San Antonio Current – June 12, 2018

Humans of SA

New book gets at Alamo City through its people

June

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in this issue San Antonio Current

Issue 18_24 /// June 13-19, 2018

Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Greg Jefferson

Editorial

Senior Editors: Bryan Rindfuss, Jessica Elizarraras Art Director: Carlos Aguilar Food & Nightlife Editor: Jessica Elizarraras Staff Writers: Chris Conde, Sanford Nowlin Digital Content Editor: Sarah Martinez Contributors: Alexis Alvarez , Ron Bechtol, Erik Casarez, James Courtney, Callie Enlow, Jose Garza, Dan R. Goddard, Alejandra Lopez Gonzalez, Lance Higdon, Steven G. Kellman, Hannah Lorence, Michelle C. Lorentzen, Abby Mangel, Kiko Martínez, Jeremy Martin, Kelly Merka Nelson, M. Solis, Gary Sweeney, J.D. Swerzenski, Kelsey Valadez, Erin Winch Editorial Interns: Tehua Cruz, Alex Czaja, Alisa Pierce, Megan Rodriguez, Lori Salazar, Victoria Wilson

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18 Feature

Humans of SA

New book gets at Alamo City through its people B R YA N R I N D F U S S

07 News

Protective measures

How Healthy Futures took on the Trump Administration and won a victory for efforts to reduce teen pregnancies

Sick and Tired

Paid sick time measure in SA driven by low wages and broken politics

Cramming at South San School district tackles superintendent search, tax increase, deficit – all at once

12 Calendar

Our top picks for the week

18 Arts

More Than a Birthplace Natalia Sylvester illustrates the complexities of border crossings in Everyone Knows You Go Home

29 Screens Life Lessons

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? reminds us all that we used to be better

Primal Fear

Hereditary avoids most horror tropes and delivers a hellish supernatural narrative

In anticipation of the publication of the new Trinity University Press book Humans of San Antonio, we spoke to Michael Cirlos, whose four-year street photography project encompasses images and stories of more than 1,000 individuals, including this adorable duo he encountered in front of Paper Tiger.

Photo by Michael Cirlos.

Art direction by Carlos Aguilar.

31 Food

RIP Anthony Bourdain The chef’s death leaves a massive hole in the culinary world

The Power of Pasha

Despite opening during a recession, Pasha Mediterranean Grill has grown into a mini empire

37 Music

San Antonio Gold

Kanye West samples San Antonio legends the Royal Jesters

Cocktail of the Week Malort Makes Its Way South

Music Picks

46 Etc

Savage Love, Crossword Puzzle, Astrology, This Modern World

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news

Protective measures How Healthy Futures took on the Trump Administration and won a victory for efforts to reduce teen pregnancies

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

W

hen the Trump Administration tried to pull the plug on a Department of Health and Human Services program funding studies of teen pregnancy prevention efforts, San Antonio’s Healthy Futures of Texas stepped up to fight.

HHS’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program was supposed to last five years, but last summer the agency announced it would end on June 30, 2018 — two years early. So, with outside legal help, Healthy Futures filed a class-action suit on behalf of itself and 61 other groups with grants from HHS. “HHS didn’t consider their own rules, which say they can’t end the program like that,” said Evelyn Delgado, Healthy Futures’ president and CEO. Earlier this month, a judge agreed.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled HHS acted illegally and required it to keep the funding in place. Her June 1 ruling was another significant setback to the administration’s agenda of favoring pro-abstinence polices over evidence-based programs that provide a more holistic approach to curbing teen pregnancies.

“The evidence has shown abstinence-only education doesn’t work,” said Delgado, whose nonprofit offers educational services in more than 20 school districts and to at-risk youth in facilities like Haven for Hope. “The reality is many youths are already sexually active when we reach them in high school, or even junior high.”

Healthy Futures’ flagship program, Big Decisions, is an abstinence-plus program, meaning it teaches teens that abstinence is the only 100-percent effective way to avoid pregnancy and STDs. However, it provides info on safe sex just in case. And, in doing so, it also teaches kids about the importance of consent and how to avoid unhealthy relationships.

Without the $900,000-a-year HHS grant, the organization stood to lose a significant chunk of its $2.3 million annual budget. That would have meant tough cutbacks, including layoffs for some of its 14 staffers.

But, most significantly, it would have cratered a five-year study of Big Decisions’

Sanford Nowlin

effect on teen pregnancy rates in three South Texas communities. Completing that research is key to bringing the program to even more schools, many of which are required to use evidence-based programs in their curriculum.

“Big Decisions is our primary source of revenues,” Delgado said. “It really is the way we sustain our other work.”

Evelyn Delgado, President /CEO of Healthy Futures.

M

to the taxpayers who fund it. Communities deserve better, and we are considering our next steps.”

Unprecedented cut

Big effects

Jackson’s ruling against HHS wasn’t entirely unexpected. In April, the judge also sided against the funding cut in a separate suit filed by groups in North and South Carolina.

The Healthy Futures decision is the fifth district court ruling against the Trump Administration on its decision to gut the program. As a result, almost all of the 84 HHS grant recipients will have their funding restored, according to press reports.

Earlier this year, HHS announced new rules for funding pregnancy prevention programs, saying it would favor those promoting abstinence while downplaying the need for proof to show those programs’ effectiveness.

Past Republican presidents have pushed an abstinence-only focus on HHS, but the Trump Administration’s decision to kill a program in the middle of its life cycle was unprecedented, observers said.

HHS declined an interview, but a spokeswoman did email a statement about the Healthy Futures case.

“We are disappointed with this ruling,” spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley wrote. “As numerous studies have shown, the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program is not working.

Continuing the program in its current state does a disservice to the youth it serves and

Despite HHS’s claim that the program isn’t working, teen pregnancy numbers in San Antonio suggest Healthy Futures’ work here is having an impact.

The teen birthrate in San Antonio dropped by 53 percent between 2006 and 2016, according to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. Even so, birthrates among teens 15-19 are still 49 percent higher than the U.S. teen birthrate.

At least some of that success comes down to Healthy Futures, said Jennifer Herriott, Metro Health’s assistant director of community health. The group’s founder, Dr. Janet Realini, has been an effective advocate on teen pregnancy issues, Herriott added, and the group works well in concert with Metro Health and other local groups such as UT Teen Health, which also had its HHS funding saved by the recent ruling.

“It’s a huge victory to know that we’re going to be able to continue implementing these evidence-based programs in San Antonio,” Herriott said. “It was great to see Healthy Futures step forward and make sure that could happen.”

Contact the author: snowlin@sacurrent.com

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news | Their Town

Sick and Tired

Paid sick time measure in SA driven by low wages and broken politics

BY GREG JEFFERSON

A

t first, I didn’t take the paid sick leave initiative in San Antonio seriously enough, maybe because I’m fortunate enough to be compensated for days I’m out sick. Call it a failure of empathy.

In April, AFL-CIO Texas and other organizations, going by Working Texans for Paid Sick Time, announced their drive to put a measure on the city’s November ballot requiring employers to provide paid sick days.

A couple of weeks passed, and I’d mostly forgotten about it until a young woman with a clipboard approached as I pumped gas at a Valero Cornerstore on Broadway. She smiled and launched into her rap about people who have to go to work ill if they want to get paid. I stopped her, politely telling her I was familiar with the proposal, and signed the petition.

I promptly forgot about it again – until the petition organizers delivered 144,000 signatures to the city clerk’s office on May 24. That got, and kept, my attention.

A big factor in their striking success was the muscle of organized labor and their partners, including MOVE San Antonio and Planned Parenthood Texas Votes. They fielded teams of well-trained canvassers who chatted up residents in Walmart parking lots, gas stations and other locations across San Antonio.

But the speed with which they collected so many signatures tells you there was a big demand for what they were selling.

Which isn’t a shocker.

A large number of San Antonio workers lose a day’s pay whenever they have to call in sick or have to stay home to care for a sick relative. A study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, and promoted by the Working Texans coalition, found that 39 percent

Sanford Nowlin

Sanford Nowlin

of workers don’t receive paid sick time.

That’s at odds with a Bureau of Labor Statistics survey last August that said 32 percent of U.S. workers don’t get paid for sick days. But the difference probably comes down to San Antonio having more than its share of low-wage workers.

Not surprisingly, what you do for a living matters a lot when it comes to whether you get paid for sick days.

The Bureau’s average masks the huge gap between those at the top and those at the bottom. While 93 percent of managers and business executives receive paid sick time, only 46 percent of service-industry workers have that benefit. For construction workers, it’s 47 percent.

That’s a lot of people who have to decide whether they can afford to call in when they’re ill. The fact that money’s already tight for workers is making the problem worse. Per capita income in the San Antonio area was $44,284 in 2016, putting us at 142nd among U.S. metro areas, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. While earnings here are improving, they continue to trail state and national averages.

Add to these money worries the totally-justified sense that nobody with power in Washington or Austin is concerned enough to do anything about surging income disparity, the falling middle class or the plight of low-wage workers.

“It’s become increasingly clear that many people are caught in a position where they can’t afford to take time off to take care of themselves or the members of their families,” AFL-CIO Texas President Rick Levy said in announcing the petition drive in April. “Politics is so broken in Washington and in Austin that we’ve got to be more aggressive and more proactive in taking the fight to the voters.”

The Working Texans coalition is also trying to

Workings Texans for Paid Sick Time launched their SA petition drive in April.

They collected 144,000 signatures.

M

get paid sick time on the ballot in Dallas, and the Austin city council – which is wrestling with huge affordability problems – adopted the measure by ordinance in February.

The proposed referendum in San Antonio, like the Austin law, would have employees earning one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, capped at six to eight sick days per year, depending on the employers’ size.

The Texas Association of Business and several allies have sued in district court to block mandatory paid sick leave in Austin, arguing the ordinance short-circuits state law. Last month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office would intervene on behalf of businesses. Just as surprising: summers in Texas are hot and frequently dry.

Locally, a spokeswoman for the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce said many of its members have lined up against the referendum, and so will the chamber in coming days.

The Working Texans organization doesn’t have a monopoly on good arguments. Clearly, there are legitimate questions about whether city government can or should dictate employment policy to local companies.

This fall, the campaigns for and against the referendum will be fierce.

But whichever side you’re on, if you have paid sick leave, just remember that a lot of other San Antonians don’t. sacurrent.com | June 13-19, 2018 | CURRENT

9

news

Cramming at South San School district tackles superintendent search, tax increase, deficit – all at once

BY BEKAH MCNEEL

I

f rooting for underdog school districts is your jam, South San Antonio ISD offers the best bang for your buck.

The 9,600-student district is like a bite-sized version of all of the challenges in neighboring San Antonio ISD – a history of leadership problems, declining enrollment, poverty and budget shortfalls. They’re also trying a lot of the same solutions that have been making waves in SAISD – a tax rate increase, expanded options for parents and layoffs. But South San’s small size also gives them more flexibility… they hope.

They’re certainly going to need it.

For a public school district that wants to turn itself around, there are strategies and there are setbacks. South San seems to be testing them all at once.

Only a few months ago, the board worked its way out from under state supervision, just in time to confront a projected $6.4 million budget shortfall.

It also filled two unexpected vacancies on the board, only to have a majority of seats up for election again in November.

And the district has been making strides with the Texas Education Agency’s System of Great Schools initiative, only to have superintendent Abelardo Saavedra announce his imminent departure last week.

“Now is the time to take the district to new heights,” Saavedra said.

He encouraged the board to find his replacement quickly, but he committed to finish his work between now and March when his contract ends. He plans to take a teaching position with Texas A&M College Station.

Part of that work-to-be-done will be leading the district through its first TRE (tax ratification election) under the current tax structure, and the first proposed tax rate increase in South San since 2008. Shortly after Saavedra an-

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CURRENT | June 13-19, 2018 | sacurrent.com

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nounced his intent to leave, the board voted to pursue a tax rate increase.

For every step forward, the Little District That Could comes upon another hill to climb.

The Board South San has struggled with board infighting for years. In 2016, the Texas Education Agency intervened in response to calls from the community. A conservator duked it out with former board president Connie Prado and her loyal faction while grassroots advocacy group South San Kids First slowly replaced board members whenever seats came open. The board enrolled in the state’s Lone Star Governance program to help professionalize themselves, and things seem to be improving.

In spite of years of board squabbling, South San’s schools are performing well. None have failed to meet state standards since 2014, board member Edward Mungia noted.

The Budget Unfortunately, that performance doesn’t seem to be enough for parents – the district continues to lose students.

Generally speaking, traditional schools tied to set attendance zones just aren’t cutting it. Charter schools are proliferating at a faster rate than new housing stock in the district’s

backyard. Without the student base to fund them, South San has already closed Athens Elementary and Kazan Middle School.

Saavedra and the board are looking to the System of Great Schools initiative to create high-quality choices that attract families.

Offering magnet programs and early college options may eventually bolster enrollment, but not in time to plug the hole in next year’s budget. The district will also consider a reduction in force (layoffs), the same measure that lit SAISD’s roof on fire. South San’s administration identified 10 administrative, 17 teaching, two other staff positions to eliminate as well as six district police officers, board president Angelina Osteguin said. The teaching positions were all cut through attrition – teachers retiring or leaving the district by their own choosing.

The board is banking on feedback they’ve received indicating the community is ready to go big for the kids.

“Overwhelmingly the voice that I’ve been herding is, ‘If it’s for the kids, why not?’ It’s about time,” Osteguin said before the June 6 meeting.

Of course, nothing is certain, Osteguin admitted. “We do have a handful of individuals who are opposing practically everything we’re doing.”

One of the perennial opponents, Connie Prado, voted against the tax rate increase, as did Leticia Guerra.

Because board member Elda Flores was absent, Prado called for a review of the

vote, claiming it required five of the seven members to pass. (Everyone else, including the district’s lawyer, seemed pretty certain that was not true.)

Prado and Guerra did vote in favor of an election (a TRE, as it is known) to ratify the tax rate increase they’d voted against moments before.

Currently, the South San tax rate – excluding debt service – is $1.04 per $100 of property value, the highest rate allowed without voter approval. In raising the rate by 13 cents to the highest allowed rate, the district will be able to generate $6.5 million. Most high-poverty districts tax are at the maximum rate allowed because it brings in additional funds from the state as well. With debt service from past bonds included, the South San rate would be $1.58, and 11 percent increase over their current rate.

South San is asking voters to turn out for a special election on August 14 to ratify the new tax rate. They want to secure the new rate well ahead of the November elections when four seats on the board could flip back to candidates who would side with Prado, against the current trajectory of the district.

Politics aside, an August election allows the district to immediately act on the new budget immediately.

Going for a tax rate increase is tricky.

The public has to clearly see the need for more money, but also feel that the administration can be trusted to use the money wisely. You have to prove that things are both bad and good.

Lingering uncertainty over Saavedra’s replacement could steepen the climb for the tax-rate election. A national search will be underway, board members said, and they hope that the public will see their commitment to change as ironclad. They will move quickly to hire someone who shares that commitment.

Here, South San can learn from SAISD, which passed an identical tax rate increase in 2016. The community saw what superintendent Pedro Martinez wanted to do, and gave him the funds he needed to see it through.

It was not Martinez alone though – the cohesion of the board behind him was a major selling point. Board members literally went door to door campaigning for the TRE. Because South San is bringing in some of the same changes that have generated such enthusiasm in SAISD, it’s possible that the community could rally in support, even with the possibility of a board flip and a new superintendent.

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11

SPECIAL EVEN T

A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN CUSACK

WED | 06/13SAT | 06/16 SPECIAL EVENT

SOUTHERN FRIED POETRY FESTIVAL

Every June for the past quarter century, in cities throughout the Southeast, the Southern Fried Poetry Festival has hosted some of the finest poets and spoken-word artists from the region for workshops, community outreach and fierce slam poetry competitions. The roving festival, which was hosted in Louisville last year, added Texas to its official region in 2012, but has yet to touch down in the Lone Star State. Until now. This year, San Antonio has the honor of being the first Texas city to host Southern Fried. Poet and educator Eddie Vega, who is among the group of local slam competitors who helped bring Southern Fried to town and organize it, said that “for a spectator, [Southern Fried] is an opportunity to see an amazing group of artists all at once.”

He added, “As a poet, it’s more like a family reunion. Poets have been coming to Southern Fried for years, treating each

Although the movie scene probably wouldn’t work too well in a contemporary, non-ironic teenage romance — a recent high school graduate (John Cusack) raises a briefcase-sized boombox above his head to play Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” for his brainy girlfriend — 1989’s Say Anything is still considered by many to be one of the best rom-coms in cinematic history. A year before the film’s 30th anniversary, Cusack is making his way to San Antonio to sit down with audience members after a screening of the movie at the Tobin Center, where he’ll talk about his breakout role in filmmaker Cameron Crowe’s directorial debut. In 2006, Entertainment Weekly placed Say Anything 11th on their list of the 50 Best High School Movies. It beat out other ’80s classics like Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles (The Breakfast Club took the top slot). Recently, Cusack told Mashable about the iconic boombox scene: “For some movies, [fans will] have a line that they’ll repeat to you a lot of times, but that one is more just a vibe.”

VIP tickets to the event include a post-show photo op with Cusack. If you plan to ask for an autograph, bring your own pen. $39.50-$225, 7:30pm, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Kiko Martinez Twentieth Century Fox

other like family, hanging out before and after bouts, cheering on their teammates along with all their fellow competitors.

We do much more to hold each other up than tear each other down.” Asked what it means to our city’s poetry community to host this event, Vega said, “It’s a true recognition of our scene… At last year’s National Poetry Slam, PuroSlam brought home a trophy for the first time since 1999. Hosting an event of this magnitude shows how deep the talent pool is here in San Antonio.” He’s not kidding about

the magnitude. In total, about 180 competitors, some part of teams and some competing as individuals, from all over the region will showcase their skills in this competition. Over four days, outside the core competition, there are workshops, community service efforts, quirky side competitions and more. Now, San Antonio, we’ve just gotta get out there and experience it. Events will take place at a boatload of locales, including Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, Gemini Ink, Central Library, The Brooklynite and Carver Communi-

ty Cultural Center, which will host the competition’s finals on Saturday. Visit the website below for details and a complete schedule of events. Free for most events ($26-$36 for finals), times and locations vary, southernfriedpoetryslam.com.

— James Courtney

Find these and more events at sacurrent.com/calendar

SEPTEMBER 21 MAJESTIC THEATRE

ON SALE NOW! 12

CURRENT | June 13–19, 2018 | sacurrent.com

TH EATER

I’M NOT LYING

Although he’s easily known best for the enduring Greater Tuna series he launched in 1981 with fellow playwright/actor/humorist Joe Sears and director Ed Howard, Texan wildcard Jaston Williams has established himself as a solo performer with one-man shows such as A Wolverine Walks into a Bar...

Conversations Over Ice (in which he portrays a gun-toting Mary Kay saleswoman and an aging Auntie Mame clone, among other characters) and Clear to Partly Crazy (which combines vignettes about disasters caused by crazed relatives and Mother Nature alike).

The beloved Texas Panhandler’s latest sees him stepping into what appears to be a painfully hot chicken costume (complete with webbed flippers) to bring to life “pre-Tuna”

stories involving a hearse-driving Alaskan cowboy, “the most nervous waiter in Texas” and a renaissance fair staged in a movie star’s home. In conjunction with its Second Series, the Classic Theatre of San Antonio closes out its run of the show with a string of six performances. $25, 8pm Thu-Fri, 3pm & 8pm Sat-Sun, The Classic Theatre of San Antonio, 1924 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 589-8450, classictheatre. org. — Bryan Rindfuss

FRI | 06/15 FILM

pTHE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

For the next installment of Wes Fest, the ongoing, movable movie feast dedicated to the work of Wes Anderson, fest organizers Slab Cinema will present 2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, the director’s eighth feature film, in the courtyard at the San Antonio Museum of Art. The movie, as is Anderson’s modus operandi, is a quirky comedy centered on a

caper, in a world, tangential to our own, of the director’s meticulous creation. As is also always the case with his movies, Grand Budapest is driven to success in part by the terrific performances of its estimable cast, which includes Ralph Fiennes, Saoirse Ronan, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe and Harvey Keitel.

Whether you’re already a Wes Anderson fan or not, who could resist a harrowing and clever tale of a man’s plot to clear his good name of a murder that he’s been framed for? We can hardly think of a better way to spend an evening than out on the SAMA lawn with this multi-Oscar winner. Free, 8pm, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, wesandersonfilmfestival.com. — JC

FRI | O6/15 SUN | 06/17 TH EATER

STAY GOLDEN!

Fox Searchlight Pictures

calendar

THU | 06/14 SUN | 06/17

With nearly all its cast members having long kicked the bucket (save for the incomparable 96-year-old Betty White), The Golden Girls is one 1980s sitcom that will probably not get a reboot. That may be a good thing if we consider the fate of the recently rebooted and then cancelled Roseanne. But for those hellbent on getting their Golden Girls fix, a new play by the local theater company Killer Productions might just hit the spot. Directed

by Jose DeHoyos and written by Dave Cortez, Stay Golden! A Golden Girls Parody revives classic moments from the beloved sitcom.

But there’s a twist: The female roles will be played by actors in drag. Starring local drag starlet Kristi Waters as Blanche and Greg Hinojosa as Rose, Stay Golden! looks to please both new and devoted fans of the classic TV show while paying homage to its 15 6

Sign up for ExcluSivE prESalES & announcEmEntS! tExt maJESticEmpirE to 22828

OCTOBER 22 - 28 EMPIRE THEATRE

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June 21 • 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Dive. Turn. Work.

Let’s Have a Screening!

Get a glimpse into New York City’s thriving underground ballroom scene with a special screening of KIKI, followed by a not-to-be-missed evening of dancing and vogueing featuring DJ The Wayne Holtz.

A survey of contemporary LGBTQI+ artists of San Antonio exhibiting multidisciplinary works in recognition of Pride Month FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Curated by Sarah Castillo of Lady Base Gallery Featured Artists: Agosto Cuellar, Anel I. Flores, Gustavo A. Garcia, Kimberly Hopkins, Julián Pablo Ledezma, Michael Martínez, Antonia Celeste Padilla, Kristy Perez, Debora Kuetzpal Vasquez, Jose Villalobos, David Zamora Casas, Juan Zavala Castro

Exhibition Dates: May 17, 2018 – July 13, 2018 Culture Commons Gallery 115 Plaza de Armas, San Antonio, TX 78205 Mon-Fri | 8am – 5pm #getcreativesa | getcreativesanantonio.com | 210-206-ARTS 14

CURRENT | June 13–19, 2018 | sacurrent.com

Space is limited!

RSVP by June 18 via email to arts@sanantonio.gov.

About KIKI: It's a larger-than-life world in which LGBTQ youths of color are empowered by staging elaborate dance competitions that showcase their dynamic choreography, fabulous costumes, and fierce attitude. It's also a safe haven for struggling, at-risk teens who find acceptance, support, and friendship within the Kiki community. Granted intimate access to the scene, filmmaker Sara Jordeno introduces viewers to some of Kiki culture's most prominent personalities, going beyond the glamour of the balls to highlight the serious challenges facing queer black and Latino young people, bringing together heartrending personal stories with incredible displays of creative expression.

USA. 2016. English. 94 min. Color. Unrated.

calendar

original cast. $10-$20, 8pm Fri-Sat, 4pm Sun, Woodlawn Pointe, 702 Donaldson Ave., (210) 468-2787, facebook.com/killerproductionssa. — Marco Aquino COMEDY

SOMMORE

In 2001’s The Queens of Comedy, standup Sommore (Def Comedy Jam, Showtime at the Apollo, Friday After Next) jokingly compares herself to Tupac Shakur, and she’s not wrong. Her act, like many of Shakur’s songs, gives the relentlessly horny id a charming, engaging voice, persuasively, impeccably delivered. The same sort of explicit-content warnings apply, but even with a mind in the gutter, a rose that grew from concrete can be beautiful, even thought-provoking. Sommore’s good-natured, sex-positive shit-talking bears an unmistakable undercurrent of feminism even as she discusses the finer points of “ho-ism” or warns about the dangers of finding “good dick.” $25, 7:30pm & 10pm Fri-Sat, 7:30pm Sun, Improv San Antonio Rivercenter, 849 E. Commerce St., (210) 229-1420, rivercentercomedyclub.com. — Jeremy Martin

FRI | 06/15 SPECIAL EVENT

MURDER MYSTERY NIGHT

Could it have been Mrs. Peacock with a candlestick in the study? Or maybe Colonel Mustard with a revolver in the

ballroom? Since its launch in the UK in 1949, the iconic board game Cluedo (marketed as Clue on this side of the pond) has inspired numerous special editions (themed after everything from The Simpsons and Harry Potter to Alfred Hitchcock and The Twilight Zone), books, video games, a musical and a 1985 film with three different endings — all surrounding the unsolved murder of Mr. Boddy. Putting an artsy spin on the classic whodunit, the San Antonio Museum of Art’s Murder Mystery Night invites guests to search the worldly galleries for clues to determine who killed the Chief Curator. As you investigate paintings, sculptures and objects from Italy, Japan, Egypt and beyond, “suspects will be stationed at their artworks to disprove or verify your accusations as you narrow down the murderer, weapon and gallery.” $8-$15, 6-8pm, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org. — BR

TUE | O6/19 ART

WORLD REFUGEE DAY ART EVENT Say what you’d like about the Catholic Church as a flawed and hierarchical organization, but the outreach programs that it runs and the work done in communities by individual dioceses throughout the world is not to be underestimated. Hosted by Catholic Char-

DRAG

ALASKA

Born Justin Andrew Honard, Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 (or simply Alaska) is best known as the runner-up on the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the winner of the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. What separates Alaska from the dozens of queens who have come before her is her satire, which she incorporates into her high-quality, full-throttle music videos. Unlike some queens, Alaska’s output doesn’t sound or look like a drag queen trying to make songs and music videos. Her clubby dance tracks, which could appear on a playlist between Nicki Minaj and Die Antwoord, poke fun at drag culture and even herself (see “Your Makeup Is Terrible”), which only communicates the level of confidence and poise Alaska has continued to showcase since she stepped into the RuPaul workroom. If you don’t know who Alaska is, or even know much about drag culture, this is pretty much the perfect show to dive into. $10-$25, 8pm Sat-Sun, Heat Nightclub, 1500 N. Main Ave., (210) 386-4537, reylopezentertainment.com. — Chris Conde

ities Refugee School Impact Program, which, like all the rest of the work on display, is available for purchase. Other things to look forward to at this special celebration are live music by Sarmad Haddad, a performance by Burmese Zomi Dancers, Henna tattoos, light appetizers and a cash bar. $20, 6-8pm, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, (210) 262-8653, brickatbluestar.com. — JC FI LM

\DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST

Kino International

ities of San Antonio, Tuesday’s World Refugee Day Art Event is a fine example of a Catholic organization doing what it does when it’s at its best: administering to and raising awareness of the needs of the marginalized and suffering. For this unique event, the proceeds of which will help with Catholic Charities’ refugee relief efforts, visitors get a chance to hear and see firsthand the stories of refugees. Featuring artwork by local refugee artists, this event offers seldom-available insight into the internal life of refugees who are, after all, just like the rest of us: with hopes, longings, fears and a unique imagination that helps them cope with the painful and confusing world. The event will also feature unique pieces of children’s artwork from the Catholic Char-

SAT | O6/16 SUN | 06/17

This independent art-house hit of 1991 showed audiences a vision so rare on screen as to be virtually unknown: an African-American community marked by beauty, poetry and feminine grace rather than ghetto squalor or angry blaxploitation. Set in 1902 and filmed on South Carolina’s Saint Helena Island, the film presents a summery, languorous series of scenes emphasizing three generations in the Gullah community. Speaking their own language in a non-linear story, the women meditate on how their world apart may disappear if they move to the mainland.

Writer-director Julie Dash based the project on her own family history, and thanks to funding from PBS’ American Playhouse, this became the first feature directed by an African-American woman to receive a general release. Drafted into the National Film Registry in 2004 and screening locally as part of Texas Public Radio’s Cinema Tuesdays series, the film is a clear visual inspiration for Beyonce’s Lemonade and remains as graceful, refreshing and privileged a glimpse into an alternate black reality as Black Panther, though without all the fighting. $10-$15 suggested donation, 7:30pm, Santikos Bijou, 4522 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 614-8977, tprcinema. org. — Michael Barrett

Austin Young

sacurrent.com | June 13–19, 2018 | CURRENT

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PRESENTS

ART

“Art in the Dark” The San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind’s signature fundraiser encourages attendees to rely on “the touch … the sense … the feel … of art” while bidding on cloaked auction items donated by local artists and enjoying food and drinks provided by area restaurants. $50, 6:30-9pm Tuesday; Sheraton Gunter Hotel, 205 E. Houston St., (210) 531-1532.

“Arts e Platters” Autism Treatment Center pops up at SAY Sí for a benefit with light bites, cocktails and a silent auction of decorative platters created by local artists. $75, 6:30pm Friday; SAY Sí, 1518 S. Alamo St., (210) 538-0905.

“Immersed” Organized by the McNay’s René Paul Barilleaux in conjunction with San Antonio’s Tricentennial and the 50th anniversary of HemisFair ’68, “Immersed” places revered San Antonio artist Chris Sauter’s disorienting installation Pleasure Principle (a constructed and furnished living room outfitted with models of dopamine) alongside complex projects by three other internationally known artists: Yayoi Kusama, Philip Worthington and Andy Warhol. $15-$20, 10am-4pm Wednesday, 10am-9pm Thursday, 10am4pm Friday, 10am-5pm Saturday, noon5pm Sunday, 10am-4pm Tuesday; McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368.

“Queer Collections: a Portal into San Antonio’s LGBTQ Past” Central Library celebrates LGBTQ Pride Month with an exhibition of T-shirts, publications, ephemera and photos on loan from UTSA Libraries Special Collections. Free, 9am9pm Wednesday-Thursday, 9am-5pm Friday-Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday, 9am9pm Monday-Tuesday; Central Library, 600 Soledad St., (210) 207-2500.

FILM

High Fidelity In anticipation of actor John Cusack’s visit to the Tobin Center, El Luchador, Southtown Vinyl and Slab Cinema team up for a screening of director Stephen Frears’ rom-com starring Cusack as a record store owner and compulsive list maker in the midst of a breakup. Free, 8pm Thursday; El Luchador, 622 Roosevelt Ave., (210) 272-0016.

Little Shop of Horrors Slab Cinema pops up at Mission Marquee Plaza for a free outdoor screening of Frank Oz’s musical comedy starring Rick Moranis as a nerdy florist who finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant. Free, 7pm Thursday; Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave., (210) 207-8612.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance In conjunction with its summer exhibition of Andy Warhol’s “Cowboys & Indians” suite, the Briscoe revives director John Ford’s 1962 Western following a senator who becomes famous for killing a notorious outlaw. Free, 6-9pm Tuesday; Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., San Antonio, (210) 299-4499.

TH EATER

An American in Paris George and Ira Gershwin’s An American in Paris is a midcentury classic that remains a cultural touchstone, and its staying power was proven by Christopher Wheeldon’s Tony-winning 2015 adaptation. Shortly after the liberation of France, Lieutenant Jerry Lewis purposefully misses a train that would begin his long trek back to America. Inspired by the beauty of a mysterious woman he encounters, he decides to remain in Paris and pursue his passion for painting. Parisians and the city alike seek a new beginning in spite of the trauma inflicted upon them during the war, and Jerry finds friendship, artistic inspiration, and, most importantly, love as he journeys forward into a new chapter of life. $35-$87, 7:30pm Wednesday-Thursday, 8pm Friday, 2pm & 8pm Saturday, 2pm & 7:30pm Sunday; The Majestic Theatre, 224 E Houston St., (210) 226-3333.

Assassins Promising to “alter your perception of history and the conspiracies that formed our great nation,” John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim’s controversial musical boldly transcends time as assassins justify their actions with wit, humor and a sense of understanding. $10-$40, 7:30pm Friday-Saturday, 2pm Sunday; The Public Theater of San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Pl., (210) 733-7258.

Dusty Springfield Space Patrol Likened to sending Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit into outer space, William M. Razavi’s original new “playsical” surrounds a spacecraft haunted by the ghost of late British pop icon Dusty Springfield. $10-$15, 8pm Friday-Saturday, 3pm Sunday; The Overtime Theater, 5409 Bandera Road, Suite 205, (210) 557-7562.

SPECIAL EVENTS

FatherFest Alamo Beer hosts a Father’s Day brunch with craft brews, live music by the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and food by Guerilla Gourmet, with proceeds benefiting Pints for Prostates, a grassroots campaign designed to raise awareness about prostate cancer and the importance of early detection. $10-$25, 10am-9pm Sunday; Alamo Beer Company Brewery, 202 Lamar St., (210) 872-5589.

A CELEBRATION OF PRIDE FEATURING LOCAL MUSIC AND ARTISTS BROUGHT TO YOU BY SAN ANTONIO’S FIRST LGBTQ NON-PROFIT CLINIC

THURSDAY, JUNE 28 | 7P-12A F E AT U R I N G C H R I S C O N D E AMEA | PINK LECHE | DELAO HOSTED BY WAYNE HOLTZ 2911 N St. Marys

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Let us know what you think! Join us at an open house or take part in our virtual meeting.

Times and more details available online at VIAinfo.net/ RapidTransit

For more infomation, please contact us at (210) 362-2389 sacurrent.com | June 13–19, 2018 | CURRENT

17

Passing Strangers

Photographer Michael Cirlos builds a portrait of downtown with Humans of San Antonio

BY BRYAN RINDFUSS

T

hink for a moment: When was the last time you stopped what you were doing to talk with a stranger on the street?

Did you give them a dollar or maybe a cigarette? Did you humor a rant, or truly lend an ear? For too many of us, strangers on the street — the homeless, the crusty punks, the lost tourists, even the chipper crews with clipboards — are little more than obstacles unworthy of our time, unknowns that might harsh the dull buzz of a familiar reality.

In 2012, Michael Cirlos purchased his first DSLR camera, dove into the social fabric of downtown San Antonio and essentially became one of those strangers one might dodge on the street.

Rather than bumming smokes or spare 18

CURRENT | June 13–19, 2018 | sacurrent.com

change, he asked passersby for something decidedly more personal: a snapshot and a soundbite about their lives.

Although he admittedly “had no idea what [he] was doing with the camera,” Cirlos said he had a high success rate — nearly every person he stopped agreed to be photographed and interviewed.

The fact that he almost immediately started getting what he was after could be attributed in part to his disarming personality. Thoughtful, well-spoken and unpretentious, he’s not just unthreatening, he’s got the demeanor of someone you can trust.

That sense of trust comes across in many of the images and stories he collected for what developed into Humans of San Antonio, a four-year project

Photos by Michael Cirlos

directly inspired by Brandon Stanton’s widely known and often appropriated street photography blog and New York Times bestseller Humans of New York.

Born at the Nix Hospital in the center of downtown, Cirlos grew up in San Antonio but became dissatisfied with his hometown during his teenage years. In search of a city with “more art and urbanism,” he moved to Hua Hin, Thailand, in 2005 to attend Webster University. While studying psychology and international relations there, he began carrying a pocket camera and shooting photos and videos of his experiences. Two years later, his studies abroad continued with a move to the Netherlands, where he’d take street photos on his mile-long walk to the university. After four years away, he returned home in 2009 to complete his psychology degree at UTSA. Although San Antonio had changed while he was abroad, Cirlos still felt it lacking in certain aspects, including mass transit and the art community. One day while chatting with his friend Stella about “general city design differences

between San Antonio and cities that have higher density in their respected downtowns, like New York City and Berlin,” she showed him the Humans of New York blog and suggested it might be a good way for him to start a conversation about the urban core of San Antonio.

One year in, Humans of San Antonio started gaining traction as a Facebook page and Cirlos invited photographer Scott Ball to collaborate with him on the project. “It was great bouncing ideas off each other and challenging ourselves to become better photographers,” Cirlos said of their year working together. By 2016, the project encompassed the photographs and stories of 1,000 individuals. That same year, Cirlos approached Trinity University Press about potentially turning the project into a book. According to publisher/director Tom Payton, TUP was already aware of Humans of San Antonio through social media and they “enthusiastically said ‘yes.’”

What followed entailed narrowing down the selection of images with a focus on diversity as well as research

arts Street Bridge) and a few people are oddly to ensure publishing a book of street phopictured more than once (specifically a tography was within their legal rights. When contemplative young couple and a tattooed asked about this process, Payton explained polyamorist), the majority of the images feel that “There are some nuances, but generalauthentic and honest. Another aspect that ly speaking, photography of people in the might take readers aback is that none of the public realm, open settings, does not require people pictured in the book are identified further permission for publication. In this by name — and some aren’t even accompacase, Michael took the additional steps of nied by quotes or stories. Over coffee at the discussing the project with everyone he Pearl, Cirlos confessed that he knew some photographed, letting them know he would of the images and stobe including them in a variety ries might not be strong of media. Of course, as pubenough to stand on their lishers, we’re keenly aware of Humans of San own, but that, as a whole, context and editorial percepAntonio Book Launch he feels they all work tion, so we take great care in Party together to tell a story. And selecting photographs for Free that they do: Taken all at inclusion in the book and how 6-9pm Thu, June 14 once, his Humans of San we organize them therein.”

Antonio mesh to build a Hitting shelves and onRosella Coffee Co. downtown portrait that’s line retailers this week, the 203 E. Jones Ave., Suite 101 funny, strange, sad and 161-page book offers brief, (210) 277-8574 hopeful all at once. easily digested encounters facebook.com/humansofsa After an introductory with emo kids, costumed conversation in May, we crusaders, a lesbian activfollowed up with Cirlos to ist, taco enthusiasts, Spurs dig a little deeper into the project, what he fanatics, an ex-gangster, a crying River Walk learned from it and what’s next. waitress, lovers and drifters. While certain photographs look a bit too staged to pass Is Micah your given name or a nickname? for traditional street photography (includSo, I have two first names. My mom and dad ing a Lolita-style cosplayer, a Spiderman had a fight over what they wanted to name imposter and a belly dancer on the Hays

me when I was born at the Nix Hospital. The agreement was that my name would be Michael on the birth certificate, but I would be called Micah. I [went by] Micah until college. Once I started working professionally, I started introducing myself as Michael since it was just easier.

Why do you think Stella brought up Humans of New York in response to your discontent with “the absence of a larger art community and San Antonio’s poor after-hours mass transit”?

I think Stella brought up Humans of New York ... because it looked like a great way to have the conversations online. Part of the idea was, if you were to promote San Antonio’s downtown story like Brandon Stanton does with Humans of New York, and if the Humans of San Antonio project [became] popular enough, then maybe it could help bring more civic discussion and engagement about all kinds of subjects. Perhaps the project could remind ourselves more often of downtown’s awesomeness — and its shortcomings. Was it wishful thinking in 2012 that a Humans of San Antonio project would provoke discussions that could encourage people to see downtown as the heart and soul of San Antonio? When I look at this project, I think it achieved that goal while promoting what is unique about our urban core: our diversity, history, art and personality.

21 6

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RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Through September 2 This exhibition is organized by René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs, for the McNay Art Museum. Funding to date is most generously provided

by Frost Bank Charitable Foundation, Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation, Carolyn and Allan Paterson, and Dr. Victor Rodriguez. Additional support is provided by the Director’s Circle and the Exhibition Host Committee, chaired by Anna and Todd Wulfe.

mcnayart.org 20

CURRENT | June 13–19, 2018 | sacurrent.com

Yayoi Kusama, Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity, 2009. Wood, metals, glass mirrors, plastic, acrylic paint, and LED lighting system.

Edition 3/3. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Caroline Weiss Law Accessions Endowment Fund, 2016.34. © Yayoi Kusama. Photography by Carrithers Studio / Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

arts

6 19

You’ve said that the earliest images from HOSA made the biggest impression on you.

What can you tell us about those photographs and stories from the first week?

The early images and stories leave the biggest impression on me because they reminded me of the excitement I had when I was first starting this project. I had no idea what I was doing with the camera, and I was a bit nervous approaching random people for stories.

The whole process was super thrilling, and I became hooked on the adventurous feelings it gave me. I realized the power of storytelling, and just about anyone was ready to share something meaningful about their lives.

You’ve had a lot of good luck in terms of earning the trust of strangers. What have some of the people said who’ve declined to be photographed or interviewed?

Not much. Most said, “Thanks for asking, but I’m not interested.” I did take someone’s photo without asking on a public street, and he got really pissed off and followed me around downtown for a good hour after he cussed me out.

I’m surprised that none of your subjects in the book are identified by name. Was there a particular point behind making everyone anonymous?

Only a handful of people identified themselves on the Facebook page and also, for legal privacy, we decided to not include names in the book.

The book’s introduction mentions San Antonio evolving from a place to exist versus a place to truly live. What specific changes have you noticed in San Antonio that have made this city more of a “place to live”?

Two people who identify as the same sex can now get married in San Antonio. I believe another good example is SWell Cycle. It’s important for an urban core to have alternative transportation options. We have also seen more music festivals in the downtown area, and I think that enhances quality of life.

Given that the project is directly inspired

by Humans of New York, I’m curious how you’d respond to critics who might dismiss HOSA as derivative or unoriginal.

I attended [Western Kentucky University’s] Mountain Workshops for photojournalism in 2015 and one of the photography lessons that was shared was by New York Times photojournalist Leslye Davis. She said one way to develop a photographic style or vision

is to seek out your favorite projects or photographers and copy what they do and try to make it better. There is very little in the world that is entirely original. What is great about this project is that it’s made up of street stories and photos from the downtown area of San Antonio through the lens of someone who fell in love with downtown. San Antonio has a beautiful, rich, vibrant and authentic culture — especially in the downtown area. I’m glad I was able to showcase this authenticity through the Humans of New York concept.

Now that the HOSA project is finished and published, has your focus on street photography changed? Do you have any future projects in mind?

When I’m not photographing for work [at Centro San Antonio], I’m thinking about street photography or looking at other street photo or journalism work. I’m obsessed with photography, and I’m constantly trying to improve. When I have some free time, I shoot downtown on the streets because downtown is where I learned how to photograph. Now I want to capture moments of people, as candid as possible, without disturbing the environment around me. I feel like there’s nothing more satisfying than to capture a decisive moment where the image can tell a complete story on its own. As for projects, I’ve been working with my friend Rose on and off for the past two years. Rose owns a small ranch south of San Antonio and provides an after-school program for young women in the community who are interested in learning how to take care of horses or become escaramuza riders. I also spent two weeks in 2015 documenting a family who illegally migrated from Honduras [and are] residing in a small colonia near Laredo.

I’d like to revisit them again this year.

To steal a play from your book: What is one memory you never want to forget?

I love this question! The first memory that comes to mind right now was when I was living in Thailand [and] heading to the park on my motorbike. When we stopped to admire some elephants that were leaving the jungle to cross the road, one of the largest elephants I have ever seen suddenly came out from the jungle and starting charging right at us. I had to quickly turn my motorbike around and haul ass in the opposite direction.

The funny thing is, we caught the whole thing on camera. The video is posted on my Facebook page.

236 sacurrent.com | June 13–19, 2018 | CURRENT

21

Tuesday, June 19 | 6:00pm The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962/123 MIN./NR)

WARHOL AND

Food Truck!

Free Popcorn & Beer!

Free Museum Admission from 4:00 - 9:00pm

Andy Warhol, John Wayne (from Cowboys and Indians), 1986, Screenprint, Courtesy of Jack and Valerie Guenther.© 2017 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.

THE WESTERN

Briscoe Western Art Museum | 210 W. Market St. | BriscoeMuseum.org

Emergency Ice Delivery

Special Events • Retail & Industrial Call (210)824-2400 or (844)4-ICEMAN MirelesIce.com 22

CURRENT | June 13–19, 2018 | sacurrent.com

arts To get a sharper picture of some of the Humans of San Antonio, we asked Cirlos to share candid anecdotes about some of the memorable characters in his book.

I met her on Houston Street.

I had been wanting to take a photo of a person wearing a hijab but I [kept] getting turned down.

This post reached over 4,000 likes on Facebook.

M

I met him on Commerce Street near Main Plaza. I noticed his headpiece right away and I immediately became interested in asking him some questions. I remember him being very soft-spoken, passionate and eager to share with me his family ancestry, which he says links back to the river that flows through downtown.

M

I don’t remember where I took this photo. I’m not sure if he goes by the name Spurs Luchador, but I’m glad he let me stop him for a photo that evening. Whoever you are, keep on being you.

M

This photo was taken on St. Mary’s Street. This location was actually a bus stop for years that was always filled with so much activity. This was handsdown my favorite spot to look for Humans of San Antonio stories.

Unfortunately, this stop is no longer there due to construction.

I wonder if this stop will go back to how it was before.

a This was in front of Walgreens on Houston Street. He is actually a mentor and works with young people who are in gangs or want to be in gangs or don’t have positive support systems in place or role models in their family.

M

I just loved how this man was wearing so much fur, but also carrying more fur in his bags.

M

25 6

sacurrent.com | June 13–19, 2018 | CURRENT

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CALL NOW! 210-361-7060

Have an idea worth spreading?

Now accepting 2018 speaker applications Deadline to apply Friday, June 15 TEDxPaloAltoCollege.org

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CURRENT | June 13–19, 2018 | sacurrent.com

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arts

HEALTHY KIDS NEEDED FOR A STUDY ON BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

We are conducting a study on brain development, using MRI to sthudy the structure and function of the brain.

There is NO radiation in MRI.

This is the Hispanic Elvis! I met him a few times around downtown. I want to say this photo was taken on Navarro Street.

M

To be in the study, the child should: Be between the ages of 8-17 years old , have not received a psychiatric diagnosis & have a parent without a psychiatric diagnosis.

Children will be: - Paid for their participation - Given pictures of their brain - Given a certificate from the University acknowledging their successful time volunteering in research - Given the gratification of knowing their participation may help other kids who are seriously ill

If you are interested in participating in this research, Please Call (210) 450-8362 OR BDstudySA@uthscsa.edu

Gosh, I’m not sure if this bar is still operating, but I want to say it was off of Flores Street. This man was just smoking a cig in front of the bar and so I thought it would be a good time to chat. I asked him to pose for a photo while he was already leaning on that [payphone] during our conversation.

M

Have you not been to a Wookiee Walk? I love how so many people act in character. This photo was taken at Hemisfair Park as the group got ready to march down Alamo Street.

Yinz

M

A Way WIth Words Comes to SA The lively call-in public radio show about words and how we use them, is coming to San Antonio!

Thursday, June 21 - 7pm The Watson Center @ St. Philip’s College

I met her in Alamo Plaza. She was in town for a conference.

She was chilling out on that tree when I asked for her portrait.

M

I met her initially at the farmers market on South Flores Street, and again later on Houston Street. This is Marcella and we actually became great friends.

M

Tickets: $10-$45 https://bpt.me/3464436

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sacurrent.com | June 13–19, 2018 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | June 13–19, 2018 | sacurrent.com

arts More Than a Birthplace

Natalia Sylvester illustrates the complexities of border crossings in Everyone Knows You Go Home

BY PATRICIA PORTALES

A

2738 BLANCO RD SA TX | 210.734.8672 | ALAMOCANDY.COM

VOTE FOR US IN BEST OF SAN ANTONIO

young mother, father and little girl drenched in mud move hurriedly through the brush of a nature preserve in the Rio Grande Valley. When they cross the path of a group of high schoolers on a bird migration field trip, they are almost mistaken for fellow hikers or students who accidentally fell in the river. One detail reveals they are neither: They are barefoot. Only one of the students, Eduardo — an unaccompanied minor himself fewer Sylvester than two years prior — understands that he is witnessing a crossing.

In Everyone Knows You Go Home, Natalia Sylvester illustrates life’s extremes for Eduardo, now a high school student readjusting to life with his relatives Isabel and Martin in McAllen. Having endured riding atop the Beast, the northbound train that driver’s license, having a girlfriend, runs through Mexico, Eduardo has going to prom — alongside the fled gang members who threatened dire possibility of his deportation. violence if his family did not share The worry causes the profits of their Isabel, a nurse restaurant in Mexico.

Reading with Natalia who often treats What Sylvester Sylvester patients suffering illustrates goes 6pm, Tue, June 19 from dehydration beyond the danger The Twig Book Shop while crossing the of crossing the 306 Pearl Pkwy. Suite 106 border, to attend to border. The novel (210) 826-6411 these matters while acknowledges the thetwig.com searching for the complexities of right attorney. birthplace and Everyone Knows You Go All the while, identity. Eduardo Home | Little A | 334 pages | Eduardo reflects on might be able to stay $14.95 his crossing with his “if he’s been here for grandfather Omar, a certain amount of a muerto, a spirit who reappears time … if the state considers him annually to avoid being forgotten. abandoned or neglected … if it’s In this case, it is also to connect the not in his best interest to return.” missing pieces of his family’s story and Sylvester places the rituals of journey. However, a looming question American life — Eduardo earning a remains: How and when did Omar die? He worried that his crossing, which he had attempted twice, had been in vain: “He had always thought crossing the border would be hardest, but now he suspected it was this, the in-between, the stretches of miles for the forgotten, where they could become lost but never mourned, or found but tossed back, turned away as Eric Sylvester if they had never arrived.” sacurrent.com | June 13–19, 2018 | CURRENT

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Won’t You Be My Neighbor? reminds us all that we used to be better

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

S

eventeen years after airing its last episode in August 2001, the educational children’s TV series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is revisited by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom) in Won’t You Be My Neighbor? It’s a touching, feature-length documentary that takes audiences back to the original 1963 PBS series and its unassuming, philosophical and soft-spoken host Fred Rogers (1928-2003).

At a time when this country seems to be politically imploding, WYBMN? is a subtle beam of light at a dark and divisive moment in history that should encourage viewers to take a step back and be reminded that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. Consider it a refresher course on kindness.

It might sound like an idealistic message delivered by someone who never read the comments section at Breitbart, but it was the basic premise of all 1,765 episodes Rogers and

Primal Fear

Hereditary avoids most horror tropes and delivers a hellish supernatural narrative

I

n what is easily the creepiest and most unsettling wide-release horror film since 2015’s Puritan nightmare The Witch, Hereditary, also produced by indie film company A24, manifests a kind of terror that digs under the skin and infects within.

First-time feature writer/director Ari Aster borrows from past films — Rosemary’s Baby, Don’t Look Now, The Shining — to fashion his own brand of emotionally disturbing storytelling. Aster is almost like Hereditary’s youngest character Charlie (Milly Shapiro), an introverted 13-year-old girl who spends most of her time sketching strange images in a notebook and assembling makeshift toys out of pill bottles, spools of thread and bird body parts. Glue enough weird elements together, and you’re bound to create a scary-looking curiosity.

courtesy of Focus Features

crew presented to children for nearly four decades. In WYBMN?, Neville taps into those pure, childhood emotions with tenderness and compassion, and allows audiences to take from it what they may. Whether it’s simply a happy, 94-minute tour down memory lane with puppets and props or recognizing that a show like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood confronted complex topics, some of which are still relatable, WYBMN? translates well

Aster’s best work comes in the setup of the film where he introduces us to the entire Graham family — Charlie, her older brother Peter (Alex Wolff ) and their parents Annie (Oscar nominee Toni Collette) and Steve (Gabriel Byrne) — all of whom are mourning the recent death of Annie’s mother. During the first third of Hereditary, Aster, along with cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski (Tragedy Girls) and composer Colin Stetson (Blue Caprice), position the film’s characters in a framework they, or the audience, cannot escape.

This sense of dread found deep inside the bowels of Hereditary is palpable and petrifying. It kicks in soon after the family experiences another death — a shocking one not teased in the trailer — that throws the Grahams into a downward spiral. Overcome with grief, Annie tells strangers in a support group the long history of mental illness in her bloodline. It’s a detail that plays into her personal story as the film pushes forward, revealing a host of uncomfortable scenarios, including ones that center on mental health, trauma and motherhood. With Annie, Collette embodies a woman on the verge of all-out madness and does so in the rawest horror performance since Australian actress Essie Davis’ turn in 2014’s The Babadook.

Where the film falters a bit is during the

screens

Life Lessons

into the current climate.

Depending on where you are on the political spectrum, a scene where the TV show’s first episode features a royal puppet pronouncing his plans to build a wall around his kingdom because he is “afraid of change,” might have Trump supporters crying about the Hollywood elite and the liberal media attempting to indoctrinate their youth, but it is a timely issue nonetheless.

In one of the most poignant scenes pulled from the original show, Neville reexamines the groundbreaking move by Rogers to dip his bare feet into a kiddie pool and invite his friend Officer Clemmons (Francois Clemmons), an African-American policeman who worked in the Neighborhood, to join him.

This was during a time in America when desegregated public swimming pools were still a contentious topic among racist whites who didn’t want to share public pools with blacks.

WYBMN? will likely become the definitive film on Rogers. Neville packages fascinating archival footage and recent interviews with those who knew him to create an enjoyable tribute to an entertainer who has yet to be matched in style and personality. Moreover, since it’s obvious that many people these days have forgotten what they learned in kindergarten, there are lessons in WYBMN? on inclusivity, love and respect that every viewer should take to heart.

courtesy of A24

second act when Aster relies on a handful of tropes one would find in any conventional horror film about an evil entity haunting a family’s home. Do we really need to see a photo of one of the characters with his eyes scratched out to foreshadow his demise or flip through a book on demonology at the last minute to tie up loose ends?

Nevertheless, Hereditary is devastating in its delivery and offers a bloodcurdling look into a hellish, supernatural narrative. Just be ready to live with it for a while.

—Kiko Martinez

Find more film stories at sacurrent.com

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THE BIG SPOON

RIP Anthony Bourdain The chef’s death leaves a massive hole in the culinary world

BY JESS ELIZARRARAS

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lobetrotting TV host, author, and advocate Anthony Bourdain died Friday morning at 61 in France.

The chef was found dead his hotel room in France by longtime friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert.

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And the food world — that is the world that eats food — is in mourning.

Bourdain, a ‘78 Culinary Institute of America grad, first came into the spotlight with his pieces for The New Yorker that showed a realistic look inside professional kitchens. The pieces snowballed into his best-selling Kitchen Confidential, again a raw and honest depiction of kitchen life – from the pervasive drug use (that’s still pervasive) to the practices restaurants engage in that diners should be aware of.

But Bourdain really came into his own with No Reservations, a Travel Channel series that aired from 2005 to 2012 and later on with CNN’s Parts Unknown, where he country-hopped for 45 minutes at a time, taking viewers to the furthest corners of the earth and showcasing cuisines most of us will never have the chance to try. He traipsed through war zones, and pointed out differences, efficiencies, and, best of all, similarities.

And Bourdain gave credit where credit was due. He was an ardent advocate of the Lati-

nos, Mexicans and Ecuadorians he worked alongside, and the work they do in some of the country’s biggest kitchens. He wrote tirelessly about how Mexican food should be held in a higher esteem and his love of Mexico. For a great example, check out his “Under the Volcano” post at anthonybourdain.tumblr.com, written in 2014 as the 2016 election loomed on the horizon.

The news of his death last week left a huge hole in the food world, and not just those who read his books or watched his shows. His impact can be seen in today’s kitchens, the chefs working there and the food they share with us on a daily basis. Despite the onslaught of celebrity chefdom, it hasn’t gotten any easier to work the long hours, often forgoing family time. The loss of one of their biggest advocates will take time to heal.

Follow the author: @jesselizarraras

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A spread of Pasha’s appetizers, including dolmas, naan, falafel and kashke bademjan, an eggplant dip.

6

Courtesy of Pasha

The Power of Pasha

Despite opening during a recession, Pasha Mediterranean Grill has grown into a mini empire

BY JESS ELIZARRARAS

I Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com

t’s lunchtime. The chicken schwarma glistens on its spit next to the gyro and its beef counterpart. Fresh and pliable naan bread leaves the open kitchen in a stream of unleavened goodness, ready to bathe in a puddle of olive oil and za’atar, a blend of thyme, oregano and sesame seeds.

And hungry San Antonians stream into Pasha Mediterranean Grill for another taste of creamy hummus and that naan, much like they have for the past 10 years.

Big things have small beginnings, especially for Pasha and the restaurant group behind it. Their Wurzbach location now goes through 70 50-pound bags of flour for naan a week. Back in 2008, when founders Daniel Deiri and Kamran Hajivandi teamed up to open the restaurant inside a former Sombrero Rosa (hence the distinctive façade), the only diners familiar with the fare were members of the military.

“It was hard to visualize things, and that slowed things down when you had someone at the register for 10 minutes asking

questions and trying to understand,” said Bill Deiri, Daniel’s son who’s been entrenched in the restaurant’s day-to-day operations from the beginning.

Pasha eventually switched to sit-down service with servers who could explain new menu items to curious diners. And San Antonio loved it.

The eldest Deiri handles real estate and construction while Hajivandi and Bill handle the day-to-day hurdles. For Hajivandi, who hails from Iran, the first three years in business were the hardest of his life.

“We were working seven days straight, living day by day, trying to catch up with the business,” Hajivandi said.

That included overnight aesthetic changes to the restaurant to accommodate more customers so as to not interrupt business.

While the first three years may have been a blur for Hajivandi, the restaurant’s success spurred growth. Naara Café was added to the mix, with Majid Nehrafza handling operations for the hookah

lounge. A second location, this time off Blanco and 1604 followed in 2010, and another opened off I-35 and Selma in 2014.

No, Pasha wasn’t the first Mediterranean restaurant in San Antonio by any means.

Demo’s opened in 1979 with Greek favorites; Papouli’s Greek Grill followed, as did Jerusalem Grill, which will add a third location in Stone Oak this year.

But Hajivandi credits their unique mix of cuisines — the menu combines Mediterranean, Persian, Greek, Syrian and Arabic bites — for part of the appeal.

“We didn’t want to limit ourselves,” Hajivandi said.

Bill’s guess about the success of the restaurant is that it found its niche early on: serving big portions, priced well for its freshness.

Introducing tasty versions of new-toSA dishes also helped. There was that unleavened bread that Bill jokes is a good replacement for chips and salsa. There’s the koobideh ground beef kebab that’s now one of the top-selling plates. There’s the chicken sheesh tawook marinated in garlic, olive oil and herb that’s also a favorite.

Paying attention to the smallest details paid off. The restaurant switched from canned chickpeas to boiling their own inhouse soon after opening.

“It’s a lot cheaper to do it from scratch, too,” Bill said.

Not content with ordering small 35 6 sacurrent.com | June 13–19, 2018 | CURRENT 33

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food 6 33 cakes from food purveyors, the owners sought out bakers to take on the task of making fresh baklava for the restaurants. They found brothers Yousef and Mahmoud Othman, who specialize in Mediterranean and European desserts, respectively, and the concept for Baklovah Bakery was born.

“We were buying from U.S. Foods or Sysco, and the desserts weren’t bad, but it didn’t fit with what we do having our own recipes.”

At Baklovah, which sits across the way from the original Pasha and next to Naara, those with a sweet tooth can order delicate baklava in several varieties or Turkish candies and chocolates by the pound. Everything is made in-house by the Othman brothers, down to the eye-catching macarons and almost-too-pretty-to eat mousses and cheesecakes.

Hajivandi takes particular joy in introducing San Antonians to their new favorite dessert.

“If people have questions or they haven’t heard of this, we just let them sample,” Hajivandi said. “It’s better that way.”

Last fall, Pasha dipped their toe into the fast-casual realm with the opening of Pasha Express. Lunchtime visits at the sit-down location take no more than an hour — they know their customers. Helmed by Nathaniel Costa, a childhood friend of Bill, Pasha Express added fresh local options to the University of the Incarnate Word campus. There, the owners learned new systems that allow for a smaller location and smaller staff, as well as adding new items such as spicy biryani rice and a homemade barbecue sauce.

The location, which is open to the

Courtesy of Pasha

public, is closed now for the summer.

That “break” gives the group time to work on several other projects such as the opening of a second Pasha Express, this time at Culebra and 1604.

“There was a lot of opportunity, and we took everything on and now we’re just trying to catch up,” Bill said.

The new Pasha Express is 2,000 square feet of fast-casual Mediterranean fare, with enough seating for 40, plus more on the patio.

There are seven plates to choose from or customers can build their own salad/ bowl/wrap, which uses the signature naan bread. At the end of the cafeteriastyle line? A display case filled with single servings of hummus, dolmas and desserts from Baklovah.

San Antonio will likely see more of these in years to come. It’s easier to train a smaller staff and the menu isn’t as daunting as the sit-down restaurants’.

There’s also the food truck that hit the road a week after Pasha Express 2.0 opened. Then there’s the grilled chicken concept in the works inside the former Arby’s that neighbors the original Pasha where Bill said they’re adding a custom oven that fits 40 birds.

There’s also another Baklovah on the way as the Pasha restaurant group moves close to the city’s core. They’ll join chef Johnny Hernandez at Big Tex Flats later this fall.

Kamran Hajivandi, one of the owners of the Pasha Restaurant Family group.

a Jess Elizarraras

Bill Deiri helped open Pasha with his father and Hajivandi 10 years ago this month.

M

The growth is also made possible by grooming their staff to take on management roles.

Brazil-born Douglas Sanchez has been with Pasha since 2010 when he jumped on board as a dishwasher.

Now the general manager at the Wurzabach location, Sanchez prepares for three different rushes: lunchtime, dinnertime, and post-sundown dinnertime for Muslims observing Ramadan, a month of fasting.

There’s also Mustafa Samim, a newly appointed operations manager, who found Pasha after moving to San Antonio in 2014. He joined as a server and eventually managed the Selma location before moving over to Pasha Express to help train staff.

At 30, Bill divides his time between new openings and troubleshooting across town. The UTSA grad briefly worked on earning an MBA, but he shelved those studies for restaurant life.

“This is a very demanding business, and it’s hard to do both at the same time,” Deiri said. “I was focused on making this something big and special, and I didn’t want to pass up an opportunity like that. I feel like you’re given so many opportunities in life and if you don’t take it, you might not get another one.”

Ten years in, it seems to have paid off. sacurrent.com | June 13–19, 2018 | CURRENT 35

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JULY 7 LOS TEXMANIACS/FLACO JIMENEZ/ AUGIE MEYERS

music

Courtesy of The Royal Jesters

San Antonio Gold Kanye West samples San Antonio legends the Royal Jesters

BY CHRIS CONDE

I

’ll admit it – on my first listen to Kanye’s new record ye, I was a little underwhelmed. Especially after the masterpieces he constructed on My Dark Twisted Fantasy, I expected something different, I guess. And, look, I realize that artists grow, evolve and express themselves differently as they mature, so it’s not like I was even expecting another Yeezus, just something that was gonna hit a little bit ... harder.

However, my attitude towards the album changed after it was brought to my attention that Mr. West dipped into a stream from San Antonio’s musical past and sampled a song from none other than the Royal Jesters, a Chicano soul group that rose to regional fame in the ‘60s.

Traveling back to that era in the Alamo City, you’ll find groups like Little Jr. Jesse and His Teardrops, the Commands, the Royal Jesters, and Sunny & the Sunliners. Those bands were influenced by the sounds of R&B, ’50s jazz and rock ‘n’ roll from listening to the

radio and sneaking into places like Eastwood Country Club and Bel-Air Club to catch the popular black acts of the day like James Brown and B.B. King. The mixture, influence and imitation of these artists created a sound that was eventually dubbed Chicano Soul.

First popular at teen dances – many of the acts, including the Royal Jesters were either in or barely out of high school – the Chicano Soul sound (a rock ‘n’ roll reaction to the traditional norm of Mexican Ranchera, Norteño and Conjunto) reverberated over dance floors at places like Patio Andaluz, the Keyhole, the Tiffany Lounge and the Northside Lounge.

So when a piece of San Antonio’s history shows up on the new album of one of biggest rappers of all time, it’s sort of a big deal.

The track sampled was the Royal Jesters’ “Take Me For A Little While,” released on the group’s own label Jester in the late ‘60s. It appears on Kanye’s track “Ghost Town.” “Take Me For A Little While,” was written by Trade Martin and, while other artists like Dave Edmunds, Dusty Springfield and Jackie Ross released their own version of the song, it’s probably best known as Long Island rock ‘n’ roll group Vanilla Fudge’s biggest hits.

“There’s an official connection now to San Antonio from Kanye, and I think that’s super cool how far music from the ’60s in San Antonio has gone into the rap/pop stardom world,” Rae Cabello said.

For about a decade, Cabello has worked with Chicago’s Numero Group, an archival record label that has acquired the song licenses from many-a-throwback track and re-released them via compilations.

As an archivist, Cabello has helped Numero Group sort and collect many of the Chicano Soul acts from that era – many of which appear on the Numero compilation (which Cabello constructed) The Southwest Side Story Vol. 19, which features the Royal Jesters and the Dreamliners, an all-female group from San Antonio whose music was featured on the show Riverdale. Cabello also compiled English Oldies, a compendium of the Royal Jesters songs released on Numero Group back in 2015.

“San Antonio was like a gold mine for [undiscovered albums] in my opinion. I think it rivals with cities like Chicago and Miami, [cities] that released so much [music].”

JJ Lopez, a DJ who’s spun a Chicano Soul track or two in his day and who also manages Trinity’s KRTU 91.7, said it’s validating to have an artist of Kanye’s caliber acknowledge San Antonio and our music.

“This is an instance when an international pop figure from hip-hop has gotten access to this recording,” Lopez said, “and is now hearing this and seeing the importance of it and the depth of the music and acknowledging it, and that is a major, major feat – I think it’s amazing.”

Lopez also said he’s optimistic that people will discover the sample and dive deeper into San Antonio’s rich musical history.

“You know how many people are going to be turned on to that sample? It’s one of these instances by way of the sample – a lot of eyes might look at San Antonio and San Antonio music. Not that we need the validation, but it’s certainly an acknowledgment.”

Find more music coverage Find more news every day at sacurrent.com

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Erin Winch

Malort Makes Its Way South

BY ERIN WINCH

F

rom the St. Patrick’s Day favorite, the Irish Car Bomb, to craft cocktails like the Barrel of Monkeys, beer has had a place in cocktails. Bars all across San Antonio are starting to combine and finish off their craft cocktails with an IPA, pilsner or even stout beer. It’s a great way to introduce strict beer drinkers, like a hops-obsessed friend or your father, to the world of mixology.

This week’s featured cocktail is the It Could Be Sweet from Bar Du Mon Ami. It’s a balanced cocktail that uses Jeppson’s Malort, peach liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup, and is topped off with Lagunitas IPA. The best part about it? It’s served in a Champagne flute, adding a bit of whimsy and fun to the beer drink.

It’s a well-balanced drink, though it packs in the bitterness with Malort and the IPA. The bitterness of Malort, a popular wormwood liqueur that serves as an aperitif in Chicago, contrasts with

the peach liqueur and the simple syrup.

An IPA is the perfect topper as it makes the drink easy to sip in the summer, and more approachable for those that are used to hops in beer.

Jonny Yumol, who manages Bar du Mon Ami, created the drink. A longtime fan of Malort, which has a large cult following in the industry, Yumol was challenged to “make a palletable Malort cocktail.” He decided to use the peach and simple for a hint of sweetness while pairing the bitterness of Malort by topping the beverage off with beer. At first, all you can taste is the Lagunitas, then the peach – the Malort come in at the end.

If you are looking for a new place to treat dad this Father’s Day, take him out to Mon Ami for the It Could Be Sweet.

Erin Winch writes about boozin’ in the Alamo City on her blog Drinking In SA.

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music | music Picks 5THE ROCKETBOYS, QUIET COMPANY

since 2000, Ledisi has staked her claim to fame among R&B devotees as a true original. Tweet’s 2016 album Charlene was probably the most underrated records of the year. Now, we all remember Tweet’s Timbaland-produced debut single back in the early aughts “Oops (Oh My)” about her, you know, touching herself. While all that is perfectly healthy human behavior, Charlene let us see how much Tweet has grown into a woman with her grown-folk R&B.

Friday, June 15

When I say that Austin’s the Rocketboys are an indie rock band, I would like that overused phrase to mean something to you. I mean to say that they make indie rock music with that particularly dramatic, deadpan and anthemic spirit that was so popular when the band formed a decade ago. The band’s music is lush, layered, harmony-rich and polished in a way that allows it to be precise in effect. It’s the kind of music that you might use a word like “shimmering” or “majestic” to describe.

Joining the Rocketboys on this solid bill of bands that excel at songcraft are Quiet Company (also from ATX) and Demitasse (local project from members of Buttercup), who make energetic indie pop-rock and spare, riveting, heartsick folk-pop, respectively. $12-$50, 9pm, Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint. com. — James Courtney

qBLUEPRINT Saturday, June 16

While the record still retained Tweet’s sensuality, Charlene is definitely not a pop record. Sound enticing? Then head to ledisi.com and check out her sound, especially on 2017’s stellar Let Love Rule, and then get yourself to the Aztec on Sunday to hear how masterful her songs and voice sound in person. Canadian soul/jazz/reggae artist Melanie Fiona will join Ledisi on this bill. $45-$65, 7pm, Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. – JC + CC

Courtesy of Candy Shop Management

great lyricist, don’t miss this show. $10, 9pm, Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., thelimelightsa.com. – Chris Conde

5TWEET + LEDISI + MELANIE FIONA Sunday, June 17

Ledisi, a gifted R&B and jazz singer-songwriter who hails from the Big Easy, is hardly a household name, despite the fact that she possesses a beautifully powerful and soulful voice and has been nominated for twelveGrammy Awards in the R&B performance, album and artist categories. Over eight albums Universal Music Group

The first time I heard Blueprint was around 2003, when the Columbus, Ohio, rapper appeared on the Mars iLL track “Planes and Trains.” “I was born at a time when you earned respect / for the rhyme and the way you made words connect / not the money that you made or the girls you sexed / a concept you obviously haven’t heard of yet.” Blueprint rapped over the laidback mid-tempo beat. With a tone in his voice like he was rapping directly to me, it was in that moment that I understood that Blueprint was a real lyricist, not just some rapper spouting bars to hear himself talk. There was a lesson, a story and a conviction to make sure his point was clearly articulated. To hear a

Courtesy of Men I Trust

MEN I TRUST • FRIDAY, JUNE 15 Montreal’s indie music community continues to impress the hell out of us, and Men I Trust is one of the reasons. Combining foot-tappy rhythms with calm melodies and chilled-out vocals reminiscent of Sia’s in the early aughts, the three-piece might be your favorite new indie band that you’ve never heard of. Also on the bill is Elnuh, who’s dreamy surf-garage tunes will either lull you to sleep or force you to deal with feelings you’ve been avoiding. $12-$15, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com – Chris Conde Courtesy of Weightless Recordings

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music | music Picks LA LUZ, SUMMER TWINS • TUESDAY, JUNE 19 Los Angeles-based quartet La Luz should absolutely be on your radar if you enjoy hazy (not lazy) psych-surf with harmonic and melodic depth, fuzz piled to the sun and nostalgic, sea-soaked vibes. The band, which actually originated in Seattle, just released its excellent third LP, Floating Features, in May. The tour for this album brings them to town, along with like-minded dream-pop duo Summer Twins, also from Cali. Both bands manage to split the difference between sounding nostalgic and sounding urgently of the moment. Each group’s music has a touch of doo-wop, and there are traces of old surf and pop sounds abounding. While La Luz takes its music in the direction of heavy guitar and brooding atmospherics, Summer Twins veers toward a crisper and more direct sound. In the live setting, both of these bands utterly kick ass. No overstatement. Full of youthful energy, La Luz and Summer Twins both have reputations for putting on wild shows, full of unexpected crowd participation and good old rock ’n’ roll tomfoolery. $12-$15, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. – JC Chona Kasinger

qHAMMERFALL Tuesday, June 19

If you miss the days when metal songs had sweeping choruses, chunky riffs and lyrics about swords and quests and dragons, then does Hammerfall have a deal for you. These Swedes have hammered out a 20-year career pretending thrash, grunge and who knows how many other heavy music trends never happened. Starting with 1997’s Glory to the Brave, the band’s been a proud standard bearer for the kind of melodic power metal many thought extinct since the mid ‘80s. Actually, thanks in no small part to that dedication, Hammerfall are credited as one of the bands most responsible

for spurring the subgenre’s resurgence in mainland Europe. Show openers Flotsam and Jetsam — beyond being the outfit that gave one-time Metallica bassist Jason Newsted a start — still command an underground following for their no-nonsense brand of thrash metal. Phoenix-based Flotsam may have missed thrash’s opening wave (not to mention the big-money success Newstead tasted with Metallica), but even after myriad label and lineup changes they continue to riff with enough ferocity to sound relevant if not exactly groundbreaking. $31, Tues June 19, 7pm, The Rock Box, 1223 E Houston, (210) 677-9453, therockboxsa.com. – Sanford Nowlin

5COMMON KINGS Tuesday, June 19

Courtesy of Hammerfall

I go out and review shows several times a month, so I get to see a ton of awesome live music, and I can say confidently that Common Kings might have be in my top five performances of 2017. The four-piece – whose roots are Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga, but based in Costa Mesa, Calif. – opened for Matisyahu at Empire last year, and before that Justin Timberlake. The band exploded onto the stage and

Courtesy of Press Junkie PR

rocked the audience through an hour of soulful (and I do mean soulful as Sasualei “Jr King” Maliga has got some pipes on him), R&B, rock and reggae.

The band even did a cover of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode,” and the audience

lost its collective mind. If you’re looking to have a “hanging-loose”-kinda time, you won’t wanna miss these dudes. $17-$70, 7pm, Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 2232830, samsburgerjoint.com. – CC sacurrent.com | June 13-19, 2018 | CURRENT

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music | calendar WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 Open Decks The Web House is giving guests the opportunity to show what it takes to be a DJ. Share your skills and meet new people through the music. All genres and styles are welcome. Vinyl, USB, Controller and Live PA will be available. Web House, 8pm-2am.

Deftunes - Nu Metal Night The Brass Monkey is hosting Deftunes Night full of classic metal and rock songs from the early 2000s and more. Free. Brass Monkey, 10pm-2am.

The Doc Watkins Quartet Featuring Jonathan Card South Texas jazz musician Brent “Doc” Watkins and his quartet perform live with special guest Jonathan Card. Free. Jazz, TX, 5:30-7:30pm.

The Jazz Protagonists The Protagonists have been making music together since 1990. They’ve been hailed by music critics, audiences, children and drunks alike as a band without equal in San Antonio. Their specialty is classic jazz in the tradition of Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington and Oscar Peterson. No fancy noisemakers, no electronic gimmicks.

Just great improvisational music. $10.

Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm.

Moonlight Social American music duo of singer-songwriters Jeremy Burchard and Jennica Scott. Their music has been described as a combination of progressive country, pop, alternative country and rock.

Moonlight Social performs with special guests the Cody Bryan Band. $8-$30.

Sam’s Burger Joint, 7pm.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14 3 Eye Raven & Opaque Ghost Live At BBSC, Psychedelic rock ’n’ roll band 3 Eye Raven performs originals alongside indie funk group Opaque Ghost. $2. Bottom Bracket Social Club, 10:30pm-1:30 am.

The Doc Watkins Organ Quartet South Texas jazz musician Brent “Doc” Watkins and his organ quartet perform originals live. $10. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm.

Ruben V Mixing blues and rock, Ruben V performs original hits with special guest Josh Smith. $10-$45. Sam’s Burger Joint, 7pm.

Wayne Wilson Country and Americana music sung by a true Texas musician Wayne Wilson live on the outside patio at the Quarry Hofbrau. Free. Quarry Hofbrau, 9pm-1am.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15 The Aaron Prada Trio Jazz is in Aaron Prado’s DNA, and it’s not hard to tell as he works his piano alongside bassist George Prado and drummer Brandon Guerra.

Witnessing Prado is an international exploration in the jazz movement from swing classics to boleros, be-bop to European avant garde. $5. Jazz, TX, 5:30-7:30pm.

New Orleans Night Doc Watkins and Pierre Poree South Texas jazz musician Doc Watkins is joined Pierre Poree of New Orleans and friends to perform live. $10-$30. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm.

Roxy Roca Gut Punching Soul No one leaves a Roxy Roca show dissatisfied; a sonic shot to the arm of Texas infused, powerhouse-southern soul, funk, and rock n’ roll complete with a certain tightness only achievable after playing an average of 200 shows a year. $10. Luna, 8:30pm-1am.

Stay For The Years Pop punk band Stay For The Years performs alongside Moronic Behavior, indie band Andria Rose & The Youth, alternative trio Lemon Disco and Ugly Side Up. $5. Imagine Books and Records, 8pm.

Tommy Alverson Hailing from Forth Worth, country artist Tommy Alverson continues to expand his loyal fan base throughout Texas with his songwriting and performances. $12. John T. Floore’s Country Store, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 Processions Local dreampop band performs originals alongside soft sound band Alexalone, rock band El Lago from Galveston and indie band Jejune Stars. $5. Imagine Books and Records, 8-11:45pm.

Randy Rogers Band Country group Randy Rogers Band and Americana Rock musician Parker McCollum. $22.63-$665.13.

Whitewater Amphitheater, 8pm-midnight Rick Barroso and the BigNasty Juke Joint Experience Blues artist and front man Rick Barroso performs an evening of blues and deep jazz with his band. $5. Jazz, TX, 5:30-7:30pm.

Yung Heazy Classified as as ‘chill indie rock,’ Yung Heazy performs an evening of heartfelt originals. $10-$13. Paper Tiger, 8pm.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17 Full of Hell American grindcore band from Ocean City, Maryland, and Central Pennsylvania, performs with death metal band Gatecreeper from Phoenix, Blk Ops and Haunter. $10-$13. Limelight, 8pm-1am.

Ledisi Twelve-time Grammy nominee Ledisi Anibade Young, also known as Ledisi, is an American R&B artist, jazz musician, actress and songwriter. The musician is known for her unique jazz influenced vocals. $45-$153. Aztec Theatre, 8pm.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19 The Chris Calderon Quartet Local Jazz trumpeter Chris Calderon performs originals with his quartet. $10. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm.

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Without snooping, I came across texts between my wife “Mary” and a guy “Jeremy” of a very sexual nature. While I would be okay if she were doing this and I knew about it, this has been going on since before we met. (We’ve been together 10 years.) She says she has never met him in person (despite communicating with him for more than a decade!) and this was the only thing she was doing that she thought would have been out of bounds. Again, if I had known, it would have been fine. I’m not okay with her being with other guys, but I know harmless flirting can be a release. Still, I have issues with anxiety and depression, and this is definitely triggering me. I do not want to snoop and I want to trust her, but I am having a hard time with both.

Prior to this, it never occurred to me that Mary would do anything that had a whiff of dishonesty about it. But her having kept this from me for as long as I have known her has made me question that.

I don’t want to keep bringing this up to her, but I am struggling with it. What do you think I should do?

Upset In The Midwest

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Put yourself in Mary’s shoes for a moment. When should she have told you about Jeremy? What would you have done if on the third or fourth date, she looked up from her menu and said, “I’ve been swapping flirty texts with this guy for, oh, the last several www.megamates.com 18+ years. I have no interest in him in real life, we’ve actually never even met in person, but I enjoy his texts and would like to keep swapping texts with him. I hope that’s not a problem.” You would have dumped her on the spot, right?

She didn’t want to stop, she didn’t know how to talk about it, she hesitated, and… a decade went by.

If there’s nothing else – if no other shoes drop – give this your retroactive blessing.

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I think you should get over it, UITM. Easier said than done, I realize, particularly with the twin burdens of anxiety and if you The depression.

AMPOWER ClinicalBut Research Studywould have been fi ne with this had you – if You may be interested in the AMPOWER known study. there was no reason Mary to hide The AMPOWER study is testing for the safety and effectiveness of Amphora , a new, investigational, non-hormonal of this LTR-of-sorts from you – the form best birth control that is to be used up to 1 hour before sex. The way prove that to by her is bythe giving birthto control is believed to work maintaining pH of theit vaginaretroactive in order to preventblessing. sperm mobility and preventing your sperm from reaching an egg.

You’re right, UITM: Mary shouldn’t have You may be able to take part in the AMPOWER study if hidden from criteria you. for But she assumed you meetthis the necessary participation.

If you: • are between 18 as andit 35turned years of ageout – you – incorrectly, • are sexually at risk of pregnancy, desiring would haveactive, a problem with and those texts. contraception It •was a reasonable assumption on her have been in a steady relationship with the same man at least 3swapping months part,forsince flirty texts with a stranger is regarded as “out of bounds” by most. While this makes Mary’s failure to disclose look a little worse, we live in a culture that defines absolutely everything as cheating – don’t get me started on the idiocy that is “micro-infidelities” and the idiots pushing that toxic concept – and as a consequence, people not only lack perspective (oh, to live in a world where everyone regarded harmless flirtation as no big deal!) but also the language to honestly discuss our need for a little harmless erotic ® ®

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I am a transgender man, and my girlfriend is a transgender woman, and we have hit a plateau. Intimate time is rare, communication is minimal, and although I care for her deeply, I do not like her as a person and no longer want to get married. I have considered asking if we could open up the relationship, but I doubt that is the solution. How does one end a long-term relationship?

Help Relationship Transition Whatever you do, HRT, please –please – don’t ask to open up your relationship when what you really want is out.

A lot of people who want out do this, and it’sable why sopart. many believe all you may be to take There people are other study criteria you mustto meet. requests open a relationship are a If you join the study, your participation time will be sign the relationship is doomed.

Peo7 menstrual cycles with three study visits plus a phone who but for incallple with the studywant team. Inout addition, you ask will have oneopen final visit about 14 to 30 days after in yourthe last cycle.

YouPeople will receive who evitably get out end. study medications and medical tests at no cost to you. There open and askyoufor openatand get it arewant other assessments and tests will undergo each study visit.

Additional andBut procedures will most be explained to you if in tend to tests stay. since couples you decide you want to learn more. open relationships aren’t public about NOW ENROLLING! it (most are more comfortable being Forperceived more information, contact us: Neera Bhatia, MD, OBGYN asplease monogamous), people Amy at p. (972) 768-1141 / e. amyfeinhals44@gmail.com hear about the insincere requests that Brandie at p. (210) 665-1068 / e. brandiecharles2@gmail. preceded a breakup and conclude all Orrequests visit www.Ampowerstudy.com are insincere.

Anyway, HRT, how does one end a long-term relationship? One uses one’s words. If “I love you” are the three magic words, then “I’m leaving you” are the three tragic words. Seeing as intimacy is rare and communication is minimal, it shouldn’t come as a shock to your soon-to-be-ex fiancée.

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ACROSS 1 Stood 9 Short outings 15 Jazz performance from an upright individual?

16 Mark somehow over the “n” in “Spinal Tap” 17 Longest-running western (U.S., 1955-1975) 18 Tattoo tool 19 Cartoonish squeals 20 Current HUD secretary Carson 21 Light-feather link 22 Swiss terrain 25 Mario Kart character 26 On the ___ (running away) 27 Longest-running home renovation show (U.S., 1979-present) 32 Upper limit 33 Way less common 34 Bermuda, e.g. (abbr.)

37 Longest-running variety show (Chile/U.S., 1962-2015) 41 Coach Parseghian of the Fighting Irish 42 They may be checkered 43 Maze-running rodent 45 Longest-running news show (U.S., 1947-present) 49 Airline based in Stockholm 52 Additive to some soaps 53 Not exceeding

54 Popular with the cool kids these days 55 After-dinner add-on 56 Half of a griffin 59 Gobsmacked 61 Longest-running sci-fi comedy (U.K., 1988-1999, 2009, 2012-present) 65 Upgrade the circuitry 66 Won over 67 Grand Slam Breakfast offerer 68 Tire company with a blimp DOWN 1 2018 documentary about a Supreme Court Justice 2 ___ de cologne 3 Online portal launched on the same day as Windows 95 4 Determine 5 “Woe ___!”

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23 ___ apso (small dog) 24 “Coco” studio 25 What things are “right out of,” when immediate 28 “Anywhere” singer Rita 29 Scottish kid 30 Convertible type 31 A, in Austria 35 Throat bug 36 Minimal 38 Collision sound 39 It merged with Bell Atlantic to form Verizon 40 “Antony and Cleopatra” killer 44 General who’s a bit chicken?

46 Place to grab a bite 47 Omits in pronunciation 48 Model’s place 49 England’s tallest skyscraper, with “The” 50 Singer/songwriter Mann 51 Breed like salmon 56 He followed Carson 57 “... and ___ it again!”

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etc FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): My Aries acquaintance Tatiana decided to eliminate sugar from her diet. She drew up a plan to avoid it completely for 30 days, hoping to permanently break its hold over her. I was surprised to learn that she began the project by making a Dessert Altar in her bedroom, where she placed a chocolate cake and five kinds of candy. She testified that it compelled her willpower to work even harder and become even stronger than if she had excluded all sweet treats from her sight.

Do you think this strenuous trick might work for you as you battle your own personal equivalent of a sugar addiction? If not, devise an equally potent strategy. You’re on the verge of forever escaping a temptation that’s no good for you. Or you’re close to vanquishing an influence that has undermined you. Or both.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You have caressed and finessed The Problem. You have tickled and teased and tinkered with it. Now I suggest you let it alone for a while. Give it breathing room. Allow it to evolve under the influence of the tweaks you have instigated.

Although you may need to return and do further work in a few weeks, my guess is that The Problem’s knots are now destined to metamorphose into seeds. The awkwardness you massaged with your love and care will eventually yield a useful magic.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Whether you love what you love or live in divided ceaseless revolt against it, what you love is your fate.”

Gemini poet Frank Bidart wrote that in his poem “Guilty of Dust,” and now I offer it to you. Why? Because it’s an excellent time to be honest with yourself as you identify whom and what you love. It’s also a favorable phase to assess whether you are in any sense at odds with whom and what you love; and if you find you are, to figure out how to be in more harmonic alignment with whom and what you love.

Finally, dear Gemini, now is a key moment to vividly register the fact that the story of your life in the coming years will pivot around your relationship with whom and what you love.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Congratulations on the work you’ve done to cleanse the psychic toxins from your soul, Cancerian. I love how brave you’ve been as you’ve jettisoned outworn shticks, inadequate theories, and irrelevant worries. It makes my heart sing to have seen you summon the self-respect necessary to stick up for your dreams in the face of so many confusing signals. I do feel a tinge of sadness that your heroism hasn’t been better appreciated by those around you. Is there anything you can do to compensate? Like maybe intensify the appreciation you give yourself?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I hope you’re reaching the final stages of your year-long project to make yourself as solid and steady as possible.

I trust you have been building a stable foundation that will serve you well for at least the next five years. I pray you have been creating a rich sense of community and establishing vital new traditions and surrounding yourself with environments that bring out the best in you. If there’s any more work to be done in these sacred tasks, intensify your efforts in the coming weeks. If you’re behind schedule, please make up for lost time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Necessity is the mother of invention,” says an old proverb. In other words, when your need for some correction or improvement becomes overwhelming, you may be driven to get creative. Engineer Allen Dale put a different spin on the issue. He said that “if necessity is the mother of invention, then laziness is the father.” Sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein agreed, asserting that “progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.” I’m not sure if necessity or laziness will be your motivation, Virgo, but I suspect that the coming weeks could be a golden age of invention for you. What practical innovations might you launch? What useful improvements can you finagle? (P.S. Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead attributed the primary drive for innovative ideas and gizmos to “pleasurable intellectual curiosity.”)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Each of us harbors rough, vulnerable, controversial, or unhoned facets of our identity. And every one of us periodically reaches turning points when it becomes problematic to keep those qualities buried or immature. We need to make them more visible and develop their potential. I suspect you have arrived at such a turning point. So on behalf of the cosmos, I hereby invite you to enjoy a period of ripening and self-revelation. And I do mean “enjoy.” Find a way to have fun.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): For the next two-plus weeks, an unusual rule will be in effect: The more you lose, the more you gain.

That means you will have an aptitude for eliminating hassles, banishing stress, and shedding defense mechanisms. You’ll be able to purge emotional congestion that has been preventing clarity. You’ll have good intuitions about how to separate yourself from influences that have made you weak or angry. I’m excited for you, Capricorn! A load of old, moldy karma could dissolve and disperse in what seems like a twinkling. If all goes well, you’ll be traveling much lighter by July 1.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I suggest you avoid starting a flirtatious correspondence

with a convict who’ll be in jail for another 28 years. OK? And don’t snack on fugu, the Japanese delicacy that can poison you if the cook isn’t careful about preparing it. Please?

And don’t participate in a séance where the medium summons the spirits of psychotic ancestors or diabolical celebrities with whom you imagine it might be interesting to converse. Got that? I understand you might be in the mood for high adventure and out-of-theordinary escapades. And that will be fine and healthy as long as you also exert a modicum of caution and discernment.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I suggest that you pat yourself on the back with both hands as you sing your own praises and admire your own willful beauty in three mirrors simultaneously. You have won stirring victories over not just your own personal version of the devil, but also over your own inertia and sadness. From what I can determine, you have corralled what remains of the forces of darkness into a comfy holding cell, sealing off those forces from your future. They won’t bother you for a very long time, maybe never again. Right now you would benefit from a sabbatical – a vacation from all this high-powered character-building. May I suggest you pay a restorative visit to the Land of Sweet Nonsense?

THIS MODERN WORLD BY TOM TOMORROW

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Would you have turned out wiser and wealthier if you had dropped out of school in third grade? Would it have been better to apprentice yourself to a family of wolves or coyotes rather than trusting your educational fate to institutions whose job it was to acclimate you to society’s madness? I’m happy to let you know that you’re entering a phase when you’ll find it easier than usual to unlearn any old conditioning that might be suppressing your ability to fulfill your rich potentials. I urge you to seek out opportunities to unleash your skills and enhance your intelligence.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The temptation to overdramatize is strong. Going through with a splashy but messy conclusion may have a perverse appeal. But why not wrap things up with an elegant whisper instead of a garish bang? Rather than impressing everyone with how amazingly complicated your crazy life is, why not quietly lay the foundations for a lowkey resolution that will set the stage for a productive sequel? Taking the latter route will be much easier on your karma, and in my opinion will make for just as interesting a story. sacurrent.com | June 13–19, 2018 | CURRENT 49

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