San Angelo’s hometown heroes are bringing their “Texican Rock ‘n’ Roll” to San Antonio’s Pearl. Billboard chart-topping act Los Lonely Boys will headline the near-downtown development's inaugural Pearl Fest, held May 23.
The full day of music combines free and ticketed experiences. During the Saturday Farmers Market at Pearl Park, shoppers will be treated to performances from the 11-piece ensemble LA 45 with local Chicano soul icon Sonny Ozuna, Texican Legacy, Batooter, and Jose Amador & Terra Nova.
At 5 pm, the parking area under Highway 281 becomes the stage for a ticketed concert. In addition to Los Lonely Boys, country bluesman Nicky Diamonds, dreamy indie rockers mypilotis, and “emo primos” Vintage Pictures will have sets.
General tickets for the show go on sale Friday, April 25, for $25, but subscribers to Pearl’s email list can snag presales on Thursday April, 23. The cost will be $35 at the door.
Pearl and its tenants have been heavily investing in community experiences in 2026. On May 1-2, it will host a weekend tequila activation with a multi-course pairing dinner, a cocktail competition, a sip-and-stroll tasting festival benefiting the San Antonio Food Bank, and a Los Lobos concert at Stable Hall.
Pullman Market has also been bringing a steady slate of programming, including a recent Fiesta party starring pop-punk superstars Eve 6 and Fastball and a February chili cookoff showcasing some of San Antonio’s most acclaimed chefs.
Writer/director Paul Greengrass made his name with a cinéma vérité style of filmmaking that brought immediacy and depth to three Jason Bourne films, United 93, Captain Phillips, and more. In The Uprising, he uses those skills to tell the story of the so-called Peasants’ Revolt in 14th century England.
Greengrass wastes no time starting the main plot as Ploughman (Andrew Garfield) and his fellow villagers object to onerous taxes put on them by the country’s nobility, led by the young King Richard II (Woody Norman), to fund an ongoing war. Ploughman initiates a violent response over the tone-deaf — and unseemly — way the king’s guard go about their business, and the rebellion soon starts to spread across the countryside, with the citizens looking for a degree of autonomy.
The ever-expanding group makes their way toward London to try to make their case to the king himself. Meanwhile, the king’s top advisors, including Archbishop Sudbury (Stephen Dillane) and Treasurer Hales (Tom Hollander), try to usurp power from the inexperienced monarch even as the king’s mother (Katherine Waterston) tries to get him to be more assertive.
The history of the English monarchy is long and lurid, as Shakespeare detailed in multiple plays, including Richard II. Though the events in the film took place almost 650 years ago, it’s easy to see parallels between what the peasants were fighting for and modern-day politics. Greengrass’ storytelling intent is solid, and the righteous anger the citizens feel is initially relatable and palpable.
But the populism theme of the story soon gets bogged down in drudgery and minutiae that is difficult to understand, especially when the details are lost in the thick regional English accents. The leaders of the rebels — including John Ball (Jamie Bell), Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis), and Alyce (Thomasin McKenzie) — are shown doing a lot of planning, but the strong feelings they have about their quest don’t come across well, leaving the audience as passive observers.
When there is action, Greengrass and his team employ a frenetic style that is not great for comprehension. While the gist of what is happening and what side is winning is legible, individual moments go by so quickly so as to be nearly meaningless. Save for Ploughman, any connection that has been made with various characters proves futile, as Greengrass doesn’t seem to have any time for emotion. Scenes that should feel thrilling or heartbreaking instead come off as empty.
Garfield is a two-time Oscar nominee who has done great work across multiple genres. He’s fine in this role, but whether it’s the story, the filmmaking, or something else, he’s not as captivating as usual. The same goes for other strong actors like Bell, McKenzie, Dillane, Hollander, and Waterston, who each seem to be giving their all to their performances but are somehow muted in the process.
Done right, The Uprising could have been a rip-roaring account of people standing up against their oppressors. What Greengrass has made, though, is a film that can’t translate its medieval story for a modern audience and concentrates too much on unexciting elements and too little on thrilling ones.
