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Agarita in concert

Agarita in concert

Photo courtesy of Agarita

In their season finale, Agarita performs at the Chapel of the Incarnate Word for an eclectic program that includes original arrangements.

Photo by Coral Martinez-Cardona

Youth Orchestras of San Antonio presents Zachry Series 3: Resilience

Youth Orchestras of San Antonio presents Zachry Series 3: Resilience

Youth Orchestras of San Antonio will present Zachry Series 3: Resilience. The YOSA Philharmonic’s season finale explores stirring music of resolute defiance, from Rossini’s celebration of a Swiss folk hero resisting Austrian rule, to Sibelius evoking the Finnish struggle against Russian occupation, and American composer Kenji Bunch celebrating indefatigable teens overcoming the challenges of a global pandemic.

Photo courtesy of Ville Valo (VV)

VV in concert

VV in concert

VV comes to San Antonio in support of his new album, Neon Noir.

Photo courtesy of Agarita

Agarita in concert

Agarita in concert

Agarita returns to the San Antonio Museum of Art for a concert inspired by their exhibition, "Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii," available for view from February 24-May 21, 2023.

Photo courtesy of Chris Botti

Chris Botti in concert

Chris Botti in concert

Chris Botti is a complete package, from a dazzling trumpeter at home in everything from jazz to pop to rock, a brilliant bandleader who lets his players shine and a born showman whose joy at being onstage is infectious.

Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed CD When I Fall In Love, Botti has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four No. 1 jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards.

Botti's latest album, Impressions, won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Performing worldwide and selling more than four million albums, he has found a form of creative expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre.

Photo courtesy of STOMP

The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts presents STOMP

The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts presents STOMP

STOMP is an international percussion sensation that has garnered armfuls of awards and rave reviews and has appeared on numerous national television shows. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments including matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, and hubcaps to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms.

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7 things to know about San Antonio food right now: Mexican street food joint wraps up after 25 years

NEWS YOU CAN EAT

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio's restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our weekly roundup of essential food news.

Openings and closings

After serving locals for more than 25 years, a Broadway corridor mainstay has wrapped up business. In an Instagram statement, the owners of Beto's Alt-Mex announced that March 19 was the last day of service. Since 1997, the restaurant has offered an eclectic take on Pan-American street food, serving a variety of tacos and empanadas alongside sides like charro beans and Peruvian rice. In the post, the team struck a hopeful note by promising, "this is not a goodbye, but a see ya later."

A Northwest Side eatery only offered finality in its own closing note. Via Facebook, mom-and-pop joint Sarah's Barbacoa said its goodbyes on March 16. Though owner Sarah Hernandez explained the shutter was a tough decision, each member of the family management team decided to focus on emerging career opportunities.

In more playful news, schoolhouse-themed watering hole Home Roomwelcomed its first visitors on March 16. Owned by Marika Olmstead-Wright of Pacific Moon and Marc "Frenchy" Groleau of Charlie Brown's Neighborhood Bar, the watering hole has filled the former home of St. Peter Claver Academy with lawn games and primary colored furnishings. Still to come will be food trucks and a school bus patio bar.

A new project is brewing at 11015 Shaenfield Rd. A concept called Refuge Coffee and Beer has applied for a wine and malt beverage on-premise permit with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. According to corporate filings, the project is the work of Austinites. Although similarly named businesses exist in other states, this appears to be an original concept. An online presence seems to be still pending.

Other news and notes

Newish Pearl hot spot Ladino is putting a Mediterranean twist on the wine dinner. On March 27, the eatery will welcome Greek vintner Christos Zafeirakis of Domaine Zafeirakis Winery for a four-course feast paired with a whopping six wines. Tickets are $120 online and are limited to 24 guests.

River Walk restaurant Dorrego's is giving guests a little zazzle with made-to-order paella Monday through Friday, 11 am-2 pm. For $16.95, diners can customize a heaping helping of saffron rice with chicken, shrimp, scallops, sausage, mussels, and vegetables. Reservations can be booked online.

Speaking of paella, chef Johnny Hernandez's annual Paella Challenge will return to Mission County Park on March 26. As always, the shindig will feature more than 40 paellas prepared by some of San Antonio's culinary luminaries. Tickets start at $85 and benefit Hernandez's youth charity Kitchen Campus.

Ridiculously violent John Wick: Chapter 4 hits most of the right marks

Movie Review

The world of John Wick sure has changed a lot from its relatively small beginnings in 2014. Back then, Wick (Keanu Reeves) was just a former hitman out for revenge on the people who killed his dog. Now it’s full-blown franchise with a story that spans continents, necessitating that each subsequent sequel try to out-do the previous film.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the biggest movie in the series yet, clocking in at just shy of three hours. Stunt coordinator-turned-director Chad Stahelski does his best to fill that massive running time with as much brutality and derring-do as possible. Wick, having long ago run afoul of the powers-that-be that lead the hitman syndicate, The High Table, is still on the lam, with only a few loyal friends willing to help him.

One of the leaders of The High Table, the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård), is on mission to root out Wick once and for all, systemically shutting down versions of The Continental, hotels that serve as safe houses for assassins like Wick. With the Marquis and his henchmen constantly on his tail, Wick has no choice but to do what he does best – take out as many people as he can before they get to him first.

The film, written by Shay Hatten, Michael Finch, and Derek Kolstad, is not quite a non-stop thrill ride, but it’s as close as you can get when you decide to make a film this long. The complexity of the machinations of The High Table makes it almost impossible to keep up with the actual story of the film, but when they get down to the business of fighting, none of that really matters.

There are multiple extended sequences that become an orgy of violence, but the way they’re staged by Stahelski and his team make them eminently engaging. John Wick: Chapter 3 suffered from repetitiveness, and while the same could be said here to a degree, it feels fresher because of the sheer number of combatants and constantly changing scenery.

The fight scenes are magnificently over-the-top, but in this series, that’s to be expected. Where the filmmakers step up this time around is in the cinematography, with bravura shots filling the screen. The camera is almost constantly on the move, swooping in, out, and above the action. One especially memorable sequence even has the camera going above walls to follow the fighting.

While the majority of the story is treated in a deadly serious manner, the filmmakers aren’t afraid to add in some goofy elements. We’ve always had to take Wick’s ability to survive (mostly) unscathed with a huge grain of salt, but this film turns that idea up to 11. At certain points, there’s a kind of a Wile E. Coyote tone to Wick’s escapes, especially a late sequence involving (many) stairs.

There’s not much do the character of John Wick other than his preternatural ability to kill, and Reeves continues to play him perfectly, expressing himself more in gunshots and punches than words. In addition to returning favorites like Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, and Laurence Fishburne, this film sees great supporting turns by Skarsgård, Donnie Yen, and Shamier Anderson.

John Wick: Chapter 4 did not need to be nearly as long as it is, but in this case, the excess is the point. Much of it is ridiculous and ridiculously violent, but it’s also highly entertaining, which is all you can hope for from this type of film.

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John Wick: Chapter 4 opens in theaters on March 24.

Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4

Photo by Murray Close/Lionsgate

Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4.

Blockbuster Western art exhibition and sale stampedes into San Antonio

Luck of the draw

No other region has quite captured the public’s imagination quite like the American West. From the sweeping mountaintop vistas to the harsh desert flats, the landscape has fueled countless works of art. Although many still view it through the amber of history, the realities and myths of frontier life still resonate today.

It’s a subject well-known by the Briscoe Western Art Museum, whose annual Night of Artists Exhibition and Sale returns to San Antonio March 24 through 25. The two-day spectacular showcases nearly 300 new works by 80 of the nation’s vanguard Western artists. The event kicks off a six-week public viewing included with admission to the museum.

The paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works displayed reflect a panoramic vision of the Western United States, ranging from portraiture to nature studies. Works by greats like Billy Schenck, Don Oelze, Z.S. Liang, C. Michael Dudash, George Hallmark, Kim Wiggins, Bonnie Marris, Michael Ome Untiedt, Teresa Elliot, and Jan Mapes will be quickly snatched up by collectors.

The blockbuster show also gives guests a chance to discover emerging artists. Among the notable new talent this year are Jeremy Lipking, Eric Bowman, Glenn Dean, Dustin Van Wechel, Bob Guelich, Kevin Red Star, and Tony Pro.

"With a rich array of works from today’s top artists, events like Night of Artists prove the strength of Western art," said Michael Duchemin, Briscoe's President and CEO, via release. "The genre continues to flourish thanks to the talent showcased by our participating artists and the increasing number of collectors and enthusiasts drawn to the beauty and spirit these works capture,”

Opening weekend kicks off with an exhibition preview in the Briscoe's Jack Guenther Pavilion on the River Walk banks. The exclusive evening begins with cocktails amongst the art before a seated dinner. A high-spirited auction will provide a dramatic crescendo.

Guests wanting a more in-depth understanding of the Western art can participate in the Briscoe Bison Society Collectors Summit on March 24 and 25. Collectors, gallery owners, and artists will chat at a series of panels held at the Westin Riverwalk, offering expert advice on market trends.

Other highlights include The Night of Artists awards luncheon and the exhibit opening reception in the McNutt Sculpture Garden, both on March 25. Art fans will surely want to check out the evening Luck of the Draw sale, where attendees can snag up pieces at a fixed price.

Tickets, benefiting the museums exhibitions and programs are available online. Those who are not able to make it can view the dazzling collection March 26 through May 7.