Previously On

LAST WEEK IN ST. LOUIS

filing is an opening to “reimagine” how baseball reaches “an even larger number of fans.” We’ve got a reimagining idea: How about y’all eschew the giant payday and go back to network TV?

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15 Credit Suisse’s stock plunges, and a bunch of other banks have to step in to help First Republic. It feels … jittery out there. At least we finally got some nice weather?

THURSDAY, MARCH 16 Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey says he’s found even more dirt on Kim Gardner surprising precisely no one who’s ever interacted with the Circuit Attorney’s Office. Meanwhile, in Iron County, no less than the sheriff has been arrested, along with two deputies. Supposedly they were part of a kidnapping plot. Also, the Gateway Arch saw a huge increase in visitors in 2022. Here’s the St. Louis Business Journal’s take: “The Arch attracted 42 percent more visitors last year than in 2021, crime could threaten that trend.” We can

FIVE QUESTIONS for CITY SC’s Musical Director Mvstermind

never, ever have nice things in this town.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17 The party is in Dogtown and everybody’s Irish today, if by Irish you mean drunk and disorderly. The (Polish) archbishop is even letting us out of our Lenten restrictions — bring on the corned beef! This being St. Louis, we’re also pleased to report that the day continues to be an excuse to trade views of your boobs for beads that sell three for a buck.

SATURDAY MARaCH 18 Dogtown is miraculously cleansed by morning, and yet it’s suddenly freezing in the Gateway City … 25 degrees! There go the magnolias and the daffodils, previously lured by the false promise of spring. In Jefferson City, former Congressman Russ Carnahan is selected as the new chair of the Missouri Democratic Party, replacing Michael Butler, who realized there was more money and less stress in selling all-you-can-drink alcohol (not to mention recording deeds). On the sporting front, the Battlehawks fall to the D.C. De- fenders — but CITY SC, shockingly, wins again. They’re now 4-0, and even better, downtown is packed, even on a night that feels like 14 degrees. Now that’s the dopamine hit St. Louis needs!

SUNDAY, MARCH 19 Credit Suisse gets a white knight; banking giant UBS will take over the Swiss institution. But First Republic is still tottering, and the whole giant Jenga tower feels close to falling. Back in the dystopian Mayberry known as Missouri, neighbors tell the Post-Dispatch that the man who shot a cop in Hermann on March 13 and later engaged in a lengthy standoff was a “menace.” “He’s going to do something really, really bad,” a neighbor warned the county prosecutor. “It’s going to be on the news in the evening, and he’s going to be up there with his rap sheet and everyone is going to be wondering how that guy was on the loose.” More recently, Kenny Simpson was found with bombmaking equipment. Yet he was somehow out free waiting for trial — free to kill a cop at a convenience store. It’s a major scandal. Should the Missouri Attorney General get involved? What about the state legislature? Oh wait … the county prosecutor in Warren County is white. And you can call it coincidence, but the fact remains: They only care when things like this happen in St. Louis.

The music is structured around this philosophy of heart, hustle and spirit. That’s the three components that I feel are what truly makes up St. Louis’ sound regardless of any genre, regardless of anything.

What’s the secret to a good pre-game playlist?

Music is so intensive. If I am in my feels, then I play something that resonates with that same feeling. If I need to be energized, I play some music that is motivational, so I go with that same type of philosophy: What type of music is the moment asking for?

What’s the biggest challenge of being the musical director? Finding clean versions of the songs. [Laughs.] No, we’ve got a lot of music to choose from [in St. Louis], so just trying to figure out what music is going to be played has been the biggest key.

You did a lot of community work to find St. Louis artists and get suggestions for who to highlight. Did you learn a lot about the St. Louis music community?

Music is an integral part of sports, and St. Louis CITY SC hired Muhammad “Mvstermind” Austin as director of musical experience. While there’s no music during the game, he builds the soundtrack for the pre-game block parties, including selecting which artists will perform. As with everything CITY related, the music is all about representing the Lou. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How do you put together the music for the St. Louis CITY SC pre-games?

I got a real good feeling that this is about to be a huge year for St. Louis music. It’s a lot of artists and bands and groups who I know who have come off of that 2020 COVID scrug and are ready to put out some amazing music. My goal and my aim is to continue to embed our stadium with some of our newest, best music that is coming out of this city.

Are you a big soccer fan?

Absolutely. It’s been a part of my life since I was young. My brothersin-law were these soccer fanatics who would — every Saturday, 6 o’clock in the morning, they would make sure that we are up at the field as a family getting to it. I was always the one making the playlist for those games, too.

—Edward Hecker on Facebook in response to our article “‘Gross Power Grab’: Kim Gardner Fires Back at Attorney General”

WEEKLY WTF?!

Traffic Watch

Date of sighting: March 15

Location: Tower Grove East

About the damage to this roundabout’s west side: Most of its concrete is gone, almost certainly from a car or cars crashing into it.

About the damage to this roundabout’s north side: A pole is severely tilted, and the sign it once supported is nowhere in sight, almost certainly from a car or cars crashing into it.

About the damage to this roundabout’s east side: You can’t see it in this photo, but it’s worse than the west side.

The glass-half-full take: At least the cars crashed into this inanimate structure rather than another car with people inside, a bicyclist or pedestrian.

The other glass-half-full take: At least the fleur de lis is unscathed.

Escape Hatch

We ask three St. Louisans what they’re reading, watching or listening to. In the hot seat this week: three people at the Alamo Drafthouse opening.

Ruthie Young, retired payroll specialist

Watching: Poker Face

“I like the main character. She was on Orange Is the New Black, where she played Nicky. She’s the reason I’m still watching it.”

Justin Reining, brand activation manager

Watching: “I’m obsessed with The Last of Us!”

“It’s a different take on the zombie genre because it’s actually fungus, so it’s a different spin for sure.”

Will Smith, president of City Foundry

Reading: The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win by Maria Konnikova

“It’s about how chance and skill interact and shape a life and the psychology of people in games.”