Contributors Abe Asher, Bill Baird, Ron Bechtol, Danny Cervantes, Amber Esparza, Brianna Espinoza, Anjali Gupta, Colin Houston, Kiko Martinez, Mike McMahan, Kevin Sanchez, M. Solis, Dean Zach
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in this issue
21 Fall Arts Cheat Sheet
Key exhibitions San Antonio art fans need to experience this season Issue 25-19/// Sept 18 - Oct 1, 2025
07 News
The Opener News in Brief
Power play
Critics dig in against San Antonio mayor’s effort to change how council members introduce new proposals
Miracle Worker?
Talking to Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin about his party's fight to win in deep-red Texas
Bad Takes
San Antonio has a DWI problem. Let’s tackle it in a smart way.
16 Calendar
Our picks of things to do powerful
25 Screens
Fall Film Frenzy
10 must-see movies – from blockbusters to award contenders
29
Food
Flavors of Fall Culinary events abound in San Antonio this autumn
More than ‘Mediterranean’ Turkish flavors excel at San Antonio’s Selda Mediterranean Kitchen
Cooking Up Conversation
How Bucán Rodeo’s Roy Baker and Michael Barrera-Pacheco fired up San Antonio’s food truck and pop-up scene
39 Music
Love in the Time of Cumbia
San Antonio’s Vanita Leo continues to shine on new EP Cumbiamante
San Antonio rockers Donella Drive drop ambitious new LP AXON
Radical Beats San Antonio rapper MexStep drops powerful EP Tráfico with Principe Q
Critics’ Picks
On the Cover: The Current’s 2025 Fall Guide offers a look at this autumn’s many arts and entertainment options. Design: Ana Paula Gutierrez.
Artist Elana Herzog and her studio assistant Madelynn Mesa installing ‘Global Floral’ at Artpace_Elena Hernandez-Peña
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That Rocks/That Sucks
The U.S. Army has removed the San Antonio-based commander of its only dedicated burn center after a rightwing influencer repeatedly called her a transgender activist and demanded she be fired. Col. Elisa O’Hern, a physician who headed the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston, was in her supervisory position for a little more than a year. The influencer, Chase Spears, publicly thanked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other Pentagon officials for her removal.
San Antonio native Jeff Hiller was a surprise first-time winner at the Emmy Awards last weekend. A graduate of Churchill High and Texas Lutheran University, Hiller picked up the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on the HBO dramedy Somebody, Somewhere. Hiller, who wasn’t thought to be among the favorites in his category, beat out the likes of Harrison Ford, Colman Domingo and other top stars.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has pivoted from border operations to helping arrest undocumented immigrants statewide as part of the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown. The Texas Tribune last week reported that DPS has helped arrest more than 3,000 undocumented immigrants so far this year, with 88% of those arrests made on suspicion of violations of federal immigration laws — a possibly unprecedented use of state resources for immigration enforcement.
Savanna the Giraffe got her public introduction last weekend as the San Antonio Zoo’s second mascot, joining Cowboy the Rhino. Zoo officials said they hope Savanna will help raise awareness about the plight of giraffes in the wild, given that the animals’ habitats have shrunk by 90% over the past 300 years and giraffes are currently facing extinction in multiple countries. — Abe Asher
Party’s utter subservience to President Donald Trump.
Stopping the release of the Epstein files with Trump sycophants
Ted Cruz and John Cornyn
Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.
Remember when we could rely on those we elected to public office to agree on certain logical conventions like — oh, I don’t know — child sexual abuse is a bad thing?
And remember when we could could expect most of them to understand that it’s a benefit to society to know whether certain rich and powerful people are possibly engaged that particular bad thing, covering it up or turning a blind eye to it?
Looks like those days are well behind us thanks to extreme partisanship and the Republican
U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn of Texas last Friday joined a majority of Senate Republicans in defeating an amendment that would have compelled Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the Epstein files.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer presented the measure as an amendment to the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, a procedural move to force a vote on the release on the files relating to alleged sex trafficker and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. You know, that guy who was once a good buddy of President Donald Trump.
The motion to table the amendment barely passed with a 51-49 vote, and only two Republicans broke with their party to join Democrats in seeking the files’ release.
This isn’t the first time Cruz and Cornyn have appeared in the Assclown Alert column, but it certainly ranks as their most pandering and pathetic. Here’s hoping history remembers them for the spineless, gelatinous life forms they are.
— Sanford Nowlin
“He
expresses regret for this misstep and takes full responsibility.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s in the midst of both divorce proceedings and a campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, has been accused of having an affair with a “Christian influencer” in the pages of the Daily Mail. The London-based tabloid reported last week that Paxton is having an affair with Tracy Duhon, a 57-year-old author he met at last year’s Kentucky Derby. Duhon filed for divorce from her husband two months after the race.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, lambasted the Trump administration for discontinuing grants to Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), or college campuses that largely serve Latino students. The Department of Education
last week confirmed it’s ending discretionary grants to HSIs, with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon arguing that the program amounted to “government-mandated racial quotas.” UT-San Antonio, Our Lady of the Lake and the Alamo Colleges all stand to lose funding as a result.
San Antonio City Council last week voted to censure first-term Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez over her July arrest on suspicion of drunk driving. Gonzalez is now the third member of the body who has been censured in the last three years for allegations of drunk driving.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones temporarily stripped Meza Gonzalez of her committee assignments last month. — Abe Asher
ASSCLOWN ALERT
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Power play
Critics dig in against San Antonio mayor’s effort to change how council members introduce new proposals
BY MICHAEL KARLIS
Don’t expect a letup in the tensions between Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and some of her colleagues on City Council.
Earlier this month, Jones issued a memo that would throw out all Council Consideration Requests (CCRs) submitted before her tenure began in June. CCRs are the documents members of council must file before a proposal can receive full debate on the dais.
The mayor argues it’s unfair to require council members who weren’t yet elected when the body’s governance committee approved a CCR to come up to full speed on the proposal and make a well-reasoned vote on it.
However, political observers maintain Jones’ controversial policy change is less about looking after new council members than it is shoring up control.
“It’s about power,” longtime San Antonio political consultant Laura Barberena said.
Jones declined comment on this article and on criticism of how she’s handled the debate over changing the CCR process.
Last week, a bipartisan coalition of council members, including District 5’s Teri Castillo, District 7’s Marina Alderete Gavito, District 9’s Misty Spears and District 10’s Marc Whyte, filed a formal four-signature memo to hold a vote on Jones’ proposed CCR rule change by Sept. 18.
The formal memo, filed with the city clerk, came after Jones’ office on Sept. 9 issued a memo announcing that all CCRs filed before she took office in mid-June would be sent back to square one.
“For CCRs that include signatures from former Council members, the sponsor is asked to replace those with current Council members and to con-
firm in writing that the other Council members continue to support the CCR as written,” the memo states. “This way ahead best affords the newly elected Council members the opportunity to review and provide feedback on ideas that would directly impact their constituents.”
However, critics argue Jones’ proposal has several problems.
First and foremost, a majority of council already pushed back against Jones’ proposed CCR changes during a meeting in August. Following that contentious meeting, Jones backed down, stating in a press release that council would “revert to the process outlined” in the existing CCR ordinance. The mayor added that she would reevaluate the issue “after the new year.”
Traditionally, CCRs filed by council have carried over between mayoral administrations, according to Barberena — or that’s at least been the norm for the decade she’s done work related to City Hall.
“Yes, council members are their own persons as they come into the office, but you’re also building on the work that the person did before you, whether you share that ideology or not,” the consultant explained.
Barberena pointed to District 9, where
termed-out progressive Councilman John Courge handed over the reins to Spears, a conservative who’s still working to get her predecessor’s proposals up for council discussion despite their differing ideologies.
The other issue with Jones’ proposal is that no new council members have backed her claim that the existing CCR system puts them in a difficult spot.
“Not one council member has ever said that,” Whyte told the Current. “We’re sort of proving that point by having Misty Spears on our memo.”
Although Spears is a first-term member of council, she signed onto the four-signature memo to allow CCRs filed by former members to move forward without input from new faces on the dais.
The last time council changed the way CCRs are brought up for public discussion happened during the tenure of Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Members of the body put if forward after some raised concerns he was quietly sidelining their proposals.
That approved ordinance amended the City Charter so that a full council vote is required to change the CCR process, Whyte told the Current.
“There’s a valid city ordinance, so it’s city law that sets out the process,
and if you want to change it, you have to put it to a vote,” Whyte said. “[Jones] cannot modify the process unilaterally by a memo. If she wants to change the process, she needs to put it to a vote.”
San Antonio political consultant Kelton Morgan told the Current that Jones’ battle over the CCR process shows her inability to work with others on council and her staff’s lack of understanding of how local government works.
“In politics, there is always the possibility of a reset,” said Morgan, who also served as Nirenberg’s first-term chief of staff. “But, it’s going to take something — at least from my observation, an anathema to her DNA — and that is some humility, some apologizing and some taking time to sit down and try to forge actual relationships with members of council.”
The mayor also would be wise to bone up on San Antonio’s city charter to understand what powers she actually has under a council-manager form of government, Morgan added.
“The onus at this point to salvage anything is on the mayor and not anyone else,” he said.
Council will vote on whether to change the CCR process or keep it as-is during its Thursday, Sept. 18 meeting.
Courtesy Photo Gina for Mayor
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news Miracle Worker?
Talking to Democratic National Committee
Chair Ken Martin about his party's fight to win in
deep-red Texas
BY SANFORD
NOWLIN
It’s been anything but smooth sailing since Ken Martin was elected chair of the Democratic National Committee seven months ago.
His party wields little power in Washington, and voters complain that it appears more caught up in infighting than pushing back against President Donald Trump. Beyond that, Dems haven’t gained much traction in red states including Texas, where they haven’t won a statewide office in more than 30 years.
We caught up with Martin for a phone interview as he spent time last week in the San Antonio area to shore up local support, including a meeting with Democrats in flood-ravaged — and deep red — Kerr County. If the party’s going to bounce back, Martin said, it must meet voters on the ground, including in places where the GOP has long had the upper hand.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I understand part of the reason you’re in the San Antonio area is to meet with Kerr County Democrats, a small minority indeed. What’s the purpose of that meeting?
It’s important for me to remind our party that there’s Democrats everywhere throughout this nation, including in rural red counties. And our motto at the DNC is when you organize everywhere, you can win anywhere. And it’s just a simple reminder that when we give up on certain communities or certain counties, it just becomes a foregone conclusion that we’re going to continue to lose there.
So, this new DNC under my leadership has really expanded out its efforts to organize in communities far and wide so we can make sure that there’s no inch of ground that we’re not competing in, and that we’re do -
ing our part to support those efforts. And so, that’s why I am heading out to rural counties here in Texas and rural counties throughout the country. We need to expand our coalition, expand our opportunities. And the
Mfor his party.
Courtesy Photo DNC
DNC Chair Ken Martin meets with union members as he tours the country to rebuild support
way to do that is to get off the beaten path, so to speak, and make sure we’re competing everywhere.
Texas has been a bridge too far for Democrats for a long time — three decades if we’re counting wins in statewide offices. Does the DNC even have a chance to change the dynamics in a state that’s so stubbornly red?
Yeah, it’s a great question, and I would say first you have to have a long-term plan on how you build, right? And as you mentioned, we haven’t won here statewide in some time. We are winning at local levels, though, and you can see that, and there has been some positive progress over the last decade or so.
But, for us, the reality is, we actually have to have a long-term plan, as I mentioned. The Brennan Center came out with a report in December that showed that the five fastest-growing states in the country right now are Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Texas, followed by Florida.
So six of the 10 fastest-growing states are all in the U.S. South, meaning that after the next census in 2030, as we go into reapportionment, Texas will likely gain an additional five congressional seats on top of what they already have.
I have to use a hockey analogy here since I’m from Minnesota. Wayne Gretzky once said, “You have to skate to where the puck will be, not where the puck is.” And we’re going to lose congressional power and electoral votes in states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, California. It’s all
going to shift down to the U.S. South.
And so we can’t be caught flat-footed when that map actually shifts in 2032. We have to be prepared to win the future, but we also have to be prepared to win the moment. And what does that mean? Right now, it means that we shift our focus. I think the national party has focused way too much on control of Congress and the presidency at the expense of local offices, state legislative seats, county offices, municipal offices, school boards, mayorships, etc.
That’s how you actually build a party. That’s how you rebuild in states like Texas. Not just exclusively focusing on the top-of-the-ticket races, but realizing that when you organize at a local level, it actually helps you win over time.
And we have left too many seats uncontested here in Texas. We have left too many counties unorganized where they don’t have any elected Democratic Party leadership. We have just not done the basic building of the infrastructure in a way that will help us win in the long term. And so that’s really why we’re focusing on building at the grassroots level in counties far and wide throughout this state.
Given the size of Texas and how spread out it is, setting that in motion is a pricey proposition. It is.
So, does it even make sense pump that kind of money into a state that’s not shown much interest in what the Democratic Party has to offer?
Well, here’s what I would say. Texas is
not a red state. As crazy as that sounds. Texas is a state that doesn’t vote. There are more Democrats in the state than Republicans, but they don’t vote. And the state on the whole doesn’t vote. It’s a very low civically engaged voting state, meaning people just aren’t very active in their politics.
And, again, for us, that means there’s an opportunity here. If you build the infrastructure — the right way to organize — to register people to vote, to persuade them to support your candidate and your party and then to mobilize them, you can win.
The danger when people look at Texas is that they just look at what’s been happening on the statewide level. They’re not looking what’s happening on the local level. They’re not looking underneath the hood like we have to do with the electoral trends. They’re not looking at the possibilities with demographic shifts and population shifts that give us opportunities in parts of the state to rebuild.
So, I’m actually bullish on our chances. Now, it’s not going to happen overnight. While we’ve got excellent candidates running for Senate in ‘26 here and some excellent opportunities on the congressional level in Texas, the reality is that what I’m focused in on, in addition to that, is making sure we’re building this the right way so we can start winning at the local level and put ourselves in a position to be the majority party here in Texas.
Trump World has presented a target-rich environment for the Democrats. However, at the same time, there’s been no shortage of infighting at the DNC since the ‘24 election. Can you get that infighting behind the party and actually work to build the kind of apparatus you’re taking about?
Well, look, none of that came from me. I would just say that we have been relentlessly focused. In the last six months I’ve been on the job, I’ve been in 31 states. I’ve traveled throughout this country, meeting with folks, getting the message out, raising the money, meeting with local party leaders and elected officials, making sure that people are focused on one thing, which is winning.
There’s a lot of people in D.C. who want to win the argument, who are more interested in that internal
conversation. I’m not one of them. I could care less. What I’m focused in on is one thing, and that’s winning. So look, I can’t speak to what others want to focus on. While others want to focus on the inside baseball drama of the Democratic Party, which leads to all these Dems in disarray stories, that’s of no concern to me. What I’m focused in on is building the party the right way, and also reforming it and democratizing it. …
Political observers sounded alarm bells over the number of South Texas voters, especially Latinos, swinging from the Democratic Party to Trump. What’s the DNC doing to reverse that?
Well, you’ve already seen a reversal, right?
You saw a significant swing in ‘24 with Latinos — more pronounced, of course, with Latino men. But in the last six to seven months now since Trump was inaugurated, that margin has all but evaporated. It certainly has with Latino women, who are overwhelmingly supportive of the Democratic Party now, and it’s swung back quite significantly with Latino men.
The danger, of course, for Trump is the coalition they built is really built on sand. And these shifting tides show that the coalition that delivered for him in ‘24 no longer really supports him. Young people, Latino voters, women, even the huge leads he had with men overall, have shrunk as well.
But … we’re not taking anything for granted. While Trump has lost support, it’s incumbent upon the Democratic Party to go out and gain that support. It doesn’t necessarily accrue to our benefit unless we’re willing to go out and have conversations with those voters and give them a sense of what we would do to improve their lives and what would be different with Democrats in control.
And that’s why, again, I’m traveling to rural counties. I’m traveling throughout this country to make sure we’re getting the word out to as many people as possible, to meet with folks, to bring a lot of those folks back into the conversation, and give them a sense of what we’re going to do to improve their lives.
Sanford Nowlin
San Antonio has a DWI problem. Let’s tackle it in a smart way.
BY KEVIN SANCHEZ
Bad Takes is a column of opinion and analysis.
“Inever trust a man who doesn’t drink.” — John Wayne
“I’ve never had a glass of alcohol.” — Donald Trump
Almost every remotely interesting person I know has been caught drinking and driving at some point in their life, and by that measure, the San Antonio City Council has been chock-full of interesting people of late.
On the Express-News’ Enside Politics podcast, reporter Molly Smith noted that three council members have been arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in the past three years.
“I cannot think of another Texas or U.S. city where a city council has that same claim to fame,” Smith added.
First, there was former District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry, who downed at least seven beers, six shots and an Old Fashioned before blowing out of the Evil Olive on Nov. 6, 2022, according to police records. He hit a car and left the scene, authorities said. Then he treated us to surreal body-cam footage of himself shooting the bull with an investigating officer in his own backyard before trying to open a sliding glass door with a key card.
Last spring, Perry attempted a Charlie Sheen-like return to the ring but found his public image irrevocably tarnished. He placed 8th in the most recent mayoral election.
Then in December 2023, the very councilman who took Perry’s seat on the dais, Marc Whyte, picked up a DWI charge and an embarrassing video of of his field sobriety test. He took a plea deal the following year for “obstruction of a highway” and served six months’ probation.
Finally, this summer, District 8 Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez was report-
edly pulled over for weaving between lanes on I-10 and arrested on suspicion of DWI. The charge was elevated to a Class A misdemeanor after a police-ordered test showed her blood-alcohol level was at or above 0.15. The legal limit for Texas drivers is 0.08, and 0.30 is likely to put someone in a comatose state.
Meza Gonzalez was suspended from her committee assignments after barely a month on the job, and last Thursday, Council voted to censure her.
But the intemperance isn’t limited to politicians.
In 2023, Greg Simmons, a KSAT-12 sports anchor for more than four decades, resigned over a DWI charge that ultimately resulted in probation and a $500 fine.
Somewhat comically, when asked for his driver’s license, he instead handed the arresting deputy his credit card, according to the arrest’s incident report.
Needless to say, this isn’t the type of notoriety we’d chose for our city. A beloved rock star micturating on the Alamo Cenotaph is one thing, but getting behind the wheel of a two-ton death machine is no laughing matter.
More than 82% of fatal car crashes in Bexar County involved drunk drivers,
the Current reported earlier this year, and almost one in five San Antonians are binge drinkers, according to one company’s data crunching. Among all U.S. cities, we rank fourth in the nation in DUI fatalities, with Austin and Dallas ignominiously above us.
As a state, Texas’ rate of deadly booze-related crashes is double the national average.
The numbers suggest San Antonio has a drinking-and-driving problem — one worthy of brainstorming about potential solutions.
What’s worked so far is a good place to start. After Uber came to Houston roughly a decade ago, a Journal of the American Medical Association study found that car crash traumas among those under 30 dropped by nearly 40%. And after a pair of New Jersey townships offered subsidized ride shares from bars and restaurants between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., a study in the British Medical Journal’s publication Injury Prevention found the move yielded a 38% reduction in nighttime traffic injuries. Researchers also found hundreds fewer alcohol-induced wrecks in the eight years since the program came into existence.
If San Antonio adopted a similar plan, imagine how many lives could be saved.
A coalition of Alamo City bars offers a
program that provides free ride shares for people who are took intoxicated to drive. However, only about 20 bars participate, according to my research.
Why not offer a rebate on property or sales taxes to encourage more establishments to join the program? Why not ask the Spurs organization to help foot the bill? We could call them Marvel Rides.
And why rely on union-busting corporate ride share services when we could offer a municipal alternative with cityowned vehicles as part of the Ready to Work initiative? And of course, I wouldn’t be a pedestrian-centric lefty if I didn’t take this opportunity to lament the unintended consequences of suburban sprawl and the lack of public transportation in our city.
In this as in so many other challenges, the punitive approach favored by the lawand-order crowd can only take us so far. Rather than heaping shame upon those — from elected leaders to everyday schmoes — who get caught, we could all chip in toward longer-lasting solutions.
If we’re sincerely interested in avoiding further tragedy, compassionate harm reduction is the more sober choice.
ONGOING
- SUN | 05.10.26
JOEY FAUERSO: BEDROOM PAINTINGS
Bedroom Paintings is a new and deliciously complex four-channel video installation by San Antonio-based artist Joey Fauerso, well-known for her multimedia feminist practice. Fauerso’s deeply personal and politically engaged work explores the juncture of domestic life and artistic expression. Always pushing herself to document, process and present the beauty of daily life in innovative ways, Fauerso also is unique in that she grew up in the Maharishi School of Enlightenment in Iowa — an Anglo woman with a childhood steeped in transcendental meditation philosophy — and continues to buck the reigns of every stereotype imposed upon her with great success. Free, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, Ruby City, 150 Camp St., (210) 227-8400, rubycity.org. — Anjali Gupta
FRI | 09.19
HARDBERGER NIGHT HIKE
Connection with nature might be exactly what we need as we slide into September and it’s no longer brain-broilingly hot in the evening, the kids aren’t as twitchy and nocturnal hours don’t dredge up the fear of overnight camp serial killers. If so, join the folks at Phil Hardberger Park Natural Area for a two-hour hike at a slow but sustained pace through the park’s ample grounds. The site is committed to ecological conservation, sustainable design and preserving native habitats, and this tour hits all of those notes. Registration is required, and there’s the possibility of a waitlist. Please wear comfortable and appropriate attire. Free, 7:30 p.m., Phil Hardberger Urban Ecology Center, 8400 NW Military Highway, (210) 492-7472, philhardbergerpark.org. — AG
Courtesy Photo Hardberger Park
Courtesy Image Joey Fauerso
TUE | 09.23
SPECIAL EVENT
HAPPY FOUNDATION ARCHIVES: PRESERVING SAN ANTONIO’S LGBTQ PAST
There’s always plenty to learn about our city’s past, including its unequivocally colorful leanings. The Happy Foundation is named after Arthur P. “Hap” Veltman, a local entrepreneur and developer who died of AIDS in 1988. Veltman was key in the development of the River Walk, the Blue Star Arts Complex and the Bonham Exchange, along with other projects that ultimately shaped San Antonio as we know it. This is a massive opportunity for local historians — amateur or otherwise — to explore decades of files closely guarded by Hap’s partner: the weird and wonderful artist and activist Eugene “Gene” Elder, who died in 2019. Free, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Thousand Oaks Library, 4618 Thousand Oaks Drive, (210) 207-9190, mysapl.org. — AG
TUE | 09.23 - SUN | 09.28
KIMBERLY AKIMBO
Kimberly Akimbo — the winner of five 2023 Tony Awards, including Best Musical — follows a 16-year-old girl named Kimberly Levaco as she grapples with a condition that rapidly accelerates the aging process. As a result, the main character looks like she’s 60 before she’s even had the opportunity to explore the world as a young adult. Don’t worry, though, this musical doesn’t unfold like a disease-of-the-week TV movie. Instead, Kimberly Akimbo takes the form of a dark, and sometimes absurdist, fairly tale injected with quirky humor and social satire that offers powerful reminders to enjoy what precious little life we have. The Guardian praised the musical score by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire as being “built on a loving mosaic of musical influences” that encapsulate the story’s moments of both sadness and joy. $46.80-$198.90, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — Sanford Nowlin
Courtesy Photo Majestic Theatre
Courtesy Photo HappyFoundation
WED | 10.01 - SAT | 10.04
SOUTH TEXAS KNOCKOUTS YOUTH ROLLER DERBY TEAM TRYOUTS
If you or your child is 5-18 years old and itching to experience the pure joy and terror of live roller derby, here’s a chance to sport blue and yellow and head to the South Texas Knockouts Youth Roller Derby Travel Team tryouts. The organization is currently looking for athletes across the region who have strong derby and skating foundations, are ready to mentally and physically push themselves and catapult their teammates to victory. Those interested in trying out must first complete the Knockouts registration form, available on the team’s Facebook page, which also includes information about what to bring on the day of tryouts. Free, 5-9 p.m., Hamilton Community Center, 10700 Nacogdoches Road, (210) 710-7701, facebook.com/stkskaters. — AG
THU
| 10.02 – SUN | 10.05
THE SAN ANTONIO BLACK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: SANKOFA
The San Antonio Black International Film Festival (SABIFF) returns for its seventh year, boasting an impressive roster of films, a red-carpet reception and awards honoring filmmaking firebrands. Founded by indie filmmaker Ada M. Babineaux, the festival celebrates myriad facets of the African Diaspora. This year’s highlights include the legendary Ethiopian-born filmmaker Haile Gerima, who helped pioneer the LA Rebellion film movement. Also known as the “Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers,” members of the forward-pushing group all attended UCLA between the late ’60s and the ’80s. Gerima’s best-known work is the award-winning SANKOFA (1993). This fever dream of a loose narrative centers on an apathetic Black American model on a photo shoot in Ghana, who is involuntarily transported back to North America during the Atlantic Slave Trade. Free, 5-7 p.m. In the Eye of The Beholder Art Gallery at St. Paul Square, 123 Heiman St., (202) 744-2641, sabiff.tv. — AG
Courtesy Photo South Texas KnockOuts
San Antonio Black International Film Festival
Fall Arts Cheat Sheet
Key exhibitions San Antonio art fans need to experience this season
BY BRYAN RINDFUSS
From minimalist glass cubes and cinematic dreamscapes to immersive installations and deep dives into Latinx folklore, San Antonio’s fall arts calendar is as diverse and fascinating as the scene that makes it tick.
In this roundup, we highlight exhibitions Alamo City art fans need to experience this fall.
“Larry Bell: Improvisations” at SAMA (Aug. 29-Jan. 4)
When the San Antonio Museum of Art opened in 1981 in the former Lone Star Brewery, one of the first works on view was Larry Bell’s The Dilemma of Griffin’s Cat — a precarious-looking glass booth whose title nods to the vanishing feline in the H.G. Wells novel The Invisible Man. Commissioned by SAMA and now part of its permanent collection, that large-scale sculpture exemplifies the Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based artist’s meditative work, which begs viewers to contemplate the light and space around them. Four decades later, SAMA comes full circle with “Improvisations,” a solo show organized by the Phoenix Art Museum. In addition to Bell’s minimalist glass cubes, the exhibition includes collages and monumental installations the 85-year-old artist created between 1969 and 2024. $12-$22 (free for Bexar County residents 4-7 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m.-noon Sunday), 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org.
“Sandy Skoglund: Enchanting Nature” at the McNay (Sept. 11-Feb. 1)
An emblematic figure who helped define the 1980s-era New York art scene, Sandy Skoglund rose to prominence by creating fantastical tableaux that bent the “realities” of the photographic medium long before the arrival of digital editing tools. Although perhaps best known for two-dimensional photographs such as 1980’s Radioactive Cats and 1981’s Revenge of the Goldfish — the latter of which graced the cover of Inspiral Carpets’ 1992 album of the same name — Skoglund mixes sculp -
ture, painting and set design into dreamlike installations before she photographs them. A winning example, Skoglund’s Cheez Doodle-covered 1992 installation
The Cocktail Party has long been in the permanent collection of the McNay, which is now presenting “Enchanting Nature,” an exhibition comprising three installations alongside large-scale photographs that zoom in on some of her most recognized works. Writing about her 2001 exhibition “Raining Popcorn,” curator Marvin Heiferman encapsulated the amusing sensation Skoglund brings to the art world: “It’s hard to be blasé when confronted with Skoglund’s signature, over-the-top psychodramas. And hard not to shake your head in disbelief or crack a smile when you find yourself, literally or figuratively, in a cor -
ner of the world where everything is covered in uncooked chopped meat, raisins, or jelly beans.” 10-$23 (free 4-p.m. Thursday and noon-5 p.m. first Sundays), 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368, mcnayart.org.
International Artists-in-Residence Exhibitions at Artpace (Sept. 11-Jan. 19)
Hand-picked by Madrid-based guest curator Regine Basha to participate in Artpace’s renowned International Artists-in-Residence program, Goldie Poblador, Elana Herzog and Ian Gerson arrived in July to live and work in San Antonio. Based in Manila and inspired by
arts
Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com
Larry Bell_1_Airi Katsuta
Sandy Skoglund, Revenge of the Goldfish_McNay Art Museum
Exhibitions
Do Not Meddle With It!!: Print Censorship in 19th Century Paris Through December 7
O’ Powa O’ Meng: The Art and Legacy of Jody Folwell Through January 4
Houses to Homes Through January 18
Sandy Skoglund: Enchanting Nature Through February 1
Events
NEW! Hike the McNay: The Meditation Hike in partnership with Black Swan Yoga September 20
Matthew Flood Ferguson at the McNay September 26
NEW! Sketch the McNay October 1, November 5, December 3
Gallery Talk: Houses to Homes October 16
Family Day: Dream Ignition November 2
Artist Conversation: Sandy Skoglund November 6
Conversation with Jody and Susan Folwell December 4
McNay Art Museum
6000 North New Braunfels Avenue
San Antonio, Texas 78209 info@mcnayart.org | mcnayart.org | @mcnayart
Installation view of Sandy Skoglund: Enchanting Nature at McNay Art Museum. Photo by Chris Stolze.
arts
Filipino mythology, Poblador specializes in glass flameworking but curiously incorporates scent into her installations. In her Artpace exhibition “The Rise of Medusa,” Poblador conjures a subaquatic seascape inhabited by dangling glass jellyfish-like creatures and two tellingly titled scents: Oil Slick and Dead Coral. Born in Toronto and based in New York City, Herzog explores migration and technology through the lens of textiles. For “Global Floral,” Herzog constructed a dramatic, diagonal wall in the gallery space and covered it with a patchwork of wallpaper and handmade textiles — offering up an eclectic backdrop that’s sure to inspire more than a few selfies this fall. Houston-based Gerson is a trans interdisciplinary artist who works between sculpture and installation to address topics spanning from climate injustice to queer longing. With “Glimpses of Transtopia,” Gerson evokes a fitting room with a structure built from found materials and garments crafted from emergency blankets, salvaged ropes and repurposed clothing. Free, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Artpace San Antonio, 445 N. Main Ave., (210) 212-4900, artpace.org.
“Madre_Land: South Texas Memory & the Art of Making Home” and “Cuentos y Arte: Mexican American Folk Tales of the Southwest” at Centro de Artes (Oct. 2 - Feb. 22)
Carrying the torch for its predecessor — the bygone Smithsonian offshoot Museo Alameda — the city-run Centro de Artes does a commendable job showcasing San Antonio’s robust Latinx art scene. Case in point: the sprawling art space’s fall programming unites more than 30 wide-ranging creators for two exhibitions rooted in Latinx culture and identity. Curated by multitasking artist Bonnie Cisneros — whom many know as artsy party-starter DJ Despeinada — the first-floor exhibition “Madre_Land: South Texas Memory & the Art of Making Home” draws inspiration from the work of Chicana artists and scholars Amalia Mesa-Bains and
Tomás Ybarra-Fausto, the latter of whom coined the term rasquachismo and is represented in the exhibition. Organized in a format that evokes domestic spaces and recalls the welcoming refrain “mi casa es su casa,” the group show brings altar installations, folk art, photography, collage and portraits into a homey context complete with kitchen, dining room and front porch areas along with thoughtful tributes to San Antonio’s storied Sunshine Bakery and La Guadalupanita Café. With a tighter focus upstairs, the Rebecca Gomez-curated “Cuentos y Arte: Mexican American Folk Tales of the Southwest” explores pervasive cultural legends — from El Cucuy to La Lechuza — through the eyes of five women artists: Lisette Chavez, Audrya Flores, April A. Garcia, Angelica Raquel and Hailey Marmolejo. Free, opening reception
6-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, on view 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 101 S. Santa Rosa Ave., sa.gov.
35th Annual Red Dot Art Sale & Exhibition (Nov. 12-Jan. 4)
With a name that references those hotly anticipated red stickers that get placed next to sold works of art, Red Dot is a critical fundraiser that provides Contemporary at Blue Star a big chunk of its annual operating budget. Routinely attended by hundreds of local art fans, the opening night party comes with a $125 ticket price but
doubles as a meet-and-greet with the established and emerging creators reinforcing San Antonio’s status as a destination for contemporary art. After opening night, Red Dot continues to function as an exhibition and fundraiser that’s free to attend, offering a diverse survey of affordably priced artwork being made in San Antonio. For its 35th iteration, Red Dot is highlighting the work of Meredith Dean — a beloved printmaker and painter who fostered the talents of countless rising local artists for 23 years as an instructor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Opening night: $125, 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12; exhibition: free, noon-5 p.m. Wednesday, noon-8 pm. Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 pm. Saturday-Sunday, Contemporary at Blue Star, 116 Blue Star, (210) 227-6960, contemporarysa.org.
Artist Elana Herzog and her studio assistant Madelynn Mesa installing ‘Global Floral’ at Artpace_Elena Hernandez-Peña Blue Star Red Dot 2024_Jo E Norris
Lisette Chavez, La Bruja Laura
Fall Film Frenzy
10 must-see movies – from blockbusters to award contenders
BY KIKO MARTINEZ
The fall 2025 movie season is upon us, which means audiences will get a wave of award hopefuls and potential blockbusters over the next three months.
There will be, of course, something for everyone – from a dramatic performance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to a remake of a classic monster movie. Here are 10 films you should add to your calendar this fall.
Don’t be upset that we didn’t include Wicked: For Good. You probably have your phone notifications set to remind you to buy tickets already.
One Battle After Another
Loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, the action thriller stars Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) as Bob Ferguson, a former revolutionary who must face his past and save his daughter from an impending danger. The film is directed by 11-time Oscar-nominated writer-director-producer Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood). If it’s as incredible as it looks, let’s hope one of the most talented directors currently working in Hollywood finally gets his due. Theatrical release on Sept. 26.
TheSmashingMachine
Action star and part-time WWE wrestler Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, takes on the most dramatic role of his career in writer-director Benny Safdie’s (Uncut Gems) sports biopic. The film tells the story of former mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr. It’s still too early to predict, but Johnson is getting Oscar buzz now that the film played at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. Theatrical release on Oct. 3.
KissoftheSpiderWoman
The musical is the second film adaptation of the 1976 novel by Argentine author Manuel Puig. This time, Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers) plays the title role, a dazzling movie star who takes center stage of a prisoner’s imagination. His fantasies, which he shares with his fellow inmate Valentin (Diego Luna), are the only things that keep them from the reality of their bleak environment. Theatrical release on Oct. 10.
AHouseofDynamite
The political thriller directed by Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) follows the U.S. government in crisis. A missile has been launched at the city of Chicago and there’s little time to stop it. Idris Elba (The Suicide Squad) plays the U.S. president. Limited theatrical release on Oct. 10. Netflix release on Oct. 24.
Frankenstein
How many films adapted from author Mary Shelley’s 19th century novel Frankenstein has Hollywood churned out over the past 100 years? No matter. When Oscar-winning director and monster enthusiast Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water) wants to create his own version, a studio would be insane not to let him try. Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina) plays scientist Victor Frankenstein, and Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) plays the creature he creates. Limited theatrical release on Oct. 17. Netflix release on Nov. 7.
Predator: Badlands
The ninth film of the Predator franchise, including those Alien vs. Predator crossovers, this sci-fi flick stars Elle Fanning (Super 8) as Thia, a damaged android who teams up with an exiled Predator to go on a treacherous journey. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who was behind the last Predator movie, Prey. Theatrical release on Nov. 7.
Die,MyLove
The dark comedy-drama directed by Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here) follows a young couple, Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson), who move from New York City to Montana to live a quiet life.
However, isolation isn’t something Grace is used to, and her mental health begins to spiral out of control. Theatrical release on Nov. 7.
JayKelly
Directed and co-written by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), this coming-of-age dramedy pairs Oscar winner George Clooney (Syriana) and comedian Adam Sandler (The Wedding Singer) together for the first time. Clooney plays the title character, a famous actor who contemplates his life choices and legacy when he goes on a trip to Europe with his longtime manager (Sandler). Limited theatrical release on Nov. 14. Netflix release Dec. 5.
Hamnet
Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) tells a fictional story about the life of English playwright William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes after the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. The film is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell. Oscar-nominated actors Paul Mescal (Aftersun) and Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter) play the Shakespeares. Limited theatrical release on Nov. 27.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
The third installment of the Avatar franchise from Oscar-winning director James Cameron (Titanic) is bound to make a bazillion dollars like its predecessors. Could it also land a Best Picture nomination like them too? The story continues with the introduction of a new volcano-dwelling tribe, the Ash People, who are threatening the Na’vi way of life. Theatrical release on Dec. 19.
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Flavors of Fall
Culinary events abound in San Antonio this autumn
BY KAT STINSON
Fall officially kicks off Monday, Sept. 22, and San Antonio’s food scene is serving up plenty to celebrate.
From holidays stemming from our area’s diverse cultures to celebrations of salsa, beer and more, here are some of the tastiest events to mark on your calendar as the weather finally cools.
Oktoberfest
San Antonio’s Oktoberfest season is already in full swing, offering plenty of chances to sample Bavarian bites, frothy pours and stein-raising sing-alongs. Six Flags Fiesta Texas (sixflags.com/fiestatexas) is hosting its Oktoberfest Food Festival through Oct. 26, while downtown’s historic La Villita (lavillitasanantonio.com) will transform into a Bavarian village Sept. 19-21. Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling (drinkrangercreek.com) joins the fun Sept. 27 with schnitzel and steins at its tasting room. For those looking to go native, venerable German beerhall Beethoven Männerchor (beethovensanantonio.com) will keep tradition alive with two weekends of music and beer, Oct. 4-5 and Oct. 11-12. The Current’s San Antonio Beer Festival (sanantoniobeerfestival. com) will cap it all off Saturday, Oct. 18, at
Hemisfair with an Oktoberfest-inspired bash featuring hundreds of premium, craft and near beers from around the world, along with food trucks, live music and more. September through October, various locations, see websites for cost, schedule and other details.
2nd Annual Puro Salsa Cook-Off
The chips are down for the 2nd Annual Puro Salsa Cook-Off. Local chefs and home cooks will gather to battle it out for salsa supremacy as celebrity judges including Gusto Group’s Gera de Anda and San Antonio Spurs correspondent A.C. Carreno see if they can take the heat. Proceeds from ticket sales go toward the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, meaning it’s not just a chance to sample some of the city’s best salsas but also to support cancer research. Free, 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, Ranch Motel & Leisure Club, 3101 Broadway, purosalsa.org.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, and you can bet there are plenty of food-related activities commemorating the event. For example, Sabores de México at the Pearl’s Stable Hall (events.atpearl.com) on Saturday, Sept. 13 — a ticketed event led by internationally recognized grill master Alejandro Gutiérrez — will kick off the month by showcasing the complex flavors of Northern Mexico with live-fire cooking and a Mexican parrillada-style atmosphere. Several El Grito events are also planned around town, including one on Saturday, Sept. 13, at at La Cantina by Cuishe (cuishemx.com/la-cantina). That gathering will
include Mexican food and cocktail stations, plenty of cocktails, Mariachi performances, and more. Sept. 15-Oct. 15, various locations, see websites for cost, schedule and other details.
Día de los Muertos
There are a large array of events paying homage to Day of the Dead around San Antonio in October. On Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25-26, enjoy a themed and free festival at Market Square (marketsquaresa.com/events) with delicious food options such as pan de muerto, or book prime seating at a River Walk restaurant for the Day of the Dead River Parade on Friday, Oct. 24. The banger of them all, though, is bound to be the two-day MuertosFest (muertosfest.com) at Hemisfair on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25-26, which will feature live music, altars, a Muertos Mercado and, naturally, plenty of food. Oct 24-26, various locations, see websites for cost, schedule and other details.
Wurstfest
The annual 10-day celebration of German heritage and sausage — similar to, but not to be confused with, Oktoberfest — returns to New Braunfels this November, and it’s worth the half-hour drive to experience. Crowds gather to enjoy German beers, live music, face-painting, family-friendly activities, and of course, plenty of bratwurst and crisp potato pancakes. Wearing dirndl and lederhosen isn’t mandatory but strongly encouraged — and so is buying early-bird online tickets, which are $5 off. Free Monday-Thursday and for kids 12 and under, $20 at gate Friday and Sunday, $30 at gate Saturday depending on the day, Nov. 7-16, 120 Landa St., New Braunfels, (830) 625-9167, wurstfest.com.
Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com
Jaime Monzon
food
More than ‘Mediterranean’
Turkish flavors excel at San Antonio’s Selda Mediterranean Kitchen
BY RON BECHTOL
The literal translation of the Turkish dish ezme is ”smashed” or “crushed,” and I recommend ordering a plate of it at Selda Mediterranean Kitchen and keeping it on hand for the duration of your meal. Paired with a pumped-up pita and used as a sauce or a dip, Selda’s ezme is sensational, but can be ladled over almost anything but baklava. Every Turkish kitchen will have its own version, but all start with finely chopped tomato, onion and garlic, adding in cucumber and peppers, garlic and a Turkish chili paste. In this case, the dish also includes the miracle drug that is pomegranate molasses, which offers a touch of sweet-sour complexity. I’d like to think there was also a hint of dried, dark and brooding urfa chili. Or at least Aleppo. A topping of pomegranate molasses also figures in Selda’s grilled halloumi cheese, served on a bed of pureed, roasted peppers and finely ground walnut. The pleasantly chewy cheese is fine on its own, though surely it can’t be too heretical to splash on some kindred ezme.
These are both simple dishes — often the best kind. The decor at Selda — copper-toned ceiling tiles, crystal-bangled light fixtures, gilt-framed mirrors and plush, blue seating — suggests the kitchen may be aiming for a fancier feel, perhaps one that would distinguish it from other restaurants casually labeled “Mediterranean.”
As for menu items that might separate Selda from the pack, the salad of diced beet with watermelon, feta and walnuts tossed with baby spinach in a balsamic dressing stood out as unique — if not necessarily classic Turkish. Here’s what I expected: a majority of equal cubes of beet and watermelon with feta either cubed or coarsely crumbled. Walnuts, maybe also coarsely chopped, would provide textural contrast. And the spinach and balsamic would be held to a minimum.
Read this description backwards and you will have an idea of what actually ap-
peared: mostly spinach, in other words. However, one of our efficient waiters did return with a couple cubes of feta as though they had been forgotten at the pass. Not a bad salad but sad.
Look to the unassuming Shepherd’s Salad right above this one on the menu for a suggestion of what might have been.
Apart from beets, there are certain Pavlovian ingredients that always grab my attention. Pistachio is one. Though its influence was subtle, I have to think that the familiar nuttiness only improved the Selda’s Grilled Pistachio Meatballs, which were served over rice with a carmine-hued coat of rustic tomato sauce and a snaky drizzle of cooling yogurt. But as good as these were, the accompanying bean salad almost stole the show.
Red onion, cucumber, tomato and more all combined with the modestly dressed white beans to make for a refreshing contrast to the hearty meatballs. Not content to rest on its laurels, the salad was also sprinkled with that other miracle Middle Eastern ingredient: ground sumac. This tart berry adds just the right touch of sour.
As dinner service progressed, Selda’s dining room began to buzz with a diverse audience. The occasional flash of flames leaping from the pricy Mixed Grill also punctuated the scene. Looking for something more modest, the Iskender Doner seemed appropriate. This was a case where the dish exceeded its modest menu description.
Most diners familiar with Mediterranean cuisine know that doner is meat — usually lamb, beef or a combination of the two — compressed and cooked on a vertical spit. Sliced from that rotating cylinder, the meat is most often served inside puffy flatbread. Iskender Doner — with the “Iskender” part of the name being a reference to Alexander the Great — is a more specific variation, served atop flatbread with a buttery tomato sauce. I envisioned slices of meat bathed in sauce and set on a single, relatively thick, Turkish flatbread known as pide. The tomato sauce part was correct. So
SELDA MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN
9955 I-10 West Colonnade III, (210) 236-5230, seldamediterraneansatx.com.
San Antonio’s Selda is an offshoot of a Dallas restaurant that shares most of the same menu. The expected “Mediterranean” dishes are all there, from topped flatbreads and falafel to assorted skewers and lamb dishes. Grilled haloumi cheese is a perfect starter, the beet and watermelon salad disappointed, but pistachio meatballs and Iskender doner, with their associated salads, tomato sauces and Turkish yogurt, only kindled a desire to return. Lamb shank and salmon, both “marinated in Turkish style,” await.
was the pide — sort of.
The surprise was that the pide had been cut into strips and squares and fried so that it was more of a crunchy matrix than a pillowy base. Also unexpected, the sliced, well-done doner meat had been shredded with the result that it melded more fully into the thick tomato sauce. Delicately tart Turkish yogurt was welcome in contrast to
the other robust flavors.
Just before leaving the restaurant, our server presented us with small glasses of tea, a hospitable farewell and come-back gesture. Despite there being no springy, rose-scented Turkish delight to accompany the tea, it was mission accomplished. I’d happily return. Lamb shanks await.
Ron Bechtol
food Cooking Up Conversation
How Bucán Rodeo’s Roy Baker and Michael Barrera-Pacheco fired up San Antonio’s food truck and pop-up scene
BY KAT STINSON
Roy Baker and Michael Berrera-Pacheco of Bucán Rodeo talk about the inspiration behind their multiple popup concepts, competing at the third annual Fajita Lounge Showdown, and their go-to drink after a long day manning their food truck.
Names: Roy Baker and Michael Barrera-Pacheco
Claim to fame: The pair operated several pop-ups around town — A Good Fucking Burger, Bitchn’ Rodeo and Bomba respectively — before they collaborated on their current food concept, Bucán Rodeo, a Puerto Rican fusion food truck parked at Three Star Bar. Money Quote: “You’ve gotta respect the grind it takes to do a pop-up or a food truck. Not only do you have to provide all the supplies and cook everything, you’ve got to show up every day with no guarantee that it’s going to work.”
What was your main source of culinary inspiration?
Michael Barrera-Pacheco: For me, growing up in a Puerto Rican household. The older I got, the more I noticed there wasn’t much Puerto Rican representation in town when it came to cuisine. I wanted to fill that niche. I’ve always felt a responsibility to represent Puerto Rican food as best as I can. Since our cuisine isn’t everywhere, I do feel pressure sometimes. That’s why we’re clear that what we’re doing is fusion at Bucán Rodeo.
Roy Baker: I actually started out studying fashion design. But when my dad was diagnosed with cancer, I turned to
helping him with his barbecue catering as a way to spend time with him. It taught me patience when I really needed it. I was self-taught, but eventually I knew I needed real kitchen experience, so I worked at 210 Dough and later did A Good Fucking Burger. That’s where I met Mike.
MB-P: We met in summer 2024, and honestly, we just clicked. We both have strong work ethics, and that’s what made it easy to build together.
RB: Before that, I started Bitchn’ Rodeo and AGFB. Mike had his previous concept, Bomba. Together, we went on to launch Bucán Rodeo.
MB-P: And then came the Fajita Lounge Showdown this year. [Bucan Rodeo tied for second place with Buddy’s
want to run this truck into the ground before taking on too much.
RB: Eventually, yeah, we’ll need one. But we don’t want to rush it. Building a pit team is the hardest part. Building any team is, really.
How do you feel about the community aspect of running a food truck or pop-up?
RB: At the end of the day, if you serve good food and you’re personable, people feel that. If you’re genuine, they reciprocate. We’ve also been so lucky to have great support from other pop-ups and food trucks here in town.
MB-P: I’ve noticed that too. From way before the Bucán days on, the community’s been incredibly loyal. We’ve got folks who have supported us since before day one.
What’s the one thing you want people to know about running a pop-up or food truck?
RB: You gotta respect the grind it takes to do a pop-up or a food truck. Not only do you have to provide all the supplies and cook everything, you have got to show up every day with no guarantee that it’s going to work.
MB-P: We both respect the hustle because we’ve felt it firsthand.
What are your favorite restaurants or pop-ups?
RB: Sahara Samurai’s, Kewtie Boy Sando, Mala Suerte, Ladino, 210 Dough, Lovers Pizza.
Big Trouble in that culinary contest.]
RB: Yeah, I’d been wanting to do fajitas for a while. We wanted to highlight chicken fajitas specifically — keep it true to a fajita taco cooked over mesquite coals. That’s where the idea came to life.
MB-P: . It was also so cool to learn that Texas Monthly’s taco editor, Jose Ralat, is Puerto Rican! [Ralat was one of the Fajita Lounge judges.]
RB: Puerto Rican flavors tie into Texas barbecue really well. Honestly, it made me proud to see people recognize that.
Do you ever want to open a brickand-mortar for Bucán Rodeo?
MB-P: A brick-and-mortar would be great one day, but for now we just
MB-P: Kewtie Boy’s breakfast sando, Burritos Frontera. I love how chef Jorge [of Burritos Frontera] combines his roots with his knowledge from Reese Bros. for a great side hustle.
What’s your go-to drink after a long night at work?
MB: After a long night? For me it’s rum and Coke with lime.
RB: Gatorlite Zero.
Last movie you watched?
MB-P: That Michael B. Jordan movie Sinners!
RB: 28 Years Later
Last book you read?
MB-P: I like reading the David Goggins books when I need motivation.
RB: I’m not a huge reader.
MB-P and RB: (Laughing.) We can cook but we can’t read!
Kat Stinson
Love in the Time of Cumbia
San Antonio’s Vanita Leo continues to shine on new EP Cumbiamante
BY JAMES COURTNEY
Cumbia-pop diva and rising San Antonio star Vanita Leo is scheduled to drop her excellent new EP Cumbiamante this Friday on all streaming platforms.
The cohesive eight-song release is the latest and most substantial product from Leo’s fruitful collaboration with LA-based Alan Vega. The young cumbia producer has a knack for melding the traditional with the contemporary, which fits Leo’s approach to a T.
Fans will already know and adore the two tracks at the heart of the EP — Leo’s most recent single, “Caballito,” a sassy, upbeat cumbia with impressive vocals, and “solo tu bb,” a dreamy, wistful tune released in May 2024.
But what a fitting home they’ve been given in Cumbiamante.
The title of the release loosely translates as “cumbia lover” — double meaning intended — and it plays with the fact that all the tracks are love songs of one kind or another and almost all cumbias.
All killer and no filler, the EP is full of radio-ready jams, showcasing a polish and a unique sense of artistic identity, rooted in the past but pointed into the future. It also displays a vocal charisma rare for any artist, let alone one so young. Leo is just 22.
“Kais Mal,” a playfully vengeful and lovelorn cumbia diss-track, and the crushingly beautiful bolero “San Antonio,” are both instant standouts, in addition to the pair of gems mentioned above.
The cohesive flow of Cumbiamante also impresses. In a music milieu that sees fewer and fewer artists releasing EPs or albums, Leo and Vega have crafted a work that tells a sonic story. Every note seems both natural and necessary.
Leo told the Current that her work with Vega has helped her grow into herself as a creative force.
“He has helped me a lot with learning who I am as an artist and essentially continuing to find myself,” she said.
Leo added that she’s getting better at “staying authentic to myself and learning to decide what I do and don’t like for me and for my brand” — the kind of self-assured pursuit at the heart of artistic maturity.
For his part, Vega credits the power and versatility of Leo’s voice for making her a dream
collaborator.
The pair established their working relationship through an Instagram correspondence, of all things. And, in some ways, it feels as if each was waiting for the other to begin exploring their full potential.
After all, Vega’s songs with Leo are well aligned with the impetus that drew him to cumbia more than five years ago and away from the punk and rock he started out with.
“I just wanted to challenge myself to dig more deeply into my roots, and my transition into the musica Mexicana space was a part of that,” Vega said. “And, now, it’s all I do.”
Indeed, the themes of roots and history — familial and otherwise — continually arise in conversation with both artists.
Leo said her decision to open the EP with the song “San Antonio” comes back to a “sense of melodramatic nostalgia” that reminds her of the working musicians in her family and the “beautiful romance” of her hometown. Although the song almost didn’t make the release, it now seems like the only way it could possibly have opened.
Leo’s made a video for the song, which will be released Friday with the EP. We’re told that videos for the remainder of the tracks, in true cumbia-pop diva fashion, are to follow.
“In the moment when we wrote that song there were so many worries from family members and friends that I was going to move to LA,”
Leo said. The inclusion of the track felt good as a reminder to everyone — maybe to herself, especially — that “San Antonio will always have my heart.”
“My whole brand as an artist is about being a Mexican American kid from San Antonio and what that means and what it means to fall in love with that identity,” she added.
When asked about the value of celebrating her identity in a society that continues to demonize and terrorize immigrants from the Latinx world, Leo seemed to know exactly what she wanted to say, but proceeded with magnanimity.
“Without touching too much on politics, or identity politics…” She paused to consider her words.
“I mean, colonizers have always wanted us to forget our identities, our roots, our motherland,” she continued. “This is not new, it has been going on for generations, these attempts to rob us of our history. So, when we come together as a community and we embrace our identity, it’s like a big middle finger to the colonizers, the living ones and all the dead ones.”
As Leo’s star continues to rise — which it’s almost certain to do, given both her talent and vision — it’s clear she will become even more of a force to be reckoned with. Especially since she’s carrying both her own history and the tumultuous history of a region and its music into the future in a way that’s uniquely hers.
music
Find more music coverage every day at sacurrent.com
Anisha Patil
San Antonio rockers Donella Drive drop ambitious new LP AXON
BY SANFORD NOWLIN
San Antonio heavy rock act Donella Drive will celebrate the release of AXON — an ambitious new album that adroitly blends metal, prog and psych — with a gig Saturday, Sept. 20, at Paper Tiger. Sloth, Powdered Wig Machine and Mary Maria will open the all-ages show, and Donella Drive will have physical copies of the 10-song release for sale.
After more than a decade tearing up Alamo City stages, and with brothers Aidan Escalante (guitar and vocals) and
Radical Beats
San Antonio rapper MexStep drops powerful EP Tráfico with Principe Q
BY JAMES COURTNEY
With little fanfare, San Antonio professor, rapper and cultural commentator
Marco Cervantes, known as MexStep, this Friday released the new EP Tráfico, a six-song collaboration with South Texas beatmaker and screwmbia pioneer Svani Quintanilla, or Principe Q.
The EP is the first multi-song solo release from MexStep — also part of the celebrated hip-hop group Third Root — since 2021’s Vivir. It also marks the first extended collaboration between Cervantes and Quintanilla.
The duo teased this EP last fall with the release of the single “The Eagle,” a cleareyed, sharp-tongued banger of a rumination on the social construction of borders and how out of tune they are with both nature and humanity.
With a low-swinging beat that manages to conjure images of a revolutionary march and a Saturday night cruise at once, “The Eagle” put fans on notice that
Andrew Salazar (bass and backing vocals) comprising the core lineup, Donella Drive has solidified into a band confident in taking chances.
Although Escalante’s clean and soaring vocals and the group’s ability to wrangle a groove give the music plenty of accessibility, the brothers clearly aren’t eager to settle into a formula. Is it prog-metal? Is it post-hardcore? Are they channeling early Mars Volta or looking to be a much harder-edged Jane’s Addiction?
Perhaps it’s best to stop trying to slap labels on what these guys do and let the music on AXON speak for itself.
The album’s seven-minute single “Mindless Embryonic” offers a sampling of just the kind of sonic journey the brothers and drummer Steven Edward Rodriguez are capable of unleashing. The track starts out as eerie space rock before transforming into a propulsive chugger with dizzying guitar work and a riff that wouldn’t feel out of place on
Quintanilla’s talent for crafting inventive and endlessly satisfying beats is a perfect match for Cervantes’ adroit, socially minded lyricism.
Tráfico’s five other songs only expand on that promise.
One sonic hallmark that dominates the production on the album is the combination of traditional Latin music forms with chopped and screwed hip-hop/trap elements. It’s hard to think of a better sonic marriage of Houston with the rest of South Texas.
Nowhere on the EP is this effect more pronounced than on standout closer “Cumbia de la Lucha,” which flips a classic cumbia sound into a lurching beat that’s equal parts ominous and celebratory. The song marks the first time Cervantes, who often mixes Spanish phrases into his raps, has dropped a track using Spanish only.
Cervantes told the Current that his use
of Spanish on the song brings home the message about “the unification of different Latino groups, including, especially, Chicanos and Mexicanos.”
“The language and the musical genres can be strong points of unity for communities that are often divided,” he said.
Quintanilla also noted that the Spanish in the song parallels the reminder that Mexicans and Chicanos “carry the same energy.”
The EP’s other songs, including the title track, another standout, find Cervantes critiquing capitalism’s effects on the flow of both information and humans, railing against systemic racism and government corruption. At the same time, importantly, he offers hope that people’s movements can be built to force changes.
“They love our culture, but they deport us / Since the beginning, smuggling
Led Zeppelin’s Presence. The evolution continues from there, carrying the listener through more atmospheric passages before a taut and crunchy close.
In short, AXON is a burner, long on both energy and aspiration.
$10, 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, Paper Tiger (Side Stage), 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com.
through roads, records, airwaves,” he raps on “Tráfico,” addressing the way U.S. society exploits members of the Latinx diaspora.
For Cervantes, it’s just natural to treat hip-hop as an important tool for both self-expression and educating for liberation. He takes inspiration from his own experience with having gaps in his education filled by the lyrical content of hip-hop artists including Public Enemy and N.W.A.
“These artists showed me history, especially Black history, in a way that I just wasn’t exposed to in school,” he said.
It’s important, Cervantes added, to never lose sight that hip-hop can be a powerful tool for teaching, for inciting change and for keeping motivation and inspiration high.
Quintanilla, who “only work[s] on music when it is calling [his] heart,” was quick to praise Cervantes.
“I feel like MexStep’s music is important,” Quintanilla said.
Quintanilla said that when working in the studio with the often-reserved Cervantes, he knew he’d found a perfect beat when he “could hear his keyboard really clacking in the background.”
I guess that’s just what it’s like writing rap bangers with El Profesor.
Check out the album for yourself on all streaming platforms as of today. Who knows … you might even learn something or get radicalized for revolution — or at least have a damn good time trying.
Courtesy Photo Donella Drive
Angel Garza
critics’ picks
Wednesday, Sept. 17
Los Shadows
The group Los Shadows bills itself as “four vatos from National City,” California, which doesn’t exactly tell you a lot about the music. Here’s what you need to know: it’s catchy and fun. Think of surf embellished with Latin percussion, laid-back vocals and a few psychedelic freakouts. $18, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Bill Baird
Thursday, Sept. 18
Bleary Eyed, Cashier, elnuh, fawn Indie-rock outfit Bleary Eyed straddle a fine line between shoegaze and computer pop thanks to the heavy use of samples. Born in the DIY movements of DC and Philadelphia, Bleary Eyed’s music seems both distant but familiar, as if you’re hearing it filtered from another room in the house. $17.83, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx. com. — Danny Cervantes
Friday, Sept. 19
Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co. Texas indie-folk luminary Will Johnson has quietly built one of the most impressive catalogs in modern music. For this new project, he’s teaming up with Magnolia Electric Co., another one of the premier names in modern underground indie-folk. Together, under the moniker Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co., they’re playing a short Texas run to honor the songwriting legacy of the late Jason Molina, the beloved mastermind behind Magnolia Electric Co.’s seminal albums. $24, 8 p.m., Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerosesa.com. — BB
Saturday, Sept. 20
Emery, As Cities Burn, The Classic Crime, Good Terms
Seattle-based post-hardcore rockers Emery seem to have done it all since forming in 2001 in South Carolina. Although best known for the decidedly edgy “Walls” from the 2004 album The Weak’s End, Emery continues to push its own boundaries. This performance will highlight the 20th anniversary of Emery’s album The Question $36.88, 6:30 p.m., The Rock Box, 1223 E. Houston St., therockboxsa. com. — DC
Kota the Friend
New York’s Kota the Friend has taken an inspiring DIY approach to hip-hop culture –self-recording and self-releasing most of his music, turning down major label deals and starting his own fashion brand along the way. His rapping flow feels unforced and smooth,
and the beat production is spot-on. 8 p.m., $63, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB
Sunday, Sept. 21
Mon Rovia, Khatumu
New musical hybrids can be an inspiration to behold, and few artists can top Mon Rovia in coming up with a fresh, unexpected and engaging hybrid. A refugee from the Liberian Civil War, the Tennessee-based musician fuses West African idioms with the music of Appalachia and totally makes it work. Lest we forget, the banjo is originally an African instrument. A portion of each ticket sale will benefit victims of Hurricane Helene. 8 p.m., $32, Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — BB
Thursday, Sept. 25
Sonora Tukukuy, El Dusty
Miami’s Sonora Tukukuy updates cumbia music for a new generation. This is a tight, catchy band that’s designed to get people dancing. Meanwhile, Corpus Christi’s El Dusty takes a DJ approach to the infectious Latin musical style, and he knows a thing or two about getting people onto the dance floor as well. $15, 8 p.m., The Lighthouse, 1016 Cincinnati Ave., instagram.com/thelighthouselounge. — BB
Friday, Sept. 26
Warmduscher
UK’s Warmduscher crafts infectious synthpop, complete with matching stage uniforms. The band has been classified as “post-punk,” but that might be stretching things a bit. This sounds like good, old pop music as played by a tight band. Warmduscher has played all
the major UK fests, including Glastonbury, and Iggy Pop and Kool Keith have both guested on their albums, so something special’s happening. 8 p.m., $21, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB
Saturday, Sept. 27
The Struts, Velvet Chains British glam rockers The Struts are touring to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their breakout album Everybody Wants. The band’s throwback sound builds on influences such as Queen, the Darkness and the Strokes but not without new elements that make it distinctive. The Struts’ 2023 album Pretty Vicious showed an evolution to a more contemporary sound. $46.94-$114.51, 9:15 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — DC
37. Cable channel whose first aired show was a rerun of “What’s My Line?”
38. Rafael, the “King of Clay”
39. “Air Music” composer Ned
40. Yoga postures
42. Rogers ___ (retractable roof stadium in Toronto)
43. Letter sign-off
45. Placated
46. Part of an intro for a local hero, maybe
47. “Clue” weapon
48. Precious metal, to Mateo
49. It means a great deal
54. ___’wester (waterproof hat)
55. BP acquisition of the late 1990s
56. Atlantic feature
57. 1/6 of a fl. oz.
58. Smallest amount
59. Bring up
Down
1. Pine goop
2. ___ moment’s notice
3. Abbr. at Midway
4. Two-wheeled excursion
5. Got hitched
6. S as in Socrates
7. 401(k) alternatives
8. Pine goop
9. Had a table for one 10. Bum
11. It means the world to me
12. “King Lear” daughter
13. Vintner’s supply 18. Grandmas, to some 22. Radiohead’s former record label
23. Bit of basil
24. “Zut ___!”
25. It means a bunch
26. BCCed message
28. “___ a dark and stormy night ...”
30. Drink dispenser options
32. “___ Jacques” (children’s song)
33. Made docile
35. It may be enhanced by metal umlauts
36. “The Barefoot ___” (Bogart film)
EMPLOYMENT
38. “Unicorn of the sea”
39. Buyer’s ploy
41. ___ Tome and Principe
42. Hairdo
43. Pigeon’s perch
44. Peseta replacements
45. Boopable body part
47. Franchises with buckets
50. Mauna ___
51. “___ was saying ...”
52. ___ Cruces, N.M.
53. Ophthalmologist’s concern
Answers on page 23.
DPT Laboratories, Ltd., a Mylan company seeks CSV Analyst (San Antonio, TX) to review, assist, & prep comp syst validation deliverables such as documentation, testng & change controls for comp systs in accordance to relevant regulatory protocols such as 21CFR parts 11, 210 & 211. Review implementation deliverables to ensure items will meet regulatory & Viatris/DPT SOP reqts. Reqts: Bach’s degree or foreign equiv in CS, IT, or rltd & 2 yrs exp in postn offered or rltd, incl. 2 yrs exp w/: creatng & facilitating all reqd comp syst validation docmntatn; validation practices (CSV) & standards such as GAMP 4 & 5; electronic doc mgmt practices, tools, & apps, incl. Documentum, D2, SharePoint, Sparta Systems, & TrackWise; computerized syst testng practices, tools, & apps, incl. Selenium, GAMP 5, & SOP; & change mgmt practices, tools, & apps, incl. TrackWise & ServiceNow. Go to www. viatris.com/en/careers, must ref positn title
Evoque Group LLC DBA Clear Design in San Antonio, TX needs a Product Engineering Lead to prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment. Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends. 5% Domestic Travel to any of 50 states, 6 times per year, for client service visits. 5% International Travel to Mexico, 6 times per year, for vendor visits. To apply send resume to hr@evoquegroup.com and refer to Product Engineering Lead in the subject line.
