Riverfront Times, June 21, 2023

FRONT BURNER

MONDAY, JUNE 12 The Denver Nuggets win the NBA championship — proving once again that bad karma means nothing when you’re filthy rich. Seriously, fuck that guy Kroenke and his back-to-backto-back pro sports titles! Also, quelle surprise, another (recently former) member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen is revealed to be corrupt. A new indictment accuses Brandon Bosley of engaging in fraud related to a 13-year-old Toyota Prius. We don’t know whether to be embarrassed that Bosley’s scheme was so petty — or proud that, despite his vaunted name, voters threw him out before the U.S. Attorney’s Office forced the issue.

TUESDAY, JUNE 13 Novelist Cormac McCarthy dies, and eulogies remind us that he toiled in obscurity until he was 58 years old — only to be lauded as one of the greats at his passing at age 89. It’s a story that gives hope to a lot of writers who are nowhere near as talented! Meanwhile, that old buffoon who won’t stop running

Previously On

LAST WEEK IN ST. LOUIS

his mouth pleads not guilty to dozens of felonies, basically alleging he squirreled classified documents away in a tacky-ass Mar-a-Lago bathroom. Which, if you think about it, makes the crimes of our local pols seem at least somewhat rational in contrast. Thanks, Trump

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14 A bunch of people involved with the mortuary at Harvard Medical School are charged with trafficking in human remains, which we mention just because we hate the smug pricks who got into Harvard. Meanwhile, the Cardinals again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. That’s five straight losses and the worst record in the Na-

FIVE QUESTIONS for WGA Striker Jeremy Kaufman

tional League. It’s all-Missouri suckitude; the Kansas City Royals are somehow even worse.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15 The Board of Aldermen votes to raise our water rates 44 percent, with future automatic increases tied to inflation. While we’d never expect Mayor Tishaura Jones to let a crisis go to waste, we’re still surprised by the size and speed of this rate hike. Meanwhile, rubbing salt into our water-logged wounds, the Cardinals lose again.

FRIDAY, JUNE 16 Russian hackers have come for Mizzou! Also, KMOV reports that even the downtown police substa-

tion has been vandalized, but it turns out the SLMPD abandoned the substation years ago — so it’s just the usual downtown squalor and maybe not even news.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17 City SC falls to Nashville. Meanwhile, despite being voted in, David Freese says he won’t join the Cardinals Hall of Fame, surely because even he doesn’t want to be associated with a team this shitty. Just to teach him, the Redbirds win 5-3, snapping a six-game losing streak.

SUNDAY, JUNE 18 In the wee hours, 11 teens are shot at a party that oddly takes place at an office suite at 14th and Washington. One dies; a 12th teen is gravely injured after being trampled. In response, Mayor Jones calls for recreation centers to stay open later, which precisely no one thinks will solve the problem but also can’t hurt. Meanwhile, a torrential downpour causes flash flooding on three different St. Louis highways and interrupts Father’s Day cookouts. Bah humbug!

What’s the vibe like on the picket lines?

I wasn’t there in 2008 for the last strike, but everyone says the vibe is much more enthusiastic this time. Every time I go, I go with my headphones on to listen to some podcasts, but then I will run into someone I haven’t seen for a few years, or some writer that I know, or someone I recognize, like the guy who wrote Fast and Furious. It’s cool. It’s an interesting way to spend your day, to run into people you haven’t seen in a while and reconnect with them.

I’ve read that in the last decade and a half it’s gotten harder to be a writer in Hollywood. Tell me more about why that is.

It used to be that with broadcast TV shows on ABC, NBC, Fox — all the normal TV you grew up watching — they would have a writers room between 8 to 12 people. Each season would be 22 episodes, meaning you’d be hired for 40 weeks out of the year. ... Now with streaming, because the seasons can be six episodes, it’s never gonna be 40 weeks. You’ll probably be working for 20 weeks out of the year, if you’re lucky. And it might be a year and a half between seasons.

Since your schedule has been uprooted, what have you been doing with your newly found free time?

We can still write. We just can’t write for anything involved with the studio or a studio line producer. But you can be working on your own spec projects, which is basically anything that’s your own creation that you want to write and develop yourself to eventually sell. I’ve been working on a couple TV series ideas with friends.

Has your time at Wash U benefited you out in Hollywood?

Jeremy Kaufman is a Washington University alumnus currently walking the picket lines in Los Angeles as a member of the Writers Guild of America (which has been on strike since May 2). A writer in Hollywood for more than a decade, he’s worked on shows that have appeared on Amazon and Starz. He is also a writer on Dead Boy Detectives, a Netflix series adapted from a Neil Gaiman book scheduled to air this fall. We asked him about the writers strike as well as how his time at school in St. Louis impacts his line of work. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

In the entertainment industry, everybody went to USC or NYU or, like, Harvard. There’s not that many people from Wash U, but when I see someone who I know who went there, there’s an instant connection. ... There’s definitely been a bunch of people who I see out on the picket lines, who I only know vaguely, though I know they went to Wash U. I see them, and I’m like, “Oh hey, like, let’s chat.”

What’s the one thing that someone only vaguely following the strike should be aware of?

The strike here is the same thing as across all of America: labor versus management. ... This isn’t rich writers trying to get every extra dollar and shutting down the industry just so we can do that. This is the average middle class person in Los Angeles or New York just trying to make it so they can have kids and maybe someday buy a house. —Ryan Krull

Jeremy Kaufman is a Wash U alum and Hollywood writer. He’s currently on strike. | COURTESY PHOTO

SOMETIMES

IT’S THE

WEEKLY WTF?!

Hellmouth Watch

Where: Jamieson Avenue and Arsenal Street

When: Wednesday, June 14, about 2:30 p.m.

What: the city’s newest water feature

What: a breach between this world and the underworld

What: the streets of St. Louis finally collapsing into the abyss

Really, what: a sinkhole at the site of a water main break

GOOD POINT OF THE WEEK TIO ROBINSON

When Tio Robinson was arrested for using an “altered” bill to bilk video slot machines out of thousands of dollars, he had a pretty solid defense.

According to a police probable cause statement, the 29-year-old defended himself to police by arguing that “the machines were themselves illegal.”

The machines do occupy a legal grey area in Missouri, where state law forbids gambling outside of regulated casinos. However, these machines skirt that law by showing the player the outcome of the next bet before the player places it. Even if the next bet is a known-loser, players must play through it in order to eventually get to a winner.

Unfortunately, stealing is still illegal, even on technically illegal gambling machines. St. Louis County prosecutors charged him for felony stealing. Police say Robinson and other men altered a $100 bill in such a way that a gaming machine would be tricked into thinking it had retained the currency when in fact the men could use it over and over again.

In total, Robinson and his cohort are accused of bilking the machines out of $30,416.

Police say the men were captured on surveillance video carrying out the scheme and that they carried out a similar one in the St. Charles area as well.

The machines pay out in vouchers that many times can be cashed out by the gas station attendant.

Despite being legally questionable, the machines are so common in St. Louis that some gas stations have constructed special rooms where gamblers can play for hours on end.

Interfaith Abortion Ban Lawsuit Heads to Court

The Missouri Attorney General is trying to get it thrown out

Written by MIKE FITZGERALD

Molly Housh Gordon is a Unitarian Universalist minister from Columbia, Missouri. Gordon also has an autoimmune disease that can make pregnancy a lifethreatening condition.

That’s one reason Gordon joined other religious leaders in a lawsuit challenging Missouri’s neartotal abortion ban, arguing the lawmakers behind it are openly using the law to impose their religious views on others who don’t share them — in violation of the Missouri Constitution.

“The truth is, I deserve to have autonomy over my body and my health,” Gordon said last week. “And the constitution of this state guarantees that.”

Gordon spoke at the end of a twohour hearing in a St. Louis courtroom before state court Judge Jason Sengheiser, who heard arguments on a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The motion was filed by the Missouri attorney general’s office.

Maria Lanahan, the state deputy solicitor general, argued that Gordon does not have standing to bring the lawsuit because Gordon isn’t pregnant, and therefore “is not ready and able to have an abortion right now.”

Lanahan also denied that the abortion ban was being used by one group to impose its religious views over those who disagree with it.

“I don’t really see an official religion here,” she said.

And even if the preamble to the law banning abortion contains

religious language, “It has no practical effect on anything,” Lanahan said. The law begins with the words “in recognition that Almighty God is the author of life.”

Missouri’s abortion ban went into effect a year ago, soon after the U.S. Supreme Court, in its Dobbs decision, overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving it up to individual states to decide on access to abortion services.

The law behind Missouri’s abortion ban stipulates women who

Tower Grove Park Breaks Ground on Basketball Courts

Forest Park is also planning to add basketball courts

Written by MONICA OBRADOVIC

Basketball courts at Tower Grove Park are now underway.

Local and state officials broke ground last week on basketball courts that will be near Arsenal Street and Bent Avenue in the southern end of the park. The courts are expected to be completed by fall.

Basketball courts at Tower Grove Park were a long time coming. Plans for their installation were first announced in 2021. Park users had called for the addition of courts in Tower Grove almost as loudly as they did for new bathrooms when the park’s master plan was devel-

receive abortions cannot be prosecuted. But it makes it a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison to perform or induce abortions, while medical professionals who do so also could lose their licenses. The Missouri lawsuit was filed in St. Louis in late January on behalf of 13 Christian, Jewish and Unitarian Universalist leaders. It seeks a permanent injunction to bar the state from enforcing the ban, plus a declaration that the law violates the state constitution.

The lawsuit claims the lawmakers behind the abortion ban openly “invoked their personal religious beliefs as the reason for the law, enacting in the statute the religious views that ‘Almighty God is the author of life’ and that ‘the life of an individual human being begins at conception.’”

Two national nonprofit groups are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit: Americans United, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for religious freedom, and the National Women’s Law Center.

Christen Hammock Jones, a law center attorney, argued Missouri’s abortion ban requires the expenditure of taxpayer dollars to print up educational literature and to hire new employees.

This amounts to the establishment of religion that violates the state constitution and “requires taxpayer dollars be spent in service of that violation,” Jones said.

The abortion ban also favors one group’s religious views over everyone else’s, Jones said, thereby “forcing all Missouri citizens to act accordingly.”

Both parties are waiting on a ruling from the judge on whether the case can continue. n

the city’s 108 parks have hoops, according to St. Louis Public Radio. Only one of those parks is south of Tower Grove Park.

Board of Aldermen President Megan Green, State Representative Peter Merideth (D-St. Louis) and Mayor Tishaura Jones heralded the upcoming courts as a step in the right direction at last week’s groundbreaking.

“Many communities have been taking out basketball courts over the years,” said Green, who represented Tower Grove South for eight years before becoming Board of Aldermen president.

“I’m very proud that Tower Grove Park is saying, ‘No, we’re going to put them in.’”

“Imagine what kind of powerful signals this sends to kids like mine across our city that you are welcome in Tower Grove Park,” Jones said.

oped around 2017.

The city’s second-largest park has been without hoops for 30 years. Previous courts were removed in the 1980s as maintenance costs exceeded available funding.

Advocates for basketball courts have said the relative lack of hoops throughout the city is rooted in racial prejudice. The city has far more tennis courts than basketball ones, and only a quarter of

Meanwhile, the city’s largest park, Forest Park, has never had basketball courts in its 147-year history. City parks and recreation officials and Forest Park Forever hope to change that soon.

Design concepts for new basketball courts were released in January, and a Forest Park Forever spokesperson previously told the RFT the project may break ground by the end of the year. n

An abortion ban lawsuit had its first day in court last week. | REUBEN HEMMER

A bird’s-eye view of the proposed basketball courts. | COURTESY PHOTO

More Details about Deadly Downtown Party

Discussions with tenants and business managers reveal that the building where the shooting occurred had lax security

Written by RYAN KRULL

More details are emerging about the commercial building in downtown St. Louis that was the site of a mass shooting this past weekend.

On Sunday 17-year-old Makao Moore was killed and 10 others aged 15 to 19 were injured by gunfire around 1 a.m. in the building near the intersection of North 14th Street and Washington Avenue.

Police Chief Robert Tracy said at a press conference Sunday that officers were within 100 feet of the building when suddenly dozens of young people were seen fleeing from it to a parking lot.

Tracy said it was “a surprise” to see a party on the fifth floor of the building, describing the layout of the floor as “office space with cubicles…not set up for socializing.”

But interviews with a former building manager, tenants and other downtown stakeholders paint a picture of a building that had a lax attitude toward security and an unlicensed bar operating sporadically on the first floor.

TCM Realty has owned 1409 Washington Avenue since 2008. A sign in its lobby advertises office space in it for as low as $295 a month.

A woman whose business rented space in the building prior to the pandemic says that security was an ongoing concern, one that she felt like building management didn’t take seriously enough. That’s ultimately why she left.

“If there could be a commercial version of a slumlord, TCM is that,” she said. “There was a man who didn’t have a space in the building who frequently used the women’s restroom on our floor and trashed it, and I brought that to the property manager’s atten-

tion, and it went unaddressed.”

The former tenant shared with the RFT an email from building management urging people renting space in the building not to leave the front door unlocked.

“If anyone is doing this they should take a mental note that if it happens again, we will be reviewing the camera and determining next steps to prevent this from happening again,” the 2019 email says.

The former tenant tells the RFT that despite the mention of security cameras, “they didn’t have any.”

A current tenant who runs a business out of the building, who didn’t want her name or company associated with coverage of the shooting, tells the RFT the landlords’ management of the building is “just OK.”

“They never answer the phone or call you back. But they want their rent on time,” she says. “And I just don’t like how the front door is always open.”

She says tenants get a key card to access the building, but she barely ever has to use it because the door is always open.

At Sunday’s press conference, Tracy said that police were trying to determine more details about access to the building.

The former tenant who spoke to the RFT says that building management was loose about who came in and out. She notes that, at least when she was renting space, the elevator wasn’t controlled-access, meaning that once someone was inside the building they could get to any floor.

Even after the shooting, on Monday afternoon, an RFT reporter walked right into the building and took the elevator up to the fifth floor, which had been cleaned up considerably since the shooting

though some units were in disarray — including one space that had nothing but hookah gear and empty boxes strewn haphazardly about.

Former building manager Brad Waldrop tells the RFT that when he heard news of the mass shooting he “was not surprised at all.”

“I think it was inevitable,” Waldrop says. “It’s a surprise it didn’t happen sooner.”

Waldrop says that until about 2012 he worked for TCM Realty, which is owned by Terry McDonald, a businessman whom Waldrop describes as “a good guy that put money into his property,” but eventually “gave up on downtown.”

“At some point, he got so sick of

Axe-Wielding Man Robs Dollar General

Dollar Generals are havens for crimes of opportunity, a recent investigative report found

Written by RYAN KRULL

Ice cream, orange juice and an energy drink were among the loot that an axe-wielding man stole from a downtown Dollar General on June 11.

That Sunday, 41-year-old Bruce Steele carried an axe into the DGX-branded Dollar General location on Washington Avenue, according to a police probable cause statement. Steele “made threatening statements” before pilfering some merchandise.

After he left the store, a security

city government not helping us down here that he just told me, ‘I don’t care who you bring me, I’ll lease it to anybody,’” Waldrop says.

Waldrop says that at that point, he quit.

Reached by phone, McDonald says that he doesn’t want to comment at this time, as he doesn’t have all the facts about the shooting. However, when told what Waldrop had said, McDonald emphasized, “That is inaccurate. There’s nothing true about that statement. I’m perfectly happy with the city and the way they operate.”

Les Sterman of Citizens for a Greater Downtown St. Louis says that his organization has previously called the police about what he called an “illegal club” operating on the building’s first floor without a liquor license.

The RFT reviewed multiple Instagram posts advertising karaoke events and 420-friendly hookah happy hour events happening at 1409 Washington.

Monday morning, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department revised the number of young people injured in Sunday’s shooting. Previously, the police had said only 9 people were injured and one died, but actually 10 other teens sustained injuries from gunfire. One 17-year-old female sustained serious injuries to her spinal cord after being trampled by others fleeing the shooting.

Among the 10 injured are two 15-year-olds, two 16-year-olds, three 17-year-olds, an 18-year-old and two 19-year-olds. n

guard followed Steele for about a block and a half to Broadway. There, the security guard identified Steele to police, who placed him under arrest.

Police found the juice, ice cream and energy drink in Steele’s possession, as well as the axe.

He was charged last week with robbery and armed criminal action.

Dollar General has seen prolific growth as of late, with around 1,000 stores opening per year, according to CNN. The business has been under increased scrutiny, with critics saying that the stores are havens for crime that put employees at risk.

Crimes that occurred at Dollar Generals in St. Louis featured heavily in a 2020 joint investigation of the business done by the New Yorker and ProPublica

The story’s reporter, Alec MacGillis, concluded that the stores end up becoming havens for crimes of opportunity which might not otherwise be committed, writing, “The chains’ owners have done little to maintain order in the stores, which tend to be thinly staffed and exist in a state of physical disarray.” n

There was a deadly teen party at 1409 Washington, an office building downtown. | RYAN KRULL

Taste of Bourbon

The St. Louis Bourbon and Brews Festival took the party outside

Photos by MAX BOUVATTE

Words by ROSALIND EARLY

The second annual Bourbon and Brews took place on June 10 in Cottleville, Missouri.

Organized by the St. Louis Bourbon Society, the event featured more than 300 whiskeys, bourbons and craft beer samples. For one general admission ticket, attendees were allowed to sample seven whiskies and seven craft

beers. New this year, there was a VIP ticket that included access to an air-conditioned lounge and cocktail samples from Woodford, Old Forester and Jack Daniels.

If you think this is all just about boozing up outdoors during the day, then you’re wrong (though it is a little about that). A portion of ticket sales went to Steve Ewing’s Feed the People organization. Ewing, singer for the Urge and proprietor of Steve’s Hot Dogs, launched his nonprofit in 2008 and uses it to feed anyone in need.

In addition to drinks and music, there were also craft vendors and food trucks to help festivalgoers soak up all the booze.

“The festival brings two of St. Louis’ favorite things together in one experience,” James Thomas, cofounder of the St. Louis Bourbon Society, said in a statement before the event. “Everyone knows St. Louis loves beer; this event shows just how much they love bourbon as well.” n

A CELEBRATION OF THE UNIQUE AND FASCINATING ASPECTS OF OUR HOME

The h

heaT Is On

Extreme

— the

Jeff Gray arrives home on a late Tuesday afternoon as the temperature outside hovers around 90 degrees, hotter than average for early June. After entering, he sits in a chair positioned directly in front of an air conditioner blowing cool air into the room.

Gray has lived in his two-story brick home near Cherokee Street for more than 20 years. He grew up in the infamous Pruitt-Igoe projects but eventually moved into his current house, where he raised his kids. They’re now grown up and moved out.

He keeps the doors to his second floor shut and doesn’t open his first-floor windows because of crime in the area. Plastic sheeting lines the windows year-round to trap in the heat during the winter and cold during the summer. Like in most of St. Louis’ historic brick houses, the sweltering summer heat and humidity amplify and stay around longer without proper insulation.

Gray had old air conditioning units that he was using for years, but despite his efforts to fix them up, after last summer, they were shot.

“I was getting really kind of stressed because it is getting humid,” he says.

Gray has been on disability since 1993 after a tragedy took his left eye and glaucoma started

climate change

overcoming the right. He called EnergyCare, one of the local nonprofits that provides energyrelated assistance to vulnerable, low-income people dealing with extreme temperatures.

In the past, EnergyCare helped Gray winterize his home and pay for energy bills during hard times. In late May, it installed two new air conditioners on his first floor — one in his living room and another in his bedroom.

“They’ve been a godsend for me,” he says.

Gray is not alone in needing help. As climate change raises temperatures in the St. Louis region, older individuals, people with disabilities and low-income populations are especially vulnerable.

The urban heat island effect and the legacy of redlining — namely an abundance of hard, dark surfaces and absence of green spac-

es as a result of disinvestment — have also left predominantly Black neighborhoods in St. Louis several degrees hotter than their surrounding areas.

Although St. Louis won’t experience much in the way of sea-level rise, hurricanes or wildfires due to its landlocked Midwestern location, the region is far from immune to other climate impacts.

The City of St. Louis — with its first-ever sustainability director, Catherine Werner, at the helm — published its Climate Vulnerability Assessment in 2018 to evaluate the climate-change hazards most likely to impact the city and map the most vulnerable populations. Extreme heat was found to be the region’s top climate hazard, alongside extreme cold, tornadoes, drought and flooding.

St. Louisans are no strangers to hot, humid weather, but climate

change is projected to make summers longer and hotter than ever before, with heat waves becoming more frequent and intense.

Temperatures in Missouri have risen nearly one degree Fahrenheit since the beginning of the 1900s, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. Anthony Lupo, Missouri’s interim state climatologist, says the greatest increase in average temperature has been observed in winter, followed by spring and fall.

The average summer temperature has seen the most modest increase. The summer, however, has experienced the biggest increase in average dew point temperature, which refers to the amount of moisture in the atmosphere. When combined with the air temperature, the dew point gives you the “feels like” temperature or heat index.

Lupo says that this part of the country could see a greater number of uncomfortable heat index days, putting those most vulnerable — including older and poorer populations — at risk.

A study published last summer — based on a moderate emissions scenario in which greenhouse gas emissions peak in 2040 — found that St. Louis will be among the five metro areas most impacted by an “extreme heat belt” projected to emerge across the central U.S. in the next 30 years. This belt shows that much of the industrial Midwest, deprived of the relief brought by coastal breezes, has the biggest risk for “extreme danger days,” or days with a heat index of 125 degrees or higher.

This story was commissioned by the River City Journalism Fund.

Today’s story about extreme heat kicks off a three-part series exploring the climaterelated threats facing the region — and what we’re doing to address them. Pick up the RFT on June 28 to learn about how St. Louis has mismanaged its rivers, and on July 5 to learn how an innovative city program aims to tackle greenhouse gas emissions. We’ll share all the stories online at riverfronttimes.com/readyornot.

Jeff Gray has received help from EnergyCare to winterize his home and pay for new air conditioning units. | THEO WELLING

heat

“silent killer” of

— is coming for St. Louis. The question is what we’re going to do about it by kelly smits

EXTREME HEAT

Continued from pg 15

It also found that in Missouri, St. Louis County will experience the largest increase in “local hot days,” projected to go from seven days over 108 degrees in 2022 to 21 days in 30 years. The city will similarly experience 21 days over 107 degrees in 30 years.

In addition to the increase in average dew point temperature, the average nighttime low temperature in the summer has increased in recent years to the highest on record.

“In the daytime, your body is programmed to put up with heat, but your body expects at night to be able to cool off,” Lupo says. “So it’s the increase in nighttime temperatures that presents the biggest danger.”

“The silent killer”

Heat already kills more people in the United States than any other climate-related hazard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 702 heat-related deaths and 9,235 heatrelated hospitalizations occur annually. Many surmise that these are significantly under-reported because of the oversight or misclassification of heat-related illnesses and deaths in medical records. A 2021 study estimated that heat led to around 12,000 premature deaths in the U.S. during the 2010s.

In Missouri, there were 4,377 reported cases of hyperthermia — the technical term for heat-related illness — between 1980 and 2016, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Of these cases, 1,272 were deaths. The City of St. Louis saw the greatest share of deaths at 31.7 percent, followed by Jackson County and St. Louis County. One heat wave in late June and early July of 2012 alone killed 18 people in St. Louis city.

“Heat deaths don’t have the drama of tornado deaths or hurricane deaths or flooding deaths. So it’s often referred to as the silent killer of climate change,” says Andrew Hurley, a historian at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who researches climate change and urban development.

Its effects are cumulative and gradually take a toll on the human body. Heat is also often a secondary cause of death.

“So you do have people that die of heat stroke, which comes on after prolonged exposure, but then you also have people with underlying conditions who are vulnera-

ble to begin with. So they may suffer death from heart attack that is exacerbated by the stress on the body when the temperature goes up. Those aren’t recorded as heat deaths, but they’re very real,” Hurley says.

That said, heat-related illness and deaths have declined dramatically across the country and in Missouri in recent decades, in large part due to the proliferation of air conditioning.

“It’s probably the most dramatic historical change in how urban populations have adapted to hot weather,” Hurley says. According to U.S. census data from 2011, more than 90 percent of housing units in St. Louis have central air conditioning.

But Hurley thinks disparities in terms of people’s ability to survive extremely hot weather have grown alongside air conditioning. He says that before air conditioning became commonplace, people sought refuge from the heat outside, often in collective green spaces like parks. Now, they stay indoors.

The positive result has been fewer heat-related deaths, but the negative has been the loss of social interaction provided by people congregating in green spaces. (And air conditioning has a much worse environmental impact.)

What’s more, Hurley says, air conditioning varies in quality.

“What we often find in terms of people who have died in recent heat waves, is they’ve had air conditioning,” he says. But their air conditioning was old and not working well, or they were worried about their electric bills so they didn’t turn it on.

“Poor people, and people of color who tend to be poorer, were

always more vulnerable to heat across time,” Hurley says. “But I think it’s intensified since the era of air conditioning.”

A legacy of redlining

In recent years, researchers have started looking at the link between redlining policies in cities across the U.S. and the disparate impacts of urban extreme heat today.

Redlining refers to the discriminatory practice of refusing home loans or insurance in neighborhoods deemed “hazardous” based on race or ethnicity, which was outlawed by the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Vivek Shandas, a professor of geography at Portland State University, co-authored a study published in 2020 that looks at whether those decades of disinvestment in communities of color have led to a

current-day experience of higher temperatures in neighborhoods in 108 cities, including St. Louis.

“It was pretty remarkable what we found,” Shandas says. Their analysis showed that formerly redlined areas were on average about 5 degrees hotter than their non-redlined counterparts.

In the city of St. Louis, they found a temperature difference of 4.7 degrees, “which is higher than many of the cities that we’ve seen, and it was a very clear signal that St. Louis has actually got areas that have much, much hotter redlined neighborhoods today, even though redlining is no longer part of our official federal policy,” he says.

They also found that the redlined areas — which include north city and some parts of south city to the east of Tower Grove Park — lacked tree canopy and were

A recent national risk assessment projected St. Louis County to see 21 days a year with temps above 108 degrees in just three decades. | COURTESY FIRST STREET FOUNDATION

EnergyCare Executive Director Tim O’Dea says the nonprofit found in a 2020 analysis that many clients live in areas marked by redlining and disinvestment. | THEO WELLING

replete with impervious surfaces like concrete and asphalt, as well as “land-hungry development” made of dense materials that absorb and re-emit heat.

EnergyCare also conducted its own analysis in 2020. In partnership with data scientists at Washington University, the nonprofit looked at where its clients live and how their energy burden — that is, their income divided by utility costs — affects their lives.

The analysis found that most of EnergyCare’s clients live in the parts of St. Louis “where decades of redlining, disinvestment and racial injustice have produced communities where people struggle to stay warm in their own homes in the winter and cool in the summer.”

More specifically, Executive Director Tim O’Dea says, their requests come from north St. Louis and parts of south St. Louis such as Gravois Park, Benton Park East and Dutchtown. They’re getting more and more requests from St. Louis County in the older, innerring suburbs such as Jennings and Wellston.

Gentry Trotter of Cool Down St. Louis — another St. Louis-based nonprofit that provides energyrelated assistance to vulnerable people in 44 counties across Missouri and Illinois — says they help people most in north St. Louis and a strip of south St. Louis in addition to parts of north county, East St. Louis and St. Charles County near Blanchette Memorial Bridge. Many of the nonprofits’ clients live in older homes where deferred maintenance has compounded their energy burden, making utility bills all the more difficult to pay and disconnec-

tions more likely to occur. And both O’Dea and Trotter say the urban heat island effect, which leaves cities significantly hotter than their outlying regions due to the abundance of heat-trapping pavement and buildings and the lack of greenery providing cooling shade and evaporation, impacts their clients.

Climate Central — a nonprofit that researches the impacts of climate change around the world — included St. Louis in its 2021 analysis of the urban heat island effect.

St. Louis ranked 22 out of the 158 cities evaluated for urban heat island intensity, according to Manager of Analysis and Production Jennifer Brady, with the effect making the city around 7 degrees hotter on average than its surrounding areas. The main factor contributing to this stark difference: a low “albedo” score due to the abundance of dark and impermeable surfaces absorbing and retaining the sun’s heat rather than reflecting it. The urban heat island effect, she says, is expected to get worse with climate change.

Climate Central ranks St. Louis as one of its top 10 cities for impermeable surfaces, with a remarkable 57 percent of the city being hard, dry surfaces like buildings, roads and parking lots that contribute to higher temperatures. Brady says that many of the older buildings in Midwestern cities were designed to keep heat in during the winter, which requires a lot of retrofitting to fix.

But the analysis only looked at the average for entire cities.

“We know some neighborhoods are much worse than other neighborhoods, there’s no denying it,”

Brady says.

She points to recent NOAA efforts that were spearheaded by Shandas. Since 2017, NOAA has been organizing campaigns in cities across the country to map the urban heat island effect on a more granular level. Kansas City and Columbia have participated, but St. Louis has yet to follow suit.

Varied solutions, varied progress

DeSoto Park was initially developed to serve the residents of the Pruitt-Igoe and Vaughn projects. Now it serves Carr Square and its adjacent north city neighborhoods — and it’s been the focus of an orchestrated campaign to increase trees in the area.

The campaign comes from nonprofit Forest ReLeaf, which is making some headway, says Rebecca Hankins. She walks along a path flanking the park’s soccer fields, passionately showing where river birches they planted in 2017 are growing and will eventually provide shade for players and spectators using the fields. In December 2021, Forest ReLeaf worked with community members to plant an additional 60 trees of 8 different species in the park.

The nonprofit has been working with community groups and supporting municipalities to expand native tree growth on public land across Missouri for 30 years. Hankins was brought on board as the partnership’s manager in 2021 to boost its capacity to increase the city’s tree canopy, especially in north city.

Neighborhoods here tend to have a lower Tree Equity Score, which indicates whether a neigh-

borhood has enough trees for residents to reap the benefits. In the past two to three years, Hankins says they have planted and been actively stewarding more than 750 trees in north city alone.

“We don’t realize how much trees are doing for us,” she says. They’re a cost-effective solution for so many issues, she says, like reducing asthma-causing air pollutants, managing stormwater and mitigating urban heat. Through shade and evapotranspiration, trees can cool communities by several degrees and provide respite during periods of extreme heat.

Heat from the sun’s rays builds up on gray infrastructure during the day and radiates back out at night even after the sun goes down, Hankins says. Trees block those harmful rays.

“The leaves are absorbing all of that heat and energy, and they’re converting it into something magnificent,” she says. “They’re turning that into energy for the tree to grow, which puts out oxygen.

“But otherwise, that energy from the sun is just lost on concrete,” she says.

Nearby, Forest ReLeaf’s canopy crew is watering a diverse mix of around 30 recently planted trees — including tulip trees recognizable by their distinct leaves shaped like a cat’s face — along Gateway Elementary School to build a more resilient tree canopy. Just before, they were watering around 50 trees they had planted earlier this spring at Yeatman Square Park in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood and replanting a bald cypress that had been run over by a lawnmower.

Continued on pg 19

Climate Central ranked St. Louis 22 out of 158 cities for the severity of its urban heat island effect, which makes the city seven degrees hotter than surrounding areas. | CLIMATE CENTRAL

Forest ReLeaf Partnerships Manager Rebecca Hankins is working to bring more trees to north city — but the havoc wreaked by the emerald ash borer means they’re fighting just to maintain current tree levels. | THEO WELLING

EXTREME HEAT

Continued from pg 17

“Forest ReLeaf has recognised that if we really want to make an impact, we can’t just plant a tree and walk away. We have to steward that tree to the point it’s going to survive on its own,” Hankins says. A tree is most vulnerable during its first three years of establishment, she says.

The new trees replaced the former ash trees at both locations that had been ravaged by the emerald ash borer. The metallic green-winged beetles have been migrating across the U.S. over the past 20 years, Hankins says, leaving dead ash trees in their wake.

“We’re losing trees at an alarming rate because of the emerald ash borer,” she says. More than 3,150 street trees have been removed in the past three years. Another 8,600 still need to come down, many in north city.

Urban tree cover averages around 40 percent nationally, according to a 2018 study. In 2010, Forest ReLeaf assessed the urban tree cover in St. Louis was at 18.2 percent of the city, with the possibility of 33.9 percent tree cover. (City officials did not have the current number.) The emerald ash borer and other conditions, like the recent drought, have made it difficult to merely maintain the level of tree canopy in the city, let alone increase it.

The city’s forestry commissioner Alan Jankowski says they’ve been seeing more ash die this year than in previous years, which is straining resources. The Forestry Division has been down staff since COVID-19, he says. To keep up with the workload, the city has a half-million-dollar contract with a private company that helps them take down ash trees and another million-dollar contract to help take down other hazard trees.

Come fall, the Forestry Division will set about planting its annual goal of 3,000 trees. It applied for an Inflation Reduction Act grant that the city hopes will allow it to double those numbers this year.

“It takes decades to build that canopy, and it starts now,” Jankowski says. “We’re really planting for the future.”

Priority is given to the low-canopy, disadvantaged communities in the city, he says, but it’s ultimately up to the city’s aldermen to allocate funds for their wards.

Planting trees, however, can’t be the only solution to reducing extreme heat in St. Louis. Before the 2018 Climate Vulnerability As-

sessment, Werner — the city’s former sustainability director and now a senior sustainability planner with engineering consultants AECOM — developed the city’s first Climate Action & Adaptation Plan in 2017 to identify the recommended climate mitigation and adaptation efforts in St. Louis.

In addition to increasing the city’s tree canopy, the report identified installing cool and vegetative roofs as actions to cool the city. In 2013, a few years prior to the report’s publication, the city awarded a grant to a pilot project in the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood called Painting Sustainability, which trained residents and volunteers to paint roofs with a reflective white coating that lowered the rooftop temperatures.

Since then, however, there is little evidence that the city has installed any cool or green roofs on public buildings or that it is financially incentivizing residents and businesses to install the roofs themselves. A city spokesman wasn’t able to provide information on any more recent programs by press time. (The city’s 2013 Sustainable Neighborhood Toolkit does include instructions on how members of the community can create their own cool roofs program.)

Planting trees and installing cool or green roofs fall into what Shandas describes as the “physical” category of solutions to urban

extreme heat, in which municipalities try to change the physical design or experience of a city.

Another category is “social” solutions, which encompasses more than 100 cooling centers in the St. Louis region, many of which are at public libraries and local nonprofits, and the services provided by the likes of EnergyCare and Cool Down St. Louis.

“Policy” is Shandas’ last category — and often the slowest to gain traction, he says, because policymakers are struggling to grapple with heat, given that it doesn’t fall squarely into any one agency. Some cities, like Miami, have created the position of “chief heat officer” within their city governments to help coordinate across multiple bureaus. St. Louis hasn’t done that.

In St. Louis and across the country, Werner says in an email that a “lack of information, limited capacity and constrained financial resources are always a challenge.

“Fortunately,” she says, “we are amid a ‘once in a generation’ period of federal grant opportunities available to plan for, measure, and implement a host of climate, resilience and sustainability objectives. In fact, there are so many grant opportunities now that it can feel overwhelming trying to keep on top of the many requirements, let alone assemble the stakeholders and data sets that

will be needed.”

But taking advantage of the programs requires someone to prioritize it. The city says they have been interviewing candidates to replace Werner, who moved to AECOM around a year ago, and hope to make an offer soon. St. Louis County’s sustainability director left her position during the reporting for this story, and a county spokeswoman did not respond to three follow-up requests for comment about its plans.

According to Trotter of Cool Down St. Louis, much more needs to be done — and it’s an all-handson-deck situation that needs to include the government, utility companies and the general public.

“Climate change is getting worse. And we all need to address it in our different areas of expertise,” he says. “People are in denial at the expense of people’s lives and their livelihoods.” n

You can find reporter Kelly Smits on Twitter at @kellymsmits. For more on the River City Journalism Fund, which provided funding for this project and seeks to support local journalism in St. Louis, please see rcjf.org.

If you or someone you know is vulnerable to extreme heat and in need of air conditioning units or help paying utility bills, call EnergyCare at 314-773-5900 or Cool Down St. Louis at 314-657-1599.

A historic map shows the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation’s redlining of St. Louis. Green areas were graded “best,” with blue “still desirable,” yellow “definitely declining” and red “hazardous.” | VIA MAPPING INEQUALITY

CALENDAR

BY RIVERFRONT TIMES STAFF

THURSDAY 06/22 Ain’t No Dancer

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Gay Asia, the film festival at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood, Webster Groves; 314968-7485) that’s been running all June, don’t fret: They saved one of the best films for last. The Japanese Helter Skelter has hardly ever been screened in the U.S., even at high-brow film festivals. Plus, instead of being based on Charles Manson or anything related to the Beatles, this Helter Skelter is based on Kyoko Okazaki’s manga and follows Lilico, a plastic-surgeryobsessed supermodel who can’t outrun fading fame or a body that is tired of her shit. Lilico’s horroresque behavior contrasts with the film’s lush use of color and beautiful costumes. A rare find that also happens to be a feast for the eyes and that also happens to cost just $8 to attend? You can’t go wrong. Check it out this Thursday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit webster.edu/film-series.

Dink Shot

If you’re even a little curious about what this Pickleball craze is all about, you should definitely swing by Willmore Park (6499 Jamieson Avenue, 314-289-5300) at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, for the Pickleball Social. Some people say the sport is like mini tennis, but we prefer to think of it as giant ping-pong. In fact, Pickleball may be the most egalitarian sport ever invented, in that it is incredibly easy to be OK at but very difficult to master. A spry 25-yearold can easily have his ass handed to him by his grandmother. In other words, it’s the rare sport that allows you to let your inner Andre Agassi run wild while also making new friends. The event is totally free and goes until 7:30 p.m.

The Cat’s Meow

All cat companions and friends of felines would do well to check out the Amazing Acro-Cats as they slide into St. Louis this week. Watch this ensemble of rescued

house cats ride skateboards, ring bells, jump through hoops, balance on balls and perform other great feats of coordination and dexterity in — get ready for the cat puns — this paws-itively meow-gical purformance. Stay for the finale to see the only all-cat band in the world, Tuna and the Rock Cats, shaking the stage with guitar, drums and piano. Catch the Netflix-famous Acro-cats performing at the .Zack Theater (3224 Locust Street, 314-533-0367) on Thursday, June 22, and Friday, June 23, from 7 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, June 24, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, June 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. Ticket prices range from $35 to $60. More info at rockcatsrescue.org.

FRIDAY 06/23

Blues News

There’s a new live music series in town, and it just happens to take place at that most iconic of St. Louis sites — the Gateway Arch. Rockin’ at the Riverfront takes place ev-

ery Friday from noon to 2 p.m. and then again from 4 to 6 p.m., with local bands performing their best stuff to carry you into the weekend. On Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., the music continues with karaoke sessions hosted by live DJs. This Friday, June 23, catch jazz trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at noon and the genre-defying jam band Kinfolkandthem at 4 p.m. Killing time between the two sets? They’ll have cornhole, Jenga and other lawn games suitable for a family friendly outdoor party. The free series runs every weekend through July 29. You’ll want to bring a lawn chair or blanket and maybe even a sun umbrella. Bringing in the kids? Be aware that bathrooms are in the Arch Visitor Center, so while you’ll want to bring water, maybe don’t drink too much of it without a good game plan. Details at archpark.org/ events/rockin-the-riverfront.

SATURDAY 06/24 Out and Proud

It’s that special time of year

again, when the cis hetero monoculture must be reminded that queer people exist and that LGBTQ+ individuals deserve to live happy, productive lives as their most authentic selves without being subjected to daily prejudice and bigoted violence. That’s right, it’s time for a parade! PrideFest returns to downtown St. Louis this weekend and brings with it not just the big, colorful parade but also entertainment on the main stage, a DJ/ dance area, a food court, a vendor fair, a non-profit village and a children’s area. The party kicks off at 11 a.m. and continues on through the evening on Saturday, June 24, and Sunday, June 25. By the time it’s over, more than 300,000 people will have rolled through. So if you’re out and proud (or even if you’re just curious or closeted), or if you’re an ally eager to show your support, drop by downtown this weekend and raise your little rainbow flag into the breeze. Visit pridestl.org for more information, including parking advice and a map of festivities.

You can catch the Acro-Cats doing just about any trick at the .Zack Theater this week. | COURTESY PHOTO

Ready to Roll

Can you really say that you’re an art fan — or that you’ve really lived — if you haven’t seen a giant steamroller used for the most intense form of printmaking ever? We think not. Fill this hole in your life at the Third Annual Block Party at the Foundry Art Centre (520 North Main Center, St. Charles; 636-255-0270) this Saturday, June 24, where Grafik House will use a literal steamroller to create art with some large-scale woodblocks carved by regional artists. The results will be put out to be viewed while drying, and attendees can also check out the print fair, grab some food and drinks, and listen to live music. Admission is free, and the event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Details at foundryartcentre. org/block-party.

Happy Hunting

Scavenger hunts are a great way to indulge your inner detective — and the best thing is that it’s a fun mystery you’re solving, so no one even had to get murdered. And you know the Emmaus-ing Race Scavenger Hunt is a serious ordeal because you have to drive to 10 secret locations throughout

St. Charles County to complete it. (This could be of particular interest to folks in St. Louis who want to become more acquainted with the county next door.) Plus, it’s for a good cause. Head to Emmaus Homes (3731 Mueller Road, St Charles; 636-534-5200) — more

like Sherlock Holmes, amirite? — this Saturday, June 24, for a family friendly hunt to benefit the nonprofit, which services people with disabilities who are aspiring to buy homes. Tickets for the hunt cost $50 and can be purchased at emmaushomes.org/race.

WEEK OF JUNE 22-28

SUNDAY 06/25 Camp it Up

“Adulting” doesn’t have to be boring. Indulge your inner child this summer and go to camp. A series of six events held by the Missouri Department of Conservation will recreate the fun of summer camps for participants 18 and older. The events, called Camp Hellbender , are free and are held at various parks throughout the St. Louis area. Practice archery at Rockwoods Reservation, go geocaching at Tower Grove Park or try outdoor cooking at Powder Valley Conservation Area. Most sessions last between four to five hours. This week’s event takes place at the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area on Sunday, June 25, and will be focused on paddling and fishing. The weekly activities will conclude with a campfire for all campers toward the close of the summer. Campers can register for as many sessions as they want, and they’ll even receive a sticker for each activity they participate in. See a full list of event details on Missouri Department of Conservation’s website at mdc.mo.gov.

WEDNESDAY 06/28 No Scrubs

Don’t go chasing waterfalls — please stick to Maryland Heights, because that’s where TLC is playing this week. TLC and Shaggy have teamed up for a TLC & Shaggy: Hot Summer Nights

Tour, which will make a stop at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights; 314-298-9944) on Wednesday, June 28. But it’s not just TLC and Shaggy performing their hits “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs,” “Unpretty,” “Creep” and “It Wasn’t Me” that we’re geeked about. En Vogue and Sean Kingston are special guests on the tour, making it one big ol’ 1990s/early 2000s throwback. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets run from $25 to $125 and can be purchased at livenation.com. n

TLC (pictured) and Shaggy play the Hollywood Casino Ampitheatre next Wednesday. | VIA TICKETMASTER

Try out the hot sport pickleball at a Willmore Park social on Thursday. | VIA FLICKR / STEPHEN RAHN

Twist on a Classic

Cafe Miami brings south Florida’s Cuban cafe culture to St. Louis

Written by CHERYL BAEHR

Cafe Miami

2022 South 12th Street, 314-405-8178. Wed.-Fri. 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 8 .m.-2 p.m. (Closed Monday and Tuesday).

Tom Peterson loves St. Louis coffee shops. They’re the sort of places you can grab a scone and a large, foamy cup of vanilla-scented brew and settle in with your laptop for hours to do some work. However, the style of coffee shop that has his heart is one he hasn’t been able to find in St. Louis since returning to his hometown from Miami 12 years ago. When he lived in south Florida between undergraduate studies and law school, Peterson fell in love with the casual, graband-go Cuban-inflected spots where you could pop in for a cup of colada or cafe con leche, pick up a paper-wrapped breakfast sandwich and go about your day. There was no pomp and circumstance surrounding these places; they were simple and ubiquitous, but every single one served delicious food and outstanding Cuban coffee. He missed them desperately, and vowed to one day bring such a place here when he had the chance.

About two years ago, Peterson would finally get the opportunity to realize that vision. Though firmly committed to his law career, he found himself able to dedicate some energy to the project that would become Cafe Miami when his family agreed to come on board. Recently retired, his parents had the bandwidth to offer their assistance, and his brother, Robbie, was willing to leave behind a different hospitality gig to help with day-to-day operations. Together, the Petersons found the old Soulard Gyro building on South 12th Street and got to work on a buildout that would transform the former Greek spot

into a little slice of the Sunshine State in the middle of St. Louis.

What’s striking about Cafe Miami is just how much Peterson and his family were able to nail the spirit of the low-key, casual coffee spots he fell in love with during his time in south Florida. Like the Miami shops he used to

frequent, the place is small, with just a handful of colorful, vintage Cuban poster-adorned tables and a few bar stools along a window ledge. A large stuffed marlin hangs on one of the walls; the others are decorated with Cuban-inflected artwork, including a lovely print of a cigar box painted by a friend

of the owners. For a sweet touch, the Petersons display completed coloring pages of various cartoon fish filled in by their younger patrons. A chalkboard menu to the left of the order counter advertises the restaurant’s offerings, and a small display case shows off mom Nancy’s pastry handiwork.

Peterson is adamant that Cafe Miami is not a Cuban restaurant, nor is it trying to be one. Instead, he wants it to be a celebration of south Florida’s coffee culture and quick-service cuisine infused with a little bit of St. Louis. In this sense, you won’t find the most literal Cuban sandwich on the planet, but you will find a damn fine version of the classic filled with succulent smoked pork; almost-sweet, thinly shaved ham; pungent Swiss and pickles; and a mustard-infused Cuban mayo. Peterson does not use actual Cuban bread, but his choice of Companion’s Bada Bing was inspired; light and flaky on the outside, airy on the inside, it crisps up when heated to give it that delicate crunch characteristic of the sandwich’s traditional bread.

Continued on pg 24

Cafe Miami offers a selection of breakfast and lunch items alongside sweets and beverages. | MABEL SUEN

Tom Peterson, Nancy Peterson and Robbie Peterson are behind Cafe Miami. | MABEL SUEN

CAFE MIAMI

Continued from pg 23

A simple breakfast bagel, the Mihami Sunrise, sparks joy for more than its reference to the nostalgia of late-night Denny’s excursions. Here, a Companion everything bagel serves as a canvas for outstanding ham (procured from the iconic Kenrick’s Meats & Catering) layered atop a generous slather of cream cheese. A honey drizzle brings out the ham’s natural sweetness; simple as it may be, the combination of flavors is otherworldly. Similarly, the Medianoche uses the same outrageously good ham and Swiss cheese but pairs them with Cuban mayo on pressed brioche bread that makes for a tasty on-the-go breakfast or lunch.

Another delightful offering, the Breakfast Chopped Cheese, is like a breakfast version of a Philly cheesesteak. Instead of shaved beef, Cafe Miami’s employs sagekissed breakfast sausage, which is sauteed with peppers and onions. Two eggs and molten American cheese wrap the sausage-vegetable concoction in richness. Its lunchtime analog, the STL Roast Beef, subs in tender layers of wellseasoned roast beef, which is covered in gooey Provel, its richness countered by a little pop of horseradish that adds just enough zest without overpowering the beefy flavor.

In addition to its regular menu, Cafe Miami offers a couple of specials that one can only hope will be in regular rotation. The Frita Cubano, while not the best thing to eat on the run, is a wonderful breakfast sandwich consisting of a sausage patty, fried egg

and Swiss cheese. What makes it truly remarkable, though, is the addition of spicy ketchup-dressed shoestring potatoes that are generously layered atop the egg, meat and cheese. Something about being able to eat the saucy potatoes and sandwich in one bite elicits a slinger-like joy.

As fun as the Frita Cubano is, the ropa vieja is Cafe Miami’s most memorable offering. Though traditionally made with beef, the restaurant’s version features tender, slow-cooked pork smothered in peppers and onions, Provel cheese and spicy mayo. The meat’s juice, combined with the softened onions, gooey cheese and mayo forms and outrageous sauce concoction that infuses every bite.

It’s hard to imagine being dazzled by anything else after enjoying that ropa vieja, but Nancy, the Peterson family matriarch, is up to the task. A 40-year veteran of Schnucks deli, Nancy has been cooking for customers, friends and family her entire life, and she’s channeled all that experience into Cafe Miami’s outstanding desserts. Her key lime pie is one of the best versions I’ve ever enjoyed. Rich and mouth-puckering, it somehow manages to feel both indulgent and refreshing. Her pastelito is equally outstanding. A riff on the traditional Cuban pastry, Nancy’s version features flaky puff pastry wrapped around a rich melange of guava paste and cream cheese that

tastes like bright, tangy caramel. It begs to be paired with Cafe Miami’s colada, a sugary, frothcapped Cuban coffee, or the con leche, which uses the colada as a base, then tops it with steamed milk.

Peterson fell in love with south Florida coffee shops thanks to their pastelitos and coladas, so he was determined to get them right at Cafe Miami. Enjoying them in this sweet little cafe, you not only know that he succeeded — you understand why they caught his heart. n

The Breakfast Chopped Cheese includes sausage, egg, peppers and American cheese. | MABEL SUEN The Cuban sandwich includes ham, pork, Swiss cheese and Cuban mayo. | MABEL SUEN

Cafe Miami is located in Soulard. | MABEL SUEN

The Gospel of Beer

O’Fallon brewery Good News preaches the gospel of good brews

Written by TONY REHAGEN

Beer and religion have a complicated history. Some faiths frown upon or even forbid the consumption of any intoxicants, while Catholic monks have been practitioners and keepers of sacred brewing techniques for centuries. The Paulaner monks of 18th-century Germany substituted their Dopplebock for solid food during their Lenten fasts. Even devout Protestant Arthur Guinness saw the virtue in brew, making his nowworld-famous dry Irish stout as a low-ABV alternative to the whiskey that had soaked his community in sinful drunkenness.

No matter what deity you worship or which spiritual path you walk, it’s hard to argue that beer isn’t the perfect social lubricant for the type of fellowship that most congregations strive for. This idea is the rock upon which Good News Brewing was built in 2017. And in just six years, the company has expanded exponentially, broadcasting its message and providing St. Charles County tipplers with their daily liquid bread from O’Fallon to Defiance to Augusta to St. Charles’ historic Frenchtown neighborhood.

While Good News isn’t proselytizing a specific creed or even religion itself — just craft beer, camaraderie and wood-fired pizza — its roots are unequivocally Christian. It began in 2014, when Matt Fair joined a weekly Bible study hosted by Dan Tripp. While Fair was a mechanic by trade and Tripp an elementary-school assistant principal, the two shared a passion for homebrewing that eventually led to them collaborating in Fair’s basement.

One of the books the study group discussed was by pastor and missional author Hugh Halter called Flesh: Bringing the Incarnation Down to Earth. The tome talks about taking God’s teachings out of the physical church and into the community to connect with people on a human level in a fun and even celebratory atmosphere. Fair and Tripp started a monthly beer and pizza night, inviting people — friends and strangers — to sip homebrews and talk. Eventually, they decided to hire a head brewer and turn water to beer for everyone in their hometown of O’Fallon, opening Good News Brewing (multiple locations including 111 North Main Street, O’Fallon; 636-294-7050; goodnewsbrewing.com) to the public in the summer of 2017.

Good News spread quickly. First, in the fall of 2018, they opened a second O’Fallon location, Alpha & Omega Roasting Company (which served Good News beer for breakfast up until six months ago, but now slings specialty cocktails). Demand for their beer was so great, Fair and Tripp had to move beyond their single-barrel homebrew system (which they still use for small-batch experiments) and contract with now-defunct Missouri Beer Co. until 2019, when they expanded again, this time into a space large enough for a seven-barrel brew system in Defi-

ance, just off the Katy Trail.

To the owners, growth was never measured in liquid units but rather by the number of people who could come into their physical locations. “Beer is really just the tool,” says Justin Guldalian, who first met Fair through church friends and came aboard as Good News’ head brewer in August 2021. “We use the beer to reach out and connect to people. That’s the impetus behind the whole thing.”

And it’s not just about connecting individuals over a pint. Good News has been active in collaborating with community organizations including the O’Fallon Fire Department, local businesses such as Local 636 apparel manufacturers, and even loosely defined civic gatherings such as the 113,000-member Facebook group The End is Near, So Let’s Drink Beer that brought quarantined beer chuggers together through their computers during the pandemic.

Good News was also a place where thirsty patrons could drown their COVID-19 sorrows in person. You might say that’s because St. Charles County had much looser restrictions (and, some would argue, a looser grip on the reality of the situation). It could also have had something to do with the spacious open-air dining areas at each Good News location. In Defiance and Augusta,

where Fair and Tripp bought and renovated the old Augusta Brew Haus in September 2020 — at the height of the pandemic, when most breweries were hanging on for dear life — it may also have helped to be close to the Katy Trail, where many people (and dogs) from around the region came to socially distance.

But it might also have had something to do with the upbeat attitude of Good News itself. “They were so positive the whole time,” says Sarah Guldalian, founder and CEO of Top Notch Brand Company, which does marketing for Good News. “Things were so difficult across all industries, even in church. Here you come to Good News, and there’s kids and dogs and gluten-free offerings. They’re trying to include everybody and want everyone to have a positive experience. I think we were all hungry for that.”

The owners seem bullish on the future, too. In the fall of last year, they opened their fourth taproom in St. Charles, adjacent to the Frenchtown Heritage Museum, creating a unique “Brewseum” concept. Along the way, Good News has come out with fourpacks of its top-selling Belgian White, Perfect Storm Pale Ale and 636 Hazy IPA, among others, to be bought in St. Charles and Lincoln counties.

But ultimately, what Good News is preaching can’t be canned.

“They just want to spread out as much as possible and that’s not through distribution coming from one central hub, it’s really to have an actual footprint,” says Justin Guldalian. “They’re always looking at where can we go next?” n

“ Beer is really just the tool. We use the beer to reach out and connect to people. That’s the impetus behind the whole thing.”

Good News is owned by Matt Fair and Dan Tripp. | COURTESY SARAH GULDALIAN

Half-Price Pies

The St. Louis Pizza Passport is officially live

Written by JESSICA ROGEN

There might be other pizza towns — New York and Chicago can do their own thing — but it’s hard to say there’s a better pizza town than St. Louis.

Even if you’re not a fan of the divisive Provel cheese, you still have a plethora of pizza options that range from no-Provel St. Louis-style pie to charred and chewy Neapolitan-style fare.

The St. Louis pizza passport is the natural outgrowth of all that. Run by the STL Square Off Pizza Festival on the Hill and the Pizza Connoisseurs of St. Louis Facebook group, the $30 passport gives holders a 50 percent discount at 34 area pizza places across the St.

Louis metro area and some of the further-flung suburbs.

The passport has been on sale for a while, but now you can actually start using it.

The passport was introduced in 2020 to support local restaurants, and part of the profits from its direct sale will benefit Home Sweet Home, a furniture bank that donates items to needy families. The goal this year is to top last year’s $7,000 donation, founder Michael Powers wrote in an email.

“What we’ve created is an awesome excuse to explore the main streets and municipalities of the

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

BY JESSICA ROGEN

OPENINGS

B Juiced, Ferguson

Berry Box Superfood Bar, Clayton

C and B Boiled Bagels, Wood River, Illinois

Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery, Central West End

Crepes and Treats, Gravois Park

Deli Divine, West End

Dressel’s Public House, Central West End

El Milagro Azteca, Southwest Garden

The Fortune Teller Bar (reopening), Benton Park West

French Creperie, Chesterfield

Gioia’s Deli, Valley Park

Holy Crepes!, Swansea, Illinois

Honey Bee Tea, St. Charles

CHERYL BAEHR’S CHICKEN SHAWARMA PICKS

Watching a massive hunk of glistening, herb-flecked chicken slowly rotate on a spit does more than whet the appetite; it makes your body course with the primal energy of juicy meat sizzling on an open fire that gets torn apart with bare hands. But hey, a pita works too.

region, while trying out some of the best pizza found anywhere,” Powers said in a statement. “Pizza makers played a vital role in keeping all of us fed when we were sheltered in place, really showing how important these local restaurants are to our daily lives. The introduction of the passport drove traffic to these locally based pizza places, while raising funds, and awareness, for a deserving nonprofit.” n

For a complete list of participating restaurants and more details, visit thepizzapassport.org.

Al-Tarboush

The key to Loop mainstay Al-Tarboush’s mouthwatering shawarma, aside from the succulent, flawlessly seasoned chicken, is the combo of tahini and outrageously delicious garlic toum.

Original Shawarma House

You can order Original Shawarma House’s schawarma dressed in a pita, but this Ballwin restaurant’s speciality is its saj, a paper-thin wrap that gets a slight flakiness when heated on the grill. This touch, as well as its pomegranate-saucedressed “classic” accoutrement option makes OSH a standout.

Majeed

Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant, one of the area’s best spots for chicken shawarma. Here, large hunks of lemon and garlic marinated meat are perfectly caramelized on the outside and succulent on the inside — the perfect canvas for the lively garlic puree that liberally coats the wrap.

Medina Mediterranean Grill

Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Company, St. Charles

Katie’s Pizza and Pasta Osteria, Downtown

The Main House, St. Charles

PJ’s Coffee, Lake St. Louis

San Jose Mexican Restaurant, Ellisville, Missouri

Ted Drewes (reopening), Dutchtown

Sneaky’s Bar & Burger Joint, Edwardsville, Illinois

CLOSINGS

Bait, Central West End

Zenwich x Ramen, Central West End Boardwalk Waffles & Ice Cream, Soulard

Medina Mediterranean Grill’s “Original Palestine” steals the show. Stuffed with some of the juiciest, thick-sliced shawarma meat you’ll find, this superb wrap makes you understand why you can’t ever go wrong with a classic.

Taste of Lebanon

Taste of Lebanon dazzles with its traditional, intensely flavorful take on the classic shawarma preparation. Try the Dream version, which includes a generous portion of creamy baba ghanoush in the wrap.

Half-off pies, here we come. | COURTESY PHOTOS

Deli Divine is now open in the West End. | JESSICA ROGEN

REEFERFRONT TIMES

Early Retirement

Legal weed is putting drug-sniffing police dogs out of work in Missouri

Written by CLAYTON VICKERS

This story was originally published in the Columbia Missourian.

Now that cannabis is legal in Missouri, drug-sniffing police dogs face early retirement if they are attracted to the smell of marijuana.

Because some police dogs are sensitive to the odor of pot, they can compromise an investigation and prevent a successful drug prosecution.

If a dog is trained to detect marijuana as well as illegal drugs, it cannot separate them for a handler. The dog also cannot distinguish between a single joint and an unlawful amount of marijuana.

The prevailing solution is to retire those dogs and train new ones to identify only illicit drugs.

Under Article 14 of the state constitution, which governs cannabis, evidence of marijuana alone can no longer be the basis for a search in Missouri “without specific evidence indicating that the marijuana is outside of what is lawful for medical or adult use.”

Sergeant William Brown, head K-9 authority at the Kansas City Police Department, says, “A defense attorney is going to say, ‘Your dog hit on marijuana’ if there’s even one joint, no matter if there was cocaine or whatever else alongside it.”

All police dogs trained to detect marijuana were “discontinued” in Kansas City immediately after cannabis became legal in November.

“Everything becomes fruit of the poisonous trees if we use these K-9s,” Brown says.

Seeing it coming

Anticipating legalization, Captain Brian Leer of the Boone County

Sheriff’s Department says law enforcement “read the writing on the wall” and ended cannabis training for dogs in 2018.

“We had the forethought to stop training marijuana on dogs several years back,” he says.

The department also began taking the steps to lessen the cost of purchasing and training new dogs.

Dogs for police work typically come from an elite lineage and can cost $9,000-$10,000 each. Their specialized training is also expensive and has, until now, often required the services of handlers in other states.

The Boone County Sheriff’s K-9 program sidestepped this problem a few years ago and now promises an eight-week course at $4,000 per dog. That is much cheaper than the $15,000 to $16,000 charged elsewhere, not counting the cost of travel, food and housing a dog.

A grant from the Missouri Department of Public Safety, called the Canine Replacement Grant, can even cover the cost, as it has for the Columbia Police Department, which is replacing two dogs.

The demand for replacements took off when the grant became available, says Chris Smith, head K-9 trainer for the Sheriff’s Department. Since 2018, Smith says he has averaged three K-9s for each eight-week class. This year, he expects to be training six or more new dogs during each class.

Training dogs to detect drugs requires patience and repetition. The dogs are rewarded with play and toys when they recognize and become alert to the smell of a drug.

Once the connection is made, handlers will hide small baggies with various substances in a room for the dog to find. The next step is to master “blind searches,” where neither the dog nor the handler knows where substances are hidden.

Dogs can learn to detect these substances even when they’re placed in vacuum-sealed bags. Then later, they can move on to more difficult tasks like scenttracking and aggression training.

Different decisions

Not all law enforcement agen-

cies in Missouri are retiring their drug-detection dogs, however.

Some departments are reluctant to give up “perfectly good dogs,” Smith says. “Some agencies are waiting to get in on the DPS grant, and they’re still using their dogs that are marijuana-trained because there’s no case law yet.”

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, for example, has determined that their dogs can still serve without risking an illegal search.

Some of their K-9s are trained in multiple skills and can continue to serve in those capacities, says Sgt. Charles Wall. These can include dogs with skills in bomb detection and tracking suspects.

Because the constitutional amendment governing legal cannabis is in its infancy, some handlers have decided to wait until courts have interpreted the language before revising their procedures.

“The fact that we say we can’t use the dog to develop probable cause — there’s not case law yet where the courts have actually

K-9 Andi smells a sample of meth while completing an odor recognition drill with her handler, Audrain County Sheriff Matt Oller. | MAKAYLA HART PHOTO COURTESY OF COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS

Continued from pg 31

says, ‘You can’t do this,’” Wall says.

For those situations where marijuana is still illegal, “it is our interpretation of Amendment 3 that the odor of marijuana may still establish cause to search in certain situations,” he says.

Dan Viets, an attorney and Missouri coordinator for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, says he was not convinced that detection of marijuana serves any purpose for law enforcement today.

“An alert from a dog to the odor of marijuana is absolutely meaningless,” Viets says.

The courts will bear out that any searches by state law enforcement on the basis of marijuana, whether with probable cause or not, will be illegitimate, he says.

“If they’ve obtained specific evidence to pursue a search on what they suspect to be illegal marijuana, they don’t need a dog,” Viets says.

[WEED NEWS]

Des Peres Could Ban Adult-Use Dispensaries

The NIMBYs have successfully gotten the question on the ballot next November

Written by MONICA OBRADOVIC

Dispensaries may be banned from selling recreational marijuana in Des Peres, depending on a vote by residents next year.

Last week, Des Peres aldermen voted 5-0 to be the first city in the area, and the second in the state, to put the recreational dispensary question in front of voters, the Post-Dispatch reports.

Missouri law allows local governments to prohibit non-medical marijuana facilities through either a ballot question or citizen petition. Ballot questions can only be voted on during presidential election years.

Now a ballot question will go before Des Peres voters in November 2024. The city will need at least a 60 percent “yes” vote to ban recreational dispensaries. Any ban could subsequently face repeal from aldermen sending the question back to the ballot, or from residents who gather enough signatures to force another vote, according to statute.

He describes prohibitions on using marijuana detection for any kind of search as nearly insurmountable, except for federal law enforcement.

Smith suggests that a dog “imprinted” on marijuana could be used after probable cause is established to suspect illegal marijuana.

“Then we’re just using a dog as a locator,” he says.

Dogs in retirement

A retired K-9 is likely to remain part of its handler’s family. Nero, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois working for the Columbia Police Department, is retiring to a more leisurely life with his handler, Officer Eric Wiegman.

Even working K-9s often live with the handler, who is compensated by the agency for veterinarian care, food, toys and other supplies.

Although the compensation stops when dogs are retired, Wiegman seems happy to assume responsibility for Nero’s care.

“My kids wouldn’t know what to do without him at home,” he says. n

A repeal doesn’t seem likely. About 50 residents cheered for the aldermanic vote after opposing a local dispensary for months.

Root 66 dispensary has tried to open a location in Des Peres to much opposition. The dispensary received a permit from Des Peres to sell medical marijuana in the space of a former clothing boutique last August, but the space is in the same strip mall as a math tutoring business called Mathnasium, which some Root 66 detractors are trying to call a school.

Missouri law prohibits dispensaries from opening within 1,000 feet of schools, child day-care centers or churches. If that’s not enough to stop Root 66, critics are also calling on Des Peres aldermen to prevent recreational dispensaries from opening within 120 feet of homes. A street of houses sits directly behind Root 66’s proposed space.

Even so, if the NIMBYs in Des Peres have their way, west county tokers still have plenty of dispensary options nearby. Some are literally down the road. n

Root 66 has run into opposition as it tries to open in Des Peres. | RFT FILE PHOTO

CULTURE

Modernity’s Flaws

Vincent Stemmler’s exhibit, now open at the Kranzberg, considers pitfalls of doom scrolling

Written by SCOUT HUDSON

Vincent Stemmler, a Kranzberg Arts Foundation artist in residence since 2021, doesn’t want to tell a story of redemption. Stemmler’s art isn’t meant to elicit an idealized emotion, nor is it meant to fit into any one simple descriptor.

Instead, their exhibit, Doom Scroll, depicts a clustered, collective conscious fidgeting and frothing, sweltered by ceaseless social anxiety and, as said by Stemmler, “the feeling that everything is fucked.”

That mixed-media show at the Kranzberg Arts Center (501 North Grand Boulevard, 314-5499990, kranzbergartsfoundation. org/the-kranzberg) opened on June 9. The exhibit’s name derives from the act of doom scrolling, a practice in which an individual will be inundated with negative, anxiety-inducing content on social media.

“It’s interesting the way that social media works and doom scrolling works,” Stemmler says. “A lot of times when people are doom scrolling, they’re consuming information that is very poignant and real and painful to look at. I don’t know if this brings awareness that makes people more present or if it makes them less present. And for me, it tends to have both effects.”

Doom Scroll is about the danger of perspective. The show presents the three phases within the cycle of doom: first, a call-out of those wrongly writing history, second, an epitaph of those who have been misrepresented and lastly, a testimony of those caught powerlessly observing.

“Very seldomly is what really

happened actually represented and taught to people. It creates this environment of distrust,” Stemmler says. “How can we trust the world around us when we’ve been sold lies upon lies upon lies?”

Doom Scroll is composed of two bodies of work, each reflecting both inward and outward. The first body features depictions of the artist’s most personal places, an intimate assemblage of Stemmler’s St. Louis — a city struck by entropy and grief. The other is a manifestation of spiraling thoughts that tells a narrative of an unabated anxiety’s razing both the individual and society. Displayed together, the two bodies of work evoke a feeling of festering and inescapable doom in the viewer.

“I had intended on doing a show that was about these really personal spaces, doing a lot of introspection and self-reflection through the work,” Stemmler says. “But as I started to develop this body of work, other ideas started coming out of it.” The show incorporates themes of death, memory and vol-

atility, as Stemmler’s art merges together the issues they believe are innate to a capitalistic, neocolonial society.

Stemmler’s work is anthropological because each piece is an artifact of both self and city, using materials that range from trash to plants from their everyday life, making the exhibit itself a living documentation. In a piece titled “Confluence Over Time,” live grass surrounds battered two-liters underneath a digitally altered amalgam of photographs taken at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers at Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area.

“A lot of times, [art depicts] this very romanticized idea of the landscape. I was more interested in conveying something real,” Stemmler says. “Looking at the contemporary landscape, you can’t see a landscape that doesn’t have trash.”

A theme of environmental justice weaves throughout the gallery yet is often entangled with the principles of hierarchy and death. In “Lovejoy,” Stemmler

edited a photograph of the Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument, located in Alton, Illinois, saturating the sky with a blaring red hue. The piece mirrors the worsening air quality of the St. Louis metro area with the story of Lovejoy, an abolitionist writer who fled St. Louis in 1837 after his printing press was destroyed by slavery advocates. Shortly after relocating, Lovejoy was murdered by a pro-slavery mob. Stemmler believes the history of Lovejoy is too often left untold.

Following Lovejoy, the show expands on the mutability of memory by examining the age-old axiom that “history is written by the victors.” In the piece “al-Quds,” Stemmler arranged a shelf of found objects from Jerusalem. Stemmler, who grew up in a multicultural home with Lebanese roots, feels the creation of this piece was an opportunity for them to reckon with their heritage. At the same time, they reexamined their Arab heritage and Christian upbringing in the larger context of the IsraelPalestine conflict. They note this

process led to questions rather than conclusions, yet they wished more people would pursue a similar reflection.

All of these themes culminate in perhaps the most striking and most personal piece in the gallery: “False Memories at the Funerary Chapel.” Stemmler’s mother died when they were young, and they have carried a vivid memory of her funeral for much of their adult life. At the beginning of the Kranzberg residency, Stemmler returned to the funeral home where their mother’s service was held. In their memory, the image of a white, ceramic-tiled archway and a fake shade tree near a fountain lingered for decades. When originally planning “Doom Scroll,” Stemmler envisioned a depiction of the tree representing resilience, an embodiment of a hopeful tenacity found even in the gravest of places.

However, upon returning to the funerary chapel, the funeral home director of 30 years informed Stemmler that neither the fake tree nor the white tiling ever existed. At this moment, Stemmler was confronted with their own experience with false memory and, concurrently, realized a show about resilience would be inauthentic.

Stemmler began to question how false memories act as a coping mechanism, and how this can happen beyond the parameters of an individual’s mind. In this questioning, Stemmler found the crux of their show — the dilapidated Rivers, the exile of Lovejoy and their own misremembering of personal history, all contributing to larger themes of subjectivity and anguish.

Looming above the gallery are two signs, both taken by Stemmler from the streets of St. Louis: “$30 PER MONTH BURIAL INSUR-

ANCE” and “DIRECT CREMATION $600.” Below them rests a pile of signage reading “GUN SHOW.”

The signs cast a harrowing bleakness over the gallery, but for many St. Louis residents, these signs are not an unfamiliar sight.

“These ideas are sold to us, and it’s like this wool pulled over our eyes,” Stemmler says. They often ponder the purpose of the signage. Many of the signs are placed in neighborhoods with histories of violence and police brutality. They wonder: Are the signs intended for residents or those just passing through? Are they intended to be reactive or proactive? The spiral of questions of intentionality can be paralyzing for Stemmler. Yet, these questions are unavoidable, as they are often cyclical. In Doom Scroll, the signs physically mimic the constant inundation of fear-based content seen on social media.

“Bringing in these different objects is evidence of what’s happening,” Stemmler says. “There’s this kind of loop.” For Stemmler, the objects uphold the burden of truth — they are proof of a society crumbling under impending doom.

In the back corner of the gallery rests a self portrait of a dead Stemmler. Delicate, decaying branches cage the artist’s partially decomposed body. The painting is muddled, as swathes of red, blue and green emanate from Stemmler’s body. Even in death, they exhibit an inescapable swarm of emotion.

The masterwork of Stemmler’s gallery is their depiction of intersectional and coinciding themes. While ostensibly separate, the theme of each piece connects it to the next, crafting a grim cohesion within the gallery. The pieces speak to each other, connected by the shared language of violence and identity.

“The theme of intersectionality, for me, is really more of an idea of holisticness and how these things are actually all tied together,” says Stemmler. “Even though they don’t necessarily look like it, at the root, they really, really are.” n

Doom Scroll will be open Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. until July 20. Stemmler will deliver an artist’s talk at 1 p.m. on June 17. For more information, visit kranzbergartsfoundation.org/doomscroll/.

“ How can we trust the world around us when we’ve been sold lies upon lies upon lies?”

MUSIC 37

[INDIE ROCK]

Sleepy Kitty Roars Back

After lead singer Paige Brubeck suffered a vocal polyp, the band wondered if it would ever be the same

Written by JESSICA ROGEN

Inspiration comes from strange places for Paige Brubeck and Evan Sult of Sleepy Kitty. Take, for example, “Alceste in Silverlake,” which might be Brubeck’s favorite track from the indie rock duo’s forthcoming album Blessing/Curse, due out June 23. Bright and poppy with a slow rock build reminiscent of Cake with a touch of Alvvays, the song came from a Craigslist posting that a friend sent of a very demanding LA drummer seeking bandmates. Sult (drums) and Brubeck (vocals/guitar) had just seen a movie about putting on the Molière play The Misanthrope, and then the play itself.

The pickiness of Alceste, the title character from The Misanthrope, and that LA drummer just jibed.

“It was that serendipitous thing where two separate obsessions became one,” Brubeck says, later calling the song Sleepy Kitty’s sortof “Bohemian Rhapsody.” “It was this kind of very niche moment. Sometimes, I would love to write more universally relatable lyrics. … But that’s just how it goes.”

Though the lyrics on some of Blessing/Curse can be niche and a bit unconventional, that’s definitely part of the album’s charms. But that’s not to say that it’s an unrelatable listen. Take, for example, the no-fucks-given, talky, snarly “I Got a Feelin’,” which Brubeck says is her ode to professional frustration and disappointment. What could be more relatable than that? Also, there’s the band’s sound, which is reminiscent of all your favorite indie rock/pop but somehow entirely fresh.

Then there’s the album’s backstory, which is marked by crazy highs and then a scary series of delays that at times had Brubeck and Sult wondering if Sleepy Kitty would ever be the same.

“This album has been done in our spirit for a long time,” Brubeck says. “But it’s finally coming out.”

To understand the story, you have to know Sleepy Kitty. Sult hails from Bellingham, Washington, where he and his band Harvey Danger produced the 1998 hit single “Flagpole Sitta” (Listen: You’ll know it). Some point later, post band split, Sult found his way to Chicago, where he met Brubeck, a Millstadt, Illinois, native who was studying art. (And, full disclosure, since 2018, he’s been the art director for the RFT.)

They started dating and formed the band, moving to St. Louis in late 2008 in an empty former brewery on Cherokee Street, where they set up a screen-print shop and settled in to make music and art. They quickly established their place in the local scene and put out a first album, Infinity City, in 2011, then another, Projection

Room, in 2014, then two EPs.

Then came 2016, when the two found themselves touring heavily and playing live in town frequently, at least once a month. They also dived into writing songs and recording what would become Blessing/Curse, drawing endless inspiration from the agonies of the 2016 presidential campaign.

“That was when I started having trouble with my voice,” Brubeck says. After shows, her voice would go hoarse, and she’d need increasing time to recover. “I knew something was wrong, and eventually I found out that I had a vocal polyp. It sucked, and it was very, very frustrating and really slowed me down.”

Brubeck had surgery to remove the polyp in the beginning of 2018. Afterward, she was on complete voice rest for a week and then gradually brought back talking and eventually singing over a period of months spent working with a speech pathologist and vocal coach.

Recovering from the surgery, Brubeck says she sensed that her range would come back. But it

was still a fraught time filled with fears for the future.

“I often would ask Evan, ‘Am I ever going to have my voice back ever again?’ And he would say, ‘Yes, you will,’” Brubeck says.

“That was one of my principal jobs for a while,” Sult adds.

Turns out Sult was right: Sleepy Kitty played its first post-surgery show in late 2018. The band jumped back into playing and recording but not back to the same old. After a decade in St. Louis, Sult and Brubeck moved to Brooklyn, New York, in early 2019 — just a few months ahead of everything shutting down due to the pandemic.

“The pandemic was a gigantic problem and a gigantic opportunity in our case,” Sult says, noting how they used the isolation to focus on completing the album and narrowing down their songs to the final cut.

Finally, the duo was ready to put out the album sometime last year, only to be stymied yet again by a year-long delay in getting the vinyl pressed. That all speaks to the logic behind titling the album Blessing/Curse, which is also the name of the first track (and contains what Sult says is maybe his favorite-ever drum part).

“You can look at the same events as a blessing or a curse,” Sult says.

“It just seemed like there was no other title for it besides Blessing/ Curse,” Brubeck agrees.

The album is a slight departure from Sleepy Kitty’s previous releases, which have all been designed to be played live with just two musicians. But Brubeck and Sult decided to let that restriction go this time, recording with Philadelphia-based bassist Benjamin Schurr. The duo has lately been performing with NYC-based bassist (and songwriter in her own right) Sarah Moskowitz.

That tour is still in the works, but Sleepy Kitty is sure that there will be a St. Louis stop.

“The point is to get to St. Louis,” Sult says. “It’s the city that this album belongs to.” n

Blessing/Curse is out on streaming services June 23 from Nordic Records. The CD and vinyl are available for preorder now. Check sleepykittymusic.com or Sleepy Kitty’s social media channels for details on the upcoming tour.

Sleepy Kitty’s Blessing/Curse is an album seven years in the making. | JEN MELLER

Rushmore Meets Roswell

In Asteroid City, Wes Anderson stages an alien invasion as only Wes Anderson can

Written by CLIFF FROEHLICH

Asteroid City

tropes. Although Asteroid City sometimes comes perilously close to the Rube Goldbergian joke constructions of Steven Spielberg’s 1941 — with setups so baroquely complex that the payoff laughs are more theoretical than actual — it never tips over into self-indulgence. Like Anderson’s best work, the film adroitly balances comedy and melancholy, absurdity and profundity, and what might initially appear a feather-light, pastel-hued dessert confection instead proves an intellectually and emotionally rich multi-course meal.

teroid City — in widescreen and color — and subsequently toggles between the theatrical production and the television show. The program’s host (Bryan Cranston) periodically offers explication and provides both re-creations and documentary footage — which, significantly, are never clearly distinguished — of key moments in the play’s evolution.

PRODUCTIONS/FOCUS FEATURES

and their parents (Liev Schrieber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park); Montana (Rupert Friend) and his stranded cowboy band; a teacher (Maya Hawke) and a busload of her eight-year-old students; and, belatedly, Augie’s crusty fatherin-law (Tom Hanks).

Insistently eccentric, involuted and reflexive, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City will likely only reinforce his detractors’ animus toward the filmmaker’s elaborate but undeniably insular world-building, but admirers — and I’m among them — will delight in the dizzying variations he works on signature themes and

In most of his previous films, Anderson used a variety of devices — narrators, chapter breaks, curtains, faux books — to foreground the constructed nature of his stories. That conceit seemed to reach its apotheosis in The Grand Budapest Hotel, with its Russiannesting-dolls structure and mutating aspect ratios, but Asteroid City actually one-ups that predecessor in the deployment of Brechtian distancing effects. Beginning as a mid-1950s TV show — in periodappropriate black-and-white and 4:3 Academy ratio — the film purports to offer a behind-thescenes peek at the development of a Broadway play, also named Asteroid City, by writer Conrad Earp (Edward Norton). The film then transitions to a staging of As-

The play is set in the titular Asteroid City, a tiny burg in the Southwest that owes its modest existence to the ancient crater formed by the impact of the Arid Plains meteorite. The town, whose tight cluster of buildings includes an observatory presided over by Dr. Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton), hosts the annual Junior Stargazer Convention and Asteroid Day to celebrate the scientific achievements of several gifted teens. Among those arriving for the 1955 festivities are recently widowed war photographer Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) and his children, “brainiac” son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) and three young but extremely willful daughters. Also filling up the lone motel’s cabins are movie star Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson) and her precocious daughter, Dinah (Grace Edwards), who will both become romantically entangled with the Steenbeck père et fils; three other prodigies

The gathering of this diverse tribe, already enlivened by Midge’s glamorous presence, becomes even more eventful when a spacecraft suddenly appears during a group viewing of “astronomical ellipses” (yes, that would be three illuminated dots in the heavens, with Anderson shamelessly putting the “pun” in punctuation). As the stunned crowd gapes, a lanky stop-motion alien descends from the ship, plucks the meteorite from its resting place and unexpectedly spirits it into the sky. General Griff Gibson (Jeffrey Wright), conveniently on hand for the scientific proceedings, immediately places the town under quarantine and imposes an information blackout. But the military can’t thwart the teens’ collective ingenuity, and when they manage to leak word of the alien visitation to the world, Asteroid City soon becomes overrun with throngs of curiosity seekers.

If this summary seems unduly windy, be assured that it barely hints at the story’s many convolutions (or, for that matter, the jaw-

Directed by Wes Anderson. Written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola. Starring Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Maya Hawke, Scarlett Johansson, Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Jason Schwartzman, Liev Schreiber, Tilda Swinton and Jeffrey Wright. Opens June 23.

Jake Ryan (far left) is Woodrow, the “brainiac” son of Wes Anderson muse Jason Schwartzman (center), with Tom Hanks (right) playing Woodrow’s grandfather. | COURTESY OF POP. 87

dropping enormousness of the film’s starry cast, which also includes Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Adrien Brody, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau and Jeff Goldblum). But plot, despite its superabundance here, isn’t really Anderson’s focus: Asteroid City is far more a witty meditation on theater and acting than a comic riff on Cold War paranoia, government secrecy and coercion, or the military-industrial complex’s cooptation of scientific discovery (though it deals in all of those, too). Anderson’s interest in the stage has figured tangentially in much of his work — see Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom — but Asteroid City positions mid-20th-century American theater front and center (as in one of his symmetrical compositions). Anderson certain-

ly pokes some gentle fun at that era’s innovative figures, whether writers, directors or Method acting teachers, but the jokes in no way diminish his obvious affection and admiration.

The film is especially insightful on the acting process and its probing search for signs and meaning (an impulse it shares with the play’s scientists). In the first meeting between Earp and his play’s eventual lead, for example, actor Jones Hall (Schwartzman again) expresses confusion over what motivates Augie to impulsively burn his hand on a hot griddle. Because we haven’t yet seen that action, the question doesn’t fully register, but after the scene appears in the play, Asteroid City returns to explore it in the TV show, when a distressed Hall leaves the stage in the middle of a performance to confront his director about whether he’s properly capturing the character: He’s still striving to grasp the significance of that self-mutilating gesture.

As impressive as Schwartzman is in his dual roles, Johansson merits particular praise in this regard: Not only is she also creating two distinct characters, but because she’s essaying the role of a movie star in the play, there’s yet another layer of artifice that requires peeling, and the remarkable scene in which she rehearses a bathtub suicide for a future film is a head-spinning astonishment.

In fact, “head-spinning astonishment” can just as appropriately serve as a description of Asteroid City — a film of ceaseless invention, visual splendor and wry, often rueful amusement. n

Scarlett Johansson is remarkable as movie star Midge Campbell. | COURTESY OF POP. 87 PRODUCTIONS/FOCUS FEATURES

Plot isn’t really Anderson’s focus: Asteroid City is far more a witty meditation on theater and acting than a comic riff on Cold War paranoia, government secrecy and coercion.

STAGE 41

Rhythms and Romance

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s Twelfth Night delights with a lively romantic comedy

Written by TINA FARMER

Twelfth Night

Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park once again bursts to life, with audiences gathering over picnic baskets and enjoying a free, professional production by the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. A summer staple since the early 2000s, this year’s play, Twelfth Night, gets a vibrant, contemporary interpretation under the direction of Lisa Portes that ripples with life as bold style and infectious music accompany the Bard’s delightful romantic comedy.

Twins Viola and Sebastian are separated from each other when the ship they are traveling in is torn apart in a violent storm. Washing up on different shores, each believes the other has perished at sea. Viola is fortunate to reach Illyria. A kind officer patrolling the shore is initially suspicious, then agrees to help the young woman, who disguises herself as a man so she can more easily blend in. Taking on the name Cesario, Viola secures a position in Duke Orsino’s court and quickly earns his favor.

The duke, smitten with the wealthy, beautiful Olivia, who has thus far rejected him, enlists Cesario to woo her with praises and presents. Olivia takes a fancy to Cesario. Cesario (or, rather, Viola) is head-over-heels for Orsino. Olivia’s cousin Dame Tobey and her rowdy friends Sir Andrew Aguecheek and

Fabian scheme their own mischief, including encouraging Aguecheek to continue his pursuit of Olivia and pranking the stern Malvolio. All the while, Feste sings, vogues, riddles and keeps the story moving toward its romantically satisfying conclusion.

Director Portes sets this evertwisting story among a wealthy thriving club culture. Jasmine Cheri Rush is the undisputed queen of the club as Olivia. She

moves, poses and commands with more than a passing allusion to Beyonce, and everyone wants to be in her circle. Felipe Carrasco’s Orsino is wealthy, handsome and accustomed to getting what he wants, so he initially takes Olivia’s rejection as more challenge than dismissal. Carrasco is graceful and athletic even in awkward encounters with Cesario that leave him visibly confused. Ricki Franklin, Cassidy Flynn and Adam Flores

are a mix of frat boy and the three stooges as Tobey, Aguecheek and Fabian. Esteban Andres Cruz, as Feste, acts as emcee and host, interjecting the show with song, dance and Latin and Afro-Caribbean music that propels the story and captures the audience. Gabriela Saker is captivating as Viola and Cesario. An outsider seeking acceptance, she perfectly expresses a plethora of emotions and expertly dodges questions that might reveal her true identity and feelings. Avi Roque is fiery and sympathetic as her twin Sebastian, and his bond with Adam Poss’ Antonio is palpable and endearing.

The setting, music and Portes’ approach to Twelfth Night coalesce in a lively, engaging show that delivers a delightfully convoluted love story, abundant laughs and a few subtle but impactful observations about immigrants, accepting people for who they are and embracing love — and a good dance party — wherever you find it. The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival is free to all, family friendly and filled with physical comedy, music and a sense of fun and adventure that easily conveys the plot and humor. n

Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Lisa Portes. Music by Clave Sol. Presented by the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival through June 25 at the Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday at 8 p.m., and admission is free except for a limited number of reserved seats for $20 to $250.

Twelfth Night follows twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a storm. | PHILLIP HAMER

OUT EVERY NIGHT

Each week, we bring you our picks for the best concerts of the next seven days! To submit your show for consideration, visit https://bit.ly/3bgnwXZ. All events are subject to change, especially in the age of COVID-19, so do check with the venue for the most up-to-date information before you head out for the night. Happy showgoing!

THURSDAY 22

AHLEUCHATISTAS: w/ JD Pinkus, The Conformists

7 p.m., $20. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

AL STEWART & THE EMPTY POCKETS: 8 p.m., $45. City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158, St. Louis, 314-678-5060.

ALI BRILEY: 7 p.m., free. Tim’s Chrome Bar, 4736 Gravois, St. Louis, 314-353-8138.

THE BALLROOM THIEVES: 7 p.m., $15-$20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

BROTHER JEFFERSON: 7 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

CHARLIE PUTH: 7:30 p.m., $35-$99.50. St. Louis Music Park, 750 Casino Center Dr., Maryland Heights, 314-451-2244.

CHILD OF NIGHT: w/ New Obsessions, Aura 7:30

p.m., $10-$12. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

THE HAMILTON BAND: 9 p.m., $9. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

HUNTER: 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

HUNTER PEEBLES: 5 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521.

NATALIE MERCHANT: 7:30 p.m., $70-$135. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.

THE WHIPS: 8 p.m., $15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

FRIDAY 23

AMANDA FISH: 8 p.m., $14.50-$18. Central Stage, 3524 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, 314-533-0367.

AS THE CROW FLIES: 7:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090.

CHERRY AND JERRY: 6 p.m., free. Alpha Brewing Company, 4310 Fyler Ave., St. Louis, 314-621-2337.

DJ LANDY DANDY: 9 p.m., free. Tim’s Chrome Bar, 4736 Gravois, St. Louis, 314-353-8138.

ELF POWER: w/ Pealds 8 p.m., $18. City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158, St. Louis, 314-678-5060.

FALL OUT BOY: 6:30 p.m., $39.50-$129.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

GARDENSNAKES: w/ Boreal Hills, Janatrix 8 p.m., $10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

GREY DAY TOUR 2023: w/ $uicideboy$, Ghostemane 6:30 p.m., $46.95-$146.95. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

JIMMY GRIFFIN AND THE INCURABLES: 8 p.m.,

$20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

MARTY ABDULLAH & THE EXPRESSIONS: 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

MISSISSIPPI CLEAN: 5 p.m., $10. The Attic Music Bar, 4247 South Kingshighway Blvd., 2nd Floor, St. Louis, 314-376-5313.

OMEGA JONES & SAM REVILLA: 7:30 p.m., $20. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.

RAHEEM DEVAUGHN: 9:30 p.m., $49.50-$99.50. The Hawthorn, 2225 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

SLANDER: 10 p.m., $40-$1,000. RYSE Nightclub, One Ameristar Blvd, St. Charles.

TRACER: w/ Joe Mancuso, Tim Byrne 7:30 p.m.,

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Outlaw Music Festival

4 p.m. Sunday, June 25. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights. $24 to $249.50. 314298-9944.

As unpleasant as it is to acknowledge, Willie Nelson is not going to be with us forever. It’s hard to fathom, being that the Texas troubadour has been making music for an astonishing 67 years, but at 90 years old it’s nothing but realism to acknowledge that the man is no spring chicken. Of course, you wouldn’t know that from his live shows, which see ol’ Shotgun Willie masterfully delivering hit after hit from his massive back catalog to the adulation of devoted fans at reliably sold-out events. It’d be most prudent, then, to get yourself, er, on the road again and head to the Outlaw Music Festival in Maryland Heights

$25. Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 E. Monroe Ave., St. Louis, 314-707-1134.

TYLER HUBBARD: 8 p.m., $62. Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave, St. Louis, 314-345-9481.

SATURDAY 24

ALL ROOSTERED UP: noon, free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

AMERICAN AQUARIUM: 7 p.m., $25-$100. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

DJ ORTEGA: 8 p.m., free. Tim’s Chrome Bar, 4736 Gravois, St. Louis, 314-353-8138.

FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS: 8 p.m., $44. Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave, St. Louis, 314-345-9481.

THE GOLDENRODS: 7:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090.

HOLDING GROUND: w/ Intrusive Minds, Third Depth, Rustbelt 8 p.m., $12. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

JAKE’S LEG: 9:30 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

JOHN MCVEY BAND: 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

MARIEANN MERINGOLO: 7:30 p.m., $25. Blue

this Sunday. An annual touring affair that launched in 2016, the fest sees Nelson teaming up with a rotating cast of the innumerable artists who have played alongside and been influenced by the Redheaded Stranger over the years, with this year’s tour serving as a celebration of the nine decades he’s spent roaming this Earth. Though we all have our fingers crossed, it might be unwise to count on a 10th. In other words, don’t miss the opportunity to see a legend in the flesh — while there’s still time.

A Little Help from His Friends: The St. Louis stop of the Outlaw Music Festival will feature performances by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Trampled By Turtles, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Particle Kid and, of course, the man himself. Arrive early and soak it all in.

—Daniel Hill

Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.

MAUL: w/ Terminal Nation, Animated Dead, Bloodspawn 8 p.m., $12-$15. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

PROTOMARTYR: 8 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

RACHEL DESCHAINE: 5 p.m., $10. The Attic Music Bar, 4247 South Kingshighway Blvd., 2nd Floor, St. Louis, 314-376-5313.

RICH MCDONOUGH & THE RHYTHM RENEGADES: 2 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

SECRET CAJUN BAND: 8 p.m., $15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

THE SOULARD BLUES BAND: 7:30 p.m., $25. Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 E. Monroe Ave., St. Louis, 314-707-1134.

TIMOTHY FLETCHER: 7:30 p.m., free. Staenberg Family Complex, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, 314-432-5700.

THE TROPHY MULES: 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521.

YOUNG THE GIANT: w/ Milky Chance 7:30 p.m., $21.50-$71.50. St. Louis Music Park, 750 Casino

Center Dr., Maryland Heights, 314-451-2244.

SUNDAY 25

BROTHER JEFFERSON: 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

BUTCH MOORE: 2 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS: 7:45 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

DREW LANCE: 9 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

ERIK BROOKS: 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

MISTER BLACKCAT: 10 a.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521.

OUTLAW MUSIC FESTIVAL: w/ Willie Nelson, Robert Plant & Alison Kraus, Trampled By Turtles 4 p.m., $35-$249.50. Hollywood Casino

Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

RHETT MILLER: 7 p.m., $35. City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158, St. Louis, 314-678-5060.

SKATING POLLY: w/ Bugsy, Jacklenro 8 p.m., $15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

THE STRUTS: 8 p.m., $28.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

MONDAY 26

CHERI EVANS: 6 p.m., free. Heman Park, 1028 Midland Blvd, University City.

ERIC MCSPADDEN & MARGARET BIENCHETTA: 9 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

HEART ATTACK MAN: 8 p.m., $19. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

MONDAY NIGHT REVIEW: w/ Tim, Danny and Randy 7 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

SOULARD BLUES BAND: 9 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

TUESDAY 27

ANDREW DUHON: 7:30 p.m., $20. City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158, St. Louis, 314-678-5060.

BABYTRON: w/ Certified Trapper 7 p.m., $27.50$49.50. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

ETHAN JONES: 9 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

ILLENIUM: 7:30 p.m., $55-$69.50. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.

KELLY HOWE AND CURT LANDES: 7 p.m., $20. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.

MIKE GORDON: 8 p.m., $30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

NAKED MIKE: 7 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

NATALIE MERCHANT: 7:30 p.m., $60-$199. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.

SUPERSUCKERS: w/ the Delta Bombers 8 p.m., $20-$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

UNIVERSITY CITY SUMMER BAND: w/ Saint Boogie Brass Band 7 p.m., free. Heman Park, 1028 Midland Blvd, University City.

WEDNESDAY 28

BEN FOLDS: 8 p.m., $37.50-$123. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.

BLACK MIDI: 8 p.m., $26. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

DREW LANCE: 4:30 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

ERYKAH BADU & YASIIN BEY: 7:30 p.m., $39.95$129.95. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

GOLLIDAY: 7:30 p.m., $20-$25. City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158, St. Louis, 314-678-5060.

Willie Nelson. | VIA FLICKR/ROBERTA

Erykah Badu and Yasiin Bey

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 28. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Avenue. $39.95 to $129.95. 314-241-1888.

Erykah Badu apparently can’t get enough of St. Louis. That’s the conclusion one is forced to draw anyway, given the fact the R&B legend is making her second stop in town this week in less than a year. Luckily, St. Louis can’t get enough of Erykah Badu, either. Her performance at Music at the Intersection in September was easily one of the fest’s best, a standout among standouts that saw the Queen of Neo-Soul delivering a top-notch set full of her biggest hits — “On & On,” “Tyrone,”

HOT SUMMER NIGHTS: w/ TLC, Shaggy, En Vogue, Sean Kingston 7 p.m., $25-$125. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

JOHN MCVEY BAND: 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

MARGARET & FRIENDS: 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

SHINYRIBS: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

VOODOO JIMMY BUFFETT: 9 p.m., $14. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

THIS JUST IN

THE 1975: Mon., Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., $39-$99. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

ADAM PASCAL: Thu., June 29, 7:30 p.m., $30-$40. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.

ALESANA: W/ Limbs, Vampires Everywhere, Across the White Water Tower, Sat., July 1, 7:30 p.m., $25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

“Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” and more — alongside some deeper cuts, including an acapella jam so obscure that setlist.fm still has it listed only as “Unknown.” This outing, dubbed the Unfollow Me Tour, will see Badu pulling from her deep bag of tricks once more, and delivering her entrancing vocals to a captivated crowd as only a singer of her unmatched caliber can.

way, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

BROKEN JUKEBOX: Sun., July 2, 9 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE: Thu., Oct. 5, 8 p.m., $35$50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

CELEBRATING BILLY JOEL: Fri., Nov. 3, 8 p.m., $39.50-$49.50. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.

CHARLIE MARTIN: W/ Fishplate, Sat., July 1, 8 p.m., $12-$15. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

CLAIRE ROSINKRANZ: Wed., Aug. 9, 8 p.m., $22. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161.

COLD WATER CREEK: Thu., June 29, 7 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314773-5565.

COLT BALL & FRIENDS: Thu., June 29, 9 p.m., $9. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

DEXTER AND THE MOONROCKS: Sat., July 1, 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Golden Record, 2720 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, N/A.

DOOBIE: Sat., Oct. 21, 8 p.m., $25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

DREW SHEAFOR AND FRIENDS: Sat., July 1, 8:30 p.m., free. Tim’s Chrome Bar, 4736 Gravois, St. Louis, 314-353-8138.

EL MONSTERO: W/ Don Felder, Sat., July 8, 7 p.m., $25-$284. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

ELECTRIC SKY: Tue., July 4, 7 p.m., $50. City Museum, 750 N. 16th St., St. Louis, 314-231-2489.

EMO NITE: Sat., Sept. 2, 10 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

ENTER SHIKARI: Fri., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., $25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161.

ERIC ROBERSON: Fri., June 30, 8 p.m., TBA. City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158, St. Louis, 314-678-5060.

Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.

LIL DARKIE AND THE COLLAPSE OF MODERN SOCIETY: Tue., Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m., $49.50. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

MARGARET & FRIENDS: Wed., July 5, 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

MATT WALTERSCHEID: Sat., July 1, 7 p.m., free. Friendship Brewing Company, 100 E Pitman Ave, Wentzville, 636-856-9300.

THE MERCS!! RECORD RELEASE: W/ Petty Grievances, Squircle the Destroyer, Pirate Signal, Sat., July 1, 8 p.m., $12. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

MOM’S KITCHEN: Fri., June 30, 10 p.m., $14. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

MONDAY NIGHT REVIEW: W/ Tim, Danny and Randy, Mon., July 3, 7 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

MORBID MINDZ REUNION: Fri., Aug. 18, 7 p.m., $10. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

NAKED MIKE: Tue., July 4, 7 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

NATALIE HUGGINS: W/ Middle Class Fashion, Sisser, Fri., June 30, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

NATE’S MUDPIE HOOTENANNY: Sat., July 1, 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

NICK GUSMAN: Thu., June 29, 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-7735565.

NO ALTERNATIVE: Sat., July 15, 9 p.m., $5. Sky Music Lounge, 930 Kehrs Mill Road, Ballwin, 636-527-6909.

ONE WAY TRAFFIC: Wed., July 5, 6 p.m., free. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, 314-577-9400.

OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS: Sun., Sept. 10, 7 p.m., $39.50-$89.50. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.

Mr. Fat Booty: Joining Badu on this tour will be the man born Dante Terrell Smith, who now goes by the name Yasiin Bey. If neither of those names ring any bells, maybe try this one: the legendary hip-hop icon Mos Def. Don’t even think of missing his set.

ERIK BROOKS: Sun., July 2, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-7735565.

ETHAN LEINWAND: Tue., July 4, 7 p.m., free. Yaqui’s on Cherokee, 2728 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-400-7712.

THE GORGE RECORD RELEASE: Fri., Aug. 4, 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

—Daniel Hill

ANDY COCO & CO.: Fri., June 30, 4:30 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

ANDY COCO & DOGTOWN PRESENTS: Sat., July 1, 3 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

ANDY COCO’S NOLA FUNK AND RHYTHM & BLUES

REVIEW: Fri., June 30, 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222.

ASKING ALEXANDRIA & THE HU: Mon., Sept. 25, 6:30 p.m., $44.50-$69.50. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.

BAILEY ZIMMERMAN: Thu., Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m., $39.75-$149.75. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

BIG GEORGE JR. NGK BAND: Fri., June 30, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

BIG SANDY & HIS FLY-RITE BOYS: Fri., Sept. 29, 8 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

BRANDY CLARK: Tue., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., $25-$45. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161.

BRENT COBB: Fri., Oct. 20, 8 p.m., $20. Off Broad-

HALF ALIVE: Mon., Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., $32.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

HEILUNG: Wed., Nov. 1, 8 p.m., $50.50-$90.50. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.

HOME FREE: Thu., Dec. 14, 8 p.m., $25-$65. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.

JEREMIAH JOHNSON BAND: Sat., July 1, 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

JOANNA SERENKO: Thu., June 29, 7 p.m., free. Tim’s Chrome Bar, 4736 Gravois, St. Louis, 314-353-8138.

JOHN MCVEY BAND: Sun., July 2, 3 p.m., free. Wed., July 5, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

JOHN R. MILLER: Wed., Sept. 27, 8 p.m., $18. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-4986989.

JULY FEST: W/ DJ Rico Steez, Sat., July 1, 10 a.m., TBA. City Museum, 750 N. 16th St., St. Louis, 314-231-2489.

JUSTIN MOORE: Sat., Aug. 19, 7 p.m., $50. Cedar Lake Cellars, 11008 Schreckengast Road, Wright City, 636-745-9500.

LES CLAYPOOL’S FROG BRIGADE: Tue., Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m., $44.50-$74.50. The Factory, 17105 N

PAPADOSIO: W/ Resonant Language, Acid Katz, Fri., July 28, 7:30 p.m., $20-$40. The Hawthorn, 2225 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

PAUL BONN AND THE BLUESMEN: Sat., July 1, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

PHILLIP PHILLIPS: Fri., Oct. 13, 8 p.m., $25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161.

THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND: Fri., Nov. 24, 8 p.m., $20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314727-4444.

THE ROCKET SUMMER: W/ The Juliana Theory, Mon., July 3, 8 p.m., $22. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

RODNEY CROWELL: Fri., Oct. 6, 8 p.m., $35-$75. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

SOULS OF MISCHIEF: Wed., July 5, 8 p.m., $28$38. City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158, St. Louis, 314-678-5060.

STATIC-X AND SEVENDUST: Sun., Oct. 22, 6:15 p.m., $39.50-$49.50. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.

TAYLOR FEST: Fri., Sept. 29, 9 p.m., $20. The Hawthorn, 2225 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

TEMPLE OF ANGELS: Thu., Aug. 10, 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314498-6989.

TENNIS: Tue., Oct. 17, 8 p.m., $32. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

TOMMY HALLORAN: Sun., July 2, 10 a.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521.

ZO! AND TALL BLACK GUY: Mon., July 3, 8 p.m., $24-$32. City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158, St. Louis, 314-678-5060. n

Erykah Badu. | VIA TICKETMASTER

SAVAGE LOVE 45

Marriage

BY DAN SAVAGE

Hey Dan: I got married in 2001. Our sex life was mostly fine, but it was always a little weird because I’m the only woman he’d ever been with — not only sexually, but in a relationship at all. I was 23, he was 30. We bought a house, had a couple of kids, etc., and our sex life settled into a great groove for a couple of years after the second kid was born. But in 2017 it hit the skids. He started having ED problems, but when I’d try to talk about it, he’d get angry and defensive. I tried to rewrite the sexual script, but that never worked. Finally in the fall of 2021, I made an appointment for marriage counseling. We were making progress at first, but then I realized that all he wanted to do was bitch about his job and his in-laws. He never came to me to initiate sex or conversations about sex, I had to do all the emotional labor around the issue, and it was like trying to clap with one hand.

I felt like I was watching a slow-motion train wreck with echoes of your column in the back of my mind. All the things: increasing emotional distance, my own lack of desire because I feel like I’d just get shot down again, my deteriorating sense of self-worth. In the end, the thing that was the most painful wasn’t the lack of sex, it was our total inability to talk about the lack of sex. He refused to discuss it. Or he’d say he wanted sex but then do nothing about it or, even worse, sabotage my efforts. In one of our last sessions, our marriage counselor pushed him on the medications for ED. He said he would make an appointment but never did.

The lack of sex was like a cancer that metastasized and rotted out the core of my marriage. On the outside everything was great: We got along, we worked well together and we were excellent coparents. But inside I was dying. I couldn’t cheat. I’m too introverted for that. So the rejections and hits to my self-esteem kept coming. My mental health deteriorated, but I couldn’t talk to him about that either.

Anyway, I ended it in February of this year. I now live with my mom about two miles down the road. And now we get along like good friends. We continue to co-parent well, we work together, all that. Once I removed “marriage expectations” from the relationship, turns out he’s great! A really good and helpful friend! I now suspect he wanted out but couldn’t

do the “end it” bit, so I had to be the bad guy. I’m spending a lot of time in therapy, but it’s still hard. I mean, it’s way better now because I don’t want to “un-alive” myself anymore (as the kids say these days), but I still have a lot of grief.

I’ve been reading your column since I was a teenager. I wanted to let you know that all the stuff you’ve said about a situation where in a monogamous marriage one partner stops wanting to have sex is 100 percent true. It was so strange to know in the back of my head exactly what was happening to me and my marriage but also not to feel like I could do anything about it. I suspect you hear this type of thing on the regular.

Tried Everything And Regret Staying

This is going to sound random, TEARS, but bear with me: There’s this meme that flies around Instagram and Twitter whenever a man does something stupid — it’s in constant circulation — that you’ve probably seen: “Men will literally [X] instead of going to therapy.”

Well, a tortured and not very funny version of that meme kept popping into my head while I was reading your very long letter: “Straight people will literally do anything to save their marriages — including going to therapy — but not fuck other people.”

I don’t blame you for leaving your husband, TEARS, and if anyone is to blame for the collapse of your marriage, it’s him. Constant sexual rejection can lay waste to a person’s self-esteem, particularly when we’re rejected by someone with whom we once enjoyed a strong sexual connection. Being left to wonder what the fuck is wrong — particularly when your spouse refuses to talk about it or do something that seems as easy and obvious as getting ED meds — can leave a person feeling terrible about their normal and healthy sexual desires even years after a sexless relationship ends. Your husband owed you an explanation, at the very least, and he couldn’t even give you that.

But a crazy thing happened once you left him: Once you accepted that you couldn’t make the sex work and stopped trying — which you only did after you tried almost everything (spicing things up, taking the initiative, finding a couples’ counselor) — suddenly everything that worked about your marriage came into focus. You started to get along again. You realized you still enjoyed his company. You could appreciate parenting with him. Once you removed your “marriage expectations” from the equation, once you dropped your sexual expectations, you could suddenly see — using your words here — that the man you married was still

pretty great.

Don’t get me wrong, TEARS: Your sexual expectations were perfectly reasonable. But we expect a lot from marriageas-an-institution these days — perhaps too much.

“Never before have our expectations of marriage taken on such epic proportions,” writes psychotherapist and bestselling author Esther Perel. “We still want everything the traditional family was meant to provide — security, respectability, property and children — but now we also want our partner to love us, to desire us, to be interested in us. We should be best friends and trusted confidants, and passionate lovers to boot.”

When our marriages fail to live up to every last one of our expectations — and no marriage lives up to every expectation — what do we then? It’s a question all married people face at some point. When our marriages fall short, when the person we married fails to meet or ceases to meet an important need, we have two options: We can adjust our expectations and make accommodations and allowances accordingly, TEARS, or we can end our marriages.

This is a long way of me saying … I think there was an accommodation you could’ve asked of your husband. You say you’ve been reading me for a long time, TEARS, so I’m a little disappointed that it didn’t occur to at least try adjusting your “marriage expectations” before you left. I’m not talking about cheating — you say you’re too introverted for cheating — but getting permission from your husband to get sex elsewhere. Since everything else was working (you get along, enjoy each other’s company, you parent well together), maybe the one thing you ruled out fucking other people — was the thing that could’ve saved your marriage.

You’re not the first person I’ve heard from over the last 30 years (you’re not the first person I’ve heard from this week) with the same story: a sexless marriage, conflict, misery and counseling, and then someone walks out — usually the one who misses sex — and then everything that was good about the relationship, all the reasons you might want to stay in the marriage, come into focus. Once the conflict over sex is removed, the relationship flourishes again.

Now, sexual incompatibility is a perfectly legitimate reason to end a sexual relationship, TEARS. Monogamy is important to many people, and some people would rather start over trying to find someone new — not easy for an introvert — than give ethical non-monogamy a chance. But more people might be inclined to give ethical non-monogamy a chance, and more marriages might

be saved, if couples’ counselors, sex therapists and sex-advice columnists didn’t insist that sexless marriages are a problem that can always be solved. Date nights, scheduled sex, pot edibles and wine are great but they’re not going to turn someone who still loves you but doesn’t wanna fuck you into someone who loves you and does wanna fuck you.

(I recently saw a post by a sex therapist on Instagram extolling the benefits of scheduled sex — anticipation fuels desire! — but scheduling sex with someone who doesn’t wanna fuck you isn’t gonna fill that person with desire. It’s not anticipation they’re going to feel; it’s dread dreading the sex they don’t want to have, and dreading the disappointment and hurt they’re going to inflict.)

There may have been too much damage done to save your marriage — too much rejection over too many years, too few answers, too little effort — but many more marriages become more-or-less companionate over time than anyone seems willing to acknowledge. (Well, anyone other than Amy Schumer in her new standup special on Netflix.) If we expected sexlessness in our marriages eventually and set our marital expectations accordingly, TEARS, those of us who are still fucking our spouses 20 years in would be pleasantly surprised and those of us who hadn’t fucked our spouses in years might feel less betrayed and devastated. And if we could wrap our heads around the kinds of accommodations that could make a sexless marriage less unbearable — some license, some leeway, some safe and discreet outlets — more good, loving and decent marriages like yours might survive.

Hey Dan: When I was seven years old, I was molested by a neighbor, who apparently was a serial pedophile. Years later, another of his victims killed him and is now doing 20 years for manslaughter. I reached out to him in prison, and we’ve been corresponding for several months. Even though I don’t approve of murder, I understand why he did what he did, and part of me is glad he did it. I feel a sense of kinship with him because of our shared history. There is zero chance of a romantic relationship between us. He’s not my type. We’re just pen pals.

My issue is this: In almost every communication he asks for money. I put some money on his canteen account ...

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