San Antonio Current - May 15, 2024

Start breathing. Stay present. Check in with yourself.

Small steps can make a big di erence when it comes to your mental health. Try this simple breathing exercise if you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed or stressed.

FOUR STEPS FOR BOX BREATHING:

1 Start by placing one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.

2 Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, feeling your stomach expand.

3 Hold that breath in for 4 seconds.

Repeat steps 2-4 until you feel more relaxed. FOR MORE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT, VISIT TURNTOSUPPORTSTX.ORG

4 Exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.

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in this issue

Issue 24-10 /// May 15 – 29, 2024

08 Feature Cash Grab

Ted Cruz’s podcast deal doesn’t pass the smell test

07 News The Opener News in Brief Bad Takes Texas-sized tax breaks for movie productions are a glitzy new take on corporate welfare

12 Calendar Calendar Picks

19 Arts Youth Movement

Victor Wembanyama and the young Spurs look ahead to a new season

28 Music

Honky Tonk Man

San Antonio resident Bill Malone is one of country music’s preeminent scholars

Critics’ Picks

Wembanyama goes full alien and accepts Rookie of the Year award at San Antonio planetarium

22 Screens In Play

San Antonio screenwriter Paco Farias discusses latest script for golf drama TheLongGame

Game Time: 7 more inspirational Latino sports films

25 Food Table Talk

Getting a read on new downtown San Antonio arrival The Newstand

Spirit of Invention

Cuban-Mexican fusion spot Paladar excels at breaking the rules

Hot Dish

On the Cover: This week’s feature story looks at the controversy surrounding the distribution deal for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast. Cover illustration: Jeremiah Teutsch. Cover design: Samantha Serna.

Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore

HCongressman Chip Roy was at it again on the floor of the U.S. House last week, claiming without evidence that “Sharia law” may be “forced upon the American people.” Roy, a Republican who represents a district that runs from Austin to San Antonio, railed against immigration and claimed that “you’ve got a massive Muslim takeover of the United Kingdom going on right before our eyes.” Roy is seeking another term this November.

The San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in a unanimous vote last week. He’s the first Spurs player to win the award since Tim Duncan in 1998. Wembanyama, the number one pick in last year’s NBA Draft, excelled in his first year in the league — averaging 21 points, 11 rebounds and nearly four blocks per game.

HTexas has once again been named the worst state in the nation for mental healthcare. A Forbes Advisor study found that the Lone Star State has a large proportion of people with mental illness who are uninsured and the third-fewest mental health treatment centers in the country. The state also has the second-highest percentage of youth with depression who aren’t receiving treatment.

A San Antonio man will be a contestant on PBS show The Great American Recipe this summer. Jon Hinojosa, a founding director of nonprofit Say Sí, revealed last week that he’s one of the show’s eight contestants. The Great American Recipe, which will premiere its third season June 17, features home cooks from across the country showing off their culinary skills. — Abe Asher

Clamoring for Christian dictatorship with Texas-based preacher Joel Webbon

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

When it comes to extreme ideology, Texas evangelical preachers know how to go big or go home.

Take Joel Webbon, the Christian nationalist pastor of Georgetown’s Covenant Bible Church. In a recent podcast first reported on by Right Wing Watch, Webbon proposed that Americans have devolved into such “degenerates” that we need a religious dictator who “rules with an iron fist.”

Yikes. Talk about saying the quiet part out loud.

Of course, the U.S. Constitution might have something to say about that, but Webbon doesn’t seem to be particularly concerned about its protections for civil rights or the separation of church and state. “Constitution be damned,” he declared, describing how his great Christian dictator would rule.

The imposition of a totalitarian state appears to be a running theme for Webbon, whose church has hosted extremists including Doug Wilson, an Idaho-based pastor known for a particularly toxic brand of Christian nationalist patriarchy, according to Right Wing Watch.

In a recent sermon also covered by Right Wing Watch, Webbon explained that Americans are cowards and dummies and that the only person who can get the nation back on track is a Christian leader who “comes in with a

sword.” And, of course, that dictator would be a he, according to Webbon.

“He doesn’t go around forcing conversions, but instead, what he does is he forces external morality,” the preacher opines. “He doesn’t force a change of heart; only the Gospel can do that. But what a king can do is he can say, ‘Whether you’re regenerate or not, you’re going to pretend. You’re at least going to pretend to be Christian.’”

While living under a dictator’s sword may sound like one assclown’s version of paradise, we’re guessing millions of people who cherish their personal freedoms think he can go fuck himself. — Sanford Nowlin

YOU SAID IT!

“There’s a difference between us, the Spurs, and the way we play, and 90% of the teams in the league. I feel like we involve all the players on the court. We have this will to share the ball.”

Wembanyama

Five members of San Antonio City Council held a press conference last week calling for a discussion about the future of City Attorney Andy Segovia. The members argued that Segovia has struggled to give accurate legal advice. Their press conference came after Segovia and Mayor Ron Nirenberg declined to hold an executive session to discuss the city’s contract talks with the firefighters’ union

Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito last week introduced a set of policy proposals to curb San Antonio’s stray dog issues. Under those recommendations, the city would adopt mandatory spay and neuter regulations, set up an anonymous dangerous-dog reporting system and introduce stiffer penalties for owners who regularly let their dogs leave their property.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, facing a world of trouble with the feds, has lost his chief of staff. Jake Hochberg, who served with the South Texas Democrat since 2021, resigned last week following news that the congressman and wife Imelda have been indicted on allegations that they took $600,000 in bribe money from an Azerbaijani oil company and a Mexican bank. Cuellar maintains he’s innocent but has stepped down from his committee roles.— Abe Asher

—  Victor

Spurs center during his NBA Rookie of the Year trophy presentation.

Twitter Screen Capture / Joel Webbon

Michael Karlis

Cash Grab

Ted

Cruz’s

podcast deal doesn’t pass the smell test

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s The Verdict With Ted Cruz podcast appears to be paying off.

On multiple levels.

San Antonio-based iHeartMedia, the nation’s largest radio-station holding company, picked up the podcast for distribution in late 2022, allowing Texas’ junior Republican senator a national platform to air his grievances against “woke” culture and other favorite targets while millions tune in.

During a session of his podcast, Cruz himself described his pact with the media conglomerate, which has 850 stations nationwide, as a “big damn deal.”

The same also could be said about the fundraising implications for The Verdict, which made recent headlines after federal filings revealed iHeartMedia has directed $630,000 since the start of the deal to Truth and Courage, a super PAC that publicly lists its reason for existence as ensuring Cruz is reelected in 2024.

Those payments amount to roughly a third of the PAC’s total cash intake, according to federal records.

Not surprising, the arrangement — which campaign finance experts describe with terms such as “unusual” and “unprecedented” — has spurred a recent complaint to the Federal Election Commission. The filing, made last month by a pair of watchdog groups, alleges the distribution deal allows Cruz to skirt federal laws seeking to rein in corporate funding for candidates.

“This is far and away one of the most unusual super PACs since Citizens United in terms of how it gets its money — which appears to be compensating the super PAC based on someone providing a service,” said Brett Kappel, a Washington, D.C., campaign finance attorney who’s done work on both sides of the aisle. “It’s a very murky area of the law thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

The high court’s Citizens United case

came about after that nonprofit political group challenged FEC rules that halted it from promoting a film critical of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The justices’ resulting 5-4 decision cleared the way for corporations and outside groups to spend unlimited amounts of cash on elections.

In response to the Current’s request for comment, Cruz’s office sent a brief statement blasting the “mainstream media and the cogs in the machine of the Biden-Pelosi Democrat Party” for scrutinizing the distribution deal.

“Senator Cruz appears on Verdict three times a week for free. He does this to pull back the veil on the corrupt inner workings of Washington — none of which ever get fairly covered,” according to the statement.

For its part, iHeartMedia offered no response to the Current’s inqury. However, in an earlier media comment, a spokeswoman said the payments to Truth and Courage are “associated with” sales of ad time on Cruz’s podcast.

‘Wealthy special interests’

However, Kappel said those statements ignore the real concern: how iHeartMedia would know to direct

ad money into the super PAC backing Cruz’s reelection without the senator offering direction on the deal.

Under law, super PACs such as Truth and Courage can raise unlimited amounts of cash to back federal candidates and accept direct corporate donations. However, federal candidates can’t “solicit, receive, direct, transfer, or spend funds” on behalf of super PACs.

In their April FEC complaint, the watchdog groups Campaign Legal Center and End Citizens United argue the nature of the podcast syndication deal strongly suggests Cruz told iHeartMedia to pay corporate dollars into Truth and Courage in exchange for his services.

“This type of funding risks putting the priorities of wealthy special interests above everyone else and makes our political process more vulnerable to corruption,” Erin Chlopak, Campaign Legal Center’s senior director of campaign finance, said in a statement about its investigation request.

“Yet all available information makes it seem that a partnership between Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and iHeartMedia has produced such an illegal transfer, with over $630,000 in ‘income’ from Cruz’s podcast moving to a super PAC supporting his reelection,” Chlopak

Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore

continued. “To give Texas voters clarity, the Federal Election Commission must swiftly investigate this matter and determine whether Sen. Cruz played a role in directing this transfer.”

Beyond urging the FEC to open an investigation, the groups urged the commission to levy sanctions, including civil penalties. The complaint argues that the resulting fines must be large enough to deter others from attempting similar end runs around federal campaign finance laws.

“By soliciting or directing $630,850.09 of iHeartMedia’s corporate funds to or on behalf of [Truth and Courage] in connection with his 2024 election, Cruz appears to have brazenly violated these federal campaign finance laws, which are crucial to preventing real and apparent corruption in our federal elections, as well as promoting voters’ right to having a meaningful electoral voice through the democratic process,” the filing states.

Oversight? What oversight?

Despite the complaint’s serious allegations and the eyebrow-raising nature of Cruz’s syndication deal, experts caution that the FEC is unlikely to issue penalties, much less even green light an investigation. Comprised of three Democrats and three Republicans, the panel has remained deadlocked for roughly the past decade on all but the most egregious cases.

Congress established the FEC decades ago with an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats to ensure bipartisanship and prevent either side from using the commission as a political weapon.

“That’s how it worked for 40 years, but as we’ve seen in every other aspect of Washington, bipartisanship is now the exception and not the rule,” attorney Kappel said.

What’s more, the FEC’s three Republican members — all appointed by former President Donald Trump — are ardent supporters of the Supreme Court’s sky’s-the-limit ruling on campaign contributions and have shown little appetite for enforcement action, according to observers.

Indeed, there are early signs two of those GOP members may not be the most objective arbiters for the case.

Sean J. Cooksey, a Trump appointee who chairs the commission, served as Cruz’s deputy chief counsel in 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile. From 2019 until joining the FEC in 2020, Cooksey served as general counsel for

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, R-Missouri. Cooksey has offered no indication that he plans to step back from considering the complaint against Cruz. He didn’t respond to the Current’s emailed inquiry about whether he’s considering a recusal.

End Citizens United officials said Cooksey’s prior work for Cruz should disqualify him from hearing a matter involving his former boss. However, the Campaign Legal Center declined comment on the matter.

“Chairman Cooksey, who used to work for Sen. Cruz, clearly has a conflict of interest and should recuse himself from this matter,” Jonas Edwards-Jenks, End Citizens United’s communications director, said in an emailed statement.

“For too long, Sen. Cruz has made a mockery of campaign finance laws, and it’s past time he’s held accountable.”

Beyond Cooksey’s past ties to Cruz, another Republican FEC member, attorney Trey Trainor, this month retweeted a photo his wife Lucy Trainor shared of a yard sign outside their Austin-area home promoting the senator’s 2024 reelection campaign.

“Got my new @tedcruz yard sign installed today,” Lucy Trainor tweeted April 19, 10 days after a pair of campaign-finance watchdogs filed their FEC complaint against Cruz. Trey Trainor retweeted the image the same day his wife posted it.

Spokespeople for the FEC declined direct comment on both Cooksey’s past work for Cruz and Trainor’s retweet of the yard sign. Even so, other groups that monitor campaign contributions said they should raise concern.

“Even if not outright illegal, it looks and smells bad if FEC commissioners promote campaign signs for candidates while considering enforcement matters involving those same candidates,” said Aaron Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs for watchdog group Common Cause. “The FEC must consider strengthening its internal recusal procedures to prevent potential conflicts of interest.”

Ballot box recourse

If the FEC is unable to provide serious scrutiny to Cruz, that leaves voters to determine whether they think the line should be drawn on corporate money in politics, campaign finance experts said

The senator is locked in a competitive race against U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a North Texas Democrat with a solid

fundraising record. Allred has so far raked in $21 million to take on Cruz.

Further bolstering Allred’s chances, Democrats face a challenging Senate map during the 2024 election cycle, and they have so far shown a willingness to pour resources into flipping Cruz’s seat. After all, in 2018 former El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke came within two points of ousting the firebrand incumbent.

With interest building in Cruz’s relationship with iHeartMedia, the senator last month asked for a delay in making a significant federal financial filing that could shine light on the transaction.

Cruz filed for a three-month extension to submit his U.S. Senate Financial Disclosures for the 2023 calendar year, which would have been due May 15. The extension gives him until Aug. 13 to file the paperwork, which serves as his

official record of financial transactions from Jan. 1 through Dec. 30 of last year. Kappel said it’s not uncommon for senators to seek extensions on the disclosure filings, but Cruz’s decision to seek the maximum delay amid a growing firestorm around his campaign finances should raise eyebrows.

Indeed, some lawmakers consider August the safest time to file because the Senate is out of session and reporters covering Washington politics are often on vacation, the attorney added.

Cruz’s delay suggests that he knows just how damaging more revelations about the podcast deal could be during the current election cycle. The question now is whether voters care enough to head to the polls and show they want limits around corporate money in politics.

Texas-sized tax breaks for movie productions are a glitzy new take on corporate welfare

BY KEVIN SANCHEZ

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

Most movie-loving Texans know the basement of the Alamo is featured prominently in Tim Burton’s 1985 classic Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. And if you ask someone to name other movies set in San Antonio, you’re liable to hear about Miss Congeniality, starring Sandra Bullock, or Steven Spielberg’s big-screen directorial debut The Sugarland Express or Jennifer Lopez’s role in Selena. Talk to a real film buff and you’ll discover that the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, Wings, was shot at Kelly Air Force Base in 1927.

These bar trivia-worthy excursions into local yore can’t really outdo Hollywood’s thoroughgoing cinematic love affairs with cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. But is it even worth trying to hold our own with such competition? And exactly how much money should our state fork over to incentivize movies to shoot on location here?

The answer the Texas Legislature gave to that question last year was $200 million. That’s a hefty jump from the $45 million allocated the session prior. In addition to feature-length films, the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program applies to video games, cartoons, reality TV and visual effects. In addition to cash grants, it offers exemptions from sales taxes and refunds for state occupancy and fuel taxes.

That’s a lot of forsaken revenue for a state without universal healthcare and whose schoolteachers sure could use a raise. Taking off our zero-sum-thinking hats for a sec, should we regard movie production incentives (MPIs) as sorely needed funding for the arts, or as corporate welfare for an already profitable industry?

GOP politicians never seem to tire of villainizing Hollywood’s “Cultural Marxist” indoctrination of the nation’s youth. Nevertheless, that $200 million moved surprisingly fast through the

Republican-controlled Texas House and Senate, thanks in no small part to Lone Star State-born actors including Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey, Dennis Quaid and Owen Wilson going to bat for it.

The media campaign was called “Good For Texas,” and as one might expect from movie stars reading a script, their YouTube video was heavy on production values and light on facts and figures. One claim did stand out though.

“Every dollar spent from Texas film funding puts $5 back into the Texas economy,” an Austin-based gaffer named Jaclyn Peralez-Fleming says in the clip.

Turns out, the source for that estimate is the Texas Film Commission (TFC) itself — the agency that doles out the dough. The Texas Media Production Alliance, an industry advocate organization, repeated the statistic in a paid article carried by the Texas Tribune. Other media repeated the figure as well. However, I was hard-pressed to find anyone linking back to the report where that figure originated. Nor could I find that study anywhere online, much less an explanation of the methodology the TFC used to get its stat.

Bexar County is in the five top counties benefiting from the state program, according to data updated last September. And the TFC website boasts that the game show American Ninja Warrior shot two episodes in downtown San Antonio during 2017.

“We shut down Market Street in front of the courthouse for 10 days, and the production hired 38 local crew members,” Krystal Jones, the San Antonio’s then-film commissioner told TV station KENS5, adding that the ninjas “stayed in hotel rooms, visited restaurants and visited wonderful attractions in town.” She estimated the production brought in nearly $3.5 million, though KENS reported that the city provided a 7.5%

rebate incentive on top of what the state already offers.

Time for a reality check.

“Any argument based on tax revenue that this will pay for itself, it’s nowhere close,” Nathan Jensen, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Government told CBS Texas last autumn of incentivizing film productions. “In terms of jobs, it tends to be a relatively small number or jobs, and not permanent.”

Sadly, the scholarly research without a horse in the race backs up Jensen’s buzzkill. First off, much of the touted economic development appears to be as overblown as a big-budget Hollywood production.

“The film industry and some state film offices have undertaken or commissioned biased studies concluding that film subsidies are highly cost-effective drivers of economic activity,” the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progrsssive think tank, wrote back in 2010.

In what purports to be the first comprehensive examination of the impact of MPIs, published in the April 2020 issue of Contemporary Economic Policy, economist John Charles Bradbury found “no link between incentives that promote in-state filming and states’ economic growth,” concluding “any gains do not spill over into the overall economy.”

Further, “if resources are going to film production companies but are not

having a positive effect on local economies, then the benefits appear to be flowing entirely outside the state,” he added. “This means that movie studios are increasing out-of-state spending and activities (which should not be surprising given that the film industry operates principally in California), capturing the savings as economic rents.”

And the most recent calculations of the dollar amounts we’re talking about are nothing less than obscene. Over the past 20 years, states spent $25 billion to woo Hollywood to film in their jurisdictions, according to a March report from the New York Times.

I’m all for investing heavily in grants for struggling local filmmakers and other artists. But how can the same liberals who oppose Gov. Greg Abbott’s voucher scheme on the grounds that it funds private schools by robbing from public education’s coffers then push for bankrolling multibillion-dollar movie studios?

Just as with public funding for sports arenas and relocation tax breaks for relocating employers, once one locale does it a perverse race to the bottom ensues. Cities, counties and states become locked in a competition over who can write the biggest corporate welfare check.

I’m sure courting ninja warriors is valuable. But so is cleaning up toxic waste and ending homelessness. For now, we may have lost our budget priorities in the basement of the Alamo.

Courtesy Photo Warner Bros

SPECIAL EVENT

THE ART OF TASTING: MEZCAL AND WINE OF MEXICO

A maximalist spectacle comprised of surrealist blown-glass figures, mind-boggling lenticular prints and ambitious installations reminiscent of bizarre movie sets, the De La Torre Brothers exhibition “Upward Mobility” came to light in March as part of the McNay’s 70th anniversary programming. On view through September 15, the over-the-top show reveals characters and scenarios that artists Einar and Jamex De La Torre mined from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border — from pre-Columbian deities and anthropomorphic cacti to a horrifically opulent dinner party. Drawing inspiration from “Upward Mobility,” the McNay is rolling out a tasty event designed to complement the exhibition with light fare created by local chef Johnny Hernandez, Mexican vinos curated by Salena Guipzot of the boutique wine shop Casa Guipzot and mezcal cocktails concocted by Ana Laura Bravo of Bruxo Mezcal and the agave spirits company Blasfemus. If the libations happen to make “Upward Mobility” even more confounding, McNay curators René Paul Barilleaux, Lauren Thompson and Mia Lopez will be on hand to answer any questions. VIP ticket holders are invited to arrive early for a one-hour mezcal tasting beginning at 7 p.m. General admission $135-$150, VIP $270-$300, 8-10 p.m., McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 824-5368, mcnayart.org. — Bryan Rindfuss

new dating app, and a young couple grappling with real-life romance and the allure of the virtual world. Dave Stone-Robb directs a cast of six — not to mention an inanimate character dubbed The Toaster — in what’s billed as a “mind-bending exploration of love in the age of the never-ending Turing test.”

$12-$18, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Gregg Barrios Theater at the Overtime, 540 Bandera Road #205, (210) 5577562, theovertimetheater.org. — BR

SAT | 05.18

FILM

BARBIE

Find out if you’re “Kenough” by taking in a free Slab Cinema screening of the Oscar-nominated comedy Barbie. Directed by Oscar-nominee Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), the plastic Mattel-produced title character (Margot Robbie) travels to the real world with Ken (Ryan Gosling) after she has an existential crisis in Barbie Land. Not only was Barbie the biggest blockbuster of 2023, it was also a critical darling, picking up eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Since hitting theaters last year, there has been plenty of cultural debate about Gerwig’s overarching message. Some right-wing knuckle-draggers have called the movie “anti-men” and ridiculed Gerwig for casting trans actress Hari Nef in the role of Doctor Barbie. Even Grammy-winning singer Shakira chimed in to call the film “emasculating” and say it “rob[s] men

of their possibility to be men.” Nevertheless, Barbie fanatics were much more vocal than the detractors, and the film went on to make $1.4 billion dollars at the worldwide box office. The Current ranked it No. 3 in it’s Top 10 Films of 2023 calling it, “one of the most thought-provoking social commentaries and empowering mainstream comedies in recent years.” Free, 7 p.m., Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave, (210) 2129373, slabcinema.com. — Kiko Martinez

SAT | 05.18

SPECIAL EVENT SAY SÍ BLOCK PARTY

Growing in leaps and bounds since its 1994 inception as an offshoot of the King William Neighborhood Association, the local nonprofit SAY Sí has played a vital role in educating countless young artists growing up in San Antonio. Nationally recognized for its tuition-free programs covering visual arts, theater, new media and — most recently — video game design, the organization routinely reaches attendance capacity and outgrows its spaces, prompting relocation. In the COVID era, SAY Sí departed its longtime stomping ground around the Blue Star Arts Complex for an industrial warehouse on the city’s West Side. In the midst of planning to expand its programs to include culinary arts, digital music composition and journalism, SAY Sí is inviting the community to share in its latest chapter with a family-friendly block party. Presented in participation with fellow nonprofits such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas, San Anto Cultural Arts and Planned Parenthood South Texas, the free event includes an art market featuring SAY Sí alums, art-making activities in four indoor studios, DJ sets by students from the youth empowerment program The AM Project, a kids’ corner courtesy of H-E-B and free paletas while supplies last. Guests can also get a glimpse of the talents SAY Sí is fostering through “Stories Seldom Told: Nostos/Algos,” an exhibition of nostalgia-inspired installations created by middle and high school students. Free, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., SAY Sí, 1310 S. Brazos St., (210) 201-4950, saysi.org. — BR

SCHRODINGER’S

CATFISH

Brainy concepts with a wacky bent have long been center stage at the Overtime Theater, and playwright Lemuel Mitchell’s Schrodinger’s Catfish is no exception. For starters, its name references physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s pivotal “thought experiment” that placed an imaginary cat in a closed box with a flask of poison and a radioactive source connected to a geiger counter. First discussed with Albert Einstein in 1935, the concept illustrated one of the key principals of quantum mechanics: that unlike the unseen feline — which was either dead or alive inside the box — particles in the microscopic realm can exist in multiple states at once. With a broad nod to deceptive characters that troll the internet, Schrodinger’s Catfish wryly questions reality through three eventually converging narratives following two avatars on a first date, a pair of morally challenged developers at a tech startup behind a

WED | 05.22SUN | 06.02

THEATER FROZEN

The wintry woods and ice castles of Disney’s Frozen will come to life at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre this month. Based on the 2013 animated film that took the world by (snow)storm, the three-time Tony-nominated musical began its North American tour in 2019. The stage produc-

Bryan Rindfuss

Courtesy Photo / Overtime Theater

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture - © 2023 - Warner Bros

Courtesy Image / SAY Sí

tion switches some things up — featuring an expanded score with over a dozen new songs, all composed by the film’s songwriters, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez — but still tells the beloved story of royal sisters Elsa and Anna of Arendelle. When a young Elsa — born with the power to manipulate ice with her hands — accidentally injures her little sister Anna with her magic, she becomes consumed by fear over what her powers could do to others. In an effort to keep Anna and the kingdom safe, Elsa closes the palace gates and completely withdraws to her private quarters. Years pass as Anna waits outside Elsa’s door, wondering why their relationship went cold and longing for human connection. Anna’s desperation for love comes to a head on Elsa’s coronation day, when she meets Prince Hans and eagerly accepts his marriage proposal the same night. Elsa’s skepticism of the engagement triggers an argument between the sisters, culminating in an explosion of ice that freezes the foyer and brings about an eternal winter. Overwhelmed and ashamed, Elsa flees. Meanwhile, Anna embarks on a treacherous voyage to find her missing sister and restore springtime in Arendelle. Along the way, Anna meets ice-seller Kristoff, his reindeer Sven and a sentient snowman named Olaf, and discovers the many forms that love and warmth can take.

$35-$175, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday–Wednesday, 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — Caroline Wolff

Deenvan Meer

THU | 05.23

PAISAJES DEL ALMA (LANDSCAPES OF THE SOUL)

The Guadalupe Dance Company and Mariachi Azteca de América are teaming up to present the premiere of Paisajes del Alma (Landscapes of the Soul), an original production choreographed by the company’s dancers. The performance is commissioned by the San Antonio Museum of Art and inspired by its “Goddess Triptych III” exhibition showcasing works by late local artist Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz. While two of the triptych’s paintings have long been in the museum’s collection, a third painting in this series was only recently acquired after the artist’s passing in 2023. The large-scale triptych strikingly depicts a nude, full-figured African American woman, breaking away from the traditional standards of beauty often seen in Western art. Reason to celebrate, the exhibition marks the first time all three paintings have been displayed together since a 2017 retrospective. Much like Díaz’s triptych, the Guadalupe’s Paisajes touches upon issues of the female body, identity and inclusivity. It stands in the Guadalupe’s long history of work that celebrates both women and Latino artists. Born in Puerto Rico, Díaz moved to San Antonio in the early 1990s and adopted the local Mexican American culture, often incorporating it into his own work. Take note that Paisajes will be a one-night only performance presented by SAMA at the Carver Community Cultural Center. Free, 7 p.m., Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry St., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org. — Marco Aquino

Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz, Yemayá / San Antonio Museum of Art

THU | 05.23SUN | 05.26

THEATER

ROCK OF AGES

The Tony-nominated jukebox musical Rock of Ages is moshing into San Antonio’s Tobin Center this month. Built around the biggest classic rock songs of the ’80s — including hits by Journey, Poison, Bon Jovi, Styx, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and other iconic artists — Rock of Ages is proof that Broadway and headbanging can, in fact, mix. At the heart of the production’s massive musical catalog is a turbulent and tender-hearted story following Drew and Sherrie, two aspiring performers working together at the Bourbon Room, a bar on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. As the coworkers begin to develop feelings for each other, their attachment to the Bourbon Room grows, running much deeper than the desire for a paycheck. However, when a group of urban developers convinces the mayor to rebrand the Sunset Strip and clean up the city’s image, plans are set in motion to demolish the Bourbon Room. Determined to rescue the bar from destruction, Drew hatches a plan to book rock legend Stacie Jaxx for a one-night-only show. Stacie agrees, and Drew’s hopes finally seem within reach until he discovers Sherrie and Stacie’s steamy love affair. Falling prey to a love triangle and the ever-ticking clock, Drew and Sherrie’s relationship, the bar that brought them together and their dreams of stardom all hang in the balance. Rock of Ages sings the anthem of ordinary people, the losses they endure and the triumphs they can achieve if they “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Alex Rodriguez directs and choreographs the San Antonio Broadway Theatre production. $49-$109, 7:30 p.m. Thursday–Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — CW

FRI | 05.24SAT

| 05.25

COMEDY

DAVID KOECHNER

David Koechner burned his way into the comedic consciousness through a series of cringey yet unforgettable roles including sexist sports reporter Champ Kind in Anchorman and chronically inappropriate traveling salesman Todd Packer in The Office. Koechner, whose career took off following a brief, mid1990s stint on Saturday Night Live, is also a longtime presence in LA’s standup comedy scene. Those expecting his work behind the mic to fall in with the kind of obnoxious characters he often portrays on screen are likely to be disappointed. “I’m trying to create a lens that everyone is looking through that has messaging that we are all in this together,” he recently told news site The Commons about his comedy. “Everyone’s struggle is the same, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.” Koechner explained that many of the characters he’s portrayed in movies and TV are “very damaged.” To that end, Koechner’s standup routines frequently find humor in the kind of painful and uncomfortable moments we’ve all experienced — like, for example, his traumatic 6th-grade field trip to a meat packing plant or the time he got drunk enough that pooping on a cop car seemed like a good idea. Tables $50-$200, 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805, improvtx.com. — Sanford Nowlin

Courtesy Image / San Antonio Broadway Theater

Courtesy Photo / David Koechner

Youth Movement

Victor Wembanyama and the young Spurs look ahead to a new season

BY M. SOLIS

With future Hall of Famers Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James already relegated to watching the playoffs from the sidelines, the underlying theme of the NBA postseason as teams enter the conference semifinals has been the changing of the guard.

Anthony Edwards has stated his case as the best shooting guard in the league with stellar play for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who dispatched Durant and the Phoenix Suns in four games. MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the top seed in the Western Conference and made quick work of the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round.

Returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, the young Thunder represent a promising roadmap for a Spurs fanbase hungry for postseason relevance in the midst of the longest playoff drought in franchise history. After acquiring Gilgeous-Alexander and a slew of draft picks via trade in 2019, the Thunder continued to stack picks and connected on Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, who both placed second for Rookie of the Year honors.

San Antonio holds two lottery picks in next month’s draft and, with Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama ready to win now, should be looking to bolster their backcourt. Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham or Nikola Topic from Serbia could be available to the Spurs at the fourth pick. Although Topic feels like the most Spursian selection, a knee injury back in January is a cause for concern. UConn’s Stephon Castle and G League Ignite swingman Ron Holland offer intriguing options if available with the eighth pick.

Despite online speculation linking veteran guards like Trae Young and Chris Paul to the Spurs, NBA pundits suggests that barring an uncharacteristic trade, San Antonio will likely run it back with eyes towards next season’s strong draft.

During end-of-season interviews, prior to San Antonio’s 123-95 close-out win over the Pistons, Spurs shooting guard Devin Vassell spoke optimistically about next season and his faith in a franchise facing another rebuilding year.

“They’ve helped me develop so much and I know that they have a plan for the team,”

Vassell said. “We want to win. We want to get back to being a championship team. I know I trust them. I trust this organization and I’m ready for whatever comes with it.”

Wembanyama echoed that sentiment.

“At any point, I never thought I wasn’t in the best situation; I wasn’t in the best place,” said Wembanyama, who recently joined the likes of David Robinson and Ralph Sampson in becoming a unanimous Rookie of the Year winner. “Of course, I wish we were in the playoffs. I wish I didn’t lose 60 games. Of course. But, as much as it’s hard today, I know it’s for the long term, and I trust my teammates 100 percent, and I trust the project, so my confidence was never shaken at any point.”

After a late-season surge that included seven wins over their last 11 games including victories over the New York Knicks and Nuggets, expectations remain high for the youthful Spurs. When asked what would constitute a successful season in his second NBA

campaign Wembanyama made it clear that he would prefer to play past April.

“Now that it’s more clear, of course I don’t want next season to stop so early,” said the rookie, who exceeded all expectations this season except his own. “I want to keep going; go to the playoffs. There’s so many details and so many little things to do from the first game of the season. We’re not gonna build something great by saying we want to win a championship or go to the playoffs. It’s set a new brick every day and then we’ll build a house.”

Next up for Wembanyama are the Olympics in Paris, where he’ll suit up for Les Bleus to take on Team USA. Following a debut season where he was listed as the third-most viewed player on NBA social media platforms globally, just behind James and Curry, it’s clear Wembanyama will continue to expand his reach both on and off the court.

Instagram / Spurs

Wembanyama goes full alien and accepts Rookie of the Year award at San Antonio planetarium

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama is officially an alien.

If his intergalactic play this season didn’t have you believing he was from another planet, Wembanyama, the NBA 2023-2024 Rookie of the Year (ROTY), accepted the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy on Saturday afternoon at San Antonio College’s Scobee Education Center & Planetarium.

That’s one small step for Wemby, one giant leap for the future of the NBA.

“This is one of the representations of our progression throughout the year and the efforts we all made on the court,” Wembanyama, 20, said during a press conference. “It’s a good feeling for me and a good representation of the love that we found throughout the whole year.”

Wembanyama became the third Spurs player to claim rookie honors, following David Robinson (1989-90) and Tim Duncan (1997-98). He also became only the sixth unanimous winner of the ROTY award in NBA history.

Before the press conference, Wembanyama interacted with area kids who were invited to the event. They joined the 7-foot-4 player inside the planetarium’s screening room where he delivered a presentation to them on dark matter.

According to NASA, dark matter is a mysterious substance that affects and shapes the cosmos, and it’s something scientists are still trying to figure out. If Spurs legend Tim Duncan went full geek for Dungeons & Dragons and Renaissance fairs, it looks like Wembanyama is a nerd for astronomy.

Wembanyama has no plans to go to space anytime soon, however. He said

this summer he’ll get a couple of weeks to relax before he’s back on the court getting ready to represent France at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Then, it will be time to start his second year in the NBA in October.

“This summer is special because it’s pretty busy,” he said.

When the ROTY announcement was made earlier this week on Inside the NBA on TNT, analyst and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said Wembanyama was “in a great situation with Coach [Gregg] Popovich” because Pop would “teach him how to play basketball the right way.”

The Current asked Wembanyama what playing the “right way” meant to him during his rookie season.

“There’s a difference between us, the Spurs, and the way we play, and 90% of the teams in the league,” he said. “I feel like we involve all the players on the court. We have this will to share the ball. I’m glad this is something the Spurs have been [doing] for years. If there’s one person who can teach you basketball [the right way], it’s Pop.”

Kiko Martinez

In Play

San Antonio screenwriter Paco Farias discusses latest script for golf drama

TheLongGame

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

Nobody’s paying me shit,” San Antonio screenwriter Paco Farias, 52, told the Current in a recent interview when asked about a new script he’s working on that’s set in the world of salsa dancing.

It’s evident the life of a Hollywood movie scribe is challenging — even with as much experience as Farias has in the industry.

Originally from Eagle Pass, Farias earned a bachelor’s in drama from Stanford University in 1994 and a master’s in drama from the University of Minnesota three years later. After college, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked for more than 20 years as an editor and colorist for reality TV series, including American Idol, America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance

In 2022, Farias racked up his first co-writer credit on a feature film, Christmas with You, which debuted on Netflix. The holiday romantic comedy stars Aimee Garcia (Lucifer) and Freddie Prinze Jr. (24) as a pop singer and a high school music teacher who fall for each other.

Most recently, Farias, who moved to San

Antonio from California in August 2021, cowrote the screenplay for the golf drama The Long Game, which won the Audience Award in the Narrative Spotlight category at last year’s SXSW.

Set in the 1950s, The Long Game tells the true-life story of a group of Mexican American teens in Del Rio who form a golf team to compete against their Anglo peers at other high schools. The San Felipe Mustangs would go on to win the 1957 Texas state championship.

The film — adapted from Humberto G. Garcia’s 2010 book Mustang Miracle — stars Jay Hernandez (Friday Night Lights), Dennis Quaid (Far from Heaven), Cheech Marin (Tin Cup), Gregory Diaz IV (In the Heights) and San Antonio native Paulina Chávez (Fate: The Winx Saga).

Farias learned about the story from friend, executive producer and Edinburg native Javier Chapa (The Black Demon), who had just purchased the rights to Garcia’s book. Farias told Chapa he was interested in adapting the work into a feature film and brought in his writing partner, Jennifer C. Stetson, to assist.

However, the gig presented plenty of hurdles.

“We started writing the screenplay in 2018, but there were a lot of stops and starts,” Farias said. “[The production] was getting ready to happen and then the pandemic hit, and that caused a huge delay.”

The pandemic drew Farias and his family back to Texas. The crisis created a “change in priorities,” and they decided they wanted to be closer to their relatives.

“We just hopped in the car and drove down,” he said. “We spent a month in El Paso with my in-laws and a couple of weeks in Eagle Pass with my family. We realized we could probably buy a decent house in San Antonio.”

When The Long Game premiered at SXSW last year, the pandemic had subsided. However, the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes essentially shut Hollywood down, presenting yet another delay.

The film finally hit theaters last month.

Farias said writing a script for a film such as The Long Game was special to him because the main characters are all Latino. Increasing Latino representation in Hollywood is something he’s focused on his entire career.

“Telling these kinds of stories has always been my main objective as a writer,” he said. “I want to tell our stories in the best way possible.”

The Long Game is currently available exclusively on digital platforms. It will be available on DVD June 11, 2024.

Mucho Mas Media

Game Time: 7 more inspirational Latino sports films

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

Game Time: 7 more inspirational Latino sports films

From lucha libre wrestling to long-distance running, these seven inspirational sports movies put Latino stories front and center.

Cassandro

The 2023 biographical film stars Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle) as Saúl Armendáriz, a gay wrestler from El Paso who performs as an exótico, or wrestler in drag, in the 1980s.

Girlfight

San Antonio-born actress Michelle Rodriguez (Fast X) made her film debut in this 2000 sports drama about a troubled Brooklyn teenager who trains to become a boxer.

Lorena:LightFootedWoman

The 2019 documentary features Lorena Ramirez, an indigenous ultra-distance runner from Chihuahua, Mexico, who wins her contests while wearing huaraches and other traditional Rarámuri clothing.

McFarland, USA

Set in 1987, the 2015 true story follows a Latino cross-country team from McFarland, California, as it’s led to a state championship by a new coach (Kevin Costner).

The Perfect Game

The 2009 drama tells the true story of the 1957 Little League World Series, in which a team from Monterrey, Mexico, defeated the favored team from the United States. During the competition, Mexican pitcher Ángel Macías recorded the first perfect game in Little League World Series history.

Senna

This 2010 documentary examines the life and career of Brazilian Formula One champion Ayrton Senna in unique fashion. Senna died in 1994 while racing in the San Marino Grand Prix.

Sugar

Dominican pitcher Miguel Santos (Algenis Perez Soto) struggles to make it to the big leagues in this 2008 sports drama directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson).

Sony Pictures Releasing

OPENING RECEPTION

Thursday, April 11, 2024 | 6pm–9pm

Exhibition on view through January 17, 2025

Featured Artists:

Margaret Craig, Manuel Davila, Celeste De Luna, Aminah Decé

Luna

Kwanzaa Edwards, Jose Esquivel, Audrya Flores, Jacob Garza

Aminah Decé, Kwanzaa Edwards, Jose Esquivel, Audrya Flores

Lindsey Hurd, Marcos Medellin, Ashley Mireles, Linda Monsivais

Jacob Garza, Lindsey Hurd, Marcos Medellin, Ashley Mireles

Doerte Weber, Andrea B. Willems

Linda Monsivais-Hernandez, Doerte Weber, Andrea B. Willems

Free and Open to the Public Culture Commons Gallery | 115 Plaza de Armas, San Antonio, TX 78205

Tuesday – Friday | 9am – 5pm @GetCreativeSA

Getting a read on new downtown San Antonio arrival The Newstand

BY NINA RANGEL

Names: Page Pressley and Dez Rodriguez

Title: Owner-operators of The Newstand coffee shop

Previous jobs: Presley was actor Tommy Lee Jones’ former private chef, and also did work for Austin’s Emmer & Rye restaurant group and Potluck Hospitality in San Antonio. Rodriguez was a speech pathologist. Where to find their multi-concept coffee shop: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily in the same building as the swanky new sushi bar Nineteen Hyaku, 1900 Broadway, Suite 106.

Casual dining spot The Newstand made its debut last week at the Jefferson Bank building on Broadway, serving up a variety of sandwiches, pastries, coffee and — naturally — hard copies of bonafide newspapers. The Newstand’s coffee and espresso-based sippers use roasts from Austin’s Proud Mary Coffee and San Antonio’s Pulp Coffee Roasters. We sat down with both Pressley and Rodriguez to chat about how the concept came about, their long-term plans and their dedication to Newstand’s growing staff.

How was the concept born and how did you bring it to life?

Page Pressley: We were on the River Walk going for a jog one night after our respective previous jobs, and we were working opposite hours and opposite days. [Rodriguez] is a speech pathologist by trade, and I’m obviously in food and beverage. And so we were just like, “This is rough, dude. All this to work for other people’s benefit.” And so we just thought about what we could do that we both would love and that would allow us to work together. We both love coffee. So, the decision was made, and we were like, “OK, how do we make it so that this can hopefully make us a living?” It was obvious that it was probably going to be beneficial to sell more than coffee, and I have had a lifelong obsession with sandwiches. I’m an avid bread baker and pastry maker. So, it just kind of like seemed like kismet that they could all just exist in one space. It’s taken a lot of shapes between then and how it is today, of course, but yeah, it started just with going for a run together.

So you have a lifelong obsession with sandwiches? Are the ones at The Newstand ones that you have made yourselves at home?

Are they representative of your favorite sandwich setups?

PP: They’re all kind of epic iterations on regional American classics. So they’re our take on an egg salad sandwich, or a BLT … they’re not traditional by any means. But hopefully, they deliver the same kind of like, emotional feeling that those sandwiches deliver when you have the best version of them in their hometown. We’re just doing them here in San Antonio.

Dez Rodriguez: I just think they’re our favorite version of those things, and we’re trying to open our hearts and our passions to the community and create a space where they can enjoy the things that we love to work on. And if you don’t, hey, you know, thanks for coming and trying it. We’re not for everybody. And that’s okay, too.

Post-COVID, it seems a lot of operators have decided they really be can’t be weighed down by negative opinions any more. Do you agree?

PP: I mean, we hold ourselves to really high standards, do the best that we can to make everybody happy. But, if you don’t like our focaccia recipe or how we make our muffins or whatever, you know, that’s okay.

DR: And hopefully we can win those over with our customer service.

PP: Yeah, Dez has just been doing a remarkable job of customer service, for someone who hadn’t really existed in the industry before. I’ve been kind of shocked, because we basically said, “Hey, guess what, your first food and beverage experience is going to be business ownership.” You know, that’s hard. But she’s been amazing. I knew we wouldn’t

be failing with her at the helm. I was actually going to ask about that, Dez. What have you discovered about yourself so far through this venture?

DR: I think I’ve definitely found my place and what I want to do. I love creating positive experiences for people, and being able to consistently do that is really fulfilling. When I went to school, that’s why I chose to be a pediatric speech therapist, because a lot of times kids don’t have the support that they need. And to be able to give them a voice and make them feel safe and make them feel heard, now I can bring that sense of safety and warmth into this space. And that extends to our staff, too. Page and I are doing our best to make sure our team is taken care of and has everything that they need to support us. I can’t do it without them.

Page, is that outlook something that you have developed based on what you wish you’d seen from working for larger restaurant groups?

PP: My whole career, I just get so fucking tired of where I am, and I just have to leave after like three years. For a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me. But the truth of it was, for someone who has high aspirations or a very entrepreneurial spirit, they know key contributing team members are an integral part of your success. You couldn’t have otherwise been successful without them. I feel it’s incumbent upon [a business owner] to make ownership and partnership available to their team, because if they show that loyalty to you, you owe them that in return. Not just a paycheck.

Courtesy Photo / Page Pressley

Spirit of Invention

Cuban-Mexican fusion spot Paladar excels at breaking the rules

BY RON BECHTOL

My ancient, but presumably still dependable, Velázquez Spanish-English dictionary defines paladar principally as palate, followed up by variations on taste and “longing desire.” Published in 1967, it predates the Cuban iteration of the word that came into prominence in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union dealt a blow to the Castro regime.

In the period of deprivation that followed, Cuba’s enterprising cooks kept body and soul together by opening informal restaurants in their own homes, utilizing what products they could muster. One home economist even suggested making use of previously discarded items such as banana peels.

There are no banana peels to be found on the menu at San Antonio’s Paladar, though plantains abound, nor is there even the slightest whiff of underground improvisation. Though there’s a small wall of faux ferns, the otherwise polite, grey-toned space speaks neither of shabbily historic Havana nor of the vibrant Mexico whose cuisine gets equal billing in this two-country co-habitation.

Think of the space as a neutral background for two mas alegre culinary traditions and their fusion offspring.

Given that the Mexican side of this equation is more familiar to most of us, I’m forgiving myself for concentrating on the Caribbean and fusion segments of the menu. No matter how well executed, chicken enchiladas weren’t high on my must-try list. Even so, the staff indicated that the arroz cremoso with chipotle and chicken bites was a risotto-style pure invention with Mexican roots, so maybe that’s worth a look.

Paladar’s crisply fried flautas de lechon are pretty much straight Mexican, though they apparently landed in the “fusion” column due to their filling of suckling pig in lieu of the more common chicken. I can’t say puerco was an improvement, but neither is it a mistake. The meat’s inherently mild flavor was helped along by toppings of mixed greens and queso fresco along with a side of sweet fried plantains. Be warned, though, that the accompanying salsa verde is practically puro chile, so apply con cuidado

Paladar’s appetizer column is pretty much all invention or fusion. Guacamole comes with fried pork chunks, tostones rellenos are tiny plantain bowls filled with marinated tuna. One of the more interesting items on this menu turned out to be tuna salvaje, which features briefly seared slices of the meaty fish atop thinly laminated mango. Microgreens, a few avocado chunks and a scattering of black and white sesame seeds topped the assemblage. While a dressing was a fine way to finish off the dish, just not this ponzu. Or not so much of it. Usually a balanced blend

of soy with citrus, soy, vinegar and more, the Japanese condiment used here was so tart, so soy-heavy that it all but obliterated the delicate tuna and the sweetly perfumed mango.

The Paladar people can’t help inventing, even when it comes to the theoretically classic, Cuban side of the menu.

By the restaurant’s own admission, the menu’s ceviche tropical with red snapper, kiwi and mango isn’t really a thing in Cuba, having been borrowed primarily from Peru. But ropa vieja, or “old rags,” is straight-up traditional. To make it, cooks boil beef — usually flank — for hours with onion, garlic and bay. The meat is then shredded, sautéed with onion and bell pepper and enhanced with a little reserved broth from the boil. It’s a simple but beautiful dish, and Paladar does it perfectly with white rice and sautéed plantain as sides.

The combination of black beans and rice in Cuba is frequently called Moros y Cristianos in reference to the less historically happy mix of Moors and Christians. Congri, on the other hand, is often made with

PALADAR

red beans. In keeping with the theme of invention, Paladar’s version uses black beans and a little red bell pepper, which would be great on its own. But it’s also traditional to top the dish with fried chunks of pork, and that’s how it’s done here. The pork was just sizzled and salty enough to be a perfect partner. Because I’m a sucker for yuca in most of its forms I also added an order of yuca al mojo. Wow. On its own the starchy tuber is pretty bland. But boiled, lightly fried and literally drenched in chunks of unapologetically pungent garlic, the side overshadowed the main. In a good way. I recommend taming it a tad with an equally robust bottle of malta, a molasses-dark non-alcoholic malted grain beverage common throughout the Caribbean. Then, if you have just a little room left, you might exit with some delicate guava- and cheese-filled pastries made for Paladar by “a lady” apparently not in employ of the restaurant’s kitchen. An accompanying Cuban coffee would satisfy any longing cultural desires in that department.

3615 Broadway #4, facing Avenue B across from the Witte Museum parking garage | (210) 267-1329 | paladarfusion.com.

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday

Price range: $13-$28

The lowdown: Paladar is a self-proclaimed fusion restaurant blending Mexican and Cuban cuisines. Traditional dishes such as Cuba’s ropa vieja — a best bet — and Mexico’s chicken enchiladas share menu space with seared tuna on mango slices and flautas filled with suckling pig. Congri con masitas takes a version of the classic Moros y Cristianos — black beans with white rice — and tops it with fried chunks of pork for a satisfying meal. Unless amorous encounters are forecast, don’t shy away from the pungently garlic-flooded yuca al mojo. Currently BYOB, and there is no corkage fee.

Ron Bechtol

NEWS

Texas-based Tito’s Handmade Vodka has released a cocktail book called Spirit in a Bottle: Tales and Drinks from Tito’s Handmade Vodka. It’s available now in hardcover and e-book versions.

Alebrije Panaderia has closed for renovations, but will still take custom orders and catering gigs while the work is underway. The Government Hill-area bakery is expected to reopen June 18. 1931 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 551-1771, alebrijesa.com.

Houston-based comfort-food chain Adair Kitchen is taking over the shuttered Jim’s Restaurants diner on Broadway. The chain will make its San Antonio debut this fall. 4108 Broadway, adairkitchen.com.

Instagrammable San Antonio coffee spot Kaffeinated will open a second location near the intersection of Blanco Road and Loop 1604. The new spot is scheduled to open at month’s end. 1200 W. Loop 1604 North, kaffeinated.co.

Korean favorite Cypress Cafe has operated in the basement of downtown’s Cypress Tower since

Fatburger

2002, but the building’s main tenant, H-E-B, wants the restaurant to relocate. Cypress Cafe’s owners say they hope to continue serving from another location.

New craft brewery Silver Lining Brewing Co. will take over the former Second Pitch Beer space in Northeast San Antonio. 11935 Starcrest Drive, silverliningbrewing.com.

OPENINGS

Los Angeles-based Fatburger has opened its first San Antonio brick-and-mortar store, part of a massive Texas expansion for the chain. 6507 W. Loop 1604 North, fatburger.com.

New nightspot The Rose has opened downtown, taking over the space that formerly housed Maddy McMurphy’s Irish Sports Bar. 420 E. Houston St., (210) 669-2251, therosesa.com.

New spot The Newstand is now serving sandwiches and coffee downtown. It’s in the same building as swanky new sushi bar Nineteen Hyaku. 1900 Broadway, Suite 106, (210) 459-9779, thenewstandtx.com.

Instagram / Fatburger

Honky Tonk Man

San Antonio resident Bill Malone is one of country music’s preeminent scholars

BY BILL BAIRD

San Antonio transplant Bill Malone is not only the world’s leading scholar of country music, he was among its first.

“In academia, when I started, country music was outside the pale,” said Malone, who relocated to the Alamo City in 2020. “Not something you could work on or take seriously. Nothing of a serious scholarly nature.”

That’s changed, however, no small thanks to Malone himself. A former Tulane University history professor, Malone wrote Country Music USA, the 1968 University of Texas Press book that was a breakthrough for fans of the genre and eventually became the basis for Ken Burns’ 16-hour PBS documentary Country Music. Indeed, Malone is the only historian to appear onscreen in the much-praised series.

After a celebrated academic career, numerous book publications, work for the Smithsonian Institution, a Guggenheim fellowship and even two Grammy nominations, Malone retired to San Antonio. His wife and collaborator Bobbie is an Alamo City native.

Like so many San Antonio musical luminaries, Malone is hiding in plain sight. You’d never know he’s a groundbreaking scholar from his humble, low key demeanor. Even if he himself doesn’t announce his greatness, his work does that for him.

Working with Burns

Though revered among other scholars and country aficionados for most of his writing career, Malone broke through to a far wider audience with the 2019 release of Ken Burns’ Country Music

“I was asked by Dayton Duncan, Ken Burns’ writer and producer,” Malone said of his involvement in the series. “I was interviewed at Ken Burns’ compound in New Hampshire for four hours. It was like taking a PhD exam: exhausting but exhilarating.”

After the initial interview, Malone served as a primary consultant on the doc, reading scripts and making suggestions as it came together. The resultant film stunned critics and fans with its depth and insight. Rolling Stone even called it “the most ambitious, culturally resonant music documentary ever made.”

Malone said he was thrilled to see Country Music legitimize the genre as an American art form. Of course, it didn’t hurt that it also legitimized his decades of scholarship in music many in academia refused to take seriously.

“Knowing that a lot of people didn’t care for [country music], looked down on it, knowing the music has struggled to survive over the decades, it’s heartwarming to see it getting this sort of recognition,” Malone said. “The documentary is a validation of my work, my life’s work, and the culture that’s represented.”

aScholars Bill and Bobbie Malone record their weekly radio show, which showcases classic country tunes chosen to reflect a set theme.

Other scholars in the field said they’re not surprised Burns pulled in Malone for the project. Country Music USA’s sheer magnitude makes it the Bible of country music studies, said Texas State University historian Jason D. Mellard.

“That Ken Burns only wanted one historian speaking among the artists and industry folks in his definitive documentary series, and that that historian was Bill Malone, makes perfect sense,” Mellard said.

Humble roots

Though he’s reached the pinnacle of his profession, Malone comes from humble beginnings, and perhaps that’s why he has such an innate feel for roots music. Born in the now-dead city of Galena, located about 20 miles east of Tyler, Malone grew up on a sharecropping cotton farm without electricity.

“Out on the farm we didn’t have a car,” Malone said. “We had to hitch a ride 20 miles into Tyler. We farmed cotton, the ‘money crop,’ laughably, because we didn’t make any money off of it. Daddy was a tenant farmer, which meant he turned part of his cotton over to the owner in exchange for working the land. Luckily I had two big brothers, eight and nine years older, and they bore the brunt of the hard work on the farm.”

Malone’s entire life changed in 1939, when his family purchased a battery-powered Philco radio.

“Battery-powered because we didn’t have electricity,” Malone explained. “It was a revolutionary event in my life. We’d hear local radio shows, shows out of Dallas, Tulsa, all of the hillbilly performers.”

One standout show was that of the Carter Family, who had relocated to San Antonio to broadcast from Dr. John Brinkley’s XERF, a “border blaster” radio station based in Villa Acuña, Mexico. Those sounds opened Malone’s world, as did traveling musical performers, including those throwing old-style tent shows.

“Bill Monroe came in with a tent show. They’d set up a tent, hold a couple hundred people, put on their show, take the tent down and move on to another place,” Malone said. “I also saw Hank Williams in the high school auditorium. The entire Lousiana Hayride came over. Hank was the headliner.”

With the outbreak of World War II, the Malone clan moved off the farm, further widening his prospects.

“We moved into town in ’43, ’44 for jobs in a factory making bomb parts,” he said. “After that, I went to junior college, then to Austin. It was liberating.”

Folk revival

Once in Austin, Malone got swept up in the ’60s folk revival embraced by many of that generation’s college students. Like many others discovering roots music at the time, he seized on Harry Smith’s Anthology American of Folk Music, a 1952 three-album boxset that became a life-changing discovery.

“I stumbled onto it at the Austin Library, just

Courtesy Photo / Bill Malone

browsing. Hadn’t heard of it,” Malone said. “I was bowled, because it included the Carter Family, who I’d grown up with.”

For Malone, the Anthology of American Folk Music legitimized the so-called “hillbilly music” on which he’d grown up. It was a validation Malone himself would later continue.

“Harry Smith was giving an endorsement, lending a respectability to something I’d grown up with all my life — ‘hillbilly music,’ although I don’t know if he called it that,” Malone said. “He included hillbilly tunes alongside blues, gospel and cajun. So, that was another milestone in my development.”

While working towards a masters and then a doctorate in history, Malone shifted from music fan to musician and became known locally as a singer of old-style folk and hillbilly tunes. He performed at legendary venue Threadgill’s alongside a young Janis Joplin and her band the Waller Creek Boys, which also included future 13th Floor Elevators songwriter Powell St. John.

“I remember the night Janis first came out,” Malone said. “She and the Waller Creek Boys became regulars. And we’d all play together in different configurations. Gospel, bluegrass, old-time country. She stood out from the very beginning. Really something special.”

Proprietor Kenneth Threadgill, himself an accomplished musician and yodeler, also helped Malone on his path, pulling him in for late-night sessions.

“Threadgill’s, that whole thing, was an apprenticeship for me,” Malone recalled.

Country Music USA

After gaining local notoriety as a compelling interpreter of old country songs, Malone’s graduate advisor, Joe Frantz, suggested he write his dissertation on the history of the Nashville music publishing industry. Nobody had ever undertaken such a study, and Malone leapt at the chance.

“I was delighted. I didn’t realize you could write about things you loved,” Malone said. “So, I got into it and branched out immediately. Got way beyond Nashville publishing, a history of the whole phenomenon.”

His 1965 dissertation was published three years later as Country Music USA, a book many still see as the foremost scholarly exploration of country music. Unlike other weighty history tomes, Malone’s remains an enjoyable read. It flows easily, the prose singing with clarity.

The book was also intensely personal, since the journey of the country music Malone documented mirrored the evolution going on in his own life, including his journey from an agrarian upbringing.

“It was well-received but not in academia,” Malone recalled of the book’s release.

Just the same, the book developed a following among musicians, including many high-profile ones inside the genre. The book has since received multiple reprints and

updates with contributions from co-authors, each revision reflecting the ongoing evolution of country music. The latest edition even dissects the “bro country” phenomenon.

“I was at a meeting in Nashville and in walk [country legends] Ted Daffan and Floyd Tillman, and they knew who I was!” Malone said of one early indication that Country Music USA had found an audience. “You can imagine how flattered I was. They’d read the book and liked it. That meant more to me than a review in the Journal of American History.”

Lost roots, new recognition

MMalone’s groundbreaking 1968 book has undergone multiple printings, and it’s been updated to keep up with new trends taking hold in the genre.

After Country Music USA, Malone left his teaching job at Texas State University and ultimately landed at Tulane, where he remained for 25 years and wrote or co-wrote additional books, including Singing Cowboys and Musical Mountaineers: Southern Culture and the Roots of

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Malone continued his nuanced explorations of country music, including its themes and the social forces driving them. Of particular interest was the music’s separation from its working class roots as its listeners moved from agrarian to urban lifestyles.

Eventually, the academy began to recognize the seriousness of Malone’s work. Country music simply hadn’t been explored with such depth and rigor, and he was recognized for his scholarship. Not only did he receive a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, but the Smithsonian sought him out to helm a boxset not unlike the Harry Smith collection that had inspired him years prior.

Malone compiled the 143-track, eight-volume Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music and even penned a 56-page illustrated book that accompanied the set. The project earned him a 1981 Grammy Award nomination for Best Historical Album.

“There are very few music historians — very few historians — whose work has been as impactful and enduring as Bill Malone’s,” Texas State historian Mellard said. “Every country music historian writing today is still doing so in conversation with and response to Country Music USA and its sequels. And this is what makes that work special, too — Bill has returned to expand and revise it every so often, taking into account new developments and interpretations, and bringing in co-authors Jocelyn Neal and Tracey Laird on the most recent editions.”

Bill and Bobbie

Along the way, Bill Malone met his wife, Bobbie, also a historian and scholar. Before their relocation to San Antonio, they ended up in Wisconsin, where Bobbie authored numerous books and worked at the Wisconsin Historical Society.

“I was an exotic in Madison, Wisconsin,” Malone said. “People were intrigued by my accent and that I took this music seriously.”

While in Wisconsin, Malone started his longstanding radio program on station WORT, Back to the Country, known nationwide for playing old-school country songs selected to fit a weekly theme.

“I’d take a sack of records and build shows around a theme: prisons, trucks, birds, states, cities,” he said. “That was a liberty that no traditional disc

jockey had ever had. Only possible on a community radio station. I looked at it as another way to teach the history of music.”

After those years in Wisconsin while Bobbie pursued her career, the pair are happy to be back in Texas, where they’re thankful for the milder winters and the Tex-Mex breakfasts. The chilaquiles at Thousand Oaks Cafe are a particular favorite.

“This is my comfort food,” Malone said.

The reticent Bill and effusive Bobbie make a perfect match, not only in marriage but also creatively. Since landing in San Antonio, they have co-authored two books.

The collaboration began almost by accident. While attending screenings at Ken Burns’ compound, Bobbie figured out that a fellow attendee was Del Bryant, son of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, famed songwriters for the Everly Brothers.

“I told him, ‘I’d love to write an article about your mother for a journal for the Wisconsin Historical Society,’” Bobbie Malone said. “I told Bill what I just did, and he said, ‘Why don’t we just write a biography of both of them?’”

Since that collaboration, the Malones have published another book together, a biography of bluegrass musician Tim O’Brien.

Shape-shifting hybrid

For the next project, the pair is putting together a history of country music DJs, and San Antonio plays a pivotal role.

“San Antonio is really important. Who knew?” Bobbie Malone said. “It was a real hub, a cradle of disc jockeys.”

DJs including Joe Allison, Charlie Walker, Bill Mack and Biff Collie worked at country station KMAC, which would later change formats and, under the guidance of the late Joe Anthony, broke heavy metal bands including Judas Priest, Saxon and Budgie to a larger audience.

One key thread running through Malone’s work is the argument that, from the beginning, country music was a shape-shifting hybrid and that the notion of “authenticity” simply doesn’t apply to the genre.

“Country music comes from many walks of life. It’s not just one music, but many styles of music brought together, by many people,” Malone said. “It originally took shape as a composite rendering by African Americans and Anglo Americans, and over time, it’s taken in many more influences. And there was always a commercial element

to it. That’s why the name changed from hillbilly, which was a pejorative term, to country. They always borrowed heavily from whatever they heard. Black music was hugely influential.”

To that point, the famous singing cowboys Gene Autry and Tex Ritter weren’t actual cowboys but hillbilly musicians who used the image to further their careers, according to Malone’s Country Music USA. Roy Acuff famously refused to wear the cowboy duds designated for him as star of the 1940 film Grand Ole Opry and insisted his lumberjack-style work clothes were a far more honest, authentic depiction of his origins.

In other words, cowboy cosplay is nothing new.

So what do the Malones think about Beyonce’s latest album, the country crossover Cowboy Carter?

“We haven’t heard it yet,” Bobbie Malone confessed.

“I think she herself admits it’s not country,” Bill Malone said. “But it uses country elements. One or two songs

MThe Carter Family was one of Bill Malone’s introductions to country music, made via his family’s batter-powered radio.

from that background.”

Much of the music that interests the Malones these days falls under the Americana tag. They cite Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jason Isbell as a standout.

“Anything that used to be country, it’s now called Americana,” Malone said.

With a consequential national election looming and our country as divided as ever, Malone said he still believes in the power of country music to unite and heal.

“Without getting specific or too political, we all know what an anxious time this is in our history. Will we survive? What comes next? It’s wonderful to have something pulls us together.”

Courtesy Photo / Night Club

critics’ picks

Wednesday, May 15

Chris Isaak

Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” is one of the great songs of the latter half of the 20th century, but with 13 albums to his name, the singer-songwriter’s catalog runs deeper than that singular hit. Isaak’s soulful croon recalls a the bygone era of Roy Orbison and Elvis, and he pivots adeptly between rockabilly and pop, all while keeping a seductive thread of moodiness running through the music. $49-$250, 7 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E Houston St., (210) 2263333, majesticempire.com. — Bill Baird

Wednesday, May 15

Elita, Cottontail

Dream-pop purveyor Elita has blossomed from the solitude of her upbringing in Newfoundland, Canada, into an artist, model and influencer. Her first full-length album, last year’s Dysania, manages to sound both dystopian and gauzy, spooky and sensuous. Drag performer Cottontail serves as a captivating opener. Sold Out, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Danny Cervantes

Thursday, May 16

Kamasi Washington

Saxophonist and bandleader Kamasi Washington

is a badass, plain and simple. Anybody decrying the demise of jazz need look no further than Washington, who’s stylish, ambitious and plays his ass off. His albums The Epic and Heaven on Earth are modern masterworks of the genre, and his latest, Fearless Movement, is inspired by the birth of his daughter. Consider this an essential concert for SA music fans. $39-$106, 7:30 p.m., Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., majesticempire.com. — BB

Friday, May 17

The Texases

Expect an evening of two-steppin’ to country music classics. The Texases are the self-proclaimed “greatest country cover band, ever,” and the group’s forte is serving up hits from legends ranging from Merle to Willie and George to Dwight. There’s no better venue to catch The Texases’ vibe than a repurposed brewery stable in the heart of the Lone Star State. $18, 8 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — DC

Sunday, May 19

Uli Jon Roth

Former Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth’s fluid lines helped revolutionize the heavy rock genre and elevated him to Guitar God status. His post-Scorpions work has been varied and

Kamasi Washington

mostly well-received, and it includes two recent G3 tours alongside Joe Satriani, Michael Schenker, and John Petrucci. Even those not fond of heavy metal and its offshoots may find this concert is intriguing due to Roth’s otherworldly musicianship. $30, 7 p.m., Fitzgerald’s, 437 McCarty Road, Suite 101, fitzrockssa.com. — BB

Thursday, May 23

Taking Back Sunday, Citizen

Despite weathering myriad lineup changes, emo staple Taking Back Sunday is celebrating a quarter century of rockin’ this year. The band’s 2023 release, 152, was a bit of a rollercoaster, swinging between melancholic downers and upbeat bangers. Christian indie-rockers Citizen open. $64-$357.55, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre. com. — DC

Friday, May 24

Trophy Eyes, Rarity, House & Home

Australia’s Trophy Eyes bring angst and energy to a modern rock sound with deep punk roots.

“Blue Eyed Boy,” the first single from the band’s 2023 album Suicide and Sunshine has the feel of a Sum 41 anthem, but other tracks feature the band thrashing with abandon. $20-$23, 7 p.m., The Rock Box, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 772-1443, therockboxsa.com. — DC

Saturday, May 25

Dan Deacon

Electronics wizard Dan Deacon has successfully straddled genres for close to two decades, merging electronics, modern classical, the underground and the mainstream. Known to push the envelope at his live shows through use of apps, immersive visuals and performing inside the crowd, Deacon’s reputation is pretty much built on his performances. That makes this show essential for fans of electronica, adventurous composition or simply the joy of being alive. $25, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB

Saturday, May 25

Sarah Jarosz, Liv Greene

Central Texas songwriter Sarah Jarosz is a longtime luminary of the Americana movement, having picked up a 2010 Grammy nomination with her first album, released when she was just 18. She’s since carved out a unique path in modern folk music, fusing intensely personal songwriting with skillful playing of the mandolin, banjo and guitar. Along the way, she’s picked up copious praise from NPR, the New York Times and Rolling Stone. Her latest album, 2024’s Polaroid Lovers, continues Jarosz’s evolution by incorporating more electric elements into her folk sound. $35, 8 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — BB

Courtesy Photo / Kamasi Washington

EMPLOYMENT

Sr. Software Developer – Rackspace US, Inc. - San Antonio, TX. Designs & develops software for enterprise services.

Req’d: Bach deg in technology, engineering, or rel tech fld + min 5yrs work exp in software dev, engineering, testing or rel fld (OR Masters deg in technology, engineering, or rel tech fld + min 3 yrs work exp in software dev, engineering, testing or rel fld). Req’d: Min 5yrs exp w/ Oracle Billing and Revenue Management.

Req’d: Min 5yrs exp w/Oracle SQL/ PLSQL. Req’d: Min 2yrs exp w/ Java, Billing Care UI. The position is available for remote work. Send resume to: careers@ rackspace.com, Ref. RAXSrSD22824

Wastewater Engineer (San Antonio, TX)

Req’d to help dsgn various components for water delivery systems as well as wastewater & treatment systems. Create & run electronic hydraulic models for water & sewer systems such as static & extended period simulations. Prvd initial review of contractor submittals as well as prvd’g dsgn services for wastewater treatment facilities. Req’d to prepare gvrnmnt permit packages as well as ensure that the correct permits are requested for each prjct. Prepare eng’g technical reports w/ tables & exhibits for submission to various review agencies. Coordinate w/ these agencies to address comments/queries. Req’s bach’s degree in civil eng’g w/ 3 mnths relevant exp. In lieu of exp, we will accept 6 graduate level credit hours in dsgn of ground water systems or HAZWOPER. We have positions available in our Austin office. Please mail resumes to HR at Pape-Dawson Consulting Engineers, Inc. at 2000 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX, 78213.

Transportation Engineer (San Antonio, TX)

Dvlp & dsgn road & highway prjcts to incld plans, specifctns, & estimates. Dvlp feasible dsgn alternatives & compare significant parameters such as typical sections, horizontal & vertical alternative & right of way reqrmnts & cost. Identify & analyze principal dsgn features of each prjct & make sure they fulfill the purpose & the needs of each prjct. Prepare eng’g technical reports w/ tables & exhibits for submission to various review agencies. Coordinate w/ these agencies to address comments/queries. This req’s drafting segments of roadway dsgn as well & prvd’g budgeting estimates for prjct planning. Req’s bach’s degree in civil eng’g w/ 3 mnths eng’g exp. In lieu of exp, we will accept 6 graduate level credit hours in Transportation/Traffic data mngmnt, Transportation Eng’g or Transportation system Planning. We have postns available in our Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, & Plano offices. Please mail resumes to HR at Pape-Dawson Consulting Engineers, Inc. at 2000 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX, 78213.

Company Name:

Argent Fiduciary Consulting Services

Company Address:

755 E Mulberry Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212

Position:

Operations Investment Analyst

Job Location: 755 E Mulberry Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212

Hours: 8 am – 5 pm

Job Duties:

-Prepare regular reports for members of the investment team utilizing various financial applications and programs: Bloomberg, Morningstar, Value Line, Stock Charts, Black Diamond

-Monitor current economic topics and events as it relates to report preparation

-Enter data as needed for client service and internal requests

-Meet deadlines provided by members of the investment team and appropriately prioritize tasks to maximize output

-Analyze financial reports and provide financial modeling to investment team members

-Regularly review client accounts for compliance with asset allocation, approved securities, and performance

-Perform rebalancing and trading analysis for accounts

-Prepare meeting materials for team members and clients

-Pull appropriate data for review of various money managers according to due diligence requirements and complete current form for review and approval

-Participate in various internal investment decision-making workgroups

-Provide notes as needed for various internal and external meetings

-Work collaboratively with other analysts and employees

-Risk Management and Asset Allocation Process

Minimum requirements: Master’s Degree in Finance/Economics -CFA Designation preferred- with at least 2 years experience in basic accounting/finance.

Salary: $74,734.00

Number of openings: 1 position open

Job Contact: Aarin Alford at resumes@argentfinancial.com

H-E-B seeks positions multiple positions in San Antonio, TX.

Operations Research Analyst for Supply Chain Network Planning.

Business Systems Analyst – Staff to work on software development.

Sr. Business Systems Analyst to implement solutions to complex applications problems. Sr. Software Eng. to develop computer and network software. E-Mail resumes with job title to: Marisa Alcorta, at Recruiting10@heb.com

Graphic Designer (Comal County) needed. Duties incl. create graphic designs for advertisements and promotions in various digital, print, and signage forms. Must have a master’s degree in Graphic Design or Digital Media and at least 6 months experience in graphic design. Send resume to Erica Mason, HR, iGavel, Inc., 887 Cross Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130.

Please write “Recr. 2024” on the bottom right corner of the envelope. No phone calls or emails accepted

“Outposts”--sent to the edges. by Matt Jones © 2024 Matt Jones

Across

1. It’s a long story

5. Pal in Pamplona 10. High school class 13. Hokkaido sashes 14. Repeat performances?

16. Wish undone

17. 1982 horror flick

19. “___ bide my time” 20. North African condiment 21. Belief held by Thomas Jefferson and Mark Twain

23. Pressing needs?

24. Sunday dinner slow-cooker option

27. Dreyer’s, east of the Rockies

28. Paid athlete

30. M&M color introduced in 1995

31. Shift neighbor

33. Commander’s commander

34. Faddish mental health proponent

39. It’s all wrong

40. Thompson who’s still on “SNL”

41. Verifiable

42. Use a needle and thread

43. Drier than dry

47. Most courteous

51. At a good clip

52. “Love ___ you need”

53. Scanned black-and-white patterns

55. “The Brady Bunch” daughter

57. Georges Seurat, for one

59. Estadio Diego Armando Ma-

radona cheer

60. “The Woman In Me” autobiographer

61. Fox’s home

62. “___ the season to be jolly”

63. Young’s partner in accounting

64. ___ occasion (never)

Down

1. Singer-songwriter Ellis-Bextor

2. “All ___!”

3. California’s “Garlic Capital of the World”

4. Actors John and Sean, for two

5. Airport postings, briefly

6. Prefix used by some state lotteries

7. Anger

8. Musical notation pioneer

9. Beginning

10. Monaco’s royal house

11. Actor Brynner

12. Nickname for two Spice Girls

15. Make a slight move

18. Squiggly letter

22. 1924 Pulitzer Prize-winning Edna Ferber novel

24. Swanky to the max

25. Makes an appeal

26. Pitched shelter

28. TP layer

29. Rooftop accessory

31. Georgia, formerly, e.g.

32. Fine-tune

33. “___ voyage!”

34. Arrested suspect, informally

35. Three-layered cookie

36. Nutty confections

37. Suffix for cities

38. Scientific principle

43. NASA lunar program

44. Angular measure, in math

45. Isolates due to extreme weather, maybe

46. G.I. Joe villain whose name is one letter short of a synonym for “obliterate”

48. Bar lineup

49. Get married secretly

50. Craftier

51. Knee injury site, briefly

53. Fiscal yr. divisions

54. Robbie who played Cousin Oliver

55. Scribble (down)

56. Oscar-nominated role for Smith

58. Photographer Goldin

Answers on page 21