Riverfront Times January 9, 2019 by Riverfront Times

JANUARY 9-15, 2019 I VOLUME 43 I NUMBER 1

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THE LEDE

“ There used to be miniature shops all over the place, miniature stores. The people who like it are we old people. The young people don’t want to mess with it … They’ve got computers, and they’ve got WiFi and all that. My computer hasn’t been turned on in two months.”

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

Joanne Martin, president of the Miniature MuseuM of Greater st. Louis, photoGraphed at the MuseuM on January 6 riverfronttimes.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Sarah Fenske

E D I T O R I A L Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writers Doyle Murphy, Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Editorial Interns Tom Hellauer, Desi Isaacson, Dustin Steinhoff Contributing Writers Mike Appelstein, Allison Babka, Sara Graham, Roy Kasten, Jaime Lees, Joseph Hess, Kevin Korinek, Bob McMahon, Nicholas Phillips, Tef Poe, Christian Schaeffer, Lauren Milford, Thomas Crone, MaryAnn Johanson, Jenn DeRose, Mike Fitzgerald Proofreader Evie Hemphill Cartoonist Bob Stretch

COVER Neat

A R T Art Director Evan Sult Contributing Photographers Mabel Suen, Monica Mileur, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Corey Woodruff, Tim Lane, Nick Schnelle

Wise words launch a journey of self-discovery: “If you can’t be who you are in your own skin, then what you’re doing isn’t for you.”

P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Jack Beil M U L T I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G Sales Director Colin Bell Senior Account Executive Cathleen Criswell, Erica Kenney Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel Multimedia Account Executive Michael Gaines, Christine Knoll, Jackie Mundy Event Coordinator Grace Richards

Written by

STEPHANIE DANIELS Cover photo by

C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Kevin G. Powers

ANDY PAULISSEN

E U C L I D M E D I A G R O U P Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services Stacy Volhein Creative Director Tom Carlson www.euclidmediagroup.com

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NEWS How Weed Activists Planned for a ‘Worst Case Scenario’ Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

n the weeks leading up to the 2018 midterm election, Missouri’s cannabis backers were already gearing up for what they feared would be the real fight: a post-election legal battle between two competing constitutional amendments with vastly different visions for the state’s medical weed industry. That legal battle never happened. On November 6, voters gave their support to just one marijuana ballot initiative, Amendment 2, which is now in the process of implementation. But a draft document shared with the Riverfront Times reveals that Amendment 2’s organizers at New Approach Missouri were seriously preparing for a “worst case scenario” — gaining a plurality of votes, but still losing the election to Amendment 3. Funded and written by Brad Bradshaw, a Springfield-based surgeon/attorney, Amendment 3 similarly sought to amend the state constitution to legalize the sale and cultivation of medical cannabis. And if both rival amendments got approval from voters, the one with the most votes would become law. The devil was truly in the details for Amendment 3. Bradshaw’s plan called for a brand-new, selfcontained regulatory agency under the direction of Bradshaw himself. Bradshaw also promised this new branch of Missouri government would cure cancer. Critics blasted Bradshaw’s ambition as a power grab, labeling him Missouri’s wannabe “Weed Czar.” But it wasn’t Bradshaw’s hubris that caught the attention of Michael Wolff. “When I first read Amendment

Missouri voters in 2018 rejected wannabe “Weed Czar” Dr. Brad Bradshaw. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI 3, I thought, ‘There’s something fundamentally wrong with this,’” recalls the former Missouri Supreme Court justice, who represented New Approach Missouri during its ballot-initiative push. It was Wolff who took the lead on preparing New Approach’s post-election litigation against Bradshaw. To do so, Wolff reached deep into the past, all the way back to the 1820 Act of Congress that had authorized Missouri’s statehood, and specifically the condition that the state enact a “republican” form of government. In this context, Wolff explains, Congress was using the “small r” definition of republican — the principle that a government’s officials must ultimately be accountable to voters. “It’s a fairly obscure doctrine, but it’s the truth,” Wolff says. “Decisions that are made by the government are made by people who are answerable to the voters. Even if you have an appointee, the appointee is appointed by someone who is accountable to the voters.” And in that doctrine lay Wolff’s strategy for attacking Bradshaw’s proposed cancer-fighting, pot-regulating research facility: Amend-

“You can’t set up a parallel government just for medical marijuana.” ment 3 designated Bradshaw as the initial appointing authority over an all-powerful research board, whose unelected members would hold the sole power to regulate marijuana in Missouri. Wolff argues that such a system would create a “self-perpetuating” system of appointments that would violate no less than the U.S. Constitution. New Approach’s draft petition contended that even if Missourians approved Amendment 3, the Missouri secretary of state had an obligation to block it from entering the state constitution. “You can’t set up a parallel government just for medical marijuana,” Wolff notes. “What we were trying to do with this proposed litigation was to ask the courts to

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stop the secretary of state from certifying this thing as having passed, look at the constitutionality of it, and then if it’s unconstitutional put in the one that came in second place.” In New Approach’s strategizing, that would be its own, rival amendment. Of course, the theory was never put into practice, as New Approach’s Amendment 2 didn’t place second. Instead, more than 65 percent of voters approved New Approach’s plan to regulate medical weed through the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services. Amendment 2’s competitors, Amendment 3 and Proposition C, both came in under 50 percent, rendering Wolff’s strategy moot. For New Approach, that electoral victory was the “dream scenario,” says Jack Cardetti, a former spokesman for New Approach who now works for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association. To Cardetti, that Amendment 3 couldn’t muster even 50 percent approval from voters was a big victory, one that allowed Missouri to move forward with implementing a medical-marijuana system — and not just mire cannabis backers in litigation. “What we were strategizing for was the inevitability that Brad Bradshaw would want some of Amendment 3 to survive, even if he didn’t get the most votes,” Cardetti says. “The real concern was that it would delay implementation of Missouri’s medical-marijuana program.” That implementation is now underway. The state’s Department of Health and Senior Services began accepting application fees earlier this month. Actual patient forms are expected to be available on June 4. Still, if you are a patient, you may want to temper your expectations. Some states have taken two years or more to get their medical marijuana programs off the ground, and while Missouri seems off to a good start — for instance, you are now legally allowed to discuss cannabis with your doctor — actually getting that weed prescription is further down the road. How far? According to the Department of Health and Senior Services website, “we anticipate medical marijuana may be available for purchase as early as January 2020.” n

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A recent visit to the Arch revealed nicely maintained grounds. Thanks, feds! | DANNY WICENTOWSKI

Shutdown? What Shutdown? Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

or many national parks, the ongoing federal shutdown means getting trampled by the public’s incredible capacity to trashify the natural world. Not so at the Gateway Arch National Park, which looks pretty damn good right now. The grass is neatly mowed. Garbage cans have been recently emptied. How is that possible when the stalemate over a border wall means federal functions are, well, non-functional? At first, our attempts to get to the bottom of just who was maintaining the Arch grounds came up empty. A federal ranger declined to comment, and representatives from both the city of St. Louis and the Gateway Arch Park Foundation said they had no idea who was doing the maintenance work. But the answer, as it turns out, is a simple one: It is, in fact, the National Park Service that continues to ensure the Arch’s surroundings are looking their best. Sarah Clarke, director of operations for the Gateway Arch, says the Service is allowed to utilize “excepted personnel” for health and safety purposes — and that encompasses

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“the basic care of the grounds” in downtown St. Louis and services for trash and snow removal. Although access to Arch itself and its visitor center — as well as the Old Courthouse across the street — remains barred, the surrounding grounds are still open to the public. On Monday afternoon, small groups of people milled around the Arch’s legs, tilting smartphones to grab that perfect vertigo-inducing shot. Several approached the closed visitors’ area and museum. The entrance is currently blocked with a sign that reads, “Because of a lapse in federal appropriations, the Gateway Arch is closed for the safety of the visitors and park resources.” As for the grounds, though, they were looking downright spiffy. Aside from a stray bag of chips and small pieces of trash, there was nothing remotely close to the conditions found in other, more remote national parks, some of which are overflowing with trash and (ugh) human waste. Of course, the Arch benefits in this case from being comparably small and nestled against a large urban center. But it also reflects the monument’s recent official designation as a national park. The Arch may be big on its own, but now it’s bigger than just itself. The proof, perhaps, is the fact that it’s not standing arms-deep in trash right now. So, thank you, federal government, such as you currently are. There’s no denying the grounds provide gorgeous framing, and the Arch is looking good at every angle. n

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Author Stephanie Daniels, left, had to muster the courage to let her hair go free form. | ANDY PAULISSEN

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How I got back to my roots and embraced my true self By STEPHANIE DANIELS

“Girl, why is your hair all over your head?” I stood there for a moment, my mother’s words sharp like a bee sting. I knew she meant no harm, but I had felt so proud of how I looked. I answered, “Mom, these are free-form locs.” Earlier that day, I had found and allowed my spirit to shine in its truest form. But the journey to self-love is never an easy one. ¶ Two hours prior to my mother’s rather unwelcome, yet not entirely unexpected, response, I was sitting in a

downtown St. Louis hair salon endearingly named Napps. Monique, the beautiful being whose chair I occupied, wore a colorful crop top with a piece of Kente cloth adorning her waist. Her grounding in her own spirit called me to crawl out from behind the world’s standards and join hers. ¶ We talked about spirituality, incense, alkaline and ancestors. Then she paused to ask how I wanted my hair Continued on pg 16

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done. I hesitated for a moment, the truth on my lips as if waiting on the pop of a starter’s pistol to let it go. But her energy brought it out of me. “I’m considering free form, but I don’t know …” The words lingered in the embarrassment I felt in not giving myself the love to be free. Free-form locs are the father of traditional dreadlocks. Most people with locs go in and get their hair styled and roots re-twisted for a more “clean and neat” look. Free form is more organic. It’s about letting your hair take the shape for which it was intended: no manipulation. It’s allowing your spirit to manifest on the outside in its truest form. Monique inquired as to why I wouldn’t take the leap, rinsing what felt like every inhibition from my hair. Then she laid on my spirit the words that have stuck with me ever since: “If you can’t be who you are in your own skin, then what you’re doing isn’t for you.” It was refreshing to find someone so grounded, but it also saddened me that I’d been living in St. Louis my whole life and never received such bracing words. I was scared of how “untamed” my hair would look to others — the residual effects of the grooming I had received for decades. Hair was a topic we seldom spoke about directly in my family, but it always tended to come up in conversation, verbal or not. Growing up, I was one of five and the only girl. I can still hear my mom telling me how she’d prayed for a full head of hair for me. She hadn’t dealt with natural hair herself, because she only had boys prior to me. And she herself had a low cut like them. My whole life my mom has always been confident with her hair; I mean the woman literally said, “I’m done with my hair,” and cut it at a time where women with short hair were looked at as masculine. Her routine was very simple: She would take the boys to get their hair cut, and have the barber cut her hair as well. As a child, I would go with them to the barber shop. Her living in her truth was huge to me before I even knew it. I remember thinking “How cool is she?” as she sat among the men, there for the same thing. She could assert her-

self, cut out the nonsense and remain as delicate as a lotus. She was free and confident in her own skin as a black woman. I’ve never seen my mother with hair, like ever. She first cut her hair in her late teens, in 1977. Keep in mind the era she was in. In the 1970s, natural hair exploded in the black community as a whole, and St. Louis was no exception. Afros adorned the heads of many, and black power ignited the black community like the Olympic torch. Black hair was being shown in a positive light. My mom was the image of that in her own way. It was her form of liberation. Growing up, my grandmother would keep Mom’s hair pressed. Every couple of weeks, my mother would hesitantly walk into the loud bustle of the beauty salon: chairs filled with women talking about what they’d done that week, what was the new style, about “Jack” and his slick perm. Despite all of that, her eyes were deadset on her seat amongst it all. She didn’t want to battle the familiar enemy of many black women: the hot comb. Many black women can attest to their love-hate relationship with the hot comb. It was what you endured to be “beautiful,” and my mother wasn’t immune. She sat still as the comb heated up, staring in anticipation as her beautician pulled it from the stove, the smoke that wafted from it validating her fears. As the comb got closer, the fear of getting burned washed over her, forcing her into the darkness behind her eyelids. It wasn’t pleasant. But society, family and that voice inside insisted your hair should look neat, neat was straight and straight hair meant an appointment with a hot comb. But even after she resisted the hot comb, even as she got her hair cut so very short, my mother still signed on to the opinion that your hair should look neat. She wasn’t alone in that. Even in the era of the afro, there was always this underlying distaste for styles that looked “unkempt.” You can see it if you look back on pictures of how afros were styled. They were trimmed to the “T” and picked to perfection, not a hair out of place. This sort of unspoken rule of neatness often acted, and still acts, as a catalyst in the avoidance of hairstyles that show the true natural form of black hair. And this influenced my personal hair journey.

Evolution of a hairstyle: The author has worn braids, press and curl, and pixie braids. | COURTESY OF VERNA DANIELS 16

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or years, I went to the hair salon and stared at the hot comb, just as my mother had before me. I straightened my hair, permed it, got sew-ins, dyed it. I overworked my hair and succumbed to what society and even my familial history told me was right. But something in me resisted. I began to read books about my history, and watched as many interviews and commentaries as I could on what it meant to be black. I viewed hair tutorial after hair tutorial, looking up natural concoctions that I could make and use in my hair: coconut oil, grapeseed oil, flax seeds. The more I dove into my culture, the more I wanted to be free within it. I saw photos of my ancestors wearing their hair in its natural state, and I learned the purpose of it. So, in response, I chose free-form locs as the truest expression of myself. For Africans, I learned hair had always been a part of our spirituality, and always served a purpose. Often, it was looked upon as a direct line to our ancestors and the Most High. Our hair acts as an antenna that taps into a higher vibration, an idea inspired by how our follicles grow upward, towards the creator. But through the transatlantic slave trade and colonization, the very fabric of our beliefs and what our ancestors held sacred were stripped away. Historically Africans were made to cut their hair, and were separated from the beliefs and spiritual systems that had been at the center of their communities. Their African features were looked down on, and Eurocentric features were prized. More than a century after slavery, the perm was introduced. Women and men moved away from natural hair, and placed harsh chemicals that often singed their hair to obtain the beauty standard. We see now the residual effects in research that links hair chemicals used by black women to fibroids. Black women in the U.S. have a rate of these uterine tumors that’s two to three times higher than white ones. For a 2012 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the authors interviewed more than 23,000 premenopausal black women from 1997 to 2009 and found higher fibroid rates among women who’d used relaxers in their hair. Relaxers often contain lye (sodium hydroxide), which can cause burns and lesions on the scalp. The authors linked these burns to the occurrences of fibroids.

I’ve long been intrigued by the link between our ancestors’ first experiences with European culture and the imprints left on our society in the present day. We live in a society of social media, where influence can be magnified as it confronts us in image after image, on screen after screen. As a black woman, it is a constant struggle dealing with beauty. We go to get makeup and can’t find our shade; access to natural hair-care products that work with our hair is limited,

y oldest brother, Courtney, and I often talked about my hair — he was the one person who just got it. I remember one particular conversation. We sat at his kitchen table, a mix of old and modern rap music playing in the background. I listened intently, this short dark-skinned guy in his 40s (my other brothers and I, being younger, always gave him trouble about his age) telling

Like many other children, the author’s mother, Verna Daniels, got her hair pressed. Once she got older, she decided to cut her hair, and has worn a low cut for decades. | COURTESY OF VERNA DANIELS

often manufactured by individuals who don’t look like us; and of course, natural hair is deemed “unprofessional.” Your African hair is called “nappy” and your body “fat”; when you turn to social media, you get choked out by the cultural appropriation. Even in 2018, we are still trying to find our place in society without having to compromise what we look like. But it has always been a struggle for us, especially when it comes to how we perceive ourselves, and how black men perceive us.

me what it was like growing up for him. We got on the topic of black women and their hair, and I asked, “How was hair perceived when you were growing up?” His answer surprised me. “Guys wanted girls with ‘good hair,’ and a weave was something that we looked down on.” That was such an interesting concept. These days, when the conversation surrounding “good hair” sways its ugly head in circles of black women, women with more kinky textures feel less beautiful than their counterparts because of what society has set Continued on pg 18

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forth as beautiful. In 2018, many of the black women we see on social media with “good hair” have weaves or wigs. But we are also just now moving into an era where our natural hair feels good to us. The huge response to the Nappily Ever After movie on Netflix, which portrays a black woman going through her hair journey, shows the hunger for that. What saddened me the most

would revert to its natural state at the smallest presence of moisture. But I knew I was more than that. My ancestors forged a path that brought me here. I know that I am the descendant of those strong enough to withstand a long voyage across the sea after being ripped from their homeland, being forced to watch their loved ones brutalized, and humiliated as an example to the others. A life so far from the harmony, love and spiritual morals of the homeland. I know my history. I know that it is a struggle to reconnect with who we are as black people; our

Our ancestors endured so much, and that is why I choose to live in my truth. I

am natural, and

I won’t apologize for that. about my brother’s response was the fact that, in response to what the black men around them found beautiful, black women with coarse hair sought long straight hair. They weren’t part of a society that embraced their natural hair, and they couldn’t even look to those within their own circles to encourage them to be natural. As he described how hair was viewed when he was younger, I felt myself relating to what those women were going through. How do you feel beautiful in your own skin when everything around you is saying the opposite?

ll these things influenced the path of my hair journey. Choosing to free-form my hair was my answer to noise I heard around me. Society’s standards, familial history and perception, corporate America, they all faded to the background like the slow winding of the storm sirens on the first Monday of the month. At one time in my life, I let everything around me essentially influence the love I had for myself. I chased off my thick coils with heat, I hid them behind sewins, I dreaded the way my hair

very stories are marked out of history books, often written over or falsified. Our ancestors endured so much, and that is why I choose to live in my truth. I am natural, and I won’t apologize for that — not even to those who find my hair outside of the standard of beauty. My mother has learned to love my hair and what it stands for to me. I understand that traditions are hard to get past, but when one generation takes a step in a new direction, it beckons the older to see its possibilities. Ultimately, my mother wants me to be happy, to love myself as a black woman and to understand who I am. What’s important to me is to continue to show other black women and girls that it is OK to love your hair as it grows from your head, no matter the texture. No one yields the beauty that you do, and you must believe that. I don’t care if it makes someone uncomfortable, if it prevents me from obtaining work, if I am any less beautiful to others. I owe it to myself and those before me to reconnect, to set my spirit free. To look a little less neat. Stephanie Daniels is a freelance writer. She can be reached on Instagram @Mahoganyx_ or via her blog, sandethewriter.com

The author, right, and her mother today. | ANDY PAULISSEN 18

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CALENDAR BY PAUL FRISWOLD

WEEK OF JANUARY 10-16

FRIDAY 01/11 What Happened to Us? The civic protests following the killing of Michael Brown by a police officer will enter St. Louis history as an event as momentous as the Jefferson Bank Protests of the 1960s and the Dred Scott trial of the 1850s. But in the days after Brown’s death, a long view of history wasn’t possible. As international media crowded into Ferguson and tried to make sense of the region’s troubled history with race, equal opportunity and community policing, it felt as if the facts changed daily. It’s this tangle of news personalities and deadlines that informs Kristen Adel Calhoun and Michael Thomas Walker’s new play, Canfield Drive. Two reporters with very different views of the story try to piece together the truth about what happened on a hot August day on a suburban street, while also trying to keep their own pasts from becoming part of the narrative. Calhoun and Thomas have spent four years working on the script with the St. Louis Black Repertory Company, which commissioned the play alongside the National Performance Network and 651 Arts. Canfield Drive is informed by first-person interviews with people from the metro area and from around the world, and it seeks to start conversations about race, culture, history, privilege and healing. The Black Rep presents the world-premiere production of Canfield Drive at Washington University’s Edison Theatre (6445 Forsyth Boulevard; www.theblackrep. org). Performances are at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (January 9 to 27), and tickets are $15 to $45.

Plan for spring this weekend. | COURTESY OF MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BIKE + OUTDOOR EXPO Profile, the new exhibition at the Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design (6640 Delmar Boulevard, University City; www.craftalliance. org), explores contemporary portraiture in all media. The show features everything from Richard Wehrs’ sculpted bust of an alien warrior to Cayce Zavaglia’s embroidered image of a young woman in pigtails, and all points in between. Current Profile opens with a free reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, January 11. The exhibition remains up through March 17.

Current Art

Picture This Once reserved for the wealthy and the social elite, portraiture has been democratized down to the informal level of the selfie. Freed from its staid origins, the modern portrait can be heroic representation, transgressive, humorous or an act of wish fulfillment. Current

Portrait of an Unknown Galactic Warrior. | RICHARD WEHRS

The Ann Metzger National Biennial Exhibition is the St. Louis Artists Guild’s commitment to contemporary art made real. Metzger was a longtime member of the Artists Guild, and she bequeathed money to the institution to fund cash prizes for working artists. The exhibition features art in all media by more than 50 artists from across the country. This year’s show opens with a free reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, January 11, at the St. Louis Artists Guild (12 North Jackson Avenue, Clayton; www.stlouisartistsguild.org), and includes abstract art, figurative

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painting, sculpture and digital media. The Biennial remains on display through February 23.

SATURDAY 01/12 Go Inside to Get Outside The St. Louis area has a robust system of parks and rivers for us to frolic in and on. If you can’t remember the last time you enjoyed time outdoors, perhaps one of this year’s resolutions should be to rectify that? The Mississippi Valley Bike + Outdoor Expo can ease you outside with useful advice and practical hands-on experience with the tools (and toys) of real-world recreation. The expo offers vendors selling bikes, paddleboards, climbing equipment, bicycles of all types and kayaks, as well as sports doctors and nutritionists who can reassure you that it’s never too late to start down a new path. Whether you’ll blast down that path on a mountain bike or amble along it is up to you. The Mississippi Valley Bike + Outdoor Expo takes place from 1

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Re-Mix | ReBirth Series | No3. CARMILE ZAINO

CALENDAR

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to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday (January 12 and 13) at St. Louis Union Station (1820 Market Street; www.bikeandoutdoorexpo.com). Tickets are $8 to $12, and kids ages 12 and younger are free.

Al Fresco Beer It’s been a mild winter so far (especially compared to last year), but a bad case of cabin fever doesn’t depend on the weather. A couple of weeks of gray skies and early sunsets are enough to make even the staunchest lover of winter start dreaming about blue skies. Schlafly’s always-popular Cabin Fever takes place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, January 12, at the Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, Maplewood; www. schlafly.com), and it provides all the impetus you need to get outside and have some fun. More than 40 varieties of beer will be sampled outside (tickets include a commemorative tasting glass), and food will be available to purchase on the festival grounds and inside the restaurant. Cabin Fever is a rain-or-shine event, but if the weather gets dangerous, a rain date is planned for

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JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

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January 19. Tickets are $35 to $40 and going quickly.

MONDAY 01/14 Death of an Icon When DC Comics killed Superman in 1992, the story became national news, and the issue that revealed the means of his death (an alien warrior) sold in record numbers. Of course, Superman didn’t die, but for a few months it appeared that he had. In that interregnum, writers and artists were able to imagine how heroes and villains alike would react to his death and explore what Superman meant to the world. The epic storyline is the inspiration for the 2018 animated film The Death of Superman, which is pretty faithful to the comic-book storyline (a rarity in superhero films). The Death of Superman receives a limited theatrical release on a double bill with the new film Reign of the Superman, which adapts those postdeath stories of the mid-’90s. Both films screen at 12:55 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Monday (January 13 and 14) at the Marcus Wehrenberg Ronnies Cine (5320 South Lindbergh Boulevard; www. fathomevents.com). Tickets are $12.50. n

FILM

Willie on a horse, from Hale County This Morning, This Evening. | © IDIOM FILM, COURTESY RAMELL ROSS & CINEMA GUILD

[REVIEW]

Hale and Well-Met RaMell Ross illuminates the black lives hoping and dreaming in rural America Written by

ROBERT HUNT Hale County This Morning, This Evening Written and directed by RaMell Ross. Starring Quincy Bryant, Daniel Collins, Latrenda “Boosie” Ash and Kyrie Bryant. Presented by the Webster Film Series Friday through Sunday (January 11 to 13) at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium.

ale County is a mostly rural district in central Alabama. With fewer than 15,000 residents, it’s the kind of place where the only excitement comes from local high school or

college athletics. At the beginning of his essay/ documentary/collage Hale County This Morning, This Evening, sociologist and photographer RaMell Ross announces via title card that he came to the region to teach photography and coach basketball at a local college. (Although Ross states that filming began in 2009, this is a film of emotion and evocation, not chronological narrative.) Over five years, Ross recorded life in the area, capturing the residents as well as the environmental ambiance. The resulting film is a brief but evocative recreation of rural life, a portrait that veers from abstract and implacable imagery to the everyday voyeurism of our post-Instagram/ YouTube era at its most quotidian. This is not to suggest that Hale County is a mere scrapbook of random images. Ross anchors his atmospheric account with portraits of two young men struggling to survive in an economic quagmire. The first, a local college student named Daniel Collins, dreams that basketball or rap will carry him away from the area. (Ross also

The political context is almost subliminal, but impossible to ignore. speaks to Collins’ estranged mother, resigned to her life working in the local catfish-processing factory.) The second, Quincy Bryant, supports a family and even faces an unimaginable tragedy, all in front of Ross’ seemingly objective lens. Ross also spends much time filming Bryant’s partner Boosie, although noting in a typically cryptic inter-title, “Carrying twins now, Boosie careth not about the film.” For all of its abstract elements — Ross films the stages of the moon and a sped-up cruise down a small-town Main Street, lingering on the rising cloud of smoke created by burning tires — Hale County has a very down-to-earth subject in mind. Ross lingers on

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scenes in which nothing really seems to happen: a basketball team waits for a game to begin, a group of men carry furniture into an apartment, a toddler dashes from one end of a room to the other with the determination of an Olympic medalist. The filmmaker’s intent, he announces early on, is “to figure out how we’ve come to be seen.” We’ve seen a lot of post-Ferguson documentaries about black lives, but if it seems briefly strange to watch such simple and ordinary scenes free from any larger social context, it may also be deliberate. In some respects, Hale County shares common ground with Frederick Wiseman’s recent film Monrovia, Indiana. Scheduled to air on PBS later this year, Wiseman’s film also offers a view of small-town life in the 21st century, in a place that’s the racial opposite of Hale County. It’s another film in which the political context is almost subliminal, but impossible to ignore. And in his own way, Ross is saying that black lives matter, and that he need not offer any further explanation. n

JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

CHILL MONDAY TACO TUESDAY $1 WING WEDNESDAY LATIN THURSDAY (INTERNATIONAL & TOP 40)

SHISHA WEEKENDS (FRI & SAT)

STARTS WITH HAPPY HOUR CONTINUED BY A LATE NIGHT SCENE

BRUNCH SUNDAY GOOD EATS + BOTTOMLESS MIOMOSAS HAPPY HOUR MONDAY – FRIDAY

HOOKAH, DRINK & FOOD SPECIALS MONDAY–SATURDAY 5PM – 1:30AM

SUNDAY 12PM – 7PM

PING PONG TABLE • POOL TABLE • BOARD GAMES WEDNESDAY TRIVIA • LIVE MUSIC / DJS 5 DAYS A WEEK

THIS WEEK THE GROVE SELECTED HAPPENINGS

Day or night, there’s always something going on in The Grove: live bands, great food, beer tastings, shopping events, and so much more. Visit thegrovestl.com for a whole lot more of what makes this neighborhood great.

2 4 R RI VI VE ER RF RF RO ON NT T T IT MI ME ES S MF EJAUBRNRCEUHA2R104Y- -22680,-, M220A0R118C8 H r5ri,ivve2er0rf1frr8oonnt trt ti ivmmeeersfs.r.coconomtmt i m e s . c o m 24 RIVERFRONT TIMES JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019 riverfronttimes.com

WEDNESDAY, JAN 9 GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV

NO BORDERS

10 PM AT HANDLEBAR

$22.50, 7 PM AT THE READY ROOM

FRIDAY, JAN 12

DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINALS DRAG, BINGO & DANCE PARTY

S.L.U.M. FEST 2019 HIP HOP AWARDS

8 PM AT HANDLEBAR

FRIDAY, JAN 11

$5, 7 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

MARC REBILLET

SEXAUER'S VINYL HAPPY HOUR

$10, 8 PM AT THE READY ROOM

TECH NOIR, EARLY DARK

$5, 10 PM AT HANDLEBAR

5 PM AT FIRECRACKER

9 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

LONDON CALLING

JANUARY

BURGER OF THE MONTH THE

2ND MORTGAGE TWO 4 OZ 35 DAY DRY-AGED BEEF PATTIES, SMOKED BACON, BOURSIN CHEESE, BALSAMIC TOMATO & CHERRY JAM, SPRING MIX AND AN OVER-EASY DUCK EGG ON A TOASTED BRIOCHE BUN

$20

4130 MANCHESTER AVE. IN THE GROVE FIRECRACKERPIZZA.COM

MONDAY, JAN 14 THE LAB

THURSDAY, JAN 17 HAROLD NIGHT

$6, 8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

$8, 8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

WEDNESDAY, JAN 16

SILVERSTEIN, WHEN BROKEN IS EASILY FIXED

THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE, THE RED-HEADED STRANGERS, RICHIE DARLING & THE DIAMOND CUT BLUES BAND, NICK GUSMAN $5, 6 PM AT THE READY ROOM

$22, 6 PM AT THE READY ROOM

TOADFACE W/ G-SPACE & PATCHES O'MALLEY

$20-22, 9 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

CLASSES. SHOWS. FOOD. BAR.

riverfronttimes.com JUNE 20-26, 2018 riverfronttimes.com JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

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6 RESTAURANTS YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT... FEATURED DINING FEATURED DINING 6 RESTAURANTS YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT... SPONSORED CONTENT

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Bobby’s Place is named after Bobby Plager, a former St. Louis Blues defenseman and cultural icon of the 70’s. Bobby’s Place is islocated Valley ParkPlager, and ona Hampton Ave., and locationsand offercultural their respective Bobby’s Place namedinafter Bobby former St. Louis Bluesboth defenseman icon of the neighborhoods are aPlace placeiswhere canand feelonatHampton home. Bobby’s Place is locations known foroffer their wide 70’s. Bobby’s locatedour in patrons Valley Park Ave., and both their respective variety ofneighborhoods flavors of Chicken theirour fresh meat can Hamburgers andBobby’s ChickenPlace Sandwiches, theirwide not are a Wings, place where patrons feel at home. is known and for their flavors Chicken Wings, theirmetal fresh meat and Chicken Sandwiches, and their not too thinvariety Pizzas of that comeofout on a rectangular tray. Hamburgers A wide assortment of freshly made appetizers, too thin Pizzas that comecan outbe onenjoyed a rectangular tray. any A wide assortment freshlyonmade appetizers, sandwiches, salads and pastas whilemetal watching of your favoriteofsports the many flat sandwiches, salads pastas beyou enjoyed whilewe watching of your on the many screen TVs throughout the and Bar & Grill.can Beer say? Well have 16any local and favorite regionalsports tap handles of flat screen and TVs throughout the Barand & Grill. youyour say?whistle. Well we Bobby’s have 16 Place local and regional handles of your favorites countless bottles cansBeer to wet is known fortap a $6.99 daily your favorites and variety countless and cansThere to wetisyour whistle. Bobby’sgoing Placeon is known for a Place, $6.99 daily lunch special and a wide of bottles drink specials. always something at Bobby’s special and is a wide drink specials. There is something going onsignature at Bobby’sdrinks Place, whetherlunch that something Triviavariety Night,ofBeer Pong, DJ Music, oralways live bands. A full bar with whether that something is Trivia Night, Beer Pong, DJ Music, or live bands. A full bar with signature drinks and shots will compliment a good night out with friends at Bobby’s Place. and shots will compliment a good night out with friends at Bobby’s Place.

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314.727.6500 622 N AND SOUTH RD. 314.727.6500 ST.622 LOUIS, MOSOUTH RD. N AND 63130 ST. LOUIS, MO 63130 As one of the premier vegetarian restaurants in the St. Louis area, Frida’s has earned accolades for serving that are as tasty as they are nourishing. Owners Natasha Kwan-Roloff (also As onehearty of themeals premier vegetarian restaurants in the St. Louis area, Frida’s has earned accolades for the executive chef) andmeals Rick Roloff by marrying local ingredients serving hearty that areelevate as tastyvegetarian as they arecuisine nourishing. Owners high-quality, Natasha Kwan-Roloff (also the ex-with innovative flavors. items areelevate made vegetarian from scratch, havebynomarrying butter orhigh-quality, sugar and use to no oilwith – but ecutive chef) andAll Rick Roloff cuisine locallittle ingredients innovative flavors. All items are made from haveanything. no butterThe or sugar and use to no oil –newest but with the flavors and creativity at Frida’s, you scratch, won’t miss University Citylittle restaurant’s flavors andBurger creativity Frida’s, plant-based you won’t miss anything. Thethe University City juiciness restaurant’s newestand hitwith is thetheImpossible – aatmassive patty that has texture and of meat hit is the carnivores. Impossible Frida’s Burger award-winning – a massive plant-based patty that has burger the texture juiciness of meat often fools signature namesake is noand slouch, either, with and its often fools carnivores. Frida’sand award-winning signature namesake is no slouch, like either, withwraps, its tahini-chipotle slaw topping local bun. The menu also boasts burger decadent favorites tacos, tahini-chipotle slawand topping local bun. Thethat menu boasts decadent favorites wraps, pizzas and desserts, a newand Sunday brunch justalso launched in April. Beer and like winetacos, are available, and aitems new Sunday brunched that launched in April. Beer and wine are available, andpizzas manyand of desserts, Frida’s menu can be modifi forjust vegan or gluten-free diners. and many of Frida’s menu items can be modified for vegan or gluten-free diners.

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314.391.5100 314.391.5100 9 S. VANDEVENTER AVE. AVE. 9 S. VANDEVENTER ST.MO LOUIS, MO ST. LOUIS, 63108 63108

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The fast-fresh, made-to-order concept has applied been applied to everything to pasta in Louis, St. Louis, The fast-fresh, made-to-order concept has been to everything fromfrom pizzapizza to pasta in St. theburrito sushi burrito surprisingly no Gateway City home BLK MKT opened Saint but the but sushi surprisingly had nohad Gateway City home until until BLK MKT EatsEats opened nearnear Saint Louis University fall. worth It was worth thethough, wait, though, because BLK MKT combines flavors Louis University last fall.last It was the wait, because BLK MKT Eats Eats combines boldbold flavors andand convenience into a perfectly wrapped package that’s ideal for those in a rush. Cousins and co-owners convenience into a perfectly wrapped package that’s ideal for those in a rush. Cousins and co-owners Kati Fahrney Ron Turigliatto a casual of high-quality, all-natural ingredients that Kati Fahrney and Ronand Turigliatto offer aoffer casual menumenu full offull high-quality, all-natural ingredients that fit fit NOT YOUR AVERAGE SUSHI SPOT NOT YOUR AVERAGE SUSHI SPOT everything you love about sushi and burritos right in your hand. The Swedish Fish layers Scandinavian everything you love about sushi and burritos right in your hand.DINE-IN, The Swedish Fish layers Scandinavian 9 SOUTH VANDEVENTER OR DELIVERY MON-SAT 11AM-9PM cured salmon, yuzu dill slaw, Persian cucumbers and avocado for aTAKEOUT flavor explosion. Another 9 SOUTH VANDEVENTER DINE-IN, OR DELIVERY MON-SAT 11AM-9PM cured salmon, yuzu dill slaw, Persian cucumbers and avocado for aTAKEOUT freshfresh flavor explosion. Another favorite, the OG Fire, features your choice of spicy tuna or salmon alongside tempura crunch, masago, favorite, the OG Fire, features your choice of spicy tuna or salmon alongside tempura crunch, masago, shallots, jalapeño and piquant namesake sauce; Persian cucumbers and avocado soothe your tongue shallots,from jalapeño and piquant cucumbers andinavocado soothe your tongue the sauce’s kick. All namesake burrito rollssauce; come Persian with sticky rice wrapped nori or can be made into poké from thebowls, sauce’s All burrito come sticky rice wrapped in nori or can be made into poké andkick. all items can berolls modifi ed with for vegetarians. bowls, and all items can be modified for vegetarians.

Housed a retroservice servicestation, station,J.J.Smugs SmugsGastroPit GastroPit serves serves up Housed in in a retro up barbecue barbecuethat thatcan canfuel fuelanyone’s anyone’sfire. fire. Married teamsofofJoe Joeand andKerri KerriSmugala Smugalaand andJohn John and and Linda Married teams Linda Smugala Smugalahave havebrought broughtcharred charredgoodness goodness to the neighborhood,nestled nestledamong amongthe thetraditional traditional Italian to the HillHill neighborhood, Italian restaurants, restaurants,sandwich sandwichshops shopsand andbakerbakerPart Louis’ongoing ongoingbarbecue barbecueboom, boom,the the J. J. Smugs’ Smugs’ pit Ribs ies.ies. Part of of St.St. Louis’ pit menu menuisiscompact compactbut butdone doneright. right. Ribs main attraction,made madewith withaaspicy spicydry dry rub rub and and smoked smoked to turkey areare thethe main attraction, toperfection. perfection.Pulled Pulledpork, pork,brisket, brisket, turkey chicken alsoininthe thepit pitholding holdingup upwell well on on their their own, of of andand chicken arearealso own, but but squeeze squeezebottles bottlesofofsixsixtasty tastysauces sauces varying style are nearby for extra punch. Delicious standard sides and salads are available, but plan on varying style are nearby for extra punch. Delicious standard sides and salads are available, but plan on ordering an appetizer or two J. Smugs gives this course a twist with street corn and pulled-pork poutine. ordering an appetizer or two J. Smugs gives this course a twist with street corn and pulled-pork poutine. Several desserts are available, including cannoli – a tasty nod to the neighborhood. Happy hour from Several desserts are available, including cannoli tasty discount nod to the neighborhood. 4 to 7pm on weekdays showcases half-dollar BBQ– atastes, drinks, and $6 craftHappy beer flhour ights from to 4 tosoothe 7pm any on weekdays showcases half-dollar BBQ tastes, discount drinks, and $6 craft beer flights to beer aficionado. soothe any beer aficionado.

CARNIVORE STL CARNIVORE-STL.COM CARNIVORE STL

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63110 Carnivore fills a nearly 4,000-square-foot space on The Hill with a dining area, bar lounge, and adjoining outdoor patio gracefully guarded by a bronze steer at the main entrance. Always embracing change, Carnivore fills a nearly 4,000-square-foot space on The Hill with a dining area, bar lounge, and adjoining Joe and Kerri Smugala, with business partners Chef Mike and Casie Lutker, launched Carnivore STL this outdoorsummer. patio gracefully guarded by a bronzeCarnivore steer at the main entrance.menu Alwaysatembracing change, As the Hill’s only steakhouse, offers a homestyle budget-friendly prices apJoe andpealing Kerri Smugala, with business partners Chef Mike and Casie Lutker, launched Carnivore to the neighborhood’s many families. Steak, of course, takes center stage with juicy fiSTL let this mignon, summer.topAssirloin, the Hill’s steakhouse, a homestyle at budget-friendly apstriponly steak and ribeye Carnivore leading theoffers menu. Customize menu any of the succulent meatsprices with sautéed pealingmushrooms, to the neighborhood’s many families. Steak, of course, takes center stage with juicy fi let mignon, grilled shrimp, or melted housemade butters, such as garlic-and-herb and red wine reductop sirloin, steak andflribeye leading theOther menu. Customize any of athe succulent with sautéed tion,strip on top of the ame-seared steak. main dishes include thick-cut porkmeats steak (smoked at J. mushrooms, grilled shrimp, meltedwith housemade butters, as garlic-and-herb andSt.red wine reducSmugs) and the grilledorchicken capers and a whitesuch wine-lemon-butter sauce. Louis Italian tradition, ontions top ofgetthetheir flame-seared steak. Ravioli, Other main dishesininclude thick-cut steak at J.Arancini, due in the Baked smothered provel acheese andpork house ragu,(smoked and in the Smugs)risotto and the grilled chicken with capers and a white Louis Italian tradiballs stuffed with provel and swimming in awine-lemon-butter pool of meat sauce.sauce. With anSt.exciting new brunch tions getmenu theirdebuting due in the Ravioli, smothered in provel cheese and housenew ragu, andofinthethe Arancini, forBaked Saturday and Sunday, Carnivore should be everyone’s taste Hill. risotto balls stuffed with provel and swimming in a pool of meat sauce. With an exciting new brunch 2 6 R Ifor V ESaturday R F R O N TandT ISunday, M E S Carnivore J A N U A Rshould Y 0 9 be - 1everyone’s 5 , 2 0 1 9 newr taste i v e r of f r the o n tHill. times.com menu debuting

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314.769.9940 2661 SUTTON BLVD, 314.769.9940 MAPLEWOOD, MO 2661 SUTTON BLVD, 63143 MAPLEWOOD, MO 63143 There aren’t many businesses named after Adam Sandler movies, but at the Blue Duck, the food is as whimsical as its “Billy Madison” reference. Originally founded in Washington, Mo., owners Chris and There aren’t many businesses named after Adam Sandler movies, but at the Blue Duck, the food is as Karmen Rayburn opened the Blue Duck’s Maplewood outpost in 2017, bringing with them a seasonal whimsical “Billy Madison” reference. foundedwith in Washington, Mo., owners menu fullasofitsAmerican comfort-food dishesOriginally that are elevated a dash of panache. Start theChris mealand with Karmen Rayburn thewhich Blue isDuck’s Maplewood in 2017, them seasonal the savory fried opened pork belly, rubbed with coffeeoutpost and served with abringing sweet bbqwith sauce andaroot vegmenu fullslaw. of American comfort-food are elevated with asubstitutes dash of panache. Start the meal etable For the main event, thedishes Duck’s that signature DLT sandwich succulent smoked duckwith thebreast savoryinstead fried pork which bacon, is rubbed withfried coffee a sweet sauce root vegof thebelly, traditional adding eggand andserved honeywith chipotle mayobbq along withand lettuce etable slaw. Foronthe mainsourdough. event, the Duck’s signature DLT sandwich substitutes succulent duck and tomato toasted Save room for dessert; the Blue Duck’s St. Louberry pie smoked – strawberries breast of the traditional bacon,buttercake-like adding fried egg and–honey chipotle mayo along with lettuce and instead blueberries topped with a gooey surface is a worthy tribute to the Gateway City. and tomato on toasted sourdough. Save room for dessert; the Blue Duck’s St. Louberry pie – strawberries and blueberries topped with a gooey buttercake-like surface – is a worthy tribute to the Gateway City.

CAFE

[REVIEW]

What a ’Burb Wants Stunningly designed and stylishly executed, Frisco Barroom has Webster Groves enthralled Written by

CHERYL BAEHR The Frisco Barroom 8110 Big Bend Boulevard, Webster Groves; 314-455-1090. Tues.-Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (Closed Mondays.)

here’s an old saying in the food business that if you want to make a million dollars by opening a restaurant, start out with two. Indeed, it’s a risky industry. The statistics on the number of places that go out of business in their first year are enough to give pause to any prospective restaurateur. Chefs around town will tell you that, though some make a comfortable living, the industry is anything but a get-rich-quick business. Looking around the packedto-the-gills Frisco Barroom on a weeknight, however, I could not help but think that there needs to be a caveat to that saying for the dining goldmine that is Webster Groves. Perhaps this: If you want to make a million dollars in Webster, find a good spot and rub two nickels together. After all, a restaurant just down the road boasts a wait list rivaling that of the French Laundry. To say that this community has been craving solid dining options is an understatement. It’s been salivating, ravenously. That a place as tailor-made for its neighborhood as the Frisco Barroom has only existed for six months might give you some idea why there’s been such demand. Though the area around Old Orchard has a handful of eating and drinking spots — Weber’s Front Row, Webster Wok, Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, Big Sky Café — it’s lacked the obvious: a modern American tavern that is nice enough for date night, but not so

Think of Frisco Barroom’s massive Cornish pasty as akin to a McDonald’s apple pie, only with savory filling instead of sweet. | MABEL SUEN nice that you have to call a sitter. Enter the Frisco Barroom. The concept may be a no-brainer, but with thoughtful execution that hits every note, from the food to the aesthetics to the use of space, you’ll be forgiven for thinking the place has been here since the city’s inception. You’d expect nothing less from the husband-and-wife team of John Barr and Kelly Hall-Barr, whose former endeavor, K. Hall Designs, evolved from a simple candle company into an international home-goods-and-personalcare brand. After selling the company in 2015, the pair took some time off to consider their next venture. They knew they wanted to be a part of a community; HallBarr dreamt of opening a cozy flower shop while Barr mused about running a pub. Eventually, those ideas took shape, though they evolved into much more ambitious projects. Hall-Barr’s flower shop idea became Civil Alchemy, a modern general store

selling everything from jewelry to homemade gin. And Barr’s idea for a bar — well, it got a whole lot bigger. It got two stories, a rooftop and about half a city block bigger, to be precise. The Frisco Barroom is a large space, taking up the building that used to house the Natural Way grocer. Barr and Hall-Barr’s knack for design is apparent in the space; the restaurant is positively handsome, outfitted in exposed brick, black slate paint, wroughtiron chandeliers and a black tin ceiling. The downstairs consists of two rooms: one containing the bar, as well as a generous number of booths and tables, and the other the main dining room. The building also has a nice-sized upstairs, set up with a lounge area that looks like someone’s well-appointed living room and an additional room for seating. There is also a rooftop patio and a ground-floor patio out back that is centered around an inviting fireplace. That all the space was not

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only filled, but with an hour-plus wait on a wintry Thursday night, shows that the husband-and-wife team is onto something. The packed house has a downside. The restaurant is deafeningly noisy, to the point that you have to shout at your dining companions, even if they are right across the table. I felt sorry for our servers, who will probably have to be treated for vocal-cord polyps after a few months of working here. But if the pair hit the right note with the aesthetic, they prove equally adeptly with the food. Drawing inspiration from classic Midwestern comfort food, as well as some of the dishes they enjoy while visiting Hall-Barr’s family in northern Michigan, they created a menu that never ventures from being accessible but is still interesting. A simple pretzel is the perfect blend of chewy and soft, properly salted and buttery, and paired with beer-cheese sauce that might as well be the nectar of

JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

Continued on pg 29

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FRISCO BARROOM Continued from pg 27

the gods. The beer-infused cheese has a slight tang to cut through the richness, but not so much that it takes away from its velvety texture. It’s perfection of the form. Chicken wings are equally riveting. The plump wings and drummies are succulent and gently kissed with smoke; black-peppery seasoning fuses with their caramelized skin. You might be tempted to skip any condiments, but the Peruvian dipping sauce, which tastes like a verdant, cilantrospiked ranch, is too good to pass up. The Frisco Barroom successfully veers into less-ubiquitous bar food as well. A massive Cornish pasty (about the size of a calzone) is a flawless, savory handpie. The outside crust, which has the flavor and texture of a buttery, deep-fried biscuit, is soft in the middle and pie-crust crisp around the edges. Encased in this goldenbrown pillow is a mouthwatering mixture of ground beef, potato, rutabaga and onion laced with rich brown gravy. The effect is similar to the goo factor you get when you bit into a searing-hot McDonald’s apple pie, only this is a savory

gravy-and-beef one instead of one filled with fruit. It’s like eating a pot pie with your hands. A pierogi stuffed with fresh farmers cheese is an unexpected pleasure. Lemon zest spikes the rich cheese, making it surprisingly floral and bright. The large, halfmoon-shaped dumpling, dripping in brown butter, is served with a side of Civil Alchemy’s proprietary cinnamon-maple syrup; the pairing gives the dish the sort of sweet and nutty notes you get from a cheese Danish. It’s delightful. In addition to the a la carte appetizers, the Frisco Barroom serves a handful of boards, consisting of everything from preserves and smoked whitefish dip (a wonderful, creamy and smokeladen concoction) to mushroomwalnut pate and raspberry geranium jam. We chose the “Farmer’s Board” with its fennel-flecked Italian sausage, housemade beef jerky, fontina and asiago cheese and assorted accoutrements, including dried cherries and olives. The accompanying pork-belly rillettes had an overpowering gamey funk that made them the least favorite component of an otherwise successful assortment. Sandwiches are the expected offerings, but successful. A reuben pairs house-cured corned

beef with sharp gruyere, Thousand Island dressing and pleasantly crunchy, rustic cut sauerkraut. Burgers are smashed style, though they are heftier than others in the genre. Freshly ground and covered with molten American cheese and housemade pickles, they hit the mark. Housemade salsiccia is snappy and spiked with fennel; the sausage is placed on a pillow-soft bun and smothered in fiery giardiniera for a wonderful ItalianAmerican-inspired dish. Even a simple grilled cheese is anything but when made from gouda, cheddar and American cheese and adorned with crisp green apples and bacon. Like sandwiches, the entrees here do not break the mold but are well prepared and tick off what you are looking for at an approachable gastropub. Shrimp, marinated with lemon, white wine, butter and garlic, are masterfully grilled so that they remain tender and juicy; the shellfish soak up just a touch of grill char without it overpowering their delicate flavor. The kitchen again demonstrates its seafood prowess on its rainbow trout. The skinned and de-boned fish is coated in a seasoned Parmesan-andbreadcrumb mixture that is more

than a dusting but less than a full-fledged breading. It gives the flawlessly cooked fish welcome texture without taking away from its flavor. Even better, the fish is paired with a side of the cheesy potato casserole, a glorious, cornflake-covered throwback to the family reunions of my youth. Desserts include a standard key lime pie and a chocolate pecan pie that unfortunately lacked flavor. Perhaps the decadent chocolate torte sharing the menu soaked it all up — the melt-in-the-mouth, fudgy confection is chocolate that’s bolded, underlined and in all caps. You can’t go wrong with a good chocolate cake. Or a juicy burger. Or some well-executed chicken wings. “Familiar food in a cheerful comfortable environment” is more than the tagline at Frisco Barroom; it’s the very reason the place exists. It may have taken a while for Webster Groves to get the restaurant it needed, but if the Barroom’s solid food — and roaring success— are any indication, it’s going to enjoy filling that void for years to come.

The Frisco Barroom Grilled chicken wings ............................... $10 Double burger ........................................... $12 Rainbow trout ........................................... $22

Thanks St. Louis for Supporting Independent Restaurants!

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JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

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SHORT ORDERS

[SIDE DISH]

He Quit Drinking, and Found WellBeing Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

everal things about going public with his sobriety surprised Tom Halaska — how supportive his friends were, how respectful people in the industry were to his choice. But perhaps the biggest shock was just how little ribbing he took. “I got teased a lot less than I thought I would have,” Halaska says. “That hurt, because it meant I really did have a problem. People would come up to me and say, ‘Wow, you look great,’ and it made me think, ‘Shit, how bad did I look?’” Since announcing his sobriety on his Facebook page a little over a year ago, Halaska has been the St. Louis restaurant community’s public face of recovery. He’s been open, honest and raw, but perhaps what is most impressive is the levity and humor he brings to a situation that might seem at odds with such lightness. “I didn’t go the traditional [Alcoholics Anonymous] route after I walked into my first meeting and realized I was wearing a 4 Hands [Brewing Co.] hoodie,” Halaska laughs. “I took it off, looked down and saw I had on an Earthbound [Beer] shirt underneath. I realized at that moment it wasn’t for me. These are the clothes I wear because it’s the industry I work in. I just have a different lifestyle. I can’t be telling people they shouldn’t drink while I am pouring them a whiskey and Coke.” Though Halaska made a major life change when he quit drinking, there was never a moment he considered changing careers. For more than two decades, he’s made his name in the city’s restaurant scene, as both a worker and a

Tom Halaska is leading an alcohol-free lifestyle movement. | MATTHEW DEUTSCHMANN cheerleader. He started in the business at fifteen, and by seventeen, he was head waiter at Dominic’s on the Hill and in Clayton, directing veteran servers while donning a tuxedo. From there, he was hooked. “At first it was the money — I was making $700 to $1,000 a week and had the best car stereo and all the Abercrombie & Fitch clothes I wanted,” he recalls. “But really, it was about seeing people happy and creating experiences while being in the trenches. The world could be crashing and burning in the back, but we were able to pull it out. There’s no way to plan in this industry, and that’s what I love.” Halaska has done just about every job restaurants have to offer, from washing dishes to bartending to managing. He’s worked for mom-and-pop places and big corporations and done marketing for international liquor brands. However, his current job as brand manager for WellBeing Brewing, the St. Louis-based non-alcoholic craft beer brand, might be his most personal gig yet. “There is a global change going on, and we aren’t the ones col-

lecting the data, places like Total Wine and InBev are,” Halaska says of the move toward non-alcoholic drinks and more responsible imbibing. “InBev estimates that N/A will make up 20 percent of their sales in the coming years. When Total Wine says they want to purchase X amount of cases for their stores because they see what’s happening, you know it’s something.” WellBeing has given Halaska a job that dovetails with his journey toward a more healthful, alcoholfree lifestyle — and intent of having a good time while doing so. “Liquor companies have done a good job convincing you that if you aren’t drinking, you aren’t having a good time,” says Halaska. “We associate drinking with celebration — that if you aren’t drinking, you aren’t celebrating. I had a great time this New Year’s Eve, and I woke up the next day remembering everyone I hugged and kissed the night before.” Halaska is determined to shine a light on the fact that sobriety does not deprive people of good time; in fact, it can make having a good time more fulfilling. To that end,

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he has created a Facebook group called “Dry January Crew” that is centered around the international phenomenon that invites people to take a break from drinking. “It’s an annual, month-long campaign that encourages people to give up the hooch for a month,” Halaska explains. “It’s actually pretty awesome. The holidays can be tough with lots of family, lots of binge eating and drinking. Starting the new year off with a clear head can really give you a head start.” Halaska emphasizes that the “Dry January” Facebook group is not only for people who are considering giving up drinking altogether or who have drinking problems. Rather, it’s a forum for sharing non-booze-focused events, tips and tricks for changing habits, as well as a space to cheer on members throughout the month. Halaska envisions keeping the group going even after the month’s end, promoting alcoholfree events and offering support throughout the year. “When I first started all of this, I thought there was a stigma attached to talking about it,”

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Continued on pg 32

RIVERFRONT TIMES

TOM HALASKA Continued from pg 31

Halaska says. “But I have gotten more praise for being open and honest than I could have known. We’re normalizing these issues and helping people lead happier, healthier lifestyles.” Halaska took a break from championing WellBeing’s beers to share his thoughts on the St. Louis food-and-beverage scene, the importance of taking care of yourself and how St. Louis is ahead of the curve on a major global trend. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did? That even though my job for years has been to be the life of the party, I often have social anxiety. If there isn’t a bar separating me and a crowd, I sometimes get nervous. If you see me out and I’m a little reclusive, it’s most likely because I’m a socially awkward goof, just like everyone else. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? I incorporate some sort of selfcare into my routine every day. Going to the gym, hiking and yoga are at the top of the list, but some-

thing as simple as treating myself to a slice of pizza at Pie Guy Pizza always puts a smile on my face. Taking the time to take care of myself has made me a happier and more productive person. What’s it like being a sober bartender? It was terrifying at first, but now I’m really into it. If you would have told me two years ago that I would be a brand manager for a craft non-alcoholic brewing company and bartending sober, I would have laughed in your face. The reality is that my cocktails are more refined, my service has improved and working for WellBeing Brewing is a dream job. What message do you have for people in the industry dealing with substance abuse? Most importantly, that they are not alone. A lot of us grew up in an industry where you are sometimes judged on how well you can work hungover. Years of living in the “work hard play hard” mentality is destructive. We have to figure out a way to break that cycle as a community. It’s OK to be vulnerable. It’s OK to admit you need help. It’s OK to be sober. What is the most positive trend in food, beer, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the

past year? This one is easy: I have seen a lot of beverage programs in the city become more diverse. There is a global trend of people being more conscious of how they are consuming alcohol, and I think St. Louis is ahead of the curve on this one. I’ve seen a ton of businesses offering more non-alcoholic and low-proof options. I think about bars like Pieces, Parlour, and Apotheosis Comics & Lounge, who are offering more to do than just drink. Hell, Pop’s Blue Moon even has a booze-free night. It’s really cool to see St. Louis leading a trend instead of following one. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? The ability to remember the name, and one important fact, of everyone I’ve ever met. Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis food-andbeverage scene? Laura Coppinger at the Monocle. From the Fresh Produce Beat Battles and late-night dance parties to burlesque, magic and variety shows, the Monocle is killing it. Their N/A drink program is on point too! Who is your St. Louis food or drink crush? WellBeing Brewing. We just

released our third beer in December, Intrepid Traveler Coffee Cream Stout. From what we can tell it is the first beer ever made without alcohol and with caffeine. It’s been pretty exciting. WellBeing Brewing has really taken off. We are currently selling beer in 26 states! If someone asked you to describe the current state of St. Louis’ foodand-beverage climate, what would you say? This is the most talent I have ever seen in our community in my entire life in St. Louis. We all work together and build each other up. We are a family. Name an ingredient never allowed behind your bar. Pretentiousness. I don’t care if you like ice in your chardonnay, salt in your beer or no booze at all. You are welcome to sit across the bar from me as long as you are respectful to those around you. I want people to drink and be merry, not worrying that they aren’t doing it right. What would be your last meal on earth? One that I cooked and served to my friends and family. It would most likely revolve around the cooking of a whole animal that slowly rotates around a fire. n

coming soon to webster groves 20 allen ave #130

check out our facebook page for updates @laylawebstergroves

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

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[FIRST LOOK]

Rhone Rum Bar Brings a Slice of the Caribbean to Lafayette Square Written by

TOM HELLAUER

H The 1,800-square-foot space gives the new Kitchen House Coffee room for coffee lovers, working professionals and diners. | TOM HELLAUER

[FIRST LOOK]

Farm-toTable Comes to the Patch Written by

TOM HELLAUER

ast April, south-city residents rejoiced at the news that a beloved coffeehouse would be expanding. Nine months later, Kitchen House Coffee (7700 Ivory Avenue, 314-202-8521) is finally open, bringing urban farming and specialty beverages to the Patch neighborhood. The rustic 1,800-square-foot space, which opened on January 3, is owner Paul Whitsitt’s second Kitchen House location. The first, a Tower Grove East mainstay, has been serving guests since 2014. Though fans of the original will recognize many similarities between the two locations, the new digs allow for some welcome additions to the coffeehouse’s repertoire. While both locations share fresh ingredients and a familyfriendly atmosphere, the younger Kitchen House offers some new features, including a more expansive kitchen space that allows the team to prepare items from scratch. This includes offerings such as a variety of freshly baked goods that used to be brought in from other purveyors. Now, items prepared at the new location will be brought north to Tower Grove,

increasing the number of housemade goods. The larger space also allows for expanded service, such as weekend brunches, complete with cocktails and wine. General Manager Samantha Weatherford helped design the new menu, using her past experience in the industry and, more surprisingly, her time as a nuclear engineer in the Navy. There’s “a lot of math and physics and chemistry that go into coffee,” Weatherford says. Whether it’s understanding surface tension for latte art or steaming milk at the perfect temperature, Weatherford creates repeatable blueprints for the Kitchen House staff to follow. “Once she’s tinkered and tinkered and tinkered with it and got it right where we think that sweet spot is, she has to come back to those very precise measurements of time,” Whitsitt says. “She really helped take our coffee game to a new level.” Weatherford not only brings coffee expertise but also shares Whitsitt’s passion for sustainability and urban farming. The pair grow what they can and source locally what they cannot. The result, Weatherford explains, is a situation where customers know where their food is coming from. Sometimes, the food is coming from right outside the back door. A coop with eight chickens provides some eggs for Kitchen House’s breakfast dishes. A garden and new aquaponic system provide greens and other produce for both locations. Honey from Whitsitt’s multiple beehives pairs well with local Big Heart Tea Co.’s hand-blended teas. A variety of espressos, drip and pour-over coffees come from Stringbean Coffee

in Brentwood and Blueprint Coffee in the Loop. Kitchen House also utilizes Eat Here St. Louis, a local company that connects local growers and producers with restaurants and chefs. This commitment to a farmto-table philosophy results in fresh fare and a home-cooked feel. Biscuits and gravy, bread, granola, nut butters and milks, syrups and more are all made from scratch in Kitchen House’s new digs. Even the decorations and furniture are sustainable, including many repurposed pieces. Coffee immersion drippers that have worn down over time are now light fixtures. A hutch from Whitsitt’s neighbor’s basement is now the bussing table. A kids’ area and homey mugs help complete the cozy atmosphere. A small library of farming literature provides good reading material for inquisitive minds. Members of the community have been knocking on the door every day, asking when Kitchen House will open. Already they’ve felt the new coffee shop’s presence. The Kitchen House team handed out candy on Halloween at a nearby school and has been involved in other neighborhood events. While the community has already gotten to know Kitchen House, Whitsitt believes the appeal extends to all of St. Louis. “We want to draw from outside the neighborhood too, but we did see a need for a place like ours not being here already,” Whitsitt says. Kitchen House is open on Mondays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the rest of the week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Brunches with alcoholic options will be on Saturdays and Sundays. n

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usband-and-wife restaurateurs Paul and Wendy Hamilton met on the sea while working for a cruise liner, a job that afforded them the opportunity to explore the beaches and waves of the British Virgin Islands. Now, they have transformed their appreciation for the Caribbean into Rhone Rum Bar (2107 Chouteau Avenue, 314-2417867), which opened December 7. Drawing inspiration from famous beach dives such as the BVI’s Soggy Dollar Bar, the newly opened spot’s highlights include an indoor beach volleyball court that is currently under construction, a sand-filled patio and, of course, rum — more than 100 types of it. Sixteen specialty cocktails are comprised of both frozen and “boat drinks,” all for $8. The Hamiltons hope the lower-than-average specialty cocktail prices will appeal to a young crowd, particularly Saint Louis University students. Classics such as the Painkiller, Sex on the Beach and Dark ‘N’ Stormy fall under the “boat drink” side. Frozen cocktails are mixed and blended at a customer’s order. The frozen “Key Lime Pie” drink is a sugary mix of Blue Chair key lime rum, Absolut Citron, whipped cream and ice cream. Flakes of graham cracker coat the cocktail’s rim, adding texture and flavor. For those not into mixed drinks, an extensive selection of sipping rums from around the globe are found behind the bar, divided by country. “Island drinks are sweet, there’s no getting around it,” Paul says — so sweet, that there’s only one dessert, Pina Colada cake, on the menu. Rhone’s rum cocktails are “almost the dessert, they’re so rich,” bar manager Amanda Kostelac adds. For Rhone, the Hamiltons went for an approachable menu that blends Caribbean-inspired dishes with Midwestern approachability. Though dishes are island-inflected, the goal was not to be married to authenticity; in fact, some Caribbean dishes were deemed too adventurous for Midwestern tastebuds. “A big dish down there is barbecue pig’s tail,” Paul explains. “We made that and everyone who ate it was like, ‘Yeah, tastes great, but there’s no way anyone’s going to buy it.’” Tasty island soups such as goat water and bull’s-foot stew didn’t make the cut either. Continued on pg 34

JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Authentic MexicAn Food, Beer, And MArgAritAs!

The “Key Lime Pie” is a frozen rum cocktail with a crushed graham-cracker rim. | TOM HELLAUER

RHONE RUM BAR Continued from pg 33

2817 cherokee st. st. Louis, Mo 63118 314.762.0691 onco.coM www.tAqueriAeLBr

Instead, popular shareables such as ceviche with taro chips, jerk chicken wings and conch fritters are available. Larger plates are on deck too. Pig pops are braised mini pork shanks with tamarind barbecue sauce on a popsicle stick. The salt cod and seafood salad lettuce boats stick with Rhone’s nautical theme. “We want the food to complement the drinks, not the other way around,” Paul says. Much of the produce, particularly leafy greens at Rhone and other Hamilton Hospitality eateries, are homegrown in an aeroponic greenhouse adjacent to Rhone and also a garden across the street. Last year alone, the Hamiltons grew 10,000 pounds of produce. Paul, who grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, sees some irony in how his life has worked out. “I spent the first eighteen years of my life trying to get off the farm. After I moved to St. Louis, I’ve spent the last ten years of my life trying to be a farmer,” he says. It’s not just the produce that has kept Paul busy. Rhone’s new bar is made of black walnut that was grown on his

south-county property and handmade by himself. The decor also has a personal touch. Many of Rhone’s decorations came from the Hamilton household. “When we first got married, we had sort of a nautical theme because we met on a ship,” Paul says. However, many of those items found their way into the basement over time. With Rhone’s opening, they are “seeing a new day,” Paul says, laughing. That tropical atmosphere permeates every inch of Rhone. Dreamy photos of beaches and boats appear every ten feet or so; a BVI-based photographer friend of the Hamiltons made the large prints. Massive arched windows are lit with LEDs and add brightness to the former Fitness Vault building. In addition to table seating, couches provide a comfortable space to lounge, with total capacity around 300. Lazing away the evening is not Rhone’s only pastime, however. The Hamiltons hope to get volleyball tournaments, and potentially a league, up and running by mid-January. The sand-filled patio will open around March when the weather warms up. Cornhole and a ring-toss game are fun options for patrons as well. Rhone is open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. and on Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. n

Rums are divided by country of origin behind the bar. | TOM HELLAUER

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

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MUSIC & CULTURE

[HOMESPUN]

My Go or Your Go? Andrew Stephen and Chrissy Renick blur the lines of genre and attribution with a new project Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER

ost good love stories have a memento of the relationship’s first blush — a mash note or a snapshot tucked away in commemoration. For Andrew Stephen and Chrissy Renick, an EP serves as a keepsake of their musical and romantic partnership; Renick’s 2011 pop- and R&B-influenced release A Thousand Shades brought her songs and voice under the sway of his production techniques. “When we met, I was so inspired by her music that I really wanted to produce a record for her,” Stephen, who provided much of the instrumentation on the album, recalls. “It was my first commercially produced and released project.” Since then, the pair has kept busy in performance and production — he with producing projects for J.D. Hughes, Tony Crown and Grover Stewart, she with leading her own group — but until this past summer, Stephen and Renick had not released any more music together. That dry spell ended with two standalone singles, with the promise of more to come throughout 2019. “Summer Breeze,” a cover of the Seals & Crofts hit, and Stephen’s own “Pix Elated” reposition the pair as a neo-soul duo influenced by jazz, hip-hop and sample culture. The long lead time to the release of these songs can be attributed to the duo’s studies: Stephen graduated from Webster University in 2018 with a degree in jazz piano performance, and Renick (who is trained as a musical therapist) is currently enrolled in Webster’s graduate program for voice and piano. From the comfort of the second-

Ryan Marquez, Jharis Yokley, Chrissy Renick and Andrew Stephen at a video shoot for one of the act’s new songs. | VIA THE ARTISTS floor studio space in the couple’s Dogtown abode, Renick and Stephen talk through their process of composing and collaborating. “We both put our own pursuits together on hold until I got out of school, so this whole idea of us working together has been in the works for many, many years,” Stephen says. “It’s just been a matter of waiting until I was done with this commitment that was consuming all of my time.” While he was focused on his studies, Stephen managed to double-dip a bit, using his composition classes to work on his original songs intended for Renick to sing. “‘Pix Elated’ was actually written when I was at Webster — I composed it, came up with the harmonies, had everything set aside to be recorded later when I was done,” he says. “There are a few more compositions from that time as well as new things that are stirring up.” Stephen serves as the arranger, pianist and producer for these initial two tracks — in attribution they are his songs, featuring Chrissy Renick — though the couple’s long partnership has led to some blurring of the lines in their respective contributions. “Initially I was thinking of it as

my music, but as we’ve continued on, she has an awesome, wonderful ability to make melodies her own, and she has her own musical identity and contributions that are really key to the project,” Stephen continues. “We’re planning on continuing to collaborate on that level.” For Renick’s part, her continuing education has schooled her in the world of jazz theory, something of a jump for a singer and pianist who grew up enamored with the glossy and sophisticated R&B of the late ’90s and early 2000s. “I felt like there were some things I needed to learn since I didn’t study music as intensely, and Andy did. I felt like I needed to go and study jazz and pursue some things to allow myself to have the skills to do what my ear wants to do,” Renick says. To aid in her studies — and to build her performance chops — Renick has been playing with Mo Egeston’s group at the Dark Room once a month. “It’s a great place to practice performing,” she says. “Creating in the studio, I can be a huge perfectionist about the whole process. For me, having that environment to be forced to go with the flow in a live setting has been really good.”

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With the first two singles already released and a third — a cover of Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody?” planned for the end of the month — Stephen and Renick plan to have an album’s worth of material ready by the end of the summer. The duo looks at the use of covering songs within a more explicit jazz and neosoul idiom as a continuation of the genres themselves. “It’s very much within the practice of the jazz idiom to play popular music — that’s what all standards are — so it helps keep us in that category, even though I think we’re headed for a crossover with all the pop and R&B influence that’s going to be present in this music,” Renick says. Starting with “Summer Breeze,” already memorably covered by the Isley Brothers, was an intentional curveball for Stephen to use as the re-launch of his musical identity, and he thinks it helps set the stage for the pair’s future releases. “Looking back, it seems like an unlikely song to reharmonize for a future soul-jazz song — it seems like such a weird tune,” Stephen says of the track. “But now it seems like a perfect choice because of that juxtaposition.” n

JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[HIGH MARKS]

Tonina’s Biggest Fan: Our Last Good President

Meet the new boss: an Oklahoma operator of amusement parks. | VIA FLICKR/DESIGNSBYKARI

[SLIDES]

City Museum Sold to New Owner Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

wednesday january 9 9:45 pm Urban Chestnut Presents

the voodoo players

tribute to the highwaymen thursday january 10 10 pm

the return of aaron kamm & the one drops friday january 11 10 pm

120 minutes & the ramona’s tribute band tuesday january 15 10 pm

deltaphonic bluesrock, funk & roots from new orleans wednesday january 16 9:45 pm Urban Chestnut Presents

the voodoo players

tribute to acoustic jerry garcia

RIVERFRONT TIMES

t. Louis’ City Museum is getting a new owner and operator. Last week, employees were notified of the sale to Premier Parks LLC, which runs ten amusements parks in the U.S. and Canada. In an interview, company spokeswoman Traci Blanks confirmed the sale and an agreement for a 40-year operating lease on the City Museum’s building. Blanks says that Primer Parks could offer City Museum its own expertise in operating and marketing, but she also hints that the attraction’s concept “could have application in other markets.” When asked to elaborate, Blanks says, “At this point we don’t have any specific plans for that.” The sale means the end of the longtime ownership of Dave Jump, who essentially saved the City Museum in the aftermath of the 2011 death of its creator, Bob Cassilly. It was Cassilly’s vision — and obsession with architecture,

JANUARY 09 - 15, 2019

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slides and sculpture — which shaped the former warehouse into one of the city’s biggest tourist draws. In a press release, Jump says he is grateful “for the creative, hard work of the staff before and after Bob’s death. That group and the new operators will carry forward the magic that is City Museum.” The sentiment is echoed by the new owners. In the press release, Premier Parks CEO Kieran Burke says that the current staff and workers will retain their roles in the operation. “We plan to keep the same staff and vision for the museum while infusing some of our resources so that City Museum will continue to grow and expand,” Burke says. Museum director Rick Erwin tells Riverfront Times that he doesn’t expect the changes to alter the identity of the City Museum, which he credits to the energy and effort of the the small group of artists and builders known as the “Cassilly Crew.” “This has been a long time coming,” Erwin says. He notes that the City Museum has at times struggled with the technical aspects of the business. With Premier Parks involved, Erwin suggests that his crew could handle the things they’re already great at, like building slides. “It’s a good partnership,” Erwin says. “They really enjoy what we do, and they’ve been very honest and straightforward that that’s what they want. The City Museum will stay the same.” n

he Coolest President of All Time™ just became even cooler. At the end of each year, President Barack Obama releases lists of the books, films and songs he enjoyed from that year. He’s always been a man with a deep connection to music who is eager to share his favorites, but this year his list of favorite songs stopped us in our tracks. In addition to songs from Janelle Monáe, Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile and Cardi B, Obama’s list included St. Louis’ own Tonina, a former rising star who just went intergalactic. When addressing the news that she’d been included on Obama’s list, Tonina wrote on her Facebook page, “I fell down the stairs.” That seems like an appropriate response, really. Who, when faced with this situation, would not also have to relearn gravity? Tonina should be at least slightly acclimated to the accolades by now, though. We’ve been singing her praises for a while (we described her as “one to watch forever” in early 2018) and the rest of the world has quickly joined us in celebrating her talents. Just last month NPR named her one of the best new artists of 2018, and the Tonina song Obama loves, “Historia de Un Amor,” was included in our best songs of the year list and NPR’s, too. But when the leader of the free world (we don’t count that new guy) says you’re something special, you know it’s true. Congratulations, Tonina.

— Jaime Lees

The St. Louis artist has won a presidential seal of approval. | DANIEL HILL

The club closed its doors January 3 after eighteen years. | VIA FLICKR/PAUL SABLEMAN

[BLUES]

Beale on Broadway Closes After Nearly Twenty Years Written by

DANIEL HILL

fter nearly twenty years in business as one of St. Louis’ top spots for live blues music, Beale on Broadway (701 South Broadway, 314621-7880) has closed. The news came last week via a post from the venue’s Facebook page written by owner Bud Jostes. “After 18 years 3 months and 3 days we are saying goodbye here at the Beale on Broadway,” the post reads. “There have been so-o-o many memories. It would take a week of Facebook posts to mention them all.” The juke-joint club, a favorite among local blues fans, hosted two final shows on Wednesday and Thursday night. The former featured soul singer Roland Johnson delivering the set of his life in front of a large and rambunctious crowd; the latter brought Kim Massie’s powerful voice to the stage one last time to an audience so large it spilled outside onto the sidewalk, where attendees watched through the venue’s front windows. Both performers are legend in St. Louis, and each played regular bi-weekly gigs at the venue. Beale on Broadway, which opened in 2000 in a building that had been been a saloon since the 1800s, had long served as one point of downtown St. Louis’ “blues triangle” of clubs, alongside fellow Broadway mainstays Broadway Oyster Bar and BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups. All three venues were within easy walking distance of one another and regularly hosted live music of the blues, soul, jazz and R&B varieties, with the district providing a steady payday for some of St.

Louis’ finest working musicians as well as a reliable destination for local fans of live music. With Beale gone, that triangle is reduced to a single straight line. No reason for the closure has been given. RFT did not hear back from Jostes when we reached out asking for comment. Beale on Broadway was hit with a federal lawsuit in April 2017 by Broadcast Music Incorporated, or BMI, for allowing artists to perform copyrighted cover songs in the venue without purchasing a license. The matter was ultimately settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. Musicians and music fans that frequented the venue were quick to lament its loss via social media. “It’s not only about the venue, but the different artists and musician you’ll see,” writes blues guitarist Marquise Knox. “Some bands may not have the fortune of performing at the venue of their choosing, so with the closing of the Beale on Broadway you not only lose one of the greatest underrated blues clubs, you lose the chance to witness the rawness of the experience.” “I’m very sad to see the Beale on Broadway go. I’ve been seeing music here for over ten years and it’s always been excellent,” writes Blue Lotus owner Paul Niehaus IV. “Bud Jostes always cared deeply about how the sound system sounded and curated a great vibe in his venue. Thanks for all the years Bud!” “Sad to see that the Beale on Broadway is closing,” writes blues harmonica player and singer Kyle Yardley. “I’ve performed here many times and have seen some of the best live blues shows ever, met so many people, musicians, performed with and learned from some of the greats at this venue. This will leave a hole in the St. Louis blues scene.” But blues guitarist and singer Jeremiah Johnson may have put it best, with as succinct an assessment of the situation as any: “Thanks and RIP Beale on Broadway, we loved you!” Rest in peace indeed. St. Louis will be singing the blues about this one for a long time. n

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OUT EVERY NIGHT

MARDI GRAS SAT MAR 2

Shaggy 2 Dope. | VIA PSYCHOPATHIC RECORDS

Shaggy 2 Dope 8 p.m. Friday, January 11. The Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, 6504 Delmar Boulevard, University City. $22-$25. 314-727-4444. As one half of the raucous Insane Clown Posse, rapper Shaggy 2 Dope is no stranger to controversy. Still, the most recent reason his name hit the headlines is one of the most ridiculous to date. Back in October, during a Limp Bizkit performance in New Jersey, Shaggy unexpectedly ran out onstage and performed a flying dropkick aimed right for Fred Durst’s head. ICP backers point out that it appeared to be a pro-wrestling-style move that wouldn’t actually have hurt the singer, but nevertheless security snatched him from mid-air before he was able to make contact, dragging him away violently enough to make it clear they were not in on the joke. As it turns out, neither was Limp Bizkit, with the band’s DJ Lethal taking

THURSDAY 10

AARON KAMM & THE ONE DROPS: 9 p.m., $10. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. CROSSED: w/ Coffin Fit, Polterguts 7:30 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. IVAS JOHN & BRIAN CURRAN: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JASON BOYD: w/ Jake Dowell, Jake Veninga, Tanner Qualls 7 p.m., $8-$10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. JASON COOPER BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. JEREMIAH JOHNSON ACOUSTIC DUO: 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314773-5565. LARRY GAWLTNEY: 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. NEIL SALSICH: 6 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

to social media in the days that followed to call Shaggy a “bitch ass clout chaser.” Just when you thought the story couldn’t get any more absurd, no less than prowrestling madman/legend the Iron Sheik stepped in and brokered a truce between the two sides, dubbing Shaggy’s dropkick “fucking drizzling shits” even while calling him a “good man” and referring to Lethal as his brother. That seemed to be just preposterous enough to get Lethal to drop the beef, putting an end to one of the most ridiculous sagas of the whole ridiculous year. Stay Thirsty: ICP shows are well known for the group’s tendency to fling off-brand soda in every direction, but Pop’s this is not, and it seems unlikely Blueberry Hill is going to tolerate that kind of behavior. In other words, wear your finest steppingout clothes to this clown show; it’ll probably be fine. —Daniel Hill

DUKE’S LEGENDARY

FREE STREET PARTY & TENT

FRIDAY 11

DENNY: w/ NEX, Sammy, Hurtboy, Fraedo, Hotel Moscow 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. GARBAGE MAN: w/ Sunwyrm, Who Goes There 8 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. GENE JACKSON & THE SOUL REUNION: 7 p.m., $10-$20. National Blues Museum, 615 Washington Ave., St. Louis. JACK GRELLE: 8 p.m., $12-$15. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778. KEY GRIP: w/ Accelerando, Tape History 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. MAGGIE ROSE: 8 p.m., $18-$20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. MARTY SPIKENER & ON CALL BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MISSOURI BREAKS: 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090.

LIKE & FOLLOW FOR INFO & UPDATES @DUKESINSOULARD

Continued on pg 41

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ST. LOUIS’

[CRITIC’S PICK]

BEST SPORTS BAR

Chris Knight. | VIA MICHAEL J. MEDIA

Chris Knight 8 p.m. Saturday, January 12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $25. 314-773-3363. If Cormac McCarthy were a musician, he would sound something like Chris Knight, the Kentucky-born singer and songwriter whose Southern Gothic minimalism offers no clear answers about his — or our — fate. “Sometimes I wonder where my next dollar’s gonna come from,” he sings on the title track to his most recent album Little Victories. “Keep my head up and something falls out of the sky.” Doom is always just around the corner, but at least

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 39

RETRONERDS ‘80S TRIBUTE: 10 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. ROB BELL & SUZIE CUE’S B-DAY SHOW: w/ Ellen Cook, Suzie Cue, Bagheera 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. ROCKY MANTIA & THE KILLER COMBO: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. SHAGGY 2 DOPE: w/ Ouija Macc 8 p.m., $22-$25. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. SONGWRITERS’ SHOWCASE: w/ Ian Fisher, Lisa Houdei, Bo Bulawsky, Teshua Parker 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THAT 90S JAM: 8 p.m., $7-$13. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

SATURDAY 12

ALL ROOSTERED UP: noon, free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. ANNIE & THE FUR TRAPPERS: 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. BOBBY STEVENS: w/ Cole Bridges, Donald Woodyard 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. BREWTOPIA: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. CHRIS D’ELIA: 8 p.m., $29-$39. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. CHRIS KNIGHT: w/ Charley Crockett 8 p.m., $25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

it gives a man something to look forward to. While he’s been compared to everyone from Steve Earle to Bruce Springsteen to John Mellencamp, Knight is a different kind of working-class soothsayer. With every listen, his narratives, driven by economic and spiritual desperation, reveal new layers of hard and often hard-rocking human truths. Twang Town: One of the longest-running keepers of the alt-country flame in St. Louis, the Trophy Mules sets the stage and tone with pedal-steel painted Americana. —Roy Kasten

CORY WONG: 9 p.m., $20-$25. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. DREAM HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL: w/ Freshanova, DMF Musa, Moe Derrty 7:30 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. EUGENE & COMPANY: 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. FOCAL POINT BENEFIT SHOW: w/ The Missouri Rounders, The Dust Covers 8 p.m., $25. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778. HIT LIKE A GIRL: w/ Jupiter Styles, Carte De Visite, Fluorescent 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. HUSH LITE: 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. IN THE MOUTH OF RADNESS: w/ Path of Might, Van Buren, Beyonder 8 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. JACQUEES: 8 p.m., $45-$65. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JOHNNY CASH FOLSOM PRISON EXPERIENCE: w/ Bill Forness and One More Round 6 p.m., $24.50-$49.50. Liuna Event Center, 4532 S. Lindbergh, St. Louis, 314-226-1010. THE KRYSTOFER BATSELL MEMORIAL SHOW: 2:30 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. LARRY GRIFFIN & ERIC MCSPADDEN: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE LATE NIGHT SHOW: w/ The Vincent Scandal, Hands & Feet 11 p.m., free. Mangia Italiano, 3145 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-664-8585. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MARC REBILLET: 8 p.m., $10-$15. The Ready

BEST BAR FOOD

BEST HAPPY HOUR

duke’s in the heart of soulard

2001 Menard (Corner of Menard & Allen)

Continued on pg 43

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

Cory Wong. | VIA PARADIGM TALENT AGENCY

Cory Wong 8 p.m. Saturday, January 12. The Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, 6504 Delmar Boulevard. $20. 314-727-4444. Here at the Riverfront Times, we’re generally loathe to coin new and meaningless music genres, but something about the term “viral funk” feels applicable to internet-savvy bands like Snarky Puppy and Vulfpeck, a jammy intersection of jazz theory and buoyant effervescence. Cory Wong, a frequent collaborator with Vulfpeck, has lit out on his own with last

[WEEKEND]

BEST BETS

Five sure-fire shows to close out the week

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 Drool w/ Sewingneedle, Little Big Bangs, Kids 8 p.m. CBGB, 3163 South Grand Boulevard. $5. No phone.

Chicago duo Drool dresses a loose-fitting sleeve of noise around a shapely set of punk played in slow motion. Circular riffs leak out from the guitar, feeding into a structure that sees each part degrade a little with each repetition. It’s like memory, which we now know works a lot like a game of telephone: Each time we recall events, we’re really calling back to the last time we remembered them. Drool’s subtle use of looping and octaves applies a similar feeling through quick songs that rarely pass the two-minute mark. DROOL II, a full-length follow-up to years of tapes and EPs, is set to release a mere week after this show, so expect new songs in the set.

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year’s The Optimist, in which the guitarist plays plucky, whammy-bar-inflected riffs amid songs that generally start and stop on major keys and let in a whole lot of sunshine in between. Wong is a smart soloist who knows when to pull back and let the soul-jazz and yachtrock elements of his compositions carry the weight. Smooth Moves: Not shy about his inspirations, Wong recently succeeded in his online campaign to work with smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz. —Christian Schaeffer

Sad Cops w/ St. Villagers, John Hawkwood’s Blackfoot Sun 9 p.m. Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street. Free. 314-241-2337.

Sad Cops crafts the kind of polished power-pop you might expect from a band whose members spent their formative years moonlighting in church bands. The band’s first EP was even made in the depths of a huge church in Coppell, Texas. A far cry from Christian rock, the group spends most of its time in Denton, a college town known for its solid DIY scene and exports of emo bands. And Sad Cops is no slouch in that scene, with a handful of solid EPs and one fulllength under its collective belt.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 Hit Like a Girl w/ Jupiter Styles, Carte De Visite, Flourescent 9 p.m. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 South Jefferson Avenue. $5. 314-772-2100.

You won’t be able to grab any Hit Like a Girl merch at this show, which is a shame, because that’s a great name to wear across your chest. Instead, the folk-rock outfit opts to sell goods Continued on pg 43

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 41 Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. MARQUISE KNOX: 10 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. S.L.U.M.FEST HIP HOP AWARDS: 8 p.m., $5. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. SCRAMBLED: 8 p.m., free. Rhone Rum Bar, 2107 Chouteau Ave, St. Louis, 314-241-7867. THE MR. T EXPERIENCE: w/ The Fuck Off & Dies, Horror Section, The Haddonfields 9 p.m., free. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

SUNDAY 13

BRAD NOE: 3 p.m., free. Rhone Rum Bar, 2107 Chouteau Ave, St. Louis, 314-241-7867. BUTCH MOORE: 2 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. GENESIS JAZZ PROJECT: 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JOHNNY CASH FOLSOM PRISON EXPERIENCE: w/ Bill Forness and One More Round 1 p.m., $24.50-$49.50. Liuna Event Center, 4532 S. Lindbergh, St. Louis, 314-226-1010. A LIGHT DIVIDED: w/ Malibu, Are You In?, Eyes From Above, Frago, Ending Orion 6:30 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MICK KOLASSA & THE TAYLOR MADE BLUES BAND: 4 p.m., $10-$20. National Blues Museum, 615 Washington Ave., St. Louis.

MONDAY 14

MUSIC UNLIMITED BAND: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. SOULARD BLUES BAND: 9 p.m., $5. Broadway

BEST BETS

Continued from pg 41

from No More Dysphoria, a nonprofit that aids transgender individuals in transition. At the center of both the band and the organization is Nicolle Maroulis, a non-binary/queer artist based in Montclair, New Jersey. The band itself is an evolution of Maroulis’ humble start with little more than an acoustic guitar and a voice. Now Hit Like a Girl is run as a collective, with an amalgam of collaborators who rotate in and out to flesh out its lush, indie-leaning sound.

In the Mouth of Radness w/ Path of Might, Van Buren, Beyonder 8 p.m. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway. $5. No phone.

What In the Mouth of Radness lacks in subtlety — that name! — is made up for by bliss-inducing bass riffs running roughshod over cannon-fire drumming. Singer and bassist Noah Koester pushes out lyrics in frantic bursts, as if he were coming up for air between what has to be a test of endurance on the four-string. Any track off the aptly titled Radsterpiece Theatre is proof-positive of the Iowa duo’s sugar-snorting brand of math metal. St. Louis has its own set of bass-

Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. TOM HALL: 6 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

TUESDAY 15

BLOOM: w/ Fields&, Lizzy Quinn & the Ontario Survival Plan, Jairin S, Mandy Pennington, Joseph Ferber 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DELTAPHONICS: 9 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. G. LOVE AND SPECIAL SAUCE: 8 p.m., $32.50-$35. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. KIDS: w/ The Vanilla Beans, Fragile Farm, Camp Counselor 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. NEIL SALSICH: 6 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. SHARON BEAR & DOUG FOEHNER: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

WEDNESDAY 16

VOTED THE EAST-SIDE’S BEST BAR

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LIGHTRIDER: w/ Molly O’Malley, Sidestep, Bounce House 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. SEAN CANAN’S VOODOO PLAYERS: 9:30 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE: w/ Nick Gusman, The Red Headed Strangers, Richie Darling 8 p.m., $5. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. TOMMY HALLORAN: 5:30 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314621-8811. TORREY CASEY & THE SOUTHSIDE HUSTLE: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

and-drum shredders with Van Buren, which will lend local support hot off the heels of debut Flameless Forge.

S.L.U.M. Fest 2019 Hip-Hop Awards w/ the Knuckles, Bates, T Dubb O and many more 8 p.m. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Avenue. $5. 314-775-0775.

There are few entities as integral to St. Louis music as S.L.U.M. Fest, run by a collection of luminaries with their fingers on the pulse of local hip-hop. It’s no secret that winning an award through S.L.U.M. Fest really means something. Sure, it’s a stepping stone for a select few on their way to broader success, but these hip-hop awards exist primarily so fans can take a look back at the last twelve months while getting primed for the year to come. Whether you’re a lapsed fan or a diehard or you’re new to local hip-hop altogether, consider S.L.U.M. Fest a one-size-fits-all guide to regional rap that’s been proven year after year. —Joseph Hess Each week we bring you our picks for the best concerts of the weekend. To submit your show for consideration, visit riverfronttimes. com/stlouis/Events/AddEvent. All events subject to change; check with the venue for the most up-to-date information.

VOTED THE BEST

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SAVAGE LOVE LOST KINKSTER BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’m a nineteen-yearold bisexual woman really into orgasm denial and edging. With the recent Tumblr ban on all NSFW content, I have no idea where to indulge my kinks and find my community. I’ve never needed to go anywhere else to find porn, explore my sexuality and be surrounded by supportive people — and now I’m at a loss. A few Google searches have been really disheartening. Clearly I’ve been spoiled by all the easily found porn made by women, for women on Tumblr. Hell, I’m used to it being made by bisexuals, for bisexuals. I feel like I’m fifteen again, desperately scouring the internet for anything that applies to me. Please tell me where I can find my porn! Missing My Porn Community P.S. You wrote about how this ban harms sex workers, Dan, but please write about how it harms queer and kinky people, too! “Many people are scrambling to relocate their fetish communities in the wake of Tumblr’s ban on ‘adult content,’” said Alexander Cheves, a queer writer who lives in New York City. “Porn is more than hot videos — porn creates communities. I wouldn’t know half the gross stuff I’m into if it weren’t for Tumblr!” Luckily, MMPC, the men and women who created and/or curated the content that spoke to you and affirmed your identity didn’t evaporate on December 17, the day Tumblr’s porn ban went into effect. Many have taken their clips, captions, GIFs and erotic imaginations to other platforms, and some are creating new platforms. “MMPC should devote some time to scouring Twitter for bisexual women into orgasm denial and edging, some of whom may be uploading their original content to platforms like Just For Fans,” said Cheves. “The creators of JFF are right now working on a more Tumblr-like social-media extension to their site. Other startups like Slixa or ShareSomeCome and social platforms

like Switter have emerged in the wake of this crackdown. These are corners of the internet where MMPC can find her porn.” Cheves wrote a terrific piece for Out that connects the dots between Tumblr’s ban on porn and the anti-sex, anti-porn, anti-sexwork and anti-queer crackdown that was already under way on other platforms (“The Dangerous Trend of LGBTQ Censorship on the Internet,” December 6, 2018). While there’s still tons of porn on the internet, as many people have pointed out (myself included), the crackdown on explicit content on social-media platforms is fucking over vulnerable queers. As Eric Leue, executive director of the Free Speech Coalition, told Cheves: “Many people in straight, heteronormative communities don’t understand what the big deal is [about the Tumblr adult content ban], because their lives and cultures are represented everywhere. For those in queer, or niche, or fetish communities, Tumblr was one of the few accessible spaces to build communities and share content.” And as long as sex-education programs don’t cover queer sex or kinky sex — and there’s no sign of improvement in either area — LGBTQ youth and young people with kinks will continue to get their sexual education on the internet. And the harder it is to access explicit content, particularly explicit noncommercial content, the harder it’s going to be for young queers to find not just smut that speaks to them, but the education they need to protect themselves. “More youth will get hurt and more will get HIV thanks to Tumblr’s content ban,” said Cheves. “That’s not scaremongering — that will happen. Case in point: I grew up in a fiercely religious home on a 500-acre farm in the middle of Georgia with dial-up and a pretty intense parental blocker. I couldn’t access porn — I couldn’t even access articles with sexual illustrations, including sexual health illustrations. When I went to college in 2010, the same year Grindr hit the App Store, I knew absolutely nothing about HIV and nothing about my community. It’s no wonder that I tested positive at 21.” Shortly after getting the news

that he was HIV+, Cheves started an educational queer sex blog. “I answer sex questions from anyone who writes in — I stole the idea from you, Dan, to be honest,” said Cheves. “I wanted to reach those kids in the middle of nowhere, kids like me.” While Cheves writes professionally today — you can find his advice column in the Advocate and his byline in other publications — he still updates and posts new content to thebeastlyexboyfriend. com, his original queer sex blog. “Sites like my blog are needed now more than ever,” said Cheves. “If MMPC wants to help her community survive, she may no longer have the option of being a passive consumer — she might have to start a website or blog, wave a digital flag and find others. The internet is so massive that censorship will never be able to keep people with niche fetishes from congregating, digitally or otherwise. It’s just going to be a little harder to find each other.” Hey, Dan: My new partner is a swinger. Being GGG, I said, sure, we can go to swinger parties, even though I have often been uncomfortable in swinger spaces. Then I was nearly assaulted at a swinger party with my new partner. And if I hadn’t kicked the shit out of the guy, I would have been assaulted. After being appropriately upset about the situation, I was told by one of the organizers: “Well, that is why you should bring a spotter or a couple of friends to a party. You have to protect yourself.” Nowhere on the website for this party was that listed as something I should do. No other articles about swinging that I’ve read (or swinging podcasts I’ve listened to) suggested bringing “spotters” to ensure safety! So what is the standard of consent in swinger spaces? Is bringing a spotter just a given that nobody told me about? I want to be clear about the seriousness of the problem: What happened to me was not a touch on the leg to see if I might be interested in another joining in. It was someone trying to stick an unwrapped cock in me without asking if I would be okay with that! Unhappy Nervous Swinger Absolutely Fucking Enraged I’ve strolled around half a dozen

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straight swinger spaces — more than the average homo — and the standard for consent at each one I visited can be summed up in four words: Ask before you touch. My visits to straight swinging events/ spaces/parties were strictly for research purposes, it should go without saying, but I’m saying it anyway: I went only to observe. And at one party, I observed a man attempt to enter a scene he hadn’t been invited to join — by placing his hand on a woman’s leg. The leg-touching creep was promptly ejected for violating the club’s rules about consent, which all attendees were informed of in advance and agreed to adhere to once inside the club. That’s not just the way it’s supposed to work in swinger spaces, UNSAFE, that’s the way it must work in any swinger space, club, or party that hopes to survive. Because bad actors — almost always shitty men — make women feel unsafe. And when women feel unsafe in swinger spaces, they abandon them. And it’s difficult to host a successful straight swingers event without women. From the sound of things, UNSAFE, you had the misfortune of attending a shitty party run by shitty people. Someone attempted to violate you in a space where respect for boundaries, consent, and the bodily autonomy of other individuals is (or should be) paramount. And, no, you were not at fault for failing to bring a “spotter.” The club was at fault for not emphasizing its own rules — and then, when a bad actor broke the rules and left another attendee feeling violated and unsafe, the club compounded its failure by blaming the victim. I wouldn’t blame you for not wanting to attend a swinger party with your new partner ever again — especially if your new partner stood by silently while you kicked the shit out of that asshole — but you shouldn’t return to that particular swinger party again. The sooner Club Bring a Spotter goes out of business, the better. Want more? Listen to the Savage Lovecast every week at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF SUMNER COUNTY. AT GALLATIN, TENNESSEE. OFFICE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT CLERK. Brittany D. Baker & James Ryan Baker, Petitioners vs. 83CC1-2018-CV-782 Christopher M. Howard, Respondent It appearing from the bill filed in this cause, which is sworn to, that the respondent=s has been unable to serve by certified mail, however his last known address was 9228 Nemo Drive, St. Louis, Missouri, 63123, therefore he cannot be served with the ordinary process of law to bring him before the Court. It is therefore Ordered that the respondent, Christopher M. Howard, enter his appearance herein on or before the 4th day of March, 2019 and answer petitioner=s bill or the same will be taken as confessed as to him and the matter will be set for hearing exparte. A copy of this Order will be published for four consecutive weeks in Riverfront Times, a newspaper published in St. Louis, Missouri. KATHRYN STRONG-CLERK. THOMAS JAY MARTIN, JR., ATTORNEY FOR PETITIONERS PUBLICATION TO BEGIN RUNNING ON THE 9th Day of January, 2019. 1st Week 1/9/19 2nd Week 1/16/19 rd 3 Week 1/23/19 4th Week 1/30/19

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