San Antonio Current - July 12, 2017 by Chava Communications

Poems for the Tricentennial

A Poetic Legacy

Call for Submissions $7,500 in prizes available! The Department of Arts and Culture of the City of San Antonio, in partnership with Gemini Ink, is sponsoring a poetry contest in honor of San Antonio’s Tricentennial. $250 prize for each poem selected and publication in a chapbook titled, Thirty Poems for the Tricentennial: A Poetic Legacy. Winning poems will be selected by nationally known poets and turned into graphically designed vinyl installations by local artists and designers in an exhibit at the Plaza de Armas Gallery, and also installed in local libraries and city facilities. The anthology will be launched at a public reading and opening reception.

Themes and Categories

Submission Guidelines

• The Pre-Columbian era or Yanaguana (prior to 1718) • The Spanish Colonial Period (1718-1809)

• Submit up to 3 unpublished poems (75 lines max each) in any style

• Mexican era (1810-1836)

• Poems in English and Spanish are welcome

• Texas Nation era (1836-1846)

• Specify the time period category for each poem submitted

• San Antonio: Crossroads City (1846-1946)

• Please also include a 50-word bio

• Modern Times (1947-2017)

• Submit poems at www.geminiink.org

Submissions must be received by 11:59 pm CST on August 15, 2017 FOR QUESTIONS, CONTACT AVANDEKAMP@GEMINIINK.ORG OR CALL 210.734.9673

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FIRST WORDS

City Officials Mulling Proposal to Remove Confederate Monument from Travis Park: What is this garbage? Its a monument to the dead, which by law are united states veterans. But all in the name of erasing history, and playing pc police, am i right? — Shane Grady

Issue 17_28 /// July 12-18, 2017

Downtown Hospital Renovation Won’t Dig Up and Remove 200-Year-Old Human Remains After All: Those people died over a century ago. They aren’t going to care. Buncha fuss over nothing. — David Cibrian

Take It Down City officials mulling proposal to remove Confederate monument from Travis Park

June Restaurant Openings and Closings: More Hipster spots closing and more opening. — Osvaldo Charles Texas Supreme Court Rules Against SameSex Spousal Benefits: Get out and vote next year and get rid of these GOP judges, they have to face the voters next year. — Loyd Hawkins • Send your thoughts, comments, kudos or tips to letters@sacurrent.com

NEWS

No Harm, No Foul Trump Admin swears Texas totally fixed its discriminatory voter ID law

ARTS + CULTURE

The New Vanguard A steadfast San Antonio presence in Austin’s annual Young Latin@ Artists exhibition

FEATURE

Viva Frida As Kahlo’s popularity reaches a new fervor, SA artists share how the Mexican painter still inspires

SCREENS

Tables Turned Nonhumans take the reins in War for the Planet of the Apes

Frida Kahlo is as present as ever, but what does the bisexual Communist icon mean to a new generation of artists and fans clamoring to emulate and celebrate her art, style and rebellious spirit? Illustration by Ray Tattooedboy Art direction by Sarah Flood-Baumann

NIGHTLIFE

Booze News Finding frosé, new brews and happy hour at Toro Kitchen + Bar

MUSIC

Fretboard Fury Local instrumental rocker releases debut album, Don’t Do It All Eyes on Green How a San Antonio singer landed a song on the new Tupac movie Music Calendar What to see and hear this week

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

CALENDAR

Our top picks for the week

FOOD

Pizza, Pie, Moonshine and Lots of Wine All the reasons to take a day trip to Comfort this summer Perennially Tasty Buñuelos in July are a (delicious) thing thanks to The San Antonio Buñuelo Co.

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NEWS

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ALEX ZIELINSKI | @ALEX_ZEE

TAKE IT DOWN City officials mulling proposal to remove Confederate monument from Travis Park

≥

Members of San Antonio’s Black Lives Matter community spent their Independence Day last week asking the city to remove the granite Confederate soldier looming over Travis Park. The anonymous soldier tops a memorial for fellow members of the confederacy that died during the Civil War. It wasn’t the first time the public has asked the city to topple the statue in Travis Park (the former grounds of a confederate campsite) — but activists believe that, thanks to a reshuffling in City Hall, it might be the last. Holding banners and flags in the stifling midday heat, the crowd of about 50 activists listened to speakers denounce the monument’s racist legacy and demand Mayor Ron Nirenberg do the same. East Side activist Walter Perry told the crowd, “You don’t see any statues of Hitler. People would be sensitive to that.” Mike Lowe, a local BLM activist who’s led marches against police brutality in the city, called the monument “part of a heritage built on hate and the subjugation of black people.” In 2015, shortly after South Carolina stripped their statehouse of the confederate flag, San Antonio politicians and activists joined together to denounce the Travis Park statue, asking for its removal. This movement, however, was quickly trampled by then-mayor Ivy Taylor, who said that removing the

memorial would somehow “make it easier for many to ignore the historic struggles of Blacks and other minorities in this country.” “It it...offensive to pretend that Texas was never a slave state or that racism has played no role in our history for the past 150 years,” Taylor said in a statement at the time. Instead, she tasked the city manager’s office with taking inventory of every public memorial related to the confederacy, for no concrete purpose. But with New Orleans’ recent decision to take down its confederate memorials — and the election of Mayor Nirenberg — activists are hopeful that their call for removal will finally be answered. “Now that the mayor (Ivy Taylor) is gone, the whole paradigm has changed. I think they’ll be much more open to this,” said Mario Salas, a former city council member and longtime local activist, at July 4th protest. Johnathan-David Jones, a BLM member who organized the event, agreed that the current administration plays a major role in the movement’s success. “If the community wants change, but the city’s not on board, we can’t get much done,” Jones said. “But we now have the most progressive city council in history. I can’t see any reason that there will be any hesitation.” Jones is already working with Councilmen Roberto Treviño and Cruz Shaw to draft a formal council request

to remove (and possibly relocate) the Travis Park monument. A spokesman from Treviño’s office didn’t share the request’s specifics, but said the two are taking the council’s summer recess to “thoughtfully” hash out the details. And, according to a spokesperson in the mayor’s office, their rough proposal has already received Nirenberg’s support. “Confederate symbolism stood for the contradictory belief that there could simultaneously be freedom for some and bondage for others,” wrote Shaw in a statement to the Current. “This is San Antonio’s chance to desegregate our cultural symbols and be on the right side of history.” Like with the removal of any confederate memorial across the country, the city’s expecting strong opposition to their request. Some of those opponents were present at Tuesday’s event, like husband and wife Scott Davis and Diane McLeod Davis. The couple, dressed in authentic Confederate getup, told the Current that “destroying this monument would pretty much be the same thing as destroying a grave stone.” While protesters behind him called the monument a celebration of slave-owners, Davis argued that slavery had nothing to do with the Civil War. When asked whether he could see why protesters found the monument offensive, his curt response: “Read a book.”

sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 9

SHUTTERSTOCK

NEWS

Trump Admin swears Texas totally ﬁxed its discriminatory voter ID law ALEX ZIELINSKI | @ALEX_ZEE

NO HARM, NO FOUL ≥

Texas’ newest iteration of a voter ID law that federal judges say discriminates against Latino and black voters isn’t racist anymore, according the U.S. Department of Justice. Or, in their words, the state’s updated voter ID law removes any “discriminatory effect or intent” from the 2011 version, which the courts have blocked. In a legal filing last week, representatives from the Trump Administration’s DOJ specifically asked U.S. District Judge Nelva Ramos to drop a prolonged case that accuses state lawmakers of intentionally passing a racist voter ID bill, arguing that a new Texas law “remedies” any issue with discrimination. The feds are referring to Senate Bill 14, a measure originally pitched as a way to combat voter fraud, despite there being little evidence of voter identification fraud being a serious threat in Texas or the rest of the country. The bill established strict rules for what kind of ID you had to show before voting in Texas. That law was quickly challenged by civil rights groups and joined by President Obama’s DOJ, all of whom considered it a thinly-veiled attempt to suppress minority votes. It landed in Judge Ramos’ Corpus Christi federal court, where she ruled against the state, saying Texas lawmakers had passed the bill with the “intent to discriminate.” Lawmakers were well aware that black and Latino voters are less likely to have one of the seven state mandated forms of ID (like a driver’s license, passport, or handgun license), she argued. She compared it to a Jim Crow-era poll tax, a textbook example of racial disenfranchisement. When the state appealed her decision to the federal Fifth Circuit court of appeals, the notoriously conservative appellate court agreed that SB 14 disproportionally impacted minority voters, but it dodged the idea that lawmakers intentionally discriminated in passing the bill. The appellate judges instead kicked the case back to Ramos’ courtroom for a second ruling using tougher standards, after which she again charged the state with passing a “racially motivated” law. She now has the option to invoke a section of the Voting Rights

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

Act that would require Texas gets federal approval before tweaking any future voting or election laws. Last week’s DOJ filing comes as Ramos considers Senate Bill 5, a revamped — and allegedly less racist — version of the voter ID bill lawmakers passed in 2011. The bill, hastily thrown together in the recent legislative session, loosens ID regulations by allowing voters who don’t have an ID to sign an affidavit, affirming they are who they say they are, before voting. Texas — and now the DOJ — says SB 5 will adequately “fix” the discriminatory effects of SB 14. “As amended by SB 5, Texas’s [sic] voter ID law both guarantees to Texas voters the opportunity to cast an inperson ballot and protects the integrity of Texas’s [sic] elections,” the DOJ filing reads. But evidence from the recent election says otherwise. In preparation for the November presidential election, Judge Ramos issued a temporary change to the state’s voter ID law that allowed affi davits in lieu of IDs, just like SB 5. If a voter arrived to the polls without one of those seven required IDs, they could sign an affi davit explaining why they didn’t have one and provide some type of alternative ID — like a voter registration card, or utility bill with their address on it. It wasn’t a fl awless fi x. Across Texas, registered voters who didn’t bring their ID to the polls reported they were turned away by uninformed elections staffers, while other voters were handed pamphlets with misleading information on the current ID law. One woman in Denton County who tried to use the affidavit process was told by poll staffers that “losing her ID” was not a good enough reason. She wasn’t allowed to vote. In Bexar County, enough voters reported ID misinformation at the polls that the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund sued the county election’s department. “Faced with a long line to enter the polling place, a voter without photo identification who hears from a poll worker walking the line that photo ID is required is at risk of leaving the polling place under the impression that she will not be allowed to vote,” the lawsuit read.

There’s no guarantee that SB 5 won’t keep eligible voters from the polls, out of fear that they’ll be turned away or be handed a confusing legal form to sign once they get there. Civil rights groups are the most concerned about SB 5’s affi davit rules. The revamped law includes a heightened criminal penalty for voters who provide false information on their form: two years in jail. “We’re worried it will intimidate folks who truly have a good reason for not brining a photo ID,” said Zenen Jaimes Perez, a spokesperson for the Texas Civil Rights Project. “They’ll see the penalty on the form and think ‘no, I don’t want to deal with that,’ and walk away without voting.” This filing comes after the DOJ announced it has removed itself in the Texas case in February. It’s no surprise, however, since Trump’s DOJ has elbowed itself into other Texas cases involving minority populations — like its strong support of the sweeping state bill that allows law enforcement to ask nearly anyone about their immigration status. “This wasn’t unexpected,” said Chad Dunn, a Houston lawyer representing some of the plaintiffs in the case. “The Department of Justice made it clear on Donald Trump’s election day where they stood.” The ultimate decision will be up to Ramos, who’s expected to make a judgement by August 10. If she agrees with civil rights groups that no, SB 5 doesn’t do enough to absolve Texas of its racially-charged lawmaking, it’s likely Ramos will place Texas under federal oversight of its election laws. But what kind of oversight can we expect when the feds have already sided with the state? No one’s quite sure. “It’s obviously of great concern if the federal government doesn’t take voter rights seriously,” Dunn said. He said that should Texas’ election laws be put under federal review, “it remains to be seen” how the Trump Administration will act. But the country always has a safety net in the judicial system. “The courts will be standing by to uphold the Voting Rights Act,” he said. “Ultimately, the courts will decide.”

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FILM SCREENING ART IN POP CULTURE

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sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 11

FEATURE

ddard Words // Dan R. Go

viVA

a D I Fr 12

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

As Kahlo’s popularity reaches a new s t s i t r a A S , r o ferv share how the r e t n i a p n a c i x e M still inspires

FEATURE

uring her lifetime, Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) lived in the shadow of her far more famous husband, Diego Rivera, but with a big push from American popular culture beginning in the 1990s, she’s taken over the spotlight, emerging in the 21st century as the bestknown and most-recognizable Mexican artist in the world — despite being famous for challenging, ignoring and disrupting cultural norms in Mexico. In response to Rivera’s many infidelities, she had affairs with both men and women. An ardent Communist, she devoted her life to social protest, from leading labor marches to protesting the United States’ interventions in Latin America. A proto-feminist, she used her art to explore her lifelong struggles with excruciating pain caused by a streetcar accident when she was 18. The Mexican Revolution inspired her to wear native Mexican costumes, but even when it became unfashionable, she continued to use the long, flowing dresses to hide a leg shriveled by polio. Her father was a German-Jewish immigrant; her mother halfIndian and a devout Catholic. Deborah Kuetzpalin Vasquez, assistant professor and head of the art program at Our Lady of the Lake University, said Kahlo stands for just about everything considered taboo. “She was bisexual and had a problem with monogamy,” Vasquez said. “She had a unibrow and a mustache and hairy women aren’t cool. She wasn’t worried about conforming to what the culture thinks is beautiful. Women probably respond more to her work because they understand how women have been marginalized in the art world. She was a political activist for unpopular causes. She showed artists how to take the personal stuff in their life and put it in their art. She wasn’t afraid to delve deep into her own emotions. She always said her work wasn’t surreal; it was very real.” San Antonio artist Carla Veliz, included in “A Woman’s Place Is…” through August 20 at Centro de Artes in Market Square, said Kahlo’s work is extremely sincere, honest and transparent. “She didn’t shy away from exposing her personal life no matter how tormented, sad and painful it was,” Veliz said. “I feel many women artists, whether Latina or not, have a special connection with Frida’s work precisely because she ‘says it like it is’ or in her case ‘painted it like it was,’ no hidden figures or allegories, all real.” Looking far below the superficial surfaces of today’s selfies, Kahlo’s self-portraits are brutally honest windows into her soul. But she didn’t really impact this country’s popular imagination until the 1990 publication of Martha Zamora’s Frida Kahlo: The Brush of Anguish, followed by director Julie

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Taymor’s 2002 biopic Frida starring Salma Hayek. “Similar to Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo captures the attention of both the art world and the popular imagination,” noted René Paul Barilleaux, the McNay Art Museum’s Head of Curatorial Affairs. “And also like Warhol, she offers the great combination of a cinematic biography, a unique and easily recognizable signature style, and a body of work that conveys the artist’s personal interests and concerns as well as universal issues.” “Fridamania” continues to grow and mutate aided by a slew of exhibits, documentaries, books and mass merchandising with her image emblazoned on refrigerator magnets, sneakers, T-shirts, tote bags, coasters, cosmetics and, yes, even tequila and beer. In conjunction with the major exhibit “México 19001950: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, José Clemente Orozco and The Avant-Garde,” the Dallas Museum of Art and the Dallas Latino Center for Leadership Development recently tried to set the Guinness World Record for the

biggest gathering of people dressed like Frida Kahlo. Criteria included a “unibrow drawn onto face joining the eyebrows,” three artificial flowers worn in the hair and a red or pink shawl with a flower-printed dress extending below the knees. But with charges of inappropriate “cultural appropriation” becoming the new battle cry for cultural warriors, there was some push-back, including a comment by Glasstire reader Gabriella Scott: “A tired bloodless effort to appear culturally relevant by creating saccharin pop that does not connect people to art in any way and leaves the public with the empty husk of simulacra icons. Pathetic.” Vasquez said the current Frida frenzy reflects the usual ambivalence the U.S. audience has for all things Mexico. “They love our art, our food and our culture, but they don’t really like us,” Vasquez said. “But for me, Frida is a powerful icon, a woman who broke down the barriers of the art world and became prominent in the world’s museums. She went above and beyond, and she did it on her own terms without compromising her values and beliefs. She is a vital symbol to the world that Mexican culture is living and breathing. And I’m proud that she’s become an icon to so many different types of people, especially those who have been marginalized and discriminated against.” sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 13

FEATURE

Catch Mariachi Flor de Jalisco at Frida Fest Formed in 2011 under the direction of Debra Torres, San Antonio’s all-female troupe Mariachi Flor de Jalisco will showcase their talents at this Saturday’s Frida Fest. Having entertained at numerous high-profile affairs, including events for actress Eva Longoria and Namibian Prime Minister Hage Geingob, Mariachi Flor de Jalisco is best known for their performances at Spurs games but maintain a consistent involvement in the city’s live music and mariachi culture. Be sure to catch them this weekend, along with fellow entertainers El Tallercito de Son, Grupo Folkórico de Bendiciones and Conjunto Mismo Sol. — Sierra Juarez

FriDA FesT

At the first San Antonio Frida Fest last July, hundreds of women with their hair braided in trenzas decorated with flowers showed up to wait in line at Brick in the Blue Star Arts Complex. Fridas of all shapes, sizes and ages dressed up in colorful and intriguing clothing in homage to the Mexican artist whose tortuous, tempestuous life is celebrated by the cult of “Fridamania.” Waits lasted more than an hour to get into the first Frida Fest and many people were turned away, but organizer Fred-Anthony words // Dan R. Goddard Garza said that shouldn’t be a problem photos // Frida fest for this year’s expanded Frida Fest, to be hosted by Que Retro Arts and Viva Vegería at Wonderland of the Americas from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 15. Admission and parking are free. “Frida Fest is a grassroots, community-run event and we were just blown away by the response last year,” Garza said. “So we’ve been working and planning for the past year to make a bigger, better event. We’ll have more than 50 vendors offering one-of-a-kind arts and crafts, plus an art gallery, fashion, special food and live performances. We’ll be indoors with air conditioning and a lot more room for people to celebrate Frida’s life and art.” However, this year the Kahlo family of Mexico City will be involved in vetting and approving Frida Fest participants. “The family found out about the first Frida Fest through social media and wanted some say because licensing of her image is a real concern for them,” Garza said. “But we’re glad to have them involved. We are telling vendors to come up with original work and to avoid the kind of cheap knock-offs of her work that have become so common.” While her brooding gaze, elaborate Tehuana coiffures and signature unibrow have become almost as familiar as Mickey Mouse, the second Frida Fest is encouraging fans to take an original approach, using Kahlo’s life as a model for the theme “A View of Our Own Reality.” Exhibit curator Kristel Puente, a San Antonio photographer, said she looked for artists who went “further and deeper,” rather than simply copying or mimicking Kahlo’s style. “As a dark-skinned woman of Mexican heritage, Frida Kahlo was a revelation for me,” Puente said. “Seeing her images and paintings was the first time I saw someone like me in a museum. Her life reflected my life, from her sexuality to using clothing to hide her disabilities. She was an activist who continues to inspire activists today. So I wanted to put together an exhibit that celebrates her life and spirit, but with artists who have their own, unique, original vision.” Paintings, photography and three-dimensional work will be featured in the storefront exhibit that will be on view only during Frida Fest.

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

Alice in Churroland

FriDA feSt

Free, noon-9pm Sat, July 15 Wonderland of the Americas 4522 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 785-3500 wonderlandamericas.com

Though Frida and Diego might be well known for both their art and tempestuous relationship, only half of that sentiment applies to Bre Romo and Miguel Maldonado. As owners of newly launched Alice in Churroland, Romo and Maldonado’s story leans a lot more magical. The two met while interning at Disney World — Romo, a San Antonio native, tackled whimsical cakes and pastries while Maldonado, who hails from Minnesota, worked as a line cook in the Magic Kingdom. Though Maldonado went back to Minnesota to work in Minneapolis’ bustling kitchens, the two eventually reconnected and that Disney magic was rekindled. These days, the pair has relocated to Texas, where they’re sharing their love of cooking and flavors in churro form. With an early nod from wedding website The Knot, Alice in Churroland is already off to a great start as they fry up vegan churros available in mini, traditional and loop form. What sets Romo and Maldonado’s product apart is their colorful takes on the Mexican staple such as their limeglazed Fruity Pebble-sprinkled loop churro created for Pride. Though they’re still fleshing out their menu for Frida Fest, expect vibrant colors similar to Kahlo’s and maybe even a hint of spice. Churros are priced at $3 for traditional, but prices vary. — Jessica Elizarraras

sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 15

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

FEATURE

Frida Birthday Bash Offering a bit of a sneak preview of what’s in store for the second annual Frida Fest, the Frida Birthday Bash celebrated the enduring cultural icon’s 110th birthday with a Sunday funday at Brick combining a “Frida-inspired” market with live entertainment, drinks and local cuisine.

Sol SisTErS

words // Alejandra Lopez Gonzalez photo // Anton Ivanov via Shutterstock

Ruth and Ana Guajardo shine a light on Frida Kahlo through their own work

photos // jaime monzon

When Ruth Guajardo visited Frida Kahlo’s house in Mexico City earlier this year, she was able to cross off one of the top items on her bucket list. She wandered through the home’s garden where Kahlo played as a child and would eventually spend time with husband Diego Rivera. She passed Kahlo’s work area. She stood outside of the big, blue house and felt at home. That’s because in some ways, she was. When Ruth and her sister Ana were young, their family moved all over Mexico, following their father, a pharmaceutical rep, wherever he went. The family would eventually settle down in Mexico City for a few years, down the street from Kahlo’s childhood home. But it wasn’t until she lived in Texas, Ruth says, that she began to appreciate the painter’s work. When a college assignment challenged Ruth to find museum artwork that “inspired” her, she didn’t realize how hard it would be. Nothing could keep her attention long enough until she stumbled upon a Kahlo painting and immediately started crying. “The emotions you feel when you see her paintings are raw and unfiltered,” she says, and it was at this moment that her love for the Mexican artist began. And if you visit El Sol Studios, a store Ruth and her husband run inside Pulquerios (215 W. Poplar St.), you can see the influence Kahlo has had on Ruth’s own work — jewelry, beads and Mexican folk art. Her sister Ana chose a different medium. Those familiar with Cha Cha Covers, an LA-based nail decal business, have seen Ana’s work first hand. With nearly 25,000 followers on Instagram, the Latina entrepreneur has taken the nail industry by storm, sharing her love of Kahlo through nails wraps along the way. If it seems like Kahlo and her work have become increasingly more popular in recent years, you’re not wrong. With the artist’s face found on stickers, buttons, shirts, bags, murals, jewelry and just about everything else, it’s hard to avoid questioning if Kahlo’s image has become overproduced, overused or inauthentic. According to Ruth, there are two sides to the Kahlo “trend.” On one hand, you have more and more people who are taking an interest in Kahlo, in Mexican art and Mexican culture. “It just brings to light her life and her light shines a light on the culture of Mexico,” she says. “People get more interested in the aspects of Mexican culture and why she did what she did, or wore the dresses she wore. It brings to light what kind of person she was,” Ruth continues. “It’s good, but once it becomes too commercial, it’s a problem. As long as people are respectful, she argues, it can’t be a bad thing. You can find El Sol Studios at this year’s Frida Fest. See more of Ruth’s work at facebook.com/elsolstudios and follow Ana @chachacovers. sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 17

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‘Fantastic Beasts’

ART What is a human anyway — but a fantastic beast? AnArte’s upcoming solo exhibition from San Antoniobased artist Heather Gauthier, despite its firm grounding in uncomplicated whimsy and interior-inspired patterns/ tropes, seems to beg this question. Her works in this exhibit, as she explains in her artist’s statement, depict “civilized beasts,” like “elephants who love pastries, animals who arrange flowers, and creatures who collect China.” These classic-style portraits are hallmarked by bold and striking colors, precocious personalities, and, above all, pure joy and pleasure in beauty. “In the end,” Gauthier explains, “It’s all about aesthetics, and [she is] satisfied with a painting when it looks beautiful.” From the taste we’ve gotten of this show so far, it seems Gauthier has quite a lot to be satisfied about. Free, 6-8pm, AnArte Gallery, 7959 Broadway, Suite 404, (210) 826-5674, anartegallery09.com. — James Courtney

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In a tribute to animator

‘Grim 14 Marc Davis’ Haunted Mansion, a Disney favorite, Manor Brick will host a “Grim Gallery’ Manor Gallery” exhibit promising

attendees the “much-needed jarring spark when engaging with art.” Artists Vidvad Scare and Daniel Kranz curated the exhibit with the intent to present what the Haunted Mansion could have been — a “museum of the weird.” The curators said they hoped to create

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a strong imaginative cohesion and collection of artists that would stimulate and inspire guests. The one-night-only exhibit will feature works primarily from San Antonio artists, but it will also represent artists from all over the world, including one from the United Kingdom. Guests can expect live music from DJ Rickbats and DJ Fell in addition to the Haunted Mansion’s soundtrack. Haunted Mansion-inspired costumes are welcomed and encouraged. $2, 7pm– midnight, Brick, 108 Blue Star, (210) 262-8653, brickatbluestar.com. — Sierra Juarez

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and The Today Show — where she’s always armed with signs bearing conceptual slogans such as “The Brokenness of Painting,” “Without You I Have International No Mirror” and “The Absorption THU Artist-in of Meaning.” Often focusing on Residence the intersection of economy and Exhibition culture, López’s work reached a pivotal juncture when he ART In the midst of recent traced tons of toxic waste to the developments in programming Guggenheim family’s mining and (including the introduction of open smelting operations in Mexico. studio events and a new curatorial Assuming the responsibility to residency to be inaugurated later address this overlooked history, this month by Chicago-based López frequently incorporates Erin Jenoa Gilbert), Artpace industrial detritus in his work is set to unveil site-specific and has proposed to build exhibitions created by Summer the Guggenheim Museum 2017 residents Christie Blizard of Aguascalientes — “a black (San Antonio), Rolando López museum, a sick museum, an (Aguascalientes, Mexico) and underground museum.” A native Kang Seung Lee (Los Angeles). of South Korea, Lee has worked Organized by Mexico City-based to bring marginalized cultures, artist and curator Yoshua Okón, women and people of color to the trio of shows represents the the forefront through his projects culmination of residencies that Covers (a photocopied archive began May 15. An assistant presented as wallpaper and professor of painting and drawing a series of five bound books) at the University of Texas at San and Untitled (Artspeak?), a Antonio, Blizard once jumped reinterpretation of the 1990 out of an airplane with a Willem book ARTSPEAK created from a de Kooning drawing sewn into critical queer perspective. Free, her skydiving jumpsuit, but is 6-9pm (artists’ talk at 7pm), better known for her performative Artpace, 445 N. Main Ave., (210) interventions on the early-morning 212-4900, artpace.org. sets of Good Morning America — Bryan Rindfuss

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Bringing back an Overtime Theater staple, writer Christopher Lombardo puts a radio-inspired spin on the Bride Of Cthulhu. In the new adaptation, FRI the play will rely less on visual performances while keeping the original essence of the characters and witty dialogue. Lombardo says he thinks an old-style radio drama will better anchor the play to its original tone. The Overtime Theater staged the fi rst version of the Bride of Cthulhu in 2015. The play follows two women who just inherited the fortune and estate of their late uncle. In a creepy twist, strange occurrences begin to take place at the estate. According to actress Liz Vermeulen, the special sound effects will help to really draw the audience into the world of the play. In the adaptation, Lombardo added a narrator (who serves a similar function to the narrator in A Series of Unfortunate Events) to bring context and contemporary commentary to the play. “I think it’s going to hit people pretty well,” Lombardo says. “It’ll bring a new fl avor to something people may have already seen.” The Bride of Cthulhu is the fi rst chapter in the Bride Mythos Saga written by Edward E. Wise II. The second installment, Cthulhu Too: The Stranger in Yellow, will run from July 21 to August 12. $5, 8 p.m., The Overtime Theater, 5409 Bandera Road, (210) 557-7562, theovertimetheater.org. —SJ

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La La Land

‘Bride Of Cthulhu’

▲ Cinema on the Plaza returns to the Tobin for a special outdoor screening of the 2016 musical phenomenon La La Land, written and directed by Damien Chazelle. Starring heartthrob Ryan Gosling and America’s sweetheart Emma Stone, La La Land follows the relationship between a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress/ playwright and their roller-coaster journey chasing fame and the American Dream. Confronted by hectic and heartless Hollywood demands, the pair struggles to balance their romance with personal/ professional aspirations. Dare to dream and

let yourself get whisked away in this infectious, Oscar-winning musical as it plays out on San Antonio’s largest outdoor screen (spanning 32 feet). Sponsored by H-E-B, the free screening comes complete with food and beverage vendors (including beer and a full bar) available throughout the film. Bring the family, friends or a sweetheart and don’t forget to pack lawn chairs and picnic blankets to get cozy under the stars. Free, 8pm, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, River Walk Plaza, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Kimberly Rivera

COMING UP JULY 29

AN EVENING OF SOPHISTICATED SOUNDS OF SOUL AUGUST 24

EMMANUEL SEPTEMBER 16

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MARISELA

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THE LEGEND OF ZELDA NOVEMBER 2

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PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE

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‘Egress’

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◀ A stroll through an art gallery/exhibit can unlock untold mysteries of the heart and mind. Good art (even average art) can engage and perplex any viewer willing to invest enough attention. It’s not often, however, that the point of an entire exhibit/installation is to challenge the viewer into investigation, to turn the viewer into an active participant in the solving of a mystery presented by the work. But, that’s just what Nacogdochesbased artist Candice Hicks has done with her latest project “Egress.” Hicks, who describes herself as something of a collector of coincidences and draws inspiration from the “locked room” mystery sub-genre,

CANDANCE HICKS

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FILM Krzysztof Kieslowski had TUE been making acclaimed films in Poland before this international co-production officially made him an arthouse star. Shot in Poland and France, it spins the mystical, off-handed story of two unrelated women, both played by Irene Jacob, who lead parallel lives. For example, they both make a living through music, and they even see each other in a crowd when the French version visits Poland as a tourist. They conveniently symbolize the interdependent fates of Eastern and Western Europe, but be forewarned that the film offers no pat explanation — because its mysteries are precisely the point. Kieslowski believed that our lives are connected by chance in ways unfathomable to us, a theme he’d explored in his 10-part TV serial Dekalog and developed further in his Three Colors trilogy. Above all, this is a psychological and symphonic exercise in cinema, as Kieslowski drenches the film in lush music and dreamy color-filtered photography, all the better to launch Jacob’s luminous double presence. $10-$15, 7:30pm, Santikos Bijou, 4522 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 614-8977, tpr.org. — Michael Barrett

▲ San Antonio’s scorching summer reaches new heights this weekend as some of America’s finest dance performers take the Majestic stage for the Dancing with the Stars: Live! Hot Summer Nights tour. The traveling production features Emma Slater, Sasha Farber and an array of other internationally recognized ballroom dancers, all coming together to perform dynamic numbers from a wide range of styles and genres. Revisiting some of the breathtaking group numbers and duets from the hit ABC show, the highenergy sensation stops in San Antonio for one night only. $40-$100, 8pm, The Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — KR

‘Noche Azul: Frida & Esperanza’

In keeping with the recent celebration of Frida Kahlo’s 110th birthday, the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center will present Noche Azul: “Frida & Esperanza,” to honor the life and work of the late Mexican artist. Performers and frequent collaborators Aaron Prado and Azul Barrientos will take the stage for two performances this weekend, sharing original music and tangos written specifically for Noche Azul. Part of the Esperanza Center’s Arte y Corazón program, Noche Azul is an ongoing series of performances showcasing music from Latin America, Mexico and Spain, covering genres such as bolero, ranchera, folk, jazz and electronic music. Recognized worldwide for her distinctive self-portraits, Frida Kahlo is an iconic figure who continues to inspire artists throughout San Antonio and across the globe. Prado and Barrientos’ musical tribute promises an intimate complement to Saturday’s sprawling Frida Fest. $7, 8pm Sat, 4pm Sun, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave., (210) 228-0201, esperanzacenter.org. — Alejandra Lopez Gonzalez SPECIAL EVENT

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

The Double Life of Veronique

JANUS FILMS

COURTESY OF DANCING WITH THE STARS LIVE

Dancing with the Stars: Live!

has crafted a stumper for gallery-goers to solve. Her words, scrawled around the room, will have you circling the perimeter of the space, looking for meaning with even more intention than at a typical art show. The installation in the middle of the space, plain doors with peepholes looking in on strange depictions of the same crime scene, seems the only place left to investigate after digesting the text. In a true fusion of text, diorama, installation and visual art, “Egress” aims to capture viewers like the best and most subtle of mysteries. Free, 6-9pm, Mantle Art Space, 714 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 971-4740, mantleartspace.com. — JC

Anjelah Johnson July 20 - 23 @ LOL

Matt Iseman Aug 17 - 20 @ Improv

Carly Aquilino Sept 21 - 23 @ LOL

Marcella Arguello Oct 18 - 22 @ Improv

Tex Mex Comedy Tour Nov 9 - 11 @ LOL

Michelle Wolf July 27 - 29 @ LOL

Rod Man Aug 24 - 26 @ LOL

Brian Posehn Oct 5 - 7 @ LOL

Godfrey Oct 20 - 22 @ LOL

Arnez J Nov 17 - 19 @ LOL

Carlos Mencia Aug 11 - 13 @ LOL

Red Grant Aug 3 - 6 @ Improv

Steve O Aug 31 - Sept 3 @ Improv

Roy Wood Jr Sept 15 - 16 @ LOL

The Hodge Twins Oct 8 @ LOL

Rita Rudner Oct 13 - 14 @ LOL

Big Jay Oakerson Oct 26 - 29 @ LOL

Chingo Bling Nov 2 - 5 @ Improv

The Amazing Jonathan Dec 8 - 10 @ LOL

Shawn Wayans Dec 1 - 3 @ LOL

sanantoniocomedyclubs.com sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 21

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ART Art Party: “Red, White and Blue” SAMA

and KRTU’s collaborative Art Party series continues with an evening of gallery tours focusing on works by American artists, artmaking activities, specialty cocktails (cash bar), catering by Paloma Blanca and live music from Austin-based jazz ensemble Hard Proof. $8-$15, 6-8pm Friday; San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100.

Art Talk: “Daydreams and Other Monsters” Curated by Alana Coates,

UTSA’s counterculture-inspired group exhibition “Daydreams and Other Monsters” comes to light in a gallery talk between local artists Louie Chavez and Megan Solis. Free, noon-1pm Monday; UTSA Art Gallery, One UTSA Circle, (210) 458-4391.

”Culture Clash” Local artist and UTSA

viewers on the process, difficulty and overall happiness of eight families’ experiences through the transitioning of the children, specifically. Rather than analyzing and addressing the way adults navigate their way through the transitioning process, the filmmakers go back farther into the formative years of a child’s mind to compile an enriching look at how others perceive trans, or gender non-conforming experiences. Not only do they reflect on the way the friends, classmates, and superiors assess their gender fluidity, they address the parents’ perspectives and feelings of “losing” the child they once knew. Free, 6pm Monday; Brook Hollow Branch Library, 530 Heimer Road, (210) 207-9030.

Ratatouille As part of its Cinema Culinarian

film series, the Pearl hosts a free outdoor screening of the beloved 2007 Pixar film about a talented rat who forms an unusual alliance with a kitchen worker at a famous restaurant. Free, 8:30pm Monday; Pearl Park, 303 Pearl Pkwy., (210) 212-7260

grad-turned printmaking professor Juan Mora’s etched linoleum prints detail the lives, faith, and values of residents on both sides of the Texas/Mexico border. Storks Slab’s kid-friendly Movies by $5-$10, 10am-4pm Wednesday, 10am-9pm Moonlight series continues with an Thursday, 10am-4pm Friday, 10am-5pm outdoor screening of the computerSaturday, noon-5pm Sunday, 10am-4pm animated “adventure buddy comedy” Tuesday; McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New following a group of storks who adpot an Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368. infant girl, abandon the baby business and begin delivering packages for on online ”Interval” Ruiz-Healy Art’s summer show retailer. Free, 8:30pm Tuesday; Travis Park, takes shape in “Interval,” organized by 301 E. Travis St., (210) 212-9373. artist, curator, musician and writer Hills Snyder. When reached for comment, Snyder described the exhibition as an “acknowledgment to the current chaos of the political climate as spewed by the White House and the concurrent reactionary spikes on social media.” Snyder selected six artists — Carlos Amorales, Fernando Andrade, Sarah Fox, Pedro Friedeberg, Nicolás Leiva and James Smolleck — he felt “were offering clearings in this messy fog.” Free, 11am-4pm Wednesday-Saturday, 11am-4pm Tuesday; Ruiz-Healy Art, 201-A E. Olmos Dr., (210) 804-2219.

FILM Meek’s Cutoff Set in 1845, director Kelly

The Princess Bride The City of San Antonio

World Heritage Office hosts a Throwback Thursday revival of Rob Reiner’s 1987 cult fantasy starring Cary Elwes as a farmhand who sets out to rescue his true love Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) from the odious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). Free, gates at 7pm, film at dusk Thursday; Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave., (210) 207-8612.

THEATER Burning Patience Teatro Farolito stages

the San Antonio premiere of Chilean playwright Antonio Skármeta’s political drama set in 1960s-era Chile. $20, 8pm Thurday-Saturday, 3pm Sunday; Classic Theatre of San Antonio, 1924 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 589-8450.

Reichardt’s 2010 film follows a group of settlers as they embark on a punishing journey along the Oregon Trail. When their guide leads them astray, the Shrek The Musical “Once upon a time, expedition is forced to contend with there was a little ogre named Shrek...” the unforgiving conditions on the high And thus begins the tale of an unlikely plain desert. Starring Michelle Williams, hero who finds himself on a life-changing Bruce Greenwood and Paul Dano, journey alongside a wisecracking donkey the contemporary Western screens in and a feisty princess who resists her conjunction with the Briscoe’s Women rescue. Mark McCarver directs Joshua of the West Film Series. Free, 6:30pm Goldberg (as Shrek) and Morgan Clyde Tuesday; Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 (as Fiona) in the Woodlawn’s production. W. Market St., (210) 299-4499. $21-$32, 7:30pm Friday-Saturday, 3pm Sunday; Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Growing Up Trans Growing Up Trans, a Fredericksburg Road, (210) 267-8388. Frontline PBS documentary, educates 22

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

SIPS Bar 414 Bar Louie Bexar Pub Biga on the Bank Blue Box Born and Raised Botika Francis Bogside Frank

BITES La Botanica Lowcountry The Brooklynite The Mix Toro Kitchen + Bar Ventura Paramour Cloak & Dagger

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Honeysuckle La Botanica Max’s Wine Dive Summer Moon Coffee Co. Sweet Chela’s Thai Topaz Toro Kitchen + Bar

Limited tickets at sanantoniococktail.com sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 23

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

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Hairspray Hairspray, one of America’s favorite

Broadway musicals, comes to the Playhouse this summer. Based on John Water’s 1988 film, Hairspray follows Tracy Turnblad — a spunky, curvaceous teen aspiring to become a famous performer. After winning an opportunity to dance on her favorite TV program, The Corny Collins Show, Tracy is swept up into a celebrity cyclone of social pressures and prejudices. Set in 1960s Baltimore, Hairspray confronts issues of race, beauty and confidence. Shaking up the city, Tracy battles racism and social prejudice as she tries to use her new celeb status to advocate for the causes dearest to her, most of all racial integration. $10-$40, 8pm Friday-Saturday, 3pm Sunday; The Playhouse, 800 W. Ashby Pl., (210) 733-7258.

COMEDY Jerry Rocha A Dallas native now based in Los

Angeles, Last Comic Standing alum Jerry Rocha delivers a brutally honest, no-holdsbarred style of comedy that’s taken shape in two comedy albums (Pickle Dick and Take That, Real Dad) and numerous TV spots, including Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution. $17, 8:30pm Thursday, 8pm & 10:15pm Friday-Saturday, 8pm Sunday; Improv San Antonio, 849 E. Commerce St., (210) 229-1420.

Nick Grifﬁn Known for a sharp, sarcastic

style of stand-up, New York-based Kansas City native Nick Griffin boasts an impressive 25-year career highlighted by his own Comedy Central special and 11 appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman. $16, 8pm Wednesday-Thursday, 8pm & 10:15pm Friday-Saturday, 7pm Sunday; Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805.

SPECIAL EVENTS Jungle Boogie Nights Every Friday

night this summer, the San Antonio Zoo transforms into a family-friendly fiesta featuring live music, food trucks, family games and happy hour specials. $9, 6-9pm Friday; San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 734-7184.

‘n’ lock with stop-motion animation, and become techie trailblazers in a maker space. $12, 9am-5pm Wednesday-Friday, 11am-5pm Saturday-Sunday, 9am-5pm Monday-Tuesday; The DoSeum, 2800 Broadway, (210) 212-4453.

Texas Throwdown Mega Media Fest

Presented by Beastmode Fightwear and The Jump Off, this fifth annual event combines a car and bike show, live music, wrestlers, pro boxers and MMA fighters, plus bikini, wet T-shirt, and hot dog/wingeating contests. $25 (free for kids 12 and under), noon-10pm Saturday-Sunday; Camargo Park, 5738 Castroville Road, (210) 303-2965.

”Whales: Giants of the Deep”

Developed by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, this immersive, hands-on exhibit employs an engaging blend of science, storytelling and interactive galleries to shed light on the latest research about marine animals — from their evolution and biology to the important role they play in human cultures. $11-$20, 10am-5pm Wednesday-Saturday, noon-5pm Sunday, 10am-5pm Monday, 10am-8pm Tuesday; Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway, (210) 357-1900.

“There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration” World

Affairs Council of San Antonio and the Consulate General of Mexico in San Antonio welcome National Immigration Forum Executive Director Ali Noorani for a discussion about his book exploring the powerful role of culture and values in America’s immigration debate, and how a diverse range of communities are working to make America a welcoming place for long-established citizens and new arrivals alike. $35-$45 at wacofsa. org (includes lunch), 11:30am-1:30pm Thursday; Plaza Club, 100 W. Houston St., Suite 2100, (210) 308-9494.

Night in Old Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg celebrates its German heritage with polka music, yodeling, a biergarten, Bavarian beer maid races and a BBQ cook-off. $7-$10, 1pm-midnight Saturday; Gillespie County Fair Grounds, 530 Fair Drive, Fredericksburg, (830) 997-2359.

Summer of Tech The DoSeum’s

multifaceted summer program ecompasses camps, a kids’ coding challenege and the “digiPlaySpace,” a hands-on exhibit that invites kids to race through a virtual world, create a largescale painting with movement alone, pop sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 25

CULTURE

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ARTS + CULTURE

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THE NEW VANGUARD A steadfast San Antonio presence in Austin’s annual Young Latin@ Artists exhibition JAMES COURTNEY

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DANIELA CAVAZOS MADRIGAL

ONE

Alana Coates

• MICHAEL MARTINEZ

Daniela Cavazos Madrigal

For the fourth straight year, Austin’s Mexic-Arte Museum has chosen a curator from San Antonio to put together its consistently excellent, long-running Young Latin@ Artists (YLA) exhibition, focused on presenting some of the brightest emerging Latin@ talents. Following in the footsteps of Más Rudas, Ricky Yanas and David “Shek” Vega, the curator for this year’s show, running from July 14 to August 27, is Ruiz-Healy Art’s associate director, Alana Coates. Coates, whose day job sees her working with more established artists, told the Current over the phone that she was honored to work on this emerging artists showcase, noting that “everyone looks forward to it because it’s about who are the hottest, newest artists doing the most exciting work.” With nearly a year to ruminate on her selections for this show, Coates explained that, in the beginning, she reached out A ND REI RE to all her art contacts in Texas, took road trips to visit NT ER studios, exhibits and schools, looking for a long list of the most promising emerging Latin@ artists. Her goal was to show the complex range of styles and themes within Latin@ art. With the fall election coming in the middle of this selection process, Coates reports that conceptual artists working with various themes of “cultural negotiation” (especially along gender and race lines) began to stand out as especially relevant to feature. “We’ve gone so far backwards,” • she lamented, hoping like the rest of the sane world Andrei that art (or something, anything) might help us retool. Renteria All in all, Coates has put together a provocative, eight-artist show that she sees as addressing already-important issues that “the Trump administration has forced into the national discourse.” Continuing, she noted that, each in their own way, and “through many different layers,” the artists she has chosen are “negotiating with the current climate.” With multiple individual reactions applied to the historical moment, Coates believes that the history of the present “becomes personalized” and thus “easier to process.” For more from Coates, check out her gallery talk on July 15 (2:30pm) at Mexic-Arte. Here’s a brief rundown of what to expect from the San Antonioconnected artists of “YLA 22: ¡Ahora!” DANIELA CAVAZOS MADRIGAL Born in Laredo and now based in San Antonio, Daniela Cavazos Madrigal works with the familial fabric (literally) to compose poetry that begs questions about MexicanAmerican identity. Often using her family’s old undergarments for material, a poignant statement about intimacy and exposure, she sews/crochets these fabric pieces into flowing works that are as striking to look at as they are rewarding to contemplate.

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Michael Martinez

MICHAEL MARTINEZ For this show, Michael Martinez (whose brother Mark is also featured) has used a “data-bending” approach to video, creating scenes that challenge the machismo in Chicanismo.

MARK ANTHONY MARTINEZ The current visual arts director of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, Mark Anthony Martinez has, working largely with neon sign art, created work for this exhibit that takes on the subject of whiteness. By flipping popular sayings to include the word “white,” Martinez has crafted visually arresting word art that confuses and surprises. This brief confusion then, hopefully, becomes contemplation on the minority experience versus the experience of privilege. ANDREI RENTERIA Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised in Presidio, we claim Andrei Renteria as ours because he got his MFA from the sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 27

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

McNAY SECOND THURSDAYS Thursday, July 13 | 6:00–9:00 pm

6000 North New Braunfels San Antonio | mcnayart.org

Food Truck! Free Popcorn & Beer! Free Museum Admission from 4:00 - 9:00pm

Meek’s Cutoff (2011/PG/104 min) Tuesday, July 18 | 6:30pm

Briscoe Western Art Museum | 210 W. Market St. | BriscoeMuseum.org 28

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

ARTS + CULTURE

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University of Texas at San Antonio in 2015. Renteria’s large-scale, charcoallooking lithographs place people he knows in poses of distress, as if they were being abducted or about to be executed. The work, which reflects on disappeared/disposed people and dictatorship, is, according to Coates, eerie because it leaves you wondering, “Is this the past, the present, or some dark image of the future?” JOSÉ VILLALOBOS Using items that are, at least stereotypically, associated with Latin@ masculinity, José Villalobos’ contributions to “YLA 22” advocate the dissolving of gender confines. Thus, we get items with macho implications that

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Ashley Mireles

are feminized in various ways: like a lacy sombrero chandelier or a bedazzled nopal on a bold pink background. ASHLEY MIRELES In stark black and white, Mireles’ work in this exhibit juxtaposes the profane fetishization of female celebrities with the sacred treatment of female saints. By depicting actresses as saints, Mireles challenges TV/celebrity culture and begs the question: What do we really want to value? Young Latin@ Artists 22: ¡Ahora!

$5-$10, opening reception 7-9pm Fri, Jul. 14, on view 10am-6pm Mon-Thu, 10am-5pm Fri-Sun through Aug. 27, Mexic-Arte Museum, 419 Congress Ave., Austin, (512) 480-9373, mexic-artemuseum.org

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COURTESY OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

SCREENS

MARYANN JOHANSON

TABLES TURNED Nonhumans take the reins in War for the Planet of the Apes

≥

A quick recap. First there was 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, in which sad scientist James Franco accidentally created a genius ape in Caesar, and his colleague mad scientists accidentally created and released a supervirus that killed most of humanity. Then there was 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, set 10 years later, in which the uneasy detente between the growing new civilization of smart apes and a small cluster of surviving humans was shattered by mistrust and unhealable pain on both sides. And now we have War for the Planet of the Apes, set a further five years on, in which we make the rather startling discovery that these movies have been telling the epic of Caesar, a sweeping tale of mythological scope, the creation story of apekind and its first leader, a chimpanzee Moses. That seems fairly obvious in retrospect, yet it never felt that way until somewhere around the middle of this movie, when I came to the even more startling realization that almost every significant character here is nonhuman. Looking back from a perch at the film’s very moving ending, I see now that the humans in the story have been winnowed away until we root entirely for apes here in War (that they have a small human child hanger-on is almost incidental), and that the villains, the ones we root against, are human. (That those bad guys have a

few turncoat ape helpers is also incidental.) Just on a level of pure cinematic storytelling, War for the Planet of the Apes is a marvel, then: The empathy machine of movies works to turn us against our own species, and engages us wholly with multiple other species: chimps, gorillas and orangutans. This is partly a function of the smart screenwriting — by director Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback, both returning from Dawn — but far more one of astonishing CGI wizardry, which has advanced dramatically even from only three years ago. The nuance of emotion and intelligence that crosses Caesar’s face, a combination of a motion-captured performance by the phenomenal Andy Serkis and sublime FX work, is unconditionally realistic; that Caesar seems to have Serkis’ own soulful, doleful eyes doesn’t hurt, either. We never have any doubt that Caesar is an authentic person. War’s story revolves around Caesar’s ape community coming under attack from a desperate human army led by a truly chilling Woody Harrelson, whose base Caesar sets out to infiltrate while he sends his people away as refugees to a place of hoped-for safety. Nothing goes as planned and even greater human-fueled disaster strikes the apes, but the plot, as fine and as gripping as it is, feels secondary in consequence to how simply engrossing all those nonhuman

primate characters are. This is particularly true of the beautiful mo-cap and voice performance by Steve Zahn that imbues Bad Ape, a solitary chimp zoo survivor whom Caesar encounters, with grand pathos and sweet eager humor: He is a creature — a person — who has been driven a little mad by loneliness and is now overenthusiastic in his enjoyment of new company. And he is a sheer delight. I cannot recall another movie that wasn’t a Pixar cartoon that so convincingly put nonhumans at its center. That alone would make War for the Planet of the Apes a triumph of science fiction storytelling on the big screen. But its unspoken yet expansive philosophy about the personhood of nonhuman beings and its unexpectedly optimistic view of a nonhuman future for planet Earth — so very different from previous tellings of this story — add to that triumph as well. There are hints of room for a second trilogy, one that could recall the 1968 movie and its ’70s sequels if, we can foresee, on a less dystopian trajectory; there are characters here whose names are echoes from the original films, and could become new versions of the same in a future continuation of the story of Caesar’s people. And in a triumph for Hollywood blockbusters, the prospect of more movies in this series does not fill me with dread. I’d really love to see them, in fact.

sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 31

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PIZZA, PIE, MOONSHINE AND LOTS OF WINE All the reasons to take a day trip to Comfort this summer RON BECHTOL

≥

No stranger to things odd and outsized, Texas has its fair share of plainly weird place names. Gun Barrel or Cut and Shoot, anyone? But as if to balance out bizarre bergs such as Loco and Ding Dong, there is also a cohort of feel-good monikers: Sunrise, Rainbow, Sweet Home, Happy, Paradise … some might also consider Bacon, Texas to be among the especially comforting examples. Then there is Comfort itself — a name that conjures lazy relaxation with a degree of cosseting thrown in for good measure. The town, a mere 45 minutes from San Antonio out I-10, has not shied from celebrating the obvious: “I found comfort…in Texas!” trumpets the Chamber of Commerce website, and more than one business prominently features “comfortable” in its signage. Locals don’t shy away from comparisons, mostly unfavorable, to that other, less laid-back Hill Country destination to the north — though they mostly refrain from calling Comfort “the New Fredericksburg.” As a result, hordes of Houstonians and Austinites aren’t swarming its sidewalks, despite the Tesla charging station outside the historic Hotel Faust. On a Saturday afternoon in late spring, I wandered down High Street, the thoroughfare where most of the action abides, and heard only the lackadaisical slapping of a Texas flag in the breeze outside a somnolent real estate office. A few more San Antonians will hardly tip the balance toward touristy. Here’s where to go when you need a quick dive into the still waters of small-town Texas.

High’s Café & Store // Though you can certainly sit inside, High’s (“comfort food for you”) streetside patio is a good place to watch the world go by as you wait for the order you’ve placed at the counter; yes, there may be a line but it moves quickly. I can recommend the pimento cheese sandwich as both good of type and somehow perfect in context; the chipotle chicken soup lacked spark but was an accommodating companion. Breakfast looks appealing with plates such as migas and steel cut oats, and sandwiches include meatloaf and open-face crab cakes. There wasn’t time to try other eateries, but locals sitting at my table suggested Fritze’s BBQ Trailer with outdoor seating at 702 7th St.; Comfort Pizza at 802 High Street , advertising “forno a legna” that’s further emphasized by a truck sporting a “got wood?” logo; and 814 A Texas Bistro at 713 High Street, the most ambitious-sounding of the town’s restaurants with appetizers such as balsamic glazed pork belly and entrées on the order of grilled Bandera quail and snapper with sea scallops. 814 occupies the old post office and is open for dinner Thursday to Saturday and brunch Saturday and Sunday. 726 High St.

Miss Giddy’s // Miss Giddy’s was another recommendation, and one that I took — but for pie only. The shop itself is a visual jumble of nick-knacks, tchotchkes and an olfactory jungle of scented candles, but the pies, displayed in a glass showcase, are pristine. The buttermilk version is a passed-down family recipe, and it’s well worth taking a slice out to the Pie Porch. 817 High St. There’s no serious eating without equally serious drinking, and Comfort is surprisingly up to the task with options beyond the run-of-the-mill booze and beer joints. (I’m not sure about The Meet Market — but it was also recommended.) Huckleberry’s // Huckleberry’s began as a home décor shop with gifts and jewelry and has evolved into a place with scheduled events and a boutique wine and beer bar. Recently remodeled in a Hill Country Ag-Chic esthetic, the store’s umbrella-shaded and fountain-accented patio looks to be a good place to set and sip awhile. 703 High St. Newsom Vineyards Tasting Room // The Newsom family has been growing grapes in West Texas for over 30 years,

sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 33

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FOOD

COURTESY OF BRANCH ON HIGH

PERENNIALLY

TASTY they now cultivate 19 varieties, and they supply fruit to over 10 Texas wineries — in addition to producing their own Newsom Vineyards wines based on varietals such as tempranillo and albariño. Fortunately for us, there’s a Comfort tasting room, housed in a 1907 cottage that “required a lot of sanding and scraping,” run by son Nolan and his wife Mei, a winemaker in her own right. There’s a $5 tasting fee, and there were three whites and two reds the day I was there. Bottles from winemakers that use the family’s grapes are also often available. 717 Front St. (Thurs.-Sun. 10-7) Hill Country Distillers // Newsom’s tasting room shares an ample backyard with HCD; it’s accessible from High Street by a gravel path that runs alongside High’s. (On Sunday’s, there’s a food truck, Fire House Fare, at 1 and music starting at 2.) Housed in another renovated cottage, HCD is a truly Texas-unique operation in that all its spirits, with the exception of one distilled from jalapeño, are produced from locally gathered prickly pear cactus paddles under the direction of John and Cayce Kovacs. You may not love them all (I find the gin problematic), but you should taste them all regardless — including the Texas Dulce liqueurs with infused orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime peels, and the impressive coffee liqueur. A brandy made from Texas grapes is in the works. 723 Front St. ▲ Branch on High // Bending Branch winery is the big dog producer/grower in the extended Comfort ‘hood, and they, too, have a handsomely fitted out tasting room on High Street. The winery also has an outpost in California, so some of their bottlings employ CA grapes, but a $12 tasting fee will get you samples of six wines, among which are a floral Texas White blend, a Texas Red composed of malbec, mourvedre and petite syrah, and another of the powerful Texas tannat, the winery’s signature grape. Small, cheese and meat plates are also available. 704 High St. Believers in getting straight to the source also have the option of a 10-minute drive to Bending Branch Winery itself along sinuous roads that make one yearn for a convertible. At the tasting room, in addition to wine, there will be live music “on the deck” on Saturdays, walking winery tours at 2 p.m. ($25, including tasting), and simply the opportunity to kick back in the country with a great glass of wine and maybe a tune or two. Kinda makes you want to stay the night. 142 Lindner Branch Trail. AND IF YOU DO, HERE ARE TWO OPTIONS: Hotel Faust // This 130-year old hostelry has been recently and ravishingly redone and offers rooms for as low as $99 on weeknights. "Hotel Faust is a calming home base for your Texas Hill Country getaway,” proclaims the website — and that would appear to be true. 717 High St. Camp Comfort B&B // At Camp Comfort’s core is an 1860 German bowling hall (now the Historic Social Hall) facing Cypress Creek, around which cabins, decorated in a mid-century-meets-haute-country esthetic, are arrayed to form a courtyard. Fire pits at night, an organic breakfast in the morning…and all starting at $195. BYO wine, but then we now know that’s not a problem. 601 Water St.

> Last November, as holiday treat sales began to ramp up, Cynthia RodriguezStahl’s sister-in-law challenged her to make her own buñuelos. Several hundred shares on Facebook, and 200 dozen buñuelos made through the holiday season, a small business was born. For Rodriguez-Stahl, making the buñuelos was not a problem. The trained chef graduated as one of the first classes to come out of the Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio and went on to work in several production kitchens including the CIA-SA and Central Market simultaneously. Nowadays, you’ll find the raspyvoiced Rodriguez-Stahl at Larder where she serves as culinary supervisor, and zipping around town in her small SUV dropping off bundles of sugar-dusted joy as the face of the San Antonio Buñuelo Company. The buñuelos aren’t the flattened and fried discs of dough covered in cinnamon and sugar most are familiar with, though she certainly doesn’t disparage the originals. “My great-grandmother used to make them,” Rodriguez-Stahl says. “My mom says she’d pull and stretch them over her knee.” Clearly, a passion for buñuelos runs in the family. Her grandmother would be the one to wise up and modify the recipe after finding a rosette iron used in making Scandinavian cookies, or similarly Bimbuñuelos from Mexico. Since then, the iron has been passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter and even Rodriguez-Stahl’s own progeny Carissa also gets in on the action when she’s not studying at the CIA. The rosette iron has given way to the stars and butterflies as Rodriguez-Stahl tries finding these vintage irons across the web. And though the temperatures keep

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS | @JESSELIZARRARAS

Buñuelos in July are a (delicious) thing thanks to The San Antonio Buñuelo Co.

climbing, Rodriguez-Stahl is growing the business. The product is great — the buñuelos are light and crisp, not overly sweet. Imagine topping ice cream with one, or adding it to your morning yogurt if you’re feeling indulgent. At $9.50 per dozen, it’s a relatively affordable treat with an uniquely SA twist. She reached out to Instagram influencers with freebies to help spread the word and it’s paid off so far with buñuelos making appearances in weddings this summer. El Paso residents Robbie Carrizales and Miguel Torres noticed the Insta love and worked with Rodriguez-Stahl on customizing glittered navy, coral and gold buñuelos. “We stumbled across a vibrant picture of buñuelos. We loved the originality on this traditional dessert and thought these were the perfect twist we were looking for our upcoming wedding,” they said. She’s contacted other business owners to offer the buñuelos. Kuma, San Antonio’s first ice cream shop dedicatedly solely to Hong Kong waffle ice cream concoctions, offers the buñuelos as toppings. The buñuelos are available in regular and different colors. For Fourth of July, the red, white and blue stars buñuelos were found at picnics. Orders must be sent in at least 48 hours in advance as Rodriguez-Stahl and co. work on keeping up with demand. Husband Arthur Stahl helps with logistics to make sure Rodriguez-Stahl’s drop off locations won’t eat up valuable production time, while Carissa helps fry, box and label. “I want these to be the new crackers,” Rodriguez-Stahl said. “They work as both savory and sweet, and you can fi ll them. They’re mobile. They fi t people’s lifestyles.” Orders for buñuelos can be made at hola@sabunueloco.com or (210) 835-5137.

sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 35

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NIGHTLIFE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DIGNOWITY MEATS, TORO KITCHEN AND LOS BARRIOS

BOOZE NEWS Finding frosé, new brews and happy hour at Toro Kitchen + Bar JESSICA ELIZARRARAS + ERIN WINCH

New Brews // Two area breweries are celebrating new releases this week. Independence Brewing Company out of Austin is releasing their Revolución saison ale crafted with tacos in mind. The release will go down Friday, July 14 at The Point Park & Eats with tacos for purchase by La Maceta Tapatios and Caliente Grill Food Truck. 5pm, 24188 Boerne Stage Road, (845) 446-1500. On Saturday, July 15, Dorcol will release a new seasonal. The HighWheel Hefeweizen, a hazy, malty Bavarian wheat will be paired with gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches made by chef John Russ. 5pm-midnight, 1902 S. Flores St., (210) 229-0607. Frosen Rosé in SA // Frosé is trickling its way into San Antonio. The Brooklynite first started serving the wine-based slush as part of their summer menu and now Los Barrios and Dignowity Meats are joining in on the frozen rosé fun. At Dignowity Meats, owner Andrew Samia uses a Spanish garnacha rosé and combines it with simple syrup and juice from macerated strawberries. A 9-ounce pour will set you back $6, and Wednesdays mean $2 off frozen rosé and sangria. Enjoy it on their newly renovated patio. 1701 E. Houston St., (210) 462-1496. At Los Barrios, owner Diana Barrios Treviño released their frosé on the first day of summer. Los Barrios adds a little lemon juice and simple syrup

to Dark Horse rosé to balance out the flavors, and offer sugar or chamoy rims (because this is a San Anto institution after all); the hefty serving is $8. 4223 Blanco Road, (210) 732-6017. Hoppy Monk is getting into the mix with Frozoé available on their new Sunday Funday menu. Zestos rosé meets St. George Botanivore gin, fresh lemon and dehydrated blueberries with fun results. The drink is available Sundays for $8. 1010 N. Loop 1604 E., (210) 545-3330. Weekends at Lee’s El Taco Garage mean cooling off on their version of the wine slushie, which includes Martini and Rossi rosé with Grand Marnier, ginger liqueur, agave, simple, and lime and grapefruit juices. A 10.5-ounce pour is $9. 8403 Broadway, (210) 826-4405. - JE Toro’s Tapa-filled Happy Hour Brings Spain to You // Toro Kitchen and Bar, which opened earlier this year, specializes in Spanish style food that is prepared by chef, Juan Carlos Bazan. Owned by Gerardo De Anda, the Spanish-style eatery became a Northside favorite the second it opened its doors. The spot is a popular dinner destination, often at capacity, so if you want to try it out and get the feel, happy hour is your best bet. Toro sports a happy hour menu Tuesday through Friday (they are closed Mondays) and it includes a little bit of everything from gin and wine cocktails, to tapas and beer, all for under

• Frose is now avaialble at 5 shops in SA; Toro's sangria is worth the drive

$6 bucks. During my visit, I opted to get one of the drinks from the “Gin Bar” menu. The menu includes five cocktails; each made with a different base gin, and then built with tonics and garnishes that help enhance the flavors present in each spirit. It’s a great way to showcase how versatile gin is go with a friend (or by yourself) and get the Valencia which showcases rosemary or the Mallorca, an anise-forward concoction. Toro also has great wine cocktails like the Tinto de Verano, a combination of soda and wine, for $5. If you’re feeling peckish, you can choose from a variety of different tapas that are available for $5 a pop as well. The tacos are a favorite, a nice, petite, crispy tortilla filled with tender pork. The huevos rotos are another popular item, flash-fried Spanishstyle potatoes with a fried egg, which can have chorizo or pork belly added for an extra charge. There are plenty of delicious options to indulge in at Toro. If you decide to visit before happy hour, they do offer half off house cocktails before 4PM. If you happen to stay through happy hour, you have to try their paella, it recently won fan favorite at the Paella challenge a couple months back. Happy Hour at Toro Kitchen and Bar is Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. 115 N. Loop 1604 E., Suite 1105, (210) 592-1075. - EW Erin Winch writes about boozin’ in the Alamo City on her blog Drinking In SA. Follow her on instgram at @drinking. in.sa for more.

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FRETBOARD FURY ≥

Here at the Current we are bombarded with endless emails and notifications from outof-town bands on tour, regional and local bands wanting us to do write-ups for their project, tour or show their playing. Sometimes combing through it all can be a bit tedious, but every once in a while, a diamond in the rough will reveal itself, re-affirming our faith that San Antonio indeed is a hot-spot for growing local talent. A couple days ago, we received a submission from an artist that we hadn’t really heard about and were absolutely blown away. Sorush Ranjbar’s project, Granite Hands, is seriously a hidden gem in the local music scene here and his new album Don’t Do It, which was released on June 30, absolutely deserves to see the light of day. Born in Tehran, Iran, Ranjbar moved to San Antonio with his parents at the tender age of one

Local instrumental rocker releases debut album, Don’t Do It CHRIS CONDE

COURTESY

CHRIS CONDE

New York City to promote the song, including an interview and performance on the Sway in the Morning show, likely a first for any hip-hop or R&B artist representing the 210. “It didn’t set in ‘til we flew in and walked around Time Square,” Green told the Current. How a San Antonio With a style similar to the scratchy, soulful vocals of singer landed a singers like Erykah Badu and John Legend, Green said song on the new that he grew up performing in church and has always been more comfortable singing in a higher register – stating Tupac movie that even at 13 years old, he was still able to hold his own singing in the soprano section of the choir. He also named the aforementioned Erykah Badu as one of his favorite When Mike Green moved here six years ago from Atlanta, the goal wasn’t exactly to grow roots here in singers, as well as Stevie Wonder and Sade as some of his San Antonio. Rather he wanted to spend about a year here top influences, who he says “aren’t necessarily the most technical or best singer[s]”, but have a unique vocal quality with the manager he had at the time, and then eventually that can’t be duplicated. “You [couldn’t] just get up there move out to LA to get plugged into that music scene. and do karaoke of them,” he laughed. But life happens, and sometimes things don’t always Since his move to San Antonio back in 2011, Green go as planned. Still, as far as we can tell, Green staying in has been steadily playing shows opening up for R&B the Alamo City definitely worked out for the better. artists like Tank and Carl Thomas as well as writing and Last year, the singer landed a vocal feature on the producing his own music. “We have an arsenal of stuff track “So Much Pain” with the hip-hop group Outlawz, ready to release,” said Green, who said that he writes who rose to fame in the early 1990s through their a song a day and has also submitted a track for Justin relationship with the late Tupac Shakur. The track was Timberlake’s new album. then selected for use in the Tupac biopic film All Eyes With a song on the Tupac biopic, a video that premiered On Me which opened June 16. on BET Jams, and a performance on the Sway in the The video for “So Much Pain,” which was released on BET Jams, was shot by Houston heavyweight producer John Morning show, Green might help change the stale perception of San Antonio as a town that’s only known only Tucker, better known as Dr. Teeth, who’s worked with folks for Tejano and rock music, but rather a community of richly like Mike Jones as well as local rapper Milli Mars, and has diverse artists pursuing a vast spectrum of musical genres ... has helped shape the image of Southern rap for decades. something us locals have been privy to for quite some time. Earlier this month, Green did a few appearances in

ALL EYES ON GREEN

≥

and attended Clark High School before pursuing a bachelors in bio-chemistry at UTSA. Through failed attempts to collaborate with other musicians in high school and college, due to their lack of interest in the type of music he wanted to write, Ranjbar came to the conclusion that he maybe didn’t need to lean on other musicians to execute his vision. “I was like ‘fuck this, I’m going to learn how to do it myself,'” Ranjbar told the Current who explained that while he was at UTSA, he learned how to program his own drums and write material as a solo artist. With use of live instruments and audio programs like Reaper, Ableton Lite, and Audacity, Ranjbar constructs instrumental, jazzfusion movements that waltz in and out of the realms of post-hardcore, djent, and atmospheric post-rock. Though his music is definitely on the avant-garde edge of rock and jazz fusion, there are moments of melodic guitar notations that lend just enough pop-aesthetic to be palatable to a broad audience. Naming The Mars Volta and The Fall Of Troy as big influences on Don’t Do It, Ranjbar demonstrates a mastery over his style of guitar playing which is punctuated with polyrhythms, staccato jabs, and swirling, almost improvisational-sounding, jazz riffs and chord progressions. It’s apparent in songs like the spastic “Icicle Man,” and the psychedelic corridors of the title track “Don’t Do It,” which tip the hat towards the guitar stylings of Omar Rodriguez Lopez from At The Drive In/Mars Volta. Though Ranjbar has recorded, engineered and composed all his own material, he reached out to drummer Cesar De Los Santos and bassist Erik Wisloff after the release of his first EP Eventhorizon back in March 2015 to try performing some of his material live. From November 2015 to June of 2016, the three piece played a handful of shows as Granite Hands but went on a somewhat permanent hiatus after Ranjbar moved to California to pursue a job at a startup. However, after living on the West Coast for nearly a year, Ranjbar decided he wasn’t willing to give up on his music quite yet. “I realized that this is the end of me playing music ‘cause I [wouldn’t] have time,” said Ranjbar, who eventually decided to quit his job and move back to San Antonio last month. Ranjbar is currently hammering out plans to get a live band back together again and premiere these new songs live at a future album release show, but until then, we’ll just have to blast Don’t Do It on repeat at the office. For more information on upcoming shows and releases, visit facebook.com/granitejams. sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 39

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vis

MUSIC

Formed in early 2001 in Pereira, Colombia, Headcrusher blends thrash, death metal and hardcore for a brutal sound that helped them become one of South America’s more well-known metal acts. The band moved to Austin in the summer of 2008, and eventually released their self-titled debut EP the following year. Since moving to Texas, the band landed an official SXSW slot alongside SA’s Upon A Burning Body and in 2012 were asked to play “Barge To Hell,'' the world’s first extreme metal cruise. To promote their new album, which comes out July 28, Headcrusher is going out on tour through Texas and Colombia with their first stop right here in SA. With Toluca, Nahaya, Percocet, $5-$8, 9pm, Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., limelightsa.com – Chris Conde

HEADCRUSHER

WED

COURTESY OF HEAEDCRUSHER

MUSIC PICKS

left by that singularly inventive and beloved force in music (and the world) Tito Puente. And, 13 TITO PUENTE JR. reverberations who could be mad at that? The New York-born Puerto Rican crafted an unforgettable creole of Latin jazz,

THU

Tito Puente Jr. has spent a great deal of his career simply uplifting his father, magnifying the cosmic

mambo, and Afro-Cuban jazz, and he delighted the world with his magnetic personality, wearing his joy impossibly thick on his face like a worldwide ambassador for happiness itself. If the father brought the passion and drama of Afro-Latin rhythms to the world stage, the son is doing his part to ensure that this style of music, and its biggest star, are not forgotten. Puente Jr. puts on kinetic shows, driven forward by delirious rhythms, playing his father’s music as well as some of his own originals. $26, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — James Courtney

THU

THOR & FRIENDS Thor and Friends are an Austin-based band whose core members are Peggy Ghorbani, Sarah “Goat” Gautier, and Thor Harris who’s probably best known for playing percussion on Devendra Banhart’s 2004 record Nino Rojoand and also serving as the percussionist for NYC no wave band Swans from 2010-2016. Harris and pals opened for Explosions In The Sky back in April and played THU

about an hour of carefully crafted experimental music that utilized a mass of instruments including violin, cello, glockenspiel, vibraphone, theremin and clarinet. The sound they create is rich and textured, and while they’re definitely weird as fuck, if you dig avant-garde tunes, this definitely a show you want to see. $10, 7pm, Period Modern, 347 McCullough Ave., (210) 902-1217, periodmodern.com – CC

JIMMIE

COURTESY OF JIMMIE VAUGHAN

Yes, the duo that spawned such hits as “Rich Girl” and “Maneater” will be making an appearance in the Alamo City with your favorite sad boy new-wavers who made it okay to dance and be sad at the same time (see: Mad World). It’s no secret that us San Antonian’s live for a blast from the past, what with bands like Metallica, and Bush visiting us on the weekly, so, of course we're ready to throw an enormous amount of product in our hair, tease it up as much as possible, pop our collars, put on some RayBans and sing along to “Shout." $35-$129.50, 7pm, ATT Center, 1 ATT Center Pkwy., 210-444-5000, attcenter.com – CC

CONOR Q WALKER

HALL & OATES WITH TEARS FOR FEARS

Being the unsung (lesser sung?) older brother ain’t an easy gig for most people. For Jimmie Vaughan, however, being big bro to blues guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughan has worked out pretty damn well. Jimmie and Stevie seemed to make each other better throughout the years, often playing together, with the younger brother’s revered status serving to take the pressure off the older brother. The Grammy-winning elder brother has released a slew of albums throughout the years, first with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and later under his own name. His blues cred is unbeatable, his guitar chops are nearly unmatched, and these days, much to his credit, he’s spending time championing and documenting the history of the blues and rock and roll styles. But, he still puts on one hell of a show. Catch the man in action this weekend, backed by the Tilt-aWhirl Band. $12.50-$25, 8pm, Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre. VAUGHAN com. — JC FRI

sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 41

CHRIS SULLIVAN

MUSIC

BIG JESUS Big Jesus have the kind of name that will make you think you will absolutely hate their music. It suggests something Christian and Gospel-y. And not that underhanded “we’re Christians in a band, not a Christian band” type of group but the “have you heard the good news about Jesus Christ” type of group. Thankfully, the band doesn’t seem to have any proselytizing agenda beyond making us fans of of their atmospheric ock and roll. While Big Jesus certainly have a contemporary feel the Atlanta-based group sound like all the best things that came out 90s alt-rock: groove-heavy drum hits, poppy lead vocals, and emotive chord progressions packed with distortion. With We Were Wolves, $10, 7pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com – CC FRI

DANIEL PERLAKY

Ghostland Observatory Remember Ghostland Observatory? I don’t know if it’s just because we were in such close proximity to Austin, home base to the duo, but in 2008, didn’t it seem like like no matter where we went, we couldn’t escape the electro grip of “Sad Sad City” and Aaron Behrens’ braided pigtails flopping against his head as he sang and gyrated across stages? While the band hasn’t released a full album since 2010’s Codename: Rondo fans can be sure to expect the same high-energy pulse from the group which made us throw their music on our party playlists all through the late aughts. With Night Drive, $30.02-$872.06, 7:30pm, Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM306 #1, New Braunfels, (830) 964-3800, whitewaterrocks.com – CC SAT

Known for composing music for over 300 video game titles, Tommy Tallarico presents Video Games Live – an explosive performance infusing live symphony with digital sounds and astounding aesthetics. Partnering with the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio, Tallarico brings the musical spectacular to the Alamo city, engaging the talents of the city’s youth. Featuring all of the best tunes from the world’s bestselling video games set to synchronized videos, VGL includes nostalgic tunes from Zelda, Halo, the Prince of Persia and more. More than just music, the show mixes popular internet performers, stunning laser light shows and interactive segments to immerse the audience into the digital world. Experience the raw sentiment of symphony with the bombastic electronic percussion and dazzling lasers. Before the performance, mingle with local video game designers to discover the most recent news in the San Antonio video game community. This unique show is perfect for audiences of all ages. $22-$89, 8pm, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624. — Kimberly Rivera SAT

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

Following up on the wild and truly tripped out success of the first installment, the folks behind K23/Purple Bottle bring us the second dose of Astral Projections, a swell concert series hosted at the Scobee Planetarium, this Saturday. The series, which pairs experimental electronic artists with light/ projection show wizards, kicked off back in April with the slowbuilding and meandering sounds of ATX’s Dallas Acid and will now continue with Dismal Light. The side-project of Destruction Unit’s Ryan Rousseau, Dismal Light sounds like the melodic sputterings of a machine/ computer network that has begun to think erotically about itself. It’s deeply psychedelic stuff, without SAT

•

A scene from the recent Dallas Acid and Mustachio Light Show at The Planetarium

ever being overwhelming or random. Dig auasca.bandcamp. com to hear Dismal Light’s 2014 debut Mindswap. Just as with the first Astral Projections, intense eye candy in the form of

Dallas Acid, Dismal Light

mind-assaulting visuals will be provided by The Mustachio Light Show. $21.00, 7pm, Scobee Planetarium, 1300 San Pedro Ave., (210) 733-2910, k23. ticketbud.com. — JC

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MUSIC

MUSIC CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, JULY 12 Acoustic Showcase Nate Guthrie of Shady Rest Band performs an acoustic set. Free. The Phoenix Saloon, 8:30pm Bru’s Tunes Live acoustic music by Bru’s Tunes. Free. La Hacienda De Los Barrios, 6-9pm The Georges Rockabilly act at Gruene. Free. Gruene Hall, 7-11pm The Jazz Protagonists Classic bass/drums/ piano trio play improvisational jazz “in the tradition of Dave Brubeck and Duke Ellington.” $10. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm Los #3 Dinners Garage band Los #3 Dinners. $10-$40. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm Wednesday Evening Picker Circle Open, unplugged acoustic circle with Jimmy Lee Jones every Wednesday. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 5pm THURSDAY, JULY 13 210 Blues Band R&B by 210 Blues Band every Thursday & Sunday. Free. SoHo Wine & Martini Bar, 10pm Daryl Hall & John Oats, Tears for Fears Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Daryl Hall & John Oates, joined by Tears For Fears. $35-$260. AT&T Center, 7pm Despero Austin punk band joined by local acts SignalMan, Silent Minority and Dead Weight. $5. Limelight, 9pm Dirty River Boys Country rock act Dirty River Boys perform. Free. Whitewater Amphitheater, 8pm Garrett Lebeau R&B act Garrett Lebeau performs at Gruene. Free. Gruene Hall, 7-11pm PM Jazz Vocal jazz at Luna. $5. Luna, 9:30pm Sun-Dried Vibes Three-piece reggae/rock outfit from Rock Hill, SC. $10. Jack’s Bar, 7:30-10:30pm Thomas Wynn & The Believers Southern rock and R&B act perform at Sam’s Burger Joint. $10-$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm Thursday Night Picker Circle Open, unplugged acoustic circle with West Creek every Thursday. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 5-9pm Tito Puente Jr. Bandleader and son of mambo musician Tito Puente. Joined by Ray Colao & The Colao Orquestra. $26. Paper Tiger, 8pm

CURRENT • July 12-18, 2017 • sacurrent.com

FRIDAY, JULY 14 Balcones Heights Jazz Festival Live jazz concerts twice a day with free outdoor seating. Free. Wonderland of the Americas Amphitheatre, 7:30 & 9pm Cactus Pear Music Festival: Winds, with Strings Attached Featuring chamber music works for winds and strings by composers such as Mozart, Penderecki, Britten, Krommer, and Dvorak. $20-$125, $5 student ticket. Concordia Lutheran Church, 7:30-9:30pm Dan West Open, unplugged acoustic circle with Dan West. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 4pm Donovan Keith and the Funky Heat Soul act Donovan Keith and the Funky Heat performs. Free. The Phoenix Saloon, 9pm Eric Tessmer Band Texas blues/soul act. $10$50. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm Friday Afternoon Picker Circle Open, unplugged acoustic circle every Friday with Hayden Whittington. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 1-4pm Guy King Chicago soul and blues. $10. Luna, 9:30pm Kill This Fest Featuring over 25 metal bands including Medusin, Pigweed, Angerkill and more. $10-$17. The Amp Room, 4pm Koe Wetzel Country music act, is joined by Austin Gilliam. $10-$12. John T Floore’s Country Store, 9pm Raven Black Metal act joined by Setacide, Troubled Smile and Final Exit. $10-$15. Jack’s Bar, 6-11:45pm Reckless Kelly Americana/country act from Austin, joined by Shotgun Rider. $22. Gruene Hall, 8pm Scubadiver Rock act joined by Fixations and La Lloronas. Free. The Bang Bang Bar, 9pm Skyline Music Festival DJ Hypnotik, The Kid Bootz and more. $10. Paper Tiger, 8pm Whiskey Myers Southern rock act joined by Broken Witt Rebels. $20. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 8-11:30pm SATURDAY, JULY 15 Anonymous Henchmen Local metal act joined by My Madness and more. $5. Zombies, 9:30pm Bidi Bidi Banda Selena tribute. $7-$10. Big Texas Ice House & Dance Hall, 10pm Bru’s Tunes Live acoustic music with drink specials. Free. Evil Olive Elixir Lounge, 9:30pm

Cactus Pear Music Festival Featuring 20th century chamber music works for winds and strings by composers such as Max Reger and Heitor Villa-Lobos. $20-$125, $5 Student. Concordia Lutheran Church, 7:30-9:30pm

Cactus Pear Music Festival Young Artists Program Concert The Young Artists Program Fellows of Cactus Pear Music Festival perform. Free. Concordia Lutheran Church, 3-4:30pm

Drew Moreland and the Neon Hustle Country act Drew Moreland and the Neon Hustle. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 1-5pm

Chris Saucedo Band Country act Chris Saucedo Band. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 1-5pm

Eric Stanley Live Classically trained violinist. $25-$50. Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 8pm

Landry & Company Americana act at Gruene. Free. Gruene Hall, 12:30-4:30pm

Ghostland Observatory Electronic/rock duo from Austin. Joined by Night Drive. $30.02$872.06. Whitewater Amphitheater, 8pm Helstar, SYRUS Heavy metal act from Houston, joined by metal acts SYRUS, Metalriser and X.I.L. $12-$16. Fitzgerald’s Bar & Live Music, 7pm Kill This Fest Featuring over 25 metal bands including Medusin, Pigweed, Angerkill and more. $10-$17. The Amp Room, 4pm L&M Kings Country act performs at Luckenbach. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 8-11pm Midnight River Choir “Texas groove” joined by Aaron Stephens. $10-$12. John T Floore’s Country Store, 9pm Missy Andersen Blues act, joined by soul act Lisa Marshall Band. $10. Luna, 9:30pm Nightbird: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac & Stevie Nicks Tribute to Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks. $13-$90. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm Noche Azul: Frida & Esperanza Tangos and original songs written by Aaron Prado & Azul Barrientos. $7. Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, 8-10pm Poor J Brown and BJ Thibodeaux Rock and Americana music. Free. The Phoenix Saloon, 9pm Reckless Kelly Americana/country act from Austin. $22. Gruene Hall, 9pm Resination’s End Rock act joined by Deadpool, What I Despise and Sea of Silence. $5-$8. Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, 7:30pm Traditional Greek Music Traditional Greek Music and belly dance with Gypsy Caravan. Free. John the Greek Restaurant, 6-9pm SUNDAY, JULY 16 210 Blues Band R&B sounds by 210 Blues Band every Thursday & Sunday. Free. SoHo Wine & Martini Bar, 10pm

Margarita la Diosa de la Cumbia Colombian singer Margarita la Diosa de la Cumbia performs. $40-$135. Aztec Theatre, 8pm Noche Azul: Frida & Esperanza Tangos and original songs written by Aaron Prado & Azul Barrientos. $7. Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, 4-6pm Summer Jazz Concert & Lunch Henry Brun and the Latin Jazz Trio. $5-$10. McNay Art Museum, 12:30-3pm Sunday Evening Picker Circle w/ Bill Lewis Open, acoustic session with Bill Lewis. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 5pm Tom Gillam and the Kosmic Messengers Americana rock act Tom Gillam and the Kosmic Messengers perform at Gruene. Free. Gruene Hall, 5-9pm MONDAY, JULY 17 Don Leady and the Tailgaters Roots rock act at Gruene Hall. Free. Gruene Hall, 7-11pm Meat and Metal Mondays Metal night with meat and drink specials. Free. Zombies, 5pm Monday Evening Picker Circle w/ Bo Porter Open, acoustic session every Monday with Bo Porter. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 1pm Swing Nite with The Waller Creek Vipers Swing/jazz act at Swing Night. $7-$10. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8:30pm TUESDAY, JULY 18 Jazz on the Rocks Live jazz and happy hour. Free. St. Anthony Hotel, 5-7pm Ruby Alexander Swing, Bossa Nova and jazz arrangements of modern songs. $10. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm Tuesday Evening Picker Circle Unplugged, picker circle with Him & Her Trio. Free. Luckenbach Dance Hall, 5-9pm Two Tons of Steel Local rockabilly act at their weekly Two Ton Tuesdays show. $5. Gruene Hall, 8:30pm

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SCRUBS

SAVAGE LOVE by Dan Savage

> I’m a gay medical student with a medical fetish, and I can’t even open up to my therapist about this. I think the fetish started when I was young; I was once in the hospital and given a suppository for a fever. Then one time I was given a Fleet enema. I don’t think the “butt stuff” turned me gay, but my fetish may stem from the aspect of being controlled. I grew up in a very conservative religious household. I’ve never been in a relationship, and I don’t know that I could have one while hiding what turns me on. In my profession, we have to be confident and even sort of “dominant” in our roles as providers, but underneath I’m incredibly submissive. I didn’t go into medicine for this reason. We have very strict professional boundaries and ethical expectations, and I have no problem with that. I expect my job to be very clinical and boring. But outside of work, I feel like my sexual desires need some kind of outlet. Dilemma Of Conscience “Someone can have one persona at work and another at home,” said Eric the Red, a Florida nurse and a fellow medical fetishist. “DOC can be confident and dominant at work — his patients need someone confident and dominant to get them through their medical issues — and then find someone to spend his life with who brings out his submissive side and gives him the balance to make him feel like a whole person.” In other words, DOC, when you do start dating and having relationships, you’re going to want to be open about your kinks. They’re nothing to be ashamed of, and there’s no point in hiding your sexual interests from your future partner(s). You want a sex partner who meets your needs, not one you have to hide your needs from. So long as you keep things professional

Playmates or soul mates, you’ll find them on MegaMates

at work — which shouldn’t be hard, since it’s being the patient and not the doctor that turns you on — you have nothing to feel conflicted about. “The one practical problem he will encounter is that since he actually knows how to give a physical, he may have less patience with fetishists who are not medical professionals in real life and don’t really know what they are doing,” said Eric. “Over the years, I have trained nonprofessionals who want to play doctor to give semi-realistic physicals, insert and irrigate catheters, use sounds, and otherwise have enough technical expertise to do a medical scene that’s realistic enough that I can enjoy being their patient without screaming, ‘No, that’s not how it’s done!’ He may find himself doing the same.” The good news? “DOC won’t have any trouble finding like-minded people,” said Eric. “Medical fetishists are well organized online; just spend a few minutes on Google and he’ll find them.”

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1 Std. tee size 4 Mild cheddar cheese 9 “Cheers” and “The Good Place” network 12 Uru. neighbor 13 When some night owls go to bed 15 Dove noise 16 Overly 17 First Family of the 1980s 18 Tails do it 19 Musical subgenre for Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard 22 German magazine, with “Der” 23 Restaurant reviewer’s website 26 “___ la vie” 27 2000 World Series MVP 32 Pianist Rubenstein 34 Gillette razor brand 35 “That can’t be right!” 36 Exhibitions seen through a small hole 40 “Washboard” muscles 43 Conspire 44 Daytime programming, once 48 Gene Chandler doo-wop hit that starts with a solo bass voice 52 Ball of thread (whose name lent itself to a word meaning “hint”)

53 Cookbook instruction 54 “The House at Pooh Corner” author 56 “Running on Empty” singer 61 “Shine On ___ Crazy Diamond” 63 Beryl ___, head cook on “Downton Abbey” 64 Nibble on 65 Nightmarish street 66 Park, Fifth, and Q, e.g. 67 Coldplay’s label 68 Rally feature 69 Santa ___, Calif. 70 Barbie’s on-again, offagain boyfriend

DOWN

1 Sardou drama on which a Puccini opera is based 2 Another word for sea bass 3 Self-absorbed person 4 Sank your teeth into 5 Divine counselor 6 Company that’s built brick by brick? 7 Jeff Bridges’s brother 8 “Life of Pi” author Martel 9 “Treasure Island” illustrator, 1911 10 Flamboyant scarf 11 Gear tooth 13 “Hamlet” genre, for short 14 Clock setting in most of AZ 20 Abate

21 Swirly bread variety 24 Spider-Man co-creator Stan 25 Get leverage, in a way 28 Reggae Sunsplash attendee, maybe 29 Numerical suffix 30 Marvel shapeshifting supervillain, leader of the Deviants 31 1975 Spielberg hit 33 Defaulter’s risk 37 Middle Earth being 38 Rue Morgue chronicler 39 Economic start 40 Halftime fodder 41 “Everything ___ the kitchen sink” 42 Winter Olympics structure 45 Frequently over an extended time, maybe 46 Robert Galbraith, e.g. 47 Jodie of “Full House” 49 “It’s the end of an ___!” 50 Expired 51 California’s ___ Tar Pits 55 G.I. rations 57 H&R Block worker 58 Intoxicating Polynesian beverage that rhymes with something flowing out of a volcano 59 WWII submachine gun 60 Defunct sci-fi magazine 61 Nope’s opposite 62 “Bravissimo!”

ETC.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY by Rob Brezsny ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): It’s not your birthday, but I feel like you need to get presents. The astrological omens agree with me. In fact, they suggest you should show people this horoscope to motivate them to do the right thing and shower you with practical blessings. And why exactly do you need these rewards? Here’s one reason: Now is a pivotal moment in the development of your own ability to give the unique gifts you have to give. If you receive tangible demonstrations that your contributions are appreciated, you’ll be better able to rise to the next level of your generosity. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Other astrologers and fortune-tellers may enjoy scaring the hell out of you, but not me. My job is to keep you apprised of the ways that life aims to help you, educate you, and lead you out of your suffering. The truth is, Taurus, that if you look hard enough, there are always seemingly legitimate reasons to be afraid of pretty much everything. But that’s a stupid way to live, especially since there are also always legitimate reasons to be excited about pretty much everything. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to work on retraining yourself to make the latter approach your default tendency. I have rarely seen a better phase than now to replace chronic anxiety with shrewd hope. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): At least for the shortrange future, benign neglect can be an effective game plan for you. In other words, Gemini, allow inaction to do the job that can’t be accomplished through strenuous action. Stay put. Be patient and cagey and observant. Seek strength in silence and restraint. Let problems heal through the passage of time. Give yourself permission to watch and wait, to reserve judgment and withhold criticism. Why do I suggest this approach? Here’s a secret: Forces that are currently working in the dark and behind the scenes will generate the best possible outcome. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): “Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. “All life is an experiment.” I’d love to see you make that your operative strategy in the coming weeks, Cancerian. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, now is a favorable time to overthrow your habits, rebel against your certainties, and cruise through a series of freewheeling escapades that will change your mind in a hundred different ways. Do you love life enough to ask more questions than you’ve ever asked before? LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Thank you for contacting the Center for Epicurean Education. If you need advice on how to help your

imagination lose its inhibitions, please press 1. If you’d like guidance on how to run wild in the woods or in the streets without losing your friends or your job, press 2. If you want to learn more about spiritual sex or sensual wisdom, press 3. If you’d like assistance in initiating a rowdy yet focused search for fresh inspiration, press 4. For information about dancing lessons or flying lessons or dancing-while-flying lessons, press 5. For advice on how to stop making so much sense, press 6. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): The cereus cactus grows in the deserts of the southwestern U.S. Most of the time it’s scraggly and brittlelooking. But one night of the year, in June or July, it blooms with a fragrant, trumpetshaped flower. By dawn the creamy white petals close and start to wither. During that brief celebration, the plant’s main pollinator, the sphinx moth, has to discover the marvelous event and come to gather the cactus flower’s pollen. I suspect this scenario has metaphorical resemblances to a task you could benefit from carrying out in the days ahead. Be alert for a sudden, spectacular, and rare eruption of beauty that you can feed from and propagate. LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): If I had more room here, I would offer an inspirational Powerpoint presentation designed just for you. In the beginning, I would seize your attention with an evocative image that my marketing department had determined would give you a visceral thrill. (Like maybe a photoshopped image of you wearing a crown and holding a scepter.) In the next part, I would describe various wonderful and beautiful things about you. Then I’d tactfully describe an aspect of your life that’s underdeveloped and could use some work. I’d say, “I’d love for you to be more strategic in promoting your good ideas. I’d love for you to have a well-crafted master plan that will attract the contacts and resources necessary to lift your dream to the next level.”

to places that excite your awe, and encounters with provocative teachings. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): In late 1811 and early 1812, parts of the mighty Mississippi River flowed backwards several times. Earthquakes were the cause. Now, more than two centuries later, you Sagittarians have a chance — maybe even a mandate — to accomplish a more modest rendition of what nature did way back then. Do you dare to shift the course of a great, flowing, vital force? I think you should at least consider it. In my opinion, that great, flowing, vital force could benefit from an adjustment that you have the wisdom and luck to understand and accomplish. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): You’re entering into the Uncanny Zone, Capricorn. During your brief journey through this alternate reality, the wind and the dew will be your teachers. Animals will provide special favors. You may experience true fantasies, like being able to sense people’s thoughts and hear the sound of leaves converting sunlight into nourishment. It’s possible you’ll feel the moon tugging at the waters of your body and glimpse visions of the best possible future. Will any of this be of practical use? Yes! More than you can imagine. And not in ways you can imagine yet.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): This is one of those rare grace periods when you can slip into a smooth groove without worrying that it will degenerate into a repetitive rut. You’ll feel natural and comfortable as you attend to your duties, not blank or numb. You’ll be entertained and educated by exacting details, not bored by them. I conclude, therefore, that this will be an excellent time to lay the gritty foundation for expansive and productive adventures later this year. If you’ve been hoping to get an advantage over your competitors and diminish the negative influences of people who don’t empathize with you, now is the time. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): “There is a direct correlation between playfulness and intelligence, since the most intelligent animals engage in the greatest amount of playful activities.” So reports the National Geographic. “The reason is simple: Intelligence is the capacity for learning, and to play is to learn.” I suggest you make these thoughts the centerpiece of your life in the coming weeks. You’re in a phase when you have an enhanced capacity to master new tricks. That’s fortunate, because you’re also in a phase when it’s especially crucial for you to learn new tricks. The best way to ensure it all unfolds with maximum grace is to play as much as possible.

THIS MODERN WORLD by Tom Tomorrow

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): I advise you against snorting cocaine, MDMA, heroin, or bath salts. But if you do, don’t lay out your lines of powder on a kitchen table or a baby’s diaper-changing counter in a public restroom. Places like those are not exactly sparkly clean, and you could end up propelling contaminants close to your brain. Please observe similar care with any other activity that involves altering your consciousness or changing the way you see the world. Do it in a nurturing location that ensures healthy results. P.S. The coming weeks will be a great time to expand your mind if you do it in all-natural ways such as through conversations with interesting people, travel sacurrent.com • July 12-18, 2017 • CURRENT 49

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