San Antonio Current – March 21, 2018 by Euclid Media Group

March 21-27, 2018

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Don't Quit Your Day Job SA musicians struggle to pay the bills

OPEN CALL FOR

Exhibitions & Related Programming DEADLINE: May 11, 2018 The City of San Antonio seeks exhibition proposals from area, state, and national curators, artists, artist groups, and organizations interested in exhibiting and programming at Centro de Artes. Interested in Applying? Attend an Information Session on Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 2–4 pm at Centro de Artes. For more information, and to submit your proposal, visit GetCreativeSanAntonio.com.

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Color & Style for $75.00 San Antonio Current Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Greg Jefferson

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noon-11pm Tommy’s Restaurant • Soluna • Tomatillos • Chisme • Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant • La Casa de Barbacoa • Chela’s Tacos • Marioli Los Cocos Mexican Restaurant & Fruteria • Mr. Meximum - It’s More Than Just a Taco • El Milagrito • Torchy’s Tacos • Viva Villa Sancho’s Cantina • Mi Taquito Arandas Jalisco • Davila’s BBQ • Tapatio Vegan Tacos • Sabinas Coffee House • Market on Houston Little Woodrow’s • Pete’s Tako House • Culinary Institute of America • Taco Haven • More Announced Soon!

La Santa Cecilia • Brown Sabbath • Girl In a Coma Santiago Jimenez, Jr. • Money Chicha • El Conjunto Nueva Ola • Piñata Protest Brownout Presents

Femina-X • Bombasta • Eddie & the Valiants • Los #3 Dinners • More announced soon!

sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 5

FIRST WORDS 1

On SA to SXSW: I Don't Like Myself When I'm Around You // This writer has an inferiority complex not the city of San Antonio. Clearly he must know that the city is packed this spring break bc were a more well-rounded city for everybody not just millennials and single people. I like Austin for a few weekends like everyone else but choose San Antonio the rest of the year. – Miguel Cardenas On San Antonio Needs to Stop Sucking – On Straws, That Is // I'm not giving up the straw I use to stir coffee and sip through. – Mary Carolin On 30 Accurate Tweets If Spring Break in South Padre Makes You Cringe // SP looks so gross if you’re spending your spring break at a Texas coast you’re doing it wrong. – Casie Jackson

Issue 18_12 /// March 21-27, 2018

NEWS

Waiting Out the Godfather Democrat rivals line up for the Senate seat held by Uresti

CALENDAR

Our top picks for the week

Their Town SA to SXSW: I don’t like myself when I’m around you

ARTS + CULTURE

Shift in Focus McNay exhibitions showcase breadth of African-American art

Dropping the Hammer SB4 to drive wedge deeper between cops, immigrants

SCREENS

This Boy’s Life Love, Simon most accessible gay teen romance since — well, ever

FOOD

Chef Q&A Meet Boiler House’s newest executive chef The Big Spoon Your favorite restaurant is closing tomorrow — and it’s your fault

MUSIC

NIGHTLIFE

Tariff Trouble Trump’s new aluminum/steel fees expected to hurt SA’s craft brewers and drinkers

ON THE ETC.

COVER

Savage Love

Part-Time Stage Gods Four out of five professional musicians in SA rock day jobs to make ends meet Music Calendar What to see and hear this week

Jonesin’ Crossword Freewill Astrology

Despite the amount of talent San Antonio bands and artists display on a weekly basis, the majority hold down day jobs to supplement their income. We did some digging to figure out why that is and how you can help. Photo by Oscar Moreno art direction by Carlos Aguilar

CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

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sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 7

NEWS

Waiting Out the Godfather Democrat rivals line up for the Senate seat held by Uresti GREG JEFFERSON | @GREGJEFFERSONSA

Former Congressman Pete Gallego, State Rep. Philip Cortez and City Councilman Rey Saldaña recently held a summit on the Riverwalk to discuss the fate of the State Senate seat held by newly convicted Carlos Uresti. The Democrats dined at Landry’s Seafood House on Thursday, March 8, according to several people with knowledge of the meeting. Accounts differ slightly on the direction the conversation took, but at least one of the eaters is expected to ultimately run in Senate District 19, which reaches from San Antonio

JEREMIAH TEUTSCH

who served one term in Congress before falling to Republican Will Hurd in 2014, responded to the Current by deadline. Saldaña, who is completing his last two-year term on council, refused to discuss the meeting. But he did pour cold water on the rumor that he’s planning to run in District 19, saying, “I would love more than anything else to finish out the last year and a half of my last term.” What makes these machinations awkward is the fact that Uresti hasn’t shown any willingness to step down. In late February, he was convicted on 11 fraud-related counts in San Antonio federal court for his role in FourWinds, a frac-sand company. Uresti, a lawyer, provided legal services, and was found guilty of helping scam FourWinds investors. Speaking to reporters on February 22 outside the courthouse, Uresti said he had no immediate plans to step down from the Texas Senate and would “absolutely appeal” the verdicts. One source said the three dinner companions want “to respect the to El Paso. Gallego, the one-time congressman for District process” — which likely will end with Uresti leaving the 23 and former state representative from Alpine, will likely Senate on his own or being forced out if his conviction announce his candidacy in the weeks or months ahead, is upheld — before making any public moves. But with said one of the sources, all of whom spoke anonymously Gutierrez already campaigning for the job, it’s unclear how because they weren’t authorized to talk about the situation. much patience they’ll have. The meeting’s timing was significant, coming just Why doesn’t Uresti just hang it up? Maybe it helps to two days before State Rep. Roland Gutierrez publicly think of it in terms of The Godfather. Uresti has fetishized announced his intention to run for the Senate seat. Clearly, the movie and identifies with the strongman at the heart of Gallego, Cortez and Saldaña weren’t talking about how best it. Now try to imagine Don Corleone without the Mafia — as to support their friend Roland. simply an old man who likes cats and oranges. Neither Cortez, a former city councilman, nor Gallego, Not exactly the stuff of legend.

Check Check out Confluence and Culture: out Confluence and Culture:

300 Years of San Antonio HISTORY! 300 Years of San Antonio HISTORY!

The brand new exhibitionexhibition at the Witte Museum showcases San Antonio as theas hub The multi-faceted brand new multi-faceted at the Witte Museum showcases San Antonio the hub of the frontier. Experience how early Spanish settlers influenced the layout, economic and of the frontier. Experience how early Spanish settlers influenced the layout, economic and cultural development of our city modern times. You will seewill thesee Battle of theof Alamo cultural development ofthrough our city through modern times. You the Battle the Alamo to life through 360-degree battle sequences led up final to theassault. final assault. Grab your come to lifecome through 360-degree battle sequences that ledthat up to the Grab your phone rent iPad and watchcome history come to life theof story the Alamo in a way phone or rent an or iPad andan watch history to life and telland thetell story the of Alamo in a way have to see to believe! you have to you see to believe! 8

CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

NEWS

JEREMIAH TEUTSCH

hub and amo our way

JAIME MONZON

SA to SXSW: I Don’t like Myself When I’m Around You almost certainly shared a few taco-truck tacos with him. Maybe there was that time you dabbed his forehead with damp paper towels when he was a drunken mess. Elon is good people, but Jesus, if you have to listen to his plan for a red-light district on Mars one more time – You were probably packed into that club, with a dozen strangers squishing against various Late March is one of my parts of your body, when favorite times. Bluebonnets Misha and the Whalebones played for pop up on the roadside, the first time on American soil. Violent that fresh spring smell Beauregarde and the Pistol Whippers’ clings to everything, we cover of “Short People” changed how you have Fiesta to look forward to, and South By thought about chord progressions. And, Southwest is done for another year. man, Jack White can really play the spoons. Yes, of course – SXSW is amazing. These are great moments with which to If you’re one of the few San Antonians run out your life clock. who take vacation time every year to trek up Of course, experiences like these are I-35 for the festival, you’ve probably gotten utterly foreign to 99.9 percent of San to know Elon Musk, for example. You’ve Antonians, but that’s not the downside of

≥

SXSW. It is this: to the extent that we pay attention to the festival, it makes some of us jealous, peevish and small. The happening and the attention showered on it aggravate our ever-present inferiority complex. Those among us who give in to this gloomy, deflating mood are sure Austinites say “spill-over cities” with the same oozing disdain with which coastal elites refer to “fly-over states.” And this year, there’s an extra twist of the knife – Amazon’s Adopt-A-City program. The retailer, which is only two or three good acquisitions away from world domination, announced in January that Austin made its list of 20 finalists in the company’s search for a home for its second U.S. headquarters. Amazon promises to deliver 50,000 jobs in exchange for huge public giveaways. San Antonio didn’t compete. As you may recall, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff sent Amazon an embarrassing letter in October about how they weren’t down with “blindly giving away the farm” to win the project – though they were confident the city was competitive.

THEIR TOWN

GREG JEFFERSON

It made San Antonio look weird and defensive to the rest of the country. And besides, most people understood San Antonio would be willing to at least lease the farm to Amazon at a very favorable rate if there was even a tiny chance of landing the project. But we didn’t really have a chance — for a lot of reasons, including the lack of a firstclass, or even decent, mass transportation system and a workforce that needed to work on its skills. So it’s not the worst thing to have ducked out of the competition. The mayor and county judge just shouldn’t have been so awkward and strangely attentionseeking about it. I suspect San Antonio’s inferiority complex was weighing on them. But we’re entering spring, and San Antonians are improving their educational attainment, they’re earning more (though every one in five is still scraping by under the poverty line), and Nirenberg and city council could be doing something big on transportation in the near future. These are all reasons for optimism. So is this: the 2018 SXSW is over.

D L O T N D UNTOL E R O U L P E XPLOR EX E S AT

T T A E S R T C E SEECR ITTTEE! ! S T I W W E E H TH

sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 9

NEWS

Dropping the

Hammer SB 4 to drive wedge deeper between cops, immigrants

SHUTTERSTOCK

SANFORD NOWLIN

Last week’s federal appeals court ruling allowing Texas to implement its ban on sanctuary cities stands to set back relations between San Antonio’s police and immigrant communities by decades, observers say. San Antonio was one of the first cities to file a suit challenging the Senate Bill 4, and until now, the San Antonio Police Department maintained a policy preventing officers from asking about immigration status. Without that protection, local officials and immigration experts worry that some of the city's most most vulnerable residents are less likely to report crime, much less seek basic services. “People will die because of Senate Bill 4,” said Jonathan Ryan, executive director of the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). “Women who are suffering domestic abuse will be afraid to seek help from the police. People who are being trafficked will be scared to seek the assistance they need... We already see it day in and day out, and it’s going to become worse.” The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit unanimously ruled Tuesday that SB4 can be implemented while legal challenges proceed against it. That reverses an August ruling by San Antonio Federal Judge Orlando L. Garcia, who temporarily blocked enforcement of the law. SB4, passed by the Texas Legislature last spring, requires police chiefs and sheriffs to cooperate with

CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

federal immigration officials. It also permits police to question the immigration status of anyone they arrest. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott fast-tracked the legislation as a slap against sanctuary cities, which restrict their officers from cooperating in feds› immigration enforcement efforts. While the appeals court leaves most of SB4 in effect, it did reject a provision in the law that stops local officials from “endorsing” policies aimed at curbing immigration enforcement. Legal scholars argued that the order is a First Amendment violation, and the legal panel agreed. Although SAPD declined to weigh in on the court ruling, Chief William McManus has blasted SB4 in the past, saying it will gin up mistrust in immigrant communities, making it harder for officers to prevent and solve crime. Observers worry that SB4, which comes as the Trump Administration keeps up its shrill anti-immigrant rhetoric and pushes local law enforcement agencies to assist in federal immigration sweeps, will drive undocumented residents to avoid not only contact with the police but shun medical care and other basic necessities. Those fears have already taken root. San Antonio’s progressive-dominated city council adopted new parade rules in February that allow organizers to seek permits without dealing directly with police, largely out of concern for undocumented immigrants. “The 30 years it took to build trust between the

City and our immigrant communities has cratered with the stroke of a pen,” District 4 Councilman Rey Saldaña said. “I hear lawmakers say that if people want to immigrate, they should come out into the open and do it legally. But (SB4) does the opposite, it pushes those people back into the darkness.” Saldaña said he’s seen the situation play out first-hand when he’s ridden along on police patrols, including one instance where a woman battered by her husband refused to bring charges because she feared deportation. Yvonne Dilley, one of the founders of San Antonio’s Pro-Immigrant Coalition, said that since SB4’s passage, a growing number of undocumented people also forgo medical care, including vaccinations for their children, because of they’re worried it makes them deportation targets. “This isn’t just a public safety issue,” she said. “It’s a public health issue.” The bill stirs fears in even the youngest members of the immigrant community, said State Rep. Diego Bernal, making them wonder if their parents are safe walking them to school or whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could pull them out of their classrooms. “If you want to know what fear looks like right now, talk to an elementary school teacher,” Bernal said. The Migration Policy Institute estimates there are 1.5 million undocumented individuals in Texas, including 71,000 in Bexar County.

The Southside’s newest favorite park is ready. Join us for a day-long festival with live music, activities and outdoor fun as we officially open this 43-acre greenspace on the Brooks campus. Free and open to the public.

saturday, april 14 10:00 am -10:30 aM

10:30 am -2:00 PM

Opening Ceremony and Dedication

Activities throughout the park

The Greenline, 2532 Sidney Brooks For more information visit

livebrooks.com/events

2 UTES 0 & 26

MINUTES*

San Antonio Mini

UTES 20&2

pintar

SHORTER WAIT. CITY OF SAN ANTONIO

DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURE & CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

FASTER CONNECTIONS.

YOUR RIDE WILL NOW ARRIVE EVERY 12 MINUTES. *MONDAY - FRIDAY | 6AM-6PM | VIAinfo.net sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 11

MARCH 22, 2018 The San Antonio Museum of Art

A tasty night of local cuisine +a

culinary showdown

E M C E E D B Y C H E F S T E FA N B OW E R S FEATURING:

CHEFS: TEDDY LIANG (HANZO), BROOKE SMITH (ESQUIRE TAVERN + EL MIRADOR), AND CEASAR ZEPEDA (SANGRIA ON THE BURG) CELEBS: KIMBERLY CRAWFORD (DAYTIME AT 9), DAVID ELDER (SA LIVE), AND ROMA VILLAVICENCIO (GREAT DAY SA)

+ Art Installations by

artists

CAROL CUNNINGHAM, TOM TURNER, JUSTIN KORVER, EDEN COLLINS, VERENA GAUDY, AND MARTIN RODRIGUEZ

SPONSORED BY

CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

Participating Restaurants Include: 2M SMOKEHOUSE & CATERING

LICK HONEST ICE CREAMS

BITE RESTAURANT

MARKET ON HOUSTON

BOTIKA RESTAURANT

MAVERICK

BREW’S LEE TEA

PAESANO’S (LINCOLN HEIGHTS)

COSMIC CAKERY

PAPOULI’S GREEK GRILL

COVER-3

PHARM TABLE

DAVILA'S BBQ

PRIMAL JUICE & SMOOTHIES

DIGNOWITY MEATS FAHRENHEIT 32

SANGRIA ON THE BURG

FIRST WATCH THE DAYTIME CAFE

SOUTHERN GRIT

GRAYZE

SUMMER MOON COFFEE BAR

HUMBLE HOUSE FOODS

SWEET CHELA’S

JAMAICA JAMAICA CUISINE

THAI TOPAZ RESTAURANT

KIMURA

THE ART OF DONUT

THE ART INSTITUTE OF SAN ANTONIO THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA TOASTIE BUNS TOP GOLF TORO KITCHEN + BAR TWO STEP RESTAURANT & CANTINA VILLA RICA

SHAKE SHACK

VIVA LA DOUGH WILDFLOWER CARAMELS

AND MORE!

LESS THAN 50 TICKETS REMAIN! BUY YOURS TICKETS AT

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Benefiting sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 13

CALENDAR

‘Vignettes from San Antonio’

OUR TOP PICKS FOR THE WEEK

When it comes to celebrating and commenting on San Antonio’s present and recent past, artist and ART printmaker Michael Menchaca is one of our sharpest, most nuanced artistic minds. In this Contemporary Art Month exhibition, Menchaca, who has a special knack for combining the profound with the crude and often juxtaposes images from pop culture with traditional Mesoamerican iconography, offers up large- and small-scale works that WED speak to San Antonio’s cultural landscape. He references such recognizable landmarks and traditions as San Antonio College and Easter in Brackenridge Park. Free, opening reception 6-8pm, on view 11am-4pm Tue-Sat through May 21, Ruiz-Healy Art, 201-A East Olmos Drive, (210) 804-2219, ruizhealyart.com. — James Courtney

CAM Perennial & International Artist-in-Residence Exhibitions

THU

In the midst of Contemporary Art Month and San Antonio’s Tricentennial celebrations, Artpace is preparing to unveil a cluster of exhibitions that, in certain ways, echo the Alamo City’s history as a “Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas,” a designation presented as the official theme of HemisFair ’68. An annual program that’s successfully built bridges between San Antonio artists and curators from Dallas, Houston, Mexico City, New Orleans and Miami — and also generated significant controversy in 2016 with an all-female show ultimately canceled for its failure to include a Latina artist — the CAM Perennial partners with Artpace this ART

year to welcome Spain into the fold with a group exhibition curated by Canary Islandsbased Adonay Bermúdez. A presence in San Antonio since 1731 — when 16 immigrant families arrived here armed with a decree from the King of Spain — Canary Islanders helped establish the first organized civil government in Texas, the villa of San Fernando de Béxar. A socially minded curator who often addresses the “democratization of art” as well as the “disturbances, fears and interests” of contemporary society, Bermúdez paired Canary Islands artists Luna Bengoechea, Francis Naranjo and PSJM (aka Cynthia Viera and Pablo San José) with San Antoniobased Hayfer Brea (born in Caracas, Venezuela), Barbara Miñarro (born in Monterrey, Mexico) and Ethel Shipton (born in Laredo). Following its run in Artpace’s Hudson Showroom, the CAM Perennial will travel to an art space in the Canary Islands. A renowned program that helped

place San Antonio’s art scene in a global context, Artpace’s International Artist-in-Residence series welcomes a trio of artists (one from Texas, one from elsewhere in the U.S. and one from abroad) three times each year “to live and create art in San Antonio for two months.” Organized by independent curator and critic Risa Puleo, the Spring 2018 edition comprises site-specific exhibitions created by Carlos Rosales-Silva (Austin), Rafa Esparza (Los Angeles) and Kapwani Kiwanga (Paris). With previous projects exploring colors and forms “that have long been (ab)used to create oppressive stereotypes of Mexican and Indigenous peoples” (Rosales-Silva), colonization and “disrupted genealogies” (Esparza), anthropology, religion and Afrofuturism (Kiwanga), the trio appears bound less by aesthetics than academic research and social concerns. Already on

MICHAEL MENCHACA

LUNA BENGOECHEA

view in Artpace’s street-level Main Space, San Antonio-based Corpus Christi native John Medina’s evolving installation “The Sunset Belongs to Us” reaches its second phase as amplified recordings of participants sharing Alamo City stories get placed in the context of a large-scale drip painting inspired by the San Antonio sunset. After the opening reception, follow the crowd to Southtown for the CAM Perennial & Artpace IAIR Afterparty at Sala Diaz (9pm-midnight at 517 Stieren St.). Free, opening reception 5-9pm, on view noon-5pm Wed-Sat through May 13, Artpace, 445 N. Main Ave., (210) 2124900, artpace.org. — Bryan Rindfuss

CAMERON CARPENTER

MARCH 23 14

EMPIRE

MARCH 24

CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

BIRDMAN LIVE

MARCH 31

APRIL 4

APRIL 7

APRIL 13

EMPIRE

Spurs vs. Jazz

The Big Give S.A. 22

FRI

Adele Givens

SPURS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SPECIAL While many San Antonians THU support area nonprofits EVENT throughout the year by participating in charity walks and runs, volunteering time, or purchasing tickets for performances, galas and Fiesta events galore, few get out their checkbooks for the random acts of kindness that help keep these organizations afloat. Inaugurated in 2014 under the umbrella of the national movement Give Local America, The Big Give S.A. aims to remedy this situation by connecting the community at large with hundreds of nonprofits that rely on grants and donations for operational costs. Organized on a handy website that takes the guesswork out of giving, the collaborative charity drive has so far raised more than $15 million for a wide range of South-Central Texas organizations. Aiming to raise a total of $7 million and “make our region a great place to live, work, and play,” the 2018 campaign unites 628 nonprofits — Animal Defense League of Texas, Green Spaces Alliance, BEAT AIDS, Girls Inc., Blue Star Contemporary, Hot Wells Conservancy, Conjunto Heritage Taller and the Elf Louise Christmas Project among them — for a period of 24 hours. To get folks geared up to give, certain participants smartly turn the online push into a party, like the Martinez Street Women’s Center’s Big ’18 Bash, featuring live local music by AMEA, Soulstairs, Daniela Riojas, Jeff Palacios, Alex Paul Scheel and Andria Rose & The Youth ($5, 6pm-midnight, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St.). $10 minimum donation, midnight-11:59pm, thebiggivesa.org. — BR

For the first time in 20 years, Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs will finish the regular SPORTS season with a losing record on the road. San Antonio’s unparalleled run of 50-win seasons and consecutive playoff appearances is also in jeopardy, as Western Conference rivals continue to clash in the NBA’s version of March Madness. The Spurs close out a pivotal six-game home stand on Friday night against the Jazz, a team that humbled them at the AT&T Center in February with a career shooting night from Ricky Rubio. For better or worse, San Antonio’s post-season fortunes likely rest on the shoulders of six-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge. The former Longhorn has admirably carried the load for the Spurs in Kawhi Leonard’s prolonged absence, and will be forced to overcome nagging injuries of his own to keep San Antonio in the playoff hunt. $22-$737, 7:30pm, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Pkwy., (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com. — M. Solis

CALENDAR

COMEDY Renowned children’s author Adele Givens’s Caldecott Medal-winning book If You Give a Whale a Tic Tac … wait a minute, that’s not right. We meant to say stand-up comic Adele Givens’s bit about the whale and the Tic Tac is what Vulture called FRI-SUN “arguably the most famous joke in the history of Def Comedy Jam, and maybe the biggest laugh ever caught on television,” and, like most awesome things, definitely should be kept out of the reach of children, mostly ’cause they wouldn’t appreciate it. A veteran performer and contemporary of the Original Kings of Comedy, Givens is just as big and brash and blush-inducing as Martin Lawrence, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx or anybody anywhere at any time, and a queen in the line from Moms Mabley to Tiffany Haddish. Though she’s appeared in movies like The Players Club and Beauty Shop and on TV shows like The Steve Harvey Show, Martin and Tracey Takes On, she’s still probably best known for leaving an audience falling all over themselves, clapping and stomping in the aisles. $25, 8pm & 10:15pm Fri-Sat, 8pm Sun, Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805, lolsanantonio.com. — Jeremy Martin

COURTESY OF ADELE GIVENS

23-25

Special Guest

APRIL 18

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MAY 16

MAY 18

JUNE 21

JULY 25

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SANTANU DAS

16 CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

CALENDAR NIGHTLIFE

Rapper, poet, singer, and all-around force of nature Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson is possessed by a creative SAT vision that generates its own energy and its own gravity, exploding lines of genre, rules of presentation, and neatly defined expectations of all manner as it unfurls. It’s fitting then that Vocab’s vision of a mixtape is not exactly what you might expect. You can see and hear for yourself this Saturday, when Vocab and a talented cast of collaborators present The Bad Mama Jama Mixtape: A Woman’s Soundtrack to Life. This unique program, “a monologue, movement, and musical event that celebrates fierce womanhood in all its complexities,” takes a theatrical and multidisciplinary deep dive into the glory of womanhood. Featuring spoken-word artists, singers, DJs, and more, including Tamara Adira, Yvette Hardin, Shantelle Thompson, Glo Armmer, Ami Nah Dece, Lisa Martinez, Beatriz Rodriguez, Naomi “SumthintoSay” Johnson and Tausha Sings, this onetime show is not to be missed. $11-$25, 8pm, Carver Community Cultural Center, Little Carver Theatre, 226 N. Hackberry St., (210) 207-2234, thecarver.org. — JC WORDS + MUSIC

Since its inception in 2005, the Dignowity Hill Pushcart Dignowity Hill Pushcart Derby Derby has won over scores of fans with its unique combination of community and creativity. Founded SUN by beloved local artist Cruz Ortiz and now under the direction of educator and community organizer Rina Moreno Belardi, the “collaborative public art intervention” welcomes youth and adult three-person teams (one driver, two pushers) to compete in a series of timed trials that determine two-team heats. Although not required, teams are encouraged to build their DIY pushcarts from recycled materials, which gives the unmotorized vehicles unpredictable flair. “Couches, recliners, bicycle parts and wagon wheels” are just a few of the things Belardi told us she’s seen put into play over the years. But her favorite aspect, it seems, is that nearly everybody wins something — even the slowpokes who wind up facing off in the “granny races.” The top winners, like last year’s amusingly outfitted team Free Parking, take home handcrafted trophies and prizes provided by Dignowity Hill businesses. Sponsored by Lone Star Beer, the 12th annual event includes music courtesy of DJ Rigoberto Luna, chances to snap up the derby’s first-ever Fiesta medal, and food-truck fare from Rockin Pescado and Papa’s Burgers. While teams are encouraged to register online in advance ($30-$40 at eventbrite.com), Belardi says there’s almost always room for late arrivals on race day if they show up on time for check-in and their carts pass safety inspection. Visit the Facebook page for details. $30-$40 per team, free for spectators, 2-6pm, Lockwood Park, 800 N. Olive St., (210) 643-9178, facebook.com/ theofficialdignowityhillpushcartderby. — BR SPECIAL EVENT

SAT

SANTANU DAS

SUN

COURTESY RANDY RAINBOW

Randy Rainbow

Despite all the reassurances that the Trump era would be good for comedy, 45 has largely just made things insane and unstable, forcing reputable publications to print headlines that put The Onion’s satire to shame and prompt late-night talk show hosts to plead in teary-eyed sincerity for politicians to take things more seriously. Randy Rainbow, meanwhile, who first rose to YouTube prominence for his videos mocking celebrities such as Mel Gibson, seems to only get sharper as the shit hits the fan. Tackling Trumpism through parodies of showtunes like “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Korea?” and the Roy Mooreinspired “She Was 16 Going on 17” and editing himself into political interviews, Rainbow manages to be equally savage and silly, his sheer exuberance inspiring hope in the face of cynicism. The fact that he’s becoming an LGBT icon while singing self-harmonized truth to power would only piss off his targets even more, and adds a layer of heroic inspiration to the goofy fun. $35, 7pm, Aztec Theatre, 104 N. Saint Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — JM COMEDY

In the aftermath of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” which became the most-streamed song in YouTube history, Latino acts continue to dominate streaming services with both English- and Spanishlanguage videos reaching billions of views. Take, for example, Romeo Santos’s latest hit, “Bella y Sensual,” featuring Daddy Yankee and Nicky Jam, currently at 358 million YouTube views. Here, the three mega-stars join forces in what may become one of the biggest collaborations of 2018, proving that Spanish-language hits are not a fluke but a reflection of an increasingly influential Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. On Sunday, Santos rolls into the Alamo City as part of his highly anticipated Golden Tour. A Bronx native, Santos emerged in the early 2000s as the “king of bachata,” a Dominican style of music known for its sensual guitar riffs and romantic lyrics. Building upon a century-old genre, Santos adds R&B vocals and hip-hop elements to the mix to create a sound that appeals to both North American and Latin American audiences. Unlike a generation of artists before him, which includes Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias and Shakira, Santos has avoided an English-language crossover, preferring instead to record Spanish-language records, a formula leading to great success among his worldwide fan base. $39.50-$415, 8pm, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Pkwy., (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com. — Marco Aquino MUSIC

SUN

Romeo Santos

sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 17

COURTESY OF ROMEO SANTOS

Presented by the India Association of San Antonio — whose mission is to unite Indian groups in SA, to educate the broader community on Indian culture, and to celebrate that culture — this weekend’s Festival of India is an ideal event for families, folks with Indian roots, and the culturally curious alike. This year’s festival theme is “Community Outreach: Bridging Cultures, Generations & Communities.” Attendees can expect an authentic and immersive Indian cultural experience, including tons of different food options, cultural programs, music, dance, artisan vendors, saree wrapping demos, henna tattoos, Indian fashion booths, and much more. If you’re like us, you’re already going, no matter what, for the food alone. But, while you’re stuffing your face, you just might find yourself in the midst of a culturally relevant and transformative experience to boot, which is certainly a nice bonus. Plus, we’ve heard that cultural edification is as good for digestion as Mukhwas. Free, 3-9pm, La Villita, 418 Villita St., (210) 393-4107, indiasa.org. — JC SPECIAL EVENT

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CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

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CALENDAR

ART Art opening: “Wild West” Faculty and

students from UTSA’s “Wild West” campus celebrate Contemporary Art Month with a multimedia pop-up exhibition, open studios, ceramics and printmaking demos, and the creation of a large-scale steamroller print. Free, 1-7pm Saturday; UTSA Sculpture & Ceramics Compound, One UTSA Circle, (210) 364-9994.

Dream Song Tower Lighting Ceremony

Emblazoned with Selena lyrics and folkloric motifs (including local legend the Donkey Lady), San Antonio art star Cruz Ortiz’s large-scale public art project comes to light at a public dedication hosted by Councilman Rey Saldaña. Free, 7pm Wednesday; meets at Baptist Emergency Hospital Parking Lot, 7719 I-35 S.

Small Scale • Big Change Following a

theme of “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” SAY Sí’s 21st annual fundraising exhibition and silent auction brings together small-scale works created by more than 200 regional artists. Friday’s Final Auction Night includes cuisine and cocktails from area restaurants and bars. $60-$75, 7-10:30pm Friday; SAY Sí, 1518 S. Alamo St., (210) 212-8666.

FILM A Strike and an Uprising (in Texas) Anne

Lewis’ experimental documentary retells the 1938 San Antonio pecan shellers’ strike led by Emma Tenayuca and the 1987 organizing campaign of black workers at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. Free, 7pm Friday; Esperanza Peace and Justic Center, 922 San Pedro Ave., (210) 228-0201.

THEATER Teatro Mundial: 10 Minute Playfest

Local upstart Teatro Audaz observes World Theatre Day by inviting area theater companies to present 10-minute plays, with proceeds benefiting RAICES and the San Antonio AIDS Foundation. $20, 7:30pm Sunday; The Public Theater of San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Pl., (210) 733-7258.

COMEDY Funniest in South Texas Finals

Qualifying comics from a series of preliminary stand-up showdowns duke it out for the coveted title of Funniest in South Texas (FIST). $10, 8pm Thursday; Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805.

Helen Hong A comic and actor who

describes herself as “chronically single,” Helen Hong portrayed Janet Fung in the Coen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis,

voiced the Thistle Lady in the animated blockbuster Epic and has appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly and Wanda Sykes Presents Herlarious. $17, 8:30pm Thursday, 8pm & 10:15pm Friday-Saturday, 8pm Sunday; Improv San Antonio, 849 E. Commerce St., (210) 229-1420.

Donnell Rawlings To close out his special

From Ashy to Classy, Donnell Rawlings offers his own take on a time-honored tradition among African-American comics: the “white voice.” Rawlings (Ashy Larry on Chappelle’s Show) gets a lot of comedic mileage out of the disparity between races, but he insists the goofy white voice is something white and black people have in common. The implications of this joke could probably fuel a dissertation, but the closest Rawlings ever comes to lecturing is when he plays the title character in “Dr. Trill’s ‘Take It in the Face System’ Seminar.” $40, 8pm Wednesday; Jo Long Theatre, 226 N. Hackberry St., (210) 207-7211.

SPECIAL EVENTS Corona Paella Challenge Hosted by

restaurateur Johnny Hernandez with proceeds benefiting Kitchen Campus, this ninth annual event brings together an array of culinary talents to compete for prizes in three categories: Contemporary Paella, Modern Classical Paella and High School Paella. $25-$70 (includes samples and drinks), noon-4pm Sunday; Mission County Park, 6030 Padre Drive, (210) 335-7275.

San Antonio Flavor Tastier than ever,

San Antonio Flavor returns with cuisine samples from 30-plus local restaurants, craft beer and wine, signature cocktails, live music and a Culinary Showdown between chefs and celebs. $55 (benefiting Culinaria), 6-10pm Thursday; San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 227-0044.

San Antonio Wings & Beer Festival Eg

Collaborations spreads its wings for a fest featuring wing samples from an array of local businesses, cold Alamo Beer, an artisan market and live music by Let’s Parde and El Tule. $10-$50, noon-4pm Saturday; Alamo Beer Company Brewery, 202 Lamar St., (210) 872-5589.

CLASSICAL MUSIC Cameron Carpenter A Grammy-nominated

composer/performer unique among keyboardists, Cameron Carpenter boasts a repertoire that encompasses the complete works of J. S. Bach, original compositions and collaborations with jazz and pop artists. $29-$99, 7:30pm Saturday; Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 226-3333.

sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 19

African American Art Spring 2018 Something to Say The McNay Presents 100 Years of African American Art

FEBRUARY 8 | MAY 6, 2018

30 Americans

Rubell Family Collection FEBRUARY 8 | MAY 6, 2018 Lead funding for Something to Say: The McNay Presents 100 Years of African American Art and 30 Americans: Rubell Family Collection is most generously provided by Jane Stieren Lacy; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; USAA, Guillermo Nicolas and Jim Foster; Metropolitan Methodist Hospital; Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation; and San Antonio (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

Haiti’s Revolution in Art

Jacob Lawrence’s Toussaint L’Ouverture Series FEBRUARY 8 | MAY 6, 2018

4 Texans

The Next Chapter MARCH 1 | MAY 6, 2018 Lead funding for Haiti’s Revolution: Jacon Lawrence’s Toussaint L’Ouverture Series and 4 Texans: The Next Chapter is most generously provided by the Elizabeth Huth Coates Exhibition Endowment and the Arthur and Jane Stieren Fund for Exhibitions.

Bob Thompson, Untitled (detail), 1960-61.Oil on canvas. The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Foundation for the Arts © Estate of Bob Thompson; Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY.

mcnayart.org

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CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

ARTS + CULTURE

Shift in Focus

Clockwise from left: Kehinde Wiley, Equestrian Portrait of the Count-Duke Olivares; Glenn Ligon, America; Isaac Julien, Baltimore Series (Angela in Blue No. 1); Jacob Lawrence, The Rebels; Rozeal, Sacrifice #2; Nick Cave, Soundsuit

detail the violent history of race and sexuality in America. Covering nearly a century, “Something to Say” is presented in five parts, with categories such as “Reflections,” “Interiors” and “Essentials” showcasing everything from pensive portraits to domestic scenes and abstract works. Among the highlights are three of the museum’s latest acquisitions: The Cop MARCO AQUINO by Benny Andrews; Ghost: Rhythms: III by McArthur Binion; and Kwabena by Rashaad Newsome. All collages, these three acquisitions highlight the McNay’s artists, collectors and curators are making When former commitment to present a more inclusive a difference as museums shift their focus President vision of modern and contemporary art. away from mostly white, male artists to Barack Obama Fittingly, “Something to Say” is presented showcase artists from around the world, hand-picked Kehinde alongside “30 Americans: Rubell Family including women. Wiley to paint his Collection,” a traveling exhibition from Two stunning new exhibitions at the official presidential Miami that has been making its way across McNay Art Museum bring together the portrait, it marked a the country since 2009. The work in “30 watershed moment work of African-American artists from the Americans” includes provocative, politically in the career of the 1920s to the present. Gathered primarily charged work from the past three decades, from the groundbreaking collection of San 41-year-old artist. A rising star in the Antonio residents Harriet and Harmon Kelley, including Glenn Ligon’s neon sign America and Nick Cave’s sculptural Soundsuit. “Something to Say” features more than 50 contemporary art While it has been exhibited in other major works by iconic 20th-century artists as well world, Wiley is cities, including Washington D.C. and as younger emerging talents. Organized the first AfricanDetroit, the McNay’s presentation of “30 by René Paul Barilleaux, head of curatorial American artist Americans” marks the first time the show affairs at the McNay, “Something to Say” represented in has been seen within the context of a 100the National Portrait is the museum’s first survey of modern year trajectory. and contemporary African-American art. Gallery. Together, the two exhibitions take up For most of the 20th Rounding out the exhibition are works from the whole of the McNay’s Tobin Exhibition the local collections of Guillermo Nicolas century and the early 21st Galleries and make the point that Africanand Jim Foster, John and Freda Facey, and century, African-American American art is American art. As you make the McNay. The exhibition illustrates the artists were relegated your way through both exhibitions and reach breadth of African-American art — from to second-class status, the gallery’s back wall, a majestic, life-size the dignified portraits of Charles White, with little representation Elizabeth Catlett, and Charles Alston (artists painting by Wiley, Equestrian Portrait of the in museums and public Count-Duke Olivares, depicting an Africanheavily influenced by Mexican muralists collections across the American male on a galloping horse, and printmakers) to the subversive work country. In recent years, dominates the room. of Kara Walker, whose cut-out silhouettes however, efforts by

McNay exhibitions showcase breadth of African-American art

≥

‘Something to Say’ & ‘30 Americans’ $15-$20, 10am-4pm Wed, 10am-9pm Thu, 10am-4pm Fri, 10am-5pm Sat, noon-5pm Sun, 10am-4pm Tue through May 6, McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368, mcnayart.org. sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 21

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CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

SCREENS

This Boy’s

Life >

20TH CENTURY FOX

Love, Simon most accessible mainstream gay teen romance since — well, ever KIKO MARTÍNEZ

Unless you’ve been perusing the catalog of gay teen arthouse cinema and stumbled across recent gems like Beach Rats or Princess Cyd, it’s safe to say you haven't seen much interest in making movies in this genre. Even with critically acclaimed LGBTQ films like Call Me by Your Name and Moonlight getting the attention they deserve, a major studio has only now stepped up to tell a more mainstream coming-of-age story about a gay teenage character – someone who isn’t relegated to the role of “gay best friend.” Imagine Damian (“I want my pink shirt back!”) from 2004’s Mean Girls was given his own romantic comedy, or Patrick (Ezra Miller) from 2012’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower or that kid from Easy A who convinces Emma Stone to say they “lemon squeezed” so he could keep his sexual orientation under wraps. Where would we be with gay films if more of these characters were given the opportunity to do what their straight counterparts have been doing for decades — acting awkwardly around their crushes, flirting to their heart’s content and sharing with audiences what it’s like falling in love? With Love, Simon, 20th Century Fox has released the most accessible movie ever about the gay teen experience. The outcome is so charming, authentic and

emboldening, LGBTQ advocates should strike while the iron is hot and demand Marvel add a gay superhero movie to its franchise (unless, of course, you really think Deadpool’s sexual fluidity is going to be revealed in the upcoming sequel). In Love, Simon, which is adapted from the 2015 young-adult novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, actor Nick Robinson (Jurassic World) plays the title character, a closeted gay high school student who wants to tell someone about his “big-ass secret.” But he’s afraid of how his friends and family (Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel play his cool, progressive parents) will take the news. When fellow student “Blue” comes out anonymously online, Simon reaches out to him (also anonymously) in hopes of finding someone he can confide in. After months of intimate emails, both young men realize they have fallen in love with one another, yet question whether they should reveal their identities. But Martin (Logan Miller), an annoying theater classmate, tries to takes that choice away when he discovers Simon’s private messages and threatens to out him if Simon doesn’t agree to help him land a date with new girl Abby (Alexandra Shipp). The move will also affect the lives of Simon’s best friends Leah (Katherine Langford) and Nick (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.). While things get a bit Dawson’s Creek-y at times, director Greg Berlanti never allows the

narrative’s melodrama to overtake the more significant themes that make a film like Love, Simon a milestone for mainstream gay movies. Screenwriters Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, both scribes on TV’s This Is Us, capture the confusion, self-consciousness and internal chaos taking place inside Simon’s private world – with admiration for his character and for the situations he finds himself taking on alone. They also use humor effectively and cathartically, which expands Simon’s personality in such a way that audiences can see he’s clever (but not too clever) and likable, and still somewhat flawed. In one scene, he questions why gays are the only people who find it necessary to come out, and imagines what it would be like if his heterosexual friends had to sit their parents down and tell them they were straight. It’s a subtle but funny sequence that fits in perfectly with the film’s other heartfelt moments and its message about acceptance and tolerance. This will speak volumes to real teens in the same complicated position. Those same teenagers, however, should take note that Love, Simon — as easily accessible as it is — isn’t the only LGBTQ-friendly movie about teens that’s out there. You simply have to do a little research to find the indie versions of these stories on the fringes of cinema just waiting for someone to give them a chance. Still, Love, Simon is a nicely wrapped gift that’s been placed on your lap, so enjoy it. sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018• CURRENT 23

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CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

FOOD

Spoon

LIZ WARBURTON

YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IS CLOSING TOMORROW

And it’s your fault

≥

This winter was one of the worst in recent memory when it came to revenue, according to a few vocal restaurant owners. The weather and several freezes certainly didn’t help, but to get to the bottom of the problem we first have to look at San Antonio’s dining patterns. Residents are spending their dough on weekends. This is evidenced by long weekend waits between 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. (Ever tried going to Sea Island on Fridays during Lent? I rest my case). Essentially, restaurant owners and the staff that works for them live and die by whatever profit comes in on busy Friday and Saturday nights and during Sunday brunches. Last year, 40 restaurants closed their doors — that we knew of. Openings far outnumbered that, but can these new eateries survive on 12 days of moderate business per month? Slow days mean restaurants have to drum up business one of two ways — by slashing prices or adding entertainment. Mondays in Monte Vista mean $10 large pizzas at Barbaro while Southtown counterpart Hot Joy serves up ramen specials and cheap tiki drinks. On Wednesdays, the crowds go back for half-off wings. The specials often mean

R AI OR INE

JESS ELIZARRARAS | @JESSELIZARRARAS

the difference between 100 covers (seats) on weekdays and 250-plus on weekends. “We’re adding value via our food, and it can bring people out,” says Barbaro owner Chad Carey, “It means giving up a margin, but it’s important when you’re trying to keep the business healthy.” But value doesn’t always cut it. Chisme, which served up free chips and queso on Tuesday nights, now closes Monday and Tuesday evenings. “Brunch is a scene,” Carey says. “Wednesdays and Thursdays, we’d like for them to be busy.” This sentiment is echoed across the board, whether it’s a small sandwich and fried chicken shop on the Eastside or the latest ramen bar in the city. Again, the weather plays a huge part in San Antonio dining. “In our line of work, it’s the weather. It’s our side of town,” says Denise Aguirre of The Point Park & Eats and a partner of Dignowity Meats. “At The Point, we have to keep reminding people, ‘Hey, we’re here.’” Dignowity Meats presents its own set of problems.

Pearl

MARKET

The mostly outdoor business has received a few grants from the economic-development nonprofit SAGE, which helped them score a new sign and updates to the exterior. Aguirre and business partner Andrew Samia have tried to make the restaurant more comfortable in regards to the elements, and there’s a new 15-tap draft system, which she says allows them to support more local breweries. Then there’s the entertainment, which can tack on an extra $100 a night of operating costs for things like karaoke, trivia or acoustic sets. And dealing with the short attention span of diners is something even big names in San Antonio have to deal with. Jason Dady, who competed in last year’s Iron Chef Gauntlet and had his chance against Bobby Flay a few months later, has retooled the menu at The Bin Tapas Bar. Tapas are out, shabu shabu is in, as is the once dormant DUK Truck, which now serves Two Bros. BBQ Market ’cue. Even the Pearl isn’t immune to slow biz days despite aggressive and creative programming. The Bottling Department Food Hall, which opened in July, launched a happy hour last October with half-off drink specials and food specials from each vendor. “We depend on our weekend sales to carry our slow days,” says Jennifer Dobbertin, co-owner of Tenko Ramen. Tenko’s 26 workers, some of whom work ‘round the clock to keep broth production up, also depend on busy days. “There’s a really small weak spot of making money. But when it comes to your employees, you can’t just slash hours. It’s people’s livelihoods,” Dobbertin says. Still, the happy hour took some time to stick. Paying for DJs was something a behemoth like the Pearl can deal with, but smaller businesses struggle with the expense. Dobbertin puts it this way: “You can’t do it for three weeks and expect results and just give up. You have to let it build up.” It’s easy enough to help. Go out on a weeknight, when waits are shorter, you can grab a table with ease and you can truly catch up with friends and family. Can’t find a sitter? Take the kids. As a new-mom friend says, it’s easier and quieter to eat with a little babe during the week. “People ask me, ‘How do I become a regular at a restaurant?’ Well, it’s not going to happen at 8 o’clock on a Saturday,” Carey says. “That business is really appreciated from a restaurant and from the tipped employees who work the front of the house.” I’ll just let the Iron Chef say it. “If we want to be a world-class dining city, we have to eat out early in the week,” Dady said. “Monday and Tuesdays are the difference in making it and breaking it for many young chef-driven entrepreneurs. We are all busy on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s the weeknights that make the difference of success and failure.”

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26 CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

FOOD

Chef Q&A Meet Boiler House’s new executive chef One night, chef Bruce [Auden] had a fight with the pantry cook, and the guy quit and walked out. So Bruce came out into the dining room and grabbed me and said, “You, get back here.” (laughs) He threw me on the pantry station, and I fell in love. I worked with Bruce at old Biga for two years and then new Biga for five years. What else have you been up to? I was a chef de cuisine at a place called Eclipse Cafe for a while, but it’s closed now. It was at Northwest Military and Huebner Road. It was a New American bistro-style diner. We did mostly everything on a special board every day, and it was all from-scratch cooking with a lot of kosher inﬂuence (my chef was Jewish) so we did a lot of kosherinspired and traditional Jewish foods. I’ve worked on a couple of food trucks – the Institute of Chili with Ana Fernandez and a truck called Primo Passo Pizzeria, which was 100percent from scratch except for the cured meats.

JOSIE REES

When did you start at Boiler House? I started in May of 2012. It was six months or so after Jeff [White] had taken over. Jeff and I go way back – we worked at Biga together. I’ve known him for about 20 years.

JESS ELIZARRARAS | @JESSELIZARRARAS

≥

There’s a new executive chef in town. Jarrad Gwaltney, a 25-year service industry pro, has taken the helm at Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden, following the exit of long-time chef Jeff White. We sat down with Gwaltney to learn about his background, his palate and what he has in store for the restaurant in the coming months.

When did you start cooking? I started in this business, actually, as a busboy at Restaurant Biga when I was 18 years old. How old are you now? I’m 45. The original Biga, when it was on Locust?

How are your palates different? Should we expect a different direction any time soon? Boiler House will always be rooted in Texas grilled and comfort foods, so I won’t be changing the direction there. One difference that Jeff and I have is that he’s very rooted in the Deep South, coastal Southern cuisines. My experience has more of a Texas and Mexican inﬂuence. What kind of dishes have you served as specials? I make a mean duck mole. It’s a duck confit leg, smothered in a homemade black mole sauce. I like to braise things a lot. We’re very similar that way. I like to do an espresso-

braised pot roast that’s really good. I take a whole brisket and braise it in a really strong coffee and use the jus to make a sauce that kind of has this coffee influence. Any flavors you’ll be playing with for the new spring menu? I’m really interested right now in this outside shell of the saffron flower. I’d really like to bring that saffron flavor into some of our dishes. I’d also like to interject some more wild game in our menu. I’m looking at rabbit and venison for sure. What do you do when you’re not at Boiler House? I spend a lot of time working on my garden. I mostly grow ornamental, nothing edible usually. I do grow some herbs, though. I like to go to a lot of local art shows. I’m very fond of the Brick at Blue Star, I think it’s a fun place to hang out. And I love going to the theater with my mom – I’m a momma’s boy. We have season tickets to The Majestic Broadway series every year, so I do that at least once a month with her. Where are you from originally? I grew up all over the U.S. Both my parents were on and off in the military, first the Navy, then the Army. I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and then my parents started moving around: St. Louis, Hawaii, Washington D.C. Anything else folks should know? Being a chef at this level has always been a goal of mine. I’m super proud that my roots are here in San Antonio when it comes to my culinary knowledge and skill. Working under chefs like Jeff White, Bruce Auden and Martin Stembera have really molded me and really prepared me for this next level. The interview has been edited for length. For the full Q&A, visit sacurrent.com.

sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 27

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Tariff Trouble COURTESY OF RANGER CREEK BREWING & DISTILLING

Trump’s new aluminum and steel fees expected to squeeze area’s craft brewers and drinkers SANFORD NOWLIN

The Trump Administration’s controversial tariffs on imported metals could put the crunch on local craft brewers, which rely both on aluminum to package their products and steel to keep their production lines running. After President Trump ordered a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum and 25 percent on imported steel, San Antonio’s Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling received an email from its aluminum can supplier warning to expect a 9-10 percent price hike. “When you run through as many cans as we do, that’s pretty significant,” said T.J. Miller, co-founder of eight-employee Ranger Creek, which cans four beer varieties, including San Antonio Lager. “At the end of the day, we’re going to feel it.” The Beer Institute, whose members include both large and craft breweries, estimates the aluminum tariff alone could cost brewers and importers $347 million a year and result in 20,000 lost jobs. “The large brewers would tell you that the tariffs amount to a huge new tax on the industry,” said Bob Pease, president of the

Brewers Association, which represents breweries on the smaller end of the spectrum. “But the craft breweries are going to feel it the most, because they have much thinner profit margins.” The Commerce Department, which oversees tariffs, didn’t respond to the Current’s interview requests. However, Secretary Wilbur Ross said during a recent television appearance that the new aluminum tariff would only boost consumer prices by pennies per can. But even a 1-cent-per-can increase would mean a $960 million hit, according to the Brewers Association. And it would come as many smaller brewers are expanding their canning lines, ironically, because aluminum is less pricy than glass. Until 10 years ago, most packaged almost exclusively in bottles, but about a third of the 6,000 U.S. craft breweries now can at least one product. For example, 60-employee Real Ale Brewing Co. in Blanco, one of the region’s largest craft brewers, offers canned 12-packs of its most popular brews and packages its summer seasonal in aluminum exclusively.

“We were thinking of offering more sizes of cans, like maybe 16-ounce cans, but we may decide not to do that now,” said Jason Davis, director of brewing operations for San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing Co. If prices go up just a penny per can, his brewery faces $2,000 in additional costs for each truckload it receives. The big question, Pease said, is whether Trump, famously driven by whims, will keep the tariffs long-term — especially the one on steel, an essential component in virtually every piece of production equipment breweries use. That would stymie expansions and slow the industry’s growth. Craft brewers contributed $67.8 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016, according to the association, with Texas accounting for $4.5 billion of the total. “If the tariffs remain in effect, they’re going to hurt an industry that’s been a bright spot since the economy fell off the cliff in 2007,” Pease said. “If you’re thinking of doing a brewing expansion or hiring new people, I’d have to imagine they will have a chilling effect.” While drinkers probably should prepare

themselves for higher retail prices, local brewers said they’re wary about charging more in a highly competitive market – especially if their retail costs rise to over $9 a six-pack, usually considered a psychological barrier for beer buyers. New Braunfels’ Guadalupe Brewing Co., which cans three of its brews and has a fourth on the way, is taking a wait-and-see approach. Co-owner Anna Kilker estimates it would take a price hike of 20 percent or more on cans before she’d consider charging more. For now, she hasn’t heard any rumblings from her suppliers. “I guess they’ve got enough stock in their warehouses, plus there are still contracts,” she said. “We’re just going to let it ride.” While Ranger Creek, which significantly stepped up sales last year with the launch of San Antonio Lager, isn’t looking to curtail production or cut jobs, Miller said the company may be forced to find other ways to tighten its belt if the tariffs cut profits. “I’d like to hope calmer heads prevail, but if things continue, there will have to be tradeoffs somewhere,” he said. sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 29

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FEATURE: MUSIC

Four out of ﬁve professional musicians in SA rock day jobs to make ends meet

CHRIS CONDE

≥

It’s midnight on a Tuesday, and R&B singer Alyson Alonzo is wrapping up her set at Limelight on North St. Mary’s Street. Her audience is a crowd of 20 or so friends, fans and other musicians, many of whom have been watching Alonzo belt out her neo-soul melodies since 2009. At 31, Alonzo is a well-known name on San Antonio’s indie-music circuit. From ripping a heartfelt set at Maverick Music Festival in 2016 to the standing ovation for her cover of Radiohead’s “Lucky” with the youth orchestra YOSA at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, she’s proved to be an artist on the rise. But despite consistent gigging – from corporate events to music festivals and local shows – Alonzo still needs to hold down another job to make ends meet. That’s why, this Tuesday night, the soulful siren isn’t sticking around ‘til last call. She’s a supervisor for a pest control company and has to be at work at 5 a.m.

Alyson Alonzo

Alonzo’s style and stage presence are unique, but her struggle to both perform and pay the bills is common to many of San Antonio’s musicians. A recent citycommissioned study showed that 80 percent of local music professionals earn most of their income from work outside of music. That means your favorite San Antonio artists most likely also rock day jobs, and not by choice. The goal of the report, conducted by the nonprofit San Antonio Sound Garden, was to evaluate the state of the music industry and to see what it would take to grow San Antonio’s music economy, how to make it more attractive to outside industry professionals, and how much heavy lifting is required to get there. The study also evaluated current city policies that impact music, and what role the city’s Arts and Culture Department should play. But based on conversations with local musicians trying to make a living playing music, there’s probably not a lot city government can do to strengthen the scene. For her part, Alonzo’s attention is on club owners.

“I wish some of the venues that book national artists would pay local artists a little bit better,” Alonzo said. While she understands that some of the national acts coming through the Alamo City have their own payment guarantees, the singer is frustrated that the payout for locals isn’t more. “I just wish more people would honor the guarantee, you know? My guarantee isn’t ridiculous, and I do bring out a crowd, so I just don’t know why people have a problem honoring it.” Talk with enough San Antonio musicians, and you’re likely to hear the same concern. But performers and promoters I interviewed also said a lot of musicians have to get their acts together before they can expect to earn bigger paydays. How much venue owners pay performers depends partly on whether they have a talent budget or pay out a percentage of bar sales, according to Libby Day, director of operations at SATX Music, an independent media and event-management company that books shows sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 33

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Lonely Horse (left) and Garrett T. Capps

on building your own fan base and not trying to – the shortcuts really don’t work.” Hawkins and his band have been paying their dues on the local San Antonio livemusic circuit since 2003, playing places like Jack’s and Paper Tiger as well as touring nationally.

OSCAR MORENO

Brand Building

and promotes local artists. But part of it also comes down to how hard a band has worked to build a following. How many fans do they have who are willing to pay at the door to see their band for the umpteenth time? Day, who is also the marketing manager at Aztec Theatre, believes only a small number of bands put enough effort into promoting their music and live shows. One or two posts on social media won’ cut it. “There’s two ways people can look at it,” she said. “Do you want to take success into your own hands and be responsible for selling your product and getting people to invest their time and their money in what you love to do? Or do you want to be at the mercy of promoters and venues, and say, ‘Hey, we’d really like to make a hundred bucks tonight.’ OK, cool. What the fuck are you gonna do to make that happen?” Even more basic than beefing up their selfpromotion, a lot of acts have to work harder at perfecting their music and live performances. Honky-tonk musician Garrett T. Capps said he’d like to see more music venues that have an actual stage and professional production, including good lights and sound. But just as importantly, musicians should focus on recording and releasing

music that meets higher industry standards. Bands need to start releasing better quality recordings, in addition to learning how to properly market their music. “I realize this has to come before we get more music venues and more music fans,” said Capps, who also works as a production manager for World Audio & Lights, a production company that works corporate conventions and events in San Antonio and around the U.S. Capps isn’t the only one who feels that bands need to be held to a higher standard in SA. Jeanette Muñiz, host of KRTU’s Live and Local segment on the station’s Indie Overnight program, said bands need to take the initiative. In addition to taking their music seriously, they should treat it like a business if they want to be successful. “If this is a passion, then you will succeed,” she said. “If you’re just doing this as a hobby, don’t bother [trying to become a success], because music is brutal, music is honest, it will kill you, or it’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted. But you have to give it everything you have before you get anything back.” Muñiz, who is also a local musician and promoter, said bands should learn from established artists.

“We need to [hold] musicians to a basic music industry standard that other cities are implementing just to hire a band,” she said, noting that she requires bands that want to come on her program to have an electronic press kit. Phanie Diaz, of Girl in a Coma and Fea fame, said new bands should take whatever gig they can when starting out. At least that’s what she did when Girl in a Coma began playing shows. The drummer also co-owns the Bang Bang Bar and books performers regularly, so she’s no stranger to the mistakes a lot of fresh-outthe-garage bands make. “It boggles my brain,” Diaz said. “I see a lot of bands that don’t want to work for [success], and we had to work for it. That’s how we got our name out. Don’t act like a rock star. If it’s easy, you’re doing it wrong.” To Jonny Hawkins of San Antonio’s Nothing More, recently nominated for three Grammys, it’s all about the grind. “Most of the time our heads are down, and even if we’re getting charting positions, we’re like, ‘Cool. Alright, what’s next? What are we working on? How do we keep moving the ball forward?’” Hawkins said. “The only thing that builds your following and career is just focusing

In January, the Texas Music Office, a division of the governor’s office, named San Antonio a “Music Friendly Community,” making it the fourth Texas city to win the designation alongside Fort Worth, Austin and Denton. The TMO developed this program to highlight opportunities in each city’s local music industry, share information between the office and music-friendly communities and figure out how to best market each city’s musical offerings to the rest of the world. Over the next few months, the Department of Arts and Culture and the San Antonio Arts Commission’s Music Committee will work with the TMO and local performers to develop a “Music Strategic Plan” for the city of San Antonio. The plan is expected to be presented to city council in June. While this sounds promising, we’re not exactly sure what it all means, or what we can expect to see as a result, or when there will be any kind of improvement. And what about music festivals in San Antonio? Do they actually bolster our music industry? How about the overall economy? Graham Weston, co-founder and former chairman of Rackspace, seems to think so. He and one-time Rackspace President Lew Moorman helped finance a new music festival dubbed Botánica Music and Arts Festival, which featured acts such as Deftones, Lil Yachty, Logic and a sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 35

36 CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

FEATURE: MUSIC

COURTESY OF DEER VIBES

Deer Vibes

be a big part of that.” Festival organizers plan to bring Botánica back in 2019, according to their website. While this sounds like what Maverick Music Festival had already been doing – hosting a mix of national acts and local musicians and artists since 2013 – Maverick isn’t returning this April, said organizer Faith Radle. Femina-X frontwoman Daniela Riojas, who performed at Botánica – she’s also is a full-time photographer – said she believes the festival will be beneficial to the local music economy. “Yes, there’s the push and pull of us feeling like we’re being gentrified or our culture’s being taken from us and appropriated and used for commercial reasons,” Riojas said, referring to the use of “Botánica” in the event’s title. “At the same time, we also see a lack in our music economy and that artists

are having a difficult time with the day-to-day gigs, having enough funding for music videos and getting ahead in their career.” A weak music-festival scene, not always shooting for higher standards, not enough attention to self-promotion – these all factor into keeping ours a part-time music industry. But there’s still another big challenge. Even with all the sponsored social-media ads, street-teaming and Facebook event invites, if San Antonio audiences don’t start valuing and championing our own musicians, I doubt we’ll see much of a change. “If our community, just in their language, can talk about people and talk about how good the art is, [this] could create a culture of awareness [about the San Antonio music scene],” said Edwin Stephens, who’s played in several successful indie projects over the

Edwin Stephens of Fishermen

COURTESY OF FISHERMEN

few San Antonio bands. But organizers had to scale back the event, which was originally set for the Six Flags Fiesta Texas parking lot on March 3 and 4, to one day. They also lost headliners Major Lazer, Blackbear and Brett Young. To make up for the shortened schedule, the folks behind the fest granted ticket buyers full access to the park and added more artists. “Other cities have clearly benefited from large, locally owned, mainstream music fests,” Weston said in a news release. “And our hope is that Botánica can be that kind of festival for San Antonio. “I know firsthand from my years at Rackspace that our city is in a tough battle for young talent,” Weston said. “Young people often decide where to locate based on lifestyle choices, and shared music experiences can

sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 37

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FEATURE: MUSIC

3 3 0 e g r ay s o n s t MARCY GRACE BAND & THE GRAHAMS WED., MAR 21 • DOORS: 7 PM / SHOW: 8 PM

OSCAR MORENO

RMRS

years, including Blowing Trees and Fishermen. He’s also a founder of San Antonio Sound Garden, and bounces between recording and producing local musicians, performing his own music, and working with a copywriting firm. “San Antonio needs to be branded as a music city, but I think part of that – an even more important part of that – is the organic grassroots aspect of that, which means the community, at a grassroots level, needs to own the fact that we have an incredible music scene and incredible talent here. That needs to become part of our dialogue.”

MAR. 23 • SUNNY SWEENEY

LOZ AZTEX FEAT. JOEL GUZMAN & SARAH FOX THU., MAR 22 • DOORS: 7 PM / SHOW: 8 PM MAR. 24 • RED SHAHAN

It's Worth the Money This may seem obvious, but most of the local musicians and artists you see playing around San Antonio didn’t just all-of-a-sudden start rocking concerts on the St. Mary’s Strip. Most have spent years fine-tuning their craft and their live performances. And that’s what you’re paying for: the experience, the memory, the way the music made you feel, the thing that stays with you after you leave the venue. That has value, and it’s totally worth your money. “The creative class often has this conundrum that most vocations don’t – having to offer their art for less [than what it’s worth],” said Adam Tutor, who’s the community outreach director for San Antonio Sound Garden, teen outreach specialist for the San Antonio Public Library and a local musician. “There are those things that go into that conversation as an artist that a great deal of the population doesn’t know about.” Michael Christopher Garcia, who’s featured on this week’s cover and plays in the local band RMRS, said he would like to see more people paying attention at concerts and not being distracted by their phones or bar tabs. “You’re gonna make a musician so much happier [watching them play] rather than taking their fucking video,” Garcia said. “Listen to what people are playing. Don’t worry about the line at the bar, or closing out [a tab]. Don’t worry about what you’re gonna tweet.” Garcia is the director of technology at the Denver office of WeWork, which builds community office spaces. But he still performs in San Antonio. The musician said moving to Denver last October (he said he’ll be coming back to Texas soon) was as an opportunity to see what music scenes were like in other cities. He’s concluded there’s a strong music community in the greater San Antonio-Austin bubble. “At first, I was really stoked to leave,” Garcia said. But after a while he started to appreciate all that Texas had to offer. “A lot of it is the people, that family-oriented mindset that people have that really helps you in succeeding and believing in yourself.” Garcia and his band recently played with other local acts Deer Vibes, fronted by Michael Carillo, who owns the music venue Ventura, and Lonely Horse, whose drummer, Travis Hild, is a woodworker during the day and barbacks part-time at night at Barbaro. These bands have been active on the scene for over a decade, but almost all of their members still have to hold down day jobs. That says a lot. In our 300th year as a city, our music economy is probably as strong as ever, but we still need to push for full-time status. It’ll take a lot of work and the continued dedication of everyone who’s striving to strengthen the scene today. The aim is to make San Antonio a place for up-and-comers to grow and for veteran acts to thrive between tours.

RUBEN V FRI., MAR 23 • DOORS: 8 PM / SHOW: 9 PM MAR. 30 & 31 • RANDY ROGERS BAND

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samsburgerjoint.com sacurrent.com • March 21-27, 2018 • CURRENT 39

La Santa Cecilia • Brown Sabbath • Girl In a Coma Santiago Jimenez, Jr. • Money Chicha • El Conjunto Nueva Ola • Piñata Protest Brownout Presents

Femina-X • Bombasta • Eddie & the Valiants • Los #3 Dinners • More announced soon!

CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

MUSIC

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“Bill O’Reilly, eat a dick.” Sage words from Jeezy in “My President Is Black,” a Jay Z-featuring remix of his original 2010 track “My President,” which just happened to feature former Jay Z rap rival Nas. Before the collaborative anthem, Jeezy got his start in 2001 with the release of Thuggin’ Under The Inﬂuence, a southern hip-hop and crunk album that featured a track with Lil Jon, who produced some of the album. With new work due out sometime this year, Jeezy has remained a staple in the dirty south hip-hop community, the kind of person who will even open up his home to Hurricane Katrina victims. “I can only imagine what it was like to be there,” Jeezy said in an interview with MTV news. “There’s like 14 people in my crib I never seen a day before in my life, but I ain’t tripping. They can stay as long as they need.” Three cheers for the dirty south. 8pm, $15-$30, Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. WED

COURTESY OF DEF JAM PRESS

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COURTESY OF J BOOG

Sometimes I think terrible reggae passes for listenable reggae more often than its rock or hip-hop counterparts because... marijuana maybe? I don’t know. My point is that a lot of bad reggae exists, but J Boog, thankfully, is not that. Blending a perfect mix of brass, R&B vocals and subtle hints of pop, J Boog manages to rise above his yawn-worthy brothers and sisters in the genre to bring an interesting and enticing ﬂavor of reggae that’s rare and exciting. With Jesse Royal, Etana, $18-$75, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s, papertigersatx.com.

When I saw a picture and read a quick description of this electronic-pop duo from Austin (one of them supporting a pair of long, braided pigtails), I was like “cooooooooooool, another Ghostland Observatory rip-off.” However, thanks to a message from a trusted friend saying I absolutely needed to listen to a few of their tracks, I’m convinced these dudes’ synth-heavy pop tracks will make any fan of the general pop gamut want to check out their live set. $15-$17, 7pm, Alamo City Music Hall, 1305 E Houston St, alamocitymusichall.com. WED

BON JOVI It’s true, y’all. The Jersey zaddy himself announced the spring leg of his This House Is Not for Sale Tour, which kicks off in Denver. The Grammy-winning band will also celebrate their return to the road with the re-release of 2016’s This House Is Not For Sale with two brand-new songs, “When We Were US” and “Walls,” available via download and streaming partners. Not gonna lie, we’re definitely trying to figure out how to be his little “Runaway.” (See what we did there?) $39.50-$549.50, 7:30pm, AT&T Center, One AT&T Pkwy, (210) 4445000, attcenter.com. THU

COURTESY OF BON JOVI

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CURRENT • March 21-27, 2018 • sacurrent.com

MUSIC

When Olivia Newton-John LOL, oh, Riff Raff, ya crazy guy, you. First securing SUN announced in January our attention as a contestant on MTV’s From G’s that she’d be headed to To Gents in ’09, Riff Raff got the network’s logo San Antonio, we were more than tattooed on his neck, which basically meant he could use a little stoked about it because “MTV” to promote his mixtapes, use it on video-sharing Grease, duh. The four-time sites and upload his tracks for free to social media Grammy award-winning singer, listeners. Not to mention, Riff Raff even spit out his actress and community activist phone number in some of his songs, which garnered will make an appearance at the the attention of fellow odd-ball rapper Dirt Nasty, as Majestic, and we hope she’ll be well as Andy Milonakis. By 2011, Riff Raff was signed bustin’ out a few Grease tunes as to Soulja Boy’s label S.O.D. Money Gang Inc. Since well as ‘80s anthems “Physical” then, he’s signed with Diplo’s Mad Decent label and and “Twist of Fate.” Not only has released both mixtapes and albums. In 2016, Riff Raff Newton-John pumped out the hits, even began his own label, Neon Nation Corporation. she also has held many humanitarian That same year, he collaborated with DJ Afterthought and environmental causes close to to release Balloween, which features guests spots her heart. Olivia served as Goodwill from Skepta, Quavo and DJ Paul to name a few. Ambassador to the United Nations $15-$50, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., Environment Programme, was the papertigersatx.com. co-founder of Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (now Healthy Child, Healthy World), and, in 1992, created National Tree Day in Australia, which has since planted more than 10 million trees. Most recently she co-founded One Tree Per Child, an international school initiative with the goal of having every child under the age of 10 plant at least one tree (awwww). $45-$99.50, 8pm, Majestic Theatre, (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.com. What ruled music in the early-to-mid aughts TUE in music? Was it cheesy rap/pop songs like “I’m Real” by Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez? Or Eve and Gwen Stefani’s “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”? Maybe infectious pop hits like “Like I love You” by the then-newly-solo Justin Timberlake? Or shit like Nickelback? Whatever the 2000s were in music, no one could escape the poppy singer-songwriting of acts like Vanessa Carlton, John Mayer, and “Mr A-to-Z” himself, Jazon Mraz. And look, it’s not like we’re bashing Mraz. In fact, it’ll probably be dope to see the singer perform his stripped down acoustic set, since so much music from the era was way overproduced. But for $50? I guess that’ll be up for you to decide. $49.50, 7:30pm, The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 2238624, tobincenter.org. FRI

COURTESY OF OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN

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Spirit Adrift

Spirit Adrift sound like a project that maybe the late Cliff Burton would’ve fronted after leaving Metallica because of Lars’ bullshit. The similarities to Metallica’s old work is a little eerie, and while these dudes sound like they grew up on Metallica’s catalog (as well as a number of other metal acts from the late ’70s and ’80s), the singer sounds nothing like James Hetfield and there are enough moments of experimental noises and echoes to give them their own identity. Old school? Yea. But isn’t that where metal is again? 8pm, $10, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. SUN

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MUSIC CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 Bru’s Tunes Live acoustic music by Bru’s Tunes. Free. La Hacienda De Los Barrios, 6-9pm. Jeezy Hip-hop artist from Atlanta performs over two decades of original music on The Cold Summer tour. $35-$57. Aztec Theatre, 7pm. Missio Pop rock duo from Austin performs with artsy/indie-pop singer-songwriter Morgan Saint from NYC. $15-$18. Alamo City Music Hall & Club, 7pm. Tamir Hendelman Trio-Radio show taping Widely regarded for his work as musical director for Barbara Streisand, The Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, The Jeff Hamilton Trio, and Natalie Cole, worldrenowned pianist Tamir Hendelman and his trio take the stage. $20. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11 pm.

THURSDAY, MARCH 22 The Blues Lawyer Performing covers from Clapton, BB King, Muddy Waters, and other musicians. Free. Hidden Tavern, 8-10pm. Bon Jovi Global rock icon and newly announced Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame 2018 inductee Bon Jovi is bringing the spring leg of his This House Is Not for Sale Tour. $29.50-$444.50. AT&T Center, 7pm. Los Aztex Relying on their traditional and urban sensibilities, Los Aztex reach deep into the ocean of American music to create a sound as seamless as water. The Texasbased group is led by accordion whiz Joel Guzman and singer-songwriter Sarah Fox. $10-$40. Sam’s Burger Joint, 7pm. Tamir Hendelman Trio World-renowned pianist Tamir Hendelman performs live. $20. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23 Alicia Villarreal Mexican singer-songwriter from Monterrey performs hits from across five studio albums. $49-$129. Aztec Theatre, 7pm. Da$h Rap artist and ASAP Mob affiliate from New Jersey makes his first high-profile appearance. $8. Paper Tiger, 7pm. Fox and Bones A night of folk-pop music, quirky banter, and general debauchery. Free. Sancho’s Cantina, 9pm. The Iron Maidens All-female heavy metal band from Los Angeles covers Iron Maiden hits. $16. Alamo City Music Hall & Club, 7:45pm. New Orleans Night Pierre Poree of New Orleans and friends join South Texas jazz musician Doc Watkins to perform live $25. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm. Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John, an internationally renowned four-time

Grammy Award-winning singer, actress, and community activist, is taking the stage to perform decades of original songs. $45$99.50. The Majestic Theatre, 8pm. Ruben V Texas artist performs a smooth blend of Latin, blues, soul and rock. $10$50. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm. Uncle Lucius – Farewell Show Americanafolk band steeped in classic rock’n’roll and the blues performs their final stop in Uncle Lucius’ farewell tour and shares the stage with the Folk Family Revival. $15. Gruene Hall, 8pm.

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Alabama Alabama introduced rock-style guitars, lights, pyrotechnics and new sounds to the country audience. It’s the band that changed everything, bringing energy, sex appeal and a rocking edge that broadened country’s audience and opened the door to like-minded bands. They reeled off 21 #1 singles, a record that will probably never be equaled in any genre. $69.50-$225.00. The Majestic Theatre, 8pm. Doc Watkins and His Orchestra South Texas jazz musician Brent “Doc” Watkins and his orchestra perform live. $30. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm. Fortunate Youth High-energy reggae sextet from Hermosa Beach, Calif., with special guest Ballyhoo!, a rock, pop, reggae band from Aberdeen, Maryland. $15-$70. Sam’s Burger Joint, 7:30pm.

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SUNDAY, MARCH 25 DeadEye Grateful Dead Tribute from Austin founded in 2010 by Joe Faulhaber and Shadd Scott. DeadEye celebrates the entire catalog. Loyal to tradition while bringing a fresh, modern approach to the Dead’s music. $10-$40. Sam’s Burger Joint, 6pm. Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff reinvented himself as a Lone Star country-rocker when he moved to Austin in the '70s. He became, along with Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel, one of the arbiters of the internationally famous Austin musical community. $79. Gruene Hall, 7pm.

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Spirit Adrift Doom metal band from Phoenix takes a giant leap into the songwriting process, production and confidence on the second album Curse of Conception. $10. Paper Tiger, 8pm.

MONDAY, MARCH 26 Neil Frances Electronic dance duo from LA plays upbeat tempo magnetic electronica alongside electro groove artist Pink Leche. $10-$12. Paper Tiger, 7pm. Swing Nite with Two Tons of Steel American rockabilly and Texas country band from San Antonio play upbeat tunes for swing nite. $7-$10. Sam’s Burger Joint, 7pm.

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I’m a 26-year-old cis queer woman. My best friend has identified publicly as asexual for the past two years. She constantly talks about how since she doesn’t “need” sex, this means she is asexual. She does have sex, however, and she enjoys it, which I know isn’t disqualifying. But she also actively seeks out sex partners and sex. But, again, she insists that because she doesn’t “need” sex the way she presumes the rest of us do, she is asexual. I have an issue with this. I’ve never had partnered sex and never really felt the need or desire for it. I’m plenty happy with emotional intimacy from others and masturbation for my sexual needs, and I do not particularly desire a romantic or sexual partner. My friend gets offended if anyone questions her label, which occurs often in our friend group as people try to understand her situation. I usually defend her to others since she’s my friend, but as a person who is starting to identify more and more as asexual, I’ve grown annoyed at her use of “asexual” as her identifier, to the point that this may be starting to affect our friendship. I’ve kept silent because I don’t want to make her feel attacked—but in the privacy of my own head, I’m calling bullshit on her asexuality. I don’t particularly want to come out as asexual to her, given the circumstances. Am I just being a shitty gatekeeping asexual? Do I need to just accept that labels are only as useful as we make them and let this go? Actually Coitus Evading Asexuality — it’s a real thing. “Several population-level studies have now found that about 1 percent of individuals report not feeling sexual attraction to another person — ever,” Dr. Lori Brotto writes in the Globe and Mail. Dr. Brotto has extensively studied asexuality, and the data supports the conclusion that asexuality is a sexual orientation on par with heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. “[Asexuality] is not celibacy, which is the conscious choice to not have sex even though sexual desires may endure,” Dr. Brotto writes. “Rather, for these individuals, there is no inherent wish for or desire for sex, and there never has been. They are asexuals, though many prefer to go by the endearing term ‘aces.’” Asexuality — it’s a point on a spectrum and it’s a spectrum unto itself. “There is a spectrum of sexuality, with sexual and asexual as the endpoints and a gray area in between,” says whoever wrote the General FAQ at the Asexual Visibility and Education Network website (asexuality.org). “Many people identify in this gray area under the identity of ‘grayasexual’ or ‘gray-a.’ Examples of gray-asexuality include an individual who does not normally experience sexual attraction but does experience it sometimes; experiences sexual attraction but has a low sex drive; experiences sexual attraction and drive but not strongly enough to want to act on them; and/or can enjoy and desire sex but only under very limited and specific

circumstances. Even more, many gray-asexuals still identify as asexual because they may find it easier to explain, especially if the few instances in which they felt sexual attraction were brief and fleeting. Furthermore, [some] asexual people in relationships might choose or even want to have sex with their partner as a way of showing affection, and they might even enjoy it. Others may want to have sex in order to have children, or to satisfy a curiosity, or for other reasons.” As for your friend, ACE, well, according to the Protocols of the Elders of Tumblr, we’re no longer allowed to express doubt about someone’s professed sexual orientation or gender identity. So if Republican US senator Larry Craig of Idaho gets caught trawling for dick in an airport bathroom — which he did in 2007 — and insists it was all a misunderstanding because, you know, he’s 200 percent straight, well, then he’s straight. (And if Jeffrey Dahmer says he’s a vegetarian…) So even if your friend pulls the cock from her mouth and/or the pussy off her face only long enough to shout, “I’M ACE,” before slapping her mouth back down into someone’s lap, then she’s ace, ACE. Maybe in the same way Larry Craig is straight, your friend is asexual — or, hey, maybe she’s asexual in the “gray-a” sense, i.e., under certain circumstances (awake, aware, conscious, alert, sentient), she experiences sexual attraction. Or maybe she’s not a gray-a who identifies as ace but an actual asexual who is having sex for “other reasons.” A person doesn’t have to be celibate to be asexual or to identify as asexual, ACE, and until there’s an asexual accreditation agency — which there never will be and never should be — we’ll just have to take your friend’s word for it. But just as asexuality is a thing, ACE, so too is bullshit. Denial is a thing, and sex shame is an incredibly destructive thing. Like the guy who has a lot of gay sex but refuses to identify as gay or bi, it’s possible your friend is just a messy closet case — a closeted sexual, someone who wants sex but doesn’t want to be seen as the kind of person who wants sex since only bad people want sex. Some people twist themselves into the oddest knots so they can have what they want without having to admit they want it. But even if it sounds to you (and me) like your friend’s label is suspect, you should nevertheless hold your tongue and allow her to identify however she likes. Ask questions, sure, but challenging her label will only damage your relationship (or further damage it) and make you feel like a closeted, gatekeeping ace. And if you find yourself getting annoyed when your ace-identified friend starts in on how she doesn’t really “need” all the sex she’s having, ACE, do what I used to do when I had to listen to guys I knew for a fact were having tons of gay sex (because they were having it with me) go on and on about how they didn’t really “need” cock: smile, nod, roll ’em over, and fuck ’em in the ass again. (Feel free to swap “change the subject” for “roll ’em over” and “leave the room” for “fuck ’em in the ass.”) mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): The “School of Hard Knocks” is an old-fashioned idiom referring to the unofficial and accidental course of study available via life’s tough experiences. The wisdom one gains through this alternate approach to education may be equal or even superior to the knowledge that comes from a formal university or training program. I mention this, Aries, because in accordance with astrological omens, I want to confer upon you a diploma for your new advanced degree from the School of Hard Knocks. (P.S.: When PhD students get their degrees from Finland’s University of Helsinki, they are given top hats and swords as well as diplomas. I suggest you reward yourself with exotic props, too.) TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Europeans used to think that all swans were white. It was a reasonable certainty given the fact that all swans in Europe were that color. But in 1697, Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh and his sailors made a pioneering foray to the southwestern coast of the land we now call Australia. As they sailed up a river the indigenous tribe called Derbarl Yerrigan, they spied black swans. They were shocked. The anomalous creatures invalidated an assumption based on centuries of observations. Today, a “black swan” is a metaphor referring to an unexpected event that contravenes prevailing theories about the way the world works. I suspect you’ll soon experience such an incongruity yourself. It might be a good thing! Especially if you welcome it instead of resisting it. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Crayola is one of the world’s foremost crayon manufacturers. The geniuses in charge of naming its crayon colors are playful and imaginative. Among the company’s standard offerings, for example, are Pink Sherbet, Carnation Pink, Tickle Me Pink, Piggy Pink, Pink Flamingo, and Shocking Pink. Oddly, however, there is no color that’s simply called “Pink.” I find that a bit disturbing. As much as I love extravagant creativity and poetic whimsy, I

think it’s also important to cherish and nurture the basics. In accordance with the astrological omens, that’s my advice for you in the coming weeks. Experiment with fanciful fun, but not at the expense of the fundamentals. CANCER (June 21-July 22): According to Vice magazine, Russian scientist Anatoli Brouchkov is pleased with the experiment he tried. He injected himself with 3.5-millionyear-old bacteria that his colleagues had dug out of the permafrost in Siberia. The infusion of this ancient life form, he says, enhanced his energy and strengthened his immune system. I can’t vouch for the veracity of his claim, but I do know this: It’s an apt metaphor for possibilities you could take advantage of in the near future: drawing on an old resource to boost your power, for example, or calling on a well-preserved part of the past to supercharge the present. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Booze has played a crucial role in the development of civilization, says biomolecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern. The process of creating this mind-altering staple was independently discovered by many different cultures, usually before they invented writing. The buzz it provides has “fired our creativity and fostered the development of language, the arts, and religion.” On the downside, excessive consumption of alcohol has led to millions of bad decisions and has wrecked countless lives. Everything I just said is a preface to my main message, Leo: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to transform your habitual perspective, but only if you do so safely and constructively. Whether you choose to try intoxicants, wild adventures, exhilarating travel, or edgy experiments, know your limits. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The astrological omens suggest that the coming weeks will be favorable for making agreements, pondering mergers, and strengthening bonds. You’ll be wise to deepen at least one of your commitments. You’ll stir up interesting challenges

if you consider the possibility of entering into more disciplined and dynamic unions with worthy partners. Do you trust your own perceptions and insights to guide you toward ever-healthier alliances? Do what you must to muster that trust. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you want people to know who you really are and savor you for your unique beauty, you must be honest with those people. You must also develop enough skill to express your core truths with accuracy. There’s a similar principle at work if you want to know who you really are and savor yourself for your unique beauty: You must be honest with yourself. You must also develop enough skill to express your core truths with accuracy. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to practice these high arts. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your journey in the coming weeks may be as weird as an R-rated telenovela, but with more class. Outlandish, unpredictable, and even surreal events could occur, but in such a way as to uplift and educate your soul. Labyrinthine plot twists will be medicinal as well as entertaining. As the drama gets curioser and curioser, my dear Scorpio, I expect you will learn how to capitalize on the odd opportunities it brings. In the end, you will be grateful for this ennobling respite from mundane reality! SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence,” wrote philosopher Erich Fromm. I would add a corollary for your rigorous use during the last nine months of 2018: “Love is the only effective and practical way to graduate from your ragged, long-running dilemmas and start gathering a new crop of fresh, rousing challenges.” By the way, Fromm said love is more than a warm and fuzzy feeling in our hearts. It’s a creative force that fuels our willpower and unlocks hidden resources.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): My goal here is to convince you to embark on an orgy of self-care — to be as sweet and tender and nurturing to yourself as you dare to be. If that influences you to go too far in providing yourself with luxurious necessities, I’m OK with it. And if your solicitous efforts to focus on your own health and well-being make you appear a bit self-indulgent or narcissistic, I think it’s an acceptable price to pay. Here are more key themes for you in the coming weeks: basking in the glow of self-love; exulting in the perks of your sanctuary; honoring the vulnerabilities that make you interesting. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): One day, Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison decided to compose his next song’s lyrics “based on the first thing I saw upon opening any book.” He viewed this as a divinatory experiment, as a quest to incorporate the flow of coincidence into his creative process. The words he found in the first book were “gently weeps.” They became the seed for his tune “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Rolling Stone magazine ultimately named it one of “The Greatest Songs of All Time” and the tenth best Beatle song. In accordance with the astrological omens, I recommend you try some divinatory experiments of your own in the coming weeks. Use life’s fun little synchronicities to generate playful clues and unexpected guidance. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Millions of you Pisceans live in a fairy tale world. But I suspect that very few of you will be able to read this horoscope and remain completely ensconced in your fairy tale world. That’s because I have embedded subliminal codes in these words that will at least temporarily transform even the dreamiest among you into passionate pragmatists in service to your feistiest ideals. If you’ve read this far, you are already feeling more disciplined and organized. Soon you’ll be coming up with new schemes about how to actually materialize a favorite fairy tale in the form of real-life experiences.

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD by Matt Jones

“WHAT AM I DOING HERE?”—SOMEHOW IN THE MIDDLE. ACROSS

1 1998 Apple rollout 5 #, outside of Twitter 10 Dog in early kiddie lit 14 “You’re in trouble!” 15 Buddy, slangily 16 Russian speed skater Graf who turned down the 2018 Winter Olympics 17 Request in exchange for some ones, maybe? 19 “Roseanne” of “Roseanne” 20 Confused 21 It’s sung twice after “que” 23 “Uh-huh” 24 Prepares leather 27 Bedtime, for some 29 Golden-coated horse 33 The Rock’s real first name 36 66 and I-95, e.g. 37 Surveillance needs, for short 39 1966 Michael Caine movie 40 Pound sound 41 Io’s planet 43 “You’ve got mail!” company 44 “The Great Gatsby,” for one 46 Harry and William’s school 47 General feeling 48 Some circus performers 50 Split into splinters 52 Harnesses for oxen 54 Garden of Genesis 55 Scrooge’s outburst 57 Bacon portion 59 Search (through) 63 Shaped like a zero 65 Sand down some

menswear? 68 NPR correspondent Totenberg 69 Wonderstruck 70 Bauxite, et al. 71 “Electric Avenue” singer Grant (who turned 70 in 2018) 72 “I Got Rhythm” singer Merman 73 Abbr. in a Broadway address

DOWN

1 Greek vowel 2 Castle surrounder

3Affirmative responses 4 Snack notable for its residue 5 Retiring 6 Org. that honors sports legends 7 Author Kingsley 8 Bridge fastener 9 Looked closely 10 Convulsive sigh 11 Demand for your favorite band to perform at a county gathering? 12 Beast 13 Camping need 18 Palindromic address with

Answer on page 19. an apostrophe 22 1978 Nobel Peace Prize co-winner Sadat 25 Preemie’s ward, for short 26 Rickman, in the “Harry Potter” films 28 Buddy 29 “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Chris 30 Heart chambers 31 Walked away from the poker table with cards face down? 32 Leaves off 34 Mythical weeper (and namesake of element #41) 35 Caught lampreys 38 Took the wrong way? 41 People who cut you off in traffic, say 42 Oklahoma city near Oklahoma City 45 Shortest of the signs 47 Meat that somehow sparked a 2017 Arby’s craze 49 Pic taken alone, or together (as the name doesn’t suggest) 51 Extremely 53 Canonized figure 55 Fibula or ulna 56 Dedicated 58 Dullsville 60 Emotion that’s unleashed 61 Claim on property 62 Crafty website 64 Make some eggs? 66 Ma who says “baa” 67 Blanc with many voices

THIS MODERN WORLD by Tom Tomorrow

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