Art Capades

ART CAPADES
FIRST ONLINE EDITION

A CurBlog arts round-up column by Sarah Fisch.
Some bad photos, some okay photos, some laughs, some screeds, and some useful information for artists and art-likers.

Let’s commence.

1. Well, alright, here’s a picture of a dead animal:


What, you don’t like it?
I don’t blame you. Life can be brutal.
This particular dead animal was found by San Antonio artist Danville Chadbourne at the bottom of a vase-like sculpture he’d had in storage for close to twenty years, if memory serves. He found it while reclaiming and restoring pieces from storage for Part I of his career retrospective, held at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center this past spring. I photographed it at his house/studio. He mentioned, maybe joking, doing some art about the critter.

It’s a little bitty ‘possum.



Here it is presented kind of touchingly in an archival way, boxed.

2. Now, then, here’s a photo of the makers of the public art adorning the new Museum Reach extension of the Riverwalk.



From left to right, that’s:
George Schroeder (bridge rail structures TK and stay tuned)
Donald Lipski  (F.I.S.H.)
Carlos Cortés  (Shade Tree and Grotto)
Bill Fontana (Sonic Passage)
Mark Schlesinger (Under the Over Bridge)
Rolando Briseño  (shade structure TK)
Stuart Allen (29° 26’ 00” N / 98° 29’ 07” W and 29° 25’ 57” N / 98° 29’ 13” W)
and Martin Richman (Shimmer Field).

This admittedly unfocused phone photo was taken at the occasion of their SAMA panel discussion (moderated by David Rubin) on opening day of the museum reach. And, okay, it’s blurry as all git-out. I admit to sorta digging the “Last Supper’ steez of this shot though, all those distinguished dudes discussing amongst themselves (and, note, as in the Last Supper, a general dearth of melanin and vaginas.)

Huh—Bill Fontana seems to be in the Jesus position, here. And, like the Biblical Jesus, he didn’t say all that much, but what he did was thoughtful and to the point.

But this photo is like seeing the Last Supper panel as part of the Witness Protection program, each person reduced to broad strokes. But I also enjoy the blurry visual parameters of cel phone camera photography. It’s like early daguerreotype; some details you just have to take on faith, as the camera is not the eye, you know, all that shit.


This is a daguerreotype of some dudes who had nothing to do with the Museum Reach.

Anyhow, the panel discussion was very interesting. Each artist came off as impassioned, thoughtful, and committed to the project and to the city. And it was very cool to see projected slides of the pieces—the Martin Richman slides, in particular, brought the crowd (a surprisingly large one, given that it was a Saturday afternoon) to spontaneous applause.

A Q&A period following brought some interesting queries, including one from a VERY CONCERNED LADY about protecting the artworks from vandalism. At this point, Mike Addkison, the River Foundation’s stellar project manager, got on the mic, explaining that while art placement and materials were designed to protect the art somewhat, graffiti is as old as Pompeii, and preventing it as a human phenomenon may not be feasible, seeing as how San Anto is a living city whose contours and colors change continually.

I asked the panel—specifically, the San Antonians—how it felt to make public art for their hometown. Kind of a corny question, I know, but I’m from here, and I am NOT MADE OF STONE.

George Schroeder’s response was terrific, addressing how exciting it is to participate in public art at a time when San Antonio’s visual arts have evolved so quickly and well, comparing the scene now to ten years ago, and how pleased he is with being a part of something people can enjoy “for at least 500 years,” he said, speaking about his sturdy and gorgeous (and yet-to-be-installed) metal bridge railing structures. YES, HE SAID 500 YEARS, which brought anther spontaneous round of applause from the audience. That was in answer to a question about how long the artist’s works will last, actually, not my question, but still. GEORGE SCHROEDER’S THINKING IN 500-YEAR TERMS. I like it.

Rolando Briseño is also a native San Antonian whose bridge railing adornments have yet to go up. He’s designed shade structures, a real future boon to any future walker under our jacked-up sun, and like Schroeder’s piece, they’re (tentatively) slated to go up this Fall. I will most definitely keep you posted. In talking about what designing public art for his hometown means to him, Rolando Briseño talked about riding his bike on the river’s banks with his cousins, as a kid, and loving the beauty of the WPA-era development, and how tragicomic it felt, years later, that the only news stories you’d hear about the River walk “was when someone got beat up.” It means a lot to him to see the river open up as joyful space.  A true native son, he talked about the necessity of shade, and the collective longing to pause, to rest, reflect, hang out, enjoy the river as a living part of the life of the city he loves. He got emotional. So did I, listening.

Carlos Cortés talked about the importance and profundity of family tradition, how creating the grotto and shade tree using techniques he learned at his father’s and great-uncle’s elbows connected past with the future, the intimate and familial with the public, how ingrained public space and the beautifying of it is to him, written as it is  into his family’s legacy. He’s not pushing his own kids into it, he said, but who knows?

Also, Mark Schlesinger noted that while he isn’t a native San Antonian, his kid’s growing up here, and related an anecdote about watching his then-tiny son as he laid his face down onto the grass of the Schlesinger family’s first San Antonio front yard. Nice.



A San Antonio family on opening day of the museum reach, post-game, near VFW post.


3. SOME RANDOM PHOTOS



Did you know that the front right passenger seat of every San Antonio VIA bus is dedicated to the memory of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks? Me neither, but it's true. I’ve been riding the bus lately and was very pleased to see this. The only other city with this same tribute is in Washington State, weirdly.



Tattoos on a bartender named Whiskey’s forearms at a bar called The Other Woman. Info on left arm tattoo message here.
Right arm reads (in Latin), "I shall meet death with a calm mind".




A fiver I came across recently, with ‘stache and “Morrissey eyebrows” (description copyright Linda Arredondo) inked in.



Detail. It’s a good look for Abe. I never noticed what a pretty mouth he had.


22’s in front of the Greyhound station.


school bus from Donna, TX, spotted on Broadway. Going…


going…


almost gone.

Remember when it rained?

Chaléwood No. 13: Ramón Rodríguez

Ramón Rodríguez - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

By Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current contributing writer
kiko@cinesnob.net

Standing at the base of an Egyptian pyramid, actor Ramón Rodríguez didn’t miss the opportunity to take a moment and let it all sink in. Not only was he shooting a scene for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the summer, he was also living a childhood fantasy.

“I was excited because I grew up watching the cartoon and playing with the toys,” said Rodríguez, who is of Puerto Rican descent. “It’s like I’m in the middle of a huge whirlwind. It’s intense. I’ve never experienced anything like this.”

Just off the release of his first summer film, The Taking of Pelham 123 with Denzel Washington and John Travolta, Rodríguez now stars in Revenge of the Fallen as Leonardo Ponce de Léon Spitz (AKA Leo), a college roommate of Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), who runs a website on conspiracy theories.

Rodríguez spoke to me about how fast-paced it really is on the set of a Michael Bay film and why he’s okay with letting computer-generated robots take some of his spotlight.

Transformers is so popular here in the U.S., but when you’re promoting it internationally does that put it into perspective how huge it really is?

You really don’t have any idea. We just got back yesterday from our international press tour. We were in Tokyo, Madrid, London, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Rome. Shia [LaBeouf] and Megan [Fox] both told me that this was going to be a life-changing thing. But even hearing that you still don’t know what to expect. Next thing you know, I’m filming on the pyramids in Egypt. It’s was insane.

So many actors don’t even get the chance to get off the Hollywood lot and here you are in Egypt. What was it like shooting on location?

Man, I had to keep a journal throughout the whole thing and take a lot of photos because working with [director] Michael Bay, it’s incredibly fast-paced. Everything is 100 mph. It feels like you’re on this machine. We call it “Bay-os.” It’s Michael Bay chaos. When I was on the pyramids I literally had to just stand there and write about everything I was feeling. It’s so humbling. You can’t even image how big the pyramids are. You think you know and they you stand by them and you’re like, “Wow!” You feel like a little ant. At the end of the day we’re shooting a robot movie, but look where we’re at.

With a film like this that relies so much on special effects, do you worry that people won’t notice what’s going on from the acting side of things? I’m guessing it’s pretty easy to be overshadowed by Megatron.

(Laughs) Yeah, if I get upstaged by Megatron or Optimus Prime it’s all good with me. There are some really funny moments in this film. My character, Leonardo Ponce de Léon Spitz – I love saying that name – he’s got some funny moments that are really going to mix in well. I mean, you can have a lot of action and explosions and robots beating each other up, but if there isn’t a human factor people aren’t going to connect to it. I think that’s the importance of my character.

In real life, are you a conspiracy theorist like your character?

I like to question things. I always like to hear both sides. I think there are a lot of things that we don’t know about especially in politics and government. I think it’s important that people don’t become nonchalant and lazy about finding out the truth. It’s important to challenge things and not accept everything.

Other than yourself, who is the most excited about your role in this movie?

My mom! Right now she is flipping out in New York City. I actually bought her and my three sisters tickets to fly out for the L.A. premiere. I don’t think they have any idea what they’re coming out for. I can’t wait to see their faces. My family is really emotional so I’m sure they’re going to be a lot of crying.

What do you bring to this sequel as a Latino?

I bring a lot of sabor (flavor) and a different kind of character. The character starts of completely in control, but then he gets tossed into this real-life situation with all these robots. I really think the people are going to enjoy the journey through Leo’s eyes.

Worst free comedy/music show ever

But what else are you going to do on a Tuesday?
Seriously though folks, despite the self-deprecating name, the Worst of Both Worlds, featuring local comedians (and sometimes musicians) Johnny Luna and Bobby Smith looks like a bargain. Stand up comedy, musical performances, and a film screening, all for free. Judge the comedy for yourself in the videos below, but we're pretty curious as to why they're literally giving this shit away.

Smith, a San Antonio resident for a decade now, started rapping in middle school, and decided he had a knack for punch lines.
"A lot of my raps were like jokes," he said. "So I thought I might do stand up."
Here's a clip from Smith's act in which he references NWA, then transitions from a racial profiling joke to a dig at himself, something few rappers are willing to do these days.

Bobby Smith

How many MCs since Biz Markie would admit to driving a Chevy Cavalier or joke about their mom being a cop?

Luna, a 33-year-old Madison High alum, has been playing in punk rock bands since he was 14. He made the switch to stand-up after watching a lame routine on Comedy Central.
"I thought, 'This guy's really not that funny, and he's on TV."

The bit below made me laugh (especially the "it's actually a mule; there's a difference" part), but I'm pretty sure most of it couldn't be broadcast on TV. The scene below contains references to bestiality, so don't watch it at work, unless you work at a donkey show, or the San Antonio Current.   
Johnny Luna  :  "Donkey Girl"


The bi-racial Luna says he also likes to "Play the Mexican angle quite a bit," and though his act contains "some racial slurs" it's  "all in good fun."
You decide.
As a white dude, here's a routine I feel semi-bad for laughing at:


And one that doesn't trigger my liberal guilt:


Smith says he got the title for Tuesday's show from the Jay Z R Kelly collaboration Best of Both Worlds, but the joke behind Worst of is more than a belittling self-directed jab. Luna describes his act as an attempt at "making the unfunny funny," and both comedians use their own lives as sources for the unfunny stuff.
After six years in stand up, Luna took a year and a half off to overcome an addiction he acquired on tour.

"In the comedy world, there's a lot of drug interplay," Luna said. "I was kicking a habit I picked up doing comedy."

Something Luna said he discusses in more specific terms in his act. Luna, whose mother died last month, said comedy is his way of coping with life's difficulties.
"If you can't laugh at it, it'll get you."

While Luna struggled with the temptations of growing popularity on the comedy scene, Smith took his own break from standup when the struggle to make it became too tough.
"I pretty much went rock bottom," he said. "I kind of ran out of money and had a nervous breakdown."

Smith shares a similar philosophy to Luna's, viewing comedy as a means of transforming the negative into something positive and uplifting.
I'm getting sort of bummed out now, so here's Smith spoken-wording it instead:

Live & Local preview: Ledaswan

Tonight (Friday, June 19) only: Join ace photog Steven Gilmore and me, cynical buzzkill Jeremy Martin,  at Scout Bar where we'll be watching (and judging, always judging) Ledaswan. The four-piece features Erica Gutierrez on vocals and guitar, Delrick Colwell on drums, David Monzon on guitar, Heather Go Psycho's Jackee Flores on bass, and former Current staffer Jaime Monzon on another guitar. That's like seven guitars, I think, but the band's layered sound should play well on the Scout Bar soundsystem.
Tonight's bill, celebrating the release of regional comp album Staring at the Sun V, will also feature locals Water Became Blood, HarmsWay, and Electric Ocean. See you there, if you're over 18. If not, we never met before, you got that?

Chaléwood No. 12: Oscar Nuñez

Oscar Nuñez - The Proposal

By Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current contributing writer
kiko@cinesnob.net

The differences are obvious when comparing actor Oscar Nuñez’s character on the popular TV show The Office to the one he portrays in the new film The Proposal. While his accountant character Oscar Martinez on the NBC comedy is reserved and well-mannered, his role in the Sandra Bullock movie is a bit more expressive.

In the film, Nuñez plays Ramone, a resident of a small town in Alaska who is the owner of a general store and a wedding minister. Ramone also happens to be the only male exotic dancer in the entire town. It’s a scene Nuñez steals when he is first introduced. During the scene, Nuñez, who is of Cuban descent, shows some skin as he performs a lap dance for Margaret Tate (Bullock), a New York book publisher from Canada who is blackmailing her assistant into marrying her so she won’t be deported.

Taking some time to speak with me, Nuñez, 50, talked about shooting his exotic dancing scene and how he became friends with comedy icon Betty White.

Did it feel liberating to let it all hang out in The Proposal since your role in The Office is a lot more passive than the other characters?

Yes, it did. That was more my energy, not like in The Office. That scene was crazy. It was a lot of fun to have fun. We started shooting it at 8 a.m. and we didn’t stop until 7:30 p.m. It was a long day.

Did you have a choreographer or are all those moves your own?

Yeah, I got help with the choreography for that scene. Some of them were my moves. They choreographed the main dance and then I did the other stuff. It was a mixture.

Did you have to audition for the part?

Yeah, I had to audition for it and I actually forgot all about the audition. A month later I got a call that said, “Hey, you got that part!” I was like, “What? What are you talking about? Oh, that! Cool!” So, I got to work with Sandra [Bullock], Ryan [Reynolds], Betty White, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen and Denis O’Hare. It was a great experience.

What kind of response did you get at the premiere last week for your performance, especially that scene?

It was very disturbing on the big screen, but people loved it. A lot of my coworkers were there [from The Office] like Angela [Kinsey], Brian [Baumgartener], and Kate Flannery, among others. When it opens nationwide on June 19, my family is organizing a bunch of people to go see it. They will be shocked and not so much surprised.

What was it like on the set with a comedy icon like Betty White, who rarely comes out in feature films like this?

It was great. We stayed in the same hotel. We got to drive into work in a van every morning. We talked about everything from how she met her husband to animals. We became great friends. She’s really awesome.

What can we anticipate happening with your character in the fall season of The Office?

I don’t know. The writers are writing right now as we speak. So, we have no idea what they are writing. I think we start filming shortly after July 21. I can’t wait to go back.

How do you explain what a tilde is to people who don’t know how to pronounce your name?

Oh, man. I try to pronounce the ñ to them but I gave up a long time ago. I just tell them, “You know, you can just say Smith if you like.”

The Heroine to release album Saturday

“What’s up y’all,” are the first words Heroine vocalist Ernest Isaac Benavidez screams on Playing for Keeps, so it’s probably unnecessary for him to add (in his best metal shriek) the band is “from San Antonio Texas!”* But it’s overkill, most often in the form of gratuitous rock ’n’rollisms — the one too many “whoos,” two guitar solos where one might suffice — that seems to best define the band, separating them from countless other big-rock revivalists who’ve studied the clichés without adopting the attitude, or mastered the sneer without developing the chops. The Heroine trade almost exclusively in rocker-as-road-warrior mythology, but they’ve got the talent and drive to shape it into something personal and new. Playing for Keeps sounds old only in attitude — cock rock with a set of 21st-century balls.
“She only loves me when I’m playing rock ’n’ roll,” Benavidez complains of a fickle backstage Betty on proper opener “Love Is a Gun,” and she might as well be the same muse that’s been pushing horny young dudes onstage since the electric guitar was invented. Still, when Benavidez vows “She’s gonna be mine tonight,” you believe it, because it’s a boast backed up with some honest to god rock; each verse consummates in a multidirectional sonic assault. Better, “The Battle of Lynnwood King” rehashes the “sold our soul for rock ’n’ roll” bit, but isn’t content to let Benavidez’s hell-fired delivery (check out the unbelievable snottiness he crams into “down” in the line “I went down to the crossroads”) carry the song. Jorge Luevano and Derek Badillo understand what Robert Johnson, Eric Clapton, and too few other guitarists have: If you’re claiming your shit’s fueled by Satan, you better play like a fucking demon.
The impassioned (and surprisingly acoustic and straightforward) version of traditional spiritual “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” (here titled “Walking With Jesus”)that closes the album complicates the band’s alliance, but the Heroine clearly believe most strongly in the power of rock. Playing for Keeps is ultimately redeemed, however, by the band’s willingness to meet rock more than halfway. The title track, for example, threatens “Me and the boys are back in town, and we’re gonna burn this mother down” and oversells it with plenty of guitar noodles and hells yeah, but are you really going to ridicule the lyrics when the end result sounds like AC/DC and Guns n’ Roses in a PCP-fueled knife fight?

The Heroine celebrates the release of Playing for Keeps Saturday, June 20, at Jiggers (1639 Babcock). Check out the Current’s larger feature on the band in our July 1 edition.

*Also, I’m pretty positive the title track opens with a shout out to the San Antonio Spurs.

Attention Guitarists: See somebody who's seen a Beatle

Well that's if you're one of those sheeple who believes that Paul McCartney is still alive line the man's been handing us. Still, Brian Ray — who'll be appearing 3:30 pm Saturday at Redbone Guitar Boutique — has toured as guitarist, bassist and back-up vocalist for the government-created android that replaced Paul in 1966, and that's still pretty badass. As you guys convinced me a while back the Maccabot X is the finest musician (and probably human being) who's ever lived, so I can imagine some of you will be psyched just to touch the hem of Ray's guitar strap. You'll pay $125 for the honor, but you'll also hear him speak and watch him perform several songs. Plus it's catered.

Then on Saturday June 27, Rusty Anderson, also a guitarist/bassist/backup for the unfeeling artificial intelligence that generated "Ebony and Ivory" (and threatened to go all Skynet if Steve Wonder wouldn't duet) will also speak and play, also for $125 a head. You can also attend both events for the discounted price of $200. But don't make the same "Turn me on, dead man" joke twice, cause then it just starts to get creepy.

blog4reel announces contest winners

Local website blog4reel has announced the winners of its inaugural most filmable web journal competition. Local artist and UTSA grad Tom Trevino took home top honors for his blog chocolate mojo, beating out second-place winner Alex Pollack’s Writing the Ship, which chronicles his experiences as an English teacher in South Korea, and Connecticut resident Tina Roberts’s tina-cious.com.

Considering Roberts, a self-described [sic] “35-year-old, former Mormon, turn teenaged mom, turn lesbian,” only took home third place, you have to assume that either Trevino and Pollack are way more interesting than their descriptions made them sound or the judges graded pretty heavily on grammar.

As the grand-prize winner, Trevino, whose most recent blog as of this writing details accidentally deleting his iTunes wishlist, wins $2,000 and help from the site’s administrators — filmmakers Kimberly Suta and Catherine Nored — adapting his blog into a film. If they make a movie titled Chocolate Mojo, I'm pretty sure they're required by law to cast Samuel L. Jackson in the lead, even if he doesn't look anything  like Trevino.

Nia Vardalos talks My Life in Ruins

Nia Vardalos – My Life in Ruins

By Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current contributing writer
kiko@cinesnob.net

In her new film “My Life in Ruins,” Nia Vardalos, star and Oscar-nominated screenwriter of 2002’s “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” returns to her Greek roots as Georgia, a down-on-her-luck tour guide who leads a group of diverse tourists through Greece for what becomes a trip of a lifetime.

During an interview with me, Vardalos talked about how Greeks and Latinos are similar, her idea for a sequel to “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” and why a private joke about Angelina Jolie ended up in the final script.

Since you were nominated for an Oscar in 2003 for “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” is that something your striving for again in your career?

That was such a surprise when that happened. I’ve never really been a person that thinks about things like that. That’s just too outer space for me. So no, I don’t think about that at all. I like the sound of people laughing. That’s what I strive for. 

Was it hard for you to step back on “My Life in Ruins” and let someone else take on that responsibility of writing since you usually do that for your own projects?

No, I loved it. I just added a little bit to the script, but I absolutely loved that the script was written for me. I thought it was a big gift.

Do you think “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” resonated with Latinos because there are a lot of similarities between the Latino culture and the Greek culture in terms of family?

We are the same. That was the big surprise for me. I thought I wrote a movie about my little Greek family and [people] told me, “No, this is like my family.” Latino people told me, Japanese people told me, German people told me, French people told me and that’s when I realized it was a happy accident. I didn’t know that everyone had this family like mine, but it certainly makes me feel better.

I’m sure like Georgia you are a history buff when it comes to Greek history. Are there any other kinds of history that you like to study?

Absolutely. I loved my time in Spain. I thought it was just so culturally rich. When I got to go to Japan with “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” I got to celebrate a tea ceremony. It was so quiet and steeped in history. It was a very beautiful experience. Every country that I go to when we land I like to take the currency of that country and then the hotel card and then just walk and absolutely disappear. Then when I’m lost I just go up to a cab driver, give them the card and get back to the hotel.

What kind of producers are Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson? Are they on the set looking over people’s shoulders or do they give freedom to the cast and crew?

They are very much about freedom and autonomy. It’s why I love the freedom of making an independent movie, but then there’s the struggle to get the word out there when you make these little movies. So it’s a bit of a Catch 22. But Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks are so celebrating of the artist. They like to put creative people together and then let some magic happen.

Is there still an idea for a sequel to “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” floating around?

I have an idea for the sequel and it is in the works, but I don’t want to give anything away. I’ll just tell you this: our characters need to be a little bit older for my idea for the sequel. I didn’t want to wait to shoot another movie about my heritage because I am, as you know, very Greek.  I appreciate the people who want the sequel. Believe me, they tell me every day as I’m trying to buy a newspaper on the street. However, I think “My Life in Ruins” will satisfy the people who want a sequel because it’s a Greek story and it will also satisfy the people who don’t necessarily want to see a sequel. I think it’s the perfect marriage. It’s the same type of humor. It’s very nice, sweet humor and it’s about a lot of people trying to get along.

How did Angelina Jolie’s name get into the script?

Because of my own pursuit of adoption, it just became a private joke. I wrote about it on the Huffington Post. I said the common misconception is that to adopt a child you have to be as pretty as Angelina Jolie and go to another country. But that’s not actually the case. We have children in our own countries and, again, I would never disparage anyone who goes to another country to adopt a child. I admire her and I think she’s done more for adoption than any other celebrity. So, it was just a little private joke.

You tried to translate the success of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” to television with “My Big Fat Greek Life” and unfortunately the show was cancelled.  Did you think it was fair to cancel the show after only seven episodes?  Do you ever see yourself going back to the small screen?

It happens. People try and it doesn’t work all the time. Sure. I love doing “My Boys” because the writers are two friends of mine. We’d had them over for dinner and I was saying, “Oh, no I never get offered things that I didn’t write.” And they said, “Hey, do you want to be on our show?” And I said, “Yes.”  I’m open. I’m very open to trying new things.

What’s the biggest misconception about Greek people? What do people think that’s not really true?

I think they think that they’re not on time. We found with our film that the professional crews surpassed all our expectations. I think that the concept of Greek time is being a little bit late. I think that that might just be Greeks in North America. I think we took that over with us. We brought that over with us to North America, but it’s not true anymore.

Chaléwood No. 11: Kristina Guerrero

Kristina Guerrero – The Daily 10 and E! News

By Kiko Martinez

San Antonio Current contributing writer

kiko@cinesnob.net

It hasn’t been so long since Kristina Guerrero graced the studio of Great Day S.A. on KENS-TV where she hosted the local morning show for nearly three years.

At the end of 2007, Guerrero made a jump to Los Angeles where she became a correspondent for Inside Edition for a few months before joining the E! Network as a web-based reporter. Three months ago, the network made Guerrero their first-ever Latina correspondent and host on The Daily 10 and E! News.

How’s life in L.A.?

You know, it’s pretty amazing. I’ve been here in L.A. for a year and a half. To get the opportunity to work at E! is amazing. There are so many people that would kill to do what I am doing. It’s a big honor for me and a huge responsibility. Sometimes I wonder how I got here. I ask myself, “Did they call the right girl?”

Now, when you left San Antonio I saw you on Inside Edition a couple of times and then all of a sudden you weren’t there anymore. What happened?

Yeah, I went to Inside Edition first, which ended up not working out for me. It just wasn’t the right fit for me. I needed something a little more young and fun and irreverent and hip. [Inside Edition] just didn’t really fit my personality. I was there for about nine months before E! came knocking at my door offering me a position. It just made so much more sense for me to make the switch.

How has it been on the set for you since you’re the newest member of E! News? What did you bring to their team that they didn’t have before?

It’s been a great fit for me working with Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana [Rancic] and sharing reporting and correspondent duties with two other fantastic and talented people, Jason Kennedy and Ashlan Gorse. My whole thing – especially in San Antonio – has always remained the same: I’m just myself. I love talking to people whether you’re a man on the street or a big-time celebrity. I just really genuinely love interviewing people. I think I bring a lot of that genuine attitude to the show. I’ve really been able to mesh well.

Who have you interviewed recently and how did it go?

Recently, my most exciting and fun and worthwhile interview was with Hugh Jackman, who is the nicest guy ever. He makes you feel like you’ve known him for years. I actually interviewed him as a production assistant years and years ago.

How does E! fit into your career goals? Is this another stepping stone or somewhere you can see yourself long-term?

Right now E! is another great place for me to build my talent. I’m on a mission to be great at anything I do. I’ve accomplished a goal. That was to have fun and make a career out of it. What else can I do where I can have fun and make a career out of it? E! is exactly the place I want to be right now. Honestly, I’m just enjoying the moment right now. Anything that comes after this is just bonus.

Is being the first Latina on E! also a bonus for you?

It’s huge. I’m so proud that I have a story that is unique and that I can bring my background to the network. It’s not just about my last name or how I look, but to bring my culture to the network is just amazing.

What have you learned about the whole idea of celebrity since you’re now so close to it?

The thing about celebrity and celebrity news is that we just don’t take it that serious. It’s entertainment. We’re not saving lives, we’re just entertaining people. When it comes to celebrities they’re just like us. They’re just making movies and doing reality TV. It’s all in good fun.

I’ll be honest. I’ll watch E! News but as soon as another story on The Hills or Spencer Pratt or Heidi Montag comes out, I’m reaching for the remote. Do you ever get to work and ask your producers, “Why are we covering this again?”

(Laughs) You know, we get it. We totally get it. Even in our scripts it’ll say, “Okay, enough already!” So, honestly, we’re like, “These guys again?” But we wouldn’t be covering it if people weren’t watching. It’s a guilty pleasure.

I’ve never been a fan of the question “Who are you wearing?” Do you like asking that question? Do you like answering it?

(Laughs) You know, I’ve never been fashion-forward. I have a stylist. If I didn’t I would go to work in my cargo pants and flip flops. But, you know, [“Who are you wearing?”] is really just a great opening question to break the ice.

What we're doing June 11: the Case of the Neon Twins

The future arrives next week, kids, and just as we'd always hoped, it'll have more twins, and (if today's Jump-Start press junket is a fair indicator) hula hoops!



Next Thursday night's the world premiere for the play, developed by Jump-Start, penned by Billy Munoz and Daniel Jackson, and starring the devastating Monessa Esquivel, the stunning S.T. Shimi, and comic savant Joel Settles. We're getting a noir meets anime vibe from the show card, and that's how we like it. Want to join us at Jump-Start for the exclusive preview? Email me for tix at ewolff@sacurrent.com (I've got two I'll part with, each good for a pair; show's at 8pm). Otherwise you'll have to catch it during its regular run: 8pm Fri & Sat, through Jun 20, $12-$16.

RIVER RE-DEVELOPMENT ROUNDUP PART 5: NEVER THE SAME RIVER TWICE

Actually, this might be RR-DR Part 6, if you count this review Elaine and I wrote to be part of this crazy series. Or this Q and A with Kim Abernethy, the River Foundation Executive Director.

Well, anyways.

The Museum Reach of the River Re-Development project has FINALLY opened, and I am not disappointed in the least. It’s amazing down there. It’s got to be the best place for walking around south of...I don’t even know where. Canada, maybe?  And it was so much goddamn fun, after watching the art plans develop and researching the river’s history and going to media previews and whatnot, to actually see live San Antonians wandering around enjoying themselves, and to see the artwork all lit up.

On Friday night, I went to the opening party for the San Antonio Museum of Art River Landing and for the associated show, “Waterflow,” in the Focus gallery. You can read Dan Goddard’s review of “Waterflow” here.

The SAMA landing is beautiful. Even on a hot, humid night, it was very pleasant to sit on the terrace under the ceiling fans and stare across el rio at that amazing bunker encampment of quonset hut, trailer and Winnebago. I have many fantasies built up in my head about the people who live there.
As is tradition by now, here are some really awful phone photos.


Quonset hut and trailer view. Note beautiful trees and well-kept plantings (not just the River Redevlopment ones—there are signs of gardening in them thar yard). Man, I hope that when this lot is sold (I hear varying reports about the status of this), the Quonset hut is kept there, intact.


Trailer home-Winnebago view. I kept wishing the occupant of this little homestead would come out and wave. He or she has an incredible view.

Which, in case you've forgotten, looks like this:




I did note one dead fish floating by (the tiny white thing in this photo):

Perhaps (s)he swam all the way up back to her ancestral homeland here in San Anto, against the current, from the Gulf of Mexico, then waited til they put the water back in, and spawned the new crop of whatever kind of fish (s)he is. This fish may have passed on, but leaves a legacy. Goodnight, fish.


Artist Kelly O’Connor remained chipper, loving the landing party despite somewhat noticeable overrepresentation of sexy seniors, and resulting paucity of hors d’ouevres by about 7 pm. Wine pours were minimal, too. But whaddayagonnado. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Greatest Generation and restricted wine and food intake on a Friday night.


Seriously, though, this is a beautiful place. Mil kudos to SAMA for opening itself so beautifully to the public in this way.

OH! And by the way, SAMA'S holding a Flickr photo contest of photos of the museum reach! Go find out about it here!

So then, on Saturday afternoon, I attended a roundtable discussion by all the artists who made public art for the Reach, which was great, and also at SAMA. Tomorrow I shall blog about that, and about the party at the VFW.