LOOMING DANGER
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in this issue
09 Feature Looming Danger
Texans overwhelmingly voted for Trump. Now, they’ll overwhelmingly suffer the economic consequences Issue 24-23 /// November 13 - 26, 2024
07 News The Opener News in Brief
Reversal of Fortune
Social issues, bad messaging and Operation Lone Star: How Texas Democrats lost the Rio Grande Valley Cityscrapes
Narrow margins for two of San Antonio’s ballot propositions should be a warning for city leaders
Bad Takes
It’s time to stop making self-serving excuses for not moving away from fossil fuels
19 Calendar
Our picks of things to do 23 Arts F—k You, Greg Abbott — The Musical
A satirical show about the Texas
25
governor in his youth offers a giant Ann Richards puppet, dancing Matthew McConaughey heads, and a moment of catharsis
Screens
Striking Oil
San Antonio native Rylie Rodriguez joins cast for Texas-sized TV series Landman
26 Food Southern Spice
A confusing but compelling complexity reigns at San Antonio’s Hyderabadi Spicy Matka
28
Music
Still Shocking
GWAR frontman talks about his love for San Antonio’s weirdness before upcoming show
The Dark Path Less Taken
Talking with Dark Funeral’s Lord
Ahriman before the black metal act’s show with GWAR
On the Cover: Experts warn that Trump’s economic policies are likely to backfire, and Texans will pay the price. Cover design: David Loyola.
Wikimedia / Commons Gage Skidmore
That Rocks/That Sucks
HLongtime Texas Democratic Party chairman Gilberto Hinojosa a empted to explain his party’s shellacking at the polls last week by blaming its support of transgender rights. Hinojosa told an Austin TV station the party now “can understand that there’s certain things that we just go too far on, that a big bulk of our population does not support.” He issued an apology after his comments were denounced by a range of queer organizations and has since resigned.
Susie Hamilton, a former burlesque performer, defied long odds to win a seat on the Windcrest City Council Hamilton defeated incumbent Wesley Manning by a margin of just 67 votes, and she prevailed even after area voters received an anonymous mailer featuring images of her performing with San Antonio’s Stars & Garters Burlesque. One Hamilton backer said the mailer backfired, helping rally voters around the candidate: “I think without it, it would have been a closer race.”
A student at the University of Texas at San Antonio died last Wednesday by apparent suicide, school officials confirmed. The campus canceled classes Friday and offered counseling resources for students. “I know an unexpected loss like this can feel overwhelming and may impact you differently; however, please know that you are not alone, and support is available,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said in a statement.
HAnother Texas city has voted overwhelmingly to decriminalize marijuana possession. Sixty-seven percent of Dallas voters approved a measure to amend the city charter to prevent police from arresting or ticketing anyone in possession of less than four ounces of marijuana. It’s now the state’s largest city to decriminalize. Law enforcement will still be able to arrest people for pot possession in felony investigations tied to narcotics distribution or violence. — Abe Asher
Losing again and again with now-former Texas
Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa
Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.
After embarrassing losses statewide in last week’s election, longtime Democratic Party of Texas Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa last Friday announced his resignation. The question at this point should be, “Why the hell did it take this long?”
The red wave that washed over Texas was hardly the first bruising defeat for Texas Democrats since Hinojosa’s watch began in 2012. Despite a watershed 2018, during which Beto O’Rourke’s near-miss campaign against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz helped propel a dozen Dems, mostly in suburban
districts, into the Texas House, the wins have been few under Hinojosa’s leadership.
They haven’t been for lack of hyperbole on Hinojosa’s part, however. As party chief, he’s drawn repeated criticism for his Pollyannaish projections about Texas turning purple. To listen to his prognostications, a potent cocktail of Latino voters, blue-leaning suburbs and big-city turnout was about to make the state competitive once again.
During August’s Democratic National Convention, Hinojosa even called Texas “the nation’s biggest ba leground state.” No. Just no. We’re clearly a long way from it.
Then, when Hinojosa was caught with his foot deeply embedded in his mouth right after Tuesday’s shellacking, he blamed the party’s dismal performance on its support of transgender rights. An immediate backlash from LGBTQ+ groups ensued, and Hinojosa apologized. But the damage was already done.
At least by the time Friday rolled around, the assclown was smart enough to get a more realistic view on his own prospects and leave. — Sanford
Nowlin
YOU SAID IT!
“We’re gonna pick up seats regardless.”
— SanAntonioStateRep.TreyMartinez Fischer, head ofthe House Democratic caucus,totheTexas Observerabout his party’sprospectsinlastweek’selection.
Gov. Greg Abbo said during a post-election press conference that he’s ready to help President Donald Trump carry out his controversial mass-deportation plan. Abbo said Trump has assured him he will pour resources into border protection and deportation sweeps, meaning Abbo may not need the $2.9 billion he asked Texas lawmakers to earmark for his Operation Lone Star anti-immigrant crackdown. “Texas will have the opportunity to consider repurposing that money for other purposes,” Abbo said.
Last Tuesday was a brutal night for Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives, who not only failed to flip any Republican-held seats but also lost two open seats held by retir-
ing Democrats in Corpus Christi and Uvalde.
The results, paired with Republican primary results, likely means Gov. Greg Abbo will have the votes he needs to pass his school voucher plan in the chamber and also may spell trouble for Speaker Dade Phelan.
Councilman Marc Whyte escaped with a relatively light sentence for his DUI charge last week, pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of a highway. He’ll have to complete 48 hours of community service and pay $1,120 in fines and court costs. Whyte, who was arrested last December after speeding and changing lanes without signaling, was facing a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail and the suspension of his driver’s license. — Abe Asher
ASSCLOWN ALERT
Twitter @lancewallnau
Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
Looming Danger
Texans overwhelmingly voted for Trump. Now, they’ll overwhelmingly suffer the economic consequences
BY SANFORD NOWLIN
The voters have spoken. Exit poll after exit poll show Americans gave Donald Trump a second presidential term on his promises that he’ll build a stronger economy. On the campaign trail, the real-estate developer and former reality-show star repeatedly claimed he’d restore low prices and economic stability while creating jobs.
However, economists, immigration experts and political observers warn that the same policies he touted — deporting
millions of undocumented workers, imposing stiff tariffs on foreign goods, slashing taxes and eliminating the Affordable Care Act — will worsen inflation and lead to economic chaos.
What’s more, according to experts, those effects will be felt especially profoundly in Texas, where Trump won victory over Vice President Kamala Harris by 14%. The state’s large immigrant population, reliance on foreign trade and other factors make it especially vulnerable.
Deportation devastation
More than 1 in 10 of U.S. immigrants reside in Texas, or about 5 million people, according to Pew Research. What’s more the state is home to 1.6 million undocumented people — the second highest number of any state beside California.
Deportations and steep curbs on immigration will spur higher labor costs for both businesses and consumers, said David Macpherson, an economics professor at San Antonio’s Trinity University. And states with large immigration programs will feel those most quickly and most painfully.
“It’s going to affect states like Texas more quickly than it will others,” Macpherson said. “And it’s going to affect us more, especially in those industries where those immigrants make up a large part of the workforce. Like landscaping, agriculture, housekeeping, probably restaurants as well.”
Businesses no longer able to rely on an immigrant workforce will be forced to
bring on U.S.-born employees as replacements. But that won’t happen on a oneto-one basis, Macpherson said. U.S.-born workers won’t be drawn to backbreaking low-wage jobs without the pay rising substantially. That means businesses will hire far fewer.
“This is a time in our nation where we need immigration more than ever, because our Baby Boomers are aging, exiting the workforce, and so we have labor shortages in all sectors,” Austin-based immigration a orney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said. “So, we know about agriculture, of course, and meat packing … but it also applies to mid-level jobs, up to engineer, STEM, people working in innovation. All of those are in need right now of workers.”
Lincoln-Goldfinch said she expects Texas consumers will see the effect on their pocketbooks as early as mid-2025 as the White House pulls immigrant workers from an already stretched labor
Wikimedia / Commons Gage Skidmore
market and businesses raise prices to compensate.
The impact will be especially apparent in the construction industry — especially as Texas grapples with an affordable housing crisis, experts warn.
In August, a report from Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar blamed the state’s housing affordability crunch on a lag in construction. In urban markets such as San Antonio, potential first-time homebuyers are priced out of the market because of insufficient housing stock, while more than half of Texas tenants are paying too much for rent.
Hegar’s prognosis? Texas must build 306,000 more homes if it’s to catch up. It’s hard to imagine that happening with a diminished immigrant labor pool.
“The most obvious initial impacts are going to be on the trade industries,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said. “So, we’ll have plumbing, carpentry and construction slowdowns. We’ll have shortages that will impact development and planning of cities. So, that kind of stuff would start, and then overall, we would just see an economic decline because we can’t fill the jobs that we have.”
Mass deportations would also cut deeply into Texas’ tax revenues, studies show.
Undocumented immigrants in Texas paid $4.9 billion in state and local taxes in 2022, the most recent year for which data is available, according to recent analysis by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
That same group also accounted for 6% of total tax revenues collected by the Lone Star State in 2022, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators.
While the administration could backpedal on some of its deportation plans based on blowback from businesses or defeats in the courts, Lincoln-Goldfinch warns that Trump’s previous term shows how far and fast he’s prepared to go.
“He did a lot in January 2017, and then every week after that for the rest of his administration, he did something else,” the a orney said. “There was an action by the Trump administration for one out of every four days during his presidency related to immigration. So, this is just going to be a long road.”
Inflationary tari s
While some of Trump’s deportation plans may be delayed by court ba les, the law gives him the ability to impose trade tariffs at will. That means, assuming his talk of imposing sky-high tariffs
on imported goods wasn’t empty, consumers likely will see their effect shortly after Jan. 20.
And the consensus among economists is that the new trade restrictions will hit regular Americans in the pocketbook. Hard.
“It’s insane. These tariffs are just absolutely the stupidest idea,” Trinity economist Macpherson said. “China ain’t paying for those tariffs. We are. It’s like a sales tax. Imagine if you put a 10% to 20% sales tax on anything you buy manufactured abroad.”
For the past century, U.S. administrations have avoided broadly applied tariffs for good reason. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, adopted to shield American workers from foreign competition, is widely recognized as worsening the Great Depression, Macpherson explained.
He isn’t alone in being alarmed.
Sixteen Nobel Prize-winning economists signed a le er this summer warning that Trump’s trade plans would “reignite’’ inflation, which is now down from its 9.1% peak and closing in on the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
Trump has said he’ll slap a 60% tariff on all goods from China, a tech- manufacturing hub. According to economists, that would almost immediately raise U.S. consumer prices for smartphones, laptops, video game consoles and other popular consumer electronics.
The incoming president has also promised to place a 25% tariff on all Mexican imports, something that will be felt by myriad manufacturers across the state that rely on components shipped in from our southern neighbor. Texas’ ports at Laredo and El Paso are the two busiest on the border, accounting for tens of
Economists said those too are more likely to trigger chaos than meaningful gains for working Americans.
“If he could pull that off, wow, that’d have a huge impact: a huge budget hole,” Macpherson said. “And it’s going to be even bigger than what you would think, because what people salaried people are going to do is they’re also going to demand they get paid by the hour.”
Macpherson continued: “It’s also going to make Social Security less viable, because the income that comes from the taxation of Social Security benefits is no longer going to be there.”
billions in commerce annually.
While tariffs could yield pushback from powerful business lobbies, Macpherson points to the first Trump administration as evidence that the mercurial president isn’t a good listener.
After taking office, Trump hit Korean washing machine makers LG and Samsung with 50% tariffs in a move he claimed would bolster the fortunes of U.S.-based Whirlpool.
“But then what happened was Whirlpool got mad at Trump because he turned around and slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum, which go into making their washing machines,” Macpherson said. “So, he raised their costs. It’s insane.”
In the end, prices for washing machines and dryers increased by 12% across the board due to Trump’s tariffs, a University of Chicago study showed.
Other countries have already said that if Trump goes through with proposed tariffs, they’ll retaliate, further increasing costs American businesses and consumers pay for foreign goods.
The reaction by the U.S. stock market will be painful and quickly apparent in voters’ 401(k)s and other retirement plans, Macpherson said.
“The stock market will fall, and not just a li le,” he added. “I’ve seen simulations indicating a 10% tariff will cause a 10% reduction in stock prices.”
Tax cuts and the ACA
Along with deportations and tariffs unprecedented in the modern era, Trump’s economic campaign promises include not taxing overtime, not taxing tips and not taxing Social Security benefits.
In a resuscitation of an idea he was unable to carry out during his first term, Trump also has pledged to strike down the Affordable Care Act, which now provides insurance for 45 million people, its highest total on record. Once again, the sting would be especially painful in Texas, which has the the country’s largest share of Americans under 65 without health insurance — 19% of its total population.
While the incoming president has said he’ll replace the ACA with something bigger and be er, political observers said it’s doubtful he has legislative discipline or the support from Republicans in Congress to make good on that promise.
In the end, the devastating economic impacts of Trump’s plans won’t be borne by the billionaire class that was more than willing to write checks to return him to the White House. Inflation and economic uncertainty hit hardest for those on the bo om rungs of the economic ladder.
“They’ll do away with Obamacare, which a lot of people who voted for Trump rely on for healthcare,” said Laura Barberena, a veteran San Antonio-based Democratic political consultant. “America just reached out and touched a stove they realized was hot.”
Much of Trump’s MAGA base will attempt to blame others for whatever economic hardships ensue during his next administration, according to political experts. But those voters alone weren’t enough to give him a second term.
Those who cast ballots for Trump on a bet he’ll quickly lower prices and deliver a stable economy are likely to retaliate in the midterms if his policies offers up the exact opposite.
“I’m not going to call it buyer’s remorse, because people who voted for Trump knew exactly what they were buying,” Barberena said. “I just don’t think they thought they’d be affected by it. They’re about to find out.”
Reversal of Fortune
Social issues, bad messaging and Operation Lone Star: How Texas Democrats lost the
Rio Grande Valley
BY MICHAEL KARLIS
It’s fair to assume the ass kicking Texas Democrats got on Election Night will leave them smarting for years to come.
In total, 239 of the state’s 254 counties shifted red, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of Associated Press data published last week.
For Texas Dems, that change in hue was no more obvious — or more concerning — than in once reliably blue counties such as Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Brooks, Kenedy and Willacy, which make up the Rio Grande Valley.
Despite president-elect Donald Trump’s ugly and repeated rhetoric about Latinos, migrants and mass deportations, four RGV counties that voted for President Biden in the 2020 election went for Trump this time around.
“Hispanics in the Valley went Republican because Republicans said, ‘You’ve got good jobs for the first time in your lives now in the Border Patrol and oil and gas industry, and the Democrats are going to screw you on both,’” Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson said of the GOP’s messaging.
While Republicans’ claims weren’t necessarily true — U.S. oil and gas production was higher under Biden than Trump, after all — they nonetheless stuck, according to Jillson. And so did the GOP’s a ack ads focused around LGBTQ+ issues and migrants.
Indeed, Jillson and other political analysts believe Texas Democrat’s RGV losses were the result of Democrats’ abysmal messaging on social issues combined with Abbo ’s $10 billion Operation Lone Star anti-immigration initiative, which has pumped enormous amounts of state tax money into South Texas.
“You have to talk to people as they
are, not as you wish they were,” Jillson said. “So, if Hispanics are more socially conservative than your Anglo activist base, you’ve got to acknowledge Hispanic concerns about abortion rights, about transgender rights, about transgender people in women’s sports, which is already illegal in Texas. But, still, Republicans pounded Democrats mercilessly on that issue.”
The Economy and missed messaging
Jillson and Nancy Thompson, founder of Mothers Against Greg Abbo , a grassroots group advocating for progressive policies in Texas, agree that the Republican governor’s pricy border crackdown, Operation Lone Star, swayed a lot of Valley voters.
“[Abbo ] is supplementing the RGV in so many ways with the border crisis, because the state is employing not only just Border Patrol people, but they’re also keeping the hotels open and filling the restaurants and stuff,” Thompson acknowledged.
Thompson also faulted Democrats for failing to get across a succinct message.
“I really feel that the tabletop issues that are hurting everyday Texans were not ge ing addressed,” she said. “That’s things like the price of gas, the price of eggs, the price of milk, that type of stuff.”
From “build the wall” to “mass deportations” to “Trump will fix it,” Republicans clung to short, declarative slogans that proved effective with voters.
Meanwhile, if pressed to echo one of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign slogans, many voters would struggle to do so.
“If you hit voters with a galvanizing, thematic, terrifying bumper sticker theme, they can take that on one gulp,” Jillson said. “But, if you give them two paragraphs on something you favor, their a ention will drift and they won’t help you.”
Disinformation
It also didn’t help Democrats that disinformation went largely unchecked this election cycle, according to experts.
American University political scientist Allan Lichtman called disinformation one pivotal factor in the Republican victory this election. Lichtman has correctly predicted every Presidential election since 1984 — with 2024 being an exception.
Lichtman uses 13 keys, including incumbency, charisma and scandal, among others, to predict election outcomes. Those keys didn’t account for disinformation, he admi ed.
“It’s not what just people feel about the economy, for example. It’s tremendous disinformation that they’ve come to believe,” Lichtman said in a post-election YouTube video. “That the stock market is crashing, that unemployment is at an all-time high, that wages are crashing, that jobs are being lost. All of which is patently untrue. But, people have come
to believe it because of the incredible explosion of disinformation.”
What’s next
To win again in South Texas, Democrats need to entice working-class voters, specifically those with only high school diplomas, back to the party, according to Jillson. It’s the same challenge the party faces at the national level.
While Thompson agrees that Texas Democrats need to do a better job with reaching out to everyday voters, specifically in the RGV, she balks at the notion that Dems must abandon messaging on social causes, specifically those related to the LGBTQ+ community.
“You don’t throw your voting block under the table,” Thompson said. “This is the most vulnerable community of Democrats that we have. We’re seeing trans families move out of Texas every day because they can’t live here anymore because it’s not safe. This is a community that is scared. They need allies.”
Even so, Jillson maintains that the only way forward for Texas Democrats is to reconnect with the party’s large minority, working-class base, even if it means potentially ruffling well-educated, socially conscious urban voters.
“They’ve got to craft a series of messages that appeal less to the leadership of their various activists’ constituent groups and more to the average voters,” Jillson said. “They’ve got to look through their activist base to the actual electorate and think about how to appeal to them.”
Shutterstock / David Peinado Romero
Narrow margins for two of San Antonio’s ballot propositions should be a warning for city leaders
BY HEYWOOD SANDERS
Cityscapes is a column of opinion and analysis.
“Welfare of City Depends on Election” read the headline, followed by “Adoption of New Charter Necessary to Progress, Says Mayor … Business Men Agree that Amendments Should be Passed and Tell Why.”
Sounds a lot like the literature Renew San Antonio distributed over recent weeks urging support for Proposition C in last week’s election. But no, it was a headline from the San Antonio Light in February 1914, when residents voted on city government’s new commission plan.
The rhetoric was also much the same — and the backers too — when San Antonio voters considered a new charter in 1951. The proponents of the city manager plan, led by banker and eventual Mayor Walter McAllister, argued that the new plan would “insure LOWER taxes and improved municipal services,” providing the “most democratic, efficient and economical form of local government.”
So, on Nov. 5 we found ourselves once again facing a set of propositions to change the city charter, and once again, they were backed by the city’s insiders. And clearly the most visible — and conflictual — was Proposition C, wri en to undo the tenure and pay limits on the city manager that the public voted to enact in 2018. The city’s business establishment had long made evident their unhappiness with the 2018 changes put on the ballot by the firefighters’
union during its ba le over a new labor contract with then-City Manager Sheryl Sculley.
In 2024, just like in 1951, our business leadership wants low property taxes, perpetual outlying growth with the public infrastructure to support it, regular boosts for tourism and a city government staffed with folks who won’t oppose those objectives. The 1991 charter change that gave us restrictive term limits for the mayor and council ushered in a remarkable revolving door of elected officials, any number of whom seemed to have li le interest in public policy, or much beyond their own importance and ambition. It put the city manager in an unusually strong position relative to the council and ended up working just fine for folks like Graham Weston, Kit Goldsbury and an array of local developers.
The 2018 change did succeed in moving Sculley to Austin and replacing her with veteran city staffer Erik Walsh. But its real impact won’t come until Walsh hits his tenure limit in 2027. That looming deadline and Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s status as a lame duck made a charter change effort particularly functional this year. That’s why the issue of city manager pay and tenure limits was packaged
with a set of non-conflictual, easily sold charter propositions.
In the end, it worked. The full set of six charter propositions won majority support from the voters. But that support was neither consistent nor substantial. Proposition A, a thoroughly noncontroversial proposal involving the city’s Ethics Review Board got a “yes” vote from 72% of voters who weighed in. The similarly noncontroversial Prop B on updating charter language garnered 68% support, while Prop D, allowing for greater local political participation by city employees, was favored by 63%. Even Prop E’s boost for mayor and council salaries got a 64% majority.
The story was very different for Props C and F.
Despite the volume of mail from Renew San Antonio — I got three separate flyers — and the business coalition’s tales about the wonders of a “well-managed city,” Prop C passed with just 54.4% approval, far from an overwhelming endorsement. And then there’s Prop F at the very bo om of the ballot, which increased mayor and council terms to four years with a limit of two terms, keeping the same eight-year limit we now have. There was no big campaign I could
discern in favor of F, nor did there seem to be any organized opposition. Yet only 53.3% of voters endorsed the proposal, the lowest support of the six.
A large share of San Antonio voters clearly didn’t consider the propositions as six noncontroversial, “good government” measures. They registered discontent with Props C and F in substantial numbers. While a broader conclusion will need a detailed analysis of the precinct numbers, it’s obvious that the public considered these changes individually. The relatively slim majorities for C and F also suggest a considerable minority isn’t necessarily happy with the way things are being handled now, neither by the city manager nor as the council.
There’s a lesson here, both for the business establishment and our elected officials. Selling an expansive, expensive scheme for a new Spurs arena and downtown entertainment district is far from assured. And, by next May, candidates for the mayor’s office will need to make a compelling case for what they believe the city needs — and a plan for delivering be er.
Heywood Sanders is a professor emeritus of public administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Sanford Nowlin.
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Coming 2025
It’s time to stop making selfserving excuses for not moving away from fossil fuels
BY KEVIN SANCHEZ
Bad Takes is a column of opinion and analysis.
It should surprise no one that people who owned other people as property in the early 19th century passionately argued against banning the transatlantic slave trade. Our Constitution explicitly forbade Congress from imposing such a ban until the year 1808, and even after that date lax enforcement allowed illegal smuggling to persist up until the Civil War.
One line of defense offered by apologists for slavery may surprise you, however. They argued that, if the United States stopped trafficking in Black lives, slaves would simply end up on the vast sugar cane plantations of Cuba or Brazil, where their life expectancy was shorter than in the U.S. and treatment more barbaric. So, purely out of heartfelt concern, the U.S. should continue to mass abduct benighted Africans, the claim went. For their own good.
Today we, the woke, are unlikely to be duped by such obvious rationalizations. But professedly liberal arguments based on a similar template haven’t gone out of style.
In 2015, after years of admirable and relentless activism on the part of environmentalists, President Barack Obama rejected the infamous Keystone XL pipeline, citing concerns that the project’s transporting of sludgier-than-average crude oil would undermine the U.S.’s global leadership on climate change.
Just five days before Obama’s announcement, Houston Chronicle business columnist Chris Tomlinson, whose work is also carried in sister paper the San Antonio Express-News, called efforts by environmentalists to halt the pipeline “futile.” He reasoned that “stopping the
oil from reaching the cleanest, most advanced refineries in the world in Houston does not keep the oil in the ground, it just sends it elsewhere,” presumably expecting China to buy from Canada and carry away our black gold by sea. Note the similarity? Both arguments cling to the notion that we ought to continue to do something terrible because, otherwise, less virtuous countries will fill the vacuum.
“The key lesson is oil will find a way to refineries as long as there’s a customer,” Tomlinson wrote. “Foes spent six years trying to persuade the White House not to grant a permit for the Keystone
XL pipeline to prevent Alberta oil from reaching the Gulf Coast, but did nothing more than delay the inevitable. ... Opposition to the Keystone pipeline has always been quixotic, confused and argued with emotion over logic.”
As “quixotic,” one wonders, as those who fought to end slavery — an institution that at one time was near-universally considered inevitable? Until it wasn’t.
Well, after Obama’s decision, Tomlinson naturally had some ‘splainin to do.
“Rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline will do nothing to help fight climate change,” he remarked three days later. “All Obama did was require companies
to use more dangerous and costly forms of transportation.”
He further counseled: “If you want to do something about climate change, then use public transportation.”
Except, focusing on one’s personal “carbon footprint” as a substitute for collective mobilization and binding international accords, is its own feel-good form of climate defeatism.
The saga isn’t over. The unabashed climate denier who succeeded Obama as president re-approved the permits, only to watch Joe Biden re-deny them his very first day in office. Now, President-Elect Donny Drill-Fingers, in an August
news
interview with Elon Musk — who, oddly enough, owns an electric car company — praised the project as “environmentally friendly.”
“It’s probably be er that the U.S. provides that than some other countries,” his billionaire buddy Musk chimed in. Strangely, post-Obama, I couldn’t find Tomlinson ever mentioning the Keystone XL pipeline again in print. But his characteristic liberal realism, echoed by Trump and Musk, has kept pumping unabated.
On Sept. 15, in a fair-and-balanced criticism of both Trump’s and Harris’ respective energy policies for the Sunday Express-News, Tomlinson went out of his way to denigrate climate activists anew.
“Environmentalists called on the federal government to stop fracking, falsely claiming that it contaminated water wells and triggered earthquakes,” he wrote.
Wait, fracking doesn’t contaminate water wells or trigger earthquakes?
The studies cited in a review of available research published last year in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology show “an estimated 1-4% of [fracking] wells have reported spills.” And because, in the U.S., “there are approximately 150,000 active [fracking] wells, and more than 9 million people rely on drinking-water sources located within 1 mile” of one of those wells, water contamination, while not widespread, rightly”remains a major community concern,” the authors explained.
That’s because “fracturing fluids and wastewater may contain toxic, radioactive, endocrine-disrupting, and/or carcinogenic chemicals.”
Two years earlier, writing in the journal Science, researchers had already put together a large geocoded database to analyze the effect of hydraulic fracturing on surface water quality. They found a small but measurable increase in chloride, barium and strontium in nearby water sources, especially right after a new well is drilled and fracked.
logical Survey (USGS) website contradicts Tomlinson’s categorical disavowal. “In Oklahoma, which has the most induced earthquakes in the US, 2% of earthquakes can be linked to hydraulic fracturing operations.”
Over the summer, three quakes hit Scurry County, Texas, outside Lubbock, with a magnitude 4.9 constituting the largest one known to be fracking-induced in our state’s history.
“We can say with confidence these are related to oil and gas extractions,” a US geophysicist with the USGS told USA Today. Even the Chronicle ran a story in July with the headline “Rash of recent earthquakes in Texas could be related to fracking.”
Does Tomlinson not read his own newspaper?
If he’s falsely accusing others of false claims, how can we trust Tomlinson’s assessment of the compromises necessary to balance sustainable energy and environmental risks?
“Some Harris supporters, still want to ban fracking, but that would force the U.S. to reopen coal plants,” Tomlinson wrote.
Says who? I accessed the online version of his column, expecting a hyperlink to a credible source that would support this supposed Faustian tradeoff. To no avail, it turns out.
Last month, Robert Howarth, a biogeochemist and ecosystem scientist at Cornell University, published a paper that’s been making the rounds, from The Financial Times to Forbes — periodicals I’d expect a business writer to at least occasionally peruse. Howarth’s work adds to existing literature that exposes intentional venting and unintentional leaks as substantially undercounted in official government statistics that rely on industry self-reporting. When Howarth factored in processing and shipping, he concluded that shale gas is as bad as coal is, with so-called liquefied natural gas a full 33% worse, pouring a fuckton of methane — a more potent heat-trapper than carbon — into the atmosphere we all share.
Another study added thallium to the list, as exceeding Environmental Protection Agency limits. Considering the sheer scale of the fracking boom, that’s not nothing. And in one disquieting analysis of more than a million births in Pennsylvania between 2004 and 2013, babies born within half a mile of a fracking site were 25% more likely to suffer low birth weight.
As for seismic activity, the Frequently Asked Questions section of the US Geo-
“It’s wishful thinking that the gas miraculously moves overseas without any emissions,” Howarth told The Guardian. What’s a synonym for “wishful thinking”? Oh right, “quixotic.”
This country’s original sin may have been slavery, but it’s most enduring one may well be the oppressive ecological devastation we’re leaving the future. And yet some are still making liberal excuses for a dirty business.
TUE | 11.12
SPECIAL EVENT
WORTH
REPEATING: ALTERED
Texas Public Radio’s popular live storytelling series Worth Repeating is returning with its third fall installment. Previous themes this season were mildly targeted yet open-ended: “Snatched” included tales of abduction, attention stealing, and seizing the moment, while ”Creeped” looked at stalkers and all things creepy. Now, “Altered” will cover drugs, mindsets, appearances and how they change. Worth Repeating has become a meaningful and beloved chronicle of San Antonio culture, and with the publication of an anthology last year, the series has elevated itself to an important historical record of the city and region. Free, 7:30 p.m., Malu` & Carlos Alvarez Theater & Studio, 321 W Commerce St., (210) 614-8977, tpr.org. — Neil Fauerso
FRI | 11.15
SPORTS
SPURS
VS. LAKERS
The chase for the NBA Cup tips off for the Spurs Friday night at the Frost Bank Center against LeBron James and the Lakers, winners of last season’s inaugural in-season tournament.
Rounding out the rest of West Group B are the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder, the last of which looked formidable in a 105-93 victory over the Spurs in October. As San Antonio heads into the tournament, veteran point guard Chris Paul continues to settle into a familiar role with his new teammates. “I missed a few games, Vic did, so these first few games have sort of been like training camp for us,” Paul told reporters after a signature win at home against the Timberwolves. “Like I keep saying, you want to win and learn at the same time, so that’s what we’re trying to do.” Before losing starting forward Jeremy Sochan to a fractured left thumb, the Spurs ranked third in defensive rating and rebounds. Sochan was averaging a career-high 15 points and 7 rebounds prior to the injury. $92 and up, 6:30 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com, ESPN. — M. Solis
/ BLACKDAY
WED | 11.13SAT | 11.16
SPECIAL EVENT
TRINITY UNIVERSITY FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
Every art enthusiast is intimately familiar with the enchantment that happens in collective silence — the meditative mulling-over that takes place in the halls and mezzanines of museums. Over eight days this November — we’re already a few days in — Trinity University is hosting a series of free and public events including gallery openings, live performances, lectures and workshops, o ering San Antonians far and wide a taste of the magic. This month marks Trinity’s second Festival of the Arts, now to be held annually commemorating the opening of the campus’ School of Arts and Humanities last fall. Student organizations will spearhead much of the programming. Installments during the series will include a concert by the Trinity Symphony Orchestra, a production of Hamlet by the theater department and two readings of poetry and fiction by English department students and faculty. A handful of student dance troupes will perform a collective show on the festival’s final day. Visiting artists to the campus include author David Ladensohn, photographer Joel Salcido, multimedia artist Cruz Ortiz and playwright Irma Herrera, who will perform her one-woman show Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name? on Nov. 13. Those looking to partake in the creative spirit can attend classes on engraving, 3D printing and custom rug tufting in the university’s Makerspace. A complete calendar of events is available on the university website. Free, Nov. 13-16, Trinity University, 1 Trinity Place, (210) 999-7011, trinity.edu. — Caroline Wol
SAT | 11.16
IDAHO'S FORGOTTEN WAR
The 1970s were a time of robust activism and strife in Native American communities, from the flourishing of the American Indian Movement to Leonard Peltier's controversial arrest in 1975 and Amy Trice's 1974 declaration of war on the United States. Trice was a member of the Kootenai tribe. At the time, her people had been relegated to 18 houses without bathrooms or heat in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Despite the symbolic nature of the declaration of war, Trice ultimately secured a concession and land grant from the federal government, demonstrating the efficacy of symbolic, outsized and guerrilla tactics in activism. The event will include an introduction by filmmaker Sonya Rosario and guest appearances by former Idaho Senator Cherie Buckner Webb and Trice’s granddaughter, Amethyst Aitkin. A Q&A session will follow the screening. Free, 1-2:30 p.m., San Antonio Central Library, 600 Soledad, (210) 207-2500, mysapl.org. — NF
Courtesy Photo Idaho's Forgotten War
Courtesy Photo Cruz Ortiz Art
SAN
ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOK SALES
San Antonio readers may be only a drive and a few dollars away from discovering their new favorite story, as the San Antonio Public Library’s Semmes and Brook Hollow branch libraries host their annual book sales. Bookworms will be able to browse more than 4,000 hardcovers, paperbacks, DVDs and CDs, 90% of which were donated by San Antonio households. All proceeds will benefit Friends of San Antonio Public Library, a nonprofit that funds material acquisitions, building renovations and community programming for all the library’s locations. Free, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., multiple locations, (210) 207-2500, mysapl.org. — CW
SAT | 11.16 - SUN | 11.17
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
SAN ANTONIO PHILHARMONIC: BEETHOVEN'S 9TH
SAT | 11.23
SPORTS SPURS VS. WARRIORS
After a promising start to the NBA season, adversity arrived for the Spurs this month in the form of injuries to key personnel. Starting shooting guard Devin Vassell and backup point guard Tre Jones are still on the mend, head coach Gregg Popovich was recently sidelined with an undisclosed health issue and starting forward Jeremy Sochan is expected to miss an estimated six to eight weeks following surgery to his left thumb. Despite the absence of 10-time All Star Stephen Curry for a few games due to an ankle injury, the reloaded Golden State Warriors have been one of the early surprises in the Western Conference. O season acquisition Buddy Hield has flourished in San Francisco. Along with Curry, he’s one of only two players to knock down 1,000 three-point field goals this decade. Former Spur Kyle Anderson has also impressed for the Warriors, particularly in a recent win versus the defending champion Celtics in Boston, where he finished the night with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. $56 and up, 7:30 p.m., Frost Bank Center, 1 Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com, Fanduel Sports Network-Southwest. — M. Solis SAT | 11.16
“Ode to Joy,” or “Ode to Freedom,” depending upon what historian you consult, is one of the most recognizable and groundbreaking works of classical music in the Western canon, and for good reason: it’s both a masterpiece and an anomaly. The original poem, wri en in 1785 by German Friedrich Schiller, was immortalized in 1824 when Ludwig van Beethoven used an altered version as the basis for the fourth movement of his 9th Symphony — a highly irregular thing for a composer to do — the most prominent derivation being the theme, introduced by cellos and double bass followed by human voices. In essence, it’s a symphony within a symphony, an intentional derivation from the norm and an exquisite example of genius not restrained by the dictates of convention. $25-$110, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-5700, saphil.org. — Anjali Gupta
Instagram / Spurs
Gonzalo Pozo
Courtesy Photo San Antonio Public Library
F—k You, Greg Abbott — The Musical
A satirical show about the Texas governor in his youth offers a giant Ann Richards puppet, dancing Matthew McConaughey heads, and a moment of catharsis
BY KIT O’CONNELL, THE TEXAS OBSERVER
This article was originally published by the Texas Observer, a nonprofit investigative news outlet and magazine. Sign up for their weekly newsletter at texasobserver.com or follow them on Facebook and X.
Some theater experiences are dignified and serious, exploring the depths of human emotion with gravitas and solemnity. On the other hand, there’s Young Greg Abbo : A FuQusical.
“This ain’t a subtle show, just thought you should know,” sang the band leader, King Amy Blackard, at the beginning of the satirical show that saw its first two full performances on Oct. 18 in Austin. “Please save your thoughts and prayers. It’s just Sondheim with swears.”
At this FuQusical, the audience was encouraged to sing along, shout and curse at the cast — especially at actor Brently Heilbron, playing the youthful version of our now third-term governor. Heilbron also wrote the script and music. Many middle fingers flew during the performance I a ended along with a packed crowd at the downtown State Theatre.
“It’s really fun to take a lot of anger and a ach it to musical theater,” Heilbron told the Texas Observer backstage before the show. “This is how my protest comes out.”
Heilbron was first inspired to create the show after the 2021 passage of the state’s six-week abortion ban. “There’s no reason other than cruelty and demeaning women, controlling women. That was the kernel. I think I wrote a song about that because that’s just the way my brain works.” Over time, Heilbron added another 10 tunes. He said initial public readings of the show, in December and February, drew sold-out audiences.
Outside his current role, Heilbron is probably best known as the band leader of Fragile Rock, an emo puppet band. Along with Elle Mahoney, he’s half of Tin Pan Pally, a husband-and-wife team that produced the Abbo show and published the score, which is available on Bandcamp and
Spotify. After the October performances, the team hopes to take the show on the road around the state and beyond — with the goal of knocking the governor’s political career down a peg.
“We really don’t want him to have a national profile, and, if he thinks of having one, we want to be in his ear as this very annoying li le pesky punk show following him around,” Heilbron said.
The FuQusical takes its audience back to a time when Democrats reigned in Texas. After the opening number, we meet Heilbron-as-Abbo dressed in boyish clothes, si ing atop his mother’s lap as she sends him on a hero’s journey from Houston to Austin, where he hopes to pass the bar exam and meet with the governor. Along the way, he encounters key figures from our recent political past, like ex-Governor Rick Perry or “1980s Wendy Davis” (whom he spars with while she waitresses at a Waffle House). Ann Richards, “the True Governor,” manifests as a massive, big-headed, big-haired puppet, treated like a deity.
References from the ribald to the obscure come at a rapid pace in Young Greg Abbo . Much laughter is generated by Perry’s infamous nickname: “Crotch,” when Abbo meets him at a gay cowboy bar. An actress briefly replaces Heilbron while Abbo wanders lost in the woods, in a sequence that takes the form of a classic theatrical “dream ballet,” a wordless pantomime narrated by the band leader. Later, when Abbo finally reaches Austin, much of the cast dances a jig together while holding giant Ma hew McConaughey heads.
“There’s a lot of Rodgers and Hammerstein,” said Kelly Hasandras, the show’s choreographer. “We are ham-fisting, borrowing musical theater tropes.”
As Abbo travels toward his destiny, right-wing figures gravitate into his orbit, like Perry, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, and even consultant Karl Rove, depicted as a toothsome, ravenous creature emerging from a picnic basket to hound Ann Richards out of office. The show’s puppets are vividly rendered in Jim Henson-like style, thanks to creator Chadwick Smith, who also appears in the show as a puppet train conductor.
Of course, one incident looms especially large in Abbo ’s early life, the 1984 accident that left him paralyzed. In reality, an oak tree fell on him
when he went jogging after a storm; in the show’s perhaps insensitive treatment, the tree has a story arc in its own right, chasing after Abbo in search of “treevenge” after Abbo mortally wounds the tree’s father in a racist graffiti incident. The show reaches its climax when the “Lil’ Tree” finally catches up to young Abbo .
Heilbron admi ed that the musical’s tree plotline may be in poor taste, something he embraced: “It pushes my line of what is appropriate, right? And so if I’m offended, it’s usually a good sign.”
As the performance came to a close, and the cast sang the show’s blunt slogan — ”Fuck You Greg Abbo ” — a final time, the audience erupted into cheers, yet more middle fingers, and a standing ovation.
Young Greg Abbo : A FuQusical doesn’t seek historical accuracy but instead aims to inspire the audience with an alternative vision for Texas. Many of the cast and crew members have deep roots here, like co-director Sonnet Blanton, a fifth-generation Texan descended from Moses and Stephen F. Austin. She told the Observer that younger residents may not remember a time when Texas wasn’t ruled by Republicans at almost every level of government.
“It’s kind of reminding everyone that we have power and we can change it,” Blanton said. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”
Courtesy Phioto Tin Pan Alley
Striking Oil
San Antonio native Rylie Rodriguez joins cast for Texas-sized TV series Landman
BY KIKO MARTINEZ
The first time San Antonio native Rylie Rodriguez took the stage as part of a theater class when she was a kid, she immediately fell in love with acting.
She had participated in dancing and singing classes prior to that, but it wasn’t until she experienced acting that she felt a thrill from performing.
“Dancing and singing just weren’t my thing,” Rodriguez, 21, told the Current during an interview. “Theater was very exciting to me. It was something new.”
While taking classes at Performing Arts San Antonio, Rodriguez got the opportunity to audition for a short film being produced by students at the University of Southern California. She landed the role and was flown to Los Angeles to make her screen debut.
“It was my very first audition ever, and I was fortunate enough to book it,” Rodriguez said. “I knew from then on that I wanted to dedicate myself to the craft of on-screen acting.”
Now, Rodriguez finds herself in the first major TV series of her career. Set in the West Texas oil business, Landman follows a group of roughnecks and billionaires at the forefront of an economic boom.
Co-created and wri en by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone) and based on the Texas Monthly podcast Boomtown, Landman stars Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade), Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Demi Moore (Ghost). Thornton
plays Tommy Norris, an oil executive, while Hamm plays Monty Miller, a Texas oil giant. Rodriguez portrays the youngest daughter of Miller and his wife Cami (Moore).
During our interview, Rodriguez, a graduate of North East School of the Arts, discussed booking the show near the end of the casting process and what it was like working on set with celebrities. She also talked about why she might make a move from San Antonio to Hollywood. Landman premieres on Nov. 17 on Paramount+.
What drew you from acting on stage to acting on screen when you were a kid?
I was in middle school when I did theater. Then, I studied cinematic arts in high school. In middle school, I definitely competed in the UIL a couple of times. It was definitely a thrill being on stage. However, I eventually realized that on-screen acting was my passion. They’re two beautiful arts, but I think they’re very different.
Since you studied cinematic arts in high school, did you also work behind the camera?
Yes, I also got to taste what it’s like behind the scenes, which has helped me so much as an actress — to understand that perspective. I’ve directed and produced and done casting. It allows you to use different creative elements. I know there’s some amazing directors who also star in their own films. So, I think someday in the future, I’ll probably end up doing something similar.
What was the audition process for Landman
like for you, and how did you learn you got the part?
They requested that I submit a tape of myself. About two weeks later, I got the news from one of my agents that I booked it. Initially, they were only casting one daughter for Demi and John’s characters, so I really wasn’t going to be involved at all. I guess at the last minute, they decided they were going to give their characters two daughters. So, I’m the second daughter; the younger of the two.
I noticed that your character doesn’t have a name. Or did I miss it?
Since I was added at the last minute in the casting process, I’m currently referred to as “Monty’s daughter.” But I’m still thrilled. I’m looking forward to seeing how my character is going to develop in future seasons.
So, what was it like having Demi and Jon as parents?
It was a dream come true. They are incredibly kind and down to earth and very generous with their time and advice. Watching them work was like a master class in acting. I love them and their professionalism. Their dedication to the craft is truly inspiring. You forget they’re celebrities when you’re talking to them because they’re just so kind.
These days, you don’t have to live in Los Angeles to make TV shows and movies. Do you plan to stay in San Antonio or would you like to see what else is out there?
I’ve thought about that a lot. I 1,000% agree that you don’t need to live there anymore. I think [moving to LA] would be more for the lifestyle. I love San Antonio, [but LA] has lots of things going on. I think it would be really fun. I might move during my 20s, [but] maybe not for the rest of my life.
Find more fi lm stories at sacurrent.com
Southern Spice
A confusing but compelling complexity reigns at San Antonio’s Hyderabadi Spicy Matka
BY RON BECHTOL
My visits to Indian restaurants have often been much like I imagine life in the country itself to be: noisy, colorful and teeming with exotic aromas and tastes.
Those encounters are also fraught in a couple of ways: the menus are often voluminous and filled with unexplained terms, which makes selections beyond tandoori chicken a kind of crap shoot. And there’s frequently a free-for-all among diners to make sure each gets a fair share of every dish.
Chaos, in other words.
Of course, all of India can’t be fit into a single basket. Someone with roots in Kerala on the southwest coast may have li le knowledge of the foods of landlocked Punjab in the country’s north — and that’s not even considering the subcontinent’s variety of languages and religions.
The Hyderabadi part of San Antonio restaurant Hyderabadi Spicy Matka’s name honors of the capital of Telangana state in India’s south central region. To understand what this means, get busy ordering. And googling.
The menu breaks appetizers into veg, non-veg and Indo-Chinese categories, but the only items recognizable to diners not deeply immersed in Indian cuisine are samosas. Clearly, we couldn’t do samosas. But a category called “Indian Street Delights” beckoned.
Doubtless, most Indian consumers are more adept than I at figuring out how the restaurant’s Tikka Roll works on the run. The veg edition I received came swaddled in so many layers of foil and paper that the original wrapper, a paratha-like flatbread, was almost inaccessible. The filling included onion and cabbage in a mildly spicy yogurt sauce — great in its own right but so moist as to render the primary wrapper limp. Maybe we should have ordered a less drippy Paratha Roll with chicken instead.
We also took a chance on Mirakapkaya Bajii. On the off chance that you don’t
MCurries at Hyderabadi Spicy Matka are more flavorful than pretty, while the biryani features a spicy complexity
know, these are fiery green chilies slit, stuffed with an unspecified sour and oniony mixture, coated in a chickpea ba er and fried. They definitely cleansed the palate for what’s to come. So much so, that one diner had to retreat to the bathroom to deal with perspiration.
Next came Nallakaram, a dish from Andhra Pradesh, just south of Telangana, which consisted of boned chicken pieces — fish and shrimp are also popular — sautéed in a complex spice mixture that traditionally includes lentils, coriander seeds, cumin, tamarind, curry leaves and more. The dish was only moderately tongue-torturing and, and in testimony to its success, none was left halfway through the meal. The mitigation of the house’s pungent garlic naan was hardly needed. Naan is an essential sidekick to the curry and curry-adjacent dishes at Spicy Matka, which will arrive in small steel pots. None of the curries we ordered would win any beauty prizes, but all scored high on the taste spectrum. Having a fondness for potato curries, I might award an extra point or two to the Pudina Wale Aloo Curry, which
Ron Bechtol.
Ron Bechtol.
12485IH-10W,UNIT103 SANANTONIO,TX78230
pairs the tuber with much mint in a slurry with green chilies, bay leaves and a plethora of other companionable spices. Kudos also to the Nilgiri Korma with its plentiful chunks of chicken bathed in an herby sauce that might or might not have included the traditional grated coconut but did definitely sport a cohort of dried red chilies.
By that point, it was ge ing hard to discern specifics under the assault of so much full-thro le flavor. Flavor was not the issue with the Na u Kodi Curry, again with chicken. Indeed, this was the most complexly herbed and spiced of the curries, boasting anise, black cardamom, curry leaf and much more. It was the splintery chopped chicken and loose skin that, traditional as it may be, diminished this one for me.
One doesn’t escape complex spicing even with the biryanis, or fragrant rice dishes. These arrive heaped into a clay bowl and are eminently shareable. A li le preliminary research suggested that Gongura Biryani would be heavily influenced by its bountiful inclusion of sorrel leaves — think hibiscus or jamaica — and to be sure, there was a hint of characteristic tart sourness. But fresh mint and star anise were equally apparent. We had the dish prepared with cubed paneer cheese, but goat and fish are other options.
I’m of two minds about the impressive and eminently Instagrammable Matka Masala Dosa: either you should start with it as a comparatively mild-mannered introduction to Matka’s compelling cuisine, or it should be a soothing parting shot. In either case, the dosa is a huge and beautiful quasi-crisp rice- and lentil-flour disk folded over a filling of crushed, herbed potato and served with a trio of chutneys, each of which had its partisans.
Yes, use your hands. It’s all part of the delightful chaos.
HYDERABADI SPICY MATKA
7080 Bandera Road, (210) 600-3338, hsm-sanantonio.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.noon Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
Main dishes: $12-$20
Best bets: Garlic Naan, Mirapakaya Bajii, Gongura Biryani, Pudina Wale Aloo Curry, Nilgiri Korma, Matka Masala Dosa
The lowdown: Hyderabadi Spicy Matka specializes in the cuisine of India’s south. Vegetarian, fish and even egg dishes abound, and spicing can range from merely tongue-tingling to full-out flamethrowers. Curries are drab in color but complex in flavor, fragrant biryani rice dishes are no less sophisticated (or spicy), while the huge — and hugely impressive — folded dosas are true showstoppers.
Ron Bechtol.
Still Shocking GWAR frontman talks about his love for San Antonio’s weirdness before upcoming show
BY STEPHANIE KOITHAN
Hilarious and terrifying — hilarifying? — band GWAR is bringing its hostile alien takeover back to San Antonio. The band, which turned 40 this year, will bring its costumed and very messy take on metallic shock rock to Vibes Event Center on Saturday, Nov. 16, with Dark Funeral and Squid Pisser opening the show.
In anticipation of the show, the Current caught up with GWAR frontman Blothar the Berserker in anticipation of the show. Sadly, due to an injury, Blothar won’t be sporting his notorious sideways vagina surrounded by blood-spewing dicks. But don’t worry, the audience will get covered in blood anyway — and they’ll love it.
Even 40 years on, the world is still not ready for GWAR, Blothar told us during the wide-ranging conversation that
included his education in ethnomusicology and recollection of playing revered San Antonio punk club Taco Land.
OK. So, first of all, do I refer to you as Mike, Michael, Mr. Bishop, or Blothar the Berserker?
Well, you can call me Blothar the Berserker, but periodically, I’ll slip in and out of my human form, as the question requires.
Right. So you are an intergalactic goblin?
Well, not a goblin. Goblins are li le. I am an intergalactic alien. I am part of the Scum Dogs of the Universe, which is an army of elite warriors that unfortunately made some serious mistakes and were banished to the planet Earth, where we started a rock band.
I don’t know if you follow Earth politics at all, but in this momentous time in
history, I’m wondering if you can give a bird’s eye view of our civilization, our democracy and how it contrasts with your home planet of Scumdoggia. How does your home planet pick its leaders?
Well, of course, our leaders are all creatures on Scumdoggia, grown in a lab in the syntho-wombs of the planet. And, you know, they’re pre y much bred for the purpose, so we don’t really have elections, so to speak. We just have tyrannical rulers that tell us what to do and what not to do.
Yeah, so a bird’s eye view of Earth politics and the Earth situation ... I mean, you know, good job, America. Another great choice. At least we’ll have something to talk about for the next four years. Or who knows, maybe it goes longer than that.
He’s hilarious. At least there’s that, right? A true entertainer.
But no, I mean, it’s just gonna be weird and difficult, and who knows if their plans will come to fruition. Let’s hope
not too much damage is done.
I’d imagine that tyrannical takeovers are kind of the norm on Scumdoggia just based on your tyrannical takeover of the slave pit.
No, on Scumdoggia, we serve a being called the Master. You ever see the Planter’s peanut guy? That’s him. And that’s a mean son of bitch right there. Our leaders rule with an iron fist. But that’s okay. I mean, you have order. So, it’s the blessings of fascism. The beauty of a society built on domination.
Right. I wonder if that’s what we have to look forward to.
Well, I mean, humans … truly surpassed the Master as far as being bloodthirsty, hairless baboons waging war on each other. And it’s go en difficult for GWAR to keep up with the chaos of humanity.
How do you continue to bring us
Courtesy Photo Gwar
horrors beyond our comprehension when humans are so good at perpetrating horrors against each other?
Yeah, I mean, we really can’t. You know, when we started, it’s not like you could watch YouTube and see somebody have their head cut off. But, we would do that on stage and people would be like, “Ahhh!” But now, people are just like, “Oh, yeah, here they come, cu ing heads off.”
I want to talk about your upcoming visitation to San Antonio. What can fans expect from the night at Vibes?
I think what you can expect is a GWAR show. I mean, we come and we present what, something like musical theater? It’s hilarious. There’s props, it’s spectacle and it’s outrageous. GWAR truly breaks the frame of rock ‘n’ roll performance. We’ve reshaped it to the point that the band just doesn’t fit into these spaces. But we’ve always made it fit.
I’m trying to imagine GWAR fitting into Taco Land, the tiny, long-running and sadly defunct San Antonio club you once played. This was back in, what, ’88 or ‘89?
Yeah. I mean, it was a smaller scale performance, but the impact on the space was the same. Now we just are sort of bigger and uglier and we’ve grown into these spaces, but we’ve always stretched at their limits.
Taco Land was one of the greatest gigs in GWAR history. I mean, nobody in this band will ever forget that experience.
In the early days, GWAR would put on a show that was just bananas with a giant cockroach that got sprayed with a big RAID can and there was a woman juggling torches or blowing fire and all kinds of weird executions and spraying people with blood.
And we would do that anywhere we played. Taco Land was hardly the smallest place that GWAR played. I mean, we played the Covered Wagon in San Francisco, which was tiny. We played all kinds of li le submarine shops, you name it.
But the thing that was special about Taco Land was the people who were there, right?
Like Ram, the owner. He was a hilarious guy. Like, you’ve got this dude that’s just this crazy dick swinging nut bag with like a bevy of bigass women that were taking their tops off and dancing around him.
It was insane. He’s literally pouring tequila down people’s throats, spanking fannies and grabbing boobies. It was a bacchanal of degeneracy.
When we got there, we loaded all the shit in, and it’s this daytime scene at a bar. You got a few of your truly dedicated drinkers.
I go over to the jukebox and I would always play the number one song. That was my thing. And so I go over and I put a quarter in. The number one song is this awful, racist David Allan Coe song. And I was like, “Oh, my God, where are we at?”
But they started to see the props that we
brought in.
And so, like, all the people who were there went and got their friends and their relatives to come. And that’s what would often happen at GWAR shows when we were first touring and we were just playing in some town where nobody knew who we were.
So three people would be there for the first song, but by the time we got to the third or fourth song, there’d be a hundred people there because what we were doing on stage was so crazy that they would just go and get people.
Tell me you’ve ever been to a show like that where what’s happening onstage makes people go and say, “Hey, you go a come. What are you doing? Leave work early. You go a go see this shit.”
And that’s also before cell phones. I know there was a pay phone at Taco Land, but that’s logistically difficult.
Yeah, they all got there, though. And so, yeah, it figures huge in our remembrance of what GWAR was.
Because when GWAR plays live, it’s like, anything is permissible. People watch and they say, “God, these guys are doing this. You’re not supposed to do this. That means I can do anything.” And that’s the sort of the positivity of GWAR.
So, San Antonio is a special place to us. You know, the promoter who put the Sex Pistols there? We met him that night. Because the promoter at the time was this guy named Baby Black Jesus. I have no idea what his real name was. And he was just hammered on coke.
He said, “I want you to meet the guy who booked the Sex Pistols here. You know, he’s a legendary promoter, right?” So, we go to this bar called Phazez, and he’s in the bathroom.
And this dude is, like, hammered. He’s this older guy, and he’s leaning over a toilet. His pants are around his ankles. And Baby Black Jesus is like, “You go a see these guys.”
And then he falls on his back with urine arcing over his own body on the floor. You know, that was San Antonio.
I remember taking a dump in a Dixie cup.
Was that because that guy was occupying the toilet?
Yeah, you couldn’t get in there. I mean, he was pissing all over himself. I really had to go. And we just, like, you know, went out in the parking lot. And I don’t even know why we bothered with the Dixie cup. At least we could have grabbed a Solo cup or something.
Wow. I’m impressed, honestly. That’s precision.
It was fucking horrible. And just the best time, man. Never forget it.
The band continued on after the death of frontman David Brockie in 2014. What was that transition like and how were you brought back in after that point?
So, I had been the bass player in the band and I had sang songs and wrote songs in GWAR. And, really, besides Dave, I was the only person who had wri en lyrics that became well-known GWAR songs. It just made sense when Dave passed, which was very sad and unexpected. He left behind a group of people who had put a lot of effort, a lot of human capital into this. So, it was not as difficult as people imagined for the band to keep going.
Were you there for the Viking funeral that they held for Oderus Urungus at Gwar-B-Q? What was that like?
It was bananas. We set the costume of Oderus on a boat, covered it in Vaseline and gas and then paid an archer to shoot a flaming arrow right onto it. And then it exploded into flames.
And it’s just billowing black smoke because, for whatever reason, they didn’t use a wooden boat. They just used like a regular shi y old fiberglass boat. So it was just careening out of control.
I certainly didn’t expect there to be a 20 foot high wall of flame. It was completely out of control and spewing black smoke. And the fire department came. We also didn’t anchor it — it was adrift, which is fine if you’re a Viking and it’s, like, on an ocean, right?
This was just a shi y li le man-made pond with a thousand or more people standing around watching it. And everybody was running away screaming. It was perfect, really.
And I know you just welcomed a new lead guitarist in February — Tommy Meehan — who I originally know from Deaf Club but has also been in Cancer Christ and Squid Pisser, who are opening for you. What’s it been like
Courtesy Photo Gwar
music
welcoming him into the fold?
Tommy is a blessing in every possible way. I mean, you know, he’s a just a really warm and solid and positive person.
You have to have tremendous talent. But, also, there has to be something wrong with you so that you would withstand the everyday tortures of being in a band like GWAR. I mean, it’s difficult. Pu ing on the outfit, going out there. You know, because in GWAR, you’re just trying not to die every night.
And Tommy definitely gets it. He knows what GWAR is about. And if this band continues beyond the current incarnation of musicians, it will be because he takes it there. He’s the first person I’ve ever met that I would feel OK about handing this creation to.
In addition to the many ghouls who have served in the slave pit, there are still others who almost did. I’m thinking about one Dave Grohl in particular, of course. Can you share that story?
Well, I mean, obviously he made the wrong decision.
You know, he could have been suffering with us, but, you know, it was obvious that this was a really good drummer, a really powerful musician. And at the time GWAR had good draw.
We’re pu ing like 800 or 1,000 people in venues every night, and that’s a big deal. And he came from the exact same place we did, which is the American punk-rock underground. My kid band played with his kid band. I’d known him since I was about 15 years old.
And it wasn’t a big stretch when GWAR needed a drummer to say, “Hey, you know, here’s this guy.” He had been
MGWAR skewers Donald Trump and U.S. politics during a 2016 performance in Chicago.
playing in Scream at the time, and we saw each other at a party that they were playing in Richmond.
And our guitar player had spoken with him and said, hey, maybe you could come down and try out for this because we need a drummer. It never even got to that point, I think, because he decided that he didn’t want to do it. I think he knew that he had some other options.
You actually have a PhD in music ethnography, correct? So, I’m wondering, as a musical ethnographer, how would you describe GWAR’s place in the zeitgeist?
I think that GWAR is a tremendously important shock rock band.
I also think that GWAR is an important punk band because it takes the ethos of punk rock and, at the same time, the pageantry of glam and the outrageousness of shock rock and really builds on one of the essential but often under-acknowledged elements of punk rock — its fucking humor, right?
And just sort of GWAR’s position in that history and in that narrative is a very important place. And I think that the band is criminally underrated as far as its music goes. Like, the world is just not ready for GWAR.
$34-$36, 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, Vibes Event Center, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 2553833, vibeseventcenter.com.
music
The Dark Path Less Taken
Talking
with Dark Funeral’s Lord Ahriman before the black metal act’s show with GWAR
BY MIKE MCMAHAN
When you’re a black metal dude, you’re probably used to charting your own dark path.
But when you’re a black metal dude from Sweden, where death metal — at least circa 1991 — was the preferred extreme metal genre, you’re definitely going to encounter resistance. Such was the situation when guitarist Lord Ahriman started Dark Funeral nearly three decades ago.
The band encountered a Sisyphean uphill climb, from difficulty finding band members to ge ing others in the music community to take them seriously.
But despite the early resistance, Dark Funeral — who are in the middle slot of a bill that includes costumed metal madmen GWAR and Squid Pisser at Vibes Event Center on Saturday, Nov. 16 — got the music going, then dialed in the look with corpse paint: the death-like makeup that’s a trademark of the genre.
“When we started Dark Funeral … we had used a li le bit of just black around the eyes and stuff,” Ahriman told the Current via Zoom from his home in Sweden.
“But I guess it wasn’t until maybe ’94 when we felt like, OK, we’re gonna go all the way.”
Ahriman has soldiered on for decades as Dark Funeral’s leader, enduring ups, downs and plenty of personnel shakeups. The band’s most recent release is 2022’s We Are The Apocalypse.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What makes Dark Funeral a good match with GWAR?
Because they are crazy in their own way, and we are absolutely crazy in our way. In combination, we bring something even more crazy to the crowd. I always love those unexpected bills. Maybe everybody doesn’t like everything they
hear, but at least maybe they open up their world a li le bit more. I’m not sure if the GWAR crowd is going to like us, and vice versa, who knows. But I think it’s still metal.
For that person who loves GWAR but doesn’t know Dark Funeral, what can they expect?
Well, what fans usually say about us, when you talk to them, is that they are met by an extreme wall of sound but still in a good balance. We always have very melodic songs, lots of melodies in all this crazy, fast-paced and aggressive stuff. We kind of managed to combine everything and find a good balance. It’s very thick, epic music we play. And I think if you’re not used to it, your first experience might be a shock. But hopefully, the crowd who never experienced us before are open minded and try to see through that wall of sound and see what’s actually happening in the songs. And I know, as a first-time listener to this type of music, it’s difficult because it’s just a fucking wall of sound. But at the same time, that’s the beauty of it too. I know that people have said that once they get through that, they discover a whole new world.
Often, Sweden is associated with death metal and Norway with black metal. This is especially true of the origins of the scene. Were you pushing against the grain in the early days?
That was very much the case. I come from the north part of Sweden. And when I moved to Stockholm in ’91, I came right into all the bands that were big at that time, you know, Entombed, Dismember, Unleashed. And, I mean, I still like death metal. But it’s not through death metal that I’m trying to find where I want to be as a songwriter and what I want to express with my music. So in ’91, when I started asking around all these guys, like, “Do you know some guys who want to start an extreme black metal band with me?” Everybody was like, “Let him be, you know, the fuck’s going on?” Everybody was like, “Well, let Ahriman be and do his thing.” When we finally got the band together, we decided not to tell anybody until the day we released our mini-CD. Nobody knew about us, basically, before that. Not our closest friends. “We’re just playing a li le bit,” we said. I know, in the early years, there was a lot of talk going on behind my back, like, “Yeah, you
know, fuck him, he’s doing black metal.” They didn’t like it. But then everybody saw that I was, you know, dead serious with what I was doing. So, I got the respect they felt I deserved, but I was never really looking for it. I just felt like this is what I have to do. And I’m not going to do it like everybody else.
You’ve had a consistent lineup for the past six years. Before, it was up and down. What makes it hard to keep a lineup going?
Well, during the early years, when I grew up, everybody found their own new things, became a father, found a girlfriend or whatever. They change focus in life. But I always said, this is what I’ve got to do. No ma er what. For this kind of life, you have to sacrifice a lot. And with this type of music, you don’t become rich. So, sometimes, you know, it’s a real struggle to be able to pay the bills. But for me, I always felt like the freedom is more important than money: the freedom to write, the freedom to create, the freedom to do what I want to do.
$34-$36, 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, Vibes Event Center, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 2553833, vibeseventcenter.com.
Courtesy Photo Dark Funeral
critics’ picks
Thursday, Nov. 14-Sunday, Nov. 17
Lonesome Rose 6th Anniversary: Dale Watson, Nicky Diamonds, Elnuh, Precious Gems, Summer Dean
The Lonesome Rose has provided a home for alt-country, folk, rockabilly, rock and everything in between for six years now. As a venue, it manages to survive without any TVs blaring sports or news — quite a feat, it seems. Instead, the “oldest honky tonk on the St. Mary’s Strip” creates an intimate, homey vibe that makes it feel far older than six years. For its four nights of anniversary shows, the Rose has rounded up a stellar group of artists that reflects its diverse booking policy, including SA heroes Elnuh and Nicky Diamonds, drone specialists Precious Gems, Texas county treasure Dale Watson and more. Check the website to see who’s playing when. Free-$20, 8 p.m., The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St Mary’s St., thelonesomerose.com. — Bill Baird
Friday, Nov. 15
Holy Wire, Secrecies, Summore, Raudiver Holy Wire crafts synth-driven new wave with appealingly melodic crooning from frontman Alain Paradis. The band sounds more Euro than Austin, its actual home base, but Texas is all the richer for it. Also on the bill are Dallas’ Secrecies, whose shoegazy dream pop evokes a warm, floating bliss; Summore, darkwave from Columbus, Ohio; and Houston’s Raudiver, who mix darkwave with goth and shoegaze. Put on your eyeliner, boys and girls. $10, 8 p.m., The Starlighter, 1910 Fredericksburg Road, thestarlighter.com. — BB
Saturday, Nov. 16
Straight No Chaser
One of the enduring hallmarks of the a cappella boom of the early 2000s, Straight No Chaser originated as a student act at Indiana University. The original members reformed in 2007 after a YouTube revival of the group performing “The 12 Days of Christmas” went viral. A five record deal with Atlantic followed. While Christmas standards form the backbone of their catalog, Straight No Chaser is known for putting its unique a cappella spin on a variety of contemporary hits. $34.50-$105, 8 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — Danny Cervantes
Sunday, Nov. 17
Iron Maiden, The Hu
Heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden are returning to the Alamo City to close out the U.S. leg of its Future Past tour, largely focused around material from its 1986 classic Somewhere in Time and 2021’s Senjutsu, its most recent album. With a legacy stretching back nearly five decades, Maiden is an indelible part of the San Antonio hard rock cultura. Expect the band to unleash energetic versions of material
old and new while the its mascot Eddie looms in the background. Mongolian folk-metal outfit
The Hu, known for incorporating traditional instrumentation and throat singing, should set an intense opening pace. $49.50-$79.50, 7:30 p.m., Frost Bank Center, One Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com. — DC
Thursday, Nov. 21
La Doña, Max & Josh Baca, Ritmo Lokura, and ¡VIAJE!
La Doña is the stage name of Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea, a San Francisco Latinx educator and bandleader who specializes in fusing traditional music forms such as bolero and mariachi with more modern elements, including reggaeton and hip-hop. Her performances promise an experience where crowds “sing, dance, cry and chant together for collective healing and political action.” Given the outcome of last week’s election, seems like crowds will have a lot to sing and cry about. Joining La
Doña for this performance are San Antonio’s own Baca brothers, whose Texmaniacs do a fine job preserving San Antonio’s musical culture — and they have the Grammies to prove it. This show, the second anniversary of San Antonio promoter Vinilious, also features Ritmo Lokura and ¡VIAJE!, making for a full plate of Latinx culture that fuses traditional and modern forms. $22-$79, 7:30 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — BB
Friday, Nov. 22
Better Than Ezra, Graham Colton Band Better Than Ezra promise to o er up a “Good” night for those who remember its post-grunge take on ’90s alt-rock. Formed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1988 by four LSU students, the band became known for its aforementioned ubiquitous 1995 hit but had trouble replicating that overnight sensation. The band has since relocated to New Orleans and lead singer Kevin Gri n and bassist Tom Drummond remain from the original lineup. In March, Better Than
Ezra released its first new album in 10 years, Super Magick. $39-$49, 8 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — DC
Saturday, Nov. 23
Everclear, Marcy Playground, Deep Blue Something, The Daisy Killers Nineties nostalgia looks to be hitting an apex at The Espee this month with this bill topped by alt-rockers Everclear. Frontman Art Alexakis has been the face of the band for more than 30 years, and is responsible for some of the catchiest sad songs of that era, including “Father of Mine” and “Wonderful.” With 12 Top 40 singles to its name, Everclear stands apart from many bands of its era for its engaging storytelling. Marcy Playground (“Sex & Candy”) and Deep Blue Something (“Breakfast At Ti any’s”) open with plenty more ’90s feels. $49.50 and up, 8 p.m., The Espee, 1174 E. Commerce St., (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.com. — DC
Shutterstock Bruce Alan Bennett
LINERS
Mgr IT Eng’g & Tech Ops w/ Petco Animal Supplies Stores, Inc. 100% remote reporting to San Antonio, TX. 10% dom/int’l travel
req’d. In compliance w/ state-speci c laws, pay range: $124,218-$190,900/yr & may vary based on location & exp. Email resume w/ Job #AA0918 to valerie.giroux@petco.com
Senior Data Engineer - EtiVenture, Inc. San Antonio, TX. Req: Bachelor’s in Comp Sc, Info Tech or rltd or foreign equiv + (60) mths of exp or Associate degree in Compu Science or foreign equiv & exp in the use of Hive. Send resume to: hr@etiventure.com
“ e Follow-Up”--there’s a replacement. by Matt Jones ©2024 Matt Jones
Across
1. Swedish automaker
5. Long-lasting style
9. Fighting words
14. Experienced
15. WWII opponent
16. Specialized market
17. British elevator that at-out doesn’t work?
19. Does a vet’s job
20. Greek vowel
21. “___ be here soon”
22. Move briskly
23. Movie star known for silly and bumbling characters?
27. Rubber squeakers, e.g.
30. A in German class
31. Floating out there
32. California’s La ___ Tar Pits
33. Med. insurance option
36. “ is event totally reminds me of a traveling carnival”?
41. Musical aptitude
42. “___ Calm and Carry On”
43. Cuba libre garnish
44. Served as
45. 2015 Emily Blunt crime lm
48. Two focuses of a Grateful Dead-themed vegan restaurant?
52. Company found at many airports
53. “South Paci c” Tony winner Pinza
54. Rubber duckie’s home
57. ___ Sark (scotch brand)
59. Group that reports on a single Greek island?
61. “Ignore that last comment”
62. “What’s Hecuba to him, ___ to Hecuba”: Hamlet
63. “Because of the Times” group Kings of ___
64. Cares for
65. General ___ chicken
66. O ce furniture
Down
1. Out of trouble
2. Touch upon
3. “Dark Angel” actress Jessica
4. Arthur of “ e Golden Girls”
5. Minuscule
6. Napoleon and Peron, for example
7. Rummage (through)
8. Ariz. setting all year long
9. Contacts
10. Go quietly (around)
11. Snowman accessory
12. “Stop kidding around!”
13. Avian homes
18. Napoleon Dynamite’s uncle
23. Trading card gure
24. So ball substance
25. “Mon ___!” (French cry)
26. ___ empty stomach
27. Go out with
28. Accident-preventing org.
29. Equipment
32. Fast jazz subgenre
33. “Aquarius” musical
34. Rogers once married to Tom Cruise
35. Cookie that partnered with Coca-Cola
37. Furniture retailer with a blue and yellow logo
38. Recognized
39. Get out the message?
40. TV chef Bobby
44. Broken beyond belief
45. De ant challenge
46. Van Gogh bloomers
47. Nile snapper, for short
48. Implied
49. Egg cell
50. Feel at home
51. Razzes
54. Swing support
55. Unusual cra s
56. Top or bottom bed
58. QB’s gains
59. “ is is ___ normal”
60. Long familiar
Answers on page 23.
