October 30th, 2009
The weekend: No tricks, just treats

The Slow Rollin’ Lows are a new generation of good ol’ Honky Tonk hip. They will be at Riley’s Tavern on Saturday.

By HAP MANSFIELD
Scene Editor

The reason that all that Halloween candy gets on the shelf in August is pretty simple, and you probably know it. Very few people buy the candy they are going to give to trick-or-treaters that early. That candy is on display to entice you. You know, that extra bag of Hershey’s mini-bars or those delicious, fresh, “fun size” Baby Ruths are way too tempting to not use for snacks and school lunches.

Yes, you can get the small bars throughout the year, thanks to Halloween. The smaller candy bars were so popular at the holiday that candy manufacturers stumbled on to a very important fact about food consumption. If you make a smaller candy bar, people will eat more them than if they’d actually just bought a regular sized bar. You’ll eat one Milky Way. You’ll eat five “Fun Size” bars. Come on, take a couple more, they’re small.

With the inevitable Halloween candy overload comes the inevitable candy hangover and/or tummy ache. Maybe it’s evitable, but we’re not sure what that means, exactly. There are over the counter drugs that can take away your pain and distress, but one doesn’t usually like giving these to children. Let’s assume we’re talking about a child with a candy tummy-ache and not an adult. We’re buyin’ that.

This is the time to pull out what we might call the “grandma” doctor bag, cures that are more natural, drug free and effective. The best tummy ache cure might just be a half of a lemon squeezed into a big cup of warm water and mixed with a tablespoon of salt. Yes, you have to drink it. Sip it slowly.

Other effective cures are ginger tea or a few ginger snaps and peppermint tea or a few peppermints. Eating a bit of ripe papaya can also work. Papaya contains a helpful digestive enzyme.

In Atlanta, they’ll tell you to drink a Coke on crushed ice. Oddly enough, this actually can work. Of course, they’ll tell you that’s the cure for anything from a broken leg to a broken heart, but, it does work for the tummy.

A classic grandmother cure is eating a little burnt toast. Sounds odd, but this also works. Any pharmacologist (who isn’t working for a drug company) could tell you why. Our grandma just said, “It sweetens the stomach’s bad temper.” Not high science, but a comforting thought.

If you did not set sail on the good ship lollipop for Halloween, good on ya, mate. We still think a Coke on ice and a piece of burnt toast is a good cure since that stuff works for hangovers, too.

If you would rather dance, or watch football or hear music this weekend rather than just eat candy, San Marcos is a great place to be. Here are just a few suggestions.

Friday, October 30

‘Long about suppertime you can find Mark Jungers at Triple Crown (206 North Edward Gary) tonight. He’ll be playing his original take on Americana and roots music starting at 6 p.m. As usual, Triple Crown starts the weekend out right.

Friday night means Bingo at the Wimberley VFW (Veteran’s Park on Jacobs Hill Road). It’s been a Friday night tradition for as long as most folks there can remember. The cage starts turning at 7 p.m. and the lovely gals of the Ladies Auxiliary proffer the snacks and concessions.

The Texas State women’s soccer team is only a game away from its second unbeaten Southland Conference season. The Bobcats will try to clinch it tonight against the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners. Look for the action to be swift and furious tonight at the Bobcat Soccer complex as the Roadrunners are no pushover. The action starts at 7 p.m. and general admission tickets are only $5.

The Hays Rebels play in Del Valle and San Marcos plays in Boerne tonight (7:30 p.m.). It’s Band Mania night at Bob Shelton Stadium (4800 Jack C. Hays Trail) at 7:30 p.m. as the Lehman Lobos take on Lockhart. Look to see some fine marching band performances. Wimberley is at home facing Llano. It’s parents night at the Texan’s stadium. The action starts at 7:30 p.m.

Riley’s Tavern (8894 FM 1102) features their Honky Tonk Heroes Halloween tonight and they got the genuine article for the evening. Horse Opera is a rowdy band of cowpunks with a real feel for Honky-Tonk. They’ll take the stage and keep it, starting at 8 p.m.

The TJM Music Services lands some talent at Wake the Dead Coffee House (1432 RR 12) in the form of Missoula Slim, who, not surprisingly, moved to Texas from Missoula, MT. This will be one of the stand-out sets of the evening. Slim, also known as San Marcos attorney John Gilliam, has a wonderful voice that puts one in mind of Tom Chapin. He’s got the clever lyrics to go with his folk-y acoustic music. He starts it up at 8 p.m.

The Cheatham Street Warehouse (119 Cheatham Street) features the extraordinary Hayes Carll at 9 p.m. tonight. If you have never heard him, you are in for a treat, and if you have seen him, you are more than likely coming back tonight for more. His easy voice and casual cool should be taken with a grain of salt. Underneath all that easy joy there’s a seriously gifted, hard working musician.

The Triple Crown is having a jet-fueled throwdown tonight with Goth punks The Belgraves, garage-punks The Cassingles, the rapid-fire punk of the Beer Gnomes and the thick punk of Los Bones. Keeping time with the beat may result in ventricular tachycardia. Luckily, there’s enough energy in these bands to provide proper defibrillation. It’s a CD release party for the Beer Gnomes, as well.

The Gray Horse (1904 RR 12) is serving up a big chunk of jazzy funk with Augmentally Ill and Elevated Living. If there is such a thing as “math funk,” these guys are playing it.

Saturday, October 31

The Wimberley Valley juried exhibition is open from 1-5 p.m. at the Wimberley Community Center (14068 RR 12). There are league members there to answer questions about the art. Admission is free.

The San Marcos Nature Center, 430 Riverside Drive, is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today. If you’ve never been there, you’re missing a variety of indoor animal exhibits and an outdoor wildscape of native plants and animals found in the San Marcos area. Might be a nice day to stop by and see it.

Of course, it’s homecoming weekend for Texas State, and the maroon and gold will be everywhere today. The game against Stephen F. Austin promises to be interesting. The Bobcats have won their last two games, while the Lumberjacks have won their last six. The action, plus homecoming halftime, is at Bobcat Stadium today starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are $13 general admission. Should be quite a day.

Tanger Outlet is providing an alternative for trick or treaters who are younger than 12 years old with a costume contest from 5-7 p.m. Various stores throughout the center will offer candy to trick or treaters from 5-8 p.m.

The Gray Horse Saloon is having its Halloween Horror Bash with the Rocky Horror Picture Show and other amusements tonight starting at 5 p.m. Chasca, the experimental glam band with a hint of Shudder To Think, will provide the music. The festivities start at 5 p.m.

Just because you’re a little old for trick or treating doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun. Wake the Dead Coffee House has a bunch of stuff to do for young and old tonight starting with the “Halloweenie Roast” with $1 hot dogs. Later on, there will be a treasure hunt, a pinata, musical chairs for all ages, and a Jack-o-lantern contest . At 11 p.m., the costume contest features a $50 prize. Sounds like a lot of fun.

The Cheatham Street Warehouse celebrates Halloween with the Love Liberation Army and the rollickin’ Dr. G and the Mudcats. It’s only a $5 cover tonight, so it’s a good deal, too. You’ll dig the blusey rock of the “Army” and you’ll dance your curls straight with Dr. G. The music starts at 9 p.m.

Riley’s Halloween party features the Slow Rollin’ Lows starting at 8 p.m. These fellas hail from Fannett Texas, and you won’t believe how truly outlaw good they are. They have a genuine country sound, they make a cover song their own and their own songs are gutsy and rootsy. At 11 p.m., Riley’s will have a costume contest with cash prizes.

The Beaumonts sort of take a go at country music sideways that veers enticingly close to psychobilly. You can dig their vibe at Triple Crown tonight at 9:30 p.m. Appearing on the bill with them is Hognose, who sound a little like Edgar Winter on hot sauce. The third jewel in the crown is Alcoholics Unanimous, who seem like a bunch of country punks inspired by the Vibro Champs. There’s a costume contest tonight, as well, so get out your clown wig and your vampire teeth.

Sunday, November 1

If you’ve got a candy hangover from eating just a little bit too much out of the treat bowl last night, mosey on over to Wake the Dead Coffee House, get a cup of joe and relax with Day Jazz. The music goes from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Today might be a good day to head over to the Witliff Collections at the Alkek Library on the campus of Texas State. If you haven’t seen their remodeled space yet, you are in for a treat. The exhibits are fascinating and the Keith Carter photographs are something special. They are open from 1-6 p.m. and admission is free.

Make it an “arty-farty” (as some dads would call it) day and go to the Wimberley Valley Juried exhibition today from 1-5 p.m. League members will be there to give you info and guide you a bit at the Wimberley Community Center.

Bob Steine has a chair with your name on it. Well, it’s not exactly your name, but he does give a great chair massage with your health in mind. He’s at Wake the Dead Coffee House today from 4-7 p.m.

Sunday is one of those days that just seems to go perfectly with bluegrass music. We suppose it’s because that music can make you feel nearest to heaven, or your grandpa or your dad or that Sunday afternoon picnic at the church you went to when you were a kid. The Two High String Band will play that music at the Cheatham Street Warehouse today from 4-8 p.m. Sublime.

There are several Texas State recitals to choose from today. Janelle Martin and Hilary Janysek are giving their student flute recital at 2 p.m. at the Music Building Recital Hall. At 4 p.m., the same venue presents a Senior Clarinet Recital featuring Josh Cerame. Evans Auditorium will have Gillian Lopez in “A Master’s Bassoon Recital” at 6 p.m.. Austin Clements will have a Senior Trumpet Recital at 8 p.m. back at the Music Building Recital Hall. Admission to all of these events is free. We’ve said it before but, we’ll say it again, Texas State is loaded with bright talent, and you’ll be wowed by their proficiency.

The mics are open at Triple Crown and Riley’s. There’s karaoke at the Gray Horse. If you feel like singing in public, that’s where to do it. You can sing in the grocery store parking lot if you’ve a mind to, we suppose. But open mic nights are a little easier if you don’t want people to think you’re a nut case.

It’s game four of the World Series tonight on FOX at 7 p.m. It’s always fun to see the Yankees play,  and the Phillies are a good match for them. National Treasure, the movie that has interested more kids in history than the Indiana Jones franchise, is on NBC tonight at 7 p.m.

Oh, there’s probably some candy left over if you haven’t had enough yet. Better start burnin’ the toast early for it, though.

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