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STXscene #28

Apr 01, 2016

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This issue is all about the Hurricane Alley Roller Derby girls!...well, there's a review for 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' and some info on Jenny Lewis' new album 'The Voyager' and an interview with Corpus Christi band Hope & Hostility, but seriously. It's really just about the girls.
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Page 1: STXscene #28
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P. 2 JULY 21-AUGUST 4, 2014

Editor’s Note

editorPaul Gonzales

[email protected]

phone(361) 343-5207

websitestxscene.com

twitter@stxscenefacebook

facebook.com/stxscene

Published bi-weekly by Beeville Publishing Co.

PAUL GONZALESPaul does things and then writes about them. That’s pretty much it. Now, sometimes, he gets to do really fun

stuff and still manage to have a job when he returns to his office. Maybe they’re just not on to me yet?

DIANA RAMOSLike a true m a k e u p addict, my interest in makeup art-istry began when I was a young girl. It’s the best feeling in the

world knowing that I can help others feel beautiful and help them transform their everyday look with just a little bit of creativ-ity and color.

DAPHNE GARCIADaphne has been playing video games since her mother bought her an Atari when she

was 4 years old. When not kill-ing zombies or raiding caves, Daphne can be found creat-ing weapons and clothing for her Steampunk character.

contributors

It’s really easy to be a roller derby fan. All you have to do is attend one bout, and I guarantee you’ll be hooked.

I did my first derby story almost 2 years ago, nearly a year before I started STXscene, and ever since I’ve wanted to go back. It’s an amazing sport filled with some of the coolest girls I’ve ever met in my life.

They’re gorgeous, super sweet and most of them could probably kick my butt. Roller derby is a crazy sport, and if you’ve never been to a bout, you’re missing out. And if you’ve been thinking about going but just haven’t made time, the August 30th Cancer Awareness Bout is the one to attend. Basically, the H.A.R.D. girls invite the surrounding area derby girls to a no-holds-barred match with all the proceeds going to a cancer charity of their choice.

And it gets pretty wild.

There’s all sorts of craziness that goes on before, during and after the bout, so you should definitely get your tickets early because it will sell out.

And it should be bigger and better than the last one I went to because the H.A.R.D. ladies have been moving on up like the Jeffersons and will now duke it out in the American Bank Center.

If you’re in the mood to check out a really rad sport that’s in your backyard, I highly suggest making it out to a H.A.R.D. bout and support your local roller derby team. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

– Paul GonzalesEditor

The Hard Knock Life

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P. 3

film review

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” takes place nearly a decade after the events of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and introduces us to the way mankind and ape live now.

There’s a fragile truce between the two races; leave us alone and we’ll leave you alone. But the human race is desperate-ly trying to cling on to its hold as the dominant race as they just can’t seem to get along and violence and lack of resources are ravaging their small camps.

The story follows one of these camps as small group of humans decide to try and make it to a hydroelectric dam, which is located in the apes’ sanctuary, to restore limited electricity, and hope, to a small portion of humanity.

Well, events unspool after agreements are set between the races, and all-out war ensues.

Of course there’s a lot more to the plot than that, but you have to watch the film to get all the details.

The main reason every-body will probably see the movie is because of the effects.

No real monkeys were harmed in the making of this movie. But it’s really hard to tell.

The apes in the film are

top-notch quality, with most being made using motion capture technol-ogy, where an actor is dressed in a suit than captures his emotions and actions and then they use the information to animate apes over them.

And for the size and scale of this film, it’s an amazing achievement.

We’re treated to real-ly great close-ups which delve in to what each sim-ian character is thinking and feeling, sometimes without even a word being uttered.

So that’s some pretty impressive stuff right there.

Andy Serkis, who plays Caesar, the leader of the ape civilization, is known for playing King Kong in the latest film reincarna-tion of the giant gorilla and, of course, Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. He breathes life in to the technical wiz-ardry and the audience quickly forgets that he’s not even a real chimp.

And even though the movie clocks in at just over two hours, it doesn’t really feel that way. It runs at a smooth pace with lots of ape action and intensity to keep audiences at the edge of their seat.

The score is

also worth mentioning because it accents near-ly every piece of the film whether it be action or sad-ness or compas-sion. The music carries each aspect beyond just what you’re seeing on screen and envelopes the audience in a cloak of emotion.

The score’s slight hints at ’70s sci-fi films make even more enjoyable.

Overall the film is a great achievement in not just technical advances but storytelling as well.

It’s a rare film that will have you root-ing for both the antagonists and the protagonists at the same time. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” carries the film beyond the originals and 2000’s remake and beyond, and

gets you excited about seeing the next chap-ter which hits theaters July 29, 2016.

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P. 4 JULY 21-AUGUST 4, 2014

call (361) 358-2550 or email [email protected]

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local music

The Corpus Christi Americana folk rock band Hope & Hostility has been

around for a little while now but are finally mak-ing waves with their genuinely honest folk tracks about, well, hope and hostility.

They recently opened up for Chris Carrabba’s band Twin Forks, where I had a chance to finally see what the fuss is about.

And all I can say is that they’re good. Really good.

I reached out to guitar-ists/singers Rob Golden and Jimmy Willden and singer/mandolin player Bethany Golden to get the low down on the band.

STXscene: What are

the origins of Hope & Hostility and how long have you guys been around?

Bethany: Rob and I started H&H on our own in July 2013, after about 6 years of playing music together. Jimmy joined in March. And it’s evolved since then.

The name Hope & Hostility is meant to bridge a gap between over-critical and judg-mental Christians and everyone else. We want to show love and give a sense of hope in a hostile world.

Jimmy: Rob and Bethany started as a little Americana/Folk duo in 2013, and then

I joined up with them earlier this year. Since then, we’ve melded into this cool groove of a band, with Shae stepping in on drums. And now Devin Lyon on electric guitar, filling in the gaps. It’s just been this steady evolu-tion, and it’s been great!

STX: How would you describe the sound of the band?

Jimmy: A little bit folk, a little bit rock, a little bit country. All of the above and somewhere in between.

Rob: It’s evolved from where it started, and we haven’t written collective-ly, so it’s hard to say. But currently, I’d describe us as Americana/roots-rock/Texas country-ish.

Bethany: Mostly folk, I would hope. And heavy harmonies. But it can range from heavier sounds to a slight Texas country feel at moments, depending on the song.

STX: What are some of inspirations behind the music and songs?

Jimmy: We’ve been joking a lot, while in the studio, that our songs

tend to be about alcohol and women. Which may be true, to some extent. But, I think we are inspired by the moments that linger, that haunt you. When you can’t for-get that feeling, you have to write a song about it. At least, that’s what I do.

Rob: “The River” kind of came out of no where. It started out as an attempt for an old school hymn feel and then turned into a “feel good” song about where you find your comfort/peace, “whiskey, women or Jesus.”

“DNL” came from watching a friend’s mar-riage fall to pieces and the aftermath.

STX: What are some of the biggest shows you have played?

Jimmy: We’ve had the pleasure of opening up for Chuck Ragan, Twin Forks (featuring Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional fame) among many other cool local acts.

Rob: We opened for Chuck Ragan, and I ‘fan-girled’ pretty hard at the show that night.

Twins Forks was pret-ty huge (we were intro-duced to The Lone Bellow secondhand); Seryn, the

other band that opened that night, were amazing!

STX: Do you have any cool or funny show or tour stories?

Jimmy: Everyone else tends to bring up being hit on by older women, but that’s normal for me, so...

Bethany: Not yet, other than Jimmy and Rob getting hit on by older women.

Rob: Just the awkward old ladies kissing our foreheads and telling us we were “going to make it” because Jesus loves us, or something along those lines.

Jimmy: One of the funny bits that I remem-ber was playing this one show at House of Rock where they were serving bugs for dinner. Someone brought us grasshopper shots, and I sincerely enjoyed the looks on Rob

and Bethany’s faces as they drank grasshopper guts. Honestly, it didn’t taste that bad.

STX: When will we get a record?

Jimmy: We just fin-ished up in the studio with our debut EP. We are looking at a September release. We want to ride that out for a while and then head back into the studio to finish up the full record.

STX: What’s next for the band?

Jimmy: Live long. And prosper.

Bethany: Right now, we’re just focused on releasing our debut EP, and waiting to see what happens!

You can check out some of H&H’s tunes at www.reverbnation.com/hope-hostility and follow them at www.facebook.com/Hopeandhostility.

HOPE&HOSTILITY

a chat with

‘We want to show love and give a

sense of hope in a hostile world.’

– Bethany

stor

y an

d ph

oto

by P

aul G

onza

les

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P. 5

music

Jenny Lewis has been on my radar for a really long time. She used to

be an actress (from age 3 until she retired at 19) who had appeared in the Fred Savage 1989 video game film ‘The Wizard” that I watched as a wee lad. She became one of my first crushes.

She would pop up from time to time in movies as she grew older, but even-tually I lost track of her.

Then when her band Rilo Kiley released their debut album, “Take-Offs and Landings,” I found out she was the lead sing-er and guitarist. And all grown up.

Rilo Kiley released a few more albums before they split in 2011. She was also busy with the electronic pop band The Postal Service as well as releasing two solo albums.

She also joined her boy-friend Johnathan Rice and dropped one of my favorite records of 2010, which still spins in my car to this day, under the moniker Jenny and Johnny.

Well, after six years, Jenny Lewis is back with an all new solo record titled “The Voyager” and

from the few tracks she’s released thus far, it’s apparent she’s not the Jenny we all once knew.

But for us fans, that’s a pretty good thing.

In a recent interview, she described the album as one of the hardest albums she’s had to make. She battled insomnia, the death of her estranged father and a Postal Service tour that took up nearly a year of her life.

But nobody handles it bet-ter than Jenny.

In the Beck produced first single “Just One of the Guys,” she sings about struggling to fit in, but “There’s only one difference between you and me/When I look at myself all I can see/I’m just another lady without a baby.”

As always, she’s hon-est and straightfor-ward, but with a great deal of endearment and strength. She’s no longer the angst riddled, heart-broken girl from Rilo Kiley. She’s a woman dealing with everyday struggles like age and expectation.

Then there’s the title track, “The Voyager,” which is a bit trippy but still remains well ground-ed inside of Jenny’s world

of wonder as is appar-e n t w i t h

lines

like “nothing lasts forev-er/when you travel time/I’ve been sipping the kool-aid of the cosmos/because the voyager is in every boy and girl/if you want to get to heaven/get out of this world.”

During a radio inter-view on the WNYC radio show Soundcheck, she was asked if all the record was autobiographical, to which she responded,

“No, it’s not. That w o u l d be far l e s s i n t e r -

esting if that were the case.

“I think in every song that I’ve written, and I’ve written a lot of charac-ter-based songs, there’s always a little nugget of me in there.”

Jenny Lewis never ceases to surprise or amaze, with this album seemingly being no differ-ent. A lot has happened over the years since her last solo album, so I’m sure she has lots of tales to tell. And you should probably listen.

Lewis’ new album “The Voyager” is due out July 29.

She also took on song writing duties on the indie film “Very Good Girls” which will see a limited release July 25. Here she explains how she got the gig writing songs for Elizabeth Olsen’s character.

“The director is a friend of mine. I’m friends with her kids, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

“So we talked a lot about what kind of songs Elizabeth’s characters would be writing within her first 10 songs. So I tried to put myself back in to that state of mind. It was cool again to write from a different perspective.”

“Song One” stars Anne Hathaway as Franny who tracks down her comatose brother’s favorite musician, James Forester. They begin an unexpected relationship and face the realities of their of their lives. Jenny Lewis wrote the songs that Johnny Flynn’s char-acter James Forester plays throughout the movie.

She had this to say about working on the project, “It’s great as a female songwriter to write for a man. I hadn’t done that before. I felt sort of like a master puppeteer.”

Jenny Lewis returns to films, but this time she’s nowhere to be found in front of the camera. Song One

Very Good Girls

GIRLS WILL BE BOYSFor Lewis’ first music

video titled “Just One of the Guys” she enlisted some star power casting Anne Hathaway, Kristen Stewart and Brie Larson to play her band as well as their male alter egos.

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P. 6 JULY 21-AUGUST 4, 2014

cover story

oller derby has been in the nation’s attention, in one form or another,

since the early 1930s. In the 1940s, it was said to have over 5 million spectators in nearly all 50 states.

The seemingly underground sport has flirted with the main-stream a few times, and there has even been talks through-out the past few decades about making it an Olympic sport.

Ten years ago this nation-al pastime came to our back-yard in Corpus Christi. The Hurricane Alley Roller Derby or the H.A.R.D. girls skated onto the scene and quickly began making their presence known in the sparkling city by the sea.

One of the Corpus Christi league’s founders, #13 Nina McDermott aka Nina Cochina said, “I have been doing this for 10 years. I originally start-ed the Derby because I had a friend who skated up in Austin, and it looked like something fun, and there was nothing else

like that here in Corpus, so I figured ‘why not?’”

And it’s a contagious sport, too. After attending her first bout at the age of 13, #23 Sara Torres aka RedTyde became hooked. Her mother had seen it while in Chicago and thought her daughter would enjoy the bout, especially since her mid-dle school teacher was a team member.

“I was always active in sports and pretty tough, having grown up so closely with my older brothers. When I got there, I fell in love with the whole envi-ronment. I loved how crazy and loud the crowed would get!

“It was nothing that I had ever seen before while play-ing middle school sports. The tricks and hits those skaters would perform blew my mind.”

Torres later ran into her friend, #79 Brianna McDermott aka Bammie, who’s mom is Nina Cochina, and learned about the junior league and signed up right away.

Torres continued, “Roller

Derby was something so differ-ent; something that wasn’t part of my school activities. It was a getaway.”

#214 Paige Sprague, aka Knock Out, added, “I’m adven-turous by nature, so when my hairdresser told me her team was having a boot camp, I just couldn’t resist buying some ‘Barbie doll’ skates and check-ing it out.

“Thankfully, I’ve upgraded my gear since then.”

One of the strangest things about watching these girls in action is the difference in the way they act on and off the track. They can be some vicious, elbow-throwing, curse-spewing sailors during a bout, but then as soon as the match is over, they’re kissing babies and taking photos with fami-lies and laughing and hugging everyone.

And, I must admit, it’s hard to imagine some of these girls participating in such a rough sport because of their small stature or sincere nature when their skates come off.

“People say I look too small and too nice to play,” Knock Out said.

“They’re wrong.”Bammie added, “When I

tell people I’m in roller derby, they don’t believe me. They say that they can’t see me being so aggressive because I’m such a relaxed, calm person.”

Roller derby isn’t a full time gig. Mostly everyone one the team has a day job or is in school or a is full-time mommy. From working at a daycare to volunteering at the Texas State Aquarium to prison correction-al officers, they come from all walks of life.

And once they hit the track, they become one team. It’s an awesome sight for sure to see them skate together. They become a family.

And if you’ve ever seen a bout before, you know it’s no stroll in the park. Roller derby is an extremely harsh sport.

When asked about the tough-est aspect of roller derby, #69 Kyana Gallaher aka Nekromaniak said, “Being able to take those hard hits as well as being able to give one just as hard back, especially as a jam-mer, you’re the target for those blockers who want to knock the sh*t outta you.

“So it’s f***in’ awesome when you’re able to juke their hits or just knock them back.”

Knock Out added, “The

endurance it takes to last an entire game and the ability to see everything that’s going on around you is the toughest thing about roller derby.

“It takes a lot of strategiz-ing, working as a team and staying amazingly fit to be suc-cessful. I’m continually work-ing on those areas in order to improve.”

And, of course, with the phys-icality of the sport, injuries are expected.

“The worst injury I’ve had is a torn ACL and PCL in the same knee at the same time,” Bammie said.

“I injured my back from a fight with one of the roller girls during a game,” Nekromaniak said. “As she grabbed me from behind, I fell backward and slammed my back, and then all of the teams dog piled while fighting on top of me, so I was pretty much crushed under-neath.

“Such a stupid way to get an injury, but it was a good fight,” she laughed.

Knock out mentioned, “A 6-foot tall German, and a rock solid lady, fell into me, knock-ing my lights out for a good minute.

“I got right back into the bout, which made me feel like a bad*ss.”

story and photos by Paul Gonzales

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cover story

There’s no denying these ladies are bad. It really is an amazing sight watching them whip around the track, taking fists and pads to the face, slam-ming hard on to the ground and then getting skates to the ribs or shins.

It’s a really demanding sport that not just anyone with skates can participate in.

So, what about their person-al lives? What do they’re hus-bands, boyfriends/girlfriends or family think about it?

“I have been married for 15 years,” Nina Cochina said. “He loves that me and my daughter Brianna (Bammie) can skate together and bond like that.

“My son is actually the offi-cial DJ for our events, and my sister, Ms. Anthropy, skates as well. I think that my husband enjoys that it’s a family event.”

RedTyde added, “These were my boyfriends exact words: ‘I think the sport is dangerous and intense but very fun to watch. The fact that my girl-friend is caught in the middle of it scares me because she’s my princess, and I don’t want her to get hurt. But then I want her to kick as much butt as possible because that’s hot.’”

And, of course, there’s a lot of perceptions from the public that the women are well aware of.

And some actually embrace them.

Bammie mentioned, “I think

it’s such a great attribute to have so much empowerment, and with roller derby you gain that on and off the track. I’ve heard countless times that being in roller derby is “sexy” and “hot”.

“It’s just something about a female in charge that gets

people excited.”There’s a ton of reasons to

perform every month in such a rough and tumble sport. For some, it’s just about the sport. For others, it’s because they love it so much.

Knock Out said, “I do it because it makes me feel strong and empowered. It takes so much dedication, but it’s so rewarding.

“Beyond the sport, we do a ton of community outreach. Our next bout is a cancer awareness bout where we will donate a portion of our pro-ceeds to the local cancer char-ity of our choice.”

RedTyde added, “It’s some-thing that I can get lost in. Something that none of my other close friends do. It gives me a break from whatever I may be going through and

from everyone aside from my derby sisters.

“Derby is like my therapy. I would go insane without it. I feel that this is the sport I was born for.”

And with that, the only question left to answer is how long will these ladies keep the skates on?

Nina Cochina said, “Forever. Well, at least until I break a hip.”

Bammie added, “I will do roller derby until the day I die.”

RedTyde said, “I will contin-ue to play roller derby until my legs, hips and back no longer let me. You’ll most likely see me at bouts while I’m super

wrinkly in a wheelchair that says RedTyde on the back.”

#15 Clarissa Verdin aka Stinker Bell also mentioned, “I’ll probably keep doing it until I decide to have a baby. Then my life will be more a** wiping than a** kicking.”

And Knock Out keeps it nice and simple, “FOREVERRR!”

You can catch the Hurricane Alley Roller Derby girls on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at the American Bank Center for their Cancer Awareness Bout, which is a no-rules extravaganza.

You can follow the team at www.facebook.com/HurricaneAlleyRollerDerby. and www.hurricanealleyrd.com.

There’s a lit-tle exploita-tion film from A u s t r a l i a

that’s making its way to the states called “Murderdrome.” And it’s being dubbed as the world’s first roller derby slasher film.

Now, don’t expect to see it nominated for any Oscars this year, as it was made on a shoestring bud-get and resembles the B-movie slasher films of the ’80s.

And that’s a really awesome thing.

Here’s the official synopsis: Roller Derby sensation Cherry Skye loves nothing better

than competing in her favorite sport. While on the rink, Cherry catches the eye of Brad, and sparks fly. Unfortunately, she also catches the ire of Brad’s ex, her Roller Derby nemesis Hell Grazer!

If that isn’t bad enough, the heat generated by this romantic rivalry arouses a malevolent demon-spirit, hungry for human souls – especially Cherry’s!

Trapped between the wrath of Hell Grazer and damna-tion at the Gates of Hell, Cherry has no option but to thrown down and sort this sh*t out the only way she knows: In the rink known as The Murderdome!

Sounds awesome enough. And if you check out the trailer there’s decapitations, exploding derby girls and, naturally, tons of blood and Australian accents.

I’m not expecting much more than a really fun, gory time with this flick and can’t wait for it to hit our shores Aug. 26th on DVD and online streaming.

F a k e s h e m p . n e t stated in a review of the movie, “The soundtrack was stel-lar; the cinematogra-phy was sharp, and the entire aesthetic was of an interna-tional standard. With f***ing cool edit-ing, great special fx and a wicked title sequences, I can see Murderdrome becoming a cult film.”

And derby girl Heavy Petal from The York Minxters stated, “I liked it. It was retard-ed.”

You can check out the trailer and get more info at www.f a c e b o o k . c o m /Murd3rdr0m3 or www.murderdrome.wordpress.com.

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P. 8 JULY 21-AUGUST 4, 2014

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beauty

Go a little dark this summer with edgy eye makeup

Step 1. Start with your regular makeup routine. I used Revlon Colorstay foundation ($8), Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in blackest black ($4) and Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing lip balm in Cherry Me ($3).

Step 2. Pick a light eye shadow color. We used Samoa Silk by M.A.C Cosmetics ($10) (any light color will do) - this color will be used to blend in with your second, darker color.

tutorial by Diana Ramos • model Alicia Lane Dean.

Step 3. Starting at the edge of your eye, you want to get a dark grey/black shadow and intensify the outer V shape of your eye. Use your blending brush to bring that color in to the center of your eye, blending back and forth in a windshield wiper motion until you can no longer see any stark lines. We used Black Tied by M.A.C. Cosmetics ($10).

Step 4. Get any black liquid liner that you prefer and wing your liner out! Starting at the edge of your eye, draw a line up and out then bring that line back towards your tear duct and fill your wing in. Practice makes perfect, so take your time! We used Wet n Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner ($4)

Step 5. Grab the brush that you used for step 3 and just using the leftover eye shadow, you will want to sweep that just under your lower lashes to really smoke that eye out! Grab your favorite eyeliner and rim your waterline and your done! We used Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in blackest black ($8).

Ta-Da! You’ve just taken your everyday makeup to an edgy concert-ready look with just a few easy steps!

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P. 9

Summer has official-ly arrived, and for the gaming community that means the summer slow down is here. During the hottest season of the year, there is a drastic cut back on video games being released. The light at the end of this drought is that October and the following month will be packed with mega triple A titles and indie games galore.

But October is so far away!

Well, never fear, fellow gamers; now is the perfect time to tackle your stack of shame. You know, those games you put on hold or never really fin-ished. But in case you are looking for something different, I offer you a

few suggestions to help you gear up for the fall releases while filling your summer gaming needs.

If you are looking for cheap games for your PC, Steam and Humble Bundle are great places to start looking.

Humble Bundle offers a bundle of games where you name your own price with the proceeds going to various charities. Most games being offered by Humble are indie games, but on occasion you can find triple A titles.

Steam is another great alternative for PC gaming needs. They offer a vari-ety of games—everything from small-unknown

titles to recently released mega hits.

A large portion of g a m e s are being offered at

large dis-c o u n t s ,

and Steam also has S t e a m sales a

f e w t i m e s

a year, where you can find games up to 90% off.

These are great deals that will often leave your wal-let empty and you with a massive game pile.

If PC gaming is not an option, don’t worry. Both Sony and Microsoft offer summer sales for their consoles, too. The only drawback is that these prices are only good for downloadable games, so make sure you have plen-ty of space on your con-sole’s hard drive.

If you are still unsure what you should be play-ing, consider upcoming releases so you can figure out which worlds to dive into to familiarize your-self with it’s story and game mechanics.

If you are interested in a fantasy role-play-ing game, I recommend Dragon Age: Orgins and Dragon Age 2, both are packed with great storylines, characters and choices that carry over into the next installment.

In a universe full of magic, dragons and Darkspawn, it becomes easy to immerse yourself in these games which each have 40 hours of gameplay just to finish the main story line.

Now is the perfect time to jump into the Dragon Age franchise and pre-pare for the upcoming release of Dragon Age: Inquisition (Oct. 7).

Inquisition will fea-ture bigger environ-

ments, greater enemies and a grander story as you take on the mantle of Inquisitor.

If fantasy is not your cup of tea but you like the idea of role-playing games, you might want to consider the Mass Effect trilogy.

Mass Effect is a sci-ence fiction shooter where players take control of Commander Shepard with a mission to save the galaxy from Reapers.

All three games in the series have received high acclaim from gam-ers and critics alike. Each game will take around 30+ hours to complete, but the experience will be amazing, as your deci-sions will cross over into your final confrontation with the Reapers.

If you are looking to harness your first-person shooting skills I suggest the Borderlands series. Borderlands 1 and 2 offers great co-op play and tons of loot. This high action space western has found huge commercial success thanks in part to its sense of humor. Borderlands is at it’s best when playing with friends. The more peo-ple playing, the stron-ger the enemies will be, which means bet-ter loot when they are defeated.

Fans of the series will get to once again plunder to

their hearts desire when Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is released Oct. 14. The Pre-Sequel takes place between 1 and 2 and will introduce anti-gravity and freeze weap-ons.

Another FPS I highly recommend is Far Cry 3. This game is easily in my top 10 games of all times. From it’s lush jungle envi-ronment to it’s massive open world, players have the option to approach missions and the world the way they want to, either being stealthy or going in guns-a-blazing.

There is no doubt why this game is so widely praised, but the corner-stone for the game has to be the villain Vaas, whose dynamic presence quickly made him the poster child for the game.

The next insta l lment , Far Cry 4 ,

will be released Nov. 18 and takes place in a new environment with all new characters.

If early gameplay demos and trailers are any indication, Far Cry 4 looks to be just as immers-ing and action packed as its predecessor.

Luckily for you, gamer, my summer suggestions are older games, which means you should be able to snag most of them for a reasonable, reduced price.

So, whether you are try-ing to tackle your video game backlog or gearing up for the fall releases, the summer is the perfect time.

Besides, here in Texas it’s way too hot to be

outside, so gaming is the perfect excuse to stay indoors.

Now go forth and game on.

video games

by Daphne Garcia

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P. 10 JULY 21-AUGUST 4, 2014

local flavor

EatBEEVILLE

Beeville Diner2503 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 362-9724Burger Depot515 E. Houston St.(361) 362-2400Chili’s Grill & Bar400 E. FM 351(361) 354-5600Church’s Chicken611 N. Washington St.(361) 358-9256Domino’s Pizza414 N. Washington St.(361) 358-6871El Charro Restaurant601 E. Houston St.(361) 542-4572El Jardin Restaurant806 W. Corpus Christi St.(361) 358-2922Gasthaus Berliner Bear2510 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 354-5444Golden Chick2305 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 358-5525Gumbo Seafood Restaurant2017 N St. Mary’s St.(361) 354-5201.Hong Kong Palace301 S. FM 351(361) 358-2861Jalisco Mexico Taqueria

1401 W. Corpus Christi St.(361) 362-0841KFC200 E. Houston St.(361) 358-7222Little Caesars Pizza420 E. FM 351(361) 358-9555The Lodge at Shorty’s Place702 S. Washington St.(361) 358-7302McDonald’s(Walmart) 502 E. FM 351(361) 358-92552301 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 354-5215New China Super Buffet2003 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 358-8889Pantry Stores3803 N. St. Mary’s St. (361) 358-4965911 S. Washington St. (361) 358-84771720 E. Houston St. (361) 358-8602Pizza Hut1103 N. Washington St.(361) 358-2970Sammy’s Burgers & Brew2144 Ellis Road(361) 358-1067Scores Sports Bar & Grill1502 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 358-5055Stars Restaurant2403 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 358-0020Stone Creek Grill4402 N. St. Mary’s St.

(361) 354-5189Subway710 E. Houston St.(361) 358-62001700 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 358-6000Taqueria Chapala1805 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 354-5945Taqueria Guadalajara622 W. Corpus Christi St.(361) 358-1971Taqueria Jalisco2020 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 354-5803Taqueria Vallarta1611 S. Washington St.(361) 358-5948Whataburger1710 N. Washington St.(361) 358-1971

GEORGE WESTAgave Jalisco Restaurant403 Nueces St.(361) 449-8899Burger King4059 W. Hwy 59(361) 449-3014Church’s ChickenHighway 281 at Burleson(361) 449-1864Dairy Queen1350 U.S. 281(361) 449-1822Nueces Street Grill206 Nueces St.(361) 449-2030Pizzarriffic407 Nueces St.(361) 449-1900

Sonic Drive-In805 Nueces St.(361) 449-2614

GOLIADBlue Quail Deli224 S. Commercial St.(361) 645-1600Dairy Queen243 E. Pearl St.(361) 645-3274Empresario Restaurant141 S. Courthouse Sq.(361) 645-2347Hanging Tree Restaurant144 N. Courthouse Sq.(361) 645-8955La Bahia Restaurant1877 US 183(361) 645-3900Subway420 E. Pearl St.(361) 645-3709Whataburger348 E. Pearl(361) 645-8800

KARNES CITYBecky’s Cafe201 W Calvert Ave.(830) 780-4339Big Daddy’s Tarbender’s426 CR 298(830) 780-3202Dairy QueenTexas 80(830) 780-2712El Mariachi Jalisco

Restaurant118 Texas 123(830) 780-3350The MarketSat. & Sun. only208 E. Calvert Ave.(830) 780-3841Partner’s BBQ204 S. Hwy. 123(830) 780-5121Polak’s Sawsage Farm

Restaurant2835 U.S. 181(830) 583-2113Taqueria Vallarta202 Texas 123(830) 780-2465

KENEDYThe Backyard Grill496 N. Sunset Strip St.

(830) 583-0438Barth’s Restaurant445 N. Sunset Strip St.(830) 583-2468Church’s Chicken110 N Sunset Strip St.(830) 583-9030Drillers Bar & Restaurant820 Escondido St.(830) 583-0371Jerry B’s4531 U.S. 181(830) 583-2500Lucita’s Mexican Restaurant500 W. Main St.(830) 583-9455Pizza Hut106 N Sunset Strip St.(830) 583-9864R J’s Hamburgers420 W Main St.(830) 583-2344Red Dog Icehouse130 Boardwalk(830) 583-2277Rodriquez’s Tacos205 Texas 72(830) 583-9800

THREE RIVERSAgave Jalisco Mexican

Restaurant400 S Harborth Ave.(361) 786-2020Bar @ 3 Rivers Bar & Grill201 N. Harborth Ave.(361) 786-2020Beckett’s Dugout800 N Harborth Ave.(361) 786-3600Brush Country BBQU.S. 281 (361) 786-4335El Tapatio405 N. Harborth Ave.(361) 786-3949

Pepe Boudreaux’s3145 Texas 72(361) 786-4938Ranch House100 S Harborth Ave.(361) 786-2196Sowell’s BBQ114 W Thornton St.(361) 786-3333Staghorn Restaurant1019 N Harborth Ave.(361) 786-3545SubwayS Harborth Ave.(361) 786-3308Church’s Chicken110 N. Sunset Strip St.(830) 583-9030Jerry B’s4531 U.S. 181(830) 583-2500Lucita’s Mexican Restaurant500 W. Main St.(830) 583-9455Pizza Hut106 N. Sunset Strip St.(830) 583-9864R J’s Hamburgers420 W. Main St.(830) 583-2344Rodriguez’s Tacos205 Texas 72(830) 583-9800

DrinkBEEVILLE

19th Hole Patio Cantina3601 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 358-2837B.O.B.W.E.1308 S. St. Mary’s St.(361) 542-4551

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P. 11

Chili’s Grill & Bar400 E. FM 351(361) 354-5600The Grand Dancehall2461 U.S. Hwy 59(361) 358-1185Papi’s Place1517 W. Corpus Christi St.(361) 358-7160The Riverbend Sports Bar1603 N. St Marys St.(361) 362-0471

Roadside Tavern2503 S. Washington St.(361) 362-1720Scores Sports Bar & Grill1502 N. St. Mary’s St.(361) 358-5055Stone Creek Grill4402 N. St. Mary’s St. (361) 354-5189T’s Honky Tonk209 N. Washington St.(361) 358-1411

GOLIADSchroeder Dancehall12516 FM 622(361) 573-7002

KARNES CITYBar Tonik102 N. Market St.(830) 780-5255

KENEDYCoyotes Sports Bar116 W. Main St.(830) 583-9243

Desperado Saloon312 S. Sunset Strip St.(830) 583-0371Drillers Bar & Restaurant820 Escondido St.(830) 583-0371Jerry B’s4531 U.S. 181(830) 583-2500Red Dog Icehouse130 Boardwalk(830) 583-2277

PAPALOTEChasers Bar & Grill10620 CR 535 Hwy. 181(361) 287-3340

SKIDMOREAl’s Friendly Bar517 County Road 619(361) 287-3326

THREE RIVERSBar @ 3 Rivers Bar & Grill201 N. Harborth Ave(361) 786-2020

Beckett’s Dugout800 N. Harborth Ave.(361) 786-3600Pepe Boudreaux’s3145 Texas 72(361) 786-4938

TULETA7 Brothers Saloon7961 Hwy, 181 N.(361) 318-5250

RestauRant and baR guide continued

Wed. July 23• Rock, Paper,

Scissors at The House of Rock: It will be the battle to end all battles. Do you think you have what it takes to be the champion? Then sign up for the rock, paper, scis-sors tournament, and may the best man win. Starts at 7 p.m. 511 Starr St. in Corpus Christi.

Thurs. July 24• Hot Z95 Summer

Jam 2014 at The American Bank Center: Hot Z95 is bringing Cash Out, Kat Dahlia, Propain and Lil Jon to Corpus Christi. Tickets are $36.50 for general admis-sion with the proceeds going to the Children’s Advocacy Center. What? Yeah! 1901 N Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi.

• Jon Wolfe at

Brewster Street Ice House: Cameran Nelson will be opening for Jon Wolfe starting at 9 p.m. with the doors open-ing at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door. 1724 N. Tancahua St. in Corpus Christi.

Fri. July 25• Amber Digby &

Midnight Flyer at Schroeder Hall: Amber Digby has a fan in Vince

Gill who said of her “Amber is a great tradi-tional singer which is so hard to find these days.” The doors open at 8 p.m., and it’s just $10 for a night of great country. 12516 FM 622 in Goliad.

Sat. July 26• Texas Indie Film

Network Tour at Leo J. Welder Center: Get ready for a night of short films. The program

of short films includes “Hellion”, “A Hell of a Note”, and “See the Dirt” amongst many others. Austin Film Society pro-grammer Lars Nilsen will accompany the program and introduce the films. It’s just $10, and the doors open at 8 p.m. 214 N Main St. in Victoria.

Sat. Aug. 2• Attack of the

Bands from Space at

El Paisano Ballroom: Beeville better be ready to rock with this punk/metal/ska show. A Growing Menace, Wolves Amongst Sheep, Ded Leevz, KaRMa and Bert Obliterate and the Hunchers will be jam-ming all night. It’s just $5 to get in, and the doors open at 8 p.m. 300 W. Hefferman in Beeville.

• Kyle Park at Schroeder Hall: Kyle Park returns to Schroeder

Hall, and there’s sure to be a good time following close behind. The doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are just $12 for a great night of rockin’ country tunes. 12516 FM 622 in Goliad.

Sun. Aug. 10• 361 Photographers

Meet and Greet at Tatum’s Lounge & Grill: Make-up artist Dolly Munster will be featuring four to five dif-ferent models for a the-atrical art, beauty and blood themed shoot. And if you’re a model and want to meet photographers, this is the place to do it. 6314 Yorktown Blvd Suite 106 in Corpus Christi.

Need your awesome event listed? Drop us a line at [email protected] or send us a Facebook event invite at facebook.com/stxscene.

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