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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
in this issue San Antonio Current Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Sanford Nowlin
Editorial
Food & Nightlife Editor: Lea Thompson Calendar Editor: Kelly Merka Nelson Contributing Arts Editor: Bryan Rindfuss Staff Writer: Chris Conde Digital Content Editor: Sarah Martinez Contributors: Ron Bechtol, Daniel Conrad, James Courtney, Jade Esteban Estrada, Dan R. Goddard, Lance Higdon, Steven G. Kellman, Hannah Lorence, Kiko Martinez, M. Solis, Gary Sweeney Editorial Interns: Diana Amaya, Brianna Espinoza, Georgie Riggs
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Issue 18_22 /// October 23 - November 5, 2019
07 News
Xochil Peña Rodriguez Is a Congressman’s Daughter in Political Bloom Fighting for a Cure
One of the most effective drugs at helping people kick opioid addictions is harder for doctors to prescribe than the painkillers that get people hooked
City Officials Must Make Sure CPS Takes the Climate Plan Seriously
12 Calendar
Calendar Listings Art Picks
24 Arts
Midcentury Meets Macabre
San Antonio creator Eric Fonseca talks Disney dreams and making a ‘good haunt’
35 Screens Slow Burn
Harrowing arthouse horror The Lighthouse features two Oscar-worthy performances
Bleeding Hearts
Verified Audit Member
Only in the final act does First Love shoot to thrill
San Antonio Distribution – The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.
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Bruce Campbell talks new Evil Dead and calls out Martin Scorsese’s bullshit.
41 Food
Day of the Dead is Evolving into a Six-Figure Cultural Celebration at La Villita Masa Meets Madeleines The tortillas at Fish Lonja evoke memories of street-side snacks in Mexico
24 Comic Conflict
Kelly Merka Nelson
Amid legal disputes and other drama, competing local conventions stake their claims on SA’s burgeoning pop-culture business BY K I KO M A R T I N E Z
51 Music
Hit Me Baby One More Time
Why are so many people in San Antonio willing to defend Chris Brown?
Remembering a Legend San Antonio musicians recall the mentorship and humility of saxophonist “Spot” Barnett
Music picks
61 Etc
Crossword Puzzle
On The Cover: Alamo City Comic Con, long the dominant force in local pop-culture conventions, has a bevvy of competitors. Cover illustration: Melissa McHenry.
6 CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
Xochil Peña Rodriguez Is a Congressman’s Daughter in Political Bloom
BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA
Last June, during a UTSA panel discussion on the Texas Legislature, Republican State Sen. Pete Flores acknowledged that holding onto his seat would be a challenge in 2020. In the upcoming race to represent Flores’ District 19, one contender sees a golden opportunity in his political vulnerability. If Democrat Xochil Peña Rodriguez, daughter of former U.S. Rep. Ciro Davis Rodriguez, is successful in winning Flores’ seat, she’d not only become the first Latina to represent the increasingly conservative district, she’d also continue a family tradition. It’s a sunny Friday afternoon and I’m sitting across from Peña Rodriguez at the Embassy Suites at Brooks City Base in Southeast San Antonio. Though she’s embarking on her first campaign, Peña Rodriguez is familiar with the playing field. Her father held elected office since 1975, eventually serving as the congressman for Texas’ 28th then 23rd districts. He currently serves as a Precinct 1 justice of the peace. What’s more, her uncle and godfather, Sergio “Chico” Rodriguez, has been Precinct 1’s county commissioner since 2005. So, the campaign trail was quite literally her childhood playground. And watching the news and discussing policy over dinner were family rituals. “It took a long time before I realized that not every family talks that much politics at the table,” she says with a laugh. “We grew up on West Harding, over there between Pleasanton and Flores. It was always a loving household. My dad came to all of my plays, even when he was going up to Congress.” At 37, Peña Rodriguez hopes to build on that background and catalyze the changing face of power in District 19. Fitting of her first name — a word of indigenous origin meaning “flower” — she seems ready to bloom into her political potential. But that will require some serious campaigning. The district is comprised of 17 counties and covers 400 miles of the U.S.-Mexican border along West Texas. Peña Rodriguez is proud of her Mexican American heritage. However, when the term “Latinx” comes up, she says has reservations about its personal meaningfulness. “I do use ‘Latinx’ fairly frequently, but I will say it’s a very American term, you know? Even when
news
GLITTER POLITICAL
Jade Esteban Estrada
you’re trying to say it, it doesn’t sound Spanish,” she says. “If you say ‘Latino’ or ‘Latina,’ it rolls off [the tongue]. If you say ‘Latinx’…” She squints as if to say, “Sorry, no cigar.” When it comes to staying true to her values, she looks no further than her father’s vote on the Iraq War. “The whole drumbeat, everything, was marching towards war. But he was taking a look at the evidence that was coming in and what they were saying — which now has come out as false — and he held firm,” she says proudly. Politics may have been a key part of her upbringing, but for Peña Rodriguez it wasn’t all parades and dinners with heads of state. “My mom always sheltered and protected us, because a lot of times people would be angry, or there would be threats and that sort of ugliness — even back then,” she recalls. Though she feels qualified to serve in the Texas Senate, Peña Rodriguez expects the opposition to weaponize her inexperience — and her privilege. A practicing attorney for more than 10 years, Peña Rodriguez initially attended law school because she felt it was the best way to make change and have an impact. And, over time, she’s pinpointed the areas where she thinks she excels. “I gravitate more towards the policy,” she says. “[I’m] more cerebral.” Beyond her policy chops, she understands that serving in office requires patience. “It’s [about] trying to get those hard-won compromises [when] people on both sides might be mad at you. ... But you’re at least moving the dial in the right direction,” she says. “You’re going to piss off people from both sides... inevitably. But that’s politics. We’ve got to be able to talk to each other, work through issues and figure out how we can all make a better Texas.” I ask how she’s navigating her privilege as a woman, as a Latina, as the daughter of a congressman and as a young person in politics. “I’m also thin. I’m also light-complected,” she
adds. “And you do get treated differently, sometimes. You get a different kind of reception when you’re walking through a store, when you’re driving and you get pulled over. And obviously, I’m also very educated. We all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Everyone deserves that no matter what your job is. No matter what family you’re born into. How dark or light you are. What size you wear. I think we need to acknowledge the privileges we do have in order to be a good ally.” Peña Rodriguez first met her husband while doing theatre in high school. “After I came back from law school, we ran into each other again,” she says. “Sparks flew, and we’ve been together ever since.” Coincidentally, Peña Rodriguez and her husband, both native San Antonians, were born on the same day and the same year. The Catholic couple have one still-unbaptized daughter. The family’s priest was transferred, she explains, so they’re hunting for a new favorite priest to conduct the ceremony. I ask Peña Rodriguez if she wouldn’t mind performing a bit of Titania from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a role she’d played as a freshman in high school. She laughs, looks around the lobby, then agrees. “So, Titania is the fairy queen, and she has her court. I kind of viewed her as a strong woman character,” she explains. “She has some misfortune that happens to her, but she comes through it with a smile.” When Peña Rodriguez recites the character’s final line — “Hand in hand with fairy grace will we sing and bless this place” — it echoes softly through the hotel lobby. Peña Rodriguez is now vying for a new role. Though every step she takes during this journey may have a familiar ring, her campaign experience will be singular and will bring the opportunity to connect with voters in her own way — all while demonstrating the political will that seems to run in her family.
Find more newsmore coverage Find news every day at sacurrent.com
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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
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by a physician on an outpatient basis. People treated with buprenorphine are 50% less likely to overdose, she points out, and half ultimately recover from their disorder. “When people are treated with buprenorphine, their lives are transformed,” she said. Dr. Sally Combest of Boerne obtained a waiver through Potter’s program and said she buprenorphine offers “dignity, privacy, flexibility and safety” to patients battling OUD. “There are a lot of people who would never go to a methadone clinic,” Combest said. “For a lot of people, this may be the only way they’ll seek treatment.”
Federal Attention
Sanford Nowlin
Fighting for a Cure
One of the most effective drugs at helping people kick opioid addictions is harder for doctors to prescribe than the painkillers that get people hooked BY SANFORD NOWLIN
A
fter injecting heroin for more than 20 years, Teal McDonald found a reprieve in in buprenorphine, a drug prescribed by a doctor to kill her craving for opioids. “I actually went back to work and got a job at a dealership selling cars,” said McDonald, who also tried methadone during years of struggles to stay drugfree. “It was a good time of stability for me after being on the street and having a lot of challenges.” Like many heroin users, McDonald’s path to addiction started in the doctor’s office — she developed a taste for opioids after being prescribed pain pills as a pre-teen. Indeed, some 80% of users say they took prescription opioids before ever trying heroin. But while any doctor can prescribe potentially addictive opiates, only 2,500 in Texas can prescribe buprenorphine. That’s because the Drug Enforcement
Agency requires medical professionals to obtain a waiver before they can offer the drug. Doctors must complete eight hours of training before they can apply for one, while physician assistants and nurse practitioners need 24 hours of training.
‘When people are treated with buprenorphine, their lives are transformed.’ — Dr. Jennifer Sharpe Potter Dr. Jennifer Sharpe Potter, a UT Health San Antonio professor of psychiatry, said that training can be difficult for busy professionals to fit in, and it’s not always accessible in rural communities hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Potter worries the good intentions behind the waiver — it’s meant to give
Teal McDonald says buprenorphine helped calm her craving for opioids.
M
doctors a better understanding of addiction treatment — are standing in the way of dealing with a health crisis. Texas recorded 1,458 overdose deaths in 2017, more than any previous year on record. “Given the current situation with overdoses where they are, the waiver is a significant barrier,” Potter said. “Requiring that many hours of training to prescribe one kind of medication is excessive. It’s crazy.”
Getting Waivered To that end, Potter started a program called Get Waivered TX, which takes the training to medical professionals around the state. So far, 450 medical professionals have completed its workshops in 36 Texas communities — including places as remote as Uvalde and Alpine. Potter has seen the difference buprenorphine can make to people battling opioid use disorder, or OUD. The treatment allows patients to more easily stay in long-term recovery because it can be administered
Given the high stakes of the opioid crisis, federal lawmakers are showing a willingness to rethink the waiver. The U.S. House recently introduced the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which would strike down the training requirement. A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate. What’s more, 39 state attorneys general have signed onto a letter supporting those measures, although Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was not among them. “Burdensome federal rules make it harder for our medical professionals to prescribe addiction treatment medications — harder, in fact, than to prescribe the powerful opioids that got our community into this crisis,” said Lloyd Doggett, a San Antonio Democrat who signed on to sponsor of the House bill. Doggett commended UT Health’s Potter and others for clearing the way for more medical professionals to obtain waivers. Even so, “our local champions cannot fight this alone,” he said. “We need to tear down federal, bureaucratic barriers to treating substance use disorder, while ensuring that those who benefit from opioid medication still have access.” McDonald, the recovering heroin user, said she hopes the restrictions can be lifted. While she ultimately cleaned up without the use of buprenorphine, she sees it as a lifesaver for others. “It’s frustrating that it still has restrictions,” she said. “Especially knowing people are dying out there.”
sacurrent.com | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | CURRENT
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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
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CITY CURRENT
City Officials Must Make Sure CPS Takes the Climate Plan Seriously BY SANFORD NOWLIN Editor’s Note: The following is City Current, a column of opinion and analysis.
CPS wasn’t exactly an eager participant in the two years of public input that forged San Antonio’s Climate Action & Adaptation Plan, or CAAP.
According to multiple people involved in the process, officials from the city-owned utility kept to the back of the room during meetings, observing and taking notes as others engaged in a robust discussion about how to best protect our city from the ravages of climate change. Instead, CPS chose to lobby behind the scenes, calling for city staff to scrub language in the plan demanding specific reductions in fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. In April, utility CEO Paula Gold-Williams submitted a letter to city officials laying out her opposition in detail. Participants on in CAAP’s public input process were unaware of the letter until days before CPS’s board — chaired by former real estate developer Ed Kelley — cast a vote in August to approve a toned-down version of the resolution. When the city passed the CAAP last week, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and other members of city council hailed it as a significant step toward addressing climate issues already affecting constituents. “We’re in the midst of a climate crisis,” said Mayor Nirenberg, who made the CAAP a centerpiece of his run for a second term. “We don’t need to imagine what climate change will look like here in San Antonio, it’s already being felt.”
Rhyma Castillo
If Nirenberg and other city leaders are serious about the CAAP being more than a symbolic gesture, they should demand CPS prove itself a willing participant and demonstrate the concrete steps that can speed the closure of the dirty Spruce 1 and 2 coal plants, which the utility could keep in operation until 2060. The city also could force CPS to take climate commitments more seriously by tying its executive compensation renewable energy goals. What’s more, there’s a case to be made for expanding the utility’s board to include environmental advocates and neighborhood representatives. Under Gold-Williams, CPS has argued that its so-called Flexible Path strategy, which includes energy from both renewable sources and fossil fuels, keeps bills low to protect its most vulnerable customers. But the reality is those same vulnerable customers are affected by fossil fuel emissions that heighten their risk of asthma and other diseases. The rising temperatures the CAAP seeks to alleviate also likely to pose the biggest risks
Unlike Other Cities, SA Got Its Payment from the Trump Campaign Up Front BY SANFORD NOWLIN
D
espite its record fundraising, President Donald
Trump’s reelection campaign hasn’t exactly been in a hurry to pay its bills. Trump got in public pissing match this month with Minneapolis officials over unpaid expenses from a “Keep America Great” rally at the Target Center. What’s more, the campaign owes money to at least six other cities — including El Paso — for rallies held as long
ago as 2016, according to a recent CNN investigation. Good thing the City of San Antonio demanded money up front for the Trump mini-rally last week at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center. “The City of San Antonio requires payment of rent and other related invoices prior to the start of an event,” Patricia Muzquiz Cantor, executive director for the City’s convention and sports facilities, said in a written state-
Environmental activists rally after city council approved the Climate Action Plan.
M
to low-income residents who do physical labor outside or live in housing without air conditioning. Latinx and black populations bear an average “pollution burden” of 63% and 56% percent, respectively, related to their exposure to pollution, according to Dr. Adelita Cantu, an associate professor at the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing. CPS has demonstrated that it can make significant strides on clean energy. Thanks to investments in solar under prior CEO Doyle Beneby, San Antonio is now the topranked city in Texas for solar capacity and one of the top 10 in the nation. If CPS is unwilling to leave behind its Flexible Path and get back on the one Beneby started, the city and its citizens should demand that the utility’s current leadership hit the road. ment. “The event organizers for this particular event have made full payment.” Muzquiz Cantor didn’t respond to the Current’s inquiry whether San Antonio’s arrangements with the campaign differed from those reached with other organizations. The Alamo City event, staged in a meeting room at HBGCC, drew about 600 people to hear Donald Trump Jr. and others stump for the president’s reelection. The Trump campaign made headlines earlier this month after it threatened to sue Minneapolis over a $530,000 bill from the Target Center that included security and other expenses. Trump accused the city’s Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey of overcharging in an effort to sandbag the rally. However, the mayor maintains the campaign still owes money for its expenses. sacurrent.com | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | CURRENT
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FRI | 10/25 – SAT | 10/26 THEATER
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Courtesy of The Majestic Theatre
FRI | 10/25 THEATER
WE WILL ROCK YOU
Can’t get enough of iconic rock band Queen’s catchy, omnipresent songs? Then grab a fake mustache and check out We Will Rock You as the jukebox musical it makes its way to the Majestic Theatre. Framed around Queen’s greatest hits, the appropriately titled We Will Rock You follows Galileo, Scaramouche and a group of outcasts named the Bohemians as they fight to restore rock ’n’ roll in a post-apocalyptic world free of musical instruments. Running since 2002, the musical serves as a cautionary tale for the cyber age while honoring Queen’s legacy. Raise your fist in celebration for the rock legends and the liberation music can bring. $45-$85, 8 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — Brianna Espinoza
WED | 10/23
Don your finest fishnets for two nights of yelling “Janet! Dr. Scott! Janet! Brad! Rocky!” during The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Bonham Exchange, presented by The Public Theater of San Antonio. It also might be a good idea to pack your favorite heels to dance in while you sing along with classics like “Sweet Transvestite” and “Hot Patootie.” Of course, there will be a bit of blood and “The Time Warp” dance to evoke the nostalgia of this midnight movie classic. With all the sensuality dripping from Dr. Frank-N-Furter, that sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania, it’s best to leave the kids at home. Hell, it may even be a little too steamy for some adults as well. $10-$25, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham, (210) 733-7258, thepublicsa.org. — BE
FRI | 10/25 & SAT | 11/2
FRI | 10/25 COMEDY
RANDY RAINBOW
Spurs Sports and Entertainment SPORTS
SPURS VS. KNICKS
Whether fronting a star-crossed Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in China over the summer, or trading barbs with the commander in chief during pre-season, Gregg Popovich has become the unequivocal voice of his respective squads. As Popovich and the Spurs tip off the regular season Wednesday night against the Knicks, at least one goal is clear: to reach the playoffs for a 23rd consecutive season. Although San Antonio likely has loftier goals, another post-season birth for the Spurs would break an NBA record that dates back to the Syracuse Nationals of 1950, the year Popovich was born. San Antonio’s streak coincides with the arrival of Tim Duncan, who won Rookie of the Year honors in 1998 and rejoined the team as an assistant coach this off-season. As has become custom here at the tail end of the Popovich era, a plethora of national basketball pundits have picked the Spurs to miss the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference. History beckons. $13-$1,661, 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5140, attcenter.com. — Manuel Solis 12 CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
In a post-Lonely Island world, your comedy clout extends only as far as your singing range allows. Randy Rainbow is part of a new wave of comics using viral music videos to yield big laughs. Since 2016, the YouTuber has been uploading short, sassy and simplified song parodies covering topical — read: Trumpical — events and amassing hundreds of thousands of views along the way. His Emmy-nominated videos have won a following with musical theater nerds, comedy fans and politicos alike, even earning praise from Broadway legends Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The clips aren’t so much clever as they are instantly distracting, but there’s no denying Rainbow’s appeal, especially when he has Live Nation supporting his nationwide tour. $45-$85, 7:30 p.m., Charline McCombs Empire Theater, 226 N. St Mary’s St., (210) 226-57003, majesticempire.com. — Georgie Riggs
Courtesy of The Empire Theatre
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures FI LM
COCO
Everyone and their late great-great-grandfather loves Pixar, and 2017’s Coco only solidified that affection, blending music and tradition to create an Oscar-winning animated tale of a young boy’s quest to find his ancestor in the Land of the Dead. Centered around Día De Los Muertos, the film was the first on its scale to feature an all-Latino principal cast. Alongside the outdoor screening at the Tobin Center’s River Walk plaza, San Antonio’s Day of the Dead organization will be previewing sculptural pieces from their larger exhibit at La Villita. And, yes, for inquiring adults, there will be a cash bar (free, 6 p.m. Friday, October 25, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Cir., tobincenter.org). Anyone who can’t make the Tobin Center screening can catch Coco the following weekend at Mission Marquee Plaza. The historic drive-in theater, now a chairs and blankets-only affair, is sure to enhance the film’s message and imagery (free, 6 p.m. Saturday, November 2, Mission Marquee Plaza, 3110 Roosevelt Ave., missionmarquee.com). — GR
Courtesy of The Empire Theatre COMEDY
NATE BARGATZE: GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE
Nate Bargatze proves that the average white man can still make it in this supposedly overly politically correct world. The award-winning comedian has been making the latenight television rounds for a while, and he’s currently surfing a new wave of popularity brought on by the premiere of his first Netflix special, The Tennessee Kid. His self-deprecating humor is a welcome breath of fresh air amid the litany of whiny, bigoted dudebros like Shane McGillis, who was fired four days after being cast on Saturday Night Live when a deluge of his online racist diatribes came to light. So far, it appears that Bargatze lacks such “skeletons in the podcast archive,” so it’s safe to head to the Empire and enjoy his friendly, low-key vibe. $35-$59, 7 p.m., Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.com. — Kelly Merka Nelson
SUN | 10/27 COMEDY
TINY MEAT GANG
calendar
SUN | 10/27
Courtesy of Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
Viral YouTube stars Cody Ko and Noel Miller are taking on the Tobin Center as part of their Tiny Meat Gang Tour, which brings the pair’s comedy podcast to the stage. If you know Cody and Noel, it’s either because they were pretty big deals on Vine (RIP) — or maybe because you watched the wildly popular YouTube series “THAT’S CRINGE,” where the pair skewer pick-up artists, edgy vaping teens, shitty shallow Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and Alamo Heights’ very own #evangelical #teen #ministry channel, Girl Defined. (We asked Bethany and Kristen if they’d be at the show, but didn’t hear back by press time.) If you don’t know Cody and Noel, you’ve got a lot of funny content to catch up on. The pricier VIP tickets are sold out: those lucky few will enjoy meet-and-greet time and a photo with the guys in addition to primo seats. Seats in the cheapest ticket bracket are still available, though, so fans may want to bag ’em while they still can. $29.50, 7 p.m., H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Daniel Conrad
MON | 10/28 SPECIAL EVEN T
THERESA CAPUTO
Reality television medium Theresa Caputo wants San Antonio to come celebrate Halloween with her. The star of TLC’s Long Island Medium is bringing her TV-touted psychic abilities to the Tobin Center to make a big show of reconnecting the city’s most credulous citizens with their dearly departed abuelitas. Whether due to a worldwide obsession with trashy entertainment or widespread belief in Caputo’s “abilities,” Long Island Medium has lasted for a whopping 13 seasons, and her Alamo City appearance is already sold out. If anything, we respect her for her gravity-defying bouffant and her ability to consistently part folks from their hard-earned cash in a manner of which P.T. Barnum would surely approve. $39.50-$99.50 (Sold Out), 7:30 p.m., H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — KMN Courtesy of Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
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TUE | 10/29 – SUN | 11/3 TH EATER
CATS
Broadway’s longest-running musical is back. If you’ve been alive for the past 18 years, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered some kind of rendition of its famed ballad “Memory.” Whether you’re nostalgic for Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Jellical Cats” or sick to death of them, they’re not going anywhere in the near future. In fact, Hollywood producers are probably splicing up the “live action” Cats movie at this very moment, putting the finishing touches on those creepy CGI human-feline hybrids that absolutely no one asked for. In any case, the Broadway musical is a classic that every musical theatre fan probably needs to experience at some point in their life. Best get it over with sooner rather than later, right? $60-$432, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.com. — Rhyma Castillo
SAT | 11/2 SPECIAL EVENT
DIWALI SA
Día De Los Muertos isn’t the only big holiday coming up. Diwali, the traditional festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, also is drawing near. Originally launched in commemoration of San Antonio’s Sister-City relationship with Chennai, India, the Alamo City’s one-night Diwali celebration brings authentic Indian culture to Hemisfair, including traditional dance, a river barge parade that showcases the subcontinent’s diverse states and a special guest of honor — Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and author of the book The Gift of Anger. Festivalgoers can also enjoy authentic Indian cuisine, the ceremonial release of lighted candles — or diyas — into the water and a showstopping fireworks display. “The continued popularity of events such as Diwali San Antonio serve to highlight the rich diversity within our city,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in written statement. “We are grateful to Anuja San Antonio for providing residents with the opportunity to celebrate this traditional Indian festival every year.” Free, 5 p.m.-midnight, Hemisfair, 434 S. Alamo St., (833) 426-8527, anujasa.com. — KMN
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After pairing 26-year-old superstar Anthony Davis with a motivated LeBron James, expectations are sky-high for the Lakers in Los Angeles. Along with the Kawhi Leonard-led Clippers, the Lakers entered the new season as favorites to capture the NBA crown despite a six-year playoff drought. Davis joins a Lakers pantheon of dominant big men that includes Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal, and his presence should help revitalize the long dormant Spurs vs. Lakers rivalry. In a league landscape dotted with dynamic duos, San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge are no slouches, notching 11 All-Star nods between them. Although much of the early optimism surrounding the Spurs is centered on the team’s young-albeit-crowded backcourt, expect Aldridge and DeRozan to once again carry the team, particularly at the start of the season. $69$1,579, 6 p.m., AT&T Center Parkway, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5140, attcenter.com. — MS
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SAT | 10/26 – SUN | 10/27 MUERTOS FEST AT HEMISFAIR
The largest annual Day of the Dead celebration in Texas — Muertos Fest — is getting even bigger. Starting this year, free, two-day event will take place at a new location in Hemisfair and include a back-to-back lineup of rich cultural entertainment, including musical performances by La Santa Cecilia, El Dusty, Piñata Protest and more. Visitors can experience the best parts of San Antonio culture through local art vendors, colorful ofrenda exhibitions, delicious food and refreshing drinks. Proceeds from the event will benefit Inner City Development, a nonprofit organization that aids the neighborhood on the near West Side of San Antonio. Free, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, Hemisfair, 434 S. Alamo St., (210) 709-4750, muertosfest.com.
FRI | 11/1 – SUN | 11/3
a multidisciplinary showcase of student art, altars to honor the departed, family folk-art workshops, food booths and an artisan mercado, plus live performances from local dancers, musicians and entertainers. Free, 6-10:30 p.m. on Friday, noon-4 p.m. on Saturday, SAY Sí, 1518 S. Alamo St., (210) 212-8666, saysi.org.
DAY OF THE DEAD SAN ANTONIO
SAT | 11/2
The city of San Antonio is going all out with its inaugural festival centered around La Villita. This three-day celebration will kick off with the city’s first ever “Catrinas on the River” parade, which will feature colorful Day of the Dead hallmarks on the San Antonio Riverwalk. Festivities will also a “Celebrating Life” 5K race, starting at Mission Park Funeral Chapels and Cemeteries. Visitors can expect a wide range of attractions, including activities for children, live performances, gastronomical treats, colorful altars, art and exhibitions on the history and culture of the holiday. Free, but some associated events have ticket prices ranging from $15-$100, 6-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday, La Villita Historic Arts Village, (210) 207-8614, dodsat.com.
FRI | 11/1 SAT | 11/2
CENTRO CULTURAL AZTLAN: DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS ON THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL
Since 1977, Centro Cultural Aztlan has invited visitors to take part in one of San Antonio’s biggest and oldest Día de los Muertos Celebrations, in which ommunity artists are invited to transform the gallery into a sumptuous feast for the senses. This year’s exhibition, “Altares y Ofrendas,” illustrates the artistic, cultural and religious facets of the holiday, where death is seen as a natural part of the human cycle. Volcan, I Ching Gatos, Juan y Armando Tejeda and others will provide musical entertainment. Visitors can also expect to enjoy an artisan market, food trucks, face painting and pan de muerto. Free, noon-10 p.m., Centro Cultural Aztlan, 1800 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 103, (210) 432-1896, centroaztlan.org.
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS AT THE PEARL
FRI | 11/1
Matt Buikema
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION CON ESPERANZA
The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center is honoring Día de los Muertos with an annual celebration that includes live performances from local musicians including Alyson Alonzo, Las Tesoros de San Antonio and Azul Barrientos. Also expect displays of community ofrendas, clay-sculpting demonstrations, face painting, poetry readings and a procession through the neighborhood. Visitors will also be able to try traditional foods such as Mexican hot chocolate, tamales and pan de muerto. Free, 5-11 p.m., Rinconcito de Esperanza, 816 S. Colorado St., (210) 228-0201, esperanzacenter.org. 18
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The Pearl development will honor the lives of lost loved ones with its third annual Día de los Muertos celebration. Visitors to the two-day event can expect to live music from local artists, family-appropriate crafting activities, vendors, food and drinks. Altars created by local and regional artists will also be on display across the Pearl property. Visitors will be able to join a procession on Friday evening. Costumes and face-painting are encouraged. Free, 5-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Pearl Brewery, 312 Pearl Parkway, (210) 212-7260, atpearl.com.
FRI | 11/1 SAT | 11/2 SAY SÍ MUERTITOS FEST
SAY Sí curates one of San Antonio’s most comprehensive Día de los Muertos celebrations — one focused on providing attendees with important cultural context on the holiday. This year’s theme, Mestizo, will feature
Courtesy Day of the Dead San Antonio
Named One of the “7 best fall festivals in the United States” by National Geographic
LA SANTA CECILIA • LAS TESOROS DE SAN ANTONIO • EL DUSTY PIÑATA PROTEST • BIDI BIDI BANDA • MONEY CHICHA • EDDIE & THE VALIANTS
AZUL BARRIENTOS • FEA • BUTTERCUP • LOS NAHUATLATOS • CESAR K-OSO CANCIÓN CANNIBAL CABARET • BLACKBIRD SING • GHOST TRACKS • FANTÁSTICO • RAT KING COLE PAVEL DEMON & THE REVENANT • MARIACHI NUEVO ESTILO • GUADALUPE DANCE COMPANY JUAN & ARMANDO TEJEDA • MARIACHI FLOR DE JALISCO • TALLERCITO DE SON MARIACHI NUEVO JALISCO • DJ DESPEINADA • SOUNDCREAM AIRSTREAM DJS
DJ DESPEINADA, DANZA AZTECA KALPULLI AYOLOPAKTZIN, SA PARKS & REC BALLET FOLKLORICO, MARIACHI ORGULLO (MCCOLLUM HIGH SCHOOL), UNAM CALAVERAS POETRY CONTEST WINNERS, XAVIER GARZA (CHILDREN’S AUTHOR), MARIACHI JALISCO (JOHN JAY HIGH SCHOOL), GRUPO FOLKLORICO MAGNIFICO (MACARTHUR HIGH SCHOOL), MARY ANN BLUE (STORYTELLER), MARIACHI TELPOCAME DE HARLANDALE, CAROLINA STORYTELLER POETRY BY VICTORIA GARCIA-ZAPATA, ANTHONY THE POET, JAMIE MCLAUGHLIN, EDDIE VEGA & AMALIA ORTIZ DANCE, DRUM & PUPPET PROCESSION BY LAS MONAS WORKSHOPS BY COLECTIVO CULTURAL & SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ART
NEFITING BE
MUERTOSFEST.COM
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calendar SAT | 10/26 ART PICK
HALLOWEEN COSTUME CLOSING PARTY
If you like your costumed revelry served with a side of conceptual enlightenment, look no further than this multipurpose pre-Halloween gathering at Presa House. Presently in the midst of its third anniversary celebration, the quaint-but-mighty Southtown staple looks as if it’s been invaded by madcap tinkerers who were left to their own wild devices in an unsuspecting garage or storage unit. And that might not be far from the case. One half of the curatorial collective Los Outsiders, Austin-based artists Robert Jackson Harrington and Hector Hernandez’s collaborative exhibition “Useless Systems” puts an abstract spin on utilitarian objects — suitcases, brooms, tie-downs and shop lights become sculptural elements in humorous installations one might attribute to a stoner offshoot of the Dada movement. On the walls, Hernandez’s slick, stylized photographs depict fashionably dressed characters interacting with similar props seemingly Frankensteined together from the aisles of Home Depot. Tucked into a small room in the back of the gallery, San Antonio artist Ruben Luna (brother of Presa House Director Rigoberto Luna) conjures nostalgic spirits with “Gacho Style,” a moody installation that showcases Luna’s amusing fusion of text and familiar objects while bringing to mind the eclectic, Tex-Mex vignettes of the bygone haunt Saluté and Bar America in its gritty prime. Doubling as a birthday celebration for Rigoberto Luna, the closing reception kicks off with a discussion between Harrington and Hernandez moderated by esteemed local artist and educator Hector Garza and continues into the witching hour with costumed antics set to beats by DJ PopGuy. Free, 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday, Presa House Gallery, 725 S. Presa St., (210) 445-6997, presahouse. com. — Bryan Rindfuss
Bryan Rindfuss
Bryan Rindfuss
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FIRST COME, FIRST FUN! For more information, call 210.805.1768 or email education@mcnayart.org. This event may be photographed for use in McNay publications. If you do not wish to be photographed, please alert our staff or contact info@mcnayart.org with any questions.
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craftsmen who contribute to these conventions that don’t want to see any of this drama,” Gonzales said. “In the end, that drama affects us all. I foresee in the next two years a very diminished convention scene. It’s going to be interesting to see who hangs in there at the end.” Even so, it’s easy though to see what’s driving the proliferation of new cons. Pop culture shows have become a big business. While San Antonio city officials don’t track the economic impact of the shows here, San Diego officials estimate that its city’s Comic-Con — considered the big daddy of all such events — generates $149 million in regional economic impact, including $88 million in direct
spending by attendees. Angelus Delacroix, CEO and founder of videogame
production house Hebi Studios, has been to almost every San Antonio con and travels the nation attending as many others as he can. He sees both the pros and cons to the more competitive local market. “With so many cons, there is a lot of diversity now,” Delacroix said. “Each con is doing something different. But I’ve noticed most conventions have seen a decrease in attendance. Spending extra money on conventions every month, patrons and vendors are starting to pick and choose which ones to go to more wisely, or they sometimes just stop going to them altogether.”
Only the Strong Survive Amid legal disputes and other drama, competing local conventions stake their claims on SA’s burgeoning pop-culture business BY KIKO MARTINEZ The local comic convention landscape has changed dramatically since Alamo City Comic Con, or ACCC, debuted as San Antonio’s first such mega-show back in 2013. Six years and hundreds of celebrities later, the geekdom that gave birth to that single pop-culture-focused event has transformed into a monster — its own version of the gamma-infused Incredible Hulk. A plethora of new conventions have since emerged to compete with ACCC and turn a buck from fanboys and fangirls willing to shell out for autographs and selfies with Hollywood stars. These days, the city is also home to Celebrity Fan Fest and Big Texas Comicon, not to mention smaller events such as Traders Village ComiCon, Monster-Con and Sci-Fest — plus San Japan, a long-running con for fans of Japanese anime and manga.
But at what cost? The surge of competition comes with baggage. For the second time in three years, former ACCC staff members have severed ties with the group to start their own event — a move that they said stems from ACCC breaking their employment contracts. What’s more, ACCC’s been forced to find a new home this year, due to tens of thousands in unpaid debts to the City of San Antonio. Infighting between the bigger cons also isn’t helping business, especially for people like Laurie Gonzales, who runs six of the smaller events in San Antonio, including Monster-Con and Sci-Fest. She doesn’t see things ending well if the shows continue cannibalizing each other’s attendance. “You have vendors, charities, organizations, artists and
The fall con season is well underway. This weekend, Celebrity Fan Fest is hosting a “Preview Con” as a leadup to its big event next June. ACCC and Traders Village
Celebrity Fan Fest “Preview Con”
$10-$40 Oct. 26-27, Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Freeman Expo Hall | 3201 E. Houston St. pmxevents.com
Alamo City Comic Con – Halloween Edition
$10-$550 Nov. 1-3, Friday 3 p.m.-9 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Grand Hyatt San Antonio | 600 E. Market St. alamocitycomiccon.com
Traders Village ComiCon
Free Nov 2-3, Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Traders Village | 9333 SW Loop 410 tradersvillage.com
Splinter Groups The competition among cons isn’t exactly new. Eyebrows raised in 2017 when Angel Castorena, a former ACCC staffer, left to start his own rock ’n’ roll and horror-themed comic show, Rockula. He chalked up the split to “creative differences” with ACCC founder De La Fuente. “We reached a point where we just weren’t seeing eye to eye,” Castorena said at the time. Since then, six more staffers have ended their run with ACCC and struck out on their own. They formed Big Texas Comicon and those same former staff members — Allen Garcia, John Hernandez, Garrett Killian, Aaron Uresti, Tommy Uresti Jr. and Fred Hernandez — were at the helm when the show made its debut last month. “I never thought about being a comic con owner,” said Hernandez, ACCC’s former public relations director. “A bunch of us just got together one night and started talking about it, and it just happened. It wasn’t something we planned at first.” The May 2017 show at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center was the last ACCC event Hernandez and at least one other Big Texas Comicon co-owner, Garrett Killian, participated in. After years of volunteering, the work became too much, Killian explained — especially since he wasn’t getting paid. “The responsibilities kept piling on and snowballing,” Killian said. “It didn’t make sense to volunteer anymore.” Killian thought he’d turned things around with De La Fuente in 2017 when the show founder presented him and other ACCC volunteers with paying contracts. But Killian and Hernandez
arts
ComiCon follow the weekend after. The multiple bookings are reminiscent of 2017, when ACCC went head to head with the now-defunct Rockula Horror Expo over that year’s Halloween weekend. ACCC founder Apple De La Fuente maintains, as he did then, that more cons won’t hurt his bottom line. “San Antonio has proven to be a strong market that can support a number of shows,” he said. “We are confident that if we put on a good show, our ticket sales will not be impacted by the presence of other shows in the market.” Bob Willis, president of PMX Events, the production company that runs the year-old Fan Fest, said local cons are diverse enough that each can hold its own. “I don’t see the other comic cons as competition,” Willis said. “I reject the commentary that we’re all similar. It can’t just be about what big stars you can bring. It’s about bringing in other interests that people have, so you can make a more developed show.” Still, Willis said there can be disagreement about what a show needs if it’s going to bill itself as a fully realized convention. “I think there should be a definition for what a comic con is,” he said. “I think you have to have at least five stars to be considered a comic con. If not, is it a comic con or just a celebrity appearance show?”
Rick Canfield
said ACCC didn’t honor those pacts at the end of the convention. The pair cut their ties to the con. “What I can say is that in 2017, my contract wasn’t fulfilled,” said Hernandez, who declined to provide the Current with the paperwork. “We built ACCC, so it stings a little now having to go up against something we built.” De La Fuente pushed back on the claim that he didn’t pay his workers. “I’m confident that ACCC paid every employee with whom we had a contract,” he said. “I respect [Hernandez and Killian], and I’m sorry they feel that way.”
Family Matters But the apparent bad blood between De La Fuente and the Big Texas crew doesn’t end there. Big Texas founder Hernandez is the nephew of Carlos Uresti, the former state senator sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for securities fraud another felonies. In August 2017, De La Fuente sued Uresti for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty over legal services Uresti, an attorney, provided ACCC. Uresti hit back with a countersuit alleging fraud and breach of contract. Both cases are still pending in court. Hernandez denies that the legal squabble had anything to do with his decision to stop working with De La Fuente, however. “Me being related to [Carlos Uresti] has got nothing to do with Apple,” Hernandez said. Hernandez said starting Big Texas came down to wanting to do something on his own with friends and family he could trust. “We’ve moved on,” he said. “We hear all these rumors, but we don’t want to get involved. Our thing from day one is that we’re just worried about us. We don’t take jabs at people. I can look myself in the mirror and say, ‘I paid my employees.’” Hernandez said everything at Big Texas’ debut last month went smoothly — from booking celebrities to securing dates at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Apple De La Fuente (rear) emcees a costume event at the 2014 ACCC Thank You party.
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Of the 25 celebrities who appeared, 11 are clients of Hernandez under his own Prime Time Appearances company. As the founder and owner of Prime Time, Hernandez works on behalf of a roster of media personalities to get them booked at cons around the world. They range from Hellboy’s Ron Perlman and Kiefer Sutherland of Fox’s 24 to comedian and Bio-Dome star Pauly Shore. “We’re a small show just starting to build,” Hernandez said. “Everybody has their department and does their job. We’re a team and everybody comes together.”
Conventional Wisdom After debuting in 2013, ACCC grew aggressively for the next four years, eventually becoming a nationally recognized player. For its first five years, the event took place at the city-owned Convention Center. Even in 2017, when De La Fuente had to shift ACCC to the spring because there were no available fall dates, he made sure the show stayed at the venue. In 2018, however, De La Fuente relocated to the Alamodome. At the time, he said the move came down to the need for more space. The argument made sense given the show’s meteoric growth. However, De La Fuente announced another move for ACCC’s 2019 show. This time, he left observers scratching their heads when he said it would take place at much smaller Sunset Station, the east-of-downtown entertainment complex. “[ACCC] went from the Convention Center to the Alamodome to what is basically an oversized bar and restaurant,” Fan Fest’s Willis said. What’s more, that venue switch was unveiled on September 9, fewer than two months before the event. In contrast, Fan Fest announced dates for its June 2020 show 10 months ahead of time. And even with the next ACCC days away, anoth-
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er move is in the works. Shortly before press time, the Current learned De La Fuente is now switching the con to the Grand Hyatt Hotel three weeks before kickoff. “When we originally booked Sunset Station, there was a misunderstanding about what parts of the facility we would be able to use,” he explained. “After that misunderstanding was cleared up, we decided that the show was best served in another venue.” De La Fuente said that “in a perfect world, ACCC would always take place in the Convention Center.” However, this year, the show wasn’t able to find a date that worked. He noted that he hopes to return in 2020. San Antonio Assistant City Manager Carlos Contreras, who oversees the Convention Center, confirmed in an email that the dates ACCC wanted this year were unavailable. However, he added that the Convention, Sports and Entertainment Facilities department “denied [ACCC’s] request” to use the venue at all. The reason: ACCC still owes the city of San Antonio “in excess of $170,000 from two prior events,” Contreras said. When presented with Contreras’ response, De La Fuente acknowledged that ACCC still owes money to the city. “Due to extenuating circumstances beyond our control that arose after last year’s show, we weren’t able to pay the city’s bill in full,” he said. “However, ACCC is committed to paying the city everything it’s owed and plans to do so as soon as it can.”
Save the Drama In reality, most local fans could care less about the brewing business battles. They’re more interested in shaking hands with stars, browsing the vendor tables and cosplaying as Sith Lords or Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. And this fall offers an abundance of
Actors Ron Perlman (left) and Tommy Flanagan during San Antonio’s Big Texas Comicon.
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opportunities for those folks to get their geek on. Up first is Fan Fest’s “Preview Con,” which falls the weekend before Halloween. After Fan Fest made its debut last November, this will be the organizers’ third show in just 11 months. Admission, autographs and photos at the con are free if attendees purchase a badge to next year’s show. On deck for appearances are Zachary Levi (Shazam!), Antony Starr (TV’s The Boys), Brendan Fraser (The Mummy) and Brandon Routh (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow). The con will also include a car show featuring vehicles such as the 1989 Batmobile and the ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters. Up next will be Traders Village ComiCon at the popular Southside flea market, one of the newest shows to sprout up in San Antonio. The event is free — although there is a $4 parking charge — and will feature a handful of celebrities, including actor Reb Brown, who played the title Marvel hero in the 1979 made-for-TV Captain America movie. Also on deck are voice actors Charles Fleischer, who gave life to toon Roger Rabbit from the groundbreaking 1988 film, and Rikki Simons, who plays hyperactive robot GIR on Nickelodeon TV’s Invader Zim, in addition to WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake. The Trader’s Village event will go up against ACCC — Halloween Edition, which is booked for the same weekend. This year, SA’s longest-running comic con has lassoed some significant star power, including Oscar-nominated actor Michael Keaton (Birdman, Batman). Joining Keaton are actor Steve Guttenberg (Police Academy) and a trio of Red Dead Redemption II voice actors – Roger Clark, Benjamin Byron Davis and Rob Wiethoff.
EXPERIENCE THE JOURNEY of LIFE after DEATH with Calacas and Calaveras! Celebrate those who have come before you with sweet offerings of Pan de Muerto and sugar skulls. Enjoy access to Ancestral Visions: Yarn Paintings of a Huichol Shaman and encounter the spiritual and cultural world of the Huichol.
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arts
Bryan Rindfuss
Midcentury Meets Macabre San Antonio creator Eric Fonseca talks Disney dreams and making a ‘good haunt’ BY BRYAN RINDFUSS
W
ithin the local landscape, San Antonio native Eric Fonseca is perhaps best recognized for his 2010 film The Fall of the House of Usher — a stop-motion animation adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe story that took him four years to complete. Staged in an intensely detailed model house haunted by Gothy puppets with hollow eye sockets, that labor of love landed Fonseca on the cover of the Current and earned him the Best Filmmaker award at the San Antonio Film Festival. Fonseca’s work, however, extends beyond the
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realm of film to encompass painting, sculpture, graphic design, theatrical makeup and scenic design. As a kid growing up on the city’s South Side, Fonseca frequently paused the family VCR to sketch frozen frames from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and other animated classics. In second grade, he was elected as the best artist to draw the class Christmas card. “That’s my earliest memory of a connection [to] the word ‘artist,’” Fonseca recalled. With his young eye focused on a career in art, Fonseca soon starting dreaming of a job as a Disney animator.
CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
After graduating from Holy Cross High School, Fonseca experienced ups and downs in his first “big boy art classes” at San Antonio College. During a period of discouragement and distraction, he put college on hold and slowly but surely started showing his paintings in galleries and freelancing as a graphic designer. In 2009, Fonseca got a call that changed his course. A friend working at Six Flags Fiesta Texas wondered if he’d be willing to put his painting skills to use as makeup artist for the Halloween spooktacular Fright Fest. Fonseca jumped at the opportunity. “It sounded like a fun, easy gig, meeting all these crazy, energetic performers, big personalities, and airbrushing them into ghouls and monsters,” he recalled. That seasonal gig evolved into a full-time job as a park scenic. Although he stepped down from his post in 2013 to focus on personal endeavors, he quickly returned on different terms — as a subcontractor under the wing of pyrotechnics wiz Jacob Dell. Fonseca’s current arrangement has allowed him to keep a multitasking hand in horror-themed projects at Six Flags (both in San Antonio and New Jersey) and other amusement parks while pursuing his own work — chiefly paintings that marry midcentury aesthetics and dark, comic riffs on everything from the Little Mermaid to the Last Temptation of Christ. Although Fonseca hasn’t exhibited in a gallery for a few years, he consistently shows and sells his work via Instagram (@ericfonsecaart) and even caught the attention of a Disney art director who’s encouraged him to rekindle his childhood dream of working in the big leagues. In keeping with the season upon us, we caught up with Fonseca as he was prepping his house for a Medusa-themed Halloween disco party promising plenty of rubber snakes, mirror balls and revelry in sequined togas.
When did you start dreaming about working for Disney? And was there a turning point when you decided to pursue projects closer to home? I started thinking about a career in animation when I saw a TV commercial for Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988. There was something so intriguing about Jessica Rabbit’s cartoony-ness and yet the character was very real in her appeal. I knew then I wanted to capture that same
Bryan Rindfuss
‘I like being known as the guy who’s the goto for spooky stuff.’ magic somehow. I wanted to work for Disney as an animator. But as I was graduating from high school, the industry began to change to CGI animation. I felt the writing on the wall. So I began to focus more on painting and looking for artistic opportunities at home. It was a bit heartbreaking to let a childhood dream go. Beyond Disney, who are some of your key influences? I would imagine Tim Burton? There are always influences as we watch others and Disney and Burton were definitely in there for me. But as time went on, the work of [illustrators] Kay Nielsen, Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle caught my eye. After some time, the graphic artists of the midcentury started to influence [me] — vintage album art and retro cocktail recipe illustrations were seeping into my subconscious. All of this felt fresh and familiar to me, so I painted what felt right. What are some of the more memorable things you’ve created for Six Flags? Well, there’s been so much now. [Laughs] … Scary clown sculptures … spooky trees. And working with Jacob led into more haunted stuff with them.
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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
Bryan Rindfuss
I was able to design a couple of haunted houses from scratch. … This last one we did was the Midnight Museum of the Macabre. … It’s sort of like a prequel to the old film The Cabinet of Caligari. Instead of Caligari showing the somnambulist in his circus, this is him opening up a hoarder’s trash macabre museum. And it’s just full of things under bell jars and weird things in aquariums, and he’s probably stitched monsters together … There’s a room that’s an ode to automaton, like windup people. So you walk into that and then you’re in an unlucky hallway. Then you’re in a room of oddities … If you make it to the end, [you’ll reach a room of] “abominations.” … So we have Miss Tiddlywinks, a cycloptic girl. The Elephant Boy is Dr. Bird, who’s sort of the plague doctor. There’s a dragon girl. There’s a medusa character in a box. It’s a good haunt. It’s cute and it’s ultimately my favorite. It’s probably the smallest one we’ve done but it packs the most punch. Have you done any animated projects since The Fall of the House of Usher? I’ve done a couple of pieces for some of the shows at Six Flags. I got to do a [stop-motion] animated section for the summer show that just retired. They project shows onto the side of a cliff and the idea was sort of like video mapping. The cliff comes to life and then out of the rock comes this fire demon. And that’s when all the pyro’s going off. So they were able to use the animation as a means to get to the pyro. Because that’s really the show. So that was kind of cool. It was out of nowhere like, “Hey we want you to do the spooky section
Eric Fonseca’s artwork marries midcentury design with darkly humorous riffs on contemporary pop culture.
M
of the summer show.” I like being known as the guy who’s the go-to for spooky stuff. Talk a bit about the Disney art director you met with this summer. I met [him] on Instagram … and went out to meet him in July. It was great [and] kind of sparked an old dream that I thought was dead — about working for Disney. It’s weird when you have a dream for so long about something and it doesn’t pan out that way. … He said, “You’ve got what it takes, but now that you’ve been working on your own, would you be happy in a cubicle working here? [Drawing] what we want you to draw, [doing] one thing only?” Around here, being an artist is fun and cute and you sell work or whatever. But in other cities, it’s an absolute money-making industry … and it doesn’t feel like that here. Did that experience inspire your work in any way? Well, I came back with a fervor to tweak a portfolio. Because my work is all over the map according to someone at Disney. They were like, “You need to really focus on what you want to apply for” — which I think would probably be something in the vein of character design. But again, I don’t know. The industry has changed, and I’ve certainly changed.
Through January 5, 2020 Dante Gabriel Rossetti, La Donna della Finestra, 1881, Oil on canvas with underdrawing in chalk and pencil, 38 3/16 x 34 1/4 in., Purchased, 1883, Š Birmingham Museums Trust, Courtesy American Federation of Arts
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Harrowing arthouse horror The Lighthouse features two Oscar-worthy performances BY KIKO MARTINEZ While a descent into madness is hardly a new concept in cinema, it takes a visionary writer and director to display a character’s declining mental capacity in a way that doesn’t simply turn them into another looney bin cliche. Recently, director Todd Phillips gave viewers a unique perspective on the DC Comics villain the Joker by reinventing his origin story and giving the film a 1970s Scorsesesque look and feel that made it all the more disturbing. With The Lighthouse, writer-director Robert Eggers (The Witch) delivers a film that stands up
to some of the most unsettling of the last decade in depicting the slow creep of mental illness. Those include The Babadook, Black Swan and Take Shelter. But there is an artistic quality to The Lighthouse’s surreal narrative that’s unmatched by anything that preceded it. The film stars four-time Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate) and the underrated Robert Pattinson (Good Time) as Thomas and Ephraim, a pair of grimy lighthouse keepers (“wickies”) stationed on a barren island in New England in the 1890s. Ephraim has been sent to
Bleeding Hearts Only in the final act does First Love shoot to thrill BY KIKO MARTINEZ Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike’s latest film First Love doesn’t stray far from the hyper-violence and dark humor that have made him a favorite for fans of eccentric Asian cinema. From his 1999 Japanese horror movie Audition, with its infamous vomit-eating scene, to 2001 manga-inspired action flick Ichi the Killer, which was banned in a handful of countries for its sadomasochistic themes, Miike has never met a controversy he hasn’t embraced. His fascination with hardcore brutality continues — although not at the level of his most disturbing work — in First Love, a sometimes thrilling but largely convoluted story that doesn’t kick into high gear until a chaotic gun battle in the final act. By
Well Go USA Entertainment
then, however, the script is so knotted up, viewers are bound to wonder who’s shooting who. Set during one night in Tokyo, First Love follows Leo (Masataka Kubota), an up-and-coming boxer who learns he has an inoperable brain tumor. Knowing he’ll soon die, Leo takes the advice of a fortune teller who urged him to fight for someone other than himself. Moments after, he meets “Monica” (Sakurako Konishi), a drug-dependent young woman working as a prostitute, whom he plucks from the streets. As one character says much later in the film,
screens
Slow Burn
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help Tom tend to the post after his last worker apparently lost his mind. We’re not sure, however, how much of what Tom says is true. His stories, which are told in a tone and with an articulation that can only be described as something straight from a Herman Melville novel, sound like tall tales. At first, Ephraim listens intently and does his work — menial tasks like pushing wheelbarrows of coal and emptying chamber pots. But gradually, he begins to resent of Tom, especially when Tom forbids him from going into the lighthouse himself. “The light is mine!” he growls at Ephraim, who has already begun to experience hallucinations of screeching mermaids and constricting squid tentacles. No concrete plot steers The Lighthouse. Mostly, it’s a story about two men searching for a means to coexist in a place that seems designed for someone to die alone. Their discordant relationship is punctuated by a grim atmosphere created by cinematographer Jarin Blaschke (The Witch), who frames the rich black-and-white scenes into a series of harrowing and picturesque images. In their separate roles, Dafoe and Pattinson deliver Oscar-worthy performances, but together the sum is even greater. The rhythmical screenplay by Eggers and his co-writer and brother Max is brilliant and shows the energy the duo put in researching the dialect of the era and location to form their own nightmarish folktale. Dafoe and Pattinson take full advantage of the perfectly constructed dialogue that spews from their mouths like seawater crashing on the shore. The Lighthouse may not register with those turned off by the bizarre or in need of a more conventional storyline, but Eggers — like he did with his debut film The Witch — continues to redefine the horror genre and inject it with an arthouse flair. The Lighthouse opens in San Antonio October 25.
“Everything’s fucked!” Everything most certainly is, even before the blunt declaration is shared with the audience. See, not only has Monica been selling her body to pay off her dead father’s debts to the yakuza, the Japanese mafia, she gets caught up in a drug deal gone bad and is being trailed by a corrupt cop (Nao Ohmori), a bitter gangster (Shota Sometani) and a female assassin (Rebecca Eri Rabone). There’s a twist that arrives late in the game, which helps liven up First Love and catapult it into an extreme third act. But by that point, the overcomplicated screenplay has already caused the film more damage than a samurai sword to the throat. Reminiscent of a recent movies like 2016’s Free Fire, Miike’s First Love finally finds its footing when it becomes a savage bloodbath, but when you’ve seen one ridiculous decapitation, you’ve basically seen them all. First Love opens exclusively at the Alamo Drafthouse Park North October 25.
Find more news Find more every day at film stories sacurrent.com
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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
screens Dead Doll’s Eyes
Bruce Campbell talks new Evil Dead and calls out Martin Scorsese’s bullshit BY KELLY MERKA NELSON
B
ruce Campbell burrowed his way into our hearts as a dashing B-movie icon with roles in a litany of cult classics, from Evil Dead to Bubba Ho-Tep. To accompany the reissue of his memoir Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor — now with an added “Requiem for Ash” chapter to commemorate his Evil Dead character — Campbell is dropping by the Alamo City next week for a screening of Army of Darkness and audience Q&A. He promises it’ll be a good time — “There’s lots of stories about the making of that ridiculous movie.” We caught up with Campbell over the phone, and he shared his thoughts on retiring Ash, teased some upcoming projects and even offered a few choice words for Martin Scorsese. You’ve retired Ash Williams, but you’re not leaving Evil Dead. You’re attached as a producer to a new movie, and it’s going to bring new blood into the franchise, including a director hand-picked by Sam Raimi. How does it feel to be able to step back, but still help usher in this new era? Well, fantastic. Because, look, we can work with these directors. We can support them in the ways that we’ve always wanted to be supported. We can punish them in the ways that we should have been punished. We can hire actors that are good and well behaved, because I know what to look for. How does it compare so far to the development process for Fede Alvarez’s 2013 Evil Dead? Or is it too early to say? It’s too early, and every director’s different. Fede was very specific. I’d never worked with Fede, so I wanted to make sure he could work with actors. I sat in for only one day during auditions, and I could see how he would see a take, work with the actors, and the second take was better. After I saw two or three of those, I was like, OK — I’m outta here. This guy knows how to get a better take out of an actor. Done. That’s a huge accomplishment. And he was already
very astute with special effects. What you have to do is find out what the director’s strength is and encourage that, and find out what their weaknesses are and either fix that or discourage that. Some directors are great with actors but they suck at special effects, some are great at special effects but they don’t know how to talk to actors. It’s a really delicate dance. The modern movie is very delicate, because the modern movie has way more special effects now. In Captain Marvel, even the cat was CGI half the time he was onscreen. Lemme tell ya, I’m gonna make a bold statement here. The Irishman has more digital effects than the most recent Marvel movie, but you just don’t notice. Which why I call B.S. on Marty Scorsese calling out the Marvel movies. It’s like, bullshit! You just used more digital effects than a Marvel movie, and you’re telling me that’s cinema but the other one isn’t? But the point is, I don’t buy it. I mean, I can’t wait to watch that movie, because I’m gonna be driven insane by Robert DeNiro at 42, Robert DeNiro at 47, Robert DeNiro at 31. It’s just gonna drive me insane, because I’m gonna look at it and I’m gonna be looking at dead doll’s eyes and, you know, they’re gonna do a good job, but they’re all gonna look like sharks. Now that you’re no longer beholden to the intense schedule of TV production, are there any projects that you’re able to look at that weren’t an option before? All of 2020 is currently completely open. I have zero bookings for the first time in probably 15 years. I like booking my year — I like knowing what’s going on — but, in this case I’m gonna leave work open to fall off the truck from my agency. But I also have a TV project that I’m pushing and a feature film project. I will go back under the TV knife under the right conditions, and I have a project that I would do
that for. “Under the knife” meaning to sign a contract. The beauty of it is with these limited series now, no one has to commit to shit these days. One season, two seasons, three seasons, you know. So, we’ll see what happens. I just wrote a feature film — a political satire — and I wanna make that next, so I’m in the process of shopping it. I’m hat in hand right now. You’ve been in the director’s chair several times before. Would you be interested in directing again, possibly for the movie you just wrote? All the projects that I’m currently gonna be involved with now, moving forward, I’ll be directing in some way. Raising money for low budget movies — I have as much experience as any-
body now, so there’s no reason to look for anybody else. I’ll just direct myself. It’s time for the new sheriff to come into town. Read an extended version of this interview at sacurrent.com.
A Conversation with Bruce Campbell and Screening of Army of Darkness $29.50-$125 8 p.m. Friday, October 25 Aztec Theatre 104 N. St. Mary’s St. (210) 812-4355 theaztectheatre.com
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food
Day of the Dead is Evolving into a Six-Figure Cultural Celebration at La Villita BY LEA THOMPSON AND BEN OLIVO
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a Villita has been home to one of the city’s biggest Dia de los Muertos celebrations, Muertos Fest, for the better part of a decade, but a new city-sponsored event series — Day of the Dead San Antonio (DODSA) — is poised to take its place.
Though not without controversy. DODSA’s champion, celebrity chef Johnny Hernandez knows that the new event series will ruffle a few feathers among local cultural organizations who have longed observed the Mexican tradition and have a problem with the city backing what’s being called a “Fiesta-fied version” of Dia de Los Muertos. However, it’s being done with the best of intentions, he maintains. Hernandez’ Grupo La Gloria recently signed a 49-year lease for Maverick Plaza in La Villita, which is currently closed for renovations. Javier Ruiz-Galindo, a longtime event organizer and DODSA’s president and CEO, approached Hernandez with the idea for the event more than six months ago, before bringing the mayor and Visit San Antonio on board. “You can’t look the other way; you have to understand that [Day of the Dead] is something that is trending nationally. You have to understand that there is a demand that exists in the marketplace,” Hernandez said. “Let’s use this opportunity to really organize these efforts and showcase San Antonio’s heritage, right?” The main DODSA celebrations will take place at La Villita from November 1-3, with events that include choreographed dancing, artist-designed skulls, kid-friendly crafts, live music, food and beverages that celebrate the city’s UNESCO gastronomical designation plus a river parade. Hernandez declined to reveal the total DODSA budget but said it would run six figures. The November 1 river parade will include 16 colorful trajineras, or river barges, along the River Walk, and will culminate with a performance of “La Danza de Las Mojigangas” at Arneson Theatre. ABC affiliate KSAT-TV will use a 22-camera setup to syndicate the three-hour parade, though organizers declined to discuss the number of markets that plan to broadcast the event. DODSA’s citywide event schedule will
Ben Olivo
also include events such as a 5K Race for Life. DODSA promises to bring new revenue and attention to San Antonio and could change the way the city celebrates over coming decades, but some locals — especially cultural arts groups — say they feel left out of the evolution of Dia de Los Muertos celebrations. “I think it will be Fiesta-fied. They’re going to have a 5K race, because everybody knows how relevant 5K races are to the Day of the Dead,” said Jon Hinojosa executive director of at SAY Sí. “The city and Visit San Antonio should remember those cultural arts organizations as much as they are going to spend promoting this new event.”
Who’s Celebrating? Hernandez’s contract with the city includes plans to build three future restaurants at the currently closed Maverick Plaza, a site that previously hosted the bulk of Day of the Dead celebrations. The plaza will formally reopen in 2021. City council approved the lease to Hernandez’ Grupo La Gloria in December 2017, and the company signed the deal in May. An operational and programming agreement between the city and Grupo La Gloria has yet to be inked, however. For this event, the city is waiving facility rental fees at La Villita, which it does regularly for other cultural events, such as A Night in Old San Antonio, Fiesta Noche de Rio and Taco Fest, the city said through a spokeswoman. DODSA also can request reimbursement up to $50,000 for certain expenses associated with the event, which would be paid from the Inner City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone coffer. Hernandez’s party arrives as its predecessor, Muertos Fest is being relocated to Hemisfair after
People view a procession at Muertos Fest in La Villita. This year, the event is moving to Hemisfair.
M
six years at La Villita. In its new location, the two-day Muertos Fest will be able to handle an ever-growing number of attendees, expected to surpass the 60,000 it hosted in 2018. Organizers cited its growth as the reason for its relocation from La Villita, although DODSA will be using sections of the 1.3-acre La Villita for its own festivities. “Moving to Hemisfair gives us more room for the community altars, which are the heart and soul of Dia de los Muertos,” said Jim Mendiola, Muertos Fest’s artistic director. “As our event grows, I’ve seen families come back to build altars year after year, creating their own family traditions.”
The Coco Effect Where much of Mexico and San Antonio once celebrated Día de los Muertos at home or gathered at the gravesites of loved ones, the holiday has become a source of interest outside of Latin America and the Southwest. The commodification of Day of the Dead began years ago and continues to grow via popular entertainment such as the 2017 Pixar film Coco and global celebrations in cities including London and Moscow, observers point out. But, for local arts- and performance-based organizations such as SAY Sí and Urban-15, the new Day of the Dead event at La Villita threatens to overshadow a foundation of cultural un-
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derstanding that’s been built over decades. Students at SAY Sí have collaborated with Mexican artists to create sculptures similar to those being commissioned by the city, executive director Hinojosa points out. He said hopes the citybacked Dia de los Muertos festival is rooted in education. But from what he’s seen in the promotional materials so far, he’s not holding out much hope. The City of San Antonio has helped DODSA coordinate events inside La Villita and also is providing parade seating next to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. What’s more, the city helped to commission over 50 craneos, or decorated sculptural skulls, along Houston Street, in addition to some from San Antonio artists, which will be displayed at La Villita. Catherine Cisneros, co-founder and artistic director of Urban-15, laments that the city looks to be joining in the commodification of the holiday. “I think San Antonio has been instrumental in making this commercialized version that’s been happening,” she said. However, there are additional opportunities for local groups to participate, according to DODSA’s organizers. La Villita will host up to 10 official altares on-site, with ofrendas dedicated to local icons including Bunny Becker, Lila Cockrell and Dr. Chiscano, who passed away this year. Hernandez also invited San Anto Cultural Arts, a local youth art nonprofit, to decorate one of the sculptures displayed on Houston Street. Though the commercialization of Day of the Dead is inevitable, the public celebrations may foster respect for often-misunderstood events, said Ezequiel Peña, director of Our Lady of the Lake University’s Center for Mexican American Studies & Research. He said its higher profile may draw a new audience that hasn’t gravitated to the celebration before. “We have this collective need for grief, and in these public spaces we can do that,” Peña said.
The DODSA Footprint While there will be tributes to the dead at the La Villita celebration, there will also be plenty of food and libations. The event will spill along Alamo Street in front of Guadalajara Grill and extend all the way to the end of Nueva Street, near the closed Maverick Plaza. Attendees can expect to find food from local restaurants such as Aldaco’s,
Villa Rica and Costa Pacifica. Booths for Hernandez’s True Flavors and La Gloria will also serve small bites. And DODSA has teamed with tequila brands El Jimador and Herradura to host three spirits throughout La Villita. Event sponsor Modelo will sell beers A child-friendly area will feature free sugar skull demos, arts & crafts workshops. Bakery La Panaderia will be on site, serving freshly baked pan de muertos.
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All DAY HAPPY HOUR SUNDAY & MONDAY
Making a Destination If all the cross-marketing sounds like overkill, organizer Ruiz-Galindo said that’s because he hopes the Day of the Dead celebration becomes an Alamo City hallmark. “What we are trying to do is to make San Antonio the destination for the Day of the Dead. The only way [that happens] is if you get off that plane and see it everywhere: Starbucks is going to have a Day of the Dead and the gas station is going to have Day of the Dead, even the grocery stores,” Ruiz-Galindo said. The celebration of departed loved ones is something that can be understood by everyone, he added. The close succession of celebrations — Día de los Muertos in the Americas, All Saints Day in Europe and Halloween — are often blended together, but the right events can correct cultural misconceptions. “I think that’s should be the goal for everybody as it grows in La Villita, in Hemisfair,” Ruiz-Galindo said. “It’s already in the South Side and the West Side, but we are all part of San Antonio. We should all be celebrating.” But Hinojosa of SAY Sí says the city-approved party doesn’t acknowledge the hard work others have put into making sure Alamo City residents understand their own culture well enough to celebrate. “The frustration is, don’t call something new and [say it’s] never had happened before. Don’t say that’s going to change the dynamics of Day of the Dead, when there has been work happening at culture arts centers for decades,” he said. “Don’t forget us when you are looking at things through an equity lens.” Whether people congregate around neighborhoods, organizations, churches or events, Day of the Dead celebrations are happening, and it’s important that they represent San Antonio’s heritage, Hernandez said. The chef is currently working on a kid-friendly Day of the Dead storybook, expected to publish next year. “San Antonio needs to celebrate Day of the Dead in their own way, whatever that it is.”
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Spooky, Glowing Frosting fromMasterChef Jr.’s Neko Masi’s Who knew playing with your food can lead to great things? For San Antonio 12-year-old Neko Masi, it led to opportunities such as cooking alongside Gordon Ramsay on season 7 of MasterChef Jr. While Masi didn’t win the competition, the young cooking enthusiast is staying busy with a new YouTube channel and creative recipes such as her blacklight-glowing buttercream frosting — a perfect addition to Halloween treats.
Ingredients:
vitamin water to remove any larger bits. • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter Add powdered sugar a little at a • 1 lb. (approximately 4 cups) time, beating well until creamy. powdered sugar The frosting will appear yellow. If • 2 tsp. vanilla desired, a touch of green food color• 1 Vitamin B complex ing can be added to create a bright, • 1 tbsp. warm water in a small bowl lime-green glowing effect in normal light. Directions: Use buttercream to frost your favorCrush the vitamin B into fine powder ite cake, cupcakes or sugar cookies. and dissolve in the warm water. Showcase final product by displaying In a mixer, cream butter, vanilla and near black light, and watch the treats vitamin water. If necessary, strain the glow!
Lea Thomson
Openings
Talk BY LEA THOMPSON
Kapej has opened at 415 Camden St., offering pastries, sandwiches and brews from Shotgun Coffee Roasters. … Cereal Killer Sweets quietly launched its store with CBD-infused sweets and an all-you-can-eat cereal bar at 1031 Patricia Ave. … Überrito Fresh Mex opened its first San Antonio restaurant location at 5238 De Zavala Road inside the Fiesta Trails Shopping Center. … Austin-based chain Torchy’s Tacos recently opened a third SA location at 18210 Sonterra Place — with free tacos. … Thai Lucky is next month slated to open a second restaurant downtown at 102 Navarro St., inside the former Rio de Gelato. … Guillermo Garza, the restaurateur behind Guillermo’s is bringing “San Antonio-style pizza” to Austin Street Pizza & Craft Beer, which will open at 1214 Austin St. in spring 2020.
Closings Cuppencake shut its doors at 22211 I-10 W Access Road #1111 Northwest, after five years of serving coffee and pastries in San Antonio. … The Luxury at 103 E. Jones Ave. has temporarily closed its kitchen after a string of recent robberies. According to chef Andrew Weissman, it will reopen soon, weather permitting. … After filing for Chapter 11 reorganization, the owner of Don’s & Ben’s Liquor Stores will close several locations, including 5222 De Zavala Road and 3138 S.E. Military Dr. in San Antonio and 1734 Pat Booker Road in Universal City. Youtube / Neko Masi
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food Masa Meets Madeleines
The tortillas at Fish Lonja evoke memories of street-side snacks in Mexico BY RON BECHTOL
T
here I was, in a South San Antonio patio paved with pebbles and bottle caps, having a “madeleine moment” with masa. How do Marcel Proust and Fish Lonja come together across time and cultures? Let me explain… I’ve yet to read Marcel Proust’s sevenvolume In Search of Lost Time, but its theme of “involuntary memory” — for the author, the simple act of eating a familiar French madeleine cookie triggered a flood of past memories — is a relatable one. Don’t worry, though, a weighty tome is not to follow. But the core connection remains: Lonja’s house-made corn tortillas, as used to cradle its Baja-style fried fish taco, triggered in me a profound memory of street-side snacks consumed in the heart of Mexico. Slightly charred on the edges, the tortillas were intensely fragrant and recalling of slaked-corn masa in all its primal glory. The essence of an entire country in a single, savory circle. Fish Lonja could have put anything on them, including shredded pork from next door Carnitas Lonja, and the result would have been exceptional. Well, almost anything, that is. That Fish Lonja chooses tilapia for its one taco is likely a matter of economics rather than preference. The ubiquitous, farm-raised fish was encased in a beautifully light (and likely beerbased) batter and was perfectly flaky. It just didn’t taste like much. To the rescue come cabbage, avocado, some cheffy baby sprouts and a smear of spicy mayo. Bottles of Valentina and El Yucateco (habanero — apply with caution!) hot sauce are provided for further voluntary enhancement. In the end, the filling comes out fine, but it’s still mostly about that evocative tortilla. Sturdy tostadas form the base for the rest of the modest menu: fish ceviche, shrimp and octopus, each piled atop crisp discs that miraculously retain their crunch, right to the last shard. To come right out with it, the ceviche towered above the other two. Cut into tiradito-like slivers, the fish is fresh and
clean tasting, there’s red onion to share in the citrusy bath, more sprouts and a little mayo that serves as underpinning. The extra salsa isn’t really needed, as some stealth chile appears, finely chopped to avoid detection. On the next visit, again sitting under colorful umbrellas at wooden picnic tables and beginning to recall waves off the coast of Mazatlán in their warped exuberance, I tried the remaining tostadas — this time with a plastic cup of icy and bracing michelada prep (it’s called Clama/Chela, but the clam influence is minimal) and a tall can of Modelo Especial in hand. For its part, the shrimp version was again clean and fresh, with chopped cuke, tomato and red onion added to the mix. But I wasn’t convinced by the raw, or nearly so, shrimp. It’s likely a textural thing, since I think they’re just fine uncooked, thinly sliced lengthwise and a little more citrus-cured, in an aguachiles preparation. Here, though, not so much. The octopus has definitely been cooked, and to the point of perfect tenderness. I was offered a taste of the unadorned, chopped tentacles on the first visit and found them surprisingly bland, despite the claim of some interaction with chiles and garlic. My hope was that they would get perked up in the final presentation, but sliced cuke and red onion weren’t enough to turn the tide. What the pulpo really needed was… Salt. All of the menu items could have used some in varying degrees. So, I have a suggestion. Salt may not be as evocative of place as, say, wine (and, of course, certain pastries), but it still has regional distinctions. And as it happens, there’s a Mexican sea salt being harvested off of Manzanillo, a little south of the Sinaloan Coast represented by Fish Lonja’s menu. It’s called Flor Blanca, and I respectfully recommend Fish keep some on hand. I would be happy to pay four or even nine cents more for it on the taco — which would bring the price up to a princely $5.45 or $5.50. I was told in person that the price was precisely
Ron Bechtol
$5.41 — in person because neither Lonja eatery has a phone or website, and there’s no posted menu at Fish. This would be enough to keep me coming back in the cooler weather that’s now upon us — though Fish, unlike Carnitas, does have indoor seating. You could mix still-fabulous carnitas tortas with fried fish tacos. You just have to hop between kitchens. “Puro hits” will be playing on the rigged-up sound system. It’s all puro San Antonio, in fact, with a little Proust mixed in for good measure. The skinny: Fish Lonja sits behind nationally-recognized Carnitas Lonja, across a casual patio paved with gravel and populated with warping picnic tables and colorful umbrellas. There are four items, plus a Clamato-based michelada, at the walkup
window: a fried fish taco (tilapia) and tostadas of fish ceviche, shrimp and octopus. The first two are really the best but given a good day and a cool cup of adulterated beer, almost anything tastes good — especially that taco with its evocative, house-made tortilla.
Fish Lonja 11075 Roosevelt Ave. 78210 No phone | No website (Facebook only) Credit cards Hours: Thursday and Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tacos and tostadas: $5.41-$6.50 Menu: Fried fish tacos, tostadas of ceviche, shrimp and octopus.
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music
Hit Me Baby One More Time Why are so many people in San Antonio willing to defend Chris Brown? BY CHRIS CONDE The Current’s September 25 issue included a blurb about Chris Brown’s show at the AT&T Center that acknowledged the accusations of abuse that surround the singer. Our decision to include that information didn’t just stem from a high-profile incident in which he was arrested for beating the shit out of fellow artist Rihanna, his then-girlfriend. It also stemmed from Brown being arrested earlier this year after a woman alleged that he and two other men raped her at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Paris. It was interesting to see how many people got so emotional about that 58-word concert announcement. Since publication, the piece had its viral moment on social media. Some folks approved of us mentioning Brown’s behavior, while many angrily defended him and said the paper had no business mentioning his personal life. It made us wonder why so many folks are willing to defend people with histories of abuse who also happen to be celebrities. And why, out of all the problematic artists the Current has recently called out — Tekashi 69, R. Kelly and Jonny Craig to name a few — did so many readers get worked up over Brown? To answer those questions, we spoke with Sarah Erickson, an assistant professor of communication at Trinity University and co-director of the school’s women’s and gender studies program. “So, I think there are several things going on,” Erickson said. “One is, as a culture we tend to normalize abuse. … We live in a culture where we know in San Antonio domestic violence is a huge issue. And we’re trying to address it, but it’s part of our society. I also think we are trained to empathize with the men. … Like [we say], ‘Why are you punishing him? He’s got so much to lose.’ And then we want people that abuse other people to be identifiable monsters who have no redeeming qualities and don’t make music that makes us want to dance.” Erickson, who’s studied gender and mass media for a decade, explained that cognitive dissonance often comes into play when people find out an artist they like has done something morally reprehensible. A fan faces a choice of giving up their support or rationalizing it by saying, “Let’s separate the artist from the art” or “Oh, what he did wasn’t so bad.”
Facebook/Chris Brown
Complicating matters, people feel connections to celebrities that are similar to those they form in real-life relationships, she added. “When we’re adolescents, we shape our identity in many ways through our attraction to celebrity, so we can feel it as real threat when someone we look up to violates our expectations,” Erickson said. “[We think], well, if I built my identity around this person or I had a crush on this person when I was younger and now I found out that he’s this violent man, what does that say about me?” But whatever the reason, focusing on just a handful of high-profile men isn’t going to erase the problem of violence against women, Erickson points out. “This is a structural, institutional problem,” she said. “This isn’t just a couple of monstrous men.” So, what should we do to appropriately respond? Erickson says the first step is talking honestly about abuse, then figure out how to hold abusers accountable. “That might mean, [someone] no longer gets to sell a million records or get to be on the Supreme Court or get to make a million movies with Scarlett Johansson,” Erickson said. That’s not to say every impassioned online response was in defense of Brown. “Some of y’all victim shame and sympathize with abusers, and it shows,” rapper and singer Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson wrote on her Facebook page after the original story went online.
“[I] have read about his years of toxic behavior, and I make zero separation between his character and his art,” she continued. “He of all people had the financial means to continually seek help. Instead, he does not. Read the news of his terror against women. The proof is in the periodicals.” Local arts and culture writer Jordan Maney — by way of transparency, she’s a past Current contributor — shared Sanderson’s sentiments in a Facebook post of her own. She explained that because Brown is a public figure, people can bring up his past as many times as they want. She also pointed to the fact that Brown continues to make millions of dollars which can give him access to psychiatrist and cognitive behavior therapy — if he wants it. While white media often treats black men unfairly, Maney laments that she and other black women have been raised to defend black men “with [our] entire bodies — especially ones who don’t deserve it.” “I say all of this as someone who bought his music at 20 in some quasi-‘I see the victim in him too’ bullshit,” Maney said. “But I was a 20-year-old idiot. I grew up. I realized that accountability is the mark of an actual apology and love is grace and accountability in action. He’ll be fine whether you cover him or not.” Just before using the hashtag #HeAintJesus, she added: “Also, wasn’t he dissing dark skinned women like three weeks ago?!”
Find more musicmore coverage Find news every day at sacurrent.com
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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
music
Josh Huskin
Remembering a Legend
San Antonio musicians recall the mentorship and humility of saxophonist “Spot” Barnett BY CHRIS CONDE
S
an Antonio’s music scene is mourning the loss of legendary horn player Vernon “Spot” Barnett, who died in his East Side home on earlier this month. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, the saxophonist led the 20th Century Orchestra, the house band at the East Side’s storied Ebony Lounge. He also performed with noted artists including Bobby “Blue” Bland and Ike and Tina Turner. Beyond that, Barnett is noted for helping pioneer the musical form known as Chicano Soul, an amalgamation of blues, conjunto, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll. That movement was defined by acts such as Sunny and the Sunliners, the Royal Jesters and the Dell-Kings. “Barnett was sort of the kingpin of the East Side sound,” said Hector Saldana, music curator for the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University and a longtime Express-News music writer. “He influenced Doug Sahm, he influenced Chicano musicians. He also represented a time when R&B was really hot and the sound was changing, where the big bands were becoming smaller jazz outfits.” After graduating from Wheatley High School in 1954, Barnett attended St. Philip’s College for a stint before paying his dues on the music circuit. The Sunliners’ Sunny Ozuna said he wasn’t in Barnett’s inner circle during his own band’s early ’60s rise. Even so,
he looked up to the journeyman horn player as a mentor. Ozuna recalled his band watching Barnett perform in bid to study up and improve their own game. “We were given a shot to work the Tourist Ballroom, and [Barnett] was on fire at that time,” Ozuna said. “I was anxious to see how he played, and my goodness, this guy was very, very talented.” Kory Cook, music director and chief announcer for jazz station KRTU-FM, says Barnett’s pure, true-to-Texas saxophone sound helped him stand out from the “honkers, screamers and bar-walkers” that populated other bands of the time. Cook fondly recalls meeting Barnett at KRTU the same day he interviewed for his job at the station. Despite Barnett’s formidable history, Cook discovered that the horn player wasn’t one to put on airs. “I had a saxophone belt buckle that I bought at this vintage clothes store that I thought looked corny,” Cook said with a laugh. “Barnett was sitting in the office waiting for JJ Lopez to interview him, and he saw the belt buckle and said, ‘Hey, let me look at your belt buckle. That’s a mighty fine belt buckle!’ He started talking to me about the saxophone, and I was like, ‘Oh, do you play the saxophone yourself?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, as a matter of fact I do — “Spot” Barnett,’ and he shook my hand.”
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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
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music | music listings
MY EDUCATION
Instrumental post-rock band My Education incorporates a wide range of sounds into its discography. Since forming in 1999, the Austin-based outfit band has released seven full-length albums, several singles and collaborated with avant-garde hip-hop duo Dälek. Keeping true to the statement that it has influences “literally all over the map,” My Education has even integrated classical elements into its recent work. 8:30 p.m., The Mix, 2423 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 735-2313, themixsa.com. — RC
SISSY SPACEK
Courtesy of Marilyn Manson
MARILYN MANSON
Thursday, October 24 Self-proclaimed antichrist-superstar Marilyn Manson doesn’t need much of an introduction. Through the ’90s, the singer was conservative politicians’ scapegoat for drugs, perversion and even school shootings. Ironically, Manson’s underlying intent has been to reflect the dark underbelly of American culture: greed, excess, violence, you name it. Releasing albums every few years, he continues to remind the world that he’s a reigning prince of shock rock. $49.50-$99.50, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Chris Conde
Wednesday, October 23
SEBASTIAN BACH
As the frontman of hair metal band Skid Row from 1987 to 1996, Sebastian Bach achieved the kind of commercial success that allowed him to establish an active solo career. At this point, he’s pretty much done it all — acted on television, appeared in films and even performed on Broadway. Now he’s coming to San Antonio to show everyone what they have — or haven’t — been missing. $30, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Rhyma Castillo
has clawed its way to the forefront a new generation of bands mixing metal’s chunkiness with the ferocity of hardcore. With a new album Amo under its belt, the band has continued to reign as a leader in the genre. $62, 6 p.m., Sunken Garden Theater, 3875 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 207-3050, sanantonio.gov. — CC
One of SA’s premier venues is celebrating its 5th birthday with a performance by a bonafide R&B legend. Buyer beware, though. Knight’s backing group the Pips retired in ’89, so nostalgic Pipheads risk disappointment. $100, 6 p.m., Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Mike McMahan
Friday, October 25
HUDSON MOORE
Carrying on the sound of late-’90s metalcore acts like Norma Jean and Underoath, Bring Me the Horizon
JOHNNY GILL
New Edition and LSG crooner Johnny Gill is bringing his Game Changer II tour to San Antonio. Gill released the LP Still Winning in 2011, followed by the original Game Changer in 2014. At press time it remains unclear whether Gill’s changing of the game indicates that winning was no longer occurring. Fans may want to let us know. $32-$77, 8:30 p.m., Lila Cockrell Theatre, 900 E. Market St., (210) 207-8500, sahbgcc.com/Facilities/Lila-Cockrell-Theatre. — MM This college student — who resembles a younger version of Canadian reggae artist Snow of “Informer” fame — shows his range of creativity and messages in his videos. In “I’m Just Snacking,” he takes threesomes to his own level, and “Prune, You Talk Funny” includes a dancing sprinkled doughnut. Dapperton will spread his brand of newwave-ish take on indie rock to the St. Mary’s Strip. We’ve got to wonder whether his most devoted fans emulate his Moe hairstyle. That’s Moe from the Three Stooges, not The Simpsons. $18-$20, 7:30 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Jay Nanda
THE TOBIN CENTER ANNIVERSARY GALA WITH GLADYS KNIGHT
BRING ME THE HORIZON, SLEEPING WITH SIRENS, POPPY
Saturday, October 26
GUS DAPPERTON, SPENCER
Thursday, October 24
Country-pop artist Hudson Moore is bringing his lilting voice and dreamy lyrics to San Antonio. With more than 27 million YouTube views and 12 million Spotify streams, it’s clear the singer-songwriter is amassing an army of fangirls. However, on his newest album, “The Getaway,” Moore plays nearly a dozen instruments and wrote all his own material, so it’s clear he’s more than a pretty face. $10-$50, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — RC
While this LA band is named after the celebrated American actor, the connections stop there — unless, of course, it turns out she’s a fan of noise rock. We’re guessing she’s not. But if you are, you may dig the band’s pummeling sound. $10-$12, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — James Courtney
Courtesy of Tool
TOOL
Friday, October 25 Arising at the end of the grunge era and somehow grabbing airplay during nu-metal’s subsequent rise, Tool managed to sound like neither genre while still winning over a legion of fans. With every release, the band’s sound veers a little bit further from the traditional rock-song format and into psych, prog and post-rock. Now touring for the album Fear Inoculum — the its first release in 15 odd years — the band is back to affirm its importance and longevity in the world of prog-metal. $59.50-$124.50, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.org. — CC
ENCRYPTED, CIRCLE BURN, DREAD RISKS, SKIN, DJ MISERY MACHINE
Industrial techno will flow for this hellacious free show featuring the headliner and two openers representing the 210, not to mention support from Dallas and Austin. Circle Burn released its debut album this year, but it’s Encrypted that seems like it has the most to prove, blaming — or crediting — “the corrupted social and political institution that humanity is subjected to suffer on a daily basis” for its formation. Definitely worth the price of admission to see what that’s about. Free, 9 p.m., The Mix, 2423 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 735-1313, themixsa.com.— JN sacurrent.com | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | CURRENT
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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
music | music listings HILLSONG WORSHIP, CASTING CROWNS, ELEVATION WORSHIP
Tuesday, November 5 Let’s get real here. Lots of Christian music, especially “worship” music — i.e. singing songs to God and what have you — is corny as hell. Or should we say “heaven”? Either way, you get my point. Hillsong Worship however, manage to break away from the bullshit and release well-written tracks that tear into moments of thunderous post-rock. Even if you don’t exactly get down with J.C., the group’s catalog is worth exploring. Jesus-loving Casting Crowns and Elevation Worship fill out the bill. $22-$151.50, 7 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.org. — CC Shutterstock
Saturday, October 26
COVEN
The week before Halloween is the ideal time for fans of dark clothing and dark music to crawl out of their subterranean lairs. As such, they may not want to miss CoVen, a night of industrial, darkwave, EBM, and goth music spun by DJ Ely Bat and DJ Xyla. Free, 10 p.m., Amp Room, 2407 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 320-2122, theamproom.com. — JC
THE BAND KARA
Kara Stevens, frontwoman of The Band Kara, is a powerhouse performer. The group’s style is best described as combining the improvisational spirit of jazz with the power and beauty of rock. Its newest show, “Soul of Blues,” is a testament to an obvious passion for making music that’s somehow both gritty and easy to listen to. $29.50-$39.50, 6:30 p.m., Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 226-2333, majesticempire.com. — RC
Sunday, October 27
GOO GOO DOLLS
Facebook /Suffocation
SUFFOCATION, BELPHEGOR, ABIOTIC, NECRONOMICON
Sunday, October 27 The curiosity factor around this gig should be high for fans of extreme metal. The tour marks Long Island-based Suffocation’s first since frontman Frank Mullen retired from the road late last year. Can Mullen’s replacement match his distinctively manic stage presence? That’s a tall order, so we’ll see. But, if not, the band’s gut-punch delivery and hairpin musical turns are still likely to keep audiences rapt. Not to mention, sole original member Terrance Hobbs is a melodically engaging guitarist in a subgenre too often given over to anonymous tweedling. Austria’s Belphegor — a band as steeped in black metal as it is death — should provide a good-and-grimy contrast to Suffocation’s brutal clarity. Florida’s Abiotic and Canada’s Necronomicon round out the bill. $25, 6 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Sanford Nowlin
We all know that “Iris” was a bop and “Slide” was a jam too. Both songs came from the band’s 1998 record Dizzy Up the Girl. Twenty years later, the pop act continues to write and release albums, the latest being Miracle Pill. $39.50$99.50, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.com. — CC
seen, so expect the band to set a high bar with its mix of rockabilly and other forms of Americana. $5, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 2232830, samsburgerjoint.com. — MM
Tuesday, October 29
JOSH HEINRICHS & FRIENDS
Heinrichs bills himself as reggae, records for his own GanJah Records (insert eye roll) and formerly played in a band called (additional eye roll) Jah Roots. The billing suggests that Heinrich has “friends,” so you think someone would talk to him about stepping up the creativity when it comes to names. What the hell kind of friends are these? $15-$60, 7 p.m., Sam’s Burger
Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — MM
POST MALONE
Matching catchy-as-hell vocal melodies with hip-hop beats, Grapevine-raised Post Malone has cemented his spot in both the rap and pop worlds thanks to a fresh approach to both genres. $53.50-$503.50, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.org. — CC
Wednesday, October 30
SLOW, DEEP & HARD
Some metal bands know how sacrilegious it is to continue after their heart-and-soul of a frontman passes on. Motorhead’s a good example. So’s Type O Negative. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy tribute versions such as Slow, Deep & Hard, a San Antonio-based Type O live tribute that’s debuting at this day-before-Halloween gig. Free, 8 p.m., Amp Room, 2407 N. St. Mary’s, (210) 320-2122, theamproom. com. — JN
THE LOCUST
Formed in the early ’90s, The Locust has won a cult following for energetic live show and a distinctively uneasy sound that pairs chaotic drumming and spastic-yet-metallic guitar riffs. And, yeah, they also wear insect costumes onstage. $18-$22, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — CC
Monday, October 28
SLOW HOLLOWS
LA’s accurately named indie-rockers Slow Hollows will take over the Paper Tiger in support of a forthcoming new album, Actors. Keep in mind that if you see this band in Appalachia, the correct pronunciation is “slow hollers.” 9 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — MM
THE HAYRIDE HOP WITH JOLIE AND THE JACKALOPES
Jolie Goodnight and her band are providing a reason to celebrate Halloween a few days early with the release a self-titled album. The LP features perhaps the best jackalope illustration we’ve ever
Brandon Ramos
MONSTER MASH MUSIC FEST
Sunday, October 27 Like it or not: it’s spooky season folks. And, whether you’re into the whole costume thing or not, the last few weeks of October also provide ample opportunity to party and enjoy live music. Enter Monster Mash Music Fest. A music festival with a Halloweenie bent, bosting over the top fun to spare, the new event will be emceed by Miss Gay Texas USofA Taryn Taylor. The lineup skews heavy on hip-hop and electronica, but remains eclectic nevertheless. Expect to hear from Yung Turk, STUNKY, Legend of Shelda, Samurai Sai, Shredzy, Kree23, Laura D and plenty more. Aside from the music, the fest will also feature fire artists, a fortuneteller, art and food vendors and monster-themed drinks. As if all those shenanigans aren’t enough, your cover charge enters you in a raffle for a sweet prize basket and there will be a costume contest with a $100 cash prize. $10, 9 p.m., Ventura, 1011 Avenue B, (210) 802-6940. — JC sacurrent.com | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | CURRENT
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CURRENT | October 23 - November 5, 2019 | sacurrent.com
music | music listings MELVINS
Tuesday, October 29 The Buzz Osbourne-led Melvins are so damn prolific, from the studio and to the road, that it’s easy to forget — even if you’re a longtime fan — that the band is now in its fourth decade. Hell, this year alone Melvins has dropped four new releases and re-issued several classics. The band’s eclectic early output, all falling in the unclassifiable-weird-hard rock category, was important in the development of the sludge and grunge genres — Kurt Cobain, for example, loved ’em. And, to this day, Osbourne and company continue to push the punk genre out of its comfort zone. As a live act, Melvins are consummate professionals who deliver the kind of mad and thoroughly engaged performance that the term “face-melting” was invented to describe. Whether or not you already count yourself as a fan, this show should be considered core curriculum for rock enthusiasts. $18, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx. com. — JC
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Thursday, October 31
FOBIA
This rock en Español act from Mexico City hasn’t put out new music since 2012. But who says you can’t tour behind a new live double album? The group, formed in the late ’80s, still packs ’em in worldwide, so it stood to reason they’d sell out the Aztec. But don’t fret. More tickets may be made available soon. Snack on that for Halloween with your precious candy corn. $39.50-$79.50, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — JN
Friday, November 1
TRAE THA TRUTH
Veteran Houston rapper Trae Tha Truth stays hustling. He’s released a new album every year since 2015, including the recently dropped Exhale, which brings him to town this time around. Fans of the Dirty South and H-town sounds won’t want to miss this one. $25, 8pm, Quartermain’s Pub, 13920 I-35, (210) 9737101. — JC
GOLDEN DAWN ARKESTRA
Using the term psychedelic rock to describe Golden Dawn Arkestra hardly does justice to the spiritual, jazzy (think Sun Ra), Afro-beat infused avant-garde music the outfit makes. We can’t think of a better time for you to see or hear what we mean than at a free show(!), on Dia de Los Muertos(!!), in an iconic San Antonio outdoor space. Free, 6:30 p.m.,
Japanese Tea Garden, 3853 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 559-3148. — JC
GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY
3 CONVENIENT SAN ANTONIO LOCATIONS
9822 Potranco Rd #115 • 210.684.2285 19422 U.S. Highway 281 N. #105 • 210.251.4058 7325 N Loop 1604 W STE 101 • 210.988.3720
Touring in support of 2018’s See You Later Simulator, the Austin duo of keyboardist-drummer — probably not at the same time — Thomas Ross Turner and singer-guitarist — yes, simultaneously, in this case — Aaron Behrens have morphed their sound into “electro-dance rock,” “synth-funk” and “Freddie Mercury-helms-Daft Punk.” Over 16 years as a band, they’ve played Lollapalooza, Bonaroo, Coachella and, naturally, Austin City Limits. And for good measure, Turner is in control of the band’s music via his label Trashy Moped Recordings. 8 p.m., $25-$30, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx. com. — JN
OCTOBER IS NATIONAL COMING OUT MONTH
Saturday, November 2
SABRINA CLAUDIO
Hey, remember that one time Sabrina Claudio created a fake Twitter account to be racist? Yeah, so do we. She’s since tried to clean up her mess by deleting the Twitter account and apologizing, but everyone knows screenshots are forever on the internet. But we’ll give her this much: she’s got a beautiful voice and beautiful music. You’ll have to decide whether that’s enough to overlook those problematic online antics. $29.50, 7:30 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355 — RC
CELEBRATE COMING OUT AS YOU ARE,
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Less waiting, more going. I’ll Try To Spell It Out ACROSS 1 Mgr.’s helper 5 Bendy joint 10 Spongy toy brand 14 “The Avengers” villain 15 Word before firma or cotta 16 Wall mirror shape 17 Skill at noticing things (or, Item of interest) 19 Prefix with sol and stat 20 Out on the waves 21 Bad day at bat (or, One more than two) 23 British writer Ben known for his books of “Miscellany” 25 Chimney passages 26 500 maker 28 Find the secret code to get out, e.g. 31 Fifth of a series 34 Elite Eight org. 36 Divide by tearing 38 “Here, don’t get locked out” (or, Unlocking question) 43 “The Godfather” first name 44 Something ___ 45 Actor Penn of “Sunnyside” 46 “Wild Thing” band, with “The” 50 Outer jigsaw puzzle piece 52 “You’re pulling ___!”
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