Riverfront Times, November 30, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Chris Keating

Editor in Chief Rosalind Early

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Jessica Rogen

Editor at Large Daniel Hill

Digital Content Editor Jaime Lees

Food Editor Cheryl Baehr

Staff Writers Ryan Krull, Monica Obradovic, Benjamin Simon Theater Critic Tina Farmer

Copy Editor Evie Hemphill

Contributors Sylvester Brown, Thomas K. Chimchards, Joseph Hess, Reuben Hemmer, Andy Paulissen, Mabel Suen, Graham Toker, David Von Nordheim, Theo Welling

Columnists Chris Andoe, Ray Hartmann, Dan Savage

Editorial Interns Kasey Noss, Sarah Lovett

ART & PRODUCTION

Art Director Evan Sult

Creative Director Haimanti Germain

Production Manager Sean Bieri Graphic Designer Aspen Smit

MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING

Associate Publisher Colin Bell Account Manager Jennifer Samuel

Directors of Business Development Tony Burton, Rachel Hoppman, Chelsea Nazaruk

MARKETING

Director of Marketing & Events Christina Kimerle

BUSINESS

Cover photograph of George Lynch from Lynch Mob live at Mississippi Nights on Sept. 1, 1992 by

Regional Operations Director Emily Fear

CIRCULATION

Circulation Manager Kevin G. Powers

EUCLID MEDIA GROUP

Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner

Executive Editor Sarah Fenske

VP of Digital Services Stacy Volhein Audience Development Manager Jenna Jones

VP of Marketing Cassandra Yardeni

Executive Assistant Mackenzie Dean www.euclidmediagroup.com

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FRONT BURNER

FOUR QUESTIONS for Miniaturist Meg Dietrich

Inside the Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis, there are thou sands of tiny worlds. Dollhouses with families. Elegant bedrooms. Train tracks with workers. Pizza, cake, purses and even some St. Louis architecture. There’s also Meg Dietrich, a retired teacher, selfdescribed “miniaturist” and the treasurer for the board of directors, who started volunteering at the south-city museum in 2006 when she moved to St. Louis.

When was the first time that you stepped foot in here?

Well, my daughter … moved to St. Louis with her then-husband, and we came over to visit [from Ohio]. We’re eating at the Bevo Mill street, and we came out and we’re talking and I looked across the street, and it’s like, “There’s a miniature museum here. Oh my goodness.” And they had just opened up [in Bevo Mill] in 2001.

What stood out to you?

It’s a very unusual and unique kind of place. There are all these small things, which I was already interested in. The scope of the museum, even at that time, when they only had the first floor op erating –– there were just all these big cases with excellent doll houses, dolls, furniture and accessories. So I’d shop in the gift shop, and I’d go and I’d look and I’d get ideas [for my own projects]. It was just a wonderful way to spend a day.

What are you working on at home?

I’m collecting right now some supplies because I want to do a 1770s pantry similar to what is described in the Outlander series. I don’t know whether you’re familiar with the show, but the book series is seven books. In the third book, it describes the 1770s preRevolutionary War pantry and the things that are in the pantry. And it’s just like, oh my gosh, I need to do this in miniature. Find some of those old things, the kegs and the bottles.

How would you describe the range of things that you have here at the Miniature Museum?

Previously On

LAST WEEK IN ST. LOUIS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21 A 2:30 a.m. crash had I-44 backed up in the wee hours. Traffic jams before 7? Who’s to say St. Lou is can’t compete with LA and New York?

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 The powers that be finally have a tentative plan for that Stan Kroenke money: The city gets $250 million, the county gets $169 mil lion and the regional sports authority gets $70 million. We remember when the idea of a few hundred mil had us a-tingle with possibility. Now that we find ourselves in the same old shithole after more than $500 million in ARPA funds, pardon us for feeling a bit jaded. Also: A shooting at a Walmart in Virginia left six dead.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Missouri has a new AG. Andrew Bailey was Gov. Parson’s general counsel, and before that, top attorney at the Missouri Department of Corrections. He’s apparently a nice guy, though we can’t help but feel less than en thused about somebody who helped the thin-skinned governor target the Post-Dis patch’s Josh Renaud over a story he didn’t like. (At least we don’t have to worry about Eric Schmitt suing our schools anymore?)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Thanksgiving: Turkey, stuffing and yams! Also: Elon Musk takes on Ferguson protesters in a typi cally clumsy way, and in response, Mayor Tishaura Jones announces that she’s quit

ESCAPE HATCH

ting Twitter … on Twitter. “This is the final straw for me. I’m out. Follow me on Insta gram @tishaura. Y’all can have this bird app. #PeaceOut.” But can she stay away?

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25 The Post-Dispatch says the Mississippi is no longer bone dry. So much for our burgeoning drought tourism industry. Also, Black Friday! Remember when we used to be offended by people lining up outside Walmart at 3 a.m.? In this day of bowling alone and Amazon same-day delivery, doesn’t that kind of lo-fi camaraderie feel charmingly quaint?

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26 Fog came in on big old tiger feet this morning, offering a great excuse to do nothing. Thanks, St. Louis weather. The day marked the wel come home celebration for Bobby Bostic, sentenced to 241 years for armed robbery but got a reprieve after just, gulp, 27 years. Bostic was the poster boy for an effort to give Missouri juveniles slapped with over long sentences a second chance. He’s free; the work continues.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27 The Post-Dispatch reports that Better Together is back — now, Mayor Jones and County Executive Sam Page are in the driver’s seat, not Rex Sinquefield (and Steve Stenger). Dare we dream of UniGov, 146 years post Great Divorce?

We ask three St. Louisans what they’re reading, watching or listening to. In the hot seat this week: three people from a St. Louis-area German speaking club.

NATE BRINSON, Urban Chestnut training coordinator

Reading: War and Peace: FDR’s Final Odyssey: D-Day to Yalta, 19431945, book 3 of the FDR at War series by Nigel Hamilton

“It’s essentially an attempt to write FDR’s memoirs of the Second World War because Churchill got to write his and they were biased. This shows how influential Roosevelt was as a wartime president.”

GWENDOLYN HOOD, change manager at Energizer

Watching: The Empress on Netflix

“It’s the story of a young girl who falls in love with the emperor whom her sister is supposed to marry. It’s German.”

JIM MCELROY, retired insurance salesman

––Benjamin Simon

Oh, it’s vast. I can’t even number how many displays we have, because there are so many. … [People say,] “Tell me how many min iatures there are.” It’s like oh my gosh, I don’t know. Well, we have the Cathedral, which is a local landmark. So that’s a highlight for a lot of people. We also have a smaller replica of the Bevo Mill and the Bevo is right across the street. You’ve got the Bevo, right here, in a smaller size.

Reading: Isherwood: A Life Revealed by Peter Parker “Christopher Isherwood was a British author who lived in Berlin from 1929 to 1933, and he wrote The Berlin Stories, which became Cabaret.”

Meg Dietrich has been with the Miniature Museum since 2006. | BENJAMIN SIMON

WEEKLY WTF?!

Fish Watch

Seen: November 28, 1:46 p.m.

Location: Marconi Avenue and Wilson Avenue, the Hill

What Does This Mean? We called the number on the flier to find out. According to Michelle, who answered the phone, her son Ryan, 7, is eager to return a lost (toy) fish he found outside of Milo’s Tavern: “It’s a big fish toy that a little kid lost,” she explains. “It was right by Milo’s, and it looks just like the picture he drew. He made me [hang the fliers] yesterday. We had to drive around. We put like four up on the Hill. He really wants to find [the owner]. I was hoping they would blow away but I guess they’re still there.”

What to do: Are you missing this fish? Hit up daniel.hill@riverfronttimes.com so we can get this sorted out.

SO ST. LOUIS Community Service

An anonymous story about some thing that could only happen in the Gateway City.

In high school, I got arrested for having a fake ID. By some mir acle, the police didn’t call my parents. My punishment was 25 hours of community service, which I chose to do at my St. Louis suburb’s preeminent — and only — park.

As I picked up litter that first day, I had to hide behind trees when I spotted two ladies who were friends with my mom and, later, stash my yellow trash bag under a park bench when a man who I was sure had once worked with my dad passed by.

I pleaded with the friendly park ranger who was my supervisor to let me clean something, anything, inside. He took me to a large stor age room filled with a mishmash of Barbie dolls, loose CDs, deflated

basketballs. It had all been used for a defunct kids program that he hoped to reactivate. He told me to salvage what I could and toss the rest.

“Don’t rush the job,” he said with a wink.

I spent that week returning Jock Jams discs to their cracked cases, collecting hundreds of loose play ing cards into complete decks and putting pieces from board games I had never heard of back into their proper boxes. I reassembled a shelf and re-glued the torn-off covers of books.

Due to the building’s front door being locked one day, I was only able to work 23 hours.

On Friday, the ranger asked if I felt I’d paid my debt to society.

“I guess I still owe society two hours,” I said.

Send your So St. Louis story to jrogen@ euclidmediagroup.com.

YOU WANT SERIOUS? WE’LL GET SERIOUS... JUST NOT QUITE YET

Keeping Secrets

form for “what?” questions.

HARTMANN

lor, BJC HealthCare, Commerce Bancshares Foundation, Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation, Schnuck Markets Inc., St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis University, Su san B. McCollum, and Washington University.”

vided in form 990 were it a notfor-profit organization (like its counterparts in other regions)?”

New

tax documents from the business elites show the same old rejection of transparency

BY RAY HARTMANN

It’s official.

The first public filings have become available for Greater St. Louis, Inc. and they confirm a persistent theme of the busi ness community. It’s one we’ve tracked in this bureau for almost four decades and it goes like this: “We run this town. We don’t an swer to it.”

GSL’s Form 990 filings — re quired annually by the IRS of notfor-profit organizations — reveal that the organization was reim bursed the tidy sum of $560,713 for managing the affairs of the Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC. Here’s how that relationship was described:

“Arch to Park Equity Fund con tracts for certain administrative services at cost, such as office space and personnel, from Great er St. Louis Inc., and Greater St. Louis bills the fund for the costs of these services.”

That might sound innocuous, but it is not. The size of that line item demonstrates beyond any doubt that GSL regards the man agement of a for-profit real estate company within its not-for-profit structure as a major priority. And as I’ve noted repeatedly in this space, that’s indefensible.

Nowhere else in the nation does a major regional business and civ ic group operate a for-profit real estate business under its not-forprofit roof.

Fortunately for GSL, there’s no line on Form 990 to answer “why?” questions.

Why would a region’s dominant guardian of economic develop ment actively advance the inter ests of one real estate company over hundreds of competitors in the region? Why doesn’t GSL of fer its at-cost expertise to other investment or real estate groups?

There’s also no place on the

What mission-related benefit flows to not-for-profit GSL for expending vast amounts of its employee resources and space — at cost — to an outside for-profit company? Conversely, what bene fit inures to that private company for receiving GSL’s considerable expertise and office space, with no markup?

That brings us to why we are al lowed to know any details about the cozy relationship between GSL and Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC. It turns out that the IRS form 990 has a space to disclose “Trans actions With Interested Persons.”

In this case, the “interested per son” is also an interesting person: Enterprise CEO Andrew Taylor, chairman of GSL and the most re vered — and untouchable — civic leader in St. Louis. According to the filing, Taylor owns “more than 35 percent” of Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC, which reportedly has amassed more than $190 million in resources for capital invest ments.

So this isn’t just any old compa ny that GSL is tightening up with $560,713 worth of employee time and office space with no markup. Why, it’s a company owned by GSL’s chairman.

Placing any number on Taylor’s stake in Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC represents the closest brush with transparency in the LLC’s brief history. It’s not clear wheth er “more than 35 percent” is a term of art in the world of IRS fil ings or just an attempt to be cagey.

For those who question why GSL’s business should be pub lic, answer this: Why is CEO Ja son Hall’s total compensation of $458,669 a matter of public re cord, but the Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC investments, so benefi cial to the region, are not?

Left unanswered are any other details about the operations of the company that occupies so much of GSL’s attention. So I asked GSL spokesman Tony Wyche a simple question: What percentage of Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC is owned by Andy Taylor?

It wasn’t a trick question. It’s just a number. Here’s Wyche’s re sponse:

“As has been previously re ported, the investors in the Arch to Park Equity Fund are Ame ren Corporation, Andrew C. Tay

The lawyers have a phrase for that sort of answer: “Not respon sive.” They also have another one to fit the situation: “adverse inference.”

GSL is a not-for-profit organiza tion that has allocated — in a sin gle year — $560,713 of its scarce employee time and office space to manage its chairman’s com pany – without bringing in a cent to fund the organization. And it refuses to reveal how much of that company Chairman Andrew Taylor owns.

Here’s my adverse inference: There’s some reason Taylor and GSL don’t want the public to know. Doesn’t matter what that is. But if its 36 percent, that says one thing. If it’s 51 percent that’s another. If it’s 90 percent that’s still another.

You’d think Taylor’s nine part ners in Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC would be proud for the pub lic to know their share in a “pa tient capital” fund dedicated to its wholesome purpose. That, we’re told, is making possible proj ects beneficial to our region that wouldn’t happen otherwise.

Ameren, in particular, has a public-facing component to it. True, it’s a private company guar anteed a stout rate of return for doubling as a public utility, but shouldn’t it be happy to share de tails of this socially conscious in vestment?

Ameren and Enterprise are the only investors listed by GSL as having given it $1 million or more. To me that’s not nearly as interest ing as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sitting in the $50,000 to $99,999 group, which tellingly has never moved it to make a disclaimer in its coverage or commentary about GSL.

In fairness to the Post, no other media has expressed much curi osity about the details of the won drous and transformational real estate fund that so dominates the attention of GSL. I asked Wyche about that, too. It went like this:

Q: “Is Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC willing to disclose publicly its investments, contractors and oth er information that would be pro

A: “As previously reported and shared with you, Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC has ~$190M in capital commitments. We regu larly share information about its patient capital investments to strengthen the urban core of St. Louis as they are ready to be announced, including the Butler Brothers Building in the Down town West neighborhood, the Kingsway Development on Del mar, and Union at the Grove in the Forest Park Southeast neigh borhood. We will continue to do so.”

That answer was worse than not responsive. A simple “no” would have sufficed. The rest was gibberish. Just three random ex amples describe the activities of a $190 million capital fund?

Consider one of those: the renovation of the Butler Broth ers Building with a residentialcommercial development in the shadow of Taylor’s new MLS soc cer stadium. Sources tell me that it involved a relatively small loan, since repaid, from GSL to DSG, the large Memphis-based devel oper heading up the project. That seems curious on its face. But so does everything about the Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC.

One of the simplest sections on the IRS form states, “Briefly describe the organization’s mis sion.” Here’s GSL’s response:

“Greater St. Louis Inc. brings together business and civic lead ers to create jobs, drive inclusive economic growth and increase the St. Louis metro area’s global competitiveness. We speak with a unified voice, lead with a bold agenda, and act as one metropoli tan region.”

That would be terrific if true. Maybe it’s St. Louis’ new reality and the local and national news outlets just haven’t caught up to reporting the details.

After all, GSL and the Arch to Park Equity Fund LLC do prefer to keep their business to them selves. n

Ray Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1977. Contact him at rhartmann1952@ gmail.com or catch him at 7 p.m. on Thurs days on Nine PBS and St. Louis in the Know with Ray Hartmann from 9-11 p.m. Monday thru Friday on KTRS (550 AM).

Journey of a Lifetime

When she couldn’t get her parents out of Afghanistan, Latifa Sidiqi did the only thing she could — she went to rescue them

Written by BENJAMIN SIMON

At a regular family dinner on a normal Wednesday eve ning, Latifa Sidiqi told her kids that she was going to fly to Afghanistan.

It was May 2022, nearly a year af ter the Taliban takeover. But Sidiqi, 51, said she needed to go back to the country she’d left nearly two decades before, pick up her elderly parents and bring them to St. Louis.

Her kids, all grown, thought it was a joke.

“Nobody,” her 32-year-old daugh ter Moji Sidiqi says, “took her seri ously.”

Why would their mother, safe in St. Louis, travel to a country at war? Could she even book a flight to Af ghanistan? And what would she do even if she could get there?

But it wasn’t a joke. Latifa Sidiqi already had plans to leave — plans that would lead to a journey of exceptional danger. For months, Sidiqi did the unimaginable af ter willingly traveling thousands of miles into a situation that most people with ties to America have struggled desperately to escape.

Sidiqi first left Afghanistan in 1995 after the Taliban arrived. She immigrated to Moscow before be ing resettled in St. Louis four years later. She has stayed in St. Louis ever since, running a small busi ness, selling real estate and raising her three kids.

Her parents, though, stayed back in Afghanistan, where her father served as a federal judge. Sidiqi vis ited multiple times a year, check ing up on her parents and siblings. But when the Taliban overtook the Afghan government in 2021, every one left in a hurry. Sidiqi’s siblings, family friends, neighbors –– every one left.

Her parents, in old age, couldn’t

run away. They stayed in Afghani stan for nearly a year, all alone. Before the war, her parents were known for never locking their door, Sidiqi says. Grandkids, daughters, friends streamed in and out. But after the Taliban took over, and everyone evacuated, there was no one left to keep the door unlocked for.

Sidiqi tried everything to help her parents from Ballwin. She at tempted to get them evacuated to Pakistan. She spoke to U.S. rep resentatives to place them on the relocation list. But as the months passed, no one seemed to care. She received little help. Her parents were still in Afghanistan, without any family.

Then, last March, Sidiqi’s mother had a stroke.

“Every time I’m calling, [my mom] is just sick,” Sidiqi recalls. “And then I got to the point, I’m like, ‘My God, what if one of them dies? What if my mom died and my dad is left alone?’ What were we going to do now?’”

By May, Sidiqi decided she had no other option. Parents of U.S. citi zens were the number-one prior ity on evacuation lists –– and that would give her priority to get out quickly. She would go to Afghani stan and get her parents herself.

“One day I just woke up and I told my husband, I said, ‘You know what? I don’t know what to do, but I think the best way … for them to be

evacuated will be with me,’” she re calls. “‘I need to go to Afghanistan.’”

Sidiqi didn’t tell her parents. She packed a light suitcase with paja mas and her American passport. She wore a hijab and niqaab so only her eyes were showing. And on May 20, two days after booking the tickets, she flew to Dubai and then to Afghanistan.

Over a full day later, she landed in Afghanistan.

Sidiqi ran into immediate prob lems upon arriving. Women under Taliban rule can’t take a bus or taxi alone, she says. And if the Taliban found out she was an American re turning to Afghanistan, she didn’t know what would happen. “I could hear my heartbeat because I was really, really scared,” Sidiqi says.

A far-off relative, responding to a random Facebook message a cou ple hours earlier, agreed to meet Sidiqi at the airport. They took a taxi together, not speaking a word, pretending to be brother and sister.

Then Sidiqi snuck into her par ents’ apartment complex in Kabul. She knocked on their locked door. Her father almost passed out. Her mom “cried so hard.”

“For hours they cried,” Sidiqi says, “and I told them, ‘That’s OK, just cry. ... Until I get you guys out of here, I’m not gonna leave.’”

But in reality, Sidiqi still didn’t know how this would work. For months, she had tried to evacu ate her parents to no avail. What

would change now?

Sitting in her parents’ apart ment for days, she reached out to St. Louis-area congressional lead ers, including Congresswomen Ann Wagner and Cori Bush.

Wagner’s office responded by telling her that they could not guar antee to evacuate her parents. They also contacted the U.S. Department of State, Sidiqi says, who told her to leave, immediately, without her parents.

“I was like, ‘What are you talk ing about?’” Sidiqi says. “‘I am not going to [leave]. I’ve been asking you for help for months. My mom is about to die. The woman is sick. She had a stroke. And I am a wom an alone. Do you want me to actu ally walk back to the airport alone? This time I’m here. I’m hiding here. But at least I’m safe.’”

For about 10 days, they went back and forth. The State Department told her to leave. Sidiqi refused. Leave, refuse, leave, refuse. Bush never even responded, Sidiqi says.

Back home in St. Louis, Sidiqi’s son ran her small business. Her husband, who supported her from the get-go, babysat their grandkids. But Sidiqi’s family worried about her. Moji says she was “in knots.” She serves as the Afghan communi ty development program manager for the International Institute of St. Louis and has played an integral role in helping Afghan refugees

Latifa Sidiqi (middle) with her family at Eckert’s farm — one of their first trips a er landing in the United States. | COURTESY PHOTO

relocate to St. Louis. She knew the reality of life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

“We had this heavy burden weighing on all of us because … is she ever gonna come home?” Moji says. “What’s going to happen? God forbid, like, there are worst-case scenarios that we’ve been thinking about because my mom went into a war zone in a climate like this.”

Sidiqi spent about 25 straight days in her parents’ apartment un til, finally, Wagner’s office connect ed her with the Afghan American Citizen Service. Shortly after, Sidiqi received a cryptic phone call from an unknown Afghan phone num ber. The person told Sidiqi to come to a random address.

When Sidiqi and her father ar rived, it was just a normal house. She worried it might be a “trick.” Maybe it was the Taliban. It wasn’t.

The service took Sidiqi and her parents’ documents and, two days later, all three were whisked to a refugee camp on a military base in Doha, Qatar.

What Sidiqi saw in Doha, though, was much worse than she imag ined. “Everything is probably worse than jail,” she says.

At the refugee camp with her par ents, Sidiqi found tens of thousands of refugees hoping for a new life in the U.S. –– only to find themselves stymied by a hopeless immigration process. They were stuck in the middle of the desert, in a window less facility, where the outside tem perature reached 117 degrees and grass was nonexistent.

Sidiqi calls it “worse than Kabul.” The process to immigrate seemed never-ending, requiring tons of paperwork, even though many people didn’t speak English, and interpreters were scant. Some wait a year to get out. Sidiqi spent much of her time helping other families by translating and filling out docu ments.

“There’s so many tears, there’s so many crying,” she says. “People feel like, ‘I’m stuck here, I don’t know what to do. What’s my fault? What did I do?’”

Four months after landing in Doha and five months after leav ing St. Louis for Afghanistan, Sidiqi received a message from the State Department on October 11. Finally, Sidiqi’s parents had secured their visas. They could be accepted into the U.S.

“That was the happiest day in my life,” she says. “It was embarrass ing. I wanted to dance, and I was like, ‘My God, when was the last time I’ve felt like this?’”

On October 19, Sidiqi and her parents touched down in the U.S. Sidiqi’s daring plan to pick up her parents from Afghanistan, the one that few people believed in, had

Wash U Nobel Laureate Accused of Misconduct

worked.

“That was like the best feeling in the world,” she says of coming home. “I feel like this is it. I got my parents here. No matter what hap pens to them, we’re all together here.”

Sidiqi and her parents are now safe in her Ballwin home. It’s her parents’ first time in St. Louis, and

they have lots of plans. Moji says she has “fantasized” about living in the same place as her grandpar ents. “We’re gonna take them ev erywhere,” Moji says. The Missouri Botanical Garden, Eckert’s Farm, family birthday parties. Friends have already streamed in from Las Vegas and Oklahoma to say hello, and they had a big family Thanks giving bash in St. Louis.

Moji spoke with the RFT as she was driving to see her mom for the first time since her trip. She ex pressed a rush of emotions –– ela tion, pride and exhaustion.

“I cannot believe [my mom had] the courage to just do this,” Moji says. “But I don’t encourage any body to do this. My mom is going in timeout –– trust me.”

Most of all, Moji feels overwhelm ing admiration for her mother.

“What my mom did,” she says, “is the truest activism I’ve ever wit nessed in my lifetime.” n

but I thought he was just being very nice or friendly so I didn’t think too much of it,” she said. “I was thinking, ‘Oh maybe that’s just how American people are.’”

Later, Z got invited to Dybvig’s office, where he gave her a box of chocolates. He started touching her hand and telling her she was very pretty, the student says.

Written by ROSALIND EARLY

Washington University Professor Philip Dybvig, who was awarded a Nobel Prize in economics last month, has been accused of inappropriate conduct by two former female graduate students.

The allegations started circulating online not long after Dybvig’s Nobel Prize win was announced. One former graduate student at Olin Business School posted her story on WeChat, a popular Chinese social media platform, in Chinese. The student is from China. The Wash U student newspaper Student Life has since spoken to the student and others who shared stories about Dybvig.

None of the students are named in the Student Life story.

Dybvig did not respond to the newspa per’s requests for comment. Andrew T. Miltenberg, a lawyer who is representing Dybvig, declined to comment to the paper.

The university’s vice chancellor for marketing and communications, Julie

Flory, told Student Life that Dybvig had been on an approved leave since July 1 and that the university takes “sexual misconduct very seriously and that we will investigate any allegations that are reported to the university.”

The former graduate student at the center of the Student Life story told the paper that Dybvig pulled her into his lap, gave her a gift, touched her hand on a couch and messaged her on Facebook that he missed her smile.

The student said the interactions made her uncomfortable.

The student, who Student Life re ferred to only as Z, said that the inappropriate behavior began when Z attended a welcome party for the graduate program. While chatting with Dybvig, who speaks Chinese, someone suggested they all take a picture. The student says Dybvig pulled her into his lap.

“In that moment, I felt a little bit weird,

According to Z, Dybvig continued to email her, but she was uncomfortable and did not agree to meet with him again. After a while, Z says she thinks she remembers getting an email from Dybvig chalking the interaction up to a misunderstanding.

After she graduated, Z says she re ceived another message from Dybvig say ing that he missed her smile. In response, Z said she blocked the professor.

Z said she never reported what happened to the university because as a Chinese international student she tried not to make trouble to avoid getting kicked out of school, and thereby the U.S.

The paper shared other stories from former students. One told Student Life that her husband, who had graduated from Olin Business School, heard that an economics professor there was “constantly harassing Chinese international students” and that this professor had the best chance of getting a Nobel Prize.

Another student in the university’s law school, whom Student Life referred to as Y, said she’d been uncomfortable when Dybvig wrapped his fingers around her waist while they were taking a photo. She said she later avoided situations where she’d have to interact with him. n

Sidiqi’s mother, BiBi Asifa Danishyar, with children in the Doha refugee camp. | COURTESY PHOTO

Two Chinese students say Philip Dybvig made inappropriate advances

Professor Philip Dybvig. | COURTESY WASH U

MISSOURILAND

Mary of the Ozarks

e Black Madonna Shrine and Grottos is a pilgrimage site just outside of St. Louis

Words and photos by REUBEN HEMMER

In 1927, a Franciscan mission ary from Poland named Bron islaus Luszcz was sent to the foothills of the Ozarks to help build an infirmary.

Called upon by John J. Glennon, archbishop of St. Louis at the time, Luszcz came to the Midwest with his fellow missionaries to turn an

abandoned convent into a place of care.

While clearing an area for a cha pel, Luszcz hung a portrait of the “Black Madonna of Cz stochowa” above an altar. Inspired by pil grimages he’d witnessed grow ing up in Poland, he began build ing his own grottoes and shrines around the portrait using locally mined Missouri tiff rock. This in turn inspired pilgrims to come worship at the shrine and chapel.

Luszcz devoted the next 23 years of his life to consistently adding more material into the shrine until he died of a heat stroke in 1960 while working on his creation. The resultant Black Madonna Shrine and Grottos (100 St. Josephs Hill Road in Pa cific Missouri 636-93 -5361 the blackmadonnashrine.org) is open to the public 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. n

A CELEBRATION OF THE UNIQUE AND FASCINATING ASPECTS OF OUR HOME

‘Lightning in a Bottle’

A new book shares the history of

MISSISSIPPI NIGHTS

, the iconic St. Louis nightclub

By Garrett and Stacy Enloe

Editor’s Note: Garrett and Stacy Enloe love music and actually met at a concert at the now-shuttered American Theater (they were seeing Jac kyl). Marriage followed in 2000, and then in 2016, they won a piece of St. Louis music history: a portion of the Mississippi Nights awning. That spurred Garrett to make a Mississippi Nights fan page on Facebook for the venue that shuttered in 2007.

Angela Prada* Remembers...

The page soon had 2,000 members recalling working at, playing or at tending concerts at the venue. That energetic fan base inspired the book Mississippi Nights: A History of the Music Club in St. Louis, which came out in October. Part scrapbook, part oral history, the book also features a comprehensive list of every band that ever played the venue. It shares photos tic et stubs concert iers setlists and band photos as well as stories like the one about the time Hole performed and Courtney Love said she was sick and fell over, or that time Nirvana nearly started a riot. It also highlights the charac ters of Mississippi Nights, including the Cookie Lady and Beatle Bob.

Below are excerpts from the book that capture what made the all-ages venue an iconic part of St. Louis for 30 years.

Welcome to Mississippi Nights

Los Angeles had the Whiskey a Go Go, Troubadour and the Roxy Theater.

New York City had CBGB, Studio 54 and the Palladium.

St. Louis had Mississippi Nights. Mississippi Nights, appropriate ly promoted as “The Music Club of St. Louis,” operated from 1976 un til 2007 and was located in the his toric Laclede’s Landing section of downtown St. Louis at 914 North First Street.

To get to Mississippi Nights, you drove past the Gateway Arch grounds, under the ornate arches of the Eads Bridge, over several blocks of cobblestone streets and

Chuck McPherson* Remembers...

“What was special about Mississippi Nights? The people. The atmosphere. The smell. The experience. You could not only see a good show but meet the artist. It was seeing up-and-coming bands before everyone else, as well as bands on the way down. It was all-ages shows in a bar atmosphere. I was underage and limited to the floor and the side of the stage for much of my time there, but it didn’t matter. To borrow the phrase, it was the most magical place on Earth. Mississippi Nights was one of the places where I spent much of my mid-teens to early adult years. I made friends at the club that I still have to this day. It’s a place I will never, ever forget. No other club can compare. 914 North First Street will be in my heart until the day I die.”

*Mississippi Nights patron

past century-old buildings that once housed fur traders, slaugh terhouses and dry-goods ware houses. The old, weathered brick building had character with its arched doorways and windows. The color variation in the bricks suggested that once there were more windows and doors, re moved for unknown reasons. The Eads Bridge, spanning the mighty Mississippi River, could be seen from the parking lot on the south side of the building.

Upon entering the wooden door on the right, you were in a vestibule surrounded by signed 8x10 band photographs in black frames. To the left, past the sec ond door, were a couple of vid eo games; a pinball machine; a cigarette machine; some round, white-topped tables with black, wooden chairs; a small bar in the corner; and another set of doors that sometimes opened to accom modate large crowds. It was a short walk forward to have your ID checked, hand stamped and ticket torn.

To the right was the bar with

Becoming Mississippi Nights

“Mississippi Nights was lightning in a bottle. Having worked there, I have to say everyone felt they were part of the show, not just watching it. There was a true sense of community and a love of music between patrons, staff and the bands. No one complained about it being hot, crowded, smoky or that they were eating popcorn out of a trash can. They were there to see the show.”

*Mississippi Nights server

wood paneling up the back wall, neon beer signs and open shelves of liquor and glass es. Following a sloped walk down past two tiers of additional tables and chairs on the left (the first tier also housed the sound mixer), the walkway opened, revealing rest rooms and the underage section (the raised area often referred to as the “kiddie corral”) on the right, and to the left was the dance floor and stage.

The stage was covered with par quet flooring and elevated about three and a half feet off the floor.

Steve Duebelbeis started Mississippi Nights after attending live concerts at clubs in Springfield, Missouri. He appreciated how the clubs featured more than just cover bands. Duebelbeis looked at the space, which was previously a nightclub called On the Rox, and bought the building on August 30, 1976.

Duebelbeis sold the venue to real estate investor Rich Frame in 1979. He owned it until it closed in 2007.

Clockwise from upper le : . Danny, Mike (holding their RFT Slammie Award) and Steve of New World Spirits, and Brandi Welti, Dec. 3, 1996. | ANDY MAYBERRY. e front doors of Mississippi Nights. | PAUL HILCOFF. Page Hamilton of Helmet, Dec. 3, 1996. | MIKE GLADER. A typical Mississippi Nights show poster. | BRIAN NOLAN. A signed promo shot from one of St. Louis’ breakout glam bands, King of the Hill | COURTESY RICH FRAME. Beatle Bob and Barb e Cookie Lady Lutz at Last Call, Jan. 19, 2007. | BRIAN NOLAN

MISSISSIPPI NIGHTS

A small walkway to the right of the stage led to the back door and, behind the building, steep metal steps where the bands loaded out their equipment at the end of the night. (Fortunately for the crew, they were able to load in through the front door into the empty venue in the morning.) Some times, metal barricades blocked the front of the stage, but often you could press yourself right up against this platform in front of your favorite band.

Several factors contributed to the longevity and popularity of Mississippi Nights. [The venue] did an excellent job of booking shows and showcased a variety of music genres, unlike many clubs that catered to one genre. The sound system was incred ible, appealing to the audiences and the musicians. The staff was welcoming and made the club feel like a second home to many. Finally, you were able to get up close and personal with the bands — in front of the stage as they played, at the bar while they drank, or outside as they came and went.

Being the best place to expe rience music in St. Louis for so many years, countless people forged new relationships and memories at Mississippi Nights. Many concertgoers developed friendships that would last a lifetime with the staff or fellow patrons. Some went to the club on first dates or even met their spouse there. The memories run the gamut from meeting bands, the friendly staff, amazing perfor mances and crazy incidents (some involving liquor).

Mississippi Nights was a trea sure in St. Louis. Unfortunately, as time passes, memories fade. ... So, we preserve those memories and the music that Mississippi Nights produced for 30 years with this book.

1867: Pork Packers

Although the building may date as early as the 1830s, the first con firmed business in the Mississippi Nights building does not appear in records until 1868. James Reil ley & Co. Pork Packers may have lasted for less than a decade, but the business is responsible for one of the signature features of the club, the floor that began to slope as you passed the ticket window.

Documents from 1868 declare the building was owned by James Reilley, David A. Spellen and Mi

Jason Voigt* Remembers...

The only event I attended at Mississippi Nights was Joan Jett & the Blackhearts on October 27, 2006. Eagles of Death Metal opened. They rocked the house, but there were other things on people’s minds that night; that was the same night the St. Louis Cardinals won their first World Series since ’82. There were no TVs on, and this was before smartphones. Suddenly, people were yelling right in the middle of a song. Everyone knew it happened. I left the concert early and joined in on the fun outside as people were happily shouting and cheering on the Landing.

*Mississippi Nights patron

chael McEnnis. The 1874 book St. Louis: The Commercial Metropolis of the Mississippi Val ley contains an advertisement for James Reilley & Co. Pork Packers, located at 914, 916 and 918 North Main Street. “Pork Packers” is a euphemism for a slaughterhouse or meat processing facility. The building’s signature slanted floor, eventually bordered by the bar and the over-21 seating section, was designed to drain blood from animal carcasses.

1983: The Grandmother of Rock & Roll

Pat Lacey’s name is connected with Mississippi Nights more than anyone who worked there in the club’s 30-year history. She began her association with the club by taking her daughter Sarah and her friends to concerts at Missis sippi Nights.

On the night of the X show, October 24, 1983, [owner] Rich Frame asked Lacey if she knew of anyone who would want an office job at the club. Frame knew she worked as a nurse, so he was sur prised when she responded, “Yes, me!”

With her husband laid off and their daughter Susan in college, Lacey needed another job to make ends meet.

Lacey admits she did a terrible job in her interview with Frame. She kept reinforcing that she didn’t have any experience and was un certain she could do the job. How ever, with his knack for reading people, Frame had the confidence in Lacey that she lacked, and he hired her on the spot.

Frame speaks of Lacey with rev erence. “She did everything,” he asserts. She juggled nursing and rock & roll for four years before leaving her nursing job to dedi cate her time to the club.

Lacey broke down her duties. “I wrote the checks, sold tickets, did the inventory and the ordering. I did the pouring costs, which was how much we spent on alcohol and whether we made a profit or not, and I did the same thing with shows. When [manager] Patrick [Hagin] left [in 1990], I stepped in and took on a lot more. I was do ing everything that he did: doing the contracts, going to the bank, making sure the shows were ad

Tony P. Pona* Remembers...

“I worked at Mississippi Nights for 10 years, so I have many memories of the place. One that stands out is the night of [the] Alvin Lee [concert] when Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora was sitting stage right in a packed house [on October 31, 1984]. I believe [Bon Jovi was] playing in town the same week of Alvin Lee, got in early, and [was] bummin’ in the city. Absolutely every lady in the place knew who Sambora was. He was just there to see Alvin Lee. I worked secondary security. We kept the public away from Sambora (for the most part). He did sign and take a few pics, though.”

*Mississippi Nights stagehand and security

vanced, so that we knew what time bands were coming in and what time they wanted to be fed, etcetera,” Lacey says. “I was the den mother there. I took care of the bands. A lot of them became my friends.”

“Lacey had many jobs,” says manager Tim Weber (1998- 2007), “but arguably her most important job was to advance the shows.”

She organized hospitality events for bands and their crews, includ ing solving problems before they arrived.

“She’d call up and say, ‘Do you really need four gallons of hum

Joe Haynes, Michael Stipe, Jim Warchol and Buddy Weber of Stipe’s pre-REM band Bad Habits, Nov. 13, 1978. | JOHN KORST

mus?’ She was able to do it in the nicest possible way so that every band that showed up was in a good mood when they got there,” Weber says. “If you screw that up, every band shows up in a shitty mood, and the days are wrecked. So that tiny little thing of making the bands understand ahead of time that they were going to be cared for at least gave you a run ning shot to start every day pretty good.” Lacey made the bands hap py, everyone’s job more manage able, and Mississippi Nights more successful.

“Absolutely nobody tops the leg end that is Pat Lacey,” proclaims Mississippi Nights patron Chuck McPherson. “She was the heart and soul of the club. ... She always treated me and my friends like her children. She got to know us on a first-name basis and was support ive of us in our love for music.”

Patron Michelle Weber Rigden says, “Pat Lacey was my concert mom. She was so kind and nur turing, but I also knew she would take my ass out if I misbehaved as a minor.”

Patron Wade Monnig says, “Pat Lacey was always amazing, al ways so nice and sweet. I’d always go see the Alarm at Mississippi Nights, not just because they were a great band [but] because Pat was so passionate about them. I wanted to support her!”

Lacey decided to retire the year she turned 65, thinking that’s just what you do at age 65, and at the end of 2002, she did.

In May 2003, Lacey entered Mis sissippi Nights with a gift of straw berry shortcake for the staff. She

Chuck Hestand Remembers...

“I wrote for Night Times magazine, and one of my assignments was to interview Jonathan Davis from Korn when [he] played at Mississippi Nights at the start of [the band’s] Life Is Peachy tour about a week before the album came out. [On October 22, 1996,] we were sitting on the bus talking, and he had just finished telling me how his biggest wish was for his band to be successful enough that he could make sure his kid wouldn’t have to endure a shitty childhood as he did.

“Right at that moment, the band’s manager came on board to inform him that Life is Peachy was going to debut at #1 on the Billboard charts. Jonathan was crying. Everyone was freaking out, and I didn’t get to finish my interview.”

quickly learned that her replace ment was having problems man aging the office. For example, he wrote checks out for every

invoice without checking if they were already paid.

Before long, Mississippi Nights had substantial credits with the vendors. Tim Weber asked Lacey to return, and she agreed to come back two days a week. After that, she didn’t think of retiring from Mississippi Nights again and worked there through February 007. “The Nights officially closed at the end of January, but I need ed to clean out the office,” she re members.

At 84 years old in 2022, Lacey wishes she could still be working at her beloved Mississippi Nights. “[Pat Lacey] was the grand mother of rock & roll,” says Tim Weber. “She cared more about more people and more bands than anybody I’ve ever met in my life.” He adds, “I still get tour managers at the Old Rock House that remember Pat Lacey.”

1990: The Eyes/Pale Divine

Opening an exciting new decade for St. Louis music, Richard For tus was the guitar player of argu ably the most popular local band in St. Louis, the Eyes. Fortus founded the band six years ear lier when he was merely 15 with vocalist Michael Schaerer, bass ist Steve Hanock and drummer Greg Miller (later in Radio Iodine and Suave Octopus). Hanock left the band before 1990 and was re placed with Dan Angenend.

The Eyes rose through the ranks of local bands in St. Louis, constantly playing at the un der-21 club Animal House, Ken nedy’s 2nd Street Company (that would come to be known simply as Kennedy’s) on Laclede’s Land ing, and Mississippi Nights.

One night in 1990, record ex

ecutive Jason Flom saw a line of people waiting in the rain to get into 1227, a club on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis, to see the Eyes. Flom was famous for signing hard-rock bands like Skid Row and Twisted Sister. So he de cided to send his assistant to Mis sissippi Nights to judge the musi cal merits of this band that wasn’t his forte but had a large fan base.

Fortus says, “I’ll never forget her calling Flom from the dress ing room on the pay phone at one in the morning and saying, ‘If you don’t sign this band, I’m going to quit.’” The band was soon signed to Atlantic Records.

The Eyes changed their name to Pale Divine to avoid confusion with the ’60s band of the same name and released the propheti cally titled Straight to Goodbye

Troubles began for Pale Divine in 1992 as the band tried to pre pare for [its] sophomore record. Fortus says, “We couldn’t get our singer to do anything. It was re ally frustrating, and he was be coming more and more estranged from us.” He continues, “We had a meeting, and Michael came in and said, ‘I want to do a solo acoustic album.’” At that point, the band realized they couldn’t continue. “I put everything into [Pale Divine], and to have to say, ‘Alright, I’m go ing to walk away from this,’ was very difficult,” Fortus recalls.

However, the dissolution of Pale Divine prompted Fortus to move to New York, which led him to an incredible career. Fortus wrote, recorded two albums and toured with Love Spit Love fea turing Richard Butler of the Psy chedelic Furs. He kept busy as a first-call session musician. Fortus also provided music for TV com mercials, T shows, films and video games. He also toured with electronic artist BT, Julio Iglesias and others.

During a three-day break from the 2001 tour with Julio Iglesias, Fortus auditioned to join Guns N’ Roses. He’s been a member ever since, playing sold-out stadiums. While doing session work, he had forged a friendship with Josh Freese (drummer of Guns N’ Ros es) and Tommy Stinson (bassist of Guns N’ Roses), which helped For tus land the position.

During downtime with Guns N’ Roses, Fortus stays busy perform ing and recording with artists of various genres and recording songs for movie soundtracks. In the fall of 2020, Guns N’ Roses released the Not in This Lifetime pinball machine, making For tus and Chuck Berry the only St.

Alanis Morissette, Sept. 1, 1995. | SEAN DERRICK

Stewart Copeland of the Police, March 16, 1979. | DEBBY MIKLES

MISSISSIPPI

Louis musicians ever to be cast as characters in a pinball game. So, where did this accomplished mu sician catch his big break? It was in a club in St. Louis down by the Mississippi River — Mississippi Nights.

The Road to the End Rich Frame knew when he bought Mississippi Nights in 1979 that the city could snatch it away at any time. The building was in a redevelopment zone, and if the city decided to seize the prop erty and pay Frame off, he’d be left with no recourse. The City of St. Louis was always looking for the next big thing to stuff the cof fers at city hall with new tax dol lars and raise the region’s profile. Disney even toyed with the idea of building Walt Disney’s River front Square Park St. Louis, rec reating the historical riverfront of Laclede Chouteau in St. Louis, albeit a couple of miles west of the actual riverfront.

Not long after Frame bought the club, the city made the first of many plans to redevelop Laclede’s Landing. The idea was to turn the property into the Jacques Cous teau Aquarium. Fortunately, it never broke ground. This pat tern continued for the next two decades. The city consistently ignored Frame and other busi ness people’s success on Laclede’s Landing and kept looking for large developers with elaborate plans who had no connection to St. Louis’ rich history. …

In the late 1990s … the City of St. Louis bought out the Mississippi Nights building for $1 million. Since Frame no longer owned the building, he rented the club and the parking lot next door for $1 a month. The city was not ready to kick him out and lose the club’s tax dollars.

The club remained in limbo, paying the $1 monthly invoice without a word from the city about redevelopment until 2004, when Pinnacle Entertainment signed a contract with the City of St. Louis to open a casino on Laclede’s Landing and invest an additional $50 million in revital izing the area. ...

Finally, in October 2006, Frame received a notice in the mail giv ing him 30 days to vacate the property. Plans were underway by Pinnacle Entertainment to start a new casino development in January 2007.

Concerts were already booked

into January, so Frame faced a di lemma. He contacted Pinnacle En tertainment and agreed to leave without any trouble with one stip ulation: Mississippi Nights could remain open through mid-Janu ary to fulfill its obligations with the bands. ...

On September 20, 2007, the Mis sissippi Nights building was de molished.

Lumiere Place opened on De cember 19, 2007.

In 007, the global financial crisis hit, and Pinnacle Entertain ment canceled all plans for rede velopment on Laclede’s Landing, which led to a long list of renego tiations and lawsuits with the city.

Without fulfilling their contract to build stores and condos on Laclede’s Landing, Pinnacle En tertainment sold Lumiere Place to Tropicana Entertainment in 2014.

2007: Last Call

The final concert at Mississippi Nights, aptly named “Last Call,” was on January 19, 2007. The event was hosted by Beatle Bob, a club regular known for his Beatlesque style and crazy dance moves, and featured the Movers, the Wicked, Slapdash, Greenwheel, Devon All man, the Schwag and members of the Urge. Last Call was a bitter sweet reunion of employees, bands and patrons from the venue’s 30year run. That night marked an end to an extraordinary chapter in St. Louis music history.

The End

Many music venues have dotted the St. Louis landscape through out the years. Still, none of them managed the perfect mix of ele ments Mississippi Nights had, making it such a phenomenal place to see and play music. ...

Mississippi Nights is not just remembered but revered: by patrons, employees and musi cians alike. Musicians still share their love for the venue. On July 20, 2008, Foo Fighters performed at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, and singer-guitarist Dave Grohl told a six-minute story about the night Nirvana played Mississip pi Nights. They Might Be Giants wrote a song called “Mississippi Nights” where they assert, “Noth ing is like Mississippi Nights.”

Even musicians from across the globe remember the venue decades after playing there. Mis sissippi Nights fan Vance Wat son says, “I wore my Mississippi Nights shirt recently out in Bang kok, and an older, long-haired guy from Germany came up to me talking about playing there many years ago.”

Employees still gather for re unions, where they often remi nisce about the good times work ing at Mississippi Nights. …

In 2022, Laclede’s Landing is a shadow of its former self. The modern casino complex with its vast parking lots north of the Mar tin Luther King Jr. Bridge harshly contrasts with the architecture of the historic buildings and cobble stone streets to the south. In 1985, 35 restaurants and bars and 33 shops, services and attractions made Laclede’s Landing a lively area. By 2013, only 14 restaurants and bars were in operation. Cob blestone replacement, beginning in 2013 and continuing as of 2022, added to Laclede’s Landing’s dif ficulties. The Arch renovation project from 014 to 018 made accessing the area extremely challenging, further complicat ing matters. At this writing, only seven bars and restaurants make their homes in Laclede’s Land ing’s 17 remaining historic build ings. The crowds are gone.

The nights when you could wander Laclede’s Landing and see the Nukes at Kennedy’s, Bro ken Toyz at All-American Saloon, Sinister Dane at Bernard’s Pub, and end the evening at Missis sippi Nights with Big Fun are long gone. Instead, the bands that used to arrive in tour buses along First Street have headed west to the Delmar Loop or farther west to St. Louis Music Park.

Today, Laclede’s Landing is a collection of For Lease signs and one-way streets ending in barri cades. ...

The structure at 914 North First Street stood for over 150 years. The Great Fire of 1849 destroyed 430 buildings on Laclede’s Land ing, but 914 North First Street re mained.

In 1896, an F4 tornado landed two blocks south on the Eads Bridge, but 914 North First Street remained. The building housed a 191 fireworks manufacturer, but 914 North First Street remained.

Fires raged through the build ing in 1954 and 1970, but 914 North First Street remained.

Sadly, the structure could not stand against the power of the ca sino and its wrecking ball.

As the Joni Mitchell song goes, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” Not only does a parking lot sit where Mississip pi Nights once stood, but it is an empty parking lot, a barren tes tament to greed. They may have paved over Mississippi Nights, but they can never pave over our memories.

Long live Mississippi Nights! n

CALENDAR

BY RIVERFRONT TIMES STAFF

THURSDAY 12/01

The Sweet Spot

Typically, when you go into Third Degree Glass Factory (5200 Del mar Boulevard, University City), it’s a wonderland of remarkable glass works, some fragile, twist ing, with intricate details. At Sugar Rush, though, the glass will have competition as Third Degree is turned into a candy land full of desserts and candies as well as bites from popular restaurants. There will also be holiday cock tails, unlimited beer and a winter wonderland patio. But the glass work has an ace up its sleeve: live demos from trained glassblowers so exciting it’ll be hard to decide what’s your favorite part of the evening. Sugar Rush is from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets start at $65.

Christmas, but Weird

The City Museum (750 North 16th Street, 314-231-2489, citymuseum. org) is putting its own spin on the holidays. All month long, visitors can check out different holiday displays and shows throughout the museum as part of its Weirdly Wonderful Holidays. The best part? It’s all included with the price of admission. Merry Kitschmas, at the museum’s Beat nik Bob’s eatery, encourages folks to wear tacky outfits and either enjoy jazz during the day or belt out karaoke on Friday and Sat urday nights. There’s also a ste ampunk Santa workshop that of fers a behind-the-scenes look at how those toys get made Fridays through Sundays until Sunday, December 25. On New Year’s Eve, the museum is also hosting a fam ily friendly party with a balloon drop at 8:30.

Hello, Dolly!

Composer Jerry Herman was known for writing the hit songs in Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage aux Folles. This winter, New Jewish Theater is celebrat ing the composer with Jerry’s Girls, a Broadway music revue that includes Herman’s greatest

hits. The show starts Thursday, December 1, and runs through Sunday, December 18, at the J (2 Millstone Campus Drive, Chester field 314-43 -5700). Shows are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $53 to $64.

FRIDAY 12/02

Get Cyc-ed

You’d be forgiven if you initially thought Stray Dog Theatre’s lat est production, Ride the Cyclone: The Musical, sounded like a Final Destination movie. Six teenag ers get into a freak accident on a roller coaster. But with Ride the Cyclone, there are no premoni tions and no escaping death. The kids die and are stuck in limbo. A mechanical fortune teller, though, has a tempting offer: Tell your life story and possibly win a chance to be brought back to life. Surprisingly funny and wonder

fully poignant, the kids learn a lot about what makes life worth living. Ride the Cyclone is at the Tower Grove Abbey (2336 Tennes see Ave) and runs from Thursday, December 1, through Saturday, December 17, with showtimes at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Additional performances are at 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 11, and Wednesday, December 14. Tickets are $25 to $30.

SATURDAY 12/03

Hunting Season

In terms of fun, Easter has always been the stepchild to Christmas. The one thing that Easter has go ing for it is the Easter egg hunt. The clever folks out in Chester field have taken the Easter egg hunt but made it Christmas with the Candy Cane Hunt in Central Park (16365 Lydia Hill Drive, Ches terfield). In addition to a hunt for candy canes, there will be a “spe

cial holiday guest” — probably with a name that rhymes with Fanta — crafts, and a holiday tree lighting. The event starts at 4 p.m., is for ages 2 to 12, and costs $10.

Get Whipped

According to Germans (and Aus trians), Krampus is Santa’s holi day helper who goes around put ting bad kids in sacks and beating them with branches. The char acter has started catching on in America and was even the sub ject of a 015 horror film. Now, you can meet Krampus in person (hope you’ve either been good or have a weird kink) at Cryptmas with Krampus, presented by Glamgoria and the Record Space. In addition to Krampus and his goblins, the event will include free eggnog, mulled cider, prizes and giveaways, and Krampus treats. The event also benefits the Mo Ho Justice Coalition, which protects Missouri sex workers. Cryptmas is at the Record Space (8716 Gra

If you want your Christmas-spirit mixed with Tron futurism, head over to Six Flags for the Cosmic Sleighride light show. | VIA WORLD OF ILLUMINATION

vois Road, 314-437-2727) from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free.

Printers’ Choice

More than 170 local and regional artists will be selling their wood cuts, etchings, letterpresses, screen printings and more at the 15th Annual Print Bazaar on Cherokee. The artists will fill storefronts, bars and venues along Cherokee Street with post ers, calendars, prints and cards. Grab a coffee, drink or taco while you peruse the selections and get that holiday shopping done. The bazaar is free and takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit chero keeprintbazaar.com for more in formation.

SUNDAY 12/04

Get Nosy About Your Neighbors

Holiday House Tours are the per fect way to get into your neigh bor’s house without being creepy or officious. For just $ 5, you can snoop to your heart’s con tent at the 30th Annual Web ster Holiday House Tour. From 2 to 6 p.m., several brave Web ster Groves homeowners will be opening their doors to show off their homes and holiday decora tions. The event benefits the Hix son Middle School. After you buy a ticket, you’re given a program with the list of houses on the tour. For tickets visit hixson-mid dle-school-pto.square.site/s/shop.

MONDAY 12/05

Road Trippin’

If you prefer your holiday cheer to be one part Christmas fes tive and one part Tron futurism, you’re in luck — World of Illu mination’s Cosmic Sleighride has you covered. Billed as a “su personic holiday road trip,” the light show deftly mashes up the sci-fi with the Santa, promising a “mystical holiday invasion” that will see you traveling in your own car through Kris Kingle’s celes tial portal in the stars. You’ll see

astro elves riding hoverboards, toys being prepared for Christmas and the exciting world of Santa City, where all the magic hap pens. Blastoff is set to take place each night now through Sunday, January 1 in the parking lot of Six Flags. The journey itself will last about a half hour, and tickets can be purchased for just $39.99 per car. For more information, visit worldofillumination.com.

TUESDAY 12/06

Global Concerns

Is there a better place to celebrate the holidays than atop St. Louis? More specifically, at 360 (1 South Broadway, 314-241-8439), where you can get spectacular views of downtown at the pop-up Up on the Rooftop? Described as a “snow globe creation perched 400 feet over the St. Louis skyline,” 360’s transformed bar will offer new holiday-themed cocktails and an indoor winter-wonder land overhaul to complement its stunning views. The pop-up runs through Friday, December 30, and opens each night at 4 p.m. On weekdays, 360 closes at midnight, and on weekends it closes at 1:30 a.m. For details, visit 360-stl.com.

WEDNESDAY 12/07

Ghosted

For a uniquely Dickensian holiday experience, why not head across the bridge into St. Charles for a Christmas Carol Stroll? Each Wednesday through December 21, St. Charles Christmas Tradi tions transforms the city’s cobble stone Main Street into foggy 1840s London, inviting you to immerse yourself in Charles Dickens’ classic tale, A Christmas Carol. Be on the lookout for ghosts of varying time frames as you trace the steps of no torious penny-pinching miser Eb enezer Scrooge — not to mention sightings of carolers, lamplighters, toy vendors, musicians and even Queen Victoria herself. The festivi ties kick off at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and it’s free to participate. For more information, visit discoverst charles.com. n

e Print Bazaar on Cherokee is a reliably great place to find gi s and get impressed by local talent.

| JAMILA JACKSON

Plant Buy Me Love

12oh7 Herban Eatery hits the mark with its lovingly prepared vegan fare

Written by CHERYL BAEHR

12oh7 Herban Eatery

6138 Delmar Boulevard, 314-932-1207. Wed.-Sat. 3-8 p.m. (Closed Sun.-Tues).

When Brandy Dixon and Jas mine Yandell first decided to go into the food business together, they tried a lot of different things: ghost kitchens, pop-up events, farmers market appearances and meal prep where they cooked a variety of dishes that included both meatand plant-based foods. They loved what they were doing, and they were successful at it, garnering a following that clamored for what they were serving no matter how and where they were doing so.

Still, the pair could not help but feel that an ingredient was missing. After talking things through they fi nally figured it out: It was them.

1 oh7 Herban Eatery, the casual eatery Dixon and Yandell opened this May on the eastern edge of the Delmar Loop, reflects that re alization. Though anchored in cu linary prowess and a passion for taking care of others, Dixon and Yandell’s debut restaurant is, at its core, a deeply personal endeav or where the two proudly cook and serve completely from their hearts. They admit it might sound hokey, or even too simplistic, but the pair truly see their restaurant as an outpouring of love, one for which they prepare the food that they eat and hope that their ear nestness can be experienced in each bite. When you walk into this two-woman show and are graciously greeted and served as if you have entered their home, it’s clear they’ve achieved what they set out to do.

The seeds of 1 oh7 date back to December 7, 015 — the rea son for the restaurant’s name — when the two met in the training department at United Healthcare.

Though she was solidly into her career in the customer service field, Dixon had a deeply rooted passion for food and hospitality that came from her upbringing. Her grandfather owned a grocery store and restaurants, and he in stilled in her the importance of eating the best quality foods in order to take care of her health

and well-being. It made sense that she would become fast friends with Yandell, who had spent her career cooking all over the world for Disney. The two bonded over a shared love for food and service, and almost immediately hatched a plan to open their own restau rant together one day.

Dixon and Yandell began their

business as a side project while working other jobs, including at Retreat Gastropub, where Yan dell was a cook. During her time at Retreat, Yandell developed a close working relationship with Retreat’s owner, Travis Howard, who became a huge fan of what she and Dixon were creating with 1 oh7. When the pandemic temporarily shuttered Retreat, Dixon and Yandell trained all of their focus on their own business, at first working out of their own home but eventually out of Re treat’s kitchen. Howard served as a mentor to the pair, helping them establish their online ordering protocols and giving them advice on how to run their business in anticipation of the day when they would open a brick and mortar, which finally happened this May.

Though Dixon and Yandell hope to one day have a few locations of 1 oh7, they decided to take things slowly at first, focusing on a small counter service storefront. Though there is some dine-in seating avail able in the form of a narrow ledge and bar stools along one wall, the bulk of their business is carryout, with Dixon running the front of house and Yandell holding down

A selection of 12oh7 Herban Eatery favorites including the Merican Burger, Deluxe Phish Sammich and OG Chickun Sammich. | MABEL SUEN

Brandy Dixon and Jasmine Yandell opened 12oh7 earlier this year. | MABEL SUEN

12OH7 HERBAN EATERY

the kitchen.

It might take a minute to get your food because of this setup, but it will be worth the wait. This is made clear the moment you bite into one of their delectable vegan offerings, such as the OG Phish Sammich, which features a crisp, beer battered filet of beautifully flaky plant-based seafood alternative, that, if you did not know was vegan, could be mistaken for the fish portion of a traditional pub fish and chips. Tucked into a pillow-soft bun and garnished with creamy tartar sauce, piquant pickles, onions and shredded let tuce, it nails the form.

The double burger, too, hits that sweet spot of satisfying a fast food craving without feeling like a punch in the gut. Here, two vegan meat patties — seasoned and with a pleasantly firm, steak-like texture — are adorned with molten vegan cheese on a sesame bun. The burg er is tasty enough on its own, but when paired with a side of won derfully earthy fries with a warm, smokey seasoning, it becomes an extraordinary vegan meal.

Yandell’s vegan take on mac and cheese is positively decadent. Baked like a casserole and sliced up like lasagna, its non-dairy cheese is positively silken, form ing a stunning crust over the top. The texture has zero grit to it, unlike some vegan cheeses, and it does not break when heated, giv ing it a rich, creamy mouthfeel that could win over even the most devout dairy lover.

Yandell is at her best, however, with her Mexican dishes. Her OG

taco pairs chorizo-like crumbles with rich cream sauce, lettuce and onion in a corn tortilla. It’s restrained compared to the Cali Bur-Ritoh, which is a gloriously overstuffed monster flour tortilla filled with seasoned rice, refried beans, plant-based strips of carne asada-style beef, cheese sauce, fries, vegan mayo and pico de gallo. It’s a wonderful melange of flavors, though 1 oh7’s most powerful dish is its Loaded Notchos, a vegan riff on the most over-thetop bar nachos known to man.

Tortilla chips, seasoned with the same mouthwatering dusting that comes on the fries, are covered in refried beans, chorizo-like vegan meat crumbles, non-dairy cheese sauce and sour cream, pico de gallo and charred jalapenos. Be tween the heat of the peppers, the vibrance of the pico and the rich ness of the meat and cheese, every spot on the palate is activated by this outstanding, deeply satisfying dish. That I could somehow fol low this masterpiece with one of Yandell’s outrageously delicious

strawberry handpies is proof of her considerable pastry skills. Those skills are a testament to Yandell’s unrelenting passion for food. Combined with Dixon’s penchant for service and hospital ity, the pair have created a lovely window into their lives — one through which we are lucky to be invited to look.

e fries are covered in a warm, smoky seasoning. | MABEL SUEN

Drink o erings include the berry lemonade and shakes. | MABEL SUEN

e Loaded Notchos include house chips, house crumbles, Cheez, refried beans, pico, sour cream and charred jalapeños. | MABEL SUEN

SHORT ORDERS

Art Project

21c Hotel plans “excellent neighborhood restaurant” for downtown St. Louis

Written by CHERYL BAEHR

The recent announcement of several key personnel ap pointments by the group behind the forthcoming 21c Hotel St. Louis has created even more buzz around the high ly anticipated development. On the culinary front, the most excit ing news was the appointment of Matthew Daughaday as executive chef.

Daughaday will lead culinary operations that include a res taurant, lounge, coffee shop and events spaces as the hotel group seeks to open inside the restored YMCA building at 1528 Locust Street. He brings to the project a wealth of experience that includes such acclaimed restaurants as Taste by Niche and Reeds Ameri can Table — and ensures that the property will be an anchor of the downtown dining scene.

One of the area’s biggest culi nary talents, Daughaday shared with the Riverfront Times his vi sion for 21c Hotel St. Louis, which takes its cue from the ultra-chic 21c Museum Hotels group’s other properties in such cities as Louis ville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennes see; and Durham, North Carolina. Though he remains tight-lipped about the menu and restaurant concept specifics, he notes that he is working to make sure that all the property’s food and beverage spaces will have a connection to the region. He says he’s confident the property’s culinary offerings will appeal not simply to hotel guests but to residents as well.

“There will be a few outlets for food, with the restaurant, cafe and banquet halls all being built around the philosophy of thought fulness in preparation and ex ecution,” Daughaday says. “We’re trying to open an excellent neigh borhood restaurant that happens

to be in a hotel. For each of these places, there is a lot of thought put into the items on the menu; we are sourcing our ingredients and mak ing sure they represent St. Louis as much as they fill out the concept of the space, and utilizing local farm ers, local roasters for coffee in the cafe and purveyors that all have a tie to the community.

“We want to showcase to outof-town guests all the awesome products St. Louis has to offer and give another great place for local residents to come and dine.”

Daughaday says his desire to work for 21c Museum Hotels has been brewing for several years — even before he knew who they were. While working for chef Ge rard Craft at Niche Food Group, Daughaday became familiar with Proof on Main, an acclaimed res taurant that is part of the hospi tality group’s first development in Louisville. Daughaday did not know about the restaurant’s re lationship with the hotel when he first learned of it he simply thought of it as an exceptional res taurant. He only came to under stand its relationship with 21c Mu seum Hotels after he learned that the group was coming to St. Louis.

“That is when I came across Sa voy Restaurant in Kansas City and

the Hive in Bentonville and real ized all these places I knew as just great restaurants were associated with the 21c brand and how im portant having high-quality din ing establishments is to the com pany,” Daughaday says. “It made this opportunity exciting and made me nervous all in the same right, as I know that the expecta tions will be high for this project.”

Daughaday says that he is also thrilled to be a part of the organi zation because of its commitment to civic engagement. Working alongside Christopher Randall, 21c Hotel St. Louis’ newly appoint ed director of community impact, Daughaday hopes to be a piece of the puzzle in downtown’s revital ization, seeing his role as chef as but a part of a larger picture for the overall area.

“The food will be playful, mod ern and rooted in tradition and tied to the overall spirit of the hotel, with a commitment to qual ity that pulls from its connection to the local community and sup ports the neighborhood around it,” Daughaday says. “21c wants to make an impact in any commu nity that it is a part of and give an outlet for creative expression. We hope to attain those same goals with the food we produce.” n

Chef Matthew Daughaday has big plans for the forthcoming 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis. |

LUCAS PETERSON

Little Peru

Sanguichitos brings Peruvianinspired sliders to south St. Louis

Written by CHERYL BAEHR

Andrew Cisneros is a busy guy. Between running his wildly successful Peruvian restaurant, Jalea, sketching out a plan for a forthcoming rotisserie chicken concept called Brasas and consulting on the re cently opened Casa de Tres Reyes in Des Peres, the in-demand chef has found the time to launch San guichitos (8125 Michigan Avenue), a Peruvian-inspired sandwich counter that opened inside of Pe rennial Artisan Ales’ south St. Lou is tasting room in September.

As Cisneros explains, the idea for Sanguichitos came to him well before his partnership with Pe rennial. At Jalea, his nearly yearold cevicheria on Main Street in St. Charles, Cisneros began ex perimenting with small Peruvianinspired sandwiches, or sanguich itos, after getting ahold of some excellent pandesal bread from a local bakery. The pandesal, a soft, subtly sweet Filipino roll, was the perfect canvas for classic Peru vian sandwich flavors, so he cre ated a few different varieties and put them on Jalea’s menu. They were an instant success and made him realize he was onto some thing that could be as popular in St. Louis as they are in Peru.

“Just like how Mexico has taco carts, we have sandwich carts,” Cisneros says. “We eat a lot of sandwiches in Peru, and I wanted to make something that wasn’t [a] big sandwich but has finesse and is easier to pick up for a quick bite; you can have one or two and everyone is full for the night.”

Cisneros drew inspiration not only from Peruvian flavors but from the street carts that serve them. Parked in front of bars and clubs where they provide sandwiches to merry-makers into the wee hours of the morn ing, the carts are a staple of the country’s nightlife culture. That’s why things clicked when he got to talking with Perennial’s owner, Phil Wymore, following a pop-up series they did together this past spring and summer. Cisneros noticed that Perennial’s kitchen

was not in use, and he instantly recognized that the tasting-room environment would be the per fect place for St. Louisans to enjoy

Field Day

Specialty Schnucks focused on organic items opening this spring

Written by JAIME LEES

St. Louis shoppers will have a whole new version of Schnucks to explore this coming spring. Eatwell Market by Schnucks opens next year in Chesterfield, and this specialty shop is one that anyone can enjoy.

Eatwell Market by Schnucks (220 THF Boulevard, Chesterfield) will focus on offering natural and organic foods, includ ing a wide selection of both organic and commercially grown produce. The store is designed to “celebrate the connection of food, wellness and community by offering foods with exceptional taste and uncom promising ingredients,” so it will also be

his sanguichitos. Wymore agreed, and in just two months, the two converted the empty kitchen into a bastion of Peruvian street food.

Sanguichitos’ menu consists of five different styles of slider-sized sandwiches. The Peruvian Street Burger pairs a seasoned beef pat ty with smoked cheddar cheese, crispy potatoes, fried shallots and a piquant take on fry sauce, a may onnaise-and-ketchup-based sauce popular throughout Latin Ameri ca. His smoked chicken salad san guichito uses Peruvian-style rotis serie chicken as a base, then tosses it with Cisneros’ “chicken sauce,” a dressing made with aji amarillo, black mint, mayonnaise and vin egar. A blue crab salad slider fea tures hunks of the tender shellfish dressed with citrus mayonnaise and accented with smoked trout roe. Sanguichitos also serves a braised pork belly sanguichito, as well as a vegetarian riff on chori pan, which consists of a chorizoseasoned Impossible patty topped with mozzarella cheese and roast ed red pepper sauce.

All sanguichitos, except for the blue crab, are served in pairs, and every order comes with a side of housemade chips and a cilantrolime ranch dipping sauce that Cisneros likens to onion dip. He hopes to expand his side offer ings, but for now, he’s trying to nail down what he’s currently do ing in the hopes he can build upon it at additional locations.

“I love this concept,” Cisneros says. “I’m still tweaking a lot of things, but I think this is some thing that can be replicated in a lot of small spaces. That’s what is on the horizon right now.” n

carrying items such as freshly ground nut butters and meat products without added growth hormones or antibiotics.

“We are excited to introduce Eatwell Market by Schnucks to customers in our hometown area,” says Schnucks Execu tive Vice President of Supermarkets Ted Schnuck. “Our company’s mission is to

nourish people’s lives, and we will build on that by bringing customers a store where they can discover new, local items while staying focused on health and wellness.”

The new Eatwell Market will be locat ed in Chesterfield Valley between Sam’s Club and Lowe’s — right off of the Boone’s Crossing Road exit at Highway 40. n

Sanguichitos brings Peruvian-inspired sandwiches to Perennial Artisan Ales. | SARAH LOVETT

Eatwell Market by Schnucks is coming soon to Chesterfield Valley. | COURTESY SCHNUCKS

ST. LOUIS STANDARDS

Baked with Love

Diana’s Bakery is a matter of destiny for the Vazquez family

Written by CHERYL BAEHR

Diana’s Bakery 2843 Cherokee Street, 314-771-6959

If you’ve been to Diana’s Bak ery, you’ve interacted with Ana Vazquez. Bubbling with pas sion for her customers and the delectable cakes, breads and pastries she and her husband, Refugio, sell out of their Cherokee Street storefront, Vazquez is the face of the business many see as the city’s definitive Mexican bak ery. That’s why it’s not uncommon for people to wonder why the business is called Diana’s, and not Ana’s Bakery.

“Before we started the bakery, I had two boys — eight and six — and a baby girl, Diana,” Vazquez explains. “We put her name on it, not just because she was the little girl, but because when I was preg nant with her, I couldn’t work because of health reasons. I was bored at home and decided to start baking. That’s when I started selling tres leches cakes out of my home and how we started making money that we were able to save up and open the bakery.”

Fifteen years after welcom ing their first guests into Diana’s Bakery, Vazquez cannot help but marvel at what she and Refugio have created, even as hindsight has made her understand it was their destiny. For Refugio, the bakery seemed especially fated. The son of a baker, Refugio left his San Francisco high school at the age of 17 to pursue the craft himself, picking up behind-thescenes skills like cleaning trays while working for a local shop. He returned to his native Mexico for a few years, then came back to the United States — this time to Chicago, where he dug much deeper into the baking industry

and developed his skills working for area shops.

Around that time, he met Vazquez, who was unsure of her own career path. Though she con sidered becoming an immigration lawyer, she never seriously pur sued that field and instead got a job at the grocery store where her hus band worked after the two moved to St. Louis. While he baked bread and cakes for the store, Vazquez took care of the customers and quickly realized she had a skill for customer service. Her boss, the store’s owner, noticed it too.

“He told me that he loved the way I took care of his customers, and that his sales were getting better because I took my time with them and would go around the store to help them and let them know when the fresh bread was coming out,” Vazquez recalls. “He was a good guy — very sup portive of us.”

Eventually, the owner’s com pliments turned into a business proposition. With sales booming and the store’s bakery set up in a different building, it was becom ing difficult for him to manage both facets of the operation. He

believed that the Vazquezes had what it took to successfully run the bakery on their own, so he of fered to sell it to them.

At that point, Vazquez was hun gry to go back to work following her difficult pregnancy with Di ana. She was also confident in their ability to run a successful

bakery business, thanks to the re sponse she’d gotten to the cakes she’d made while she was preg nant. Selling her signature tres leches and flan on the side while she had to take extended materni ty leave gave her and Refugio the money they needed to purchase the business from the grocery

Diana’s on Cherokee Street is o en considered the city’s definitive Mexican bakery. | ANDY PAULISSEN

Ana Vazquez got her start working at the bakery, eventually buying it. | ANDY PAULISSEN

store owner. Still, she was unsure if they were ready to take the leap.

“I was excited, but at the same time I was scared, because I was putting all of the money we’d saved for years into the bakery and didn’t know that we would get it back or lose everything,”

Vazquez says. “I didn’t have a second job; my husband did, but I was still scared because we’d

just bought our first house. I had a lot of faith that God was going to help me and guide me and tell me where to go and what to do.”

Vazquez admits that she and Refugio started out slowly, stock ing their shelves with bread and just a couple of cake varieties. In no time, they began carrying four different types, then doubled their offerings again as custom

ers clamored for additional sweet treats. She credits their cooking for much of their success and is especially proud of her flan, a rec ipe she painstakingly created in order to make the dish less sweet than what she was able to find in other shops. She also believes their tres leches cakes stand out because they make everything from scratch and do not rely on

store-bought mixes like a lot of other bakeries.

However, Vazquez understands that customers are loyal to Di ana’s Bakery for reasons that go far beyond the delectable goods in the pastry cases. As she did at the grocery store where she start ed out as a cashier all those years ago, Vazquez makes sure to greet every single patron, welcoming them in with genuine warmth and then helping them figure out what to buy. She asks questions, offers samples and gets to know her reg ulars’ preferences; all the while, Refugio and their team of dedi cated bakers hold down the back of the house, creating the breads, cakes and desserts so many St. Louisans have come to see as es sential parts of their celebrations.

For Vazquez, hearing the stories of those special events and memo ries is the best part of the job and what makes her realize that, by bringing joy into the lives of so many people, she and her hus band are exactly where they are meant to be.

“Whenever people come to us and say, ‘I love the cake you make for me,’ or, My birthday boy or girl was so happy; they loved it and my guests loved it,’ or ‘This is the best bread ever,’ it makes me so happy,” Vazquez says. “It re ally wakes me up and makes me think, ‘OK, I have to make another family happy.’ When a mom or a dad comes in with little kids, and I offer them a cookie, I can see on their faces that we are sharing with them something that they love. That’s what it’s all about.” n

ICONIC PEOPLE, PLACES & DISHES THAT ANCHOR STL’S FOOD SCENE

Everything at Diana’s is made from scratch. | ANDY PAULISSEN e Vazquezes started out slow and added to their o erings over time. | ANDY PAULISSEN

For Ana Vazquez, hearing customer’s stories of special events is the best part of the job. | ANDY PAULISSEN

REEFERFRONT TIMES

Issa Vibe

Vibe Cannabis hits the sweet spot with its Gelato strain

Written by GRAHAM TOKER

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Gelato is one of the most cel ebrated weed strains of all time.

After being crafted through a Bay Area collaboration, can nabis breeder Mr. Sherbinski’s creation has become one of those uber-popular strains beloved by smokers and celebrated with many shout-outs in rap lyrics. The late, great Young Dolph named his 2017 album after the cultivar. It has the genetics of the popular Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies strain via Cook ies and Sherbinski’s Sunset Sher bert. It has been a building block of other popular strains, such as Runtz and Biscotti. It also has many popular phenotypes, such as Gelato #41 and Larry Bird (Gelato #33).

I decided it would be wise to get my hands on some, so I tracked down ibe Cannabis’ Gelato flow er at the south-city location of 3 Fifteen. Although I missed the dispensary’s daily happy hour, which ends at 4:20 p.m., I was able to choose from a variety of Vibe’s products. My budtender made some small talk and mentioned that I should be on the lookout for the aroma of ibe’s flower. The packaging, he explained, takes a different approach from others in the space: Instead of opting for mylar bags, Vibe goes for a small tin sealed on the top and includes a humidity pack to keep your product fresh after the package is opened. I’m a big fan of protecting the flower, so this gets a thumbs up from me. The eighth would normally set me back $39.79 after tax, but purchasing larger quanti ties of ibe flower will bring down the eighth price. Since I bought a half ounce, that eighth dropped down to $34.11 after tax.

I got home, cracked the lid (af ter a few attempts) and ripped off the seal. Some of the other strains of Vibe I picked up at the same

time had fainter aromas, but this Gelato invaded my nostrils imme diately. I got notes of sweet ber ries everywhere. There were four nugs in the container: two larger nuggets that I’d save for later and two shmedium ones that would be smoked posthaste.

Dusted with a nice layer of tri chromes, the Gelato nuggets had a light-green color with dots of purple flower encased in orange hairs that popped in the light. The trim on the flower also looks nice; since the leaves don’t hug the stem like a machine trim, I’m assuming there’s some hand trim ming involved (or those machines have just gotten better). Before I’d even broken everything down to smoke, there was a very inviting bag appeal that made me wish I had picked up more.

I got ready to smoke my first bit of the Gelato, rolled up in an Ele ments Red 1 and 1/4 paper with a RAW tip. I lit up as I took my dog out to go to the bathroom in the back yard, and noted that the smoke had a nice round mouthfeel to it, similar to what I’ve noticed in an Ice Cream Cake strain. The berry notes I got from the nose followed to the smoke, and I was thorough ly enjoying the deliciously sweet joint when all of the sudden it was all over. Too soon. My first thought after finishing that joint was that I should smoke another one.

My first joint brought on some fantastic effects, making me feel happy and uplifted even later on in the evening. The body high felt great, like a gentle hug. This is my new weighted blanket. The initial high settled in both the head and

upper body, gradually building on the body high into the legs. This could easily be dangerous couchlock weed, no question. Maybe adding in an activity would help avoid the sofa slump.

I was quite excited to roll up a second joint after my phenome nal first experience with Gelato. A friend who likes Gelato suggested playing video games, so I smoked while gaming. This definitely en hanced the experience, and I was very comfortable in my chair while still staying engaged the whole time. My back felt relaxed after a day of work, and my legs began to fade into my seat. The head high was focused but mel lowed out. To purloin a coined

phrase, it was definitely a ibe.

I rolled up again the following day after work as I was getting ready to game. However, I was sad that it was my last large nug get of the Gelato. I was very re laxed the whole time but locked in on the game and did well in my session. Still, it was hard to forget that this was it, no more Gelato. Cue the melancholy.

In conclusion, this is a strain that will definitely be added to the list of preferred strains to grab for my self at Missouri medical-marijuana dispensaries, so long as the quality stays consistent moving forward. The strain was well priced, smoked great and had an awesome effect. I’m normally skeptical about dis pensaries’ THC tests, but this defi nitely was a heavy hitter and every bit of the 30.48 percent THC on the label. I’d compare Vibe’s Gelato to Flora Farm’s popular Bubba Fett: a Missouri medical-marijuana culti vator just nailing a specific strain. There was a nostalgic vibe to my smoke sessions, just enjoying the effect and enhancing the things I already enjoyed even more. I liked the design of Vibe’s containers, with the included humidity pack, which I promptly kept using for other flower. I would recommend grabbing some for a sesh, espe cially with 3 Fifteen’s happy hour pricing.

To cap this review, I’m going to tap in Memphis rapper Key Glock, with his shout-out of Gelato on his 2018 single “Orville Redenbach er.” Take it away, Key Glock:

“Riding Forgiatos / and dodging pot holes / Smoking on Gelato / I hit the lotto.” n

Gelato is one of the more celebrated cannabis strains, and Vibe’s version definitely lives up to its reputation. | TOMMY CHIMS

My first joint brought on some fantastic effects, making me feel happy and uplifted even later on in the evening. The body high felt great, like a gentle hug. This is my new weighted blanket.

Celebrating 150 Years

A new book unearths little-known information on Tower Grove Park’s history, wildlife, architecture and more

Written by KASEY NOSS

St. Louisans know Tower Grove Park (4257 Northeast Drive, 314-771-2679, tower grovepark.org) for various reasons, from its weekly farmers’ market to the wide ar ray of sports leagues that call its grounds home. But how much do they really know about the park?

According to Amanda Doyle, au thor of a new book on the beloved St. Louis institution, not much. She hopes her book will change that.

The release of Tower Grove Park: Common Ground and Grate ful Shade Since 1872 coincides with the park’s 150th anniversary, which was officially celebrated on September 28. The book of fers a comprehensive history of the park from its conception in the late 1860s to the present day. The book includes sections on the botany and wildlife of the park, its architecture and built structures, and the various groups who have used the park over the years.

“There’s so much that I learned writing this book that I’ve never seen written down anywhere else,” Doyle says.

Despite having lived three blocks south of the park with her family for almost 30 years, Doyle knew little about it when she first took on the project two years ago.

“I use it like a lot of people in the neighborhood do, as a yard in stead of my postage-stamp-sized city yard, but I didn’t really know all that much about it,” Doyle says.

She knew the basics, such as that the park was founded by Henry Shaw, the same wealthy philanthropist behind the Mis souri Botanical Garden. However,

her research into the park’s rich history has given her a new level of appreciation for it.

“Once you have that perspec tive, it’s easy to look around and see it differently than you did be fore,” Doyle says.

Tower Grove Park is special in many ways. For starters, it is a Na tional Historic Landmark, a des ignation not commonly held by parks. It is also one of the last fully intact Victorian driving parks in the country, originally built to ac commodate horses and carriages. Eleven original pavilions from the park’s construction remain in use today, such as the Music Stand, where local artists have been per forming since the days of Henry Shaw himself.

The park is also a certified Level II Arboretum, boasting thousands of trees comprising hundreds of species. In this respect, it stays true to its original intention as an oasis from the demands of city life.

“It was always planned to be a sort of a respite and getaway from the hustle and the bustle and the

dirt and the grime,” Doyle says.

In addition to detailed histories of various aspects of the park, the book features photographs and personal stories collected from fre quent visitors, lending this history a heartwarmingly personal element that spans generations of visitors.

In one such anecdote, Doyle describes how St. Louisans in the 1930s and ’40s would flock to the park on hot summer nights, preferring to sleep among the cool trees instead of their homes, which lacked air conditioning. Entire families would head to the park, bed rolls in hand, and orga nize themselves by parish in what was essentially a mass sleepover. Doyle is fascinated by the way the park’s history mirrors that of the city and the country.

“Once you know the history a little bit, you see how its history has really reflected the city’s his tory and the country’s history,” Doyle says. “All of the social forc es and changes and issues and movements that have happened in human society since 1872 have

shown up in the park.”

The book concludes with a sec tion about the park’s future, which in part describes the overwhelm ing resurgence in park visitors fol lowing COVID-19. Doyle is happy that the park continues to play a vital role in St. Louisans’ lives.

“People really changed their habits from being casual visitors to really getting intensely in touch with [the park] again,” Doyle says. “That’s a lot of it, too, just realiz ing how important these kinds of spaces are to us.”

Doyle has written eight other books on St. Louis and Missouri topics, including 100 Things to Do in St. Louis Before You Die and St. Louis Sound, An Illustrated Time line. She considers local history, though often overlooked, to be deeply valuable.

“It’s so important to people’s lives, just [having] that kind of lo cal history and people’s personal stories,” Doyle says. “We don’t al ways do a good job of preserving them, you know?”

Tower Grove Park is a National Historic Landmark. | COURTESY NANCY MILTON Amanda Doyle has written nine books on St. Louis and Missouri. | COURTESY NANCY MILTON

[EVERY MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE]

Laugh Track

A sketch-comedy group used the pandemic to tap into an old genre, the sketch-comedy album

Written by BENJAMIN SIMON

Yes, Jim Ousley knows: Sketchcomedy albums are a thing of the past. But that’s why the genre, he says, was per fect for him and his group Boys With Scarves when the pan demic hit.

“It really seemed to have reached its peak [in] the ’70s,” he says. “We’re always a bit out of step with time and fashion any way, so we thought, ‘Hey, so no one listens to sketch-comedy re cords anymore? Why don’t we do a sketch-comedy record?’”

The group, including Ousley, Chris Anich, Oscar Madrid and Grant Essig, have known each oth er for decades. Three of them met in Magic Smoking Monkey Theater back in the 1990s, when they did late-night shows and “crazy com edy for sometimes sober crowds.”

They have stayed friends ever since. When the pandemic be gan, they started messaging in their group chat. “We missed each other,” Ousley says. They couldn’t perform in venues or go on stage, and they felt squirmy to make something.

“When you’re a creative type, you start to go even more stir-cra zy because your inclination is to entertain people and make people happy,” he says.

Somewhere in that chat, the idea of a sketch-comedy album was floated. They were big fans of the genre. So they started tex ting each other ideas. The ideas turned into scripts, and the scripts piled up. They went over to each other’s houses a few months later to write some more. Before long, they were recording, and not long after that, they had 25 tracks, then 15, then the final 10.

Two and a half years later, in September 2022, Boys With Scarves released its debut sketch-

comedy album, Boys With Scarves.

When asked how he would de scribe the album, Ousley pauses.

“It’s sort of like a funny audio book that is every mother’s night mare,” he says.

He says they create comedy that makes each other laugh.

“Our sense of humor has not evolved — and I mean this — has not evolved past the age of maybe 10 or 11,” he says.

But beneath the jokes, the al

bum was born out of real work, attention to detail and artistry. It’s not them sitting in front of a mi crophone, cracking a few impro vised knock-knock jokes.

The skits feature a story. All told, it’s a collection of short sto ries, with characters, settings and journeys. In one skit, for ex ample, a group of cowboys takes a trip along the West Coast with a preacher. Throughout the sevenminute track, Ousley, Anich, Ma drid and Essig perform as multi ple characters. They morph their inflection to sound like a cowboy or like an older man. And then, they’re interrupted by the sound of a farting horse.

“[A sketch-comedy record] is kind of like listening to an audio book in a way,” Ousley says. “It’s for people who have the patience to put something in and listen to the sketches without that visual ac companiment. And that was part of our challenge –– making it really well produced and listenable. Re ally cool music and sound effects.”

This isn’t Ousley’s full-time job. He has a day job in IT. He even has a part-time job writing comics for a Houston company. He has a fam ily. But comedy, he says, is impor tant for a different reason.

Growing up in St. Louis, Ousley was shy and struggled with stut tering. “[Art] took me away,” he says. That’s what he hopes to give to others with comedy.

He doesn’t know what the longterm goals are for his group.

“I don’t think we’re sophisticat ed or organized enough to have any long-term goal whatsoever,” he says.

But he knows they are creating another sketch comedy record. Ousley wants to make more peo ple laugh –– just like comedy did for him.

“Every time I wake up in the mornings, I want to make some thing,” he says. “Like, what can I make for somebody that will make them happy? Seriously. My whole goal in life is to leave behind as much fun stuff as possible.” n

From le : Oscar Madrid, Jim Ousley, Grant Essig and Chris Anich spent two years cra ing their sketch-comedy album. | GRANT ESSIG

“ Our sense of humor has not evolved — and I mean this — has not evolved past the age of maybe 10 or 11.”

OUT EVERY NIGHT

Each week, we bring you our picks for the best concerts of the next seven days! To submit your show for con sideration, visit https://bit.ly/3bgnwXZ. All events are subject to change, espe cially 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. And, of course, be sure that you are aware of the venues’ COVID-safety requirements, as those vary from place to place, and you don’t want to get stuck outside because you forgot your mask or proof of vaccination. Happy showgoing!

THURSDAY 1

ANDY COCO’S NOLA FUNK AND R&B REVUE: 9:30 p.m., $10. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

ARMCHAIR BOOGIE: w/ Fireside Collective, One Way Traffic 8 p.m., $ 0-$ 5. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

BENDIGO FLETCHER: 8 p.m., $15. Blueberry HillThe Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

BILLY BARNETT BAND: 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

BUTCH MOORE: 4 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

CELEBRATING MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE VILLE: 5:30 p.m., free. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 314-746-4599.

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS: 6:30 p.m., $37$77. Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St. Charles, 636-896-4200.

DARYL HALL AND THE DARYL’S HOUSE BAND: 7:30 p.m., $36.50-$166.50. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.

DREA VOCALZ: 6:30 p.m., $ 0. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314- 56-1745.

FRANK VIGNOLA: TRIBUTE TO MEL BAY: 6:30 p.m., $40-$50. Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 10 E. Monroe Ave., St. Louis, 314-707-1134.

JOE PASTOR TRIO: noon, $15-$ 0. The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square inside Grandel Theatre, St. Louis, 314-776-9550.

KING FRIDAY: 10 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

MARTY SPIKENER’S ON CALL BAND: 8 p.m., $15$ 0. Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis.

STONEY LARUE: 8 p.m., $20. The Hawthorn, 5 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

THE TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS: w/ Vince Herman 8 p.m., $35 $40. Old Rock House, 1 00 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

FRIDAY 2

93.7 THE BULL’S SANTA JAM: 7:30 p.m., $39-$193. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.

ALEXIS COLE: 7:30 p.m., $ 0. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314- 56-1745.

BE OUR GUEST! DISNEY DJ DANCE PARTY: 8 p.m., $20-$40. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314- 89-9050.

THE BEL AIRS: 10 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

BILLY THE KID: 7 p.m., $7. Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St Charles, 636-896-4200.

COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS: 8 p.m., $17. Off Broad way, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

FOXING: w the Mall, Shinra Knives, Thor Axe 7 p.m., $20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

FROSTBYTE: 8 p.m., $20. The Golden Record,

Foxing w/ or Axe, e Mall, Shinra Knives

7 p.m. Friday, December 2. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Boulevard. $20 to $25. 314-726-6161.

It’s hard to believe that more than 10 years have passed since Riverfront Times named Foxing the “Best New Band” in St. Louis. We could claim clairvoyance on the matter, but Foxing has felt exceptional from day one, even before the group’s inevitable transition from basement shows to big stages at large-scale festivals. While the band’s 2013 record The Albatross should

2720 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, N/A.

J.D. HUGHES & THE FUZE: 10 p.m., $12. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

MODERN COLOR: w Soft Blue Shimmer, Mofie 6:30 p.m., $15-$18. The Sinkhole, 74 3 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

MURDER CITY PLAYERS: 8 p.m., $12-$16. Central Stage, 35 4 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, 314-533-0367.

NOAH THOMPSON & HUNTERGIRL: 8 p.m., $ 5. The Hawthorn, 5 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

PHILLIPALOOZA 2022 DAY ONE: w/ One Way Traffic, Mom’s Kitchen, The Scandaleros, The Service, Stone Sugar Shakedown, Emily Wallace 6:30 p.m., $15-$ 5. Old Rock House, 1 00 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

SKEET RODGERS & INNER CITY BLUES BAND: 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

be considered a lynchpin in the music in dustry’s most recent emo revival, each subsequent release by Foxing has offered a further exploration of distinct and immer sive songcraft. Last year’s Draw Down the Moon was an aural achievement packed with lush and deliberate layers, which made for an experiential listen akin to ac tually seeing the group perform live. Still, there’s no substitute for watching singer Conor Murphy turn himself inside-out on stage while the rest of the band basks in the sensory overload of audio-reactive video projections. This night kicks off a week-long tour that carries Foxing from the Midwest to the East Coast, where the

hometown heroes will open a pair of shows in support of Taking Back Sunday.

Best In Class: Fresh off the release of debut album Solar Rips earlier this year, triumphant metal outfit Thor Axe stands out on a massive locals-only lineup that truly befits the term “all killer, no filler.”

And speaking of our annual Best Of awards, this year’s iteration named Shinra Knives’ debut effort In Grief as the Best Album of 2022 while the Mall was awarded Best Local Artist. Whether your finger is on the pulse or you like to keep an ear to the ground, this show might have the strongest lineup of local music these past 12 months. —Joseph Hess

SLAPSHOT STL: 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m., $10. The Attic Music Bar, 4 47 S. Kingshighway, nd floor, St. Louis, 314-376-5313.

SPIRIT OF THE SEASON: 7 p.m., free. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 Touhill Cir, St. Louis, 310-210-8779.

STEEP CANYON RANGERS: 8 p.m., $40-$50. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

STL SHOWCASE: w Stormrazor, Euphoria, Beaser, Dead Birds Can Fly 8 p.m., $5-$8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

SATURDAY 3

12TH ANNUAL BROTHERS LAZAROFF HANUKKAH HULLABALOO: 7 p.m., $18-$50. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, 314-533-0367.

33 ON THE NEEDLE: w Daughters of Saint Crisp in, Hideous Gentlemen 8 p.m., $10. Jacoby Arts

Center, 6 7 E. Broadway, Alton, 618-46 -5 .

ALL ROOSTERED UP: noon, $10. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

AT MY WORST: w/ Dead Birds Can Fly, Videotape, Brave New World 8 p.m., $12. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314- 89-9050.

BRETT ELDREDGE: 8 p.m., $ 6.75-$96.75. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.

DHORUBA COLLECTIVE: 11 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

THE GAITHER VOCAL BAND CHRISTMAS: 6 p.m., $ 4-$65. Family Arena, 00 Arena Parkway, St. Charles, 636-896-4200.

HUBB & THE HEAVY HEARTS: 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m., $10, 3143765313, info theatticmusicbar.com, cli.re 987-hubb--the-heavy-hearts. The Attic Music Bar, 4 47 S. Kingshighway, nd floor, St. Louis.

JASON COOPER & THE COOP DEVILLES: 3 p.m.,

Foxing. | VIA LESSER MATTERS

$15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

PALM, WATER FROM YOUR EYES: 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

PHILLIPALOOZA 2022 DAY TWO: w/ Funky Butt Brass Band, Madahoochi, Sean Canan’s oodoo Players, Alligator Wine, Cree Rider, Chris Shephard Band 6:30 p.m., $15-$ 5. Old Rock House, 1 00 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

ROGER SCHMELZER: 6:30 p.m., $20. Blue Strawberry Showroom Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314- 56-1745.

SAINT BOOGIE BRASS BAND UGLY CHRISTMAS PARTY: 10 p.m., $10. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

STEVE PECARO’S SRV TRIBUTE: w/ the Tony Campanella Band 8 p.m., $ 0-$ 5. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

SUPERFUN HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE VARIETY SHOW

SPECTACULAR: 8 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5 6 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-35 -5 6.

THE WILD FEATHERS: w Michigan Rattlers 8 p.m., $ 5. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

SUNDAY 4

BROCK WALKER & FRIENDS: 3 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

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

FOALS: 8 p.m., $35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

HARRY CONNICK JR.: 7 p.m., $46-$16 . Stifel The atre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.

LIGHTWIRE THEATER: A VERY ELECTRIC CHRISTMAS: 3 p.m., $10-$ 5. Lindenwood University’s J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts, 300 W. Clay St., St. Charles, 636-949-4433.

POP’S LOCAL SHOWCASE: w/ Holding Ground, Mental Fixation, Atlas On Fire, The Intrusion, Breezy Point 7 p.m., $5-$8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618- 74-67 0.

STOMPBOX AND THE MIXTAPES: 3 p.m., free. Columbia City Saloon, 1101 almeyer Road, Columbia, 618- 81-6410.

TOMÁSEEN FOLEY’S A CELTIC CHRISTMAS: 2:30 p.m., $20-$40. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, 314-533-0367.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS: 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

MONDAY 5

ALEX RUWE: 5 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

FALLING IN REVERSE: 7 p.m., $4 .50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

SOULARD BLUES BAND: 9 p.m., $5. Broadway Oys ter Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

THIRD SIGHT BAND: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

WET LEG: 8 p.m., $ 5-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

TUESDAY 6

105.7 THE POINT PRESENTS A TOAST TO JEFF: w/ The Rizzuto Show Friends 7 p.m., $35-$50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

CHRIS SHEPHERD BAND: 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

STEVE BAUER & MATT RUDOLF: 9 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

TIM SCHALL: 10 a.m., $20-$23. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Water From Your Eyes w/ Palm

8 p.m. Saturday, December 3. O Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $15 to $18. 314-498-6989.

Water From Your Eyes plays hopscotch on a chalk-line set of squares that each represent a different approach to songwriting. Bedroom pop and no-wave are rarely seen hand in hand, yet the Brooklyn-based art rock outfit offers a canvas of contrasting sounds that seamlessly blend and fill the space with joyous noise. Last year’s Structure bobs and weaves between droning kraut rock, wispy ballads and poetry in a way that feels both soft and loud, as if the band is playing right up against the listener’s ear. That’s not to say Water From Your Eyes is purposefully jarring, but when songs alternate between minimalism and a full-on wall of sound, any sudden jump in volume comes across as a heavyhanded punch to the gut — complete with aftercare, of course. Although Water

From Your Eyes is typically a duo, singer Rachel Brown and multi-instrumentalist Nate Amos often expand to a trio to flesh out their diverse and nomadic compositions. Brown lyrically swivels from singing to spoken word while staying in lockstep with Amos’ wiry, melodic riffs, and the pair make use of repetition to build and subsequently subvert expectations. The kind of band that shows up wearing sunglasses at night, Water From Your Eyes goes beyond “playing” music by having the kind of fun on stage that quickly spreads to all in attendance.

Read the Fine Print: While Water From Your Eyes is no doubt reason enough to hit up Off Broadway on a Saturday night, Philly art rock powerhouse Palm is technically the headlining act. The band’s new album, Nicks and Grazes, offers a pulverizing set of songs that traverses darker territory than previous studio efforts. Palm and Water From Your Eyes come to St. Louis as part of a three-week tour of North America that sees the pair traveling through the United States to Canada and back. —Joseph Hess

3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314- 89-9050.

RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE: w/ Twen 7:30 p.m., $46. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chester field, 314-4 3-8500.

TIM SCHALL: 10 a.m., $20-$23. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

VOODOO PHISH: 9 p.m., $12. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT JAZZ JAM: 6 p.m., free. The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square inside Grandel Theatre, St. Louis, 314-776-9550.

THIS JUST IN

BIG LOVE: A TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC: Fri., Jan. 0, 8 p.m., $ 0-$ 5. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

BOB ROW ORGAN TRIO: Sun., Dec. 11, 6 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

BOO BOO DAVIS & THE GROOVE CUTTERS: Sat., Dec. 10, 10 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

CHERI EVANS BAND: Fri., Dec. 9, 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

DOGS OF SOCIETY: ULTIMATE ELTON ROCK TRIBUTE: Sat., Jan. 7, 8 p.m., $ 5-$30. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

ELECTRIC AVENUE: THE 80’S MTV EXPERIENCE: Mon., Jan. 3, 8 p.m., $ 0-$40. The Hawthorn, 5 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

THE EMO NIGHT TOUR: Fri., Jan. 13, 8 p.m., $ 0$40. The Hawthorn, 5 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

THE FABULOUS FREDDIE MERCURY TRIBUTE: Sat., Jan. 1, 8 p.m., $ 0-$30. The Hawthorn, 5 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

FRANK FOSTER: Sat., Feb. 11, 8 p.m., $ . The Hawthorn, 5 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

GENESIS JAZZ BIG BAND: Sun., Dec. 11, 3 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

IVAS JOHN BAND: Sat., Dec. 10, 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

JASON STEIN / DAMON SMITH / ADAM SHEAD: W/ Dave Stone Aarron Smith, Mon., Dec. 1 , 8 p.m., $ 0. O’Connell’s Pub, 465 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-6600.

KELTIC REIGN: Tue., Dec. 13, 7 p.m., $15. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

LORRIE MORGAN AND PAM TILLIS: Fri., April 28, 8 p.m., $30-$60. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777.

LUMINAL: Fri., Jan. 0, 8 p.m., $10. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

MARAUDA: W INFEKT, DRINKURWATER, Executioner, Fri., March 10, 8 p.m., $30. The Hawthorn, 5 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

PECOS & THE ROOFTOPS: Sat., Feb. 5, 8 p.m., $ 0-$40. The Hawthorn, 5 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

SMALL TOWN MURDER: Sat., Feb. 11, 8 p.m., $39.50-$65. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

TIM MCGRAW: Sat., April 9, 8 p.m., $39.50$109.50. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000.

WHITNEY: w Squirrel Flower 8 p.m., $34.50 $40. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

WEDNESDAY 7

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & THE RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5 .

BOB MOSES: 8 p.m., $ 9.50. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

COLE CHANEY: 8 p.m., $1 . Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

JASON BOLAND & THE STRAGGLERS: 8 p.m., $ 0 $ 5. Old Rock House, 1 00 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

A KAT EDMONSON CHRISTMAS: 7:30 p.m., $ 5. Blue Strawberry Showroom Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314- 56-1745.

MACHINE GIRL: 7:30 p.m., $ 8-$49.50. Red Flag,

VOODOO DOORS: Sat., Jan. 7, 8 p.m., $15-$ 0. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

THE WILDFLOWERS: A TRIBUTE TO TOM PETTY &

THE HEARTBREAKERS: Sat., Jan. 14, 8 p.m., $ 0$40. The Hawthorn, 5 Washington Avenue, St. Louis.

THE WONDER YEARS: W Hot Mulligan, Carly Cosgrove, Wed., March 15, 7:30 p.m., $ 0-$ . Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314- 89-9050. n

Water From Your Eyes. | VIA ARTIST BANDCAMP

Quickies

BY DAN SAVAGE

Hey Dan: I’m a 29-year-old cis straight male. What are the ethics of having a cum/breeding kink? Thanks, Dan!

No one chooses their kinks — our kinks choose us — so having a kink doesn’t raise ethical issues. Acting on our kinks … making choices that impact others … that’s where ethical concerns kick in. So if it turns you on to “breed” someone, as the gay boys (very problematically!) like to say, and you never act on it, if you just sit in your apartment wanking about it, there are no ethical issues. But if you act on this kink with another person — if you want to have unprotected sex with a woman — you need to make sure she’s aware of the risks going in and that birth control is her responsibility. And you should be fully aware — going in and out and in and out — that child support could be your responsibility. (Also, you should read Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion by Gabrielle Blair.)

Hey Dan: I have misophonia. Blowjob noises make me sick. Is it possible to give a quiet blowjob?

Misophonia is a sensory disorder that makes certain sounds extremely unpleasant; eating sounds — mouth noises — can be particularly triggering for sufferers. Noise-cancelling headphones seem like an obvious solution, but they won’t work, as noises made in your own mouth have a very different path to your eardrums. So what you need are noisegenerating headphones, i.e., regular ol’ headphones blasting music cranked up so loud you literally can’t hear anything else — not even those plunger-beingused-in-desperation-as-the-water-risesto-the-top-of-the-toilet-bowl sounds someone giving a blowjob makes when their work is almost done.

Hey Dan: Beginning to think I’m bad at sex. I try to be GGG. Any tips?

Sex isn’t just about giving pleasure; it’s not just about being GGG for your part ner. It’s also about taking pleasure and giving your partner the opportunity to be GGG for you. So figure out what it is you like and what you want — sex acts or scenarios or dirty talk or materials that turn you on — and find someone who wants to give you those things,

and take them.

Hey Dan: I’m a mid bi woman in her mid-30s a few years into an open/poly marriage to a man. I’ve fallen pretty hard for my girlfriend of six months. I’ve had relationships with women before getting married, but this one has me questioning if I’d be happier as a fully fledged lesbian. How do I work out if this is just NRE (new relationship energy), a specific connection with her or actually a waning interest in men altogether?

Wanting to be with your new girlfriend all the time — that’s NRE for you — doesn’t mean you’d be happier as a lesbian, fully fledged or otherwise. But it doesn’t not mean that either. You won’t know how you’re going to feel until the NRE wears off, which it should soon.

Hey Dan: My boyfriend doesn’t want an open relationship and won’t have sex with me. But he looks at Grindr and watches a lot of porn. What do I do?

“I love you, honey, and I can do a sexless relationship — I mean, that’s what we’ve been doing for a while, so I can obviously do it — but I’m not going to lead a sexless existence. So we’re either opening our relationship or we’re ending it. One or the other, your choice.” (My hunch is that your boyfriend has already opened things on his end, literally and figuratively. Guys don’t get on Grindr for the recipes. So it’s ultimatum time.)

Hey Dan: Best advice for keeping sex hot in your late 40s, when you’re tired, you hurt, you’re crabby and you’re bitter?

Realistic expectations, scheduled sex, pot edibles, ED meds, and erotic adventures planned months in advance (anticipation is a turn-on).

Hey Dan: I have a vanilla boyfriend (of three years) and a Master (of three years). My boyfriend knows. My Master wants my boyfriend to start asking Him — to call and ask Him — for His permission whenever my boyfriend wants to have sex with me, since I’m His “property,” but I know my boyfriend won’t want to do this and will be angry that I asked. I love both, in very different ways, and I don’t know what to do. (My Master uses He/Him pronouns, always uppercased. If you respond, please use uppercase He/ Him in reference to my Master.)

Like your boyfriend, I am not your mas ter’s slave . So you can uppercase his pronouns on his orders — his, his, his — all you like, but you can’t order me to

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uppercase his pronouns. Which I prob ably would’ve done if you hadn’t told me I must. (I usually capitalize “Mas ter” and “Mistress” and “Dom,” too, but I’m making an exception for your mas ter, as I’m kind of annoyed.) Now, your boyfriend having to call and beg him (your master) when he (your boyfriend) wants to have sex with you (the person who annoyed me just now), that would be hot … if your boyfriend was into it … which he’s not. So tell your master involving your boyfriend is a hard limit. And if your master can’t respect that limit, end things with him. If you can’t bear the thought and you’re willing to deceive both men in your life, well, you could buy a burner phone, imperson ate your boyfriend’s voice, and pray you don’t get caught.

Hey Dan: How do I convince straight men that constantly pumping me full of vacuous, superficial compliments is not a substitution for a personality, a conversation, or flirting?

By refusing to fuck them, one vacuous, superficial, meaningless-complimentspewing straight guy at a time. (That said, compliments > negging.)

Hey Dan: Urban dictionary and most folks consider “cocksucker” to be an insult. Most of us consider “muffdiver,” on the other hand, to be a compliment. Is there a complimentary term for someone who sucks cock?

“Husband material.”

Hey Dan: Do you owe your romantic part ner 100 percent honesty about everything?

No.

Hey Dan: Best advice for newlyweds?

See previous question.

Hey Dan: My husband of more than 20 years once told me he’d prefer to be the one initiating all sexual contact between us. It was fine as long as I didn’t think about it too much. Recently, I have begun to feel restrained by this, and it has become a big problem for us. Is this a common hang-up for straight guys? Our sex life was really good for a long time, but I suddenly feel zero agency. He feels bad about it, too, but we can’t seem to get past it. Your thoughts?

Sounds like your husband needs to see a therapist; preferably a sex-positive therapist, and preferably in 1998. Your husband might think women aren’t sup-

posed to feel lust, and so a woman who initiates is a turn-off, or your husband might be uncomfortable — as some men are — being the object of desire, so you initiating turns him off. One or the other, both or neither, he needs to see a shrink.

Hey Dan: Is it OK to keep seeing someone who caught feelings for you when it’s not mutual? I’ve communicated where I’m at emotionally and reiterated that this isn’t exclusive. Am I doing my friend a disservice by continuing to see them? I don’t want to give up my only intimate outlet but being kind is more important to me.

It’s OK to keep seeing/fucking someone who caught feelings for you. But since you can’t know how that person is really feeling — they might be miserable and hiding it because they hope your feelings will change if they can just fuck you long enough — then calling it off is the kinder choice.

Hey Dan: Should I keep fucking my best friend who doesn’t want to be more than friends?

If you’re enjoying the sex, you’re not feeling used and you don’t have false hopes, yes. If you’re hoping the sex will lead to something more, no.

Hey Dan: My previously very sub maso partner now has PTSD after a workplace injury. No idea if his relationship to pain will ever reset so we can play again. I can deal, but this is a big part of what got us together in the first place.

Like a horny new dad whose wife is still recovering from the trauma of childbirth … you’ll have to deal while your partner heals. And if your partner can never again enjoy the kind of pain play that brought you together, you can explore less physically intense — and potentially triggering — kinds of pain play, perhaps supplemented with more intense psychological play. Mind fucks, humiliation, degradation, e.g., emotional sadomasochism. Negotiated carefully, rolled out slowly.

Hey Dan: I want something very specific done to me sexually, but I don’t want to ask for it. I don’t think it would be as hot if I asked for it. I need to “inception” the idea. How do I do it?

At your own peril.

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