San Antonio Current – June 20, 2018

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CURRENT | June 20-26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

in this issue San Antonio Current

Issue 18_25 /// June 20-26, 2018

Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Greg Jefferson

Editorial

Senior Editors: Bryan Rindfuss, Jessica Elizarraras Art Director: Carlos Aguilar Food & Nightlife Editor: Jessica Elizarraras Staff Writers: Chris Conde, Sanford Nowlin Digital Content Editor: Sarah Martinez Contributors: Alexis Alvarez , Ron Bechtol, Erik Casarez, James Courtney, Callie Enlow, Jose Garza, Dan R. Goddard, Alejandra Lopez Gonzalez, Lance Higdon, Steven G. Kellman, Hannah Lorence, Michelle C. Lorentzen, Abby Mangel, Kiko Martínez, Jeremy Martin, Kelly Merka Nelson, M. Solis, Gary Sweeney, J.D. Swerzenski, Kelsey Valadez, Erin Winch Editorial Interns: Tehua Cruz, Alex Czaja, Alisa Pierce, Megan Rodriguez, Lori Salazar, Camille Sauers, Victoria Wilson

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33 Feature

Ram Won’t Rest

The Viva Tacoland brawl is over. But the anger remains.

BY G R E G J E F F E R SO N

07 News

Crisis on the border

A new study documents abuses at Texas’ immigrant detention facilities that go beyond family separation

Glitter Political

Greg Brockhouse: A Driven Dude

Wired City

3 locations across SA will be test areas for smart technology

14 Calendar

Our top picks for the week

21 Arts

A Snapshot of SA for Its 300th Birthday Tricentennial book offers a trove of stories and reflections

23 Screens

Book Thieves

Director Bart Layton creates a new

46 Etc

Savage Love, Crossword Puzzle, Astrology, This Modern World

way of storytelling in heist film American Animals

Misery Loves Company The Seagull is a pity party for tiresome characters telling tiresome stories

25 Food

The Big Spoon

Food Costs Money: Burger edition

All Coasts

Villa Rica’s hits outshine its few misses

Coffeeshop Coolers

Refreshing ways to beat the heat this summer

Futbol Faves

Where to catch all the action this World Cup

39 Music

Ritual Bloom

The Holy Knives Debut EP Is Sexy AF

Music Top Picks

On The Cover: Friends and fans of Ramiro “Ram” Ayala, the late owner of Taco Land, remain upset about Viva Tacoland. But the fight is over, and gentrification won.

Illustration by Ana Garcia Art Direction by Carlos Aguilar

news Shutterstock

Crisis on the border A new study documents abuses at Texas’ immigrant detention facilities that go beyond family separation

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

T

he stripping of undocumented children from their parents is just one of many outrages occurring at Texas detention facilities under the Trump Administration’s zero-tolerance immigration policy, according to a new study.

In addition to the family separations now seizing headlines, immigrants at detention sites have called out the government for sexual assault, harassment, lack of legal representation and inadequate access to medical and mental health care, according Human Rights First, which interviewed 147 detainees plus attorneys, non-profit legal assistance providers, public defenders and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement representatives for its study. The group looked at conditions in Texas facilities including the South Texas Detention Complex in Pearsall, southwest of San Antonio, and other facilities

used by ICE in Houston, Conroe, Taylor, El Paso, Laredo and Sierra Blanca.

“The Trump Administration’s campaign to detain vulnerable people desperately seeking protection in the United States is part of a broader attack on the asylum and refugee systems, designed to punish people fleeing for their lives,” said Eleni Bakst, the study’s primary researcher.

The report, Ailing Justice: Texas, comes as the Trump Administration faces growing criticism for its family-separation policy, which church groups, children’s advocates and politicians decry as inhumane. Over the past few days, some Republican lawmakers have also joined the chorus.

ICE officials didn’t respond to the Current’s request for a comment. However, Trump himself seemed to double down on the policy Monday, telling reporters the United States “will not be a migrant camp” on his watch.

Human Rights First’s study lists numerous incidents of alleged abuse from facility staffers, ranging from racist comments and unjustified use of force to failure to provide medical care. At two of the facilities, immigrants reported retaliation for filing grievances, including time in solitary confinement. Women detained at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center near Austin reported sexual assault by facility officers.

Beyond the individual allegations of abuse, the study also found the length of the detentions — some longer than a year — violated immigrants’ rights by cutting off access to due process. Only 28 percent of

Texas detainees have legal representation, according to the study.

But even those with legal representation have been caught up in the system’s hamster wheel. For example, a Mexican journalist has been held for almost a year at the El Paso center even though his asylum request is supported by the National Press Club and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

While Trump’s hardline Attorney General Jeff Sessions seems unlikely to reverse course on the zero-tolerance policy, the report makes suggestions for fixing problems at the detention centers. Those include: · Ending punitive detention for immigrants and focusing on less costly and more humane alternative-detention methods · Supporting access to legal representation for immigrants · Strengthening standards and oversight of detention facilities · Making sure detainees have adequate health care Without some kind of federal course correction, the study paints a picture of a situation likely to grow worse as more immigrants are warehoused in prison-like conditions.

“In many Texas facilities, ICE has essentially stopped granting parole to asylum seekers, with a few exceptions, leading to unnecessary, lengthy and prolonged detention,” Bakst said.

“Many Texas facilities used for immigration detention are actually criminal jails or have conditions identical to those in prisons. These difficulties, coupled with substandard medical and mental healthcare, exacerbate the suffering of traumatized individuals.”

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news | glitter political Greg Brockhouse: A Driven Dude

BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA

W

hile calling his time at City Hall “glorified temp work,” City Councilman Greg Brockhouse also describes it as a crash course in the complexities of group dynamics and a taste of life in the municipal spotlight.

But in the here and now, it doesn’t seem to matter much to Brockhouse whether his time in office ends up being a single-term adventure or a career stepping stone. He acknowledges having a “perception issue,” but is clearly hungry to unseat Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

With artful conviction, a few curious contradictions and limitless energy, Brockhouse, who has something to say about almost every issue, is challenging norms. He is continuing to make a name for himself as the smack-talking, selfproclaimed arbiter of “transparency” at City Hall, where he has far more enemies than friends.

At age 45, Brockhouse doesn’t have any grand expectations for his legacy as a District 6 councilman. Surrounded by patrons at Tink-A-Tako on the city’s Northwest Side, he presents the example of former President Barack Obama who, after eight years in the Oval Office, boarded a helicopter and flew off, leaving the keys to the White House to his florid archnemesis.

“I know I have this gift for a very short period of time,” says Brockhouse, wearing a black shirt with his German surname in white, embroidered font – a name that’s been readily on the lips of journalists and city officials alike.

His spectacles and schoolboy haircut charmingly offset his combative, sometimes eloquent, style on the dais where he’s engaged in tempestuous debates with his council colleagues and Nirenberg on a weekly basis for the past year. Perhaps one of the most impassioned council member in years, Brockhouse is unique and unpredictable and says he’s out to “change the system.”

He leans over my plate of tacos and reiterates, “Like I’m out to upend the

Jade Esteban Estrada

whole system.”

When he asks for “tortillas de maíz,” I take the opportunity to ask if he’s Hispanic, trying my best not to sound like one of Rachel Dolezal’s early inquisitors. When he confirms that he’s “51-percent Hispanic” on his mother’s side, he adds that he takes extra care to explain or remind others of his dual heritage.

His brows raise just a smidge when he asks, “[You think] you have the market corner on Hispanic ’cause your last name’s Estrada and mine’s Brockhouse?”

And just like that, my dad’s surname teleports me into the arena.

But anyone who’s observed Brockhouse in public knows his personality, combined with his strong beliefs, can make even the mildest interaction a pay-per-view event.

Brockhouse says that not only does he feel he’s fighting for his constituents and the issues important to them, he also believes he’s in a conflict for the right to be himself on a governing stage that doesn’t seem to welcome personal authenticity. “I can’t be me,” he says.

“That’s lost at City Hall.”

He goes down a list of moving, admirable tidbits about nearly every council member, including Nirenberg, whom he calls a great husband and father. Brockhouse says he concentrates on this list of positive attributes when he feels he’s being personally maligned during council meetings. “The most disappointing thing I struggle with is that they don’t offer that to me,” he says, adding that almost any disagreement

with council members receives “a visceral response.” His cadence slows.

“And that sucks,” he says pointedly.

He was most likely referring to the council meeting on March 8 when council members debated several appointments to SAWS’s board of trustees. After Brockhouse questioned the credentials of Amy Hardberger, associate dean of St Mary’s University School of Law and daughter of former Mayor Phil Hardberger, D5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales accused him of sexism, prefacing her comments with an Oscar-worthy microphone grasp. It seems that while most men are learning to walk on eggshells when it comes to gender issues, Brockhouse’s unfiltered nature bursts through the screen like the deleted scenes of a Ford Ranger commercial.

Brockhouse says that sometimes when he’s on the dais, he says the rosary in this head. “I’ll say the ‘Hail, Mary’ and pray, ‘Dear God, help me say the right thing at this moment and help me to forgive.’” He energetically greets someone behind me with a quick wave, then looks at me directly. “Forgiveness isn’t for the person forgiving. Forgiveness is for yourself, man.” Brockhouse, who feels that a regimented style of faith suits him, converted to Catholicism in 2007.

As a proponent of increasing transparency, he is ruffling the feathers not just of his senior council members but of City Manager Sheryl Sculley and her staff. “City Hall is not the type of environment that likes to go on the record,” says Brockhouse,

who in 2011 dipped his big toe in the political waters of City Hall when he became chief of staff to then-incoming Councilman Rey Saldaña.

“I don’t care if I lose the vote,” Brockhouse says. “I care how that vote was taken.”

Brockhouse finds the practice of conducting city business behind closed doors unsettling. “The public’s right to know overrides the government’s right to withhold information.” He takes the city opting last month to pass on the 2020 Republican National Convention as an example of behind-the-scenes, politically-driven decision-making. “[Some] people don’t want Donald Trump here. Fine,” he says with a dismissive blink of this eyes. “But have the nerve to have the conversations on the record in public so at least it’s fair.”

After winning or losing a vote, Brockhouse says he cuts the cord and moves on to the next issue. This ability to keep going could insure his political survival if he spins the wheel in the next election. “If I’m not with you on this issue, I’ll be with you on the next one,” he says with a light-hearted shrug.

When asked about his ultimate goal – the objective that fuels his every move – he replies, after an uncharacteristically thoughtful pause, that he wants his children to know that, although he may falter from time to time, he’s not the sort to give up. His eyes begin to tear up.

“I’m choked up because I’m so fucking happy to be here,” he says. He tells me about the time his father, a Lutheran pastor, gave the opening prayer at one of the council meetings. It was a moment he says he will remember long after his political life is over.

“If I lose in May [2019], these people don’t get that I’ve already won. They’ll never take [that] away from me,” he says. He adds that he still hopes his naysayers will one day give him the opportunity to be himself. “If they could just see who I am,” he says with a soft squint. “But they don’t.”

But that’s politics.

“Yes, and that’s the shitty part about it,” he says. “And that really hurts – but I did ask for this job. I can’t go around complaining, ‘Hey, you’re hurting my feelings.’”

After our interview, we take a few outdoor photos. When I ask him to look out into the distance, he says, “This is how cynical the world is – they’ll think that this interview is all bullshit.”

Maybe. But some people may feel that it’s not. sacurrent.com | June 20-26, 2018 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | June 20-26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

news

Shutterstock

Wired City

3 locations across SA will be test areas for smart technology

BY MEGAN RODRIGUEZ

S

an Antonio is in the early stages of installing smart technologies in three designated “innovation zones” – Brooks, the Medical Center and downtown.

In 2017, the city launched SmartSA and partnered with CPS Energy, SAWS, VIA Metropolitan Transit and the San Antonio River Authority. This year, the partners decided to create innovation zones to test new technologies before implementing them across the city, following cities including Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas and Kansas City that have similar pilot programs.

Chief Innovation Officer Jose de la Cruz said the team wants to test new

technologies that can improve mobility, access to services and the city’s use of energy and water. Cruz said the most important part of the innovation zones is to gather information on what types of solutions work best for San Antonio.

“Without infrastructure and data, the smart city concept really goes nowhere,” Cruz said. “It’s all about the data we can attain from this to make better data-influenced decisions.”

Each of the three areas were selected for specific challenges they face and potential benefits they each offer. The 1,300-acre community at Brooks provides a mini city concept that allows SmartSA to test flooding, drainage and

public WiFi improvements. With an estimated 260,000 vehicles going in and out of the Medical Center every day, the team will try to ease traffic congestion and improve parking and pedestrian safety. Downtown will allow the partners to test lighting improvements in addition to trying out parking and pedestrian-safety ideas.

Several other U.S. cities are already rolling out smart technologies and innovation zones. Kansas City, Missouri, is one of the most advanced smart cities in the nation with their implementation of sensors for air quality, pothole predictors, advertising kiosks and more.

Kansas City has spent more than $2 million to roll out its smart-city program. But Bob Bennett, chief innovation officer for Kansas City, said the benefits far outweigh the costs.

“There are almost no cons,” Bennett said. “The mission of the city has not changed. Because of that, we are able to do things more efficiently, more

effectively and faster in regard to maintenance or in regard to identifying problem sets. There is not a whole lot of downside to that.”

Beginning in 2014, Dallas also began deploying smart-city technologies.

Through partnerships with companies such as AT&T and the Dallas Innovation Alliance, the city was able to develop their version of an innovation zone called a Living Lab at the West End Historic District downtown in 2017.

Jennifer Sanders, executive director and co-founder of DIA, said creating innovation zones is hard, but beneficial, work.

“Creating a visual destination that citizens can see and experience can help to educate and engage on what smart cities are and the benefits,” Sanders said. “This extends to other audiences like city departments, students, etcetera. Economic development very often results from these investments in innovation and infrastructure. Empowering startups and small businesses drives business growth and job creation. It’s hard for me to think of downsides to creating these zones.”

Sanders said she believes San Antonio has several advantages when it comes to smart-city technologies.

“San Antonio has all of the elements of success, and I think there is a lot of great work already being done in civic, startup and innovation space,” Sanders said. “It is a strong hub for cybersecurity, a critical area for the public and private sectors, and your Chief Innovation Officer Jose de la Cruz has done a great job.”

While the city is still in the early stages, Bennett said San Antonio is on the right track.

“I think San Antonio is ahead of the curve,” Bennett said. “I think strategy-wise San Antonio is extremely advanced. ... It is just trying to figure out how to get all of these components financed and implemented into other city operations, which is a hard thing to do.”

Throughout the next year, the SmartSA partners will continue to identify problems in the three locations across the city by talking to residents and hosting a vendor summit before officially instituting the innovation zones.

“This is our concept,” Cruz said.

“This is the way to move the smart-city program forward for the benefit of the entire city to learn about the emerging technologies are out there that we can benefit from.” sacurrent.com | June 20-26, 2018 | CURRENT

11

JUST 2 MORE WEEKS LEFT TO

VOTe VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS TO DO IN SAN ANTONIO, IN 150+ CATEGORIES!

SACURRENT.COM/BESTOFSA18

June 21 • 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Dive. Turn. Work.

Let’s Have a Screening!

Get a glimpse into New York City’s thriving underground ballroom scene with a special screening of KIKI, followed by a not-to-be-missed evening of dancing and vogueing featuring DJ The Wayne Holtz.

A survey of contemporary LGBTQI+ artists of San Antonio exhibiting multidisciplinary works in recognition of Pride Month FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Curated by Sarah Castillo of Lady Base Gallery Featured Artists: Agosto Cuellar, Anel I. Flores, Gustavo A. Garcia, Kimberly Hopkins, Julián Pablo Ledezma, Michael Martínez, Antonia Celeste Padilla, Kristy Perez, Debora Kuetzpal Vasquez, Jose Villalobos, David Zamora Casas, Juan Zavala Castro

Exhibition Dates: May 17, 2018 – July 13, 2018 Culture Commons Gallery 115 Plaza de Armas, San Antonio, TX 78205 Mon-Fri | 8am – 5pm #getcreativesa | getcreativesanantonio.com | 210-206-ARTS

Space is limited!

RSVP TODAY via email to arts@sanantonio.gov About KIKI: It's a larger-than-life world in which LGBTQ youths of color are empowered by staging elaborate dance competitions that showcase their dynamic choreography, fabulous costumes, and fierce attitude. It's also a safe haven for struggling, at-risk teens who find acceptance, support, and friendship within the Kiki community. Granted intimate access to the scene, filmmaker Sara Jordeno introduces viewers to some of Kiki culture's most prominent personalities, going beyond the glamour of the balls to highlight the serious challenges facing queer black and Latino young people, bringing together heartrending personal stories with incredible displays of creative expression.

USA. 2016. English. 94 min. Color. Unrated.

WED | 06/20 TALKS PLUS

‘HIDDEN FROM HISTORY: 300 FUN FACTS FROM SAN ANTONIO’S LGBTQ PAST’

As part of its mission to collect and preserve “unique research materials documenting the diverse histories and development of San Antonio and South Texas,” the UTSA Libraries Special Collections houses archives dedicated to interests ranging from Mexican-American history and the Tex-Mex food industry to activism and gender studies. As UTSA assistant archivist Melissa Gohlke pointed out when Special Collections acquired a “treasure trove” of vintage periodicals from the Digital Transgender Archive, “LGBTQ materials are a collecting priority.” That particular priority comes into focus this week with “Hidden from History: 300 Fun Facts from San Antonio’s LGBTQ Past,” a talk presented in conjunction with the San Antonio Public Library’s Pride month programming. With a wink at the Tricentennial, Gohlke’s presentation promises to “uncover 300 (approximately!) fascinating facts about our city’s LGBTQ past and help bring these stories to light.” Free, 6:30-7:30pm, Central Library Auditorium, 600 Soledad St., (210) 207-2500, mysapl.org. — Bryan Rindfuss UTSA Libraries Special Collections

THU | 06/21 FI LM

KIKI 5

It’s tough to find a review of Swedish filmmaker Sara Jordenö’s 2016 documentary Kiki that doesn’t reference Jennie Livingston’s iconic 1990 film Paris Is Burning. (The New York Times went so far as to call Kiki “a spiritual descendant of Ms. Livingston’s film.”). Co-written

by Jordenö and Twiggy Pucci Garçon (a New York City-based “ballroom gatekeeper” who founded the Opulent House of Pucci and works with Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund), Kiki indeed picks up many of Paris Is Burning’s fascinating threads as it follows at-risk LGBTQ youth who’ve found families within the Harlem ball culture that reached the public eye in the 1980s. But while Livingston’s doc focused more on the performative aspects of that culture (including competitive vogueing, categories such as

Sundance Selects

“butch queen” and “executive realness,” throwing shade and going “mopping” — read: shoplifting — for a new outfit), Kiki brings to light a new generation of performers involved in a subculture built around activism and awareness. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter last year, Kiki co-star Gia Marie Love explained, “Kiki is a political statement, because kids ages 13 to 24 are among the highest at-risk groups in our country. The Kiki scene was created to provide education to

that at-risk group through many different outlets.” Exemplified by a cast that addresses pressing issues LGBTQ youth of color face, from HIV/STI prevention to transphobia and homelessness, Kiki prioritizes survival and resilience over theatricality and competition. But there’s plenty of fierce theatrics, too. As the Reporter summed it up, Kiki is an “innately political film,” one that offers “an all-access pass to the dance-offs among various houses whose very names are a guarantee of streetwise theatricality — from the House of Amazura to the House of Unbothered Cartier.” As part of the programming accompanying the city of San Antonio’s Pride month exhibition “We Are,” Culture Commons hosts a screening of the Teddy Award winner to be followed by “an evening of dancing and vogueing featuring DJ The Wayne Holtz.” Free, 6:30-10pm, Culture Commons Gallery, 115 Plaza de Armas, (210) 206-2787, getcreativesanantonio. com. — BR

THU | 06/21 MUSIC + DANCE

FLAMENCO IN THE PARK

Billed as a “monumental initiative” built around gastronomy, music and dance, and art and architecture, Pearl’s summer-long Tricentennial program Olé imports a talented array of Spanish chefs, performers and artists to “celebrate, collaborate, and explore San Antonio’s 300-year connection to Spain.” While brimming with ticketed events and dinners at Pearl Stable, Cured, Hotel Emma, The Granary and Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery ($25$150), the series also features a number of offerings that are free and open to the public. Among the first arrivals is Primitivo Daza, a Madrid-based flamenco dancer, actor and opera star celebrated for his work with the National Dance Company of Spain. Promising to “share the soul of Spain with San Antonio,”

ON SALE FRIDAY! MAJESTIC THEATRE

SEPTEMBER 11 14

CURRENT | June 20-26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

THU | 06/21 SUN | 06/24 COMEDY

KOUNTRY WAYNE 5

It might’ve taken a little “soul searching” for him to realize a career in the music industry wasn’t in the cards, but when comedian Kountry Wayne saw that he could make people laugh, he knew he had found his calling. Originally from Millen, Georgia, Wayne, who considers himself a humble guy looking to leave behind a “faith-based legacy,” will grace the Laugh Out Loud stage with his brand of stand-up for four consecutive nights. Incredibly active on Instagram, Wayne has garnered over a million followers who come to his social-media site to listen to him do things like sing along to gospel music while driving, eat vegan ice cream and cake and urge his male followers to “strap on twice” if they don’t plan on being a good dad.

Wayne has eight children of his own from five different women and is open about his extended family. Fairly new to the game (he uploaded his first video to the web in 2014), Wayne’s online presence is evident. In one

Courtesy of Kountry Wayne

sketch, Wayne asks his friend if he’s trying to kill him by serving him inedible chicken and rice prepared by his white girlfriend.

Let’s hope Wayne’s comedy is a lot more flavorsome. $27.50-$50, 8pm Thu, 8pm & 10:15pm FriSat, 8pm Sun, Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805, lolsanantonio. com. – Kiko Martinez

THU | 06/21 TALKS/ LITERATURE

‘LOVE AND POLITICS IN THE ARABIC POETIC TRADITION’

Locals with an abiding interest in Arabic society, culture and literature may not find too many opportunities, outside of our city’s fine libraries, to pursue their passion. This Friday’s talk then provides an exciting opportunity for engagement. This in-

depth lecture — delivered by Dr. Suzanne Stetkevych of Georgetown University, a renowned expert on the topic — will focus on the beauty, technical prowess and legacy of the Arabic poetic tradition. With a scope as wide as “Love and Politics,” coupled with the long and rich history of Arabic poetry, Stetkevych will have her hands full as she seeks to illuminate how poetry can, across cultures, facilitate, investigate, preserve, and interrogate both social and personal modes of meaning and of being. Free, 5:30pm, Mexican Cultural Institute, 600 Hemisfair Plaza Way, wacofsa. org/events. — James Courtney

FRI | 06/22 FILM

LOVE, SIMON 5

With Pride month in full swing, it should come as no surprise that folks are already revisiting Love, Simon, a PG-13 film we dubbed “the most accessible gay teen romance since — well, ever.” In addition to popping up on listicles such as Variety’s recent “20 Movies and TV Shows to Stream for Pride Month,” the film’s coming back into focus only three months after its release through community screenings, including this one hosted by Southtown’s Sexology Institute and Boutique. Adapted from Becky Albertalli’s 2015 young-adult novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and set in a Georgia suburb, the film

calendar

Daza’s free performance in Pearl Park features support from a company comprising five musicians and three dancers. Free, 7:30-9pm, Pearl Park, 303 Pearl Pkwy., (210) 212-7260, atpearl. com/ole. — BR

follows closeted young Simon (Nick Robinson) on a digital-era coming-of-age journey that involves falling in love with a fellow student via anonymous correspondence. Although criticized for eschewing some of the source material’s juicier bits (The New Yorker called it “chaste” and said director Greg Berlanti’s “balancing act for the mainstream leaves little room for the physical expression of gay love”), the film contained enough gay content (which ultimately boils down to a kiss) to warrant a recent ban in India — during Pride month no less — prompting disgruntled fans to take to Twitter using the hashtag #ReleaseLoveSimoninIndia. Free, 8pm, Sexology Institute and Boutique, 707 S. St. Mary’s St., (210) 487-0371, sexologyinstitute.com. — BR

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ART

FRI | 06/22

‘SPAIN: 500 YEARS OF PAINTING FROM THE MUSEUMS OF MADRID’

The Summer of Spain is upon us. Just a few days ago, Spanish royalty King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia concluded their three-day stay in the Alamo City and headed back home. The distinguished visitors were in town, of course, to commemorate San Antonio’s deep Hispanic roots as a part of the ongoing Tricentennial celebration.

But, the royal couple’s visit was also well-timed in that it served as a fine appetizer for this week’s landmark opening of “Spain: 500 Years of Painting from the Museums of Madrid” at SAMA. This truly grand and prestigious exhibition, which features many works of art that have never been on view in the United States before, boasts more than 40 masterpieces from throughout the last five centuries of Spanish painting, all culled from major collections in Madrid. As such, this special show gives visitors a chance to get in touch with our city’s Spanish roots via work of some of the finest artists in the history of the world — from El Greco to Goya, from Velázquez to Sorolla, Picasso and beyond. To go along with this exhibit, SAMA’s Summer of Spain is a supplemental series loaded with worthwhile happenings, including a Museum Ball, special tours, gallery talks, relevant movie screenings, arts and crafts opportunities, and much more. $13-$20, 10am-5pm Sat, 10am-5pm Sun, 10am-9pm Tue (through September 16), San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org. — JC

FI LM + TALK

WILLIAM SHATNER PRESENTS STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN 5

For anyone who has ever wanted to ask questions of the stars of their favorite movie, this unique event is just the thing for you. Assuming, of course, that your favorite movie is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The one and only William Shatner, actor, director, author and ace product hawker, will be on hand for a screening of the 1982 classic entry in the Star Trek universe, and will stay around following the film to share stories, provide insight, and humor the audience’s questions concerning the wildly successful film. With a star less loquacious (read: less in love with the sound of his own voice), this might not be such a momentous occasion — but you can bet Shatner is here to dish the good stuff late into the night. While VIP meet-and-greet tickets are already sold out, there is still time to get your regular ticket to this special event. $39.50-$178, 7:30pm, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, tobincenter.org. — JC

FRI | 6/22 SUN | 6/24 TH EATER

RIVER CITY STORIES

Beyond inspiring us to dig a little deeper into San Antonio’s unique history, the Tricentennial has left more than a few locals in an extended state of reflection, pondering our personal histories here and feeling nostalgic for what’s no longer here — lost loved ones, bygone haunts and The Way Things Were in decades past. Written, designed and directed by Mellissa Marlowe and billed

16

CURRENT | June 20-26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

Rory Lewis

as “the almost completely true memoir of a San Antonio girl,” Jump-Start Performance Co.’s new production River City Stories wanders down a similarly nostalgic path as it revisits cherished or changed locales such as the unassuming music mainstays of Casbeer’s and Los Padrinos as well as the OG incarnations of long-running Mexican eatery El Mirador, stopped-in-time diner Earl Abel’s and legendary punk-rock dive Taco Land. Drawing from Marlowe’s Alamo City experiences during the 1980s, the original play employs Eraina Porras, Keli Rosa Cabunoc, Nathan Thurman, Adrian Uresti and Julio Sepulveda as performers navigating an era distinguished by “late nights, San Anto blues, greasy-cheesy enchiladas … and loud and proud drag queens mixing with Keep San Anto Metal.” $10-$12, 8pm Fri-Sat, 3pm Sun, Jump-Start Theater, 710 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 227-5867, jump-start.org. — BR

TUE | 06/26 FILM

OSCAR SHORTS

Former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant won an Oscar?! Yes, it’s true, and you can see the four-minute, animated film Dear Basketball and the nine other live-action and animated shorts that were nominated for an Academy Award earlier this year at Texas Public Radio’s next Cinema Tuesdays event. Along with Bryant’s short, which was based on a letter he wrote for The Players’ Tribune in 2015 about his retirement from basketball, the other animations are Garden Party, featuring frogs and toads hanging out in an abandoned mansion; Negative Space, a stop-motion short about a father and son bonding over packing the perfect suitcase; LOU,

SAT | 06/23 TUE | 06/26 Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

Pixar’s entry about a lost-and-found box with a mind of its own; and Revolting Rhymes, based on poetry by late author Roald Dahl. On the live-action side of things, the screening will include Oscar winner The Silent Child, which explores deafness from the perspective of a little girl; De Kalb Elementary on a school shooter; The Eleven O’Clock on a psy-

chiatrist and his delusional patient; My Nephew Emmett on the 1955 Emmett Till murder; and Watu Wote: All of Us on a group of Muslims who protected a Christian woman during a bus ride in eastern Africa. $10-15 suggested donation, 7:30pm, Santikos Bijou Theatre, 4522 Fredericksburg Rd, (210) 6148977, tpr.org. – Kiko Martinez

June 23–September 16

El Greco!

Velázquez!

Goya!

SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM of ART 200 West Jones Avenue | San Antonio, TX

samuseum.org Carlos and Malú Alvarez Caption: Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664); Saint Isabel of Portugal (detail), ca. 1635; Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid P01239; © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.

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CULTURE

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FRI, JULY. 27 • The Doseum

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SAN ANTONIO MUSIC SHOWCASE

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SAN ANTONIO BEER FESTIVAL

SAT, OCT. 20 • VIP: 12 PM • GA: 1:30 PM Dignowity & Lockwood Parks

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calendar THEATER

Assassins Promising to “alter your perception of history and the conspiracies that formed our great nation,” John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim’s controversial musical boldly transcends time as assassins justify their actions with wit, humor and a sense of understanding. $10-$40, 7:30pm Friday-Saturday, 2pm Sunday; The Public Theater of San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Pl., (210) 733-7258.

Stay Golden! A Golden Girls Parody With nearly all its cast members having long kicked the bucket (save for the incomparable 96-year-old Betty White), The Golden Girls is one 1980s sitcom that will probably not get a reboot. But for those hellbent on getting their Golden Girls fix, a new play by the local theater company Killer Productions might just hit the spot.

Directed by Jose DeHoyos and written by Dave Cortez, Stay Golden! A Golden Girls Parody revives classic moments from the beloved sitcom. But there’s a twist: The female roles are played by actors in drag. $10-$20, 8pm Friday-Saturday, 4pm Sunday; Woodlawn Pointe, 702 Donaldson Ave., (210) 480-5786.

FILM

Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four Deborah Esquenazi’s critically acclaimed documentary details the wrongful conviction of the “San Antonio Four,” four Latina lesbians whose prosecution was arguably fueled by homophobia.

The film will be followed by a Q&A led by journalist Michelle Mondo, who investigated the innocence claims of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh and Anna Vasquez. Free, 2pm Sunday; Central Library, 600 Soledad St., (210) 207-2500.

Major! The Esperanza Peace & Justice Center screens filmmaker Annalise Ophelian’s award-winning 2015 documentary following the life and campaigns of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a 77-year-old black transgender woman and Stonewall Rebellion veteran who has been fighting for the rights of trans women of color for more than 40 years. Free but donations appreciated, 7pm Saturday; Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave., (210) 228-0201.

Ms. 45 & Death Wish Video Dungeon Theatre hosts an outdoor evening of oldschool vigilante/grindhouse fare pairing Abel Ferrara’s 1981 crime thriller Ms. 45 (starring Zoë Lund as a mute seamstress who goes on a killing spree after being attacked and raped twice in one day) and Michael Winner’s 1974 classic Death Wish, following a New York City architect

(Charles Bronson) who becomes a killing machine after his wife is murdered by street punks. Free, 9pm Thursday; Oak Hills Tavern, 7920 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 614-8855.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Adopt the Runway! Fashionable Adoptions takes over Brick at Blue Star with a premiere event designed to help eradicate euthanization around the globe. Emceed by Michael Quintanilla, Adopt the Runway! showcases fashions created by four local designers (Giovanna DiZurita, Golden Skyy, Jose Ramirez and Fabian Diaz) alongside “amazing animals that need fabulous homes to go with their fabulous outfits.” All the animals that walk the runway will be available for adoption. $25-$45, 6-9pm Wednesday; Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, (210) 262-8653.

Roller Derby Bout Traders Village welcomes the Heart Of Texas Skaters for an adult bout with the Cosmic Vixens (11am) and junior bouts with the Lonestar Chaos (1pm & 3pm). Free, 11am-4:45pm Saturday; Trader’s Village, 9333 SW Loop 410, (210) 623-8383.

Workshop: Cardboard Construction Local artist Chris Sauter often cuts precise patterns in walls and then uses the cutouts to make a related sculpture, leaving both wall and sculpture as the finished work of art. In conjunction with his installation in the McNay’s new exhibition “Immersed,” Sauter leads guests in the creation of a three-dimensional design using repeated shapes cut from cardboard. $10-$25 (registration required at mcnayart.org), 10:30am-1:30pm Saturday; McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368.

“Zoorassic Park” The San Antonio Zoo’s summer exhibit employs more than a dozen life-sized dinos and other prehistoric creatures to challenge guests to “rethink extinct.” $14.25-$17.50 (free for kids 2 and under), 9am-5pm Wednesday-Friday, 9am-6pm Saturday-Sunday, 9am-5pm Monday-Tuesday; San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 734-7184.

LGBT

‘How Humanitarian Efforts Can Help the LGBTQ Populations of the World’ Often, LGBTQ immigrants and refugees’ home countries encourage or promote the abuse and persecution of these individuals. Join the World Affairs Council and the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce to hear from people who have participated in humanitarian efforts aimed at helping these people find safety in a new nation. $5-$15, 5:30pm Tuesday; Guillermo’s, 618 McCullough Ave., (210) 308-9494.

DISCOVER THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT

Let us know what you think! Join us at an open house or take part in our virtual meeting.

Times and more details available online at VIAinfo.net/ RapidTransit

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arts

A Snapshot of SA for Its 300th Birthday Tricentennial book offers a trove of stories and reflections

BY JAMES COURTNEY

A

s our fair city nears the midpoint of the book will inspire its year of Tricentennial festivities, others to look deeper recollections and commemorations, into all facets of San a new book from Trinity University Antonio’s history. And, perhaps for the histoPress aims to tell the story — in a casual, deeply rians of tomorrow, the book will inspire more human, not necessarily scholarly or exhaustive academic investigation and kindle a passion for kind of way — of San Antonio and Bexar County. telling this city’s stories yet untold.

The book, smart and modern in design/layout “I think the value of the book is simply to and positively yearning for the savvy San Antolook at what was documented in the book, pick nian’s coffee table, is entitled 300 Years of San out what remains to be documented and being Antonio & Bexar County. It was edited by writer documenting now so we don’t lose those stories and San Antonio native Claudia Guerra and over the next 300 years,” she explained when features writing and photography from more asked about the historical value of the book. than 45 contributors.

Guerra, who works as a cultural historian with With section titles such as “We Are All Visitors the City’s Office of Historic Preservation, mused Here,” “Becoming San Antothat a comprehensive nio,” “The Soul of San Antohistory would take many nio,” and “San Antonio and years and many volumes, 300 Years of San Antonio the U.S. and the World,” and but believes that “this book & Bexar County Book individual essay topics like will launch that compreLaunch and Celebration with “First Americans: Integral to hensive edition or series of Readings by Contributors Building the Frontier Comvolumes.”

Free, 2:30-4:30pm Sun, July 15 munity,” “The Advent of the From the outset of her (210) 999-8884 Canary Islanders,” “Jewish work on 300 Years, Guerra SAY Sí San Antonio,” “Tejano “engaged with people Legacy in San Antonio and from academic levels as 1518 S. Alamo St. Texas,” “African American well as everyday levels and tupress.org Settlements in San Antonio from varied backgrounds and Bexar County,” “The to give [her] ideas on Historical Narrative of San Pedro Creek,” “Cartas, approach, themes and topics.”

Novelas y Librerías,” “Conjunto Music and San “Based on my knowledge and input from diverse Antonio,” and “The Birth of Latino Rights Organiperspectives we tried to make sure there were a zations,” 300 Years explores an impressive cross variety of voices included,” she explained. section of our city’s complex history and culture.

The book’s contributors represent a diverse The book aims to come across as inclusivity/equiarray of San Antonio communities, age groups ty-minded while keeping the page count low and and organizations, and the tone of the pieces the reader’s workload light. vary, producing a feel of plurality and wide The relatively breezy read is more like a perspective. If it doesn’t provide all the importseries of vignettes and essays out of time than ant facts and stories from our city’s first 300 a historical treatise. years, it is all the better for it. It leaves the work Nevertheless, Guerra, communicating with to do, it suggests the work, it begs the questions. the Current via email last week, does hope that It provides much needed context to the history

Collection of Lewis Fisher

300 Years of San Antonio & Bexar County Trinity University Press | 256 pages | $32.50

of San Antonio — as it has been written and as it will one day be written.

Guerra, asked what she sees as the key takeaways of 300 Years, summed it up well: “It is a story book. The key takeaway, I think, is how all of these stories interweave to tell a complete story. San Antonio is a complex place with multiple layers of time, people, identity and even geography weaving together. Sometimes those stories conflict with each other. I hope this book makes San Antonio feel like the intriguing place it is. A place where one can come and transform into something new, complicated and wondrous.

Think about that. That’s exactly what happened to our earliest ancestors here — from the first people here (the indigenous), the second people (the European), even people like Travis and Crockett — all coming here to begin new lives. In doing so, they created a unique place.”

The book, and the release event to celebrate it, are exciting and momentous occasions for San Antonio and come highly recommended for those who prize the sharing of our separate and entwined stories as important to developing a better understanding of each other and what our city can be.

300 Years of San Antonio & Bexar County Book Launch Free, 10am-noon Wed, June 20, Trinity University, Lobby of the Center for Science and Innovation, One Trinity Pl., (210) 999-8884, tupress.org.

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22 CURRENT | June 20-26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

Director Bart Layton creates a new way of storytelling in heist film American Animals

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

I

n the 2012 true-crime documentary The Imposter, filmmaker Bart Layton tells the bizarre story of a French conman who manages to infiltrate the life of a San Antonio family by making them believe he is their kidnapped son. It’s one of those stranger-than-fiction yarns that is as baffling as it is fascinating. Now, with American Animals, Layton’s first feature narrative of his career, the director/writer identifies another unusual, headline-worthy tale and constructs

Misery Loves Company The Seagull is a pity party for tiresome characters telling tiresome stories

D

uring her decade-long career, three-time Academy Award nominated actress Saoirse Ronan has been a champion of independent cinema. While some of those films have reached incredible heights like Brooklyn, Lady Bird and The Grand Budapest Hotel, Ronan has hit a small rough patch with her last two less-than-stellar outings – On Chesil Beach and her most recent, The Seagull.

Adapted from a late 19th-century play of the same name by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, The Seagull is a narrative that is probably fine as a stage production, but when put on film feels inelegant and amateurish.

Many of the film’s problems lie at the feet of director Michael Mayer (Flicka), whose career successes have come mostly from his work

an unprecedented type of film that blends genres in an extremely effective way.

Based on true and possibly true events, American Animals follows four college students who planned to carry out a high-dollar heist inside the library of their school, Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.

The score: an assortment of rare books and manuscripts, including John James Audubon’s Birds of America and Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. The players: Warren Lipka (Evan Peters) and Spencer Reinhard (Barry Keoghan), two friends who are dissatisfied with their lives and want to do something to flip the script. When Warren and Spencer realize the job is bigger than a two-man operation, they recruit fellow students Eric Borsuk (Jared Abrahamson) and Chas Allen (Blake Jenner) to round out what they, in their eyes, see as a foolproof scheme.

While this might sound like your run-ofthe-mill heist movie, Layton makes sure on Broadway, where he won a Tony Award for the musical adaptation of 2006’s Spring Awakening. Sadly, Mayer is unable to create much of a pace or focus during what is, thankfully, a fleeting 98-minute stopover with a cast of particularly grating characters.

Set in a country estate not far from Moscow, the film stars Ronan as Nina, a love-struck young woman who lives nearby and comes for frequent visits to see Konstantin (Billy Howle), an aspiring playwright who views the modern theater as “trite and riddled with clichés.” He lives there with his uncle Sorin (Brian Dennehy) and the estate’s manager Ilya (Glenn Fleshler), his unhappy wife Polina (Mare Winningham) and their even unhappier, vodka-drinking daughter Masha (Elisabeth Moss), who is also in love with Konstantin.

Family dynamics are thrown into disarray when Sorin’s sister and Konstantin’s mother Irina (Annette Bening), an aging stage actress, comes for a visit after learning that Sorin has fallen ill.

In tow with Irina is her lover Boris (Corey Stoll), a celebrated writer Konstantin grows jealous of, and who begins to get closer to the impressionable Nina as she hurls compliments his way.

If all those elements sound like a classic setup for a melodramatic tragicomedy — where all the characters mope around wishing

screens

Book Thieves

The Orchard

it is not by formatting the picture in a way that hasn’t been done since 2003’s American Splendor experimented with the idea.

Along with recreating the story, he also includes interviews with the real people who were involved with the crime and gets into their heads. Layton even injects his real-life subjects into the film alongside the actors who are playing them. In one scene, Peters, playing Warren, turns to the real Warren and asks, “So, this is how you remember it?”

These documentary elements work perfectly as we watch the boys attempt to meticulously plan out the robbery like they actually know what they were doing. There’s one fun scene where Layton depicts what it would be like if the guys actually pulled off the caper without a hitch — a slick, Ocean’s 11-style theft where books slide across countertops and everyone does their job flawlessly while Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation” plays in the background.

The conversations Layton is having with the real Warren, Spencer, Eric and Chas, however, are what make American Animals stand out in a film genre that can be diluted at times. Without the documentary components, the film would still be more enjoyable than a lot of movies where Hollywood assembles a crack team of beautiful misfits to steal a bag of bling. With them, Layton has discovered a new and extraordinary way of storytelling.

For our interview with American Animals director Bart Layton, visit sacurrent.com.

Sony Pictures Classics

that somebody who didn’t love them loved them and complaining about the misfortune of making art — then The Seagull has found its audience. For others, The Seagull is a pity party that can’t be salvaged by the couple of scenes where Bening’s Irina, who is disappointed in her son for wasting his time making pretentious plays, is able to really show off her character’s cruel and critical nature.

Aside from Bening — and a few of Masha’s one-liners (“I’m in mourning, for my life,” she says when asked why she always wears black) — there’s not much that makes The Seagull notable. It’s a film about tiresome characters telling tiresome stories. Everything else is lost between all the pouting.

— Kiko Martinez

Find more film stories at sacurrent.com

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24 CURRENT | June June 20–26, 2018 2018 | sacurrent.com

food

THE BIG SPOON

Food Costs Money: Burger edition

BY JESS ELIZARRARAS

A

s we continue our tour of “Inflation is real, and food costs more money than it used to,” we pivot our attention to burgers.

San Antonio loves a good burger. Just recently the West Side’s Papa’s Burgers made national headlines for being named one of the top 10 burgers in the country – and the only one in the San Antonio to make the cut.

The restaurant has been flooded with new clients, which has led to a public apology by founder Robert Walker about the restaurant’s response to the onslaught of burger fans.

“We substituted the quality of the experience that we’re known for for the ‘rush’ of quantity in business,” Walker wrote in the San Antonio Restaurants Facebook group.

Again, San Antonians love burgers. It never fails that we’ll get plenty of impassioned comments on any burger article we write or any list we try building.

Price points are always a point of contention. What qualifies as a good burger and where exactly that burger is served are variables that San Anto takes to heart.

Over at Tucker’s Kozy Korner, Jeff White’s lean kitchen staff was about to lose another employee because of erratic sales. For all intents and purposes, the long-standing bar doubles as a comfort food joint with burgers and sandwiches high on the list Olé_Current_Ad_BRAND.pdf

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of what’s served. At $10, the Kozy Burger defies gravity with two patties, double cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and house-made pickles, served with fries or tater tots. It’s a worthy adversary for any big appetite and probably one of the best burgers in town.

If chefs are trained to allocate 30 percent of their costs to food, labor and overhead, items such as burgers can help spread out those numbers.

“Someone has to spend hours slicing cucumbers, so [we] might as well fry them and serve them as appetizers, same for fries,” White says.

The dizzying math also takes place over at Bexar Pub, the new home of the Folc Burger, 2016’s No. 1 burger in all of Texas as declared by Texas Monthly (which I helped compile). Folc was a New American restaurant in Olmos Park, which was first opened in 2014 by chef Luis Colon and business partner Daniel Eisenhauer.

In 2016, when the burger’s standing was announced, Colon and Eisenhauer faced the same deluge of burger seekers as Walker has this month. That turned into a clash of audiences – those who were familiar with Folc’s concept and those who weren’t and were expecting a completely different experience and not an $18 burger.

Now featured at Bexar Pub (Folc closed after an electrical fire and has been in litigation limbo for almost a year), the “best burger in the state” still adds pork 6/11/18

5:05 PM

Jess Elizarraras

The Kozy Burger, $10, from Tucker's Kozy Korner's Jeff White, formerly the executive chef at Boiler House.

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belly to a brisket patty, combined with house-made pickles, Folc sauce, American cheese and a fried egg. At $12, the burger isn’t cheap, and if you’re truly hungry, the Bexar Burger adds another patty, along with onion, lettuce and tomato for $14. The buns aren’t house-made, and might feature maligned iceberg, but the flavors are still worth seeking.

The burger, first created at one of the city’s best restaurants, now lives inside its sister bar at Bexar Pub in a completely different side of town that comes with its own obstacles.

“It’s like an invisible line that keeps people from coming here,” Colon said recently.

After spending several months opening another bar in Lubbock (just off the main drag, and filled with plenty of college students and staff), Colon came back to San Antonio recently to find the patio

bar broken into, ransacked and an entire safe lifted from the property.

“Sad to say, it’s getting harder and harder to make a proper buck,” wrote Colon on his Facebook wall.

Stuff happens, and Richard Peacock Jr., the new owner of Chris Madrid’s, would know.

Last October, the 40-yearold burger institution suffered smoke damage and has been operating out of their new food truck, which launched in December and houses guests under two large tents that make up their mulch-lined dining room.

The tostada burger will set you back less than $9, and fans of nostalgia will still think it’s tasty.

But don’t let the nostalgia stop you from exploring other burgers worth your attention.

Contact the author: flavor@sacurrent.com

,

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5-7pm

Sushi Bar Area Only

DINE-IN ONLY

Gomuku Ramen

Chashu Ramen

12 - 3P LUNCH M - F: 11A - 2:30P | Sat - Sun: Sat: 3 - 11P | Sun: 3- 9:30P DINNER M-TH: 5 - 10P | F: 5 - 11P | 26 CURRENT | June 20–26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

VOTE FOR US IN BEST OF SAN ANTONIO

food All Coasts

Villa Rica’s hits outshine its few misses

BY RON BECHTOL

A

Villa Rica Mexican Seafood

403 Blue Star, (210) 635-0036

t Villa Rica, Chef chefjohnnyhernandez.com/ Johnny Hernandez’s restaurants/villa-rica latest venture, servers wear T-shirts printed Hours: to resemble guayaberas, the crisply 5-10pm Tue-Thu; pleated and embroidered shirts 5-11pm Fri-Sat; favored by men of a certain age. It 10-4pm Sunday might be tempting at this point to Cost: $15-$27 imply that as the T-shirts merely suggest the real thing, so does the restaurant’s Mexican seafood menu only sketchily resemble what one might find, say, on the beach in Mazatlan. (I’m looking at you, pescado zarandeado.)

But despite some missteps, what’s coming out of Villa Rica’s side of the kitchen shared with Burgerteca is an honest enough reflection of the cooking of both Mexican coasts to merit our attention, albeit at prices that don’t allow for taking random pot shots. But that’s what we’re here for.

To get this out of the way first, the Tampiqueña plate, indirectly from Tampico by way of a chef who moved to Mexico City from there in the 1930s, is to be avoided unless you’re in the company of ornery Uncle Edgar who, even at a seafood restaurant, only eats beef. In which case he gets what he deserves: the classic arrachera (skirt) steak itself was reasonably tender but had no real flavor; there was plain white Jess Elizarraras rice; a scoop of competent but in no way distinctive capers and olives, everyday herbs such as bay and with crema and queso fresco adding welcome grace guacamole; legitimate but only marginally interesting oregano — and expertly cooked fish. There’s nothing notes. Speaking of texture, it’s a quality that weighs enchiladas made by passing corn tortillas through a to hide behind, and the kitchen triumphed. heavily in any dish featuring octopus—and Villa mild tomato sauce; and tiny fried plantains. You can’t My second favorite plate was a dessert, the sweet Rica’s pulpo chielajo is no exception. Fortunately, it’s go wrong with fried plantains of any size. corn torte with coconut ice an exception in the positive If only Edgar could be inveigled into attempting cream. (On my first visit, direction. The formidable loop the ceviche Veracruzano. It’s not a fancy rendition, Best Bets: ceviche Veracruzano, I sneaked next door to of cephalopod, its suckery but it’s absolutely true, clean and fresh — a good fish enchiladas rojas, pescado a la Burgerteca for a paleta, a apparatus all-too-apparent, introduction to the genre.

Veracruzana, sweet corn torte with tactic I can also recommend.) would be daunting to most.

Among Villa Rica’s small plates, you might well coconut ice cream.

Almost pudding-like, the But though the chileajo be tempted, as I was, by the fish minilla (hash) torte sports just enough cloaking is a little one-note empanadas; they sound way better than they are. On The Skinny: Villa Rica, featuring whole kernels of corn to two occasions, the masa packets came away as seeming in this context, its heat does seafood of Mexico’s coasts, is Chef convey legitimacy, and tame a beast whose texture both pasty and under-seasoned. The eager-to-please Johnny Hernandez’s latest venture, this the coconut ice cream is offers some resistance but not chef came by a second time, asking how everything in partnership with the Guzman family of Veracruz. Not everything on the menu an altogether amiable resilience. The refried black was, so I told him. His response was to bring out a works, the fish empanadas being an companion. I took my time ramekin of crunchy/punchy chileajo salsa. Don’t waste beans on this plate came example, but when the kitchen hits its with this while sitting on his or your time — just ask for this automatically at the mixed with white rice in a kind stride with ceviche Veracruz style, pesVilla Rica’s narrow patio of unfortunate mash-up of the beginning of every meal. It does wonders for almost cado a la Veracruzana, fish enchiladas flanking the Mission Reach Caribbean’s classic Moros y everything and is much more interesting than the rojas, and corn torte, all’s well on both running-walking-skate Cristianos. But then there were table’s merely fiery habanero salsa. A jot of it wouldn’t western and eastern fronts. boarding-sauntering-bikinghave hurt even the appealingly inventive soft shell crab those fried plantains… dog walking trail, all the time Perfect in almost every way tacos with their guacamole and crisp serrano ham. aware that running is what I Fish enchiladas rojas are the most substantial option was my favorite plate of all probably should have been doing instead of dessert. those sampled at VR: the fish fillet (corvina, or drum) among the small plates, and you should absolutely But to hell with it. In the fading light, even watery a la Veracruzana. This classic recipe depends on a try them. Here, the spicing is just right, the fish holds mojitos somehow seemed magic. harmonic (and not hot) blend of tomatoes, onions, up texturally, and the plate satisfies at every level, sacurrent.com | June 20–26, 2018 | CURRENT 27

Tejano artist Willie Cantu & Estela Cantu invite you to

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200 10141 Wurzbach, San Antonio, Texas 78230 • (210) 877-2100 wurzbachicehouse.com • Corner of Ironside and Wurzbach

28 CURRENT | June 20–26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

food

Coffeeshops are serving up more ways for you to chill this summer such as Estate Coffee Co. sparkling lavender lemonade.

a

Jess Elizarraras

Coffeeshop Coolers Refreshing ways to beat the heat this summer

BY JESS ELIZARRARAS

F

un fact: Summer doesn’t officially start until June 21 with the summer solstice, but that hasn’t stopped temperatures from climbing into the 100s. Still, there are ways to cool off without reaching for another cold brew.

Nitro Moon // The Austin-based shop is one of the few in town to carry nitro coffee, a nitrogen-infused beverage made popular by Cuvee Coffee and carried the coffee world over. When done right, the coffee is smooth to the point of velvety, and relies on the coffee’s natural sweetness. If you need more sweetener, a Nitro Moon is available with signature moon milk. Available in 8, 12, and 16 ounce pours. 3233 N. St. Mary’s St., Suite 102, (210) 320-1773.

Sparkling Lavender Lemonade // Estate Coffee unleashed it’s summer specialty menu just in time as the temperatures climbed into triple digits. The cold brew shandy returned, as did the espresso tonic and the frotus (a combination of cold brew, grenadine and Topo Chico). But the menu also includes highlights like the Coffee Sangria, cold brew coffee that’s soaked in fresh red apples, green apples, oranges and

raspberries to enhance the beans’ natural sugars, and the Sparkling Lavender Lemonade, which combines lavender tea syrup, lemonade and Topo Chico for a caffeine-free refresher. 1320 E. Houston St., A101, (210) 267-8725.

Jade Warrior // Spring matcha and a house-made strawberry syrup join forces in the Jade Warrior, an old favorite by Indy Coffee Club. It’s sweet but light and features actual strawberry pulp so you know it’s real. 7114 UTSA Blvd. Suite 103, (210) 233-9203.

Cafe de Olla // The Art of Donut brought back a favorite this summer. Their cafe de olla, which is made with cold brew, piloncillo and cinnamon, is a must, but so are their fruit-based refreshers. The passionfruit is minty, light and bubbly, ideal for a sweaty stroll through Southtown or sitting windows-down stuck in traffic — just like the Drake song of the same name – and the pineapple version packs a tangy taste, transporting you to the shores of Hawaii, even if you’re stuck at your desk. 3428 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 265-5423.

Iced Agave Latte // At The Koffee Kup, new owner Marisol de la Cruz opened with a different menu than most shops. There’s a Cuban, Vietnamese iced coffee, and a sweet Bombon, but this summer, she’s added fruit-based drinks and more to the lineup, including the popular Agave Mixer that starts with an agave syrup base, two shots of espresso and choice of milk and ends with ice. It’s a fun take on the cafe con leche, but definitely more refreshing. 1025 Donaldson Ave. (210) 635-0400.

Chocolate Mint Cold Brew // Cuppencake’s sweet desserts have a new beverage pairing these days. The summer menu includes iced teas, cold brews and a honey lemonade as well as the chocolate mint cold brew that’s finished off with house-made mint and chocolate syrups. 22211 I-10 W. Access Road, Suite 1111, (210) 892-3010.

Mary-Anne // Shotgun House Coffee Roasters opened their doors on the city’s West Side to fawning fans and great coffee (including a delicious dirty iced horchata). An addition to the menu takes a stab at Southern sweet tea, combining black tea, fresh finger and pure maple syrup from Vermont (obviously) for a bright, not-so-sweet and layered refresher. 1333 Buena Vista St., (254) 913-9031.

Jess Elizarraras

sacurrent.com | June 20–26, 2018 | CURRENT 29

30 CURRENT | June 20–26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

food | nightlife Futbol Faves

Where to catch all the action this World Cup

BY JESS ELIZARRARAS & CAMILLE SAUERS

W

e know San Antonio shows up for the Spurs, but we also know that some of you are raging futbol fans. Though the U.S. men’s soccer team isn’t playing, there will be plenty of action to take in this next month. Here’s where to take in some footy (if you’re fancy like that). p Freetail Brewing Company // Freetail Brewing Brewpub is known around town as the official stomping ground of U.S. national team super fans. Even though the boys didn’t qualify this year, the establishment still intends to host matches for rowdy fans across allegiances and will open at 7 a.m. throughout the World Cup. This spot gets crowded so unless you anticipate that you’ll be too excited to sit, which we wouldn’t blame you for, be sure to get there early to swipe a seat.

4035 N. Loop 1604 W. (at NW Military Hwy.), (210) 395-4974.

Ticket Sports Pub // Ticket Sports Pub features 14 high-definition big screens

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so you can watch those questionable penalty calls from all angles. In honor of the Cup, the sports pub will be opening early at 10 a.m. on match days. 420 E. Houston St., (210) 222-9722.

The Winchester Pub // If you’re a regular follower of Tottenham, WestHam or Liverpool, this good old English pub will welcome you and your Harry Kane jersey with open arms. They will be hosting several match viewings so visit them on Facebook for a complete schedule. 5148 Broadway, (210) 721-7762.

Ojos Locos // For hardcore Mexico fans, Ojos Locos is the place to be.

The crowds are passionate, and most excitingly, the drinks are cheap. Ladies even get $1 margs on Sundays. 5809 NW Loop 41,(210) 448-5626.

Künstler Brewing Co. // If you are not generally interested in chants or screaming, then you might find home in Künstler. It has a quieter atmosphere, German-style beers and artisan food. You can even bring your dog to this Southtown spot, which is great because, obviously, dogs love soccer.

302 E. Lachapelle, (210) 688-4519.

Francis Bogside // The pub will open early on game days and will have happy hour pricing during each game. 803 S. S. Mary’s St., (210) 369-9192.

Cover 3 // With over a dozen big-screen TVs, this indoor/outdoor venue is great for getting a bite and enjoying the excitement with your family. It has historically been a World Cup spot for people across the fanatic spectrum. So even if your only exposure to soccer is the iconic Amanda Bynes film She’s the Man, you won’t suffer from imposter syndrome here. 1806 TX-1604 Loop, (210) 479-9700.

The Friendly Spot // This shaded outdoor perennial favorite will be screening certain matches throughout the tournament on their jumbo inflatable screen. Grab some brews, find a spot under one of their many oak trees, root for your team (and maybe a nice breeze). 943 S. Alamo St., (210) 224-2337.

The Roo Pub // If you’re an Aussie fan, this spot’s for you. And even if you’re not, you may root for Australia by the 32nd minute. The bar is huge with lots of TVs and ample parking space. Perfect for large groups so your summer recreational team can stretch their legs.

19314 US-281 #109, (210) 491-4425.

Waxy O’Connors // In any group of five San Antonians (OK, maybe 10), there’s usually at least one friend who really likes going to the Riverwalk. At Waxy’s, you can throw peanut shells on the floor while enjoying the game and

watch the riverboats go by. 234 River Walk St., (210) 229-9299.

The Lion & Rose British Pub // One of the last standing Lion & Rose Pubs will host watch events for each match along the way. It’s perfect for a basket of fish and chips, some cold pints and fits of fiery futbol passion. If the heat is too much? You can always resort to shop therapy with a nice walk through the mall. 17627 La Cantera Pkwy., (210) 798-5466.

Little Woodrow’s // Both San Antonio locations will screen the games through July 15. Get there early for the best seats.

Multiple locations, littlewoodrows.com.

Stout House // For pub-style and a spacious atmosphere, Stout House will be hosting several matches, including Serbia vs Switzerland on June 22, and Germany vs Sweden on June 23. Great for large groups. 11851 Bandera Road, Suite 119, (210) 637-9094.

Sanchos // Sancho’s will be opening early for Mexico’s second big game, this one against South Korea. 628 Jackson St, (210) 320-1840.

Still Golden Social House // Still Golden will open their doors at 10 a.m. to host several match viewings. Visit them on Facebook for a full schedule. 1900 Broadway, (210) 616-2212. sacurrent.com | June 20–26, 2018 | CURRENT 31

WORLD CUP

SCREENING SCHEDULE

CATCH THE WORLD CUP ON OUR BIG SCREEN

FRI. 6/15:

PORTUGAL V SPAIN 1PM

SUN. 6/17:

GERMANY V MEXICO 10AM BRAZIL V SWITZERLAND 1PM

MON. 6/18:

TUNISIA V ENGLAND 1PM

TUES. 6/19:

RUSSIA V EGYPT 1PM

WED. 6/20:

IRAN V SPAIN 1PM

THURS. 6/21:

ARGENTINA V CROATIA 1PM

FRI. 6/22:

SERBIA V SWITZERLAND 1PM

SAT. 6/23:

MEXICO V KOREA REPUBLIC 10AM GERMANY V SWEDEN 1PM

SUN. 6/24:

POLAND V COLUMBIA 1PM

MON. 6/25:

SPAIN V MOROCCO 1PM OR IR IRAN V PORTUGAL 1PM

TUES. 6/26:

NIGERIA V ARGENTINA 1PM OR ICELAND V CROATIA 1PM

WED. 6/27:

MEXICO V SWEDEN 9AM SERBIA V BRAZIL 1PM

THURS. 6/28:

ENGLAND V BELGIUM 1PM

803 S ST. MARY’S STREET | CALL:210.369.9192 | FRANCISBOGSIDE.COM | 32

CURRENT | June 20-26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

music

The Viva Tacoland brawl is over. But the anger remains.

BY GREG JEFFERSON

O

n the main stage at Paper Tiger, Hickoids frontman Jeff Smith stopped about midway through their set on March 3 to light into Viva Tacoland, trashing the Pearl-area bar as a place where well-mannered customers “speculate on real estate” over their beers.

“That ain’t Taco Land, baby,” Smith barked into the mic. The crowd, older and grayer than you’d expect to see at Paper Tiger on a Saturday night, roared.

Viva Tacoland opened in May 2014 where the original Taco Land once stood.

The one Smith had in mind was a squat cinderblock building and beer garden beside an enormous, gnarled oak tree at the corner of Elmira and Grayson, sitting over the San Antonio River. From the early 1980s through 2005, Taco Land was the loud, chaotic heart of punk rock in San Antonio, and Ramiro “Ram” Ayala was the profane, gruff, warped father figure who lorded over the place.

Ram, who opened Taco Land in 1965, selling tacos for a dime each, was gunned down during an after-hours robbery 13 years ago.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that people respected him and loved him,” Kory Cook, KRTU’s music director and former drummer for the punk band Sons of Hercules, said in a Current oral history marking the 10th anniversary of Ram’s murder. “He was a scary, mean man. He may have had love in his heart, but you couldn’t really see it unless you really got to know him. I think it comes down

Art Credit

to the fact that people respect other people who are transparent and will be exactly who they are business-wise. He didn’t have to go to work and be nice and be fake.”

Many of Ram's friends and fans have pointedly refused to set foot in the business that operates out of the shell of their beloved dive.

Nevertheless, Viva Tacoland appears to be succeeding, though its Riverwalk offshoot — formerly The Worm Tequila and Mezcal Bar — was recently shuttered after Viva owner Chris Erck assigned the lease to another bar operator. It’s not Erck’s only recent closing – he shut down his Swig Martini Bar in 2017.

Last Saturday at about 8 p.m., Viva Tacoland’s tables were filling up with a mix of outof-towners, young, nearby apartment dwellers and middle-age couples. The vibe was low-key, and the music playing in the background was pop. Two of Ram’s expressions – “Don’t be a pussy” and “Kiss the baby,” by which he meant take a slug from the plastic bottle of booze he carried around – were spray-painted on the

walls. The fake graffiti effectively marked off Ram’s words as just another couple of empty catchphrases. A wall painting of a scowling Ram stared out on Elmira.

The bar is cleaner and more orderly than Taco Land. It sells craft beer – about 90 labels of brews total – and Viva Tacoland T-shirts. Its patrons are a diverse mix, but, by and large, there’s nothing particularly alarming or odd about them.

In other words, Viva Tacoland is a good barometer of the redevelopment or gentrification – take your pick – that’s overtaking the once-grungy Midtown area north of downtown.

“It’s totally part of the gentrification process,” said Christine Drennon, director of Trinity University’s urban studies program, of Viva Tacoland. “Gentrification isn’t just about residential and commercial properties. It’s also about the cultural amenities in a community. They’re going to shift because the demand has changed – it’s gone from one income mix to another.”

35 6

Find more music coverage every day at sacurrent.com

WORLD CUP SCREENING SCHEDULE

FRI. 6/15:

PORTUGAL V SPAIN 1PM

SUN. 6/17:

GERMANY V MEXICO 10AM BRAZIL V SWITZERLAND 1PM

MON. 6/18:

TUNISIA V ENGLAND 1PM

TUES. 6/19:

RUSSIA V EGYPT 1PM

WED. 6/20:

IRAN V SPAIN 1PM

THURS. 6/21:

ARGENTINA V CROATIA 1PM

FRI. 6/22:

SERBIA V SWITZERLAND 1PM

SAT. 6/23:

MEXICO V KOREA REPUBLIC 10AM GERMANY V SWEDEN 1PM

SUN. 6/24:

POLAND V COLOMBIA 1PM

MON. 6/25:

SPAIN V MOROCCO 1PM OR IR IRAN V PORTUGAL 1PM

TUES. 6/26:

NIGERIA V ARGENTINA 1PM OR ICELAND V CROATIA 1PM

WED. 6/27:

MEXICO V SWEDEN 9AM SERBIA V BRAZIL 1PM

THURS. 6/28:

ENGLAND V BELGIUM 1PM

CATCH THE

WORLD CUP ON OUR BIG SCREEN

C O L D D R A F T & H A N D C R A F T E D C O C K TA I L S .

LOCATED IN THE PEARL. 312 PEARL PARKWAY | BLUEBOXBAR.COM | HOURS: MONDAY - SUNDAY, 4PM - 2AM

HAPPY HOURS: MONDAY - SUNDAY, 4PM - 8PM

34

CURRENT | June 20-26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

6 33

Greg Jefferson

T

he Hickoids, a country-punk fusion, had frequently performed at Taco Land. In a recent interview, Smith said he hadn’t been in awe of Ram as so many patrons and performers had, but he respected the man and was a friend. That’s part of the reason he spoke out against Viva Tacoland that Saturday night.

The Hickoids were on the same bill as the jokey punk band the Dead Milkmen, who’d not only performed at Taco Land but recorded a song paying homage to the place. (The Milkmen were the reason the audience that night was packed with so many fortyand fiftysomethings.) Other national acts played Taco Land, too, including Yo La Tengo, GWAR and the Cramps.

But Texas bands were its lifeblood.

The Hickoids, Los No. 3 Dinners, Sons of Hercules, who opened the March 3 show, the Bang Gang and scores of others played there with Ram’s blessing.

On stage, Smith reminisced about when the stretch of the San Antonio River next to Taco Land was a ditch, atmospherically as far from the flashy, touristy Riverwalk as you could get. The idea of calling it part of the Museum Reach, as it is today, would have been a joke.

Chris Erck heard almost immediately about the abuse his business had taken at the Dead Milkmen show.

But it was a blip compared to the vitriol he absorbed four years ago from the many friends of Ram, much of it spilling out on Facebook.

Erck had visited Taco Land twice – the first time in the early 1990s when he, a young parent at the time, turned up to support a friend whose band took the stage sometime after midnight. “It was very cool, very dive-y and a little rough, but in a good way,” he said.

Like Smith, he remembers the river reach next to Taco Land as a ditch – one lined with broken beer bottles and other debris. But he clearly doesn’t remember it fondly.

Today, standing on Grayson bridge and looking down, the water is green and its surface crowded with lily pads.

Smooth walkways run along both sides of the river like concrete tracks.

A Greg Jefferson

lmost from the moment Erck first talked publicly about his plan for the Taco Land site – owned by Desperate Housewives actor Ricardo Chavira and developer David Adelman – he was roasted by many of Ram’s friends and one-time patrons.

“The misconception was that I was trying to profit off of somebody else’s brand, and that wasn’t the case,” Erck said. “The history of Taco Land was kind of erased. Now, there’s at least a conversation about it.”

He compared Viva Tacoland to his mid-1990s renovation of the Finesilver Building on Camaron Street downtown, one-time home of a clothing manufacturer, one of San Antonio’s major employers in its day. He housed an artists’ residency program there, created gallery space and prominently displayed the Finesilver name atop the building – at least saving the name from the memory hole, he said.

In addition to staging live music, Viva Tacoland frequently hosts art shows.

Erck said he competed against two other business developers whose proposed projects for the Grayson Street location didn’t include Taco Land in their names. But keeping some form of the name, he said, was critical to hanging on to at least part of Taco Land’s legacy.

Consider what often happens with properties like Taco Land, he said – a developer levels the site and puts up a McDonald’s or Starbucks.

Not surprisingly, there are other interpretations of Erck’s work on Grayson.

“It’s a marketing ploy. It’s a branding strategy. Everything is for sale,” Trinity University’s Drennon said. “It has value that has been turned into a money-making thing, and something is

lost in that.”

Smith said Viva Tacoland, with its $3 Kiss the Baby Surprise Shots and other Ram kitsch, was turning his friend into a one-dimensional character, a cartoon.

“They’re branding something that never made any money,” he said. “Once you have completely obliterated the character of something, why do you still call it by its name?”

Before Viva Tacoland’s opening, Erck met with Smith and other former Taco Land denizens to see if a peace agreement was possible. In Smith’s account, he said to Erck, “Use some other name, and I’ll be the first to say give it a try.”

Erck, for his part, recalled meeting with Smith and others, but not the details of the conversation.

His detractors almost succeeded in killing Viva Tacoland. The anticipated crowds stayed away, which Erck blames on opponents’ many attacks via social media.

“It definitely slowed our progress,” he said. He had to use money set aside for a new deck and stage for “marketing and to keep the business going. There was a period [in January 2015] where things were really lean. There was concern that we weren’t going to make it.”

But Viva Tacoland found its customers within a few months.

Plans now include building decks down to the Riverwalk. “Weekends it gets pretty crowded, and we need that extra space.”

37 6 sacurrent.com | June 20-26, 2018 | CURRENT 35

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music

NEW LOCATION NOW OPEN! 8213 BROADWAY (INSIDE LOOP410) 1733 SW MILITARY DR. @ IH35 2808 THOUSAND OAKS @ JONES MALTSBERGER 6620 FM 78 @ FOSTER RD 2710 IH-10 WEST @ DE ZAVALA 8141 PAT BOOKER RD @LIVE OAK 18360 BLANCO RD @ 1604 STONE OAK

6 35

V

iva Tacoland is part of the transformation that’s grinding to atoms the old midtown – a one-time precinct of drug dealers and their buyers, prostitutes and their customers, dark streets and boarded-up businesses. It was one of the parts of San Antonio where the economy ran out of gas. City officials ignored it.

It would’ve looked more than weird to have a glittering Museum Reach flowing through the urban decay out of which Taco Land grew.

The 1.3-mile Museum Reach, completed in 2009 at a cost of $72 million, did what it was supposed to do – it brought redevelopment to midtown.

Real-estate development firm Silver Ventures, backed by billionaire Christopher “Kit” Goldsbury, and its Pearl Brewery were immediate beneficiaries of the project. Silver Venture's massive investment, in turn – and in combination with the new Museum Reach – sparked a lot of residential and commercial development on the Pearl’s perimeter and beyond, including apartments, restaurants, bars, hotels and office buildings.

By the time Viva Tacoland opened in 2014, the Museum Reach had already unleashed more than $250 million in private investment, according to a study released at the time by the San Antonio River Authority.

The pace hasn’t slowed.

“The whole urban core is exploding, and we’re seeing it all of emanate from [the Pearl area]. This is ground zero,”

said Michael Amezquita, chief appraiser of the Bexar Appraisal District. “We see some of the highest rents in the city here.”

The median sales price for condos and houses in the Pearl area, part of the Tobin Hill neighborhood, has more than doubled since 2006 – from $147,000 to $338,000.

Viva Tacoland is located on a seam joining the new and old Tobin Hill.

From its patio, customers look out on the river, the tourists and runners on the walkways, and the Pearl – a goldand brown-hued skyline onto itself – a little beyond them. To the north and next door, on the other hand, are vacant buildings with “for lease” signs stuck to their weather-beaten facades.

But the area’s future is probably better represented by the lot directly across Grayson from Viva Tacoland.

Crews there are preparing the site for a four-story apartment building.

Sitting at one of Viva Tacoland’s picnic tables, I asked Erck what he expected to see to the north in the next 10 years.

“I suspect a lot of residential, a lot of taller buildings, a lot more verticality – a true Midtown,” he said.

Erck said that’s part of what made the Viva Tacoland project attractive – that and the chance to preserve some of Taco Land’s history.

But others are struck more by what’s been lost.

There was a lot about Taco Land “that epitomizes the city,” Christine Drennon said. “It was kind of edgy.

It was scruffy. It was more Latino.

And that’s being appropriated and changed.”

THE BEST SELECTION E-CIGS, VAPORIZERS, TOBACCO PRODUCTS & ACCESSORIES!

sacurrent.com | June 20-26, 2018 | CURRENT

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3 3 0 e g r ay s o n s t CHARLEY CROCKETT WED., JUNE 20 • DOORS 7PM | SHOW 8PM

J OI N U S THU R S D AY F OR

¡Vamos a Tequila!

JUNE 22 • ROADSIDE LIBBY - FREE SHOW

SPEC IA LS ON F INE TEQUILA A ND TEQUILA C OC KTAILS

DJ Biig Miike

THE POWELL BROTHERS

10 P.M. - 2 A.M.

THU., JUNE 21 • DOORS 7:30PM | SHOW 8:30PM

Openhouse Mic Night!

E V E R Y T U E S D AY | 1 0 P M - 2 A M

JUNE 23 • SCOTT H BIRAM

WITH BRIAN HECKLER

SKYROCKET! FRI., JUNE 22 • DOORS 8PM | SHOW 9PM JUNE 30 JONATHAN TYLER & THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

e ntry Wayn vent: Kou Special E 1-24

Jun. 2

ATION

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Ritual Bloom

The Holy Knives Debut EP Is Sexy AF CHRIS CONDE

O

K, so when these guys showed up on the scene a few years ago, I thought to myself, “Greaaaaat, another indie rock band that sounds like everyone else.” And while I was probably just sipping way too much Haterade that day (I was, and I’m sorry), I’ve been completely blown away by these boys.

Composed of Kody Valentine (vocals, guitar), Kyle Valentine (guitar), Skyler Ellis (drums) and Mauricio Vazquez (bass) this quartet has grown into an outfit that showcases their stellar creativity throughout their entire catalog of music, which, in turn, has made them a local favorite.

Formerly known as Levees, the Holy Knives kind of are your archetypal indie rock band, but they introduce just the right amount of pop aesthetic and psychedelic textures to stay above the crest of this current wave of monotonous indie music.

While this may sound like a dig at the band, it’s not. Here at the Current we’re flooded with emails from artists and bands asking us to review their work, and while sometimes there’s just not enough time to write about all of it, the Holy Knives’ debut EP ritual bloom is certainly worth some attention.

The Holy Knives

The EP opens with “Everyday,” a desert-daze, laid back track punctuated with staccato, electric piano chords and reverberating surf-esque guitar-tones that seem to act as a harmonizing voice alongside Kory Valentine’s lead post-punk croons.

Easily my favorite track on the record, “Everyday” is the kind of song you’d buy the entire CD for whether or not you’ve heard the rest of the album.

Luckily for us, ritual bloom continues at the same caliber as the opening track, pulling listeners through carved archways of sexy, echoing indie rock that you could make love to, smoke some weed to, dance along with, or, you know, all three. The third track, “Do You Ever Run,” for instance, starts in with a relatively fast electronic dance beat that builds into a dramatic chord progression and fully shape-shifts into an indie dance track in the vein of Foals or Two Door Cinema Club, while still retaining the integrity of a rock band.

Like we said, while the Holy Knives could easily show up on a mix next to bands like (insert your favorite indie rock band you discovered last week on Spotify), they’re just different enough to set themselves apart from the herd of new bands flooding your music channels. Their songs are a touch psychedelic, slightly melancholy and contain enough pop melodies to get you singing along. It’s not over produced, definitely more rock-leaning than pop, and if ritual bloom is the first offering from these cats, we can’t wait to see what else these guys put out next.

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Also on the bill are nu-metal counterparts Terror Universal. Rumored to feature current and former members of Machine Head, Soulfully, Upon a Burning Body and ILL Nino, Terror Universal are a masked quartet that make music that appeals to fans of Slipknot and Pantera. $12, 7pm, The Rock Box, 1223 E Houston St., therockboxsa.com. — CC

COLORS OF BRAZIL Saturday, June 23

Brazil is a diverse country with a stunningly wide cultural breadth. Its musical traditions, from indigenous song to Afro-jazz, from samba and bossa nova to funk, tropicalia and, of course, modern pop/rock, and so much more, are rich and complex.

This weekend, you can get a little taste of Brazilian music in an ideal live setting at Carmens. Flautist Katchie Cartwright will join Brazilian musician Bruno Vinezof (percussion) and Marco Antonio Santos (guitar) for a laid-back musical journey through the soul of Brazil. Whether you fancy yourself a cultural adventurer or already know that you are a fan of Brazilian music, this special showcase promises to offer up a memorable experience. Free, 8pm, Carmens De La Calle Cafe, 320 N. Flores St., (210) 281-4349, carmensdelacalle. com. — James Courtney

EMP Label Group

Whit Padgett

MYANNI

Wednesday, June 20

The godfather of New Age music, Yanni, announced last year that he’d celebrate the 25th anniversary of Live at the Acropolis with a world tour. The tour will make a stop at the Majestic Theatre on June 20. “I find it so exciting to be able to celebrate what I consider to be one of the best performances of my life!” Yanni said in a press release. “I can’t wait to see everyone and present to all of you this whole new experience, where the past and the present become one! Expect many surprises… My imagination is the only limit!” Though Yanni’s blend of soft rock, world music, classical and jazz wasn’t exactly commercial pop material, the Greek composer and pianist has managed to build a

crazy cult-like following because his music is pretty badass and strangely hypnotic. $45-$275, 8pm, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-5700, majesticempire. com. – Chris Conde

EMOTOGRATER + TERROR UNIVERSAL Friday, June 22

Definitely falling onto the nu-metal end of the hard rock spectrum, Austin’s Motograter do the genre better than most. While it’s definitely not the coolest style of hard rock right now, after becoming overdone through the late ’90s and early aughts, Motograter manage to add some interesting elements and dynamics to the genre, throwing in unexpected transitions, vocal harmonies and double-bass to keep shit

D AND CHI · FRIDAY, JUNE 22 Indie pop duo D and Chi have a sound that’s the most authentic blend of acoustic, pop and indie-rock we’ve heard in a long while. The songs are definitely pop-structured and easily could show up on a montage in any rom-com ever, but these folks actually write their own music, and their musicianship shows through each hook.

There’s no big producer behind them writing their jams, and songs like “Supernova” aren’t boring pop factory molds. From busking in the street to playing packed bars, it’s safe to say D and Chi are going places. Free, 9:30pm, The Rustic, 17619 La Cantera Pkwy., Suite 204, (210) 245-7500, therustic.com. – CC

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MBRANDON TAYLOR Saturday, June 23

Another week, another fine, backporch concert from Lowcountry.

Hailing from Memphis, Brandon Taylor, in keeping with the little bar/venue’s typical aural aesthetics, makes electrified folk rock that pulls influences from across the folk/blues/Americana spectrum. A gifted singer-songwriter and guitar player, Taylor is also an excellent storyteller via song, as evidenced most prominently on his 2010 LP Radio Ghost, which you can take a listen to at brandontaylorradio.com.

In true folk journeyman fashion, Taylor is stopping in town to play this and one other local show as a part of a smattering of performances throughout Texas, as he makes his way, state by state, across the South.

This show is highly recommended for fans of dusty, old tunes that tell the old, worn-out stories of regular people living their old, worn-out lives as the world goes mad. Free, 10pm, Lowcountry, 318 Martinez St., (210) 560-2224, lowcountrysa.com.

— JC

6COLD CAVE + BLACK MARBLE Monday, June 25

Cold Cave, AKA icy, darkwave revivalist Wesley Eisold, is returning to San Antonio like a goth, Nietzsche-quoting prodigal son. With a background in hardcore punk and noise, Eisold channels brooding, graveyard angst with sharp-as-glass yet atmospheric synthscapes that incorporate

Atlantic Records

SNOW THA PRODUCT · SUNDAY, JUNE 24 Real talk: Snow Tha Product ought to get more shine for being the highest profile Chicana emcee in the game. The California born and raised rapper, whose parents are both from Mexico, has put out a wealth of solid, if inconsistent, material since her debut mixtape in 2008. Rapping in English and in Spanish, Snow celebrates her heritage, cheekily and shrewdly recognizing her part as (for some reason) an outlier in today’s mainstream hip-hop scene. While she has only released one studio album, 2011’s Unorthodox, her eight mixtapes, including 2017’s Vibe Higher Mixtape, make an unmistakable argument that mofos should be taking note of homegirl’s work. Visit snowthaproduct.com to preview her music and get hyped for Sunday’s show. $22, 8pm, Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — JC

his harsher background while still honoring the genre’s 1980s roots.

The music is gloomy like Nick Cave or Ian Curtis yet shares some of New Order’s delightfully blood-red, sanguine optimism. Since his start in 2007, Cold Cave has amassed a cult following, earning enough stripes to go on tour with the likes of The Jesus and Mary Chain and Sonic Youth.

This time around, the band is touring with Black Marble, their slightly more popular, lighter and brighter contemporaries. Whether you wore your black lipstick in the 80’s or last weekend, you won’t have to travel far for a night of transportive, butcherknife-in-a-frozen-pond-near-a-cemetery sounding, synth-filled fun. $17, 7pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. – Camille Sauers

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music WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20 Charley Crockett Texas swing and blues musician Charley Crockett is performing live at Sam’s Burger Joint. $12. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm.

Chris Cuevas Project Sancho’s Cantina is hosting with Adriel Cuevas, Zeke Galvan and Chris Villanueva of the Chris Cuevas Project. They’ll perform blues, soul and jazz. Free. Sancho’s Cantina, 6:30pm-8:30pm.

Summer Solstice Celebrate the first official day of Summer at The Rustic. Live music will be provided by R&B/Soul group Mingo Fishtrap.

Free. The Rustic, 6pm-11pm.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21 Diana Krall Krall will be in town promoting her new album Glad Rag Dollis, described as an exhilarating and adventurous exploration of new sounds, new instrumentation and new musicians. $59.50-$89.50. The Majestic Theatre, 8pm.

Inanimate Existence, The Last of Lucy Death metal band Inanimate Existence and experimental jazz and metal group the Last of Lucy are performing live at Jack’s Bar. $10. Jack’s Bar, 8-11:45pm.

The Powell Brothers An Americana and country group from Kingwood, it features brothers Taylor and Blake Powell. The band’s music has been praised for its catchy melodies, thoughtful lyrics and superb musicianship. The group has performed with many top national and regional acts, including Willie Nelson, Josh Turner, Gary Allen, Granger Smith, Randy Rogers Band, Cody Johnson and Kevin Fowler. $7-$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 8:30pm.

Salsa Night Mainstream Latin jazz artist Jose Amador performs with Latin jazz band Natiao. $10. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22 Donovan Keith First known as the frontman of Soul Track Mind, the band he started in 2008, Donovan Keith embodies the ideals of vocal ability and frenetic showmanship. $10.

Luna, 8pm.

Greene Grene Grene will perform favorite standard country and blues covers as well as some of his original songs. Free. Quarry Hofbrau, 10pm-1am.

Mario Flores & the Soda Creek Band Country group Mario Flores & the Soda Creek Group are performing live at Floore’s Country Store. $10. Floore’s Country Store, 9pm.

Mortician Mortician, the pioneers of death metal, is returning to Texas for a live performance after 14 years. Other bands include Flesh Hoarder, Chaotic End and more. $25$30. The Guillotine, 6pm-2am.

Tour De Madman Terror Universal is an American horror metal band consisting of current and former members of Machine Head, Soulfly, Upon a Burning Body and Ill Nino.

Their first single, “Welcome to Hell”, comes from their debut EP, Reign of Terror. Terror Universal is joined on tour by Motograter, American metal band formed in 1995. $12.

The Rock Box, 7pm.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23 BUHU Electronic bedroom pop duo hailing from Austin will releases their new single, “Yew,” alongside special guests Ellis Rendon and Baldemar. $5-$8. Limelight, 9pm.

Doc Watkins and His Orchestra South Texas jazz musician Brent “Doc” Watkins and his orchestra perform live. $30. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm.

The Matt Wilson Band A singer-songwriter and entertainer from Austin, his band plays soulful rock ’n’ roll originals and covers. $10.

Luna, 8pm.

Middle Ground New indie rock bands at the loudest bookstore in Texas – Middle Ground, Small Business and more. $5. Imagine Books and Records, 8pm.

Right on Red Dallas-based Right on Red will perform fan favorite and original songs at the Quarry Hofbrau. Free. Quarry Hofbrau, 10pm-1am.

Scott H. Biram Biram is a blues, punk, country, heavy metal musician, record producer and ordained minister. He is primarily known as one of the prominent musicians of the One Man Band musical genre. $12. Floore’s Country Store, 9pm.

Sean McConnell A folk and country singer-songwriter from Massachusetts, McConnell released his debut album on his own label in 2000 when he was 15 years old and went on to self-issue five more full-lengths and three EPs between 2003 and 2014. McConnell signed with Rounder Records in 2016 and a self-titled album was released that year. Sam’s Burger Joint, 9pm.

Soulection Show “Issa Vibe” Hosted by Ngeniuss X Solarshot, High Vibe Live presents the “Issa Vibe” show with Soulection featuring DJ’s Sasha Marie, Edward Skinner and Kay Illah. $16-$20. Paper Tiger, 8pm-2am.

Third Eye – A Tribute to Tool A Tribute to Tool covers original hits from the 1990’s rock band known for their iconic sound that has transformed the progressive rock scene. $12.50-$15.50. Aztec Theatre, 7pm.

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TUESDAY, JUNE 26 Breakout Paris punk band Breakout is performing live with special guests Austin-based Sniper 66, local punk group Sonic Ammunition and more. $8. Limelight, 9pm-1am.

Brit Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon was an ambitious psychedelic masterpiece that redefined rock itself and propelled Pink Floyd and its members to rock immortality. Brit Floyd will perform classic tracks from The Dark Side of the Moon alongside gems from Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall and The Division Bell. $39.50-$59.50. The Majestic Theatre, 8pm. sacurrent.com | June 20-26, 2018 | CURRENT

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I am a 24-year-old, straight guy who recently broke up with my girlfriend of more than four years. One of the reasons we broke up was a general lack of sexually compatibility. She had a particular aversion to oral sex – both giving and receiving. I didn’t get a blowjob the whole time we were together. Which brings me to why I am writing: One of my closest friends, “Sam,” is a gay guy. Shortly after breaking up with my girlfriend, I was discussing my lack of oral sex with Sam and he said he’d be willing to “help me out.” I agreed, and Sam gave me an earth-shattering blowjob. I was glad to get some and had no hang-ups about a guy sucking me. Since then, Sam has blown me three more times. My problem is I am starting to feel guilty and worry I am using Sam. He’s a very good buddy, and I’m concerned this lopsided sexual arrangement might be bad for our friendship.

Sam knows I am not into guys and I’m never going to reciprocate, and I feel like this is probably not really fair to him. But these are literally the only blowjobs I’ve received since I was a teenager.

What should I do?

Totally Have Reservations Over Advantage Taking Only one person knows how Sam feels about this “lopsided sexual arrangement,” THROAT, and it isn’t me – it’s Sam. Zooming out for a second: People constantly ask me how the person they’re fucking or fisting or flogging feels about all the fucking or fisting or flogging they’re doing. Guys ask me why a woman ghosted them, and women ask me if their boyfriend is secretly gay. And while I’m perfectly happy to speculate, I’m not a mind reader. Which means I have no way of knowing for sure why that woman ghosted you or if your boyfriend is gay – or in your case, THROAT, how Sam feels about the four norecip blowjobs he’s given you.

Only Sam knows.

And that’s why I wrote you back, THROAT, and asked you for Sam’s contact information.

Since you were clearly too afraid to ask Sam yourself (most likely for fear the blowjobs would stop), I offered to ask Sam on your behalf. I wasn’t serious – it was my way of saying, “You should really ask Sam.” But you sent me Sam’s contact info, and a few minutes later I was chatting with Sam. “Yes, I have been sucking my straight friend’s cock,” Sam said to me. “And I am flattered he told you I was good at it. That’s an ego booster!”

Sam, like THROAT, is 24 years old. He grew up on the East Coast and met THROAT early in his first year at college. Sam came out at the end of his freshman year to THROAT and his other friends, and he now lives in a big city where he works in marketing when he isn’t sucking off THROAT.

My first question for Sam: Is he one of those gay guys who get off on “servicing” straight guys?

“I’ve never done anything with a straight guy before this,” said Sam. “So, no, I’m not someone who is ‘into servicing straight guys.’

I have only ever dated and hooked up with gay guys before!”

So why offer to blow THROAT? “I didn’t know until after he broke up with his girlfriend that he hadn’t gotten a blowjob the whole time they were together – four years!”

Sam said. “When I told him I’d be happy to help him out, I was joking. I swear I wasn’t making a pass at my straight friend! But there was this long pause, and then he got serious and said he’d be into it. I wondered for a minute if it would be weird for me to blow my friend, and there was definitely a bit of convincing each other that we were serious. When he started taking his clothes off, I thought, ‘So this is going to happen.’ It was not awkward after. We even started joking about it right away. I have sucked him off four more times since then.”

For those of you keeping score at home: Either THROAT lost count of the number of times Sam has blown him – THROAT said Sam has blown him three more times after that first blowjob – or THROAT got a fifth blowjob in the short amount of time that elapsed between sending me his letter and putting me in touch with Sam. So does this lopsided sexual arrangemen – blowing a straight boy who’s never going to blow him – bother Sam? “I suppose it is a ‘lopsided sexual arrangement,’” said Sam. “But I don’t mind. I really like sucking dick and I’m really enjoying sucking his dick. He has a really nice dick! And from my perspective, we’re both having fun.

And, yes, I’ve jacked off thinking about it after each time I sucked him. I know – now – that he thinks it is a bit unfair to me. But I don’t feel that way at all.”

So there is something in it for Sam. You get the blowjobs, THROAT, and Sam gets the spank-bankable memories. And Sam assumes that at some point, memories are all he’ll have.

“He will eventually get into a relationship with a woman again, and our arrangement will end,” said Sam. “I only hope nothing is weird between us in the future because of what has happened in the past few weeks.”

I had one last question: Sam is really good at sucking cock – he gives “earth-shattering” blowjobs – but is THROAT any good at getting his cock sucked? As all experienced cocksuckers know, a person can suck at getting their cock sucked: They can just lay/stand/sit there, giving you no feedback, or be too pushy or not pushy enough, etc.

“That’s a really good question,” Sam said. “I have to say, he is very good at it. He really gets into it, he moans, he talks about how good it feels, and he lasts a long time. That’s part of what makes sucking his cock so much fun.”

E M P LOY M E N T J O N E S I N ’ C R OS S W O R D BY M AT T J O N E S

Seeking available adultS! “Triple 8”– fittingly for the 888th Jonesin’ Crossword.

ACROSS 1 Came up 6 Minor argument 10 Die spots 14 Cholesterol drug with the generic version Simvastatin 15 Animal in two constellations 16 Mental concoction 17 One-eighty 18 Boxing Day baby, astrologically 20 Defunct newspaper from North Carolina’s state capital 22 Pencil end 23 ___ el hanout (North African spice mix) 24 Distorted 27 Leb. neighbor 28 Greek column style 31 You, to Shakespeare 32 Crankcase component for engine fluids 34 Get a little froggy?

35 Certain Winter Olympics squad, as spelled in some countries 38 City with a Witch Museum 39 The great outdoors 40 “Toy Story” kid 41 Try to buy 42 Work at a grocery store, perhaps 45 Music collection often stored in a tower

46 Directional suffix 47 Place to change before swimming 50 Compare pros and cons 53 Easy swimming target, slangily 56 Word before paper or metal 57 Charismatic glow 58 Reverberation 59 City between Jacksonville and Tampa 60 Seasonal employee 61 Put a halt to 62 Pied ___ (“Silicon Valley” company) DOWN 1 Sky-blue shades 2 Hub traffic circle 3 Eye-related 4 Tender spots 5 Basement apartment resident at 123 Sesame Street 6 “No ___ luck!”

7 Backside before a fall?

8 Having as a goal 9 Airport runway 10 “___ or it didn’t happen!”

11 Altar-ed statement?

12 Part of MPG 13 ___ Jacinto 19 -y, pluralized

21 Bobby Flay’s milieu 24 Exclamation often misspelled with the second letter at the end 25 Be nomadic 26 ___ it up 29 Show starter 30 Water nymph, in mythology 31 Yew, for example 32 Mind 33 Philosopher’s suffix 34 Midpoint, for short 35 Group in the pit 36 Carmaker Ransom 37 Intuition 38 Alveolus, e.g.

41 Pays off 42 Undeserved reputation 43 “Hurry up!,” in Spanish 44 He brought the frankincense 46 Startled sound 48 Storyteller with morals 49 Italian lawn bowling 50 Make a present presentable?

51 “___! Cherry-O” (kids’ board game) 52 Corvette roof option 53 Took a load off 54 Shade 55 Robotic factory piece ANSWER ON PAGE 16

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etc FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you have cosmic permission to enjoy extra helpings of waffles, crepes, pancakes, and blintzes. Eating additional pastries and doughnuts is also encouraged. Why? Because it’s high time for you to acquire more ballast. You need more gravitas and greater stability. You can’t afford to be top-heavy; you must be hard to knock over. If you would prefer not to accomplish this noble goal by adding girth to your butt and gut, find an alternate way. Maybe you could put weights on your shoes and think very deep thoughts.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’re slipping into the wild heart of the season of discovery.

Your curiosity is mounting. Your listening skills are growing more robust. Your willingness to be taught and influenced and transformed is at a peak. And what smarter way to take advantage of this fertile moment than to decide what you most want to learn about during the next three years? For inspiration, identify a subject you’d love to study, a skill you’d eagerly stretch yourself to master, and an invigorating truth that would boost your brilliance if you thoroughly embodied it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Playwright and novelist Samuel Beckett won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969. Four of his works were essential in earning that award: the play Waiting for Godot, and the novels Molloy, Malone Dies, and The Unnamable. Beckett wrote all of them in a two-year span during the late 1940s. During that time, he was virtually indigent. He and his companion Suzanne survived on the paltry wage she made as a dressmaker. We might draw the conclusion from his life story that it is at least possible for a person to accomplish great things despite having little money. I propose that we make Beckett your role model for the coming weeks, Gemini. May he inspire you to believe in your power to become the person you want to be no matter what your financial situation may be.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I suggest you ignore the temptation to shop around for new heroes and champions. It would only distract you from your main assignment in the coming weeks, which is to be more of a hero and champion yourself. Here are some tips to guide you as you slip beyond your overly modest self-image and explore the liberations that may be possible when you give yourself more credit. Tip #1: Finish outgrowing the old heroes and champions who’ve served you well. Tip #2: Forgive and forget the disappointing heroes and hypocritical champions who betrayed their own ideals.

Tip #3: Exorcise your unwarranted admiration

for mere celebrities who might have snookered you into thinking they’re heroes or champions.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “A waterfall would be more impressive if it flowed the other way,” said Irish writer Oscar Wilde. Normally, I would dismiss an idea like this, even though it’s funny and I like funny ideas. Normally, I would regard such a negative assessment of the waterfall’s true nature, even in jest, to be unproductive and enfeebling. But none of my usual perspectives are in effect as I evaluate the possibility that Wilde’s declaration might be a provocative metaphor for your use in the coming weeks. For a limited time only, it might be wise to meditate on a waterfall that flows the other way.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Stage magicians may seem to make a wine glass hover in mid-air, or transform salt into diamonds, or make doves materialize and fly out of their hands. It’s all fake, of course – tricks performed by skilled illusionists. But here’s a twist on the old story: I suspect that for a few weeks, you will have the power to generate effects that may, to the uninitiated, have a resemblance to magic tricks – except that your magic will be real, not fake.

And you will have worked very hard to accomplish what looks easy and natural. And the marvels you generate will, unlike the illusionists’, be authentic and useful.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The coming weeks will be a favorable time to accentuate and brandish the qualities that best exemplify your Libran nature. In other words, be extreme in your moderation. Be pushy in your attempts to harmonize. Be bold and brazen as you make supple use of your famous balancing act. I’ll offer you a further piece of advice, as well. My first astrology teacher believed that when Librans operate at peak strength, their symbol of power is the iron fist in the velvet glove: power expressed gracefully, firmness rendered gently. I urge you to explore the nuances of that metaphor.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sex education classes at some high schools employ a dramatic exercise to illustrate the possible consequences of engaging in heterosexual lovemaking without using birth control.

Everywhere they go for two weeks, students must carry around a 10-pound bag of flour. It’s a way for them to get a visceral approximation of caring for an infant. I recommend that you find or create an equivalent test or trial for yourself in the coming days. As you consider entering into a deeper collaboration or making a stronger commitment, you’ll be wise to undertake a dress rehearsal.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Members of the Dull Men’s Club celebrate the ordinary. “Glitz and glam aren’t worth the bother,” they declare. “Slow motion gets you there faster,” they pontificate. Showing no irony, they brag that they are “born to be mild.” I wouldn’t normally recommend becoming part of a movement like theirs, but the next two weeks will be one of those rare times when aligning yourself with their principles might be healthy and smart. If you’re willing to explore the virtues of simple, plain living, make the Swedish term lagom your word of power. According to the Dull Men’s Club, it means “enough, sufficient, adequate, balanced, suitable, appropriate.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the Georgian language, shemomechama is a word that literally means “I ate the whole thing.” It refers to what happens when you’re already full, but find the food in front of you so delicious that you can’t stop eating. I’m concerned you might soon be tempted to embark on metaphorical versions of shemomechama. That’s why I’m giving you a warning to monitor any tendencies you might have to get too much of a good thing. Pleasurable and productive activities will serve you better if you stop yourself before you go too far.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Please do not send me a lock of your hair or a special piece of your jewelry or a hundred dollar bill. I will gladly cast a love spell in your behalf without draining you of your hard-earned cash. The only condition I place on my free gift is that you agree to have me cast the love spell on you and you alone. After all, your love for yourself is what needs most work. And your love for yourself is the primary magic that fuels your success in connecting with other people. (Besides, it’s bad karma to use a love spell to interfere with another person’s will.) So if you accept my conditions, Pisces, demonstrate that you’re ready to receive my telepathic love spell by sending me your telepathic authorization.

THIS MODERN WORLD BY TOM TOMORROW

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If I were your mom, I’d nudge you out the door and say, “Go play outside for a while!” If I were your commanding officer, I’d award you a shiny medal for your valorous undercover work and then order you to take a frisky sabbatical. If I were your psychotherapist, I would urge you to act as if your past has no further power to weigh you down or hold you back, and then I would send you out on a vision quest to discover your best possible future. In other words, my dear Scorpio, I hope you will flee your usual haunts. Get out of the loop and into the open spaces that will refresh your eyes and heart. sacurrent.com | June 20-26, 2018 | CURRENT 49

Box | Dorrego’s at Hotel Valencia | Botika | La Botanica | Grayze sips by: Blue Cellar Mixology by Toro Kitchen + Bar | BAR414 | El Luchador Art of Donut | Viva La Dough | Market On Houston | Max’s Wine Dive | Grayze bites by: The Dorrego’s at Hotel Valencia Riverwalk | Toro Kitchen + Bar | Brews Lee Tea

sanantoniococktail.com 50 CURRENT | June 20-26, 2018 | sacurrent.com

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