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sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 5

FIRST WORDS 1

On San Antonio is the First Texas City Vowing to End AIDS by 2030 // Well, if we can cure AIDS by 2030 just as well as we plan a 300 year birthday party... – John Hollein On Texas Rep. Used $84,000 in Taxpayer Dollars to Pay Sexual Harassment Settlement // Yep...he looks acts and acts exactly like the kind of person Texan “family values” conservatives would vote for. – Joseph Brantley On San Antonio Could Soon Be Home to World's Tallest Ferris Wheel //They need to bring back the Sunken Garden rides first!!! – Myra Ramirez

Issue 17_49 /// December 6-12, 2017

NEWS

Project Censored The missing stories — and exposing patterns of what’s missed

CALENDAR

Our top picks for the week

A Mystery Underfoot SAPD arrests suspect in murder of dead man found in barrel

ARTS + CULTURE

Art as Medicine “Chicana Feelings,” “Entre Orillas” show how visibility can be a way of healing

Foul Play San Antonio won’t be getting an MLS team anytime soon DIY Earthquakes Oil and gas industries to blame for Texas’ skyrocketing number of earthquakes

Justice for Kenne Live Oak man charged with trans woman’s River Walk death Undercurrents Centro’s Pat DiGiovanni resigns amid ethical investigation, again

ON THE

COVER Random Length News takes a look at all the stories that went unreported in 2017 with their yearly Project Censored round-up. Cover Illustration by Anson Stevens-Bollen of the Santa Fe Reporter

CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

NIGHTLIFE

Welcome Back Francis Bogside still nails cocktails, fare in pub setting Tipple Test Barbaro’s adds late-night happy hour to lineup

SCREENS

Cult of Personality The Disaster Artist pays tribute to The Room, but fails to exceed its predecessor’s watchability

MUSIC

Grammy-Bound San Antonio rockers Nothing More have been nominated for three Grammys Contemporary Whatever Exploring Dane Rousay’s new experimental music series Music Calendar What to see and hear this week

FOOD

Food Court Cookie dough and burgers to explore Patriotic Pop Carmelita’s partially takes down “Pop for President” mural because of fullytriggered customer

ETC.

Savage Love Jonesin’ Crossword Freewill Astrology

Now Accepting Nominations The City of San Antonio is seeking nominations for the position of Poet Laureate. The San Antonio Poet Laureate is an honorary position whose role is to promote the literary arts and literacy within the community and create a greater appreciation of the poetic arts through the reading and writing of poetry.

Submissions Due: January 12, 2018

visit GetCreativeSanAntonio.com for guidelines contact Francis Garner at 210-207-1435 or francis.garner@sanantonio.gov for information

CITY OF SAN ANTONIO

DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & CULTURE sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 7

NEWS

A MYSTERY UNDERFOOT

SHUTTERSTOCK

SAPD arrests suspect in murder of dead man found in barrel LYANNE A. GUARECUCO | @LYANNEALEXIA

It was the two human feet inside the barrel that tipped his friends off. According to the San Antonio Police Department, 36-year-old Jesse Ray Castilla told two friends he’d give them meth if they helped him load a large, black plastic barrel onto his truck on November 17 and dispose of it. The two drove the barrel from Castilla’s Southwest San Antonio home to a grassy spot near University Way. But as they unloaded the barrel, the lid came off, and one of the friends spotted two human feet inside. As it turns out, those feet belonged to 26-year-old Joseph Camarena. Camarena had stopped by Castilla’s house earlier that day with a friend to pick up money Castilla owed him. The friend had stayed in the car. According to the arrest warrant, Camarena’s friend heard what sounded like two gunshots coming from the garage. He said Castilla came outside, telling him Camarena had fallen and was having a seizure. His friend then drove off, picked up Camarena’s wife, and

PUBLIC NUISANCE ≥

they went back to Castilla’s house to look for Camarena. Castilla allegedly told Castilla’s wife that he’d dropped Camarena off at Methodist Hospital downtown because he had a seizure. But Camarena wasn’t there — or at any other hospital in the city. Police later searched Castilla’s home, and found evidence of “apparent blood and two spent shell casings,” in the garage, as well as a blue barrel similar to the black barrel Camarena had been found in, according to the arrest warrant. Castilla, however, has denied having anything to do with Camarena’s death. In Castilla’s version of events, Camarena picked up the money, got in his car, and left, according to the affidavit. The warrant for Castilla’s arrest was signed on November 18, and he was arrested on November 29. SAPD posted on Facebook that Castilla had been located thanks to tips from the community. He was taken into custody without incident, and his bail is set at $100,000.

ALEX ZIELINSKI

CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

came from began the morning of December 1, when, in a closed-door meeting with lawmakers, House Administration Committee Chairman Gregg Harper said that only one House member in the past five years had used taxpayer funds from the Office of Compliance to settle a sexual harassment complaint. When reporters asked Farenthold if it was him that Harper was referencing, the congressman said he could “neither confirm nor deny” the claim, Politico writes. But a joint statement both Greene and Farenthold prepared to share when the settlement concluded (but was never released) delivered a more confident answer. “Further litigating this case would come at great expense to all involved — including the taxpayers — the parties engaged in mediation with a courtappointed mediator,” reads the statement, obtained by Politico through Greene’s lawyer. They appear to admit taxpayers played a significant role in bankrolling the settlement. On Monday, Dec. 4, Farenthold told NBC affiliate KRISTV the he would “do my best” to repay the settlement fee sometime this in the next week.

San Antonio won’t be getting an MLS team anytime soon ALEX ZIELINSKI | @ALEX_ZEE

≥

San Antonio is officially out of the running to have its own Major League Soccer team — at least in the near future. On November 29, MLS officials announced that Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville, and Sacramento are the chosen finalists vying for new franchises (teams) within the MLS. Officials will pick which two cities will be home to these new franchises by the end of 2017. San Antonio has been working to attract an MLS team for years. According to Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who played a lead role in this plan, MLS officials had even encouraged the county and city to purchase the $18 million Toyota Field stadium in 2015, on the assumption that San Antonio would soon have a national soccer franchise. The Spurs Sports and Entertainment began San Antonio FC with the intention of entering MLS within six years. “The only reason we did this deal was to get to MLS,” Wolff told MLSsoccer.com last year. “There was no other reason.” In a brief press release, Judge Wolff expressed his disappointment in the announcement, but said he wasn’t surprised by the decision. “Consideration of the Spurs’ application is being deferred until the second phase of the expansion process with the agreement of the Spurs,” Wolff said. It’s unclear when that so-called “second phase” will kick off. On Oct. 30, Wolff announced he’d requested a criminal investigation into the county and city’s deal with MLS because of the “great deal of money, time, and energy” taxpayers have put into the Toyota Field expansion.

SHUTTERSTOCK

It’s already public knowledge that Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold was sued in 2014 for sexually harassing one of his staff members — and the case was settled out in court. What Farenthold’s Corpus Christi constituents didn’t know, however, is that he used their dollars to pay for the settlement. According to a Politico investigation, Farenthold covered the cost of this sexual harassment settlement with $84,000 of taxpayer funds. Farenthold, a Republican member of the House, was initially sued in 2014 by Lauren Greene, a former communications staffer in his D.C. office. Greene alleged that Farenthold told her he had “wet dreams” about her, told her about his sex life and once joked that she had a semen stain on her clothing in the office. This is the same congressman that had registered the URL blow-me.org in 1999 and in 2016, told an MSNBC reporter he might support a candidate who enjoys “raping women.” Investigation into where that settlement money

Texas Congressman used $84,000 in taxpayer dollars to pay sexual harassment settlement

FOUL PLAY

SHUTTERSTOCK

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1718 2018

sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 9

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NEWS

DIY EARTHQUAKES

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The cracks in the Earth’s crust that run under Texas haven’t shifted in 300 million years. Since movement along these cracks, or fault lines, is the main sign of seismic activity in an area, this should mean Texas is earthquakefree. However, in just the past decade, the number of earthquakes in the state have increased sixfold. What’s going on? According to a new study published in Science Advances, this uptick in earthquakes is not a natural phenomenon. In fact, it’s entirely manmade. Researchers from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and the U.S. Geological Survey believe the oil and gas industry’s harmful drilling is the main culprit. They argue that fracking, the process of drilling into the earth and using a high-pressure water mixture to extract natural gas, disrupts the fault lines enough to start an earthquake.

“The effect of the exceptionally long rupture cycle of naturally active faults calls into question industry strategies that involve injections of large volumes of fluid at high rates near ... active faults,” write the study’s authors. The researchers specifically looked at the Fort Worth Basin of north Texas, which holds the Barnett Shale oil fields and sits atop massive fault lines. According to the study, seismic activity in the Fort Worth Basin began only in 2008 and is “spatially associated with a region of intense exploitation of unconventional oil and gas sources.” And the strength of these of earthquakes seems to be increasing. Between 2008 and 2016, the number of earthquakes with magnitude greater than 3 (out of 10) in Texas has increased from 2 to 12 per year. This isn’t a brand-new revelation — scientists have linked the increase of earthquakes to increased oil drilling for some time. The federal government has generally sided

SHUTTERSTOCK

Oil and gas industries to blame for Texas’ skyrocketing number of earthquakes

ALEX ZIELINSKI | @ALEX_ZEE

with these studies, urging state-level reform. But the Texas office in charge of regulating these oil and gas companies (oddly called the Railroad Commission) has repeatedly ignored the increasing number of studies linking the two. That’s probably because, come election time, Texas’ oil and gas industry has contributed millions to the three socalled Railroad Commissioners’ campaigns. “Unfortunately, in the world of science and research, we very rarely have things that we consider to be conclusive.” commissioner Ryan Sitton told the Dallas Morning-News in 2016. He’s collected more than $700,000 in political contributions, largely from oil and gas executives. “There’s been a large amount of assumptions, simplistic analysis and hypothesis in place of real data,” Sitton added. It’s doubtful this new truckload of “real data” will change his mind.

JUSTICE FOR KENNE Live Oak man charged with trans woman’s River Walk death

A Live Oak man has been indicted for the murder of Kenne McFadden, the 26-year-old trans woman whose body was found floating in the San Antonio River in April. A grand jury indicted 20-year-old Mark Daniel Lewis on Tuesday, Nov. 28 for “recklessly” causing McFadden’s death by either pushing her into the water or failing to help her out of the river despite knowing she needed assistance and was “impaired by alcohol.” McFadden’s body was originally discovered by a River Walk barge operator

ALEX ZIELINSKI | @ALEX_ZEE

on the morning of April 9th — near the Houston St. underpass on the River Walk. At the time, police identified the deceased body as a black male with no obvious signs of trauma. It took months for officials to confirm that McFadden was, in fact, a transgender woman who was in the process of transitioning at the time of her death. In June, San Antonio Police Department said they believed her death was a homicide, and were investigating whether her gender identity was a motivating factor. If convicted, Lewis faces 20 years behind bars. And since he has a prior criminal offense on his record — Lewis was charged with “prohibited sexual conduct” in 2013, when he was 16 years old — that sentence could increase. McFadden was the 12th trans woman in the country to be killed in 2017. sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 11

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chuck

ramirez ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO September 14, 2017 | January 14, 2018

ON VI EW AT mcnay #mim

This exhibition is organized by the McNay Art Museum. Lead funding for Chuck Ramirez: All This and Heaven Too is most generously given by the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation; Rick Liberto; National Endowment for the Arts;Linda Pace Foundation; Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation; Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation; and Carolyn and Allan Paterson. Additional support is provided by H-E-B; Whataburger; Smothers Foundation; Chris Cheever; Mitcham Partners, LLP; Patricia and Charles Marcus; Patricia and Juan Ruiz-Healy; Katy and Ted Flato; Christopher C. Hill; Penelope Speier and Sonny Collins; Melissa and Kelton Morgan; Lisa Nichols; Ann Griffith Ash; Caroline Alexander Forgason; Molly and Bill Asher; Jim and Dolly Poteet; Emma and Toby Calvert; Lara Flynn and Donnie Thomas; Thomas F. Hogan III; Wendy Atwell; Muriel F. Siebert Foundation; Patty Ortiz and Dwight Hobart; Amy and Chase Smiley; Therese McDevitt; the Director’s Circle; and Exhibition Sponsors. Chuck Ramirez, Louis (Linda) (detail) from Purse Portraits, 2002. Digital print. © Estate of Chuck Ramirez, courtesy of Ruiz-Healy Art, San Antonio, Texas

CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

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NEWS

UNDERCURRENTS UNSOLICITED OPINIONS FROM THE CURRENT'S NEWSROOM

CENTRO SAN ANTONIO

Centro’s Pat DiGiovanni resigns amid ethical investigation, again ALEX ZIELINSKI | @ALEX_ZEE

≥

If you’re up on city politics, you’ve probably heard by now that Centro San Antonio CEO Pat DiGiovanni has resigned as the city investigates an elaborate embezzlement scheme linked to the downtown development nonprofit (that contracts with the city). Here’s the quick and dirty rundown: According to Centro officials who spoke with San Antonio Express-News’ Josh Baugh on Tuesday, Nov. 28, an internal investigation recently uncovered that a former Centro employee had embezzled $175,000 over a two-year period. That unnamed accountant, who was fired in early November, had allegedly fabricated two audits and numerous fake documents to swipe the thousands without being detected. The employee was supposed to be working with an outside auditing firm Centro had selected to conduct annual audits. A few phone calls, however, revealed that the firm had no contract with Centro and never worked with the employee. It appeared those audits had been authored by the employee alone. This employee had allegedly created a fake website, email address, letterhead, and identity to cover her tracks, lawyers said. The San Antonio Police Department has begun a criminal investigation into the well-orchestrated scheme. Which makes sense. What doesn’t entirely make sense is why this scandal prompted DiGiovanni to step down so quickly. The story we’re hearing from Centro officials makes it seem like the problem was solved when the accountant was fired. The ex-employee was a bad seed that got the boot — and SAPD will handle the rest. The Centro board of directors released a statement assuring that DiGiovanni had “absolutely nothing to do with the financial indiscretions,” but “the board and he both felt his resignation was in the best interest of Centro San Antonio.” If DiGiovanni had absolutely no connection to the embezzlement scheme, why leave? Now is arguably a moment when Centro needs him the most. Wouldn’t the nonprofit want to maintain an unfaltering appearance — led by a resilient leader — to help iron out this kind of PR disaster? But, that’s not in the “best interest” of Centro. As these allegations bubble to the surface, it’s hard to ignore DiGiovanni’s ethically rocky past. DiGiovanni came to San Antonio in 2006, recruited by City Manager Sheryl

Sculley to join her office as a deputy city manager. A year earlier, DiGiovanni had resigned from his role as city manager for Kalamazoo, Michigan, shortly after firing an African-American staffer who had made allegations of racism in the city department. Community outcry led to DiGiovanni stepping down a week after firing the staffer (who later sued the city of Kalamazoo for claims of institutional racism). DiGiovanni’s next career move was equally bumpy. As deputy city manager, DiGiovanni led San Antonio’s 2012 search committee to find the right developers to land San Antonio’s largest-ever construction project: tearing down half of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center just to rebuild it a block away. While this was going on, DiGiovanni was meeting privately with David Zachry, a local developer and vice chairman of Centro, to negotiate DiGiovanni’s future position as Centro CEO. The week after DiGiovanni sealed the deal with Centro for his new job, his city committee awarded the $325 million convention center project to Zachry Corp — yup, that’s David Zachry’s firm. Unsurprisingly, this was a violation of the city’s ethics rules. But while the city’s Ethics Review Board decided that yes, DiGiovanni had clearly broken these rules, they did nothing to reprimand him — it was the judicial equivalent of a shrug. DiGiovanni said he was “embarrassed,” and clambered to the top of Centro’s administration. From his position as Centro CEO, he’s led city “stakeholders” (mostly downtown developers and business owners) in informing major city budgetary decisions. The city’s 2017 bond recommendations on which large-scale city projects get public funding were nearly identical to the suggestions the Centro stakeholders made to the city in 2016. That’s why, with a track record like DiGiovanni’s, it’s hard to take his latest career decision at face value. In an interview with the Rivard Report (a Centro-sponsored nonprofit that’s unapologetically defended DiGiovanni’s ethical missteps in the past), DiGiovanni said, “I don’t want to be a distraction.” That time may have come and gone. We still don’t know where DiGiovanni’s headed yet, but with his history in city government and the city’s Tricentennial Celebration on the horizon (which has its own ethical wrinkles), maybe it’s time San Antonio took a break from DiGiovanni.

sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 13

ANSON STEVENS-BOLLEN

NEWS

PAUL ROSENBERG, SENIOR EDITOR, RANDOM LENGTHS NEWS

In America, we commonly think of press freedom and censorship in terms of the First Amendment, which focuses attention on the press itself and limits on the power of government to restrict it. But the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drafted in the aftermath of World War II, presents a broader framework. Article 19 reads: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." By highlighting the right to receive information and ideas, Article 19 makes it clear that press freedom is about everyone in society, not just the press, and that government censorship is only one potential way of thwarting that right. That’s 14

the perspective that has informed Project Censored from the beginning. Project Censored's online collection of censored stories serve to highlight how our country still falls short of fully-informed public that a healthy democracy requires — and that we all require in order to live healthy, safe, productive, satisfying lives. It’s the larger patterns of missing information, hidden problems and threats that should really concern us. Each Project Censored story provides some of that information, but the annual list helps shed light on these broader patterns of what’s missing, as well as on the specifics of the stories themselves. In this year's top 10 stories for 20162017, three main themes clearly seem evident: threats to public health, threats to democracy (both at home and abroad), and an out-of-control military.

CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

1 Widespread Lead Contamination Threatens Children’s Health and Could Triple Household Water Bills After President Barack Obama declared a federal emergency in Flint, Michigan based on lead contamination of the city’s water supply in January 2016, Reuters reporters M.B. Pell and Joshua Schneyer began an investigation of lead contamination nationwide with shocking results. In June 2016, they reported that although many states and Medicaid rules require blood lead tests for young children, millions of children were not being tested. In December 2016, they reported on the highly decentralized data they had been able to assemble from 21 states, showing that 2,606 census tracts and 278 zip codes across the United States had levels of lead poisoning more than double the rates found in Flint at the peak

of its contamination crisis. Of those, 1,100 communities had lead contamination rates “at least four times higher” than Flint. In Flint, 5 percent of the children screened high blood lead levels. Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 2.5 percent of all U.S. children younger than six — about 500,000 children — have elevated blood lead levels. But Pell and Schneyer’s neighborhood focus allowed them to identify local hotspots “whose lead poisoning problems may be obscured in broader surveys,” such as those focused on statewide or countywide rates. They found them in communities that “stretch from Warren, Pennsylvania ... where 36 percent of children tested had high lead levels, to ... Goat Island, Texas, where a quarter of tests showed poisoning.” What’s more, “In some pockets of Baltimore,

NEWS

Cleveland and Philadelphia, where lead poisoning has spanned generations, the rate of elevated tests over the last decade was 40 to 50 percent.” In January 2017, Schneyer and Pell reported that, based on their previous investigation, “From California to Pennsylvania, local leaders, health officials and researchers are advancing measures to protect children from the toxic threat. They include more blood-lead screening, property inspections, hazard abatement and community outreach programs.” But there’s a deeper infrastructure problem involved, as Farron Cousins reported for DeSmogBlog in January 2017. “Lead pipes are time bombs” and water contamination is to be expected, Cousins wrote. The U.S. relies on an estimated 1.2 million miles of lead pipes for municipal delivery of drinking water, and much of this aging infrastructure is reaching or has exceeded its lifespan. In 2012 the American Water Works Association estimated that a complete overhaul of the nation’s aging water systems would require an investment of $1 trillion over the next 25 years, which could triple household water bills. As Cousins reported, a January 2017 Michigan State University study found that, “while water rates are currently unaffordable for an estimated 11.9 percent of households, the conservative estimates of rising rates used in this study highlight that this number could grow to 35.6 percent in the next five years.” As Cousins concluded, “While the water contamination crisis will occasionally steal a

headline or two, virtually no attention has been paid to the fact that we’re pricing a third of United States citizens out of the water market.”

2 Over Six Trillion Dollars in Unaccountable Army Spending In 1996, Congress passed legislation requiring all government agencies to undergo annual audits, but a July 2016 report by the defense department’s inspector general found that the Army alone has accumulated $6.5 trillion in expenditures that can’t be accounted for over the past two decades. As Dave Lindorff reported for This Can’t Be Happening!, the DoD “has not been tracking or recording or auditing all of the taxpayer money allocated by Congress — what it was spent on, how well it was spent, or where the money actually ended up.” But the Army wasn’t alone. “Things aren’t any better at the Navy, Air Force and Marines,” he added. The report appeared at a time when, “politicians of both major political parties are demanding accountability for every penny spent on welfare.... Ditto for people receiving unemployment compensation,” Lindorff wrote. Politicians have also engaged in pervasive efforts “to make teachers accountable for student ‘performance,’” he added. Yet, he observed, “the military doesn’t have to account for any of its trillions of dollars of spending ... even though Congress fully a generation ago passed a law requiring such accountability.” In March 2017, after Trump proposed a $52 billion increase in military spending, Thomas Hedges reported for The Guardian that, “the Pentagon has exempted itself without consequence for 20 years now, telling the Government Accountability Office that collecting and organizing the required

information for a full audit is too costly and time-consuming.” The most recent DoD audit deadline was September 2017, yet neither the Pentagon, Congress, nor the media seem to have paid any attention. 3 Pentagon Paid PR Firm the United Kingdom for Fake Al-Qaeda Videos Concern over Russian involvement in promoting fake news during the 2016 election is a justified hot topic in the news. But what about our own involvement in similar operations? In October 2016, Crofton Black and Abigail Fielding-Smith reported for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism on one such very expensive — and questionable — operation. The Pentagon paid a British PR firm, Bell Pottinger, more than $660 million to run a top-secret propaganda program in Iraq from at least 2006 to December 2011. The work consisted of three types of products: TV commercials portraying al-Qaeda in a negative light, news items intended to look like Arabic TV, and — most disturbing — fake al-Qaeda propaganda films. A former Bell Pottinger video editor, Martin Wells, told the Bureau that he was given precise instructions for production of fake alQaeda films, and that the firm’s output was approved by former General David Petraeus — the commander of the coalition forces in Iraq — and on occasion by the White House. They reported that the United States used contractors because “the military didn’t have

the in-house expertise and was operating in a legal ‘grey area.’” The reporters “traced the firm’s Iraq work through U.S. army contracting censuses, federal procurement transaction records and reports by the Defense Department’s inspector general, as well as Bell Pottinger’s corporate filings and specialist publications on military propaganda.” Black and FieldingSmith also interviewed former officials and contractors involved in information operations in Iraq. Documents show that Bell Pottinger employed as many as three hundred British and Iraqi staff at one point; and its media operations in Iraq cost more than $100 million per year on average. It’s remarkable that an operation on this scale has been totally ignored in midst of so much focus on “fake news” here in the United States.

4 Voter Suppression in the 2016 Presidential Election The 2016 election was the first election in 50 years without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act, first passed in 1965. In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), a 5-4 conservative majority in the Supreme Court struck down a key provision requiring jurisdictions with a history of violations to “pre-clear” changes. As a result, changes to voting laws in nine states and parts of six others with long histories of racial discrimination in voting were no longer subject to federal government approval in advance. Since Shelby, 14 states, including many southern states and key swing states, sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 15

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implemented new voting restrictions, in many cases just in time for the election. These included restrictive voter-identification laws in Texas and North Carolina, English-only elections in many Florida counties, as well as last-minute changes of poll locations, and changes in Arizona voting laws that had previously been rejected by the Department of Justice before the Shelby decision. Ari Berman, author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, was foremost among a small number of non-mainstream journalists to cover the suppression efforts and their results. In May 2017, he reported on an analysis of the effects of voter suppression by Priorities U.S.A, which showed that strict voter-ID laws in Wisconsin and other states resulted in a “significant reduction” in voter turnout in 2016 with “a disproportionate impact on African-American and Democraticleaning voters.” Berman noted that turnout was reduced by 200,000 votes in Wisconsin, while Donald Trump won the state by just over 22,000 votes. Nationwide, the study found that the change in voter turnout from 2012 to 2016 was significantly impacted by new voter-ID laws. In counties that were more than 40 percent African-American, turnout dropped 5 percent with new voter-ID laws, compared to 2.2 percent without. In counties that were less than 10 percent African-American,

turnout decreased 0.7 percent with new voter-ID laws, compared to a 1.9 percent increase without. As Berman concluded, “This study provides more evidence for the claim that voter-ID laws are designed not to stop voter impersonation fraud, which is virtually nonexistent, but to make it harder for certain communities to vote.” As Berman noted in an article published by Moyers & Co. in December 2016, the topic of “gutting” the Voting Rights Act did not arise once during the 26 presidential debates prior to the election, and “[c]able news devoted hours and hours to Trump’s absurd claim that the election was rigged against him while spending precious little time on the real threat that voters faced.”

was right-wing computer scientist and hedge-fund billionaire Robert Mercer, who contributed $13.5 million to Trump’s 5 Big Data and Dark Money behind campaign and also funded Cambridge the 2016 Election Analytica, a data analytics company that When Richard Nixon first ran for Congress specializes in “election management in 1946, he and his supporters used a wide strategies” and using “psychographic” range of dirty tricks aimed at smearing his microtargeting — based on thousands opponent as pro-Communist, including a of pieces of data for some 220 million boiler-room operation generating phone calls American voters — as Carole Cadwalladr to registered Democrats, which simply said, reported for the Guardian in February 2017. “This is a friend of yours, but I can’t tell you After Trump’s victory, Cambridge Analytica’s who I am. Did you know that Jerry Voorhis is a CEO Alexander Nix said, “We are thrilled Communist?” Then the caller would hang up. that our revolutionary approach to dataIn 2016, the same basic strategy was driven communication has played such employed but with decades of refinement, an integral part in President-elect Trump’s technological advances, and massively extraordinary win.” more money behind it. A key player in this Cambridge Analytica’s parent company, Strategic Communication Laboratories, was more old-school until recently in elections across Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. In Trinidad, it paid for the painting of graffiti slogans purporting to be from grassroots youth. In Nigeria, it advised its client party to suppress the vote of their opposition “by organizing antipoll rallies on the day of the election.” But now they’re able to micro-target their deceptive, disruptive messaging. “Pretty much every message that Trump put out was data-driven” after they joined the campaign, Nix said in September 2016. On the day of the third presidential debate, Trump’s team “tested 175,000 different ad variations for his arguments” via Facebook. This messaging had everything to do with how those targeted would respond, not with Trump’s or Mercer’s views. In a New Yorker profile, Jane Mayer noted that Mercer argued that the 1964 Civil Rights Act was a major mistake, a subject not remotely hinted at during the campaign. “Suddenly, a random billionaire can

change politics and public policy — to sweep everything else off the table — even if they don’t speak publicly, and even if there’s almost no public awareness of his or her views,” Trevor Potter, former chair of the Federal Election Commission, told Mayer. With the real patterns of influence, ideology, money, power and belief hidden from view, the very concept of democratic self-governance is now fundamentally at risk. 6 Antibiotic Resistant “Superbugs” Threaten Health and Foundations of Modern Medicine The problem of antibiotics giving rise to more dangerous drug-resistant germs (“superbugs”) has been present since the early days of penicillin, but has now reached a crisis, with companies creating dangerous superbugs when their factories leak industrial waste, as reported by Madlen Davies of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in September 2016. Factories in China and India — where the majority of worldwide antibiotics are manufactured — have released “untreated waste fluid” into local soils and waters, leading to increases in antimicrobial resistance that diminish the effectiveness of antibiotics and threaten the foundations of modern medicine. “After bacteria in the environment become resistant, they can exchange genetic material with other germs, spreading antibiotic resistance around the world, according to an assessment issued by the European Public Health Alliance, which served as the basis for Davies’s news report,” Projected Censored explained. One strain of drug-resistant bacterium that originated in India in 2014 has since spread to 70 other countries. Superbugs have already killed an estimated 25,000 people across Europe — thus globally posing “as big a threat as terrorism,”

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according to a UK National Health Service Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies. “At the heart of the issue is how to motivate pharmaceutical companies to improve their production practices. With strong demand for antibiotics, the companies continue to profit despite the negative consequences of their actions,” Project Censored noted. “The EPHA assessment recommended five responses that major purchasers of medicines could implement to help stop antibiotic pollution. Among these recommendations are blacklisting pharmaceutical companies that contribute to the spread of superbugs through irresponsible practices, and promoting legislation to incorporate environmental criteria into the industry’s good manufacturing practices.” Superbugs are especially threatening modern medicine, in which a wide range of sophisticated practices — organ transplants, joint replacements, cancer chemotherapy and care of pre-term infants — “will become more difficult or even too dangerous to undertake,” according to Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organization. “Although the threat of antibiotic-resistant microbes is well documented in scientific publications, there is little to no coverage on superbugs in the corporate press,”

Project Censored noted. “What corporate news coverage there is tends to exaggerate the risks and consequences of natural outbreaks — as seen during the Ebola scare in the U.S. in 2014 — rather than reporting on the preventable spread of superbugs by irresponsible pharmaceutical companies.” Once again, it’s not just a problem of suppressing a single story, but two overlapping patterns — the biological problem of superbugs and political economy problem of the corporate practices that produce them so wantonly. 7 The Toll of U.S. Navy Training on Wildlife in the North Pacific The U.S. Navy has killed, injured or harassed marine mammals in the North Pacific almost twelve million times over a five-year period, according to research conducted by The West Coast Action Alliance and reported by Dahr Jamail for Truthout. This includes whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions, and other marine wildlife such as endangered species like humpback whales, blue whales, gray whales, sperm whales, Steller sea lions and sea otters. The number was tabulated from the Navy’s Northwest Training and Testing environmental impact statement and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration’s Letter of Authorization for the number of “takes” of marine mammals caused by Navy exercises. “A ‘take’ is a form of harm to an animal that ranges from harassment, to injury, and sometimes to death,” Jamail wrote. “Many wildlife conservationists see even ‘takes’ that only cause behavior changes as injurious, because chronic harassment of animals that are feeding or breeding can end up harming, or even contributing to their deaths if they are driven out of habitats critical to their survival.” As the Alliance noted, this does not include impacts on “endangered and threatened seabirds, fish, sea turtles or terrestrial species” due to Navy activities, which have expanded dramatically, according to the Navy’s October 2015 environmental impact statement, including: A 778 percent increase in number of torpedoes A 400 percent increase in air-to-surface missile exercises (including Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary) A 1,150 percent increase in drone aircraft An increase from none to 284 sonar testing events in inland waters “It is, and has been for quite some time now, well known in the scientific community that the Navy’s use of sonar can damage and kill marine life,” Jamail reported. “With little oversight on Navy training activities, the public is left in the dark regarding their environmental impacts, including especially how Navy operations impact fish in the North Pacific and marine life at the bottom of the food chain,” Project Censored noted. “There has been almost no coverage of these impacts in the corporate press.” 8 Maternal Mortality a Growing Threat in the U.S. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is rising, while it’s falling elsewhere across the developed world. Serious injuries and complications are needlessly even more widespread with shockingly little attention being paid. “Each year over 600 women in the U.S. die from pregnancy-related causes and over 65,000 experience life-threatening complications or severe maternal morbidity,” Elizabeth Dawes Gay reported, covering an April 2016 congressional briefing organized by Women’s Policy Inc. “The average national rate of maternal mortality has increased from 12 per 100,000 live births in 1998 to 15.9 in 2012, after peaking at 17.8 in 2011.”

“The U.S. is the only nation in the developed world with a rising maternal mortality rate,” Rep. Lois Capps stated at the meeting. “Inadequate health care in rural areas and racial disparities are drivers of this maternal health crisis,” Project Censored summarized. “Nationally, African American women are three to four times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes,

with rates even higher in parts of the U.S. that Gay characterized as ‘pockets of neglect,’ such as Georgia, where the 2011 maternal mortality rate of 28.7 per 100,000 live births was nearly double the national average.” The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, has developed safety bundles of ‘best practices, guidelines and protocols to improve maternal health care quality and safety,’” Gay wrote. “These ‘bundles’ include equipping hospital labor units with a fully stocked cart for immediate hemorrhage treatment, establishing a hospital-level emergency management protocol, conducting regular staff drills and reviewing all cases to learn from past mistakes, among other things.” More broadly, Kiera Butler reported for Mother Jones that doctors rarely warn patients of the potential for serious injuries and complications that can occur following birth. “Women have a right to make informed decisions about their bodies and serious medical situations; however, when it comes to birth and its aftereffects, Butler found that doctors simply are not providing vital information,” Project Censored summarized. Many state laws require doctors to inform women of the potential sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 19

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9 DNC Claims Right to Select Presidential Candidate A key story about 2016 election has mostly been ignored by the media — a class-action lawsuit alleging that the Democratic National Committee broke legally-binding neutrality agreements in the Democratic primaries by strategizing to make Hillary Clinton the nominee before a single vote was cast. The lawsuit was filed against the DNC and its former chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, in June 2016 by Beck & Lee, a Miami law firm, on behalf of supporters of Bernie Sanders. A hearing was held on suit in April 2017, in which DNC lawyers argued that neutrality was not 20

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complications and dangers associated with delivery, but none require them to discuss potential long-term problems, including the fact that some complications are more prevalent in women who give birth vaginally, rather than by C-section. “All told, according to a 2008 study by researchers at the California HMO Kaiser Permanente, about one in three women suffer from a pelvic floor disorder (a category that includes urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and prolapse), and roughly 80 percent of those women are mothers,” Butler reported. “Women who deliver vaginally are twice as likely to experience these injuries as women who have a cesarean or who have not given birth. For one in 10 women, the problem is severe enough to warrant surgery.” “The corporate news media have paid limited attention to maternal mortality and morbidity in the U.S.,” Project Censored notes. There have been scattered stories, but nothing remotely close to the sort of sustained coverage that is warranted.

actually required and that the court had no jurisdiction to assess neutral treatment. As Michael Sainato reported for the Observer, DNC attorneys claimed that Article V, Section 4 of the DNC Charter — which instructs the DNC chair and staff to ensure neutrality in the Democratic presidential primaries — is actually “a discretionary rule” that the DNC “didn’t need to adopt to begin with.” In addition, DNC attorney Bruce Spiva later said it was within the DNC’s rights to “go into back rooms like they used to and smoke cigars and pick the candidate that way.” Sainato also reported that DNC attorneys argued that specific terms used in the DNC charter — including “impartial” and “evenhanded” — couldn’t be interpreted in a court of law, because it would “drag the Court ... into a political question and a question of how the party runs its own affairs.” Jared Beck, representing the Sanders’s supporters, responded, “Your Honor, I’m shocked to hear that we can’t define what it means to be evenhanded and impartial. If that were the case, we couldn’t have courts. I mean, that’s what courts do every day, is decide disputes in an evenhanded and impartial manner.” Not only was running elections in a fair and impartial manner a “bedrock assumption” of democracy, Beck argued earlier, it was also a binding commitment for the DNC: “That’s what the Democratic National Committee’s own charter says,” he said. “It says it in black and white.” Much of the reporting and commentary on the broader subject of the DNC’s collusion with the Clinton campaign has been speculative and misdirected, focused on questions about voter fraud and countered by claims of indulging in “conspiracy theory.” But this trial focuses on documentary evidence and questions of law — all publicly visible yet still treated as suspect, when not simply ignored out of hand. As Project Censored notes, “[E]ven

CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

Michael Sainato’s reporting — which has consistently used official documents, including the leaked DNC emails and courtroom transcripts, as primary sources — has been repeatedly labeled “opinion” — rather than straight news reporting — by his publisher, the Observer.”

out Internet access during elections and to quell protest. Not only do these shutdowns restrict freedom of speech, they also hurt economies around the world,” Project Censored notes. “TechCrunch, IPS, and other independent news organizations reported that a Brookings Institution study found that Internet shutdowns cost countries 10 2016: A Record Year for Global $2.4 billion between July 2015 and June Internet Shutdowns 2016” — a conservative estimate according In 2016, governments around the world shut to the study’s author, Darrell West. down internet access more than 50 times, As Olukotun told IPS, one way to stop according to the digital rights organization government shutdowns is for Internet Access Now, “suppressing elections, slowing providers to resist government demands. economies and limiting free speech,” as Lyndal “Telecommunications companies can Rowlands reported for the Inter Press Service. push back on government orders, or at “In the worst cases internet shutdowns least document them to show what’s been have been associated with human rights happening, to at least have a paper trail,” violations,” Rowlands was told by Deji Olukotun observed. Olukotun, of Access Now. “What we have In a resolution passed in July 2016, the found is that Internet shutdowns go hand in U.N. Human Rights Council described hand with atrocities.” Olukotun said. the Internet as having “great potential Kevin Collier also covered the report for to accelerate human progress.” It also Vocativ, noting that Access Now uses a condemned “measures to intentionally “conservative metric,” counting “repeated, prevent or disrupt access to or similar outages” — like those which dissemination of information online.” occurred during Gabon’s widely criticized On July 1, 2016, the U.N. Human Rights Internet “curfew” — as a single instance. Council passed a nonbinding resolution The Vocativ report included a dynamic map signed by more than 70 countries lauding chart, designed by Kaitlyn Kelly, that vividly the Internet’s “great potential to accelerate depicts Internet shutdowns around the human progress,” and condemning world, month by month for all of 2016, as “measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt documented by Access Now. access to or dissemination of information “Many countries intentionally blacked online.” It noted that, “the exercise of human rights, in particular the right to freedom of expression, on the Internet is an issue of increasing interest and importance.” Yet, “understanding what this means for Internet users can be difficult,” Azad Essa reported for Al Jazeera in May 2017. Advocates of online rights “need to be constantly pushing for laws that protect this space and demand that governments meet their obligations in digital spaces just as in non-digital spaces,” he was told by the U.N.’s special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye.

sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 21

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Gabriel Iglesias

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The self-proclaimed King of the South touches down at the Tobin Center on Thursday night when Icon Talks honors Tip “T.I.” Harris and Spurs Sports and Entertainment Minority Owner Cassandra Carr with their Visionary Awards. Billed as “an upscale evening of empowerment, inspiration and entertainment,” the event promises a candid conversation with the three-time Grammy Award winner, followed by a 45-minute set of his chart-topping hits. Boasting a nine-album catalog, including three consecutive No. 1 records, T.I.’s path from trap house to hip-hop elder statesman has traversed its fair share of peaks and valleys. Although his best days in the vocal booth are likely behind him, as an actor, artist and philanthropist, T.I. still radiates “the spirit of a hustler and the swagger of a college kid.” $44.50-$100, 7:30pm, Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — M. Solis

Creole Christmas

FRI

Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a New Orleans treasure. The Dixieland jazz group, which is currently a septet, has, like the city it reps and the aural artform it plies, undergone evolutions aplenty throughout its 50-year history, masterfully toeing the line between honoring the past and inventing the future. In the live setting, the inventive crew doesn’t play a song the same way twice, always pushing themselves to make new connections to the music and the audience. This weekend, the band, a beacon of history and classic American song, presents its Creole Christmas, a special set bursting with all the magic of the holidays in the Crescent City. Featuring both faithful and updated takes on old favorites, as well as originals and rare treats, the show promises to be just the ticket to kickstart your holiday season. $29-$99, 7:30pm, Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 226-5700, artssa.org. — James Courtney MUSIC

JANUARY 31 • ON SALE FRIDAY! 22

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PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND

COMEDY

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After cancelling a chunk of his 2017 tour earlier this year to focus on some “health and emotional issues,” stand-up comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, 41, is taking center stage again, this time at the AT&T Center for his FluffyMania World Tour to celebrate 20 years in comedy. Although he still considers stand-up his passion, Fluffy has also become one of the most sought-after voice actors in the animated film industry over the last few years. Back in 2013, when the Current interviewed him for his role in Disney’s Planes, his first-ever voiceover gig for an animated feature, he said he was “not trying to chase a film career” and considered any opportunities he was offered aside from standup “frosting on the cake.” To put his popularity in context, a week after his stop in San Antonio, Fluffy will have three animated movies playing in theaters at the same time (Coco, The Star and the upcoming Ferdinand where he voices a hedgehog named Cuatro). Fluffy might not be staking out a claim for an Oscar anytime soon, but that sure is a hell of a lot of buttercream on that Bundt. $37-$77, 8pm, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Pkwy., (210) 4445000, attcenter.com. — Kiko Martinez

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Holidaze

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Back in 2010, hard-toplease Current theater critic Thomas Jenkins surprised readers with a favorable review of the Cirque Dreams production Illumination, in which an international cast of tumblers, clowns and acrobats performed imaginative routines built around a downed power line on an urban street. Under the artistic direction of founder FRI-SAT Neil Goldberg, the Florida-based SPECIAL EVENT

FRI

SPORTS The longest winning streak of the young NBA season belongs to Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics, who recently reeled off an astounding 16 straight victories after starting their season with a pair of losses. With All-Star Gordon Hayward likely sidelined indefinitely due to injury, Irving has been masterful for the Celtics, toying with defenders and taking over crunch time in multiple come-frombehind wins. Dominican baller Al Horford has been key to Boston’s early success, providing flow to the Celtics’ offensive game with his underrated passing, while former Spur Aron Baynes has added formidable muscle on the boards. As six-time All-Star Tony Parker settles back into his starting role, San Antonio takes another step closer to the on-court continuity that has heralded the Spurs’ success. Parker remarkably looks as spry as ever which, along with the addition of his “corporate knowledge,” bodes well for the Spurs against the standout team in the East. $51-$843, 8:30pm, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Pkwy., (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com. — MS

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troupe has reportedly performed in front of 50 million people since its inception in 1993 and now boasts 15 original shows, including the seasonal signature Holidaze. Hailed by the New York Daily News as a “delicious confection of charm, sparkle and talent by the sleighload,” the two-hour spectacle packs in 300 costumes, original music and 20 acts brought to life on stage by “snowmen, penguins, angels, reindeer, toy soldiers, gingerbread men, ornaments and, of course, Santa.” $38.50-$89.50, 7:30pm Fri, 2pm & 7:30pm Sat, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 2238624, tobincenter.org. — Bryan Rindfuss

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CLASSIC THEATRE OF SAN ANTONIO

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The Santaland Diaries

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Imagine working as an elf dressed in a green velvet outfit at Macy’s department store. That’s the idea behind The Santaland Diaries, a one-man show returning to the stage courtesy of The Classic Theater of San Antonio. Based on the essay by David Sedaris (originally read on NPR’S Morning Edition in 1992), The Santaland Diaries recounts Sedaris’ real-life experiences as his alter ego, the disgruntled Crumpet the Elf, one unfortunate holiday season. Bart Roush directs John Stillwagon (as Crumpet the Elf) in The Classic’s production. $25, 8pm FriSat, 3pm Sun (through Dec. 17), The Classic Theatre of San Antonio, 1924 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 468-3900, classictheatre.org. — Marco Aquino THEATER

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in Celebration of the Opening of Confluence Park and in support of Las Casas’ performing arts educational programs

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‘Doing Werk’ “Werk. Hustle. Sleep. Repeat.” That’s the motto of artist Raul Gonzalez, whose drawings, prints and dance performances often center on the idea of work and physical labor. First exhibited at Austin’s grayDUCK Gallery in November, Gonzalez’s solo show “Doing Werk” comes to Freight Gallery for Second Saturday. In this latest series, Gonzalez draws from his experiences as a stay-athome father as well as working constructions jobs with his own father. Included in this show are the artist’s paintings on concrete fragments (taken from actual construction sites) depicting workers in action. In the accompanying exhibition catalog, Gonzalez explains, “No one walks up to these workers and says ‘Thank you for the road,’ or for the basic infrastructure that keeps the nation safe and mobile.” Challenging preconceived notions about what it means to be an artist and the son of Mexican immigrants, Gonzalez’s work is also an homage to the overworked and underpaid everyman. Free, 7-11pm (performance at 8pm), Freight Gallery and Studios, 1913 S. Flores St., (210) 331-4382, freightsatx.com. — MA ART

Tamal-filled Weekend

SAT-SUN Corn husks will line the streets of San Antonio this weekend as masa-fanatics take on three new tamal-centric events. Brooks kicks things off on the Southside with Feliz Tamalidad, which includes live music by Los Texamaniacs, Bombasta, and James Keith and the Moondogs and tamales from area vendors (free, noon-6pm, Sat, Hangar 9, 8081 Inner Circle Drive). You’ll want to save room for Sunday’s dueling tamaladas: La Gran Tamalada will relocate from its usual home at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center to Market Square, where La Familia Cortez will host hands-on workshops on tamal-making, children’s activities and photos with Pancho Claus provided by the San Antonio Public Library (free, 11am-4pm, Historic Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St.). Over on the city’s Eastside, EgCollaborations will host Sunday Masa: A Holiday Tamales Extravaganza with a “Pan Dulce Pavilion,” Made in SA Holiday Market with local craft vendors such as BarbacoApparel, Grey Moon Vintage, and Garcia Art Glass, and a dozen (duh) tamal vendors including Celorio’s Tortillas, Johnny Joe’s, Toña’s Tamales, Tommy’s Barbacoa & Big Red, Carnitas Lonja and Chilito Express, among others (free, 11am-6pm, Alamo Beer Co., 202 Lamar St.). Bring your stretchy pants. — Jessica Elizarraras SPECIAL EVENT

09-10

After having made some righteous waves in Austin for his provocative contributions to MexicArte’s “YLA 22: ¡Ahora!” group exhibit, San Antonio conceptual artist and cultural SAT worker Mark Anthony Martinez continues to make good stuff happen here at home. This Second Saturday at Flax, Martinez’s curatorial talents will take center stage with an exhibition of works he’s chosen from his brother (and fellow YLA alum) Michael Martinez. The exhibit — entitled “Who the #@!? is Michael Martinez?” — will find Martinez continuing his artistic excavation of his own identity as a gay person of color. Employing heavily connotative text, and textual juxtapositions, the exhibit “dissects gender expectations through the [lens of the] artist’s own given name.”Free, 6-9pm, Flax Studio, 1906 S. Flores St., (909) 518-2245, flaxstudiosa.com. — JC ART

‘Who the #@!? is Michael Martinez?’

Virgen de Guadalupe Market & Fideo Cook Off SAT

How many bowls of noodly soup can you consume in a few hours? If you’re like us and you’d sincerely like to find out the answer to that question the hard way, you’ll have a swell opportunity this weekend. The inaugural Virgen de Guadalupe Market & Fideo Cook Off will center on a fideo cook off (wherein the winner will receive a cash prize) and an artisan market. While the event is free to attend in general, and the market free to peruse, the fideo samplings will cost you $2 a pop. Alternately, you could take advantage of the $25 VIP pass, which will get you a taste of all the contestants’ offerings. Free, 7-9pm, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, (210) 262-8653, brickatbluestar.com. — JC SPECIAL EVENT

sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 20167• CURRENT 25

CALENDAR

ART Art opening: “The Artist Awakens: Star Wars-Themed Art Show” Santa Maria

Social Club’s BYOB Star Wars-themed group show includes work from more than a dozen artists, limited edition T-shirts, beats by DJ FM, Latin-American fare for purchase from These Guys food truck and photo ops with Vader Claus — cosplay encouraged. $7, 6pm-midnight Saturday; Santa Maria Social Club, 3020 N. St Marys St., (210) 833-3666.

Art Party: It’s a Small World After All

SAMA and KRTU’s Art Party series continues with an evening of gallery tours, art-making activities, specialty cocktails (cash bar) and live music by Small World Jazz Trio. $8-$12, 6-8pm Friday; San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100.

“Images of Carrie: Remembering a Princess" Central Library celebrates

the life and work of Carrie Fisher with a one-day pop-up exhibit featuring fan art and photography, plus a screening of her penultimate movie appearance as Princess Leia — cosplay encouraged. Free, 11am-4pm Sunday (film at 2pm); Central Library, 600 Soledad St., (210) 207-2500.

“Wire and Jacks” Southwest School

of Art sculpture and integrated media students team up with Jason Cella, Xavier Gilmore and Shea McGilvray for a special performance incorporating video and electro-acoustic music. Free, 8-9pm Thursday; Southwest School of Art, 300 Augusta St., (210) 200-8200.

FILM Elf Slab Cinema and the City of San Antonio

cohost a free outdoor screening of Jon Favreau’s 2003 classic starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf as he makes his way from the North Pole to the Big Apple in search of his dad. Part of the Holiday Movies in the Park series, the screening comes complete with food trucks, giveaways, pre-show entertinment and photo ops with Santa. Free, 5-9pm Tuesday (film at 7pm); Travis Park, 301 E. Travis St., (210) 212-9373.

THEATER Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Based

on the 1954 movie starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas tells the story of a song-and-dance team putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn and falling for a stunning sister act in the process. $35-$90, 7:30pm Tuesday (through Dec. 17); The Majestic Theatre, 224 E Houston St., (210) 226-3333.

La Pastorela La Pastorela is a centuries-

old Mexican tradition of recreating the biblical passage where the shepherds follow the Star of Bethlehem to find the newborn Christ. The Archangel, San Miguel, and the devil, Luzbel, make a

CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

wager on the unmanageable shepherds and the fun begins. This modern twist on the comedic bilingual play celebrates the season with themes of hope, joy and peace. $10, 7pm Friday-Saturday, 2:30pm Sunday; San Antonio Mennonite Church, 1433 S. St. Mary’s St., (210) 281-1726.

Las Nuevas Tamaleras After the passing

of her mother, playwright and director Alicia Mena was moved to write Las Nuevas Tamaleras, a play that honors her mother’s legacy and preserves her family’s rich cultural traditions. The one-act comedy centers on three Mexican-American women who try their hand at making tamales for the very first time. Things don’t go as planned, however, when the ghosts of the legendary tamale experts Doña Juanita and Doña Mercedes decide to pay the three tamaleras a visit. $20-$25, 8pm FridaySaturday, 3pm Sunday; Our Lady of the Lake University, Thiry Auditorium, 411 SW 24th St., (210) 849-2003.

SPECIAL EVENTS Good Market Presented by the Ethical

Network of San Antonio in partnership with The Impact Guild, Good Market welcomes an assortment of socially conscious vendors and purpose-built businesses offering artisanal items, ethical fashion and fair-trade goods. Free, 10am-4pm Saturday; The Impact Guild, 708 W. Summit Ave., (210) 920-0728.

Nido Mercado Festivo Bringing together

an array of talented artists, collectors and designers, the pop-up market Nido Mercado Festivo invites guests to sip and shop a unique collection of gifts. Free, 7-10pm Saturday, noon-5pm Sunday, 11am-7pm Tuesday (through Dec. 23); The Monty, 1127 S. St. Mary’s St.

OPEN Holiday Market As an initiative

of the Center City Development and Operations Department (CCDO) in partnership with property owners and retailers, OPEN offers local entrepreneurs no-cost, short-term leases in vacant downtown properties. Free, 11am-7pm Friday-Saturday, noon-6pm Sunday; Book Building, 140 E. Houston St., (210) 207-3914.

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Personal narratives, politics and pop culture collide in the work of local artist Richard Armendariz

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Much like the markings of a tattoo artist, Richard Armendariz’s carved paintings symbolize both pain and beauty. With surgical precision, Armendariz applies an adapted power tool onto his brilliantly painted wooden panels, bringing to light a plethora of mythological creatures, figures and text by way of crosshatched incisions. This month, Ruiz-Healy Art presents “Tell Me Where It Hurts,” a new exhibition comprising the artist’s signature carved paintings and large-scale woodblock prints. The title of the show is inspired by the common phrase heard at the doctor’s office and refers to both a physical and mental state. “It’s about the body but it’s also about the mind and the psychological state that a person is in,” Armendariz explains. “Also, as a Latino, it revolves around the idea that we don’t always ask for help … we don’t go to the doctor or therapist. It’s funny to tell someone that you’re in therapy if you’re a Latino because it goes against this macho attitude.” A professor of art at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Armendariz was selected to participate in Blue Star Contemporary’s Berlin Residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in 2013 and became the Doseum’s inaugural resident artist in 2017. His work is represented in the collections of the Denver Art Museum, the San Antonio Museum of Art and the McNay Art Museum. Born in the bordertown of El Paso, Armendariz draws from popular culture as well as indigenous and Mexican-American traditions to create his large-scale paintings that reflect his Southwest upbringing. In Cono de Fuego, Armendariz portrays himself leaning forward against a turbulent red sky as he receives the traditional Mexican remedy of a candle melting in his left ear. He wears a T-shirt celebrating The Cramps, the 1980s-era psychobilly punk band. A common home remedy used to heal various ailments, Armendariz’s cono bears the epitaph, “Revolution is in the air.” Here, Armendariz draws parallels between personal narratives and the current political climate. Also noteworthy in this exhibition are Armendariz’s homages to his progenitors: the African-American artist Kara Walker and fellow El Paso native Luis Jimenez. In Hun, Armendariz depicts Walker as she stares into the distance with various images of crocodiles, tears “Tell Me Where It Hurts” and a palm tree carved into the figure’s face. Free Opening reception 6-8pm Wed, Dec. 6 Of Walker, Armendariz says, “She’s always been a On view 11am-4pm Tue-Sat through Jan. 13 gigantic influence on my work both conceptually and Ruiz-Healy Art formally … She is someone I hold in high esteem … 201 E. Olmos Drive what I like to do is learn about the people who inspired (210) 804-2219 ruizhealyart com me. All of that, I think is very fascinating.”

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ARTS + CULTURE

Art as

Medicine

Clockwise from left: works by Adriana Monsalve, Arlene Mejorado, Sarah Castillo, Adriana Monsalve

‘Chicana Feelings’ and ‘Entre Orillas’ show how visibility can be a way of healing ALEJANDRA GONZALEZ

≥

For an artist who says she has trouble expressing her feelings, Lady Base Gallery owner Sarah Castillo isn’t convincing anyone. She’s experimented with photography, textiles and written word, among other mediums, and is consistently finding new ways to share her experiences and culture. In her upcoming show “Chicana Feelings,” a visual component to her thesis “Art as an Embodied Practice: Artistic Expression, Conocimiento, and Identity Formation,” Castillo allows us to step into her world of reclamation, survival and self-making identity. With a diverse body of work that includes paintings, video, photography, mixed media, textiles and a zine, “Chicana Feelings” is Castillo’s way of crossing the bridges of intersectionality that have brought pain and trauma to her life. A reflection of the last 10 years, during which she’s faced abuse, issues of addiction and mental health, “Chicana Feelings” is Castillo’s continually evolving story of growth and self-healing. As a 2016 National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures

(NALAC) grant recipient, Castillo has seized the opportunity to explore social spaces, themes of identity and the notion of not belonging. Teaming up with fellow NALAC grant recipients Arlene Mejorado and Adriana Monsalve, who will present a photography exhibition entitled “Entre Orillas,” the three artists will converge at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center as the culmination of their yearlong grant. Drawing on parallel stories of the borderlands through documentation, photography and text, Mejorado captures the narratives of Tijuana and Southern California in “Entre Orillas,” while her mentor, Monsalve, follows the people and culture of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. They meet in the middle with similar themes tied to femme identity and migration, touching on violence, survival, joy, and sexuality, and broaden the conversation about subjects that are “too often shown in one dimension.” “I believe when we open up and share our stories, we become mirrors of each other,” Mejorado says. “We feel seen, we feel understood, and that can be medicine.” For some people, she adds, “visibility can be healing.”

At the heart of both “Chicana Feelings” and “Entre Orillas” are auto-ethnographic studies. The artists have diagnosed the trauma of growing up as the “other,” selfmedicated with art and regenerated identities through self-representation — ultimately forming complementary, multidisciplinary exhibitions. Set to run through January 19, “Chicana Feelings” and “Entre Orillas” will open with a reception at 6 p.m. Friday, December 8, featuring Chulita Vinyl Club and the debut of Femme Frontera, a book version of Mejorado’s and Monsalve’s works, published by Homie House Press. “Chicana Feelings” & “Entre Orillas” A free artist talk with Free Opening reception 6pm Fri, Dec. 8 moderators Dr. Josie Artist talk 2pm Sun, Dec. 10 Mendez-Negrete and On view 9am-5pm Mon-Fri through Jan. 26 Kristel Orta-Puente will Galería Guadalupe 723 S. Brazos St. be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 10 (210) 271-3151 guadalupeculturalarts.org at Galería Guadalupe. sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 29

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Personality

The Disaster Artist pays tribute to The Room, but fails to exceed its predecessor’s watchability

“Don’t be weird.” That’s the admonishment that Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) gives Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) at one of their earliest meetings — a meet-up at a San Francisco restaurant to discuss partnering for a scene in their shared acting class — in The Disaster Artist. Wiseau then cajoles Sestero into performing the scene in the middle of the restaurant, utilizing the “acting louder is acting better” approach to the craft. The patrons of the restaurant deliver a confused smattering of applause at the end, but Sestero barely notices. He’s already fallen for Wiseau’s unique brand of charismatic no-fucks-given approach to life. What’s “weird” to Wiseau isn’t yelling Tennessee Williams lines in the middle of a restaurant; it’s holding back because you’re worried what other people might think of you. It’s a mindset that garnered Wiseau millions of — well, “admirers” might not be the right word, but certainly “fans” — in the wake of The Room, a 2003 feature that Wiseau wrote, directed, starred in and financed that has gone on to become a cult hit based on its sheer, earnest incompetence. The Disaster Artist, thankfully, is far from incompetent, even as it revels in the stranger-than-fiction story behind the making of The Room. Don’t expect much new information to come to light if you’ve already read Sestero’s book on which the film was based, though; despite a bravura performance from James Franco, Wiseau remains as inscrutable as ever. The film is framed around the friendship between Sestero and Wiseau. After meeting in acting class, they develop a friendship that leads them both to move to Los Angeles to pursue the Hollywood dream. After finding out that Wiseau already has an apartment in LA,

The Room Actress and New SA Resident Juliette Danielle on The Disaster Artist THADDEUS MCCOLLUM

KIKO MARTÍNEZ

Sestero asks him why he’s never tried his hand at acting professionally before. Wiseau answers, “I’ve never had a friend to do it with before.” The pair of aspiring actors find little success, and end up deciding to make their own movie with Wiseau’s considerable fortune. Meanwhile, their friendship turns dark when Wiseau begins to get jealous of Sestero’s new girlfriend, Amber, played by an underused Alison Brie. Fans of the The Room will find plenty to enjoy in The Disaster Artist, from how Wiseau and Sestero’s rooftop lamentations about their acting careers are echoed by their characters’ chats in The Room to the inspiration for the classic line, “You are tearing me apart, Lisa!” But despite assurances from James Franco on the talk show circuit, it’s unlikely that those who aren’t already in love with The Room are going to fall for The Disaster Artist. The comedic moments — of which there are many, and they all land — are mostly predicated on the assumption that the audience has at least some familiarity with the source. For the uninitiated, a brief trip through YouTube for a primer on The Room’s best worst moments should catch you up enough to enjoy The Disaster Artist. At its heart, The Disaster Artist is a film by and for fans of The Room. It’s a testament to the enduring cult that springs up around sobad-they’re-good films and filmmakers. But as a passion project about a cult classic, The Disaster Artist intrinsically limits itself. After watching The Disaster Artist, you’re more likely to want to go home and dust off your old DVD of The Room than watch Franco’s imitation of it, no matter how lovingly it’s made. In that sense, at least, it’s far better to go ahead and be weird.

For the last 14 years, all actress Juliette Danielle has wanted is for her Hollywood debut to be forgotten. While that might not be the usual reaction for a female lead, not every actress has had the misfortune of starring in the unintentional comedy The Room. Despite being considered one of the worst movies ever made, The Room has gone on to develop a massive cult following and commands interactive screenings much like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In The Room, Danielle starred as Lisa, the deceitful fi ancée of main character Johnny (Tommy Wiseau) who tears his world apart when she begins an affair with his best friend Mark (Greg Sestero). This past March, Danielle, 36, and her husband packed up everything and moved from Los Angeles to San Antonio. What brought you to San Antonio? We just wanted to get the heck out of Los Angeles. I grew up in Sugarland, so it has been a dream of mine to move back to Texas for over a decade. We spent a lot of time looking into the different big cities. San Antonio stood out above the rest. I love the growing economy, great infrastructure and I really like the culture and food. Now that you’ve seen The Disaster Artist, what did you think about it? I wasn’t sure how I would feel, but it was completely surreal. Overall, I loved the film. I think they did an incredible job. One of my favorite things was the impeccable attention to detail on the wardrobe and set. I felt transported! When you were making The Room, did you think you were making a bad film? We knew that we weren’t making a wonderful film, but we never thought anyone would see it. I mean, there are so many bad films that get made that no one ever sees. We clearly underestimated Tommy. What was the moment when you realized The Room had turned into a cultural phenomenon? All these years I have secretly wished it would just go away. But even after 15 years, it just keeps coming back! In Los Angeles, I would get recognized in the early years. Then I would see celebrities talking about it. Once I went to London and saw it was playing there. I used to have a fan mail box and I received mail from everywhere. I have fans all over the world. sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 31

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CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

FOOD

Viva La Dough opens

FOOD COURT Cookie dough and burgers to explore JESSICA ELIZARRARAS + ADELAIDA ESPINOZA

> The scoops keeping coming as a second cookie dough opens its doors in San Antonio. Viva La Dough, opened by mother-daughter team of Krista and Angelica Rodriguez, hosted its grand opening on Saturday, November 25. Billed as an edible craft cookie dough shop, Viva La Dough will carry 10 house-made flavors created by mom Krista including chocolate chip cookie dough; Big Five Dough (named after David Robinson) with Oreo-esque base, marshmallow fluff and throwback Spurs colors; Doey Fatone with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, flaked coconut and graham crackers; Game Day with peanuts, M&Ms, pretzels and potato chips; and La Vido Loca with Mexican hot chocolate and dulce de leche. What sets Viva La Dough apart is they don’t use eggs for their dough mixes. For now, the shop will feature three mini scoops for $3.95, one scoop for $3.50, two for $6.50 and three for $9.50. Extra toppings are .50 cents each. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the time being. 6222 De Zavala Road, Suite 104, facebook.com/vivaladough.

Ho-Ho-Hamburger

> Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar is celebrating the holiday season with a new burger of the month. Walk-On’s is dishing out “The Blitzen Burger” throughout December for $13.99. Brioche buns are stacked with a half-pound patty (half ground venison and half ground beef), bacon, green apples, feta, Peppadews, ghost pepper cheese and spinach tossed in pepper jelly vinaigrette. Oh, and it is served alongside shoestring fries. The restaurant recommends pairing the burger with Shiner Holiday Cheer because, duh, Christmas. Obviously. 1400 Pantheon Way, (210) 451-0563.

Burgerteca is here

RON BECHTOL

> After four years of stop-and-start planning and construction, during which time Johnny Hernandez nearly lost interest due to other projects, the celebrated chef finally added Burgerteca in the Big Tex development to his arsenal of popular eating establishments. It officially opens Monday, but the restaurant invited media to check out the space and menu this Wednesday night. Boasting mango-bright colors, multiple Mexican masks and evocative, papel machado alebrijes in the form of deer and other phantasmagoric creatures, the lofty space alone makes seeking out parking worth the effort at this newest addition to the burgeoning Blue Star ‘hood. At the press opening, we tasted mostly slider-sized versions of what will be full-sized burgers — served on house-baked buns. Any concerns about balance in the use of sweet mole and grilled pineapple can be more easily addressed full-scale. We tasted a beef al pastor, a Oaxacan rendition with black beans and mole, and the appealing Pacifica featuring seared tuna with jalapeño lime mayo, all from the left side of the menu that Hernandez considers his more-Mexican inspired offerings. But don’t ignore the right side’s Big Tex Classic with tomatillo ketchup and chipotle lime mayo. (Bacon isn’t mentioned, but some crisp pieces on the sliders added desirable texture and, frankly, fat.) If you gather the courage to order the mole-slathered and white cheese-dotted fries with sharp pickled onion, please be prepared to share. And also be prepared to frankly brain-freeze-out on the house-made helados. The “nachos” are more like a south-of-the-border take on a banana split. The coconada bathed with mango and pineapple syrups is lush and irresistible, and the creamy mangonada, (there’s also a potent, frozen rum drink by the same name), blends mango with spiky chamoy. Buen provecho. 403 Blue Star. Mole fries from Burgerteca

sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 33

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PATRIOTIC POP

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS | @JESSELIZARRARAS

≥

Pop for President. It’s not an anthem, per se, as much as it is a rallying cry getting us through the next several years. It’s wishful, cheeky and mostly a joke (but really, Pop, think about it), and for Jessica Herrera of Carmelita’s Mexican Restaurant, the “Pop for President” theme the restaurant commissioned to celebrate 15 years in business, the slogan was silly. Herrera commissioned Albert Gonzales of Hausmann Milworks for a Pop-centric piece since he shared her vision. After a month’s worth of texting and coordinating, Herrera approved a Uncle Sam-esque mural with Pop, Timmy, Tony, Manu and Kawhi and the words “Pop for President” above the players. The artist says he was inspired by Pop being more vocal against the current administration. In recent months, Pop’s no-holds-barred answers to reporter questions have included calling Trump a ”soulless coward,” a “pathological liar” and saying “there’s a cloud, a pall over the whole country.” Gonzales’ other work includes a large mural behind

Burger Culture with the Big 3. Gonzales began the mural on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. “We were here late and people were coming by and honking and taking photos,” Gonzales said. “Even when the restaurant opened, nothing bad had happened, except for one customer.” Gonzales described an exchange with a regular who watched him as he painted. “I asked how his day was going and he said, ‘It was going well until I’d seen this.’ He went inside and left abruptly after talking to the owner.” Minutes later, Herrera asked Gonzales to paint over the faux campaign slogan. Gonzales shared his disappointment in a Facebook Live video where he’s seen spray painting over the words. “I thought it would be silly,” Herrera said. “I realize we have all generations and all sorts of customers, but it wasn’t our intent to offend.” Though Herrera said most of the feedback had been

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS

Carmelita’s partially takes down “Pop for President” mural because of fully-triggered customer

positive so far (“even a Trump supporter I know of laughed at it,”), she described the exchange with the same customer Gonzales encountered, a regular at Carmelita’s, as shocking. Herrera took down what the customer said on her smartphone and shared it with the Current. “He said, ‘That’s not good for business,’ I said ‘OK.’ He said, ‘I’m just letting you know,’ I said ‘OK,’ and he said, ‘It’s disappointing,’” Herrera said. “I didn’t say anything else because when they’re here, the customer is always right, but it scared me.” “We’re the epitome of a mom and pop shop and we take it seriously,” Herrera, who has been a part of the family business since she was 18, went on. “This is my home and I would hate to have someone not come back.” Though the sign has been painted over, and the Spurs players and coach remain, Herrera doesn’t want to take the risk of offending more thin-skinned Trumpsupporting customers. “Maybe I spooked too quickly...” she trailed off. sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 35

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NIGHTLIFE

WELCOME

BACK Francis Bogside still nails cocktails, fare in pub setting

Barbaro’s adds late-night happy hour to lineup

TIPPLE TEST

RON BECHTOL

ERIN WINCH

Name: Barbaro Background: Part of the Empty Stomach group which includes Hot Joy in Southtown, as well as Chisme and Paper Tiger on the St. Mary’s Strip. Barbaro was one of the first to open and it is home to great pizza, craft cocktails, and it sports a favorite brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays. Happy Hour: While they have a regular happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. daily with half-off cocktails, they just started a late night special as well. The deal consists of a classic cocktail (Old Fashioned, Moscow Mule, Daiquiri) and a small pizza for $10 Wednesday thru Sunday after 10:30 p.m. Patrons: The visitors vary from college kids that are looking for a deal on great pizza and a cocktail to pair with it, to older professionals that work and live in Monte Vista area, visiting for the ambiance and the conversation. Experience: Visiting on a Saturday night, you would think that bar would be more crowded than it was, yet there were still booths opens and seats in the bar area. The service is always consistent and spot on: your water is refilled, servers are friendly, they know the menu well. After taking a seat, the servers come quickly to the table, and take your order. Make sure you mention the $10 pizza deal when ordering, because though they run the promotion, it doesn’t seem that the servers promote it too much. For the drinks, choose from a glass of house red or white, a Daiquiri, an Old Fashioned or the Moscow Mule. For the pizza — choose any small from one of Barbaro’s five menu pizzas. The Clams Casino is a popular choice, and the country ham is a great spicy option. If there is a veggie craving opt for the summer vegetable or the hash brown, which has actual hash browns on it for extra carbs. The pizza menu, like the drink menu, has enough of a variety that there is something for everyone. It’s great spot to visit to cure a late night case of the munchies, and the deal even runs on weekends so it’s great for those that work late. With the variety of choices, it’s a happy hour deal that will be at the front of the mind, so that everything can be ordered at least once. 2720 McCullough (210) 320-2261.

Erin Winch writes about boozin’ in the Alamo City on her blog Drinking In SA. Follow her on Instagram at @drinking.in.sa for more.

ERIN WINCH

Francis Bogside reopened on Halloween with a bang — a year to the day from the fire that put it out of business for way too long. In commemoration, the staff was outfitted in SAFD T-shirts. With the wall formerly dividing Francis and Brigid blown out, allowing for double the bar, the space is now large, loud and, at least on this costumed and festive night, a place you wanted to be. Little of the old Irish emphasis remains on either the food or drink menu. Among Old Familiar Friends on the bar side, there’s still an Irish Old Fashioned with Jameson and a house Guinness syrup, and the Desmond with Paddy’s Irish Whiskey. Dark Soul with both mezcal and gin I don’t recall from before, and there’s a new Kinsman Rakia drink with vodka, pear, blackberry lemon and allspice — though this sounds like way too much in one glass, it all works. There are several bottled Texas beers including the revived Celis Pale Bock. And a couple of HighWheel brews from just down the street on south Flores are available on tap. The Francis kitchen is now under the direction of Chris Cook. I was reluctant to order food on the first night, but the troops were hungry. Massive adrenaline (or Fernet or other stimulants) must have been fueling the staff, as the food appeared in commendably short time. And it seemed spot-on. You may not have to order beef cheek mac and cheese too many times in your life, but know that if you’re ready for a caloric bomb, accented with crispy fried onion, this is your poison. The contents in the Bogside burger, bracketed by a shiny, brioche bun, seemed a little slippery, but the taste was as good as remembered, and the house chips with spicy ketchup seduced as before. My one taste of the yardbird curry with coconut masala made me want to come back. Also appearing worth a return are plates such as lamb meatballs with za‘atar and a tuna aguachile. And yes, there are still pizzas. For the Pit Pig, sporting BBQ bacon and gorgonzola, I might almost excuse Francis Bogside 803 S. St. Mary’s St. the appearance of pineapple. At (210) 369-9192 least it’s grilled. 4pm-2am daily; 11am-3pm Sunday brunch Welcome back.

ERIN WINCH

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sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 37

MUSIC

THE TROPHY ROOM

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CHRIS CONDE

San Antonio rockers Nothing More have been nominated for three Grammys >San Antonio’s own Nothing More has just been nominated for three Grammys. That’s a big fucking deal. And honestly, they deserve all three. The dudes have been hitting it hard since 2003 (they’re actually still on tour). Their last album The Stories We Tell Ourselves (nominated for Best Rock Album Of The Year) is solid AF, and is definitely worth listening to for anyone who appreciates well-written rock ‘n’ roll. Nothing More released a statement to the Current shortly after receiving the news: “We’re in the middle of our European tour right now, and just as we were pulling into Prague, we got the news. Three Grammy nominations! We can’t believe it! Thank you so much! What’s also a little crazy is seeing these local boys placed next to bands like Metallica, Foo Fighters, Chris Cornell, and Mastodon. Here’s their nominations, along with the other folks nominated in their categories: Best Rock Performance “Go To War” - Nothing More “You Want It Darker” - Leonard Cohen “The Promise” - Chris Cornell “Run” - Foo Fighters “No Good” - Kaleo Best Rock Song “Go To War” - Ben Anderson, Jonny Hawkins, Will Hoffman, Daniel Oliver, David Pramik & Mark Vollelunga, songwriters (Nothing More) “Atlas, Rise!” - James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica) “Blood In The Cut” - JT Daly & Kristine Flaherty, songwriters (K.Flay) “Run” - Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters) “The Stage” - Zachary Baker, Brian Haner, Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward & Brooks Wackerman, songwriters (Avenged Sevenfold) Best Rock Album The Stories We Tell Ourselves - Nothing More Emperor Of Sand - Mastodon Hardwired...To Self-Destruct - Metallica Villains - Queens Of The Stone Age A Deeper Understanding - The War On Drugs Congratulations guys! Best of luck bringing all three Grammys home to the Alamo City!

CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

RONNIE MUNIZ

MONDAY & TUESDAY | HAPPY HOUR 4P-8P | $4 AFTER 8P | SIN MONDAYS @TROPHYROOMSATX #SOCIALDRINKERY

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CONTEMPORARY

WHATEVER

RONNIE MUNIZ

RICK WEAVER

Exploring Dane Rousay’s new experimental music series

≥

Sometimes you have to take your time, like Jacob Wick did with “Over the Rainbow” during his October 24 performance at Lowcountry. He augmented and suspended the classic dreamer’s melody, sometimes holding one note through circular breathing for countless measures. Lost in the dream, we weren’t going to see what was over the rainbow any time soon. In the next parking lot over, a food truck pumped pop music. Traffic and conversation added to the ambiance. His trumpet unamplified, Wick did not attempt to compete with the environment; instead, he melded with it, blending in with the night. Visiting from Mexico City, Wick is one of the artists who has toured through San Antonio since October to perform as part of the ongoing experimental music series aptly named Contemporary Whatever. Every Tuesday evening at Ventura, attendees don’t know what to expect. In other words, they expect the unexpected. If it sounds uninviting, it isn’t. The performances can be challenging, but the atmosphere is casual. Much of that is owed to Ventura, a gimmick-free dive bar conveniently situated along the River Walk. Much of that is owed to the main curator Dane Rousay (who favors the pronouns they/ them), who facilitates the events with an alternating handsoff, hands-on approach. The underlying concept — as barebones as Ventura – seems to go no further than the name. “There had to be some sort of cohesive element to it even if it was just within the name,” Rousay said. It’s controlled chaos, the control being in the logistics. “I really like all that kind of stuff,” Rousay said. To Rousay, logistics are usually the hardest thing to solidify in

experimental or DIY community events. But the planning ends once the performances begin. “The people playing the shows are the ones that are going to bring the unexpected elements, which makes it fun,” they said. Contemporary Whatever is most consistent in its unpredictability. The series is helping to create a new traffic pattern: They, Who Sound in Houston, Me Mer Mo in Austin, Outward Bound Mixtape Sessions in Dallas. All three experimental series recur on Monday, leaving Tuesday wide open for booking some wild sounds, and making San Antonio an attractive destination for experimental musicians already touring through Texas. At first, Rousay crowdsourced the internet for performers in order to fill the bills. Now people are coming out of the woodwork. “I’m surprised that I’m able to fill a weekly show,” they said. “Now I have people submitting Bandcamp links that I had no idea existed.” Conversations are taking place, on stage and off, between locals and travelers, musicians and listeners. The analog conversation between Rick Reed (Austin) and Kjell Bjørgeengen (Norway) was in an alien language during a show last month. Reed’s electronics and Bjørgeengen’s projections provided a dizzy mode of transportation to the outer limits. Referring to his collaborator’s visuals, Reed said, “It reminds me, in a good way, of how TV sets used to work when I was a kid. The set would have to warm up before it came on, usually revealing this otherworldly image that had a lot of depth to it. Sort of like an imaginary world totally unlike anything in the real world.”

While Contemporary Whatever brings in out-of-towners, it also provides an outlet for local musicians to cultivate their craft and pull out all the stops. Call it an experimental rodeo, or an outlandish sonic salon, if you will. Nicki Apostolow was the first artist to present a nonmusical performance, mixing video art with dentistry. On December 3, (a Sunday show to fit the touring acts Michael Foster and Ben Bennett’s schedule) she plans to present a live cooking show. Accustomed to playing with bands, Jared Flores used the platform to play solo for the first time, which “was another challenge that I had been avoiding for a fair bit up until now,” he said. Sculptor, linguist and sound artist Svetlana Zwetkof has performed as well as designed flyers for the series. She believes Contemporary Whatever is “not by any means stunted, but could benefit from expansion into other disciplines.” Contemporary Whatever will continue its ambitious programming through December. Michael Foster, Ben Bennett and Ganjisland are a few of the touring acts booked. Looking past December, Rousay hopes the series will continue through 2018 and for years to come. They daydream about extended performances, new collaborations, guest curators and Free, 18+ more non-musical experiences. Sure, a Tuesdays Ventura flexible aesthetic can be risky, but it can 1011 Avenue B also be fun. Rousay will continue to roll the (210) 802-6940 dice, risks aside. venturasatx.com. “I just want everybody to do well,” Rousay said. “Everybody wants to do well in whatever way that makes them feel good.” sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 39

Candlebox

Wed., Dec 6 •7pm • All Ages

DEC. 8 • CHRIS KNIGHT (FULL BAND)

Grizfolk

Walker Lukens + The Unlikely Candidates

Thur., Dec 7 • 7:30pm • All Ages

DEC. 9 • THE DIRTY RIVER BOYS

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DEC. 15 • THE BELLAMY BROTHERS

Prayers

Sat., Dec 9 • 7pm • All Ages

Fri., Dec 15 • 7pm • All Ages

DEC. 20 • STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES

Parallelephants

Fri., Dec 15 • 8pm • All Ages

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MUSIC

If you pay attention to the Austin music scene, the surprisingly bland landscape that exists just beyond the veneer created by a storied history and a constant barrage of great touring shows, then you have likely heard of Walker Lukens. The talented singer-songwriter and multiinstrumentalist turned indie-pop delight has dropped two excellent albums and a swell EP since 2013. He, along with his trusty backing band The Side Arms, has killed SXSW, toured extensively, and garnered a shitload of glowing national press. But, all that aside, there are two reasons why you’ll wanna make sure to catch Lukens and company on Thursday night. First, Lukens and his band are truly magnetic performers, with swag-filled stage presence for miles. Secondly, Lukens’ latest release, the recently out Tell it to the Judge LP (which was produced by Spoon’s Jim Eno) is a masterful album that takes itself just the right amount of seriously, rewardingly melding indie-pop, soul, electronic and (even) hip-hop, with a rock ’n’ roll base that falls somewhere between arena-rock and classic rock. $8-$15, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. – James Courtney

THU

CANDLEBOX Formed in 1990, Candlebox started playing in clubs all over Seattle in ’91, put out an EP, and signed with Maverick Records (Alanis Morissette, Deftones, The Prodigy) not too long after. If you were alive to remember radio in ’90s, Candlebox made some pretty hefty rotation alongside bands like, you know, Soundgarden, Semisonic, Nirvana, and pretty much all the big alternative and grunge bands that came out in that era. While their latest sound hasn’t been received quite as well as their earlier work (to be fair, it was a different world back then), there’s something to be said about having an album that certified platinum four times, which they did with their self-titled ’93 LP. $23.50, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. – CC WED

If you don’t really dig country music, I’m of the opinion that you just haven’t found the right artist yet. I actually was like this for a long time, until someone showed me “Jolene” from Dolly Parton (I know, I’m basic) and introduced me to Dwight Yoakam’s catalog. While these folks are great places to start, Arkansas’ Dylan Earl has managed to tap into a rustic vintage country sound while putting a contemporary edge on it. It’s sort of the perfect mix of old meets new, and I’m pretty convinced that this guy might have what it takes to make anyone a believer in the genre. Free, 8pm, Lowcountry, 318 Martinez St., (210) 560-2224. – Chris Conde THU

MUSIC PICKS

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COURTESY OF PARADISE ARTISTS

Walker Lukens

DYLAN EARL

Josh Turner With the lowest of basses and a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts, Josh Turner takes '90s sounding contemporary country to a newer and more modern edge for am endearing blend of straight-forward country and pop-rock. The country heartthrob rocked the Rodeo earlier this year, so if you missed him here’s your chance to get up close and personal with one of the best acts the genre has to offer. $20-$40, 7pm, Cowboys Dancehall, 3030 NE 410 Loop, (210) 646-9378, cowboysdancehall.com. – CC FRI

COURTESY OF DYLAN EARL

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Chulita Vinyl Club Tejana Xmas Party Returning to San Anto for their three year anniversary party, Texas favorites the Chulita Vinyl Club are hosting a special Tejana Xmas party! Now a national network, CVC has been making waves all over the states with affiliations up and down the West coast and throughout Texas. Support for the club has come from all over including National Public Radio, The Los Angeles Times, and Texas Monthly. And rightfully so. Known well for representing a diverse range of sounds from cumbias and rancheras to Chicano soul and disco, the all-female DJ collective have done their part to ensure the sweeter and rarer side of these musics are kept alive. Trust that CVC will bring the musical heat back to San Anto where true fans of their mission have stood by their side since day one. Expect the music to play until closing time (without interruption). $3, 10pm, Betty’s Battalion, 1524 E. Grayson St., (210) 227-9255. – JJ Lopez FRI

LINDSEY BYRNES

DANCE GAVIN DANCE Post-hardcore has started to become a bit of a stale genre. Like, the same ‘ol screams, breakdowns, clean singing parts and desperate lyrics about relationships, or Jesus or whatever, have become so paint-by-number, that a lot of the shit’s just painfully boring (a reason why the genre is dying out). Dance Gavin Dance, however, have managed to stay just ahead of the curve with their tight instrumentation, solid songwriting and unique math-rock guitar melodies. Also on the bill is Polyphia, who write songs that sound like they could be playing in the background during the flying level in every video game ever. Distorted, poppy, jazzy, metal guitar riffs accompany technical drumming to produce a sound that is half hilarious, half awe-inspiring and 100 percent goofy. Still considered part of the “djent” movement, even though the band isn’t quite as heavy as groups like Periphery or Born Of Osiris, Polyphia explore the outlying realms of jazz and metal for a unique brand of technical prog-rock that’s been fascinating listeners since 2010. Hailing from Dallas, this young trio are proving that prog-rock isn’t necessarily for dads in Rush T-shirts anymore. $23-$25, 7pm, Alamo City Music Hall, 1305 E. Houston St., alamocitymusichall.com. – CC FRI

PRAYERS Founded by Rafael Reyes and Dave Parley, Prayers is a Chicano electronic rock duo based in Los Angeles. Since 2013, the group have been credited with coining the term cholo-goth to describe the genre that they play which is sort of a mix of ’80s synth pop and darkwave and have lyrics that explore gang and street life. Perfect for a dance party in a graveyard on the Eastside, Prayers has a vibe that honestly sounds like it came straight out of San Antonio. $15-$17, 7pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. – CC SAT

SIMON WOLAK

WYE OAK Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Wye Oak combine the live instrumentation of indie folk rock with danceable rhythms and dreamy pop melodies for a sound that’s atmospheric but tangible. The duo is composed of Andy Stack (drums, keyboards, backup vocals) and Jenn Wasner (vocals, guitars and bass); Wasner sings lead vocals and plays electric or acoustic guitar, while Stack plays both drums and keyboards — at the same time. He plays the drums with his feet and right hand, and the bass line with his left hand. That’s reason enough to catch this show. $12-$15, 8pm, 502 Bar, (210) 257-8125, 502bar.com. – CC SAT

SHERVIN LAINEZ

sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 43

MUSIC

MUSIC CALENDAR

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6

of Orlando, Florida. $27-$90. Alamo City Music Hall & Club, 6pm

Aaron Stephens Soul singer/songwriter from McAllen joined by Defrance and Wassailfest Special Aaron Stephens Band ‘Arkansas’ Dave Pennington. $7-$30. Sam’s performs soul singer/songwriter music. Burger Joint, 7:30pm Free. The Phoenix Saloon, 9pm Bru’s Tunes Live acoustic music by Bru’s Tunes. Free. La Hacienda De Los Barrios, 6-9pm Candlebox American rock band from Seattle. $23.50. Paper Tiger, 7pm Clint Black Country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Clint Black. $29.50$74.50. Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 8pm Paulie Think Chicago hip hop/folk punk artist Paulie Think is joined by SpyMC and more. $5. Limelight, 9pm Traditional Music of the Middle East Aaron Michael feauturing instruments such as the bouzouki, oud and clarinet. Free. Naara Cafe and Hookah, 9-11pm THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7 Blue Note Ringos Beatles tribute band. Free. The Cove, 7:30-10:30pm

MON-THU : 4PM-2AM | FRI-SUN: 2PM-2AM

CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8 Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Creole Christmas The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (New Orleans, LA) performs traditional New Orleans-style jazz. Presented by ARTS San Antonio. $29$99. Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 7:30-9:30pm Chris Knight Country singer/songwriter from Slaughters, Kentucky performs with a full-band. $17.50-$22. Floore’s Country Store, 9pm Dance Gavin Dance Post-hardcore band from Sacramento, California. $59-$72. Alamo City Music Hall & Club, 6pm EMO is Forever DJs spinning the best of emo, screamo, pop-punk and more. Free, $5 for minors. Limelight, 9pm Fox Motel Alternative rock band joined by All Sides Equal and The Banisters. $5. Ventura, 9pm

The Unlikely Candidates Indie rock band from Fort Worth, Texas, joined by Friday Afternoon Picker Circle With Walker Lukens and Grizfolk, a five piece Hayden Whittington. Free. Luckenbach alternative folk rock band. $8-$15. Paper Dance Hall, 1-4pm Tiger, 7:30pm The Georges Texas rockabilly act. Free. Icon Talks: Conversation and Concert Gruene Hall, 7-11pm with Tip “TI” Harris Grammy artist Tip Josh Turner Country musician based “TI” Harris will discuss his path, passion out of Nashville. $20-$40. Cowboys and purpose in life and its relevance to his Dancehall, 7pm success, followed by a 45-minute concert of his greatest hits. $45.50-$100. Tobin Kyle Lucas Alternative hip hop act from Center for the Performing Arts, 7-10pm Georgie, joined by Bingx in the small room. $12. Paper Tiger, 6pm Josh Abbott Texas country band from Lubbock is joined by William Clark Green. The Lavens Family band playing a mixture $25. Gruene Hall, 8pm of original material and classic covers. Junkyard Fort Local alternative folk pop Free. The Cove, 6:30-8:30pm band joined by Josh Glenn Experiment Legendary Shack Shakers Rockabilly act and more. $3-$5. Limelight, 9pm from Kentucky, joined by Jesse Dayton, Kimberly Dunn Country rock artist from Americana artist from Austin, Texas. $15. The Amp Room, 9pm Austin is joined by country artist Jeremy McComb. $10-$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm L&M Kings Country Americana act from Fredericksburg. Free. Luckenbach Dance Michael Alanis Guitarist and singer Michael Hall, 4pm Alanis perform a variety of music from rock to reggaeton. Free. The Rustic, 8:30-10pm Par De Reinas: Ana Barbara and Edith Marquez Mexican recording artists Ana Sleeping with Sirens Post-hardcore band

MUSIC

Barbara and Edith Marquez perform at The Aztec. $50-$135. Aztec Theatre, 8pm

Salim Nourallah, singer of Alton, Illinois. $25-$100. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm

Robert Ellis Singer-songwriter and guitarist Minglewood Grateful Dead tribute. $5. The based in Houston is joined by folk artist Pigpen, 9pm Courtney Hartman. Free. The Rustic, Optic Arrest Local indie band joined by Pink 9:30-11pm Leche, North by North and The Classy Ruben V Ruben V brings a blend of blues, Insects, local alt-rock. Free. The Bang Latin, soul, and rock along with Texas Bang Bar, 7-10pm charm. $10-$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm Prayers Chicano electronic rock duo from Shiny New Machines Local indie rock act California is joined by War of Icaza. $15Shiny New Machines is joined by Noise $17. Paper Tiger, 8pm Quota and Sky Ark. $7-$10. Jack’s Bar, 8pm Ron Bultongez Blues singer/songwriter of Sinners & Saints Acoustic country duo from Plano, Texas. Free. The Rustic, 10:30amCharlotte, NC perform at The Cove. Free. noon The Cove, 9-11pm Shakey Graves Americana artist from Through Fire Rock band from Nebraska Austin is joined by The Texas Gentlemen, is joined by Dangerkids, Righteous country rock and roll out of Dallas. $15Vendetta and more. $15-$17. Paper $32. The Rustic, 7-11:30pm Tiger, 6-11pm Texas Hippie Coalition Southern heavy West Kings Highway West Kings Highway metal band from Denison, Texas. $14. The performs blues, jazz and Americana Rock Box, 7pm at their Friday night residency. Free. The Wood Brothers Folk rock band Sancho’s Cantina, 7-9pm performs at The Empire Theatre. Joined by Sean McConnell. $25-$30. Charline SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 McCombs Empire Theatre, 8pm 1313 DJ Ely Bat and DJ Detra spin Weldon Henson Country artist Weldon deathrock, goth and post punk. Free. The Henson performs at Luckenbach. Free. Amp Room, 9pm Luckenbach Dance Hall, 1-5pm Avery Sunshine Neo-Soul, R&B and gospel Wye Oak Indie rock duo of Baltimore is singer Avery Sunshine is joined by Poetica joined by minimalist composer Bayonne. Souljja and Bosston. $38-$58. Tobin Center $12-$15. 502 Bar, 8pm for the Performing Arts, 6 & 9pm SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 Big Band Christmas Music by Doc Watkins

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Conspirare Christmas Grammy® awardwinning vocal act Conspirare is joined by Austin singer/songwriter Carrie Bluntsplitter Metal show with Bluntsplitter, Rodriguez. $20-$75. Tobin Center for the Last Judgements, Metalriser and Chankla. Performing Arts, 7:30pm $5-$8. Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, 8pm Brewtality Inc Austin punk band Brewtality Danni and Kris Acoustic duo from Fort Worth. Free. The Rustic, 12:30-2pm Inc. is joined by The Booked, Stand Alones and more. $5-$8. Limelight, 9pm

Charlie Robison Country musician from Bandera, Texas, is joined by Americana act Grant Gilbert. $25. Gruene Hall, 9pm Clutch Hard rock band from Germantown, Maryland performs their Psychic Warfare World tour, joined by the Devin Townsend Project and The Obsessed. $27.50-$120. Aztec Theatre, 8pm The Dirty River Boys Punk-Americana band from El Paso is joined by Jeff Whitehead of Austin. $12-$15. Floore’s Country Store, 9pm Hot Texas Swing Local country and swing group performs in support of their CD release. Free. Gruene Hall, 1-5pm

Jorge & Nicole Acoustic world music on guitar and bass. Free. Krause’s Cafe, 2-5pm MONDAY, DECEMBER 11 Melissa Ratley Country singer and San Ramon native performs original music. Free. The Rustic, 8:30-10pm Swing Nite Jazz act Johnny P. And the Wiseguys performs at Swing Night. $7-$10. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8:30pm TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12 The Dirty River Dixie Band Dixieland and jazz act from Seguin. $10. Jazz, TX, 8:3011:30pm

Tuesday Evening Picker Circle With Claudine Meinhardt. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 5-9pm Jackopierce Alternative rock band joined by sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 45

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CURRENT • December 6-12, 2017 • sacurrent.com

I used to be a fan of your column, Dan, but something happened to you. Maybe it’s stress, the current political climate, or some other issue — I don’t know. I used to look forward to your columns because they were fun, smart, and helpful — but I don’t enjoy what I’m seeing now. If something did happen to you, reach out for help. You’re on the verge of losing a loyal reader. Reader Enquiring About Dan’s Enervating Responses

— besides Trump, of course, but Trump happened to all of us, not just me. Still, I don’t want to lose you as a reader, so I’m going to make an effort to sunny things up a bit over the next few weeks. Okay! Let’s see what else came in the mail today! Hopefully something fun!

My significant other and I rarely have sex. A while ago, I had a sexual encounter with her daughter. We continued to have sexual encounters for some time. Now my significant other and I may be getting married. I’ve been getting letters like yours — what Her daughter and I broke it off, but it started up again after a week. I happened to you, Dan, you used to be more fun — at this time of year, every year, am attempting to break things off with my significant other’s daughter for the last 25 years, READER. Maybe I get moody when the weather gets gloomy again, but I’m having a hard time. Please advise. and that spills into my column annually. Restraining Urges Is Necessary And perhaps the current political climate — a rather reserved way to describe the destruction of our democracy — is making Ugh. Do you see what I mean, READER? It’s hard to come through with jokes, my seasonal grumping worse. Another erudition, and uplift when you’re possible factor ... responding to questions like this one. I don’t know how long you’ve been Okay, RUIN. Marrying a woman whose reading, READER, but I’ve been writing adult daughter you can’t keep your dick this column for a long time. And back out of ... yeah, that’s a bad idea. (And before the internet came along and her daughter is an adult, right?!? You’re ruined everything for everyone, I used to not Roy Moore’ing it, are you?) Sooner get a lot of how-to/what’s-that questions or later, your significant other is going to about sex acts and sex toys. A column discover what’s been going on, and your explaining butt plugs to readers who relationship with both of these women knew nothing about them — and lacked will be destroyed. You’ll be able to move easy access to butt plug info — was as out and move on, RUIN, but your former much fun to read as it was to write. But significant other isn’t going to be so lucky. every sex act and every sex toy has its own Wiki page now, which means I don’t Because while you won’t always be her get to write fun columns about butt plugs SO, and hopefully won’t ever be her husband, her daughter is always going to anymore, READER, and you don’t get to be her child. So while you may get out from read them. Now the questions all revolve this relationship with some light scarring, around someone being deeply shitty or someone deluding themselves about how your ex and her daughter will be left with deeply shitty they’re being. Columns filled open, gaping wounds for the rest of their lives. My advice: Pull up your pants, cancel with questions about and from people the wedding, and get as far away from your behaving badly are never going to be as SO and her daughter as possible. delightsome as those butt plug columns of yore. mail@savagelove.net But thank you for writing in to share your concern, READER, and rest assured that @fakedansavage on Twitter nothing truly terrible has happened to me ITMFA.org

ETC.

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD by Matt Jones

Answer on page 27

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1 What standard, no-frills items lack 16 November 2017 thriller with Denzel Washington in the title role 17 “What a relief!” 18 “... ___ any drop to drink”: Coleridge 19 Norse god of wisdom and war 20 Thunder’s org. 21 Israeli desert 24 Unlocked 25 1930s heavyweight champ Max 26 Twelve months from now 28 Pox 29 Explode 30 Double-___ (big mobile homes) 33 Passion 34 Word whose figurative meaning is frowned upon by grammar sticklers 36 Bob of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” 39 Ancient artifact 40 Lawyers’ org. 43 Take ___ (suffer financial loss) 44 Graduate 46 Deck on a cruise ship

47 Cold-weather transport 50 Retriever restrainer 51 South African golfer Ernie 52 Belgrade resident 53 Lab maze runner 54 Cough syrup holder 60 “Just a sec!” 61 It may follow a period of inattention

25 Hide well 27 British islet 28 Able to be assessed 31 Before, in old poems 32 Course that gets its own bar? 34 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared 35 Adjective dropped by rapper Bow Wow DOWN 36 Willamette U.’s locale 37 Kansas home of the 1 Mrs., in Madrid Eisenhower Presidential Library 2 “Wonderful” juice brand 3 Former Radiohead label 38 ___ Purchase (1853 deal with Mexico) 4 James of gangster films 5 Head over heels for 40 Gasteyer of the “NPR’s Delicious Dish” sketches 6 Cracked, as a door 41 School vehicle 7 Tupperware topper 8 Camera lens setting 42 Incense stick remnant 45 Line of work 9 Crumble away 47 DIY stuff that might be made 10 ___ “apple” with glue and borax 11 ___ Vogue 48 Divided, as a highway 12 Ending for glob 13 Red fox of medieval lore 49 “___ knew that!” 14 Paul Anka hit subtitled “That 52 Garbage-hauling ship 53 Completely engrossed Kiss!” 55 “___ Mine” (George 15 More unsophisticated Harrison autobiography) 21 Tiny drink 56 Egg container: Abbr. 22 “Ambient 1: Music for 57 Burns’s dissent Airports” composer Brian 58 Serpentine letter 23 Interval 24 Pick out some food 59 Vietnamese holiday

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): You may get richer quicker in 2018, Aries — especially if you refuse to sell out. You may accumulate more clout — especially if you treat everyone as your equal and always wield your power responsibly. I bet you will also experience deeper, richer emotions — especially if you avoid people who have low levels of emotional intelligence. Finally, I predict you will get the best sex of your life in the next 12 months — especially if you cultivate the kind of peace of mind in which you’ll feel fine about yourself if you don’t get any sex at all. P.S.: You’d be wise to start working on these projects immediately.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The coming months will be a ripe time to revise and rework your past — to reconfigure the consequences that emerged from what happened once upon a time. I’ll trust you to make the ultimate decisions about the best ways to do that, but here are some suggestions. 1. Revisit a memory that has haunted you, and do a ritual that resolves it and brings you peace. 2. Go back and finally do a crucial duty you left unfinished. 3. Return to a dream you wandered away from prematurely, and either re-commit yourself to it, or else put it to rest for good.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The astrological omens suggest that now is a favorable TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The members time to deepen your roots and bolster your of the fungus family, like mushrooms and foundations and revitalize traditions that have molds, lack chlorophyll, so they can’t make nourished you. Oddly enough, the current food from sunlight, water, and carbon planetary rhythms are also conducive to you dioxide. To get the energy they need, they and your family and friends playing soccer “eat” plants. That’s lucky for us. The fungi in the living room with a ball made from keep the earth fresh. Without them to rolled-up socks, pretending to be fortunedecompose fallen leaves, piles of compost telling psychics and giving each other past-life would continue to accumulate forever. Some readings, and gathering around the kitchen forests would be so choked with dead matter table to formulate a conspiracy to achieve that they couldn’t thrive. I invite you to take world domination. And no, the two sets of your inspiration from the heroic fungi, Taurus. advice I just gave you are not contradictory. Expedite the decay and dissolution of the worn-out and obsolete parts of your life. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In accordance with the long-term astrological omens, I GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I’m guessing you invite you to make five long-term promises have been hungrier than usual. At times you to yourself. They were formulated by the may have felt voracious, even insatiable. teacher Shannen Davis. Say them aloud a What’s going on? I don’t think this intense few times to get a feel for them. 1. “I will yearning is simply about food, although it’s make myself eminently teachable through possible your body is trying to compensate the cultivation of openness and humility.” for a nutritional deficiency. At the very least, 2. “I won’t wait around hoping that people you’re also experiencing a heightened desire will give me what I can give myself.” 3. “I’ll to be understood and appreciated. You may be a good sport about the consequences of be aching for a particular quality of love my actions, whether they’re good, bad, or that you haven’t been able to give or get. misunderstood.” 4. “As I walk out of a room Here’s my theory: Your soul is famished for where there are many people who know me, experiences that your ego doesn’t sufficiently I won’t worry about what anyone will say value or seek out. If I’m correct, you should about me.” 5. “I will only pray for the things meditate on what your soul craves but isn’t I’m willing to be the answer to.” getting enough of. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To discuss a CANCER (June 21-July 22): The brightly problem is not the same as doing something colored birds known as bee-eaters are practical to correct it. Many people don’t especially fond of eating bees and wasps. seem to realize this. They devote a great How do they avoid getting stung? They deal of energy to describing and analyzing snatch their prey in mid-air and then knock their difficulties, and may even imagine them repeatedly against a tree branch until possible solutions, but then neglect to follow the stinger falls off and the venom is flushed through. And so nothing changes. The sad out. In the coming weeks, Cancerian, you or bad situation persists. Of all the signs could perhaps draw inspiration from the bee- in the zodiac, you Scorpios are among the eaters’ determination to get what they want. least prone to this disability. You specialize How might you be able to draw nourishment in taking action to fulfill your proposed fixes. from sources that aren’t entirely benign? How Just this once, however, I urge you to engage could you extract value from influences that in more inquiry and conversation than usual. you have be careful with? Just talking about the problem could cure it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): As far back as ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece, people staged ceremonies to mark the embarkation of a new ship. The intention was to bestow a blessing for the maiden voyage and ever thereafter. Good luck! Safe travels! Beginning in 18th-century Britain and America, such rituals often featured the smashing of a wine bottle on the ship’s bow. Later, a glass container of champagne became standard. In accordance with the current astrological indicators, I suggest that you come up with your own version of this celebratory gesture. It will soon be time for your launch. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You may feel quite sure that you’ve gotten as tall as you’re ever going to be. But that may not be true. If you were ever going to add another halfinch or more to your height, the near future would be the time for it. You are in the midst of what we in the consciousness industry call a “growth spurt.” The blooming and ripening could occur in other ways, as well. Your hair and fingernails may become longer faster than usual, and even your breasts or penis might undergo spontaneous augmentation. There’s no doubt that new brain cells will propagate at a higher rate, and so will the white blood cells that guard your physical health. Four weeks from now, I bet you’ll be noticeably smarter, wiser, and more robust.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You come into a delicatessen where you have to take a numbered ticket in order to get waited on. Oops. You draw 37 and the counter clerk has just called out number 17. That means 20 more people will have their turns before you. Damn! You settle in for a tedious vigil, putting down your bag and crossing your arms across your chest. But then what’s this? Two minutes later, the clerk calls out 37. That’s you! You go up to the counter and hand in your number, and amazingly enough, the clerk writes down your order. A few minutes later, you’ve got your food. Maybe it was a mistake, but who cares? All that matters is that your opportunity came earlier than you thought it would. Now apply this vignette as a metaphor for your life in the coming days. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): It’s one of those bizarre times when what feels really good is in close alignment with what’s really good for you, and when taking the course of action that benefits you personally is probably what’s best for everyone else, too. I realize the onslaught of this strange grace may be difficult to believe. But it’s real and true, so don’t waste time questioning it. Relish and indulge in the freedom it offers you. Use it to shush the meddling voice in your head that informs you about what you supposedly SHOULD be doing instead of what you’re actually doing.

THIS MODERN WORLD by Tom Tomorrow

sacurrent.com • December 6-12, 2017 • CURRENT 49

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