audience, which, in the intimacy of the Sheldon Vexler Theatre, sits a few feet away. He promises “a no-holds-barred romantic story” that will last only 97 minutes. Lanford Wilson’s sweet and pungent play, a two-hander set in real time, does not disappoint. It is the…
Savage Love: The Ethical Sadist
My 15-year-old son has been watching sadistic porn — and ONLY sadistic porn — for a couple of years. He also tells us (husband and me) that, though he’s not had sex (which he defines as penetration), he’s had oral sex, handjobs, etc., and that he didn’t “flash on” violent images at those times. But…
Free Will Astrology, Week of February 9
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I hope you have someone in your life to whom you can send the following love note, and if you don’t, I trust you will locate that someone no later than August 1: “I love you more than anyone loves you, or has loved you, or will love you, and also,…
Half Of Bexar County’s Undocumented Population Could Come Out Of The Shadows
Jessica Azua moved from Mexico to the United States at 14 to join her father, who works as a carpenter in San Antonio. She left her mother, brother and life back in Tampico with hope for a better education north of the border. At Brackenridge High, she built made friends with other undocumented peers from…
¡Que Chulita! Vinyl DJ Club Puts Women At The Forefront
It’s easy to get pissed off, as someone who’s a critical thinker with an empathetic personality, about the stalled/retrograde state of gender equality in our country. From the embarrassment of continued unequal pay for equal work to the politicized debacle of women’s health care and the increasingly disturbing portrayal of women in media — we…
From Sophisticated Bubbles To Lascivious Shots, How To Imbibe Cupid Style
Whether you’re treating your significant other to an overly romantic night out on the town this weekend, or want to stay in and cuddle, you should probably be able to find or whip up a formidable cocktail for any occasion. The Current visited a few of the city’s sexiest bartenders, including an old favorite, to…
John Legend Brings Magnanimous R&B To The Rodeo
Just last month, after receiving a Golden Globe for Best Original Song (from Prince no less), Common and John Legend spoke from the heart about “Glory,” their contribution to the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic Selma. “It’s so connected to what’s happening right now,” Legend told the assembled glitterati. “We still are in solidarity with…
10 Memorable Sex Scenes To Get You Feeling ‘Grey’
When the lusting over shirtless teenage vampires and werewolves’ abs finally started declining after The Twilight Saga wrapped up a couple years ago, bored, horny housewives worldwide were quick to gravitate to some form of cheap romance story that could pick up the slack. Enter E.L. James’ erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey, which follows…
The Human Toll Of Gentrification
On a dreary Wednesday morning last week, an off-duty Bexar County sheriff’s deputy with a steaming mug of coffee stood guard at the entrance of Mission Trails Mobile Home Community in San Antonio’s south side. Behind him, uneven streets full of water-filled potholes snaked through overgrown grass that hugged dilapidated trails with bright orange and…
Tex-Sex Laws: Legislating Lust In The Lone Star State
Known for blue bonnets and brisket, the Lone Star State is a conservative stronghold not known for openly embracing sexual freedom. In fact, Texas leans strongly toward the opposite side of the spectrum. And while some strange sex laws are absurd urban legends, others are real — real old and out of place, that is. How…
