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kick off san antonio’s 300th birthday
new year’s eve! DEC. 31, 2017 • 4pm-MIDNIGHT • HEMISFAIR
N O G A W D O SPEE
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pat ben & Neil G atar iraLdo
THE LAST BANDOLEROS little joe y la familia FLACO Y SU CONJUNTO BILLYRAY SHEPPARD saM riggs & more!
MUSIC, FOOD, FAMILY FUN! FREE ADMISSION! JOIN US!
sacurrent.com •December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 5
FIRST WORDS
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1
On Thomas J. Henry Made a Reality TV Show About His Rich Family Because He Can // I first thought this was about the family that owns Henry's Puffy Tacos and I was like damn they must really sell a lot of tacos! Hahaha. – Bianca Martinez On All the Latin Pop Coming to San Antonio Next Year That's Already Got Us Hot // The Current is now a hipster gentrification paper. – Jiamen De Leon On Sen. Ted Cruz Thinks You're a "Snowflake" if You're Worried About Net Neutrality // He can call us snowflakes all day, cause we’re organizing and becoming an avalanche to bury his ass. – Terri Nakamura On Janitor Found Guilty of Overcharging Alamodome $500k for Cleaning Services // Did anyone charge the Alamodome for overcharging for drinks and rat eaten popcorn? – Hilary Sandoval
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Issue 17_51 /// December 20-26 2017
NEWS
Snowstorm Sen. Ted Cruz thinks you're a "snowflake" if you're worried about net neutrality
Our cover models, and founding Girl Gang members, are shaking things up in the cocktail world. Outfits provided and styled by Project Runway All Star’s winner, Anthony Ryan of COULEUR + BLINDÉ off Broadway, opening in January. Hair and makeup by Angie Riojas. Photographed by Bryan Rindfuss at The Last Word. 6
CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
Our top picks for the week
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ARTS + CULTURE
Deeper Reading Three of 2017’s essential books offer solace without being escapist
Clean Sweep Janitor found guilty of overcharging Alamodome $500k for cleaning services Dishonorable Discharge Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold will not seek re-election following sexual harassment
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48 COVER
CALENDAR
Death’s Door Despite decline, Texas still executes more prisoners than any other state
SCREENS
Seasonal Cinema Find out if the movies opening in San Antonio this holiday are naughty or nice
ON THE
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MUSIC
Is This Our Fault? Did we as San Antonians basically ask for REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar to headline NYE?
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FOOD
Here Comes Clementine John & Elise Russ set to pen Castle Hills’ latest restaurant
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NIGHTLIFE
The Drink Issue You can sit with this Girl Gang Tequila in Crisis How labels can help you save the tequila industry Mock ‘Em Up What to drink when you want to pass on booze but still hang Drink Listings Bars we love
ETC.
Savage Love Jonesin’ Crossword Freewill Astrology
Darkness Divided Almost 8 years later, the Jesus-loving metalcore bros are calling it quits Carnegie Hall Calling How a Palo Alto College student was selected to perform at Carnegie Hall Music Calendar What to see and hear this week
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sacurrent.com •December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 7
NEWS
Snowstorm
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SHUTTERSTOCK
For someone heading into an election year, Senator Ted Cruz has done a remarkably excellent job at ALEX ZIELINSKI | @ALEX_ZEE turning both Republican and Democrat voters against him. Cruz is one of the biggest opponents of “net neutrality” — a policy enacted in 2015 guaranteeing the public access to all online content regardless of the source, and not allowing internet providers to favor or block particular websites. This policy was repealed Thursday, December 14 by the Federal Communications Commission — allowing major internet providers like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon to control what content their customers see online (and don’t) and how fast it loads. Based on most analyses of the FCC’s repeal, these corporate internet providers are the only entities benefitting from net neutrality’s demise. That’s why Cruz, who’s accepted more than $115,000 in campaign donations from these companies, is such a net neutrality nay-sayer. But unlike most policies in Congress, Sen. Ted Cruz thinks you’re a net neutrality is not a partisan issue — both “snowflake” if you’re worried Republican and Democrat voters have flooded the FCC’s website with requests about net neutrality to keep the net neutral. Which is probably why Cruz’s Thursday
night tweet wasn’t the best idea. Cruz’s tweet appears to call all voters in favor of net neutrality “snowflakes” — an insult made popular by the alt-right leading up to Donald Trump’s election (another one: “cupcake”). The tweet: “Snowflake, believing online propaganda: ‘OMG w/o net neutrality, the Internet is gone!’ Informed observer: ‘You know, the FCC issued that rule in 2015. The Internet grew up wonderfully free from govt regulation & this restores the status quo ante.’ Snowflake: ‘Uh, never mind...’” In his taunting tweet, Cruz has also made it painfully clear that he doesn’t really understand net neutrality’s complex history. No, it didn’t suddenly appear in 2015, and no, the internet didn’t grow up “free from govt regulation.” Look, the government is definitely the last to understand new technology, but it has been regulating the internet since its infancy. Even before the internet was a thing, the FCC has been regulating companies that offer customers communication networks (like the telephone or those massive 1970s-era computers) under these rules called the Computer Inquiries. Tim Wu, the guy who coined the term “net neutrality” calls
SHUTTERSTOCK
Death’s
LYANNE A. GUARECUCO | @LYANNEALEXIA
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Door
The number of people facing the death penalty in Texas continues to decline, with four people sentenced to death in 2017. This is the third year in a row in which less than five death sentence verdicts were reached in Texas. Death sentences in the state have declined since a peak of 48 verdicts in 1999, according to a report by Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, an advocacy group based in Austin. Despite the decline, Texas still has the third-largest death row population in the nation, only trailing behind California and Florida — even though the state’s current death row population (234 inmates) is the lowest it’s been seen since 1987, according to the report. The death penalty is legal in 31 states. Texas also executed more prisoners than any other state in 2017: almost one third of all executions in the country (seven in total), took place in Texas, matching 2016 for 8
CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
the lowest number of executions in the state over the last 20 years. Arkansas had the second-highest number of executions in the country with four in 2017. Of the seven death row inmates executed in Texas in 2017, two were Hispanic, two were black, and three were white. The report also found that 70 percent of people sentenced to death in Texas over the last five years have been people of color. While African-Americans make up only 12.6 percent of the population in Texas, they comprise 44 percent of death row inmates, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Hispanics make up 39.1 percent of Texas’ population, and 26.7 percent of the death row population, while white people make up 42.6 percent of the state population, and 27.2 percent of death row inmates. In 2017, a total of nine scheduled executions were temporarily halted: seven were held up by courts, one was
Computer Inquiries the “first” net neutrality rules. It only was until the late 1990s, when internet services providers stopped relying on already-regulated telephone lines to connect to the internet (remember that??) that the FCC had to come up with a new kind of policy. Since the new high-speed DSL and cable-broadband networks weren’t included in the Computer Inquiries, companies began using their newfound freedoms to block or slow down competitors’ products. But when a phone company outright blocked Vonage (an app that allows users to call people through the internet) for taking away its customers in 2005, the FCC sued — and was able to order the company to stop blocking its competitors. Thus, net neutrality became a legallybinding rule. In 2005. These rules were upheld by the FCC throughout the Bush Administration and well into the Obama Administration — but were officially cemented into law in 2015. So, no, repealed net neutrality is not the “status quo ante.” It is, however, likely to be the number one reason conservative Texans will reconsider re-electing Cruz in 2018.
Despite decline, Texas still executes more prisoners than any other state stopped because prosecutors believed the inmate might confess to another murder, and another was halted due to a clerical error. Four death row inmates who collectively served more than 100 years on death row received reduced sentences in 2017, including Duane Buck, a black prisoner from Harris County. In his 1997 trial, a prison psychiatrist told the jury he would be more dangerous in the future because of his race — in 2017, after his appeal over the discriminatory testimony went to the Supreme Court, he reached a plea deal for life in prison instead. Two death row inmates died of natural causes this year before they could be executed. Since 1982, Texas has executed 545 people — 279 of which took place during Rick Perry’s time as governor from 2000-2014, making him the governor with the most executions during his administration in U.S. history.
Ten Favorite Reasons to Visit the SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM of ART You can see the world without leaving the city.
Art makes you smart.
If you’re feeling old, we’ve got older (5,000 years older).
So many conversation starters.
It's like hitting the refresh button.
We put the art in PARTY every 2nd Friday.
A Botero Venus, a Korean Buddha, an Indian Yogini… we've got it all!
This is your art collection, San Antonio.
FREE day! December 26
Where else are you going to take your in-laws?
SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM of ART 200 West Jones Avenue | San Antonio, Texas 78215 | 210.978.8100 | samuseum.org sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 9
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CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
NEWS
Clean Sweep Janitor found guilty of overcharging Alamodome $500k for cleaning services
Dishonorable Discharge Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold will not seek re-election following sexual harassment allegations
LYANNE A. GUARECUCO | @LYANNEALEXIA
CREATIVE COMMONS
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The owner of a San Antonio janitorial company has been convicted of seven charges relating to an invoice scam, after he overcharged the city more than $500,000 to clean the Alamodome. Geoffrey Comstock, who owns the Frio Nevada Corporation, submitted fake invoices from 2014 to 2016 in which the company over-counted the number of employees and hours worked, racking up more than $500,000 in surplus charges, according to court documents. Frio Nevada, which also operates as Go Professional Environmental Management, was contracted to clean the Alamodome from 2002 to 2016. Comstock was convicted on December 13 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud. Because the Alamodome is operated by the City of San Antonio, it was the city that footed the half a million in overcharges. Comstock may have to pay the city around $1.5 million — the total amount the city paid Frio Nevada between 2014 to 2016, including the overcharges, according to his indictment. Comstock and one of his employees, Anna Becerra, were indicted in October on conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges, months after the city terminated their contract with Comstock’s company for billing discrepancies, according to the San Antonio ExpressNews reports. Unlike Comstock, Becerra was found not guilty of the fraud charges on Wednesday. Comstock’s sentencing trial will begin early in 2018, and he could face up to 20 years in prison for each count.
ALEX ZIELINSKI | @ALEX_ZEE
>
U.S. Representative Blake Farenthold, a Corpus Christi Republican, won’t be seeking re-election in 2018. This unexpected announcement comes shortly after several former staff members in Farenthold’s D.C. office described an environment saturated in inappropriate sexual commentary, gender bias, and unchecked anger to media outlets. In the words of one former aide in an interview with the New York Times: “On any given week, you were prone to either ridicule, rude comments, acts of aggression or rage.” A spokeswoman for Farenthold, Stacey Daniels, has refuted these claims, explaining that a 2016 investigation into his office found no evidence of “inappropriate sexualized comments” or “gender bias,” according to Daniels. Farenthold doesn’t have the best public record to back up these findings. The congressman was also sued in 2014 by another former staffer for his overt sexual harassment, including allegations that Farenthold told her he had “wet dreams” about her and once joked that she had a semen stain on her clothing in the office. While these claims have been public knowledge since the 2014 lawsuit, the case resurfaced this
month when a U.S. House investigation discovered Farenthold had used $84,000 of taxpayer’s dollars to settle the case. And this is the same congressman that registered the URL “blow-me.org” in 1999 and told an MSNBC reporter in 2016 that he would hypothetically consider supporting a candidate who "enjoys raping women." According to the Washington Examiner, Farenthold was pressured to resign in the wake of these allegations by U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan. Farenthold allegedly resisted the request — until now. Farenthold’s expected to finish out his current term before finishing his career in Congress, which ends in 2019. But since he didn’t withdraw his re-election bid until after the state’s deadline, his name will remain on the March 6 primary ballot. It’s a loophole Texas’ Democratic Party isn’t comfortable with. “Blake Farenthold should immediately leave office for his vile behavior, a PR stunt to not run for reelection is simply not enough,” said Texas Democratic Party Director Crystal K. Perkins in a press statement. “The fact is, Farenthold has violated the public trust and shown a pattern of demeaning, degrading, and disrespectful conduct towards women.” sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 11
CALENDAR
Raven
Before embarking on a career as a professional makeup artist (whose clients include RuPaul), drag star Raven was known as the “queen of runner-ups” WED based on her appearances on season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Stars. Although she never snatched the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar,” Raven nonetheless became one of the most influential drag performers to come out of the long-running series. Known for her impeccable makeup techniques and fearless fashion sense, Raven is also the host of the weekly web series Fashion Photo Ruview alongside season three RPDR alum Raja, where the two divas “toot” and “boot” celebrities and fellow RPDR contestants. On Wednesday, Rey Lopez Entertainment brings the drag starlet to the Alamo City for two performances at Heat with support from host Tencha la Jefa and RLE Showgirls Kooder Parker, Jessica Marxx, Chyna Cravens, Alayna Marquez, Amerie Parker, Nilaya Milan Mathews and Kylie Crawford. $10-$25, 10:30pm & midnight, Heat Nightclub, 1500 N. Main Ave., (210) 386-4537, reylopezentertainment.com. — Marco Aquino reylopezentertainment.com
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CALENDAR OUR TOP PICKS FOR THE WEEK
THU
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DRAG
The Nutcracker
THU-SAT
21-23
Adapted from E.T.A. Hoffman’s 1816 tale Nussknacker und Mausekönig and rounded out with an iconic Tchaikovsky score and choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, The Nutcracker takes shape on Christmas Eve after siblings Clara and Fitz receive magical gifts from their toy-making godfather. After bedtime, Clara creeps downstairs and finds herself dwarfed in a dream world inhabited by gingerbread men, tin soldiers and an army of mice under the command of the Mouse King. ARTS San Antonio brings Arlington-based Mejia Ballet International back to town for a production showcasing Argentinian prima ballerina Natalia Magnicaballi alongside bright young talents from the pre-professional San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet. $29-$99, 7:30pm Thu, 2pm & 7:30pm Fri-Sat, Lila Cockrell Theatre, 610 E. Market St., (210) 2262891, artssa.org. — Bryan Rindfuss BALLET
Holiday Canciones with South Texas Jazz For the final installment of the special holiday round of Canciones shows — wonderful, regularly occurring concerts that spotlight songs and performers representative of the soul of San Anto and South Texas — revelers will be treated to the stylings of South Texas Jazz. The group, which has been putting together crack teams of jazz musicians (with uniquely Texan ears) since 2009, will offer up interpretations of classics, local favorites and original material, as they look to lighten hearts and heads in the spirit of the season. With the Pearl looking more festive than ever, it’s hard to imagine a better way to catch those Yuletide vibes. Free, 4-8pm, Pearl Park, 200 E. Grayson St., (210) 212-7260, atpearl.com. — James Courtney MUSIC
TWO SHOWS || DECEMBER 30 || ON SALE NOW! 12
CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
CALENDAR
Mystery Train
A Charlie Brown Christmas
THU-TUE In case you never realized it before, Charlie Brown is THEATER woke as hell. The beloved sad sack and focal point of the long-beloved Peanuts crew, who first appeared in a 1950 comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, is always questioning tradition, always looking for deeper meanings. Such is certainly the case in A Charlie Brown Christmas, perhaps the most cherished Peanuts installment of all, in which Charlie bemoans the commercialization of the holiday and wonders about the real meaning of Christmas. Hijinks ensue and, through a series of Bible verses read by Linus and one very special Christmas tree, the whole gang comes to feel the true spirit of the season. With the Magik Theatre’s third annual stage adaptation, this 1965 classic comes to life in what promises to be a memorable experience for the whole family. $18-$27, 6:30pm Thu-Fri, 1pm, 4pm & 7pm Sat, 2pm Sun, 6:30pm Tue (through Dec. 30), Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — JC
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On a pilgrimage to Memphis, a young Japanese couple stay in a run-down hotel and argue over who was more important to rock and roll. “Elvis!” cries the woman, while the man keeps insisting “Carl Perkins!” They aren’t the only people having a bad night in the joint. An Italian widow finds herself saddled with an unwelcome guest (not counting a ghost), while three losers in another room (including Joe Strummer and Steve Buscemi) discuss the 1960s-era TV show Lost in Space. These are the bizarre ingredients of Jim Jarmusch’s 1989 cult classic Mystery Train, an anthology of three stories that happen simultaneously but present themselves one after the other. It’s kind of like an existential and melancholy episode of The Twilight Zone linked by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins as the desk clerk in a glaring red jacket. The McNay revives the film this week as part of a series inspired by “All This and Heaven Too,” a stark, poignant and nearly allencompassing look at the work of late San Antonio artist Chuck Ramirez, who zoomed in on human detritus but presented it in a context devoid of humans. Jarmusch’s poetically cluttered movie, dusted with the mythology of American music, offers us the mixed-up humans who generate the junk left behind. Free, wine reception at 6:30pm, film at 7pm, McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368, mcnayart.org. — Michale Barrett FILM
Organized by the distinctly San Antonio trio of BarbacoApparel (poppy, playful T-shirts, prints, cards and stickers), VeryThat (a beloved “one-stop Chicana shop” for jewelry, tiles and totes emblazoned with familiar dichos) and Sweet Craft Jewelry (adorable accessories and ornaments inspired by conchas, maranitos, FRI-SAT tamales and other edible treats) with last-minute gift seekers in mind, Brickmas confidently bills itself as the “Best. Holiday. Market. Ever!” And judging from the looks of this year’s roster, the locally focused two-day market can likely back up that claim. Representing vendors curated from a record number of applicants, the third-annual affair promises hand-painted glassware from I.M. Creating, organic pet treats from Lucky Dog Bakery and Boutique, apparel and accessories from Red Cat and Co., sustainable bath products from The Soap Addicts, small-batch soy candles from Karma Candle Makers, vintage finds from The Mermaid Farm, succulents and moss terrariums from Micro Terra, mujer-centric zines from St. Sucia, prints, cards and T-shirts from Snake Hawk Press, huaraches, purses and blouses from Huellas Artisanal and handcrafted wares from more than 30 other small businesses. Thoughtfully added to the mix with kids in mind, the Brickmas “movie lounge” will be screening an assortment of holiday flicks — complete with $1 popcorn, candy and drinks. Free, 6-9pm Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, (210) 262-8653, facebook.com/brickatbluestar. — BR
Brickmas
22-23 SPECIAL EVENT
Sign up for ExcluSivE prESalES & announcEmEntS! tExt MAJESTICEMPIRE to 22828
John
Cleese LIVE ON STAGE plus a screening of
in Celebration of the Opening of Confluence Park and in support of Las Casas’ performing arts educational programs
DECEMBER 21-30
JANUARY 6
JANUARY 17
JANUARY 18
MARCH 31
APRIL 4
w w w. j o h n c l e e s e l i v e . c o m
sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 20167• CURRENT 13
CALENDAR
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: The Musical FRI-SAT
22-23
San Antonio Mural Ride
Based on the 1964 animated television classic, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: The Musical tells the story of the young Rudolph who escapes to the Island of Misfit Toys after being excluded from “reindeer games.” After befriending Hermey the Elf and Yukon Cornelius, Rudolph returns home to help Santa save Christmas when the holiday is threatened by a snowstorm of epic proportions. Part of the Tobin’s BMW of San Antonio Signature Series, this touring production stays true to the original story and features full performances of the songs “Fame and Fortune” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Along with nostalgic projections, set design and choreography evocative of the stop-motion effects of the original TV special, this holiday favorite reminds that sometimes what makes us different also makes us special. $17.62-$55, 2pm & 7pm Fri-Sat, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — MA THEATER
While a brisk walk around a museum might burn a few calories, it’s not exactly an invigorating workout. With SA Mural Rides, however, you can actually get some solid exercise while enjoying some of our city’s finest public works of art. The tour group, which has been especially active this year, meets at Maverick Park and rides roughly 10 miles, in a route chosen to maximize mural-viewing. The group’s final ride of 2017 will take riders by murals from Paul Carson, Nik Soupé, Shek Vega, Chris Montoya, Albert Gonzales and Scotch. As our city grows more vibrant in the realm of public art and murals, look for unique opportunities like this to increase. For now, you may want to jump at this crash course and earn your tamales in the process. Free, 9:30-11:30am, begins and ends at Maverick Park, 1000 Broadway, (210) 9018981, sanantoniomuralride.com. — JC SPECIAL EVENT
SAT
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The Great Russian Nutcracker For 25 years, the Moscow Ballet — an American company that hires Russian dancers — has toured its production of The Great Russian Nutcracker around the country. While the basic structure of The Nutcracker story remains unchanged, many of the dances and characters in this production are a bit different from the more traditional versions. The ballet employs the talents of local children (who perform as mice and party-goers) but its main character, Masha (aka Marie) is played by an adult ballerina. Noticeably absent is the Sugar Plum Fairy, who is replaced by Masha and her Nutcracker Prince as they perform the grand pas de deux in one of the final scenes. Among the most striking elements in this production are the painted backdrops created by La La Land set concept designer Carl Sprague. $32.25-$102.25, 3pm & 7pm (through December 27), The Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 2263333, majesticempire.com. — MA DANCE
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Spurs vs. Nets
Former Spur Sean Marks is making moves in Brooklyn. Now in his third season as the general manager of the beleaguered Nets, Marks recently acquired Jahlil Okafor, the third pick in the 2015 draft who had fallen out of favor in Philadelphia. After losing guards Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell to a pair of knee injuries, Brooklyn turned to G-League journeyman Spencer Dinwiddie to run the offense. Dinwiddie has delivered for the Nets, averaging 12 points and six assists per contest — another potential diamond in the rough for Marks. For San Antonio, it’s all about Kawhi Leonard, who continues to shake off the rust from his lengthy rehabilitation. On the surface, Leonard’s return to the lineup has reenergized a franchise that exceeded expectations in his absence, and a hungry fan base clamoring for its lone NBA superstar. Barring minute restrictions, look for Leonard to scorch the Nets as he returns to MVP form. $19-$1,596, 7:30pm, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Pkwy., (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com. — M. Solis SPORTS
14 CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
Shen Yun Established in 2006 with a mission to revive “5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture,” New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts is a touring troupe comprising elaborately costumed classical Chinese dancers, talented vocalists and an orchestra that fuses East and West. Presented as collections of vignettes, Shen Yun’s performances play out in front of digitized scenery projected onto a high-tech backdrop. Kicked off in Houston on December 22 and set to cover five continents, the company’s 2018 tour invites audiences on “fresh adventures to ancient times [and] enchanting lands at the edge of the world.” $83.50-$143.50, 2pm & 7pm (through Dec. 27), Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — BR THEATER
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chuck
ramirez ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO September 14, 2017 | January 14, 2018
ON VI EW 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
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CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
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CALENDAR
ART ”Behind the Screen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Last shown in 2013, this McNay favorite features original puppets and set pieces filmed for the 1993 stop-motion animation film surrounding Jack Skellington, Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. $15$20, 10am-4pm Wednesday, 10am-9pm Thursday, 10am-4pm Friday, 10am-5pm Saturday, noon-5pm Sunday, 10am-4pm Tuesday; McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368.
International Artist-in-Residence Exhibitions Carrying on a yearlong
string of practicing artists guest-curating Artpace’s renowned International Artistin-Residence program (which annually invites three curators to each select a trio of artists — one from Texas, one from elsewhere in the U.S. and one from abroad — to “live and create art in San Antonio for two months”), Brooklyn/Austin-based Michael Smith summoned a performative and collaborative spirit by uniting Heyd Fontenot (Dallas), Martha Wilson (New York) and Lili Reynaud-Dewar (France/ Switzerland). Free, noon-5pm WednesdaySaturday, 10am-3pm Sunday; Artpace, 445 N. Main Ave., (210) 212-4900.
”The Latino List” Renowned photographer
and director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders documents the vibrant culture of Hispanic America in “The Latino List,” the museum’s major fall exhibition. Executed in 2011– 2012 and previously exhibited in Atlanta and Brooklyn, “The Latino List” contains portraits of influential Latinos who span the worlds of culture, business, politics and sports. San Antonio is particularly well-represented in the series via portraits of former mayor Henry Cisneros, author Sandra Cisneros and Texan actress Eva Longoria. $13-$20, 10am-5pm WednesdayThursday, 10am-9pm Friday, 10am-5pm Saturday, 10am-3pm Sunday, 10am-9pm Tuesday; San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100.
THEATER All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 As the country heals from one of
the most divisive presidential elections in modern history, The Playhouse will present Peter Rothstein’s musical All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, in collaboration with local men’s a cappella group The Marcsmen. Based on actual events that took place during World War I, All Is Calm tells the story of the English and German soldiers who emerged from their trenches into no man’s land on December 24, 1914. There, the soldiers exchanged gifts, sang Christmas carols and buried their
dead. It was an unofficial Christmas truce frowned upon by officers, but one in which thousands of soldiers partook. Although the war would resume the following day and continue until the general armistice of November 1918, for the surviving soldiers, the Christmas truce of 1914 would be remembered as nothing short of miraculous. $20-$35, 7:30pm FridaySaturday, 2pm Sunday; The Playhouse, 800 W. Ashby Pl., (210) 733-7258.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Based on
the beloved 1968 film version of Ian Fleming’s children’s book, and featuring an unforgettable score by the Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a high-flying, fun-filled adventure for the whole family. Christopher Rodriguez directs the Woodlawn’s production. $18-$29, 7:30pm ThursdaySaturday; Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 267-8388.
Happy Holidaze The Christmas edition of
The Overtime Cabaret combines magic by Ken Orion, improv from The Denials, a circus act by Queen Anthuros, a dramatic reading from Chris Champlin, a stand-up set by Jake Yarbrough, holiday tunes and a preview of the upcoming musical The Nightingale. Following the cabaret, the holiday-themed antics continue with Nerd Court XMAS Edition: The Grinch v. Scrooge. $5, 8pm Friday; The Overtime Theater, 5409 Bandera Road, Suite 205, (210) 557-7562.
Sister’s Christmas Catechism Improv
meets Sunday school in the wacky realm of Late Night Catechism, a theatrical endeavor that’s been dragging theater-goers back to the days of “Latin mass, meatless Fridays ... and that good-old ruler across the knuckles” since the early ’90s. The brainchild of collaborators Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan, the long-running show remains a Chicago institution that routinely inspires spirited audience participation and irreverent offshoots such as Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold. The follow-up to Donovan’s Las Vegas-themed spinoff Sister Rolls the Dice, the holiday comedy turns Sister’s notoriously strict classroom into a “CSI: Bethlehem-style forensic investigation” that employs the recreation of a living nativity scene to help determine “who took the gold” wise man Melchior brought to the baby Jesus. $34.50, 7:30pm Wednesday; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Adapted for the stage from Barbara Robinson’s beloved book, this holiday favorite follows the outrageous antics of the Herdman siblings, or “the worst kids in the history of the world.” $13.50, 10am sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 20167• CURRENT 17
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INCLUDES: • OLD FORESTER 1L, 86 proof
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ALSO NEEDED: ANGOSTURA BITTERS MARASCHINO CHERRY INSTRUCTIONS:
Stir together 2 oz. Old Forester Bourbon, 1 oz. Dolin sweet vermouth, 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters with ice. Strain up or on the rocks in a low ball glass. Garnish with a cherry.
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CALENDAR
Saturday, 10am Tuesday; Magik Theatre, 420 S. Alamo St, (210) 227-2751.
COMEDY Anthony Torino A nationally touring comic,
Ford Holiday Boat Caroling Choral groups
representing schools, churches, companies and civic organizations drift down the San Antonio River while performing Christmas carols. Free, 6:15-9:30pm WednesdayFriday; San Antonio Riverwalk, Paseo del Rio, (210) 227-4262.
screenwriter and actor who’s appeared on Showtime’s Comedy Warriors and Rooftop Comedy, San Antonio native Anthony Holidays in Bloom The San Antonio Torino draws comedic inspiration from Botanical Garden lights up with holidayhis personal, professional and military life themed displays, garlands, red ribbons experiences to deliver a “sobering, honest and other festive decorations. $9-$12, and rational look at a highly irrational and 9am-5pm Wednesday-Sunday, 9am-5pm dishonest world.” $17, 8:30pm WednesdayTuesday; San Antonio Botanical Garden, Thursday, 8pm & 10:15pm Friday-Saturday; 555 Funston Pl., (210) 536-1400. Improv San Antonio, 849 E. Commerce St., Holiday Lights Walking Tour Compiling (210) 229-1420. traditional holiday stories from Germany, Chris Fonseca Since his breakthrough Spain, Mexico and colonial Texas, this appearance on the PBS special Look downtown tour inlcudes a river boat Who’s Laughing, America’s original “sitride and culminates with a viewing of down comic” Chris “Crazy Legs” Fonseca French artist Xavier De Richemont’s light has turned his disability (Cerebral Palsy) installation “San Antonio | The Saga” at into a successful platform for comedy San Fernando Cathedral. $30, 7-9:30pm that’s been showcased everywhere from Friday-Saturday; The Alamo, 300 Alamo Baywatch to The Late Show with David Plaza, (210) 341-6000. Letterman. The Colorado native and Last-Minute Christmas Shopping Market enthusiastic Spurs fan returns to Laugh Que Retro Arts sets up shop in front of Out Loud for a four-night run. $16, 8pm the Bijou with a holiday market featuring Wednesday-Thursday, 8pm & 10:15pm artisans, crafters, carolers and a giftFriday-Saturday; Laugh Out Loud Comedy wrapping station. Free, 10am-6pm FridayClub, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805. Saturday; Wonderland of the Americas, SPECIAL EVENTS 4522 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 273-5023.
A Christmas Stroll The Alamo grounds
remain open until 7 p.m. nightly for visitors to stroll through and capture the holiday magic. Free, 5:30-7pm WednesdaySaturday; The Alamo, 300 Alamo Plaza, (210) 225-1391.
Christmas at the Caverns Benefiting the
San Antonio Food Bank, Natural Bridge Caverns’ yuletide offering combines the attraction’s underground world of natural beauty with caroling, a hayride, Flying Elf Zip Lines and more. $19-$25, 9am-5pm Wednesday-Saturday, 9am-5pm Tuesday; Natural Bridge Caverns, 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road, (210) 651-6101.
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Nido Mercado Festivo Bringing together
an array of talented artists, collectors and designers (including Sonsuz, Dawson+Hellmann, Viviana, Guy Hundere, Kimberly Aubuchon and Drift), the pop-up market Nido Mercado Festivo invites guests to sip and shop a unique collection of gifts. Free, 11am-7pm WednesdaySaturday; The Monty, 1127 S. St. Mary’s St.
TALKS PLUS Astronomy on Tap Stargazers can “learn
about astronomy, drink beer, play trivia and more” at this event with enlightening presentations by Dr. Kelly E. Miller (“Snapshots in Planetary History: Why Comets and Asteroids Matter”) and Dr. Roman G. Gomez (“Measuring Far Away, While Close to Home: Studying Interstellar Particles from Near-Earth Instruments”). Free admission, 7pm Wednesday; Blue Star Brewing Company, 1414 S. Alamo St., (210) 212-5506.
Exhibition Talk: “We Are All Americans”
Referencing the common Latin American phrase “Somos todos Americanos (We are all Americans),” McNay curator Lyle Williams discusses commonalities between artists and themes in the United States and Mexico in the 1930s and 1940s. Free, 6-7pm Thursday; McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368. sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 20167• CURRENT 19
COZY UP TO
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ALL WEEK
531 Navarro St, SA, Texas 78205 H ey E y e C a n dy. c o m
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ARTS + CULTURE
G N I D A E R R E P E E D RYAN RIVAS
Three of 2017’s essential books offer solace without being escapist
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How much of 2017 did you spend scrolling through newsfeeds until your eyes felt like they would shrivel and fall from your skull? Being prone to despair, I found solace in literature. When overwhelmed by news, think pieces and dezinformatsiya, literature speaks to us through a backchannel, its slowness and deeply considered language helps form our finer feelings and better process the world. In Martin MacInnes’ Infinite Ground (Melville House, October 2017), an unnamed inspector in an unnamed Latin American city suspects the missing person he’s after (Carlos) has literally disintegrated. Following a trail of fabulist microbiological clues from the office of the unnamed corporation where Carlos worked to the outlying rainforest, the inspector finds no less artifice in his ecotourism than he did in the city (where the corporation hires actor-workers to improve productivity). He is ostensibly looking for Carlos when the Lynchian storyline unravels and the inspector becomes absorbed, quite viscerally, in the nature around him. But is it real? One chapter late in the book simply lists “suspicions, rumors, links,” about “what happened to Carlos.” One rather convincing theory suggests the whole investigation is a delusion. Against this backdrop of bleak assumptions — human hubris, colonialism — MacInnes creates rich patterns, themes and repetitions that make the book feel like its own selfcontained ecosystem. I was both delighted and alarmed to be immersed in the story’s narrative confusion, the logic of
which felt all too real. Another fiction through which we might digest reality, specifically our national reckoning with toxic masculinity, is Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties (Graywolf, October 2017), a blend of horror, erotica and fairytale that makes for an original, stylistically cohesive, steadfastly queer book of stories. Machado artfully employs the surreal to reflect the psyches of victimized women, as in “Difficult at Parties,” in which the narrator, recovering from a sexual assault, hears the thoughts of porn actors; or the ways women are minimized, as in “Real Women Have Bodies,” in which the world’s women are disappearing into thin air; or the womanly stereotypes imposed on women, as in “The Husband Stitch,” a spirited twist on an old cautionary tale that … actually just Google it. In these stories, the body is the central site of not only trauma, but pleasure. In “Inventory,” for example, a deadly pandemic takes a backseat to the narrator’s sexual conquests and desire to connect with humanity, even as it falls apart. Deadpan delivery of lines (like “The moral of that story, I think, is that being poor will kill you.”) create surprising moments of dark comic relief, which is helpful when gazing into the cracked mirror of society. Overall, these characters are not defined by trauma, but perseverance. And sometimes the shroud of metaphor must be shed altogether. Sometimes a book must frankly remind us that the border-jumping Mexicans we’re told to fear are often Honduran, Guatemalan and Salvadoran children putting life
and literal limb on the line to escape countries U.S. policy helped destabilize. That’s the headline through which we enter the humanity of Valeria Luiselli’s Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions (Coffee House, April 2017). The book recounts Luiselli’s experiences as a volunteer interpreter for migrant children arriving in the U.S. Her job is to ask these freshly traumatized children 40 questions designed by lawyers to determine whether or not they might qualify for asylum. Though 100 percent real, the formality of this process reads like absurdist fiction. Imagine the difficulty of interpreting a 5-year-old’s response to “Do you feel safe?” and the pressure of knowing the wrong answer could cost them so much. Luiselli thinks of her own children and their privilege, expresses fears and frustrations, and even guilt over the way the country of her birth (Mexico) treats migrants just like the U.S. does — as unwanted criminals. She finds some redemption in her college students, whom she engages to help local migrants succeed in a new and frightening country, and in Manu, a Honduran migrant whose story is still uncertain but closer to a happy ending than most. The toll 2017 took on my mind is nothing compared to the renewed attack on the bodies of my fellow (and aspiring) citizens. These three books, with their focus on bodies in various states of danger, remind us that contemporary literature can be an escape without being escapist, that we read to think deeply about the world around us, and hopefully, after putting the book down, we’re moved to act. sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 21
SCREENS
TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
Find out if the movies opening in San Antonio this holiday are naughty or nice
KIKO MARTÍNEZ
Sally Hawkins in Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water
humans can undergo a procedure that shrinks their bodies to a fraction of its size, so they may reap the economic and environmental benefits — and quickly drive it into the ground. The concept morphs into an ineffective and heavyhanded satire in which Matt Damon’s character and a Vietnamese immigrant (a cringe-inducing performance by actress Hong Chau) go on an adventure that rivals the excitement one would feel watching itty bitty blades of grass grow. Opens December 22.
hile the movies opening locally around Christmastime aren’t actually Christmas movies (Father Figures was originally titled Bastards; God bless us, everyone!), taking a break from all the tinsel, toys and tamales and making a trip to the theater has become a tradition for many families. Last year, first-run wide releases opening in the top 10 around this time pulled in over $70 million at the box office. Bottom line: Christmastime is a moneymaker for spoiled kids and Hollywood alike. Below are reviews and previews of nine films opening in San Antonio between December 20 and 25.
CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
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TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX PARAMOUNT PICTURES
22
Downsizing ◀ Top-tier filmmaker Alexander Payne (Sideways) has managed to do something he’s never done as a director in his six prior features — make a movie unworthy of his talent. It’s more disappointing since the premise features one of the cleverest ideas presented in a film this year. Payne and collaborator Jim Taylor, however, take the fascinating notion — a world where
The Shape of Water ▶ A picturesque fairytale told by a masterful storyteller, this monster movie from director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) is the most emotionally resonant of his career. The love story between a lonely, voiceless woman (Sally Hawkins) and an amphibious creature housed in a top-secret government laboratory where she works as part of the facility’s cleaning crew is breathtakingly beautiful and imaginative. Del Toro’s vision is flawless. Featuring some of the best cinematography and production design this year, the fantasy elements blend well with those in the real world during the Cold War era. It might be another take on the Beauty and the Beast narrative by way of 1954’s Creature from the Black Lagoon, but with del Toro at the helm, the creativity is exceptional. Opens December 22. Molly’s Game ◀ After writing seven critically acclaimed scripts for several filmmakers including Bennett Miller, Danny Boyle and David Fincher, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) makes his directorial debut with a screenplay he adapted from high-stakes underground “poker princess” Molly Bloom’s memoir of the same name about her experiences running poker
TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
The Greatest Showman ◀ It might not have the same visual flare as comparable musicals like Moulin Rouge! or Chicago, but with a handful of dynamic original songs written by Academy Award-winning lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land), The Greatest Showman, which is inspired by the unusual life of Barnum & Bailey circus founder P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman’s first role postWolverine), delivers on its promise of spectacular showmanship. The script does skip over many of the fascinating peculiarities of Barnum’s career under the big top and instead focuses on a pair of love stories and a familiar message about individuality, but what’s there is just dazzling enough to pique the senses. Opens December 20.
SCREENS
games for the world’s elite before getting busted by the FBI. Much like his other work as a screenwriter for cinema, Sorkin’s sometimes-too-perfect dialogue springs from the page and from the mouths of his characters with sharpness, intellect and wit. As Bloom, actress Jessica Chastain gives her best performance since 2015’s underrated A Most Violent Year. Opens December 25. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Four teenagers are transported into a video game (it was a board game in the 1995 original) where they must journey through a virtual jungle and find their way back to the real world. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan star. Opens December 20. Father Figures ▼ Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers) and Ed Helms (The Hangover) star as fraternal twin brothers who go on a road trip to find the biological father their mother (Glenn Close) said was dead. Possible daddy: NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. Opens December 22.
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All the Money in the World Director Ridley Scott (Alien: Covenant) takes on the story of billionaire J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) during the 1973 kidnapping of his grandson when he famously refused to pay the ransom, which resulted in his grandson’s ear being cut off and mailed to the family. Opens December 25.
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Bright Set in an alternative universe where man and monster live and work alongside one another, Will Smith (I Am Legend) stars as an LAPD officer who teams up with an orc deputy (Joel Edgerton) to find a missing magic wand that can destroy the world. Starts streaming on Netflix December 22.
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Pitch Perfect 3 World champion a cappella group the Bellas wrap up their musical trilogy by donning some camouflage and reuniting in Spain for a USO tour. Back for the trip: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow and Rebel Wilson. Maybe someone will keep the franchise going with a Fat Amy prequel. Opens December 22.
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OPEN MIC WITH THE JAKE CASTILLO TRIO 10:00PM FREE! All Ages
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THIRD THURSDAY JAZZ WITH THE NOAH PETERSON QUARTET 10:00PM FREE! All Ages
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The Noah Peterson Quartet sings and swings with funky festivals of sound, down home grooves, and tropical tunes.
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The Anthony Wright Band is based out of Schertz/New Braunfels TX with a sound that leans toward a mixture of blues rock and southern rock.
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CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
FOOD
Here Comes Clementine John & Elise Russ set to open Castle Hills’ latest restaurant JESSICA ELIZARRARAS | @JESSELIZARRARAS
≥
Patrick Frasier (left) with Elise and John Russ
Louisiana native John will be designing a menu of Southern dishes, he’s also adding new spins on those classics. Think hushpuppies inspired by India's chickpea fritter served with an herbed labne. “It’s not just fried chicken and biscuits with gravy and collard greens,” John said. “There’s parts of Georgia with huge Ethiopian communities, Vietnamese in Alabama … flavors that are part of the fabric in the American South and we’re incorporating it to the menu in places where it makes sense and fits.” Clementine aims to be a neighborhood restaurant, which means prices will stay relatively affordable, and though “not vegetarian, or healthy,” the eatery will feature a vegetableforward menu with 20 or so items making the initial cut. For neighbors and regulars who frequent the restaurant, or the extra-adventurous diner, a “Feed Me” option is available. The menu notes, “We all have days when we just don’t want to make any more decisions. Or we need inspiration to try something new. Entrust Chef Russ with your dining experience and he will create a menu especially for you highlighting the flavors of the season. Starting at
JOSH HUSKIN
Time is a funny thing. For John and Elise Russ, the one-time frenemies turned husband and wife and San Antonio transplants, the last seven years have been a whirlwind. From those early days as “oil and vinegar” while working together at The Inn at Perry Cabin in Saint Michaels, Maryland to relocating to the Alamo City to head the kitchen at Lüke San Antonio, to getting married, to working behind the scenes with the San Antonio Cocktail Conference, to leaving Lüke, to welcoming their first daughter, the Russes are adding restaurant owners to their already hectic life. If all goes well, 2017 will end on a very different note from last year for John and Elise with the upcoming opening of Clementine. “We’ve been working on this restaurant since we met, dreamin’ and schemin’ ever since and it’s changed so much,” Elise said. And it’s changed within the last year after John left Lüke San Antonio with different locations being considered as a home for Clementine. This October, they eventually landed on a shopping strip at the corner of NW Military and West inside the former Rossini Italian Bistro. After a superficial remodeling that switched out dark and brooding décor for a light and tranquil ambiance, the couple will add a chef’s table and open the doors. “The concept changed a lot to become more neighborhood and family friendly in the last year,” Elise said. Consistency, and a shot at a family life, is what prompted the pair to go smaller. They wanted a place where either John or Elise could helm service (with the help of manager Patrick Frasier, formerly with Bohanan’s) and go home to their daughter at the end of the day. “We’re running an experiment to see if we can do both,” John said. The menu will be made up of small plates (not shared plates, mind you), with a family-style lean. And though
$48 per guest (the entire table should participate).” “There was this restaurant back home called Tony Angello’s where the staff would just feed you,” John said. “It allows us to work with the menu and maybe offer some off menu things and beer pairings, that we want to share with guests in that kind of way.” Aesthetically, though once the home of San Antonio’s first IHOP Express, Clementine is designed in part by architect (and Current contributor) Ron Bechtol, takes on a bright, cozy vibe. A large canvas mural hand-painted by tattoo artist Kelly Edwards will hang on one of the walls depicting a scientific illustration of clementines and oranges by Steven Noble (who also illustrated the Kraken rum bottle, “…and I used to invite him over for Dark & Stormies in Maryland," said Elise.). Though no opening date has been set as of press time, John and Elise know they will be closed Sunday and Monday with lunch starting sometime after the San Antonio Cocktail Conference. Sadly, though understandably, they’re still on the fence about brunch. 2195 NW Military Hwy., (210) 503-5121.
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210.530.1111 www.ederaosteria.com
Expires: Expires:12/13/2017 12/31/2017
sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 31
Reserve your New Year’s Eve table WITH LIGHT BITES + CHAMPAGNE
OPEN AT 9PM ON CHRISTMAS EVE & DAY NO BRUNCH CHRISTMAS EVE & NEW YEARS EVE
HOURS
MONDAY-SATURDAY 4PM-2AM
SUNDAY 11AM - 2AM
803 S ST. MARY’S STREET | CALL:210.369.9192 | FRANCISBOGSIDE.COM | 32
CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
BRUNCH AT 11AM
NIGHTLIFE
sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 33
Now Accepting
NEW YEAR'S EVE
reservations Call 210.383.8952
17803 La Cantera Terrace Suite 1200 | (210) 310-3733 34
CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
NIGHTLIFE
ERIN WINCH
NEW LOCATION NOW OPEN 8213 BROADWAY (INSIDE LOOP410) 1733 SW MILITARY DR. @ IH35 2808 THOUSAND OAKS @ JONES MALTSBERGER 6620 FM 78 @ FOSTER RD 2710 IH-10 WEST @ DE ZAVALA
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sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 35
You know how to fit in, even while standing out. And you like your wine the same way. Caricature wines are bold, fruit-forward expressive wines for everyday drinking, grown and harvested on a fifth generation farm in California’s Lodi Appellation.These are wines with character, just like you.
caricaturewine.com
©2017 LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards
1 36 LCF4175_Caric_SAC_SE_BDress_RedW_P1.indd CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
2/22/17 8:31 AM San Antonio Current Special Edition. Trim: 10.25" x 10.1818"
STACEY LOVETT
NIGHTLIFE
20nine Restaurant & Wine Bar // Take your bourgeoisie wine friend and grab a pizza. Stop by between 3 and 6 pm for $6 appetizers and $7 wine. 255 E. Basse Road, Suite 940, (210) 798-9463, 20ninewine.com. 2015 Place // A laid-back neighborhood bar where everyone is friendly. Make it your Cheers. 2015 San Pedro Ave., (210) 733-3365. 502 Bar // Enjoy great drink specials at one of the best live music venues in the city. The acoustics are great. 502 Embassy Oaks, Suite 138, (210) 257-8125, 502bar.com 8811 Patio Bar // Watch a game, dance the night away, or enjoy Thursday Jazz on the rocks. 8811 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 690-8811, facebook.com/8811patiobar Alamo Street Eat Bar // The perfect place to watch Los Spurs, sip a reasonably priced brew and grab some munchies from a variety of food trucks. 609 S. Alamo St., (210) 224-2469, alamostreeteatbar.com
Alamo Ice House // Get your country on and enjoy a cold one at the Alamo Ice House, located in Downtown. 802 N. Alamo St., (210) 455-7912, alamoicehouse.com Alibis Sports and Spirits // Situated in a 19thcentury building in St. Paul Square, Alibis is great place to enjoy a drink without spending all your hard-earned money. 1141 E. Commerce St., (210) 225-5552 Amp Room // The latest iteration of this St. Mary's Strip joint is its most noteworthy with pocket-friendly happy hour specials and more. 2407 N. St. Mary's St., (210) 3202122, theamproom.com. Attagirl // The craft beer menu is everchanging and the chicken is hot, hot, hot at this newly remodeled shack. 726 E. Mistletoe Ave., (210) 437-4263. Azúca Nuevo Latino // Groove to some Latin music and all the sangria your heart desires. Oh, and the patio is awesome. 709 S. Alamo St., (210) 225-5550, azuca.net.
Bang Bang Bar // With two owners from San Anto’s own Girl in a Coma, this family, neighborhood bar offers diverse musical acts and delicious tacos. 119 El Mio Drive, (210) 320-1187, facebook.com/ thebangbangbar210. Bar 1919 // If it’s too cool for a sign, that probably means the drinks are spot on (which they are). Try the sweet potato shots, trust us. 1420 S. Alamo St., Suite 001, (210) 227-1420, bar1919.com. Bar 601 // You might have to wait for the elevator, but the view from the 750-foottall Tower of Americas, and its happy hour specials, will be worth it. 739 E. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd., (210) 223-3101, toweroftheamericas.com. Bar America // Good ol’ Bar America. It’s a no frills bar perfect for when no one in your group can agree on where to go. 723 S. Alamo St., (210) 223-1285, historicbaramericasatx.com.
▲ Bar 414 // Rock out inside this dimly lit ode to all things Robert Johnson inside the Sheraton Gunter Hotel. 450 Soledad St., (210) 225-0007, bonds007rockbar.com. Barbaro // With a full bar and creative pizza toppings, you can’t really go wrong at this neighborhood pub. 2720 McCullough Ave., (210) 320-2261, barbarosanantonio.com. Bar du Mon Ami // Cozy ambiance, knowledgeable bartenders and excellent cocktails — what more do you need? 4901 Broadway, (210) 740-9229, bardumonami.com. Barflys // It’s a sports bar with a bit of an older crowd, and it’s a good place to watch the game and drink a cheap beer. 8503 Broadway, Suite 110, (210) 277-7202, facebook.com/barflys1. The Beer Depot // Serving mainly beers from Texas breweries, enjoy a cold one on the patio or bring your own lawn chair and picnic blanket for ultimate relaxation. 1304 sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 37
JESSICA ELIZARRARAS
NIGHTLIFE
S. Laredo St., (210) 227-2337, facebook. com/thebeerdepot. Beethoven Maennerchor Halle und Garten // Perfect for when you want to grab a nice German beer and possibly hear the German choir sing. 422 Pereida St., (210) 222-1521, beethovenmaennerchor.com.
zy Legs” Chris “Cra ca Fonse 3 Dec. 20-2
ena Willie Barc 1 -3 7 2 . Dec
W/ JAY LENO, THE TONIGHT SHOW CRY LIKE A MAN
Darren Carter
NYE Special Event Dec. 28-31
COMEDY CENTRAL, BE COOL, THAT
Anthony Torina Dec. 20-23
SHOWTIME, ROOFTOP COMEDY,
CROSSHAIRS COMEDY
sanantoniocomedyclubs.com 38
CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
GINGER’S CRAZY
extensive gin and tonic selection, mojitos, sangrias and porrón service — which means you can pour wine directly from the Spanish pitcher into your not-so-patiently waiting mouth. 511 E. Grayson St., (210) 994-8099, facebook. com/thebintapasbar. Blue Box Bar // Enjoy handcrafted, classic cocktails at Blue Box (named after the blue cooler Pearl Brewery employees met at after work for a cold one). 312 Pearl Pkwy., (210) 227-2583, blueboxbar.com.
▲ Betty’s Battalion //A low-key militaryfriendly bar where all are welcome to partake in inexpensive libations that now includes a full liquor license. 1524 E. Grayson St., (210) 227-9255, facebook. Blue Star Brewing Company // Located com/bettysbattalion. in the Blue Star Arts Complex, Blue Star features their brewed-in-house Bexar Pub // The sister bar to shuttered beers and a new menu we are pretty Folc and Park Social is 75 percent psyched about. It was about time. 1414 patio and 100 percent great bar fare S. Alamo St., Suite 105, (210) 212-5506, with inexpensive tipples to boot. 114 bluestarbrewing.com. Brooklyn Ave., (210) 236-7828. Bohanan’s // Located on the ground Big Hops Growler floor of Mark Bohanan’s Station // Try some steakhouse, the bar has craft brews at classy décor and equally the bar then classy cocktails. You might take home a want to dress up. 219 E. growler of Houston St., (210) 472your favorite. 2202, bohanansbar.com. With location in Downtown, Boiler House Texas Huebner Grill & Wine Garden // A Oaks, Bitters little piece of Texas history and upcoming located in the Pearl District Shaenfield. Multiple features an evolving wine list locations, bighops. and a great patio built to enjoy com. the warm Texas weather (except for about three months out of the year). 312 The Bin Tapas Bar // Jason-Dady’s Pearl Pkwy., Building 3, (210) 354-4644, Barcelona-style tapas bar offers an boilerhousesa.com.
NIGHTLIFE
Bombay Bicycle Club // A San Antonio staple with a chill atmosphere and some sweet daily drink specials. 3506 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 737-2411, bombaybicycleclubsa.com. The Bonham Exchange // It may not be as happening as it used to be, but with three dance floors, weekly entertainment and daily drink specials your night surely won’t be boring. 411 Bonham, (210) 224-9219, bonhamexchange.com. Bottom Bracket Social Club // The live music is good. The bartenders are friendly, and there’s a surprisingly good selection of beers. It’s your new favorite dive bar. 1603 N. Colorado St., (210) 267-9160, facebook.com/ bottombracketsocialclub.
installation is the perfect place to chill with any group of family, friends, kids and dogs. 430 Austin St., (210) 354-3001, facebook.com/burlesonyard. ▲ Chisme // Enjoy distinctive cocktails with free chips and queso during happy hour that also features Miche Mondays specials. The patio is a fun place to while a way a brunch. 2403 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 530-4236, facebook. com/eatchisme. Claude Hopper’s // A relaxed and chill beer garden, featuring 48 beers on tap. Choose wisely. 19178 Blanco Road, (210) 479-5445, claude-hoppers.com.
Club Sirius // Not the best place to carry on a conversation (which can sometimes be a good thing), but they got beats and inexpensive drinks for being so close to Brass Monkey // From indie music nights to the River Walk. 228 Losoya St., (210) 643Selena nights, this dance bar located on 6650, drinksirius.com. the St. Mary’s Strip never has a cover and is always a great place to show off your Cobalt Club // It may not be pretty, but dance moves. 2702 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) head to this LGBT dive bar in Tobin Hill 480-4722, facebook.com/brassmonkeytx. for both a diverse crowd and music. 2022 McCullough Ave., (210) 251-2027. The Broadway 5050 // When you don’t want to dress up and just want a beer, Copa Wine Bar & Tasting Room // In go here. 5050 Broadway, (210) 832-0050, the land of Stone Oak you’ll find a laid broadway5050.com. back wine bar (yes, those exist) with a great happy hour (half-priced select The Brooklynite // The atmosphere is appetizers and 25 percent off beer and unbeatable and the drinks are crazy wine). 19141 Stone Oak Pkwy., (210) good. 516 Brooklyn Ave., (210) 444-0707, 495-2672, thecopawinebar.com. thebrooklynitesa.com. The Cove // One of our favorite places Burleson Yard Beer Garden // This in San Antonio: listen to live music, Eastside beer garden complete drink local beer and eat locally sourced with food trucks, kids area and art organic food. You’ll wish you could go
sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 39
Serving San Antonio for14 years strong!
CLUB SiRIUS $ JAGER & FIREBALL
3
est 2003
ALL DAY EVERYDAY
featuring dj slic ric
dj naawz mixing
the latest music and videos 228 Losoya St, San Antonio, TX 78205
lesa@drinksirius.com 40
@clubsirus
CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
/toosirus
@drinksirius
NIGHTLIFE
there every day. 606 W. Cypress St., (210) 2272683, thecove.us. Cowabunga Bar // A dive bar through and through: it might look sketchy on the outside, but this bar promises simplicity and low-priced drinks that actually taste good. 402 E. Travis St., Suite 1, (210) 226-1338, facebook.com/ cowabungabardowntownsa. ▼ Cured // Cured’s happy hour is truly worth a visit, with half-off drinks and wines by the glass. Oh, and the food comes from James Beard Awardnominated Stephen McHugh. 306 Pearl Pkwy., Suite 101, (210) 314-3929, curedatpearl.com. Dad’s Karaoke // A friendly Karaoke bar where hopefully you don’t have to hear your Dad sing. 2615 Mossrock Drive, (210) 267-5813, facebook.com/ dadskaraoke.
Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub // Established in 1974, Durty Nelly’s provides the River Walk crowd with an Irish experience where you can sing out loud without embarrassment and snack on free peanuts. The bar is currently closed for renovations. 200 S. Alamo St., (210) 2243343, durtynellyspub.com.
The Esquire Tavern // One of our favorite places on the River Walk, with tasty handcrafted cocktails and delicious bar eats, plus it’s not completely overcrowded by tourists. 155 E. Commerce St., (210) 222-2521, esquiretavern-sa.com. Essence // This place is friendly on your budget, plus you get to see scantily clad men hanging from ceilings. 1010 N. Main Ave., (210) 223-5418, facebook.com/ clubessencesa.
Faust Tavern // One of Hi-Tones’ Delgado brothers and other partners are working Drink Texas // With a dangerously long their magic at Faust Tavern, giving happy hour (until 9pm daily), we people exactly what they want at a bar; suggest you unwind carefully and don’t a comfortable space to visit with friends forget about the H2O. Multiple locations, while having a drink. 517 E. Woodlawn drinktexas.com. Ave., (210) 257-0628, facebook.com/ thefausttavern.
STACEY LOVETT
NIGHTLIFE
Filling Station Tap Room // It’s tiny and charming, and the beer selection never disappoints. 701 S. St. Mary’s St., facebook.com/stationtaproom. John T. Floore Country Store // Elvis, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Little Richard Bob Dylan and, of course, Willie Nelson have all played at this country bar located just outside of San Antonio. Stop by for a good ol’ honky-tonk time. 14492 Old Bandera Road, Helotes, (210) 695-8827, liveatfloores.com.
barbecue and craft brews. Sold. 602 Avenue A, (210) 228-0124, thegranarysa.com. The Green Lantern // It has the feel of a secret bar, but the secret is out, so grab a table early and enjoy the good music. 20626 Stone Oak Pkwy., Suite 101, (210) 497-3722, thegreenlanternsa.com. GS 1221 // Refill your growler or have a pint and relax on the patio, either way your night is going to be good. 1221 Broadway, Suite 116, (210) 251-3184, gs1221.com.
Flying Saucer // The friendly staff welcomes you as do nearly 300 brews to choose from. You better start drinking. 11255 Huebner Rd., Suite 212, (210) 6965080, beerknurd.com.
Halcyon // Boozy coffee. It’s perfect anytime, any season. Stop by Stella next door for a tasty pie. 1414 S. Alamo St., (210) 277-7045, halcyoncoffeebar.com.
▲ Francis Bogside // The bar is back after a fire put it out of commission. Stop in for the same great drinks, and new bites from chef Chris Cook. 803 S. St. Mary's St., (210) 369-9192, francisbogside.com.
Hanzo// Asian-inspired cocktails, and fare by chef Chris Cook make this Alamo Heights outpost a can't miss. 7701 Broadway, Suite 124, (210) 826-1488, hanzobar.com.
Freetail Brewing Co. // Bat Outta Helles is such a good beer, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Freetail knows what they’re doing. Multiple locations, freetailbrewing.com.
Haunt // Tucked inside the St. Anthony Hotel (which is famed to be haunted), this dark and tiny bar has easily become one of our new favorite downtown spots. 300 E. Travis St., (210) 227-4392, facebook.com/hauntsa.
George’s Keep // Located inside the European-style Éilan complex and featuring expertly crafted cocktails, George’s Keep is where you want to grab a nightcap. 17101 La Cantera Pkwy., (210) 310-3733, georgeskeep.com. The Granary ’Cue & Brew // Good
Heat Nightclub // This gay-friendly nightclub brings weekly drag shows, dance music and theme parties to the N. Main Strip. 1500 N. Main Ave., (210) 227-2600, heatsa.com. Highlander Bar & Grill // This casual
411 BONHAM, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78205 | FRI & SAT 8PM-3AM | WED, THUR, SUN 8PM-2AM sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 41
NIGHTLIFE
Scottish-themed pub is perfect for your next Sunday Funday. 5562 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 340-4577, highlanderbarandgrill. com.
CULTURE
tickets
L O C A L C U LT U R E T I C K E T S . C O M
Hills and Dales // Located next door, practically, to UTSA, Hills and Dales has new owners and a new way of doing things. Stop by for mixed drinks and a good time. 15403 White Fawn Drive, (210) 695-2307, facebook.com/ centeroftheuniversesatx. Hi-Tones // This St. Mary’s Strip live music venue has some of the best pickle shots and chamoy shots you’ve ever had (go ahead and test us). 621 E. Dewey Pl., (210) 785-8777, hitonessa.com.
PRE-NYE PARTY
SAT, DEC. 30 • 9 PM • BRICK
San Antonio Flavor 2018
San Antonio Beer Festival 2018
Call 210-388-0606 For More Info 42 CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
JESSICA ELIZARRARAS
Oct. 20 • VIP Entry 12 PM • GA Entry 1:30PM • End 6:30 PM Dignowity and Lockwood Parks On Localculturetickets.com And Get Free Promotion In The Current
Hooligans Bar & Grill // Shoot some pool with people and listen to some tribute bands while imbibing in your favorite beverage. 13920 I-35 N., Live Oak, (210) 654-4444, hooligansbarandgrill.com. The Hoppy Monk // “Where good people drink good beer;” I don’t think they could have been more spot-on. The friendly staff never seems to get annoyed no matter how many samples you ask to taste. 1010 N. Loop 1604 E., (210) 545-3330, thehoppymonk. com.
Hot Joy // Ramen is the perfect meal for the cold-ish weather we are experiencing in the city. Pair it with an Asian-inspired cocktail and you’re set. 1014 S. Alamo St., (210) 368-9324, Hofbrau and Beer Garden // Enjoy one of hotjoysa.com. the 31 beers on tap or 33 bottle offerings on the spacious patio at this casual Industry // Flashback to the 80’s and 90’s sports bar where you can always catch at this dance club where there are plenty the game. 7310 Jones Maltsberger Road,
Thurs, March 22 • VIP Entry 6 PM • GA Entry 7 PM • End 10 PM San Antonio Museum of Art
Sell Your Event Tickets
txhofbrau.com.
JESSICA ELIZARRARAS
NIGHTLIFE
of drink specials. 8021 Pinebrook Drive, (210) 374-2765, industry1984.com.
ahead and guzzle some drinks back here without any guilt. 1111 S. Alamo St., (210) 227-1187, liberty-bar.com.
Jack’s // The live music venue features music from mostly country and rock acts and boasts a chill atmosphere. Nothing fancy here. There’s plenty of room to move. 3030 Thousand Oaks, (210) 494-2309, jacksbarsa.com.
Lion & Rose // There’s only one location of this British Pub left, but at least you can still get your fish and chips or warm Shepard’s pie. 17627 La Cantera Pkwy., (210) 789-5466, thelionandrose.com.
J&O’s Cantina // Grab some food from Taco Haven then head over to J&O’s for an open mic night (Thursdays) or to watch a local band perform (Fridays). 1014 S. Presa St., (210) 485-7611
Little Woodrow’s // Catch a game and a brew with friends at this laid-back, casual bar complete with private karaoke rooms and turtle races. Multiple locations, littlewoodrows.com.
Joe Blues // Joe Blues is one of the friendliest bars in the Blue Star Arts Complex, and you never have to wait too long for a drink, First Fridays excluded. 1420 S. Alamo St., (210) 2125421, joeblueslounge.com.
The Local Bar // Just blocks away from the Alamo, you’ll find the hidden gem that is The Local Bar. 600 N. Presa St., (210) 267-9885, thelocalbarsa.com.
La Tuna & La Tuna Grill // La Tuna is a fixture in Southtown and arguably one of the most casual places to grab a damn cheap beer. Go now. 100 Probandt, (210) 212-5727, latunagrill.com.
Luna // Go here for a sultry date night and enjoy some live jazz and blues. 6740 San Pedro Ave., lunalive.com.
N E W Y E A R ’ S E V E PA C K A G E S A V A I L A B L E !
E M A I L I N F O @ B L U E B O X . C O M | D 3 0 7 2 0 0 0 @ YA H O O . C O M
C O L D D R A F T & H A N D C R A F T E D C O C K TA I L S .
LOCATED IN THE PEARL. 312 PEARL PARKWAY | BLUEBOXBAR.COM | HOURS: MONDAY - SUNDAY, 4PM - 2AM
HAPPY HOURS: MONDAY - SUNDAY, 4PM - 8PM
Lowcountry // Southtown’s cozy, inviting made-over old house with twinkleJuniper Tar // When you want to be extra light patio and scrumptious bar snacks fancy, check out this swanky downtown is sure to draw you in. 318 Martinez bar with an ever-rotating list of high-end St., (210) 560-2224, facebook.com/ classic cocktails with unique twists and lowcountrysa. fresh ingredients. 224 W. Houston St., (210) 229-1833, juniper-tar.com. ▲ El Luchador // Southtown’s cozy, inviting made-over old house with ◀ The Last Word // Cocktails on tap and twinkle-light patio and scrumptious leather-bound books, yes please. 229 bar snacks is sure to draw you in. 318 E. Houston St., Suite 10, (210) 314-1285, Martinez St., (210) 560-2224, facebook. thelastwordsa.com. com/lowcountrysa.
Liberty Bar // The bar is housed in a restored convent in Southtown, so go
The Luxury // The best place to enjoy the beauty of the River Walk without being surrounded by a constant flood of people. Make sure you order some sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 43
NIGHTLIFE
The Throwback
FRI., DEC 22 • 9PM • ALL AGES
DEC. 20 • STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES
PRETTY GIRLS LUV rap 5
“crack fries” with a fried egg and Srirachi The Mix // It’s a tight squeeze into this aioli dipping sauce. 103 E. Jones St., bar, but this St. Mary’s Strip mainstay (210) 354-2274. offers free shows by local bands, which keeps crowds coming back. 2423 N. St. Mariachi Bar at Mi Tierra // Indulge in Mary’s St., (210) 735-1313, facebook. strong margaritas and be serenaded com/themix.sanantonio. by the traveling-from-table-to-table mariachis. 218 Produce Row, (210) 225- Moses Rose’s Hideout // Half the fun 1262, mitierracafe.com. is finding the hidden entrance. Once you’re in, you’ll find a crowd whose Mash’D // Sample moonshine straight looking for the same thing you are: to or in a cocktail and enjoy down-home unwind. 518 E. Houston St., (210) 775“rebellious American” food. Who knew 1808, mosesroseshideout.com. moonshine could be so souped up? 17623 La Cantera Pkwy., (210) 538-5833, NAO Latin Gastro Bar // Served and mashd.com. prepared by students at the Culinary Institute of America, visitors can indulge Max’s Wine Dive // Where else can you in Latin American cuisine and craft get fried chicken and bubbles and feel cocktails at the contemporary eatery so classy? 340 E. Basse Road, Suite 101, located in the Pearl. 312 Pearl Pkwy., (210) 444-9547, maxswinedive.com. (210) 554-6484, naorestaurant.com.
SAT., DEC 23 • 10PM • ALL AGES • NO COVER
The Menger Hotel Bar // This historic bar steps away from the Alamo may have steep prices, but then again, this is where Teddy Roosevelt used to recruit his rough riders. 204 Alamo Plaza, (210) 223-4361, mengerhotel.com.
The Suffers
Midnight Rodeo // The country dance club offers free dance lessons and drink specials that help you loosen up on the racetrack-style dance floor. 12260 Nacogdoches Road, (210) 655-0040, midnightrodeosanantonio.com.
DEC. 21 • KOE WETZEL
THU., DEC 28 • 7PM • ALL AGES
DEC. 22 • JOSH WARD
Ghostland Observatory FRI., DEC 29 • 7PM • ALL AGES
The Mine Shaft Saloon // Sharing the same building as the Magic Time Machine restaurant, the Mine Shaft Saloon is a cozy bar with live music, cheap drinks and karaoke (and some people in costumes). 902 NE Loop 410, (210) 828-1470, facebook.com/ mineshaftsaloon.
Rich Hands
DEC. 23 • KYLE PARK
FRI., DEC 29 • 8PM • ALL AGES
Neon Indian
papertigersatx.com 44
CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
OMAR COGLE
SAT., DEC 30 • 7PM • ALL AGES
Oak Hills Tavern // No need to impress at this Medical Center dive bar where you can actually carry on a conversation. 7920 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 6148855, facebook.com/oakhillstavern. Ocho // This pan-Latin restaurant and bar has a pretty spectacular patio speckled with lights and big chandeliers. 1015 Navarro St., (210) 222-2008, havanasanantonio.com. ▼ Paramour // Come here to view the city’s downtown skyline while swigging back some fancy cocktails on the rooftop bar. 102 9th St., (210) 340-9880, paramourbar. com. Pegasus // This LGBT-friendly dance club invites you to strut your stuff to Contemporary dance tracks or show off your two-step moves on the
COURTESY OF RUMBLE
NIGHTLIFE
back bar where country music plays. 1402 N. Main Ave., (210) 299-4222, pegasussanantonio.com.
facebook.com/larocacantina.
Rosella at the Rand // A classy yet casual atmosphere with a variety of The Phoenix Saloon // Established in beer, wine and classic cocktails. Stop 1871, the Phoenix Bar used to host by happy hour for $6 menu cocktails alligator and badger fights. Fast-forward and $6 wine from 4 to 7 p.m., Monday to 2015 where patrons can enjoy some through Saturday. 114 E. Houston St., Texas chili, live music and karaoke. 193 rosellacoffee.com. W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels, (830) 643-1400, thephoenixsaloon.com. ▲ Rumble // , Rumble’s frozen cocktail machines are no joke and the Raffles Restaurant and Bar // This ridiculously chill vibe is sure to bring you old man bar (and proud of it) in. 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 365-3246, features American pub-grub and live rumblesa.com. entertainment. 1039 NE Loop 410, (210) 826-7118, rafflesrestaurantandbar.com. The Rustic // The Pat Green co-owned joint is country chic and knows it. Go Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling // here for strong drinks and live music. Texas’ only “brewstillery,” a microbrewery 17619 La Cantera Pkwy., Suite 204, (210) and craft distiller, invites guests to visit 245-7500, therustic.com. during open-house hours to sample the lineup. 4834 Whirlwind Drive, (210) 775- Sanchez Ice House No. 1 // A low-key 2099, drinkrangercreek.com. and friendly bar that almost makes Miller Lite taste good. 819 S. San Saba Rebar // There’s never a cover at Rebar and St., (210) 223-0588, facebook.com/ with a daily happy hour and three bars, sanchezicehouse. this Alamo Heights lounge will draw you in with their relaxed atmosphere and Sam’s Burger Joint // Grab a beer, a local live music. 8134 Broadway, (210) burger and listen to some blues, soul, 320-4091, rebarsatx.com. swing and rockabilly. 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. La Roca Cantina // Imbibe delicious original cocktails including the chamoy- Silo Elevated Cuisine // With two infused 210 at Tony Coss’s (Green locations and an oyster bar, Silo brings Lantern) homage to the cantinas of cocktails, import beer, wine by the glass his native Saltillo, Mexico. 416 8th St., and upscale food that will make you feel
DEC 30 @ 7 PM
SEVENDUST / CROBOT
JAN 13 @ 9 PM
GIRLS NIGHT OUT, THE SHOW
JAN 20 @ 7 PM
10 YEARS & FROM THE ASHES TO NEW
JAN 24 @ 8 PM
DEADHORSE WITH CONFUSED, SCREW MISSILE, ANIALAOR, AND THE ASTRAL PROJECT
TO PURCHASE TICKETS AT ANY OF OUR OUTLETS:
Box Office at The Rock Box | Mon-Sat:10am- 5pm | ticketfly.com 1223 E HOUSTON ST. SA, TX 78205 | THEROCKBOXSA.COM | sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 45
NIGHTLIFE
equal parts boozy and classy. Multiple locations, siloelevatedcuisine.com. SoHo Wine & Martini Bar // SoHo brings cool Manhattan vibes to the River Walk. Go early so you don’t have to wait too long before you imbibe. 214 W. Crockett St., (210) 444-1000, facebook.com/ sohowineandmartinibar. Southtown 101 // This quaint bar located in the King William district offers a wide beer selection plus theme nights and a new bar menu that’s available late. 101 Pereida St., (210) 263-9880, facebook. com/Southtown101. MON-THU : 4PM-2AM | FRI-SUN: 2PM-2AM
Sparky’s Pub // Welcoming gays and straights alike, this friendly pub has a fun crowd and strong as hell drinks. 1416 N. Main Ave., (210) 320-5111, sparkyspub.com.
TBA // Relaxing cocktail bar that’s a service industry favorite. 2801 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 320-1753, tbasatx.com. Texas T Pub // Drinks start pouring at 8 a.m. at this dive bar that might be a little shady but is great for people watching. 121 Broadway, (210) 271-1058. The Thirsty Camel // Hidden away in Olmos Park, The Thirsty Camel is the definition of a dive bar. 5307 McCullough Ave., (210) 277-0979, facebook.com/ thirstycamelbar The Trophy Room // Nectar Wine Bar is out, and in its place is a laid-back haven for all Downtown bar-goers with a can'tmiss happy hour. 214 Broadway Suite 103, (210) 257-5152.
▼ Tucker’s Kozy Korner // This homey bar, established in 1948, is now under Stella Public House // Fight back the urge new management by The Boulevardier to yell “Stella!” (Thanks, Tennessee Group and features new bites designed Williams) every time you walk into by chef Jeff White. 1338 E. Houston this pizza joint, but no need to find St., (210) 320-2192, facebook.com/ fuss with delicious pizza toppings tuckerskozykorner1948. and a truly great beer selection. 1414 S. Alamo St., (210) 277-7047, Ventura SATX // All genres of live music stellapublichouse.com. and patio sessions, art events, warm hospitality, food trucks, brunch and a Stroker’s Sports Bar // This no-fuss bar Riverwalk patio. Settle in? 1011 Avenue serves up some of best micheladas B, (210) 802-6940, facebook.com/ and attracts a steady stream of local venturasatx. and young folk from Southtown. 703 Roosevelt Ave., (210) 533-4549. Viva Tacoland // A piece of San Antonio’s punk music past reinvented with on-site The Squeezebox // “The sound and soul food trucks and a little less grittiness of San Anto on the St. Mary’s strip” for new San Antonians to enjoy. doesn’t disappoint, with patio, music 103 W. Grayson St., (210) 368-2443, and accordion-themed décor. Meet your vivatacoland.com. new favorite squeeze. 2806 N. St. Mary’s St., facebook.com/thesqueezbox. VFW Post 76 // This reportedly haunted
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CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
NIGHTLIFE
Wurzbach Icehouse // It’s absolutely a bar in the old Texas icehouse tradition, which at its simplest is a place to drink with people you may or may not know. Serving wings, chicken strips, dogs and burgers, and yup, Frito Pie. Wax Club Lounge // This grungy bar 10141 Wurzbach Rd., (210) 877-2100, plays ’80s underground music, new wurzbachicehouse.com. wave jams and has tasty drink specials. 2211 San Pedro Ave., (210) 379-4788, facebook.com/waxclublounge. ▲ Zinc Bistro & Wine Bar //The patio is one of the best places to have The Winchester // With two bars, this your next date night, and you won’t spacious British pub has 18 beers even feel like you’re downtown. on tap and seven specialty cocktails Surrounded by lush green vines and to choose from along with a solid tea lights, you can kick back with a food menu via chef Brian West. 5148 glass of wine or bubbly. 207 N. Presa Broadway, (210) 721-7762. St., (210) 224-2900, zincwine.com. Victorian home is the oldest VFW post in Texas. Have a drink with some spirits. 10 10th St., (210) 223-4581, vfwpost76ontheriverwalk.org.
Whiskey Cake // A recent addition to La Zombies Bar & Live Music Venue // Cantera, the third location of Whiskey Zombie’s features live rock and Cake offers whiskey-lovers not only metal music, but still feels like a specialty cocktails but cake, too. neighborhood bar. 4202 Thousand 15900 La Cantera Pkwy., Suite 21200, Oaks Drive, (210) 281-8306, (210) 236-8095, whiskeycakesa.com. zombiesliveinsa.com. sacurrent.com • December 20-26, 2017 • CURRENT 47
MUSIC
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Did we as San Antonians basically ask for REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar to headline NYE?
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CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
OK, so REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar may not have been at the top of everyone’s list to perform at the city’s Tricentennial New Year’s Eve celebration. But should we really be taking former Tricentennial Director Edward Benavides’ highly questionable decisions out on these “casino resort circuit”-touring soft rockers? A refresher: Benavides resigned from his position in November (two months before the Tricentennial kick-off) after a San Antonio Express-News investigation discovered Benavides had been in private negotiations with KSAT to be an exclusive broadcast partner for the yearlong event – months before the nonprofit invited other media outlets to submit their proposal to do the same (lol, oh snap). And look, San Antonio – don’t take this the wrong way — but we know y’all love the old shit. Like, when Bone Thugs-NHarmony come to town, or Metallica, or some other band from the ’80s and ’90s grace the Alamo City, the 2-1-0 shows up in droves (and in Metallica’s case, the tens of thousands). So, is it that surprising that, before Benavides quietly dipped out of his job, he had contracts signed with the “Keep On Loving You” dudes and Pat Benatar
(who wrote the iconic ’80s tracks “Love is a Battlefield” and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” ... which I’m currently jamming out to as I write). You don’t think in the back of his mind he maybe hit the damn nail on the head? But maybe we do deserve a little better than this, you know? While it’s obvious that we get down to throwback jams, would it have cost that much to get someone from, I don’t know, the last 10 years or someone more iconic than what we’re stuck with. It is our 300 year celebration after all. Like, if Madonna and Metallica headlined I feel like that’d be fitting even though the city obviously doesn’t have a budget for that kind of show (where the hell are the millions of dollars going anyway?). I mean, at least now, in an obvious last minute effort to fix this shit, the city has booked legendary accordionist Flaco Jiménez to perform (probably the only artist that actually deserves to represent us up there). Maybe at year 400, we’ll have another crack at a better lineup, unless the city’s just keeping some big headliner under wraps. Like, WHAT IF Metallica and Madonna are gonna be out there? That shit would be awesome, but we won’t get our hopes up.
MUSIC
STEPHANIE COSENZA
Darkness Divided
Almost eight years later, the Jesus-loving metalcore bros are calling it quits CHRIS CONDE
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Following in the footsteps of metal bands who sing about Jesus (think Norma Jean or Living Sacrifice), some might simply write off Darkness Divided as breakdown-heavy Christian music. Regardless of the message, you can’t deny that these guys are good. Good enough to land a spot on hardcore label Victory Records, which have hosted scores of hardcore, post-hardcore and metalcore acts over the years including Terror, Atreyu, Thursday and even Bad Brains. And for being in a genre that’s only become less popular over the years, the band continued to bring something fresh to the table. However, after almost eight years of releasing music and touring, including a tour earlier this year with Unearth, the four-piece have announced that they’re throwing in the towel to focus on other areas of their lives. “I’m not gonna lie and say that it wasn’t very hard for me personally,” vocalist Gerard Mora told the Current. “Just ‘cause, it was my baby or whatever, but you know, I’m happy.” Mora explained that the decision had been a long time coming. Joseph Mora, his brother and bass guitarist for the band, had told them a year and a half in advance that he was eventually going to leave the band to get married, go back to school at the Butler School of Music at UT (which he had left to join Darkness Divided) and eventually become a teacher.
The vocalist himself is also getting married in July, and in the meantime has started working with Prince of Peace Catholic Church, playing every Sunday at the 12:30pm Mass. Mora says that his brother and guitarist Sebastian Elizondo are building their own studio setup and are going to start working on their own music project, which Mora says probably won’t be metal. But Darkness Divided isn’t completely done. The band will be releasing an EP (bringing their catalog to two full length albums and 2 EPs) at the beginning of the year as a thank you to the fans, followed by some tour dates at the end of March and early April. But first, the quartet will play one last show this year in “The Saloon” at Alamo City Music Hall alongside a string of other local bands. “It’s been a bummer ‘cause I love touring. I like traveling. I love meeting people and hanging out at shows and stuff, but I definitely feel like this is my calling,” Mora said. “I need to go and give back to my roots of ministry and I’m pretty Darkness Divided excited to get married. $10, “It’s a change, 7pm Dec 29 Alamo City Music Hall it’s a new season, it 1305 E. Houston St. was rough [making alamocitymusichall.com. the decision to end Darkness Divided], but now that we’re here, the future looks good.”
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MUSIC
COURTESY OF PALO ALTO COLLEGE
Carnegie Hall Calling
How a Palo Alto College student was selected to perform at Carnegie Hall
CHRIS CONDE
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Alexander Montalvo, a second year Palo Alto College music student, has been selected for the Young Adult Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. That’s like, the Carnegie Hall – one of the most, if not the most, prestigious concert halls any striving musician, vocalist or artist could hope to play. The program was created to give young vocalists between ages 18 and 25 an opportunity to showcase their talent at an international level. It also allows them to study under master conductors and, of course, perform at the venue, which has seen memorable performances from the likes of Duke Ellington and Nina Simone. Studying under faculty member Edlyn de Oliveira, Montalvo played Tony in Teatro Palo Alto’s 2017 production of West Side Story and auditioned for the Honors Performance Series earlier this year, according to the college’s website. Montalvo was accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board, which critiques each applicant’s talent, dedication, audition recording and reviews their previous achievements. But Montalvo’s journey to musical performance wasn’t a straight-lined path. After moving back to Chicago to pursue a degree in business accounting, a chance interaction with a choir director would help guide Montalvo in a musical direction “I would always hang out in the performing arts building to listen to the choirs sing,” Montalvo told the Current. “I’ve always been able to sing by ear. One day I was singing what they were singing and the choir director just happened to walk by and he got my information … he hunted me down, and long story short, he said that if I were to waste the talent that I had it would be the stupidest mistake I’d ever make." The singer said that he then joined the choir and after two years in Chicago eventually moved back to San Antonio to be closer to family. He enrolled at Palo Alto College, where, with the help of the aforementioned Edlyn de Oliveira, auditioned for the Young Adult Honors Performance Series. The Alamo Colleges student will join 24 other performers from the U.S. and New Zealand for a special concert at the venue on February 4 after five days of studying and learning from a world-renowned conductor, as well as learning from Broadway actors, hearing from a panel of New York City music professionals, catching a show on Broadway, and kicking it on a Yacht (nice!). Montalvo says that even though he’s been asked to perform, he still needs to raise $1,500 (before December 29) to cover expenses of the program, and then additional monies for his plane ticket and other expenses while in New York. He’s set up a Gofundme page (gofundme.com/honors-performance-carnegie-hall) to be able to help meet his deadlines and goals. “I keep hearing different things from different people,” said Montalvo “‘This might set your career for the rest of your life' or you know ‘Don’t take it for granted, this is a once a lifetime opportunity.’ I think I’m taking it as it comes along. I don’t have any plans to – I would love to make a career out of music, I would. But, I would much rather finish school and keep studying music, and if a career comes from that, then when I’m ready, I’ll take it.”
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The Offbeats As a member of the local music scene who’s been actively playing music here since I moved down here from Baltimore almost a decade ago, I feel like I’ve done a good job in getting to know the music scene here; it’s sort of hard not to get to know everyone after just a few years of gigging, working in coffee shops and just being an all around townie. However, somehow local garage/folk/indie/punk/pop band The Offbeats escaped my headphones. Was I not invited to a show? Was I busy doing drugs behind Web House when it was at the end of St. Mary’s (you know, where Faust is now)? The answer is probably. And after listening through F, their 2013 EP, I’m sad and embarrassed I didn’t know about these dudes earlier ‘cause they’re fucking great. $5, 10pm, Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., thelimelightsa.com. – CC FRI
COURTESY OF SNOOP DOGG
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SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY PRESENTS 'THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS' One of Tim Burton’s most celebrated films, The Nightmare Before Christmas will be projected on the big screen with dialog and effects accompanied by Danny Elfman’s enigmatic score played live by the San Antonio Symphony. The first show of the symphony’s 2017-2018 season, these are sort of the perfect type of concerts for taking your new Tinder/Grindr date to. Performing live-to-picture by the San Antonio Symphony orchestra, the 2017-18 season includes the film that made you think twice about heading out to South Padre Island, Jaws, Academy Award-winner La La Land, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. $27-$67, Friday, 7:30pm, Saturday, 2pm, 7:30pm, Majestic Theatre, (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.com. – CC FRI-SAT
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Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, it’s a motherfucking Christmas miracle, y’all. Snoop Dogg, one of the dopest MC’s to ever bless the mic, is playing the Aztec Theatre tonight. We already have a contact high. Since 1993, the rapper and pop culture icon has released 13 albums (his first one being Doggystyle, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 800,000 copies in the first week – damn), collaborated with pretty much anyone who’s worth collaborating with, and arguably taught us all how to smoke weed. $50-$99.50, 8pm, The Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., theaztectheatre.com. – Chris Conde WED
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Nearly every Friday night between 2006 and 2015, Henry Roland – better known as Henry + the Invisibles – took over Rebar and performed a multi-instrumental, loopfest of a solo show. Over the course of roughly 500 shows, Roland plied and perfected his zany and unflinchingly optimistic brand of space-funk in front of multitudes of boozy San Antonians, establishing a reputation as a must-see performer whose one man funk band could seemingly, if we were all on Roland's astral plane, save the world. All utopian daydreaming aside, you owe it to yourself to catch one of Roland's dates this weekend, which find him back at his old haunt and doing some live recording. Be prepared to sweat your ass off and come away with a new appreciation for the restorative powers of funk music. Free, 10pm, Rebar, 8134 Broadway, (210) 320-4091, rebarsatx.com. – James Courtney FRI-SAT
MUSIC
WINTER MAKES ME MISS YOU FEST Returning for its fourth year, The Winter Makes Me Miss You Fest hosts some of the best local talent that deserve your attention. It’s been a crazy year, I mean, just in general, but for our local music community, it’s been extra crazy and there’s been a lot of growth, camaraderie between artists, bands, venues and folks that just want to support – together who have continued to push the scene forward. Across two days, Ventura (appropriately owned and operated by Deer Vibes’ frontman Michael Carillo) will host 29 artists, vendors, bands, and artists like Islands & Tigers, Elnuh, Saturn Skies, and Barrera & The Hot Springs to name a few, for what is sure to be one amazing local music close to 2017. Free, 6pm, Ventura, 1011 Avenue B, (210) 802-6940, venturasatx.com. – CC
MEDICINNE
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For party people looking for techno and deep house music in San Antonio be sure to add the Vibe With Me crew to your list of taste-makers. They’ll be hosting Austin-based Techno outfit Medicinne at Webhouse with local DJ support from Josh Grandado, Gabe_V, Richard Urdiales, and Seraph69. Recording artists/ DJ duo, Medicinne have released a string of minimal techno and deep house recordings consistently since 2014 (check out Beatport Medicinne). The highly talented duo will appeal to fans who like well-paced heavy 4/4 beat driven minimal tech-house with slight hints of that deep Balearic vibe. You might imagine it’s 4 a.m. and you’re dancing on a black sand beach on the coast of Ibiza. It’s dreamy, it’s moody, and the music is, dare I say, spiritual. $8 before 10pm $10 after for 21+, 18+ $15, 9pm, Web House, 320 Blanco Road, (210) 531-0100. – JJ Lopez SAT
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Islands & Tigers
Bumblefoot
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COURTESY OF BUMBLEFOOT
When Joe Satriani recommends you for Guns N’ Roses, you know you’ve probably got something going on. Guitarist Ronald Jay Blumenthal, better known as Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, is probably best known for his role as the hair metal band’s second lead guitarist which he served from 2006 until 2014 and performed on their sixth studio album Chinese Democracy. The guitar/vocalist has also released several solo albums though, which sort of blend a touch of ’80s metal-style singing (not like super Axl-y but definitely a good amount of vibrato) and active rock full of guitar solos (obviously). Check out “Women Rule The World.” $12, 7pm, The Rock Box, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 677-9453, therockboxsa.com. – CC SAT
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
Do you like shredding guitars and epic orchestral movements with angelic choirs singing while flames ignite a stage? Do you love Christmas? Do you think it would be cool to see all of this packed into an explosive night of metal and holiday cheer? Then this show is most definitely for you. With their headbanging rendition of “Carol of The Bells” and other aggressive covers of holiday songs, Trans Siberian Orchestra has been spreading their love for epic Christmas movements since the late 90’s and are coming to town to remind us that tinsel isn’t the only thing metal about Christmas. Prior to his untimely passing, O’Neill worked tirelessly with his close-knit team preparing an exciting new take on “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” for the 2017 tour. $45-$76, 3:30, 8pm, AT&T Center, 1 AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5140, attcenter.com. – CC SAT
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MUSIC CALENDAR
SA N AN TO N IO EVEN T C EN TER 8111 M E A D OW L E AF • LO O P 4 10 & M AR B AC H
and his orchestra. $30. Jazz, TX, 8:3011:30pm
Bru’s Tunes Live acoustic music by Bru’s
Tunes. Free. La Hacienda De Los Barrios, 6-9 pm take the stage at Greune Hall. Free. Gruene Hall, 6-10 pm
Ken Slavin Sam's Burger Joint presents:
Jazz artist Ken Slavin’s Swingin’ Holiday Show. $15-$50. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm
Live Music at Quarry Golf Club The
HIV Specialty Care
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Thursday, December 21 and his orchestra. $30. Jazz, TX, 8:3011:30pm
Big Band Christmas Featuring Doc Watkins Bill King Quartet San Antonio jazz group,
The Georges Rockabilly band, The Georges
LGBT Primary Care
Kyle performs at The Rustic for Whiskey Wednesday. Free. The Rustic, 5:30-7:30pm
Big Band Christmas Featuring Doc Watkins Wednesday, December 20
THE BEST GUN SHOW
Whiskey Wednesday Country singer Gary
Quarry Golf Course is hosting musicians on the patio overlooking the Back Nine of the Quarry Golf Course. Free. Quarry Golf Club, 6-9pm
Open Mic Hosted By Nic Spyker Ventura holds a weekly open mic night every Wednesday, from 9pm-2am, hosted by local musician Nicolas Spyker. Free. Ventura, 9pm
Outlaw Karaoke Visit every Wednesday for Outlaw Karaoke with your host, Cloud. Free. Hooligan’s, 10-2am
Primetime Jazz Orchestra John Magaldi’s
Primetime Jazz Orchestra performs jazz at The Cove. Free. The Cove, 8-10pm
Salsa Night Luna Music Bar presents a free salsa night. Free. Luna, 9:30pm
Snoop Dogg Rapper, singer and songwriter
The Bill King Quartet performs a Christmas show at Jazz, TX. Free. Jazz, TX, 5:307:30pm
Cpt. Kirk Covington Quintet Cpt. Kirk
Covington Quintet performs modern jazz at Luna. $5. 9:30pm
Hard Candy Christmas A Hard Candy
Christmas showcase featuring country artists Sunny Sweeney, Jamie Lin Wilson, Brennen Leigh and Courtney Patton. $15$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm
Koe Wetzel Country group, Koe Wetzel of
East Texas is joined by Americana/FolkRockers Ryan Wilcox & The Sunday Shakes. $12-$15. Floore’s Country Store, 9pm
Sol Patch Fredericksburg soul duo Sol Patch performs an acoustic country set. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 5-9 pm
Third Thursday Jazz Frank hosts a jazz
night with the Noah Peterson Quartet. Free. Frank, 10pm
Thursday Night Karaoke With DJ Pebbles & DJ Noone Rockstarzshows
presents karaoke with a screen on the patio showing throwback Thursday music videos. Free, Hurricane Grill & Wings, 7-11pm
Track N Feels Thursday Indie-pop DJ Idyll Green plays a variety of music featuring a light show, live remixing and drink specials. Free. The Bang Bang Bar, 10pm
Snoop Dogg of Long Beach makes his way Vinyl Libre: House for the Holidays to San Antonio on his “Puff Puff Pass” tour. Edition El Luchador plays host to a vinyl $50-$99.50. Aztec Theatre, 8pm night with ’90s house music. Free. El Luchador, 8-11pm Steve Earl and The Dukes Local country pop group Steve Earl and The Dukes Friday, December 22 performs at Floore's Country Store joined by LA Americana duo The Mastersons. $30- Aaron Einhouse Americana act Aaron Einhouse performs at The Rustic. Free. $35. Floore’s Country Store, 8:30pm 9:30-11pm
Una Noche Bohemia: Bohemian Nights
Guests can showcase their musical talents on the provided stage. Wednesday nights begin with a tango lesson. The night then moves on to literature, poetry and songs. $10. Alianza Latinoamericana at the International Folk Culture Center at Our Lady of the Lake University, 6:30-9:30pm
Wednesday Night Karaoke w/ Pebbles DJ Pebbles hosts karaoke presented by RockstarzShows. Free. The Texan, 9:30pm-1:30am
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Azizi Gibson LA based rapper Azizi Gibson
makes his way to San Antonio in support of his recently released EP Im Good on People. $15-$50. Alamo City Music Hall, 9pm
Back to the 90’s: Round One Jack FM
Live spins ’90s jams all night. ’90s attire encouraged. Free. Brass Monkey, 9-2am
Bad Santa Christmas Bash Local
alternative rock band Finding September performs at Bonds Rock Bar joined by Good City Modern, Goodbye Gloria and
MUSIC
Send Help. $10. Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, 8pm-midnight
Big Band Christmas Featuring Doc Watkins and his orchestra. $30. Jazz, TX, 8:3011:30pm
Black Fang Elixer Local hard rock act
performs at The Rockfest Before Christmas with Violten Sky, Out of the Cellar a tribute to Ratt and Trejo. $7. Fitzgerald’s Bar & Live Music, 8pm
Friday Afternoon Picker Circle Country
singer Hayden Whittington performs an unplugged acoustic set. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 1pm
Friday Afternoon Picker Circle Open,
unplugged acoustic circle every Friday with Hayden Whittington. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 1-4pm
Henry + The Invisibles Henry and the
Invisibles performs at Rebar. Free. Rebar, 9-2am
Josh Ward Josh Ward, country singer from
Montgomery, performs at Floore's Country Store joined by Aaron Copeland of Corsicana. $10-$12. Floore’s Country Store, 9pm
The Lavens The Lavens are a family band
playing a mixture of original material and classic covers. Free. The Cove, 6:30-8:30pm
Los Tejanos Muertos Psychobilly band Los
Tejanos Muertos from San Antonio joined by punk groups Knockin’ Chucks and Given a Chance. $3. The Amp Room, 10pm-2am
The Offbeats Garage-punkers The Offbeats perform at Limelight joined by The Brummbars and Harvey McLaughlin. $5-$10. Limelight, 9pm
trio performs an unplugged acoustic show in the bar. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 7pm Saturday, December 23
Big Band Christmas Featuring Doc Watkins and his orchestra. $30. Jazz, TX, 6-8pm & 8:30-11:30pm
Chuck Ligon Country singer Chuck Ligon of
Richardson performs with his band at The Rustic. Free. The Rustic, 9:30-11pm
Crush Dj Boi of Doom and CJ Spectre spin indie, alternative and ’80s dance for a Costume Dancenight Before Christmas. Free. The Amp Room, 10-2am.
Folk Family Revival Folk Family Revival of
Houston performs at The Phoenix Saloon with The Ryan Quiet Experience. Free. The Phoenix Saloon, 9-1am.
Henry + The Invisibles Henry and the
Invisibles performs at Rebar. Free. Rebar, 9-2am
Kyle Park Austin country singer Kyle Parkis
is joined on stage by local artist Clay Hollis. $15-$20. Floore’s Country Store, 9pm
Luckenbach Christmas Special T-Roy Miller performs for a country Christmas special. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 7pm
Passing Strangers Local ’80s alternative
band, Passing Strangers plays the Sam's Burger Joint stage. $10-$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm
Very Merry 80’s Christmas DJ Eddie
spins a mix of ‘80s Christmas, new wave, freestyle, pop and ‘90s. Free. Industry Nightclub, 9-2am
Sunday, December 24
The Reed Brothers The Reed Brothers of
Sunday Funday Xmas Eve Party Sunday
Suzanna Choffel Austin native Suzanna
Tuesday, December 26
San Antonio, and Poor J Brown perform a country Christmas Bash. $10-$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm Choffel brings her sultry blues-tinged vocals to the Luna stage. $10. Luna, 9:30pm
The Throwback Party The Throwback Party
at Paper Tiger is a ’90s and early 2000s inspired event featuring guest DJs spinning hip-hop, R&B, and Top 40. Free entry before 10pm. $1.99-$5. Paper Tiger, 9pm
Verisimilitude Instrumental trio
Verisimilitude plays at Imagine Book and Records on family night. Pet Friendly. $5. Imagine Books and Records, 8-11:59pm
West Kings Highway West Kings Highway
performs blues, jazz and Americana at their Friday night residency. Free. Sancho’s Cantina, 7-9pm
Wood Stove Sessions The Bob Livingston
Funday: Xmas Eve Party will be playing indie, divas, dance and throwbacks. Free. Brass Monkey, 9-2am
Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker Marking the 25th Anniversary
Tour, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker features over-the-top production and world class Russian artists. Puppets, nesting dolls and hand-crafted costumes bring the Christmas spirit to life. $52.25-$126.25. 3pm and 7pm.
Tuesday Evening Picker Circle Luckenbach hosts an unplugged, acoustic picker circle with Claudine Meinhardt. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 5-9pm
Two Ton Holiday Show Two Tons of Steel, American rockabilly from San Antonio, performs an original mix of country and raw punk along with some of their Christmas tunes. $5. Gruene Hall, 8:30pm
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Always FREE to listen particularly when they’re young and/or not yet out, and that can read as melancholy and reply to ads! and/or insecurity. Love for years in Internazionale. I have 2. Women — straight or bi or lesbian — one question for you: Why do I always don’t need “saving.” They need respect, they fall in love with lesbians? Why do I need to be taken seriously, they need bodily instantly fall in love with girls who have autonomy, and they need loving partners that something more in their eyes? and political allies. Something melancholy and perhaps 3. Your girlfriend may be a lesbian — insecure? Girls whom I’d rather protect anyone could in these highly fluid days, even and embrace than take to bed? The me. But if your girlfriend isn’t straight, ITALY, last three girls who fit this description she’s likelier to be bisexual, seeing as there all turned out to be lesbians. The last are roughly three times as many bi women as girl with whom this happened told me there are lesbian women. And if she seems it was my “Red Cross” mind-set that gayer now than when you met, that could be made me fall in love with girls who are because you landed a straight girl who had insecure/sad/melancholy, so I have a been suppressing her masculine swagger — sort of selection bias that excludes most which many men don’t find attractive — and straight girls I meet. I do not believe this, she’s consciously or subconsciously come to because the world is full of straight girls the realization that she doesn’t have to play who need saving. So why then, Dan? the girly girl around you to hold your attention. WHY? I have a girlfriend. I truly love her. Quite the opposite, in fact. Since September, we have been living 4. It’s entirely possible to love more than in two different cities because she went one person at a time. Just as we are capable away to study. I am afraid that one day of loving more than one parent, child, sibling, she is going to tell me she’s gay too. She friend, and television show at a time (you always talks with me about a new super- know I love you both equally, Lady Dynamite and The Crown), we can love more than cute female friend. Is she a lesbian? I one romantic partner at a time. But we’re have recently met another girl, super told that romantic love is a zero-sum game empathetic. She is gay, and I knew it so often — if someone wins, someone after an all-night conversation in my car listening to Cigarettes After Sex. Why do else loses — it has become a self-fulfilling/ relationship-destroying prophecy. It’s a I always fall in love with gay girls? Can I myth that harms not just people who might love two people at the same time? This is the fourth time that this has happened. want to be with two people, but partnered monogamous people as well. A person Is my girlfriend gay? Why do I find who is convinced he can feel romantic love lesbians so attractive? I’m freaking. for only one person at a time will doubt his Increasingly Tormented About love for a long-term partner if he develops a Lesbian Yearnings crush on someone new. He’ll say to himself, “I couldn’t possibly feel this way about this There’s a lot going on in your letter, barista if I was still in love with my partner of ITALY, so I’m going to take your questions 10 years.” But those feelings can exist side one at a time… by side — stable, secure, lasting love for a 1. Maybe you always fall in love with long-term partner and an intense infatuation lesbians or maybe this was a series of (most likely fleeting) for a new person. coincidences — by pure chance you fell for 5. Cigarettes After Sex were on a boat in more than one woman who turned out to be the Arabian Sea — they sent the pics to prove a lesbian — and, hey, since you’re probably The AMPOWER Clinical Research Study it — when I reached them about your dilemma. going to love a few more women over the Jacob said: “About loving may be able to takeTomsky part. There are other study You course may be interested in theITALY, AMPOWER of your life, that study. “always” seems youDrummer moreyouthan person at the same time, a criteria mustone meet. bit premature. It’s also possible you find The a AMPOWER study is testing the safety and effectiveness Gabriel García ® If you join the study, yourMárquez participationquote time willfrom be Love in of Amphora , awith new, investigational, non-hormonal form of women a certain degree of masculine comes the Time of Cholera 7 menstrual cycles with three study visits to plusmind: a phone‘My heart birthenergy control that is to be swagger used up to 1attractive, hour before sex. and/or andThe rooms a whorehouse. callhas with more the study team. Inthan addition, you will have one’ Your final birthwomen control is believed to work by maintaining the pH of the with that swagger are somewhat you its duplicity. ” Or its visitheart about will 14 tosurprise 30 days after yourwith last cycle. You will receive vagina in ordertotobe prevent sperm mobility andupping preventingyour likelier lesbians, slightly medications and medical tests at noTubbs cost to you. There sperm from reaching an egg. capacity. Keyboardist Phillip wanted chances of falling in love with four girls-who- study areto other assessments and testsline you with will undergo each study share a Morrissey you: at“’Cause I You turned-out-to-be-lesbians may be able to take part in the AMPOWER in a row.study if visit. Additional procedures be it’s explained to you if you meet the necessary criteria for participation. If you: want the tests one and I can’t havewill and driving me Personally, ITALY, I’m attracted to youmad. decide you want to learnGreg more. Gonzalez declined to ” Lead singer • are between 35 yearsdegree of age of feminine guys with18aand certain comment. • are sexually active, at risk of pregnancy, and desiring swagger and, needless to say, these guys NOW ENROLLING! 6. Maybe it’s not an accident that you contraception are likelier to be gay. But while almost all For more contact us: Neera Bhatia, MD, OBGYN keep information, falling for please lesbians. There are lots of • have been in a steady the stigmatized same man effeminate guysrelationship are gaywith — so Amy at p. (972) 768-1141 / e. amyfeinhals44@gmail.com straight men out there who have a thing for for least 3 months isatfemininity in males (even in the gay Brandie at p.It’s (210) 665-1068 / e. brandiecharles2@gmail. dykes. entirely possible that you aren’t community) — masculine swagger in worried your girlfriend is a lesbian, ITALY, but women is less stigmatized and therefore Or visit www.Ampowerstudy.com secretly hoping she is. Good luck! somewhat less likely to correlate as strongly with lesbianism. Women with mail@savagelove.net masculine swagger and men with feminine @fakedansavage on Twitter are also likely 231564swagger USA Recruitment 20170706 Poster Resized Englishto 1.0 be self-conscious about their gender-nonconforming traits, ITMFA.org I am a 22-year-old Italian man, > 100 percent straight, sensitive and sporty. I have been reading Savage
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“Bundle Up” — by wearing something warm ACROSS
1 White of “Wheel” fame 6 Knock lightly 9 Prickly plants 14 Orchestra reeds 15 What tree rings indicate 16 Kind of committee 17 Headwear seen at a rodeo 19 Western capital that’s its state’s largest city 20 DuVernay who directed “Selma” 21 About 30.48 centimeters 22 Tenth grader, for short 23 Half of the Brady kids 25 “Home Again” star Witherspoon 27 Margarine containers 30 Laptop connection option 32 “Monsters, ___” (Pixar film) 34 Former UB40 lead singer Campbell 35 1969 Roberta Flack song with the lyric “The President, he’s got his war / Folks don’t know just what it’s for” 40 Cancel out 41 Sparks of “Queer As Folk” 42 Art store purchase 43 Corporate getaway of sorts 46 Suffi x for social or graph 47 “___ and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!”
48 Solo on screen 49 Office fi xture 51 2016 Key and Peele movie 54 Quick drive 58 Play it ___ 60 Rounded roof 62 Nest egg letters 63 Hang in folds 65 Political upheaval 67 Fashion magazine since 1892 68 Java vessel 69 Persona non ___ 70 Food regimens 71 Wanna-___ 72 Art store purchase
DOWN
1 Word knowledge, briefl y 2 From the beginning, in Latin 3 “I don’t buy it” 4 Lincoln’s st. 5 Beginning from 6 Lake between two states 7 Quartz variety 8 Iguana, for some 9 ___ San Lucas 10 Take in or take on 11 Little barker 12 How-___ (instructional publications) 13 Swelling reducer 18 ___ Linda, Calif. (Nixon Library site)
22 E-mailed 24 Recap 26 Move like a crab 28 Fun time 29 “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the ___” 31 Egg-breaking sound 33 Mongoose’s foe 35 $100 bill, slangily 36 Sticking to the party line, like political speeches 37 Take the rap? 38 Corn unit 39 Some birdhouse dwellers 40 Electroplating stuff 44 Apparel giant with a World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. 45 Kick drum sound 50 Demolished 52 Love so much 53 Grammatical things 55 Pockets in the bread aisle 56 Steamed 57 Birth-related 59 Bill listings 61 Just beat out 63 Streaming video predecessor 64 King, in Cannes 65 Little leopard 66 Time period split into periods
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your life in the
first half of 2018 will be like a psychological boot camp that’s designed to beef up your emotional intelligence. Here’s another way to visualize your oncoming adventures: They will constitute a friendly nudge from the cosmos, pushing you to be energetic and ingenious in creating the kind of partnerships you want for the rest of your long life. As you go through your interesting tests and riddles, be on the lookout for glimpses of what your daily experience could be like in five years if you begin now to deepen your commitment to love and collaboration.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): If you’ve had an unfulfilled curiosity about genealogy or your ancestors or the riddles of your past, 2018 will be a favorable time to investigate. Outof-touch relatives will be easier to locate than usual. Lost heirlooms, too. You may be able to track down and make use of a neglected legacy. Even family secrets could leak into view — both the awkward and the charming kinds. If you think you have everything figured out about the people you grew up with and the history of where you came from, you’re in for surprises.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll soon
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Most of us regard
have a chance to glide out into the frontier. I suggest you pack your bag of tricks. Bring gifts with you, too, just in case you must curry favor in the frontiers where the rules are a bit loose. How are your improvisational instincts? Be sure they’re in top shape. How willing are you to summon spontaneity and deal with unpredictability and try impromptu experiments? I hope you’re very willing. This may sound like a lot of work, but I swear it’ll be in a good cause. If you’re well-prepared as you wander in the borderlands, you’ll score sweet secrets and magic cookies. Here’s more good news: Your explorations will position you well to take advantage of the opportunities that’ll become available throughout 2018.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): These days it’s
our ring fingers as the least important of our digits. What are they good for? Is there any activity for which they’re useful? But our ancestors had a stronger relationship with their fourth fingers. There was a folk belief that a special vein connected the fourth finger on the left hand directly to the heart. That’s why a tradition arose around the wedding ring being worn there. It may have also been a reason why pharmacists regarded their fourth fingers as having an aptitude for discerning useful blends of herbs. I bring this up, Virgo, because I think it’s an apt metaphor for one of 2018’s important themes: A resource you have underestimated or neglected will be especially valuable — and may even redefine your understanding of what’s truly valuable.
not unusual to see male celebrities who shave their heads. Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, Seal, Tyrese Gibson, and Vin Diesel are among them. But in the 20th century, the bare-headed style was rare. One famous case was actor Yul Brynner. By age 30, he’d begun to go bald. In 1951, for his role as the King of Siam in the Broadway play The King and I, he decided to shave off all his hair. From then on, the nakedheaded look became his trademark as he plied a successful acting career. So he capitalized on what many in his profession considered a liability. He built his power and success by embracing an apparent disadvantage. I recommend you practice your own version of this strategy in 2018. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to begin.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In fairy tales,
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the Northern Hemisphere, where 88 percent of the world’s population resides, this is a quiescent time for the natural world. Less sunlight is available, and plants’ metabolisms slow down as photosynthesis diminishes. Deciduous trees lose their leaves, and even many evergreens approach dormancy. And yet in the midst of this stasis, Cancerian, you are beginning to flourish. Gradually at first, but with increasing urgency, you’re embarking on an unprecedented phase of growth. I foresee that 2018 will be your Year of Blossoming.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Like all of us, you go through mediocre phases when you’re not functioning at peak efficiency. But I suspect that in 2018 you will experience fewer of these blah times. We will see a lot of you at your best. Even more than usual, you’ll be an interesting catalyst who energizes and ripens collaborative projects. You’ll demonstrate why the sweet bracing brightness needs the deep dark depths, and vice versa. You’ll help allies open doors that they can’t open by themselves. The rest of us thank you in advance!
characters are often rewarded for their acts of kindness. They may be given magical objects that serve as protection, like cloaks of invisibility or shoes that enable them to flee trouble. Or the blessings they receive may be life-enhancing, like enchanted cauldrons that provide a never-ending supply of delicious food or musical instruments that have the power to summon delightful playmates. I bring this up, Libra, because I suspect that a similar principle will be very active in your life during 2018. You’ll find it easier and more natural than usual to express kindness, empathy, and compassion. If you consistently capitalize on this predilection, life will readily provide you with the resources you need.
58 CURRENT • December 20-26, 2017 • sacurrent.com
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The blunt
fact is that you can’t be delivered from the old demoralizing pattern that has repeated and repeated itself — until you forgive yourself completely. For that matter, you probably can’t move on to the next chapter of your life story until you compensate yourself for at least some of the unnecessary torment you’ve inflicted on yourself. Now here’s the good news: 2018 will be an excellent time to accomplish these healings.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 2018, one of your primary missions will be to practice what you preach; to walk your talk; to be ambitious and masterful in all the ways a soulful human can and should be ambitious and masterful. Live up to your hype in the coming months, Capricorn! Do what you have promised! Stop postponing your dreams! Fulfill the noble expectations you have for yourself! Don’t be shy about using exclamation points to express your visions of what’s right and good and just!
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Years ago, when I started my career as a horoscope writer, my editor counseled me, “Always give priority to the Big Three. Romance, money, and power are what people care about most.”
After a few months, he was disgruntled to realize that I wrote about how to cultivate psychological health and nourish spiritual aspirations as much as his Big Three. He would have replaced me if he could have found another astrology writer whose spelling and grammar were as good as mine. But his edict traumatized me a bit. Even today, I worry that I don’t provide you with enough help concerning the Big Three. Fortunately, that’s not relevant now, since I can sincerely declare that 2018 will bring you chances to become more powerful by working hard on your psychological health ... and to grow wealthier by cultivating your spiritual aspirations ... and to generate more love by being wise and ethical in your quest for money and power.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): What binds you? What keeps you closed down and locked up? I urge you to ponder those questions, Pisces. Once you get useful answers, the next step will be to meditate on how you can undo the binds. Fantasize and brainstorm about the specific actions you can take to unlock and unclose yourself. This project will be excellent preparation for the opportunities that the coming months will make available to you. I’m happy to announce that 2018 will be your personal Year of Liberation.
THIS MODERN WORLD by Tom Tomorrow
JANUARY 12-14 | 2018 HENRY B. GONZÁLEZ CONVENTION CENTER GET YOUR TICKETS NOW AT SOUTH.PAXSITE.COM
A CELEBRATION OF ALL THINGS GAMING ALEX SCHWARTZ
KEYNOTE: ALEX SCHWARTZ FRIDAY | 10:30 AM | MAIN THEATRE
If you have played a VR game, didn’t throw up, and actually enjoyed it, Alex Schwartz was probably involved. He’s been around the block, but most recently you might be familiar with his work on Job Simulator, Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, and the upcoming Vacation Simulator. He has a lot of ideas about people doing VR wrong, so get ready.
LIVE ACTION DUNGEONS & DRAGONS AT PAX SOUTH True Dungeon is a two-hour, live-action Dungeons and Dragons adventure with immersive sets, costumed NPCs, and animatronic monsters. This year True Dungeon is working with best-selling author Patrick Rothfuss (“The Name of the Wind”) to present their immersive adventures in his literary world.
ACQUISITIONS INC.
For the first time ever, True Dungeon will be presenting “The Moongate Maze” event in both a puzzle-oriented and combat-oriented version.
You inquire, we acquire. The Acq Inc team’s quest for riches, fame and glory continues, under the watchful eye of master Dungeon Master Chris Perkins. Join Omin Dran (Jerry Holkins), Jim Darkmagic (Mike Krahulik), Rosie Beestinger (Kate Welch), and Viari (Patrick Rothfuss) as they conclude their Tomb Of Annihilation adventures. At least, not all at the same time. Mostly. FRIDAY | 2:00 PM | MAIN THEATRE
TRUE DUNGEON Treat your eardrums to two nights of concerts. Friday night is Nerdcore night featuring MC Frontalot, Mega Ran, and Sammus. Saturday night features classical music, a mariachi band and a speedrunning rock band as Videri String Quartet, Super MES and Bit Brigade share the stage.
CONCERTS