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Publisher Michael Wagner
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Auditor’s Certification:
08
Slow-Walking the Vote
Bexar County has a backlog of thousands of unprocessed voter registrations … again Issue 26-02/// Jan 21 - Feb 3 , 2026
07
News
The Opener News in Brief
Book Blacklist
Alamo Heights ISD cancels visit by children’s author because one of his books mentions existence of LGBTQ+ people
News Quiz
How far will John Cornyn debase himself for Trump's endorsement?
15 Calendar
Our picks of things to do powerful
19 Arts
Upholding a Legacy DreamWeek 2026 keeps spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. alive
21 Screens
And the Oscar Noms Go To … Filmmaker Michael Premo on Homegrown and America’s radical turn to the right
27 Food Not Just a Backing Band
Steve Martin-Martin Short collaborators the Steep Canyon Rangers talk about their varied musical path
Cooking Up Conversation
Jesus Arreaga of Elotitos on transforming a comforting snack into a business concept
38 Music Not Just a Backing Band
Steve Martin-Martin Short collaborators the Steep Canyon Rangers talk about their varied musical path
Critics’ Picks
On the Cover: As another Bexar County voter registration backlog builds, Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert accuses the Texas Secretary of State’s Office of deliberate voter suppression. Design: Ana Paula Gutierrez.
Facebook Bexar County Elections Department
That Rocks/That Sucks
Texas’ new school voucher program, signed into law last year by Gov. Greg Abbott, has enrolled dozens of schools that openly discriminate on the basis of religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. A new Texas Observer analysis found that of the 291 schools included in the program that offer education beyond the kindergarten level, more than 100 prioritize admission for students of the school’s chosen religion and more than 60 have policies discriminating against LGBTQ+ students.
San Antonio City Council will hold a Jan. 22 special session to discuss the increased presence of ICE in the city. Councilwoman Sukh Kaur, who chairs council’s Public Safety Committee, said the meeting was scheduled at the behest of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones. It will cover the extent to which San Antonio police are required to cooperate with immigration enforcement. The meeting will be held at 1 p.m. and include time for public comments.
The City of San Antonio has removed the rainbow crosswalks painted at Main Avenue and Evergreen Street. The city fought to keep the crosswalks after Gov. Abbott last fall ordered the removal of road markings containing “political ideologies,” but the state rejected its call for an exemption. City contractors used a pavement-cutting tool to take pieces of the rainbow crosswalks for historic preservation, but removed the rest of the crosswalks and replaced them ahead of the state’s deadline for compliance last Thursday.
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign is once again facing scrutiny from the Federal Election Commission
The FEC is asking the campaign to explain
Clinging to relevance by lying
about the U.S. being a Christian nation with former Texas Rep. Nate Schatzline
Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.
Former Texas Rep. Nate Schatzline has apparently decided that the best way to stay relevant after his resignation from the Texas Lege is to fire up a podcast mic, mangle 18th-century history and join the chorus of dishonest dickheads claiming the U.S. is a Christian nation.
On his For Liberty And Justice podcast, the former Fort Worth Republican rep thundered
That’s not just wrong. It’s so wrong that Schatzline is either unable to read about a junior high comprehension level, or he’s just a fucking liar.
Here’s what the Northwest Ordinance actually says: “Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”
That’s it. No command to teach Christianity. No establishment of a Bible-before-all-other-books hierarchy. No government-ordered Sunday school, and certainly no Ten Commandments posted in every classroom.
The ordinance is a broad statement that education should promote religion in general , along with morality and knowledge — a document holding up the importance of civic virtue — and clearly not a blueprint for a Christian state.
Consider this: the same generation of thinkers that passed the Northwest Ordinance also
YOU SAID IT!
“[Gov. Greg Abbott] can’t spend enough money to undo what people have known about him for 12 years. They know him. They don’t like him. So my challenge is to just get my name out there and to greet
people as the change candidate who has a record of working for Texans.”
The number of Texans who have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace is higher than it was last year, despite the expiration of federal subsidies that decreased premiums for people across the state. As of Jan. 3, some 4.11 million Texans had chosen a marketplace plan — an increase from the 3.86 million Texans who had enrolled in a plan around the same date last year, according to a Texas Tribune analysis.
The Democratic National Committee earlier this month sent letters to officials in Texas and nine other states warning they could be in violation of federal election law by complying with a White House request to turn over unredacted voter information. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson’s
office handed over the state’s rolls to the Trump administration in late December, sharing voters’ dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
Democratic Bexar County District Attorney candidate Shannon Locke, a criminal defense attorney, is promising to investigate ICE if he’s elected in November. “If Donald Trump or Greg Abbott brings that here, we’re going to investigate them to the fullest extent of the law,” Locke said last weekend at a campaign event for U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who’s running for Senate. Locke’s promise came a day after hundreds of San Antonio residents marched in protest of the ICE killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. — Abe Asher
ASSCLOWN ALERT
Facebook Nate Schatzline
backlog of thousands
in deliberate voter disenfranchisement to is not heard,” Calvert said.
Texas counties, isn’t equipped to handle
was part of a widespread suppression
The Texas Secretary of State’s Office denied the allegation.
“As voter registration deadlines near, it is not unusual for counties to see a spike in registrations to be processed,” the state agency said in an unattributed statement emailed to the Current. The statement explained that Texas is transferring all its
of the Secretary of State’s TEAM database, according to Calvert. The county hastily joined TEAM last year as a stop-gap solution while it waits for commissioners’ final approval of its new voter registration processing software, VR Systems.
Both Calvert and Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew have told the Current that the TEAM database,
“This is a big issue as we head into our primary election,” Calvert said in the video.
Working ‘hand-in-hand’ with the state
When the Current asked County Judge Peter Sakai last fall about voter
“The state gives the county zero — I said ‘zero’ — service commitments,” he said. “Right now, our staff in the elections department says they’re not hearing from them at all.”
In its statement to the Current, the Office of the Texas Secretary of State said the sheer size of the data migration of all Texas records to a new sys-
Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson
Facebook Bexar County Elections Department
tem — called TEAM 2.0 — is to blame.
“Our office is working closely with our partners at the county level to address any issues as they arise during the ongoing rollout of TEAM 2.0,” the statement said.
“This is a massive undertaking involving the migration of over 18 million voter files — a process that became more complicated with VOTEC suddenly closed its business, leaving Bexar County and several others without a functioning voter registration,” the Secretary of State’s Office continued. “We took extraordinary measures to onboard Bexar County — a process that usually takes months — in a matter of weeks. And we will continue to provide support as we prepare for the primary.”
The Current reached out to the Bexar County Elections Department and Sakai for comment on the present backlog but got no response by press time.
However, about an hour after the Current’s inquiry, the Elections Department shared a Facebook post notifying the public of the slowdown and confirming the lag is due to the Secretary of State’s TEAM software. The post didn’t mention the backlog, however.
The department also limited the ability of Facebook users to comment on the post.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before
Calvert told the Current that the lack of support from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office is “putting strain on staff.”
“Some staff quit because of having to put in overtime to get all of these registrations done several months ago,” he added.
Indeed, the Current reported on turnover at the Elections Department last fall due to what some inside the office characterized as a dip in morale. They attributed the decline, in part, to employees working longer hours and spending less time with their families to work through the backlog.
Antonio streets were still absent from the system — something the Secretary of State’s Office missed entirely.
Though county staff caught the massive error, they seemingly didn’t correct it entirely. Some residents still showed up at the polls to discover there was no record of their voter registration, according to Calvert.
“I myself was a victim of voter suppression with the TEAM system in the last election,” the commissioner said in the video. “I went to go vote, and I wasn’t in the system.”
Deliberate disenfranchisement
So, at what point should voters stop seeing this as a glitchy state system and view it as deliberate disenfranchisement?
“I think at the point that [the Texas Secretary of State] sent the [Trump Department of Justice] all 18 million voter registration records last Friday,” Calvert said.
ipated November midterms, which might cost Republicans the U.S. House.
Last fall, those 11,000 missing Bexar County voters could have made all the difference in a consequential election. Funding for the Spurs’ new downtown arena passed 52% to 48%, a margin of fewer than 11,000 votes.
Calvert urged Bexar County Commissioners Court to approve the final contract for VR Systems so the county can begin implementation and leave the state’s TEAM system behind.
“It’s been delayed in the District Attorney’s Office, and that’s unfortunate,” he said.
Calvert added that Commissioners Court on Sept. 2 asked for the DA to look at similarly sized counties, such as Tarrant, or even those in other states, for a sample contract Bexar could use to model its pact with VR Systems. At the beginning of negotiations, VR Systems also provided its own standard contract.
officials already made room for in the budget for a previous voting vendor called Votech. That company went out of business in August after numerous bailouts from the county.
After Votech folded, county commissioners voted 4-1 in September to direct staff to negotiate a contract with VR Systems as a replacement. Once Roberson finalizes the negotiated contract, he’s required to bring it back to the court for final approval.
Moments before this story was published, Calvert texted the Current with an update, saying the Commissioners Court now plans to discuss the VR Systems contract at its Jan. 20 meeting.
Bexar County Elections Department staff were forced to work through at least one weekend before the office hired on dozens of temporary staffers to report in shifts and clear the tens of thousands of unprocessed voter registration applications.
Calvert told the Current that days before the election, a county consultant discovered that 11,000 San
Texas Secretary of State Nelson and the DOJ have yet to specify how that data will be used, and the Democratic National Committee last week sent a letter warning Nelson her actions may violate federal voting laws and put the state at risk of legal action.
Every vote counts, especially in tight races like those shaping up in the March primaries for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s seat. Those votes will become even more crucial in the much-antic-
While the DA’s Office has gone through several versions of the vendor’s contract, Calvert said Larry Roberson, chief of the office’s Civil Division, has slowed the project by voicing doubts about how much the project would cost the county.
“That isn’t the role of the district attorney’s office,” Calvert said. “We voted to get this done.”
VR Systems is likely to cost Bexar County around $1 million, which
Regardless, VR Systems won’t be ready by the March 3 primaries, Calvert said. However, he remains confident county staff will be able to process the backlog in time, even with the challenge of slow inputs. Calvert added that the county is prepared to once again hire additional temp workers to process the backlog in time for the election. He didn’t specify how many, however.
It remains to be seen whether VR Systems will be up and running before the November midterms, Calvert added. Or whether further problems will arise.
“When it comes to things that enfranchise people, there just seems to be a very troubling pattern,” he said
Wikimedia Commons Fivelittlepigs
Jade Esteban Estrada
cancels visit by
Alamo Heights ISD’s Cambridge and
coming of LGBTQ+ worshippers, some
appearing in Glitter Everywhere!, Mato
his retelling of the events involving Ala
the equivalent of one credit card per week of the material, which has infiltrated food and drink supplies globally.
However, those environmental concerns weren’t what got Barton crossways with SB 12. Instead, one sentence in the 52-page book, although historically accurate, triggered concern from Alamo Heights ISD officials.
scheduled to sell and sign five books as part of his presentation.
“Mr. Barton visited in 2018,” department spokeswoman Julie Ann Matonis. “It was a great experience for our students, and we were looking forward to it again this year.”
However, those plans were put on hold after three parents emailed
agree to those assurances.”
On his website, Barton said even though Glitter Everywhere! wasn’t one of the five books selected by the two elementary schools as part of his planned presentation, he planned to give it a quick mention as an example of how he spurs his research and nonfiction writing.
“I should add, though, that when
Barton told the Current that out of the hundreds of schools he’s visited during his 25 years as an author, he’s never before had a district demand that he not speak about his work. Indeed, he gave a full presentation on Glitter Everywhere! to 400 elementary school students at Granbury ISD last month, ground zero for Texas’ crusade against LGBTQ+ material
Charlesbridge Publishing
in school libraries. Yet, not a single parent aired concerns about it.
Although upset about the cancelation, some Alamo Heights ISD parents told the Current understand the district’s position on the matter.
Still, the parents said they were never given an explanation for Barton’s visit being canned. The reason only came to light via his blog post and freedom of information requests filed with the district.
Anderson called the district’s reasoning “absurd.”
“I’d very much understand if an author would not commit to not bringing up LGBTQ+ issues in a talk to elementary school students,” Anderson said. “But to ask an author not to mention that they’ve written a book about glitter, simply because in that book there happens to be a mention of LGBTQ+ individuals?”
from Greek philosopher Plato from his syllabus because they promoted “race and gender ideology.”
Prior to the censorship incident, U.S. News & World Report ranked Texas A&M as the nation’s 51st-best university.
“Censoring Plato is an academic absurdity and a textbook violation of academic freedom,” the AAUP said in its statement. “Barring a foundational philosopher who is a cornerstone of Western thought because his work touches on race or gender is a blatant attempt at thought policing that will not survive legal scrutiny. This is a direct attack on professional integrity and a clear-cut breach of constitution-
ally protected academic freedom.”
Concerns about academic freedom also about at the University of Texas at Austin, the flagship campus of the UT system and another nationally ranked school.
In a recently survey by campus newspaper the Daily Texan, 60% of the school’s 437 responding faculty members said they have considered leaving the school due to Senate Bill 37. That bill further restricts academic freedom by directing state universities to increase curriculum oversight and restructure their faculty councils.
During a recent New Braunfels stop on his U.S. Senate campaign, State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, cautioned that
Texas Republicans’ efforts to keep ideas they don’t like out of schools is already damaging its colleges and universities.
“A lot of our most talented, most qualified faculty members have left the state of Texas,” said Talarico, one the Legislature’s most vocal opponents of book bans and anti-DEI measures. “Many of our colleges want to recruit the best and brightest to come teach here in Texas, and they can’t get them because of this extremism from our state government.”
Even so, the parents at Alamo Heights ISD said they aren’t giving up yet and pulling their kids from the district due to oversteps by Texas lawmakers.
“I’m not leaving,” one parent told
Others were more sympathetic to the district’s situation.
“Given the current political environment where universities are losing huge amounts of funding and they’re facing these really costly lawsuits, I feel like [Alamo Heights ISD] acted out of the sense of they didn’t want a lot of upheaval for the staff or the students in case there was some sort of catastrophic response from [Texas Attorney General] Ken Paxton,” said one parent, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution from the district, the state and her employer.
Even so, the same parent is upset about the state’s DEI ban. They also said they’re still trying to figure out whose responsibility it is to “rebel” against the anti-free speech measure signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott.
“Is it up to the school to rebel against the state and face these vast consequences for staff and students?” the parent pondered. “We do need to stand up, but how do we do that in a way that does not result in these huge upheavals?”
Academic freedom under attack
Alamo Heights’ decision to cancel Barton’s visit is only the latest in a slew of alarming stories to emerge since Abbott signed SB 12 into law on Sept. 1. This week, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) issued a statement describing Texas A&M University as “not a serious institution” after the school demanded that a philosophy professor remove readings
Courtesy Photo Chris Barton
LIFE’S BETTER WITH CONFETTI
We don’t just take photos, we create experiences.
Trump's endorsement?
ly here! I am but a vessel for your holy will!”
No Spine, because the March 3 primary is
name, lift up your shirt to show that
audience with President Trump at
have no shame and no identity beyond
mine just how much more of your soul you’re willing to sully so you can earn a Trump shoutout on Truth Social.
1. President Trump is visiting the Rio Grande Valley. To prove you are “tough on the border,” and just as racist as Stephen Miller you:
mercial for the current race, only instead of looking awkward and goofy cosplaying a cowboy, you look awkward and goofy cosplaying a hunter of actual rhinos on the African savanna.
B. Appear at the CMT Awards to sing a duet of “Try That in a Small Town” with Jason Aldean where you both don KKK hoods at the end of the song.
crotch and asking him to show you how to “grab them by the pussy.”
4. It’s 3 a.m. just before early voting for the primary, and a ding from your phone jolts you awake. Trump has just made an announcement on Truth Social: “Ken Paxton always fights for America First! We shall see what voters think of John Cornyn!” Your immediate response is to:
state attorney general turned U.S. Senator. You’re merely an empty suit stuffed with polling data and pants-shitting cowardice. You have debased yourself so thoroughly that fellow senators begin mistaking you for one of Marsha Blackburn’s junior staffers. Endorsement Status: No Truth Social post for you. Trump forgets has forgotten who you are entirely.
X / @johncornyn
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SUN | 01.25
SPURS VS. PELICANS
Following three close wins against their foes from The Big Easy, the Spurs look to sweep their regular season series against the Pelicans on Sunday night. When the teams faced off last month in New Orleans, Pelicans rookie Derik Queen led all scorers with a 33 point triple-double in a 135-132 loss. Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III finished the night with 32 points, and Harrison Barnes paced the Spurs with 24 points. It was a team effort on the offensive end for San Antonio with seven players in double figures, including 22 from rookie Dylan Harper off the bench. Harper is averaging 11 points per game in a reserve role for the Spurs, although his shooting efficiency has dipped in recent losses. A return to form from Harper with matchups against the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder on the horizon would be a silver lining for San Antonio as the team navigates the dog days of the NBA season. Despite a woeful record, the Pelicans have proven they can compete with the Spurs. $28andup,6 p.m.,FrostBankCenter,1FrostBankCenterDrive,(210)444-5140,frostbankcenter.com, FanduelSportsNetwork-Southwest.— M. Solis
WEST WILDLIFE FESTIVAL
The “four pillars” of Western Art often refer to fundamental compositional foundations such as line, color, perspective and form. Here, in the American West, fundamental elements read quite differently. As defined by San Antonio’s Briscoe Western Art Museum, the four pillars of American Western Art are subjects that tell the story of frontier life: “Cowboys & Ranching, Native Americans, the Vicaro (Vaqueros/Mexican Culture) and Landscape & Animals.” To celebrate one of the four pillars — animals — the Briscoe will hold a free community day where all activities revolve around wildlife with a focus on Texas habitats, replete with animal-themed art activities and local wildlife experts. These activities celebrate a culture and environment yet to be tamed. Free, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., (210) 299-4499, briscoemuseum.org. — AG
Courtesy Photo Briscoe Museum
THU | 01.27
LECTURE
THE LEGACY OF THE NUREMBERG TRIALS
The 14th Annual “Holocaust Learn & Remember” series, presented by San Antonio Public Library and the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio, culminates with International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27. This year’s prophetically chosen theme is “judgment,” with a focus on the Nuremberg Trials, the first international prosecution of Nazi leaders following World War II. Legal historian, former ISIS war crimes investigator and ICTY fellow in The Hague Isaac Amon will present a talk on the legacy of the trials drawn from archival courtroom testimony and footage as well as visits to historically significant sites. With expertise that straddles past and present with equal acumen, Amon’s presentation is of prescient significance, echoing the past and our present state of affairs. Registration required. Free,7p.m.,HolzmanAuditoriumatCampusoftheSanAntonioJewishCommunity,12500 NWMilitaryHighway,(210)207-2614,mysapl.org.— AG
TUE| 01.27-SAT | 02.28
“FRONTERIZX: ART BY M. JENEA SANCHEZ & GABRIELA MUÑOZ WITH JENELLE ESPARZA ”
Jenelle Esparza (San Antonio) and Fronterizx (M. Jenea Sanchez & Gabriela Muñoz, Phoenix) are recipients of the 2024 US Latinx Fellowship, part of a major initiative led by the Mellon and Ford Foundations. This joint initiative provided generous, unrestricted funds aimed to aid the creative process and foster future relationships such as this UTSA exhibition. All three artists are fluent in multiple media, including fabric art, installation, photography, printmaking and video, and they draw from their lived experiences as brown women in the U.S.-Mexico border region. As such, place and identity are liminal and fluid, and their work often involves socially engaged practices. This show marks Fronterizx Collective’s first exhibition in Texas as well as its first collaboration — hopefully one of many — with Esparza. Free,artisttalksandexhibitionpreview6:30-8p.m.Tuesday,Jan.27,openingreception 6-8p.m.Jan.28,exhibitionviewing10a.m.-3p.m.Thursday-Saturday,UTSAMainArtGallery,ArtBuildingRoom 2.03.04.,PaseoDelSur,(210)-458-4011,colfa.utsa.edu.
Holocaust Remembrance Center
Courtesy Image Fronterizx
SUN | 02.01
SPORTS
SPURS VS. MAGIC
As the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline looms, all eyes are on Spurs General Manager Brian Wright and potential moves to address the team’s deficiencies at the 3-point line. After a tough stretch in January, during which Devin Vassell — the Silver and Black’s most consistent threat from beyond the arc — was sidelined with a left adductor strain, San Antonio ranks 21st in the league in 3-point shooting percentage. With Pelicans sharpshooter Trey Murphy III reportedly staying in New Orleans, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells presents another solid option who can also defend the perimeter. San Antonio’s defense will be tested against the Magic on Sunday afternoon with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner in the frontcourt. Wagner led the Magic with 25 points in a tight 114-112 loss to the Spurs in Orlando back in December, and his brother Moe recently returned to the lineup from a torn ACL. Next up for the Spurs is another nationally televised showdown with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. $47 and up, 3 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com, Fanduel Sports Network-Southwest. — MS
see traces of the artist’s hand — earlier brush strokes, color schemes, shifts in compositional elements — usually not visible in a finished work. Alejandro Diaz,
Instagram Spurs
Courtesy Image Alejandro Diaz
Upholding a Legacy DreamWeek 2026 keeps spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. alive
BY SAMARA GERSTLE
With more than 250 events planned this year, San Antonio DreamWeek is back to extend the spirit of the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day March until Jan 31, officials say. The 13th annual event will focus on exchanging ideas, inspiring discussion and igniting change.
Shokare Nakpodia, a San Antonio advertising executive, founded DreamVoice and the first DreamWeek in 2011. The 24-day celebration showcases voices from around the San Antonio community, with a singular goal: fostering the exchange of ideas on universal issues affecting humanity.
“DreamWeek San Antonio heralds a new world — one of tolerance of different perspectives, equality of opportunity and respect for the diversity of the genius within us,” Nakpodia said in an official statement.
The events range from panel discussions to art exhibitions and include contributions from more than 100 partners. Organizations and individuals from the San Antonio community can apply to host an event, volunteer or donate to honor MLK’s legacy.
The full list of the free or low-cost events and additional information are available online at dreamweek.org. Below are a few of our highlights.
Stories of the Land: Coahuiltecan Ecology, Cosmology and Community Tales: A panel of Coahuiltecan native speakers will share a series of stories highlighting the ecological and cosmological knowledge of the South Texas indigenous peoples. With three sections, the event will teach the audience about balance, the relationship between the human and “more-than-human” world and how to live well with one another. The panel will be held on Jan. 18 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. in the Gardens of Hacienda Tecolote, and land and circle offerings are welcome. $10-25, 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, The Gardens of Hacienda Tecolote, 7910 Donore Place, thewellattecolote.org.
working opportunities with community members. The event is free, but RSVPing is encouraged. Free, 6 p.m.-8 p.m, Tuesday, Jan. 20, Geekdom Event Centre, 131 Soledad St., salgbtchamber.com.
Hidden Figures: Queer Entrepreneurs Shaping San Antonio’s Economy: San Antonio LGBTQ+ business leaders are coming together for a panel to recognize the untold contributions of queer leaders to history, public service, business, nonprofit and corporate leadership. Reflecting on what it takes to build an economy where LGBTQ+ people can lead, the panel will discuss through both storytelling and dialogue, along with light refreshments and net-
Her Table: Care for the Caregiver: Gathering the women who care for the community, For Her is hosting a shared meal to bring together women with food and conversation. The event honors teachers, healthcare professionals, social workers, nonprofit staff, counselors and family caregivers in order to highlight their unseen contributions. The dinner will share self-care tools, local resources and inner strength. Childcare and other materials will be provided. Free, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m, Wednesday, Jan. 21, For Her, 8546 Broadway, Suite 255, iamforher.org.
Generations Over Dinner: The San Antonio Area Foundation is hosting a dinner to break down generational barriers with guided conversation. With four tables of eight people, the event brings together generations between the ages of 12 to 90. The foundation aims to foster conversations to
allow attendees to gain deeper understanding and social connections across generations. Registration is required. Free, 6 p.m.-8 p.m, Thursday, Jan. 22, San Antonio Area Foundation, 155 Concord Plaza, Suite 301, saafdn.org/salsa.
Launch Party for the Graphic Novel A Home, a Church, and a Hospital: The Development of East San Antonio and Film Screening: The Office of Historic Preservation is presenting two products from the African American Heritage Preservation Initiative: San Antonio’s African American and Black Cultural Context Statement and a graphic novel. The statement provides a tool to identify important historical places, items and heritage, which will result in landmark designations, historic markers and other commemorations. A Home, a Church and a Hospital: The Development of East San Antonio illustrates the story of how Charles Bellinger and two nurses shaped San Antonio’s Eastside and African American history. Free, Saturday, Jan. 24, 6 p.m.-8 p.m, Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 Hackberry St., sa.gov/directory/departments/OHP.
Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com
Jaime Monzon
And the Oscar Noms Go To …
Filmmaker Michael Premo on Homegrown and America’s radical turn to the right
BY KIKO MARTINEZ
Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced Thursday, Jan. 22. So, how did we do with our predictions in the top eight categories? Below is a rundown of the probable nominees, a handful of spoilers and a few films and performances that deserved a nod but likely didn’t get it.
BEST PICTURE
The first two Avatar films were nominated for Best Picture, so why wouldn’t the third get a nod? We might be pushing our luck by icing out James Cameron’s epic sci-fi, but we’ll take our chances. We’re doing the same thing by leaving the Wicked sequel out despite the original one getting recognized too.
Official Predictions: Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, It Was Just an Accident, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, Train Dreams
Possible Spoilers: Avatar: Fire and Ash, No Other Choice, Wicked: For Good Should Have Been a Contender: Nouvelle Vague
BEST DIRECTOR
The most vulnerable director on this list is Guillermo del Toro. His spot could easily go to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi or Josh Safdie, who is made his first film without his brother, Benny since his directorial debut in 2008. Austin-based filmmaker Richard Linklater released two solid films this year — Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon
Official Predictions: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein), Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value), Chloé Zhao (Hamnet)
Possible Spoilers: Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme)
Should Have Been a Contender: Richard Linklater (Nouvelle Vague)
BEST ACTOR
These predictions seem like locks, but you
never know where the surprises will hap pen. If Jesse Plemons or Joel Edgerton knock anyone out of the top five, it will be Ethan Hawke, which would likely be only nomination.
Official Predictions: (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio Battle After Another), Moon), Michael B. Jordan Moura (The Secret Agent)
Possible Spoilers: nia), Joel Edgerton
Should Have Been a Contender: Fraser (Rental Family)
BEST ACTRESS
This race really comes down to Jessie Buckley vs. Rose Byrne. Everyone else should be happy to be nominated. Emma Stone is the weakest of the five predictions, but when Stone teams up with Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things), success.
Official Predictions: (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Chase Infiniti Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), Stone (Bugonia)
Two horror movies up for a screenplay
Possible Spoilers: Sung Blue), Amanda Seyfried of Ann Lee)
Should Have Been a Contender: Garner (Weapons)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
While it would be great to see Adam Sandler get his first Oscar nomination for his work in Jay Kelly for Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2002 rom-com Punch-Drunk Love and the Safdie Brothers’ 2019 crime thriller a dark horse this year. In 2024, Sean Penn called the Academy cowards, so maybe that hurts his chances.
gothic novel, a modern novel featuring Wil
Official Predictions: (One Battle After Another), kenstein), Paul Mescal (One Battle After Another), (Sentimental Value)
Possible Spoilers:
Find more film stories at sacurrent.com
Warner Bros. Pictures
Rising Again
South Barbecue retains masterful hand with brisket and sides after relocation
BY RON BECHTOL
It’s long been said, by those with long memories and revanchist tendencies, that the South shall rise again. Demographically, the wish may be coming true as the U.S. population abandons the Rust Belt for sunnier southern climes at an accelerated clip.
Thankfully, there are Souths other than the one of Rhett and Scarlett. In a kind of local reverse migration, South Barbecue has left its previous location on the city’s South Side for new digs next to Lovers Pizza near Monte Vista. It’s too early to say if this is a trend.
But it’s not too early to declare that South Barbecue has lost none of its endearing accent in the move.
Some may find the setting’s exposed brick, tall wood-topped table running through the restaurant’s center and pale green walls set off by dark green upholstered booths almost too classy for authentic barbecue.
Don’t be fooled, though: brisket — that essential foundation of true, Texas-style pit mastery emerges head held high. It’s got the essential peppery and bark-crusted exterior, there’s just enough fat to keep things moist and the flavor of beef isn’t masked by acrid smoke, thanks to skill and the choice of Post Oak as a fuel.
Barbecue sauce, that mysterious potion that is another essential aspect of barbecue joints around Texas, is a personal thing. If you love the sharp, sweet-sour rendition offered at South I won’t think less of you. However, I’m still trying to make up my mind.
The sauce isn’t a requirement for the brisket but it could be a welcome amplifier for the lean, pork ribs? Yes, “lean” is the faint praise you think it is. The delicately porky ribs are mercifully unencumbered by sticky-sweet sauce of their own, but
SOUTH BARBECUE
they’re a tad dry. Give the house sauce a whirl and see if that helps. I imagine that pulled pork could use the help, too, though I didn’t try it out of stubbornness. The turkey breast would surely be overwhelmed.
But Smoke has created a mustard-based anointment for the turkey sandwich should you need a less robust alternative to burly brisket. A sturdy potato roll and spiced — but not spicy — pickles complete the compact package. No such packaging is immediately obvious for the sausages. Not even the better-than-Wonder potato bread slices that come with most orders.
What more to say about a sausage? They’re of the expected size and shape. The skin is suitably snappy, and the stuffing is neither too coarse nor too fine. The Regular Hot Link — there’s also a Jalapeño Cheddar — is comfortingly regular if not especially hot, unless you dunk it in the house sauce. Which was beginning to seem spunkier with each dunk.
But if it’s serious heat you’re after, order the Pickled Roasted Jalapeño. It gets your attention and is
2100 N. Main Ave., (210) 437-0070, instagram.com/southbbq
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
among the “extras” that include the same homemade flour tortilla that swaddles South’s barbecue tacos. Sides were always especially thoughtful at the original South location, and they’re also worth trying here.
The most memorable of those was the green bean and tomato salad. The fact that the beans hadn’t been cooked to an army green mush, in traditional BBQ fashion, distinguished the dish. Cotija cheese and a few slivered almonds further fancified the presentation. That salad survived the move, but somehow seems less rebellious. At the very least, it needs salt and even a grind of pepper.
South’s borracho beans, on the other hand, didn’t disappoint, retaining all of their remembered savoriness. And “vinegar slaw” says it all for that other stalwart of the BBQ canon: cabbage, carrot, vinegar and not much more provide a perfect counterpoint to lush brisket.
My memories of the creamed corn are less distinct, but odds are that South’s owner-pitmaster, Andrew Samia, has continued to execute that staple well. Also known for his association with Curry Boys and the late Dignowity Meats, Samia has enough experience under his belt to elevate South even further.
Best bets: Brisket, sausage, turkey sliders, green bean salad, vinegar slaw, borracho beans.
The lowdown: South has come north from its previous location, trailing post-oak smoke and brandishing a brisket better than many. The new location, next to Lovers Pizza, has been classily refitted, and together the two will likely become a more powerful draw than either alone. Check out the sausage, the turkey and the several distinctive slides such as borracho beans and vinegar slaw. Plates, tacos and sandwiches complement the meats by the half pound. Cocktails complement everything.
A sign of this is the appearance of cocktails on the menu board. Of the three currently available, the Sugar Magnolia with bourbon and sweet tea is the most obviously barbecue adjacent.
At this point, Samia has put down roots at every cardinal point in San Antonio save one: the West Side. A further exploration of the Mexican-barbecue cultural hookup already suggested by South’s tacos and nachos would surely be welcome.
And while we’re at, a neighborly liaison with Lovers — brisket pizza, for example — might prove fruitful. The pair will have to share limited parking on days both are open in any event, so why not exploit the adjacency?
Ron Bechtol
food Cooking Up Conversation
Jesus Arreaga of Elotitos on transforming a comforting snack into a business concept
BY KAT STINSON
Since launching Elotitos in 2020, Jesus Arreaga has turned corn into a concept, elevating a familiar San Antonio staple into a brick-and-mortar business rooted in hospitality, creativity and community.
As the Deco District snack shop, 1933 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 105, approaches its fifth anniversary, Arreaga talked to the Current about the lessons learned, hard-earned growth and what’s next — including a food truck expected to debut this spring.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us how long you’ve been in the food business?
want to look back and think I never tried other ideas. Maybe a coffee shop someday, maybe sandwiches. I’m also really passionate about teaching and mentoring young entrepreneurs. A lot of people are scared to start businesses, and I want to help with that — whether it’s coaching or talking through a business plan.
And our catering business has really taken off. We want to expand that side, especially cocktail-hour and late-night snacks for weddings and events.
What advice would you give someone who’s afraid to take that first step into business ownership?
People think they have to wait for the perfect time — that their kids have to be grown, that they have to be debtfree. The truth is, there’s no perfect time except now.
My name is Jesus Arreaga. I started Elotitos in 2020 during the pandemic, but officially — with a brick-andmortar in 2021. We’re about to turn five years old in April.
What inspired you to start Elotitos?
I’ve always taken a lot of pride in customer service. It’s something I knew I was good at. And I realized there really weren’t many options when it came to this crowd-favorite snack. San Antonio loves corn. We eat it at Fiesta, at the rodeo, downtown — you see it everywhere.
You’ve got something new in the works, right?
Yes, a food truck. We opened a second location in Government Hill a few years ago, but it didn’t pick up the way we hoped, so we had to close it. The food truck was always something I wanted to do, and this felt like the right time.
Before committing to another lease, we want to see which side of town really welcomes us. People always tell us, “You should come here, you should come there.” So now we’re going to test that out. We’re hoping to debut the truck around our anniversary in April — spring and summer are our busiest seasons — so it just made sense.
How do you navigate the slower winter months?
those items seasonal. Some customers were disappointed, but it helped us save money and keep things sustainable. It’s about being smart so we can continue paying our employees and keeping the business healthy.
What did you learn from closing the second location?
You don’t have to quit your job. You don’t have to go all in right away. Just be strategic with your time and money. I’m a huge advocate for starting small. I started selling corn from my house. That small start gave the business a heartbeat — and then it grew.
First restaurant job?
Los Barrios on Blanco Road. I learned everything there — customer service, management, bartending. It felt like family, and a lot of my menu has little nods to them.
Growing up, my sister used to take me to this spot near our house, so it was something familiar to me. I just started thinking, what if we treated corn like a coffee shop treats coffee? Same concept, different product. That’s where the idea came from — giving corn a new treatment and elevating the experience.
Every year, I mentally prepare myself. People just aren’t spending as much, and I completely understand. I do the same. This year, we made a smart decision to cut certain menu items that sell really well in the summer but not in the winter.
We hate throwing food away, so instead of risking spoilage, we made
It was an expensive lesson, but I don’t regret it. I met so many people through that experience. I even met someone I now consider a business mentor, Tatu from Folklores Coffee. I can text him whenever I have questions. That season forced us to get organized. Now we have savings, our credit cards are paid off, and there’s more freedom — especially financial freedom. It was something that needed to happen so we could learn how to run the business better.
Looking ahead, do you see yourself expanding further, or focusing on what you already have?
I want to improve what we have. I do think there’s a ceiling for certain concepts like mine, and I’m okay with that. I’m a creative person. I don’t
Any formal culinary training?
None. San Antonio Magazine once called me “Chef Jesús,” so I’ll take it — but no official training. I just love food.
Kat Stinson
MIXOLOGY IS OUR PASSION AND PERFECTION IS OUR GOAL?
Have you heard the rumors?
220 E Olmos Dr, Olmos Park
Not Just a Backing Band
Steve Martin-Martin Short collaborators the Steep Canyon Rangers talk about their varied musical path
BY BILL BAIRD
The Steep Canyon Rangers have been busy the past two and a half decades.
Somehow, while touring roughly 150 days annually, the group has managed to record more than a dozen albums and pick up a Grammy along the way.
But what truly sets the Rangers apart from the other road warriors is the members’ constant switching between roles. One night, they’ll be the backing band for Steve Martin’s and Martin Short’s banjo-centric performances in posh opera houses. The next night you’ll find them at smaller theaters playing their own songs, most of which are hardly strictly bluegrass.
The sextet will take the former of those two roles when it appears at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre on Thursday, Jan. 29, with Martin and Short.
“We’re out as a backing band right now,” bassist Barrett Smith said in a recent phone interview. “I’m backstage in Boston at this really beautiful theater, and it’s become very routine for us. We go back and forth all the time. We’ll be in one mode when we’re the backing band, and we’re in another mode when we’re the headliner, and we have different ways of dealing with each one. I really enjoy both.”
So do fans and critics.
Pollstar described the group’s 2025 single “Next Act” as “an anthem of reinvention that showcases the traits that make the Rangers such a popular live act with their blend of rootsy storytelling, harmony and musicianship.” Bluegrass Today has been no less enthusiastic, saying “there’s no better band equipped to connect past with present while blurring whatever divide remains in between.”
And it’s paid off. Steep Canyon Rangers’ Live at Greenfield Lake became the band’s 10th album to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart, tying the record shared by the act’s friends in Old Crow Medicine Show.
‘Of the place where we’re from’
Smith, a North Carolina native, and his bandmates Graham Sharp (banjo-vocals), Aaron Burdett (guitar), Michael Ashworth (drums), Mike Guggino (mandolin) and Nicky Sanders (fiddle) all share a love for the region whose rich musical history continues to inspire them.
“We all live in western North Carolina, in and around Asheville,” Smith said. “And yeah, we’re very much of the place where we’re from. Really deep community, family, friends, artistic connections, reverence for the music that has naturally sprung up over the last couple hundred years in the region.”
Along the way, the group has also played with bluegrass giants including David Grisman and Peter Rowan, legendary musicians who joined late Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia in the band Old and In the Way, whose albums they’ve listened to countless times.
Smith’s own route to bluegrass was circuitous. He started out as a classical guitar player, which didn’t get him a lot of gigs, and he ended up switching instruments.
“I found an old upright bass that was cheap, and I had some money in my pocket so I bought it,” he said. “Back then I definitely was not picky, style-wise. I started getting gigs with jazz combos and bluegrass bands, playing private engagements and weddings and such. So the upright bass back then was an employment machine.”
“I loved the Grateful Dead as a teenager, and still do,” he said. “But when I heard that there was an album of Jerry Garcia playing bluegrass music, I decided to check it out. And I really liked it — which led me to Doc Watson somehow — and it changed my life, for sure. I mean, I’ve made a life in the bluegrass world now.”
Smith has seen even more of the world thanks to comedian, actor and banjo enthusiast Martin. He has fond memories of a trip to Australia, and the kindness Martin displayed to a local street musician.
“There was a woman busking, a young woman singing, and she sounded great,” Smith said. “And as we were walking by her, I noticed Steve reach into his pocket to grab some change and throw it into her little guitar case. He made a point to lift his hat and his sunglasses to show his face, and he said something kind to her. It lit up her face and was just this really beautiful gesture of support.”
The fact that he and his bandmates find themselves backing Martin and Short still amazes him.
Unexpected gateway
The Grateful Dead turned out to be Smith’s unexpected gateway to Americana’s musical ancestry.
“Steve Martin can have anybody playing with him,” Smith said. “The best players in the world — the Béla Flecks and Jerry Douglases and Sam Bushes — he could have had all those guys and that would have been awesome. But he had a preference, it seems, for a band who was a band all the time. So that’s what sparked this relationship, this collaboration with him, and it continues to this day. And here we are doing it again tonight.”
$145 and up, 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.com.
Find more music coverage every day at sacurrent.com
Joey Seawell
Thursday, Jan. 22
Big Bill, Como Las Movies, Death Palmz
Three bands from Austin are filling up a strong Lonesome Rose bill. Big Bill is a propulsive rock band that specializes in uncomfortable medita tions on modern American life, not unlike early Talking Heads or Devo but in a more modern package. Como Las Movies, meanwhile, plies next-generation cumbia, which should please to SA ears. Nelson Valente Aguilar fronts the group, which mixes psychedelic excursions with groovy Latin percussion. Opener Death Palmz cranks out wild, synthy post-punk, because why not? $10, 9 p.m,. Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelone somerosesa.com.
Mike Mattison & Trash Magic
critics’ picks
Mike Mattison has been belting out great songs for years as vocalist for the Tedeschi and Trucks Band, the Derek Trucks Bands and Scraptomatic. He’s not only a skilled and empathic vocalist, but a great songwriter as well. Makes sense for the Harvard-educated musician to be great with words, but don’t hold his college degree against him — this dude is the real deal and backing band Trash Magic kicks plenty of ass. $10, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — BB
Friday, Jan. 23
KRTU 50th Anniversary with Jazzmeia Horn Trinity University’s KRTU-FM is a vital San Antonio radio presence, holding up independent voices as the media landscape crumbles around us. It’s also one of the nation’s top jazz stations, which makes this celebration at the Carver Center extra special. Naturally, the highlight will be a performance by Grammy-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, a Dallas-born singer-songwriter who’s quickly taken the New York jazz scene by storm and released albums that show her breathtaking ability to work with both big bands and smaller ensembles. Beyond Horn’s performance, though expect reminiscences and speeches about KRTU’s important contributions, its history and its future. Free, 6:30 p.m., Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N Hackberry St., thecarver.org. — BB
Jonas Wilson, Booher, Dayfriend
Jonas Wilson is one of those Austin cats who may not have earned a big audience elsewhere, but is integral to the fabric of his city’s vibrant music scene. After serving time as lead guitarist for hometown heroes the Heartless Bastards, Wilson relocated his studio to Bastrop, where he’s collaborated with the likes of the Black Angels, Shakey Graves and Scott H. Biram. For its part, Booher has morphed over time from a
vehicle for indie singer-songwriter Zykos into a whiskey-soaked solo career backed by a group of Austin’s best players. Dayfriend cranks out excellent punk rock. $10, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB
Saturday, Jan. 24
Matt Pryor, Small Uncle
Although best known as the lead singer for emo band Get Up Kids, Matt Pryor has a lengthy solo career, and he’s hitting San Antonio behind his seventh album, The Salton Sea. In interviews, Pryor talks about his journey through sobriety and depression, and expect the songs from his latest release to be both therapeutic for him and the audience. $24.93, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Danny Cervantes
Bob Schneider & His Band, Braedon Barnhill Austin’s Bob Schneider has built a solid au-
dience with an eclectic mix of rock, folk, funk and bluegrass along with an improvisational approach to live performance. The former lead singer of the rock band Ugly Americans, Schneider takes cues from the audience to give them a unique experience every time. The artist seems to thrive on matching the energy of the crowd and the venue, so this show just might shake the midwinter blues. $31.17-$42.44, 8 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — DC
Friday, Jan. 30
Pink Floyd Concert in the Dark with Will Taylor
Award-winning violinist Will Taylor will reinterpret the music of psych-rock stalwarts Pink Floyd in a historic San Antonio church. Along with Dave Madden on piano and vocals and Tony Rogers on cello and acoustic guitar, Taylor will explore the spacey founds of the iconic rock band, including tracks from its magnum
opus Dark Side of the Moon. Expect to find spirituality somewhere in the candlelight during “Wish You Were Here.” $36.64, 7 p.m., Travis Park University Methodist, 230 East Travis St., eventbrite.com/e/pink-floyd-concert-in-thedark-with-award-winning-violinist-will-taylortickets-1450735120799. — Danny Cervantes
Saturday, Jan. 31
Matthew Logan Vasquez, Garrett T. Capps Matthew Logan Vasquez fronted 2000s-era roots-informed indie outfit the Delta Spirit before venturing into solo territory. Where Delta Spirit was moved from an emo-rooted sound into Americana, Vasquez’s solo work ventures fully into Neil Young territory — melodic yet distorted, but always driven by the song. SA ambassador and Lonesome Rose co-owner Garrett T. Capps opens the night. $15, 9 p.m., Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerosesa.com. — BB
Courtesy Photo Jazzmeia Horn
“Family Matters”--the family as a unit. by Matt Jones
