San Antonio Current — April 19, 2023

DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST PROP A | FIESTA EVENTS ROUNDUP | SIPPING ON CBD COCKTAILS

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in this issue

Issue 23-08

Heavy Inspirations

Saxon’s Biff Byford discusses the legendary metal act’s new album, tour plans

Catchy but Pissed Bad Cop/Bad Cop bringing mix of punk rage, solid songwriting to the Paper Tiger

Critics’ Picks

Jaime Monzon

17 Feature

Fiesta Roundup

Fiesta San Antonio 2023 will bring 10 days of nonstop parades, performances and parties to the Alamo City.

Antonio painter Ángel RodríguezDíaz as a creative powerhouse

27 Screens

Defunding Debate

Despite the governor’s voucher pitch, the answer to better Texas schools is more

No Pain, No Gain

A bill to significantly expand Texas’ medical marijuana program is advancing in the legislature

Bad Takes

Opponents of San Antonio’s Prop A are lying to thwart much-needed

Discomforts of Home

Evil Dead Rise writer-director, actors explain why horror franchise isn’t afraid to get ‘weird and wild’

29 Food

Chilled Out

CBD-infused cocktails about in San Antonio, along with ingredients to make them

Table Talk

Creator of Fiesta’s Taste of the Republic is an evangelist for Texas cuisine

Linked In San Antonio sustainable-meat company Rebel Food launching line of ‘bespoke’ sausages

Hot Dish

APR 19 MAY 2, 2023 THE DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST PROP A FIESTA EVENTS ROUNDUP SIPPING ON CBD COCKTAILS

HCouncilman Clayton Perry has avoided a jail sentence over drunken driving and hit-and-run charges. Perry, who is leaving council later this spring without seeking another term, will be placed on probation for 12 months and will have to perform 24 hours of community service under a plea deal. He will also be required to undergo regular drug and alcohol testing. “I take full responsibility,” Perry said after he was sentenced. “I have done everything I can to make this right.”

The Texas House last week voted to advance a bill to expand the state’s medical marijuana program to include people who suffer from chronic pain. The bill, which has bipartisan support, would allow patients who would otherwise be prescribed opioids to treat their pain with cannabis. The legislation would also raise the cap on the amount of THC prescribed to ten milligrams per dosage unit. The bill now heads to the Texas Senate.

HThe River Walk has a new, unwelcome distinction: being declared one of the country’s 10 biggest tourist traps. That’s according to an analysis by the property management company Casago, which ranked the downtown destination alongside Navy Pier, Times Square and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. To come up with its rankings, Casago added up the number of TripAdvisor reviews that used the phrase “tourist trap” to describe each destination.

Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” is headed into American history. Thanks to lobbying by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, and the rest of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the 2004 hit will be the first reggaeton song added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Daddy Yankee last performed in San Antonio in front of a sold out crowd at the AT&T Center in December. — Abe Asher

Being investigated for ‘inappropriate behavior’ with Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton

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

Things certainly don’t look good right now for State Rep. Bryan Slaton, one the Texas House’s most outspoken social conservatives and the lawmaker behind a bill that would ban all-ages drag shows over the “sexualization of our children.”

A Capitol staffer has alleged in an internal complaint that the married Slaton, R-Royse City, had an “inappropriate relationship” with an intern who’s under the age of 21, according to the Quorum Report. Citing a person with direct knowledge of the situation, the Texas Tribune also reported that Slaton and the intern consumed alcohol together.

The House General Investigating Committee, which has the ability to draft articles of impeachment, is looking into the case, and has issued four subpoenas as of a Friday meeting, according to the Tribune’s reporting.

While Slaton’s attorney has issued a media statement blasting the allegations as “false,” some of the House’s furthest-right members are already demanding the resignation of their one-time ally. Via twitter, Republican Reps. Briscoe Cain and Steve Toth called on him to give up his seat.

The allegations are especially stinging for Slaton considering that he often couches his rabid anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments in the notion that he’s trying to protect kids. Testimonials from churchgoers on his campaign website also note his years of service as a youth pastor.

In addition to his drag show bill, Slaton this session attempted to require anyone who chairs a House committee to publicly state that they only believe in the existence of two genders, and he also filed a bill that would give property tax cuts only to straight married couples, denying them to LGBTQ+ homeowners and those who have been divorced.

Also not aging well is a tweet Slaton made earlier this month of a Bible verse admonishing people who lead children astray: “But whoever causes the downfall of these little ones who believe in Me — it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea!”

Looks like members of this assclown’s own party are now lining up with a millstone.

— Sanford Nowlin

A federal appeals court ruled last week that the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone will remain legal in the U.S., but with significant new restrictions: the drug is now only approved for use up to seven weeks of pregnancy instead of ten and can no longer be prescribed by telehealth or mailed. It’s another blow to abortion access for people across the country, including Texans who may seek abortion care in other states. The Supreme Court is now scheduled to hear the case.

Gov. Greg Abbott appeared at St. Mary’s Magdalene Catholic School last Thursday for a stop on a statewide tour designed to rally support for school voucher legislation currently stalled in the Texas House. Abbott claimed without evidence that Texas public schools are teaching a “woke, leftist radical agenda” and said that voucher programs in places like Florida have proven successful — even though that state has one of the country’s worst-ranked public education systems.

A federal grand jury last week indicted two former members of Fiesta royalty on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Kenneth Flores and Antonio Flores Jr., a father-son duo who both served as Rey Feos, along with two other family members are charged with perpetrating a scheme in which they fixed housekeeping and janitorial-services contracts at U.S. Army hospitals and medical centers. Attorneys for the family members said the charges are without merit.

Asher

YOU SAID IT!

“It got so bad so fast. And it looks like it’s going to get worse.”

— Alexander Peden TransgenderTexan to the Texas Tribune on the state legislature’s current raft of anti-LGBTQ+ bills.

Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore

Defunding Debate

public funding

BY MICHAEL KARLIS

Last week, in a bid to quell fears about Senate Bill 8, his signature school voucher proposal, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott brought his statewide “Parent Empowerment” tour to San Antonio.

During a nearly half-hour talk in the sweltering gym of St. Mary’s Magdalene School, he pledged it wouldn’t defund public school systems nor put an end to Friday night lights in the Lone Star State as critics have charged.

“I can assure you and can prove to you that’s not going to happen,” Abbott told the hundreds of parents gathered there last Thursday.

Despite the Republican governor’s reassurances, experts say budgetary issues in other states that have passed similar school voucher measures suggest the plan will have dire consequences for public education in Texas.

Dismal track record

If passed, SB 8 would provide parents who pull their children out of public school an $8,000 annual check, known as an “education savings account.” That money could be used to fund tuition at a private school or help cover homeschooling expenses.

Conservatives rationalize that pulling that money out of Texas’ public school systems would force them to be more frugal with taxpayer dollars and more competitive with private schools, thereby increasing the quality of education overall.

“Historically, conservatives have held public schools to be suspect, in that they are large bureaucracies inefficient in their use of public monies, and therefore deserve to be challenged by charter schools and school vouchers,” Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson said.

However, voucher skeptics, including Jillson, argue that states that have tried the voucher experiment on a large scale have ended up with lower test scores and worsened school performance.

The implementation of Louisiana’s voucher program — among the most robust in the nation — yielded a loss of learning on par with that of Hurricane Katrina, according to Joshua Cowen, a Michigan State University professor who’s tracked voucher performance.

Budget busts

What worries Cowen most is how the state can funnel tax money into creating a special stratum of private schools while maintaining its existing public

education system.

“It’s impossible for a state to, in the long term, stand up and maintain two education systems,” Cowen said. “And if Texas passes this bill, that’s what Texas is committing to, effectively just supporting two education systems financially.”

In the 2022 fiscal year, K-12 education was Texas’ largest expenditure, running $2,179 per capita, according to the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan economic and social policy think tank based in Washington, D.C.

Despite K-12 education being one of Texas’ biggest annual expenses, its per-pupil spending is among the lowest in the country. The Lone Star State spent an average of around $9,900 per student during its 2022 fiscal year, well below the national average of $13,185.

Cowen argues S.B. 8 will force Texas to pay for K-12 twice, which he says is unsustainable. What’s more, he warns it will force the state to make budget cuts elsewhere to continue the model.

“Politicians don’t tend to worry too much about future costs of things for four years, five years down the line,” he said. “But you can’t pay to add another education sector. At least not without paying for it without having to cut the budget from the existing one.”

Cowen pointed to Arizona’s recently passed school voucher program, which could wind up costing taxpayers there around $1 billion more annually, according to an Arizona Capitol Times report.

“The cuts come by not keeping education spending up with inflation and keeping per-pupil dollars at their current average,” Cowen said. “No politician is going to vote to cut per-pupil spending because they

would get thrown out of office. They would just vote to not increase spending, even if costs are rising.”

An apparent answer

In 2023, Texas is projected to boast a record $32.7 billion budget surplus. In other words, lawmakers are sitting on a windfall that could make the proposed school voucher program work — at least in the short term.

However, that kind of surplus doesn’t happen often, and it may never happen again, observers caution. Instead of wasting the money on an unsustainable gamble like a school voucher program, Cowen suggests simply reinvesting some of that surplus into the public school system.

“More money does not always lead to better results,” Abbott pronounced during his speech in San Antonio last week.

But the data beg to differ.

The states of New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts spend the most per pupil on K-12 education in the nation, according to the nonpartisan Data Education Initiative.

Yet, all five rank among the country’s best public school systems, according to a recent ranking college scholarship-resource platform Scholaroo.

Another thing those five states have in common: they don’t operate voucher programs.

“People talk about education like there’s something mysterious about it,” Cowen said. “But, honestly, in most instances, things work better when you invest in them.”

Despite the governor’s voucher pitch, the answer to better Texas schools is more

Michael Karlis

No Pain, No Gain

A bill to significantly expand Texas’ medical marijuana program is advancing in the legislature

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

The Texas House voted last week to advance a bipartisan bill that would grow the state’s limited medical marijuana program by opening it to people who suffer from chronic pain.

House Bill 1805’s next stop is the Texas Senate, where it could face resistance from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who’s served as a roadblock for previous marijuana reform proposals. Even so, some in the cannabis industry predict it will ultimately pass.

Final approval of the measure would mean a major victory for cannabis advocates, who have long pushed to expand Texas’ medical marijuana program, considered one of the most limited of any state. The addition of pain patients would greatly boost the number of participants and likely draw new investment from cannabis suppliers, industry insiders maintain.

Sponsored by State Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, the bill expands the state’s current medical cannabis program to those who would otherwise have been prescribed opiates for

pain. Additionally, it raises the cap for the amount of THC in prescribed cannabis to 10 milligrams per dosage unit, up from 1% by weight. THC is the compound in marijuana that leads to a high.

“We’ve been trying to cut back on opioid use for a number of years,” Klick, a nurse, told the Dallas Morning News. “Prescription opiates became a problem. We’ve done a number of measures over the last decade to try and reduce that, but this is another tool in the toolbox.”

Cannabis advocates and medical professionals have urged Texas lawmakers to expand the state’s so-called Compassionate Use Program (CUP) to include people experiencing chronic pain. Research shows that medical marijuana is particularly effective in addressing that condition.

Right now, CUP is only open to patients suffering from cancer, PTSD, autism, epilepsy and a limited number of other ailments, making it one of the country’s most limited medical cannabis programs.

Advocates have also called on lawmakers to boost the program’s THC cap, which they say is set arbitrarily low. Under the current limit, patients who need significant doses of the compound are forced to overpay to meet their required dosage, suppliers maintain.

HB 1805 also lays the groundwork for a process by which the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) could decide which other patient groups qualify for CUP. That could allow the program to expand more quickly than having to wait for the Texas Legislature to vote on new expansions of the law every two years.

Currently, there are just three state-approved suppliers for Texas medical marijuana patients. Industry officials argue that’s kept prices artificially high. They said final approval of Klick’s bill could bring more suppliers to the state, expanding availability and reducing prices.

“Texas is the biggest untapped market, so every [medical cannabis supplier] is going to be looking at this and doing the calculations to see whether the numbers make sense to apply,” said John Harloe, general counsel of leading hemp and cannabis company Balanced Health Botanicals.

Harloe declined to say whether Balanced Health had applied to enter the Texas market. Earlier this year, the Texas Department of Public Safety,

which oversees CUP, began accepting additional supplier applications.

He said the TDSHS’s ability to make incremental rule changes could be a major step forward, depending on whom the governor appoints to the oversight board.

“If you just pack it with anti-cannabis people, then nothing’s going to get done,” he added.

Kim Stuck, CEO of cannabis-industry compliance firm Allay Consulting, said she thinks the bill’s potential to keep pain sufferers away from opiates will help it overcome resistance in the Senate.

She also predicts that the widening of CUP to include pain patients will be the first of many regulations to ease in the state around medical cannabis, especially with TDSHS empowered to make incremental changes.

“I’m feeling positive about this,” Stuck said. “I think it’s going to go through. If you hold out long enough, those regulations are going to open up bit by bit.”

Allay Consulting is currently helping three potential suppliers submit applications to do business in Texas, another sign she reads as an indication that the state’s restrictive medical cannabis program is on the verge of expansion.

“That number could increase. I get calls from Texas every day,” she said. “I think it’s finally happening there. I’m feeling the buzz.”

Unsplash / Jeff W

Opponents of San Antonio’s Prop A are lying to thwart much-needed criminaljustice reforms

BY KEVIN SANCHEZ

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

We express the gravest concern for the explosive and dangerous condition inflamed by outside meddlers.” — The Southern Manifesto, 1954

“Outside agitators are coming in to arouse our people to do acts they would not do otherwise.” — Strom Thurman, 1968

“These outside activists have tricked voters in other cities with devastating consequences.” — Protect SA, 2023 “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial ‘outside agitator’ idea.” — Martin Luther King Jr, Letter From Birmingham Jail, 1963

By now, you’ve probably received frightening copganda via your mailbox, TV or local paper paid for by Protect SA, the political action committee of San Antonio’s powerful police union. The organization has amassed a war chest of more than $880,000 this year to scare San Antonians out of passing a morally urgent charter amendment which will appear on the May 6 ballot.

The term “outside agitators” has an unsavory his-

torical legacy. As Freedom Riders struggled to register Black voters in the South, to pick but one example, those resistant to change deployed the inflammatory epithet to discredit courageous activists.

Yet San Antonio Police Officers Association President Danny Diaz had no qualms about resuscitating “outside agitator” rhetoric last month on the Express-News’ Puro Politics podcast.

“During the 2020 riots, a lot of those individuals that stirred up that stuff were from out of town,” he said.

That’s a hell of a way to reductively dismiss the largest protest movement in US history, when tens of millions of Americans from all across the nation marched against systemic racism and police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Many endured pepper spray and rubber bullets for exercising their civic duty.

I would not want to live in a country where a person in police custody could be killed with impunity while nobody cared enough to hit the streets. And I am proud to say I do not live in such a country.

Yet bad faith critics have called the follow-on grassroots organizers who introduced Proposition A by gathering more than 38,000 signatures from registered Bexar County voters every insult but “uppity.”

The revolting ads that Protect SA blew beaucoup cash on splash the words “Now they are coming for us” across the scene as footage depicts cities engulfed in flames. That’s shameless fearmongering — with covertly racist undertones and an overtly racist provenance — and it’s beneath the dignity of anyone who purports to care about protecting and serving the community. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated 55 years ago this month while traveling to Memphis to back a strike by sanitation workers. Does that mean the civil rights leader lost his life being, according to the choice language of Protect SA, just another “outside radical activist.”

What is the specter called Prop A haunting our fair city?

A key section states that “police officers shall not investigate, make arrests, or otherwise enforce any alleged criminal abortion.” This scenario isn’t hypothetical. Last April, the Starr County Sheriff’s Office in Rio Grande City arrested 26-year-old Lizelle Herrera on the charge of murder by “self-induced abortion.”

Just last month, Texas’ extreme prohibition of abortion in almost all cases forced Samantha Casiano to give birth to a fetus missing half its brain. The child lived for all of four hours before dying in her father’s arms. And since our state doesn’t help pay for infant funerals, the parents had to raise money for the burial — all for a pregnancy that could have been safely

Instagram / @sapoassociation

MSan Antonio police union boss Danny Diaz speaks in front of City Hall about Prop A.

ended months earlier.

More recently, a Texas judge revoked the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion pill, mifepristone, and State Rep. Steve Toth introduced a bill to criminalize so much as providing information on how to obtain an abortion-inducing drug — a blatant infringement of the First Amendment.

Who will enforce these grisly and draconian laws? When asked that question on the Puro Politics podcast, Diaz’s reply was far from reassuring.

“We’re so understaffed, there’s no way we can sit at a location to wait for a doctor to, you know, have a procedure and then we arrest them,” he said.

Sorry, the only guarantee we have that the San Antonio Police Department won’t arrest doctors outside of abortion clinics is that the department is “understaffed”? Diaz went on to recommend putting another 1,000 cops on the beat. That about sums up, in a single soundbite, the vital importance of enshrining reproductive rights in the city charter as soon as possible.

SA Protect’s graphic riot imagery notwithstanding, setting a cop car or courthouse ablaze is a felony, for the record. Such crimes aren’t in the same ballpark, the same league or even the same sport as the misdemeanors covered by the 2019 cite-and-release program which Prop A seeks to codify.

Yet the SA Protect website portends that sex crimes would also be treated with a slap on the wrist. “Sexual predators caught flashing children or peeping into your windows would be treated the same as speeding tickets,” the site claims.

That’s egregiously false. Indecent exposure involving a minor is already a state jail felony, therefore not covered by Prop A, and voyeurism is a Class C misdemeanor which — approve or disapprove — isn’t an arrestable offense at present.

How can we trust the police when their mouthpieces flagrantly lie to the public without remorse?

If SAPD has already banned chokeholds and noknock warrants in their manual, what explains the reluctance to write those protections in law? If the department welcomes oversight, why rile under the appointment of a Justice Director who would issue impact reports and keep a dialogue going with community stakeholders?

We sure could have used such a watchdog in the room when the City Council last August gifted SAPD a $400,000 armored tactical vehicle, for instance. Though Diaz rightly affirmed San Antonio’s love for police officers, why do cops seem intent on being outfitted like an occupying army?

Sincere advocates for and against Prop A admit that what little accountability San Antonio has achieved in keeping problem cops off the force was a consequence of the post-Floyd reset. Nearly half the electorate voted to strip the police union of collective bargaining during the May 2021 election. That initiative, called Proposition B, failed just 48.8% to 51%.

“The fact that we were even able to focus on discipline and limit the role of an arbitrator so our police chief’s decisions [are] upheld on firings — that came from Prop B, that came from George Floyd,” Ananda Tomas, head of Act 4 SA, said on the same podcast

Diaz visited a week prior. Tomas was driving force behind Prop B then and behind Prop A now.

To her point, measures initially presumed to be aspirational can extract material concessions and shape policy in a lasting manner.

Were the unfounded smears hurled at Prop A confined to those who insist on an officer’s “discretion” to search and imprison someone for possessing cannabis — a smokable plant — that would be bad enough. But supposed allies of reform have suffered spinal problems as well.

During a recent KSAT News interview, Mayor Ron Nirenberg came out against Prop A, lamenting a “lack of consequences for the victims of low-level crime.” But let’s be real: when a cop issues an order to appear in court, that’s not a referral to Judge Judy, and the failure to show up triggers a bench warrant for one’s arrest as well as an additional criminal charge.

Nirenberg disappointingly echoed the SA Protect website and fliers that allege Prop A would “decriminalize theft.” No more than writing a lead-footed motorist a ticket “decriminalizes” speeding.

Similarly, Diaz asserted that those vandalizing churches would face no repercussions, something Express-News columnist Gilbert Garcia felt the need to correct.

“Even in the case of graffiti, if Prop A passes, any markings on schools, places of worship, public monuments or community centers that result in at least $750 in damage will remain a felony, as stipulated by the Texas Penal Code,” Garcia noted.

Prop A opponents’ untruths aside, where’s the evidence that throwing a bunch of low-level nonviolent offenders in the clink somehow breaks the cycle of crime?

Under the present system, we’re hurting people’s ability to get jobs, and we’re not offering drug rehab or mental health services. Meanwhile, Prop A’s detractors pretend we can “lock ‘em up and throw away the key.”

But the immediate gratification of retribution doesn’t address the underlying sources of crime. Nor does it provide one bit of compensation to the victims. Nor help communities heal. Nor compel people to pull their lives together.

In a just society, caging human beings for any length of time should be a last resort — at the very least, contemplated only after other sensible alternatives have been exhausted. If someone caught shoplifting at the grocery store receives a citation, meets with a social worker, and finds out they’ve been eligible for food stamps all along, then we’ve knocked out two birds with one non-arrest: stopped future recidivism and fed someone who was hungry.

“A citation allows the officer to focus on serious crimes,” District Attorney Joe Gonzales — himself a target of the propaganda wing of the police union — wrote in an op-ed published July of last year. “Moreover, the recidivism rate for participants who have successfully completed the program is only 7.9%, compared with an average recidivism rate of 38% for those arrested and booked. Are believers in a heavier hand prepared to defend the punitive approach even when it correlates with higher crime rate down the

road?

He continued: “To date, the cite-and-release program has saved $4.7 million in booking costs.”

The Express-News freshly updated that figure to $5.6 million.

On the flip side, instantaneously locking people up for misdemeanors like “a smashed car window” — Nirenberg’s pet example — may feel satisfyingly tough on crime, but taxpayers ultimately shoulder the bill when suspects who can’t afford bail languish in county lockup for days to weeks on our dime, clogging the courts and overcrowding the jails.

Earlier this year, Sheriff Javier Salazar arrived cap in hand, yet again, before the City Council asking for $3.7 million in overtime costs. That’s in addition to the up to $13 million typically allocated for that purpose. Must we really handcuff and warehouse some kid for spray painting an underpass? Do we thrive as a city by treating young punks as irredeemable? We certainly don’t stop them from turning to a career of crime by tossing them in with hardened lawbreakers.

The apparent absence of a competitive mayoral race, and arm-twisting by the business sector, have led Nirenberg to continue his betrayal of the progressive constituency who first put him in office. He’s backslid on the humane treatment of the homeless, on transitioning municipal power away from fossil fuels and now on meaningful criminal justice reform.

The mayor is content to pass the buck to state and federal authorities and curry favor with the powers that be by dismissing the years of hard work reform advocates dedicated to this cause. For the winds of change to blow through the capitol buildings in Austin or Washington D.C., however, they’ll need to begin in cities like San Antonio — preferably before any more civilians get shot.

“This was an individual failure. Not a training failure, not a policy failure,” Police Chief William McManus said at a press conference following the shooting of 17-year-old Erik Cantu.

But if his department gave a trigger-happy officer a gun, doesn’t that count as an institutional failure — one necessitating an institutional remedy? Cue the Justice Director.

Sadly, Nirenberg’s loss of bone density has proven contagious. District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo and most other local officials refuse to endorse Prop A. At a forum hosted by the Asian American Alliance on the first of the month, candidate Sukh Kaur was the only candidate running for city council who had the cajones to say she will vote yes, chiefly to support reproductive freedom. Meanwhile, Bravo dithered pathetically.

Political bravery like hers deserves to be rewarded come election day. When it comes to City Hall, we’re currently experiencing a severe shortage of inside agitators.

“Everybody loves somebody who’s thought about an abortion or had an abortion. Everybody loves somebody who has at least tried cannabis at some point in their life,” Act 4 SA’s Tomas said on Puro Politics. “Our rights keep getting attacked. We need to make a serious statement for what we want public safety to look like in our community.”

Early voting starts on Monday, April 24.

THU | 04.20SUN | 04.30

SPECIAL EVENT FIESTA

Fiesta San Antonio 2023 will bring 10 days of nonstop parades, performances and parties to the Alamo City. As with every year, the parties are for a good cause, with proceeds supporting scholarships, community groups and more. These highlights will help revelers plan for a citywide experience that can be overwhelming thanks to its wealth of options. A full list of 2023’s Fiesta events is available at fiestasanantonio.org. —

Christianna Davies

FIESTA OYSTER BAKE

A Fiesta staple that has been around for a third of the city’s history is back. Sponsored by the St. Mary’s University Alumni Association, the 107th Fiesta Oyster Bake gives revelers two days to enjoy a shucking good time with delicious oysters along with classic Fiesta foods such as chicken on a stick. Beyond the bivalves, the event is one of Fiesta’s musical highlights, featuring lineup of 35 bands, including headliners Everclear, Pat Green, Latin Breed, Color Me Badd, Saint Asonia, David Lee Garcia, the Spazmatics and Shane Smith and the Saints. All of the event proceeds go back to supporting students at St. Mary’s University. $25$170, 5-11p.m. Friday, April 21, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, April 22, St. Mary’s University, One Camino Santa Maria, (210) 436-3324, oysterbake.com.

FIESTA DE LOS REYES

The Fiesta de los Reyes at Market Square has been a longtime draw for partygoers who love food and music. Each day is packed with San Antonio and South Texas acts with a heavy emphasis on the Tejano scene, and vendors offer

a variety of Fiesta food and drink favorites. On Monday, April 24, military members, both active duty and veterans, receive food and vendor discounts and $1-off sodas. On College Night, Tuesday, April 25, the vibe switches from Tejano to hits from the ’80s, ’90s and today. Free, 10 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Friday, 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday, April 21-30, Market Square, 514 W. Commerce St., fiestadelosreyes.com.

FIESTA DE LOS NIÑOS

While billed as a party for the kids, adults always find plenty of ways to stay entertained at Fiesta de Los Niños. Expect Fiesta staples such as rides, food, crafts and music along with an array of kid-friendly, hands-on activities courtesy of the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology and other partners. Young attendees can learn about cybersecurity, aviation, space exploration and robotics as part of the revelry. Free, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, April 23, Boeing Center at Tech Port, 3331 General Hudnell Drive, (210) 6003699, boeingcentertechport.com.

NIOSA

The ever popular A Night In Old San Antonio (NIOSA) lets attendees revel in San Antonio’s past while sampling a dizzying selection of culinary favorites. Run by the Conservation Society of San Antonio, the four-night festival celebrates the city’s diverse cultural legacy with food, drink, souvenirs, music and more. The festivities sprawl across 14 distinct areas, including Chinatown, Frontier Town, Mission Trails and the French Quarter. Each section feels like its own party, while connecting to the sprawling celebration. Live music from bands such as Dukes of Cool, Passing Strangers and The San Antunes will kick the festivities into high gear. $20, 5:30-10:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 25-Friday, April 28, La Villita, 418 Villita St., (210) 226-5188, niosa.org.

FORD MARIACHI FESTIVAL

A downtown Fiesta staple since 1972, the three-day Ford

Mariachi Festival gives revelers a chance to partake in outdoor dinners at participating River Walk bars and restaurants while being treated to mariachi performers floating by on boats. Dressed in traditional festive garb, the talented musicians will make periodic stops along the way, bringing diners up-close and personal performances. Free, 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 25-Thursday, April 27, San Antonio River Walk, thesanantonioriverwalk.com.

BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADE

The Battle of Flowers Parade, Fiesta’s founding event, draws crowds of more than 550,000 people annually. The parade also has the unique distinction of being the only one produced entirely by women. Expect beautiful and extravagant floats to bring vibrant colors to San Antonio streets, and don’t be afraid to join in the fun by asking the royalty to “Show me your shoes!” In the days leading up to the parade, which honors those who fought at the Alamo, a traveling float will make appearances at various local hotspots. This year’s parade theme is “Where Fiesta Reigns.” $25$35, 8:55 a.m. (Vanguard), 9:30 a.m. (Parade), Friday, April 28, Downtown San Antonio, battleofflowers.org.

KING WILLIAM FAIR

More than 35,000 visitors are anticipated to flood into the family-friendly King William Fair, one of Fiesta’s final big events. The day kicks off with a parade and never lets up. Food and craft vendors dot the beautiful historic neighborhood, and the Texas Wine Garden, a recent addition to the event, will offer the chance to chill and raise a toast. Street performers — ranging from magicians and animal handlers to mariachis and historical reenactment groups — add to the atmosphere, and the Kid’s Kingdom, will provide activities for young visitors. $20-$25, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, April 29, King William Historic District, 122 Madison Street, (210) 271-3247, kwfair.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.

Photos by Jaime Monzon

Gary Owen

Tori Pool

Chris Estrada

Donnell Rawlings

Conover

FRI | 04.21

FILM

HAROLD AND MAUDE

The unconventional love story at the heart of macabre rom-com Harold and Maude (1971) has made it a longtime cult favorite. Young, wealthy and death-obsessed Harold (Bud Cort) meets eccentric, fun-loving 79-year-old Maude (Ruth Gordon) by chance at a funeral, and their blossoming relationship allows both to experience fresh perspectives. Director Hal Ashby, working from a script by Colin Higgins, fashioned a dark comedy that’s tender, engaging and often laugh-out-loud funny. With an iconic soundtrack by the legendary Cat Stevens and an enduring message about connecting with those different from us, Harold and Maude continues to resonate with audiences because it celebrates a good kind of weird. $10, 7 p.m. Friday, Arthouse at Blue Star, 134 Blue Star, (210) 212-9373, slabcinemaarthouse.com.

— Macks Cook

TUE | 04.25 -

SUN | 04.27

SPECIAL

EVENT FIESTA CORNYATION

SAT | 04.22

SPORTS

BRAHMAS VS. DEFENDERS

After winning their first home game of the season against the Orlando Guardians this past weekend, the San Antonio Brahmas will take on the No. 1 seed D.C. Defenders in their latest XFL showdown. The Brahmas’ victory against Orlando means the team could still make the playoffs

Since it first emerged in 1951 as a parody of the upper-crust affair that is the Coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo, Cornyation has evolved into a charitable enterprise that’s one of the city’s hottest LGBTQ+ events. Irreverent satire of local and national politics has always been at the heart of Cornyation, and 2023’s source material promises to make this year’s show wackier than ever. Dubbed The Court of Chaotic Wisdom, this year’s iteration welcomes Anet Alaniz — owner of the off-kilter store Pig Liquors — as King Anchovy LVI. And the pig references don’t stop there. Making the troupe’s second annual Cornyation performance, Powdered Wig Machine will collaborate with visual artist Mauro de La Tierra on a piece satirizing the world’s first pig-to-human heart transplant, which occurred last year. From there, the event promises to dive deep into even stranger territory. This year’s other performers include Bridgette Norris-Sanchez, Charlemagne Scarlett, Ellis Ussery, Michelle Delgado, Ursula Zavala, Valley Ortiz, Victoria Morales and The Wizard. Eleven courts will perform skits and other entertainment for the King of Cornyation and the rest of the Cornyation court. Not just a bawdy spectacle, the annual event has raised more than $3 million for nonprofits since its inception, benefitting the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, BEAT AIDS, the Thrive Youth Center and the Robert Rehm theater arts scholarships for high school students. $15-$45, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — Dalia Gulca

if can pull of a win against D.C. — but the Arlington Renegades would also have to lose to the Houston Roughnecks for that to happen. That means Saturday’s game at the Alamodome could be the last chance to see the Brahmas in action until next season. $18 and up, 2 p.m., Alamodome, 100 Montana St., (210) 207-3663, alamodome.com.

FRI | 04.28SUN | 04.30

COMEDY

CHRIS ESTRADA

— Michael Karlis

show follows Julio — played by Estrada — who works at a gang-rehabilitation center in South LA dubbed Hugs Not Thugs, and his cousin, Luis, an ex-con enrolled in the program. Hulu recently greenlit This Fool for a second season. $20-$25, 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 N.W. Loop 410, (210) 541-8805, improvtx.com/sanantonio. — Brandon Rodriguez

Los Angeles-born Chris Estrada has already racked up an impressive resume: writer, actor and stand-up comedian. Estrada is known for comedic work that pairs self-deprecation and social critique — a blend that’s on perfect display in a standup routine where he describes the unpleasantries of his irritable bowel syndrome and the problems presented when small-business owners refuse to let customers like him use their restrooms. Estrada’s clever, high-level comedy placed him among Time Out L.A.’s 2018 Top 10 Comedians to Watch and earned him a spot on Comedy Central’s 2019 annual UP NEXT showcase. More recently, he wrote and starred in the 2022 Hulu series This Fool, an irreverent and nuanced sitcom that speaks to the Mexican American experience. The

Julian Ledezma

Courtesy Photo / XFL Courtesy Photo / LOL Comedy Club

LIVE MUSIC

MAIN STAGE

Rick Cavender 6pm & 8:45pm

Finding Friday

7:15pm & 10pm STAGE 2

The Regimes 5:15pm

323d Army Band

6:15pm

Ruben V 7:15pm & 10:15pm

Stereomonde 8:45pm

Mariachi Band

Throughout Footprint

| 5:30

AlamoHeightsNight.org

Fun, family friendly, official Fiesta event with 80+ booths filled with great food, drink, entertainment, games & rides for the entire San Antonio community!

ADMISSION

$20 Adults | $5 Ages 12-17 | $5 w/ Valid Student ID

$200 VIP Tickets (Limited availability)

FREE for children under 12 FREE Active Duty/Reserve Component Military w/ Valid Military ID Card*

FREE UIW Students/staff/faculty w/ Valid UIW ID Card*

PRESENTED BY SPONSORED BY

PARKING

Available parking can be found at 4 FREE park and ride locations and across on the south side of Hildebrand from the campus. Shuttles start at 5pm.

SAT | 04.29

SPECIAL EVENT

BETTIE BASH

San Antonio craft brewery Alamo Beer Co. will host an April 29 event celebrating Bettie Page, the “Queen of Pinups,” replete with live tunes, a modeling contest and more. The event celebrates what would have been the pop-culture icon’s 100th birthday with performances by rockabilly bands Solitary Runaway and Pavel Demon and the Revenant. Vintage clothing vendors, a mini car and bike show, two visiting food trucks and Alamo’s full lineup of beers will round out the scene. Nashville native Page’s naughty-but-nice smile and trademark black bangs have inspired generations of artists and influenced the look of plenty of hipsters. The Bettie Bash’s pinup contest will bestow a $150 grand prize to the contestant who best embodies Page’s distinctive style. Free, 3-10 p.m., Alamo Beer Co., 202 Lamar St., alamobeer.com. — Nina Rangel

TUE | 05.02 -

SUN | 05.07

THEATER

HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

TUE | 05.02MON | 05.03

THEATER

TOOTSIE

Tony Award-winning musical Tootsie tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a seasoned Hollywood actors whose reputation as a perfectionist has made it impossible for him to land new roles. He’s on the verge of giving up acting until his roommate tips him off about a soap opera holding an open audition. The problem? It’s a female role. In an act of desperation, Dorsey reinvents himself as “Dorothy Michaels” and earns a spot on the small screen. “Dorothy” puts a feisty feminist spin on the character, who was originally written to be passive and docile. The turnaround transforms the show into an overnight sensation. What

The 2018 stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s iconic novel To Kill a Mockingbird makes its way to San Antonio as part of its first national tour. The play follows 1930s Alabama lawyer Atticus Finch’s defense of Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. But, unlike the book, Aaron Sorkin’s stage version unfolds from the perspective of Finch himself rather than that of his 6-year-old daughter Scout. That switch amplifies the internal and external challenges the trial places on Finch, while moving two Black characters, the wrongly accused Robinson and Calpurnia, the Finches’ housekeeper, into the foreground of the story. The tour’s cast includes Emmy-winner Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch, Melanie Moore as Scout Finch and Yaegel T. Welch as Tom Robinson. $45 and up, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — Dana Nichols

was meant to be a short-term gig snowballs into a multi-season contract, turnup up the pressure on Dorsey to maintain the act. The turmoil comes to a head when he begins to develop feelings for his co-star Julie, which could force him to expose his secret before the acting contract expires. Broadcasting his double life could result in a lifelong blacklist, and Dorsey must decide whether it’s worth risking has career for a shot at romance.

$39.60-$99.50, 7:30 p.m., H-E-B Performance Hall, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Caroline WolfF

Courtesy Photo / Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

Julieta Cervantes

Wikimedia Commons / CMG Worldwide

FREE FIESTA MEDAL

By Alamo Quarry Market

Friday, April 21 | 1 - 3 p.m.

Receive our beautiful 2023 Fiesta Medal with your same-day purchases totaling $50 or more from Alamo Quarry Market stores or restaurants. Bring receipts to the pop-up display located near Regal Cinemas. Plus, enter for a chance to win a $100 Alamo Quarry Market gift card.

*One per customer, while supplies last. Employees of Alamo Quarry Market and all of its tenants are not eligible.

Portrait of the Artist

Friends, associates remember San Antonio painter Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz as a creative powerhouse

BY MARCO AQUINO

Friends and associates of the late San Antonio visual artist Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz, known for his stunning portraiture work and sculptures, said he will be remembered as forward-thinking creator who tapped into classic influences.

Rodríguez-Díaz, who died March 31 at age 67, attracted international attention for his ability to combine technical proficiency with political and social commentary to create an instantly recognizable visual style.

“He was really a phenomenal technician,” said Ruben C. Cordova, who curated a career-spanning retrospective of the creator’s work at Centro de Artes in 2017. “He could really render faces and details with extraordinary power. But I think also he made really uniquely original works by using self-portraiture as a vehicle for social criticism.”

Rodríguez-Díaz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and later moved to New York City where he attended Hunter College and

earned his MFA. In 1995, he settled in San Antonio with his partner Rolando Briseño, a fellow artist in his own right.

While at Hunter College, Rodríguez-Díaz’ professors told him painting was dead. Nonetheless, he took it upon himself to learn how to paint like the old masters by visiting museums.

He used his portraiture works as a means for social commentary and often used himself as the main subject. As a gay man who lived through the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, he created a series of paintings depicting nude figures living with HIV. That series was later exhibited as “The Full Monty” at FL!GHT Gallery in 2017. In the early 2000s, Rodríguez-Díaz began donning Mexican wrestler masks in his work, signaling his assimilation into Mexican American and San Antonio culture.

Rodríguez-Díaz also is known for public artworks located throughout the Alamo City. Among his most visible of those pieces is The

Rodríguez-Díaz frequently gave himself a starring role in the portraits he painted.

Crossroads of Enlightenment, a pair of metal towers resembling smokestacks located at the intersection of Blanco and Basse Roads. Both are embellished by intricate cutouts. Other public works by the artist include The Birth of a City, a large photo mural at the Cliff Morton Business and Development Center, and a two story glass curtain called DNA: Mosaic of Our Humanity at the University Health System Hospital.

Baroque influences

Rodríguez-Díaz created dramatized portraits to critique a range of topics including the oil industry, U.S. imperialism and the Iraq invasion. By inserting himself in the middle of the narrative, he could present himself as a witness to history while making the point that Latinos have often been marginalized or excluded.

“He was very cognizant of artists who were habitual self-representers,” Cordova said. “I think Frida Kahlo was an important model in that regard.”

Rodríguez-Díaz was also influenced by Baroque artists such as Diego Velázquez 25

Courtesy Photo / Ruben Cordova

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23 and Peter Paul Rubens. Cordova adds that although Rodríguez-Díaz produced modern art, he used techniques pioneered by the old masters — or at least gave the illusion that he was.

Among the most visually striking works in the 2017 retrospective at Centro de Artes were three monumental paintings known as the Goddess Triptych There, Rodríguez-Díaz depicted three individual portraits of a full-figured, voluptuous, nude African American woman. The figures were the antithesis of the typical thin, white Venus figure often seen in western art.

“It’s so startling because it’s something that we haven’t really seen much,” Cordova said. “Especially not in monumental paintings in this country. He’s really mythologizing them in a way, aggrandizing them, glorifying them, making them goddesses.”

As a Puerto Rican man, Rodríguez-Díaz understood that he was a descendant of both indigenous and African peoples and he wanted to work that into his paintings, according to Cordova.

The painter depicted black subjects as a way of investigating African mythology and to connect with his own heritage.

According to Rodríguez-Díaz’s partner Briseño, the San Antonio Museum of Art has recently acquired the third painting in the Goddess Triptych. It will join the

other two works in the series, which are already in the museum’s collection.

‘Allowing themselves to be seen’

Patricia Ruiz-Healy remembers Rodríguez-Díaz as one of the first artists she was able to work with at her Olmos Park gallery.

“When I opened the gallery back in 2006, my first ever show included the work of Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz, he was part of that inaugural show,” RuizHealy said. “I also took his work to one of the first art fairs of Latin American art in Miami.”

She remembers the use of fabrics in his paintings as one of his most unique characteristics, echoing Cordova’s sentiment that he had the technical chops of “an old master.”

“He really knew how to paint,” Ruiz-Healy said. “I always admired that and the Baroque elements you would see in his work.”

Artist Jenelle Esparza worked as a studio assistant to both Rodríguez-Díaz and Briseño.

“He was really kind and thoughtful,” Esparza said of the former. “Every time I was on the computer, he would let me work but would make me a sandwich or a fruit smoothie and place it nearby.”

She remembers Rodríguez-Díaz as patient, detail

oriented, soft spoken, contemplative and vibrant. He was also a great salsa dancer. The Goddess Triptych remains her favorite piece of his work.

“They are just so stunning,” Esparza said. “And, all together, they are just breathtaking.”

Vocalist and former San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson never met Rodríguez-Díaz but says she was struck by his work after a visit to SAMA in 2020. She was filming a music video in partnership with the museum when she noticed two of the paintings from Rodríguez-Díaz’ Goddess Triptych

“You walk in there and there are these portraits of nude women of color, and I was like, ‘Well, my body looks like their body, and I want to stand in this room. I want to perform in this room,’” she said.

In the music video for her song “Nouveaux,” Sanderson is seen standing alongside Rodríguez-Díaz’ paintings as well as other works in the museum.

“When I look at those portraits, they represent strength to me,” Sanderson said. “There is a power to be regained in these women posing and allowing themselves to be seen.”

Angel Rodriguez-Diaz, courtesy of Ruben Cordova

MRodríguez-Díaz’s work was often highly political. It also drew on his technical abilities as a painter.

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Discomforts of Home

Evil Dead Rise writer-director, actors explain why horror franchise isn’t afraid to get ‘weird and wild’

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

In Evil Dead Rise, the fifth installment of the Evil Dead film franchise that began in 1981, director Lee Cronin moves the supernatural horror story from the creepy, remote woods and into an apartment building in Los Angeles.

There, Beth (Lily Sullivan) visits her estranged sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her three children when the iconic Book of the Dead is once again unearthed.

The Current caught up with Cronin, Sullivan and Sutherland to talk about the bloodsoaked sequel and the kinds of horror movies that terrified them as kids. Evil Dead Rise premieres in theaters nationwide on April 21.

Lee, what attracted you to join this horror franchise as a writer and director?

Lee Cronin: I think what interested me was that it was a big departure from my last movie, The Hole in the Ground, which was a quieter, slower and psychological horror. But I love all aspects of the horror genre. So, when I thought about what I might do in the Evil Dead world, I was quickly drawn to the idea of doing something that would subvert some expectations and change up the setting and the context and the characters. I wanted to bring a new chapter to life that would make fans really happy. I wanted to bring a new audience in who maybe hadn’t experienced an Evil Dead movie before.

What is your earliest horror movie memory, and how did that impact you as a kid?

LC: It was Jaws and watching it for the first time when I was very young — about six or seven. It was the first time I ever got scared by a piece of entertainment. It had all been rainbows and fun times and cartoons up to that point. And then it was like, “Oh, wait a minute, you can get scared when you watch stuff on TV.” It made a big impression. I think I was afraid to go to the bathroom for many nights afterwards because I was scared of anywhere where there was water. So, the bathroom was off limits.

Lily Sullivan: For me, it would be The Shining and The Descent and Sleepy Hollow, which growing up scared the hell out of me.

Alyssa Sutherland: That was creepy. For me, it was the original It. My sister watched it at a slumber party that she had. I was younger, and neither my brother or I should have seen it. [Pennywise’s] head popping up in the drain at the streetlight burned into my brain.

TheShining as a kid, Lily? That’s intense. LS: That one was during my teenage years, but my mom would make me watch all the horror movies with her. If she didn’t get a babysitter, she would just take me to [the movie theater]. My mom was obsessed. Her nighttime stories were all horror and death.

Alyssa, have you gotten over your fear of

scary clowns yet?

AS: Hell no. I don’t think I’m ever going to get over that. Clowns are just scary no matter what. We’re all in agreement with that.

Lee, what do you think the benefit is of moving the story out of the forest and into a city?

LC: I think it creates a different type of tension. It’s not so much about bringing it into the city as it is about bringing it into the family home. The top floor of an apartment in Los Angeles couldn’t be further from a cabin in the woods. It was about bringing it into the home where everybody is surrounded by things that they’re already familiar with — the comforts and the trappings of home, which is very different to being in a strange place or in a creepy cabin.

This film is the fifth movie of a franchise that began more than 40 years ago. There’s also, of course, the TV series Ash vs Evil Dead that ran for three seasons. What is it about this franchise that keeps people coming back for more?

LS: It’s not afraid to get wild and weird. It can keep rebirthing itself. There’s an empowerment and freedom [that’s comparable to] the beginning of independent filmmaking in the horror genre. I think there’s a level of respect that you have to give Evil Dead just for its history. It’s fun, and it’s twisted.

LC: I think people like the experience of a horror thrill ride at the cinema. There hasn’t been a movie like this in quite some time. So, I think it feels very fresh right now. There’s some insane action and horror. I think there’s definitely room for more [movies] because the evil is kind of unstoppable. In the Evil Dead universe, that force is hard to shut down.

Warner Bros.

Chilled Out

CBD cocktails proliferate in San Antonio, along with ingredients to make them

BY NINA RANGEL

Activated charcoal. Edible glitter. Fancy ice. Trends in the cocktail industry come and go.

While some predicted CBD-infused cocktails, which first hit the market in 2018, would be one of those blink-and-it’s over phenomena, it’s clear both in San Antonio and elsewhere that tipples tinged with legal cannabidiol are here to stay.

When CBD cocktails first appeared, it was common to see bartenders use low-ABV spirits such as vermouth and sherry as the base since they were thought to promote the calming effects of the compound — the non-psychoactive chemical found in hemp and cannabis.

However, these days, you’ll find CBD-infused sippers containing punchier ingredients like tropical Velvet Falernum and bitter Amaro Nonino. While they tend to contain more complex ingredients, bartenders insist their creations leave guests feeling more relaxed, balanced and ready to decompress. Freshly stirred CBD cocktails are available at a variety of Alamo City bars and restaurants, and also in cans on grocery and convenience store shelves. Aspiring home bartenders can even pick up tinctures or hemp-infused spirits made in San Antonio. Here’s a quick rundown where to belly up for a CBD cocktail or obtain the necessary ingredients to make one. And we even threw in a simple-to-make recipe to get you started.

On A Menu

The Moon’s Daughters

Sipping on a cocktail overlooking the San Antonio skyline is its own brand of reprieve from the daily hustle and bustle, but The Moon’s Daughters’ Good Medicine cocktail amps that up with a touch of CBD. It also features Sipsmith Gin, simple syrup, lime, elderflower tonic and refreshing cucumber. 115 Lexington Ave., (210) 942-6032, themoonsdaughters.com.

Ida Claire

This central San Antonio spot offers a take on a classic Jungle Bird cocktail, featuring a sweet yet multilayered blend of tropical fruit flavors along with CBD-infused Plantation 3 Stars Rum. For those who prefer a more floral profile, the eatery also offers the High Tea Thyme drink, with Still Austin Gin, bitter Amaro Nonino, CBD green-tea simple syrup, lime, thyme and lavender bitters. 7300 Jones

Maltsberger Road, (210) 667-2145, ida-claire. com.

HASH Vegan Eats

This south-of-downtown destination opened in 2020 as San Antonio’s first and only full-service dry bar. It now offers any of its booze-free cocktails with a CBD boost for about $3. HASH also offer a CBD Lemonade that’s tangy, floral and tasty — all with the calming effects of cannabidiol. 5007 S. Flores St., (210) 332-9244, hashveganeatstogo.com.

CBD Additives

Isle of Emerald CBD Health & Wellness

This Castle Hills spot offers CBD-infused tinctures and sodas as well as sparkling drinks featuring kava, or the extract from the Piper methysticum plant. In the South Pacific, kava is a popular drink that’s used in ceremonies for relaxation. 2211 N.W. Military Hwy., Suite 210, (210) 965-2644, isle-of-emerald.com.

Powered by Plants

San Antonio-based startup Powered by Plants recently launched alcohol-free tequila, rum and gin brands, all infused with live resin, a cannabis concentrate using fresh hemp flower rather than dried and cured buds. According to company officials, live resins have higher levels of terpenes — chemical compounds that make certain cannabis strains smell or taste different from others — than standard CBD products. Bottles are available from Powered by Plants’ online shop. shoppoweredbyplants.com.

Purely CBD of Alamo Ranch

With water-soluble, terpene-rich extracts available in flavors such as pina colada and

strawberry lemonade, this store puts customers’ CBD-focused cocktail plans at the forefront. It also offers an extensive collection of CBD-infused tinctures, which can offer earthy notes and a unique viscosity to mixed drinks. 5619 W. Loop 1604 N. #117, (210) 549-9544, alamoranchcbd.com.

GRAS CBD

GRAS offers one of San Antonio’s most robust selections of CBD-infused wares. From syrups to tinctures to gummies for garnish, this multi-store retailer has something for everyone. Its delta 9 syrup is available in three strains and flavors, including chill pineapple, which uses an indica strain. Multiple locations, grascbd.com.

Recipe

CBD Margarita

We recommend using Powered by Plants’ non-alcoholic tequila for this recipe. Note, however, that the brand recommends imbibers only use half the CBD-infused version of a spirit that a cocktail recipe calls for. That suggestion is reflected here.

1. ounce resin-infused blanco tequila

1/2 ounce orange liqueur

1. ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 ounce agave syrup

Lime wheel (for garnish)

Kosher salt (for optional garnish)

Add tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and agave syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and garnish with a lime wheel and kosher salt rim, if desired.

Unsplash / Justin Aikin

Creator of Fiesta’s Taste of the Republic is an evangelist for Texas cuisine

BY BRANDON RODRIGUEZ

Name:  Brian West

Job:  Founder of Taste of the Republic, restaurant consultant

Age: 51

Birthplace: Alamo, Texas

Experience: West has worked in the food industry for 34 years, including stints as a restaurant owner, chef and culinary instructor.

There’s no job in the restaurant industry that chef Brian West hasn’t held, from busing tables to owning restaurants. Along the way, he’s served as a chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of America and even worked behind the scenes on chef Robert Irvine’s reality show Restaurant: Impossible. These days, West is an evangelist for authentic Texas cuisine by way of Fiesta event Taste of the Republic, which he founded in 2017. On April 20, Taste of the Republic will take place at the Alamo for the first time.

The origins of Taste of the Republic event began when you were an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. Tell me a bit about that.

As a chef-instructor, I noticed there was a void in the American cuisine programs with Texas culture. Later investigating this with the dean, it came to my knowledge that there was little research done on the cuisines of Texas. During my tenure, I made it my mission to define Texas cuisine as we know it today.

The Taste of the Republic Fiesta event reminds me of a Disney theme park in that one can experience multiple cultures in a central location. Was that always your intention? How has the event evolved since 2017?

In my research to better understand Texas cuisine, I found that because of the number of cultural influences, the overall idea of this cuisine was far too extensive to focus on. This problem eventually led me to the solution and idea of creating six geographical points of Texas cuisine. As a child, I was always a fan of Disney and the joy it brought to so many people, so I made the connection early on about how a place is able to bring joy to people simply through the experience of introducing them to a new culture. In

the beginning of this event, there were simply wine pairings with food, but as we have now grown exponentially, the relationship between food and beverage has changed. We now have incorporated spirits into the event and have further [explored] the endless possibilities of culinary mixtures pertaining to the six food regions.

You’ve said that your “Manifesto of Texas Cuisine” was intended to stoke revolution for Texas food. Your event now takes place at the Alamo, one of the state’s most iconic locations. How does that feel?

I feel truly amazed about it, and in my heart, I have always felt that this would happen naturally with no resistance. I feel extremely fortunate for the opportunity.

How has your perspective on Fiesta changed now that you and your concept are such a fixture for the event?

I have always felt that Fiesta is one of the pillars of our city, but thanks to the creation of Taste of the Republic I feel more connected than ever. I take personal

ownership of the integrity and future of Fiesta now. I know all these regions of cuisine are equally meaningful to you. However, if you could only eat from one of the regions for the rest of your days, which would it be and why?

Every single one of these regional cuisines has a meaning to me, but being from South Texas, I would have to say I would more than likely choose the TexMex region.

San Antonio is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. What does that mean to you and the mission of the Taste of The Republic?

I feel that anytime San Antonio is appreciated to be a diverse, cultural center we can all come together to achieve excellence in the culinary field. This guides me in my mission to further expand the knowledge people have on Texas cuisine and to truly highlight the components that went into it to lead the cuisine where it is today. I would be extremely interested in working with the UNESCO Foundation to truly understand the cuisine of Texas.

Taste of the Republic.

Linked In

San Antonio sustainable-meat company Rebel Food launching line of ‘bespoke’ sausages

BY NINA RANGEL

We won’t call it a “sausage party,” even though we kinda want to.

San Antonio-based Rebel Food Provisions, a purveyor of locally sourced meats, is gearing up to launch a new product line called Red River Reserve Sausage meant to leverage the growing popularity of sustainably raised animal proteins.

The company started in 2020 to preach the gospel of meat butchered from animals that aren’t pumped full of antibiotics and filler. Business boomed during the pandemic as shortages made commercially produced meat harder to get nationwide. That brought a significant upswing in customers who previously hadn’t sought out product from smaller, sustainable farms.

That expanded interest paved the way for Rebel Food Provisions and other artisan meat purveyors to build repeat business from local families.

Rebel Food owner-operators and life partners Josh Kirk and Erica Conway, both foodservice industry veterans, concentrate on supporting ranchers and farmers in South Texas. The duo hand-selects beef, pork and poultry that are GMO-, hormone- and antibiotic-free and distributes via an online store.

Efficient and tasty

The upcoming sausage line — which Kirk calls refers to as “bespoke” — will be RFP’s first self-prepared food offering. Though the term “bespoke” is most often used in the fashion world, it can also identify anything custom made.

To Kirk’s mind, there’s an appetite for labor-intensive handcrafted links, but the expansion also will help the company cut back on waste.

“Honestly, we see it as a labor of love and necessity. Our processing room creates a lot of high-end trim,” he said. “We looked at outsourcing the production, but ran into issues with almost everyone we spoke to. Some only wanted to produce standard sausage flavors — we’re looking for a little uniqueness. Others wanted minimum runs, which also didn’t line up with our bespoke ideas. So ultimately, we decided to do what we do and figure it out.”

That process involved partnering with Mark Garcia, whom Kirk describes as an old friend and sausage guru. If that name sounds familiar, it may be because he served as boss and head sausage-maker at southof-downtown barbecue joint Bandit BBQ.

Crowdfunding the links

The partnership between Rebel Food and Garcia will launch a Kickstarter last week to fund a $10,000 addition of new equipment to the meat purveyor’s Northeast San Antonio facility. The fundraiser will run through May 5.

Once that’s complete, Red River line will join Rebel Food’s other meats in its online store.

Garcia will create the chef-inspired links using what he calls a “mix of traditional Polish, German and Czech methods with modern Texas flavors.” In addition to South Texas-sourced meats, the links will include locally grown additions such as garlic, herbs and onions, creating a “very accessible things using bougie-ass materials.”

Through his time at Bandit and other dining spots, Garcia has racked up 17 years of experience making far-out franks, reveling in flavor combinations that would leave many Oscar Mayer customers scratching their heads. His past flavors include crawfish boil and

lobster-macaroni and cheese. He’s even added Fruity Pebbles to breakfast links.

Garcia is tight lipped about the flavor combinations he plans for Red River. However, of his research and development work is on display at monthly First Friday pop-ups he holds at Bruno’s Dive Bar in Southtown. To date, sausages available at his pop-ups have included crawfish, cherry-chipotle and jalapeño-cheddar.

Should it have success with the Red River launch, Rebel Food owner Kirk said it may be just the beginning for the company. He plans to obtain a state license that will allow the facility to produce other food lines that make use of sustainable and humanely raised meat.

“The facility we’re building will have a ‘cook plant’ grant of inspection, so we’ve been looking at additional items,” he said. “But [those are details] for another day.”

Nina Rangel

NEWS

San Antonio’s Saint City Culinary Foundation, set up to help hospitality access mental health resources, has closed. The nonprofit’s founder said it became too hard to compete for a dwindling pool of donation dollars.

Longtime Boerne eatery Little Gretel will close at end of month as chef-owner Denise Mazal and her husband head into retirement. The Cibolo Creek-facing property is now listed for lease.

Island-themed Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar is planning its first San Antonio location inside the Shops at La Cantera. Renovation work is expected to wrap up in October, according to a state filing.

A franchise group has purchased San Antonio’s vegan fast-food company Project Pollo, and all but one of its stores will close.

The Lion & Rose British Pub is planning a comeback near the exclusive Dominion neighborhood. A state filing notes an expected construction completion date in October.

A San Antonio historical commission has

approved restauranteur Kristina Zhao’s changes to a historic Hemisfair building to make way for Kusch Faire, the latest culinary venture from the Sichuan House owner.

OPENINGS

Sleek and nightclubby Bunker Mixology has opened, taking over the former location of cocktail bars Jet Setter and The Last Word. 229 E. Houston St., (210) 776-3606, thebunkermixology.com.

The house used in 1974 horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has been turned into a Southern-style restaurant called Hooper’s 1010 King Court, Kingsland, (325) 388-6022, hooperskingsland.com.

New Boerne brewpub 28 Songs Brewhouse + Kitchen has opened inside Boerne’s Main & Market development. 110 Market Ave., Boerne, 28songs.beer.

The restauranteur behind the Esquire Tavern will open Tokyo Cowboy on the River Walk April 29. The Japan-Texas fusion concept will occupy space above tiki haven Hugman’s Oasis. 135 E. Commerce St., tokyocowboytx.com.

Heavy Inspirations

Saxon’s Biff Byford discusses the legendary metal act’s new album, tour plans

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

Long-running metal act Saxon is a San Antonio favorite.

So much so that on the band’s 2017 tour supporting UFO, the lineup was flipped so Saxon had the top slot for the Alamo City date. The following year, when supporting Judas Priest, Saxon got an extended time slot for its stop here, making the show something closer to a co-headlined performance.

Part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that included Iron Maiden and others, Saxon are known for fist-pumping anthems such as “Denim and Leather,” “Wheels of Steel” and “Princess of the Night.” While many contemporaries broke up or drifted in a more accessible direction, Saxon stuck to its metal guns riding out changing tastes and trends.

Now, enjoying a creative renaissance that’s included well-reviewed albums such as Sacrifice (2013) and Carpe Diem (2022), the band has dropped its second covers album, More Inspirations, which includes its takes on material ranging from rock classics like the Animals’ “We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place” to obscurities such as “The Faith Healer” by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

The Current caught up with Saxon frontman Biff Byford via Zoom to discuss the album, tour plans and the retirement of longtime guitarist Paul Quinn from touring.

For a lot of bands, a covers album is a sign they’ve run out of creative juice, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for Saxon. You guys have been amazingly prolific lately. Why put out not just one but two covers albums?

Well, we did the first one in the big lockdown. We really didn’t want to release a studio album then because we thought it might get lost. We just had an idea of maybe releasing this covers album, which was quite good fun to make, really, and it was well received. The thing is — with these songs on both albums — they’re not just songs that we like. The songs have really influenced us in lots of ways. We could have called the album Influences, but I think Inspirations is a better word, so we went with that.

I just think that people were interested. I think the first album was a bit more of the great bands that everybody knew. I think this

album’s a little bit more focused on deeper cuts into those albums. Each song is connected somewhere to Saxon. For instance, we wouldn’t cover an Iron Maiden song because we were around the same time as them, so they didn’t really influence us. ... We’re only covering bands that inspired us back in the early days.

Before the pandemic, Saxon went out on high-profile tours such as Judas Priest and UFO that I assume have introduced you to new fans and reconnected you with old ones. Is this album an effort to show those new followers where you came from? I think these covers albums are just good fun. I don’t think you have to read too many reasons into why we did it. They’re just bloody good fun. And I’ll give you some examples. We do “From the Inside” by Alice Cooper. Well, people wouldn’t know that one off the bat unless they’re a super-duper Alice Cooper fan. We had an American car in the ’70s, which we called Wheels of Steel, obviously. That’s where the song comes from. When we bought it, in the glove compartment were three 8-track cassettes. One of them was Fandango by ZZ Top, the other one was Lou Reed and the other was From the Inside by Alice Cooper. On one of those tracks, he sings a line saying, “We fade away like denim and leather,” and that just stuck in my head. Later on, I used that title for probably one of our best known tracks.

That’s why the song’s on there, because for me it was quite an important song. Nazareth, on the other hand, we did their song “Razamanaz.” We used to go and see them in the early ’70s in the city hall and the theaters in the area where we used to live. We toured with them in 1980, one of the first tours we did.

My understanding is that Paul Quinn is going to be continuing as a member of the band but not as a touring member. Is that correct?

That’s pretty much it. Yeah. He’s been saying he wanted to retire from touring for quite some time, so it didn’t come as a shock. It’s just a bit sad that he’s not going to be touring with us anymore. But we’d already covered this over the last few years anyway, so we knew that he was thinking about retiring from touring.

How much longer are you prepared to keep Saxon going? Obviously, you’re still capable of putting on a great show, still creating, but you’ve been at this for almost five decades now.

Yeah, we don’t really think in those terms. We don’t really put any limits or anything on anybody, really. I’ll just finish when I feel like finishing, just like Paul. That’s how it’ll be. It’ll be one day I’m doing it, and the next day I’m not doing it. You can’t really say when you’re going to stop, you know what I mean?

Is there a U.S. tour in the works right now?

Well, there are lots of future plans. I can’t really tell you them, though, because we’re sort of sworn to secrecy, as you are in these things. But there’s going to be some good tour packages going out next year, I think. We’re trying to get something together for the U.S. We have a lot of people in Canada who want to see us as well. We’d like to amalgamate it all into one long tour, and maybe do South America as well. That would be great. We’ve just had to cancel some shows there, so it would be good to put them back in. So, we are working things definitely. And the profile in America is much higher now than it has been in since maybe 1984.

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.

Jaime Monzon

Catchy but Pissed

Bad Cop/Bad Cop bringing mix of punk rage, solid songwriting to the Paper Tiger

BY MIKE MCMAHAN

Sometimes you just gotta let it all out. And if you’re San Francisco punk band Bad Cop/Bad Cop, you gotta let it out while making it catchy as hell.

The all-female quartet, which will hit the Paper Tiger Tuesday, April 25, has done plenty of time in the trenches. Formed in 2011, the group came together after playing in other Bay Area bands. The outfit’s catchy-but-abrasive sound led it to Fat Wreck Chords, the label run by Fat Mike of NOFX, a veteran act mining similar sonic territory.

The Current talked to guitarist-vocalist Stacey Dee via Zoom from her current home in Long Beach, California. “Home of Snoop Dogg and Sublime,” she noted.

The conversation included talk about everything from the value of community to Dee’s status as a cancer survivor to how drugs almost wrecked Bad Cop/Bad Cop. Her new, more positive outlook is reflected in the band’s most

recent LP, 2020’s The Ride. She’s also one of the founders of the Sidewalk Project, a Los Angeles nonprofit that assists the unhoused.

The interview is edited for length and clarity.

Your lyrics are direct. Take a song like “Breastless” from The Ride. You’re a cancer survivor. Is it hard to be onstage singing a song that’s so raw but also infectious?

No. In fact, it is healing for me to talk about it and to help other people that might be going through it. On [May 9], it will be four years that I’m cancer-free. After the show, there’s always two or three women that come up and say, “I’m going through this and I’m fucking really scared, and Oh, my God and …” I’m always really open to speaking with anybody who’s going through it.

How did NOFX — and Fat Mike — influence the band and you as a song-

writer?

I started listening to NOFX when I was in my late teens. More so in my early 20s. I was living down in Santa Barbara. I had a pretty gnarly drug thing happening. I went from everything from ecstasy to meth to crack. But I never shot heroin. Luckily. When I finally decided to pick up my guitar, I knew I wanted to be in a punk rock band, and NOFX was one of those bands I listened to. I was like, “These lyrics are great, the way it makes me feel is great. They’re funny but smart.” The truth is I’m never gonna be someone that’s like, “And now I do country! Now I’m writing a pop record!”

Let’s talk about your song “My Life” from 2014’s BossLady. My immediate thought was that it’s only a couple letters from the Beatles classic ‘In My Life.’ But clearly these ladies aren’t like the Beatles. Then I heard the song, and the harmonies, the catchy chorus and I thought maybe they are like the Beatles.

Everyone in the band loves to sing and loves to jump into it. I think we have so much fun and it’s so infectious that there is a lot of Beatles stuff. If only we could play those chords. The Beatles chords were just … (Pauses.) People think the Beatles is easy music, but that

is some of the most sophisticated writing. People go, “Oh my god, you guys are like the punk rock Beatles.” We do kinda have that thing going on. That’s for sure.

You’ve played here before. Any San Antonio memories you’d like to share?

Yes! I have family that comes from Wimberley. So, travelling between San Antonio and Austin, that’s my family’s land. Not like we own anything. (Laughs.) But I have so much family on my dad’s side that it’s pretty interesting. My dad’s dad disappeared when he was quite young. We have since tracked down that side of the family, so we have really strong family in San Antonio, Wimberley and Austin. There’s a grave site in Wimberley that’s the Dee cemetery that was dedicated to my great-grandmother and great-grandfather.

Visit the Current’s website at bit.ly/3L42IlU for a longer version of this interview, where Dee discusses the bet with Fat Mike that got the band signed to Fat Wreck Chords, getting off drugs, the role of hip-hop in her life and more.

$17-$20, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com.

Coutesy Photo / Bad Cop Bad Cop

critics’ picks

Thursday, April 20

Mighty Mystic, Live From Jamaica

Jamaica-born, Massachusetts-based reggae singer Mighty Mystic refuses to be boxed in as a traditionalist. He mixes up his sound with rock and hip-hop influences, giving the buoyant music a sense of variety. His current single, “Money Haffi Spend,” has a socially conscious theme: helping kids learn to manage money. Expect an inspirational evening. $20-$35, 9 p.m., The Reggae Bar, 826 San Pedro Ave., (210) 772-9891. —

Mike McMahan

Shakey Graves, Daniel Nunnelee

Expect Shakey Graves’ good vibes to be flying high over the Tobin Center on 4/20. The Austin-based roots revivalist is blowing into town with a new album, Deadstock – A Shakey Graves Day Anthology. The collection of previously unreleased songs showcases a patchwork of his sound while displaying his evolution over time. “O Death” is a somber response to his 2014 breakthrough duet with Esmé Patterson, “Dearly Departed,” while “One in a Million” evokes the Velvet Underground. $54 & up*, 8 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Danny Cervantes

Key Glock, TiaCorine, Kenny Muney, Jay Fizzle, BigXThaPlug South Memphis rapper Key Glock celebrates 4/20 in San Antonio touring behind new LP Glockoma 2. The album dropped in late February and peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard US chart, led by the single “Dirt.” After starting as a Young Dolph protégé with his 2017 debut single “Racks Today,” it’s clear Key Glock has earned his slot as a headliner. TiaCorine — whose 2018 TikTok sensation “Lotto” got props from A$AP Rocky and SZA — supports. $96-$199, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — DC

Friday, April 21

Los Texmaniacs, featuring Flaco Jimenez and Augie Meyers, Christine Roberts & the So & So’s Tejano icons Flaco Jimenez and Augie Meyers, now both in their ’80s, will appear with San Antonio-based Los Teximaniacs, who dropped the new LP Corazones and Canciones — a collaboration with La Marisoul — earlier this month. Consider it a symbolic

passing of the conjunto torch. $30, 9 p.m., Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerosesa.com. — MM

Monday, April 24

Sundressed, Like Ghosts, Tied Up, Raincheck Arizona-based Sundressed proves with its popularity that emo will never die. Reminiscent early-2000s emo scene stalwarts such as Dance Gavin Dance and My Chemical Romance, Sundressed offers up confessional, intelligible lyrics accompanied by gritty guitars. The homage to the era is so complete the band sounds like it could have been plucked straight from a Warped Tour lineup. San Antonio-based support acts Like Ghosts, Tied Up and Raincheck, specialize in pop-punk in different varieties. $7, 8 p.m., The Starlighter, 1910 Fredericksburg Road, thestarlighter.com. — Dalia Gulca

Tuesday April 25

Ministry, Gary Numan, Front Line Assembly

An auditory assault is in store for the Aztec when industrial rock stalwarts Ministry arrive with synth pop pioneer Gary “Cars” Numan and industrial-dance mainstays Front Line Assembly. The 2021 release Moral Hygiene paved new ground for Ministry, leaning into contemporary themes with songs such as “Alert Level” and “Disinformation.” The band also paid homage to an influence by covering Iggy and the Stooges’ “Search and Destroy”. The trio of artists arrive on their fourth stop of a spring tour before Ministry joins Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper in August.  $39.50-$159.50, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s, (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — DC

Thursday, April 27

Molchat Doma, Nuovo Testamento

Belarusian trio Molchat Doma’s blend of post-punk, new wave and synth pop showcases the lasting impression of Perestroika-era Russian rock. Formed in Minsk in 2017, Molchat Doma (“Houses Are Silent”) leans into influences like Kino, Joy Division and The Cure. A 2020 tour with Chrysta Bell was cancelled in wake of the pandemic, but the band was able to drop Monument, its first album with their American record label Sacred Bones. $30-$98, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St.,

(210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — DC

Friday, April 28

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Fea

Catchy radio staples “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” and “I Hate Myself For Loving You” earned Joan Jett a place in the classic rock pantheon, allowing her tour with anyone from Bryan Adams to The Who. Even though her catchy, guitar-driven rock flirts with the mainstream, she remains an icon for younger generations of punk and riot grrrl musicians. On that note, hometown heroes Fea open the show with their modern, Latinx take on the genre. $42.50-$200, 8 p.m., John T. Floore’s Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road, (210) 695-8827, liveatfloores.com. — MM

Saturday, April 29

Executioner, Fortunes, Holy Hell, Decimate, Essence of Undeath, Sinful Flesh

The Heavy Metal Capital of the World is never wanting for talented local acts, as evidenced by this brimming lineup. Executioner brings an energetic thrash metal punch that raises questions about the mechanics of a circle pit opening up in the middle of a venue that doubles as a bookstore. Support comes from burgeoning SA-based metal acts whose sinister-sounding names alone prove their hardcore worthiness. $10, 7 p.m., Pink Zeppelin Books & Records, 8373 Culebra Road #107, pinkzeppelinrecords.com. — DG

Sunday, April 30

Dinosaur Jr.

Alt-rock legends Dinosaur Jr. enjoyed ’90s popularity that nipped at the mainstream before calling it quits amid a bevy of lineup changes. The original lineup reunited almost 20 years ago, and has been going strong since, specializing in the same mix of roaring guitars and accessible songcraft. Expect things to get loud as legendary axeman J. Mascis spins off his signature distortion-drenched solos. As a bonus, the setlist is likely to pull from all eras of the band, including the underrated LPs from its post-reunion era. $35, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — MM

Dinosaur Jr

Shutterstock / Christian Bertrand

EMPLOYMENT

Marathon Petroleum Logistics Services LLC in San Antonio, TX needs a Project Engineer III. Responsible for developing, refining, and overseeing the corporate electrical reliability program for all logistics assets such as pipelines, trucking terminals, pump stations, and marine terminals. Function as a corporate SME (Subject Matter Expert) for electrical equipment and reliability. Please visit our career website at https://jobs.marathonpetroleum.com/ and apply online. EOE: Veteran/Disability

Venue Development Manager, Raba Kistner, Inc., San Antonio, TX – Develops and provides leadership to PC Sports Venue Development to expand and enhance PC Sports consulting services. Travel to worksites through North America is required. For more information, email Manny Bryant at HR@RKCI.com.