Musicians, community organizers gather for night of music and advocacy

The San Marcos Cinema Club and KTSW 89.9 FM put on the 5th annual “Music Flicks in the 666” music video showcase, named for San Marcos regional zip code the films feature, at the historic honky-tonk Cheatham Street Warehouse on Thursday.

City of San Marcos Arts Commission sponsored the event where 17 local bands battled for $200 in cash prizes for the top three audience voted music videos. San Marcos band Attic Ted took first place for their video “Kafka Dreaming,” Lockhart band Thunderosa received second place for “Knocked Out At The Natchwinkel” and San Marcos band BluMoon took third for “Grass Stains/ Just Begun (Hollywood).

The evening featured energetic performances between the screenings from San Marcos bands And They’re Deadly, Holiday Indians and Rusty Dusty.

MOVE Texas turned out to register voters and the San Marcos Complete Count Committee and Mano Amiga shared information about the importance of being counted in the 2020 census.

“We want to spread the word that it’s important they participate in the census and make themselves count so that our tax dollars can come back to our community," Census 2020 Complete Count Committee Chair Dr. Gloria Martinez said. "We are trying to connect with people so that they can see that they don’t need to be afraid of the government. This survey is completely confidential and it will be kept confidential. The citizenship question is not going to be on the survey.”

The Complete Count Committee is available to answer questions and to share resources about how to be counted.

Members of Mano Amiga and the San Marcos Cinema Club speak about Census 2020 and the Cite and Release Program working through San Marcos City Council.

Jordan Buckley from Mano Amiga and the San Marcos Cinema Club explained that millions of dollars were left on the table because San Marcos was undercounted in the last census by more than half of its population.

For every person counted in San Marcos, $1,600 tax dollars return to the city and eventually the resident who paid them through city services.

Martinez said it is important to look out for the letter coming in the mail in the next few weeks. San Martians can register online or on the phone for this very brief survey starting March 12.

“It's about the most constitutional thing to be counted. We are in a place where Stevie Ray Vaugh, Willie Nelson and George Strait used to play. So we are doing very American things in a very historic place, exercising our freedom of speech to spread the word and help the people of San Marcos,” said Armando Ramos.

San Marcos Cinema club upcoming events include: a screening of Motherload, a documentary on urban cargo bicycling, with MOVE San Marcos on Friday, March 27 at AquaBrew; the 72-Hour Film Race, from May 14-17, a three-day, treasure-hunt-style filmmaking contest & community viewing of entries; and the 4th annual citywide Lost River Film Fest, Nov 5-8.