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CONTENTS

September 2-8, 2015

32 FOOD No Shucking Way! Go with a different option this Labor Day by way of the oyster Culinary Calendar 5 ways to get your drink/grub on this week Flavor File Get ready for wine, more wine and Texas Chefs Week

11 NEWS Baby Steps As SA’s NDO turns two, the city gains an Office of Diversity and Inclusion End Of Watch? The future of Travis Park’s Confederate statue is in limbo

14 CALENDAR

Our top picks for the week

18 ARTS + CULTURE In Focus Fotoseptiembre founder/director Michael Mehl on the festival’s past, present and future Picture This Our critics preview 10 of Fotoseptiembre 2015’s most promising exhibitions Building Bridges We chat with curator Devanshi Agarwal about Lone Star Art Alliance’s collaborations in India

28 SCREENS Prestige Season As we leave action-movie season, critic Daniel Barnes looks at the five most anticipated films left for 2015 New Late-Night War? What will happen when Stephen Colbert enters the ring on September 8? 37 21

8 CURRENT • September 2– 8, 2015 • sacurrent.com

40 NIGHTLIFE No Average Ice House A former barn, Beer Depot lures you with a potential unique guest appearance From Church’s To Cocktails Thrift store owner tries her luck with new bar, The Looking Glass

49 MUSIC Welcome To Paradise In its seventh year, UTOPIAfest promises a charming good time Happy Apathy Indie rock ex-pats Slomo Drags return to San Antonio with new material Music Calendar What to see and hear this week

63 ETC.

Savage Love Jonesin’ Crossword Free Will Astrology This Modern World

ON THE COVER

Fotoseptiembre, SA’s premier photography fest, celebrates its 20th anniversary. Our mashup includes images by Barbra Riley, Melanie Walker, Tom Turner and Hou I-Ting Art direction by Rick Fisher and Sarah Flood-Baumann

sacurrent.com • September 2– 8, 2015 • CURRENT 9

September 19 & 20 E FRE to

the public

LIVE THOROUGHBRED RACING EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY! LIVE SIMULCAST DAILY

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Sept 4 - T-Shirt Night

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Sept 5 - $1 Beer Night / College Football Tailgate

Joe Posada

Sept 11 - Johnny Cash Tribute Night

Wayne Bergeron & The Temple Jazz Orchestra

Terrace Dining Room Buffet • Race Book & Sports Bar • Concession Stands

Soul Track Mind VIP & Reserved Seating Available Produced by The San Antonio Parks Foundation and the City of San Antonio for more info visit Jazzsa.org

210.651.7000 • RetamaPark.com 1 Retama Pkwy, Selma, TX 10 CURRENT • September 2– 8, 2015 • sacurrent.com

NEWS

MARY TUMA

BABY STEPS Growing Pains For SA’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance MARK REAGAN/@210REAGAN

P. B R

YA N R

IND F U S S

When Matthew Hileman went to file a LGBTrelated complaint in January 2014 under the city’s newly amended Non-Discrimination Ordinance — the city’s first — there wasn’t even a form to fill out. “I was really frustrated … it seemed like the cogs on the machine were going together in the wrong direction,” Hileman told the San Antonio Current last week. “There were not actual instructions on how to build the machine, so we were just trying to piece this together the best we could.” Hileman, who is trans, filed the complaint three months after City Council voted to amend its 21-year-old NDO to include protections for gender identity, sexual orientation and for veterans. That was two years ago this week. The debate over the ordinance was divisive and dominated political talk in SA, including at AT&T, where Hileman worked back then. As San Antonio publicly weighed the merits of equality, two of Hileman’s former co-workers allegedly threatened Not everybody was happy to see SA leaders approve an updated non-discrimination ordinance including LGBT members. violence against trans people and left a sign that said “no fags” at his desk. Hileman has since reached an undisclosed settlement ability to say you’re going to be prosecuted.” Robert Salcido, a well-known LGBT activist who was with AT&T and has moved on with his life, but his The maximum fine for violating most city ordinances is part of the hiring committee for the new post, told the experience with the complaint process revealed that — $500. Current that Bains was the one selected. at the time — the updated NDO was nothing more than “All we have is discrimination or denial of It will be a “centralized location, not only for complaints words on paper. accommodations to LGBT people being the equivalent of specific to the gay and transgender community, “It was trial by fire,” he said. running a red light or jaywalking until the state or federal but all protected classes,” Salcido And apparently, not much changed government want to enact something with real actions,” explained. since then. The ordinance turned into a Nichols said. The office is of note because when political beach ball bounced around by So, basically, the NDO has no teeth and doesn’t really the ordinance was amended in 2013, mayoral candidates seeking votes from effect change, Nichols concluded. there wasn’t even a link on the city’s the LGBT community. There are larger forces at play nationally when it website about it or a reporting Candidates Mike Villarreal, Leticia comes to LGBT equality and San Antonio is just another mechanism. Van de Putte and Ivy Taylor all said spectator watching and reacting to a larger debate. “Of course, it’s still in infancy maintaining the ordinance and “It’s not necessarily our city’s fault,” Nichols said. “They stages,” Salcido said. improving it would be on their to-do are doing as much as they can and their hands are tied to But we do know it won’t be just list, though Taylor called it a “political address the bigger problem.” about filing complaints. stunt” during a debate. She later There are no state or federal laws that explicitly “Right now, there’s more of an apologized. provide protections from discrimination based on sexual educational component, more Mayor Taylor’s office did not respond orientation or gender identity. community interaction so individuals to repeated requests for comment. n M at t h ew H i l e m a As for Hileman, despite how tough it was to come know this is a resource from the city In March, Taylor announced a future forward and essentially become the face of SA’s NDO regarding any type of discrimination they feel they new Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which would issue, he has no regrets about filing his complaint. He may have encountered,” Salcido noted. He added that the serve as a central clearing house for all-things NDO. also has some words of advice for anyone who faces office is looking to hold a community meeting in October. She made good on the proposal and last week, as discrimination. While this is a step forward, Justin Nichols, Hileman’s the Current first reported, Kiran Bains was hired to lead “You’re never alone. And there are folks around to lawyer during the complaint process, lamented that the new effort. The city did not respond last week to support you throughout, whatever community you find not much has really changed since the ordinance was repeated requests to confirm Bains’ hiring, other than to yourself in,” Hileman said. “You just need to reach out to amended in 2013. say that the position had been filled. them.” “The city attorney’s office was the central intake. Intake Additionally, the city did not respond to a separate is only one small piece of the puzzle … what it really request on how many complaints have been filed under mreagan@sacurrent.com needs is an enforcement mechanism,” Nichols said. “The the amended NDO. sacurrent.com • September 2– 8, 2015 • CURRENT 11

SAT SEPT 12 & SUN SEPT 13

$5 REG ADMISSION $10 EARLYBIRD DEAL

EARLY 8AM ADMISSION (All Tickets & Earlybird Deals purchased at door)

THE BEST SHOW TO BUY, SELL AND TRADE VINYL

If you love your vinyl, you need to attend the San Antonio Record Show This is your opportunity to search for that hidden gem you’ve been looking for Featuring over 100 tables of vinyl LP’s, 45’s & 12” singles as well as a large selection of Cd’s, DVD’s & music memorabilia.

SanantonioRecordShow.com For Info or to Call: 210.415.2972

12 CURRENT • September 2– 8, 2015 • sacurrent.com

NEWS

MICHAEL MARKS

END OF WATCH? Uncertain Future For Travis Park’s Confederate Statue MICHAEL MARKS/@MICHAELPMARKS

The soldier atop the Confederate monument in Travis Park has stood watch over the square green patch on the northern edge of downtown since 1900. The 40-feet-high obelisk is topped with a statue of a mustachioed Confederate soldier. He holds a rifle in his left hand, resting it against the ground. His right hand points skyward. The words “Lest We Forget” are inscribed halfway down the monument, followed by “Our Confederate Dead” carved further down, closer to the base. But the soldier’s future is uncertain. His watch may soon come to an end, or at least be shared by dozens of civil rights luminaries. Like many Confederate symbols nationwide, the statue has come under fire since Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old white supremacist, allegedly shot and killed nine black worshipers on June 17 at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. Pictures of Roof holding a Confederate flag emerged after the shooting. The event fueled an immediate backlash against Confederate symbols across the country. Bexar County leaders voted in July to remove two Confederate symbols on county property. City officials are now inventorying all Confederate symbols on public property. The statue’s fate will likely come into clearer focus once the count is finalized. But competing interests are not waiting to advance their ideas on what to do with the statue. Mario Salas, a former councilman and now local civil rights leader, cried foul over Confederate symbols serving as lingering symbols of hate and racism long before Charleston hit the national consciousness. “This fight is old as hell,” Salas told the San Antonio Current. “This is not something that I became opposed to because it became a national issue.” Travis Park, named for Colonel William Barret Travis, used to be farmland serving The Alamo. Samuel Maverick, the legendary statesman and cattle baron, purchased the land in 1851. It was deeded to the city after Maverick’s death in 1870. The South experienced a construction wave of Confederate monuments in the late 1800s and early 1900s — including more than 30 in Texas, according to historian Kelly McMichael, author of Sacred Memories: The Civil War Monument Movement in Texas. The Travis Park monument is one of the state’s oldest. The Daughters of the Confederacy, a group of women descended from Confederate veterans, funded its construction. The group commissioned Virginia Montgomery, a New Orleans artist, to design the monument, which was built by Frank Teich, a local

The statue of Colonel William Barret Travis in the downtown SA park named after him and a rendering (inset) of a proposed addition.

stonecutter and sculptor who emigrated from Germany. It was unveiled on April 28, 1900. Salas said the statue should be removed from Travis Park and placed in a museum. “As it stands now it’s only giving one side of the story. Its mere presence is an erasure of history,” Salas said. The removal idea has support from some local decisionmakers, including County Commissioner Tommy Calvert. Salas suggested replacing the statue with one of Benjamin Lundy, an antislavery advocate who suggested establishing colonies of free blacks in Texas in the 1830s. On that front, he’ll get no backing from John McCammon, the commander of the 6th Brigade of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group of descendants of Confederate soldiers. McCammon is also the president of the Confederate Cemetery on the city’s East Side. McCammon traces his Confederate roots back to his great-great-grandfather, J.W. Golden, an Alabama native who died during the Battle of Vicksburg. Golden was buried in an unmarked grave near the battlefield. McCammon supports the monument remaining as is. He said that those who advocate its removal “are lacking in historical knowledge.” He called targeting Confederate monuments and memorials for removal “pure hypocrisy,” noting that San Antonio’s Spanish missions – which recently earned World Heritage status from the United Nations – enslaved American Indians for hundreds of years. He also cited monuments of President Abraham Lincoln, who abhorred slavery but held racist views common to the era.

“It’s a very selected process that’s going on around the country,” McCammon lamented. “We can’t judge our past, our ancestors … with 21st century eyes when people had totally different values.” Instead of tearing the statue down or leaving it untouched, Councilmember Roberto Treviño, an architect by trade, proposed a third option: keep the monument in place but give it some neighbors – plaques commemorating civil rights leaders. “The most important treasure we have in San Antonio is our history, good or bad,” Treviño, an architect, told the Current. “When there were calls to remove the monument … I realized that while it doesn’t represent a good part of our history, it is part of our history. I thought maybe there was another way.” A less confrontational, more inclusive way. “My thought is rather than remove history from that park, provide more context,” Treviño said. It’s just an idea, but one he hopes to bring before the full council soon. One of his main allies in the effort is Councilmember Alan Warrick, who called for the city’s ongoing inventory of Confederate monuments and flags in public places. Treviño and Warrick will pitch the idea to several of the city’s business leaders in the next few weeks to help foot the bill. Treviño is also talking with local artists about the plaques’ design and construction. A positive step, but simply not enough for activists like Salas. “It’s disgraceful if that’s all they’re willing to do,” he said. mmarks@sacurrent.com sacurrent.com • September 2– 8, 2015 • CURRENT 13

WED

Motörhead MUSIC

In the wake of the hard-rock smorgasbord that was the ’70s and ’80s, Motörhead stood out by infiltrating punk by ways of heavy metal. Pioneers of speed metal, the band utilized bluesy guitar riffs and quick punk beats to craft a sound that transcended genres. Although best known for the timeless single “Ace of Spades,” Motörhead has consistently released new material over the past four decades. The band has managed to reach a new generation of listeners via video game and WWE soundtracks, but Lemmy and co. continue to tour, melting faces and prompting mosh pits along the way. $39.50-$55, 8pm, Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Erik Casarez

14 CURRENT • September 2– 8, 2015 • sacurrent.com

THU

‘The Thin Line’ ART

Sometimes, in our quest to grasp large concepts and comfort ourselves with feelings of wholeness, we overlook the vast importance of the individual parts that contribute to a whole. “The Thin Line,” a new exhibition at Cinnabar, focuses on excavating and exploring the line, which is the fundamental visual element, the beginning of all of our visual discernment. The exhibit, curated by Pamela Auchincloss (founder of the eclectic curatorial collective Eleven+), features the work of seven female artists who explore the basic line and its infinite possibilities. Free, 6:30-9pm, Cinnabar, 1420 S. Alamo St., Suite 147, (210) 557-6073, cinnabarart.com. — James Courtney

THU

‘Resymbol’ ART

Public Art San Antonio’s initiative X Marks The Art aims to “activate underutilized and vacant downtown properties by introducing new, creative, dynamic installations and artistic happenings.” Exemplified by 2014’s “Redrawing the City,” these creative interventions can blur lines between art installations and accidentally brilliant window displays. Uniting eight local talents (including Ricky Armendariz, Elizabeth Carrington and Robert Tatum), “Resymbol” takes shape in a public preview before it’s dispersed into the downtown landscape. Free, 5-7pm, Culture Commons Storefront Gallery & Exhibit Hall, 115 Plaza de Armas, (210) 207-6960, getcreativesanantonio.com. — Bryan Rindfuss

SAT-TUE

5-8

‘28 Chinese’ ART

Launched in 1960s-era New York on a budget of $25 per month, The Rubell Family Collection is now among the largest privately-owned contemporary art collections in the world. Between 2001 and 2012, the Rubells conducted 100-plus studio visits in China, buying works by 28 artists. Encompassing everything from a twolegged table by Ai Weiwei to a 50-foot paper and bamboo “boat” (pictured) by Zhu Jinshi, the resulting bounty comes to light in a SAMA exhibition that “asks us to question any preconceived ideas about what art from China looks like.” $15-$20, 10am-5pm Sat-Sun, 10am9pm Tue, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org. — BR

SAT

Dirty Nerdy BURLESQUE

It’s time to hit the books and dust off your spectacles because the long dog days of summer are (almost) over. In true back-to-school fashion, the Pastie Pops are geeking out for Dirty Nerdy, a one-night-only homage to all your dorkiest pleasures. Ranging from “nerdlesque” and boylesque to drag and cheeky comedy skits, the evening showcases troupe members Jasper St. James, Betty Cash, Mary Annette and Paige MeLater alongside Tifa Tittlywinks (Houston), Ginger Snaps (Austin), Zaftigg Von BonBon (Austin) and the Alamo City’s own Kristi Lopez. $10$40, 9pm, The Uptown Studio, 700 Fredericksburg Rd., (210) 387-1617, facebook.com/pastiepops. — Murphi Cook

SUN

Simplemente Lara THEATER

A decade ago, writer and performer José Rubén De León first experimented with an intimate tribute concept combining music with narrative. For one day only, De León revisits the fruits of this experiment with an anniversary performance of Simplemente Lara. The piece showcases the music of Mexico’s Golden Age through the life of Agustín Lara, a prolific composer who, though disfigured by a jilted lover, still managed to woo women with his repertoire of nearly 700 songs. The evening features father/son jazz duo George Prado and Dr. Aaron Ellington Prado, accompanied by a string quartet. $20, 3pm, Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry St., (210) 207-2234, thecarver.org. — MC

SUN

Échale! Latino Music Estyles MUSIC

Sadly rained out on Memorial Day, Échale! resurfaces on Sunday with its eclectic summer lineup thankfully intact. After a slight reinvention last year as a block party, the kid-friendly concert series returns to its riverfront digs at Pearl with a triple bill combining Houston’s 10-piece “Gulf Coast soul” ensemble The Suffers (fronted by powerhouse vocalist Kam Franklin), Venezuelan “supergroup” Los Crema Paraiso and San Anto’s beloved barrio big band Bombasta. The free shindig kicks off with beats from the all-female Chulita Vinyl Club and also features varied vendors and concessions. Free, 6-10pm, Pearl Amphitheater, 100 E. Grayson St., (210) 212-7260, pearlechale.com. — BR

SUN

Mötley Crüe MUSIC

Few bands epitomize the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll mantra as vividly as Mötley Crüe. The hair-metal legends swashbuckled their way through the ’80s before diving into a decade-long hangover — only to be resurrected in today’s nostalgia-crazed era. While their lifestyle often overshadowed their glammed-up metal, the boys cut their teeth on Mick Mars’ iconic guitar riffs and Vince Neil’s shrieking vocals. Synonymous with every aspect of hair metal (from the fist-pumping anthem “Shout at the Devil” to monster ballad “Home Sweet Home”), Mötley Crüe lands in SA as part of its alleged “Final Tour.” $69.50-$125, 7pm, Alamodome, 100 Montana St., (210) 207-3663, alamodome.com. — EC

sacurrent.com • September 2– 8, 2015 • CURRENT 15

CALENDAR

THU-FRI

3-4

‘Narrative Axis’

FRI-SUN

Art

Art opening: “Blurred Lines” Featuring

both traditional and non-traditional works by photographers Jenelle Esparza, Joan Fredrick, Justin Parr and Ray Santisteban, R Gallery’s Fotoseptiembre offering opens with a First Friday reception with live music by Scorpio Rising and Chandalero and His Carmelita. Free, 6-11pm Friday; R Gallery, 725 South Presa St., (210) 862-8875.

Art opening: “Element | Aspect – A Photographic Exploration Of Structure As Subject” In conjunction with

Fotoseptiembre, students attending SAY Sí train their lenses on architecture in an effort to personally connect with nonhuman subjects via panoramic and pinhole photography. Free, 6-9pm Friday; SAY Sí, 1518 S. Alamo St., (210) 212-8666.

Art opening: “Lunar Calendars”

Comprised of vibrant, multi-layered depictions of the moon (a sampling of which can be seen on our cover), Tom Turner’s Fotoseptiembre solo show “Lunar Calendars” explores “the fracturing of our perception of color as a fixed entity and how time alters our understanding of the landscape.” Free, 7-10pm Thursday-Friday; Hello Studio, 1420 S. Alamo St., Suite 106, (512) 569-8134.

Art opening: “México, Memoria Desde El Aire” Jake Pacheco curates

a Fotoseptiembre exhibit depicting the natural and architectural evolution of Mexico courtesy of the archives of El Fondo Aerofotográfico. Free, 6:30pm Thursday; UNAM San Antonio, 600 Hemisfair Plaza

16 CURRENT • September 2– 8, 2015 • sacurrent.com

Way, Building 333, (210) 222-8626.

Art opening: “Somos San Antonio: If Gardens Could Talk…” The 2015 edition

of Villa Finale’s Fotoseptiembre community series “Somos San Antonio” tasked photographers with capturing gardens or garden elements that “spoke to them.” The outdoor exhibit and “garden social” features live music by Jorge and Nicole Rosales, complimentary beverages and concessions available for purchase from The Hot Box food truck. Free, 5:30-7:30pm Thursday; Villa Finale Museum & Gardens, 401 King William St., (210) 223-9800.

Art opening: “The Uncertainty Of A Life In Security – Veterans Back Home”

Co-curated by Scott A. Sherer and Marissa Del Toro, “The Uncertainty Of A Life In Security” pairs Giuseppe Pellicano (Portland) and Erin Trieb (Austin) in a Fotoseptiembre show examining security as it “extends unevenly from the promise of military expertise to the complex lives of veterans and their families back home.” Free, 6-8pm Wednesday; UTSA Art Gallery, One UTSA Circle, (210) 458-4391.

Theater

Boeing, Boeing The Vex’s 2015-2016

season takes flight with Boeing, Boeing, a classic bedroom farce that inspired a film adaptation billed as “the big comedy of nineteen-sexty-sex.” Revived in 2008 with its mod look and swinging ’60s sensibility firmly in tact, the Tony-winning sex comedy is tame by today’s standards, albeit guilty of a few stereotypes embodied by a rotating

4-6

Renaissance on the River

William Shakespeare’s influence, over the centuries since his life and death, cannot possibly be overstated. His contributions to the stage, the page and the English language itself are multifaceted and unparalleled, making him perhaps the most important writer in the history of the world. This weekend, folks of all ages are invited to experience the magic of the Bard at La Villita, which will be transformed into a family-friendly, renaissance fair-style environment. Think of it as a Shakespearefocused variety show. The special incarnation of Shakespeare in the Park will feature movie screenings of The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, performances of A Winter’s Tale and the wildly successful comedy The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged!) and a special presentation of Hello, Shakespeare! by The Magik Theatre Young Players. Also featured on the grounds will be falconry, noble combat games, food, drinks, magic shows, crafts, music and games. Details, reservations and schedule information are available at the website below or by phone. Free, 5-11pm Fri, 1-11pm Sat-Sun, La Villita, 418 Villita St., (210) 227-2751, magiktheatre.org. — James Courtney trio of “air hostesses” The New York Times summed up as “the take-charge, healthobsessed American; the sentimental, lusty Italian; and, most hilariously, the dominating but thin-skinned German.” $16-$22, 7:30pm Thursday, 8pm Saturday, 2:30pm Sunday; Sheldon Vexler Theatre, 12500 NW Military Hwy., (210) 302-6835.

West Side Story Inspired by Shakespeare’s

Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story tells the tragic story of Maria and Tony, two teens from enemy gangs in 1950s-era Manhattan. Early drafts of the script explored a conflict between families (one Irish Catholic, one Jewish) on the Lower East Side; amid rising gang violence, the creators set the play on the Upper West Side to focus on turf wars between Puerto Ricans and whites. Christopher Rodriguez directs the Woodlawn’s production. $17-$26, 7:30pm Friday-Saturday, 3pm Sunday; Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Rd., (210) 267-8388.

Special Events

The Magicians Agency Over the past two

decades, UK native Scott Pepper’s finetuned his signature blend of magic, illusions and comedy in venues across Europe and aboard many a Disney Cruise Line. The touring entertainer’s latest combines sleight of hand tricks, daring escapes and audience participation in a kid-friendly spectacle surrounding a secret society of magicians who use their skills “to take on dangerous missions and make the world a safer place.” $10-$15, 7pm Saturday- Sunday, Magik Theatre, 420 S. Alamo St., (210) 227-2751.

The Price is Right Live! The Tobin invites

contestants to “come on down” for the first of three interactive stage shows complete with classic TPIR games and prizes, such as appliances, vacations and possibly a new car. $26-$44, 8pm Tuesday; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624.

Talks Plus

New American “Internment Camps”: A Closer Look at “Family Detention”

Formerly incarcerated Japanese Americans, lawyers, activists, children and mothers come together for a free conference at OLLU looking at issues (including reports of medical abuses, inadequate education, limited access to legal counsel and mistreatment) surrounding family detention centers. Free with RSVP at raicestexas.org, 10am-4pm Saturday; Chapel Auditorium, Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 SW 24th St., (210) 432-0838.

BETH GRAHAM

With Fotoseptiembre filling SA’s galleries and art spaces with photography in all flavors, Blue Star Contemporary trains its lens on an older form of expression through a first-time collaboration with The Drawing Center. Founded in ‘70s-era SoHo by curator Martha Beck, the New York City institution celebrates drawing as “primary, dynamic, and relevant to contemporary culture, the future of art, and creative thought.” Inspired by a two-year program that encourages artists to “find new approaches for contextualizing and exhibiting their work,” BSCAM’s “Narrative Axis” brings together eight of The Drawing Center’s selected artists, including SA’s own Joey Fauerso, who heads the drawing program at Texas State University and is cited as a “major force behind this collaboration.” Opening in tandem with New York-based sculptor Jeffrey Brosk’s solo show “Territory” and the Mosaic Student Artist Program’s sci-fi-inspired “Xeno,” the exhibition invites creative participation via a pop-up “Drawing Lab” complete with alternative materials and artist-led activities. Free, 6-9pm Thu, noon-9 pm Fri, Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum, 116 Blue Star, (210) 227-6960, bluestarart.org. — Bryan Rindfuss

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sacurrent.com • September 2– 8, 2015 • CURRENT 17

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ARTS + CULTURE

Fotoseptiembre’s 20th Anniversary Showcases SA’s Top Photographers

eye

good 18 CURRENT • September 2– 8, 2015 • sacurrent.com

ARTS + CULTURE

Director Of SA’s Premier Photography Fest Takes Us Behind The Scenes JAMES COURTHNEY

For 20 years, Fotoseptiembre, through its various incarnations, has been a bright spot in San Antonio arts, exhibiting photographic work from a geographically and aesthetically diverse cast of photographers. As we get set to once again enjoy the fruits of this homegrown festival of all things visual — now with a true international reach — the San Antonio Current caught up with Fotoseptiembre founder and festival director Michael Mehl to talk shop. What was the initial spark that created Fotoseptiembre? Being an exhibiting artist myself, it was always frustrating to go through the whole production process and expense of putting together an exhibit, only to find that when the exhibit was over there was no contextual record of it, no legacy, no contextual archive. In terms of legacy and archive, you have to consider that when we started in 1995, the internet was not what it is today and having a website was not immediately accessible to most folks. That meant we had to produce physical catalogs every year. Even though we implemented our website in 2002, we were still printing catalogs until, I believe, 2010. Back then, we were one of maybe a dozen annual festivals worldwide. And considering the festival context of the time, where it was important to be selective and exclusive (norms that for the most part still prevail today), I wanted to produce an eclectic, inclusive festival, open to everyone (so long as they followed our guidelines). Tell me about what you see as the value of photography/photo manipulation work. In what ways do you think this kind of work, which essentially can present an altered reality to viewers, is enriching or important? Reality is always subjective. There is never a neutral point of view, especially now, when every aspect of our daily lives has become politicized and everyone thinks their politics — and by extension, their aesthetic — is better than yours. The purported objectivity of traditional documentary photography has always been blown way out of proportion by interested parties. Every photographic image you have seen has been finessed to a certain point, either by making minor adjustments to lighting and tone or by the settings on a camera or the lens chosen for the photo. And even the basic subject matter a photographer chooses to focus on. Personally, I have never been a purist and as a festival director, it is impossible to be a purist. You risk anachronizing yourself out of relevance by upholding rigid

CHANG CHAOTANG

IN FOCUS

views on anything. Photography and the digital iterations of photography are equally legitimate vehicles of artistic selfexpression as any other art form. Whether art is ultimately enriching or important is a discussion I prefer to leave for academics. Can you sum up the trajectory of Fotoseptiembre’s growth and reach? In the beginning, like every immature newbie, we thought size was important. We did not actively search for the growth, it just happened organically because artists wanted a festival context in which to exhibit their work. And we were proud of that growth. Still are. But the fact of the matter is that all along, we wanted a localized festival/platform because that’s what makes sense if you want to cultivate a unique identity and a community appreciation for the festival. There can be no real ownership if it is spread out all over the place. So once we figured that out, we Fotoseptiembre 2015 director Michael Mehl reflects on the festival’s 20th anniversary. gradually brought it back down to its current size. Thirty to 40 exhibits join a party already in progress. is what we find best for an annual festival within the San By any of these standards, it’s practically useless to Antonio/Hill Country metro area. explain trademark ownership, copyrights and intellectual property rights. It seems like once the festival kicks into full swing, we see a lot of “unofficial” shows using the In terms of organization, is there a team working heading Fotoseptiembre but they’re not actually together or is Fotoseptiembre more of a oneunder the festival umbrella. Do local artists and man operation? galleries just not understand the process of There are three of us on a regular basis: myself, the submitting shows and work to the festival? original hack; my wife Ann, quality control; and Paul My answer is probably going to get me in hot water, but Vaughn, our chief technologist. As I mentioned, because there’s no escaping the facts. This is a problem unique of our website, we are more of a platform than a festival. and exclusive to San Antonio; I have not encountered We are a technology service company with a focus this anywhere else. Many factors come into play. In no on presenting photographic images. In that context, particular order, there’s a sense that things just happen Paul manages the server side of our presence and our here, for the general good, like it’s all heaven-sent. There’s Facebook site, I manage the content and client side and a lack of understanding about what it takes to put together Ann keeps it all in check. something like Fotoseptiembre, year after year. There are Plus I do most of the curating. educational problems, there are motivational problems and there are serious problems with professionalism. There’s almost always some sort of nude (or at Our registration process is very simple. All it requires is least risqué) component to Fotoseptiembre. Is that being able to read and write, make a deadline and send a intentional or accidental? check for $100. Both. We used to have free listings, to allow for those with economic hardship to join the festival. Turns out, since there Any plans to significantly expand the event in the was no skin in the game, people could flake out at the last future? With that, what are your ultimate hopes for minute, leaving us with egg on our face when our public its legacy? would show up at a posted opening reception only to find a As I mentioned before, expanding is neither important closed door. And this was not just the smaller players. nor desirable. Every year, our goal is the same: Adapt to Some are new to town or unaware but many of the changing circumstances and maintain relevancy. folks you mention are freeloaders not capable of taking initiatives, of self-discipline, or doing anything other than CONTINUED ON PAGE 21 ►

sacurrent.com • September 2– 8, 2015 • CURRENT 19

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ARTS + CULTURE

PICTURE THIS What To See? Where To Go? Our Fotoseptiembre Picks

3. MURPHI COOK & JAMES COURTNEY

1. ◄ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

JAY GOULD, JAIME E. JOHNSON, JOHN WILLIAM KEEDY, HEATHER STRATTON AND MELANIE WALKER

role as visual arts director at Providence Catholic School, teaching students in the same art of darkroom photography that she holds at the core of her vision.

“Performance Contained – The Camera As Audience” Libby Rowe curates an accomplished group of photographers at Terminal 136, UTSA’s relatively new off-campus gallery: Jay Gould and Heather Stratton from Maryland, Jaime E. Johnson (Mississippi), John William Keedy (San Antonio) and Melanie Walker (Colorado). The thread that binds these artists is their emphasis on “the power of still imagery to infer a time-based event.” Using character and scene, the images on display capture performative moments, leaving the viewer with necessary clues to piece together the full story. From an investigation of the natural world with Johnson’s chronicling of a feral woman, to Gould’s interest in integrating the scientific into photographic and Keedy’s exploration of personal identity and normalcy, visitors can expect a wide variety of subject matter and execution in this impressive group exhibit.

Opening Reception: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, September 5, REM Gallery, 219 E. Park Ave., remgallery.com.

Opening reception: 6-9 p.m. Thursday, September 3, Terminal 136, 136 Blue Star, art.utsa.edu.

TESS MARTINEZ “Nothing Behind/Everything Ahead/As Is Ever So” After several successful solo shows at REM Gallery during past festivals, UK-born and San Antonio-based Tess Martinez may be a familiar face at Fotoseptiembre, but this year her focus is on “anonymity and ambiguity.” Her latest work on display, “Nothing Behind/ Everything Ahead/As Is Ever So” turns her sitters away from the lens in a series of faceless portraits, leaving viewers to make assumptions about her subjects solely by the spaces they inhabit. Each of the images is developed from a traditional silver gelatin darkroom process as part of a long-standing fascination with traditional photographic technique. Since 2010, she’s shared this passion for tangible film handling with girls across San Antonio in her

CECILIA PAREDES “The Wandering Flight” Internationally renowned artist Cecilia Paredes is known for blending in. Using paint and fabric to carefully camouflage her body against wallpaper backdrops, her “photo performances” make the viewer question where identity ends and environment begins. In “The Wandering Flight,” Paredes’ photographs tell the tale of a dream of flying; yet, as in her work before, her character’s body fades into the surroundings, inhabiting “a perfect symbiotic realm.” Born in Lima, Peru, the (currently) Philadelphia-based artist has called many countries home thanks to her marriage to a United Nations officer. Her work reflects this ever-present sense of relocation: “I would arrive somewhere and then I would have to leave. This was very much the story of my life. You would try to blend in to the landscape and make of yourself this background.”

in various states of dilapidation, majesty and transition, will be displayed in a Fotoseptiembre exhibition entitled “Under Construction: Havana 2015.” Described by Kegley as “heartbreakingly beautiful,” the photo essay of sorts exposes the rushed facelift that many countries haphazardly undergo when the U.S. decides to court them. As such, the exhibition is filled with a tension between old and new, global and local, rich and poor and, of course, joy and pain. Opening Reception: 7 p.m. Thursday, September 10, Dorcol Distilling Company, 1902 S Flores St., dorcolspirits.com.

Opening Reception: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, September 3, Ruiz-Healy Art, 201-A E. Olmos Dr., ruizhealyart.com.

TAMI KEGLEY AND PAGE GRAHAM “Under Construction: Havana 2015” Few American citizens have been to Cuba. However, with recent shifts in national attitudes and U.S. foreign policy towards the longtime pariah of the Caribbean, that may soon change. Two San Antonio art journalists, Tami Kegley and Page Graham, recently got the opportunity to visit the island nation’s capital, Havana, on the occasion of the 12th Havana Biennial art exhibition. Their work, which depicts not only art but also a city

HARVEY WANG AND ANTHONY FRANCIS “From Darkroom to Daylight” and “Real Lyric” Southwest School of Art hosts two prominent photographers in honor of Fotoseptiembre: San Francisco artist Anthony Francis and Brooklyn artist Harvey Wang. Featured in the Ursuline Hall Gallery, Francis’ “Real Lyric” is an intimate and poetic interrogation of the social self presented in everyday life that “considers the influence of all those we have met upon who we are and how we selfreflect in these relationships.” Over on the Navarro Campus, Harvey Wang’s silver gelatin prints of prominent figures in photography will be hung in the San Antonio Express-News Photography Gallery. Wang photographed each portrait in the series during the filming of From Darkroom to Daylight, a study of his relationship to the darkroom in an increasingly digital room. A special screening of the documentary will be held September 29. Opening reception: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, September 10; Wang’s Texas Film premiere: 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 29. Southwest School of Art, 1201 Navarro St., swschool.org. CONTINUED ON PAGE 23 ►

sacurrent.com • September 2 - 8, 2015 • CURRENT 21

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ARTS + CULTURE

7. 6.

10. ◄ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

SCOTT MUELLER “Alternative Processes” Like a dream, Scott Mueller’s photographs exist within an uncanny plane of our waking reality, nostalgic and haunted, a world we almost recognize. Known for his mammoth 20x24 Polaroid camera and his use of alternative photography techniques, the San Antonio fine art photographer “explores the boundaries of the photographic image including its manipulation and its effects on our assumptions of what a photograph means to us.” His current techniques include infrared imagery shot in the Atchafalaya Swamp Basin and Gumoil printing, a process that combines oil paint and the image. Each piece is a carefully planned fusion of historic photographic process and rapidly advancing digital technology, begging the curious viewer to contemplate this alternate reality. Brian St. John curates the exhibition.

Opening reception: 7-11 p.m. Saturday, September 12, S.M.A.R.T. Project Space, 1906 S. Flores St., 1906gallery.com.

Opening reception: 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday, September 10, Louis J. Blume Library Gallery, St. Mary’s University, One Camino Santa Maria, lib.stmarytx.edu.

Focusing on flatness and space, Kitchen plays with his viewers’ perceptions by stripping the subjects of their dimension, creating a new universe through his carefully placed framework.

CHARLIE KITCHEN “Standard View” In a world of Instagram filters, Charlie Kitchen stands, 4x5 camera in hand, a hero of analog. A recent graduate of Texas State University, the San Antonio photographer explores the possibilities afforded by the traditional medium with his physical manipulation of the photographic process. Kitchen masks large format film inside his camera so that the image may be “treated as a space in which structures and landscapes can be designed and constructed using the photographic referent.” S.M.A.R.T. Project Space, in its ongoing effort to promote emerging and local talent, hosts Kitchen’s new series, “Standard View.”

BANK AND JOHN LANGMORE “The Cowboy Returns” Back in the 1970s, Bank Langmore left his corporate career to photograph the cowboys of the American West. Family in tow, Bank set out for the greatest ranches in the country, developing images that would later become The Cowboy, a book long-considered to be the seminal work on the subject. Four decades later, his son, John Langmore, takes the reins of the family tradition. After spending many youthful summers “cowboying” on the same ranches his father photographed, John returned to the ranch life to produce his own study from 2012 to 2015. The result is a father/son collaboration of over 100 black and white and color prints. In its first original exhibition, the Briscoe Western Art Museum “gives us a rare glimpse behind the veneer of this robust American hero — we see what happens in the off hours and share in the struggles and triumphs of daily existence on the great frontier.”

Gallery invites you to ponder this dichotomy. Featuring work from 12 national artists, the exhibit provides unusual and poetic perspectives on the way that humans leave our mark on the natural spaces we manipulate and inhabit. With these works, devoid of any actual human presence, we are forced to consider the legacy left by our interventions in the natural world. As you might expect, the overall effect is sobering, but also leaves room for the sheer aesthetic enjoyment of these deceptively gorgeous images. Opening reception: 7 p.m. Friday, September 11, Clamp Light Artist Studios and Gallery, 1704 Blanco Rd., Suite 104, clamplightstudios.blogspot.com.

Opens Saturday, September 12, Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., briscoemuseum.org.

TOM TURNER (curator) “The Altered Landscape” Human beings are beautiful and disgusting creatures. When examined at macro and micro levels, our relationship with the planet we live on reflects this paradox in striking ways. In a brilliant and haunting new group exhibition entitled “The Altered Landscape,” Clamp Light Artist Studios and

WENDY BOWMAN AND THOMAS DODD

“The Magically Surreal and the Beautifully Real” Provocative and even jarring juxtaposition is the name of the game for “The Magically Surreal and the Beautifully Real,” AnArte Gallery’s Fotoseptiembre 2015 show. The exhibit pairs the realistic and often unsettling urban photography/portraiture of SA-born, NYC artist/ photographer Wendy Bowman with the whimsical and mystical works of Atlanta’s Thomas Dodd. While Bowman’s work often depicts its subjects against stark and unfeeling labyrinths of steel and concrete, Dodd’s work seeks, in a magical-realistic style, to bring subjects’ inner illuminations and dreams to the forefront. Taken together, the works of these two artists and photographers represent the sublime tension of modern life, between private utopias and the indifferent abyss of the public. While neither Dodd nor Bowman offer linear narratives, both call us to rewarding meditations on the nature of the real and our place within it. Opening reception: 6 p.m. Thursday, September 17, AnArte Gallery, 7959 Broadway, Suite 404, anartegallery09.com. sacurrent.com • September 2 - 8, 2015 • CURRENT 23

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ARTS + CULTURE

BUILDING BRIDGES

Indian Curator Devanshi Agarwal Teams Up With Lone Star Art Alliance BRYAN RINDFUSS/@BRYANRINDFUSS

Tell me a little about the Alliance. [It’s] an artist-run organization with the mission of creating a cultural arts bridge between Texas and other countries. And the focus as of now will be India ... By initiating exhibitions, artist residencies, workshops, etc., the Alliance intends to create a network for international artists to come to Texas [and] for Texas artists to go abroad. What can you share in terms of how Texas art would be appreciated in India? When the “Texas!” exhibition happened in India, we were a little skeptical about how people would react ... but people were really welcoming ... In India our lifestyle is very different in comparison to Texas, which leads us to make art which is very different ... [For example] Mumbaibased artist Jitish Kallat does a lot of work which includes street children [who are] pushed toward child labor. Through his work he addresses these

BRYAN RINDFUSS

After stepping down as executive director of Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum in 2013, Bill FitzGibbons started channeling his interest in “creating a dialog between international artists and San Antonio artists” into “Texas!” — an exhibition that showcased 13 Texas artists at the National Academy of Art in New Delhi, India, and later sparked the formation of the Lone Star Art Alliance. Still in its nascent stages, the Alliance is now in the process of developing a project with San Antonio’s sister city of Chennai. Helping facilitate this collaboration is curator Devanshi Agarwal, who works in New Delhi as a consultant for the Crow Collection of Asian Arts, a Dallas museum already invested in a cross-cultural conversation between Texas and India. We sat down for a chat with Agarwal this summer at FitzGibbons’ studio.

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issues, which is what he believes he should be doing as an artist. Through this artist exchange, we will be giving artists the opportunity to look at a different part of the world, which will help them understand and see other lifestyles and surroundings. Is there a central hub for contemporary art in India? Delhi and Mumbai are the number one places, but if you want to see really good art, it’s even in Calcutta ... And in Bangalore, the art scene is just starting, which is a very interesting thing to see ... The students are participating in organizing art events ... very interesting projects where upcoming artists, curators, art dealers, buyers, they can all participate in it. How can artists submit work to be considered or get involved? By the end of this year, we want to be ready with our website and ready with our first proposal ... I will be going to Chennai as well to start the sister city dialogue with them and see what the reaction is. brindfuss@sacurrent.com

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SCREENS

From left: Samuel Jackson, Cate Blanchett and Idris Elba all play banner roles in new films coming out in the next six months.

PRESTIGE SEASON

DANIEL BARNES

A Look Forward To The Most Promising Films Of 2015 As summer turns into autumn and autumn into winter, our cinematic thoughts increasingly turn away from the base pleasures of superheroes and hitmen and toward the more austere pleasures of Hollywood’s prestige season. We waded through the release schedule and selected the five most hotly anticipated movies to come, as well as five favorite films of the year to date. The Hateful Eight I tend to base these picks on the directors that I trust the most to deliver something unique and interesting. The always intriguing Quentin Tarantino returns with this long-gestating blend of Sergio Leone western and Agatha Christie murder mystery and while the details sound juicy — Eight bloodthirsty strangers! A snowed-in cabin! Revenge! Jennifer Jason Leigh! Murder! Jennifer Jason Leigh! — the truth is that Tarantino could be making Paul Blart: Mall Cop 3 and I would still be losing my shit right now. Opening Christmas in select cities; wide release January 8. Carol The first theatrical feature from writer-director Todd Haynes since his 2007 magnum opus I’m Not There would be cause for celebration under any circumstances. It gets even juicier when you consider that Carol stars awards magnet/perfect human Cate Blanchett (and yet it was her co-star Rooney Mara who came away with an acting award when the film premiered at Cannes). Adapted from a Patricia Highsmith novel, Carol appears to place Haynes back in his Far from Heaven comfort zone, as it follows the illicit love affair of a closeted lesbian couple in 1950s New York. Opening November 20 in select cities. Crimson Peak In his first film since Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro directs Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska as secretive lovers haunted by an unsettled past, tormented by the ice-eyed and indomitable Jessica Chastain. While 28 CURRENT • September 2– 8, 2015 • sacurrent.com

I would be perfectly content if del Toro churned out Pacific Rim sequels until the sun refused to shine, the trailer for this film looks amazing and there’s no denying that the man excels at haunted house tales. His previous efforts The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth have already set a high ceiling for Crimson Peak. Opening October 16. Beasts of No Nation After Nic Pizzolato’s hate-watched True Detective Season 2 solo effort crapped HBO’s bed, his estranged season one collaborator Cary Joji Fukunaga (Sin Nombre) gets a chance to rub his nose in it with this highly-anticipated Netflix production. The film offers a meaty, awards-baiting role to Idris Elba, who officially reached “Good in Everything” status after transcending the debacles of No Good Deed and The Gunman. Here, he plays a warlord who enlists child soldiers to fight in the civil war of an unnamed African country. Opening in select cities; premieres on Netflix October 16. The Walk While I’m not certain that the sublime 2008 documentary Man on Wire actually needs a 3D movie adaptation, they couldn’t have cast a better actor for the role of puckish tightrope walker Philippe Petit than the lithe and likeable Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The French daredevil Petit dreamed of walking a tightrope slung between the Twin Towers. In 1974, he instigated a dangerous, illegal and heist-like scheme of espionage and trespassing, all in the service of whimsy and magic. It helps that director Robert Zemeckis knows better than anyone how to commingle groundbreaking special effects with complicated characterizations and story beats. Opening September 30 in select cities; wide release October 9. Five more to look for: Bridge of Spies, MacBeth, The Martian, Sicario and Snowden.

TOP FIVE FILMS OF 2015 SO FAR The Duke of Burgundy This luxurious and beguiling love story ostensibly follows two women living in a dominant/submissive relationship, but writerdirector Peter Strickland confounds notions of roleplay and power in almost every scene. Mad Max: Fury Road After years of wasting his time on motioncaptured singing penguins, George Miller triumphantly returns to the Mad Maxverse, delivering a relentless action ballet choreographed in fire and metal. Listen to Me Marlon Marlon Brando, in his own words, reflects on his unusual life and how it shaped him as an actor and public figure — hypnotic and stunning. It Follows – One of the best horror films of the millennium, an unsettling and nightmarishly lucid expression of sexual paranoia, akin to Texas Chainsaw Massacreera Tobe Hooper helming Under the Skin. Mistress America – A charming and acridly hilarious hipster screwball comedy from Noah Baumbach, with a towering performance by Greta Gerwig. Five more from 2015 to seek out: The Look of Silence, Wild Tales, Timbuktu, Far from the Madding Crowd and Gett: The Trial of Viviane Ansalem.

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The San Antonio Current binged on a mini-marathon of episodes and clips last week to review the kind of competition current late-night talk show hosts will offer once The Late Show with Stephen Colbert hits the small screen on September 8. Here’s what we found:

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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Fallon’s show is the most approachable. Though containing his trademark enthusiasm, the monologue is toothless and his comedy bits are rooted in social media and pop culture. Fallon’s demographic skews younger and is predicated on his ability to go viral. In that sense, Fallon is kind of brilliant. His ability to get celebrities to do ridiculous things, mostly through games, helps create memorable and shareable moments. Whether it’s Tom Cruise smashing eggs on his head for the always great “Egg Russian Roulette,” or a “Lip Sync Battle” with Emma Stone (over 58 million hits on YouTube), Fallon’s ability to bring the best out of guests is largely why he leads the pack, even if his humor is milquetoast. Conan Though his finest days were behind him once he left the absurdist confines of Late Night, O’Brien is still capable of solid TV. His monologue is tops, not only on the strength of the jokes that work, but also his classic selfdeprecation on the jokes that fall flat. O’Brien’s interviewing has become his weakest asset, feeling slightly routine and reliant on the pre-interview card. The real joy of O’Brien comes with watching pre-taped segments. His “Clueless Gamer” pieces, along with things like his Lyft ride with Ice Cube

Colbert doing his thing in D.C. in 2010.

and Kevin Hart and anything involving him and producer Jordan Schlansky highlight O’Brien as the wittiest, sharpest, most naturally funny host. Jimmy Kimmel Live! Kimmel’s style of humor is based around his (mostly) good-natured messing with others. His segments rely heavily on searching LA streets and asking people deeply personal questions or about things that don’t exist, like in the prominent “Lie Witness News.” Kimmel also sources prank videos from viewers, often involving parents and their kids. His monologue is average, though less sprawling in topics than others. Like Fallon, Kimmel features celebrity games for tomfoolery and segments that are proven winners, such as “Mean Tweets,” and perhaps the most consistently fantastic recurring bit in late-night television, “This Week in Unnecessary Censorship.” Where does Colbert fit in? With the majority of his writers migrating from The Colbert Report, it would be disappointing if Colbert didn’t have the best monologue on TV. Colbert can also make an impact by shaking up the format. Even implementing familiar graphics-heavy joke construction could be enough to stand out. Of course, Colbert is already an immensely charismatic performer who is whipsmart, hilarious and arrives with a builtin audience. Given his pedigree, he’s got a great chance of becoming the new king of late night.

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FOOD

JESSICA ELIZARRARAS

NO SHUCKING WAY! Making Oysters Commonplace This Labor Day JESSICA ELIZARRARAS/@JESSELIZARRARAS

You’re looking for a succinct, but oddly satisfactory pop, a sound similar to that jolly burst made while blowing gum. But instead of simply pulling off the flimsy wrapper on a piece of Bubble Yum, you’re cracking open the hard shell of a bivalve mollusk. I’m talking about oysters, people, and here’s how you’re going to make them happen at home this Labor Day. Growing up on the coast meant access to fresh shrimp, octopus, squid (usually a gift from shrimper friends), but the idea of oysters didn’t entice me until the opening of John Besh’s Lüke (125 E. Houston St.), where three-tiered towers of oyster platters are common. Still, Andrew Weissman’s Sandbar Fish House & Market has been slinging oysters from across the Northeast since the early 2000s and Dry Dock Oyster Bar, where your servers are responsible for shucking your order themselves, has been adding oysters to the landscape since 1982 inside their boat-turned-restaurant. Let’s not forget the mollusk bash known as Oysterbake come Fiesta time. But the influx of oysters has taken hold of San Antonio eateries, from half-shell beauties at Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery to the charbroiled, buttery oysters found at The Cookhouse and, most recently, at Jason Dady’s latest eatery, Shuck Shack, where the chef is capitalizing on SA’s love of all things slurpy. What’s In A Season? Sticklers will tell you to avoid oysters on the half shell during months that don’t end in “r.” While that may have been true, farming techniques have made it so we can enjoy quality oysters in the heat of summer. “Some people follow that, and yes, red tide can go into effect in the summer months, but as far as private leases go, we’ve come a long way,” Blake Groomer, manager/ pirate for Groomer’s Seafood, told the San Antonio Current. Pricing should also come into consideration. If

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The Texas (left) and Casino oysters at Shuck Shack.

you’re not willing to wait until oyster season kicks off in November (and really, doesn’t a dozen of these briny treats sound amazing right now?) the price for a 30-pound sack with 80 to 100 will cost anywhere from $65 and up at Groomer’s – the price can dip into the $40 and $30 territory come cooler months. If you’re not ready to dive into a 80 of these suckers, Central Market sells Texas Gulf oysters at 79 cents each and $1.49 for Connecticut’s Blue Point oyster. Blue Band oysters, those pressure washed, which releases one of two valves in the oysters and are tied together with a blue rubber band, are a lot easier to shuck and cost only five more cents than their counterparts. Makes sure you’re buying sufficient ice to keep your oysters cold – not just cool. As Groomer warns, temperatures over 40 degrees could lead to gnarly food poisoning. If you’re going through the hassle of getting badass oysters, then great tools are in order. Ditch the butter knife in favor of a proper shucking knife (they hover around the $12.95 mark at Groomer’s, but they’re also available at Ace Mart). Handles will vary, along with tips, but find one that best suits your grip.

THE SUFFERS

Finally, John Martinez, one of two shuckers for Shuck Shack, likes to take care of his phalanges with rubber lawn gloves. Grab a pair if you’d like to decrease your chances of knicking yourself. Once you’ve procured a sack of oysters, take heed of sound advice from some of the best and busiest shuckers — the guys on the frontlines making your oyster dreams happen — in town. Shucking Safety Though the trio of shuckers/servers we found at Dry Dock when we visited is callous about it (“I’m due for a stabbing,” one joked), the likelihood of slicing your hand open is high. But there are steps that can help you avoid a trip to the ER. For Groomer, who prefers Blue Band, a handful of rolled paper napkins used as a hand guard are key. And while on the topic of keys, you’re essentially looking for a tiny nook or keyhole at the back of the oyster’s shell. Using a kitchen table or counter as leverage, stick your knife in the crevice and twist — it will require several tries. Once you’ve cracked the back, run your knife through the top of the shell to slice the interior valve, loosen the

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FOOD

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bottom and, voila! Pro-shuckers, like 22-year-old Malachi Morales, can shuck “free-hand” without the use of a table for hours on end. Morales, who joined Lüke in December 2014, didn’t always have an appreciation for mollusks. “I moved to Corpus as a kid and I used to kick these around like rocks. Now, they’re paying my bills. I never knew what kind of delicacy the oyster really was until I started working for a New Orleans restaurant,” Morales told the Current. His day includes icing down Lüke’s oyster display, cooking shrimp, snow and King crab and then manning the shucking station come happy hour – as he and chef John Russ call it, “show time.” The lean and charismatic young man keeps guests entertained and informed of what’s in stock, what oysters taste like and how he’s opening them. Downtown Tuesday usually means cracking open close to 1,000 Texas Gulf and Blue Band oysters. “When you have a good [shucker] you do your best to keep them. It’s overly demanding; it’s a bit more dangerous than being a cook,” Russ said. “Some would find it monotonous, but like Malachi was saying, if you have a service personality it’s one of the most fun and entertaining positions in a restaurant.” Morales and another a fellow shucker were able to keep San Antonio Cocktail Conference party-goers sated during this year’s Saturday night party, where they opened more than 4,500 oysters in three hours. If you’re introducing oysters to your backyard soirée (a common practice in most New Orleans homes and, if you’re lucky, you’ll usually catch Russ with an iced-down sack of oysters come winter), Morales and Russ suggest attention to detail. “If it doesn’t have a nice, big fat belly, glistening with juice … if it looks dried or like it’s been cooked, throw it away,” Russ recommended. “If it’s filled with mud, throw them away. Sometimes people find crabs in them — they’re a total delicacy and are OK to eat. The crab is using the shell as shelter,” Russ said. Oh, and make sure to double up on trash bags. “I don’t know a part of town that gets their trash picked up more than once a week,” Russ warned of the seafaring stench that usually follows. Over at Shuck Shack, John Martinez and Ignacio “Nos” Aragon shuck

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several varieties that change almost weekly. The most current selection of oysters included a “Shuckers Stash,” Wallace Bay oysters out of Nova Scotia, Conway Pearls and Cooke’s Cocktail via Prince Edwards Island, LA St. Simon via New Brunswick and Gulf Coast oysters out of Louisiana. Each comes baring its own description and prices usually range between $1.65 and $2.75 per oyster. From their bar setup, Martinez and Aragon answer questions from novice eaters and more seasoned foodies. “The biggest is whether they’ll throw up,” quipped Martinez, who worked Oysterbake while at Crabby Jacks. But they’re not just shucking for halfshell eats — Shuck Shack’s charbroiled varieties are also gaining traction and for good reason. There’s a classic Rockefeller with spinach, rich butter sauce and more. The Casino combines compound butter, chili flakes, garlic, bacon and panko breadcrumbs. The Texas variety get a dose of barbecue fat drippings and a drizzle of Shiner sauce from Two Bros. BBQ Market. They’re laborious and at times dangerous, but those briny, creamy bellies are worth a few shucking mishaps. They’re certainly not going off menus any time soon. Happy shucking. flavor@sacurrent.com

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