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SA's hidden LGBTQ+ histor y | Tone Padron of HBO's Legendar y | ARK's prolif ic beats

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WE ARE WORKING TO LEARN HOW EXERCISE IMPROVES HEALTH AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Be Part of a National Movement to Discover Exercise! The MoTrPAC study measures the changes that occur during and after exercise. This will help researchers learn how exercise improves health. We are looking for volunteers who: » Are women 18 years of age or older. » Have been cycling or weight lifting on a regular basis for more than a year. » Have no history of diabetes or heart disease. » Would like to have the opportunity to participate in human performance testing and have study-related health exams at UT Health San Antonio.

The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) is supported by the NIH Common Fund through cooperative agreements managed by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (NIAMS), and National Institute on Aging (NIA).

* Volunteers will be compensated for their participation*

CALL 210-450-3333

Email: motrpac-dl@uthscsa.edu or Visit: www.motrpac.org/join For more information, please contact the study team at the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at UT Health San Antonio.

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

contact for any custom design: tresleches18@gmail.com earring in photo: Tribal ($7) | Photo by: BXJstills

www.tres-leches.com

in this issue San Antonio Current

Issue 21-12 /// June 16 – June 29, 2021

refuses to sit still

Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Sanford Nowlin

Music Listings

Editorial

Digital Content Editor: Kelly Merka Nelson Contributing Arts Editor: Bryan Rindfuss Food and Nightlife Writer: Nina Rangel Contributors: Ron Bechtol, Chris Conde, Daniel Conrad, Jade Esteban Estrada, Dan R. Goddard, Lance Higdon, Steven G. Kellman, Hannah Lorence, Kiko Martinez, M. Solis, Gary Sweeney, Lea Thompson, Abe Asher Editorial Interns: Emily DiTomasso, Brianna Espinoza, Katie Hennessey, Cristela Jones, Jay Moreno, Dana Nichols, Emily Schmalstieg, Jada Teague

Advertising

Advertising Director: Michael Wagner

Marketing and Events

Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni Events Manager: Chelsea Bourque Sales & Event Coordinator: Sky Hawkes Marketing Interns: Julia Bentley Social Media Content Creator: Meradith Garcia

Creative Services

Graphic Designer: Samantha Serna Production Interns: Pedro Macias

Circulation

Circulation Manager: Justin Giles

Euclid Media Group

Chief Executive Officer: Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers: Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services: Stacy Volhein Director of Agency Services: Mindi Overman Digital Operations Coordinator: Jaime Monzon Senior Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising: Voice Media Group (888) 278-9866, vmgadvertising.com San Antonio Current 915 Dallas San Antonio, Texas 78215 sacurrent.com Editorial: (210) 227-0044 / Fax - (210) 227-7755 Display Advertising: (210) 227-0044 Fax: (210) 227-7733 Classified: (210) 227-CLAS / Fax - (210) 227-7733 The San Antonio Current is published by Euclid Media Group Verified Audit Member San Antonio Distribution – The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Get listed 1. Visit sacurrent.com 2. Click “Calendar” and then “Submit an Event” 3. Follow the steps to submit your event details Please allow 48 hours for review and approval. Event submissions are not accepted by phone. Copyright: The entire contents of the San Antonio Current are copyright 2019 by Euclid Media Group LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Subscriptions: Additional copies or back issues may be purchased at the Current offices for $1. Six-month domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $75; one-year subscriptions for $125.

Bryan Rindfuss

22 Feature

Kiki with Akasha

San Antonio dancer Antonio Padron dishes about his turn on HBO’s Legendary

07 News

The Opener News in Brief

Before Hap

UTSA archivist’s work shines a light on San Antonio’s queer nightlife going back to the early 1900s

CityScrapes Hotel Hell

Snow Job

Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas fixed all the causes of February’s blackouts, but a new report suggests otherwise

16 Calendar Calendar Picks

22 Arts

27 Screens

Bringing His A-Game

Wesley Snipes chats about his scene-stealing character General Izzi in Coming 2 America, now on DVD

JUNE 16 - JUNE 29, 2021

29 Food

Nightlife Maestras

Picks Bar owners Jessica Marinez and Amber Hernandez are partners in business and life

Almost Paradise

Hello Paradise’s exceptional Thai food and tiki-inspired cocktails make up for the Astro Turf

Hot Dish

35 Music

On the Beat

San Antonio electronic musician ARK

SA's hidden LGBTQ+ histor y | Tone Padron of HBO's Legendar y | ARK's prolif ic beats

n the Cover: This summer marks the first time Pride and Fiesta have overlapped. SA snack shop Ice Ice Baby created this Pride-worthy shaved ice photographed by Jaime Monzon. Design by Samantha Serna.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATED HOURS @marketsquaresa 6

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

514 W. Commerce St.

MarketSquareSA.com

Gov. Greg Abbott last week signed a bill creating the 1836 Project, which will promote “patriotic education” by distributing pamphlets on state history to every newcomer who gets a drivers license. Critics warn that the measure is an attempt to whitewash history. The name itself is a play on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project, which analyzes U.S. history from the year when the first enslaved people arrived here.

Meals on Wheels San Antonio last week broke ground on a new 44,000-square foot headquarters and distribution facility near downtown. The nonprofit currently provides 8,000 hot meals daily to San Antonio-area clients, but the completion of the new facility will allow it to increase that number to as many as 30,000.

Gov. Greg Abbott has lifted almost every pandemic-related restriction in the state, barring one punitive measure: an order designed to stop the release of any person accused of a violent crime from county jail on a no-cost bond. Critics, including the ACLU, argue the measure is a political move that has nothing to do with slowing the spread of COVID-19. When East Texas bakers Dawn and Miranda Dolder shared a photo on social media of their rainbow-colored Pride cookies last week, they were met with a vitriolic backlash that cost them social media followers and business. But when news of that backlash hit, many Texans responded by lining up around the block to show their support and buying so many goods that the bakery sold out. — Abe Asher

YOU SAID IT!

“Under the leadership of President Trump, our country was strong and vibrant again, but because of the failed leadership of liberal ideas, our country is suffering.” — George P. Bush,

Texas Land Commissioner in his first campaign video as he runs for Texas Attorney General. Trump has repeatedly insulted the Bush family, including George P. Bush’s father Jeb, whom he called “dumb as a box of rocks.”

news

That Rocks/That Sucks

Texas Governor’s Office

When it comes to the border, Gov. Greg Abbott certainly has a case of Selective Outrage Syndrome. After spending years ignoring President Donald Trump’s cruel policies of caging kids, the Republican governor in April made flimsy accusations of child abuse at a temporary shelter set up for migrant kids in San Antonio. And now, after declining to throw his support behind House Bill 2862, a proposal that fizzled in the Texas Legislature last session to fund work on President Donald Trump’s border wall with state dollars, Abbott last week announced he’ll do just that by a presumed executive order. We say “presumed” here, because as of press

time the governor hadn’t provided details on how he plans to carry out what Trump couldn’t complete in four years, including where the money might come from. Already, groups including LULAC and the ACLU have pledged legal fights to shut down the project. But such details don’t appear to matter much to Abbott, who’s no stranger to using the border as political theater. Although he’s already grabbed a reelection endorsement from Trump, Abbott is desperate to stave off a challenge from the right during the primaries. He faces one from former State Sen. Don Huffines and could see another from firebrand agitator Allen West, who resigned as head of the Texas GOP as he mulls a run for statewide office. Further backing from Trump would certainly help Abbott disarm such challenges, and what better way to achieve that than by stroking the former president’s ego by resuming work on his vanity project? The governor just has to hope he can keep pushing off the details long enough, so no one notices what an assclown folly he’s undertaking. — Sanford Nowlin

San Antonio-based grocery giant H-E-B is no longer requiring vaccinated staff members or customers to wear masks inside in its stores. H-E-B says that it made the decision in accordance with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, which now says that vaccinated people don’t need to mask in most circumstances. Roughly 36% of Texans are fully vaccinated, including more than half of those eligible for the vaccine in Bexar County.

A city council vote to clear the construction of apartments on the site of the Friedrich industrial complex on the East Side was postponed last week after members clashed over who would benefit. Dallas-based Provident Reality Advisors would add some 350 apartment units at the site, but critics argued that the projected rents would make them unaffordable for most residents of the economically disadvantaged area. — Abe Asher

ASSCLOWN ALERT

Gov. Greg Abbott’s border theater Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.

As the Texas GOP continues its efforts to limit people’s access to the polls, Texas Democrats have launched a new push to register people to vote. Their new Project Texas program aims to register a million new Democratic voters out of the state’s three million unregistered eligible voters ahead of the critical 2022 elections. Project Texas will focus their efforts primarily in BIPOC communities and on young people.

Courtesy Photo / H-E-B

Find more news coverage every day at sacurrent.com

news Before Hap

UTSA archivist’s work shines a light on San Antonio’s queer nightlife going back to the early 1900s BY SANFORD NOWLIN

or many, the 1973 opening of San Antonio Country, a popular downtown bar owned by openly gay real estate developer Hap Veltman, marked the emergence of LGBTQ+ nightlife in the city. In reality, queer spaces existed in and around San Antonio decades earlier, according to Melissa Gohlke, an urban historian who serves as assistant archivist for the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Special Collections. We spoke with Gohlke about the role of the military in the city’s gay culture, its geographic evolution and notable queer enclaves inside and outside city limits.

You study how marginalized peoples’ use space and how that evolves. How does that relate to San Antonio’s queer community? San Antonio is really a solid case study for this, because you initially see in the early 1900s and into the ’30s and ’40s and up through World War 2 that gay men and women are clustering, meeting in and around downtown. … In particular, this is due to World War 2 and the fact that many armed forces personnel were gay or lesbian. It was for many, the first opportunity to get out of rural towns. Get out, see the world, meet other people and often, for the first time, meet other homosexuals. … We had over 2 million armed forces personnel move through Fort Sam [Houston] during the war, and a lot of those folks were gay. They needed to find places to come together to socialize when they weren’t on post, and downtown was in very close proximity. … We might ask the question, “How did they know where to go?” … Off-limits lists were put together by the military to identify clubs, bars, restaurants and businesses that were considered out of bounds to military personnel. … When you look at the off-limits lists, they state the reason in parentheses, and on there, you’ll have venereal disease, bawdy house, prostitution, venereal contacts, owner’s request. … The really interesting and ironic thing about the off-limits lists is that they were posted in the barracks, and they were also posted outside the doors of these establishments. So, armed forces personnel knew once they hit a new post, if they were gay and they needed to know where to go, all they had to do was look at an off-limits list. …

And these off-limits spots were primarily down8

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

Courtesy Photo / UTSA

town?

There were [also] several on the East Side. … There was an entire section of a block on East Commerce that was off limits. There were establishments that were on the West Side, which is where the red-light district was. … It’s a little hive of activity that’s going on in the downtown core, and that still continues up through the ’50s and ’60s. ... There was one place — and this is based on an oral history and a meeting I conducted with a gal who lived here in the ’60s — just north of downtown on … Austin Street, just that little sliver where the railroad used to run through. It’s kind of industrial. ... But during the late ’50s, the early ’60s, it was a microcosm of queer life. There was a gay bar there called the Acme. It was a dive, but that’s where gay men and women would come to socialize and also find social and sexual partners. It was extremely popular. It was in this really derelict space, but it was a haven for military personnel. It was off the radar of the MPs and local police.

When was the significant evolution of San Antonio’s LGBTQ+ community?

In the ’60s, we have a different dynamic, in that you still have clubs that are sprinkled around downtown and just north of downtown, but for people who are afraid of discovery, especially if you’re in the military, you want to get outside of the city limits. So, outside of San Antonio, there were several spots where lesbians, gay men, trans individuals could go to be out of the spotlight. There was a venue out in Helotes called Paul’s Grove. It opened in the 1920s as a sports venue, morphed into a dance hall … and then in the ’60s and ’70s, it became this gay haven. Folks would get out there for the weekend. They had two bars which were repurposed, like airplane hangars, military hangars, and then they had a house and a swimming pool on the grounds. … There was also in Von Ormy, which is just south

UTSA archivist Melissa Gohlke has unearthed historical evidence of a downtown drag scene dating to the start of the last century.

of San Antonio, one of the most fabulous drag bars. When you see pictures of this place, you feel like you’ve got to be in San Francisco. These drag queens are just gorgeous and totally decked out, but again, you’ve got this dive that’s on a farm-to-market road in Von Ormy. Gay men, lesbians — when you look at the photos of the crowds, it’s a very mixed, diverse country bar, and extremely popular. ... As you move into the ’70s and ’80s … it’s in the wake of gay liberation, which does make its way to San Antonio, and that opens up opportunities.

A lot of people tend to think about that as being the foundation for gay nightlife in San Antonio, the era of Hap Veltman and the San Antonio Country. But it sounds like so much preceded it.

It’s taken a lot of painstaking research to uncover that history before Hap and San Antonio Country. We had a really amazing drag scene in downtown San Antonio, starting in the early 1900s — as early as 1906. … Even for me, as an historian, I was really surprised when I found out that during the ’30s and ’40s, nightclubs in downtown highlighted female-impersonation shows. They were extremely popular. Chances are probably good that they were attracting a straight population of patrons. It’s really hard to know, but we have in the archives one of the programs from a place called The Gay Paris. There were all these little nightclubs peppered in there with female impersonators. So yeah, prior to Hap is this really rich history, but Hap ushered in a whole new era when he opened the San Antonio Country.

303 N FRIO ST, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78207 • AARCSA.COM • 210-688-5792 10

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

news

Courtesy Photo Grand Hyatt

CITYSCRAPES

Hotel Hell

Downtown’s Grand Hyatt proves that city-subsidized development isn’t a winning strategy BY HEYWOOD SANDERS

evelopment” has long been a magic word for San Antonio. Downtown business folks wanted “development,” so the city did things like expand the convention center, over and over. It also subsidized hotels. Lots and lots of hotels. Then Mayor Julián Castro gave us the “Decade of Downtown,” which included lots of heavily incentivized apartments and condos at prices only some San Antonians could actually afford. Naturally, if there was going to be “development” downtown, city leaders deemed that it should also spread to the East Side. They sold the idea that public investment in St. Paul Square would “develop” that long-overlooked part of the city. Then they promised that the Sunset Station project and the Alamodome would “develop” the East Side even more. For all San Antonio’s obsession with subsidizing such projects, the promised “development” never quite materializes. Or when it does, it comes with some cost — a downside that, somehow, no one predicted. The latter has certainly been the case with the cityowned Grand Hyatt hotel, the subject of a recent report by bond rating agency Moody’s Investors Service. Since the mid-1990s, city staff and consultants argued that what San Antonio desperately needed to

go along with its then-expanding Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center was a new hotel. And not just any new hotel: a big one. A thousand rooms, maybe even 1,200, would do nicely. At first, the deal for the hotel was only going to require a little bit of public subsidy. The public funding would be less than other cities doled out for their new convention center hotels, then-Economic Development Director Clint Bolden promised in 1997. But as the years went on, the hotel deal stalled and ultimately fizzled. And that little subsidy kept growing. Then in 2004, armed with a consultant study from HVS International that forecast the new hotel would bring a steep increase in convention attendance, the city put out a new request to developers. That 2004 request for proposals said the city’s “preference is for private ownership of the Hotel.” Then, in all capital letters, it spelled out, “THE CITY’S GOAL IS TO CONSERVE ITS FINANCIAL RESOURCES.” That, naturally, was to “minimize financial risk.” But, in the end, San Antonio did nothing of the sort. City staff promised the hotel deal was a great one, and that the promise of backing the bonds used to fund its construction with the 2% citywide hotel tax was just a formality. Members of city council, with the notable exception of Patti Radle, questioned neither the staff’s conclusions nor the consultant’s numbers. That kind

of scrutiny would have come in handy, because things didn’t exactly work out the way they were supposed to. The Grand Hyatt opened in early 2008, just in time for the recession to clobber the national convention business. Its performance never met the forecasts, while keeping occupancy and average rates down at other large downtown hotels for almost a decade. And then came the pandemic. The convention business evaporated and the fortunes of convention center hotels like the Grand Hyatt nosedived. The city was forced to use its cash reserves to make the debt payments in July 2020 and January 2021. Moody’s Investors Service recently downgraded the hotel bonds, even considering them for a possible further downgrade. Noting that the city may need to further draw on reserved funds to make the debt payment next month, the agency described a “lack of robust planning for multiple alternatives in response to the coronavirus pandemic.” Just last week, Moody’s offered a “negative outlook” for the future, noting a “potential for a prolonged impact of consumer patterns post-pandemic.” Unlike a host of San Antonio’s other failed public investments that were either bulldozed, like the Fiesta Plaza shopping mall, or converted into something else — the Frank Wing Municipal Courthouse from a Control Data plant or the Centro de Artes from the Museo Alameda — the Grand Hyatt is going to be around as a hotel for years to come. It will continue to check in guests as we wait for the boom in convention business that we were promised in 1997, and again in 2004. It’s time for this community and its elected officials to realize that not all “development” is a positive. We also must understand that not all consultant studies are reliable forecasts of the future and not all reassurances from city staff are credible. If a big project needs a big public subsidy to get off the ground, it may just not be sensible. sacurrent.com | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | CURRENT

Diversity makes for a better cocktail party.

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

news

Snow Job

Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas fixed all the causes of February’s blackouts, but a new report suggests otherwise BY SANFORD NOWLIN

ast week, Gov. Greg Abbott declared that a newly signed state law fixes “all of the flaws” that led to February’s deadly blackouts, but a report issued last week by five former Texas regulators warns that’s far from the case. The new law, passed by the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature, includes a mandate that energy companies “weatherize” their power plants to avoid future grid failures. February’s statewide outages were one of the worst disasters in Texas history, leaving hundreds dead and wreaking billions in economic harm. “The legislature passed comprehensive reforms to fix all of the flaws that led to the power failure,” said Abbott, a Republican, the Associated Press reports. He added: “Bottom line is that everything that needed to be done was done to fix the power grid in Texas.” However, last Thursday, five past Public Utility Commission of Texas commissioners and a senior regulatory advisor issued a lengthy report warning that the bill passed by the Texas Lege don’t go far enough. Their study calls for 20 additional reforms from both policymakers and regulators. Among other things, the report calls for stronger enforcement measures against power plants and natural gas facilities to ensure they actually weatherize. It also calls on the state to acknowledge the implications of climate change on the grid and to require higher energy-efficiency building standards. During the legislative session, Republican lawmakers repeatedly tried to steer debate away from acknowledging that climate change could worsen future weather disasters. Some also sought to deflect blame for the disaster away from the oil and gas industry by blaming renewable energy sources. “As we fix what didn’t work right this

YouTube Screen Capture / Gov. Greg Abbott

February, we need to be fully focused on the future,” study co-author Pat Wood III, a former chairman of both the PUC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said in a press statement. “Perhaps sooner than anywhere else in the world, the future power grid is coming of age in Texas — due to our rich wind, solar and hydrocarbon base and our welcoming open market.” The former regulators’ report bolsters weeks of criticism from energy experts, who have argued that the Legislature treated the state’s powerful fossil fuels lobby with kid gloves as it debated reforms. Many criticized the bill for letting the Texas Railroad Commission, long accused of being too cozy with the petroleum industry, decide which natural gas suppliers must weatherize. Study authors also said they hoped it would help Texas avoid the same mistake the state made when it was hit by a similar, though less severe, blackout in 2011. Had lawmakers implemented meaningful reforms then, Texas could have avoided February’s catastrophe, study co-author Brett Perlman, a former PUC commissioner, said in a press statement. “Over a decade ago, after the 2011 blackout, I criticized the stakeholder blame game that followed and suggested that our gas and power system needed significant reform to improve responsibility and accountability for reliability,” he said. “But Texas failed to make the required reforms and unfortunately — but predictably — experienced an even more serious disaster last February.”

No Child Should Go Hungry 250,000 kids are supported by the National School Lunch Program in our service area every school year, but those benefits don’t carry through to summer. Please donate today to make sure every kid has a hunger-free summer!

$1 provides 7 meals for children facing hunger.

safoodbank.org/summermeals sacurrent.com | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | CURRENT

BOTOX | DERMAL FILLERS MICRONEEDLING SKIN CARE TREATMENT DENTAL WHITENING BOUTIQUE BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY! (210)701-9660 BELVISOMEDSPASA.COM

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

sacurrent.com | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | CURRENT

Jaime Monzon

THU | 06.17 SAT | 06.26 SPECIAL EVENT

FIESTA

With an extra year to plan, this year’s Fiesta celebration will be big. Revelers can start the week with the official Fiesta kick-off celebration at Hemisfair Park in the heart of San Antonio on June 17. Hosted by the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, locals and tourists alike are welcome to partake in live music, locally made arts and crafts and food made by local culinary experts. Barter for Fiesta medals and go home with your own medal rainbow, the ultimate Fiesta tradition (Free, 4-10 p.m. June 17, 434 S. Alamo St., fiestasanantonio.org). Folks with an affinity for nature can explore 38 acres of it just north of downtown during Viva Botanica at the San Antonio Botanical Garden on June 19. Bring a blanket and enjoy a day of family-friendly activities,

food tastings and live performances ($12-15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 19, 555 Funston Pl. sabot.org). The following week, the San Antonio Zoo hosts its Festival de Animales, an event highlighting the zoo’s conservation efforts in South and Central America and the animals native to the region ($25.9929.99, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. June 26 and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 27, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St., sazoo.org). A local favorite, A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA) is returning to La Villita. This year, the event will be at limited capacity and will incorporate a new online touchless and cashless payment system. All 14 cultural areas will be included, although with a new layout consisting of more than 150 food and drink booths and live entertainment. Two new areas will make their debut: the country-western Frontier Town and Mexican Haymarket. Advance tickets are available online, and all attendees must show their e-ticket purchase code via phone or printout at the gate. No physical tickets will be available ($20, 5:30-10:30 p.m. June 22-25, 418 Villita St., niosa.org).

While most parades were nixed from this year’s citywide party, June 21’s colorful and vibrant Texas Cavaliers Parade is an exception. The boat parade down the San Antonio River has raised more than $10 million for children’s charities since its 1926 inception. This year’s supports The Zoo School ($14-26, 6-9 p.m. June 21, San Antonio River Walk, texascavaliers.org). On June 22, partygoers can celebrate youth arts at the River Walk’s Ford Mariachi Festival. The event features traditional folklorico dancers and mariachis from local high schools and college programs (Free, 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 22, various locations, thesanantonioriverwalk. com). Dog parents can include their furry friends in the virtual Fiesta Pooch Parade on June 26, which includes a live costume contest with a finalists’ competition and real prizes (Free, 10 a.m. June 26, fiestapoochparade.org). For a full list of events, check out the Fiesta San Antonio Commission’s online calendar at fiestasanantonio.org. — Dana Nichols

THU | 06.17 TUE | 06.29 ART

RUBY CITY After an extended closure during the pandemic, Ruby City is finally reopening its doors to the public. With that return, the contemporary art center will debut two new installations, Isaac Julien’s five-screen film installation Western Union: Small Boats (2007) and Margarita Cabrera’s The Craft of Resistance (2008), which is comprised of 2,500 monarch butterflies made from copper. Ruby City has also extended its inaugural exhibition “Waking Dream” through summer 2022. Safety protocols Bryan Rindfuss

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

for the reopening include a face-mask requirement and advanced

calendar

ticket reservations online. For now, Studio at Ruby City will

Rodrigo de la Serna. The screening will begin at dusk, about

which will be held on Zoom. Free, 6 p.m., (210) 824-5368,

remain closed, but the space will welcome guests on August

15 minutes after sundown. Seating is limited and tickets are

mcnayart.org. — DN

5 as one of the sites hosting the 2021 Texas Biennial, a group

required. $5-10, 8 p.m., 103 W. Houston St., slabcinema.com.

exhibition showcasing 51 artists with connections to the

— Mackenzie Cook

Lone Star State. Free, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday to Sunday starting June 17, Ruby City, 150 Camp St., (210) 227-8400, rubycity.org. — Kelly Merka Nelson

WED | 06.23 SPECIAL EVEN T

VIRTUAL CONVERSATION: SELENA, IDENTITY, AND BELONGING Twenty-six years ago, at nine years old, journalist Maria Garcia came home to her mom in tears over the news that Selena Quintanilla was murdered by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of her fan club — news that would change Garcia’s life. In her podcast Anything for Selena, Garcia explores Selena’s role as an incomparable symbol for Latinx identity and American belonging, focusing on storytelling from the perspectives of people of color. Join Garcia, the show’s producer Kristin Torres, and McNay Head of Education Kate Carey for a discussion of Selena’s bi-cultural influence and identity, and the relation of that to Garcia and the present day. The conversation is a part of the museum’s current exhibition “Selena Forever/Siempre Selena,” which is on view through August 1. Registration is required for the webinar,

Courtesy of the Pastie Pops

FRI | 06.25 BURLESQUE

THE PASTIE POPS BURLESQUE & VARIETY SHOW

Focus Features

TUE | 06.22

The Pastie Pops are back and taking the stage at the Overtime Theater for their first in-person show in over a year

FI LM

with not one, but two back-to-back performances in one

THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES

night. The show is hosted by Jasper St. James and Topsy

Slab Cinema will keep the movie action rolling at Legacy

Curvy and includes Pastie Pop favorites as well as two special

Park with a showing of the 2004 Spanish-language road

guests: Chola Magnolia and Natasha B. Capri. Based in San

film The Motorcycle Diaries. The movie recounts an early

Antonio, the Pops are known for their extravagant and

expedition of famous Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara as

titillating performances and were named “Best Burlesque

first told in Guevara’s trip diary. Guevara and companion

Troupe” in the Current’s 2017 Best Of San Antonio issue. Seat-

Alberto Granado are transformed over their journey as they

ing is limited as a safety precaution and tickets are selling

encounter the conditions faced by impoverished indigenous

fast, so don’t wait around to claim your spot. $25-75, 7 and

people. The film features the Academy Award-winning track “Al otro lado del río,” and stars Gael García Bernal and

John Dyer

10 p.m., The Overtime Theater, 5409 Bandera Road #205, (210) 557-7562, facebook.com/pastiepops. — dn

Reminder:

Although live events have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. Check with venues to make sure scheduled events are still happening, and please follow all health and safety guidelines.

J O I N

JUNE 17, 2021

Fiesta San Antonio June 17-27, 2021

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

T H E

F U N

HEMISFAIR

O F

4 – 10 PM

www.fiestasanantonio.org #Fiesta2021

#FiestaSA

calendar

Photos by Julián P. Ledezma

TUE | 06.22 SAT | 06.26 SPECIAL EVEN T

PRIDE MONTH

The pandemic can’t keep San Antonians from a proper celebration of Pride Month. Whether you’re in the mood to celebrate virtually, widen your understanding of LGBTQ+ culture or just get your party on, there’s an event for you.

SAY SÍ: YOUTH VOICE YOUTH PRIDE

San Antonio’s youth aren’t just the future of Pride — they’re the present too. Join Say Sí, a local nonprofit focused on empowering young artists from marginalized communities, in celebrating LGBTQ+

youth voices in the arts. Young filmmakers Carlo Rodriguez, Alejandro Peña and Yoomi Park, all former Say Sí students, will host a screening of their LGBTQ+-themed films and a virtual Q&A about their experiences as queer artists. Free, 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, SAY Sí, (210) 201-4950, saysi.org.

FIESTA FRENZY 2021

San Antonio-based drag queens Eryca Daniels and Autumn Summers will serve as mistresses of ceremonies as PRIDE San Antonio’s 2021 Fiesta Frenzy celebrates power, pride and perseverance. The show will feature local queens Amber Nixx, Taryn Taylor, Layla LaRue, Kourtney Deveraux, Lady Tiffany, Lee Marshall, Victoria Rosa and Mia Marie. While open to all ages, Pride San Antonio has noted that the show isn’t necessarily “family friendly,” so prepare to shield the kids’ eyes if need be. $15-$25, 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, Public Theater of San

Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Place, pridesanantonio.org.

PRIDE BIGGER THAN TEXAS VIRTUAL PARADE

What’s Pride without a parade? While the annual downtown parade was postponed by the pandemic, San Antonians can celebrate from the comfort of their own homes in Pride San Antonio’s Pride Bigger Than Texas Virtual Parade. Join in on the Facebook or YouTube livestream for an evening with local and national entertainers, award presentations, an online wedding event and, of course, the virtual community parade. Free, 5-10 p.m. Saturday, June 26, pridesanantonio.org.

PRIDE ON THE STRIP

As the hub for San Antonio gay nightlife, the Strip is the obvious choice for an evening of celebration. Hop on over after the virtual parade to enjoy local

entertainment, food, drink, local vendors and a classic block party in true Pride fashion. Free, Saturday, June 26, North Main Avenue and Evergreen Street, facebook.com/TheStripSA.

PEGASUS PRESENTS ROXXXY ANDREWS

Any longtime fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race is familiar with the All-Star Roxxxy Andrews, Ms. “Thick & Juicy” herself. A season 5 finalist and All Stars season 2 contestant, Andrews is revisiting her roots with an SA performance. While Andrews started her career in Orlando’s Parliament and Pulse nightclubs, her drag mother, the late Erica Andrews, was based in San Antonio. The day’s festivities begin at 2 p.m. and include a meet-and-greet with Andrews at 6 p.m. before the show. Free, 7 p.m. June 26, Pegasus Nightclub, 1402 N Main Ave, (210) 299-4222, facebook.com/ThePegSA. — DN

TUE | 06.29 FI LM

A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Hop on your computer and celebrate the 20th anniversary of A.I. Artificial Intelligence with Texas Public Radio. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg and originally conceptualized by Stanley Kubrick, takes the classic Pinocchio fairy tale and thrusts it into the future. Focusing on the existential odyssey of David (Haley Joel Osment), the film explores the inner world of an artificially intelligent robotic boy that possesses the unique ability to love. Those who register for this free event ahead of time will be sent an Amazon Watch Party invite prior to the film, and will be eligible for a door prize. Free (requires Amazon Prime), 7:30 p.m., tpr.org/tpr-cinema-tuesdays. — mc DreamWorks Home Entertainment

sacurrent.com | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

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Dancer Antonio Padron donned a steampunk-inspired look for the House of Luxe’s debut on Legendary.

HBO Max

Kiki with Akasha

San Antonio dancer Antonio Padron dishes about his turn on HBO’s Legendary BY BRYAN RINDFUSS

J Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com

ennie Livingston’s cult documentary Paris Is Burning and — like it or not — the music video for Madonna’s derivative anthem “Vogue” will forever pop up in conversations about ballroom culture. But as famed critic Guy Trebay pointed out in a 2000 Village Voice story dubbed “Legends of the Ball,” those two 1990 works are essentially “station stops on a cultural continuum, affectionate but voyeuristic peeks into a tradition dating back to the 19th century and going strong into the 21st.” With roots in underground masquer-

ades thrown in Harlem by Black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities as early as 1869, balls as we now know them are dramatic events in which the building blocks of vogue — catwalk, hand performance, duckwalk, floor performance, spins and dips — are on full display as houses compete in various categories for trophies, prizes or bragging rights. While certain categories focus on appearance — face, body and the like — others are based on dance abilities or “passing” as a member of a different social class or persuasion, from “executive realness” to “butch queen up in

pumps.” In recent years, ballroom has experienced a cultural resurgence reflected in mainstream TV shows such as Ryan Murphy’s FX drama Pose and the HBO Max reality competition series Legendary. There’s plenty to be said for both shows: Pose made television history by casting five transgender actors in series regular roles; and Legendary digs into the mechanics of dance, teamwork and some of the blood, sweat and tears behind an acrobatic — and even hazardous — form of self-expression. Raised on a ranch near Pleasanton, San Antonio native Antonio Padron didn’t begin to take dance seriously until 2009. Two key things left impressions on the South Side High School grad that year: seeing the troupe Vogue Evolution — featuring “Wonder Woman of Vogue” Leiomy Maldonado — compete on the MTV series America’s Best Dance Crew and meeting friend and mentor Karma Styles at the San Antonio dance studio Street Beatz. Over the years, Padron and Styles worked together on choreography, auditioned for reality competition shows — including America’s Best Dance Crew and America’s Got Talent — and eventually became founding members of House of Kenzo, a still-active troupe that fuses elements of vogue, avant-garde fashion and performance art. In a serendipitous turn of events, Padron and Styles both landed on the second season of Legendary, albeit as members of opposing houses. While Padron competed with Dallas upstart House of Luxe, New York-based Styles competed with the House of Oricci. Adding to the unusual circumstances, the two old friends weren’t permitted to socialize on or off set. And sitting on the judging panel alongside Houston rap superstar Megan Thee Stallion, celebrity stylist Law Roach and esteemed actress Jameela Jamil was none other than Leiomy Maldonado, the transgender ballroom legend who introduced Padron to his chosen performance style: vogue femme. We recently caught up with Padron — who is better known these days as Akasha Luxe — to quiz him about his turn on Legendary, the origin of his new stage name and the recent dance mishap that left him with a broken fibula.

How did you hurt yourself?

I was competing at a kiki ball in Dallas. Usually, I dip with my right leg. But in the moment, I was really feeling it, so I dipped with my left leg. When I landed, I didn’t catch myself with my hands, so all my weight got absorbed in my fibula and it snapped. I literally slithered away [laughs]. I went outside for a little bit, then I came back in because I wanted to watch the ball. So, I stayed for the whole ball

The exhibition America's Impressionism at SAMA brings more than 60 paintings by acclaimed American artists to San Antonio! Visit www.samuseum.org for tickets and special events. Willard Metcalf (American, 1858-1925),Poppy Field (Landscape at Giverny), 1886, Oil on canvas, 10 5/8 x 18 5/16 inches, Collection of J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox

sacurrent.com | June 16 – June 29, 2020 | CURRENT

La Villita, located on the River Walk, offers over 20 galleries, restaurants, and artisan boutiques with unique, handcrafted treasures.

Hours of Operation Mon-Sat 10am - 6pm Sun 11am - 4pm

Shop & restaurant hours may vary

La Villita | 418 Villita Street lavillitasanantonio.com @LaVillitaHistoricArtsVillage 24

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2020 | sacurrent.com

arts

and went to the emergency room after that. They gave me a splint and told me to go see a foot doctor. I got surgery a week and a half later. They put three pins in … and said that it would heal, and I would be able to do everything … just not dipping like a virgin.

Tell me about the name Akasha. What does it mean to you?

So Akasha just means “space.” The Akashic records are what really inspires me. It’s a concept that you can pretty much tap into this state of consciousness where you have access to everything that’s ever existed in the worlds. It’s also associated with The Queen of the Damned … There’s a feminine side to my performance and that’s who Akasha is. Before Akasha, I was going under Ynot, which is just Tony spelled backwards.

How did you land on Legendary?

I met Nemo Luxe — the father of the House of Luxe — around 2018 at a ball in Dallas. It was my first mainstream ball, and I walked the virgin category. I had already been walking since 2015 but it was always at kiki balls — there’s a kiki scene and there’s a mainstream scene. The kiki scene is not as serious as mainstream but it’s still part of ballroom. I met Nemo at that ball, and he asked me to be in the House of Mizrahi. And so that was my first house. From there I kept in touch with Nemo. We would go to balls [and] compete. [The show producers] reached out to him and said, “We want you to come on this show.” And he reached out to me and was like, “Do you want to be a part of this?” Fuck yeah.

How long were you in LA filming and what was that experience like?

We started filming in February … and it was like a month and a half. It was so fun. It was also different because of COVID. There were all these procedures and protocols. We had to get tested every day and we also couldn’t really interact with the other houses.

You weren’t able to hang out with Karma?

So, I did see Karma when he got there … [From] my hotel room, I was able to see everyone getting there … [After that] the only time we would see each other was when we would have to go get tested on one of the other floors, we would be passing by the other houses … I did get to talk to Karma once [the House of Luxe] got eliminated [on the third episode].

Luxe was the newest house in the competition and then lost a member right before it started. What did that feel like?

It sucked. And I honestly fucking cried. Because Jah Luxe is the youngest member in the group and to me it was so heartbreaking that he didn’t get the opportunity to be on stage with us. It hurt because I know what that feels like. I’ve been auditioning for TV shows for years trying to get on a competition series and wouldn’t make it. And it would suck. To me it just hurt knowing that he had to go through that. It was just crushing for him. It was definitely something we had to adapt to really quick. Because it happened right when we were gonna film the first segment —

Bryan Rindfuss

the Grand March. We already had formations done and we had to change everything.

Did he want to keep going?

Yes. He had a broken arm, but he was still doing the routine with us. They just didn’t let him because it’s a liability.

You got some constructive criticism from the judges about your confidence level on stage. Did those remarks ring true to you? Yes, they did. And yeah, I took their critiques and on the next performance I really brought it.

You also got some compliments, like when Megan Thee Stallion said she thought you were the shit. I was like, duh! [They may have called] me out for looking nervous but the thing is: I still killed it. I didn’t mess up or anything. It was really refreshing to hear Megan say [that]. Leiomy also gave me my 10s but a lot of the [remarks] didn’t make it onto the show. Sometimes the compliments [don’t make the cut].

How do you think Legendary measures up to other reality competition shows? I think it surpasses a lot of dance competitions. Because there’s multiple components to ballroom that amplify the production, the presentation of dance. I just think the production level on this season of Legendary was next level — the lights, the LED screens.

How authentic or true to ballroom culture do you think the show is?

Antonio Padron models custom garments created by local designer Jimmy Moon.

It’s nothing like ballroom. Because [the show focuses] on house productions. In ballroom, you’re competing individually and trying to win trophies as a house. In our house, we had Nemo, who does runway and also realness with a twist; Becky is vogue femme; Dizzy does realness with a twist as well; and Jah does realness with a twist and butch queen vogue femme. So, we were all battle cats. We can really vogue down, but we just didn’t get the chance to [show that].

Is the House of Luxe still active post-Legendary?

Yes, it is. Right now, we are planning to attend balls and eventually we are going to throw our own balls. But we are currently working on recruiting people.

Outside of House of Luxe, what’s on your horizon? Are you planning to stay in San Antonio?

Yes. Because my family’s here — I don’t want to move away from them. But I do want to do more work as an artist. I don’t want a regular job, I’ve spent a lot of years doing the nine-to-five thing and I need to try freelancing as an artist and try to make that work … performing arts, releasing music, I also get booked as a DJ.

Any nine-to-five jobs you’d care to mention?

I worked for VIA. I was a bus driver for a little over a year. I started when the pandemic started. … It was crazy. … It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had. sacurrent.com | June 16 – June 29, 2020 | CURRENT

improvtx.com/sanantonio | 618 Nw Loop 410, SaN ANTONIO, TX 78216 | 210•541•8805

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CURRENT | June 16 - June 29, 2020 | sacurrent.com

Wesley Snipes chats about his scene-stealing character General Izzi in Coming 2 America, now on DVD BY KIKO MARTINEZ

n Coming 2 America, the sequel to the classic 1988 comedy Coming to America, Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall and many of the original cast members return for another cross-continental adventure. This time, Prince Akeem (Murphy) and his best friend and aide Semmi (Hall) travel back to New York City to find the prince’s estranged son and deliver him to Zamunda. Back in Africa, however, General Izzi (Wesley Snipes), the supreme leader of the militaristic country Nextdoria, is waiting in the wings to take over Zamunda if Prince Akeem fails to bring the heir to the throne back home. During an interview with the Current, Snipes talked about his scene-stealing character, his initial reaction to the news that a sequel was in the works and a bit about his past movies, including White Men Can’t Jump and Wildcats. Coming 2 America was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD.

How much of your own flair did you bring to General Izzi, or was it all in the script?

It was kind of written a little harsher. He had some of the classic despotic characteristics. I wanted to bring something to the table to make it a little more fun. Imagine the kind of guy that you hate to love. He really means well. He’s really a great guy. It’s not his fault that he likes to play with grenades and Kalashnikovs.

Talk about his walk. If he’s not dancing with every step, he’s basically gliding into the room.

Oh, yes. Well, when he was studying in America, he went to the Fred Astaire Dance Studio and won a couple of medals. At one point, he was even invited to be on Dancing with the Stars, but he was involved in too much political turmoil back home, so he couldn’t pursue it. But they wanted him.

When your character is first introduced, they refer to him by several nicknames, including “the conqueror of countries and hearts,” “the wrestler of lions” and “the most well-endowed man in Africa.” Which of those is your favorite and were any left on the cutting room floor that you liked? Oh, we don’t have to limit it to one. I think all

screens

Bringing His A-Game

Amazon Studios

of them were very accurate. But “the midnight train to Georgia” is one that made me break character.

When you found out this sequel was in the works, did you know it was something you wanted to be a part of?

It was immediate when I heard about it, but I didn’t get the immediate call. I actually heard about it from a couple of friends. I even heard about it from Mike Epps. People were asking me, “Hey, are you going to be in the movie?” I was like, “Nobody called me. I guess I’m not good enough.”

Eddie and the others?

Well, I’m always going to try to bring my A-game out of respect for the craft and the artists that I’m working with. But I was in the movie as a fan. Just the mere fact that I was on that set and having that experience was good enough for me. (Laughs.) I said that every day. I’m so happy to be here. This is so much fun. I’m having a ball. The most rewarding aspect of this whole experience was having the experience.

If you could pick a character to play in the original, who would you have wanted to play?

If you could pick one of your earlier movies to make a sequel, which one would work? How about a sequel to Wildcats where you come back as Goldie Hawn’s assistant coach in college or the NFL?

You must have made a pretty big impact wearing Soul Glo if you were a finalist.

If your character from White Men Can’t Jump took the court today with Woody Harrelson’s character, how do you think they’d fare against the competition?

I’d play the reverend. (Laughs.) That would be fun. I actually auditioned for Eriq La Salle’s character, but I lost out. I was one of the finalists. I was working with Michael Jackson at the time. [Snipes starred in Jackson’s 1987 music video Bad.] But I was a nobody then. Nobody knew me. Eriq, who is a friend of mine, and I had a similar journey going back to being classically trained in theater school.

I don’t even remember if I had to put the wig on. (Laughs.) Yeah, I don’t think I did.

Since you weren’t in the original, did you feel less pressure to make this sequel good? Or did you feel you had the same stake in the game as

(Laughs.) You know, the cool thing would be if it was an all-girls team. That could be cool. I’d do that. And then Goldie still outruns me. Demolition Man would be interesting to play now. Physically, I think I could hold up. It would be interesting to see what nuances we could bring to it.

Whoo! We’d smoke ‘em on the hustle. But the three-point game right now is like, oof. Everyone can shoot it! We’d have to figure that one out. We’d have to put a microchip in the basketball or something. But on the hustle, we got ‘em.

Find more film stories at sacurrent.com

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

food

Nightlife Maestras

Picks Bar owners Jessica Marinez and Amber Hernandez are partners in business and life BY NINA RANGEL Names: Jessica Marinez and Amber Hernandez Job: Co-owners of Picks Bar and The Amp Room Birthplace: Marinez in Corpus Christi; Hernandez in El Paso Years in the Industry: 25-plus years, collectively Impact: The pair offer unique experiences to music lovers of SA, from live band karaoke to mobile party wagons. Money Quote: “I think we radiate this positive aura together like we can do anything — and that’s because we genuinely believe that much in each other.” Between the renovation of their North Side nightspot Picks Bar, the launch of booze-peddling party busses, the purchase of The Amp Room and their recent engagement, it’s difficult to believe Picks Bar co-owners Jessica Marinez and Amber Hernandez have any time to sit with a reporter. Luckily, the live music maestras squeezed in a chat about their approach to bringing fun and funky experiences to San Antonio. They also shared their outlook on being in business with a romantic partner. You’ve had a busy year! What would you consider your biggest milestones since purchasing Picks Bar? Marinez: You mean, other than surviving COVID? We were lucky enough to get one last trip to Nashville, New York and Chicago last February. We immediately used ideas from our travels and renovated the bus we purchased in 2019 and made it a full-on cocktail bus. Then came the opportunity to buy the Amp Room. … That took a bit of time, but we finally sealed the deal in October. [That was] another huge milestone … but we have worked incredibly hard and been very smart with our finances and these are the results. Tell us about the saucy neon in the Picks ladies’ room. What was the inspiration behind that? Marinez: Amber loves her some Halsey. So naturally, when Halsey’s newest album was released, Amber … mentioned that she sang a tune that goes, “Your pussy is a wonderland,” and I thought it was the best thing. We joked about putting that lyric on a neon, but we needed a piece for the restroom, anyway — so then, we actually started considering it. Then we got with Viva Neon Signs, and once we saw the rendering, we couldn’t go back. My mom wasn’t too happy, but we love it and so do most of our customers. Hernandez: I think it is a bit of a controversial

piece. When we were just joking about putting it on a neon I thought, “Why not?” I mean, the lyric makes me feel empowered as a woman. You’ve been hard at work remodeling St. Mary’s Street staple The Amp Room. How has the public reacted so far to the changes you’ve made? Marinez: Well, we read the [social media] comments, and for the most part, they were amazing and congratulatory. Others, however, were just plain rude. Most of the rude comments were people insinuating that we were going to make Amp look and feel like Picks by booking the same bands, etc. We’ve lost quite a bit of followers, but we’ve also gained new followers with the small changes we’ve been making. I just hope everyone enjoys the space once we are done with it later this year. We have some fun plans. What is the best thing about working alongside your fiancée? Marinez: This probably sounds like a joke, but I mean it wholeheartedly: I could spend all day with her if she would let me. She won’t; I’ve tried. We’ve been together four years and we’ve accomplished so much. … I never intended to stay in the service industry, but when we met, everything just came together and what goals we had changed completely — but for the better. Hernandez: Even through really tough times, I know we will make it, because when I need her to be strong for me, she is. When she needs me to be strong, I am. I think we radiate this positive aura together like we can do anything — and that’s because we genuinely believe that much in each other.

Courtesy Photo / Picks Bar

Picks owners Amber Hernandez (left) and Jessica Marinez show off the venue’s saucy neon.

Any words of wisdom for folks looking to start a business with their significant other? Marinez: Sometimes it is hard knowing whether we’re having an issue over the relationship itself or work. It gets confusing. Just communicate. Always be honest even when it involves the smallest thing. That is huge. Hernandez: Be willing to put in the work. Everything becomes a balancing act. Work and home life become one, and it gets hard to see your partner as your partner and not just your business partner. Making time for each other is important, as well as communicating with them when you need some extra love on those long days. Sometimes Jess calls me and says, “Can I just talk to my fiancée?” That’s my sign to turn off business and just listen.

Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

food Almost Paradise

Hello Paradise’s exceptional Thai food and tiki-inspired cocktails make up for the Astro Turf

ho’s got time to click through all of the food stories coming out of Countdown City these days? We get it, you’re busy and just need quick tidbits to get you caught up on the latest culinary happenings. Welcome to Hot Dish, where we offer up the latest savory scoops in quick, easy-to-digest servings.

BY RON BECHTOL

f your idea of paradise encompasses Astro Turf, photo booths and gaming consoles housed in shipping containers, then do I have a vacation destination for you. Hello Paradise, yet another project by Jeret Peña’s Boulevardier Group, is a lightly reworked makeover of the former Shuck Shack on Grayson Street, itself the product of fellow serial hospitality entrepreneur Jason Dady. If the new spot seems kinda washed up on the beach — the games, I suspect, were salvaged from Still Golden, a nearby Peña bar demolished last year to make way for downtown development — then know this: the Thai food and tropical drinks are anything but flotsam and jetsam. It could be pandemic-emergence syndrome, but I find myself stunned by small things lately, and the menu’s tom yum noodles are a prime example. Think the classic Thai soup, add springy rice noodles, the sprightliness of lime, lemongrass and chili flavors and some briny fish sauce for umami. Add three types of pork in place of the soup’s usual shrimp, and you have a package that touches all of Thai cuisine’s sparkling high notes. That the pork appears in sliced, ground and ball form isn’t just the kitchen showing off: the differing textures, further augmented by the crunch of chopped peanuts, add complexity to an already sophisticated dish. If the tom yum noodles exemplify Thai food’s bright and light character, then the beefy boat noodle soup stands in for its deeper, more contemplative side. I consumed this one more slowly, all the better to appreciate the warmer spices such as star anise and cinnamon, the depth provided by black soy balanced by a perceived touch of sugar, and, yes, the earthy, metallic aspect contributed by a splash of bovine blood. As in the tom yum, there are three forms of the signature meat, one of which, I suspect, is beef heart. Contrast is supplied by what I also imagine to be water spinach and a sprinkling of cilantro. The menu mentioned pork rinds, but they were absent in the dish I got. Panang and green curries are ubiquitous on local Thai menus, but Hello Paradise’s green curry holds up well in comparison. There’s ample sliced chicken, lots of tiny globe eggplants and a broth based on mellow coconut bumped up with green curry paste and Thai basil. Everything is further enlivened with the occasional, contrasting flash and burn of red Thai chilies. Pork balls also appear in the restaurant’s snacks and small plates category, but in an entirely different fashion: coarsely ground, deftly seasoned with sesame oil and pepper, encased in tender dumpling

OPENINGS Wayne’s Wings has opened a second location on the Northwest Side. Ron Bechtol

wrappers and sprinkled with toasty garlic. The side sauce is black soy with molasses-like undertones, and the two go together like Ricky and Lucy. However, to me, syrupy sauce ruins what the menu touted as the “best damn spring rolls.” Nothing wrong with the filling of glass noodle, cabbage, mushroom and carrot, and the wrapper is an exemplary crisp-tender. Just hold the pancake topping. Hello Paradise’s Lunch Special #1 — may there be others in the future? — initially consisted of Panang curry, tom yum noodles or Thai wings paired with a single spring roll. With a wing shortage now on, the kitchen has substituted thighs. “They’re done the same way and there’s more meat, so it’s an even better deal,” the order taker promised. The Boulevardier boys do know their way around a cocktail — even if it’s frozen. So, if you’ve made peace with the spot’s Astro Turf, you can feel safe ordering an $8 slushy daiquiri. I liked the one accessorized with spicy cucumber. A more creative-sounding Pero No Sé with tequila, mango, lemon and falernum — a tiki component with an almond base — runs $10. High Wheel and Roadmap supply two local beers. If you’re looking to experience Hello Paradise, my recommendation is to go as sunset approaches, grab your drinks of choice and hope there’s either a DJ in attendance or a movie showing on the flanking wall. That way your suspension of disbelief has a good chance of succeeding.

HELLO PARADISE 520 E. Grayson St. | (210) 338-5114 | helloparadisesa.com

The operators of taco truck La Maceta Tapatio have officially taken over the kitchen at Northside music venue Picks Bar. Vista Brewing has launched a new tasting room and beer garden at Warehouse 5. Rosella Coffee has reopened its original East Jones Street location after months of pandemic closure. Fancy fine-dining chain Brenner’s Steakhouse plans new location on San Antonio River Walk. The minds behind Sam’s Burger Joint and the Aztec Theatre are aiming to open Rocky’s Patio Bar at La Villita. Rene Fernandez, the chef-owner of Azuca Nuevo Latino, is in the planning stages for a new Southtown tapas spot.

NEWS Hong Kong-style waffle cone shop Kuma has permanently closed its original location on Babcock Road. Southside vegan eatery Blissful Burgers has shut down but will reopen in a new, remodeled space. San Antonio’s lone Central Market grocery store now offers curbside and delivery services. The San Antonio Missions baseball club will partner with the San Antonio Food Bank for summer food drives. River Walk mainstay Hotel Valencia has debuted boozy, summer-inspired popsicles to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.

Hours: Noon-midnight Sunday-Monday, noon-2 a.m. Tuesday-Saturday Main dishes: $11-$13

San Antonio-based Epic Western Cocktail Co. is launcing a canned tequila cocktail this summer.

Best bets: Tom yum noodles, boat noodle soup, green curry, pork dumplings, cocktails The skinny: Jeret Peña’s prolific Boulevardier Group took over Jason

Texas Monthly named Chela’s Tacos one of “11 Great Texas Taquerias Owned by Women.”

Dady’s Shuck Shack and turned the mostly outdoor venue into Hello Paradise, offering a Thai food kitchen and drinks tending toward tiki. The menu includes exceptional offerings such as pork-filled dumplings, tom

San Antonio-owned Saint Maya tequila made its debut at local liquor stores, selling out in a day.

yum noodles and boat noodle soup. Cocktails are equally accomplished, with drinks such as the Pero No Sé with tequila, mango and falernum standing out. Even the frozen daiquiris are worth investigating.

Weathered Souls Brewing Co.’s year-old Black is Beautiful campaign has raised $2.2 million for social justice groups. sacurrent.com | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | CURRENT

Know your status | Embrace your options San Antonio AIDS Foundation | 818 E. Grayson St. To learn more about our sexual health services, visit www.SanAntonioAIDS.org/Testing or call (210) 225-4715 to speak to a member of our testing team. Se habla Español. 32

CURRENT | June 16 – June 29, 2021 | sacurrent.com

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music

On the Beat

San Antonio electronic musician ARK refuses to sit still BY ENRIQUE BONILLA

nly thing I can say right now, as far as when I get back home, is that I’m not going to go to work anymore,” Anthony Mendoza Martins tells me over the phone as he leaves Record Parlor in Los Angeles. Martins, a 28-year-old electronic musician and producer better known by the moniker ARK, was in LA at the end of May to perform at a pair of events — a mixed-media art show and a more conventional music showcase. As the San Antonio artist has expanded his out-of-town gigging, the City of Angels has become a second home. “This is my fourth or fifth time out in LA doing music, and like anything anyone works on, it’s gotten better time after time,” he says. “People are still wearing masks and socially distancing where possible, and I will say that the crowds are much tamer right now since we are still in a global pandemic. But musicians can’t really be stopped. We’re going to get out there.” For the past eight years, ARK has trekked coast to coast playing diverse and uniquely curated events showcasing his blend of analog and digital beat-making. He’s also raised his profile through a series of more than three dozen releases, making him one of the Alamo City’s most prolific musical creators. ARK’s sound isn’t easy to pigeonhole, combining experimental hip-hop with electronics and tinges of jazz. Glitch and heavy sampling abound. The sound combines the more eccentric qualities of artists such as Flying Lotus, Madlib and Knxwledge. “I can’t really define a point in time where I started with music, but I do remember playing with cassette tapes my parents had around the house,” says ARK, who calls himself a lifelong music lover. “I’ll play any instruments, mostly keyboard and bass, but more than a player, I see myself as a producer first.” ARK owes his early exposure to a wider musical scene to social media. It started by sharing tracks with the beat music community on Instagram, and it’s since led him to perform places as far away as Portland, Maine, which has become a regular stop. “I had never even heard of Portland before this, but now it’s a place I call home,” he says. “My friend told me he was pretty underwhelmed by a lot of the beat music he was hearing on Instagram, and then he came across a few of my videos. So, we connected and began making plans to link.” That Portland friend, known as Fyvr, then

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invited ARK to Re;Sample, a curated event in Maine for beatmakers who use the Roland SP404SX drum machine. Aside from the miles traveled, ARK has racked up an impressive 28 releases since 2013. He was also integral in developing Expansions of Q (EQ), a San Antonio-based collective of experimental musicians that also includes 40hands, Brandon Medellin and Episode None. The collective, which served as a label-like umbrella for the artists involved, is now on hiatus. “It’s not necessarily a label in the sense that we have someone backing us financially but a space where we could create and grow together,” he explains. “I think a rebranding may be in the cards for EQ at some point in the future, but for right now I’m focused on being present in what I do. I’d like to go to Japan and Europe.” That need to be focused on the present is understandable given the scope of ARK’s work. He’s not only producing, mixing and mastering his music, but creating music videos and maintaining a well-manicured online presence that spans social media, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and his own website. But like many artists trying to work through the turmoil of the COVID-19 pan-

demic, he briefly fell prey to burnout. “Before I got my current job as a [house] painter, I was doing freelance work including video, audio production, mixing /mastering, graphic design, and I tired myself out,” he says. “Then I had this injury at the end of 2020 that really set me back.” ARK took a subsequent break from social media and issuing new releases. By switching gears, he was able to find a refreshed view of the world and release mode/net, a 15-track tape that showcases well-produced experimental music featuring San Antonio artists K9 and fellow EQ collaborator 40hands. This release provides not only a sampling of adventurous SA music circa 2021 but a jumping-off point from which to explore ARK’s expansive discography. Looking forward, the musician and producer says his next goal is to ensure that he’s taking steps that put him on the path to becoming a full-time creator. “I’m looking to get back into just being an independent artist as soon as I get home from LA,” he says. “If someone asks me what I do, I want to say that I am an artist without them having to ask what my real job is. I don’t want to partition my life into sections. I am an artist, and this is the life that I chose.”

Reminder:

Although live events have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. Check with venues to make sure scheduled events are still happening, and please follow all health and safety guidelines.

music listings

Courtesy Photo / Buckcherry

Wednesday, June 16 Buckcherry Are you ready to get “Lit Up?” Because you’re guaranteed to hear that “I love the cocaine” song when ’90s rockers Buckcherry blow into Countdown City. And didn’t they have at least one other tune that was in near-constant rotation on KISS-FM back in the day? Bet you’ll hear that too. $26, 7 p.m., Rock Box, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 677-9453, therockboxsa.com. — Brianna Espinoza Three Swings and a Miss This cooking little combo will turn back the clock with a show dedicated to iconic singers Peggy Lee and Nat King Cole. For fans of classic vocal jazz, it’s bound to be an “Unforgettable” night. $20, 7:30 p.m., Jazz, TX, 312 Pearl Parkway, Building 6, Suite 6001, (210) 332-9386, jazztx.com. — BE Thursday, June 17 The Marshall Tucker Band Old-school Southern rock on a school night? Count us in. This ’70s outfit’s steel guitar and flute-driven songs helped set the template for the Southern rock and progressive country genres, and they’re still on the road after all these years. $45 (Sold Out), 8 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 36

Gruene Road, (830) 606-1281, gruenehall. com. — BE Friday, June 18 Stoney LaRue With music described as "Red Dirt” country, it's not hard to imagine where Oklahoma singer Stoney LaRue is coming. Love, trucks and jail time are prevalent in his twangy tunes. $25, 8:30 p.m., John T. Floore's Country Store,14492 Old Bandera Road, (210) 695-8827, liveatfloores.com. — BE

country and rockabilly, both delivered with a definite edge. San Antonio singer-piano madman Harvey McLaughlin will perform

Jesse Dayton + Harvey McLaughlin Austin-based Americana singer Dayton has collaborated with artists ranging from Johnny Cash to Rob Zombie since his acclaimed 1995 debut Raisin’ Cain. His musical pendulum swings between

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rock band Blue October are apparently still relevant enough to tour. Let's hope they're still rocking the smoky eye makeup as they bring this acoustic rendition of their live show to town. $35-135, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary's St., (210) 812-4355, aztectheatre.com. — BE

Saturday, June 19 Pat Green Ever heard that catchy song that goes, "You came upon me, wave on wave"? That classic 2003 country tune was the creation of San Antonio native Pat Green. And Green is still riding that wave, this time into Gruene Hall with a show that will showcase both acoustic and electric numbers. $37.50 (Sold Out), 10 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, (830) 606-1281, gruenehall.com. — BE

Nineties rockers Buckcherry, who once sang about their fondness for yayo, will appear June 16 at the Rock Box.

Facebook / Jesse Dayton

a slew of funky tunes about ghosts and Chinese restaurants. $10, 7 p.m., Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St Mary's St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerose.com. — BE Blue October Known for platinum singles "Hate Me" and "Into the Ocean," 2000s-era alternative

Jarrod Sterrett & the Hired Guns The Huntsville-based singer-songwriter is bringing his mix of classic and Texas country, rockabilly and Americana to town. Sterrett and his compatriots, who assembled in 2009, released their most recent single “Pasadena” in 2019. $10-15, 8:30 p.m., River Road Ice House, 1791 Hueco Springs Loop Road, New Braunfels, (830) 626-1335, riverroadicehouse.com. — Mike McMahan Charley Crockett Having released 10 For Slim: Charley Crockett Sings James Hand earlier this year, Crockett will hit New Braunfels for a reduced-capacity show. Crockett has faced down difficult situations, having recorded 2020’s Welcome to Hard Times

after going through lifesaving open-heart surgery. His past also includes two felony convictions. In spite of the challenges, Crockett remains committed to music and performing, as well as his goal of increasing the eclecticism of country music, which he feels was largely lost after the 1960s. $23-45, 8 p.m., Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM 306, New Braunfels, 830-964-3800, whitewaterrocks.com. — MM Friday, June 25 Emily Wolfe Austin resident Wolfe is bringing her eclectic Americana sound to the Alamo City. As a testament to her range, the singer-guitarist has played gigs with Heart,

Saturday, June 26 Jason Boland and The Stragglers These Austin-based Texas country stalwarts are making a return to the Alamo City. Hailing from Oklahoma, the band paid dues with an assortment of studio and live albums, finally striking paydirt with the 2008 hit single “Comal County Blue.” Shooter Jennings, son of the legendary Waylon Jennings, co-produced the Stragglers’ 2013 album Dark & Dirty Mile. $20-25, 7 p.m., John T. Floore’s Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road, (210) 695-8827, liveatfloores.com. — MM Jackie Venson On the heels of her new concert movie, Joy Alive, Austin-based R&B and soul singer Venson is bringing her positive vibes to SA. Venson doesn’t limit herself by genre, however, also having released music via her DJ alter ego jackie the robot (she dropped the capital letters there, not us). The singer spent her formative years invested in the piano but switched to

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Courtesy Photo / Emily Wolfe

The Pretenders and Gary Clark Jr. and aspires to mix Demi Lovato with Queens of The Stone Age. She released her debut EP Roulette in 2014. It was years in the making, however, as she began playing guitar at age 5. $12-15, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — MM

Courtesy Photo / Jackie Venson

Friday, June 25 Sunday, June 27

guitar when she realized she wasn’t having fun playing music. During her touring career she’s opened for Jason Aldean, James Taylor and Tim McGraw and cites influences ranging from Buddy Guy to Alicia Keys. $15-17, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx. — MM

Ryan Bingham Bingham is hosting a three-night, limited capacity run at New Braunfels’ Whitewater. The roots rocker has a colorful background, having grown up in a variety of Southwestern locales before getting his start on the rodeo circuit. He came into public consciousness in 2009, working with legendary producer T Bone Burnett on the soundtrack to Crazy Heart, which starred Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal. That collaboration earned Bingham an Academy Award. He also has a history with Whitewater Amphitheater, having recorded a live album there in 2016. $48178, 8 p.m., Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM 306, New Braunfels, (830) 9643800, whitewaterrocks.com. — MM

Pinky Ring + Sunjammer The charismatic frontman for San Antonio’s old-timey sounding Cryin' D.T. Buffkin & the Bad Breath also has a rock band called Pinky Ring comprised of scene veterans. Buffkin touts Pinky Ring’s sound as “JJ Cale playing Velvet Underground tunes, or something like that,” and we’d be hard pressed to argue. The group will release an EP later this year called Terrific Sex with Terrible People that contains a song with an equally inspired name: “Penis in Furs.” Sunjammer, an outfit well versed in Neil Young’s more downbeat catalog, will share the bill. $5, 9 p.m., Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St Mary's St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerose.com. — Sanford Nowlin

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E M P LOY M E N T

NOTICE OF PROPOSED ACTION ON APPLICATION FOR CONVERSION OF BASE IRRIGATION GROUNDWATER TO UNRESTRICTED IRRIGATION GROUNDWATER The General Manager of the Edwards Aquifer Authority (“EAA”) proposes to grant applications to convert Base Irrigation Groundwater to Unrestricted Irrigation Groundwater under § 711.342(c) of the EAA’s Rules. A copy of the applications, the technical summaries, the General Manager’s proposed actions, and the proposed amended regular permits are available for public inspection at the EAA’s offices at 900 E. Quincy Street, San Antonio, Texas Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Electronic copies may also be obtained by request to Jennifer Wong-Esparza at jesparza@edwardsaquifer.org or (210) 222-2204. The General Manager proposes to approve the following applications to convert Base Irrigation Groundwater to Unrestricted Irrigation Groundwater under § 711.342(c) of the EAA’s Rules: Continental Homes of Texas, L.P. – Filed application on February 12, 2021. The application seeks to convert 32.965 acre-feet of Base Irrigation Groundwater to Unrestricted Irrigation Groundwater based on the development of the Historically Irrigated Acres (HIA). KB Home Lone Star Inc – Filed application on February 8, 2021. The application seeks to convert 32.871 acre-feet of Base Irrigation Groundwater to Unrestricted Irrigation Groundwater based on the development of the Historically Irrigated Acres (HIA). The applicants or any other Edwards Aquifer permit holder may file a written request for a contested case hearing on the proposed action with the EAA by no later than Monday, July 19, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. in accordance with § 707.603 of the EAA’s Rules. The EAA’s Board of Directors will consider approval of the applications and issuance of the proposed amended regular permits within 60 days of publication of this notice unless a request for contested case hearing is timely filed. If no timely requests for contested case hearing are filed, the applications will be presented to the EAA’s Board on the date of the hearing for final action. This notice is issued pursuant to § 707.525 of the EAA’s Rules. ISSUED THIS 16 th DAY OF JUNE 2021

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Data Architect IV - Rackspace US, Inc. San Antonio. Responsible the delivery of a robust scalable data architecture that meets the business goals of the organization. Req’d: Bach degree in CS, Math, engineering or rel tech field + 5yrs exp in data architecture, including data transformation, data warehousing and data mining. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 21655.

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Cloud Architect - Rackspace US, Inc. San Antonio. Supports Professional Services engagements with ‘engineering muscle’ and technical consultation assistance, to help customers design systems that are purpose-built and well suited to their target infrastructure. Req’d: Bach degree in CS, comp engineering or rel tech field + 5yrs industry exp in tech engineering and/or pre- or post-sales engineering and architecture. Req’d: 5yrs engineering exp in migration, implementation and production mgmt. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 27386.

online: www.sacurrent.com

Oracle Database Administrator III - Rackspace US, Inc. San Antonio. Responsible for configuring, administering and maintaining the Oracle database environments in a very large-scale database environment and mission critical large OLTP and OLAP systems. Req’d: Bach degree or equiv in software dev, DB programming, comp engineering or rel tech field + 5yrs exp in Oracle 11g, 12c as an Oracle DBA. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 11875.