San Antonio Current — January 15, 2020

sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT 3

BUY SELL TRADE

CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLURAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLURAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLURAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLURAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES ACCESSORIES V I D E O G A MVINYL E S | H RECORDS A R D W A R E CDS | A C CDVDS E S S O RBLU-RAYS I E S | V I N Y4K L R VIDEO E C O R D SGAMES | C D S HARDWARE | DVDS S A N DVDS A N T O NBLU-RAYS I O L O C A T I 4K O N SVIDEO | C D EGAMES X C H A N HARD G E - S AWARE . C O MACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS VINYL RECORDS6 CDS

We are #1 in the #2 business!

BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K

we pay cash for your cds,dvds,

EN OP NO W

we buy games

24 hour line: 1-888-578-9656

!

@niceguyportapottys www.niceguyportapottys.com

blu-rays, games & game hardware

ENJOY LUNCH SPECIALS, RAFFLES, GIVEAWAYS, BEER FOR LIFE MEMBERSHIPS, BEER RELEASES EVERY 2 HOURS, AND MORE!

803 sw military | 928-3471 13486 us 281 | 545-3472

6997 bandera rd | 509-3472 5253 walzem | 650-3472

9861 ih-10 west | 641-1600 6900 san pedro | 826-2662

6 SAN ANTONIO LOCATIONS | CDEXCHANGE-SA.COM 4

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

GRAND OPENING WEEKEND J A N U A R Y

1 8 - 1 9

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY AT 10:45AM PLEASE COME BY AND HELP US CELEBRATE, PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

CHEERS!

516 BROOKLYN AVE, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78215 (210) 257-0022

in this issue San Antonio Current

Issue 20-02 /// January 15-28,2020

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

Editorial

Food & Nightlife Editor: Lea Thompson Calendar Editor: Kelly Merka Nelson Contributing Arts Editor: Bryan Rindfuss 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, Brianna Espinoza, Trevor Flynn,

Advertising

Sales Manager: Joseph Allen Account Manager: Mallory Jochen, Cristal Colleli Account Executives: Tom Barry, Mike Valdelamar Digital Sales Specialist: Mike Valdelamar

Marketing and Events

Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni Events Manager: Chelsea Bourque Marketing & Events Interns: Marlene Mejia and Caitlin Muñoz

Creative Services

Creative Services Manager: Tina Corbeil Graphic Designer: Samantha Serna Graphic Design Interns: Pedro Macias, Raquel Prado, Jacqueline Rivas, Gabriela Rivera

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

Jaime Monzon

28 Feature

Fine Tuning Fine Dining

Service struggles to keep up with San Antonio’s growing rep as a food city, but workers shouldn’t shoulder all the blame

BY L E A H T H O M P SO N

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.

Get listed 1. Visit sacurrent.com 2. Click “Calendar” and then “Submit an Event” 3. Follow the steps to submit your event details Please allow 48 hours for review and approval.

Event submissions are not accepted by phone.

Copyright: The entire contents of the San Antonio Current are copyright 2019 by Euclid Media Group LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above.

Subscriptions: Additional copies or back issues may be purchased at the Current offices for $1. Six-month domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $75; one-year subscriptions for $125.

09 News

Building Blacktop

Why is San Antonio chasing highway funds when its climate plan calls for deep cuts in carbon emissions?

Former San Antonio First Lady Erica Lira Castro Stays True to Her South Side Roots

14 Calendar

Calendar Picks Art Picks

22 Arts

Keeping Katie’s Voice Alive

Late artist Katie Pell on teaching, Dolly and the need for kindness

27 Screens Grisly Man

Actor Willem Dafoe talks about his expressive and eerie role in The Lighthouse

28 Food

The Takeaway:

Cake Thieves’ Owners Want You to Know All Vegan Food Isn’t Healthy

Table Talk Small Plates

37 Music

Geek Rockers

Musicians are turning their love for videogames into a new genre: nerdcore

45 Etc

On The Cover: Our feature asks whether restaurants’ investment in workers yields better service.

Cover design: Melissa McHenry

Crossword Puzzle sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

5

Now Accepting Nominations Submissions Due: January 31, 2020

The City of San Antonio is seeking nominations for the position of Poet Laureate!

The San Antonio Poet Laureate is an honorary position whose role is to promote the literary arts and literacy within the community and create a greater appreciation of the poetic arts through the reading and writing of poetry.

Visit SanAntonio.gov/Arts for guidelines.

Contact Leslie Chasnoff at 210.207.1435 or leslie.chasnoff@sanantonio.gov for info.

6

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

Bag them.

Bring them.

We’ll take them.

The SAFE way to dispose of unwanted medicines.

Jan. 25 Learn more at MedDropSA.com 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Rigsby Bulky Waste Collection Center 2755 Rigsby Ave. Plus household hazardous waste drop-off.

No sharps/needles please. sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT 7

TH

5

BENEFITING CHILD ADVOCATES SAN ANTONIO

A L U N N A FEB

. 29

0 2 0 2

B AT T L E O F T H E B L O O D Y M A R Y S

Brunch Bites • Drinks • Music

THE ESPEE AT ST. PAUL SQUARE | 11A - 3P | LIMITED TICKETS AT UNITEDWEBRUNCHSA.COM

PartiuracipntsaItinclnugde Resta

8

CAKES BY FELICIA • CATCH THE WAVE • CEREAL KILLER SWEETS • COVER 3 • DORREGO’S • EARL ABEL’S • LIBERTY BAR • LUCY COOPER’S MAGNOLIA PANCAKE HAUS • MILKSHAKE MODE • ORDERUP • SARI-SARI FILIPINO RESTAURANT MARKET & BAKERY • THE ART OF DONUT SAVOR AT THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA • SOUTHERN ROOTS VEGAN BAKERY • SOUTHSIDE CRAFT SODA • THE JUICE EXPERIMENT SWEET PARIS, CREPERIE & CAFE • THE RUSTIC • TORO KITCHEN + BAR • TUCKER’S KOZY KORNER • AND MORE!

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

news

Building Blacktop Why is San Antonio chasing highway funds when its climate plan calls for deep cuts in carbon emissions?

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

L

ast March, as Mayor Ron Nirenberg worked to win support for the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, or CAAP, he also testified before Congress, asking for funding to expand the congested I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Austin.

“We believe that investing in infrastructure should be Congress’ top priority this year,” he told the House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, according to the Express-News.

But environmentalists and transportation experts argue the mayor can’t have it both ways.

After all, when council adopted the CAAP last fall, it signed San Antonio on to the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal of holding global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. What’s more, Nirenberg serves on the steering committee of Climate Mayors, a group of 400-plus municipal leaders who pledged to uphold the international pact abandoned by the Trump administration.

“There is no world in which we can address climate change without getting people to change the way they travel, and that includes giving more options for them to get out of their cars and off highways,” said Matthew Casale, transportation campaign director at U.S. Public Interest Research Groups (USPIRG), which releases an annual list of the country’s priciest highway infrastructure proposals.

While the Alamo City didn’t land on USPIRG’s 2019 list, Casale points out that if municipalities are serious about slashing greenhouse gas emissions, they must quit looking to the federal and state governments to fund new highway construction.

Indeed, a recent study published in the scientific journal Nature argues that the only guaranteed path to meeting the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal is to stop all new highway projects.

Yes, all of them.

And it doesn’t appear SA’s ready to take that plunge. Last summer, Texas approved a 10-year plan that included $1 billion in funding for Bexar County infrastructure projects, including expansions not just of I-35 but also Loop 1604, I-10 and U.S. Highway 90.

But Nirenberg says addressing climate change and highway congestion can’t be viewed as an either-or proposition. After all, U.S. Census data suggests Bexar County stands to gain 1.1 million new residents by 2040, and that’s going to mean plenty more drivers on the blacktop.

Roughly 161,000 cars traversed the Loop

Shutterstock

1604-Interstate 10 interchange in 2017, an amount that doubled in less than two decades, the mayor pointed out in an interview with the Current. And as congestion increases in gridlocked areas, so do emissions from idling vehicles.

“Roadways have to be a part of the mix,” Nirenberg said. “It’s unrealistic to expect people to completely abandon their cars, even as we develop a modern multimodal transportation system.”

The system to which Nirenberg is referring, of course, is ConnectSA, a $2.7 billion plan he and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff are championing to turbocharge VIA and give residents more alternatives to driving. The proposal will need voter approval in November and calls for diverting of a one-eighth-cent sales tax from the popular Edwards Aquifer Protection Program — a separate debate worthy of an article of its own.

Keeping constituents happy While critics say some sort of rethinking of public transit is a necessary step, they dispute the mayor’s argument that new highway lanes will cure gridlock.

They cite a phenomenon called “induced demand,” which says once you build new lanes, drivers fill them and congestion returns. In one widely cited example, Los Angeles poured more than $1 billion into widening I-405, only to have travel times worsen over the next five years.

Urban planners have been talking about induced demand for decades. However, experts say the concept hasn’t exactly gained traction with municipal leaders, who frequently see infrastructure projects as a way to keep constituents, developers and the construction industry happy.

Even so, automobile simply must be part of the conversation when it comes to addressing climate change, CAAP advocates say.

Although much public debate around the climate plan has centered around emissions from sources such as CPS Energy’s coal burning plants, transportation accounted for 38% of San Antonio’s 2016 greenhouse gas emissions, according to city data.

That puts it second only behind building energy.

“In my conversations with Mayor Nirenberg, I think that he believes in climate change and that we’ve got to do something about it,” said Bill Barker, a CAAP advocate whose lengthy career in transportation has included time as VIA Metropolitan Transit’s director of planning. “But there are some difficult conflicts of interests when you start talking about highway infrastructure.”

Smarter Growth The discussion on infrastructure spending comes as Gov. Greg Abbott warned last week in a Rotary Club of San Antonio speech that Texas is experiencing what may be its “last major buildout of roads.” Ride sharing platforms and denser urban living will reduce residents’ reliance on vehicles, curbing the need for state spending, he said.

But history suggests the state is unlikely to turn on a dime.

After all, amendments to Texas’ constitution authorized the state to borrow $18 billion over the course of a decade for highway projects. And it also racked up $29 billion in highway debt by the end of 2015 — or 30 times more than at the close of 2000, according to USPIRG research.

Environmental advocates point out that they’re not oblivious to the growth Nirenberg wants to address, nor are they advocating the city and county sit on their hands. But, instead of slapping new lanes onto highways, they argue, local leaders should bring public transit deeper into neighborhoods, encourage telecommuting and create opportunities for people to work and shop closer to home.

“We need to grow smarter,” Barker said.

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

10

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

news GLITTER POLITICAL

Former San Antonio First Lady Erica Lira Castro Stays True to Her South Side Roots

BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA

I

f there’s anything Erica Lira Castro would like for people to know about her, it’s this: she’s more than just Julián Castro’s wife.

I’m sitting across from her in the conference room at her husband’s campaign headquarters in the Finesilver Building two days before Christmas — about a week before the former San Antonio mayor and Obama housing secretary withdrew his presidential bid.

Erica Lira Castro’s dark hair is pulled into a bun that sits on her head like a tiny crown, a dramatic style that draws my attention to her large diamond-shaped earrings. Her two children, Carina and Christian, sit quietly in the next room as my conversation with San Antonio’s most influential former first lady unfolds.

Castro, 41, was raised on San Antonio’s South Side. Today, she continues to work as an educator in the area, and her mother still lives in the same house where Castro grew up.

Her happiest childhood recollections revolve around her affinity for reading, which was encouraged by her father.

“I have very early memories of going to the public library with him and checking out books,” she tells me.

Castro never lost her passion for reading. But in college she also developed a penchant for math, now her focus as an educator.

In 1999, Castro was out with her friends when they ran into a set of twins at the Fox & Hound Bar and Grill. It was her first encounter with Julián and Joaquin Castro. She and Julián didn’t speak that night, but he ended up getting her

Jade Esteban Estrada

number. Shortly after, he asked her out.

“We ended up meeting at Mi Tierra,” she says. “I didn’t want to order anything, so we ended up ordering nachos that we split that evening.”

The pair hit it off right away, even though their worlds were vastly different. Julián’s family had a history of political involvement through his mother, Rosie Castro, a leader at the forefront of the Chicano movement.

“I knew nothing about politics prior to meeting Julián,” Castro says. “No one in my family had ever been politically involved or spoke of politics. It was a learning experience for me.”

She looks back on Julián’s 2009 mayoral win as a highlight of that new and thrilling political life.

“It was very exciting,” she says with a laugh. “I remember being very overwhelmed that night, getting those results in. And I remember the campaign office being so full of people that I had to step out and go sit in my car for a few minutes before getting on the stage, because at that moment I felt the weight of the winning of that election.

I was very excited and proud for Julián.

That was his second run [for mayor].”

That moment also provided a taste of what was in store on the eve of her husband’s swift political rise.

When President Barack Obama tapped him as U.S. Secretary of Housing

and Urban Development, the family headed to Washington D.C. to begin a new chapter. A holiday dinner at the White House stands out as one of Castro’s most vivid memories of that time.

“I remember thinking, ‘Never in a million years would I have imagined myself [setting] foot in the White House, also sitting here at this amazing din ner with the President of the United States in the same [room], a table away.”

Last January, Castro stood by her husband as he launched his presidential campaign at the West Side’s Plaza Guadalupe. The 12 months that followed were full of emotional highs — and sacrifices. “[It’s been] a year of really relying on each other as a family,” she adds.

Amid the national press she’s garnered, I ask her how she manages this responsibility of being looked up to as a woman, a mother and a Latina.

“Just being myself,” she says. “You know, I need to be true to myself in order for others to see who I am. And they take from that what they may.”

I also ask what motherhood has taught her about life.

“How short it is,” she says softly but with conviction. “In the blink of an eye, time flies. You know, once you become a parent, you start measuring [time] by the ages of your children. And, so, my

daughter Carina, she’s 10. She’ll be 11 in a few months. Christian turns 5 next Friday. It’s amazing to us, Julián and myself, how fast time has gone by and seeing how much they’ve grown.”

Throughout 2019, Castro grounded herself in San Antonio while Julián was on the campaign trail. Not only because she works full-time, but also because she wanted to ensure her children had a sense of stability.

“That has been important for me as a mother, to make sure that they didn’t feel like their lives were getting disrupted,” she says.

Since Julián ended his campaign, he’s thrown his support behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Pundits have argued that a Warren-Castro alliance could attract more Latinx voters to the Massachusetts senator’s ticket.

Regardless of how the remainder of this political season plays out, Castro says she’s ready to maintain the kind of stable environment for her family that she felt growing up.

Political life doesn’t define or consume her.

“I’m my own person. I have my own career. I have my own thoughts and opinions. I don’t always see myself as just Julián Castro’s wife.”

She pauses thoughtfully.

“I’m Erica Castro,” she says. “I stand on my own two feet.” sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

11

smiles ORTHODONTICS TWO SAN ANTONIO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU

2020 THAN A NEW YOU WITH A NEW SMILE! NOTHING GOES BETTER WITH A NEW YEAR

Universal City 106 Rose Garden Dr, Universal City, TX 78148 | 210-658-2251 Stone Oak 1202 E Sonterra Blvd Suite 702, San Antonio, TX 78258 | 210-340-0995 12

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

13

year, showing how the middle-aged title characters “Face the Music” and write a song to save the universe. If all this sounds like gibberish, Video Dungeon Theatre is here to help. As a service to anyone who missed the iconic burnout classics starring Alex Winters and Keanu Reeves, the local cinema series is screening the movie that began it all: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. In the film, the titular protagonists make use of a time-travelling phone booth to help them pass a history report — because, you know, the future of the universe depends on it. With help from historical figures including everyone from Joan of Arc to Sigmund Freud, the dudes form a radical posse and save the day with the power of song. After catching Excellent Adventure at Oak Hills Tavern, fans new and old will have plenty of time to follow up with the 1991 sequel Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, making folks more than ready to Face the Music in August. Free, 9 p.m. Thursday, Oak Hills Tavern, 7920 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 614-8855, facebook.com/thevideodungeon. — Kelly Merka Nelson Courtesy of Netflix

FRI | 1/17 COMEDY

BUMPING MICS WITH JEFF ROSS AND DAVE ATTELL

Imagine how annoyed a sound tech would get if comedians actually dropped their microphones after every punchline. Although the act of “bumping mics” isn’t as familiar as someone who “drops the mic,” comedians Jeff Ross and Dave Attell’s way of recognizing one another for the sick burns they deliver onstage has tapped into the mainstream. Now on tour after the 2018 debut of their three-episode Netflix series of the same name, Ross and Attell are traveling the country as a stand-up duo sharing their unique brand of comedy, which includes audience participation and a lot of hilarious insults — many of them aimed at one another.

Ross, of course, is best known for his sharp digs at the expense of celebrities when he becomes the Roastmaster General during the popular Comedy Central specials. Don’t sleep on Attell, though. The former Insomniac host still holds his own, as was evident in the first episode of their Netflix series, where he slammed Ross during a conversation about going to the gym. “I used to work out, but I hurt my back carrying this show.” Ouch! See the best friends throw more low blows for one night only. $39.50-$69.50, 8 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — Kiko Martinez

WED | 1/15 – THU | 1/23 DREAMWEEK

DREAMHOUR MIGRANT SERIES

DreamWeek continues to expand its mission of promoting a diverse exchange of ideas by welcoming 21 speakers for its DreamHour Migrant Series at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. Over the course of seven evenings, attendees will have free access to inspiring stories of individuals who successfully navigated the cultural intersections of multiple homes and the challenges of immigration. Speakers include: Anya Grokhovski, whose non-profit Musical Bridges Around the World brings multicultural performances to 50,000 local students each year through its Kids to Concerts program; Sarwat Husain, an award-winning human rights advocate and president and founder of the Council on American Islamic Relations’ San Antonio Chapter; and Uchenna L. Umeh, a youth mental health advocate and founder of Dr. Lulu’s Health Center, where she employs a holistic approach to pediatrics. The program also includes two figures who may prove controversial to some attendees. Former SA councilwoman Elisa Chan was once caught on tape calling homosexuality “disgusting” and saying she didn’t believe people were born gay, while former UN ambassador Sichan Siv was convicted of fraud by Cambodian criminal courts in 2016 in con14 CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

FRI | 1/17 – SAT | 1/18 CLASSICAL MUSIC

SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY: MASTERS OF MUSICAL THEATRE m

nection to a now-defunct importing company. Tickets are free but required for admission. Free, 6 p.m. January 15-16, 21-22 and 23, Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 444-2315, dreamweek.org. — Trevor Flynn

THU | 1/16 FILM

VIDEO DUNGEON THEATRE: BILL & TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE m Courtesy of San Antonio Symphony

Courtesy of MGM Home Entertainment

Surely, you’ve heard 2020 is the year of Bill & Ted. The long-awaited threequel to the Wyld Stallyns’ adventures across space and time finally premieres this

Jazz hands everyone — the San Antonio Symphony is bringing the musical stylings of Broadway classics to the Tobin Center. The Symphony will be accompanied by vocalists Scarlett Strallen, Debbie Gravitte and Hugh Panaro as they perform hits from Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Cabaret and more. The evening pays homage to renowned theater composers including Andrew Lloyd Webber, George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, whose catchy tunes have wormed their way into America’s collective consciousness. Even though there won’t be any actors taking center stage, orchestral versions of these theater favorites just might bring out the drama geek in you. $12-$100, 8 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday, H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 2238624, sasymphony.org. — Brianna Espinoza

SPECIAL EVEN T

PAX SOUTH

calendar

FRI | 1/17 – SUN | 1/19

PAX South is back for its sixth year of tournaments, cosplay and other gaming-centric shenanigans. The convention was founded in 2015 under the umbrella of Penny Arcade Expos, which now includes annual events in Seattle, Philadelphia, Boston and even Melbourne, Australia. The three-day expo has a veritable cornucopia of video game tournaments, including an Almost Pro $10K Fortnite tourney and the Omegathon, which pits players against each other in a variety of games as they wend their way to a mysterious final round. It’s not all about winning, though: competition-averse players can enjoy gaming freeplay on consoles, tabletop and VR. When not fiddling with joysticks, attendees can peruse the exhibit hall to see the latest from indie videogame studios such as Annapurna Games, Chromatic Games and Rockfish Games, as well as a bevy of tabletop game-makers including San Antonio’s own Swordfish Islands and Yanaguana Games. For those looking to rock out, the con also features a slate of geek-themed music, including performances by Freezepop, Bit Brigade and MES (Mariachi Entertainment System). $15-$100, 10 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 900 E. Market St., (210) 207-8500, south.paxsite.com. — KMN Daniel Conrad

SAT | 1/18 DREAMWEEK

A WALK ON THE RIVER: A BLACK HISTORY OF THE ALAMO CITY m

film includes interviews with historians, professors, educators, business owners and citizens, including civil rights leader and local historian Mario Salas, who argues that Texans are not taught the real reason for the Battle of the Alamo. The film’s producers will be in attendance for a 30-minute Q&A after the screening, continuing their dedication to starting conversations that will preserve a history in need of sharing. Free, 6-8 p.m., San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Visitor Center, 6701 San Jose Dr., (210) 4442315, dreamweek.org. — TF

SAT | 1/18 – SUN | 1/19 SPECIAL EVENT

MONSTER JAM

Courtesy of Melaneyes

DreamWeek hits close to home with its screening of A Walk on the River: A Black History of the Alamo City. The 2018 documentary achieves broad appeal by illustrating a rich and proud history too often unheard. It also serves the immediate need of a community too often alienated from its past, what with San Antonio’s historic East Side ranking among the most rapidly gentrifying areas in the country. Director Born Logic Allah’s interest in the project began when he was surprised to lean self-sufficient black-owned businesses flourished on the East Side at the height of Jim Crow-era discrimination. The

It’s time again for families to trek to the Monster Jam for fun and dirty shenanigans featuring huge trucks, ear-splitting engines and concession food. This year’s event features famous tricked-out rides such as El Toro Loco, Grave Digger, Black Pearl and Monster Mutt Rottweiler, which can be seen up close and personal at a meet and greet with the drivers through the purchase of a Pit Party Pass. Don’t judge these vehicles by their paintjobs, though. The real party begins with a freestyle, in which trucks jump over and crash into mounds of soil.

Also look out for head-to-head and obstacle course races and a “2-Wheel Skills” challenge. $15-$91, 7 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m.

Sunday, Alamodome, 100 Montana St., (210) 207-3663, alamodome.com. — BE

SUN | 1/19 SPORTS

SPURS VS. HEATm

Courtesy of Spurs Sports and Entertainment

Led by Texas native Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat return to the AT&T Center as the surprise Eastern Conference contender. Miami’s $142 million investment in its four-time all-star has already paid dividends for the Heat, who are intent on returning to the postseason for a playoff run. Now with his fourth team in four years, Butler has been a good fit in Miami, where his vocal emphasis on consistency and accountability echoes the Heat’s no-nonsense approach to conditioning and culture. Meanwhile, after a signature win against the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month, the Spurs continue navigating the peaks and valleys of an unpredictable campaign. Although DeMar DeRozan is on pace for the most accurate shooting season of his career, and LaMarcus Aldridge has embraced his range from beyond the arc, San Antonio has been unable to separate itself from the glut of mediocre teams vying for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. $17-639, 2 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5140, attcenter.com. — M. Solis

16

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

calendar MON | 1/20 SPECIAL EVEN T

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MARCH

Commemorating the timeless and resounding ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the City of San Antonio’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commission will hold its annual march to shine light on diversity, equality and social justice in America. First organized in 1987 by the late Rev. Dr. Raymond “R.A.” Callies Sr., the march now attracts about 300,000 people yearly, making it one of the largest in the nation. Known for his leadership during the civil rights movement in the ’60s, MLK still stands as a symbol for justice and peace, one that the nation seems to need in these divisive times. As people from the country come together to remember the influential leader, MLK’s dream lives on through future generations looking to foster change in the world.

Free, 10 a.m., Martin Luther King Academy for Arts Integration, 3501 Martin Luther King Dr., (210) 2065641, sanantonio.gov/MLK. — BE Jaime Monzon

Raptors have exceeded expectations in the Eastern Conference, largely due to the stellar play of Siakam, last season’s Most Improved Player. When healthy, Siakam is capable of putting up numbers reminiscent of Leonard, minus the load management. Former Raptor DeMar DeRozan has been scorching the nets for the Spurs, who have faced the toughest schedule in the NBA this month. A recent increase in the team’s three-point field goal percentage has opened up the offense for DeRozan, who responded with remarkable efficiency. As a brutal Rodeo Road Trip looms on the horizon, San Antonio is in no position to squander victories. $13-$2000, 3 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5140, attcenter.com. — MS

SUN | 1/26 SPORTS

SPURS VS. RAPTORS

Despite a rash of injuries that sidelined Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell and Marc Gasol earlier this season, the NBA Champion Toronto Raptors have done an admirable job adjusting to life without Kawhi Leonard. Much like the Miami Heat, the

Courtesy of Laugh Out Loud Comedy

FRI | 1/24 – SUN | 1/26 COMEDY

T.J. MILLER I

While comedian T.J. Miller is best known for starring in four seasons of the hysterical HBO comedy series Silicon Valley, the last four years of his life have been anything but funny.

A quick rundown of incidents for those of you who don’t get T.J. Miller Google alerts: in 2016, he was arrested for assaulting an Uber driver over an argument about politics; in 2017, sexual assault allegations resurfaced from his time in college 16 years ago; in 2018, he was arrested for calling

in a fake bomb threat on an Amtrak train; and later that same year, he was accused of workplace misconduct on the set of Silicon Valley. His troubles have cost him work — he was dropped from this year’s How to Train Your Dragon animated sequel — but he managed to keep his career mostly intact. In 2018, he reprised his role as Weasel in Deadpool 2, and also hit the big screen in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One. His newest film, the Kristen Stewart horror vehicle Underwater, hit theaters earlier this month. $25-$50, 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, (866) 468-3399, improvtx.com/sanantonio. — KM sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

17

Explore BASIS. Our new campus, BASIS San Antonio Northeast, opens Fall 2020.

Open Enrollment for the new campus is January 6–20.

enrollBASIS.com

Grades K–12 19SAN002

COOLING & HEATING REPAIR • SERVICE • INSTALL

COMMERCIAL HVAC • REFRIGERATION • ICE MACHINES • REPAIRS • COMMERCIAL

24 HOUR SERVICE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE 210-591-3704

18

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

calendar FRI | 1/24 – SUN | 1/26 TH EATER

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL

“Are youuuu ready, kids?” Perhaps the more appropriate question is how many adults who grew up with SpongeBob SquarePants are ready to take their children to see the musical version of their Nickelodeon childhood favorite? The SpongeBob Musical brings a live-action version of the iconic giggling sponge and his friends to stage, where they face a catastrophe — that is, until an unlikely hero helps remedy Bikini Bottom. To avoid awkward, mascot-esque costumes, the actors in the musical maintain their human visages, so audiences will have to use their imaginations to conjure up visions of sponges, starfish, squirrels and plankton. And while the musical may have won some fancy-schmancy awards, in our hearts we know that nothing can top cartoon Sandy’s O.G. bop about coming home to Texas. $45-$85, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — BE Courtesy of Jeremy Daniel

sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

19

20

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

art picks WED | 1/15 – TUE | 1/28 ART PICK

‘SELENA FOREVER/ SIEMPRE SELENA’

This year marks a quarter century since Selena’s untimely death but the undisputed Queen of Tejano’s spirit shines bright in San Antonio — a city filled with people and places forever under her spell. Beyond her bygone boutique on Broadway, the River Walk’s “Selena’s Bridge,” her star in front of the Hard Rock Cafe, multiple murals and an altar at Mi Tierra, her ties to the Alamo City endure through creative projects she realized here — such as the 1994 music video for “No Me Queda Más,” and sessions with esteemed local photographers Al Rendon and John Dyer. With Selena bragging rights that include a Coca-Cola advertisement, a recent Newsweek special edition cover and a portrait in the Smithsonian’s permanent collection, Rendon’s images might be better recognized, but Dyer also expertly captured the late icon and her many moods — playful, pensive, powerful and provocative. Collected from shoots for Más Magazine (1992) and Texas Monthly (1995), the McNay’s “Selena Forever/Siempre Selena” brings Dyer’s photographs back into focus for a compact exhibition timed with the 25th anniversary of her passing. Curated by McNay Head of Education Kate Carey, the selection of five photographs — three of which are printed large-scale — depicts the Freeport native as a still-rising star with her own bold take on fashion and self-representation. Fans brave enough to channel the queen’s energy should come prepared to strike a pose in an interactive photo op modeled after Dyer’s red, black and white Más Magazine set — leather hat, buster and knee-high boots optional. On view in the museum’s Octagon through July 5, “Selena Forever/Siempre Selena” is presented as a complement to “Fashion Nirvana: Runway to Everyday,” a forthcoming exhibition that “celebrates designers, models, celebrities, photographers and video artists who made the ’90s an iconic decade.” $10-$20, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday through July 5, McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368, mcnayart.org. — Bryan Rindfuss Courtesy of John Dyer

sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

21

Keeping Katie’s Voice Alive

memorial at her event space Ivy Hall, said the cops showed up twice to ask her to turn the music down. She complied only temporarily.

“Katie would’ve been so proud of us,” McDiarmid said.

“Katie was a rabble-rouser.”

It’s safe to say Pell didn’t realize the impact she had on her students or the community at large until the last It remains on view at Ruiz-Healy Art through January 18. month of her life. Letters poured in from students thanking Importantly, Pell was also able to weigh on her own her for treating them with respect and for giving them the memorial service. She didn’t want a somber sob-fest but “a tools and courage to pursue art as a career. Her vast cross really good party.” With an estimated 500 in attendance, section of friends took to social media to share first impressions, memories, Pell quotes such as “Kindness is the new power stance” and “You can’t quiet the spirit with rules.” Rightfully, people called her a badass and a force of nature. Tall and lanky with full lips and intense eyes, she spoke her mind freely and had a masterful way with words. She spoke and listened with such sincerity that she left people feeling spellbound.

Tragically, Pell was in the midst of an artistic renaissance — undoubtedly fueled by her South Carolina museum show — and her time in the spotlight appeared to be approaching after decades of creating important yet underappreciated work.

Given her interest in helping solidify Pell’s legacy, we spoke to Shipton in hopes of learning what the future might hold. After shedding a few tears and sharing an amusing anecdote about Pell being pulled through King William on rollerblades by her two large dogs, Shipton explained that her interests are not entirely selfless.

“The selfish part is that I want to see these things out in the world so that I can visit Katie,” Shipton said.

Expanding on the conversation Shipton helped ignite with “Common Threads,” RuizHealy hopes to include drawings from Pell’s Tree Book Series in the forthcoming exhibition “More Than Words: Text-Based Artworks” (April 8-May 23).

“My hope is that I am able to include her work in this show and hopefully in others,” Ruiz-Healy said.

Curator Celeste Wackenhut of the art and design hybrid French & Michigan confirmed she plans to publish monographs on the work of Pell and Zubiate in 2022. To support that project and bring another to light, Shipton approached Wackenhut about publishing a book of Pell quotes that Slab Cinema cofounder Angela Martinez collected and projected on walls at Pell’s memorial. Shipton has also taken steps to place in a museum one of Pell’s seminal works — a large-scale charm bracelet carved out of wood.

Courtesy of Columbia Museum of Art As exciting as those prospects may be, Pell left lasting marks on San Antonio’s cultural This “adoration drawing” was among the landscape in the form of public art projects at Lackland works featured at the Columbia Museum Terrace Skate Park (a colorful Día de los Muertos skull of Art’s “Something’s Happening: The Big Art painted on concrete), Arnold Park Playground (playful designs rendered in recycled rubber), the intersection of of Katie Pell” exhibition.

Nacogdoches and North New Braunfels (a large butterfly sculpture poised for selfies) and San Pedro Creek Culture Pell got her wish, complete with live music, drinking and Park (a tile mural commemorating the flora and fauna that dancing into the wee hours. McDiarmid, who hosted the once inhabited the area).

Late artist Katie Pell on teaching, Dolly and the need for kindness

BY BRYAN RINDFUSS

M

agnetic. Magical. Incandescent. Fierce.

Thoughtful. Generous. Wise. This is but a sampling of the praise that’s fluttered around beloved San Antonio artist and educator Katie Pell since her death on December 21.

Raised by British parents in the suburbs of Wilmington, Delaware, Pell grew up with a deep appreciation for nature, hippies and rock stars — all elements that would later inform her artwork. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design and working for a glass artist in grunge-era Seattle, she met her husband Peter Zubiate during coinciding artist residencies in Aspen and moved to San Antonio with him in 1995. Five years later, their daughter Bygoe Zubiate was born.

Between raising her daughter and caring for her husband during an extended illness that took his life in 2017, Pell pursued her own artwork while teaching at the Circle School, the Southwest School of Art, Northwest Vista College and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

One could argue Pell officially arrived as a San Antonio artist with the 2006 opening of her Artpace residency exhibition “Bitchen,” a blend of lowrider culture and feminist concepts that comprised elaborately tricked-out household appliances — including a hot-pink, fire-breathing stove now in the permanent collection of Ruby City. But high-concept sculpture was only the tip of the iceberg. Pell also worked extensively in ceramics, drawing, painting, collage and public art. In 2018, South Carolina’s Columbia Museum of Art celebrated her wide-ranging work with “Something’s Happening: The Big Art of Katie Pell,” an exhibition she described as her first solo show at a major American museum.

Following a cancer diagnosis just over a year ago, Pell underwent chemotherapy and went into remission. Before Thanksgiving, she learned that the cancer had returned aggressively. Upon entering hospice care at her home in Southtown, friends from near and far flooded in to say goodbye. Hundreds contributed to a still-active GoFundMe campaign — the “Katie Pell Cancer Fund” — that has raised more than $50,000 for daughter Bygoe. While some, including Pell’s friends Tim McDiarmid and Magaly Chocano, assisted with day-to-day tasks and coordinated droves of visitors, others organized her studio and cataloged her artwork. Longtime friend Ethel Shipton stepped up to focus on Pell’s artistic legacy. Working with gallerist Patricia Ruiz-Healy, Shipton organized “Katie Pell: Common Threads,” an impromptu exhibition Pell was able to attend.

22 CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

I

arts Angela Martinez

When I learned that Pell had gone into hospice care, I sent her a note offering to record a conversation with her. I eventually heard from McDiarmid that Pell wanted to talk and visited the artist December 14, one week before she died.

“There’s going to be a lot of dropping out,” Pell explained. “I get tired and slip.”

In addition to Pell (KP), the following highlights include the voices of Tim McDiarmid (TM) and Bygoe Zubiate (BZ): KP: Thank you for paying attention to me.

You’re easy to pay attention to. You’re fascinating and beautiful.

KP: I appreciate it, thank you. I’m trying to be on top of my game.

I love that Ruby City bought your Bitchen Stove.

KP: Holy fuck. It is crazy.

Has teaching been rewarding?

KP: I think it’s been rewarding for sure. Having other people to work with has been amazing.

For me, it was difficult because my husband was dying. And it was just this combination of him dying and the difficulty we had putting together our artwork and making objects. It was harrowing. … It was heartbreaking.

TM: Katie, why don’t you tell him about all the letters we’ve been getting?

KP: It has been kind of outstanding. We’ve got these amazing, amazing, beautiful [letters].

TM: Specific, pointed letters saying, “You have had the single most [important] influence on my life and made me feel like I could be an artist.”

KP: It’s amazing. We can all do it.

TM: One of the letters was from a student who said, “You are the only teacher I’ve ever known who treats everybody equally and [believes] that everybody’s idea is valid.”

You’ve made a huge impact on a lot of young artists, and they’re going to be talking about you for a long time. What can you tell me

about your unfinished projects?

KP: Oh, I have this beautiful project I want to do next. … It’s like a hanging, burning thing.

I heard something about Dolly Parton.

KP: I love Dolly Parton!

BR: So how does she factor into your unrealized work?

KP: “Don’t pity me. Don’t try to save me. Each day I’m stealing what God never gave me.” That’s on my toaster.

Is that a Dolly Parton quote?

KP: I made it up.

Is it about her?

KP: It’s about … what we have in common. …

We’re not beautiful. You know, I’m not Dolly Parton. I’m not some genius beauty. [Fireworks explode nearby] Oh my.

KP: I know, they keep forgetting to have good manners. They forget to be special. They forget that we need kindness. Sons of bitches.

Bygoe, are you still making art?

BZ: I am, yeah. I’m at Trinity University, and I’ve been taking lot of art classes.

Do you ever get critiques from your mom?

BZ: She really helps me think out my ideas. … I really trust her.

Has she shared anything with you about work that she still wants to make?

BZ: Yeah, she has. I’m hoping that I can make some of that work and kind of have like a Bygoe-Katie collaboration.

Do you have any specific memories of your Artpace residency?

KP: Yeah, it was fun. We partied a lot. And I liked working with the other residents.

And you had an oven that was on fire?

KP: I had an oven that was shooting flames. And

Friends and family gather at Ivy Hall for Pell’s December 26 memorial service.

I

then I had one that was on hydraulics. And then I had [a dryer] that spun lights. It was a really good show.

BZ: It was a great show. And I remember going to the car show and bringing all the appliances … That was really good. [The work] got a lot of attention.

KP: That was funny.

BZ: That was really funny. Plus, you were one of the only women.

KP: I was … I always forget about that now because it’s assumed. You know what I mean?

BZ: That you were the only woman?

KP: Yeah, but at the time … I wasn’t thinking about them in the context of being these female pieces of artwork.

BZ: But that’s what it was about, wasn’t it?

KP: It was, but I didn’t know that [at the time]. … I didn’t realize that it was a feminist kind of stance I was taking.

You also had a toaster with men painted on pieces of toast. Who are they?

KP: That’s Gregg Allman.

TM: Katie, do you love the Allman Brothers or are you making fun of them?

KP: I make fun of them and I love them. … There’s a lot of masculinity going on there.

What’s your favorite band, Katie?

KP: Oh, I don’t know. I love The Rolling Stones.

And then I love Tom Petty. And I like Arcade Fire.

So, it’s all men.

KP: Well, yeah … you know, I like men.

Who’s your favorite female singer?

KP: Um, I guess I’d have to think of some women. … It might be Dolly.

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

MARCH 6 | MAJESTIC THEATRE Sign up for ExcluSivE prESalES & announcEmEntS! tExt maJESticEmpirE to 22828

800.982.2787

24

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

SCHOOL of ROCK: TAKE A CLOSER LOOK SEE SOR

LIVE AT FITZGERALDS JANUARY 25TH AND 26TH 3:00pm to 9:00pm

VOCAL, GUITAR, KEYBOARD, BASS AND DRUM LESSONS When you walk into School of Rock San Antonio you know you’ve just found someplace different— someplace special. Of course you’ll find the dedicated instructors that teach guitar, bass, drums, vocals and keyboards as you’d expect– But you’ll also discover a community of students that thrive in our immersive performance program. Each week, students take a private lesson as well as participating in a rehearsal with a band of their peers. This approach helps students gain a unique type of confidence through real world, practical experience–

they learn to rock on stage and rock in life.

All School of Rock programs feature our proprietary, fully integrated Method App and Method Books to provide a transparent experience to parents and students alike.

For kids and adults ready for weekly lessons and rehearsals right now, School of Rock is ready for you. If you’d like to see what the community is all about first, schedule a tour and your FREE trial lesson today 210.314.7671.

SANANTONIO.SCHOOLOFROCK.COM • 109 GALLERY CIRCLE • SAN ANTONIO TEXAS • 210.314.7671 sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

25

jan 13-25

Mix, Match, ; Save

15% off

2 OR MORE BOTTLES*

*Scotch sale runs 1/13/20-1/25/20. Valid on regular priced 750ml bottles of scotch.

Some exclusions apply. Please drink responsibly.

26

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

Actor Willem Dafoe talks about his expressive and eerie role in The Lighthouse

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

I

n the psychological horror film The Lighthouse, four-time Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe stars as Thomas, a crusty, old lighthouse keeper — or “wickie” — working in New England during the late 19th century. When a new wickie (Robert Pattinson) is stationed on the island with him, Thomas shows him the novice the ropes but refuses to allow him to man the lighthouse himself, eventually pushing him to the brink of madness.

During an interview with the Current last month, Dafoe, 64, talked about pursuing the initial meeting with Lighthouse writer-director Robert Eggers, how he was able to lose himself in his character and what it was like sharing a set with a reclusive co-star.

Because the dialogue in The Lighthouse is so specific, is it safe to say this role didn’t provide a lot of room for improvisation?

In the traditional sense of creating dialogue, [The Lighthouse] is very designed. The improvisation really comes from within that structure. You don’t feel like you can’t improvise, but you’re not creating dialogue, and you’re not inventing new action. The pleasure comes from committing to that structure and finding the life inside of it.

When you were offered this role, had you already seen Robert’s debut film The Witch?

I saw The Witch, but I didn’t know anything about it. I went in as just a guy going to the movies. I responded to it so much, I thought, “Wow, there’s a filmmaker here.” Then, I called up my manager and said, “Who made this film? I’d like to have a meeting with him.” We got along fabulously and had a lot of common interests. We kind of pledged that we’d work together. Not so much later, he called me up and said, “I have the project. Here’s the script. It’s you and Rob Pattinson.

Read it. I hope you like it.”

Is that something you’ve done before in your career — respond to a filmmaker’s work and reach out to them in hopes you can work together?

It’s not a regular thing, but I have done that. I did it with Wes Anderson [for 2004’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou] and with Sean Baker [for 2017’s The Florida Project], for example. It’s just practical, particularly if they’re open to that kind of thing and if they’re newer filmmakers. There are people that don’t go through the usual casting process, so it’s nice to let them know that you’re interested in their work.

If you were a wickie in real life during the 19th

screens

Grisly Man

Courtesy of A24

century, how do you think you’d fare? Is it a lifestyle you could get used to?

(Laughs.) You know, yes and no. There’s a part of me that hates routine and a part of me that loves it. There’s a part of me that hates solitude and there’s a part of me that loves it. That’s what it would come down to.

Was there anything different about the way you approached this character compared to others in your career?

I don’t have a method. For each movie, you create a different process — whatever you feel you need to do to have the authority to pretend. For this, I had done so much research and had so many external things like fake teeth, beautiful costumes, a pipe, a beard, an accent, a limp, a lighthouse, the damn weather. There was so much to work with. I basically tried to be receptive to that and be curious about things. Then, off we go.

Talk to me about the dynamic you were able to create with Rob on the set.

I enjoyed working with him, but I didn’t know him at all outside of the scenes. We had very little discussion and rehearsal time where we actually talked to each other. It’s only after [shooting the film] while doing press that I’ve gotten to know

him. We were working every day under very difficult circumstances weather-wise. Like his character, he tended to go off and be quite reclusive while I stayed on set to practice. He wanted to do things when the camera was rolling.

That separated us, but it was actually beautiful, because it was an absolute parallel experience to what happens in the movie.

One of the promotional items the studio sent me for the film was a replica of the mermaid sculpture made of soap. For those readers who haven’t seen the film, this question won’t make much sense, but do you think they are suggesting I actually use it in the shower?

(Laughs.) Oh my, I wasn’t aware of this! (Laughs.)

Whatever works. Whatever works.

I read you’re going to star in director Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming film Nightmare Alley.

When you meet, be sure to tell him that the human-fish sex scene in The Lighthouse is a lot sexier than the human-fish sex scene in The Shape of Water.

(Laughs.) I’ll tell him that! But I’ll have to tell him you said it, not me!

The Lighthouse was released on DVD and Blu-ray January 7.

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

Fine Tuning Fine Dining

Service struggles to keep up with San Antonio’s growing rep as a food city, but workers shouldn’t shoulder all the blame

BY LEA THOMPSON

S

David Arciniega says his education from St. Philip’s helped him advance in the industry.

M

28 CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com Jaime Monzon

an Antonio’s expanding hospitality industry pulled in more than $15 billion in 2017 with the restaurant and catering sector contributing more than half of that figure.

As the city’s grown, so has a local appetite for elevated dining — and an expectation from travelers that the Alamo City deliver a world-class restaurant experience.

“It used to be that chefs could graduate here but couldn’t stay in San Antonio; they had to move out to the East or West Coast to grow. But [great chefs] have helped to change that,” said chef Bruce Auden of Biga on The Banks. “There’s great food happening here in San Antonio.”

Yet industry pros warn that the city’s service quality isn’t keeping up with its growing reputation as a dining destination. Whether it’s the prevalence of casual dining, outdated working conditions or a lack of opportunities and education, San Antonio’s service quality has yet to catch up.

Quality of service continues to be a common complaint among local diners. San Antonio may be able to deliver a downhome casual dining experience or entertain tourists looking for Riverwalk margaritas, but many think the city needs to step up its game.

To be sure, there’s a marked difference between great and average restaurant service. A topnotch server is attuned to the needs of each table, is able to suggest a wine to complement a dish and can speak knowledgeably about the ingredients or cooking techniques involved in the daily special.

Such nuances are part of the reason some diners are willing to pay $100 or more for a meal. Service quality can also make or break a new restaurant or affect the reputation of a longstanding one.

food

“Yes, good help is hard to find, but it’s really a two-way street.

If employees are in a dysfunctional work environment, they now have enough options to say, ‘Not interested.’”

—Stefan Bowers, chef for Battalion, Rebelle and Playland

Facebook / David Tapia

It may be tempting blame restaurant workers themselves for San Antonio’s service woes, but experts point out that factors such as lack of training and advancement opportunities, not to mention high turnover rates, contribute to the current state of the industry.

“Yes, good help is hard to find, but it’s really a two-way street,” said chef Stefan Bowers of local restaurants including Battalion, Rebelle and Playland. “If employees are in a dysfunctional work environment, they now have enough options to say, ‘Not interested.’”

Changing Restaurant Culture Restaurant employees have always come and gone, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual employee turnover rate nationwide reached an all-time high of 75% last year. In an industry where nearly three out of four workers will leave their job within a year, that makes it difficult for restaurants to grow or succeed, industry insiders say.

“Without engagement, people are going to go on to the next new thing,” said Anne Anderson, founder of San Antonio’s Wolfe & Wool, which consults with restaurants to improve their workplace culture. “People are desperate for good kitchen help. It’s really a worker’s market right now. Part of the recipe for success is actually caring about employees.”

Anderson has partnered with local restauranteurs including Lisa Asvestas, owner of The Cove and Five Points Local, to develop programs that help define employee expectations, strengthen company culture and improve professional relationships between management and employees.

Last year, Asvestas began major changes to her restaurants to improve working conditions. Among those, she established a $15-perhour wage minimum wage, hosted weekly check-ins, started free yoga classes and offered paid leadership training and access to affordable healthcare.

So far, the numbers point to worker turnover being a fraction of what it was last fiscal year, when three-quarters of her employees didn’t make it to their first anniversary.

“After being in this industry for over 20 years, I wasn’t happy with the business model at all,” Asvestas said. “We’ve made huge changes to really redefine the culture and seen a lot of improvement since making huge changes. It’s different from how it was 20 years ago, and we need to see that it can be something more than a part-time job. … We have to look at it in a different way, because it isn’t sustainable the way it is now.”

Financial Barriers One out of seven San Antonio residents are employed in the hospitality industry yet the

mean hourly wage of $11.60 trails the $12.30 national average. That makes it hard for workers to justify staying in food service and putting in the time to become experts at their craft. That becomes especially true as they look to have families or put down roots by purchasing a home.

But pay is only one barrier.

For many, the cost of education is also a major hurdle. While local community colleges such as St. Philip’s College offer two-year culinary degrees for about $12,000, students who attend private culinary institutions frequently graduate with $60,000 or more in debt.

Restaurant industry jobs don’t usually require a college degree, but higher education can provide a leg up in getting hired at a prestigious eatery. It can also be invaluable for servers, chefs and bartenders working to achieve upward mobility.

“With the hospitality industry, it’s about getting in and then proving yourself and your skillset, and that’s how you get promoted and start earning more money,” said Frank Salinas, who chairs the Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts program at St. Philip’s. “But it’s really difficult when you come out of a private culinary school owing $60,000-plus, and if you’re in San Antonio, you’re [often] getting the minimum wage.”

St. Philip’s is working to overcome that hurdle by partnering with area high schools to offer dual-credit courses. The degree program also requires a 16-week practicum that

Find more Findfood more& drink news everynews day at sacurrent.com

YOUR HOMETOWN SPICE COMPANY SINCE 1985.

SOUTH TEXAS SPICE CO. Retail - Institutional - Specialty Blends 8oz. - 300lbs. or more

210.436.2280 • 2106 Castroville Rd • 78237 30

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

food

provides students with real-world, hands-on experience so they can find meaningful employment after graduation.

Seizing Opportunity For St. Philip’s graduates like David Arciniega, now an executive chef at Texas State University, those opportunities have made all the difference. Arciniega was working a food service job when he attended a job fair at the Culinary Institute of America’s San Antonio campus.

“I had to call my boss and tell him I wasn’t coming back,” he said. “I didn’t have references like some of the other servers and hosts who were hired, but I made the cut. ... I was probably the only [St. Philip’s] graduate to make the cut.”

Arciniega’s first job at the CIA was helping open student-run restaurant NAO in 2012. The experience showed a new side of local dining culture. Armed with that knowledge, he moved up over the next five years — as a cook, server and bartender.

“It was an eye opener to see the quality of service they were going for: the plates,

the cuisines, the bar program,” he said.

Arciniega went on to help train other student classes working in the restaurant. Eventually, he left to run his own eatery, Amaya’s Tacos in East Side San Antonio, then landed at Maverick Brasserie in 2018. He helped develop Maverick’s bar program, eventually becoming the front-of-house manager, before departing recently for the gig at Texas State.

Upward Trajectories Arciniega’s upward career trajectory is something St. Philip’s hopes to continue replicating — and more frequently.

Indeed, the institution, a historically black college with a Hispanic student majority, is preparing to enter a new era of culinary education.

The school will unveil its new Tourism, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts Center for Excellence by fall of this year. The $30 million facility will include a 100-seat tiered lecture hall, a teaching kitchen and two student-run restaurants.

Like St. Philip’s, the CIA also offers degrees in the culinary arts and baking and pastry as well as learning labs and state-

Shutterstock

of-the-art equipment. Although NAO, the CIA student-run restaurant at The Pearl, closed in 2018, a new eatery Savor has since opened allowing young chefs and servers to gain hands-on experience in an elevated setting.

“It’s different from how it was 20 years ago, and we need to see that it can be something more than a part-time job. … We have to look at it in a different way, because it isn’t sustainable the way it is now.”

— Lisa Asvestas, owner of The Cove and Five Points Local

However, part of the problem may come down to declining interest in upscale dining experiences.

According to a 2019 study by market research organization NPD Group, the total number of visits to full-service restaurants has declined by 700 million since 2014, while the number of visits to quick-service establishments increased by 630 million.

“Finding help is very difficult. And that was one thing that kind of led me into quick-service restaurants,” said Andrew Weissman, the influential local chef who’s stepped away from fine dining to focus on concepts such as The Luxury and Mr. Juicy. “I was like, you know what, it would be kind of cool to do these kinds of restaurants but apply five-star mentality to everything from fine dining to fast casual.”

But not every chef is willing to take Weissman’s approach, and as San Antonio expands as a culinary destination, many visitors will continue to expect fine dining experiences with exemplary service at the center.

To that end, Bowers of Battalion and Rebelle points out that the biggest difference between great and mediocre service is the investment restaurants owners are willing to make in their employees.

“At the end of the day, it’s up to the management to invest in and treat the people they’re hiring with dignity,” he said. “You have to provide a living wage and you have to train. You have to invest time and concern and empathy and be a human being to the people that you hire.

Restaurants are going to have to adapt.”

Sanford Nowlin

sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

31

HAPPILY SERVING GUEST

+21 ONLY

ICE COLD BEER CRAFT COCKTAILS HAPPY HOUR LIVE MUSIC MONDAY 1/2 PRICED PIZZA NAUGHTY BINGO WEDNESDAY’S SHRIMP BOIL FRIDAY’S LATE NIGHT DRINKS WEEKEND BRUNCH COOPERS CLUCKERS EXTENDED HAPPY HOUR OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

EST . DE

C 2018

THE BEST DAMN LITTLE ICE HOUSE IN TEXAS 16080 SAN PEDRO AVE | (210) 462-1894 | LUCYCOOPERS.COM

FIND US AT THE SHOPS AT LINCOLN HEIGHTS @ORDERUPSA (210)824-9600 ORDERUP-SA.COM

WINTER RESTAURANT

W E E K S

A CROSS SECTION OF THE

CULINARY SCENE

THAT ENCOMPASSES A DIVERSE RANGE OF CUISINES! Restaurant Weeks gives visitors & residents the opportunity to experience the quality, variety and hospitality that embody the Boerne,New Braunfels, and San Antonio dining experience. Bon appétit!

JAN. 2 0 32

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

THRU

FEB. 01

culinariasa.org

food

The Takeaway: Cake Thieves’ Owners Want You to Know All Vegan Food Isn’t Healthy

BY LEA THOMPSON

Courtesy of Cake Thieves

Names: Lauren O’Connor and Kia Geronimo Job/Title: Co-Owners, Cake Thieves Birthplace: Central New Jersey and Mexico City, respectively Impact: The self-trained duo creates vegan sweets for a dozen local coffeeshops and run a local vegan marketplace, the Vegan Stop Shop.

Money Quote: “We make vegan things that don’t taste vegan… because that would be gross.” — Lauren O’Connor How did Cake Thieves get started?

Lauren O’Connor: I’ve always had some form of a baking business, ever since 8th grade. I always knew I wanted to have a bakery and become a baker. I eventually became vegan and started the company when I was living in Brooklyn in 2012. I got really into cake decorating, but I was also really into seeing bands, so I’d bake cakes for bands as a way to practice. A Chicago band called Company of Thieves loved the cake I made. After the show, when people asked about the name of my company, the guitarist suggested Cake Thieves, so we’d be connected forever. I eventually got tired of Brooklyn, but I had friends in San Antonio, so I moved here in 2015.

Kia Geronimo: I was working at a bakery downtown when I met Lauren. I happened to have money set aside that I wanted to invest in something great. After a year or so, I asked her if she wanted to [run the business] together.

How have things changed since Cake Thieves launched locally in 2016?

LO: There really wasn’t anything like [Cake Thieves] here when we started it four years ago, but now there’s tons of vegan options. We only make desserts that taste

Facebook / Cake Thieves

like the real thing. We also just celebrated the two-year anniversary of our Vegan Stop Shop in November, and it’s continuing to grow.

KG: A lot of the local vegan businesses that are open today started at the Vegan Stop Shop. It’s so cool to see them have actual [store fronts] now. The market has essentially become self-sustaining.

What’s your secret weapon?

LO: We work a lot of 18-hour days. Coffee and the music of [Swedish pop star] Robyn help me get through the long days and work weeks.

KG: I pick up coffee from all the shops we deliver to, and I’ll pick up several at a time to get me through the entire day.

What’s your signature product?

LO: We make around 15 different pastries right now. We make everything from croissants, cookies and cinnamon buns to kolaches and donuts and cakes.

KG: Our most popular product would probably be our donuts or pop pastries, which are filled with fruit fillings. Sometimes we get crazy and the pastries end up being the size of our head.

What’s next for you?

LO: We’re opening a new spot at Hackberry Market this year. The [space] will have a full menu with breakfast, diner food and new pastries like tarts and cakes. I come from the land of diners, so it’s been a dream of mine to open a vegan diner.

KG: We’ll have a coffee bar there too. We’ll eventually open another eatery, but we don’t want to give away too much just yet.

What’s the biggest misconception about what you do?

KG: That all vegan food is healthy.

LO: Vegan junk food is fine once in a while. Just make sure the rest of your diet has leafy greens. (Laughs.)

Follow Cake Thieves on Instagram @cakethievesbakery, and stay tuned for the pair’s new vegan restaurant, which will open at 1602 E. Houston St. later this year. sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

33

Hula House

NOW OPEN!

Located off Bandera & 410 | 5819 NW Loop 410 Suite #120 San Antonio, Texas

(210) 288-5124 (210)993-4852 MON- FRI 5:30AM-4PM | SAT 6:30AM-4PM • SUN 7:30AM-3PM

521 E Woodlawn Ave. • 210.737.8646

Open Mon-Sun 10am-9:30pm | Hulapokeusa.com

“TURNED THE TREND OF TYPICAL VAPING AND SMOKE SHOPS TO THE MODERN ERA...”

-A. M . , GOOGLE REVIEW

“NICE STOCK AND EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT VIBES WITH THE HOME FEELING...”

-N. T., GOOGLE REVIEW

“QUALITY PRODUCTS AND HAVE EVERYTHING FROM VAPING GEAR TO GLASS PIPES AND CIGARS...”

-M. D. , GOOGLE REVIEW

“I GIVE THIS PLACE 10 STARS OUT OF 5!

BEST SMOKE SHOP I’VE BEEN TO...”

-R. M . , GOOGLE REVIEW

HAPPY HOUR PRICING! TUESDAY + WEDNESDAY 4-7PM!

10% OFF ALL MERCHANDISE EXCLUDING TOBACCO PRODUCTS.

2019 finalist

1338 E HOUSTON ST

@TUCKERSBARSA

KITCHEN NOW OPEN 4PM - MIDNIGHT, MONDAY - FRIDAY! 34

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

3 CONVENIENT SAN ANTONIO LOCATIONS

9822 Potranco Rd #115 • 210.684.2285 19422 U.S. Highway 281 N. #105 • 210.251.4058 7325 N Loop 1604 W STE 101 • 210.988.3720

food

BY LEA THOMPSON

OPENINGS:

Talk

Bar 1919 founder Don Marsh is slated to open his new bar Rock and Rye at 17632 La Cantera Pkwy., Ste. 104, this spring. … Wayne’s Wings recently opened a new, bigger location at 4453 Walzem Road. … Hemp-based shop Rodkeys has opened a second store with coffee and tea at 9630 Huebner Road. … Flix Brewhouse will open its first San Antonio location — with a microbrewery, no less — at 845 TX-1604 Loop in early February. … Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q will open its fourth San Antonio location at 327 Nakoma Dr. in coming weeks.

CLOSINGS:

Maybelle’s Donuts, the artisan donut shop located at 312 Pearl Parkway, quietly shut its doors on December 31.

Gift

NOTABLES:

ITEMS

Texas Monthly’s Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn recently named the beef short ribs from B-Daddy’s BBQ , 14436 Old Bandera Road in Helotes, among the state’s best ’cue of 2019.

Production Bubbles Over for Element Kombucha

BY LEA THOMPSON Element Kombucha co-founders Kevin Rayhons and Timofey “Tima” Trofimenkov connected over their mutual love for kombucha, an effervescent fermented tea drink with potential health benefits.

“We both had a strong, purist view of the process and believed that the benefits are only as good as what you put in it,” Rayhons said.

Together, they introduced Element Kombucha in 2015, using organically sourced roots and herbs to develop a line of premium beverages. The duo produces a variety of kombucha flavors — including green tea, jasmine hibiscus and ginger nettle plus drinks for skin vitality, seasonal allergies and mind-

l Plate l a m S By t

bers m u N he

FO R AL L OCCASIONS

MOST ITEMS ARE $20 OR LESS! 10% off any purchase with this ad visit our website at theprettyduckling.net

and-body balance. The company sells at local shops, restaurants and farmers markets.

HERE’S A BY-THE-NUMBERS LOOK AT ELEMENT’S BUSINESS: 7 team members 9 currently available flavors 250,000 bottles of kombucha brewed in 2019 500,000 bottles of kombucha planned for 2020 Source: Element Kombucha

2150 Jackson Keller Rd. San Antonio, TX 78213

Enjoy Natural Beauty in

BIG BEND Hiking | River Trips | Bird Watching | Star Gazing & More Plan your adventure today at visitbigbend.com sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

Courtesy Element Kombucha

35

3 3 0 e g r ay s o n s t

NICK SCHNEBELEN

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE

WED, JAN 15 | DOORS: 7 P | SHOW: 8 P

THUR, JAN 16| DOORS: 7 P | SHOW: 8 P

Open 3p-2a Everyday • Happy Hour 3-7pm Daily

MONDAYS: $5 COMBOS TUESDAYS: SHOT SPECIALS ALL DAY: $2.75 WELLS • $2 ZIEGENBOCK DRAFT “RIVER RAT SPECIAL” ALWAYS!

SKYROCKET!

MONTE MONTGOMERY

FRI, JAN 17 | DOORS: 8 P | SHOW: 9 P

SAT, JAN 18| DOORS: 8 P | SHOW: 9 P

PSYCHIC HAPPY HOUR EVERY TUESDAY • FROM 6:30 - 8:30PM

E. Houston St.

N. Presa St.

RIVERTINI AWARD WINNER 600 N. Presa St. Inside the Maverick Building 210.267.9885 | THELOCALBARSA.COM | LIKE US ON

THELOCALBARSA

College St.

GUARDIANS OF THE CHILDREN SAN ANTONIO MONTHLY MEETING (OPEN TO PUBLIC)

PERPETUAL GROOVE

TUE, JAN 21| 6:30 PM

WED, JAN 22 | DOORS: 7 P | SHOW: 8 P

ALANIZ- A TRIBUTE TO ALANIS MORISSETTE

WOOD & WIRE

THUR, JAN 23 | DOORS: 7 P | SHOW: 8 P

FRI, JAN 24 | DOORS: 8 P | SHOW: 8:30 P

HEARTBYRNE: A TALKING HEADS TRIBUTE

GA-20

SAT, JAN 25 | DOORS: 8 P | SHOW: 9 P

SUN, JAN 26 | DOORS: 4 P | SHOW: 5 P

Your Favorite Neighborhood Bar,

!

Now Openn!

Open at Noon on Sundays for College Football on the Big Screen!

samsburgerjoint. com 36

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

1160 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205 Open Daily 'Til 2 am • Happy Hour All Day Sun + Mon, 4-8 PM Tues-Sat

music

Geek Rockers

Musicians are turning their love for videogames into a new genre: nerdcore

BY CHRIS CONDE Pop music and nerd culture have shared a long history.

Led Zeppelin repeatedly referenced the Lord of the Rings in its lyrics, Parliament-Funkadelic adopted a space-traveling Afrofuturistic image and countless rock songs were inspired by science fiction books and films.

Now, with videogames an increasing part of fan culture, it should serve as no surprise that musicians are referencing them in their lyrics and even incorporating melodies from game soundtracks into their compositions. Enthusiasts call the burgeoning genre “nerdcore.”

“We grew up playing video games as little kids,” said David Ortiz, trumpet player and transposer for San Antonio group Mariachi Entertainment System, which performs mariachi-style covers of videogame soundtracks. “It’s not just this tune, it’s my heart as a child. It’s my childhood. Nerdcore combines the old and new.

It’s seeing your childhood for the first time in a way — it takes you back. You have that sense of wonder again as you listen to the music.”

MES’s name is a play on the name of the iconic Nintendo Entertainment System, and the group’s set list includes music from classic titles such as Castlevania and Street Fighter. Which helps explain why the band was booked to perform at the PAX South gaming conference, which will take place Friday, January 17, through Sunday, January 19, at the Henry B. González Convention Center.

Gaming passion MES isn’t the only Alamo City musical artist repping nerdcore.

Metal outfit Bitforce composes heavy covers of songs from old-school games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, hip-hop emcee Gross Angel references gaming culture in his rapid-fire bars and David Ramos’ ocarina covers of video game tunes have amassed millions of views on YouTube.

Local nerdcore rapper Richie Branson even provided theme music for Adult Swim’s resurrected Toonami programming block after the network discovered his track “Bring Back Toonami.” He’s now headed to Boston to work for Harmonix, the company beind the hit game series Guitar Hero.

“San Antonio is a cultural melting pot of sorts,” said Branson, whose real name is Marcus Brown II. “A lot of people living in San Antonio are transplants from other areas, and so you have this huge diversity of thought and interests.

Being someone hugely interested in anime and video games, I never felt alone here.”

Courtesy of Bitforce

Since its 2014 formation, Bitforce has toured with nerdcore top billers like rappers Megaran and MC Chris while releasing albums packed with brutal covers of video game songs. But its earliest gigs were not in traditional music venues but game stores in front of like-minded enthusiasts.

“I took my passion of gaming, and before I knew it, Bitforce was playing Gamestop, Gameover, anywhere that would let us play,” said Joey Devine, guitarist for the trio.

Gross Angel, whose birth name is Angel Guzman, started his musical career as a guitar player before discovering beatboxing and hiphop. References to video games and comic books crept into his raps from the beginning.

“The first rap verse I ever sat down and wrote out was the story of Nightcrawler from the X-Men,” said Guzman, who added that he’s working on a project devoted entirely to the popular Marvel Comics franchise.

‘Felt like an alien’ While nerdcore is a relatively new phenomenon, musical homages to the gaming life go back decades.

One of the first appearances of such references in pop music was via the duo Buckner & Garcia, whose “Pac-Man Fever” peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard charts in 1982. In 1997, all-female indie band Autoclave released a cover of the theme

song to the video game Paperboy.

East Coast rapper Sammus, named after the protagonist of Nintendo’s Metroid game series, said musicians are gravitating to nerdy subject matter because it represents their lives. She recently finished a PhD in science and technology studies at Cornell University and teaches a hiphop class at Brown University.

“As an emcee, you reference what’s within you,” said Sammus, who’s real name is Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo. “Because I grew up playing all these games and being in game spaces, that was naturally what I started to reference a whole bunch. I didn’t even make the connection that there was already a community of folks who were invested in artists who were using video games to talk about their lives.”

Pointing out that box office success of superhero movies, Lumumba-Kasongo said nerd culture is booming because society seeks connections outside of itself. People want to relate to the lives of others through comics, anime and videogames.

Social media, she points, out has helped fans connect — and it’s also widened the audience for nerdcore.

“Growing up, I definitely felt like an alien,” Lumumba-Kasongo said. “There weren’t a whole bunch of black kids in upstate New York. [And] especially when you talk about being a geek — and being super into games — there wasn’t a huge community there for me to fall into. So, through Twitter and Instagram, I’ve been able to see that we are really out here.”

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

music WHITE DENIM

Thursday, January 16 Psychedelic, bluesy, groovy and maybe even a bit proggy, Austin-based rockers White Denim create a musical hodgepodge that works. An infectious, off-kilter energy infuses the band’s guitar-driven sound, which might explain why the band’s had some UK chart success and toured supporting Wilco. Fluid, fun and slightly disorienting, White Denim isn’t too far afield from a mind-meltingly pleasurable acid trip. $15-$20, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com.

— Chris Conde Facebook / White Denim

Wednesday, January 15

NICK SCHNEBELEN

Kansas City blues guitarist Nick Schnebelen comes by his profession honestly: he’s the fourth generation in his family to earn his keep as a professional musician. Indeed, he got his start with his family’s band, Trampled Under Foot, in the mid-2000s picking up the Albert King Award for his playing. Tonight, he’s jamming with a power trio, which guarantees searing Memphis-style licks are in store. $10-$40, 7 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — Lance Higdon

WILL OWEN GAGE

Southpaw guitarist-singer Will Owen Gage is a fixture on the San Antonio roots music scene, traversing the boundaries of rock, country and blues, both solo and with his group the Alamotones. Sounds like an opportunity to turn the kids loose on the playground and enjoy some soulful Saytown sounds. Free, 8:30 p.m., The Cove, 606 W. Cypress St., (210) 227-2683, thecove.us. — Lance Higdon

MICKY & THE MOTORCARS, BRI BAGWELL

Alt-country outfit Micky & the Motorcars headlines this benefit gig supporting one of the city’s worthiest causes, the Rape Crisis Center. The ATX-based band released a new album, Long Time Comin’, in November, so expect to hear some fresh explorations of its back-to-the-roots sound. $20, 7 p.m., John T. Floore’s Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road, (210) 6958827, liveatfloores.com. — Mike McMahan

THE DANIEL DUFOUR TRIO

Jazz drummer extraordinaire Daniel Dufour and his crew will fill their happy hour set with upbeat polyrhythms. By incorporating extended techniques such as scraping the top of his drumstick on a cymbal to give a screeching effect, Dufour shows he may have plenty of other interesting tricks up his sleeve.

Free, 5:30 p.m. Jazz, TX, 312 Pearl Pkwy Building 6, Suite 6001, (210) 332-9386, jazztx.com. — Brianna Espinoza

With a Broadway show now built around Alanis Morissette’s debut album Jagged Little Pill, it’s clear the Canadian singer has found her way back into the musical zeitgeist. Little surprise then that there’s a Morissette tribute band called Alaniz and said band is coming to town. $10-$30, 7 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — Chris Conde 38

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

THE LOST PROJECT, HEATHER GO PSYCHO, CHRISTOF ROCHEL, HONEYBUNNY

Among other things, this showcase of SA-based rock features The Lost Project, who aspire to create a sound that defies genres, and Heather Go Psycho, an all-female punk rock trio that expects to release a pair of new albums this year. $5, 9 p.m., Amp Room, 2407 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 320-2122, theamproom.com. — Mike McMahan

CLERIC, JUDAS GOAT, NOCTURNAL WOLF, WINTER MIST

Embrace the darkness with a night of metal from three Dallas acts: Cleric, Judas Goat and Nocturnal Wolf.

If that’s not enticement enough, San Antonio black metal dudes Winter Mist round out the bill. $12, 9 p.m., Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., thelimelightsa.com. — Chris Conde

JACQUEES

Jacquees is the self-proclaimed King of R&B for his generation, and that daring proclamation doesn’t leave much messing around when it comes to delivering killer music. Fortunately, the sensual R&B singer’s long players speak for themselves, landing near the top of Billboard’s Top 10 R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. $30-$149, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Brianna Espinoza

Saturday, January 18

DREAMGIRL

Thursday, January 16

ALANIZ

Friday, January 17

Courtesy of Big Freedia

BIG FREEDIA

Sunday, January 19 Since the 2000s, the New Orleans artist Big Freedia been at the forefront of bringing the energetic hiphop form known as “bounce” into the mainstream. Many got their first taste of Freedia when she was featured on Beyonce’s “Formation,” shouting, “I did not come to play with you hoes, I came to slay, bitch!”

If you’ve never seen the Queen Diva live, hold onto something. Her show is a spiritual experience — one that consists of self-love, booty-shaking and the kind of fellowship often reserved for religious functions.

It might seem strange to see “spiritual experience” and “booty-shaking” in the same sentence, but we assure that many have shared the same sentiment upon leaving her concerts. $22, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Chris Conde

Dreamgirl’s fusion of oldies, surf rock, modern-day indie and a pinch of reggae offer waves of sound to wash away in. This calm, yet occasionally, intense band evokes the feeling of watching a sunset on a breezy beach. $12-$14, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Brianna Espinoza

UNITY

Jordan Barden, Seraph69, Brian Swellander and My Key will staff the musical control tower for this evening of house and techno. No landing gear required. Free, 9 p.m., Web House, 320 Blanco Road, (210) 531-0100, webhousecafe.com. — Mike McMahan

sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

39

BROADWAY5050.COM

CHECK OUT OUR

NEW MENU!

LIVE MUSIC WED-SUN

THUR, JAN 16 TH

THE VAN ALLEN BELT

XES XES , EL QUE LLORE + MORE!

KITCHEN NOW OPEN

Feb 06

Smile Empty Soul

Feb 16

Stryper feat. Byfist & Wicked Angel

Feb 28

Tony MacAlpine live at the Rockbox

Jan 31

The Back to Life 2.0 Tour & Winter Bash

SAT. JAN 18

F O R L AT E NI G HT

POP ROCKS

SNACKS & B U RGERS EVERY WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY FROM 10PM-1AM

(90’S/2000’S COVER BAND) SAT, JAN 18TH

ST 37

SHIP-TO CITY, THE WIZARD

Mar 14 FRI. JAN 24 THE ELECTRIC COWBOYS

Mar 18

Dance Gavin Dance Spring Tour

Mar 20

Silverstein 20 Year Anniversary

Mar 28

Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise 10 Year Anniversary Tour

Mar 28

Fit For A King

(COUNTRY ROCKING COWBOYS)

S UNDAY, JA N 19 T H

GR E E N B AY PACK E R S V S SAN FRA N CIS CO 49E RS WATCH PARTY

Super Bitfest 2020

FRI, JAN 31ST

FROM PARTS UNKNOWN

SCARY MONDELOS, DEAD WEIGHT & BLOOD SKID

SAT. JAN 25 JUMP FUZE BAND

(CLASSIC ROCK/MODERN POP COVER BAND)

UP C OM I NG ARS E N A L MATC H E S SATURDAY, JAN 18TH AT 9:00AM VS SHEFFIELD UNITED TUESDAY, JAN 21ST AT 2:15PM VS CHELSEA MARK YOUR CALENDAR: SATURDAY, FEB 15TH | 11A-3P

THE ORIGINAL POP! SWAP (FREE EVENT)

FRI, FEB 14TH

MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO SPEED KILLS TOUR 2020

FRI. JAN 31 CHRIS SAUCEDO BAND

(COUNTRY/AMERICANA BAND)

Jan 18

VERNON OF PERSIA EP RELEASE PARTY

Jan 24

SANGUISUGABOGG

FRI, FEB 28TH

TR I VI A E VE RY T U E S DAY N I G H T WITH GEEKS WHO DRINK | 8PM

W E D NE S DAY & S AT U R DAY

VOICE OF ADDICTION

KNOCKIN’ CHUCKS, DOWN NOT OUT

A TRIBUTE TO THE CARS

KARAOKE | 10PM

S AT URDAY & S U N DAY BRUNCH | 10AM - 3PM

M-SAT 11A-2A SUN 11A-12A (210) 832-0050

5050 BROADWAY ST. ALAMO HEIGHTS, TX 78209 40

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

FRI. FEB 7 DANGEROUS TYPES

MON–FRI | 4pm – 2am SAT–SUN | 5pm – 2am 2423 N St Mary’s St | TheMixSA.com

PURCHASE TICKETS AT BOX OFFICE AT THE ROCK BOX | M-SA 10A-5P TICKETFLY.COM 1223 E HOUSTON ST. SA, TX 78205 THEROCKBOXSA.COM

music but because it seems a minor miracle these road dawgs are not just still alive but recording and touring. They band rolls into Paper Tiger supporting its most recent LP, Suck It, whose opening track pays tribute to a litany of underground rock stars — including themselves, the self-proclaimed “Greatest Rock-N-Roll Band in The World.” $15-$20, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx. com. — Lance Higdon

WOOD & WIRE

Nimble bluegrass act Wood & Wire employ banjo and upright bass to play tunes that focus on themes of “honest labor” in the present times. Nominated for a Grammy in 2018 for the album North Despair, this Austin-based ensemble keeps the true sound of the backwoods alive in Texas. $10-$45, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint. com. — Brianna Espinoza

Facebook / Machine Head

MACHINE HEAD

Tuesday, January 21 Nineties metal giant Machine Head are on their way to San Antonio in celebration of the 25th anniversary of its debut record Burn My Eyes. According to a recent press release, the show will last three hours and feature two parts. The first will consist of a bombardment of Machine Head classics including “Imperium,” “Halo,” “Ten Ton Hammer,” and “The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears,” while the band will play Burn My Eyes in its entirety during the second half. Unfortunately, the band will be rocking this tour without drummer Dave McClain, a former member of San Antonio’s seminal ’80s metal outfit SA Slayer. He left Machine Head last year, citing a lack of satisfaction in the band’s current direction. $35-$49.50, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Chris Conde

Saturday, January 18

ST-37, SHIP-TO CITY, THE WIZARD

Austin psych legends ST-37 bring an endearingly nerdy flourish to their bong-ripping excursions to the outer void. Their bio is filled with references to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy, for starters — which makes sense, given the high crossover ratio between D&D dice-throwers and fuzzed-riff aficionados. SA-meets-Denton ensemble Ship-To City — fresh off the release of an album titled Checkmate… I Think — and sounds-chaotic-neutral-to-me band The Wizard provide support.

Free, 10 p.m., The Mix, 2423 N. St. Mary’s St, (210) 735-1313, themixsa.com. — Lance Higdon

Thursday, January 23

SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS

Post-hardcore mainstays Scary Kids Scaring Kids have reunited for 15year anniversary tour. The band was

a heavy hitter in the late 2000s and 2010s, ultimately disbanding after the death of its original singer. $20, 8 p.m. Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Chris Conde

Friday, January 24

QUEENSRYCHE, JOHN 5, EVE TO ADAM

Now featuring 40% of the original members! Queensryche, currently operating as a glorified — though top-notch — tribute band is making its second stop in the Alamo City in fewer than 12 months. This time, former Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 is along for the ride. $29.50-$49.50, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Mike McMahan

SUPERSUCKERS

The Supersuckers seem to share DNA with Lemmy Kilmister (RIP) and Ozzy — not just because their songs sound like they’re descended from venerable amp-kicking hard rock,

Facebook / British Lion

BRITISH LION

Friday, January 24 A project two decades in the making, British Lion is led by Steve Harris, best known as the bassist and primary songwriter for heavy metal legends Iron Maiden. This outfit is a bit more commercial sounding than Maiden — think of ’70s proto-metal acts such as UFO and Deep Purple as departure points. However, Harris has mentioned in recent interviews that the next British Lion album, rumored to drop early this year, is heavier than its 2012 debut. $29.50, 7 p.m., Rock Box, 1223 E. Houston St., therockboxsa.com. — Chris Conde sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

41

0 0 2

9

YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY SATURDAY JANUARY 25th

Blow out the candles with us for our 9th Anniversary celebration!

$1

DRINK SPECIALS ALL NIGHT, DJ & MORE! MILLER LITE, DOS XX, BUD LIGHT, SHINER & TECATE

$2 MARGARITAS

10141 Wurzbach, San Antonio, Texas 78230 • 210.877.2100 wurzbachicehouse.com • Corner of Ironside and Wurzbach

42

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

music

Facebook / Trey Anastasio

TREY ANASTASIO BAND

Tuesday, January 28 This is not a drill, jam band enthusiasts: Phish frontman Trey Anastasio is headed to San Antonio for an acoustic performance. The guitarist-vocalist formed Phish back in the early ’80s and helmed the band while it grew into one of the giants of the genre. Much like his previous ensemble, the Trey Anastasio Band lays down an amalgam of blues, funk, roots rock and folk, giving members an opportunity to showcase their chops with extended solos. Folks either love or hate the open-ended genre. If you’re in the former camp, chances are you’ll be down for this performance. $49.50, 7:30 p.m., Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Chris Conde

THU R • JA N UA RY 16

MICKY & THE MOTORCARS WITH BRI BAGWELL BENEFITING THE RAPE CRISIS CENTER

SAT • JA N UA RY 18 JOSH WEATHERS

WITH GRADY SPENCER & THE WORK

Friday, January 24

VESPERIAN SORROW

Billing themselves as being at the forefront of the previously unknown genre “epic extreme metal,” Austin’s Vesperian Sorrow is headed to SA for a gig billed as “The Return Of…” At press time it’s unclear where Vesperian Sorrow had been or whether they really left. But, like, they’re back… apparently? $10-$12, 7 p.m., Fitzgerald’s Bar & Live Music Venue, 437 McCarty Road, Suite 101, (210) 607-7007, fitzrockssa.com. — Mike McMahan

Saturday, January 25

THE YAWPERS, THE GHOST WOLVES

Ever seen a band as if they were Motorhead in their prime — but do it on acoustic guitars? Look no further than cow-punkers The Yawpers, who take their name from a line in a Walt Whitman poem and carve out a unique space in the territory between the outlaw versions of country and rock. Piling on the heaviness, The Ghost Wolves will showcase their hybrid of fuzzy guitars and punky vocal stylings. $10-$13, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Brianna Espinoza

PAVEL DEMON & THE REVENANT, THE SCARY MONDELOS, THE BEERTICIANS

Bang Bang Bar will play hosts to a revved-up bill featuring a trio of local rockers.

Headliners Pavel Demon & the Revenant describe their sound as “George Thorogood on speed” and pen songs about love, heartbreak and the blue-collar immigrant experience. The Scary Mondelos boast a similarly amped-up sound, careening through Chuck Berry-style leads at breakneck tempos. The Beerticians don’t have any music online, but if they sound half as intense as their name, you’re bound to be circle-pitting in no time. Free, 9 p.m., Bang Bang Bar, 119 El Mio Dr., San Antonio, thebangbangbartx.com. — Lance Higdon

FR I • JA N UA RY 24 RECKLESS KELLY

WITH JEFF CROSBY & THE REFUGEES

S AT • J A N U A R Y 2 5 KOLBY COOPER WITH CHRIS COLSTON

FRI • JANUARY 31 BART CROW

WITH JORDAN ROBERT KIRK

L I V E AT F L O O R E S . C O M

14492 OLD BANDERA RD. HELOTES, TX 78023 sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

43

E M P LOY M E N T Real Singles, Real Fun...

30 Minutes free for Men, always free for ladies.

1-210-933-1103 More Numbers: 1-800-926-6000 Livelinks.com 18+

Real hot chat now.

30 MINUTES FREE TRIAL

210-933-1113

Network Engineer IV - Rackspace US, Inc. Architect 1. Perform all aspects of architectural design services across all San Antonio, TX. Responsible for planning, phases of architectural projects & mediums, design, configuration, integration & installation of our LAN and/or WAN. Req’d: incl preparing conceptual studies & designs, schematic designs & docs, stamping of 7 yrs recent exp w/network design & drawings & presentations, & production w/ build-out of LAN/WAN’s and/or large scale high level of client & consultant network retrofits & remediations + industry interaction. Produce graphic presentations, recognized certifications in networking, 3D renderings, VR models, physical models or knowledge commensurate to CCNP or & or presentation drawings using Revit, CCDP + any exp w/all of the following: AutoCAD, Rhino, Grasshopper, & Adobe MPLS, BGP, LDP, QoS, IPv6, OSPF, vPC, STP, Suite & hand drawings. Develop details of DWDM, EVPN, L2VPN, L3VPN, HSRP, VLAN, building system components to incl LEED & other sustainability features whenever CDP, VSS, VRRP, MLAG, BFD, BGP PIC, feasible. Visit worksites to ensure FRR, DMVPN, FlexVPN & port-channels; construction adheres to architectural plans. multi-vendor exp w/Cisco IOS, ASR 1k Review shop drawings & prepare record (IOS-XE), ASR 9k (IOS-XR), Nexus 7k/9k/3k (NX-OS), BTI, Ciena & Arista (EOS); working drawings. Answer requests for info (RFI) & stamp architectural drawings. Reqs: Mstrs in service provider, datacenter/hosting degr in architecture, 1 yr of architectural environment or large scale enterprise design exp w/ portfolio reflecting networks; researching, evaluating & consistent graphic quality & breadth of recommending hardware and/or software project typology w/construction drawings & solutions supporting large scale details. Submit resume & letter of deployments and/or remediations against application to irenep@overlandpartners. com. Overland Partners, San Antonio, TX. the LAN/WAN; working w/3rd party networking vendors w/an understanding of Cox Manufacturing Company Inc. seeks the service/hardware/software portfolios Maintenance Technician in San Antonio, they provide; process improvement; and TX to maintain production quality. Req’s network service monitoring systems such as Bachelor’s or foreign education equivalent Arbor, Zenoss, Syslog, SolarWinds or in Electrical Eng. plus 3 years of industry WhatsUp Gold. Domestic (USA) & intl. experience with maintenance and travel up to 10% req’d. Must be able to troubleshooting of electrical, mechanical work flexible schedule, 24x7x365 coverage, and fluid power systems for high including holidays & weekends. production precision machinery. Submit Telecommuting an option for this position. resume to Cox Manufacturing Company Inc., ATTN: David Fry, 5500 N. Loop 1604 To apply: qualified applicants please submit East, San Antonio, TX 78247. resumes to: careers@rackspace.com, Reference: MTGC. Ref. F01685

TEXAS TEXAS COMMISSION COMMISSION ON ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION AND INTENTQUALITY TO OBTAIN AIR PERMIT

EXAMPLE A RENEWAL - PERMIT NUMBER 43775A NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONEXAMPLE AND INTENT TO OBTAIN AIR PERMIT RENEWAL

APPLICATION Manufacturing has applied to AND Texas CommissionTO on Environmental QualityPERMIT (TCEQ) for renewal of Air Quality NOTICEDeansteel OF RECEIPT OFCompany, APPLICATION INTENT OBTAIN AIR RENEWAL PERMITthe NUMBER 43775 Permit Number 43775, which would authorize continued operation of the Steel Fabrication Facility located at 931 South Flores Street, San Antonio, PERMIT NUMBER 43775 Bexar County, Texas Deansteel 78204. This link to an electronic map of the site or has facility’s general to location provided as a public courtesy and not part of the APPLICATION Manufacturing Company, applied the isTexas Commission on Environmenapplication or notice. For exact location, refer application.

APPLICATION Deansteel Manufacturing Company, applied totothe Texaswould Commission oncontinued Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for renewal of Air Quality Permithas Number 43775, which authorize http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/hb610/index.html?lat=29.416666&lng=-98.499166&zoom=13&type=r. The existing facility is authorized to tal Quality (TCEQ) for Fabrication renewal ofmonoxide, Air Quality Permit 43775, which would authorize continued operation of the Steel Facility located atNumber 931 South Flores Street, San Antonio, Bexar County, emit the following air contaminants: carbon exempt solvents, hazardous air pollutants, nitrogen oxides, organic compounds, particulate operation of the Steel Fabrication Facility located at 931 South Flores Street, San Antonio, Bexar matter including matter with diameters ofmap 10 microns or less and microns orgeneral less and sulfur dioxide.is This applicationas wasaCounty, submitted Texas 78204.particulate This link to anelectronic of the site or2.5facility’s location provided public to the TCEQ78204. on and October 29,part 2019. application will bemap available for and copying at general the TCEQ central San http://www.

Antonio regional office, Texas This link The to the anelectronic theviewing site facility’s location isTCEQ provided as a public courtesy not of application or of notice.

Foror exact location, refer to office, application. and the San Antonio Public Library, Central Library, 600 Soledad Street,For San Antonio, Bexar County, Texasto beginning the first day of publication of this courtesy and not part of the application or notice. exact location, refer application. http://www. tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/hb610/index.html?lat=29.416666&lng=-98.499166&zoom=13&type=r.

The notice. The facility’s compliance file, if any exists, is available for public review in the San Antonio regional office of the TCEQ. The executive director has tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/hb610/index.html?lat=29.416666&lng=-98.499166&zoom=13&type=r.

The existing facility is authorized to emit theand following aira technical contaminants: carbon monoxide, solvents, determined the application is administratively complete will conduct review of the application.

Informationexempt in the application indicates existing facility iswould authorized toanemit the following air contaminants: carbon monoxide, solvents, that this permit renewal not result in increase in allowable and wouldparticulate not result in thematter emission of an airexempt contaminant not previously hazardous airpollutants, nitrogen oxides, organicemissions compounds, including particulate emitted.

The TCEQ may act on thisnitrogen without seeking further public comment or providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if hazardous oxides, organic compounds, particulate matter including particulate matter withairpollutants, diameters of application 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less and sulfur dioxide. certain criteria are met.

matter with diameters of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less and sulfur dioxide.

This application wassubmit submitted to the TCEQ on October 29,case 2019.

Thetoapplication will beClerk available for below.

PUBLIC COMMENT You may public comments, or a request for a contested hearing the Office of the Chief at the address This application was submitted todeveloping the TCEQ on October 2019. The The application will be available for The TCEQ will consider all public comments in a final decision on San the29, application. deadline to submit public comments is 15 days after viewing andcopying at the TCEQ central office, TCEQ Antonio regional office, and the San Antonio newspaper andcopying notice is published.

After the deadline for public comments, theSan executive directorregional will prepareoffice, a response to the all relevant and material, or viewing atLibrary, the TCEQ central office, TCEQ Antonio and San Antonio Public Library, Central 600 Soledad Street, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas beginning the first significant public comments. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the TCEQ’s jurisdiction to address in the Public Library, Central Library, 600 Soledad Street, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas beginning the first day ofprocess. publication this notice.

The facility’s compliance if any exists, isand available public permit After the of technical review is complete the executive director willfile, consider the comments prepare a for response to allreview relevant and day ofor publication of this notice. facility’s compliance file,toifcomments, any exists, available fordirector’s public decision reviewon the in the San Antonio regional office of the TCEQ. material, significant public comments.

If onlyThe comments are received, the response alongiswith the executive in the San regional office the TCEQ. application, willAntonio then be mailed to everyone whoof submitted public comments or who is on the mailing list for this application, unless the application is The executive director has determined the application is administratively complete and will conduct directly referred to a contested case hearing.

The executive director has determined the application is administratively complete and will conduct

MARKET PLACE

Roommate Wanted.

Non-smoker. Brand new home, washer/dryer, cable, utilities.

12 min from DT $400/mo.

BILLS PD. 210-251-1151 44

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

E M P LOY M E N T H-E-B seeks Sr. Quality Assurance Analyst (software and testing). Work location: San Antonio, TX. Mail resumes to: Marisa Alcorta, 646 South Flores Street, San Antonio, TX 78204

CARICATURIST NEEDED EXPERIENCE PREFERRED, BUT WILL TRAIN THE RIGHT PERSON. TEXT ONLY 210-781-2435

a OPPORTUNITY technical review of the application.

Information in the application indicates thatorthis permit director renewal FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING You may request a contested case hearing.

The applicant the executive may also a technical review application.

Information in the application this permit renewal would not inof an increase in to allowable emissions and wouldreview notindicates result in that the emission ofcase anhearing air conrequest that the result application be the directly referred a contested case hearing after technical of the application.

A contested is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trialincrease in emitted. state district court.TCEQ Unless emissions amay written request forwould a contested hearing filedseeking within 15 days this notice, would not result in an in The allowable and notcase result in isthe emission offrom an air con- the taminant not previously act on this application without further public executive director may act on the application.

If no hearing request is received within this 15 day period, no further opportunity for hearing will be taminant not previouslyan emitted.

The TCEQ act on case this application without seeking comment or providing opportunity for amay contested hearing if certain criteria arefurther met. public provided. According to the Texas Clean Air Act § 382.056(o) a contested case hearing may only be granted if the applicant’s compliance history is in comment or providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met. the lowest classification under applicable compliance history requirements and if the hearing request is based on disputed issues of fact that are PUBLIC COMMENT You may submit public comments, or a request for a contested case hearing to the relevant and material to theYou Commission’s decisionpublic on the application. mayaonly grant a hearing on hearing those issuesto submitted PUBLIC may submit comments, orthe a Commission request for case the Office ofCOMMENT the Chief Clerk at the address below.

TheFurther, TCEQ will consider allcontested public comments in developduring the public comment period and not withdrawn.

Office of the Chief Clerk the addressThe below.

The TCEQ will consider all public is comments in developing a final decision on theatapplication. deadline to submit public comments 15 days after newsA person who may be affected by emissions of air contaminants from the facility is entitled to request a hearing. If requesting a contested case ing a final decision onfollowing: the application.

The deadline submitan public ismailing 15 days after newspaper notice issubmit published.

After the name deadline for public comments, thecomments executive director will prepare hearing, you must the (1) your (or for a group orto association, official representative), address, daytime phone paper notice After the(3) deadline for public comments, thecase executive director will prepare number; (2) applicant’s name and permit number; the “[I/we] request a contested hearing;” (4) a specific description of how you a response toisallpublished. relevant and material, orstatement significant public comments.

Issues such as property values, would be adversely affected by the application and air emissions from the facility in a way not common to the general public; (5) the location and a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments.

Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the TCEQ’s jurisdiction to address in the permit process. distance your property to the facility; a description of how you use the property which may be impacted by the facility; and (7) a list noise, of traffic safety,relative and zoning are (6) outside of the TCEQ’s jurisdiction to address in the permit process. of all disputed issues of fact that you during the period.

If the request made by a the groupcomments or association,and one or more members After the technical review issubmit complete thecomment executive director will isconsider prepare who have standing to request a hearing must be identified by name anddirector physical comments. address.

The interests thecomments group or association seeks to protect After the technical review is complete the executive will consider the and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public If only are received, comments must also be identified. You may also submit your proposed adjustments to the application/permit which would satisfy your concerns. Requests a response toto all relevant and material, or significant public comments.

Ifon only areat received, the response comments, along with the executive thecomments bebelow. for a contested case hearing must be submitted in writing within 15 days director’s following this decision notice to the Office ofapplication, the Chief Clerk will thethen address the comments, along the executive decision on thelist application, will be case mailed to everyone who public or who on the application, If anyresponse requests for ato contested casesubmitted hearing are with timely filed,comments the Executive director’s Director willisforward themailing application andfor anythis requests for athen contested mailed totheeveryone who submitted public comments or who is onUnless the mailing list for this application, hearing to Commissioners fordirectly their consideration at ato scheduled Commission meeting. the application is directly referred to a contested unless the application is referred a contested case hearing. case hearing, executive director will mail referred the response alongcase with notification unless the the application is directly totoacomments contested hearing.of Commission meeting to everyone who submitted OPPORTUNITY CASE HEARING maya request contested comments or is on the FOR mailingA listCONTESTED for this application.

The Commission may You only grant request for a a contested case case hearinghearing. on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn.

IfYou a hearing isrequest granted, the a hearing be limited OPPORTUNITY A CONTESTED CASE may a subject contested casewill hearing.

The applicant orFOR the executive director mayHEARING also request that the application beofdirectly referred totoadisputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material air quality concerns submitted during the comment period.

Issues The applicant the executive directorreview may also request that theAapplication directly referred to a contested caseorhearing after technical of the application. contested be case hearing is a legal prosuch as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the Commission’s jurisdiction to address in this proceeding. contested case hearing after technical review of the application.

A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in state district court. Unless a written request for a contested case hearing MAILING LIST In addition to submitting public comments, you may ask to be placed on a mailing list for this application by sending a request to the ceeding similar a civil trial in notice, state district court. Unless a written request a contested case hearing is filed within 15to days this the director mayofact onpublic thefor application.

If no Office of the Chief Clerk at thefrom address below.

Those on theexecutive mailing list will receive copies future notices (if any) mailed byhearing the Office of the is filed within 15 dayswithin from this executive director may act on for thehearing application. hearing request is received thisnotice, 15 daythe period, no for further opportunity will If beno provided.

Chief Clerk this application. request is received within this 15 day period, no further opportunity for hearing will be provided.

According to the Texas Clean Air Act § 382.056(o) a contested case may only be granted if AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION Public comments and requests must hearing be submitted either electronically at www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/, or inAct writing thelowest Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk,history MC-105, According to the Texas Clean Air § to 382.056(o) a contested case maycompliance only be granted if P.O. Box the applicant’s compliance history is in the classification underhearing applicable 13087, Austin, Texas compliance 78711-3087. Please be aware any contact information you provide, including your name,compliance phone number, email address and the applicant’s history isthat in the lowest classification under applicable history requirements and if the hearing request is based on disputed issues of fact that are relevant and physical address will become part of the agency’s public record. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please requirements if the hearing request based on disputed issuespuede ofCommission fact that aremay relevant and material theand Commission’s decision onisthe application. only grant a call the Publicto Education Program toll free at 1-800-687-4040.

Si desea informaciónFurther, en Español,the llamar al 1-800-687-4040.

Further information material to those thefrom Commission’s decision on the Further, theTX Commission may only grantChandlee, a may also be obtained Deansteel Manufacturing Company, 931 application.

South Flores Street, San period Antonio, 78204-1406 or by calling Mr. George hearing on issues submitted during the public comment and not withdrawn.

Source Environmental at (713) 621-4474.

Notice Issuance Date: November 21, 2019 hearing on those issues submittedSciences, duringInc., the public comment period and not withdrawn.

etc D E C A D E I N R E V I E W, PA R T 1 BY M AT T J O N E S

Playmates and soul mates...

San Antonio:

210-320-5825 18+ MegaMates.com

YOUR CITY THROUGH OUR LENS S A C U R R E N T. C O M / S L I D E S H O W S

Hookups = Fun stuff from 2010 & 2011.

ACROSS 1 Part of PSL 6 Henna, e.g.

9 Bean that goes in bars 14 Make up (for) 15 Fish eggs 16 Ivy League sch.

17 Game show legend who, in his late 80s, returned to host “Let’s Make a Deal” for a week in 2010 19 Heavy weight, in France 20 Health stat that can be misleading 21 Farm grunt 22 Billboard’s Hot 100 #1 song of 2010 (originally a limited-time free download on Kesha’s MySpace page in 2009) 23 Black Widow portrayer, in tabloids 25 Forest growths 26 Neptune’s home 27 “Good Will Hunting” director Gus Van ___ 28 Break down 31 Shareable PC files 34 Veteran actress who got to host “Saturday Night Live” in 2010 after a grassroots campaign

37 Red-headed Disney princess 39 AI game competitor 40 ___ Boogie (“The Nightmare Before Christmas” character) 41 A cappella group formed in 2011 that won NBC’s “The Sing-Off” 44 Part of RPI 45 Do some math 46 Elizabethan collar shape 47 Dorm leaders 49 Regrettable 51 Kind of poster 54 IBM computer that beat two humans on “Jeopardy!” in 2011 56 “___ oughta!”

57 Templeton, in “Charlotte’s Web” 59 “Cast of thousands” films 60 Only one of 2011’s top 10 highest-grossing films that wasn’t a sequel 62 Broad, flat beans 63 Long-handled farm tool 64 Thrown for ___ 65 Farm machinery manufacturer 66 ___ Poly (West Coast

school) 67 Temptations DOWN 1 Gyro ingredient, often 2 Smashable items 3 Gin complement 4 Crate contents in “Angry Birds” 5 Friend of Roo and Pooh 6 Brand used in pipes 7 Form of the Sanrio character Gudetama 8 Predatory fish 9 Bifurcate 10 Pig in ___ 11 Symbol that’s a lowercase letter split by a vertical line 12 Part of A.D. 13 1,024 bytes, briefly 18 Hair-covering garment 22 Like nanotechnology’s scale 24 It’s on the plus side 25 “Lady Marmalade” singer LaBelle 27 Ring setting 29 Songwriter Redding 30 Round red root 31 Bear whose chair was too hard

32 1857 litigant Scott 33 Works into the schedule, with “for” 35 Magazine first published in 1945 36 Give a lift 38 North America’s oldest sport 42 In shreds 43 Inside looks?

48 Drummer in the Electric Mayhem 50 Award for Alfonso CuarÛn 51 Potter’s device 52 Misjudgment 53 “Finding Dory” actor Willem 54 Join metal to metal 55 “Four and twenty blackbirds baked in ___” 56 “Hold up!”

58 Amts. in recipes 60 Active chemical in cannabis 61 Mauna ___ (former Hawaiian erupter that’s neither one you’re probably thinking of)

ANSWER ON PAGE 17

Visit www.squirt.org to hook up today sacurrent.com | January 15-28, 2020 | CURRENT

45

YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY

HEADQUARTERS! MILITARY 20% OFF

EVERY DAY with valid I.D.

CHECK-IN ON

FOR 20% OFF FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST ON CLASSES, EVENTS, SPECIALS AND MORE

MEGAPLEXSA.COM

OPEN DAILY: 7AM - 2AM | 9405 IH-35 @ THOUSAND OAKS | 210-595-6781 | 11827 HWY 281 N @ NAKOMA | 210-404-0011 46

CURRENT | January 15-28, 2020 | sacurrent.com

LLC

FUN FIT FABULOUS YOU. SAN ANTONIO’S PREMIERE POLE FITNESS STUDIO

16 YEARS OF CELEBRATING FABULOUS STUDENTS

JOIN SSM FOR OUR FREE OPEN HOUSE! FRIDAY, JAN 31•7-9PM

Check Out Our

2020 Classes & Schedule

Stay For Fun Fitness + Giveaways

Come Ready To Try Out Some Moves

Pole Fitness Classes • Try Me Out Intro to Pole Levels 1-12 • Advanced 1 + Advanced 2 • Aerial Yoga Flair • Chair with Flair • Hip Hop Pole • Power Pole • Floor on Fire • Twerk Church

BEST PARTIES IN ALL OF TEXAS: BACHELORETTE, GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT, BIRTHDAYS, ETC.

6441 Blanco Rd | 210.863.3591 - Ask For Rene | SSMFIT.COM |

Must Be Over 18 To Attend