Mariachi Lab: Ole Edition at Pearl

Mariachi Lab at Pearl returns for a new Olé, San Antonio edition with local artists and Spanish guitarist Luis Gallo. The second annual Mariachi Lab will take place on September 16 from 1p.m. to 8p.m. in a day-long and campus-wide finale to Olé, San Antonio, Pearl’s summer-long initiative celebrating the city’s cultural connection to Spain. Mariachi Lab showcases mariachi talent from San Antonio, from youth to top-level performers, along with interactive workshops and activities for children. (Pearl, 2018)

Las Mujeres Showcase in the Pearl Stable is a ticketed event and new to this year’ s event. This headlining show will feature a collaboration between Vanessa Del Fierro of Las Coronelas and renowned Spanish guitarist Luis Gallo. Madrid-based Gallo performs on an international circuit and is one of the most acclaimed guitarists in the flamenco scene. He hails from Madrid, Spain and is well-versed in jazz, classical and flamenco genres and one of the most acclaimed guitarists in the flamenco scene. Gallo performs on an international circuit while remaining firmly rooted to his Spanish origins. His latest project – Caminos de la Guitarra (“Paths of Guitar”) – traces the historical journey of the guitar back to 15th century Spain.

Pearl is partnering with area high schools, San Antonio Mariachi Academy, Guadalupe Cultural Arts and the Consulate General of Mexico. In addition to live performances, workshops and activities, Pearl will feature vendors such as Mr. Piñata and Snake Hawk Press. Restaurants will also feature different specials that day to celebrate Olé’s finale.

Mariachi Lab performances are free and open to the public except Stable performances, which are $25 per person. Tickets for Stable performances can be purchased online.

Mariachi Lab schedule:

Amphitheatre: Youth Showcase – 1p.m. to 6p.m.
Parkito: Romanticos Showcase – 3p.m. to 6p.m.
Pearl Studio: Workshops – 2p.m. to 5p.m.
CIA Shade Structure: Rincón del Alebrijes – 1p.m. to 5p.m.
The Stable: Las Mujeres Showcase – 2p.m. to 6p.m. ($25 per person)
Pearl Park: Mariachi Main Showcase – 4p.m. to 8p.m.

Pearl Brewery
303 Pearl Parkway
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 212-7260

Music and Cocktails weekend at La Cantera Resort & Spa

nightowls — The Nightowls will be performing on Saturday September 15 as part of the Music and Cocktails weekend at La Cantera Resort & Spa. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

La Cantera Resort & Spa, a part of the Destination Hotels collection, in partnership with the San Antonio Cocktail Conference present a Music and Cocktails weekend from Friday September 14 through Sunday September 16. Friday and Saturday events will benefit children’s non-profits through Houston Street Charities. The weekend event includes tastings, seminars and free music. (La Cantera Resort & Spa, 2018)

Schedule of events:
Friday, September 14 – 8p.m. to 10p.m.
Free jazz concert by saxophonist Roger Tamez on Plaza San Saba. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to 1,000 people.

Saturday, September 15, Cocktail Seminars – 11a.m. to 4p.m.
$50 per person
o Texas Cocktails, presented by Nico Martini, author of Texas Cocktails and Chris Caldwell, resort Beverage Manager.
o Coffee Tequila Martinis Deconstructed, presented by Juan Pablo DeLoera, Avion Tequila.
o Japanese Whiskey & Mizuwari (Highball) History, presented by Rashidi Barrett, Beam Suntary.

Saturday evening – 8p.m. to 10p.m.
Free concert by The Nightowls on Plaza San Saba. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to 1,000 people.

Sunday, September 16 – 10:30a.m. to 3p.m.
Gospel Brunch at Signature Restaurant, $50 per person
Live music by Wesley Bray and the Disciples of Joy. A pre-fix Southern style menu inspired by Chef Andrew Weissman, Bourbon Punch, Champagne and hand-crafted cocktails.

Tickets for the seminars can be purchased a la carte and guests can opt for a one or two-night stay at La Cantera Resort & Spa, the ideal retreat for sophisticated fun, poised at the pinnacle of 550-acres. It offers a pristine oasis with stunning views of the Texas Hill Country, an ideal backdrop for a weekend to celebrate music and mixology.

Cocktail Seminars tickets are $50 per person and are available online. Gospel Brunch is $50 per person, for reservations call (210) 247-0176.

La Cantera Resort & Spa
16641 La Cantera Parkway
San Antonio, TX
(210) 558-6500

Gary Sweeney book signing at Blue Star Contemporary

mikesweeneyinstallation — San Antonio artist Gary Sweeney will be having a book signing at Blue Star Contemporary on Friday September 7. Photo: Gary Sweeney, used with permission.

Gary Sweeney, a San Antonio-established artist known for his humorous text-based work and art installations throughout the United States, debuts his new book, ‘Manhattan Beach Memoir: Artist Gary Sweeney Says Goodbye to His Childhood Home,’ based on his most popular art installation, A Manhattan Beach Memoir: 1945-2015. The actual on-site piece was in Manhattan Beach throughout February 2016. Sweeney will debut his book and host a book signing at his art showcase at Blue Star Contemporary on Friday, September 7 from 6p.m. to 9p.m. (Blue Star Contemporary, 2018)

‘Manhattan Beach Memoir’ documents the installation at 320 35th Street, made as a tribute to his family who owned and occupied it for over 70 years. The site-specific installation pays homage to his upbringing, family, and the Manhattan Beach of the past. The photography exhibit consisted of 80 large-scale graphics of personal family photos, which were printed on MDO plywood and cover the outside of the artist’s childhood home.

The first 100 copies of “Manhattan Beach Memoir: Artist Gary Sweeney Says Goodbye to His Childhood Home” will be available exclusively at the book signing for $35 plus tax. Sweeney’s memoir is also available for purchase on Amazon presale starting at $45.

Gary Sweeney is an artist who works in many forms—from photography to painting to sculpting, resulting in a body of work ranging from neon signs, billboards and murals to wooden furniture, books and flower arrangements. Born into the fertile artistic climate of 1950s Southern California, Sweeney was surrounded by art and artists. He has become known for his appealingly nostalgic and humorous artwork and gained notability for his project Post-Obsessive, where he mailed more than 20,000 personalized, handwritten postcards that were altered with witty images, clippings and quotes taken from newspapers around the country. He also has permanent collections on view including America, Why I Love Her at the Denver International Airport, which is inspired by family road trips and bizarre monuments and roadside attractions, and Nostalgia, Texas at the San Antonio International Airport, where Sweeney designed neo-retro tourist posters with tongue-in-cheek slogans.

Blue Star Contemporary
116 Blue Star
San Antonio TX 78204

International Chef Bo Bech at The Granary

The finale of The Granary’s 2018 Guest Chef Dinner Series is this Thursday, September 6. The Granary ‘Cue & Brew is hosting world renowned Chef Bo Bech from Copenhagen for an exclusive one-night only event. The dinner will be guided by a “Fire and Ice” theme, and Chef Bo Bech will collaborate with Chef Tim Rattray on a 6-course menu for this special evening. All-inclusive tickets are available online for $225 and includes meal, wine pairing, tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and extremely limited. (The Granary ‘Cue & Brew, 2018)

Bo Bech, of Geist restaurant in Copenhagen, is an award-winning chef. Well-known in his home country as the fiery TV host of Denmark’s answer to Kitchen Nightmares, Chef Bech is a trailblazer of the Copenhagen food scene, offering his own take on new Nordic cuisine. After working in the kitchens of Alain Passard (restaurant l’Arpege), Michel Roux (Le Gavaroche) and Marco Pierre White, he first made his name in Copenhagen at Restaurant Paustian, where he was awarded a coveted Michelin star. Bech then opened the acclaimed restaurant, Geist, in 2011. Chef Bech also released his first book in 2017, ‘What Does Memory Taste Like?’, a tribute that chronicles the evolution of his personal cuisine.

Fire & Ice Dinner Menu:
Eggs & Oysters
– black pepper

Avocado & Caviar
– almond oil

Lobster & Figs
– piment d’espelette

Hen of the woods & Cocoa beans
– mushroom broth

Beef cheeks & Ricotta gnocchi
– coarse mustard
– fennel pollen

Zucchini flowers & Pistachio
– lime

The Granary ‘Cue & Brew
602 Avenue A
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 228-0124

Upcoming Ole, San Antonio events at Pearl

luisgallo — Luis Gallo will perform at the Pearl on Monday September 3 as part of the ongoing Ole, San Antonio celebration which ends on September 16. Photo: Pearl, used with permission.

To celebrate San Antonio’s Tricentennial and its Spanish heritage, Pearl has been hosting Olé, San Antonio: When San Antonio Meets Spain. This summer-long celebration commemorates the city’s 300th anniversary and runs until Sunday September 16 with events and activities related to four main pillars: gastronomy, music and dance, arts and architecture. Events include new programming while also incorporating existing Pearl activities. (Pearl, 2018)

Events scheduled for Olé, San Antonio for Monday September 3 through Sunday September 16:

Monday, September 3: Luis Gallo: Caminos de la Guitarra at 6p.m.
· Stemming from Madrid, Luis Gallo, a well-versed guitarist in jazz, classical and flamenco genres will perform his latest project–Caminos de la Guitarra (“Paths of Guitar) at Pearl Park. This event is free and open to the public with food and drink available for purchase in the Bottling Department.

Wednesday, September 5: Master Class: Queso (Cheese) at 10:30a.m. and 5:30p.m.
· Hotel Emma will host its final Master Class: Queso (Cheese). Expert Max McCalman will be the cheese connoisseur of the day, talking through the range and traditions of Spanish cheeses. There will be a short documentary, lesson from the expert and a cheese and wine pairing. Larder and Sternewirth will be carrying tapas and dishes specifically designed to highlight Spanish cheeses. Tickets are $25 and available online.

Thursday, September 6: Federico Garcia Lorca Cava Reception at 5p.m.
· Join Pearl for a cava reception and program celebrating the creative works of Federico Garcia Lorca with actor, playwright, and musician Jose Ruben DeLeon. This event is located at Galería Olé (302 Pearl Parkway, Suite 110) and is free and open to the public.

Thursday, September 6: First Thursday Night Market Olé Edition at 4p.m.
· For this First Thursday Night Market Olé Edition, acclaimed Spanish guitarist, Luis Gallo, will collaborate and perform with students from the Guitar Program at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Night Market goers will be able to purchase items from their favorite vendors with Spanish-themed goods. This event is free and open to the public.

Friday, September 14: Flamenco Tablao: Luis Gallo and Aaron Prado + Chef Johnny Hernandez at 6p.m.
· Journey into Spain as Pearl Stable transforms into a Spanish-inspired “tablao” to showcase dynamic entertainment and great culinary fare. Performances will include The Aaron Prado Trio and Luis Gallo. Chef Johnny Hernandez will begin the evening with passed tapas and dinner served family-style. Bar services includes beer, Spanish wines, and signature Spanish cocktails. Tickets are $150 and available online. This event is located at Pearl Stable.

Sunday, September 16: Mariachi Lab at 1p.m.
· Olé’s spectacular finale, Mariachi Lab, will return for the second year. Showcasing mariachi talent from across San Antonio including high school, college, all-female and top-level professional performers. There will be multiple live performances throughout the day. Pearl Stable will host a ticketed event with performances by all-female groups such as Mariachi Flor de Jalisco, Damas de Jalisco, Las Coronelas and Las Altenas. Tickets for the Stable event are $25 and are available online. All other performances are free and open to the public. This event will be held at various locations around Pearl.

Pearl
303 Pearl Pkwy
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 212-7260

New release: ‘Walking Shadows’ by Faye Kellerman

Faye Kellerman is an American author of mystery novels, including The New York Times’ bestselling mysteries that feature the husband-and-wife team of Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus. She has also written the free-standing novels ‘The Quality of Mercy,’ ‘Moon Music’ and ‘Straight Into Darkness.’ As co-author, she has partnered with her best-selling author husband Jonathan Kellerman and recently, with her daughter Aliza Kellerman to write the teen novel ‘PRISM.’ Her latest novel, ‘Walking Shadows: A Decker/Lazarus Novel’ was released last week and has the title characters risking life and limb to solve a pair of brutal murders that may or may not be tied to a crime from more than twenty years ago.

According to Amazon, ‘Walking Shadows’ takes place on a quiet suburban street in upstate Greenbury, New York where the brutally beaten body of a young man is discovered in the woods adjacent to an empty vacation home. Twenty-six-year-old Brady Neil lived in the neighboring town of Hamilton and had no criminal record, few friends, worked full-time and attended community college. His only fault is being Brandon Gratz’ son, who was convicted of robbing and killing the owners of a local jewelry store. Gratz and his partner Kyle Masterson admitted to the robbery, but swear when they left, the owners were still alive. Decker begins to suspect that the son’s murder may be connected to the father’s sins, but when one of Brady’s friends is also found dead, Decker must use all his skills and knowledge to see justice done and find out who would kill two innocent men.

Theater review: ‘Hello, Dolly!’ at the Woodlawn Theatre

Anna Gangai as Dolly Levi and Tim Hedgepeth as Horace Vandergelder in ‘Hello, Dolly!’ now playing at the Woodlawn Theatre. Photo: Woodlawn Theatre, used with permission.

After a successful opening weekend, ‘Hello Dolly!’ continues at the Woodlawn Theatre for the long Labor Day weekend. It runs until Sunday September 16 with showtimes every Friday and Saturday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. Tickets are on sale online or by calling the box office at (210) 267-8388. ‘Hello Dolly!’ is the blockbuster Broadway hit about Dolly Gallagher-Levi, a turn of the century matchmaker and “woman who arranges things.” As a service to the community, during this performance’s run, the Woodlawn Theatre will be accepting new hoodie donations for local teens on behalf of San Antonio Threads. There is a donation box in the lobby where guests can drop off new hoodies, sizes small through extra-large for teen boys and girls during normal box office hours Tuesday through Friday from 2p.m. to 5.pm. and Saturdays from 11a.m. to 2p.m. or before any ‘Hello, Dolly!’ performance.

‘Hello, Dolly!’ is set in New York City at the turn of the last century and begins as the city is excited with Dolly’s visit to their fine city “Call On Dolly.” Dolly is a self-professed ‘meddler’ which includes matchmaking and other side jobs such as dance instruction and mandolin lessons. Currently, she is in the process of finding a wife for Horace Vandergelder, a grumpy but well-known half-a-millionaire but her intentions are to marry him herself. While in town, she meets Ambrose Kemper, a young artist who wants to marry Horace’s niece Ermengarde and enlists Dolly’s help to persuade Horace to give them his blessing. Together they travel to Yonkers, New York where Horace owns Vandergelder’s Hay and Feed. Horace has other intentions and he confesses to his two employees Cornelius and Barnaby that he is going to get married, “It Takes A Woman,” and plans to travel to New York City to march in the Fourteenth Street Association Parade and propose to the widow Irene Molloy, who owns a hat shop there. After an eventful trip that includes marching at the parade, dinner at a fancy restaurant and a polka competition, everyone finds a mate and Horace finally admits he needs Dolly in his life.

This musical is a Broadway classic and for good reason. It is filled with humor, romance, high-energy dancing and some of the greatest songs in musical theatre history. The costumes are gorgeous and reminiscent of the era and truthfully some of the best seen at the Woodlawn Theatre so far, especially the women’s hats. Show highlights include the hilarious shenanigans during “The Waiters’ Gallop” by Rudolph and the Waiters and of course the title song “Hello, Dolly!” by Dolly, Rudolph and Waiters which exudes elegance, style and old Hollywood-style dancing. The poignant moment comes during “It Only Takes a Moment” when Cornelius, Barnaby and Ambrose profess their love to their partners and Dolly convinces the judge that their only crime was being in love. The top-quality singing and dancing by the entire cast makes ‘Hello, Dolly!’ a must-see for the entire family and another winning classic performance at the Woodlawn Theatre.

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Month: September 2018