NIRENBERG'S SYMPHONY SILENCE | CHEF KIRK'S WINNING ATTITUDE | PRIMUS ROCKS RUSH | APR. 6 - 19, 2022
LET'S
FIESTA!
#Fiesta2022
|
#FiestaSA
www.fiestasanantonio.org
2 1 1 1 1
Sour
oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka oz fresh lime juice oz simple syrup egg white dash of bitters
Add all ingredients to a shaker and dry shake for 10 seconds. Add ice and shake again for 5 seconds, or until the shaker becomes cold. Strain into a martini glass. Top with a dash of bitters.
sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
3
in this issue Issue 22-07 /// April 6 – 19, 2022
Rush Job
On its latest tour, quirk-rock band Primus is covering Rush’s entire A Farewell to Kings album
Growing Echo
Organizers of San Antonio’s intimate Echo Bridge series eager to make it a tour stop for bigger musical acts
Music Listings
San Antonio Current
Editor-in-Chief: Sanford Nowlin General Manager: Chelsea Bourque
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
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 Social Media Interns: Sarah Camacho, Richard Cavazos, Jazmyne Kearney, Nate Rodriguez
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 Vice Presidents of Marketing: Emily Tintera, Cassandra Yardeni www.euclidmediagroup.com
Nina Rangel
30 Feature
Culinary Survivor
National Advertising: Voice Media Group (888) 278-9866, vmgadvertising.com
After a rough start, ‘Chef Kirk’ is putting a distinctive stamp on SA’s food scene and kitchen culture
09 News
The Opener
San Antonio Current 915 Dallas San Antonio, Texas 78215 sacurrent.com
Culture Commons’ new exhibition honors San Antonio women while shining a light on gender disparities
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
News in Brief
Current Events
The silence of Mayor Ron Nirenberg on the symphony strike is deafening
CityScrapes Hotel Giveaway
Right Turn
South Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar breaks with party, votes against marijuana reform, defends Title 42
19 Calendar Calendar Picks
27 Arts
Power, strength and dignity
Verified Audit Member
29 Screens
San Antonio Distribution – The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.
Gut Feeling
Get listed 1. Visit sacurrent.com 2. Click “Calendar” and then “Submit an Event” 3. Follow the steps to submit your event details Please allow 48 hours for review and approval. Event submissions are not accepted by phone.
San Antonio resident Michael Druck follows instinct to flourish as casting director
30 Food
Concha Quest
San Antonio’s Mexican bakeries offer multiple takes on the popular pastry, from standard to upscale
Hot Dish
36 Music
O
n the Cover: What’s Fiesta San Antonio without an over-the-top hat? Cover design: Samantha Serna. Photography By Nathan Sokul
Copyright: The entire contents of the San Antonio Current are copyright 2019 by Euclid Media Group LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Subscriptions: Additional copies or back issues may be purchased at the Current offices for $1. Six-month domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $75; one-year subscriptions for $125.
April-PhotographyWork-9.75X10.6875-CurrentAd-FINAL.pdf
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4/1/22
9:36 AM
Photography Workshop: The Visualization of Identity
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April 23 | 1:00-4:00 p.m. Register: samuseum.org/calendar During this workshop led by San Antonio artist Mari Hernandez, participants will explore self-portraiture as a tool for personal reflection and visual storytelling, drawing connections to the work of Wendy Red Star currently on view in the Cowden Gallery. Participants will contemplate their own identities and histories to create self-portraits. Mari Hernandez is a finalist in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery Portrait Competition.
samuseum.org | 200 West Jones Avenue Above
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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
ai
e nan ez, El Lenguaje, 2021, inkjet print on photo rag (3) 24"x36"
BUY SELL TRADE
CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLURAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLURAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLURAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLURAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES ACCESSORIES V I D E O G A MVINYL E S | H RECORDS A R D W A R E CDS | A C CDVDS E S S O RBLU-RAYS I E S | V I N Y4K L R VIDEO E C O R D SGAMES | C D S HARDWARE | DVDS 6 S A N A N T O N I O L O C A T I O N S | C D E X C H A N G E S A . C O M VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K VIDEO GAMES HARDWARE ACCESSORIES VINYL RECORDS CDS DVDS BLU-RAYS 4K
AUTO AUCTION
MAY 11, 2022 at 3:00P at
SAN ANTONIO VEHICLE IMPOUND FACILITY ALL VEHICLES LISTED WERE IMPOUNDED BY SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPT. AND WILL BE SOLD VIA JOYRIDEAUCTOS.COM OR LIVE IN PERSON TO BE DETERMINED.
April 23, 24, 30 and May 1
See the latest design trends TICKETS ON SALE NOW WWW.NBPARADEOFHOMES.COM
ID#
YEAR
MAKE
MODEL
VIN NUMBER
FEES
4516769
1985
OTHER NOT IN LIST
RV
1RF11031XF1000119
$8,904.63
4317007
2000
OTHER NOT IN LIST
MINI-BIKE
L6ZDCJLA591003834
$7,434.45
4672880
--
OTHER NOT IN LIST
TRAILER
4A9BE1621ND194193
$3,697.35
4343933
2012
TRAILER GENERIC
TRAILER
1GRAA06246W703963
$7,561.34
3652545
1998
KAWASAKI
MULE
JK1AFBC19WB504461
$5,854.00
4295497
1994
FRUEHAUF
TRAILER
1H2V04826RE042535
$13,795.03
4775925
2000
OTHER NOT IN LIST
GOLF CART
3058994
$2,086.90
Registered owners may pick up vehicles by showing proof of ownership & paying all towing & storage fees prior to Auction. FEES ACCRUE DAILY AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
3625 Growdon Rd. San Antonio, TX | 210.881.8440 sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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APRIL
2 02 2
National
PO ETRY Month
San Antonio For a full calendar of National Poetry Month events, visit www.SanAntonio.gov/Arts #NPMSA2022 @GetCreativeSA
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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
2022_MPM_PrintAd_9.75x10.6875_FNL.indd 1
3/2/22 3:36 PM
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John Esquivel, the beloved street performer known to the city as Hispanic Elvis, has died. Esquivel, whose Elvis act was a fixture at Market Square for more than 20 years, was 76 years old when he was hospitalized earlier this year with COVID-19 and an esophagus infection. The San Antonio Spurs raised $200,000 by selling NFTs in honor of head coach Gregg Popovich last month breaking the NBA’s all-time record for regular season victories. Minted in collaboration with a Toronto-based cryptocurrency platform, the “1336 Coach Pop Collection” features images of five offensive plays drawn by Popovich. The average price of the NFTs is $6,500. Celebrating Pop? Priceless.
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The San Antonio Police Department shut down multiple residential streets around the St. Mary’s Strip last Thursday through last Sunday, testing the impact of restricting access to the popular nightlife district in response to noise and traffic complaints. Some residents raised concerns about an increased police presence in the neighborhood, while business owners said they are committed to being “open-minded” about the reduced-access testrun. A Houston-area student won a $90,000 settlement over allegations her teacher harassed her for refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The student objected to the inclusion of “under God” in the pledge and also believes the U.S. doesn’t offer “liberty and justice for all.” In response, the teacher said that he would give the student a zero on an assignment, and the student’s suit alleged he went on a racist diatribe in class. — Abe Asher
YOU SAID IT!
“[U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar] sees criminalization as a way to line the pockets of his private prison donors.” — Jessica Cisneros
Democratic congressional candidate on her primary opponent’s vote against the House’s landmark marijuana legalization bill.
ASSCLOWN ALERT
Patrick Von Dohlen and the Power of Positive Thinking Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark. Last Friday, the Texas State Supreme Court found that conservative activists failed to deliver the required evidence in their lawsuit claiming the City of San Antonio violated the state’s controversial “Save Chick-fil-A” law. The all-Republican panel sent the suit back to a trial court, maintaining that Bible-thumping activist Patrick Von Dohlen and the San Antonio Family Association failed to show harmful action taken by the city after the law’s passage. The suit alleges the city officials broke the state law by failing to approve Chick-fil-A with an airport food concession. However, city council’s vote not to cut the Atlanta-based chain in on the contract happened six months prior to the measure’s passage and can’t be applied retroactively, the state’s high court ruled. Sounds like defeat for the San Antonio Family Association, right? After all, the justices agreed with the city’s argument, and in media statements, City Attorney Andy Segovia predicted a speedy resolution by the lower court. But that didn’t stop the San Antonio Family Association from giving the ruling the rosiest of spins, announcing on its website that “religious liberty WINS.” “Now we will re-plead with facts and merits of the case showing adverse action after the effective date of the enactment, and we will win in the name of business owner conscience rights and religious liberty for all,” the group said its word salad of statement. Interesting take, to say the least. Von Dohlen, who sits on the association’s
Less than a month after voting with just 16 other members of the House against banning Russian oil imports, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy announced last week that he’s a leader in “advocating for Ukrainian orphans.” As justification, he explained that he’d signed a letter with other lawmakers asking the White House to make it easier for U.S. families to adopt children from the war-torn country. Federal health officials have restored $7 million per day in funding to Texas hospitals after a six-month pause over concerns about how the state pays for services that hospitals provide to Medicaid patients. The feds paused the funding after saying some hospitals were potentially in violation of the state’s agreement with the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
news
That Rocks/That Sucks
Facebook / Vote Patrick
board, is no stranger to statements that embrace of what former Trump White House shill Kellyanne Conway called “alternative facts.” Last year, during his third failed attempt to represent District 9 on city council, the activist falsely labeled incumbent John Courage a “Marxist.” He also incorrectly accused Courage of wanting to defund the police and supporting “federally funded abortion on demand.” It’s unclear whether Von Dohlen had a hand in penning the Family Association’s statement, but it certainly bears his assclownish grasp of political reality. — Sanford Nowlin
A San Antonio jury ruled on March 24 that a gay couple’s 25-year relationship constituted a common law marriage — allowing Christopher Hoffman the ability to legally divorce his partner and be eligible for alimony and other benefits. Though gay marriage wasn’t yet legal when Hoffman and his husband began their relationship in 1996, the jury found that they were married under Texas Family Code. Legal observers said it’s the first finding of its kind in Texas. — Abe Asher
Twitter / @RepChipRoy
Find more news coverage every day at sacurrent.com
07 APRIL
3PM - 6PM
2022
In celebration of National Public Health Week, Metro Health will host a Community Event on April 7th at Mission Marquee. Learn about our programs and services we offer to promote the health and wellness of our community. No-cost COVID-19 and flu vaccinations will also be provided. Come join us!
3100 Roosevelt Ave
San Antonio, TX 78214 *Free Parking
Celebrate NPHW with SA Metro Health and Partners!
LEARN ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS
PUBLIC HEALTH IS WHERE YOU ARE NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK APRIL 4 - 10 #NPHWSA
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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
FRESH PRODUCE & FIESTA MEDAL GIVEAWAYS
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news CURRENT EVENTS
The silence of Mayor Ron Nirenberg on the symphony strike is deafening BY SANFORD NOWLIN Editor’s Note: Current Events is a column of opinion and analysis.
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t the end of March, as the San Antonio Symphony strike stretched into its sixth month, the musicians held a rally in front of the Tobin Center to signify the solemn anniversary. Speakers ranging from labor leaders to congressional candidates spoke up for the players’ demands that their salaries and benefits not be cut to the core. Among those voicing support was former Mayor Phil Hardberger. Although unable to attend in person, a representative read Hardberger’s letter of support, which praised the musicians and urged a swift resolution to the strike. “The musicians’ cause is just, the demands reasonable,” he wrote. “They want a living wage and need health insurance. The musicians give us much for little. Their music soothes the spirit and smooths out the wrinkles of the day.” Hardberger also noted that he frequently used the symphony as a selling point when trying to recruit businesses to the metro. In his words, the orchestra “sets us apart from our competitors” and makes San Antonio a “charmer of a city.” There was a notable absence at the rally. Mayor Ron Nirenberg — considered by political observers to be Hardberger’s protégé — didn’t attend. Nor has Nirenberg said much of anything about the strike. Publicly, anyway. When the Current requested a comment on the walkout’s six-month anniversary, a spokesman responded that
Sanford Nowlin
Nirenberg is unwilling to comment while a federal mediator is working on a resolution. However, Nirenberg does have a history of intervening when it comes to the city’s perpetually troubled symphony. During the organization’s 2017 financial crisis, he and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff created a nine-member city-county task force to help put it on a path to financial stability. It also seems that Nirenberg should show at least a little concern that the symphony management’s proposal to cut the size of the orchestra and slash pay and benefits — the trigger for the strike — directly contradicts the recommendations of the DeVos Institute, a consulting group hired by the task force Nirenberg helped create. DeVos is helmed by Michael Kaiser, renowned for helping turn around other troubled musical organizations. During his time working with the San Antonio Symphony, Kaiser said the orchestra’s managing body shouldn’t scale it back from 72 members or slash its 30-week performance schedule. “A lot of people think it starts with cutting your budgets or saving money — it doesn’t,” Kaiser told Texas Public
Radio at the time. “You don’t save your way to health and the arts; you excite people; you energize people.” Kaiser suggested changes such as having the symphony back popular touring artists and boost its social media savvy. Largely, though, he put the emphasis on management increasing its fundraising prowess. The money is here, he noted. “This community is very generous with contributions,” Kaiser said. “If you do a good job of maintaining the level of the excitement after the work and the engagement with the individual.” Without naming Nirenberg, Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony chair Mary Ellen Goree expressed frustration that high-level city officials haven’t spoken up during the current crisis. Especially since management appears to have put Kaiser’s recommendation through the shredder. “They dismissed all of his advice,” Goree said in an interview the day after the Tobin rally. “It’s extremely frustrating that someone of Michael Kaiser’s status came and told them not to cut the size of the symphony and they just dismissed him.” So, given what’s at stake for one of the city’s artistic crown jewels and the
Musicians picket in front of the home of Kathleen Weir Vale, board chair for the Symphony Society.
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management’s apparent disregard for 2017’s suggested course of action, is the mayor reluctant to weigh in? Could Nirenberg be afraid that signaling support for the musicians and their demands would suggest he’s not willing to do the bidding of the city’s anti-labor business community? Could he be concerned what signal he might send to San Antonio banker J. Bruce Bugg, the deep-pocketed Republican donor who oversees the Tobin Endowment? Could he simply not believe that a full-size symphony comprised of adequately compensated professional musicians is important to San Antonio? Until the Nirenberg is willing to speak up and follow the example of strong leadership set by his mentor, Phil Hardberger, it’s anyone’s guess Meanwhile, the musicians — and San Antonians who appreciate their artistry — are waiting. sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
news CITYSCRAPES
Hotel Giveaway San Antonio should have recognized its Grand Hyatt project was a debacle all along BY HEYWOOD SANDERS Editors Note: CityScrapes is a column of opinion and analysis.
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he “Mother of All Hotel Giveaways.” That’s what the late Express-News columnist Carlos Guerra dubbed the plan for a 1,000-room convention center hotel in March 1996. The city and county had already doled out tax abatements to two downtown hotels, the Westin Riverwalk and the Adam’s Mark, later the Wyndham. But city staff decided that we needed a really big hotel next to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center to lure the most enviable conventions to town. When Guerra used the “mother” characterization, the hotel was just a gleam in the eyes of city staff and local business interests. It wasn’t clear who might pay for or develop the property — just that a whopping big public subsidy would be required. But there would be gold at the end of the rainbow, they promised. Without the new hotel, we wouldn’t see the full benefit of the convention center expansion then planned. They sold the project as crucial to our place in the convention business — a central element in the continuing development of downtown. Now, 26 years later, with the city paying Hyatt to take that “mother” hotel, the Grand Hyatt, off our hands, it’s imperative that we ask how the City of San Antonio got into the hotel business, how that plan worked out and what went wrong. For that, we need to start in March 1997, when city council approved ITT Sheraton as the developer of the new convention center hotel, doling out a $7 million, 10-year property tax abatement. The project came with a host of
Courtesy Photo Grand Hyatt
promises neatly set out by then-Mayor Bill Thornton. He pledged the project would “increase annual visitor spending in San Antonio by $100 million, create a payroll of $15 million for 850 jobs and pump an average of $777,000 in sales tax rebates into city coffers. The city’s share of hotel occupancy taxes from the hotel when it is in full swing will be about $1.3 million,” according to the Express-News. There were lots of comments from councilmembers about how much more other cities had to dole out in subsidies, about the quality of the promised jobs. They were “fine jobs,” then-councilmember Lynda Billa Burke said. “These people need to be proud of what they do.” But during that discussion, no one at the city bothered to explain why a major corporation like Sheraton needed a subsidy to build a hotel in downtown San Antonio. That should have been the first hint the project was uncertain and that it carried real risk, despite repeated promises a major expansion of the convention center would draw more visitors to San Antonio. It took a few years for the second shoe to drop, or perhaps we should say “the second hint.” In 2000, Sheraton agreed to a revised deal, promising a 1,200-room hotel in exchange for a reduced tax abatement deal of just $3.1 million, together with a commitment to a minimum of $7 an hour to hotel employees. Finally, in February 2002, with the convention center expansion complete and Sheraton still unable to come up with financing, the city pulled
the plug on the deal. How much clearer could that have been? A major hotel brand couldn’t make the numbers work. So, did the city staff call a halt, or even a timeout, and ask if the longsought hotel was really viable? Simply put, no. A year after the collapse of the Sheraton, after all those warning signs, staff — notably assistant city manager Chris Brady — pressed the case for a headquarters hotel, indeed one even larger than the 1,200 rooms Sheraton had proposed. To get an outside perspective on the need for such a massive lodging property, Brady proposed creating an “advisory board of experts.” That body largely consisted of local hoteliers and hospitality interests, and rather predictably, it endorsed the need for a big, new hotel. Former councilmember Art Hall seemed to sum up their thinking when he said: “For me, the bottom line is we have to compete.” So, to get that long sought-after hotel, city staff in 2004 promoted a scheme to use “mostly private” financing aided by $130 million in federal empowerment zone bonds. And when no such private financing materialized, the city financed the project by itself with a $208 million empowerment zone bond backed by citywide hotel taxes. Hint after hint, warning after warning. All as what began as the “Mother of All Hotel Giveaways” morphed into an even more substantial public commitment. Over a decade of changing mayors, new councilmembers and different city staffers, the dream of a grand
The City of San Antonio’s eagerness to back the Grand Hyatt has been problematic from the beginning.
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convention center hotel remained unabated, carried along by promises of a convention boom. Yet once the new Grand Hyatt opened in 2008, our elected officials and city staff appeared to remain willfully ignorant — not questioning the Hyatt’s performance, not asking if the convention boom had ever materialized. Indeed, even before the Hyatt was fully operating, the city commissioned yet another consultant study of a convention center expansion. And just as predictably, even as the Grand Hyatt consistently underperformed its forecasts, the city moved ahead on that expansion. There was no serious inquiry. There was no evaluation. There was no accountability. Somehow, San Antonio for all its charms and appeal, seems to regularly manage grand public policy failures: Fiesta Plaza, Rivercenter, St. Paul Square, SeaWorld, Fiesta Texas, the Alamodome, Sunset Station, Downtown TriParty, PGA Village, the Regional Mobility Authority. When do we learn from those mistakes? But don’t worry, an Elon Musk-built tunnel from the airport to downtown will surely fix everything. Heywood Sanders is a professor of public policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio. sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
news Right Turn
South Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar breaks with party, votes against marijuana reform, defends Title 42 BY SANFORD NOWLIN
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rogressive Jessica Cisneros, an immigration attorney looking to unseat nine-term U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar from his Texas district stretching from San Antonio to Laredo, has accused her rival of being a Democrat in name only. Last week, she gained two more pieces of ammunition as she looks to bolster that claim ahead of a bitter May 24 runoff for the 28th District’s Democratic nomination. Last Friday, Cuellar split with his party to vote against a landmark marijuana legalization bill that passed in the House largely along party lines. Only one other Dem — U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire — gave it a thumbs down. “I’ve seen the consequences marijuana charges have in my community and clients I’ve worked with — families torn, deportations, loss of jobs and housing. The list goes on,” Cisneros tweeted after the vote. “Meanwhile, Rep. Cuellar sees criminalization as a way to line the pockets of his private prison donors.” The vote came days after Cuellar
Sanford Nowlin
bucked his party to sign a letter sent by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and other Lone Star State Republicans urging the Biden Administration to keep in place a Trump-era rule that lets immigration officials quickly expel border crossers without allowing them to apply for asylum. The Trump White House used the pandemic to justify the controversial measure, called Title 42, which has been
Online broker RedFin names San Antonio the ninth most popular metro area for relocations BY MICHAEL KARLIS In the latest sign the local real estate market isn’t slowing down, a new report from online broker RedFin ranked the San Antonio area as the ninth most popular metro for those looking to
relocate. RedFin compiled its report by sampling 2 million users which it deemed serious about relocating. To get that sample, the company focused only on
decried by civil rights groups and many Democrats as cruel and unnecessary. “As an immigration attorney & border resident, I saw the violence Title 42 caused,” Cisneros tweeted about the letter. “Cuellar advocating for its implementation is him advocating for the cruel and inhuman treatment of people whose stories and families resemble our own. This is an issue of basic human decency.” Officials with Cuellar’s office were
those who viewed at least 10 homes in a specific metro area during the study period. What’s more, that same metro area also had to make up 80% of their searches. Southern metros topped the company’s top 10 relocation markets, with Miami, Phoenix and Tampa claiming the top three spots, respectively. Dallas, which came in at No. 8, was the only other Texas city to make the list. “Sunny, relatively affordable metro areas perennially top the list of places homebuyers are looking to move,” according to the report. “The trend has grown even stronger over the last year as remote work has become permanent for many Americans.”
unavailable for comment at press time. Cisneros, who ran a near-miss campaign to unseat the congressman in 2018, got a boost this time around from news that the FBI had raided her rival’s Laredo home in connection with a probe related to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. Cuellar has denied wrongdoing and said his office is cooperating with authorities.
While Austin has frequently popped up in similar lists, RedFin found that Austinites are actually looking to move to San Antonio, making up the majority of in-state users considering a move to the Alamo City. Los Angeles is the starting point for the largest number of people looking to move to San Antonio from out of state, according to the list. San Antonio is in the throes of a rapid expansion, recently being named one of the fastest-growing metros in the nation. However, with that come growing pains. Median home prices reached $314,000 in February, a 19.6% increase from 2021. sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
13th Annual
Open Weekends: Now – Apr 24
10 AM To Dusk Rain Or Shine | No Pets -Camping Available-
Location
1883 Old Hwy 20 Mcdade, Tx 78650
35 Miles East Of Austin -Or2 Hrs Northeast Of San Antonio
Entertainment
Join Robin Hood & Lady Marian as they host full contact jousting, falconry, swordplay, archery, juggling, comedy, theater & more. Medieval England comes to life in Central Texas.
Artisans + Merchants We host a grand selection of hand-crafted goods in Central Texas. We offer demonstrations like glass blowing, blacksmithing, pottery spinning, leather armor making, weaving, jewelry & art creation, & others.
Song + Dance
You'll find minstrels, bards, storytellers, magicians, jugglers, & all types of performers strolling our lanes & playing on our stages. If you're lucky, you may spot a faery or two!
Food + Drink
From trenchers weighty with tasty fare to tankards overflowing with foamy mead, there's plenty to eat and drink at Sherwood Forest Faire. You'll discover medieval treats & delicacies.
Tickets On Sale Now At Sher woodforestfaire.com | (512)222-6680 | Follow Us On sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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With over 100 locally owned shops, you’ll find cultural curios and artifacts, hand-
op en da ily
crafted leather goods, and a diverse collection of traditional apparel.
514 W. Commerce St. @marketsquaresa
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CURRENT | April 6 - 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
et E Sq n ua te re rt SA ai .c nm om e fo n rd t et ai ls
W Vi e si ek tM e ar nd k
where every day is a fiesta
Julián P. Ledezma
We’re down to the second half of Fiesta 2022, and there’s still plenty to do during the last few days of San Antonio’s biggest annual party. Here are some of the high-profile events you can celebrate at one of the Alamo City’s most special times of the year. For a complete schedule, including a jazz festival, pooch parade, marathons and a whole lot more, visit fiestasanantonio.org. — Kiko Martinez
SPECIAL EVENT
A NIGHT IN OLD SAN ANTONIO (NIOSA)
NIOSA pays tribute to San Antonio’s diverse culture with food and music across 14 distinctive sections in the downtown area, including Chinatown, Frontier Town, Clown Alley, Mission Trail, South of the Boarder, Haymarket and Froggy Bottom. Some of the culinary Fiesta favorites that will be available are Mr. Chicken, Maria’s Tortillas, beef ka-
Jaime Monzon
COURT OF MAGNIFICENT RESILIENCE
FIESTA SAN ANTONIO WED | 04.06 FRI | 04.08
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Jaime Monzon
bobs, gorditas and fajitas de pollo. Make sure you take in a few bands too, including the Chris Lopez Band and Dukes of Cool. In case you didn’t already know, NIOSA is the top fundraiser for The Conservation Society of San Antonio. $20-$100, 5:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, La Villita, 418 Villita St., (210) 226-5188, niosa.org.
WED | 04.06 THU | 04.07 SPECIAL EVEN T
FIESTA CORNYATION 2022: THE
Fiesta’s “raunchiest, cheapest event with a purpose” is an adult-oriented show featuring current local, state, and regional, nation and international events told through a satirical stage presentation. After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, who knows what’s ripe for ridicule now that the spirited theater is back? $20-$120, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.com.
FRI | 04.08 SPECIAL EVEN T
THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADE
The parade is held to honor the patriots of the Alamo and celebrate the diversity and heritage of the Lone Star State and the U.S. with marching bands, floats and tons of entertainment. This is the first time the parade will take place since 2019 due to two years of pandemic hiatus. Its theme is “Viva Las Flores!” $20-$35, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Downtown San Antonio, battleofflowers.org.
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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calendar FRI | 04.08 FI LM
MINARI Writer and director Lee Isaac Chung tells his own childhood story about a young Korean family’s move to rural Arkansas in the 1980s, where it struggled to realize the American dream by starting a farm and attempting to assimilate. The Current named Minari the Best Film of 2020 and described it as a drama that “delivers an extremely effective message about love and devotion that is equal parts charming, heartbreaking and humorous.” The heart of the film is the relationship between 6-year-old David (Alan S. Kim) and his grandmother Soonja (Youn Yuh-jung, who won an Oscar for her role). During an interview with the Current two years ago, Yuh-jung talked about her experience working with a child who had never acted before. “First, I was worried because I heard he didn’t have any acting experience,” she explained. “But he was prepared. He memorized all the lines. We built the relationship together. The script was built nicely between grandma and grandson.” As for why she believed the film was beloved by audiences and critics alike, Yuh-jung said it captured a universal story. “We all have a grandma,” she said. “I think family love is what touches people.” Free, 8 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle,
Courtesy of AT&T Center
SUN | 04.10 COMEDY
(210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — KM
JEFF DUNHAM
There aren’t a lot of times when you can ask someone, “Who’s that guy playing at the AT&T Center” and have them respond, “Oh, he’s a ventriloquist.” In fact, there may be just one guy who fits that bill: Jeff Dunham. Dunham got his start after receiving a dummy one year under the Christmas tree. Most kids would probably tire of the toy on or around December 26, but not this one. Dunham worked his way up as a ventriloquist, eventually touring comedy clubs, and his career seems to have no ceiling. Slate hailed him “America’s favorite comedian” and Time magazine summed him up as “a dressed-down, more digestible version of Don Rickles with multiple personality disorder.” Psychology professionals might scoff at the idea that such a diagnosis exists, but when someone’s alternate personas include American archetypes like a grumpy old man (“Walter”), a “hyperactive crazy” (“Peanut”) or NASCAR enthusiast (“Bubba J”), they probably meet clinical criteria. But be warned: Dunham isn’t Uncle Joey from Full House. His characters get edgy, so parents are advised to not assume that just because they’re puppets that they’re kid friendly. $53.50, 3 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 440-5000, attcenter.com. — Mike McMahan A24
SAT | 04.09 SPORTS
SPURS VS. WARRIORS Back in December, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reflected on the difficult stretches in an NBA season. “If you can’t maintain your culture during the down times, then you don’t really
San Antonio. $44-$1,999, Time TBD, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210)
p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-
444-5000, attcenter.com, CW35. — M. Solis
8624, tobincenter.org. — Dana Nichols
SAT | 04.09
SUN | 04.10
TH EATER
DANCE
have a culture,” Kerr told reporters after a close loss to the Spurs in San
SOUTH PACIFIC
BALLET FOLKLORICO DE MEXICO
Francisco. “It’s just dependent on winning. The culture has to survive
The 1949 hit musical South Pacific is coming to the stage in San Antonio
For seven decades, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez
losing stretches.” Led by the winningest coach in league history, Spurs
for just one night as part of a national tour. Not only is the show known
has performed across North and South America, expressing Mexican
culture endures in San Antonio despite a losing record for the team’s
culture through dance and dress. In the years since its humble begin-
third consecutive campaign. In a season punctuated by Popovich’s
nings as an eight-person group founded by dancer and choreographer
milestone, the ascendance of Dejounte Murray to All-Star status, and
Amalia Hernandez, the troupe has evolved into a highly respected
the emergence of Keldon Johnson as a threat beyond the arc, the Spurs
cultural representative, earning more than 300 awards and performing
continue to pound the rock, with the promise of potentially three first-
some 5,000 times internationally. Although permanently housed at the
round draft picks on the way. Pop and his charges seek their third win
Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City, the troupe will be in San Antonio for
against the Warriors this season on Saturday night at the AT&T Center.
one night on the final day of the city’s Fiesta celebration. $29.50-$75,
It will also likely be Becky Hammon’s last game as an assistant coach in
7 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — DN Courtesy Photo / Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
for its exquisite storytelling and music — both expected in a Rodgers and Hammerstein production — but for its thought-provoking messages on racial injustice and prejudice. The story, set during World War II on an island in the South Pacific, follows the experiences of Americans whose pursuits of love in a war-torn world spark discoveries about themselves and the world around them. Join early for a conversation with Trinity University professor Nathan Stith to explore the important Twitter / spurs
role South Pacific plays in our shared cultural history. $49.50-$94.50, 8
Courtesy Photo / Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
sacurrent.com | April 6 - 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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improvtx.com/sanantonio | 618 Nw Loop 410, SaN ANTONIO, TX 78216 | 210•541•8805 APR 8 APR 9
APR 14 APR 16
APR 22 APR 24
APR 26
APR 28 APR 30
Becky Robinson
Tone Bell
Aida Rodriguez
Ali Macofsky
Ryan Davis
AT&T Center: 1 AT&T Center Parkway San Antonio, Tx 78219 For tickets visit ATTCenter.com/Events
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calendar THU | 04.14 DRAG
CRYSTAL METHYD Not to be confused with the electronic group, Crystal Methyd burst onto the scene after appearing on season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Methyd is the stage name of Cody Harness, who resides in Springfield, Missouri. “I loved the name ‘Crystal’ whenever I first started,” she said of her stage persona. “I was just gonna pick Crystal ’cause I like the name and it was kinda like witchy, and my friend was actually the one who gave me the idea for ‘Methyd,’ and I was like, ‘I’ll spell it with a ‘y’ so it’s more womanly.’” For those who have wondered, she’s also expressed a willingness to return for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. And who wouldn’t? $20-$25, 9:30 p.m., Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham., text (210) 386-4537 for reservations, facebook.com/reylopezentertainment. — MM Josh Huskin
MON | 04.11 CLASSICAL MUSIC
SOLI CHAMBER ENSEMBLE: PRISMS
Courtesy of Rey Lopez Entertainment
FRI | 04.15 COMEDY
EDDIE GRIFFIN Eddie Griffin was one of the title characters from UPN’s ’90s sitcom Malcolm & Eddie, which also starred Malcolm-Jamal Warner. On the big screen, he appeared in the 2002 flick Undercover Brother as the
Having explored the infinitely colorful and diverse world of music throughout its 2021-2022 season, SOLI Chamber Ensemble’s April concert takes a look at the prism, an object used to showcase the color spectrum’s beautiful array. The program features a world premiere from Cuban-American composer Armando Bayolo along with works by Jessie Montgomery and Edna Alejandra Longoria. A special memorial presentation will take place in honor of Louis Andriessen and George Crumb via performances of Crumb’s Apparition and selections from Andriessen’s The Memory of Roses with guest artist Jacquelyn Matava, mezzo-soprano. The performance comes three days before the release of the quartet’s new album The Clearing and the Forest on Acis Records on April 14. $15-$25, 7 p.m., San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, (210) 536-1400, solichamberensemble.com. — DN
SAT | 04.16 SUN | 10.30
TUE | 04.19 SUN | 04.24
ART
THEATER
title character and in a supporting role in the Rob Schneider’s Deuce
STEVE TOBIN: “ROOTED”
SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL
Bigalow movies. Beyond that, Griffin is a veteran stand-up, with more
The San Antonio Botanical Garden’s “Rooted” exhibits sculptural works
When Summer: The Donna Summer Musical hit Broadway in 2018, a
than three decades under his belt and enough performance cred to
from the 40-year career of contemporary artist Steve Tobin. More than
young actress named Ariana DeBose, who just won an Academy Award
be ranked No. 62 on Comedy Central’s list of greatest comedians of all
20 nature-inspired sculptures monumentalize the dynamic power and
for her supporting role in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, took center
time. One early bit as a gay Andrew “Dice” Clay even scored the stand-
grace found in naturally occurring forms. Tobin’s Steelroots and Bronze
stage to play Disco Donna. The character was one of the three incar-
up an opening gig for the Diceman himself. Like Clay, Griffin has seen
Roots series will be displayed alongside newer pieces that are making
nations of “The Queen of Disco” featured in the theatrical production.
his share of controversy. He once claimed that Bill Cosby was falsely ac-
She’s a version of Summer as a teenager and in her early 20s. The other
cused of sexual assault as part of a conspiracy against African American
two main characters are Duckling Donna, who’s in her pre-teens, and
men and allegedly made anti-Semitic remarks to Seth Rogen during
Diva Donna, who’s in her 50s. The vibrant musical numbers include
a shared elevator ride. What’s more, he continued to tour during the
“I Remember Yesterday” and “She Work Hard for the Money,” one of
COVID-19 pandemic and included jokes about masks in his sets. $34.50-
Summer’s signature songs. When asked about the role, which earned
$59.50, 8 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle,
DeBose a Tony Award nomination that year, the Afro-Latina actress
(210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — MM
said that when she first read the script, she could hear Summer in her head. “I could relate to every circumstance on the page,” DeBose told Broadway World. “I was reading the story of a complicated woman, which was exactly the challenge I was looking for.” DeBose isn’t part of this touring musical, but we’re sure her spirit lives on in the character. $35-$210, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — KM Steve Tobin
their world debut at the garden. Tobin studied theoretical mathematics at Tulane, and his work intersecting art, science, and nature has been shown in museums across the United States and abroad. The show is on view until Oct. 30. $13-$16, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Wednesday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, (210) 536Courtesy Photo / Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
1400, sabot.org. — Ashley Allen
Courtesy of Majestic Theatre
sacurrent.com | April 6 - 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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arts
Power, strength and dignity
Culture Commons’ new exhibition honors San Antonio women while shining a light on gender disparities BY MARCO AQUINO
A
fter a year’s pandemic-forced closure, San Antonio’s Culture Commons Gallery has begun welcoming back visitors with a show featuring diverse work by 15 women artists from the local community. The “The Status of Women in San Antonio” exhibition opened March 22 and runs through the summer. It’s a collaborative effort between the city’s Department of Arts & Culture and the Metropolitan Health Department’s Violence Prevention Program. Organizers asked the artists to reflect on a city-commissioned report titled “The Status of Women in San Antonio” by Rogelio Sáenz and Lily Casura, using it as a prompt to create new, original work. The document provides an overview of gender disparities in the Alamo City. “The successful San Antonio of the future that many of us envision can only come to fruition when barriers that hamper women from reaching their full potential are eliminated,’’ Sáenz and Casura write in the report. “When women achieve parity with men, not only will their own lives be enriched, but also those of their families and the sustainability of their communities.” The somber, thought-provoking exhibition celebrates women while sounding the alarm on serious issues holding back the community. With work including paintings, photographs, fiber art and found assemblages, “The Status of Women in San Antonio” draws attention to wage disparities, domestic abuse, suicide and lack healthcare access.
Domestic abuse Artists including Kallie Cheves, Sarah Fox and Mari Hernandez address the topic of domestic abuse. Carmen Johnson Alexander’s work shows how domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness. In her I Used to Be Someone, a female figure sits in front of a purple-hued brick wall with a backpack in tow. Upon closer inspection, the viewer notices that each brick contains a statistic dealing with homelessness in San Antonio. For example, families with children make up 34% of the city’s unhoused population. The figure’s jacket is emblazoned with countless images
Marco Aquino
of homeless people on the street. She also has a black eye. With Watching Eyes, Ana Hernandez paints 30 portraits of eyes on a variety of found objects, each representing a woman who has been murdered by an intimate partner. “Eyes are a strong signal of perception for humans,” the artist writes in her statement. “With this installation, I hope to remind the viewer that our actions and inactions are being viewed by the women around us, but to also look out for one another.”
Larger-than-life subjects Other pieces in the exhibition are less bleak. Megan Harrison’s text-based work Time Is Also Yours reminds women of the importance of self-care and uninterrupted time for themselves, while Rhys Munro’s Breadwinner and Moxie depicts a mallet and hardhat, honoring women who work non-traditional jobs. In the gallery’s storefront, viewable from the street, Adriana Garcia presents three large portraits showcasing San Antonio women. In one, she depicts Maria Victoria de la Cruz, an
undocumented domestic worker and community organizer. Despite her status, de la Cruz rallies her community to protest unjust laws. She sits on the board of Texas Organizing Project, an organization promoting social and economic equality. “It was a tremendous honor to create Maria’s portrait. I hope it conveys her dedication to work, family and community,” Garcia wrote in her statement. In another painting, Garcia depicts civil rights activist and educator Rosie Castro, the mother of U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and former San Antonio mayor Julián Castro. The third portrait is that of union organizer and labor leader Emma Tenayuca, who organized the city’s pecan shellers during the first half of the 20th Century. Much of the character in Garcia’s work comes from her bold use of color. For instance, Castro’s portrait is largely a play between complementary hues of purple and green. The size of the paintings also helps convey the figures as larger than life. Together, the works point to the power, strength and dignity among San Antonio women, both past and present.
“THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO” Free, 115 Plaza de Armas, (210) 206-2787, getcreativesanantonio.com.
POETRY NIGHT Wednesday, May 18, 6-8 p.m. A lineup of women poets including San Antonio Poet Laurate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson will read work inspired by the exhibition.
ARTIST PANEL DISCUSSION Wednesday, August 24, 6-8 p.m. Participants in the show will share in-depth context about their work and process.
Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com
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CURRENT | April 6 - 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
Gut Feeling
San Antonio resident Michael Druck follows instinct to flourish as casting director BY KIKO MARTINEZ
S
ince starting his career as a casting director a decade ago, San Antonio resident Michael Druck has witnessed an evolution in the TV and film industry. For example, if a filmmaker is looking for an actor to play the part of a transgender character today, Druck — whose job includes casting actors in a range of roles in movies, TV series and commercials — will now prepare a list of options that only includes trans talent. The days of casting a straight actor like Jared Leto to play a transwoman in Dallas Buyer’s Club are over. “It wasn’t always like that,” Druck, 38, told the Current during a recent interview. “Now, if someone asks for a trans actor, I’ll present my list and say, ‘Here are the best actors for the part, who also happen to be trans.’” As a Latino member of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s a recent change in the industry that Druck welcomes. “The movement has been going on for many years, but I feel like time has finally caught up,” he added. That evolution has also affected the casting of actors of color. While some corners of Hollywood are still being stubborn about it — Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones as Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco, anyone? — Druck sees the shift happening. “I like that we’re also starting to talk about
screens
Courtesy Photo Michael Druck
skin tone,” Druck said. “We’re always whitewashing things. I want to know if you’re looking for [Indigenous actors] like in [the film] Roma, or do you want someone you’d see in a telenovela? That’s important to me.” A 2002 graduate of Roosevelt High School, Druck started his career at a now-defunct local talent agency. He was taking theater courses in college at the time but decided to test the waters as a talent agent. “I liked the idea of hiding behind the scenes,” he explained. After working for four years as a talent agent and three years as a producer (Doctor S Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies: The Movie), Druck said he “got bored” and asked himself what his next adventure should be. So, he packed up and moved to New York City for a year where he worked as an intern, production assistant and barista. “That was like my Real World phase,” Druck said. “It was good for me. I was feeling stagnant, and going to New York lit a fire.” When Druck’s mother fell ill in 2012, he relocated to Austin to be with her and his family. That’s when he established his own company, Michael Druck Casting. “I’m like the liaison between the actor, agent and client,” he said. “I’m there to vet actors and give the client options.” For example, if a company is looking for
a group of extras for a commercial, Druck will get a call asking to fill the roles with the actors he thinks will do the best job. “Out of the 200 emails I get from actors who want the job, I’ll pick the best 75 and then cut it down for the 10 available spots for the commercial.” In 2017, Druck received a call from casting director Risa Bramon Garcia asking if he could move to Los Angeles for a few months to help with casting for Season 4 of the Showtime series The Affair. During the ’80s and ’90s, Garcia was the casting director on many of director Oliver Stone’s films, including Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK and Natural Born Killers. “Here I was in Austin with my fully-furnished apartment on Monday and by Thursday, I was crashing on a friend’s couch in LA reading scripts,” Druck said. “I did it because I always want to get better at my job and grow in my industry. You don’t go to school for casting, so I like to school myself.” After his short-term gig with The Affair was over, Druck headed back to Austin, where offers for his services started flooding in. In December 2020, he returned to San Antonio, where his filmography continues to expand. Recent projects he’s helped cast include the films Little Woods directed by Nia DaCosta and Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood from Oscar-nominated writer/director Richard Linklater. He also worked on the upcoming Netflix TV series Plus/Minus starring Lili Reinhart (Riverdale). “What I do is very instinctual,” Druck said. “Some actors may think casting directors are out to get them, but we’re really their biggest cheerleaders. I’m very proud of the work I do.”
Find more film stories at sacurrent.com
Nina Rangel
Culinary Survivor
After a rough start, ‘Chef Kirk’ is putting a distinctive stamp on SA’s food scene and kitchen culture BY NINA RANGEL
L
ike countless other restaurant workers, San Antonio chef Jesse Kuykendall had a cry in the walk-in cooler early in her career. During a particularly stressful shift in the kitchen of a California resort, the young culinarian broke down in the cooler. She was a newcomer to the state and overwhelmed by the job. What’s more, the resort’s head chef had just humiliated her in a verbal tirade in front of the whole crew. In frustration, Kuykendall kicked a cardboard box — which happened to be full of loose peas. Thousands of them spilled out, covering the cooler floor in a mottled sea of green. Seconds later, the irascible head chef threw open the door of the walk-in trying to figure out where his employee had gone. “It was the most intense place I’d worked at that point in my career, the biggest kitchen,” said Kuykendall, whom colleagues call “Chef Kirk.” “And this chef found me on the floor in the walk-in, and was like, ‘Pick up these peas, and then we’ll talk about what you need help with. I see you’re having a tough time,’ and he gave me this smile. And that’s the first time
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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
I realized that the old-school chefs are not all dicks. Some of them are hard on you because they want you to learn.” That early experience helped drive Chef Kirk to create inclusive, positive spaces for her colleagues, no matter how heavy the workload. That workload can be intense. Kirk qualifies as one of the hardest-working culinarians in the city, pivoting between Ocho at downtown’s historic 27room Hotel Havana and a pair of Mexican street food concepts under the Milpa umbrella: a food truck and a brick-and-mortar space at The Yard in Olmos Park. The 38-year-old chef’s star rose even higher last year when they bested three other pros on Food Network’s Chopped competition show. She has also continued to build a local following by serving up her personal take on the South Texas food of her childhood. Beyond that, Kirk works diligently to offer knowledge and support to those on her hardworking team. During a typical weekend, Kirk and crew work two, sometimes three, services daily: brunch and dinner at Ocho, afternoon brunch bites on Sundays at
In addition to serving as head chef at downtown’s Ocho, Jesse Kuykendall operates street food concept Milpa.
M
Southtown cocktail haven Amor Eterno and whatever catering gigs pop up in between. Through it all, Kirk remains positive, chipper and motivated, colleagues said. “‘Spunky’ isn’t the right word, maybe ‘charismatic’ is better,” said Manny Olivarez, Milpa’s director of operations and Kirk’s right hand. “There’s just this infectious happiness in everything Kirk does, you can literally feel the good vibes coming off her.”
Rough upbringing But that unwavering positivity wasn’t always there. Prior to Kirk’s foray into the culinary world, the native Laredoan lived a rough-and-tumble life. Fistfights and beefs between neighborhood gangs were part of her upbringing. “I’ll never forget the first time I got in a fight in San Antonio, and someone called the cops. I was like, ‘What are you doing? What are they gonna do?’” Kirk said. “In Laredo, someone wins the fight, and you vow to redeem yourself some other day. I was floored by the thought that you could actually get arrested for fighting here. I was thinking, ‘Assault? What’s that?’” Anger consumed much of the chef ’s twenties. A less-than-healthy relationship with alcohol ended in a DWI, which she now jokes kiboshed her dreams
first-generation American who sold tamales and catered events in Laredo to support her kids. The culinarian also recalls the church providing food for the family — proverbial mystery boxes that ended up being beneficial training for the Chopped competition. On that show, Kirk outcooked three other pros to take home a $10,000 grand prize. The fact that foods from her South Texas upbringing — quesadillas, mole and churros — helped land that victory reinforces the value of the chef’s culinary approach. Ironically, though, when Kirk landed her high-profile at Ocho, her focus was on a further-flung Latin cuisine. “When we first hired Kirk, [the Bunkhouse Group, which operates Hotel Havana] wanted Cuban food, so Kirk showed up on her first day with Cuban cookbooks from the library, ready to talk about possibilities,” former Hotel Havana General Manager Joey Boatright said. “There was this hunger to learn and create something new that I think keeps evolving into a really unique food identity for the hotel.”
Culinary evolution These days, the menu is Chef Kirk’s love letter to the humble fare of her South Texas upbringing — rooted not just in Cuban influences but those of Mexico and Texas. Menus at Ocho and Kirk’s two Milpa outposts boast dishes elevated in both flavor and presentation, an illustrative roadmap of the chef’s professional evolution since she launched Milpa in 2018. For a time during the pandemic, Boatright and Kirk were Hotel Havana’s skeleton crew — building what Boatright called something
food
of becoming the next Lola la Trailera. The 1985 Spanish-language film follows a young woman who finds herself immersed in a world of violence and drug trafficking after her father’s murder. After the DWI conviction, things spiraled. “I was mentally unstable. At that point in my life, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my career, I kept getting into trouble,” Kirk said. “The disappointment of my mom, my family … I was just kind of like, ‘What am I doing?’ And I’ve never really talked about it, but then, I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to just disappear.” In December 2015, another bout of impulsive, self-destructive behavior which Kirk declined to detail resulted in severe injuries to both feet and ankles. The doctors told the then-aspiring culinarian the injuries were comparable to those from head-on vehicle crashes. The recovery was grueling. “I had just finished culinary school orientation two weeks before the accident, and the doctors were telling me, ‘You’re going to get arthritis in your feet, it’s going to happen,’” the chef said. “Sitting in that wheelchair, all I was thinking — as someone training to be a chef — was that I needed to learn everything I could, tackle everything I could, before anything else happens. I became obsessed with learning about different cuisines and techniques, reading everything I could while in that wheelchair.” Nearly a decade later, Kirk still suffers from debilitating pain, which she tries to mitigate with over-the-counter pain relief. She deliberately avoids high-powered painkillers. Kirk also struggles with the emotional and mental scars of those painful early years. “I’m so fortunate to have health insurance [through Ocho and Hotel Havana] that allows me to go to therapy,” she said. “‘Don’t be a little bitch in the kitchen,’ you know. ‘Kitchens aren’t for crying.’ Those mentalities are just so old-school. We need to take better care of ourselves.”
of a trauma bond. Though Boatright has since moved on to a new venture in nearby Boerne, he remains impressed with Kirk’s imprint on the San Antonio food scene. Milpa operations director Olivarez echoes that sentiment. “For every goal, there’s a plan in place, and every day is one step closer to realizing those goals. There’s this drive that people are starting to notice, and I think the core group of people we work with, our little family, is the most important part of those plans,” he said. “We work like a family, we have fun, we love what we do. And people see that, see how important it is, because of personalities like Kirk.” Kirk intends to continue that legacy of creating inclusive, positive workplaces because it was in those environments that she discovered her own voice as a member of San Antonio’s culinary community. “I knew coming to Havana that I was going to have to push a little bit of ‘me’ aside, and I’d have to do something for the job itself. I felt really weird. But after a while, I realized, ‘You know what? I can change their minds,’” Kirk said. “If I just start showing them that I can put my personality, my stories into plates, they will fall in love with the food as much as I have. And now they just tell me, ‘Tell your stories, share your experiences. We trust you.’ I’m so lucky to have that, and I want to give that push to other people.”
A combination of faith and therapy helped Kuykendall, who goes by ‘Chef Kirk,’ overcome rough circumstances early in life.
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New-school approach Kirk said she works to foster a more enlightened approach in each of her kitchens, making a conscious effort daily to check in with each cook and learn about the individual goals of each employee. Kirk credits therapy with her learned ability to receive criticism, problem solve and build a workplace that values communication. “I think we’re in a new era where you want to be able to communicate with your staff and really understand their goals,” Kirk said. “You see me all over the place, always running around, but I’m able to do that because of the communication and trust, the loyalty that we have for each other on this team we built. That has really helped me stay on top of everything else. It’s like a family.” Kirk’s idea of family and camaraderie stems from a strong relationship with her mother, a
Nina Rangel
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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
food
Fiesta Bakery Ron Bechtol
Concha Quest
San Antonio’s Mexican bakeries offer multiple takes on the popular pastry, from standard to upscale BY RON BECHTOL
T
he seashell has been an important symbol in Catholic iconography at least since the Middle Ages, when it became associated with Saint James the Apostle. The pilgrimage site of Santiago de Compostela in Northwestern Spain is the place most associated with both saint and symbol. Unbeknownst to the venerable apostle and his followers, the shell had long been linked with another, ancient religious icon an ocean away. The Mexican god Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent, is also said to be connected to the shell, or concha, and the temple devoted to him at Teotihuacán near Mexico City features them prominently. Mexican pastries, which appeared after the arrival of the Spanish with their preference for wheat flour over corn, didn’t stand a chance: the newly minted indigenous bakers combined the best of both worlds in their ever-inventive forms and designs, and among the most popular of those forms was the concha. In the panaderias of today’s San Antonio, it is, hands down, the most ubiquitous pan dulce, even if its mestizo symbolism is likely long forgotten. Sometimes called a mollete or simply pan de huevo (egg bread), the shape is a simple domed circle of yeasted dough with sugar, eggs, water or milk and lard or butter. Frequently flavored with anise seed — and less often with stick cinnamon — the bread gets most of its sweetness and textural appeal from a
ribbed coating of confectioner’s sugar, flour, vegetable shortening and, most commonly, vanilla. In a recent New York Times article, Mexican cookbook author Pati Jinich calls the concha “a pillar of Mexico’s culinary identity” and goes on to deliver a recipe that has ten steps and takes an hour and a half active time as well as four to 24 hours rising time. Oh, and don’t forget some baking skill and the suggestion that the home cook acquire a “concha mold” for impressing the shell pattern on the topping. No way, José. With more panaderias in San Antonio than Starbucks outlets, the obvious way to raise my concha consciousness was to do a drive-around. Bedoy’s Bakery (803 W. Hildebrand Ave., bedoysbakery. com), “since 1961” according to its sign, first came to my attention years ago as a premier purveyor of Day of the Dead breads. This spot’s conchas flaunt deeply scribed shell patterns in white, yellow and cocoa. As is the case pretty much everywhere, the colors are there simply “para decoración” since vanilla is the only flavoring. The exception is the cocoa, which is modestly chococlatey. The bread itself is lofty, open, lightly sweet and includes a slight flavor of anise. As is the case almost everywhere, it needs the topping to make it compelling. At El Folclor Bakery (multiple locations, instagram. com/elfolklorbakerysa), the conchas are on the flatter
end of the scale and a tad dry, but the anise flavor is more prominent than some. The luminous pink topping on one of the conchas made me wish that it had an actual flavor, but no. Pink just tastes sweeter somehow. The thickness of the cap reminded me that the rayos aren’t just there for symbolism. They work like little fault lines that keep the entire top from shattering apart when you take a bite. Cinnamon comes into play at Fiesta Bakery, (multiple locations) with a chaotic-looking concha topped with cinnamon sugar and another more classically formed with a cinnamon-flavored shell. In a burst of decorative exuberance, there’s a yellow-topped version with pink sugar filling in some of the valleys, while a white-shelled version flaunted pink sugar accents. The breads themselves are light and airy with a faint hint of anise. The Pleasanton Road outpost of La Popular Bakery (multiple locations) was the longtime favorite of a friend’s father, and though this spot offers small “conchitas,” it was the least promising at first glance. However, it delivered on many fronts. The bread was open but with good structure, a distinct flavor of anise shone through and the generous topping offered more vanilla too. In short, surprisingly good. A Fiesta edition concha immediately caught the eye of a visiting three-year old while testing the haul from Panifico Bake Shop (602 NW 24th St., panifico. com). Dressed up like Mardi Gras and more, it won the prize for outrageous enthusiasm in decoration. The open yet sturdy texture of the bread served the Fiesta topping well — as it also did for the deeply ribbed chocolate version. But perhaps the most intriguing item in the bag was the volcán, a concha variant consisting of a classic center with a diamond sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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food cha mashup called the Croncha if adhering to a classic concha quest. The lofty domes are covered with tautly stretched skins, in vanilla or chocolate, that have been minimally scratched to suggest the bread’s origins. The crunch of the thin shell contrasts beautifully with the tender, flavorful interior. Worth every bit of $2.50. Just south of Fort Sam Houston, the far-smaller Alebrije Bakery (1931 N. New Braunfels Ave., alebrijebakery. com) has been in place fewer than three months — at this location, anyway — but the husband-and-wife operation nevertheless exudes charm and well-developed professionalism. Despite a $4.50 price tag, Alebrije’s conchas are the only ones sampled
Panifico Ron Bechtol
crosshatch ringed with a band of anise-scented pie-like pastry. A sprinkle of pink sugar suggested a fiery caldera contained by the contrasting crust.
Alebrije Bakery
OPENINGS New ramen and sushi spot Time to 8 has taken over former Thyme for Lunch location near the Medical Center. 9390 Huebner Road, (726) 215-6688, facebook.com/timeto8restaurant. Houston-based sports bar McIntyre’s plans to open a second San Antonio location near North Star Mall later this year. 86 NE Loop 410, mcintyresusa.com. P. Terry’s Burger Stand has opened its third SA location on the North Side, just a stone’s throw from another Stone Oak-area store. 530 N. Loop 1604 West, (726) 444-0085, pterrys.com. New “community-based bar” Chiflada’s will open on San Antonio’s West Side this fall. 1804 West Martin St., instagram.com/chifladas_sa. Texas-based wing haven Pluckers will open its first South San Antonio location at Brooks early next year. No address is yet available for the store.
NEWS Online review site Yelp has added a new function that shows bar and restaurant health inspection scores.
From there, the survey moved a little more uptown. But it shouldn’t be surprising that if you pay more than a dollar or so per piece — or, in one case, a lot more — you get additional flavor and staying power. La Panaderia (multiple locations, lapanaderia.com), with its Mexico City roots, has been around for several years now. At its original Broadway location, one must turn a blind eye to temptations such as a croissant-con-
The owner of San Antonio’s Aztec Theatre plans to add a boutique hotel, rooftop restaurant and bar to four floors of now-vacant office space at the live music and event venue. Longtime Broadway dining mainstay W.D. Deli has been sold to a local couple who aims to keep its lunchtime legacy alive. Texas-made Yellowbird Foods Bliss & Vinegar hot sauce, developed exclusively for YouTube interview series Hot Ones, is now available in San Antonio H-E-B and Pluckers locations. San Antonio’s Barbacoa and Big Red Festival take place at South Side venue R&J Music Pavilion October 8-9 after a two-year hiatus.
Ron Bechtol
in this survey that I would make a conscious effort to go back for. To start with, the toppings’ Easter egg colors are exquisitely bold. But in a reversal of the usual formula, the flavorful and appealing dense bread could stand on its own sans shell. Hard as it was to keep from finishing all three in a single go, they were still delicious after two days, and one was tolerable even later without the need of a dunking in hot chocolate to revive it. Whether you prefer your conchas old-school or upscale, here’s a bit of good advice from a poster on prominent display at Alebrije: “Keep Calm y Concha On.”
La Panaderia Ron Bechtol
Courtesy Photo P Terrys
sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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Courtesy Photo Primus
Rush Job
ories of the tour that you’d like to share?
On its latest tour, quirk-rock band Primus is covering Rush’s entire A Farewell to Kings album BY MIKE MCMAHAN
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t’s an admirable goal in music to be true to yourself, and Primus has consistently done over a nearly four-decade run. The band’s sound is difficult to characterize but easy to recognize. Formed in the San Francisco area in the mid-’80s, Primus coalesced around oddball bassist and frontman Les Claypool to deliver a heady mix of funk, metal and prog. As a result of its varied influences, the trio’s hard-to-pigeonhole sound has allowed it to straddle multiple scenes and genres. That includes not just the alt-rock scene — Primus grabbed the headlining spot on Lollapalooza 1993 — but also prog and metal tours. The band has opened for anyone from Anthrax to Tool to Public Enemy. Claypool has also collaborated with members of the jamband scene, most notably Phish’s Trey Anastasio, with whom he formed
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the supergroup Oysterhead. Each member of Primus brings his own set of musical influences to the party, and they don’t overlap much, save for one band: Rush. So, it makes sense that the group — which toured with the Canadian power trio in the early ’90s — is currently performing A Farewell to Kings in its entirety. The A Tribute to Kings tour includes not just Rush’s classic 1977 album in its entirety but also a full set of Primus originals. It stops at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre on Saturday, April 16 with Battles in the opening slot. We caught up with Les Claypool on Zoom to talk about the tour, Primus’ history and his love of all things Rush.
Primus played San Antonio in 1991, opening for Rush on the Roll The Bones tour. Do you have any memories of the San Antonio gig or mem-
Well, there are many memories of the Roll the Bones tour. I am one of those guys that’s afflicted with I-don’t-remember-anything-about-specific-venues-or-places. Whereas [Primus guitarist] Larry LaLonde could tell you what was on the deli tray and where we went to lunch that afternoon. He remembers every little detail. I do not. Tours tend to be a big blur to me. That being said, here we were young whippersnappers that were meeting our high school heroes, and befriending them, and going out and playing with them. It was a pretty spectacular time of our lives. My first concert ever was Rush Hemispheres, and I was 14. I drank three warm Lowenbraus and threw up in the parking lot of the Cow Palace. Bought a bootleg ticket for too much money even though the show wasn’t sold out, but I was too dumb to know. I remember years later I had that T-shirt from high school from that show. I wore it to one of the gigs. I’m wearing it down the hall and I’m showing Alex [Lifeson, Rush’s guitarist]. He looks at me and he goes, “it’s a bootleg!”
What’s the hardest song from Fare-
well To Kings to pull off live?
It’s hard to say, because it’s Rush — it’s all hard. One of the hardest ones is “Madrigal,” because it’s not very Rushlike. You have to kind of switch gears. It’s this pretty little song. I have the big book they put out a couple of years ago with all the tours and setlists. There’s no “Madrigal” on any of the setlists. So, I asked [Rush bassist] Geddy [Lee], “Did you guys ever play that song?” and he goes “I don’t think we ever did.” So, I don’t think they ever played that song live. That being said, the toughest one — purely from an athletic standpoint, and logistics — is “Xanadu.” I have to wear that giant-ass double-neck. And I have to go between that and keyboards and guitar. It’s a juggler. The thing about all these songs is even though it was a lot of work prepping for it, more rehearsal than Primus has ever done ever, in the history of our band, it was a great bonding thing for us, because we haven’t done that since we were kids. It was “let’s write some songs, record ‘em, learn ‘em, let’s go on tour.” Whereas this, we had to get together a lot. And hang out a lot. And play a lot, not just jam and go get some steaks and wine. So, it was a great bonding thing. And we’re gonna do it again next week be-
The non-Rush part of the setlist varies from night to night. What goes into choosing the Primus songs you’re gonna play? Or maybe you’ll throw in an Oysterhead song? A little of “Polka Dot Rose.”
I think that’s something I snuck in [as a tease]. The guys didn’t realize. They won’t go for me putting in no Oysterhead songs (laughs). It’s not their band. What the hell? They don’t want to do that. They’re gonna be like, “What? Are we gonna play some Laundry tunes?” But it’s been like that for years. However we’re feeling. It depends on the vibe of the day. What the weather’s like. What the crowd’s like. Is it an indoor gig? Is it an outdoor gig? How hungover we are. It’s sorta just every day. That dictates the vibe. I think it’s just a natural reflection of being a human. If you’re going into a room full of people, what kind of conversation you’re gonna have depends on the mood of the day.
If you guys — in some bizarro alternate universe — were contractually obligated to do a second Rush tour and you had to choose an album post-Moving Pictures, what would you do?
Well, first of all, we are living in an alternate reality. I don’t know if you’re watching the fucking news. Somebody has scripted this shit the past three years. It was written by Ray Bradbury or something. But I would pick Signals. It was kind of the last Rush record for me before I went off and discovered the rest of the world of music. Because I was such a devoted Rush fan that they absorbed my listening time quite a bit. But after that I got into Public Image Ltd. and old Peter Gabriel and Fred Frith and a lot of the old-school funk and soul. That was all from blossoming out of that era. Signals may have been the last Rush concert I paid for. I saw a lot of Roll The Bones shows.
During the ’90s, Primus cut across a wide swath of the culture. There was Lollapalooza, then fast forward a few years, and you’re doing jamband shows with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. You’re sitting in with Phish. Not to mention you’ve got the Anthrax and Public Enemy tour in there. What was it about your music that made it possible to jump back and forth?
We’re still jumping all over the place. It’s like anything else. It’s the nature of your influences. Whether it’s literature or film or scuba diving. You reflect what you see and what you experience. And if you’re just — I hate to use the word narrow-minded — but if you’re focused on one genre or one perspective, you’re gonna reflect that. For us, we were always the oddball band in the ’80s, playing around the Bay Area. We were very fortunate. This guy,
music
cause we haven’t played it since last tour, so we gotta get together and knock the tarnish off. So, I don’t know which is harder, but it’s actually been a great thing for us.
Facebook / Primus
Michael Bailey, who for years has run the Fillmore, used to run a little independent club called Berkeley Square, where we recorded our first record. He used to believe in us and book us all the time. He didn’t know who to put us with. We’ve opened for the Swans and the Pop-O-Pies and nobody knew what to do with us. We were this odd band around Berkeley, and then Fishbone started showing up. And the Chili Peppers. And we started having bands that we could play with. And then Faith No More. We’ve always been this sort of cross-pollination of things. And then, as Primus was kind of falling apart in the end of the ’90s, that whole thing with Oysterhead came about. Next thing you know, this whole jam world opened up to me. I was like, “Holy shit! I like this, this is a comfortable shoe.” So, I started Frog Brigade and started doing all these things. And then, obviously, working with all these different artists. ... I just like going where the fun is.
You’ve got a new three-song EP coming out that includes a 13-minute song, “Conspiranoia.” Reportedly, your son said the lyrics were a little preachy and you did some revisions. What do you want listeners to get out of the song? The whole notion was: “We want to get in the studio.” We just built this new studio. We’re having fun with it. I said, “We don’t want to do a whole album. We don’t have time. No one wants us to throw a whole new album on them at the show.” You know, when you go see a band, you want to maybe hear one or two new songs, but you don’t want to hear a fuckin’ album’s worth. You want to hear the old-timey ones plus we’re playing the Rush stuff. So, I said, “Let’s do one big-ass song.” So, I wrote “Conspiranoia” and we recorded it, and it’s 13 minutes long. There’s a single, but we need a B-side. It’s 13 minutes long, so we need two B-sides ’cause that’s a lot of plastic.
Members of Primus and Rush mug backstage during the 1991 tour the bands did together.
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So, we recorded “Conspiranoia,” and then we recorded “Follows The Fool.” And then I said, “Hey, Ler [LaLonde], you got anything?” And he’s like, “Yeah,” and he played this riff and we jammed it, and it was awesome. It might be the best of the three. And it’s called “Erring on the Side of Caution.” The name of the EP is Conspiranoid, and it’s reflective of the times. But my son is doing the Primus documentary right now, Jason Momoa is producing, Jimmy Hayward is producing, and my son is directing it. He’s gone through 700-and-some-odd videotapes that we’ve collected over the years and digitized them. He’s down in LA interviewing all these different people. He’s been a good sounding board for me of late. He’s just a good creative guy. So, I played him the song and he’s like, “You know, Dad, the one thing I’ve learned doing this documentary about you guys is that Primus has this world. You guys have created this world that people identify with, with all these different characters. And I’m listening to the song and it kinda sounds like you’re just preaching a bit, and there’s none of these characters that you’re so well-known for.” I was like “OK,” and I went back and re-wrote the lyrics from the perspective of characters.
Kids are like that. They’re not going to be impressed by your accomplishments.
My kids are more than happy to tell the emperor he has no clothes on. To read this interview in its entirety, visit sacurrent.com. $49-$300, 8 p.m., Saturday, April 16, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.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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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
music Growing Echo
Organizers of San Antonio’s intimate Echo Bridge concerts eager to make it a stop for bigger acts BY MIKE MCMAHAN
J
ust shy of a hundred people hiked down a steep grade to reach the underside of San Antonio’s Roosevelt Ave. bridge on the last Sunday in March. They didn’t want to be late for an intimate performance by underground music legend Jad Fair. Although near the end of the day, the sun was still high enough to beat down as attendees staked their spots and unfolded portable chairs. As Fair and his two-person backing band began playing along a concrete embankment on the other side of the river, some attendees sat or stood just to the side of the bridge to make the most of its shade. But everyone there was in thrall to the music. Unlike attendees of a bar or club show, they really listened. The location of the performance is an emerging Alamo City venue dubbed Echo Bridge. And it’s having a moment that organizers of its concert series hope to build it from a quirky space for catching low-key local shows into an unconventional tour stop for top-name acts. Fair’s recent appearance seems to be a key step in that direction. The unusual setting’s acoustics and vibe are key to its appeal, said Justin Parr, who curates the concerts with fellow visual artist Jeff Wheeler. “It has a very special architecture,” Parr said. “Whether that was intentional or not, I don’t know. But we think it should be embraced as a venue by the city. The dream didn’t have to do with us being able to program it. We just thought ‘this should happen.’”
Down by the river During concerts, performers stand across the river, and the bridge itself provides a natural echo effect. In the case of the Fair performance, his lo-fi tunes gained a slight shimmering of psychedelia, reminiscent of reverb in a studio. Graffiti provides the backdrop, and while the music is loud enough to hear, it’s not concert loud. After a grassroots start, the series has received the blessing of both the city
and the San Antonio River Authority. Though the city would like things to wrap up by sunset, Parr said that some of its early performances included multimedia projections that, of course, require darkness. He’d like to schedule more after-sundown shows but stressed that Echo Bridge appreciates city support and wants to stay within its guidelines. Fair sang without amplification, played guitar sporadically, and was accompanied by Brian Birzer on an acoustic guitar, whose instrument ran through a lunchbox-sized amp. On percussion was Cheryl Tepper, who played in a style reminiscent of the Velvet Underground’s Moe Tucker. Fair, who’s collaborated with Tucker in the past, split the setlist between numbers from his prolific band Half Japanese and songs from his collaborations with the late Daniel Johnston, Austin’s celebrated outsider songwriter and artist. He even threw in a cover of Bob Dylan’s “You Angel You.” And though Fair might be used to playing to larger crowds, he brought a solid turnout to Echo Bridge. Most of the 100 available tickets, priced at a $25 suggested donation, sold out in advance. Parr, who owns and runs the San Antonio’s Flight Gallery, said he’s enjoyed the bridge’s ambiance for two decades. “I’ve been going down there for 20 years. Me and my friends would ride our bikes from Southtown art events. It’d be the middle of the night and Taqueria Guadalajara would still be open right there above it. We’d eat tacos and then go under the bridge and yell and clap and make noise.”
Permitting help Wheeler first visited the Echo Bridge location for a midnight piano performance during one of Parr’s “Flight Camp” fundraisers. The exact date is lost to history, but lore places it around March 2017. “It was like sound in HD,” Wheeler said. “It was so beautiful. I had the idea [for the Echo Bridge venue] and
Courtesy Photo Justin Parr
brought it to Justin. I said, ‘This needs to be something you do.’” Fast forward a bit to the opening of Wheeler’s Space C7 gallery. He’d been enjoying the sunset at Echo Bridge several times a week. “I brought it back up to Justin and we decided to make it happen,” he said. The pair scheduled a March 2021 solo performance by Erik Sanden, frontman of quirky local rock outfit Buttercup. By the time of a July appearance from Piñata Protest spinoff Grupo Tan Tan, the city had gotten wind of the guerilla performance and shut it down. “We thought that could be the end for us,” Wheeler said. But all wasn’t lost. “By Monday or Tuesday, we got an email from one of the guys in the River Authority,” Wheeler explained. “He said he caught wind of what happened and said, ‘Don’t worry, hang tight, we’re working with you. We know this is a grassroots thing that everybody is loving, and we’re working on getting a permit.’ And by the end of that week, we had one.” On August 13 of last year, Echo Bridge announced the permit was in place. Nicole Marshall, an official with the San Antonio River Authority, confirmed that the agency assisted the organizers with the permitting process.
All for the artists Although Wheeler and Parr want to continue growing the Echo Bridge series, they insist that it should remain non-profit, with money from ticket sales going directly to the performers. “It’s a way to trick these people into coming to playing for us, to share this special place,” Wheeler said. “In order to get the bigger names, we knew we needed all that money to go to them.” That aspect, he added, initially surprises some of the artists. “They don’t believe it. They think it’s some kind of
scam.” Wheeler also sees other ways to up the ante for Echo Bridge. “We’d like to line up sponsors,” he said. “We’d still sell the tickets, but the sponsors pay the band. Then the ticket money goes to a different charity. Somebody we really believe in.” Recent performer Fair has gigged a wide variety of places during his decades-long career, including an “odd” private party for Rod Stewart. (“I can’t imagine [Stewart or] anyone there had any idea who I was.”) Even so, Echo Bridge was a different experience, especially from the tour Fair did opening arena shows for Nirvana, which he characterized as both “surreal” and “unreal.” “Being closer to the audience makes a difference. And everyone was so attentive,” he said of the outdoor performance. “I was appreciative of that.” In the end it’s about the music, and the producers want to increase the profile of the artists they attract. Wheeler is quick to jump on the possibility of Eddie Vedder. “Maybe if I mention it in this interview, we can manifest that,” he added. Parr laughed and agreed. “For this entire period, we’ve been saying Pearl Jam or just Eddie Vedder is going to play at Echo Bridge. So, I’m just like, ‘Yeah, it’s gonna happen!’” For more information, Wheeler and Parr suggest following the venue’s Instagram account — @echobridgeappreciationsociety — or subscribe to their email alerts via theechobridge@ aol.com. Echo Bridge has four future shows scheduled. The series will host The Derailers on Sunday, April 24, Hayden Pedigo and Mason Lindal on Sunday, May 1, Cary Swinney on Sunday, May 22 and a solo performance from Texas rockabilly legend Rev. Horton Heat on Sunday, July 3. sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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music listings Thursday, April 7
Mount Westmore The term “supergroup” gets thrown around too lightly sometimes, but in this case it really applies. When the membership of California-centric Mount Westmore includes Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, E-40 and Too Short, you know the crowd will be bobbing their heads to songs that induce chill vibes. Sounds like some of hip-hop’s best and brightest are rolling into town for what could be an epic night. $33-$90, 8 p.m., AT&T Center, 1 AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com. — Brianna Espinoza
Friday, April 8 Fiesta Family Blues Festival The San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum is kicking off its Fiesta Family Blues Fest with a free performance by the quartet Agarita during the first half of the day. The evening set, however, will require a ticket and includes soulful grooves by the Keeshea Pratt Band, Soul Man Sam, Raa Raa Zydeco and Eddie and the Allniters. Free (matinee) and $45-$750 (evening), 12-4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m., The Espee, 1174 E. Commerce St., (210) 775-1352, theespee.com. — BE
Saturday, April 9 Aaron Lewis Staind frontman Lewis is back in what feels like his fiftieth area appearance since he adopted his right-wing “cuntry sanger” shtick. In case you missed it, Lewis dropped a new LP, Frayed Ends, earlier this year, and if you were waiting on him to weigh in on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, well, he did that too at a recent Portsmouth, Ohio concert. His rant included a suggestion that “we listen to what Vladmir Putin is saying,” mentions of that nasty lefty George Soros and references to the Deep State. For good measure, Lewis tossed in some thoughts on COVID-19 and vaccines. Spoiler alert: he’s not much of a vaccine guy. $35-$60, 7 p.m., John T. Floore’s Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road, (210) 695-8827, liveatfloores.com. — Mike McMahan
Saturday, April 9 Skarhead After a 10-year silence, Skarhead is back. The New York thugcore act released Generators of Violence this year, which continues its brass-knuckled mashup of metal, hardcore punk and hip-hop. Concrete Dream, The Clip, Tony Slippaz and King Relik open the show, providing a mixed bag of metal, hardcore punk and hip-hop — you know, kinda like the headliner. $16, 6 p.m., Vibes Underground, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 255-3833, facebook.com/VIBESEventCenter. — Enrique Bonilla
Saturday, April 9 Lucki At 23, Lucki has been carving out a name in the underground hip-hop game, and he keeps inching his way closer to the spotlight. Helping him along the way, the rapper has worked with some of the biggest names in the biz, including A$AP Rocky and Pharrell, and he’s also appeared in national publications including Pitchfork, Complex and Fader. Lucky’s 2 Neptune n Back Tour also features KANKAN and Sid Shyne as support. $25, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (800) 513-7540, papertigersatx.com. — EB
Thursday, April 14 The Music of Cream Good news for people upset that boomer icon Eric Clapton has been “cancelled” due to his controversial anti-vaxx stance: you
can enjoy the classic music he produced with Cream — without having to put up with him! This tour celebrates the legacy of the ’60s blues-rock supergroup and includes original drummer Ginger Baker’s son, Kofi Baker, and Clapton’s nephew, Will Johns. The set will include a full performance of the Cream classic Disraeli Gears as well as other Cream tunes. In addition, the group will present songs from Blind Faith and Clapton’s solo career, along with personal reminiscences. $35-$45, 7:30 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — MM
J Balvin
Friday, April 15 Triston Marez There’s a school of “don’t fix what ain’t broke” in country music, and Triston Marez clearly wants to be a flag-bearer for that approach. Marez, who released his debut EP That Was All Me in January, cites influences including Aaron Watson and Chris LeDoux. The singer has packed a lot of experiences into his 24 years as well. From performing a Buck Owens song at his school talent show to winning the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo talent competition in 2014, he’s made the stage a big part of his formative years. $15, 7 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels, (830) 606-1281, gruenehall.com. — MM
Courtesy Photo / J Balvin
Monday, April 18 Richie Ramone, Jarrett One of the four surviving members who did time in iconic punk band The Ramones, Richie Ramone may have only spent four years as the band’s drummer, but he was there for its solid mid’80s revival period. Hell, he even penned the one of its most memorable songs of that era: “Somebody Put Something in My Drink.” More recently, he’s received awards on the band’s behalf, filed a federal lawsuit against Walmart and released two solo albums. What a busy guy. Support comes from Dallas pop-punk act Jarrett, San Antonio’s Pavel Demon and the Revenant and Given a Chance. $15-$17, 7:30 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BE Cold, University Drive and Black Satellite Despite its wide range of influences, including The Cure, Black Sabbath and Radiohead, early 2000s-era alterna-metal act Cold never quite lived up to its promise. Even so, it managed to garner some success playing depressed-sounding tunes the baggy-pants kids could mope to. Maybe some of those kids are now grown up and looking for an evening of nostalgia. Expect garage-rock duplication from University Drive and gothic-esque stylings from Black Satellite. $21, 8 p.m., Rockbox, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 677-9453, therockboxsa.com. — BE
Saturday, April 16 Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, Marcia Ball Fitting for a performer 30 years into an extensive live career, Tommy Castro’s most recent album, 2021’s Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town, tells the story of an aspiring musician who learns the value of what he leaves behind at home. Expect the performance to be driven by Castro’s searing guitar while his band pulls from rock, blues, R&B, soul and more. Opener Marcia Ball will bring her signature Americana mix of “rollicking Texas boogies, swampy New Orleans ballads and groove-laden Gulf Coast blues.” You know it. $30-$180, 7 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — MM Drain Gang “Hyperpop,” “TikTok” and “Gen Z” are terms that come to mind with Drain Gang. Composed of European producers associated with acts including Young Lean, it’s difficult to place this ensemble in a single genre. You’re best advised to come expecting a night of forward-thinking music that uses electronics to push the boundaries. $18, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, (800) 513-7540, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — EB
Behemoth, Arch Enemy, Napalm Death, Unto Others This package tour promises a broad range of high-quality extreme music. Behemoth delivers blackened death metal with theatrics galore, while Arch Enemy specializes in world-class melodic death metal. Meanwhile, Napalm Death are considered the godfathers of grindcore, and the newer but heavy-touring Unto Others are pioneering a fresh spin on goth-meets-extreme metal. $35, 6:30 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, facebook.com/theaztectheatre. — EB
Tuesday, April 19 Foreigner Though this classic rock outfit doesn’t have as high a profile as some of its ’80s radio-rock contemporaries — Journey, for example — it had no shortage of mega-hits, including “I Want To Know What Love Is,” “Double Vision” and “Juke Box Hero.” A fun fact that may resonate with San Antonio music fans: former Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson has been a member of Foreigner since 2004. Another fun fact: the John Jay High School Choir will open the show with an a capella set, and the headliners will donate to the school’s music program. $59.75-$265, 7:30 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — MM
Tuesday, April 19 The Amity Affliction, Archetypes Collide, The Seafloor Cinema Metalcore outfit the Amity Affliction is making the trek from Down Under to perform its tightly produced music as part of this package tour. Along for the ride are Archetypes Collide, an electronic-heavy metalcore group, and eccentric post-hardcore act The Seafloor Cinema. $30-$35, 7 p.m., Rockbox 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 677-9453, therockboxsa.com. — BE
Tuesday, April 19 J Balvin Colombian singer and rapper J Balvin is among the defining Latin music artists of the decade. To date, he’s sold more than 55 million records worldwide, and he’s touring behind his latest release, Jose, the No. 1 Latin album of 2021. Count on the Prince of Reggaeton to deliver a spectacular production. $35, 8 p.m., AT&T Center, 1 AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, attcenter. com. — EB sacurrent.com | April 6 – 19, 2022 | CURRENT
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NOTICE Date: April 6, 2022 Request for competitive sealed proposal for bids for rental cargo vans (SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM) The San Antonio Food Bank is soliciting bids to furnish the following rental vehicles: Four (4) Non-CDL Cargo/Panel Vans. These vehicles will be utilized by the San Antonio Food Bank staff members for summer food distribution program and will be in service from 6/6/22 to 8/19/22. Please include all associated costs (i.e. mileage, physical damage, liability, etc.) Only Non-CDL vehicles listed above will be considered for this solicitation. Please note all bids and contracts are subject to review by TDA. Bid Due Date and Time: Monday, May 2, 2022 by 10 AM Central Time Bid Opening Date and Time: Bids will be opened on Friday, May 6, 2022, at 11 AM Central Time, at the San Antonio Food Bank (address below). Bidding organization representative welcome to attend opening. Bid Delivery Procedures: Sealed bids must be hand delivered by time and date listed above to George Cox or Heather Guzman. If mailed, bids must be sent via United States Postal Service Certified Mail To: San Antonio Food Bank C/O: George Cox 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Pkwy San Antonio, TX 78227 Evaluation/Voting Members: George Cox: Procurement Manager, San Antonio Food Bank Natalie Rendon: Procurement Coordinator, San Antonio Food Bank Heather Guzman: Children’s Program Manager, San Antonio Food Bank Questions on this communication may be directed via e-mail to: George Cox: Procurement Manager, San Antonio Food Bank gcox@safoodbank.org until Monday, May 2, 2022 by 10 AM Central Time
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CURRENT | April 6 – 19, 2022 | sacurrent.com
Business Development/Supplier Relationship Coordinator. Vilore Foods Service Co Inc., Develop &/or expand regional markets for specific food products manufactured in Mexico w/focus on supply chain & distribution logistics. Plan & develop new shipping methods for gaps in supply chain incl full truck load deliveries & transp strategies. Analyze effectiveness of distribution system using ERP to examine robotic system at central distribution points & CRM software for analysis of collected data. Meet w/manufacturers & shippers to forecast & track sales & distribution trends for specific food products, incl effect of adding new products. Reqs. 4 yrs exp in food distribution or logistics. To apply submit resume to: Sonia Mejia, 3838 Medical Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229 Software Developer III - Rackspace US, Inc. San Antonio, TX. Designs and develops software for enterprise services. Req’d: Bach deg in tech rel fld + min 5yrs exp in LAMP stack software dev, engineering, sys admin or rel fld OR Master’s deg in tech rel fld + min 3yrs exp in LAMP stack software dev, engineering, sys admin or rel fld. Req’d: min 3yrs commercial exp as DevOps Engineer working w/a high-traffic site. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 27708. Manager, Software Development - Rackspace US, Inc. - San Antonio, TX. Manages one or more software development teams (Oracle BRM and Billing Care UI (BCUI)) on projects of moderate to large size and complexity. Req’d: Bach deg in tech- or business-rel fld + min 3yrs in any Oracle Billing & Revenue Management Product (Oracle BRM); Req’d: min 3yrs API integration exp; Req’d: min 3yrs exp in a Tech Mgr/Lead role including agile software dev, engineering, testing, or a rel tech fld. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 12940. Manager, Software Development Rackspace US, Inc. - San Antonio, TX. Manages one or more software development teams on projects of moderate to large size and complexity. Req’d: Bach deg in Business, Software Engineering, CS or rel tech fld + min 3yrs exp as a Tech Mgr/Lead role in software dev, engineering, testing or rel tech fld. Req’d: min 3yrs API integration exp; Req’d: min 1yr project leadership exp. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 13041. Technical Product Manager III – Information Technology - Rackspace US, Inc. - San Antonio, TX. Works with Product Manager to build product roadmap, write user stories, elaborate requirements & assist in the development of acceptance tests. Req’d: Bach deg in Tech, Engineering, Business or rel fld + 5yrs agile software dev or rel tech project mgmt exp, including exp in 1 or more phases of prod dev life cycle OR Master’s deg in Tech, Engineering, Business or rel fld + 3yrs agile software dev or rel tech project mgmt exp, including exp in 1 or more phases of prod dev life cycle. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 26251. Job Opportunity - International Public Relations Director Company - Worldwide Languages For a more detailed description of the positions and how to apply follow the link online at: www.WorldwideLanguages.net or contact Javier Roman, Business Development Director, at roman@worldwidelanguages.net Job to be performed in San Antonio, Texas. Open until - 05/02/22
Technical Product Manager III – Information Technology - Rackspace US, Inc. - San Antonio, TX. Oversees application builds for all Rackspace internal & external customer facing portals & mobile apps. Req’d: Bach deg in Tech, Business or rel fld + min 5yrs agile software dev or relevant tech project mgmt exp including relevant exp in 1 or more phases of product dev life cycle OR Master’s deg in Tech, Business or rel fld + min 3yrs agile software dev or relevant tech project mgmt exp including relevant exp in 1 or more phases of product dev life cycle. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 12843. Professional Services Senior Delivery Architect - Rackspace US, Inc. San Antonio, TX. Orchestrates and leads pre- and post-sales IT optimization, consolidation, and transformation solutions for customers inclusive of discovery, analysis, solution design, and migration. Req’d: Bach deg in IT or rel tech fld. Req’d: min 1 top tier tech cert for AWS, Azure or Google CDP (AWS Solution Architect, AWS DevOps Engineer, Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect, GCP Cloud Architect or GCP Cloud DevOps Engineer). Req’d: min 7yrs design & implementation exp with distributed applications. Req’d: min 5yrs exp in networking, infrastructure or DB architectures. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 13048. Cloud Engineer II - Rackspace US, Inc. - San Antonio, TX. Support customers utilizing Google Cloud Platform and all associated services. Req’d: HS diploma or foreign equiv. Req’d: Bach deg or foreign equiv in CS or engineering-related fld OR min 2 yrs professional exp in CS or an engineering-rel fld. Req’d: min 2yrs technical cloud computing engineering & admin exp. Req’d: min 1yr commercial exp as either LAMP stack software developer and/or systems admin. Send resume to: careers@rackspace.com, Ref. 20004. 3M, Senior Packaging Engineer, San Antonio, TX: Provide packaging engineering design & technical support to ensure that sterile packaging designs, assemblies, processes & materials meet functional, performance & regulatory requirements for terminally sterilized healthcare products. Provide support to new product development teams in the development & validation of packaging designs to support new product launches. Must have a Master’s Degree in Packaging Engineering and 3 yrs of exp. as a Packaging Engineer designing & developing packaging compliant w/ FDA, ISO, AAMI or ASTM standards for products in the medical device industry using SolidWorks or similar 3D modeling tools. Alternatively, a candidate may possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Packaging Engineering and 5 yrs of exp. as a Packaging Engineer designing & developing packaging compliant w/ FDA, ISO, AAMI or ASTM standards for products in the medical device industry using SolidWorks or similar 3D modelling tools. Of exp. req. with either combination of education & exp, must have 3 yrs of exp: (i) developing system kits & individual packaging components using a variety of materials & equipment including automation for terminally sterilized products; & (ii) managing projects in a global team environment. Exp. may be gained concurrently. Apply at: www.3m. com/3M/en_US/careers-us/