Contributors Abe Asher, Bill Baird, Ron Bechtol, Danny Cervantes, Macks Cook, Amber Esparza, Brianna Espinoza, Dalia Gulca, Anjali Gupta, Colin Houston, Kiko Martinez, Mike McMahan, Kevin Sanchez, M. Solis, Caroline Wolff, Dean Zach
The San Antonio Current is published by Chava Communications Group
San Antonio Distribution The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.
Get listed 1. Visit sacurrent.com
2. Click “Calendar” and then “Submit an Event”
3. Follow the steps to submit your event details
Please allow 48 hours for review and approval. Event submissions are not accepted by phone.
Copyright notice: The entire contents of the San Antonio Current are copyright 2023 by Chava Group LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be emailed to the addresses listed above.
Subscriptions: Additional copies or back issues may be purchased at the Current offices for $1. Six-month domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $75; one-year subscriptions for $125.
in this issue
Issue 25-08 /// April 16 - 29, 2025
31 Worth Their Medal
These 10 Fiesta 2025 medals bring together great design and great causes
07 News
The Opener News in Brief
Secret Ballot?
The King William Association won’t release survey results about the city’s first Krampus Parade, so we did
Krampus Pachanga
German folkloric creature dips a cloven hoof into Fiesta
Bad Takes
McCarthyites are back in force, and they’re running the country
Assault on Higher-Ed
At least 243 students at Texas universities now caught up in Trump's visa purge
Council Complaint
City moves forward with ethics complaint against Councilwoman Sukh Kaur after independent review
Federal cuts force closure of San Antonio vaccination clinic as measles outbreak ravages Texas
Creative Wanderer
San Antonio music mainstay
21 Calendar
Our picks of things to do
37 Screens
Family Matters
Actress Teri Polo juggles career and an aging, independent father in Relative Control
41 Food Burger Up!
San Antonio Burger Week is back for its seventh annual installment, which raises money to fight hunger
Cooking Up
Conversation
Toro founder and Gusto Group CEO let a near-fatal encounter with a bull change his life
47 Music
Triple Threat
Primus’ Larry LaLonde dishes on the Sessanta V 2.0 tour coming to San Antonio this month
Harvey McLaughlin celebrates new album Peña with show at Brick at the Blue Star
Cumbia Queen
Meet Vanita Leo, and prepare to be obsessed
Critics’ Picks
On the Cover: By the cracking of cascarones, it must be Fiesta time in San Antonio. This issue will direct you to the best sources of fun in our citywide party. Cover design: Ana Paula Gutierrez.
Courtesy Photo McNay Art Museum
MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION
Need a social media marketing solution?
We elevate your brand through targeted social media strategies: expert management, custom content, datadriven paid campaigns, and strategic influencer partnerships that amplify your message to the right audience.
That Rocks/That Sucks
HTexas AARP officials said the group’s members are frustrated with the state of the Social Security Administration (SSA). Social security beneficiaries are dealing with website outages and technical glitches because 3,000 SSA employees have been pushed out of the organization by the Trump White House’s DOGE. That’s left staffing levels at the administration at a 50-year low.
A 47-acre park in Eagle Pass has reopened to the public more than a year after it was occupied by the state for Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border crackdown. Shelby Park was taken over by the state as a staging ground for Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and the Texas National Guard in January 2024, alarming some local residents, who described the scene as a war zone.
Gov. Greg Abbott has made no new public comments on the state of the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas, even as a second child died of the infection in Lubbock two weeks ago. The measles outbreak is the state’s worst in 30 years. As of press time, 541 people have been infected and 56 have been hospitalized. Abbott hasn’t encouraged Texans to get vaccinated against measles even though the MMR vaccination is highly effective at preventing the disease.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro last week revealed the names of the three Latino musical works selected for inclusion in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. The pieces, chosen from a group of nominees from across the country, are “El Rey” by Vicente Fernández, “Before the Next Tear Drop Falls” by Freddy Fender and Lin Manuel-Miranda’s original cast recording of the musical Hamilton. A total of 25 songs or albums were inducted into the registry this year. — Abe Asher
Suppressing the vote with U.S. Rep. Chip Roy
Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.
Between vomiting up claims that the COVID-19 pandemic was a hoax and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was the result of “woke DEI quotas,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy found time to write a bill that civil rights groups call one of the shittiest pieces of voting legislation in U.S. history.
The Austin-San Antonio congressman’s SAVE Act, which last week passed the GOP-controlled House 220 to 208, would require Americans to show a valid passport or birth certificate to prove they’re a U.S. citizen before they can register to vote.
Setting aside the fact that stringent voter-ID laws are already in place, at least 21 million U.S. voters — or more than 9% — lack ready access to their passport or birth certificate, according to research by the voting rights-fo -
cused Brennan Center for Justice. An additional 4 million don’t have the documents at all because the paperwork has been lost, damaged or stolen.
As if that’s not bad enough, the SAVE Act creates special problems for people who changed their legal names through marriage, the majority of them women. An estimated 69 million women and 4 million men have last names that no longer match the ones on their birth certificates, according to the Center for American Progress.
The proposal is now headed to the U.S. Senate. If passed there, it’s all but guaranteed President Donald Trump will sign it into law.
Roy and his Republican allies defend the bill by dredging up the repeatedly debunked claim that non-citizens regularly skirt the existing voter ID laws and are illegally casting ballots. There’s no evidence of widespread ballot fraud, according to voting experts, and existing penalties for non-citizens participating in elections are steep and well-enforced.
Roy isn’t after voting security but voter suppression. It’s time this assclown’s constituents use their ballots to send him packing — while they still can. — Sanford Nowlin
YOU SAID IT!
“The House has just passed one of the worst pieces of voting legislation in American history.”
Brennan Center President MichaelWaldmanonU.S.Rep.ChipRoy’s SAVEAct,whichwouldrequirepeople toshowavalidpassportorbirthcertificate to registertovote.
The Department of Homeland Security last week terminated the visas of two students and two former students at the University of Texas at San Antonio as part of the White House’s nationwide crackdown on international students. The school said the two former students are in the U.S. participating in a post-graduation work experience program. As of press time, at least 122 international students at Texas higher-ed campuses have had their visas revoked.
The Conservation Society of San Antonio last week filed a temporary restraining order against the University of Texas at San Antonio to stop the demolition of downtown’s Institute of Texan Cultures . The society argues that the university’s plan to tear down
the nearly six decade-old building violates state law. The university, meanwhile, wants to lease the land the building is on to the city for a new Spurs arena.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is running for the U.S. Senate, setting up what’s likely to be an expensive and brutal primary against incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a fellow Republican. Paxton, a far-right ally of President Donald Trump, narrowly survived an impeachment vote in the Texas Senate two years ago stemming from corruption allegations. Both he and Cornyn, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, are expected to compete for Trump’s endorsement. — Abe Asher
ASSCLOWN ALERT
Thursday, May 29, 2025 | 6 - 9 PM The Dominion Country Club
A Culinary Experience For A Cause
Join us at this remarkable event that unites attendees in a delightful culinary experience, offering an array of delectable bites from over 20 of San Antonio’s finest restaurants.
Your participation plays a crucial role in supporting the San Antonio Food Bank’s Summer Meals For Kids campaign–bridging the summer meal gap, ensuring that children have access to nutritious meals and snacks at no cost during the summer months.
Purchase Tickets
Experience fine flavors while making a meaningful impact for children and families. Every $1 raised provides 7 meals for kids this summer!
Showcase Your Restaurant
Promote your restaurant by becoming a featured vendor, offering you the unique opportunity to market your business while supporting a great cause.
Secret Ballot?
The King William Association won’t release survey results about the city’s first Krampus Parade, so we did
BY STEPHANIE KOITHAN
The inaugural San Antonio Krampus Parade made its menacing way through the King William Historic District last December, drawing thousands of spectators and stirring up plenty of controversy.
Krampus parades — which celebrate a creature from German folklore who punishes bad children during the Yuletide holidays — are common across much of Europe and a growing number of U.S. cities. The debut of Krampus in San Antonio became the topic du jour, drawing ire from fundamentalist religious groups.
Now, a new controversy has enveloped the parade, this time one that could determine whether it’s held again in the historic south-of-downtown neighborhood.
Roughly a week after the Dec. 5 parade, the King William Association (KWA) — under direction of Executive Director Lisa Lynde — posted an online survey asking the community if the gathering should continue to be held in the neighborhood, a quiet enclave settled by German families in the late 1800s.
However, the survey’s results were never released, and people inside the organization, who declined to be named for fear of blowback, told the Current that the group’s leaders quashed the data because it shows overwhelming support for holding future Krampus Parades in King William.
“I mean it’s a little strange to say the least,” said Dr. Rick Lutton, a retired physician who served as Saint Nicholas in the parade. “I don’t know why they won’t release them. Maybe because they’re positive.”
The results are in
When the Current reached out to the KWA for the results of the poll, association
representative Jennifer Morey said “the whole informal survey is totally moot” and declined to share the numbers.
When asked to share the survey results, Krampus Parade Grand Marshal and KWA member Bob Crittenden also demurred. He explained that he didn’t want to run afoul of the group since it had asked members not to publicize the survey’s findings.
“I believe that the public should be able to see the answers to those questions [...] but I’m unable to release them,” Crittenden said.
Even so, he added, “I was thrilled with the results.”
The Current obtained the survey results from a source who has close dealings with the KWA, and the data shows overwhelming support for holding the Krampus Parade in King William.
Of the more than 2,200 survey respondents, 73% said the parade should be held in the neighborhood going forward. Additionally, 72% said they enjoyed the parade.
The respondents included people who live inside and outside King William, according to the survey responses. Some who answered also admitted they didn’t attend.
Of 176 self-identified King William Association members who filled out the survey, 154 — or nearly 88% — said they were in favor of holding the 2025 parade in the neighborhood. Counting confirmed, paid association members, 92.7% want the parade to come back, said the anonymous source who provided the data.
screamed in their faces that they faced eternal damnation for being spectators.
“My grandkids don’t know what Hell is,” Lutton said.
Making the call
The angry voices might have been loud, but they were vastly outnumbered, according to the results of the KWA’s survey. So why is the organization keeping the results from the public?
The people familiar with the KWA’s inner workings told the Current some of the association’s leaders are campaigning to move the parade because they don’t want to experience the blowback they dealt with last year.
“They want to squash it so they don’t have to take [angry] phone calls,” added a KWA member who wished to remain anonymous to stay in good standing.
The survey allowed respondents to complete the online form an unlimited number of times. However, duplicate votes were excluded from the final results, the survey indicates.
‘You’re going to Hell’
Despite the event’s popularity, some fundamentalist pastors weren’t eager to see a Krampus Parade in San Antonio. During a press conference in front of City Hall, evangelicals asked the city to ban the event, warning that it would open a “demonic portal.”
Meanwhile, parade supporters created memes and merchandise delighting in the Satanic Panic — and its resulting publicity boost.
Amid the controversy, the KWA and parade organizers were barraged with angry phone calls and messages day and night, according to people familiar with the situation.
“Personally I don’t see what the harm is,” said David Uhler, a KWA member and president of Beethoven Männerchor, the neighborhood’s long-running German beer hall and gathering place. “To me, it’s as harmless as Halloween. The only people scaring little kids were the protesters saying, ‘You’re going to Hell.’”
Retired physician and parade participant Lutton, who also serves on the Valkyrie von Krampus organizing committee, said his grandchildren — ages 4, 8 and 10 — had just such an experience when a protester
Crittenden said he’s aware the KWA fielded messages from people upset by the parade, but he added they weren’t coming from its members or residents of the neighborhood.
“I have every sympathy for the association members who had to take those calls,” he said. “We had to take them too. My phone blew up for two weeks straight.”
City council members and Hermann Sons Rathskeller Bar, which held the parade afterparty, also fielded complaints in the run-up to the event.
In an email exchange with the Current, KWA representative Morey said the parade’s fate ultimately rests with the city of San Antonio.
Parade Grand Marshal Crittenden agrees that the city, not the KWA, has the ultimate power to issue a permit for the event and decide whether it can continue to be held in King William.
Even so, the KWA member who spoke anonymously also revealed that the organization planned a vote whether it would ask the city to relocate the parade. However, the vote was called off due to an unresolved disagreement within the association and has yet to be rescheduled, the person added.
Parade organizers hope to continue holding the parade in King William rather than moving it to a more commercial avenue.
“Because it creates a magic you can’t replicate on South Alamo Street,” Crittenden said. “Maybe this year we can come up with some kind of a response plan to handle those phone calls.”
Jaime Monzon
Krampus Pachanga
German folkloric creature dips a cloven hoof into Fiesta
BY STEPHANIE KOITHAN
December’s Krampus Parade proved so popular that the folkloric Yuletide demon is reappearing for Fiesta.
The parade’s organizers will host the Krampus Fiesta Masquerade Pachanga on Thursday, April 24, at King William bar and restaurant The Good Kind. Tickets start at $42.50 at KrampusPortal.com. Attendees of the event are encouraged to come in Krampus-inspired costume for the official Fiesta event.
“After the parade last year, which was free to the public, the city asked us to do some things to scale the parade, because we didn’t think it would be that big,” organizer Bob Crittenden said.
Organizers originally expected about 150 people to show for the parade through the King William Historic District. Instead, thousands did.
The Krampus Fiesta Masquerade Pachanga will serve as a fundraiser for the holiday parade, enabling it to be “bigger and better” this time around, Crittenden added. Those upgrades will include more traffic control measures along with barriers to keep would-be saboteurs from joining along the route.
While the Krampus Fiesta event has a pragmatic basis, Crittenden acknowledged the challenge in making it jibe with German folklore.
“It’s hard to get a handle on why Krampus is here [at Fiesta] in the first place,” he said.
But all is revealed in Occulto, a cheeky publication the parade produced ahead of Fiesta. The tabloid includes a tell-all about another beloved San Antonio demon, the Devil in the Dancehall.
As urban legend has it, a handsome stranger appeared in 1975 at El Camaroncito Nite Club off Old Highway 90 and dazzled on the dance floor. However, when his hapless cumbia partners looked down, they noticed chicken feet poking from the bottoms of his trousers where boots should be. That’s when the dashing diablo disappeared, leaving only the strong smell
of sulphur: the scent of Satan.
Splashed across the front page of Occulto, a story reveals the true identity of the Devil in the Dancehall, who’s quoted as saying, “My name is Kiko, and Krampus is my primo,” according to Crittenden.
Occulto is available at the parade’s official website, KrampusPortal.com. Physical copies can also be picked up at locations including Halcyon, Hi-Tones, Lighthouse Lounge, Alamo Drafthouse Park North and Déja Vù Esoterica, he added.
A flyer for the event promises that it will finally open San Antonio’s “demonic portal,” referencing a warning some Christian evangelical pastors made about last winter’s parade.
“The gossip on the supernatural grapevine is that Krampus had so much fun in San Antonio, he wants to come back,” Crittenden said. “But he doesn’t have a way to get here, because he doesn’t have a portal.”
Crittenden says that the Bewitching Brujas, a witchy dance troupe and the first krewe to sign up for the inaugural parade, will recreate the El Camaroncito legend through dance. They will be joined by Kiko, the Devil in the Dancehall himself, who will get a phone call from his cousin Krampus saying he misses San Antonio, but he doesn’t have a portal to get here.
“Kiko will say, ‘I can open you a portal right now and it’s Fiesta, come on over!” Crittenden explained.
A roster of San Antonio bands will perform at the pachanga, including Tex-Mex punks Piñata Protest.
“We had protesters last year, and now we have our own Piñata Protest,” Crittenden said.
Bexar Brass also will perform a New Orleans second line in homage to the Big Easy’s parade culture, while DJ Sue Problema will be on hand to provide spooky cumbias.
$42.50-$75, 6-10 p.m. Thursday, April 24, The Good Kind, 1127 S. St. Mary’s St., (210) 801-5892, krampusportal.com.
Courtesy Photo Bob Crittenden
BAD TAKES
McCarthyites are back in force, and they’re running the country
BY KEVIN SANCHEZ
Bad Takes is a column of opinion and analysis.
Last year, would-be censors inside the U.S. sought to ban 2,452 unique book titles, according to the American Library Association. That total was the third-highest number the organization had ever documented.
However, a portion of the U.S. population appears to think we have moved beyond those kind of literary purges.
“I still speak every day to people who have no idea that there are attempts to ban books in the United States in the year 2025,” librarian Martha Hickson recounted at the Sundance Film Festival, where a documentary about her efforts to fight library censorship premiered in January.
Hickson said she hoped that film, The Librarians, which will be available via PBS’s Independent Lens program this fall, would urge Americans to be more protective of their First Amendment right to read.
The purges haven’t been limited to public school libraries, though.
Ahead of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s April 1 visit to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, over 380 books were pulled from its library shelves in compliance with Donald Jehovah Trump’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ban, Fox News reports. Those removed tomes include poet Maya Angelou’s autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
Retired Marine and oil rigger Trygve Hammer also recently called out U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas for working with his GOP colleagues to compel the Naval Academy to cancel a scheduled talk from an Italian Studies professor specializing in fascist dictorships.
“Those Republican representatives cannot be blind to the authoritarian nature of their actions,” Hammer wrote in a Substack post. “They used political power to remove an expert in authoritarianism
from the podium because that expert didn’t share their political views.”
Unsatisfied with exposing classic works of literature to the Fahrenheit 451 treatment, the Texas Lege is considering legislation that would sentence librarians and teachers to prison time for stocking anything remotely “sexually explicit,” from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World to Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
“State Sen. Mayes Middleton’s Senate Bill 412 is among many that would allow parents or anyone living in a district to call the police to investigate a librarian over a so-called ‘bad’ library book,” former school librarian Sara Stevenson told the Dallas Morning News last month. “If this law passes, a health teacher could be arrested for showing diagrams of human sexual organs, and English teachers and librarians could be arrested for certain passages in books that a parent or citizen believes are ‘obscene’.”
And the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the independent federal agency tasked with supplying $200 million a year to help fund libraries nationwide, has found itself swept up as well. Following a March 14 executive order to cancel all grant money, a Trump appointee put the entire IMLS staff on administrative leave.
Some 20 beloved Texas institutions received funding from the IMLS in 2024,
“The First Amendment does not carve out an exception for speech that Secretary of State Marco Rubio labels ‘antisemitic’, and in any case Jewish students at Columbia have vouched for Khalil’s character,” Andrew Day wrote for The American Conservative
“If his deportation, which a federal judge (who happens to be Jewish) has temporarily blocked, is allowed to go forward, the precedent could enable a future Democratic president to target conservatives,” Day continued.
Just last week we learned the Department of Fatherland Security — sorry, Homeland Security — revoked the visas of two current and two former international students at the University of Texas at San Antonio. ”The sudden uptick in visa terminations comes after Trump told supporters he would deport international students who participated in pro-Palestine protests last spring,” the Current reported at the time.
Austin-based comedian RM Brown has an initialism for what we’re up against: AFWs, or anti-free speech warriors. Yet it’s crucial to remember, from. disappeared books to disappeared people, our nation has gone through this before.
according to KSAT News, including the DoSeum and the Witte. The ALA alongside the foremost union of museum and library workers — the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — moved to block Trump’s edict.
Yet didn’t the Bonapartist-In-Chief brag during his March presidential address that he’d “stopped all government censorship and brought back free speech in America?” Of course, that campaign promise turned out to be gilded pigshit.
“[A]ny criticism of the U.S. president will get you barred from the country, a sharp departure from American political tradition, which vehemently protects, even celebrates, the people’s right to criticize people in power,” Branko Marcetic wrote in a recent survey of First Amendment violations for Jacobin.
It’s a slippery slope that Marcetic predicts “will lead to even more large-scale government surveillance of a massive swath of ordinary Americans, or even attempts to put them in prison for the things they say.”
At press time, Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, is sitting in a jail cell in Louisiana despite his never having been charged with any crime. Non-hypocrite Republicans have been admirably consistent in defending student activism of which they may personally disapprove.
“Every day I wake up and there is a news story that reminds me of something from that era from my book,” historian Clay Risen, author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, recently said on PBS’s Amanpour & Company. “I can look back optimistically and say ... you know, eventually we came to our senses and said that civil liberties abuses are ridiculous... . This was Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower’s fundamental belief: Americans are pragmatic, they’re not given to demagogues for a long period of time.”
But Risen added a cautionary note: “History is really important for people to look for parallels, but they also need to look for differences. Now, the challenge to the legal community is coming from the president himself, and that changes the game and leaves me less optimistic, simply because I don’t know how this ends.”
This month, Trump Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered State Department officials to scour the social media accounts of visa applicants, searching for “hostile attitudes” toward American “culture” and “government.”
Given our sad state of affairs, seems like Jesus of Nazareth would express some degree of hostility toward American culture and government these days. Let’s hope for the sake of Christians he doesn’t return on a student visa.
Shutterstock / Christopher Penler
A juicy, flame-grilled beef patty topped with crispy bacon, melted cheddar cheese, and all the classic fixings. Served on a fresh, toasted bun proudly branded with Sam’s iconic logo, this burger brings bold flavor and a
Assault on Higher-Ed
At least 243 students at Texas universities now caught up in Trump's visa purge
BY SANFORD NOWLIN
The number of international students at Lone Star State universities caught up in the Trump administration’s removal dragnet has now jumped to at least 243, reporting by the Texas Tribune, the Current and other news outlets shows.
The White House’s immigration crackdown last month expanded to include international students as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his department had revoked 300 or more visas of university enrollees who participated in protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Ru-
bio claimed the students were “lunatics” who entered the U.S. not just to study but “cause chaos.”
Those student removals have since expanded to include individuals with traffic violations and years-old misdemeanors, according to CNN. Immigration attorneys argue that some of the targeted scholars have no idea why the government reversed their status.
As of last Saturday, more than 170 colleges and universities nationwide confirmed that the State Department has changed the legal status of nearly 1,000 of their international students or recent grads, according to an online tracker set up by publication Inside Higher Ed.
To date, the following Texas schools have confirmed the revocation of a specific number of student visas, according to data gathered by the Texas Tribune, the Current and El Paso TV station KFOX14.
• University of North Texas: 27
• University of Texas at Arlington: 27
• University of Texas at Dallas: 19
• Texas A&M University: 19
• University of El Paso: 10
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley: 9
• University of Texas at San Antonio: 4
• Texas Woman’s University: 4
• Texas Tech University: 3
Additionally, officials with the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Houston told the Houston Chronicle the government had changed the immigration status of an unspecified number of their students.
Immigration attorneys this week told the Intercept that the bulk of the affected students are from Muslim-majority countries or other countries in Asia and Africa. Lawsuits filed in California over the attempted removals maintain the feds are targeting students who are “African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and Asian,” the news site reports.
“It’s a concerted effort to go after people who are from countries and religions that the Trump administration wants to get out of the country,” Johnny Sinodis, a San Francisco-based immigration attorney suing the feds on behalf of a student with a revoked visa told the Intercept.
Last Friday, 19 Democratic state attorneys general asked a federal judge to stop the Trump administration continuing its cancellation of international student visas. The brief accused the White House of weaponizing the nation’s immigration system to target people who exercise their free speech rights.
“The unjustified and unconstitutional
revocation of student visas for expressing their opinions sends a stunning message to campuses across the nation: fall in line or face deportation,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
“I urge the court to put a swift stop to this policy before it can do any further damage.”
Late last week, the American Council on Education and 16 other groups representing higher-ed institutions also wrote a letter demanding that the State Department offer a briefing on its actions, according to The Hill. So far, department officials have refused to say how many students are caught up in the sweep or provide a public explanation for why they’re being targeted.
“We seek clarity amidst reports that student visas are being revoked and records are being terminated in the Student Exchange Visitor Information System without additional information being shared with the institutions those students attend,” reads the letter, as quoted by The Hill.
Texas has one of the nation’s largest international student populations, according to data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It currently hosts more than 76,000 foreign scholars.
Shutterstock / Vic Hinterlang
Council Complaint
City moves forward with ethics complaint against Councilwoman Sukh Kaur after independent review
BY MICHAEL KARLIS
An outside attorney determined last Wednesday that part of an ethics complaint filed against District 1 City Councilwoman Sukh Kaur can move forward for analysis by the city’s Ethics Review Board, documents obtained by the Current show.
The campaign of District 1 Candidate Julisa Medrano-Guerra filed the complaint against Kaur on April 1, arguing it had identified eight instances when the incumbent violated city ethics policies, including having her chief of staff campaign for her while on the city clock, misrepresenting her personal assets and lying about her work history via LinkedIn.
Third-party attorney Nadeen Abou-Hossa, who was hired by the city to determine whether Medrano-Guerra’s complaint carries merit, threw out most of the allegations, including the claim that Kaur misrepresented her work experience. However, the lawyer said Kaur may have failed to accurately disclose her
personal assets and that her chief of staff Ryan Salts may have violated city ethics rules on campaigning.
The City Council-appointed Ethics Review Board now has 90 business days to rule on the matter, which could include dismissing the claims.
In its complaint, Medrano-Guerra’s campaign alleged that Salts handed out campaign flyers and discussed Kaur’s reelection efforts during a Lavaca Neighborhood Association meeting while he was there on official city business. Although staff can participate in politics, they can’t work on a campaign while on
city time or do so in official capacity as a city employee.
“Councilwoman Kaur treating City Hall like it’s her campaign headquarters is not just unethical — it’s outrageous,” Medrano-Guerra said in a statement. Kaur and her staff were unavailable Friday for comment on the complaint.
Abou-Hossa’s review also lets the Ethics Review Board determine whether Kaur misrepresented her assets in a personal financial disclosure report.
However, city spokesman Brian Chasnoff told the Express News there would be no penalty if the councilwoman submitted
new financial statements that correct earlier omissions or misstatements.
The outside attorney’s ruling on the ethics complaint comes roughly a month after Medrano-Guerra’s campaign publicized a DUI that Kaur received in 2013. Medrano-Guerra turned up the charge after hiring a private investigator to look into the councilwoman’s past.
“I made a mistake,” Kaur told the San Antonio Report. “No one was hurt, and I took full responsibility, complied with the legal process, and learned an important lersson that has shaped the person and leader I am today.”
Federal cuts force closure of San Antonio vaccination clinic as measles outbreak ravages Texas
BY MICHAEL KARLIS
As Texas’ worst measles outbreak in 30 years continues to spread, San Antonio’s Metropolitan Health District will shutter its low-cost children’s immunization clinic due to federal spending cuts, the Express-News reports. The funding overhaul led by the
billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, will strip Metro Health of $500,000 this fiscal year from a $3 million grant that funds the clinic, City Manager Erik Walsh said in a memo cited by the Express-News.
The city can only spend the remaining $2.5 million on “outreach efforts” and “data evaluations,” the daily reports, citing Walsh’s communication with City Council.
“Our disease prevention infrastructure is being dismantled by federal actions, but the need doesn’t go away,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg told Axios of the funding cut.
Metro Health’s immunization clinic administered more than 20,000 vaccines to 10,000 people last fiscal year thanks to the federal grant money, according to the Express-News.
Metro Health will shut down the free clinic, which offers vaccines including
the measles-fighting MMR shot, on July 1, officials with the health agency told the daily.
As of last Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 541 measles cases statewide. Since the outbreak started in January, 56 people have been hospitalized and two school-age children — both unvaccinated — have died after contracting the highly contagious disease.
Brandon Rodriguez
THU | 04.24TUE | 04.29
SPECIAL EVENT
FIESTA SAN ANTONIO 2025
It’s time to get hyped for the 2025 edition of Fiesta San Antonio. This year, the “ultimate Texas party” runs from April 24 to May 4. With more than 100 events on the official Fiesta calendar, the chances of finding something you’ll enjoy — whether you’re a Fiesta first-timer or medal-laden veteran. Here’s a look at a dozen events happening during the first six days of the cultural celebration. We’ll cover the second half of Fiesta in the next issue. Please note that the events listed below are based on current information at fiestasanantonio.org and are subject to change. — Kiko Martinez
FIESTA MAKES A SPLASH: THE ANNUAL WITTE MUSEUM
FIESTA EXHIBITION
The annual Witte Museum Fiesta Exhibition will be on view through fall, so there’s plenty of time to experience it, even if you can’t quite fit it into your schedule during SA’s citywide party. But what better way to kick off Fiesta than to learn a bit about its 134-year history? As usual, the exhibition features many of the elaborate gowns worn by Fiesta royalty. This year, the museum finds inspiration in the artistry and craft woven into each garment by linking the exhibition back to San Antonio’s “enduring connection to water” — from its rushing rivers to its sparkling fountains. $11-$16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 24-Nov. 2, Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway, (210) 357-1900, wittemuseum.org.
FIESTA FIESTA
Presented by Toyota, Fiesta Fiesta includes exciting carnival rides and games, live entertainment and so many food booths you’ll have a hard time deciding between gorditas, fajita tacos and chicken on a stick. Our suggestion is to sample them all. Don’t forget to wear your brightest Fiesta gear and as many Fiesta medals that will fit onto your outfit. Free, 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Thursday, April 24-Sunday, May 4, Travis Park, 301 E. Travis St., (210) 227-5191, fiestasanantonio. org.
FIESTA CARNIVAL
Fiesta Carnival runs for the duration of the citywide party, so you can visit on any of the 11 days. On Tuesdays, however, remember that the carnival rides are only $2 a pop. While the Fiesta website doesn’t list the rides that will be available, we’ll make a few educated guesses and say there will likely be a Ferris wheel, carousel, tilt-a-whirl and rollercoasters. Don’t fill up on too many corndogs and beers if you plan on getting on any of the rides that spin too fast — you just may have to end your night earlier than anticipated.
Mar 1 - Apr 20, 2025 Also Open Friday, Mar 21st 10 AM To Dusk Rain Or Shine | No Pets (except in campgrounds) -Camping Available-
1883 Old Hwy 20 Mcdade, Tx 78650 35 Miles East Of Austin -Or-
2 Hrs Northeast Of San Antonio
Entertainment
Join Robin Hood & Lady Marian as they host full contact jousting, falconry, swordplay, archery, juggling, comedy, theater & more. Medieval England comes to life in Central Texas.
Artisans + Merchants
We host a grand selection of hand-crafted goods in Central Texas. We offer demonstrations like glass blowing, blacksmithing, pottery spinning, leather armor making, weaving, jewelry & art creation, & others.
Song + Dance
You'll find minstrels, bards, storytellers, magicians, jugglers, & all types of performers strolling our lanes & playing on our stages. If you're lucky, you may spot a faery or two!
Food + Drink
From trenchers weighty with tasty fare to tankards overflowing with foamy mead, there's plenty to eat and drink at Sherwood Forest Faire. You'll discover medieval treats & delicacies.
FIESTA DE LOS REYES
Plenty of live entertainment will liven up the five stages at Fiesta de los Reyes. On the Gateway Stage, the biggest names include Tortilla Factory and Latin Breed on April 25; La Fiebre on April 26; David Lee Garza y los Musicales on April 27; Cesar K Oso and Erick y Groupo Massore on April 28; and The Spazmatics on April 29. On the South San Saba Stage, check out the Jase Martin Band and Sandy y los Galivanes on April 25; Delta Boys and Los Desperadoz on April 26; La Dezz and Chente Barrera on April 27; Los Sabrosos de la Cumbia and Adrian Diaz on April 28; and Tributo a Mana y Shakira on April 29. Free, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday, April 24-Sunday, May 4, Historic Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St., (210) 325-2315, fiestadelosreyes.com.
FIESTA OYSTER BAKE
Fiesta Oyster Bake is celebrating its 109th anniversary this year and anticipates serving more than 100,000 bivalves in a variety of ways, from grilled to deep fried. The event has won multiple awards from the Texas Festival Events Association and International Festival Events Association as being one of the safest festivals in the world. Some of the bands this year include Hoobastank (“I’m not a perfect person…”), Sugar Ray (“I just wanna fly…”) and Tonic (“If you could only see the way she loves me…”). $30, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday, April 25-Saturday, April 26, St. Mary’s University, 1 Camino Santa Maria, (210) 436-3324, oysterbake.com.
A TASTE OF NEW ORLEANS
Swing by the Sunken Garden Theater to enjoy New Orleans-style food, from gumbo to alligator, and regionally appropriate live music, including jazz, blues, zydeco and more. Be sure to bring your beads, but remember this is a family-friendly event that will have face painting bounce houses and more for the kids. Hosted by the San Antonio Zulu Association, all proceeds from A Taste of New Orleans go directly to supporting programs for the San Antonio community. $22, free for kids 12 and under, 5-11 p.m., Sunken Garden Theater, 3875 N. St Mary’s St., (210) 531-9464, saza.org.
DIA EN LA SOMBRILLA
Celebrating 47 years and more than 50,000 cracked cascarones, Día en la Sombrilla at UTSA features food vendors and games brought to the San Antonio community to raise funds for student organizations. Campus groups use the funds for tournaments, conferences, events and supplies throughout the year. Free, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, (210) 458-4011, utsa.edu.
UTSA FIESTA ARTS FAIR
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Fiesta Arts Fair, a national juried event that features contemporary art from more than 100 juried artists from across San Antonio. The work available for purchase includes ceramics, drawings, fiber, leather, glass, jewelry, painting, printmaking, sculpture, metal and wood. Along with art vendors and plenty of food booths, visitors will find activities for kids inside the Young Artists Garden. $20, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, April 26-Sunday, April 27, UTSA SW Campus, 300 Augusta St., (210) 458-4160, utsa.edu.
FIESTA DE LOS NIÑOS
This event features free carnival rides and lots of food and craft vendors. Billed as the “most technologically advanced and out-of-this-
world Fiesta celebration in town,” the gathering will include activities to teach kids about cybersecurity, aviation, space exploration, robotics and more. A gaming and esports competition also will take place in the Tech Port LAN Gaming Center, and the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology (SAMSAT) will offer technology demos. Free, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, April 27, Boeing Center at Tech Port, 3331 General Hudnell Drive, (210) 362-7800, fiestadelosninos.com.
DAY IN OLD MEXICO
Day in Old Mexico raises money to support the San Antonio Charro Association, which was founded in 1947 to share the culture of charrería with future generations. This year, more than 30 food, drink and retail vendors will participate. Mariachis, ballet folklorico dancers and dancing horses will keep attendees entertained, and Rey Feo and his Royal Court will even make an appearance. $20 (free for children 12 and under), 11 a.m.-7 p.m. April 27, Rancho del Charro, 6126 Padre Drive, (210) 385-2167, sacharro.org.
TEXAS CAVALIERS RIVER PARADE
The Texas Cavaliers River Parade combines SA culture with a visual spectacle that’s hard to forget. Watching colorful floats travel down the scenic San Antonio River Walk is a tradition for generations of local families. The parade started in 1941, meaning there’s lots of history to go with the festive atmosphere. Plus, all proceeds go to the Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation, which supports more than 100 local
children’s charities. $30, 7-9 p.m. Monday, April 28, San Antonio River Walk, 602 E Commerce St., (210) 227-4837, texascavaliers.org.
CORNYATION 2025
This adults-only satirical show is one of Fiesta’s most popular and irreverent romps. The show features flashy costumes, hilarious skits and biting commentary on local and national politics. It began in 1951 as a parody of the Coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo. Proceeds go to fund annual scholarships for San Antonio high school graduates looking to study art, performance, dance, music and theater in college as well as the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, BEAT Aids and Thrive. $15-$120, 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 29-Thursday, May 1, Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 845-0094, majesticempire.com.
A NIGHT IN OLD SAN ANTONIO (NIOSA)
Now in its 77th iteration, NIOSA fills downtown’s La Villita with revelers intent on tasting the many cultures that make up the Alamo City. The crowds get more and more dense as the nights go on, and it can be hard to avoid getting sloshed with a little beer, but make no mistake: this is one of Fiesta’s core experiences. The celebration includes 14 cultural areas, more than 155 food and drink booths and multiple entertainment stages. Benefiting the Conservation Society of San Antonio, the event is considered one of the nation’s biggest historic preservation fundraisers. $20, 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29-Friday, May 2, La Villita, 418 Villita St., (210) 224-6163, saconservation.org.
Julián P. Ledezma
THURS | 04.17SAT | 04.19
OPERA
MADAME BUTTERFLY
Despite its dated gender and racial politics, Puccini’s Madame Butterfly endures as an all-time opera classic due to its gorgeous music and devastating emotional impact. It originated from the short story “Madame Butterfly” (1898) by John Luther Long, which told the convoluted tale of a Japanese woman’s unrequited love for a callous American naval officer. That work was based on stories told to Long by his sister mined from the semi-autobiographical French novel Madame Chrysanthème (1887) by Pierre Loti. To further confuse the origin story, Long’s version was dramatized by David Belasco as a one-act play in 1900, which Puccini saw in London the summer of that year. Madame Butterfly is one of the great tragedies of the 20th century and is sure to profoundly affect even the most callous of souls. 7:30 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Neil Fauerso
CHUPACABRONA
For the past 40 years, Jump-Start Performance Co. has functioned as a catalyst and habitat for experimental performance art and theatre. The organization’s stated raison d’etre is to create new, hybridized theatrical works that defy simple definition. Adopting a Brechtian approach to presentation in which distinctions between stage and audience rupture over the duration of a performance, Jump-Start wholeheartedly embraces the avant-garde, the speculative and the downright bizarre. Take the upcoming CHUPACABRONA, which turns the appalling stain of femicide into a cringeworthy horror show along the lines of Teeth (2007) and Jennifer’s Body (2009), only mixed with the quasi-urban myth of the chupacabra. However, in this cautionary tale, boys are the target of an as-of-yet unidentified demonic force or creature, and a group of local kids races to free the community of its scourge — before it’s too late. Pay what you wish, 8-9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Jump-Start Performance Co., 710 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 227-5867, jump-start.org. — Anjali Gupta
SAT | 04.19
COMMUNITY EVENT FESTIVAL OF INDIA
India, the planet’s most populous nation — and arguably one of its most ethnically diverse — has put its stamp on Texas as more and more of the country’s diaspora has settled here. That’s fostered vibrant, thriving South Asian cultures in Lone Star State metros, including San Antonio. While people find many ways to celebrate this increasingly multi-generational phenomenon, the Festival of India — organized by the India Association of San Antonio — is always a grand time. Highlights include a parade featuring dances and costumes from the 28 states and eight union territories of India, a bazaar showcasing arts and crafts, a Chaat Gulli of snacks and treats and DJs playing fun, earworm-inducing Bollywood music. Free, 3-10 p.m., Hemisfair Plaza Civic Park, 210 S. Alamo St., (210) 709-4750, hemisfair.org. — NF
WIkimedia Commons Serbian National Theatre
Wikimedia Commons Dick Langer
Drew Patterson - Neptune9 Photography
SAT
| 04.26
SPECIAL EVENT
WILDFLOWERS IN THE PARK
For some, including allergy-sufferers and poet T.S. Eliot, “April is the cruelest month” — though not for those who love wildflowers. Even though the area’s ongoing drought hasn’t yet been pierced to its root, the annual color-burst of wildflowers which marks the arrival of spring in the Hill Country has emerged in full force, and Hardberger Park is celebrating with a free Saturday morning nature walk as a part of its ongoing Fourth Saturday event series. Led by Jerry Morrisey of the Sierra Club and the Native Plant Society of Texas, the amble through the park’s trails and Demonstration Garden will highlight the wildflowers and native plants which color in the Texas spring, ranging from lemon mint and prairie verbena to purple coneflowers, Texas bluebells and, of course, bluebonnets. This walk is for all those who, like Lady Bird Johnson, want to “keep alive our experience with the flowering earth” in a time of climate crisis. Keep in mind, though, it is April, so participants should bring drinking water, wear closed-toed shoes and dress for the weather, which may or may not include April showers. Free, 8-10 a.m., Phil Hardberger Park, Urban Ecology Center Classroom, 8400 NW Military Highway, (210) 492-7472, philhardbergerpark.org. — Dean Zach
TUE | 04.29
READING
CHUCK WENDIG: THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS
Before rising to prominence with his, let’s say, colorful social media presence, Gen-X speculative fiction author Chuck Wendig broke out with his 2019 novel Wanderers, which follows a web of characters whose lives are changed when those close to them get up and, in a trance-like state, begin staggering across the U.S. toward an unknown destination. Accordingly, Wendig is no stranger to wide-ranging ensembles of characters and mind-bending, deliciously-premised plots with fundamental mysteries at their hearts. His latest novel, The Staircase in the Woods, is no exception: it tells the story of five high school friends on a camping trip who come across the titular staircase: one that leads to nowhere, disappears after one friend walks up it, then reappears 20 years later. Included with each ticket is a copy of The Staircase in the Woods signed by the bespectacled, bearded Pennsylvanian himself. $30, 6-7 p.m., Nowhere Bookshop, 5154 Broadway, (210) 640-7260, nowherebookshop.com. — DZ
THU | 05.01
SHAKESPEARE FROM STAGE TO SCREEN
The excellent McNay Art Museum show Designing Shakespeare Throughout the Ages has several ancillary events scheduled throughout the spring, including a rare screening of the full, four-hour, unabridged adaptation of Hamlet by Kenneth Brannagh (1996) and a lecture by theatre director and film scholar Tim Hedgepeth, which artfully and dutifully chronicles the history of Shakespearean adaptations. This is a rich field that includes many iconic films filled with legendary performances. Some, like Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet (1968) and Hamlet (1990), are faithful, classicist adaptations. Others, such as Ran (1985) and Throne of Blood (1957), Akira Kurosawa’s adaptations of King Lear and Macbeth, respectively, are epic re-imaginings. Still others, say Jean Luc Godard’s King Lear (1987), are avant-garde, meta and ultramodern interpretations for their time. Free, 6-7 p.m., McNay Art Museum, Chiego Lecture Hall, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368, mcnayart.org. — NF
10 Fiesta 2025 medals bring together great design and great causes
BY BRYAN RINDFUSS AND SANFORD NOWLIN
Fiesta medals have come a long way since the tradition began in 1946. Back then, the reigning King Antonio distributed coins to local kids, who sometimes tied them on cords to wear around their necks. By 1971, a local car dealer came up with the idea of punching holes in the coins to create medals much like the ones that adorned the attire of Fiesta royalty.
Now, hundreds of organizations get in on the medal action each Fiesta, ordering them in batches that can number in the tens of thousands. Since the 1990s, the designs have grown more elaborate and colorful, incorporating intricate metal cuts, vibrant colors, dangling bling and movable parts.
Because Fiesta medals have become an art form in their own right, the Current rounded up our 10 favorite so far this year to present in no particular order. Keep an eye out at sacurrent.com, where we’ll also be uploading a slideshow of all 10 plus 15 runners up.
AARC: “Fiesta for a Cause” (Tribute to Keith Haring)
Founded in 1990, the San Antonio nonprofit Alamo Area Resource Center (AARC) is dedicated to providing compassionate support to the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to LGBTQ+ primary
care and transgender health programs, AARC supports the community via preventative measures ranging from HIV and STI testing to PrEP prescriptions. Designed by Will Templin of Alamo Medals, the vital nonprofit’s 2025 Fiesta medal celebrates the iconic work of Pennsylvania-born pop artist Keith Haring (1958-1990), who helped shape the aesthetic of 1980s-era New York City with murals informed by graffiti culture and queer activism alike. During his short but impactful career, Haring made sociopolitical awareness look cool with artwork addressing everything from safe sex and the crack epidemic to apartheid and nuclear disarmament. A constant in his work, Haring’s signature dancing figures and linear graphics adorn the AARC medal, which is available for a $10 donation at aarcsa.com.
Battle of Flowers:
“Melodies in Bloom: A Texas Serenade”
Monarch Trophy’s elaborate medal for the equally elaborate Battle of Flowers parade keys in on the event’s 2025 theme of “Melodies in Bloom: A Texas Serenade.” Sure to appeal to Fiesta traditionalists, the emblem displays a colorful bouquet of wildflowers along with a pair of elaborately stitched cowboy boots, an acoustic guitar, a fiddle and twin accordions. A singing bird perches on the guitar’s headstock. The $10 medals are available from Monarch, both online and in store. They benefit the Battle of Flowers Association, which organizes the founding event of Fiesta San Antonio. The parade draws some 350,000 spectators annually and commemorates the victory at the Battle of San Jacinto.
Bella the Alamo Cat: “Happy 10th Birthday”
This year’s Fiesta medal in honor of Bella the Alamo Cat celebrates the beloved feline’s 10th
anniversary. The medal depicts the cute tabby, the latest in a line of Alamo Cats who patrol the downtown landmark and greet visitors from around the world, surrounded by balloons. A conical birthday hat sits on her head at a jaunty angle. All proceeds from the $15 medals support care for Bella, including food, vaccinations and veterinary care. The medals are available online at tickets.thealamo.org/events.
Best Quality Daughter: “Take-Out Noodles”
Chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin’s Pearl restaurant
Best Quality Daughter applies the same creativity to its Fiesta bling that it’s renowned for applying to Asian fusion fare. This year, the restaurant’s medal features one of its to-go containers brimming with noodles. The charm dangles from a pin depicting a hand with manicured nails getting ready to dig in with a pair of chopsticks. Designed by San Antonio eye candy creators Marc Montoya and Jamie Stolarski, the medal benefits will benefit, a nonprofit chosen by Best Quality Daughter’s staff. It’s available for $15 at the restaurant, although an Instagram post promises it soon will be for sale online.
Courtesy Image Alamo Medals
Courtesy Photo Monarch Trophy Studio
Courtesy Photo Bella the Alamo Cat
Instagram bestqualitydaughter
arts
“I Burn for Fiesta”
A local success story that began back in 1972, Monarch Trophy is arguably the main go-to for Fiesta medals in San Antonio and even offers customizable “express” packages that can be whipped up in as little as 48 hours. As the homegrown company behind many of each year’s most coveted medals, Monarch boasts a robust online marketplace that includes novelty items celebrating Fiesta with a refreshingly irreverent bent. Among a handful of horror-themed Fiesta medals Monarch is selling this year, “I Burn for Fiesta” — available for $13 at mtsawards.com — puts a playful spin on the pinnacle scene from the 1988 cult classic Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. Pegged as a practitioner of witchcraft, the Goth bombshell (played to perfection by Cassandra Peterson) is sentenced to be burned at the stake by the conservative townsfolk of Fallwell, Massachusetts. Rather than flames licking at her stilettos, Elvira is engulfed with colorful Fiesta ribbons and flowers. An ideal gift for the nostalgic Goth in your life, “I Burn for Fiesta” is part of a theme for Monarch, which is also selling medals based on Beetlejuice (“Half Way to Fiesta”), The Silence of the Lambs (“It Puts the Cascarones in the Basket”), Friday the 13th (“Fiesta 2025 Takes San Antonio”) and Stephen King’s clown nightmare It (“You’ll Fiesta Too”).
Feral Cat Coalition:
“Neuter Is Cuter”
With unexpected roots in a Whole Foods break room, the grassroots San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition (SAFCC) took shape in 2004 and adopted an unwavering mission to “reduce the overpopulation of cats in the San Antonio area through public education, Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), rescue and empowering the community to care for outside cats.” Among the nonprofit’s key programs is a free, hour-long class that educates attendees about the ins and outs of feeding strays and provides traps and resources for low-cost surgeries. The coalition also operates fostering and adoption programs benefiting rescued felines. One of the cheekier Fiesta offerings we’ve seen so far this year, the SAFCC’s “Neuter Is Cuter” medal — available for $15 at mtsawards. com — stars a baby-blue kitty walking away while showing off a glittery pink rear end.
Fiesta Pooch Parade: “Spinning Pooch”
The Fiesta Pooch Parade, a 2.6-mile walk dogs and their people take through Alamo Heights, serves as the major fundraiser for Therapy Animals of San Antonio. The nonprofit dispatches pet therapy teams to medical and educational sites in an effort to bring people and animals together for healing. This year’s Pooch Parade medal features a lovable Fido who spins in the middle of a floral wreath. The $15 fundraising bling is available at spots including Barkaritaville Pet Resort, Fergies Paw Spa, Amols’ Party & Fiesta Store, Town & Country Vet Hospital and Monarch Trophy Studio, which created this year’s medal.
McNay Art Museum: “Mi Chicano Corazón”
A visual feast for the senses that electrified the McNay’s Tobin Exhibition Galleries for half of last year, brothers Einar and Jamex De La Torre’s dazzling multimedia exhibition “Upward Mobility” lives on in the museum’s 2025 Fiesta medal. Designed by the McNay’s own Olga Maya, the medal is directly
inspired by a De La Torre Brothers piece held in the museum’s permanent collection — a glass, resin and found-object sculpture titled Mi Chicano Corazón. Based between San Diego and Baja California, the sibling duo works in an array of formats — from dizzying lenticular images to large-scale installations and blown-glass figures. Drawn to themes surrounding surrealism, horror culture, world politics and the mysteries of nature, the De La Torre Brothers are big fans of hybrid forms. When we spoke to Einar De La Torre last year, he shed light on a humanoid cactus figure included in the McNay exhibition. “We wanted to make a nopalero as [a way to ask], ‘What do you get when you breed all of the different people?’ You get diversity. You get strength. That’s kind of our position,” De La Torre said. Fittingly, the McNay’s 2025 Fiesta medal — available for $12 at mcnayart.org — depicts a human heart sprouting cactus pads in a style referencing the classic Mexican card game of lotería
everything from ancient Egyptian relics to contemporary works made by local artists, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) beholds a deep well when it comes to Fiesta inspiration — which may be why the institution opted to create two medals this year. Front and center, the lotería-inspired “La Sirena” — $16.99 at shop.samuseum.org — is based on a colorful clay mermaid sculpture attributed to the family of Josefina Aguilar of Ocotlán de Morelos, Oaxaca. As SAMA’s Adriana Gomez Del Campo pointed out, “Josefina Aguilar, born in 1945, learned clay sculpting from her mother, Isaura Alcantara Díaz, and comes from a long line of Zapotec women potters. Her work gained international recognition in the 1970s when it was collected by Nelson Rockefeller during his visits to Oaxaca. Today, she is celebrated as one of Mexico’s most important folk artists.” In addition to “La Sirena,” SAMA dug even deeper into its Latin American collection and created a secondary medal inspired by the early 19th-century piece Incense Burner in the Form of an Armadillo, which is offered as a free gift to SAMA members but is also available in the Museum Shop.
Feliz Modern: “Fiesta Queen”
Launched in 2017 by husband-and-wife duo Mario and Ginger Diaz, Olmos Park’s bright and bubbly emporium Feliz Modern presents itself as the “Home of Happy” — and succeeds with flying colors. In addition to festive decor, gifts and cards, the cheery boutique and its poppy sister shop at the Pearl stock cards, prints and jewelry made by a thoughtful selection of San Antonio artists. Designed by Mario Diaz, Feliz Modern’s 2025 Fiesta medal puts an amusing twist on the nostalgic Dairy Queen logo while also nodding to the quirky San Antonio tradition of crowning Fiesta “royalty.” While only one lucky lady will be crowned during this year’s Coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo, dubbing thyself an unofficial Fiesta Queen is as easy pinning on one of these hot-pink beauties, available for $9 at felizmodern.com.
Elvira:
San Antonio Museum of Art: “La Sirena”
With diverse collections encompassing
Courtesy Image Monarch Trophy
Courtesy Photo Feral Cat Coalition
Courtesy Image Therapy Animals of San Antonio
Courtesy Photo McNay Art Museum
Courtesy Photo San Antonio Museum of Art
Courtesy Photo Feliz Modern
Family Matters
Actress Teri Polo juggles career and an aging, independent father in Relative Control
BY KIKO MARTINEZ
In the comedy Relative Control, actress Teri Polo stars as Sara Jones, a middle-aged attorney who’s attempting to balance her personal and professional life with little success.
Sara has just been hired to represent a company battling a hostile corporate takeover. At the same time, her aging father, Joe (Patrick McDade), has become a lot more accident-prone in recent weeks and needs a long-term solution for care.
Can Sara manage to get her independent father to understand that his health and well-being depends on whether he accepts the fact that he needs the kind of care that his daughter can’t provide?
Best known for her role as Ben Stiller’s wife in the Meet the Parents franchise, Polo, 55, recently talked to the Current about the film’s resonance with her and its parallels to her own relationship with her mother. She also touched on the challenges of balancing a family and a career.
Relative Control is currently available on digital platforms.
Were you able to empathize with your character and the issues she was experiencing in this film?
Yeah, at the time we were filming, my mom
and I had the same issues going on. We had a very contentious relationship. She was my best friend and my arch nemesis all at the same time. I’ve been a somewhat single mom for a great deal of my children’s lives, so having to take care of everything resonated with me. So, [the film] was very interestingly parallel to my life. We filmed in Delaware, which is where [screenwriter] Charlene [Davis] is from. That’s where I was born and raised too, so it was like coming home for me.
Since you were having the same issues with your own mother, did making this film feel like a healing experience for you?
I wouldn’t necessarily say healing. I would just say validating. It’s not an uncommon situation in life at all. So, it was kind of validating [to know] that I’m not the only one that’s going through this with their parents, and that it’s not a horrible thing.
I think most parents would say that one of their biggest concerns about growing older is becoming a burden on their children. Joe, your father in this film, doesn’t seem to have those same concerns.
I think there was that concern for Joe, but at the same time, he just can’t help himself. I think that it comes out at the end. Sometimes we protect the most vulnerable parts of ourselves. Perhaps he did feel kind of badly about relying on us so much, but he covered it up with bluster.
You have adult children. Have you ever had conversations with them, even facetiously, about what they might do with you 40 years from now — and whether a retirement home might be an option?
No, but my mom and I had this conversation many times. I lost her in September of last year. She refused. She was not going to go to a home. She was going to stay in her house. It was the old joke of, “When I get to a certain
point, take me out to the backyard and shoot me.” I kind of feel the same way. I don’t want to be a burden to my kids, but I know myself. I’m so stinking independent.
Have you ever felt as overwhelmed with your life and career as your character does in this film?
Every single second of every single day! Because [my] kids are older, I don’t have quite as many responsibilities. However, my daughter is still in school, and she’s involved in theater. So, I’m constantly going back and forth. And I do have a zoo. We have two dogs, three cats, a bird and two horses. And then there’s my career and my work. I don’t care what anybody says, but moms are the center of the family. If I’m not OK, then everything that orbits around me is off kilter. So, I’m pretty used to balancing everything. But it’s OK. I signed up for it.
How do you think this film would be different if your father was Jack Burns (Robert De Niro’s character in Meet the Parents)?
Could you have gotten him into the car to go to a retirement home?
I think when you get to a certain age, you may resist it, and you may be angry and resent it. But you get to a certain point where you do have to admit that you do need help. I think I would eventually get [Jack] in the car, but he would be a lot more controlling: “Do it this way, do it that way.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Meet the Parents. Has there ever been a movie that features more cringeworthy scenes than the ones Ben Stiller’s character experiences?
I don’t know of any other movies. Obviously, Meet the Parents is so universal and so timeless. Almost everybody has been in that kind of position before. So, it’s definitely a good representation. I’m sticking with Meet the Parents.
Gravitas Ventures
Burger Up!
San Antonio Burger Week is back for its seventh annual installment, which raises money
to fight hunger
BY KAT STINSON
San Antonio Burger Week week is back, and it’s a win-win-win situation: buy delicious burgers, support local businesses and raise money to feed the hungry in our own community.
From Friday, April 18, through Saturday, April 27, the roughly two-dozen locally owned dining spots participating in Burger Week will offer specialty sandos for a set price and donate proceeds to the San Antonio Food Bank help with its mission of fighting food insecurity.
Past Burger Weeks, all sponsored by the Current, have raised thousands of dollars for the nonprofit.
This year’s participating restaurants include Benjie’s Munch, SA Fredericksburgers, Mark’s Outing, the Lion & Rose and more. A full list along with additional details are available online at satxburgerweek.com. There’s even an app, downloadable at qrco. de/bfquZg, which lets diners check in at Burger Week establishments for a chance to win $250.
San Antonio Burger Week organizers encourage participants to tip big, order extra sides and be extra patient with servers during the high-volume promotion. The specials will be available for dine-in and also for to-go and curbside orders, depending on the restaurant. The website lists the ordering options for each Burger Week participant.
Benjie De Los Santos, chef-owner of Benjie’s Munch said he continues to take part in Burger Week because it helps him give back while promoting his own business and team.
“We love to participate for several reasons — it’s for a good cause, helping the San Antonio Food Bank and creating a sense of community,” he said. “We also get to showcase what we do and maybe introduce ourselves to folks who may have never been to Benjie’s Munch.”
As for the inspiration behind his contribution to San Antonio Burger Week?
Born from a desire to showcase the Benjie’s Munch quarter-pound burger —most of the restaurant’s options feature half-pound patties — the Baby Q burger puts a fresh spin on the beloved bacon cheeseburger.
“I thought about our onion rings and topped it with those,” De Los Santos explained. “When I was taking a picture of the burger, my son Diego said I should add bar-
becue sauce. Then all of my other staff were yelling at me to add barbecue sauce. So I did, and the Baby Q burger was born.”
Patrons can purchase the Baby Q burger for $12 during Burger Week at the Benjie’s Munch storefront, 1218 W. Bitters Road, #107.
Burger Boy’s Working Man Special, priced at $10 with a choice of a drink and fries, was a perfect choice for Burger Week, said Justin Jurado, director of marketing for the 10-store Alamo City-based chain.
“It’s a double-meat burger with cheese, served with a large fry and drink,” Jurado said. “We chose this meal because it delivers unbeatable value and flavor— it’s satisfying, affordable and made with love. It’s the perfect size for anyone.”
Burger Boy loves participating in Burger Week because it promotes San Antonio-owned restaurants and their focus on quality food and service.
“It’s a chance to bring people and restaurants together and shine a spotlight on locally owned spots just like Burger Boy,” he
food
added. “We love our customers and we wanted to give back to them.”
The Burger Week highlights are as diverse as the participating restaurants.
There’s a $12 Pop it Like it’s Hot burger at The Dogfather, 6211 San Pedro Ave., which features 44 Farms Angus beef patties topped with bacon, cream cheese, fried jalapenos and a generous layer of queso.
SA Fredericksburgers, 9503 Bandera Road, is grilling up a patty melt with a pair of thirdpound patties along with onions, cheese and a house-made zesto sauce.
Lovers of puckery flavors may want to head over to Dos Sirenos Brewing, 231 E. Cevallos St., for a $15.99 Triple Pickle Burger. The handheld packs a punch with a six-ounce Dean & Peeler beef patty, fried pickle chips, Pepino Verde dill pickle salsa, dill havarti and pickle ranch, all sandwiched between two pretzel buns.
There are plenty of burgers to try — and plenty of ways to support local businesses while helping food-insecure families.
Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com
Courtesy Photo Benjie’s Munch
food Cooking Up Conversation
Toro founder and Gusto Group CEO let a nearfatal encounter with a bull change his life
BY KAT STINSON
Name: Gerardo de Anda
Job: Gusto Group CEO
Birthplace: San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Years in food service: 16
Big Impact: The founder of Toro Kitchen + Bar expanded his love for restaurants with the creation of San Antonio’s Gusto Group, whose multiple concepts include Cuishe Cocina Mexicana, Cellar Mixology, Boombox Pizza Bar, Books: A Whiskey Society and more.
Money Quote: “We stay true to what we want to do. And I think people respect that. You have to stay true to why you opened up a restaurant or bar — because if you continually change that target to try to make everyone happy, then people get confused about why you opened it in the first place.”
How did a trip to Spain inspire your idea for Toro Kitchen + Bar?
I went to high school in San Antonio. I went to UTSA. I lived pretty much half my life here in San Antonio growing up. When it came to travel, I would visit my family in Spain and other places. I realized that there was an opportunity in San Antonio to have a more diverse culinary scene. So, that’s one of the reasons why I was inspired to open Toro. However, the actual inspiration for the restaurant’s concept came from a moment when I was gored by a bull named Caramelo in Pamplona when I was 18. It was sort of an out-of-body, spiritual experience. Because when I got gored, I thought I was paralyzed, and I had this whole spiritual moment that lasted like 10 minutes in my head. But in reality, when I saw the video, it only lasted like 30 seconds! It was a life-changing moment that never left me. So, when I quit my day job years later, and it sort of happened that I wanted to open up a restaurant in an old coffee shop in Stone Oak, it was like that moment with Caramelo years ago sort of kicked in
again. And that’s when I knew that the restaurant needed to be named Toro. The restaurant’s founding technically was seven years in the making, but felt like it all happened at once.
What drove you to be involved in the food industry?
I wanted to be a dentist when I was little.
I quickly realized that life as a dentist wasn’t for me. Being a chef was another childhood dream. Every time I would go to anybody’s house, I would go straight to the kitchen and see what kitchen utensils they had. I would ask to look at their kitchen cookbooks, and I would always write down all the recipes. I was always very fascinated with the idea of cooking food for people and providing an experience. I was always a very good host, and I always took the time to create dishes and drinks for people, because I like to see people having a good time. It was a passion for years, I just never got a chance to study culinary arts. I did work in restaurants as a server and bartender, but I never actually worked in the kitchen, so I was never able to practice cooking. So, I think opening up Toro and my other restaurants and bars was my way to be able to provide that to the people without ac-
tually having to be behind the kitchen. So, I sort of get to see the entire picture, which I think I’m a lot better at, rather than just doing one thing.
Your sister Vanessa was instrumental in opening Toro, is that right?
She was critical in opening up Toro. She’s the only one that took the risk with me, and she quit her job too, as well. When I was opening up Toro, she was having a baby, so she was limited in time, so that’s how I ended up partnering up with [my current chief operating officer]. My sister was critical in this whole operation. One of the reasons why I wanted to do this whole thing was to be able to support my family — not just my family, but the next generations, so they could have something. So, I’m very proud of the fact that I was able to provide that for us.
Tell us about the Gusto Group’s next projects.
Sea Spice is official! It will be going into the Jefferson Bank building on Broadway this fall. It’s going to be a seafood, champagne and cocktail bar. So, it’s going to be a cold bar only, with a lot of focus on champagne, prosecco and then some fresh cocktails. And
we’ll have live DJs, so that’s going to be really nice. And then we’re going to have a new project coming up around the vicinity of the Pearl area.
How do you keep so many restaurants and bars open simultaneously?
Just being able to handle the stress. Of course, we’ve had our times where we’re not doing too well — you’ve just got to be able to to push through it and try and figure out solutions and not focus solely on the problem. I think a lot of people try to focus on the problem rather than focus on the solution. I would say I’m very fond of the 1-3-1 Rule — one being, find the root of the problem, and then the three is finding three possible solutions, and then you propose your best solution. So, all my staff and all my partners and anybody I work with always knows that I always say, “Give me three solutions to a problem.” Don’t give me a problem, because giving people problems just doesn’t serve anybody any good. So, I think that mindset sort of has helped us overcome everything from COVID to inflation to everything that’s been going on because, you know, there is a way out if you focus on the positive solution 100%.
Courtesy Photo Evill Media
Triple Threat
Primus’ Larry LaLonde dishes on the Sessanta V 2.0 tour coming to San Antonio this month
BY MIKE MCMAHAN
Last year’s Sessanta tour redefined package tours by pulling together three potential headliners — Primus, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer — and having them swap sets every three songs.
Now, with Sessanta V 2.0 scheduled to hit
Freeman Coliseum on Tuesday, April 29, we talked to Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde about what kind of mindfuck to expect this time around.
In fitting with his “Just roll with it, man” demeanor, LaLonde said he wasn’t entirely sure of the setup — this despite the tour starting three short weeks from our conversation.
“We’re about to fire it back up,” LaLonde
said, with a shrug during a Zoom call from his home in Los Angeles. “I’m assuming it’s going to be a similar format.”
Whatever the three headliners come up with, it seems likely to be among the most inventive shows to hit the area in 2025. And that’s due in no small part to Primus itself.
The group, formed in California’s Bay Area in 1984, found a dedicated cult audience and event flirted with mainstream success via a blend of bass-driven not-quite funk, thrashy metal and King Crimson-indebted prog.
Frontman Les Claypool dominates the Primus sound with his dexterous basslines, quirky vocals and character-driven story songs. But dig just a little deeper and
Find more music coverage every day at sacurrent.com
Courtesy Photo Primus
music
LaLonde emerges as a subtle but key player, adding dissonance and sinister vibes to the proceedings.
LaLonde is all about contrast. Need an example? As a teen, he somehow managed to be a member of pioneering death metal band Possessed while taking lessons from fluid, clean-tone guitar guru Joe Satriani.
The following interview with LaLonde has been edited for length and clarity.
Looking at setlists from the first Sessanta tour, it looks like it’s interlocking, rotating sets?
Yeah, A Perfect Circle played three songs, Puscifer for three, then us for three. And then again. Three, three, three. And then again. And then we sort of started mingling together. And as the night went on, everyone’s kind of hanging on the stage. And some people are playing on some songs, some are playing on others. And, you know, after a while, someone says, “Hey, I want to play on that one too.” And they jump in. When I go to a concert, I have a short attention span. Even if it’s a band I love. Sometimes I’m kind of like, “All right, I’ve seen this. I’m good. Let’s go.” So, if you have that sort of attention span, it’s wonderful for you, because you’re getting little spurts of a couple songs.
Primus is obviously not Led Zeppelin-level famous, of course, but the band has been successful for decades now. It’s particularly notable given the quirkiness of the sound. Why does it work?
You know, it’s hard for me to put my finger on, but I’m assuming that there’s something out there that appeals to people that’s maybe different or weird or something. And then just over time, somehow, it’s kept grabbing people because maybe it wasn’t part of a trend. It was very weird. So, it wasn’t like the whole world was gravitating towards it. I would have never imagined [it could happen] when I first got in this band. My favorite bands were, like, the Dead Kennedys and Frank Zappa. If we could even get to the level of the Dead Kennedys, I would have been, “That’s amazing!” Just on the level of that many people hearing the band or knowing about it. Luckily, I was young and didn’t have many goals.
You really became prominent in the alt-rock, Lollapalooza era. But you’ve been a lot more enduring than a lot of other bands from that tour. Jane’s
Addiction has broken up several times and has really not put out much new music through the years. Rage Against the Machine has barely done anything. Those were bands I would have bet on if somebody said, “OK, who’s going to still be here and touring consistently?” What’s kept Primus together?
I think the easy answer is we don’t know any better. We don’t know how to do anything else for the most part. There’s nothing else I wanted to do. I think, you know, some of those bands you mentioned, maybe they had so much success that they sort of had a little bit of a cushion to step away from it for a bit. And then it never came back together. Or, you know, some bands ended [up] with some drug issues. In the music world, there’s a million different avenues for people to be eccentric and not get along for weird personality reasons. And I think we’ve always just kind of looked at it like, we love doing this.
You’ve been able to fit in with any number of scenes or festivals. There’s not a lot of bands from the Lollapalooza era that also could
eryone jumped in for a second, and we looked at each other and laughed. “Oh, yeah, we kind of played it.” And then we’d be on stage, and I’d be like, “Let’s start playing one of them,” and we’d kind of play it. I don’t think we ever practiced any of those. People probably did go, “Did they just play a second of ‘Master of Puppets?’ That’s weird.”
You and Les have been locked in the whole time as Primus’ key members, but the drum seat has been in flux. This tour is the first outing for new drummer John Hoffman. Why hasn’t the bond translated to that third guy? That’s a good question. I think Les and I know that we’ve created this thing, and it’s our thing, and you’d be crazy to ever not keep going with it. I can’t think of a reason why it wouldn’t be fun or something to that extent. But I can’t put myself in other people’s heads.
Primus did a tour covering Rush’s A Farewell to Kings a few years ago. How did learning the entire album impact your style?
have been on Ozzfest, for example, and then moved into the jammier type of scene that defined the early Bonnaroo lineups. Do you think that that versatility or appeal to different crowds has been part of it as well? Yeah, definitely. I think in the beginning that was sort what we did. When we started, it was the kind of thing where you would play in clubs and just try to get gigs. We were able to get onto a lot of different things. I remember one weekend … we played Thursday night with Schoolly D, Friday night with the Sea Hags and then Sunday with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. And it kind of just all worked.
You closed the Lollapalooza ’93 set in Dallas with a few bars of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.” And then you did “Thieves” by Ministry in Houston. “Thieves” is way more Lollapalooza, but it’s still a contrast to your basic sound. Meanwhile, Metallica was extremely uncool at that time. It’s funny, because those two songs actually are things that were rehearsal, and someone just happened to know how to play part of the song, and ev-
When I was learning guitar, I was learning Van Halen and all the metal songs and Judas Priest and everything. And then, with Alex Lifeson, with Rush, that was the first time I was like, “Oh, it’s still rock, but there’s these kind of artsy weird chords to it.” I was such a huge Rush fan. When we were learning all that stuff, it was weird, because that album, there were songs on there I hadn’t heard before. I was like, “Wait, did I never own this album?” I don’t know if I ever actually listened to that record. I just knew most of the songs from Exit Stage Left or live things or something. Learning all that stuff, it was quite an undertaking. The way Rush works is it’s so linear that if you miss one part, you’re screwed, because now you don’t know where you’re at. My first concert was the Moving Pictures tour. I literally had no idea what a concert was, I didn’t know what Rush was — I didn’t know anything. My friend at school was like, “Dude, I got tickets, we’re going to see Rush tonight.” I’m like, “Awesome, I don’t know anything you just said, but let’s check it out.” But, you know, by the end of the night, I was like, “Fuck, this is the coolest shit ever.” There’s an arena, there’s a stage, there’s lights, there’s smoke and it’s like, “What the hell was that?”
$79.50-$129.50, 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, Freeman Coliseum, 3201 E. Houston St., (210) 226-1177, freemancoliseum.com.
Jaime Monzon
music
Creative Wanderer
San Antonio music
mainstay Harvey McLaughlin celebrates new album Peña with show at Brick at the Blue Star
BY JEPH DUARTE
Thanks to his work with acts as varied as country-punk rowdies Hickoids and West Side soul revivalists Eddie & The Valiants, it’s fair to say Harvey McLaughlin is a foundation of the San Antonio music scene.
While the multi-instrumentalist’s chameleon-like quality makes him a hot property for a variety of acts, he takes the listener on a unique journey when he steps out on his own.
On Saturday, April 26, McLaughlin and his band will host a show at Brick at the Blue Star celebrating the release of his latest solo album, Peña. The evening also will feature the Sandworms, McLaughlin’s surf-rock group, and Emily Whitehurst’s indie-pop project Survival Guide.
Although Peña is already available on streaming platforms, McLaughlin wanted to put his latest release out into the world in physical form. There will be CDs, and for those vinyl collectors our there, fresh-pressed LPs.
The release is a 10-song collection that highlights the keyboardist-guitarist-singer’s songwriting mastery while underscoring his ability to effortlessly morph between genres with style and grace. But don’t expect McLaughlin to toot his own horn about those skill sets.
“I just naturally have this creativity, a wandering attention span when it comes to creative endeavors. I can’t do just one thing,” McLaughlin said. “What you hope is that you are able to genre-hop and it all kind of sounds like you. You have your own voice, your own style, and then it all comes out sounding like you.”
McLaughlin’s style is as varied as the company he keeps. In addition to the aforementioned Hickoids and Eddie &
The Valiants, he performs with Misfits tribute Psycho ’78, country crooner Nicky Diamonds and pop quintet the Alyssa Bernal Band.
“Everything that I do on my own is its own thing — its own universe, its own flavor,” McLaughlin said. “All of the projects I am involved in absorb from the other entities that I play with, get their fingerprints all over what I’m doing. You fold it into your sound and your experience. You can’t help but be affected by that.”
Appropriate to McLaughlin’s varied resume, Peña has rockers such as opening track “Undertown” and the evocatively titled “Dead Body In The Backseat.” Meanwhile, “O Gimme Blood” and “Something Weird” elicit a New Orleans sound that showcases McLaughlin’s piano prowess. The instrumental “Red Weed” is a straight-up surf classic, while “Tick Off The Wall” is soaked in traditional country twang.
One consistency for McLaughlin is groove. While drenched in dark tones, “The Man With the Getaway Face” has a classic vibe that’s sure to be a fan favor-
ite. It was written on a vintage acoustic Silvertone picked up at Robot Monster Guitars.
“I write a lot of stuff on that guitar,” McLaughlin said. “I remember coming up with the riff one night and building on it and messing with it until we turned it into something.”
The name of the song derives from a 1963 Richard Stark crime thriller, but the song doesn’t have a direct correlation to the novel.
“It was a book I was reading. The lyrics are not that at all, but I always liked the title,” McLaughlin said. “Those books, the Parker novels, are hardboiled stuff, and it’s all over the lyrical content of the record.”
McLaughlin’s biggest songwriting strength may be his patience.
“I’m always writing, you half-finish something three years ago and then find an old notebook and it’s a little closer to finished the next time you mess with it,” he said. “The biggest currency for me is always ideas. You’ve got the seed of a good idea, you can cultivate it and pick it when you need it.”
The evolution of the songwriting also reflects changes McLaughlin’s band has made over time.
“I’m writing this stuff for me, first and foremost,” he said. “If it doesn’t tickle me, then it’s not going to tickle the band. And if it doesn’t tickle the band, it’s not going to tickle an audience. I’m very aware. I want to make music that people respond to. I’d like them to, but I don’t care ultimately. I want to put my best foot forward and make songs that resonate.”
The songs did tickle the band, a group of McLaughlin’s friends who believe in and commit to the process. The preliminary tracks were recorded live in the basement of Alamo Music by McLaughlin with Chadwick Gonzales on drums, Rice Moorehead on bass, Joseph Slocum on keys and Andrea Santillan Wood on lead guitar.
He then took the project to “Hollywood” Steve Vegas of the Beaumonts for overdubs, and wrapped up at the Corn Pound’s Jetpass studio with Joshua Bloodsworth.
The result is a lo-fi masterpiece, an engaging timestamp of one of San Antonio’s most prolific songwriters, who is sure to be embedded in the scene for a long time.
Courtesy Photo Harvey McLaughlin
Courtesy Photo Harvey McLaughlin
music
Cumbia Queen
Meet Vanita Leo, and prepare to be obsessed
BY JAMES COURTNEY
With spring in full swing and the assurance of endless sweltering days on the horizon, the new single “La Cumbia Wepa” by San Antonio’s Vanita Leo might be the perfect sonic cure for the impending malaise.
Released in February, it’s the most irresistible new cumbia pop jam we’ve heard in a long time, and could find a spot on your Fiesta playlist — and maybe every playlist you make for the foreseeable future. Pro tip: it leads perfectly into Supermerk2’s “Que Calor.”
Even Rolling Stone has taken note, listing the track among its recent “Songs You Need to Know” alongside offerings from megastars such as Lizzo and Halsey
Leo’s life has always been filled with music. Her father Marco Jaime has performed in Tejano and cumbia bands including Grupo Rodeo, and other members of her family are also involved in the regional music scene.
To be sure, her desire to be a performer was stirred by the experience of going with her abuela to watch her dad perform at Market Square.
“He would have that crowd in the palm of his hand,” Leo told the Current “It was such an exhilarating feeling for me, and I’ve just always wanted to do that too.”
Leo attended a prestigious mariachi school, showing talent and drive from a young age — even if she hadn’t fully envisioned where she wanted her musical ambitions to take her.
Eventually, she left the school and later attended John Jay High School before switching to homeschooling, an option that allowed her to spend more time working at her family’s frutería and plotting her music career.
Leo views today’s music world as increasingly dominated by Latino cultures, “but not my culture.” She wants to change that by representing San Antonio specifically, with its unique take on both Chicano and Mexican cultures.
In 2024, Leo began working with accomplished cumbia producer Alan Vega in Los Angeles. The pair found a quick
creative kinship, banging out the song “solo tu bb” on their first day together.
That song, a dreamy, sun-soaked, cruisin’ cumbia, kicked off a hot streak of singles — five in total — of which “La Cumbia Wepa” is just the latest and greatest.
The other recent releases include
radio mainstay KTXN bleeding in from the pachanga in the next room. In your dreams, the songs intertwine to ecstatic results.
Except Leo, 22, wasn’t even born yet in 1994. And her music feels fresher than that anyway.
The tunes combine cumbia with elements of reggaeton, bolero, mariachi, corrido, Tejano and a cinematically huge pop polish that brings an infectious sense of joy. Her voice is versatile and powerful, and she’s as comfortable with towering emotion as with disarming playfulness.
Leo said her longing is to make music that resonates with “Mexican kids who used to fall asleep at quinceañeras” — music for “Hot Cheeto girls and Edgars too.”
“I want this to be played at quinces, at Fiesta; I want this to bring the energy of my city with it,” she said. “Being a San Antonian is one of the most important parts of me.”
Leo said she draws inspiration from the late great Selena Quintanilla and her brother A.B. Quintanilla, but not necessarily in the way many might assume.
“I am really passionate about the fact that Selena and her siblings weren’t really into Tejano themselves but were kind of pushed into it by their dad,” she said.
“They decided that if they were going to do Tejano that they would create something that’s modern and innovative, but that still your abuela can dance to with your tias and your little primos too.”
“I want to do that too,” she added. “Make music that is so good it belongs to everybody.”
In that way, Leo simultaneously comes across as a throwback and a breath of fresh air. Her drive to become a beacon both of cultural preservation and musical innovation is distinct and refreshing.
Fresh off a run of official SXSW shows, Leo will perform live at Fiesta’s Oyster Bake and La Semana Alegre. Her Oyster Bake set will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26, on the Club Car Wash Stage, while she’s scheduled to play Friday, May 2, on La Semana’s Civic Park Stage.
“Suerte o Destino,” a stunning duet with Edgar Alejandro, “Putazos al Corazon,” a feisty track with contributions from Erre, and “Si Dios Quiere,” another candied cumbia gem.
Leo’s singles sound like falling asleep one night in 1994 with hip-hop station KTFM on in your bedroom and Tejano
She also plans to release her next single near the end of April and drop an EP sometime in the fall.
For now, go blast “La Cumbia Wepa.” Like the fruit cups she slings at her family’s frutería when she’s not recording cumbia bangers in LA, this thing is dulce y picante at once — and probably good for your health too.
Courtesy Photo Vanita Leo
critics’ picks
Wednesday, April 16
Lunar Vacation, Hannah Cole
There’s a dreamy bit of shoegaze in Atlanta-based indie-rock band Lunar Vacation. Perhaps it stems from lead singer Gep Reparsky’s vocals, which bear an endearing combination of sweetness and melancholy. With two studio albums and a burgeoning legion of followers, Lunar Vacation released a new single “ Lights Off” last month which further leans into the gauzy sound. $18, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Danny Cervantes
Thursday, April 17
Machine Head, In Flames, Lacuna Coil, Unearth
After starting three decades ago in California’s Bay Area, metal act Machine Head is soldiering on with vocalist Robb Flynn as its only original member. (San Antonio-raised drummer Dave McClain left in 2018.) Despite the lineup changes, the band remains a force thanks to its aggressive mix of thrash metal with groove metal and nu-metal elements. Its 11th studio album, Unatoned, is set to drop later this month. Meanwhile, Swedish co-headliner In Flames used its distinctive and intricate twin-guitar approach to help pioneer melodic death metal. Italian goth-metal act Lacuna Coil serves as an opener worth arriving early for. $75.50$94.40, 6 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — DC
Saturday, April 19
George Clanton
LA-based artist George Clanton makes catchy pop music, genres be damned. Some call it electronica, others classify under the vague term “vaporwave.” Whatever the label, this is fun, catchy electronic pop with warbled, warped aesthetics and an aversion to cleanliness. Clanton creates a feeling of almost instant nostalgia for a time that may never have even existed. $28, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx. com. — Bill Baird
Monday, April 21
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick emerged from the late ’70s as the torchbearer of the power-pop movement, grabbing radio airplay and concert audiences most of their contemporaries could only have dreamed of. Decades on, the band is still bringing the heat and filling seats. Even if they’re now dealing with the inevitable old-man problems — one of the members had to sit out a 2021 tour while recovering from open-heart surgery. Like all great classic rock groups, see them now, while you still can — if only to sing along to “Surrender,” Fast Times at Ridgemont High style. $62 and up, 7 p.m., Majestic Theatre,
224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — BB
Bardo, Chavela
Bardo — the solo project from Chicano Batman frontman Bardo Martinez — has a lot of similarities to his primary group, in that it’s funky as all get out, super groovy and has a vibe all its own. In testament to the strength of its music, Bardo’s new album is on LA’s influential Stones Throw Records, one of the best labels out there, period. SA’s own Chavela, an icon in the making, opens the show, which is going down at one of the city’s coolest, funkiest, under-the-radar dive bars. $20, 8 p.m., The Lighthouse Lounge, 1016 Cincinnati Ave., instagram.com/thelighthouselounge. — BB
Wednesday, April 23
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, The Vindys
The partnership of rock legend Pat Benatar and her guitarist, co-songwriter, producer and husband Neil Giraldo helped cement her 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. This evening will be a showcase both for Benatar’s still-blazing vocals and for the
pair’s iconic ’80s hits, which include “Love Is A Battlefield,” “Heartbreaker” and so many more. The couple also have a forthcoming children’s book, My Grandma and Grandpa Rock!, which celebrates their status as rock gods and grandparents. $62 and up, 7:30 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — DC
Friday, April 25
The Moss, Night Cap Indie-rock act The Moss combines Hawaii vibes with Utah chill. Oahu serves as the origin story of lead singer Tyke James and guitarist Addison Sharp, who grew up on the island of Oahu as teens, serenading food truck customers before trading the beach for the Great Salt Lake. The band has something of a ’70s-throwback sound, undoubtedly influenced by the members’ love of post-Beatles George Harrison. A radiant optimism punctuates the group’s single “The Place That Makes Me Happy,” which became a staple of alternative airplay in 2023. $26, 8 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall. com. — DC
Branford Marsalis Quartet
Branford Marsalis is a keeper of the flame for one of America’s enduring contributions to world culture: jazz. The New Orleans-born trumpeter has earned numerous accolades in his career, including three Grammies and a NEA designation as a “jazz master.” His work in film and theater has also garnered Emmy and Tony nominations. Marsalis is a musical treasure and his quartet performs traditional jazz at the highest level. $42, 8 p.m., Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry St., thecarver.org. — BB
Sunday, April 27
Ya Dig? A Celebration of Vinyl Culture
This monthly DJ series celebrating the breadth of the underground electronic and vinyl scenes has been written up here before. But this month’s installment has an interesting twist: it begins at 10 a.m. Calling all hip parents who want to relive the glory days. Free, 10 a.m., Lazydaze Coffee, 2809 N. St. Mary’s St., lazydazeshop.com/san-antonio. — BB
Shutterstock / Randy Miramontez
EMPLOYMENT
Sr. Data Scientist w/ Petco
Animal Supplies Stores, Inc. 100% remote - San Antonio, TX. In compliance w/ state-specific laws, pay: $135,886-$189,000/yr & may vary based on location & exp.
Email resume w/ Job #SW0621 to valerie.giroux@petco.com
Cacheaux, Cavazos & Newton, LLP seeks a Mexico Licensed Legal Consultant to work in San Antonio, TX to assist in providing Mexico legal services, incl Mexico tax, securities, intellectual property and int’l trade & customs issues. Submit resume to rbarnett@ccn-law.com. Must put job code LGSC152 on resume.
H-E-B seeks Sr. Software Eng, in Austin, TX to build data pipelines. E-Mail resumes to: Marisa Alcorta, at Recruiting10@heb.com.
17. 2016 black comedy/mystery starring George Clooney
19. Poet Lazarus
20. “Return of the Jedi” moon
21. Angry cat noise
23. 2006 dramedy starring Ben Affleck
30. Parfait ingredient
32. ___ Mae (loan company)
33. Word before la la
34. Grammy-winning jazz singer/pianist Diana
36. Simple question style
37. At ___ end (perplexed)
39. 1983 comedy starring Michael Keaton
41. Actor Cole of “Angie Tribeca” and “black-ish”
42. Brand used in potato chips in the 1990s
44. ‘60s skirts
46. Greek consonants
47. Trick-y student, so to speak?
49. Most creepy
51. 2019 auto racing movie starring Christian Bale
53. Seem imminent
54. Block, legally
58. Avocado, e.g.
61. 1985 sci-fi comedy starring the late Val Kilmer
65. “The Handmaid’s Tale” streamer
66. Newsperson of yore
67. “Frozen” character
68. Sound from a pound
69. Entertainer Gorme
70. “Round and Round” band
Down
1. Hurt
2. Actor Hayes
3. Overly dry
4. Daughter of Pablo Picasso
5. “It just hit me!”
6. “Born,” in a bio
7. “___ the season”
8. Wyoming neighbor
9. XM merger partner
10. Went to the mat
11. Croque monsieur ingredient
12. Pitcher’s asset
13. Steeped drink
18. Mouse Trap starter part
22. Stick around
24. “Cheers” regular
25. Notification set on a phone
26. Milder, as weather
27. Twins Mary-Kate and Ashley
28. Triumph in the end
29. Vegas lights
30. “Boss Level” star Frank
31. Not family-friendly
33. “Give me ___ everything!”
(jokey request)
35. Solitary sort
38. Prepare for horse riding
40. Actress Sorvino
43. Porto-___ (Benin’s capital)
45. “No ___!”
48. Jet pilot’s concern
50. Former Disney CEO Michael
52. File material
55. Tequila of reality TV
56. Boot
57. 11th-graders’
exam
58. Your, old-style
59. Regret
60. Right-angle pipe
62. Subsidy
63. “Magnum, P.I.” wear
64. Test for college srs.
Answers on page 51.
SATURDAY, MAY 3RD, 8:30AM
Where Every Mother is Heard, Supported and Prioritized Strengthening and Healing Black Maternal Health:
Every mother deserves to be heard, supported, and advocated for—especially Black mothers, who face unique and often overlooked challenges in maternal healthcare. April 11 through the 17 is Black Maternal Health Week. This is a time to raise awareness about Black Maternal Health.
The movement starts here. By listening, supporting, and advocating, we can create a world where Black maternal health is prioritized When we come together, we can create a future where Black mothers are valued, and healing is a legacy in our journey.
