The $40 Rally Sombrero leads the way through a trove of culinary adventures at Rangers home games this season. STORY AND PHOTOS BY
FEATURE
Freedom of what information? See the craziest national FOIA rejections of the year. BY
NIGHT & DAY
The FWSO, astronomical society, Bass Hall, and more have star-studded events on tap. BY
ELAINE WILDER
SCREEN
TCU alum Jeremy Culhane is quietly, riotously standing out on SNL. BY
MUSIC
It’s a lot to ask, considering WWIII, but see some shows at the Owl, Cicada, Tulips, and Tannahill’s. BY
OZZIE GARZA
DANNY GALLAGHER
STEVE STEWARD
INSIDE
Outta Here
Things may seem bleak, but there’s always music. Live music, in particular. By Steve Steward
FOIA’n Around
And we’re finding out just how hard it is to obtain public records. By Electronic
Rib It
Comedian and former Horned Frog hits the big time via SNL. By Danny Gallagher
7th Inning Stretch (that Belly)
The Rangers are going all out with their new ballpark menu.
By Ozzie Garza
STAFF BOX
Editor-in-Chief: Anthony Mariani
Art Director: Ryan Burger
Special Projects Manager: Jennifer Bovee
Calendar Editor: Elaine Wilder
Film Editor: Kristian Lin
Music Editors: Patrick Higgins, Steve Steward
Proofreader: Emmy Smith
Editorial Board: Anthony Mariani, Emmy Smith, Steve Steward, Elaine Wilder
Contributors: E.R. Bills, Jennifer Bovee, Jason Brimmer, Amber Chadwick, Jess Delarosa, Buck D. Elliott, Danny Gallagher, Ozzie Garza, Juan R. Govea, Mark Henricks, Patrick Higgins, Laurie James, Kristian Lin, Cody Neatherly, Rush Olson, Emmy Smith, Kena Sosa, Steve Steward, Jennifer Zooki Sturges, Teri Webster, Ken WheatcroftPardue, Elaine Wilder, Cole Williams
Owner / Publisher: Lee Newquist
Director of Operations: Bob Niehoff
Director of Sales: Michael Newquist
Director of Marketing: Jennifer Bovee
Account Manager: Julie Strehl
Sr. Account Executive: Stacey Hammons
Account Executives: Tony Diaz, Wendy Maier, Sarah Niehoff, Wyatt Newquist
Brand Ambassador: Clint Newquist
COPYRIGHT
The
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DISTRIBUTION
Cover photo by Ozzie Garza
FEATURE
The Foilies 2026
Recognizing the worst in government transparency.
STORY BY THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION AND MUCKROCK, ILLUSTRATIONS BY SHELBY CRISWELL
For the last six years, a class of journalism students at the University of NevadaReno has kicked off each semester by filing their first Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
The assignment: Request copies of complaints sent to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about their favorite TV show, a local radio station, or a major broadcast event, such as the Grammys or the Super Bowl halftime show. The students are learning that the federal government and every state have laws establishing the public’s right to request and receive public records. It’s a bedrock principle of democracy: If a government belongs to the people, so do its documents.
In the past, the FCC always provided records within a few weeks, if not days, but that changed in September, when students requested consumer complaints filed against NPR and PBS stations to see if there was absolutely anything at all to merit defunding public media. Seven months later — crickets.
Now the students are learning to persevere even when public officials demonstrate an utter disdain for transparency. And The Foilies are here for it.
Established in 2015, The Foilies are an annual project by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and MuckRock to recognize the agencies, officials, and contractors that thwart the public’s right to know. We give out these tongue-in-cheek “awards” during Sunshine Week (March 15-21), a collective effort by media and advocacy organizations to highlight the importance of open government.
This year, we’ve got a few “winners” whose behavior defies belief.
But it’s not all negative. Those same Reno students are also assigned to file public records requests for restaurant health inspections. This semester, the records started to show up in their inboxes within 20 minutes.
If every agency followed Northern Nevada Public Health’s example, we could sunset this Sunshine Week project.
The Love Letters Award — Gov. Greg Abbott
Last spring, the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott withheld communications between himself and one of the state’s most powerful business figures, Elon Musk. The office claimed that the communications were exempt from public records law because they would reveal confidential legal and policy discussions, including how the state entices private companies to do business in Texas or “intimate and embarrassing” information. The claims were unelaborated boilerplate language based on exemptions in Texas’ public records law, but if you’re wondering what “intimate” and “embarrassing” exchanges Abbott and Elon Musk shared over email, you may be waiting a while.
Last fall, the Office of the Texas Attorney General ordered Abbott’s office to release nearly
1,400 pages of communications between Abbott and Musk. About 1,200 of those pages were fully redacted — just sheets of gray obscuration. The records that were released don’t reveal much more than an invitation to a happy hour or a reminder of the next SpaceX launch.
The Shady Screenshot Award — Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
The Department of Homeland Security’s banner year of lawlessness included backsliding on its transparency obligations.
In response to a request from the nonprofit American Oversight, DHS stated that it was no longer automatically archiving text messages sent between officials. The department clarified that it had a new, and much worse, records retention policy. Instead of archiving officials’ text
messages as the agency had done before, DHS now asks officials to take screenshots of any text messages conducting government business on their work phones.
It’s hard to see the change as anything more than a giant middle finger to the public, especially because the Federal Records Act requires agencies to retain all records officials create while conducting their public duties, regardless of format. We won’t hold our breath waiting on DHS officials to dutifully press the volume and power button on their phones to record every text message they send and receive.
The Discardment of Government Efficiency Award — DOGE
As the Trump administration took over last year, there was a looming threat over government transparency: the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE. Billionaire Elon Musk, soon to be the de facto leader of DOGE, proudly claimed “there should be no need for FOIA requests” and “all government data should be default public for maximum transparency.” What quickly became apparent was there may be no need for FOIA requests because there may be no FOIA officers to fulfill those requests.
DOGE quickly went to work slashing through the federal government, including seizing control of the U.S. Institute of Peace. Part of the takeover included restricting access to the agency’s FOIA system and firing the employees responsible for fulfilling FOIA requests, according to a letter sent to Bloomberg reporter Jason Leopold. Meanwhile, when CNN filed a FOIA request with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for information about Musk and DOGE’s security clearance, they were told: “Good luck with that,” because the FOIA officers had been fired.
DOGE also argued that its own records are exempt from FOIA under the Presidential Records Act, meaning records cannot be accessed until five years after Donald Trump is out of office.
While DOGE “doesn’t exist” anymore according to the OPM, there remains a lasting continued on page 7
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott claims some of his emails with Elon Musk are too “intimate” and “embarrassing” to be released.
DALLAS BURROW
Come break the rules and say “yes!” to new art experiences at the Carter’s Second Thursdays!
Every Second Thursday is different than the last. You’ll never think of museums in the same way again.
LANDSCAPES & LEGENDS
Explore new interpretations and stories of the American West for a night focused on the exhibition New Horizons: The Western Landscape. THURSDAY APR 9 | 5–8 P.M.
dark mark on the state of FOIA and records management.
The Secret Eyes in the Sky Award — Chula Vista Police Department, California
In 2021, Arturo Castañares at La Prensa San Diego filed a request with the Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) for copies of videos taken by drones responding to 911 calls as part of the city’s “drone as first responder” program. One of the goals was to evaluate the technology’s efficacy and risks to civil liberties.
The city worked overtime to maintain the secrecy of the footage at the same time officials publicly touted the drones as a revolution in policing. That’s some impressive trust-us-butdon’t-verify chutzpah.
The city argued that every second of every video recorded by its drones was categorically off limits because they were law enforcement investigative records. They even got a trial court to initially buy the argument, but an appellate court ruled that the investigatory records exemption is more limited, shielding only drone footage that is part of a criminal investigation or evidence of a suspected crime. Footage of wildfires, car wrecks, wild animal sightings, and the like are not criminal investigations and must be disclosed.
The California Supreme Court rejected both of CVPD’s appeals, and a trial court bench slapped the city for inaccurate and incomplete court filings. In the end, the city had to shell out north of $400,000 to its outside lawyers, then paid Castañares’ lawyers more than $500,000 when he prevailed.
So, what were Chula Vista police hiding? A bunch of routine service calls, such as unverified reports of a vehicle fire and a vehicle collision.
Now, according to La Prensa’s reporting, officials are trying to raid a public safety fund created by voters to reimburse the city for the cost of its ill-advised secrecy.
The
Flock You
Awards — Taunton Police Department, Massachusetts
If you live in one of the 5,000 cities where surveillance vendor Flock Safety claims to have established relationships with local cops, you may have noticed the sudden installation of little black cameras on poles by the side of the road or at intersections. These are automated license plate readers (ALPRs), which document every vehicle that passes within view, including the license plate, color, make, model, and other distinguishing characteristics. The images are fed to Flock’s servers, and the company encourages police to share the images collected locally with law enforcement throughout the country.
continued on page 9
A Southern California police department refused to release any of its drone footage.
In 2025, journalists and privacy advocates started filing public records requests with agencies to get spreadsheets called a “Network Audit,” which shows every search, including who ran it and why. Accessing these audits uncovered abuse of the system, including: investigating a woman who received an abortion, targeting immigrants, surveilling protesters, and running racist searches targeting Roma people.
In response, some cities have terminated their contracts with Flock Safety. Other law enforcement agencies, and Flock itself, have gone a different direction.
The police department told the ACLU of Massachusetts to cough up $1.8 million if the organization wanted its network audit logs — the highest public records fee we documented this year. The civil liberties group filed requests with agencies throughout the state for the audits, and most agencies handed over the spreadsheets for free and with little fanfare. Taunton, however, said it would take 20,000 hours to process the request at $86.57 an hour.
Flock Safety responded to criticisms of its ALPR network by sending legal threats aimed at trying to silence its critics. First, the
The police department told the ACLU of Massachusetts to cough up $1.8 million if the organization wanted its network audit logs — the highest public records fee we documented this year.
company used a bogus trademark claim to threaten DeFlock.me, a crowdsourced map of ALPR. (EFF represented its creator.) Then it hired a company to try to get the hosts of HaveIBeenFlocked.com, which hosts an interface for searching these network audits, to remove the site from the internet. l
The Foilies were written by EFF’s Beryl Lipton, Dave Maass, and Aaron Mackey and MuckRock’s Dillon Bergin, Kelly Kauffman, and Anna Massoglia.
A Massachusetts police department asked for $1.8 million to process a public records request.
SCREEN
Live from New York TCU alum Jeremy Culhane is one the
shiniest
egotistical characters than a Cannonball Run sequel.
This trend has finally cooled down during the show’s 51st season, and it happened just in time.
Cast member and TCU alum Jeremy Culhane joined the cast in September last year along with four new performers. It hasn’t even been a full year, but Culhane is shaping up to be one of the show’s best new finds in everything from straight man roles to dead-on impressions of notable names.
Culhane is a Los Angeles native who attended TCU from 2010 to ’14 and also performed in the student improv group Senseless Acts of Comedy.
As a professional actor, he scored regular and recurring roles on shows like Netflix’s American Vandal, Paramount Network’s TV adaptation of the ’80s dark comedy Heathers, and HBO’s The Sex Lives of College Girls
to break the internet in other ways. My favorite is the silliness he and cast member Mikey Day put on display in a sketch called “Pinwheel.” Host and comedian Nikki Glaser is saying goodbye to a group of fantasy friends who appear to be some kind of mid-station “Animorph” sprites in an other-worldly kingdom of pure happiness. Culhane and Day ramp up the silly with wideeyed Norwegian accents as they become enamored with the pinwheel Glazer gives them. At one point, one of the pinwheels breaks off from its stick on live TV, but the two roll with it. They resist the urge to “Fallon” the scene by breaking.
new stars on the long-running Saturday
Culhane is best known among his hundreds of thousands of fans on TikTok (@ jazzy_jelly), where his video “Get ready with me for my date!” amassed over 9 million views, changing the trajectory of his career. He’s also one of the regular players on Dropout TV programs such as the Emmy-nominated comedy panel show Game Changer and the improv game show Make Some Noise.
Night Live
.
BY DANNY GALLAGHER
One of my biggest pet peeves with Saturday Night Live is the recent trend of bringing in big-name celebrities to impersonate people in the news or just appear in sketches for the sake of shining their star to the camera.
SNL always felt like a show where new comedy talents could have a place to thrive for a national audience. That’s hard to do when stars like Matt Damon are playing then-Supreme Court judicial candidate Brett Cavanaugh and Ben Stiller regularly appears as former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.
It still happens occasionally but not with the fervor of the first Trump administration, a presidency that gave the world more predictable,
Most recently, he captured the internet’s attention with a spot-on and much-needed impression of bloviating talking head Tucker Carlson during a Weekend Update segment in March with anchor Colin Jost. Culhane deftly pulls apart Carlson’s “I’m just asking questions” act by bemoaning the choices of this year’s Oscar candidates before bellowing that giant fake laugh that’s actually “the soul of an 18th-century mental patient trying to escape from this locket.”
If anyone deserves to be dressed down on SNL these days, it’s Captain Confused Dog Face, and Culhane clearly did his homework. I feel sorry for Culhane when I imagine how many hours he had to watch Carlson’s social media show on X to get the impression just right.
Culhane’s Tucker Carlson is his most noteworthy appearance, but he’s found success in all sorts of roles that show how he’s destined
Another one of Culhane’s destined-to-be-recurring characters happened during a different Weekend Update segment called Mr. On Blast. The Mr. (Insert Character Trait Here) concept has been done on SNL since the 1980s. (Remember Mr. No Depth Perception?). But it’s a clever way to to show off Culhane’s physical abilities. Mr. On Blast is an ego-driven call-to-tasker who thinks he’s putting people in our neverending stream of current events in their place, but it’s just an excuse to dance to silly synthesizer exclamations in a variety of different ways. It’s a simple idea with a brilliant execution.
Culhane has also been cast as the straight man in several sketches throughout the season, such as playing opposite one of Melissa McCarthy’s socially awkward psychopaths in “Free Samples” and portraying notable names like Coach Bruce Pearl and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse in two of the show’s signature “cold opens.” He sticks the landing every time and resists urges to even crack a smile that would otherwise break some impeccable writing and dedicated preparation.
Culhane seems to have cemented his place as a regular player on SNL. He presents hilarious characters and well-researched impressions, even when he’s just in the scene to set up his fellow castmate or the celebrity host for a joke. TCU should be expanding its theater and improv programs instead of condensing its departments to produce more top-notch talent like ones destined for stardom like Culhane. l
Jeremy Culhane (left) captured the internet’s attention with a spot-on and much-needed impression of bloviating talking head Tucker Carlson during a Weekend Update segment in March with anchor Colin Jost.
EATS & drinks
Food on Film: Forbidden Fruits
BY ELAINE WILDER AND KRISTIAN LIN
A new movie with North Texas ties has us hungry for apples, cherries, figs, and pumpkins. Yes, pumpkin-flavored everything is back on the table. A chilly Easter weekend made revisiting some fall favorites seem not so crazy. After you read this film review about high-fashion witches bringing the dark arts to a Dallas mall, stick around for the credits (i.e., a few tasty dining suggestions).
Forbidden
Fruits: Poison Apple
I always thought The Craft was one of the best teen movies of the 1990s. It’s hard to make a teen film about witches that is neither too serious to be fun nor too camp to hold any stakes, but Andrew Fleming’s 1996 movie walks that tightrope. This generation could use its own version of The Craft , and while Zoe Lister-Jones’ pandemic-era sequel wasn’t up to the job, Forbidden Fruits is much nearer the mark. On top of that, it’s set in North Texas, so you can catch the movie in its native setting.
Our main characters, Apple, Cherry, and Fig (Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp) are all saleswomen at a highend clothing store called Free Eden. Completing their circle is Pumpkin (Lola Tung from TV’s The Summer I Turned Pretty ), who works at the mall’s pretzel stand and walks into the store wearing a paper hat and bearing a tray of free pretzel samples. Despite their aversion to carbs, the ladies believe Pumpkin is fated to become their colleague because she is also named after a fruit. They perform a disgusting induction ceremony involving a spangled cowboy boot and this incantation: “Goat’s milk thigh gaps rose petals bone caps truffle oil bitch slap blood clots juice press.”
The film takes place in Dallas’ Highland Place mall, which you know is fictitious. It looks
like NorthPark from the outside but not on the inside. In fact, the movie was shot in Toronto, though someone (either first-time director Meredith Alloway or co-writer Lily Houghton, whose stage play Of the woman came the beginning of sin and through her we all die is the basis of the film) gets the local references right, as Fig informs the Plano native Pum that Apple is from Grapevine and Cherry is from Highland Park, “though she isn’t rich or anything.”
Regardless of who’s writing this, the comic voice here is original and confident, as the witches worship Marilyn Monroe as a martyred saint and think they’re striking a blow against the patriarchy by ordering lattes. The induction ceremony also has Apple telling the other girls, “Blow me,” which in this instance means they have to take a puff of her marijuana cigarette and blow the smoke into her mouth. When one customer wants to buy sun protection for her new baby, Apple says, “That’s so thoughtful. If I had a kid, I’d never think about them at all.” Pumpkin has her own agenda in joining this group, and Apple’s controlling tendencies give her lots to work with, as both of the others are hiding things from her. (Fig turns out to be secretly pursuing a master’s degree in astrophysics, which I wish the movie told us more about.) Then, too, there’s an outcast from the group named Pickle (Emma Chamberlain), who now wanders the mall zombie-like. Pum first sees her banging her head against Free Eden’s shop window.
Having famously played a wallflower on seven seasons of TV’s Riverdale , Reinhart here makes a formidable and funny coven leader, and she’s particularly good during the bloody climax, when the coven and Apple’s sanity both disintegrate while a tornado hits the mall. The visuals don’t match the energy of the story development, but I’m sure budget considerations played a factor in that. I have mixed feelings about the post-credits epilogue, too, when Free Eden’s oft-alluded-to-but-never-seen store manager finally appears onscreen. (I’ll let you find out who portrays the manager.)
This film treatment is beguiling often enough to make me wonder what Alloway could have done with greater resources. Can someone show her the high-end merchandise? — Kristian Lin, Film Editor
Ate Days of Food on Film
After all this talk of apples, cherries, figs, goat’s milk, pumpkins, pretzels, and truffle oil, and references to Dallas, Grapevine, and Plano, I’m ready for a North Texas culinary adventure Perhaps a “progressive dinner.” Remember continued on page 13
Lola Tung receives Lili Reinhart’s seal of approval while Victoria Pedretti and Alexandra Shipp look on in Forbidden Fruits.
Eats & Drinks
those? I do. But then again, I was raised Baptist For those unaware, that is a social event in which participants travel to different homes for each course of a meal. But I digress. Anyhoo …
Thanks to a big-ass shipment of Cranberry Orange Goat Cheese from LaClare Creamery that just landed in the walk-in cooler at Town Talk Foods (three area locations), appetizers will be served at my place. Either toasted or straight out of the bag, a smear of this on a King’s Hawaiian brand sweet pretzel slider bun is #ChefsKiss. Shaping it into a ball and rolling it in dried cranberries is another presentation option. This particular flavor had a limited run, and now the remaining stock is now at the local favorite discount grocery. Albertson’s, Sprouts, Tom Thumb, and Whole Foods stock this brand, but with an MSRP of $6 for a 4-oz package, a 99-cent test run at Town Talk is a smart buy.
For a salad fix, my go-to is the amazing Shack Salad ($14.49) at The Cookshack (500 University Dr, Fort Worth, 817-367-9151). When this fried chicken eatery first brought the heat to town, our food critic described its salads as a “chunky lunch that would not leave you hungry an hour later.” This can’t be said of many salads. A generous portion of sliced grilled chicken is served on a bed of mixed greens with almonds, avocado, corn, dates, goat cheese, and cherry tomatoes, dressed with Champagne vinaigrette.
And while it doesn’t have figs, it does have dates. People sometimes confuse the two (me: I’m “people”). It turns out that figs and dates are distinct fruits from different plant families, each with unique tastes, textures, and nutritional profiles, according to MedicineNet.com. Figs (from Ficus trees) are soft and jammy and filled with tiny edible seeds. Dates (from palm trees) are chewier and stickier and taste more like caramel, typically holding a single, large pit. Look at you, learning stuff.
Want to see the film at the mall that inspired it? The AMC theater at NorthPark Center (8687 N Central Expy, Dallas, 214-363-7441) has screenings, but future showtimes won’t be released until Wednesday. Visit AMCTheatres. com/movies/forbidden-fruits-82601 for updates. This means an array of dining options
from pretzel stands and movie popcorn to highend dining at Maggiano’s Little Italy and NM Cafe/Bar On 3 at Neiman Marcus
Of course, we also have our own NM Cafe here at Clearfork (5200 Monahans Av, Fort Worth, 817-989-4650), which is open for lunch 11am-3pm Mon-Sat and noon-3pm Sun. The words “cafe” and “lunch” suggest a menu stacked with tasty sandwiches and seasonal options like mandarin orange soufflé ($25), but there is also pan-roasted salmon ($32) under mains, with asparagus, crispy artichokes, and a strawberry-balsamic relish that sounds amazing. Or, to keep your adventure light and on theme, try some truffle fries from the starters menu paired with a specialty cocktail like the Apple Season (blanco tequila and Aperol with lemon, apple, grapes, and honeydew).
Now, for dessert.
Known for its prime rib and lamb chops, American steakhouse Mac’s on Main (909 S Main St, Ste 110, Grapevine, 817-251-6227) also has a signature dessert that fans rave about. Apple Galette, a rustic-style apple tart, is traditionally served with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. Mac’s uses a local supplier for theirs, Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream (3100 Independence Pkwy, Ste 215, Plano, 972-943-3639) for its high-butterfat (16%) and premium flavors.
If you do get out there and see this film in the theater, purchase your tickets at Fandango. com. They have a buy-one-get-one ticket offer right now. Buy one ticket to Forbidden Fruits , and get one ticket free (equal or lesser price, up to $15 total ticket price and fees) with code
FFBOGO. — Elaine Wilder, Calendar Editor
The Shack Salad features grilled chicken on a bed of mixed greens, topped with almonds, avocado, corn, dates, goat cheese, and cherry tomatoes and dressed with a Champagne vinaigrette. Courtesy The Cookshack
Roll the cranberry orange goat cheese that just landed in the walk-in cooler at Town Talk in some extra cranberries for a sweet cheeseball appetizer.
EATS & drinks
New Ballpark Food
The $40 Rally Sombrero leads the way through a trove of culinary adventures at Rangers home games this season.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY OZZIE GARZA
Bring your appetite and your wallet if you’re coming to Texas Rangers home games this year. The team officially unveiled their new food menu for the 2026 season, and it’s hats above other teams.
The season’s headliner is the $40 9th Inning Rally Sombrero, a nine-layer dip served inside a
26-inch fried tortilla shell filled with refried beans, cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, black olives, jalapeños, and shredded lettuce, plus tortilla chips. It’s a special treat for vegetarians.
For fans preferring meat and a different kind of hat, there is the Chicken Tender Helmet. Filled with 12 tenders and two pounds of fries, it comes in a full-size souvenir batting helmet.
For those wanting sweets instead of meat in their souvenir helmet, there is the Churro Helmet Sundae, filled with scoops of Blue Bell ice cream, warm churros, and classic sundae toppings.
Globe Life Field Cuisine is in a league of its own. It’s the place where you can basically sample some of the best food in all of North Texas. While the main attraction will be on the diamond, the concessions stands will come a close second. continued on page 16
The season’s headliner is the $40 9th Inning Rally Sombrero, a nine-layer dip served inside a 26-inch fried tortilla shell.
Fans will have the ability to create their own dirty soda with their choice of fountain soda syrup flavor and various sundae toppings choices.
Fans are definitely thrilled about the new menu. “I see a new ballpark tradition of a few beers and 9th Inning Sombrero Rally Hats everywhere,” said Randi Thraves of Arlington. “Just watch out for flying guacamole.”
While there is supposedly no crying in baseball, fans will be crying for mucho mas sombrero food.
Other menu items include:
* Texas Ribeye Sandwich —grilled Nolan Ryan Beef ribeye steak topped with chimichurri, sliced tomato, and fresh arugula on a soft roll, served with French fries.
* Texas Tenderloin Sandwich — sliced Nolan Ryan Beef tenderloin served on a brioche bun with Gouda cheese, Dijonnaise, and balsamic-dressed arugula, served with French fries.
* High Steaks Nachos — crispy tortilla chips topped with white queso, chopped Nolan Ryan Beef tenderloin, pico de gallo, salsa, and sour cream.
* Grilled Chicken Sandwich — juicy grilled chicken breast on a brioche bun with provolone cheese, Dijon honey mustard, lettuce, and tomato, served with French fries.
* Pork Wings — smoky, succulent pork “wings” tossed in Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and finished
with a peppery seasoning blend.
* The Pig Kahuna — teriyaki-glazed pork patty topped with sweet and salty peanut butter sauce and a grilled pineapple ring on a four-inch bun, served with potato chips.
* Elote Dawwg — Texas chili jumbo all-Angus beef hot dog topped with roasted corn, chili lime crema, and cotija cheese.
* Hawwt Dawwg Biscuits & Gravy — double-battered and deep-fried Texas chili jumbo all-Angus beef hot dog served on a split buttermilk biscuit and smothered in country gravy.
* Texas Tamale Torta — soft bolillo roll spread with refried beans and filled with pork tamales, salsa verde, chili-lime crema, and cotija cheese.
* Classic Garlic Fries — fresh fries tossed in garlic butter and topped with shaved Parmesan cheese.
* Loaded Pretzels — jumbo Bavarian pretzels available in jalapeño cheddar, everything seasoned, or cinnamon sugar varieties.
* Captain Kids Meal Box — hot dog or chicken tenders served with fries and a drink in a Texas Rangers Captain lunch box.
* Mocktails — a selection of nonalcoholic specialty beverages.
* Dirty Sodas — bringing the viral drink to the ballpark. Fans will have the ability to create their own dirty soda with their choice of fountain soda syrup flavor and various sundae toppings
choices.
Chef Chris Vasquez said they began planning the food menu as soon as the final out was made in the previous season. The culinary team came up with a wide variety of winning creations that are sure to leave fans craving more. It is truly a home run in creativity and taste.
For those unable to meet the cost of the new
menu delicacies, there will be, once again, the ever-popular dollar hot dogs every Wednesday night. As a lifelong baseball fan and ballpark food aficionado, let me just say that a hot dog at Globe Life Field beats a steak at The Lonesome Dove. l
Ozzie Garza has been writing about the Rangers for more than 25 years. He is a frequent contributor
The Rangers’ High Steaks Nachos are crispy tortilla chips topped with white queso, chopped Nolan Ryan Beef tenderloin, pico de gallo, salsa, and sour cream.
MUSIC
Noteworthy
Tulips,
The Cicada, the Owl, and Tannahill’s all have fantastic shows coming up
… if we’re all still in one piece.
BY STEVE STEWARD
Look, I’m going to just write it right here: It does feel weird to think about going to see live bands (or doing anything fun, really) when Donald J. Trump, the president of the United States of America, is on the verge of starting a third world war. I don’t know what else to say about that, other than it really crushes me to think that the world didn’t used to suck this bad. I fear that we are all about to have to learn a whole new set of coping mechanisms for whatever realities lie at the end of his murderous, dementia-hastened trajectory. Is there a segue into a list of notable shows in April that will not be read as glib, facetious, or nihilistic? Probably, though I haven’t yet been able to drum one up. The best I can do is exhort you to spend as much time together, in person, in the moment, because strengthening the bonds within your community is one of the few things that have been effective in resisting the authoritarian moves of this administration. Anyway, here are some recommended shows for April. Go see some bands and hug your friends when you get there.
Tulips FTW
On Wed, Apr 29, Melbourne, Florida’s deathcore band Bodysnatcher’s Road to Carnage tour comes to Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis Av, Fort Worth, 817-367-9798), with support from 200 Stab Wounds, Gates to Hell, and BODYBOX. These bands all have Florida death metal in their DNA, though you could probably say those infernal nucleotides are floating in equal proportion to the same from metalcore bands like the Acacia Strain and August Burns Red. I suspect that the same person who might say of these groups, “I just can’t do the Cookie Monster-vocal-type bands” is also someone who still thinks it’s funny to call athletics “sportsball,” so don’t bother asking that person to go with you if that sounds annoying, unless they also happen to enjoy being designated driver.
The Cicada
In addition to regular programming like the jazz jams on the first and third Sundays of the month, karaoke every Tuesday and Thursday nights, and Nightshade Burlesque every first Friday night of the month, the SoMa venue’s April calendar is pretty solid. This Saturday, The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth) is the Fort Worth stop of the Oddballs & Outlaws tour, which features IV & the Strange Band (fronted by Hank Williams’ great-grandson Coleman Emmet Williams), “crooning comedy sensation” Clownvis, and King Sickabilly, a.k.a. “Psycho” Dave Sasquatch, whose brand of honkytonk is described as dark and apocalyptic — probably appropriate given that the president of the United States threatened to obliterate a “whole civilization” Tuesday morning. On Sat, Apr 17, weed-scented Haltom City fuzz-lords The Me-Thinks anchor a bill that also features pop-punkers Heavy Petal and, in the opening spot, The Spectacle, the 2026 Weekly Music Awards winners for Best Metal Band.
The Owl
Yes, shows at the Boiled Owl Tavern (909 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth) are kind of like watching a band in someone’s living room — they do have to set up in front of a sectional couch, after
all — but I see that as a bonus, because what better way to experience a live band in all its raw reality than from three feet away? OK, fine. From five feet away is probably better, but whatever. I work there, so I’m biased, but in any case, Fort Worth emo-dude Ryker Hall and his band are the main draw at the Owl on Sat, Apr 11, with Abilene-based indie-rockers PIPEDOG starting the show at 9:30pm. The following Friday (Apr 17), Arlington alt-rockers Yellowbelly (the Sunny Day Real Estate influence on this band is delightfully apparent) headline the Owl with Depression Nap opening.
Tannahill’s
Tannahill’s Music Hall and Lounge (122 E Exchange Av, Fort Worth, 817-900-9300) has Saliva booked on Fri, Apr 17, and that will certainly appeal to some people, and if you are one of them: Hey! Did you know Saliva is playing at Tannahill’s on April 17? I bet you did, and have a good time! Personally, I’d prefer to go see Americana troubadour Phil Hamilton the next night at this same venue, but to each their own. I wish I knew a Saliva lyric that would make a good stinger for that line. There’s a Tom Petty tribute at Tannahill’s on Sat, Apr 25, called the Broken Hearts, and that sounds pretty fun, too.
Like I said, it does seem weird to do anything fun right now, but art, culture, community, love, and grace for your fellow humans — these are all stubborn obstacles to the goals of the fascist war criminals in the White House and all their craven enablers in the Congress and tech. Show up for one another. We’ve got to have each others’ backs, whether it’s filling a room for your friends’ band or standing by their side at a protest rally. Maybe none of it will ultimately matter, but we still have to fucking try. l
This column reflects the opinions of the editorial board and not the Fort Worth Weekly . To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.
We suspect that the same person who might say of groups like Bodysnatcher (Tulips Wed, Apr 29), “I just can’t do the Cookie Monster-vocaltype bands” is also someone who still thinks it’s funny to call athletics “sportsball.”
NIGHT & DAY
Star Struck: Arts, Astronomy & All That Jazz
The stars align for some great events this week.
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is bringing another video game music experience to life at Bass Performance Hall (525 Commerce St, Fort Worth, 817-212-4280) Fri-Sat at 7:30pm. The Music of SQUARE ENIX: Magic, Memories, and Melodies features a full orchestra and chorus performing themes from the games, including CHRONO TRIGGER, FINAL FANTASY, KINGDOM HEARTS, Legend of Mana, NieR, Octopath Traveler, and more, accompanied by video game footage. Tickets start at $54 at FWSymphony.org.
The moon is getting a lot of attention this week thanks to Artemis II, but the Fort Worth Astronomical Society invites you to a special solar event. Join them at TX Whiskey Ranch (2601 Whiskey Ranch Rd, Fort Worth, 817840-9140) for the Solar Gazing Party 6pm-9pm. Using specialized solar telescopes, guests will safely gaze at the sun while guides talk them through what they’re seeing and answer all their burning questions. Tickets are $11.99 and include a 30-minute guided solar viewing experience and one TX Whiskey cocktail. Reserve a spot at TXWhiskey.com.
Speaking of Artemis II, on Monday, the four astronauts aboard NASA’s test flight around the Moon made history when they reached 248,655 miles from Earth — surpassing the farthest distance ever traveled by humans, a record previously set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Their mission is more than halfway through, and they are scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego at approximately 6pm CST
today. Live and original programming is available on the agency’s free streaming platform, NASA+ Programming is also available on the NASA App, third-party streaming services, and social media platforms. See what’s what at NASA.gov/ways-to-watch.
Comedians Magen King and Donna Lee have back-to-back dates in Fort Worth and Irving. They’ll be at Big Laugh (604 Main St, Ste 100, Fort Worth, 512-817-9535) on Saturday and Punchline (310 W Las Colinas Blvd, Ste 130, Irving, 469-262-0130) on Sunday, each at 7:30pm. The organizers of the double-headliner show starring King and Lee promise it will deliver real stories, real perspectives, and the kind of humor that hits a little too close to home — in the best possible way. “If you’ve ever balanced family, work, relationships, stress, or just tried to survive modern life without losing your mind,” they say, “this show is for you.” For pricing and ticket info, visit FortWorth. BLComedy.com and PunchlineIrving.com.
Winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Choreography and Best Costumes, and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, Some Like It Hot opens tonight at Bass Performance Hall (525 Commerce St, Fort Worth, 817-212-4280) and runs thru Sun, Apr 19. Set in Chicago during Prohibition, this musical tells the story of two jazz musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime. Tickets start at $44 at BassHall.com.
The world is coming to see us this summer as the FIFA World Cup hits several major U.S. cities, including Arlington from Thu, Jun 11, thru Sun, Jul 19. To help you get in on all the local action, we’re launching a weekly Big Ticket column featuring watch party info and more. This is where you’ll hear about Rex’s Bar & Grill (1501 S University Dr, Fort Worth, 817-968-7397) as a watch-party location for fans of Japan. There will be a giant soccer ball. The world’s biggest inflatable soccer ball? Perhaps. Meet me back here next week, and I’ll tell you more. Meanwhile, keep an eye on our sports columns in Stuff at FWWeekly. com. We’ll have sports coverage throughout the festivities, starting, well, now. For example, even as the tournament expands to 48 teams, many terrific players will still be missing out. Read all about it in Kristian Lin’s recent Stuff piece (“The Best Players Who Won’t Be at World Cup 2026,” Apr 1). In short, our summer of soccer starts now! Read Big Ticket every week for watch-party info and Stuff for our #HotSportsOpinions.
By Elaine Wilder
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is bringing music from video games like KINGDOM HEARTS to life at Bass Performance Hall.
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HUNGRY HOUND HUSTLE!
Saturday, April 25
Join us at Trinity Trails @ Clear Fork for this annual dog-friendly 5K/1K fun run benfitting Don’t Forget to Feed Me, North Texas’ only pet food bank (DontForgetToFeedMe.org). Not a runner? There’s also a Catnap for Hunger! Register today at: HungryHoundHustle.org
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ZZZ ... Don’t Sleep on This!
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