Garrett T. Capps animates the sounds and lore of San Antonio, establishing its musical preservation on his newest album. The cosmic cowboy calls it “the most psychedelic Tex-Mex album of all time,” and the cover alone proves that to be true. Capps’ clever lyricism transmits the city’s identity, while the bands, collaborations, and interludes inject listeners into the fantastical crowd of a local fiesta. It will feel as though San Antone is all you have ever known, with the collective effervescence of its celebration remaining long after the lights have dimmed.
“The Journey Begins” lights up the city’s grid by blending the sound of scrolls on an FM tuner with Capps’ 2021 single “I Like Austin, but I Love San Antone.” If it wasn’t clear by the album title, Capps’ loyalty to his hometown has never faltered—and just like one’s day should begin in Alamo City, Capps’ first song, “Breakfast Tacos with Satan,” sets the tone. It has humorous storytelling, trumpets, boisterous whooping, and – most importantly – it educates outsiders on the appropriate heat of a breakfast taco. Capps certainly knows a city’s culture can’t come to life without its food! Or as he might say, “habanero soaked in kerosene.”
Now that you’re wide awake with some food in your belly, Capps transitions into a stripped-down chant: “S.O.S. H.E.B.” (For non-Texans, this is a nod to the area’s favorite grocery chain whose generosity, philanthropy, and community support has given it a good name in the Lone Star state.) In the absence of an attentive government, he suggests we just ask our local, hometown grocer to fix the current ills of society: “There’s sea level rise, pollution in the skies, and man has turned against his fellow man.” The simple mix of Capps’ twangy ebullience and deliberate percussion allows for the brevity of the lyrics to penetrate the lighthearted chorus and solemnize the year in which this musical time capsule was made. Similarly, “Bongo Joe” underscores the reverent reflection of the album, as Capps pays tribute to a late, legendary street-drummer.
Next in the queue is “Fiesto Eterno.” With a title like that, Capps brings in the heavyweights, featuring Kevin Russell, Joe King Carrasco, and Augie Meyers. The track’s riotous instrumentation and crowd vocals, combined with energetic gritos, perfectly capture the improvisational authenticity of a live celebration.
“El Chief” introduces us to another San Antonio legend, Santiago Jimènez Jr., who received a National Heritage Fellowship for lifetime achievement in traditional Tex-Mex/folk music. The song narrates Santiago’s life with a traditional conjunto track, a foundation of Tex-Mex music. From the accordion to the crisp rips of beer cans opening, it’s no wonder that Capps can end the song with a recording of Santiago himself: “Whoo man, this is gravy.”
“1604 Joyride” turns our attention back to the road, with more radio tuning radio bites, alarming traffic commotion, and orchestral chaos that drops us SATX tourists off at an intersection somewhere along “De Zavala.” Capps ingeniously mixes the actual recording of a De Zavala crosswalk signal to literally turn the city into a song, bringing in the Western drawl of Brian Duarte’s electric guitar and Verrill’s emotive cello to translate the local perception of the street as an unlikable, yet unavoidable, aspect of their lives. Standout line: “A bunch of car washes appear, some HEBs that look real weird. / Sometimes you just cannot steer clear of De Zavala.”
“Joe Anthony Kicks Things Off” takes over the airwaves with the KMAC DJ’s iconic voice, which helped establish the city’s metal scene in the 60s and 70s and earn it the moniker “Heavy Metal Capital of the World.” From there,“¡Viva Metal!” swoops in with exactly what you'd expect from an experimental alt-country polymath doing metal: bagpipes, bells and a gong -- you know, the traditional instrumentation of a fiery hellscape! Then Capps took it one step further. According to the San Antonio Current, he recruited Austin indie sound artist Thor Harris (former Swans percussionist and current frontman of Thor & Friends) to “contribute ambient noise to the track, but only with objects made out of metal.” To understand the uniqueness of his city’s metal scene, Capps says, “People think metal is evil and mean, but down here it’s a friendly scene. / We’ll kick your ass in the pit, then buy you a drink. Grill you up some cabrito meat.”
“Sorry Shamu,” as you can guess, is an apology to the late SeaWorld legend with a honky tonk tone. But Capps’ subtle lyricism once again proves his uncanny ability to weave playfulness into topical issues and still rock out. “Remember the Alamodome,” preceded by the hilarious “Alamodome Sales Pitch” with Definitely Not David Robinson (the former Spurs player), continues the album’s inclusion of all-210 iconography. The track’s drawn-out pedal steel guitar mimics the weariness of laying eyes on the former glory. As Capps puts it, “The old dome’s been neglected, with nothing much to do. / Just antique shows and big truck roars and punk foos sniffing glue.”
Next we get to toe-tapping as Capps moves into his rendition of “Home in San Antone” by Bob Wills, the king of Western Swing. His psychedelic twist on the classic unites the past with futuristic sonic infusions, giving appreciation to all that San Antone has been and everything it will be. To close, Capps sings a beautiful ode to “Yanaguana,” the indigenous origin of his city, allowing partygoers to come down from the fiesta wrapped in a blanket of love and gratitude for their heritage: “Where I am right now is where I’ll always be./ The Yanaguana’s sacred waters flow inside of me.” And even if you’ve never set foot (or spur) inside San Antone, Capps’ love for it strikes so sincerely that he effortlessly immerses listeners into its rhythm.
I Still Love San Antone is a musical masterpiece, personifying an entire city and preserving its fiery juices to season his audio Tex-Mex fiesta. Listeners are immediately part of the crew, in on the jokes, enamored with the terrain, and keeping time with the band. It’s a fiesta after all, and not once does Capps let you forget it. The album accepts San Antonio for all it is, with love for its brightest parts and a full embrace of its shortcomings. And while every fiesta must end, there’s always tomorrow. This album feels like a riotous howl of excitement for the man’s hometown, and I hope it becomes the soundtrack to fiestas across Texas and beyond.
The party is just getting started for Garrett! Check out his new album and his upcoming tour. Plus, check out his album release party, as well as the online game made for the album. (Wait, what?)
