San Antonio Current - January 10, 2024

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CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | 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 24-01 /// January 10 – January 23, 2024

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 Managers Marissa Gamez, Parker McCoy Senior Account Executive Mike Valdelamar Local Culture Creative Agency Director Mindi Overman Creative Services Creative Services Manager Samantha Serna 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 The San Antonio Current is published by Chava Communications Group San Antonio Distribution The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.

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10 Feature

Space Cadet

For all the grandiosity of Elon Musk’s vision, it’s morally bankrupt

09 News

The Opener News in Brief

Pipe Dream

The Texas Nationalist Movement is threatening to sue the state GOP for not allowing ‘TEXIT’ on primary ballot

19 Calendar 24 Arts

San Antonio visual artists working to build cultural bridge with Cuba

Circulation Verification Council 12166 Old Big Bend Road, Suite 210 St. Louis, MO 63122 www.cvcaudit.com Auditor’s Certification:

Resolution Revolution New year’s weight-loss goals better accomplished with realistic expectations, San Antonio experts say

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Taco Trio

In a city overrun by taquerias, these three stand out from the herd

Hot Dish

Calendar Picks

Caribbean Connection

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

29 Food

27 Screens

On the Horizon

Eight San Antonio-tied actors have film and TV projects premiering in 2024

32 Music

Zero Degrees of Separation

Catching up with the Bacon Brothers ahead of their Gruene Hall performance

Musical Melting Pot San Antonio-born Mike Dillon’s Punkadelick bringing jazz-punk fusion to the Lonesome Rose

Critics’ Picks

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n the Cover: Writer Kevin Sanchez takes a look at billionaire Elon Musk’s big plans, which seem to center around the rest of us treating him like economic royalty. Cover design: Joe Frontel.

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CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | sacurrent.com

sacurrent.com | January 10 – 23, 2024 | CURRENT

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A federal appeals court last week ruled that U.S. law doesn’t not require emergency rooms to perform life-saving abortions if the procedure violates state statutes. Texas sued the federal government over guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services handed down following the reversal of Roe v.

Wade, which stated that hospitals are required to perform life-saving abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Texas to halt the state’s new law that allows law enforcement officers to arrest people they suspect of having crossed the border illegally. The suit, filed in federal court in Austin, argues Senate Bill 4 is unconstitutional because it impinges on the federal government’s authority to regulate immigration and enforce immigration law.

The ACLU and other civil rights groups have also sued over the law.

H

The nation’s immigration backlog has reached an all-time high, with more than 3 million immigration cases pending as of November, according to the nonprofit Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Immigration judges are now on average responsible for some 4,500 cases each. Experts say many asylum seekers now face five-year waits to have their cases heard.

The San Antonio Zoo celebrated the birth of its first ever baby babirusa on New Year’s Day. Babirusas, also known as deer-pigs, only give birth once or twice in their lives — making the Jan. 1 birth of the yet-to-be-named babirusa a major event. Babirusas, native to the tropical forests of Indonesia, were first brought to the San Antonio Zoo in 1998.

— Abe Asher

ASSCLOWN ALERT

Pushing inaction on immigration reform with House Speaker Mike Johnson Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s recent trip to the Texas-Mexico border with 60 or so GOP colleagues suggests he’s got all the political chops of his bumbling predecessor, the recently ousted Kevin McCarthy.

During the trip to Eagle Pass, the Louisiana Republican told reporters that he and the rest of his clown car contingent aren’t willing to work across the aisle to revamp the nation’s broken immigration system. Instead, they’re doubling down on the hardline immigration bill House Republicans passed in May with nary a single Democratic vote.

In case anyone needs a refresher, that’s the same bill President Joe Biden promised to veto and Democrats described with adjectives including “cruel” and “inhumane.” Incidentally, that veto threat rings hollow. There’s virtually zero chance the proposal will gain traction in the U.S. Senate, which is narrowly controlled by the Dems — even as Johnson and his cronies hold Ukraine aid hostage.

Amping up the absurdity of Johnson’s visit, he argued that Border Patrol agents don’t want $14 billion in supplemental funds that the Biden White House requested for dealing with

— New York Mayor Eric Adams

on the city’s lawsuit against bus companies that have dumped thousands of migrants there as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s immigration policies.

Shutterstock.com / lev radin

the surge in border crossings.

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, rightly put Johnson on blast for his bullshit, pointing out during a CNN interview that the funding would allow the government to hire new 1,600 asylum officers to speed claims processing, along with 1,300 Border Patrol and 1,000 Customs and Border Protection agents to bolster enforcement.

“So no, I will disagree and say that they need the funding,” Crockett said. “But I will also agree that there needs to be policy changes as well.

It’s not about doing one or the other. It’s about doing both.”

With border crossings at historic levels and the immigration courts suffering what some experts describe as a years-long backlog, it’s clear the nation’s immigration system is in need of the major overhaul Crockett is talking about.

What’s also clear from Johnson’s border photo op is that this assclown has no interest in solving the issues at the border before the November election. His intent is to prolong the problem.

Voters should call Johnson and his party out on their asinine antics. — Sanford Nowlin

San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood abruptly retired last week after an internal investigation accused him of making lewd comments in professional settings. According to a summary of the investigation’s findings released by the city, Hood admitted to using the phrase “pussy always wins” within the department in violation of city and department rules.

Hood, the city’s first-ever Black fire chief, had served in the role since 2007.

YOU SAID IT!

“New York City has and will always do our part to manage this humanitarian crisis, but we cannot bear the costs of reckless political ploys from the state of Texas alone.”

news

That Rocks/That Sucks

Twitter /@SATXFire

Councilman Marc Whyte was arrested Dec. 29 for driving while intoxicated and released from the Bexar County Jail after posting a $2,000 bond. Whyte was elected to represent District 10 after the seat was vacated by Clayton Perry following Perry’s own DWI case. White was pulled over after speeding and making lane changes without signaling, according to authorities. He also reportedly refused to take a breathalyzer test.

Nine San Antonio Police Department officers and nine Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputies were arrested on charges ranging from murder to making secret recordings last year, a KSAT analysis found. The nine police officers arrested is an increase from 2022, while the number of arrested deputies declined. Three of those police officers, Sgt. Alfred Flores, Officer Eleazar Alejandro and Officer Nathaniel Villalobos, were arrested in connection with the shooting death of 46-year-old Melissa Perez, a woman suffering a mental health crisis inside her apartment.— Abe Asher

Find more news coverage every day at sacurrent.com

news

Shutterstock / luckyluke007

Space Cadet

For all the grandiosity of Elon Musk’s vision, it’s morally bankrupt

BY KEVIN SANCHEZ

Y Adams

ou know, I forget how young you are, Mitch, that you think you have to be a prick to get things done, and that you actually think that’s a new idea.” — Robin Williams in Patch

From the inner demons of Charles Foster Kane in 1941’s Citizen Kane to the maniacal obliviousness of Peter Isherwell in 2021’s Don’t Look Up, there’s no shortage of cinematic portrayals of mercurial, out-of-touch tycoons.

But recent Texas transplant Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has entertained us all in recent weeks with plenty of real-life tailspins, many self-inflicted.

“Go fuck yourself,” Musk told advertisers such as Disney, Apple and IBM, who abandoned the ship formerly known as Twitter over concerns about rising antisemitism on the platform. “That’s how I feel.

Don’t advertise.”

Although Musk, who spent $44 billion to buy the social networking site now known as X, has personally relocated much of his industrial empire to the Lone Star State thanks to our reliable corporate welfare, he’s proven to be a foot-shooting scoundrel who can’t even wear a cowboy hat correctly.

After the above rebuke to his former advertisers —

counted for nearly three-quarters of U.S. sales in 2022, and half of them have already left the platform.

This has forced Musk to scrape the bottom of the barrel, quite literally. One recent X ad for at-home insemination kits featured video instructions for “stealing semen” from a used condom taken out of the trash can, news site 404 Media reports. Fill in your own juvenile Musk-esque joke-tweet here.

The mad descent followed a scathing report from the nonprofit Media Matters, which reported that X placed ads for major brands alongside “content that touts Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.” Musk has since sued the left-of-center media watchdog in Texas, even though neither X nor the defendant is based here. Clearly, the choice of venue was to avail himself of the state’s corporate-friendly judges, and Attorney General Ken Paxton has since joined the fray, promising an investigation of his own.

The following is a piece of opinion and analysis.

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broadcast live from late November’s annual DealBook Summit — Fidelity Investments estimated that X had lost more than 70% of its value since Musk’s purchase.

British magazine The Economist explained that Musk’s business model is uniquely susceptible to precipitous drops in ad revenue. After all, X’s top 100 clients ac-

Starship rockets stand ready at SpaceX’s Starbase facility, located near the South Texas town of Boca Chica.

a

So much for freedom of the press.

“What this advertising boycott is going to do, it’s going to kill the company,” Musk conceded after his “GFY” outburst.

Selective commitment Yet Musk doesn’t blame himself or his abysmally arbitrary stewardship for the X-odus. And one could almost sympathize with his petulant brazenness if his professed commitment to free speech wasn’t so conveniently selective.

The billionaire’s initial response to the boycott, for example, was to suspend the accounts of those endorsing it. Even his own official biographer, Walter Isaacson, called out the self-evident hypocrisy.

“Inside Twitter, Musk asked his team to block posts supporting the advertising pause,” Isaacson told PBS’s Frontline. “One of the things that was very hypocritical in my view is that you had people urging boycotts because they thought Twitter was allowing too much hate speech, and Musk decided he wanted to shut down some of these people who were advocating a boycott. Well, that goes against free-speech principles. That’s pure political speech.”

Since Musk rage-bought Twitter, more than 80% of censorship requests from speech-repressing governments around the world have been approved, according to self-reported data from the site analyzed by online news site Rest of World. That’s a notable increase over his supposedly censorial predecessors.

“No one from the far left that I’m aware of has been suspended, banned or de-amplified” from X, Musk absurdly claimed during his most recent appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast.

However, an exposé a year earlier by The Intercept directly contradicted that, finding accounts such as the “Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club, an antifascist group that provides armed security for LGBTQ+ events in North Texas, and CrimethInc, an anarchist collective that has distributed anti-authoritarian zines since the mid-1990s” had been permanently banned — likely on the dubious recommendations of far-right propagandist Andy Ngo, who occasionally masquerades as a journalist.

With a surge in online harassment, Anti-Defamation League Vice President Yael Eisenstat accurately appraised the mud pit.

“Musk’s actions to date show that he is not committed to a transparent process where he incorporates the best practices we have learned from civil society,” Eisenstat explained. “Instead, he has emboldened racists, homophobes and antisemites.”

And that was before Musk un-suspended conspiracist extraordinaire Alex Jones, who infamously accused Sandy Hook families of faking their own children’s deaths by mass shooting.

So, when Musk contends, as he recently tweeted,

Shutterstock / Frederic Legrand - COMEO

that “X is the only platform you can trust for honest information,” it’s difficult not to diagnose this as severe dissociation from reality. He’s reduced the aspirational digital town square to an unhinged billionaire’s cynical vanity project — with bromides about free speech and saving humanity serving as a sanctimonious veneer to justify the hijacking.

And that’s just one of the “like 17 jobs” he’s screwing up.

Explosions in the sky Last spring, a rocket test flight from Musk’s SpaceX originating in Boca Chica near South Padre Island “obliterated the launch pad’s surface, flung hunks of concrete and metal thousands of yards, sparked fires in a surrounding wildlife refuge and created a plume of pulverized concrete and sand that coated cars and homes more than 6 miles away,” Express-News reporter Brandon Lingle noted in bleakly poetic words.

David Newstead, a biologist with Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries, pulled no punches in the way he described the explosion’s impact to the newspaper: “It’s just reckless and wanton disregard for the wildlife refuge. It’s hard to imagine that this stuff is allowed to continue.”

After another launch exploded over the Gulf of Mexico shortly after liftoff, a coalition of environmental and indigenous groups sued U.S. regulators, alleging the Federal Aviation Administration failed to exercise due diligence. They argued that obscenely wealthy government contractors such as Musk appear to operate under a different set of rules.

And it doesn’t end there. Last month, we learned that SpaceX asked the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for permission to dump up to 200,000 gallons of treated waste and sewage daily into a bay near its operations. The Boring Company, another of Musk’s holdings, made similar overtures about jettisoning waste into the Colorado River.

‘Lords and peasants’ Not all of Musk’s abuse is limited to the natural world, though.

The day before Tesla’s unsightly Cybertrucks were set to roll off the lot in Austin, Musk was asked during the DealBook Summit about recent union victories in the auto industry.

“It’s generally not good to have an adversarial relationship between one group of people at the company and another group. I disagree with the idea of unions for a reason that is different than you may expect, which is, I just don’t like anything which creates a lords-and-peasants sort of thing,” Musk said. “I think the unions naturally try to create negativity.”

Except peasants couldn’t collectively bargain for better working conditions — likely the reason they remained peasants. Indeed, callous, erratic CEOs like Musk are the primary source of the “negativity” in the offices and factories such as the ones he lords over.

A Reuters investigation in November documented some 600 previously unreported workplace injuries at SpaceX, including “crushed limbs, amputations, electrocutions, head and eye wounds and one death.”

Current and former workers at Tesla also told tech-focused publication The Information about “a pattern of risky incidents at the plant,” including “an explosion in the castings department” and “a worker pinned by a robot.” The Texas Observer uncovered an Austin employee named Antelmo Ramirez, who died due to heat at the factory. The plant failed to report the death to local authorities, according to the Observer.

Meanwhile, Twitter workers laid off in the wake of Musk’s takeover told Business Insider and other publications the company underpaid them on severance compensation they were due. sacurrent.com | January 10 – 23, 2024 | CURRENT

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YouTube / NASASpaceflight

’The same parking lot’ In the face of such grievances, Musk at his DealBook Summit pivoted to symbolism to show what a friend he is to workers.

“At General Motors, there’s a special elevator only for senior executives. We have no such thing at Tesla,” he said. “Everyone parks in the same parking lot.”

Here we should quote Musk back to himself: “What I care about is the reality of goodness, not the perception of it. What I see all over the place is people who care about looking good while doing evil.”

Does he really think the allegedly injured, fired and underpaid workers at the business end of his megalomania would prefer separate parking lots and elevators to not getting ripped-off or maimed on the job?

Little surprise then, that mechanics at Tesla’s workshops in Sweden last month began striking in a bid to force the company to agree to collective bargaining with one of that country’s top unions, according to media reports. Solidarity strikes have also popped up in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Germany.

Unions in Europe, it should be noted, don’t mess around. If you want your firm’s mail delivered and garbage hauled off, it’s advisable to treat workers there with a modicum of respect, not as expendable peasantry.

And now, as if The Onion were writing our history, Musk has filed the paperwork to start his own university in Austin, since this is clearly the type of very stable genius we need instructing the nation’s youth.

Enlightened aristocracy Fair to say, the billionaire class isn’t sending us their best. Yet these are the people who rule us. Like it or not, we’re heavily invested in their competence, probity and success. Musk’s three civilizational goals — to get humanity to Mars, globally switch to sustainable energy and make artificial intelligence safe — are all laudable and necessary.

“Starlink was instrumental in halting the Russian advance” in Ukraine, Musk said at the DealBook Summit. However, in a special report on the threats posed by Chinese militarism, The Economist noted that it remains unclear whether the billionaire would allow Taiwan to use Starlink if China were to invade.

Reportedly, half of active satellites currently in orbit belong to Musk.

“Day by day, Musk’s companies control more of the Internet, the power grid, the transportation system, objects in orbit, the nation’s security infrastructure, and its energy supply,” as historian Jill Lepore summed it up for The New Yorker.

To ask an urgent question: why should any one unaccountable individual have all this power?

“The amazing thing about someone like Elon Musk is not only that he can get wealthy, but he wants more wealth, and the more wealth he gets, the more he wants, and this is a typical kind of example of this pathological propensity,” Marxist scholar David Harvey opined.

With all due respect to Harvey, the trouble isn’t

NASA footage captures the explosion of a SpaceX Starship during a launch from South Texas.

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the psychology of greed, but the incentive structure of plutocracy. No matter how magnanimous the billionaire class is, they can’t free us or themselves from a system that reduces everything worthwhile to a cutthroat competition for dominance. We don’t need to install just the right set of virtuous technocratic elites; we need to rid ourselves of our reliance on technocratic elitism altogether, in favor of democratic, egalitarian models of conversation and decision-making.

One gets the inkling Musk himself must sense this imperative. For example, he hated that Microsoft founder Bill Gates shorted Tesla’s stock.

“How can someone say they are passionate about fighting climate change and then do something that reduced the overall investment in the company doing the most?” Musk asked Isaacson. “It’s pure hypocrisy.”

Actually, that’s pure market capitalism.

Musk has also alleged that the Securities and Exchange Commission is in the pocket of hedge funds, said it’s a “straight-up lie” that “AI isn’t trained on copyrighted material” and accused every business — except his, of course — of seeking to retain proprietary control and stifling innovation. But surely he’s noticed countless societally beneficial projects go belly-up due to their failure to turn a profit. sacurrent.com | January 10 – 23, 2024 | CURRENT

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Yoga in the Museum: DreamWeek Edition Saturday, January 20 | 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Free for members | $10 for non-members Register: www.samuseum.org/events

Shutterstock / Kathy Hutchins

Is it really meritocracy Musk is after or a Gattaca-like enlightened aristocracy?

Lacanian psychoanalyst Alenka Zupančič delved deeply into the relevant philosophical question in her 2008 book The Odd One In: On Comedy.

“The problem is not simply that success and efficiency have become the supreme values of our late capitalist society — as we often hear from critics of this society,” she wrote. “There is nothing particularly new in this; social promotion of success has existed since time immemorial. The problem is, rather, that success is becoming almost a biological notion, and thus the foundation of a genuine racism of successfulness.

The poorest and the most miserable are no longer perceived as a socio-economic class, but almost as a race of their own, as a special form of life.”

And, by contrast, the winners on top are lionized as somehow genetically superhuman. ”We are thus witnessing a massive and forceful naturalization of economic, political, and other social differences, and this naturalization is itself a politico-ideological process par excellence,” Zupančič continued. “The contemporary discourse which likes to promote and glorify the gesture of distancing oneself from all Ideologies — because they are necessarily totalitarian or utopian — strives to promote its own reality as completely non-ideological.

Our present socio-economic reality is

increasingly being presented as an immediate natural fact, or fact of nature, and thus a fact to which we can only try to adapt as successfully as possible.”

How many confidently wrong fanboys who worship Musk fancy themselves as common-sense pragmatists who “do their own research” while the rest of us greenhorns are blinded by wishful ideology and naive emotion?

Heightening the contradictions, Musk also has a soft spot for visionary science fiction like Star Trek. At the same time, he’s described what he called “the woke mind virus” as a “civilizational threat” that’s merely “communism rebranded.”

What’s more “woke” than Star Trek?

The original series aired TV’s first interracial kiss, and the subsequent movies imagined a peaceful, united Earth without money. And don’t we have Soviet cosmonauts to thank for double-dog daring the United States into space to begin with?

Our becoming a multi-planetary species and preserving a habitable environment for next generations shouldn’t have to wait on the whims and caprices of economic royalty.

However little Musk may care about his personal fortune or however much wealth he ends up amassing, the future he’s striving for — one where entitled pricks like himself call the shots while everyone else waits on pins and needles — remains morally bankrupt.

Join SAMA and Invitation Yoga in an adaptive yoga experience suited for all levels, centered around discovering compassion in our individual yoga journeys.

200 West Jones Avenue | www.samuseum.org sacurrent.com | January 10 – 23, 2024 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | sacurrent.com

news Pipe Dream

The Texas Nationalist Movement is threatening to sue the state GOP for not allowing ‘TEXIT’ on primary ballot

BY MICHAEL KARLIS

L

ast week, the Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM) went into a social media meltdown after the Republican Party of Texas refused to allow a question about Texas seceding from the United States onto the party’s 2024 primary ballot.

In an open letter to the TNM, the Republican Party of Texas argued that the group didn’t deliver its petition to include the question by the Dec. 11 deadline and that only print signatures on such a petition are valid.

In response, TNM and its leader, Daniel Miller, threatened to sue. After all, the “TEXIT” movement did gather 100,000 electronic signatures to be considered on the ballot.

Despite the drama, observers shouldn’t be surprised by Texas GOP’s decision to keep the question off the ballot.

“The Republican Party of Texas doesn’t want to offer the opportunity for its primary electorate to express silliness,” said Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson. “It would simply draw them into defending something that is not currently defensible and is not a real thing. It’s simply not the case under current law and the constitutional interpretation of the country [that Texas could secede].”

Despite Jillson’s insistence that legal barriers prevent the rise of a Second Republic of Texas, fringe ideologues continue to waste time and valuable air pushing for that impossible agenda.

Can Texas Secede?

The idea of an independent Texas stems from the Lone Star State’s brief history as an independent nation. It lasted from 1836 to 1846, following Texas’ war of independence from Mexico.

Despite the Republic of Texas being an impoverished land with a bankrupt government, the romanticism of the period never seemed to fade, Jillson said.

Following the end of the Civil War, Union troops occupied the rebellious southern states during Reconstruction. When Texas rejoined the Union in 1870, one of the provisions was that the state would forswear the idea of ever seceding again.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in 1869’s Texas v.

White case further solidified the bond between the Lone Star State and the rest of the nation.

“What Chief Justice [Salmon P.] Chase said is that states cannot decide to leave the union through referendum,” Jillson said. “The last part of what Chief Justice Chase wrote in his opinion is that states can

Flickr / Ed Schipul

attempt to extricate themselves through revolution.

But he’s essentially saying, ‘You guys just tried that, and you got crushed. So if you want to do that again, that’s your only way out.’”

Indeed, the only way out of the Union, per the high court’s opinion, is via violent revolution — or if all the other states agreed unanimously that Texas could leave.

“I’ve always joked that if Texas were to do that, the other 49 would say, ‘Yeah, don’t let the door hit you in the ass,’” Jillson quipped.

The Supreme Court A popular talking point of the TNM — one prominently displayed on the group’s homepage FAQ — is that despite the Texas v. White ruling, the question of secession isn’t explicitly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. What’s more, Supreme Court rulings can be overturned, as recently illustrated by the 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

“To say that it’s not in the Constitution, to say it’s just a Supreme Court decision, is meaningless,” Jillson countered. “An extraordinary amount of our modern understanding of the Constitution is not explicitly in the document. It is in the document as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court over the course of the last 140 years.”

Even if the TNM did manage to prompt the nation’s highest court to weigh in, the justices would have little to no incentive to allow Texas, the second-largest state economy, to jump ship.

“I think the serious answer is that the Supreme Court, like the Supreme Court of 1869, has a desire for constitutional stability and for national integrity to be maintained,” Jillson said. “And so the idea that California might get disgusted with a second Trump term and decide to leave, or a second Biden term will cause Texas to leave, is simply untenable for a nation with the kinds of responsibilities and opportunities

that the United States has, both domestically and around the world.”

The Second Republic of Texas With the U.S. Supreme Court unlikely to budge, the only other way out is a second Texas revolution that would be fought against the world’s most powerful and well-funded military. Even though 46% of Texans own guns, according to the Texas Tribune, it seems unlikely that would be enough firepower to get the job done.

But, even if the second coming of Sam Houston successfully rids Texas of American forces, what would the Second Republic of Texas look like?

For one, it would be a lot poorer than it is now.

“The median income in Texas is already below the national average, and so that would decline further,” Jillson said. “Texas underfunds its public schools, and presumably, if it didn’t have to comply with federal regulations, it might underfund them even more.

So, Texas would be a poorer nation and would trend poorer than wealthier as a result of its departure from the Union.”

Indeed, an independent Texas would lose access to the largest free trade market in the world and also sacrifice billions of dollars in federal funding received for things like infrastructure, education and hosting military bases, the professor added.

All of that lost revenue would have to be made up somehow — most likely through (gasp) an income tax.

In other words, Texas isn’t likely to become an independent nation.

“Now, that doesn’t mean that people with a lot of time on their hands and little else productive to do still talk about it,” Jillson said. “But it doesn’t mean that it’s a real thing the rest of us who have actual lives need to pause and think about.” sacurrent.com | January 10 – 23, 2024 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | sacurrent.com

SPECIAL EVEN T

MONSTER JAM It’s that time of year again — the Christmas decorations are coming down, the worst of the winter doldrums are setting in and a small army of gargantuan trucks with tires big enough to have their own ZIP Codes are rumbling into the Alamodome for Monster Jam. As the august and venerable New Yorker has raved, Monster Jam competitions are near-religious experiences that capture a “kind of American sublime” and “can be a forum for contemplating oblivion.” If that’s not your thing, that’s cool too — the events also feature a bunch of massive trucks doing backflips and wheelies. The bashing begins at the pre-show Pit Party (extra ticket required), where attendees can get up close and personal with these gas-guzzling behemoths. During the three-part competition itself, monsters from the legendary Grave Digger to the toothy El Toro Loco will do what they do best — racing, stunting and freestyling until a victor is crowned. Finally, die-hard fans can check out the post-race meet and greet (extra ticket required once again), where devotees can meet the iconic drivers who rev the engines of their favorite leviathans. $22 and up, 7 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Alamodome, 100 Montana St., (210) 207-3663, alamodome.com. — Dean Zach

FRI | 01.12 SUN | 01.28 SPECIAL EVEN T

DREAMWEEK

The 12th annual San Antonio DreamWeek offers a packed series of civic-engagement events scheduled around Martin Luther King Jr. Day. How packed? So packed that it’s long outgrown its name, now spanning the better part of a month. Founded by San Antonio ad exec Shokare Nakpodia, the ever-expanding series of lectures, concerts, celebrations, discussions and happenings is designed to promote conversations around race, social justice and empowerment. Some of this year’s highlights include:

M.A.S.S. – RISE

Billed as a “music and artistic sensory experience for the soul,” the AM Project and the Carver Community Cultural Center will present a gospel-inspired celebration rooted in African American culture. The performance will incorporate music, dance and spoken word with rich cultural media. $10-$20, 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, Little Carver Theatre, Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry St., (210) 207-2234, thecarver.org.

CALABASH LOUNGE

This celebration of Caribbean culture in San Antonio will Courtesy Photo / Feld Motor Sports

calendar

SAT | 01.13 SUN | 01.14

Sarah Lyons

feature dual DJs spinning music of the islands along with food served up by local restaurant Real Real Jamaica. Get ready to dance and let loose. $15, 7 p.m.-midnight Friday, Jan. 19, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, (210) 265-6072, brickatbluestar.com.

NATIONAL DAY OF COLLECTIVE HEALING: SOLIDARITY, COMPASSION, AND COMMUNITY IMPACT WITH NIKKI GIOVANNI

World-renowned poet, activist and educator Nikki Giovanni — one of the key authors of the Black Arts Movement — will speak on a day created to bring people together in their common humanity and take collective action to create a more just and equitable world. The event is sold out, but will also be livestreamed on Alamo Colleges District’s social media channels. Sold out, noon-2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, McAllister Auditorium, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., (210) 486-0497, alamo.edu.

A full calendar of events is available online at dreamweek.org. — Sanford Nowlin

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.

calendar SAT | 01.13 SPORTS

philosopher would have been 95. Free, 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15, Martin

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, from her church choir roots in the ’50s to

Luther King Jr. Academy, 3501 Martin Luther King Drive, Pittman-Sullivan

her soulful and show-stopping performances in the ’60s and ’70s to her

Park, 1101 Iowa St., sa.gov. — Amber Esparza

triumphant ’80s return. Tina features such resonant anthems as “River Deep Mountain High,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” and “Proud

SPURS VS. BULLS

Mary,” all performed by a live band, vocal ensemble and Broadway

The Spurs seek to improve this season’s less-than-stellar record against

powerhouses Ari Groover and Parris Lewis, who share the role of

Eastern Conference opponents on Saturday night, taking on former

Turner. The story of Tina extends far beyond concerts and recording

teammate DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls. When the two

contracts, detailing her struggles with poverty, prejudice and domestic

squads squared off last month in Chicago, Spurs shooting guard Devin

abuse from husband and bandmate Ike Turner. In these high-octane

Vassell matched DeRozan’s 21-point performance to pace San Antonio

and harrowing moments, we become intimately familiar with her

in a lackluster 96-114 loss. After increasing his scoring average by more

not only as a performer but as a woman just trying to survive. Rising

than six points in each of his first three seasons, similar improve-

to fame as a Black woman in the thick of the Civil Rights Movement,

ment was expected from Vassell, who signed a five-year, $146 million

Turner’s musical talent was only a fraction of what propelled her to the

contract extension heading into training camp. Despite dealing with

top. Tina teaches us that her resilience and heart made her “Simply The

a left adductor strain earlier this season, Vassell is averaging 18 points

Best.” $45-$160, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8

and has scored at least 20 in 11 games. His emergence as a reliable

p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, January 16-21, Majestic Theatre,

20-points-per-game contributor would help steady a struggling offense

224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com.— Caroline Wolff

that has often looked out of sync. With a five-game East Coast swing

THU | 01.18

that includes stops in Boston and Philadelphia up next, a timely win at home could go a long way for the young Spurs. $34 and up, 7:30 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140,

DANCE

frostbankcenter.com, Bally Sports SW-SA. — M. Solis

LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO Self-described as a “gender-skewering comic ballet company,” Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo has been performing en travesti — a fancy theatrical way of saying “in drag” — and en pointe since 1974.

Jaime Monzon

TUE | 01.16 SUN | 01.21 TH EATER

TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL The passing of musical giant Tina Turner last year has only amped up the poignancy of the touring Broadway production Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which honors her life and legacy. The exuberant and emotional jukebox musical delves deep into the personal life of the

Reginald Thomas II / San Antonio Spurs

MON | 01.15 SPECIAL EVEN T

Courtesy Photo / Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MARCH AND CELEBRATION

The group formed in the wake of the Stonewall Uprising, performing

San Antonio’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. March and Celebration

on a makeshift stage belonging to the West Side Discussion Group, an

will return to the city’s East Side for its 37th year. Known as one of the

offshoot of one of the nation’s earliest LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. The

largest MLK Day celebrations in the nation and the largest MLK march

Trocks, as they’re commonly known, combine a reverence for the art of

in the country, the event has routinely drawn more than 300,000

ballet with a knack for comedy that highlights the personalities of the

participants in recent years. The march will commence at 10 a.m. at

troupe’s dancers. The resulting performances offer an accessible, hilar-

Martin Luther King Jr. Academy and end with an outdoor celebration

ious entry into the world of ballet. The Trocks continue to celebrate the

at Pittman-Sullivan Park that will include multicultural performances,

awkwardness and incongruities of dance with a 50th anniversary sea-

food and merchandise vendors, health and wellness stations, a youth

son that that includes this San Antonio stop. $29.60-$67, 8 p.m., H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium

area and more. The federal holiday and annual celebration falls on King’s birthday this year. The slain Civil Rights leader and political 20

CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | sacurrent.com

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Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Macks Cook

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SAT | 01.20

Courtesy Photo / Frost Bank Center

COMEDY

BERT KREISCHER

Barrel-chested comedian Bert Kreischer is coming to San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center on Jan. 20 as part of his Tops Off World Tour. Known for his party-hard lifestyle and frat boy humor, Kreischer’s stop in the Alamo City comes after the release of his highly anticipated fifth Netflix special, Razzle Dazzle. Hailed as “one of the best storytellers of his generation” by Forbes, Kreischer’s tour also follows the release of his film The Machine, a fictionalized retelling of the time he got mixed up with the Russian mafia during a trip he took in college. $25 and up, 7 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com. — Michael Karlis

SAT | 01.20 SUN | 01.21

Jeremy Daniel

TH EATER

MY FAIR LADY

Six-time Tony Award-winning musical My Fair Lady, which also spawned the renowned 1964 film starring Audrey Hepburn, is waltzing into San Antonio for a limited two-day run. The rags-to-riches tale begins in a London town square, where Cockney flower seller Eliza Doolittle (Anette Barrios-Torres) has a chance encounter with one of England’s most revered phonetics scholars, Professor Henry Higgins (Jonathan Grunert). When Higgins expresses his annoyance at Eliza’s thick accent, Eliza takes his words to heart, appearing later at his home to ask for elocution lessons in hopes of improving her job prospects. Thrilled to tackle such a challenging case, the notoriously self-absorbed Higgins insists he can teach Eliza how to pass for a “proper lady.” Before long, Eliza is attending horse races and charity galas, donning expensive gowns and dazzling the elites with her poise and pronunciation. But when Higgins’ mentorship veers into mockery and eventually misogyny, Eliza terminates the relationship and leaves her high-flying life behind. Left rife with regret, Higgins must either unlearn his archaic ideas of femininity or lose the closest friend he’s ever had. $39.60-$124.50, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — CW

sacurrent.com | January 10 – 23, 2024 | CURRENT

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Courtesy Photo / Anthony S. Garcia

Caribbean Connection

San Antonio visual artists working to build cultural bridge with Cuba

BY ANJALI GUPTA

W

here the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic converge lies a tiny island subject to one of the longest-running sanction policies in U.S. history. It is also the birthplace of some of the most influential conceptual artists in history — Coco Fusco, Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Ana Mendieta, among others.

“Cuba — well, Havana specifically — is really different than most impoverished places,” San Antonio artist Gary Sweeney said. “Sure, you can go to Kingston or any number of beautiful places, but the people are genuinely pissed off — and armed. The people you meet in Havana are warm and beautiful.”

Sweeney’s latest trip to Cuba, his third thus far, was not as a tourist. Rather, it’s the first step in establishing a cultural bridge.

“My role was akin to carnival barker,” he explained.

“This is 100% Angela’s baby.”

By that, Sweeney means Angela Martinez, proprietor of Slab Cinema Outdoor Movies and Arthouse Cinema at Blue Star, brought a small group of San Antonio-based artists together to test the waters, 24

CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | sacurrent.com

make connections and, ultimately, establish longterm cultural exchanges centered around the visual arts, which she dubbed The San-Havana Project.

Literally flying by the seat of their pants, Martinez, Sweeney, painter Ricky Armendariz and photographer Anthony S. Garcia recently traveled to Cuba as unofficial cultural emissaries. Travel restrictions were relaxed during the Obama administration but ramped back up under Trump and continue to this day, creating a process filled with mind-numbing redundancies and rubber stamps in triplicate.

Luckily, artists and art lovers draw the short ream of red tape right now, thanks in no small part to the upcoming 2024 Havana Biennial.

As project lead, it was Martinez’s job to forge institutional connections, secure venues and deal with logistics — not an easy task in a foreign country with patchy phone service and unreliable internet. However, she quickly made inroads with some art collectives and the organization Havana Espacio Creativos, a multidisciplinary laboratory for the creation and display of contemporary art.

The SA group pulled off an exhibition and interactive artmaking workshop at Espacio Creativos, with Armendariz teaching the audience printmaking and Garcia shooting and giving away portraits. They next day, they followed with a pop-up exhibition in the space where they were staying. That’s where Sweeney’s role kicked in.

While Armendariz and Garcia were upstairs doing print demos and portraits, Sweeney stood on the street getting any passers-by he could to go see the show — a great strategy until it turned into an ad hoc block party.

“We were having so much fun, we kinda forgot that we were operating in a police state,” Sweeney said.

Police arrived, and the gathering was deemed unlawful. Guests filed out of the building, thankfully without incident.

Many artists fall on the wrong side of the law in Cuba, ending up under house arrest, in exile or in prison. Some simply disappear.

Tania Bruguera is a prime example. A conceptual artist whose ethos and performative practice are steeped in political actionism, Bruguera has been placed under house arrest on multiple occasions.

One of the latest charges she faced was “organizing a demonstration with the intent to overthrow the Cuban government,” an allegation that made the artist laugh out loud at its overblown absurdity. However, those who create apolitical, abstract and traditional

arts

Courtesy Photo / Gary Sweeney

Courtesy Photo / Anthony S. Garcia

art in Cuba can become quite successful. them coffee upon arrival.

“Our guide explained to us that in an The San-Havana Project isn’t intended to be economy that has no real financial sector a one-time effort.

— in which doctors and professional sports “I’ve got all these talking points about the players make a state mandated salary, which project and my goals, but they don’t quite is squat — an internationally known artist, capture the thrill of creating this thing that oddly, can make it to the top of the food is so beautiful and challenging at the same chain,” Sweeney time,” Martinez said. explained.

To that end, two The San-Havana The four Alamo events this month — a City emissaries pop-up at Pearl retail Project experienced that pheshop Dos Carolinas nomenon on a visit featuring Garcia’s Photography pop-up to the palatial studio photography from 5-7 Free, 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, Dos Carolinas, of painter Nelson p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11 303 Pearl Parkway, Unit 102, (210) 224-7000, Domínguez in Old and an artists’ talk at doscarolinas.com.

Havana, Sweeney and restaurant Pharm Table Artists’ talk Martinez recalled. at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21 Free, 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, Pharm Table, 611 Upon entering a — will help introduce S Presa St Suite 106, (210) 802-1860, pharmcourtyard fit for a the concept to the San table.com. five-star hotel, they Antonio community. were served coffee Tickets for both Tickets for both available at san-havana.com. and seated. As they events are available on looked around trying the project website, to get the lay of the land, they were told that san-havana.com. the entire third floor is Domínguez’s painting “Art is a universal language,” Martinez said. studio.

“This is about long-term community buildAfter a tour of said space — a studio any ing. Once you get past the handshakes and artist would kill for — they asked if they were logistics and focus on art, people change. going to meet Domínguez. His assistant They drop their guard and communicate on a informed them that they already had. He was very human level, and that is where lifelong, the quiet, unassuming gentleman who served meaningful relationships begin.”

Courtesy Photo / Gary Sweeney

Left to right, clockwise: 1) San Antonio artist Ricky Armendariz teaches a printmaking workshop at Havana Espacio Creativos. 2) While in Cuba, San Antonio photographer Anthony S. Garcia shot and gave away portraits such as this one of a man leaping.

3 and 4) Artist Gary Sweeney documented Cuban life with photographs shot while on his recent visit as part of The San-Havana Project.

U

Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com

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CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | sacurrent.com

Eight San Antonio-tied actors have film and TV projects premiering in 2024

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

W

hether an actor was born or raised in San Antonio or relocated here, it’s likely we’re going to claim them forever.

From Jesse Borrego (Blood in Blood Out), who’s lived here most his life, to Michelle Rodriguez (Fast X), who was born here but left at the age of six, no one can escape their connection to the 210.

These San Antonio-linked actors are premiering films and TV series in 2024.

Nicholas Gonzalez

San Antonio-born actor Nicholas Gonzalez (The Good Doctor) has returned for the third and final season of the sci-fi drama series La Brea on NBC. On the show, Gonzalez plays Capt. Levi Delgado, a U.S. Air Force pilot who’s still looking for a portal that can get him and the rest of the cast out of the prehistoric sinkhole they fell into in 2021. The season premiered Jan. 9 on NBC.

Noël Wells

Former Saturday Night Live cast member and San Antonio-born comedian and director Noël Wells (Mr. Roosevelt) will reprise her role as Kelsey Pokoly in the animated feature film Craig Before the Creek. Kelsey is the 9-year old best friend of Craig Williams from the animated series Craig of the Creek. The new film follows Craig and his friends as they set out to find a fortune teller who can grant wishes. The movie premieres Jan. 13 on Cartoon Network.

Madison Davenport

San Antonio-born actress Madison Davenport (Sharp Objects) stars in It’s What’s Inside, a sci-fi thriller about “a pre-wedding party that descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend shows up with a mysterious suitcase.” It’s What’s Inside will premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, which runs Jan. 18-28.

Kevin Alejandro

San Antonio-born actor Kevin Alejandro (Lucifer) will return for the second season of the action-drama series Fire Country. The CBS show features Alejandro as Manny Perez, a fire captain for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which works with prisoners from the California Conservation Camp Program to put out forest fires.

At the end of the first season, Manny is upset that lead character Bode (Max Thieriot) has tested positive for drugs. The new season

screens

On the Horizon

CBS

premieres Feb. 16 on CBS.

Pedro Pascal

Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), who lived in San Antonio until age 10, is keeping busy in 2024. His first film, Freaky Tales, is set in 1987 Oakland and follows “four interconnected stories taking place at real locations and during real historical events.”

His second, Drive-Away Dolls, is a road trip comedy that stars Margaret Qualley (Maid) and Colman Domingo (Rustin). Pascal also will appear in the Ridley Scott-directed sequel Gladiator 2 alongside Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers) and Oscar winner Denzel Washington (Training Day). Freaky Tales premieres at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival later this month. Drive-Away Dolls premieres at theaters Feb. 23. Gladiator 2 premieres at theaters Nov. 22.

Carol Burnett

At 90 years old, legendary comedian, actress and San Antonio native Carol Burnett (The Carol Burnett Show) will star in the main cast of the AppleTV+ series Palm Royale. The show is about a woman who wants to be a part of Palm Beach’s high society. Along with Burnett, the series will feature an array of top stars, including Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Ricky Martin (The Assassination of Gianni Versace) and Oscar winners Laura Dern (Marriage Story) and Allison Janney (I, Tonya). Palm Royale premieres March 20 on AppleTV+.

San Antonio-born Kevin Alejandro is back for a second season of action-drama series Fire Country.

M

Chris Silcox

Actor, stunt performer and 2004 Churchill High School graduate Chris Silcox (Babylon) will be part of the stunt department for three major projects in 2024 — the Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew; the action flick Twisters, an updated version of the 1996 tornado thriller Twister; and the sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Oscar winners Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born). In the past, Silcox served as a stunt double for Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Macaulay Culkin in American Horror Story and Sebastian Stan in The Bronze. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will premiere on Disney+ in 2024. Twisters premieres July 19 in theaters.

Joker: Folie à Deux premieres Oct. 4 in theaters.

Nicolas Cantu

San Antonio resident Nicolas Cantu will reprise his role as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles leader Leonardo in Tales of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a 2-D animated spin-off series of the entertaining 2023 animated feature Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The Paramount+ series will follow the four turtle brothers — Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello — as they embark on solo adventures. The show will premiere on Paramount+ in 2024.

Find more film stories at sacurrent.com

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CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | sacurrent.com

food

Resolution Revolution

New year’s weight-loss goals better accomplished with realistic expectations, San Antonio experts say

BY NINA RANGEL

E

very time the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, countless numbers of us start pontificating fresh starts and new-year-new-you resolutions.

If only it was that easy. A recent Forbes Health survey found that Americans’ top 2024 resolutions include improving fitness, finances and mental health. However, the same survey found that most give up those resolutions within four months.

In an effort to help readers stick to their resolutions, we spoke to San Antonio health, food and wellness pros about how to make resolutions that are both meaningful and attainable.

Abby Kristen Lee Owner-operator, Abby’s Personal Training

facebook.com/groups/abbyspersonaltraining, (210) 501-4770.

Personal trainer Abby Kristen Lee’s 15 years in health and wellness have led her to emphasize attainable milestones rather than resolutions. To reach those, she suggests starting with feasible daily goals that you’ll feel motivated to meet, but that won’t leave you devastated if you fall short.

“Nobody should feel bad about not meeting their goal,” Lee said. “The best advice I can give someone is to move every day. The benefits of daily movement include an increase in metabolism — which helps with weight loss — an increase in energy, a strengthening of bones and muscle, and it reduces the risk of diseases [including heart disease, osteoporosis and arthritis]. Essentially, it increases your overall quality of life.”

Lee also suggests paying attention to how you refuel with food after a workout — especially if you’re new to the grind. Her suggestion is to familiarize yourself with recharge-worthy sources such as low-calorie protein drinks, hard boiled eggs, nuts, seeds and lean meat or fish.

“Depending on the intensity of the workout I would recommend 20-30 grams of protein afterward,” Lee said. “When you work out you are essentially breaking down your muscle fibers, and to put it simply, protein helps to rebuild that muscle … you just broke down.

Working out has endless benefits, but don’t

Unsplash / TinaWitherspoon

forget to take care of yourself after the workout too.”

Jamie Gonzalez President, Food Policy Council of San Antonio; American Heart Association Nutrition Expert Advisor Known locally and lovingly as the Puta de la Fruta, Jamie Gonzalez has worked diligently to help San Antonio families develop a healthier, more equitable relationship with food. Her work, which includes co-creating the traveling produce market Mercado por tu Corazón, gives her valuable insight into nutrition goals that are attainable for working families.

She urges San Antonians to embrace a Spanish term with which many are already familiar: tengo comida en casa, or “I have food at home.” By reducing food waste around the house and preparing your own meals, you can amp up your self-care without latching on to diet crazes or healthy eating myths.

“Eat with intention by taking the time to truly enjoy at least one meal per day,” Gonzalez said. “Setting intentions with food is one of the No. 1 ways to cultivate a healthier food relationship.” she said.

Gonzalez urged folks looking to eat healthier to limit restaurant meals to one a week while seeking ways to avoid throwing away healthy produce in their refrigerators.

Researching how to better store produce so it lasts longer is a first step. Celery, for example, will stay crunchy for at least a month if wrapped in foil, she noted. Also, prioritize using perishable items that seem like they’re on their last legs.

“Be gentle with yourself. When the produce goes bad, don’t give up,” Gonzalez said. “Adjust your buying and be realistic with yourself

about your habits.”

There’s also strength in numbers, according to Gonzalez. Explore your social groups for “food friends” who can share your challenges, recipes, and food ideas, expanding your palate and culinary repertoire in the process.

Sarah Treat Nutritionist and owner, Local Health Market

16535 Huebner Road #113, (210) 375-5928, localhealthmarket.com.

Nutritionist Sarah Treat uses a holistic approach to her health coaching services. That means she works to created detailed, customized plans for those looking to meet health and fitness goals. Her focus is on helping clients make lasting lifestyle choices, rather than offering quick fixes.

Those kind of attainable, forward-looking changes can boost clients’ energy levels and help them move toward their goal weight, she said. Intention counts.

“My advice is to start intentionally eating enough of the right foods,” Treat said. “For example, aim for two fruits and three to four cups of vegetables every day. This is a habit that will naturally help people feel better, lose weight and accomplish health goals.”

Treat also suggests trying to get in 8,000 to 10,000 steps daily. The average American walks 3,000 to 4,000 steps over that time, or roughly 1.5 to 2 miles, according to the Mayo Clinic.

By aiming to add 1,000 extra daily steps every two weeks, reaching that goal will become less of a burden, she added.

“It’s a one-day-at-a-time approach versus setting a long term goal — which is really just a wish — and there is no plan in place to execute that goal,” Treat said.

Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com

food Taco Trio

In a city overrun by taquerias, these three stand out from the herd

BY RON BECHTOL

N

obody, not even San Antonio’s arch-nemesis up I-35, would argue that our city lacks for quality taquerias.

Sometimes it seems as though they’re on every other corner.

Perhaps due to our abundance of taco riches, it can be a little harder to pin down those which truly stand out — either for their unique offerings or just for doing the tried-and-true extremely well.

But in the past few months, three homegrown and distinctly different places have made an impression. Let’s explore.

Tacos al Carbón Cabrón first came to my attention because of its name, “cabron” being one of those useful slang words that can be either pungently vulgar or jokingly familiar. The layout of the joint, on San Pedro not too far south from North Star Mall, is unique in its own right: the kitchen occupies a trailer parked outside the strip-center address, and the dining room is located inside the adjacent building. The layout works just fine, perhaps in part due to the simple menu: mostly tacos of carne asada, pollo asado and carne adobada.

When the server at the counter asks if you want your tacos “loaded,” the answer is yes. This means they’ll arrive piled with guacamole, cilantro, onion and queso fresco. It also means that the adobada marinated in a blend of chiles, onion, vinegar and spices will look pretty much like the simpler asada, but taste is another matter.

Tacos al Carbón Cabrón’s unusually varied salsa bar — the salsas are “cabronas” in case there’s any worry about gender equality — is a must-visit before tucking into any and all tacos. Those labeled “Hot!” aren’t kidding, and don’t forget to check out the onions pickled in tangy vinegar with oregano and chiles habaneros. Even though the onions may be culturally more associated with the adobada, put them on everything. The meaty charro beans go with everything too.

If I had to pick a favorite at Tacos al Carbón Cabrón, it would be the carne

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Ron Bechtol

asada in its tricked-out mulita form — a layer of toasty, melted cheese forms a waterproof barrier between filling and tortilla, and a griddled chile güero is an unexpected bonus. I think I’d prefer the adobada in bigger, moister chunks, but the chicken holds its own against the beef, if not the feistiest salsa roja.

It’s a fool’s errand to try to pick a favorite among the offerings at San Taco, a Five Points operation whose major move is a battery of lidded clay cazuelas cradling myriad guisados — a dozen, to be exact. The clay vessels are displayed sunk into a counter just inside the entry, and if you arrive at a slack time, say before 11:30 a.m., you should feel free to ask someone to lift a few of the lids. That won’t make choosing any easier, but it’s fun to be able to sniff as well as look.

I’ve tried seven out of 12, and there’s not a dog in the bunch. I will, however, call your attention to the unusually good rajas con elote, the succulent trocito de puerco verde and the out-ofthe-ordinary chicharron prensado.

I’ll also suggest ordering the even more distinctive tamachile — the Cronut, or maybe the turducken, of tamales. I take exception to it being delivered in a tight swaddling of plastic wrap,

however. The artificial wrapping seems like cheating, and it’s hard to remove.

Otherwise, what you get is a huskwrapped tamal filling stuffed inside a seriously charred poblano. And that filling isn’t ordinary. It’s studded with corn kernels and enhanced with cheese and crema. While that may sound like a heavy combination, it’s unexpectedly light and almost fluffy. The plate is served with your choice of guisado on the side. Nopalitos con guajillo would keep it all vegetarian.

Be prepared to choose quickly at Taquitos West Avenue. Once you’ve navigated the often-long but always fast-moving line, you’ll give your order directly at the kitchen window. It will be prepared as you wait. Briefly. (To keep things moving, you pay when leaving on a kind of honor system.)

Next, proceed to a bolted-down seat.

The menu is lettered on the glass separating the kitchen from the dining room, and it consists of six daily items: chorizo, tripas, bistek, lengua, cabeza and suadero. Al pastor is confined to Thursday through Sunday. The chorizo, less greasy than is often the case, was especially good, and I can always be had by the firm but pliant texture of lengua.

Tripas aren’t normally the first thing

Tacos al Carbón Cabrón isn’t just a funny name. It’s a place where you want to get your tacos “loaded.”

M

I think of to order but they, too, were exceptional. Suadero, sometimes referred to as a smoother form of brisket, didn’t stand out as much as I’d hoped, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t order it again on Taquitos West Avenue’s tender corn tortillas.

TACOS AL CARBÓN CABRÓN 6653 San Pedro Ave. | (210) 267-9492 | tacosalcarboncabron.com 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon- 7 p.m. Sunday

SAN TACO 114 Fredericksburg Road | (210) 314-3099 | instagram.com/san_taco114/ 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. daily

TAQUITOS WEST AVENUE 2818 West Ave. | (210) 525-9888 10 a.m.-midnight p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday-Saturday

NEWS Rapper Snoop Dogg has tapped San Antonio-based Hill Beverage Co. to launch a hempbased drink brand called Do It Fluid. The product line is now available online, and company officials said retail will follow. hillbeverageco.com.

Westside staple Cinderella Bakery has closed after 60-plus years of serving pan dulce and other Mexican favorites, including tamales and barbacoa.

High-end chocolate business Chocollazo will permanently close next month after 10 years in business.

OPENINGS Restaurateur Jesse “Chef Kirk” Kuykendall’s anticipated Mexican restaurant Milpa is now serving at East Side staple the Dakota East Side Icehouse.

419 S. Hackberry St., instagram.com/milpasatx.

The owner of San Antonio’s El Camino and Besame food-truck parks has opened Ay Que Chula, a new bar inside the former Luther’s Cafe space on the Main Strip. 1503 N. Main Ave., (830) 542-8428, instagram.com/ayquechula.tx.

Recently shuttered Carnitas Lonja has been revamped, and now operates under a new concept called Chilaking. The latest venture from owner Alex Paredes serves chilaquiles, a popular Mexican breakfast dish. 1103 Roosevelt Ave., (210) 455-2105, instagram.com/chilaking_sa.

Utah-based Beans & Brews Coffeehouse has opened its first San Antonio shop, making its debut in the Alamo Ranch neighborhood. The store is the first of 40 locations planned for San Antonio and Austin. 6507 W. Loop 1604 N., (210) 236-7648, beansandbrews.com/coffee-shops/ san-antonio.

Box Street All Day will hold a Jan. 11 grand opening for its new La Cantera location. Reservations for the highly anticipated eatery are open now.

17038 Fiesta Texas Drive, Suite 112, (210) 265-3435, boxstallday.com.

New seafood concept Hook Land & Sea is opening Jan. 15 inside The Creamery development near The Pearl. The eatery will celebrate its grand opening with a week’s worth of freebies and discounts, according to officials. 875 E. Ashby Place, (210) 201-3027, hooksatx.com.

Ay Que Chula

Courtesy Photo / Ay Que Chula

sacurrent.com | January 10 – 23, 2024 | CURRENT

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Zero Degrees of Separation

Catching up with the Bacon Brothers ahead of their Gruene Hall performance

BY MIKE MCMAHAN

T

he Bacon Brothers don’t hail from the Lone Star State. But its spirit does permeate the duo’s music. After all, the Philadelphia-reared brothers get here as often as they can and even have a song inspired by Gruene Hall.

But, to be fair to the Bacon Brothers — the duo consisting of Hollywood star Kevin Bacon and his real-life brother Michael — they aren’t just country.

They stir plenty of soul, folk and alt-rock in the mix too. Backed by a full band, the pair will appear at Friday, Jan. 19 at Gruene Hall.

Most likely, music fans already know Kevin from his other career as an A-list actor, having appeared in anything from Footloose to Tremors to Netflix’s recent head-scratcher Leave the World Behind. Hell, he’s been in so many films he inspired the movie trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking the Bacon Brothers is a vanity project. Both brothers write, sing lead vocals and play guitar. Besides, Michael has an impressive musical resume of his own, having scored some 100 movie and TV projects, many for PBS, and even picked up an Emmy along the way.

The brothers have enjoyed performing music together since they were kids, and started the band in 1995. They’ve even largely kept the same backing lineup together from their formation until today.

Two years after forming, the Bacon Brothers released the 1997 debut Forosoco, the title a word coined to describe the band’s mix of folk, rock, soul and country. Since then, the outfit has released 11 albums in total, with a new one — Ballad of the Brothers — on the way in April. The title track is already available on streaming services.

The band’s tours have taken it to iconic venues like the Grand Ole Opry and Carnegie Hall. But South Texas audiences can count on it playing its Gruene-inspired tune when it appears at the legendary Texas dance hall later this month.

We caught up with both brothers on Zoom, where they talked about their Gruene Hall inspiration, their new single, choosing a setlist and their favorite albums.

Let’s start with the new single “Ballad of the Brothers.” It’s a rootsy, story-oriented song. Tell us a little bit about how the tune came about.

Michael: This would be a song you would relegate to the pile of road songs, different experiences that we had together as brothers. There’s a song Kevin wrote for the new record called “Airport Bar,” and I remember exactly the day that the seed got planted in his head. We were at an airport bar at 9 o’clock in the morning, and we walked by this group of travelers who were having a very, very good time, probably going to the Caribbean. And he said, or I said, “Funny thing about an airport bar is it doesn’t matter what time it is, you’re just gonna be there drinking.” And sure enough, my brother’s wheels started turning, and he came up with this really cool song. There’s 32

CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | sacurrent.com

many things like that. “I Feel You” is about a place we visited. What city, Kevin?

Kevin: Jackson, Mississippi.

Michael: So, the “Ballad of the Brothers” came about when we played seven or eight times at Gruene Hall.

There’s something about Texas that I find really fascinating. It’s a little like Long Island. It’s this very large place that doesn’t really care what anybody thinks about it. Being residents in New York City, when you meet someone from Long Island, it’s just a little bit different than the rest of us. And that’s how I feel about Texas. It’s fascinating. The Willie Door is about Gruene Hall, and it’s the oldest dance hall in Texas, I’ve been told. And Willie Nelson loved to play there.

Who wouldn’t love to play there? It’s a very cool place. When Willie would come to play, there was no way to come onstage except by coming through the audience. He would obviously get mobbed. So he said, “Can you do something for me? Take this window in the back and put some steps up. I’ll climb up there, grab a rope and swing through the door.”

They weren’t allowed to make a door because it’s a landmark historical treasure, but this little window became the Willie Door, and everybody that plays there now goes through the Willie Door, which is really fun. That’s a neat story, and I started to fantasize about all the Texas musicians that I’ve looked up to over the years. My model was “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which is a Faustian story, which is a little bit like that in that these two nerdy brothers all of a sudden become rock stars for a night, but you don’t know what happened to them, where they went. They traded their lives for one night of glory.

You’ve been doing the band for decades now and have a wealth of material. How do you go about choosing the setlist since there’s so much ground to cover?

Kevin: Yeah, it’s an ongoing question. I think we always want to keep switching it up if possible. We don’t switch it up set-to-set. Maybe we’ll make a little adjustment here or there. But it’s not one of those things where we have this hundred-song catalog and every night the setlist is different. That’s not what we do. I love tinkering with setlists, because coming from movies and theater, you edit a piece so it has a flow. A first act, a second act and a third act. Highs and lows. I think of the show in that kind of way. I think both of us enjoy playing new stuff. In our case, we don’t have any hits, so it’s not like we have to play the hits. (Laughs.) You look at artists who sometimes probably grumble about people just wanting to hear their old stuff, their hits, and they don’t get to play their new stuff. We don’t have that problem. In our current set, it’s pretty much new things. We have a couple of things that have hung around for a while.

We try to keep it fresh.

Michael, you have a whole list of scores you’ve

done through the years, some of which our readers are likely unaware of. You won an Emmy for The Kennedys, for example. Is there something near and dear to your heart that you feel really represents your body of work?

Michael: As you say, there’s an awful lot of it. As a film composer, you would have to separate a great film that you wrote music for or just forget the film and whatever the music is. I can’t give you a single answer, but what I’ve been doing for the past 10 years is archiving. Most of my stuff is on reel-to-reel tape — that’s how long I’ve been doing this. And reel-to-reel tape does not last. You have to digitize it. And it takes a really long time. So, I have a reel-to-reel tape recorder and a lot of DATs, and it’s really fun to go back. I’ve done so much, a lot of it I’ve totally forgotten. Kevin and I ran into this song that we recorded on our first rehearsal with the band. It was called “Sweet Little Sweety Sweet Something.”

Kevin (looks perplexed): I don’t remember.

music Jacob Blinkenstaff

Michael: It’s not “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”

(Laughs.). I tried to find it on Apple Music.

Maybe we wrote it in our sleep and forgot.

Kevin, Michael has this body of work without you. Do you ever consider doing a solo album without him?

Kevin: I haven’t, no. I like doing the stuff we do with the Bacon Brothers. You know, I’m not drawing a comparison to Lennon and McCartney, but there were songs they recorded that we think of as Beatles songs, and one was not really involved with them. And there’s plenty of stuff like that that we’ve done. We write separately, usually, though we have some co-writes on the new record. Sometimes — especially in the case of Michael — he’ll start building tracks, like “San Joaquin.” It was pretty much done. Maybe I’ll put a harmony on or something. Or play a tambourine. (Laughs.)

My point is there’s no real burning desire to go and make a solo record.

Let’s hear from each of you on this one. Alltime favorite album?

Michael: I’d have to say Music from Big Pink [by The Band], if I had to really choose one.

What keeps you coming back to that record?

Michael: I was in a band that was signed to Columbia, and we were listening to mixes of our record. And then that came out. And my partner and I were like, “Where did that come from?” It caught us all really off-guard.

I was recently listening to some Beatles stuff, and I think The Beatles were really caught off-guard by it.

Kevin: Oh, they were. And Clapton too.

Michael: It was so simple, and it didn’t have

all these strange things to it. The songs were beautiful and the harmonies and the grooves.

When I read about how it was recorded — I think it was recorded on a four-track machine — it just sounds so good.

What about you, Kevin?

Kevin: I don’t know, I guess I never get tired of listening to That’s the Way of the World from Earth, Wind & Fire. But there’s so many.

Revolver [by The Beatles] is amazing. Songs in the Key of Life [by Stevie Wonder]. Blue [by Joni Mitchell]. That first [self-titled] James Taylor record. I can’t name ‘em all. $119-$139, 8 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels, (830) 606-1281, gruenehall.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.

FAMILY FUN FOR EVERYONE

Bringing the premier family entertainment center to

SAN ANTONIO, TX • BALCONES HEIGHTS, TX • SURROUNDING AREAS For friends, family, and co-workers to MEET, PARTY, and PLAY!

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music

Musical Melting Pot

San Antonio-born Mike Dillon’s Punkadelick bringing jazz-punk fusion to the Lonesome Rose

BY BILL BAIRD

S

an Antonio native Mike Dillon is a musical innovator and provocateur whose punk-jazz hybrid is virtuosic, intense and, most of all, groovy.

As a sideman, the ace vibraphonist has collaborated with Les Claypool, both on Primus releases and the bassist’s solo work. He’s also worked with Rickie Lee Jones, Ani Difranco and the Dean Ween Group, to name a few.

Over the years, Dillon’s own bands have ranged from the funk-punk Billy Goat to the jazz-rocking Critters Buggin to the percussive party of Hairy Apes BMX. His latest combo, Punkadelick, will play the Lonesome Rose on Friday, Jan. 12 on a bill with San Antonio free-blowing jazz outfit The Whale. As the pairing and the band’s name suggests, Punkadelick doesn’t specialize in mellow cocktail jazz — far from it. The trio plays with an intensity and power as much influenced by Bad Brains as Charlie Parker.

“The music of Mike Dillon combines many sources, yet comes out sounding unto itself,” Downbeat Magazine recently wrote of the musician. “Overall, it is punk rock as played by great instrumentalists ... most reminiscent of the Minutemen with its commitment to all styles and ability to play them and of the Dead Kennedys in its attitude and phrasing.”

Dillon’s bandmates are similarly accomplished. Drummer Nikki Glaspie has backed both Beyonce and Dumpstaphunk, while pianist Brian Haas possesses “a breadth and vision nearly untouched in modern jazz,” music site Signal to Noise once effused.

We caught up with Dillon to talk about his musical adventures and his San Antonio ties.

Where are you living these days?

I’m in New Orleans now but split my time between here and Kansas City. I also have a place in Texas. But, really, wherever the road takes me. Spent 270 days on the road last year, been all over: Poland, Germany, Spain, France, the UK.

Have any countries surprised you?

I played Israel with Les Claypool, and I realized that everywhere you go, no matter what their governments are doing, in general the people want peace.

That’s probably even happening over there now. Most people want to live free, raise their kids, enjoy music. I’m not gonna buy into the narrative that everyone hates each other. Governments and arms manufacturers want us to be at odds with each other, but everywhere I go, people are different, but once the music starts, communication starts at a deeper level.

You have a pretty deep connection to San Antonio, right?

That’s where my mom gave birth to me! My parents were teachers, so we moved all over Texas, ended up in Houston. Went to high school there, then went to Denton and attended [the University of] North Texas, very active in frontlines and ensembles in the ’80s.

Started playing in bands and the first band that had any success, the guitar player was also from San Antonio, born in the same hospital two days before me. Texas, as big as it is, it’s a really small place. Whether you’re playing Marfa, Terlingua, Austin, Houston or Dallas, people come to shows — people who like music — looking for something deeper. That’s the power of music.

Someone else from San Antonio who I have a deep connection with is Bubba Hernandez, who plays with Brave Combo. He introduced me to the great accordion player Steve Jordan — the amazing virtuoso of the accordion. I’ve been hearing a lot of cumbia and conjunto music since I was a kid. My band now does cumbias. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve embraced it.

As Bubba used to say, Texas is just occupied Mexico. (Laughs.) What that means is the culture of Mexico is alive and well in Texas.

But also the music of Bob Wills. My grandfather, he’d be driving us around in his pickup, and we’d listen to that all day. I was into Rush [back then], so I wasn’t into it. And now ... I can only listen to one or two Rush songs but can listen to a Bob Wills record all the

Courtesy Photo / Mike Dillon

way through. Jimmie Rodgers connects Texas to the music of New Orleans, to Louie Armstrong. Back in the old days, after the gigs, everyone hung out and played. There wasn’t a division, music was the universal connector.

Western Swing is one of Texas’ main cultural contributions. Cowboy jazz.

Exactly. I was a North Texas jazz education guy, but then I discovered Bad Brains at a gallery in Deep Ellum in 1986. I’d been asked to play percussion for one of the openers. Literally my first hardcore show, and I was opening for Bad Brains and [Black Flag guitarist] Greg Ginn’s band Gone! It was an accident. I wasn’t hip, but I had my brains blown wide open. From there, I saw bands like Firehose, opening for

those guys — the whole DIY thing. And realizing Mike Watt was heavily influenced by John Coltrane. Or John Lurie from the Lounge Lizards. These guys who saw the connection between the energy of punk rock and the explosive nature of free jazz, people like Peter Brötzmann and Eric Dolphy, the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Kids from my generation who grew up on punk rock ended up moving over to free jazz once the punk rock thing got boring. So, for me, in my music, I call it “punkadelick” — we do punk, there’s psychedelic, jazz, cumbia, everything we love. It’s a big musical gumbo, to bring it back to the town I’m in. $10-$12, 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12, Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerose.com. sacurrent.com | January 10 – 23, 2024 | CURRENT

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critics’ picks Wednesday, Jan. 10

The Spits, Die Spitz The Spits have been churning out low-fi, high-energy garage punk for decades now with no signs of slowing down. The group’s melodic incorporation of keyboards into garage rock has influenced countless other bands, including SA’s own Sex Mex. Rising quartet Die Spitz, one of Austin’s best new bands, conjures ’90s stalwarts L7 and Nirvana as they bash guitars with reckless abandon and a persuasively pissed-off attitude. $16, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Bill Baird

Saturday, Jan. 13 Goon Squad Presents: A David Bowie Tribute Since 2016, members of San Antonio synth-pop band Moon Tokki have presented an annual tribute to the music and fashion of icon David Bowie. This year’s blowout promises to be the biggest yet, with a Bowie costume contest, a Bowie-themed photo booth, local vendors and a drag performance from House of Eternas. $15-$20, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB Sex Mex, Geranium Drive, Arbiter San Antonio’s Sex Mex seems destined for greener pastures. Last year, the band received a glowing writeup in Spin magazine even though it’s only been performing together since last March. The quartet also dropped Sex Mex ’23 on Spotify right before Christmas, and its snotty but catchy sound is clearly building an audience. Sex Mex’s songs feel like they should be on the soundtrack to a psycho-surf-disco movie — and also on your early spring playlists. $10, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Danny Cervantes

Tuesday, Jan. 16 That 1 Guy For those enthralled by homemade instruments designed by endearingly odd yet compelling performers, this is a no-miss show. That 1 Guy — aka Mike Silverman — plays The Magic Pipe, a massive electro-acoustic percussive sculpture outfitted with electronic triggers and two jumbo size bass strings. The instrument is bizarre and unique, making That 1 Guy not unlike legendary San Antonio street performer Bongo Joe in terms of his ingenuity and ability to deliver infectious percussion. $15-$20, 7 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 East Grayson St., samsburgerjoint.com. — BB

into a career of delivering angry, metal-tinged beatdowns. Expect a loud and aggressive show with rippin’ riffs for miles. $20, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com.

— BB

Drake

Friday, Jan. 19 Explosions in the Sky Austin post-rock purveyors Explosions in the Sky is bringing its dynamic soundscapes to San Antonio as the first stop on a tour supporting the September release END. The band’s intense, often-intricate sound first garnered wide acclaim in 2004, after it was used as the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Buzz Bissinger’s bestseller Friday Night Lights. — DC

Saturday, Jan. 20 Jake Muir, Space Available, Colin Andrew Sheffield, Patina Lush, Mt. Borracho Pitchfork recently crowned headliner Jake Muir’s latest LP one of the 30 Best Jazz and Experimental Albums of 2023, citing its hypnotic mix of synthesizer, field recordings and samples. That makes Muir the key draw on this bill of inventive electronics, experimental soundscapes and provocative ambience, but don’t sleep on the rest of the lineup, which also promises plenty of bold sonic exploration. $15, 8 p.m., Warehouse Diner, 125 West Grayson St. — BB The Texases The Texases have emerged as one of San Antonio’s most compelling cover bands. Specializing in classic country hits from the ’60s through the ’90s, this group led by Travis “DT” Buffkin and Jerid Morris delivers the goods every time, including crowd singalongs and folks actually dancing.

It helps that the band is filled with seasoned and accomplished songwriters in their own right. Free, 9 p.m., The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., thelonesomerose.com. — BB Love in the Doorway: A 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Golden Era of CBGB What’s not to like about Texas scenesters celebrating the seminal NYC punk club that gave birth to the Ramones, the Talking Heads and other legendary acts? Highlights include Sedated, a Dallas-based, nationally touring Ramones tribute, and San Antonio Misfits tribute Psycho 78. Other acts will give nods to the Cramps, the Plasmatics and Richard Hell and the Voidoids. $13-$18, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Sanford Nowlin

Wednesday, Jan. 17

Sunday, Jan. 21

Madball Formed from the ashes of influential New York hardcore punk band Agnostic Front, Madball is now nine albums and nearly two decades deep

Life Cycles, Flagrant Foul, Fortunes, WithAllSincerity, Open World, Born Savage, The Opposite Number A benefit show for Jimmy King, the vocalist

shutterstock.com

for San Antonio thrash band Executioner, this hardcore-slash-metal lineup features headliner Life Cycles — a heavy-hitting local act known for its uncompromising extreme metal. The group recently signed to Massachusetts’ 1126 Records, and its debut EP, Portal to the Unknown, is expected to drop next month. The rest of the bill is packed with similarly bruising metal and hardcore outfits. $10, 6 p.m., B Side, 823 Fredericksburg Road, instagram.com/bsidesatx.

— Dalia Gulca

Monday, Jan. 22 Damas de Jalisco, Mariachi Las Coronelas For mariachi aficionados, this show is a must.

Damas de Jalisco and Las Coronelas both boast all-woman lineups, and the groups are made up of some of the finest mariachi performers anywhere, regardless of gender.

The show promises a San Antonio-appropriate baptism for the Pearl’s new venue, Stable Hall. $27, 7 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — BB Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Charlie Sexton Legendary singer-songwriter Elvis Costello

is taking his Imposters on a 15-city Southern tour with San Antonio sitting at the midpoint.

Expect the artist to draw on a wide variety of material from a decades-long catalog that’s run the gamut from punk to just about every other genre of popular music. His recent work includes critically acclaimed post-pandemic album The Boy Named If. $39-$500, 7:30 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 2263333, majesticempire.com. — DC

Monday, Jan. 22-Tuesday, Jan. 23 Drake, J. Cole Last year, hitmaker Drake continued his chart domination. He dropped the massive album For All The Dogs, which also featured longtime collaborator J.Cole on one of its biggest hits, “First Person Shooter.” Then, in November, the Canada-born rapper took home five Billboard Music Awards, deadlocking him with Taylor Swift for career wins at the show.

Each now has a total of 39. Commanding two sold-out nights at Wemby’s place shows Drake is an icon all his own. Sold out, 8 p.m., Frost Bank Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 4445140, frostbankcenter.com. — DC sacurrent.com | January 10 – 23, 2024 | CURRENT

37

“Welcome to ‘24”--the year with things in common.

by Matt Jones © 2024 Matt Jones Across

Open Mic Mondays $3 WELLS ALL NIGHT LONG

2423 N ST MARY’S ST 78212 38

CURRENT | January 10 – 23, 2024 | sacurrent.com

1. Roast battle hosts, for short 4. Bumble profile maintainers?

8. Flight seat option 13. “___ y Plata” (Montana motto) 14. Actress Mitra of “The Practice” 16. National prefix 17. Lead character of “24” 19. Feeling regret 20. Early Peruvian 21. Nursery rhyme pie fillers (“four and twenty”, they say) 23. Connect with 25. Barely achieve 26. Rowboat implement 27. George Burns title role 29. Impersonated 30. Spot for a soak 33. Big name in circuses 36. Loads 37. Ratio that’s often 24 for film cameras 42. Like some salad dressings 43. Stracciatella, e.g.

44. 7’7” former NBAer Manute 45. “___ the Walrus” (1967 Beatles tune) 48. Uno plus uno 49. Talk trash about 52. Removes names from pictures, on some social media

platforms 54. To the letter 56. Units where 24 = 100% 60. Poodle plaguer 61. Remain patient 62. The NBA sets it at 24 64. Penny-pincher 65. Vietnamese capital 66. Burns downvote?

67. Planetarium display 68. ___ baby (one who’s famous via family connections) 69. Pre-album drops Down 1. Mint-garnished cocktail 2. They surround brains 3. Goal-oriented item?

4. Royal sphere 5. Obsessive whale hunter of fiction 6. Biffed it 7. Creep around 8. “He’s right. Ain’t no rule that says a dog can’t play basketball” movie 9. Arctic First Nations resident 10. Make Kool-Aid 11. Give for a bit 12. Rowing machine units 15. Took a curved path 18. “WandaVision” actress Dennings 22. Pond fish 24. Fairy tale meanie 28. Come-___ (enticements) 30. Was the odd one out 31. “___ de Replay” (Rihanna’s

first single) 32. Joining word 34. Actress Adams 35. Sister of Chris and Stewie 36. Division for “Hamlet” or “Hamilton” 37. Keyless car key 38. Duran Duran hit of 1982 39. Former Viacom chairman Sumner 40. ___-pitch softball 41. Reduce 45. Comic book artists 46. ___ standstill 47. Swampland 50. Polar covering 51. They may never have been higher 52. Part that the ointment Bag Balm was designed for 53. Depeche Mode lead singer David 55. Short-lived gridiron org. revived in 2020 56. Legs, in film noir monologues 57. “In memoriam” piece 58. Simpson who got into crosswords around 2008 59. Word before “Hammer time!”

63. A.F.L. merger partner Find Key on page 25

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