San Antonio Current — February 23, 2022

DEFENDING TREES AT BRACKENRIDGE | GETTING WILD AT LONGNECK MANOR | LINEUP CHANGES WON'T STOP FEA | FEB. 23 - MAR. 8, 2022

Crow artist Wendy Red Star reframes Native culture with her mid-career survey ‘A Scratch on the Earth’

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in this issue San Antonio Current

Issue 22-04 /// February 23 – March 8, 2022

cocktail fun stop there

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

59 Music

Editorial

Digital Content Editor: Kelly Nelson Contributing Arts Editor: Bryan Rindfuss Food and Nightlife Writer: Nina Rangel Staff Writer: Michael Karlis Contributors: Abe Asher, Ron Bechtol, Enrique Bonilla, Daniel Conrad, Mackenzie Cook, Brianna Espinoza, Kiko Martinez, Mike McMahan, Dana Nichols, M. Solis, Gary Sweeney Editorial Interns: Ashley Allen

And Then There Were 3 San Antonio’s Fea doesn’t let another lineup change keep it off the road

Music Listings

Marketing and Events

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

Creative Services

Creative Services Manager: Samantha Serna Production Interns: Pedro Macias, Marlene Mejia, Sydney Pujol

Circulation

Circulation Manager: Justin Giles

Euclid Media Group

Chief Executive Officer: Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers: Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services: Stacy Volhein Director of Agency Services: Mindi Overman Digital Operations Coordinator: Jaime Monzon Senior Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising: Voice Media Group (888) 278-9866, vmgadvertising.com

Courtesy Image / San Antonio Museum of Art

34 Feature

Making Marks

Crow artist Wendy Red Star reframes Native culture with her mid-career survey ‘A Scratch on the Earth’

San Antonio Current 915 Dallas San Antonio, Texas 78215 sacurrent.com Editorial: (210) 332-5448 Display Advertising: (210) 332-5448 Classified: (210) 227-CLAS / Fax - (210) 227-7733 The San Antonio Current is published by Euclid Media Group Verified Audit Member San Antonio Distribution – The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.

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11 News

The Opener News in Brief

Risky Business

San Antonio is negotiating incentives for the revamped DeLorean even though the venture likely faces a rocky road ahead

Current Events Hot to Chop

19 Calendar Calendar Picks

34 Arts

Close Encounters

Hill Country nonprofit Longneck Manor fosters conservation by letting people mingle with animals

Well-Suited

San Antonio resident Aaron Sommers builds his own SpiderVerse one spandex costume at a time

45 Screens

DEFENDING TREES AT BRACKENRIDGE | GETTING WILD AT LONGNECK MANOR | LINEUP CHANGES WON'T STOP FEA | FEB. 23 - MAR. 8, 2022

Crow artist Wendy Red Star reframes Native culture with her mid-career survey ‘A Scratch on the Earth’

Practical Magic

San Antonio native Joe Castro helps drive resurgence of old-school special effects in Hollywood

49 Food

Icehouse revival

Outdoor drinking spots remain a San Antonio fixture, even amid the city’s rapid change

Morning Dew

There’s nothing wrong with mimosas, but don’t let brunchtime

O

n the Cover: Portland-based artist Wendy Red Star’s ‘A Scratch on the Earth’ is now on view at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Cover design: Samantha Serna.

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H

A report from the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that last February’s winter storm could ultimately cost the state up to $300 billion — a result of underinvestment in Texas’ power grid due to energy companies’ desire to keep costs down. That estimated toll is greater than damages from either Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Harvey.

H

The U.S. Senate last week made quick work of Sen. Ted Cruz’s efforts to aid anti-vaxxers, voting down amendments that would have defunded President Biden’s federal vaccine mandate and stripped funding from schools that require students to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Sen. John Cornyn voted for both amendments.

H

The Lone Star State is requiring new charter schools to submit a “statement of assurance” that they’ll follow the state’s “critical race theory” laws before opening. The Texas Education Agency confirmed that new charters must align their curricular materials with laws passed last year that limit teaching about race and current events.

Two members of San Antonio City Council have a plan to help residents pay for insulin. A proposal from Adriana Rocha Garcia and Jalen McKee-Rodriguez to offset the drug’s rising cost has picked up the signatures it needs to move to the council’s governance committee.

The plan would set up a cost-sharing model for insulin purchases similar to the city’s emergency housing assistance program. — Abe Asher

YOU SAID IT!

“Henry Cuellar is a DINOsaur —that’s DINO, as in Democrat in name only. Henry Cuellar is a noxious relic who doesn’t represent people like those striking symphony musicians in our midst today, and he needs to be held accountable.”

— Richard Oppenheim

president of American Federation of Musicians Local 23 at a San Antonio rally urging union members to back progressive Jessica Cisneros in her run to unseat Cuellar.

ASSCLOWN ALERT

Cranking the asinine up to 11 with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.

The past few weeks have been a banner in batshit for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, whose role as a Trump surrogate and Lib-tweaking troll has long eclipsed any aspirations the former radio shock jock had at being a serious leader for the Texas Senate.

Since the beginning of the month, the politician formerly known as Dannie Goeb has: • Claimed he’ll end tenure for new faculty at Texas’ public colleges and universities to stop professors from “indoctrinating” students with so-called “critical race theory.”

• Reportedly told Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, that county’s highest-ranking official, to “sit down and shut up” at the memorial service for a slain police officer because he didn’t like her taking a position near the front at the ceremony.

• Been outed in media reports about his campaign sending out a mass mailing urging voters to apply for mail-in ballots via return

news

That Rocks/That Sucks

Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore

envelopes addressed to the Texas secretary of state’s office — a move that delayed thousands of those requests, some likely beyond the March 1 primary deadline.

Of course, Patrick is no stranger to blasting out wet and noxious mouth farts. Remember his false and racist claim that Black people were responsible for last summer’s COVID surge or his urging of grandparents to be ready to lay down their lives during the worst stages of the pandemic so the economy could reopen more quickly?

Texas Republican always have a knack for upping the volume of their rhetoric ahead of the primaries, but Patrick’s assclown amp — much like that of Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel — appears to be permanently cranked up to 11.

Somebody pass the earplugs. Please.

— Sanford Nowlin

As of press time, another national progressive leader was San Antonio-bound to support U.S. House candidate Jessica Cisneros. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, was scheduled to appear Tuesday with Cisneros and NARAL Pro-Choice America president Mini Timmaraju at Cherrity Bar in support of the 28-year-old’s push to defeat Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar in the March 1 primary.

San Antonio’s new job-training program, SA: Ready to Work, is a step closer to launch after city council approved final contracts for it last week. Voters overwhelmingly approved a small sales tax to fund the program in 2020.

The program, which will train nearly 30,000 people in jobs that pay more than $15 per hour will launch with a $180 million budget. Some 70 employers have signaled their support.

A San Antonio federal jury last week determined that the Lion & Rose Restaurant & Pub didn’t unlawfully terminate a pair of workers for quarantining after reporting COVID-19 symptoms. However, the jury did award $2,500 in lost wages and benefits to a third employee. The plaintiffs sued the pub and its owner, alleging they were fired in 2020 after following health protocols and not showing up to work rather than potentially spreading the coronavirus. — Abe Asher

Twitter / JCisnerosTX

Find more news coverage every day at sacurrent.com

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CESAR E. 2 6 T H

A N N U A L

CHAVEZ MARCH For Justice

For 26 years, the Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice has been a day that our San Antonio community comes together to unite, celebrate, and remember a great humanitarian. Equally important, it is a day to never forget the Si Se Puede Spirit Cesar Chavez encouraged us to embrace so that we can overcome the injustices and inequalities our community faces.

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore”

–

Cesar Chavez

LEARN MORE AT SANANTONIO.GOV/CHAVEZMARCH | 12

CURRENT | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | sacurrent.com

SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2022

MORNING PROGRAM: 9:15 A.M.

MARCH STEP OFF: GUADALUPE & BRAZOS AT 10 A.M.

AFTER MARCH CELEBRATION AT HEMISFAIR: 11 A.M.-3 P.M. BRING YOUR CANNED GOODS TO THE MARCH.

FOOD WILL BE DONATED TO THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK

news Risky Business

San Antonio is negotiating incentives for the revamped DeLorean even though the venture likely faces a rocky road ahead

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

D

eLorean Motor Co. grabbed business headlines last week when it unleashed a social media announcement just before the Super Bowl that it’s resurrecting the troubled 1980s sports car as an electric vehicle.

Along with that splash came an announcement from San Antonio economic development officials that the new venture will locate its headquarters here, employing 450 people, “contingent on final approvals of various incentive packages.”

In prepared statements, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff trumpeted the announcement as a validation that the city, which has long struggled to transition its economy beyond the service sector, can be a beacon in the auto market.

However, experts in the electric vehicle market and in economic development warn those high fives may be premature. Despite the buzzy cult status of its brand, the ability of DeLorean to deliver those jobs, much less a commercially available electric car, is an open question.

While the electric vehicle, or EV, space is growing rapidly, it’s a risky place for startups to play, said Anjan Hemanth Kumar, an analyst for San Antonio-based market research firm Frost & Sullivan.

Every aspiring EV company would love to present itself as the next Tesla.

However, even that company — run by billionaire Elon Musk, one of the wealthiest men in the world — took 18 years to achieve its first full year of profitability.

Few startups can burn through that much cash and survive, said Kumar, who’s tracked the EV industry for 15 years.

“You need to make hundreds of thousands of cars to achieve profitability, so that’s a huge problem,” he said. “It’s a huge mountain to move.”

Sparse details

It’s unclear just how deep the reborn DeLorean’s pockets are. Privately held, the company doesn’t disclose its financial data, and its website offers more opportunities to order branded shirts and ball caps than to find details about its new electric vehicle or its investors.

Company officials didn’t respond to the Current’s request for an interview.

We do know, however, that the new DeLorean venture is helmed by execs who previously worked for Karma Automotive, a China-backed EV startup. They appear to be working in partnership with Stephen Wynne, who acquired the DeLorean brand in the ’90s and refurbishes and provides parts for the few thousand original models that are still in circulation.

This isn’t Wynne’s first pledge to put the DeLorean back into production, according to reporting from Bloomberg News. Given the EV market’s growth, the idea of electrifying the DeLorean seems to make sense — on the surface, at least.

Sales of electric vehicles are expected to reach 32 million by 2030, up from 6.7 million last year, according to Frost & Sullivan projections.

But complicating things, the company is entering an already crowded market. Not only are there already 1,200 EV-related startups globally, according to Kumar’s estimates, nearly every existing automaker is spending big on electric.

Indeed, deep-pocketed tech companies like Google or Apple could even muscle into the space as well, he added.

gambles, the city and county together poured $8 million into InCube, a bioscience incubator expected to employ at least 50 people with annual salaries of more than $50,000 in the next five years.

After that deadline came in 2015, InCube fell far short, creating just eight full-time jobs and faltering on a promise to raise $15 million in non-public funding.

Mixed record at best

Automotive strategy

It’s unclear just what kind of incentives local leaders are prepared to throw at DeLorean. Officials with both the city and the county would only say details are being negotiated right now.

However, observers caution that the Alamo City has a mixed record at best when it comes to incentivizing startups.

In one of the highest profile of those

Trinity University business professor Luis Martinez, who follows economic development and startup ventures, said DeLorean fits with San Antonio’s strategy of growing its automotive sector, anchored by Toyota’s $3 billion truck plant.

However, he acknowledges that the EV startup carries substantial risk.

Cities, counties and their taxpayers

Facebook / DeLorean Motor Company

must decide how big a roll of the dice they’re willing to take when cutting deals with businesses with little or no track record.

“Inherently, when you offer incentives to startups and early-stage businesses ... there’s a risk you lose all of that capital and all of those incentives that you might have used for other projects,” he said.

Time will tell whether the electric DeLorean is a roaring success or a project that never leaves the driveway.

In the shorter term, San Antonio taxpayers will see just how much risk local economic development officials are willing to take on.

Even in the best-case scenario, Frost & Sullivan’s Kumar warned that no one should expect quick success.

“This isn’t a short race; it’s not consumer electronics,” he said. “It’s a long and painful journey.”

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news

Sanford Nowlin

CURRENT EVENTS

Hot to Chop

Lack of transparency and accountability surround the city’s push to fell heritage trees at Brackenridge Park

BY SANFORD NOWLIN Editor’s Note: Current Events is a column of opinion and analysis.

C

ity staff’s effort to fell 104 trees, including 10 heritage specimens, at Brackenridge Park to repair a crumbling, 80-year-old wall must stop. It’s an embarrassing statement about San Antonio’s governance that the plan got this far.

The controversial proposal would remove dozens of trees in one of the city’s most revered green spaces as part of an effort to restore the Lambert Beach river walls and other historical structures approved for repair under Brackenridge Park’s 2017 bond project.

Environmental advocates, neighborhood groups and park visitors are rightfully outraged by the plan, which the city has deliberately tried to shield from scrutiny while offering the flimsiest of justifications.

In case you haven’t been following the story, the city’s Historic and Design Review Commission last Wednesday delayed a decision that would have effectively given a green light to the trees’ removal.

As of press time, it appears the HDRC is likely to meet again on Friday, Feb. 25.

During last Wednesday’s meeting, Bill Pennell, assistant manager of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, and other city staffers argued that the trees’ removal is needed to protect the historic structures and ensure public safety. They promised to plant 219 new trees in the park to offset the environmental effects.

However, more than 30 residents voiced alternatives to cutting down the trees, fewer than two dozen of which are dead or invasive species. The walls, they

argued could be moved or simply taken out along sections of the river to protect the vegetation.

They also delivered impassioned arguments that the trees’ removal would degrade the quality of the park experience, destroy birds’ natural habitats and run counter to the city’s Climate Action Plan. Further, they maintained, the city’s own tree ordinance includes a 100% prohibition of removing heritage trees, or those 24 inches or more in diameter.

In defending their proposal, city staff faced criticism from HDRC commissioners for failing to present plans for how they will restore historic structures in the park once the trees are downed.

Further, Parks and Rec’s Pennell told the commissioners there are “no historical trees in the area,” meaning those 200 years or older, only to be contradicted moments later by city arborist Mark Bird who said, “We don’t know that we could successfully age these trees.”

Government Hill Alliance President Rose Hill, who sat on the 2017 bond committee and spoke against the tree removal, said widespread changes to the park’s natural landscape were never discussed during bond hearings.

“I was there, and that’s not what was promised to voters,” she said in a phone interview.

Further, Hill argues that staff never gave the public sufficient notice about the proposed tree removal, noting that she only found out after a tip from someone inside the city.

The way city officials handled the process gives credence to Hill’s claim.

The first chance for public input on the plan came during a Wednesday, Jan. 26, Planning Commission meeting. Only four people showed up to voice opposition, and a mere 16 left voice mails, according to the San Antonio Report. That doesn’t suggest a process open to public scrutiny.

Further adding to the murkiness, officials with the city of San Antonio’s Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments abruptly canceled a media preview of the Brackenridge project scheduled for Friday, Jan. 28, the Express-News reports. The cancelation, made 30 minutes before the event, came after protesters gathered in the park to raise concerns about the trees’ removal.

As a result, many in the community were unaware of the plan until it was on the agenda of the HDRC, its last apparent hurdle before city employees began removing trees from the park. Indeed, many more only learned about the proposal after media reports about that meeting trickled out.

On the HDRC meeting agenda, the Brackenridge Park item was listed simply as “Removal of heritage and significant trees at top of bank and along the river,” offering little suggestion of the size and scope of the project.

In a letter to city council members Mario Bravo and Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert noted that the city hasn’t formally submitted its plans to the Texas Historical Commission. That offers a chance for council to step in and ensure that the plans are consistent with the Climate Action Plan, he added.

“We can review, rethink and reimagine alternatives that are appropriate for this ancient site that means so much to the residents of Bexar County,” Calvert wrote.

Calvert’s point is well taken: if city staff can’t be bothered to consider the input of San Antonio’s residents, perhaps members of council will. After all, their jobs are in those residents’ hands. sacurrent.com | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | sacurrent.com

DRAG

KANDY MUSE Rey Lopez Entertainment is presenting a special appearance

by RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Kandy Muse for two San Antonio shows at the Bonham Exchange. The hostess for the evening is San Antonio’s Tencha La Jefa. In 2021, Muse, who in an interview with VH1 called herself “the Dominican doll from New York City,” competed on the 13th season of Drag Race, where she came in second place. “In addition to creating some drama backstage, Kandy brought memorable looks to the runway week after week,” NewNowNext reported of her appearances. When not performing or on tour, Muse has been featured in music videos for Eureka O’Hara’s “Body Positivity,” Velo’s “Big Dick Daddy,” Alaska Thunderfuck’s “Sitting Alone in the VIP,” and in the 2018 short film “Femme.” $20-$30, 10:30 p.m. and midnight, Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham St., (210) 224-9219,

face-

book.com/reylopezentertainment. — Sam Sanchez

calendar

THU | 02.24

Jade Esteban Estrada

Courtesy of Rey Lopez Entertainment

FRI | 02.25 SUN | 02.27 SPECIAL EVENT

MARDI GRAS FESTIVAL AND RIVER PARADE Dance, drink and eat along the River Walk in a San Antonio-style celebration of Mardi Gras over the span of

SAT | 02.26 SPECIAL EVEN T

SAN ANTONIO AFRICAN AMERICAN BOOK FESTIVAL

Join the Friends of the Carver Library in celebrating the power of Black literature for the third annual San Antonio African American Book Festival. More than 40 guests are slotted to participate, including keynote author Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson, San Antonio Poet Laureate. The event will kick off with the 7th annual Black History for Children Book Exhibit, hosted

by Baba Aundar of Ma’at Marketing/KuumbaNia. That will be followed by a children’s book writing session and keynote.

Books from the featured authors will be available throughout the festival, as will food from local vendors, making it the perfect day to keep your nose in a book. Free, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Carver Library, 3350 E. Commerce St., and Second Baptist Community Center, 3310 E. Commerce St., (210) 207-9180, facebook.com/carverfriends. — DN

three nights. Friday kicks off the festival with vendors and staged selfie boats set up for snapping pictures with festive Showstoppers. The official parade starts at 4 p.m. Saturday, a procession of 10 themed floats making its way through

three, prepare to leave with more beads than you came with.

Up. He’s also written a best-selling book, I Had the Right to

downtown starting at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel. Musical

Free, 6-8 p.m. Friday, 1-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, River Parade

Remain Silent But I Didn’t Have the Ability, a title that probably

artists will grace the stage at the Arneson River Theatre on

4-6 p.m. Saturday, San Antonio River Walk,

applies to most of us. $47.75, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Majestic

both Saturday and Sunday to accompany the festivities. And

tonioriverwalk.com. — Dana Nichols

thesanan-

of course, whether you’re celebrating for one night or all

Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com.

— Mike McMahan

SAT | 02.26 COMEDY

RON WHITE

Reminder:

Straight to the point on this one: Ron White is an alum of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which also included Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy, and he’s known by the nickname “Tater Salad.” If you’re not already familiar with White’s work, but both of those should clue you in to where he’s coming from. Born in Frisco, Texas, White is known for his downhome observational comedy and often appears onstage with a cigar and a glass of scotch. He’s appeared on the TV show Reno 911! and in the movie Horrible Bosses. His Courtesy Photo / Visit San Antonio

most recent comedy special is If You Quit Listening, I’ll Shut

Courtesy of Majestic Theatre

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.

13th Annual

Open Weekends:

Mar 5 – Apr 24 + Fri Mar 18 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 20

CURRENT | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | sacurrent.com

calendar SUN | 02.27

and music “to tell unconventional barrio tales from his multicultural

rical adaptation of Sydney Pollack’s 1982 classic film tells the story of

upbringing in the Alamo City.” Whether he’s talking about past rela-

New York actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), whose reputation

tionships or his experience as a father of two kids, Simmons has never

as a difficult crewmember forces him to take desperate measures and

been one to pull his punches. Currently, he continues to travel across

adopt the gender-swapped identity of Dorothy Michaels, which natu-

Texas as much as the pandemic allows and is producing sketch-comedy

rally earns him the starring role of a lifetime. Expect a night of laughs

After a career spent appearing in projects ranging from big-budget

videos. “Audiences can expect peace, love and laughter at my show,”

and new songs that are likely to get stuck in your head. $45-$225, 7:30

action movies to streaming documentaries, Tig Notaro will head to San

Simmons told the Current. In a video posted on his YouTube chan-

p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m.

Antonio to show why Rolling Stone named her “one of the 50 best stand-

nel from a recent performance, Simmons shared a story about what

and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333,

up comics of all time.” Known for her deadpan delivery, Notaro has

happened when he was looking for an enema in the produce section of

majesticempire.com. — DN

recently appeared in Army Of The Dead, Zack Snyder’s zombies-in-Vegas

the grocery store. We won’t judge. The medical kit does almost sound

flick, as well as on TV’s Star Trek: Discovery. Her attempts to conceive

like “edamame,” and both basically do the same thing to your bowels.

with partner Stephanie Allynne were the basis of Netflix’s documentary

$30-$120, 7:30 p.m., Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, (210)

Tig. Yet another documentary, Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro appeared on

541-8805, improvtx.com/sanantonio. — Kiko Martinez

COMEDY

TIG NOTARO

Showtime and detailed her life and first tour after surviving cancer. She’s also guested on variety shows from Ellen to Conan. Notaro recently announced her next project Time & Space will be produced by Judd Apatow and co-directed with Allynne. The comic said the new film will allow her to pursue her interest in telling stories with compelling

SUN | 02.27 FILM

entation. $29.50-$44.50, 7 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100

PARIS IS BURNING: A BENEFIT FOR THE SAN ANTONIO AIDS FOUNDATION

Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — MM

In a nod to Black History Month, San Antonio pop singer and artist

characters who happen to be gay, rather than focusing on sexual ori-

Wayne Holtz will host a screening of the culturally significant 1990 American documentary Paris Is Burning. Proceeds from the event will benefit the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, and a drag ball follows Courtesy of Majestic Theatre

the screening. Paris Is Burning chronicles the Golden Age of drag ball culture which flourished during the late 1980s in New York City among

THU | 03.03 TUE | 03.08 ART

‘ARTURO HERRERA: CONSTRUCTED COLLAGE’ Berlin-based artist Arturo Herrera will showcase more than 25 works — including some that have never been seen before — in this new exhibition in the Studio at Ruby City. The solo show encompasses the artist’s expansive practice and use of materials, including selected works

Courtesy of Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

recently gifted by Herrera to the permanent collection of the Linda Pace Foundation that will be on view for the first time. The exhibition

SUN | 02.27

explores Herrera’s work from 1998 to 2019, presenting artworks in a variety of media, including collages, a cut felt wall-hanging, sculpture, prints and wall works. Herrera’s work balances abstraction and the

COMEDY

perceptions of form in a melded limbo. Ruby City provides interactions

CLIFTON SIMMONS

with artworks created by artists working both locally and internationally. An opening reception for the exhibition will take place March 19,

Local standup and improvisational comedian Clifton Simmons follows

from 2-6 p.m. in the Studio at Ruby City. “Arturo Herrera: Constructed

the mantra that “the grind never stops.” It’s something he takes to heart as a comic every time he takes the stage. Simmons will get the chance

Miramax

Collage” will remain on view through January 31, 2023. Free, 10 a.m.-6

to entertain audiences when he steps into the spotlight for a set at LOL

the African-American, Latino, gay and transgender communities.

p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Ruby City, 150 Camp St., rubycity.org.

this month. During his performances, he combines hip-hop, poetry

Directed by Jennie Livingston, the film won awards from the Sundance

— Ashley Allen

Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival and the GLAAD Media Awards, among others. Terrence Rafferty of the New Yorker described Paris Is Burning as “a beautiful piece of work — lively, intelligent, exploratory ….” $10, 8 p.m., Brick at Blue Star Arts Complex, 108 Blue Star, (210) 2628653, facebook.com/brickatbluestar. — SS

TUE | 03.01 SUN | 03.06 TH EATER

TOOTSIE Heralded as one of the decade’s funniest musicals, comedy-musical Courtesy of LOL Comedy Club

Tootsie is coming to the Majestic Theatre stage this spring. The theatCourtesy of Ruby City

sacurrent.com | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | sacurrent.com

calendar THU | 03.03 FRI | 03.04 CLASSICAL MUSIC

FIRST FINE ARTS PRESENTS THE MUSICIANS OF THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY The San Antonio Symphony has played no concerts during the 20212022 season due to the musicians’ strike that began last September.

Now, the orchestra’s musicians are finally returning to an Alamo City stage — just not at the Tobin Center. The Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony (MOSAS) will perform two concerts at the First Baptist Church of San Antonio as part of the church’s First Fine Arts Series. Under the direction of Lubbock Symphony Orchestra music director and conductor David Cho, the ensemble will present a program including Bedřich Smetana’s symphonic poem Vltava (The Moldau) and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor, as well as Ludwig van Beethoven’s Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major for Piano and Orchestra with

THU | 03.03

Courtesy of PechaKucha San Antonio

SPECIAL EVEN T

PECHAKUCHA SAN ANTONIO VOL. 40

On March 3, the San Antonio iteration of the PechaKucha speaker series is returning for its first in-person event in two years. The presentation series is part of the international PechaKucha organization, which has offshoots in more than 1,000 cities worldwide. Speakers follow a 20x20 format, sharing a slideshow of 20 images that remain on screen for 20 seconds each, giving each presenter six minutes and 40 seconds to say their piece. For its San Antonio return, PechaKucha Volume 40 will be held outdoors at the San Antonio Botanical Garden’s Betty Kelso Center.

The event will feature seven prominent San Antonians: applied ethnobotanist Maeve Bassett, restaurateur Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin of Best Quality Daughter, artist Heyd Fontenot, Rabbi Mara Nathan, First Lady of San Antonio Erika Prosper, San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson and “coffee pioneer” Tyler Ybarra. Alamo City musician Alyson Alonzo will serve as emcee. The event will be preceded by a happy hour at 6:30 p.m., with speakers beginning at 7:30 p.m. $7-$10, 7:30 p.m., San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, (210) 536-1400, facebook.com/PechaKuchaSAT. — KN Courtesy Photo / MOSAS

sacurrent.com | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | sacurrent.com

calendar

SAT | 03.05

guest pianist Adam Golka. “We support the San Antonio Symphony musicians and want to showcase their musical talents as a cultural treasure of our San Antonio community,” First Baptist Associate Pastor

DANCE

of Worship Aaron Hufty said in a statement. “We have missed their world-class performances and are elated to be able to present them

BALLET NEPANTLA

once again in a dynamic program.” This performance isn’t produced

New York-based Ballet Nepantla is bringing its unique style of dance

or sponsored by the Symphony Society of San Antonio. Tickets are $20,

back to San Antonio. Founded by Texas native Andrea Guajardo and

but there’s an additional $10 fee for parking. $20, 7:30 p.m. Thursday

Mexico-born Martin Rodriguez, the troupe combines traditional ballet

and Friday, First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough Ave., (210)

folklórico with contemporary ballet to tell Latinx and immigrant sto-

226-0363, mosas.org/concerts-events. — Kelly Nelson

ries through dance. As part of a 12-city Texas tour, Ballet Nepantla will present its show Valentina at the Carver Community Cultural Center,

FRI | 03.04 SUN | 03.06

featuring a cast that includes Texan dancers Brizaida Garcia, Guadalupe Garza, Francesca Iannelli, Erick Perales and Dan Westfield. The ballet centers on the soldaderas in Revolutionary Mexico, who showed Marty Sohl Photography

TH EATER

MARIACHI GIRL

great strength in the face of enormous loss, telling the stories of these

Cervantes’ famed novel of the same name. The comic ballet showcases

women with inventive choreography and evocative costumes. $75, 8

the now legendary hijinks of the Man of La Mancha, the middle-aged

p.m., Jo Long Theatre, Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry

Alonso Quixano, as he dubs himself Don Quixote and traipses across

St., (210) 207-7211, thecarver.org. — KN

From March 4-6 and 11-13, Teatro Audaz will present the all-Latinx bilin-

the Spanish countryside with his faithful “squire” Sancho Panza on a

gual production Mariachi Girl, written by playwright Roxanne Schro-

quest to become a knight errant — an idealized occupation that was

eder-Arce with original mariachi music and lyrics by Héctor Martinez

already quite out of date at the time of the story’s publication in the

Morales. San Antonio’s own Mariachi Azteca de América will perform

early 1600s. Adapted and staged by Sofiane Sylve and Rafael Ferreras, the performance will feature choreography by Patrick Armand. $24.50$129, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — KN

FRI | 03.04 MON | 03.27 TH EATER

Courtesy of Ballet Nepantla

HAIRSPRAY It’s 1962 in Baltimore, and dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad (Chandler Osella) would do anything to perform on the popular Corny Collins Show. Join Tracy on her journey as she’s whisked into stardom and

SAT | 03.05 FI LM

the songs. Mariachi Girl is the story of Carmencita, a 10-year-old girl

Queen, win the affections of the charming Link Larkin (LJ Salinas III)

SING ALONG MOVIE NIGHT: THE WIZARD OF OZ

who dreams of becoming a mariachi singer like her father despite his

and, finally, desegregate a TV network. The iconic original production

Bring your own cozy blanket or lawn chair for an outdoor, sing-along

Courtesy of Teatro Audaz

attempts to reckon with her new celebrity, dethrone the current Teen

belief that only men can pursue the art form. When Carmencita reads

screening of The Wizard of Oz. The revolutionary 1939 fantasy musical

a book about female mariachis, however, she realizes her dreams can

directed by Victor Fleming is based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel

come true. “Through its authentic music, colorful staging and lights,

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and is revered as a cinematic classic. The

Mariachi Girl is a beautiful celebration of Mexican-American culture,

adventures of Dorothy and her dog Toto have won a special place in

San Antonio’s culture,” director JoJanie Moreno said in a statement.

the hearts of viewers of all ages. Arrive early to grab dinner from one of

“We invite Teatro Audaz fans to bring the entire family and join us for

the food truck vendors stationed near Travis Park. The event is hosted

this uplifting bilingual family drama about reaching for your dreams

by Centro San Antonio and Slab Cinema, the latter of which screens

while still challenging long-held cultural traditions.” A special “talk-

outdoor movies throughout San Antonio and runs an intimate indoor

back” with Schroeder-Arce, Moreno and the cast will follow the March

theater at Blue Star Arts Complex. Free, 7:30 p.m., Travis Park, 301 E.

12 performance. That specific show will also include American Sign

Travis St., slabcinema.com/movie-calendar. — AA

Language interpretation. “Teatro’s mission is to produce, showcase and respect the stories of our cultura,” said Laura T. Garza, executive artistic director of Teatro Audaz. “We believe [Mariachi Girl] does so.” $20-$30, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through 13, Public Theater of San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Place, (210) 733-7258, teatroaudaz.com. — KM

FRI | 03.04 SUN | 03.06 DANCE

DON QUIXOTE

Courtesy of Woodlawn Theatre

has won multiple Tony Awards and features memorable songs including “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.” The Woodlawn Theatre brings all this and more to its San Antonio mainstage for the month of March. So, grab that can of hairspray from the back of your cabinet, whip up a rock-solid hairdo and head on down for a night of laughs and charm. $18-$32, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday,

Ballet San Antonio is welcoming the spring by tilting at windmills. The

3 p.m. Sunday, Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 267-

troupe will present the classic ballet Don Quixote, based on Miguel de

8388, woodlawntheatre.org. — Mackenzie Cook

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

sacurrent.com | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | CURRENT

27

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CURRENT | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | sacurrent.com

calendar MON | 03.07 SPORTS

SPURS VS. LAKERS

NBA All-Star Dejounte Murray and the San Antonio Spurs tip off a seven-game homestand with a visit from LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. When the teams battled in Los Angeles back in December, the Spurs closed out the Staples Center with a 138110 rout, punctuated by 30 points from reserve Keita Bates-Diop. Lonnie Walker IV delivered with 21 points off the bench for the Spurs during a rare off night for Murray. That performance aside, Murray continues to astound this season, becoming the franchise leader in triple-doubles and posting consecutive 30-point games during the team’s recent Rodeo Road Trip. Following the departure of Derrick White to the Boston Celtics via trade, Walker continues to elevate his play as he settles into rhythm on the court. With only 18 games remaining on the regular season calendar, expect Murray and the young Spurs to stay competitive with a run to the league’s Play-In Tournament on the line. $48-$3,500, 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com, Bally Sports Southwest. — M. Solis

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MAR 4 MAR 6

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Making Marks

Crow artist Wendy Red Star reframes Native culture with her mid-career survey ‘A Scratch on the Earth’

BY BRYAN RINDFUSS

A

lthough born and raised on the Crow (Apsáalooke) Reservation in Montana, Portland-based photographer and multimedia artist Wendy Red Star didn’t begin learning about Native American history until she was in college.

“In my public school education, Crow history was not taught,” Red Star told Nadiah Rivera Fellah, co-curator of “A Scratch on the Earth,” a mid-career survey that premiered at New Jersey’s Newark Museum of Art in 2019. “Learning that history felt revolutionary to me, and it inspired my desire to learn about the history of the Crow Nation and reeducate myself with knowledge which I could then share visually with a broad audience.”

As an undergrad, Red Star learned that the very campus on which she was studying — Montana State University in Bozeman — was Crow territory that had been ceded along with more than 30 million other acres as part of land grabs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In response, she created a 2004 installation of tipis staged in strategic locations across campus — busy walkways, common areas and the 50-yard line of the football field. “I wanted everyone to know that this is Crow territory,” she told Rivera Fellah.

While pursuing her master’s degree in art and Native American studies at the University of California in Los Angeles, Red Star started feeling homesick and in need of a Crow connection.

“In a twisted way, I knew that I could go to the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles and find Crow material,” Red Star explained during an artist talk hosted by UCLA’s Hammer Museum.

While she did find some Crow moccasins on display, their location within the museum — in a dark gallery beyond a dinosaur exhibit — made the bigger impression. Red Star was also taken by how much the museum’s Native American dioramas resembled her home state of Montana.

“It was then that I realized that we were sort of set up as the viewers in that institution to place everything in the past,” Red Star added.

That experience sparked Red Star’s 2006 breakthrough Four Seasons, a series of photographic self-portraits that wryly responds to those all-too-familiar lifeless museum dioramas. Set against postcard-like vistas, the images place the artist — donning braided, center-parted hair and a traditional elktooth dress — amid kitschy dioramas inhabited by inflatable wildlife and artificial foliage.

Arguably Red Star’s best-known work, Four Seasons makes for an apt point of entry into “A Scratch on the Earth,” which recently landed at the San Antonio Museum of Art and will remain on view through May 8. Although partly rooted in institutional critique, Four Seasons also brings Native culture into a contemporary context — in technicolor with a keen sense of humor to boot — while raising questions of authen-

34

CURRENT | February 23 - March 8, 2022 | sacurrent.com

ticity with its pointed juxtaposition of “real” and “fake” elements.

According to the wall text accompanying her nearby Family Portrait Series from 2011, Red Star — who is of Apsáalooke and Irish American descent — has concluded “that the most ‘authentic Indians’ were those of her father’s generation, who embodied the complex traits of both Native and popular cultures, without the pressure to conform exclusively to either.”

That point of view reverberates throughout “A Scratch on the Earth,” which borrows its title from the Crow word annúkaxua. The “scratches” in question are the marks the U.S. government made on Native lands through legislation such as the General Allotment Act of 1887. Also known as the Dawes Act, that aggressive, assimilation-driven policy divided tribal lands with a firm focus on agriculture and disrupted many historically matrilineal societies.

Those scratches are on full display in Red Star’s Map of the Allotted Lands of the Crow Reservation, Montana — A Tribute to Many Good Women. To assemble this site-specific installation, Red Star used social media to collect photographs of Crow women wearing elk-tooth dresses and then placed transparencies of them atop their ancestral land plots on a giant map of Crow territory circa 1907.

Creatively exploring people, time and place on an even larger scale, Red Star’s Um-basax-bilua, “Where They Make the Noise” wraps the walls of SAMA’s Cowden Gallery with a sprawling visual timeline of Crow Fair — an annual celebration of Crow culture modeled after a traditional county fair. Focusing on the daily parades that light up the late summer fair each morning, Red Star gathered images from historical archives and decades of family photos and painstakingly clipped them out to reconstruct a chronological narrative. Spanning from he early 1900s to the present day, the piece offers a fascinating view of Red Star’s family and community. We see her grandmother as a young woman, the artist herself as an awkward teen and eventually her daughter Beatrice as a young parade participant. Thanks to snippets written directly on the gallery walls, we learn details about everything from the clothing and accessories being worn to the names of the horses being ridden: Big Red, Cisco, Snoop Dogg.

In stark contrast to the regalia and showmanship on parade in Um-basax-bilua, “Where They Make the Noise,” Red Star’s 2011 photographic series My Home is Where My Tipi Sits offers a glimpse of everyday life on the reservation — albeit without people. Working

Winter—Four Seasons (detail), 2006, is among the works in Wendy Red Star’s exhibition now on display at the San Antonio Museum of Art.

6

in grids of nine, the artist trained her lens on five distinguishing characteristics of the Crow reservation: churches, signs, broken-down cars, HUD homes and sweat lodges. Presented from an almost photojournalistic perspective, the collected grids dispel preconceived notions of reservation life since the “rez” cars, homes and churches look immediately familiar. Easily the most enlightening is the portion dedicated to sweat lodges — ceremonial saunas used for physical and spiritual purification. While traditionally made from willow saplings and hide, the modern-day sweat lodges Red Star captured are covered in blankets, sleeping bags, even tie-dyed sheets.

To highlight the continued importance of sweat lodges in modern times, Red Star created the 2019 piece Sweat Lodge by building a geodesic dome and covering it in a stylish tapestry of blankets, rugs and sleeping bags. Museumgoers are invited to sit inside the room-temperature structure and watch Monsters — a 14 minute video Red Star created with fellow artist Amelia Winger-Bearskin. While the 360-degree projection “highlights transformations in the Crow Reservation’s lands over time and mythical stories of Crow culture,” it doubles as an atmospheric space for contemplation and — like it or not — will inevitably set the stage for many selfies.

Deep Dive During her talk at UCLA’s Hammer Museum, Red Star explained that she began noticing two ubiquitous images of Native American war chief Medicine Crow during her college years. His face stared back at her from paperbacks at the bookstore and bottles of Honest Tea at Whole Foods. Beyond raising questions of cultural appropriation, these experiences prompted her to investigate their provenance.

“I started thinking about what this meant, who these commercial entities were … and wondering if they actually knew he who he was,” Red Star explained. “And with that sort of simple question, I started to ask myself, ‘Well wait a minute, what happened that day when he sat down to take that photo?’

And what I learned was that photo was from a delegation trip that happened in 1880. And not only was it Medicine Crow who went on that trip from Montana to Washington, D.C., to sit with the U.S. president at the time, but five other Crow chiefs attended. … And the reason why they went there was because the U.S. government was trying to put a train through a large tract of our hunting territory. So, they went there to basically fight on behalf of our community and our land base. And the photographer of those portraits is Charles Milton Bell.”

‘WENDY RED STAR: A SCRATCH ON THE EARTH’

$10-$20, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday through May 8, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org.

arts Courtesy Image / San Antonio Museum of Art

Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com

arts

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CURRENT | February 23 - March 8, 2022 | sacurrent.com

From that realization and further research into the Crow chiefs in attendance, Red Star created the 2014 series 1880 Crow Peace Delegation. Using Bell’s black-and-white portraits as bases, Red Star outlined details — ermine trim, military-inspired jackets, brass hoop earrings, eagle feathers, hair extensions — and made annotations in red ink. As with her Crow Fair timeline, the marks Red Star made hold as much weight as the images themselves. Here we learn that Medicine Crow “looked like a devil in his war bonnet of feathers, furs and buffalo horns,” according to Army captain and photographer John Gregory Bourke; that Old Crow participated in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show in 1884; that Pretty Eagle’s body was sold to a collector for $500 and kept at the American Museum of Natural

History for 72 years; that Plenty Coups had 11 wives and once shook hands with Prince Albert of Monaco; and that Two Belly — aka Pregnant Woman — could kick your ass with his piercing eyes alone.

Red Star’s deep dive into that delegation trip also resulted in a related yet wildly different project that’s also included in “A Scratch on the Earth.”

During their visit to Washington D.C., the Crow chiefs encountered unfamiliar animals during a visit to the National Zoo. Upon return, Charles H. Barstow — a government clerk and avid collector of Crow artifacts — encouraged Medicine Crow to create ledger art of these exotic beasts. With only memory to rely on, the chief drew imaginative versions of a crocodile (which he described as a “big snake

Courtesy Image / San Antonio Museum of Art

with legs”), a camel (“elk with big back on him”), a monkey (“man dog”) and a zebra with spots instead of stripes (“spotted mule”).

“I really became obsessed,” Red Star said of the drawings during her Hammer Museum talk. “So much so that I wanted to figure out a tangible way to engage with these animals. I found an advertisement where you could take children’s drawings and then submit them to this company that would then turn them into a soft toy. So, I decided, ‘Why don’t I try doing that with Medicine Crow’s drawings?’”

The resulting series — 2014’s Zoo Softies — is perhaps the most whimsical aspect of “A Scratch on the Earth.” They’re adorable, weird and covetable — and sadly not reproduced for purchase in the SAMA gift shop.

If you approach “A Scratch on the Earth” in the order it’s presented at SAMA, the vibrant 2016 series Apsáalooke Feminist offers an uplifting parting glance. Creating something of a call-and-response with her Four Seasons from a decade prior, it depicts the artist alongside her daughter Beatrice — both donning braids and elk-tooth dresses in a stylized setting. The mother and daughter duo have collaborated on several projects over the years, but Beatrice opted to “retire” from the art world around the age of 11.

When “A Scratch on the Earth” opened at the Newark Museum of Art in 2019, the institution was careful to acknowledge that it “sits on Lenape land and is home to more than 5,000 works of art by Indigenous artists, from Alaska to Argentina.”

Wisely, SAMA has followed suit with its own acknowledgement. Immediately upon entering the exhibition space, viewers are presented with a draft of the land remembrance that follows.

The community is also invited to share feedback on the land remembrance draft through a suggestion box and accompanying QR code that can be found in a reading room near the exhibition’s exit: “The San Antonio Museum of Art is mindful of its location on the ancestral lands of the First Peoples of this area including the Esto’k Gna (Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas), the Tehuan Band of Mission Indians, the Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation, and the many other local Native People who have connections with this land. We also remember the peoples whose names and contributions have been

Left to right: Apsáalooke Feminist #4, 2016; Portrait of Perits-Har-Sts (Old Crow) with His Wife, Ish-Ip-Chi- Wak-Pa-IChis (Good or Pretty Medicine Pipe) — from the series Diplomats of the Crow Nation, 1873 Crow Delegation, 2017; Wendy Red Star, Spring—Four Seasons (detail), 2006.

M

erased over time, including migratory peoples of Cemanahuac.”

On February 25, Wendy Red Star will be the virtual keynote speaker at SAMA’s Mays Symposium. Details and registration can be found at samuseum.org.

sacurrent.com | February 23 - March 8, 2022 | CURRENT

37

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arts Close Encounters

Hill Country nonprofit Longneck Manor fosters conservation by letting people mingle with animals

BY MICHAEL KARLIS

I

magine waking up to find the two-foot-long purple tongue of a giraffe licking your window. You grab your morning cup of coffee only after hand-feeding the hungry animal from the comfort of your living room.

After breakfast, you step outside for fresh air and enjoy the Texas Hill Country’s scenic views, then wave hello to the rhinos roaming your backyard.

That’s the kind of morning zoologist Rick Barongi daydreamed about while he worked for zoos and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. The conservationist’s dream has always been saving animals in the wild. But he knew he needed help to make it happen.

“The way to get to people is to touch their heart,” said Barongi, owner of Longneck Manor, a 110-acre wildlife ranch recently opened near Fredericksburg that’s dedicated to animal conservation. “The way to do that isn’t by telling people how endangered they are and all the horrible stuff going on with giraffes and rhinos. You do that by getting people out here to connect with the animals.”

As Barongi thought about retiring from a five-decade career that included stints at the San Diego Zoo, the Houston Zoo and Disney’s theme park, he realized few places enabled the kind of intimate human-and-animal connection he envisioned.

“Rather than just writing checks to conservation organizations, I wanted to do something more impactful,” Barongi said. “I thought that if I stay healthy, and I got the drive to do it — and my wife was patient enough — that I would do this. I figured that I’d invest in this.”

Several years ago, the Barongis purchased a ranch in Fredericksburg.

Not only was the 110-acre plot large enough to keep animals, but its climate is comparable to that of sub-Saharan Africa. So, instead of selling the land, which had appreciated in value, and retiring in Sarasota as the couple once envisioned, Barongi created Longneck Manor.

Opened in October of 2021, the $2 million complex is home to three gi-

raffes and three white rhinos. Barongi said he decided to focus exclusively on giraffes and rhinos because they’re “iconic species” of the African savannah and in the most need of human assistance.

“They are both endangered or threatened with extinction in many parts of their range,” he said. “There are less than 15,000 white rhinos left in the wild and less than 120,000 giraffes in all of Africa. They need help now.”

Not a zoo Still, Barongi insists Longneck Manor isn’t a zoo. Nor is it comparable to several exotic animal ranches within driving distance of San Antonio. The animals that call Longneck Manor home were bred in captivity and hail from the Dallas Zoo, San Diego Zoo and the White Oak Rhino Conservation in Florida.

Beyond that, Longneck Manor is organized as a nonprofit, which donates proceeds raised by welcoming visitors to conservation groups that protect endangered species in the wild.

In other words, Barongi isn’t a Lone Star State version Joe Exotic, the controversial showman at the heart of the Netflix docuseries Tiger King. Instead, the New York native is an exhibitor licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which inspects Longneck Manor often, and said he expects to soon be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Overnight stays The facility is the embodiment of Barongi’s vision to build lasting connections between humans and animals.

One way he facilitates that link is by allowing guests to stay on the property overnight.

Longneck Manor’s Giraffe Suite, which garnered some 3 million views on the @txvacation TikTok account, features large windows looking into the property’s giraffe barn, and it allows guests to hand-feed the animals alfalfa from the comfort of the suite’s

Michael Karlis

living room.

The 1,200-square-foot room also features personal touches from Barongi, including watercolor paintings, Zulu handbaskets and Meerkat sculptures — all collected during his more than 50 trips to Africa. The suite is booked through 2023.

Although the suite’s cost of $1,800 — not including taxes — for a two-night stay, puts it out of reach for many visitors, Longneck Manor holds daily tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The $95 tours, often led by Barongi’s partner in the venture, Reed Gardner, allow guests to hand-feed giraffes and scratch the bellies of white rhinos.

Barongi doesn’t want the experience to be limited to the privileged few and

Longneck Manor founder Rick Barongi feeds a friend.

M

plans to invite schools to the property to foster a new generation of conservationists.

And although he wants to expand, eventually constructing a 100-room manor house where guests can handfeed giraffes from the balconies of their rooms, he doesn’t want to jeopardize the intimate experience.

“I’m never going to get too big,” Barongi said. “Disney taught me about guest service and the quality of guest service. But I can’t do what Disney does, and they can’t do what I do. ... You make a lot of money, but you lose sight of the mission.”

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arts Well-Suited

San Antonio resident Aaron Sommers builds his own Spider-Verse one spandex costume at a time

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

S

an Antonio comic book fan Aaron Sommers likes his superheroes to be grounded.

Billionaire industrialists like Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Tony Stark (Iron Man) aren’t very intriguing because everything comes too easy for them. Instead, Sommers’ personal favorite is the “everyday kinda guy” Peter Parker, who fights crime as Spider-Man. “If you look at other superheroes, a lot of them come from money, or they get super experiments done on them,” Sommers, 28, told the Current during a recent interview. “With Peter, he’s an average guy who just got bit by a radioactive spider. He tries to do good and help people. It’s inspiring to know that anyone can be Spider-Man.” That anyone apparently includes Sommers.

A 2011 graduate of Wagner High School, Sommers started cosplaying as Spider-Man five years ago. His first spandex costume was a “very cheap” version he ordered online that was modeled after the suit worn

by Miles Morales, one of the web slinger’s many comic book incarnations.

“It didn’t look too good, but I was super proud of it,” Sommers said. “I got so many positive comments and reactions when I went to my first convention.”

Multiple versions Courtesy Photo / Aaron Sommers

Today, Sommers’ Spider-Man superhero costume collection has expanded to more than 35 suits. He got the idea to collect them when he started reading more about Marvel’s “Spider-Verse” storyline. In the narrative, depicted onscreen in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and last year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s possible for multiple versions of Spider-Man to exist in one universe.

“I was like, ‘Wait a minute, there’s a bunch of different versions of Spider-Man, so maybe I can make my own versions of him, and it would still be within that multiverse,’” Sommers explained.

Sommers’ customized costumes are a mix of Spider-Man and other characters, many from anime TV series he enjoys watching. He designs the suits himself, then orders them from a company online.

Once the suit is delivered, he makes modifications and creates accessories such as coats, capes, belts and gloves for the amalgamated characters. Each suit costs an average of $150.

Sommers then photographs himself in the costumes and shares the images on his Instagram page, @spideywu. For the photos that feature several versions of Spider-Man, he edits and combines the pictures of himself into one shot.

Some of the non-anime characters he’s mashed up with Spider-Man are video game icons Mario and Luigi, Steven Universe from the animated TV series of the same name and environmentalist superhero Captain Planet.

“If I’m watching a new series and find a character I can relate to, I sit down and sketch out a design that best incorporates the character,” he said.

Street cred To give his collection local street cred, Sommers even designed a Whataburger-themed Spider-Man costume. The suit is orange, white and black and cleverly combines the fast-food chain’s recognizable “W” logo with the Spider-Man symbol.

“People are always spit-balling ideas to me about what to do next, but I have one friend who was always telling me that I should do a Whataburger costume,” Sommers said. “I probably eat Whataburger a bit too much, so I finally sat down to design it. I’m so proud of how it turned out.”

Along with the Whataburger suit, one of Sommers’ favorites is the one that merges Spider-Man and a

character named Don Quixote Doflamingo from the anime TV series One Piece. Even so, he has a “love-hate relationship” with the design because, despite its distinctive look, it’s not very functional because of its pink, feathered cape.

“I spent hours sewing feathers, but the feathers aren’t meant to move around in the way Spider-Man moves, so if I jump, it’s literally raining feathers off me,” Sommers said. “If I’m wearing that suit at a convention, you could easily find me because all you’d have to do is follow the trail of pink feathers.”

Sommers’ hobby isn’t something he does alone. He got his wife, Ariel, involved in his Spider-Man cosplay too. The couple recently returned from anime convention WeebCon 2022 in Dallas where Sommers donned his Whataburger suit while his wife wore a hooded Spider-Man costume that repped another fast-food joint: Wendy’s.

“A lot of people are blown away when they see the suits and can’t even process it sometimes,” Sommers said. “I love getting those reactions. I create these suits to express myself and show the world what I love to do.” sacurrent.com | February 23 - March 8, 2022 | CURRENT

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Practical Magic

San Antonio native Joe Castro helps drive resurgence of old-school special effects in Hollywood

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

J

oe Castro can point to the exact moment he fell in love with movies. It was the summer of 1977 when a 7-year-old Castro watched the Japanese kaiju film Godzilla vs. Hedorah for the first time at the behest of his father, who he was spending the weekend with on his goat farm in Helotes, Texas.

“My father sat me down in front of the TV and said, ‘Watch this son, you’re going to like it,’” Castro, 52, told the Current during a recent interview. “After the movie was over, I asked him about what I just saw, and he told me it was special effects. He lit a fire in me.

From there, I knew I had one goal in life.”

Today, Castro, who’s openly gay, works as a special effects artist in Hollywood, where he moved a year after graduating from John Marshall High School in 1988. A couple of years prior, he won a national special effects makeup contest sponsored by Monsterland magazine and was flown to Los Angeles where he got a closer look at the industry that he wanted to be a part of.

“The first chance I got, I moved to L.A.,” Castro said. “I went there without having any connections whatsoever.”

Castro’s first job was at Universal Studios “picking up cigarette butts.” Within a year, he landed his first special effects gig on an animated horror-comedy called Evil Toons

screens

Courtesy Photo / Joe Castro

starring the late David Carradine (Kill Bill).

Since then, Castro has been a prolific special effects artist who’s worked on more than 70 completed feature and short films, mostly in the B-horror-movie genre. More than a dozen more are in some phase of production.

Some of the colorful titles he’s worked on over the past 30 years include Attack of the Bat Monsters, Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat, Gorilla Warfare: Battle of the Apes, Sleepaway Camp 2: Steve and Michelle Go to Hell, RoboWoman, The Occultist 2: Bloody Guinea Pigs and Big Freaking Rat. Most of the projects Castro works on call for him to create practical effects. Think of the werewolf transformation scene in 1981’s An American Werewolf in London, not the computer-generated werewolf transformation in 2004’s Van Helsing.

“It seems like there’s been a big resurgence of practical effects in the filmmaking world,” Castro said. “It used to be all about computer-generated effects for a very long time, but people seem to have gotten tired of them.

Now, they want to go back to handmade [effects].”

In 2011, Castro directed, wrote, starred in and served as special effects coordinator for the horror anthology The Summer of Massacre, which holds the Guiness record for the highest body count in a slasher film: 155.

“I went to school in 2010 to learn CGI because I knew I was going to need more than just practical effects to make [The Summer of Massacre] happen,” Castro said. “So, the film does have practical and digital blood. There’s a lot going on in that movie.”

Although he studied digital effects in college, Castro has adopted an old-school approach when it comes to his craft. He considers working in practical effects an “art form” and more of a “specialty item” in the business.

“Doing practical effects is kind of like being in the bad boys’ club,” he said. “Anyone can learn how to do a digital effect on a YouTube tutorial. It’s not so much an artistry as it is a technical skill.”

He does concede, however, that CGI effects are sometimes required to enhance a practical effect. In his opinion, the best special effects artists “do everything practical” then build on their work digitally, if necessary.

“That’s what digital effects were always supposed to be,” Castro said. “Somewhere along the way, someone decided to do an entire movie with digital effects, and it became something else. I remember seeing computer-generated effects for the first time when I was a kid, and they were very impressive.

But now, you can do some of them with an Instagram filter.”

While Castro has so far made a name for himself via low-budget horror movies, he’s eager to transition his talent into other genres, including sci-fi and fantasy, comedies and even children’s films.

“If I never do another slasher movie again, I’d be happy, as long as I can continue working in my field,” he said. “I’ve done all the horror stuff, so I’d like to try something new.”

Find more film stories at sacurrent.com

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food Nina Rangel

Icehouse Revival

Outdoor drinking spots remain a fixture in San Antonio neighborhoods, even amid the city’s rapid change

BY NINA RANGEL

I

n the beginning, Texas icehouses did just that: they housed ice.

Before refrigeration, the neighborhood businesses stored and distributed massive blocks of the cold commodity, supplying nearby families so they could prolong the life of the meat and produce in their iceboxes.

As modern refrigeration made its way to South Texas in the ’30s, the joints’ connection to frozen blocks of ice became more figurative. They became gathering places for folks from all walks of life — places to stop and chat while grabbing a beer, a loaf of bread or a pack of smokes on their way home from work.

While icehouse culture has been a longtime part of San Antonio, the city’s experienced an upswing in far fancier places to drink. What’s more, its breakneck growth has also drawn plenty of professionals with enough money to seek out those more refined meeting spaces.

Are the Alamo City’s icehouses on their way out as community gathering spots? Local

owners think the culture is still alive and that their businesses have more than a fighting chance.

“Some of the most very basic things that make us feel like we belong in this world come from the idea of an inclusive space, from the story of the icehouse,” said Jody Newman, owner of The Friendly Spot Ice House, a Southtown fixture. “The icehouse played a huge role in gathering, entertainment and people being able to get information about what was happening locally. At the heart of the icehouse is the idea that people want and need comfortable places to gather.”

The Friendly Spot is one of roughly 30 venues involved in the inaugural San Antonio Icehouse Week, which runs Feb. 25 to March 6. Participating spots are offering drink specials and donating a portion of proceeds to LiftFund, a San Antonio nonprofit that aids small businesses.

For the sake of transparency, it’s worth noting that the the Current is a sponsor of the event.

Newman said it’s important to her that just

about anyone can feel comfortable in her business. The primarily outdoor environment lends itself to casual clothing, and the easygoing food and drink offerings require little fuss. The result is that patrons can mingle in a low-key atmosphere and enjoy each other’s company.

That goal appears to span most of San Antonio’s authentic icehouses. They’re places where patrons can belly up and enjoy the company of people from all walks of life.

Changing neighborhoods “The first time I ever went to La Tuna, 25 years ago, I thought it was the coolest thing,” Dakota East Side Ice House owner Kent Oliver said of one of his formative experiences with the phenomenon. “There were lawyers, bikers, all these random-ass people, just hanging out in one place. I grew up in a dry county near Lubbock. I’d never seen anything like an icehouse before.”

Oliver has owned and operated The Dakota, located minutes from the Alamodome, since 2018. A former director of operations at Rio San Antonio Cruises, the entrepreneur opened the spot in a 2,000-square-foot former icehouse in hopes of replicating the feel of an old-school neighborhood fixture.

“In the last two decades or so, there’s been a resurgence of people who appreciate what icehouses are about, and what they have to offer,” Oliver said. “A close place to home, where they can go and hang out, be with

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food

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friends, meet their neighbors. ... I think some of the newer neighborhoods and subdivisions just don’t have an outlet that’s personal and embedded in the neighborhood, so it’s so important for us to preserve that culture.”

To his point, the sprawl shows no sign of slowing down. The counties making up the Austin-San Antonio corridor have seen the state’s highest population growth, averaging 48.8% over the past decade, according to Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty.

Some worry that unprecedented expansion of San Antonio will fuel the gentrification already going on in its near-downtown neighborhoods.

“It is definitely a scary thing: the idea that these historic establishments could be knocked down to make room for more condos or a parking structure,” said a local real estate agent, who asked not to be named for fear of losing clients. “I was born and raised here, and it can be difficult to walk through a historic home and hear the potential new owners talk about knocking it down and selling the land.”

The agent said she and her colleagues often talk about young buyers who are interested in purchasing homes with “old, good bones,” looking to remodel and modernize structures built as early as 1900. Those buyers often miss the point of moving into an older neighborhood, she added, which involves exploring the culture it exudes. “[The buyers] don’t understand that there’s not an H-E-B or Target right around the corner,” she said. “Exploring the area and taking advantage of the smaller neighborhood tiendas that really strive to cater to their neighbors, their immediate community, is so important. But that kind of insider

information takes time to gather. And I’ve seen that [San Antonio] transplants just don’t get that.”

‘Doing our part’ As modern technology rendered icehouses’ main function obsolete, their owners looked to diversity — and not all in the same way. Not only did they begin to offer ice cold beer, but many started to offer kitchen staples such as milk and bread. These days, some like The Dakota and The Friendly Spot have expanded to add a kitchen and lunch and dinner service to the list of offerings.

Oliver’s Dakota East Side Ice House will soon launch a new to-go food extension from a building it’s renovating on the same east-of-downtown property where it operates. That structure housed the blocks of ice when it was built in 1926.

“That building hadn’t been used since the mid-’90s, so when we decided to reopen it as this kitchen extension, it was really rough,” Oliver said. “But we feel it’s important to keep the tradition of a neighborhood gathering spot alive, so we’re trying to do our part.”

The Friendly Spot’s Newman sees herself playing a similar role as the city evolves. She hopes more residents will gain exposure to historic, often locally owned establishments and help keep the tradition alive.

“There are so many authentic icehouses in San Antonio … my hope is that people get it in their minds to support and, essentially, save some of these beautiful, hyperlocal, historic locations,” she said. “Then maybe they won’t get torn down and become Chipotles.”

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food Morning Dew

There’s nothing wrong with mimosas, but don’t let brunchtime cocktail fun stop there

BY RON BECHTOL

D

espite often being a mix of flabby Prosecco and pulpy orange juice from a cardboard carton, the mimosa remains inexplicably popular in brunchy settings coast to coast.

That description get your blood pressure up? Relax. It’s all good.

Apart from the indisputable fact that any decent bubbly is better on its own, the Mimosa isn’t inherently evil when made with freshly squeezed juice and a just-good-enough sparkler. To make the ritual drink even more fun, there are places in San Antonio that set you up with a bottle of bubbles and juices on the side to combine as you wish.

For that option, consider Nola Brunch & Beignets (720 E. Mistletoe Ave., eatatnola.com).

Yet one could make the argument that other lazy-morning drinks with citrus and bubbles are far more enjoyable. Those include variations on the mimosa meme, such as one at Cappy’s Restaurant (5011 Broadway, cappysrestaurant.com) that switches the OJ for lemon and includes hibiscus, triple sec and agave.

But if it’s really the bubbles that float your brunch boat, I’d head instead to a French 75. The classic drink consists of gin, lemon juice and simple syrup shaken, strained into a flute, then topped with Champagne — the real stuff. It’s brisk enough to cut across a serving of eggs Benedict yet festive enough to seem like the indulgence that it is. Liberty Bar (1111 S. Alamo St., liberty-bar.com) does a variation called the Liberty 85 with gin, St. Germain, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, Peychaud’s Bitters and a cap of Cava.

Setting aside the sparkling wine but sticking with the citrus, there’s another world of a.m.- appropriate drinks to uncover. And what better name than tequila sunrise to set the stage for an epic brunch? First pour tequila into a glass, then follow it with orange juice and grenadine, which all settle into

Shutterstock

a beautifully layered drink that’s not stirred. If brunch becomes an all-day affair, the tequila sunset adds a splash of soda water — which you’ll need by that point. The typical garnish for either cocktail is an orange slice and a cherry, which are just enough to look festive without tipping over into parody.

Keeping with the same color palette, the Garibaldi is also built in the glass, and it involves even fewer ingredients: Campari and orange juice. Perfectionists would have you “fluff” the OJ by whirling it in a blender or using a handheld frother. But even un-fluffed it’s a great drink. Check it out at Barbaro (2720 McCullough Ave., barbarosanantonio).

Returning to tequila, but shifting the citrus focus to grapefruit, we inevitably arrive at the paloma. In its simplest form, the components are blanco tequila, lime juice and grapefruit soda such as Squirt. A salted rim is optional.

Nowadays, the cocktail may be served to you with fresh grapefruit juice and sparkling water, or it might even contain a grapefruit cordial as at The Hoppy Monk (1010 N. Loop 1604 East, thehoppymonk.com).

Perhaps because it requires a specific bottle of booze that pretty much has this one drink as its raison d’etre, the Pimm’s cup hasn’t achieved a lot of

brunch traction — yet undeniably pretty and refreshingly herbal, it’s a perfect brunch companion. In addition to Pimm’s No. 1, cucumber is a must, as is orange. But from there, the possible add-ins and garnishes are legion: think strawberry, apple, rhubarb, mint or basil — all topped with ginger ale or sparkling lemonade. It’s a classic favorite at Wimbledon. Get a taste locally at the Esquire Tavern (155 E. Commerce St., esquiretavern-sa.com.)

The Pimm’s cup garnishes are integral to the drink, not mere Carmen Miranda millinery on top. Brunch stalwart the bloody mary, on the other hand, can go entirely tail-waggingdog on us in the decor department.

In its primal form, the drink is merely canned tomato juice with vodka, a little Worcestershire and hot sauces, a lemon wedge and a stalk of celery. But does any brunch worth its salt serve it this way? Nope.

The Cold Bar Bloody Mary at Southerleigh Haute South (5822 Worth Parkway, Suite 112, southerleighhautesouth.com), with its oyster liquor, crab leg, shrimp and chicken wing accessories is just one example of glorious excess.

Bacon — whether fried, candied or infused into vodka — is naturally popular. And so are pickled goodies such as those that adorn the bloody mary

made with a house mix at Whiskey Cake Kitchen and Bar (15900 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 21200, whiskeycake. com.)

It’s clear that this is a battle that can’t be won. So, best experiment and find what suits your fancy.

Here’s a recipe I developed for a guest bartender stint at Dorćol Distilling & Brewing Co., pre-pandemic. This variation uses Dorćol’s Kinsman Rakia, but vodka is an acceptable substitute.

The Verde Maria Ingredients:

1 tarragon sprig 2 dashes celery bitters 2 dashes Tabasco jalapeño ½ oz. lemon juice ½ oz. honey syrup with chili flakes ¼ tsp. horseradish 1½ oz. fresh tomatillo juice 1½ oz. Kinsman Rakia

Method:

Muddle tarragon, shake with all other ingredients and double strain into chilled highball glass with rocks. Garnish with speared olives. Pickled carrot is optional but a great color contrast.

Honey syrup: 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp. chili flakes. Bring to boil, remove from flame, let cool and strain.

sacurrent.com | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | CURRENT

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David and Margaret Jabour, 3rd Generation siblings, rebrand the business as Twin Liquors in honor of their father, Theodore Jabour, who was a twin.

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First distillery permit is issued to Tito’s Vodka.

Twin Liquors expands into San Antonio, San Marcos, and the Hill Country with 50+ stores.

2000s Twin Liquors expands into the Houston area, and into the Dallas area with the Sigel’s brand.

1983

Twin Liquors begins to supply wholesale spirits, beer, and wine to bars and restaurants in Downtown Austin.

E. Houston St.

RIVERTINI AWARD WINNER 600 N. Presa St. Inside the Maverick Building

N. Presa St.

1982

210.267.9885 | THELOCALBARSA.COM | LIKE US ON

THELOCALBARSA

College St.

1997

First case of Tito’s hits shelves in Austin, TX!

ALL 3 LOCATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

Texas distillery permits number in the HUNDREDS. The Texas Wine Industry is thriving.

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

-A.M., GOOGLE REVIEW

2010s

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VAPING GEAR TO GLASS PIPES AND CIGARS...”

g h o u t Te

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2020

Twin Liquors celebrates opening their 100th location in Lubbock, TX.

-M.D., GOOGLE REVIEW

2022

Twin Liquors celebrates their 85th Anniversary

“I GIVE THIS PLACE 10 STARS OUT OF 5!

BEST SMOKE SHOP I’VE BEEN TO...”

-R.M., GOOGLE REVIEW

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"Home of the Original Bucket"

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FEB.

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music

Jaime Monzon

And Then There Were Three

Lineup changes won’t keep San Antonio punk band Fea off the road

BY MIKE MCMAHAN

S

an Antonio’s Fea is a band that forces listeners to confront changes in the world via its brand of in-your-face punk. “We grew up in the ’90s, we grew up with riot grrrl,” bassist Jenn Alva said, explaining its musical approach.

Now, the band itself is undergoing change as it — once again — looks to fill its guitar slot. It’s not exactly Spinal Tap’s exploding drummers, but there are parallels, and frequent lineup changes can often spell disaster for a working band.

Just the same, Fea isn’t sitting still. The three original members picked up Adrian Conner as a fill-in guitarist for a Texas tour with Piñata Protest that stops in San Antonio Sunday, February 27.

The Current caught up with Fea’s three core members at their flyer-adorned practice space, also known as drummer Phanie Diaz’s home.

Even though a guitar player fills a key role, Fea’s members insist the search won’t implode the band. After all, they’ve been down this road before — four prior times.

Why is it so hard to keep that slot filled?

“I think the people we’re getting, their goals and dreams are not necessarily to be in a punk band,” Alva said. “We’re little Tasmanian devils.”

“We’re in our 30s or 40s now, and we’re not making any money,” Diaz added. “This isn’t what they want. They want to make

money and we don’t care. We just want to be out there. Just because you’re coming in, it’s not like you’re getting some kind of instant stardom.”

Vocalist Letty Martinez said lifestyle also plays a key part in whether a new member makes a good fit.

“It depends on how much you want it and how much you believe in the project you’re in. A person might love making music, but maybe not touring,” she said. “I have a baby, but I’m still touring. The stress might be overwhelming and it’s not worth it for them the way it is for us.”

It could be the nature of working relationships as well. The band splits money equally on tour, though doesn’t afford new members decision-making power until they’ve paid some dues.

Letty is learning how to play guitar, and taking lessons from guitarist Shelly Webster, who is not only a guitar teacher but also — you guessed it — a former member of Fea. “We’re taking it a step at a time,” Martinez said. “I’m in guitar boot camp.”

Don’t ask whether that will put a damper on Martinez’s stage presence, which is outfront and in-your-face.

“I’m not putting too much thought into that yet,” she said “It might turn into something else. We’re just going to have fun with it. We have people that are down to play with us.”

Fea performs a show at San Antonio’s Lonesome Rose. The band is now on tour with a fill-in guitarist while it looks for a permanent member.

M

However that pans out, Diaz said the current search for a guitarist has hardened the core members’ resolve.

“Right now, we’ve decided that Fea is the three of us,” said Diaz. “We’re now taking guitarists as fill-ins, can you come for this tour?

Can you come for that?”

Alva admitted the band stressed about it at first, worried they’d become “this three-wheel car.”

“Then, suddenly, [former guitarist] Shelly [Webster] is saying yes to certain shows, and then Adrian is amazing,” she added. “So, let’s not be too depressed. And Letty is practicing, and I’m saying, ‘Bad ass.’”

Not only is Fea gigging minus a full-time guitarist, the band is also continuing to record. Up next is a covers EP, which they plan to call Resurrection. The release will feature songs by bands that were important in their formative years — among them, Iggy Pop, The Runaways, The Psychos, Zero Boys and Penetration.

The recordings are mixed and mastered, with hopes for a summer release.

Of course, Alva and Diaz spent some of those formative years playing with SA altrock heroes Girl In A Coma. Though the band reunited in early 2020 for a gig celebrating Diaz’s mother’s birthday, don’t look for any reunion shows in the near term.

“I can never say never. If we did, it would be a one-off,” Diaz said. “We never had that closure show.”

7 p.m., Sunday, feb. 27, $12-$15, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.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.

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E M P LOY M E N T Engineer II, Ardurra Group, Inc. San Antonio, TX. Work on a wide variety of water resources and drainage projects.

To Apply: Mail resumes to Barbara Gornewicz at 8700 West Flagler Street, Ste. 180, Miami, FL 33174. EOE Solutions Engineer III sought by Capital Group Companies Global in San Antonio, TX, End-to-end solution delivery for one or more business capabilities &/or products. Must have unrestricted right to work in U.S. Works from CGCG San Antonio, TX office. Send resume to: Global Mobility Team at cgapplications@capgroup.com.

REF. JOB CODE: SA0121MA H-E-B seeks Staff Software Engineer in San Antonio, TX for database management and application/code integrations in a TIBCO environment.

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Where ALL GUYS come together Visit www.squirt.org today to join the action sacurrent.com | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | CURRENT

61

music listings Wednesday, February 23

Gladys Knight Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Gladys Knight may be best known for “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “Love Overboard,” but the “Empress of Soul” has maintained a high profile that’s transcended those her hits. The singer-songwriter leveraged her 1950s start with the Pips into a 50-year career that’s included acting, writing, business ventures and even a 2019 appearance on The Masked Singer. $54.50-$124.50, 7:30 p.m., Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Mike McMahan

Friday, February 25 Curtis Grimes Some may remember faith-based country music artist Curtis Grimes as a contestant on The Voice back in 2011. Since then, he’s carved out a name for himself beyond competing on TV singing contests by racking up 12 No. 1 singles on the Texas Country Music Chart. RGV honky-tonker Clay Hollis opens the show. $15, 8 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, (830) 6061281, gruenehall.com. — Enrique Bonilla

Saturday February 26 Bad Suns Hot off their newest release Apocalypse Whenever, California natives Bad Suns are bringing their hook-heavy indie-rock to the Alamo City. Influenced heavily by The Cure and Elvis Costello, the group seems likely to hit a sweet spot with fans of the 1975’s newer material. $25, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Brianna Espinoza

Sunday, February 27 School of Rock While School of Rock movie star Jack Black won’t be there, plenty of aspiring and inspiring young musicians from the New Braunfels outpost of the real School of Rock will be. Expect to see emerging talent holding their own on a mix of classic rock covers. Remember, you’ll likely be getting a glimpse of people you’ll see on local stages for years to come. $12, 5 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels, (830) 606-1281, gruenehall.com. — MM

Tuesday, March 1 Knuckle Puck, Broadside, The Home Team It can be interesting to see bands that once had songs filled with stage dive-worthy bangers tone it down for a more “mature” sound. To that end, Knuckle Puck left its pop-punk roots in the mid-2010s to focus on a more accessible approach to songwriting. Fellow pop-rock acts Broadside and The Home Team kick off the show. $23, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — EB

Wednesday, March 2 Gin Blossoms, Last Bandoleros Though the Gin Blossoms already played its debut album New Miserable Experience in its entirety during its last SA appearance, this tour celebrates the 30th anniversary of that LP, so expect the boys to give it one more full performance. Everyone knows the alt-rockers’ hit “Hey Jealousy,” but album opener 62

CURRENT | February 23 – March 8, 2022 | sacurrent.com

Sevendust Courtesy Photo / Sevendust

“Lost Horizons” is one of those tunes that coulda shoulda been a smash. Hearing it live may be worth the price of admission.

Openers the Last Bandoleros will debut their new trio configuration. $25-$139, 8 p.m., Aztec Theater, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — MM Paul Cherry Happy vintage sounds exude from Paul Cherry’s being like he was born in the wrong era. Who knows, maybe he even exited the womb as a quirky-looking man with a mustache and a penchant for crafting clever indie pop with a ’70s flair. $15, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BE Igor and Red Elvises Led by vocalist-guitarist Igor Yuzov, Red Elvises have staked out a unique musical profiled by combining traditional Russian sounds, a party atmosphere and an excess of disco style. Working the road tirelessly since the mid-’90s, the mostly Russian American group continues to draw fans thanks to a border-transcending energy and oddball songs like “I Want My Honda Back.” $12-$50, 8:30 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — BE

Thursday March 3 Gary Numan Numan’s late-’70s work with Tubeway Army broke ground by combining synthesizers with harder-edged guitar rock. As a solo artist, he scored a megahit with “Cars” and released a string of albums that combined synthetic sounds with clever hooks and a deadpan delivery. Decades later, he’s still making electronic music that sounds like it could be equally at home on an action movie soundtrack or on a new Nine Inch Nails album. $30-$58, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Marys St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — BE Andy Shauf Saskatchewan songwriter Andy Shauf will take the Paper Tiger stage for a night of mellow, baroque pop. He is currently touring behind his seventh studio album, Wilds. Fellow ANTI- Records act Yves Jarvis opens the show with his brand of folk pop. $25, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com.

— EB

Saturday, March 5 Ezekiel Duran

San Antonio’s Ezekiel Duran is bringing his vintage-style crooning to the oldest honky-tonk on the St. Mary’s Strip. Duran plays a style of music that resides in the nostalgic crossroads of doowop, country and rock ’n’ roll. Rusty Dusty and the 501’s wrap up the night. $10, 6 p.m., Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerose.com. — EB

Sunday, March 6 Navaira Brothers Fulfilling their lifelong dream of “being Ed and Al,” San Antonio-reared brothers Emilio IV and Diego Navaira will debut their Van Halen tribute act. Emilio will hold down the drum kit as he does in Last Bandoleros, though Diego will jump to six-string for the fireworks. Free, 9 p.m., 502 Bar, 502 Embassy Oaks, #138, (210) 257-8125, 502bar.com. — MM Hippie Sabotage Electronic music duo Hippie Sabotage had a huge YouTube hit with a remix of “Habits (Stay High).” Perhaps it was the 924 million views on that one that helped the pair earn spots at festivals from Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza to Electric Zoo. As the LA Weekly noted, Hippie Sabotage is “all about love, though not necessarily peace.” $30, Paper Tiger, 9 p.m., 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — MM

Monday March 7 YOSA Presents Sgt. Pepper’s Live One of the most influential and best-selling albums of all time, the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, comes to life in an epic performance featuring the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio and a rock supergroup that includes Joe Reyes, Chris Maddin and the Navaira brothers. Beatles fans, it’s time to shine and sing along to classics like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” $25-$60, 8 p.m., Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 2238624, tobincenter.org. — BE Sevendust With 12 studio albums and nearly 30 singles on the Billboard singles charts over its three decades as a band, Sevendust has left its stamp on the nu-metal world. The band, whose stock in trade is melding soulful vocal melodies with thudding riffage, is behind its 2020 release Blood & Stone. $29.50-$75, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — EB