Beto’s Blues
There’s no denying O’Rouke’s charm. He’ll need every ounce of it – and that still might not be enough
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Issue 18_37 /// September 12-18, 2018
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Editorial
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11 Feature
Beto O’Rourke is likeable, liberal and shoots from the hip, but it will take more than that to beat Ted Cruz. BY S A N F O R D N O W L I N
09 News
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A Tough Job Keeps Getting Tougher
The next South San superintendent will grapple with a budget shortfall, students and their familes leaving the district – and Connie Prado
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Julián P. Ledezma
Senate hopeful Beto O’Rourke, shown strumming an acoustic guitar during a recent rally, has taken his political roadshow to all 254 Texas counties. But to become the first Democrat elected to statewide office here since 1994, he’ll need more than standing ovations from the Democratic faithful. Photo Getty Images Art direction Carlos Aguilar
Our top picks for the week
25 Arts
First Impressions
San Antonio artists, curators and gallerists weigh in on the best of Fotoseptiembre
Truth to Power
Fotoseptiembre uplifts photography’s truth-telling propensity
Red, White and Feeling Blue American Chaos fails to add much to today’s contentious political conversation
Nothing Novel
The Bookshop lacks real conflict and overlooks the positive impact of literature
33 Food
Prime Rib and River Rafting
Our longtime reviewer bids farewell to Francois Maeder
The Big Spoon
Let’s all wash our hands
Cocktail of the Week Maverick Texas’ Le Bijou
New Kids on the Block Roadmap Brewing opens Saturday
41 Music
San Antonio’s Midnight Cleaners Debut EP Rips. Listen to It.
Music Top Picks
50 Etc
Savage Love, Crossword Puzzle, Astrology, This Modern World
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!
The next South San superintendent will grapple with a budget shortfall, students and their familes leaving the district – and Connie Prado BY BEKAH MCNEEL
S
uperintendent Abelardo Saavedra has been good for South San, one of the school districts in Bexar County that’s been bleeding students and already-scarce tax revenue for years. Under Saavedra, South San’s school have improved overall and the district has worked its way out of state conservatorship. But as he prepares to retire, big challenges – including a yawning budget gap – are piling up for the next superintendent. It’s not an enviable position. Apart from those obstacles, the new superintendent will likely be held to a higher standard because of Saavedra’s performance. “Saavedra is a legend in Texas education,” said James Guerra, the school board’s executive search consultant. The former Houston ISD superintendent came out of retirement to lead the troubled district, which Guerra called a “major coup.” The past five years have been marked by steady improvement – so much so that the search for Saavedra’s replacement drew 32 applicants across eight states. “The pool (was) incredibly deep,” he said. Only a handful dropped out after the August 14 election where the voters of South San ISD rejected a tax rate increase that would have closed the $6.4 million budget deficit created by falling enrollment. The applicants who remained knew they had to be “ready for the fight,” Guerra said. Coming into a district with a budget deficit, he said, “there’s no honeymoon period.” Saavedra warns that the new superintendent should be ready for a different kind of fight. The loss at the polls means more than just budget woes. The campaign bore all the hallmarks of the kind of power struggles that ran off several superintendents before Saavedra. Board member Connie Prado’s role in the defeat of the so-called tax ratification election (TRE) can’t be understated. The TRE came at a bad time since the district had closed schools in her area, Prado said. “The voting results overwhelmingly reinforce that
Bekah McNeel
community opposition. Closing schools was a huge mistake and has had negative ramifications,” Prado said in an email to the Current. But she didn’t just let the community speak, City Councilman Rey Saldaña said during the TRE campaign – she rallied them. “I’ve never seen someone work so hard to keep money from kids,” he said. Prado’s anti-TRE campaign was effective. Her home precinct had the highest voter turnout, and was responsible for a sizable portion of the “no” votes. Prado chauffeured voters to the polls, and a PAC supported by her husband flooded the district with anti-tax ratification literature. She also wrote an op-ed for MySanAntonio.com urging voters to vote “no” because the district was not spending money wisely. If that sounds like an odd allegation coming from a veteran board member, then you’re hearing it right. In most cases, a tax election is seen as a referendum on the board and administration. If voters like what they see, the board gets more money. If they don’t like the board’s spending, they’re unlikely to agree to higher tax bills. In this case, even though the tax ratification failed, a precinct-by-precinct analysis of the vote showed that all but two single-member districts out of seven voted with their board trustee, giving them a thumbs-up. Only Elda Flores and Luis Rodriguez failed to gain support from their districts. Rodriguez is up for re-election in November, and his opponent, Gilbert Rodriguez is said to be a charismatic guy who’s backed by Prado. The November election will likely be even more intense than the August campaign. Board President Angelina Osteguin, also up for re-election, is facing a nasty smear campaign from the anonymous activist publication La Voz. Her opponent, Mandy Martinez, said she had nothing to do with the unofficial campaign literature, and called it gossip. “It does seem degrading,” she said. Martinez herself was prompted to run by the closure of Kazen Middle School, where two of her children went. She wants a stronger board voice for parents and students. While she says she is still learning about Lone Star
news
A Tough Job Keeps Getting Tougher
Governance and the System of Great Schools – state initiatives embraced by Saavedra and the current board – she is a fan of the innovation, and wants to see the improvement programs refined and improved. Osteguin is confident that all seven candidates on the November ballot know what’s at stake for the district, especially with the deficit budget. Financial mismanagement and board dysfunction were the reasons that the Texas Education Agency sanctioned the district and appointed a conservator in 2016. The conservator was removed in 2018, in large part to the district’s participation in Lone Star Governance, which Osteguin has championed. Inheriting a deficit budget is intimidating, sure, Guerra said, but the district’s participation in the state’s Lone Star Governance program and the System of Great Schools initiative were major selling points for highly qualified superintendent candidates who saw it as a sign that the district is eager to improve. And there’s no choice but to improve, Saavedra said. Under the state’s new accountability system, which debuted this year, the previously stable district of 5,000 students scored a D. “The standards are different, I understand that – but nonetheless, we got a D,” Saavedra said. In other words, that’s not acceptable. That’s why the tax election loss comes at a particularly bad time. “If ever there’s a need for money to support instruction, that’s now,” Saavedra said. Should Osteguin and Rodriguez lose their elections, it’s possible that Prado would be able to garner the support she needs to win back the board presidency. If that happens, Saavedra said, the new superintendent should be ready to fight for control of district operations. Prado’s demonstrated support for Lone Star Governance and the System of Great Schools has been lukewarm, and district administration says she still tries to “micromanage,” as noted by the conservator’s reports throughout 2017. In August 2017, conservator Judy Castleberry wrote, “The most significant challenge facing this Board is the lack of unity of focus on student outcomes.” She goes on to attribute that to Prado’s strong interest in administrative matters. In October 2017, Castleberry referenced specific questions Prado asked during a board meeting, reporting that, “One Board member continues to try to micromanage.” For her part, Prado says she supports the board. “We work well on a majority of issues,” she said. But she admits there has been tension with administration over issues like teacher salaries. Still, she said she doesn’t want the school board to have as much administrative control as it had in the past, and she that looks forward to working with the new superintendent.
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news
Greg Jefferson
Don’t Drink the Lemonade
SA’s politico-business complex launches its fight against the fire union’s lousy charter amendments BY GREG JEFFERSON
S
aturday morning, several members of San Antonio’s politico-business complex directed speeches at 200 or 300 people, many of whom had been munching on free breakfast tacos a few minutes before the event started at La Villita Auditorium. Lemonade was among the drink choices. Somebody I was chatting with after the campaign rally – which portrayed the fire union’s three city charter amendments on the November 6 ballot as the instruments of our demise, the meltdown that would turn our city into a kind of Chernobyl, but probably without the cancer – said the lemonade was first-rate. Allegedly, it was freshly squeezed. As a journalist, I was trying to remain objective about the Go Vote No campaign, so I did not drink the lemonade. It did look good, though. The speakers included developer and philanthropist Gordon Hartman, USAA executive Wayne Peacock and Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, emceed the event. In other words, this could just as easily have been the kickoff of a bond campaign or a drive to further relax city council’s term limits. Definitely a pro-fluoride bunch. The only speaker who didn’t fit comfortably into the usual-suspect
category was Tony Gradney, owner of Tony G’s Soul Food on the East Side. As a journalist, I generally avoid speculation. But I feel comfortable speculating that, at some point, somebody on stage shook his hand, leaned in and whispered enthusiastically, “Welcome to the club, Tony… I like your signature chipotle grits.” This was one of the things Gradney told the audience: “If these amendments pass, it would mean less money available for improvements in our neighborhoods.” To be clear, none of the proposed amendments literally say “divert tax revenue from neighborhood improvements.” Honestly, who would vote for that? No, opponents of these amendments, including Gradney, mostly talk about what they believe will be the effects. They rarely talk about the cause – that is, the actual charter changes. That habit stems from the campaign rule of never mentioning your opponent by name, even if your opponent is a proposition. Here’s a recap of the causes of the effects the Go Vote No campaign is afraid of: one amendment would cap future city managers’ salary and impose a limit of eight years on the job; one would require the city and unions to take contract disputes to a mediator, not the courthouse; another would make
it easier to challenge city ordinances, including city council’s spending decisions, through public referendum. Getting back to the rally, a ring of other bigwigs stood quietly on the stage, looking somberly at the back of whoever was at the podium and trying not to do anything weird with their hands. When it was Hartman’s turn to speak, the good-guy creator of Morgan’s Wonderland for kids with special needs raised the specter of one neighborhood collecting enough signatures to force a public vote to take away funding for streets or sidewalks or whatever in another neighborhood. “Do we really want to put neighborhood against neighborhood? District against District?” Hartman said. “We’re not a community that divides.” Except when it comes to income – then we totally divide. That’s according to several recurring surveys that name San Antonio as one of the most economically segregated cities in the country. To be clear, Hartman did not make that point. I did, just now. Hartman also said this: “I have to tell you – I don’t really get involved in politics. It’s not my thing.” This is where it got awkward. He said this at a political rally, and he is the treasurer of Secure San Antonio’s Future, which is a political action committee that’s bankrolling the Go Vote No campaign. Also, he probably had something to do with convincing the city and county to pay $9 million each to take the Toyota Field soccer stadium off his hands in 2015. Or maybe not. Who’s to say? There was another moment during the rally that made me pause, this one more weird than awkward. It arrived when USAA’s Peacock said during his speech, “San Antonio is the only large city to have a Triple-A bond rating.” That wasn’t strange in itself. Politico-business opponents of the amendments often talk about how they would weaken the city manager’s and council’s hand, prompting credit-rating agencies to downgrade the city’s bond rating. That, in turn, would result in millions of dollars every year in additional interest payments on the city’s municipal debt. A cascade of shit, as it’s known. The weird part was that people applauded Peacock when he indulged in the kind of civic pride that investment bankers and portfolio managers savor most. As far as the rally’s attendees, well,
it’s almost always a bad idea to generalize about a couple of hundred people sitting in the same place at the same time. But I have a lucky feeling about this generalization: They were, shall we say, more mature than San Antonio at large, a little grayer at the temples than you’d expect to see in a typical gathering of residents. These older people are commonly referred to as voters. This observation was going to be my gotcha moment with Nirenberg in the post-rally interview. But he ruined it by disagreeing with me instead of just fessing up, embarrassed but willing to admit it was a pretty traditional crowd for a campaign rally. “I saw a lot of young people,” the mayor said, scanning the room for the throng of millennials who would prove me wrong. That guy. Why was the crowd’s maturity going to be at the heart of my gotcha question? Because opponents will need new, younger voters to show up for election day. (Our democracy could use the pick-me-up, too.) Still, Nirenberg addressed the issue despite screwing up my moment. “The truth of the matter is that a lot of new voters will go to the polls because of what’s happening on the (general election) ballot,” he said. “Our job now is to inform every single person within earshot about the impacts of these propositions. Assuming they will vote, we want to make they will cast an informed vote.” Yet, the politics-as-usual feel of Saturday’s event seemed flat-footed. Leaders of the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association are looking to tap into legitimate concerns about City Manager Sheryl Sculley’s compensation and the power she’s amassed relative to the city’s elected council members. But apart from making sure the chambers of commerce are on-board, one of the tenets of traditional San Antonio politics is that directly addressing worries about a public official – Sculley in this case – would be rude… to that public official. Yes, the union’s rhetoric has been Trumpian and misleading, and the amendments would make city government more inefficient and more expensive to run. But if the Saturday event is a preview of the forthcoming Go Vote No effort, they might as well call in Hillary Clinton’s campaign consultants for their sage, if costly, advice. sacurrent.com | September 12-18, 2018 | CURRENT
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Pedro Friedberg. As all 11 artists have been part of the Ruiz-Healy Art family since the gallery’s formation in 2006, director and owner Patricia Ruiz-Healy considers the show “in many ways a look back at the roots of the gallery program.” Free, opening reception 6-8pm Thu, on view 11am-4pm Tue-Sat through Nov. 3, Ruiz-Healy Art, 201 E. Olmos Drive, (210) 804-2219, ruizhealyart.com. — Bryan Rindfuss
SAT | 9/15
Marc Arevalo FASHION
LEIGHTON W COLLECTION QUATRE
Local fashion designer Leighton Whittington debuted his Leighton W brand in Paris last spring but remains as proud as ever for the Alamo City to remain his home base. He will premiere his next collection, Collection Quatre, this weekend at Brick. Influenced by the late ’70s and early ’80s, the new collection of daytime and nighttime looks draws inspiration from bygone eras and, like all of Whittington’s past work, from women. “Every opportunity in my life has been handed to me by a woman,” says Whittington. “A woman should be able to put on whatever she wants and take pride in her ability to take over her own space and time without worrying about anyone else. I’ve been thinking lately about how Chanel freed women and Yves Saint Laurent empowered them. I like to think of what I’m doing as the same — freeing and empowering women because I legitimately love them.” In addition to his excitement about Paris, Whittington says this is the first time a collection reflects all facets of himself and his personal style. “I remember a time when my brother was managing a band … and this young band thought they were very punk. I dropped in one day and when I walked in, he looked at these kids and said, ‘This is punk.’ I was wearing something I thought was very cute, a little bit northeastern Connecticut. He said that punk was a state of mind. ‘Maybe you don’t have any spikes on today, but you did yesterday and even with this cardigan on, those spikes are still your state of mind.’ So when I look at this collection … there’s a beautiful lilac blouse. It’s so dainty and feminine, and in a way, it’s a mirror. But on the cuffs, all the buttons are topped with little golden spikes because there are still those aspects of rebellion in me, that hint of pushing beyond the line that’s drawn in the sand. This is the first time you see that dichotomy.” Guests at Collection Quatre will enjoy traditional Parisian cocktails and macarons, with event proceeds benefiting Drop4Drop, a nonprofit that funds sustainable, clean-water projects. $35, doors at 7pm, show at 8pm, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, (210) 262-8653, leightonw.com. — Georgina Cortinas
THU | 9/13 ART
‘MADE IN MEXICO’
Pedro Friedeberg
Simultaneously honoring age-old traditions and celebrating forward-thinking concepts, Ruiz-Healy Art’s fall group show assembles works by 11 artists who — as the overarching heading suggests — were, in one way or another, “Made in Mexico.” While that title might conjure irrelevant stereotypes, Trumpian tariffs and consumable imports like avocados and tequila, it’s quietly designed to challenge viewers to contemplate both “the long history of cultural cross-pollination between the USA and Mexico” and “the interchange between traditional
18 CURRENT | September 12-18, 2018 | sacurrent.com
art-making and contemporary art practices of the selected artists.” Organized in observance of San Antonio’s Tricentennial, the exhibition echoes certain Alamo City hallmarks — including variations on folk-art aesthetics and a fine-art interpretation of papel picado — but more loudly celebrates the vast, vibrant and ever-evolving visual vocabulary of Mexico. Bouncing from magical realism and surrealism to bare-bones realism and beyond, the wide-ranging collection covers a lot of stylistic ground, including the gritty, mysterious, everyday moments captured by iconic photographer Graciela Iturbide; the pensive, black-and-white work of Carlos Amorales; the conceptual landscapes of Luis Gal; and the fantastical, geometric psychedelia of
THU | 9/13 + SAT 9/15
Opera San Antonio
OPERA
LA TRAVIATA
Opera San Antonio is fixated on doomed love this year — after May’s performance of La Bohème, they’ve returned with Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata for the fall. Initially a flop, the opera is now considered a staple of the canon, and for good reason. La Traviata brings two star-crossed lovers to the stage: naïve and sweet Alfredo, and the experienced courtesan Violetta. Despite their mismatched social classes and Violetta’s worsening illness, they try to make a life with one another, but social pressures split them asunder. Although La Traviata is more intimate than Verdi’s later, more grandiose works, the score doesn’t skimp on lush, beautiful melodies. Key moments include Violetta’s first-act aria, “Sempre Libera” and Giorgio Germont’s second-act aria “Di Provenza il Mar.” Be sure to pay particular attention to Amanda Woodbury as Violetta — the difficult role is almost hybrid in nature, and some even contend that each act requires a different kind of voice. $35-$184, 7:30pm Thu & Sat, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, H-E-B Performance Hall, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, operasa.org. — Kelly Merka Nelson
FI LM
AKEELAH AND THE BEE
Do you like watching nail-biting spelling bees on ESPN? Always win when playing Scrabble against your friends and family? Know how to spell scherenschnitte (the art of paper-cutting) without grabbing the dictionary? If so, the 2006 drama Akeelah and the Bee might be the feel-good movie you’re looking for. The film follows title character Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), an 11-yearold girl from South Los Angeles, who advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee with the help of her English teacher Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) and initially reluctant mother Tanya (Angela Bassett). Director Doug Atchison, who still hasn’t made a film since Akeelah (what?!), received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship for the film, which (trivia alert) is the only movie ever produced by Starbucks (F-R-A-P-P-U-C-C-I-N-O). Back in 2006, I called Akeelah “a great family film with a purpose” and lauded Palmer for her strong performance. After her breakout role in Akeelah, Palmer went to star on Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP for three seasons. This year, she will join the cast of the rebooted third season of the MTV series Scream, which is based on the horror movie franchise of the same name. Free, 8pm, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, Will Naylor Smith River Walk Plaza, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter. org. – Kiko Martinez
calendar
FRI | 9/14
Lionsgate
been a member of the prestigious Magnum Photos since 1988 (he’s now on the foundation’s board) and has published work in National Geographic, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Vogue and GQ, among many others. Other notable aspects of this year’s festival include a panel on women in photography, an artist talk by Spurs photographer
SUN | 9/16
SAT | 9/15 ART
4X5 PHOTO FEST
Now in its third year, and moved from November to September, 4x5 Photo Fest is an annual, roving, one-day photography festival that includes exhibition, networking and education components. The unique event is ideal for photographers of all levels, community and business folks looking to connect with photographers, and anyone who’d like to experience great work in the medium and learn from some of the best. Keynote speaker for the fest will be much-lauded, veteran photographer Eli Reed, who has
Mark Sobhani, a copyright workshop led by local media-law attorney Alicia Wagner Calzada, printing and Lomography workshops, and more. Visit the website below for scheduling information and to register for individual workshops (some are not free, FYI). Free, 11am-8pm, East Crossing, 125 Lamar St., 4x5photofest.com. — James Courtney
Pearl Brewery MUSIC
MARIACHI LAB: OLÉ EDITION
The Pearl is closing out its extensive program Olé, San Antonio — a summer-long, multi-sensory celebration of our city’s cultural connections to Spain — with the return of one of its finest events of last year: Mariachi Lab. In its second year, as in its first, Mariachi Lab offers up a series of workshops, activities for kids and, of course, mariachi performances showcasing players of all levels. The only ticketed event, a special show at Pearl Stable, will feature Vanessa Del Fierro of Las Cornelas and renowned Spanish guitarist Luis Gallo ($25, 2-6pm, 307 Pearl Pkwy.). Meanwhile, other performers include representatives from mariachi crews and organizations around town (and farther), from school mariachi programs, and local legends like Trío de Cantares de Mi Tierra and Eva Ybarra Mariachi Trio. Free, 1-8pm, Pearl Brewery, 200 E. Grayson St., (210) 212-7260, atpearl.com. — JC Courtesy 4 X 5 Photo Fest
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SAT | 9/15 TALKS
TEDXPALOALTOCOLLEGE
This weekend, Palo Alto College will host its first-ever TEDxPaloAltoCollege event, bringing together a diverse lineup of 14 distinguished speakers from San Antonio, the U.S. and beyond. Like all TEDx happenings, Palo Alto’s entry is imbued with “the spirit of TED’s mission of ideas worth spreading” in hopes of discovering ideas and sparking conversations in our community. Slated to speak at this inaugural event are City Councilman Rey Saldaña, Brazilian game developer Ana Ribeiro, Southwest School of Art Printmaking Chair Margaret Craig, local chef/entrepreneur Mike Behrend of Green Vegetarian Cuisine, Cali-based grief expert Sharon Brubaker, and more. Presenters will hold the floor for 10 to 18 minutes and each has planned their talk around the loose theme of “Break Through ________.” TEDxPaloAltoCollege will also offer plenty of opportunities for attendees to network and discuss some of the important topics touched on in the talks. $15-$30, 8am-3pm, Palo Alto College Performing Arts Center, 1400 W. Villaret Blvd., (210) 486-3000, tedxpaloaltocollege.org. — JC
SUN | 9/16 COMEDY
HANNIBAL BURESS q
Happy anniversary to comedian Hannibal Buress, who celebrates his Sweet 16
World Wrestling Entertainment
as a stand-up this year. Buress started his stand-up career when he jumped on stage for an open mic event in 2002. Since then, he’s branched out into every other entertainment medium he could find — from TV and movies to podcasts and video games. Currently, he can be seen on the Comedy Central series Broad City as Lincoln Rice, a pediatric dentist who occasionally has sex with slacker Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer). His podcast Handsome Rambler is on its 58th episode and features interviews with heavy hitters like Jon Hamm, Chris Rock and Tiffany Haddish. You can also find Buress’ most recent stand-up special, Comedy Camisado, streaming on Netflix. In the last four years, Buress has earned roles in 11 theatrically released movies, including Neighbors, Daddy’s Home, The Disaster Artist, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Blockers and Tag. In 2014, Buress performed at a club in Philadelphia where he did an extended joke on the then-disregarded rape allegations against Bill Cosby (a subject Buress
Courtesy Hannibal Buress
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TUE | 9/18 WORDS
GET LIT WITH MIMI SWARTZ \
The Crown Publishing group
no longer talks about publicly). The routine went viral, which reignited the accusations and led to Cosby’s sexual assault conviction last April. Cosby is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24. $29.50-$55, 8pm, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, H-E-B Performance Hall, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 2238624, tobincenter.org. — KM
SUN | 9/16 SPORTS
WWE: ‘HELL IN A CELL’ T
If watching bicep-bulging men and women smash each other’s faces into a chain-link fence sounds like your idea of an entertaining weekend night out, you’re in for a treat. “Hell in a Cell,” one of World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) 14 pay-per-view live events this year, is making its way to San Antonio for the first time in the event’s decade-long history. The last WWE PPV event the Alamo City hosted was the Royal Rumble last year at the Alamodome when Randy Orton won the 30-man Royal Rumble match by eliminating Roman Reigns. This year, Reigns is back (and on the poster, no less, as a menacing demon) alongside his challenger Braun Strowman for the WWE Universal Championship. Other matches on the card include AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship and Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton. Former MMA champion Ronda Rousey, who is now a full-fledged professional wrestler with the WWE, will put her Raw Women’s Championship belt on the line when she takes on Alexa Bliss, who she steamrolled only a month ago at SummerSlam. $27-$417, 5:30pm, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Pkwy., (210) 444-5140, attcenter.com. — KM
As an executive editor for Texas Monthly, a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and a National Magazine Award winner with clips from Vanity Fair, Esquire and The New Yorker, author Mimi Swartz is among San Antonio’s high-profile exports. Whether she’s covering the rise and fall of Enron, the legacy of Barbara Bush, parenting amid the everyday chaos of the Trump era or why “so few novelists write about Houston” (we might ask her the same about San Antonio), Swartz delivers exacting writing that’s packed with detail, personality and atmosphere — but also easy to digest. For her recently published and widely praised book Ticker: The Quest to Create an Artificial Heart, Swartz trained her focus on revered surgeon O.H. “Bud” Frazier and other medical trailblazers in their tireless efforts to revolutionize cardiology through creative innovation and technological advances. Billed as “part investigative journalism, part medical mystery,” and likened by Publishers Weekly to a “medical thriller,” Ticker goes far beyond doctors’ offices and operating rooms to introduce a colorful cast of supporting players — such as Mattress Mack, a Houston “furniture king” who became an unlikely financial backer for the cause. Presented as a standalone program of the San Antonio Book Festival, Get Lit with Mimi Swartz brings the author home for a conversation with Texas Public Radio reporter Bonnie Pierce to be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Free, wine reception at 5:30pm, presentation at 6pm, book signing at 7pm, Central Library Auditorium, 600 Soledad St., (210) 225-4728, festival.saplf.org. — BR
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
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35TH ANNUAL
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arts
First Impressions San Antonio artists, curators and gallerists weigh in on the best of Fotoseptiembre BY BRYAN RINDFUSS
A
monthlong celebration of photography in all forms and flavors, Fotoseptiembre has been a fall favorite in San Antonio since 1995. The brainchild of multidisciplinary artist, writer and composer Michael Mehl, the festival takes over galleries, cafes and less-expected venues throughout the city and into the Hill Country with exhibitions showcasing everything from street photography and reportage to stylized fashion shoots and conceptual portraiture. While our coverage of the festival has typically taken shape in previews of standout exhibitions, we decided to turn the tables this year by sharing a set of key Fotoseptiembre images with an assortment of individuals — working artists, photography enthusiasts, educators and gallery directors among them — and asking them for gut reactions to the image (or images) that caught their attention most. While certain photographs emerged as unsurprising crowd-pleasers — including Austinite Ed Malcik’s ironically relevant Selling the Alamo, Virginia-based Greta Pratt’s gussied-up family portrait Julee and Her Daughters, and San Antonio College staffer Jo Hilton’s timeless and touching Generational Hands — several of the quieter examples struck chords as well, proving photography’s inherent subjectivity and exemplifying its unique ability to inspire us to slow down and think.
Ed Malcik, Selling the Alamo, from the exhibition “Selling the Alamo and Other Photos,” on view at Mockingbird Handprints, 1420 S. Alamo St., Building B, Suite 108 “This Image grabs my attention on many levels. The simplicity of the way it captures the current Alamo redevelopment is perfect.” — Al Rendon, photographer and owner of Rendon Photography & Fine Art “I’m struck by this photo’s relevance and social commentary on the development and the constant change of our surroundings. The Alamo as a symbol and reflection of the times literally makes us look at ourselves and ask, ‘Who’s the owner of this evolving city?’” — Rigoberto Luna, co-director of Presa House Gallery “The Ed Malcik photo of the empty shop window packs a rich conceptual punch which is all the more impressive as it was a found situation, discovered by the photographer instead of staged. In
one photo, the complexity of the Alamo mythology is presented and asked to be unpacked. The overlay of the reflected Alamo façade with the empty window and For Sale or Lease sign speaks to a complex relationship the city has had with the Alamo and the Alamo with the city and its people. It calls to mind the current controversy with the Alamo Plaza redevelopment, the historic relationship between the Spanish Catholic church and the precolonial natives, as well as the history of the early Texas Independence movement’s relationship with the Tennessee immigrants and slavery.” — Chris Sauter, artist and Director of Foundations and Special Courses at Southwest School of Art “I love this one — especially the seemingly unintentional statement made. Brilliant.” — Kristel A. Orta-Puente, artist and curator
Domonique Beltran, East Houston Street, from the exhibition “What the Streetz Gave Us,” on view at LiftOff, 2014 S. Hackberry St. “Photography is sometimes misinterpreted. I’m guessing a size 13, these belonged to some large feet. It makes me curious about the wearer, the streets this person walked on, and ultimately the reason these took flight and how many attempts it took to hook them around the wire. Sure, the laces will eventually be worn down from the South Texas heat, rain and high winds, causing the shoes to land on someone’s car windshield, scaring the shit out of them. Come to think of it, photography is often misinterpreted.” — Scott Ball, photo editor at The Rivard Report
“The simple minimalism of the image provides the space for quiet contemplation, yet the diagonal composition still alludes to a jarring action. Shoe tossing can be anything from child’s play to the universal symbolism for drug activity. Noticeable only when looking upwards, which is not our typical perspective of the world. There is also a sense of emptiness — as the action has passed and the human element is missing from these utilitarian objects. However, the boots in this arrangement remind us to think about the state of humanity and the human condition even more.” — Alana Coates, curator
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arts Klarissa Perez, Pride NYC - 2016, from the exhibition “New York, New York!” on view at Revenant Gallery, 1913 S. Flores St. “This one feels like street photography à la Diane Arbus. However, the figure in the background with his more contemporary style of dress as well as the tattoos on the figure in the foreground, seem to root it more in the present day.” — Mary Heathcott
Nicole Marie Moore, Flamenco Dancer Sonya Jimenez, from the exhibition “Along The Way – Moments Captured In Nature, Dance And Life,” on view at St. Mary’s University, Louis J. Blume Library, One Camino Santa Maria “I’ve been watching Nicole Marie Moore take photographs at local flamenco shows for several years now, so I’m excited to see her first solo exhibition of work. This image is of dancer Sonya Casillas (formerly Jimenez) performing at Carmens de la Calle. Here, she captures the intensity and raw emotion that can be seen at a flamenco performance. By pure coincidence, Sonya’s arms almost mimic the gestural marks of the painting in the background.” — Marco Aquino, arts writer
Jo Hilton, Generational Hands, from the exhibition “Gathering Moments,” on view at San Antonio College, Moody Learning Center, 1819 N. Main Ave. “This image is very sumptuous: rich with texture, color and pattern. It reads as very tender and intimate to me.” — Mary Heathcott, Executive Director of Blue Star Contemporary “Tender image of the passing of time.” — Patricia Ruiz-Healy, Owner and Director of Ruiz-Healy Art “This is my favorite of the series. These look like my grandmother’s hands. She would crochet things for me, as I am sure this woman made this baby’s dress. We pass on our ancestral knowledge with acts of love and labor. This is so beautiful it hurts.” — Kristel A. Orta-Puente
Nain Leon, El Extranjero, from the exhibition “Construyendo Realidades – Constructing Realities,” on view at UNAM San Antonio, 600 Hemisfair Plaza Way, Building 333 Mari Hernandez, Epidemic, from the exhibition “Montagues & Capulets – Hombres,” on view at Cinnabar Art Gallery, 1420 S. Alamo St., Suite 147 “I really love this image and this series. Mari Hernandez is making some of the smartest work I know of right now.” – Chad Dawkins, Director of Exhibitions at Southwest School of Art
“The one that speaks to me the most is the person carrying all of the suitcases. It just works for me.” — Justin Parr, artist and owner of FL!GHT Gallery “This one is a great sliver of a story with a documentary/fiction dissonance.” — Chad Dawkins “Very surreal!” — Patricia Ruiz-Healy
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CURRENT | September 12-18, 2018 | sacurrent.com
Christian Fuchs, Eleonora, from the exhibition “Montagues & Capulets – Transgeneration,” on view at Cinnabar Art Gallery, 1420 S. Alamo St., Suite 147 “A beautiful photograph. I am attracted to the image of a contemporary model transformed by elaborate costume to a historical context.” — Dana Read, Director of REM Gallery “I found this intriguing because of its obvious reference to traditional portrait painting. The figure is presented very dramatically with makeup, dress and adornment.” — Mary Heathcott
Only through September 16!
El Greco! Velázquez! Goya! SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM of ART 200 West Jones Avenue | San Antonio, TX
samuseum.org Carlos and Malú Alvarez Caption: Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664); Saint Isabel of Portugal (detail), ca. 1635; Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid P01239; © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.
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CURRENT | September 12-18, 2018 | sacurrent.com
arts Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Procession Mass Holy Spirit, from the exhibition “University Of The Incarnate Word – The Word Lived in the Past,” on view at University of the Incarnate Word, Kelso Art Center, Condos Student Gallery, 4301 Broadway “My vote goes to [Procession Mass Holy Spirit]. It looks like a vintage photo, with a nostalgic subject matter, that took a lot of time to compose with the cooperation of many willing people. It just seems that photographers don’t take time to do that anymore. I like it a lot.” — Gary Sweeney, artist “I respond to [Procession Mass Holy Spirit and Julee and Her Daughters] because of the ‘nostalgia’ aspect and because they are beautiful, rich and unusual images. What sort of indoctrination ceremony is/was going on at UIW? It certainly reeks of cultism in today’s world view.” — Kent Rush, artist “I’m a fan of nuns, vintage photos and eerie subjects. I’d hang out with these sisters.” — Mari Hernandez, artist and Education Manager at Blue Star Contemporary
Truth to Power Fotoseptiembre uplifts photography’s truth-telling propensity
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s the 24th annual Fotoseptiembre hits its full stride this week, there are probably more great photography exhibits going down than you have time to attend. Of course, elsewhere in this issue and last week’s issue we’ve given
Byrd Williams IV
Greta Pratt, Julee and Her Daughters, from the exhibition “A Cloud of Dust,” on view at Northwest Vista College, Palmetto Center for the Arts, 3535 N. Ellison Drive “This one is so bizarre and sexy. Big sky, big hair, big attitude and Nudie-style suits!” — Chad Dawkins “Super nice!” — Patricia Ruiz-Healy “Okay, I really like [Julee and Her Daughters]. It’s colorful, but sort of screams ‘Rich, Privileged White Women.’” — Gary Sweeney
“Normally cowgirl photos are way too stereotypical but this one (which looks like a fashion shot) is so well and unapologetically done — it is less about playing up the women and more about displaying the way-cool, elaborate costumes — kind of ‘kitsch’ taken seriously. If this one is not by Gary Sweeney, it should be!” — Kent Rush
you some pointers and recommendations on particular shows that we are excited about. And if you’re especially ambitious about the number of exhibits you want to hit up, we’d recommend spending some time at fotoseptiembreusa.com, which offers a full schedule and detailed information about what you can expect from each exhibition. One interesting thing to consider as you plot your Fotoseptiembre itinerary, be it modest or maximalist, is the unique ways in which photography and photographers seek and portray the truth. On its face, this might seem obvious. After all, documentary photography and photojournalism have been important aspects of the medium since its beginnings. But, in actuality, the truth-seeking and truth-telling power of photography goes far beyond the attempt to capture reality with a camera — because there’s always a level subjectivity to photography. Someone has to choose the angle, the filter, the zoom level, the lighting and all that will not be depicted in any particular image. Photography is an act of interpreting the truth and framing the truth. Photographers, especially in truthstarved times like ours, are important agents of provocation and catalysts of rumination. Even better than telling viewers what the truth is, photographers and photography exhibits can
force viewers to negotiate truth for themselves, to weigh their own perceptions against the aesthetics and content of the material they encounter. Seen in this light, any Fotoseptiembre exhibit might be judged as an important opportunity to challenge yourself and reconsider the realities you imagine that you live within. We have our sights set on a handful of exhibits that might be especially potent in this regard. Texan photographer Byrd Williams IV, whose father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all photographers, too, is showing work in an exhibit called “Proof of Life” at REM Gallery (219 E. Park Ave.). The exhibit, which takes its title from Williams’ book of the same name, spans the work of four generations of Texas photographers named Byrd Williams. The exhibit gives a singular look at the evolution of Texas over the past 120 years or so while also offering insight into the evolution of one particular family. An exhibit entitled “University of the Incarnate Word – The Word Lived In The Past” (Kelso Art Center, 4301 Broadway St.) takes a unique look at the history and legacy of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. The order arrived in San Antonio in 1869 and has since left its indelible mark, having founded not only the schools that be-
came the university but also the clinics that became the Santa Rosa system, among many other contributions. “The Miracle Still Here,” an exhibit at Intermezzo Gallery (716 High St., Comfort), presents work by four veteran photographers all looking for their own kind of truth. The exhibit boasts highlights form the following thematic bodies of work: “Sarah Pagona’s Body Politics, the street photography of Bruce Barshop, Hispanic touring circuses by Polly Harrison, and the sisterhood of incarcerated women in Ethiopia by Samira Messner.” San Antonio law student and photographer Forrest Good offers up a meditation on “the perception of belonging and authenticity at particular locations and events in our world” via an exhibit entitled “Sense of Place” at R Space (110 E. Lachapelle) that focuses on the area surrounding the St. Mary’s Law Library. Local photographer Edmundo Macias’ exhibit “Cuba Before McCuba,” hosted at S.M.A.R.T. Projectspace (1906 S. Flores St.), takes a critical and anticipatory look at the creeping effects of capitalism on the island. Macias writes in his artist’s statement that he “wanted to capture the beautiful island and its people and its magic before you see a McDonald’s on every corner.” –James Courtney
sacurrent.com | September 12-18, 2018 | CURRENT byrd-williams-iv
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SEPTEMBER 16 5:30PM AT&T CENTER TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!
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CURRENT | September 12-18, 2018 | sacurrent.com
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American Chaos fails to add much to today’s contentious political conversation BY KIKO MARTINEZ
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artisan politics aside, the documentary American Chaos does little to move the conversation forward among voters on opposite ends of the current — and extremely contentious — political spectrum. The idea behind American Chaos has been explored countless times before by news organizations trying to understand the polarization between Democrats and Republicans. In this case, filmmaker, Chicago-born leftist and self-described political junkie Jim Stern (Every Little Step) attempts to tap into the mindset of Trump supporters across the U.S. prior to the 2016 presidential election. As the film plays out, Stern listens intently to the concerns of conservatives as he travels from red state to red state talking to out-ofwork coal miners and mostly disaffected white Americans. He undercuts that rapport, however, by allowing American Chaos to become a vessel for more than just objective reporting. One could argue that Stern, who is the brother of Todd Stern, former chief U.S. negotiator of
Nothing Novel
the Paris agreement on climate change, let his bias get the best of the narrative. That’s not to say filmmakers in the past haven’t tipped the scales when making politically motivated documentaries. On the right, a director like Dinesh D’Souza has spouted off inflammatory propaganda and one-sided assertions in projects like Hillary’s America that always rile up Trump’s base. On the left, director Michael Moore has waged fights against automatic weapons, lack of health care and corporate greed over the last 30 years. Stern, unfortunately, doesn’t command the screen or deliver any real insight like Moore has done in the past with some of his best political heavy-hitters — Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine and Sicko. Instead, American Chaos is reminiscent of those dumbed-down, man-on-the-street segments on late-night TV talk shows, but it’s disguised as a truth-seeking operation. During his stops in states like West Virginia, Stern broods and frowns at the opinions of Trump voters so much, moviegoers might wonder if producers were standing by with smelling salts in case he fainted. Sure, as a
Greenwich Entertainment
The Bookshop lacks real conflict and overlooks the positive impact of literature
T
hink of director Lasse Hallstrom’s 2000 film Chocolat starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. Remove all the charm, romance and mythical elements, and you’ll likely be left with something that resembles The Bookshop, a disappointing and dull period drama that, for whatever reason, was named the Best Picture at the Goya Awards (Spain’s version of the Oscars) earlier this year. Although it might be award-worthy in some circles, The Bookshop is a strangely generic and frustratingly paced story that never comes alive. The film is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by late English writer Penelope Fitzgerald (The Blue Flower) and adapted for
screens
Red, White and Feeling Blue
Sony Pictures Classics
liberal, one will definitely be stunned at the sentiment Stern captures on camera, but there’s nothing unique about the encounters offered to audiences. Stern should have embraced his progressive inclinations and challenged some of the batshit crazy things some Trump devotees say. Instead, he chose to simply sit back with a look of disappointment plastered on his face. American Chaos isn’t compelling or deep. Interviewing attendees at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland isn’t groundbreaking journalism. Viewers might get more entertainment value if they spent a few minutes with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog instead.
the screen and directed by Isabel Coixet (Learning to Drive). It follows widow Florence Green (Emily Mortimer) as she battles a wave of opinionated locals when she decides to open a bookstore in her small Suffolk town in 1959. Immediately after buying the property known around town as the Old House, Florence begins to receive pushback from the townsfolk, one of whom admits that no one he knows reads much. Her most ardent detractor, Violet Gamart (Patricia Clarkson), a devious socialite, wants Florence to rethink her plans and convert the Old House into an arts center (“Chamber music in summer, lectures in winter,” she says condescendingly). Florence takes her criticism in stride and opens the shop anyway, hiring a young girl (Honor Kneasfsey) to assist her and connecting with Edmund Brundish (Bill Nighy), a wealthy and supportive recluse who is her best customer, despite choosing to get his reading material delivered to him rather than go into the shop. When Florence sends him a copy of Fahrenheit 451, he sends back a note that requests “more books by Ray Bradbury.” While the relationship between Florence and Edmund is the most appealing of the movie, none of the other secondary characters or storylines are given time to flourish into a full narrative. Coixet wants audiences to inhabit the life of Florence and feel what it’s like to make an impression on people’s lives through her passion for literature. But as a character, she is too fragile to believe she can take on the entire town alone. Even when Coixet introduces some interesting conflict (Florence starts to sell Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov’s provocative book Lolita in her store and goes as far as featuring it in a window display), nothing notable or inspiring comes out of the controversy. As the sumptuous chocolate candies in Chocolat reveal suppressed feelings, one might wonder what a book like Lolita would do to their modest town. Like with everything else in The Bookshop, however, Coixet just skims over the idea and turns the page. – Kiko Martinez
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JAPANESE STYLE GASTROPUB D A I LY H A P P Y H O U R + LATE NIGHT KITCHEN m o n d ay- s u n d ay: 4 p m - 2 a m 7 7 0 1 B r o a d w ay S t. # 1 2 4 hanzoBar.com
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food Ron Bechtol
Prime Rib and River Rafting
Our longtime reviewer bids farewell to Francois Maeder BY RON BECHTOL “I’m happy to be out of the restaurant business!” Those were practically the first words out of Francois Maeder’s mouth as I arrived for our interview in the midst of a downpour. Considering that his cooking career in San Antonio began over 40 years ago, Maeder had ample reason to feel a sense of relief. The Swiss-born chef and baker touched down in the Alamo City in December of 1977, fresh from 10 years in Montreal, as a part of a team of Canadians assembled to open the Alamo Fish Market and Bakery in a quirky historic
building on the River Walk. (After decades of lying empty, the shell of the building is now being reused as a part of a boutique hotel developed by Chris Hill and others.) Having experienced several Montreal winters, “San Antonio seemed like heaven on earth,” says the generously proportioned chef, so he was more than willing to stay — first as a baker, then, as kitchen staffing became an issue, taking over more and more of the cooking duties. Unfortunately, the pioneering enterprise lasted only a couple of years before the back-
ers abruptly “flew the coop” and paychecks bounced. “Money laundering” was suspected. But Maeder landed on his feet at the then-fledgling Las Canarias, spent some time working at Handy Andy, a supermarket chain with gourmet aspirations that preceded Central Market in ambition (but not in longevity), and finally attracted the attention of Annalisa Hutt. Hutt, at the time married to restaurateur Joe Cosniac of Paesanos repute, had just opened Crumpets in a small shopping center on Broadway in Alamo Heights. (La Paloma Blanca currently occupies the space.) And it was quietly forging new ground with the likes of the then exotic-seeming beef tenderloin in green peppercorn sauce. Having a few years of restaurant reviewing already under my belt, I considered the place a welcome member of the culinary community, a harbinger, looking back, of 35 6
when san antonio meets spain
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food
6 33 fine, modestly ambitious food in a non-stuffy environment. Maeder took over the restaurant in 1983, keeping most of the menu and making “small changes, adding specials” as time went by to a repertoire that included Beef Wellington, pâtés, and eventually rack of lamb. He expanded in place to focus more on a bakery that offered an inexperienced audience almond croissants, gateau St. Honoré (google it), and the strawberry Chantilly cake that became an enduring favorite. “I was there for 17 years,” reflects Maeder, and “probably paid more in rent than the center [eventually] sold for.” He solved the rent problem by decamping to his own place at Oakwell Farms on Harry Wurzbach where, amongst the live oaks, he quietly continued to present The Trilogy (lobster tail, beef tenderloin and rack of lamb, each with its own sauce), along with fettuccini Alfredo, poached rainbow trout and calf liver with sautéed shallots to an appreciative audience that, he admits, definitely skewed older. But if the menu seemed fixed in a Gourmet Magazine past (for this Maeder makes no apology, invoking his audience and dismissing the need, even in an Instagram age, to change things “just for the sake of change”), the chef himself sought other adventures: he
started promoting gourmet rafting trips, primarily on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. I went on one of those early adventures. The instigators of that trip were Richard Higbie and Randy Mathews of Boudro’s and Zinc, and the melding of culinary minds made magic. An entire raft was devoted to china (gold-rimmed plates, no less) and glassware better than that used at many a land-bound location. There was entertainment (we both recall that maybe it was a guitar duo), very good wine, and feastly food such as prime rib. “It’s really hard to do a prime rib over a charcoal fire,” admits Maeder, but somehow he managed it. With the closing of Crumpets on September 15, the last special of steelhead trout will be served; Maeder mentions this with just a whisper of regret. More regretfully, he does wonder where his long-time patrons will find food to their liking. As easy (and, frankly, as unnecessary) as it is to criticize menus that don’t move with the times, it’s best to acknowledge that there’s always an audience that prefers modest movement. Devoted service is a kindred issue. “Kids these days don’t want to work,” laments Maeder. Crumpets, on the other hand, has one server whose tenure stretches back 38 years. “She knows what customers will order even before they sit down,” he says.
Courtesy of Francois Maeder
But as the space is taken over lock, stock and everything but art by Hearthstone Bakery (in a kind of comforting coming around, the new owner used to patronize Crumpets with his parents years ago), Maeder begins a new adventure as a cookbook author. “[The book] will focus on Crumpets recipes with a little humor thrown in [and a little help from writer Nancy Cook-Monroe],” he says with eyes still bright. And he’ll
THE BIG SPOON
Let’s all wash our hands
F
ive years in as a food and nightlife editor means I’ve heard the following phrase a lot: “Oh, my god, I want your life.” It’s a weird thing to say to anyone. More often than not, I squirm uncomfortably and try to smile away a response. That’s not to say I’m not #blessed to eat and drink my way across town. But with that task comes lots of unseen stressors, and one that’s particularly tough to talk about is food poisoning. Most food writers pride themselves in having an iron stomach, and I used to be one of them. But in the last five years, I’ve had a handful of moments that make me rethink whether I actually do have a steely constitution. You know the type of moment I’m
Shutterstock
talking about – the kind that starts as a slow rumble, a light sheen of sweat that develops on your forehead and finally a gurgle audible at times to those around you. For me, two times have brought me to my knees, quite literally praying to the porcelain gods. In one bout of food poisoning, I woke up at midnight and dealt with seriously violent vomiting until five in the morning. I couldn’t
stomach anything the next day. Food, my calling, had betrayed me. Have you ever vomited Pepto Bismol? The most recent time I had food poisoning, I woke up at 3 a.m. and the witching hour commenced. I hurled and expelled (in more ways than one) at least 12 hour’s worth of food. I showered and laid down, quivered and moaned from the nausea that rocked my body. This happened several more
continue mounting those less challenging rafting expeditions that his wife will let him undertake, considering the pacemaker and other heart devices he now deals with at age 72. Yet despite my assuming that more than 40 years on the line can take its toll, Maeder has no regrets. “San Antonio has been good to me,” he muses. We suggest he has been good to us as well. times throughout the early morning until I finally passed out from exhaustion at 7:30 a.m. I had a fever. I couldn’t keep down liquids. And I definitely wasn’t going to attempt eating. We’ve all been there. We’ve all vowed to never eat X, Y or Z again. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the top germs that cause food poisoning are norovirus, salmonella, campylobacter and staphylococcus auerus; four more (clostridium botulinum, listeria, E. coli and vibrio) can do serious damage and often lead to hospitalization. But the first tip given to us by the CDC is to wash our hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before, during and after food prep and before eating. Don’t know how long 20 seconds is? Sing the ABC’s. And maybe consider a hand moisturizer to avoid cracked cuticles from all the hand-washing you’re about to do. –Jess Elizarraras
Contact the author: name@sacurrent.com
,
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Erin Winch
COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK
Maverick Texas’ Le Bijou By Erin Winch
I
t’s the beginning of September, and it’s still sweltering. Cool off by stepping inside a new Southtown hot spot and get a break from the heat. The Maverick has a list of drinks that is ever-changing, with Le Bijou being one of their hits – and our Cocktail of the Week. Le Bijou, a creation by David Arciniega, is a combination of gin, Genepy De Alpes (a liqueur that falls between an absinthe and chartreuse), Bonal (which is a semi-sweet herbaceous liqueur with quinine), orange bitters and grapefruit. It is a boozy cocktail, for sure. It’s very nicely balanced with flavor riffs you don’t find on summer menus. The quinine in the Bonal, mixed with the gin, mimics flavors found in a gin and tonic. The Genepy adds a nice herbal note to the mix, and grapefruit and bitters are the final ingredients that round the drink out with citrus. Arciniega developed the drink after contemplating putting a traditional Bijou on the cocktail menu. The classic recipe calls for gin, vermouth (typically sweet), and chartreuse. This riff switches the Alpine Genepy for the chartreuse, and the Bonal for sweet vermouth. Both of these spirits are favorites of Archiniega, who says he “often sips or shoots them on their own.” The drink is perfect for fans of gin and tonic who want to try a booze-forward cocktail, or for those looking to expand their repertoire of craft cocktails. Le Bijou is priced at $12 and will be available on Maverick’s menu for the foreseeable future. 710 S. St. Mary’s St., (210) 973-6050, mavericktexas.com. Erin Winch writes about boozin’ in the Alamo City on her blog Drinking In SA.
Jess Elizarraras
New Kids on the Block Roadmap Brewing opens Saturday BY JESS ELIZARRARAS
D
owntown will gain another brewery with the opening of Roadmap Brewing this Saturday. Former middle-school teacher Dustin Baker and wife Hannah relocated to San Antonio two years ago for Dustin’s last teaching job. A homebrewer for the past several years, Dustin had grown weary of the school system. A year after moving to San Antonio, he put in his letter of resignation and embarked on what they call a “wild journey.” Finding a location for the brewery took a little over 10 months with the Bakers looking at spots in downtown Boerne, in Southtown, off Grayson, and inside a Crossfit box near the corner of Alamo and 8th. But they landed on a 8,200 square-foot space smack dab between the Riverwalk and the Pearl, with apartment high rises springing up nearby. “We’re the closest brewery to the Alamo,” Hannah said. Roadmap will feature 7,000 square feet of open seating and an open concept, designed in part by Smithdish and Studio MPH, where brewery-goers can get a sense for where their beer came from. The pair is shooting for an indoor beer garden feel — with the addition of HVAC, of course — and yard games such as corn hole and giant Jenga help nail that vibe. Baker will have nine beers on tap for Saturday’s opening, anchored by his core brews. Expect to find an Obligatory kolsch, a Say What saison, Mama Duke’s IPA and a Wake Up Call coffee stout and eventually a full lineup of 12 beers.
Jess Elizarraras
Though Dustin is an IPA man himself, he knows he has to keep a varied list for his audience. Expect an Irish Red down the road and a Lil Rhody, a hoppy take on Del’s Lemonade from his native Rhode Island. But don’t expect to find these at your local H-E-B or bottle shop any time soon. “We want to keep all the beers sold here to control the product and the story behind it,” Dustin said. Don’t expect a lot of screens, either. Though movie nights are in the works in the coming weeks and months, the Bakers want people to interact with each other when they visit the brewery. “We are technically millennials, [so] we want people to come here and go make friends if they didn’t come with friends,” Dustin said. Yoga by Mobile Om is already slated for Saturday mornings at 11 inside the brewery, as well as different food trucks on weekends. Opening hours will be 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. 723 N. Alamo, (210) 254-9962. sacurrent.com | September 12-18, 2018 | CURRENT
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music Courtesy of Midnight Cleaners
San Antonio’s Midnight Cleaners Debut EP Rips. Listen to It. BY CHRIS CONDE
I
t’s not everyday a band keeps the first take of a song they’ve never played and uses the track as the opening for their debut EP. But that’s what the SA quartet Midnight Cleaners did on their eponymously named first album. Aptly titled “Take 1,” the song is dreamy and slow-moving, punctuated with a lo-fi hum that could seem a little too lo-fi. But it’s a deliberate aesthetic that is woven throughout the four other tracks. Eric Saenz, the lead songwriter, guitarist and vocalist, said the band recorded the entire EP in two days with Darryl Schomberg II, who also plays drum for Austin’s indie art rockers Young Tongue. On one of those days, Saenz captured an improvisational moment that ultimately led to the creation of their opening track. “Rocky [Aliva], our keyboard/rhythm guitar player, was playing an E to an A, and I had some words I had already written,” frontman and lead songwriter Eric Garcia
said. “I told Darryl hit to record – that song is the one that really captures the Teenage Fan Club-esque [vibe].” On top of drawing inspiration from the Scottish alt-rock vibes of Teenage Fan Club, Saenz lists Big Star, Velvet Underground and bands influenced by the early-to-mid’70s Memphis sound such as R.E.M. “We want to make music that’s not deliberately rock ‘n’ roll or deliberately pop,” Saenz said. And that’s what this collection of music feels like. Along with bassist Kyle DeStefano, drummer Daniel Lara and Aliva, the four create jangly guitar-driven pop songs that layer perfectly with each other like a multi-textured quilt. While most of the EP is slow-moving and groovy, “Laura P,” the fourth track, is held together by a quick, Ramones-esque drum beat. Saenz’s echoey vocals and guitar licks interlace before crescendoing into a swing-
ing moment filled with a guitar solo that seems a little out of place at first listen, but somehow makes the most sense. Overall, this EP is cohesive, smart and another true testament to the high caliber of songwriting we’ve continued to hear coming out of the 2-1-0 DIY community. Catch Midnight Cleaners Saturday, September 21, at Highwire Arts (326 W. Josephine St.) for Ila Minori’s music video release. Free, 9pm, highwirearts.com.
Find more music coverage Find more news every day at sacurrent.com
1 city. 1 night. 20 stages. 60+ local bands & artists.
participating venues: AMP ROOM (21+) DARKWAVE / GOTH / INDUSTRIAL PHANTOM Spell 27 Shadow Fashion LA BOTANICA (ALL AGES UNTIL 11 P.M., THEN 21+) DANCE / ELECTRONICA Lightwithin Voodoo Boogaloo Rivers Want THE MIX (21+) COUNTRY Michael J. & The Foxes Marcy Grace Band of Bandits VENTURA (21+) POP-ROCK Bad Heart The Please Help Nova Lux
SOCIAL SPOT (21+) ALT-ROCK Fox Motel Razor Doves Celestial Descent PAPER TIGER (ALL AGES) MAIN ROOM LATIN ALTERNATIVE/CUMBIA Pochos Chidos Los Nahuatlatos Grupo Frackaso PAPER TIGER (ALL AGES) COURTYARD BEATMAKER JKNODIC Arodbeats Jonah Conrad LIMELIGHT (21+) INDIE Optic Arrest Vintage Pictures We Leave at Midnight
THE GALLERY CLUB (21+) HIP-HOP SpyMC MAD-ONE Chris Conde The Kid Bootz DJ Dark Night ATTAGIRL (ALL AGES) SINGER-SONGWRITER Rainbow Chilton George Garza Jr. Jordan Moonz GUILLOTINE (21+) METAL Aeternal Requiem Pigweed Hotzi BEXAR PUB (21+) AMERICANA / SOUTHERN ROCK / ALT-COUNTRY Winsome Losers Snowbyrd Claudine Meinhardt
JANDRO’S (21+) INDOOR STAGE, SURF / GARAGE / PSYCH Flower Jesus Quartet Junkie Saigon Sinners JANDRO’S (21+) OUTDOOR STAGE PUNK Lemmings Yo Existo Lloronas RUMBLE (21+) SOUL / FUNK / R&B The Shiny Knights StereoFiend Cadillac Muzik LA ROCA (21+) FOLK / FOLK-ROCK Yosh & Yimmy Jaik Yanez & The High Road Sweet ‘Shine & Honey
THE OTHER SIDE (ALL AGES) JAZZ/JAZZ FUSION Jose Amador & Terra Nova MADD WOLF SANCHOS (21+) UPSTAIRS STAGE, TEJANO / CONJUNTO Santiago Jimenez Jr. LA 45 SANCHOS (21+) DOWNSTAIRS STAGE BLUES Favorite Son Catherine Denise Jake Castillo Trio HI-TONES (21+) PUNK Viet-Ruse No Time Knockin’ Chucks Pinata Protest (acoustic duo)
complete lineup and $10 all-access wristbands @ sanantoniomusicshowcase.com In addition to the convergence of dope local music, there will be representatives from Pacifico Beer, Don Julio Tequila, Crown Royal Whiskey, Deep Eddy Vodka and Austin East Ciders at the participating venues. 42
CURRENT | September 12-18, 2018 | sacurrent.com
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music | music Picks of Mineral and Elliott Smith, Noah Harris is an incredible songwriter who deserves attention. Although there’s an emotive vibe throughout Harris’ catalog, you can hear some Beatles influence and early rock ’n’ roll textures in his songwriting. The vibe is genuine, a little somber, but written in a way that’s not going to make you depressed. Maybe a little. Who doesn’t secretly feel a little down from time to time, though? Free, 10pm, Lowcountry, 318 Martinez St, facebook.com/lowcountry. – CC
CALLIOPE MUSICALS + KOLARS q Saturday, September 15
Courtesy of The Verve Pipe
THE VERVE PIPE L Wednesday, September 12
Another week, another 1990s nostalgia act coming through town: the Verve Pipe. While those who are old enough to remember the band at all mostly remember them as a one-hit wonder, with 1996’s “The Freshman” charting at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining a quintessential 1990s grunge-pop track, the band has remained pretty active over the years (save for a mostly dry stretch between 2001 and 2013). Since the band’s debut, the Verve Pipe has failed to capture the success or the magic of that first album, but flashes of what made that effort so good have always remained. So, whether it’s out of nostalgia or for a chance to
see “The Freshman” live or out of sheer curiosity, this is a show worth checking out. $27.50-$55, 7:30pm, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, tobincenter.org. — James Courtney
¡MAYDAY!
Friday, September 14
Emerging out of the awkward era of early-aughts rap bands, alongside groups like Flobots and Gym Class Heroes, ¡Mayday! would be easy to write off as a gimmick if it wasn’t for their actual talent. The sort of Hot Topic group out of Miami possesses legitimate rhyme skills and noteworthy production, which probably helped get them signed to Strange Music, the independent label owned and operated by rapper Tech N9ne. Their latest single, “Shelter,” boasts a reggae swagger with the rappers attacking the swinging beat from all angles, a reflection of their skill as seasoned lyricists. The group is on tour in support of their new release South of 5th out Friday, September 7.$15-$20, Fri Sept 14, 8pm, Jack’s Patio Bar, 3030 Thousand Oaks, jacksbarsa.com. – Chris Conde
love Peregrino. Hailing from Mexico, City, Jairus McDonald (vocals, guitar), Eric Miller (guitar), Jose Grageda (bass) and Ian Vazquez (drums) weave a rustic, indie-pop sound that’s equally vintage and current, and why they’re not selling out packed arenas is beyond me. Get ready for these dudes to assume spots on all of your playlists. Free, 9:30, 17619 La Cantera Pkwy. Ste. 204,therustic.com. – CC
NOAH HARRIS
Friday, September 14
Blending second-wave emo in the vein
If you’re at all like us, you respond to someone saying, “Oh, this band’s from Austin – check it out” with an eye-roll or an audible “Who gives a fuck?” That’s because perpetuating the notion that just because you’re based out of [insert random city here] automatically makes you sound good is lame AF. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that there are some pretty amazing bands that call 512 home – like Calliope Musicals, who were named “Band Of The Year” at the Austin Music Awards last year. San Antonians might remember the band, which played a killer set at the Arneson River Theatre during the 2017 Maverick Music Festival. The six-piece indie rock group makes music reminiscent of School House Rock... but, like, on acid. Their sound feels familiar yet wild, and the band’s live show is not to be missed. Also on the bill are LA’s desert-disco outfit Kolars whose power pop anthems will take your mushroom trip to another level, fam. $7-$12, 8pm, Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., thelimelightsa.com. – CC
PEREGRINO a Friday, September 14
Courtesy of Peregrino
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If you dig the warm, buttery tones of Nick Drake and Jose Gonzalez’s voices and the playful melodies of early Iron and Wine, then you’re going to fall in
CURRENT | September 12-18, 2018 | sacurrent.com
Courtesy of Calliope Musicals
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3 3 0 e g r ay s o n s t JW ROY & THE ROYAL FAMILY FT. MALFORD MILLIGAN WED., SEPTEMBER 12 | DOORS 7:30PM | SHOW 8:30PM
2809 N. ST. MARYS ST SAN ANTONIO, TX 78212
SEPT. 14 • SMALL TOWN HABIT • FREE SHOW
SCOTT MILLER THUR., SEPTEMBER 13 | DOORS 7PM | SHOW 8PM SEPT. 15 • CODY JOHNSON & FRIENDS AT THE HELOTES FAIRGROUNDS
KEVIN GALLOWAY FRI., SEPTEMBER 14 | DOORS 8PM | SHOW 9PM SEPTEMBER 21 • ROBERT EARL KEEN
SEPTEMBER 29 • TURNPIKE TROUBADOURS
JIMMY SPACEK AND FRIENDS FREE SHOW SAT., SEPTEMBER 15 | DOORS 8PM | SHOW 9PM
OCTOBER 19 • RANDY ROGERS BAND
JOHN MARK MCMILLAN SUN., SEPTEMBER 16 | DOORS 7PM | SHOW 7:30PM
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samsburgerjoint.com 46
CURRENT | September 12-18, 2018 | sacurrent.com
music | music Picks 6322 SAN PEDRO AVE | (210) 847-9488
BEST FROZEN MANGO, CHAMOY, AND CLASSIC MARGARITAS!
THURSDAY @ 9PM Courtesy of LeAnn Rimes
LEANN RIMES
Saturday, September 15
LeAnn Rimes, a star from age 13, was once seen as the future of women in country music. And she probably did pave the way, at least in part for the Carrie Underwoods and Miranda Lamberts of the world. But the sheer power of her versatile voice, twangy and operatic at once, has always set her apart from her peers and successors alike. Since her start in the early 1990s, Rimes has released a steady stream of solid (mostly) country albums and remained a standout singer and musician in the genre, straddling the line between the traditional sounds of country music and some of the 1970s and 1980s rebels who influenced her. $35-$98.50, 8pm, The Roundup Outdoor Music Venue, 531 FM 3351 N., Boerne, (830) 428-3231, therounduptx.com. — JC
KRS-ONE
who don’t even know much about the genre have most likely heard about KRS-One and that he’s a big deal. This Sunday, the rapper touches down in San Antonio to bless the mic at the Paper Tiger. If you care at all about hiphop, then you should be at this show. $20-$25, 7pm, Paper Tiger, 24210 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. – CC
FRIDAY @ 9PM $2 CAPE CODS & $3 STRANGELOVE SHOTS ALL NIGHT NO COVER
Courtesy of Flatfoot 56
FLATFOOT 56, RUSSIAN GIRLFRIENDS Tuesday, September 18
Sunday, September 16
“Woop! Woop! / That’s the sound of the da police! / Woop! Woop! / That’s the sound of da beast!” Bronx rapper – and one of the biggest influences of the entire hip-hop genre – KRS-One doesn’t need a whole lot of introduction. Between his work as an activist and his extensive catalog of fire hip-hop, folks
Courtesy of KRS-One
THE BEST 90’S-2018 ALT. ROCK-INDIE NO COVER
Two fine touring bands with divergent sounds but overlapping punk starting points will land at Limelight early next week. At the top of the bill, Chicago Celtic-punk stalwarts Flatfoot 56 have been making a rowdy and rebellious (and decidedly Irish) brand of punk music, which has endeared them mightily to fans of acts like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly since 2000. Meanwhile, providing solid touring support, Albuquerque’s Russian Girlfriends describes its own music, which incorporates elements of Bay Area metal and punk, as “aggressive adult contemporary.” And while that descriptor might call to mind images of Michael Bolton in KISS makeup, we can assure you that it’s better than it sounds. $10, 8pm, Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., ticketfly.com. — JC
SATURDAY $3 DOS XX &
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THURS • SEP 20 @ 9PM KINGS OF LEON VALLEY LIVE ONLY BY THE NIGHT 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY! $2 WELLS & $2 DOMESTICS FREE SHOW - 21+
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DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 2018 RE: REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL FOR BIDS FOR PURCHASE OF 26’ STRAIGHT BOX TRUCK The San Antonio Food Bank is soliciting bids to furnish the following vehicle:
CLASS 7 CHASSIS FOR BOX TRUCK - 33, 000 lbs. GVW, Diesel Engine, 260HP / 660lb-ft torque min, Automatic, 6 speed transmission, 50 Gal Fuel tank, 34FT straight Frame rails, A/C, Power windows and mirrors, 7 year extended warranty and after treatment BOX - 26 Ft by 8ft Box, Roll up back door, Aluminum floor, Aluminum side scuff 18in bottom of box, Aluminum side scuff 18in – 36in from the bottom of the box, e-track system, Interior lights REEFER - Diesel Power Single Temp, Refrigeration capacities up to 14,500 BTU , 0 degree capacity
MILITARY 20% OFF EVERY DAY with valid I.D. CHECK-IN ON FOR 20% OFF
LIFT - Tuk-A-Way lift, High capacity loads up to 5,000 lbs., Large platform to handle palletized cargo, Large platform easy to open and close This vehicle will be utilized by Food Bank staff members for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program serving the senior population of the sixteen county service area of the San Antonio Food Bank and will be in service year round. Please include all associated costs. Only vehicles listed above will be considered for this solicitation. Bid due Date and Time: 09/25/18 by 5:00 P.M. Bid Delivery Procedures: Sealed bids must be hand delivered by time and date listed above to Rob Snyder and or Chad Chittenden.
FOLLOW US
If mailed, bids must be sent via United States Postal Service Certified Mail to: San Antonio Food Bank C/O: Rob Snyder 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway San Antonio, TX 78227
FOR THE LATEST ON CLASSES, EVENTS, SPECIALS AND MORE
Evaluation/Voting Members: Erika Borrego: Chief Operation Officer Rob Snyder: Director of Operations Genevieve Noriega: Director of Partner Services Questions on this communication may be directed via e-mail to: Rob Snyder Director of Operations rsnyder@safoodbank.org through 5:00 P.M. Central Time on 09/20/18.
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music | calendar WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 JW Roy & The Royal Family Over the last 20 years, Americana musician JW Roy released eleven full length albums and earned five No. 1 hit songs in The Netherlands. $7-$30. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8:30pm.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Good & Rusty Good & Rusty are performing live acoustic blues, country and rock standards. Free. Quarry Hofbrau, 8-11pm. Johnny P and The Wiseguys Trumpeter and crooner leads the popular San Antonio jazz band. They’ll play old standards and original tunes. $10. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm. Scott Miller Country rock singer Scott Miller has worked to create original country- and Americana-inspired songs. $12-$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm. The Spins: Feist Edition Join La Botánica for their Vinyl Me, Please worldwide monthly listening party, The Spins. This month the event is featuring Feist’s 2004 breakthrough album “Let it Die.” Free. La Botánica, 9pm-midnight St. Paul & The Broken Bones This six-piece soul band, St. Paul & the Broken Bones is performing live at the Aztec Theatre. $25$45. Aztec Theatre, 8pm.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 3 Eye Raven’s Record Release Psychedelic rock band, 3 Eye Raven is hosting their record release concert at Fitzgerald’s. $10. Fitzgerald’s Bar & Live Music Venue, 8pm-2am. Blah: A Rush Tribute Blah: A Rush Tribute band is performing fan favorites from the iconic metal band. Free. Retox Bar, 10pm. Cory Morrow: Whiskey and Pride An Austin legend, by way of Lubbock and his native Houston, Cory Morrow has been a consistent fixture on the Texas country scene, establishing himself as a pioneer in he genre in the past decade. $25. Gruene Hall, 8pm. The Doc Watkins Trio Pianist and singer Doc Watkins has performed with Herlin Riley, Butch Miles, Jim Cullum, Ephraim Owens, Stan Mark, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr, Bijon Watson, Leon Hughes and Renee Olstead. Jazz, TX, 5:30-7:30pm. The Grim Folks Americana band The Grim Folks will be back at the Bang Bang Bar playing fan favorites about achoholism and burning in Hell. Nuclear Juarez and the Walk Offs will be joining in the fun. Free. The Bang Bang Bar, 10pm-2am. Kevin Galloway Longtime Uncle Lucius frontman Kevin Galloway is performing songs from his debut solo album The Change. $12-$60. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm. Las Cruces Local doom-metal band formed in 1994 performs with Hungarian rock band Warpigs, metal band Numb to the
Blow and Chancla. $8-$10. Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, 8pm-2am. Right Now Society Cover band that specializes in Motown, funk, pop, hip hop,and top 40. $10. Luna, 8pm. Small Town Habit Texas country band based out of Floresville, Small Town Habit has a sound based on their love of harmony vocals. Free. John T Floore’s Country Store, 9pm.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Bee Gees Songbook - A Tribute to The Bee Gees The Bee Gees Songbook is performing live at Sam’s Burger joint. $10-$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm. The Chris Watson Band From salty blues to MoTown horns to acoustic songs that make you think, he has always tried to stay true to music that he himself enjoys. $10. Luna, 8pm. Cody Johnson & Friends Texas country singer Cody Johnson is performing live at the Helotes fairgrounds. Special guests include David Lee Murphy, Jon Wolfe and Shotgun Rider. $20-$100. Helotes Fairgrounds, 6pm. Dark Punk Night The Bang Bang Bar is hosting a Dark Punk/Death Rock night featuring Yo Existo and Sonic Ammunition with headliner Phantom. Free. The Bang Bang Bar, 10pm-2am. Rick Barroso and the BigNasty Juke Joint Experience Blues artist and front man Rick Barroso performs an evening of blues and deep jazz with his band. $5. Jazz, TX, 5:30-7:30pm. Tejana Xxxplosion Tejana DJs are bringing the best cumbias, tejano, country and more to La Botánica. La Botánica, 9:30pm-2am.
10/1/18
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Doja Cat q Amalaratna “Amala” Zandile Dlamini, known professionally as Doja Cat, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and producer based in Los Angeles. $16$65. Paper Tiger, 8pm.
RCA Records
Independencia ft. Siempre Selena Join CultureMap SA and Uptown Latino to celebrate Mexican Independence Day at the Aztec Theatre with an evening of local and regional talent, including Siempre Selena – a tribute to Selena y Los Dinos, Eva Ybarra y Su Conjunto, and Chulita Vinyl Club. $18. Aztec Theatre, 6:30pm.
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I am a gay man in my late 50s and have never been in a relationship. I am so lonely, and the painful emptiness I feel is becoming absolutely unbearable. In my early 20s, I hooked up off and on, but it never developed into anything. I have always told myself that’s okay; I’m not a people person or a relationship kind of guy. I have a few lesbian friends but no male friends. I have social anxiety and can’t go to bars or clubs. When hookup apps were introduced, I used them infrequently. Now I go totally unnoticed or am quickly ghosted once I reveal my age. Most nonwork days, my only interactions are with people in the service industry. I am well-groomed, employed, a homeowner and always nice to people. I go to a therapist and take antidepressants. However, this painful loneliness, depression, aging and feeling unnoticed seem to be getting the best of me. I cry often and would really like it all to end. Any advice? Lonely Aging Gay “In the very short term, LAG needs to tell his therapist about the suicidal ideation,” said Michael Hobbes. “In the longer term, well, that’s going to take a bit more to unpack.” Hobbes is a reporter for HuffPost and recently wrote a mini-book-length piece titled “Together Alone: The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness.” During his research, Hobbes found that, despite growing legal and social acceptance, a worrying percentage of gay men still struggle with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Loneliness, Hobbes explained to me, is an evolutionary adaptation, a mechanism that prompts us humans – members of a highly social species – to seek contact and connection with others, the kind of connections that improve our odds of survival. “But there’s a difference between being alone and being lonely,” Hobbes said. “Being alone is an objective, measurable phenomenon: You don’t have very many social contacts. Being lonely, on the other hand, is subjective: You feel alone, even when you’re with other people. This is why advice like ‘Join a club!’ or ‘Chat with your waitress!’ doesn’t help lonely people.” The most effective way to address loneliness, according to Hobbes’s research, is to confront it directly. “LAG may just need to get more out of the relationships he already has,” said Hobbes. “He has a job, friends, a therapist, a life. This doesn’t mean that his perceptions are unfounded – our society is terrible to its elders in general and its LGBTQ elders in particular – but there may be opportunities in his life for intimacy that he’s not tapping into. Acquaintances LAG hasn’t checked in on for a while. Random cool cousins LAG never got to know. Volunteering gigs you fell out of. It’s easier to reanimate old friendships than to start from scratch.” Another recommendation: Seek out other lonely
guys – and there are lots of them out there. “LAG isn’t the only gay guy who has aged out of the bar scene – so have I – and struggles to find sex and companionship away from alcohol and right swipes,” said Hobbes. “His therapist should know of some good support groups.” And if your therapist doesn’t know of any good support groups – or if you don’t feel comfortable telling your therapist how miserable you are, or if you’ve told your therapist everything and they haven’t been able to help – find a new therapist. I am a 55-year-old gay male. I am hugely overweight and have not had much experience with men. I go on a variety of websites trying to make contact with people. However, if anyone says anything remotely complimentary about me, I panic and run. A compliment about my physical appearance? I shut down the profile. I don’t like being like this. I just believe in being honest. And if I’m honest, I’m ugly. The face, even behind a big-ass beard, is just not acceptable. I have tried therapy, and it does nothing. How do I get past being ugly to go out and get laid? Unappealing Giant Loser Yearns You say you’re ugly, UGLY, but there are some people who disagree with you – the people who compliment you on your appearance, for instance. “I’m not sure I even believe in the word ‘ugly’ anymore,” Hobbes said. “No matter what you look like, some percentage of the population will be attracted to you. Maybe it’s 95 percent or maybe it’s 5 percent, but they are out there. When you find them, do two things: First, believe them. Second, shut up about it.” In other words: Just because you wouldn’t want to sleep with you, UGLY, that doesn’t mean no one wants to sleep with you. “I remember reading an interview with Stephen Fry, where he said that when he first started out as an actor, people would come up to him and say, ‘You were so great in that play!’ and his first response would be, ‘No, I was terrible,’” said Hobbes. “He thought he was being modest, but what he was really doing, he realized later, was being argumentative. Eventually, he started to just say, ‘Thank you.’” Hobbes thinks you should try to be like Fry, a big dude with a cute husband: “The next time someone tells him they’re into big dudes with beards, don’t argue, don’t panic and don’t hesitate. Just say ‘Thank you’ and let the conversation move on.” Follow Michael Hobbes on Twitter @RottenInDenmark and listen to his podcast You’re Wrong About..., available on iTunes.
mail@savagelove.net @FakeDanSavage on Twitter www.ITMFA.org
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etc J O N E S I N ’ C R OS S W O R D BY M AT T J O N E S
2065 L E G A L N O T I C E S
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“Free Stuff” – a big freestyle for the 900th Jonesin’ puzzle. ACROSS 1 URL component 4 Writer Bombeck 8 Flat floaters 13 Longtime Jets QB who led the NFL in passer rating in 1985 15 Ran director Kurosawa 16 Put into a different envelope 17 Uncompromising 18 For each 19 Slowdowns 20 ___-days (heavy practices for football teams) 21 Letters on NYC subways 23 Woody Guthrie’s kid 24 2008 puzzle game for the Wii that relied heavily on multiplayer modes 29 Velvet finish 30 Jackass costar who had his own Viva spinoff on MTV 31 Droop 32 “No ___ way!” (self-censorer’s exclamation) 33 Big figure 36 Night away from the usual work, maybe 40 Hotshot 41 “Things will be OK” 43 Charity calculation
45 Ex-NHL star Tikkanen 46 Magazine that sounds like a letter 47 Supporting bars 49 Congenitally attached, in biology 51 Coloraturas’ big moments 52 “Can’t eat another bite” 55 Norse goddess married to Balder 56 Many seniors, near the end? 57 Feline “burning bright” in a Blake poem 58 “Good for what ___ ya” 59 Jekyll creator’s monogram DOWN 1 Hard-to-search Internet area “just below the surface” in that iceberg infographic 2 The slightest bit 3 Record player component 4 Perry Mason creator ___ Stanley Gardner 5 2016 Olympics city 6 “Au revoir, ___ amis” 7 Suffix after hex- or pent8 Seldom seen 9 AKC working dog 10 “Yeah, just my luck ...” 11 One step below the Majors 12 Elegy, perhaps 13 Surname of brothers Chris and
Martin, hosts of Zoboomafoo and a self-titled Wild PBS Kids show 14 Discreet way to be included on an email, for short 19 Where the military goes 21 Harvard’s school color before crimson 22 Hesitant 25 Plant firmly (var.) 26 Artillery barrages 27 Spruces up 28 Crazy Rich Asians actor Jimmy O. and comedian Jenny, for two 33 “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” director 34 Cube origin? 35 Taking a close look 37 Precede, as at a concert 38 Pita filler 39 Snapchat features 42 Saxophonist’s supply 44 Gregg Allman’s brother 48 Peter I, e.g. 49 “Hole-in-the-wall” establishments? 50 Really liked 52 Strong pub option 53 Test for internal injuries, for short 54 Fa follower ANSWER ON PAGE 21
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etc FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Anne Carson describes part of her creative process in this way: “Sometimes I dream a sentence and write it down. It’s usually nonsense, but sometimes it seems a key to another world.” I suspect you might be able to benefit from using a comparable trick in the coming days. That’s why you should monitor any odd dreams, seemingly irrational impulses, or weird fantasies that arise in you. Although they may not be of any practical value in themselves, they could spur a train of thought that leads you to interesting breakthroughs. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “The idea of liberation through the suppression of desire is the greatest foolishness ever conceived by the human mind,” wrote philosopher E. M. Cioran. I agree that trying to deny or stifle or ignore our desires can’t emancipate us. In fact, I’m inclined to believe that freedom is only possible if we celebrate and honor our desires, marvel at their enigmas, and respect their power. Only then can we hope to refine them. Only then can we craft them into beautiful, useful forces that serve us rather than confuse and undermine us. The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to engage in this spiritual practice, Taurus. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck,” says the Dalai Lama. Ain’t that the truth! When I was 22 years old, there were two different women I desperately yearned for as if they were the Muse Queens of Heaven who would transform me into a great artist and quench my infinite passion. Fortunately, they both rejected me. They decisively set me free of my bondage to them. Later, when I was older and wiser, I realized that blending my fortunes with either of them would have led me away from my true destiny. I got lucky! In a similar but less melodramatic way, Gemini, I suspect you will also get lucky sometime soon. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’ts for Boys or Errors of Conduct Corrected was an advice book for boys published in 1902. Among many other strictures and warnings, it offered this advice: “Don’t giggle. For the love of decency, never giggle.” There was additional counsel in the same vein: “Don’t be noisy. The guffaw evinces less enjoyment than the quiet smile.” Another exhortation: “Don’t tease. Be witty, but impersonal.” In accordance with astrological omens, I hereby proclaim that all those instructions are utterly wrong for you right now. To sweetly align yourself with cosmic rhythms, you should giggle and guffaw and tease freely. If you’re witty—and I hope you will be—it’ll serve you well to be affectionate and personable.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful,” writes designer John Maeda. “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak up,” says artist Hans Hofmann. “Simplicity strips away the superfluous to reveal the essence,” declares a blogger named Cheo. I hope these quotes provide you with helpful pointers, Leo. You now have the opportunity to cultivate a masterful version of simplicity. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your keynote is the Japanese word shizuka. According to photographer Masao Yamamoto, it means “cleansed, pure, clear, and untainted.” One of his artistic practices is to wander around forests looking in the soil for “treasures” that emanate shizuka. So in his definition, the term isn’t about being scrubbed or sanitized. Rather, he’s interested in pristine natural phenomena that are unspoiled by civilization. He regards them as food for his soul. I mention this, Virgo, because now is an excellent time for you to get big doses of people and places and things that are cleansed, pure, clear, and untainted. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran blogger Ana-Sofia Cardelle writes candidly about her relationship with herself. She keeps us up to date with the ever-shifting self-images that float through her awareness. Here’s one of her bulletins: “Stage 1. me: I’m the cutest thing in the world. Stage 2. me, two seconds later: no, I’m a freaking goblin. Stage 3. me, two seconds after that: I’m the cutest goblin in the world.” I’m guessing that many of you Libras have reached the end of your own personal version of Stage 2. You’ve either already slipped into Stage 3, or soon will. No later than October 1, you’ll be preparing to glide back into Stage 1 again.
gest that authorities of all kinds will be more responsive than usual to Sagittarians of all nationalities. Help from higher powers is likely to be both more palpable and more forthcoming. Any communications you initiate with honchos, directors, and leaders have a better-than-normal chance of being well-received. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): One day in October 1926, author Virginia Woolf inscribed in her diary, “I am the usual battlefield of emotions.” It was a complaint, but also a brag. In fact, she drew on this constant turmoil to fuel her substantial output of creative writing. But the fact is that not all of us thrive on such ongoing uproar. As perversely glamorous and appealing as it might seem to certain people, many of us can do fine without it. According to my analysis, that will be true for you in the coming weeks. If you have a diary, you might justifiably write, “Hallelujah! I am NOT a battlefield of emotions right now!” AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Anthropologist Margaret Mead had definite ideas about “the ways to get insight.” She named them as follows: “to study infants; to study animals; to study indigenous people; to be psychoanalyzed; to have a religious conversion and get over it; to have a psychotic episode and
get over it.” I have my own list of ways to spur insight and inspiration, which includes: to do walking meditations in the woods on a regular basis, no matter what the weather; to engage in long, slow sex with a person you love; to spend a few hours reviewing in detail your entire life history; to dance to music you adore for as long as you can before you collapse from delighted exhaustion. What about you, Aquarius? What are your reliable ways to get insight? I suggest you engage in some of them, and also discover a new one. You’re in the Flood of Radical Fresh Insights Phase of your astrological cycle. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Stanley Kubrick made masterful films, but most of them bore me. I regard John Ashbery as a clever and innovative poet, but I’ve never been excited by his work. As for painter Mark Rothko, I recognize his talent and intelligence, but his art leaves me empty. The music of Nora Jones is pretty and technically impeccable, but it doesn’t move me. In the coming weeks, Pisces, I invite you to make the kinds of fine distinctions I’m describing here. It will be important for you to be faithful to your subjective responses to things, even as you maintain an objective perspective about them and treat them with respect.
THIS MODERN WORLD BY TOM TOMORROW
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “There’s no such thing as love,” said Scorpio painter Pablo Picasso, “there are only proofs of love.” I’m tempted to believe that’s true, especially as I contemplate the current chapter of your life story. The evidence seems clear: you will thrive by engaging in practical demonstrations of how much you care. You’ll be wise to tangibly help and support and encourage and inspire everyone and everything you love. To do so will make you eligible for blessings that are, as of this moment, still hidden or unavailable. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to a Pew Research Study, nearly 75 percent of Americans say they talk to God, but only 30 percent get a reply. I’m guessing the latter figure will rise dramatically for Sagittarian Americans in the next three weeks, however. Why? Because the astrological indicators sugsacurrent.com | September 12-18, 2018 | CURRENT
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A Night of Sweet and Savory Treats, Seasonal Drinks and Decadence Saturday, Dec. 7 | 7 - 11 PM San Antonio Botanical Garden
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Go Orange To Fight Hunger! WHAT IS HUNGER ACTION MONTH? Food insecurity is a reality for many in Southwest Texas. To combat this issue, the San Antonio Food Bank is participating in Feeding America’s nationwide Hunger Action Month campaign designed to mobilize the public to take action on the issue of hunger.
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