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THE LEDE
PHOTO BY THEO WELLING
“I think we’ve entered a period of insanity in our country. We’ve lost our perspective on everything. Gun control is just one piece of the puzzle. But having used these guns in combat, I know what they can do. They have no place here.” —Vietnam War Veteran Harry Weber, pHotograpHed at tHe marcH for our LiVes in doWntoWn st. Louis on marcH 24
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE
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The Disappearing Black Baseball Player African Americans are opting out of baseball — but the sport won’t let them go without a fight Written by
ERIC BERGER Cover by
KELLY GLUECK
NEWS
ARTS
DINING
CULTURE
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The Lede
Calendar
Your friend or neighbor, captured on camera
Seven days worth of great stuff to see and do
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Op-Ed
The city is fighting TIF reform in Jefferson City. Talk about the audacity of ‘nope’
Film
Robert Hunt finds jarring tone shifts and contrived plot twists in Flower, now at the Tivoli
Cafe
Cheryl Baehr finds everything from soup to nuts — OK, subs to ramen to sushi — at Toasty Subs
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Side Dish
Julie Truong has gone from fashion to pho
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First Look
Police
Sarah Fenske checks out Brew Hub Tap Room and Cork n’ Slice Woodfire Bistro
Officer Michael Burgoyne has Ballwin cracking up
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Food News
Maypop will combine gardening and coffee in Webster
Homespun
Christian Schaeffer scores an interview with a vampire
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Laughs
Thomas Crone tags along with some comedians in cars
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Visual Art
Muslim women are front and center in a new group show at CAM this Saturday
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Bars
Johnny’s West is coming to Maryland Heights
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Live Music
The best shows in St. Louis every night of the week, plus the latest concert announcements
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Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Sarah Fenske E D I T O R I A L Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writers Doyle Murphy, Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Editorial Interns Hayley Abshear, Megan Anthony Contributing Writers Mike Appelstein, Allison Babka, Sara Graham, Roy Kasten, Jaime Lees, Joseph Hess, Kevin Korinek, Bob McMahon, Nicholas Phillips, Tef Poe, Christian Schaeffer, Lauren Milford, Thomas Crone, MaryAnn Johanson, Jenn DeRose, Mike Fitzgerald Proofreader Evie Hemphill
A R T Art Director Kelly Glueck Contributing Photographers Mabel Suen, Monica Mileur, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Corey Woodruff, Tim Lane, Nick Schnelle P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Evan Sult
M U LT I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G Sales Director Colin Bell Senior Account Executive Cathleen Criswell Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel Multimedia Account Executive Michael Gaines C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Kevin G. Powers E U C L I D M E D I A G RO 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. Allow 6-10 days for standard delivery. www.riverfronttimes.com The Riverfront Times is published weekly by Euclid Media Group Verified Audit Member Riverfront Times 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103 www.riverfronttimes.com General information: 314-754-5966 Fax administrative: 314-754-5955 Fax editorial: 314-754-6416 Founded by Ray Hartmann in 1977
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NEWS
[OP-ED]
The Audacity of ‘Nope’ Written by
SARAH FENSKE
T
his month, the Missouri House of Representatives debated a bill that would provide meaningful reform to tax incentive financing deals across the state — increasing transparency on the tax breaks given to developers and empowering local school districts to have a say in the TIF process. House Bill 1236 has drawn support from conservatives, progressives and the Missouri School Board Association. But the city of St. Louis? It not only opposes the bill, but actually sent its lobbyist to the hearing to speak against it. At the March 14 hearing, lobbyist Jeff Aboussie offered only the briefest of explanations for his opposition to the TIF reforms, according to three people in attendance. Such tax breaks for developers, he said, should be a matter of “local control.” And that is where we should all pause to spit out our coffee. For decades, local municipalities providing tax incentive financing to developers have argued they’re a necessary evil. We don’t want to give away the dollars our school districts and city governments desperately need, they say. We don’t mean to be singling out some people as winners and forcing only those without connections (or well-connected lawyers) to pay the total assessment. Not us. We just have to offer these deals or they’ll take their business elsewhere. Now the truth comes out, and in St. Louis, at least, it turns out we’re simply opposed to reform. We just really like giving away our tax revenue. The numbers certainly suggest as much. As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported yesterday, the city quietly changed its self-reported stats recently to show that it had 8
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Construction has boomed in the city’s central corridor, but the tax incentives fueling it have meant city schools get the shaft. | PAUL SABLEMAN given away $29.6 million through tax incentive financing in 2017 alone — much higher than the $17 million previously reported. Much of that money would have gone to the city schools, but the library district, the zoo and other public projects also lost out. The city’s general fund lost out on about $5 million. Wonder why St. Louis is facing a big budget shortfall? Hey, only the little people here pay taxes! Shamed by the progressive activists who call themselves Team TIF, city officials have made noises in the last year about trying to get such subsidies under control. Still, their efforts have pretty much amounted to shaming members who support reigning in incentive deals any time they need something. Yeah, there’s been some talk about non-binding guidelines, but even those have been watered down (and appear to be getting flouted on the regular). Local efforts to curb tax incentive subsidies have been incomplete and ineffective. But if you still want to take Aboussie’s argument in good faith
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and suggest that this is about the need to preserve its local control, fine. Let’s talk about what H.B. 1236 really does. One provision requires a 30-day comment period before any TIF project comes up for a vote. It also mandates that significantly more details about these deals be made available to the public and to those voting. Opposition to that based on local control? Ha! That only reduces local control if you don’t consider members of the public “local.” That’s also true of another provision, one that would allow local school districts and others affected by the tax incentives to opt out. The burden would be on the schools to register opposition — and it would take a two-thirds vote of the school board to do so — but it would give them the option. And again, in that sense, it’s actually increasing the level of control for locals. One St. Louis study suggests that the school district here is losing out on $10 million a year thanks to TIF development subsidies. And while City Hall has long ar-
gued that development wouldn’t happen without the tax breaks, it’s doubtful it would simply vanish if meaningful reform was enacted, especially if the whole state was united. Kansas already has an optout for school districts just like the one Missouri is contemplating; it’s hardly brought the system to a halt. Molly Metzger, a professor at Washington University and a member of Team TIF who spoke in favor of the bill, says that allowing school districts to weigh in is “a way to make sure the deals aren’t overly generous,” not to kill them entirely. She notes that when the St. Charles school district objected to how much it would lose on a massive subsidy for the Streets of St. Charles, it resulted in incentives for the project that proved “more balanced” in their costs. “They came to a deal,” she notes. And the Streets of St. Charles continues to grow. The third measure in the bill would reduce the maximum length of such incentives from 23 years to 15. And, OK, that would reduce Continued on pg 10 t h e c i t y ’s
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Smartass Cop Is a Local Treasure Written by
DANIEL HILL
I
n the early morning hours of Sunday, March 11, Ballwin police officers were called out to an apartment complex to respond to a noise disturbance. The situation wound up being benign; it was, in fact, just a couple loudly having sex. Or, as the Ballwin PD put it in the department’s weekly roundup, “It was discovered that a couple was consensually loving one another at a high level of volume.” Luckily for all involved, “the couple agreed to love more quietly, to avoid future complaints.” The desert-dry delivery coupled with the sordid nature of the incident were quickly noted by the internet at large, and soon enough a screenshot of the blurb was circulating on social media. Just like that, it was a viral hit. You can thank Officer Michael Burgoyne for that. A patrol cop with five years’ experience, two of them in Ballwin after a stint in the Kansas City area, Burgoyne, 30, has been writing the department’s weekly round-ups since October. The couple loudly loving one another is just one of his oft-hilarious dispatches. “I just kinda write what I think in my head normally,” Burgoyne, who
describes himself as a “smartass,” tells the RFT. “I think it makes a few people nervous sometimes at city hall, but so far it’s gotten a pretty good response.” The roundups tend to follow a formula. On a typical week there will be three to four items that play it straight, informing the public about recent calls the PD responded to and explaining how the situation played out. But then comes at least one “kicker” story, usually following the words “and finally,” that allows Burgoyne to flex his comedy muscles. That loud couple was one such kicker. Here are some more of our favorites: An officer observed a suspicious vehicle in the rear of Ballwin Athletic’s parking lot after hours. The officer contacted the two occupants of the vehicle who were found in the rear seat attempting to “stay warm.” With the cold coming, we sincerely hope these individuals find more efficient ways of finding heat. Wearing all the clothes that you came to the parking lot with would probably be the best start. Officers responded to complaints of solicitors in the area of Clear Meadows. It is unknown what they were trying to sell, but we are certain it was not doughnuts as our office is right up the street and they didn’t bother to visit us. Solicitors are required to obtain a license at City Hall before going door to door. These individuals were advised of the ordinance and left the area. Officer Treaster responded to the area of Big Bend and Arbor Haven
“This one adequately captures my ‘what the hell’ look,” Burgoyne writes. | COURTESY MICHAEL BURGOYNE regarding a complaint of a traffic hazard. After a frightening confrontation, it was determined that the items were placed on common ground and were transported back to the police station for safekeeping. If you are the owner of three skulls, a tow hook with chains, and a floating killer clown head please come pick up your items. Officers discovered a man down in the area of Park and Holloway. Officers observed the man passed out, with a can of air duster pressed to his lips. After officers woke the man up, he advised that he was not “huffing,” he simply fell asleep with a can of air duster by his face. We have rated this lie a .08 out of 10 on the believe-ability scale, and have filed the report appropriately. The man was transported to a local hospital in regards. Burgoyne says he simply goes through the department’s dispatch
log at the end of each week and looks for calls he can riff on. He says the good people of Ballwin give him plenty of material to work with. “As long as I’ve been a cop, no matter where you are, something goofy happens,” he says. “I could probably do it every day, almost.” Burgoyne, who says he wanted to be an officer since he was three years old, believes the department’s weekly dispatches are a useful tool for the community, and his playful tone is part of that. “We just want to make them realize that we try to work with them and we put everything out there so they know what’s going on in their community,” he says. “And I think, personally, bringing a little humor with it helps them realize that we’re people too,” he adds. “Sometimes people kinda think we’re robots.” n
STREAK’S CORNER • by Bob Stretch
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TIF REFORM Continued from pg 8 control. But since St. Louis aldermen have shown themselves all too willing to saddle future generations with sizable debt in order to help out their friends in power, it’s hard to argue they need 23 years’ worth of largesse. (If you ask me, really, couldn’t we curtail things even further?) Koran Addo, a spokesman for Mayor Lyda Krewson, says that the mayor “supports comprehensive incentive reform.” However, he says, “In general, the mayor prefers incentive reform controls enacted at the local level, rather than at the state level.” He also notes, “It’s too early to comment on this particular bill, given that it could change multiple times in scope between now and the final vote.” I get her hesitation to endorse anything in Jeff City, given the bill’s potential for shape-shifting. But by the same token, can we at least pull the city’s lobbyist back from flat-out opposition? The last year has made it clear that City Hall has no appetite for getting tax giveaways under control. The problem has been identified, scrutinized and endlessly debated, but the developers and lawyers who subsidize political campaigns in this town still retain the power. And their interests, suffice it to say, are not our interests .... the residents’ interests. The locals’ interests. Mike Tsichlis, treasurer of the Lindbergh School District, argued just that in his testimony last week. “Is it right to allow a municipality — including those driven by desperation and political necessity — to divert from school districts and other public entities millions of dollars of their own taxpayer-approved revenue without allowing the governing board to determine for themselves whether those projects are viable enough to merit their support?” He added, “[P]ublic education and other public entities deserve a full seat at the table when it comes to TIF-subsidized projects.” That’s the opposite of taking away local control. That’s a case of granting it — and one every taxpayer in St. Louis ought to get behind. Sarah Fenske is the editor in chief of the Riverfront Times. Follow her on Twitter @sarahfenske or email her at sarah.fenske@riverfronttimes.com
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ony Evans has already been sitting in a meeting room at Busch Stadium for more than two hours when most of the other youth baseball organizers and coaches leave. The 25 men and women, who are primarily from low-income communities around St. Louis, took notes as a presenter from Sports Illustrated Play guided them on how to use the digital platform to help with logistics like scheduling games and submitting rosters. It’s a new process and, at the meeting in early March, some of the coaches are skeptical about whether it will actually make organizing leagues easier. “It’s going to be good,” Keith Brooks, director of Cardinals Care, assures them. Evans stays behind because his league in
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Normandy participates in inter-league games against other communities in St. Louis, which means he has to learn some additional steps. He doesn’t end up leaving the stadium until 9 p.m., after three hours. But he and the other adults, who are either volunteers or local government staffers, appear willing to sit through the meeting because they believe that the Redbird Rookies can help children and teens who otherwise might not be able to afford youth sports. The Cardinals started Redbird Rookies through its nonprofit, Cardinals Care, in 2004. The program provides funding for uniforms and equipment, such as gloves, bats, balls and pitching machines, and off-field cultural, health and educational programming to teams in the free leagues run by nonprofits or municipalities throughout St. Louis. Many of those leagues play on fields donated by Cardinals Care and a
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current or former Cardinals player, who then is recognized by having his name bestowed on the field. But despite the fact that it’s free to participate in the Redbird Rookies, fewer kids take advantage of the program than a decade ago. In 2008, there were 4,000 players in the program, according to the organization. Last year there were about 2,500. Then and now, the majority of the kids who participate are African American. Across the county, the number of African American baseball players has steadily declined over the last 30 years. In 1986, 18.3 percent of Major League Baseball players were African American, according to the Society for American Baseball Research. In 2016, the number was 6.7 percent, the exact same figure as when Jackie Robinson retired in 1956. Despite the fact that MLB and teams like the
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AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE OPTING OUT OF BASEBALL — BUT THE SPORT WON’T LET THEM GO WITHOUT A FIGHT
Black players showed their stuff in the Negro Leagues, and then changed Major League Baseball forever with Jackie Robinson’s entrance in 1947. These days, the percentage of African American players is no higher than at the time of Robinson’s retirement. | NEGRO LEAGUES/PUBLIC DOMAIN
BY ERIC BERGER Cardinals have invested millions of dollars and tried a variety of youth baseball initiatives, it’s unclear whether they will be able to bring African Americans back to the game at previous levels. “It gets harder and harder every year to get the kids out playing baseball,” says Evans, who is 56 and has been involved with the game his entire life. “Because of course baseball isn’t one of the sexy sports like football or basketball.” I first became interested in the declining rate of African American baseball players during college, when I interned with the Memphis Redbirds, the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate. They were the only professional sports team owned and operated by a nonprofit. The Memphis Redbirds Baseball Foundation was dedicated to two initiatives: “Sports Teams Returning in the Public Education System” and “Returning
Baseball to the Inner City,” better known as RBI. The nature of minor league baseball is such that it’s hard for teams to market any particular player. They do not control their rosters — the MLB teams do — and if a player is really that good, he likely won’t be there long. As such, most teams attract fans through food and drink specials and zany promotions like the Mike Tyson Ear Night (courtesy of the Fort Myers Miracle) or the Hairiest Back in Louisville contest, as seen at a 2007 game between the Louisville Bats and the Richmond Braves. But we were different. Not only was AutoZone Park, a downtown Memphis stadium financed with $72 million in tax-exempt bonds, nicer than most, if not all, minor league ballparks, but fans purchasing tickets knew they were supporting a worthy cause. In 2007 — the year before I interned — more than 1,200 kids ages five to sixteen participated riverfronttimes.com
in RBI, a free summer program that lasted six to eight weeks. It featured baseball, a reading program and mentors helping with life skills like “how to dress for a job interview, how to open a bank account,” recalls Dave Chase, who was then president and general manager of the Redbirds. “Not looking for baseball players but looking for citizens,” says Chase. “It was giving kids something to do over the summer instead of hanging out on a street corner.” The Associated Press reported in 2005 that the Redbirds and donors were providing $600,000 annually for the youth programs, and that the team planned to increase that figure to more than $7 million once the team repaid the bonds that financed its stadium. The team’s mission felt particularly compelling in Memphis, a city that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Continued on pg 14
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BASEBALL Continued from pg 13 in 2007 had a poverty rate of more than 25 percent and one of almost 35 percent among African Americans. James Earl Ray assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel, a site now home to the National Civil Rights Museum. So a year before I arrived, Chase spearheaded an annual exhibition before the start of the regular season known as the Civil Rights Game. In 2008, the New York Mets, led by an African American manager and a Latino general manager, played the Chicago White Sox, led by a Latino manager and an African American general manager. The team also honored actress Ruby Dee and former outfielder Frank Robinson before the game, and Martin Luther King III threw out the first pitch. With the game and its proximity to the Civil Rights Museum (six blocks), Chase told MLB.com, “It’s adversity and opportunity. We have the chance to do something great now. Memphis is a perfect fit.” The Mets toured the museum. Afterwards, closer Billy Wagner told the New York Times, “It made me embarrassed to be white. I can’t believe all of that actually happened.” The team’s bench coach, Jerry Manuel, talked to the Times about the links between the civil rights movement and baseball and then addressed the downward trend in the number of African American players. “What we need to figure out is whether this is an exhibition game to appease someone who thought of a great idea or will this springboard us toward having some significant dialogue to find out whether it’s significant that the numbers are declining,” he says. Whatever impact the game had, it did not become a fixture in Memphis as Chase had hoped. In the middle of the 2008 season, the team was close to defaulting on its bond payment for the stadium and brought in a new management team, which meant Chase was out. The promised $7 million contribution never happened. Out of money, the team also canceled the 2008 playoffs for its youth RBI program. “The decision to not play those final games was a bad decision,” John Pontius, treasurer of the Memphis Redbirds Baseball Foun14
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Martin Luther King III threw out the first pitch at the 2008 Civil Rights Game in Memphis. The game has since been scrapped. | DULUOZCATS/FLICKR
dation, told the Memphis Flyer. “It was made in the middle of a very difficult transition from one management team to another. Obviously, if anyone had the ability to make that decision over again, they’d make it differently.” The next year, the Civil Rights Game became an MLB event and bounced around among different cities. The last game was played in 2015. I could not find a single news story about the game’s demise. People who care about baseball offer a variety of explanations for why black youth have stopped playing the game. “I think in the African American community there is this notion that the game isn’t as cool, isn’t as fastpaced, as immediately gratifying,” as some other sports, says Tony Reagins, who is African American and spent four years as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He now works as the league’s senior vice president for youth programs. “In this age, instant gratification is important. I think our game is a game where there is no clock but that is very strategic.” Others point to the lack of African American stars in the major leagues. There is no LeBron James in baseball. “You had Kobe Bryant. LeBron James. Dwyane Wade. The NBA did a great job of marketing these players to the urban communi-
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ties,” says Reggie Williams, a retired MLB outfielder who worked as the Redbirds’ vice president of community relations. When I asked Brooks about the drop in Redbird Rookies participation, he mentioned the transient nature of people served by the organization and the financial struggles of its nonprofit and municipal partners in youth baseball. The Cardinals provide all the baseball equipment and have sponsored 23 fields over the last two decades. But the nonprofits or local governments that run the leagues must find paid or unpaid umpires and volunteer coaches, organize games and handle some of the field maintenance. “Some of the communities that we have ball fields in that host Redbird Rookies are also some of the most challenged communities,” says Brooks, who has been with the Cardinals for fifteen years. In 2000, the team’s nonprofit sponsored its first youth baseball facility, Cardinals Care Field in Hamilton Heights Park in north St. Louis. “We had a lot of parent participation,” says Bev Powell, director of the athletic recreation ministry at the Friendly Temple Church, which is near the field. “The kids seemed to be really engaged in it — and we had boys and girls.” At services on Sundays, she and other volunteers used to find enough kids to field four teams, Powell says. Now the church can
only field one team — and that’s with kids from other communities. She and others blame coaches of select football and basketball teams that have demanding schedules, which forces kids to focus on one sport at an earlier age. About five years ago, the Redbird Rookies stopped using the Hamilton Heights field and moved games to the nearby Bob Gibson Field at Sherman Park. The city Parks Department had not mowed the grass or maintained the field well enough, Powell says, and an increasing number of homeless people would throw trash and bottles onto the field. “It was just an unsafe situation for the children,” she says. The Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club in north St. Louis has also over the last decade had to move games away from nearby fields in Penrose Park and Fairground Park, which are maintained by the city, because of safety concerns. “There is impulsive shooting — bullets flying all over the place — and our children are not safe,” says Tom Sullivan, chief operating officer of Mathews-Dickey, a nonprofit youth center located on North Kingshighway. (The organization received funding from the Cardinals and MLB to renovate its field at Bob Russell Park in Bellefontaine Neighbors. It’s now known as Adam Wainwright Field and opened in 2016.) Continued on pg 16
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BASEBALL Continued from pg 13 Like other Redbird Rookies leagues, Mathews-Dickey has seen its number of youth baseball teams decrease — the organization once had 70 teams; now there are about 30 — but it’s not because the organization is turning kids away, Sullivan says. In addition to seeing greater interest in football and basketball, he points to a population shift, noting that more than half of its Boys & Girls Club members have moved from the city to north county over the last decade. That increases the “distance and affordability” of getting to the fields, he says. Other Redbird Rookies leagues have also not turned kids away, Brooks adds, but some leagues simply closed down their baseball programs. A Police Athletic League, in which city police officers volunteered, shifted from baseball to track and field, in part because an officer who had been involved with the baseball program was killed. The organizer of a league in Wellston has moved on this off-season, Brooks says, although participants can still play in a league in Pagedale. And other leagues in north city simply no longer exist. “In some cases it makes it harder for them to participate; in some cases, as they get older, they may select other sports,” Brooks says. “It’s a combination of things; there is no one factor.” Despite the decline in numbers, there have been success stories. Joshua Jones, 25, grew up in Ferguson and played three years in Redbird Rookies. He received a $4,000 scholarship from Cardinals Care and attended Depauw University. He now works as a therapist at a transitional living program for males ages sixteen to twenty. “I think the way that it builds community and the familial bond with people who have the same issues and concerns and experiences — I think that goes a long way,” he says. Riana Roberts, 21, also received a scholarship from Cardinals Care after playing in the Redbird Rookies league in Normandy for three years. “It taught me a lot about teamwork,” says Roberts, who now studies chemistry at Jackson State University in Mississippi. “And also sometimes we would play with guys, and I used to be kind of intimidated because of the stereotype that guys can do more than 16
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Redbird Rookies participants parade through Busch Stadium at a July 2009 game. | JERRY ADLERSFLUEGEL JR.
girls, and it kind of helped me build character and realize I can do just as much as a guy can.” Tony Evans spends the first weekend in March canvassing for Redbird Rookies around Normandy. He is a believer not only in the benefits of baseball but youth sports generally. He was one of twelve kids and grew up in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood in north St. Louis. “My high school football coach made a better person out of me, because at that time I was going down the wrong road, and if it wasn’t for his positive influence in my life, I wouldn’t have graduated high school,” Evans says. He has been a football or baseball coach for most of his adult life. His parents couldn’t afford for him to play in little league, so he appreciates that Redbird Rookies is free. Evans works at Centene as a data analyst and is also a city councilman in Normandy, which has long suffered from underperforming schools. The state stripped the district of its accreditation in 2012 after years of poor standardized test scores. (That year, just 22 percent of students passed the communication arts test, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.) Earlier this school year, education officials rec-
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ommended that the district again receive accreditation following an improvement in test scores and school climate. Jones leaves fliers with information about the league on the counters at a barbershop and trophy shop. And he hands them out at a local grocery story. By the time Saturday is over he’s signed up twenty kids. He is focusing on the youngest kids, the five- and six-year-olds eligible for tee-ball. Last year he had about 45 kids in that age group; this year he aims to attract 100. “Some people, if you give them a flier, they will look at it and then throw it [away],” says Evans. “I try to hold a conversation with them and let them know about the benefits of Redbird Rookies and its offfield programs.” For example, the organization partners with Schnucks on a healthy eating program that provides them with coupons for free foods like carrots and raisins and, with a proof of purchase, rewards them with Cardinals tickets. The organization also takes participants to a show at the Sheldon Concert Hall and sponsors a health fair. Jones recalls one child who had never been to a dentist, with teeth that “were just so out of order.” He visited the fair and connected with a dentist and orthodontist for
free care. Now, Jones says, “He just won’t stop smiling.” Daviette Saunders works with Jones at Centene. A couple years ago, she heard him talking about Redbird Rookies and decided to sign up her grandson, tenyear-old Rayshawn Minor. He lives with Saunders because his mother, Saunders’ daughter, is “not equipped to being a mother yet,” Saunders says. They moved in October from Normandy to nearby Walnut Park because of a “terrible, terrible landlord,” she says. In both municipalities, “I wouldn’t want him just out and about by himself.” “There is nothing in our neighborhood — there are no close rec centers or comfortable places where he can be around other boys with some supervision,” Saunders says. Minor wanted to “be the class clown and had trouble sitting down in class,” his grandmother says. They use Redbird Rookies as an incentive for him to buckle down in school; otherwise, no games or trips to the batting cages or jazz concerts. Despite the fact that they moved, Minor will continue to play in Normandy. The field, sponsored by Cardinals Care and named after Cardinals Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst, sits in Robert Hoelzel Memorial Park.
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Rayshawn Minor, center left, with his Redbird Rookies teammates. | COURTESY OF DAVIETTE SAUNDERS
Even in March, before it had been prepped for the coming season, the field looked nice. It features a large scoreboard, dugouts and an outfield fence. Minor was one of the captains of his team last season and wore 42, Jackie Robinson’s number. He explains that it’s because he saw 42, the 2013 film starring Chadwick Boseman. “He stole bases and I want to steal bases too,” he says. Boys like Minor may soon have more African American baseball players to look up to. MLB points to recent drafts as evidence of the success of its RBI effort. From 2012 to 2017, 41 of 204 first-round draft selections were African American, the Guardian reported. In the most recent draft, the Cincinnati Reds selected Hunter Greene, a seventeen-year-old shortstop, with the second pick. Greene was a graduate of MLB’s first Urban Youth Academy, which opened in 2006 in Compton, California. There are now eight such academies around the country, which aim to promote baseball and softball and help the surrounding communities. Greene was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and compared to LeBron James and Babe Ruth. “If there’s ever a young man who could live up to a Sports Illustrated cover at age seventeen,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told the New York Times, “I think Hunter’s that young man.” Reagins, who oversees the academies, says he does not know why the Civil Rights Game was stopped. But, he says, “we have probably replaced one game with aand a multitude of programming that addresses African Americans in
baseball.” That includes an expansion of the league’s Breakthrough Series, where top players at the academies display their skills in front of pro scouts and a girls baseball tournament that debuted in 2017 at the academy in Compton. “The impact that we have year round is far greater than one baseball game — not that the one game wasn’t important,” Reagins says. “It’s not a quick fix; if you are expecting results in one year or two years, it’s not going to happen. We think it’s important to be consistent and commit resources to it long-term.” Since I left Memphis, the Cardinals bought the Redbirds from the nonprofit foundation and later sold the team to Peter Freund, who owns a number of minor league teams and is a minority owner with the New York Yankees. The team remains a Cardinals affiliate and has a youth baseball program that features fourteen fields around Memphis and more than 1,000 participants, according to its website. (There were 1,200 participants in 2009, according to the Flyer.) Locally, Brooks thinks that with fewer parents signing kids up for football because of concerns about safety, “there is an opportunity to catch them early and have them develop a love” for baseball. He also hopes that the Sports Illustrated online registration system — rather than individual municipalities and nonprofits handling registration — will take some of the legwork away for people like Jones “and allow them to reach a broader audience.” “Maybe ten years from now we will be having a completely different conversation,” Brooks says. “Because we will have groomed a generation of young people to n come back to baseball.”
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CALENDAR
BY PAUL FRISWOLD
FRIDAY 03/30 Chinese Buddhist Art
MADCO rehearses for New Dance Horizons VI. | DAVID LANCASTER
Very rarely does an art exhibition include the actual wall an artist worked on, but the Saint Louis Art Museum does so for Chinese Buddhist Art, 10th-15th Centuries. A six-foot-by-four-foot section of a temple wall that has a painting of the Bodhisattva Akalokiteśvara (Guanyin) on one side is the focal point of the exhibition, and an exceptionally rare object. The show also includes four hanging scrolls, and a never-before-displayed painted, wooden sculpture of a seated arhat, the Buddhist term for a person who has achieved enlightenment. Chinese Buddhist Art, 10th-15th Centuries is open Tuesday through Sunday (March 30 to August 30) in gallery 225 of the Saint Louis Art Museum (1 Fine Arts Drive; www.slam.org). Admission is free.
Best F(r)iends Tommy Wiseau has had a hell of a year. The auteur has seen his peculiar film The Room become a critical darling thanks to a big-budget Hollywood recreation of it and of himself; he’s also very compellingly auditioned to play the Joker in the next Batman film. Now he reunites with his Room co-star Greg Sestero in a new cinematic event, Best F(r) iends. Wiseau takes on the role he was born to play, a “peculiar mortician” who takes in a handsome drifter (Sestero). The pair hatch a scheme to make some extra money, which soon unravels thanks to greed and jealousy. Best F(r)iends: Volume One —the film is so epic it needs two movies to tell one story — screens locally at 8 p.m. Friday and Monday (March 30 and April 2) at the St. Louis Mills 18 (5555 St. Louis Mills Boulevard, Hazelwood; www.fathomevents. com). Tickets are $15. Volume 2 is scheduled for early June. 18
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SATURDAY 03/31 New Dance Horizons VI Every iteration of Dance St. Louis’ New Dance Horizons concert is different, because each installment features new works created by established choreographers for local dance companies. But New Dance Horizons VI is doubly different because it takes place for the first time in the intimate Grandel Theater (3610 Grandel Square; www.dancestlouis. org). Saint Louis Ballet, the Big Muddy Dance Company and MADCO debut new contemporary pieces created by Gregory Dolbashian, Robyn Mineko Williams and James Gregg, respectively. There are no bad seats in the Grandel, and with tickets only $20, those seats become even better. New Dance Horizons VI takes place at 2 and 7:30 p.m. today.
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St. Louis Dance Festival At the end of the last millennium, a group of local dance companies decided to band together for a onenight showcase. Nineteen years later the St. Louis Dance Festival continues to feature a broad sampling of the many styles of dance practiced in the metro area. This year’s show has everything from traditional clogging to classical ballet, with Wei Dance Arts, Cecil Slaughter’s The Slaughter Project, Dances of India and Final Veil all scheduled to perform. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts (425 South Lindbergh Boulevard; 314997-0911). Tickets are $15 to $20.
TUESDAY 04/03 Hamilton Who’d have thought a musical
about one of the Founding Fathers would be a smash hit in an era when these august old men are used as ammunition for every sort of political argument? (Especially the one who was killed in a duel with the sitting vice president.) In Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda tells the story of an orphan from the Caribbean who rises to the top of colonial American society and then fights for his young country in the Revolutionary War. Miranda cheekily casts people of color as his civilians, soldiers and statesmen and incorporates a soundtrack of hip-hop, R&B and traditional show tunes to transform our perception of these legends of the past, making them more human. And rather than present an anodyne version of Hamilton’s life, Miranda depicts his title character as a brilliant, complex, self-made man — and then he hits the audience with the ultimate truth: No one gets to decide how they’re remembered. The highly anticipated musical is performed Tuesday through Sunday (April 3 to 22) at the Fox Theatre (527 North
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WEEK OF MARCH 29-APRIL 4 Grand Boulevard; www.fabulousfox.com). Remaining tickets are $125 to $625.
WEDNESDAY 04/04 Cat Clips Everyone is the star of their own life, unless they have a cat; in that case, the cat is the star and you’re just a character actor. Tonight from 5 to 9 p.m. at Urban Chestnut (4465 Manchester Avenue; www.stlcats. org), the kitties once again hog the spotlight at Cat Clips: A Competition in Cuteness. This benefit for Animal House Cat Rescue and Adoption features short videos (two minutes maximum) of local cats being adorable. A group of celebrity judges — including chef Hana Chung, meteorologist Meghan Danahey and Cinema St. Louis’ Cliff Froehlich — will select a winner, who will then receive $250 to lavish on his or her cat(s). Tickets for Cat Clips are $20 to $40.
Five Element Ninjas The Shaw Brothers’ film Five Element Ninjas combines a Hong Kong setting with Japanese ninjas (it was 1982; everything had ninjas) to tell a wild tale of revenge and betrayal. Rival martial artists Chief Hong and Yuan Zeng fight for supremacy, and when Hong’s samurai ringer doesn’t win, a ninja clan gets involved to even the score. One of Zeng’s students has some ninjitsu training of his own, and he returns to his old teacher to learn more. He picks up his own squad of ninja allies, who can perhaps help him defeat Hong’s element-themed heavyweights — Gold, Wood, Earth, Water and Fire. Five Element Ninjas is an extravaganza of martial arts, acrobatics and wire-work stunts. The Strange Brew film series presents the classic flick at 8 p.m. tonight at the Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, Maplewood; www.schlafly.com). Tickets are $5.
Luka Kain stars as a young man struggling with his gender identity in an unaccepting environment in the film Saturday Church. | COURTESY OF CINEMA ST. LOUIS
WEDNESDAY 04/04 QFest
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ocial progress moves very slowly in this country (currently, it’s essentially frozen in place until the impeachment or the heart attack, whichever comes first), but things do get better as time goes by. Thirteen years ago gay marriage was only a dream and QFest, Cinema St. Louis’ LGBTQA film festival, was just starting out. Now all of the letters in the acronym can marry and QFest is a highlight of the year, the latter thanks to curator and organizer Chris Clark. The only constants in QFest are Clark’s guiding hand and the festival’s commitment to promoting films that have something to say about the LGBTQA community. As Clark explains, illuminating the human spirit is part and parcel of the festival’s grand vision. “Part of our mission for Cinema St. Louis is that cinema is art, and film provides glimpses of the human experience,” Clark explains. “QFest takes it farther and spotlights queer culture specifically.” Clark is quick to emphasize that a film merely boasting gay subject matter is not enough to make the schedule; he’s looking for a specific point of view. “I’ve tried to strive hard to find the most empowering or uplifting tales. I shy away from serial killers, or excessive sadness,” he says. “Just like going
to a French film, QFest is a peek into another culture, into my community. I’m one of those letters. I’m not gonna promote the negative. I want to shine a light, and I’ll hold it high.” This year’s festival includes ten films (both documentary and narrative) and two programs of shorts, named “Adam” and “Eve.” One of the features is always a classic, which this year is Beautiful Thing, Hettie MacDonald’s 1996 film about two London boys exploring the possibility that they may be gay. It’s very much a QFest movie, with a tender, celebratory story. Also of note are Alaska Is a Drag, which is about a black drag queen in a tough Alaska town that co-stars Margaret Cho and Jason Scott Lee, and The Revival: Women and the Word, a documentary about black lesbian poets and musicians and their efforts to create a sense of community among queer women of color. Clark cites these two films as important works by emerging filmmakers and a demonstration of his renewed effort to find diverse stories in response to complaints from the community. For what Clark believes is the first time ever in QFest’s history, at least three of the films have close ties to St. Louis: Snapshots, the short subject “Bob,” and the festival-opening film, Becks. Becks is set in Maplewood and stars Tony Award winner Lena Hall as a singer/songwriter who has to move riverfronttimes.com
back in with her disapproving mother (Christine Lahti) after her long-distance relationship ends badly. She soon meets Elyse (Mena Suvari), and an unlooked-for relationship starts to bloom. Co-directors Elizabeth Rohrbaugh and Dan Powell are former St. Louisans, hence the very St. Louis story. But for Clark, it’s the short “Bob” that has both professional and personal resonance. “I worked with Tommy Gross at Balaban’s,” Clark recalls. “He became one of my best friends – I quit UMSL to go to Webster with him, and that’s how I ended up studying film. Tommy passed away in the ’90s, but his nephew John, who I watched grow up, directed the paranormal short ‘Bob.’ John’s husband is one of the co-stars.” QFest takes place Wednesday through Sunday (April 4 to 8) at .ZACK (3224 Locust Street; www.cinemastlouis.org). Tickets are $10 to $13. Planning an event, exhibiting your art or putting on a play? Let us know and we’ll include it in the calendar section or publish a listing on our website — for free! Send details via e-mail (calendar@riverfronttimes.com), fax (314-754-6416) or mail (308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103, attn: Calendar). Include the date, time, price, contact information and location (including ZIP code). Please submit information three weeks prior to the date of your event. No telephone submissions will be accepted. Find more events online at www.riverfronttimes.com.
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FILM
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[REVIEW]
Not Another Teen Movie Max Winkler’s high school revenge film Flower is a bad imitation of John Waters Written by
ROBERT HUNT Flower
Directed by Max Winkler. Written by Alex McAulay, Matt Spicer and Max Winkler. Starring Zoey Deutch, Kathryn Hahn, Adam Scott and Tim Heidecker. Opens Friday, March 30, at the Landmark Tivoli Theatre.
W
hen I was a teenager, a good portion of a century ago, the last thing I wanted to see at the movies was anything having to do with life as a teenager. And for the most part, the Hollywood studios obliged. Sure, there were occasional comingof-age period pieces like Summer of ’42, but those were the misty nostalgia of middle-aged men, reminiscing about what it was like to make out while listening to Glenn Miller. For the most part, the inner lives of teenagers were treated as unworthy of serious attention, even if youth were given starring roles in a flood of beach movies and weekly invasions by aliens from the ‘60s on. The rare teen-focused prestige picture like Rebel Without a Cause was the exception that proved the rule. By the 1980s something had changed, and the movies (and more significantly, television) took a strong interest in exploring life before 20. Teenagers became a demographic, a bargaining chip in the interplay of culture and commerce. A wave of teen entertainment appeared — MTV, John Hughes movies, ever-expanding shopping malls — selling music, video games, junk food and, most of all, a sense of identity. Using actual teenaged actors certainly helped expedite that change. Despite its generally limited
Dylan Gelula, Zoey Deutch and Maya Eshet in Flower. | COURTESY OF THE ORCHARD worldview, the teen movie can still cover a wide range of material, from raunchy sex comedies to sentimental romances, from the dark comedy of Heathers to the irritating self-consciousness of Juno. Take that broad collection of emotions, toss them into a blender and leave the concoction sitting out just long enough to turn rancid and you might come up with something like the new film Flower, a contrived casserole of leftover attitudes and strained coolness so confused about what it’s trying to say that it changes emotional direction every 25 minutes or so without ever looking back at the plot points that seemed so important just a few scenes earlier. Where to begin? Flower is so plot-heavy and in love with its own voice that it makes a Diablo Cody character look like a stumbling wallflower. Hang tight, because this is going to be a bumpy ride. Seventeen-year-old Erica (Zoey Deutch) lives in an anonymous
suburban town and runs a vigilante crusade with two girlfriends. They target crooked cops and other low lives, luring them in with oral sex and taking their money. While her friends spend their ill-gotten gains, Erica saves hers to raise bail for her imprisoned father. Erica’s just an ordinary teenaged gal, hanging out at the bowling alley with her pals, doting over her pet rat Titty Boy and filling a sketchbook with drawings of penises. You know, girl stuff! The film makes the first of its erratic plot flips when Erica’s mom and impossibly square soon-to-bestepfather announce that there’s going to be an addition to the family: His teenaged son Luke is getting out of rehab. Luke is overweight, unfriendly and psychologically unstable (although two-thirds of those attributes will be forgotten by the film’s end). But Erica’s initial hostility fades when she learns that he once accused a local teacher of moriverfronttimes.com
lesting him. Despite some doubts about his claims, Erica and friends giddily begin a plan of revenge. Deutch is a genuinely promising actress, but Flower is an adolescent mess, an explosion of nearly every irritating movie-teenager pose and contrivance you can imagine, waved in front of the viewer with a mixture of coyness and “aren’t-we-being-daring?” pride. It revels in its own superficiality, sneering at middle-class trash culture even as it celebrates it (Erica says her rat watches 16 and Pregnant) and ultimately contributes to it. Flower tries very hard to be provocative, but it’s a second- or third-hand rehash of every self-important, self-pitying teen movie trope, brushing against heavy ideas like alienation, insecurity and feminism without insight or empathy. It’s a juvenile revenge fantasy trying for shock value, an imitation of John Waters as staged n by precocious mall rats.
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CAFE
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You may not eat them together, but Toasty Subs’ “Cardinal” roll, tonkatsu ramen, chipotle turkey club, Thai bubble tea and “Maplewood” roll are all tasty treats. | MABEL SUEN
[REVIEW]
Soup to Nuts Toasty Subs offers everything from sushi to ramen to, yes, sub sandwiches. Even more surprising? They’re all solid Written by
CHERYL BAEHR Toasty Subs
3001 S. Big Bend Boulevard, Maplewood; 314-833-3277; Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (Closed Sundays.)
I
’d always assumed the dingy old building at the intersection of Big Bend and Flora on the south side of Maplewood — a place I’d driven
by at least a hundred times — was abandoned. When I pulled in for a visit a few weeks ago, the exterior did little to shake that feeling. Weeds peeked through the pavement cracks, and a dingy paint job that vaguely resembled the color scheme of an old Naugle’s did not serve as an enthusiastic advertisement for a place open for business. Yet a friend — one whom I trust implicitly about such matters — assured me that this former Quizno’s was indeed a working restaurant. One with great sandwiches. And sushi. And bubble tea. And yes, ramen too. Inside, the atmosphere does not instill much more confidence in such an unusual concept. Mustard yellow paint, black-and-white checkered tile, red metal chairs and a wood-paneled order counter bring back memories of going to a K-Mart cafe in the 1980s. It’s hardly
the place you’d expect to be ground zero for a twist on fusion cuisine. For owners Alex and Lily Liu, the seemingly bewildering combination of food products and lowkey setting makes perfect sense. After immigrating to the U.S. from China twenty years ago, the husband and wife owned a local Quizno’s franchise before leaving that business to start their own catering company, Sushi Kitchen. For ten years, Lily rolled sushi, becoming a master in the art of preparing the Japanese dish. A few years ago, the Lius decided that they wanted to get back into the sandwich business, but this time with their own concept, not as franchisees. They opened Toasty Subs as a Quizno’s-inspired sub shop last June. However, it wasn’t long before Lily got the urge to show off her sushi skills. The pair thought “why not?” and added a riverfronttimes.com
selection of rolls to the menu not long after they opened. They didn’t stop there. Lily had been cooking sandwiches and sushi for nearly twenty years, and her creative spirit drove her to try something new. She began experimenting with ramen and reached out to a local ramen chef who helped her come up with some recipes for the Toasty Subs menu. But Lily found most ramen too fatty for her palate. Wanting a healthier, lighter option, she figured out a way to give the broth a robust flavor even while cutting the fat content by about two-thirds. This October, Toasty Subs debuted Lily’s ramen, and it’s been garnering accolades ever since. Despite the restaurant’s name, the Japanese noodle soup has become the star of the restaurant, a fact that was evident on one visit when two
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Crab salad, tempura shrimp and cream cheese fill the “Cardinal,” which is topped with spicy tuna, eel sauce and spicy mayo. | MABEL SUEN
TOASTY SUBS Continued from pg 23 customers threw their hands into the air in celebration when the counter worker announced they had ramen that evening. A person who rolled up to the drive-thru a few minutes later (yes, they have a drive-thru, too) had a similar reaction. Apparently, that’s not always a sure thing, as the restaurant regularly sells out its newfound signature dish. It’s easy to see why once you dig into the tonkatsu ramen, its deep, satisfying broth enlivened with just a whisper of ginger. Slices of pork belly are so tender they seem as if they might dissolve into the savory liquid, their rich flavor accented with diced onions, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and corn. A perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg bobs in the broth along with springy noodles. It’s a bowl that stands shoulder to shoulder with the ones at area restaurants that dedicate themselves to the craft. If the tonkatsu ramen maintained a robust flavor in the absence of fat, the veggie version needed a boost. Even in concert with the noodles and accoutrements like corn, onion and mushrooms, the broth was too light. The miso ramen proved much more flavorful, consisting of four different broths (pork, chicken, miso and veggie) that are fortified
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with butter for additional richness. As with the tonkatsu, the silken pork belly melts on the tongue, while the dish derives its texture from the al dente noodles and corn. If she is on her way to mastering ramen, Lily Liu is already there when it comes to sushi. Granted, Toasty Subs serves mostly the Americanized rolls we’ve come to associate with the genre, but she does them well and with thoughtful preparations. Her “Rainbow Roll” consists of crab, eel and cucumbers packed into tender sticky rice and crowned with a vibrant spiral of salmon, tuna, shrimp and more eel. The juxtaposition between its freshness and the restaurant’s dated sandwich-shop motif is striking. California, spicy salmon and shrimp tempura rolls are all standard but respectable. The standout is the specialty “Maplewood Roll,” which pairs crab, tempura shrimp, cream cheese, eel and avocado with wasabi honey mayonnaise and eel sauce. It’s a mélange of rich textures that feels as decadent as a lobe of foie gras. You could, however, come to Toasty Subs for its namesake and be perfectly satisfied. The Lius do not deviate from their former business’ playbook, offering the sorts of toasted sandwiches you’d find at a Quizno’s. These are nothing fancy — just traditional, classic flavors done well, like a solid turkey-and-
Swiss sub that is overstuffed onto wheat bread (white is also available) with tomatoes, onions and a mayonnaise-tossed lettuce that is akin to cole slaw. Tuna salad, lightly dressed in mayonnaise, is a classic preparation, but it’s enlivened with shaved red onions and a vinaigrette dressing. Toasting the sub adds a welcome crunch. The restaurant’s best sandwich offering, however, is its Italian combo, in which pepperoni, salami, capicola and ham provide a meaty base for provolone cheese, black olives, tomatoes, onions and lettuce. Again, red wine vinaigrette punches through the fat, balancing out the flavors. A sandwich like this is so quintessentially all-American, the only side that seems appropriate is a bag of potato chips. You can get those at Toasty Subs. But you can also get a side of spicy tuna roll, or order a small sandwich-ramen combo that might seem odd until you realize it’s not really all that different from a “You Pick Two” sandwich-and-soup deal at Panera. Darn if Toasty Subs isn’t all that different after all. It just takes a leap of faith and an open mind to realize n it. Toasty Subs
Turkey Swiss sub (regular size) ���� $6�75 “Maplewood Roll” �����������������������$11�99 Tonkatsu ramen ���������������������������� $9�99
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ALL MARCH MADNESS GAMES SHOWN HERE $14 DOMESTIC BUCKETS DURING ALL BLUES AND CARDS GAMES KEETONS RESTAURANT & SPORTS BAR
4944 CHRISTY BLVD (AT KINGSHIGHWAY & DELOR) • 314-351-6000 $2 UV BOMBS ALL DAY EVERY DAY • 10’ PROJECTION TV BEST STEAK SANDWICH IN TOWN • LCD’S EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK
Monthly RafFLe Prizes JULY
APRIL
$400 Gift Card to the Fabulous Fox Theatre
MAY
Year Long Family Membership Year Long Family Membership with 4 Adventure Passes plus to The City Museum extras to the St. Louis Zoo
10th Anniversary
TO CELEBRATE OUR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WE’RE HOLDING A RAFFLE EVERY MONTH THROUGH NOVEMBER ENDING WITH A GRAND PRIZE WINNER! RAFFLE TICKETS ARE $5 EACH OR 5 FOR $20. Tickets available at Pappy’s, Bogart’s, Southern, Dalie’s and Adam’s. Winners receive a complimentary meal at Pappy’s for four with a bonus SpeedPass. (no waiting in line) and tickets to one of our city’s notable attractions.
JUNE
OCTOBER
Year Long Festival Membership Year Long Membership to The Saint Louis Science Center to the Missouri Botanical Garden which includes The Butterfly House & Shaw Nature Reserve AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
NOVEMBER
$300 Gift Card for the Peabody Opera House
Year Long Family Membership 4 Tickets to The Gateway Arch to Grant’s Farm/VIP tour and the VIP Brewmaster Tour and The Magic House at Anheuser Busch
★GRAND PRIZE WINNER★
WHOLE HOG EVENT + SIDES FOR 100 PEOPLE* *AGREED UPON TIME AND PLACE. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS APPLY.
ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN SHRINER’S HOSPITAL, CARDINAL GLENNON HOSPITAL, CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AND THE RONALD McDONALD HOUSE.
3106 Olive Blvd (314) 535-4340 pappyssmokehouse.com
1627 South 9th Street (314) 621-3107 bogartssmokehouse.com
2951 Dougherty Ferry Rd (636) 529-1898 daliessmokehouse.com
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2819 Watson Road (314) 875-9890 adamssmokehouse.com
MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
3108 Olive Street (314) 531-4668 stlsouthern.com
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YOUR SANDWICH PUB IN THE GROVE
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20 BEERS ON TAP PLUS A ROTATING SELECTION OF BOTTLES & CANS POOL TABLE • GIANT PAC MAN • BOARD GAMES • DJS THURS-SUN @ 10:30PM
OPEN FOR LUNCH AT 11AM • SAMMIES TILL 2:30AM 4 2 4 3 M A N C H E S T E R AV E N U E • 3 1 4 - 5 3 1 - 5 7 0 0
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.
2 4 R RI VI VE ER RF RF RO ON NT T T IT MI ME ES S MF EJAUBRNRCEUHA2R104Y- -22680,-, M220A0R118C8 H r5ri,ivve2er0rf1frr8oonnt trt ti ivmmeeersfs.r.coconomtmt i m e s . c o m 26 RIVERFRONT TIMES MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018 riverfronttimes.com
WEDNESDAY, MAR 28 TWIN PEAKS, THE DISTRICTS
$15-18, ALL AGES, 7PM AT THE READY ROOM
FRIDAY, MAR 30 MO MOMMAS WITH ALLIE VOGLER, LÉ PONDS, THE BURNEY SISTERS
S
MOSTLY TAP
B
SIMPSONS TRIVIA
$10, 8PM AT URBAN CHESTNUT
KARAOKE BOOM
$10, 8PM AT THE MONOCLE
8PM AT LAYLA
8PM AT THE MONOCLE
THURSDAY, MAR 29 STRIKES AGAIN, DAYTIME TELEVISION, BUCKO TOBY, APEX SHRINE INTERN NIGHT #2: NIM
$5, ALL AGES, 8PM AT THE READY ROOM
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4
MAY’S NIGHT MARKET
FREE, 6-11PM AT THE READY ROOM
THE HIGHWAY SAINTS
$5, 10:30PM AT THE MONOCLE
JAKE’S LEG
$7, 9PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY
R, S
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LUNCH SPECIALS ALL DINE IN ONLY, WITH DRINK PURCHASE
MONDAY
MEATLESS MONDAY
ROTATING DISCOUNTS ON VEGETARIAN ITEMS. ALL DAY.
TUESDAY
HALF PRICED WRAPS 11AM-3PM
WEDNESDAY
COMING SOON: SHOWCASE STL
2018
BURGER MADNESS $8 STANDARD BURGER & FRIES. ALL DAY.
THURSDAY
BOGO BURGERS BUY ONE, GET ONE HALF PRICE.
4130 MANCHESTER AVE. IN THE GROVE FIRECRACKERPIZZA.COM
FRIDAY
THAT’S A WRAP! BUY ONE WRAP, GET ONE HALF PRICE. 4 3 1 7 M A N C H E S T E R AV E I N T H E G R O V E 3 1 4 . 5 5 3 . 9 2 5 2 | L AY L A S T L . C O M
SATURDAY, MAR 31 SPECTRUM: A BENEFIT VARIETY SHOW FOR THE SPOT $2, 10:30PM AT THE MONOCLE
THAT RAT WEDNESDAY FEAT.
THE NATIVE SONS
$3, 8PM AT THE READY ROOM
BREWERY BRACKET FINAL FOUR
THURSDAY, APR 5 VINYL NIGHT WITH DJ SEXAUER
WEDNESDAY, APR 4 CAT CLIPS: A COMPETITION IN CUTENESS
FRIDAY, APR 6 BREWERY BRACKET CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
6PM AT GEZELLIG
5PM AT URBAN CHESTNUT
PHO, FUNK YOU
$7, 8PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY
$20, 6PM AT URBAN CHESTNUT
6PM AT GEZELLIG
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES NOW THRU APR 4! riverfronttimes.com JUNE 20-26, 2018 riverfronttimes.com MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
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SHORT ORDERS
[SIDE DISH]
From Fashion to Pho Written by
CHERYL BAEHR
W
hen Julie Truong made the decision to quit her fashion job and return to St. Louis to open DD Mau (11982 Dorsett Road, Maryland Heights; 314-942-2300), she thought she’d be dropping a bombshell on her friends and family. Their response? “We saw this coming for years.” Looking back, Truong can see why they had such a reaction. From an early age, she was always in the kitchen watching her mother and father prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes for everything from weeknight dinners to celebrations with the extended family. As owners of a chop suey restaurant, they also exposed Truong to the business from an early age — yet she swore she did not want to enter the industry, no matter how much she loved cooking. For years, Truong made good on that promise. She moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles after high school to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Management, or FIDM. She returned to Missouri following FIDM to finish her business degree at Mizzou, then moved to Chicago after graduation to start a dream job with Levi’s. However, throughout her studies, and even while climbing the ladder in her chosen career, Truong kept cooking. “I was always cooking for my friends in Los Angeles, making vegetarian hot-and-sour soup or whatever they wanted,” Truong recalls. “When I was at Mizzou, my friends would ask me to do the same. No matter where I went, it seemed like I was always the designated cook.” While she was working in Chicago, Truong spent almost all of
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Julie Truong left Chicago to open her fast-casual Vietnamese-inflected spot, DD Mau. | MONICA MILEUR her free time cooking and going out to eat, dreaming of what she would do if she had a restaurant of her own. The more she talked with friends and family about her vision, the more it became clear that she had much more passion for food than fashion. “Every one of my friends and family knew that it was for me,” Truong says of the restaurant industry. “They were just happy I was taking a risk and doing something I love.” Truong left Chicago last year and got to work making her vision for a healthy, fast-casual Vietnamese eatery a reality. That restaurant, DD Mau, opened in Maryland Heights on February 7. It’s a combination of several elements she borrowed from the restaurants she would frequent in Chicago. Though DD Mau is anchored by traditional Vietnamese cooking, Truong has updated the presentation and concept, turning it into a modern, fast-casual restaurant in
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the spirit of places like Chipotle, Garbanzo or Mod Pizza. Opening her first restaurant has not been easy, but Truong has never felt an ounce of regret about her decision to change careers and follow her passion. And if she ever needs proof that she is on the right track, she just looks at the journal she kept while she was in Chicago, which contains note after note about food, service and the business. Only someone destined to be a restaurateur would be so fastidious. “It’s my book of ideas about everything I want to bring to St. Louis,” Truong explains. “My sister asks what else is in there!” Truong took a break from DD Mau’s kitchen to share her thoughts on the St. Louis restaurant scene, why the city needs a few good rooftops and why it’s a dangerous idea to send her to the grocery store when she’s hungry. What is one thing people don’t
know about you that you wish they did? Nothing, because then I wouldn’t be such a surprise! What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? I lay in bed for fifteen minutes before I actually get up and start my day. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? To quickly find a marketing team member! What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? Since I’ve moved back to St. Louis I’ve seen a movement with restaurants supporting local farms — which is great. Farm-to-table restaurants are beginning to rise. I’ve also seen a movement of restaurants towards vegans and vegetarians. Very awesome concepts in St. Louis which make the food scene here an attraction. What is something missing in the
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St. Louis’
#1
Steakhouse 19 Years In A Row! 1998-2017 RFT Readers Restaurant Polls HISTORIC SOULARD
2117 South 12th St. 314-772-5977
SOUTH COUNTY
3939 Union Rd. 314-845-2584
Cork n’ Slice’s lobster-and-shrimp pizza is topped with both generous servings of shellfish and an orange-tarragon gremolata. | SARAH FENSKE
WEST COUNTY
14282 Manchester 636-227-8062
www.TuckersPlaceSTL.com
[FIRST LOOK]
Wood-Fired Pizza Comes to the CWE Written by
SARAH FENSKE
T
he newest restaurant to open in the Central West End, Cork n’ Slice Woodfire Bistro (4501 Maryland Avenue, 314-833-3283), may surprise you. Located in the ground floor of an apartment complex at Maryland and Taylor, its stylish black-and-red decor transforms the space that previously held Pizzeria Mia (and before that a travel agency) into something datenight worthy. But you needn’t save Cork n’ Slice only for the weekends. Inspired by a pizzeria he loves in Los Angeles, first-time restaurateur Cornell Thirdkill says he’s aiming for “fine casual” — something nice, but also laidback. “You don’t have to have a special occasion,” he says. “But it’s not an eat-and-run spot. Have a pizza, get a glass of wine and enjoy yourself.” To that end, chef Kyle Parks has crafted a tightly curated menu: eight pizzas, three salads and three ap-
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petizers. The kitchen space is very small, so Parks has ensured that only one thing other than the pizzas, a meatball appetizer, requires the oven. You can start with hummus or with a selection of meats, burrata and giardinera, or try one of the salads. The roasted grape salad includes dried cranberries, feta and walnut with a tarragon vinaigrette; the strawberries and Champagne is studded with gorgonzola. The pies, priced between $14 and $23, show the kitchen’s creativity. Sure, you can get a classic margherita or a quattro formaggio if you want something you’re already familiar with. But there’s also a lobster-and-shrimp pizza, which comes topped with just that along with an orange-tarragon gremolata. It’s surprising, and also delicious. Or try the “West End,” which includes wood-fired chicken, pancetta, onion marmalade, and fontina and gorgonzola before being topped with argula. For vegans, there’s even a veggie pizza with vegan mozzarella. Thirdkill says he spent more than a year working on the space. Only the custom-built wood-fired pizza oven, which can soar to 1,000 degrees, remains from its downhome predecessor. The rest has been transformed, with a black banquette dividing the room and carving out several cozy nooks. Get a table facing the Maryland Avenue street parade if you like to watch; sit back against the wall if you’re
feeling romantic. There’s also a small bar in the back of the eatery, facing the pizza oven. Thirdkill says the restaurant is currently focused on beer and wine but plans to introduce a small cocktail list once they get more settled in. Also to come: patio seating. Maryland and Taylor is one of the nicest corners in the city’s nicest neighborhood, and once it warms up a bit, Thirdkill plans to offer diners a spot to sit outside. He says that’s one of the things that drew him to the location. He also likes that it’s close to the main drag without actually being on it. As for Parks, he’s a St. Louis native who’s worked at restaurants here and in Columbia, including Bartolino’s and Donahue’s, as well as serving as an instructor at L’Ecole Culinaire. Small though the Cork n’ Slice kitchen may be, he’s excited to be running it. “It’s going to be a very vibrant place,” he promises. “To see the excitement from the customers, the neighbors, everybody who’s stopped by — it can’t help but invigorate you.” He has nothing but praise for Thirdkill. “He gave me carte blanche to run with my creativity,” he says of Cork n’ Slice’s owner. “I get to play — in a very hot playground.” For now, Cork n’ Slice is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m. n
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BREAKFAST. LUNCH. OPPORTUNITY. Enjoy a fresh take on casual dining while helping people with disabilities grow their independence through a unique job training program.
Laura Tetley, Tammy Behm and Laura Caldie have plans for Webster Groves. | MADYSON WINN [FOOD NEWS]
MEET MAYPOP
A
nyone who gardens knows how much coffee grounds benefit certain types of plants. However, three local entrepreneurs are taking that idea to a whole new level with their forthcoming concept, Maypop Coffee & Garden Shop (803 Marshall Avenue, Webster Groves). Maypop is the brainchild of Tammy Behm, with the help of collaborators Laura Tetley and Laura Caldie. The three women met working in an area garden center and would often dream about what they would be able to create if they had a business of their own. A longtime Webster Groves resident, Behm had always wanted to find a way to create a community space that would serve as a nexus for vibrant, healthy living. At an international gardening conference in Paris last year, Behm listened as many of her fellow attendees talked about the success they’d had marrying their garden centers with coffee shops and cafes. When she returned home, she decided that would be the route she would take for her own business and got to work sketching out her idea with Tetley and Caldie. Their vision involves a combination garden center and coffee shop that will focus on environmental sustainability and native plants. Named after a colloquial term for the native passion flower vine, Maypop will sell houseplants, edibles, annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, garden supplies and pottery. Additionally, Maypop will offer regular workshops and education seminars for those looking to expand their knowledge of gardening and plants. The coffee-house portion of Maypop will be located inside the large, three-story brick house at 803 Marshall Avenue
and continues the theme of ecological sustainability. Maypop has partnered with Blueprint Coffee, a local roaster known for its commitment to sourcing environmentally friendly coffee, and the local tea company Big Heart Tea. “Both Blueprint and Big Heart Tea are interested in soil and ecosystem health,” Caldie explains. “Since we care so much about creating a healthy ecosystem, it made sense with our messaging that the food and drink we are selling be well-integrated into that.” Behm, Tetley and Caldie are converting the house’s old residential kitchen into a commercial one, but, at least for now, the small space prevents them from doing a major food-service operation. Expect a selection of baked goods and simple cafe fare, at least in the beginning. As Caldie explains, they are exploring the idea of partnering with local vendors to provide a more expanded menu, though they have not yet determined what that will look like. One type of collaboration they have thought through are partnerships with local chefs and artisans for tasting events and education programs. “We have a lot of ideas in the works for different projects and opportunities for people to learn from experts,” Caldie explains. “For example, we would have an event that teaches you all of the different ways you can prepare heirloom tomatoes during season.” The goal, she says, is to create a welcoming, cozy environment that integrates the coffee-shop and garden-center elements. Their goal is for a May opening though an exact date has yet to be determined. In the meantime, Behm, Caldie and Tetley are looking forward to bringing a concept to life that will nourish both the soil and the heart. Says Caldie, “It’s what we are able to freely create, what we want to see in a garden store.” —Cheryl Baehr
A social enterprise program of
Open Monday - Saturday 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 5200 Oakland Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110
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MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
Online at thebloom.cafe
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JULIE TRUONG Continued from pg 29
Brew Hub’s wedge salad includes a soft-boiled egg and oven-roasted tomatoes. | SARAH FENSKE [FIRST LOOK]
Brew Hub Is Serving Up Supper Written by
SARAH FENSKE
B
rew Hub Tap Room (5656 Oakland Avenue, 314-833-5453), which opened last month in the Cheltenham neighborhood just across from Forest Park, has 25 taps full of beer you can’t get anywhere else in St. Louis. That’s not just a selling point — it’s the concept’s entire raison d’etre. Founded by former Anheuser-Busch executive Tim Schoen, St. Louis-based Brew Hub serves as a partner for craft breweries, doing the brewing, packaging, distribution and selling for brands that want to expand their footprint and need a partner to do it. The first Brew Hub opened in Florida in 2014; the St. Louis one is No. 2 in what is planned to become a network that stretches across the U.S. But you needn’t be interested in any of that — or even a craftbeer enthusiast — to enjoy a meal at Brew Hub Tap Room. Located adjacent to the Hampton Inn in the space that previously held Highland Pub and St. Louis Ribhouse, it’s a spiffed-up hangout with a little something for everyone: a solid menu from veteran
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chef Andy White, a bustling bar and even a small lounge area with the opportunity to sit back with a board game. And the games here aren’t just for sitting back. On one wall next to the bar is affixed the biggest Scrabble board you’ve ever seen, with giant letters in a big pouch ready for competitors. If you’re a Scrabble show-off (and are there any good Scrabble players who aren’t?), this might be your dream come true. Befitting a spot that will serve both families staying in the adjacent hotel and beer lovers, the menu is approachable, but also shows a chef’s sure hand. For $2.75 each, you can mix and match your choice of crunchy tacos, slider-style sandwiches, kebabs and mini sausages in soft toast. The sliders also work great as kids’ food — the twoyear-old in our party was thrilled with her fried chicken sandwich on soft brioche. Bigger appetites can choose from a roster of sandwiches, salads and snacks. The snacks, priced at $7.75 each, are more creative than you might expect from what’s essentially a brewpub. Crispy spare ribs are lightly breaded and come with tangy sauce on the side, a generously meaty portion. Or try the “Keybilly Wings,” which take their name from Keybilly Island Ale, a Brew Hub partner based in Florida. Street-corn fritters and spicy cauliflower bites will keep vegetarians happy, although we opted for the dill-flecked “picnic-style” deviled eggs. Salads, all priced at $9.75, include a classic Caesar or a classic wedge or two more unusual of-
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ferings: The beet salad includes red onion, oranges, green olives and goat cheese tossed in a house vinaigrette, while the grain salad incorporates farro and wheatberry along with feta, red onion, cucumber and balsamic. You can’t get fries with your sandwiches, unfortunately, but the housemade chips are served up in a plentiful portion and are expertly fried. Try them alongside four burger options (lamb, turkey, a bacon double beef or black bean) or one of a half-dozen sandwich offerings, including a Cuban, a grilled pimento cheese or a duck confit Reuben. If you’d rather stick to wine than explore the taps, you can do that at Brew Hub — but why would you? The always-rotating taps currently feature choices from Florida-based Crooked Can, Louisiana’s Parish Brewing and even beer from South Korea’s Booth Brewing; yes, craft beer is big in South Korea these days. (Check out Brew Hub’s website for an up-to-date list before you head in.) This is also your chance to try out Brew Hub’s own beers — including Rome City IPA, which won the gold for IPAs at the 2017 Great American Beer festival. Come summer, you can do the tasting from Brew Hub’s 30-seat patio, which promises to be dogfriendly. The only catch is that being outside will entail missing the Scrabble game. Brew Hub is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. They’re closed Monday. n
local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see? I’d like to see more cocktail lounges that are trendy, modern and intimate. Places where they focus on unique and whimsical drinks, along with creating a nice atmosphere — somewhere fun where you can hang out with a nice view of the city. I’d also like to see dessert-focused spots that are open late, catering to everyone. Who is your St. Louis food crush? Clementine’s Creamery. I’m obsessed with their Thai and Pandan ice cream. Going weekly! Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene? Mandy Estrella, a.k.a. “Plaintain Girl.” I’m so excited that she’s bringing awesome Latin food to Alphateria at Alpha Brewing Company. Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? Chile peppers — small but mighty! If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing? I tried that route, working in the retail industry for ten years. I loved every part it, but I knew I had the passion to be in the restaurant business. I enjoy being in the kitchen cooking for everyone and making anything. Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant. Negativity. What is your after-work hangout? Is this even a question? Haha! What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure? For food, it’s gooey butter gelato from Whole Foods with lots of fresh berries. I also love snacks. I can never leave a store without buying a snack. Salty snacks are my favorite, especially chips. If it’s new, I’ll always buy it to try! Beverage-wise, you can never go wrong with Ketel and soda with two limes. What would be your last meal on earth? Fried chicken from anywhere. It has to be crispy and full of flavor, and it must have Tabasco hot sauce. n
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DID YOU KNOW:
1.3 MILLION PEOPLE READ
ALL KILLER. NO FILLER. HAND-CRAFTED SMOKED MEATS AND BREWS
EACH MONTH
Photography by JENNIFER SILVERBERG
Photography by JENNIFER SILVERBERG
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CULTURE
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[HOMESPUN]
Interview with the Vampire St. Louis’ Dracla reluctantly grants us some of his unlimited time Written by
CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER
T
o put it lightly, Dracla doesn’t have time for this shit. As the 1,072-year-old undead singer and bassist for the riff-heavy rock band that bears his name, he has grown weary of the machinations of the music business — the meetings, the glad-handing, the endless demands of management. And yet, on a rainy Monday afternoon, Dracla dresses himself like an Edwardian account exec — gray suit, ruffled shirt, paisley tie and a flowing cape — and submits to an interview in the darkened control room of Gaslight Studio, where the band recorded its just-released self-titled debut. The blacked-out windows of the studio only amplify Dracla’s deathly pallor. In another mindset, one might wonder why Ray Kannenberg has (literally) suited up, with a full complement of pancake makeup and eye black, for a hastily arranged interview with a local paper. But as I sit for my own personal interview with the vampire, there’s no mention or acknowledgement of anyone called Kannenberg; there’s just Dracla sighing heavily as he enumerates the many slings and arrows that come with being a creative genius. His group, which mixes the muscle and repetition of stoner rock with Dracla’s elastic, Vincent Price-like delivery, would be a one-note joke if either the music weren’t so engrossing or the joke weren’t so damned funny. Kannenberg’s commitment to the
Dracla, alongside the bandmates he barely tolerates and a horse. | ADAM NEWSHAM bit — an ennui-saddled vampire fronting a riff-rock band full of members he barely tolerates — has helped Dracla carve out its own niche in town. And it’s no small miracle that Dracla works as a piece of music independent of the band’s visual presence (though it helps that Bug Chaser members Jake Jones and Kevin Insinna are in the service of this particular clown-prince of darkness). Opening track “Hell” gives a pretty complete overview of what the rest of the album holds in its five-minute run time: circular, sludgy guitar patterns with snippets of heavy-metal harmonics swirl as Dracla intones about demons, wizards and venom. A double-time coda helps build a bridge between the band’s allegiance to both Kyuss and Judas Priest. What follows is an edited conversation with Dracla; his souldeep sighs and long bouts of silence have been excised. You had an album-release show in early February. How did that go?
It was fine; it was crowded. I was pretty tired. Kevin [Insinna, drummer] was out of control. I would consider it a success, maybe — monetarily — but beyond that, artistically it was at par. I wasn’t dazzled. How does your very visual performance on stage translate onto an album? The focus is the music, but everything else seems to be filling in. It’s tiring. I thought we were gonna do just an album and be done, but we’re still going. We have to support the album; we have to write another album, apparently. It’s a lot of noise to me, honestly. Given your druthers you’d rather be doing what? Sleeping. Sitting awake — I can sit awake for a long time. Maybe start another band, but I probably won’t do that. I’d rather sleep. What are the forces at work making you do all this? Barry from management. This Gaslight business asked us for things; I suppose they do things for us, but I wasn’t in for the givetake arrangement. I was in for the riverfronttimes.com
take. We recorded the album here; they are assisting us in supporting the album by doing more work than us. Beyond that, they make us come here for meetings. They message us a lot; they message us about things all the time. Really takes up a lot of our time with people trying to further us. But alas, here we are: We have to respond to emails, show up to meetings, play shows. They place us in front of people a lot that we probably wouldn’t play for, but nobody I care for on a personal level. This wasn’t the fan base you sought?= I didn’t want a fan base at all. Having fans complicates everything to no end, honestly. What was the recording process like here [at Gaslight]? We recorded the album live in this room that we can see. I think we only overdubbed vocals and a few flukes. But everything was done live. It took like three days — a lot of time out of my week. I had a lot of things to do that week. It was time-consuming; I don’t remember too much. It takes 45 minContinued on pg 37 utes to play
MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
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[BARS]
[LAUGHS]
DORSETT INN TO CLOSE, Comedians REOPEN AS JOHNNY’S in Cars WEST
D
Written by
orsett Inn, the Maryland Heights bar known for its comely and partially unclad waitresses, will close its doors March 30 after more than 40 years in business. The announcement was made Friday via a Facebook post. According to the statement, the bar’s new owners are Johnny Daus and James Pepper. And if the former name rings a bell, that’s because Daus was the “Johnny” behind bygone Soulard watering hole Johnny’s, which closed in July after 24 years. The new venture will be called Johnny’s West. “We want to focus on our commercial real estate,” says Grace Ziehl, who coowns Dorsett Inn with her husband Ron. “Getting out of the bar industry.” According to Ziehl, the sale was done quietly, without a call to the public at large. The owners of Social Haus also expressed interest, she says. Aside from all being in the business of serving up drinks to thirsty patrons, the three bars have another strong theme in common: All three are known for employing attractive young women in various states of undress, in a business model not dissimilar to that of the breastaurant chain Hooters. John Racanelli famously turned University City on its head with his attempt to open a second location of Soulard’s Social House in the Delmar Loop — with servers wearing only body paint on the upper halves of their bodies. After a pitched legal battle, Racanelli’s Social House partners were essentially run out of town on a trolley rail. Johnny’s, meanwhile, frequently featured waitresses clad in short shorts, tiny tops and other sexed-up costumes. Soulard, where Johnny’s had its long run and the original Social House still operates, has been more forgiving of near-nudity among bar employees. And Dorsett Inn, while not quite as well known for it, has featured women clad in bikinis and lingerie for years. So far, Maryland Heights hasn’t been upended. When Daus sold his Soulard restaurant, he hinted to RFT that he might return soon. Discussing his customers’ appetite for his signature wings, Daus said, “I’ve been telling them, ‘Don’t fret, because in the future, you might be able to get those somewhere else.’ I’ll probably open another place in the future.” The future, it would seem, is now. –Daniel Hill
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RIVERFRONT TIMES
THOMAS CRONE
O
n any given weekend, comics from the St. Louis area are found in cars, be it solo or in small groups. They’re battling rush hours all over the region, for one-night engagements in Illinois locations like Breese, Mason City or Peoria; or Missouri towns like Columbia, Centralia and Perryville. Jokes are told, with wildly different reactions, in far-flung locations as diverse as VFW Halls and corner taverns, with the occasional comedy-only club thrown in as an exception to the rule. While many of these are one-off shows, they sometimes combine with another gig for short, weekend runs. And for their troubles, these comics are guaranteed a few dollars, and precious little else. On Friday, March 16, the eve of St. Paddy’s Day, a handful of St. Louis comics descend upon a quaint, downtown Cape Girardeau coffee shop and wine bar, Cup ‘N’ Cork. Brightly lit and scarcely transforming from its regular use as a cafe, the venue was booked by Riverside Comedy’s promoter Tom Cook, who will host and introduce a lineup that swelled to nine performers, once local support was added. That’s a healthy number, considering that only around a dozen people not affiliated with the show are in attendance, though it wasn’t for lack of Facebook promotion. “I’ve only done comedy exclusively in the social media age,” says St. Louis comedian Brandon Judd, one of the night’s performers. “I don’t have a comparison for how these shows used to come together. There’s something of a punk rock/DIY ethic to it, with plenty of couch-surfing going on. We’re so much more connected today. If I’m going to any city or whatever, it’s ‘Who do I know here?’ You get tons of responses, places to stay and offers of other shows to do. That connectedness has gotten us where we are.” For this show, Cook, who frequently performs in St. Louis, brought in Lucas Hinderliter, Rich Braun, Nick Cuvar, and Judd and
MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
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St. Louis comedian Tom Brown performing at Cup N’ Cork in Cape Girardeau. | THOMAS CRONE the comic who shared a ride down to Cape with him, Tom Brown. If the show lacks for demographic diversity, the comics, at least, bring a sense of variety, with Brown following Cook with a ten-minute set and Judd headlining with a halfhour set that stretches a few minutes beyond. Through no fault of their own, the little coffee house in downtown Cape has an equally small crowd, so the room’s energy is, to put it mildly, quirky. “I mostly go on early, anyway,” Brown says. “I want them to think, ‘This guy’s got so much energy.’ What’s going to help me have people pay attention to me is to bounce off of the walls, see if people are having a good time. It can take a little while for the club to laugh at things, to get into it. If it was a club show, there’d be the emcee, the feature and headliner and, by then, the people are really into it.” This one, though, added six performers to the mix. By the time Judd takes the stage, loosing the microphone from its clip and sizing the up the audience after an hour and a half of jokes and eight other comics, his job is, in some respects, to sharpen his own set and to coax whatever laughter is left in the room. When one gag lands, he jokes about appreciating “your measured responses.” Poking, prodding, pacing, Judd delivers a technically excellent set, with a solid delivery that falls upon an audience reacting like a family around the Thanksgiving table, simply worn down from too many courses. By no means does Judd bomb, as surely proven by the recording that the self-professed “digital hoarder”
was rolling for the set. He’s been a part of nights like this before and can remember all sorts of different responses by comics to indifferent audiences. For example, he recalls a night with one of St. Louis’ premier road dogs, Eric Brown. “If it dies,” Judd says of an evening, “I’ll just let it die. I have seen things go badly and was out with Eric Brown one time, in Bloomington, Illinois. It wasn’t starting off well and at that point, he decided to tell the crowd that he was going to kill them. He started telling them how he would kill them and he did that for the next fifteen minutes.” If the crowd didn’t dig the set change, the other comics all did, Judd admits. “We all found it entertaining.” Inside Cup ‘N’ Cork, with the lights up, the mirror facing the comics and the sense of quiet (interrupted by the occasional clang of glassware), it was tough sledding. At one point, during Hinderliter’s set, a pair of customers sat behind and below him, in a recessed seating area; they were talking loudly and generally derailing his act, though he battled through and his direct engagement tamped the worst of it. As Judd says, “Between the crowd, a place that serves good food and certain operational things… all of that affects the way the crowd reacts. I watch all the other people, too. We’re all living in a certain time and can use similar subject matter, so you don’t wanna step on things they’ve done. Like, I’ve been on a show where three comics in a row had a bit about kidnapping. Here, tonight, it’s the beginning of St. Patrick’s Day, where you can always get a little hesitant, or a little
37
“I used to be pretty uptight. I’d get real uptight right before going on. Now, my ritual’s to drive to a show, generally listening to really aggressive music.” worried about the crowd. And you don’t know if there’s going to be something like ‘three shots for $5.’” Instead, on this night, they had the opposite: uncommon calm. The comics gathered, flowing in about an hour prior to the announced set time of 7 p.m. They traded greetings and just as many insults, ate their free sandwiches and slices of pie, and sketched out notes in longhand around a common table. They prepped for the evening as they would for any other gig. “I used to be pretty uptight,” Judd says. “I’d get real uptight right before going on. Now, my ritual’s to drive to a show, generally listening to really aggressive music. I get my voice out, do a lot of screaming. I use a bit of visualization and remember that I’m just hanging out with a bunch of people and am talking to them.” For Brown, whose best-ever shows were at a Moose Lodge in Centralia and a Knights of Columbus hall in Poplar Bluff, it’s about “imagining how a show’s going to go, how I’d like it to go.” And sometimes the show just … goes. On this random Friday night in southeastern Missouri, the comics came, they socialized, they ate a communal meal, and one by one, they left, heading north in a driving, late-winter rainstorm. (And for Hinderliter, the conclusion of his set preceded his smoking cigarettes outside with the ladies who talked through it; go figure.) With variants, it’s the kind of thing that happens with regularity, St. Louis comics taking to the road every weekend as they chase the dragon of a perfect set, perfect crowd, perfect peripherals and, at least, a bit of spending money. Sometimes, as Judd says, there’s a collective shrug and realization that “that was weird wasn’t it? And we were all witnessing the same n thing.”
DRACLA Continued from pg 37 a set — I didn’t imagine it would take much longer than that. We suffer for quality. As genre goes, where do you find Dracla sitting? We were recently branded “horror rock” — horror rock would perhaps fit for people who are scared of death and fire and hell, but for normal people it would be stoner rock, because Kevin loves weed and he always calls it that. He’s kind of my source of what’s going on. Where did you find these guys for the band? Family friends from long ago. I started acquiring them 700 years ago; I spellbound their souls to young bodies. Their eternal friendship is a great benefit, of course — majorly frustrating, upsetting, a waste of time, but apparently to my benefit. The minions, the boys — the “Maul Boiz,” as they call themselves — it’s Kevin and Jake and Nick and Dick; they play in the band but that’s a small fragment of the time I have to deal with them. I don’t know why you put up with them. It’s kind of a double-edged sword, when you eternally befriend somebody. You can’t rescind on that agreement, due to the hell-bonds and things like that. If I were slain, that would be a different story. It’s happened before and probably won’t happen again. What are fan interactions like? Most people are frightened. They don’t want to spend money. We follow them; we try to get them to spend money. They don’t want our cloths [SIC] — we have cloths we sell with our name on them. There are stickers that didn’t stick — they didn’t want those. We had buttons without the piercer; they were upset about that too. We didn’t do refunds. Do you ever feel like you came awake at the wrong time? Oh yes. I should have stayed asleep for 30 or 40 more years and then this place would be washed away and there’d be nobody here — from the river swell, of course. Coulda had the place to myself. I could have had my own little river paradise. n
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RIVERFRONT TIMES
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[VISUAL ART]
Muslim Women Show Their Stuff Written by
MEGAN ANTHONY
Y
usra Ali has loved art since childhood. She began, as many little girls do, by drawing fairies with her friends. “Growing up, I thought art was something I had to keep to myself,” Ali says. “I was always shy, I never thought I’d make it to an exhibition. Would I be accepted?” Now, the 23-year-old is using art to empower her community by curating the second annual Muslim Art Exhibit Creativity & Identity, to be held at the Contemporary Art Museum (3750 Washington Boulevard) this Saturday. Her earlier fears of acceptance may not have been unfounded; it’s not easy to be a young Muslim in post-9/11 America. But Islam, Ali believes, does not dictate what flows from her mind through her hands and onto paper. Her art represents her individuality, not just her faith. “America is my culture. This is where I live, this is where I grew up, this is all I know,” says Ali. And what she knows is what’s reflected in her art. “My faith is just my motivation and inspiration for my life. However, my culture, whatever environment I’m living in, that’s also a part of me.” Ali was inspired to create an exhibit for Muslim artists two years ago after she realized how underrepresented her community was in the art world. After partnering with the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR, the event at Third Degree Glass Factory welcomed fifteen artists of all disciplines, as well as close to 300 patrons — a number no one expected. And this year’s show will be even bigger. For one thing, it’s at a museum. For another, it will feature twice as many artists. And the vast majority of them — 28 out of 30 artists — are women. The “exhibition on steroids,” as Ali’s younger sister Sadia has nicknamed it, is a one-day-only exhibition that will showcase ev-
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RIVERFRONT TIMES
Aalia Rahman’s oil painting “Future(less)” is one of the many pieces by local artists in Creativity & Identity. | COURTESY OF AALIA RAHMAN erything from jewelry and fashion to painting and printmaking. For $15, attendees can enjoy food, music, poetry readings and, of course, visual art created by their Muslim neighbors. The addition of a child-friendly area was a conscious choice made by the sisters to encourage mothers to participate, whether as patrons or artists. “This event gives them the opportunity to start getting bigger,” Ali says. “To start thinking that you aren’t just going to leave a culture for your kids, but for American
MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
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culture itself. To become a part of American history.” Getting women to apply wasn’t easy. “So many of the young girls that applied, applied late intentionally believing that they weren’t worth it,” says Sadia Ali, who is also the event coordinator for CAIR. “They didn’t see value in what they were doing.” A word the sisters return to, time and time again, is security. In the country’s current climate, Muslim communities are constantly
searching for it. That means frivolous things, like art, can be a weak point in their society, the sisters say. In order to achieve security, members must follow the system — go to school, get good grades, go to a good college, pursue medicine or engineering, anything that will provide them and their families security. Many Muslims feel that art is nothing more than a luxury. But that is where the Ali sisters say Muslim women must step forward. “When other people see that you are comfortable in your shoes
39
Yusra Ali (left, with sister Sadia) curated the second annual Muslim Art Exhibit. | KELLY GLUECK in the United States, you’re comfortable to create, you are melding your Muslim identity with the arts,” Sadia says with a pound of her fist against the table, “you can be a strong Muslim in the United States.” Ninety percent of the artists in the show are local, but they have vastly different backgrounds. One of the few commonalities: strength. Take Reem Taki of Michigan, who belongs not only to the Muslim community but to the community of more than three million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. During her days in treatment, art was a welcome comfort. Hamida Hashi is a Somalian refugee. Like so many other women across the country, her passion is fashion. Through her clothing line, Kismaayo Fashion, she has provided women who choose to wear traditional Islamic dress a more stylish option. Kiki Salem is an artist who graduated from Hazelwood Central. The 22-year-old recently moved back to St. Louis after completing her Bachelor’s degree in fine art from the Art Institute of Chicago. “Growing up post 9/11, there hasn’t been light shed on Muslim women, or Muslims in general,” she says. “The kind of visibility that an art show can give, shows the work that Muslims can do and what Muslim artists are about.” A Palestinian artist, Salem uses her talent to educate others about what is happening in the Middle East and what it means to be a Muslim in America.
Aalia Rahman was a little girl who wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. After her mom introduced her to oil paintings, there was no going back. The flexibility of the oils captured her. Her other true love, though, is animals. The proceeds she made from last year’s exhibit went to benefit the World Wildlife Fund, and she hopes to be able to donate even more this year to animals in need. Other artists range from Elena Porcelli, a white convert to to Islam who makes jewelry, to Nefertiti, an African American convert and poet whom Yusra Ali vehemently calls a “survivor” and a “child prodigy.” Another artist, Adna Hodzic, is a Bosnian-American poet whose parents fled the war for a better life. The first exhibit was about opening doors, and its success allowed the focus to shift from teaching outside communities to empowering the Muslim community. “Last year, people listened,” says Sadia Ali. “Now, they’re seeing,” finishes her sister. The exhibit is about showing that, in the Muslim community, the sum of parts does not always equal the whole. Yusra Ali finishes her thought. “Now you can’t look at a woman’s hijab and judge,” she says. “Now you look at their work; you see directly into their heart as individuals.”
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Creativity & Identity takes place Saturday, March 31 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Contemporary Art Museum. Tickets are $15. riverfronttimes.com
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OUT EVERY NIGHT
[WEEKEND]
BEST BETS
Five sure-fire shows to close out the week FRIDAY, MARCH 30 The Kendrick Smith Trio 9 p.m. Thurman’s in Shaw, 4069 Shenandoah Avenue. Free. 314-696-2783.
Still in his mid-twenties, Kendrick Smith has more than made his name as a stalwart jazzman in a stacked local scene. His weekly residency has marked Friday nights at Thurman’s as a destination for more than just standards and jazz-infused covers. Smith’s band offers a bedrock for improvisation, welcoming a revolving cast of players that could drop in on any given night. Anyone could walk right up and sign up for a sit-in, making the prospect of a surprise a damn near guarantee.
[CRITIC’S PICK]
Patrick Sweany. | COURTESY OF SEDATE BOOKINGS
Allie Vogler w/ Le’Ponds, The Burney Sisters
Patrick Sweany
8 p.m. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $10. 314-498-6989.
Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street. $12. 314-588-0505.
Allie Vogler’s work as a vocalist might be among the city’s most underrated. After all, her voice is most often heard inside the huge three-part harmonies of the River Kittens, a self-proclaimed “raunch folk” outfit that spent the last two years pounding the pavement in St. Louis. Without the backup of her band, Vogler’s sweet and down-low songs can be heard in full, unfettered force. Moving in the opposite direction, Le’Ponds’ Lisa Houdei fleshes outhertautand haunting songs with a backing band made up of math rockers from Jr. Clooney. Columbia’s Burney Sisters bring a charming brand of straightforward folk to round out the bill.
8 p.m. Saturday, March 31. Patrick Sweany grew up around Kent, Ohio, but his weather-beaten voice and fleet-fingered feel on the slide guitar suggest that he cut his teeth a little further south. And while he certainly studied the records and licks of many a famed blues player, his own music manages to combine strands of several American idioms — country, gospel and Southern rock got thrown in the hopper on
2015’s Daytime Turned to Nighttime. He’ll be releasing a new album, Ancient Noise, in May, and he recorded it at the famed Sam Phillips Recording in Memphis alongside a backing band that includes long-ago Wilco drummer Ken Coomer. He’ll be previewing new tracks at this week’s stop at Old Rock House. Coray’s Forays: Sean Coray, who transitioned from a soul singer to an Americana-flavored singer-songwriter, opens the show. —Christian Schaeffer
THURSDAY 29
FRIDAY 30
ZEUS REBEL WATERS: 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108
INTERN NIGHT #2: NIM STRIKES AGAIN: w/
BADDAYDRE: w/ chris cannibal, MiKis, yu-
Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
Daytime Television, Bucko Toby, Apex Shrine
gioh24k&Fiji24k, oboys 7 p.m., $7-$12. The
9 p.m., $5. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester
Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.
SATURDAY 31
Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.
BROTHER JEFFERSON BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $10.
A.L.I.: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979
MISSISSIPPI NIGHTS REUNION: 8 p.m., $10.
BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St.
Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300.
Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-
Louis, 314-436-5222.
BLUE DREAM: w/ The Judge, Rover 7 p.m.,
726-6161.
JAKE CURTIS BLUES: 9 p.m., free. Hammer-
$8-$10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis,
RICH MCDONOUGH & THE RHYTHM RENEGADES:
stone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.
314-535-0353.
8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St.
JAKE’S LEG: 8 p.m., $7. The Bootleg, 4140 Man-
THE BONBON PLOT: 7 p.m., free. Evangeline’s,
Louis, 314-773-5565.
chester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775.
512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-367-3644.
TORREY CASEY & SOUTHSIDE HUSTLE: 8 p.m., $5.
LEROY JODIE PIERSON: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz,
FAMILY AFFAIR: w/ DJ Shay Money, West End,
BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St.
Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-
Domino Effect, Zeus 8 p.m., $15. Delmar Hall,
Family Affair w/ DJ Shay Money, West End, Domino Effect
Louis, 314-436-5222.
436-5222.
6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
TYLER STOKES: 9 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s,
MO MOMMAS: w/ Allie Vogler, Le’Ponds, The
JEREMIAH JOHNSON BAND: 9 p.m., $3. Hammer-
2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.
Burney Sisters 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509
stone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.
8 p.m. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Boulevard. $15. 314-726-6161.
VILLAIN OF THE STORY: w/ Deadships, We Gave
Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz,
It Hell 6 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St.
NOVENA: w/ Low Watermark For Ghosts 9 p.m.,
Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-
Family Affair seasons hip-hop with pop for a flavorful callback to the genre’s Golden
Louis, 314-289-9050.
$7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St.
436-5222.
WEEDEATER: w/ Bask, Hyborian 8 p.m., $18-$20.
Louis, 314-352-5226.
PATRICK SWEANY: 8 p.m., $12-$14. Old Rock
Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
ROSTAM WITH ARLIE: 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock
House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.
House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.
THE PHRANKLYN PROJECT: w/ Frago 8 p.m., $8-
SATURDAY, MARCH 31
Continued on pg 42
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SATURDAY 5:00 & 7:45
[CRITIC’S PICK]
CHAMPIONSHIP
Weedeater
MONDAY
8 p.m. Thursday, March 29. Fubar, 3108 Locust Street. $18 to $20. 314-2899050.
The opening track of Weedeater’s Goliathan, a relatively upbeat two-minute ditty played on a bright processional organ, does little to prepare the listener for the fuzzed-out bombardment of stoner metal that comprises the rest of the album — but it does set a delightfully menacing tone. As the keys play, singer Dave “Dixie” Collins comes in, whispering softly over the sound of ice being dropped into a glass: “I really hate your face / I hate the things you do / I know you don’t like me / I’m coming after $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-
you.” The intro then slides thunderously into the album’s title track, sludge so thick and heavy it’s like molasses oozing out of your speakers. This is music made to be consumed with marijuana — “Weedeater” ain’t just a clever name — with just enough Southern rock influence to justify some bourbon on the side (probably what joined the ice in that glass). In for a Penny: Weedeater will be joined by like-minded acts Bask (Asheville, North Carolina) and Hyborian (Kansas City). If you’re a fan of the headliner, it’s a safe bet you’ll enjoy the openers. —Daniel Hill
9050.
MONDAY 2
ROCKY & THE WRANGLERS: 4 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz,
MAT KEARNEY: 8 p.m., $27.50-$30. The Pageant,
Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-
6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
436-5222.
POP EVIL: 7 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133
RYAN MARQUEZ TRIO ALBUM RELEASE: 7:30 p.m.,
Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
$12. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N Grand Blvd,
THIRD SIGHT BAND: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues
St. Louis, 314-533-0367.
& Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-
THE SAPSUCKERS CD RELEASE: w/ Kellie Everett,
5222.
Ryan Koenig, Jack Grelle 8 p.m., $15. Off Broad-
TIM ALBERT & STOVEHANDLE DAN: 7 p.m., free.
way, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-
START MARKING SENSE: TALKING HEADS TRIBUTE:
773-5565.
8 p.m., $10-$12. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.
TUESDAY 3
TEDDY BREIHAN & ROGER NETHERTON CD
HAVE MERCY: w/ Household 7 p.m., $14-$16.
RELEASE CONCERT: 8 p.m., $10-$15. The Focal
Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-
HOME FREE: 7 p.m., $20-$239.50. Blanche M
2778.
Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr
TIM & LISA ALBERT: 3 p.m., free. Hammer-
at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-
stone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.
4949.
TOM HALL: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups,
ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: 8 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz,
700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-
ULTRA-JERK ENTERTAINMENT SHOW: 9 p.m.,
436-5222.
$5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.
SUNDAY 1
duke’s
VOTED ST. LOUIS’ BEST BAR & BEST SPORTS BAR
Get ready for baseball!
THE PARTY IS AT DUKE’S NEXT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3 THIS THURSDAY
FIRST GAME PARTY 12:00 NOON vs METS
WEDNESDAY 4 BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7
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p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broad-
AFTER 7: w/ Rhoda G 7 p.m., $37.50-$67.50. Am-
way, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
bassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd, North St. Louis
DEAD HORSES: 8 p.m., $10-$12. Old Rock House,
County, 314-869-9090.
1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.
ERIK BROOKS: 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s,
THE EAST SIDER REVIEW: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz,
2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.
Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-
FOREVER CAME CALLING: w/ In Her Own Words,
436-5222.
Hold Close 6 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St,
FRENSHIP: 8 p.m., $15-$18. Off Broadway, 3509
St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz,
FRESH PRODUCE: THE BEAT BATTLE: first
Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-
Wednesday of every month, 9 p.m., free. The
436-5222.
Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-
TISH HAYES KEYS: 5 p.m., $20. BB’s Jazz, Blues
935-7003.
& Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-
THE NATIVE SONS: 9 p.m., $3. The Ready Room,
5222.
8:00
SATURDAY
JOSHUA vs PARKER 2001 MENARD IN SOULARD
Continued on pg 42
riverfronttimes.com
MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
RIVERFRONT TIMES
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42
THIS WEEKEND Continued from pg 38
OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 39
Age of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Mr. Rep and QB sculpt stories on top of tracks in a way that feels so slick, you’d swear the duo is psychically linked. And that makes sense, given that the two are literally identical twins. Although this concert is a fully featured joint with Family Affair at the top of the bill, the other acts shine just as bright. The Domino Effect stands out with members Steve N. Clair and Cue ColdBlooded, both fresh off solo projects in the last year.
4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.
NNN Cook Album Release Show w/ JoAnn McNeil, Astro Blackus 8 p.m. William A Kerr Foundation, 21 O’Fallon Street. $7 to $10. 314-436-3325.
TUESDAY, APRIL 3 7:00 P.M.
NNN Cook is yet another export from one Nathan Cook, the brains behind the noisy Bruxism concert series and the experimental Close/Far cassette label. His own work as a sound artist might be overshadowed by the other hats he wears, yet the project stands at the core of his endeavors. This album is a departure for Cook who, for the sake of careful curation, mostly releases albums through his own imprint. For Crease or Abyss, he collaborates with the young upstarts in GrownUp Music, a label that is, in its own words, “an entity meant to pave the way for adult contemporary tendencies in St. Louis.”
REGISTER TO WIN AT
Ryan Marquez Trio Album Release
INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO April 18-22, 2018
7:30 p.m. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand Boulevard. $12. 314-533-0367.
RIVERFRONTTIMES.COM/ STLOUIS/FREESTUFF
Moving Forward In Time might be the name for Ryan Marquez’s first record with a piano jazz trio, but it also makes a statement for the young artist, who has cut his own path with very different projects in Fresh Heir and the People’s Key. Drummer Steve Davis serves pop-sensible patterns with a fervent layer of percussion both buoyant and poly-rhythmic. The bass comes by way of Ben Wheeler, who glues Marquez’s singable lines to dense beats in a seamless fashion, making for a listening experience that can be enjoyed by fans both casual and diehard. –Joseph Hess
BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 WITH “BLOCKERS” IN THE SUBJECT LINE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A COMPLIMENTARY PASS FOR TWO. BLOCKERS has been rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for crude and sexual content, and language throughout, drug content, teen partying and some graphic nudity. Sponsors and their dependents are not eligible to receive a prize. Supplies are limited. Passes received through this promotion do not guarantee a seat at the theater. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, except for members of the reviewing press. Theater is overbooked to ensure a full house. No admittance once screening has begun. All federal, state and local regulations apply. A recipient of prizes assumes any and all risks related to use of prize, and accepts any restrictions required by prize provider. Universal Pictures, Allied Integrated Marketing, Riverfront Times and their affiliates accept no responsibility or liability in connection with any loss or accident incurred in connection with use of prizes. Prizes cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash, in whole or in part. Not responsible if, for any reason, winner is unable to use his/her prize in whole or in part. Not responsible for lost, delayed or misdirected entries. All federal, state and local taxes are the responsibility of the winner. Void where prohibited by law. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. NO PHONE CALLS!
Each week we bring you our picks for the best concerts of the weekend. To submit your show for consideration, visit riverfronttimes. com/stlouis/Events/AddEvent. All events subject to change; check with the venue for the most up-to-date information.
IN THEATERS APRIL 6 www.BlockersMovie.com
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RIVERFRONT TIMES
MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
ST LOUIS RFT THURSDAY, MARCH 29
riverfronttimes.com
PHO: w/ Funk You 7 p.m., $7-$10. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. REGGIE AND THE FULL EFFECT: 7 p.m., $15-$18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SAXON: w/ Black Star Riders 8 p.m., $35-$40. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161. VUNDABAR: 8 p.m., $10-$12. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.
THIS JUST IN 2018 SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL AND ACADEMY: Fri., June 8, 7 p.m., $25-$35. Innsbrook Conference Ctr., 5 mi. S. of I-70 on Highway F, Wright City, 636-928-3366. 3 DOORS DOWN, COLLECTIVE SOUL: W/ Soul Asylum, Sat., July 21, 7 p.m., $20-$79.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. ANI DIFRANCO: W/ Haley Heynderickx, Sat., June 9, 8 p.m., $35-$40. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. ANVIL: W/ Shadowside, The Nokturnal, Axeticy, Thu., May 10, 7 p.m., $15-$18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ARCH CITY BRASS: Thu., April 26, 8 p.m., $20. .Zack, 3224 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-533-0367. BARE KNUCKLE COMEDY: Sat., May 5, 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. BIG GEORGE BROCK & THE HOUSE ROCKERS: Sat., April 7, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-4365222. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Wed., April 4, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-4365222. BIG SAM’S FUNKY NATION: Fri., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. BILLY BARNETT BAND: Thu., April 5, 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BLACKTOP MOJO: W/ Joyous Wolf, Of Limbo, Thu., May 17, 7 p.m., $13-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BLUE DIXIE: Sat., Aug. 4, 8 p.m., $19.88-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. BLUE DREAM: W/ The Judge, Rover, Sat., March 31, 7 p.m., $8-$10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. THE BONER KILLERZ: W/ Escape From The Zoo, Tue., May 8, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. BOONDOGGLE: KISS ME, KILL ME, KISS ME: Thu., April 5, 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. BRIAN CURRAN: Sat., April 7, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CANNABIS CORPSE: Wed., May 23, 7 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
43
SOULARD’S HOTTEST
[CRITIC’S PICK] Dead Horses. | DAVID E. JACKSON
Dead Horses 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 4. The Old Rock House, 1200 South 7th Street. All ages: $10 advance, $12 day of show. 314-5880505.
Keening through misty reverb, the high and lonesome voice of Sarah Vos may seem otherworldly, yet her subjects are of the here and now. Leading the faintly psych-folk tinged string band Dead Horses, Vos always sings with purpose. “There’s a new generation of poor,” she wails on the forthcoming album My Mother the Moon. “Faces clean and their eyes are pure.” Like a 21st century Dor-
othea Lange, she evokes working-class pride, anger and endurance without condescension, whether singing of “faith in the small things” or the rejection of pointless pity. Backed by sawing fiddle, slapped bass and flashing mandolin, her songs always take Woody Guthrie’s heed: Comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Midwestern Elegy: Expelled from the rural Wisconsin church where her father had served as a pastor, Vos has turned her (and her family’s) experience of spiritual exile into moving art. —Roy Kasten
CHRIS BROWN: W/ 6lack, H.E.R., Rich the Kid,
June 12, 7 p.m., $45-$75. Pop’s Nightclub, 401
Sun., July 29, 6 p.m., $25-$149.99. Hollywood
Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.
Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Exp-
DYNAMO PRO-WRESTLING: Fri., June 15, 8 p.m.,
wy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.
$10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-
COMRADE CATBOX: W/ People’s Park, Struck
289-9050.
Down By Sound, Fri., May 4, 9 p.m., $7. The
THE EAST SIDER REVIEW: Wed., April 4, 10 p.m.,
Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis,
$5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway,
314-352-5226.
St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
CREE FEST 2018: W/ Cree Rider Family Band,
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING: W/ Sego, Thu., June
The Dock Ellis Band, River Kittens, Old
7, 8 p.m., $16-$18. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St.,
Capital, Cara Louise Band, Jenny Roques, The
St. Louis, 314-535-0353.
Fighting Side, Nick Gusman, Fred Friction, Les
FLYING HOUSE: W/ Bella & Lily, Melissa Russell,
Gruff and the Billy Goat, L.S. XPRSS, Devon
Sean Garcia,Rebecca Ryan, Sat., May 12, 7
Cahill, Old Souls Revival, The Warbuckles, The
p.m., $10. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St.
Native Sons, The Riverside Wanderers, Sat.,
Louis, 314-726-6161.
June 23, noon, $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp
FOXING: W/ Eric Donte and LePonds, Sat., June
Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
23, 8 p.m., $15-$17. Old Rock House, 1200 S.
DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS BAND: Fri., April
7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.
6, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S.
GRIFFIN HOUSE: Sun., June 24, 8 p.m., $18-$20.
Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar
DROPKICK MURPHYS, FLOGGING MOLLY: Tue.,
Continued on pg 45
DANCE PARTY
FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT DJ DAN-C
9 PM - CLOSE
COLLEGE NIGHT - THURSDAY $2 Tall Boy (16 oz) Cans Neon Beer Pong DJ Ryan - 9 PM to Close
2001 MENARD (AT ALLEN) IN THE HEART OF SOULARD LIKE & FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK: @dukesinsoulard riverfronttimes.com
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MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
riverfronttimes.com
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THIS JUST IN Continued from pg 43
RAVEN BLACK: W/ Hail Sagan, Aboleth, Ghost in Decay, Ladies Night, Wed., May 23, 6 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-
Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.
9050.
HOT 104.1 SUPER JAM 2018: W/ Post Malone,
REAL ESTATE: W/ Habibi, Thu., June 7, 8 p.m.,
21 Savage, Remy Ma, SOB X RBE, DJ Luke
$18-$20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester
Nasty, Derez De’Shon, Fri., June 8, 2 p.m.,
Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.
$29.50-$85. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre,
THE REGRETTES: Tue., June 19, 7 p.m., $10.
I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights,
Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis,
314-298-9944.
314-498-6989.
JOSEPH: Fri., June 29, 8 p.m., $25. The Pageant,
RIVAL COAST: W/ Baseline, Sat., June 30, 7
6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Lou-
LEE DEWYZE: Thu., May 3, 8 p.m., $12-$58.
is, 314-289-9050.
The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis,
SKATING POLLY: W/ Potty Mouth, Sun., June 3,
314-935-7003.
8 p.m., $12-$15. The Monocle, 4510 Manches-
LEROY JODIE PIERSON: Fri., April 6, 7 p.m., $5.
ter Ave, St. Louis, 314-935-7003.
BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St.
SPENCER BOHREN: Thu., April 5, 7 p.m., $10.
Louis, 314-436-5222.
Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis.
LET’S NOT: W/ Shark Dad, Sun., April 22, 7
ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: Tue., April 3, 8 p.m.,
p.m., $8-$10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St.
$5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway,
Louis, 314-535-0353.
St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
LITTLE STEVEN AND THE DISCIPLES OF SOUL:
STOLEN MOMENTS WITH KALEB KIRBY: Sat.,
Sun., May 13, 7 p.m., $35-$55. River City
April 14, 9 p.m., free. Sophie’s Artist Lounge
Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St.
& Cocktail Club, 3224 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-
Louis, 314-388-7777.
775-9551.
LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., April 1, 8 p.m.,
TEDDY BREIHAN & ROGER NETHERTON CD
$10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broad-
RELEASE CONCERT: Sat., March 31, 8 p.m.,
way, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
$10-$15. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd,
MADAME MAYHEM: Fri., May 25, 7 p.m., $12-
St. Louis, 314-560-2778.
$14. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis,
THIRD SIGHT BAND: Mon., April 2, 8 p.m., $10.
314-535-0353.
BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St.
MANDY PENNINGTON: W/ Little Falcon, Har-
Louis, 314-436-5222.
rison Gorden, Fri., April 6, 9 p.m., $7. The
TIGER RIDER ALBUM RELEASE: W/ Sister
Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis,
Wizzard, Bounce House, Fri., June 1, 8 p.m.,
314-352-5226.
$4. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis,
MATTHEW SWEET: Sat., July 14, 8 p.m., $22-$25.
314-498-6989.
Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis,
TISH HAYES KEYS: Sun., April 1, 5 p.m., $20.
314-726-6161.
BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St.
MEMBERS OF LITTLE FEAT: W/ Fred Tackett,
Louis, 314-436-5222.
Gabe Ford, Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton, Kenny
TOMMY HALLORAN: Wed., April 25, 5 p.m.,
Gradney,John “Papa” Gros, Ron Holloway,
free. Herbie’s, 8100 Maryland Ave, Clayton,
Craig & Patrick Fuller, Falling Fences, The Me-
314-769-9595.
lissa Neels Band, Sat., Aug. 11, 7 p.m., $44.50-
TOMMY HALLORAN DUO: Thu., April 19, 9:30
$1000. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St.
p.m., $10. Thaxton Speakeasy, 1009 Olive St.,
Louis, 314-726-6161.
St. Louis, 314-241-3279.
NINA NESBITT: Wed., April 11, 8 p.m., $18-$20.
TOMMY HALLORAN’S GUERRILLA SWING: Sat.,
Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-
April 7, 1 p.m., free. Wine Country Gardens,
498-6989.
2711 S. Hwy 94, Defiance, 636-798-2288.
NORMA JEAN: REDEEMER ANNIVERSARY TOUR:
TWANGFEST 22: NIKKI LANE: W/ Lillie Mae,
W/ ‘68, Harvester, Thu., May 24, 6 p.m., $20.
Jack Grelle, Fri., June 8, 8 p.m., $22. Off
Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-
NOW AND THEN: Sat., April 7, 5 p.m., free.
498-6989.
Fontbonne University, 6800 Wydown Blvd.,
TWANGFEST 22: RAY WYLIE HUBBARD: W/ Luke
Clayton, 314-862-3456.
Winslow-King, Sleepy Rubies, Thu., June 7, 8
NOXCUSE: TRIBUTE TO 90’S R&B GIRL GROUPS:
p.m., $22-$25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave.,
Sun., June 24, 5 p.m., $15-$25. BB’s Jazz, Blues
St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
& Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-
TWANGFEST 22: THE BOTTLE ROCKETS: W/
5222.
Sarah Borges, Eric Ambel, Ryan Koenig, Sat.,
ONEIDA: Mon., July 30, 7 p.m., $10. The Fire-
June 9, 8 p.m., $22. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp
bird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.
Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
OWEL: W/ PLANS, MotherFather, Vya, Mon.,
TWANGFEST 22: THE CACTUS BLOSSOMS: W/
May 14, 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St.
John Paul Keith, Wed., June 6, 8 p.m., $18.
Louis, 314-289-9050.
Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis,
OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS: Sat., May 19,
314-498-6989.
8 p.m., $37.50-$47.50. River City Casino &
WHOA THUNDER: W/ Zigtebra, Giant Monsters
Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis,
On The Horizon, Thu., May 10, 9 p.m., $7. The
314-388-7777.
Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis,
RADOLESCENTS: W/ The Hajj, Sat., Aug. 11, 8
314-352-5226.
p.m., $15-$17. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis,
ZERO BOYS: Sat., June 30, 8 p.m., $15-$16.
314-289-9050.
Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
Karaoke Thursdays with KJ Ray Ortega
KELLY’S FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE & KARAOKE PARTY OUR FOOD IS AWESOME
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RIVERFRONT TIMES
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SAVAGE LOVE
COCK LOCKED BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’m in a D/s relationship. I’m not submissive around the clock, but my partner owns my cock. We’ve purchased several male chastity devices, but I can pretty easily get my cock out of them. My partner did some investigating and learned that the only effective devices work with a Prince Albert piercing — a ring through the head of the penis that locks into the device, preventing the sub from pulling his cock out. My partner now wants me to get a PA. I don’t want to get my cock pierced and I’ve said so, but I haven’t safe-worded on it. I would very reluctantly do it to please her. My partner made an appointment for a piercing three months from now, on our second anniversary. She told me that we can cancel it if I can find an effective chastity device that doesn’t require a piercing. Do you or any of your contacts in the fetish world know of any devices that are inescapable? Piercing Appendage Unnecessarily Scares Eager Sub “I’ve never come across a standard male chastity device I couldn’t pull out of,” said Ruffled Sheets, “so PAUSES’ partner has obviously researched regular chastity devices well.” Sheets is an IT consultant who lives in the United Kingdom with his partner of 15 years. Male chastity devices have fascinated him for more than two decades and, as of this writing, he owns 37 different kinds of cock cages. His partner frequently keeps his cock locked up for weeks or months at a time — and if there were such a thing as a commercially available male chastity device that was inescapable, Sheets would know about it. “However, all is not lost,” said Sheets. “Piercing is one of two ways to ensure the penis cannot escape. The other is a full chastity belt. Now, full belts aren’t without their drawbacks — they are generally more expensive, are harder to conceal under clothes, and take longer to get used to, especially at night. But they are secure. I have three custom-fitted chastity belts 46
RIVERFRONT TIMES
and, once properly fitted, they’re inescapable.” Sheets’ chastity belts were made for him by Behind Barz (behindbarz.co.uk) and Fancy Steel (fancysteel.com.au). But if most commercially available male chastity devices aren’t inescapable, what’s the point? Why would a person bother to wear one? “You can only partially escape,” said Sheets. “It’s possible to pull out the penis but not remove the device,” which is anchored around the balls and base of the shaft. “And a partially removed device is awkward and uncomfortable.” For many male subs and their Doms, the symbolism of a male chastity device is what matters most, not its inescapability. And as with other forms of sex play and most aspects of healthy relationships, the honor system makes it work. “As in any negotiated relationship, you can cheat,” said Sheets. “But why cheat? They’re easy to keep on if you’re genuinely interested in submitting.” Fun fact: Locking a guy’s cock in an inescapable device doesn’t prevent him from coming. “A device can be locked in place with a belt or a piercing, but orgasms are still possible,” said Sheets. “I’ve yet to discover any kind of device that can prevent the wearer from achieving orgasm if he’s holding a powerful wand massager against it, especially after weeks without coming.” So if your Dominant is locking up your cock to prevent you from coming, PAUSES, she’ll also need to lock up her vibrators. There are two other things Sheets wanted you to be aware of as you begin to explore male chastity, PAUSES. “Lots of men are shy about being submissive,” said Sheets, “so they’ll say things like ‘I’m normally dominant in real life,’ kind of like PAUSES opened his letter by saying he isn’t submissive ‘around the clock.’ I just wanted to make sure he understood that chastity is a long-term game. For most of us in chastity devices, it’s a 24/7 affair — literally around the clock.” If you said you weren’t submissive around the clock because you didn’t want to admit that you are,
MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2018
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in fact, submissive around the clock, PAUSES, chastity play won’t be a problem. But if you meant it — if you’re not capable of remaining in a submissive headspace for more than a few hours — you’ll need to ask your partner, before the padlock clicks shut, just how long she intends to keep your cock locked up. “Being locked also has another side effect that you wouldn’t perhaps anticipate,” Sheets added. “Whenever you become turned on, you feel your cage or belt against your penis. It can be anything from a gentle reminder to a vice-like grip, depending on your arousal level. And whenever this happens, your mind automatically turns to your key holder, even if they’re not around.” Ruffled Sheets blogs at ruffledsheets.com, where he reviews male chastity devices and other sex toys. Follow him on Twitter @ruffledsheets. Hey, Dan: My girlfriend of four months has unofficially moved in with me. We began as a long-distance thing; I live in New York City and she lived in the Deep South. What began as her visiting me for the holidays ended up with her staying with me indefinitely. She comes from a very poor family, and going back home means sleeping in her grandma’s living room. Things are going well, but we are moving fast. I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I’m loving it and loving her. On the other hand, I feel like she could be using me. She has found part-time work. She hasn’t pitched in for rent — I also have a roommate — but she has pitched in for groceries. Do I ask her for rent money? Do I send her back to her grandma’s place? I don’t know what to do because I feel like I am housing a refugee. She’s Here Indefinitely Now Instead of ending things now to protect yourself from retroactively feeling shitty about this relationship if it ends at some point in the future, SHIN, you should have a convo with your girlfriend about rent, reality and roommates. Tell her that it can’t go on like this indefinitely — living in your apartment rent-free — as it’s unfair
to your roommate and that kind of support is too much to expect from someone she’s been seeing for only four months. Tell her you appreciate the ways she’s kicking in now — helping with groceries — but eventually she’ll need to start kicking in on rent too, and then set a realistic date for her to start paying rent. You should also encourage her to think about getting her own place. Not because you want to stop seeing her — you’re loving it and loving her — but because a premature commitment (and cohabitating is a commitment) can sabotage a relationship. You also don’t want her to feel so dependent on you that she can’t end things if she needs to. You want her to be with you because she wants to be with you, not because she’s trapped. Hey, Dan: You ran a letter from a man whose wife wouldn’t let him spank her. I’m a woman whose husband won’t spank me. I found a man like WISHOTK, and we meet up for spanking sessions. Neither of our spouses know. It’s only spanking, no sex. How bad should I feel? Really Erotic Dalliances But, Um, Married Very bad. In fact, REDBUM, I think you should be spanked for getting spanked behind your husband’s back — then spanked again for getting spanked for getting spanked behind your husband’s back. And then spanked some more. Listen to Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org
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110 Computer/Technical Inspirix Technologies LLC is seeking 3 professionals for Fulltime employment (40 hours a week) for the positions of Programmer Analysts at Saint Peters, MO 63376 at competitive salary.Job Summary: Analyze, Design, Develop & Test general computer applications software or specialized utility programs or application User Interfaces using SQL, C++, Microsoft SQL Server, Informatica, ETL, .NET, Windows XP & Windows 7, Stored Procedures, MS Office. Travel within USA required.Qualifications required: Masters in Comp Sci / Applications or Engineering (Any) + 2 years of experience as computer software professional. We offer comprehensive benefits including health insurance. To apply send your resume to Attn: HR, Inspirix Technologies 1270 Jungermann Rd, Suite #B Saint Peters, MO 63376 Inspirix Technologies LLC is seeking 4 professionals for Fulltime employment (40 hours a week) for the positions of Programmer Analysts at Saint Peters, MO 63376 at competitive salary.Job Summary: Analyze, Design, Develop & Test general computer applications software or specialized utility programs or application User Interfaces using SQL, AX, Microsoft SQL Server, ETL, .NET, DB2, SAP, Windows XP & Windows 7, Stored Procedures, MS Office. Travel within USA required.Qualifications required: Bachelors in Comp Sci or Engineering (Any) + 5 years of experience as computer software professional. We offer comprehensive benefits including health insurance. To apply send your resume to Attn: HR, Inspirix Technologies 1270 Jungermann Rd, Suite #B Saint Peters, MO 63376
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If You Witness An Overdose DON’T RUN, CALL 911
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Ready For Spring
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The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. This disclosure is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Missoui.
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