The San Antonio Museum of Art will present a new orchestral suite by composer Nathan Felix. Photo: San Antonio Museum of Art, used with permission.
On Friday November 12, 2021, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) will present a new orchestral suite, Black Neon Rose, by composer Nathan Felix, featuring newly written music for four harpsichords, strings, and a choir. The music draws inspiration from SAMA’s exhibition America’s Impressionism: Echoes of a Revolution. Local harpsichord builder Gerald Self will introduce the performance with a brief discussion on the history of harpsichords and give insight into his building process. The musicians will be in a formation that best activates the acoustics and spatial qualities of the Great Hall. This performance will be limited to fifty (50) people. Tickets are $15 for non-members and $10 for members. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
Nathan Felix – Composer, Filmmaker, Recording Artist Friday November 12 from 7p.m. to 8p.m.
The Great Hall San Antonio Museum of Art 200 W. Jones Ave. San Antonio, TX 78215
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic former Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
Vandalizer’s new EP Ride is available now. Photo: Metal Assault Records
On Friday, New York City’s old-school punk, rock ‘n roll and heavy metal hybrid Vandalizer released their three-song EP Ride via Metal Assault Records. Mixing 1980’s New Wave Of British Heavy Metal with the sounds of ’70s Punk N’ Roll, Ride is one hell of a listen. Issued on cassette tape and on all digital platforms, Ride is available now in the format of your choice along with exclusive merchandise bundles. (Vandalizer, 2021)
Vandalizer first entered the scene with their debut EP New Curse in 2015, followed by the Desensitize EP in 2017. “Some people are kinda confused,” says Vandalizer mainspring Mike McWilliams. “‘Is it metal?’ It’s too punk to be metal, and it’s too metal to be punk. It’s kinda in the middle.”
The only reason anyone might scratch their head is if they know McWilliams’ past thumping bass guitar in old school punk bands ranging from Houston’s Teen Cool and Pure Rubbish to a stint in the U.S. Bombs in the ‘00s. But Vandalizer’s New Wave Of British Heavy Metal throwback sound has now become his focus, allowing his singing and guitar work to shine.
“I’ve never really done that before on any other albums,” he explains. “I’ve always been a songwriter and singer in pretty much every other band I’ve been in. But I’ve never been the front man nor the guitar player. This is my first stab at songwriting/playing guitar/singing in a band.”
The newly released EP amply displays’ McWilliams’ well-honed chops on every instrument apart from drums. Sacha Michaels manages the drums. Tracks like “Dream Hunter” and “Time Can’t Count” are full-on riff assaults that spark memories of classic Judas Priest. The title track is also a standout; an atmospheric, keyboard-drenched power ballad that mostly seethes, before reaching an explosive chorus. Ride makes a notable and instantly satisfying impression as the first release from Vandalizer on Metal Assault Records, while also leaving anticipation at an all-time high for their full length album already confirmed to follow in early 2022.
“Ride is the perfect soundtrack music for blasting in your ‘81 Camaro as you and your buddies execute smokin’ burnouts and pass around the hash pipe.” – Tim Stegall, Alternative Press magazine
Vandalizer is: Mike McWilliams: Vocals/Guitar Stosh McMichael: Drums/Backup Vocals Sam Harris: Bass/Backup Vocals
Ride track listing: 1. Time Can’t Count 2. Dream Hunter 3. A Ride Home
Sam Weber’s new album Get Free will be out February 4, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Sam Weber has already logged more miles as a gigging musician than most of his peers will in a lifetime, earning enviable accolades along the way. He first picked up the guitar at age 12 to form a rock ’n’ roll band with his father and brother in the living room of their family home. Sixteen years later, having collaborated with Grammy winners and with extensive international tours under his belt, the Canadian-born Los Angeleno goes forth with the same intention and mantra as when he began: “Music is an emotional conduit between people and allows us the opportunity to share moments of truth and unity. In an age where the ritual of music-making can be a solitary exercise, I want to live my life to remind everyone that playing music as a communal and spontaneous practice can be healing and powerful.” His new album Get Free will be out February 4, 2022 via Sonic Unyon Records. (Sam Weber, 2021)
Sam Weber’s storied exodus from his homeland of Canada to find new footing and opportunity in America resonates like a classic story of pain, loss, and rebirth. That narrative thread is woven throughout his new record, Get Free, offering a warm, intimate, and multidimensional portrait of the 28-year-old singer-songwriter. With this new collection of material, Weber reaches fresh emotional depths, commanding more expressive personal moments than ever before—at times within the margins of a single verse. Weber gave fans an early look into Get Free ahead of its February 4 release with “Money,” a breezy, piano-meets-fuzz bass rocker seemingly about what it means to grow up and be faced with the need to leave Neverland—or at least the non-fictional equivalent of it. Fans can hear “Money” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Get Free ahead of its release right here. Weber also recently shared with his fans a lyric video for album track “Here’s To The Future.”
Following the success of 2019’s Everything Comes True—which was recorded live-off-the-floor in the iconic B room at Hollywood’s Ocean Way Studios—Weber ended up taking a necessarily-different route with Get Free. “I wrote most of this music before the lockdown happened,” he says. “We wanted to go into another beautiful L.A. studio with another super band to record these new songs, but when all the plugs got pulled, we were sort of left holding nothing but the material. My partner Mallory Hauser was keen to rally and share production duties with me to make the most of what we had, which was liberating somehow: to have this logistical ceiling on how we could record or approach these songs in our living room. We were forced to be as creative as possible with what we had. I think it was the best thing that could have happened to us.” Mallory Hauser is a solo artist in her own right, performing and releasing music under the name Mal. The two met in Los Angeles in 2018.
Weber and Hauser tapped Grammy-nominated engineer Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Bahamas) to mix the album, having collaborated with him on the Juno-nominated Bahamas album Sad Hunk. “I really love [Get Free], don’t get me wrong…but it sort of sounds janky…in a good way! Because our only option was to make it in our house, it gave us permission to let it be what was going to be and not get wrapped up in the details, and in turn, I think that allowed the veil between the performances and the hearts of each song to be very thin. Robbie sort of saved the record fidelity-wise; we gave him some questionable rough mixes with the room mics cranked up so loud. What we got back sounded way rad.”
Certain songs contain a particular sense of grandness across Weber’s recorded catalog. Moments that feel lofty, yet devoid of pretentiousness. With more of these moments present and tangible on Get Free than any other of his releases, the listener can effectively observe Sam’s emancipation. With this record, he assumes a creative identity unique to himself.
Agarita was founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin). The new mobile concert hall is scheduled to complete its season run through all ten city districts. Photo: Agarita
Agarita, San Antonio’s innovative chamber ensemble, has announced that it will be performing six more of its unique Humble Hall mobile concerts during the remainder of the year. The outdoor, open-air concerts, featuring classical and contemporary music, are part of a series taking place in all the city’s 10 districts. (Agarita, 2021)
“At a time where classical music and the arts are needed even more to connect, we’re thrilled to continue to bring free concerts to San Antonio and throughout South Texas. Our theme is bringing the music to you without financial barriers and without the extra expense of traveling to a concert hall or venue. We’re excited to have fulfilled our goal, by the end of year, to have performed in every district in San Antonio, exposing our live music and artist expression to new audiences.” – Marisa Bushman, viola and Agarita executive director.
All ages are welcome and attendees are invited to bring a chair or blanket. The concerts, which are outdoors, are sponsored by the Russell Hill Rogers Fund for the Arts. Performances will be held at the following times and locations:
Saturday, October 30 1p.m., Castle Hills, The Commons, 207 Lemonwood Drive 4p.m., District 4, Christus Santa Rosa, 2827 Babcock Road
Sunday, November 7 11a.m., District 4, Pearsall Park, 5102 Old Pearsall Road 3p.m. District 5, Roosevelt Park, 331 Roosevelt Ave.
Saturday, December 18 11a.m., District 6, location TBD 3p.m., Districts 9 and 10, McAllister Park, 13102 Jones Maltsberger Road
Agarita’s Humble Hall, the first of its kind in Texas, debuted in December 2020 and provides easy public access to world-class performances while reinventing the traditional concert experience. The concerts are bilingual and open to the public. They last approximately 45 minutes, with no intermission, and include members of Agarita discussing their art with audiences, thereby forging a deeper connection with them.
Other sponsors for The Humble Hall series include Blossom Storage Ltd., US Signs New Braunfels, Humble House Foods, Terra Nova Violins, Chula Boyle, Marco Chalaby, Angela Pfeiffer, Wine Guys, Alexander Vineyards, Pulmonary Consultants of San Antonio, San Antonio Symphony League, H-E-B, and the Paulena F. Mitchell Testament Trust.
An innovative chamber ensemble dedicated to producing bold, collaborative musical events, Agarita offers a new way to experience classical and contemporary music. Rooted in San Antonio and founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin), Agarita nourishes the local community through artistic collaborations, community engagement and free, adventurous programming. With concise, eclectic performances that are “splendid – unified, spirited, [and] well prepared” (Greenberg, Incident Light), the young chamber group offers a new, open-armed experience for listeners.
Agarita was recently named San Antonio Magazine’s Best of the City 2021: Culture winner for its collaboration with area partners. It collaborates intimately with local artists of various genres to weave cross-artistic narratives for each concert. Agarita’s past collaborations have included the McNay Art Museum’s Pop América exhibit, lighting artist Chuck Drew, Cameron Beauchamp from the Grammy Award-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, chef Elizabeth Johnson and Pharm Table restaurant, poet Laura Van Prooyen, sculptor Danville Chadbourne, educational arts institution SAY Sí and the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival for a concert inside San Antonio’s historic Mission San José.
As a nonprofit organization, Agarita believes that the arts should be accessible to everyone in its community. Agarita presents free public concerts, performs at local schools, and offers opportunities for other artists through its collaborations.
Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice is due out December 24, 2021. Photo: google
Barry Waldrep is an American Bluegrass, Jam Band, Americana instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and record producer who co-founded the bluegrass/jam band Rollin’ in the Hay in July 1993. Rollin’ In The Hay soon became a full-time band touring the Jam Band circuit of festivals and college campuses across the country until May 2009. The band produced 7 CDs and performed over 300 dates per year for 16 years. During this time, Waldrep recorded 21 bluegrass tribute albums with CMH Records in Los Angeles for Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Phish, R.E.M., Tim McGraw, The Allman Brothers, Neil Diamond, and others. He was also featured on the CD Masterworks of American Bluegrass also produced by CMH Records. (Barry Waldrep, 2021)
In the era of modern music, describing anybody as the “greatest of all time” is usually met with resistance—if for no other reason than the ever-evolving tastes of both musicians and fans—but if the topic is bluegrass guitar players, there is a universally correct answer to “who’s the best;” the late, great Tony Rice. Rice was one of the most influential, inventive, and beloved musicians in all of bluegrass and Americana music and after he passed away in late 2020, his songs and stylings continue to live on in the musicians he inspired. This year, on the one-year anniversary of Rice’s passing, bluegrass instrumentalist and producer Barry Waldrep will be releasing a tribute to Mr. Rice with the 21-song, special-guest loaded Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice. When looking through Waldrep’s list of friends, it is apparent how far Rice’s music reached beyond just bluegrass. Americana greats Rodney Crowell and Jim Lauderdale and Jam-band royalty Warren Haynes and Oteil Burbridge make appearances alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Spooner Oldham and Patrick Simmons and country superstars Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris. And that is just a fraction of who has contributed to this celebration of the music of Tony Rice. Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice will be available everywhere on December 24 and can be pre-ordered or pre-saved now at this link.
“Music knows no boundaries and Tony created so many great examples of that. When you cross the line of other genres, that’s when you expand the audience and turn people on to other styles that they would not normally be interested in. The intent of this album and the artists involved is to show what a powerhouse master Tony Rice was at bringing musicians and fans together from different genres.” – Barry Waldrep
A full list of contributors is below and more information is available online.
Featured artists: Jimmy Hall, Rodney Crowell, Darrell Scott, Marty Raybon, Mike Farris, Kim Richey, Warren Haynes, Vince Gill, Radney Foster, Teresa Williams & Larry Campbell, Jim Lauderdale, John Berry, Patrick Simmons, John Paul White, Jacob Bunton, John Jorgenson, Rory Feek, Donna Hall & Kelli Johnson, and John Cowan.
Musicians: Barry Waldrep, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Rogers, Andrea Zonn, Aubrey Haynie, Bryan Hall, Caelan Berry, Spooner Oldham, Oteil Burbridge, James “Hutch” Hutchinson, Jason Bailey, Bryn Davies, Scott Vestal, Benji Shanks, Dillon Hodges, and Heidi Feek.
Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice track list: Why You Been Gone So Long – Featuring Jimmy Hall Song For The Life – Featuring Rodney Crowell 10 Degrees and Getting Colder – Featuring Darrell Scott Blue Railroad Train – Featuring Marty Raybon Walk On Boy – Featuring Mike Farris Early Morning Rain – Featuring Kim Richey Wayfaring Stranger – Featuring Warren Haynes I’ll Stay Around – Featuring Vince Gill Song For A Winter Night – Featuring Radney Foster EMD – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, John Jorgenson and John Cowan You Were There For Me – Featuring Teresa Williams and Larry Cambell Church Street Blues – Featuring Jim Lauderdale This Old House – Featuring John Berry 9 Pound Hammer – Featuring Pat Simmons Four Strong Winds – Featuring John Paul White More Pretty Girls Than One – Featuring Jacob Bunton Summer Wages – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, Spooner Oldham It’s Cold On The Shoulder – Featuring John Jorgenson Bury Me Beneath The Willow – Featuring Rory Feek Where The Soul Never Dies – Featuring Donna Hall and Kelli Johnson Me And My Guitar – Featuring John Cowan
Courtesy photo, used with permission.
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The Steel Wheels’ Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 will be out November 5, 2021. Photo: The Steel Wheels
The Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the Virginia mountains where the band was formed, but always moving forward with insightful lyrics and an evolving sound. Over thousands of shows at the world’s most prestigious festivals, listening rooms, and clubs, the stubbornly independent band has formed deep bonds with each other and the audience that sustains them. (The Steel Wheels, 2021)
Of all the ways to deliver music to fans amidst a global pandemic, The Steel Wheels took a very clever—and quite intimate—approach. With their signature blend of Appalachian Americana stylings, The Steel Wheels’ primary songwriter Trent Wagler began crowdsourcing personal experiences of fans and forging them into songs in 2020. The project quickly became an avenue for fans of the band to commission works and send musical greetings to their loved ones as well, and the initiative sparked a surprisingly impactful and intimate songwriting process. Eventually, the band released a batch of their new tunes as a full-length record, Everyone A Song, Vol. 1., much to the delight of fans and critics alike.
On November 5, the band will once again open the treasure chest of these special songs with Everyone A Song, Vol. 2. Each song on Vol. 2 was commissioned for a specific relationship or event—a birth, a wedding, a memory of home—yet the emotions evoked are universal. Building on the body of work begun with Vol. 1, the 9 songs of Vol. 2 also have an identity of their own, with themes that reflect the zeitgeist of a country dealing with tragedy and unsettling change. Fans can pre-order or pre-save Everyone A Song, Vol. 2right here and can visit the band’s merch shop here. And for those who have not heard Vol. 1, it can be streamed here.
Lead off track and first single “Where I’m From” introduces a tension between nostalgia and progress while highlighting the band’s deft balance of traditional instrumentation and driving rhythm. Commissioned for an old Catholic school in Chicago, the song paints a tangible picture of home. The image of slanted floors in the old church building are framed by low-tuned, fretless banjo, a smile-inducing drum groove, and a soaring fiddle solo. The music video for “Where I’m From” is out now and can be viewed at this link.
The Steel Wheels are heading back out on tour this month. A full list of tour dates is available online.
Catch The Steel Wheels On Tour: November 4 – Rocky Mount, VA – The Harvester November 5 – Bridgewater, VA – Sipe Center November 6 – Norfolk, VA – Roper Performing Arts Center December 1 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle December 2 – Chattanooga, TN – Arts Avenue December 3 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre w/ Acoustic Syndicate December 4 – Raleigh, NC – Motorco December 5 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java
Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 Track list: 1. Where I’m From 2. Time Is All I Need 3. Mark On Me 4. Memories In Mind 5. Adventures Of Grace And Henry 6. Lifeline 7. Where Our Future Begins 8. It’s Your Fault 9. Lullaby
Toward the Fray will be out February 18, 2022 and is available for pre-order now. Photo: google
The Infamous Stringdusters is a progressive acoustic/bluegrass band who first emerged in 2006 and consists of members Andy Hall (dobro), Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Andy Falco (guitar), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), and Travis Book (bass). The “Dusters” won three awards at the IBMAs in October 2007 for Emerging Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (for Fork in the Road), and Song of the Year for the album’s title track. The band was also nominated at the IBMAs in 2017 for Entertainer of the Year. In 2011, “Magic No. 9” (from Things That Fly) was nominated for the Best Country Instrumental Performance at the 2011 Grammys, while in 2018 the band won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for Laws of Gravity. (The Infamous Stringdusters, 2021)
Grammy and IBMA award-winners The Infamous Stringdusters continue to make their unmistakable mark on modern bluegrass and Americana music. In addition to the band hosting this year’s IMBA Awards, band member Jeremy Garret won for Instrumental Recording of the Year for his part in a Jon Weisberger-produced super-group performance of Earl Scruggs’ classic “Ground Speed.”
For every Dusters loyalist thinking, “Congrats on the award and great job hosting last night, but we want some new music,” the wait is over. The band has just announced a brand new, full-length album, Toward the Fray, to be released on February 18, 2022, on Americana Vibes via Regime Music Group. Toward the Fray follows the band’s critically acclaimed homage to the father of bluegrass, A Tribute to Bill Monroe, and is their first studio album of all original material since 2019’s Rise Sun. “It’s been fun to explore a little bit of The Dusters’ darker side for this album,” says band member Andy Hall, giving fans a slight hint at things to come. “Sometimes the times call for some serious reflection, and these songs really hit home. Get ready to go deep with us!”
Fans can digitally pre-order or pre-save Toward the Fray now at this link or pre-order physical copies and album-centric merch right here.
The Infamous Stringdusters are grateful to be back on tour with upcoming dates at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, House of Blues New Orleans, and Denver’s Mission Ballroom—just to name a few. A full list of dates is below and ticket information is available online.
Catch The Infamous Stringdusters on tour: November 12 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom November 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room November 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room November 16- Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater November 17 – Jackson, WY – Center for the Arts November 18 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory November 19 – Bozeman, MT – Elm November 20 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma
Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds of the West hosts Los Callejeros De San Anto on October 24, 2021. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
From the banks of the River Walk, travel to Northern Mexico as you enjoy a night of music under the stars at the Briscoe’s “Sips and Sounds of the West” Norteño Night on October 24. Celebrating all things vaquero in honor of Hispanic heritage and the Briscoe’s fantastic fall exhibition, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo: Contemporary Photography of the Northern Mexican Cowboy, the Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds series will spotlight Norteño music with band Los Callejeros De San Anto in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden at 6p.m. The ticketed event is a night of music, drinks and tacos under the stars. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)
Launched by Piñata Protest front man Alvaro Del Norte with bandmates Jose Morales on bajo sexton, bassist Richie Brown and Chris Ramirez on drums, Los Callejeros De San Anto blends well known influences of Conjunto and Norteño into the perfect Tex-Mex street band and is “abuela approved.” Sips and Sounds of the West: Norteño Night tickets are $15 for museum members and $25 for non-members. Each ticket includes two complimentary beer tickets. Food Truck fare is available for purchase from Dona Kika’s Tacos & Gorditas.
Norteño music is native to the Mexican state of Sonora, the birthplace of the modern cowboy featured in Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo. Making its United States debut at the Briscoe, the exhibition details a legacy with profound influence on the American West. With almost sixty images that span more than twenty years of the lives of the vaqueros, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo features celebrated photographer Werner Segarra inviting audiences to peer into the world of the Norteño Cowboys, not as a casual tourist, but as an intimate observer. The exhibition is open to the public through January 24, 2022, and is included with museum admission.
Courtesy photo, used with permission
The Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds of the West series highlights the soundtrack of the West through live music while surrounded by the beauty of the garden’s fantastic bronze sculptures and lush greenery. The museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden is an oasis featuring a beautiful courtyard surrounded by bronze sculptures depicting iconic figures of the American West. The sculpture garden offers the perfect respite during any River Walk visit, with tables, chairs and benches to rest and enjoy the view. With the lights of downtown in the background and stars overhead, the garden becomes magical at night, making it the perfect spot for a date night or a night out with friends.
Preserving and presenting the art, history and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.
Image from Postcards From The Border series. Photo: Joel Salcido, used with permission.
Agarita is “bringing the music to you” with the announcement of its new 2021-22 concert season offering six free community concerts across San Antonio expanding its reach, further exploring its relationship between music and art. (Agarita, 2021)
An innovative chamber ensemble dedicated to producing bold, collaborative musical events, Agarita offers a new way to experience classical and contemporary music. Rooted in San Antonio and founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin), Agarita nourishes the local community through artistic collaborations, community engagement, and free, adventurous programming.
On August 24, Agarita created an American Impressionism experience at San Antonio Museum of Art. The season continues with a hosted fall event at Carver Community Cultural Center, telling a more genuine story of our Texas border with Mexico featuring Joel Salcido Ruiz, photographer and Oscar Cásares, writer. The season will end in June with a unique performance of J.S. Bach’s masterpiece The Goldberg Variations in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word.
Collaborators for the new season also include a unique concert experience inspired by the art and process of renowned local glass-blower Gini Garcia and an innovative, electronic musical work for Agarita that interacts with the sounds and flow of San Antonio’s rivers with artist and composer Nadia Botello.
“Agarita continues to share an immense drive, passion, and willingness to unite the arts and empower artists in San Antonio. By offering these six unique, free concert experiences, we hope to continue to uplift the community with inspiring art and music during this challenging and ever evolving time.” – Marisa Bushman, viola and Agarita co-president.
Postcards from the Border Date: Friday, October 15, 2021 Time: 7:30p.m. – 8:45p.m. Location: Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N Hackberry, San Antonio, TX 78202 Collaborator: Joel Salcido Ruiz, photographer; Oscar Cásares, writer Description: Inspired to tell a more genuine story of our Texas border with Mexico, photographer Joel Salcido and writer Oscar Cásares traveled the length of the Rio Grande River, resulting in the series “Postcards From The Border,” which appeared in Texas Monthly. Agarita will pair music to these beautiful and poignant images, narrated by Oscar Cásares. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Agarita Celebrates SAMA’s 40th Date: Sunday, December 12, 2021 Time: 11a.m. – 12:15p.m. Location: San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 West Jones Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215 Collaborator: Highlights of SAMA’s permanent collection Description: Agarita returns to the San Antonio Museum of Art for a concert celebrating the museum’s 40th anniversary. Musical selections will reflect artworks on display in the special exhibit. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Agarita + Gini Garcia, Glass Artist Date: Saturday, February 5, 2022 Time: 7p.m. – 8:15p.m. Location: TBD Collaborator: Gini Garcia, glass artist Description: The art of glass-blowing is one of spontaneous, improvisatory process met with intricate design and planning. Join Agarita’s collaboration with renowned local glass-blower Gini Garcia for a concert inspired by her art and process. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Agarita + Nadia Botello, Composer Date: Friday, May 6, 2022 Time: 7:30p.m. Location: TBD Collaborator: Nadia Botello, composer Description: Composer Nadia Botello creates an innovative, electronic musical work for Agarita that interacts with the sounds and flow of San Antonio’s rivers. Immerse yourself in this ear-opening, hydrating program. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Variations on The Goldberg Variations Date: Saturday, June 18, 2022 Time: 7:30p.m. – 9p.m. Location: The Chapel of the Incarnate Word, 4503 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209 Description: For a unique performance of J.S. Bach’s masterpiece The Goldberg Variations in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word, Agarita will mix Dmitry Sitkovesky’s String Trio arrangement with Bach’s original harpsichord instrumentation. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Agarita was recently named San Antonio Magazine’s Best of the City 2021: Culture winner for its collaboration with area partners. It collaborates with local artists of various genres to weave cross-artistic narratives for each concert. Agarita’s past collaborations have included the McNay Art Museum’s Pop América exhibit, lighting artist Chuck Drew, Cameron Beauchamp from the Grammy Award-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, chef Elizabeth Johnson and Pharm Table restaurant, poet Laura Van Prooyen, sculptor Danville Chadbourne, educational arts institution SAY Sí, and the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival for a concert inside San Antonio’s historic Mission San José.
As a nonprofit organization, Agarita believes that the arts should be accessible to everyone in its community. Agarita presents free public concerts, performs at local schools, and offers opportunities for other artists through its collaborations.
Maja Francis brings Swedish emo country pop to the forefront with debut full-length album A Pink Soft Mess. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
In taking a step back from her signature synth-laden, sparkling pop music, Swedish singer and songwriter Maja Francis rediscovered her roots—and her piano—while writing songs for her full-length debut album A Pink Soft Mess. Released worldwide last month, A Pink Soft Mess finds the daughter of a record store owner embracing her melancholy and emotional country-pop sound which matches brilliantly with the album’s shimmering pink design themes—fitting for an artist often described as “Emo Dolly Parton.” Recorded with and produced by Johannes Runemark and David Wikberg together with Maja Francis, A Pink Soft Mess can be streamed or purchased right now at this link. (Maja Francis, 2021)
A Pink Soft Mess opens with the previously released single, “Anxious Angel,” which fans may have heard on Netflix’s acclaimed series Love & Anarchy. “This song is to all my fellow anxious angels,” says Francis. “To make us feel less lonely.” “Tiny Tornados” comes next; the first song Francis wrote on her way back to loving music again. “I opened up to fall in love with writing songs and singing them again,” she recalls of the writing of “Tiny Tornados.” “It’s also kind of a tribute to my ADHD, and how it feels to live with the constant ups and downs.” Also included is a stellar cover of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work,” a song which has always made Francis “feel physical sensations.” “I love when music does that to you. Like…shakes you around like a snow globe,” she says. “I think Kate wrote this song for a movie about birth from a man’s perspective. But for me it’s about loss. Losing someone or yourself—and how painful that is.”
Album single “PMS Party” is the low-key women’s anthem of the year. “I’m having a PMS party and nobody’s invited / I wanna be lonely and do whatever I want.” “I wrote ‘PMS Party’ on a moody PMS day, it’s the fastest song I’ve ever written,” recalls Francis. “I didn’t know if the boys in the studio would get it but I took it with me the next day, they loved it and after a while I found them in a room singing ‘pms party’ backing vocals.” The final single from A Pink Soft Mess, “Mama,” is an unreleased collaboration with Johanna and Klara Söderberg—better known as First Aid Kit. A tribute to Francis’s mother, “Mama” is about feeling a mom’s love and learning how to reciprocate it. “Now that I’m all grown up, I understand so much more about her struggles and her pain, and I also see so much of myself in her,” says Francis about her “mama.” Fans should also stay tuned for an upcoming music video for “Mama.”
When it is all said and done, A Pink Soft Mess is distinctive, emotional, personal, the result of a variety of strong sources of inspiration, experiences, and collaborations. With this new material, Francis has abandoned the world where music creation is captivated by demands and expectations and where commercial success becomes the only significant point of assessment. Now, when Francis returns with her new music, it comes straight from the heart.
A Pink Soft Mess Track list: 1. Anxious Angel 2. Tiny Tornados 3. PMS Party 4. Mama (ft. First Aid Kit) 5. Lava Love 6. This Woman’s Work 7. Lucky 8. Emo Butterfly 9. How Are We Doing
SA Examiner 