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
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in this issue
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18 Summer Safaris
These 5 fun getaways are all just a short drive from San Antonio Issue 25-11/// May 29 - Jun , 2025
07 News
The Opener News in Brief
Economic Savior?
Mayoral candidate Rolando Pablos said he’ll unlock San Antonio’s economic potential. It’s tougher than it sounds, experts caution
Cityscrapes
San Antonio’s current mayoral election feels different, but many voters are wary of the same old missteps
Bad Takes
Gina Ortiz Jones is a better choice for San Antonio but she shouldn’t go it alone
14 Calendar
Our picks of things to do 21 Arts A Civilized Ride
The Distinguished Gentlemen of San Antonio ride for men’s health and a new definition of masculinity
25 Screens
Full Speed Ahead
San Antonio actor Nicolas Cantu’s career trajectory hits the gas in Motorheads
27 Food
Tall Cool Ones
San Antonio bartenders share their spin on summer cocktails
Dueling Dim Sum
Ginger Cattle Tripe? It’s the star of one dim sum menu in San Antonio. Bring it on
Cooking
Up Conversation
37 Music
Southern Connection
Catching up with Drive By Truckers’ Mike Cooley ahead of the band’s show at San Antonio’s Stable Hall
Only in San Antonio Los Juanos’ Tejano dream-pop exudes puro party vibes
‘Labor of Love’
The Starlighter’s House of Queer Noise fest will make a racket for LGBTQIA+ rights
Critics’ Picks
On the Cover: The Current’s summer issue takes a look at summertime events in the Alamo City along with special getaways and heat-beating cocktails from local bartenders. Design: Ana Paula Gutierrez.
Shutterstock Sean Pavone
That Rocks/That Sucks
HThe Texas House last week advanced a bill that would curtail the power of faculty on the state’s public university campuses. The legislation, which has already passed in the Senate, would bar faculty from teaching that any race, sex, gender or ethnicity is superior to any other and would create a system for eliminating degree programs that are not deemed to have a sufficient return on investment for students. It would also increase state oversight of some faculty hiring.
Newsweek readers ranked the San Antonio Zoo as the second-best in the nation, trailing only the North Carolina Zoo
Readers have named the San Antonio Zoo as one of their ten favorite zoos in the country for three years running, but the second-place finish is the zoo’s highest yet. The zoo was praised for its exhibits and after-hours tour experience, among other attributes. The Houston Zoo was the only other Texas zoo to make the top ten
Nearly 60% of Texas business owners say President Donald Trump’s tariff policy has already harmed their bottom line, a survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas found. The survey also found that the administration’s frequent changes to its tariff policies have made it difficult for business owners to plan, though more than three-quarters of those surveyed said they are prepared to pass any added costs onto consumers.
Five Texas district attorneys are suing Attorney General Ken Paxton over a new rule that would allow officials in his office to request access to almost any document their offices produce. In a pair of lawsuits filed in Travis County, the district attorneys argue the rule represents an unconstitutional overreach. Paxton has framed the rule, which only applies to counties with 400,000 residents or more, as a way to “rein in rogue district attorneys.” — Abe Asher
YOU SAID IT!
“The constant presence of a sacred text in the room with them is effectively telling them, ‘Hey, these are things you should read and obey. That’s not the state’s job — to do religious instruction.”
Banning THC for the sake of political theater with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s been an unmitigated shitshow when it comes to policy. Instead, the man who controls the agenda of the Texas Senate prefers to build on his background as an AM-radio shock jock, using his position of power to engage in tiresome partisan bomb throwing.
This gathering of the Texas Legislature proved no exception, as Patrick threatened to call emergency session after emergency session if he couldn’t get lawmakers to pass a complete ban on all hemp products containing THC, the compound in pot produces a stoned feeling.
Never mind that the same legislative body voted in 2019 to legalize hemp, thus opening the door for an industry that now supports 50,000 jobs and generates millions in tax dollars. Even then, it stood to reason that people would figure out how make money off the crop’s ability to get people high.
As retailers, ranging from smoke shops and dispensaries to neighborhood gas stations, began selling smokeable, drinkable and consumable products containing THC, lawmakers were right to be wary of an unregulated Wild West approach.
Many in the burgeoning industry argued that smart legislation could set up age limits to purchase the products, rein in their potency and establish testing to ensure their safety.
But rather than listen to their urging, Daffy Dan did what he always does, which is to take an all-or-nothing approach and demand a complete ban — which he got in the form of Senate Bill 3, which now sits on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.
San Antonio is the nation’s fourth fastest-growing city, having added 23,900 residents between 2023 and 2024, according to new U.S. Census data. New York City added the most residents during that time frame, followed by Los Angeles and Houston. One city whose rate of growth has slowed in Austin, which has been surpassed by Fort Worth as the nation’s 11th largest city.
A lawsuit against the Texas foster care system is being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A petition filed last week by lawyers for children in state care asked the high court to review a ruling from the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturning a contempt order against the state
No doubt, a few bad actors will be shut down if the governor signs SB 3. However, the collateral damage will include small-business owners and farmers who assumed the state would behave reasonably when it came to hemp regulation. It also will include veterans with PTSD, who purchase hemp products for relief, and regular folks who would like to see government expanding their rights instead of taking them away.
Just as with his obsession with where transgender people go potty, assclown Patrick has again shown he’s more concerned with performing political theater for the most radical wing of his base than legislating for the good of Texans. — Sanford Nowlin
and removing the judge who had been overseeing the case. That judge, U.S. District Judge Janis Jack, had previously placed the system under federal oversight.
School districts are taking aim at the Texas Senate’s school funding plan. That measure would invest $8 million in the state’s public schools, but not by giving schools significant additional money for each student they have enrolled. Instead, the money would be earmarked for teacher pay, teacher preparation and certification, special education and school safety. The House version of the school funding plan includes a larger per-student funding increase. — Abe Asher
WIkimedia / Commons Gage Skidmore
Economic Savior?
Mayoral candidate Rolando Pablos said he’ll unlock San Antonio’s economic potential. It’s tougher than it sounds, experts caution.
BY MICHAEL KARLIS
With less than a week left until the June 7 mayoral runoff, Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos are scrambling to get their messages out.
Jones, the former Under Secretary of the Air Force during the Biden Administration, has positioned herself as a San Antonio leader willing to push back against Gov. Greg Abbott and the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, Pablos — a former Texas secretary of state appointed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott — is trying to sell himself as a champion of economic development, which he says will help lift local residents out of poverty.
Talk to Pablos and he’ll explain that his brand of economic development focuses on combating crime, investing in infrastructure and creating a more business-friendly environment. He also maintains Project Marvel, a pricey and controversial plan to create a downtown and entertainment district, will play a big role in the city’s transformation.
“The trick to economic development is to increase productivity in the community, because if all we’re making is tortilla chips, then we’re not as effective as if we were making microchips,” Pablos told the Current this week. When pointing to his chances of success, Pablos said his background in economic development helps him stand apart.
For one, he served as Texas Secretary of State from 2017 to 2018, helping attract substantial Texas investments from enterprises including medical supplier McKesson, construction
equipment manufacturer Caterpillar and business-tech firm NTT Data International.
Before that, Pablos served as founding CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, a binational economic development initiative that takes credit for attracting 25,000 jobs and $1.7 billion in investment to the area that includes El Paso; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
“We did some reverse engineering,” Pablos said of his Borderplex Alliance work. “We back into these opportunities by first knowing ourselves and knowing what we could deliver. We knew we couldn’t go out and get Tesla because [El Paso] didn’t have the engineers, but we could get other opportunities, and it worked.”
If elected mayor, Pablos said he plans to use those same tactics to finally help the Alamo City reach its full potential. San Antonio has long trailed Austin, Dallas and Houston in median incomes and economic opportunities, according to economists.
Despite Pablos’ impressive resume, experts question whether a mayor can effectively retool the city’s entire economic-development approach.
Indeed, there are at least a dozen nonprofits and organizations whose goal is to spark economic development in San Antonio, with the city boasting a 6.3% job growth rate between 20182023, according to the Greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership.
However, eliminating poverty is about more than just job creation, St. Mary’s University political scientist Art Vega said.
“We have always tried and strived to be a great city … but if we don’t make some major investments in education, poverty reduction and infrastructure and create a business environment, then we’re going to find ourselves in the same place four, 10 and 20 years from now,” Vega said.
As past mayors have learned, shedding San Antonio’s longstanding problem with generational poverty isn’t easy.
If elected, Pablos wouldn’t be stepping into a CEO role but into the role of a weak mayor in a city government where the city manager holds most of the power. That limits what a mayor can and can’t do, especially in a fouryear term, Vega said.
“Mayors really have little leverage on how the economy is occurring nationally, statewide and even on the local level,” Vega said. “Whoever does the work and gets elected also won’t see the fruition of their efforts in a fouryear time frame if they really do this.”
Beyond that, San Antonio’s next mayor will face a $150 million budget deficit, which will limit opportunities to spend money on potentially transformational economic development projects, cautions University of Texas at San Antonio political science professor Jon Taylor.
“Can a mayor be involved in identifying generational poverty challenges? Of course, they can,” Taylor said. “But, can they actually … turn that into some sort of jobs program? Not necessarily.
Department of Labor
The city is strapped for funds, and we’re facing all sorts of federal cuts. How do you go about doing that?”
Still, Pablos argues he has something Jones doesn’t — friends in high places — and that he’d use them to improve San Antonio’s relationship with state and federal leaders. He maintains that he can get meetings with Texas’ top elected officials, not to mention Washington lawmakers and key members of the Trump administration.
“I would also fly down to Mexico City to meet with the President of Mexico and start working with her to develop opportunities of international trade,” added Pablos, a former board member of the nonprofit U.S.-Mexico Foundation.
An economic miracle?
The biggest obstacle San Antonio faces in economic development is that it hasn’t honed in on a specific industry to focus on, foster and grow, Pablos told the Current.
what the city should target.
“We are at a position now where we can handle very sophisticated office and servicer operations, and that should be our target,” said Hernandez, who helped attract Toyota’s massive truck plant to San Antonio.
Attracting big manufacturing investment may be a trickier prospect, according to Hernandez. He said both the next mayor and city staff must have deep knowledge of international trade and deep contacts within companies looking to relocate.
“When I uncovered the lead on Toyota that Price Waterhouse out of Chicago was heading up the site selection, we went directly to them because we’d been very aggressive in our outreach,” Hernandez said. “What ended up happening is we got on the [site selection] list when they weren’t even looking at San Antonio or Texas. External public relations is very important in economic development, and that’s keeping the name out there and sending the right message.”
tonio last year approved a $24.4 million incentive package for Toyota’s expansion of its local plant that included a 10-year partial tax break and millions in infrastructure along with certain fee waivers and a $1 million grant.
If elected, Pablos won’t have much wiggle room to offer incentives as the city grapples with its $150 million budget deficit.
The candidate said he isn’t concerned.
“I’m not giving out incentives,” Pablos said. “The incentive should be doing business in this community. We want to find companies that would appreciate moving here or starting an operation here that aren’t asking for incentives.”
That tune may change when it comes to the Spurs, however.
Austin is a tech boomtown, Houston is the world’s energy capital, and Dallas has transformed itself into a nucleus of the financial services industry, even earning the nickname “Y’all Street.”
Meanwhile, San Antonio has what? Fiesta?
Based on its current workforce capabilities, location and infrastructure, the Alamo City is best suited to become a hub for manufacturing and financial services back-office work, Pablos said. It’s a similar mix of industries to the one he courted for El Paso.
“El Paso was typically a call center city,” Pablos said. “So we said, ‘What can we bring into this community that is two or three notches above just a call center? So we created a financial services back office strategy, and we brought in Prudential, Charles Schwab, ADP and others to move to El Paso to perform their back office duties.”
Mario Hernandez, who served as president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation for 26 years, agrees those kinds of operations are
Whatever the case, San Antonio-area economic development officials are already focused on chasing both of the industries Pablos said he’d pursue. On its website, Greater SATX identifies “advanced manufacturing and logistics” and “finance and professional services” among its target industries, which also include “cybersecurity and IT” along with others.
Perhaps more daunting for Pablos, San Antonio’s ability to win corporate investment hasn’t alleviated the city’s problems with economic inequality, because economic development is more than just about job creation, according to UTSA’s Taylor.
“Poverty reduction is a long-term project that requires a vision for the city, something I would argue neither Pablos or Jones are talking about,” the professor said. “They need to be talking about how they’re going to encourage job growth, poverty reduction and reduce income inequality, and encourage accessibility to public services that will actually provide a social safety net, things like access to daycare and free public transportation.”
No incentives, except…
Frequently, cities use economic incentives to recruit business relocations and investment. For example, San An-
Pablos and Hernandez both told the Current that the city’s best brand ambassador is the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs organization has increased the city’s international standing by being one of the NBA franchises to draft stars from abroad, including Argentina, France and Australia.
To that end, Pablos told the Current he’s open to using revenue from the hotel and visitor tax — but not the city’s general fund — to help pay for a new Spurs arena and Project Marvel, including a billion-dollar Alamodome renovation.
“The Alamodome has been producing a bunch of economic impact,” Pablos said. “People belittle it, but just the Final Four brought in $400 million into the community. This is job creation and economic development.”
However, UTSA’s Taylor warned that Pablos’ willingness to spend public money of any kind on the murky Project Marvel is likely to prove controversial.
Even if the Marvel money and city operating expenses come from different funds, the perception of possibly needing to cut specific programs to balance the budget deficit while simultaneously building a new arena could spell political disaster for whoever becomes the city’s next mayor.
“That’s going to be a hard sell,” Taylor said. “I mean, ‘We’re going to build a new basketball arena for the Spurs, but sorry, kids, for cutting your summer swimming program.’ That’s what it’s going to come down to.”
Early voting for the runoff runs May 27-June 3. Polls will reopen from 7 a.m.7 p.m. on June 7.
Sanford Nowlin
San Antonio’s current mayoral election feels different, but many voters are wary of the same old missteps
BY HEYWOOD SANDERS
Cityscrapes is a column of opinion and analysis.
The contest between Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos feels like a different kind of mayoral race. Although it may well be about the same old thing. Let me explain.
First, there was the free-for-all May general election, in which 27 candidates divided up the just over 100,000 votes cast. Those office contenders ranged from veteran members of city council to political newcomers to virtual unknowns who seemed to run just for the fun of it. Perhaps most notably, the council veterans who presumably had the advantages of name recognition and previous backing managed a remarkably poor showing.
For example, District 4’s Adriana Rocha Garcia, endorsed by the Express-News editorial board, managed to win just 9.9% of the total. District 6’s Melissa Cabello Havrda pulled in 6.6%, while District 9’s John Courage and former District 10 councilman Clayton Perry garnered a little over 5% each. District 8’s Manny Pelaez, widely seen as a likely frontrunner and the Express-News editorial board’s second choice, garnered just 7.3%.
While the sheer number of council veterans no doubt divided the support for any one, it’s clear the public — or at least that small fraction that actually voted in the May election — weren’t particularly enthusiastic about any of the council incumbents.
The reasons likely varied from voter to voter. But it may well be that the way our
city council has handled two major public investment projects recently — the new Missions ballpark and the murky Project Marvel — didn’t reinforce public confidence in their performance.
Both deals appeared from behind closed doors, wrapped in special benefits and nondisclosures and included a sense of being rushed through before any serious public scrutiny or review. Why was no real provision for relocation aid to Soap Factory residents made before the Missions project went to council? Why was it so clearly structured to avoid a public vote? And why was the site fixed and determined with no real public discussion or input?
There are even more and larger questions about Marvel’s grand scheme. We still don’t have realistic cost figures, a fully articulated rationale or a plan for
The support each received in the May election is also decidedly different. Jones finished first with 27.2%, while Pablos was a distant second at 16.6%. Jones ran strongly in a broad range of precincts throughout the city. Meanwhile, Pablos’ success was based on a particularly strong showing in a small number of precincts on the far North Side, mostly along Loop 1604 and including Encino Park, Far North Central, Stone Oak and the Dominion. He also did particularly well in precincts 3130 and 3076 near Shavano Park. That strong vote in upper-income North Side precincts was enough to put him ahead of thirdplace finisher Beto Altamirano’s 12%.
To succeed in the June runoff, Pablos and Jones will have to mobilize their existing base of support and build a far larger majority coalition in a race that historically draws an even smaller turnout and less visibility than the general election. Both also must move beyond traditional left and right political dimensions to deal with the pressing local realities of San Antonio.
No immediate city issue is as large in both fiscal terms and long-term implications as Project Marvel. After all, it bears a price tag approaching $4 billion — and even that’s still uncertain — and there’s likelihood it will effectively limit major capital investment for the next 30 years. Yet it’s not clear that either candidate fully understands Project Marvel’s risks and the real cost of a failure to deliver. For example, Pablos has called the downtown development scheme a “jobs-creation program.” There’s no evidence to date that it can or will create any new jobs.
managing a little thing like parking. And there was an unusual press by city staff to have the lame duck mayor and council approve a change in the purpose of the “project financing zone” plan with no real discussion — and in the midst of a crucial city election.
So, here we are now, with a runoff between two local political outsiders.
Neither Gina Ortiz Jones or Rolando Pablos has served in a city elective office. And while the mayoral election is formally nonpartisan, each comes from a distinctly partisan political background. Jones twice ran for a South Texas congressional seat as a Democrat, and she served as Under Secretary of the Air Force under the Biden administration. Pablos’ political ties are clearly Republican, having been appointed Texas Secretary of State by Gov. Greg Abbott.
This is, after all, the city that built a dome for an NFL team that has never come, and then built an arena for the Spurs with promises and expectations that it would reshape the East Side. It’s the place that has invested in one convention center expansion after another based on consultant studies that said it would boost our convention business and create new jobs. And then the city financed and built the Grand Hyatt with the premise that it too would bring convention salvation and more jobs. It would be nice if city staff could actually document all the “job creation” they actually provided.
We don’t have a spare $4 billion to spend on hope and promises, much as we might support the Spurs or appreciate our hospitality industry. That’s something both mayoral candidates might be wise to keep in mind as they seek to broaden their coalition.
Gina Ortiz Jones is a better choice for San Antonio, but she can’t go it alone
BY KEVIN SANCHEZ
Bad Takes is a column of opinion and analysis.
“That really got out of hand fast,” to quote legendary anchorman Ron Burgundy.
San Antonio’s mayoral race between former Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones and one-time Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos has taken a turn for the nasty as evidenced by the acrimonious debate that played out May 20 at Stable Hall.
When the moderator, San Antonio Report Editor-in-Chief Leigh Munsil, questioned the candidates about the role outside Political Action Committee money played in both campaigns, Ortiz Jones said San Antonians “are rightly fearful of having this city run by a Greg Abbott puppet,” in reference to her rival.
““You’re a puppet,” Pablos retorted. “You parachute into this community just to run for office.””
But if American film noir and Japanese samurai flicks have taught us anything, it’s that sometimes it takes an outsider who can play both sides against the middle to clean up the town.
And something that urgently needs a cleaning up is the murky manner in which San Antonio insiders have so far handled plans for the downtown sports and entertainment district grandiosely known as Project Marvel.
“The city has been discussing this since early 2023, and the City Council for a really long time did not, at least publicly, push back against it, or ask for more information, or demand accountability,” Express-News reporter Molly Smith summed up on a recent Enside Politics podcast. “They kind of went along with whatever the mayor and city staff wanted.”
And when the curtains of backroom secrecy finally parted last November, “very few council members — with maybe the exception of District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo and District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez — said anything critical,” Smith added. “It was a lot of ‘Rah-rah-rah! This is amazing!’ And I think once [city council mayoral candidates] got on the campaign trail and saw that voters were skeptical of the use of public dollars, they kind of started changing their tune.”
Fitting then, not a single city council member who ran for mayor broke 10% in the May 3 general election. Sensing the vibes, Jones has repeatedly called out Pablos for giving away the store when it comes to his endorsement of Project Marvel.
“The best way to get the highest-wage jobs is not to already say, ‘Hey, we’re going to pay for 50% of the new arena,’” Jones argued during the Stable Hall debate. She’s suggested, for example, that whatever deal coalesces around Project Marvel fully fund the popular Pre-K 4 SA program, which provides early childhood education to thousands of local students annually.
Both Jones and Pablos are arguably overqualified for the position they seek. In a fairer world, Jones would be a member of Congress and Pablos one of the precious few potty-trained adults in the Abbott or Trump regimes. Instead we’ve been subjected to an all-too-famil-
roots and charged his opponent, a graduate of John Jay High School, with being a “carpetbagger,” pettily refusing even to call her by the name Ortiz. How many individuals with his skin tone would need to be mistakenly sent off to the El Salvadoran gulag, how many kids with cancer deported without their meds, before Pablos, who was born in Mexico, remembers where he came from?
Echoing another failed mayoral candidate John Courage’s ignorant remark that being homeless is “very easy,” Pablos told an audience at Trinity University last Wednesday, “A lot of [the homeless] want to sleep under the stars.”
That’s utter crap. Give someone without a place to stay a hotel key, and 99 out of 100 will take the shower and bed. If they’d rather pitch a tent under a highway than accept city services, that should tell you something about some of the shelters which too closely resemble penal institutions.
iar showdown between a metric-driven, needs-first Democrat and a business-friendly, growth-first Republican.
That is, if the Texas Election Code didn’t forbid local candidates from declaring a party affiliation.
The facts are Ortiz Jones’s side. Fact is, when noncitizens live in constant fear of ICE knocking on the door, they’re less likely to report crimes to law enforcement, meaning we’re all less safe. Fact is, draconian abortion bans have increased teenage pregnancy and driven talented professionals and entrepreneurs away from the state. Fact is, business can be booming while generational poverty persists.
“If you ask urbanists about opportunity and poverty in San Antonio, they are pretty clear about what might bring real change, and growth for growth’s sake isn’t it,” award-winning journalist Mimi Swartz wrote in Texas Monthly last winter.
Pablos may be at his best when lathering an “aw, shucks” gloss on counter-factual right-wing populism. He’ll speak of affording immigrants dignity and due process, then slip in the usual dog-whistles about the now-closed Migrant Resource Center and “violent criminal aliens.” However, Trump’s promised mass deportations would go well beyond undocumented immigrants with felony convictions, as many Latinos who voted for Trump have learned the hard way.
Pablos has incessantly touted his local
Last June, when Trump’s hand-picked Supreme Court constitutionally protected the state’s authority to criminalize homelessness, first responders from more than 100 organizations filed an amicus brief explaining what they experienced in dealing with those in need of shelter.
“The idea that people choose to live or sleep in public spaces is a myth,” they wrote. “Multiple surveys and studies have shown that the vast majority of those who are unsheltered would move inside if safe and affordable options were available.”
How can we trust a mayor to address homelessness if they’re still propagating that myth? And how is Pablos’ “different direction” for the city not just more of the same? Should we as a city take the immigrant-bashing, however politely coded, and the denial of standard reproductive care lying down, or should we insist, against Abbott’s heavy-hand, on the right of cities to prioritize how to allocate their own limited resources?
My humble advice for our next mayor is that she not exclusively focus on the importance of competent government, but that she also emphasize the vitality of unions, community organizations, street activism and a broader international movement for social justice.
One city official in a weak mayoral system, however defiant, can’t take on one-party rule by herself without the multitude. It’s our duty to show up for her in kind.
Facebook Gina Ortiz Jones
FRI | 05.30
SPECIAL EVENT
THE 2025 MACRI SYMPOSIUM
Hosted by the Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI), the premier national organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the legacy of Mexican American civil rights, the 2025 MACRI Symposium brings a sense of urgency to San Antonio, a place where so much of its history was made. In partnership with Texas Public Radio, a trusted platform for civic storytelling, the symposium invites the public to a powerful evening creating space for education, dialogue and action. Exploring the past, present and ongoing fight for justice in Latino communities — from school walkouts, landmark court cases to struggles for health equity and fair representation — this event connects the dots between historical actions and current sociopolitical issues. A panel discussion also will bring together voices from the fields of law, media, health and education to discuss the ongoing fight for equity. Check MACRI’s website for an up-to-date schedule. Free, but online registration required, 6-9 p.m., Malú and Carlos Alvarez Theater, Texas Public Radio, 321 W. Commerce St., (210) 614-8977, somosmacri.org. — Becky Hardin
MEXICAN AMERICAN RONDALLA WITH ROBERT OJEDA
Vocalists can honor the tradition of the Mexican American Rondalla, a regional musical heritage dating back to the 18th century, by participating in a master class offered by Our Lady of the Lake University. Participants will form an ensemble, learn compositions selected from the Charles Lummis Collection and present a recital. The course is led by Robert Ojeda, a notable musician, educator, historian and staunch advocate for the preservation of Mexican American folk music through performance and community-based education. In addition to winning an Austin Humanities Grant, the Cesar Chavez “Si Se Puede” Award and the Austin Tejano Legends Award, Ojeda was also an original member of Los Angeles theater company El Teatro Campesino and worked with legendary artistic director Luis Valdez, the writer and director of La Bamba. The class is only open to those 18 and older. $30, free for OLLU students, faculty, staff and alumni, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays through June 25, International Folk Culture Center in MARC Building Ballroom, Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 SW 24th St., (210) 431-3922, ollu.edu. — Rae Drady
WED
‘OUR IMAGE’ WALKTHROUGH
One of life’s not-so-simple treasures is the ability not just to experience art but to experience the way artists negotiate their lightning-strike moments of inspiration and the ways in which they overcome obstacles that could cloud their vision. Multi-disciplinary artist Megan Solis’ latest vision has become reality in the group exhibition “In Our Image: Photography as Performance,” organized by the McNay’s Curator of Collections Liz Paris and curatorial fellow Leslie Wooden, the artist is offering a gallery walkthrough to explore the show’s underlying premise: the fluid identities, transformations and performativity inherent in photography — specifically portraiture. This free experience promises a behind-the-scenes look at a thought-provoking exhibition along with an opportunity to discuss works with others looking for a deeper insight into the visual arts. Advance registration required. Free, 6-7 p.m., McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368, mcnayart.org. — Dean Zach
Courtesy Photo Our Lady of the Lake University
Courtesy Photo McNay
UTSA Special Collections
TRANS POETICA: A PRIDE MONTH LITERARY PLÁTICA
To kick off Pride Month, San Antonio literary-arts center Gemini Ink is partnering with journal Infrarealista Review and literary initiative Letras Latinas at the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies to host a gathering focused on sustaining Texas’ queer and trans Latinx literary communities. Part poetry reading and part discussion forum, the gathering reflects that these voices and those of allies won’t be silenced by threats, invalidation or the political climate being propagated by the current presidential administration. Pushcart Prize-nominated poet Keagan Wheat, Burns author SG Huerta and Stalina Villarreal, Spanish translator and author of Watcha, will take part in the discussion. Cloud Delfina Cardona, the 2024-2025 Letras Latinas Poetry Coalition Fellow, will moderate. All four authors will give readings, discuss their craft and share thoughts on their current roles in literary communities. A Q&A session and book signing will follow. Free, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., Gemini Ink, 1111 Navarro St., (210) 734-9673, geminiink.org. — Rae Drady
FRI | 06.06 –
SAT | 06.07
COMEDY
MICHAEL YO
Fresh from his first appearance at Austin’s Moontower Comedy Festival and a residency at Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple in Las Vegas, Houston native Michael Yo will deliver his signature blend of heart and hilarity with an unforgettable family-focused — but not necessarily PG-rated — performance. With an African American father and Korean mother, Yo mines his biracial background to deliver a relatable experience to audiences no matter their own upbringing. After time as Austin on-air radio personality Johnny Blaze, Yo launched into the world of entertainment reporting for TV programs including Chelsea Lately and The Insider, which allowed him to hone his ability to connect with people. He can be heard weekdays on SiriusXM’s Pop2K and on his Yo Show podcast. A quarterfinalist in the 2020 season of America’s Got Talent, Yo has since released two comedy specials, including 2025’s Snack Daddy During his specials, Yo gives audience members this life advice: “Enjoy every single minute of it!” It’s a sound bet SA audiences will find themselves enjoying his animated and engaging crowd work. $25-$38, 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Laugh Out Loud San Antonio, 618 Northwest Loop 410, (210) 541-8805, improvtx. com/sanantonio. — Valerie Lopez
Courtesy Photo Gemini Ink
Courtesy Photo Michael Yo
FRI
| 06.06 – WED | 06.25
VISUAL ART
‘DAME KIND’
“Dame Kind,” a multimedia exhibition by San Antonio-based artists Patrick Farris and Lané Pittard, seeks to break down the binary between nature and culture, the majestic and familiar, the divine and mundane. Working in a darkroom, the pair developed photographs of their environs, combining them with the sounds of other creatures who make their homes inside it. Farris takes inspiration from poet W.H. Auden who, in an introduction to a book on Protestant mystics, waxed poetic on the opportunity to engage in “communion” with not all mankind but all “Dame Kind” to attain a state of innocent joy upon realizing all living things are intrinsically beautiful. Farris’ and Pittard’s immersive exhibition will be open four evenings — June 6, June 11, June 18 and June 25 or by appointment. Free by appointment or designated dates, 6-10 p.m., Mercury Project Contemporary Art Gallery, 538 Roosevelt Ave., (210) 478-9133, mercuryproject.net. — DZ
FRI | 06.07 – 06.27
MUSIC
CMI 210 FESTIVAL
The Classical Music Institute’s third-annual CMI 210 Festival, a celebration of orchestral talents, will feature two weeks of engaging live concerts, all for free. CMI kicks off with a concert by The Orchestra San Antonio (TOSA), featuring 10-year-old violin virtuoso Jayden King and internationally acclaimed solo violinist Francisco Fullana. Fullana’s versatility as a performer allowed him to take on new roles as TOSA’s artistic advisor and curator and as artist-in-residence of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center. Check the CMI’s website for a full slate of performances. Free, varying dates, times and locations, (210) 212-0930, cmi-sa.org. — Kat Stinson
Courtesy Mercury Project
Courtesy Photo Classical Music Institute
Summer Safaris
These 5 fun getaways are all just a short drive from San Antonio
BY SANFORD NOWLIN
Summer is an ideal time for vacation, whether that involves exploring new sights or kicking back in a relaxing paradise.
However, securing time and money for a far-flung getaway isn’t always possible. That’s just one of life’s realities. Fortunately, there are plenty of places within an easy drive of San Antonio to spend an afternoon or weekend unwinding, contemplating nature or checking off new experiences. Any or all of these destinations can make your summer more fulfilling.
Lockhart
Barbecue-loving San Antonians are no doubt aware of Lockhart’s rep as the state’s capital of smoked meat. After all, the quaint town an hour northeast of the Alamo City is home to legendary spots including Terry Black’s Barbecue, Smitty’s and Barbs-B-Q, which grabbed a spot in Texas’ first Michelin Guide.
But there’s more to Lockhart than just the ’cue.
After its incorporation in the mid1850s, Lockhart became a major northward converging point for the Chisholm Trail, and the town boasts a historic downtown square worthy of that colorful frontier past.
Drop by the Culinary Room to browse gourmet provisions, Magic Mirror Vintage for funky threads and Happy Haunt Books for scary reading material for all ages. Little Trouble serves up classy cocktails, while The Pearl offers a place to unwind with live music and cold beer.
The 1920s-era Gaslight Baker Theatre, resurrected in 1997, offers a robust season that extends through this summer with productions of Vaudeville (June 5-8) and Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (July 11-Aug. 3)
Lockhart
Lost Maples
Those looking for an outdoorsy excursion can also visit Lockhart State Park, which includes not only fishing, camping and hiking-biking trails but a historic nine-hold golf course built 80 years ago as part of a federal works program.
Utopia/Lost Maples/ Garner State Park
“Welcome to Utopia, a paradise. Let’s keep it nice,” reads a sign greeting visitors to this tiny Hill Country village roughly an hour and a half west of SA.
Sound advice given the beautiful natural areas to which Utopia provides a gateway — Lost Maples State Natural Area and Garner State Park.
Lost Maples offers hiking, fishing and birding, including a chance to spot the endangered golden-cheeked warbler. Visitors to Garner State Park can swim and float the beautiful Frio River or explore 16 miles of scenic trails that wind through the area.
While camping facilities are available in both Lost Maples and Garner State Park, those who book early enough with Treehouse Utopia in the town itself can stay in one of four luxury treehouses built into ancient Bald Cypress trees right on the banks of the Sabinal River. Each of the dwellings comes fully furnished and includes an outer deck along with a bathroom with a walk-in shower.
Devil’s Sinkhole
Designated a National Natural Landmark, this breathtaking 400-footdeep sinkhole two hours west of San
Devil’s Sinkhole
Shutterstock / Philip Arno Photography
Courtesy Photo Texas Parks and Wildlife
Courtesy Photo Texas Parks and Wildlife
Blanco
Antonio is home to millions of bats and was considered a sacred site to the area’s Indigenous people.
The chasm yawns 40-by-60-feet, offering a dizzying view of what’s considered Texas’ largest single-chambered cavern and the state’s fifth-deepest. Historians speculate that Native
Americans buried the dead inside the vast underground space, which was later explored by cavers, cowboys and curiosity seekers.
The Devil’s Sinkhole gets even more interesting during summertime, when up to 4 million Mexican free-tailed bats move in for a few months. As with certain bridges in San
Antonio and Austin, the cavern offers a spot to watch the creatures stream out into the evening air in search of insects to devour. Viewings for the bats are available most nights through the summer, and volunteers with the Devil’s Sinkhole Society offer tours of the natural area surrounding the cave. Reservations and more information for both are available via devilssinkhole.net.
Blanco
Those who have already seen enough of Fredericksburg or the Texas Wine Country may want to head an hour north of the Alamo City to explore the less-crowded Hill Country charms of Blanco.
Blanco’s Real Ale Brewing Co. offers great tastings of its world-class craft beers, while the Oro Bianco Italian Creamery offers indulgences such as rich and delicious gelato and water-buffalo milk cheeses. Don’t overlook Spaghetti Western Wine Bar or The Redbud Cafe, the latter of which features stick-to-your ribs fare along with beer taps and live music.
Those looking for shopping can go antiquing in the historic town and explore a smattering of offbeat boutiques.
If the outdoors is what you crave, the town is also the gateway to Blanco State Park on banks of the spring-fed Blanco River. In addition to swimming and tubing, the natural area offers camping. A further drive north to Johnson City provides access to Pedernales Falls State Park and Pedernales River Nature Park.
Corpus Christi
Yes, there’s a good chance you visited Corpus Christi once upon a time, and it’s not exactly the state’s most bustling metro. However, there’s plenty of funky stuff tucked into this seaside city two hours south of San Antonio.
Music fans may want to swing by the Mirador de la Flor memorial statue and the Selena Museum, both of which celebrate Selena Quintanilla, the late Queen of Tejano. Just make sure you schedule the museum visit Monday through Friday, since it’s closed on the weekends.
A lively and evolving downtown includes Bar Under the Sun, a family- and pet-friendly cocktail garden located in a former Greyhound bus station; OH HI-FI Listening Bar, where craft cocktails and DJ sets meet; and The Gold Fish Bar, an inviting space offering a variety of signature cocktails and plenty of craft and import brews.
Those in the mood for visual art may want to time a visit to coincide with the city’s First Friday Art Walks and drop by the K Space Contemporary and the Art Museum of South Texas. Meanwhile, Rollin’ Tide Boil Co., which offers custom shrimp boils, and Water Dog Yoga offer vastly different takes on an offbeat beachside experience.
arts
Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com
Instagram / realalebrewing
Shutterstock / Sean Pavone
Corpus Christi
A Civilized Ride
The Distinguished Gentlemen of San Antonio ride for men’s health and a new definition of masculinity
BY STEPHANIE KOITHAN
San Antonio’s annual Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride rolled through the streets Sunday, May 17, as part of an international movement supporting men’s health.
The crew of motorcyclists, nearly 200 members deep, roared through neighborhoods including Lavaca and SoFlo, prompting curious residents to come outside. But rather than cower in fear, the onlookers waved. While some bike gangs come with a rough reputation, these dandies are defying stereotypes. Riders assembled that morning for the annual bike ride at Idle Beer Hall & Brewery, 414 Brooklyn Ave. The beer hall has become something of a homebase for the motorcycle club, whose members also gather there for Thursday bike meetups.
This was the ride’s first year leaving from the beer hall, rather than a Triumph Motorcycles dealership outside the city. It was also the first year the ride was a loop, starting and ending at the same location.
The route took the riders over the San Antonio River and through downtown, the East Side and past the historic Missions. Landmarks along the way included the Tower of the Americas, Dignowity Park, San Antonio City Hall, Frost Bank Tower, the Tobin Center and the San Fernando Cathedral.
Along the one-hour trip, riders had plenty to look at thanks to a route selected for its hidden gems and historical significance. Those included public art installations, an active rodeo at the tiny stadium of the San Antonio Charro Association and a trek through Historic City Cemetery #6.
The Distinguished Gentlemen of
San Antonio are the local chapter of a global movement that got its start in Australia. Chapters throughout the world roll on the same day for the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride, from such far-flung locales as Cambodia to, appropriately, the Isle of Man.
The San Antonio riders lined up in the hot sun bedecked in tweed three-piece suits. The ride’s internationally recognized date is determined by its founders in Australia, and it’s winter there.
The international ride raises funds for men’s health — including prostate
doctor because you’re afraid of what you might find out,” Livar said.
Livar also encouraged the riders to put the “gentle” in gentleman by offering up an expansive definition of masculinity in his speech.
“As a man you think of yourself as a protector and provider,” he said. “In addition to that, I’d like us to think about how we protect our families’ soul. How we set the example for our sons and our daughters and those who come behind us is really what makes us gentlemen.”
Speaking with the Current at Idle Beer Hall after the ride, Livar was reflective.
“It’s weird to say you give a space for men in a world that only gives space to men,” Livar acknowledged. However, he added that he sees the club — which also includes women — as an answer to what some see as the “toxic masculinity” of the modern age.
To have a mint ‘69 Bonneville for recreation, one most likely has at least some disposable income. And the image of the pleasure-cruising gentleman with a curly mustache and dapper suit certainly harkens to a bygone era’s man of leisure, a designation almost exclusively afforded to the rich.
However, Livar made a point to challenge what he called the “classist” interpretation of the term gentlemen in his speech ahead of the ride, offering up his own definition.
“I know we throw that term [gentleman] around a lot and there are a lot of classist ideas tied to it, but I’d like to decouple the classist side of being a gentleman — the fine attire and what have you — and get to what truly makes a gentleman. And I think that is being gentle in life.”
cancer research and mental healthcare — through its official charity partner, Movember, the men’s health organization that encourages growing mustaches in November to raise awareness and funds. Many of the San Antonio riders, who had waxed and curled mustachios, took this directive seriously as well.
Ahead of Sunday’s ride in San Antonio, master of ceremonies and local organizer Roberto Livar spoke to the riders, encouraging them to prioritize their own health.
“As a man you don’t want to go to the
Adam Aguilar
THURSDAY JUNE
Casper’s Her Boo
San Antonio native Vanessa Irino’s love for Casper the Friendly Ghost leads her to world record
BY KIKO MARTINEZ
San Antonio jewelry maker Vanessa Irino’s love for Casper the Friendly Ghost started when she discovered the original cartoons at the age of 5. While most kids would credit Casper’s cuteness and gentle nature as reasons the sweet-hearted specter is so adored, Irino’s affection stemmed from something else.
“I got into Casper because I related to him,” Irino, 37, told the Current during a recent interview. “I was the ghost of the family. People know the term ‘black sheep,’ but I was always the ghost at family gatherings. I was the kid in the corner crying because I was being bullied by my aunts and cousins.”
While the story of Irino’s fondness for Casper started with loneliness and heartbreak, it has since grown into a symbol of hope and resilience.
“I felt connected to Casper because he wanted to make friends,” she said. “Not only did I want friends, I wanted to be accepted by my family. I wanted people to love me. So, I turned my trauma into something positive.”
In 2023, Irino was officially named the Guinness World Records holder for owning the largest collection of Casper memorabilia. However, it took a time commitment to work with Guinness to establish the record. For one, there wasn’t a category for Casper, so the governing body had to create one.
Next, Guinness officials told Irino she needed to own at least 1,000 pieces of memorabilia to be considered for a place in the record book. At that time, she had a little over 800 pieces but was counting certain items individually instead of parts of a set. For example, she wasn’t allowed to count her Casper Pogs, or milk caps, separately.
“I was emailing back and forth with
[Guinness] to find out what counted and how to count everything,” Irino said. “I was like, ‘Oh, come on, you guys! Do you know what you have to do to make a full set?’”
Despite the hurdles, Irino finally reached the 1,000-piece threshold and earned a place in the world record book two years ago with 1,153 individually licensed pieces of Casper memorabilia. Since then, her collection has grown to 1,684. She’s come a long way from her very first item – a plush doll given to her by her great grandmother.
“I cuddled with him every day and every night,” she said. “I would cry into him when I was hurt. He’s seen it all.”
As a kid, Irino started her collection slowly. After the doll, her grandparents gifted her VHS copies of Casper cartoons purchased at the dollar store.
“Once I discovered eBay, it was all over,” she said. “As a little girl, I always wanted the Casper bed sheets, [but] my parents never bought them for me, so I bought them for myself 30 years later.”
Every piece of Casper memorabilia Irino has ever purchased or been gifted is now part of the “Casper room” in her home, which houses her collection. Toys, trinkets, comic books, candy, keychains, candles, buttons, board games,
lunch boxes and other curios flood her in-house museum.
She also owns dozens of VHS copies of the 1995 live-action-plus-animated Casper movie, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this week.
The entire Irino family, including her 9-year-old son, enjoy relaxing in the Casper room and popping a VHS tape into the player. Luckily, her son understands that any of his mom’s unopened collectibles need to stay in their original packaging.
“He’s never done anything to disturb [the collection],” she said. “It’s naturally embedded into him. He just likes to hang out in the Casper room and watch movies. It’s just a nice, little sanctuary.”
Irino is grateful her son loves Casper for different reasons than she does. She never wants him to feel as isolated as she did when she was a little girl — or even sometimes now as an adult. She describes herself as “a specter that people don’t see,” but added that she’s always trying to step out of the shadows.
“My son loves [Casper] because he sees the good in him, and he wants to be like that,” she said. “For me, I’ve learned how to embrace my ghostness. Sometimes I feel like you can only talk to me through a Ouija board or something. I
still find myself in situations where it’s hard for people to see me. But Casper has given me more of a voice.”
With her world record in hand, Irino still has a few goals she wants to accomplish as a Casper superfan. She’d like to grow her collection to 2,000 items before the end of the year. Since her husband is from Japan, her family travels there at least once a year, and she takes full advantage of shopping for Japanese Casper collectibles. Their next trip is planned for July.
“I bring back over 100 Casper items every time we go,” she said. “They love antique Americana cartoons over there. Japan has some really good stores. It’s like a toy lover’s heaven. The owners already know me.”
Irino has met celebrities who played a part in a Casper project, including actors Devon Sawa, who played the human form of Casper in Casper, and Joe Nipote, who voiced Stretch in Casper). However, actress Christina Ricci, who starred in the 1995 movie, remains the elusive final piece.
“Meeting Christina is my dream,” Irino said. “I’ll scream it to the world and to the universe: ‘Christina, you have seen one friendly ghost. Can you please see this one?’”
Kiko Martinez
Full Speed Ahead
San Antonio actor Nicolas
Cantu’s career trajectory hits the gas in Motorheads
BY KIKO MARTINEZ
San Antonio actor Nicolas Cantu may not know the difference between a carburetor and a cupholder, but he was still revved up to land a role in the new Prime Video series Motorheads.
On the show, the 21-year-old Cantu plays Marcel Crawford, an endearing and tech-savvy neighborhood kid who’s part of a group of teenage friends linked by their passion for street racing and car restoration.
One of those pals is Zac Torres, played by Michael Cimino (Love, Victor) . Cimino was impressed with Cantu’s preparedness on the set.
“Nicolas is a very talented guy,” Cimino, 25, told the Current during a recent interview. “I think he has such a bright future ahead of him. He’s so creative. He never dropped a single line. I have such an appreciation for him and how much he cares about this show and making sure that the quality and the final product was really good.”
Cantu has been acting since he was in grade school, and his natural talent is evident. He relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood at the age of 10, but moved back to the Alamo City in 2022. His high-profile credits include a role in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated drama The Fabelmans and a voice role as Leonardo in the animated movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Actor Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), who shares scenes with Cantu in Motorheads, said the young star has “tremendous potential” in the entertainment industry.
“His comedic timing … was really impressive,” Phillippe, 50, told the Current. “[Our] dynamic gets better and better as the season goes on. He also [plays] a sympathetic character. You really feel for him almost immediately. That’s not an easy thing to pull off. That comes from within [and] from what the actor brings to the part.”
During our interview with Cantu, the former Stone Oak Elementary School student talked about the cars he’s currently driving and what attracted him to his latest project. He also revealed whether he’s the kind of person who puts the pedal to the metal or pumps the brakes.
Motorheads is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
How good are you under the hood of a car?
Zero. No skill. I can dial AAA and that’s it.
What are you driving these days in the fast and furious streets of San Antonio?
I’m borrowing my mom’s car in California. It’s a GMC Terrain. In San Antonio, I bought a car from a friend. It’s a 2007 Jaguar XK. I’m waiting to get back to it, but I’ve been stuck in LA. I want to get back to those fast and furious streets of San Antonio in my sports car.
If that Jaguar breaks down, those are hard to fix.
Yeah, and that’s when I call AAA!
What attracted you to a TV series about street racing?
What attracted me to the show was [my] character. He lives in the street racing world and is not a street racer himself. I knew that they needed that, and I wanted to be that. I
ACTING ARSENAL
got the script … and I read the whole thing and fell in love with the character. I thought it was a really cool role to inhabit. I love Marcel’s hope. He’s a very hopeful kid. He’s endearing, and he knows what he wants and nothing’s gonna stop him. He’s really got some resilience. It was a very fun character to play.
I don’t know if you have a girlfriend, but how much does it matter to a woman in 2025 what kind of car a guy drives?
I’ve been out of the dating game for so long. What would they be into these days? What is the status flex?
What kind of person are you — the kind who hits the gas or hits the brakes? I guess it would depend on the scenario, but which do you lean toward?
I have a bad habit of speeding through yield lights. I really gotta fix that and be a safer driver!
While only 21, Cantu’s acting resumé is diverse, showcasing a range that spans from iconic animated heroes to characters featured in live-action comedy series. Here is a look at some of the TV shows he’s worked on.
LEGO STAR WARS: THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES
Cantu gave voice to Rowan Freemaker for 31 episodes of the 2016 animated TV series. Rowan was a scavenger who traveled throughout the galaxy during the Age of the Empire.
THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL
Cantu was the third actor to voice the title feline character in the Cartoon Network series. He played the role during most of the fifth season and all the sixth season.
DREAMWORKS DRAGONS: RESCUE RIDERS
In the animated Netflix series, which is part of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, Cantu played Dak, a kid who could communicate with dragons.
THE WALKING DEAD: WORLD BEYOND
In the AMC live-action limited series, Cantu portrayed Elton Ortiz, a smart teenager trying to avoid becoming lunch for hungry zombies. — Kiko Martinez
THURSDAY:
Tall Cool Ones
San Antonio bartenders share their spin on summer cocktails
BY KAT STINSON
San Antonio’s summer heat may be a familiar return, but that doesn’t mean you should settle for old standbys when it comes to quenching your summer thirst.
With apologies to mai tais and margaritas, we asked five San Antonio bartenders to share some of their favorite summer cocktails, including one that forgoes the alcohol. Try these at home for a change of pace, and don’t forget to leave a tip next time you visit their respective bars.
Enigma
By Emily Rohm, Hot Joy
½ oz. basil liquor
½ oz. melon liquor or muddled melon
1½ oz. shōchū
½ oz. simple syrup
½ oz. lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a tin shaker, mix vigorously, strain into a cold glass with pebble ice.
Summertime Swizzle
By Campbell Dobbs, Isidore
1½ oz. Jamaican rum
½ oz. honey
¾ oz. fresh lime juice
6-8 mint leaves
1 tbsp. chopped ginger
Pinch of salt
Bitters
Add rum, ginger, lime, mint and salt into a glass. Top with crushed ice and swizzle the ingredients together. Top with more crushed ice. Add a dash of bitters on top and garnish with a nice mint bouquet.
Vitamin Sea
By Bryan Merriman, The Modernist, Hot Joy
3 muddled strawberries
1½ oz. vodka or gin
¾ oz. lemon juice
¼ oz. simple syrup
Topo Chico
Balsamic reduction, make your own or purchase a bottle at the grocery
Add ingredients to a tin shaker and mix vigorously. Double strain into a Collins glass. Top with Topo Chico and garnish with a
strawberry and three basil leaves. Lightly top off the drink with a drizzle of the balsamic reduction.
Brass Tax (NA)
By Ashanti Williams, The Modernist, Louie’s Ice House
1½ oz. simple syrup
½ oz. lime juice
4-6 blueberries or strawberries
2 basil leaves
Use light but firm weight. 1 shake cinnamon powder
Ginger beer Squirt, or another grapefruit soda
Muddle the basil leaves with the berries in the bottom of a tall glass with a light but firm weight, being careful not to make them look ugly. Add simple, lime juice, cinnamon powder and ice, then stir. Fill halfway with ginger beer, then top off with Squirt or another grapefruit soda. Optionally, you can add VERDE Powered by Plants, available at Alamo City Liquor, if you want to add a THC delta-9 non-alcoholic floater.
Halo Halo
By JC Salinas, Amor Eterno
1½ oz. white rum
¼ oz. condensed milk
½ oz coconut milk
¼ oz. lime juice
1 dash of ube
4 dashes of shisho bitters
Combine ingredients in a tin and shake, then pour in a glass over ice. Serve on the rocks.
Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com
Paola Miano
Courtesy Photo Amor Eterno
food
Dueling Dim Sum
Ginger Cattle Tripe? It’s the star of one dim sum menu in San Antonio. Bring it on.
BY RON BECHTOL
Some scholars suggest dim sum, a variety of Chinese small dishes usually enjoyed for brunch, originated in tea houses lining the ancient Silk Road starting more than a thousand years ago.
Others argue the tradition as we know it evolved in the latter part of the 19th century in and around the Chinese port city of Guangzhou.
You don’t need to have an opinion on dim sum’s origins to appreciate the small-serving concept. Or to know that San Antonio’s dim sum history is spotty.
One of the best dim sum places in recent memory existed briefly at the intersection of Evers Road and Loop 410. It offered myriad small plates from carts circulating the dining room. You simply flagged down a waiter and checked out the wares on the spot, lending a certain spontaneity to the experience.
These days, most ordering is from a menu. And thankfully, at least two Alamo City restaurants are giving it the care it deserves.
That menu is a plasticized one with pictures at Sichuan Garden, which recently added a modest selection to its otherwise spicy, Southwestern Chinese menu. The restaurant’s cattle tripe won the day with its appealing crunch and bright accents of ginger, scallion and green chili. Some other pillars of the dim sum pantheon performed almost as well, notably the tender and well-seasoned pork siomai, or shumai, a steamed dumpling presented in a prettily pleated package.
Though also deftly wrapped, the crystal shrimp dumplings lacked personality and were redeemed only by a dousing in chili sauce. With a robustly
flavored filling, the barbecue pork in a sweetish, sticky bun held its own without need for additional sauce.
SICHUAN GARDEN
However, packaging was an issue with the xiaolongbao, a kind of soup dumpling. When pinched with chopsticks, it tended to deconstruct, spewing both ground pork filling and a modest amount of broth. Maybe use your fingers when nobody’s looking. Sichuan Garden also offered other forms of bao, namely its steamed custard bun and taro bun, both presented as yeasty wrappers encasing sweetish filings. Of the two, the purple-tinted taro bun had the bigger personality. The custard may have been classic, but coupled with a bun that was more cottony than pillowy, it failed to rise above the ordinary.
If cattle tripe was the winner at Sichuan Garden, it was the least favorite among the dim sum sampled at Tasty Modern Asian Kitchen, a recently opened Cantonese restaurant with a slickly Vegas vibe. Here the dish is more
23247 NW Military Drive, (210) 265-5750, eatsichuan.net.
Dim sum hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
gently labeled ginger and scallion beef tripe, but the main ingredient is more coarsely sliced, the ginger and scallion component less apparent.
Yet the next dish to randomly appear was both a surprise and a delight. The baked coffee barbecue buns that arrived in the auspicious quantity of three were lightly coated with a slightly sugary crackled skin atop a sturdier, yet still tender, wrapper, and are filled with chopped barbecued meat that’s at once punchy and perfumed. It’s unclear where the coffee enters the mix, but it’s also not critical. Just enjoy it while waiting for the next two or three plates to arrive.
In our case, that delivery included the Shanghai steamed soup dumplings. Presented in individual foil cups, they’re easier to eat without embarrassing incident than at Sichuan Garden, but both pork filling and broth proved unremarkable. The accompanying dark and brooding vinegar soy sauce is a winner, though.
A couple of the offerings at Tasty are studies in textural contrast more than fireworks of flavor. Resilient tofu skin clad the steamed beancurd rolls hiding a vegetable and pork filling within, and despite their subtlety, they’re worth attention. On the other hand, the crispy fried rice rolls didn’t even bother with a conventional filling. Here, a silky rice “noodle” wrapped a crispy cylinder — not “stick” as the menu indicates — of dough, and the play of opposites is frankly thrilling.
Stuffed eggplant with assorted toppings suggested an Italian dish gone awry. It would have been successful thanks to its filling and topping of ground pork and shrimp had it not been for the tough skins on the eggplant.
Lotus leaf sticky rice with chicken is all about the multi-layered wrapper, but it’s nevertheless fun to prize out the rice’s flavor components. Beef rice noodle rolls won for sheer beauty of execution despite a modest appearance. If you want to consider pineapple lava buns as dessert, perhaps wait to order them toward the end of your dim sum death march. Pineapple may sound scary, but it’s merely a whisper in midst of the molten magnificence that fills a mildly sweet bun looking for all the world like a Mexican pan dulce. It proved a fitting transition back onto San Antonio streets.
Ron Bechtol
Ron Bechtol
food Cooking Up Conversation
BY KAT STINSON
Names: Page Pressley and Dez Rodriguez
Job: Co-founders of The Newstand Years in food service: 26
Big Impact: A passion project for the longtime local couple, The Newstand works overtime as a downtown coffee shop, wine stop, work-from-home oasis and thrift store. Since opening in May 2024, The Newstand has evolved into a caffeinated community hub with rotating events, chef pop-ups, DJ sessions and more.
Money Quote: “I don’t think we ever view anything as a success; only an opportunity to learn and improve upon our products, services, experience and space in an ongoing effort to create engaging and ever-evolving ways to bring the community together. We are grateful to have a team that shares these values and is also focused on growing their skills with us. None of it happens without them.”
How did you two come up with the concept of The Newstand?
Pressley: It was winter of 2023. We were just trying to spend time together one night, so we were walking along the river, when Dez came up with the idea to open up a coffee shop. It’s something we always did together as a couple — drink coffee – and at the time, I was still at the Pearl, and she was a speech pathologist, so we needed to figure out, OK, is this real?
How did you decide on the location at the Jefferson Bank building on Broadway?
Rodriguez: We started assessing locations after deciding that we really wanted to go through with the coffee shop idea. We briefly flirted with the idea of renting a house to open the shop, but then after we realized the logistics of a house might be too much, we started zeroing in on commercial real estate in our neighborhood. That’s how we ended up on the edge of Government Hill.
As soon as we walked into the space that ultimately became The Newstand, the
way the natural light hit, we knew, “This is it.” We went from signing the lease to designing the space and getting all the permits done in less than six months. We opened officially on May 7, 2024.
How did you come up with the name The Newstand?
Pressley: One of my earliest memories was a coffee shop in Santa Fe called The Downtown Subscription. Also, we both are people that actively enjoy physical media, there’s something about it that makes me engage with it. I can’t give you a specific reason why I called it the Newstand, but it just made sense.
What was it like opening up a business as a couple?
Pressley: I think we both augment each other’s strengths and weaknesses really well. It was always something we knew we wanted to do, but we didn’t know how we were going to do it until the
space existed. Dez has a superpower of building relationships with strangers. She studied speech pathology and was a competitive athlete. I come from a hospitality/food and beverage background, so the combination of both of our unique talents, abilities, skillsets and strengths has made the shop what it is today.
Rodriguez: One of the coolest things about it — when you go into business with your partner, we can say it has made us a better couple. It took us actively choosing each other for this to work. Coming back to that shared vision has been super grounding.
What made you want to add the in-store thrift shop, the Obituaries?
Rodriguez: The Obituaries section is another expression of something we love — we love going to find places that are off the beaten path and discover hidden gems, things that we feel like people need to see, an authentic reflec-
tion of our time together
Would you two ever want to open a second location?
Pressley: I don’t know if San Antonio needs another location. Frankly, it took so much love and care from our part, trying to do more than one would feel inauthentic, but we definitely have ideas for other concepts.
Why coffee?
Pressley: The great thing about doing coffee [is] it’s open to everyone economically. I’ve spent most of my career in fine dining, but you meet people from all walks of life at a coffee shops, spaces that serve as a means for people from all walks of life meeting other people that they may have never met before otherwise. Seeing those organic offshoots happening here, that’s been a gift, just seeing customers engage with each other at the Newstand.
Courtesy Photo The Newstand
Southern Connection
Catching up with Drive By Truckers’ Mike Cooley ahead of the band’s show at San Antonio’s Stable Hall
BY MIKE MCMAHAN
Drive By Truckers are a bundle of contradictions.
The two singer-songwriters that founded the band grew up lefties in deep red Alabama. They also loved both punk rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd. However, those kind of apparent dichotomies are the reason the group has amassed a cult following that still flocks to its legendary live shows nearly three decades on.
The band, which many simply refer to as DBT, plays San Antonio’s Stable Hall on Thursday, May 29. Rhode Island-based folky alt-rockers Deer Tick round out the bill.
DBT broke wide with 2001’s Southern Rock Opera, an epic double concept album about a fictional band, Betamax Guillotine, openly modeled after Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Southern Rock Opera caught on because it featured more than just amusing storytelling. Dual singer-songwriters and frontmen Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood used the record to comment on Southern history and race relations.
The songs delved into what the pair call the “duality” of the South, contrasting open racism with the reality that musicians and everyday people — Black and white — often interact positively and with genuine caring.
Look no further than DBT’s anthemic “Ronnie and Neil,” frequently played in concert, which spins a yarn about Skynyrd’s Ronnie Van Zant and legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young.
“’Southern Man’ and ‘Alabama’ certainly told some truth,” the Truckers sing. “There’s a lot of good folks down here, Neil Young just wasn’t around.”
Even though Rock Opera proved a springboard to a highly successful touring career, the group has continued to release great album after great album since.
DBT even introduced the world to singer-songwriter Jason Isbell during a turbulent-but-brilliant time in the band’s history. Though his exit was acrimonious, the members are now on good terms with Isbell, who’s gone on to an enviable solo career.
Along the way, DBT has confronted contemporary politics head on, having memorably
called out U.S. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican and frequent star of the Current’s Assclown Alert, at San Antonio-area appearances.
During those live appearances, the band’s dual frontmen and singer-songwriters, Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood, have been known to pull from any of its 14 studio LPs as they hammer out lengthy sets that keep fans guessing.
The Current checked in with Cooley, 59, on the phone as the hard-touring group prepared to launch yet another run of shows. We asked about politics, naturally, but we also found out whether it’s true that Cooley loves a certain classic hit-making duo.
Cooley also proved a well-spoken Southern gentleman. Even though the band’s songs often weave coal-black tales, he possessed an easy laugh, and one could almost hear him smiling over the phone.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You and [fellow frontman] Patterson met as roommates at the University of North Alabama. What do you think are the odds that two of the great songwriters of this generation would meet like that?
Pretty high. (Laughs.) All of those partnerships start somewhere. It could have been here, it could have been there. I could have run over him with my car.
That might not have worked out as well. It would have made a cool sound! I’m gonna do that again, see if you can put a little more agony into it. (Laughs.)
Going back to that day when you guys met. How soon did you realize, “There’s a connection here?”
Pretty much right away. I had my guitar. They’re in the apartment with me.
Speaking of early years and influences, I read a quote a while back — I think it was from Patterson, but I couldn’t find it again — that you are a huge Hall & Oates fan. And that if there’s a cookout at your house, at some point you’re going to be busting out a Hall & Oates LP. Is this correct?
(Laughs.) I don’t know everything there is to know about Hall & Oates. I always thought they were kinda underrated, you know? I grew up in the late ’70s, ’80s, during their biggest heyday. That shit was just all over. It was pretty
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music
slick. I got tired of hearing it then, but time passed a little bit. I heard one of those songs on the radio, and I was like, “That was actually pretty fucking good.” I started going back and listening to some of the albums — the cuts that were before the heyday, that weren’t singles. This was actually really good stuff, you know?
It’s probably not fair to characterize that as an influence but— I’m not going to even attempt to sound like that.
Right. So, you’ve got influences that you wear on your sleeve and then more offbeat stuff that you just enjoy.
I don’t want to listen to stuff that sounds like me.
Was there a time when you were growing up, maybe when you met Patterson, that you realized you wanted to be a professional musician?
I always liked the idea of it, going all the way back to childhood. I always liked the idea of being in a band then, you know, after I had a couple of jobs, I liked the idea of not having one of those any more either. I put those two realizations together, and this is where I am.
Let’s talk about set lists. It used to be that Patterson would play several songs in a row, and then you might take one. At some point, around the time you were touring for the 2014 LP English Oceans, it seemed like there was a conscious decision to do one from Patterson, one from you, and back and forth. How did that decision come about?
It wasn’t really a conscious decision. We just started doing that. It might have been a little bit before that record, but it was around that time. At some point, it started working out that way. We just gravitated to the back-and-forth thing
Do you find that it feels different on stage when it’s like that, or are you guys just doing your thing and saying this is the next song?
It’s fun. It keeps you on your toes. It’s kind of challenging. It’s not nearly as laid-back or no-thought-required as having a setlist, where everyone knows what’s coming next and not putting thought into it. We’re kind of constantly having to think about, you know, what should come next based on what
the other is playing, where you are in the show. Things like that. Neither of us [is] eager to do all the singing, all night long. Going back and forth, it’s fun. You get to just play guitar for a while, then sing a song. (Laughs.)
The English Oceans tour did seem like a turning point for the live shows. Back in the day you’d all be taking turns drinking from a bottle of Jack you passed around, really having a good time. But at the show here in town on the English Oceans tour, there might only have been a couple of beers onstage. Fair to say the band has slowed down, maybe after Jason Isbell left the band? A lot of his solo material is about sobriety. A good while after Isbell left the band. (Laughs.) There was kind of a lifetime in between those two periods. There was a whole other band, then another one and then another one. We’ve slowed down quite a bit with the booze intake since English Oceans. From Decoration Day to English Oceans, there was quite a bit of coolin’ the engines.
I assume at least some of that is aging.
Oh, God, yeah! We weren’t young enough to be behaving that way on Decoration Day. We got away with it a little longer than we should have, and I’m grateful.
You’ve said there won’t be new music in the near future, but there obviously will somewhere down the road. In the past, you’ve found a lot of inspiration in contemporary politics. Will that continue?
I don’t know. It’s neither a goal nor a blacklist. I don’t know what to say, to comment on this shit that isn’t already being said, that we aren’t already sick of saying.
True.
I guess that’s part of the point, part of the strategy. I’m as frustrated and disgusted as anybody is. I’m not planning on making a political record, but if we write a political record or a political song or two? Fine, put it out.
Do you feel like that’s a common feeling with the second Trump
administration? Maybe that we just don’t want to think about it?
I think there is a burnout, and I think that’s part of the plan, part of the strategy. To just wear people down. Overload them. It’s working. A lot of people are exhausted, but maybe it’s a good kind of exhausted. Maybe when you get exhausted, you’re a little more able to focus instead of climbing on the roof and screaming like we were around 2017.
What should be done to combat that exhaustion?
I don’t know. If I were giving advice, I’d say find something to do. I haven’t done that yet, I’m sorry to say. Even just a small thing, that involves actually contributing something instead of just being mad. I think just being mad won’t hurt anybody but us. We need to put whatever energy you put into it to hurting them. Look around and see if there’s a group you can join up with and do some things a couple times a week. Anything other than just being mad. $56.68-$126.58, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 29, Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com.
Brantley Guitierrez
music
Only in San Antonio
Los Juanos’ Tejano dream-pop exudes puro party vibes
BY JAMES COURTNEY
Even though San Antonio’s music scene can sometimes seem siloed along genre lines, the city’s true musical strength has always been in its propensity to produce game-changing, genre-blending original acts.
Think about it. From the Jiménez brothers to the Sir Douglas Quintet, from Garrett T. Capps to Piñata Protest, from the Butthole Surfers to Girl in a Coma, many of our best artists don’t sit comfortably in a genre pigeonhole.
That’s where Los Juanos come in. Launched during the pandemic, the band started as a nostalgia-embracing one-off collaboration between friends Baldemar Esquivel and Miguel Guzman. Both were just eager to try for a different sound — something Esquivel envisioned as Tejano dream-pop.
Their song “Cien Novias,” released in 2021, was well received, and the rest is history still being written. The band’s since grown to six members, dropped eight more catchy, eclectic singles and developed a reputation as one of the fiercest, most joyously raucous live acts around.
And, the band’s sound?
Esquivel still calls it Tejano dreampop, which is pretty spot-on in its own right, but the music also has a lo-fi, stoner, punk aspect at its core. Maybe it’s the lyrics, frequently embracing blissful abandon, maybe it’s the group’s restless energy and refusal to sit still — literally and figuratively.
The Current spoke with bassist-vocalist Esquivel, guitarist-vocalist Guzman and guitarist-accordionist Eddy Longoria about what the group means to them.
Esquivel’s made music solo and in various non-Tejano bands in San Antonio since 2015 or so, meaning he grew up around Tejano music, but never really thought he’d be making it.
Something about the pandemic, however, led him to act on “a fantasy that I’ve had for a while to be in a cumbia or Tejano band.”
Now, he approaches Los Juanos as a way to “make the Tejano music that I want to hear: more experimental, more free.”
Guzman’s family includes members who have won significant esteem in more traditional forms of regional music, but he grew up wanting to pursue anything else. Most recently, he fronted a progressive math-rock band called Werito.
“I grew up just thinking that Tejano was basically corny-ass music for an older crowd,” he laughed.
But, Esquivel’s embrace of the Tejano form and the possibilities it still has to offer, led Guzman to change his perspective and ultimately embrace his role as the magnetic and frenetic frontman of Los Juanos.
Guzman also cites a nugget of wisdom from former Los Juanos drummer Mel Sanchez: “Hey, we are Tejanos, so anything we make is Tejano.”
“And, I realized how true that is: punk is Tejano, rock is Tejano,” Guzman said. “And, growing up in San Antonio all of these different styles are important to us. … In fact, Los Juanos as a band could only have come to exist in San Antonio, where we have this
culture of ni de aquí, ni de allá [neither from here, nor from there].”
One of the things that may have initially turned Guzman off about Tejano music was its emphasis on preserving tradition.
However, as he’s worked on Los Juanos, he’s come to realize that “preserving tradition and culture is also about moving it forward and pushing — we are not trying to preserve it like a museum.”
For Longoria — without whose accordion and songwriting gifts Los Juanos would be a different band — playing accordion is a way to connect to his heritage. He moved to San Antonio from Monterrey when he was in 7th grade and was looking for a musical connection to Mexico.
“The way I thought I could connect with my roots was through music, through the bajo quinto,” he said.
But, when Longoria, who already played some guitar, showed up to a local class to start learning, he found the instructors were all out of the unique, guitar-like instrument. Instead, he was offered an accordion and thought, “Well, I’m already here.”
Now, his skillful and intense playing is part of the soul of Los Juanos. Like Guzman, he loves the fact that the band is preserving culture while pushing it forward.
Aside from “Cien Novias,” the best songs in the band’s recorded repertoire include “Fin del Mundo,” a wild end-of the-world party anthem with a surprisingly sentimental heart; “Minivan,” a driving, electro-cumbia about a series of memories in the titular vehicle; and “Otra Lata,” a tear-in-your-beer conjunto waltz soaked with deliciously frayed accordion notes.
Those who haven’t yet caught Los Juanos live, have ample upcoming opportunity to remedy that, most immediately Friday, June 6, when the band will perform at the second-anniversary celebration for the West Side’s Chiflada’s Cocktail Bar.
The group also has new recorded music on the way, including two singles, out Friday, May 30, on a compilation honoring the great Mexican Norteño act Los Vikingos del Norte. A new EP also is coming this summer.
Upon first hearing Los Juanos perform, Jaime Mejia — the mastermind behind celebrated nuevo-Latino act Volcán and a focal point in the thriving local indie Latin scene — told the group, “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Contacted recently for clarification, Mejia doubled down: “Los Juanos is what Tejano needed 20 years ago. We needed them and are so glad they arrived.”
$5, 9p.m., Friday, June 6, Chiflada’s Cocktail Bar, 1804 W. Martin St., instagram.com/chifladas_sa.
Sidney Rodriguez-Tovar
‘Labor of Love’
The Starlighter’s House of Queer Noise fest will make a racket for LGBTQIA+ rights
BY JEPH DUARTE
With lawmakers trying to legislate gender roles and dismantle recognitions of diversity, there couldn’t be a more important time to celebrate every individual for who they are.
To that end, on Saturday, June 7, Deco District DIY venue The Starlighter is hosting House of Queer Noise, a musical fundraiser for San Antonio’s Thrive Youth Center and Fiesta Youth. The bill will feature Alamo City acts FEA, Morta, Lloronas and Mypilotis.
“It’s Pride Month, and that’s something we wanted to kick off [while reminding] everybody that Pride doesn’t have to be a corporate event or something sponsored,” said Kayla Guerrero, one of The Starlighter owners. “It can be your favorite queer bands or your favorite drag artists or performers coming together and just making some noise for the cause.”
Guerrero’s inspiration largely stemmed from an interest in showing her non-gender-conforming child that people in the community are willing to show their support.
“Texas is a very scary place to be a queer child right now,” Guerrero said. “Having that third space is something we’ve really wanted to support, and that’s why we’ve stayed all-ages for so long.”
Indeed, the organizations the event benefits offer powerful support systems for San Antonio LGBTQIA+ youth.
Thrive Youth Center provides emergency shelter to those experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, while Fiesta Youth supports queer young people and their families through counseling.
When curating the night, Guerrero worked to showcase a variety of musical styles while maintaining a like-mindedness in messaging and energy.
Thanks to tireless recording and touring, headliners FEA have emerged as
Chicana punk icons, while Morta offers a high-intensity blend of death metal and hardcore punk.
Lloronas are known for aggressive disco rhythms sure to get crowds dancing, and Mypilotis grew from a project local singer-songwriter Chesca Umeno launched a decade ago.
FEA’s participation was no-brainer. The band’s visibility and outreach go hand-inhand with the show’s mission, singer Letty Martinez said.
“It’s important to be a part of events like House of Queer Noise because the LGBTQ+ community needs so much support these days,” Martinez added. “Especially with Trump’s new policies. Trans and queer lives have been greatly affected and we want to help in any way we can.”
Mypolitis frontwoman Umeno describes her band as “a bunch of goobers having fun,” and that lightheartedness is apparent onstage. However, there’s also a clear message: inclusion is for everyone.
While San Antonio’s LGBTQIA+ community is largely supportive, according to Umeno, she acknowledges some young people may not have found such a network yet.
“For me, it’s the fact that some people aren’t as free to be themselves, and that’s one of the main reasons this event is important,” she said.
Beyond the show itself, The Starlighter itself plays a key role in supporting the community. Since its 2021 launch, the venue has operated as an inclusive safe space available to all ages.
“It’s all a labor of love,” co-owner Guerrero said. “It’s worth it because of the community that it fosters, and that community has been supportive back.”
$10-$15, 8 p.m., The Starlighter, 1910 Fredericksburg Road, thestarlighter.com.
Jaime Monzon
critics’ picks
Thursday, May 29
Mockingbird Express, Peth
Led by San Antonio guitar hero Marc Smith, Mockingbird Express are high-quality purveyors of Texas psych — that fusion of heavy rock, long jams and a free-flowing style defined by ’60s sonic pioneers such as Austin’s 13th Floor Elevators and the Alamo City’s own The Children. Smith also brings a hard-edged blues tone and boogie-woogie rhythm to the proceeding. Heavy rockers Peth round out the bill. $10, 9 p.m., Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerosesa. com. — Bill Baird
King William Brass Band
Combine San Antonio’s King William neighborhood — old and funky — with a New Orleans-style brass band and, voilà, instant party. Bring your dancing shoes, because these guys will bring the good vibes, and then some. It’s intriguing to see this funky band bring raucous vibes to the chill confines of Jazz, TX, but it’s a sure bet it will be a winner. $28, 7:30 p.m., 312 Pearl Parkway, Building 6, Suite 6001, jazztx. com. — BB
Friday, May 30
Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas, Willie Watson
The Whitewater Amphitheater’s location on the banks of the Guadalupe River seems like a perfect setting for the timeless sound of acclaimed bluegrass performers Alison Krauss & Union Station. Earlier this spring, the group released its first new album in fourteen years, Arcadia, to rave reviews. Krauss has had legendary collaborations with Robert Plant and the group toured with Willie Nelson and Family in 2014. This new album and tour showcase the brilliance of multi-Grammy winner Krauss’ silky vocals, accomplished fiddle playing and heartfelt lyrics. $65 general admission, other seating sold out, 8 p.m., 11860 FM 306, Suite 1, New Braunfels, (830) 964-3800, whitewaterrocks.com. — Danny Cervantes
Saturday, May 31
Blind Pilot, Jo Alice
Astoria, Oregon, didn’t just serve as the murky setting for The Goonies, it also produced the rising indie-folk outfit Blind Pilot. The group’s delicate but rhythmic music seems perfectly tailored for cloudy days in the Northwest. Formed in 2005, Blind Pilot is now based in Portland and last August released its first new album in eight years, In The Shadow of the Holy Mountain. Lead singer-songwriter Israel Nebeker blamed the recording hiatus on extended writer’s block. $29.12, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — DC
Thursday, June 5
Jackie Venson
Pentagram
Peterson Brothers
Bastrop’s Peterson Brothers are bringing their joyous brand of soul, funk and blues down I-35. Brothers Glenn Jr. and Alex Peterson skill at fusing Americana and blues has allowed them to share the stage with artists as wide-ranging as Gary Clark, Jr., the Roots and Willie Nelson. The Peterson Brothers’ most recent release was last year’s album Experience, and this visit is part of the act’s summer residency series at Sam’s. $20.25$43.89, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — DC
Friday, June 6
Jackie Venson
Singer-songwriter Jackie Venson is a refreshing take on the Austin guitar god — she’s a woman, Black, young and really good with technology. She’s charming in her frequent livestreams and online interactions with fans, and she’s jaw-dropping when letting go with her finely honed guitar skills, which evoke both Hendrix
and Prince. $26, 8 p.m., Jo Long Theatre, Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry St., (210) 207-7211, thecarver.org. — BB
Rhett Miller, Salim Nourallah
Old 97’s frontman Rhett Miller may now live in New York these days, but he’s Texas to the bone — seventh-generation, if anyone needs to know. Miller’s been crafting literate Americana with strains of power-pop for decades now, collaborating with anyone from famed film composer Jon Brion to members of the Apples in Stereo to R.E.M. Salon and McSweeney’s have also published his writing. The dude can do stuff, and do it well. Salim Nourallah, who has production credits on work for both Miller and San Antonio quirk-popsters Buttercup, opens with a set of his own songs. $26, 8:30 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 East Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — BB
Sunday, June 8
Alejandro Escovedo
San Antonio-born singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo may never have become a house-
hold name, but he’s been cranking out compelling, punk-inflected roots-rock for decades. Early in his career, he worked with Rank and File and the True Believers, some of the best bands to ever come out of Texas, period, and he’s collaborated more recently with Tony Visconti, the famed producer of David Bowie and T-Rex. Escovedo kicks ass, straight up. $25, 8 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall. com. — BB
The Righteous Brothers
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members
The Righteous Brothers are giving fans one last chance to recapture that lovin’ feeling as they bring their farewell tour to the Alamo City. Bill Medley is the bass and baritone voice of the influential blue-eyed soul duo, best known for hits including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “Unchained Melody.” In 2016, Bucky Heard replaced the late Bobby Hatfield, who handled the upper register for the singing duo. $63$152, 7 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — DC
Ismael Quintanilla III
EMPLOYMENT
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