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PULGA POWER AT PAPER TIGER | HONKY-TONKIN' AT MOONSHINE | SPEAKING THE UGLY TRUTH WITH FEA | AUGUST 19 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

sacurrent.com |

August 19 - September 1, 2026 | CURRENT

Publisher Michael Wagner Editor in Chief Sanford Nowlin General Manager Chelsea Bourque Editorial Digital Content Editor Stephanie Koithan Contributing Arts Editor Bryan Rindfuss Staff Writer Michael Karlis

in this issue Issue 26-17/// August 19 - September 1, 2026

Contributors Abe Asher, Bill Baird, Ron Bechtol, Danny Cervantes, Amber Esparza, Brianna Espinoza, Anjali Gupta, Colin Houston, Kiko Martinez, Mike McMahan, Kevin Sanchez, M. Solis, Dean Zach Advertising Account Manager Parker McCoy Social Media Manager Juliana Torres Creative Services Lead Graphic Designer Ana Paula Gutierrez Events and Marketing Events Director Chelsea Bourque Chava Communications Group Founder, Chief Executive Officer Michael Wagner Co-Founder, Chief Marketing Officer Cassandra Yardeni Vice President of Operations Hollie Mahadeo Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon Revenue Operations Manager Rachel Gold Project Manager Megan Nally chavagroup.com National Advertising: Voice Media Group 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com San Antonio Current sacurrent.com Editorial: editor@sacurrent.com Display Advertising: marketing@sacurrent.com The San Antonio Current is published by Chava Communications Group

Courtesy Photo / Gov. Greg Abbott

11 ‘Faux Pause’

Why Greg Abbott’s data center ‘crackdown’ looks a lot like election-year theater

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.

07 News

The Opener News in Brief

Bad Takes

Climate change isn’t the new normal. What we’re experiencing now is just the beginning.

17 Calendar

Our picks of things to do powerful

20Arts

polish for honky-tonk swagger

Dive-Bar Dining

Church Burger and Palomino make an unholy alliance

33Music

Telling the Ugly Truth

San Antonio chicana punk purveyors Fea hit the road again and prove they’re in it for the long haul

PULGA POWER AT PAPER TIGER | HONKY-TONKIN' AT MOONSHINE | SPEAKING THE UGLY TRUTH WITH FEA | AUGUST 19 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

Critics’ Picks

Cheap Thrills

Paper Tiger’s monthly Pulga Market puts a punk spin on an age-old tradition

23Screens

Duality Defined

Gisele George is an actress pursuing her Ph.D. in physics at UT-San Antonio

Approved auditor info as required for public notices per section 50.011(1)(e), F.S. Circulation Verification Council 12166 Old Big Bend Road, Suite 210 St. Louis, MO 63122 www.cvcaudit.com Auditor’s Certification:

27Food

Unpolished Charm

Moonshine Off Grayson trades Pearl 4

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

n the Cover: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called for a pause on data centers, but critics say he’s not really pumping the brakes. Design: Ana Paula Gutierrez.

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sacurrent.com | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | CURRENT

PRESENTED BY

Closing September 7 get tickets now

Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs at the Witte Museum is presented by PNC Bank and is generously supported by Mary West and Richard Traylor and the Mary Pat and Michael Bolner Exhibition Endowment Fund.

WitteMuseum.org/Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org).

3801 Broadway, San Antonio, TX

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

The Trump White House is holding migrant children at the Dilley immigration detention site for far longer than the maximum 20 days allowed under law, a Texas Tribune analysis found. At least 60 children have been held at the facility for 100 days or more, the news outlet found — with the average detention period reaching 47 days over a six-month period that ended last December. Most of the children held for more than 20 days were under the age of 13. Trump administration officials parachuted into San Antonio last week to try to take credit for Toyota’s $3.6 billion plant expansion — only for officials with the automaker to gently refute their claims. The San Antonio expansion is expected to generate 2,000 jobs, but, contrary to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s statements, Toyota officials told the San Antonio Report that the administration wasn’t involved in the decision and that the company isn’t shrinking its operation in Mexico. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week overturned a lower court ruling that blocked key provisions of the 2021 election law that prompted Texas Democrats to break quorum to stop its passage. In his opinion, Judge Andrew Oldham said the lawsuit’s plaintiffs didn’t have standing to make their claims. Music legend and San Antonio native Steve Earle received the Emissary of the Muses award from Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones before a show at Stable Hall last week. The Americana singer-songwriter, who now lives in New York, told the Current he learned about the award the day before his performance. “This is where I’m from, and it’s a pretty powerful environment to grow up in musically,” he said. — Abe Asher

YOU SAID IT!

“Ken Paxton is the kind of guy who steals your pen. James Talarico is the kind of guy who’d let you borrow his.” —Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis in

a statement about the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate touting an endorsement from an attorney who accused Paxton of stealing his $1,000 Montblanc pen in 2014

ASSCLOWN ALERT

Screaming ‘socialism’ while Texas burns with Gov. Greg Abbott Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark. Gov. Greg Abbott is spending $10 million on TV ads to remind Texans that Democrats are scary socialists. Apparently, after more than a decade in the Governor’s Mansion, that’s the best argument he has left. The Republican incumbent’s massive new ad buy rolls out the same tired culture-war script Texans have heard for years: Democrats are radical. Democrats are socialists. Democrats are coming to destroy the Texas way of life. It’s tired bullshit, and, more importantly, it has remarkably little to do with what Texans are worried about. They’re worried about whether they can afford groceries, housing and healthcare. They’re worried about electricity bills and a power grid strained by massive data centers. They’re worried about public schools. Increasingly, they’re also asking whether state government works for them or for wealthy donors who pour millions into Abbott’s campaign coffers. And we’re not talking about theoretical concerns here. A University of Texas poll found 64% of Texas voters were “very concerned” about food and consumer prices, 63% said the same about healthcare costs and 56% about housing. Meanwhile, Abbott’s Democratic challenger, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, has centered her campaign on affordability and corruption — an approach that appears to be resonating. A recent Texas A&M Bush School

A group of Democratic lawmakers are calling on six San Antonio-area small towns to end their cooperation agreements with ICE. The group of elected officials, which includes U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro and Greg Casar, sent a letter asking Balcones Heights, China Grove, Hollywood Park, Sandy Oaks, St. Hedwig and Von Ormy to withdraw from a federal program that deputizes local law enforcement officers to perform immigration enforcement duties. The Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign is hurting Texas’ economy and communities, a new study from the immigration advocacy group America’s Voice found. Indeed,

news

That Rocks/That Sucks

poll put Abbott at 46% and Hinojosa at 45%, well within its margin of error. “It seems to me that Abbott is just playing to the base with these ads, and that’s not enough to win,” said University of Texas at San Antonio political scientist Jon Taylor. “He’s running on last season’s playbook, and it seems completely out of touch.” To be sure, there’s a rich irony in Abbott warning voters that Democrats will ruin Texas. Republicans have controlled every statewide elected office since 1999. The party has dominated both chambers of the Legislature for more than two decades, and Abbott himself has been governor since 2015. So, if Texas is the dystopian hellscape his ads suggest needs saving, who the fuck does he think has been running the place? If property taxes are crushing homeowners, if electricity is unaffordable, if schools are struggling and if ordinary Texans increasingly believe their government listens more closely to billionaires than working people, Abbott can’t credibly campaign as the outsider arriving to clean up the mess. It’s his mess. After 11 years in office, this bloviating assclown owns Texas government — its successes and its failures. Spending $10 million yelling “socialism” won’t change that fact. — Sanford Nowlin

YouTube Capture / Gov. Greg Abbott

the Lone Star State is paying a disproportionately high price for the White House’s deportation agenda, with the cost of homes rising as labor shortages slow construction. What’s more, some Texas cities with high rates of ICE activity — San Antonio included — shed jobs last year. A tribal nonprofit group and an outdoor recreation company last week sued in San Antonio federal court to stop the White House’s construction of border barriers in Big Bend National Park. In their filing, the plaintiffs argue the work violates federal law and threatens religious freedoms of people who hold the land and its irreplaceable archeological sites sacred. — Abe Asher

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

news Bad Takes

Climate change isn’t the new normal. What we’re experiencing now is just the beginning. BY KEVIN SANCHEZ

ood thing climate change is a hoax or we’d be in real trouble. Wildfires ravaged France and Spain last month, forcing the evacuation of 330,000 residents. Traveling north from Madrid to Galicia on vacation this summer, my girlfriend and I witnessed the scorched earth of previous wildfires in the province of Ourense firsthand — trees burned to a crisp as far as the eye could see. In this summer’s heat wave, Europe has lost 1.3 million acres of land and 25,000 lives, the latter likely an undercount. Closer to home, July was the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous U.S., and Texas welcomed me back with a week of 100-degree days. The National Weather Service’s HeatRisk map shows that more than 75 million Americans, mostly in the South, are at risk of heat illness. And CBS News reported that dry conditions fueled at least 200 major wildfires across the U.S. and Canada. Yet to describe these dire straits as “the new normal” — as I admit I have done on these pages in the past — is itself misleading. “This really misunderstands where we are,” Kevin Anderson, an ex-oil engineer turned climate scientist, told Novara Media. “This is not a new normal. On average, this is the least extreme weather that I, you, and anyone else listening to this will ever live through. It’s going to get worse and worse every single year until we stop burning fossil fuels. So celebrate this, [because] it’s going to get worse.” The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose reports many so-called “skeptics” decry as alarmism, may well have been giving policymakers and the public at large a rosier picture than we have a right to expect. “Near-term warming could be anywhere from 10% more to 30% more than the current consensus,” Britain’s The Economist reported last month. The thermal energy absorbed versus

emitted by the earth has been increasingly out of whack. “Worryingly, the observed energy imbalance is rising much faster than expected,” more than 50 scientists wrote in a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Geophysical Union. Empirical observations were “twice that predicted by climate models — after having more than doubled within just two decades,” they added. Despite Spain’s state of crisis, a Texan picking up a copy of El Pais, the country’s newspaper of record, wouldn’t feel themselves a stranger in a strange land. “Climate change is something that’s happened throughout human history,” declared the headline of an op-ed from Partido Popular, the country’s foremost Christian conservative party. There’s a good chance you have encountered similar reactions from your right-of-center friends and family. “August has always been hot,” they may declare, adding, “People have always drowned in Flash Flood Alley,” or “This is all just part of the Earth’s natural cycle.” Except, for the last 800,000 years, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels never rose above 300 parts per million, according to the extensive ice core data collected in Antarctica. Today we sit at 429 ppm, according to Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory. Indeed, the climate nerds have gotten appreciably better at determining the precise extent to which we humans are to blame for the inclement weather befalling us. “The scientific tools, observational datasets and methods developed and used for extreme event attribution have advanced considerably over the past decade,” a 14-member panel of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine reported last month. “The highest confidence is associated with findings for extreme heat events and others strongly influenced by a warming atmosphere, such as largescale heavy rainfall events.”

Wikimedia Commons / wckitchen

And the research shows that the havoc wreaked by natural disasters is worsened by the climate crisis. “Studies of Hurricane Harvey, which dumped 50 inches of rain in the Houston area in 2017 and caused widespread flooding, showed that climate change increased Harvey’s rainfall by roughly 20% to 38%,” Weather Channel researchers reported. “Studies also found this led to a proportionally even larger increase in the number of flooded properties, as relatively modest increases in the intensity of an extreme event can sometimes translate into much larger societal impacts.” While everyday folks suffer the pain, our corporate overlords have been making out like bandits. Exxon and Chevron posted $26.5 billion in combined second-quarter profits. From leaded gasoline to chlorofluorocarbons to cigarettes to teflon to opioids, it’s a tale of greed-induced denial as old as capitalism itself. And let’s not even get started on data centers. Despite all the naysaying from the right, a majority of U.S. residents are environmentally woke. A recent Yale University survey shows 54% of Americans describe themselves as “alarmed” or “concerned” about climate change, while only 22% remain “doubtful” or “dismissive.” A mere 5% identify as “disengaged.” Similarly, progressive polling firm Data for Progress found that 61% of likely voters say the number of extreme weath-

er events has increased over the past five years and 67% believe heat waves have been worsened by climate change. In July, Democratic lawmakers reintroduced legislation to treat runaway warming as a health emergency. Their proposal calls for a massive investment in community health centers, climate-resilient infrastructure and disaster mitigation. To their point, health costs tied to climate change and fossil fuel pollution — respiratory ailments, premature deaths and extended hospital stays among them — have surpassed $1 trillion annually and continue to rise, according to the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health. Predictably, the Democrat-backed bill stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate and House, though voters will have their say about that come Nov. 3. Unless, of course, you prefer wasting hundreds of billions of dollars on a new war in the Middle East while paying more at the pump. Until we learn to confront the epoch-defining challenge of our century as citizens of the world, we will continue to suffer the consequences of extreme heat as isolated individuals and overwhelmed communities. For a contrasting approach, it’s well to remember the words of Benjamin Franklin: “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

sacurrent.com | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

news ‘Faux Pause’

Why Greg Abbott’s data center ‘crackdown’ looks a lot like election-year theater BY STEPHANIE KOITHAN

exas Gov. Greg Abbott early this month issued a moratorium on data center development in the state until regulating authorities can conduct an audit of the sites seeking to connect to the power grid. On the surface, the move appears to get the Republican governor ahead of a growing backlash against the powerand water-hogging computing facilities. However, critics say the pause is largely empty rhetoric thanks to built-in loopholes. And without legislation to back it up, activists warn Abbott’s tough talk is “toothless.” In a public rebuke, watchdog group Public Citizen calls Abbott’s action a “faux pause.” As part of its scathing critique, the nonprofit added that the moratorium is “so vague that it should be considered meaningless.” “It’s another Band-Aid,” said Adrian Shelley, Public Citizen’s Texas director. “The state has so many data centers already operating or on their way because Abbott’s approach is to roll out the welcome mat to corporate interests first and figure out how to protect the interests of working Texans later, if at all. If the governor is honest about addressing data centers, he should immediately call a special session of the Texas Legislature to demand a real moratorium. Regulating by press release just isn’t going to cut it.” The Aug. 3 moratorium has proved to be a departure from Abbott’s earlier embrace of the deep-pocketed data center industry. As recently as last November, he crowed that Texas would become the “epicenter of AI development.” However, Abbott is now in the midst of a heated election season as bipartisan opposition to the Texas AI boom grows. He’s polling neck-and-neck with State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, his Democratic challenger, for a seat he’s held for 11 years.

Courtesy Photo / Jason Waite Photography

As such, Abbott has started talking tough on data centers, including a June 10 directive introducing guardrails for industry development in the state. Those include minimizing the impact on local residents’ electricity bills, requiring that data centers pay for their own electricity infrastructure and demanding that they use water-efficient technologies such as closed-loop cooling systems. In his subsequent Aug. 3 letter, Abbott called for a pause on connecting data centers to the grid until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) — the state’s energy regulator — can conduct an audit. However, little is known about the moratorium, including how many data centers will be audited and how the information gathered in the audit will be used by regulators and legislators. A week after Abbott’s announcement, ERCOT clarified that it expects the audit to last “several months,” adding that it will begin shortly after Aug. 20. Since Abbott’s Aug. 3 pronouncement, at least 43 companies — including so-called “hyperscalers” such as Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services — have publicly expressed support for Abbott’s audit. Hardly a sign the governor is putting the thumbscrews

to the industry. “We share your commitment to ensuring data centers are true partners in every Texas community where we operate — protecting residential ratepayers, strengthening grid reliability and promoting responsible water stewardship,” the Data Center Coalition, a trade association representing many of the world’s largest tech companies, told the governor in a recent letter, as reported by the Texas Tribune. In turn, Abbott has been sure to publicize each cooperative statement from industry leaders as proof that his bold words are scaring them straight. Since the moratorium and guardrails were announced, Abbott’s press office has released 11 separate press releases announcing that more data center companies have “committed to comply with his data center standards.” “What Governor Abbott is doing is working,” wrote Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary, as reported by the Texas Tribune. “Data centers across the state have announced their full compliance with those standards, which provide guardrails that protect our communities.” ‘Performative on everybody’s part

Not everyone is convinced by the flurry of self-congratulatory rhetoric — neither by Abbott nor the industry he’s purportedly regulating. “It’s all very performative, it’s performative on everybody’s part,” Texas Politics Project Drector Jim Henson told nthe Texas Tribune of the spectacle. Critics said the industry’s glowing endorsement is because Abbott’s call for a pause leaves strategically advantageous wiggle room for data center developers. “When the companies being regulated are cheering for the rules, you know the rules were written for them, not for Texans,” Hinojosa said in a statement emailed to the Current. Additionally, nothing Abbott has done so far is likely to slow down major projects already in the works, according to observers. ERCOT is taking steps to ensure that energization dates for the most advanced projects will not be “unnecessarily delayed,” according to a tweet by Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research for VanEck, a global asset management firm specializing in energy and emerging markets. Multiple major data-center projects are still expected to proceed as scheduled with their early 2027 completion dates, including a $50 billion Nvidia campus

sacurrent.com | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | CURRENT

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

news being built just to the west of San Antonio in Beacon Point. In other words, Abbott’s moratorium — like much of President Donald Trump’s endless issuance of executive orders — is toothless without legislation to back it up, critics argue. Public Citizen’s Shelley argues that the view from the ground tells another story about the governor’s handling of the data center boom. “The governor’s announcement is not a real pause,” Shelley said. “Permits are still being issued. Land is still being cleared. The governor should ask residents in communities across Texas if they see the data center development next to their home being ‘paused.’” On the phone with the Current, Shelley added that the “only tangible pause” that has happened since Abbott’s decree is ERCOT’s announcement that it has put a hold on its Batch Zero process — or its system of processing an unprecedented number of connection requests. “Texas is experiencing an energy transformation unlike anything we have seen before,” ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said about the Batch Zero process when the PUCT approved it in June as a rapid-response solution to the unheard-of demand. ERCOT faces a record-breaking 2,000 projects in its interconnection queue, agency officials said, and about 90% of them are data centers. Many of these are large-load requests, representing a total demand of 438,000 megawatts. That’s more than four times the demand of the entire state of Texas on July 22, 2026, which holds the all-time record energy demand for a single day at 91,089 MW. However, the Aug. 3 pause on Batch Zero doesn’t apply to all data centers — only projects that have a demand of 75 MW or more. As a result, some industry experts are touting the idea of data centers keeping their demand below the 75 MW threshold as the “fastest path to power.” Indeed, using techniques such as battery energy storage, some under-75 MW projects may even be accelerated, according to Quincy Lee, founder and CEO of Electric Era. On its website, the energy infrastructure company promises to deliver power “above the local grid limit” to “save years of time” and work around “20th century energy infrastructure” that the business claims is holding back the burgeoning industry. Electric Era also touts its modular pow-

Wikimedia Commons / Tony Webster

er skids — or pre-assembled, self-contained electrical systems designed to fit standard flatbed semi-trailers — which can be taken online from a parking lot. Advertised as an overnight solution to respond to “rapidly evolving requirements,” the skids are designed to quickly scale power capacity at a later date. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and modular, scalable power skids aren’t the only workaround being exploited during the so-called “pause” on data centers, according to experts. Some data centers are already opting to go “off-grid” by building their own fossil-fuel-burning power plants. Public Citizen estimates that at least 40 Texas data centers are currently powered by their own gas-burning plants. Industry experts call this approach “getting behind the meter.” Vantage, which uses a co-located gas power plant and backup diesel generators to power its two San Antonio data centers, is one such example. The new Amazon data center campus that just broke ground in the West Texas town of Fort Stockton is another — and environmentalists warn it could be poised to become the nation’s worst emitter of air pollution. Right now, data centers and their off-grid power sources are treated as separate entities, enabling the comput-

ing facilities to apply for small-scale air polluter permits called Minor NSRs. Those are the same pre-construction air permits reserved for small businesses such as laundromats. Such minor NSRs generate less pollution than the Environmental Protection Agency’s threshold — typically 100-250 tons of pollution per year — in order to be considered a “major source” of pollution. Turning up the pressure Public Citizen’s Shelley said he’s lobbying at the Texas Capitol for legislation treating data centers and their off-grid power sources as related entities. With that loophole eliminated, the true pollution and resource demands associated with powering such a facility would no longer be obscured. After all, Houston electric utility company VoltaGrid’s San Antonio gas-driven power plant wouldn’t exist without the need to power Vantage’s two West Side data centers, located on Omicron Drive and Rogers Road. Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are expressing interest in crafting legislation around data centers to address the growing concerns of their constituents, Shelley said. “I am meeting with legislative staff

almost every day at this point, and most of them are interested in legislating on this,” Shelley said. “Many of them are already drafting bills. They are ready to get working on this right now because they’re hearing about it from their constituents almost every day.” To be sure, politicians in Abbott’s own party are increasingly voicing their displeasure with the data center boom, among them controversial San Antonio-area congressional candidate Brandon “AK Guy” Herrera, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a Republican who lost his primary after Abbott endorsed his GOP rival Nate Sheets, called the governor’s about-face on data centers “political theater” and a “dog-and-pony show.” Miller even joined with the progressive Democratic candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner — a goat farmer named Clayton Tucker — in calling for a special session on the boom. At least 82 data centers, or nearly 60% of those that are either planned or under construction, are in state House districts that voted for Trump in 2024 and have a Republican state representative, according to a recent Texas Tribune analysis. In such unincorporated rural areas, county governments have little power to block such development — something some Republican state reps are hoping to change. Further bolstering widespread skepticism about Abbott’s intentions, the governor has accepted $2.5 million in campaign contributions over the past few months alone from donors who benefit from the Texas AI boom. AI-aligned super PACs spent more than $4 million on Texas Republicans this primary cycle overall, according to the Tech Oversight Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that supports regulations on data centers. And while Abbott talks tough, Shelley said the governor alone holds the key to actually getting something done on data centers. That is, if that’s what Abbott truly wants. “Greg Abbott is the only person in Texas who could call a special session on this,” Shelley said. “He could do it today, he could do it tomorrow. And as long as we get press releases and representations about what should be happening, it’s just talk at this point, as far as we’re concerned.”

sacurrent.com | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | CURRENT

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

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TH EATER

HIGH TEA AT MEDUSA’S COURT

calendar

ONGOING - SAT | 08.22

Rita Anderson’s High Tea at Medusa’s Court continues the playwright’s inventive distortion of mythological figures, literary giants and pop culture icons into darkly humorous tableaux. Take The 27 Club, a suppositional grouping of Pulitzer-winning poets Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton who meet Amy Winehouse in limbo. The trio plays alcohol-fueled games of Truth or Dare until they realize that they can escape their prison by banding together to establish collective agency. Similarly, the unlikely principal characters of High Tea at Medusa’s Court — the gorgon Medusa, soothsayer Cassandra and songstress supreme Billie Holiday — are interrupted by Photis and Lucius, the main characters of The Golden Ass (aka Metamorphoses) by Apuleius. The gorgon allows the gate crashers to tell their tale of woe in order to determine their fate. High Tea’s cheeky patchwork of characters echoes The 27 Club’s in its absurd mashup of epochs and character motivations based on speculation. $15-$20, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, The Overtime Theater, 4335 Vance Jackson Road #103-104, (210) 557-7562, theovertimetheater.org. WIkimedia Commons / Livioandronico2013

THU | 08.20 VISUAL ART

‘KNOW BODY: NEW WORKS BY ALBERT ALVAREZ’

The works in the closing reception for ‘Know Body,’ a solo exhibition of new creations by Albert Alvarez, were produced, as the artist puts it, in a society obsessed with image and status without mindfulness or the wisdom of self-awareness. This state becomes ubiquitous, but Alvarez argues one can learn to see that none of this fiction actually represents one’s own self. Alvarez’s practice functions around the supposition that this state is reversible if an artist cares more about the quality of their work than the ego-based self. His personal ideology clearly mingles Eastern and Western philosophy, as does his style, which pays equal tribute to ancient Chinese brush painting and masters of the German Renaissance. Free, 7-10 p.m., Un Grito Gallery, 1420 S. Alamo St., (210) 992-0585, instagram.com/ungritogallery.

Courtesy Image / Albert AlvarezCollection

calendar SAT | 08.22 SPECIAL EVEN T

LATTE LOVE: POPPY’S COFFEE HOUSE ADOPTION EVENT

SNIPSA has saved 27,000 animals since 2006, and that count continues to grow. The animal welfare nonprofit provides rescue and adoption services as well as low-cost spay and neuter services. Additionally, it places animals into foster homes around San Antonio. In doing so, vets and volunteers are able to learn the individual needs of each animal in their care, streamlining the adoption process by matching them with ideal fur-ever homes. You’re invited to participate in the tail end of this process — adoption — by attending the ultimate puppy and kitten speed dating event, hosted by Poppy’s Coffee House. Spend your Saturday meeting, greeting and cuddling with your next potential family member. Free plus a beverage of your choice, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Poppy’s Coffee House, 6417 Evers Road, (210) 372-5995, snipsa.org.

Courtesy Photo / ECOcentro

Courtesy Photo / SNIPSA

THU | 08.27 SPECIAL EVEN T

PLANNING YOUR FALL GARDEN, PART II: SEED STARTING & PROPAGATION

The fall planting season is upon us. With San Antonio’s diabolically unpredictable weather and the sheer number of garden pests native to the area, beginning gardeners need more than a green thumb these days. A great way to start out is with a bit of instruction on how to propagate plants from both seeds and cuttings, which gives plants a bit of time to toughen up before they go into the ground. The Green Spaces Alliance presents the second installment of its fall garden planning series, Seed Starting & Plant Propagation. Seasoned gardeners will instruct participants in growing their own seeds as well as dividing native plants to increase their population and footprint. This workshop is geared toward adult audiences who strive to grow more sustainable gardens. Free 6-7:30 p.m., Green Spaces Alliance at the William R. Sinkin Eco Centro, 1802 N. Main Ave., (210) 222-8430, greensatx.org.

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

calendar THU | 08.27 FI LM

SPARROWS

Considered one of screen legend Mary Pickford’s best films, Sparrows (1926) is a silent movie about a young woman who rescues kidnapped children from a baby farm. Pickford, America’s Sweetheart of the silent era, was the most powerful woman in Hollywood at the time. She produced and starred in this Dickensian drama, in which she plays a young captive living in squalor and subjected to forced labor. Preceded by a short biographical presentation about Pickford, the film is followed by Silent Expressions, an activity in which the audience is invited to act out scenes from their favorite silent films. Capacity is limited, so RSVPs are encouraged. Free, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Villa Finale Museum & Gardens, 401 King William St., (210) 223-9800, villafinale.org.

Public Domain

TUE | 08.27 - SAT | 10.03 VISUAL ART

‘EXQUISITE ENTROPY: PHOTOGRAPHS BY TRISH SIMONITE, 1972-2025’

Trish Simonite, a native of Norfolk, England, recently retired as a professor emerita from Trinity University, where she taught photography and digital art. Her art is peripatetic, with her still life images and landscapes exhibited widely throughout the U.S. and all over Europe. Curator Paula Owen selected 125 images that reinforce fluidity, at once capturing the liminal and historical contexts in which these images were originally created, while allowing the work to slide into contemporary contexts where new meaning abounds. From the Greek Isles to Texas honky-tonks, Simonite pilots the viewer through a sort of benign Cloverfield Paradox in which still moments become as slippery in a temporal sense as they are ethereally beautiful. Simonite is scheduled to give an artist talk at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. Free, opening reception 6-8 p.m. Friday, Aug 28, and noon 12-5 p.m. daily, Russell Hill Rogers Galleries at University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus, 1201 Navarro St., (210) 458-4352, utsa.edu

Courtesy Image / Trish Simonite

sacurrent.com | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | CURRENT

arts

Jacob R. Lopez

Cheap Thrills

Paper Tiger’s monthly Pulga Market puts a punk spin on an age-old tradition BY KAT MCKINNEY

t’s become increasingly difficult for small-business owners and creatives nationwide to earn a living while keeping their enterprise afloat. At the same time, “third spaces” are disappearing, leaving communities without free public spaces to gather together. The monthly Pulga Market at St. Mary’s Strip music venue Paper Tiger, 2410 N St Mary’s St., is a response to both problems. The free Saturday events have built a following since Alberto Belalcazar, an independent promoter and the club’s social media manager, launched them last December. The fiercely DIY music flea market is free, open to all ages and, true to its ethos, free to vend with no

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

booth fees or buy-ins. Belalcazar launched Pulga Market after a trip to Mexico City last November, where he encountered the legendary Saturday flea market El Tianguis Cultural del Chopo. The very next month, Paper Tiger hosted a San Antonio version of “El Chopo,” rooted in the same punk ethos and vision for accessible creativity. Unlike many curated arts experiences today, Belalcazar’s plan for Pulga Market precludes exclusivity. He’s not interested in $500 vintage tees or top-secret collectibles. Instead, he said he curates with affordability and authenticity at the forefront. “I don’t just let anybody pop up,” he said. “If it’s not the right fit, I’ll say, ‘Really cool stuff, it’s just not for this market.’” The market also centers on physical media, a move that Belalcazar said resonates across generations. In any given month, you’ll encounter booths selling records, cassettes, VHS, band T-shirts, posters and other vintage music paraphernalia. “I’m 43 … I grew up analog to digital,” he said. “My daughter’s 15, and everything’s on her phone. So everyone’s getting introduced to records, CDs, shit I grew up with.” Paper Tiger donates the courtyard space, and Belalcazar brings in live music to keep the energy

daytime-casual. Last month’s event featured Dazed, a project from the venue’s own sound engineer. Like Mexico City’s El Chopo, Pulga Market has created a brand that’s communal and proudly unpolished. “If you’ve ever been to a real flea market, it’s cheap,” Belalcazar said. “That’s the vibe we’re going for.” And that “vibe” has been such a success because the curation is so deeply personal. “If I like it, I’ll put my name on it,” Belalcazar said. “I wouldn’t put my name on it if it wasn’t ‘cool’ to me.” His approach to booking bands mirrors his approach to Pulga Market: trust your gut, trust your taste and don’t be a trend-chaser. “You can’t buy cool. Cool is cool,” he said. That same mindset has shaped Paper Tiger’s identity over the past decade, as it has become one of South Texas’ preeminent music venues. Belalcazar pointed to artists who have played the space, ranging from Jack White and Doja Cat to Dinosaur Jr., as proof it’s carved out a singular place in the creative ecosystem. While the venue may be a success, San Antonio’s market scene more broadly has seen mixed outcomes in recent years. While some long-running markets have shuttered, others are thriving. Belalcazar said he believes the difference comes down to curation and identity. “Different markets that are curated properly get the

arts Jacob R. Lopez

demographic they’re going for,” he said. For Pulga Market, the demographic target is simple. Anyone who likes cool, music-related stuff but doesn’t want to pay boutique prices is welcome. Belalcazar said that for vendors and attendees alike, this business model has been a success. In recent months especially, interest in the event has exploded. Vendor spots fill quickly, and the crowd is packed with a diverse mix of local folks. “Anyone and everyone’s welcome,” Belalcazar said. “You could be a tech bro, you could be a punk rocker. Everyone’s just chilling.” Trinity University professor and nationally recognized folklorist Norma E. Cantú explained that the market’s success draws on a centuries-old pulga culture that began with open-air “tiyānquiztli” in the Aztec Empire and spans the global Latinidad. “The phenomenon is not just exclusive to San Antonio. It’s everywhere, up and down the Valley, in Houston; wherever there’s a Latino community, there seems to be an active and lively pulga scene,” Cantú said. “There’s music, there’s food, there’s all kinds of cultural events — it’s where you can get your quinceañera dress. Maybe even your wedding dress.” While she was still teaching at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Cantú conducted research on pulga culture with student

Jacob R. Lopez

Sarah Castillo. Through this work, she examined why pulga culture thrives in San Antonio and what purposes it may serve. “It has to do with fulfilling the sense of community that migrants often yearn for. After mass, you go to the pulga and walk around, dance, listen to music. I see the Paper Tiger as parallel to that,” Cantú said. “The music is the essential element. And food,

that’s the other part.” Cantú calls these elements “intangible heritage,” or the living traditions and knowledge that compose our site-specific cultural identity. Although music is only one aspect of San Antonio’s character, Belalcazar’s Pulga Market represents the continuation of an age-old practice that protects creativity and binds the community together.

Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com

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CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

Gisele George is an actress pursuing her Ph.D. in physics at UT-San Antonio BY KIKO MARTINEZ

etween her classes in quantum mechanics and electrodynamics at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Gisele George has also been seeking out ways to grow artistically. Not only does the actress, who’s currently working on a Ph.D. in physics, want to design the next state-of-the-art spacesuit for NASA, but she would also like to play an astronaut in a blockbuster sci-fi movie. On campus, George has supplemented her coursework by auditing acting classes. Last semester, she served as the teaching assistant in a class taught by actor and fellow UT-San Antonio graduate Saagar Shaikh, who stars in the Hulu series Deli Boys and in the Marvel series Ms. Marvel. “Gisele is like a superhuman who makes every second in her life count,” Shaikh told the Current. “She has the same 24 hours in a day as anyone else but somehow manages to get so much more done than your average high-functioning human being.” Recently, George starred in the South Asian-inspired horror movie, Mala. The film, now available on VOD platforms, follows a young woman who travels with a group of friends to an abandoned resort she’s inherited. George plays Lola, one of the friends who must face a series of disturbing spiritual rituals. During an interview with the Current, George, who was born in St. Louis and raised in in the North Texas town of Frisco, discussed her experience making Mala and balancing her acting career with her pursuit of a doctorate. The 27-year-old also talked about her desire to challenge herself both scientifically and creatively.

You’re working on your Ph.D. in physics but also taking acting classes and working in the film industry. Do you feel like you’re a rare bird? At one point, I did think I was a rare bird, but now that social media is bringing us closer together, I have found other people like me. I know someone who dropped out of their Ph.D. program to pursue arts. I know another girl training to be an astronaut who also acts on the side. But at UT-San Antonio, I don’t know anyone else.

How similar are you to your character in Mala?

screens

Duality Defined

Buffalo 8

I related to her so much – being a supportive friend and seeing the bright side of things, even when things get really bad. I love her bubbly personality. She’s not afraid to be silly sometimes. I thought that was really cute and freeing too.

Since this is a psychological horror film, did you feel like her character was there to help ground the narrative? Yes, ultimately my character was there to ground [the film] and draw the audience in and show that they’re still dealing with human emotions but in a twisted story.

How familiar were you with the Indian spiritual traditions portrayed in the film? I’m actually Catholic, but I’m converting to Orthodoxy because my fiancé is Orthodox. So, that has never been something that I’ve explored. I was a little iffy going into it, but after reading the script, I didn’t think it was too crazy.

What is your earliest horror movie memory that made an impact on you?

It wasn’t a movie, but as a four-year-old, I was obsessed with [the animated series] Courage the Cowardly Dog. My mom was freaked out that her young daughter was watching this eerie show. After that, I started watching Goosebumps and absolutely loved that too. I don’t think I started watching horror movies until I got to high school. Carrie (the 2013 remake) was the first horror movie I watched.

How would you explain the difference between an Indian film made in America like Mala and a Bollywood film?

Honestly, I don’t think you can really prime anyone to see Mala. I think they should come in with a blank slate and forget whatever predisposition they have of Indian culture. Maybe as they’re watching it, they’ll be like,

“Oh, so this isn’t what I thought it was going to be.” Then, we could have a discussion afterwards. It’s a horror film, but not like The Exorcist or Rosemary’s Baby.

How do you find time to be an actress?

The good thing about the Ph.D. program at UT-San Antonio is that it’s self-paced. You dictate your own schedule. So, I’ve been able to balance both things. I consider my artistic hobby almost like exercising. Everybody should have an artistic hobby that they prioritize. Acting has been my artistic outlet – something that has been fruitful for me, which is awesome.

Imagine Marvel Studios comes knocking at your door like they did with Saagar. Would you drop everything to star in a Marvel movie? Yes, because I can put the Ph.D. on pause and always return to it or work on it on set. The first two years of my Ph.D. program, I hustled every single summer, so I am in such a good position. If Marvel knocks on my door, I’ll have my bags packed and be ready to go!

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CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

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Make A Difference

Start A Food Drive A food drive is a great way for individuals, groups, and businesses to gather non-perishable food donations that will be distributed by the San Antonio Food Bank to those in need. Together, we can fight hunger and feed hope in Southwest Texas.

LEARN MORE Scan the QR code or visit: safoodbank.org/givefood

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

food

Unpolished Charm Moonshine Off Grayson trades Pearl polish for honky-tonk swagger BY KATHERINE STINSON

oonshine Off Grayson seemingly came out of nowhere this July — and the Pearl area is better off for it. There’s something instantly familiar about the homey bar at 125 W. Grayson St. #120, from its worn-in honky-tonk vibes to a playlist centered around familiar cry-in-your-beer country. It may not hurt either that the new nightspot is from a familiar face: Abel Mota Jr. of South Side seafood favorite El Cevichero. “The past two years have definitely been the hardest of my life, but I know it’ll all be worth it tomorrow when I finally get to open my new bar with my bro, fam and friends,” Mota wrote on his Instagram page on the eve of Moonshine Off Grayson’s debut. If the large crowd gathered at the bar on a Wednesday evening in August was any indication, mission accomplished. Situated on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Grayson, the nightspot is part of a bustling mini-hub that also contains Stout House Grayson, Milk Pizza Shop and Lone Star Burger Co. In a way, the multi-use space feels like a respectful rebellion against the nearby Pearl’s poshness — a place with no Michelin stars in sight but plenty of cheer and affordable food and booze to go around. “All of y’all are welcome but you gotta act right,” a sign says upon entering Moonshine Off Grayson. The space is deceptively large — a horseshoe-shaped bar greets customers upon entry, and all the bartenders during Wednesday’s visit were wearing cowboy hats. The sounds of cocktail shakers and patrons singing their hearts out in the karaoke corner added to the festive vibe. “I love seeing guests’ impressions of the space, whether it’s their first time, or when I see a familiar face return,” Moonshine Off Grayson bartender Sixto Bravo said. Bravo added that the bar has a little something for everyone: “Live music, delicious cocktails or competition at the pool table. This makes everyone feel welcome.” The crowd continued to grow during the recent visit, although the bar’s ample seating at tables, booths and an outdoor patio managed to accommodate the influx. As he shook up a Blue Skies moonshine cock-

Katherine Stinson

tail — the bar’s take on a piña colada — Bravo noted that traffic hadn’t let up since Moonshine Off Grayson opened. “One day, we even had a line that stretched all the way over to Stout House Grayson,” he said. The drink menu is straightforward: $14 signature cocktails, $12 moonshine drinks, $9 wells, $6 beers and $6 for those eager to slam daiquiris. Adding to the country-bar feel, the signature drinks feature on-theme names like the gin-soaked Pretty Little Outlaw. A separate drink menu cheekily advertised new additions by saying, “Saddle up for our new pours.” During the visit, food was available to order from Pete’s Hot Chicken. And with Milk Pizza and Lone Star Burger Co. right out the front door, the fried chicken-averse also had options. Johnny Cash’s famous mugshot was an apt addition to the art pieces adorning the walls, almost as if the Man in Black keeps a watchful eye on patrons. A memorable tapestry with

the phrase “Love Never Dies, darlin,” complete with a dancing cowboy and cowgirl skeletons, appears to be custom-made, since it bore the Moonshine Off Grayson logo. A picture of a crooning Elvis rounded out the art on the brick wall to the left, with all three aforementioned pieces appropriately placed under a neon light. Additional country music memorabilia decorated the bar, offering an Easter egg hunt for fans of the genre. At one point in the night, the staff stopped the karaoke action so guests could sing “Happy Birthday” to a patron sitting at the bar. Up on the back bar, a taxidermied raccoon smoking a cigarette and clutching two beers appeared to serve as a mascot. “His name is Cooter,” Bravo explained. Moonshine Off Grayson isn’t trying to be anything fancy. And that’s why it works.

Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com

Named Best Cocktail Bar three Years in a Row! Cheers, San Antonio!

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

food

Dive-Bar Dining

Church Burger and Palomino make an unholy alliance BY RON BECHTOL

y car’s outside temperature display read 106 degrees when I arrived at Church Burger on a sizzling afternoon in early August. Let it be known that my car tends to exaggerate, but still… The popular Lavaca-area food trailer occupied a fenced and barren backyard populated with empty, wooden picnic tables. No shade in sight. You’re not going there for an aesthetic experience — or dining in cool comfort, apparently. Presumably, you’re going for the popular Church Burger. With few options, including bacon, jalapeños and a scary-sounding PB&J sauce, it’s the only thing on the menu. Although dogs have been known to make a cameo appearance. And the Church Burger is the apotheosis of a smashburger. If that style rocks your world, then here’s the place to try it in its most extreme form. The patty is unabashedly smashed into total submission. After a fairly long wait — the consolation being that it proves you’re not at a fast food operation — diners will receive a deflated-looking burger consisting of two patties, caramelized onions, some very good sliced cucumber pickles and a mantle of melty American cheese. The bun is sturdier than it needs to be, since there’s nothing moist enough to make it disintegrate. I also received a couple of tiny tubs of ranch-like dressing, and it’s up to you whether you need it. Exaggerating only slightly, the patties are the thickness of a quarter and cooked to a confident state of crispness — or crispiness, if you insist. So, that’s quadruple crisp, counting all four sides. There’s little sense of beef in the finished product, since it’s cooked well beyond the point of medium. But it’s the whole package that’s in play here — and that package delivers on its promise. The burger runs $10, and french fries are available for $4 more. The serving of fries is generous, and they’re neither greasy nor salty. I’d call these middleof-the-road specimens: good enough to finish, but not good enough to go back for. You can use those containers of ranch-adjacent sauce to lubricate them. If the lime-pepper chicken wings — $4 for three —are on offer, they make for good dipping too. The pepper bullies the lime into submission, yet these wings were surprisingly good — in a barbecue, not Buffalo, kind of way. They may have been a little dry, but the smoky flavor was welcome, and they were easy to eat. Ease of eating could be an issue if you’re taking the wings or the burger back into the bar to consume.

Instagram / church.burger

Ron Bechtol

Oh, wait. I hadn’t mentioned the bar, had I? You get to Church Burger through Palomino, a quintessential dive bar in the way the burger was a Platonic ideal of its type. Think of Church and the bar as a profane marriage of convenience. And this dive does check the requisite boxes. First: darkness. Check. It will take a while for your eyes to adjust if you’re entering during daylight hours. Second: funky interior, preferably embellished with the likes of mounted animal heads, beer signs and possibly a pool table. Check on all of the above, and with added points for a whole taxidermy coyote. What you don’t necessarily expect is the possibility of a decent Negroni. I say decent because I have very specific criteria: 1¼ parts good, but not necessarily great, gin matched with ¾ part assertive sweet vermouth such as Antica Formula, and one part Campari. All served either up or over a single, large cube of pristine ice. No orange peel need apply.

But this is not the place for that kind of fussiness. Palomino does have a selection of four gins, however, including the fancy, cucumber-influenced Hendrick’s. I picked Bombay Sapphire. The price seems tied to the selected gin; mine was $11. The drink came served over chunky ice with a large coin of orange peel. Not great, but not bad, either. It was, in fact, perfect for sipping slowly while the clack of colliding pool balls punctuated both the time and a recording of “All My Exes Live in Texas.” If you arrive on a weekend night, the DJ’s soundtrack is likely to be different. Though heavy metal is said to be a house favorite, on one Friday the vibe was more like heavy western — worlds away from Texas and its exes. But it somehow all seemed right, surreptitious vaping and all. Grab some wings and fries, go for a High Life and tequila, and just kick back and let it all wash over you. Palomino is open until 2 a.m., so there’s plenty of time for both eyes and ears to adjust.

CHURCH BURGER/PALOMINO BAR

109 Playmoor St., instagram.com/palomino_satx. Palomino hours: 4 p.m.-2 a.m. daily Church Burger: 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday or until sellout The lowdown: The Church Burger/Palomino Bar smashup — sacred pairing with profane — seems odd at first. But at the end of the day, which comes at 2 a.m. for both, the super-smashed burgers, fries and occasional lime-pepper wings dispensed from a backyard trailer mate perfectly with the dark and divey bar. There are taxidermied heads galore, a pool table, and you can even get a decent Negroni should you be feeling fancier than a shot and a companion brew.

sacurrent.com | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

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Named Best Cocktail Bar three Years in a Row! Cheers, San Antonio!

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

San Antonio chicana punk purveyors Fea hit the road again and prove they’re in it for the long haul BY KAT MCKINNEY

unk’s riot grrrl movement is often framed as a bicoastal phenomenon, defined by early-’90s breakthroughs such as the Pacific Northwest’s Bikini Kill or New York’s Lunachicks. Far from those epicenters, San Antonio has cultivated its own insurgent lineage, a brown-girl-loud strain of feminist punk rock called Fea. Fea is about to embark on a jam-packed two-week tour across the Southwest with New York’s Ratas En Zelo. The road dates follow the release of the San Antonio group’s third studio album, The Nerve, earlier this summer. While the tour doesn’t include any SA dates, local fans can catch the band Saturday, Sept. 19, at Sam’s Burger Joint with all-woman AC/DC tribute act Hell’s Belles. Before Fea, though, there was Girl in a Coma, whose blend of Tejana post-punk and rootsier sounds made them one of San Antonio’s most memorable bands of the early 2000s. The trio included Phanie Diaz, her best friend Jenn Alva and Phanie’s sister Nina, whose first show with the band was a week shy of her 14th birthday. The band had a quick rise that included a contract with Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records label, touring with Morrissey and opening slots for acts ranging from Social Distortion to Tegan and Sara. Girl in a Coma’s success and eventual breakup set the scene for Fea. Not just by proving San Antonio punk shakes rooms from here to Europe, but also by giving Phanie and Jenn a creative restlessness that eventually guided them toward a new project — one with a pointedly political agenda. Although Girl in a Coma disbanded in 2018, the trio has since reunited and plans to head on tour later this fall. Balancing both bands, Fea’s Alva said, has sharpened her sense of what each project is meant to do. “I have really enjoyed both bands because, in Fea, we can be assertive, confident and have a message, while in Girl in a Coma we can just get lost in the passion for playing,” she said. Girl in a Coma’s momentum carred directly

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Telling the Ugly Truth

Courtesy Photo / Fea

into Fea. When Phanie and Jenn launched the new project in 2013, they did so under Jett’s label, which went a long way to putting Fea’s sound in the ears of punk fans worldwide. For example, their early song “Mujer Moderna,” a grungy takedown of macho man behavior and rape culture, was featured in NPR’s list of the greatest songs recorded by women in the 21st century. The band’s early years were shaped by collaboration as much as sheer grit. By the summer of 2014, they had locked in their current lineup: Diaz on drums, Alva on bass, Adrian Conner on guitar and Letty Martinez on vocals. Lived experiences Fea coproduced their debut full-length album with Alice Bag, a pioneering Chicana punk vocalist whose work in late-’70s Los Angeles helped lay the groundwork for riot grrrl politics. Bag’s influence carried into Fea’s songwriting and stage presence, both dedicated to making punk that speaks directly to the lived experiences of Latinas. In conversation, the band is quick to point out that the issues they were singing about a decade ago haven’t gone anywhere. Misogyny still shapes their daily lives, both online and off. The new album’s title track, “Nerve,” deals with how women are punished for noncompliance, whether that be rejecting a cocky dude or refusing to smile on command. “It’s still happening today,” Alva said. “President Trump is telling a journalist to smile.

It’s just so classic: ‘Smile more.’” “The song is about an experience rejecting somebody, who then starts picking on your physical appearance,” Martinez added. “And Trump does exactly that, to reporters that don’t agree with him or ask questions that he doesn’t want to answer. Suddenly he’s commenting on her appearance, and that parallel is just crazy.” As a cohesive album, The Nerve digs into the parallel between personal experience and political reality. While earlier albums, Fea (2016) and No Novelties (2019), were sharp, loud and outward-facing, this one turns inward without losing its edge. And the edge has been there from the beginning. “Fea” means ugly in Spanish, and the name was a deliberate choice to reclaim a word used to belittle girls who dared to be loud or different. But it’s also an acronym that means “fuck ’em all.” “This album is a little bit different from the last two because we focus on personal experiences,” Martinez said. “The heart of the album is growth and empowerment in our personal lives.” In Fea’s world, healing means the refusal to apologize for yourself. It’s the decision to stop wearing bras, to shave or not shave, to wear blazers just because they make you feel powerful, even if it’s “fucking hot outside,” as Martinez acknowledged. Conner said the power comes from shaking off shame and old insecurities to take back ownership of your body. “We’re used to being told how to heal the

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CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

music right way,” Diaz said. “Whatever it takes to feel good about yourself, that’s it. You do it for yourself.” The members’ thoughts about body autonomy bleed naturally into conversations about dealing with identity and language as Chicanas. Diaz and Martinez shared contrasting stories about speaking Spanish — Diaz was discouraged from learning for fear of discrimination, while Martinez was bullied for speaking it fluently. Both experiences reveal the balancing act many Mexican American kids grow up with as they straddle two worlds at once. “I was treated differently just because I spoke Spanish,” Martinez said. “Like at recess, we’d have to partner up and they’d say ‘Ew, she speaks Spanish,’ like it’s some contagious thing.” Martinez’s early experiences shaped a sense of responsibility that extends beyond singing political lyrics. In addition to performing with Fea, she’s a paralegal at a law firm, where she assists pro bono clients navigating the immigration system. “This underdog complex came about because I was treated so badly, which made me want to protect the others,” Martinez said. “I’ve always tried to take other people under my wing, and I think we all resonate with that. It’s why we all ended up in this project.” The members of Fea are acutely aware of how women, especially women of color, can be scrutinized or dismissed. Diaz recounted early interviews from the Girl in a Coma era, where journalists would focus solely on their appearances or sexuality. “They would point out things that just didn’t matter: how puffy my cheeks looked, how fat my face was, all dumb things that should have nothing to do with the interview,” Diaz said. “It had the opposite effect — it made me not give a shit. It made me want to help people feel unashamed of themselves.” The members’ commitment to visibility is matched by their passion for their hometown. They speak about San Antonio’s music scene with equal parts affection and frustration. They said they love the tight-knit nature and feel that artists are free to help each other book shows and build community. Yet they’re candid about the challenges posed by rising costs, inconsistent support and the city’s tendency to overlook its own musicians.

Courtesy Photo / Fea

“I’m proud that we’ve been able to accumulate fans from everywhere, and we still have that San Antonio pride,” Alva said. Even so, there’s room for growth. “We need to nurture our artists better,” Diaz said. “The people of San Antonio need to come together and start taking care of our musicians, instead of bitching about who’s on the lineup or going to Austin for shows.” For fans and musicians alike, it’s important to show up and engage with the scene instead of waiting for it to entertain you. Perform for the algorithm At the same time, Fea is navigating the realities of the digital age. They’re blunt about the exhaustion of content culture and the pressure to post constantly to perform for the algorithm. It’s a vastly different world than the one where Girl in a Coma first found success. “I’m not a fan of this style of marketing, but I also accept that it doesn’t matter that I don’t like it,” Conner said. “It’s just the way of the world now.” Martinez described herself as a “total

lurker” who hates posting but accepts that it’s necessary. Despite the IG grind, the members of Fea see hope in the resurgence of physical media. For their release of The Nerve, the band again collaborated with local graphic designer Regina Morales. Beyond digital and CD releases, the album is also available on neon green vinyl. Alva and Conner agreed that vinyl’s comeback has a lot to do with connection. The ability to have an artist sign your record and have a conversation with them at the merchandise table are parts of the music experience lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. After lockdown forced Fea into livestreamed shows, or what Martinez described as “talking to a camera with a green screen behind me,” the band is grateful to be back in rooms full of sweaty, screaming strangers. “You can’t top the energy of a live show,” Martinez said. “The crowds give us their energy, and I can’t describe how great that feels … the dancing, shouting, it’s all so important. I’m glad that that never got phased out.” Right now, the band is focusing on giving The Nerve the long runway it

deserves. They’re adjusting to life on a new label, Cosmica Artists, along with a changing promotional landscape. The Nerve is their first album in seven years, a milestone that still feels new despite the band having played many of the songs live since Conner joined the lineup. Longevity is the goal, the members explained, not just for Fea but for Chicana punk bands they hope will come after them. “We’ve taken advice from Alice Bag,” Phannie said. “She said to do it for as long as you physically can. If you can fucking do it, then do it. If we can tour, we’ll do it.” Sure, they face real-life obligations — jobs, motherhood, dogs — but the sentiment is clear: Fea isn’t slowing down anytime soon. For a decade, they’ve watched their project evolve into the band they once needed to see. As Fea head into their tour, they carry a message with them, along with a decade of Chicana punk history and a new record that refuses to apologize. “We’re proud,” Jenn said. “Let us be the disease and we’ll spread.”

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critics’ picks Wednesday, Aug. 19 Chavela, Kassandra Ayala, Elena Lopez This special bill will present three of San Antonio’s best songwriters and bandleaders in a stripped-down, in-the-round setting. Chavela is the project of Isabel Paillao, whose tunes honor San Antonio’s West Side legacy while adding her own modern twist. Kassandra Ayala weaves affecting bilingual indie-folk, while Elena Lopez, aka Elnuh, crafts dream-pop of the highest order. $15, 7 p.m., Gunter Hotel, 311 N. St. Mary’s St., thegunterhotel.com. — Bill Baird Fevr, Vick Vapors Los Angeles-based Fevr signed with Darkwave Records after releasing six albums independently — and the label name says a lot about the act’s sound. Led by songwriter and producer Matt Rozo, Fevr blends the sounds of ’80s synths, new-wave, goth and a hefty dose of the Cure. The group is scheduled to release a new album in 2027 along with a split album with tour support act Vick Vapors. $23.65, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Brianna Espinoza

Thursday, Aug. 20 Benson Boone, Luna Li Pop singer Benson Boone has experienced a meteoric rise to fame, which includes a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, a now-iconic Super Bowl ad with Ben Stiller and a performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Brian May at Coachella. His breakthrough hit “Beautiful Things” was the most-streamed song of 2024, and he followed it up last summer with the hit album American Heart. $49.65$284.25, 8 p.m., Frost Bank Center, One Frost Bank Center Drive., (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com. — Danny Cervantes La Noche Del Tigre La Noche Del Tigre is a star-studded variety show, bringing Texas talents together for a mix of live music and stand-up comedy. Think of it more as a mini-festival than your standard show, with almost all genres of Texas music covered. This installment will include Austin soul queen Tameca Jones, blues phenom Eric Tessmer, outlaw country singer James Bullard and Southern hip-hop duo Blackillac. Flying in for the show are New York’s Sana Sana, freshly signed to Republic Records, and LA’s Abomic Toms. Throw in comedians Nacya Marreiro and Chris Tellez, and you’ve got a hell of a show for a surprisingly affordable door price. $25, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB

Friday, Aug. 21 Jackson Marshall SA native Jackson Marshall has been making 36

waves with a unique take on indie-pop — the writing is charming yet somehow feels effortless. Is it too slick for SA heshers? Maybe. But Marshall seems to be making a real connection with a fresh generation of independent-minded pop lovers. $23, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB Hardy, Jake Worthington, McCoy Moore Singer-songwriter Hardy’s album, aptly titled COUNTRY! COUNTRY! is a departure from the arena-rock riffs of his previous LP, QUIT! That one featured Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and caught the attention of Metallica’s James Hetfield. Hardy has written 16 No. 1 singles for artists including Florida Georgia Line and Morgan Wallen, and he’s also collaborated with Lainey Wilson, Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson. $79.31-$274.29, 6:55 p.m., Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM 306, New Braunfels, (830) 964-3800, whitewaterrocks.com. — DC

Saturday, Aug. 22 Palomazo Norteño Formed in 2023, Mexican norteño supergroup Palomazo Norteño features four pioneers of the genre: Lalo Mora, Eliseo Robles, Rosendo Cantú and Raúl Hernández. The group’s touring in both Mexico and the U.S. has brought the norteño sound to a whole new generation of listeners. These singers may be old-timers, but they have used that to comedic effect on several recent TikToks that have gone viral. $67, 8 p.m., Freeman Coliseum, 3201 E. Houston St., (210) 226-1177, freemancoliseum.com. — BB

Thursday, Aug. 27 Buddy Guy Legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy is still touring and recording full-length albums — and his current tour commemorates his milestone 90th birthday. Born in Louisiana, Guy eventually moved to Chicago, where his searing electric blues found an audience. Equally adept at uptempo house rockers and soulful ballads, he’s has collaborated with luminaries as far-flung as the Rolling Stones, Santana and John Mayer. Not only has Guy won multiple Grammys and been inducted into various halls of fame, he also had a role in last year’s hit vampire movie Sinners. $48.19-$334, 7:30 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (888) 811-5040, us.atgtickets.com. — BE

Friday, Aug. 28 Gary Clark Jr. Contemporary blues guitar powerhouse Gary Clark Jr. is making another trip down I-35 from his Austin hometown. His current tour started with an eight-night residency at Austin’s iconic Antone’s, the venue that gave Clark his first gig and which he now co-owns. While Clark’s

CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

Sam Williams Courtesy Photo / Sam Williams

sound is grounded in the blues, his gritty vocals and soulful guitar grooves have made him a favorite for music lovers across genres. $51.25$99.80, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St, (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — DC

Saturday, Aug. 29 System of a Brown Ever wondered what System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” would sound like played by Texas Latinos instead of Californians of Armenian ancestry? If so, tribute band System of a Brown has you covered. Consisting of members of San Antonio hardcore act Life Cycles and other local musicians, System of a Brown perform both the hits and the deep cuts. Get there early for a good spot. Free for 21 and up, $6.50 otherwise, 10 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BE

Sunday, Aug. 30 Edith Márquez Edith Márquez is a bonafide superstar in her home country of Mexico, with a decades-long career of TV starring roles and plenty of hit songs showcasing her dramatic, almost operatic vocal style. The platinum-selling queen explores both pop and traditional Mexican music on her latest album, Eterna y Inolvidable. $57, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210)

812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — BB Sam Williams Sam Williams is country music pioneer Hank Williams Sr.’s grandson. Big shoes to fill, no doubt. However, he’s not afraid to musically distance himself from both his famous granddad and almost-as-well-known dad. He embraces more of a pop sensibility in addition to modern values. As an open and proudly queer singer-songwriter, Williams is helping tear down the country music establishment’s machismo cliches. So, like his grandfather, Williams is a pioneer in his own way. $23, 7 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 2232830, samsburgerjoint.com. — BB

Monday, Aug. 31 Buckcherry, Black Stone Cherry, Tyler Bryant The uptempo LA outfit Buckcherry blew up amid the post-grunge and nu-metal haze of the late ’90s but owed more to a sleazy Sunset Strip rock sound. The group hit big with a 1999 debut album that included the booger sugar-extolling hit “Lit Up.” After lineup changes and a temporary breakup, Buckcherry reformed in 2006, and the single “Crazy Bitch” introduced its sound to a new wave of listeners. $48.00-$76.70, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 8124355, theaztectheatre.com. — DC

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CURRENT | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | sacurrent.com

EMPLOYMENT

“Heart to Heart”--three ways to create a heart. by Matt Jones © 2026 Matt Jones Across 1. Religious offshoot 5. Winter hrs. in Oregon 8. ___ curls (arm exercises) 13. Most populous Hawaiian island 14. “___ House” (1982 Madness hit) 15. Mr. Schwarzenegger 16. Thing that comes before another, in olden days (you may know the -or version better) 18. Estonia’s neighbor to the south 19. Keyboard symbols forming a heart emoticon (or a shortcut to the emoji) 21. Zombie who directs and sings 22. Wedding vow words 23. “___ bien, gracias” 24. League where you may see a stick shift? 27. Apple device that researchers taught parrots to video-call other parrots with 29. “Go ahead” gesture 30. New World monkey in the Amazon Rainforest (found in AQUA KARINA) 33. Direct deposit pymt. 36. Way to form a heart with your fingers (popularized by K-pop stars) 40. Plate-smashing exclamation 41. Not as restrictive 42. Sprinted 43. “___ Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” 45. Volleyball defense specialist

47. Type of company not to be confused with an LLC 48. Stiffened water, to Stefan or Werner? 51. Express despair, maybe 52. Numerical way to make a heart along a line of symmetry 56. Egyptian writer ___ Mahfouz (1988 Nobel Prize winner in Literature) 57. Australia’s women’s national soccer team (hinting at a “Waltzing” song) 59. Citrus with blood and navel varieties 60. Q&A session on Reddit 61. Gateway Arch architect Saarinen 62. Sibilant snake sound 63. Yang counterpart 64. Historic 1944 event Down 1. Absorb 2. Member of the British nobility 3. Made happy 4. America’s 52nd-largest metropolitan area (and second-largest in Arizona) 5. Opposite of starboard 6. Rice-and-seaweed dish that originated in Japan 7. Tire groove 8. Along with Vishnu and Shiva, creator god in the Hindu trinity 9. Uninvited visitor 10. Typical grouping of Gambel’s quail, say 11. “Souls on Fire” author Wiesel 12. Organizer in your pocket, circa the aughts 15. ___-weekly (newspaper

category) 17. Device that can charge multiple devices 20. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung: “The world is still full of bÍtes ___ and scapegoats ...” 24. Highly explosive letters 25. Laugh from St. Nick 26. Ali with a perfect 24-0 record 28. Flat-panel HDTV’s resolution unit 31. ___ of things (trivia expert, maybe) 32. “My friends, without further ___ ...” 34. Portended 35. Nicholas II’s title 37. Pony Express jobs 38. Cuban Revolutionary Party manifesto signing location Monte ___, D.R. (one letter off from Dumas’s “Count”) 39. Snoopy ___-Cone Machine 44. Amounts of rosemary 46. Had a ball in an alley? 47. Groups of Spanish sports teams 49. “To whom ___ concern” 50. Great religious leader, in Hinduism 52. Grammy winner Bruno 53. Award now bestowed by King Charles III 54. LycÈe student’s acronym for an intl. alliance (it’s just the English acronym backwards) 55. Singer-songwriter Bareilles 56. Impeding votes 58. Tempeh or tofu base Answers on page 23.

Solutions Engineer IV sought by Capital Group Companies Global in San Antonio, TX. Hybrid work permitted, when not WFH must report to San Antonio, TX office.: Leading end-to-end solutioning across all aspects of SDLC (analysis, dvlpmt, testing, deployment, support, etc.) for bus. problems. 40 Hrs./wk. Std co. benefits. Must have unrestricted right to work in U.S. To apply, send resume to Global Mobility Team: cgapplications@ capgroup.com. MUST REF. JOB CODE: SA1223PC IT Professionals: Ent. Lvl to Sen. Lvl Information System Technologists are needed for our San Antonio, TX office. May req. traveling. Pls send resume, Cvr Ltr., & Sal. Req. to our Alamo Analytical Laboratories, LTD, 10526 Gulfdale St, San Antonio, TX 78216. sacurrent.com | August 19 - September 1, 2026 | CURRENT