Day: December 5, 2021

Home for the Holidays special event series at TSC Performing Arts Center

The Home for the Holidays Special Event Series at the TSC Performing Arts Center in Brownsville. Photo: Sandra Cruz

Last Sunday November 28, the UTRGV School of Music and Patron of the Arts returned to the stage at the TSC Performing Arts Center in Brownsville for their Home for the Holidays series. During this free event, the community enjoyed musical performances by the UTRGV Symphony Orchestra, the UTRGV Wind Orchestra, and the UTRGV Master Chorale.

The night of holiday music began with a pre-concert music in the lobby by the UTRGV Trombone Choir to entertain the audience until the auditorium doors opened. The night’s first half of the concert series consisted of the UTRGV Master Chorale singing This Endris Night and What Sweeter Music, the UTRGV Symphony Orchestra performing holiday classics like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Stille Nacht. The intermission entertainment came courtesy of the UTRGV Horn Choir and for the second half of the evening’s performances, the UTRGV Master Chorale and UTRGV Wind Orchestra performed such classics as Sleigh Ride and The Christmas Song and the UTRGV Wind Orchestra performed The Polar Express and The Bells of Christmas, among other holiday favorites. The audience participation portion was a holiday sing along with the UTRGV Master Chorale and Wind Symphony of Deck the Hall, Jingle Bells, O Christmas Tree and We Wish You A Merry Christmas. The UTRGV Jazz Combo kept the momentum going in the lobby with a post-concert performance.

The UTRGV School of Music successfully kicked off the post-Thanksgiving holiday season with a wonderfully nostalgic night of music. Everyone from the musicians to the singers brought a much needed magical night of music for the community to enjoy. They performed to a nearly packed auditorium and all the night’s performances were delightful and deserve the spotlight just as much as the athletes. Hopefully, there will be more such concerts in the near future.

Patron of the Arts is the performance and membership series of the UTRGV School of Music that has provided Rio Grande Valley residents and visitors with excellent artistic programs for over 35 years. The program was created in 1984 in Brownsville, Texas, to provide the community and students with opportunities for learning and enrichment by attending live events by professional guest musicians as well as visual artists. Patron of the Arts was also intended to provide a venue for faculty and student performances to highlight the considerable talent we have in the Rio Grande Valley. (Patron of the Arts, 2021)

UTRGV Trombone Choir
UTRGV Symphony Orchestra
UTRGV Horn Choir
UTRGV Jazz Combo

Naco Mexican Eatery announces opening date for brick and mortar location

Naco Mexican Eatery will open its first brick and mortar location on December 9, 2021. Photo: Naco Mexican Eatery, used with permission.

Naco Mexican Eatery is excited to announce the opening date for its first ever brick and mortar location, named Naco 210. Naco 210 will open to the public on Thursday, December 9, 2021, in San Antonio in the Los Patios development along the Salado Creek. Naco – a concept by husband-and-wife team Francisco Estrada and Lizzeth Martinez – is a restaurant and food truck that serves authentic Mexican plates, traditional tacos, tortas, and chilaquiles for breakfast, lunch, and early dinner service. (Naco Mexican Eatery, 2021)

Naco Mexican Eatery opened its food truck for business in San Antonio over three years ago. Its menu focuses on the street foods of Mexico with freshly made items such as chilaquiles using Naco’s own homemade salsas, tacos, and tortas, as well as healthy, keto-friendly, and veggie-forward dishes. The menu at Naco 210 will still include all the food truck fan-favorites but also add on all-day chilaquiles with new sauce options such as almond mole, a selection of breakfast egg benedicts made with traditional Mexican toppings including huitlacoche and Naco’s Mexican brisket, Mexican-inspired croissants with options like guava and cheese, all-natural aguas frescas, and more. 

Naco 210 will have a relaxed, family-friendly space, with indoor dining of roughly 2,900 square feet, a space for private events, as well as a large 3,000 square foot patio surrounded by natural landscape and a creek-side view. The restaurant will have options for breakfast, lunch, early dinner, and brunch service on the weekends. The restaurant will be located in Los Patios at 2015 NE Interstate 410 Loop, San Antonio, TX 78217. Naco 210’s operating hours will be Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Naco will also continue its food truck operations.

“We are blessed to be in a wonderful city, surrounded by the most amazing people who have fallen in love with our Mexican food that includes our own family flavors. We can’t wait to be able to showcase even more with our full-service restaurant space.” – Owner Francisco Estrada.

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Naco Mexican Eatery opening date

Emo-Pop rocker Secondhand Serenade set to release new album next year

Secondhand Serenade is currently on tour in support of the upcoming new album Just Because You Sing Loud. Photo: google

Emo-Pop Rocker Secondhand Serenade (AKA John Vesely) is set to release new album Just Because You Sing Loud in 2022 with his first single ONE setting things off in November. The release of this new album will kick off with a tour of the same name across 32 US cities. He will be releasing singles regularly through the tour building up to the release of the new album, his first full project since 2017. The name of his album/tour stems from a unique confrontation Vesely recently had. He and his wife recently moved into a temporary apartment while awaiting construction to finish on their new Nashville home. Following a few months of a not-so-happy neighbor complaining about his songwriting sessions and banging on walls, Vesely woke up to an aggressive letter on his door complaining about the noise that was summed up with the statement “Just Because You Sing Loud Doesn’t Mean Its Good.” At first, the note was hurtful to Vesely as he had never experienced this kind of pushback from neighbors in the past. However, he quickly turned the letter into a form of inspiration for his forthcoming album. Now, the letter remains framed on a wall in his studio serving as a reminder that any of life’s negativity can be turned into something positive. (Secondhand Serenade, 2021)

Regarding his upcoming tour/album Just Because You Sing Loud, Secondhand Serenade said, “To say that I’m excited to get back on the road again is an understatement. I’ve also been working hard to finish this next album, which is a total throwback to my roots. So it should be really fun to add some of these new songs into the set and see some first listen reactions in real time. We’re definitely ending 2021 on a strong note!”

In the early days of social networking, there were no classes, no courses, no gurus to assist musicians in building a fan base. Yet in the mid-2000s, Secondhand Serenade used his hard work and determination to connect with fans online and build a community of followers which resulted in the then Bay Area resident reaching the number 1 unsigned artist spot on MySpace after the release of his debut album, Awake. He would later re-release the acoustic project as the first ever artist signed to the now famed Glassnote Records. Vesely followed that up with his 2008 Danny Lohner-produced album, A Twist In My Story, which would catapult the emo-pop songwriter to the top of the charts. The lead single, a part piano ballad, part pop-rock tune called “Fall For You” would solidify the first major hit for both the artist and the young label, securing its spot in the top 5 at US radio, eventually going 3-times platinum. International touring, late night shows and award show appearances became the new norm for the singer-songwriter who was quickly becoming the voice of the emo generation. Fast forward to a post pandemic life and Secondhand Serenade is now priming yet another full album along with a nationwide, headlining tour. The timing could not be better with a resurgence in the emo scene and a new project worth of material rolling out over the coming months.

Just Because You Sing Loud Tour Dates:
Wednesday, December 8 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
Thursday, December 9 – Anaheim, CA – The Parish At House Of Blues
Friday, December 10 – Fresno, CA – Strummer
Saturday, December 11 – San Diego, CA – House Of Blues
Monday, December 13 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
Wednesday, December 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Grand @ The Complex
Thursday, December 16 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
Friday, December 17 – Omaha, NE – Barnato
Saturday, December 18 – Joliet, IL – The Forge