San Antonio Current – July 3, 2019

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

Universal Cit y & North Central San Antonio

in this issue San Antonio Current

Issue 19_14 /// July 3-16, 2019

37 Food

Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Sanford Nowlin

Sweet Spots

Editorial

When chefs want to tip back a cold one, they’re not looking for anyplace fancy

Food & Nightlife Editor: Lea Thompson Calendar Editor: Kelly Merka Nelson Contributing Arts Editor: Bryan Rindfuss Art Director: Carlos Aguilar Staff Writer: Chris Conde Digital Content Editor: Sarah Martinez Contributors: Ron Bechtol, Daniel Conrad, James Courtney, Jade Esteban Estrada, Dan R. Goddard, Lance Higdon, Steven G. Kellman, Hannah Lorence, Kiko Martinez, M. Solis, Gary Sweeney Editorial Interns: Diana Amaya, Brian Holmes

Diving Into the West Side

Bar choices may not abound, but it’s still puro party in this quadrant of San Antonio

Advertising

Sales Manager: Joseph Allen Account Manager: Mallory Jochen Account Executives: April Miller, Mike Valdelamar Digital Sales Specialist: Mike Valdelamar

The Worm Has Turned

Thanks to demand for artisanal spirits, mezcal is having its moment of mystique

Marketing and Events

Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni Events Manager: Chelsea Bourque Event Coordinator: Mallory Jochen

43 Music

Creative Services

Creative Services Manager: Tina Corbeil Graphic Designer: Samantha Serna Graphic Design Interns: Ernesto Guajardo, Pedro Macias, Norbe Mendoza, RJ McGuire, Michelle Moreno

Circulation

Circulation Manager: Justin Giles

Business

Business Manager: Sonia Acosta

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 Director of Digital Sales: Fran DiCarlo www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising: Voice Media Group (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.

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Coming Out Swinging

Art Credit

33 Feature

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Homegrown food hub Local Sprout is nurturing sustainable culinary businesses

BY L E A T H O M P SO N

07 News

Whither Greenwood

A ‘changed’ Ron Nirenberg’s new chief of staff isn’t exactly winning over progressives

Activist Rosie Castro’s Advocacy Set the Scene for Her Sons’ Political Rise San Antonio Has Long Sought to Advertise Its Way to Prosperity — and Failed

12 Calendar

Our top picks for the week, This Modern World

20 Arts

San Antonio Artist Lisette Chavez on Growing Up Catholic, Devil Babies and Men Who Look Like Satan

It didn’t take long for Western swing trio Big Cedar Fever to make a big noise

Keeping Ventura Vital

Bar owner Michael Carillo learned on the job while playing a vital role in SA’s music scene

Music Listings People Are Bound to Die in Laird Barron’s Black Mountain

53 Etc

Crossword Puzzle

26 Screens

Cinema of Resistance

CineFestival looks at cultural and political landscape to inform this year’s film lineup

Man in Control

San Antonio actor Jesse Borrego discusses his new indie comedy Phoenix, Oregon

Home Sweet Home

The Last Black Man in San Francisco transcends traditional storytelling for a surreal look at cultural identity

Morning Gory

Horror folktale Midsommar proves disturbing and visually breathtaking, yet frustrating

Back at Bat

Stranger Things 3 ramps up the action while staying true to its soul

On The Cover: This edition’s cover pays tribute to the Alamo City dive bars that offer cool, dark places to drink, socialize and maybe even take in a little culture.

Design: Tracie Louck sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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FILM & PERFORMANCE NIGHT

Thursday • July 11, 2019 • 6:00pm – 9:00pm An evening of films and performances by artists from the exhibition, featuring Marisela Barrera, Gregg Barrios, Hayfer Brea, Julya Jara, Maria Linan, Sergio Mata, Jorge Villarreal, Guillermina Zabala, and SAY Sí alumni

Centro de Artes |101 S. Santa Rosa FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC #CentroDeArtesSA | #GetCreativeSA | 210-207-1436 | sanantonio.gov/arts |

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

news

Environmentalists have expressed frustration over the decision to push back a vote on the city’s climate plan.

a

Following the Money

Sanford Nowlin

Whither Greenwood

A ‘changed’ Ron Nirenberg’s new chief of staff isn’t exactly winning over progressives

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

J

im Greenwood is the kind of guy a lot of big city mayors would want in their corner. The longtime political insider has worked for congressmen, served as chairman of the city’s largest chamber of commerce and done extensive lobbying for one its biggest employers.

But some of those things aren’t exactly assets prized by the progressive community whose grassroots support helped Nirenberg narrowly win re-election last month.

Some who supported Nirenberg say they feel betrayed that he named Greenwood, a former vice president of government affairs for refining giant Valero Energy Corp., as his new chief of staff following the victory.

The mayor was already on shaky ground with environmentalists for postponing a vote on the city’s climate action plan after Valero objected.

Of further concern is a recent piece by Rivard Report columnist Rick Casey reporting that the mayor had been courting Greenwood, 58, for “weeks ahead of the runoff election.” Historically, chiefs of staff serve the powerful dual role of being both close advisors and personnel managers to the mayor.

“It’s been frustrating to know that, all along, we’d just get another political insider in that position,” said Graciela Sanchez, director of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center.

“It appears to be another effort to appease

the business community.”

Greenwood replaced Trey Jacobson, a longtime city staffer unpopular with local progressives. Before becoming Nirenberg’s first-term chief of staff, Jacobson — once an assistant to former mayor Phil Hardberger — represented Alamo Beer in the city’s controversial land swap adjacent the historic Hays Street Bridge.

Environmental and progressive groups including the Texas Organizing Project, which threw its support behind Nirenberg in the runoff, said they’re withholding public opinion on Greenwood until they have face-to-face meetings with him. Even so, it’s easy to read the concern in some of the statements they have released about the staffing change.

“This decision was certainly a surprise and honestly, based on Valero’s knee-jerk reaction to the city’s desire to address climate change, a bit concerning,” Environmental Defense Fund Project Manager Mario Bravo said in a written statement. “But I’m hopeful he ends up being someone we can work with and accomplish good things with.”

Some of the surprise and anger, critics say, stems from Nirenberg telling supporters during last month’s victory party that he’d emerged from the campaign a “changed” man — something many read as signal he was willing to engage more directly with the progressive community.

While Greenwood spent roughly two decades at Valero, his political career began reaches back before that.

Early on, he worked for congressmen Mike Andrews and Greg Laughlin, both Texas Democrats — although the latter switched parties in 1995. And, as 2012 chairman for the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Greenwood helped build support for then-mayor Julian Castro’s Pre-K 4 SA program.

Since taking on his new role, Greenwood has been reaching out to progressive and environmental groups for meetings. Indeed, his ties with Valero could prove useful in swaying the company to drop its opposition to the climate plan, political observers point out.

Even so, his history doesn’t suggest he’s a natural ally for progressives.

Greenwood’s political contributions have largely flowed to Republican candidates, including $2,300 to Trump attorney and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani’s failed 2008 presidential campaign, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Among Greenwood’s other GOP political contributions were $1,250 to former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and $500 to current Sen. John Cornyn.

Politics Is Politics The donations also include a one-time $250 gift to the Republican National Committee and contributions totaling $2,750 to the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, a group that argued the federal Clean Air Act shouldn’t be used to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. In April, refiner Royal Dutch Shell cut its ties with AFPM over the group’s unwillingness to acknowledge climate change.

Greenwood has also voted in Republican primaries seven times since 2002, according to Bexar County election records. His only record of voting in a Bexar Democratic primary was in 2008, the year Barack Obama defeated John McCain. That year, Greenwood contributed $1,000 to McCain’s campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Politics is politics, and it’s not unheard of for operatives to switch affiliations over the course of a career. But for activists like Esperanza’s Sanchez, there’s little in Greenwood’s record to inspire confidence that Nirenberg’s second term will differ from his first.

“It’s more proof that he’s more progressive as a campaigner than he’s been as a mayor or councilman,” she said.

Find more newsmore coverage Find news every day at sacurrent.com

news

Jade Esteban Estrada

GLITTER POLITICAL

Activist Rosie Castro’s Advocacy Set the Scene for Her Sons’ Political Rise

BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA

F

rom a young age, civil rights activist Maria de Rosario Castro, more widely known as Rosie Castro, wondered why social inequities existed.

Now 72 — and as her son Julián Castro’s Democratic presidential campaign gets an uptick thanks to his performance in last week’s debate and his twin brother Joaquin Castro heads the Congressional Hispanic Caucus — she’s reflecting on her life as a mother. But, even as she does, she continues to ponder the future of Latino politics and Mexican-American representation.

As we sit across from each other at Barrio Barista, a rustic-chic coffeehouse on the city’s West Side, Castro tells me about her late mother, Victoria — a maid, babysitter and cook for wealthy families in Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills. In later years, Castro learned

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that Victoria had dreamed of becoming a journalist and that her mother’s goal was to see the family name up in lights.

Indeed, when she was five years old, Castro, an only child, would accompany her mother to Spanish-language variety shows near the Alameda Theatre.

“She would drag me up to sing, hoping that my name would be in lights one day,” she recounts in her calm, alto voice. “I’m not a great singer.”

When she says this, I think back on her starring moment at Plaza Guadalupe in January, when Julián announced his run for president. As she introduced her son, she received heartfelt cheers from her West Side community, many of whom have followed her five decades in political activism. Her entrance seemed like the grand dame’s curtain call her mother

had envisioned.

More of Victoria’s life story came to light in 2012, after Julián’s keynote speech at the National Democratic Convention.

“The Huffington Post had found all this documentation that we had never seen,” Castro says, adding that the news site’s likely aim was to learn whether Julián’s grandmother was a legal immigrant. “They helped fill in a lot of gaps.”

While Castro was attending Our Lady of the Lake University in the early ’70s, her mother would cry because she didn’t have any grandchildren. Then, in 1974, when Castro was 28, she gave birth to Julián and Joaquin.

“She got two at one time,” Castro quips.

The boys’ father, Jesse Guzman, was “a mathematician,” she tells me. There’s a soft undercurrent of pride as she informs me that he was from the academic world.

However, unlike political matriarchs like Rose Kennedy and Barbara Bush, who aligned their public trajectory to that of their husbands, Castro devoted her life to her children, grandchildren and activism.

Julián rose to prominence while serving as San Antonio’s mayor for two and a half terms. From there, he became President Obama’s housing secretary from 2014 to 2017, an honor for which his mother will always be grateful.

“When someone [bestows such an honor upon] your son, you will always remember it,” Castro says.

When Joaquin urges the start of impeachment proceedings against President Trump and Julián tweets about the president’s ineptitude, those moments echo Castro’s firebrand politics. Although her activism dates back to Hubert Humphrey’s 1968 presidential campaign, it also extended to calling out OLLU’s lack of Latino professors and later to protesting against the Alamodome.

Though Castro credits her time at OLLU for some of her political awakening, she said her 12 years at Little Flower School, a part of Little Flower Basilica, also helped open her consciousness. One of the cornerstones of her political ideology remains the Gospel, which she reminds me is laden with stories of the fight for social justice.

When I ask what she feels she’s learned from her sons, she replies, “When they look like they’re not listening to you, they sometimes are — and they’re learning.”

She remembers her boys, then around 9 years old, cutting up while she was presiding over a PTA meeting. She assumed it meant they weren’t interested in leadership or public speaking.

“I took them everywhere, and they were always bored.” A few years later, while teaching a class on goal-setting, the twins “thought it was funny.”

“And yet now, that’s what they’ve done all their [professional] lives. They set goals and make plans,” she says with a chuckle.

Though she’s a proud mother, Castro’s political work is unlikely to take a backseat any time soon.

“I’ve always preferred local government to any kind of national or state government,” she says, thoughtfully.

When I ask her why that is, she looks at me with a warm and ever-patient smile.

“Because [local government] is closest to the people.”

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news

The front page of a 1950s brochure published by the Municipal Information Bureau touts San Antonio’s quaint charms to the outside world.

a

Courtesy of Heywood Sanders

CITYSCRAPES

San Antonio Has Long Sought to Advertise Its Way to Prosperity — and Failed

BY HEYWOOD SANDERS Editor’s Note: The following is CityScrapes, a column of opinion and analysis.

L

ocal lore has it that our “world’s fair,” HemisFair ’68, was key to making San Antonio a visitor destination — a kind of international coming-out party. The reality is rather different. San Antonio has long sought to promote itself to prosperity, selling the rest of the country and the world a carefully crafted image of the pleasures of the city and the opportunities here.

A news item on the front page of the San Antonio Light in October 1907 announced that local newspaperman John Carrington would take charge of a new

“publicity bureau” organized by the real estate committee of the Businessmen’s Club, the precursor to the Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of the new organization was ensuring that “the advantages and opportunities of this city as a business and residential center are to be made known to the world.” Carrington’s job was not simply to advertise the city. It was, as he “made its name and fame known throughout the land,” to sell San Antonio land and property to outside investors.

Newspaper readers in Chicago were encouraged to “Come to sunny San Antonio, Texas and spend your winters out-of-doors, riding, driving, automobiling, playing golf, polo, or tennis, or hunting deer, wild

turkey and quail.” The readers of the Buffalo Courier in February 1911 were told “It’s Summer in San Antonio,” where they could “Exchange winter bleakness for summer warmth,” and “Breathe our pure, dry ozone-bearing air” and “Italian skies.”

Des Moines area residents were told of “Tropical Luxury,” and informed that “San Antonio is admitted to be the very ideal of winter resorts — with its wealth of things to see and do, its almost perfect climate and its splendid fire proof hotels.” Yet another ad boasted “San Antonio the Beautiful,” and asked the Iowans: “Have you ever driven over the smoothest of roads, in beautiful tropical scenery, with the air just warm enough to be comfortable, just crisp enough to exhilarate?”

And if “Tropical Luxury,” “the smoothest of roads,” and “pure air” were not enough, Carrington and the publicity bureau could also boast to readers snowbound in Minneapolis of “the picturesque quaintness” of San Antonio’s “‘Spanish town’ with its odd, winding streets, its senoritas with their mantillas and their Mexican gallants, its old time water carriers — its peculiar people and their more peculiar ways … just one of scores of uncommon attractions San Antonio is waiting to show you.”

That the “odd, winding streets” were unpaved, the “old time water carriers” were still a vital necessity because the city’s water company was unwilling to extend service to poor neighborhoods and the quaint “Spanish town” was subject to devastating floods and the highest tuberculosis death rates in the nation were of little concern to the boosters of the publicity group. Their intent was to craft an image of a city that represented a solid investment opportunity — where “You may make judicious investments in the most rapidly growing city of the Southwest. …”

For the business leaders of early 20th-century San Antonio, the route to development and salvation lay outside the city limits, in somehow luring investors and their dollars from elsewhere. And, by boosting and promoting the city, they appear to have been convinced that growth itself would make the city great. In 1910, Carrington authored an article in a national journal for the advertising business on the city’s efforts, headlined “One Texas City Advertises Itself Into Prosperity.”

Today, generations later, we still look outside for prosperity, seeking to lure new residents, investment and jobs. Little matter that growing to become the seventh largest city has not necessarily developed our economy, or that a host of the firms lured here in previous years, from Datapoint and Golden Aluminum to Levi Strauss, Sony Microelectronics and AT&T, have long since left and taken their jobs with them.

Perhaps it’s time to actually build the kind of community that Carrington’s rhetoric promised over a century ago.

Heywood Sanders is a professor of public policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio. sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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THU | 7/4 – SUN | 7/7

THEATER

CONFESSIONS OF A MEXPATRIATE

Ruminating upon a host of interconnected issues that relate to notions of both home and identity, often through a humorous yet critical lens, Confessions of a Mexpatriate is a big, hilarious and thought-provoking play. Written by Austin playwright Raul Garza, who some may know from previous works like Fantasmaville and MyHEB (both award-winning affairs), Confessions is a one-man performance that follows a disillusioned Mexican American man named Samuel. Dissatisfied with his life and adrift in terms of his purpose and identity, Samuel journeys to Mexico is search of a homeland that might help make sense of his life and self. What he ultimately finds amid the cultural and natural beauty of his lost homeland is nothing more or less than self-acceptance. As such, Samuel functions as an Everyman, a stand in for generations of Latinx people living in the U.S., navigating their complex experiences in their home country while longing for some sort of rooting in the past of their ancestors. $10-$20, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Cellar Theater, 800 West Ashby Pl., (210) 733-7258, teatroaudaz.com.

— James Courtney Courtesy of Teatro Audaz

experiments. Let’s see how well Berlin’s latest project can measure up to the granddaddy of Gothic fiction himself. $10-$15, 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays (through July 27), 3 p.m. Sunday, July 14, The Gregg Barrios Theater at the Overtime, 5409 Bandera Rd. Ste. 205, (210) 557-7562, theovertimetheater.org. — Daniel Conrad

SAT | 7/6 TH EATER

THE LIGHTNING THIEF p

The brainchild of San Antonio native Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series began as bedtime stories Riordan invented to entertain his son

Haley that he developed into five immensely popular YA novels. On what is supposed to be an ordinary field trip, Percy Jackson, a pre-teen struggling with ADHD and dyslexia, is thrust into a dangerous battle that leads to the revelation that he is not just “some kid,” but a demigod, the son of his mortal mother and a mysterious member of the Greek pantheon.

Percy is pulled away from his normal life, swept up into a series of adventures and a journey of personal discovery as he becomes enmeshed in longstanding conflicts between the gods. The series’ popularity seemed to hit a downswing after the release of two CGI-laden film adaptations of middling quality, but the story has reemerged as a musical of all things.

Drawing from a one-hour musical adaptation that

Courtesy of The Overtime Theater

FRI | 7/5 –SUN | 7/14 TH EATER

AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE L

This one-man show will take audiences into the fading mind of the acclaimed dark Romantic poet and author Edgar Allan Poe as he wanders the streets of Baltimore in his feverish final week on Earth. Written, produced and starring Derek Berlin, a native San Antonian and lifelong performer, An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe’s “macabre” look into the tortured man’s “purgatorial” musings ought to find a nice home at the Overtime Theater, best known for its penchant for the weird and its willingness to offer the stage to eclectics and their 12

CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

Jeremy Daniel

calendar MGM

premiered in New York in 2014, the expanded touring production stages the events of the first book of the series, The Lightning Thief, in which Percy discovers his identity and must recover Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt. While the show may strike some as a cynical cash grab, the musical has actually been well-received — the Hollywood Report notes that it “provides an excellent if irreverent introduction to Greek mythology that just might persuade some kids to dig deeper.” $34.50-$89.50, 8 p.m., H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org.

— Kelly Merka Nelson

SUN | 7/7 FI LM

THELMA & LOUISE L

Ridley Scott’s 1991 classic Thelma & Louise may be known as Brad Pitt’s big break, but it’s got a lot more going for it. The premise is simple: what was supposed to be a weekend getaway for two best friends becomes a wild ride after Louise (Susan Sarandon) shoots and kills a man who tried to attack Thelma (Geena Davis) in a bar parking lot. The plot alone may have been enough to make this one of the great American road trip movies, but the portrayal by Sarandon and Davis of the title characters’ unshakeable friendship has given it serious staying power. Rather than just show the film and call it a day, the Briscoe Western Art Museum has called in the cavalry — guest curator Andrew Patrick Nel-

son from Montana State University Bozeman will introduce the film with a lecture that highlights just how it became a classic work in the American film oeuvre. $5-$10, 1 p.m., Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., (210) 299-4499, briscoemuseum.org. — KMN

WED | 7/10 – SAT | 7/13 MUSIC

CACTUS PEAR MUSIC FESTIVAL p

This year, several changes are in store for Cactus Pear Music Festival. As part of its search for a new Artistic Director to replace Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, whose last season with Cactus Pear will be in 2021, the two finalists — both former winners of the San Antonio International Piano Competition (now the Gurwitz Piano Competition) — will each serve as a guest festival artist as well as guest artistic director for week two of the festival in this and next year. This summer, 2016 SAIPC Gold Medalist Scott Cuellar takes the helm, and will perform for all four main festival concerts: “Into the Twilight” (July 12), “Baying at the Moon” (July 13), “Goethe Have Music” (July 19) and “Romancing the Notes” (July 20). Cactus Pear is also introducing two free

Casual Classix concerts, opening the festival with “Bulgarian Bad Boyz, Brahms and Beer” (6 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, Bar 414, 205 E. Houston) and a caffeinated matinee before the final festival concert that they’re calling “French Roast: Debussy, Ravel and Duparc” (3 p.m. Saturday, July 20, Summer Moon Coffee Bar, 3233 N. St. Mary’s St.). In addition to Cuellar and current director Sant’Ambrogio, artists on deck include members of the San Antonio Symphony such as Jeff Garza, French horn, and Ilya Shterenberg, clarinet, as well as visiting artists Carol Cook, viola; Lachezar Kostov, cello; Viktor Valkov, piano; Timothy Jones, baritone; Ellen DePasquale, violin; and more. $5-$100, 7 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays through July 20, Trinity Baptist Church, 319 E. Mulberry Ave., (210) 838-2218, cpmf.us. — KMN

Courtesy of Cactus Pear Music Festival

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enjoy Those classics you’ve been craving are back! Take a bite out of summer at The Shops at La Cantera.

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calendar

Courtesy of Christie Blizard

THU | 7/11 ART

CHRISTIE BLIZARD: “THE INHABITERS” L

Called the “the end result of humanity self-indulged to the point of soul obliteration” by Glasstire, the masked character embodied by performance artist Christie Blizard has been popping up in Texas and beyond, including a 2018 trip to Burning Man to get some extra mind-bending performance footage. Often seen dancing with a puppet-version of French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard, Blizard appears decked out in spandex, athleisure, wacky wigs and an ever-present mask

everywhere from parking lots to EDM fests, often accompanied by a sparkling sedan with gull-wing doors or her own personal Moog/mixer synth rig. Previously featured in Artpace’s Summer 2017 International Artist-In-Residence Program, Blizard returns to the gallery this month for a free rooftop performance called “The inhabiters.” If you’re looking for a surreal, unique way to spend a summer evening, this is it. Free, 9 p.m., Artpace, 445 N. Main Ave., (210) 212-4900, artpace.org. — KMN

THU | 7/11 – SUN | 7/14 COMEDY

BEN GLEIB E

You may have seen comedian Ben Gleib hosting Idiotest on GSN, throwing back drinks with Hoda Kotb and former host Kathie Lee Gifford on the fourth hour of Today or, if you’re a fan from way back, serving as a regular panelist on Chelsea Lately. But did you know he’s a 2020 presidential contender? That’s right — this past May, Gleib announced

Courtesy of LOL San Antonio

his candidacy for the United States presidency with a video that ended with the tagline, “Let’s save America, OK?” Despite the fact that he has spent most of his career making crass jokes to live and televised audiences, Gleib insists that his campaign is no laughing matter. As it turns out, while we were distracted by his humorous shenanigans, Gleib racked up a slew of appearances as a political commentator on CNN, Fox and The Young Turks.

Although he’s ostensibly hitting up LOL Comedy Club with a typical set, if you catch him after the show maybe you can get him to discuss some of his pithy platform positions, such as “cage-free children” and “compassionate capitalism.” $17-$30, 8 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805, lolsanantonio.com. — KMN

THU | 7/11 – SUN | 7/14 Siggi Ragnar TH EATER

MATILDA

Most fans of Roald Dahl’s Matilda can agree that the scene in which “Poor Brucey” is forced by Miss Trunbull to consume an entire, Willy Wonka-sized chocolate cake as punishment for stealing a single piece is one of the most memorable moments from the story. In the novel, the titular heroine defeats such evil with words — and telekinesis, of course — but the musical adaptation offers the chance to experience the magic in song.

Born to the Wormwood family in the whirlwind of ballroom dancing with a dip and a little foxtrot, the child genius Matilda erupts from the gloom of her cruel childhood as a miracle with bravado and pizzazz. Believe it or not, Matilda actually shares the record for most Olivier awards won by a musical with Hamilton! Although Mara Wilson certainly won’t be reprising her filmic role, Matilda will spunkily take her adolescent revolution to the Public Theatre stage, played by Taylor Henderson and Audrey Davis. $10-$45, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays (through August 11), Russell Hill Rogers Auditorium, 800 West Ashby Pl., (210) 733-7258, thepublicsa.org. — Brian Holmes sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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MAJESTIC THEATRE 16

CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

calendar FRI | 7/12 MUSIC

BALCONES HEIGHTS JAZZ FESTIVAL 5

For fans of smooth jazz in San Antonio and beyond, the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival is an institution at this point.

The free festival, now in its 26th year, consistently offers up some of the best regional talent in the ear-candy subgenre. This year, the event organizers expect, based on previous numbers,

to welcome more than 4,000 festival-goers over the course of the four Fridays of the fest. The latest installment of the quirky festival has the unique distinction of featuring an all-woman lineup — a rarity for any genre of music, really — for the very first time. Festival organizer Lorenzo Nastasi said in a press release that the idea to go all-woman this year was inspired by, and in part to be understood as a celebration of, the many women in leadership positions in Balcones Heights.

It’s ultimately an admirable and exciting move by the organizers.

Slated performers are Wednesday Ball and Ragan Whiteside (July 12), MiChelle Garibay-Carey and Jessy J (July 19), Elizabeth Mis and Jeanette Harris (July 26) and Kayla Waters and Lindsey Webster (August 2). Each performer will, as per tradition, get more than an hour of stage time. Free, 7:30-10 p.m. Fridays through August 2, Wonderland of the Americas Amphitheatre, 4522 Fredericksburg Rd., (210) 957-3000, bhtx.gov. — JC Courtesy of Balcones Heights Jazz Fest

ART

PAPER TRAIL SA

The fifth iteration of Paper Trail San Antonio is filling Brick at Blue Star to the brim with accessible artwork for people of all tastes, from highbrow to lowbrow and everything in between. Painters, illustrators, zine-makers and more will hawk their wares during the event, with new and returning faces including Aaron deGruyter, Ashley Franklin, Dan Grissom, Connie Chapa, Rigo Ortiz, Tyler Skaggs, Manola Ramirez and Gilbert Martinez. Attendees can drop a fiver at the door for entry into either the Friday preview or Saturday day market, or they can nab a VIP ticket that includes a bunch of swag along with entry to the preview night event. $5-$25, 7-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, (210) 262-8653, papertrailsa.net.

— KMN

Aaron DeGruyter

Gilbert Martinez

FRI | 7/12 – SAT | 7/13

Ashley Franklin

Rigo Ortiz

Connie Chapa

sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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calendar SAT | 7/13 ART & FILM

LOUIE CHAVEZ: “BIG FUN” AND A POWDERED WIG MACHINE DECADENT DOUBLE FEATURE

Freight Gallery’s Second Saturday opening is a double whammy this month. Named after a fictional rock band from ’80s cult classic Heathers (as seen on a T-shirt worn by school outcast Martha “Dumptruck” Dunnstock), Louie Chavez’s “Big Fun” exhibition “explores the power and dangers of self-esteem and social anxiety in the lives of most adolescents.” Chavez’s pieces are overflowing with “strange creatures” and “neon slogans” with shout-outs to popular media and other “totems” that young people cling to as life rafts against the trials and travails of the teenage wasteland. The opening will also feature a screening of the final two episodes of the first season of homegrown weirdo web series Powdered Wig Machine, a surrealist interview show chockablock with DIY costumes, off-

Louie Chavez

beat video editing and other oddities.

PWM host Brandon Pittman will also be on hand with a few live interviews of artists, so be prepared for a slate of improvised comedy awash in profanity and other mature subject matter. Free, 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Freight Gallery, 1913 S. Flores, (210) 332-5005, freightsatx.com — KMN

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

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‘WAR TUBA RECITAL’

Austin-based artist, musician and curator Steve Parker has earned considerable accolades for projects that blur boundaries between disciplines and often turn viewers and listeners into members of conceptual ensembles. Previous examples of what he describes as “communal, democratic work” include 2015’s Traffic Jam, which enlisted cyclists, pedicab drivers, the UTSA Trombone Choir and others to creatively conjure the cacophony of transportation gridlock in a parking lot.

In 2016’s Lo Fi Cycle, a repurposed bicycle was Frankensteined into a playable musical instrument billed as “an imagined collaboration between Marcel Duchamp, John Cage, and Frank Zappa,” and 2018’s Grackle Call offered a performance-enhanced sound walk celebrating the “controversial and beloved” Texas birds that often congregate on power lines.

Summarized as an examination of “the history of conflict through sound,” Parker’s solo show “War Tuba Recital” debuted at Austin’s Big Medium gallery last year and earned considerable buzz — not to mention a $15,000 Tito’s Prize courtesy of Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

Drawing inspiration from obsolete acoustic locators used before the advent of radar, the exhibition creates an oddly immersive environment built around reconfigured brass instruments, looped sound, listening stations and “sonic headdresses.”

Possibly the most intricate aspect of

Parker’s ongoing endeavor is Ghost Box, a wall-mounted sculpture named after a communication tool used by paranormal investigators. Once outfitted with headphones, gallery-goers can run their hands over its network of brass parts to hear clips of everything from Morse Code and spirituals of the Underground Railroad to ancient wind instruments such as the traditional Jewish shofar and a carnyx played by Iron Age Celts. Exemplifying Parker’s interest in coded transmissions, a series of “graphic scores” printed on the walls functions as a fusionist mural that nods to experimental composers John Cage and Cornelious Cardew, ballet choreography and the visual vocabulary of Theodore Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss), who the multimedia artist reminds was not just an iconic children’s book author and illustrator but “a prolific maker of subversive secret art, wartime propaganda and controversial political cartoons.”

Before jetting off to New York City for a run at CUE Art Foundation, the participatory spectacle lands at Southtown’s Presa House Gallery in a site-specific iteration that opens to the public on First Friday, complete with a complementary performance by New York-based Texan bassist Tom Blancarte and Danish-American saxophonist, vocalist and composer Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen.

Following the opening reception, “War Tuba Recital” remains on view by appointment through July 27.

Free, opening reception 6-11 p.m., Friday, July 5, on view by appointment through July 27 Presa House Gallery, 725 S. Presa St., (210) 913-5842, presahouse.com. — Bryan Rindfuss

IMAGINE WHERE WE CAN GO. VIA has reimagined mobility in San Antonio and you’re part of the plan.

We’re delivering a Better Bus System with Smart Transit Solutions while designing an Advanced Rapid Transit Network so the people you love can spend more time doing the things they love. Imagine that.

VIAinfo.net/Reimagined sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

19

STUDIO VISITS

San Antonio Artist Lisette Chavez on Growing Up Catholic, Devil Babies and Men Who Look Like Satan

BY BRYAN RINDFUSS

S

tepping inside an artist’s studio is an enlightening experience that can reveal creative processes, influences, habits and eccentricities — not to mention glimpses of works in progress and plans for projects on the horizon. For reasons that go beyond the practical and the financial, many artists opt to carve out dedicated studio spaces in their own homes or set up mobile workstations. In this new column, we’ll be highlighting diverse San Antonio artists and their work through visits to their studios — whether they be traditional offsite spaces or makeshift operations in garages and guest bedrooms or on couches and kitchen tables.

T

ucked into a repurposed guest bedroom in a 1960s-era home in Harmony Hills, the compact studio of visual artist Lisette Chavez creates a bizarre, provocative juxtaposition with the unassuming neighborhood that surrounds it. Upon entering, the first objects to make an impression are religious in nature — a large wooden crucifix dripping with dozens of rosaries, wall-mounted busts of Jesus Christ, saintly statues and framed depictions of sacred hearts, praying hands and the Virgin Mary. But as one’s eyes adjust to the vignettes, sinister spirits emerge. Devils of varying shapes, sizes and styles pepper the shelves alongside skulls, detached doll heads and figurines of the pre-Columbian death goddess Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte. Further inspection evidences bloodshot eyes of judgement, crystal tears of guilt, bedazzled interventions on holy objects, even a bit of full-frontal nudity. Part installation, part altar, the arrangement proves that Chavez is not just an artist but a collector and a tinkerer with a taste for the macabre and a wicked sense of humor to boot.

Born in Harlingen in the Rio Grande Valley, Chavez and her older brother grew up in a conservative Catholic family. Dad was a car salesman, Mom was a homemaker and caregiver, and they were “always in church.” Experienced at the hands of a devout and idiosyncratic matriarch, Catholic traditions left enduring — and at times traumatic — impressions on Chavez.

At the tender age of 4, she was forced to confront death while attending her grandmother’s funeral. Too short to peer into the coffin even when perched on the kneeler, Chavez was swept up by her mother and held over the body.

“It’s a very vivid memory — of the rosary, wrinkles, bruises, a lot of the ruffles on the inside of the coffin and the crucifix,” she said.

Five years later, she was thrust into her first confession as a timid 9-year-old. After being informed that the priest only had time to listen to one more confession, her mother made her to jump the line in front of others who were patiently waiting — including an elderly woman wearing a mantilla.

“My mom just grabbed my arm and picked me up … and shoved me,” Chavez recalled.

20

CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

In what might be attributed to an early act of rebellion, Chavez lied to the priest, offering him a watered-down version of her childhood sins. “There’s a lot of contradiction, a lot of religious hypocrisy in my family — and just in general,” she added.

Despite all this, Chavez felt a calling to become a nun at the age of 17.

“I felt like I was always in trouble for speaking my mind and my family didn’t understand me,” she explained. “I was an outcast in high school too. I thought my mother would be happy when I told her I wanted to become a nun, but she was very angry. [She] told me I was crazy, and she forbid it. The mixed signals from my home life were very confusing.”

Having always loved drawing, Chavez instead opted for a Plan B that brought her to San Antonio to study art at the University of the Incarnate Word. Upon graduation, she returned to the Valley and found there were no suitable jobs that matched her skill set, then briefly considered going back to school to study mortuary science.

“I think because of that traumatic experience of seeing my grandmother in her coffin, I was always interested in funerals and mortuary science,” she said.

With assistance from an uncle who worked at a funeral home, she met with an embalmer and observed his work on a recently deceased woman in her 70s.

“I witnessed the entire embalming, and I thought it was amazing,” Chavez said. “I thought it seemed as if she had somehow

come back to life. As soon as that happened, he sort of shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘And that’s about it. It’s like taking out the trash — someone has to do it.’ I left and cried all the way home. I hated that man for saying it [and] for being so callous … I swore I wouldn’t be that way … So for fear of becoming that cold-hearted, I didn’t go down that route after all. I feel it was fate.”

Fate in this case meant diving deeper into art and earning an MA from Texas A&M in Corpus Christi and an MFA from the University of Arizona in Tucson. While in Corpus, she started taking printmaking classes and found her niche within the realm of lithography.

“I just fell in love with it right away, especially drawing on limestone,” she said. Her new medium of choice played a key role in her senior thesis exhibition “Early Mourning” — an installation based on the childhood memory of attending her grandmother’s funeral. “[It] was a huge turning point, because I hadn’t ever done installation art before. It was a chapel [with] lithographs on the outside acting as windows.” On the inside, Chavez’s intricate prints of skulls and decaying animals coalesced with religious paraphernalia, tchotchkes, and objects conjuring a Día de los Muertos altar.

Chavez’s evolution as an artist continued significantly in Tucson.

“When I went there, I had some of the tools … like installation, and I knew lithography and I could render really well. [But] they were very conceptual [and] were like, ‘So you can draw, who cares?’

And it was kind of like a slap in the face. I felt really lost for a bit.”

arts

Courtesy of Lisette Chavez

Courtesy of Lisette Chavez

Courtesy of Lisette Chavez

Bryan Rindfuss

Bryan Rindfuss

Courtesy of Lisette Chavez

Clockwise from left: an altar-like installation in Lisette Chavez’s home studio; Chavez dolled up in shades and devil horns; Gene Simmons and Danny Trejo from her Men Who Look Like Satan series; Chavez’s “Spirit Chola.”

A pivotal studio visit with her painting professor set her on a more concentrated path of self-discovery.

In preparation, Chavez was asked to present her own work alongside the work of her influences — which at the time included outlandish and morbid provocateurs such as Joe Coleman, Laurie Lipton and Aurel Schmidt.

Noticing a major disconnect, her professor asked her why her work was so sweet and innocent compared to the gritty output of her influences. “And it just kind of hit me,” Chavez said. “It’s probably because I was raised Catholic [laughs]. And I see it now, how it was just black-and-white. She said, ‘OK, so you were raised Catholic. I think you should think about that a little more.’ I was always kind of thinking about that, and then … I started realizing that I was censoring myself … because of my family and how conservative they are … I hadn’t done [certain] things because I knew somebody was going to see them. It was almost like the embarrassment of showing those ideas, of somebody knowing that you thought about those things was embarrassing to me.”

That realization sparked Chavez to dig deeper

and express her authentic self in yet another thesis exhibition drawn from her Catholic upbringing. A shrine-like installation inspired by the lies she told a priest as a child, “My First Confession” took shape in intricate drawings, altered religious objects, textbased confessionals and a kneeler printed with the phrase “Sorry, Not Sorry.”

While she must have known it represented a major breakthrough in her work, Chavez decided not to invite her family to the opening and felt anxious about how the installation would be received.

“I just thought somebody was going to come up to me and slap me or something,” she said. Instead of getting slapped, she got hugged. “A lot of young women were really drawn to it because I think they could see the rebellious part of me. … I think they knew exactly where I was coming from. It was really intense.

Some people would come up to me and be like, ‘Can I hug you?’ And then I had so many people tell me, ‘I lied at my first confession too!’”

Since her university days, Chavez has continued to develop work exploring personal memories, religious

hypocrisy, blind faith, the occult and anger aimed at the Trump administration. Outside of an extensive exhibition history that includes galleries and museums in Texas as well as Australia, Estonia, Egypt, France and South America, she teaches drawing and printmaking in San Antonio and across the state. During our visit, we discussed recent projects as well as key themes that inform her work.

MOMMY ISSUES

Beyond being dragged to a funeral and confession at what some might say is an inappropriate age, Chavez is inescapably tied to her mother.

“My mother — it always goes back to my mother,” she said. “The relationship with my mother is really toxic but it’s also addicting. I just can’t get away from it, it’s horrible. There’s some kind of crazy dynamic there.

I see myself doing a lot of the same things she does.”

Paralleling Chavez’s fascination with death and the macabre, her mother is something of a funeral fanatic. “I can’t even tell you how many funerals I’d been to by the time I was 10,” she said. “[My dad 23 6

Find more artsmore coverage Find news every day at sacurrent.com

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

arts

Lisette Chavez, Deliver Us From Evil

Bryan Rindfuss

6 21 and I] would make fun of my mom. …

He’d be like, ‘Oh, your mother’s a professional mourner.’ She’ll open the newspaper and go straight to the obituaries in the morning [and] be like, ‘So-and-so died, and I knew his cousin. I’m gonna go to that funeral.’ And they’re really intense, you know? Especially the ones in Latino families. Lots of praying, lots of crying. Very dramatic. And she just loves it. …

I told her, ‘Mom, you’re so Goth.’ I would tell her that when I was in high school. … But now I see [that she’s] trying to be there for someone during their darkest moments. … And so now I see it as a really sweet thing.”

DEVILISH DUDES

When Chavez was growing up, her ever-influential mother had a habit of pointing out men who resembled the Devil.

“When I was a kid, if we were at H-E-B or the mall or something, my mom would say this little prayer Ave Maria Purísima and do the sign of the cross really intensely. And I would look and she would say in Spanish, ‘That man looks like the Devil.’ She did it all the time, like everywhere.”

Not only did Chavez inherit this peculiar habit to a certain degree, she started sketching the sinister-looking men. Published in 2016, her covetable zine Men Who Look Like Satan includes quickly rendered yet entirely recognizable drawings of Clark Gable, Gene Simmons, Willem Dafoe, Carrot Top, Danny Trejo and Ron Jeremy.

“It’s gotten to the point that so many of my friends knew about it that they would send me screenshots,” she said. “I just think it’s so funny because everybody knows what I’m talking about.” Volume two is reportedly in the works, and even Mom contributed an idea that’s already in the bag: professional basketball player Anthony Davis.

ROSEMARY’S BABY

“The devil baby and the devil woman have all been pretty persistent in my work for the past two years,” Chavez explained.

One of the more arresting objects in her studio is a full-sized crib that functions as a three-dimensional frame for a photo-realistic drawing of an infant with tiny devil horns.

Partly inspired by the terrifying HBO miniseries The Night Of, Chavez’s recurring devil child is also a reflection of herself and her thoughts and fears of motherhood.

“I think [it’s] kind of like a self-portrait in a way — [a depiction] of not being perfect,” she said. “But [it’s] also this rebirthing of ideas that my mother has instilled in me. Like her wanting me to be this perfect person [that I’m] not. And [the fear that] the same thing’s gonna happen if I have a child too.”

SPIRIT ANIMAL

Another commanding presence in Chavez’s studio at the moment is a devilish woman she describes as her “Spirit Chola.” With red skin, yellow horns, a venomous looking forked tongue and gaudy gold earrings, the character was created for a collaborative print portfolio titled Nasty Women. A creative response to the pussy-grabbing villain in the nation’s highest office, the character is also a visual representation of Chavez’s admiration for the cholas she encountered in high school.

“I’ve always been interested in cholas,” she confessed. “In grade school, you’re afraid of them because nobody fucks with them. But they still have this perfect eyeliner, perfect makeup.

It’s like a symbol of perfection. Like female beauty [but] still with that tough exterior. …

I loved that feminine-masculine spin. … I was always terrified of them in school because I was a Gothy, nerdy person … When I started showing these prints, there were a lot of women who really loved them because they felt like they made them stronger. And I said, ‘You know, that’s why I’m making them — because I feel like I just want to mouth off on somebody.’ So, I think out of my frustration with the Trump administration, all the racism … I started making these cholas that don’t take shit from people.” sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

Music by: Mírame

arts People Are Bound to Die in Laird Barron’s Black Mountain

BY MAX BOOTH III

I

saiah Coleridge is the guy with “Bad Motherfucker” stitched across the front of his wallet; the man who drinks your milkshake; the lunatic who transports a corpse down an elevator with “NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN — HO-HO-HO” Sharpied across its chest. He’s the tough-guy protagonist with a closet of skeletons. Once he worked as a contract killer in Alaska, but something went wrong, and he ended up exiled to New York.

He claims to be out of the game, but is any ex-mobster truly clean?

Early on, when promoting his Isaiah Coleridge series, author Laird Barron described his anti-hero as Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction. Have you ever wondered what happened to Jules after the film? He left the restaurant, then... what?

Isaiah Coleridge is Barron’s answer to that question.

Apparently, it’s not so easy for a violent gangster to lead a straight life after so many years of sweet, sweet murder.

Black Mountain is the second installment in Barron’s series — following 2018’s Blood Standard — although it works as a standalone. Obviously, it’s preferable to read the first book prior to this one, but if you want to just dive into Black Mountain, you won’t find yourself adrift. It’s heavy with exposition as it attempts to catch new readers up, but this isn’t exactly a complaint, as the voice of Isaiah Coleridge makes for an entertaining read. Like most classic action heroes, he’s practically overflowing with smartass comebacks and observations.

For those not in the know, Laird Barron established himself several years ago as a master of cosmic horror. His short story collections have changed the game in how fans view the genre. So, you can imagine the resulting mixture of confusion and intrigue when he announced a series of noir novels. I’d al-

G.P. Putnam’s Sons

ready read some of his previous material bordering on crime fiction, so I knew he could easily handle the transition.

Of course, that isn’t saying Barron has completely abandoned his horror roots.

Both Blood Standard and Black Mountain swim in the murky depths of spookiness. There’s an atmosphere in these novels that rivals the darkest episodes of True Detective. Barron’s prose bites you like a cornered animal. In Black Mountain, the main villain’s a serial killer, except he’s not your typical serial killer — he’s the kind only Laird Barron could conceptualize. I haven’t been more disturbed by a crime novel’s antagonist since Thomas Harris’ titular Red Dragon.

There is no need to dig deep into the plot here. Do you enjoy crime novels?

Are you fascinated by investigators hunting down creepy serial killers? Do you like your noir dosed with existential horror? Then stop reading this review and go pick up a copy of Laird Barron’s Black Mountain.

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25

Cinema of Resistance

CineFestival looks at cultural and political landscape to inform this year’s film lineup

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

P

olitical activism has been at the root of CineFestival ever since filmmakers started screening their work as part of the Chicano Film Festival in the late 1960s. Since then, the nation’s longest-running Latino film festival has evolved, undergoing several new iterations over the years. But it has always inspired filmmakers to tell stories about and speak out for Latinos around the globe.

It’s more important than ever that the 41st Annual CineFestival, July 11-14, continues to promote Latino issues in a way that can help combat the rise of racism and the vilification of Latino communities during Trump’s time in office. From the U.S.-sanctioned “detention centers” where immigrant children are being held in terrible conditions to the push for legislative protections for DACA recipients to the emotional narratives about Latinos in the LGBTQ community fighting for their rights and lives, CineFestival is doing its part and making a stand.

“Part of a programmer’s role is to assess the cultural and political landscape to identify issues and themes that are influencing filmmakers and affecting the communities they represent,” said CineFestival programmer Manuel Solis, also a Current contributor. “As a cinema of resistance, Chicano cinema is influential.”

Forty-two films will screen at this year’s festival, whose theme is Frontera in Focus. Of these 42, 30 were shot in Texas or by a Texas filmmaker, while 17 were shot in San Antonio or by a San Antonio filmmaker. Twenty-four were directed or co-directed by women.

During last year’s milestone anniversary at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center (GCAC), CineFestival chose to focus on Texas filmmakers. As the numbers suggest, the festival is doing that again this year, but it’s also screening films from nine countries, including Australia, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Netherlands, Syria, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay.

“For the Guadalupe right now, it is very important to foster local and regional art in storytelling,” said Cristina Balli, executive director of the GCAC. “We want to focus on Texas, the Texas Latinx experience, and nurture the community of Texas filmmakers. The Guadalupe and CineFestival have always presented border art, but at this point in time it is a very relevant subject.”

This year’s Premios Mesquite award winners are The Infiltrators, directed by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra (Special Jury Award); Building the American Dream, directed by Chelsea Hernandez (Best Documentary); The Garden Left Behind, directed by Flavio Alves (Best Feature Film); Plane Pretend, directed by Sharon Arteaga (Best Short Film); and En La Frontera del Arte (On the Margins of Art), directed by Miranda Harris-Martinez and Mike Curran (Best Short Documentary).

What follows are four short reviews of films screening at this year’s CineFestival:

THE INFILTRATORS L

Part gripping documentary, part high-energy heist flick, this hybrid cinematic experience from co-directors Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra creates a unique and a vital — albeit “fictional” — firsthand account from inside immigrant detention facilities where detainees are held with little hope.

26

CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

Sundance Institute

The Infiltrators is unflinching yet entertaining storytelling and couldn’t be timelier in this oppressive age of Trumpism. 7 p.m., Thursday, July 11

THE GARDEN LEFT BEHIND L

Anchored by a fantastic performance by first-time actress Carlie Guevara, The Garden Left Behind is an authentic and touching drama centered on the life of Tina (Guevara), a Mexican trans woman living in NYC as she makes her transition and fights for a better tomorrow for her and her friends in the LGBTQ community. Co-writer and director Flavio Alves tells Tina’s story with compassion and writes every underrepresented trans character — all portrayed by trans actors — with ample heart. 9 p.m., Friday, July 12

BUILDING THE AMERICAN DREAM E An eye-opening documentary on the dangerous conditions undocumented workers face every day in the construction industry, director Chelsea Hernandez delivers a compact and powerful gut punch — the kind of film that can drive change if enough eyes see it. These heartbreaking stories make an incredible impact and force viewers to grapple with another immigration issue that has been pushed to the side for far too long. 6:30 p.m., Saturday, July 13

PREMATURE 5

A lyrical, Harlem-based coming-of-age young romance, Premature features a winning feature debut performance by the film’s co-writer Zora Howard, who also penned the poetry for the underappreciated 2011 drama Gun Hill Road. As Ayanna, a 17-year-old poet who falls in love with an aspiring musician (Joshua Boone), Howard is heartbreaking. Although the film takes a turn for the somewhat predictable in the third act, co-writer and director Rashaad Ernesto Green’s (Gun Hill Road) mature filmmaking style is elegant and awe-inspiring. 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 14

For a complete schedule of CineFestival screenings, visit guadalupeculturalarts.org/cinefestival.

screens

Jesse Borrego (left) in Phoenix, Oregon

Courtesy of Cinefestival

Man in Control San Antonio actor Jesse Borrego discusses his new indie comedy Phoenix, Oregon Queens Pictures

BY KELLY MERKA NELSON

A

ctor and San Antonio native Jesse Borrego of Blood In Blood Out, Con Air and Fear the Walking Dead fame is back at CineFestival this year for the Texas Premiere of his latest film, Phoenix, Oregon.

The midlife-reinvention comedy screens on Saturday, July 13 at 8:30 p.m., and Borrego will also be around for an encore screening of the 2016 documentary Las Tesoros de San Antonio: A Westside Story, which he and his brother James Borrego produced under their nonprofit Cine Studio San Antonio. The documentary will screen at Friday, July 12, at 10 a.m.

Panda Bear Films

IFC Films

41st Annual CineFestival $50 (festival pass); $10 (evening ticket); $8 (daytime ticket) July 11-14 Guadalupe Theater 1301 Guadalupe St (210) 271-3151 guadalupeculturalarts.org/cinefestival

Gary Lundgren wrote, directed and edited Phoenix, Oregon. What was it like to collaborate on a project that’s driven by such a unified vision? And how does it compare to the more fragmentary but collaborative process of working in TV, where different episodes often have different writers and directors?

You know, I’ve been really lucky in that the work that I’ve done in television, because I hold out for interesting characters — i.e. not stereotypical Latino characters — that I get to work with people who have a unified vision. It was more about looking at the character as a whole, and it’s, in reality, kind of a non-stereotypical personification of an American Latino. Gary [Lundgren], being that kind of all-around visionary — because he does edit his own stuff, you know, he writes it and his wife Annie [Lundgren] is his producer — they have this already kind of holistic idea of what a film, a theme and especially a character is like. That’s what drew me first to the project — looking at a character that I could just be an actor in, and not really worry about, as I always do, how is this impacting the image of Latinos in cinema, and what am I saying to my fanbase, which to me are my people, and what kind of legacy I leave behind as an actor?

On that note, the movie is a real Who’s Who of American character actors.

What a fabulous cast.

Scene-stealing performances by Diedrich Baader as Kyle, Kevin Corrigan as Al. And then James [Le Gros] is so solid, you know.

It’s kept grounded, in my opinion, by you and James Le Gros’ performances. Your character Carlos is very upbeat and gregarious, and has an uplifting energy that counters Le Gros’ downtrodden introversion as Bobby.

How did you dial into that, and how does it compare to the more intense work that you’ve done in recent years on shows like Dexter, American Crime and Fear the Walking Dead?

I’ve been lucky in those types of commercial shows to have worked with the best of the best. I mean, if you’re talking about Dexter, you’re talking about Michael [C. Hall], in 24 you’re talking about Kiefer [Sutherland], so I’m always lucky to work with the best even in those genre shows. But I think in independent cinema and especially, you know, James is friends with the Lundgrens and has worked with them before. And so, being a fan of his work, and us knowing each other’s work, the minute I knew that he was the lead I already knew what I could do. When you grow up with your peers and you respect each other’s work, you already know, “Man, I’d love to work with that guy.”

I’ve watched the film about five or six times and I’m still inspired every time I watch it with this cast’s work, and I think that’s the most beautiful thing about the film.

Not only was it a good script and well directed, great production — Patrick [Neary, the director of photography] just did a great job. The music was so hot, it was wonderful. You’ve got to give it to the Oregon film crew: they’ve been working with the Lundgrens together as a team for about five, six years, some of them for over 10 years, and that impressed us as a cast coming from everywhere, from LA to New York.

Another thing that gave Carlos’ character so much depth is the natural inclusion of his Hispanic heritage and familial ties, not to mention the smoothest use of “pinche” I’ve heard in an English-language film. Were the Spanish dialogue and the other touches that you included baked into the script from the start, or did you have input into that aspect of Carlos and his heritage?

So, the guy who played my nephew, Rudy, is actually … one of the producers, Louis Rodriguez. He’s a partner of Gary’s on a couple of projects. Louis is a big influence on Gary and especially the character of Carlos, because it’s their friendship and the big family unit that Louis has there in Oregon. He actually lives in Phoenix, Oregon, which is hilarious. But it’s their friendship over the last few years of working together as filmmakers that inspired the whole relationship between Carlos and Bobby. [Lundgren] wanted to pay homage to the culture that created the character of Carlos. It’s one of the reasons that I really wanted to do this project — how he portrayed the Latino culture. That went on into the development of the narrative, and the respect for the Latino culture that Gary showed not only in the writing but in allowing me to kind of feel Carlos, because I’m usually in control of how I develop the character, especially in terms of dialogue. Writers are very generous with me in terms of allowing me to be able to make a character sound authentic. The joy of being able to do this character is just to be able to do that without necessarily you know “Latin-ing him up,” so to speak.

An extended version of the interview is available at sacurrent.com.

Find more news Find more every day at film stories sacurrent.com

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

screens Morning Gory

Horror folktale Midsommar proves disturbing and visually breathtaking, yet frustrating

A24

Home Sweet Home The Last Black Man in San Francisco transcends traditional storytelling for a surreal look at cultural identity

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

T

he Last Black Man in San Francisco speaks volumes on family, friendship and gentrification. It features beautiful soliloquies and dreamlike scenes that enlighten viewers about the evolving neighborhoods across America and the working-class people who are pushed to the fringes of society to make room for new, upscale apartment complexes and fancy coffee shops. It’s a film that examines the subject of cultural identity with style, grace and heartache — an authentic narrative which, as cliché as it sounds, is a love letter to San Francisco and a cautionary tale to residents of other rapidly growing cities that may leave them behind.

Co-written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker and fifth-generation San Franciscan Joe Talbot, The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a visually stunning odyssey that follows Jimmie Fails (the actor is also named Jimmie Fails) and aspiring playwright Montgomery Allen (Jonathan Favors), two friends who have seen their city change over the years and want to do their small part to delay the full transformation. Living with Mont’s grandfather (Danny Glover) on the outskirts of the city, the duo spends their time skateboarding around the streets and waxing philosophical about everything they see.

Along with their regular outings, Jimmie likes to visit the old Victorian house he grew up in as a child — a house built

by his grandfather decades ago. Although someone else lives in it now, Jimmie is so attached to his childhood home that he’s more than willing to do maintenance and upkeep on it, much to the displeasure of the couple who reside there. When Jimmie learns the homeowners are forced to vacate the dwelling, he and Mont decide the house is too nice and rich with history to sit vacant — so, they move in illegally and even furnish the place with the home’s original furniture, which was put in storage years ago.

Loosely based on the experiences of the real Jimmie, who developed the story with Talbot and co-writer Rob Richert, The Last Black Man in San Francisco forfeits traditional storytelling for a narrative and atmosphere that is surreal and poetic. Like filmmaker Benh Zeitlin’s 2012 mystical drama Beasts of the Southern Wild, Talbot has created a hypnotic and transcendent world where it almost feels like anything can happen at any given moment.

As unconventional as The Last Black Man in San Francisco is, there is also a universal message about letting go of the past and moving on. It might be easier said than done, but the hopefulness Talbot and his actors display is something that can heal even the most emotionally damaged soul.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco opens exclusively at the Santikos Bijou Cinema and Bistro July 5.

A24

I

t’s no wonder director and Oscar-winning screenwriter Jordan Peele (Get Out) has been singing the praises of writer and director Ari Aster’s folk horror film Midsommar over the past few weeks — Peele even called it “the most idyllic horror film of all time.” Midsommar is definitely picturesque, but like Peele’s last film, Us, it’s also an allegorical, art-house narrative that won’t register with everyone.

Aster and cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski worked together on Aster’s 2018 feature debut Hereditary, a searing domestic chiller that took family dysfunction to a new level. And, together, they craft an exquisite setting in Midsommar.

Aster’s breathtaking vision, however, can’t fully make up for his vague storytelling. It doesn’t reach the same pretentious, metaphor-heavy heights as Peele’s Us (or filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s 2017 headscratcher Mother!), but it’s frustrating nevertheless.

Luckily, unlike Peele, who would rather not talk about the concrete ideas behind Us, Aster has been more than willing to explain that the inspiration for writing Midsommar materialized because of a recent breakup he experienced. (Someone find this woman and ask her what the hell she did to him!)

Whatever it was, Aster uses the heartbreak to fuel his disturbing story of a Nordic getaway gone awry.

When Dani, in a standout performance

by Florence Pugh, is sent into a downward spiral after a horrific tragedy, which comes via a frightening pre-title card opening, she is later invited by her apa-

thetic boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) to join him and his friends Josh (William Jackson Harper), Mark (Will Poulter) and Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) on a fact-finding trip to a remote village in Sweden.

While there, Josh is supposed to do research for his thesis on an isolated commune’s mid-summer festival that only happens every 90 years.

It takes a while before things start to go off the rails, but there’s no turning back once Aster begins putting his characters into extremely uncomfortable situations. During a few scenes, the American visitors ingest hallucinogens that cause them to lose their grip on reality (filmmaker Gaspar Noé does it better in Climax), which might force some viewers to question what the cast is truly seeing.

But Aster executes what turn out to be pagan rituals with enough depravity that it doesn’t matter whether the characters are daydreaming the whole thing. Horror fans will enjoy the grotesque details he delivers as much as the instances where he lets stillness consume each frame of the picture.

Midsommar is far from perfect and isn’t even the most twisted film of the year (that distinction goes to Germany’s Hagazussa), but there’s something about Aster allowing so much misery to take place in broad daylight that makes his film tough to behold.

Midsommar opens in San Antonio theaters July 3.

— Kiko Martinez

sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

screens

Netflix

Back at Bat

Stranger Things 3 ramps up the action while staying true to its soul

BY KELLY MERKA NELSON

S

tranger Things 2 bucked many of the pitfalls that plague sophomore seasons, but with an aging cast and increased hype for the show’s third entry, not to mention the still-simmering rage of fans unhappy with the other double-D team’s handling of the final season of Game of Thrones, the Duffer Brothers have a lot riding on the Stranger Things 3 premiere.

From the opening of the first episode, the Duffers want you to know that they’ve been given an expanded VFX budget and they’re not afraid to use it. The upped CGI in the third season is a noticeable jump even from season two’s hordes of demodogs, accompanied by an uptick in gore that seems to pointedly assure the audience that it’s not just the cast that’s grown up.

While the beefed up effects do grant us a bigger, badder monster to fight and more expansive looks at the landscape of Hawkins, Indiana, the extensive green screen sequences can sometimes make you miss the simplicity of season one’s Demogorgon suit.

Learning from the mistakes of their predecessors (lookin’ at you, LOST), the Duffers built a time jump into the

plot to accommodate the aging of the youngest cast members, which history has shown rapidly outpaces the speed at which Hollywood can churn out new seasons of TV. Plus, it has the added benefit of giving room for the story to breathe. While Game of Thrones could sustain a continuous narrative of war and magical menace, it would beggar belief if the small town of Hawkins was under nonstop attack.

The action resumes in the summer of 1985, right before Independence Day festivities are set to kick off. Yet again, ’80s nostalgia reigns, and the episodes are heavily populated by the pop culture shout outs we’ve come to expect. However, the biggest offender in this isn’t Stranger Things itself but the corporations slavering at the bit to make merchandising tie-ins with the latest season, with everyone from Burger King to H&M jumping on the bandwagon. While Coke’s “take a sip in the upside down” tagline is certainly cringeworthy, I do have to admit that the throwback sneakers that Nike’s slinging look pretty rad.

Really, though, rather than the nods to things like New Coke or Back to the Future, the forward march of time is most evident in the shifting color palette, shown most clearly in the cast’s updated wardrobe, in which neon brights, loud patterns and sparkling eyeshadow win the day.

The Duffers learned from their own mistakes, as well as those of showrunners that came before them, keeping the pacing of this season more taut than season two. As the “Mirkwood party”

begins to venture into the “teenage wasteland,” interpersonal conflicts arise that keep the energy up in early episodes before a monstrous threat steals the focus. By capping episodes with clever ending stingers, the Duffers draw you in with the seductive power of the binge — this is what Netflix does best, after all. Additionally, following season two’s almost universally panned episode “The Lost Sister,” the third season is kept on the rails of the central plot. Even so, that doesn’t mean everyone is left stuck milling about in Hawkins’ new mall.

The performances by the show’s core ensemble are rock solid — this isn’t their first rodeo, after all. Gaten Matarazzo’s comedic timing as Dustin is still on point, and his continued pairing with Joe Keery as Steve remains fruitful, even if not all the gags land. David Harbour and Winona Ryder have good — if fraught — chemistry as Hopper and Joyce, and Lucas’ little sister and season

two fan favorite Erica (Priah Ferguson) gets her time to shine, as does newcomer Maya Hawke as Robin. Will (Noah Schnapp) is still often a tool of the plot, but he finally gets to experience some personal character development, which got mostly shunted to the wayside in season two between his isolation from the other characters and the focus on the romantic pairings between Mike/ Eleven and Lucas/Max. The cast is fleshed out with more iconic faces, with Jake Busey (Starship Troopers, The Frighteners) and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) both used to good effect. It would also be remiss not to mention that, as Billy, Dacre Montgomery is again allowed to do what he does best — seethe menace.

Unfortunately, the growing number of characters to showcase and the mere eight episodes in which to do it means Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) is yet again relegated to the background, mostly put in a support position.

With so many moving parts, it’s easy for things to get lost in the mix. Although this can create genuine surprises, the ramping up of the plot and consequences of the third season leaves the finale with some loose threads that aren’t tied up by the final, albeit emotionally satisfying, denouement. The arc as a whole does come together to create a fulfilling and complete story, but obsessive fans will invariably pounce upon and begin to worry at the fraying edges.

By leaning into the growth of its cast and story, Stranger Things is able to move things in a fresh direction without veering away from what made its first season such a hit. The third installment plays to the strengths of its cast and the world of Hawkins, and while it isn’t without missteps, the show has learned from its past mistakes.

Stranger Things 3 is available to stream in full on July 4.

Netflix

sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

31

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

food It’s Not Easy Being Green

Homegrown food hub Local Sprout is nurturing sustainable culinary businesses

BY LEA THOMPSON

F

or San Antonio entrepreneur Mitch Hagney, food and sustainability are synonymous.

The 27-year-old’s first deep exposure to the complexities of food scarcity came while he was a student debater at Trinity University. As the school’s team researched climate change, he realized how close humanity had pushed our planet to the brink.

“I think agriculture is broken, but I knew I wanted to be a part of the solution,” Hagney said.

To that end, he worked on farms across the United States and Costa Rica before returning to San Antonio in 2013 and convincing Rackspace founder Pat Condon to back a business venture dedicated to sustainable production.

Hagney launched his indoor farm, Local Sprout, in an East Side warehouse and consulted with other businesses on hydroponic gardening. However, in 2015, after realizing he do more with the 16,000-foot space, he opened it to other likeminded entrepreneurs.

Since then, Local Sprout has expanded into what Hagney calls a “food hub,” leasing space to other sustainability-focused culinary startups. He sees the project as a way to help small ventures take root, much in the way tech startups do in Silicon Valley business incubators.

Lea Thompson

“These companies are all sustainably sourcing, but they needed a place to develop food products,” Hagney said.

A dozen local food producers, entrepreneurs and businesses now operate in the warehouse, which holds city permits for food manufacturing. Together, they’re leading a shift from an outdated business mindset of competition to one of collaboration, Hagney said.

“We wouldn’t be the company we are without Local Sprout,” said Diana Anderson, co-owner of JD’S Chili Parlor, a tenant.

“Mitch has helped to connect us with local ranchers, the comradery has helped us grow and reach out to the community, and the hub has inspired us to be more conscious of sustainability.”

As with any business, there have been setbacks along the way.

Initially, Local Sprout held weekly markets that included food trucks, popups and fresh produce. However, downtown zoning laws put the quash on opening the site to the public.

But with one tenant, Pulp Coffee, expected to open up retail space inside the warehouse later this year, Hagney expects his project to gain more exposure to local foodies. There’s also space for two additional tenants, including parking spaces for food trucks if those

Local Sprout founder Mitch Hagney examines produce growing inside his East Side warehouse.

L

are part of their plans.

Since transforming Local Sprout, food production has become a secondary focus for Hagney. Even so, he grows and harvests around 30 pounds of kale each week onsite. He also builds herb- and produce-growing gardens for local restaurants, including Hoppy Monk and The Maverick Texas Brasserie.

Outside of Local Sprout, Hagney has helped forged part partnerships between local growers and sustainability groups such as the William R. Sinkin Eco Centro Center.

And, as San Antonio Food Policy Council President, he also helped shape initiatives like the VIVA healthy corner stores pilot program, aimed at making healthy produce accessible to families living in South Side food deserts.

“Local Sprout is unlike any other local food production hub that we have; I don’t know that San Antonio has many other opportunities for businesses to become part of a larger food community or operate in the center of the city,” said Eco Centro Manager Cecile Parrish.

While fresh produce has a limited 35 6

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food

veggie bowls and savory rice. Berbere has also expanded into catering for private events doing popups at local markets and events.

6 33 shelf life, Local Sprout businesses are creating original products that emphasize quality fruits and vegetables and sustainability, Parish added.

“Local Sprout is a contingent of the city that is pushing for value-added products, and that’s how we’ll ultimately grow food access,” she said.

INTERSTELLAR FARM

Owner Chris Babis has created a smallscale urban farm inside Local Sprout, using non-GMO seeds, environmentally friendly products and high-efficiency LED lights that mimic natural sunlight patterns. Although a recent addition to the food hub, Interstellar already supplies incredibly nutritious microgreen varieties, ginger, turmeric and mushrooms to local chefs and restaurants including The Good Kind, Bakery Lorraine and The Beignet Stand.

Sprouting Up While Local Sprout’s East Side food hub isn’t yet open to the public, local foodies are probably familiar with at least some of its dozen tenants, which range from local food truck and caterer Berbere Ethiopian Cuisine to Brushfire Farms, a producer of award-winning chili-pepper jams.

What follows is rundown of businesses now operating out of Local Sprout:

PULP COFFEE

James Mireles and Liza Moreno launched Pulp Coffee in 2016, and since then, the couple has since helped raise local coffee standards through wholesale services, popup events and hosting brewing and roasting experiences at restaurants. The pair attribute a growing demand for high-quality coffee to out-of-state transplants relocating to Texas, but the upgrade benefits everyone, especially the consumer. Pulp will open a new café and retail space with public hours inside Local Sprout in late 2019. The space will allow visitors to sample varieties of high-quality coffees and teas, chat with baristas, get a glimpse of the high-tech yet personalized coffee-making process and learn more about the other small businesses located at the hub. Also on the horizon for the couple is Blüm Coffee & Tea, a separate business slated to open later this month.

GUERILLA GOURMET

For Chef James Canter, great food allows people to experience different cultures without a passport. The chef previously brought his food to Victoria, Texas, serving comforting hot meals to the community during good and bad times — especially for families affected by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Canter relocated to San Antonio in late 2017, and currently offers his talents to the kitchen at rooftop bar Paramour, specializing in bites like tikka masala meatballs, baby lobster rolls and shredded duck street tacos.

Lea Thompson

HIDDEN TREASURES

Heather Chavez launched her food truck in 2018, offering tasty and freshly prepared brunch and beverage options. The veteran-owned business is a regular at regional food truck events, but Chavez, a graduate of St. Philips’ hospitality program, specializes in sweet pastries, muffins, and savory sandwiches for private events and business functions. She’s currently studying Restaurant Management with the University of Houston, with plans to graduate in late 2019.

RICE RISE

Rice pudding is a beloved dessert for families across the world, and by developing a vegan-friendly and lactose-free version, Asad Siddiqui has created a variety anyone can enjoy. Rice Rise puddings are made with basmati long grain rice, non-GMO natural sugar and cardamom, and served in an eco-friendly container. The result is a delicious dessert that can be offered with flavorings such as pistachio cream with Belgium dark chocolate, vegan vanilla hazelnut and English cream with fudge. Rice Rise sells its products at local farmers markets.

JD’S CHILI PARLOR

Inspired by San Antonio’s historic Chili Queens, John and Diana Anderson — the husband-and-wife team behind JD’s Chili Parlor — took years to perfect their chili paste, which allows home cooks to recreate authentic chili at home. Using fresh peppers and premium ingredients, they also developed a line of enchilada sauces and fixin’ options, all with grass-fed meat. JD’s is a regular at local farmers markets, serving dishes such as its double-red vegan chili and whiskey

chili in a hash brown bowl.

MADGE’S FOOD COMPANY

Mike Miller missed his grandma Madge’s homemade tomato jam and pickles so much he decided to recreate them himself. He worked tirelessly with his wife, Jody, to develop the perfect jam and pickles, which he released in 2014. Since then, Miller has expanded the lineup to include flavorful foods such as spicy vegan kim chi, as well as jams, sauerkraut and a spicy Bloody Mary mix. Madge’s products are available online and in stores including Revolucion and Central Market.

BOX STREET SOCIAL

Chef Edward Garcia III and restaurateur Daniel Treviño launched the Box Street Social food truck in 2015, offering an update on American classics including fried chicken and doughnuts, crispy Thai chicken wings and spicy crab-stuffed avocados. Though the company has since shifted its focus to catering weddings, local fans can find the culinary team hosting special events at a new on-site tasting room or at semi-annual food truck events throughout the city.

BERBERE ETHIOPIAN CUISINE

At 15, Cherinet Girma migrated to the U.S. with his older siblings and grew to miss the authentic flavors and dishes his family prepared in Ethiopia. Initially, the duty of replicating those flavors fell on his shoulders. “Once my mother arrived, I stopped cooking for us, but I paid attention and would help in the kitchen,” he said. Girma opened his food truck in 2016, bringing those same robust flavors of Ethiopia to familiar San Antonio dishes such as lamb tacos,

LIL’ RED’S BOILED PEANUTS

Boiled peanuts are often considered a Southern treat, but the versatile, antioxidant-filled legume is celebrated in cuisines across the globe. Mike McAndrew decided to introduce a new generation of snackers to boiled peanuts and launched his own line, available — along with dipping sauces — both wholesale and at local farmers markets. The brand can currently be found at retailers including Royal Blue Grocery and Groomer’s.

PICKLED SA

Somer Baburek was pregnant and fighting powerful pickle cravings when she decided to experiment with pickle-making herself. Nearly seven years later, Baburek has developed an impressive line of pickled ingredients including carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers and beets — available in flavors like garlic dill, bread and butter, and sweet and spicy — that can be ordered online, found at local farmers markets or on the snack menu at High Street Wine. Pickled SA and Interstellar Farms recently collaborated to create healthy to-go meal options, which are slated to roll out this month.

BRUSHFIRE FARMS

Using the flavorful chile pequin plants surrounding his South Texas home, James Vives developed the sweet-meetsheat Brushfire Farm jams, which can be enjoyed with anything from crackers to BBQ. The jams have been recognized at international competitions including the Good Food Awards and are a favorite among local chefs. The company recently moved into Local Sprout to expand manufacturing operations and supply products to Smoke Shack, Cooper’s Meat Market, Larder at Hotel Emma and Central Market. sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

35

Other light beers use bikini models & dragons to get your attention.

We decided to give flavor a shot.

This is what happens when a brewer focuses on what to leave in a light beer, rather than what to take out.

Introducing Firemans Light. The Real Light Beer for All Y’all.

36

CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

food

Sweet Spots

When chefs want to tip back a cold one, they’re not looking for anyplace fancy

BY LEA THOMPSON

C

hefs work long hours. And, like anyone else, they want to unwind.

Sometimes that means savoring a fancy cocktail or glass of wine, but very often it involves grabbing a cold beer someplace casual and, well, downright dive-y. Dive bars are dark, cool spots to escape the summer heat, connect with friends or avoid people you know — be they customers or coworkers.

We asked several local chefs to talk about their favorite drinking spots, and what makes them worth celebrating:

JC RODRIGUEZ, SOUS CHEF, SOUTHERLEIGH FINE FOOD & BREWERY FAUST

517 E. WOODLAWN AVE., (210) 257-0628, FACEBOOK. COM/THEFAUSTTAVERN.

“My go to-bar is Faust Tavern off Woodlawn and North St. Mary’s. If you show up before 8 p.m. you can check Robot Monster, the vintage music and toy store next door, which I often start my Sundays at. When you get into Faust itself, there’s always metal on, good horror movies, little to no light and a solid selection of beer and cocktails at ridiculous prices. Fun fact: I once confused a picture of an altar with new additions to the behindthe-bar art over there.”

JUSTIN LIMBURG, EXECUTIVE CHEF, SOHILL CAFE OAK HILLS TAVERN 7920 FREDERICKSBURG ROAD, (210) 614-8855, OAK-HILLSTAVERN.BUSINESS.SITE.

“My favorite dive bar is Oak Hills Tavern. It’s small enough that if you go a couple times, you know everybody’s name, and it’s just across the street from my house. After a really tough or long day, it’s nice to go somewhere where there aren’t any industry people that want to talk about work. I don’t really order anything to eat when I go to a dive bar, but my go-to drink is just a double shot of Jim Beam.”

JENN REISMAN, PASTRY CHEF, HOTEL EMMA FRANCIS BOGSIDE 803 S. ST. MARY’S ST., (210) 369-9192, FRANCISBOGSIDE.COM.

“I didn’t know anyone when I first moved to San Antonio, but the crew at Brigid and Francis Bogside just kind of adopted me. They gave me somewhere to go after work and gave me a sense of belonging and being part of a community. I don’t have a lot of free time, but when

Sous chef JC Rodriguez enjoys a drink inside the cool and dark confines of Faust, his favorite local watering hole.

Lea Thompson

I can, I support the people who support me. Francis is a place to be social and to actually eat good food. My goto order is usually chorizo deviled eggs and a pizza with jalapeños and olives. I save part of the pizza, because it’s perfect to eat on my way to work in the morning.”

MICHAEL SOHOCKI, CHEF, RESTAURANT GWENDOLYN LOW COUNTRY

318 MARTINEZ ST., (210) 560-2224, LOWCOUNTRYSA.COM.

“I have a mixed relationship with alcohol. It pays my bills and is a social lubricant in the most socially accepted circles. I am terrified of large groups of people, loud music, strangers, bright lights, busy streets, so I don’t go anywhere to get seen. But we all need a place to talk, and the wooden porch at Low Country, when absolutely nothing is going on — God, give me a pouring rainstorm to chase off the fair-weather friends — is enough like home for me to open up.

You’ll probably find me there with a Topo Chico. With lime if I’m feeling foxy.”

TIM MCDIARMID, CHEF, THE GOOD KIND SANCHO’S CANTINA Y COCINA 628 JACKSON ST., (210) 320-1840, SANCHOSMX.COM.

“I go to Sancho’s with friends for the outdoor seating

and the casual good service. My go-to order is always a shrimp taco and a fancy margarita — I don’t drink cheap drinks.”

LES LOCKE, BREWMASTER, SOUTHERLEIGH FINE FOOD & BREWERY JOEY’S 2417 N ST MARY’S ST, (210) 733-9573, FACEBOOK.COM/ JOEYSSANANTONIO

“Besides the fact that I’ve been going there forever, I know Joey, and I like that the bar hasn’t changed in a long time. There’s a lot of the same bartenders, and it’s always nice to see friendly faces at the neighborhood pub. My go-to order is always a gin and tonic, or I’ll make it a double and just catch up with whoever shows up there.”

LUCAS BRADBURY, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, EARTH BURGER HOPPY MONK

1010 N. LOOP 1604 EAST, (210) 545-3330, THEHOPPYMONK.COM.

“Hoppy Monk always gets my vote, although I don’t drink. Ironic, I know. I enjoy the environment as well as their vegan selection and non-alcoholic choices, such as locally owned Element Kombucha, and my favorite near-beer, Clausthaler.” sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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food Diving Into the West Side Bar choices may not abound, but it’s still puro party in this quadrant of San Antonio

BY AMANDA LOZANO

T

he West Side gets a bad rap.

If you’ve lived in San Antonio for any length of time, some well-intentioned person has warned you that it’s dangerous and rife with crime.

But for all that talk of seediness, the area doesn’t have a ton of dive bars.

Even as a native Westsider, I had to scour the area for good spots. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by the people and places I found. Looking for great drinks, people and parties? Head west, because I can’t imagine a better crowd.

BARCODE

5402 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway 7 p.m-2 a.m.

Barcode is located just minutes away from the Food Bank, but it’s easy to pass up if you’re driving too fast. This bar is friendly, dark, appropriately puro and operates by the motto, “If your money is green, you’re welcome.

We absolutely do not discriminate.” To be sure, the establishment seemed to welcome everyone, from the veterans and Stetson-wearing gentlemen at the bar to the same-sex couples casually playing pool. And when someone made a good pool shot, the place erupted in applause. The bartenders wasted no time in serving me the Tuesday night special, a $1.75 cherry sour, and brought out a freshly popped basket of popcorn. My cocktail was deliciously well-blended, and the place offers a good selection of spirits and beers.

Worth noting: Barcode doesn’t accept bills over $20.

MONTE CARLO CLUB 4549 W. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd.

Noon-midnight

As a child, my mother would point at the building across from St. Jude’s Catholic Church and warn me against visiting it or getting to know the people inside. Twenty-odd years later, I found myself inside the dark interior of that place, the Monte Carlo Club, but I felt right at home. The West Side staple is

filled with more than 40 years of history, and the proprietor, Tony, serves up $2 beers and $5 cocktails, including generous rum and cokes.

Unfortunately, the bar is on its last legs, and Tony plans to close shop soon. I sat with one other patron, a regular, who shared stories about the old West Side, its people and spicy chicharrones. It’s a shame to see a piece of the West Side history disappear, so I recommend swinging by for a drink before Tony closes his doors for good.

RUMORS LOUNGE 5139 Commerce St. 10 a.m-2 a.m.

Rumor is Rumors has been open a long time, and its patrons didn’t seem keen to meet new people. The bartender and regulars gawked as I made my way to the bar. I quickly figured out that the place caters to an old-school crowd that takes its pool seriously and only jokes with each other. One guy even had a clapper and made serious noise anytime someone made a shot.

I can’t say I felt welcome here, but these guys took the game to another level. Maybe if I brought my pool stick, things would have been different. The limited beer selection and the clientele will deter me from another visit, but if you crave cheap beer and want the challenge of going up against some seriously good pool players, this may be your kind of dive. As a bonus, Rumors is located across from a church on San Joaquin Avenue, which could make it a little more fun to drink your $3 beer.

SQUEEZE INN E

1755 S. General McMullen Dr. Noon-2 a.m.

Everyone has that one crazy tio who relives his high school years by singing oldies and reminiscing over the

Amanda Lozano

football pass that could have taken the Kennedy Rockets to the championship at the Chili Bowl. That’s who you’ll find at Squeeze Inn: a slew of tios and tias getting sloshed while singing to oldies and Tejano. You’ll find the requisite dart boards and pool tables here, but the karaoke is the real star. While not a full spirit bar, the beer selection is decent, and they serve up a mean Michelada. Even though I stuck out like a sore thumb, the patrons welcomed me and even encouraged me to sing. I’m a professional mariachi, but I felt my chops weren’t up to par with some of these cats. The highlight of the evening was when an old, Flaco Jimenez-looking vato hit the dancefloor and got down to cumbias. A younger lady soon joined him, and the crowd went wild. Will I be back? Absolutely.

LOS GALLOS BAR AND GRILL 434 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway Hours unknown

Every Westsider knows the story about the dancing devil at El Camaroncito Night Club, on Old Highway 90 — ahem, Enrique Barrera Parkway. In case that urban legend is new to you, here’s the spoiler: he had goat’s feet and escaped in a sulfur-smelling tornado.

Hoping to get in on any lingering remnants of that diablo action, I visited Los Gallos Bar and Grill, located across from the old El Camaroncito. Instead

of fire and brimstone, I found a cool, quiet and relaxing atmosphere. I sat there in silence, watching the local news with other patrons and enjoying a wine cooler. No, you won’t find craft cocktails or chef-prepared bites here, but it is a place to relax, play some games and daydream about El Camaroncito in its heyday. Don’t believe what the locals tell you about the sulfur, the place doesn’t smell.

MANNY’S CORNER POCKET 2110 Frio City Road 2 p.m-midnight

Compared to other dives I visited, Manny’s Corner Pocket was relatively quiet and empty. The bar shares a border with the Southside, and the area seemed sparsely populated. Even so, Manny’s allows visitors to find a corner, drink and throw gritos as the jukebox plays Vicente Fernandez tunes. It’s secluded, comfortable and unimposing. The friendly bartender made several delectable Tequila Sunrises, which only set me back $2 each. And, unlike many bars in the area, Manny’s has a decent selection of spirits, meaning you can get well drinks or hefty schooners of draft beer.

Happy hour runs 4-8 p.m. daily and specials vary. Manny’s closes at midnight, so I was surprised when the bartender informed me of last call so early. I didn’t mind, though. It felt like a good place to conclude my West Side crawl. sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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food

These distilleries were “usually without electricity and cars, with only foot trail access to their property,” Martin said.

I was lucky enough to sample 10 of Martin’s mezcal varieties, and the range and depth of expressions of the mezcals was astonishing, with almost none of the spirits were smoky in the expected sense.

Bellying Up for Mezcal

The Worm Has Turned

Scott Martin

Thanks to demand for artisanal spirits, mezcal is having its moment of mystique

BY RON BECHTOL

Y

es, mezcal is the stuff that used to have a worm in it.

Think of the Monte Alban label and whatever debauched, border hijinks you were into back in the day. But the worm has turned. Mezcal in the 21st century is not only safe in staid social events; it’s become a cultural phenomenon.

This is both good and bad.

Almost from its beginnings, the spirit — distilled in Mexico from more than 30 distinct and mostly wild varieties of the agave plant, had something of an outlaw aura about it. Spanish colonizers forbade its production, considering it “immoral.” Mezcal’s suppression didn’t diminish demand, but it did lead to smuggling, with many women disguising jugs of mezcal as babies, wrapped and slung across their chests.

Men sourced agave and cooked them in earthen pits, ground and fermented the concoction and distilled the spirit

in rude, clay stills over pine fires. But women helped make the production a family tradition that continues to this day, with more women leading in distilleries and as the heads of respected companies such as Real Minero.

Today, the most serious — read expensive — mezcals depend on the wild plants harvested in remote locations.

Espadín, the most common varietal, takes seven or eight years before harvest, while Tepextate, can take a quarter-century to mature. Mezcal is still largely made in small villages, some unburdened by electricity and the internet, generally located to the south and east of Oaxaca City.

I visited with local photographer Scott Martin, who traveled through Oaxaca with family and friends in 2015. Over the course of six months, he visited many small regional producers, who were happy to share and sell their sustainable mezcal.

You don’t have to go trekking through the wilderness to taste exceptional mezcal, however. You’ll find it here in San Antonio.

The Esquire Tavern was an early adopter in what has become a rush to mezcal, and the seasoned bartenders are more than ready to help you explore from the safety of a barstool. Ditto for Downstairs, the Esquire’s almost-subterranean extension.

At 1919, the basement bar at Blue Star primarily known for its whiskeys, owner Don Marsh is proud to offer an expansive list that also includes mezcal-adjacent spirits such as bacanora from the Sonora region and sotol, a non-agave spirit produced in northern Mexico and at Desert Door Distillery in Dripping Springs, Texas. The bar currently offers up to 19 options with more to come, Marsh said.

Flooded With Bottles For those looking to enjoy at home, I recommend two things: a copy of Emma Janzen’s Mezcal, The History, Craft & Cocktails of The World’s Ultimate Artisanal Spirit, and a visit to Alamo City Liquor, 2943 Thousand Oaks Road # 3.

Alamo City’s knowledgeable staff can point you in the direction of several

amazing bottles, but be aware that the really good shit can cost over $100. If just starting out, let me instead suggest Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, a much less painfully priced, espadin-based creation by respected artist Ron Cooper.

Cooper learned about mezcal in 1970s Mexico and is widely credited with bringing the spirit to the American drinking public with the 1995 launch of the Del Maguey label, emphasizing the varietal and the village of origin.

The mezcal market has since flooded with bottles like those produced by Gracias a Dios and Rey Campero. Their back labels now not only indicate the varietal and village but also the method of grinding, type of still, number of distillations, date of production and name of the head mezcalero. Increased production, coupled with America’s craze surrounding anything “natural” or “artisanal,” has perhaps made mezcal a victim of its own ubiquity.

Fortunately, there are producers who are aware of mezcal production limits.

The agave is wild, long-tomature and Ron Bechtol essential as a bat- and hummingbird-pollinated resource. Several distilleries have established nurseries using seeds gathered from unharvested agaves. Wahaka Mezcal hosts a volunteer planting program — there’s no pay and you get yourself to Oaxaca, but they take care of you, if in non-deluxe fashion, once you arrive.

Rough going, perhaps, but worth it, if only to help in preserving centuries-old cultural ways.

Safely at home, there are still things you can do. First, drink only the good stuff with all the appropriate specifics on the back label. Second, drink to Ron Cooper’s motto: “Sip it, don’t shoot it.” And finally, to keep it culturally connected, learn the Zapotec word for “cheers,” which is stigibeu.

You’re on your own with that pronunciation. sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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music

Coming Out Swinging

Courtesy of Big Cedar Fever

As this issue hits the stands, Big Cedar Fever is touring the record along the Big Sky route, with gigs booked in Colorado, Montana and Wyoming. Lochmann and Parker profess a particular affinity for the latter state — for both practical and artistic reasons.

“One, it’s just so hot down here,” Lochmann said. “Two, it’s one of the before they ended up perpockets of the United forming the music.

States where Western But, after solidifying the swing is actually popular.” trio’s lineup in 2017, Big That popularity has a Cedar Fever went all-in. The distinct Alamo City connecband launched a website tion, too. early the following January, “Every show in Wyoming and the summer after that — it wasn’t even a fluke, booked a tour to Montana because it would happen and back on the strength of at every single show — we’d a single video, never having start playing ‘San Antonio played a live gig.

Rose,’” Parker said. “The They quickly made up the fiddle would happen, and difference, touring coast people would just cheer at to coast, releasing their Courtesy of Big Cedar Fever the sound of that fiddle debut EP and picking up intro, and then sing along and dance.” the Ameripolitan Award for Best Western Besides paying their dues and honing their Swing Group this February. The Ameripolicraft, the band attributes some success to its tans, spearheaded by honky-tonk man Dale name, despite its potential notoriety among Watson, recognize bands keeping country’s allergy sufferers. Parker recalls one such sufrowdier subgenres alive in the face of Nashferer in particular. ville hegemon.

“We opened for Asleep at The Wheel,” she Along the way, the band caught the said. “And [vocalist] Ray Benson, both times attention of the Austin Signal studio, which invited them to record a second EP for its Sin- we’ve interacted with him, he’s like ‘Big Cedar Fever? I had cedar fever one time in the ’70s. gle Mic Series. They cut the six songs in a day, It sucked! That’s a pretty questionable band with a special 30-count run of single-sided name!’ But, then again, he’s remembered us.” records cut on the studio’s lathe.

It didn’t take long for Western swing trio Big Cedar Fever to make a big noise

BY LANCE HIGDON

B

ob Wills still may be the king of Western swing, but the Hill Country trio Big Cedar Fever are proving themselves worthy heirs to the crown.

Guitarist Georgia Parker, fiddler Ian Lee and upright bassist Nick Lochmann made their debut a scant 18 months ago, but with two records, several tours and at least one major award to their name, they’ve already at the forefront of a century of Texas music tradition.

Western swing is a truly Texas genre. Born on Lone Star dancefloors in the Depression era, it blends cowboy twang and jazz shimmy.

If the band’s playing an uptempo number with more chords than your average Hank tune, the singer’s utilizing equal parts country twang and nightclub croon and there are plenty of rip-roarin’ fiddle solos, you’re likely in Western swing territory.

“It’s a really satisfying genre,” Lochmann told the Current. “It’s a total mix of jazz and country.”

“It’s fun to drink and party to,” Parker added, “and it’s stimulating to play.”

All of Big Cedar Fever’s members — two of whom live just outside Boerne — grew up hearing Western swing, though their paths wended through punk, folk and rock ’n’ roll

Find more music coverage Find more news every day at sacurrent.com

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music

Keeping Ventura Vital

Bar owner Michael Carillo learned on the job while playing a vital role in SA’s music scene

BY CHRIS CONDE

F

rom the original Taco Land to G.I.G. on the Strip, San Antonio’s dive bars have played a vital role in presenting music free from the baggage of ticket-handling fees, mega-sized booking agencies and corporate sponsors.

Sure, large venues provide a needed forum for national and international acts, but smaller establishments — from neighborhood pubs to strange and seedy drinking holes — have long provided the key way for audiences to connect with anything from local acts still cutting their teeth to touring talents on the rise.

Ventura, located at 1011 Avenue B, continues that worthy tradition.

Over the past three years, the cozy haunt hidden between the endless construction on lower Broadway and the newish River Reach extension, has played opened its stage to a Who’s Who of up-and-coming musical talent.

From defunct blues rockers Lonely Horse and neo-soul singer Vocab to instrumental heavyweights Verisimilitude and hip-hop artist Samurai Sai, the shoebox-sized bar has offered a spot for myriad acts do develop their sound. It’s featured touring bands from as far away as Japan and hosted percussionist Claire Rousay’s avant-garde music program Contemporary Whatever.

Ventura owner Michael Carillo — who also fronts symphonic indie-rock outfit Deer Vibes — didn’t just take over the bar on a well-intentioned lark, though. His history extends back to 2008 when, a year after graduating from Judson High School, he was hired to run sound

Oscar Moreno

at the venue, then known as the Warhol.

“I think, at the time, I was just really excited to be doing something new and still involved in [something musical],” Carillo said. “I didn’t really have any expectations, but as the years went by, owning a venue seemed like the next step to take.”

A year into Carillo’s tenure, the bar’s name changed to the Ten Eleven. He continued manning the mixing desk, even as his role grew to include bartending, stage managing and booking bands.

When he found out in 2016 that the owners wanted to cash out, he jumped at the opportunity.

“The owners had been talking about selling to someone else, and I was like, ‘Hey, guys, what the fuck?’” he said. “‘I at least have an opportunity to hold my own.’”

Carillo took over in April 2016, and by June he’d reopened under the name Ventura. The following year, he obtained a liquor license, allowing him to sell more than just the beer and wine available under the previous owners.

If running a business was easy, everyone would do it.

And Carillo quickly discovered that — on top of making sure bills got paid — brought a constant stream of challenges.

“City-code wise, it was definitely a challenge to learn about all of the permits and licenses that we needed, since we had never had liquor before,” he said.

And, as owner, Carillo’s got to make sure customers stay safe while they have a good time. Sometimes that means waiting for them to be picked up by an Uber driv-

er, and others, de-escalating tense situations that could turn into fistfights.

“It’s the same thing that’s good about being an owner that’s also the worst thing,” he said.

Building relationships is key to running a business, Carillo said. On one hand, that’s great, because he enjoys the rapport with regulars and the bands that come through.

“The opposite side of it is, if someone doesn’t like me personally, they probably don’t like the bar either, or if I pissed someone off eight years ago, they probably hate Ventura,” he added, laughing.

Carillo’s learned that he can’t let a bad day make him grumpy. Working in the hospitality business entails keeping a calm and collected attitude. Even so, the payoff of watching a community rise up around him is worth the effort.

“We have a vibe. This is more of a DIY [venue] that doesn’t so much feel like business but more of a family,” he said. “And not just so much the staff, but everyone involved.”

As Ventura enters its fourth year, Carillo looks back on the run with pride. But like any good businessman, he always sees room for improvement.

“I’m humbly proud,” he said. “I think there’s always more work to do, and things to improve on and continue to grow with. But from being a sound guy at the side of the stage of the Ten Eleven to owning the business now and running it. … I feel good.” sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

music | music listings Wednesday, July 3

MYSTERY SKULLS

Get on your feet and dance, suckas. LA’s Mystery Skulls deliver the kind synthy dance pop you’ve been missing from your life. $15-$35, 9 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 841-3771, papertigersatx. com. — Chris Conde

Thursday, July 4

QUEER Y QUE

Keep the pride month pretty going on in to July with this special Independence Day edition of Queer y Que, the free weekly dance party.

Free, 6 p.m., La Botanica, 2911 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 7160702, vivalabotanica.com.

— James Courtney

top pick

YEASAYER Friday, July 5

If you’ve never tripped mushrooms to Yeasayer, you might want to when they come through San Antonio. Of course, we’re not trying to get anyone in trouble. It’s just that the psychedelic atmospheres this Brooklyn-based band creates within its rock-based songs is trip-conducive. Long story short, Yeasayer mixes the psychedelic chill elements of acts like Neon Indian with the hooky sensibilities of bands like Broken Bells while completing things with a Foals-like dash of danceability. The outfit just released two new tracks ahead of new LP Erotic Reruns — “Let Me Listen in on You” and “Fluttering in the Floodlights” — both of which feel like a journey down a swirling, rainbow-brick road. $23-$25, 9pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 841-3771, papertigersatx.com. — CC Shore Fire Media

top pick Young the Giant

Coin

Friday, July 5

EMO NIGHT: CRAIG OWENS OF CHIODOS Usually, club emo nights bring together yesteryear’s angsty and disenchanted youth to cry and scream along as a DJ spins hits from the genre’s heyday. But this one is extra special, since it’s hosted by Craig Owens, the former Chiodos frontman and Alternative Press heartthrob. He’ll perform a live acoustic set, and other emo bands will round out the bill. $15, 9 p.m., Fitzgerald’s Bar and Live Music, 437 McCarty Rd #101, (210) 607-7007, fitzrockssa.com.

— Shannon Sweet

Friday, July 5-Saturday, July 6 Wesley Yen

YOUNG THE GIANT, FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS, COIN

Backbeat Management

Fitz and the Tantrums

Friday, July 5 California’s Young the Giant were one of the pioneering indie-pop rock bands that helped make the triumphant-sounding genre what it is today.

The band headlined SA’s Maverick Music Fest in 2017, and have for the last 15 years or so been creating catchy, almost anthemic music that seems like a perfect match for festivals. Catch the band a slightly different setting, along with neosoul popsters Fitz and the Tantrums plus Nashville indie-pop trio Coin, who have been making some noise over the past couple years. $36.49$1,119.63, 7 p.m., Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM306 #1, New Braunfels, (830) 964-3800, whitewaterrockssa.com. — CC

JOSH ABBOTT BAND

With lyrics sweeter than a Nicholas Sparks romance novel and melodies soft as the Corpus Christi breeze, the Josh Abbott Band embraces country’s sensitive soul. If that sounds like your thing, Abbott and crew will be taking the stage for a two-night stand just up Interstate 35. $43-$178, 8 p.m., River Road Ice House, 1791 Hueco Springs Loop Road, (830) 626-1335, riverroadicehouse.com. — SS

Saturday, July 6

SWANNY IVY

Joseph Cultice

SA’s own Swanny Ivy takes over Paper Tiger with music that combines elements of rock, R&B, hip hop and electronica. Say what you will, but he’s certainly an artist that stands for consistency, following up his Neon Cocaine album with Neon Cocaine II. $12, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Mike McMahan sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

47

CULTURE

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

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music | music listings Saturday, July 6

NB RIDAZ

Even though the “NB” in the name stands for Nastyboy, the members of this hip-hop group aren’t afraid to show a little romance and wear their hearts on their sleeves for their rom-rap bangers. Out on its first tour since 2011, expect the reunited group’s melodic autotuned harmonies, throwback beats and sexysweet verses to get the crowd sweating. With Lil Rob and DJ Kane. $53, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — SS

TRIBUTE TO MOTORHEAD, DESCENDANTS, SCREECHING WEASEL

This show packages a trio of tribute bands, each repping a legacy act with a speedy, if slightly different, sound.

Seems tailor made for punk and metal fans looking to relive the good old days. $3, 10 p.m., Hi-Tones, 621 E. Dewey Place, (210) 785-8777, hitonessa.com. — JC

SETH SHAW QUINTET

If swing and soul or soulful swing is your kind of thing, then hanging with the hip cats in the Seth Shaw Quintet is the place to be on a Saturday night.

Free, 8 p.m., Bar 301, 23567 W. Interstate 10 Frontage Road, (210) 455-9576, bar301.com. — JC

MONOPLASMA, FEATURING “EL VAMPIRO” & HECTOR GERONIMO

A conglomeration of rock en Español awaits fans of this tag-team duo. Cesar “El Vampiro” Lopez, a threetime Grammy-winning guitarist, is known for his time in Latin bands Mana, Jaguares and Azul Violeta.

Vocalist Geronimo also fronts alternative Spanish rock outfit Moebio. Una buena noche de musica indeed. $30-$350, 7 p.m., Picks Bar, 4553 N. Loop 1604, W. Suite 1101 (210) 253-9220, picksbar.com. — Jay Nanda

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS, ROB BAIRD, LOS COAST

Denver-based Americana singer-songwriter Rateliff is bringing his sizable and soulful outfit to the Whitewater’s outdoor stage. The band recently announced an upcoming gig with Robert Plant and the Sensational Shape Shifters, an endorsement that suggests quality. $32.33-$1236.03, 7 p.m., Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM 306, New Braunfels, 830-964-3800, floattheguadalupe.com. — MM

DIOXIS, A NEW DAY FALLS AND MORE

Groovy metal and a host of other hard-as-nails genres are covered in this fat-to-bursting bill weekend bill.

What else do you expect from Bond’s though? $6-$9, 8:30 p.m., Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, 450 Soledad St., (210) 225-0007, bonds007rockbar.com. — JC

Sunday, July 7

DEVIN THE DUDE

Though Devin the Dude cut his teeth in Houston, the rapper set himself apart from many of his HTX counterparts by showcasing a more diverse flow and approach to the genre. $15-$50, 9 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 841-3771, papertigersatx.com. — CC

top pick

CUCO

Sunday, July 7

Cuco is the reigning prince of chillwave-teenybopper-heartthrob-pop, but then again, how many others are even trying to craft a similar fusion.

The Cali-based singer has blown up since getting rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Vice and Pitchfork over the past year, and he’s headed out on tour with a new single, “Hydrocodone,” under his belt. If you’re all about soaking in all the buzzworthy energy from new artists, this is one sold-out show you may want to score tickets for. $25 (sold out), 8 p.m., The Pavilion at St. Paul Square, 1174 E. Commerce Street, (210) 474-7640, marginwalkerpresents.com. — CC Courtesy of Cuco

Monday, July 8

Thursday, July 11

VANSIRE, BOYO, ANDIRA ROSE

THE CHATS, THE COPS, THE BOLOS

Minnesota’s dream-pop duo Vansire spend the length of their video for “That I Miss You” dancing, bending awkwardly and putting their feet in a la the Hokey Pokey — all without singing a word. It’s only 50% certain they won’t do that for their entire set. But there’s always a chance. Admit it. Now you’re intrigued enough to find out first hand. $14-$17, all ages, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 841-3771, papertigersatx.com. — JN

Wednesday, July 10

SCOTT STAPP

What more can be said about Scott Stapp that we don’t already know? The dude fronted the ’90s Christian-esque powerhouse Creed, which still gets airtime in San Antonio. After some controversy in recent years, he’s mostly settled back into focusing on his career as an alt-rock bro. $16-$30, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — CC

MICHAEL MCDONALD

The face of the Doobie Brothers brings his litany of hits to arguably the best concert venue in the city.

Best believe, you’d be a fool to miss this one, so take it to the streets, enjoy some sweet freedom and yah mo be there with bells and whistles. Alright, we’ll stop.

But not before a fun fact: McDonald co-wrote Van Halen’s 1984 hit “I’ll Wait.” $49.50-$89.50, 8pm, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St. (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — JN

The Chats made their video “Smoko” on a budget of $5, and some 7 million views after that smart investment, the Australian trio has landed its first U.S. tour.

They told Kerrang Magazine they’re most looking forward to seeing Reno, California and — you guessed it — Texas. While the Chats’ hit single advises listeners to leave them alone, they may feel differently in front of a San Antonio audience. $10-$12, all ages, 8 p.m., all ages, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 841-3771, papertigersatx.com. — JN

BULL Y LOS BUFALOS

Fresh off a gig in front of 200,000 motorcycle enthusiasts at the Republic of Texas Biker Rally in Austin, Diego Avello II and his band are sure to pack the intimate Sam’s on the strength of their single “Hasta Que la Muerte Nos Separe” (“‘Til Death Us Do Part”). Based in Austin by way of Spain, the Spanglish rockers have performed at Spurs games and SXSW to boot. $8-$50, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — JN

PYROTECHNICA

Describing themselves as “alternative metal,” Tucson’s Pyrotechnica should feel right at home in San Antonio — both music- and heat-wise. The band’s music, catchy and tight, benefits considerably from the vocals of Scarlett Yoeria, whose style evokes Amy Lee of Evanescence. Free, 9 p.m., Amp Room, 2407 N. St Mary’s St., (210) 320-2122, theamproom.com. — MM sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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Friday, July 12 Black Joe Lewis is a madman and a throwback, a gadfly and a crowd-pleaser, at once a consummate hustler and the genuine article. Full of contradictions and heavy with the pulp of the sweatiest, grittiest aspects of American musical history, the Austin-based artist, who records and performs with his band the Honeybears, performs rock music that’s heavily influenced by funk, blues and soul. Obviously indebted to forbears like Howlin’ Wolf and James Brown, Lewis has nevertheless carved out his own unique niche as something of a present-day reminder that not just rock music can be considered “garage.” The prolific Lewis tours with his band constantly and has released eight albums and EPs since his 2005 appearance on the scene. Several have garnering both critical acclaim and commercial success, and the most recent — 2018’s The Difference Between Me & You — is arguably the most fully realized album the band has put out. It’s intense, complex and charged with a sense of movement that comes from long years on the road. In the live setting,

Friday, July 12

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CURRENT | July 3-16, 2019 | sacurrent.com

Floaty, magical and sparkly, Lunar Vacation does bedroom pop better than most. Take a nap, sway to the rhythm or write a poem. Any of the three would be appropriate when listening to this band. $10-$12, 9 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 841-3771, papertigersatx.com. — CC

DUDE, FUCK YOU TOO

The only grindcore showcase in San Antonio, maybe even the entire state, Dude, Fuck You Too brings together some of the best bands in this extreme fusion of metal and hardcore punk. PLF, Hallucination Realized, Tomb Warden, Cognizant, Sturmgewehr, Noisy Neighbors and Slaughter Witch will be on hand to deliver icepicks to your ears. $10, 9 p.m., Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 735-7775, thelimelightsa.com. – CC

CYMBLEM, 3 EYE RAVEN, ALL STORIES END The hard-rock headliners from San

Clarion Call Media

the band presents its sound untethered and unabashed. A Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears show, as such, is an experience worth exploring for any live music aficionado. $17-$100, 9 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — JC

Leon don’t lack for confidence, describing their sound in part as “utilizing 3-part harmonies, screams that could part the clouds and awesome musical ability to back it all up.” A pair heavy local outfits will take the stage before Cymblem struts its stuff. Worthy of note: All Stories End dropped a video and single, “Echoes,” last month. 9 p.m., Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, 450 Soledad St., (210) 225-0007, bonds007rockbar. com. — JN

ROBERT EARL KEEN

Texas country legend Keen, a member of the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, recently participated in a fundraiser for longshot 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Steve Bullock.

Whether or not that political choice endears him to you, there’s a good chance you’ve sung along to one of his songs at a bar, even if you heard it covered by someone else like George Strait, Joe Ely or the Dixie Chicks. $32.33-$1,441.11, 8:30 p.m., Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM 306, New Braunfels, (830) 964-3800, floattheguadalupe.com. — CC

music | music listings

Saturday, July 13

ECLIPSE, TRIBUTE TO JOURNEY

Considering that the “real” Journey is now fronted by a Steve Perry soundalike, Eclipse — a Texas-based tribute to the group responsible for a plethora of ’80s earworms — may not be that far removed from the original article. What’s more, Eclipse promises a “Journey... through Time,” which hints some of its set may be drawn from material released before the Reagan era. $12.50-$48, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — SS

ASLEEP IN THE WAKE, HDR, HORROR ON 24, KONVXTION, BLACKENED Don’t be intimidated by the scary names on this lineup — it may be a

little more accessible than you think.

Headliner Asleep in the Wake is melodic post-grunge, depressing but not hell-raising intense. The rest of the lineup ranges from a Metallica tribute band (Blackened) to SA’s newest metal kids on the scene, Horror on 24. $10-$15, 8 p.m., Fitzgerald’s, 437 McCarty Road, (210) 607-7007, fitzrockssa.com. — SS

Sunday, July 14

HAUNTED LIKE HUMAN, JOSH GLENN, COOPER GREENBERG

This fine lineup pairs talented locals Josh Glenn and Cooper Greenberg with Nashville-based duo Haunted Like Human, which specializes in Americana with some indie-rock touches. Recommended for fans of both folk and roots rock. Free, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — JC

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Tuesday, July 16

Khalid represents the best in post-Frank Ocean, post-The Weeknd R&B. Influenced by indie rock, pop and even experimental music, his vision for the genre is as expansive, inclusive and generous as his personality. And the music world at large has certainly taken note. Though he is still only 21, the singer-songwriter has already earned five Grammy nominations — for his 2017 debut American Teen — and he’s performed exceptionally well on the Billboard charts. He is, all in all, one of the most successful recording artists of the moment, riding his baritenor voice and leftfield sensibilities into a spotlight that he seems poised to thrive in. Khalid’s latest tour comes in support of his consistently excellent sophomore album Free Spirit. He’ll be joined by fellow reinventor Clairo, who makes electronic bedroom-pop that somehow still works in stadium settings. $39-$99, 9pm, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com. — JC

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sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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E M P LOY M E N T Professional Services Senior Delivery Architect, Specialty Domain - Rackspace US, Inc. San Antonio, TX. Aligns customer business strategies & IT architecture via Rackspace products & services. Req’d: Bach in IT or rel tech field + 12 yrs IT exp + 6 yrs exp w/at least one config mgmt tool + 5 yrs exp working across IaaS platforms & tech in a DevOps domain + 2 yrs exp w/ infrastructure automation tooling + 1 yr exp w/ Container Orchestration sys.

To apply: qualified applicants please submit resumes to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 10336.

Account Executive-LATAM - Rackspace US, Inc. San Antonio, TX. Work w/ mid-market customers to recommend hosting & cloud solutions that satisfy customers’ tech & sys admin needs. Req’d: Bach in BA, Marketing, or rel field +5 yrs tech sales exp + 3yrs B2B tech sales exp. Travel up to 10% req’d.

To apply: qualified applicants please submit resumes to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 19142.

Software Developer III – Rackspace US, Inc. – San Antonio, TX. Design and develop software for large-scale enterprise services. Req’d: Bach degree in CS or dir rel field + 5 yrs exp in software dev’mt/ engineering/testing or a rel field OR Master degree in CS or dir rel field + 3 yrs exp in software dev’mt/engineering/testing or a rel field. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 16398 Software Developer III – Rackspace US, Inc. – San Antonio, TX. Design and develop software for large-scale enterprise services.

Req’d: Bach degree in CS or dir rel field + 5 yrs exp in software dev’mt/engineering/testing or a rel field OR Master degree in CS or dir rel field + 3 yrs exp in software dev’mt/engineering/ testing or a rel field.

Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 12520 sacurrent.com | July 3-16, 2019 | CURRENT

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