Local artist floods San Antonio with two water-inspired performances

THE SHAPE OF WATER

Teletextile/ Facebook

From Lake Elmendorf to the River Walk, San Antonians are blessed with a surplus of beautiful waterways. Now a local composer is augmenting their visual appeal with a free series of sonic art performances in collaboration with the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture.

According to a release, Alamo City sound artist Pamela Martinez will bring the happenings to two San Antonio dams in March. A Reiki master and educator putting out work as Teletextile, Martinez has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. National publications such as The Atlantic and the New York Times have lauded her densely layered soundscapes.

Martinez works with a revolving crew of collaborators to execute the events, creating “sound and ceremony” designed for specific sites. The San Antonio performances will explore “water as a carrier of culture throughout the city.”

The first two-act production will occur at Lake Elmendorf's 19th Street Dam on March 4 at 5 pm. The first act, “Transformation,” employs immersive staging to walk the audience into the dam's teeth. Guests are invited to contemplate the theme related to the different states of water and interpersonal development. The second act, “Our Power Together,” features an original score with percussion, horns, and choral elements.

“When I look at a dam, I see an opera house,” says Martinez via a release. “The majestic stage is set for the drama that is our lifeblood in the inevitable overflowing of water.”

Martinez will return for a second performance at the Roosevelt Control Tunnel Outlet Park on March 25 at 5:30 pm. The first act will reprise “Our Power Together,” staged with musicians floating on the San Antonio River in kayaks. The second act, “Flow,” encourages guests to promenade with the cast along the river up to the floating pavilion and the hidden three-mile water tunnel below.

The event will crescendo with “Dam! A Song of Water.” The composition was initially performed in October 2022 at Espada Dam in collaboration with the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. The piece spotlighted the landmark and the Spanish colonial acequia system.

Both performances will last around an hour. Admission is free, but guests need to RSVP before the show. Tickets can also be upgraded by purchasing a digital download or reserved seating. Walking, however, will be a part of both events.

Participants are advised to dress appropriately for wet areas since performances will be held inside the dams and near the San Antonio River. Closed-toe or waterproof shoes with traction are encouraged. For safety reasons, the events will be rescheduled in the event of rain.

Those wanting to get a jumpstart on the performances can download a DAM! Audio Tour through geo-mapping app Echoes. The location-triggered sounds include remarks about the water’s nature, field recordings, and selections from Martinez’s work.

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'Little West Side gem" sparkles with summer grand opening

DREAMS COME TRUE

Some bar owners talk about community, but the all-woman trio behind new Prospect Hill spot Chiflada’s mean it. The team says the concept, celebrating its grand opening on June 2, wouldn’t have happened without it.

Family and friends turned out to support the bar months before it was ready for the build-out. They turned out again to help transform a vacant bungalow at 1804 West Martin St. into a comfortable and stylish lounge. When the ice machine went on the fritz during the June 27 soft opening, the bar’s supporters flexed their muscles to ensure the drinks remained cold.

Even the West Side neighborhood gave it a seal of approval. Natasha Riffle, who co-owns Chifladla’s with her mother, policewoman Veronica Riffle, and El Buho owner Melanie Martinez, says the team walked door to door to change the zoning, ensuring residential buy-in.

The result is a bar that is by and for the neighborhood. At the soft opening party, Marigolds swayed in the breeze under a pergola as congratulatory bouquets filled the bar’s shelves. Guests busily chattered as popular deejay Sunnyboy played oldies and conjunto hits.

“It feels like you’re at your abuelita’s backyard and hanging with your family,” Natasha Riffle says of the bar’s vibe.

The drinks honor that spirit, too, toeing the line between the neighborhood’s blue-collar roots and the team’s cocktail-making skills. Featured sippers include a punchy Mexican Martini, a melon Paloma, the Chif Peach, and the mezcal-based Smoke on the Water.
“It’s a place to get a nice cocktail, but also a place to get a beer and shot combo,” Natasha Riffle tells CultureMap about the high-low mix.

Ultimately, Chiflada’s feels like home — the type of place folks let loose after a long day at work, where multiple generations can get in on the party and where bartenders become close friends.

“We all lived [on the West Side] off and on,” says Riffle of the team, “and we’ve all worked with each other over the years. We are more of a family than we are co-workers — 100 percent.”

Photo by Joe Rodriquez

Natasha Riffle beams in front of her newly opened bar.

Contemporary Irish pub sprouts up in new St. Paul's Square home

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK

One of San Antonio’s most storied bars is gearing up for its next chapter. After a brief hiatus, Southtown hot spot Francis Bogside has reopened in St. Paul Square, along with a sister concept — Anne’s.

The bar first opened in 2015 in conjunction with the fine dining eatery Brigid. The pair had barely been in business for a year before an early morning fire ravaged their shared space in 2016. In 2017, the bar reopened on South St. Mary’s Street sans Brigid, becoming one of Alamo City’s favorite haunts.

In July 2022, owner Steve Mahoney announced another change. Francis Bogside was moving out of its longtime home and into a new location. Eventually, internet sleuths figured out that spot would be 1170 E Commerce St #100 in St. Paul’s Square, the former home of Smoke BBQ.

Though in a new location, the basic DNA of the bar is still intact, with a similar layout featuring a large central bar and a jumble of artwork on the walls. The space, however, is a more contemporary interpretation of an Irish pub with a bold mix of upholstery, up-to-date wallcoverings, and mosaic tiles, all enlivening the mostly brick space.

Though Bogside’s signature cocktails have often strayed from theme, a release promised a return to form with sippers like Paddy’s Irish whiskey-based Irish Maid and low ABV Jammy Lass. As usual, the specialty drinks will be supplemented by various classics, including daiquiris and negronis.

Currently, the bar has a limited food menu of pub grub, like focaccia pizza, wings, and loaded potato skins. A more fully developed menu will be rolled out as it prepares for a grand opening later in June.

The media alert did not offer many details about Anne’s, a wine bar now open in the adjoining space, but did tease at an international bottle list. The concept will also have a dedicated food menu, although no details were shared.

Currently in its soft opening phase, Francis Bogside welcomes guests 4 pm-2 am Tuesday through Sunday. Anne’s operates Wednesday through Sunday with the same opening hours.

Photo by TXTroublemaker

A large central bar is the focal point.

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