On a 50-degree February night in 2014, Marquise Jones was a passenger in a car at Chacho’s and Chalucci’s in Northeast San Antonio when the driver bumped into another car. Minutes later, Robert Encina, an off-duty police officer working security at the restaurant, shot Jones in the back, killing him. “His life was just taken…
Thursday, April 23 Digital Underground Though it’s best remembered for its 1990 goofy gag of a party tune, “Humpty Dance,” Oakland’s Digital Underground has had a momentous impact on hip-hop. On the 1990 single “Same Song,” Digital Underground gave Tupac the mic for his debut, passing the baton to a future rap great. Throughout its…
Mayor Ivy Taylor apologized today for calling San Antonio’s non-discrimination act, which was amended to include protections for gender identity and sexual orientation, a political stunt. She made the comments during a KLRN Mayoral Candidate Forum, prompting State Rep. Diego Bernal, who was pivotal in creating the NDO, to tell us via social media that…
Texas has already executed six people this year (three from Bexar County), but they’re running out of their killing drugs. While the Texas Department of Criminal Justice faces a shortage of the drug used for lethal injection, pentobarbital, it’s determined to continue with scheduled executions. In a report by NPR, the American Pharmacist Association (APhA),…
With city elections fast approaching, Equality Texas is making clear what the next administration needs to do to improve the city’s non-discrimination ordinance that was amended to include protections for the LGBT community. San Antonio’s mayor and city council need to eliminate what they say are roadblocks that hinder the effectiveness of the ordinance, the…
Uber just couldn’t miss Fiesta. Can you blame them? This Thursday the ride-share company is offering free rides to revelers. “Ever since Uber was forced to leave town, there has been a lot of buzz and concern on how San Antonians will get home safely. Uber was founded with the goal to provide a reliable…
Celebrate Music SA! seems pretty clear with its mission statement: bringing light to all the exceptional music played in San Antonio, blind of age, era or genre. Essentially, the project expands on the goals of local music week (May 17-23), anointing all of May as a month to champion San Anto players. The initiative includes…
Full disclosure: I am all about Shiva’s Medicine Chest. As a meditiation soundtrack, Marc Smith’s project is immediately rewarding, leading quickly to a zen state known as Kawhi Dunking (effects include being awesome at what you’re doing without stress or expression of emotion). As experimental electronic music, it’s very accessible stuff. Weird, lovely, stoned and clear-headed all…
A man died Sunday after San Antonio police officers used Taser weapons to subdue him during a family disturbance call, according to media reports. Norman Cooper, 33, became unresponsive after being hit four times with a Taser by two San Antonio police officers who followed departmental protocol, the San Antonio Express-News reported. This is the…
Early voting beings next week as San Antonio looks to elect a mayor, fill all of its city council seats and weighs several propositions, including charter changes and renewing two conservation programs. Click here for the early voting schedule. There are 14 candidates who are running for mayor, including Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, State…
Blue Bell Ice Cream has voluntarily expanded its recall to include the all of its products, the company announced yesterday evening. The decision was made after presence of the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria were confirmed in two samples of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. The Texas-based company’s first-ever recall was announced in March after three…
Monday, April 20 Children of Pop, Roger Sellers Houston’s Children of Pop creates day-glo dripping psych pop on tunes like “I Know.” From Austin, Roger Sellers splits the difference between the ornate songwriting of Sufjan Stevens and the lush repetition of Phillip Glass. With Delenda, Pagan Gold. $5, 9pm, The Korova, 107 E Martin, (210)…
The San Antonio chapter for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is holding its first march and rally. The rally and march begins Sunday, May 3, at Maverick Park, from 5 to 8 p.m. According to SA NORML, reform is long overdue and the tide for marijuana reform is turning: CANNABIS in America…
While Mayor Ivy Taylor was enjoying the Oyster Bake, candidates Mike Villarreal, Leticia Van de Putte, Tommy Adkisson and Rhett Smith squared off over gentrification at a forum hosted by the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center. During a tough-hitting hour of well-composed questions, candidates sparred over Mission Trails, the Hays Street Bridge restoration project and…
After the United States Department of Agriculture learned a Kerrville animal research lab didn’t provide medical attention to a rabbit with a broken leg and housed 180 goats in single-digit weather without shelter, it issued a stern warning. The lab, Equitech-Bio, committed five federal violations between September 30, 2014 and February 12, 2015, according to…
Does local or state government know best when it comes to balancing equality and good business? Local control sparks heated discussion this week for the San Antonio mayoral candidates in the “Pints and Politics II” forum hosted by The Rivard Report. Candidate Mike Villarreal heavily criticizes Mayor Ivy Taylor, in the forum, for supposedly ignoring…
On your daily commute to work, sitting in the inevitable traffic backup, do you ever wonder how nice it would feel to pull into the roadside shoulder and drive free and clear, passing car after car? Lone Star Rail District wants to give commuters just that, a ‘roadside shoulder’ rail line. The Federal Highway Administration…
A relative newcomer to the North Saint Mary’s Strip, The Amp Room is kicking off its own lip sync battle on Monday, April 20. Evoking the weird and wonderful shenanigans broadcasted on Spike TV’s Lip Sync Battle — a sight for sore eyes hosted by artistic savant LL Cool J — The Amp Room’s local incarnation…
Fiesta medals: They’re the San Antonio version of Pokemon — you have to get your hands on as many as possible every year, because Fiesta is nothing without its flair. Here’s a look of some of our favorite medals from this year’s crop. Want to add some of these trinkets to your collection? Check with the…
In March, The Oblio’s dropped a wild new video for “Kill or Be Killed,” a tune off their debut split with The Bolos on Yippee Ki Yay. Out of the gate with a seething guitar solo, it’s a two-chord trainwreck full of chiflado and fuzz. At these speeds, it’s a minor miracle that drummer Abe Lopez can…
The wife and son of a man who died while in police custody a little more than two years ago filed a lawsuit against the city and eight San Antonio Police Department officers. Jesse Aguirre, 38, died in police custody on U.S. 90 after fleeing a one-vehicle wreck in excited delirium after his girlfriend decided…
Update: Friday, April 17, 2015 12:58 p.m. So it turns out that Ryan Gosling is not gracing San Antonio with his presence. He was in Austin last night for a screening of his directorial debut “Lost River” at the Alamo Drafthouse, marking this the first time ever that an Alamo reference did not refer to…
Hate him and his show or not, for millions of Latinos in the United States and millions more across Latin America, everybody knows Don Francisco and “Sábado Gigante.” Hell, even non-Latinos are familiar with his face and have likely seen the show at some point or another. It’s all coming to an end now. The…
A dramatic debate entailing a lawsuit filed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott when he was attorney general for the state, a conservative federal judge in the Rio Grande Valley, 26 states and the fates of five million undocumented immigrants who would be eligible to stay in the country under presidential executive orders is in New…
Tension between Alamo Colleges faculty and students with the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Bruce Leslie is continuing to mount. Complaints range from plummeting morale, scarce administrative accountability and attempts to remove majors, according to staff, faculty and students who are unhappy. Last night, at an open forum, faculty again expressed those criticisms to trustees.…
With Uber gone Fiesta San Antonio Commission, Silver Eagle Distributors, the Valero Energy Foundation and Yellow Cab are partnering up to provide a safe ride-sharing alternative. As of now they do have have 2,000 $20 pre-paid taxi cards available at the Yellow Cab offices and at certain Fiesta events. Everyone could say that we are still…
Remember our post on the potential ‘Selena Quintanilla for MAC’ collection in the works? (If not, read it here) Just months ago, fans of the Selena came together and created an online petition on change.org to have MAC Cosmetics dedicate a limited edition collection to the late Tejano singer. Since then, the survey, which originally…
After repeated federal violations and five fatalities, the United States Department of Agriculture has opened an investigation into the Texas Biomedical Research Institute. An email between the USDA and the national animal rights watchdog Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! (SAEN) obtained by the San Antonio Current confirmed the investigation. Details are scant, but SAEN Executive Director…
In time for Selena Day, local production company Heartfire Media released a tribute video for our beloved late Tejano star Selena Quintanilla-Perez. On this day Selena would have turned 44, and this video celebrates her life through music and dance. It’s been 20 years since we’ve been without her, and the tribute video invokes a…
KRTU Indie Overnight premieres its free series tonight at Alamo Beer Company, beginning Indie Third Thursdays on a distorted and free footing. From the vibrant college town scene of Norman, Oklahoma, Skating Polly rips through elegantly simple, delightfully heavy riffs. The pair of Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse trade off on guitar and bass duty,…
Tiff’s Treats (726 NW Loop 410, Suite 106) will be opening it’s second San Antonio location at the Park North Shopping Center and will be holding a grand opening fundraiser on Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m. to noon to celebrate. This will be their second location in San Antonio, with the other one located…
A faith-based semi-professional soccer team in San Antonio has a new home. The Corinthians FC of SA will play its next season at the San Antonio Independent School District’s Alamo Stadium. “We are honored to get to play in such an important stadium,” the team’s owner and president Pete Veras said in a press release.…
Thu 4/16 – Sun 4/19 Tejano Explosion From humble beginnings as a small but well-curated show, Fiesta’s Tejano Explosion has grown into a 10-day extravaganza featuring more than 20 of today’s hottest Latin music stars. Kicking off Thursday and culminating on April 25, this year’s insanely stacked line-up includes Selena’s brother and consummate Tejano hitmaker,…
A Texas pro-choice organization says three bills lawmakers are debating this week will further restrict access to abortion care. “HB 2 devastated access to safe and legal abortion across the state, btu that wasn’t enough for the anti-choice zealots in the Texas Legislator,” NARAL Pro-Choice Texas Executive Director Heather Busby said in a press release.…
Tonight’s USA vs Mexico futbol game will go on as planned, but we’ll be watching it from the comfort of our home and/or neighborhood bars since tickets sold out way quickly and with good reason. We’re also keeping tabs on the action via Instagram so it feels like we’re right there with all our fellow…
Our 2015 San Antonio Current medals have arrived. Drop by our office, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., to make a purchase. Our Fiesta medals are $10, cash and cards are accepted. Get your hands on one of the most stylish Fiesta medals in town, and look out for our annual Best of…
Get ready for the biggest block party of the NBA season this Friday. Taking Place in the Travis Park and hosted by the Spurs, this ain’t no ordinary BBQ and pony ride. The bash is free and open to the public, so your only requirement is to bring your Spurs spirit. The block party will feature…
Correction: The Association of Shelter Veterinarians believes there are instances where trained professionals should carry out veterinary care, like vaccination, emergency care and pain management, among other things, in the absence of a veterinarian. We initially reported that ASV’s stance was that only licensed veterinarians may administer medical care for animals. We regret the error.…
As Texas seeks $123 million for former Governor Rick Perry’s border surge, Congressman Joaquin Castro sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection seeking apprehension and drug seizure data from federal personnel. “Despite their latest budget request, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has not provided state- and local-specific data related to the…
A Bexar County man who shot and killed a San Antonio police officer during a 2001 confrontation will be executed tonight. Manuel Garza, 34, murdered John “Rocky” Riojas after stealing the officer’s weapon while he tried to arrest Garza on outstanding warrants. Garza, who has been on Death Row since November 2002, gave detectives different…
The Five Points neighborhood will soon witness the opening of San Antonio’s first kombucha-based eatery, Alchemy Kombucha and Culture, at 1123 N. Flores (inside the former Feast East Cafe). The zesty ‘booch will be paired with veggie-centric items by Brandon McKelvey (Say.She.Ate TX) and Mark “Wildcat” Garcia (The Monterey, Barbaro, Beat Street). Alchemy is owned…
Whirr is angry and doing something about it. The Bay area rock act released its monolithic sophomore album Sway last year and has hit its sonic stride with a sound that seems too preposterously heavy for shoegaze, yet too aqueous and melodic for metal. With a hyper-NGAF attitude that seems to mirror the supremely satisfying,…
With the rise of corporate ownership and consolidation of the so-called mainstream media, it has become clear that American journalism has mostly abandoned serious long-form reporting, the kind of muckraking that confronts, informs and challenges those in power. Faux arguments for “balance” and “both sides of the story” have replaced meaningful investigation, while opinion and…
Those who hunger for the rich and strange among new videos will look for Jennifer Kent’s Aussie horror film The Babadook, about a mom protecting her son from a monster, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, based on Thomas Pyncheon’s novel about a 1970 hippie gumshoe (Joaquin Phoenix) investigating complicated, parodic cases with an all-star…
I consider myself a straight guy — but for the last four years, I’ve been having an affair with “Connie,” a trans girl I met online. It was just casual at first, but over time we developed a deeper personal relationship but kept it hidden. At some point, I figured out she was in love…
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The California Gold Rush hit its peak between 1849 and 1855. Three hundred thousand adventurers flocked to America’s West Coast in search of gold. In the early days, gold nuggets were lying around on the ground in plain sight, or relatively easy to find in gravel beds at the bottom of…
Artist Alejandro Diaz lives in New York City, but his influence can be felt all over his native San Antonio. It seems about every third house I go into here in SA has one of his hilarious neon pieces (“Make Tacos, Not War”), and his former Southtown house, now known as Sala Diaz, is one…
Jimmy James Canales uses his performance art to explore transformation through struggle, endurance and action. He took three years and walked 156 miles crisscrossing San Antonio to create his photo montage “Move Me,” the Contemporary Art Month Perennial exhibit on view through May 23 at Museo Guadalupe. “Walking is such a human thing because nearly…
FLORESVILLE — It took about a year for me to make the trek to Raul’s Enchilacos. For those familiar with our food section, I’m not often a fan of driving out past 1604, in either direction. But the promise of this restaurant’s signature item had been eluding me, so I finally did something about it.…
As the quest continues for unique, authentic places on San Antonio’s north side, you’ll find that many of these articles will start off the same … “Nestled in your standard suburban strip center.” This installment of Lunchtime Snob is no different. Fajita Taco Place – yes, that’s its actual name – is in fact in…
Friday, April 17: St. Mary’s celebrates 99 years of learning during this year’s Fiesta Oyster Bake with acts such as Naughty by Nature, Ram Herrera, Loverboy, The Spazmatics and more as paired with everyone’s favorite: chicken on a stick. The university’s campus comes alive with fried oysters, freshly shucked oysters, baked oysters, carnival games and…
Cullum’s Attagirl (119 Kings Court) may have just started serving up hot chicken (this one’s made with three types of peppers, and will clear your sinuses real quick) last week, but there’s a new food truck dishing out a similar poultry dish during Fiesta. Blue Truck Chicken, co-owned by Tennessee native Trey Porter and partner…
I’ve seen the Facebook posts and I’ve received the messages. Yes, Juniper Tar has rules. And like them or not, they’re not going away any time soon. As the first solo concept via Matty Gee, a New York transplant who now calls San Antonio home, Juniper Tar will not lighten up on its collared shirts,…
T.J. Miller has just popped the stopper on a five-gallon oak barrel containing one of his many recent whiskey-aging trials. He sticks in a “thief” and extracts just enough amber liquid for two tasting glasses. Despite the air in this repurposed shipping container already being thick with “angel’s share” aromas emanating from the several dozen…
The last couple of weeks haven’t been easy for the thousands of South Texas fans of Selena. Intense and bittersweet come to mind when describing their feelings toward the tejano music icon. With March 31 marking the 20th anniversary of the singer’s death, a nostalgic light beamed on the singer’s career and cultural image. But…
It takes a lot of gear — keyboards, drums, guitars, a spread of pedal, amps — for a band to get the quality and decibel level of sound just right come show time. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for thieves to silence a band, swiping gear of sentimental and considerable cash value while a band…
