Riverfront Times, January 22, 2020

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JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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MARCH 6-12, 2019

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THE LEDE

“People don’t really think of important history and St. Louis in the same sentence. So much history occurred here that, every time there’s a chance, we ought to be out there saying, ‘Hey, this is what we did!’”

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

ETTA DANIELS (FAR LEFT), PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE ST. LOUIS WOMEN’S MARCH WITH (FROM LEFT) SHERRI MORROW, KATHERINE KOZEMCZAK AND MARVIN-ALONZO GREER OF THE ST. LOUIS SUFFRAGE LEAGUE ON JANUARY 18

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Doyle Murphy

E D I T O R I A L Managing Editor Liz Miller Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writer Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Columnist Ray Hartmann Contributing Writers Mike Appelstein, Allison Babka, Thomas Crone, Jenn DeRose, Mike Fitzgerald, Sara Graham, Joseph Hess, MaryAnn Johanson, Roy Kasten, Kevin Korinek, Bob McMahon, Lauren Milford, Nicholas Phillips, Tef Poe, Christian Schaeffer Proofreader Evie Hemphill Editorial Interns Ella Faust, Caroline Groff, Ronald Wagner

COVER

For Puck’s Sake Ahead of the NHL All-Star Game, RFT’s resident hockey fanatic reflects on the St. Louis Blues’ checkered past and bright future

A R T Art Director Evan Sult Contributing Photographers Virginia Harold, Stephen Kennedy, Monica Mileur, Zia Nizami, Andy Paulissen, Nick Schnelle, Mabel Suen, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Jen West

Cover illustration by

P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Haimanti Germain

RONAN LYNAM

M U L T I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G Advertising Director Colin Bell Senior Account Executive Cathleen Criswell Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel Multimedia Account Executive Jackie Mundy

INSIDE The Lede Hartmann News Feature Calendar Cafe Short Orders Culture Out Every Night Savage Love

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

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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 N A T I O N A L A D V E R T I S I N G VMG Advertising 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com S U B S C R I P T I O N S Send address changes to Riverfront Times, 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103. Domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $78/6 months (Missouri residents add $4.74 sales tax) and $156/year (Missouri residents add $9.48 sales tax) for first class.

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HARTMANN Crossed Circuits You’re never going to believe who’s recommending employment

by Kim Gardner

BY RAY HARTMANN

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ere’s my fun fact of the week: If you go to the official website of the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office and click upon the tab “Careers,” you will find a section called “Quotes from Former ACAs.” ACA stands for assistant circuit attorney.

Of the former ACA’s offering a testimonial, right below the name “Kimberly M. Gardner,” is none other than Gerard T. Carmody.

“As time goes on, I realize more and more the value of my trial ex-

perience in the Circuit Attorney’s Office,” reads his quote. “I also see more alumni of that office who now sit as judges presiding over my cases. The common bond of the Circuit Attorney’s Office is an important link that connects us throughout our legal careers.”

Well, now, that’s interesting.

Carmody’s legal career does have an “important link” to Gardner’s legal career in that he’s apparently on a mission to end hers through his role as special prosecutor investigating her office on a charge of “really pissing off the wrong lawyers, including my best friend” (not a term of art) and alleged misconduct during the dropped prosecution of former Governor Eric Greitens.

As if that weren’t enough, Carmody was appointed for this mission by a fellow “importantly linked” alum of the office, Circuit Judge Michael Mullen, former assistant circuit attorney. So, the office is one big happy family, sort of.

I’m going to take a wild guess

South City Scooters @ the corner of Connecticut & Morgan Ford

and say neither Gardner nor her adversaries are aware that Carmody’s glowing words still adorn the site. They probably won’t for long. But hilarity aside, there’s a fitting irony to their presence: At the end of the day, this is all about St. Louis being a large small town.

Every connection seems connected to another connection. The St. Louis Question — “Where did you go to high school?” — isn’t just some iconic local hallmark. In this case, it’s a big part of the story.

The take-no-prisoners war between Gardner and St. Louis’ establishment is as cultural as it is substantive. Gardner’s words — “I refuse to kneel down and kiss the ring of the good ole boy system” — have brought angry people to their feet at packed black churches in the city.

On the other side, there’s matching anger from the overwhelming white legal establishment. Police officers, lawyers, judges and the mayor seem to regard the circuit attorney’s office as an incompe-

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tent train wreck or worse. Critics often describe Gardner’s motives as villainous and corrupt.

Gardner did not run on the campaign slogan, “If you like the criminal justice system you have, you can keep it.” She ran as a reformer or, if you prefer, a disrupter. And the disruptees are having none of it.

Carmody has indicted William Tisaby, the outside investigator Gardner sadly enlisted for the Greitens case, on perjury and evidence-tampering charges. Contrary to popular belief, Tisaby hasn’t been convicted of anything and Gardner hasn’t even been charged.

Against this meditative backdrop, the war became the object of national media attention when Gardner announced on January 13 she had filed a federal civil rights suit alleging a racist conspiracy against her in violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. Seven of her fellow African-American female prosecutors from across the naContinued on pg 8

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HARTMANN

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tion came to St. Louis last week in a show of solidarity.

I don’t know whether the lawsuit will go far in legally proving a conspiracy. It’s essentially a statement lawsuit about the interconnected forces working to thwart and arguably persecute Gardner.

A sizable part recounts evidence from the Plain iew Project documenting shocking bigotry among a number of white city police officers. But that’s not breaking news.

The most interesting section is a litany of the stunning web of tooclose-for-comfort, “St. Louis Question” connections that got Carmody appointed to prosecute Gardner’s office for its obvious mishandling of the Greitens case. There’s far more detail than I have space for.

To summarize, a Chaminade College Preparatory School grad, Judge Mullen, appointed Chaminade grad (and current Board of Trustees president) Carmody to investigate misconduct alleged to have victimized Greitens’ defense attorneys, one of whom was Carmody’s lifelong best friend, fellow Chaminade grad and former law partner Edward owd Jr., with whom he personally tried multiple cases. And several of their children either attend or previously attended Chaminade (a fine school, by the way). Got all that?

Then there’s two of Carmody’s kids working with him as lawyers in the Clayton firm Carmody Mac onald, which has billed , in legal fees and counting. Strangely, daughter yann Carmody, had previously sent text messages, preserved in court files, to Gardner’s now-former spokeswoman, offering her services as a special prosecutor to “take Greitens down ” — a role she didn’t get.

And there was her brother, Patrick Carmody, and her father having donated to the campaign of Patrick amacher, one of Gardner’s primary opponents in 1 .

The dollars were not large, but in this context, the symbolism is. itto for owd’s own campaign donations to Jeff oorda’s past legislative races. oorda, of course, is central to this story as business manager and megaphone for the largely white police officers union. ationally, he is best known as the “I am arren Wilson” Caucasiancivil-rights activist fighting the historic oppression of police.

The litany of connections (and there are more) call into question the propriety of Mullen choosing

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Carmody — or anyone close to attorneys on either of the case.

On the home front, there’s this: the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board channeled its inner Patrick Buchanan to trash Gardner’s nationally funded lawsuit as “frivolous” in a screed that read like it was ghost-written by oorda. It’s not every day that “liberal” newspapers attack reform prosecutors with phrases like “she’ll be lucky if she doesn’t face professional sanction for wasting the court’s time” and “yet another courtclogging waste-of-time lawsuit.” A frivolous editorial, I’d say.

Last June, the paper’s Pulitzerwinning columnist Tony Messenger observed the following: The Center for Public Integrity reviewed “more than , cases of prosecutorial misconduct that led appeal judges to overturn convictions in the .S. criminal courts (over 33 years) ... In only one case was a prosecutor eventually disbarred for misconduct.”

The bottom line, locally, is this: There’s a primary election for circuit attorney on August . If city residents want to remove Kim Gardner in favor of former prosecutor Mary Pat Carl or some other candidate, that’s their choice.

But the saga of Gardner’s failed prosecution of Greitens should have ended when she dropped charges against him. There was no victim here: ltimately, Gardner had nothing to do with Missouri epublicans in Jefferson City exorcising Greitens from their body politic in 17. They took him out because he was killing them politically thanks to a sex scandal, which was exploded by a KMO news report, not Gardner. And because they despised him.

People who want to pump the brakes on Gardner’s reform agenda should vote against her in the August primary for circuit attorney. People who support her efforts to fundamentally change the system should support her.

But the future of criminal justice in St. Louis should be decided by the people, not by a tight-knit group of legal insiders seeking vengeance. This isn’t about what Jerry Carmody and his friends think.

Even if he has all those nice words to say on the circuit attorney’s website. n Ray Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1977. Contact him at rhartmann@sbcglobal.net or catch him on St. Louis In the Know With Ray Hartmann and Jay Kanzler from 9 to 11 p.m.

Monday thru Friday on KTRS (550 AM).

NEWS

ESOP President Heather Taylor, center, says racism exists in the police force. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI

Police Unions Split on Kim Gardner Suit Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

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attle lines are forming around Kim Gardner. Last week, the St. Louis circuit attorney sparked national headlines with a civil rights lawsuit alleging she’s the target of a racist conspiracy — an accusation she’s airing while a criminal case against one of her own former investigators inches closer to her office door.

It’s easy to get lost in the complexity, the overlapping characters and tangle of allegations that stretch back to the downfall of former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens. But for two St. Louis police unions — one that’s mostly white and functions as a collective bargaining unit, the other mostly black and acting primarily as an advocacy association — this chaos is familiar.

Take Gardner’s federal civil rights suit, filed January 13, which used an eye-catching legal basis for some of its claims: the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. The lawsuit notes the act was created “to curb conspiracies of white citizens who

sought to interfere with state authorities’ efforts to expand racial justice and equality.”

According to the lawsuit, that’s “precisely the scenario” Gardner has encountered in St. Louis: a conspiracy to deny Gardner her rightful authority as the elected prosecutor.

To support that argument, however, the lawsuit spends relatively little time with the nineteenthcentury-era law passed to provide civil remedies for the racial abuse wielded by the KKK. Instead, Gardner’s 3 -page lawsuit draws much of its evidence from the same grievances that have long been raised by the Ethical Society of Police, or ESOP, which represents police officers in St. Louis city.

In fact, the lawsuit cites a 11 page ESOP report published in 1 that summarized its members’ experiences of racism in promotions, discipline and discriminatory policing.

During a press conference on January 1 , ESOP President eather Taylor, who works as a homicide detective with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, delivered a carefully worded statement, affirming allegations of racism within the department, but stopping short of full support of Gardner. ESOP has made it clear its members have disagreed at times with the circuit attorney. owever, Taylor says, Gardner’s

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Kim Gardner claims there is a racist conspiracy to undercut her authority. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI reports of racism within the police force are true.

“We won’t dismiss the meaning and the overall content of that lawsuit when it comes to racial discrimination in our police department,” Taylor said, adding that “the lawsuit is legitimate because there is a culture that breeds and that is accepting of racism, discrimination, corruption.”

Taylor’s statement had begun with an acknowledgement.

“We haven’t always agreed with the decisions of the circuit attorney,” Taylor said, and as example she noted the high turnover rate of prosecutors and cases where ESOP officers believe prosecutors are turning down otherwise good evidence for criminal charges.

Still, Taylor referenced several of the same examples cited in the lawsuit. She made the case that public officials’ long-term failure to implement diversity and stamp out racism is responsible for the embarrassing symptoms we see today. She noted the trove of bigoted Facebook posts from white cops exposed earlier this year, as well as the police beating of undercover black cop Luther all during the 17 protests and the bizarre friendly-fire police shooting of offduty black officer Milton Green.

These incidents, Taylor said, are not “meritless,” which was the word used by a St. Louis City spokesman to respond to Gardner’s lawsuit, which names the

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city as a defendant.

As a police officer, Taylor argued, “Whether you like the circuit attorney or dislike her, that shouldn’t be relevant in this job, because it’s not about us. It’s about the people who were out there in the community that are victims of violent crime.”

There was no mention of William Tisaby, however.

Currently, Tisaby, a former FBI agent Gardner hired to be an outside investigator, is facing multiple perjury charges for allegedly lying to Eric Greitens’ defense attorneys during a deposition, and the resulting probe has continued to cloud her time in office.

Gardner’s lawsuit frames the Tisaby prosecution as part of the conspiracy to take her down. She isn’t suing on behalf of aggrieved black police officers, but arguing, among other things, that only such a conspiracy could explain how special prosecutor Gerald Carmody obtained a warrant to raid her offices for evidence in the criminal case she’d brought against Greitens.

This is also where the St. Louis Police Officers Association, the city police’s largest police union, comes into play. Although black officers may see ESOP as their public representative, the SLPOA is the collective bargaining unit for the city’s nearly 1, sworn officers. It’s also named as a defendant in Gardner’s lawsuit — along with its spokesman Jeff oorda.

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POLICE UNIONS Continued from pg 9

For years, oorda has waged open warfare on Gardner, never missing an opportunity to highlight the instability inside the Circuit Attorney’s Office or a chance to fiercely oppose the prosecution of officers involved in alleged abuse. Last week oorda staged his own press conference to respond to Gardner’s lawsuit.

In his remarks, oorda called Gardner’s lawsuit “the last act of a desperate woman” and denied the accusation that he and the SLPOA opposed the prosecutor just because she is the city’s first black circuit attorney.

“We’re not criticizing her because she’s the first,” oorda said.

“We’re criticizing her because she’s the worst, the worst prosecutor in the United States.” oorda’s name appears more than a dozen times in Gardner’s lawsuit, including a mention of a

September 1 radio interview in which the spokesman had said Gardner must be removed “by force or by choice.” oorda, though, has been criticized himself — most loudly from ESOP and Taylor — as being perhaps the worst police spokesman in the nited States. e photoshopped Gardner as the Grinch for the association’s Christmastime newsletter and unleashed fury at her “exclusion list” of officers barred from giving testimony. This past summer, oorda encouraged officers to adopt the logo from The Punisher comic books, despite its violent baggage as a symbol of vigilante violence. As the region memorialized Michael Brown, oorda celebrated the “ appy Alive ay” of arren Wilson, the officer who had fatally shot him.

Gardner’s federal lawsuit arrives at a time when the investigation of her office is heating up.

Gardner was scheduled to be deposed January 1 in the case of Tisaby, but court records show it’s

been rescheduled to January .

As we’ve previously reported, Tisaby’s indictment contained multiple allegations that appeared to implicate Gardner in the same statements that got the investigator charged with crimes. Gardner’s critics, like oorda, argue that the prosecutor is de ecting from her own impending legal crisis.

But while the local police unions take their own positions on the explosive lawsuit, Gardner herself gained backup last week: On January 1 , six black female prosecutors from six different states, including Marilyn Mosby of Baltimore, converged on the steps of the Carnahan Courthouse downtown to lead a rally for Gardner.

“You are not alone,” Mosby said of Gardner. “We will not stand idly by any longer while the keepers of the status quo try to tear you down.”

Later that day, Gardner joined the self-described “sisterhood” of prosecutors at a forum held at arris-

The Financial Case for Closing the Workhouse Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

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new roadmap to closing the Workhouse aims for the aging jail’s lifeblood — its $16 million annual budget.

At a news conference January 14, advocates for criminal justice reform and allies in the city government described a plan that involves defunding the controversial jail, moving state and city inmates to St. Louis’ modern jail downtown and ending contracts to house federal inmates.

“The Workhouse is a stain on the city of St. Louis,” said Kayla Reed, founder of Action St. Louis, one of the lead organizations behind the Close the Workhouse campaign along with the Bail Project and ArchCity Defenders.

Officially named the Medium Security Institution, the 53-year-old Workhouse has a capacity of 1,138 inmates, yet its daily population no longer comes close to that.

The day of the news conference, there were 239 inmates there and another 660 at the City Justice Center, which opened in 2002 next to the downtown courthouses and has a capacity of 860.

Supporters for closing the Workhouse suggest moving all the people awaiting trial on municipal and state charges to CJC. There would be plenty of room, they point out, if the city stopped accepting federal inmates.

Housing federal inmates is part of the

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Kayla Reed speaks at a news conference for the Close the Workhouse campaign. | DOYLE MURPHY cashflow for county and city jails across the country, but a new report from the Close the Workhouse campaign argues that St. Louis actually loses money on the deal. As of last week, there were 233 federal inmates in city jails. At $90 per day for each federal inmate, according to the report, the city anticipates earning about $5.1 million in 2020 through its contract.

If the city stopped holding the federal inmates, it would have room to spare in the CJC, even taking into account inefficiencies that come with the need to keep some inmates separate from others. It could then close the Workhouse, save the $16 million and come out nearly $11 million ahead after subtracting the federal money. That doesn’t include any revenue from potentially selling the Workhouse.

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“The city of St. Louis should not be in the business of detaining its residents,” said Alderwoman Cara Spencer, who joined the advocates at the news conference. “It doesn’t make sense from a moral perspective, and it doesn’t make sense from a financial perspective.”

Spencer is among a group of aldermen supporting a newly introduced board bill that seeks to eliminate funding for the Workhouse and redirect its budget toward services designed to address issues such as poverty that often suck people into jails and courts.

The Workhouse has long been a target of critics, who over the years have described black mold, rats, dangerously extreme temperatures and violence.

“The conditions are just horrendous,” said Callion Barnes, a member of the Close the Workhouse campaign, who

Stowe State University. Gardner’s ight had apparently been delayed, and when she finally arrived the filled-to-capacity room erupted in chants of “ ands off our prosecutor!” and “We love Kim!” ow much longer will the Greitens saga follow Gardner? er lawsuit may be an attempt to rise above the chaos of its aftermath, but her opponents argue she’s just burying herself in it even further.

She faces her first reelection bid this summer, and there’s no telling how nasty things may get on the way to the ballot.

When Gardner addressed the packed forum, she argued that the lawsuit wasn’t just about her, but about the people’s decision to elect her to make the hard reforms that had long been resisted.

“No longer are we going to sit here and have the powerful few choose to take out the people’s voice,” she said, as the crowd began to roar her name again. “This suit is by the people and for the people, and we are not going to back down.” n added that he has been in and out of the jail during the past two decades. “It’s inhumane.”

The city has tried to revamp the jail’s notorious reputation, claiming improvements to the facility, but defense attorneys and advocates say they haven’t seen any significant change to conditions.

Of the inmates in city jails, nearly all of them are awaiting trial. Activists say that runs counter to the legal principle that defendants are innocent until proven guilty, and they argue it is morally indefensible, noting that the cash bail system hits poor, often black people from vulnerable neighborhoods the hardest.

The Bail Project, which is a core organization behind the campaign with Action St. Louis and ArchCity Defenders, has posted bail for more than 2,300 people and reports that those defendants have made more than 90 percent of their court dates.

If the city put a portion of the Workhouse’s budget toward making it easier for people to come to court — ideas include sending reminders, providing transportation to the courthouse and childcare — it could allow them to deal with their legal obligations without the destruction to families, careers and communities that even a short stint in jail can cause.

Reed, of Action St. Louis, says the Workhouse has played a major role in a broken system.

“For decades it has devastated families, causing economic burdens on people already struggling to make ends meet,” she said at the news conference.

“Cash bail is a failed system, and the Workhouse is a failed institution.” n

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For Puck’s Sake Ahead of the NHL All-Star Game, RFT’s resident hockey fanatic reflects on the St. Louis Blues’ checkered past and bright future

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BY PAUL FRISWOLD

he 2020 NHL All-Star Game takes place in St. Louis this weekend, for the first time since 1 88. Along with it come concerts, events for the fans, the skills competition and mascot events. The Stanley Cup — which the St. Louis Blues won last year, as you may know — will be in town, which just feels right.

Of course all the hoopla has us thinking about hockey, even more so than usual. The St. Louis Blues have a history that’s more checkered than storied. What started as a team of cast-offs in 1 7 has seen heartbreak, a near move to Canada, great players, greater characters, collapses and conquests. Last year made it all worth it, but that doesn’t discredit anything that came before, so instead we celebrate with a long look back.

If you’re in from out of town, we have a guide to all the All-Star Weekend activities, as well as some suggestions for where to eat and drink if you want more than concessions, and some helpful tips about things you can do while you’re here that aren’t hockey-related.

Let’s drop the puck.

The Team Founding

The Blues, like many great enterprises throughout history, were founded out of jealousy and greed.

Chicago Blackhawks owner James D. Norris and his partner, Arthur Wirtz, wanted a local rival for their team along the lines of the Cubs-Cardinals hatefest. Norris’ old man, James E., had left his son an ownership stake in the Detroit ed Wings, the ew ork angers and the Blackhawks, giving James . a financial interest in half of the Original Six teams of the L. When the expansion of the L to twelve teams was announced, James . saw his opportunity twice over, and St. Louis was announced as the sixth and final expansion city. St. Louis was understandably confused, because the city did not apply to enter the league and somehow ended up

with a team anyway. What swung the sixth franchise into St. Louis’ lap? James . orris’ insistence to the league brass that the Gateway City get the final team (over Baltimore, which did apply). Even better (for orris), orris owned the rundown St. Louis Arena, which would be the team’s new home. orris got his desired rival, a new tenant and his way one last time, and then died. The St. Louis Blues were born, and the Blackhawks were now owned by Arthur Wirtz, who with his son, Bill, set new standards in penny-pinching for years to come.

The Legend of the Hard-Checking Plager Brothers

Barclay, Bob and Billy Plager helped raise the team’s profile in the ’7 s, with Barclay and Bob skating together for eleven years.

Bob had the hip check, Barclay famously fought Bob while they were in juniors, and Billy didn’t last long with the team. The story of two brothers making it to the same team was an interesting one, but not nearly as interesting as watching them play. They were rugged and played with an edge, but they weren’t dirty. Besides, they were the good guys: Both of ’em rode the rocket to the Stanley Cup finals in the first years of the team’s existence, and their hardnosed defense was a large reason that the Blues were the last expansion team still standing. (That and the fact that the league brass juiced the excitement by setting up a postseason format that mandated an expansion team would go all the way.) The Blues didn’t win a game in the finals, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. Bobby had a way with words as well, once remarking, “ ou don’t have to be crazy to play hockey, but it helps.” Barclay was named only the second team captain in history, and together the Plagers toplined the stingiest defense in the entire league in 1 , allowing the fewest goals scored against that year.

In 1 7 , they almost repeated that feat but fell to second-best. Sadly, Barclay died at age of a brain tumor in 1 88, three days before the All-Star Game, which was held in St. Louis that year. A moment of silence was held in his memory at the game. After this year’s long-awaited Stanley Cup win,

ILLUSTRATION BY RONAN LYNAM

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Bob brought champagne and the Cup to Barclay’s grave, completing a circle that had been open for more than 50 years.

Noel Picard, My Good Friend

Joseph Jean- oel ves Picard was claimed by the St. Louis Blues in the expansion draft of 1 7. Born on Christmas ay, the big defenseman was known as Noel by teammates and fans. He had a pretty good right-handed shot and a nasty left hook that took a lot of opponents by surprise. Among hockey fans, Noel Picard is remembered for tripping Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr right as Orr scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in the 1 7 finals, which resulted in one of the most famous sports photographs of all time.

Among teammates, Picard was best known for his jovial nature, love of pranks and ability to fire up the team one way or the other.

Before games, Picard would

point at teammates and bellow, “This is the team that didn’t want you!,” a tactic that united the Blues even as it fired ’em up.

Picard was also lucky. He was in danger of having his foot amputated in 1 71 after his horse fell on his ankle, shattering it. The doctors were able to repair most of it, allowing him to return to the team for one more year, but he wasn’t the same player. The Blues waived him, and he retired a year later.

That’s when he assumed his role on the broadcast team as the color guy, next to the legendary an Kelly. Games became even more entertaining with Picard in the booth. He referred to everyone as “My goo’ frien’,” thanks to his Quebecois accent, which got thicker as the action heated up. Picard always had a smile in his voice, which gave even losing games a rosy hue. Many former players have worked the booth in the years since, but when the clock is ticking down and the Blues are threatening to come from behind, Noel Picard’s voice is the one that rings in my head.

Noel Picard was great on the ice and even better on the mic. COURTESY THE ST. LOUIS BLUES

How the Blues Became A Real Team

With the onset of the ew Six teams to match the Original Six teams, it was necessary for the

league to hold a dispersal draft.

In short order, aging vets were shipped out to the new teams, and the Blues ended up with a strange mix of future hall of fam-

Hockey All the Time

The NHL All-Star Game may be the main draw, but there are plenty of other events to keep you busy before and after the puck drops Winterfest

performances on Saturday during the game, but the band will also play a free show before the game at 5 p.m. on Saturday at 14th and Market. Gates for that one open at 3 p.m.

Kiener Plaza (west of the Arch) turns into an icy oasis downtown with skating and, if you’re a snowman of means, heated “igloos” for a couple of hours.

On Thursday, you can begin your hockey-watching weekend early when the Winterfest 3 on 3 Hockey Classic hosts its playoffs championship. The amateur, goalie-free league has been grinding away since mid-December, and everyone is invited to the big finish, beginning at 10 a.m.

NHL Alumni Game The aging greats will lace ’em up again at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Centene Community Ice Center (750 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights; 314451-2244) for another game.

Bonus: They’re not expected to play, but even more stars are scheduled to make appearances, including Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Chris Pronger, Martin Brodeur and Bobby Plager. Tickets were sold out last we checked, but Ticketmaster teased the possibility that more could be released.

Learn the Game On Sunday, kids ages four to nine can hit the ice for a skills session hosted by the St. Louis Blues Youth Hockey from noon to 2 p.m. Once the tiny Tarasenkos have picked up the basics, they’ll get an opportunity to scrimmage. It’s free, but you’ll want to register (nhl.com/blues/ community/winterfest-hockey) ahead of time.

Learn the History Blues legend Bob Plager will be out and about all weekend, including at the Alumni Game. | COURTESY THE ST. LOUIS BLUES

Mascot Showdown They’ve got these silly bastards competing against each other for four straight days, which, yes, does seem a little much. So maybe just pick one or two.

The mascot joust at noon on Sunday sounds like a solid bet, and there are relay races at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Both of those will take place at the ice rink at Union Station as part of NHL Fan Fair,

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the four-day hockey fest. Tickets to Fan Fair (nhl.com/fans/all-star/2020-fanfair) are $12 for adults and $10 for kids ages three through twelve. If the skills contests aren’t enough, the mascots will actually play hockey at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at Enterprise Center (1401 Clark Avenue, 314-622-5400) before the All-Star Game.

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Free Concerts Jammy frat rockers O.A.R. will help kick off the weekend with a show at 3:30 p.m. on Friday at 14th and Market streets. The show (gates at 2:30 p.m., expect metal detectors) includes the arrival of this year’s All-Star players and NHL mascots on the red carpet. Poppunk stalwarts Green Day will headline

The Black Hockey History Tour Truck, a mobile museum, will be all over St. Louis during the four-day weekend.

Within its 525 square feet, visitors will get to learn about the pioneers and Stanley Cup champions who’ve shaped the league and sport at large. The first stop is from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday at City Academy parking lot (4175 North Kingshighway Boulevard). Go to nhl. com/blues/fans/black-hockey-historytour for a complete list of times and locations.

City Museum is a bona fide wonder of the world. | THOMAS HAWK/FLICKR

beyond hockey You can find the Arch on your own, which is worth it. But if you’re in town for the game, here are a few other sights, restaurants and attractions to check out Bernie Federko is still the Blues’ all-time leader in points scored. COURTESY THE ST. LOUIS BLUES ers. There was oug arvey and his seven Norris Trophies for best defenseman ickie Moore and the legendary goalkeeping tandem of Jacques Plante, who won six Stanley Cups, and Glenn Hall, who played consecutive games between the pipes. Less ashy but no less significant was the arrival of Al Arbour, a rangy centerman who wore glasses on and off the ice.

Arbour played well and became the first Blues player to wear the captain’s “C” on his sweater, which meant the team listened to him on the ice and in the locker room. When his playing days came to a natural end, he transitioned naturally into the coach’s job in 1 7 .

It wasn’t a smooth ride for old Al. Sid Salomon III, the team’s executive P, had an itchy trigger finger for making player trades and cashiering coaches. By ecember 1 71, Salomon had traded away a huge chunk of the team and had hired and fired Al Arbour, Scotty Bowman and Sid Abel in the span of games. With Abel’s departure, Salomon threw Arbour back on the carousel on Christmas Day to ramrod a team whose collective heads were spinning in sixth place in the Western Division.

Everything changed during a fateful trip to Philadelphia on January , 1 7 . (What is it with Philadelphia altering the trajectory of St. Louis teams in midwinter?)

The Blues were down 0-2 in the second period, and Arbour thought

the refs were calling a shoddy game. e got on the ice to talk to referee John Ashley at the end of the period, which is frowned upon.

Ashley gave Arbour a two-minute penalty, which Arbour shrugged off like an old overcoat. He followed the ref toward the dressing room, at which point someone in the Philadelphia stands poured a beer on Arbour’s head.

Bob Plager wasn’t going to stand for that. He would later tell Sports Illustrated’s Mark Mulvoy that “it was the first time all year someone had stood up for us. It brought us together.” As the beer poured into Arbour’s ears, Plager only wanted to talk to the goon who dumped it, so he climbed over the glass, with teammates hot on his heels.

On their heels were the riot police, who were swinging nightsticks at anybody in a Blues sweater.

When the dust finally cleared, Al Arbour needed ten stitches, while player John Arbour (no relation) got stitches. Fellow Blues players Floyd Thompson, Phil oberto and the Arbours were all handcuffed and taken by paddywagon to the Philadelphia police station and charged with assault. (Charges were eventually dropped.)

After that night, the Blues were changed men. Al Arbour’s organized practices got the team on the same page, but his willingness to fight the refs (and the city of Philadelphia) lit a fire under the Blues that drove them into the playoffs.

City Museum First, if you’ve never been, the word “museum” isn’t quite right for this place. Think of it more as an amusement park or the world’s greatest playground, built with pieces of cities, transportation systems, statues and anything that might seem cool. City Museum (750 North 16th Street, 314-231-1009) is the work of mad genius artists, and while you’ll wonder how a place like this exists, you’ll be glad it does. A variety of ticket packages are available, and adult passes start at $16.

Eat Barbecue Duh, you’re in St. Louis. There are loads of options, but if you don’t want to stray too far from the arena, you can’t go wrong with Sugarfire Smoke House (605 Washington Avenue, 314-394-1720). The lines can be long, but don’t worry — the people at Sugarfire know you need barbecue and will take care of you quickly.

Mural Mile For more than two decades, graffiti artists from across the world have spent Labor Day weekend painting the Mississippi River flood wall between Victor and Chouteau avenues (roughly) as part of the Paint Louis celebration. It can be a little confusing to get down there, and the “road” along it is more of a collection of potholes in many places, but the work is mind-blowing.

Brunch with RFT Lucky you, the Riverfront Times’ annual This is Brunch party (you didn’t

think we’d skip inviting you to our own event, did you?) is during All-Star Weekend this year. More than 30 of the St. Louis area’s best restaurants will be serving up specialities from noon to 2 p.m. inside the Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis on Saturday, January 25 (212 Kingshighway Boulevard, 314-633-3000). Also, bottomless bloody marys, mimosas, bellinis, screwdrivers, beer and Irish coffee. General admission tickets are $40 and VIP tickets — which include entry at 11 a.m., a gift bag and commemorative glass — are $60. More info at rfttickets.com.

Expert Cocktails If you’re sportsed out or just want a great drink within a few minutes of all the hockey action, Planter’s House (10000 Mississippi Avenue, 314696-2603) is the spot. Co-owner Ted Kilgore is recognized as the godfather of modern mixology in St. Louis, and this restaurant and lounge has a luxurious, historic feel while managing to be entirely welcoming. It’s the perfect escape.

Forest Park The nearly 1,300-acre park dwarfs New York City’s Central Park and is one of the best places to spend an hour or full day. Hit the Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum or Saint Louis Science Center, visit the world-class Saint Louis Zoo or just wander among the trees and ponds. You will still be close to the action, but a trip to Forest Park will feel like you’ve teleported into an alternate pleasant world.

Continued on pg 16

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FOR PUCK’S SAKE Continued from pg 15

There was no fairytale ending, sadly they were outgunned in the semifinals by the Bruins who shellacked ’em 8-8 in only four games. Where was Laura Branigan when they needed her?

The Federko-Sutter Tag Team

Mustachioed Bernie Federko was the most gifted scorer the Blues ever saw (until Brett ull), and he had the great misfortune to be completely overshadowed by the once-in-a-millennium talent of Wayne Gretzky. Brian Sutter was one of six rock-ribbed brothers who made it to the NHL, and he was the most pugnacious by far of all of them. Together Bernie and Brian made the team not just successful in the late ’7 s and early ’8 s, but a joy to watch. Bernie was a crafty passer and natural scorer who was a magician with the puck. He would set up shop behind the opposing team’s net and dish assists to his teammates, racking up more than assists a year for ten consecutive seasons (’78 to ’88). Sutter was more of a primal force, scoring 3 or more goals six times in a season and notching more than 1 penalty minutes in those years. Sutter’s greatest gift was his ferocious will to win: o player in team history hated losing more than Brian Sutter. e would fight, he would stand in the goalie crease and tip pucks in while opposing defensemen whaled on him with sticks, fists and full-body cross-checks, and he could single-handedly carry the team to victory when they were behind late in the game.

In the 1 8 playoffs, the Blues fell behind - to the Calgary Flames late in game six. Sutter could barely lift his arm above his shoulder because of a lingering injury, but there he was in the crease with twelve minutes left in the game and the season, de ecting in a goal to make it -3. Greg Paslawski eventually tied it for the Blues in the dying seconds, and then in overtime Bernie Federko fed Mark Hunter, who’s shot was blocked. oug Wickenheiser potted the rebound and the Blues completed the Monday ight Miracle — the greatest game in team history until 1 — and forced a game seven that didn’t go nearly as well as the preceding game.

The Federko-Sutter years are the greatest era of Blues hockey, at least to my mind, and yet most of the hockey world was watching the Edmonton Oilers run the

16

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Jacques Plante won his seventh Vezina Trophy with the Blues in 1968 as part of tandem with Glenn Hall. | COURTESY OF MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY table. Bernie eventually got the call from the all of Fame in , a little late but better than never.

Federko’s number was retired by the team in 1 1, while Sutter’s number 11 went into the rafters in 1 88, shortly after he retired.

The Drafty Ballad of Saskatoon

In 1 83, Blues owners alston Purina announced they wanted to sell the team. Nobody was interested, but Ralston Purina was the least interested of all. They worked out a deal to sell the whole shebang to investors in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but the NHL refused to approve the sale. The Blues fought back by officially skipping the L draft that year, and then told the league to “take the team or we’ll sell the players, the equipment and the name to the highest bidder.” Then the fight got nasty. The league refused to take the team, Ralston Purina terminated the majority of the staff, and the players were left hanging in the wind. The NHL eventually took control of the team and announced a search for new owners, but on a timeline. If no one bought the team, the league would dissolve the Blues and allow the other eleven teams to draft its players. Harry Ornest and a group of investors saved the team with just days to spare. Saskatoon got nothing, but it retains the immortal honor of being the boyhood home of hockey legend Gordie Howe; the birthplace of a pair of the L’s greatest enforcers, Wade Belak and erek Boogaard

JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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and the only place on Earth where professional wrestler and actor Rowdy Roddy Piper could possibly be born. Current St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn was also born there, which means a piece of the Paris of the Prairies is now in St. Louis.

Great Goalies I Have Known

The miraculous ascension of Jordan Binnington to rock-solid, number-one goalie is all the more miraculous in his second season.

For years upon years, hardcore fans watched heralded and unheralded goalies get hot and carry the team to the postseason, only to have everything fall apart.

Mike Liut had a phenomenal run in the ’8 s but was undone by a serious groin injury. In 1 8 , Curtis Joseph arrived and established himself as a steady netminder. By ’ , Joseph had come into his own and became a force between the pipes, leading the Blues to an upset against the hated Blackhawks in the playoffs. By ’ he’d been traded away. Former allas Stars backup Roman Turek arrived in 1 and racked up seven shutouts on his way to the William M. Jennings trophy for fewest goals allowed. The San Jose Sharks ate him up in the postseason, and the next season saw a similar predilection for allowing soft goals in the playoffs. He was succeeded

by Brent Johnson (great, then not) and then, in tandem, Jaroslav alak and Brian Elliott (same story, despite the fact that Brian

Elliott still holds the team record for most shutouts in a season with eleven). ear after year, goalie after goalie — even Martin Brodeur showed up in the parade of almosts. ntil Jordan Binnington, forever may he reign.

The Behemoths

What the Blues lacked in goaltending stability, they more than made up for with their ability to nurture tough guys. From Bob Gassoff to yan eaves stretches a long and proud lineage of heart-and-soul players who stuck up for their teammates, protected the stars and fought all comers. Bob Gassoff was the early template, a burly defenseman who wasn’t the biggest guy on the ice but usually the baddest. He bounced between the minors and the majors from 1 73 to ’7 , but made an impact with his fists. Gassoff racked up 8 penalty minutes in just games. is career was cut short in 1 77 by a fatal motorcycle accident. The team retired his number.

Kelly Chase and Tony Twist overlapped for a few years in the mid-1 s, forming a potent combo on the ice. Chase was a heartand-soul guy who wasn’t the biggest bruiser on the ice, but that never stopped him from going toe to toe with anybody. As for Twist, at six-foot-one and pounds, he was a true heavyweight. e rearranged ob “ azor” ay’s face during one bout, and that was after he cracked Kirk Tomlinson’s helmet with a punch while Continued on pg 18

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JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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FOR PUCK’S SAKE Continued from pg 16

playing for the ordiques.

Even the toughest guys were reluctant to fight him after seeing the carnage he could wreak.

Ryan Reaves is another big body who fought more than a few times for the Blues (and for his current team, the egas Golden Knights), but fighting is on the wane in the L. Enforcers are loved by teammates and a segment of the fans, but the specter of head injuries is too big to ignore.

Maybe that’s for the best.

Chronologically between Gassoff and Twist came Todd Ewen, who

Ticket from the ’71 playoffs vs. the North Stars. | COURTESY MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY was willing to go with anybody who wanted a fight. e famously knocked out L heavyweight enforcer Bob Probert in a fight, but he also wrote a children’s book (A Frog Named Hop) and played four instruments. Perhaps no player better epitomizes the dichotomy between enforcers on and off the ice than Todd Ewen. On ice, they’re

a force to be reckoned with. Off the ice, they’re mostly quiet guys who value friends and family, which includes the guys they fight.

Ewen was no different. After his career ended, he coached youth teams at all levels out in Chesterfield. The toll the game took on his body was a time bomb: In 1 , after a long struggle with depres-

fan fare

Sportsman’s Park Restaurant & Bar

If you bleed blue but All-Star Game tickets are too rich for your blood, head to one of these hockeythemed bars or St. Louis Blues fan favorites to watch the fun

A local favorite since 1974, Sportsman’s Park (9901 Clayton Road, Ladue; 314-991-3381) is named for St. Louis’ former baseball stadium — but hockey is just as much of a fixture here as well. For our money we love the chicken-strip dinner with fries and a cold beer, but the thin-crust pizzas and burgers are also legendary.

Bobby’s Place Named for St. Louis Blues former defenseman Bob Plager — famous and feared for his hip check — Bobby’s Place (108 Meramec Valley Plaza, Valley Park; 636-225-2627) serves shareables like boneless wings, toasted ravioli and potato skins, plus pizza, burgers, sandwiches and more.

Center Ice Brewery

Llywelyn’s Pub is a good place to watch the game if you can’t be at the arena. | RFT FILE PHOTO flat-screen TVs.

The Note Bar

John P. Fields

O’B Clark’s

Known to regulars as the “hockey headquarters” of Clayton, John P. Fields (26 North Central Avenue, Clayton; 314862-1886) has been a destination for St. Louis Blues fans for more than two decades. Grab a pint and some eats — perhaps a house specialty such as the fish and chips or chicken Philly — and settle in for the puck drop.

A famous destination for Blues fans and players alike, O’B Clark’s (1921 South Brentwood Boulevard, Brentwood; 314-961-8900) doesn’t offer the most spacious interior or seating options in town, but it’s where you’ll find some of the most die-hard hockey fans. Offering full bar and food menus and plenty of TVs to take in the game, O’B Clark’s is a St. Louis standard that everyone should visit at least once.

With eight locations across the St. Louis area, you’re never too far from Llywelyn’s Pub (multiple locations including 1732 South Ninth Street, 314436-3225). Find an outpost near you to enjoy local craft beer, pub-style fare and plenty of Blues hockey on myriad

18

Tamm Avenue Bar

St. Louis’ only hockey-themed craft brewery seems an obvious choice for watching the other boys in blue. Head to Center Ice Brewery (3126 Olive Street, 314-339-5733) in Midtown for beers like the Old Arena Lager and Double Overtime Winner, an American strong ale to sip while you watch the all-stars play.

Llywelyn’s Pub

RIVERFRONT TIMES

sion, Ewen died at the age of by his own hand. r. Ann McKee of Boston niversity examined his brain and found stage-two CTE, a form of brain degeneration likely caused by repeated brain trauma. The brawlers are always fan favorites, but the price may be too much to pay.

Longtime referee Kerry “ air elmet” Fraser remembered Ewen online with a tiny pair of hockey pants made out of tape. Ewen made them during a game while he was a healthy scratch and gave them to Fraser after the game. It was a welcome reminder that there’s more to life — and more to the men who devote their youth to the game — than hockey. n

Located inside the historic Park Pacific building, The Note Bar (200 North Thirteenth Street, 314-241-5888) opened in downtown St. Louis in October 2018.

Hockey fans should head here on game days for hearty eats (including T-ravs, duh), beer and hockey-themed cocktails.

The Post Sports Bar & Grill With three locations in the St. Louis area, The Post Sports Bar & Grill (multiple locations including 7372 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314-6451109) is a destination for sports fans

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of all stripes. Stop in during All-Star Weekend for satisfying pub fare, a full bar selection and a prime seat in front of one of many flat-screen TVs.

If the weather permits, the spacious outdoor patio at Tamm Avenue Bar (1227 Tamm Avenue, 314-261-4902) in Dogtown is one of the best spots in town to watch Blues hockey. Projected onto big screens, the game can be viewed here from comfy outdoor sofas or picnic tables while tossing back a bucket of beers.

best of the rest Hockey bars aren’t the only worthy destinations in town for hot wings, cold beer and Blues fans. The following bars and restaurants are all official This Bar Bleeds Blue partner businesses, which means they are guaranteed to have the game on, from downtown St. Louis to St. Peters Angry Beaver (730 South Broadway Street, 314-224-5911) Ballpark Village (601 Clark Avenue, 314-345-9880) Blarney Stone (4331 Telegraph Road, Mehlville; 314-487-4488) Buffalo Wild Wings (multiple locations including 1210 Strassner Drive, Brentwood; 314-645-9464) DB’s (1615 South Broadway, 314-588-2141) Duke’s (2001 Menard Street, 314-833-6686) Hammerstone’s (2028 South Ninth Street, 314-773-5565)

Hotshots (multiple locations including 1239 South Laclede Station Road, Webster Groves; 314-755-1550) The Midwestern Meat & Drink (900 Spruce Street, 314-696-2573) Molly’s in Soulard (816 Geyer Road, 314-241-4200) Nightshift Bar & Grill (3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters; 636-441-8300) Rock & Brews (17258 Chesterfield Airport Road, Chesterfield; 636-337-3194) The Edge (701 South Belt West, Belleville, Illinois; 618-236-2101) Wheelhouse (1000 Spruce Street, 314-833-3653)

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JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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19

20

CALENDAR

BY PAUL PAUL FRISWOLD FRISWOLD BY co.org). Tickets are $25 to $45.

Times Ten Judy Garland, Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf all have something in common other than being mesmerizing performers. Each of them was infamous for their very public private lives. This trio and seven other female vocalists (including Maria Callas and Patsy Cline) are the subject of Joanna Murray-Smith’s onewoman musical, Songs for Nobodies. Debby Lennon portrays each of the women, as well as the everyday women who experienced a memorable encounter with the famous singers. Max and Louie Productions presents Songs for Nobodies at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (January 23 to February 2) at the Kranzberg Arts Center (501 North Grand Boulevard; www.maxandlouie.com). Tickets are $25 to $45.

which crackles with emotion. The St. Louis Symphony presents a series of special performances of that score, during which the film will be projected above the orchestra. The Empire Strikes Back is screened and performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (January 23 to 26) at Powell Hall (718 North Grand Boulevard; www.slso.org).

Tickets are $42.50 to $115.50.

In Wildfire, childhood trauma unites a group of people, for better or worse. | CLARE FAIRBANKS

THURSDAY 01/23 Art as Religion

at the Jewish Community Center (2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur; www.newjewishtheatre. org). Tickets are $49 to $54.

Asher Lev is enjoying a mostly comfortable youth in Brooklyn, with a few exceptions. His parents are refugees from Stalin’s Russia, and they’re both devout followers of the Rebbe. Asher’s father wants his son to follow him into the service of the Rebbe, but Asher is more interested in art, which his father thinks is merely a distraction from more important things.

His mother is caught in the middle, torn between her faith to her husband and her support for her son. As Asher grows into young manhood this family con ict only grows more tense, driving father and son further apart. The family drama My Name Is Asher Lev, adapted by Aaron Posner from Chaim Potok’s novel, is presented by the New Jewish Theatre. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (January 23 to February 9) in the Wool Studio Theatre

FRIDAY 01/24 Dance to the Music

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

The Big Muddy Dance Company’s current season is all about celebrating the minds of musicians through kinetic movements. For the troupe’s next show, Beat Ballads, they perform to the works of British composer Joby Talbot, who composed the scores for The League of Gentlemen and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy film. Big Muddy’s artistic director Brian Enos has choreographed a brand-new piece to accompany Talbot’s “Hadal Zone,” while Shannon Alvis’ “With You Always” is once again mounted. Beat Ballads is performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (January 24 and 25) at the Grandel (3610 Grandel Square; www.thebigmuddydance-

JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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A new documentary about beer hockey leagues digs into a love of the sport. | JAKE WYND

Burning Inside

Debby Lennon in Songs for Nobodies. | DAN DONOVAN

SATURDAY 01/25 The Big Daddy The Empire Strikes Back is chronologically the fifth film in the Star Wars saga, the second film released and the best film out of all nine. It has everything: action, romance, intrigue, betrayal, oda (original avor, not that new pretender to the throne) and that fantastic score by John Williams,

David Paquet’s play Wildfire has been described as “highly absurd” and a “black comedy with a humanistic worldview.” It’s about six people who all experienced childhood trauma and, as adults, try to deal with the consequences through games and occasional violence. Originally written and performed in Quebecois, Leanna Brodie translated Wildfire from the original Quebecois, and Upstream Theater presents the premiere English language version to start the new year. Showtimes are at 8 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday (January 24 to February 9), 7 p.m. Sunday, January 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, February 2 and 9. It takes place at the Marcelle (3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, www.upstreamtheater.org), and tickets are $25 to $35.

WEEK OF OF JANUARY JANUARY 23-29 23-29 WEEK

SUNDAY 01/26 Jump to It Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. celebrates its ninth anniversary with its always popular Wolpertinger Festival. (A wolpertinger is a creature from German folklore; it’s like a hare with antlers, and at Urban Chestnut, he wears lederhosen.) Wolpertinger is also a celebration of the local craft brewing scene, with more than 45 breweries offering samples at the fest. This year’s guest brewery of honor is Karmeliten Brauerei from the Bavarian city of Straubing, Germany. Wolpertinger takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, January 26, at Urban Chestnut’s Grove Brewery & Bierhall (4465 Manchester Avenue; www.urbanchestnut.com). Tickets are $40 and include a commemorative tasting glass and unlimited beer samples. Designated driver tickets are $5.

MONDAY 01/27 Game On Forever Most hockey players don’t make it to the NHL or any of the minor leagues. That doesn’t mean you hang up your skates after high school, though. For those who aren’t ready to give it up just yet, there’s always the beer leagues.

These amateur leagues of friends and extended families are found all across Canada, huge chunks of America and right here in St. Louis.

Adults keep practicing and keep playing games late into their twilight years, for trophies, for camaraderie and because any day with hockey is better than all the days without. Just because you outlasted your skill doesn’t mean you outlasted your love for the game, after all.

St. Louis-based production company Shut Out Productions presents the feature-length documentary Hockey Journey, which delves into the cult of the beer leagues. The world premiere of Hockey Journey takes place at 7 p.m. Monday, January 27, at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts (425 South Lindbergh Boulevard; www.eventbrite.com).

Tickets are $10. n

Wednesday Jan. 22 9pm Urban Chestnut Presents

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players Voodoo Phish

Thursday Jan 23 10pm

Aaron Kamm & The One Drops Friday Jan. 24 10pm

Surco + Spillie Nelson A Mike Gordon After-Party

Saturday Jan 25 10pm

Little Dylan

NHL All-Star Game Funk & Soul After-Party

Sunday Jan. 26 8pm

Legend Sunday with Kim Massie Wednesday Jan. 29

Urban Chestnut Presents

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players 6 Year Anniversary ft.The Music of Bruce Springsteen

Thursday Jan 30 10pm

Aaron Kamm & The One Drops Final Thursday Residency Show!

Friday Jan 31 10pm

Funky Butt Brass Band Saturday Feb.1 10pm

Clusterpluck + Coach

riverfronttimes.com

JANUARY 22-28, 2020

RIVERFRONT TIMES

21

THIS WEEK THE GROVE SELECTED HAPPENINGS

IN

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.

22 42 R RIRVII VEV ERE RFR RFF ROR ONO NTN TTT ITTMII MME ESE SS MF EJJAUBARNRNCEUUHAA2R1R04YY- -2226802,-,- M22280A0,R118C28 H0 2r5r0i,ivve2err0rfi1fvrr8oeonrnft trrt tioivmnmeteertsfsi .rm.coceonosmtm.tci omme s . c o m

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22

$10, 8 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

DRAG ME TO HANDLEBAR: A DRAG SHOW

ONE FOUR FIVES: AN IMPROVISED MUSICAL

8:30 PM AT HANDLEBAR

$10, 8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

THE OFFICE TRIVIA

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25

7 PM AT TROPICAL LIQUEURS

CALEB'S DAY IN THE GROVE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 24

3 PM AT JUST JOHN

HOLY POSERS ALBUM RELEASE AT THE BOOTLEG

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26

WOLPERTINGER 2020

Fri JAN 24

HOLY POSERS

ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

w/ DRANGUS, GOLDEN CURLS, DJ MICHAEL FRANCO

Fri Feb 7 chicago farmer

THURSDAYS 7-9 PM 1/30 2/6 2/13 2/20

BRIAN DEVINE CREE RIDER JOSH EAKER NEIL SALSICH

w/ special guests TBA

Sun Feb 9

PIP THE PANSY w/ KID SCIENTIST

Sat Feb 15 Missouri Muses:

A Celebration of MO Women in Rock

— and —

BEER the perfect match

Featuring: Aina Cook, The Burney Sisters, Molly Healey

Sun MAR 7

CAROLINE KOLE sat mar 21

FRIDAYS 7-11 PM DJ DAMAGED DON and FRIENDS

JAKE’S LEG 4130 MANCHESTER, IN THE GROVE FIRECRACKERPIZZA.COM 1 PM AT URBAN CHESTNUT

DRESS THE PART

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2

OPEN MIC NIGHT

8 PM AT THE READY ROOM

8 PM AT HANDLEBAR

DRAG ME TO HANDLEBAR: A DRAG SHOW

SUPER BOWL POTLUCK/ BOTTLESHARE

MONDAY, JANUARY 27

IMPROV SHOP OPEN MICROPHONE 8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

8:30 PM AT HANDLEBAR

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29

SLUMFEST AWARDS 2020 AT THE BOOTLEG

SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ST. LOUIS

$10, 9 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

4:30 PM AT GEZELLIG TAPHOUSE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3

IMPROV SHOP OPEN MICROPHONE

VARIETY NIGHT FT. AHNA SCHOENHOFF 8:30 PM AT THE GRAMOPHONE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6

BOB'S BIRTHDAY BASH - ROYAL REGGAE THURSDAY $7, 8 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 r i v e r rf ir voenrtftri omnet st .i cmoems . c o mJ A N UJ AU RN YE 22 20 -- 22 86 ,, 22 00 21 08

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FEATURED DINING CRISPY EDGE

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6 RESTAURANTS YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT...

THE KICKIN’ CRAB

CRISPYEDGE.COM

THEKICKINCRAB.COM

314.310.3343 4168 JUNIATA STREET ST. LOUIS, MO 63116 What began in 2013 as a passion project in the founder’s kitchen has now grown into a retail and wholesale potsticker manufacturing facility located right in the heart of Tower Grove South. Crispy Edge believes that potstickers are the perfect vehicle to explore authentic global flavors from breakfast to dessert: handheld, wrapped in dough, and CRISPY! The restaurant features indoor and dog-friendly outdoor seating, private dining room, and a café lounge.

The full bar and hot beverage program highlight local specialty coffee, cocktails, and beers.

All products are made in-house and sourced from the finest ingredients. From Ordinary to Extraordinary - Crispy Edge is a global community for those who want something fun, tasty, social and exciting to eat.

314.888.8688 9616 OLIVE BLVD OLIVETTE, MO 63132 The Kickin’ Crab has joined the Crustacean Nation and is here to satisfy your taste sensation. The Kickin’ Crab is a fun-filled Cajun seafood destination where patrons come and escape into flavor paradise. Offering a distinct ambiance to enjoy the finest and freshest Cajun seafood around!

Kickin’ Crab is a great place to hang out with friends, family, or both! No plates...no utensils! Just your hands, a bib, and our unique and absolutely irresistible KC sauces - a combination of spicy, sweet and tangy flavors - over freshly prepared seafood that will give your taste buds satisfaction unlike anything else you’ve ever tasted. Join us and partake in the festivities and quality of seafood that The Kickin’ Crab has to offer.

POKE DOKE

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314.499.7488 4916 SHAW AVE ST. LOUIS, MO 63110

314.833.5900 8 S EUCLID AVE ST. LOUIS, MO 63108 314.553.9440 6316 DELMAR BLVD UNIVERSITY CITY, MO 63130

Housed in a retro service station, J. Smugs GastroPit serves up barbecue that can fuel anyone’s fire.

Married teams of Joe and Kerri Smugala and John and Linda Smugala have brought charred goodness to the Hill neighborhood, nestled among the traditional Italian restaurants, sandwich shops and bakeries. Part of St. Louis’ ongoing barbecue boom, the J. Smugs’ pit menu is compact but done right. Ribs are the main attraction, made with a spicy dry rub and smoked to perfection. Pulled pork, brisket, turkey and chicken are also in the pit holding up well on their own, but squeeze bottles of six tasty sauces of 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.

Several desserts are available, including cannoli – a tasty nod to the neighborhood. Happy hour from 4 to 7pm on weekdays showcases half-dollar BBQ tastes, discount drinks, and $6 craft beer flights to soothe any beer aficionado.

Poke Doke offers St. Louis their energized recipes intertwined in a fast-casual model. Best part is every bowl is customizable to the patron -- whether you know what you want and can come up with your own flavor pairings — but it’s certain your heart will be content with the rich, high-quality seafood. Customers choose a size, a base, (such as rice, greens, or soba noodles) and choose from proteins (such as salmon ahi tuna, spicy tuna, shrimp or tofu), then add as many toppings and drizzles as they wish. If you’re less interested in the simple pleasures of fish and more in playing around with accoutrements, both the shrimp and tofu are neutral enough that they benefit from the enhancements. The menu also offers appetizers such as pork-filled pot stickers, miso soup, and crab rangoon, along with an assortment of bubble milk teas and soft serve ice cream. With locations in both the Central West End and the Delmar Loop, Poke Doke is the perfect spot to grab a quick bite!

J. SMUGS GASTROPIT JSMUGSGASTROPIT.COM

BLK MKT EATS

CRAWLING CRAB

BLKMKTEATS.COM

314.328.3421 6730 PAGE AVE ST. LOUIS, MO 63138

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

Looking for the best seafood in St. Louis or the Midwest—don’t fret, Crawling Crab is now open! Here, we drizzle everything in garlic butter and then sprinkle on our magic dust! In a fun and casual atmosphere, you’ll enjoy fresh, hand-cleaned seafood ranging from lobster, shrimp, and of course crab legs. All platters come with corn sausage potatoes and Cajun boiled eggs and shrimp that won’t disappoint. For those pasta and veggie lovers out there, there is a spot for you here too! Enjoy our double dipped garlic butter rolls along side with your meal.

And if you are still not stuffed, we have homemade dessert on the menu too! Have a big family coming in or an event coming up? Enjoy our family meal options and our beautiful seafood tables. As we continue to grow, we are excited to add new items to the menu, get creative with new recipes, and give back within the community.

Join us on the first Tuesday of the month for $20 platter specials, and $5 appetizers on every Wild Wednesday!

Open Tuesday thru Saturday 4pm-10pm, currently located in the 24:1 Coffee House Cafe.

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The fast-fresh, made-to-order concept has been applied to everything from pizza to pasta in St. Louis, but the sushi burrito surprisingly had no Gateway City home until BLK MKT Eats opened near Saint Louis University last fall. It was worth the wait, though, because BLK MKT Eats combines bold flavors and convenience into a perfectly wrapped package that’s ideal for those in a rush. Cousins and co-owners Kati Fahrney and Ron Turigliatto offer a casual menu full of high-quality, all-natural ingredients that fit everything you love about sushi and burritos right in your hand. The Swedish Fish layers Scandinavian cured salmon, yuzu dill slaw, NOT YOURAnother AVERAGE Persian cucumbers and avocado for a fresh flavor explosion. favorite, the OGSUSHI Fire, featuresSPOT your choice 9 SOUTH VANDEVENTER DINE-IN, jalapeño TAKEOUT and OR DELIVERY MON-SAT 11AM-9PM of spicy tuna or salmon alongside tempura crunch, masago, shallots, piquant namesake sauce; Persian cucumbers and avocado soothe your tongue from the sauce’s kick. All burrito rolls come with sticky rice wrapped in nori or can be made into poké bowls, and all items can be modified for vegetarians.

CAFE

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[REVIEW]

Come One, Come All Taco Circus is bigger and better than ever at its new digs in Southwest Garden Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Taco Circus 4940 Southwest Avenue, 314-8990061. Tues.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight; Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (Closed Monday.)

I

f you order the Mexican Flag Burrito at Taco Circus — which you absolutely must — you’ll notice several things: its utterly jaw-dropping heft, the succulent pork steak carnitas that are so overstuffed into its our shell you wonder how it doesn’t burst, the perfectly placed trio of queso blanco, salsa verde and salsa ranchero that evoke Mexico’s ag, and an actual tiny paper ag, planted onto the burrito, that pays homage to our southern neighbor’s indelible impression on U.S. food culture.

In the five years since opening Taco Circus as a humble diner in Bevo, Christian Ethridge has planted his own ag in St. Louis as the unofficial king of Austin-style Tex-Mex. When he first moved to town, he did not have such lofty intentions. He’d simply followed his then-wife here so that she could attend Webster niversity’s film school and ended up cooking in kitchens around town to support his family.

However, something about the St. Louis food scene struck him, a feeling that stuck with him even when he returned to Austin following his ex-wife’s graduation.

Ethridge had always loved cooking, and he dreamed of opening a place of his own one day. Thinking back on his time in St. Louis with its growing restaurant community and low cost of living, he couldn’t help but feel that to make those dreams a reality, St. Louis might just be the right place to go.

The Mexican Flag burrito topped with salsa verde, queso blanco and salsa ranchero served with rice and beans. | MABEL SUEN With a restaurant idea in his head and his dear friend Mikey Carrasco by his side, he again set off for the Midwest to open Taco Circus.

Originally, Taco Circus wasn’t even supposed to be as big as the tiny, diner-style setup that characterized its first incarnation.

Ethridge had always planned on serving Tex-Mex, but he wanted to do so as a drive-through restaurant. As he looked around town, though, he quickly realized that the buildout on a prime, corner location that the drive-through concept required would cost far more than the shoestring budget he had to spend. Instead, when he stumbled upon a small storefront in the Bevo neighborhood, he decided to pivot to a taco-counter setup like the ones he’d grown up visiting in Austin.

Ethridge’s bet that his brand of Tex-Mex would play well in St. Louis paid off. Taco Circus became an immediate success, generating buzz not just for its wonderful food, but for his and Carrasco’s insistence that they approach their quick-service food with the care and ethics often reserved for upscale dining. This meant sourc-

ing quality local ingredients such as ethically raised meat and produce as well as making as much in house as possible. It was a heavy lift for a small daytime spot, but their efforts paid off in the form of a loyal following and serious buzz that made them one of the city’s favorite taco spots.

As popular as Taco Circus was perceived to be, its business was inconsistent. As Carrasco tells it, the restaurant did great business on the weekends and could draw a somewhat consistent crowd for dinner during the week. However, because it was tucked away into a neighborhood, the weekday lunch business was not enough to sustain the restaurant. Though Carrasco loved the place, he knew he needed a change and left the restaurant.

Ethridge still planned to shift to the drive-through taco shop he’d always wanted. He’d even started looking around at spaces but was stopped in his tracks by an offer he couldn’t refuse. Sean Baltzell and Casey Colgan of the Grove arcade bar Parlor had recently taken over the former Three Flags Tavern space in Southwest Gar-

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den, and they were looking for someone to assist them in bringing to life their vision for another nightlife hot spot. They knew of Ethridge and Taco Circus and thought it would be the perfect fit for the space.

As soon as he looked at the building, Ethridge knew he’d found his spot. He loved the feel of the interior and was completely enamored with the patio, envisioning it as a lively destination for day-drinking, happy hour and late-night cocktails — exactly the sort of thing that was missing at the original Taco Circus. He agreed to help, and the partners got to work turning the former upscale restaurant into a vibrant Tex-Mex joint.

Ethridge’s aesthetic point of view is undeniable at the new Taco Circus. A former graffiti artist with a playfully irreverent streak, he’s outfitted the restaurant and bar (two separate rooms) in neon pink paint, wacky tchotchkes and campy posters and psychedelic artwork. Outside, brightly colored wooden picnic tables dot the large patio, and a multi-colored geometric mural on the fence serves as

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TACO CIRCUS

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an eye-catching backdrop.

Ethridge wanted the restaurant to be over-the-top fun in both looks and food, and he has delivered on both. The talented Cesar Correra is now leading the kitchen and Carrasco has returned. The aforementioned Mexican Flag Burrito is a masterpiece of the form, not simply for its ashy details but because of its avor. Pork steak carnitas, one of the optional filling choices, melts in the mouth thanks to the luscious ribbons of fat running through the meat. Creamy queso blanco underscores the richness, while bright salsa verde cuts through it. The highlight of the sauces, however, is the warmly spiced red ranchero sauce that kisses the dish with smoky sweetness. Forget Maull’s: This is what you want slathered over your pork steak any day of the week.

The Vegetarian Feast version of the classic fajitas may lack the meaty heft of the pork-steak-filled burrito, but it is equally satisfying. Taco-seasoned Match Meats “beef” is so juicy and rich, it could easily be mistaken for ground beef. Alone, it would be a wonderful fajita filling, but the Taco Circus team cannot be contained, filling the platter with piquant escabeche, seasoned rice, creamy refried beans and guacamole. It’s enough for four people to share, though the wonderful avors make that a difficult proposition.

Taco Circus’ huevos rancheros, a.k.a. the St. Cecelia Plate, are exactly the ridiculous hot mess they should be. Ground beef, barely drained so that its rendered fat mixes with its New Mexican red chile seasoning, completely smothers a platter of tortilla chips, rice and refried beans. Melted cheese and four eggs crown the dish, though the eggs were the one disappointment; they were advertised as being served “sunny” yet they arrived overcooked and browned. At first, I thought this was a aw of the kitchen, but after reviewing my receipt and seeing the modification “over-hard,” I understand this to be a server error, not a cooking one, but it still detracted from the overall dish.

Fans of the original Taco Circus can rest easy: The breakfast burritos are just as wonderful as they were at the old place. Overstuffed with uffy eggs, cheese, seasoned potatoes and sage-infused breakfast sausage, these warm roll-ups of comfort make you understand why Ethridge’s efforts generated

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Taco Circus chef-owner Christian Ethridge. | MABEL SUEN so much buzz in the first place.

The restaurant’s namesake dishes also show that it has not lost its touch in the move. Simple street tacos are anything but thanks to the wonderful, awlessly cooked meats that grace their housemade tortillas. The al pastor pairs succulent, lightly seasoned pork with juicy pineapple that infuses the savory meat with tropical sweetness. Even more dazzling, the grilled chicken thigh al carbon features tender dark meat kissed with grill char that is enhanced by its pleasantly bitter spice rub.

This wonderful meat, wrapped up in a plain, warm tortilla, is all you need to know that Taco Circus is the real deal.

The fillings for Taco Circus’ tacos are so avorful, they shine with minimal trimmings. However, the restaurant cannot help but show its playful side, offering a selection of Kingshighway Tacos that are dressed with different garnishes according to each one’s personality. The Broadway is the restaurant’s take on the taco nights of a Midwesterner’s youth: a wonderful mess of ground beef dripping in cooking liquid and chile seasoning that’s liberally dressed with tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and sour cream.

An authentic Mexican taqueria offering this is not — which is precisely the point. It pays homage to the nostalgia of Americanstyle Tex-Mex. The Tijuana Fish Taco is another outstanding offering. Made using pangasius swai, a Southeast Asian catfish, the aky white meat is delicately breaded in cornmeal and, though fried, is not at all

greasy. Rich Mexican-style street corn and vibrant tomatillo cream pair beautifully, giving the taco a Southwest ourish.

The portions at Taco Circus can be downright monstrous — an intentional decision by Ethridge that nods to the larger-than-life TexMex spots he grew up frequenting in Austin. o not let this dissuade you from ordering appetizers like the spicy bean dip, a fiery, deconstructed take on seven-layer dip, or the chips and queso, which serves a dip so velvety and subtly seasoned you’ll want to pour it over everything. However, the first-course standout — and one of the standouts of the entire Taco Circus experience — is the street corn. Served on the cob but cut into manageable, two-inch-thick pieces, the corn is grilled with the perfect amount of char, then coated in a layer of mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and chiles that is restrained enough to not cover up its natural avor. It’s magnificent.

The only thing capable of erasing your memory of that glorious street corn is Taco Circus’ Purple Margarita, a cocktail so strong it comes with a warning and a twodrink maximum. Of course, you wouldn’t expect less from a bar inside of what’s become St. Louis’ biggest restaurant party — Ethridge’s approach for Taco Circus all along. Now that all the pieces are finally in place, his impression on the city’s food scene is bigger and better than ever.

Taco Circus Street corn ................................................. $6 Broadway Taco............................................ $5 Mexican Flag Burrito ............................... $14

SHORT ORDERS

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[SIDE DISH]

Lindsey MacTaggart on the Adrenaline Rush of Bartending Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

A

lthough you’d never know it if you ordered a drink from her, Lindsey MacTaggart is shy — or at least she was until she got into bartending.

“When I was in college in Arizona, I started bartending at a big college sports bar,” MacTaggart recalls. “I was really shy, and bartending helped me get out of my shell. I loved the adrenaline rush and getting to meet random people. Being behind the bar broke the ice rather than just walking up to a stranger did.”

As beverage director at Chao Baan (4087 Chouteau Avenue, 314-925-8250), MacTaggart has come quite a long way from the high-volume college bars where she got her first taste of the industry. However, her path to the Thai spot in the Grove was not always straight. MacTaggart entered college without a clear plan for what she wanted to do with her life and ended up with degrees in linguistics and astrophysics. She wound up doing data analysis for her university’s physics department in the planetarium until she graduated.

Oddly enough, that physics job would lead her back to the restaurant industry. Using her numbers background, she was able to get a job in office management and accounting for a restaurant group in Chicago. Though she enjoyed getting the chance to see what went on behind the scenes, she got bored with the administrative

Lindsey MacTaggart is the beverage director at Chao Baan in the Grove. | ANDY PAULISSEN side of the business and longed to get back behind the bar.

MacTaggart got her chance to do just that by working at Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago. There, her passion for food and bartending really blossomed as she found herself surrounded by both guests and co-workers from all over the world with different tastes. The experience inspired her creativity behind the bar, which took full ight when she later worked at the Aviary. At the acclaimed Chicago bar, MacTaggart got to try out recipes that approached cocktails from an “extreme culinary standpoint.” The chance to play around with fresh ingredients and get into the chemistry underlying the libations appealed to both her passion for food and her scientific background, and she wanted to learn as much as she could about the craft.

After the Aviary, MacTaggart moved to St. Louis, where she found work helping to develop the bar program at Twisted Tree and Billie-Jean, managing the bar at Taste and bartending at the Preston inside the Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis. Her gigs kept her plenty busy, but an Instagram post by the general manager at Chao Baan piqued her interest.

Enamored with the gorgeous food photos, she became interested in

the restaurant in general; when she found out they were hiring a bartender, she knew it was something she had to pursue.

Working alongside Chao Baan’s general manager, Kurt Bellon, MacTaggart has welcomed the opportunity to help develop the restaurant’s cocktail list, drawing her inspiration from the restaurant’s vibrant food and the ingredients she finds while poking around the kitchen. Her experience at Chao Baan has also instilled in her a passion for Thai food and beverage, and she has devoted a good amount of time to learning about its food culture in order to pay homage to it behind the bar.

Still, MacTaggart admits that the scientific side of her has plans that go beyond bartending. Currently enrolled in a chemical engineering program, she hopes to one day combine her passion for bartending and science by opening her own distillery. Though she still has a long way to go to make that happen, it’s a goal that has personal meaning to her.

“Food and beverage will always be a part of my life,” MacTaggart says. “My dad’s side of the family is from Scotland, and I have always loved and had a fascination with Scotch. If I could make my own single malt whiskey here, that would be really cool.”

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MacTaggart recently took a break from the bar to share her thoughts on the St. Louis food and drink scene, the importance of centering herself every morning and the one ingredient you will never find in her drinks.

What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did?

That I love science. Anything I research behind the bar is taken down to the chemical level in order for me to completely understand what I’m working with.

What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you?

Morning cold brew and some stretching. I love the chance to center myself in the quiet morning hours before a hectic day on my feet!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Probably the ability to teleport. Traveling is a love of mine that I don’t get to experience often enough because of my busy schedule.

What is the most positive trend in food, beer, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year?

New restaurants opened by people that have been in the industry for most of their lives.

There’s a different depth of love

JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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we’ve always loved and want to continue to share with people,” Tara says.

Meanwhile, other dishes hail from across the globe, including skewers with lamb and beef kefta, pork schnitzel and sausage, chicken and dumplings with Parisian gnocchi, and a French-style omelet with Maine crab.

“Alec definitely had a lot of touches all over the menu — Michael was excited to give him the opportunity to really step up and do some things he was excited about,” Tara says. “The thing that comes to mind the most is the chicken and dumplings, which is really good, and it’s not what you expect in some ways — it’s really flavorful, but it’s light. It’s not the heavy dumpling dish you might be more familiar with; it’s a very light Parisian gnocchi that’s super pillowy with a flavorful broth and this nice chicken and winter root vegetables. It’s really comforting and just what you want to eat when it’s cold out.”

Tara says that Michael worked on the schnitzel recipe for the past nine months or so. The dish is served with housemade pork sausage and raclette cheese in the center, “which is really delicious,” she adds.

Other dinner menu standouts include vegetable-forward items such as the winter bean soup (packed with shelling beans, rainbow carrots, sweet shiitake mushrooms, goat cheese, Green Goddess, sunflower shoots, onions and herbs) and the cabbage Caesar salad with anchovy vinaigrette, grana padano and toasted breadcrumbs.

“We’re also really excited about the roasted carrots dish — I think that’s a good example of how there isn’t just one cuisine on the menu,” Tara says. “There’s a lot of flavors that you might recognize from other cultures: There’s a spice to it, both in a heat sense and in a toasted spices sense, and then also just a really bright, refreshing flavor from the sorrel.

It’s got great texture and color and is just a really nice way to start a meal.”

Meanwhile, with the skewers, the Gallinas hope to carry over an important element of the dining experience at Vicia: the grill.

“We have a huge wood-burning grill at Vicia, which we don’t have at Winslow’s, but we wanted to find a way to still incorporate a grilled aspect into the menu,” Tara says.

“So we have a small, more hibachi-style grill, and originally the idea was loving ya-

kitori and getting skewers of different flavorful meats and vegetables. That part of the menu is really meant to customize the experience; you pick your base and then your skewer that goes with it, and there really isn’t a wrong way to order.”

Don’t fill up on your starters and main course, though, as you can end your meal on a sweet note with treats from the restaurant’s bakery or a bowl of ice cream sourced from St. Louis-based Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery.

Winslow’s Table is also now serving a full beverage program including wine, beer and signature cocktails (including N/A options) developed by Vicia bar manager Phil Ingram Weaver. Tara says the restaurant secured its liquor license in early December and has been selling bloody marys, mimosas and wine for breakfast and lunch crowds ever since, but now with the new dinner menu, that program can expand.

“Now that we’ve moved into dinner, we’ve added more cocktails, and then we’ll eventually be growing the wine list as well,” Tara says. “We’re starting small to see what people are into and respond to and we look forward to adding more bottle selections soon.”

Reservations aren’t currently being accepted for dinner, but Tara says that will change as of February 1. For diners who don’t want to roll the dice, head to the restaurant’s Yelp page to put your name in ahead of your visit via the Waitlist feature.

“I’m excited to finally offer dinner reservations, because I think it’s something the neighborhood and regulars at Vicia have been excited about,” Tara says.

“The two months since we opened went by really fast, but it was really important to Michael and I to take our time with it before expanding. We’ve got the team in place now, and it will be an evolution — elements of the menu will change, especially with seasonal ingredients. We’ll see what people love and adapt from there.”

Winslow’s Table is open Tuesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. n

Who is your St. Louis food or drink crush?

Dave Greteman, the bar manager at Elmwood. His drinks are some of the best in the city.

Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis food and beverage scene? ick Bognar is definitely someone to watch right now. Watching him work is truly inspiring and I hope he opens more restaurants.

Which ingredient is most representative of your personality?

I would have to say Falernum.

It’s spicy, sweet and gets itself into a lot of boozy situations — ha.

If someone asked you to describe the current state of St. Louis’ food

and beverage climate, what would you say?

Growing. From the time I moved here about two years ago until now, there have been so many great places that popped up, and it just keeps getting better and better.

If you were not tending bar, what would you be doing?

I am about to work on my master’s in chemical engineering. My goal is to end somewhere in that realm or perhaps to take that experience and start my own distillery.

Name an ingredient never allowed behind your bar.

Terrifyingly bright-red maraschino cherries.

What is your after-work hangout?

Parlor, the Gramophone, or Gezellig. Basically, any place in walking distance from work that serves good beer and Fernet shots is a place you’ll find me at.

What’s your edible or quaffable guilty pleasure?

Tiramisu. I order it any time I see it on a menu. If you see tiramisu at La Patisserie Chouquette, do yourself a favor and get one!

What would be your last meal on Earth (including drinks, of course)?

There would be too many courses and chefs to name for this one. efinitely it would be seafoodforward with Asian inspiration, great wine pairings and finished with a rye Manhattan. n

[FOOD NEWS]

Winslow’s Table Debuts Dinner Service Written by

LIZ MILLER

U

niversity City just got a lot more delicious after dark thanks to restaurant power couple Michael and Tara Gallina.

Located in the former Winslow’s Home space, Winslow’s Table (7213 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314725-7559) debuted in November. At the time, the restaurant only served breakfast and lunch, but now the Gallinas and crew have added dinner service.

The renamed and reimagined concept is the second area restaurant from the Gallinas, who operate the acclaimed Vicia (4260 Forest Park Avenue, 314-5539239) in the Central West End. Longtime Vicia sous chef Alec Schingel is leading the kitchen at Winslow’s Table, serving a menu inspired by the seasons and combining the casual atmosphere of Winslow’s Home with the seasonal fare that’s made Vicia famous.

“Knowing that this was a second restaurant for us, I think we felt a little more free to make it some things that we were excited about and not feel like we have to fit the menu into one particular box,” Tara says. “We’re not trying to make this a fine-dining restaurant, so we thought we could have some fun with dishes that are a little more casual, a little more everyday. There’s definitely some carryover in terms of the cooking techniques you’ll see at Vicia, but in a format that I think is a little more approachable.”

The dinner menu is divided into several different sections, beginning with a list of artisan cheeses, charcuterie and accompaniments perfect for sharing with a group. “The first section of the menu, cheese and charcuterie, is something

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and passion that comes through and is fueled by experience and understanding of a restaurant.

That type of commitment can only come from someone who has been in the trenches.

What is one thing missing or that you’d like to see in the local food and beverage scene?

I would like to see more fresh fish but understand that’s tough in the Midwest. I’m a big fan of what Indo has brought to St. Louis: The fish options are always fresh and exciting.

The dining room at Winslow’s Table has been remodeled for a fresh look. | LIZ MILLER

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JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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[FOOD NEWS]

Trailhead Brewing Co. Sold to Schlafly Beer Written by

LIZ MILLER

C

hanges are afoot in the local craft beer scene.

Schlafly Beer announced last week that it has purchased Trailhead Brewing Co.’s brewery and operations at 921 South Riverside Drive in St. Charles. The purchase marks the third brewpub for Schla y, which currently owns Schla y Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, Maplewood; 314-241-2337) and Schla y Tap oom downtown (2100 Locust Street, 314-241-2337).

Trailhead owner Bob Kirkwood opened the St. Charles institution more than two decades ago. As he prepares to retire, Kirkwood chose Schla y to carry on the brewery’s legacy in the community, according to a release. Current Trailhead employees will be

[FOOD NEWS]

9 Mile Garden to Feature an All-Draft Bar Written by

LIZ MILLER

P

lans for the St. Louis area’s first food-truck garden keep getting better. Last week it was announced that 9 Mile Garden (9375 Gravois Road, Affton), anticipated to open in the Affton Plaza shopping center this spring, will include the Canteen, a “modern drafthouse” that will “serve as an anchor for the outdoor entertainment district,” according to a release.

The 3,500-square-foot, all-draft bar is set to serve everything from craft beer from local and national breweries to cocktails and cold-brew coffee from local favorite Blueprint Coffee. The open-air bar will include four sixteen-foot garage doors that can be opened during warm weather as well as a spacious patio with a view

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The St. Charles brewery will be renamed Schlafly Bankside. | GOOGLE MAPS given the opportunity to work at Schla y Bankside.

“When considering the possibility of selling Trailhead Brewing Co., my partners and I felt that it was important to find a suitable buyer that would continue to brew quality beer, contribute the same positive experience to the customer and value the current staff,” Kirkwood says in the release. “With these requirements in mind combined with Schla y’s respected reputation within the

of the garden. The bar will be operated

by Brian Hardesty, co-owner of Guerrilla Street Food and managing partner for 9 Mile Garden.

“9 Mile Garden is all about enjoying food, entertainment and community in a family-friendly setting, and The Canteen is part of that vision,” Hardesty says in the release. “The bar will feature large communal tables, a huge selection of free games to play, live music and a large patio overlooking the grounds at 9 Mile Garden. Patrons will be able to purchase drinks at the bar and then visit any part of the garden that they would like.”

The release also notes that the Canteen will also be available to rent for private events for up to 200 guests.

Plans for the food truck garden were first announced in November. The familyfriendly entertainment destination will feature a rotating assortment of food trucks, community events, outdoor movies, live music and more. The project is a collaboration between Hardesty and Seneca Commercial Real Estate, which owns the Affton Plaza shopping center.

The food-truck garden is expected to operate six days a week, offering both lunch and dinner service. In addition to of-

JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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brewing and hospitality industries in the St. Louis metro area, we found a perfect fit.”

The space will undergo improvements and renovations, per the release, including additional tap handles and food offerings similar to the fare served at its two existing locations. An on-site retail area will sell Schla y merchandise, growlers and more.

The brewery also plans to host signature events at the St. Charles outpost as it does at its two current

brewpubs.

“We highly respect Bob Kirkwood’s operation and wish him a happy retirement,” says Tom Schla y. “We are committed to continuing what his customers and this community have grown to expect from their neighborhood brewery with the added Schla y experience that our guests love.”

Situated along the Missouri River, the brewery will be renamed Schla y Bankside — both a nod to its physical location and to the history of Schla y Beer.

“The name has roots in England, where Schla y’s co-founders fell in love with English-style beers,” the release states. “Tom Schla y was inspired to open the Schla y Tap oom after spending time at a continued education law course at the University of Oxford, and he tapped young brewer Dan Kopman, who studied brewing in England, to head up brewing operations. Bankside calls to a neighborhood in the borough of London along the southern riverbank of the River Thames. In the sixteenth century, a street by the river was known as a ‘banke syde,’ which is where the neighborhood got its name.”

Fans and regulars of Trailhead can visit the brewery through the end of January. The official grand opening date for Schla y Bankside will be announced at a later date. n

A rendering of the Canteen at 9 Mile Garden. | COURTESY 9 MILE GARDEN fering a rotating selection of food trucks, 9 Mile Garden aims to be a hub for entertainment of all types, from livestreams of sporting events to live performances.

In addition to public events, the park will be available to rent for private events including weddings, corporate gatherings and fundraisers.

The garden’s name, according to a release issued in November, is inspired by “the days before streets had names or road markers, where landmarks were named for their distance from the courthouse or city center.”

Located nine miles from the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis, 9 Mile Garden’s name is an homage to “a time in St. Louis history when farmers would drive their harvests to an open space and line up their trucks into a formation that allowed people to walk along and choose what items interested them most. These were called ‘truck gardens,’ and Affton was known for having a high concentration of them.”

To learn more about 9 Mile Garden, follow the business on social media via @9milegarden. n

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JANUARY 22-28, 2020

RIVERFRONT TIMES

31

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JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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MUSIC + CULTURE

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[HOMESPUN]

In With the New New Music Circle taps a range of venues and artists for its winter season Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER

N

ow in its 61st year of presenting challenging, engrossing and boundary-busting performances, the New Music Circle has no plans to coast through its winter season.

In January, February and March, the NMC will present concerts at a variety of venues in the hope of portraying exploratory music in dynamic spaces.

Jeremy Kannapell, who serves as the group’s program coordinator, notes that the NMC itself comprises “a group of participants who are music enthusiasts of all stripes.” Kannapell is part of a relatively small staff, and along with the NMC’s fourteen-person board, he helps coordinate what is believed to be the longest running program of its kind.

Even in the realm of musicgenre vagueness, the term “new music” is tough to pin down; Kannapell avoids comparing it to other established genres — though overlaps with the realms of jazz, classical and experimental are common for NMC shows — and prefers to describe the common thread as “highly creative music. Musicians are very aware of the tradition but seek to expand on it.”

Kannapell says that the crowds at NMC shows are often as adventurous as the music itself, with many people attending based on the group’s imprimatur rather than prior knowledge of the headlining artist. “Some people are extremely dedicated listeners in whatever style that artist might navigate, and others are excited to see what the show might turn out to be,” he says. “At this point, we still work super hard to spread the word and explore all avenues

Jazz pianist Matthew Shipp will perform at 560 Music Center as part of New Music Circle’s 61st season this Saturday. | VIA ESP-DISC of routes to new listeners, and every concert there are faces we haven’t seen before.”

These next three shows will take place in a traditional concert hall (the 560 Music Center in the Loop), a museum space (CAM in Grand Center) and at one of the city’s worst-kept-secret musical clubhouses, Joe’s Cafe.

“I would say that it’s quintessential to the operation these days,” Kannapell says of the variety of venues employed for NMC presentations. “Occasionally production requirements or audience turnouts make you choose certain venues over others. These venues are collaborators in some sense, and we’ve built healthy relationships with those spaces over the years.”

twice in the past few years, but this is his first and only solo performance of him,” Kannapell says.

“I think his solo really gets at the core of what he’s doing as an artist and all of the conceptual elements that go into his work.”

Shipp released a pair of 2018 albums on the celebrated label ESP-Disk that underlined his prominence in the world of adventurous jazz music. This week’s solo set should present a stark and streamlined version of his talents.

“When I listen to his music, I don’t hear anything that’s novelty or experimenting for experimenting’s sake,” Kannapell notes. “His live performances are utterly relentless, and his solo work exemplifies that.”

Matthew Shipp: 8 p.m. Friday, January 24, 560 Music Center (560 Trinity Avenue). $10 to $20.

Jazz pianist Matthew Shipp is certainly the biggest name on the NMC’s marquee this year; the celebrated musician has worked solidly within the jazz-trio tradition for much of his 30-year career, and his own group’s recordings sit alongside his many collaborations as documents of a restless creative mind. This solo piano concert will be a special treat for longtime fans accustomed to seeing Shipp alongside a drummer and bassist.

“He has been through at least

Sarah Hennies / Merche Blasco: 8 p.m. Friday, February 28, Contemporary Art Museum (3750 Washington Boulevard). $10 to $20.

Percussionist and academic Sarah Hennies has released a number of recordings in various contexts, from indie rock to solo percussion explorations. A recent live recording features Hennies on vibraphone and a slew of others ringing bells at intermittent intervals.

“She was really brought up in the academic realm of percussion study,” Kannapell says of Hennies, who is a visiting professor at Bard College this term. “There are very performative and conceptual ele-

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ments to what she brings to a solo performance.”

For her CAM show in February, she’ll be joined by visual artist Merche Blasco for two solo, back-to-back performances. Even though most NMC presentations focus on a single artist or group, the opportunity to pair these complementary artists in a museum space was too good to pass up.

“For other things we’ve presented in a similar fashion, all the coordinators at CAM have been incredibly supportive to make these performances happen,” Kannapell says of the venue. “CAM is always sympathetic in what it takes to install something that is highly artistic.”

KUZU: 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, Joe’s Cafe (6014 Kingsbury Avenue). $10 to $20.

The winter season’s final show is set to be its most raucous as the improvisational trio K fills the tiny stage at Joe’s Cafe. Comprising Tashi Dorji (electric guitar), Dave Rempis (saxophone) and Tyler Damon (drums), the trio has roots in Chicago’s famed improvised jazz scene.

“To do it at Joe’s is super fun, and the acoustics there are maybe the best in town,” Kannapell says. “To hear an instrumentalist and the full scope of their instrument acoustically, where you can pick up on the nuance of it, is very special.” n

JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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[PROFILE]

Curtain Call St. Louis singer-songwriter TreG brings his most authentic self to the Grandel Written by

YMANI WINCE

J

anuary 4 is a characteristically brisk St. Louis evening, with showgoers filing into the Grandel in Grand Center to escape the cold. Inside, the historic theater is filling rapidly as the ushers direct ticketholders to their respective seats.

It’s nearly showtime. All the rehearsals leading up to this special performance by St. Louis singersongwriter TreG are in the rearview mirror — now is the time of reckoning. Will the audience be engaged, or leave at intermission?

With theater, it’s hard to tell.

As the curtains rise, TreG takes the lead role. Appearing confident and poised, the singersongwriter dominates the stage, elevating what could have been a standard musical performance to a real work of art by giving his audience choreography, background dancers, polished vocals, wardrobe and precision. The singer, born Tre’von Griffith, is no stranger to the stage — this stage in particular, even. He’s been performing since the age of six, with a resume that includes more than half a dozen productions here, back when it was home to the Black Rep. All told, Griffith brings an energy that is unmatched in joy and authenticity to his performance.

The show features tracks from his 2019 EP As I Am, along with performances from several likeminded St. Louis favorites including Katarra Parson, DJ HoodBunnny, Maxa and Eric Dontè.

As I Am is an EP rooted in selflove, freedom of expression and overall good vibes. It’s a mix of R&B and pop, creating a sound that Griffith says “just makes you feel good.” Each track ows into the next, giving listeners no opportunity to think about skipping ahead. is music is filled with validating statements, complete with tender melodies wrapped in acknowledgement. “Fate has made a way, now I’m ready / ’Cause I’m full of all the changes surrounding me,”

An accomplished performer, director and teacher who even runs his own theater company, TreG knows how to put on a show. | JESSICA J PAGE he sings, gathering the audience at the Grandel into a captivating embrace. “Take Off,” just one of the tracks from the EP, is a gentle ballad, expressing Griffith’s openness to trusting where life leads him, including the shifts in his life.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in Griffith’s life came last year, when he married his longtime love. Among others, it was a moment that in uenced As I Am. “As I Am is just really personal to me,” Griffith tells RFT. “I’m OK with being vulnerable, as well as the subject matter. For the first time, I just created what I thought in my head; I didn’t think too much about what people would think about it.”

As I Am, Griffith says, was the opportunity for him to create a body of work for himself, and draw inspiration from his life. e released the five-track project in June, following it up with a performance at STL Pride. In addition to the success of his own project, Griffith was also occupied with multiple shows from his theater company, TLT Productions.

In his youth, Griffith attended Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and went on to graduate from Berklee College of Music. Since then, he’s made his career in performing, directing and teaching — giving him all the tools and experience he would need to elevate his Grandel show to the next level.

It was indeed a packed year that led up to his solo performance.

“For the first time, I just created what I thought in my head; I didn’t think too much about what people would think about it.”

Griffith says the project has been a long time coming. From its inception, he says, he leaned on a team of trusted collaborators to create. From writing lyrics and cultivating melodies, As I Am was just as much of a team effort as it was a project focused on self.

“Earlier in my career, it was just me, and I wanted to do everything myself,” Griffith says. “But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten into collaboration. This was really about that.”

With a strong background in music, Griffith says he was able to tap into his Rolodex of peers who also work professionally in songwriting. He enlisted the help of DreaVocalz, a St. Louis singersongwriter that co-wrote “Take Off,” along with several college friends for other songs on the EP. As I Am is a letter. It’s TreG’s self-addressed piece, folded into

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an envelope and tucked away for him to read later. It’s to remind both himself and everyone else exactly who he is — all of who he is. He’s introspective on songs like “Take Off,” he’s giddy and basking in the glow of love on “Next to You,” and he’s living in truth on “Same Energy.”

While he’s not in a rush to put out a longer project just yet, Griffith says he’s riding the momentum of As I Am. He wants to continue promoting this body of work before jumping into another, offering listeners the chance to get to know him. And if they aren’t into it, he has one thing to say to that.

“Keep that same energy,” he laughs.

Without skipping a literal beat, TreG performs all five tracks from his EP, along with an explosive cover of Usher’s “Caught Up” and a splash of gospel, providing a glimpse into his musical roots.

As the lights focus on him, Griffith gives his audience studioquality vocals without a drop in energy and emotion. Seated in the first row is his husband, Shelton, nodding along and singing every word.

Leading up to his performance, Griffith expressed his hope in garnering a positive response to his show. With barely any breathing room post-production and a standing ovation following the show’s finale, it’s safe to say TreG rocked the house.

Bravo. n

JANUARY 22-28, 2020

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. | ROSE COHE

The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio Various times. Wednesday, January 22, through Sunday, January 26. The Harold and Dorothy Steward Center For Jazz, 3536 Washington Avenue. $10 to $36.

314-571-6000.

With most contemporary musicians in the soul-jazz genre, the emphasis either falls on the first modifier or the second. In the case of the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, the stress slips and slides somewhere between. The group, led by Hammond B3 maestro Lamarr, a Seattle native now based in Austin, and featuring shrewdly slinky guitarist Jimmy James and no-

THURSDAY 23

BOBBY BARE JR.: 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

JEREMY ESSIG: w/ Shannon Lucas, Erik Woods 8 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

MICHAL MENERT: w/ Filibusta 9 p.m., $12-$15.

Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

STEVE DAVIS SUPER BAND: w/ Feyza Eren 8 p.m., $15. Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis.

TISH HAYNES KEYS & THE STL SHED: 8 p.m., $10.

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

FRIDAY 24

ABBR.: w/ Railhazer, Topomaka 8:30 p.m., $5.

The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

BIG MO & THE PHAT GROOVE: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

CONMAN ECONOMY: 6:30 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

FIDDLIN’ SAM AND THE GOLDEN BOLO BAND: 8 p.m., $12-$15. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778.

GARY GULMAN: 8 p.m., $30-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

JACKSON STOKES CD RELEASE PARTY: w/ Sebastian Lane, Tonina 8 p.m., $10-$12. Old Rock

bullshit-just-keep-it-funky drummer Keith Laudieri, seems to distill an encyclopedic understanding of soul, jazz and blues, from Booker T. to Jimmy Smith, from the Blue Note label to the deepest Muscle Shoals sessions, and makes music that pushes past clichés and expectations.

The grooves, the improvisations and the sweaty inspiration are the essence of the magic that happens when the soul sum truly transcends the jazz parts.

Just Warming Up: While Lamarr has been working the keys since his high school days, his career as a group leader began in 2015. He’s got the chops and the charisma for the long haul.

—Roy Kasten

House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

MATT “THE RATTLESNAKE” LESCH BAND: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

MIKE GORDON: 8 p.m., $27.50-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

A NIGHT OF BLUES: w/ Brother Jeff & Big Rich, Jake Curtis Blues Band 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

O.A.R.: 3:30 p.m., free. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

THE SLOW DEATH: w/ Breakmouth Annie, the addonfields, Guy Morgan 7:3 p.m., 1 .

Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

VULTURE CULTURE: w/ Hazebond, Crystal Lady 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

SATURDAY 25

BROTHER LEE & THE LEATHER JACKALS: w/Jr. Clooney, Bleach 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

DOGS OF SOCIETY: THE ULTIMATE ELTON ROCK TRIBUTE: w Billy the Kid: The efinitive Billy Joel Tribute 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

ETHAN LEINWAND & FRIENDS: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

HEADBANGERS HAIRBALL: 7 p.m., $10-$100.

Pop’s ightclub, 1 Monsanto Ave., East

Continued on pg 38

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JANUARY 22-28, 2020

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

Radkey. | MATT RADKE

Radkey isn’t a local band per se — the band’s hometown St. Joseph is a good four hours away, on the western border of Missouri — but considering the group’s mastery of hook-laden, high-energy punk rock, we’ll gladly toss some home-state pride in its direction. Since the trio of homeschooled brothers got its start in 2010, Radkey has ticked off many of the boxes that mark a successful indepen-

dent band in the modern age: a tour with Jack White; appearances at Coachella, SXSW and Riot Fest; nods from Adult Swim; and on and on. Last year’s No Strange Cats is on the short side for a punk rock LP, but the band proves it still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve across the considerable variety of its seven tracks. Show some love for some fellow Show-Me-Staters.

Go Ahead Punk: Local punk acts Fight Back Mountain and My Boy Ox will open the show.

—Daniel Hill

THIS JUST IN

$10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

Radkey 8 p.m. Saturday, January 25. Fubar, 3108 Locust Street. $10. 314-289-9050.

Continued from pg 37 St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

HOWARD STREET BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

JEEZY: 9 p.m., $55. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

JOSEPH BELSHER: w Eric Moeller, Bobby Stevens, Rodney Joe 8 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

RADKEY: 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

RED DEATH: w/ Enforced, Time and Pressure, Lightning Wolf 7:30 p.m., $10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

SKEET RODGERS & INNER CITY BLUES: 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

STL LOCAL ROCK MUSIC SHOWCASE: 6:30 p.m., $10.

Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

SUNNY SWEENEY: w/ Erin Enderlin 8 p.m., $20$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

TIËSTO: 9 p.m., TBA. Ameristar Casino, 1 Ameristar Blvd., St. Charles, 636-949-7777.

SUNDAY 26

FUNKY BUTT BRASS BAND CD RELEASE: w/ River Kittens 3 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

MARK HARRIS: 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

TIM GRIMM & BEN BEDFORD: 2 p.m., $15-$20.

The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778.

MONDAY 27

CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF ST. LOUIS: 7:30 p.m., $38. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

DANNY WORSNOP: w/ Starbender 6:30 p.m., $20.

Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

THIRD SIGHT BAND “SPECIAL EDITION”: 8 p.m.,

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TUESDAY 28

JESSE GANNON & THESE HANDS: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

MAGIC CITY HIPPIES: w/ Tim Atlas 8:30 p.m., $17.50-$20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

MIDGE URE: 8 p.m., $25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

WEDNESDAY 29

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

MARK SPARKS: 8 p.m., $10-$30. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

SPACEY SPACEM: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

THIS JUST IN 2 CHAINZ: W/ Sleepy Rose, Hott LockedN, SB Skooly, Worl, Fri., Feb. 28, 8 p.m., $40-$79.

Pop’s ightclub, 1 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

ANNA BURCH: Sun., March 1 , 8 p.m., 1 . Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

BREWTOPIA MARDI GRAS PARTY: Sat., Feb. 22, 9 p.m., free. ightshift Bar Grill, 3 7 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300.

ETHAN LEINWAND & FRIENDS: Sat., Jan. 25, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

THE GASLIGHT SQUARES: Sat., Feb. 29, 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090.

HIP-HOP FOR HOUNDS: Sun., Feb. 16, 2:30 p.m., $35-$100. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

IRIE REUNION SHOW: W/ Sewer Urchin, Nick Gusman and the Coyotes, Sat., Feb. 1, 8 p.m., $10.

Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

JOHN PIZZARELLI: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF NAT KING COLE: Sat., April 18, 8 p.m., $40$50. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St.

Continued on pg 39

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Midge Ure. | ALBUM ART

Midge Ure 8 p.m. Tuesday, January 28. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $25. 314-773-3363.

How much stock you place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the annual handwringing that comes with each year’s class of inductees may vary depending on your feelings on cultural hierarchies and your own levels of Boomerism, but the recent 2020 announcements made it known that synthpop is ready for enshrinement. Both Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails made the cut this year, and while those bands delved into progressively darker and more industrial avenues of the form, the bands’

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 38

Louis, 314-533-9900.

JON BONHAM & FRIENDS: Fri., Feb. 7, 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090.

LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., Jan. 26, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

MARK HARRIS: Sun., Jan. 26, 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

MONEYBAGG YO: Sat., March 1, 8 p.m., 7.

Pop’s ightclub, 1 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

MONOPHONICS: W/ Paul & The Tall Trees, Thu., May 1 , 8 p.m., 17. Old ock ouse, 1 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG: W/ Goose, Sun., March 8, 8 p.m., - 3 . elmar all, 133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

POINTFEST 38: W/ Shinedown, Cypress Hill, Theory of a eadman, Puddle of Mudd, Sick Puppies, Bad ower, inosaur Pileup, Sat., May 9, noon, $29.50-$125. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-7 Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

REAL HIP-HOP SUPERBOWL SUNDAY SHOWDOWN: Sun., Feb. 2, 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

REGGIE AND THE FULL EFFECT: W/ the Fuck Off ies, Wed., March , 8 p.m., 13. ed Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

ROBIN TROWER: Fri., Sept. 18, 8 p.m., $29-$69.

Sat., Sept. 19, 8 p.m., $29-$69. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777.

ROGERS & NIEHAUS: Sat., Feb. 1, 8 p.m., $5. Hwy

roots in synthesized, mechanized but ultimately very human song structures could be seen in New Wave groups like Ultravox.

That group had a decade-long reunion and resurgence, but singer and guitarist Midge Ure has resumed his role as a solo artist and is making a rare stop in St. Louis for what should be an intimate show at Off Broadway.

Still Got It: Ure’s last two releases, the symphony-aided Orchestrated and last year’s retrospective Soundtrack were backwards-looking while still showing a willingness to tinker with his best-known work as a solo artist and with Ultravox.

—Christian Schaeffer 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061.

SHIVER: Sat., Feb. 15, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3 7 Mexico oad, St. Peters, 3 - 1-83 .

SKEET RODGERS & INNER CITY BLUES: Sat., Jan. 25, 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS: W Amity A iction, Straight From the Path, nity T , Fri., May 1, 7:3 p.m., . . Pop’s ightclub, 1 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

SLOW PULP: W/ Divino Niño, Kevin Krauter, Thu., March 1 , 8 p.m., 1 - 1 . Blueberry ill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

SPACEY SPACEM: Wed., Jan. 29, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

SURF CURSE: Tue., April 21, 8 p.m., $17-$20.

Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

THIRD SIGHT BAND “SPECIAL EDITION”: Mon., Jan. 27, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

TISH HAYNES KEYS & THE STL SHED: Thu., Jan. 23, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

TODAY IS THE DAY: W Child Bite, Tue., March 31, 7 p.m., $18. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

TRIBUTE TO THE CURE & R.E.M. BY 120 MINUTES: Fri., Feb. 28, 8 p.m., $10. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

THE UNLIKELY CANDIDATES: Sun., March , 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

VANESSA CARLTON: W/ Jenny O., Thu., April 2, 8 p.m., $30. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. n

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SAVAGE LOVE THE LONG GAME

BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’m a 30-year-old bi male.

I’ve been with my wife for five years, married nine months. A month into our relationship, I let her know that watching partners with other men has always been something I wanted and that sharing this had caused all my previous relationships to collapse. Her reaction was the opposite of what I was used to. She said she respected my kink, and we both agreed we wanted to solidify our relationship before venturing down the cuckold road.

Fast-forward a couple of years, and we are in a healthy relationship, living together, regularly visiting sex clubs (though playing only with each other), and beginning to add some cuckold dirty talk to our sex play.

Then after I proposed, we got busy ... with wedding plans. Sex and experimentation were set aside. Once we got married, we started ... looking for a house. Sex again took a back seat. Life has settled down now, and when I bring up my desire to see her with other men, she tells me she’s willing, but the conversation quickly ends. I have suggested making profiles on various websites, but it doesn’t happen. Am I doing something wrong? I fear that saying, “Let’s make a profile right now,” is pushy, and I absolutely do NOT want to be the whiny and pushy husband.

Any advice you might have would be amazing.

Wannabe Cuckold Growing Frustrated So you don’t want to be pushy where the wife is concerned, WCGF, but you’ll send me the same email half a dozen times in less than a week.

Look, WCGF, some people mean it when they say, “We can have threesomes/go to BDSM parties/ try cuckolding once our relationship is solid.” But some people don’t mean it. They tell their kinky and/or nonmonogamous partner what they want to hear in the hopes that after the wedding and the house and the kids, their husband and the father of their children (or their wife and the

mother of their children) isn’t going to leave them over something as “trivial” as a threesome, a public spanking or cuckolding. Complicating matters further, some people say it and mean it and then change their mind.

To figure out what’s going on (and to figure out whether you’re doing something wrong), you’re going to have to risk being a little pushy — not about putting up a profile, but about having a conversation.

You’re ready for this to happen, she tells you she is willing, but nothing ever happens. If she does want it to happen, what steps can you take together to make it happen? If she doesn’t want it to happen — if she never wanted it to happen — you need her to level with you.

Remember, WCGF, she’s the one being asked to take the risks here — it’s her picture you want to put on a profile, not yours she’s the one who’s going to potentially be meeting up with strangers for sex, not you she’s the one who is risking exposure to STIs, not you. (Although you could wind up exposed, too, of course. But just because you’re comfortable with that risk doesn’t mean she is.) She also might worry that you’re going to want her to fuck other guys way more often than she’s comfortable with. There are a lot of solid reasons why she might have developed cold feet, and by addressing her concerns constructively — no face pics, no strangers, no cream pies, it can be a very occasional thing — you might make some progress.

But if it turns out this isn’t something she wants to do — because she never did or because she changed her mind — then you have to decide whether going without being cuckolded is a price of admission you’re willing to pay to stay in this marriage.

Hey, Dan: I did one of the things you always say is bad, immature and hurtful. I was a jerk to my girlfriend for weeks because I wanted her to break up with me. I know it was cowardly. I think she is a great woman, but I just wasn’t into the relationship and I let it go longer than I should have. I felt terrible that she loved me and I didn’t love her back, and I didn’t want to hurt her.

My question is this: Why do you think sabotaging a relationship in this way is so bad? I’m glad she hates me now. She can feel anger

I didn’t want to be a “great guy” who did the right thing ... I want her to think I’m awful so she can move on with her life. instead of sadness. I didn’t want to be a “great guy” who did the right thing when the relationship needed to end. I want her to think I’m awful so she can move on with her life. If I said all the right things, that makes me more attractive and a loss. I’ve had women do that to me — break up with me the “right” way — and I respected them more and felt more in love with them and missed them more. I still think about them because they were so kind and respectful when they dumped me. I prefer the relationships I’ve had that ended with hatred, because at least I knew we weren’t good for each other and the end was no skin off my back.

Isn’t it better this way? (I’ve got no sign-off that creates a clever acronym. Make one up if you want to publish my letter.)

Annoying Shittiness Should Help Outraged Lovers Escape I did what I could with your signoff.

Being a jerk to someone you’re not interested in seeing anymore in the hopes that they’ll dump you is never OK. It’s certainly not a favor you’re doing them, ASSHOLE, if for no other reason than they’re unlikely to call it quits at the first sign of your assholery. When someone’s actions (jerkishness, assholery) con ict with their words (“I love you, too, sweetheart”), the person on the receiving end of crazy-making mixed messages rarely bolts immediately. They seek reassurance.

They ask the person who’s being an asshole to them if they’re still good, if everything’s OK, if they’re still in love.

And those aren’t questions the person being an asshole can answer honestly, ASSHOLE, because honest answers would end the

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relationship. And that’s not how the asshole wants it, right? The asshole doesn’t want to honestly end things themselves the asshole wants to dishonestly (and dishonorably) force the other person to end the relationship. So the asshole says we’re good, everything’s okay, I still love you, etc., and then dials the assholery up a little more.

Does the other person bolt then?

Nope. The other person asks all those same questions again, the asshole offers up the same lying assurances, and the other person asks again and is fed more lies.

This sometimes goes on for years before the person being emotionally abused by a lying asshole decides they can’t take it anymore and ends the relationship — often over the objections of the person who wanted out all along!

Gaslighting isn’t a term I throw around often or loosely, ASSHOLE, but what you describe doing — and what you’re attempting to rationalize as a gift of some sort — may be the most common form of gaslighting. Nothing about being gaslighted in this manner makes it easier to bounce back after a relationship ends. It makes it harder.

Yeah, yeah, your ex “gets” to be mad at you, but she’s going to have a much harder time trusting anyone after dating you because your assholery will likely cause her to doubt her own judgment. (“This new guy says he loves me, but the last guy — that fucking asshole — said he loved me, over and over again, and it was a lie. What if this guy is lying to me, too?”)

These brand-new insecurities, a parting gift from you, may cause her to end or sabotage relationships that could have been great.

As for your worry that a person may wind up carrying a torch for an ex who ends things with kindness and respect, well, torches have a way of burning out over time, and it’s even possible to will yourself to set a torch down and walk away from it. But the kind of emotional damage done by actions likes yours, ASSHOLE? That shit can last a lifetime.

Check out Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter humpfilmfest.com

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