San Antonio Current - October 30, 2024 by Chava Communications

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in this issue

Bait and Switch

Soap Factory tenants say relocation promises ring empty

Fretboard Fury

Yngwie Malmsteen’s 40th Anniversary Tour is shredding its way into San Antonio

Critics’ Picks

The Opener News in Brief

New Leadership

San Antonio picks ﬁrst woman to run its ﬁre department

Police Misconduct

SAPD oﬃcer suspended on claims he roughed up suspect during arrest

Bad Takes

From deportations to tariﬀs, Trump’s economic policies would crater the economy

Risqué Business

Windcrest council candidate says she was targeted by mailers drawing attention to her burlesque background

Our picks of things to do

Certiﬁcation:

WeFlamenco Fest returns to San Antonio for 15th year

27 Screens

Dead Man Walking

San Antonio native reminisces on role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on 50th anniversary

28 Food Slurp City

Mian Noodles and Dumplings puts 2000 years of Chinese culinary history on ﬁne display Customizable Comestibles

Dallas-based Bellagreen’s ﬁrst San Antonio restaurant opening next month

Quiet Closure

San Antonio barbecue spot Old Smokehouse shuttered after 41 years in business

On the Cover:Residents of the Soap Factory Apartments, which will be razed to make way for a new baseball stadium, say they’re not getting a fair shake when it comes to their relocation. Cover design: Ana Paula Gutierrez.

Michael Karlis.

That Rocks/That Sucks

HSan Antonio rents rose by 26% over the first nine months of 2024, showing another sign of the city’s housing-affordability crisis. An analysis of San Antonio’s rental market compiled by the roommate-matching service SpareRoom found that average rents in its online postings here jumped from $725 in the first quarter of the year to $946 in the third. However, the Alamo City is still the fifth-most affordable large U.S. metro for housing.

Bexar County voters are fired up to cast their ballots. Turnout on the first days of early voting last week far exceeded turnout during the first days of the two previous presidential elections. More than 46,000 voters cast ballots in person on each of the first two days this cycle. Many of the county’s 51 early voting locations have experienced long lines, with one location at Northwest Vista College tallying 1,999 votes cast last Monday.

A top voting-rights group warned that a move to require people to show proof of citizenship to register to vote in Texas could disenfranchise more than a million voters. According to VoteRiders, those who may lack the required documentation even though they are citizens are disproportionately Black, Hispanic and older. In coming months, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature is expected to debate proof-of-citizenship legislation modeled on a controversial Arizona law.

HLaredo’s 11-day boil water notice came to an end last week with city oﬃcials pledging to address the issues that caused the crisis. For starters, the city is se ing up an amnesty program allowing people who have illegal connections to the water system to come forward. An investigation found more than 200 bad or illegal connections in the central Laredo area. The city will also look at replacing outdated water pipes. — Abe Asher

Playing dumb about abortion bans with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz

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

Even though U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has gone to Herculean lengths to avoid talking about abortion this election season, turns out John Adams was right when he said facts are stubborn things.

The Texas Republican was one of 26 senators who signed onto a brief this spring urging the Supreme Court to overrule a Biden administration directive that hospitals should continue to provide emergency abortion care after the demise of Roe v. Wade.

The senators ﬁled the document — ﬁrst reported on by Rolling Stone magazine — in support of Idaho’s Republican a orney general, who sought to overturn the administration’s guidance that emergency rooms should still provide emergency abortion care.

The brief accused the White House of pulling a fast one to ensure people still have access to elective abortions. It argues that the existing federal law invoked by the Department of Health and Human Services in its guidance doesn’t speciﬁcally mention abortion.

“Consequently, the DOJ is seeking to contrive a health exception for emergency room doctors to perform elective induced abortions, which do not consider the unborn child as a second patient, and, in fact, directly intend harm to the child,” the ﬁling states.

Those who watched Cruz’s sole televised debate with Democratic rival U.S. Rep. Colin Allred may remember that he repeatedly refused to say whether he supports any exceptions to Texas’ extreme abortion ban, which has no exception for rape or incest. Under the state’s ban, some women have also faced serious health issues due to problem pregnancies doctors have balked at ending, fearing prosecution.

Maybe next time assclown Ted tries to duck a question, he should refrain from signing onto a legal brief that makes it abundantly clear just how extreme and dangerous his beliefs are. — Sanford

Nowlin

“So when JD Vance said Trump is ‘America’s Hitler’ he was complementing him? That’s probably why he was picked.”

— Democraticstrategist SawyerHackettinatweet.

The husband of missing Olmos Park realtor Suzanne Clark Simpson is facing new felony charges in connection with her disappearance. The Bexar County Sheriﬀ’s Oﬃce last week charged Brad Simpson with tampering or fabricating with physical evidence and possession of a prohibited weapon. The Olmos Park Police Department and the Texas Rangers also arrested a business associate of Brad Simpson’s last week in connection with the case.

State Rep. Steve Allison, defeated in this spring’s Republican primary after bucking Gov. Greg Abbo on school vouchers, has endorsed a Democrat to replace him in Austin. Allison, whose

district includes Alamo Heights and parts of San Antonio, lost the primary to defense a orney Marc LaHood and is now backing Democrat Laurel Swift. Former State Sen. Jeﬀ Wentworth, also a Republican, is backing Swift as well.

Texas A orney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden White House last week, alleging it failed to help the state verify the citizenship status of a portion of its registered voters. The lawsuit comes as part of Republican Paxton’s months-long drive to root out noncitizen voters in the leadup to the election. Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting, and experts said breaches of that law are exceedingly rare. — Abe Asher

ASSCLOWN ALERT

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South San Antonio Buick GMC is a family-owned dealership deeply committed to exceptional service and genuine relationships. We believe in putting people ﬁrst, building trust, and creating lasting connections with our customers. This personal touch has earned us a reputation as a reliable dealership where customers feel valued and cared for. Our mission is to provide service that makes customers feel like family, ensuring they leave with conﬁdence and peace of mind. Beyond our showroom, we are dedicated to making a positive impact in the San Antonio community through local partnerships, charitable events, and support for our neighbors, viewing them as part of our extended family.

Bait and Switch

Soap Factory tenants say relocation promises ring empty

BY MICHAEL KARLIS

Tenants at the Soap Factory Apartments, scheduled for demolition as part of city-approved plans for a new minor league baseball stadium, said the complex’s owner isn’t living up to promises made to help them relocate.

Residents said promises that development ﬁrm Weston Urban made to San Antonio City Council to help soften the blow for tenants were misrepresented — primarily the conditions they must meet to collect a $2,500 move-out stipend.

They also question how much nonproﬁt Building Brighter Communities actually can assist them with relocations and whether the city’s housing authority can make good on a pledge to ﬁnd them other downtown-area dwelling options.

“It’s a way for them to get rid of the problem — which is us — and do the least amount possible,” Soap Factory tenant Sarah said of the promises Weston Urban made to council to get its approval for the sports development. “It’s very insulting, in my opinion, because this is where we live. It’s our whole lives.”

Sarah declined to give her last name out of fear of retaliation.

Weston Urban oﬃcials didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.

Soap Factory tenants, some of whom are formerly homeless, said they worry they’re about to be put on the streets to make way for the new $160 million stadium being built to house the San Antonio Missions.

The apartments — one of the few affordable complexes located in the center city — scheduled to be demolished in two phases over the next ﬁve years to make way for a hotel, luxury apartments and commercial space surrounding the ballpark.

Opportunity Home

At a Sept. 12 council meeting to discuss

the stadium’s development, Assistant City Manager Lori Houston told those on the dais that Soap Factory tenants aﬀected by the ﬁrst phase of demolition plans would be able to relocate to Opportunity Home complexes. Those include the city housing authority’s Refugio, Hemisview and 100 Labor communities.

Those speciﬁc Opportunity Home properties are important because they’re located downtown. Many of the Soap Factory tenants either work downtown in San Antonio’s service and tourism industry or don’t own cars and rely on public transit to get around.

“Their application and deposit fees will be waived, and the ﬁrst month’s rent will be free,” Houston said last month. “There are income-restricted units. There are some small public housing units, there are 50% AMI units, and then there are 60% and 80% AMI units as well, along with some market rate.”

Weston Urban co-founder and CEO Randy Smith said during the meeting that the average tenant income at Soap Factory is under $40,000 — less than the

San Antonio median income.

Tenant Arturo Villarreal said he and many other Soap Factory residents were counting on ge ing spots in Opportunity Home’s subsidized downtown complexes.

However, Villarreal said that when he asked a worker from Building Brighter Communities — the nonprofit with which Weston Urban reached a five-year contrect to help with tenant relocation — he was told no such offer existed.

“About a month ago, [Opportunity Home] told us that there were 380 housing units available,” Villarreal said. “But, when I spoke to Building Brighter Communities, not all of the available units are downtown, and the properties that are downtown are not available. They already tricked us there.”

Indeed, in a statement Opportunity Home provided to the Current, Jose Garza — a communication specialist for the housing authority — said the units available downtown aren’t subsidized.

“The units with subsidies are located in other areas of the city,” said Garza,

who added that Opportunity Home has been “clear and transparent” about the process.

Money and maintenance requests

The proposal council approved last month also would include a $500,000 fund to pay out the resident stipends with the cost split between the city and Weston Urban. During a presentation to City Council, Weston Urban oﬃcials said the only caveat was that the stipend would only apply to tenants who signed leases before Oct.1.

Meanwhile, the city stipulates that tenants must earn 80% or less of the area median income to receive funds and must have lived in a Soap Factory unit for at least one year prior to Oct. 1, according to the presentation given by Houston to council.

Additionally, the money will only be disbursed by those eﬀected by the phase 1 after they move oﬀ property, which presents problems of its own, tenants told the Current

Michael Karlis

However, a handout Weston Urban distributed to tenants at some time following the Sept. 12 meeting outlined additional conditions that applied to the $2,500 stipend. Those were not communicated to members of council during the presentation. .

According to Weston Urban’s new stipulations, Soap Factory residents must be fully caught up on rent and their apartments must pass inspection before they can collect the money, according to a document Weston Urban handed out to residents following the Sept. 12 meeting.

Tenants said they’re worried about their units being able to pass inspection, maintaining that Weston Urban stopped conducting routine maintenance on the property after the developer purchased it in August 2023 via a partnership called I Cannot Lye, LP. The “Lye” part of the name appears to refer to a chemical commonly used in soap production.

“They could find something in your apartment and be like, ‘Oh, that’s going to cost $500 to fix, that’s going to cost another $200 to fix, that’s going to cost $100 to fix,’” tenant Villarreal said. “They’re going to start pointing out the li le things that need to be fixed.”

Villarreal added that his sliding door has been broken since March, but maintenance has yet to repair it.

Villarreal also said the requirement that residents move out before they can collect their stipend is unfair. After ﬁrst hearing of the oﬀer, he and others planned to use the $2,500 as deposits on new apartments. With that money no longer available before leaving the Soap Factory, some tenants worry they may end up homeless.

“I may have to live in my car for a couple months to aﬀord a new place,” resident Cesar Alejandro Fresnillo said.

For those Soap Factory tenants who want to extend their lease while they look for a new place, Weston Urban is only oﬀering month-to-month options, which now start at $1,400, Villarreal said.

Soap Factory tenant James Boscher said it’s clear to him why Weston Urban isn’t keeping up with maintenance on the complex. He recalled a meeting between Weston Urban CEO Smith, city council members and tenants, during which residents were told meetings between the developer and city oﬃcials had been taking place for months before the ballpark plan was publicly unveiled in August.

“They knew what was going to happen, and Weston Urban knew,” Boscher said. “And yet, they’re still scrambling as to what’s going to happen to us.”

Indeed, Smith made his plans for a downtown stadium clear as early as a November 2022 interview with Texas Monthly.

“If there’s good, clean family entertainment that brings thousands of people downtown every year, night after night, we don’t care if it’s Tiddlywinks or kickball — that’s good for San Antonio,” Smith told the magazine.

Building Brighter Communities

With regard to potential miscommunication about what kind of units are available to Soap Factory tenants, Opportunity Home’s Garza suggested the Current reach out to Building Brighter Communities.

“It should be noted that Opportunity Home is not aﬃliated with Weston Urban, who hired Building Brighter Communities to undertake this process,” Garza said.

But ge ing in touch with Building Brighter Communities proved more diﬃcult than one might expect.

According to IRS records, Building Brighter Communities was founded by Baltimore transplant and University of Texas at San Antonio grad Brandon Johnson in December 2021.

However, the organization hasn’t received much media coverage since a couple pieces by San Antonio news TV station KABB three years ago. When those stories ran, Building Brighter Communities wasn’t yet listed as a non-proﬁt with the IRS.

What’s more, Building Brighter Communities isn’t included in the IRS’s most

recent list of tax-exempt organizations.

Building Brighter Communities’ website has no contact information, and lists “William Wright,” whose headshot appears to be a stock photo with a bio wri en in Latin, as the organization’s director. There are plenty of “Donate Now” bu ons on the site, however.

The group’s Facebook page is similarly sparse on information. The organization hasn’t made a post since Jan. 13, and the phone number listed on its page is disconnected.

Building Brighter Communities’ apparent base of operations is an apartment inside the Soap Factory complex. When the Current visited the apartment, Vice President Jackie Rita said the group is working to ensure tenants get their promised relocation funds.

“They just want people to come and sign up and get their money,” said Rita, who declined to give her last name but whom the Current was later able to identify via news reports.

Rita wouldn’t elaborate on who she meant by “they.” However, she denied that Weston Urban had any hand in the organization besides contracting to help people at Soap Factory relocate.

When asked about the miscommunication with Opportunity Home about vacancies at the housing authority’s downtown properties, Rita said Building Brighter Communities never made promises about those accommodations. She directed the Current’s questions back to Opportunity Home.

Building Brighter Communities CEO Johnson eventually provided an emailed

statement about the services the organization is providing to tenants.

“We recognize that every resident has unique circumstances, and each relocation process will be distinct,” Johnson said. “The Building Brighter Communities team will work with residents who choose to engage with our services to identify housing options and resources available to them to utilize for their relocation process.”

However, Soap Factory tenant Fresnillo said he and others in the complex don’t trust Building Brighter Communities. He worries that he may never see the $2,500 Weston Urban pledged to distribute to each Soap Factory tenant to defray relocation costs.

“We had a meeting, and we voiced our concerns to Weston Urban about working with Building Be er Communities, because we knew they were going to ﬁnd loopholes to end up not giving us any money,” Fresnillo said.

San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh didn’t respond to the Current’s questions about the extent to which the city did due diligence on Building Brighter Communities prior to council’s Sept. 12 vote to approve the ballpark project and Soap Factory’s eventual demolition.

“At the end of the day, this proposal is strong,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said on Sept. 12 of Weston Urban’s relocation oﬀer to Soap Factory tenants. “It’s sound. It is one that we stand by with respect to making sure our residents are taken care of in the process.”

Michael Karlis

New Leadership

San Antonio picks ﬁrst woman to run its ﬁre department

BY MICHAEL KARLIS

Following a multi-month search, Deputy Chief Valerie Frausto has been selected to be the ﬁrst woman to lead the San Antonio Fire Department.

City Council is expected to approve Frausto’s appointment during its Oct. 31 meeting.

City Manager Erik Walsh picked Frausto to lead the city’s more than 2,000 ﬁreﬁghters after a nationwide search that ne ed 65 applicants. At the end of the day, Frausto was the right woman for the job, he said.

“Her diverse experience has given her a deep understanding of the department, and her commitment to prioritizing the health, wellness, and safety of our firefighters has been instrumental in a racting and retaining top talent to SAFD,” Walsh said in a statement. “Her vision of the department built on a culture of diversity, inclusion, and transparency make her the ideal choice to lead the fire department into the future.”

Frausto joined SAFD in 2000 and spent five years as a firefighter before spending three more in the department’s EMS division. She then returned to SAFD’s

ﬁreﬁghter division, spending seven years as a lieutenant, captain and ba alion chief.

“It is an honor to serve this community,” Frausto said in a press release. “This opportunity represents not only a significant milestone in my career but also a commitment to the safety and well-being of both residents and firefighters. Public safety is a team effort, and I look forward to working alongside our brave firefighters, dedicated staff, and community leaders.”

Frausto has served as SAFD’s interim chief since January after longtime Chief Charles Hood retired.

Hood was pushed into early retirement after an independent investigation found that he’d made inappropriate workplace comments, including using the phrase “pussy always wins.”

It wasn’t the ﬁrst time Hood found himself at the center of controversy, however.

In 2020, the city investigated Hood’s conduct after photos surfaced showing him eating sushi oﬀ a naked woman’s body at a party. In the wake of the incident, he said his staﬀ would develop a training course to recognize and validate other cultures.

Police Misconduct

SAPD oﬃcer suspended on claims he roughed up suspect during arrest

BY SANFORD NOWLIN

ASan Antonio police oﬃcer is serving a 45-day suspension without pay over allegations that he roughed up a handcuﬀed prisoner and didn’t turn on his body camera for the arrest, disciplinary records show.

SAPD oﬃcials originally considered removing Oﬃcer Ma hew S. Sparks from the force over the charges but instead opted for a temporary suspension after he rebu ed some allegations against him, according to police paperwork.

Shortly after midnight March 13, Sparks handled a call about a suspect shooting a ﬁrearm into the ground at a

traﬃc intersection. Although Sparks and another oﬃcer initially took the man into custody without incident, disciplinary records accuse Sparks of failing to turn on his body camera for the arrest — a violation of department rules.

As the handcuﬀed suspect lay on his side, he apparently leaned on Sparks’ leg, according to SAPD documents. “Stop fucking touching me! “Fuck’s wrong with you?” Sparks yelled while kicking the handcuﬀed suspect into a prone position, the records state.

The kick constituted “unnecessary physical violence” toward the restrained prisoner, according to SAPD records.

The disciplinary report also accuse Sparks of using further unnecessary force on the prisoner after he bit another

officer’s elbow during a search. Even though the suspect was under control of “several officers,” Sparks twisted the man’s thumb then hit him in the face several times with a closed fist, according to records.

After a fellow oﬃcer tried to intervene by pulling Sparks away, Sparks shoved the coworker and said, “Get your fucking hand oﬀ me!” according to the disciplinary document.

Sparks’ altercation with the other oﬃcer breached department rules requiring personnel to treat others on the force with respect, the report said.

Sparks’ suspension began Oct. 1 and will end Nov. 14, according to SAPD documents. His punishment included consideration of his disciplinary record,

which also included a three-day suspension in October of 2022, the paperwork notes.

Courtesy Photo / San Antonio Fire Department

From deportations to tariﬀs, Trump’s economic policies would crater the economy

BY KEVIN SANCHEZ

Bad Takes is a column of opinion and analysis.

“When Perseus hunted monsters, he needed a cap that made him invisible. We pull our own magic cap over our eyes and ears so that we can pretend monsters don’t exist.”— Karl Marx, Preface to the 1867 Edition of Capital: Critique of Political Economy, Volume One

As we barrel toward Election Day, let’s forget fascism for a sec. Forget the America First nativism and the incessant trans-bashing. Forget that teenagers are now forced to carry their rapist’s baby to term. Forget that a Confederate ba le-ﬂag waved in the halls of Congress on January 6 — a feat Gen. Robert Edward Lee himself could not accomplish.

Let’s just focus on the stupid economy. According to a nationwide poll conducted earlier this month by the nonpartisan NORC Center for Public Aﬀairs Research, registered voters were about evenly split on which candidate, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, would do a be er job of handling housing, jobs and unemployment along with the cost of groceries and gas. Any diﬀerences fell within the margin of sampling error.

What explains this ambivalence? The administration in which Harris serves passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill that Trump promised but never delivered. She cast the tie-breaking vote to send the Inflation Reduction Act to Joe Biden’s desk, an unprecedented boon for green industrial policy. For the first time in forever, we have a pro-union National Labor Relations Board and a trust-busting Federal Trade Commission. And Harris has laid out more than mere “concepts of a plan” to build back rural hospitals, subsidize affordable housing, boost child tax credits, expand Medicare at-home eldercare and crack down on price-gouging at supermarkets.

Perhaps we’ve passively accepted that ingratiating the upper class with

tax break bonanzas — the GOP’s bread and bu er — is key to ge ing anything worthwhile done in a society such as ours.

Founded in 1980, the nonproﬁt Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) aspires to be “a voice for working people in tax policy debates.” ITEP researchers ran the numbers on Trump’s economic to-do list for every income bracket.

“If these proposals were in eﬀect in 2026, the richest 1% would receive an average tax cut of about $36,300 and the next richest 4% would receive an average tax cut of about $7,200,” according to ITEP’s calculations.

But what about the rest of us?

“All other groups would see a tax increase with the hike on the middle 20% at about $1,500 and the increase on the lowest-income Americans at about $800,” ITEP found.

How is that even possible?

Because, as Fox Business reminds us, “tariffs are taxes.” Trump’s called for an across-the-board 20% tariff on all imported goods. Odds are this will be “largely passed onto consumers as increased prices,” ITEP predicted, and “would more than offset those tax cuts for all income groups outside the richest 5%.”

If you thought inﬂation was bad under Biden, hang onto your wallet after a Trump victory-slash-coup.

And if you believe that the largest mass deportation in history, openly championed by the rank-and-ﬁle at the Republican National Convention, won’t end up raising prices, you probably believe Mexico paid for the completed border wall.

“Let’s put it in basic terms,” the late comedian Ralphie May said in his 2012 stand-up special. “If white people pick your fruits and vegetables, your salad is gonna cost $97.”

In a recent must-read Texas Monthly article, freelance journalist Jack Herrera explained just how devastating mass deportations would be across the economy.

“Since at least the ’80s, when Ronald Reagan led a crackdown on unions, ﬁrms

have become addicted to cheap undocumented labor,” Herrera wrote. And for the past two decades, “the number of U.S.-born workers entering the construction trade has nosedived. Even if tomorrow all companies raised wages high enough to lure Texans away from their laptop jobs, it could take years of training to condition these newcomers to the rigors of building. Cu ing off the supply of undocumented workers, then, would be like cu ing off the supply of concrete and lumber. Far fewer homes and businesses would be built in the next few decades. It would push up the prices paid by those who buy homes and office buildings.”

“Beyond construction,” Francesca D’Annunzio reported for the Texas Observer last week, “heavily undocumented workforces labor in agriculture, food processing, house cleaning, and other industries.” She cited research from the American Immigration Council estimating a one-time migrant roundup of the scale vowed by Trump would cost at least $315 billion to carry out.

“There’s been a lot of talk about outsiders coming into rural communities, stealing our jobs, making life worse for the people who are living there,” Harris’ vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz, said on the campaign trail this month. “Those

outsiders have names: they’re Donald Trump and JD Vance. They told lies about the people living in these communities, people who are trying to do an honest day’s work, maybe buy some nice clothes for their kids so they can go to mass on Sunday. [Trump and Vance] don’t respect rural communities, and they take a hell of a lot of their voters for granted by the policies they put out that don’t do a damn thing for rural Pennsylvania or rural Minnesota or any place else in this country.

“Vance is a venture capitalist cosplaying like he’s a cowboy or something,” Walz said. “Folks who go to work everyday are saying, ‘What are you going to do with your policies to make my life a li le be er?’ These guys see your communities as commodities to trade and move around. They see your house as something to buy up and sell and make a proﬁt on, not a place to raise your kids.”

The plain truth is we can ill aﬀord reinstating the Trump tax — a liability that’s not reducible to economics. A larger war in the Middle East, another pandemic, a 9/11-style terrorist a ack under the tempestuous reign of this carnival barker could spell ruin for our fragile experiment in self-government.

That’s too high a price “to own the libs.” Both for our nation and the world.

Shutterstock / Phil Mistry

Risqué Business

Windcrest council candidate says she was targeted by mailers drawing attention to her burlesque background

BY STEPHANIE KOITHAN

On October 17, some Windcrest residents received an anonymously sent mailer featuring risqué photos of a woman wearing pasties. The woman in the images was burlesque performer Susie Hamilton, who happens to be running for a spot on the suburb’s city council.

The municipality of around 5,000 residents is enveloped by Northeast San Antonio. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone’s business. Hamilton argues the anonymous mailer is an a empt to smear her over her background as a burlesque dancer, something she maintains she’s been “very transparent” about as she’s campaigned for oﬃce.

“I’ve never tried to hide anything,” Hamilton told the Current via FaceTime from a cruise to Cozumel. “I’ve never tried to keep any part of my life private.”

Indeed, Hamilton has made her experience as a dancer part of her campaign. Last week, after the initial round of mailers were distributed, she even had a fellow burlesque performer join her on stage for a campaign meetand-greet.

A second mailer has since gone out, identical to the ﬁrst other than using nicer paper, according to Hamilton. Both had ﬁrst-class postage but no return address.

The ﬁrst round used people’s colloquial names rather than their legal ones, Hamilton said. That lead her to believe the sender initially targeted people they knew personally. The scope seemed to have expanded with the second mail-out, she added.

City employees also received the mailer while at work, according to Hamilton. She argued that those who received the risqué images didn’t con-

sent to be exposed to them.

“If someone’s at burlesque show, you bought a ticket,” she said. “When you go to work, you go to work with the expectation that you won’t be faced with content that shouldn’t be in the workplace.”

Hamilton said she and members of her campaign suspect they know who’s behind the ﬂyers, but she declined to name the possible culprit.

When asked if he was behind the mailer, Hamilton’s incumbent opponent, Wes Manning, sarcastically replied, “Yeah, I would answer that — of course I would.”

Joking aside, the councilman said he doesn’t know who’s behind the anonymous ﬂyers but wishes he did.

“Why in Windcrest would someone

do something like that?” Manning said. “It’s not a bloodsport.”

Hamilton’s two other opponents for the council seat, Billy Gipson and Narquiz Cervantez, were unavailable for comment at press time.

Sexist strategy?

Hamilton said this isn’t the ﬁrst time anonymous mailers went out during a Windcrest election. She recalls a similar distribution in 2018 and thinks the same party is behind the latest batch.

“It’s a group with, I feel, a very speciﬁc generational mindset — which is, ‘We can use shame to control people,’” Hamilton said.

The pearl-clutching mailer speaks to a broader generational divide within

Windcrest, according to Hamilton.

“I’m 41, but in Windcrest, I’m young,” she said.

At Hamilton’s recent meet-and-greet, friend and fellow burlesque performer Giselle J’Adore spoke about Windcrest’s conservative values and the irony that Hamilton represents those ideals in many ways. The candidate is a married mom of four with a nice house and a quiet, suburban life.

Hamilton has also been bothered by what she sees as the inherent sexism of the situation.

“I don’t think a male candidate would be a acked for their body,” Hamilton said, noting that all three of her opponents are men.

Hamilton said Windcrest residents have spoken to her husband about the

Courtesy Image Susie Hamilton

ﬂyers and raised the concern that the images might create friction in their marriage.

“I don’t see why his feelings would be a part of this,” Hamilton said, adding that her husband already knew about her burlesque career. “This is my body being used to tell someone else’s narrative.”

Despite the sexism she sees in the situation, women are running in every race in Windcrest right now, Hamilton pointed out.

“We have the potential for a woman to win every position on the ballot,” she said.

Scandal or satire?

Hamilton, who works as a freelance production designer for ﬁlm and television, started performing burlesque as alter ego Suki Jones in 2006. She was a member of the Stars & Garters burlesque troupe, which bills itself as San Antonio’s longest-running burlesque show.

During performances, Hamilton embodied diﬀerent characters, from a sequined showgirl to ones that take on a political or satirical edge. She once performed as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, revealing a superhero costume underneath. She’s also portrayed Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka and a turkey with a speech impediment.

Another of her recurring characters, Louise De Luis, is an elderly woman in a wig and polyester two-piece suit. In Louise, Hamilton found a way to criticize “the older generation that we all felt pressure from,” she explained.

By saying outright the rude things that might only get implied in polite conversation, Louise existed “to call out the micro-aggressions, racism and gender assumptions” of Baby Boomers, according to Hamilton. Although she added that many of her political sup-

Mporters are “open-minded Boomers.”

Though Stars & Garters has been dormant since the 2020 death of founder S.T. Shimi, who performed as Black Orchid, Hamilton doesn’t rule out performing again in the future, city oﬃce or no.

Running for change

Hamilton said that by defying social norms with her run for oﬃce, she hopes she’ll inspire others to become involved in Windcrest politics. She added that she doesn’t want to see the same names and faces in its halls of power.

To that end, Hamilton’s platform includes instituting term limits for the municipality’s mayor, council and board presidents.

Hamilton has also pledged to increase pay for ﬁrst responders and rejuvenate outdoor recreational areas in Windcrest’s parks, including its community pool. Additionally, she has her sights set on expanding the municipality’s boundaries through strategic land purchases.

But for now, Hamilton just has to get through this election season. She said her “win number” is around 800 votes, meaning few voters need to be swayed one way or another to achieve a diﬀerent outcome in this race.

Despite the anonymous a ack, Hamilton has pledged to run a clean campaign and has no plans to confront the senders or name them publicly.

“Then I’m no be er than they are,” Hamilton said. “The perfect outcome is that they never do this again.”

Courtesy Photo Susie Hamilton

Susie Hamilton (left) speaks at a campaign meet-andgreet event.

A DAY TO BE BRAVE

– Save the date –Friday, November 1st | 6-9pm

2800 Broadway, SATX 78209

Special Performances • Mobile Testing Onsite

Art • Photobooth • and More!

Enjoy food, drinks, vendors, DJ, & a panel discussion between youth with informative narratives such as living positive, dating, and stopping the stigma.

#BraveSouls #OperationBrave #DayToBeBrave #IAmBrave

RSVP FOR YOUR FREE TICKETS TODAY!

*While Supplies Last For more info call (210) 644-1555

WED | 10.30

SPECIAL EVENT

AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS

World-renowned author David Sedaris will take the stage later this week for a night of literature and laughter. The one-night-only event will consist of readings, anecdotes, a Q&A session and book signing. Funny as his compositions and observations are, Sedaris’s legacy is nothing to snicker at. He carries with him a backlog of bestsellers, dating from the ‘90s to the present, including the novel Me Talk Pretty One Day, which won the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, which debuted at the Number One Spot on the New York Times Bestseller List in 2013. Sedaris is also a regular on the radio and podcasts, appearing on NPR, the BBC and This American Life, which alone reaches 3.5 million listeners a week. Many of Sedaris’s wildly successful works are elegant rants on serious subjects. It is his wit and empathy that sets him apart from other contemporary humorists. The Tobin Center’s October 30 event will celebrate Sedaris’s two most recent releases: Happy-Go-Lucky (2022) – a collection of essays exploring Sedaris’s transition into late midlife amidst the presidential transition of power – and Pretty Ugly (2024) – a ﬁctional graphic novel, penned in collaboration with illustrator Ian Falconer. $51-$75, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Caroline Wol

FRI | 11.01

FIRST FRIDAY STARGAZING AT UTSA

There’s something deeply profound and moving about viewing the stars through a high-quality telescope. A strange, simultaneous experience of wonder and personal insignificance serenely washes over you. You feel at one with the universe. UTSA will offer free stargazing through their array of telescopes (which includes a 20,000-dollar Meade LX200 Advanced Coma-Free telescope) every First Friday through December 6th. There will be trained astronomers on hand to work operate telescopes and set the coordinates, and if you have a telescope that you are unsure how to use, you can bring it in for guidance. After exiting the elevator, look for the doors to the outside star party observation deck adjacent to the observatory. The public is encouraged to park in the nearby Ximenes Garage. Free, 7 p.m.-11 p.m. first Fridays through Dec. 6, Curtis Vaughan Jr. Observatory. 4th floor, Flawn Science Building, UTSA Main Campus. 210)458-5731, sciences.utsa.edu/physics-astronomy. — Neil Fauerso

Curtis Vaughan Jr. Observatory

Courtesy Photo David Sedaris

FRI | 11.01SUN | 01.05

VISUAL ART

CHRIS SAUTER AT CACTUS BARN

Visual artist Chris Sauter occupies Cactus Barn’s interior with Transmi er/Receiver and the exterior of the space with a new work, Scheunen Hex-Schild. In Transmi er/Receiver, Sauter continues his exploration of biological, hybridized and even metastasized communication systems through drawings, sculpture and installations selected from series past and present, speculating about the possible biochemical underpinnings of — and the artist’s obsessive ordering and re-ordering of — macro-and micro systems universe. For instance, his receptors towers — SETI-style radio telescopes with mushroom stalks — become referents for connection and communication on the microscopic level (mycelium) and grandest scale known to man: interstellar communication, highlighting the biological substructures of cultural pursuits. Scheunen Hex-Schild, which is German for “barn hex sign,” is a contemporary version of a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of adorning barns, some functioning as “witch marks” to ward oﬀ bad spirits. Sauter’s six-pointed star is comprised of funnels circling a central axis. Here, the funnel is a stand-in for the artist as a conduit of meaning and channeler of limitless experiences, facts, observations and possibilities into concentrated forms. The funnel is open and extends in many directions, indicating active and open interaction with the Anthropocene — at least for those who can penetrate his six-sided sigil. Free, 5-8 p.m. Nov. 1 for reception and otherwise by appointment, cactusBARN, 613 Mission Road, (219) 872-2364, cactusbarn.org.

SAT | 11.02

SPORTS

SPURS VS. TIMBERWOLVES

After reaching the Western Conference Finals for only the second time in team history, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks in a cost cutting move, handing the keys to the franchise to ascending superstar Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves boasted the best defense in the league last season, an aspect of the game that the Spurs prioritized during the pre-season. San Antonio’s longest tenured player Keldon Johnson discussed the team’s mentality following their 126120 pre-season win against the Utah Jazz. “That’s just building the right mindset so that we can go out there and win, knowing that [we] can’t have repeated mistakes and expect to get a great result,” Johnson told reporters. “You got to be locked in focus, know the scout, know what players like to do and what they don’t like to do, so that we can be in the best position to win.” Expect a big game from Wemby against his mentor and teammate on Les Bleus, Rudy Gobert. $27 and up, 7 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com, Fanduel Sports Network-Southwest. — M. Solis

THU | 11.07SUN | 11.24

THEATER ANN

THE MYTHOLOGY OF ME: APPLYING POETRY AND NARRATIVE THERAPY TO PERSONAL STORIES WITH AARON DEUTSCH AND DR. HEATHER PITAMBER

We all have some fictional story of ourselves we like to imagine. Perhaps we are a concert pianist, or a crusading lawyer or a survivalist living off the land. These idle daydreams are a nice way to pass the time, say when stuck in traffic or some other unavoidable boredom daily life is full of. But what if such exercises were actually deeply relevant to self-actualization and fulfillment? On November 2nd, poet Aaron Deutsch and Licensed Professional Counselor Heather Joy Pitamber will explore the practice of Narrative Therapy, a technique of “rewriting” personal stories to build towards a desired future. Participants will learn the technique and have the opportunity to apply it to their own lives—writing the futures they deserve. $145 (nonmembers), $125 (members) and $75 (students), 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, Gemini Ink, 1111 Navarro St., (210) 734-9673, geminiink.org/events/the-mythology-of-me. — NF

San Pedro Playhouse resumes its 2024-2025 season 7, with the opening night of ANN, a one-woman play honoring a political pioneer and the 45th governor of Texas, Ann Richards. Wri en by Holland Taylor, directed by Melissa Utley and starring Anna Gangai, ANN recounts Richards’ rise to political prominence, including her slim but groundbreaking victory in the 1991 gubernatorial race, to the misogynistic pushback she faced from members of both political parties throughout her tenure in politics. Audiences see Richards at the forefront of several controversial ba les, including prison reform, gun control and education expansion. (Richards was also known for her staunch support of women’s workplace equality and widespread abortion access.) Just as compellingly, ANN oﬀers a behind the podium look at Richards’ personal trials: alcoholism, chronic illness and a family at times neglected in the pursuit of career longevity. Most of all, however, ANN is portrayed as she is remembered: for her intellect, wit, tenacity and larger-than-life persona. Tickets are available for online pre-sale now, with

several performances already sold out. $20-$50, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Classic Theatre at San Pedro Playhouse, 800 West Ashby Place, (210) 733-7258, sanpedroplayhouse.org. — CW

Instagram / Spurs

Courtesy Photos Aaron Deutsch and Heather Pitamber

Image courtesy Cactus Barn

Courtesy Photo ANN

MON | 11.11

SPORTS SPURS VS. KINGS

It’s hard not to feel despair and hopelessness at the unfolding atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon. The First Unitarian Universalist Church is providing a vital community service by screening excerpts from the powerful documentary Where Olive Trees Weep (it can be watched/downloaded here), which chronicles various stories of Palestinian lives under the Israeli occupation. In conjunction with the documentary there will be a discussion with Dr. Judith Norman — a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Trinity University. Dr. Norman has worked with Jewish Voices for Peace and San Antonio for Justice in Palestine and promises to be a clear and urgent voice about the most pressing moral issue of our time. Free, 12:15-2 p.m., First Unitarian Universalist Church, 7150 I-10, (210) 344-4695. — NF

In his recent memoir Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm, former Spur DeMar DeRozan credits his tenure with the team with providing stability in a tough stretch where he lost his father Frank and friends Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant writing, “I wouldn’t have traded my experience in San Antonio for the world.” Now a member of the Kings, DeRozan returns to a crowded Western Conference with a talented team hungry for postseason success. As part of DeRozan’s trade from Chicago to Sacramento, the Spurs acquired veteran Harrison Barnes, who waived his trade kicker to help facilitate the deal. In addition to DeRozan, the Kings signed recent Spur Doug McDermott who played with three-time AllStar Domantas Sabonis in Indiana. The matchup with Sacramento arrives in the middle of a ﬁve-game homestand for the Spurs which closes out against the Lakers. Shooting guard Devin Vassell’s expected return after o season surgery could likely coincide with a favorable stretch for San Antonio. $14 and up, 7 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com, Fanduel Sports Network-Southwest. — MS

Instagram / Spurs

Dancing Shoes

WeFlamenco Fest returns to

San Antonio for 15th year

BY MARCO AQUINO

The WeFlamenco Fest is back for its 15th year, bringing performances of Southern Spain’s folkloric musical and dance tradition to the Alamo City through the month of November.

The festival celebrates the local ﬂamenco community by highlighting groups and individuals who help keep the art form alive. Through performances, lectures and workshops, organizers also educate the public on ﬂamenco’s long-standing history and rich cultural traditions.

Flamenco Fest, as it was originally called, was first conceived in 2010 as part of the 75th anniversary of the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department’s dance program, currently the oldest such program in the U.S. What started as a weekend of performances at St. Paul Square’s Cameo Theatre, has evolved into a weeks-long celebration that’s included art exhibits, fashion shows, film screenings and even a street festival. Last year, Mayor Ron Nirenberg kicked off the festivities by declaring Nov. 16 the International Day of Flamenco in San Antonio during an event at Main Plaza.

In 2018, the festival honored dancers Teresa Champion and Carmen Linares. Champion is known for her appearance in the John Wayne ﬁlm The Alamo and for helping introduce ﬂamenco to San Antonio. For her part, Linares has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a dancer, choreographer, artistic director and teacher.

In 2022 the festival highlighted vocalist Chayito Champion’s production Circulo de Piedras. Featuring members of Champion’s family — San Antonio’s “ﬁrst family of ﬂamenco” — the production celebrated women artists and was viewed as a passing of the baton from one generation of artists to the next.

Romani roots

Although known as one of Spain’s greatest exports, ﬂamenco is largely rooted in its non-Western inﬂuences. The Romani people, whom historians believe came from India during the 11th century and spread through Europe, played a key role in the development of the art form.

San Antonio restaurateur and head WeFlamenco organizer Paula Sullivan views the modern iteration of ﬂamenco as a celebration and example of multiculturalism.

“I think that I have always been interested in how we as humans are connected. When language seems a barrier, we do have the ability to move past the discomfort and uncover

the journey we share,” Sullivan, the owner of downtown tapas spot Carmen’s de la Calle, wrote in one year’s WeFlamenco program.

“In one moment of a performance, I am led to a shared emotion, a feeling that we are not so diﬀerent, we are all surviving.”

Because Flamenco originated from an often-persecuted Romani people, it’s li le wonder that modern artists gravitate to the genre to express reoccurring themes of survival, migration and transformation.

The Austin-based group A’lante Flamenco explored those ideas when it brought Dezplazados, a politically charged ﬂamenco dance production centering on immigration and displacement, to the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in 2015.

“How do you retain your roots? How do you stay in touch with your roots? How do you form a community? These are all topics that ﬂamenco still addresses as well as the universal ones; things like love and death, and things that everyone can relate to,” A’lante Artistic Director Olivia Chacon told the Current at the time.

As the United States a empts to move past one of the most bi er and divisive presidential elections in modern history this November, WeFlamenco oﬀers an opportunity to ﬁnd solace in the healing and restorative nature of the art form’s invigorating music and dance.

This year’s festival will include the following highlight performances:

FlamencoOlé 2024

Parks and Recreation’s dance department will present FlamencoOlé on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Carver Community Cultural Center’s Jo Long Theatre. The department, founded by dance instructor Berta Almaguer in 1934, has played a vital role in shaping the city’s cultural landscape through its regular performances at the Arneson River Theatre at La Villita. The group has also been an integral part of the WeFlamenco lineup, having performed annually since its inception. Last year, when the production was held outdoors, even strong likelihood of rain

didn’t prevent it from drawing a packed house.

For this year’s festival, Parks and Rec has recruited soloist Jackie Rodriguez-Navar and Genevieve Obregon. Rodriguez-Navar, who goes by the stage name “La Morena” established herself as a dancer in the early 2000s, consistently selling out Sullivan’s Carmen’s de la Calle.

“When you see people in the audience crying or ﬁlled with emotion or joy, it just ﬁlls you with joy,” Rodriguez-Navar told the Current in 2021. Free, 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, Jo Long Theatre at the Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N Hackberry St., (210) 207-0035, thecarver.org.

Adventure Stories

Dancer and choreographer Tamara Adira’s Arte y Pasión will present Adventure Stories on Monday, Nov. 18, at the Carver. The production is inspired by the dancer’s recent trek around the globe searching for joy, love and life’s answers.

Since making her San Antonio debut in 2009, Adira has organized some 30 productions and made signiﬁcant contributions to the local scene. For the past several months, she’s been living in the Spanish city of Seville, where she continues to build her craft. Adventure Stories will feature guitarist Jose Manuel Tejeda and vocalist Celia Corrales along with surprise guests from Spain. $36, 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, Jo Long Theatre at the Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N Hackberry St., (210) 207-0035, thecarver.org.

Tablao Night at Raices de Arte Espanol

Dance studio Raices de Arte Espanol will open its doors Friday, Nov. 22, for a performance featuring Austin-based dancer Bianca Rodriguez, who’s currently on tour via Flamenco Vivo’s. Rodriguez, a licensed massage therapist, credits pilates and yoga for her longevity as a dancer. Dancers Drea Pacot and Raices instructor Genevieve Obregón also will perform, and guitarist Jose Manuel Tejeda and cantaora Celia Corrales will provide accompaniment. $29.56-$39.76, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, Raices de Arte Espanol, 1722 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 875-3066, raicesﬂamenco.com.

arts

Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com

Matt Bynum

Bryanston Distributing

Dead Man Walking

San Antonio native reminisces on role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on 50th anniversary

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

Leatherface, the cannibalistic killer in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror movie franchise, is responsible for the deaths of 31 people, according to an article published last year by Screen Rant.

His ﬁrst kill came in the original 1974 movie when he bludgeoned a curious young man with a sledgehammer.

That victim was portrayed by actor William Vail, who was born in San Antonio in 1950. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was Vail’s first feature film. He played Kirk, one of five teenagers on a road trip who come face to face with Leatherface and his equally sadistic family.

In celebration of the ﬁlm’s 50th anniversary, Vail, 73, sat down with the Current this past August during a Texas Chainsaw Massacre mini-reunion event at the Wonderland of the Americas mall. During our interview, Vail talked about meeting a new generation of fans and how the original movie compares to the slasher ﬂicks of today.

Does it feel like 50 years has passed since the original release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Yes, on one hand, and no, on the other. It blows my mind that people still love our movie. We have fans from 5 [years old] to 75. The ﬁrst person who came up to me today was a lady and her beautiful li le daughter who must’ve been 6 or 7. The mom said, “Oh, yeah, she knows the movie. We watch it together. We just love it.”

How many takes did it take for you to get your death scene perfect?

We only had two chances. The whole movie was one or two takes because we didn’t have a lot of money to buy ﬁlm. We had maybe two nickels to rub together to make the movie. We didn’t have a lot of time. So, we choreographed it. [Director] Tobe [Hooper] had an idea, and I had an idea. We put them together to make what we end up seeing. [Leatherface actor] Gunnar [Hansen] was so pumped in the scene. The hammer was rubber, but he hit me so hard, it broke all the blood vessels in my eye.

Do you consider it a point of pride that you were the ﬁrst victim in this entire horror franchise?

Being the picky actor that I am, I’ll look back at a movie and be like, “Oh, I could have done that be er” or “I should have done this,” but the death scene [in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre] is my proudest moment.

How do you compare the gore in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to slashers made today? Oh, it doesn’t compare. When [The Texas Chainsaw Massacre] came out, it was considered very gory and very bloody, which it really isn’t. It got banned in England. It wasn’t allowed to be shown there. But nowadays, it’s so tame in comparison. But [The Texas Chainsaw Massacre] is a movie that doesn’t show you everything. It leaves room for the audience to participate. The audience can do more with their minds than we could ever show on screen. I think that’s

what has given the movie its longevity. A movie with the greatest CGI in the world — buckets and buckets of blood — could never achieved that.

Have you ever wondered why the ﬁlm is set in Texas and not in another state, besides the fact that the director was from Texas and it was shot here?

That’s a damn good question. Well, it was because it was made [in Texas], [but] really the story is based on [serial killer] Ed Gein, who was from Wisconsin. It could have been set in Wisconsin. The original title was Head Cheese That was a horrible title. I think part of the reason that it’s still popular and that people know it is because of the title. If you have not seen the movie, you have at least heard that title. Whoever came up with that title was deﬁnitely a genius.

Can you point to a project in your career besides The Texas Chainsaw Massacre that you’re proud of? I know you worked as a set decorator in Hollywood, too.

I have two Emmy nominations. One of them was for a series called Nothing Sacred about the Catholic Church. We built a whole cathedral and decorated it. It was quite an extensive job. The other [nomination] was for a movie called Buﬀalo Soldiers with Danny Glover. I am very proud of the work I did on both of those.

You had a very small role in the original Poltergeist, which was also directed by Tobe Hooper. What’s your take on the long-running rumor that Steven Spielberg, a co-writer and co-producer on the ﬁlm, actually directed it?

Well, I think it was directed more by Mr. Spielberg, to tell you the truth. That was the sense I got. I wasn’t [on set] very much. But every frame of that movie feels like [Spielberg].

Find more ﬁ lm stories at sacurrent.com

Slurp City

Mian Noodles and Dumplings puts 2000 years of Chinese culinary history on ﬁne display

BY RON BECHTOL

Suggestion No. 1: Don’t wear your best silk shirt or blouse to Mian Noodles and Dumplings. Suggestion No. 2: Order the Shanxi Stewed Lamb Noodles regardless.

Suggestion No. 3: Know that the restaurant is BYOB, or bring your own bib.

But for a couple of knee-jerk red paper lanterns, the strip center space that houses Mian Noodles and Dumplings is thoughtfully and almost minimally done.

The restaurant’s cuisine is equally focused, but far from simple.

There’s a window into the kitchen at Mian that suggests the possible witnessing of acrobatic slinging and stretching of noodles, but on my two visits I was only able to observe the methodical and meticulous stuffing of dumplings.

China’s Shanxi province, the namesake origin of a stewed lamb dish on Main’s menu, is in any case famous for its wheat flour noodles, boasting a history of more than 2,000 years and recognition by no less than Marco Polo. According to the all-knowing internet, the defining characteristic of the foods of the Sichuan-adjacent northern province is “fragrant spicy.”

Which brings us back to the lamb noodles. As the bowl of soup approached my table, it was first announced by an enigmatic aroma that suggested curry. The taste was more subtle, though — a cabinet of warming spices in which no one stood out. Cilantro, scallion and baby bok choy bobbed about on the surface, while silken and supple noodles lurked beneath.

Chopsticks are essential here, and those of us whose slurping skills could use some fine tuning will benefit from bringing the bowl as close to the mouth as possible. (Don’t worry, nobody’s watching.) Cubes of lamb act more as flavor enhancers than the main focus, which is the noodles, af-

ter all. Since the cubes have a tendency to drift to the bottom of the bowl, they also become a kind of sunken treasure.

After you finish, check your shirt for spots and stains — not that you can do anything about it at this point.

A certain degree of slurp-centric caution is also required with other noodle dishes. The Original Lanzhou Noodles are the godfather of them all, having originated in the Northern Chinese city of the same name along the fabled Silk Road. (Marco Polo, again.)

Some Chinese restaurants offer as many as eight varieties of handpulled noodles. Fortunately, Mian only has three — thin, thick, and wide — making the choice much easier. Wide got the nod for this bowl of clear broth topped with thinly sliced beef and scallions. The fragrance offered hints of subtle spices such as star anise. The noodles themselves

Ron Bechtol.

BBQ COOK-OFF HANGAR 9 AT BROOKS

11.2.2024 12-6PM

were both slippery and pleasantly chewy. While we missed the advertised radish, the subtle broth was a delight in its own right.

Sesame Paste Cold Noodles do not come with a broth, lessening the splash factor, though you do have to use your chopsticks to vigorously toss the whole dish together to evenly distribute the paste. Sliced carrot and cucumber and shredded chicken offered appealing textural contrasts between the springy noodles — we chose thin for this one. A splash of the deep, dark and salty vinegar provided in a small pot is suggested for added flavor. Chili oil too.

That same vinegar is especially good with some of the smaller plates: Scallion Pancake, Sesame Pancake with Beef, Pork and Scallion Dumplings and even the Spicy Bean Curd Salad.

The scallion pancake with unnamed spices was good if you like a chewy version. Though the taste was fine, I personally prefer mine a little flakier.

The thick, seed-coated Sesame Pancake with Beef and “house special sauce” was a delight with its layered pastry and shredded carrot and cucumber. The beef was frankly the least of it, but a little of that vinegar perked it right up. Same goes for the Pork and Scallion Dumplings. They’re available either boiled or pan-fried — in which case, they have melded together with a lacy crust and are fine sans sauce. Try them first without.

The Spicy Bean Curd Salad deserves special attention due to the unique form of the curd; it’s not your usual block of tofu. Unfamiliar to me, the type used in this dish is a kind of tofu skin that forms at the top of simmering soymilk. It’s called yuba in Japanese and is layered, ribbony and springy in texture. Sliced carrot and celery provide crunch, and the minimal dressing has a kind of sneaky heat. Again, black vinegar and chili oil are your friends.

Mian may become one too.

MIAN NOODLES & DUMPLINGS

19141 Stone Oak Parkway, (219) 267-1711, miannoodlesdumplings.com

Hours: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday Entre costs: $8.99-$13.99

The lowdown: Mian Noodles & Dumplings is not your parents’ Chinese restaurant. There’s no Kung Pao, no Lo Mein, no cardboard eggroll. Instead, the compact menu focuses on three styles of handpulled wheat noodle dishes, dumplings and bao buns, mostly with Northern Chinese origins. Refine your slurping skills with the fragrant Shanxi Stewed Lamb in a fragrant broth brimming with your choice of thin, thick or wide noodles. Brave a rewarding dish of cold noodles with sesame paste and shredded carrot and cucumber. Or go for the ancient recipe that is Original Lanzhou Noodles. Smaller plates of note include the layered Sesame Pancake with Beef, the Pork and Scallion Dumplings and the Spicy Bean Curd Salad. Make liberal use of the equally unique dark and salty vinegar condiment.

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Customizable Comestibles

Dallas-based Bellagreen’s first San Antonio restaurant

opening next month

SANFORD NOWLIN

Dallas-based Bellagreen — a fast-casual chain focused on healthy, made-from-scratch food — will make its San Antonio debut next month.

The restaurant will begin serving Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 1900 Broadway, Suite #112, near the Pearl, company oﬃcials said Monday. The opening will bring the total number of Bellagreen bistros to nine, including six in Houston and two in Dallas.

Quiet Closure

San Antonio barbecue spot Old Smokehouse shuttered after 41 years in business

BY STEPHANIE KOITHAN

Medical Center-area barbecue joint Old Smokehouse closed in August with such li le fanfare that many are only now noticing its absence.

The restaurant, located at 5145 Fredericksburg Road, shut down abruptly two months ago, announcing on Facebook Aug. 17 that the next day would be its last. The business had been operating in San Antonio for 41 years.

Old Smokehouse was a counter-service-style barbecue joint where customers selected their own meats to build the perfect plate.

“Sorry to see you go,” Facebook user Cristina Keegan Samuels commented. “Your food was phenomenal.”

“The decision to open Bella here was easy,” company co-investor Sameer Mumtaz said in an emailed statement. “San Antonio shares our values of family and good, wholesome, quality food. We look

forward to ge ing acquainted with our local community in this vibrant area.”

Bellagreen is known for a customizable menu that oﬀers something for a wide variety of diet-conscious diners,

whether gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, meat eaters and protein seekers. The chain features rotating seasonal menus along with signature items such as its Brick Chicken, burgers and wraps.

The business also oﬀers seasonal menu promotions and a rewards program that raises money for sustainable causes. For example, it’s donated 45,000 seedlings to the Texas Trees Foundation and Trees for Houston, oﬃcials said.

“We believe in living a balanced life, and our menu reﬂects that with delicious and abundant options,” Bellagreen San Antonio General Manager Cristian Garcia said in a statement. “With madefor-you dishes, quick and friendly service and charitable ties, our guests can feel good about their dining choice.”

The Alamo City Bellagreen will be open for lunch and dinner weekdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It will begin serving at 10 a.m. on weekends.

The restaurant seats 102 indoors plus 50 more on its patio. Bellagreen spent $300,000 to ﬁnish out the 5,300-square-foot property, state regulatory ﬁlings show.

The online announcement only garnered a few comments when first posted. More have been added since, with commenters saying they tried to stop by and were shocked to see it closed.

Facebook user Victoria Delarosa joined the chorus of those disappointed to learn about the closure too late.

“My boyfriend took me today not knowing you shut down last month,” she said. “He was devastated!”

Old Smokehouse’s closure comes amid a spate of local restaurant closures. In recent weeks alone, San Antonio has said goodbye to Mi Gente, Teddy B’s, Las Chiladas, El Remedy and more.

Instagram / eatbellagreen

music

Fretboard Fury Yngwie Malmsteen’s 40th Anniversary Tour is shredding its way into San Antonio

BY DAVE GIL DE RUBIO

In the annals of guitar shredding, few come more self-assured and mercurial than Yngwie Malmsteen.

Born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, the Swedish axe whiz came of age in the mid-‘80s on the heels of Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, bringing a neo-classical flair at the time when the mainstreaming of hard rock and heavy metal kicked the door open for a new generation of guitar gods.

Four-plus decades after flying out to California following an invitation from Shrapnel Records founder Mike Varney, Malmsteen is in fine fettle about hitting the road to promote his 22nd and most recent project, 2021’s Parabellum

A notoriously profane perfectionist prone to launching F-bombs, Malmsteen was raring to hit the stage for his 40th Anniversary Tour during a recent interview. The trek will take him to San Antonio’s Vibes Event Center on Saturday, Nov. 2.

“I’ve always been very particular,” he said. “You can call me a control freak if you want, but I want everything exactly a certain way. I want all the circumstances around [my live performance] exactly with no surprises and the only surprises should come from me. It’s up to me to make it into a different experience. But I don’t want the fucking lighting guy to do [stuff] that’s not meant to be. I don’t want any of that. No, no, no. It’s right down to the Marshalls have to be this way and the smoke machine needs to be pointed that way. I’m very particular about that.”

On Parabellum, fret-heads have plenty to soak up when it comes to fleet-fingered riffing. Only four of the 10 songs contain vocals. The most notable are on “Relentless Fury,” with its heavy groove and dollop of me-

lodicism and “Eternal Bliss,” a soaring power ballad that sounds like the Scorpions on steroids.

As for the instrumentals, Malmsteen’s pyrotechnics are on full display on “(Si Vis Pacem) Parabellum,” with its combination of symphonic nuances and a Latin title that translates to “If You Want Peace, Prepare for War.” Meanwhile, “God Particle” is an exercise in Baroque might that taps into the wellspring of Malmsteen’s classical music influences.

And while there are those who might decry his excess, the 60-yearold guitarist isn’t losing any sleep over his haters, even while he insists his creative heavy-handedness isn’t just about satisfying himself but sating those who choose to take these wild musical rides with him.

“It’s about the self-esteem and self-respect,” he explained. “I know why I’m here. I have a purpose. I don’t want to let anybody down, because the audience gives me so much back. I don’t like clubs and I don’t like arenas. I like theaters because of the size. It’s intimate and they have the best sound and best stages. When I get that, I automatically get more inspired. I can’t think of another word, but when all the ingredients are there, it’s a magical thing.”

Malmsteen comes from a family of musicians that ranged from siblings that played violin and flute to a jazz-singing mother and other opera vocalist relatives. Clearly, his musical origins were shaped early on. Other external influences ranged from Swedish folk songs and the jazz and classical music he heard around the house to the Monkees and having Deep Purple’s Fireball album slipped to him at a young age.

Seeing a news broadcast about Jimi Hendrix’s death that included the guitar god’s performance at the Monterey Pop Festival was less about the direct sonic influence and more about the spectacle that captured the young Malmsteen’s imagination and inspired him to pick up a guitar when he was just 7.

As a tween, Malmsteen got unlimited access to a recording studio built in a bomb shelter by an uncle who was a higher up at Philips and was part of the team that helped invent the compact disc. The young musician spent hundreds of hours recording demos while working with

myriad local drummers and bass players.

The Powerhouse demo not only got Malmsteen to the states but allowed him to be pursued by musical factions ranging from vocalist Phil Mogg, then looking to resurrect UFO, to singer Graham Bonnet, who wanted to kickstart his first post-Rainbow project.

Malmsteen had a brief one-album stint with vocalist Ron Keel in Steeler that lasted all of four months and nine shows, and from there the Swedish virtuoso accepted Bonnet’s invite

to join Alcatrazz. Creative temperaments being what they were, Malmsteen parted ways mid-tour with Bonnet following 1983’s well-received No Parole From Rock ‘n’ Roll and stints opening for Ted Nugent and Heart. “I think they started to get a little pissed off at me,” Malmsteen recalled. “I didn’t mean to, but I was just doing what I was doing, but they felt like I was stealing the show. One day we were playing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Graham Bonnet decided to pull the cable out of my amp while I was doing my solo. I got pissed off at that.

Grand Finale! Grand Finale!

I didn’t have a tech because I knocked his teeth out by accident the day before when I threw the guitar to him in the dark and he got it right in the mouth. Because I didn’t have a tech. I figured it was the speaker, so I went over and put the cable in. And then I saw Graham starting ‘Since You’ve Been Gone.’”

Malmsteen continued: “It’s his time to shine and he decides to pull my cable out again for his song. On stage, he tried to poke me in the stomach with his mic stand so I punched him out. It was bad. It was horrible.”

And while he has regrets with how that particular ugly incident went down, Malmsteen has no remorse for the solo path he’s chosen, particularly as someone who admits to being more interested in following his muse than anything else. And while his critics may cringe at Malmsteen’s self-pronouncements of greatness, he insists it’s more about staying true to thine own self.

“It’s not an egotistical thing — it’s actually that people who are chosen to be creating things are giving a gift to other people,” he said. “I think Niccolò Paganini said, ‘One must feel strongly to make others feel strongly.’ In other words, if you fake it, it’s not going to work. It might work once. If you want to do this for 40 years, you’ve got to be the real deal. And if you’re going to be the real deal, you’re going to get criticized and scrutinized. People are going to say this and people are going to say that. When they say these things, negative or positive, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Just aim at what you have to do.”

$40, 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, Vibes Event Center, Vibes Event Center, 1211 E. Houston St., (210) 255-3833, facebook. com/vibeseventcenter.

music

Find more music coverage every day at sacurrent.com

LADY WRAY WITH BRAINSTORY

TICKETS

critics’ picks

Friday, Nov. 1

City And Colour, Vincent Neil Emerson

Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Greene

ri ed on his own name to create the moniker for his musical act City and Colour. Reminiscent of Ryan Adams, the performer’s music features twinges of alt-country, soul and rock. Greene’s piercing lyrics are often inspired by real-life tragedies such as the drowning death of his cousin and troubled times in his marriage.

$49.25-$146.30, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Danny Cervantes

Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2

Three Dog Night, Jay Psaros

Despite undergoing multiple personnel shifts over the past 50 years, Three Dog Night endures, as does its music. Danny Hutton, who formed the hit-making rock act in 1968, remains as its sole constant. Even so, expect to hear big hits penned by legendary songwriters, among them Harry Nilsson’s “One” and Randy Newman’s “Mama Told Me (Not To Come).” No band had more Top 10 hits between 1969 and 1974 than Three Dog Night, so expect two nights of memorable music. $69.50, 8 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels, (830) 606-1281, gruenehall.com. — DC

Saturday, Nov. 2

Color Green, Garrett T. Capps & NASA Country

Garrett T. Capps’ is as good a musical diplomat as San Antonio could ever want, repping the 210 loud and proud as he draws critical praise and festival appearances worldwide. His group NASA Country fuses electronics, jazzy drumming and a DIY spirit to Capps’ distinctive take on twangy Americana. The band’s new LP, Everyone is Everyone, takes that space-rocking country concept even further out there. Meanwhile, Color Green blends a hip sensibility, boogie-woogie songwriting and jam-band interludes. It’s kind of like the Grateful Dead for modern hipsters — but that’s not a bad thing. $10, 8 p.m., The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St Mary’s St., thelonesomerose.com. — Bill Baird

Thursday, Nov. 7

Andy Summers

As guitarist for the Police, Andy Summers is responsible for truly iconic six-string work — “Every Breath You Take” and “Message in A Bottle,” for starters. He played a key role in helping the band become one of the few acts that sprung from the punk era to become part of the classic rock canon. For his current Cracked Lens + Missing String tour, Summers will blend his storytelling, photography and musical mastery for a spellbinding evening similar in nature to his 2012 documentary Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police. The multimedia performance will even incorporate an audience Q&A. $39-$159, 7 p.m., Charline

McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., majesticempire.com. — BB

Local Natives

The comfortable indie-rock sound of SoCal group Local Natives underpins the vibrant blend of harmonies led by lead vocalist Taylor Rice with a mix of complex and driving rhythms. Formed in 2008, the act became an alternative mainstay with the 2019 single “When Am I Going To Lose You.” This headliner-only show promises Local Natives fans an engrossing dive into the band’s catalog. $53-$135, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 8124355, theaztectheatre.com. — DC

Friday, Nov. 8

Tokyo Police Club, Born Ru ans

Fans of Canadian indie rockers Tokyo Police Club can come say “sayonara” to the band as it stops in SA on its farewell tour. After nearly two decades, the quartet is hanging up its catchy “blog rock” sound, best characterized by the

Melissa Carper

2010 hit single “Bambi.” $41.25-$86.50, 8 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 8124355, theaztectheatre.com. — DC

Friday, Nov. 8

Black Crowes

The Black Crowes’ Robinson brothers, whose feuds rank among the most notorious in the music business, have set aside their di erences for their 10th studio album, Happiness Bastards, and are even continuing with tour dates they lined up opening for the now-retired Aerosmith. Even pushing into their third decade as a band, the Black Crowes remain one of the ﬁnest purveyors of no-bullshit, post-Stones rock ’n’ roll —soulful, bluesy and able to deliver well-executed hit songs. $89.50, 7:30 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, tobincenter.org. — BB

Friday, Nov. 8

Melissa Carper, Jolie Holland

Singer-songwriter Melissa Carper has been

wowing audiences nationwide with her nofrills take on classic country music. American Songwriter Magazine even called her “the contemporary queen of Western Swing.” Cult hero songwriter Jolie Holland, who ﬁrst rose to fame as part of the celebrated Canadian roots group The Be Good Tanyas, will open the show. Together, the pair comprise one of the strongest Americana bills the city has seen in quite some time. Recommended. $12, 8 p.m., The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., thelonesomerose.com. — BB

Saturday, Nov. 9

Lady Wray

After featuring on Missy Elliott’s debut album and performing on the rapper’s top-10 hit “Make It Hot,” Lady Wray has emerged as an R&B star in her own right. Little surprise. Wray’s superstar voice soars over her soulful and welltuned backing band. It’s classic stu , well-performed. $37, 8 p.m., Carver Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry St., thecarver.org. — BB

Facebook Melissa Carper

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“ at’s Unreal”--I still made this, so not to worry. by Matt Jones

Across 1. “Ivanhoe” author Sir Walter

6. Scary Spice’s other nickname

10. Mar.-to-Nov. period

13. Pre x with pod

15. “Bob Wehadababyits___” (fake collect call name in a 1990s Geico ad)

16. Shout of realization

17. Nonsense, to a religion that advocates world unity?

19. Comedian Mayall of “ e Young Ones”

20. Direct, as a relationship

21. Martini garnish

23. Garr of “Young Frankenstein”

24. Assertion upon recognizing the peninsula linking Africa with the Middle East?

27. Picnic bug

29. What may make NATO neato?

30. Cuban dance

34. Sea-___ Airport

35. “Pericles, Prince of ___”

39. Series of interlinked Hawaiian verandas?

42. Greek vowels

43. Makeshi dwelling

44. Slight di erence

45. Roswell sightings

47. Giants Hall-of-Famer Mel

48. Instruction on how to get to the Burj Khalifa?

52. Arena cheers

56. Completely

57. Forms a line, to Lineker

60. Send a question

61. Humble response from an Alaskan peninsula?

64. Jeans brand

65. March Madness org.

66. Respectable

67. Waze lines, for short

68. “___, Interrupted” (1999 lm)

69. Twill weave

Down

1. Wooden shoe

2. Construction zone li er

3. Multiple-choice choice

4. “Not ___ know of”

5. reesome

6. “Speed-the-Plow” playwright

7. Regress

8. Rocker Reed

9. “Golly!”

10. “Beyond the Sea” singer

Bobby

11. Hindu god of destruction

12. “Oh Myyy!” author

14. “What have we here?”

18. Cohesive group

22. “Goodfellas” actor Ray

25. “Game of rones” actor

Bean

26. Impersonator’s challenge, sometimes

27. Poke bowl sh

28. Ballpark trayful

30. Cavs, on a scoreboard

31. Porkpie, e.g.

32. Actress de Armas

33. Fast ___ (restaurant category for Chipotle and Wingstop)

34. Sticks for blasts

36. Chinese principle with a counterpart

37. Mythical yer

38. Su x with ethyl

40. Drive out

41. “Freedom, ___ me loose” (line from the BeyoncÈ song used for Kamala Harris’ campaign)

46. Type of workplace cabinet

47. Work for an orchestra

48. Older TV features

49. Not yet solidi ed

50. Makes a Battenberg

51. Matching

52. Shearsmith who co-created and co-stars in “Inside No. 9”

53. “Up” voice actor Ed

54. Celebrity chef Eddie who wrote “Fresh O the Boat”

55. Ill will

58. Abbr. at O’Hare

59. Ualapue strings

62. 13, converted to binary, then converted to Roman numerals

63. Pickle holder

Answers on page 13.