San Antonio Current — January 11, 2023

San Antonio Current

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30 Feature Music Maker

Friends remember St. Mary’s Strip venue owner Blayne Tucker as a tireless live-music champion

07 News

The Opener News in Brief

Bad Takes

Texas prisons’ absurd book bans serve no one, including the society into which inmates return

Weakened Oversight

With organizing on the rise, San Antonio unions worry about National Labor Relations Board’s paltry funding Weed decriminalization looks destined for San Antonio ballot after petition hits 35,000 signatures

15 Arts Animal Instincts

San Antonio artist Hilary Rochow draws for a more compassionate world

Canceled Comedians? T.J. Miller, Louis C.K. and Chris D’Elia are all performing in San Antonio despite sexual misconduct claims

23 Screens

Feast for the Senses

Stunt actor and San Antonio native Chris Silcox was part of Babylon’s much-talked-about party scene

High and Dry

Music

South Texas Remodeled Cirriqui brings changes to old Liberty Bar space — and to South Texas culinary favorites

On the Cover: Beyond co-owning The Mix, the late Blayne Tucker put in tireless work on behalf of independent music venues. Photo courtesy of the Tucker family. Design: Samantha Serna.

Courtesy Photo / Tucker Family

HTexas teenagers will now be required to obtain parental consent to get birth control at federally funded clinics. In December, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled that Title X, a program that gives free, confidential contraception to anyone who needs it, violates parents’ rights and state and federal law. The ruling, which can be appealed, strikes another blow against Texas women’s reproductive autonomy.

Former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has a new gig: college professor. Wolff, who served as the county’s top elected official from 2001 to 2022, will hold the title of University Distinguished Service Professor at St. Mary’s University and will also serve as a non-faculty advisor and lecturer at the University of Texas at San Antonio

HLast week, San Antonio-area extremist militia This is Texas Freedom Force (TITFF) wasted no time in suggesting without evidence that Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals because of a COVID-19 vaccine. “What are the odds the Covid vaccine played a role in the death of the Buffalo Bills player on the field?” the group’s Twitter account posted shortly after Hamlin collapsed — even though he’s still alive.

Peter Sakai was sworn in as Bexar County judge on New Year’s Day, taking the oath of office in front of 300 friends, family members and well-wishers at the Bexar County Courthouse The 68-year-old Democrat won the election to replace Nelson Wolff in November, besting Republican Trish DeBerry with 57% of the vote. “I’m going to give it my all,” said Sakai, the first Asian American to serve in the position. — Abe Asher

YOU SAID IT!

“It’s interesting to watch. But, at some point, everybody in every profession has go to call it quits. There’s a guy there in Congress. Maybe he should look in the mirror and call it quits. But sometimes your ego is so massive, you just can’t do it. … I’m not talking about me, by the way”

—

San Antonio Spurs

Coach Gregg Popovich, on U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s mad scramble to be voted House speaker.

Playing Racial Prop Master with U.S. Rep. Chip Roy

Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.

Few serious political observers think racial justice is on U.S. Rep. Chip Roy’s radar. After all, the Texas Hill Country Republican was one of just three members of Congress to vote against a bill making lynching a federal hate crime.

Roy explained that he opposed the bill’s “woke agenda,” in case anyone wondered.

But amid California U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s days-long humiliation as he tried to win enough far-right support to become House speaker, Roy positioned his opposition to the bid as a stand for racial diversity in the House.

Early in the process, Roy nominated Black U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds as a potential spoiler for McCarthy’s bid, explaining that electing the Florida Republican would be a history-making move.

In his speech, Roy even threw in a quote from the late Martin Luther King Jr. to show he was truly down.

But, after squeezing more concessions out of McCarthy, Roy and enough of his cronies threw their support behind the California congressman to let him claim his prize. Meanwhile, Donalds, whom Roy called an “old friend” during the nomination, ended up shunted to the side.

In a tweet, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, made it clear she saw through Roy’s bullshit: “FWIW [Byron Donalds] is not a historic candidate for Speaker. He’s a prop.”

In comments reported on by National Public Radio, Bush pointed out that House Republicans showed little interest in promoting Donalds until he could be weaponized against McCarthy.

“To hear Chip Roy stand up and say this is not about color ... it absolutely 100% is, because if you were nominating him on his worth and merit, I think none of us would have been surprised because we would have seen him do leadership things,” she explained.

With Roy’s history as a bomb thrower — from engineering U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s government shutdown when he was the Texas Republican’s chief of staff to trying to adjourn the House rather than let it vote on a Ukraine aid bill — it’s easy to concur that the congressman’s nomination of an “old friend” is just the latest in a long line of assclown stunts. — Sanford Nowlin

Ahead of a visit to El Paso last week, President Joe Biden announced a new asylum plan that infuriated immigrant-rights advocates. Under the new rules, the White House will immediately begin turning away migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without documents, while allowing just 30,000 migrants per month from those countries to enter the U.S. and work legally for up to two years.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has launched an investigation of the Northeast San Antonio bar where Councilman Clayton Perry was reportedly served 14 drinks the night he was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash. Surveillance footage captured bartenders at the Evil Olive bar and grill serving Perry the drinks, according to a police affidavit. The bar could lose its liquor license or face fines depending on the outcome of the investigation.

A new report by online rental marketplace

RentCafe found that San Antonio continues to experience torrid demand in its housing rental market. There are 12 potential tenants looking to rent every rental unit in the city, according to the study’s findings. Researchers also found that 94% of all rental properties in the city were occupied. — Abe Asher

Twitter / Chip Roy

Texas prisons’ absurd book bans serve no one, including the society into which inmates return

BY KEVIN SANCHEZ

Editor’s Note: Bad Takes is a column of opinion and analysis.

If you think one of the few upsides of ending up in prison is that you’d be able to catch up on all the reading you failed to find time for while on the outside, think again.

The Marshall Project, a bastion of criminal justice journalism, asked every state prison system for a list of books inmates were prohibited from reading. While just 18 states replied, the resultant list, published last month as a database, comprises 54,000 titles. More than 9,000 of those are banned in Texas’ prisons alone.

The Lone Star State already leads the nation in books yanked off the shelves of school libraries, according to a recent PEN America analysis. But telling someone on death row they’ll never be allowed to read Alex Haley’s Roots represents a new low in petty infantilization. Add to that classic The Color Purple, The Prince of Tides, the prison letters of activist George Jackson, three collections of short stories and poems by Charles Bukowski, one by David Foster Wallace, five novels by Joyce Carol Oates, five by Irvine Welsh, three by John Grisham, two by Mario Puzo, a Gore Vidal, a Ray Bradbury, and even — I shit you not — the Stephen King novella that inspired the Oscar-nominated film The Shawshank Redemption

Not only can’t Texas convicts read about prison breaks, they also can’t learn to code C++ because of “security concerns,” can’t consult road atlases or almanacs since that could “facilitate an escape” and can’t read about boxing legend Jack Dempsey because they might get pugnacious.

According to Texas officials, The Wit And Wisdom of Archie Bunker is off limits because it includes “racially charged language” (duh), Poker Plays You Can Use “advocates gambling” (double duh) and Clive Barker’s The Great And Secret Show evidently features an act of bestiality, if you needed another reason to not read Clive Barker.

Comedian Richard Pryor’s autobiography, fittingly titled Pryor Convictions, which recounts his tumultuous childhood growing up in a brothel and efforts to

overcome drug addiction, is off-limits too — despite how invaluable those life experiences might prove for those struggling to put their own lives back together.

The Lone Star State also prevents prisoners from accessing “sexually explicit” comics by Robert Crumb, Alan Moore and Frank Miller along with graphic art by H.R. Giger or Alejandro Jodorowsky. It also bans a graphic novel about working-class hero Joe Hill — because goodness help us if those with a lot of time on their hands took up drawing. Or labor activism.

And, for the philosophically inclined, there’s no Introducing Nietzsche or Introducing Foucault, lest the “docile bodies” ensnared in the panopticon think too hard.

I even had to inform my own mother that she must avoid committing felonies since two of Danielle Steel’s romances made the list.

Outlawing any depiction of drug use, nudity or violence could effectively censor the bulk of Western literature. No books about dream interpretations are permitted, for example, since those may be sexual in nature. Even books that glamorize the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle, from biographies of Jimi Hendrix to Tom Petty to a FAQ book about The Rocky Horror Picture Show are verboten to Texas prisoners.

One wonders who the state-sanctioned smut hunters were that got paid to read through all these books.

Less funny is the fact that the sole justification provided for many of the bans is their portrayals of rape, which applies even to Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will, a stridently feminist critique of rape culture.

Rose Luna, head of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, relayed in an op-ed for the Austin

American-Statesman, that five of the nation’s 10 most sexually violent prisons in the country are in the Lone Star State. Newsweek magazine, not generally known as a fringe or outlandish publication, credibly called Texas the “prison rape capital of the world.”

Just don’t try reading one of the most impactful books of the 20th century about rape. Because that’s contraband.

Of course, not being free to peruse Mysteries of the Mexican Pyramids is the least of most prisoners’ troubles. Though they can’t partake of the works of the Marquis de Sade, they endure sadism on a regular basis. As Bolts magazine Managing Editor Michael Barajas, a former San Antonio Current editor, reported last summer, thanks to a gaping loophole in the 13th Amendment against slavery, “Texas is one of seven states, all in the South, that force people in prison to work but pay them nothing for almost all jobs.”

“The agricultural industries in Texas prisons sometimes even lose money,” Barajas later told the Texas Standard. “I think sometimes the cruelty of the labor is the point.”

So, slave labor is still legal in Texas. But for one of those laborers, after an exhausting unpaid workday, to read an accurate portrait of slavery such as Alex Haley’s Roots violates the rules.

Although it’s tempting to dismiss the absurdity of Texas prisons’ book bans, as “out of sight, out of mind,” remember that 95% of state prisoners ultimately return to society, perhaps to a community near you.

Wouldn’t you rather they at least had the chance to become well-read — and perhaps a better person — while serving their sentence?

Wikimedia Commons / Robert Stringer

Weakened Oversight

With organizing on the rise, San Antonio unions worry about National Labor Relations Board’s paltry funding

BY KARLY WILLIAMS

Despite increased labor organizing activity across South Texas — and the country — the first congressional funding bump in a decade for the federal agency overseeing U.S. labor law came in at just $25 million.

The increase, approved as part of the massive omnibus spending bill, will help the already understaffed National Labor Relations Board avert furloughs, something unions said would cause further blows to their mission. Even so, many worry the additional money simply isn’t enough.

Frank Perkins, President of Teamsters Local 657 in Windcrest said the lack of resources at NLRB could hurt organizing drives and slow the processing of labor board charges. In addition to processing petitions, the agency conducts union elections, oversees collective bargaining and probes potential labor law violations.

The NLRB receives about 20,000 to 30,000 charges per year from employees, unions and employers, covering a range of unfair labor practices, according to its website. NLRB agents must investigate each of those, and a 57% rise in union election petitioning in 2022 has increased processing time for the agency, unions warn.

“[As a result,] the employer has more time to try to intimidate the employee,” Perkins said.

In San Antonio alone, Starbucks workers continue to organize, and the NLRB also is overseeing the bargaining efforts by workers at nonprofit arts group SAY Sí.

Jolt Union President Jen Ramos said she’s been frustrated at the time lag on two unfair labor practice charges her union filed with the agency. The union represents workers at Jolt Action, a nonprofit that encourages Latinx political participation.

One of those charges involved a union member that was terminated without notice the day before Thanksgiving, according to Ramos. She said the union has reason to believe he was fired illegally for his outspoken support of labor.

Twenty other employees at Jolt Action — which maintains offices in Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio — have left over the past six months, she added.

“We have been told our claims could take from six months to a year to get heard,” Ramos said. “There has been a major push for unionization, which is good, but for workplaces that need the help and support, this is just an added

Weed decriminalization looks destined for San Antonio ballot after petition

hits 35,000 signatures

BY MICHAEL KARLIS

Areferendum that would decriminalize low-level marijuana possession in San Antonio, among other criminal-justice reforms, appears destined for the ballot in May.

As of the Current’s Monday press time, police accountability group Act 4 SA, voter-mobilization outfit Ground Game Texas and roughly a dozen other progressive organizations said they

planned to submit more than 35,000 signatures Tuesday to the city clerk for verification. The groups need just 20,000 verified names to get their San Antonio Justice Charter in front of voters.

Other than decriminalizing small amounts of pot within city limits, the charter would end the criminalization of abortion in San Antonio. It also

struggle to getting fair treatment.”

Greg Gamez, business manager for the International Union of Elevator Constructors’ San Antonio local, said the NLRB’s lag times are a significant blow to efforts to boost wages at a time of record inflation and wage stagnation.

“This is not just about unions. It’s about an American worker,” Gamez said. “When union pay increases, so does other private sector pay — to compete with those jobs.”

Gamez — who has written to Texas

elected officials on the issue — said backlogs will continue to increase with furloughs and underfunding.

At the San Antonio local for the American Postal Workers Union, President Alex Aleman said he’s concerned for fledgling unions in the South that already face the challenge of being located in a right-to-work state.

“It would have a bigger effect on newer organizers at places like Starbucks and Amazon,” Aleman said. “People in San Antonio need better wages and better lives so they can stay here.”

would codify the San Antonio Police Department leadership’s current ban on no-knock warrants and police chokeholds.

“So many long hours filled with sweat, and even some tears, went into gathering these signatures, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the incredible folks who were out there putting in the hard work,” Act 4 SA Executive Director Ananda Tomas said in an emailed statement.

The charter would still need approval from San Antonio voters in the May election. The city’s powerful and deep-pocketed police union has promised to campaign against it.

Michael Karlis

Michael Karlis

SPURS VS. WARRIORS

When the Spurs fell to the Warriors in November, the rout sent San Antonio into an 11-game tailspin that tested the young team’s resolve. Jordan Poole proved to be the difference maker for the defending champions in San Francisco, leading all scorers with 36 points. For the rematch, the Spurs return to the Alamodome, the arena they called home for nine seasons, including their first championship campaign. Some 60,000 fans will be in attendance to celebrate the franchise’s 50th anniversary. After a brief stretch of playing .500 basketball, the Spurs remain on the lower end of the standings. With Devin Vassell recovering from an arthoscopic procedure on his left knee, it will take a team effort to replace his average of 19 points per game. The Warriors’ lackluster record away from home presents a golden opportunity for the Spurs to get a win on national television, despite Vassell’s absence. $17 and up, 6:30 p.m., Alamodome, 100 Montana St., (210) 207-3663, alamodome.com, ESPN. — M. Solis

convey their untold stories. DeAndrade would later channel that passion into prolific careers in both wildlife photography and filmmaking. Ultimately, he became host of Nat Geo’s digital series Untamed, which shines a light on the intricacies of daily life for animals across the globe. In many aspects, DeAndrade is achieving his goal of giving a voice to the voiceless. In this National Geographic Live presentation, DeAndrade will discuss approaches to navigating toward one’s life passion and living with intent. Throughout the talk, he’ll showcase some of the world’s most amazing animals, from jumping spiders to jaguars, and even one of the rarest in the world — the hawk moth. $15-45, 2 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 2238624, tobincenter.org. — Brandon Rodriguez

MON | 01.16

SPECIAL EVENT

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MARCH AND CELEBRATION

After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, San Antonio’s Martin Luther King Jr. March and Celebration — one of the largest such gatherings in the United States — will take place in person for 2023. The 36th annual event will start at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy and culminate with a park celebration at Pittman-Sullivan Park. As in years past, the park celebration will include a main stage with multicultural performances, a health and wellness zone, a youth area, food and merchandise vendors and information booths. Free, 10 a.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, 3501 Martin Luther King Drive, Pittman-Sullivan Park, 1101 Iowa St., sa.gov. — Nina Rangel

the glockenspiel. His stand-up specials The Overthinker and Live (At the Time) are both available to stream on Netflix, and his 2016 feature film Dean, a comedy-drama about a cartoonist, won the Founder’s Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival. Along with his success onstage and in film, Martin is also an acclaimed writer, who’s penned two New York Times bestsellers. $39.50-$149.50, 8 p.m., Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — BR

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE: UNTAMED WITH FILIPE DEANDRADE

Brazilian-born filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade credits animals with saving his life. After growing up in the poverty-ridden favelas of Rio de Janeiro, DeAndrade sought refuge from his abusive upbringing among the sights and sounds of the nearby rainforest. During those formative years, he formed a passionate bond with animals and decided to help

MARTIN: THE JOKE MACHINE

FRI | 01.20

SPORTS SPURS VS. CLIPPERS

The Spurs look for their first win this season against Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers following a pair of losses to the team in November. The seven-time All-Star paced the Clippers with 32 points when the teams last met in San Antonio, to help overcome a career-high 29 points from Devin Vassell for the Spurs. George went on to miss seven games due to a strained hamstring, which he recently tweaked during a game against the Miami Heat. The Spurs closed out 2022 with a tight loss to Dallas that included a 51-point performance from Luka Doncic, and the team opened the new year with a dispiriting 36-point defeat against the Nets in Brooklyn. With the halfway point of San Antonio’s rebuilding season in the rearview mirror, the Spurs remain on course for a 14% chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery and the rights to draft French phenom Victor Wembanyama. Next up for the Spurs is a three-game West Coast swing that concludes with a contest against the Clippers in Los Angeles. $10 and up, 7 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com, Bally Sports SW-SA. — MS

Spurs / Reginald Thomas II

National Geographic— Comfort Theory

Jaime Monzon

Courtesy Photo / Empire Theatre

Spurs / Reginald Thomas II

FRI | 1.13SUN | 01.29

SPECIAL EVENT

DREAMWEEK

From Jan. 13-29, the 11th annual San Antonio DreamWeek will provide a series of civic-engagement events scheduled around Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Founded by Shokare Nakpodia, a Nigeria native and San Antonio advertising executive, the 17-day series provides plenty of food for thought about race, social justice and empowerment — and it kicks off with an opening ceremony breakfast ($65, 7:30-9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13, Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., dreamsecured.org/dwsa-opening). Additional information and a full calendar of events is available online at dreamweek.org. — Karly Williams

DREAMWEEK GALLERY TALK: REPRESENTATION & IDENTITY IN PIERRE DAURA’S GOOD HENRY (1947)

Catalan American artist Pierre Daura left his native Spain to live in Virginia — a formerly segregated state — after he sustained injuries fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Daura painted Black staff members at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg to the dismay of his employers at the school. American art curator Regina Palm of the San Antonio Museum of Art tells the story of Daura’s struggle to paint his fellow human beings in the divided American South. $5, 6-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org.

‘BETWEEN YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW: PERSPECTIVES FROM BLACK CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS OF SAN ANTONIO’

“Between Yesterday and Tomorrow: Perspectives from Black Contemporary Artists of San Antonio” presents art related to Black history and identity, family dynamics, social connections and spirituality. Curator Barbara Felix has included drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, digital media, sculpture and quilting by artists including Calvin Pressley, Don Stewart, Naomi Wanjiku and Angela Weddle, among many others. After a Jan. 19 opening reception, the exhibition will be on view through Nov. 17. Free, 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, Culture Commons Gallery, 115 Plaza De Armas, getcreativesanantonio.com.

PUSHOUT: THE CRIMINALIZATION OF BLACK GIRLS IN SCHOOLS

Nonprofit Empower House (formerly Martinez Street Women’s Center) is presenting this documentary inspired by the book of the same name by Monique W. Morris, which addresses the educational, judicial and societal disparities facing Black girls in the U.S. education system. Showing the consequences of the double burden of racism and patriarchy, Pushout tells the stories of girls fighting for a fair chance in the institutions that are supposed to protect them. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Free, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, Black Potion, 1900 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 101, empowerhousesa.org.

ÒLÀJÚ AFRICAN MARKET FESTIVAL

The seventh annual African Market Festival hosted by Òlàjú Arts Group is returning to Brick with a marketplace, performances, a fashion show and an art exhibit. Conceived in Nigeria and founded in Texas, the group launched the festival as a space to present art, food, fashion and culture for Africans and by Africans, although it is open to all. Uchennaya Ogba, co-founder of San Antonio-based EHCÜ Public Relations, will serve as master of ceremonies. $25, 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, african-market.olajuartgroup.org.

DREAMING OF HAUTE

This event benefiting LGBTQ+ nonprofit Fiesta Youth combines three fashion shows across three hours under one roof, bringing together South Texas clothing designers, hair and makeup artists and fashion businesses. The 18-and-up plus show is organized by Carrie von Loudon, Crystal Combs and Richie Combs. $45-$95, 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham St., dreamingofhaute.eventbrite.com.

WE BELONG IN SAN ANTONIO: A DREAMWEEK POETRY DECLARATION

Sponsored by the office of San Antonio’s Immigration Liaison, CIELO Unity in Action, the Arab American Community Network and the Alamo Chapter for Human Rights, DreamWeek Poetry Declaration will host writers, orators, dancers and singers from the Alamo City and beyond as they present works in multiple languages. The show conveys a story of hope, resilience and prosperity.  Free, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 723 S. Brazos St., (210) 271-3151, guadalupeculturalarts.org.

A CELEBRATION OF MLK FOR DREAM WEEK

The San Antonio Philharmonic — formed after the San Antonio Symphony’s dissolution last year — will bring a contribution of live classical music to DreamWeek. The orchestra, overseen by guest conductor Charles Floyd, will perform a selection of spirituals arranged by Floyd, along with Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and the first movement of William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American.” Featured bass-baritone Timothy Jones of Houston will also bring his decades of vocal experience to the show. $45-$65, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, Jan. 28, First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough Ave., (210) 201-6006, saphil.org.

Reminder:

Although live events have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. Check with venues to make sure scheduled events are still happening, and please follow all health and safety guidelines.

Saige Thomas Courtesy Image / City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture

Rene Hernandez

NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN

After the white supremacist bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham took the lives of four young Black girls on Sept. 15, 1963, legendary jazz singer Nina Simone grappled with her grief by writing a series of protest songs. Her songs “Mississippi Goddam,” “Ain’t Got No, I Got Life,” “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” and “Four Women” became ironclad battle cries for the civil rights movement. Nina Simone: Four Women, which makes its regional debut at the Public Theater this month, recounts the brutal aftermath of the Birmingham terrorist attack, accompanied by Simone’s soul-stirring musical response to the events that unfolded around her. Alongside Simone (Debra Elana), audiences will become acquainted with three other Black women — Sarah (Danielle King), Sephronia (Stephanie D. Jones) and Sweet Thing (Rebekah Williams) — as they each try to heal the emotional wounds inflicted on them and their community. Heart-wrenching, empowering and true-to-today, Nina Simone: Four Women is a testament to the undeniable political power of artistry. Special performances of this production include post-show conversation nights on Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, a sensory-friendly performance on Feb. 5, and ASL-interpreted performances on Feb. 10 and 12. $15-$45, 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, The Public Theater of San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Place, (210) 7337258, thepublicsa.org. — Caroline Wolff

SAT | 01.21SUN | 01.22

SPECIAL EVENT MONSTER JAM

Start your engines, San Antonio. Monster Jam is once again set to take over the Alamodome. During two separate shows, monster-truck fans will be able to watch famous machines including Zombie, Grave Digger and Megalodon tear up the dirt in a series of racing, donut and freestyle competitions. This iteration of the Monster Jam Pit Party will allow fans to get up close and personal with the massive trucks and their favorite drivers, according to organizers. Pit Party ticket holders will also be able to get autographs, take pictures and partake in other family-friendly activities. Those special passes run an additional $20 per person. $20-$175, 7 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Alamodome, 100 Montana St., (210) 207-3663, alamodome.com. — NR

SAT | 01.21

DANCE

MALPASO DANCE COMPANY

Beloved Cuban dance troupe Malpaso Dance Company is bringing its captivating choreography and collaborative creative process to the Alamo City. Founded to bring Cuban contemporary dance into the 21st century, Malpaso works with high-level choreographers from the Ca-

ribbean nation and beyond. The company is led by its three founders: resident choreographer and artistic director Osnel Delgado, executive director Fernando Sáez and associate artistic director Daileidys Carrazana. $35, 8 p.m., Carver Community Cultural Center, , 226 N. Hackberry St., (210) 207-7211, thecarver.org.— BR

SAT | 01.21

THEATER

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

This production’s single-night stand at the Majestic Theatre invites audiences to get to know the inspiring woman behind some of the 20th century’s most influential R&B anthems. Many are familiar with Aretha Franklin’s vocals and lyrics, but R.E.S.P.E.C.T. offers an intimate and energetic exploration of the lesser-known corners of the powerful vocalist’s life, including her humble church choir beginnings, the childhood loss of her mother and grappling with overnight stardom in the throes of an abusive marriage. Set against the backdrop of Franklin’s greatest hits, including “Natural Woman,” “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me,” “Chain of Fools” and the musical’s title track, this raw

and rousing tribute features a live band, a powerful vocal ensemble and a timeless tale of unyielding pursuit of passion, even in the face of terrifying uncertainty. $35-$95, 8 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — CW

Mia Isabella Photography

Courtesy Photo / Monster Jam

Todd Rosenberg

Jeremy Daniel

Animal Instincts

San Antonio artist Hilary Rochow draws for a more compassionate world

BY BRYAN RINDFUSS

Born in Alabama but raised primarily between Massachusetts and Maine, Hilary Rochow has been an artist for as long as she can remember.

Indeed, she started selling her work in preschool, Xeroxing her drawings and making DIY newspapers she priced at a nickel apiece. As a young girl, she grew frustrated with her inability to realistically recreate characters from the animated shows she watched on TV. However, by high school, she’d gotten the hang of representational drawing and routinely sketched convincing anime characters and otherworldly creatures to inhabit the fairytales of her own imagination.

These days, Rochow is becoming well known for her realistic animal drawings, which she painstakingly renders with felt-tip pens. What’s lesser known is that her studious approach and pared-down style are informed by a winding path through studies in veterinary science and industrial design.

In anticipation of her upcoming show with fellow artist Hilary Jean at Mercury Project, we dropped into Rochow’s Southtown studio to learn more about her process and her journey to now. The show, “Common Ground,” opens Saturday, Jan. 21.

Changing courses

Although she took to art early, becoming a veterinarian had long been Rochow’s professional goal.

“That had been my Plan A my whole life,” she explained during our visit. “I wanted to study animal behavior and conservation, and ultimately work for a zoo.”

But something shifted while she was studying pre-veterinary medicine as an undergrad at Auburn University in Alabama.

“I was enjoying the classes and doing well … but there are some practices to becoming a veterinarian that weren’t things that I wanted to participate in,” she said. “I had a little identity crisis where I had no idea what I was going to do.”

With encouragement from her father, Rochow investigated Auburn’s industrial design program and found her footing there.

“It felt like home,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh, these are my people.’ I just hadn’t realized that I needed to be looking for that.”

She continued: “The real value of my education was teaching the design process. It’s one that I found actually has a lot of similar-

ities to writing as well as ceramics.

There’s this idea of killing your darlings and reaching a goal where, ultimately, you’re trying to find a solution. And the solution might not be your heart’s desire, but you have to make it good. And I love that process. … There’s a very specific style of sketching you learn in industrial design. You’re not trying to make a beautiful composition, you’re trying to create something that looks real — that looks like it can be held, if it needs to be held — and proportionate. … And that’s where I started sketching with pen and became comfortable with the boldness of the stroke, and the permanence of it, and how to use that to my advantage.”

Taking FL!GHT

Two years after her 2016 relocation to San Antonio with a former partner, Rochow reached out to FL!GHT Gallery owner Justin Parr, who was looking for volunteer gallery assistants.

“I get weird when I’m isolated,” Rochow said. “And I thought it would be a good idea to go have some socialization and talk to people. If I’m going to be working for myself, by myself, it just seemed like a really nice way to make some friends. … I met him, and he was just immediately so welcoming.”

Volunteering turned out to be a wise investment. That same year, FL!GHT hosted Rochow’s very first exhibition.

“I had been doing drawings and I knew that there was value in that. But I had never imagined my work in a gallery,” Rochow said. “I had started working on a much larger piece and I asked Justin, ‘Is this something that

could be a show?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, we don’t have anyone for November. That’s you now.’”

Titled “Every Little Piece” and comprised entirely of animal drawings, Rochow’s debut show sold out.

“It was so encouraging because I went into it without that expectation,” she said. “I was basically just like, ‘This is the work I’ve done. I like it and hopefully nobody’s mean to me about it.’ That was my expectation. And then people were just buying it left and right. It was surreal.”

Collaborative curating at Rojo

In 2020, Rochow secured a Southtown studio in the 1906 S. Flores arts complex and planned to open a gallery there that March. Although the pandemic complicated the schedule, Rochow’s compact Rojo Gallery has since hosted impressive and diverse programming, including a soft opening showcasing women artists who work out of 1906 along with solo shows for Rachel Comminos, Rikkianne Van Kirk and Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder.

“When it comes to curating, I see it collaboratively,” Rochow said. “And I see it as my job to help facilitate whatever the artist is trying to say — and to create a way that people can then approach the art in a way that helps the artists feel understood and seen.

… The biggest compliments I’ve gotten from different artists is, ‘You helped me see my work differently,’ or ‘I wouldn’t have done this

arts

MArtist Hilary Rochow’s canine companions Marnie and Tilly join her in her Southtown studio.

Bryan Rindfuss

with my work.’ … I try to be mindful of showing a diverse range of perspectives — and material as well. I think when you start looking for that, you kind of naturally find diverse people behind it. … And so, it’s work that resonates with me and people that I can connect with. And that has ended up being largely women and nonbinary folks, but I’ve shown men as well. … I’ve really loved working with all of the artists I’ve had in the space.”

Finding ‘Common Ground’ at Mercury Project

During our visit, Rochow was busy preparing for her upcoming show with Hilary Jean at Mercury Project. Curated by Sealia Montalvo and Crisa Valadez of the San Antonio collective Motherling and titled “Common Ground,” the two-woman show employs monochromatic portraiture as its connective thread.

On a drawing table in the studio, a large in-progress portrait of a lynx opened a window into Rochow’s unique — and often incredibly time-consuming — process. Working with multiple reference images, the artist sketches a pencil outline and typically starts inking the animal’s eyes first.

“I’ll usually have two main body poses and then a lot of detail poses,

because a big part of it is the direction of the fur,” she explained. “And I need to look at other images for the fur texture, the fur direction, the eye color, the nose texture. I’ll pull in different images and cobble them together.”

When the lynx is completed, she’ll likely pair it with a coyote portrait of the same size.

“There’s a similar feeling about them,” Rochow said of the pairing. “The drawings that I do that aren’t commissions are like low-key, subtle self-portraiture. It’s not a self-portrait, per se. It’s more like my emotional landscape at the time, because I’ll feel connected to an animal, and an idea of an animal. And I think about an expression that I’m wanting this animal to have.”

“It’s not just the size but also how juicy they are, how much ink has been used up. Once they get a little bit less-perfect line, I actually prefer that — it gives me a bit more control. So, I’ll mark them with tape so I know it’s not a fresh one and I can use it for white areas or to add shading where a delicate hand is needed.”

‘Common Ground’

Free, opening reception 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, mid reception noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, closing reception 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, and by appointment, Mercury Project, 538 Roosevelt Ave., (210) 478-9133, instagram.com/motherling.sa.

When asked about pricing her work, Rochow grew pensive.

Reflecting on her process and her love of nature, Rochow uses quiet, slowed-down terms like “noticing” and “observing.”

Although Rochow completes smaller drawings swiftly, some of her sizable works can consume up to 60 hours.

“With the larger ones, I kind of get into this state of hyper-focus and I need to just let myself be there,” she said.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, she cycles through a lot of pens — fine-point Sakura Pigma Microns to be exact — and even labels them based on their age and flow.

“I think that’s a very interesting subject: the value of fine art,” she said. “But I try to take into account that my materials are not expensive — it’s not like I’m buying pounds and pounds of clay or metal or paint and canvas. My hours are very high, because of the time it takes to prep the whole thing and then to actually draw each individual tiny line to my exacting specifications. … I try to balance the value of my time with the perceived value and the willingness of the market.”

That balance can range from $80 for a tiny 2 inch-by-2 inch drawing to $3,500 for one of her 40 inch-by-60 inch “big boys.” When it comes to commissions, Rochow works with clients’ budgets and talks openly about pricing before putting pen to paper.

“It’s such a nice space that my brain goes when I’m drawing — just putting the lines down and noticing,” she said. “I really build relationships with this animal’s anatomy … and I want to facilitate that for people. I go to the river and I see all these beautiful things that live out there, and you miss them if you’re going too fast and you don’t stop to observe. That’s the whole thing with nature: it’s so easy to forget that we’re connected to it. I feel like if we applied that kind of curiosity — and willingness to understand — to our world and the people around us, things would be a little bit easier … and the world that we’re in would be a little bit more compassionate. That’s a very lofty ideal, right? I don’t think any piece of art has ever changed somebody’s life, but it might make someone think about something a little differently. And that’s really my hope — that people see the observation that was put into [my work] and maybe start looking a little bit differently at the world around them, the animals they encounter, maybe take a little bit more time to do that. And like the relationships I build with the subject matter, the more you look, the more you notice.”

Bryan Rindfuss

Bryan Rindfuss

arts Canceled Comedians?

T.J. Miller, Louis C.K. and Chris D’Elia

all performing in San Antonio despite sexual misconduct claims

BY ABE ASHER

Three big-name comedians coming to San Antonio over the next few weeks have one thing in common: they’ve all faced high-profile allegations of sexual misconduct.

On Friday, Jan. 20, T.J. Miller kicks off five-show run at Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club. Then on Sunday, Jan. 23, Louis C.K. will perform a sold-out show at the Majestic Theatre. Less than two weeks later, on Thursday, Feb. 3, Chris D’Elia also will appear at the Majestic.

All three have been touring since live comedy resumed following the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their separate appearances mere days from each other has raised eyebrows in San Antonio.

The run of shows comes more than five years after the #MeToo movement brought on a reckoning with sexism and sexual misconduct in American society, promising to upend the entertainment industry.

While some powerful men such as former movie producer Harvey Weinstein did face serious repercussions, some observers worry that the outcry has yielded a backlash against women coming forward. Jessie André, a professor of social work at San Antonio’s Our Lady of the Lake University, said that the upcoming appearances by C.K., D’Elia, and Miller reflect “what we value as a society.”

“Some of these [sexual abuse] survivors have been met with support, still most experience backlash, disbelief and shame,” André said via email. “This ‘backlash,’ I would argue … is society reverting to its oppressive nature.”

The Majestic Theatre didn’t respond to the Current’s request to discuss its booking of C.K. and D’Elia. Laugh Out Loud declined comment via email.

To André’s point, the careers of some men implicated in the #MeToo groundswell have rebounded over recent years. That’s particularly true of C.K., who won acclaim from his own industry last year when he picked up the Grammy for Best Comedy Album.

The award represented a remarkable turnaround given that C.K. issued a public apology after five women accused him of sexual misconduct in a 2017 New York Times article. Both Netflix and FX Networks cut ties with the comedian in the wake of the scandal, and a movie project he was working on evaporated.

D’Elia and Miller have also faced serious and widely reported allegations.

In 2020, several women accused D’Elia of contacting them online when they were underage and soliciting naked photographs from them. What’s more, he was hit with public accusations he’d exposed himself to Megan Drust and other women. He subsequently said he’d sought therapy to deal with the matter but claimed his interactions were “legal and consensual.” Even so, he was dropped from projects including a part in Zack Snyder’s zombie action film Army of the Dead.

Meanwhile, Miller faced a 2017 accusation that he’d sexually assaulted a woman in college — a claim he’s denied. In the years since, he’s been hit with accusations of harassment from a costar on the HBO series Silicon Valley, from which he was dropped, and he also made headlines for falsely accusing a fellow Amtrak passenger of carrying a bomb and getting into a physical altercation with an Uber driver.

The comics’ ability to book shows suggests some audience members are willing to give them another chance. However, not everyone working in comedy is happy to see men with abuse allegations touring again.

“I don’t think that those guys should be allowed to come back,” Amy Schumer said in a Hollywood Reporter profile last year.

The accusations against the three men coming to San Antonio also raise questions about whether comedy remains especially toxic.

Jay Whitecotton, a Texas standup who started his career in San Antonio, doesn’t think so. He argues that politics also is rife with accusations of sexual

misconduct.

“This isn’t just happening in entertainment, a place that breeds it,” he said. “Look who you’re voting for.”

Broadly, Whitecotton suggested that boycotting entertainers for their bad behavior is misplaced when people could be focusing on whether to buy products from corporations that have acted to subvert democracy or destroy the planet.

But OLLU’s André said the question is less about showing financial support than it is sending a signal to those dealing with the aftermath of sexual harassment or assault.

“The decision to publicly support in-

dividuals who have a history of sexual misconduct or assaults is not nearly as impactful as the message that it sends to our friends, family members, loved ones who are survivors that have not shared their stories yet,” she said. “Can they trust you with their story? Can they be mentally and emotionally safe with you?”

Whatever ethical decisions we make about our own entertainment dollars, Whitecotton said C.K., Miller and D’Elia are touring again because someone is willing to pay to see them.

“The people they’re entertaining, they dictate it,” Whitecotton said. “The market dictates it, unfortunately.”

are

Feast for the Senses

Stunt actor and San Antonio

native Chris Silcox was part of Babylon’s much-talkedabout

party scene

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

Stunt actor and San Antonio native Chris Silcox (Spider-Man: Homecoming) had never been to a party as chaotic as the one in the opening sequence of the 2022 comedy-drama Babylon. Set in 1920s Hollywood, Babylon follows a popular silent movie star (Brad Pitt), an aspiring actress (Margot Robbie) and a production assistant (Diego Calva) as they maneuver their way through the burgeoning film industry.

For that eye-popping opening scene, shot at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, Silcox — a 2004 graduate of Churchill High School — was cast to play one of the partygoers gathered inside the home of a studio executive. Producers brought in about a dozen stunt performers to join the approximately 20 professional dancers and 100 or so extras to create the crazy celebration, which included a lot of simulated drug use, sex acts and other debauched behavior.

There was even a live chicken running around on set that Silcox, dressed in a blackand-white tuxedo and pink boa, almost flattened accidentally. One of the stunt actor’s jobs was to crash through a prop cocktail table, but he didn’t anticipate the bird getting loose and running into his shot.

“The chicken landed on the table as I was in mid-air,” Silcox told the Current during a recent interview. “I broke through the table, but I missed the chicken. Everybody thought I killed it. So, the chicken lived to see another day.”

Babylon is currently playing at local theaters.

So, how many tables did you end up breaking during production?

Man, they had 40 different tables for me to break, [but] I think we ended up getting through 16 takes in about a week. So, I must have broken 16. We also came in to rehearse one day with just the stunt crew, and I broke a couple of tables just to see how it would feel. They were made of balsa wood, and they were scored in the middle. The funny thing is that you don’t see [the stunt] in the actual film because it’s out of the frame.

You had other stunts though. I did see you

get pushed by that one plus-sized lady. Yeah, a whole bunch of stuff happens in that party scene. And it all needed to be done with good timing and in the right sequence, so people wouldn’t hurt themselves. So, I had that small fight with that woman, and I broke the table. There’s also a shot where this man is hanging from the balcony and a woman is hanging from his pants. She falls and pulls off his pants, and I catch her. It was the most fun and wild shoot I’ve ever been a part of.

There were quite a few naked people, too. There were a lot of naked men and women, yes. At one point, this couple threw themselves into this cake while they were having sex. They must have destroyed five or six cakes. There were people chained up and dressed in costumes and doing very strange dances. It was a feast for the senses. It makes me laugh thinking about it because it was such a peculiar scene.

I know your character doesn’t have a backstory, but what did you imagine it to be? Did you act like you were coked-out during the scene?

I imagined that I was strung-out on ketamine — like I’d taken a lot of ketamine and had a few drinks. I had these showgirl tail feathers, so I was meant to be as flamboyant as possible.

Was there anything else in the room you reacted to? For example, are you dancing to the actual jazz music playing at the party?

We had the track from the movie playing. It was already composed. So, we would dance to that and react to the person next to us. I would dance with a couple of the stunt performers like Kate Boyer (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Hayley Wright (Birds of Prey). We would kind of stick together and get pushed and moved around by some of the dancers who had their choreography set. So, we were just reacting to whoever we ended up bumping into. Each take went by really fast, and they were never the same.

So, when director Damien Chazelle said, “Action!” you knew what to do?

Yes! I knew to keep the energy up and keep it real. If I wasn’t in the frame, I was still high on ketamine or really drunk. I had to keep stumbling around and trying to get my balance — trying to find some more drugs, trying to find a girl to dance with.

How do you think your character’s night ended?

He probably never went to sleep. He probably walked out and got lost in the vineyard somewhere. I can only imagine.

screens

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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South Texas

Remodeled

Carriqui brings changes to old Liberty Bar space — and to South Texas culinary favorites

BY RON BECHTOL

Fans of the original Liberty Bar were like an eclectic family sired equally by the building with its notoriously sloping floors and its eccentric culinary muse, the late Drew Allen.

Allen’s own muses spanned the spectrum from county-fair quality cakes to Mexican classics such as a rigorously correct chile relleno en nogada. Traces of his inspiration remain on the menu at the relocated restaurant in King William.

Attempts to revive the Liberty’s original space after its departure never really took hold. The ghost, apparently, was gone. Many old-timers viewed with suspicion the prospect of relocating the building, the historic Boehler’s Garden, into the Pearl’s orbit.

The structure, restored to within an inch of a life it never knew, is now part of a mini compound of its own called Carriqui. From a nostalgic and historic point of view, all the architectural spit and polish, handsome as it may be, suggests that some trepidation wasn’t without merit. Best to just get over it.

Ardent birdwatchers may be acquainted with the South Texas native green jay for which the newish restaurant is named. The rest of us not so much.

Avid food lovers may be more interested in investigating the historical basis for Carriqui’s South Texas-centric menu, and they might as well start at the most basic level: its Old School Nachos, a borderland creation that made its way north only to be remodeled beyond recognition — much as the building itself. The plate is nothing more than tortilla chips, refried beans, yellow cheese and pickled jalapeño, each nacho individually assembled into a monkishly spare serving. Try it for old time’s sake.

More innovative, but also less successful, is Carriqui’s tuna tostada. The dish was welcome in its simplicity but drenched in a sauce that spoke more of something soy than the expected citrus and habanero.

Mexican terminology is all over the South Texas map at Carriqui. But oddly the menu turns to French for what is in effect a grilled flank, or flank-adjacent, steak. At $40, it’s called a bavette, a cut close to one customarily found on a less-lofty platter of fajitas. That quibble aside, it’s a beautifully rendered

piece of meat, tender, flavorful and nicely mated to accompanying bitter greens.

At the other end of the price spectrum, is the restaurant’s beer-braised barbacoa. Made these days from beef cheeks, the age-old practice of wrapping a beef head in burlap or maguey leaves and burying it in a pit prepared with mesquite coals having long been abandoned, the dish usually lacks the earthy, fatty funk of the original. But even if this rendition is more like baby’s first barbacoa, it’s worth attention — especially since it comes with proper “Spanish” rice and decent refried beans.

The urge to tinker is never far below the surface at Carriqui, however. Barbecued cabrito, served with briskly pickled red onion, is presented on a banana leaf with a full-bodied Texas pecan mole that somehow manages to dominate even usually indomitable goat.

Meanwhile, fish a la plancha — presumably from the Texas Gulf — took an opposite tack. It was perfectly cooked but utterly bland. Maybe the missing crispy garlic might have helped. Its cilantro rice, though, was impeccable. The kitchen can do rice.

All would be forgiven if Carriqui would take it upon itself to do a rip-roaring chili, a dish for which San Antonio was once famous. But barring that, brisket will have to do.

My first experience at Carriqui with this Central Texas staple was as a component of the From the Pit botana platter. Along with the achiote chicken, the brisket failed to justify the apparent investment in the restaurant’s impressive battery of barbecue pits.

But a return visit for lunch-special brisket tacos suggests that the pit wranglers have mastered the operation. The coarsely chopped bits sported a good bark and an ap-

pealing, smoky flavor bolstered by no-holdsbarred pico de gallo and tart jalapeño salsa.

Equally assertive, the Carriqui Salad — a mountain of varied lettuces with shaved jicama, radishes, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes — is enthusiastically bathed in a dazzlingly bright dressing and strewn with tangy, dried hibiscus blossoms.

Among the Texas-tinged cocktails, the tequila-mezcal Curandero is a standout, in part because of its use of those same, dried hibiscus flowers. The dessert menu offers a pecan pie that avoids the trap of treacle-y sweetness, and a delicate tres leches cake does for goat’s milk what the barbecued cabrito did for goat meat: makes it disarmingly mild.

Not everything in Texas needs to be bigger than life, apparently.

CARRIQUI

239 E. Grayson St. | (210) 910-5547 | carriquitx.com

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday

Prices: $22-$88

Best Bets: Carriqui salad, beer-braised barbacoa, barbecued cabrito, brisket tacos, goat milk tres leches, Curandero cocktail

The skinny: Housed in the relocated and much-remodeled building that served as Liberty Bar’s original location, Carriqui is named for a bird most of us don’t know and features South Texas cuisine most of us do. Like the building, the cuisine also underwent changes, although with some exceptions. Classics such as brisket are perhaps best left to the traditional practitioners, but in the undeniably handsome setting, plates such as barbacoa and barbecued goat seem sufficiently at home. Salads are excellent, lightened versions of classic desserts work well and cocktails are just good enough.

Nina Rangel

High and Dry

Sober spirits are winning a permanent place on San Antonio bar menus

BY BRANDON RODRIGUEZ

The last Thursday in December, a capacity crowd mingled at San Antonio cocktail spot the Modernist. As patrons sipped cucumber martinis, a handful of customers put in orders for nonalcoholic cocktails, which ranged from a dry Manhattan to a take on an Italian classic dubbed the “NOgroni.”

Without batting an eye, the bartender poured from a bottle of Ritual Zero Proof, a popular 1:1 nonalcoholic replacement, showing as much care with the mixing of the mocktails as with the tipples she’d served up moments before.

Maybe the sober patrons were getting a head start on Dry January, an increasingly popular start-ofthe-year reprieve from alcohol. Or maybe they were looking to save their stamina for an upcoming New Year’s Eve bash.

Either way, they’re among what beverage industry experts say are the growing number of Alamo City residents joining a nonalcoholic beverage movement.

Not too long ago, “the one ordering a nonalcoholic cocktail would have earned a side eye from the bartender or a humorous comment,” said Luis Muñoz, who recently became co-owner of the Modernist. “Now we get requests about our nonalcoholic options daily.”

Ashanti Williams, bar manager for the Modernist, added that alcohol-free options are a focused part of the venue’s cocktail program.

“We always encourage people who don’t drink alcohol to allow us to make them something more complex than just a soda water and lime,” she added.

Nationwide, NielsenIQ reported a 315% increase in online nonalcoholic and low-alcoholic beverage dollar sales over the 12-month period ended in October 2021. That compared to a 26% increase in alcoholic beer, wine and spirits sales over the same period.

Indeed, alcohol consumption in high-income countries has been falling since 2002, according to a study published in The International Journal of Drug Policy.

As more people become aware of the detrimental health effects of alcohol, Dry January and the “sober-curious” movement offers an opportunity for people to reconsider their relationship with booze — even if it doesn’t mean cutting out spirits completely.

Expanding clientele

“As people reevaluate their relationship with alcohol, more and more people are choosing to abstain or moderate their alcohol consumption,” said

Rogelio Sanchez, co-founder of HASH Vegan Eats, which opened in 2020 as San Antonio’s first and only full-service dry bar.

Although San Antonians’ acceptance of nonalcoholic spirits has picked up in recent years, Sanchez’s business faced a rocky start. In fall 2021, faced with slow sales and $5,000 in bills, HASH launched an online crowdfunding campaign to keep its doors open. Fortunately, customers stepped up, raising the money in just a few days.

Since then, HASH has steadily grown, according to Sanchez. That’s partly because the clientele has expanded beyond its initial target demographic of people who embrace year-round sobriety.

When Sanchez was trying to launch his venture, more than 20 potential investors turned down the concept. Now that it’s on a growth trajectory, Sanchez said he’s the one regularly turning away investors.

As a growing number of San Antonio bars add nonalcoholic options, Sanchez said he welcomes the company. He also hinted that he may launch another dry bar concept in the near future, this one on the St. Mary’s Strip.

Creative license

With improvements in the quality and availability of nonalcoholic spirits, local bartenders said they’re eager to incorporate them into their creations. Sometimes the new menu items even become a showcase for San Antonio-made products.

“When Dry January comes around, I get excited,” said Brittney Geissler, bar manager for Park Bar at the Pearl. “Initially, I wanted to build a nonalcoholic menu for myself and what I wanted to see: cocktails that didn’t compromise flavor. By serving more nonalcoholic options, we can highlight local manufacturers like Southern Syrups, not only local breweries or vineyards.”

And in the hands of savvy bartenders, those ingredients can yield nonalcoholic cocktails that feel as satisfying as their boozy counterparts — which is kind of the point. Park Bar’s sober mojito, for example, hits the same sweet-and-sour balance as the full-strength variety while offering a similarly refreshing feel.

Muñoz of the Modernist said he sees the local interest in sober cocktails and other nonalcoholic beverage options as more than a passing fad. To be sure, he thinks the market for sober and sober-curious customers is still underserved, at least for now.

“One-thousand-percent, this is just the beginning of this industry here in San Antonio,” he said.

Courtesy Photo / HASH

Smoke BBQ+Skybar will take over the Park North space that once housed drinkeries Miami Bar and PK’s Bar. Expect a grand opening by the end of February, according to the owner of the fast-growing San Antonio chain. 602 NW Loop 410, Suite 144, smokedowntown.com.

San Antonio-owned restaurant Albi’s Vite Italian Kitchen will open a second location, this one near Leon Springs. The team is aiming for a grand opening by the end of this month but hasn’t yet released an address.

Quickly expanding vegan fast-food chain Project Pollo has closed its flagship food trailer at Roadmap Brewing Co., hinting at other changes for the brand going into 2023.

Veteran-owned 28 Songs Brewhouse + Kitchen will start pouring craft beer this spring at the new Main & Market development in Boerne. 110 Market Ave., Suite 101, (210) 683-9916, 28songs. beer.

New nightclub Rio Azùl is pledging to bring Vegas-style party vibes to downtown. The new venture has taken over the space of now-defunct V Lounge, where it will offer a full bar, bottle service, huge LED screens and indoor light shows along with a patio and cabana space overlooking the San Antonio River. 107 E. Martin St., instagram. com/rio_azul_sa_.

The owners of Dashi Sichuan Kitchen + Bar will take over a restored 19th-century home inside downtown’s Hemisfair complex to operate a new concept dubbed Kusch Faire Details are forthcoming. sichuandashi.com.

After five years of exploring healing herbs, San Antonio chef Edward Villarreal is opening MxiCanna Cafe, a cannabis-infused restaurant near UTSA’s downtown campus. The spot will begin serving CBD- and hemp-infused vittles soon. 527 El Paso St., (210) 888-1310, mxicanna.com.

San Antonio nightspot Elsewhere Garden Bar will add a huge slide to its collection of largerthan-life interactive diversions and art installations. Even though the slide has kiddie appeal, the riverside drinking and dining destination will remain 21 and up after 9 p.m. 103 E. Jones Ave., (210) 446-9303, elsewheretexas.com.

San Antonio’s beloved Cowboy Breakfast been canceled for 2023 due to rising costs of staging the event. However, organizers said they have plans in place to resume the rodeo-tied event in 2024.

Upscale seafood spot Go Fish Market opening date of Thursday, Jan. 12. In addition to a fresh seafood market, the north-of-downtown destination will serve fish tacos, oysters, caviar, sashimi and more. It’s the fourth venture from Houston and Emily Carpenter, who also own Southtown’s Up Scale 125 W. Grayson St., (210) 542-6631, gofishmkt.com.

OPENINGS

Freetail Brewing Co.’s South San Antonio tap room has opened a kitchen, making it a fullfledged brewpub. Previously, fans of the craft brewer had to travel to its Loop 1604 location for pizzas, sandwiches and snacks. 2000 S. Presa St., (210) 625-6000, freetailbrewing.com.

Black Laboratory Brewing struck up a partnership with newcomers 2-1-DOUGH Pizza Co. to begin serving pizza from the East Side space formerly occupied by Truth Pizzeria 1602 E. Houston St., #111, (210) 370-3442, blacklaboratorybrewing.com.

Houston-based sports bar McIntyre’s has opened its first San Antonio location. The chain took over shuttered Southtown bar The Patio 1035 S. Presa St., (210) 957-1385, mcintyresusa.com.

LA-based Dave’s Hot Chicken, a chain specializing in fiery Nashville-style fried chicken, has opened a San Antonio store, the first of eight planned for the area. 9602 State Highway 151, Suite 108, (726) 208-5197, daveshotchicken.com.

Bésame — the new San Antonio food truck park from the owner of El Camino — is now open. An array of food trucks and a full bar are now operating from the site of the former Alamo BBQ building. 509 and 511 E. Grayson St., instagram. com/besame210.

Music Maker

Friends remember St. Mary’s Strip venue owner Blayne Tucker as a tireless live-music champion

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

Like any stripe of show business, the music industry is full of folks eager to pretend, take credit and brag about their accomplishments.

Late San Antonio venue owner Blayne Tucker was the opposite of any of those stereotypes, according to friends and associates. They remember the co-owner of St. Mary’s Strip staple The Mix as a tireless advocate for independent music venues both in the Alamo City and across the country.

Tucker died Dec. 30 at age 43 of causes still undetermined at press time.

Although he started his professional career as an attorney, it didn’t take Tucker long to accumulate music-industry bragging rights that had little to do with his background in law.

His high-profile claims to fame included touring the world as Austin-based blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr.’s road manager and help-

ing the critically acclaimed artist land a deal with Warner Records. Tucker also served as a partner in legendary country music venue Floore’s Country Store and helped organize San Antonio’s Maverick Music Festival during its five-year run.

But he seldom trumpeted those accomplishments and did plenty of additional work behind the scenes — from lobbying for disaster relief for independently owned music venues to seeking legislation to stop overcharging by ticket resellers. Recently, he’d been working with others on a touring circuit to make indie music venues more competitive with Live Nation.

During the COVID crisis, Tucker emerged as a key advocate for the passage of the federal Save Our Stages Act, which allowed indie venues to tap into $15 billion in Small Business Administration grants to survive pandemic shutdowns.

“This is the difference between extinction and survival for this industry,” Tucker told the Current in 2020. “This is what we’ve been working for.”

Tucker dealt with unlikely allies, including John Cornyn, Texas’ senior GOP senator, to secure bipartisan support for the measure. He also conducted national interviews in support of the act, joining the voices of music luminaries including Willie Nelson, Alice Cooper and Billie Eilish.

“I’d say he walked pretty softly and carried a big stick,” said Jeff Smith, owner of San Antonio’s Saustex Records and a longtime music promoter. “I don’t think any of that Save Our Stages stuff would have passed without his lobbying efforts.”

Although Tucker was a lifelong music fan, the Clark High School grad’s demeanor didn’t exactly scream “St. Mary’s Hipster.” He favored cowboy hats and track pants over skinny jeans, and he delivered wry observations on life and the music business with an expansive Texas drawl.

Courtesy Photo / Tucker Family

MBlayne Tucker (left) helped convince politicos including Sen. John Cornyn (right) to bail out independent music venues during COVID.

Despite the diversity of the live acts he booked and enjoyed, friends said he held an unashamed appreciation for the decidedly unhip soft rock of the late ’70s and early ’80s, including Michael McDonald.

Acquaintances also remember Tucker as an avid gardener who showered them with tomatoes and other backyard bounty. During COVID, he was early to jump on the sourdough bread craze, dropping off starter on friends’ doorsteps during quarantine.

Over the years, Tucker made efforts to mediate between residents of the gentrifying neighborhood around the Strip and its bar owners. He both founded the St. Mary’s Business Owners Association and served as a president of the Tobin Hill Neighborhood Association — organizations frequently at odds.

“After the shock of hearing about Blayne’s death, it occurred to me that, man, we lost a big voice in the fight to protect the Strip,” said Aaron Peña, owner of St. Mary’s bar The Squeezebox. “Losing him has meant losing not just a friend but also an ally.”

When Peña, then 28, opened his drinkery seven years ago, Tucker was among the first Strip business owners to welcome him, check on his needs and offer advice.

“He always had a communal approach to finding solutions,” Peña said. “He kind of tried to look at things from every angle.”

In recent interviews with the Current, Tucker said he was determined not to let heavy-handed noise and traffic enforcement damage already fragile businesses on the Strip. Many venues have experienced months of sales slumps due to the glacial pace of city construction projects.

“If the public doesn’t wake up pretty quickly, they’re essentially going to find themselves ostracized from the entertainment district they’ve enjoyed for 40 years,” Tucker said.

After buying The Mix in 2015 with partners including Bauhaus Media’s Eric Hanken, Tucker led the charge to expand the club, which had primarily hosted local bands, into a destination for regional and national touring acts. He oversaw the addition of a stage and new PA, and even helmed its early bookings, Hanken said.

“In his heart, he loved music and he was all about music,” Hanken said. “He wasn’t the regular kind of attorney who sat behind a desk and wrote contracts.

... I think this stuff was all fun to him, like a hobby. All of it was related — one big world he lived in.”

San Antonio Current Publisher

Michael Wagner, who partnered with Tucker on ventures including the Maverick Music Festival, said he came to appreciate him as both a friend and an advisor. He likened Tucker’s ability to see every aspect of a deal as “assembling pieces on a chessboard.”

“He was always the person I went to when I needed a gut check on anything,” Wagner said.

While friends and associates praised Tucker for his willingness to compromise and take in broad perspectives, he also had a low threshold for bullshit and was unafraid to call it out.

For example, Tucker last year agreed to participate in a task force charged with rethinking San Antonio’s noise or dinance. He eventually quit the group, unleashing a fiery resignation email complaining about the group’s lack of diversity.

At the time of Tucker’s departure, six of the city’s 10 districts had no representation in the group, he noted. What’s more, he added, it was “disproportionately comprised of individuals in District 1 who have very narrowly-fo cused disputes against specific establishments that reside in their immediate vicinity.”

At that time, eight of the task force’s 15 members were neighborhood representatives, while just four had interests in bars or venues. The remaining three were city staffers.

“I fail to see the efficacy in allowing a task force consisting of folks who predominantly live near the city center [to speak for] residents and businesses in other parts of the greater San Antonio community, who lack any voice in this assessment,” Tucker wrote. “I fear that the lack of diversity on this task force will have a discriminatory impact, especially on folks in impoverished areas of the city.”

Business associates said Tucker moved in a wide variety of circles, making him a valuable connection who could pull in experts, investors or allies representing a wide variety of interests. His understanding of law also made him a master negotiator when it came to contracts and deals.

“He took it all seriously,” Hanken said. “Whether it was growing tomatoes, whether it was creating a bill at the club or whether it was buying a venue, he approached it all with the same kind of enthusiasm.”

Tucker’s family plans to hold a remembrance on Saturday, February 11. Details are forthcoming. The family asked that in lieu of flowers, friends donate to the National Independent Venue Foundation or the San Antonio Food Bank.

critics’ picks

Friday, Jan. 13

Early Eyes

While Minneapolis quintet Early Eyes started out with a jazz-accented approach to indie pop, it’s touring behind the 2022 release Look Alive!, which appears to be a move into a more distorted and synth-driven aesthetic reminiscent of Owl City. While Early Eyes retains some of its hopeful lyrics and funky jazz roots, the new album is quite a departure from singles such as “Coffee” and “I’m Enough.” “Chemicals” provides a solid bridge from previous efforts, even if the heavy use of keyboards and samples may prove a bit jarring for longtime fans. $18-$23, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Danny Cervantes

Fantasia

Singer Fantasia Barrino has done a lot since taking the top spot on Season 3 of American Idol. She debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her 2004 single “I Believe,” won a Grammy, starred in the Color Purple on Broadway and the latest of her seven studio albums, 2019’s Sketchbook, hit No. 5 on Billboard’s R&B albums chart. Next up: she’ll reprise her role as Celie in the film adaptation of The Color Purple musical, out later this year. $40.50-$105.50, 8 p.m. Tech Port Center + Arena, 3331 General Hudnell Drive, (210) 600-3699, techportcenter.com. — Marco Aquino

Koffin Kats

The Michigan-based Koffin Kats’ thumping upright bass, swinging tunes and ghoulish lyrics make a great excuse to slather on the pomade and check out some of the finest psychobilly currently on offer. Expect to hear fan favorites such as “Graveyard Tree” and “The Way of the Road” — songs perfect for lovers dying to be together forever. $20, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 310-5047, papertigersatx.com. — Brianna Espinoza

Defeated Sanity, Malignancy, Prophecy, Strangle Wire

German technical death metal legends Defeated Sanity are fast approaching 30 years of delivering music that’s as progressive as it is scorching. The band’s almost jazzy sense of melody separated it from the rest of the genre while helping pave the way for other more sonically adventurous acts. Despite its continued focus on innovation, expect Defeated Sanity to deliver the brutal riffs and inhuman growls death metal fans crave. $18-$20, 7 p.m., Vibes Underground, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 772-1443, vibeseventcenter.com. — BE

Sunday, Jan. 15

Salim Nourallah, Marty and Olivia Willson-Piper, Demitasse Salim Nourallah’s driving but sparse “See You In Marfa,” the centerpiece of a 2022 EP of the same name, feels like a Tom Petty song delivered with a West Texas accent. Recorded in collaboration with Marty Willson-Piper of Australian guitar-pop band The Church, the release is a prelude to a forthcoming full album by Nourallah that explores the dusty horizon between pop and country. Perhaps that should come as little surprise, since the singer-songwriter worked as a producer for both Old 97’s and frontman Rhett Miller, whose music occupies a similar spectrum. The bill also includes Willson-Piper and his wife Olivia performing as an acoustic duo and Demitasse, the side project of local favorite Buttercup’s Erik Sanden and Joe Reyes. $15, 7 p.m., The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerose.com. — DC

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore with the Guilty Ones

While this duo of well-traveled roots performers delivers honkytonk rock with a distinct country twang, don’t expect any kind of Nashville pretense or bullshit. Dave Alvin got his start in back-to-basics rockers the Blasters in the ’80s and before doing a stint with LA punk legends X and embarking on a critically acclaimed solo career. Gilmore is a similar journeyman guitarist and vocalist, having been part of legendary outlaw country trio the Flatlanders through the ’70s and its ’90s reunion. Like Alvin, he’s also racked up a respected solo career. To get a taste of what these guys can do together with backing band the Guilty Ones, check them out trading verses on “Downey to Lubbock.”

The tune has a late-career Dylan vibe, though Alvin and Gilmore have much more traditional, though no less soulful, voices. $20-$90, 8 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — Mike McMahan

R.A.P. Ferreira with Eldon Somers & J Suede

Born Rory Allen Philip Ferreira, R.A.P. Ferreira delivers a brand of hip-hop feels like a throwback to a bygone era, when lyrics were daggers and production was far more stripped down. More poetry than swagger, Ferreira’s words flow over flute and bass loops from the vinyl crates of yesteryear. Although the artist has performed under different monikers since 2011, he finally settled on he current one for the 2019 single “Respectdue” and kept it for his latest release, last year’s 5 to the Eye with Stars. $12-$15, 8 p.m., 502 Bar, 502 Embassy Oaks, Suite 138, (210) 257-8125, 502bar.com. — DC

Thursday, Jan. 19

Johnny Fury

Johnny Fury is a modern bluesman with a name befitting a character in an action movie. The guitarist-vocalist combines influences both expected influences — Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix — along with the soulful stylings of Marvin Gaye. Consider this a gig that will appeal to people who strongly feel that Fleetwood Mac ended when guitar-wrangling frontman Peter Green left the band. $10-$50, 8:30 p.m., Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — MM

Saturday, Jan. 21

Roger Creager

While rooted in a traditional country sound, Roger Creager also manages to evoke a red-dirt feel with his performances, which highlight an appealingly wistful vibe. He comes to music in a roundabout fashion, having earned a business degree at Texas A&M prior to releasing his debut album, Having Fun All Wrong, in 1998. $20-$25, 8:30 p.m., John T. Floore’s Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road, (210) 695-8827, liveatfloores.com. — MM

Monday, Jan. 23

Angel Olsen

Angel Olsen’s adoptive parents died in 2021, just two months apart from each other — and shortly after the singer-songwriter came out to them as gay. Olsen’s latest album, Big Time, is a powerful collection of country-tinged songs that chronicle that period of grief and heartbreak along with the exhilaration of finding new love. $32.50-$62.50, 8 p.m., Tobin Center for the

Fantasia Barrino

Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — MA

Tuesday, Jan. 24

Destroy Lonely

Signed to Playboi Carti’s Opium label, Atlanta rapper Destroy Lonely released his first studio album No Stylist last August. An electronic-trap hybrid, the album is a showcase for Destroy Lonely’s speedy flow on songs including “JETLGGD” and “VTMNTSCOAT.” Creating music also happens to be the family business for this hip-hop up-and-comer. He’s the son of rapper I-20, who worked closely with Ludacris. $32.50-$92, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — MA

Kathy Hutchins / shutterstock.com