Month: August 2022

Planet Bluegrass announces Mabon, an autumn equinox concert series

Tickets are now on sale for Mabon, taking place September 16 – 18 in Lyons, Colorado. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Planet Bluegrass, organizers of Rockygrass, Lyons Folks Fest, and the famed Telluride Bluegrass Festival—which has coincided with the summer solstice for 5 decades—are pleased to announce Mabon, a new concert series programmed in conjunction with longtime Planet Bluegrass fan-favorite, Watchhouse. Mabon will take place September 16-18 in Lyons, Colorado, at the Planet Bluegrass Ranch during the Autumn equinox. Tickets are on-sale now. (Planet Bluegrass, 2022) 

The series kicks off on Friday, September 16 with Regina Spektor and a special duo set from hosts Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz—aka Watchhouse. Saturday, September 17 continues with a could-only-be-at-Planet-Bluegrass billing of Emmylou Harris with Watchhouse as her backing band and sets from Thee Sacred Souls, Big Richard, and a performance from one half of Watchhouse, Andrew Marlin with his instrumental string band. Sunday will kick off with Yasmin Williams and fans will ease into the fall season and afternoon with Waxahatchee and The Lil’ Smokies. The weekend will be bookended by a final, full band Watchhouse set. 

“We are so excited to be curating this series with Watchhouse!,” says Grace Barrett, Planet Bluegrass’ director of partnerships and communications. “They are dear friends whose music has inspired us for years. The Planet Bluegrass calendar really functions around the sun, and we can’t think of a better way to say ‘so long’ to summer.” 

Frantz and Marlin share in that enthusiasm. They add, “We’ve been lucky enough to play so many festivals and events and have always loved the ones hosted by Planet Bluegrass. We haven’t been able to sit in on the curation side until now and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to reach out to artists whose songs have meant a lot to us over the years, or just recently. Autumn solstice feels like the perfect time to cozy up and sink into some feely songs together.” 

For over 30 years, Planet Bluegrass has been redefining the musical festival by creating exceptional experiences that protect the planet through environmental leadership and a strong community. Fiercely and decidedly independent, their three festivals make a unique musical mark: each takes place in breathtaking natural Colorado environments, each features the world’s finest musicians and songwriters, and each embraces a “Leave No Trace” ethic that defines Planet Bluegrass as a leader in Sustainable Festivation. Planet Bluegrass presents Telluride Bluegrass, Rockygrass, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, all bucket list musical gatherings for artists and fans alike. Planet Bluegrass is invested in the next generation of songwriters and musicians as evidenced by Rockygrass Academy and Song School. 

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Orders From Above is a grim reminder of dark times

Orders From Above starring Richard Cotter and Peter J. Donnelly. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Vir Srinivas’ writing and directorial debut, Orders From Above has picked up awards or nominations at four world festivals, including Cannes and Mannheim. It is available on iTunes and all major digital platforms including YouTube, Vudu, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video. The 87-minute film is based on the interrogation of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann by Israeli police. (Gravitas Ventures, 2022)

Orders From Above – Winner of Best Historical Film at Cannes World Film Festival. Fifteen years after the end of World War II, Israeli police officer Avner Less interrogates Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects of the Final Solution. Adolf Eichmann is finally captured and brought to Israel to stand trial, but without enough evidence to prosecute him, Avner Less needs a confession from him. Directed by Vir Srinivas, with Richard Cotter, Peter J. Donnelly, Darrell Hoffman, and Emmanuel Drakakis.

Orders From Above is based on real events and is set almost entirely in one sparse motel room as Police Captain Avner conducts several interviews with Adolf Eichmann, the mastermind of the Holocaust. Eichmann has finally been captured and brought to Israel to stand trial for the events that took place between 1933 and 1945. Without enough evidence to prosecute him, Police Captain Avner Less must extract a confession to give him a fair trial. For Eichmann’s own safety and to avoid a lynch mob, the interviews take place in an undisclosed location.

Eichmann gives his background, including how easily he fell into the SS, the Schutzstaffel, or Protection Squads, whose final solution included eliminating all enemies of the 3rd Reich. He claims all he did was deport Jews from Hungary and nothing else and that he never had anything to do with giving orders, he only reported what was going on. He makes it a point to stress that he only had a passive role and that he was only a small cog in a big machine, basically an ancillary role and that he was only following orders. When they are no closer to getting a confession, his boss orders Captain Less to fabricate the transcripts but he refuses because unlike Eichmann, he will not blindly follow orders. In a last desperate effort, Captain Less shows Eichmann documentary footage of the mass burials at the extermination camps but all he does is reiterate that he showed unconditional obedience and kept repeating “I obeyed.” He does, though, offer to hang himself in public as an example and states that “the only crime I’m guilty of is apathy.” In the end, Eichmann is convicted on 15 criminal charges, including crimes against the Jewish people and he was hanged the following year. This was the only time Israel has carried out a death sentence.

Since most of the action takes place in a motel room, Orders From Above seems more like a play than a full length feature movie. With the memory of World War II being so far in the past, it serves as an excellent reminder of what happens when one group of people sees others as less than human. The film is in black and white, which gives it the appearance of a genuine historical document. Being that it is mostly dialogue driven, it might be hard for some viewers to remain interested, especially given the heavy subject matter. It should be noted that it contains explicit descriptions and footage, specifically at the end when Eichmann is forced to watch the footage of the horrors of the Holocaust. It might be difficult to watch for some and though it may not bring new information to the conversation, it is an educational tool and reminder of man’s inhumanity to man. Excellent performances by both leading men, especially Peter J. Donnelly as the emotionless, generally unapologetic Adolf Eichmann.

*Thank you to October Coast for an advance screening. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author.

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Autism Treatment Center to host Going to the Dogs event

Going to the Dogs dog adoption and dog shopping event is this Saturday August 27, 2022. Photo: Autism Treatment Center San Antonio

On Saturday, August 27 from 9a.m.- 1p.m., “Going to the Dogs,” the Autism Treatment Center (ATC) will host a dog adoption and dog-related shopping event. (Autism Treatment Center, 2022)

Event details:

  • Pet adoptions by: Austin Boxer Rescue and Lucky Spot Dog Rescue
  • Dog-themed décor and t-shirts by Autism Treatment Center Adult Services
  • Healthy Homemade Doggie Treats by Love Puppy Bakery
  • Handmade bandanas and bowties by Their Beautiful Voice
  • Pet sketches by artists

Location: Autism Treatment Center,15911 Nacogdoches Rd., Building 2, San Antonio, TX  78247

Event summary:

  • Whether you are looking for a dog to adopt or just want to shop for the one you have, “Going to the Dogs” has it all. You and your pooch are invited to join the fun at the Autism Treatment Center on Saturday, August 27 from 9a.m. to 1p.m. for this inside event.  Austin Boxer Rescue and Lucky Spot Dog Rescue will have a selection of dogs available for adoption. Austin Boxer Rescue is an affiliate of Lonestar Boxer Rescue, which serves all of Texas and the Austin chapter is the one that serves San Antonio.
  • You can also shop for healthy homemade dog treats and dog-themed gifts, décor, and clothing from partnering vendors. Be sure to bring a photo if you would like to get a custom sketch of your furry best friend.
  • Everyone is invited to visit with dogs that are available for adoption and shop for a variety of dog-related items: healthy homemade dog treats; doggie bandanas and bowties; and dog-themed gifts, home décor, and T-shirts made by adults with autism. We will also have an artist doing custom pet sketches. 
  • Whether you are looking for a dog to adopt or just want to shop for the one you already have, “Going to the Dogs” has it all.    

Why ATC is partnering with the rescue groups:

  • Dogs have a special way of making our lives better.  Everyone can benefit from their unconditional love and companionship and this is especially true for children and adults with autism.
  • That’s why the Autism Treatment Center is partnering with Austin Boxer Rescue and Lucky Spot Dog Rescue for “Going to the Dogs”, a sensory-friendly, pet-friendly adoption and shopping event at our facility on Nacogdoches Rd. on Saturday, August 27th.
  • The adults in ATC’s weekday program have created some dog-related products on sale. The clothing is bandanas and bowties for dogs and T-shirts for people. 
  • In addition, through the weekday program, they also have created wreaths, terrariums, home décor and customize items such as cups, bags, and T-shirts as part of their independent living and live skills training. 

New book release: ‘The Memory Index’ by Julian R. Vaca

‘The Memory Index’ is Julian R. Vaca’s new young adult novel. Photo: Amazon

Julian R. Vaca has been a creative writer for over a decade. He is a staff writer on PBS’s Reconnecting Roots, a nationally broadcast show that drew in millions of viewers over its first two seasons. He is also the co-writer of Pencil Test, a feature-length documentary with Disney animation legend Tom Bancroft as executive producer. In his new speculative Young Adult science fiction novel “The Memory Index,” the world treats memories like currency, so dreams can be a complicated business. Perfect for fans of Neal Stephenson and Philip K. Dick. (Amazon, 2022)

“The Memory Index” – In an alternative 1987, a disease ravages human memories. There is no cure, only artificial recall. The lucky ones—the recollectors—need the treatment only once a day. Freya Izquierdo is not one of those. The high school senior is a “degen” who needs artificial recall several times a day. Plagued by blinding half-memories that take her to her knees, she is desperate to remember everything that will help her investigate her father’s violent death. When her sleuthing almost lands her in jail, a shadowy school dean selects her to attend his Foxtail Academy, where five hundred students will trial a new tech said to make artificial recall obsolete. She is the only degen on campus. Why was she chosen? Freya is nothing like the other students, not even her new friends Ollie, Chase, and the alluring Fletcher Cohen. Definitely not at all like the students who start to vanish, one by one. And nothing like the mysterious Dean Mendelsohn, who has a bunker deep in the woods behind the school. Nothing can prepare Freya and her friends for the truth of what that bunker holds and what kind of memories she will have to access to in order to survive

Book review: ‘Assassin’s Lullaby’ by Mark Rubinstein

‘Assassin’s Lullaby’ by Mark Rubinstein in an interesting examination of the human condition as it pertains to an assassin. Photo: Amazon

Mark Rubinstein MD is a practicing psychiatrist in New York City and an author. Before turning to fiction, Rubinstein coauthored five medical self-help books: “The First Encounter: The Beginnings in Psychotherapy,” “The Complete Book of Cosmetic Facial Surgery,” “New Choices: the Latest Options in Treating Breast Cancer,” “Heartplan: A Complete Program for Total Fitness of Heart & Mind,” and “The Growing Years: A Guide to Your Child’s Emotional Development from Birth to Adolescence.” His first novel “Mad Dog House” was named a finalist for the 2012 ForeWord Book Of The Year Award for suspense/thriller novels. His latest novel “Assassin’s Lullaby” is about a former assassin turned contract killer.

“Assassin’s Lullaby” – in every life, there lurks catastrophe. So believes Eli Dagan, a thirty-nine-year-old man whose traumatic past led to his service as an assassin for the Mossad. He now lives in New York City, where under various assumed names he is a contract killer. The story begins as Eli is walking down the street, always on alert mode “Knowing his life depends on stealth, Eli Dagan moves warily with the tide of pedestrians streaming along East Forty-Second Street.” He is on his way to a meeting with Anton Gorlov, the head of the Brooklyn-based Odessa mafia, who has a new and challenging assignment for him. Gorlov wants to leave the country permanently, so all loose ends must be eliminated. He is willing to pay $1 million for a task that is divided into two parts. The job involves extreme measures along with unprecedented danger for Eli, who has lived a ghostly existence over the last ten years. Eli knows this assignment has its dangers, but deep inside he wonders if it is a way to make up for the past. For the first time since his pregnant wife and parents were killed by a suicide bomber years earlier, he is facing challenges that will reconnect him with his damaged past and may yet offer hope for a new and better life. Questioning the meaning of his life, he wants out but this is the only life he has known and for a brief moment, he gets a glimpse of a better life. His story ends on a hopeful note and even though he is still not sure of what the future holds for him, he remains optimistic.

Sometimes assassins are viewed as inhuman and incapable of feeling any emotions, but Mark Rubinstein makes Eli Dagan seem almost human with fears and insecurities, just like everyone else. The character development is excellent and it gives Eli’s background on what drove him to chose the life he did; he started killing only evil people as revenge for what happened to his family years ago but now he just kills for profit and power. He wants to leave the country, to start over somewhere else but the pull of what he has become is too hard to resist. The language is at times poetic and beautiful, “The bare sycamore branches sway in the wind and cast dancing shadows on the street” and a sharp contrast to the subject matter. Highlights include Chapter 41 because of the detailed description of the fight scenes and Chapter 74 when Eli ponders his last victim’s final words “Death waits for us all, and I have no fear of it” and resigns himself to receive whatever life brings him. The chapters are short and to the point, which helps the pacing of the story. Some of the details of Eli’s hits might be too graphic for some readers but they convey a CSI-like narrative. With themes of nature vs. nurture and good vs. evil, “Assassin’s Lullaby” is a fascinating novel and hard to put down because it gives readers a rare view inside the mind of an assassin for hire including his internal conflicts and fears: “Is killing evil people no more than an anemic attempt to try forgiving himself for the life he’s led because he can never be absolved from his crimes, his sins that are too many to count?” It is recommended for readers who enjoy suspense thrillers that revolve around an anti hero and in this case even though Eli is an assassin, readers can sympathize with his plight and in the end might even root for him to get his life together.

“Because it seems there’s no coming back from what he’s become and there’s no way to renounce a life brimming with bitterness, with grief, and with rage so monstrous it consumes his every waking moment.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

New music release: Another World

Another World is a guitar-driven foray into the world of hard rock music. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

New Jersey rocker Chris Luciani, founder, and leader of the hard rock band Lucidity, and his label Precision Records have formally announced the release of a brand new solo side-project for the artist. Another World is the eponymous debut single from his solo album of the same name which is now available for purchase. An inquisitive composition that not only externally asks the age-old question of, “Is there really anyone out there?” but also the self-doubting inner conundrum of, “Is there really anyone in here?” Some of the conclusions Luciani arrives at are sure to unsettle quite a few who hear this song. (Mia Mind Music, 2022)

Another World is a guitar-driven foray into the world of hard rock music. Chris works with a flesh and blood ensemble of live musicians who come together to help him forge molten lyrics and metal riffs together to allow the artist to get the heavy edge into the track and take it into the realm of mainstream active rock.

Artist: Chris Luciani
Release: Another World
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Precision Records

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Adrienne King stars in Dead Girl in Apartment 03

Adrienne King, the original final girl in horror classic Friday the 13th, returns to the horror arena for Dead Girl in Apartment 03. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Adrienne King, the original final girl in horror classic Friday the 13th, returns to the horror arena for Dead Girl in Apartment 03. Dead Girl in Apartment 03 premiered August 9 on digital platforms and is coming to special edition Blu-ray and DVD on November 22 from Wild Eye Releasing.  It is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, and AppleTV. (Wild Eye Releasing, 2022)

Dead Girl in Apartment 03 – After recently moving to New York City, a young woman is horrified to discover that her roommate has died in their apartment under mysterious circumstances. After her body is taken away by the police, Laura soon feels an unsettling presence in the apartment and paranormal signs that she will soon be the next victim. With the help of a pair of NYC detectives, Laura must uncover the secret behind her roommate’s death before it is too late. Laura Dooling (Blu Bloods), and Michael Schantz (City on a Hill) also star in the film, the latest from cult auteur Kurtis Spieler (cult classic New York Ninja).

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Upcoming movie release: Wicked Ones

Wicked Ones will premiere on Video On Demand this September 13, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

From Wild Eye Releasing and director Tory Jones, and starring Halloween’s Dale Miller, beware Wicked Ones this September. Morgan Pyle, Chris Hahn, and Lucas Dunaway star in a frighteningly fun mesh of Friday the 13th and The Strangers, Wicked Ones premieres on Video On Demand on September 13 followed be a Special Edition Blu-ray on November 8, 2022. (Wild Eye Releasing, 2022)

Wicked Ones – Evil multiplies in this follow up to 2017’s sleeper hit The Wicked One. Set a decade after the events in the first film, survivors Adam and Alex return to Carpenter Falls with their three children – only to be thrust into another confrontation with The Wicked One and two crazed copy cat killers.

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

New horror movie release: I Dream of a Psychopomp

I Dream of a Psychopomp will be on digital on August 19 and on the Kings of Horror Channel on August 26, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Danny Villanueva Jr.‘s supernatural drama I Dream of a Psychopomp premiered on Terror Films channel on August 12 and it will be available on digital August 19 and on the Kings of Horror Channel August 26. Jillian Lebling (Bridge of Spies, The Blacklist), Elohim Peña, Ben Shaul, Peter Knox, Steven Alonte, Kulani Kai, N. Meridian, and Fiona Rose star. (Terror Films Channel, 2022)

I Dream of a Psychopomp – A grieving widower haunted by the distressed ghost of his recently deceased wife is visited in his dreams by a psychopomp, a spirit guide of a living person’s soul, who teaches him about the spirit world and soul guiding through stories of death and the supernatural.

“Creating this film was a way to familiarize myself with death in order to ease some of its force when it knocks. Throughout the editing process, I was the primary caregiver of my dying mother who passed away from stage 4 lung cancer on Memorial Day of 2020. She was such a loving person and truly my best friend. I found my exposure to the subject of death and understanding why it is what it is through creating this film to be helpful through the grieving process. Death has become a taboo subject in American culture. We often avoid conversations about it until it arrives, and when it does, we whisper. I think if we talk more about it, we’ll better understand it, and it can be less devastating when it comes. In a time where we are collectively grieving from the many lives lost during the pandemic, I believe this film is especially relevant today.” – Danny Villanueva, Jr.

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Immersive Van Gogh San Antonio launches yoga series

Immersive Van Gogh San Antonio is launching a new Immersive Yoga series under The Starry Night beginning Saturday August 20, 2022. Photo: Michael Brosilow, used with permission.

Lighthouse Immersive, producers of the original Immersive Van Gogh exhibition, is partnering with America’s favorite kefir company, Lifeway Foods (Nasdaq: LWAY), to bring San Antonio yoga under The Starry Night. Beginning Saturday, August 20, patrons of all fitness levels can sign up for Lifeway Kefir Immersive Yoga. The classes will be led by a certified yoga instructor and will take place inside Lighthouse ArtSpace San Antonio (221 Burleson St.). (Lighthouse Immersive, 2022)

Called “a welcome shock to the senses” that is “like leaving the universe” by Insider, people of all fitness levels are welcome to enroll in the 35-min flow yoga. All classes take place within the multi-sensory and all-encompassing Immersive Van Gogh experience. Each workout is designed to challenge the body and inspire the mind; choreographed in harmony with the music, sounds, light and moving images from Van Gogh’s vast catalog of masterpieces. After class, participants are invited to stay and experience the art exhibition around them. All Lifeway Kefir Immersive Yoga participants will receive a nutritious Lifeway Kefir snack, packed with probiotics and probiotics to nourish their microbiome and to recover from their yoga session. 

“Lifeway is eager to reintroduce our yoga program in partnership with Lighthouse Immersive. Our company motto, ‘Love Your Guts,’ is emblematic of the need for us to take care of our wellness every single day. A balanced gut microbiome positively influences our mental health, and vice versa. By engaging in the practice of yoga, surrounding ourselves with incredible art, and nourishing the gut with kefir, an ancient probiotic superfood, this unique collaboration is a great way to strengthen the mind-gut connection. Now more than ever, we hope to bring joy to our community with this once-in-a-lifetime immersive wellness experience that intersects movement, sound, art, and light.” – Julie Smolyansky, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lifeway Foods.

Classes are scheduled as follows:

• Saturday, August 20: 8:30a.m.
• Sunday, August 21: 10:30a.m.
• Saturday, August 27: 8:30a.m.
• Sunday, August 28: 10:30a.m.
• Saturday, September 3: 8:30a.m.
• Sunday, September 4: 10:30a.m.
• Saturday, September 10: 9:30a.m.
• Sunday, September 11: 9:30a.m.
• Saturday, September 17: 9:30a.m.
• Sunday, September 18: 9:30a.m.
• Saturday, September 24: 9:30a.m.
• Sunday, September 25: 9:30a.m.

Admission is $59.99 per person/per class and includes the yoga class experience as well as the Immersive Van Gogh exhibition. Tickets are on-sale now. Guests should arrive dressed for classes and should bring their own yoga mats.

Creative director and Italian film producer Massimiliano Siccardi designed Immersive Van Gogh with original, mood-setting music by Italian multimedia composer Luca Longobardi, who provided a score that combines experimental electronic music with pure, ethereal and simple-seeming piano. Vittorio Guidotti is the Art Director. Wander through entrancing moving images highlighting brushstrokes, detail and color of some of Van Gogh’s most famous works of art. The exhibition includes monumental depictions of Mangeurs de pommes de terre (The Potato Eaters, 1885), Nuit étoilée (Starry Night, 1889), Les Tournesols (Sunflowers, 1888), La Chambre à coucher (The Bedroom, 1889), and so much more. 

Lifeway Foods, Inc., which has been recognized as one of Forbes’ Best Small Companies, is America’s leading supplier of the probiotic, fermented beverage known as kefir. In addition to its line of drinkable kefir, the company also produces cheese, probiotic oat milk, and a ProBugs line for kids. Lifeway’s tart and tangy fermented dairy products are now sold across the United States, Mexico, Ireland, France and the United Kingdom.