San Antonio Current - November 15, 2023

NOVEMBER 15 - 28, 2023

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CURRENT | September 7 – 20, 2022 | sacurrent.com

WITH TWIN LIQUORS

NOV 13 - DEC 30

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PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

Publisher Michael Wagner Editor in Chief Sanford Nowlin General Manager Chelsea Bourque Editorial Digital Content Editor Kelly Nelson Contributing Arts Editor Bryan Rindfuss Food and Nightlife Editor Nina Rangel Staff Writers Michael Karlis Interns Amber Esparza

in this issue Issue 23-23 /// November 15 – 28, 2023

Critics’ Picks

Contributors Abe Asher, Bill Baird, Ron Bechtol, Danny Cervantes, Macks Cook, Brianna Espinoza, Dalia Gulca, Anjali Gupta, Colin Houston, Kiko Martinez, Mike McMahan, Kevin Sanchez, M. Solis, Caroline Wolff, Dean Zach Advertising Account Manager Marissa Gamez Senior Account Executive Mike Valdelamar Local Culture Creative Agency Director Mindi Overman Creative Services Creative Services Manager Samantha Serna Graphic Designers Pedro Macias Events and Marketing Marketing and Events Director Cassandra Yardeni Events Manager Chelsea Bourque Events & Promotions Coordinator Chastina De La Pena Social Media Director Meradith Garcia Circulation Circulation Manager Justin Giles Chava Communications Group Founder, Chief Executive Officer Michael Wagner Co-Founder, Chief Marketing Officer Cassandra Yardeni Operations Director Hollie Mahadeo Director of Agency Services Mindi Overman Social Media Director Meradith Garcia Director of Digital Content Strategy Colin Wolf Art Director David Loyola Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon chavagroup.com National Advertising: Voice Media Group 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com San Antonio Current sacurrent.com Editorial: editor@sacurrent.com Display Advertising: marketing@sacurrent.com

Eva Marengo Sanchez

24 Feature

Making Art Accessible

San Antonio artists embrace the flexible format of prints

The San Antonio Current is published by Chava Communications Group

09 News

San Antonio Distribution The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.

News in Brief

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The Opener

Bad Takes

Journalists have flinched from telling the ugly truth about Texas’ new immigration bill

Why to Buy Local

In the pandemic’s wake, spending with San Antonio businesses may be more vital than ever

Auditor’s Certification:

VHS movies may be part of a bygone era, but San Antonio shops cater to old-school fans

35 Food

Consider gifting one of these locally organized experiences for the foodie in your life

24 Arts

Hot Dish

Spurs legend George Gervin’s new memoir offers insight into the Spurs legend’s ability to connect

NOVEMBER 15 - 28, 2023

Ditch the Kitchen Gadgets

In the Pocket

Cool as Ice

Circulation Verification Council 12166 Old Big Bend Road, Suite 210 St. Louis, MO 63122 www.cvcaudit.com

Living Dead Media

15 Calendar Calendar Picks

Approved auditor info as required for public notices per section 50.011(1)(e), F.S.

33 Screens

European Dumplings Cafe excels at its namesake dish —and more

41 Music

Embracing Imperfection

Innovative San Antonio rockers Buttercup releasing new album once deemed ‘too intense’

O

n the Cover: The Gnome Ranger by Robert Tatum was customized for the holiday spirit and commissioned by the Current. Cover design: Samantha Serna.

CONGRATULATIONS

AMBROSE ROSARIO REGIONAL GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF VOODOO RANGER ‘RENDER ME THIS’ ART CONTEST!

A

mbrose Rosario was born in Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), TX. to a multi-generational military family and selflessly serving the government as a civil servant for more than 17 years. He has been a resident of San Antonio most of his life. The Hispanic community has welcomed him as one of their own and he appreciates how they’ve accepted him in the community as he’s a proud Chamorro (Guamanian) from the US territory of Guam and loves both cultures whole heartedly.

He devotes most of his time in his profession and is an advocate for a sustainable future that stems from his Architectural Degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio. A famous quote he lives by is from Louis Sullivan who stated, “form follows function,” and is the center of his creativity. Art is his outlet and passion to express his creativity to stimulate and encourage meaningful conversations. He is a painter, plays piano, and has begun expressing artwork and creation through digital media. Most importantly, he is a loving husband, uncle, brother, and son.

Like most of his fellow San Antonians, Ambrose loves this city, he loves Fiesta, and Fiesta pairs well with Voodoo Ranger! His piece, called “Voodoo Ranger 2023 Countdown City 210” is an homage to the Fiesta Royalty and fellow San Antonians who wear their “Battle of Flowers” beautiful regalia attire, and show off their comfiest shoes underneath! As the crowd yells “Show us your shoes!!’ Voodoo Ranger obliged, showing his boots representing our iconic North Star Mall boots (which celebrated 40 years in San Antonio this year, 2023). Ambrose wanted to capture that celebratory moment during the “Battle of Flowers” Parade with Voodoo Ranger on the Parade Float between the iconic Tower of America's and The Torch of Friendship (La Antorcha de la Amistad) from Mexico in his backdrop; he’s also celebrating and welcoming Wemby to the Spurs, as Voodoo Ranger is sporting Victor Wembanyama’s City Edition Jersey. ¡Viva la Fiesta!

Ambrose loves being in the local art community, loves to encourage other artists, no matter the age, to express themselves through their media of choice. He is grateful to the art community for being so welcoming, and to New Belgium, Voodoo Ranger and the SA Current for the opportunity to create, bring local artists together and share his talent with the community.

Viva Fiesta!

Follow @rosario.ambrose, @lattestonestudioartwork, and @newbelgium_texas

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

Voodoo Ranger® and New Belgium® are trademarks of New Belgium Brewing Co. ENJOY NEW BELGIUM RESPONSIBLY ©2022 New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, CO & Asheville, NC sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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Frost Bank Center 1 AT&T Center Parkway San Antonio, TX 78219 For tickets visit FrostBankCenter.com

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

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Billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX is continuing to draw fire from South Texas environmentalists. In the latest incident, the company has asked state regulators for permission to dump treated waste and sewage into South Bay, a protected estuary overlooking South Padre Island. South Bay is home to endangered species of birds and sea turtles and is a critical component of the state’s aquatic system due to its unusually high salt level.

A new mural unveiled in early November in downtown San Antonio celebrates the history of the city’s Plaza de Armas. The mural, which was commissioned by the city’s Department of Arts & Culture, is composed of 970 porcelain tiles that tell stories of the plaza’s journey through time from its role as a military parade ground to the home of the Texas Chili Queens.

The mural is located on the wall of the plaza facing San Pedro Creek.

H

The Biden White House has reportedly handed a contract for border wall construction in Starr County to SLSCO Ltd. — the same company the Trump administration and Gov. Greg Abbott have employed for the same purpose. The Biden administration recently moved forward on 20 miles of new border wall in South Texas, violating one of the president’s campaign promise that “not another foot of wall” would be built during his term.

There’s no love lost between latenight talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Kimmel last week said it was an “honor” to be called “pitiful” by Cruz in the pages of the Texas Republican’s new book. Nevertheless, Kimmel still found space in his monologue to congratulate Cruz on his publication date. “You know, it’s very difficult to type with hooves,” the host said. — Abe Asher

YOU SAID IT!

“I’ll tell you, I don’t want to be eating turkey in this zip code in Austin, Texas.”

— Rep. Jared Patterson,

R-Frisco, during a radio interview commenting on the Texas Legislature’s newly called special session.

ASSCLOWN ALERT

Losing (repeatedly) on school vouchers with Gov. Greg Abbott Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s political successes, such that there have been many, come down to his deliberative nature and his tireless fundraising, according to political observers.

However, Texas’ Republican governor has shown himself to be an abject failure when it comes to dealmaking, that most necessary of political assets. His strategy for forging compromise in the Texas Legislature seems to come down to “Talk tough and keep calling special sessions.”

Observers have long noted Abbott’s reclusive nature and his urge to rule by edict, perhaps holdovers from his time serving as a Texas Supreme Court justice and attorney general.

“It’s kind of like dealing with Sasquatch,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller once told Politico. “They know he’s out there, but no one ever sees it.”

Nowhere has that lack of dealmaking skill been on more glaring display than during Abbott’s quixotic quest to get the Texas Legislature to pass school voucher legislation.

After touring the state to make stiff and awkward stump speeches about “school choice,” thus staking enormous amounts of his political capital on vouchers, Abbott’s shown no ability to get shit done.

Other governors have tried and failed before him, and he’s shown little progress in overcoming the deep-seated opposition of Democrats and rural Republicans in the Texas House. Their concerns remain the same: that vouchers rob

Gov. Greg Abbott is having all kinds of problems getting his agenda through the Texas Legislature, so he’s calling lawmakers back for a fourth special session. Abbott is still hoping to pass his school voucher program, which critics argue could devastate Texas’ public schools.

He also wants legislators to allocate more new funding for border security measures and enact stiff penalties for people who cross the southern border without documents.

Texas voters approved all but one of the 14 constitutional amendments on offer last Tuesday, signing off on pay raises for teachers, cuts to property taxes and investments in the state’s university system, parks and infrastructure. The one proposed amendment that failed would have raised the minimum and mandatory retirement ages for state judges.

news

That Rocks/That Sucks

Instagram / @governorabbott

money away from already-strapped public schools so some urban Texans can send their kids to private campuses.

After bragging at the end of a third special session he’d called to get vouchers passed, Abbott declared that he’d finally bagged a deal to sway House holdouts. That turned out not to be true. Oops.

So, last week he called a fourth special session — a move no governor has made in the same year as the regular session.

The mood in the state capitol has grown “dour,” the Texas Tribune reports. San Antonio’s Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, who heads the House Democratic Caucus, described the gov’s action as “the highest level of gubernatorial obstinance.”

Hardly a way to win friends and influence people, to quote Dale Carnegie. Or to get vouchers passed. — Sanford Nowlin

The San Antonio Spurs may be looking at Hemisfair for the location of their new arena.

Last week, the Express-News reported that local officials have been trying to dissuade the owners of the San Antonio Missions from focusing on the downtown site as a location for a new minor league baseball stadium since the Spurs’ interest is looming. Any arena project would be a long-term plan: the Spurs’ current lease at the Frost Bank Center runs through 2032. — Abe Asher

Courtesy Photo / Hemisfair

Find more news coverage every day at sacurrent.com

news BAD TAKES

Journalists have flinched from telling the ugly truth about Texas’ new immigration bill

BY KEVIN SANCHEZ Editor’s Note: Bad Takes is a column of opinion and analysis.

W

hen Ronald Reagan spoke of America as a “shining city on a hill,” I don’t think he meant a gated community.

As Gov. Greg Abbott drags lawmakers back for yet another special session to attempt ramrod his voucher scheme through the Texas Legislature, an unprecedented anti-immigration bill is also high on his agenda and hasn’t received similar pushback — or even attention.

“Texas will authorize the removal of anyone who illegally enters our state with penalties up to 20 years in prison for refusing to comply,” Abbott said in a Nov. 7 press release describing the measure. He added: ”To crack down on repeated attempts, illegal re-entry will be penalized with up to 20 years in prison.”

Here’s how that would work. If any level of law enforcement — from a local cop to a school resource officer — has reason to suspect someone crossed the border in the past two years and isn’t a citizen, the official may immediately detain the person and march them to a designated port of entry. There, the Border Patrol can order you to return from whence you came. Should you fail to obey — say, because a drug cartel or an authoritarian regime is trying to murder you — then you can rot in prison for a couple of decades.

That’s about as clear as it can be — in Abbott’s own words, in the text of the bill itself, which already passed the House, and in the testimony of the bill’s author.

Except many news outlets have grossly misreported the details, in what amounts to a glaring case of journalistic malpractice.

The Texas Tribune, typically a dependable source of fact-based reporting, wrote that a first-time offender could be punished with up to 180 days behind bars and the penalty would increase to two years in prison for a repeat offense.

That’s simply false.

First off, it’s not “up to two years,” it’s at least two years and up to 20 years. Pretty big difference. And that penalty may accrue on the very first offense, not only after repeated re-entries, provided the suspect

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

Michael Karlis

in custody fails to return to their country of origin.

We’re not simply talking about a mere misdemeanor but a second-degree felony — same as arson, sexual assault or bribery of a government official.

And the Tribune isn’t alone. The Dallas Morning News made the same mistake, as did Houston TV station KHOU. None of the three has issued an update or correction.

Charitably, we might say that the text of the proposed law is so ridiculously awful that the mind of a seasoned beat reporter struggles to accurately relay the absurd truth. However, even news stories that have gotten the facts right tend to focus on the bill’s fiscal realities rather than its gross civil rights violations. Take the Express-News, for example.

“State budget officials punted on trying to estimate how much the Senate draft House Bill 4 would cost, writing that ‘the demand for state correctional resources cannot be determined due to a lack of data,’” the daily reported. The piece went on to catalog the monetary cost of Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border crackdown and how much the state is spending per mile on its border wall.

True, from a dollars-and-cents perspective, the bottom line is damn near bottomless. During testimony on HB 4, Bexar County Governmental Affairs Director Melissa Shannon projected its steep cost for taxpayers.

“If at the very minimum, 10% of the 80,000 undocumented immigrants in Bexar County are arrested and detained in our adult detention center, we’d need to add another new county court,” she said.

“We’re already unable to hire enough sheriff’s deputies to man our detention center; they’re already

maxed out, working mandatory overtime, 24 hours at a time — it’s just ungodly.”

One should also mention, as courts of appeals are expected to, that the proposed state law openly violates the Supremacy Clause, since deportation is the federal government’s exclusive purview.

But all this seems beside the point. Barbara Hines, a retired immigration lawyer who founded the immigration clinic at University of Texas Law School, delivered the most poignant testimony on why lawmakers should reject the proposal.

“U.S. immigration law and international law allows migrants to file for asylum once they’re in the United States regardless of their manner of entry,” she testified. “This is very personal to me, as my parents and relatives fled Nazi Germany. Many of them crossed illegally across the border into Belgium and would otherwise not be here today.”

The morally relevant question remains: is it ethical, is it just, is it remotely humane to imprison someone for 20 years for failing to leave what we tout as the greatest country on Earth?

Representatives for the Children’s Defense Fund, Catholic Charities, Human Rights Watch, Working Defense Action Fund and the Texas Civil Rights Project all registered adamant opposition to that prospect, yet received next to nothing in media coverage.

Perhaps in an effort to be fair to “both sides,” journalists fell derelict in their duty to honestly state how cruel, how unusual and how utterly fucked up this law is.

And that’s a disservice to every Texas voter.

THIS SEASON, YOUR CONSUMERS CAN

WITH THEIR FAVORITE HOLIDAY SPIRIT.

Tito’s Coquito

200 ML TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA 1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT 14 OZ SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK 1 TSP GROUND CINNAMON 12 OZ EVAPORATED MILK 1 TSP GROUND NUTMEG 6 OZ CREAM OF COCONUT Add all ingredients, except Tito’s Handmade Vodka, to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool. Add Tito’s and stir to combine. Transfer to a resealable bottle with 1 cinnamon stick and chill in the refrigerator. Serve chilled and garnish with coconut shavings.

sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

news

Shutterstock / Christian Hinkle

Why to Buy Local

In the pandemic’s wake, spending with San Antonio businesses may be more vital than ever

BY MICHAEL KARLIS

T

he COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have been devastating to San Antonio’s mom-and-pop retailers, a pillar of the local economy.

About 250 of the city’s small businesses, or 12.5% of all members of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, shut their doors between March 2020 and April 2021, according to a Texas Public Radio report.

Although the worst of the pandemic is over and people have returned to regular routines, small businesses still grapple with rising costs and stubborn inflation eating into their bottom lines.

Mallory Jochen, owner of local charcuterie-delivery business Honey & Pickle, said those price pressures affect everyone she knows.

“The price of dairy has gone up, so cheese has gone up,” Jochen said. “My packaging has doubled from what it was two years ago. Just the trays, lids, boxes and things like that. A lot of fruit is so much more expensive, not just because of inflation but because of bad harvests because of global warming. It’s a struggle right now for every business I know.”

With the holiday season approaching, there’s perhaps no better time to support San Antonio small businesses with your shopping dollars. The time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day accounts for 19% of annual retail spending, according to the

National Retail Federation.

Buy Local campaign The slew of closures following COVID along with renewed interest in supporting small businesses led the City of San Antonio to reinvigorate its Buy Local campaign, Assistant Director of Economic Development Ana Bradshaw.

Buy Local was first launched in 2001 via mayoral proclamation. The campaign highlights SA-owned small businesses and gives them free press, encouraging residents and visitors to buy local, especially during the holiday season.

“Obviously, ‘buy local’ has always been around, but we really recognized after coming out of the pandemic the importance that our local independent businesses plays in our community,” Bradshaw said.

Last November, Mayor Ron Nirenberg issued a proclamation launching San Antonio’s Buy Local Holiday Campaign as part of the broader initiative.

That holiday-themed campaign urges residents to consider the impact of their purchases around this time of year.

Indeed, the holiday season is traditionally the busiest time of the year for Jochen’s Honey & Pickle. Just the same, both she and Bradshaw said San Antonio

residents should try to shop local year-round.

“If there was a 10% shift in spending from big-box stores to local independent businesses, that would have a $267 million impact on local earnings and $720 million overall impact on the local economy,” Bradshaw said, citing a consultant’s recent analysis of the San Antonio economy.

What’s more, for every $100 a San Antonian spends at a locally owned business, $68 gets cycled back into the local economy, Bradshaw added.

“Part of that is profits that go to the local small business owners. They may be reinvesting that into their business, buying equipment and those types of things,” Bradshaw said. “It’s also in terms of wages being paid to their employees. That’s all cycling through the community and not going to large corporations.”

Community support To that point, Honey & Pickle tries to source its produce, meats and cheese locally, depending on what’s in season, Jochen said. Those local expenditures help improve everyone’s quality of life.

Locally owned businesses also are more likely to get involved in the community, advocates argue. One key example is San Antonio-based H-E-B. Although the giant grocery chain is far from a small business, it’s well known for its local philanthropic work.

But the little guys also help the community when they can. Jochen’s Honey & Pickle is a strong contributor to the Down Syndrome Association of South Texas, for example.

“Being part of community-driven events like that really is our best way to support and be a part of San Antonio outside of [taking] orders,” Jochen said. sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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Courtesy Photo / Esperanza Center

FRI | 11.17 WED | 12.20 SPECIAL EVEN T

HOLIDAY MARKETS

In a city as culturally and artistically rich as San Antonio, the approach of the holiday season also means the return of festive holiday art markets, where local vendors hawk their wares and shoppers can peruse gifts unavailable at big box retailers. Consider skipping the long Black Friday lines, and hit one — or a few — of these local markets so you can present those you care about with something thoughtful and one-of-a-kind. — Macks Cook

ZONARTE: EL MERCADO DE AZTLAN

Shop for Texan artist- and artisan-made gifts, original prints, paintings, sculptures, furniture, jewelry, textiles and “artesania” at the 27th annual ZonArte Holiday Market hosted by Centro Cultural Aztlan. The community based-organization hosts a variety of events and annual programming aimed at preserving, developing and promoting Chicano and Latino art and culture. Free, 6-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18 and Sunday, Nov. 19, Centro Cultural Aztlan, 1800 Fredericksburg Road, #103, (210) 432-1896,

centroaztlan.org.

MERCADO DE PAZ

The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s International Peace Market is back for its 34th year, offering an alternative weekend shopping experience. Browsers can enjoy local food and live music as they browse and chat with nearly 70 local and international artisans selling their handmade wares including embroidery, jewelry, pottery and more. Free, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave., (210) 228-0201, esperanzacenter.org.

HOLIDAY ART MARKET

Meet a reindeer, get a photo with Santa and buy a handmade gift for a loved one all in one day at the Tobin Center’s annual holiday art market. Free, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org.

HOLIDAY NIGHT MARKET

For the four Wednesday nights leading up to Christmas this year, nocturnal shoppers can visit the Pearl for festive music and holiday offerings from local vendors, including Son of a

Sailor, Transylvania Treats, Byla Woodworks, Texas Cookie Shop and Jonathan Shepherd Art. Free, 5-9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13 and 20, Pearl, 303 Pearl Parkway, atpearl.com.

HOLIDAY RIVER WALK ARTISAN SHOW

Guests can take a stroll along the River Walk and browse goods including pottery, textiles, jewelry, woodwork, paintings, beadwork and more from over 40 vendors at this year’s Holiday River Walk Artisan Show. Free, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 8 and Saturday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, San Antonio River Walk, 602 E. Commerce St., thesanantonioriverwalk.com.

HOLIDAY MUSEUM MARKET

The San Antonio Museum of Art’s Holiday Museum Market features potential gifts from more than 40 local artists and makers, including Get Stoked Handmade, Katrina O’Day Designs, Mija Folk Art and Texas Potter. Attendees can also experience family friendly hands-on experiences including art-making along with food and drinks plus live music from Jorge and Nicole and The Dirty River Jazz Band. Free, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.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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DECEMBER 8-9

DECEMBER 10

DECEMBER 14-16

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Chad Daniels

Shawn Wayans

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Josh Blue

CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

calendar THU | 11.16 DRAG

they navigate the regular season. $22 and up, 6:30 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com, ESPN. — M. Solis

ALASKA Call her Alaska Thunderfuck, Alaska 5000 or just Alaska. Whichever you pick, she’s the award-winning drag queen who allegedly crash landed on Earth in 1966 in her namesake state and was held in captivity until the ‘80s. As might be expected, the alien queen doesn’t simply do drag — she has her own fragrance, has released four studio albums, has been in a Sharknado movie and has competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race, finishing as runner-up on Drag Race’s fifth season and winning the second season of Drag Race All Stars. And the extraterrestrial just doesn’t slow down. She now hosts the show Behind the Drag Queen of the Year Pageant Competition Award Contest Competition with her best friend Lola LeCroix. Similarly larger-than-life drag performer Tencha La Jefa will host Alaska’s two local performances. $40-$45, 10:30 p.m. and midnight, Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham, table reservations by text only at (210) 386-4537, facebook.com/reylopezentertainment.

— Dalia Gulca

Reginald Thomas II / San Antonio Spurs

FRI | 11.17 MON | 01.01 SPECIAL EVENT

LIGHTSCAPE The San Antonio Botanical Garden is set to glow for a third holiday season of the popular holiday walking trail Lightscape. Festive displays featuring more than a million lights will wash over the garden as visitors wander through the mile-long stretch of holiday sights and sounds. Familiar installations such as the 40-foot-high Pixel Tree and 16-foot Star Show will be featured, along with new displays including the Heart Arch Walk and a San Antonio-exclusive design of bluebonnet flowers and cowboy-style nutcrackers. Tickets can be purchased at a discounted price for Lightscape’s “Value Nights” on select dates, and a limited number of “Flex

Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

FRI | 11.17 SAT | 11.18 TH EATER

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

The 50th Anniversary Tour of beloved Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar is underway, serving up an electric cocktail of salvation and ‘70s rock to more than 60 North America cities, including San Antonio.

Jesus Christ Superstar subverts the story of Jesus Christ’s final days, funneling it through the perspective of his betrayer, Judas Iscariot. Jesus and Judas belt out power ballads as tensions rise between them and the disciple contemplates the gravity of his decision to betray the savior. The musical’s unconventional mix of scripture and hard rock once enraged some Christian groups, but it ultimately invigorated the theater-going public, sparking multiple award nominations and two film adaptations since its 1970 debut.

The 50th Anniversary cast features a blend of rising stars and seasoned performers. Jack Hopewell, a recent college graduate, is making his national tour debut as Jesus after starring in a string of regional productions. Antagonistic frontrunner Judas is portrayed by Elvie Ellis, who recently performed in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical Waitress. Other cast members have previously held starring roles in well-known productions including The Color Purple, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Wiz. $39.60-$124.50, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Caroline WolFF

Date” tickets are also available. The latter guarantee admission to the light trail for any time slot between Courtesy Photo / Rey Lopez Entertainment

5:30-8:30 p.m. on any date excluding “Value Nights.”

FRI | 11.17

Outside food and drink are not allowed in the holi-

SPORTS

on-site to enjoy on their walk.. $7-$145, entry times ev-

SPURS VS. KINGS

day park but trail-goers will have the opportunity to roast s’mores and purchase additional refreshments ery 15 minutes from 5:30-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17-Monday,

home games versus the Clippers, and road matchups

MON | 11.20 + WED | 11.22

against the Warriors and NBA champion Nuggets

SPORTS

(Monday) and Bally Sports SW-SA (Wednesday). — MS

The chase for the newly minted NBA Cup contin-

Jan. 1, 2024, San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston

SPURS VS. CLIPPERS

ues for Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in a

Place, (210) 536-1400, sabot.org. — Amber Esparza

When the Spurs and Clippers last clashed in

next on the schedule, challenges abound for Wembanyama and the Spurs. $33 and up, 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com, KENS

nationally televised game against the Sacramento

October, Gregg Popovich and his youthful squad

Kings. Led by former Spurs assistant coach Mike

left Los Angeles with a 40-point loss that would

Brown, who won a title with San Antonio in 2003,

have likely sent prior incarnations of his team into

and All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox, the Kings

a tailspin. Instead, San Antonio responded with

ended their NBA record 16-season playoff drought

consecutive victories against Kevin Durant and the

last year before falling to the Golden State Warriors

Suns in Phoenix, including a statement win that

in a thrilling seven-game first-round series. The

reverberated across the league when young phenom

contest kicks off a four-game home stand for the

Victor Wembanyama surged for 38 points and 10

Spurs, whose resilient start has been powered by

rebounds. Assists aside, Wembanyama is putting up

stellar play from Wembanyama and swingman

numbers comparable to LeBron James during his

Devin Vassell. Wembanyama is currently leading San

rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers — and

Antonio in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, and

in fewer minutes of playing time. Since then, the

Vassell was averaging a career-high 19 points prior

Clippers added James Harden via trade to a stacked

to a left adductor strain. Limited to just 38 games

roster that now includes two regular season MVPs

last season due to a knee injury, Vassell’s presence and playmaking will be key to the Spurs’ success as

in Harden and Russell Westbrook, and one two-time Courtesy Photo / San Antonio Botanical Garden

Finals MVP in Kawhi Leonard. With back-to-back

Reginald Thomas II / San Antonio Spurs

sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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THU RS DAY, D E C E M BE R 7 • 5 - 8 P M

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

calendar

Jaime Monzon

FRI | 11.24 SPECIAL EVEN T

FORD HOLIDAY RIVER PARADE

The Ford Holiday River Parade is returning for its 42nd year to both literally and figuratively leave the San Antonio River swimming in light. This year’s parade will include 28 themed floats and more than 100,000 lights to radiate holiday spirit, and its “Holiday Stories” theme will explore historic and nostalgic tales of the winter season. The titular character from Alamo City Arts’ upcoming December production of The Nutcracker will preside over the festivities as this year’s Grand Marshal. Limited free seating is available between Pecan Street and Richmond Avenue along North St. Mary’s Street, and paid tickets are available exclusively on the San Antonio River Walk website. $12.50-$40, 6-9 p.m., San Antonio River Walk, thesanantonioriverwalk.com. — Colin Houston

sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

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TACLA00110144E

FRI | 11.24 SAT | 11.25

Courtesy Photo / Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

COMEDY

STEVE TREVIÑO

Best known as “America’s Favorite Husband,” comic Steve Treviño has made a name for himself for relatable standup routines about the trials and tribulations of married life from the male point of view. Those in long term relationships will likely know exactly what he means when he says “my wife’s rules only apply to me” and find much to laugh at during his “I speak wife” routine, which has become of one of his signature bits. Based on his approachable style and subject matter, Treviño has racked up three comedy specials, landing one each on Showtime, Netflix and Amazon. $30.50-$50.50, 8 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Michael Karlis

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org.

Sabra Booth

Connie Chapa

Making Art Accessible

Richard “Ricky” Armendariz

Unapologetically kitschy, kinky and cute, the work of San Antonio artist Connie Chapa mixes aspects of pinup, sci-fi and low-brow culture to great effect.

Put a leopard-clad Bettie Page in a blender with the Bride of Frankenstein, a pile of plushie poodles and a forest full of woodland creatures and you might wind up with something befitting Chapa’s pulpy playland.

Inspired by the haunting “jackass” transformation in the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio, Chapa’s cheekily titled What a Cute Ass exemplifies her irreverent style and attitude. “This adorable anthropomorphic donkey perfectly embraces the [title] phrase in a whimsical celebration of charm and humor,” Chapa said. $30, etsy.com/shop/artedecocoart.

San Antonio artists embrace the flexible format of prints

BY BRYAN RINDFUSS

W

hile few things are more rewarding than acquiring a one-of-a-kind work of art, it’s not always in the cards, which makes the print format an enticing springboard for aspiring collectors on a budget. With that in mind, we’ve dedicated this portion of our annual Shop Local issue to San Antonio artists embracing the accessible nature of prints. Whether you snap them up for yourself or gift them to the local art-lover in your life, you’ll still be supporting the diverse creative community San Antonio continues to foster.

Prints from San Antonio artists, including May You Stay Joven Para Siempre by M Richard “Ricky” Armendariz make distinctive

Richard “Ricky” Armendariz

Working between drawing, printmaking, animation and mixed media, artist Sabra Booth creates bold, pensive works that frequently address our doomed ecology and frightening political landscape. Stacked with layers of transparent screen-print ink and embellished with velvety flocking made from ground suede, Booth’s print Havoc pulls the viewer into a dramatic vortex ringed with fleeing birds. “The flock of startled birds captures my emotional response to the divisiveness of political rhetoric and resulting violence in recent American history,” Booth explained. $325, Artpace, 445 N. Main Ave., (210) 212-4900, artpace.

El Paso native Ricky Armendariz boasts an easily recognizable style thanks to recurring motifs — borderland vistas and allegorical beasts among them — and his unique practice of creating moody paintings on wood panels he carves with a router. Nodding to the 1973 Bob Dylan song “Forever Young,” his photolithograph May You Stay Joven Para Siempre brings his signature flora and fauna together for a macabre tableau he likens to a memento mori. “I have been dwelling on my mortality for a number of years,” Armendariz told the Current. “I am the age where some 24

CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

gifts that support local creators.

friends and mentors have passed away. They have left an indelible mark on my concepts, attitude towards life and career as an artist.” $800, Ruiz-Healy Art, 201A E. Olmos Drive, (210) 804-2219, ruizhealyart.com.

Sabra Booth

Connie Chapa

Analy Diego

Artist, interior designer and University of Texas at San

and skulls. In her new print Thorns in the Flesh — which drops November 24 in a limited run of 30 — Fox sends her mysterious green heroine to the underworld, where she gets wounded by a tangle of thorns. “Hopefully the snake nipples aren’t too risqué,” Fox said with a laugh. While Fox will be selling Thorns in the Flesh directly through her Instagram page — with priority given to San Antonio buyers — she also has prints available in the McNay gift shop in conjunction with the recent exhibition “Beyond Reality.” $100, instagram.com/angelafoxart.

Manola & Maria

A recent addition to Feliz Modern’s family of local artists, the creative sister act Manola & Maria works collaboratively and independently in the realms of painting, illustration, murals and installation. Comprised of Manola and Maria D. Ramirez, the pair shares a passion for bold color that’s on full display in La Escaramuza — a print inspired by the all-female skirmish that enlivens charreadas.

“Vaqueros and escaramuzas have always been a part of Mexican and American rural life,” Manola Ramirez told us. “The colorful backdrop and skeleton further emphasize our Mexican culture as they pay homage to Día de los Muertos. The fusion brings together two cultures — which is what represents us as artists.” $250, Feliz Modern, 110 W. Olmos Drive, (210) 622-8364, felizmodern.com.

Leigh Anne Lester

Angela Fox

Trippy symbolism and geometric patterns abound in the psychedelic-leaning work of San Antonio artist and educator Angela Fox. Among Fox’s signature characters is a mighty “serpent woman” who navigates kaleidoscopic dreamscapes populated by cats, scorpions

arts

Antonio professor Analy Diego brings Mexican revolutionary icon Emiliano Zapata into the Information Age with her poppy print El Que Quiera Ser Aguila, Que Vuele. “Emiliano was proud of his heritage, his people and his principles,” Diego explained. “The reason I chose to create this illustration of him is because I admire his rebellious nature, his outspoken personality and, of course, his signature mustache.” In addition to selling her prints at Feliz Modern, Diego is represented

by AnArte Gallery in Alamo Heights. $70, Feliz Modern, 110 W. Olmos Drive, (210) 622-8364, felizmodern.com.

guished by period photographs, sparkling starbursts and multicolored hexagons arranged in honeycomb-like patterns, her sought-after collages became much more accessible this year through the launch of XOKO

by Kelly O’Connor — a smartly priced line of prints, cards and stickers. A dazzling remix of a still from the 1971 classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, her print Wonder captures the lovable lunatic as he gazes through a bubble in his Fizzy Lifting Drink room. “I love the mysterious nature of Willy Wonka’s character — especially played by Gene Wilder,” O’Connor admitted. “This photo in particular captures the bewildering quality of this mythical figure.” $35-$100, kellyoconnor.art.

Kelly O’Connor

Eva Marengo Sanchez

Food goes far beyond sustenance in the photo-realistic oil paintings of San Antonio native Eva Marengo Sanchez. Almost glowing against stark white backgrounds, the Tex-Mex staples she painstakingly paints — including fruit cups, tinfoil-wrapped tacos and bags of H-E-B tortillas — serve as icons of cultural identity. Easily among the artist’s greatest hits thus far, her series Six Yellow Conchas — which was recently purchased by the McNay Art Museum and is now available in print format — also showcases the handiwork of six different San Antonio panaderías. “In my work I like to highlight little or common things that speak to our cultural experience and how visually beautiful it is,” Sanchez said. “[This series] highlights how aesthetically pleasing and unique each one is individually.” $125, Feliz Modern, 110 W. Olmos Drive, (210) 622-8364, felizmodern.com.

Malona & Maria

Kelly O’Connor

Angela Fox

Disneyland, Alice in Wonderland, Midcentury Modern swimming pools and vintage album covers are a but a few of Kelly O’Connor’s favorite things. Routinely distin-

Eva Marengo Sanchez

Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com

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arts Ethel Shipton

Although perhaps best recognized for monochromatic prints based on photographs of isolated freeway signs across South Texas, Laredo native Ethel Shipton works in a wide range of styles and mediums. A constant throughout, however, is text presented in a format that’s simultaneously bare-bones and conceptually driven. A study in typography rendered in hot-pink ink, her screen-print Qué could pass for poetry penned by a graphic designer. “This print is whimsical,” Shipton offered. “I need a list of good and bad — but mostly just reminders. Why the hell not? I’m giving all permission to just go for it. ¿Por qué no? Time is running out.” $525, Ruiz-Healy Art, 201A E. Olmos Drive, (210) 804-2219, ruizhealyart.com.

with the Western-inspired logo for Jim’s Restaurant.

“I like that some people call it Jimby.” $25, tattooedboy. com.

cover — depicts a pipe-smoking, gun-slinging gnome riding a mythical jackalope. Reportedly inspired “by a mysterious San Antonio character who shall remain anonymous (for now),” his print Gnomebre puts a tough twist on the garden-variety suspect. “Gnomes in a enchanted, whimsical world was a theme for a series of paintings I did,” Tatum explained. “Fans of my art have often used the term nombre (slang for no, hombre) to describe my humor and I just had to do my version of a Chicano gnome — hence the creation of Gnomebre!” $45, Hotbox Gallery, 642 S. Presa St., tatumoriginals.com.

Natalie Trinidad

Inspired by the cultural fabric of her native San Antonio as well as travels in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, artist Natalie Trinidad creates work that celebrates the vibrancy of Latinx culture.

With a humorous nod to Pantone, Trinidad developed her own take on the color-matching system via Tex-Mex hues such as salsa verde, flour tortilla, tajín, tamarindo, mangonada and corn in a cup. Founder

Ray Tattooedboy Scarborough

Robert Tatum

A California transplant who’s been making waves in San Antonio since the early 1990s, Robert Tatum is well-recognized for his street-smart artwork and commercial commissions that span from logos and signage to murals and full-blown interiors. Rendered in a fluid style that’s somehow both retro and contemporary, his projects often involve critters engaged in curious situations. Case in point: his Gnome Ranger — a holiday-inspired remix of which graces our latest

Ethel Shipton

Ray “Tattooedboy” Scarborough

A longtime fixture on the local scene, graphic artist Ray “Tattooedboy” Scarborough puts a rock ‘n’ roll spin on myriad aspects of San Antonio culture — whether it be music, politics, landmarks or urban legends like the Ghost Tracks and the Donkey Lady.

Smartly balancing reverence and irreverence, his distinctive renderings capture subjects in a recognizable fashion albeit with nods to pop art, vintage comics and Goth culture. A diehard Spurs fan who’s illustrated a number of Current covers over the years, Scarborough naturally had his own take on the promise of Victor Wembanyama. “I just wanted to have fun and combine two San Antonio icons,” Scarborough said of his print The French Cowboy, which marries Wemby

Natalie Trinidad

Robert Tatum

of the local upstart Cultura Campaign, Trinidad is also a lifelong Selena fan and interpreted the Queen of Tejano in a suite of collages, including her Red Lip Collage #2. “Selena has been such a huge part of my life growing up as a Latina,” Trinidad said. “She has such a strong cultural identity that has empowered me to be comfortable with my latinidad. Her music, her style and her image continue to inspire!” $19.95, Feliz Modern, 110 W. Olmos Drive, (210) 622-8364, felizmodern.com. sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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999 E. Basse | San Antonio, Texas 78209 | theshopsatlh.com 28

CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

arts Cool as Ice

Spurs legend George Gervin’s new memoir offers insight into the Spurs legend’s ability to connect

BY M. SOLIS

O

ver the summer, former teammates reunited at Eastern Michigan University where a statue of NBA icon George “The Iceman” Gervin was unveiled, capturing the four-time scoring champion’s likeness and signature finger roll.

Addressing the crowd, Gervin credited his time at EMU for sharpening his jumper, preparing him for a basketball journey to the Hall of Fame as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

Gervin reflects on his playing days at Eastern Michigan in his newly released memoir ICE: Why I Was Born to Score, written with veteran hoops scribe Scoop Jackson. The former Spur specifically recalls a national semifinals game during his sophomore season where a scuffle for a rebound led to an uncharacteristic ejection and a punch sparked a brawl. Anticipating the effects the fallout would have on his future, he vowed to never lose his composure again.

“That kind of changed his course of how he’s approaching life and how he’s approaching the game of basketball, where he’s never going to let anything affect him,” said Jackson, who’s known Gervin since the early ’90s. “That wound up shaping who he became as an individual. Nothing fazed him after that.”

Gervin’s ABA career began soon after as a member of the Virginia Squires, with Julius “Dr. J” Erving as his mentor.

After being traded to San Antonio, his tenure with the Spurs included 12 consecutive All-Star appearances and three straight scoring titles, the first of which he secured with a 63-point game to overtake David Thompson.

The last NBA game he played in was as a member of the Chicago Bulls, during which teammate Michael Jordan scored 63 points against the Boston Celtics in a mythical post-season performance.

One of the recurring themes in ICE: Why I Was Born to Score is Gervin’s role in the growth of various entities including the ABA, NBA, Nike and San

Antonio Spurs. Jackson credits Gervin’s unique ability to communicate and connect with people, and the writer sought to capture the basketball legend’s conversational tone as they collaborated.

“He’s an amazing storyteller and people gravitate towards him because of the way he communicates with individuals,” Jackson said. “I tried to stay as true to that as possible and tried to fight to keep as much of that voice in there as possible.”

Comprising a brisk 336 pages and 20 chapters, Gervin’s memoir includes a few surprises, most notably a proposed trade to the showtime Lakers orchestrated by team owners Jerry Buss and Angelo Drossos. Gervin ultimately turned down the trade, deciding that he would prefer to compete against the Lakers instead of joining them.

“It says a lot about competitiveness, but I think he knew he’s either one player, one game or one stroke of good luck away from beating the Lakers and getting to the finals and winning,” Jackson said. “I think going back to 1979 when they lost to Washington, they were up 3-1, and I think that carries over in his mind later on when he had to go against the Lakers. In his mind, once he gets to the Finals, he’s not losing. All he has to do is get there.”

Gervin laments his losses to the Bullets and Lakers but doesn’t dwell on them. His humility and emphasis on embracing hard work and elevating his teammates laid the foundation for Spurs culture long before championship banners. Patterned after the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Connie Hawkins and Julius Erving, Gervin’s legendary finger roll and seemingly effortless game transformed him into a cultural icon — one seated on a throne of ice.

Gervin closes out his memoir by crediting Jackson with helping him understand how people perceive him.

Triumph Books

“He’s perceived as being the epitome of what Black coolness is,” Jackson said. “I kind of had to explain it to him, of how it was natural, but he never thought of it — how it was received and what it meant and how it resonated with everybody else, and the power in that.”

“There was a lot of coolness going around,” Jackson added, referring to the ’70s. “For this dude to be the personification of it and show us the real way and the natural way that we carry ourselves and not play a character. That was influential and meant a lot.” sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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screens

Living Dead Media VHS movies may be part of a bygone era, but some San Antonio shops cater to oldschool fans

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

A

t first, comedian Travis J. Reyes only planned to buy a few VHS tapes of some of his favorite horror movies — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dead Alive, Shivers and Videodrome.

Then, things got out of hand.

After just a year, the Warren High School graduate had amassed a collection of 350 VHS movies. They now take up two large shelves in a spare bedroom — something like a personal Blockbuster store from the early ’90s. Reyes jokes online that he gave up heroin and alcohol to have money for his new addiction. He has a good reason why he’s developed a soft spot for the old-school media.

“What I like about VHS movies are just the security of them,” Reyes said. “As long as they hold up, I’ll always have them. I won’t have to worry about the rights being pulled from Hulu or that a studio will decide it’s not worth producing anymore. To me, it’s the purest way to collect movies.”

For San Antonio resident and Kings of Horror event coordinator Angel Castorena, collecting VHS comes down to one thing: nostalgia.

“I collect a lot of stuff I grew up watching like Little Giants and The Sandlot,” Castorena said. “I remember when Killer Klowns [from Outer Space] came out. The bulk of my collection is my childhood.”

Today, 4K Ultra HD Blu-Rays are at the top of the physical media totem pole, but plenty of purists still prefer to seek out chunky VHS box sets. Last year in Dallas, a sealed copy of the 1986 film Back to the Future sold at auction for $75,000. Many cinephiles wonder if VHS movies are destined to become as popular as vinyl records, another old-school media that made a comeback.

In San Antonio, VHS aficionados have few options when looking to expand their collections. Even so, there are a handful of brickand-mortar stores catering to their videotape habits. Here’s a rundown of local options if someone on your holiday list covets a copy of Critters.

GG’s Emporium

Owned by Evelyn and Ty Menchaca, this pop culture shop opened in 2017 and sells tons

Courtesy Photo GGs Emporium

of vintage toys. They also have VHS movies — from “Disney kid stuff to obscure horror,” according to Ty, who adds that customers come into the store for the “nostalgia and simplicity” of videotape. Plus, a lot of the lesser-known titles haven’t made it to digital forms yet, so VHS is literally the only way it can be seen. One VHS movie Ty has at the shop but has deemed off limits to customers: John Carpenter’s 1979 biopic Elvis starring Kurt Russell as the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. 1716 Blanco Road, (210) 239-5585, ggs-emporium. com.

Monsters & Mayhem

Rock ’n’ roll and horror shop owner Cynthia Moreno sells apparel, toys and lots of VHS movies at her spot inside Wonderland of the Americas Mall. Kings of Horror’s Castorena, who serves as the store’s curator, doesn’t care that VHS tapes don’t provide a high-quality picture like a Blu-Ray. “The graininess feels comforting,” he said. “It’s hard to explain sometimes, but it’s like listening to an album.” VHS tapes currently in the store include the horror classics Halloween, The Shining, Evil Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. 4522 Fredericksburg Road, instagram.com/monstersandmayhemtx

Galactic Books, Movies & More

VHS stock rotates through this collectibles shop on a regular basis. Owner Cynthia

Farnsworth pays cash or offers store credit for VHS tapes, which helps explain why she has more than 4,000 movies in her inventory.

The shop inside Wonderland of the Americas Mall even boasts a section dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock with titles including the suspense maestro’s Suspicion, Spellbound, The Birds, Family Plot and Torn Curtain. Galactic also sells working VCRs along with books, magazines, handmade magnets, bookmarks, matted prints and more. 4522 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 812-7213, instagram.com/_galactic. popshop.

Thrift Stores and Flea Markets

If you’ve ever scoured for bargains at San Antonio thrift stores or flea markets, there’s a good chance you have seen old VHS tapes among the merchandise. Sometimes, a cinematic gem will be hiding behind an oversized teddy bear or inside a broken crockpot.

Others, the only tapes for sale will be Jane Fonda exercise videos from the ’80s. Happy hunting.

The Internet

Websites such as Facebook Marketplace and apps including OfferUp can help you connect with local sellers looking to offload their VHS tapes. While some will only sell their videos as an entire lot, others are happy to let them go one by one. It’s up to each buyer to decide whether it’s worth driving to Stone Oak for a tattered $2 copy of Batman Forever.

Find more film stories at sacurrent.com

Tuesday–Saturday: 5:00pm–9:00pm 2195 NW Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78213 (210) 503-5121 • www.clementine-sa.com

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

food

Ditch the Kitchen Gadgets Consider gifting one of these locally sourced culinary experiences for the foodie in your life

BY NINA RANGEL

O

ur foodie friends and family probably have more kitchen gadgets than they have drawer space. There’s also a good chance their wine chillers and bars are overflowing with bottles they were gifted last holiday season.

This year, why not ditch those tired — if well intentioned — presents for the gift experience and education. You know, share opportunities that broaden your loved one’s culinary horizons. There are plenty of ways to help the epicure in your life encounter something new while spending dollars locally.

Let’s run down the options.

Tastings While wine from faraway lands may be a front-runner for tasting-focused gifts, don’t forget sessions for beer, spirits and olive oil.

Yeah, we said it: olive-oil tastings. If the foodie in your life is interested in learning more about the process of creating these culinary staples, the Alamo City offers multiple fun options.

Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling is one of many local bourbon purveyors that offer weekend tours, however a $20 add-on will afford the giftee a VIP experience that includes samples of two future releases straight from the barrel as well as bourbon chocolates. Tour, $15; VIP Tasting Experience, $35; 4834 Whirlwind Drive, Suite 102, (210) 339-2282, drinkrangercreek.com.

San Antonio’s I Love Aceite specializes in Spanish olive-oil products and offers sessions that cover the basics needed to differentiate between the wide variety of oils now on the market. During each 60-minute class, attendees learn how olive oil is produced, and they sample multiple expressions, noting their different colors, tastes, smells and textures. I Love Aceite can accommodate classes of 12-15 people, or they can bring the instruction to the gift-recipient’s home. Prices vary, 11729 Warfield St., (210) 988 4411, iloveaceite.us.

A San Antonio Craft Cruiser tour can be a great gift for the beer lover in your life. These tours include pick-up and drop-off at the Growler Exchange, brewery tours and a souvenir to remember the day. Packages start at $50 per person and go up to $100. The latter

Pexels / Shvets Production

includes stops at three breweries, including a guided tour of one of the party’s choosing and unlimited tasting pours at all three. E-gift cards are available. $50-100, (806) 535-3863, craftcruiser.tours.

Experiences A variety of San Antonio purveyors specialize in food experiences, which expand diners’ palates, familiarize them with local eateries and — perhaps most importantly — create memories.

Local food journalist Julia Rosenfeld’s Food Chick Tours run the gamut from brunch to barbecue to sampling uniquely Texas takes on Mexican cuisine. The tours span three to four hours and include multiple stops at SA-area establishments — all accompanied

by Rosenfeld’s expert commentary on the history of each restaurant, its chef and notable ingredients. $125-165 per person, foodchicktours.com.

Tickets to next year’s Third Coast Cocktail Summit may be the ideal gift for the spirits lover on your list. The Jan. 10-13 event will offer seminars, paired dinners and cocktail hours hosted by bar pros from all over the country. Ticket options range from a single-day seminar pass to several single spirit-focused dinners. Or you can go whole hog and gift all-access passes, which include entry to multiple seminars, access to guest bartender events and the summit’s kickoff cocktail party at the Witte Museum. Ticket prices vary, culinariasa.org/thirdcoastcocktailsummit.

Go Rio Cruises has been experimenting with San Antonio’s Landrace for a series of food-focused riverboat tours, marrying chef Steve McHugh’s elegant eats with gorgeous river views. The restaurant is hosting brunchand wine-themed river boat events through mid-December, so savvy gift-givers will want to keep an eye on the hotel’s event listings for more past the new year. $85-95 per person, 111 Lexington Ave., (210) 876-1234, hyattexperiences.

Cooking and baking educational courses are a great way to give a locally sourced gift to your favorite foodie.

M

com/thompson-hotels.

Education What home cook isn’t eager to expand their culinary repertoire? Treating a loved one to a deep-dive on the art of baking or a better understanding of cheeses allows them to add more skills to their culinary arsenal, and there are even a great kitchen-basics classes for the young chefs in your life.

Newcomer Willow’s Cheese Shop offers classes that teach folks how to pair cheese with foods such as jams, nuts, fruits and meats — a valuable entertaining skill. The team has curated a shop chock-full of specialty cheeses, oils, vinegars and meats, and are poised to show you just how to use all of these goodies in the kitchen or at your next party. Class prices vary, 6413 Blanco Road, (210) 988-9863, willowscheeseshop.com.

San Antonio’s Young Chefs Academy outpost offers classes for aspiring young chefs from age 4 all the way up to the tween years.

Each course is designed for specific age ranges, focusing on different levels of age-appropriate recipe and culinary skill integration as well as basic nutrition and kitchen safety concepts. Class prices vary, 20330 Huebner Road, Suite 110, (210) 402-0023, sanantoniotx. youngchefsacademy.com.

As its name suggests, locally owned Over the Top Cake Supplies stocks pro-level supplies in its two area shops, but it excels at serving small-scale home bakers. Of particular interest, it offers beginner and intermediate cake-decorating classes as well as those for bakers with extensive experience. Multiple locations, overthetopcakesupplies.com.

Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

food In the Pocket

European Dumplings Cafe excels at its namesake dish — and more

BY RON BECHTOL

F

or my German-heritage grandmother and my Germanby-way-of-Ukraine grandfather, borscht was a staple of everyday life, especially in winter.

Deeply red, beety and studded with chunks of potato and — if I remember correctly — sliced strips of bacon. It usually came lashed with sour cream, and in my mother’s retelling of the tale, a few drizzles of vinegar. Dill may have been involved.

In Ukraine, the dish’s final “t” is dropped. At European Dumplings Cafe, a newish Castle Hills restaurant run by young couple Olga and Simon — she’s Ukranian-born — the beets are dropped as well, despite much literature stating that they’re essential.

Lacking other evidence, I suspect an iconoclastic grandmother.

In any case, by whatever name and spelling, the steaming pottery bowl that arrives, dolloped with sour cream and brimming with cabbage, shredded carrot, sliced cabbage and even a few, token chunks of chicken, will be different but deeply satisfying, its cultural and culinary significance all the more poignant in light of the continuing conflict.

Sauerkraut was another specialty of my borscht-making grandmother.

She grew the cabbage, shredded it on a fearsome, bladed board, and she salted it down in a large porcelain crock on her back porch. The fermenting contents were held at bay by a rock-ballasted plate. I couldn’t help but peek and sample from time to time. She also made mean pancakes. But I don’t remember a single dumpling.

The restaurant name alone tells you how essential they are at European Dumplings.

The simplest dish is called that and nothing more: dumplings. No modifiers or extra adjectives. The choice of fillings is even simple. It’s been reduced from four to two: lamb or chicken. (“Veal didn’t sell well,” Simon explained. Apparently neither did the beef.) Finely ground and delicately

Ron Bechtol

seasoned, the lamb made a low-key stuffing for the tender wrappers dusted with dried dill. A buttery broth was all that remained in the bottom of the bowl at meal’s end. But for all its subtlety, it was a satisfying dish.

Add a little complexity in the form of a mantle of sautéed mushrooms to the silken dumplings, this time filled with potato and sautéed onions, and you have vareniki, another Ukrainian classic. Cabbage, lamb, pork and cheese are other traditional fillings. Take that same, roughly mashed potato and onion filling, enfold it in a yeasty dough and fry it and you have pierogi. At least in this context. The terms vareniki and pierogi mean the same thing, according to one source, perhaps dependent on whether we’re talking Ukraine, Russia or Poland, where the plate is popular. Confusion is apparently both excused and expected.

At European Dumplings, pierogi arrive as two flattened oval cakes adorned with a dash of sour cream punctuated with a dot of inscrutable “red sauce.”

South Texans might be excused for thinking flour-wrapped tacos de papa, in terms of flavor profile, even though Ukrainians are likely to disagree. Like their South Texas cousins, these pierogi could use a jolt of hot (not just “red”) sauce and more onions.

As well-executed as the pierogi oth-

erwise appear to be, I can’t help thinking, as someone with only the most tenuous connections to the culture, that they would be even more at home alongside a serving of slow-braised pork with mushroom gravy — something not on the menu but a culinary touchstone for many. A skewer of marinated and grilled chicken thigh is available, however, and it might make for another happy couple.

Pancakes also appear on European Dumplings’ menu. My grandmother thought of them as keep-‘em-coming breakfast fare only, but here, dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with maple syrup, they’re offered as dessert.

Works for me too.

The menu describes kompot, a fruity drink, served either hot or cold,

as boiled blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples, which didn’t immediately sound appealing. Wrong.

It’s amazingly refreshing when served cold, and as winter finally approaches, it would be just the thing to partner with the pancakes and send a body out bolstered against the season.

Before leaving, make sure to take a quick look at the decor behind the order counter. In addition to sheaves of iconic wheat, folkloric animals and elaborately patterned eggs, you’ll also find military helmets. The contrast between traditional signifiers and the trappings of current conflict couldn’t be greater. There’s a jar for war-effort contributions should one feel inclined to comment with cash.

EUROPEAN DUMPLINGS CAFE 2211 NW Military Highway, Suite 131b | (736) 219-2483 | europeandumplings.com Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday Price range: $7-$14 Best Bets: Borsh, lamb dumplings, kompot Bottom Line: This diminutive Castle Hills cafe is run by a young couple and reflects her Ukranian roots.

Beetless borsh is front and center, and it’s good even without the ruby root. The dumplings are tender and delicately spiced, and pierogi, while more sturdy than supple, are still worth a shot. Consider pancakes or marinated chicken skewers, but make sure to try the fragrant, boiled fruit kompot beverage, either cold or hot.

sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

37

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

NEWS San Antonio’s beloved Cowboy Breakfast will return as an official San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo event Jan. 26, 2024.

Northeast San Antonio staple Old Main Ice House has temporarily closed following a fire that damaged its interior.

Puerto Rican and Caribbean street food truck Eklectic Eats has closed temporarily, citing a “new opportunity” for its chef.

Veteran-owned Longtab Brewing and 10 other local craft-beer producers will participate in a Nov. 11-18 brewery hop. The multi-day Brews for the Brave fundraiser will benefit the Green Beret Foundation.

OPENINGS Thirty Grind coffee bar is now open, serving Pulp Coffee Roasters joe at La Cantera. 17803

La Cantera Terrace, Suite #8123, (210) 310-3115, thirtygrind.com.

The Old English Tea Shoppe will open Nov. 21, offering traditional British Sunday lunch and afternoon tea. 20122 Stone Oak Parkway, #105, (210) 310-3308, theoldenglishteashoppe.com.

Arizona-based sandwich “joint” Cheba Hut, known for its cannabis-themed eats, will open a second San Antonio store on Nov. 20. 2907 N. Loop 1604 E., Suite 205, chebahut.com.

Homegrown brand Burger Boy is planning new UTSA-area location, a “highly requested” area by fans, company officials said. 5622 UTSA Boulevard, burgerboysa.com New San Antonio Cuban fusion spot Paladar is now slinging South American-inspired eats in the space previously occupied by Fonda Nostra Bistró. 3615 Broadway, Unit 4, paladarfusion.com.

A San Antonio Tradition Since 1961 803 W Hildebrand | 210.736.2253 2714 Hillcrest | 210.361.2253

Paladar

Instagram / @paladar.fnc

sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

music

Embracing Imperfection

Innovative San Antonio rockers Buttercup releasing new album once deemed ‘too intense’

BY BILL BAIRD

A

fter rising from the ashes of ’90s buzz band Evergreen and the scene surrounding legendary San Antonio venue Taco Land, Buttercup has surprised and delighted audiences for roughly 20 years.

The Alamo City-based quartet’s appeal isn’t just rooted in tuneful songcraft and impeccable musicianship but also in inspired art-rock antics and playful experimentation.

Buttercup brings all those elements to bear on Grand Marais, its latest album, which the band is celebrating with a Saturday, Nov. 18, show at Sons of Herman Hall, one of downtown’s coolest old buildings. In typical form, the group has promised to “utilize the entirety of the building to construct a moving, special night.”

Perhaps explaining the group’s longevity is an unpredictable and highly charged group chemistry. Vocalist and guitarist Erik Sanden is the extrovert storyteller, guitarist and Grammy-winner Joe Reyes shapes the chaos, while capital-letter averse bassist and longtime scene veteran odie is the group’s essential sparkplug, its heart and source of mischief.

“It’s such a good fit,” Reyes said. “It’s built on spontaneity, happy accidents, mishaps sometimes. A mic falls over during recording and I say ... ‘That sounds better!’”

That kind of deconstructed performance pervades pretty much every aspect of Buttercup.

The group has long eschewed the standard bar-gig-once-a-month routine in favor of shows in unconventional venues, not to mention costumes, props and experiments, including conceptual pieces based on Socrates to fourth-wall busting onstage commentary.

The band’s 2016 performance-art extravaganza “Buttercup: A Musical Journey” moved between Charline McCombs Empire Theatre and the Majestic Theatre. Their opening act included local musicians — Garrett T. Capps in a wig and Brian Maddin on keys, among them — dressed up as Buttercup and covering one of their songs, only with no practice allowed beforehand. The evening ended with the entire crowd joining the band on the Majestic stage.

Playful experiments like those, along with

Ramin Samandari

the music, continue to endear Buttercup them to fans.

“The sense of a panoramic embrace of the city of San Antonio is key to the reciprocal champion-hug they have felt from their many fans,” visual artist and longtime fan Hills Snyder said of the band. “It’s an ever widening circle of love really: Sanden sparks something passionate in a stylishly casual way, Reyes and odie contribute a generosity of spirit — not even talking about their musical skills — that honestly makes the band a force for good in the world.”

Frontman Erik Sanden has a much simpler explanation of the band’s ethos.

“Whatever Foreigner is, we’re the opposite of that: not gross,” Sanden said, laughing.

“Our whole career has been in opposition to that, that big, dumb rock. Not that I don’t enjoy it sometimes. We just want to do things that are memorable. That’s the hope.”

Evergreen start Buttercup’s story began with the ’90s alt-rock outfit Evergreen, formed at Trinity University. Sanden, an English major, played rhythm guitar in the group, which parlayed ’70s-style rock – Les Pauls cranked through Marshall stacks — into a management deal and shows with music legends.

“Yes, I cut my teeth,” says Sanden of that time period. “Ground them down to nubs.”

Among Evergreen’s early breaks was a tour with Canadian treasures The Tragically Hip. “I learned a lot,” Sanden said. “The singer, Gordon Downey, was really supportive. He watched us play the same seven songs every night, in the same order. I said, that’s what you do — you show up for your friends.”

Evergreen also opened for Fugazi and Blonde Redhead at The Showcase Special Event Center, a now-shuttered and cavernous West Avenue venue that Sanden describes as

a “vomitorium.”

“We got spat on. The crowd hated us,” he added.

Infiltrated by Nazi skinheads, the show nearly devolved into riot. “[Fugazi frontman] Ian MacKaye was pissed and was paying them to leave, weeding them out, giving them $5 apiece,” Sanden said. “At one point, he ran out of money so he borrowed $5 from me.”

Another memorable moment happened when Evergreen opened for what turned out to be one of Elliott Smith’s final shows.

“It was beautiful, so fragile,” Sanden said.

“A thousand people just listening — pin-drop silent.”

Evergreen’s management also hooked them up with Austin blues-rock star and Bob Dylan sideman Ian Moore. Evergreen, and later Buttercup, ended up as Moore’s backing band at various times. Though the blues guitarist seems an unlikely matchup with the artsy rockers, Moore’s willingness to follow his muse made a deep impression.

“He took his career into the ditch because he did these psychedelic records — his fanbase just wanted the blues,” Sanden said.

“I really like that he did that. Ian said, ‘The crowd may not always follow you into everything you do ... but you have to do it.’”

Reyes jumps aboard Bearing witness to Evergreen’s journey was famed San Antonio guitarist Joe Reyes, a musical whiz who’d already found musical success — and walked away from it.

Reyes had started playing guitar at age 7, and by his 20s, had moved through the musical ranks, playing every genre from metal to jazz. His jazz-rock trio Fine Line featured bassist Eric Revis, a future Branford Marsalis collaborator, and JJ Johnson, later to play with John Mayer and other luminaries. It was his instrumental guitar duo Lara and 43

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 | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

music

41 Reyes, however, that truly took off, landing a record deal, a Latin Grammy nomination and a flow of income. However, Reyes wasn’t impressed and walked away.

“It wasn’t satisfying,” he said. “I thought, ‘If this is what success is supposed to be, then I want something else.’”

As Reyes looked for that something else, he found inspiration in Sanden’s inspired recklessness.

“I heard Erik’s songs on a four-track and they were super creative. ‘That’s a trash can in there?’ ‘Yes,’” he recalled, laughing. “He brought all of that. He doesn’t care about being in tune. He had some other thing in mind.”

What Sanden had in mind was The Unables, his first post-Evergreen band.

The group eschewed regimented rehearsals for spontaneous chaos.

“My art project,” Sanden said. “The Unables was everyone on instruments they weren’t proficient on, and a rotating cast of members. Also, I was singing for the first time.”

The Unables’ anything-goes approach allowed Sanden to access a new, performance art-driven approach.

At some shows, he’d blow a referee’s whistle, signaling a change of musical lineup or the time to substitute in the “least drunk person.” For a time, The Unables featured Iggy Pop sideman Hunt Sayles, who’d relocated to the Alamo City.

“It was madness. We were playing Tycoon Flats to one little old lady,” Sanden said. “Hunt was treating it like an arena show. ‘Can I hear you in the back fucking row?’ he would yell. And doing David Lee Roth high kicks. Amazing.”

Around then, Sanden also created Dial-a-Song. He recorded a new song every week to his landline answering machine and gave out the number on stickers and flyers.

Such unconventional approaches left by-the-book Joe Reyes wanting to collaborate.

“It was so unlike me, who’s been trained to put everything in the right place and clean stuff up,” Reyes said.

“So, I basically stalked him.”

Sanden initially rebuffed Reyes’ advances, thinking such a skilled musician would ruin the spontaneous approach. Eventually, though, Sanden challenged the guitarist “aesthetic pool,” wherein the winner was determined not by clicking the billiard balls into the pockets but who could come up with the most creative or interesting shot.

“He blew me away,” Sanden said.

“He crawled under the table, blew on the balls until they went in the hole, grabbed the cue ball and threw it across Taco Land into a trashcan and broke all these beer bottles. He was in.”

Making records Not only was the now-shuttered underground rock bar Taco Land the site of Sanden and Reyes, joining forces, it was a musical center of gravity at the time — the CBGB of South Texas.

“It was the scene,” Sanden said. “It was the freak show. You never knew what you’d see there. The rule at Taco Land was you called and just booked it.

‘Do I need to send a demo?’ you’d ask.

‘Fuck no, you pussy,’ [late owner] Ram [Ayala] would say. And you’ll be playing with the Nipple 5 or some other insane band.”

Buttercup spent its first few years rehearsing at Taco Land, where they rented a side room from Ayala. The venue also provided the band with its name.

“The name Buttercup was a direct challenge to the most aggressive faction of the Tacoland crowd,” Sanden said. “It was throwing down the gauntlet, saying we’re not gonna be a masculine biker band. We’re gonna be soft if we wanna be soft.”

With the right elements Buttercup began to click, especially once it gained the odie factor. “odie is crucial to Buttercup,” Sanden said. “He provides our sartorial sense.

He’s our best dressed member, wickedly creative and full of innovative, even weird, ideas. He brings a child-like quality to the band that’s really special.

I mean that in the best way. I love him.

His big heart. There’s no one like him.”

Working with producers Mark Rubinstein and Salim Nurallah, the band began cranking out album after album on a remarkable run — 2005’s Sick Yellow Flower, 2006’s Hot Love, 2007’s Captains of Industry and 2008’s The Weather Here.

However, a family illness, coupled with the loss of original drummer Jamie Roadman altered their trajectory.

Sanden watched as his father slowly succumbed in a fight against cancer. His grief resulted in a newfound Morissey obsession.

“There’s instructions in the San Antonio Manual that you’re going to have to like Morrissey and heavy metal and country and the Spurs,” Sanden said. “If you stay here long enough, you will do

Courtesy Photo / Buttercup

that.”

That dark period also resulted in a new, mellower project — Demitasse.

The word itself is French for “half cup” — a sly play on the Buttercup name.

Playing as an acoustic duo, Sanden and Reyes entered a new phase.

Eventually, the pair brought odie back into the fold, and, for a time, Buttercup transformed into Grand Marais.

The new iteration wore all black, had no stage banter and used a white board to write provocative messages to the crowd. Sometimes the messages mocked the group, and sometimes they deepened the experience, but they always remained playful.

Grand Marais recorded an album’s worth of songs featuring only acoustic guitar, electric bass and voice, but it didn’t feel right. Sanden described it as both “too harsh” and “too intense.”

“I had such a terrible allergy, I was on steroids,” Sanden said. “I was doing pushups between takes. It’s an acoustic record, but I’m belting, like I’m in an arena. I didn’t get roid rage ... I got roid happy. It’s like Demitasse ... on steroids ... literally.”

In the end, Buttercup shelved the album, regrouped under its old name, and recorded the Battle of Flowers album with the Navaira brothers, the sons of Tejano legend Emilio Navaira and the leaders of San Antonio rock outfit Ready Revolution.

The album encapsulated Buttercup’s sound and aesthetic — an art project

streaked with personal mythology soundtracked by catchy melodic indie-rock. It also sparked several years of performing with a variety of drummers, including erstwhile San Antonian and avant-garde critical darling Claire Rousay.

After Rousay departed for Los Angeles, Buttercup was once again sans drummer, and the shelved Grand Marais album felt relevant again, bringing the story back around to the Saturday.

Nov. 18 release show.

The new Buttercup album is actually the one shelved eight years ago.

Despite the passage of time, the music has lost none of its potency or raw strength — and it’s easy to understand why Sanden once felt to be too harrowing. If anything, the recent struggles of the pandemic make its intensity all the more relevant.

The album marked a new phase for the band, unrevealed until now — a moment where the specific and personal catalogued in Sanden’s lyrics become a portal to the universal.

“And that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said. “But it scares me. I write about my webbed toes and shit. Yes, I have webbed toes.”

Makes sense. All along, an embrace of imperfection has animated Buttercup’s journey.

“Imperfection is where the beauty is,” Sanden said. “We’re pugilists fighting through this perfectly airbrushed, perfectly tuned landscape.”

sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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FIGHT HUNGER WITH EVERY STEP! Lace up your running shoes and gather with family, pets, and the entire community on Thanksgiving Day at 8:30 AM for the San Antonio Food Bank’s Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk at the Commander’s House in Downtown San Antonio.

Every registration provides a turkey for a family facing hunger this holiday season.

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

REGISTER ACCESS EARLY BIRD PRICING THROUGH OCT. 31

critics’ picks Thursday, Nov. 16

Cattle Decapitation, Immolation, Sanguisugabogg, Castrator There’s no shortage of technical death metal bands with stellar chops, but Cattle Decapitation stands apart from the herd. Why? It’s the clean vocals of frontman Travis Ryan. Too many bands in this genre rely on a generic rock crooner voice when they take a break from harsh vocals, whereas Ryan is so good that you get the impression he could just as easily front a band with a classic metal sound and make it work. And don’t sleep on old-school revisionists Sanguisugabogg. Knowing how to pronounce the name isn’t required, thankfully. $28-$30, 7 p.m., The Rock Box, 1223 E. Houston St. (210) 772-1443, therockboxsa.com.

— Mike McMahan Garrett T. Capps & NASA Country, Sons of Hercules, Hickoids In music venue years, five years is nearly an eternity, and that’s the landmark that St. Mary’s Strip honky tonk the Lonesome Rose has reached. The club will celebrate with a packed local bill that seems perfectly tailored to its altcountry-meets-garage rock aesthetic. Hats off, and here’s hoping for five more. $8, 9 p.m., The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, thelonesomerose.com. — Sanford Nowlin

Friday, Nov. 17 Duel, Thunder Horse, The Lucid Furs, Odyssey Austin-based Duel’s ’70s-inspired sound draws on blues and hard rock with a side of stoner metal. Formed in 2015, the band has put in the time to get tight and master the sound. The other acts on the bill are no slouches either.

San Antonio-tied Thunder Horse focuses on the heavy, slow-motion sounds of psychedelic doom metal, while Detroit’s The Lucid Furs deal in bouncy blues-rock and Odyssey in a folk-forward sound. $10, 9 p.m., Hi-Tones, 621 E. Dewey Place, instagram.com/hitones_sa. — Dalia Gulca

Sunday, Nov. 19 Maria Jose Mexico City’s Maria Jose got her start in the Latin pop group Kabah. However, she later struck gold with the huge hit “No Soy una Señora” from her 2009 solo LP Amante de Lo Ajeno. As a testament to her popularity, she toured Mexico with Gwen Stefani and has served as a coach on La Voz, the Spanish-language version of The Voice. Her most recent release is the 2019 live album Conexión. $38-$208, 7 p.m., The Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre. com. — MM

Cattle Decapitation Nick Van Vidler

Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Ricky Martin The mainstream breakthrough of Latin music is on full display with The Trilogy Tour, which combines the multigenerational superstardom of Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and Ricky Martin.

Each artist individually captured the cultural zeitgeist at the apex of their careers, starting with Martin teaching the world to live “La Vida Loca.” Enrique Iglesias’ ballads won over listeners’ hearts, while Pitbull infused hip-hop “con sabor” to become a staple of arenas and stadiums. $249.95 and up, 7 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, frostbankcenter.com. — DC

Saturday, Nov. 25 Patricia Vonne, The Infidels SA native Patricia Vonne’s rootsy sound may be the perfect antidote for your Black Friday hangover. Her most recent release is a 2021 collection of Christmas tunes, My Favorite Holiday.

However, she’s better known for collaborating with her brother, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.

She contributed the song “Traeme Paz” to Once Upon a Time in Mexico and played the character Dallas in Sin City. Though Vonne is billed as the headliner, long-running roots rockers The Infidels will close the evening. $16-$70, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — MM

Wild Party, Landon Conrath, Corina Grove Like so many over the Thanksgiving holiday, the band Wild Party will return home to San Antonio, bringing its blend of “face-melting pop music” to help you work off the leftovers.

Formed here in 2009, the group caught the attention of The Wombats and toured the UK. Wild Party’s 2014 release Phantom Pop remains its lone full-length album, but a six-track EP, Get Up, came out in February with the groovy “Coexist” as its single. Indie singer-songwriter Landon Conrath serves as an enticing opener. $25, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — DC Menorah, Atomic 99, Spontaneous, Daycare The DIY scene in San Antonio is teeming with intrepid new bands, whether at house shows, unconventional outdoor venues or hole-inthe-wall bars. Case in point is Menorah, which formed this year and has popped up at gigs around town, experimenting with their grunge influences and Cobain-esque vocals. The group’s single, “La Llorona,” shows off those ’90s influences and oozes an appropriately dejected mood. Also on the lineup are Atomic 99, a San Diego-based Atomic 99, Austinand Houston-based Spontaneous and SA’s Daycare, which round out a bill full of varied sounds. $5, 8 p.m., Happy Place Bar, 4722 Rittiman Road, (210) 236-5663, instagram.com/ happyplacebarsatx. — DG

Sunday, Nov 26 Cancamusa, TEARS Chilean-born drummer and singer-songwriter Cancamusa adds a unique Latina voice to the dream-pop genre. After leaving her country’s iconic Mon Laferte, she settled in Mexico in 2019 to begin her solo work, and it’s been upward since then. In 2020, Rolling Stone named Cancamusa an Artist You Should Know.

Her 2023 album, AMOR MINIMAL, showcases her wistful lyrics cradled in a cinematic sound.

Gauzy lo-fi artist TEARS opens. $15, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — DC

Monday, Nov. 27 Angel Du$t, Candy, Restraining Order, On Being An An If you like your hardcore served with other side dishes — particularly strong melodic content — Angel Du$t may be for you. The band’s most recent LP Brand New Soul dropped earlier this year and features the expected thrash and bash approach along with lo-fi vibes, alt-rock singalongs, metallic riffery, acoustic funk and more. Check out the single “Very Aggressive,” which features catchy vocals not out of place in pop-punk and fuses them with a dirty bassline more reminiscent of post-hardcore. $22, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — MM

sacurrent.com | November 15 – 28, 2023 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | November 15 – 28, 2023 | sacurrent.com

reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart 51. Bowl during a bowl game broadcast, maybe 53. “Achtung Baby” producer Brian 54. Pitcher handle 56. Dish with dressing 61. Tablets that run Safari 65. Accessory where you’d see the three circled words (designed to look like one of these, sorta) 68. Look after 69. Crossword theme type (but not in Jonesin’--I’m not that mean) 70. Almond ___ 71. Queries 72. “Forever” mail attachment 73. County hub Down 1. Lemon peel part 2. “And you?”, to Caesar 3. Ball field coverer 4. Far from nervous 5. Mantra syllables 6. Nighttime 7. Shake flavor 8. “Low” rapper Flo ___ 9. James Brown’s genre 10. “The ___-Weed Factor” (1960 John Barth novel) 11. Time announced (and repeated) in monster truck ads 12. Chicago-style pizza chain, informally 13. Radius, for one 18. One way to run

19. Cornfield noise 24. Largest lake in Europe 26. “George of the Jungle” creature 27. Sandwich type with ham and roasted pork 28. With 16-Across, 2014 Olympics skating analyst 29. Long Island iced tea, for one 30. “Cheers!”, in Scandinavia 31. Crude abode 32. 3M sponge brand 33. Prosper 35. Economics opener?

36. “Arrivederci” relative 42. Having great views 45. Gil Grissom’s TV group 50. “Three’s Company” spinoff, with “The” 52. It’s happening right now in Portland, for short 54. “Donde ___ la biblioteca?”

55. Astounds 57. Goes on linear television 58. Online writing system that coined “n00b” 59. “Dancing Queen” group 60. Tom, for one 62. Ingredient in some lip balms 63. Five times duo64. Turnovers, e.g.

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