San Antonio Current — December 29, 2021

CPS ENERGY'S FAILURES | THE YEAR IN ARTS | ALBUMS AND MOVIES OF THE YEAR DEC. 29, 2021 - JAN. 11, 2022

202 1 LET ' S HO P E T H AT'S AL L B E H I N D U S

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CURRENT | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

in this issue San Antonio Current

Issue 21-26 /// December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022

Lessons Learned

Editor-in-Chief: Sanford Nowlin General Manager: Chelsea Bourque

San Antonio food and beverage business owners share what a tough year taught them and their hopes for 2022

Editorial

Digital Content Editor: Kelly Nelson Contributing Arts Editor: Bryan Rindfuss Food and Nightlife Writer: Nina Rangel Contributors: Ron Bechtol, 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, Mackenzie Cook Editorial Interns: Katelyn Earhart, Yukiko Yamazaki

24 Music

Marketing and Events

Year of Listening Dangerously

Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni Events Manager: Chelsea Bourque Account Manager: Nathan Sokul Senior Account Executive: Mike Valdelamar Marketing Interns: Julia Bentley Social Media Manager: Meradith Garcia

Artists from San Antonio and beyond dropped bold new albums in 2021.

Here are our faves.

Creative Services

Graphic Designer: Samantha Serna Production Interns: Pedro Macias, Marlene Mejia

Music Listings

Circulation

Circulation Manager: Justin Giles

Euclid Media Group

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Courtesy Photo / McNay Art Museum

14 Feature

Rising to the Occasion

Members of San Antonio’s arts community reflect on the milestones of another challenging year

07 News

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Making Sense of an Insane Year

The pandemic and political divisions played roles in San Antonio’s 10 biggest news stories of 2021

CityScrapes

CPS Energy’s 2021 failures highlight larger problems with San Antonio’s governance

Quote ‘Em if They Can’t Take a Joke

The most on-point, off-the-rails and full-of-shit San Antonio and Texas political quotes of 2021

12 Calendar Calendar Picks

14 Arts 17 Screens

CPS ENERGY'S FAILURES | THE YEAR IN ARTS | ALBUMS AND MOVIES OF THE YEAR DEC. 29, 2021 - JAN. 11, 2022

Screen Gems

2021 didn’t bring us back to the theaters, but it brought an avalanche of quality films

202 1 LET'S HOPE THAT'S ALL BEHIND US

Transcending Villainy

Actor Martin Kove explains how his classic character became more than a bad guy in Cobra Kai

20 Food

On Trend

These evolutions dominated the San Antonio bar and beverage scene in 2021

O

n the Cover: While 2021 meant loosened pandemic restrictions, it was still full of political turmoil. Cover design: Samantha Serna.

IGNITING CHANGE

200+

EVENTS

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LET’S PLAN OUR FUTURE

E XC H A N G I N G I D E A S INSPIRING DISCUSSION IGNITING CHANGE

V I S I T D R E A M W E E K .O R G / E V E N T S TO V I E W A L L E V E N T S

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CURRENT | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

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After a botched 2019 voter purge that yielded multiple federal lawsuits and a national embarrassment, the Texas Secretary of State’s office is in the throes of a similar review. As with 2019, the office is looking to eject non-U.S. citizens from voting rolls, but a Texas Tribune investigation revealed it’s once again flagging citizens, including some in San Antonio, for removal.

H H

A San Antonio-area man who claimed membership in the radical right-wing Boogaloo Bois will serve two years in prison for illegal firearm possession, according to federal authorities. Cameron Emerson Casey Rankin, 22, of Karnes City was sentenced Dec. 8.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has promised to take his fight against the White House’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large businesses to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Republican AG’s pledge followed a 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling that reinstated the federal rule.

The San Antonio Food bank has initiated a program called Get Connected!, which will offer digital literacy classes, affordable broadband access, refurbished laptops and other services to help narrow the digital divide. The nonprofit is now seeking used laptops from community donors. — Sanford Nowlin

YOU SAID IT!

“I moved. I literally have no ties to San Antonio anymore. I’m gone.”

— Daniel Taubenheim,

San Antonio Symphony assistant principal trumpet to the San Antonio Report on his decision to take a one-year contract with the Phoenix Symphony amid the local orchestra’s labor-contract impasse.

ASSCLOWN ALERT

Gov. Greg Abbott is assclown of the year — was there ever a doubt?

Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.

For all the tough talk he aims at the Joe Biden, migrants and municipal leaders, 2021 made one thing abundantly clear about Gov. Greg Abbott: he’s a miserable coward.

Through a year of turmoil, Abbott showed his lack of appetite for facing crises and solving problems. Instead, he played a game of one-upmanship with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to see who could corner the market on cruelty. Their shared motivation? Fellative pandering to the tiny and unhinged minority of voters who cast ballots in Republican primaries.

Abbott had plenty of real problems he could have prioritized this legislative session. Beyond the pandemic that’s killed more than 75,000 Texans, there’s the meltdown of the state’s power grid that killed hundreds more, the foster system in crisis and the fact that the state leads the nation in uninsured residents.

But instead of addressing those real concerns, he served as a deranged cheerleader as the GOP-dominated Texas Legislature filled the session with culture war issues and fuck-all else.

He goaded on lawmakers as they took away women’s right to seek abortions, even in cases

news

That Rocks/That Sucks

Instagram / @governorabbott

of rape or incest; as they made it legal for any dipshit to pack heat without a permit; and as they heaped on voting restrictions in a bid to keep people of color away from the polls.

As we head into 2022, it’s clear Abbott and his campaign advisors have made the border their top issue. But rather than work with the feds on workable solutions, Texas’ turd of a governor has doubled down on spewing nativist rhetoric, demonizing migrants and funneling state money resurrecting the racist pipedream of Donald Trump’s border wall.

Enjoy the Assclown of the Year award and its gold-plated sphincter trophy, Greg. You certainly earned it. — Sanford Nowlin

San Antonio’s Texas Biomedical Research Institute has withdrawn a request for funding under the city’s 2022 bond package after members of the public objected, citing the organization’s treatment of the primates on which it conducts experiments. Texas Biomed originally requested $11 million so it could fund infrastructure improvements on its campus.

Gov. Greg Abbott held a presser in Starr County last week to inaugurate the first segment of the border wall being built by the state. Calling the project an “unprecedented” investment in securing the border, he showed off 880 feet of steel barrier, or a sixth of a mile’s worth. Good news for taxpayers: only 1,000 additional miles left to go.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed more than three dozen of President Joe Biden’s nominees to ambassador posts, ending a months-long roadblock led by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. In exchange for progress on the appointments, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., agreed to allow a debate on imposing sanctions on a controversial pipeline project Cruz opposes. — Sanford Nowlin

Wikipedia Commons / Gage Skidmore

Find more news coverage every day at sacurrent.com

news

vative-skewed high court may soon overturn Roe v.

Wade.

6. The implosion of public trust in CPS Energy. San Antonio’s city-owned utility didn’t just fail to keep the lights on during February’s deadly winter freeze, it failed to communicate with customers as rolling blackouts coursed through the city for four days. In the wake of those stumbles, key employees have left in droves — including its CEO and second-in-command, who resigned after a TV news report on their freewheeling spending of public money. But none of that is stopping CPS from asking city council for a rate hike come January.

7. The Beto factor. This fall, former El Paso Congress-

Courtesy Photo / University Health System

Making Sense of an Insane Year

The pandemic and political divisions played roles in San Antonio’s 10 biggest news stories of 2021

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

A

fter 2020’s pandemic lockdowns and divisive election, many hoped this year would bring a return to “normal,” whatever that means these days. Needless to say, normal isn’t what we got in 2021. Here’s a rundown of the 10 biggest news stories affecting San Antonio during another turbulent and trying year. They’re listed in no particular order.

1. A persistent and deadly virus. This year, it became

increasingly clear that the coronavirus isn’t going away just because a portion of the U.S. population rolled up its sleeves and got jabs. We saw just how prevalent vaccine hesitancy — and plain old bullheadedness — are in our politically divided times.

What’s more, the realization is dawning that unless we do a better job getting vaccines to developing countries, the risk that COVID-19 poses could continue to worsen.

2. Conservatives’ war on education. Following a legislative session long on culture-war issues, the Texas GOP revived its age-old interest in book bans.

San Antonio’s North East ISD is now “reviewing” hundreds of books after a crusading member of the Texas House demanded districts account for works, largely by LGBTQ authors and people of color, that he said make students uncomfortable. Gov. Greg Abbott threw gas on the fire by demanding an agency with zero law-enforcement authority root out “pornography” in schools. Meanwhile, angry parents turned local school board meetings into shitshows by claiming 8

CURRENT | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

mask mandates were destroying their kids’ lives.

3. Recognizing San Antonio’s status quo is broken.

This year may go down as the one where local leaders finally admitted business as usual in San Antonio has done nothing to erase the generational poverty holding our city back. And that may be one of the few good things to come out of the pandemic. Voters overwhelmingly supported a massive job-retraining program this year, and elected officials are making more noise about housing affordability. However, the jury remains out on the outcomes of both.

4. Struggling healthcare heroes. Even as vaccinations and better treatments appeared, healthcare workers valiantly fought through a second year of surges and rising hospitalization rates. They did so while dealing with the emotional turmoil brought on by long hours and the strain of watching the unvaccinated succumb to the virus. Compounding the stress, hospital staff here and around the state have suffered verbal and physical attacks.

5. Texas is winning its war on women. Months after

its passage, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature’s near-complete ban on abortion — including in cases of rape and incest — remains in effect.

Clinics have stopped providing the service, fearing a provision in the law that allows virtually anyone to sue someone who helps a woman seek abortion care. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Texas law to remain in effect while it debates the measure’s constitutionality, and observers worry the conser-

man Beto O’Rourke announced he’ll run against Gov. Greg Abbott, becoming the first genuinely formidable Democratic opponent to do so. That comes as Abbott goes into 2022 damaged by February’s power grid meltdown and the Legislature’s hard-right turn.

Recent polls suggest O’Rourke’s candidacy is a longshot, but it could energize enough Democratic voters to pose threats lower on the ticket — particularly to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton, both of whom won their last elections on narrow margins.

8. Police accountability demands aren’t going away. In May, San Antonians by a 2% margin reject-

ed a proposition that would have stripped the city’s police union of its collective bargaining power. The initiative arose from a petition drive by police-accountability group amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. While Prop B didn’t fly, its near miss shows that roughly half of the city’s population has real concerns about police abuse of power. In the vote’s wake, the city of San Antonio has prioritized disciplinary reform as it negotiates a new contract with its police union.

9. The great resignation comes to SA. Roughly 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. San Antonio has experienced its share of walkouts, especially in the low-wage hospitality sector, forcing some businesses to cut operating hours or limit service. Other local employers are responding by raising wages. Alamo City-based Frost Bank, for example, increased its starting pay to $20 per hour in December, affecting 1,800 Texas workers. Stay tuned. Economists predict this won’t be a short-term trend.

10. Will the grid hold up? “I can guarantee the lights

will stay on,” Abbott assured Texans during a TV interview last month. That remains to be seen. The Texas Legislature passed bills aimed at avoiding another power failure like last February’s. However, those measures lack teeth, experts argue, especially when it comes to requiring natural-gas providers to winterize their equipment. The implications are big. As many as 700 people died in the last catastrophe, and another statewide outage would be a gut punch for Abbott and other Republicans as they seek reelection in 2022.

CITYSCRAPES

CPS Energy’s 2021 failures highlight larger problems with San Antonio’s governance

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

L

ast December, it was possible to look ahead with some degree of hope. Vaccines were on the way, along with the prospect of a return to “normal” life and a functioning economy. It was also possible to think that the devastation wrought by the pandemic might awaken a recognition by local leaders that the San Antonio community worked well for some but barely at all for many.

Now here we are, at the end of another COVID year, burdened by the arrival of yet another variant at a time when the national and local social and political divisions appear as deep and perplexing as ever. The outlook looks bleak. Just like the hope that what passes for political and civic leadership in San Antonio might have begun to seriously consider the depths of poverty and need revealed by the lines for the Food Bank. In the wake of the calamity, the city keeps doling out subsidies for expensive housing to the likes of Graham Weston and Silver Ventures even as booming real estate sales push up inner-city appraisal values — and property taxes — for burdened homeowners.

Perhaps nothing this year did so much to highlight this continued deficiency as the devastating February freeze. Sure, the catastrophe of Winter Storm Uri was magnified by the utter failure of Texas’ deregulated utility system, but our local utilities — both CPS Energy and SAWS — managed their own failures.

Unprepared, they failed to communicate with each other, with municipal governments and with us, their customers and owners. It was bad enough to freeze without power and deal with no water and frozen pipes. But we simply weren’t given enough information about the situation and the prospects for relief.

Added to that, the city and county were remarkably slow in aiding the elderly, those with health problems and others in need.

The missteps by our public utilities, particularly CPS Energy, seemed bad enough at the time. But the ensuing months have brought a string of revelations about CPS that have raised further questions about the organization’s leadership and culture.

First, the leadership of CPS’ legal team resigned in the wake of its lawsuits against natural gas suppliers. Reporting revealed that the utility’s attorneys

Josh Huskin

had filed internal complaints regarding CEO Paula Gold-Williams.

Those management issues didn’t stop with Gold-Williams, or when she announced her resignation, however. A KSAT news investigation uncovered serious concerns about Chief Operating Officer Fred Bonewell, ranging from alleged racial insensitivity to documents suggesting he’d used his CPS-issued purchasing card for expensive meals. Bonewell resigned shortly after the revelations.

But the most troubling aspect of the issues involving Bonewell, and allegations of similar misspending

by Gold-Williams, was that other CPS employees reportedly submitted internal complaints that produced little or no action by the utility. That suggests the problem wasn’t simply a matter of insensitivity or petty corruption. It appeared to be a pattern of management’s negligence, of covering up problems and failing to deal with issues both large and small.

You might think that a year of failures and management misadventures would provide a wakeup call not just to CPS but to Mayor Ron Nirenberg and city council. Instead, CPS announced the immediate imperative for a rate increase, with a council vote scheduled for mid-January. The utility’s insensitivity to public concern has been matched by its efforts to “educate” customers about its presumed needs, including recorded telephone messages promoting its town hall meetings. Its sales pitch is that the rate increase is needed to keep up with the “community’s continued strong growth.”

One might expect howls of outrage from Nirenberg

CPS Energy CEO Paula Gold-Williams was one of many officials at the utility who resigned amid fallout from the winter freeze.

M

and the council. Instead, some of our elected officials have been taken in by the claim that our “bond ratings are at risk” or the argument that the increase is only a modest one. It’s the same old story. So long as CPS’s revenues keep supporting the city’s general fund, there is no imperative to ask serious questions or call for an outside review and audit.

That’s the way far too much of the public’s business works in San Antonio — and has for years. Failures become evident, public policies don’t yield the promised results, city staff produces reassuring presentations and things just continue the same way.

When it comes to problems with the Housing Trust, questions about tax subsidies, a critical analysis of housing demolitions, staff assure us everything is fine, it’s just that residents don’t understand how things really work. What we really need, they argue, are more nonstop flights and a $2 billion-plus airport expansion.

After the colossal failures of CPS and the city’s apparent unwillingness to demand accountability, it’s time for San Antonians to reject assurances that the status quo is just fine. Clearly, it’s not.

Heywood Sanders is a professor of public policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio. sacurrent.com | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | CURRENT

9

news Quote ’Em if They Can’t Take a Joke The most on-point, offthe-rails and full-of-shit San Antonio and Texas political quotes of 2021

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

A

s with any year, politicians and outside participants in the political process suffered no shortage of words in 2021. Some were insightful, some left us scratching our heads and others revealed the cases of foot-in-mouth disease so advanced the speakers should probably visit a hospital soon.

In no order, here are some that left big impressions.

Nothing can possibly go wrong…

“The legislature passed comprehensive reforms to fix all of the flaws that led to the power failure. Bottom line is that everything that needed to be done was done to fix the power grid in Texas.” — Gov. Greg Abbott on June 8 promising the Texas Legislature had solved all the state’s grid issues.

Way to double down!

“Listen, very confident about the grid, and I can tell you why. For one: I signed almost a dozen laws that make the power grid more effective. I can guarantee the lights will stay on.” — Gov. Greg Abbott to Austin TV station FOX 7 during an interview that aired Nov. 26.

Twitter / Dan Patrick

it’s something we as a community could do ourselves. We don’t need to rely on local elected officials to be brave and stand up to the bullies. This campaign put power back into the hands of our community.” — Texas Organizing Project Executive Director Michelle Tremillo on Proposition B, which would have stripped the city’s police union of its collective bargaining power.

Facts? Who needs facts?

“Paula, I’ll be frank with you, having called it a ‘gap’ or an ‘opportunity,’ that’s going to go viral today, and that’s going to piss people off.” — District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez on Feb. 17 after then-CPS Energy CEO Paula Gold-Williams called the failure to spare water pumping stations from rolling blackouts during the February freeze an “opportunity point.”

“Most of the numbers are with the unvaccinated, and the Democrats like to blame the Republicans on that. Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated. The last time I checked, over 90% of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties.”

— Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during a Aug. 19 Fox News appearance. Neither U.S. Census nor Texas health department data back up his false claim.

If politicians won’t grow a spine...

Outlining the options

Calling out corporate speak

“The brilliance of this strategy is that 10

“It is a known fact that instances of dis-

CURRENT | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

crimination go underreported because if people don’t feel that they’ll receive support, they are left with few options.

You may go to submit a complaint, you describe the traumas you experience, you rehash those emotions and then what? For many, nothing happens.”

— District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez on Oct. 28 explaining the need to expand the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance to private companies.

Are we sure he’s mature enough to have his own cell phone?

“Government propaganda ... for your 5 year old!” — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in a Nov. 6 tweet blasting Sesame Street’s Big Bird for a Twitter message trying to take the fear out of COVID-19 vaccines.

Explaining how money works to city bureaucrats

“[W]hat that means for my constituency is they don’t pay their utilities, right. So, they’re not paying their water or light. And the next step with that when your light and water isn’t on is a code compliance violation. And that’s

a notice to vacate violation. So, it’s a ripple effect.” — District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo in a Nov. 24 Texas Public Radio story discussing the snowball effect city code enforcement has on low-income homeowners.

Some of them would probably be OK with that too

“It’s like saying, ‘We should be proud of Hitler because we are German.’ It makes no sense.” — Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich on Oct. 11 on organizations that continue to recognize Columbus Day as a holiday.

Replay, replay the fifth of May

“I think it’s terrible. Irresponsible.

We need to remember that after May 5, when he allowed all kinds of businesses to reopen, we had an outbreak through the summer.” — County Judge Nelson Wolff responding on March 2 to Gov. Greg Abbott dropping the statewide mask mandate and lift all restrictions on businesses even though fewer than 7% of Texans were fully vaccinated against

COVID-19.

Saying the quiet part out loud

“Eighteen more months of chaos and the inability to get stuff done. That’s what we want.” — San Antonio-Austin U.S. Rep. Chip Roy on his legislative agenda in a video clip leaked July 6 from the congressman’s appearance at a far-right event.

Calling out the Heaven’s Gate of political parties

“[I]f you elevate a flag that has someone’s name on it to the same level that you elevate your national flag, then you are not a patriot; you are part of a cult.”

— Former San Antonio-South Texas U.S. Rep. Will Hurd in a Jan. 22 Washington Post editorial excoriating his own Republican party for clinging to Donald Trump.

So, uh, do or don’t turn it up, man?

“Live music is a great part of our culture. We’ve got to find a balance here.”

— District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo in late October on the city’s task force considering new curbs on noise.

State of dysfunction

“Texas has long been a multi-racial state; it has not been a multi-racial democracy.” — Texas Civil Rights Project Senior Staff Attorney James Slattery during April 1 testimony on one of the many voting-restriction bills debated by the Texas Legislature.

When you don’t have anything on your opponent, just make shit up

“He suggests I’m a Marxist or socialist

and that I support radical organizations. It is simply not true, a total misrepresentation of what I’ve said and done.” — District 9 Councilman John Courage in an April 22 Express-News article addressing false claims by failed three-time opponent Patrick Von Dohlen that he’s a Marxist who wants to slash police funding.

As evidence, I submit my DVD of Reefer Madness

“Reasonable minds can disagree, but I am concerned that marijuana legalization could make this epidemic worse.

I am committed to working with my colleagues to end the opioid epidemic and save lives.” — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in an Aug. 2 email to a constituent conflating weed and oxycodone.

And what if they need a good blaming?

Looking for the perfect venue to host your next event?

The AT&T Center is now accepting inquiries for 2022.

Mention this ad for special pricing.

ATTCenter.com/book-an-event 1 AT&T Center Parkway San Antonio, Texas 78219

“This resolution, like many others that have come before council, is an attempt to point fingers and place blame on our state and federal leaders.” — District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry on why he cast the only “no” vote to a resolution opposing bills in the Texas legislature that would limit transgender students’ participation in sports.

A good rationale for rolling up that sleeve

“Maybe you don’t think that you need that shot, but your community needs you to get it.” — Friendly Spot owner Jody Bailey Newman said in an Aug. 11 Current story discussing the pop-up vaccination clinics she held at her bar.

Jade Esteban Estrada

sacurrent.com | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | CURRENT

11

Courtesy Photo / San Antonio Parks Foundation

FRI | 12.31 SPECIAL EVEN T

CELEBRATE SA

San Antonio’s annual New Year’s Eve party is back to ring in 2022 with live music, family-friendly activities and, of course, a fireworks show. Presented in partnership by the San Antonio Parks Foundation and City of San Antonio, Celebrate SA will take place across downtown at Hemisfair and La Villita on Friday, December 31. The free event will feature musical performances on three stages located at Hemisfair, the Arneson River Theatre and the corner of Villita Way and South Alamo streets. The main stage at Hemisfair will showcase performances by DJ Catwalk and R&B artist Andria Rose, followed by a marathon 200-minute set by 10-piece party band Mélange. In addition to food and vendor booths lining South Alamo and Villita Way, families can enjoy a carnival with games, rides and other attractions at the corner of South Alamo and César E Chávez Blvd. As is tradition, the night will be capped off by a Texas-sized fireworks show sure to satisfy the Alamo City’s appetite for explosive entertainment. Free, 6 p.m.-midnight, Hemisfair, 434 S. Alamo St., and La Villita, 418 Villita St., (210) 212-8423, saparksfoundation.org. — Kelly Nelson

WED | 12.29 COMEDY

THE ROAST OF LARRY GARZA Exiting stage left has never been part of the plan for local stand-up comedian Larry Garza. When he was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer in 2016, the co-founder of the sketch comedy crew Comedia A Go-Go wasn’t about to let the disease steal his spotlight. So, he did the only thing he knew would keep his spirit from breaking. He decided to laugh his way through the situation. Five years later, Garza is still fighting strong. He’s gone through countless surgeries and procedures and has experienced several setbacks, all while keeping a positive attitude about the future. On December 29, Garza will headline his own memorial, which will double as a Comedy Central-style roast and fundraiser. He has invited more than a dozen of his comic and non-comic friends to take the mic and give him an old-school verbal beatdown.

Full disclosure: Larry and I became friends after I profiled him for the Current’s 2016 cover story. I will also participate in the upcoming roast.

“The celebration of life needs to happen when someone is alive, so they can enjoy it,” Garza recently told the Current. “I want to actually be there, not be there in an urn.” $15 (Sold Out), 8 p.m., Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, (210) 541-8805, improvtx.com/sanantonio. — Kiko Martinez Jess Castro

12

CURRENT | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

calendar

WED | 12.29

listen to a lesson on the Battle of Yorktown?” When Hamilton last made a stop at the Majestic Theatre two years ago, the

SPORTS

Current called it “the strongest musical to tour to San Anto-

SPURS VS. HEAT

nio in years” and “an impressive achievement, propelled by

Former NBA Finals foes return to San Antonio on Wednes-

Miranda’s innovative lyrics and score, which combine rap,

day night when the Miami Heat square off against the Spurs.

pop and ‘traditional’ Broadway show tunes into a stunning

Propelled by the off-season acquisition of Kyle Lowry and

whole.” If you haven’t gotten the opportunity to see Hamilton

steady play of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Miami has

on stage yet, a recording of the live production was made

proved resilient in a much-improved Eastern Conference

available on Disney+ in July 2020. Take a peek at that first

despite recent COVID concerns. The resurgence of catalyst

and see if songs about presidential administrations and

Derrick White has been a game changer for the Spurs, who

centralizing national credit are up your alley before you join

head into the biggest challenge of their campaign after their

the Revolution. $49-$1,035, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m.

showdown with the Heat. A grueling seven-game road trip

Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday January 5-16 (see web-

that tips off in Memphis against the Grizzlies and continues

site for additional showtimes), Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston

through the competitive East presents a steep climb for a

St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — KM

youthful team still trying to secure its footing. Dejounte Murray’s brilliance as a playmaker and White’s emergence as San Antonio’s talisman should give the Spurs a chance to

Courtesy of LOL Comedy Club

SAT | 01.08

fight its way through another gauntlet. With Gregg Popo-

Siddiq got his first big break on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam in

vich less than 16 wins away from becoming the winningest

2008. By 2017, he was ready to follow in the footsteps of

coach in NBA history, optimism endures in San Antonio.

one Johnny Cash by performing for currently incarcerated

BLADES OF GLORY

$17-$1,660, 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210)

inmates. The resulting special, Ali Siddiq: It’s Bigger Than

As part of the Rink Reels series celebrating ice skating

444-5000, attcenter.com, KENS. — M. Solis

These Bars, featured the comic performing to a larger group

movies, the Rotary Ice Rink, Center City Development &

as well as interacting with inmates in cells and with prison

Operations Department and Slab Cinema are presenting

officials. “I think it gave them a perspective that this wasn’t

a screening of the 2007 Will Ferrell figure skating comedy

the end,” he said. “You can get out of this with the right

Blades Of Glory. The film stars Ferrell and Jon Heder — hot

mental fortitude and be the same as me.” $64-$320, 8 p.m.

from Napoleon Dynamite — as mismatched competitors who

FILM

Thursday, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. (New Year’s countdown show) Friday, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805, improvtx.com/sanantonio. — Mike McMahan

WED | 01.05 TUE | 01.11 TH EATER

HAMILTON The Tony Award-winning musical about the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton is a groundbreaking stage production with music and lyrics by superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda. The play, which casts actors of color to portray white historical figures, has been on countless tours following its 2015 Broadway premiere and has since become an international phenomenon. It’s probably also made U.S. history teachers nationwide think to themselves, “Is this all I needed to do to get these kids to

Twitter / @spurs

THU | 12.30 SUN | 1.02

Paramont Home Entertainment

compete as the first all-male figure skating pair. Of course,

COMEDY

hijinks ensue. The movie, which naturally features an

ALI SIDDIQ

appearance from Nancy Kerrigan, was a hit at the time, with

Houston-based comic Ali Siddiq brings a range of experi-

critics comparing it favorably to previous Farrell hits includ-

ences to the stage. He began to develop his comedy style

ing Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy and Talladega

while serving time in a Hondo prison for cocaine trafficking,

Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby. Anyone feeling inspired

and he pulled from these experiences in the 2015 Comedy

by the film can stop by the adjacent Rotary Ice Rink, which

Central series This Is Not Happening. A portion of that story

will remain open until January 17. Don’t forget blankets and chairs for the movie. Free, 6:30 p.m., Travis Park, 301 E. Travis

— including the phrase “Mexican got boots!” — became a smash hit on YouTube. While going viral upped his profile,

Joan Marcus

St., (210) 207-3677, centrosanantonio.org. — MM

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.

Bryan Rindfuss

Rising to the Occasion

Members of San Antonio’s arts community reflect on the milestones of another challenging year

BY BRYAN RINDFUSS

O

n the heels of one of the most trying years in modern history, 2021 was faced with not just great but arguably impossible expectations. But as we cautiously emerged from our COVID cocoons, some found solace, inspiration and a reinforced sense of community in a slightly improved version of the new normal.

To paint a perfectly imperfect portrait of the year that was, we reached out to 14 influential people and institutions and asked them to reflect on the milestones and accomplishments they reached in 2021.

Condensed and edited highlights of their responses follow.

AnArte

“I had two options during this pandemic: get depressed or bring back a colorful world,” AnArte gallery proprietor Ana Montoya said. “I decided to embrace happiness. AnArte is like a candy store — you walk in, and your heart is injected with joy. I feel blessed for my AnArte family team and all our amazing art lovers and supporters.”

Artpace

“The unpredictable year that was 2021 was extremely difficult for all arts and culture organizations, with San Antonio losing a few established and long-running intuitions,” Artpace Director Riley Robinson said. “The true highlight of the year was the advocacy work done by CAUSA [Culture and Arts United for San Antonio] and the 46 organizations that spoke with a unified and collective voice to support all arts and culture in our city. Friendships, mutual respect 14

CURRENT | December 29, 2021 - January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

and the bonds built from CAUSA will outlast the pandemic and create a stronger environment for artists and the public to experience.”

Blue Star Contemporary

“Reflecting back on 2021, a couple of words that come to mind for me are: community and resilience,” Blue Star Contemporary Executive Director Mary Heathcott told the Current. “Blue Star Contemporary recently hosted its Blue Starry Red Dot on December 9, which was a celebration of community honoring artists of The Compound, Janet and Bruce Flohr and H-E-B. The evening was uplifting in so many ways: friends gathering together at last after too many months apart; sharing memories from a heart center of our artist community, The Compound; and having our honoree Janet Flohr so aptly state when passed the mic: “Don’t give up. Art is our salvation.” This event instilled so much hope for the future. BSC and its fellow arts and culture organizations across San Antonio continue to band together in support of our community through our collective work as CAUSA. As the pandemic stretched into year two, collaboration and finding strength together has never been more important. We are working together in new ways, finding power in our collective voice and supporting each other as we grapple with financial woes and the roller coaster of concern for our artists and participants.”

FL!GHT Gallery

“After a COVID-induced pause in programming, it’s been great to sort of ‘start fresh’ in a sense with our

San Antonio artist Angela Fox contributed the mural Secrets of the Wild Woman to the San Antonio Street Art Initiative’s 2021 collaboration with Pabst Blue Ribbon.

M

curation and new shows coming in,” FL!GHT gallery founder Justin Parr offered. “I feel great about everything we’ve been doing — especially Angelica Raquel Martinez’s show. It was a mostly online/virtual opening that did not get a lot of in-person engagement, but it was one of my favorite shows we’ve had in this space.”

Luminaria

“[This] was a challenging year for everyone in the arts — here in San Antonio and across the country,” said Yadhira Lozano, who became executive director of Luminaria in December 2020. “However, San Antonio rose to the challenge, rallied and helped us produce an amazing festival!” In addition to widespread community support and a strong sense of a “united arts community,” Lozano counted the following among her 2021 accomplishments: handing over seven Luminaria Artist Foundation grants for the creation of new work; showcasing 44 featured artists and 206 festival participants; and providing more than $100,000 in funding to local and regional artists.

McNay Art Museum

Challenges aside, it’s been a big year for the McNay. In March, the museum attracted record crowds with “Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art” — an exhibition showcasing the work of Martine Gutierrez, Letitia Huckaby, Yayoi Kusama, Sandy Skoglund and Jennifer Steinkamp. “The healing power of art was clearly needed this year, and the McNay was honored to be there with that power for San Antonio,” McNay Director and CEO Richard Aste said of the well-received exhibition. And in November, the McNay celebrated the completion of the first phase of a $6.25 million landscape master plan that’s

Presa House Gallery

“Having the opportunity to work alongside and support Texas Biennial curators Ryan Dennis and Evan Garza was the highlight for me,” said Presa House Gallery co-director Rigoberto Luna. “Engaging with them and the artists of this edition had a massive impact on me.” Addressing the work of his partner and gallery co-director Jenelle Esparza, Luna added, “Jenelle’s career continues to blossom in 2021. The San Antonio Museum of Art acquired her work and she’s in the middle of her first major public art project with the Methodist Hospital Metropolitan. As for Presa House, we’re grateful for continued growth and humbled by the visibility across the state and beyond.”

Ruiz-Healy Art

Although 2021 started off on an uncertain note for Ruiz-Healy Art — which encompasses locations in San Antonio and New York City — director Patricia Ruiz-Healy says it developed into one of the best in her gallery’s 15-year history. “We placed significant works in museums and corporate collections; continued investing in publishing exhibition catalogs, which are so important for the dissemination of artists’ work; and ended the year by giving Texas artist César A. Martínez his first solo show in New York City and celebrating our anniversary with a special ‘Quinceañera’ group exhibition in San Antonio.”

Sala Diaz

In March, Louisiana native and former Artpace resident Heyd Fontenot was named consulting director of Sala Diaz. After taking the reins at the pioneering Southtown art space, Fontenot helped place the Sala Diaz archives in the care of UTSA and organized a companion exhibition chronicling 25 weird and wonderful years. Fontenot also welcomed author Clemonce Heard into the fold at Casa Chuck, a residency program that’s under the Sala Diaz umbrella and housed in artist Chuck Ramirez’s former home. Reflecting on 2021, Fontenot cited Heard’s public reading from his 2021 book Tragic City — exploring the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre — as well as collaborating with Blue Star Contemporary on its Red Dot fundraiser. “[It was great] seeing these two organizations share a moment of recognition — acknowledging the community and all of these artists who make the San Antonio art scene so rich,” he said.

San Antonio Museum of Art

Bryan Rindfuss

Ruby City

“This year was a bit of a rollercoaster,” Ruby City Director Elyse A. Gonzales said. “There was so much uncertainty and also so many wonderful things that came out of this past year. We’re awfully proud of a great deal of things, but these are some highlights: We successfully reopened our facilities to the public after a 16-month closure. We never laid off or furloughed anyone and instead transitioned frontline staff to other responsibilities related to the collection and outreach efforts. We launched a new programming series with the Carver Center, called Taller Talks [that] will continue in 2022 and features artists speaking about their practice. The Texas Biennial was another highlight for us as we participated in this statewide exhibition among four other venues. [And] our collection also grew — we added significant artists to it like Deborah Roberts and Rick Lowe, two Texas artists whose reputation is international.”

“For our 40th anniversary, we were glad to showcase some great exhibitions such as ‘America’s Impressionism: Echoes of a Revolution’ and our collection in the exhibition ‘40 Years, 40 Stories,’” said SAMA Chief Engagement Officer Tatiana Herrera-Schneider. “We also worked on collecting the work of artists from Texas, and in particular San Antonio. … Another important project this year was the creation of three murals in San Antonio’s East Side, West Side and SAMA’s campus. … Finally, we were excited to share Emily Neff’s appointment as the Kelso Director. Neff has proven to be an exceptional leader with a strong commitment to community, a skilled fundraiser, and a thoughtful curator who brings to the fore important stories about people, cultures and places.

As San Antonio continues to develop as a vibrant cultural hub, she is exactly the person we need to lead the institution into its next chapter.”

San Antonio Street Art Initiative

“SASAI saw a very productive year,” said Shek Vega, founder and president of the San Antonio Street Art Initiative. “[We completed] 10 new murals early this year during our

arts

been percolating since 2004. Designed to transform the grounds into a “more inclusive, open campus,” the plan improved entrances, replaced a barrier-like wall of hedges along the perimeter with contemporary fencing and added more than 100 new trees and nearly 8,000 shrubs, grasses and perennials — not to mention two acres of green space at the corner of Austin Highway and North New Braunfels now dubbed Mays Family Park.

Courtesy Image / Ruiz-Healy Art

César A. Martínez’s 2021 painting Bato Con Sunglasses is featured in the Ruiz-Healy Art exhibition “Mi Gente,” and Presa House Gallery collaborated with Planned Parenthood South Texas during the first ever Fiesta House Float Parade.

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Pabst Mural Connection art walk connecting Southtown and the St. Mary’s Strip. SASAI also celebrated its 50th mural in Southtown, its first Pride mural on the Main Strip and our largest project to date at the main entrance to the Pearl Brewery — [bringing us up] to 62 pieces of public art in San Antonio.”

Slab Cinema

“Operating an indoor cinema was nowhere on our radar, much less opening an arthouse/ gallery/event venue at Blue Star,” Slab Cinema cofounder Angela Martinez admitted. “Sustaining our business through COVID taught us to see through a different lens, and when the opportunity for a space serendipitously presented itself in June, we found it irresistible — even though we weren’t sure at first what we’d do with it. Not only a home for cineastes, it’s become a joyful community space. Our fifth art show opens this month, plus we’ve hosted live music, local businesses, onsite art-making and numerous parties. We are looking forward to what happens next.”

Southwest School of Art

“During times of uncertainty and adversity, the arts are more important than ever, and it has impressed me how the arts community has rallied and worked together to recover from the impact of the pandemic,” said Southwest School of Art President Paula Owen. “In 2021, artists and arts organizations have applied their inexorable energy, imagination, and values in a multitude of ways to keeping the creative process moving forward in San Antonio.”

Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com

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16

CURRENT | December 29, 2021 - January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

2021 didn’t bring us back to the theaters, but it brought an avalanche of quality films

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

S

een any good movies lately? We sure have.

In fact, 2021 was quite a cinematic year. As with last year, cinemas didn’t play a big role in the movie-watching experience, but there were still plenty of films that left lasting impressions. Here’s a list of our 10 favorites of the year.

1. CODA

Uplifting and emotionally resonant, the coming-of-age, feel-good narrative by writer and director Sian Heder (Tallulah) is built around a cast that is authentic, unpretentious and incredibly talented. At face value, Heder’s script might seem conventional, but the nuanced approach she takes to telling a story about an aspiring singer (Emilia Jones) and her deaf family brims with so much zeal for life, it’s impossible not to become starry-eyed by all the tender moments and how beautiful the family dramedy is executed in two languages.

This jaded heart has been jolted.

2. Mass

Anchored by four top-tier performances, this intense drama from first-time writer and director Fran Kranz is challenging and transfixing in the way it presents its tragic tale. Jay (Jason Isaacs) and Gail (Martha Plimpton) are a husband and wife whose son was killed by a school mass shooter. Linda (Ann Dowd) and Richard (Reed Birney) are the mother and father of the boy who committed the crime.

When both couples agree to meet to start the healing process, their intimate conversation is one that is equal parts cathartic and soul-shattering.

3. Licorice Pizza

Eight-time Oscar-nominated writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) has explored romantic stories before in Punch-Drunk Love, Phantom Thread and even Magnolia, but his latest film, set in the San Fernando Valley during the 1970s, is love in its purest and most lighthearted form.

First-time actors Cooper Hoffman (the son of late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Alana Haim (of the band HAIM) radiate with charming chemistry, and Anderson’s screenplay, far less misanthropic than his past work, is resolute in its pursuit of happiness and nostalgia.

screens

Screen Gems

Apple TV

4. Being the Ricardos

Director and Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) can turn a phrase better than almost anyone in Hollywood. Even when he overwrites dialogue, it’s difficult not to be reeled in by his sharp wit and humor. It’s a perfect combination with a story centered on stars Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) during a turbulent week at work on their 1950s TV series I Love Lucy. Kidman masters her roles as Ball and Lucille Ricardo, and while it’s fair to criticize Bardem’s casting because he is not Latino, he nonetheless serves Arnaz well and captures his essence.

5. In the Heights

Directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and written by playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, the musical is a joyful celebration of culture and family that’s creative, spirited and sincere. The entire cast brings their best, but actor Anthony Ramos (Hamilton) and supporting actress Olga Merediz (The Place Beyond the Pines) deliver some of the picture’s most memorable scenes. With Lin-Manuel Miranda’s memorable soundtrack and magnificent choreography throughout, this is one musical that deserves to be played on a loop.

6. Language Lessons

Actress and filmmaker Natalie Morales (Plan B) directs Mark Duplass (The One I Love) and herself in a film about a friendship that forms between a man in mourning and his online Spanish teacher. Told entirely between the two lead characters speaking via video chat, the format is consistently engaging, and witnessing the narrative unfold is a rewarding experience.

7. Spencer

More artistic and unconventional than most biographical films, spending a weekend with Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) inside the walls of the royal estate during the holidays is absorbing and, at times, an exercise in fostering empathy. Filmmaker Pablo Larraín (Jackie) creates an atmosphere of dignity and discontent.

8. Prayers for the Stolen

Three young girls in Mexico grow up fearing that one day the drug cartels who rule their territory will take them away from their families. The sense of dread that emanates from the harrowing drama is gut-wrenching as we watch these innocent children live in the shadows of their own homeland.

9. The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

The true story of Kenneth Chamberlain is heartbreaking. The 68-year-old former Marine was shot to death by New York police in 2011 when they went to his apartment on a welfare check. More Fruitvale Station than Detroit, the film, led by a phenomenal performance from Frankie Faison (Red Dragon), deserves to be seen.

10. The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Of all the animated films this year, the story of an eccentric family stuck at the center of a robot Armageddon, is the funniest and most imaginative of the bunch. Plus, it features a fat pug, so how can you go wrong with that?

Honorable Mention: C’mon C’mon, Identifying

Features, Jockey, Nightmare Alley, Parallel Mothers, Pig, Red Rocket, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul, West Side Story

Find more film stories at sacurrent.com

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CURRENT | December 29, 2021 - January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

screens Transcending Villainy Actor Martin Kove explains how his classic character became more than a bad guy in Cobra Kai

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

T

he roster of movie villains from 1984 runs deep — from the title cyborg assassin in The Terminator to slasher Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street to Stripe, the leader of the mischievous monsters in Gremlins.

The most grounded of all the bad guys from that year, however, was John Kreese, the intimidating sensei at the center of The Karate Kid. In the movie, Kreese is a Vietnam War veteran who opens a dojo where he trains his students to fight with a bully mentality.

Over a 37-year stretch, actor Martin Kove has played Kreese in three films and in three seasons of Netflix’s Cobra Kai. He returned to reprise his role as the merciless karate teacher when the new series debuted in 2018.

The upcoming fourth season of Cobra Kai features Kreese joining forces with his old war buddy Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) to lead his students into battle against a group of competitors merged into one team by Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).

During an interview with the Current, Kove talked about his ties to Texas, what makes a classic movie and why he believes Kreese is more than a conventional villain in the Cobra Kai series. The new season of Cobra Kai debuts on Netflix January 31.

I hear you have an interesting tie to San Antonio.

What is it?

Oh, yeah, my birthday is on the same day that the Alamo fell: March 6. I have a metaphysical connection to Texas. I’m a big fan of the Old West, and Texas is where all the cowboys are from. Any time I can get down to Texas, especially San Antonio, is great.

You’ve shot a movie here, too, yes?

Yeah, I was in San Antonio when we shot The Gambler [V: Playing for Keeps] years ago. Anytime I’m there, I’ll have my driver stop at the Alamo. If I can take the tour or just walk around the outside, I’ll do it. I love San Antonio. To me, any part of Texas is just incredible.

Did Kreese’s background ever cross your mind when you made the original movie back in 1984?

We’re learning a lot more about him in the Cobra Kai series.

Thirty-five years ago, I didn’t because I was lazy. Now, I create a backstory for every character I play. When we all signed up to do [Cobra Kai], I said sure, but I

Curtis Bonds Baker and Netflix

told [the production team] I wanted the character to have moments of vulnerability and texture. I wanted to explore what made [Kreese] so tough, not really a villain, but sort of a misunderstood character. They were very perceptive. They did all their homework.

There are plenty of protagonists to root for in Cobra Kai, whether it’s someone from Miyagi Do or the Eagle Fang dojo. Do you think anyone ever roots for Kreese?

Oh, yeah, I think so. Season 4 is really exciting.

There are touches of vulnerability [in Kreese] that you wouldn’t expect. Kreese is not an evil villain. As Season 4 progresses, there will be a lot of surprises.

People are learning to appreciate [Kreese] a lot more.

All the characters [in Cobra Kai] aren’t written in black and white like they were in the movies. In the movies, it was written as the good guys versus the bad guys. We were the bad guys and [Daniel] and Miyagi

were the good guys. Now, everybody’s a little gray.

What constitutes a great 1980s movie today?

I always lean toward Westerns. Pale Rider was great.

The Outlaw Josey Wales was in 1976, but that was such a formative character. I think Clint Eastwood hit it out of the park with Unforgiven. To me, what constitutes a classic movie is when people are still saying the lines 35 years later like “May the force be with you” and “Wax on, wax off” and “Sweep the leg” and “No mercy.” These days, it’s hard to find a classic.

I grew up in the 1980s, so The Karate Kid is definitely a classic in my book.

Yeah, a classic is something that the whole family can appreciate — like Cobra Kai. Everyone gathers around the TV to watch it. It’s like The Ed Sullivan Show in that way. Every age group get something from Cobra Kai. That’s why it’s such a success. sacurrent.com | December 29, 2021 - January 11, 2022 | CURRENT

19

Instagram / @RockandRyeBar

On Trend

These evolutions dominated the San Antonio bar and beverage scene in 2021

BY RON BECHTOL

F

rom cultivated lowbrow aesthetics to a growing cluster of adventurous drinking spots south of downtown, these trends defined the boozy end of San Antonio’s food scene in 2021. Pour yourself a drink and let’s run them down.

Craft Brewing William Menger started making beer in a basement connected to what became the Menger Hotel in the early 1850s, and by the early 1900s, San Antonio boasted some of the state’s largest and most successful breweries. It’s only taken 100 years, but it appears that the Alamo City is once again poised to 20

become a brewing powerhouse.

At least in numbers. Inside 1604 alone there at least 16 breweries of varying sizes and ambitions. And while the craft’s local pioneers were largely German immigrants, the latest crop is far more diverse. Joey Villareal kickstarted the craft movement in 1996 with the founding of Blue Star Brewing.

Since then, Freetail Brewing took flight in 2008, and brewery-distillery Ranger Creek was established in 2010. Alamo Brewing, now in impressive digs on the near East Side, launched its label in 2014, while Dorćol Distilling and Brewing started distilling in 2013 and later added Highwheel Beer to the mix.

And these are just the bigger guys.

Small but scrappy Islla St. Brew-

CURRENT | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

ing serves South Texas-inspired suds — including one that smells, looks and tastes uncannily like a certain red cream soda — out of a modest taproom set with picnic tables. Weathered Souls has made a national name for itself with its Black Is Beautiful initiative.

Downtown’s Roadmap draws customers with a wall of taps that reads like a hit parade of local favorites: New England and Double IPAs, a dry-hopped Pilsner, Blonde Ale, Kettle Sours, Hefeweizen. Food is front and center and the city’s most impressively appointed operation, Southerleigh Fine Food and Brewery — which happens to occupy the original Pearl Brewhouse, built in 1894. We’ve come a long way, only to look back.

‘High-low’ Design Let’s acknowledge something from the get-go. There’s “high” design, of which San Antonio has precious few examples in the hospitality realm, and

there’s “low” design, of which we have a ton — both purposeful and accidental.

The accidental lows are worth examining another time. To point out just one example of the purposeful low, which might best be called “high-low,” let’s look at Little Death on North St. Mary’s Street. It’s the architectural equivalent of a tattooed sideshow performer with no square inch left uninked — great as a one-off riff on graffiti, but maybe not sustainable as a trend.

Moving up the aspirational scale, we come to Hot Joy, the interior equivalent of Little Death’s exterior, with every surface — some of them inspired by tattoos — meticulously embellished with Asian themes and artifacts by designer Greg Mannino. It’s perhaps the city’s most fully realized work of interior imagination. The only competition there might well be the more recent Hugman’s Oasis on the River Walk, an ultra-atmospheric tiki den sporting tropes from skulls to South Seas shields and grottoes to palm-thatch huts. And

Cocktail Confluence San Antonio’s Southtown-King William area has emerged as largely walkable cocktail confluence. Some of the city’s best bars — and restaurants with good bars — are situated here. However, be warned: there are more than most humans could handle in a single pub crawl.

Starting at the north end, there’s the bar at Mixtli. Set apart from the dining space, and with an entrance off South Presa Street, no reservations are required at this diminutive hideout dominated by a color-changing “cloud” symbolic of the restaurant’s ever-changing, regional modern-Mexican theme. The bar’s menu, along with its limited snacks, is nominally keyed to that of the restaurant, so it will change. Mixtli’s Oaxacan Old Fashioned, with both mezcal and tequila, is a recommended starting point. So is the cinnamon-accented Tascalate, which will introduce you to Nixta corn liqueur. It tastes and smells for all the world exactly like sweetened, fresh masa.

Nearby, Pharm Table also plays with unexpected spirits from points south at its smartly done bar-dining space. Charanda de Michoacan rum figures in the Caña Mexicana, along with a Oaxacan aguardiente and piloncillo, while the Equinox Sour includes Peruvian Pisco, ruby port and puckery sumac. For the designated walker, there’s also a short list of zero-proof cocktails starting with the on-tap house turmeric ginger “beer,” and including a Seedlip N/A-groni.

In contrast to Mixtli and Pharm, Amor Eterno’s interior comes across as an eclectic parlor with furnishings of an eccentric gran-

ny bent. The menu is a little less focused, too, but the drinks are well-executed. The mojito takes a deeper twist with dark rum and turbinado sugar, the Algonquin adds pineapple to a mix of rye and dry vermouth and Where the Buffalo Roam takes a buffalo grass-infused vodka and teams it with pear, lemon grass and cider.

Slip through a parking lot and you’re at Maverick Texas Brasserie. The copper-topped bar is the first thing you see in the sultry space. Maverick got creative during peak pandemic and offered curbside and delivery kits of cocktails such as the Dead Poet with tequila, vermouth, mezcal, bénédictine, yellow chartreuse and orange bitters. There’s an extensive wine list, too, but this is the kind of bar where the ’tenders do rise to your challenges. Ask them for the likes of an Aviation or a Hemingway daiquiri.

Francis Bogside is now just across the street. Though the food menu isn’t as ambitious as it once was, the pub grub is more than adequate, and we’re here for the booze and the generous happy hours — all day Sunday and Monday, for example. Unique drinks include the Stiffmeister with bourbon, brandy, Benedictine and Islay scotch or the Suze’n Sarandon with Kinsman Rakia, gin, Suze and Squirt. We suggest fried pickles or truffle fries no matter what you’re drinking.

Newcomer Bar Loretta lies a little more than a block away. To all appearances, it’s more of a restaurant than a bar, but you’ll be happy to have the kitchen if you order the city’s best tater tots with caviar as your snack.

They’re $15 but worth it. Bar service is friendly and competent too. A section of cocktails plays with the theme of Buc-ee’s products such as beef jerky. But to balance that, there’s also a list of variations on a theme of the Manhattan — from which the Bobby Burns with Compass Box’s Artist’s Blend is especially good.

From here, the aforementioned Hot Joy is a hop, skip and a jump. Its kitchen is hit-ormiss these days, but shrimp chips or crispy cumin pork dumplings should go with anything tiki inspired. Try the International Waters with gin, aquavit, blue Curaçao and lemon oleo-saccharum. Or perhaps the Rhubarbra Streisland with Mexican rum, mezcal, rhubarb and lime. More straightforward daiquiris and the likes of a Painkiller or an Island Mule are all good happy hour choices.

Booze basics According to serial bar developer Jeret Peña, people have lost interest crafty cocktails. Which is why he’s banking on going back to the dad-based basics such as highballs for his latest operation, Three Star Bar on Grayson Street. It’s opposite another of his concepts, Hello Paradise. Think Cuba Libre with standard Coca-Cola or a gin and tonic with added pickle juice. Equally modest grub accompanies those lowbrow offerings: meat-

food

all of that with suitably garish mugs and drinks that flame, of course.

Less flamboyant, but still a fully imagined concept, is Best Quality Daughter, a former brewery and BBQ joint at the Pearl which the interiors team at local architecture firm Lake | Flato turned into a whimsically wallpapered jewel box for just-precious-enough Asian food. Anyone in need of convincing that pastels can be powerful when used right need only pay a visit. In contrast, the steampunk strength of Sernewirthe at the Pearl was realized with the almost unfair advantage of existing atmospherics such as macho machinery and brew tanks — though the design team used it all to good advantage.

In a more conservative vein, it’s worth looking at a restaurant design that breaks no new ground but treats historic motifs with care and finesse: Brasserie Mon Chou Chou. The burnished interior pushes many brasserie buttons — marble, brass trim, bistro chairs, mosaic floors — without ever coming across as a cartoon. Everything has been considered down to the plates and the aproned servers.

It is, of course, a reflection of a Paris of the past. We’re still waiting for the perfect evocation of a San Antonio of today.

ball sandwiches, a grilled cheese on jalapeño cheddar bread, burgers and tater tots.

A trend in the making? Could be, but if keep-your-booze-basic is becoming a mantra, we do have a suggestion: seek out bars that have well-curated drinks you can knock back — or sip, your choice — in shots. What follows is a list of those at the forefront.

Scotch: You can do no better than Bar 1919 in Blue Star or proprietor Don Marsh’s latest enterprise, Rock and Rye, at The Rim. Online, you’ll be scrolling forever just to get through the whisk(e)ys — and that’s before you even come to the scotches. To pick a category — and you should — there are 50 or so single malt entries from coastal Islay alone. A pour in a proper Glencairn tasting glass will cost anywhere from $12 to $700. Nobody said simple was necessarily cheap.

Sake: New Japanese restaurant Shiro serves some of the city’s freshest and most artfully crafted sushi, so it should come as no surprise that its sake menu is equally thoughtful. The junmai designation simply means “pure rice,” though there are subcategories based on the degree of milling the base rice undergoes.

There are cloudy sake and sparkling ones.

Most will be served cold. At the bottom of the list, the Hakutsuru Little Lilly is soft and cloudy, a beautiful contrast to the sparkling variety. Be prepared to spend from $10 to $165 for a bottle, the latter a splurge you might want to save for date night under the pink neon.

Sherry: Since it was the only bar outside of the East Coast to participate in esteemed Spanish producer Bodegas Lustau’s International Sherry week, which fell in November, Downstairs at the Esquire should be your one-stop shop for sherries of all stripes — either in cocktails or straight up. Look for the full range of styles by the glass or bottle, from crackling dry fino and manzanilla to unctuous oloroso and Pedro Ximénez. One good choice, if available, is the minimally filtered Gonzalo Byass Tio Pepe Fino en Rama. It’s not your maiden aunt’s tipple.

Mezcal and Tequila: Whether of beer, wine or spirits, flights are fun. You can put together your own of mezcal or tequila version at Mexican restaurant Cuishe’s two locations, either in St. Paul Square or on Loop 1604. The pours come in one or two ounces from its respective Destilados de Agave lists. The spots serve 25 kinds of the most basic variety of Mezcal, espadin, while tobalá gets six and cuishe — the source of the restaurant’s name — gets six more. Mezcal-adjacent spirits such as raicilla and bacanora are also available. And tequila’s extra-añejo category alone flaunts 10 selections. Have at it with bar snacks that include diminutive tacos de canasta or bichos — fried crickets served with guacamole. This is a trend San Antonio should surely embrace.

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Facebook / Second Pitch Beer Co.

Courtesy / Donovan Thomson

Lessons Learned

San Antonio food and beverage business owners share what a tough year taught them and their hopes for 2022

BY NINA RANGEL

W

ith the close of a turbulent year, San Antonio’s food community has ridden out unprecedented ups and downs.

Beyond the challenge of safely serving diners during the COVID-19 pandemic, they grappled with supply chain issues, labor shortages and the usual curveballs of running a customer-facing business. But the Alamo City is nothing if not resilient.

We checked in with four local food and beverage business owners to ask them about the lessons they learned over 2021 — and what keeps them hopeful going into the new year.

Jim Hansen Owner, Second Pitch Beer Company

On lessons: “The biggest lesson from the year is to be as authentic as possible. People with limited time, effort and money will only spend those things on an authentic experience, and we strive to provide that every day and

with every pint of our beer. Second is to trust and invest in our people, as they are the lifeblood of our company and a huge reason we are doing as well as we are. Finally, I think we learned how best to work with other locals and small business. We continue to use Community Cultures Yeast Labs as our yeast provider and we started setting up several small vendor and makers markets, so people can have an opportunity to shop extremely local.”

On hopes: “I am most hopeful about a return to semi-normal with folks drinking and eating out. We are also hopeful and excited about our cans going into H-E-B. We realized earlier on we need to provide our beer in a way people are consuming it, and that means moving up our plans to go in cans by a couple of years.”

Donovan Thomson Co-Owner Big Hops New Braunfels; founder SATXRated blog

Courtesy / Jennifer Beckmann

On lessons: “The most important lesson I learned was the extent to which we need to support our small businesses. I’ve always tried to do that by leveraging the following SATXRated has, but now that I’m a small business owner, I’m doing everything I can think of to further support other small, locally owned businesses in my community. So many in the San Antonio community had to close over the last year through no fault of their own, and I’ve come to realize that every guest counts. Every person who supports small business is vital to that company’s survival, and, in the long run, the way that community thrives.”

On hopes: “Of course, I hope we finally make it through this pandemic and that people are able to get out more, spend more time together, safely. That would prime our industry for a comeback that I think people really want to see.”

Jennifer Beckmann Certified Wine Educator & Sommelier; owner, ReRooted:210 On lessons: “We’ve learned some really valuable lessons in how we operate, especially as people start to get back out again. We’re seeing people that want to get back out, businesses that want to book get-togethers, but they

Instagram / Box Street Social

want to do that in a controllable and safe way. The space that we have allows us to fill that niche, and as long as people are in a space that’s safe, where they have a modicum of control, the more receptive they are to spending time out and about. We’ve been booking a lot of corporate events, so we’re seeing corporate-structured businesses coming back, people are networking, and we learned that we have a prime space and location to facilitate that.”

On hopes: “We’ve also seen that people are largely receptive to building spaces in their communities to be safe, and that has led to us seeing a lot of localized support. People have been more supportive of localized products and businesses than I have ever seen before.

And that’s a trend I hope continues.”

Daniel Trevino Owner, Box Street All Day, Box Street Social On hopes: “We just love seeing everyone’s smiling faces again. The connection between our guests and serving them is so gratifying to us. As we move forward, we are excited to see this normalize again: ... living every day to its fullest and enjoying everyone’s presence while we have it.”

sacurrent.com | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | CURRENT

23

Year of Listening Dangerously

Artists from San Antonio and beyond dropped bold new albums in 2021. Here are our faves.

BY MIKE MCMAHAN AND SANFORD NOWLIN

C

hallenging times make for challenging music.

The year 2021 delivered plenty of the first.

Fortunately, music makers the world over responded with recordings that were appropriately adventurous but also made for rewarding repeat listens. It wasn’t easy to pick 10 favorites but we did.

So, without further chin scratching and pontification, here are the albums — including stand-out San Antonio releases — that helped us weather a strange and unpredictable year.

The Grasshopper Lies Heavy: A Cult That Worships a God of Death (Learning Curve Records)

Sleater-Kinney: Path Of Wellness (Mom+Pop)

Sleater-Kinney’s reboot is complete. The band had a controversial 2019, losing longtime drummer Janet Weiss and dropping the divisive St. Vincent-produced The Center Won’t Hold. The band took a wider approach with Path Of Wellness, combining elements of the last record with renewed focus on the infectious guitar and vocal hooks that defined its classic work.

Weiss is missed, though her eventual return feels all-but-inevitable. But this is 2021, and if you can’t get behind the single “Worry With You,” you just don’t like Sleater-Kinney.

Some accused Wolves in the Throne Room, one of the pioneering atmospheric black metal bands, of breaking no new ground with this, their seventh album.

That misses the point. Primordial Arcana achieves the sublime because it’s the Pacific Northwest act’s most successful release at fusing all the myriad elements that comprise its distinctive sound: crushing heaviness, sophisticated melody, ritual atmospherics, experimental passages, natural field recordings and more. The 10-minute “Masters of Rain and Storm” is a masterpiece of extreme sonic exploration.

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CURRENT | December 29, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | sacurrent.com

Pearl Charles is one of those artists who leaves you scratching your head, wondering why they aren’t bigger. Her visual aesthetic puts her in the same universe as outsize influencers like Lana Del Rey, and her amalgam of ’60s rock and ’70s cosmic country puts her in a distinctive musical realm. Her 2018 release Sleepless Dreamer was strong, but Magic Mirror ups the game. “Only For Tonight” got the hype since its disco-inflected arrangement is a departure. But don’t sleep the title track, “What I Need” and “Sweet Sunshine Wine,” which combine a Laurel Heights vibe with the pleasant songwriting of performers such as Christine McVie. Since its 2013 comeback, death metal band Carcass has released a string of albums that harness the brutal grind of its early releases with a more melodic and varied approach. That strategy continues on Torn Arteries, which offers no letup on the gore and black humor — check out “Kelly’s Meat Emporium” for a force-feeding of both — but makes the package even more effective by refining it with hooks, rock swagger and bluesy guitarwork. Palette cleansers between bloody bites, as it were. It’s refreshing to see an extreme metal pioneer still pushing boundaries more than 30 years after its debut album.

Nuclear Juarez: Exil (Half-Life Recordings)

Wolves in the Throne Room: Primordial Arcana (Century Media)

Pearl Charles: Magic Mirror (Kanine)

Carcass: Torn Arteries (Nuclear Blast)

San Antonio’s The Grasshopper Lies Heavy has been at it for so long, it might be tempting to take the band’s steady stream of avant-metal releases for granted. This album demonstrates precisely why that’s a terrible idea. Cult features the band’s monolithic riffing and pissed-off aggression in spades, but it also showcases a quieter, and equally effective, brand of tension. The gripping, four-suite title track builds to an eerie interlude marked by synth washes and chiming guitar arpeggios, while the proggy-in-a-good-way “Bullet Curtain” hints that this band has even more sonic evolution yet to come.

Genre music is tricky. On one hand, the conventions are defined, and the expectation is that artists will work within them. On the other, how do you do something artistic if the audience only pays attention to those acts coloring within the lines? Local surf rockers Nuclear Juarez manage to just toe the line. Surf music has been well-defined since the time of pioneers like Dick Dale, and no one who listens to Exil would accuse the band of going crazy with experimentation, despite some outrageous guitar tones. And are those “Smells Like Teen Spirit” quotes on “Company Property?” Exil delivers on its promise of fun, something we all need to cope with the dystopia that is modern ’Murica.

Couldn’t we all use a little of that right now? Mexstep’s soulful, unhurried delivery is perfectly complemented by production from Black Puma’s Adrian Quesada. These winning tracks capture the jazzy inflections of prime Gang Starr but with flourishes of West Side soul that suggest you could spin this at a backyard barbecue and catch your tio getting down to it.

Cooper Greenberg: Silverbelly (Self-released)

Courtesy Image / Mexstep

Amyl and the Sniffers: Comfort to Me (Rough Trade)

From the late ’70s up to the mid ’80s, Australia was a hotbed for bands whose frenzied approach to punk ’n’ roll was the world’s envy. On its second full-length release, Melbourne’s Amyl and the Sniffers lives up to that tradition — and then some. Led by charismatic shouter Amy Taylor, the quartet buzzsaws through 13 jagged tracks that crackle with anger and frustration while never abandoning the core mission of rocking the fuck out. When Taylor’s lyrics turn to politics, commenting on misogyny and climate change, for example, they come from a personal place that gives them real grit.

Mexstep: Vivir (Self-released)

Recorded following a health crisis that brought on a period of introspection, San Antonio rapper — and UTSA professor — Mexstep’s latest album celebrates life and repeatedly urges listeners to relax and reflect.

A singer-songwriter with guitar chops is a rare enough breed that it mandates celebration. San Antonio’s own Cooper Greenberg puts those chops to good use on Silverbelly. The LP is a diverse collection of styles from pleasantly sun-baked (“Salted Plum”) to more out there (“Sind Sie bereit? Fangen wir an!”). Aside from the solid playing, one the secrets of success here is the quality of the genre jumps. Some artists focus on one style and move to others as an experiment or throwaway.

Greenberg avoids that trap, making it hard to pin his sound down — and we mean that in a good way.

Cynic: Ascension Codes (Season of Mist)

Cynic’s small output — four LPs in almost 30 years — belies the act’s outsize influence on metal. Recently, guitarist-vocalist Paul Masvidal coped with the passing of drummer Sean Reinert and bassist Sean Malone, the other two members who formed Cynic’s core. Ascension Codes balances the stylistic quirks that define Cynic, such as ethereal vocoder vocals, while moving in new directions by adding bass lines played on synth, a nod to the irreplaceable Malone. Ascension Codes has been called “jazzy,” a silly moniker since it features little or none of the improvisation that defines jazz and is tightly controlled. Don’t skip over “The Winged Ones,” the ballsy instrumental that opens the record.

Marcy Grace and Friends San Antonio singer-singer songwriter Marcy Grace will ring in the new year with her poppy brand of Americana. Her powerful and soulful voice completes the package. $12, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., samsburgerjoint.com. — EB

Scott H. Biram

Thursday, January 6

Courtesy Photo Scott H. Biram

Wednesday, December 29 Friday, December 31 The Mavericks These genre-fluid roots rock pioneers will celebrate the end of 2021 with a sold out, three-night stand that promises surprises. Not many acts can boast of winning Country Music Association Awards while also playing gigs with Marilyn Manson early in their career. Founded in Miami in 1989, the Mavericks have endured personnel changes and two breakups to emerge at the top of the heap. The band’s most recent LP, 2020’s En Español, is their first sung entirely in — you guessed it — Spanish. Sold Out, 7 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels, (830) 6061281, gruenehall.com. — Mike McMahan

Friday, December 31 Little Joe y La Familia, The Hernandez Brothers Boasting over 65 years as an entertainer, Little Joe will help San Antonio music fans ring in 2022 along with his band, La Familia, and The Hernandez Brothers.

Little Joe has cited growing up in a heavily African American neighborhood in Temple as a key influence on his sound. He enjoys and utilizes horns more than many of his Tejano peers and has even said he’d have loved a career in jazz. He won his first Grammy in 1992 for 16 de Septiembre. $38.50-$83.50, 9 p.m., Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — MM

Scott H. Biram Thanks to his gritty, high-energy performances, Austin-based Biram has emerged as one of the most prominent figures in the one-man band genre. He continues to wow crowds with his punk-edged, Southern-style blues, armed only with his acoustic guitar, his harmonica and foot-powered percussion. $15-$50, 8:30 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — BE

Saturday, January 8 MC2 and the Soul Combining hip hop and soul, this physics-monikered eight-piece will bring grooves and conscious lyrics to the “Little Carver’s Intimate Series.” The show will be set up with cabaret-style tables for four. $24, 8 p.m., Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry, (210) 207-7211, thecarver.org. — MM

Sunday, January 9 Kottonmouth Kings With a name that describes exactly how some folks feel after smoking a fat doobie, you can tell where this band stands on cannabis before you bother looking at a lyric sheet. These stoners meld dubstep, rock and more into their red-eye ready brand of Californian

music

music listings

hip-hop. $30-$35, 1 p.m., Picks Bar, 4553 N. Loop 1604 West, (210) 253-9220, picksbar.com. — BE

Tuesday, January 11

Pink Martini featuring China Forbes Pink Martini has made a name for itself by offering listeners a musical trip around the world. The Portland-based outfit performs an array of globe-spanning music in multiple languages. Picture a United Nations of sound. To-date the group has sold more than 3 million albums on its independent label Heinz Records. $35.50, 7:30 p.m. Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — EB

Pink Martini

Courtesy Photo / Pink Martini

Worst Party Ever Worst Party Ever delivers a solid collection of tracks on its latest album Dartland. The poppy emo rock on the record holds a great balance between melodic emotional passages and upbeat pop-punk. Show opener Hey, Ily mines similar sonic territory. $12, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — EB

The Mavericks

Zach Person Guitar Hero Magazine has given Person a thumbs up as a six-string savior for his generation. While that remains to be seen, the Austin-based artist and former American Idol contestant has managed to shake up the well-worn blues-rock sound by incorporating electronic elements — and, yes, some guitar heroics. $15, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., samsburgerjoint.com. — Enrique Bonilla

Reminder:

Saturday, January 1 Parker McCollum Texas native Parker McCollum went from rootsy Americana to country-pop star in a little over five years’ time.

Now, he’s now signed to a major label and making a stop at the AT&T Center. Wonder if his hit song “Hell of a Year” will hit differently after the dumpster fires of the past two years? Flatland Cavalry will open the show. $24.50-$399, 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center, 1 AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com. — BE

Facebook / The Mavericks

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 Infrastructure Engineer for San Antonio, TX-based Unit 410, LLC. Telecommuting from any location in the U.S. is an option for this position. Mail resume to D. Rothstein, 382 NE 191st St., PMB 29032, Miami, FL 33179.

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