Including ArtsGoggle, Saturday night’s alright for a lot of things. So is the whole weekend.
BY ELAINE WILDER
METROPOLIS
Four shootings in one weekend in Fort Worth? Time to call in the National Guard.
BY ANTHONY MARIANI
EATS & DRINKS
Magdalena’s Supper Club celebrates a decade of tastiness in style.
BY EMMY SMITH
STUFF
With a league-worst D and league-best O, the Cowboys continue to entertain.
BY PATRICK HIGGINS
MUSIC
Along with nearly 1,000 visual artists, ArtsGoggle Saturday features more than 50 bands, including Love Cuts, a new project from some scene vets.
BY PATRICK HIGGINS
Magdalena’s Magnificence
For their 10-year anniversary, the supper club rocked some very haute cuisine.
By Emmy Smith
Zoo Crew
With two new lion cubs and a baby elephant, Fort Worth Zoo is taking conservation to new heights.
By Teri Webster
Noisy
At ArtsGoggle Sat, don’t miss Fort Worth’s Love Cuts, a.k.a. “The Stooges meet Sonic Youth.”
By Patrick Higgins
Whatever Happened … to Fay Wray?
Genders blend in the most fabulous, revolutionary ways in Kiss of the Spider Woman
By Kristian Lin
Editor: Anthony Mariani
Publisher: Lee Newquist
General Manager: Bob Neihoff
Art Director: Ryan Burger
Marketing Director: Jennifer Bovee
Regional Director: Michael Newquist
Sr. Account Executive: Stacey Hammons
Account Manager: Julie Strehl
Account Executives: Tony Diaz, Wendy Maier, Sarah Neihoff, Wyatt Newquist
Proofreader: Emmy Smith
Brand Ambassador: Clint “Ironman” Newquist
CONTRIBUTORS
E.R. Bills, Jennifer Bovee, Jason Brimmer, Jess Delarosa, Buck D. Elliott, Danny Gallagher, Juan R. Govea, Mark Henricks, Patrick Higgins, Kristian Lin, Cody Neatherly, Rush Olson, Wyatt Newquist, Emmy Smith, Steve Steward, Teri Webster, Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue, Elaine Wilder, Cole Williams
EDITORIAL BOARD
Laurie James, Anthony Mariani, Emmy Smith,
METROPOLIS
Cubs and Calf
Fort Worth Zoo
celebrates three more young’uns, two African lions and one Asian elephant.
BY TERI WEBSTER
Shortly after the sun rises and well before the crowds arrive, some of the most important work at the Fort Worth Zoo is already underway. Behind the scenes of the animals’ sprawling habitats, new lives are stirring.
As fall begins, a fresh season is beginning for a pair of African lion cubs and a female Asian elephant calf. The three babies are growing, learning, and becoming tangible connections to the future of two species.
In late June, the lion cubs’ story began away from public view, in a sheltered den where veteran mom Saba gave birth to a male and female on June 29, 2025.
Behind the scenes, keepers watched closely.
“Initially, the first thing you look for is, ‘Are they nursing?’ and ‘For how long?’ ” said Zach Butler, a keeper for the Predators of Asia & Africa exhibit. “The easiest way for us to monitor that is just weighing them every day to make sure they’re consistently growing.”
In the early days of their development, the cubs wrestled, tumbling over each other in a clumsy imitation of predator and prey. Their instincts quickly bloomed into distinct personalities.
The female cub, Imara (Swahili for “strength”), emerged as the bolder of the two as they played games like swatting at Saba’s tail, typical cub behavior. The male cub’s name is Tamu (“sweet”), a reflection of his gentler nature.
“He’s kind of a mama’s boy,” Butler said of Tamu, who rarely leaves his mother’s side.
Saba cares for them as an “ideal” lioness mom, patiently nursing and bathing them. The habitat was also “baby-proofed” with extra logs and lowered water levels for safety around the pools and waterfalls.
Beyond the habitat, the cubs have found an unexpected guardian in the pride’s stately male lion, Jabulani. The father is doing his part to provide a welcoming and smooth transition.
“He mostly just does his thing and sits around looking pretty,” Butler said. “He doesn’t
really interact with them unless they interact with him first.”
When he does, Jabulani provides gentle, playful care.
“A good sign the dad is OK with his cubs is rolling over with them,” Butler said. “He’s showing sensitive parts like his stomach, like he’s willing to be vulnerable.”
A Genetic Legacy
The cubs are part of an overarching goal to diversify lion genetics in the United States. In the wild, lions have a “vulnerable” conservation status, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Fort Worth Zoo belongs to a cooperative breeding program among North American zoos which is designed to establish a genetically diverse population of African lions. Adult lions Jabulani, Saba, and Abagabae were born at a South African wildlife facility and came to the Fort Worth Zoo in 2012. Their arrival
introduced new bloodlines of lions into North America and varied the gene pool, the zoo said.
“When [the lions] got here, their genetic representation in the U.S. population was basically zero,” Butler said. “There were no lions related to them, which makes them extremely important.”
The new cubs are playing another important role, as well: keeping the pride active. Lions can sleep 16 to 20 hours a day, Butler noted. While the cubs are running around, they also get the adult lions up and moving.
For now, an older sibling, Moja, stays in a private habitat to avoid any roughhousing. Born Oct. 20, 2023, Moja is still a bit of a “big baby” who likes to play and can be very rambunctious, Butler said.
A Spunky Matriarch in the Making
The biggest baby of all, though, is making her own impression at the nearby Elephant Springs
habitat. On Aug. 18, 2025, a 250-pound female calf was born to Bluebonnet, the first elephant calf ever born at the Fort Worth Zoo, in 1998.
The new calf makes the herd’s matriarch, Rasha, a great-grandmother — a rare title for an Asian elephant in North America.
Signs of a healthy calf were immediate: The zoo said she was standing within six minutes and nursing within two hours. After an 11-day naming contest with around 18,000 votes, the calf has been named Lady Bird, after former First Lady and Texas native Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson, who loved nature and wildflowers and advocated for native plants and ecosystems. For weeks, mother and daughter bonded quietly behind the scenes, a crucial period for the calf’s development.
Lady Bird is proving to be active and intelligent.
In the wild, elephants live in matriarchal herds, a dynamic the zoo replicates. The new continued on page 6
The cubs are part of an overarching goal to diversify lion genetics in the United States.
Courtesy Fort Worth Zoo
calf has met all the females and has even reached out with her trunk to touch the male elephants as they walk by in a separate habitat.
“In the wild, the ladies all live together,” Gabby McGee said. “Adult males are pretty solitary and don’t have any part of child rearing.”
Often, a calf’s traits are shaped by whichever elephant it’s around the most.
“They can in fact pick up different personality traits,” McGee said. “Whoever they spend a lot of time with, they will emulate that elephant.”
While people often project human emotions onto animals, the keepers strive to understand them on their own terms.
“They don’t think like a human. They think like an elephant,” McGee said. “We love elephants just as they are.”
The calf’s birth is a reminder of the IUCN’s endangered status of Asian elephants, with as few as 40,000 remaining in the wild. For her keepers, the calf is a living link to a species many may never see in its natural habitat.
“I’ve never been to Asia,” McGee said. “I’ve never been to Africa, but I love elephants. It’s their intelligence and the personal relationships we build with them.” l
Below is a listing of some of the baby animals born in recent years at Fort Worth Zoo. Up-to-date information on all the animals and their viewing times is available at FortWorthZoo.org.
African lion Imara and Tamu born Jun. 29, 2025
Moja — born Oct. 20, 2023
Asian elephant Lady Bird — born Aug. 18, 2025
Travis — born Feb. 23, 2023
Brazos — born Oct. 21, 2021
Mandrill Jasper — born Sep. 13, 2024
Ruby — born Jan. 11, 2024
Reticulated Giraffe Finnigan — born
2, 2024
Ace — born Apr. 1, 2024
Korbel — born Jan. 1, 2024
Colobus Monkey Baloo — born Jan. 24, 2024
Corey — born Oct. 29, 2023
Gharial
Hatchlings were born on Jun. 5 and on Jun. 11, 2025. Hatchlings were also born in 2023 and 2024.
Western Lowland Gorilla Bruno — born Nov. 6, 2022 Latest Baby Animals Born at Fort Worth Zoo
Aug. 18, 2024
Delilah — born Jul.
Bird is proving to be active and intelligent.
Fed Intervention?
Fort Worth suffered four separate homicides last weekend — time for the White House to send in the National Guard
The president has sent federal troops into other cities for much less. It started in the summer, when he called in soldiers to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Both Democraticleaning metropolises were (and still are) experiencing major drops in violent crime. Los Angeles shows a 17% decrease in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period the year before and is on track for a 60-year low in homicides, according to a report by Major Cities Chiefs and local news organizations.
In Washington, crime has been dropping since a peak in 2023, with numbers going down long before the federal takeover in August. In 2024, homicides had dropped by 31% compared to the year before, and overall violent crime fell by about 35%, according to police data, with violent crime decreasing throughout the first half of the year.
The National Guard is now harassing law-abiding Americans and probably sleeping on (and sweeping) floors in Chicago and Portland, Oregon. Both Democrat-leaning cities are also experiencing big drops in violent crime. In the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, violent crime in Portland, local police say, is down “significantly,” with homicides dropping by 51%, the largest decrease of its kind in any major city.
There also have been historic drops in volent crime in Chicago. Homicides are down by 32.3% and overall violent crime by 21.6% compared to the previous years. If you’re looking for lawless cities, the ones the president is attacking aren’t them.
The courts have pushed back on his incursions, calling his tactics unlawful and unconstitutional. In states with Republican governors, the situation is a little different. They’re asking for the president to go after their blue cities (only), which means there’s less legal recourse because the governors requested the assistance.
Anyone with a brain knows it’s all nonsense, just an effort by a low-polling autocrat in the making to create enough turmoil to cancel the midterms (that his side will most assuredly lose) and to keep the world from talking about his name appearing in the files of one of his best friends, a “terrific guy,” and history’s most notorious pedophile. (If “Donald Trump” or some version thereof is not in the Epstein files, they would have appeared on your iPhone U2style on Day 1. The entire reason Republican legislators just shut down the government is to avoid a vote to release all those sordid names.)
After the attacks in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia held a press conference in which he asserted that the city is still “a very safe city.”
He continued, “What often gets forgotten is the overall crime stats of the city that our violent crime continues to go down.”
Overall crime — violent crime — is down in all the cities to which the president has sent federal troops (who most certainly would rather be at home with their feet up). If this level of governmental intimidation and intrusion does not concern you, then I’m afraid you belong to a cult and the Founding Fathers are shaking their heads in shame at you. — Anthony Mariani
Correction
In our annual Best Of issue, a critic incorrectly identified Cancun Mexican Restaurant as a new establishment when it’s actually 25 years old. We regret the error. — A.M.
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.
Despite four separate homicides last weekend, Police Chief Eddie Garcia says Fort Worth is “a very safe city” — as safe as any of the cities to which the president has sent federal troops. There’s a good, openly political reason we’ll be spared.
Saturday, October 11 | 10–11:30 a.m.
Sensory Explorations is a free event for families with children of all ages who are on the autism spectrum. Explore artwork through sensory tools, create art, and enjoy an interactive performance.
Stay in the loop on Access events and resources at the Carter. Sign up for our newsletter at cartermuseum.org/SignUp
STUFF
Little Good, Little Bad
The Cowboys are balancing a leagueworst defense with the most potent offense in the NFL and sit appropriately at .500 a third of the way through the season.
BY PATRICK HIGGINS
Through five weeks, NFL football is once again demonstrating why it’s far and away the biggest sport in the country. The parity in the league rivals all others. With the Bills and Eagles each taking the L on Sunday, there are no more unbeaten teams, the shortest timeframe for that feat since 2014. With most games seemingly decided on final drives, an explosion in sudden momentum-shift plays like blocked kicks, fumbles, and deep shot re ceptions, along with the new kickoff and overtime rules, the product on the field is as good (or better) than it’s ever been.
Believe it or not, a prime contributor to the league’s entertainment value has been your Dallas Cowboys. Forever the team with the largest TV draw, this season’s version has been giving that massive viewership, whether they are cheering for or against the Silver and Blue, plenty to enjoy. Sunday’s absolutely dominant victory in the Meadowlands was against the hapless Jets — a team that’s been so consistently terrible for so long that even my decidedly non-sports-conscious wife was inspired to remark, “Why do the Jets always suck?” Through the first five weeks of the season, Dallas sits at an ice cream headache-inducing .500 record, thanks to the 40-40 tie (a tie?!) with Green Bay a week ago. A more appropriate record simply couldn’t be devised.
The Schotty offense has been able to mask some of the deficiencies of the shotty defense, but that’s not sustainable.
FRIDAY, OCT 17TH
FRIDAY, OCT 24TH
NOV 1ST
On the Town: It’s All Happening
When our annual Best Of special edition hit the stands three weeks ago, our team of critics had much to say. You can read all about their choices in the On the Town section of Best Of 2025 at FWWeekly. com. As we mentioned last week, the Readers’ Choices are in name only. No writers were involved. Just you. And you did great. Buy yourself a drink at one of the places below. Here are some upcoming events at a few of these winning establishments.
A Great Notion for Many Things
These folks didn’t just win your hearts as the Best Bar-Bar, but you also picked A Great Notion (2024 Ridgmar Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-731-8521, Facebook.com/AGreatNotionPub) for Best Bartender — congratulations, Alissa Bedran! — Best Dive Bar, and Best Karaoke Night. Every Sunday afternoon is time for football on TV and darts. The dart tournament entry fee is $15. Signups are at 3:30pm with a start time of 4pm. As for the karaoke, it’s 9pm Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and 7pm on Sundays.
Blackland for Distillery and Mixologist
Eric Riemenschneider, this year’s Readers’ Choice for Best Mixologist, would love to make you a drink with any number of spirits from Blackland Distillery (2616 Weisenberger St, Fort Worth, 682-268-5333, Facebook.com/BlacklandDistillery). As if a great drink isn’t reason enough to visit, there’s live music during the Blackland Fall Music Series, every other Thursday from 6pm to 8pm this week thru early December, featuring local solo artists. Sam Anderson plays Oct 9, Big Mike’s Box of Rock on Oct 23, Jacob Furr on Nov 6, JD Monson on Nov 20, and Jessi England on Dec 11. The series is free to attend, but reservations are encouraged at BlacklandDistillery.com.
Hyena’s for Place to See Comedy
While it does have the word “comedy” in its name, Hyena’s Comedy Nightclub (425 Commerce St, Fort Worth, 817-877-5233, Facebook.com/ HyenasFW) has plenty of competition these days. However, even after 30 years, they are clearly still up for the challenge. Along with booking national touring acts, such as Jack Shaw this Friday and Ku Egenti on Saturday, the club hosts an ongoing event called 325 Showcase. The concept is that three up-andcoming professional get to perform in front of a live audience, each with a 25-minute set. For free tickets to see the next one Thu with Alvin Newsome, Kerry Smith, and Parker Slavens, RSVP on Prekindle.com.
Martin House for Brewery
When Martin House Brewing Co. (220 S Sylvania Av, Ste 209, Fort Worth, 817-222-0177) does a new beer release, it’s accompanied by a great launch party with the same motif. The next such launch
is noon-5pm Sat, Nov 1, when they roll out a new Mexican-style lager. Rancho Grande Fiesta is a family- and dog-friendly event with live music, a petting zoo, and various vendors, including a food menu by Oh Balls! Food Truck. Entry is free for kids and nondrinkers. If you’d like to enjoy some beers, the $20 wristband gets you a souvenir pint glass and four pours of your choice. Wristbands are available at the front of the taproom and on the patio by the bar. There also will be a chance to win a “new (to you) but very used” 2016 Ford Fiesta recently custom-painted to feature a rooster by artist Ryan Davis of Random Direction. If you’d like a chance to win, just guess the number of cans in the trunk before the 3pm cutoff time, when the winner is announced.
Our Taphouse for Beer Selection and Restaurant Bar
These two accolades totally track for Our Taphouse (1001 Bryan Av, Fort Worth, 682-224-0431). On the food side of the readers’ picks, their salsa was named the best, their Jalapeno Popper Empanadas won Best Empanada this year, and thanks to the great beer selection, you can wash all that down with a wide array of suds choices. (That’s four awards, by the way.) According to a tasty-looking recent post, Our Taphouse recommends pairing the delectables with Churro Bandito. “Deep Ellum Brewing is returning to more of their seasonal [beers] this year, and this one hits.” Our Taphouse goes on to explain that this beer is a Mexican lager with cinnamon, vanilla, and just the right amount of sweetness to be delightful but not over the top. As for events, Our Taphouse would love to become your go-to for Thursday night football-watching.
Ol’ South for Late-Night Food
Besides being winners, one thing that all the places above have in common is closing time. After Alissa and Eric serve you drinks all night, you may have mad munchies on the way home. That’s where Ol’ South Pancake House (1509 S University Dr, Fort Worth, 817-336-0311) comes in. They are open 24/7 every day, all year, every year, including at 3am when you really need some coffee. And a German pancake. Or a patty melt (add avocado, trust us).
Who Else for What?
It’s all happening! From dart tournaments and trivia nights to football-watching and Halloween parties, take a moment to check out what our other On the Town winners are up to. For the complete list of this year’s Readers’ Choice winners from Good Grub, look for this Last Call column on FWWeekly.com in the Eats & Drinks drop-down
Best Beer Selection and Best Restaurant Bar totally track for Our Taphouse. As does Best Empanada. Oh, and Best Salsa.
TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND PARTIES:
Molson Coors Usa LLC, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for renewal of Air Quality Permit No. 3114, which would authorize continued operation of a Malt Beverage Production Facility located at 7001 South Freeway, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 76134. Additional information concerning this application is contained in the public notice section of this newspaper.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 6-9:00 PM PALADIN | CLASSIC ROCK
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 5:30-9 PM
TEXAS HIGH ROAD | COUNTRY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 12-3:30 PM BOLTON SSERUNJOGI | FOLK
NON-GMO VERIFIED, HERITAGE DUROC
Higher marbling for flavor and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness rarely found in other chops. Raised to high animal welfare standards without added hormones or antibiotics.
SECOND THURSDAYS ARE ALWAYS FREE! No talking. No food and drinks. No dogs.
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.
THURSDAY OCT 9 | 5–8 P.M.
Bring your best friend (pup or person) for an evening of PAWsome activities on our Plaza crafted with your canine in mind.
EATS & drinks
Full Stomachs, Happy Hearts
Magdalena’s Supper Club celebrates a milestone anniversary.
Magdalena’s Supper Club, 502 Grand Av, Fort Worth. 817-740-8085. Check website for seating dates and times.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY EMMY SMITH
Around twice a month, give or take, groups of about 100 diners each descend on a nondescript building facing Oakwood Cemetery on the North Side’s Grand Avenue. Many are likely foodies
anticipating an Instagram-worthy fine-dining experience as close as Funkytown gets to a Michelinstar meal. Others may be celebrating birthdays or anniversaries.
Last month, the special occasion was the meal itself — the 10th anniversary of celebrated local Chef Juan Rodriguez’s Supper Club, known as Magdalena’s.
The “Desserts Worth Framing”
“For those who don’t know, my Grandma Magdalena was really big on community,” said Rodriguez as he led a toast at the start of the meal. “She always wanted people to leave her house with una barriga llena y corazón contento — a full belly and a happy heart.”
This “first rule of Supper Club” was evident in the atmosphere two Fridays ago at one of the anniversary meals. My husband and I were excited to attend one of the four seatings because we have been going to Supper Club since not long after it began. I remember the first time we went. We continued on page 17
Magdalena’s Supper Club is synonymous with Instagram-worthy plating.
came adorned with a tiny, edible gold picture frame.
were in our early 30s, and the meal felt too good to be true for the price point of around $50 for five or six courses. (That unbelievable price has since almost doubled over the last decade along with pretty much everything else in our lives, but it’s still comparable to other area fine-dining hot spots). We’ve happily returned at least once a year over the past decade, usually for our anniversary but also just when the menu (posted in advance on the website) looks particularly interesting.
When the Weekly first covered Magdalena’s in 2017 (“Buenos Dias, Magdalena’s,” Nov 2017), the author remarked about how the club felt a bit like joining a secret society, with people touting their reservations with pride and comparing how long each waited to get a seat. As the hype has worn down over the years, it’s not as difficult to score a reservation — in fact, it’s harder to keep track of which months and weekends the supper club is even open — but the hype has given way to a familial atmosphere of repeat customers, eager as ever to see what Chef Juan and his team have cooked up and often bringing along first-timers to join in on the fun.
The theme of the 10-year anniversary dinner was to highlight some of the best dishes from supper clubs past, and, since it’s always encouraged, we brought a couple of friends along. As the supper club has always been BYOB, we each brought a bottle of wine from our collections to share.
Over complimentary welcome cocktails of mezcal, cold brew coffee, and various spices, we
introduced ourselves to our tablemates and took in the décor. Huge floral bouquets bisected the long tables, in which sat printed menus with each dish accompanied by the year of its inception, along with several enamel pins in the shape of Mexican pottery or a paella pan — souvenirs for guests to take home.
Because Magdalena’s is a catering business at its heart, Rodriguez and his team have perfected the art of serving a large number of people
simultaneously. A jolt of excitement hit the room as the staff filed in and unanimously set the first plates in front of us. The stuffed arepa with pork belly carnitas and Salvadoran cheese was the perfect start to a meal to remember. Chef Juan had given away that the accompanying salsa de chicatana contained ants — a not uncommon ingredient in Mexican cooking — which likely put some people off, but the sauce provided a nuttiness that helped cut through the richness of the pork and cheese, along with a topping of escabeche (pickled vegetables).
The second course was lightly breaded and fried snapper inside a nixtamal corn tortilla. To amp up the chefiness of the humble taco, the chefs had pressed margiolds and shiso leaves into the tortillas that added noticeable floral and citrus notes that complemented the fish.
Probably the most famous dish in Magdalena’s lore is the ever-popular seafood paella cooked in two enormous paella pans. The Spanish-style rice dish stuffed with lobster, octopus, clams, and shrimp and topped with a lemon aioli has been made by the Magdalena’s team more than 500 times, and it never disappoints.
“It’s what we’re known for,” Rodriguez said.
Finally, pillowy potato gnocchi topped with slow-cooked barbacoa gnocchi rounded out the savory portion of the meal. While rich and delicious in its own right, the paella was just too tough an act to follow for it to be memorable, and the gnocchi was a touch mushy.
For dessert, the chefs wanted to pull out all the stops and showcase three of their proudest Supper Club moments in miniature form in a dish they called “Desserts Worth Framing.” A quenelle of foie gras pistachio ice cream (enough said), a scoop of arroz con leche flavored with matcha, and
a mole-flavored truffle adorned each diner’s dainty plate, and accompanying the elegant bites was an edible gold picture frame made of tempered South American chocolate. Real Michelin-worthy stuff.
It’s been well-documented how notorious Fort Worth is for not being able to keep restaurants open — not just fine dining ones but all kinds. While Magdalena’s is not technically a restaurant, it’s still worth celebrating that such a unique dining experience has made it to this milestone.
“We created a supper club because I missed the restaurant field and wanted to create my grandmother’s dining room to bring people together,” Rodriguez said. “For the past 10 years, from our returning guests to our first-timers, you’ve kept the dream alive. Hopefully, we’ll make it another 10 years.”
For information on future Magdalena’s Supper Club seatings, visit MagdalenasTX.com and get on the mailing list. l
The signature paella is cooked outside in two massive pans.
Chef Juan Rodriguez: “For the past 10 years, from our returning guests to our first-timers, you’ve kept the dream alive.”
NIGHT & DAY
Saturday Night’s Alright
Elton John was right — or Bernie Taupin was, as it were — Saturday night is alright and not just for fightin’.
This curated calendar column typically features one event for each day of the upcoming week. Time and time again, this week’s research went like this: “Ooh, that’s cool. I wonder when it is. Ah, it’s Saturday.” So, here are two fun things to do on Thursday and Friday, but then buckle up. Saturday is so jam-packed, you’ll need a drink come Sunday. What can I tell you? I’m just a juvenile product of the working class whose best friend floats in the bottom of a glass.
At 5pm, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (3501 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-738-1933) is hosting a special dog-friendly event, Second Thursdays: Paws & Pictures, outside on the museum’s plaza. The first 200 people will participate in a craft session with Carter Community Artist Kalee Appleton to create a personalized, custom dog tag. From 5pm to 6:30pm, learn about Henry Moore’s outdoor sculpture and his love for his dog, Fawkes. Then, from 6:30pm to 8pm, there will be a screening of A Goofy Movie (1995). Eats, drinks, and doggo treats will be available for purchase on the plaza thru 8pm. RSVP for free at CarterMuseum.com.
Arlington Music Hall (224 N Center St, Arlington, 817226-4400) has recently snagged some big names in classic metal. Besides Quiet Riot in November and Lita Ford in February, glam rockers Warrant take the hall stage as part of Cherry Pie & the Hits Live tour. While a fan favorite, the title track from the album of the same name was the bane of former singer Jani Lane (R.I.P.). Rumor has it that the label made them do it, and he hated it. He’s probably turning over in his grave (which is in Lewisville, by the way) at the thought of this tour. Tickets start at $60 on Eventbrite.com.
From 11am to 5pm today thru Sun, Jan 25, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (1600 Gendy St, Fort Worth, 817-255-9300) has two new exhibits the kids will be excited about. First, they can discover a career with Barbie You Can Be Anything: The
Experience. Barbie is the ultimate career guide, having had more than 200 jobs over the last 60 years. Explore a variety of careers and learn the story of real-life women who broke barriers in their industry. Then, kids can embark on FWMSH’s newest adventure, DC Super Heroes: Discover Your Superpowers, with your favorite heroes from the DC Universe, including Batman, Cyborg, the Flash, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Explore themes of justice, self-discovery, strength, and teamwork as you track a group of supervillains.
The Barbie and DC Super Heroes special exhibits are included with Museum admission.
It’s also time for ArtsGoggle on the Near Southside. This 23rd annual event features art booths on West Magnolia Avenue showcasing the work of nearly 1,000 visual artists, and the neighborhood bars and eateries will be serving drinks and snacks along the block from noon to 10pm. For a rundown of all the artists, food vendors, live music, and venues involved, as well as information on how to access a free shuttle (please don’t drink
and drive), visit ArtsGoggle.org. There is no cost to attend.
While you’re still in the neighborhood, you may want to check out the inaugural Oktoberfest at Our Taphouse (1001 Bryan Av, Fort Worth, 682-224-0431) 7pm-10pm. There’ll be beer, bratwurst, burgers, and the gypsy brilliance of Brave Combo. There is no cost to attend, and you are welcome to bring lawn chairs.
The Lumber Yard Bar, Grill & Patio (137 S Wilson St, Burleson, 817-862-7400) is kicking off Halloween early with an all-ages Halloween Party & Costume Contest with System of a Down tribute band Lost in Hollywood. Doors are at 6pm, and the show begins at 7pm. Tickets start at $14.14 on Prekindle.com. (For more spooky season ideas, check out our Halloween Issue on Wed, Oct 22. It will be horrifying. Hopefully.)
It’s Yacht Rock Symphony night at Will Rogers Memorial Center (3401 W Lancaster Av, Fort Worth, 817-392-7469). The concert starts at 7:30pm with the original artists who shaped Southern California’s soft-rock era. Ambrosia, John Ford Coley, and Peter “The Voice of Player” Beckett will join the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra onstage to perform their chart-topping Billboard hits from the 1970s and 1980s, including “You’re the Only Woman,” “How Much I Feel,” “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight,” and “Baby Come Back.” Tickets start at $71.20 at FWSymphony.org.
Every Sunday, you are invited to throw on your boldest caftan, wildest muumuu, or finest cow print and settle in for an afternoon of mimosas (boozy or booze-free) with your choice of bubbles and juice at Muumuus & Mimosas at The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FTW). There is no cover, and along with the $3.50 domestic beers and well drinks, there are special discounts for anyone dressed in a muumuu or moo print.
If you’re like me, all the above sounds way too peopley. With the start of the 51st season of Saturday Night Live last weekend, this homebody will be camped out in front of the tele looking for one local lad to appear onscreen. It was recently announced that TCU alumnus Jeremy Culhane, who was involved in the Student Filmmakers Association during his time there, was selected to join the cast this season, along with fellow Texas actor Kam Patterson. We’re so proud, y’all!
By Jennifer Bovee
MUSIC
Love Cuts Deep
Long-time scene vets form loud, psychefuzzy band debuting at ArtsGoggle Sat.
BY PATRICK HIGGINS
This weekend, the 23rd annual ArtsGoggle takes place on the Near Southside. Covering 21 blocks across two streets and boasting more than 1,000 visual artists and more than 50 musical acts, it’s a yearly stop for supporters of local creatives. Despite forcing you to decide between bands slotted in competing set times, often separated by several blocks, these festivals have always been a great way for fans to take in the largest swathe of homegrown musical talent. Like our Music Awards Festivals of the past, ArtsGoggle is a veritable Pokemon Go of (mostly) local music. “Gotta catch ’em all!”
Every year, once the lineups are announced, I circle my must-sees like a kid with a Sears Christmas catalog and plan my itinerary. Hit the Chat Room at noon to kick off the day with some indie rock. Then, catch the shuttle to the East Main Stage by 1pm for a singer-songwriter or soul act. Hoof it over to The Cicada for some punk vibes at 2pm, and so on.
A few weeks ago, I caught wind of a brandspanking-new band that will be making its live debut at the Boiled Owl Tavern on Saturday. Knowing the musical histories of its members, I’ve circled it on the poster, underlined it twice, and planned my whole damned day around making sure I catch them. The group is called Love Cuts, and it features local indie power couple Jennifer and Robby Rux from Year of the Bear, The Fibs, and so many others, returning from a four-year sojourn in Seattle, and playing bass and drums respectively. In addition, Jason Alford from early-2000s-era shoegazers Slumberbuzz, himself recently back home from a yearlong stay in Austin, is picking up his guitar, while Schuyler Stapleton (they/them), formerly of Riot Grrrl send-up Bitch Bricks, has taken on vocal duties.
“I’ve always wanted to play with” The Ruxes, Alford said. “We’ve been into the same style of music and known each other a long time. We’re good friends. Schuyler’s good friends with all of us, too, and we love their style and their voice. It just kind of came together perfectly.”
Forming just about five months ago, though certainly drawing from some of the same stylistic places their former projects have, the band says the sound they’ve developed is unlike anything they’ve individually done before.
“It’s way heavier than anything I’ve done,” Jennifer said.
Alford agreed. “Our songwriting’s really blossomed into a pretty unique thing. It’s got a psychedelic, fuzz-rock thing. It’s noisy, fuzzy, heavy. It’s punky. It’s all these things.”
Robby credits Stapleton for really solidifying the direction of Love Cuts’ sound. They’re “the one who really flipped it,” he said. “It became a lot more punk, and it all just kind of gelled.”
Pressed for some references to illustrate that sound, Love Cuts offered Aussie rockers Amyl & The Sniffers, 2000s New York indie icons the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, or what Robby describes as “The Stooges meet Sonic Youth.” All of which paint an enticing prospect for me, a long-in-the-tooth rock devotee bemoaning the ever-deeper decline of his favorite genre.
We’re more than a decade removed from the high-water mark of the local rock scene that peaked during the heyday of Lola’s Saloon, The Aardvark, The Moon, and The Grotto in the first decades of this century. I’ve spilled plenty of ink in these pages mourning that fewer and fewer rock bands exist and that there are fewer and fewer places for them to play over the years, but Love Cuts (a name that “fits across your knuckles if you want to get the tattoo,” as Alford joked) just might be the latest entry into a potential comeback for distorted guitars and pounding
rhythms. The bill Love Cuts is sharing at the Owl on Saturday is a slate full of goodness that includes indie art-rockers Horsepowers, alt-rockers Yellowbelly, and young punks LABELS, all from the Fort.
“I think a lot of that is coming back,” Alford said of a potential local rock revival. “I think after COVID, people got tired of sitting around, and they want to jump around again — loud guitars, high energy, that sort of thing. I think the circle is coming back around to that.”
Stapleton sees another possible motive. “I think there’s a lot of frustration to get out,” alluding to the current cultural and economic climate.
Whether joining the vanguard of a rock resurgence or not, Love Cuts are just trying to have fun. After the ArtsGoggle performance, they have a few more shows lined up and recording dates scheduled in the coming months. As far as goals?
“Make millions of dollars, take over the world,” Alford deadpanned, the others laughing. “Nah, we’re having a blast,” he went on. “It’s fun stuff to play and fun stuff to listen to as well. We hope.”
Robby echoes Stapelton.
“It’s like they said, with the frustration of the times, it just feels fucking great to bang on the drums.” l
Love Cuts
6pm Sat w/Horsepowers, Yellowbelly, Kalypso, Cavono, and LABELS at The Boiled Owl Tavern, 909 W Magnolia Av, FW. Free. 817-920-9616.
As the hard, psychedelic Love Cuts (clockwise from left), Jason Alford, Jennifer Rux, Robby Rux, and Schuyler Stapleton make their live debut at ArtsGoggle Sat.
SCREEN
The Movie in My Mind
Adapted from a Tonywinning musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman calls LGBT viewers to resist.
BY KRISTIAN LIN
Back in 1985, Héctor Babenco’s film Kiss of the Spider Woman garnered a bunch of Oscar nominations and a heaping side of controversy. During the AIDS epidemic, when gay men were publicly shunned as vectors of disease, merely showing two men having sex was enough to ignite a firestorm. Forty years later, that’s no longer enough to make a movie controversial, and yet the new Kiss of the Spider Woman (adapted from the Tony-winning Broadway musical, which is itself adapted from Manuel Puig’s novel) still manages to come at a fortuitous time, one that’s worth overlooking its shortcomings for.
If you’re not familiar with any of its previous incarnations, this film is set in 1983 in Argentina, where Valentin Arregui (Diego Luna) is a communist imprisoned for his role in a group trying to overthrow the country’s military dictatorship. His new cellmate Luis Molina (Tonatiuh) is a homosexual who’s given heavy incentives to ferret out information about Valentin’s revolutionary cohorts and report them to the warden. However, Luis would rather tell Valentin the plot of his favorite movie, a vintage 1940s Hollywood musical starring Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez) that’s also called Kiss of the Spider Woman
Against the prison’s squalor comes colorful, highly stylized reenactments of the film within
the film, where Ingrid portrays both the modern heroine Aurora and an ancient South American spirit goddess, while Valentin appears as Armando, the rugged romantic hero who steals Aurora’s heart, and Luis becomes Kendall Nesbit, Aurora’s devoted and gay-coded personal assistant. Writer-director Bill Condon leans into the artificiality of the Technicolor musical, as the humble jungle village that Aurora and Armando visit is clearly a set.
When Valentin is brutally tortured in the prison, Armando appears in the movie with only a single photogenic cut above his eyebrow. It’s all meant to be as fake as the blonde wig that Lopez wears through much of the film.
It could stand to be faker, though. Despite his experience directing musicals (Dreamgirls, Beauty and the Beast), Condon’s filming of dance remains stubbornly stagebound. You wish he would take a few more chances with the camera movements during the numbers, particularly with a Broadway show meant to be a tribute to the power of movies.
Lopez remains a proficient dancer and sings the Broadway fare much better than she sang her pop
records from the 1990s, but no version of Kiss of the Spider Woman is really about the Spider Woman. She’s supposed to be playing some feminine ideal in the mind of a gay man, and that’s difficult to do. No wonder Lopez’s turn here feels somewhat impersonal.
The men are on surer footing. Luna gives a beguiling rendition of “An Everyday Man,” and there’s a spellbinding moment after Valentin ventures into the prison yard for the first time after being tortured and hears two random inmates (Federico Salles and Alejandro Ernesto Balbis Ortíz) harmonizing on “Dear One (Querido).” Those songs were both cut from the premiere of the Broadway show and have been restored here, by the way.
The breakout star here, though, is Tonatiuh, the nonbinary newcomer from L.A. who uses either masculine or gender-neutral pronouns. He flashes real star presence during the musical numbers, most notably the finale “Only in the Movies,” and does stellar work as Luis, who does not have the vocabulary in 1983 to define himself as trans or gender-fluid or anything beyond gay. No matter. When Kendall rubs up against Aurora’s
furs and laces and sings “She’s a Woman,” it’s the greatest expression of a man’s longing to be a woman in movie history. Also, Luis spends his one day of freedom going to a movie theater and watching Paul Schrader’s Cat People, a weirdly appropriate choice about transmogrifying humans.
Luis becomes a hero, too, when he realizes that his love of movies isn’t enough for the moment, and he takes a bullet for the cause and the man he loves. As he dies, he has a final vision of himself dancing in a crystal palace in a dress and heels like he always wanted. You can object to yet another movie where the LGBT character becomes a martyr — indeed, Kiss of the Spider Woman raises that very objection.
I’m not in the mood. Just as Luis freely admits that his favorite movie isn’t Citizen Kane, I’ll say that this movie isn’t in the same league as The Long Walk or One Battle After Another, which are also about surviving authoritarian regimes. It still means something, especially with the current White House despicably persecuting trans people and blaming them for podcaster Charlie Kirk’s assassination and other violence without evidence. That’s how the highly imperfect Kiss of the Spider Woman meets its moment. l
Diego Luna and Jennifer Lopez headline a colorful musical fantasy within Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Starring Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and Tonatiuh. Written and directed by Bill Condon, based on Terrence McNally’s musical book and Manuel Puig’s novel. Rated R.
CLASSIFIEDS
Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality
NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN AIR PERMIT (NORI) RENEWAL
PERMIT NUMBER 3114
APPLICATION. Molson Coors Usa LLC, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for renewal of Air Quality Permit Number 3114, which would authorize continued operation of a Malt Beverage Production Facility located at 7001 South Freeway, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 76134. AVISO DE IDIOMA ALTERNATIVO. El aviso de idioma alternativo en espanol está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/newsourcereview/airpermits-pendingpermitapps. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For exact location, refer to application. https://gisweb.tceq.texas.gov/LocationMapper/?marker=97.32,32.644444&level=13. The existing facility and/or related facilities are authorized to emit the following air contaminants: particulate matter including particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less.
This application was submitted to the TCEQ on September 4, 2025. The application will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ central office, TCEQ Dallas/Fort Worth regional office, and the Fort Worth Public Library Wedgewood Branch, 3816 Kimberly Lane, Forth Worth, Tarrant County, Texas beginning the first day of publication of this notice. The facility’s compliance file, if any exists, is available for public review in the Dallas/Fort Worth regional office of the TCEQ. The application, including any updates, is available electronically at the following webpage: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/airpermit-applications-notices
The executive director has determined the application is administratively complete and will conduct a technical review of the application. In addition to the renewal, this permitting action includes the incorporation of permits by rule related to this permit. The reasons for any changes or incorporations, to the extent they are included in the renewed permit, may include the enhancement of operational control at the plant or enforceability of the permit. The TCEQ may act on this application without seeking further public comment or providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met.
PUBLIC COMMENT. You may submit public comments to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. The TCEQ will consider all public comments in developing a final decision on the application and the executive director will prepare a response to those comments. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the TCEQ’s jurisdiction to address in the permit process.
OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. You may request a contested case hearing if you are a person who may be affected by emissions of air contaminants from the facility. If requesting a contested case hearing, you must submit the following: (1) your name (or for a group or association, an official representative), mailing address, daytime phone number; (2) applicant’s name and permit number; (3) the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing;” (4) a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the application and air emissions from the facility in a way not common to the general public; (5) the location and distance of your property relative to the facility; (6) a description of how you use the property which may be impacted by the facility; and (7) a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period. If the request is made by a group or association, one or more members who have standing to request a hearing must be identified by name and physical address. The interests the group or association seeks to protect must also be identified. You may also submit your proposed adjustments to the application/permit which would satisfy your concerns.
The deadline to submit a request for a contested case hearing is 15 days after newspaper notice is published. If a request is timely filed, the deadline for requesting a contested case hearing will be extended to 30 days after mailing of the response to comments.
If any requests for a contested case hearing are timely filed, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for a contested case hearing to the Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. Unless the application is directly referred to a contested case hearing, the executive director will mail the response to comments along with notification of Commission meeting to everyone who submitted comments or is on the mailing list for this application. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material air quality concerns submitted during the comment period. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the Commission’s jurisdiction to address in this proceeding.
MAILING LIST. In addition to submitting public comments, you may ask to be placed on a mailing list for this application by sending a request to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. Those on the mailing list will receive copies of future public notices (if any) mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk for this application.
AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. All public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address and physical address will become part of the agency’s public record. For more information about the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. You can also view our website for public participation opportunities at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/participation.
Further information may also be obtained from Molson Coors Usa LLC, 7001 South Freeway, Fort Worth, Texas 76134-4001 or by calling Ms. Janeth Rodriguez, Environmental and Sustainability Engineer at (817) 615-5505.
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