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in this issue San Antonio Current
Issue 18_52 /// December 26, 2018-January 2, 2019
29 Screens
Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Sanford Nowlin
Favourite Films
Editorial
Senior Editor: Bryan Rindfuss Art Director: Carlos Aguilar Staff Writer: Chris Conde Digital Content Editor: Sarah Martinez Contributors: Alexis Alvarez , Ron Bechtol, Erik Casarez, Daniel Conrad, 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: Clarence Beal, Lori Salazar
Dark comedies and dramas fill our list of the best cinema of 2018
33 Food
Southerleigh Goes South
The brewpub’s new site will bring it more distribution and a taste of wild yeast
Advertising
Account Manager: Mallory Jochen Senior Multimedia Account Executive: Sarah Estrada Account Executive: April Miller, Roger Macias
Marketing and Events
New Kids on the Block
Creative Services
Is San Antonio the True Flavortown?
Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni Events Manager: Chelsea Bourque Event Coordinator: Mallory Jochen Marketing and Events Interns: Alec Salazar
¡Bucho! pop-ups bring ‘tejano street fare’ to El Luchador in Southtown
Creative Services Manager: Tina Corbeil Graphic Designer: Samantha Serna Graphic Design Interns: Michelle Moreno, Shelby Pinto, Noemi Solis
Guy Fieri stopped by a record number of local restaurants this year
Circulation
Circulation Manager: Justin Giles
41 Music
Business
Operations Manager: Sarah Estrada Business Support Specialist: Samantha Lopez
Music Top Picks
46 Etc
Euclid Media Group
Chief Executive Officer: Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers: Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services: Stacy Volhein Creative Director: Tom Carlson Digital Operations Coordinator: Jaime Monzon Senior Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni www.euclidmediagroup.com
Savage Love, Crossword Puzzle, Astrology, This Modern World
National Advertising: Voice Media Group 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com San Antonio Current 915 Dallas San Antonio, Texas 78215 sacurrent.com Editorial - (210) 227-0044 / Fax - (210) 227-7755 Display Advertising - (210) 227-0044 Fax - (210) 227-7733 Classified - (210) 227-CLAS / Fax - (210) 227-7733 The San Antonio Current is published by Euclid Media Group Verified Audit Member San Antonio Distribution – The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Get listed 1. Visit sacurrent.com 2. Click “Calendar” and then “Submit an Event” 3. Follow the steps to submit your event details Please allow 48 hours for review and approval. Event submissions are not accepted by phone. Copyright - The entire contents of the San Antonio Current are copyright 2018 by Euclid Media Group LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Subscriptions - Additional copies or back issues may be purchased at the Current offices for $1. Six-month domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $75; one-year subscriptions for $125.
Josh Huskin
37 Feature
Venomous Tracks
How Spurs legend Matt Bonner morphed from the Red Rocket into DJ Red Mamba BY C H R I S CO N D E
07 News
Year of the Pissed-Off Citizen
San Antonio’s top 10 news stories of 2018 point to a trend of rising civic engagement
10 Calendar
Our top picks for the week
16 Arts
PEOPLE WHO DIED
Remembering wildcards and underdogs who gave us everything from gritty rock and glitzy handbags to Atari games and the green-bean casserole
On The Cover: Former Spur Matt Bonner will DJ San Antonio’s official NYE party. He tells the Current being behind the turntables is a lot like being on the court. Photo: Josh Huskin Art Direction: Carlos Aguilar
sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT
5
THE SAN ANTONIO PARKS FOUNDATION PRESENTS
MONDAY, DEC. 31ST | 6PM-12AM @ HEMISFAIR PARK | LA VILLITA
FEATURING AKA. MATT BONNER ALL FEMALE DJ COLLECTIVE ROLLING STONES TRIBUTE SAN ANTONIO WESTSIDE SOUL HOUSE / FUNK CLASSIC COUNTRY COVERS DISCO / SOUL
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CURRENT | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | sacurrent.com
CARNIVAL GAMES & RIDES H-E-B’s CELEBRATE-FAMILY ZONE BUD LIGHT DJ LOUNGE IN MAVERICK PLAZA STREET TREATS & FOODIE TRUCKS LOCAL ART & CRAFT MERCHANTS BEER, COCKTAILS, AND CHAMPAGNE
news Sanford Nowlin
Year of the Pissed-Off Citizen
San Antonio’s top 10 news stories of 2018 point to a trend of rising civic engagement BY SANFORD NOWLIN
N
o members of city council were led away in handcuffs, no one opened fire at a Fiesta parade, but 2018 was anything but a quiet news year for San Antonio. And much of the noise came from its residents. Fair to say, this was the year San Antonio got woke. Neighborhoods stood up to the ongoing march of gentrification, citizens demanded paid sick leave and voters gave a thumbs down to a controversial and increasingly powerful city manager. Clearly, many residents worried about the Alamo City’s unprecedented growth and how local officials are responding. Mayor Ron Nirenberg has shown a willingness to tackle tough issues such as transportation, affordable housing and entrenched inequality. But, at the same time, citizen ire grew over concerns that city staff had become deaf to
their concerns. Here’s our rundown of the stories that shook San Antonio in 2018, many carrying through that thread of rising civic — and often furious — engagement:
1. CHARTER AMENDMENTS L
There was plenty not to like about the San Antonio fire union’s three punitive charter amendments, designed to give it the upper hand in future contract talks while lighting a flaming paper sack on the doorstep of city hall. Ultimately, voters balked at the most disruptive, which would have made it absurdly easy for citizens to petition to overturn council decisions. But enough did agree to limit the salary of future city managers and to let the union unilaterally force contract disputes into arbitration. That meant a win for the union, which fought the city in court over the evergreen clause in its contract, and
also a clear signal of citizens’ wariness (or perhaps cynicism) about the direction of city government. Union chief Chris Steele’s antics also added a touch of bizarro to the unfolding story. He was busted for donning a fake uniform and called a press conference in which he stood stone faced, refusing to answer media questions.
2. SCULLEY RESIGNS
And on that note, the amendments’ defacto no-confidence vote hastened the departure of City Manager Sheryl Sculley. While her exit was couched as a retirement, public policy experts point out that it was likely informed by Nirenberg, who’s about to seek reelection and doesn’t need the baggage of an unpopular manager at his side. Of course, Sculley’s $450,000 salary made her an easy target, but voters were also reacting to her expanding power and their frustration about city staff ’s apparent disconnect from neighborhood concerns. Despite her many detractors, though, Sculley accomplished much during her 13-year tenure. She straightened out a romper room city hall when she arrived from Phoenix, filled the ranks with more effective leadership and helped S.A. achieve its AAA bond rating (now in jeopardy thanks to the charter amendments). 96
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CURRENT | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | sacurrent.com
news
5. ALAMO RENOVATION
After the city presented its first take on the renovation of Alamo Plaza — a glass-encased oddity — citizens leapt up to defend the storied Texas landmark. Months of contentious debate ensued, with boos and jeers frequently punctuating the public meetings. In October, council finally approved a plan that would let the Texas General Land Office oversee the site, close nearby streets and move the repaired Cenotaph 500 feet south. Ultimately, even that wasn’t without controversy. Republican lawmakers and tea party groups continue to decry the Cenotaph move because… um… liberty or something.
straight-up fraud — a classic Ponzi scheme. Uresti resigned his seat and now faces 12 years in the federal pen, on top of paying back millions in restitution. Adding insult to the injury he’d already done to his own party, his reliably Democratic district later flipped to a Republican. (Cue the sad trombone.)
6. PAID SICK TIME \
67
Sanford Nowlin
3. MANUFACTURED BORDER CRISIS
Sure, the border’s a few hours south of the Alamo City, but it affects us as if we were situated far closer. Don’t think so? How about that lawsuit Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton slapped on the city for not arresting 12 Guatemalan migrants found in the back of a tractor trailer? While a lot of mainstream news coverage framed the immigration turmoil as a crisis (“Migrant caravan,” anyone?), this is a crisis created by the Trump administration. Apprehensions of people illegally crossing the border is down substantially from earlier dates, according to the feds’ own data. From family separations and tent cities to the militarization of South Texas and imminent (at press time) government shutdown over the border wall, the Orange Leader has been ginning up this catastrophe from the day he took office. And the recent announcement that the administration will force asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while processing their claims shows he’s not about to throttle back.
4. CHANGING NEIGHBORHOODS
It’s a no-brainer that gentrification and rising property taxes tightened their squeeze on San Antonio citizens this year. And more center-city residents also fretted they’re being priced out — not just as homeowners but renters — while unaffordable developments continued to spring up in their ‘hoods. Those concerns, coupled with the perception that city staff is more responsive to developers than ordinary folks, spurred a rise in neighborhood activism. Few 2018 news stories better embody residents’ growing anger over the fates and faces of their neighborhoods more than the fight over the Hays Street Bridge — an East Side landmark where Sculley approved a high-density housing development over the recommendation of the Historic and Design Review Commission.
Activists and unions members teamed up to gather more than 70,000 city-validated signatures and prod council into approving a measure that would require employers to give workers up to 64 hours of paid sick leave a year. Naturally, business groups objected. The victory showed the left’s ability to win local victories even as the GOP held locks on state and federal government. What’s more, it demonstrated a clear concern among San Antonians about the city’s lingering problems with income inequality. Now, it’s time to see whether the measure survives the upcoming legislative session, in which the state’s Republican majority seems intent on steamrolling municipalities’ ability to make their own rules.
7. BETO O’ROURKE 5
No, the charismatic congressman from El Paso didn’t send Sen. Ted Cruz slithering back under a rock, as many had hoped. But he did energize Texas liberals and moderates enough to make a difference in a metric shit-ton of downballot races. Democrats exceeded expectations by flipping 12 seats in the Texas House, narrowing the GOP’s control and forcing out some of the furthest-right lawmakers — including the guy who called ICE on immigration protesters. In Bexar alone, Democrats picked up 24 county positions. With O’Rourke now polling well as a potential 2020 challenger for Trump, it’s clear his rock-star glitter hasn’t yet flaked off.
8. “DIRTY” DEELY’S CLOSURE
CPS Energy’s oldest and dirtiest coal-fueled power plant, J.T. Deely, is set to close at year’s end after extensive pressure from environmental groups. The closure is yet another sign of coal’s demise in Texas (despite the Trump administration’s attempts to keep it on life support). This year, the state’s biggest power generator, Luminant, also announced it would close three coal-fired plants that account for about 22 percent of the state’s coal power plant capacity.
9. CARLOS URESTI
What’s a year in any big city without a political scandal? And state Sen. Carlos Uresti’s downfall was scandalous indeed. Uresti and co-defendant Gary Cain were found guilty on 20 combined felony charges over their involvement in defunct FourWinds Logistics, a company that dealt in sand used for oil fracking. It would be one thing if the Democrat had taken bribes, but prosecutors laid out a case of
Bryan Rindfuss
10. TRICENTENNIAL
Yeah, we played it safe on this one, but how often does a city get to turn 300 years old? And for the most part, San Antonio’s pulled off the celebration in an admirable and inclusive way. It was surprising to see how many off-the-beaten-path arts and cultural events managed to get Tricentennial designations. And there was even fun drama after the commission’s initial leadership got axed for some high-profile bungles, including last year’s New Year’s Eve festivities. Remember the decision to fork over $232,500 to book REO Speedwagon as headliner? Apparently, nothing says “Happy 300th birthday!” like overpaying for a washed-up classic rock act who’d otherwise be playing a casino or state fair.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
• The San Antonio Four’s records are expunged • The Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force lays out an affordable-housing strategy • The fight over the Hays Street Bridge goes to the Texas Supreme Court • San Antonio says “no” to the 2020 Republican Convention • September’s record rain and subsequent floods • ConnectSA’s transportation plan pulls out of the garage sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT
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WED | 12/26 - THU | 12/27
Moscow Ballet BALLET
GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER
It’s a Christmas tradition for many to enjoy Tchaikovsky’s traditional tale of the young girl Masha and her fantastical adventure with the Nutcracker Prince. The Great Russian Nutcracker features the world-class dancers of the Moscow Ballet in a lushly staged production that breathes new life into a beloved classic. Notably, unlike traditional performances of The Nutcracker, at the opening of Act II young Masha and the Nutcracker travel not to the “Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” but instead to the “Land of Peace and Harmony,” where they meet the Dove of Peace. Inspired by Bolshoi Ballet Principal danseur Stanislov Vlasov, the Dove of Peace’s dance originated as a solo performance and has since evolved to become a marriage of two dancers into a single, majestic creature with a flowing 20-foot wingspan. The unique reinterpretation of the ballet is accompanied by innovative rolling backdrops and detailed period costumes, and is a must-see for ballet fans of all stripes. $32.50-$102.50, 7:30pm Wed, 3pm & 7pm Thu, the Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com — Kelly Merka Nelson
THU | 12/27 FI LM
ma history and the wide-eyed wonder movies can inspire. Adapted from the first installment of Madeleine L’Engle’s
1960s-era sci-fi series Time Quintet, Disney’s visually compelling A Wrinkle in Time puts a high-tech spin on the
FAMILY FILM FEST 5
A well-timed offering smack in the middle of winter break, the McNay’s Family Film Fest assembles a trio of films adapted from wildly imaginative books. Based on Brian Selznick’s graphic novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the 2011 Oscar winner Hugo is legendary directory Martin Scorsese’s first foray into the 3D realm. Set in 1930s Paris, chiefly in the Gare Montparnasse train station, it follows a curious orphan who’s tasked with maintaining the station’s massive clocks but is more interested in solving a puzzle his father left behind in the form of a broken automaton designed to draw pictures. Beneath the dazzling imagery and adventurous plot, Hugo reveals itself as both Scorsese’s fantastical version of a memoir as well as a love letter to cine10 CURRENT | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | sacurrent.com
Paramount Pictures
classic mystery built around a cosmic battle between good and evil. With African-American women on both sides of the lens (including director Ava DuVernay and co-stars Storm Reid and Oprah Winfrey), the film was commended by the Hollywood Reporter (among others) for its diversity and for presenting racial identity as “a non-issue.” It also serves up a fair amount of comic relief via the trio of celestial guides Mrs. Which (Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling). Often found on the same shelves as L’Engle’s Time Quintet, British author and theologian C. S. Lewis’ seven-part fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia also employs the language of sci-fi and fantasy to tackle the age-old theme of good versus evil. With children and talking animals at the forefront, the books have inspired numerous adaptations, including Disney’s 2005 offering The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Directed by
TH EATER
AN INFINITE ACHE p
Courtesy of Lightwire Theater
Andrew Adamson, it follows four British children who climb through a wardrobe and find themselves in Narnia — a magical land that’s been sentenced to 100 years of winter by Jadis the White Witch (portrayed by Tilda Swinton donning Oscar-winning makeup). $10-$20 (free for kids under 19), 10am-5pm, McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368, mcnayart.org. — Bryan Rindfuss
THU | 12/27 TH EATER
LIGHTWIRE THEATER L
If you need an extra jolt of holiday spirit this year, look no further! Lightwire tells a
Christmas story unlike any other by bringing characters to life on stage with vivid puppetry effects and dancing performers clad in neon lights. In A Very Electric Christmas, young bird Max is blown off of his migratory course and somehow ends up at the North Pole. Lost amongst the snowdrifts, Max embarks on a journey to be reunited with his family, meeting toy soldiers, dancing poinsettias, caroling worms and more along the way, accompanied by a soundtrack ranging from Tchaikovsky to Nat King Cole. The show’s uplifting story is sure to bring cheer to children and adults alike. $26.50-$90, 7pm, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — KMN
calendar
THU | 12/27 SUN | 12/30
Like almost every rom-com, An Infinite Ache opens with a so-called “meet cute” – except for the fact that it jettisons the “cute.” Young singles Hope and Charles meet up for what becomes a mind-numbingly dull blind date (something with which we can likely all relate). But, somehow, the two are still drawn together, and the action rushes forward to play out a lifelong fantasy of love and loss. Though at the onset it would be perfectly understandable for our two protagonists to ghost one another and move on, An Infinite Ache takes a different tack, opting instead to map out a romance not built on explosive infatuation but on a deep connection woven over the course of a full life. $10-$35, 7:30pm Thu-Sat, 2pm Sun through Jan. 20, the Public Theater of San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Pl., (210) 733-7258, thepublicsa.org. — KMN
FRI | 12/28
Nick Barron
FILM
HAIL SANTA \
Planet X Cinema
Does the thought of watching A Charlie Brown Christmas for the umpteenth time make your eyes water? Well, then Blair and Drew Hicks have a present just for you — this month at Künstler, Planet X Cinema becomes Planet Xmas for a bizarro holiday revue they’re calling HAIL SANTA. Instead of dancing sugarplums, the Hicks brothers have a smorgasbord of Christmas film trivia rattling around in their heads, and they’ve dug deep into the vaults to find not one, not two, but three holiday specials so strange that your brains might melt into eggnog by the end of the night. If the fam’s still in town and you’ve run out of ways to entertain them, let Blair and Drew take on hosting duties for the night while you sit back with a beer and let the weirdness wash over you. Free, 8pm, Künstler Brewing, 302 E. Lachapelle, (210) 688-4519, planetxcinema.com. — KMN
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CURRENT | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | sacurrent.com
calendar FRI | 12/28 SUN | 12/30
MON | 12/31 SPECIAL EVENT
DYSTOPIAN FUTURE NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY \
DANCE + MUSIC
It may not be the end of the world, but whenever you give a glance to the day’s headlines it can certainly feel like it. To ring in 2019, experimental art space Sala Diaz is leaning into that anxiety with a dystopian-themed party that celebrates all things cyberpunk: autonomous cars and surveillance-state alike! Squeeze into some holographic spandex and head to Southtown to dance out the year with your fellow replicants and robots as DJ DADA and DJ lil dad spin out a science-fiction soundtrack. Even the drinks are bleeding edge — champagne jello shots and space-flavored punch are on the menu, freshly whipped up in the replicator for your enjoyment. And since even the most future-minded among us can’t help but be thrilled by the ancient technological marvel of pyrotechnics, it’s fortunate that Sala Diaz is perfectly situated to provide a glimpse of the city’s fireworks show at midnight. Free, 8pm-1am, Sala Diaz, 517 Stieren St., (972) 900-0047, saladiazart.org. — KMN
SHEN YUN p
Dichotomies and conflicts abound in the contested world of Shen Yun, a New York-based outfit with a mission “to use performing arts to revive the essence of Chinese culture — traditionally considered a divinely inspired civilization.” For starters, the organization, which comprises five separate companies of roughly 40 dancers, each accompanied by a live orchestras fusing Eastern and Western sounds, aims to preserve ancient Chinese traditions while performing in front of digitized scenery that’s been likened to everything from video-game graphics to IMAX movies. Far more important is the fact that Shen Yun is essentially the cultural arm of Falun Gong (aka Falun Dafa), a movement that arose from China’s “qigong boom” of the 1990s only to morph from a movement/breathing-based concept into a spiritual practice that’s ferociously condemned (and officially banned) by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a dangerous cult. Add to this equation that enigmatic, U.S.-based Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi has spoken publicly about alien invasions and his followers’ levitation abilities and it’s not surprising that folks often draw comparisons to the absurdities of scientology. Unwittingly, the CCP’s ongoing war with Falun Gong and Shen Yun — which runs the gamut from imprisonment and torture to global interference and the cancellation of performances — has inspired sympathy from Westerners and sparked Shen Yun to assume a more political stance. As a result, Shen Yun now addresses the persecution of Falun Gong followers in routines based on human-rights abuses and the criminalization of meditation. Further muddying the waters, Li has taken measures to separate the cash cow that is Shen Yun from Falun Gong — at its core a
Warner Bros.
conservative entity that’s opposed to homosexuality and premarital sex. Unspurprisngly, the majority of these details go largely unnoticed at Shen Yun’s frequently sold-out shows, where exhaustively trained dancers and acrobats move in pitch-perfect unison, gliding (levitating?) effortlessly through the air in elegant costumes adorned with yards of billowing fabric. $83.50-$183.50, 7:30pm Fri, 2pm & 7pm Sat, 1pm Sun, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — BR
Raven Red Photography BURLESQUE
NEW YEAR’S TEASE L
Shen Yun Performing Arts
Bling in the new year with a burlesque fest courtesy of the Pastie Pops. San Anto’s award-winning burlesque troupe has teamed up with the Sexology Institute to host a New Year’s Eve shindig that sparkles in more way than one. As the final minutes of 2018 slip by, sip some complimentary bubbly while the Pops shimmy and shake to celebrate January’s new beginnings. Plus, who needs an excuse to watch San Anto’s resident glam squad show off their burlesque best? To top it all off, the Sexology Institute has a front row seat to the epic fireworks show at Tower of the Americas, without the Hemisfair crowds. $50-$75, 9pm-midnight, Sexology Institute, 707 S. St. Mary’s St., (210) 487-0371, sexologyinstitute.com — KMN sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT
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use snus?
Who would have thought you could participate in a research study? Now is your chance. ICON has an upcoming study specifically for snus users.
Call Recruitment at 210-225-5437 to add your name to our database so that we can contact you when the study is open. 8307 Gault Lane • San Antonio, TX 78209 14
CURRENT | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | sacurrent.com
calendar
COMING TO SAN ANTONIO WED• JAN 30 • 7PM
MON | 12/31 SPORTS
SPURS VS. CELTICS
After years of feasting on inferior Eastern Conference foes, the Spurs head into their Monday night matchup against the Celtics with a subpar record against Eastern opponents this season. San Antonio’s struggles versus the East include a pair of groan-inducing losses to the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic at the AT&T Center. Despite a slow start, Boston remains a formidable opponent with a generational talent in Kyrie Irving at the point. Earlier this month, San Antonio’s full potential was on display in a signature win against the upstart Philadelphia 76ers. Consistency remains key for a Spurs
Hotel Emma
unit whose defensive deficiencies have led to critical lapses throughout this campaign. With the return of Kawhi Leonard looming on the schedule, a revival of defensive form would be a welcome resolution for the Spurs. $37-$1,800, 6pm, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Pkwy., (210) 444-5000, attcenter. com. — M. Solis SPECIAL EVEN T
NEW YEAR’S EVE IN BLACK AND WHITE L
Pop on your monocle and bid 2018 “good riddance!” with an evening of maximum elegance at Hotel Emma. Seeking to capture the lavish atmosphere of Truman Capote’s famed 1966 Black & White Ball, the Emma has imposed the same dress code for its New Year’s bash. Rock up to Sternewirth bar in your fanciest dichromatic duds for an evening in which only the color palette will be washed out. If the clinking of glasses isn’t enough to satisfy your ears, don’t worry — Henry Brun will provide live Latin jazz to entertain whilst you imbibe classy cocktails. If you want to party all night, a room reservation at the Emma comes with two complimentary admissions, but anyone wanting an evening of Gastby-esque glamour can grab a ticket. $25, 9pm-2am, Hotel Emma, 136 E. Grayson St., (210) 448-8300, thehotelemma.com. — KMN sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT
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PEOPLE WHO
DIED
Remembering wildcards and underdogs who gave us everything from gritty rock and glitzy handbags to Atari games and the green-bean casserole BY EUCLID MEDIA GROUP STAFF • ILLUSTRATIONS BY GREG HOUSTON
W
ith the nationally broadcast send-off for President George H.W. Bush only just in the rearview mirror, and with the calendar’s impending turnover to 2019 only a week ahead, it’s that time of year when the notable deaths of 2018 will be aggregated and slideshow-ed for consumption on your favorite mobile device. You will read about and remember Anthony Bourdain and Stephen Hillenburg and Aretha Franklin and Stan Lee and William Goldman and Paul Allen and Mac Miller and other luminaries whose deaths were of general and widespread interest. What’s offered here is different. Yes, these people also died in 2018, but their deaths largely didn’t vault from the obit pages of the New York Times or Washington Post, where notable deaths are chronicled in beautiful and regular fashion, or from the obit pages of the daily papers of cities where these folks lived and worked. Their endings may not have merited a CNN chyron or Twitter Moment headline, but that they were lesser known doesn’t mean they aren’t worth remembering.
Emily ‘Mount Fiji’ Dole T
Pioneer of Female Professional Wrestling Sept. 28, 1957 – Jan. 2, 2018 In the late 1980s, to reach the peak of women’s professional wrestling was to be among the cast members on the hit sports show GLOW: The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Hitting the airwaves in 1986, the all-female wrestling program consisted of women assigned flamboyantly car-
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toonish alter egos that couldn’t have been further from political correctness, like Matilda the Hun, Babe the Farmer’s Daughter, and the tag team Hollywood & Vine. Considering the stress they put on their bodies, the female wrestling pioneers practically worked for free, making between $300 and $700 a week. There were no dental benefits, just the risk of losing teeth in the ring; no medical insurance for the inevitable broken collarbones and concussions. Their only guarantee at the end of the day was pain and exasperation — and, when the bright lights dimmed and the roar subsided, the glory. But among the many talented ladies who initially scratched the surface of women in professional wrestling, none of them are remembered quite like the one they dubbed “Mountain Fiji.” Legend has it Emily “Mount Fiji” Dole never lost a match, which makes sense when you consider that she stood 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighed in at 350 pounds. A proud Samoan American woman, an actress by any fair definition, an accomplished athlete, Dole was by far the most recognizable character on GLOW, with her tree trunk-like arms and shoulders as wide as a volcano’s outer rim. Prior to her time as a professional wrestler, Dole was remembered for her ability to toss a shotput more than 50 feet as a teenager at Buena Park High School in California — a feat that’s been repeated just twice by other California high school girls since. Later on, Dole qualified for two Olympic track-and-field trials, where she finished fifth in 1976 and seventh in 1980. Netflix’s current fictionalized tribute to the pioneering wrestling league features a Samoan American wrestler named Carmen “Machu Picchu” Wade, played by Britney Young, a clear tribute to Dole’s legacy. In her final years, Dole dealt with a number of
health problems, many of which were born out of her career in wrestling, and had been staying in an assisted living facility. By 2008, her weight had begun to get the best of her as she climbed up to 425 pounds, although she would later cut it back down to 235 pounds. But like all volcanoes, though it had erupted hundreds of times within the wrestling ring, the fire inside her would inevitably lay dormant. On January 2, 2018, Dole passed away from unknown complications. She was 60 years old. — Xander Peters
Ursula K. Le Guin L
Trailblazing Speculative Novelist Oct. 21, 1929 – Jan. 22, 2018 More than 20 novels, not counting several of her earliest works that remain unpublished. A dozen books on poetry. More than 100 short stories, collected throughout multiple volumes. Seven essay collections. Thirteen books for children. Five volumes of translation, including the Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu and selected poems by the Chilean Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral. Oh, and a guide for writers. Even stingily speaking, the career of author Ursula K. Le Guin — one of the 20th century’s pioneering science-fiction and young-adult writers — was prolific. Arguably her most enduring work, The Left Hand of Darkness, inspired legions of genre writers, including contemporary savants such as Neil Gaiman, J.K. Rowling, John Scalzi
and the widely acclaimed Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale. Some critics argue that no single work did more to upend the genre’s seemingly predictable conventions than that of the Nebula- and Hugo Award-winning novel, which imagined a world whose human inhabitants have no fixed gender; instead, their sexual roles are determined by context and express themselves only once a month. She would later refer to the story as a “thought experiment.” “I eliminated gender to find out what was left,” Le Guin told the Guardian in 2005. It remains one of speculative fiction’s academic touchstones to this day. The only daughter of two anthropologists, Ursula Kroeber was born the youngest of four children in Berkeley, California, in 1929. Her father studied Native American tribes based in California, while her mother, Theodora Kracaw Kroeber, gained prominence in the same field with her acclaimed book Ishi in Two Worlds, which chronicled the life and death of the state’s “last wild Indian.” Throughout her youth, with dinner-table talk of lost worlds never far out of earshot, Le Guin would use her family’s deep understanding of the world as a jumping-off point as she immersed herself in mythology, classic fantasies and the science-fiction magazines of the day. In 1951, she graduated from Radcliffe College, then earned a master’s degree in romance literature from Columbia University in 1952. From there, Le Guin was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study in Paris. While aboard a steamer set for France, she met the historian Charles Le Guin, whom she married a few months later. Later in life, the two would settle down and start a family in Portland, Oregon, where they lived in a Victorian house on a steep street just below the city’s Forest Park. As the Paris Review noted during an interview with Le Guin in 2013, perhaps appropriately for a science-fiction author and much like the worlds she’d bend within her fiction’s narratives, their home appeared “larger on the inside than it does from without.” On January 23, 2018, with one last conflict within a story to resolve, Le Guin passed away peacefully at her home in Portland. Her family did not cite a cause other than poor health due to old age. Le Guin was 88 years old. — Xander Peters
Mark E. Smith 5
Irascible Frontman of the Fall March 5, 1957 – Jan. 24, 2018 “If it’s me and your granny on bongos, then it’s a Fall gig.” A young Mark E. Smith started the Fall in the Manchester suburb of Prestwich after that infamous 1976 Sex Pistols show in Manchester that inspired the majority of attendees to
start bands the next day. It was the only time in his life that Smith would (unwittingly) succumb to rock cliché. He spent the next 40 years trying his best to dismantle rock ’n’ roll and the music industry from the inside. Though he looked like an ill-tempered postal clerk or substitute teacher, Smith was punk and disorderly to the very core. With the Fall, he built a sound antithetical to the idea of musical proficiency, favoring instead spontaneity and creative tension, laced it with biting, clever, often poetic lyrics, and ended up with something every bit as inspirational as Gang of Four or Wire. The Fall were a band that (to their horror, perhaps) influenced generations of punk, new wave and alternative rock bands, and Smith became a de facto role model to those for whom the underground was more than just a temporary lifestyle choice. What other post-punk band had enough cultural cachet to score a major-label record deal (again), during the grunge revolution of the 1990s? The unforgettable songs and anthems piled up like discarded ex-band members (a cohort over 60 strong, all told) — “Totally Wired,” “Mr. Pharmacist,” “The Classical,” “Hip Priest,” “Glam Racket,” “Ghost in My House,” “Big New Prinz.” Did you ever hear the Fall’s cover of disco standard “Lost In Music”? If the albums aren’t enough to slake your thirst, the Fall recorded 20-plus live sessions with equally legendary British DJ John Peel over the BBC’s public radio airwaves between 1978 and 2004. Despite this fearsome productivity, Smith kept the Fall proudly “unprofessional.” If during a concert Smith would drink himself into oblivion, unplug an amp (or five), mess up keyboard settings, change up the setlist, or recruit a new drummer 15 minutes before showtime, what of it? As Smith himself barked, it’s just “creative management, cock!” Smith was the Fall’s only constant member during the band’s 40-plus years of intense creative drive (they were contemporaries of Joy Division, just to put things in perspective): one or more albums a year, restless, constantly changing music, grueling touring schedules that have the logistical sense of darts thrown at a map of the world, and a bandleader who apparently hasn’t eaten solid food in decades (subsisting on a liquid diet, as they say) dedicated to spontaneity, conflict and uncertainty in day-to-day business affairs. Smith anecdotes are almost as legion as Fall anthems, suffused with a sui generis cranky mystique. There’s the apocryphal story of him catching some of his bandmates dancing to “Rock the Casbah” at an afterparty in the ’80s and summarily delivering slaps to every offender, or when he almost singlehandedly bottled Mumford
& Sons off the stage in the early ’00s; the time he fired a sound engineer for eating a salad, and fired a drummer on the unlucky percussionist’s wedding day; or when he agreed to play on British chat show Later … With Jools Holland with the contractual condition that the titular host not play “boogie-woogie piano anywhere near the Fall.” His never-ending embrace of chaos and tension had an ugly side to it; he could be vile and abusive to those closest to him. And yet, most remained loyal, believing in their flawed leader’s vision, like the long-suffering Hanley brothers and, of course, Smith’s most famous creative foil, guitarist and ex-wife Brix Smith. Brix was the most iconic member of the Fall, after Smith, a glammed-up American punk who contributed unforgettable serrated riffs to pivotal albums like The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall and Experiment. Photos and The Frenz Experiment video from her tenure in the Fall are essential and electrifying viewing, like transmissions from a strange alternate future. Their breakup was equally as seismic, though she rejoined the band for a brief time in the 1990s. Smith died at 60 after a long battle with cancer, but was still doing shows, in a wheelchair, in the year before he passed, and never ceased writing and releasing music regularly. There will likely never be a pop star quite like him again. — Matthew Moyer
Gary Burden T
Essential Album Cover Artist of the 1970s May 23, 1933 – March 9, 2018 As an elder millennial, I sort of straddle two worlds: the analog and the digital. I didn’t have a cell phone until I was a junior in high school, but I’ve been downloading music since the days of Napster and Limewire. That being said: I remember what it felt like to hold a CD, tape or record and cherish it in a different way than we do now — an era when we just pay $10 a month for unlimited streams of almost every album of every artist ever. I specifically remember being in the gigantic Tower Records in New Orleans and flipping through an entire wall of darkwave/industrial CDs, mesmerized by how many they had. Or going home with a brand-new batch of music and sitting on the floor in my bedroom unraveling the album artwork and reading the lyrics along to the music. It was quite a different age, and some of the folks that helped make it so were the geniuses behind some of those album covers. Enter: Gary Burden.
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If you dig classic folk-rock, you probably remember the cover of Joni Mitchell’s Blue album, a close-up, high-contrast midnight-blue portrait of Mitchell gazing downward. It’s melancholic and rich and, most of all, it evokes feeling in the viewer. Burden designed that. The former architect was a sought-after album designer starting in the late ’60s for many a rock ’n’ roller, from Mitchell, The Doors and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to current artists like Conor Oberst, best known for his work in the emotive indie folk project Bright Eyes. “Gary always wanted the album packaging to reflect the spirit of the music and the wishes of the artists as much as possible,” Oberst said about Burden in a recent article in the New York Times.. “He was often at odds with record labels when they sought to cut costs at the expense of what he and the artist had envisioned. Gary usually won those battles.” While studying architecture at UC Berkeley, Burden met Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas, who would ultimately be the one to turn him on to designing album covers for a living. “I met her and she asked me to do a remodel of her home in Laurel Canyon,” Burden said in a 2015 video interview with NPR’s “World Café.” “So she’s the one who said, ‘You know, Gary, you should make our new cover; you know how to design stuff,’” he recalled. The rest, you could say, is history. After a lifetime of contributing his own art to the music community, Burden died this year on March 7. No cause was given. As time seems to slip faster beneath us and technology speeds the world up, Burden’s death is a reminder to slow down and look at the details; feel the textures and edges and maybe sit with — and breathe with — a piece of album art. It’ll most likely enhance the entire musical experience. — Chris Conde
Judith Leiber L
Holocaust Survivor and Designer of Extravagant Handbags Jan. 11, 1921 – April 28, 2018 If you can’t connect the dots between the words “handbag” and “art,” you’re probably not versed in the distinctive work of Judith Leiber, the late Hungarian designer who took a signature concept — whimsical metal clutches adorned with Swarovski crystals and semi-precious stones — and ran with it
in vivid fashion for decades while carving her own niche in the fashion world. Born Judit Pető into a Jewish family in Budapest in 1921, she escaped the worst atrocities of the Holocaust — thanks in part to a Swiss letter of protection her father managed to obtain — and weathered World War II in a Budapest apartment in the Jewish ghetto reportedly shared by 26 people. Although aimed for a job in the cosmetics industry, she instead broke the mold and became the first woman to work at the Hungarian Handbag Guild, where she perfected design and fabrication skills from the ground up. In 1945, while selling her own handmade purses on the side, she met Gerson “Gus” Leiber, a Brooklyn-born Army sergeant and modernist painter stationed in Budapest. By 1947, they were married and living in New York City. In New York, she worked for handbag manufacturers and hit an early career high in 1953 when First Lady Mamie Eisenhower arrived at the Inaugural Ball carrying a small, bedazzled clutch crafted by Leiber. Although the credit went to her employer (designer Nettie Rosenstein), this turn of events foreshadowed a trend of powerful women — from queens and movie stars to first ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush — clutching Leiber’s shimmering creations at high-profile events. In 1963, the couple officially dove into the luxury handbag business together via Judith Leiber Inc., with Gerson on the business end and Judith handling design, fabrication and marketing. In the decades that followed Leiber took her playful, over-the-top aesthetic to the limit while challenging the confines of minaudières — decorated metal clutches only big enough to carry what she summed up as “a handkerchief, lipstick and a $100 bill.” Collaborative efforts involving sculptors, painters, jewelers and artisans in the U.S. and Italy, Leiber’s imaginative bags can take a year to complete and typically cost somewhere between $4,000 and $8,000, with made-to-order couture pieces ringing in closer to $20,000. Beyond meticulous attention to detail and unapproachable price tags, one of the most remarkable aspects of Leiber’s work is the juxtaposition of refined materials and techniques with nostalgic, child-like, even lowbrow themes and concepts. Nevertheless her unapologetically extravagant minaudières — which have taken shape in dazzling cupcakes, ladybugs, cameras, cell phones, bundles of asparagus, Tutankhamen-inspired monkeys, burgers, fries and cocktails — have long been slyly witty staples for A-list celebrities on often-humorless red carpets.
Although the Leibers sold their business in 1993 for a reported $16 million (Judith stayed on board as designer until 1997), the Judith Leiber brand is still intact and active, offering a reverent continuum of the 5,000-plus designs its co-founder created throughout her colorful career. In 2005, Judith and Gerson opened the Leiber Collection in Springs, New York, to “house their works of art and to chronicle their careers.” While both are represented in major museum collections (he’s in the Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum, she’s in the Smithsonian and the Met), the Leibers were thoughtfully showcased side-by-side in a trio of recent exhibitions while they were both in their 90s. After 72 years of marriage, Judith and Gerson died at home within hours of one another, both from heart attacks, on April 30, 2018. As for the shimmering body of work she began building long before “bling” was even a blip on Merriam-Webster’s radar, Judith Leiber presented her intricate evening bags as defiant status symbols, conceptual confections and wacky conversation pieces. All you need to enjoy one is a big bank account, a sense of humor sized to match and, as Leiber once suggested, an escort to carry the items that don’t fit in your minaudière. — Bryan Rindfuss
Glenn Snoddy \
Recording Engineer and Inventor of the Fuzz Tone May 4, 1922 – May 21, 2018 Glenn Snoddy’s contribution to the world of music wasn’t a song or a style of playing. It was more like he helped discover a new color. A recording engineer in Nashville in the early 1960s, Snoddy helped capture and recreate what is commonly called “fuzz tone,” the distorted, overdriven effect that helped shape the sound of modern rock ’n’ roll. And it was all, quite literally, by accident. Already a recording veteran (he’d worked on pivotal sessions for Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash), Snoddy was manning the console for a session with producer Don Law and country singer Marty Robbins, who was recording his 1961 single “Don’t Worry.” A broken amplifier that the bass was running through created a dirty sound about halfway into the recording that caught the attention of everyone working on the track. “The transformer in the amplifier blew up,” Snoddy told Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s Daily News Journal in 2016 about the happy accident. The bassist (country and rockabilly session guitarist Grady Martin) report-
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edly wanted to redo his part, but Law and Snoddy insisted it remain. After its release, “Don’t Worry” went to No. 1 on Billboard’s singles chart and musicians in particular loved the buzzy sound. Snoddy says Nancy Sinatra was in Nashville and wanted that exact sound for a recording session, but by that point the original “broken” amp had completely died. So he began figuring out how to recreate the fuzz, designing and building a preamp effects box to capitalize on the curiosity. He sold the design to Gibson, which turned it into the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-1, the first commercially available guitar distortion pedal. While the distorted guitar sound was pioneered by players like Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Willie Lee Johnson and Link Wray (most notably on the revolutionary 1958 instrumental hit “Rumble”) in the decade leading up to his invention, Snoddy was the first to capture that fuzzy lightning in a bottle (or, rather, box). The Gibson pedal (which initially sold for $40) wasn’t an immediate hit and the company ramped down production of them until 1965, when Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards used his FZ-1 on the band’s seminal hit, “Satisfaction.” Gibson sold 40,000 pedals in the wake of that song’s success, after reportedly moving a grand total of three over the course of the previous two years. The fuzz tone sound became the foundation of ’60s and ’70s rock ’n’ roll, leading the way for other popular pedals, including the Fuzz Face, beloved by Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townshend, and the Big Muff, which saw a revival in the late ’80s/early ’90s, the key to the guitar sounds of bands like Mudhoney, Smashing Pumpkins and many other alternative rock acts of the time. Snoddy, who’d later open Nashville’s Woodland Sound recording studio (home to many important sessions, including the one for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”), died on May 21. He was 96. — Mike Breen
Ted Dabney L
Electronics Engineer and Co-Founder of Atari May 2, 1937 – May 26, 2018 In the beginning was a word. And the word was pizza. Pizza parlors, to be exact — the ones lit by the blinking screens of arcade cabinets and populated by animatronic critters. In the mid-1960s, such establishments only existed in ambitious schemes cooked up by Ted Dabney and Nolan Bushnell, two friends then employed as engineers by California-based electronics
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company Ampex. Dabney agreed to join Bushnell in his business venture, which combined the former’s technological and electronics expertise (gained in the ’50s at the Navy’s electronics school on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay) with the latter’s unbridled creativity and experience working as a carnival barker during college. Unsurprisingly, the duo’s initial efforts failed to bear the intended fruit (or dough, for that matter), but they did mark the genesis of electronic gaming as a cultural institution. What started out as a far-fetched dream would soon become a household name: Atari. At the time, coin-operated arcade cabinets were largely analog machines: pinball, fortune tellers, skeeball. Dabney and Bushnell were intent on replicating the mechanical complexity of these games first on a computer, and later on a television set. Programming and buying computers was cost-prohibitive, so Dabney — inspired by how a TV set’s vertical and horizontal move the picture back and forth — devised a way to move digital shapes across a screen using a universal platform that was cheaper to build and easier to manage and store. “Ted came up with the breakthrough idea that got rid of the computer so you didn’t have to have a computer to make the game work,” one of Atari’s first employees, Allan Alcorn, told the New York Times in June. “It created the industry.” Bushnell pitched the new motion-circuit technology to arcade manufacturer Nutting Associates, who helped the duo produce the first-ever commercially available coin-operated cabinet video game, Computer Space, in 1971. The sci-fi themed game netted Dabney and Bushnell enough royalties to found their own company, first called Syzygy and quickly renamed Atari. The company broke into the mainstream in 1972 with the release of Pong, a simplified departure from Computer Space that simulated table tennis with two lines and a dot. By the end of 1974, Atari sold more than 8,000 units of the game at $937 a pop. Unfortunately, Dabney reaped a much smaller reward than his partner. He learned that Bushnell had applied for a patent without his consent, submitting Dabney’s designs under his own name. Bushnell’s charisma pushed Dabney to a lower rung of Atari, leaving him frustrated enough to sell his ownership for $250,000 in 1973. Disillusioned by the perils of success, Dabney largely bowed out of the industry. In the meantime, Bushnell pushed Atari into living
rooms with a series of video consoles. In the late ’70s, Bushnell enlisted Dabney to help develop a new venture — a restaurant/arcade called Pizza Time, later renamed Chuck E. Cheese’s. After further disputes split the pair up again, Dabney retreated from the entertainment industry for good. Dabney died of esophageal cancer on May 26. — Jude Noel
Mary Carlisle p
‘Baby Starlet’ Who Made More Than 60 Films in a Decade Feb. 3, 1914 – Aug. 1, 2018 A radiant 1930s film ingénue known for her fresh face, porcelain skin and blond hair, Mary Carlisle appeared in more than 60 films in the course of her short career, everything from Bing Crosby crooners to B-movie horror films — the last of which was the low-budget vampire thriller Dead Men Walk, released in 1943. Born Gwendolyn Witter in Boston in 1912 or 1914 — according to the Washington Post, she would frequently say her true age was “none of your business” — she was discovered at 14 while eating lunch at Universal Studios with her mother. Studio executive Carl Laemmle Jr. saw her and demanded she be given a screen test, reportedly saying, “This girl has the most angelic face I ever saw.” But it wasn’t until after she completed her formal education — and bluffed her way into a chorus-girl casting call at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, thanks to her uncle Robert’s film connections — that she pursued a career on the big screen. Her first part was an uncredited appearance in the Academy Award-winning 1932 drama Grand Hotel, starring Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo and John Barrymore. That same year she was named a “Baby Star” — a PR designation for budding starlets deemed to be on the cusp of a big film career (by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers) but Carlisle never found the same success as other “stars” like Clara
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John Marin, American (Rutherford, New Jersey, 1870-1953, Cape Split, Maine), On Mount Desert, Maine (detail), 1920, watercolor over graphite on textured watercolor paper, Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection: Gift of Norma B. Marin. 2013.018.142
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Bow, the aforementioned Crawford or Ginger Rogers. Continuously typecast as a wholesome virgin or upbeat gal in everything from college sports dramas to screwball musicals, including three with Crosby in a span of five years, Carlisle eventually retired from cinema after marrying British actor James Blakeley in 1942. “I’ve played sweet young heroines long enough,” she said. After her acting career, Carlisle managed the Elizabeth Arden salon in Beverly Hills. She died at the age of 104 (or 106, depending on whom you ask) at the Motion Picture and Television Fund retirement community for actors in Woodland Hills, California. — Maija Zummo
Hamiet Bluiett L
Progressive Jazz Titan Sept. 16, 1940 – Oct. 4, 2018 Hamiet Bluiett, a master of the unwieldy baritone sax as well as the more nimble clarinet, served as a living bridge between blues-based, pre-bebop traditionalism and progressive improvisational jazz. Bluiett came into the world in similarly significant liminal territory — he was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but raised directly across the river in Brooklyn, Illinois, the first town in the United States incorporated by African Americans. At age 4 he began piano lessons; at 9, clarinet studies; and in college at Southern Illinois University, he took up the baritone saxophone. He left college without graduating, but with an abiding admiration for the bari sax. “I fell in love with the instrument on first sight, even before I knew what it sounded like,” he said in a 1991 interview. “But I never thought its mission was to mumble in the back row. I thought it should be a lead voice.” By many accounts, Bluiett was a mass of contradictions: Despite forging new paths in the St. Louis and New York loft jazz scenes, he remained always committed to melody. His idol was not a bebop pioneer like Parker (neither Charlie nor Leo) but Harry Carney, a baritone saxophonist in Duke Ellington’s band. Even while he was a blazing star in the avant-garde loft scene, Bluiett respected popular appeal, saying things like, “We should play more music for women, play stuff that children like, old people, the whole works — what’s wrong with all that? “I was one of the guys, when we went into the loft
situation, I told the guys, ‘Man, we need to play some ballads. You all playing outside, you running people away. I don’t want to run people away.’” He founded the forward-thinking World Saxophone Quartet (WSQ) and the Black Artists Group (BAG), and played with iconic improvisers including Sam Rivers, Babatunde Olatunji and Charles Mingus. His work in WSQ and BAG was influenced not just by the soul and R&B he grew up with, but by West African musics and hocket-style call and response. Yet had he chosen a more commercial path, his diamond-hard, satin-smooth clarinet tone would have fit right into a traditional big band à la Ellington. The controlled fury of his baritone attack was matched by a crusty demeanor and raspy voice. (Bassist Kent Kessler recalls a set at the Chicago Jazz Fest in which Bluiett was to improvise with the DKV Trio; there was no rehearsal, no discussion, Bluiett simply showed up on stage, stuck out his hand and said “Bluiett” before they began.) In 2002, Bluiett was diagnosed with prostate cancer. As part of his holistic treatment, he switched to a vegetarian diet, which he claimed changed his music after a lifelong devotion to the blues. “Blues came out of pork and alcohol,” Bluiett told St. Louis magazine in 2011. “I can’t hang with the meat eaters all the way — I’m not saying it’s good or bad; it was just different.” After a series of strokes and seizures that began in January of this year, Bluiett was taken off respiratory support in October. — Jessica Bryce Young
Dorcas Reilly x
Inventor of the Green Bean Casserole July 22, 1926 – Oct. 15, 2018 She may not be a household name, but Dorcas Reilly is a household staple: Her iconic Campbell’s Soup green bean casserole is served in more than 20 million American homes each Thanksgiving and, the rest of the year, acts as a quintessential comfort dish that can be popped in and out of the oven in less than 30 minutes. Reilly, a 1947 graduate of Drexel University’s Home Economics program, was one of the first two full-time employees at Campbell’s Camden, New Jersey, home economics department, working in the test kitchen to develop new recipes. Originally invented in 1955 as a “green bean bake” for an Associated Press story asking for a vegetable side dish made with pantry staples, the casserole calls for just six ingredi-
ents: a can of Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, green beans and crispy French-fried onions. It was a wholesome home-cooked meal crafted in an Atomic Age that celebrated canned goods and convenience cooking, but its combination of creamy, crunchy and salty has stood the test of time. Today, more than 60 years later, Campbell’s estimates upward of 40 percent of their condensed mushroom soup sales are used to make Reilly’s casserole — the recipe is even printed on the back of the can. “Dorcas would often share that the first time she made her famous recipe, it did not receive the highest rating in Campbell’s internal testing,” wrote the company in an October memorial for Reilly’s passing. “Yet, it was her persistence and creativity that led to an enduring recipe that will live on for decades to come.” Reilly worked for the company off and on from the 1940s to the 1980s, when she retired as manager of the Campbell’s Kitchen in 1988. In addition to her lasting bean legacy, she also invented hundreds of other soup-infused recipes including a tuna noodle casserole, tomato soup cake and tomato soup sloppy Joes. In 2002, Campbell’s donated Reilly’s original recipe card to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria, Virginia, placing her patented legacy alongside the likes of Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers and Steve Wozniak. “I’m very proud of this,” she said of the recipe in a Campbell’s video, “and I was shocked when I realized how popular it had become.” — Maija Zummo The official Campbell’s Kitchen Green Bean Casserole recipe: 1 can Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup ½ cup milk 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 dash black pepper 4 cups cooked cut green beans 1 1/3 cups French’s Frenchfried onions Instructions: Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions. Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT
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In Memoriam
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Remembering eight individuals who made lasting impressions on San Antonio BY SAN ANTONIO CURRENT STAFF
s a locally focused companion to our “People Who Died” feature penned by staffers across all Euclid Media Group (EMG) publications (San Antonio Current, Orlando Weekly, Cincinnati City Beat, Riverfront Times, Cleveland Scene, Detroit Metro Times and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay), Current editors, writers and contributors nominated individuals to eulogize in our final issue of 2018. Much like the EMG collaboration, which favors lesser-known individuals over celebrities and titans of industry, our homegrown contribution omits the more notable passings (including philanthropist Edith McAllister, jeweler James Avery and car dealership owner Tom Benson) as a means to shine a light on individuals such as restaurateur Bob Riddle, photographer Monte Adams and West Side leader Thelma Jackson. Since this collection of eight in memoriams is far from an exhaustive list of losses this year, we welcome your contributions in the comments section of the online version of this story. victory against the Warriors and more importantly, provided an all-too-brief respite for a franchise in mourning. Erin and Gregg Popovich met on the grounds of the Air Force Academy near picturesque Colorado Springs. When Gregg took his first head-coaching job at Division III Pomona-Pitzer, Erin moved her young family to a dorm apartment in Southern California. When the Spurs hired Coach Popovich’s mentor, Larry Brown, Erin prodded, assuring her husband that he also belonged. Perhaps more than any player, Spurs icon Tony Parker, who arrived from France at the age of 19, witnessed firsthand the influence and impact of Erin Popovich. The day after Popovich passed, Parker captured the sentiments of the Spurs’ immediate family. “It’s going to be very difficult to play basketball today but we have to do it,” said Parker in a somber tone. “But for me it’s very emotional. She was a great lady. I always saw them, like Dad and a Mom. Everybody knows that, because I arrived at 19. So I was very emotional yesterday.” – M. Solis
Jesse Lopez Jr. L
Aggravator Guitarist Nov. 16, 1988 – June 26, 2018 Ask fans of extreme music in San Antonio about local bands that are going places, and the name Aggravator invariably comes up. The thrash metal outfit’s two well-received albums helped build an international following, and it’s toured both in the U.S. and overseas, having appeared at festivals as far away as Sweden and Norway. Which is why so many in the tight-knit scene were shocked when guitarist Jesse Lopez Jr. took his own life this summer. The death leaves unanswered questions, but friends and fans say they remain inspired by Lopez’s talent, humor and enthusiasm. “He was a phenomenal guitar player,” said Mike Cortes, Aggravator’s drummer. “A lot of people were touched by the way he played. People would want to talk to him after a show, and he wouldn’t shrug anybody off. He was in it for the music. Anybody who felt the same was like a brother to him.” Cortes recalls his friend falling into a giddy state of near-disbelief after learning the band had been booked to play the Inferno Metal Festival Norway — essentially ground zero for extreme metal. 24 CURRENT | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | sacurrent.com
Lopez’s leadwork added a melodic texture to Aggravator’s charging music and helped it stand apart from the multitude of bands using speed as a weapon. That fretboard prowess left him in high demand; he also performed in Black Jackal and Womanthrower, another pair of punishing local metal acts. While the self-taught musician clearly put years into perfecting his precise and sweeping leadwork, he had interests beyond scales and arpeggios. Friends also remember him as a talented visual artist, burgeoning tattooist and an animal lover with a menagerie of pets. Lopez’s final recorded work will appear on Aggravator’s latest record, a self-titled EP due out in February. MusicAttack is releasing the disk in Europe and Marquee Records is handling it in South America. If there’s any consolation to this summer’s tragedy, it’s that Aggravator is continuing on, Cortes said. In April, the band will perform at the NYDM Milwaukee Spring Bash festival alongside veteran metal act Anvil. It’s also gearing up for a tour of Australia and New Zealand. “Being part of the band for so long, Jesse would be proud,” Cortes said. – Sanford Nowlin
Erin Rose Popovich
San Antonio Spurs Matriarch January 5, 1951 – April 18, 2018 Last April, just three days after Spurs matriarch Erin Popovich left the planet, Manu Ginobili played his final game in San Antonio. It was a vintage Ginobili performance, featuring crafty fakes, finishes and a fourth quarter for the ages. Turning back the clock, Manu sparked the Spurs’ lone playoff
Bob Riddle
Big Bob’s Burgers Owner June 21, 1968 – October 12, 2018 The San Antonio burger-loving community is still coming to terms with the loss of Bob Riddle, the Big Bob’s Burgers owner who passed away on Friday, October 12, 2018. Riddle, known for his boisterous personality and a penchant for service, was honored with a Celebration of Life party at Big Bob’s Burgers on Hildebrand Avenue. Proceeds from the event benefited the Texas Lyme Disease Association and The Children’s Shelter of San Antonio, both of which were near and dear to Riddle’s heart. Riddle first opened Big Bob’s on Harry Wurzbach before relocating the beloved burger spot to Hildebrand and San Pedro. Riddle was an alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America-Hyde Park and served as the opening chef at San Remo Italian Ristorante in Castle Hills before opening Podna’s Catfish and Po’boys. Riddle was known in the community for his service to nonprofits, schools and the like. Since his passing at the age of 50, hundreds tributes and notes have been shared from across San Antonio from friends, previous employees and people he welcomed into his restaurant, or helped fundraise with including The Elf Louise Christmas Project. – Jess Elizarraras
Jose Lothario 5
Wrestling Legend December 12, 1934 November 6, 2018 Legendary wrestler and National Wrestling Alliance Hall of Famer Jose Lothario passed away on November 6, 2018, at the age of 83. Locally, Lothario was best known for managing San Antonio native and WWE superstar Shawn Michaels’ career in the WWE (then WWF) in the late 1990s. During that time, Michaels won his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XII. Lothario started training Michaels in the 1980s. “Despite never winning a WWE-sanctioned championship or competing at WrestleMania, Jose Lothario made a lasting mark on the WWE Universe by simply agreeing to train a cocky teenager from San Antonio, Texas — a cocky teenager that grew up to become WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels,” the WWE said in a statement. In 2003, locally-based wrestling group River City Wrestling (RCW) got the opportunity to co-promote an event with Lothario. RCW president and founder Brandon Oliver said working with him was an honor. “I got to see firsthand the immense respect both the fans and his peers had for him,” Oliver said. “He had grit, determination and pride. He was the embodiment of San Antonio wrestling.” – Kiko Martinez
Bob Morales
Ritchie Valens’ brother March 9, 1937 – September 15, 2018 Though Ritchie Valens was a California native, San Antonio can collectively agree that he and his brother Bob Morales are embedded into the puro culture of the Alamo City. Whether it’s due to Valens’ short-lived career as one of the forefathers of the Chicano rock movement or the 1987 film La Bamba, about Valens’ life and death, local fans were moved by Morales’ passing on September 15. Esai Morales, the actor who portrayed the elder Morales (to whom he was not related), posted an update to his Facebook account asking for prayers for Bob, who ended up passing away just days later. The actor reminded fans that the rambunctious Bob “not only helped make La Bamba come to life but also infused the story with so much heart, pain and depth.” After Valens’ death in 1959, Morales became a substance abuser and suffered from depression. In 2015, he admitted to abusing his former girlfriend Rosie, who is also depicted in La Bamba and to whom he famously said, “It’s not my first... or my last” when she told him she was pregnant. Though he kept up his bad boy attitude, playing in a band, smoking weed and wearing leather coats, Morales worked at a rehab center and welcomed those in need into his home. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012, eventually succumbing to the disease at the age of 81. – Sarah Martinez
courtesy of WWE
Jerry Torres
Taco Haven Owner October 29, 1932 – October 12, 2018 Fans of Southtown mainstay Taco Haven were saddened by the death of founder Jerry Torres on January 6. The San Antonio native passed away at the age of 85, leaving behind his wife Elida and three generations of the Taco Haven family. After joining the U.S. Army at the age of 15 to fight in the Korean War, Torres, along with his wife, opened Taco Haven in 1969. To prepare, Torres used a sewing machine to create the homemade comal that Taco Haven’s first tortillas were made on. The couple purchased $25 worth of beans, cheese, eggs and other groceries at a nearby Handy Andy grocery store ahead of the grand opening, and the rest, as they say, is history. Proclaiming “This is Taco Country,” Taco Haven grew to become a go-to for Southtown residents and tourists alike, drawing hungry customers from across San Antonio as well as the globe. In 2013, Torres faced backlash after allowing people inside the restaurant to collect signatures for a petition against the then-new non-discrimination ordinance. After customers protested the restaurant, Torres said he had no problem with LGBTQ individuals as customers, and that nobody should “bully” his family into changing their views, which he said was due to their Christian faith. Regardless of diners’ take on social issues, the Torres Taco (bean and cheese with a slice of bacon and avocado) remains a tried-and-true favorite. – Sarah Martinez
Monte Adams
Photographer and Blues Fan September 13, 1966 – June 3, 2018 When photographer Monte Adams was found dead in his home this summer at age 51, San Antonio’s blues scene stung from the loss. Adams had been a fixture in Central Texas clubs, capturing performers in stark black-and-white snapshots. He also went out of the way to share the portraits with his subjects — by mail, email or hand. “I don’t know of any photographer that went to the lengths he did to document what was going on in our scene,” said Mike Davis, bandleader of the S.A. Blue Cats and a longtime board member of the San Antonio Blues Society. “And Monte knew everybody. ... You call any blues musician, and they’re going to know him.” Recently, Adams had begun taping interviews with local musicians for his personal archive, Davis added. Adams frequented live shows going back to the ’80s. When he wasn’t snapping photos, he could be found dancing to a shuffle or sitting on a barstool, taking in
a soulful jam with his eyes closed. Friends remember him as a gentle and encouraging man eager to champion the city’s rich musical history. “It was always a party with Monte there,” said guitarist Will Owen Gage, who first met Adams at a Blues Society jam session nearly 20 years ago. “You’d see him and know you were doing something right. Even if there was nobody else there, you had a reason to play.” Adams’ Facebook page is a walk down musical memory lane, replete with his snaps of musical icons ranging from bluesman Johnny Winter to Tex-Mex legend Freddy Fender to Spot Barnett, the saxophonist who helped craft S.A.’s West Side Sound. Also in the mix are his pictures of obscure R&B 45s and matchbook covers from long-closed music venues. Barnett recalled Adams always making good on his promise to share the photos he shot at gigs. If they didn’t arrive by mail in a few days, that probably meant Adams would have them in hand at the next performance. “Somehow he’d get it to you,” Barnett said. “Monte was a man of his word.” – Sanford Nowlin
Thelma Jackson
School Principal and West Side Leader December 12, 1929 – February 17, 2018 Orphaned at age 7 and separated from her eight siblings, Thelma Jackson overcame early tragedy to become a celebrated educator and West Side community leader. In addition to working with We Are Making a Difference, a nonprofit that distributed food to needy families, Jackson was also known for teaching dance and offering free wedding planning. She served as consultant for the Miss Dignity and Little Miss Dignity Fiesta pageants, which started in the ’70s to serve girls whose families couldn’t afford to participate in other local pageants. “She struggled for the whole community,” friend Patrick McKinley told the Express-News after Jackson’s death from stroke complications. Jackson was adopted by a relative who encouraged her to pursue an education, and she did so with zeal, graduating from high school at age 14. She later obtained a master’s degree in physical education from Prairie View A&M University. In the 1960s, she became the first principal at Edgewood ISD’s E.T. Wrenn Junior High School — a school she also helped name. In addition to teaching, she coached an array of girls’ sports, including basketball, tennis, cheerleading, pep squad and dance. During her tenure with the district, she went on to serve as its athletic director for elementary schools and drug education director. West Side residents recognized Jackson’s work for the community in 2005 by naming a sports pavilion after her in Acme Park. – Sanford Nowlin sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT 25
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Dark comedies and dramas fill our list of the best cinema of 2018 BY KIKO MARTINEZ
A24
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fter watching 235 movies this year, here are my 10 picks (and a few honorable mentions) for the best Hollywood had to offer.
a young, Native American cowboy from South Dakota reflecting on his life after suffering a severe head injury. The Rider is Jandreau’s film, and he delivers a complexity and cowboy flair to the role that is unmatchable. Watching him train colts on the rugged Dakota landscape, confronting the idea of what it means to be a man and simply appreciating being alive is what makes the film so emotionally fulfilling.
10. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (DIR. LYNNE RAMSAY) 5
Besides praising three-time Academy Award-nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix’s striking turn as Joe, a disturbed veteran who works for a private investigator to track down missing girls, filmmaker Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin) has created an unnerving and aggressive cinematic experience in You Were Never Really Here. There is a thin layer of grime that coats the narrative that is extremely hard to shake. There are scenes in the film where it almost feels like it could fade to black at any moment. As the dissonant and offbeat electronic score of Oscar-nominated composer Jonny Greenwood (Phantom Thread) pushes Joe to the brink, audiences may wonder if he will make things easier by simply removing himself from the equation. His self-hatred will make it tough for viewers to connect to the character on any meaningful level, but with YWNRH, it’s probably a good idea to keep a safe distance.
9. FIRST REFORMED (DIR. PAUL SCHRADER) L
It’s never ideal when a film has an agenda and then proceeds to beat viewers over the head with it. So, it’s quite unexpected when a film as preachy as First Reformed comes along and finds a way to be an exception to the rule. It’s a haunting, strange and lyrical narrative on one man’s spiritual and political resurrection from the darkest corners of his consciousness. First Reformed brims with insights on anger, guilt, faith and personal autonomy. Written and directed by Paul Schrader, the film revisits some of the more philosophical, character-driven elements of his early screenplay work, including
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Amazon Studios
Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Last Temptation of Christ. Schrader taps into another tormented soul, and actor Ethan Hawke delivers a career-best performance. First Reformed is built to carry the burden of Schrader’s ambitious and inspired script, which includes a visceral final scene that will linger for weeks.
8. THE RIDER (DIR. CHLOÉ ZHAO) p
Chinese-American writer-director Chloé Zhao (Songs My Brothers Taught Me) has taken a tender narrative and transformed it into a breathtakingly beautiful drama that shoots straight to the heart. Yes, the performances from some of the novice actors in supporting roles are unpolished, but the spirit that emanates from the setting, characters, relationships and direction is brilliant. In The Rider, Zhao taps former bronc rider-turned-actor Brady Jandreau to play the cinematic version of himself, Brady Blackburn,
Sony Pictures Classics
7. AT ETERNITY’S GATE (DIR. JULIAN SCHNABEL) p
In At Eternity’s Gate, a biopic on Vincent van Gogh, Oscar-nominated director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) doesn’t take an antiquated concept and define mental illness as one specific thing or behavior. Everyone knows van Gogh suffered from some form of psychological disorder, so why play it up like other van Gogh films of the past? It’s one of the reasons Schnabel’s film is such an enlightening and unique experience. With At Eternity’s Gate, Schnabel, who is a famous painter himself, confronts van Gogh’s mental instability with inventive style and philosophical reflection. In doing so, he has given audiences one of the most creative and visually striking cinematic compositions about an artist in recent memory. Through handheld camerawork, distorted scenes and other stimulating experimental film elements, he allows viewers to see the world from van Gogh’s transcendent perspective. 31 6
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6. THE FAVOURITE (DIR. YORGOS LANTHIMOS)
The Favourite is unlike any costume drama you’ve ever seen. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if you know the eccentric and invigorating work of Greek writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos in films like Dogtooth and The Lobster. Although Lanthimos hands off script duties this time around, his fingerprints are all over it. The Favourite is an acerbic and abrasively funny period piece featuring three of the best female performances of the year. Set in the early 18th century, it is loosely based on the reign of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), the sickly crowned head who ruled Great Britain and Ireland until her death in 1714. Don’t expect a history lesson here, however. Lanthimos is more interested in the darker and comically absurd relationships Anne develops with her close advisor Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), and Sarah’s cousin, Abigail Hill (Emma Stone). Hostility and deceitfulness have never been this wickedly entertaining.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
2. ROMA (DIR. ALFONSO CUARÓN)
5. PRIVATE LIFE (DIR. TAMARA JENKINS)
Dark comedy is a tough subgenre to get right, especially when working off a script featuring uncomfortable subject matter that isn’t what most would consider knee-slapping material. For example, 2014’s Obvious Child and 2015’s Grandma are both well-written dark comedies about abortion. Director and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Tamara Jenkins (The Savages) seems to hit the same kind of tone with Private Life, a dark dramedy that tells the story of Richard (Paul Giamatti) and Rachel (Kathryn Hahn), a middle-aged married couple who are experiencing infertility and trying to have a baby through in vitro. Unsure about using a stranger as an egg donor, they turn to their 25-year-old step-niece Sadie (Kayli Carter) to see if she might be willing to help them conceive. Jenkins has crafted a genuinely touching and humorous human narrative about a husband and wife desperate for a family. It’s a poignant piece of filmmaking and Giamatti and Hahn have never been better.
for military veteran and single father Will (Ben Foster) and his 13-year-old daughter Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) in the compelling drama Leave No Trace. Living off the grid in a nature preserve outside Portland, Will and Tom learn to master their solitary lifestyle until their attempt to hide from the outside world ends abruptly. Directed and co-written by Oscar nominee Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone), Leave No Trace is thought provoking and emotionally complex. Granik has captured an authentic dynamic between two characters who find themselves at an impasse with one another.
Netflix
There’s no denying the beauty and timelessness at the heart of Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón’s deeply personal drama Roma. It’s as close to cinematic poetry as you can get, and Cuarón, with an expert-level attention to detail, places us at the center of his story — watching, listening, waiting and cherishing every delicate moment. As with all his past films, there is an intimacy in Cuarón’s work that is unlike any working director today. It’s never been more apparent just how meditative his voice has become than with Roma, an autobiographical film based on his childhood in Mexico City during the 1970s and told from the perspective of the woman who helped raise him — his nanny (Yalitza Aparicio). Appreciate what Cuarón has constructed with Roma. Like other recent image-heavy films such as Tree of Life, Dunkirk and The Revenant, what Roma lacks in standard narrative substance, it makes up for in Cuarón’s skill as a visual storyteller.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
4. CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? (DIR. MARIELLE HELLER)
It’s a welcomed career move to see actress Melissa McCarthy change things up in the film Can You Ever Forgive Me?, her most dramatic role to date — and her most remarkable. Her character, late New York Times bestselling author Lee Israel, is well-matched to McCarthy’s self-deprecating wit and ability to make the flaws and vulnerabilities she brings to the role seem sympathetic and spirited. In Forgive Me?, Israel attempts to resolve her money problems by forging and selling fake, personal letters by deceased writers and actors. Directed by Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) and co-written by Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said), Forgive Me? uses a cynical and clever combination of dark comedy and drama that builds on the narrative’s stranger-than-fiction premise with a pitch-perfect tone. The film is the type of work McCarthy will hopefully search out more as she expands her range.
Annapurna Pictures
1. VICE (DIR. ADAM MCKAY)
Bleecker Street Media
3. LEAVE NO TRACE (DIR. DEBRA GRANIK)
There’s something very intriguing about watching an individual taking on Mother Nature with little at their disposal. These stories work best when there is an intimate narrative attached to those characters hoping to survive a situation they either have no control over (Castaway) or one they have undertaken on their own to test themselves (Wild). The latter is the case
Netflix
Clockwise from bottom: Roma, Leave No Trace, Can You Ever Forgive Me, Private Life, The Favourite, Vice
Vice, Oscar-winning filmmaker Adam McKay’s biopic on former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (Christian Bale in an Oscar-worthy performance), is the most polarizing Oscar-contending film among critics since 2004’s Best Picture winner Crash. In Cheney’s world, McKay shows audiences just how much influence the VP had in the administration and does so with a sharp and scathingly witty script. Cheney’s wraithlike rise in the ranks saw him turn the “nothing job” of VP into one of incredible depth and power — like a cosmic comic-book villain who devours planets. Politics is a whole different game than McKay tackled in his last film, 2015’s The Big Short, on the imploding housing bubble, and he came ready to play. And like most politicians, McKay jabs low and hard and sometimes unfairly, but always promises an entertaining fight. His foray into political theater is captivating, outrageous, satirical gold. And 10 Honorable Mentions: Capernaum, The Death of Stalin, Eighth Grade, Hereditary, I Am Not a Witch, Isle of Dogs, Lean on Pete, Searching, The Sisters Brothers, Three Identical Strangers sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT
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The brewpub’s new site will bring it more distribution and a taste of wild yeast BY JEREMY BANAS
S
outherleigh Brewing Co. is building a production brewery on the Southside to support a growing number of restaurants and retail outlets in the area. The brewery will be located at the Brooks multi-purpose development, just down the road from Southerleigh’s previously announced second restaurant location. Both the brewery and the eatery are expected to open next summer. On top of the additional capacity, the new facility will feature a technological throwback that will let the brewer produce traditional farmhouse ales that rely on wild yeast. “We’re excited to continue to expand Southerleigh into this neighborhood and introduce our beer to an even larger audience,” said Jeff Balfour, Southerleigh’s chef and owner. “The south side of San Antonio has been rapidly expanding, and we are thrilled to be joining this growing community at Brooks.”
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Southerleigh Goes South
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Not many years ago, it would have been impossible for a brewpub such as Southerleigh to open a production facility, but a 2013 state law made it possible for brewers to operate both. San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing was the first to take advantage of that change, opening its own production facility in 2014. Southerleigh’s new brewery will handle all its brewing for distribution — such as bottles for retail stores and kegs for bars and restaurants — plus beer for the Brooks restaurant. The 6,000-square-foot facility will feature a 25-barrel brewing system, allowing Southerleigh to keep up with demand for its most popular brews, including Texas Uncommon and Gold Export Lager. A new bottling line also will speed up packaging, now done by hand and a two-head bottle filler. “The Brooks brewery will still have the same vibe that we’ve cultivated at the Pearl brewpub,” said Head Brewer Les Locke, who will oversee both sites. “But we look to experiment a bit as well as at new location, creating a perfect juxtaposition between both locations.”
Sailing in a Coolship In addition to more capacity, the new site will give Southerleigh a barrel-aging program, which will allow it to age brews in barrels that once held bourbon, wine and other spirits.
But the brewery’s pièce de résistance will be a koelschip (or coolship), a large rectangular pan historically used for cooling unfermented beer before adding yeast. European brewers began using coolships centuries ago to allow wild yeast to inoculate their brews, giving way to tart Belgian farmhouse beer styles. But the equipment fell out of use during the last century with advances in cooling technology. While the old-school method’s seen a resurgence in Europe, it’s been slower to take off in the United States. Texas’ only other known coolship resides at Jester King Brewery, an Austin outfit specializing in farmhouse-style ales. “Historically, in Europe, these vessels would have been used all the time,” said Averie Swanson, former head brewer for Jester King. “This method is how we get our spontaneously fermented beers.” And that’s exactly what Locke is after for Southerleigh. The coolship will allow the brewer to expand its offerings to include farmhouse ales. It also plans to introduce subtle wild yeast flavors into its Texas Uncommon. “The use of a coolship not only honors our brewing roots, but it has nuances in the cooling process that you cannot get from more modern equipment,” Locke said. Visitors to the new Southerleigh site will have access to 10 rotating taps in a taproom next to the brewery, a renovated chapel built in 1941. Tours will be available daily.
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¡Bucho! pop-ups bring ‘tejano street fare’ to El Luchador in Southtown BY BRYAN RINDFUSS
T
here’s a new name on San Antonio’s culinary scene, but the folks behind it aren’t exactly new faces. Borrowing its name from Fight Club protagonist/antagonist/narrator Tyler Durden, the Durden Food Group comprises Jerry Moreno, Gino Vidal, Daniel Orta and Sohayla Hendrix — four friends with more than 40 years of restaurant experience between them, including catering and various roles in both the front and back of the house. To introduce their first concept under the Durden umbrella, the quartet is staging popups as ¡Bucho! — a chef-inspired “Tejano street fare” concept that’s found what seems to be a fitting home in the wrestling-themed confines of El Luchador in Southtown. Also plucked from a movie (Joaquim de Almeida’s villainous character in Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado), the slangy Spanish term bucho can be translated in multiple ways (pig fat, jerk, dude and jackass are all possibilities). As Vidal explains it, bucho can also mean stubborn, a translation he says fits the group best. “We were tired of working for someone else, fed up, ready to do our own thing,” Vidal told the Current. “So we’ve been stubborn in that sense.” Since its First Friday debut in December,
¡Bucho! has maintained a consistent presence at El Luchador, serving up piña pastor and mojo verde mushroom tortas, creatively tricked-out burgers and vegetarian “Lone Star” borracho beans ($3-$12 per item) into the wee hours — and smartly beckoning on Facebook to service industry folks still hangry from the late shift. When asked about the shortand-sweet menus they post on social media, Moreno explained that the group is “slowly unleashing items” as they develop a set menu for a more full-time scenario. But for the week ahead at least, ¡Bucho! is already fairly full-time, with service from 8 p.m. until sellout or 2 a.m. Wednesday through Friday, then on Sunday for Seinfeld trivia night (food from 5:30 p.m., trivia at 7 p.m.) and a ticketed event on New Year’s Eve ($25 per person, $40 per couple). In the new year, the group hopes to trade in their electric griddles and burners for a fullfledged kitchen at El Luchador. In order to make that happen, Vidal says they’ll likely host a fundraiser in February to get the Southtown community involved and offset the expense of kitchen essentials. In the meantime, keep up with Durden Food Group and ¡Bucho! on Facebook and Instagram.
Is San Antonio the True Flavortown? Guy Fieri stopped by a record number of local restaurants this year BY SARAH MARTINEZ
C
elebrity chef Guy Fieri may zigzag all over the U.S. looking for the best bites, but it seems like his trail keeps leading back to San Antonio. On Friday, December 28, he will have spotlighted five local restaurants in less than two months. Fieri’s final San Antonio stop for the year is part of a new program on the Food Network. For the upcoming Triple D Nation, a sort-of spinoff of his long-running Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Fieri will revisit established joints as well as look for new places to chow down. Among the spots he’s visiting for the first time is Luna Rosa Puerto Rican Grill y Tapas. Set to air Friday, December 28, at 8 p.m., Triple D Nation will lead Fieri to the South Side’s spot for Puerto Rican as part of its “Piling on the Pork” episode. Foodies can see the Food Network personality sample Caribbean nachos and chuleta kan-kan pork chops. The Luna Rosa spotlight comes just weeks after San Antonians watched Fieri visit four other local restaurants as part of DDD. Smoke Shack was noted on the November 23 “Burgers, Bacon and BBQ” episode for its awesome ’cue. A week later, Wrigleyville Grill and Fat Tummy Empanadas made their TV debuts during the “From Sandwiches to Stroganoff ” episode. On December 14, Fieri featured Dignowity Meats on the “Regional Recipes” episode, billing the spot as an East Coast-Texas deli known for its smoked meats. That brings the count of S.A.-area restaurants featured on the Food Network (and that are still open) to 23. Other notables include Big Lou’s Pizza, Magnolia Pancake Haus, La Panaderia, Texas Pride BBQ, The Cove and Two Bros. Barbecue. sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT
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How Spurs Legend Matt Bonner went from the Red Rocket to DJ Red Mamba BY CHRIS CONDE
F
ormer San Antonio Spur Matt Bonner’s love for music — especially underground hip-hop and indie rock — isn’t exactly a secret. This summer, Trinity University’s KRTUFM hit up the Red Rocket to talk music and featured a playlist curated by the former basketball star. Bonner, who played power forward for the Spurs from 2006-2016, has also popped up at local venues, catching touring acts like underground rap pioneer Sage Francis and Aussie hard-rockers Wolfmother. When news broke that Bonner would be headlining San Antonio’s official New Year’s Eve party to do a DJ set under the moniker DJ Red Mamba — a handle given to him by fellow NBAer Kobe Bryant — we wanted to know more about his transformation into this new persona.
music
Venomous Tracks
How do you feel about performing on New Year’s Eve? I am beyond excited. I have tremendous respect for DJing as an artform, and I’ve talked to several DJs. I talk to DJ Hella Yella at the Austin Spurs games, he DJs there. I talked to a couple of the DJs at the Spurs games just for help and pointers — what equipment to use, like, everything. I’ve only DJed— DJ Red Mamba has only DJed two previous times. Both times, I used some rudimentary software on my iPad, so I needed to start from scratch. That’s not going to cut it for this big of a stage, because I need to put together a show. So, I went to these other DJs. I was kind of worried that they were going to be like, “Who is this amateur?” Or that I would be making a mockery of the art form. But it wasn’t the case at all. They were super supportive — pumping me and giving me confidence, telling me to keep practicing, don’t worry and that I’d be fine. So, I really appreciate what the DJ community has done thus far.
DJing, it’s a similar pressure, a similar rush, to when you’re playing basketball — to hit your transitions, to hit your cue points. Everyone’s watching you, you have control over the crowd and the atmosphere. All eyes are on you in that situation — you feel the pressure and it’s a good pressure. The two other times I’ve gotten to DJ on a big stage, when I finished, it felt like I got done playing an NBA basketball game; that type of feeling.
Obviously, becoming a professional athlete is a goal anyone in sports could hope to achieve. What does success look like for you as a DJ? And are you trying to take it as far as you did with your career with the Spurs? I’m looking at success the same way I approached basketball, which is two things: work hard in your preparation and do your best, and the rest will take care of itself. You know, I can’t turn myself into a master DJ in one night, but I could come up with a plan to put on a heck of a show, so that everyone has a great time — and in the process continue to improve. I’m kind of brainwashed in the Spurs way, so it’s a big-picture, embrace-the-process type thing for me, as far as artistically. I mean,
What does failure look like as a DJ? Failure is [when] you lose the crowd. Especially a large crowd. A big-venue performance should [include music that’s] majority crowd-pleasers. Like, I’ve seen Rush two times here in San Antonio, and the first time I went to see them, they played all their hits, and it was awesome. Everyone was singing every word, and everyone was having a great time. Everyone heard all the songs they wanted to hear and left happy. We went back a second time, and they played everything off their new album and hardly any of their hits, and everybody left unsatisfied like, “What the heck?” Like, we appreciate the artform, and you’re awesome musicians, but we wanted to hear “Tom Sawyer” and 39 6
Josh Huskin
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now pretty big. It’s kind of interesting seeing a lot of those underground bands explode into the mainstream. Honestly, though, I really enjoyed coming of age musically in the ’90s. Obviously, I’m biased, but to me the ’90s was the greatest decade, and I was into all of it. I was into grunge, the whole Seattle scene. I loved Rage Against the Machine — still do. I actually have “Renegades of Funk” in my setlist for New Year’s Eve.
6 37 “Limelight.” So, I kind of have that memory in the back of my mind. And I could get up [on stage] and try to impress people and play obscure indie electronic pop dance songs that nobody’s heard, but it’s New Year’s Eve. Thousands of people wanna dance, party and sing along, and I gotta remember that and keep the party moving. What was some of your favorite music growing up? So, I would say, before I had any control over the radio, being a kid, one of the earlier songs I can remember really loving was “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. When that opening bass line came on with the synth, I’d put my ear right up to the radio. Also: “Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer.
So, with the Spurs, were you that guy that was always trying to get your teammates into some weird underground music? I mean, I had allies along the way, like Brent Barry. He’s actually the one who introduced me to Elbow, and we’d go back and forth a lot. And that’s how you learn about new music that’s not on the radio: you have to find someone whose musical taste you trust and who strongly recommends something, and then you listen to it. In the second stage of my career with the Spurs, Patty Mills. He’s a music appreciator as well — of all genres.
Yass! Embarrassingly enough. And “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul. I remember in third grade, the whole class had to learn the recorder, and I remember playing the little flute/recorder hook part that came on at the end of the song. That’s awesome, did you get into playing any other instruments? I have zero musical talent. I tried to play the clarinet in fifth grade. It went horribly. I tried to teach myself the guitar in my early 20s, and it was just a disaster. I learned quickly to stay in my lane. Later on, what was some of the stuff you got into? I remember my aunt gave me her old CD player, and I went to the store and got to pick out any album. I got Young MC’s Stone Cold Rhymin’ [with] “Bust a Move” and “Principal’s office” on it, and it kind of ignited my love for early late ’80s, early ’90s hip-hop. And, if you remember back then, if you bought an album it’d be $15, but you could buy the single for $2.99. I used to buy all the early ’90s one-hit-wonder hip-hop singles. We had one hip-hop station in all of New England — JAM’N 94.5 out of Boston. And I had a boombox in my room, and I had to get the antenna just right to get the signal strong enough. It was the old-school blank tape, play-record, and when the song came on, halfway through the song you think you finally got it. Then your mom comes in and tells you to pick up your laundry, and it would ruin the recording, because the boombox would pick up any sound that comes up. I knew you were into different kinds of music, but when I saw you at the Sage Francis show a couple years ago, I didn’t realize that you were into underground rap like that. Yeah, well Sage and most of those Anticon [label] guys started out in New England, and the first concert I ever went to without my parents — my senior year of high school — a good friend of mine and I drove down to Sage Francis in Providence in 1998. Is there other underground music, not just hiphop, that you get down with? For hip-hop, I really love Buck65 and Edon, and then non-hip-hop, I really got into the indie rock scene in the mid-2000s, right when it first started to explode and go mainstream. Deer Tick, Elbow, the Milkmen
Did any one of your teammates ever try and get you into some trash pop song? You know what, no one ever was like, “You know, Matt, you gotta listen to that new Jeezy.” The guys kind of stick to themselves music-wise. Whatever’s playing in the weight room, everyone can hear, so who’s there first — Manu might be blasting Argentinian music or Tony might be playing French rap music, Patty could be playing some reggae or something. You never know what you’re going to get. Josh Huskin
Being in San Antonio as long as you have, are they any local performers you notice really repand Stars are probably my favorite. resenting the city well? There’s a band called Okkervil River, and the lead In that regard, I am very lame. I have three kids now singer is from New Hampshire — the same state I’m and work a lot of nights, and the shows I usually go from — and I was playing for the Toronto Raptors to have openers that aren’t local — like I saw Smashin 2005-6. We had just played Lebron and the Cavs. ing Pumpkins and Elton John. But I like Garrett T. I was getting dressed after the game in the locker Capps, though. I listened to his “Born in San Antone” room, and I had a message from my brother. He’s song. I like him; I like how hard he represents San like, “Hey, there’s this band, Okkervil River, the Antonio. I think that’s really cool. Buttercup’s been lead singer’s from New Hampshire. They’re playing representing San Antonio for years. Lee’s Palace in Toronto. You should go check them out after the game.” So, I How about that Smashing got in the taxi and went Celebrate SA! Pumpkins show, though? to Lee’s Palace, which is I thought they were amaza legendary music venue San Antonio’s Official New Year’s Eve Celebration ing. They far exceeded my in Toronto, and I walked with DJ Red Mamba, The Satisfactions and more expectations. I thought in, and that was my first Free Billy Corgan’s voice was on underground, indie rock point. I couldn’t believe it. experience. I was just Mon Dec. 31, 6 pm It was cold as hell too, but blown away by the musiHemisfair/La Villita/Maverick Plaza they were so professional. cianship, the content of saparksfoundation.org/event/celebrate-sa/ the songs, the scene. The We’re looking forward crowd was just so into the to you wrecking shop on music and appreciative New Year’s Eve. of the art form. I was like, Me too, and I’m super appreciative of this oppor“Wait, there’s bands like this that you can’t hear on tunity to share some of the music I like — and to be the radio?” I didn’t know that there was music like able to be a participator in the art and music scene this, and I started talking to people at the show, and here in San Antonio instead of just a spectator. It is they were like, “Oh yeah, you gotta check out the super exciting to me. Walkmen or Arcade Fire,” which are bands that are sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT
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music | music Picks
themselves betwixt the biggest rock names of the decade, including Foo Fighters, Nirvana and Third Eye Blind. But y’all already know that story, and even though these dudes show up in S.A. once a year or so — Josabi’s in 2014 and Maverick Music Festival in 2015 — they’re still worth seeing to rock out to their hit “Possum Kingdom.” $25, Thursday December 28, 8pm, Aztec Theatre, Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., theaztectheatre.com. — CC
NIGHTBIRD: A FLEETWOOD MAC AND STEVIE NICKS TRIBUTE p Friday, December 28
Shae DeTar
WASHED OUT L Thursday, December 27
Best known for providing the intro music for Portlandia, the beloved show making fun of hipsterdom, Washed Out has become strangely iconic for millennials. Former Current Music Editor Matt Stieb explained the phenomenon a few years back when Washed Out headlined the Maverick Music Festival: “Oddly enough, Washed Out has not only eclipsed the genre of chillwave, it’s become a touchstone act for the millennial generation in the way that Steely Dan is a zeitgeist artist for dads of millennials. And much like Steely Dan, Washed Out totally rules, though with serious potential to sound dated in 20 years.” $25, 7pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. – Chris Conde
As the Current noted several weeks back, decent-togood tribute bands can really do well for themselves in this town. We are a nostalgic bunch, what can we say? So, it’s really no surprise that Nightbird, a Houston based Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks tribute band, which features singer Brooke Alyson doing a spot-on Stevie impression — and we’re talking vocals, costumes and makeup — is playing S.A. once again this week. In this group’s capable hands, the beloved catalog of both Nicks’ solo career and especially Fleetwood Mac is brought to life with the youthful energy and decadent aimlessness that once so enthrallingly possessed the band. In other words, seeing Nightbird live is bound to be the closest you can get (without a time machine) to experiencing Fleetwood Mac in its heyday. As such, we can’t recommend this show enough as a fine way to spend one of the last nights of your 2018. $10, 9pm, Bang Bang Bar, 119 El Mio Dr., (210) 320-1187, thebangbangbartx.com. — JC
Partisan Records
BLACK ANGELS L Friday, December 28
The Black Angels are an integral, if sometimes overlooked, part of the contemporary psych-rock scene. The veteran Austin outfit delivers reverb and riffs aplenty, and it also boasts a flair for adventurous sonic detours from its droning, driving backbone. In the live setting, the band’s experimental nature blooms into unpredictable explosions of smudged majesty. $25, 7pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com – James Courtney
THE TOADIES \ Friday, December 28
Steve Visneau
In 1993, after being noticed by Interscope Records on the strength of their debut EP Pleather, Texas post-grunge rock band the Toadies began recording their debut full-length Rubberneck. Proving to be one of the most enduring and definitive rock albums of the 1990s, the Fort Worth four-piece landed
Sanjay Patel
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CURRENT | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | sacurrent.com
music | music Picks MUTANT TOUR KICKOFF AND ALBUM RELEASE Friday, December 28
Mutant, one of the most exciting acts in S.A., if you ask us, is dropping an album and heading out on tour — but not before giving the hometown crowd a farewell-for-now dose of its post-apocalyptic medicine. The genre-straddling act, a project from Joseph Caceres of experimental electronic outfit Xry, makes use of vintage tape loops — including some culled from thematically appropriate sci-fi and horror VHS tapes — along with lo-fi sounding electronic implements, to present a moving dystopian vision in sonic form. But the thing about Mutant is that there’s just enough angst and aggression, and just enough pop sensibility, to make the music endlessly listenable. Head on over to mvtant. bandcamp.com to hear for yourself. Crawl and Filthy, likeminded crafters of experimental and punk-infused muck, will provide support. All in all, it should be a great evening of music that won’t remind you in any way of the holiday jams your family will be subjecting you to. Free, 10pm, Amp Room, 2407 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 3202122, theamproom.com. — JC
Courtesy of Thunderhorse
HUNNYBUNNY + RIVERS WANT + WAYNE HOLTZ p Saturday, December 29
HunnyBunny, the cutest and coolest new duo in town, will play its second live set ever at La Botanica this weekend. (Its first was a few weeks back in ATX.) As the adorable name might give away, the members of HunnyBunny — Bridgette Norris-Sanchez and Bobby Rivas (of FEA, Islands & Tigers) — are romantic as well as musical partners. And, at least from the little tastes we’ve gotten so far (a few live clips and a few covers posted to Soundcloud), the chemistry between the two lends an easy-going, intimate warmth to their still-evolving indie popmeets-R&B sound. High-energy indie
Courtesy of Wayne Holtz
dance-rock crew Rivers Want and the ever-entertaining pop heartthrob Wayne Holtz, with whom the busy Rivas also plays, round out the bill — the last of the year at La Botanica. $3, 9pm, La Botanica, 2911 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 716-0702, vivalabotanica.com. — JC
THUNDER HORSE VINYL RELEASE PARTY L Sunday, December 30
figure you’ll probably be just excited as us to catch the band in action. To whet your appetite, check out the debut album (for which the band is releasing a vinyl edition at the show) over at thunderhorse.bandcamp.com. $5, 8pm, The Amp Room, 2407 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 320-2122, theamproom.com. — JC
SKATENIGS p
You know, band names are a finicky thing. Some take them too seriously, and some not seriously enough. Some names seem perfect for a band’s sound, and some, whether intentional or not, seem ill-fitted. Thunder Horse, a newish S.A. doom metal outfit, is an example of a band name that perfectly matches the sound. Replete with sludgy breakdowns; wicked shreddage; plodding, daze-inducing rhythms and dark, gory lyrics, Thunder Horse does call to mind images of a majestic and wild animal facing some roaring cataclysm that approaches out of the black sky. As far as new and local metal, you’d be hard-pressed to find a tighter, more inventive act than this. If we know our readers like we think we do, then we
Monday, December 31
Skatenigs frontman Phil Owen spoke to the Current recently for our cover story on Ministry’s Al Jourgensen. Owen, a longtime collaborator and friend of Jourgensen’s, explained that Skatenigs was actually birthed out of a need to have an opening band for a Revolting Cocks and Ministry show back in the late ’80s. Formed in San Marcos, Skatenigs were a part of the pioneering industrial-metal community that would ultimately bring the genre into the mainstream. The fact that this show is happening — and on New Year’s Eve, no less — is actually pretty awesome. If you dig all things industrial and metal, you should definitely be at this one. $15-$50, 7pm, Guillotine 1818 N. Main St. — CC
Courtesy of Skatenigs
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Ring in 2019 at Jazz Trio
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CURRENT | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | sacurrent.com
music | calendar
Cameron Gott
BY SHANNON SWEET WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26
JOHNNIE’S BIRTHDAY WITH THE FROG & BANDIT
The voice singing over The Frog & Bandit’s math rock guitars is a compelling cross between the sexually frustrated angst of the Violent Femmes and the brewing-yet-melodic discontent of ’90s emo. And if that’s not intriguing enough, Roshii, Vintage Pictures and five other local up-and-comers round out the bill of this birthday bash. $10, Alamo City Music Hall, 5:03pm
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28
DIRTY RIVER BOYS
Even though the Dirty River Boys are Texas to the core, they experiment with Irish folk, cowpunk and a general sense of rowdiness. Because they’re the personification of the wild child trapped in every Texan, we like to imagine that after a show they’d rather catch catfish and mud wrestle in the Rio Grande than chill in a luxury lounge with plastic groupies and champagne. $15-$60, Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm
TAYLOR PHELAN
If your pockets are empty from the Christmas aftermath, treat yourself to Taylor Phelan, a free-with-RSVP concert featuring a Texas boy who made it big via reality show The Voice. Of course, natural talent also played a part. Phelan’s soothing, melodic music may be proof that some of the best things in life are free. Drinks sold separately. Free with RSVP, The Rustic, 9pm
MATEO SUN
The Dirty Southwest rap community is collectively flexing at this massive
showcase, featuring Mateo Sun, Fabo Yayo and Migo Mike. If Sun wants to blow up to XXL Mag cover boy status, all he needs to do is market his innuendo-laden banger “Splash Town” as the hip new jingle for the San Antonio waterpark of the same name. $17.69, Alamo City Music Hall, 9pm
12/31/18 10/1/18
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29
PASSING STRANGERS
Why wait for your favorite ‘80s band’s once-in-a-blue-moon reunion tour to hear their one memorable song? In one night, you can hear all those hits from all those bands thanks to era-specific cover act Passing Strangers. They filter out the dreaded “new material” that plagues reunion tours and focus on what you want to hear — from a dance remake of “Dream Weaver” to pretty much everything on the Jack FM playlist. $10-$45, Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm
MONDAY, DECEMBER 31
NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH WITH MOTHERSHIP
Ring in 2019 by partying like it’s 1972. Even though the real Led Zeppelin called it quits in 1980, Texas-based Zep tribute Mothership will help you ring in the new while proving songs about The Lord of the Rings can still sound badass and melt your face. $25-$150, Sam’s Burger Joint, 8pm
AMERICAN AQUARIUM L
Raised on indie ethics, American Aquarium sings alt-country anthems about resilience in tough times, dreamers with a cause and never giving up on the fabled American Dream. Their music is a testament to what the people in this country represent and serves as great inspiration for a better 2019. $45, Gruene Hall, 7pm
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I’m a thirtysomething straight woman married for 16 years. Eighteen months ago, I met a man and there was an immediate attraction. For the first 15 months of our relationship, I was his primary sexual and intimate partner, as both sex and intimacy were lacking in his marriage. (My husband knew of the relationship from the start and is accepting for the most part.) After my lover’s wife found out about me, she suddenly became very responsive to my lover’s sexual and emotional needs. My lover has told his wife that he will not let me go. He has also told me that he is not willing to let his wife go. She isn’t happy about being in a triad relationship, but she allows him to continue seeing me with limitations. I am no longer his primary sex partner, and I have been relegated to the back seat. He claims to love us both, yet his wife and I both struggle knowing the other exists. Recently while out shopping, my lover asked me to help him pick out a Christmas gift for his wife. I got upset because I am in love with him, and I have made him my priority (over my husband), but I am not his priority. I love this man, and we feel we are soul mates. My lover has said that if we fall apart, he will have to find a new secondary partner because his wife can never give him the soulful fulfillment he needs. Should I continue in this relationship? Soul Mate Avoids Choice Knowingly You complain about being relegated to the back seat, SMACK, but it’s your husband whose existence only comes up in parenthetical asides. You also describe this relationship as a triad when there are four people involved (you, your lover, your lover’s wife, and your husband), which technically makes this a quad. And from the sound of things, only one member of this messy quad seems happy — your lover, the guy who refuses to make you a “priority” over his wife. And while you’ve convinced yourself that your lover feels as strongly for you as you do for him — “we feel we are soul mates” — it kindasorta sounds to me like you may be projecting, SMACK. Because in addition to asking you to pick out Christmas gifts for his wife, your lover and alleged soul mate regards you as expendable and replaceable. And he’s told you as much: He intends to “find a new secondary partner” if you two part because his wife doesn’t “give him the
soulful fulfillment he needs.” That’s not how people talk about their soul mates, and it’s certainly not something a guy says to someone he regards as his soul mate. Soul mates are typically told they’re special and irreplaceable, but your guy sees you as one of many potential seconds out there, and therefore utterly replaceable. Here’s what you ought to do: You aren’t interested in being your lover’s secondary partner (nor are you much interested in being your husband’s wife), so you’ll have to call your lover’s bluff. And the only card you have to play — and it’s a weak hand (all hands with just one card are) — is to dump your lover unless he leaves his wife for you. Success rests on the outside chance your lover was bluffing when he said he’d replace you, but I suppose it’s possible he regards you as the irreplaceable one and only said those hurtful things to make you think he wouldn’t choose you when you are the one he would’ve chosen all along. If it turns out that this was the case, SMACK, you’ll wind up with your soul mate… who happens to be kindasorta cruel and manipulative. Calling your lover’s bluff — ending a relationship that, in its current form, brings you no joy — is your only hope of having this guy to yourself. But the likelier outcome is that you’ll be left alone (with, um, your husband).
My boyfriend and I met at a bondage party a year ago. He’s not into bondage (he tagged along with a kinky friend). We hit it off in the chill-out room and started seeing each other. He told me it was OK for me to keep going to bondage parties and seeing some guys I play with one-on-one. Then right after we moved in together, he said he doesn’t want me playing with anyone else because we are in love. Which means I can’t get tied up at all anymore because he has zero interest in bondage. He can’t see why I’m upset, and I’m not sure what to do. Boy In New Drama So now that you’re in love, and now that you’ve signed a lease, and now that you’re trapped, BIND, now — NOW — your vanilla boyfriend yanks back the accommodation that convinced you to date him in the first place? There’s only one thing you can do: DTMFA.
mail@savagelove.net @FakeDanSavage on Twitter www.ITMFA.org
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“Half-Human”— a short list of hybrids. ACROSS 1 ___ Xtra (Dr Pepper rival) 5 Group of eight 10 Do really badly 14 Out on the open water 15 Done for one, for one 16 Skate park fixture 17 Bremner of Trainspotting and Wonder Woman 18 Gives the ax 19 Competently 20 Political position that’s half-human, half-horse? 23 Easy basketball shot 24 Agnus ___ 25 Swiss peak 28 Gallery works 29 Standard pinball feature 33 8 Seconds venue 35 Bar activity with request slips 38 Stick with a spring 39 Carnival attraction that’s half-human, half-goat? 43 Former Montreal ballplayer 44 Of food regimens (like 36-Down) 45 One-named supporting actress on Parks and Recreation 47 Salsa ___ (red condiment) 48 Bar brew, briefly 51 Rain-___ (gumball brand) 52 Roasting receptacle 55 World Cup 2022’s host country 57 Seasonal greeting that’s
half-human, half-bird? 62 Mariska Hargitay’s longtime costar 64 Triple Seven, for one 65 “That’s ___!” 66 Purplish ingredient of bubble tea and milk tea 67 Poet Federico GarcÌa ___ 68 Neighbor of Wisc. 69 Part of a goblet 70 Type in 71 Stuffing herb DOWN 1 Rice dish made with saffron 2 “Honestly!” 3 Short-sleeved Hanes product 4 African linguistic group 5 Carmina Burana composer Carl 6 In fashion 7 Car part, in Britain 8 Improve on 9 Villa ___ (estate near Rome) 10 Bavarian title 11 Common breed for guide dogs 12 It may be essential (but isn’t actually essential) 13 Paper layer 21 Winfrey in A Wrinkle in Time 22 Bubble wrap component 26 The ___ Movie 2 (February 2019 release) 27 Low-grade
30 Former Yankee nickname 31 Haleakala locale 32 Tough puzzle 34 Grand Ole ___ 35 Shoelace issue 36 Regimen with a high-fat focus 37 Key with four sharps, for short 39 Phineas and ___ 40 Ice skating jump 41 Where you may have had it? 42 From Basra, perhaps 46 May preceder (abbr.) 48 Napoli’s nation 49 Like most customers 50 Former Arsenal manager Wenger whose nickname is “Le Professeur” 53 Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter 54 1930s DuPont fabric invention 56 First presidential surname to appear twice 58 Molecular unit 59 Playwright Moss or lyricist Lorenz 60 Not again? 61 All in the Family producer Norman 62 Opening word of Monty Python’s Flying Circus episodes 63 Grumpy ___ (Internet celebrity with the real name Tardar Sauce) ANSWER ON PAGE 15
Casey Development (“Casey”), is providing Construction Management Services to the San Antonio Housing Trust Public Facility Corporation to provide oversight for the construction of public infrastructure improvements at the Red Berry Estate located at 856 Gembler Road. Along with private development, these public improvements are expected to facilitate growth on the City’s east side in four separate phases through Spring of 2019. Scope of work: Removal of trees along the West end of the lake; Selective clearing of understory; Redressing and benching on the East end of the lake; and outer bank redressing to facilitate public sidewalks abutting to the lake. Casey seeks responsive proposals through the procurement of qualified contractors as well as Minority Businesses, Women’s Business Enterprises and Section 3 Business to complete the required scopes for Phase 2 as described above. PLANS ARE AVAILABLE AT: ONLINE (DROPBOX) https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8yi2j0akxqbfwf1/AACg_B0aI4juY7ZEw0M7BlLea?dl=0 Applicable Product Categories: Sitework 9097 Due Date & Time: January 4th, 2019 Staff Contact Person: Matthew Sawina: msawina@caseydev.com Office: 210-829-8999 C: 210-460-9447
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E M P LOY M E N T ARCHITECT DESIGNER, ARROWALL COMPANY, San Antonio, TX. Operate CAD software & equipment or conventional drafting stations to produce designs, working drawings & Bill of Materials for commercial glass & glazing projects; Check dimensions of materials to be used in construction projects particularly related to commercial glass & glazing projects; Obtain & assemble data to complete architectural designs related to glass & glazing projects. Min Reqs: Bachelor’s degr or foreign equivalent in Architecture or Engineering & 2 yrs’ exp related to building & construction involving commercial building facades. Mail résumé to: Tanya Sandoval at 18985 Goll St. San Antonio, TX, 78266 Senior Network Security Engineer, Overlay – Rackspace US, Inc. – San Antonio, TX. Develop& present comprehensive technical solutions for customer req. Req’d: Bach in CS/Eng. or rel. tech. field + 5yrs exp in Network Security Eng. rel. field. Req’d: CCNA cert. For complete job description and to apply send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 13436.
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etc FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): I suspect that in 2019 you’ll be able to blend a knack for creating more stability with an urge to explore and seek greater freedom. How might this unusual confluence be expressed in practical ways? Maybe you’ll travel to reconnect with your ancestral roots. Or perhaps a faraway ally or influence will help you feel more at home in the world. It’s possible you’ll establish a stronger foundation, which will in turn bolster your courage and inspire you to break free of a limitation. What do you think? TAURUS (April 20-May 20): On the average, a total eclipse of the sun happens every 18 months. And how often is a total solar eclipse visible from a specific location on the planet? Typically, once every 375 years. In 2019, the magic moment will occur on July 2 for people living in Chile and Argentina. But I believe that throughout the coming year, Tauruses all over the world will experience other kinds of rare and wonderful events at a higher rate than usual. Not eclipses, but rather divine interventions, mysterious miracles, catalytic epiphanies, unexpected breakthroughs, and amazing graces. Expect more of the marvelous than you’re accustomed to. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “The world’s full of people who have stopped listening to themselves,” wrote mythologist Joseph Campbell. It’s imperative that you NOT be one of those folks. 2019 should be the Year of Listening Deeply to Yourself. That means being on high alert for your inner inklings, your unconscious longings, and the still, small voice at the heart of your destiny. If you do that, you’ll discover I’m right when I say that you’re smarter than you realize. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Jackson Pollock is regarded as a pioneer in the technique of drip painting, which involves drizzling and splashing paint on canvases that lie on the floor. It made him famous. But the truth is, Pollock got inspired to pursue what became known as his signature style only after he saw an exhibit by the artist Janet Sobel, who was the real pioneer. I bring this to your attention, because I see 2019 as a year when the Janet Sobel-like aspects of your life will get their due. Overdue appreciation will arrive. Credit you have deserved but haven’t fully garnered will finally come your way. You’ll be acknowledged and recognized in surprising ways. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): As the crow flies, Wyoming is almost a thousand miles from the Pacific Ocean and more than a thousand miles from the Gulf of Mexico, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. Now here’s a surprise: in the northwest corner of Wyoming, the North Two
Ocean Creek divides into two tributaries, one of which ultimately flows to the Pacific and one that reaches the Gulf. So an enterprising fish could conceivably swim from one ocean to the other via this waterway. I propose that we make North Two Ocean Creek your official metaphor for 2019. It will symbolize the turning point you’ll be at in your life; it will remind you that you’ll have the power to launch an epic journey in one of two directions. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I have come to the conclusion that softening your relationship with perfectionism will be a key assignment in 2019. With this in mind, I offer you observations from wise people who have studied the subject. 1. “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” — Voltaire 2. “Perfection is a stick with which to beat the possible.” — Rebecca Solnit 3. Perfectionism is “the high-end version of fear.” — Elizabeth Gilbert 4. “Nothing is less efficient than perfectionism.” — Elizabeth Gilbert 4. “It’s better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone else’s perfectly.” — Elizabeth Gilbert LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1682, Peter Alexeyevich became co-Tsar of Russia. He was ten years old. His 24-year-old half-sister Sophia had a hole cut in the back of his side of the dual throne. That way she could sit behind him, out of sight, and whisper guidance as he discussed political matters with allies. I’d love it if you could wangle a comparable arrangement for yourself in 2019. Are there wise confidants or mentors or helpers from whom you could draw continuous counsel? Seek them out.
tunes are Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Flo Rida. But she has also had failures. Top recording artists like Adele and Shakira have commissioned her to write songs for them only to subsequently turn down what she created. In 2016, Sia got sweet revenge. She released an album in which she herself sang many of those rejected songs. It has sold more than two million copies. Do you, too, know what it’s like to have your gifts and skills ignored or unused or rebuffed, Sagittarius? If so, the coming months will be an excellent time to express them for your own benefit, as Sia did. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A typical fluffy white cumulus cloud weighs 216,000 pounds. A dark cumulonimbus storm cloud is 106 million pounds, almost 490 times heavier. Why? Because it’s filled with far more water than the white cloud. So which is better, the fluffy cumulus or the stormy cumolonimbus? Neither, of course. We might sometimes prefer the former over the latter because it doesn’t darken the sky as much or cause the inconvenience of rain. But the truth is, the cumulonimbus is a blessing; a substantial source of moisture; a gift to growing things. I mention this because I suspect that for you, 2019 will have more metaphorical resemblances to the cumulonimbus than the cumulus.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A hundred years ago, most astronomers thought there was just one galaxy in the universe: our Milky Way. Other models for the structure of the universe were virtually heretical. But in the 1920s, astronomer Edwin Hubble produced research that proved the existence of many more galaxies. Today the estimate is that there are at least 400 billion. I wonder what currently unimaginable possibilities will be obvious to our ancestors a hundred years from now. Likewise, I wonder what currently unforeseen truths will be fully available to you by the end of 2019. My guess: more than in any other previous year of your life. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Elizabeth Gilbert offers advice for those who long for a closer relationship with the Supreme Being: “Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water.” I’ll expand that approach so it applies to you when you’re in quest of any crucial life-enhancing experience. If you genuinely believe that a particular adventure or relationship or transformation is key to your central purpose, it’s not enough to be mildly enthusiastic about it. You really do need to seek your heart’s desire in the way people with their heads on fire look for water. 2019 will be prime time for you to embody this understanding.
THIS MODERN WORLD BY TOM TOMORROW
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The body of the violin has two f-shaped holes on either side of the strings. They enable the sound that resonates inside the instrument to be projected outwardly. A thousand years ago, the earliest ancestor of the modern violin had round holes. Later they became halfmoons, then c-shaped, and finally evolved into the f-shape. Why the change? Scientific analysis reveals that the modern form allows more air to be pushed out from inside the instrument, thereby producing a more powerful sound. My analysis of your life in 2019 suggests it will be a time to make an upgrade from your metaphorical equivalent of the c-shaped holes to the f-shaped holes. A small shift like that will enable you to generate more power and resonance. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian singer-songwriter Sia has achieved great success, garnering nine Grammy nominations and amassing a $20 million fortune. Among the superstars for whom she has composed hit sacurrent.com | December 26, 2018-January 1, 2019 | CURRENT
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