APR. 21 - MAY 4, 2021
HE ALING FORCE
Volunteers at Freeman Coliseum want to help, not be pawns in Gov. Greg Abbott's partisan game
Celebrate Earth Day The Right Way! THURSDAY, APRIL 22 | 5PM-9PM | SUSTAINABLE VENDORS, FOOD, AND ALAMO BEER Did you know Alamo Beer Co. is equipped to recapture waste carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its production process, purify it, and reuse it onsite to carbonate Alamo Beer? Alamo Beer also proudly partners with Grain4Grain, a local food-tech startup that utilizes the spent grain from the brewing process to create a low carb, high protein flour.
When Alamo Beer opened its doors in 2016, they did so with Texas sized pride, partly because of the creative contributions from One80 Solar. The collaboration yielded an Alamo-shaped solar panel array atop the beer company’s brewery, allowing them to use renewable energy to power their facilities.
alamo beer company brewery & beer hall | 202 lamar st. san antonio, tx | alamobeer.com sacurrent.com | April 21 - May 4, 2021 | CURRENT
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in this issue Issue 21-08 /// April 21 – May 4, 2021
powerful EP after a significant lineup change
Music Listings
San Antonio Current Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Sanford Nowlin
Editorial
Digital Content Editor: Kelly Merka Nelson Contributing Arts Editor: Bryan Rindfuss Food and Nightlife Writer: Nina Rangel Contributors: Ron Bechtol, Chris Conde, Daniel Conrad, Jade Esteban Estrada, Dan R. Goddard, Lance Higdon, Steven G. Kellman, Hannah Lorence, Kiko Martinez, M. Solis, Gary Sweeney, Lea Thompson, Abe Asher Editorial Interns: Emily DiTomasso, Brianna Espinoza, Katie Hennessey, Cristela Jones, Jay Moreno, Dana Nichols, Emily Schmalstieg, Jada Teague
Advertising
Advertising Director: Michael Wagner
Marketing and Events
Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni Events Manager: Chelsea Bourque Sales & Event Coordinator: Sky Hawkes Marketing Interns: Julia Bentley Social Media Content Creator: Meradith Garcia
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Graphic Designer: Samantha Serna Production Interns: Pedro Macias, Michelle Moreno
Circulation
Circulation Manager: Justin Giles
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Chief Executive Officer: Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers: Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services: Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator: Jaime Monzon Senior Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni www.euclidmediagroup.com
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12 Feature
National Advertising: Voice Media Group (888) 278-9866, vmgadvertising.com
Healing Force
Volunteers at Freeman Coliseum want to help, not be pawns in Gov. Greg Abbott’s partisan game
09 News
The Opener News in Brief
Glitter Political
District 2 Council Candidate Nneka Cleaver Says Bringing People Together is Her Strongest Suit
15 Calendar Calendar Picks
18 Arts
Block Party
Fiesta gets a new tradition with the first-ever House Float Parade
Cultural Cultivation
San Pedro Creek Culture Park project will marry public art with San Antonio’s natural beauty
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Sunny Days
The San Antonio Current is published by Euclid Media Group
Puppeteer and UTSA senior Bradley Freeman Jr. joins Sesame Workshop’s new initiative on race
Verified Audit Member San Antonio Distribution – The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.
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Fresh and Fantastic
Oysters aren’t the only tasty thing on the menu at Southtown newcomer Little Em’s
Saint City Saint?
Epicure Hugh Daschbach turns his attention to helping hospitality workers
Hot Dish
29 Music
Hitting Stride
Donella Drive drops a second
O
n the Cover: This week’s cover illustration is by San Antonio artist Jeremiah Teutsch, who has contributed artwork to numerous Current covers.
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.
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ASSCLOWN ALERT
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed another lawsuit against the Biden administration. This time, in a suit filed jointly with Missouri’s AG, Paxton is asking a federal court to reinstitute a Trump-era policy that forced U.S. asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed. Human-rights groups widely decried the policy as inhumane.
Peddling election-fraud snake oil with State Sen. Bryan Hughes
H H
The Farmers Market Plaza Building at downtown’s historic Market Square reopened last week after being shuttered in January to undergo renovations and mold abatement. The structure, which houses artisan shops, is a tourist draw and a key component of the downtown square.
H
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas has a serious problem with President Joe Biden: he doesn’t tweet enough. Last week, the GOP senator suggested on Twitter that Biden might not be “really in charge” because he doesn’t go on cable TV enough and because his tweets are infrequent and “unimaginably conventional.” Cornyn, of course, is the same dignified statesman who recently grilled Biden Department of Justice nominee Kirsten Clark over an article she wrote in college without realizing that it was satire. After weeks of waiting, San Antonio last Wednesday opened a COVID-19 vaccine waiting list for residents 65 years of age and older. The initiative, which follows similar efforts in other Texas cities, is a partnership between the city of San Antonio and Healthcare Access. — Abe Asher
Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark. These days, it’s hard to tell whether some GOP politicians are aware they’re pushing the big lie or they’ve been selling it so hard they now believe the garbage they’re spewing. During a CNN appearance last week, Texas State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Quitman, seemed to teeter along that line as he tried to justify the voter-suppression bill he and his Republican colleagues are hellbent on passing this session. CNN anchor Poppy Harlow worked overtime to set the record straight as Hughes made one false claim after another about his Senate Bill 7, a bill numerous voting-rights groups say is an effort to keep minority voters away from the polls. During the segment, Hughes asserted that his bill guarantees that people in line when polls close will get to vote (it’s already part of the state election code), that the state election code
news
That Rocks/That Sucks
Facebook / Bryan Hughes
explicitly bans drive-thru voting (it doesn’t) and that Texas voter fraud is widespread (it isn’t). At one point, Harlow pointed out that Ken Paxton, Texas’ Republican Attorney General, spent 22,000 hours probing voter fraud in the state and only found 16 minor cases. Meanwhile, Hughes continued to laugh and grin through the entire exchange, as if his attempt at “Aw, shucks” joviality and his patchy attempt at a Kenny Rodgers beard were somehow helping sell his brand of Texas-style bullshit. — Sanford Nowlin
YOU SAID IT!
“You have people on TV saying the most important thing to protect yourself from this virus is to stay at home if you don’t feel well, but we’re not going to do sick leave, so you can choose between going to work and eating.” — Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy to the Texas Tribune about the Texas Senate’s renewed push to ban cities from mandating worker sick leave.
Former San Antonio mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro gave local police reform proponents a boost last week by giving Proposition B its highest-profile endorsement. The ballot measure would strip the city’s police union of its collective bargaining power. In an endorsement video, Castro noted that San Antonio has the worst re-hire rate of fired police officers in the country and called its police accountability system “broken.” Voters will have their say May 1. With discriminatory anti-transgender legislation popping up in legislatures across the country, the NCAA announced it will only hold tournaments in states where student athletes won’t face discrimination. Texas could feel the impact. The NCAA has frequently held marquee events in San Antonio and other cities around the Lone Star State, but if the Lege passes any of a slew of proposed anti-transgender bills, that could end. — Abe Asher
Instagram / NCAAWBB
Find more news coverage every day at sacurrent.com
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CURRENT | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | sacurrent.com
news GLITTER POLICITAL
District 2 Council Candidate Nneka Cleaver Says Bringing People Together is Her Strongest Suit BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA
W
hen Nneka Cleaver appears on my screen, she’s sitting at a booth at Taqueria Los Dos Laredos, a bustling establishment on Rigsby Avenue. She’s between appointments with community members seeking her help. Bursting with enthusiasm, she tells me about her bid for San Antonio City Council, District 2, where she will face 11 challengers on the May 1 ballot. “I’m all about bringing people together,” she says. “I’ve been doing it for years, so I’m very confident that I’ll be able to do it for the district.” My first introduction to Cleaver, 46, came by way of The BrockCast, the internet talk show hosted by mayoral candidate Greg Brockhouse. Cleaver, a gifted orator with “old-school values,” presented a robust campaign pitch that left the former councilman uncharacteristically speechless. Cleaver is accustomed to having the floor. Growing up as an only child, she was the sole recipient of her tight-knit family’s love and attention, participating in extracurricular activities from karate to ballet. “My parents had to buy all the Girl Scout cookies,” she says, laughing. “Everything I’ve done, they supported.” Years later, when her mother died, her father told her that she would need to start emotionally preparing for his own passing, a conversation Cleaver found unsettling. “He said, ‘[Your mother] was the love of my life, and normally, the loves of your life don’t live longer than seven years apart.’” She pauses. “My dad died seven years after my mom passed. I know he passed away from a lonely heart. My mom was his heart.” After her father’s death, Cleaver found herself at a crossroads. “At that point, I looked up at God and I said, ‘It’s you and me now, man! I have to stay close to you to stay close to my parents, and I want to feel them all the time,’” she says. “That’s when I really started in with my relationship with God — to make sure that I stay close to my parents.” Indeed, Cleaver’s interest in community service became an extension of her spirituality. She remembers wanting to get more involved in Christmas toy drives when she noticed that many children were only getting one gift from the charity events. “And it [was] from the dollar store?! I was so hurt by that,” she says. “When I grew up, I had so many
Jade Esteban Estrada
Christmas presents I used to get tired of opening them. I said, ‘No. They need a Cleaver Christmas where you get to open more presents.’” And so began her annual Christmas Giveback in 2013. “Every year we [provide gifts to] 50 families, [but] it usually ends up being like 60 or 70. I don’t just give one — I give five. I just want them to feel how I felt growing up, that love of family.” Her outreach work eventually allowed her to cross paths with the political world. An internet radio host, Cleaver used her platform to help previous D2 candidates on their path to City Hall. Over time, she began to notice patterns. “I understood why people were voting differently,” she says of District 2’s merry-go-round of council representatives. “A lot of people don’t know this, but they had to beg Cruz [Shaw] to run,” she says of the D2 councilman who resigned in 2018 to become a district court judge. “At the end of the day, I feel like District 2 hasn’t really been given the [candidates] that have the love, the passion and the knowledge about the district.” She includes first-term Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan, the D2 incumbent, in her assessment. “I’m so connected I probably get 10 to 20 phone calls a week from people I don’t even know because Jada won’t answer her phone,” Cleaver says. As an organizer who aims to unite the diverse
groups that make up District 2, she has been publicly critical of Black Lives Matter, saying the progressive group has sewn division. “I really don’t like anything that divides,” she says. “We can’t get anywhere with division.” What’s more, Cleaver says she doesn’t like having to say that her life matters. “I am a child of God,” she says. “I am a human being. And I feel like it’s degrading to have to tell somebody, ‘Oh, excuse me, my life matters.’” She leans into her camera lens. “Where have you put me where I have to tell you that my life matters? We spend more time arguing about whether Black lives matter, all lives matter, blue lives matter that we have forgotten about the actual movement — which is justice.” As Cleaver continues knocking on doors, she’s come to understand that many residents simply want to be heard. “You don’t have to come down with a solution, they just want you to sit down and listen for real,” she adds. Sometimes, she’ll let an hour tick by as she talks to one of the potential voters she’s called on. “I want people to completely tell me everything. And then we try to come up with some kind of solution,” she says. “If we don’t, I give them a hug, we’re gonna pray and we’re gonna keep on trying to find resources. Right now, that’s all I can do. I’m not sitting in the seat yet.” sacurrent.com | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | CURRENT
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news
Healing Force
Freeman Coliseum
Volunteers at Freeman Coliseum want to help, not be pawns in Gov. Greg Abbott’s partisan game BY JAMES DOBBINS
F
or years, Gloria Gutierrez worked with children as a Dallas elementary school principal. Now, the 73-year-old retiree is working with kids again, spurred on by the heartbreaking, months-long journey unaccompanied minor asylum seekers must endure to reach South Texas. She wanted to help, so she’s now among the volunteers assisting with some 2,000 teenage boys housed at a makeshift federal shelter at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio. Late last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reached a 60-day lease with Bexar County to house unaccompanied minors there as it became overwhelmed by a surge in border crossings. “My motivation was the humanitarian aspect,” Gutierrez said. “Why is this happening? Have we done something in their home countries to cause this? We need to do a deep dive. Until then, we have to care for our fellow humans the best we can.” On April 7, Gov. Greg Abbott called a press conference at Freeman, announcing that the state had received tips that one or more of the minors had been sexually abused. Before the start of a state investigation or even his own tour of the site, Texas’ Republican governor demanded that the Biden administra12
CURRENT | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | sacurrent.com
tired like that since I was a principal. I put my feet up, turned on the news, and saw the governor say how bad conditions were inside. I was so ticked off.”
‘I call them my niños’
Before she could enter Freeman, Gutierrez, like all volunteers, needed a criminal background check and a COVID-19 test. After passing both, she was issued an tion close the shelter. official ID and received training. The White House subsequently announced the Gutierrez drew the assignment of folding fresh Department of Health and Human Services would ingym shorts, T-shirts and underwear into packages for vestigate the governor’s allegations, but it’s made no the residents, all boys 13 to 17. The youths receive the move to close the site. new clothes in exchange As Texas elected for the dirty ones they officials make political came in wearing. She hay out of the Biden also prepared bedding Administration’s hanand filled duffle bags dling of the latest surge with sweatpants, socks, in unaccompanied shorts and sneakers for minors and migrants at new arrivals. the border, volunteers The teens are staying at shelters say they’re at Freeman while the more concerned with Office of Refugee Resethelping than in partitlement works to find san squabbling. trusted family members Because preparations who can safely house were behind schedule them after their release. Instagram / Catholic Charities of San Antonio when Gutierrez arrived It’s a difficult task, volunat Freeman to volunteers say, since many of teer, Homeland Security employees pushed her and the teens don’t have contacts or know precisely where the others to work at a frantic pace. their U.S. relatives reside. “People were super friendly and caring,” she said. While refugee-assistance groups such as San Anto“But when I got home, I was so tired. I haven’t been nio-based RAICES have called on the feds to be more
transparent about the conditions inside the temporary shelters, officials have yet to invite journalists inside Freeman to make independent reports on the conditions. Much of that reporting, therefore, comes down to the observations of volunteers. Gutierrez said the vast shelter, created from a pair of expo halls, is split into numbered “pods.” Each pod has 30 beds, six to a row, five to a column, where the teens sleep. Tape on the floor distinguishes one pod from another. There are no walls. Miriam de la Paz, 67, volunteered to help make the expo halls habitable before the minors arrived. Once the teens reached the site, she was assigned to look after those in Pod 12. “I was someone to reassure them they would be OK, we weren’t going to hurt them,” she said. “I welcomed them with open arms. I got that back and more, so many hugs and cuddles. The boys are very strong. I call them my niños.” When the first busload of minors arrived at 2 a.m. on March 30, de la Paz was shocked to see one 13-yearold so tiny he barely passed for 6. “I was 13 when I came here as a political refugee from Cuba in 1967,” she said. “The boys were scared. I understand their fear, the fear of the unknown.”
Down in Laredo The volunteer experience in San Antonio differs from what Andrea Duarte-Alonso, 24, observed in Laredo, where she worked with asylum-seeking families. Duarte-Alonso, a second-generation Mexican American, recently took two weeks off from her job at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota to volunteer for Catholic Charities. She helped coordinate transportation for more than 30 Cuban, Honduran and Venezuelan families who ended up in U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities. “I met with immigrants and refugees in my hometown, but I’ve never seen people who have been within one day of crossing the border,” she said. “My background is social justice-oriented. I want to become an immigration attorney.” Reflecting on her first time at the U.S.-Mexico border, Duarte-Alonso said she only understood the borderlands through the media. She expected the Border Patrol to be unkind. “Maybe I was lucky to see good Border Patrol agents working with the migrants,” she said. “I still question how others are being treated. Asylum seekers told me they wore the same clothes for three days in a row at Border Patrol stations.” A former resident of the Des Moines, Iowa area, Duarte-Alonso said she wants newly arrived immigrants to feel welcome and have some sense of what it’s like to live in the United States. After a father from El Salvador recently released from custody mentioned he was on his way to Iowa with his young son and daughter, she shared her own experiences living in the American Heartland. “When I told the father I know Des Moines, his eyes opened wide and he asked, ‘What’s it like?’”
Finding fulfillment
Instagram / Catholic Charities of San Antonio
Vicente Verino, a 63-year-old volunteer at the Holding Institute, a shelter in Laredo where Border Patrol sends asylum-seeking families, said his search to find a purpose in life through service to others was long and hard. That journey started when he was recruited into the drug trade as an 8-year-old paperboy in Laredo. A customer angry that Verino stopped delivering confronted him outside a corner store. “I told him, ‘You don’t pay me. That’s why I stopped,’” said Verino. “All of a sudden, another guy comes. He opens my newspaper sack and puts something inside. He said, ‘That’s your payment.’ It was a bunch of marijuana.” Verino brought his “payment” to teenagers who bought the weed. The sale triggered an obsession with money, and by 13, Verino was sneaking tenpound bags onto the Greyhound bus to San Antonio. Eventually, he was busted for smuggling 1,500 pounds of pot north, a shipment that would have netted him $45,000. Verino went to prison, and his mother, father and eldest brother died before his 2005 parole in 2005. Drunk and homeless, he bottomed out. Then he found God.
Volunteer work helped him sober up and turn his life around, he said. At the Holding Institute, Verino assists 125 residents — families largely from Honduras and Guatemala — before they travel to their final destinations throughout the U.S. “God changed me very differently than how I lived before,” Verino said. “Money was an addiction. I don’t want to get paid now. The refugees are in need, and I want to help.” Back at Freeman Coliseum, a few teens told volunteer de la Paz that when they saw daylight stream through the windows there, it was the first time they’d seen the sun since entering custody at the border. When she last volunteered, about a week ago, de la Paz said the boys were allowed to kick a ball around outside in small groups for 30 minutes a day. One she met was allowed to make three phone calls to his family in the U.S., but no one answered. He worries his relatives may never call back. “They need to be understood and to be loved. I can give my boys that,” de la Paz said. “But I can’t promise when they’ll get out, because I don’t know.” sacurrent.com | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | CURRENT
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WED | 04.21 SPORTS
SPURS VS. HEAT
behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Disney+ original series Secrets
lighting seven San Antonio artists held earlier this month at the Aztec
of the Whales, which debuts on the streaming service on April 22. In this
Theatre. Though the art walk is free, attendees must register online due
virtual event, National Geographic Explorer and Photographer Brian
to limited capacity. Free, 1 p.m., San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones
Skerry will host a live audience Q&A as well as share stories and visuals
Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org/events. — DN
from his journey to guests. Filmed over the course of three years in 24 locations, the docuseries follows the communication and social structures of five different species: orcas, humpbacks, belugas, narwhals and sperm whales. A contributing photojournalist for Nat Geo since 1998, Skerry has produced multiple cover stories for the magazine and been awarded various titles such as National Geographic Society Photography Fellow in 2014 and Storytelling Fellow in 2017. Free, 6 p.m., National Geographic Live, natgeolive.com/earthday. — Dana Nichols
SAT | 04.24 FILM
EVIL DEAD II WITH LIVE COMMENTARY FROM BRUCE CAMPBELL
Facebook / Spurs
Courtesy of Pabst Blue Ribbon
After an unlikely run to the Finals in the NBA Bubble, it’s been a
SUN | 04.25 MON | 04.26
challenging stretch for the Miami Heat. Earlier this season, the team endured its first six-game losing streak since 2017, and injuries to key personnel along the way — including Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic — have led to creative lineups for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. Miami’s acquisition of two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo,
CLASSICAL MUSIC
who recently sat out a four-game road trip with a knee injury, remains
SOLI CHAMBER ENSEMBLE: STORIES FROM THE VOICES WITHIN
a question mark for a team intent on returning to the Finals. With the league implementing a play-in tournament for the seventh and eighth playoff seeds in each conference this season, a post-season bid remains in play for Spurs. As the regular season winds down amidst a brutal schedule, San Antonio’s margin for error narrows considerably. Contributions from DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray and Derrick White will once again prove critical for the Spurs at the finish line. $20-300, 7:30 Courtesy of Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com, Bally Sports Southwest. — M. Solis
San Antonio just can’t seem to get enough of Ash Williams. Hot on the heels of his virtual Evil Dead event in January, Bruce Campbell
THU | 04.22
has teamed up with the Tobin Center to stream the sequel. Though it follows the events of the original — after an intro recap that should help onboard any new viewers — Evil Dead II is where Sam Raimi’s
SPECIAL EVENT
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE: CELEBRATE EARTH DAY In honor of Earth Day, National Geographic Live is giving a free,
campy horror series found its madcap comedic heart (and Ash gets his infamous chainsaw hand). As with the prior video-on-demand event, Campbell will be on hand to dish the deets on filming the movie and answer fan questions. For those who want a little more excitement and have money to burn, the online event has three VIP ticket tiers, which include perks like autographed posters and — if you have $350 to spare — an individual Zoom meet-and-greet with Campbell. $25-$350, 8 p.m., tobincenter.org. — Kelly Merka Nelson
SAT | 04.24 ART
THE MURAL CONNECTION
Rebecca Hale
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CURRENT | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | sacurrent.com
Courtesy of SOLI Chamber Ensemble
As increasing rates of COVID-19 vaccinations provide rays of hope after a painful year, SOLI Chamber Ensemble’s latest concert embraces both grief and radical joy. Opening in an elegiac mood, the concert features
Explore downtown San Antonio and admire art with a beer in-hand.
the world premiere of Pulitzer and Grammy-winning composer and
Presented by Pabst Brewing and the San Antonio Street Art Initiative
repeat SOLI collaborator Aaron Jay Kernis’ Elegy for those we lost.
(SASAI), the Mural Connection is a one-day art walk event highlight-
Originally written for solo piano, the work was released on YouTube as
ing local, regional and national artists. Starting at the San Antonio
part of a collaboration with filmmaker Esther Shubinski memorializing
Museum of Art and venturing throughout downtown, the walk features
those who have been lost to COVID-19. For SOLI’s performance, Kernis
several mural stops plus a rest and drink break in the technicolor
arranged the elegy for Carolyn True and Ertan Torgul to play on piano
lounge at immersive art gallery Hopscotch. The walk comes after
and violin. After a bittersweet midprogram performance of selections
Pabst’s art pop-up In Living Pixels, an interactive art showcase high-
from Chick Corea’s Children’s Songs honoring the influential compos-
calendar
er, who passed away in February of this year, the concert
tanced movie night in downtown San Antonio at the Weston
its 25th anniversary, the free fair has converted to a fully
concludes with a second world premiere, this time from
Urban Park, where Slab Cinema will present the 1988 Italian
virtual experience this year. This ain’t just some lazy online
San Antonio native Darian Donovan Thomas. Thomas’ mul-
drama film Cinema Paradiso. The classic film follows Salva-
storefront, though — the McNay has collaborated with print
tidimensional work ((HERE)) “tells the story of the BIPOC
tore Di Vita, a famous film director who reminisces on his
dealers nationwide to curate a cornucopia of artworks for
experience, past and present, through a signature blend of
childhood and his relationship with his late mentor Alfredo,
sale, all branching from a central hub on the museum’s
styles — contemporary classical, ‘80s hip hop, and flamenco
the projectionist at a movie house who taught Salvatore his
website that acts as a roadmap for shoppers to navigate
all unite together in a joyful statement of strength and
love of film. The 1989 Academy Award winner for Best For-
the thousands of prints, photos, drawings and watercolors
solidarity.” For the performance, SOLI will be joined by San
eign Language Film, Cinema Paradiso is a highlight of Slab’s
available for purchase. In addition to San Antonio’s Ruiz-
Antonio Poet Laureate and hip-hop artist Andrea “Vocab”
niche April lineup of outdoor screenings, which includes
Healy Art, participating galleries include Tandem Press
Sanderson — who collaborated with Thomas directly to pro-
the final entries in its Foodie Film Festival at The Good Kind
(Madison, WI), Mary Ryan Gallery (New York, NY), Warnock
vide texts and song material for the extended piece — and
in Southtown. $5-10, 8 p.m., Slab Cinema, slabcinemaarthouse.
Fine Arts (Palm Springs, CA) and Davidson Galleries (Seattle,
noted Alamo City flamenco dancer Tamara Adira. $15-$25,
com. — DN
WA). Fairgoers can also enjoy a selection of video content
7:30 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Betty Kelso Center and Greehey
that gives a deeper look at different aspects of printmaking,
Lawn, San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, (210)
including Foam Print and Tortilla Press printmaking demos,
536-1400, solichamberensemble.com. — KMN
interviews with SA artists Ethel Shipton and Humberto
Saenz and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum’s Print
TUE | 04.27
Room with McNay Curator of Prints and Drawings Lyle W. Williams. Free, mcnayart.org/print-fair. — KMN
SPECIAL EVENT
SUN | 05.02
DIVAS THROUGH THE DECADES
SPORTS
SPURS VS. 76ERS
Lions Gate Films
SAT | 05.01 SUN | 05.02 ART
Courtesy Photo / Woodlawn Theatre
25TH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL PRINT FAIR
The Woodlawn Theatre is providing dinner and a show with Divas Through the Decades at Ida Claire. Hosted by Christopher Rodriguez, guests get the chance to watch Woodlawn Theatre artists such as Morgan Clyde, Megan DeYoung, Danielle King, Danica McKinney, Carla Sankey, Janecia
Facebook / Spurs
Stevenson and Crystal Vera strut their stuff. Get everything
Since being traded from the Spurs to the Raptors in 2018,
in one purchase by choosing one of the three options for
after eight seasons in San Antonio, Danny Green has been on
appetizers with every ticket purchase. For guests 21 and over,
the move. Following title winning stops in Toronto and Los
grab Ida’s Frose or Vinyl Hours Indian Pale Ale or Wine.
Angeles, Green was traded to Oklahoma City last offseason
A portion of every ticket sold will also be donated to the
before landing in Philadelphia with the 76ers. Anchored by
Woodlawn Theatre and Woodlawn Theatre Academy. Divas
league MVP candidate Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, who
Through the Decades will be held on Ida Claire’s outdoor
has recently been campaigning for Defensive Player of the
patio with four-person and two-person tables to maintain
Year, Philadelphia has reemerged as a power in the East
social distance. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind event! $25, 7
under the leadership of head coach Doc Rivers. With less
p.m., Ida Claire, 7300 Jones Maltsberger Road, (210) 267-8388,
than a month remaining on the regular season schedule, the
woodlawntheatre.org. — Jada Teague
Spurs seemingly stand at a crossroads. The team’s recent disjointed play suggests that for the second consecutive season,
TUE | 04.27 FI LM
a playoff berth could once again be beyond its grasp. Facing one of the toughest schedules in the league, San Antonio’s young core will likely be called upon to prove its mettle. Courtesy Photo / McNay Art Museum
Expect a bumpy, albeit intriguing, ride. $24-396, 7 p.m., AT&T
CINEMA PARADISO
The McNay Art Museum’s Print Fair has long been a great
Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com, Bally
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Although live events have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. Check with venues to make sure scheduled events are still happening, and please follow all health and safety guidelines.
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16
APR 22 - APR 24
APR 25
APR 29 - MAY 2
MAY 6 - MAY 9
MAY 13 - MAY 15
Whitney Cummings
Rocky Dale Davis
Desi Banks
Pablo Francisco
Taylor Tomlinson
CURRENT | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | sacurrent.com
12th Annual
Open Weekends:
Apr 3 – May 23 + Fri Apr 23 10 AM To Dusk Rain Or Shine | No Pets -Camping Available-
Location
1883 Old Hwy 20 Mcdade, Tx 78650
35 Miles East Of Austin -Or2 Hrs Northeast Of San Antonio
Entertainment
Join Robin Hood & Lady Marian as they host full contact jousting, falconry, swordplay, archery, juggling, comedy, theater & more. Medieval England comes to life in Central Texas.
Artisans + Merchants We host a grand selection of hand-crafted goods in Central Texas. We offer demonstrations like glass blowing, blacksmithing, pottery spinning, leather armor making, weaving, jewelry & art creation, & others.
Song + Dance
You'll find minstrels, bards, storytellers, magicians, jugglers, & all types of performers strolling our lanes & playing on our stages. If you're lucky, you may spot a faery or two!
Food + Drink
From trenchers weighty with tasty fare to tankards overflowing with foamy mead, there's plenty to eat and drink at Sherwood Forest Faire. You'll discover medieval treats & delicacies.
Tickets On Sale Now At Sher woodforestfaire.com | (512)222-6680 | Follow Us On sacurrent.com | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | CURRENT
17
Block Party
Fiesta gets a new tradition with the first-ever House Float Parade WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BRYAN RINDFUSS
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ike countless festivals across the globe, Fiesta has been in a hazy holding pattern since the COVID-19 pandemic reared its head in early 2020. Last March, the Fiesta San Antonio Commission announced that the 2020 celebration had been rescheduled from April to November due to safety concerns. While animated conversations ensued about a brisk Fiesta leading into the holidays, the postponement amounted to nothing more than wishful thinking. Amusingly, Fiesta diehards had no intention of waiting until November. Instead, they got creative in quarantine and found safe ways to celebrate in April. Folks took to social media and posted lively photos — of women in flower crowns, dogs in serapes, doors decorated with wreaths, even chicken on a stick being sold curbside — with the hashtag #AtHomeFiesta. By the time summer rolled around, plans for Fiesta 2020 had been scrapped entirely. “While we had hoped that postponing Fiesta 2020 from April to November would provide a safer environment, we recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic is not likely to subside sufficiently to permit the thousands of Fiesta attendees to celebrate safely,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a press release at the time. “My calendar is marked for April 15-25, 2021, when we will celebrate the 130th anniversary of the first Fiesta,” he continued. Again, more wishful thinking. By February, Fiesta had been postponed again, this time to June 17-27. Fingers crossed? Surely, many are — including those of the myriad nonprofits that Fiesta supports — but others may hit the snooze button on a sizzling, sweat-soaked summer festival. Beyond the punishing heat, certain San Antonians are clearly Fiesta purists who are hardwired to celebrate the occasion in mid-April — its slot on the calendar for more than a century.
House Float Parade connects more than 80 homes, addresses for which can be found at ourkwa.org/ housefloatparade. “I’ve been really, really happy that it’s spread out quite nicely,” Lynde said. “It’s no one section — it’s really throughout. … We wanted people to have fun with it and do something wacky. … It’s kind of a nice way for people to relax, come down to the neighborhood, maybe grab lunch at a restaurant and then drive around and look at the homes. So that’s what our intent is — sort of a gift to San Antonio [that brings] a little levity and celebration to our respective neighborhoods.” Unsurprisingly, many of the participating homes are decked out in the hallmarks of Fiesta and certain blocks appear almost as they would during the King William Fair — papel picado, garlands, wreaths and piñatas abound. But more than a few took the challenge over the top by collaborating with artists and choosing themes that run the gamut from playful and irreverent to poignant and political. We highlighted five House Floats that exemplify the possibilities of what could become a new Fiesta tradition.
It’s safe to say the nonprofit King William Association (KWA) is among those purists. Last year, as a COVID-friendly alternative to its delightfully quirky King William Fair (a Fiesta fan favorite initiated in 1968), the KWA organized an informal “pop-up parade” with residents cruising the historic ’hood from the safety of their vehicles. “We wanted to do something a little bit different this year since we’ve made the decision not to have the King William Fair in June,” KWA Executive Director Lisa Lynde explained. “I moved here from New Orleans, [and] I follow what’s going on there pretty closely. Last year, fairly early, the city decided not to have a traditional Mardi Gras celebration in 2021. In December, they announced this house float idea, [which] started with the intent of putting out-of-work float artists to work decorating homes. … I sent a copy ‘Another Schitty Year of the story to our fair Without Fiesta’ (531 director and our parade Adams St.) wrangler and said, ‘Hey, “I wanted to be creative we should do this!’” and step outside the box,” Once the concept got real estate agent John a green light, Lynde Barrera said of his Schitt’s Another Schitty Year Without Fiesta reached out to Lavaca Creek-themed house float. Neighborhood Association Board President Cherise In addition to floating heads of Johnny, Moira, David Rohr-Allegrini. and Alexis Rose blurting phrases such as “Ew Ted “She was on board immediately and [suggested Cruz!” and “Eat Glass Fiesta,” the yard features a recthat we] ask the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Associ- reation of Moira’s “wig wall” that Barrera assembled ation too,” Lynde said. from wigs his girlfriends donated to the cause. Tacked Presented as a creative collaboration between under the rooftop is a would-be advertisement for the three neighborhood associations, the resulting the cultish sitcom’s setting — the Rosebud Motel,
Another Schitty Year Without Fiesta 18
CURRENT | April 21 - May 4, 2021 | sacurrent.com
‘Battle of Vaccines/Viva Vaccines’ (613 Mission St.)
Local artist Leigh Anne Lester sums up her house float as a riff on Fiesta institutions — “Battle of Flowers, Fiesta hats and papel picado with a bit of a giggle at our current cruddy situation.” A sign of the times in more ways than one, her wildly colorful arrangement includes a giant sombrero emblazoned with the slogan “Viva Vaccines,” campaign-style signage for each COVID-19 vaccine (*microchip NOT included) and oversized syringes she crafted from caulking tubes — complete with blood droplets made from red pompoms.
The Reclining Buddha Contemplates Callaghan Avenue
S. Presa St.)
When it comes to timely messaging, Presa House Gallery co-directors Jenelle Esparza and Rigoberto Luna brought it all to the yard with “The Love Float,” an outdoor exhibi‘Coronaville’ (801 Labor St.) tion presented in partnership with Planned A spooktacular standout in Lavaca, Christina Parenthood South Texas. Addressing reproand Rudy Macias’ “Coronaville” is inspired in ductive rights, body positivity, equal parts by a love of Halacceptance, gender and racial loween and Jimmy Buffett’s equality, the weatherproof beach-bum classic “Marinstallation combines sogaritaville.” Announced by House Float Parade cio-political yard signs — a sign that reads “Wasted Multiple locations “Stop Asian Hate,” “Black Lives Away in Coronaville,” throughout King William, Matter” and “Love Is Love” are their house float playfully Lavaca and Roosevelt Park among the messages — and conjures coastal decay as April 15-25 reproductions of artwork skeletons in Hawaiian attire created by 13 women on the chillax with cold brews ourkwa.org/housefloatparade gallery’s 2020-2021 roster: amid tiki-style party decor. Esparza, Alexandria Canchola, “We recently moved to the Jennifer Arnold, Lauri Garcia Lavaca neighborhood and Jones, Wendy Yamilett, Bailey Kidder, Josie were bummed because we could not enjoy Del Castillo, Ashley Perez, Audrey LeGalley Fiesta during the pandemic,” Christina said. “I’m really glad that we have a new way to cel- and Gabi Magaly. ebrate and look forward to seeing Southtown come back to life.” ‘The Reclining Buddha Contemplates Cal-
‘The Love Float: Every Body Cared For’ (725
Battle of Vaccines
arts
“where everyone fits in” — which Barrera sees as a metaphor for the neighborhood. “Southtown is all-inclusive,” he said. “We’re just a very diverse neighborhood. I think we celebrate that.”
laghan Avenue’ (127 Callaghan Ave.)
On her last pre-COVID adventure, artist and
author Penelope Boyer traveled through Southeast Asia and purchased eclectic decor in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Although she collected the silk lanterns, banners and flower fronds to use in a “temple-inspired outdoor dining space,” they’re currently creating a Zen-like environment inhabited by three figures — a reclining Buddha and two asparsas — made by neighbor and fellow artist Michelle Humphreys Burk (whose “Avocado Avenue” house float is on view around the corner at 115 Canal St.). “My celebration of Southeast Asian street decorations comes during a difficult period marked by violence against Asians in the U.S.,” Boyer pointed out. “So, I aim to stand in solidarity with those who are opposing xenophobia and racial violence.” Taking cues from the initiative StopDiscriminAsian.org, Boyer also printed out posters that read “Viruses Don’t Discriminate, Neither Do We” and “Protect the Front Line, Not the Bottom Line.” While some are displayed along her fence, others are up for grabs in miniature format packaged in gift bags with sand dollars from Myanmar’s Andaman Sea.
The Love Float: Every Body Cared For
Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com
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FEAR SHOULD NEVER BE A PART OF LOVE. HELP IS HERE.
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CURRENT | April 21 - May 4, 2021 | sacurrent.com
arts Cultural Cultivation San Pedro Creek Culture Park project will marry public art with San Antonio’s natural beauty BY EMILY SCHMALSTIEG AND KELLY MERKA NELSON
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mong San Antonio’s many public art initiatives, it’s arguable that the San Pedro Creek Culture Park is one of its most ambitious. This spring, the park entered phase two of its four-part restoration project. The San Antonio River Authority (SARA), Bexar County and City of San Antonio are transforming historic San Pedro Creek from a drainage ditch into an engaging park emblematic of the city’s rich culture, art and landscape. The revitalization of the downtown greenspace combines environmental elements such as ecosystem restoration, flood control and water quality management with public art installations emphasizing the rich cultural legacy of the Alamo City. The artistic additions include murals, sculptures, ceramic art and tiled benches. The project also celebrates the cultural history of Bexar County through community engagement, performance art and interactive exhibits. A forthcoming installation is particularly symbolic of the park’s mission. Designed and fabricated by Stuart Allen and Cade Bradshaw, founders of local art firm Bridge Projects, Creek Lines is a stainless-steel canopy sculpture located in the Plaza de Fundación section of the park. One of the final additions under the first phase of the restoration project, the installation is expected to be complete this summer.
Towering canopy The sculpture towers at 24 feet. Its stainless-steel tubes in the shape of San Pedro Creek’s course wind upward to connect with a reflective canopy that serves as an abstract representation of the creek’s watershed. When it rains, the canopy will funnel water to a void in the shape of the creek. “There are 30 poles that connect to the canopy, and each represents 10 years of the 300-year history of San Antonio, so that kind of configuration is symbolic of the culture and history of the city,” Allen told the Current. The Creek Lines project also includes an educational program involving SARA. “We collaborated with some of the educators at the River Authority to create a set of lesson plans for schools,” Bridge Projects’ Bradshaw said. “Students will be able to visit the sculpture, have images of the sculpture, and use those images in the classroom to discuss abstract art and how the creek’s pathway has changed over time. So, there’s a pretty robust education project that goes along with this sculpture, ready
Courtesy Photo / San Antonio River Authority
to be distributed out to schools.” Added Allen: “Overall, we hope that visitors will start to think about the shape of the creek, but also the way the creek has shaped the history of the city and the way this creek has shaped the founding, the formation and the evolution of San Antonio.” The sculpture project should be finalized in July 2021. “Things are definitely underway, but there is still a way to go,” Bradshaw explained. “Our primary fabricator that is doing the work on the canopy has been particularly slammed with COVID-related delays, so that’s our biggest challenge right now — their timeline.”
Ruby City connection Phase two of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park Project is now underway. A major component of this construction phase is the connection of the park to downtown contemporary art center Ruby City. Though Ruby City opened to the public in late 2019, the marriage between the park and art center will serve as the symbolic completion of its campus. Designed by Ruby City architects Adjaye Associates and Alamo Architects, the expansion will merge the award-winning art center with San Pedro Creek’s greenspace, featuring an enlarged entry plaza and tiered terraces that will descend to the creek. Ruby City designer David Adjaye envisioned this
integration from the start. “David Adjaye, the architect of Ruby City, was really thinking from the beginning about the creek system and the history of our city all together, and so, as a consequence, a lot of the building itself reflects that interest in history and in San Antonio in general,” Ruby City Director Elyse A. Gonzales said. “For example, one of the four main windows in the building faces out onto the creek system. That’s something David spoke about — this kind of eye into the world — and he sees the creek system as being an integral part of that, that kind of eye into the world of San Antonio.” The expansion goes beyond physical construction. Ruby City is dedicated to providing a space to experience works by both local and international artists, and its integration with San Pedro Creek Culture Park will allow visitors to experience the cultural and environmental significance of the creek through a contemporary art lens. Gonzales plans to bring the Ruby City and San Pedro Creek Culture Park communities together through events including live music at the park as well as possible outdoor installations. “I think it’s an extraordinary opportunity for us to reach more members of our community, and really, that is what our mission is based on — providing individuals access to contemporary art and helping them understand the vibrance of contemporary existence,” she said. sacurrent.com | April 21 - May 4, 2021 | CURRENT
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Puppeteer and UTSA senior Bradley Freeman Jr. joins Sesame Workshop’s new initiative on race BY KIKO MARTINEZ
A
s a child growing up in Brownsville, Bradley Freeman Jr. was fascinated by puppets. A fan of practical effects, he watched TV shows including Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House and Between the Lions with wide eyes and wondered how the plush characters were moving. “There was something special about these real puppets interacting with real children,” Freeman, 22, told the Current during a recent interview. “They could reach out and shake Elmo’s hand or give Big Bird or Barney a hug.” But when Freeman’s grandparents bought him the original The Muppet Show on DVD, he went from fascinated to hooked. The collection included behind-the-scenes bonus features that showed how the puppeteers brought Kermit the Frog and Gonzo to life. “I had never seen that before,” he said. “That’s when I knew like, ‘Oh, my goodness. This is a job. I want to do that job.’ The magic became more substantial to me because it turned into something that was possible.” After graduating from high school in 2016, Freeman moved to the Alamo City, where he attended San Antonio College to study radio, television and film for a couple of years before transferring to the University of Texas at San Antonio to study communications. Freeman, who graduates next month, said his initial post-degree plans involved landing a job and working his way to “financial stability.” That way, he could pursue his dreams to become a professional puppeteer. “That ended up happening sooner than I expected,” he said. The jumpstart for Freeman’s puppeteering career goes back a couple of years. In 2018, he sent in an audition tape for an international workshop that Sesame Street was holding in New York City to find young puppeteering talent. He was one of the 30 people chosen from 400 applicants to study with industry legends such as Matt Vogel (Kermit the Frog), Peter Linz (Ernie), Marty Robinson (Mr. Snuffleupagus) and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (Abby Cadabby), among others. “I ended up learning from all my heroes,” he said. “To be in the same room as them and to be taught by them was an absolutely magical experience.” Last November, Robinson emailed Freeman to check in and see how he was doing. During
screens
Sunny Days
Courtesy Photo / Sesame Workshop
their exchange, Freeman sent the Sesame Street player his puppetry demo reel for some feedback. The following morning, he received emails asking if he’d like to audition for a pair of new Sesame Workshop characters. “I didn’t know what they looked like, but I got their bios and started to think about the voice I could put to these characters,” Freeman said. “Then, they set up an appointment with me, sent me a puppet from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and then I auditioned over Zoom. I kept thinking, ‘Man, when I don’t get it, this is going to be a great story to tell.’” But he did get the job. Last month, Freeman, who is Afro Latino, made his debut as the newest puppeteer with Sesame Workshop. He was cast to perform and give voice to new puppet character Wesley Walker, a five-year-old Black Muppet who, along with his father Elijah, helps families talk about race and racism. Currently, Wesley and Elijah are featured on an exclusively online series called ABCs of Racial Literacy. In one episode, Wesley explains to Elmo why people have different skin color. “It’s because of melanin,” Wesley the Muppet says. In another episode, Wesley, Elmo and a couple of other friends sing a song called “I Am Somebody” about the beauty of being different and standing up against racial injustice. Sesame Street never avoided addressing heavy topics like grief, disability, homelessness and divorce in an age-appropriate way. Its comprehensive effort to tackle the issue
Bradley Freeman Jr. (second from right) controls the Wesley Walker Muppet during a shoot for a Sesame Street online series.
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of being Black in America is something new, though. Freeman hopes Wesley can be a catalyst for family conversations about race and racism. “I have so much to learn myself, so I feel like I’m experiencing it along with families across the world,” he said. “I feel the same sadness and anger and fear that Wesley sometimes feels, but by the end of the script, I end up feeling better. I’m so proud to be a part of this conversation. If we can mention it, then we can manage it.” While some may not think a 3-year-old child should be exposed to the issue of racism at such a young age, Freeman sees it differently. Society needs to do more than just be “not racist,” he said. It’s time to “turn the tide and become anti-racist.” That’s the message Sesame Workshop wants to get across with its new initiative. A 3-year-old isn’t too young to learn how to celebrate differences. “We need to get ahead of the game and tell children, ‘Yes, people look different, but they are not less valuable,” he said. “We can teach them inclusion, love, recognition and representation.” To see all the videos and for more resources on Sesame Workshop’s new initiative on racial justice, visit sesameworkshop.org/comingtogether
Find more film stories at sacurrent.com
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CURRENT | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | sacurrent.com
food
Fresh and Fantastic
Oysters aren’t the only tasty thing on the menu at Southtown newcomer Little Em’s BY RON BECHTOL
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eausoleil, Acadian Pearl, Shiny Sea, Pink Moon, Savage Blonde, Fire Lake. They all sound like they could be the pantone colors or shades featured in a L’Oréal ad. Certainly, anything but names for one of the food world’s least lovely edibles when seen in its unshucked state. But Emily Carpenter and her husband Houston have somehow managed to turn the modest oyster shell into a clever graphic symbol. Not to mention, the presentation of the oysters themselves — along with almost everything else on the menu at their Southtown oyster bar Little Em’s — into a fashion statement, all bracketed in blushing pink. Lift a coral-hued glass of sparkling brut rosé and offer a toast to Beausoleils, beautiful days and the cautious return of (mostly) outdoor dining. The oysters I tasted for this review were sourced in early April, a time when they and the season were at one. From northernmost New Brunswick, to southernmost Massachusetts, they all fulfilled the promise of their generally accurate descriptions: delicate, creamy, briny, mineral and buttery. Only the “white mushroom” descriptor eluded me. For what it’s worth, West Coast oysters have been hard to reliably source, according to a server, and there are no Gulf Coast oysters on the menu. Most of the fresh oysters wanted only a squeeze of lemon, with a whisper of the shredded horseradish, to underscore their freshness. The fried garlic on the dressed oysters, also adorned in the kitchen with chili oil and micro cilantro, was more of a shout than a whisper. Stick with the undressed. But as summer approaches, oysters, much like humans, become sluggish and lethargic, and their flavor can suffer accordingly. This is perhaps the most important reason to consume them in months containing an “R,” as the old adage goes. But if you insist, it makes sense to opt for ones harvested from the coldest waters. Not to worry unduly as we edge toward May, for Little Em’s menu has other enticements, including a red snapper ceviche that was one of the best in recent memory. Fresh, almost florally fragrant with mango and cilantro, and given a lift by finely minced jalapeño and fresh lime juice, it was pure poetry.
Ron Bechtol
As wild-caught Pacific salmon comes into season from mid-May through September, depending on the species and source, there’s no reason to think the kitchen can’t pull off a poetic slam-dunk with that ceviche, featuring cucumber and bird chilies, too. Lobster season is year-round in Maine and New Hampshire, though most tend to be harvested from June to December. At $28, Little Em’s lobster roll is petite and presented in a lightly toasted dog-style bun. There’s nothing between the lobster and you but that delicate bread and a little celery. While that sounds desirably pure, it turned out to be a tad underwhelming. Less is not always more, in other words. However, a squeeze of lemon came to the rescue, as is often the case. If you’re judicious with the assertive tarragon aioli that comes alongside, it also perks things up. While the seasoned herb fries, slim and perfectly cooked, are almost too good on their own, adorning them with the aioli is actually recommended. There are also times when more is decidedly more. Little Em’s marks the wines on its list thought to be oyster-worthy with an oyster shell graphic. You won’t find a classic French oyster wine such as Muscadet, but the always dependable Albert Bichot, a Chardonnay in
the drier French style from Chablis, should work just fine. A tart Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand will also hit the spot, as would a Sancerre. Among the big-C Champagnes, the Piper Heidsieck is a reasonably priced choice. Big spenders will appreciate the option of the gorgeous-in-every-way Perrier Jouët Belle Epoque brut or rosé, which pairs well with oysters or the caviar service. I hit upon the Bouvet Sparkling Rosé from the Loire mostly as an homage to the splendid spring day more than the oysters, but it celebrated both beautifully. Normally a believer in drinking what you want rather than what the rules say, I’d still avoid reds with the bivalves. Save those for the burger or the filet with lump crab demi and blue cheese. Or just sitting and sipping on the delightful outdoor patio. Currently, only a single dessert is available daily. Still, I had no complaints with an impeccably executed crème brûlée crowned with a single, sugared raspberry. The torched topping, a shell to be shattered, not shucked, hinted at delights within. The creamy custard was appropriately plush in response — a fitting coda to a most pleasant afternoon.
LITTLE EM’S OYSTER BAR
1001 S. Alamo St. 78210 | (210) 257-0100 | littleemsoysterbar.com | 11-10 Thurs.-Sat., 11-4 Sun. Price Range: Oysters $3.75 each, while entrées run $17-36 Best Bets: Oysters, ceviches, dessert of the day. The Skinny: Little Em’s is a delightful addition to the street scene in King William, and its freshly shucked oysters prove the promise of the perky setting, indoors and out. Ceviches are also recommended, as are many of the selections on the just-big-enough wine list, especially the crisper whites.
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food Saint City Saint?
Epicure Hugh Daschbach turns his attention to helping hospitality workers
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ho’s got time to click through all the food stories coming out of Countdown City these days? This is Hot Dish, a roundup of bite-sized tidbits to get you caught up on the latest culinary happenings.
BY NINA RANGEL
H
ugh Daschbach has what some might call a hodgepodge resume. His CV is dotted with stints managing boutique hotels, helming environmental startups and overseeing facilities for Trinity University. All over the place? Maybe. But there’s no arguing his varied work in the hospitality business has prepared him for his new gig as chief operating officer of local nonprofit Saint City Culinary Foundation and its flagship program HEARD. Both focus on providing mental health and telehealth services to foodservice workers. The longtime epicure and Louisiana transplant chatted with us about the state of San Antonio’s hospitality industry as light appears at the end of the pandemic tunnel. We also asked him what it takes to gear up for Saint City’s first charitable culinary throwdown of 2021, a sold-out April 24 crawfish boil.
OPENINGS Bruno’s Dive Bar, a new concept from the team behind Southtown staple The Friendly Spot, is now open. Jesse Kuykendall, executive chef of Hotel Havana’s Ocho, has opened the doors of Milpa, a new eatery at The Yard shopping center in Olmos Park. Local Tex-Mex chain Tommy’s is opening a fifth location later this month, this one at the corner of Wurzbach Parkway and Blanco Road near Phil Hardberger Park East. Stout’s Signature will open a block from the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts’ box office. Look for it to start serving international cuisine with upscale vibes early next month.
From boutique hotels to nonprofit life. How did that transition come about?
I wanted to stay in the hospitality industry and do community-based work … but I wasn’t necessarily looking to get back into a restaurant or hotel setting. When I heard about what [Saint City Culinary Foundation founder Joel Rivas] had been doing, I basically just asked if we could talk more about what he was up to. It just so happened that, after a few months, it dovetailed nicely to grow this organization that had really been a one-man job with the help of some really talented and generous volunteers. For the first time, [Rivas] was ready to grow the organization, and a little over a month ago, brought myself and another gentleman, JP De Loera, on as full-time employees. What we’re most excited about is the fact that we bring three different perspectives to this concept, which is such a need right now. Within the industry … there’s a sense of urgency to highlight mental health and wellness issues in a way that’s more proactive.
Let’s talk more about that need. What do you think drives this newfound urgency?
I think the need has always been there. This industry is full of people who are hardwired to serve other people, to take care of their community, to treat others better than maybe they treat themselves. There are certainly other industries that share that mentality … but when we look at this industry, with regard to the needs of mental health and wellness-driven conversations, we don’t want to just talk about the needs. We want to try to provide people with the resources to actually fulfill them. I think the last year’s COVID struggles and stressors have affected the general pop-
British transplant Matthew Rose’s New English-themed bar The Dandy will serve up fish and chips from at a downtown building caddy corner from Milam Park next month. Texas-based chain Fuego Tortilla Grill, known for its roasted poblano queso and over-the-top takes on taco fillings, will open near UTSA in May.
NEWS Downtown immersive art experience Hopscotch has unveiled a restaurant incubator series called Hop-Up that will provide up-and-coming food businesses with a twomonth residency. Courtesy Photo / Hugh Daschbach
ulation, so the issue has been elevated. We need to take advantage of that growing awareness within an industry that, I think, is more likely than most to have challenges go unnoticed or unaddressed.
You’ll be competing against Chef James Canter and restaurateur Chad Carey in HEARD’s upcoming charitable crawfish boil. How are you gearing up?
These events have always been centered around … the unique perspective of community that comes with eating and drinking together, so for lots of reasons that have nothing to do with HEARD, I think people are excited to get back to a fun, but cautious, event. The fact that we’re able to bring awareness to this really important issue is … just a bonus. I feel like I’m on home turf competing in a crawfish boil, but it’s clear from the quick sell-out that people are looking forward to the joie de vivre that those two guys are going to bring to the event.
The lease on La Gloria’s Pearl location will end this summer, but owner Johnny Hernandez is already in talks with officials at the complex about a new venture in the same space. Blanco’s Real Ale Brewing is the latest to jump on the hard seltzer bandwagon. Four new flavors are now available in major grocery and beverage retailers across Texas. The Texas Restaurant Association and healthcare partners will hold a two-day vaccination clinic to jab 6,000 San Antonio hospitality workers on April 28 and 29. Fiesta 2021 may have been postponed to June, but its massive food-focused event Taste of the Northside has been canceled altogether. Got a Hot Dish you want to share? Send tips to flavor@sacurrent.com. sacurrent.com | April 21 - May 4, 2021 | CURRENT
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CURRENT | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | sacurrent.com
By Mike McMahan
Friday, April 23 Blackened + Punishment Due
music
Music Listings
With big concerts still on hold due to the pandemic, these two tribute acts are as close as you’re getting to Metallica and Megadeth
right now. This double head-shot of music from the dawn of thrash holds promise, given that the acts’ respective names reference
some of both bands’ best material. $10, 8 p.m., Fitzgerald’s Bar &
Live Music Venue, 437 McCarty, Suite 101, (210) 607-7007, fitzrockssa.com.
Saturday, April 24 Doc Watkins With Strings
Pianist-vocalist Watkins is bringing a varied mix of Debussy, Nat “King” Cole, original material and more to the Tobin. In addition
to owning nightspot Jazz, TX, Watkins has covered all his bases
as a Texan. He’s got a PhD in music from UT Austin, he’s repped the Lone Star State as he toured the world and he’s a barbecue
enthusiast. He’ll be joined by the Classical Music Institute Orchestra. Courtesy Photo / Donella Drive
forming Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org.
Hitting Stride
Raul Malo
Donella Drive drops a second powerful EP after a significant lineup change
L
The frontman for Grammy-award winning legends The Mavericks blends rock, country and more. Some of his best-loved songs
include “Here Comes the Rain” and “Back in Your Arms Again.” His
most recent solo release is 2012’s Around the World Live. $35-150,
7 p.m., John T. Floore Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road, (210)
BY SANFORD NOWLIN
osing a singer, especially one with a distinctive voice, can be a crippling blow for a rock band. As much as every instrumentalist likes to think they’re singular in their approach, truth is it’s damn hard to match the idiosyncrasies of the human voice. That said, San Antonio’s Donella Drive hasn’t just survived the late 2016 departure of longtime vocalist Gabriella Macias; it’s excelled since then. Stripped down to a power trio format with guitarist Aidan Escalante handling vocal duties, the band dropped a late 2019 EP called Bloomer that showed off varied dynamics and a leap forward in songcraft. Later this month, Donella Drive will release Ozell, its second EP with the reconfigured lineup. And the five-tune release may well outshine its predecessor. The new EP shows that the band’s chief strength is its ability to take a varied musical approach without shaving the hard edges from its sound. The material’s sonic girth reveals the influence of metal outfits such as Mastodon, but there’s also a willingness to throw musical curveballs that draw from underground stalwarts like At the Drive-In and the Jesus Lizard. However, Ozell’s biggest surprise may be Donella Drive’s willingness to pay off listeners with big choruses that deliver equally big hooks. When they happens, though, they’re employed with enough songwriting
$39.50-59.50, H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for The Per-
695-8827, liveatfloores.com.
restraint that they don’t sound forced or overwrought. Part of that expanded sense of melody likely comes down to guitarist Escalante’s understanding that for the band to function as a three-piece he needed to become a frontman. As opposed to a guitar player who sorta, kinda tries to carry a tune. After it was clear he was taking over singing duties, Escalante began taking voice lessons twice a week — and from two different instructors, no less. The results are clear on Ozell’s title track and on the opening number “Distress Signals,” where his soaring vocals ride high in the mix. Bassist Andrew Salazar and drummer Steven Rodriguez lock in for tight interplay that allows Escalante to layer melodic guitar lines or jazzy chord voicings over the top. Sometimes the approach is reminiscent of the aforementioned Jesus Lizard, while other times, Gojira springs to mind. That sonic brew is especially intoxicating on “Monochrome Dream,” a track that evokes both psych and dub during its echoheavy verses before it rides a thick, doomy riff into one of the hookiest choruses on the album. And that’s all before it drops into a bridge that veers between off-kilter funk and prog. No pigeonholes here. Ozell will be available April 30 for download at donelladrive.bandcamp.com or wherever folks go for their DD fix.
Friday, April 30 Nuclear Juarez Sporting one of the best band monikers in the Alamo City, Nuclear Juarez describe themselves as “low-brow Beatnik wanderers.” The group’s sound is grounded in surf music and reflects a garage aesthetic reminiscent of indie stalwarts Man or Astro-man? Their newest album Exil was released earlier this year. Free, 8 p.m., Sancho’s, 628 Jackson St., (210) 320-1840, sanchosmx.com.
Asleep at the Wheel Texas’ beloved Western swing legends make a return to San Antonio. Formed in 1970, Asleep at the Wheel opened doors quickly, picking up gigs with rock stalwarts such as Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna. In the years since, the outfit has charted a varied course, releasing its most recent album New Routes in 2018. As a testament to the group’s staying power, last year PBS premiered ACL Presents: 50 Years of Asleep at the Wheel. $25-400, 7 p.m., John T. Floore Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road, (210) 695-8827, liveatfloores.com.
Saturday, May 1 Del Castillo Long-running Latin rock ensemble Del Castillo is a veteran of the studio — the debut album Brothers of the Castle turns 20 this year. The band also mixes sounds and styles across the spectrum. No surprise there, considering it’s appeared performed in places as varied as Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival to Willie Nelson’s 4th Of July Picnic. Fans of filmmaking legends Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez may also recognize the band from its soundtrack appearances. $20-115, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com.
Reminder:
Although live events have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. Check with venues to make sure scheduled events are still happening, and please follow all health and safety guidelines.
E M P LOY M E N T Senior Logistics Engineering Analyst (Labatt Food Service LL-San Antonio, TX) Analyze food distribution processes across multiple business silos incl purchasing, operations, & accounting. Manage large scale enterprise-wide projects for food distribution co. while interacting w/ multi-function teams of analysts & software developers working w/internal stakeholders from
VOTE.SACURRENT.COM
top executives to customer facing employees, truck
AUTO AUCTION
drivers & warehouse workers. Maximize in-house
All vehicles listed below were impounded by San Antonio Police Dept. and will be sold via Joyrideauctos.com.
JUNE 2, 2020 at 3:00P at
SAN ANTONIO VEHICLE IMPOUND FACILITY Registered owners may pick up vehicles by showing proof of ownership & paying all towing & storage fees prior to Auction. FEES ACC RUE DAILY AND ARE SU BJEC T TO CHANGE. ID#
YEAR
2303236 2403816
MAKE
MODEL
VIN
CHARGES
KAWASAKI
MOTORCYCLE
NO VIN
$23,595.30
4 WHEELER
NINJA
NO VIN
$26,638.00
3943573
1990
OTHER
CAMPER
G215S1308
$4,728.20
3962468
2000
OTHER
SCOOTER
LUJTCBPB4LA601809
$4,468.40
3976625
2000
OTHER
TRAILER
NO VIN
$4,048.55
3863654
1968
OTHER
OTHER
D0M814AC0109901968
$10,451.27
3782817
1990
SUZUKI
MOTORCYCLE
NO VIN
$7,196.30
3549971
2000
OTHER
GO CART
NO VIN
$10,833.50
3871564
2017
OTHER
MOTORCYCLE
LXAPCP024HX000180
$5,745.75
3200425
2017
OTHER
MOTORCYCLE
LWGPCML01HA099703
$14,925.35
3592516
1992
OTHER
TRAILER
4FPWB2421SG010875
$10,292.25
3499455
2008
CADILLAC
SRX
1GYEE637980100154
$11,439.70
software development utilizing SQL, Tableau, Lean Six Sigma & 5S methodologies to allow quick movement into new biz functionalities & satisfy customer needs. Conduct marketing research that incl analysis of sales performance. Identify & solve inventory planning challenges by creation, execution, & measurement of forecasting algorithms to provide a finite sequence of well-defined computer implemented instructions to solve inventory planning challenges & enable prediction of changes in customer behavior & demand. Ensure that internal tools & solutions satisfy needs of external partners. Work independently on critical problems & bring forward ideas & solutions to senior leadership team & top executives w/in tight time constraints. 40 hr/wk; Reqs: Mstrs deg in Engineering field w/ 2 yrs of project management exp in leading large scale projects focused on warehouse & inventory operations in a transportation related industry. To apply submit resume & letter of interest to HR@Labattfood.com.
3625 Growdon Rd. San Antonio, TX | 210.881.8440 30
CURRENT | April 21 – May 4, 2021 | sacurrent.com
DATE: APRIL 26th, 2021 RE: REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL FOR BIDS FOR DATE: APRIL 26th, 2021 RENTAL VANS AND NON-CDL BOX TRUCKS. RE: REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SEALEDThe PROPOSAL FOR San Antonio FoodBIDS BankFOR is soliciting bids to furnish the following rental vehicles: (4) Non-CDL Cargo/Panel Vans RENTAL VANS AND NON-CDL- BOX TRUCKS.
DATE: APRIL 26th, 2021
The San Antonio Food Bank is soliciting bids to furnish the following rental vehicles: - (4) Non-CDL Cargo/Panel Vans DATE: APRIL 26th,our2021 children’s summer feeding program and will be in service from 06/01/2021 to 08/13/2021.
RE: REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL FOR BIDS FOR RE: REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL FOR BIDS FOR DATE: APRIL 2021 our children’s summer feeding program and26th, will be Please in service from all associated costs (i.e. mileage, physical damage, liability etc.). Only include DATE: APRIL 26th, 2021 RENTAL VANS AND NON-CDL BOX TRUCKS. RENTAL VANS AND NON-CDL BOX 06/01/2021 to 08/13/2021. Non-CDL vehiclesTRUCKS. listed above will be considered for this solicitation. Please note all
RE:TheREQUEST COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL FOR BIDS FOR San AntonioFOR Food Bank is soliciting bidsSEALED to furnish the following rental vehicles: - (4) Non-CDLRENTAL Cargo/PanelVANS Vans AND NON-CDL BOX TRUCKS. bids and arerental subject to review by TDA. RE: REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL FOR BIDS(i.e.FOR Please include all Bank associated costs mileage, physical damage, liability etc.). Only The San Antonio Food is soliciting bids to furnish the contracts following vehicles: Non-CDLCargo/Panel vehicles listed above thisdue solicitation. Please note5/10/2021 all RENTAL VANS AND BOX TRUCKS. Date and Time: 10 A.M. Central time - (4)NON-CDL Non-CDL Vans will be considered forBid
bids and contracts are subject to review by TDA. Bid Opening Date and Time: Bids will be opened at 11 A.M. Central Time on Tuesday The San Antonio Food Bank is soliciting bids to furnish the following rental vehicles: Bid due Date and Time: 5/10/2021 10 A.M. Central time May 14th, 2021 at the San Antonio Food Bank (Address below). Bidding organization - (4) Non-CDL Cargo/Panel Vans Bid Opening Date and Time: Bids will be openedrepresentative at 11 A.M. Central Time ontoTuesday welcome attend opening. our children’s summer feeding program and will be in service from May 14th, 2021 at the San Antonio Food Bank (Address below). Bidding organization Bid delivery procedures: Sealed bids must be hand delivered by time and date representative welcome to attend opening. 06/01/2021 to 08/13/2021. listed above to Chad Chittenden or Heather Guzman. our children’s summer feeding program and will be in service from Bid delivery procedures: Sealed bids must be hand delivered by timeliability and dateetc.). Only Please include all associated costs (i.e. mileage, physical damage, 06/01/2021 to 08/13/2021. listed above listed to Chadabove Chittenden or Guzman. Non-CDL willetc.). beHeather considered forSanthis solicitation. noteChittenden all Please include all associated costs (i.e. mileage,vehicles physical damage, liability Only Antonio Food BankPlease C/O: Chad bids and contracts are subjectPlease to review by TDA. 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway Non-CDL vehicles listed above will be considered for this solicitation. note all San Antonio Food Bank C/O: Chad Chittenden bids and contracts are subject to review by TDA. San Antonio, TX 78227 Bid due5200 Date andM.Time: Enrique Barrera5/10/2021 Parkway 10 A.M. Central time Bid due Date and Time: 5/10/2021 10 A.M.SanCentral time 78227 Evaluation/Voting Members: Antonio, Bid Opening DateTXand Time: Bids will be openedGeorge at 11Cox: A.M.Procurement Central Time on Tuesday Coordinator, San Antonio Food Bank Bid Opening Date and Time: Bids will be opened at 11 A.M. Central Time on Tuesday Evaluation/Voting Members: May 14th, 2021 atbelow). the San Antonio Food Bank (Address below). Bidding Chad Chittenden: Directororganization of Food Industry Partnerships, San Antonio Food Bank May 14th, 2021 at the San Antonio Food BankGeorge (Address Bidding organization Cox: Procurement Coordinator, San Antonio Food Bank representative welcome to attend opening. Heather Guzman: Children’s representative welcome to attend opening. Chad Chittenden: Director of Food Industry Partnerships, San Antonio Food Bank Program Manager San Antonio Food Bank
The San Antonio Food Bank is soliciting bids to furnish the following rental vehicles: - (4)our Non-CDL Cargo/Panel Vans children’s summer feeding program and will be in service from 06/01/2021 to 08/13/2021.
Please include all associated costs (i.e. mileage, physical damage, liability etc.). Only Non-CDL vehicles listed above will be considered Please note all our children’s summer feeding program and willforbethisinsolicitation. service from Questions thisand communication may be directed via e-mail to: Heather Guzman: Children’s Program Sanhand Antonio Food Bank Bid delivery procedures: Sealed bids must be delivered by on time date Bid delivery procedures: Sealed bids must be hand delivered by time andby dateManager bids and contracts are subject to review TDA. Chad Chittenden 06/01/2021 toChittenden 08/13/2021. listed above to Chad or Heather Guzman. listed above toQuestions Chad Chittenden or Heather Guzman. on this communication may be directed via e-mail to:
Director Food Industry Partnerships, San Antonio Food Bank Chad Chittenden cchittenden@safoodbank.org Director Food Industry Partnerships, San Antonio Food Bank San Antonio Food Bank C/O: Chad Chittenden through 10:00 A.M. Central Time on 5/9/2021. San Antonio Food Bank C/O: Chad Chittenden cchittenden@safoodbank.org 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway through 10:00 A.M. Central Time on 5/9/2021. 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway San Antonio, TX 78227
Bid due Date and Time: 5/10/2021 10 A.M. Central time
Please include all associated costs (i.e. mileage, physical damage, liability etc.). Only Bid Opening Date and Time: Bids will be opened at 11 A.M. Central Time on Tuesday Non-CDL vehicles listed above will be considered for this solicitation. Please note all San Antonio, TX 78227 Evaluation/Voting Members: May 14th, 2021 at the San Antonio Food Bank (Address below). Bidding organization George Cox:contracts Procurement Coordinator, San Antonio Foodto Bank Members: bidsChad and areEvaluation/Voting subject review by TDA. Chittenden: Director of Food Industry Partnerships, San Antonio Food Bank
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