Riverfront Times, March 4, 2020 by Riverfront Times

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THE LEDE

“Stan Kroenke took the Rams and just made it a terrible team. He made it very hard to watch. Then when he left the city, he said what a horrible people we were, that we didn’t have enough money to support a league, that we were broke and ugly and all kinds of nasty things. So to have everybody here ... We’re all Blues fans. We’re all Cardinals fans, and now we’re all BattleHawks fans.”

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

ERIC CASEY, PHOTOGRAPHED OUTSIDE THE DOME AT AMERICA’S CENTER ON FEBRUARY 29 riverfronttimes.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Doyle Murphy

COVER Bar Bones Searching for new life among south city’s failed gin joints, dried-up watering holes and maybe, possibly available bars Cover photo of the old Fat Richie’s by

TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS

5 7

Let’s send MO’s cigarette tax burning up the charts

9 12 18

Film

Cafe

Short Orders

Music + Culture

Winslow’s Table

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

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

The Lede Hartmann

Greed

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

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

INSIDE

News Feature Calendar

E D I T O R I A L Managing Editor Liz Miller Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writer Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Columnist Ray Hartmann Contributing Writers Jeanette Cooperman, Thomas Crone, Mike Fitzgerald, Joseph Hess, Robert Hunt, MaryAnn Johanson, Roy Kasten, KE Luther, Bob McMahon, Christian Schaeffer, Ymani Wince Proofreader Evie Hemphill Editorial Interns Trenton Almgren-Davis, Kristen Farrah, Hanna Holthaus, Jenna Jones, Monica Obradovic

E U C L I D M E D I A G R O U P Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services Stacy Volhein Creative Director Tom Carlson www.euclidmediagroup.com N A T I O N A L A D V E R T I S I N G VMG Advertising 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com S U B S C R I P T I O N S Send address changes to Riverfront Times, 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103. Domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $78/6 months (Missouri residents add $4.74 sales tax) and $156/year (Missouri residents add $9.48 sales tax) for first class. 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

Stephan Ledbetter at Re-Voaked Sandwiches | Cinder Bar | Nomad | Steve’s Hot Dogs Grover Stewart Jr. |Be.Be

Out Every Night

Etienne Charles | Les Gruff and the Billy Goat | The Black Lips

Savage Love 6

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HARTMANN Burning a Hole in Our Pocket Missouri has no rival in promoting tobacco-tax stupidity

he following column regarding Missouri is presented to you in response to nothing. No serious legislation is pending on my subject. I’ve received no press releases. No one’s asked about it. As far as I can tell, no one’s even talking about it. The subject is tobacco taxation, and the lack thereof, in the state of Missouri. Our state’s abject stupidity in this regard is not a definite sign of the apocalypse, but it does suggest we’d be raising our hands to perish first were it coming.

First, the bottom line. Missouri presently taxes tobacco sales with an excise tax of 17 cents per pack. That amounts to less than 10 percent of the national average taxation of $1.81 per pack on tobacco. That’s not a misprint: On average, the 49 other states tax their citizens on cigarettes at more than ten times Missouri’s rate. Even more astonishing is this: Missouri could raise its cigarette tax by 70 percent and still rank dead last among the 50 states in tobacco taxation. A 12-cent-perpack increase would put Missouri’s rate at 29 cents per pack. Presently, Virginia, the nation’s third-largest producer of tobacco, is ranked 49th among the states at 30 cents per pack. We could quadruple our rate to 68 cents per pack — potentially generating something like $200 million in new state revenues annually — and we’d still be tied for 40th place with that bastion of progressive sagacity, Mississippi. If anything, I might be understat-

ing this, because cigarette taxes are a moving target — as in moving upward — in those other 49 states. Recently, the Federation of Tax Administrators, with no dog in the fight, published a list of states’ cigarette tax increases from 2000 to 2020. Missouri was the only state not on its list, having last raised its taxes in 1993, the late Gov. Mel Carnahan’s first year in office. That’s right: Missouri is the only state in America not to have raised its cigarette taxes in this millennium. As if that weren’t pitiful enough, no fewer than 38 of those other states have raised their taxes multiple times in the past two decades. Understand that we’re not talking phone change here. In 2018, the most recent year available, the state Department of Revenue reported cigarette tax collections of just under $76 million. Using rough estimates, were Missouri to raise its cigarette tax by just 12 cents per pack, “moving” it from 50th place to 50th

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place among the states in taxation, state revenues would increase by more than $50 million annually. That’s worth repeating: This state could add $50 million per year, every year, and still have the lowest tobacco taxes in America. Some might counter that’s not a fair economic analysis, because people would be forced for economic reasons to purchase fewer cigarettes if you raised their cost. And they would be right: Among the consequences of raising tobacco taxes is that it does tend to reduce tobacco use. And why would that be a bad thing? It would require someone above my pay grade to compute the net economic windfall of raising cigarette taxes. In theory, to calculate the net revenues from a 12 cent hike, you’d start with the additional $50 million in tax revenue, lower that number slightly by a factor related to lesser cigarette spending, then add back in something for the

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HARTMANN

Continued from pg 7

pesky detail that state health care costs decline when fewer people smo e. o figure. One argument that has actually been said out loud on behalf of Big Tobacco is that having the nation’s lowest cigarettes has spurred a macabre thing known to some as tobacco tourism. That would be smokers for whom Missouri is a mecca of savings on their smokes, so much so that they stream across our borders to patronize our convenience stores. These entities — as a collective lobbying force — conveniently count among their prized possessions the souls of many politicians. Far be it from me not to want our state to attract this coveted tourist population, assuming they cover their mouths while coughing, but it’s worth noting that the main contiguous states bordering Missouri would still have trouble competing for Missouri’s catchy “You Should Be Dying For Our Cigarette Prices” tobacco tourism theme. Even at 29 cents per pack, neither Illinois ($2.98), Kansas ($1.29), Arkansas ($1.15) nor Iowa ($1.36) would be able to hold a cigarette lighter to us in the race to spread cancer and other diseases. Aren’t we the smart ones? Worse, Missouri’s puny excise tax is exempted from sales tax. ost states add e cise ta es first and then tax on the total purchase. Missouri is not most states. It is arguable that a 12-cent-perpack hike wouldn’t affect behaviors much at all, meaning that it would only move the needle slightly toward the direction of sanity. But in the same vein, an increase such as that would be so diminutive that the state legislature and governor could enact it without approaching the dreaded Hancock Amendment limits governing tax hikes. Don’t hold your breath waiting for our low-information legislators to act on a tax increase — absolutely not in an election year, and probably never. Taxes are evil and health care spending — the best use of tobacco tax revenue — is for snow a es, especially when containing the term “Medicaid.” Lawmakers of both parties can point to an endless parade of state ballot items to raise tobacco taxes that have been rejected by Missouri voters over the years. But these ha e ne er been a fair fight. ften, they’ve been doomed by lies and demagoguery from Big Tobacco and those who peddle its products.

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Were Missouri to raise its cigarette tax by just 12 cents per pack, “moving” it from 50th place to 50th place among the states in taxation, state revenues would increase by more than $50 million annually. But sometimes initiatives have sought to do too much too soon, or they’ve gotten derailed by ballot-wording issues. Missourians have never rejected a simple and modest increase in cigarette taxes because they have not had the opportunity to do so. Obviously, it wouldn’t be worth the time, cost and effort to seek voter approval for something as small as the 12 cent increase I alluded to — a correction that would leave the state in its prized (and insane) last-place rank in tobacco taxes. But the legislators and governor could do that tomorrow if they were really serious about the budget crunch they’re always whining about. There’s no better example of political malfeasance than this one. Taxing cigarette sales is a matter of public health and common sense, and rarely controversial outside of top tobacco-producing states. For Missouri to languish so far behind the nation is nothing short of embarrassing. Were it up to me, the voters would be presented with some simple and clean measure for a gradual series of modest increases in tobacco ta es o er a fi e or ten-year period, linked to health care services, with a goal of rising to the rank of mediocre. But it’s not up to me. Nor, apparently, anyone else in Missouri. n Ray Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1977. Contact him at rhartmann@sbcglobal.net or catch him on St. Louis In the Know with Ray Hartmann from 9 to 11 p.m. Monday thru Friday on KTRS (550 AM).

NEWS

Sanctuary But No Solutions for Alex Garcia Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

ince the day Alex Garcia took sanctuary in a Maplewood church nearly two and a half years ago, his family and supporters have tried a little of everything to persuade federal immigration officials to let him stay in this country. They have gone to Washington to meet members of Congress at their offices. hey’ e collected hundreds of signatures from people li ing in the family’s former hometown of Poplar Bluff. hey’ e marched and organi ed, hired lawyers and prayed. nd yet, they still couldn’t get past the front door of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in t. ouis last wee . “Obviously, something is broken here,” Maplewood Mayor Barry Greenberg said. On February 25, Maplewood issued a proclamation in favor of allowing Garcia to remain in the nited tates. hen, on February 27, Greenberg went with t. ouis lderwoman nnie Rice and Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green to hand deliver an application to delay an immigration udge’s order from to deport Garcia to his native Honduras. The idea was that maybe three elected officials would succeed where his family had failed in attempting to get ICE to at least review their latest application. arcia’s wife arly had tried in eptember to submit forms but was told to go away. A contingent of a do en pastors tried again in ctober . officials loc ed the doors to the office and sent Department of Homeland ecurity officers who handle security for the Robert A. Young federal building to cut the pastors off before they arrived. After a tense standoff, during which the pastors were threatened with arrest,

Carly Garcia’s eyes well with tears after she learns ICE won’t even look at her husband’s application. | DOYLE MURPHY

Alex Garcia has been living in Christ Church for more than two years. | DOYLE MURPHY an ICE supervisor agreed to take the paperwork for review. The application was rejected three weeks later. ast wee , officials again refused to accept the paperwork, telling the three that accepting the earlier application from the pastors in had been a mista e. As far as ICE is concerned, Garcia is an uncooperative fugitive. An agency official told the aplewood mayor and two t. ouis alderwomen that they would need a supervisor in Chicago to review

the paperwork. hat’s a difficult maneu er, gi en that the t. ouis officials won’t even receive the application to pass along, says Rice, who is also an immigration attorney. Another avenue would be for Garcia to come in for an interview with ICE agents, the immigration officials suggested. e’d be immediately deported to Honduras,” Rice says. arcia’s deportation order is from an early attempt to enter the nited tates after lea ing onduras. He was caught and deport-

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ed in but returned four years later and settled in Poplar Bluff. n the fifteen years since, he has built a life as a tireless construction worker, father and husband. He and Carly have been married for a decade, and they ha e fi e ids between them. he and the ids are all . . citi ens. In the past, the family worked with an attorney in hopes of securing citi enship for arcia as well, but the deportation order from effecti ely cuts off that path. He would have to return to Honduras and restart the process from there. That would take ten years under normal circumstances, immigration attorneys say, but the Trump administration has not only sought to toss out people like Garcia, it has choked the pathway to legal entry as well. If Garcia was forced to leave, his family worries he might be kept from ever returning. Under the Obama administration enforcement policies that prioriti ed iolent criminals rather than people had screened and determined were not a threat, Garcia was granted year-long delays of the deportation order in and . ut his annual re uest was denied in after rump’s

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Ex-Prosecutor Deploys ‘Carrot Boob Sweater’ Defense

ALEX GARCIA Continued from pg 9

Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

errod Mahurin, the former elected prosecutor of t. Francois County, is attacking the credibility of a fired employee whose newly filed lawsuit names him in multiple allegations of sexual harassment. art of ahurin’s defense is the argument that the employee wore raunchy sweaters. ahurin’s remar able retort came during an interview last week with the Daily Journal, the paper of record for t. rancois County, a mostly rural region located about an hour’s dri e south of t. ouis. uring the midterm elections, citi ens in t. rancois County voted Mahurin out of office. arlier that year, a Riverfront Times investigation revealed that some county employees and attorneys had long felt alarmed by the prosecutor’s beha ior, particularly toward his female office staff. ources who spo e to the RFT claimed Mahurin had, among other things, made a habit of hitting on employees, offering suggestive remarks about their bodies and commenting on their sex lives. One of those sources, who was named in the RFT story, was an employee with eighteen years ser ice named isa a idson. ahurin fired her on une , , one day after the prosecutor met with RFT for an interview in his office. uring that inter iew, he maintained that he’d ne er mistreated his employees or sought sexual relationships with them. Those allegations resurfaced last wee , as a idson’s lawsuit features many of the same details first reported by the RFT, including that Mahurin had sent a picture of his penis to a different female employee on the office’s clerical staff. n ahurin’s response to aidson’s lawsuit published in the Daily Journal, the former prosecu-

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Former St. Francois Prosecutor Jerrod Mahurin. | FILE PHOTO tor appeared to not only misconstrue the circumstances under which he’d fired a idson, but he also accused Davidson herself of being sexually inappropriate in the workplace — via a shirt that, Mahurin said, “had carrots where her breasts would be.” In the interview, Mahurin slammed a idson’s lawsuit as “outrageous.” His remarks are more than a little misleading. ere’s how the Daily Journal uoted him “On one occasion, Mahurin recalled that Davidson wore a sweater to work that contained a box on with a fake penis inside. he also wore a shirt that had carrots where her breasts would be, in the office and had to instruct her not to have any contact with the public while she was wearing that, and to never wear that again,’ he said. o, this is retaliatory because she was fired and, again, has no basis in fact and ust completely fictitious.’ irst, let’s address the sweaters n a pre ious inter iew with the RFT, Davidson answered uestions about those ery outfits, and while she ac nowledged that she did wear them, she clarified that she’d worn them only to an office ugly sweater party a key bit of context omitted by Mahurin in his comments last week. Mahurin also appeared to omit key details about his decision to terminate Davidson, which is notable as those details do not support his suggestion that Daidson’s lawsuit is retaliatory because she was fired. In fact, Davidson had begun the process for suing Mahurin months before her firing n arch , she’d filed a complaint with the Missouri Human Rights Commis-

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sion the first step in obtaining court appro al for filing a lawsuit — which alleged workplace discrimination and retaliation for failing to humor ahurin’s adances. he also fa ed a copy of the complaint to Mahurin. ut on une , , before the commission ruled on a idson’s complaint, ahurin fired her. Davidson provided RFT with an audio recording she’d made that day, which captured the moment Mahurin informed her that her career as a county employee was over. In the recording, Mahurin told a idson that he’d recei ed the human rights complaint and demanded to know “how that document got in my office. a idson answered that she sent it by fax, but Mahurin said he believed the complaint was not authentic and “this appears to be a false document that you tried to provide me with.” He then told her she was “terminated immediately” and to collect her things. n a subse uent inter iew with the RFT in , ahurin denied firing a idson in retaliation for her discrimination complaint. As for Davidson, her attorney, MaryAnne Quill, told the RFT that ahurin’s statements to the Daily Journal — including the claim that he’d once had to reprimand Davidson for hanging “a giant stuffed penis in one of the attorney’s offices were false. he wor ed there eighteen years without incident,” Quill wrote in an email, until she filed the charge of discrimination.” eached by phone, current t. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Gilliam declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. n

election, and he was sent a letter ordering him to report for removal. Instead, he took sanctuary in Christ Church in Maplewood and has lived there ever since. n uly, . . epresentati e acy lay t. ouis introduced legislation that would give Garcia status as a permanent, legal resident. arcia’s supporters are hopeful the “private bill” will be adopted, but they’ e continued to push on as many fronts as they can. While Rice, Green and Greenberg were at the office, arcia’s wife and supporters held a news conference in t. ouis ity all. his is an ama ing family, and Alex is — this is no hyperbole — he is the hardest wor er ’ e e er met,” said the Rev. Rebecca Turner, pastor of Christ Church. “He is a contribution to the community.” t first, the group was hopeful that ICE would respect the three elected officials enough to ta e the application. ara ohn of the t. ouis nter aith ommittee on atin merica, an organi ation that has led efforts to help Garcia, said it was easy for ICE to turn Carly and her kids away, and they wanted to see if a different approach would change the outcome. he uestion is how much power and authority will it take until they do the right thing and say yes’ she said. hroughout the morning, she traded text messages with Rice and read the updates to the group. hortly before a.m., she deli ered the bad news. officials had ta en the inch-thick stack of papers for about 45 minutes but then handed them back, refusing to accept and pass them on or even stamp them as a re ected application. fficially, ICE never even received them. arly’s eyes welled with tears as the group circled up. t wasn’t completely out of the uestion that ICE would accept the paperwor , and there’s still the occasional case that leads to a stay of deportation, even under Trump. An immigration judge recently ordered a stay for another Honduran immigrant — a woman seeking asylum after she was stabbed in the stomach by her partner — who had been living in sanctuary in orth arolina. ut last wee ’s refusal to e en re iew the re uest was another blow. n the first oor of ity all, urner began to sing and was joined by the group. “We refuse to let hatred in,” they sang. e rise up. e won’t bac down.” n

Guilty Plea in Cop-on-Cop Killing Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

t. ouis cop athaniel endren pleaded guilty on Friday to involuntary manslaughter in the killing of a fellow police officer and was sentenced to seven years in prison. he year old was supposed to be on patrol with his partner on anuary , , but they went instead to endren’s apartment in the Carondelet neighborhood where they hung out with 24-yearold Katlyn Alix, who worked in the same south-city district but was off duty. he night too a bi arre and deadly turn when Hendren and Alix started to play around with their guns, dry firing them inside the apartment, according to an account laid out in the plea agreement. Hendren then loaded one round in his revolver and twirled the cylinder. He aimed down a hallway and pulled the trigger on an empty chamber. Alix then took the gun, pointed it at Hendren and pulled the trigger. Again, the hammer clicked. Hendren took the gun back, pointed it at li and s uee ed the trigger. his time, it fired a bullet into li ’s chest. Hendren and his partner, Patrick iordan, dro e li to aint ouis University Hospital, but it was too late. In police records, Hendren reportedly told a supervisor after the shooting that he and Alix, who was married to another police officer, were in a relationship and had planned to move in together. “The reckless behavior that took place that early morning has left an unfillable oid for her grie ing husband, her parents and a host of lo ing family and friends, t. ouis ircuit ttorney im ardner said in a statement. long with first degree manslaughter, Hendren pleaded guilty to a felony count of armed criminal action. He was sentenced to seven years on the manslaughter charge and three years for armed criminal action, but he’ll be allowed to serve the sentences simultaneously for a total of seven years in state prison. li ’s mother imee ahlers has a pending federal civil lawsuit

The killer: Ex-St. Louis police officer Nathaniel Hendren. | COURTESY SLMPD

The victim: Officer Katlyn Alix. | COURTESY SLMPD against the city, Hendren, Riordan and their super isor, gt. ary Foster. It alleges Hendren had a “complicated psychiatric history” after leaving the military and had forced “previous girlfriends to play ussian oulette,’ and engage in other sexual activity that in ol ed firearms. The suit claims Hendren was drinking that night even before going on duty and drank more when he returned with Riordan, skipping a burglary alarm call so they could go hang out at endren’s apartment at o er lace. t ospital after the shooting, Hendren and Riordan dragged li ’s body inside, the suit says. hen another officer escorted Hendren outside shortly after, Hendren smashed his own head through the window of a police . is mug shot showed him with a black eye and a scrape or bruise over his eyebrow. He was arrested and charged shortly after. He has been on house arrest for the majority of the time since. n

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BAR BONES

Written by THOMAS CRONE Photos by TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS 12

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Searching for new life in south city’s failed gin joints, dried-up watering holes and maybe, possibly available bars

y the time I taught my last class at Webster University in the summer of 2014, my burnout level had achieved an advanced stage. I was that French fry at the bottom of the container, a once-robust potato product now reduced to a sliver of darkened, crispy mystery. Somewhere in the course of seventeen years, things had gone very wrong, and it was time to change things up. That interior renewal came in the form of an email received earlier that year, as a civically well-connected neighbor told me of a bar that would be for sale soon, located on the corner of Magnolia and Arkansas avenues. The place had long intrigued me, having been a longtime programmer at KDHX, which was then just a stone’s throw from the tavern. Before the place shut down in 1994, I slipped in a few times before an on-air shift and could well remember the basics of the place: a darkened tavern with a wooden hood over the backbar, a pool table on the small mezzanine level and an orange glow throughout. A basic workingman’s vibe was the memory, with the feeling of a spot that was well geared toward regulars and not young tourists. Since bussing tables as a teen

at O’Connell’s Pub in the 1980s, I’d spotted in bar and restaurant work alongside journalism and teaching. Once the latter “career” hit the end days by 2014, the appeal of a locked-away bar seven blocks from my house was too much. A small team was assembled, a pair of buildings were bought by one of the team members, and the spot opened after what felt like a forever wait of eight months. And only then did the real education in operating a bar begin. And it never let up. With the last call of December 31, 2019, I planned to slide into a role at another bar being brought back from the dead in south city — this time as a manager rather than a co-owner. The idea was to open that place, then move on as operator to yet another dead bar, conveniently located next door. Dismissed from said project(s) about 75 minutes before signing HR paperwork, I began a nearly immediate, sometimes spastic search to find a new spot to hang my hat. As any garden variety, lifechanging experience can go, I’ve spent most of 2020 in a combination of excitement, education and anxiety; my factory setting comes with a default to over analysis. So, a quarter of the time, I long

for my own space, while another quarter is wondering if I should just take on a job-job with another operation. The rest of my brain is an equal split between moving to New Orleans or wishing for a crack in the earth to emerge under my feet, delivering me to the nearest corner bar in the netherworld. Honestly, after touring well over a dozen buildings, researching as many more, coldcalling places, adapting thoughts on the y and tal ing to potential investors, pop-up chefs and the generally curious, I’m kinda open to any of those four outcomes. What follows is part travelogue, part nostalgia trip, part social experiment, part actual search for the perfect enue within the confines of the south side, from Highway 44 to the city limits, from South Broadway to Hampton Avenue. In this process, I’ve realized that as a south citian for the majority of my life, now a full three decades into being a legal-aged drinker, I’ve hit a lot of places over the years. A lot.

STATE STREET BLUES

Driving around offers a weird memory mix. There’s an electric company on Arsenal Street, out Continued on pg 14

So you want to run a bar? South city is loaded with neighborhood taverns just waiting for the right owner to order another round. riverfronttimes.com

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BAR BONES

Continued from pg 13

near the city limits, found in a little corner space. It used to be a bar called a es. hy can’t find my keys on a given morning but know this bit of trivia, I cannot say. There’s an intersection near my house, at Wyoming Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, where four corner bars were said to exist. In the 1990s I visited two of them (Corcoran’s and Miss Blues), and by then a third was shuttered, with signage still in the window. How can a city resident/fan not think about what the world was like when a single corner held that many saloons? And, once upon a time, there was a bar called Dave’s Den, somewhere in what’s now the 20th Ward, which featured an entire bar full of clown art. This doesn’t feel li e a figment of the imagination, though can’t find any quick proof it existed. Driving the streets, the bars keep coming. There’s the old Frederick’s Music Lounge. Bernard’s Pub. The Foundry. Mom Pop’s. Big Drink #1. Space. Rock Island. Sandrina’s. . our ar. he ffice. Club Paladora. The Other Place. Frank’s First Alarm. Little Gam’s. The Blue Pearl. Somer’s. Mary’s Fine Food. The Double Bogey. And dozens more. It’s not a small list, with some empty and abandoned, some adapted into new uses, some attened. o dri e, bi e or wal by them is to have a little shock of recognition, of a memorable night somewhere along the line.

YEBBIT, YEBBIT, YEBBIT

When Mike Martz was the head coach of the St. Louis Rams, one of his more memorable press conferences had him dueling with the media, with Martz saying “yebbit, yebbit, yebbit” in response to repetitive questions, a play on the phrase “yeah, but.” For a lot of intents and purposes, the phrase “yeah, but” could be applied to any situation involving development in St. Louis. The phrase is almost a constant when it comes to businesses involving food, drink and nightlife. Top Golf is considering a facility in midtown? “Yeah, but there’ll be light pollution.” The Foundry’s going to open? “Yeah, but it’ll just pull people from other, already operating locations.” There are some interesting bars for sale on Gravois? “Yeah, but cars travel too fast down that road, and no one would ever stop for a drink there.” Too much parking, a lack of parking, poor signage, a down-

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Top: Work seems to be underway at what was Scott’s, near Off Broadway. Above: A taxidermied occupant oversee the Outpost. ward trajectory of a neighborhood, the presence of a rough or racist clientele — all of these things and more can cause stress and second guessing. (Let’s call it stress-guessing.) Let’s loop back to Gravois Avenue. Three St. Louis taverns were featured in 2016 on Bar Rescue, one of the barrel-scraping reality shows of recent vintage, and one of the taverns would be renamed The Beechwood. It’s an impressive space, really, on the edge of Fox Park on Gravois. Going through the space, what is obvious is the cleanliness of it and the sheer size. There is a main barroom, a secondary bar behind a set of doors and a third bar in the basement. The show’s refurbishing of the rooms left a larger-than-normal kitchen, seating for dozens, large

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walk-ins for both food and drink ... essentially, all the elements are in place. The “pro” side of the ledger felt fantastic, but a good-sized lease number had to be balanced against the hopes of a daily draw. Toward the end, The Beechwood (closed for a couple years, save for a short-lived relaunch under new management in 2019) was like a lot of its south side kin: a day bar for the workingman. There are plenty of those types in and around south city. But this one’s bigger than most, brighter than most, newer than most. The systems, the barstools, the parking lot. So much tipping the “pro” side of the ledger that it sounds like someone is going to bite on a good opportunity. My own internal “yebbit” was calling out. Gravois isn’t a walking block. Is the clientele from the

nearby NexCore co-working space enough to provide a base of regulars? Can a bar so decorated in, quite literally, beechwood provide a more relaxed feel? Sometimes you can’t help but have “yebbit” in your brain. It’s a St. Louis thing, doncha know?

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Blessed be the young, but there was a time when the Grove wasn’t the Grove. Your time travel machine doesn’t need to go back much further than the turn of the century, or more specifically, the arrival of Atomic Cowboy. Once it arrived, an opening up of the street’s underground bar culture began in earnest. The LGBTQ bars — which once existed amidst empty storefronts, social service agencies and light industry —

Fat Richies is now the home bar for the tavern’s homeowners. challenge your average white-tablecloth eatery. Add in the cheap drinks, and it was enough to make it a destination bar for a while, a classic St. Louis tavern that called it a day before some regulars were ready to let it go. These days it sits in amber. Another bar nearby has control, and within the ne t fi e years, it’ll be transitioned into a concept far different from Bob & Patti’s. For those of us on the search, though, there’s no reason not to cry a tear, maybe two, on every pass. Speaking of past RFT stories ...

Bob & Patti’s No Wake Zone on South Broadway was a great bar while it lasted. started getting new neighbors, bolstered streetscapes, enhanced nearby housing and a big old sign across the middle of the street. A piece of well-intentioned wisdom often offered when looking for a space is this: “Find the next upcoming area.” There’s sense in that, but every developer worth their salt is on the same hunt, and there can be wide differences of opinion regarding “what’s next.” A couple of years back, in fact, this writer and publication took a stab at exactly that kind of sleuthing, with a February 2017 piece titled “Could a Long-Neglected Stretch of South Broadway Become St. Louis’ Next Nightlife Zone?” With three years in the boo s, an affirmati e isn’t there yet. Since publication, Kickers Corner ceased operations, and a

bar alternately called Fro’s and Crossbones has re-opened, closed again, re-reopened and closed. Other bars in the neighborhood never found an exact way to combine efforts or bring a zone-wide approach to labeling, understandable in some respects, what with a quirky mix of LGBTQ, biker, blue collar and hipster outlets. That said, the potential still feels like it’s there. An example: A Budweiser sign hangs on the southwest corner of South Broadway and Loughborough. A boarded-up building of some size suggests that a bar held this corner once, and so it did. Bob & Patti’s No Wake Zone was there in the earliest days of the 2000s, and it was a great bar. A bit of a fishing theme. multi storefront oorplan. nd, interestingly enough, a cleanliness that would

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE

Nearly a dozen years ago, in December 2008, the RFT’s Chad Garrison wrote a cover piece, “Alton onfidential, about the bars of Alton, Illinois, in which the author quietly patronized the bars there, detailing the wild-and-woolly vibe of taverns in that river town during a ery specific and transitioning) moment in time. In some respects, that story glimpsed the last days of a certain type of bawdy bar entertainment, highlighted by the age-old “tits for tips” strategy of a specific type of mi ologist. Today, some of the story’s details hold up, as you can still openly smoke in many a bar after being asked if you’d like the poor man’s ashtray: a plastic cup with a quarter fill of water. The days of a house full of braying jackasses encouraging a bartender to ash ’em for dollar bills is essentially a thing of the past,

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though you can still find an occasional burst of it at a particular pub or two. Alton’s bar scene is still full of quirks and surprises. But it’s not as if that was a trend ever limited to one town on one side of the river. In south city, you find the same unicorns, especially in the isolated, tucked-away-inneighborhood-type bar situations. t was a surprise to recently find a place (which we’ll call the maybemaybe-not-for-sale Bar X) that had both on- and off-duty bartenders ashing with abandon in the middle of the day, in a barroom with major windows and lights turned all the way up. Even through the haze of smoke, the impromptu show was visible from any angle and only began after it was cleared that a new visitor wasn’t a cop. Speaking of legalities ... that smoking component? Despite the city ordinance nixing indoor smoking in most venues, there’s no adherence to the rules in a large swath of the south side’s laidback watering holes. An example (which we’ll call the also-maybe-for-lease Bar W): Ten of the bar’s eleven patrons were actively smoking during the span of a one-Budweiser visit. The culture of a particular bar is a ery specific thing. re there sports on the TV, and do people care about said sports, or are they simply an expected social lubricant? Is there a patio that needs tending, lest it be overrun by the wacky tobaccy crowd? Is there a jukebox, because at some point in time, there’s going to be a six-song run of “Who Let the Dogs Out?” in all your customers’ ears. (True story.) Are you going to be the one bar in south city with ashing staff

AN EMPTY CUP

Just west of the intersection of Bates Street and Virginia Avenue sits a small, single-room bar called the Tin Cup, which as the name indicates, has a theme that’s evidently (but only lightly) tied to golf. It was recently for sale at a very reasonable price, settling in at roughly $130,000. The property is neat and trim, with an ample second oor apartment, a staple of south-city bars and an income stream that immediately reduces the bar’s need to produce at peak. Behind a wooden fence sits a patio that, if located in Soulard, would be filled and profitable for a good seven months of the year. But the bar is not located in Soulard. Instead, it’s in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, a quirky area that’s in need of a generalized sense of marketing and enthusiasm. And, perhaps, some anchor, destination tenants. One was located near the

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A for-sale sign hangs at South Broadway’s old The Foundry Pub.

BAR BONES

Continued from pg 15

Tin Cup, when the Iron Barley was open within 50 yards of the front door. When that operation moved to High Ridge, a palpable sense of energy left the block. That leaves the Tin Cup by itself, a functional space that caters to a specific type of drinker. There are days when the TV is on and the patrons aren’t focused on it. When they do, it’s to comment on the news, with social conversation that tends toward the, erm, conservative. The customers also seem to spend a good amount of their day watching the comings and goings of the gas station next door, which provides for a lot of commentary; the reputation of the place, home to occasional shooting or civil disturbance, gives some validity to the daily, live-time viewing. The dual doors at the front of the building, which you sort of shimmy through, lead to a buzzer, a feature that is found in several bars through this part of town. It’s a time capsule of

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sorts, though it’s hard to peg the exact date that time stopped here. The Tin Cup was seemingly sold during the process. It was a true turnkey. But its buzzer shall belong to another.

PEAK CURATION

It’s no knock on the new Grove enterprise, but Takashima Records might be the most curated to arrive on the local scene in a minute. The look ’n’ feel, the centrality of vinyl albums to the same, the affiliated record label, the notion that cooks and DJs and bartenders would be actively collaborating on shift — well, it’s a lot to take in. In south city, there are bars that haven’t changed much since the day they were opened, with decorations measured in the decade. If you have a plastic Spuds McKenzie, you treasure it. You don’t even dream of selling it, not even if someone’s waving a mini-stack of fi e bills around. f you ha e a scrolling Miller Lite sign, the imagery of cities and deserts slowly turning into infinity, you eep it, too. If you have a lava lamp under

serves some more dancers.

NEED GOOD IDEAS? NO NEED TO ASK

The Outpost on South Jefferson is being outfitted with antiques and taxidermy.

South city bars include years of untouched history, but they’re still products of curation. an eighth-inch of dust, but it’s serving that purpose, you keep it. Every bar is a product of curation, even those tucked away behind locked doors in strange pockets of town. The Round House, a bar not far from the Beechwood, is an example of that. It’s got a simple interior, last updated, one would guess, around the turn of the century. For years, the Round House sat vacant, newspapers lining the street-facing windows. To see listings with photos of the interior, to actually see the pen sign ipped, are real mindbenders. What’s next is figuring out if you should change any of that or let it ride. The drinks you serve (or “beverage program” if you must) is another component of all this curation. Plenty of south side spots exist with AB products as the bedrock of their offerings, with options like Blue Moon and Sam

Adams as their wildest craft outliers. ut is it possible to ip on the lights under new ownership these days without a decent draft selection, without at least a half-dozen local options? Perhaps in the real tucked-away spots you could rock that AB for the rest of the bar’s life, but there’s a serious (and positive) pressure to up the game in craft beers (and spirits and mixers, for that matter). I nearly worked for a bar that started out as a Gen X hunting lodge and became a sports/burger bar along the way. Becaus everything — everything! — is about curation.

A GRAVOIS ADVENTURE

You could drive by Tim’s Chrome Bar a thousand times, spotting that big, mostly lit neon across the street from the Bevo Mill. And in all those trips you might not realize that the bar is part of a com-

plex, as Tim’s is just a portion of a larger building that contains three storefronts and eight pensioner apartments upstairs. The restaurant next door, a Bosnian bakery/cafe called Stari Grad for more than twenty years, ties directly into Tim’s through a door that’s only secret due to the bar’s general darkness. It’s fascinating to talk shop with the bar’s namesake, Tim Pappas. He has owned the place for more than 40 years, renting out those fascinating spaces upstairs for all that time, as well as running the bar through many years of boom and a few of less than that. He’s got a new tenant coming into one of the storefronts, and another one, though not open to the public, is “full of stuff,” he says, so there is income being generated by the complex, even as the bar has been reduced to mostly weekend hours. These days, the bar is not actively for sale, in that there is no sign in the window. But if someone had the cash, the space would be very much available. Walking through the room, the appeals are many: the coat check room, the shapely pinups etched onto the bandstand’s mirrors, the centrali ed dance oor and the bac bar which feels 100 feet long. To think: all of this, plus two rentable storefronts and all those apartments upstairs! The guess, though, is that the space is going to need some refresh. And as someone who struggles to meet hammer with nail, a fi er upper seems li e a challenge for another, smarter individual. Tim’s won’t be Tom’s, not now. shame, ’cu that dance oor de-

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Here’s some real talk. If you mention something like, “I’d like to open a bar in south St. Louis,” you’ll soon find yourself in contact with everyone you’ve met in your life. From single-serve opinions to those that recur again and again, here’re some things heard, learned and appreciated. Bosnian Bars For Sale Showcase a Lot of Stone, Tile, Mirrors and Glass: That’s all. It’s true. Their Patrons Also Really Love Tobacco: Also true. An Empty Room is Not a Bar: People care about their neighborhoods for a number of reasons and want to see all the empty rooms wind up in use. Makes sense. Sometimes, though, well-intentioned folks send along sleeper picks that are thousands of dollars away from occupancy, let alone a functional business. As always, it’s the thought that counts. But that white box? It ain’t a bar. Or that old bakery? That ain’t a bar, either. You’d Walk in Another Town: You’re in Boston, New Orleans, Portland, any town with a lively nightlife. In those places, you’d walk a block, two, ten between spots you wish to hit. In St. Louis, if you can’t park within eyesight of the front door, it’s game over. We’ve got the parking sickness, people. There are totally functional spots that suffer from one issue, a lack of parking, and that’s gotta be considered. So You’re Saying There’s a Chance?: Nothing throws a wrench in the works like the bar owner who is sitting on the perfect turnaround candidate but isn’t quite ready to sell (and may never be) but who wishes to engage in the irtation. ome bac after ta day” can be a phrase that rolls around your head when there’s a drowsy bar to awaken. Sometimes you’d rather just hear “no.” Build It and They Will Come: There’s a space in town for a bar that serves only local products, down to the rail spirits, which are available. There’s a want for another lesbian bar on the south side, if multiple bits of feedback are to be believed. There’s already a moviethemed bar on the horizon. Lots of folks offer a pinch of karaoke or a hint of comedy. Could something devoted to seven nights a week of either exist south of 44? And here’s a money-maker that any of you can run with: a bar tied to Chicago and University of Illinois sports teams, catering to the numerous expats from that world. There’s my offering to the world, supported by absolutely no dollars. The way all good ideas tend to be presented. n

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CALENDAR

BY PAUL FRISWOLD Pembroke’s Arcadia into a modern story of gender politics, identity and the need to progress from the old ways to the new. New Line Theatre presents Head Over Heels at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (March 5 to 28) at the Marcelle Theatre (3310 Samuel Shepard Drive; www.newlinetheatre.com). Tickets are $20 to $30.

THURSDAY 03/05 California Scheming Scott Phillips has written a slew of tough-guy crime novels that feature desperate characters involved in some greasy business. Douglas Rigby is his latest antihero, a financially and morally bankrupt attorney who just lost almost a quarter-million dollars on a coke deal gone belly-up. Rigby’s next swing for the fences is art forgery, and all he has to do is keep his hand-picked forger, his girlfriend, the painting owner’s nurse and a couple of other people from screwing it all up. That Left Turn at Albuquerque is laced with black humor, violence and middlemen, all crowded together under the dying sun of Southern California. Phillips reads from and signs copies of his book as part of the old Noir at the Bar series. Festivities start at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5, at Meshuggah Café (6269 Delmar Boulevard, University City; www. subbooks.com). Admission is free, and copies of Phillips’ book will be available to purchase.

FRIDAY 03/06 Piecemeal Play In 2015, the Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble produced a sensational production of Liz Duffy Adams’ Or, a Restoration comedy/thriller with actual Resto-

SATURDAY 03/07 ’Scope the Walls

Floral designer Maurice Harris will speak at Art in Bloom. | COURTESY OF SAINT LOUIS ART MUSEUM ration playwright/spy Aphra Behn as a character. Behn was a pioneering woman who wrote, loved freely and gave men as good as she got. In her memory, SATE began the Aphra Behn Festival, a showcase of new short plays written, directed, acted, designed, costumed and photographed by women. This year, the company switches gears and instead presents selected scenes from The Rover, Behn’s most enduring play (it was so popular in her lifetime she wrote a sequel).

The artists participating in the 2020 Aphra Behn Festival. | JOEY RUMPELL PHOTOGRAPHY

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Set in Naples during Carnival, the play charts the romantic adventures between a group of English cavaliers and various Neapolitan women. The show starts at 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday (March 6 to 8) at the Centene Center for the Arts (3547 Olive Street; www. slightlyoff.org). Tickets are $15.

Go? Go. King Basilius has been given an ominous four-part prophecy that comes with dire consequences; if all four parts are fulfilled, the ingdom will lose the famous “beat” that maintains its health and fortune. As if he didn’t have enough problems. His oldest daughter, Pamela, is incredibly beautiful but will not select a husband from her many suitors. Basilius’ younger daughter Philoclea is in love with her childhood friend Musidorus, a shepherd with no real prospects. If all of this seems like strange source material for a musical, you’d be right; but throw in the songs and music of the Go-Go’s and you’re on to something. Jeff Whitty and James Magruder’s Head Over Heels loosely adapts the sixteenthcentury novel The Countess of

Artscope’s largest fundraiser of the year is Wall Ball, which helps the arts education organization continue to provide a creative outlet for kids. Wall Ball gathers together local artists such as Maribel Ramirez, Chauncey Gholston, Cbabi Bayoc and Dr. Amber Johnson for an evening of creation and libations. The artists handle the creation, as each one makes a new work of art during the evening, with patrons placing silent bids as the piece approaches completion. The libations (soda, beer and wine) are included in the $60 to $70 ticket price, and there’s a cash bar for the cocktail crowd. You get drinks and a new artwork for your walls, and the kids get to pursue their artistic dreams — everybody wins. Wall Ball takes place from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Third Degree Glass Factory (5200 Delmar Boulevard; www.artscopestl.org/wall-ball).

In Full Bloom The Saint Louis Art Museum (1 Fine Arts Drive; www.slam.org) once again welcomes the impending spring with Art in Bloom, its annual celebration of owers and fine art. his riday, aturday and Sunday (March 6 to 8) is packed with seminars, lectures, happy hours and presentations by oral experts and enthusiasts from across the globe. n ugar owers and the Artistry of the Dutch Old Masters, Amsterdam-based designer Natasja Sadi will demonstrate how she creates sustainable, lifeli e sugar owers and then arranges them with actual owers in the style of Dutch still-life painting. A trio of local experts — Cindy O’Hare, La’Crassia Wilderness and

WEEK OF MARCH 5-11 Lisa Govro — will discuss innovati e ways to use owers in your e eryday life, and t. ouis orist Jessica Douglass offers advice on creating hyperlocal arrangements of blooms and weeds. In addition to the seminars, the galleries of the museum will feature pairings of paintings with oral arrangements crafted by many of the city’s finest botanical artisans. eneral admission is free, but seminars require a moderate fee.

SUNDAY 03/08 Horse Opera The California Gold Rush of 1849 is in full swing, and the tired and thirsty miners all congregate at the Polka Saloon at the end of the day. The owner, Minnie, reads to the men from her Bible and fends off the advances of various lovestruck miners. But when Dick Johnson, late of Sacramento, enters the Polka, she feels as if he’s a man she could love. Unfortunately for everyone, Dick is really

The cast of Head Over Heels. | JILL RITTER LINDBERG Ramerrez, a bandit currently being hunted by Sheriff Rance (who also wants Minnie for his own). There’s gold in them thar hills, and also in Giacomo Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the West). The opera eschews Puccini’s usual showstopping arias

for a more melodically complete score than his earlier works. Now rarely produced, Winter Opera St. Louis presents La Fanciulla del West in Italian (with English supertitles) at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday (March 6 and 8) at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts (425 South Lindbergh Boulevard; www.winteroperastl.org). Tickets are $35 to $55.

MONDAY 03/09 Family Ties

A baby brings together an unconventional family in Tokyo Godfathers. | COURTESY OF FATHOM EVENTS

n first glance, atoshi on’s anime Tokyo Godfathers is an unlikely Christmas movie. Three homeless people find a baby girl in the trash on Christmas Eve. Gin is an old drunk, Hana is a former drag queen and Miyuki is a teenager. Together, the trio track down the child’s mother, which leads to entanglements with mobsters and assassins. Along the way, they’re each forced to confront something from their pasts. There’s some pain, some humor and some excitement before the night is through, and by the end these very normal people are shown to be exceptional human beings. Together, they’re a family, which is what Christmas is all about. Tokyo Godfathers has a wealth of detail buried in its backgrounds, which ma es it one of those films worth seeing on the largest screen you can find. athom ents pres-

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ents a nationwide showing of the recently restored film at p.m. Monday and Wednesday (March 9 and 11). Monday’s version is subtitled, and Wednesday’s is dubbed into English. Catch it at Marcus Ronnies 20 Cine (5320 South Lindbergh Boulevard; www.fathomevents.com); tickets are $13.47.

WEDNESDAY 03/11 High School Hockey Champs at Enterprise It’s March, and we’re quickly running out of hockey (barring another long post-season for the Blues, of course). If you want to double up on games while the gettin’ is good, the Mid States Hockey Tournament offers a double header of high school hoc ey. he semifinals are still underway at the time of writing, but in the Wickenheiser Cup game you’ll watch the winner of the game between Westminster and Oakville play the winner of the Fox vs. Duschene game at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. Following that game, the winner of Kirkwood vs. CBC takes on the eventual victor of Vianney and Lafayette tilt for the Challenge Cup. Both games are played at the Enterprise Center (1401 Clark Avenue; www.enterprisecenter.com). Tickets for both games are $9. n

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FILM

[REVIEW]

Subtle, but Rich Michael Winterbottom’s Greed is a subdued assault on rapacious capitalism Written by

ROBERT HUNT Greed Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Written by Michael Winterbottom and Sean Gray. Starring Steve Coogan, Isla Fisher, Shirley Henderson and David Mitchell. Opens Friday, March 6, at the Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

espite having made more than feature films, ritish director ichael interbottom is an elusi e figure, wandering through genres with the same open-minded resol e seen in so many of his characters. e’s made period films (Jude, The Claim , war mo ies (Welcome to Sarajevo , art house porno (9 Songs , pop biographies (24 Hour Party People , political documentaries (The Shock Doctrine, The Emperor’s New Clothes , an inspired e ploration of a barely filmable literary classic Tristram Shandy and, perhaps most notably, the comedy erit series The Trip, in which te e oogan and ob rydon amble through urope e ploring fi e star meals, celebrity impressions and their own in ated images. n all of them, interbottom is a personally in ested yet almost passi e obser er, a polymathic chameleon ta ing notes and uggling ideas. Greed, interbottom’s se enth film with oogan, is a dry, strangely une en satire, a film so determinedly understated that much of its comic points are deli ered almost subliminally. oogan plays ir ichard c readie, a billionaire fashion mogul described as a self made man who worships his creator. he character is loosely based on ir hilip reen, a ritish businessman notorious for boorish beha ior, a string of ban ruptcies and accusations of se ual assault. c readie’s life of pri ilege and

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Steve Coogan is an abrasive billionaire in Greed. | SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Greed is a dry, strangely uneven satire, a film so determinedly understated that much of its comic points are delivered almost subliminally. a arice is presented in ashbac s as he prepares for his 60th birthday party, an opulent orgy of self indulgence on a ree sland, complete with celebrity guests or their loo ali es and re enactments of scenes from Gladiator. lso in tow are his family, e wife, a battalion of ser ants and itchen staff, his reluctant and slightly guilt ridden biographer played with comic aw wardness by comedian a id itchell , and, to his great chagrin, a camp of yrian refugees on the adacent public beach. t’s not me, he insists when he tries to get them remo ed. t’s my guests. ome of them are ery superficial. Though Greed is loaded perhaps e en o erloaded with subplots and secondary characters employees at c readie’s sian factories, a lion handler, a reality

show crew , the film is almost too subdued for its own good. oogan is wonderfully appalling he can play repugnantly arrogant creatures li e this in his sleep but much of the humor is shaped in the off handed style of The Trip series. here’s an awful lot going on, but much of it seems to be passing by in the bac ground. e see c readie’s unremittingly awful beha ior, but e erything else becomes a blur. ut somehow, it wor s, mostly, and more in retrospect than while you’re actually watching it. fter a genuinely shoc ing plot twist ery close to the end, interbottom starts to pull the disparate plot lines and narrati e debris together. lthough oogan’s character is broad and abrasi e, interbottom’s ultimate goal is more subtle, a satirical assault on unbridled capitalism, softly spo en. Greed is in some ways an e ercise in misdirection, a brash cartoon with a hidden argument in the manner of dam c ay’s politicized comedies (think The Other Guys rather than Vice . t’s easy to laugh at the crass e tra agances of the selfish class as they light cigars with hundred dollar bills or sit in executive mansions assembling their boards of toadies, but interbottom loo s past that to remind us of the implications of their behavior. Greed makes a worthwhile point about our current era of economic piracy, e en if it stumbles and meanders before getting it out. n

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Housed in a retro service station, J. Smugs GastroPit serves up barbecue that can fuel anyone’s fire. Married teams of Joe and Kerri Smugala and John and Linda Smugala have brought charred goodness to the Hill neighborhood, nestled among the traditional Italian restaurants, sandwich shops and bakeries. Part of St. Louis’ ongoing barbecue boom, the J. Smugs’ pit menu is compact but done right. Ribs are the main attraction, made with a spicy dry rub and smoked to perfection. Pulled pork, brisket, turkey and chicken are also in the pit holding up well on their own, but squeeze bottles of six tasty sauces of varying style are nearby for extra punch. Delicious standard sides and salads are available, but plan on ordering an appetizer or two J. Smugs gives this course a twist with street corn and pulled-pork poutine. Several desserts are available, including cannoli – a tasty nod to the neighborhood. Happy hour from 4 to 7pm on weekdays showcases halfdollar BBQ tastes, discount drinks, and $6 craft beer flights to soothe any beer aficionado.

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MARCH 4-10, 2020

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314.888.8688 9616 OLIVE BLVD OLIVETTE, MO 63132 The Kickin’ Crab has joined the Crustacean Nation and is here to satisfy your taste sensation. The Kickin’ Crab is a fun-filled Cajun seafood destination where patrons come and escape into flavor paradise. Offering a distinct ambiance to enjoy the finest and freshest Cajun seafood around! Kickin’ Crab is a great place to hang out with friends, family, or both! No plates... no utensils! Just your hands, a bib, and our unique and absolutely irresistible KC sauces - a combination of spicy, sweet and tangy flavors - over freshly prepared seafood that will give your taste buds satisfaction unlike anything else you’ve ever tasted. Join us and partake in the festivities and quality of seafood that The Kickin’ Crab has to offer.

CAFE

A selection of items from Winslow’s Table, pictured from left to right, top to bottom: grain salad, Winslow’s pancakes, baked goods, shakshuka and chicken and dumplings. | MABEL SUEN

[REVIEW]

Turning Tables Winslow’s Table is a sweet neighborhood restaurant with subtle echoes of the past Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Winslow’s Table 7213 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314725-7559. Tues.-Sat. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (Closed Mondays.)

he first step to en oying the chic en and dumplings at inslow’s able besides simply digging your for into the bowl and surrendering to how wonderful they are is to put aside any preconcei ed

notions about what chic en and dumplings should be. nstead of a stic to the ribs, hearty comfort classic, chef i chael allina’s ersion is down right delicate. arisian gnocchi, so delicate it’s li e eating a our thic ened cloud, is so light it oats to the top of the diaphanous chic en broth. he dumplings compete for space with a gener ous portion of carrots, celery root and turnips, coo ed but still firm, and hun s of tender chic en. he dish also features ourishes you li ely wouldn’t find in a grand mother’s country itchen er dant fresh herbs are strategically placed atop the concoction. heir ibrant green, combined with the colorful carrots, ma e the dish loo as much li e a piece of art as a source of nourishment. hese chic en and dumplings are wonderful, delicate yet pow erfully a orful and e ecuted awlessly. hey are also, most li ely, completely different from other ersions you’ e had. ot bad. ctually, uite good.

ust different. f you first e perienced the res taurant at elmar oule ard as inslow’s able, you might not reali e that this sentiment can be applied to much bigger things than chic en and dumplings. rior to ichael and ara allina ta ing o er the place last summer, the space operated as inslow’s ome, a belo ed neighborhood institution that boasted a farm to table sentiment, a cute general store and a fiercely loyal follow ing, with some guests patroni ing the place almost daily o er the course of its ele en year run. t’s no surprise, then, that when the allinas announced their plans to buy it from longtime owner nn heehan ipton, there was a great deal of apprehension and in some cases, downright suspicion on the part of that contingent of regulars. lthough many recogni ed that change was ine itable, perhaps e en needed, any change would be difficult no matter who was bringing it about. he allinas understood this. n

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fact, the restaurant’s relationship to the neighborhood was one of the things that appealed to them. s inslow’s ome patrons them sel es, they were always charmed by the place and lo ed its affilia tion with ipton’s other enture, inslow’s arm. er the course of wor ing with the farm at their acclaimed restaurant icia, the allinas got to now ipton well enough that when there were whispers about her wanting to sell the place, they figured they could approach her about it. t turns out, she approached them first. uring a casual lunch meeting, the con ersation uic ly switched from would you be in terested to s etching out the details about how ipton would transition the business from her self to the allinas. rom ipton’s perspecti e, the arrangement would allow her to place her be lo ed business in the hands of people she trusted to be good stewards. or the allinas, it was the chance to present their food

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

THIS WEEK THE GROVE SELECTED HAPPENINGS

Day or night, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

2 244 R RI RVI IVEVERERFRRF FRORONONTNT TT IT TMI IMEMES ES S MF EJAMUBRNARCREUHCA2HR104Y-4-22- 6180,0-, ,M220A20R1018C28 0H r5ri,rivvi e2ver0erf1rfrrf8oronontntrttti tivmmiemeersefs.rs.coc. ocnomotmtmi m e s . c o m

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

VARIETY NIGHT FT. PHILLIP RUSSO 8:30 PM AT THE GRAMOPHONE

FRESH PRODUCE BEAT BATTLE 9 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

MY FRIEND CHUCK $20, 7 PM AT THE READY ROOM

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

MIKE JUDY PRESENTS WE CAME AS ROMANS, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, GIDEON, DAYSEEKER $25, 6 PM AT THE READY ROOM

MOM'S KITCHEN $10, 10 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

UPLATE WITH DOCU AND FRIENDS $8, 10:15 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

fri mar 6 mom’s kitchen

sat mar 7 caroline kole w/ Paige Alyssa + Katie MAC

tue mar 10 vintage pistol w/ dr. slappenstein

sat mar 21

jake’s leg wed mar 25 rhett price hiphop violinist

fri mar 27 mo roots pre-party with spillie nelson, clusterpluck and scrambled

sat mar 28 blackwater 64 and borrowed sparks with guests jailbox & justin kaleb driggers

FREE SHUTTLE TO #DRAGPROTEST

KRISH MOHAN

MIKE JUDY PRESENTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 12

8:30 AM AT JUST JOHN

$12, 8:15 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

FIT FOR A KING, CHELSEA GRIN, CRYSTAL LAKE, ALPHA WOLF

CHRISTIAN FRENCH

ANDREW & THE DOLLS ALBUM RELEASE PARTY $10, 7 PM AT THE READY ROOM

CAROLINE KOLE AT THE BOOTLEG

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

OPEN MIC NIGHT 8 PM AT HANDLEBAR

$22, 6 PM AT THE READY ROOM

VINTAGE PISTOL W/ DR. SLAPPENSTEIN

8 PM AT THE READY ROOM

FRIDAY, MARCH 13

MIKE JUDY PRESENTS

$10, 7 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

MONDAY, MARCH 9

$10, 8 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

GASOLINE ALBUM RELEASE PARTY

IMPROV SHOP OPEN MICROPHONE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11

7 PM AT THE READY ROOM

8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

COMEDY SHOWCASE PRESENTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 10

HARRY POTTER TRIVIA NIGHT

THE WONDER YEARS, FREE THROW, SPANISH LOVE SONGS, POOL KIDS $25, 6 PM AT THE READY ROOM

7 PM AT TROPICAL LIQUEURS

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

MARCH 4-10, 2020

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WINSLOW’S TABLE Continued from pg 23

and ser ice sensibilities in a more approachable setting, something they’d been thin ing about doing for some time. t was a win for both. onsidering inslow’s ome’s reputation as a neighborhood spot, the allinas new that they had to tread ery lightly when it came to change. rom the outset, they made it clear that they in tended to honor the restaurant’s legacy while staying true to their own point of iew. ortunately, these two elements were not in con ict, though inslow’s able is indeed a different restaurant than its predecessor. he aesthetic changes are im mediately e ident. hen the al linas too o er the restaurant, the interior was painted white con trary to popular belief, the wood wor had already been painted under the pre ious ownership and had a si able retail space and wal up pastry counter and coffee bar. he latter two elements re main unchanged, but that’s where the similarities end. one are the itchen gadget and boo lined shel es, filled now with a three dimensional, ceramic installation of a rooster, hen and two chic s surrounded by stal s of wheat. o the casual obser er, it might seem li e an ob ious reference to the restaurant’s farm to table commitment. or the allinas, howe er, it’s much more personal. hen the pair first returned to ichael’s home town of t. ouis four and a half years ago, they established a pop up series called ooster and the

Baked goods include a brownie, Winslow’s bar, goat cheese cookie, lemon bar and chocolate-chip cookie. | MABEL SUEN en. he two little chic s repre sent their daughter and the little one they ha e on the way. he remainder of the shel es remain bare, sa e for a few spare be erage glasses. t’s a star con trast to the former occupants’ nic nac y ibe. o warm up the space, the allinas chose a deep grey blue almost na y which adds some depth. hey also added a small waiting area near the front door, which is helpful for one of the biggest changes inslow’s able is now a full ser ice restaurant for brea fast, lunch and dinner, as opposed to the counter ser ice model the pre ious iteration employed during daytime hours. eser ations are a ailable for dinner for brea fast and lunch, the restaurant man ages its sometimes lengthy waits

through elp’s waitlist. i e the aesthetics, inslow’s able’s menu, at least during the daytime, is a blend of old fa or ites with new dishes that ha e the allinas’ uni ue thumbprint on them. he inslow’s panca es, for instance, remain unchanged why would anyone mess with these malty, uffy wonders, co ered in tart preser ed blueberries and ser ed with a side of simple whipped butter hey are the la tonic form of the brea fast classic. or their brea fast sandwich, the allinas offer a nife and for biscuit ersion, stac ed with shoc ingly tender sha ed ham, a fried egg and molten gruyere cheese sauce. he richness of these components is punctuated by rustic grain mustard, a wel come, balancing touch. t’s hard to

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decide which is the plate’s show stopper, though the sandwich it self or the outstanding seasoned brea fast potatoes which magi cally e ist in a suspended state be tween crispy fried and soft. ha shu a, the orth fri can egg topped tomato stew, is a welcome addition to the menu. omatoes and peppers are sim mered with herbs and harissa, a mouthwatering concoction made decadent with poached eggs and a sprin le of feta cheese. our dough pita is ser ed for scoop ing up e ery last morsel of this ibrant dish. unch retains some inslow’s able fa orites, with twea s a beet salad smartly paired with earthy tahini, a braised bris et sandwich updated with mouth puc ering horseradish, pic led

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banana peppers and cabbage. owe er, most of the menu draws inspiration from icia’s former lunch offerings. double dec er grilled cheese pairs ched dar, gruyere and pro olone with ichael’s signature herb pesto the a ors are outstanding, but wanted more decadence. he grain salad is on its way to becoming a new classic, and it’s easy to see why. heatberries and farro pro ide a base for sweet potatoes, butternut s uash, ale and shiita es. uscious ricotta and green goddess dressing fin ish a dish that feels both healthful and indulgent. ecause inslow’s ome had stopped its dinner ser ice by the time the allinas too o er, the couple had a blan slate to put their own stamp on the menu. ou see elements of icia but done in the fashion of a ednesday night restaurant rather than a special occasion one. oasted carrots glis ten with a tangy hot honey gla e, their snappy te ture underscored with crunch from crispy pepitas. dollop of ricotta sits atop the dish when mi ed in, it transforms the cold dish into something e oca ti e of an elegant potato salad. uscious por rillette is li e a deeply sa ory porcine butter, its richness contrasted with the accompanying raspberry am. pread atop a slice of toasted por ridge bread, it’s a magnificent sweet and sa ory treat, though the bread ser ice at inslow’s a ble is so wonderful it shines e en with humbler trimmings. sim ple order of sourdough, ser ed with erdant herb pesto, butter and garlic whipped to the te ture of sil , is e ually satisfying. inslow’s able offers a selec tion of s ewers ser ed alongside a choice of arious grains. hic en thighs are simple but well e ecuted the crispy s in, its most prominent seasoning the deli cious bitter char from the grill, encases the plump, uicy meat. e paired this with a side of gruyere russels sprouts polenta that was topped with a poached egg. hen mi ed together, the egg’s yol and soft white combined with the rich polenta to ma e a positi ely deca dent concoction. he scallops are another stand out. i e the chic en thighs, the shellfish are minimally seasoned to allow for their delicate, sweet a or to shine through. ere, the grill a or wor ed particularly well the effect e o ed a beach front barbecue. aired with the grain salad that was so da ling on the lunch menu, the dish was light but wholly satisfying.

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he e ening’s standout, howe er, is the crab omelet. shoc ing amount of sweet aine pee ytoe crab meat is folded into a aw lessly coo ed rench style omelet that is soft, buttery and slightly undone in the center. his allows the eggs and crabmeat to soa into one another, forming a mag nificent filling that is then dipped into the accompanying small pool of cr me fraiche. ome simple fine herbs punctuate the richness for a ourish that ma es you feel as if you are in a arisian bistro. f you only come into inslow’s able for the pastries, you might not reali e that anything has changed. he allinas were able to retain se eral employees with nowledge of the predecessor’s ba ery side of the operation, so loyalists can rest assured that the belo ed inslow’s ar remains a glorious layer of shortbread, caramel and chocolate e oca ti e of a brownie si ed wi bar. he blondie is still soft on the in side, crispy around the edge and liberally studded with macada mias and white chocolate. nd that chocolate chip coo ie t’s as brown sugary, chocolate filled and sea salt gilded as e er. a ed goods aside, there’s no uestion that inslow’s able is a astly different establishment than its predecessor. he biggest change, one that is a culmination of many little details, is that it’s gone from a neighborhood gather ing place to a neighborhood restau rant. his isn’t an intentional ibe put out by the allinas or anyone on staff. f anything, they are gra cious hosts, as are their daytime ser ers bony, in particular, is among the warmest in the busi ness. he fact is, seating real estate seems more precious at a sit down establishment. t no longer seems to grab a cup of coffee and a scone and ta e up a table for three hours. dd to this the missing re tail component, which ga e the old place a sweet, uir y ibe li e you were hanging out in someone’s smartly decorated house, and it ust feels li e a restaurant. nd that’s not a bad thing. hange is ine itable. n this case, it was imminent whether the al linas too it o er or not. suspect that, once the shoc of change wears off, the old guard will see inslow’s able for what it is a sweet neighborhood restaurant with subtle echoes of the past, that is great in its own right.

Winslow’s Table Buttermilk biscuit sandwich .................... $12 Grain salad ................................................ $12 Chicken and dumplings ............................ $18

SHORT ORDERS

[SIDE DISH]

For Stephan Ledbetter, Re-Voaked Sandwiches Is a Dream Come True Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

tephan Ledbetter does not hesitate when asked about the spark that ignited his passion for cooking. “It was my great-grandma,” Ledbetter says. “I spent a lot of time with her as a young kid, and she was always cooking for us. Thanksgivings were always our favorite holidays because she’d cook for ten hours, and then when everyone was sitting down to eat, she’d be sitting off to the side cleaning the carcass to make jus, using up every part. I’d watch her, and I just fell in love with it all.” His love of food established at an early age, Ledbetter naturally gravitated to the food business when he needed a part-time job while in school. He got hired as a dishwasher at a Country Kitchen in his rural Illinois hometown, and he was instantly drawn to the line, at first more for the mysti ue that surrounded the cooks than for the actual cooking. “I’d watch the cooks eat their food and hand me their plates — they were living the cook’s life in our town,” Ledbetter recalls. “I thought, ‘Oh man. I need to get out from behind this dish pit and start cooking.’” It didn’t take long for Ledbetter to get that opportunity uic ly, he moved up to a cook’s position and worked at Country Kitchen until it closed about a year later. In need of another job, he found position with a new restaurant that was

Stephan Ledbetter is chef-owner of Re-Voaked Sandwiches. | ANDY PAULISSEN getting ready to open in his hometown, Robert Scott’s Grill & Cafe. The owner, Robert Scott Tedesco, had been the executive chef at Kemoll’s for several years and was loo ing to bring that fine dining touch to the town where he grew up. He hired Ledbetter as a cook, but their relationship deepened into one of mentor and mentee. It would change the course of Ledbetter’s life. “I was only sixteen or seventeen, but he showed me how to do everything like orders and costing things out, Ledbetter explains. “We cut our own steaks and made everything in-house. He kept asking me if I wanted to do this for a living or do something else, and I kept telling him something else. But I think he knew.” That “something else” was a degree in psychology and sociology. After graduating from high school, Ledbetter entered college to pursue those specialties while he continued to work for Tedes-

co at the restaurant. However, it wasn’t long before he saw in himself what Tedesco had seen in him all along: He was meant to be a chef. He left college and promptly enrolled in culinary school, determined to follow what he realized was his true path. While at L’Ecole Culinaire, Ledbetter was hired on at the Scottish Arms and worked under a few different chefs, an experience he credits with expanding his cooking and kitchen management skills. He went on to help open Layla in the Grove, then worked at the Union Station Hotel, Central Table Food Hall and with the Gamlin Restaurant Group. “I remember when I was younger, a chef told me, ‘Take some time and learn from every chef that you can,’” Ledbetter says. “That’s what I did. I learned as much as I could — everything from cooking techni ues to business s ills to planning menus. It was a great thing.”

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While he was working for Gamlin Restaurant Group, Ledbetter was presented with the opportunity to help open the now-shuttered Oaked in Soulard, and he eagerly accepted. He brought on his colleague from the Scottish Arms, Carl Hazel, in the role as his co-chef, and together, the two executed a menu of thoughtful cuisine driven by their commitment to bring out the best in each other. It was a wonderful run, but it was much shorter lived than anyone expected. The restaurant closed in just eight months, leaving Ledbetter both disappointed and unsure of his next step. “When Oaked closed, I didn’t know what I was going to do,” Ledbetter says. “I’m usually really picky about what I do and take a decent amount of time figuring it out. Then one morning, I was walking through the Central West End, drinking some coffee, and saw a ‘For Lease’ sign on a building. I

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RE-VOAKED SANDWICHES Continued from pg 29

thought, ‘This is perfect!’” Having worked in the Central West End on multiple occasions, Ledbetter was familiar with the neighborhood and also aware of what it was missing. He’d always thought that a well-executed sandwich shop could be a success in the bustling neighborhood around the area’s medical complex and felt that the Central West End needed more fast-casual options. Inspired by this idea and the prime location of the available space, he decided to take the leap. Ledbetter opened Re-Voaked Sandwiches (12 North Euclid Avenue, 314-349-9017) this past December and is thrilled to have finally reali ed his dream of owning his own business. He recogni es that the shift from fine dining to sandwiches may seem like a major one, but he doesn’t treat it that way. In fact, he believes what makes his sandwiches special is that he approaches them with the same integrity as he would an elegant plated dinner — only one that happens to be between two slices of bread. He admits that business owner-

ship has been both wonderful and a huge learning experience, crediting his girlfriend Judith, best friend Joel and his family with helping him get his dream off the ground. But it’s not just the hours, business logistics and financial considerations of owning ReVoaked that have been hard. His biggest challenge has been learning how to be a front-of-house person. “I am a back-of-house person, and this entire place is front of the house,” Ledbetter explains. “Now I have to talk to everybody. t was really difficult for me and it pushed me out of many different comfort ones. ’m doing things I’ve never done, and I was scared, and it was hard. hen you finally go out and do something for yourself, you reali e how much you don’t know. It’s like a baby you have to take care of and make sure it’s everything you want it to be. But it’s been very good.” Ledbetter recently took a break from Re-Voaked to share his thoughts on the St. Louis restaurant community, his secret candy stash and why no one’s meatloaf will ever be as good as Mom’s. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did?

his is my first time being front of house” anywhere. It’s truly a whole new learning experience, as I was accustomed to being back of house for my whole career. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? Before I leave the house, I always eat breakfast. This includes a smoothie, coffee, eggs and vitamins. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Time travel. I always think about what life would be like living in different eras. What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? I love being in the Central West End. It really has a community feel, and all the businesses around here seem to truly cheer each other on and support one another. What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see? More ghost kitchens and pop-ups. Who is your St. Louis food crush? Savage. But whose isn’t? Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene? Eugene Kolb. Which ingredient is most repre-

FOOD NEWS]

Cinder Bar to Open at the Four Seasons Written by

LIZ MILLER

ames Beard Award-winning chef Gerard Craft’s restaurant inside the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis (999 North Second Street, 314-881-5800), Cinder House, has been met with much acclaim — and now he’s adding a casual dining concept on-site. Cinder Bar will open adjacent to Cinder House on Thursday, March 5, on the eighth floor of the Four Seasons, according to a recent release. The bar and restaurant will complement the South American-inspired woodfired fare at its sister concept, which opened in August 2018, with a menu of shareable dishes developed by Craft and Cinder House chef de cuisine Josh Adams. The menu at Cinder Bar was primarily inspired by a trip Craft took to São Paulo, Brazil, last fall. “In Brazil, these little botecos are everywhere, which is a low-key bar that serves cold beer and simple food,” Craft said in the release. “You stop by after work and

RIVERFRONT TIMES

The bar and restaurant will complement the South American-inspired wood-fired fare at its sister concept, Cinder House. | COURTESY SPENCER PERNIKOFF have a beer and a few bites. I was instantly hooked. There is even a competition to see who has the best bar food in the country. I wanted to bring this experience back to Cinder Bar. I worked closely with chef Josh to enhance some of the menu

MARCH 4-10, 2020

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items and create a more authentic experience on the Cinder Bar menu.” Shareable plates at Cinder Bar include piri piri chicken wings with coconut dressing and a chile glaze, stuffed dates with bacon, chorizo and aji panca sauce,

sentative of your personality? Lemon. I can be a little bitter sometimes. If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing? I would be a delivery driver that made deliveries in an Astro van where the heat does not work and it has a fan plugged in as the A/C. Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant. They are pretty much all welcome. I cook with foods I don’t personally enjoy eating, like salmon. What is your after-work hangout? I enjoy decompressing at my house. What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure? When I was growing up, any money I had was spent on candy. To this day, I have a cabinet I try not to go into full of Oreos and Sour Patch Kids. What would be your last meal on Earth? This is a no-brainer for me: my mom’s meatloaf. It reminds me of growing up and sitting around the dinner table. I was lucky; my mom cooked dinner every night. Her meatloaf will always be my favorite. She typically served it with mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable she had. n empanadas made with a housemade corn dough and filled with braised pork shoulder, and pastels, a popular Brazilian street food, per the release. For the pastels, Craft pulled from the recipe used by his Brazilian childhood nanny, Dia, who inspired the original concept for Cinder House. The empanadas are filled with Chihuahua cheese, hearts of palm, mushrooms and shallots and served with a salsa verde. The new spot will debut with a splash on Thursday with a special happy hour from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring live music by local artist Tonina Saputo from 6 to 7 p.m. Stop in to try cocktails from bar manager Jeffrey Ward, who has developed a drink list featuring South American-inspired tipples (including N/A cocktails). Opt for classic drinks such as a caipirinha, pisco sour, lemon batida or la branca. “We want guests and locals to have the opportunity to have a tiered dining experience with us,” Craft says. “Grab a drink and a casual bite at the bar with friends, enjoy an intimate date night at Cinder House restaurant seated by the window with panoramic views of the city or enjoy a truly special experience at Dia’s Room with a limited ten-seat tasting menu.” The new spot also features an updated interior, including a refreshed shelf of globally inspired cookbooks and travel books from Craft’s collection, plus photos of his recent trip to Brazil. n

[FIRST LOOK]

Chef Tommy Andrew’s Nomad Now Open

Wednesday March 4 9PM

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players Tribute To Bob Dylan

Thursday March 5 9PM Progressive Bluegrass Supergroup

Written by

Tuttle, Pool and Greul

LIZ MILLER

hef Tommy Andrew has long been a talent in kitchens across St. Louis — and now he’s opened a fresh and exciting concept all his own. In late February, Andrew opened Nomad (1227 Tamm Avenue, 314-261-4902) inside Tamm Avenue Bar in Dogtown. As the Riverfront Times reported last fall, Bob Brazell, co-owner of Tamm and chef-owner of Byrd & Barrel, approached Andrew with the opportunity to open a concept inside the bar after Mac’s Local Eats exited last August. Opening a sandwich shop has been a longtime dream for ndrew, who first met Brazell when the two worked at the late, great Monarch. “This is what I’ve wanted to do for a long time — a sandwich shop — and I’ve been collecting e uipment o er the past couple of years, and it felt good to finally put that stuff to use after years of collecting dust in the garage,” Andrew says with a laugh. He has previously worked at a string of top spots around town, including andolfi’s, o usso’s Cucina and Cinder House, where he worked as senior sous chef until leaving to launch Nomad. The opening menu at Nomad includes a meatball sub inspired by the pork and lamb meatballs Andrew developed for Randolfi’s and aptly named the andolfi’s with marinara sauce and provolone as well as a killer housemade pastrami sandwich on marbled rye with Swiss cheese and special sauce. Andrew is also excited to debut a curry chicken salad, a recipe he says he’s “nailed down to a T,” with a housemade curry sauce and a a or that stic s with you for several minutes; it’s very powerful and delicious.” “The menu is nothing crazy — it’s familiar food done the right way, and I think that’s really important,” Andrew says. “I’ve been doing test

The pastrami sandwich with a side of potato salad. | TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS

“I’ll ask them to just try it, and they’re like, ‘Oh my god; pastrami is the best thing I’ve ever had.’ It just has to be done right, and you have to put the love into it.” runs of the food, including the pastrami sandwich, and someone will say, ‘Oh, I don’t like pastrami’ or ‘I’ve never tried pastrami,’ and I’ll ask them to just try it, and they’re like, ‘Oh my god; pastrami is the best thing I’ve ever had.’ It just has to be done right and you have to put the love into it.” ustomers can still e pect to find a burger inside Tamm, although with ndrew’s own uni ue spin. He’s making a smashed burger, yet one larger, thicker than the traditional razor-thin and frillyedged patties often associated with the style. “People love burgers, so I have to have a good burger,” Andrew says. “I’m using grass-fed beef from Price Farms in Missouri, it’s really good stuff, and Chris Bolyard at Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions has done the beef processing for me. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, just serve a really tasty burger.” Sandwiches are the stars at Nomad, but Andrew has developed a selection of starters and sides to round out the menu. Starters range from fried arancini and smoked

wings to kimchi-fried Brussels sprouts and onion dip while sides include a house potato salad, chips, fries and a pickled beet salad. Originally scheduled to debut last fall, Nomad’s extensive kitchen and dining room renovations pushed back the opening date — but the transformation has proved well worth the wait. What was once a small kitchen setup has been expanded and outfitted with new oors, updated appliances and a more comfortable wor ow for both the kitchen crew and guests. Diners now enter Nomad through the front door of the former ac’s ocal uys and ueue up in that space to help reduce crowding in the bar area. “There are now basically two kitchens,” Andrew says. “The kitchen where the orders [previously] came in is pretty much the same; I replaced some stuff like the dish machine, sink. The biggest changes came in with where Mac’s [Local Buys] was; we basically gutted it and built an order counter where you order your food, and then behind that is a little prep kitchen. It was very important that we had a separate space to prep.” Eventually Andrew hopes to add a selection of grab-and-go eats at Nomad, but for now, he says he’s ust thrilled to finally to able to share the concept with diners. He says the restaurant was named after his career journey so far, one he describes as nomadic, but now he’s found a spot where he can be settled. “I came up with the name Nomad because I’m kind of coming in here solo, doing my own thing,” Andrew says, “and as I thought about it, I’d been working over here for a couple years, then working over there and wandering for two to three years at good jobs, so it’s kind of an o ymoron a nomad has finally found his home.” n

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Friday March 6 10PM

Big Mike and the Blue City Allstars Going Away Party

Saturday March 7 10PM

Cas Haley

with Special Guest Spillie Nelson Monday March 9 9pM

The Longest Running Blues Jam in America hosted by Soulard Blues Band Wednesday March 11 9PM

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players Tribute To Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

MARCH 4-10, 2020

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Steve Ewing of Steve’s Hot Dogs, which has reopened in Tower Grove East. | SARA BANNOURA

[FOOD NEWS]

Steve’s Hot Dogs Has Reopened Written by

JENNA JONES

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11AM-10PM 8116 OLIVE BLVD. • (314) 567-9997 • WONTONKINGSTL.COM

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MARCH 4-10, 2020

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fter less than a month, our favorite top dog is back in action. News broke on February 21 that Steve’s Hot Dogs & Burgers (3457 Magnolia Avenue) would reopen its Tower Grove East location less than 30 days since closing up shop, as first reported by Sauce magazine. “It was really hard to close in the first place, so getting it back open feels great,” owner Steve Ewing says. “We’re excited to reinvigorate the business and get it back out to people.” In late January, Ewing announced plans to close after business on February 1. In the announcement, he said that he and his team “tried to stay nimble by offering delivery and implementing a number of creative promotions, but in the end, we couldn’t find a way to make the business sustainable.” During the six days between his announcement and the closure, Ewing saw lines snaking out of the shop’s door daily. During its final service, Ewing and his staff had to take a break between lunch and dinner shifts to grill up additional hot dogs to accommodate the large crowds. “When we said, ‘We’re closing, come on in and help us out,’ the support was something else,” Ewing says. “It was something I’d never seen before.”

With the help of longtime customer and angel investor Danni Eickenhorst, Ewing reopened Steve’s on February 26 for dinner service. When Ewing got that fateful call from Eickenhorst, he says he could only think of one word: “wow.” “They recognized it was a good business and it was good for our community,” Ewing says. “They saw the impact on the community. The last days we closed were insane. After we went out with a bang, they felt like we needed to come back.” Ewing hopes to keep the momentum from the last few days going through the reopening. At his first brick-andmortar store in 2011, he remembers the idea of opening with a lot of noise. He’s carrying that idea with him into his new beginning. “Hopefully, now, there will be more people who know about us,” Ewing says. “I’m hoping we get a similar response and get to come in with a bang. We want to bring that energy back.” At the revived location, Ewing plans to focus on engaging with his customers. One way he wants to do just that is through the beloved create-a-hot-dog contest. If it’s good, it stays on the menu. Speaking of the menu, all of the original favorites will remain. Ewing also notes that catering options at Steve’s will expand to include a nacho bar. Moving forward, Ewing believes the biggest obstacles are behind the restaurant, and he’s excited for this next chapter. “We have a fresh start,” Ewing says. “The main hurdles are over. Now, we’re just honing in on being the best hot-dog shop in St. Louis.” Steve’s is open Monday through Friday for dinner service and Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner. n

HAPPY HOUR

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MARCH 4-10, 2020

RIVERFRONT TIMES

MARCH 4-10, 2020

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MUSIC + CULTURE [HOMESPUN]

Grown Folks Music Drummer Grover Stewart Jr. steps out from behind the kit to sing on new electro-soul singles Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER

rover Stewart Jr. rolls into a south-city coffee shop a little later than expected on a Friday afternoon, all smiles and apologies. An in-demand drummer around town, Stewart’s day job kept him a little later than usual; since he works in his company’s human resources department, Stewart is often tasked with quelling the interpersonal squabbles and institutional fumbles that can plague the workplace. any nine to fi e types ha e a dim view of HR — all those rules and trainings and memos! — but Stewart, who transitioned six years ago from finance to human resources, thrives in the role; he’s even back in school part time to burnish his credentials. “I’m a people person,” he explains. “In HR, besides learning the policies, procedures, acts and laws, you gotta love people, because in human resources, you are a servant. I genuinely give a damn about people.” Stewart carries that energy from his day job to his many gigs around town, where he provides the rhythmic pulse for the Brothers Lazaroff, the Mo E All-Stars, Press Play and more. And in music, where egos get bruised easily, tewart finds that he is oftentimes both the beat-keeper and the cheerleader from behind the it. on ict happens in bands friction happens in bands,” Stewart says. “We all have not-so-great days — it happens. How do we coach each other along and inspire each other? “Those transferable skills translate to both worlds,” he says of his HR background. “Being the drummer, you’re the driving force, and

Veteran drummer Grover Stewart Jr. is trying something new — singing. | PHILIP HAMER

everyone is looking to you.” Stewart credits his positive, peace-keeping attitude as well as his omnivorous musical taste to his upbringing in Kirkwood, where he was the youngest in a household of ten kids. “My mom set the foundation,” Stewart says. “She was a classically trained pianist, but she was also a supreme vocalist. In my household it was music all day, every day.” Being the baby of family, with nine older siblings, Grover acted as a sponge and soaked it all up: gospel and big band swing from his mother, British pop and prog from an older sister and an education in KSHE Klassics — Led Zeppelin, Journey, Eddie Money

— from his older brother. His mother was the music director at church, so a young Grover gritted his teeth through piano lessons with his mom. When his older brother abandoned his drum kit to take up the organ, Stewart slid onto the stool and never left. “It was over with from there,” he laughs. “As a kid, I’d spend countless hours at Kirkwood library, listening to records, taking them home and practicing them,” he recalls. “That’s how I discovered Steely Dan, discovered Toto. ‘Man, I can learn a lot from this!’ But trying to play like Jeff Porcoro? Forget it.” But as accomplished as Stewart is behind the kit, in the last year

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he has begun releasing electrosoul singles under his own name, featuring his lead vocals and compositions. “I vocalize what I hear in my head, and I’ll sing it out onto a vocal recorder on my phone,” Stewart says of his process. He relies on his once-hated piano lessons to transfer some of his instrumentation to the keyboard, but often he relies on a coterie of friends he’s made in 25 years of playing around town to esh out the songs. is first two songs were produced by Andrew Stephen, whose jazz chops and house-music now how were a perfect fit for collaboration with Stewart. “It’s been a pleasure working with Andrew,” Stewart says. “He’s much younger than us, but he’s got a wealth of knowledge.” Stewart has been releasing one song every few months, posting them on his Bandcamp page as soon as they’re ready. he first song I’ve released is ‘I’ve Grown,’ and it basically speaks for itself,” he says. “I’ve grown, I’ve matured and developed through my life’s situations and experiences. This is what allowed me to develop into the person that I am today.” Stewart says that plenty of people were surprised that the well-regarded drummer had been moonlighting as a singer, but many of his former bandmates were hip to his talents and encouraged him to step to the front of the stage. “I was playing in Ralph Butler’s band, and I was 25 years old,” Stewart says of the long-running band leader. “Ralph would hear me sing and say, ‘You’ve gotta sing in my band.’ And I said, ‘No, I just wanna play drums.’ Ralph was a mentor and big brother to me, and he said, ‘You gotta break your fear, man.’” Encouragement from his bandmates helped push Stewart toward the microphone. “All these people around me were saying, ‘You’ve got a voice: Use it,’” Stewart recalls. “Last year I said, ‘OK, I’m gonna break the fear. I’m gonna release this; I don’t care what anyone thinks, I’m just gonna go for it.’” Stewart can still be found behind the drum kit more often than not, but he has no plans of stopping this new musical outlet. “Once you start doing something, it becomes really addictive,” he says. n

MARCH 4-10, 2020

RIVERFRONT TIMES

MARCH 4-10, 2020

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[PROFILE]

More Than Enough From NYC to STL to the Kranzberg Artists in Residence program, Be.Be is a force Written by

YMANI WINCE

fi e inch screen is not the most ideal method by which to enjoy a performance by St. Louis singer-songwriter Be.Be, but when she’s off making a name for herself in New York and you’re home in St. Louis, it’ll have to do. Brianna Elise “Be.Be” Brown had been posting for more than a month about a February performance at the legendary SOB’s music venue in NYC. If social media is to be believed, she spent the day of the event hanging out with friends, taking picturesque photos with nostalgic filters and generally enjoying all that New York City has to offer. But when it came time for her performance, Be.Be brought the house down. Dressed in a white off-shoulder top and matching bellbottom pants, she took to the venue’s small stage to deliver a performance that was utterly captivating, even through a tiny phone screen. And to think, this was the career that might not have happened. Born in New York but raised in St. Louis, Brown was a child who always knew she could sing. She loved performing miniature talent shows for herself at her own birthday parties and for anyone who was around. Once she expressed a desire to be a singer, Brown’s mother placed her into piano lessons. “I started taking piano lessons when I was eight,” she says. “I was always doing the music stuff in school. I found out about my high school, Central Visual Performing Arts, through my piano teacher.” Brown’s path to music has been a series of highs and lows, with the lows ultimately leading her in the direction that would bring future success. When it was time to go to college, for example, she auditioned at several schools for musical theater tracks, only to be denied each one. But at Webster University, Brown was given

Be.Be used to sneak into choir classes at school just to get a chance to sing. | JESSICA J. PAGE a scholarship to attend and study a . t was a fit that pro ed that when one door doesn’t open, it’s best to keep knocking. And that’s been the theme of Brown’s musical career. Her mother initially didn’t want her to be just a singer — hence the piano lessons. But Brown found herself sneaking into choir classes and joining chorus groups. It’s not quite the storyline of Lauryn Hill’s character Rita in Sister Act II, but in any case, Brown found a way to get her voice heard. And now, even Mom has come around. “My mom is my biggest supporter,” Brown says with a big smile. “All of that turned around in high school when she came to a concert and saw me singing in the choir.” After that, Brown says, her mother began managing her budding career, even taking free music management courses — proving she was all in. By the time Brown graduated high school, she’d gained the connections she needed to release her first pro ect, which led to her creating a band and further developing her sound. Be.Be’s music has all the in uences of a , fun , soul and R&B. She has a powerful voice that is equal parts bodacious and sugary sweet. It’s a

“What I’m doing is this whole dream I’ve followed since I was a kid. Holding on to that and following through with that is very important to me.” sound that’s reminiscent of Chrisette Michelle’s earlier years, but it’s also a style that’s all her own. Brown says being featured on a track with local favorite KVtheWriter was the turning point that convinced her to put out a proper project. “I started pulling together old songs that I knew I wanted to record that I hadn’t put out yet,” she says. “The songs followed me through a season of finding myself in and out of a relationship.” The result is a six-track EP titled Is That Alright? It’s funky.

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It’s soulful. It’s current, with just enough nostalgia, primarily delivered through the cover art and Brown’s sense of style and aesthetic. Accompanying the project is a gorgeous music video for the single “I Wantcha.” It features a stunning Be.Be at the roller rink clad in warm hues, with friends in similarly retro clothing — big hair, disco vibes and fringe all accounted for. After garnering buzz in the city for her work with artists including TreG and TLT Productions, along with performances at weddings and teaching music to young students, Brown had a question. “At the beginning of 2019, I put a post on Facebook that said, ‘I’m interested in doing a show at the Dark Room. How would one do that?’” she says. The post received dozens of responses, and Chris Hansen, executive director at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, was tagged in the post by a commenter. He was interested in Brown’s music and moved forward with getting her booked for a show. When it came time for a new class of applicants for the Kranzberg Foundation’s Music Artists in Residence program, Brown applied and got in. Through the successes and failures, Brown says it’s most important for her to hold on to the dreams she had as a child. “My whole point in doing what I’m doing is this whole dream I’ve followed since I was a kid,” she says. “Holding on to that and following through with that is very important to me. Don’t let any kind of perception or what anyone else thinks stray you away from that. If you feel it, do it and dig in.” Fighting for her chance to sing was a struggle that keeps Brown’s dreams alive. It’s what continues to fuel her passion as a vocalist and pianist, and it’s what keeps her motivated. She wants to remember the girl who snuck into choir classes against others’ advice. “I want to shout out my dad,” Brown says with a grin. “He’s in New York, and has always been instrumental, and sent love from however far.” As she begins to travel and take her music beyond St. Louis, reaching the masses is something Brown doesn’t take for granted. She’s fascinated with connecting with the audience at her shows. It’s a far cry from being shut out from collegiate programs that wouldn’t allow students to perform outside of the university. Most of all, Be.Be’s journey proves that if you want something, all you have to do is ask. n

MARCH 4-10, 2020

RIVERFRONT TIMES

MAR 7

PUMP & DUMP Parentally Incorrect Night Out for Any Mom! 2-Shows only!!

APR RON FUNCHES Kroll Show 16-18 @Midnight

RIVERFRONT TIMES

MARCH 4-10, 2020

MAR RYAN STOUT Chelsea Lately 11-15 Conan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien

APR GUY TORRY American History X 24-25 Martin

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APR 9-12

CRAIG GASS The Rizzuto Show Master Impressionist

MAY JOHN CAPARULO Wild Wild West Comedy 14-17 Blue Collar Comedy

OUT EVERY NIGHT THURSDAY 5

BILLY BARNETT BAND: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BLUNTS & BLONDES: w/ SubDocta, Bawldy 8 p.m., free. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. BRIAN CURRAN & ADAM ANDREWS: 8:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. EDIE CAREY: 7 p.m., $18. The Novel Neighbor, 7905 Big Bend Blvd, Webster Groves, 314-738-9384. JOE METZKA BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ONE WAY TRAFFIC: 8 p.m., $15. Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis. THEE FINE LINES: w/ Maximum Effort, Health & Wellness Plan, No Point 8:30 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. VALE OF PNATH: w/ Gorod, Wolf King 6:30 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

New World 5:30 p.m., $10. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ERIC SLAUGHTER PROJECT: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. NECTER: w/ Wait & Shackle, Reaver, Young Animals 7:30 p.m., $5-$10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

[CRITIC’S PICK]

TUESDAY 10

FRIDAY 6

3 1/2 MEN: 7 p.m., free. Great Grizzly Bear, 1027 Geyer Ave., St. Louis, 314-231-0444. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & THE RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. DANÚ AND GOITSE: 8 p.m., $15-$45. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. DUELING PIANOS: 7 p.m., $5. Ameristar CasinoBottleneck Blues Bar, 1 Ameristar Blvd., St. Charles, 636-940-4966. THE FLOOZIES: w/ Sunsquabi, Late Night Radio 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. HUSH LITE: 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. KAYO DOT: w/ Psalm Zero 8 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. LAVA GULLS: w/ Peppermint Boys, Sloopy McCoy, Dewdrop 8 p.m., $5-$10. CBGB, 3163 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. LES GRUFF AND THE BILLY GOAT RECORD RELEASE SHOW: w/ Rovie Raccoon 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. MARK SHIPPY: 8 p.m., $7-$10. Flood Plain, 3151 Cherokee St., St. Louis. MC CHRIS: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. MEG WILLIAMS BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MISSOURI BREAKS: 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. MOM’S KITCHEN: 9 p.m., $10. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. PATRICK SWEANY: w/ Dirty Streets 8 p.m., $13$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. RANDY HOUSER: 8 p.m., $20. Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave, St. Louis, 314-345-9481. SWALLOW THE RAT: w/ Tone Rodent 8:30 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. WE CAME AS ROMANS: w/ The Devil Wears Prada, Gideon, Dayseeker 7 p.m., $25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. YUNI WA: w/ Bonus Points, Trans World Airlines, Dooi 9 p.m., $10-$13. Pop’s Blue Moon, 5249 Pattison Ave., St. Louis, 314-776-4200.

SATURDAY 7

5 STAR ROSCOE: 8 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. ANDREW & THE DOLLS ALBUM RELEASE PARTY:

Etienne Charles. | LAURA FERREIRA

Etienne Charles 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, through Saturday, March 7; 9:30 p.m. Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7; 6:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8. The Ferring Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Avenue. $10 to $36. 314-571-6000. Etienne Charles has the academic bonafides to back up his study of American jazz, Afro-Caribbean music and the rich intersection of the two; as a graduate of the Julliard School and a faculty member at Michigan State, Charles is well versed in history and theory. But w/ Boxcar 8 p.m., $10. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. BRIAN CURRAN: 4 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CAROLINE KOLE: 7 p.m., $10. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. COMRADE CATBOX EP RELEASE: w/ Apex Shrine, Orphan Welles, Emptee 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. DEAD HORSES: 8 p.m., $12. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. DR. ZHIVEGAS: 7 p.m., $7. Ameristar Casino-Bottleneck Blues Bar, 1 Ameristar Blvd., St. Charles, 636-940-4966. JAKE’S LEG: 8 p.m., $15-$20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JEREMIAH JOHNSON CD RELEASE PARTY: 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. JON BONHAM & FRIENDS: 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. KEVIN GRIFFIN: 8 p.m., $27.50-$30. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. KIM MASSIE BAND: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. POWERHOUSE 747: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. RUSSELL GREEN BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

as a native of the Island of Trinidad, he also feels the music in his bones, and his trumpet speaks the influences and traditions of the Caribbean through to the amalgamation created by generations of New Orleans jazz artists. His landmark album Creole Soul gives away the game in the title, and his compositions and arrangements pay homage to a century’s worth of jazz traditions. Plays Well with Others: Charles has performed with a diverse cast of collaborators from Wynton Marsalis to Roberta Flack to the Mighty Sparrow but will lead his own combo at this week’s stint at the Bistro. —Christian Schaeffer SECKOND CHAYNCE: 7 p.m., $20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. TRAILER PARK HERO: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. THE TROPHY MULES ACOUSTIC: 8 p.m., free. Urban Chestnut Midtown Brewery & Biergarten, 3229 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314-222-0143.

SUNDAY 8

AUTOLITH: w/ Mystic Will, De’Lorme 7 p.m., $10. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DR. LYNN TRAPP: 2:30 p.m., $17. Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, 4431 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 314-373-8200. LONELY PROCESSION: w/ Be Angry, Negative Spaces 8 p.m., $5. Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center, 3301 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-771-1096. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MUSIC BENEFIT FOR POPCORN LOUDEN: 2 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. NEKRO DRUNKZ: w/ Molder, Bastard, Burnt Decay 7 p.m., $10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG: w/ Goose 8 p.m., $26$3`. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

MONDAY 9

EMPTY: w/ Forthteller, Make Your Mark, Brave

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BLACK LIPS: 8 p.m., $18-$20. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. COLONY HOUSE: 8 p.m., $20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. FIT FOR A KING: w/ Chelsea Grin, Crystal Lake, Alpha Wolf 7 p.m., $22. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. JESSE GANNON & THESE HANDS: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MOD SUN: 7 p.m., $20. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. PRÜDE: w/ Fornicators, The Mall, The Yeasties 9 p.m., $7. CBGB, 3163 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. THE REVIVALISTS: 8 p.m., $41.50-$47. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. VINTAGE PISTOL: w/ Dr. Slappenstein 7 p.m., $10$13. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

WEDNESDAY 11

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. GRADUATING LIFE: w/ King of Heck 8 p.m., $13. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. GUSTER: 8 p.m., $31-$51. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. KUZU: w/ Dave Rempis, Tyler Damon, Tashi Dorji 8 p.m., $10-$20. Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis. TORREY CASEY & THE SOUTHSIDE HUSTLE: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

THIS JUST IN $3 THROWDOWN: W/ Eyes From Above, Skeptik, Cause Of Ruin, Before The Fire Dies, Lights Over Arcadia, Fri., March 20, 6:30 p.m., $3. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. ALL THAT REMAINS: Sat., April 11, 8 p.m., $30$50. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. AS I LAY DYING: W/ Whitechapel, Shadow Of Intent, Fri., June 12, 7:30 p.m., $28.50-$32.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. BEST RAPPER ALIVE: teffine r ell ot, Zippir Collective, Ill Side N NuSoul, Dizzy Del, Yerrty G, Blaze PropaneFriday, Fri., April 3, 7:30 p.m., $8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. BIG LOU: W/ Striff & Stu, Bates Ao2, Rhyan Kaye, Degenerate, Jay Alzier, Kokoa Billz & Jaycee, J. Murphy & Ybdm, Sat., April 18, 7:30 p.m., $8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Wed., March 11, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BLACKBERRY SMOKE: W/ the Allman Betts Band, the Wild Feathers, Jaimoe, Fri., July 17, 6 p.m., $30.50-$160.50. St. Louis Music Park, 750 Casino Center Dr., Maryland Heights, 314-451-2244. THE BRIDGE CITY SINNERS: Sun., April 12, 7 p.m., $15. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CEDES – UNDERRATED: W/ Pagedale Zo, Dae

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

Les Gruff and the Billy Goat. | VIA THE BAND

Les Gruff and the Billy Goat 8 p.m. Friday, March 6. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $10. 314-773-3363. Every neighborhood dive needs a band like Les Gruff and the Billy Goat, or at the very least its complete recorded works on the jukebox. Music for drinking, dancing, foosballing and shooting the shit comes no better than the back-to-not-really-sobasic-after-all honky-tonk style the group has perfected. Led by singer and songwriter Billy Croghan, and ably supported by a shrewdly rocking rhythm section,

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 39

smooth, Mz sayless, Fundo, Litty gang, Rocky Maverick, Memph Tenn, Yyung Tay, Sat., March 14, 7:30 p.m., $8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. CHAKA KHAN: W/ Eddie Levert, Fri., April 24, 7 p.m., $39-$149. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. COLD: Wed., May 27, 8 p.m., TBA. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CONCERT FOR ‘IKE’ HAISLER: W/ Boyfreind, ro en oy , ffic, riffin, the uild, ri shot, Sun., April 19, 4 p.m., $10. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. CREED FISHER: Thu., June 25, 8 p.m., $20-$35. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. Sun., July 12, 7:30 p.m., $49.50-$149.50. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. DC YOUNG FLY: W/ Karlous Miller, Chico Bean, Sun., July 5, 8 p.m., $35-$150. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000. DIET CIG: Wed., Oct. 7, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. ERIC SLAUGHTER PROJECT: Mon., March 9, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. FLAW: Tue., April 14, 7:30 p.m., $10. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. THE FOUR HORSEMEN: ndefined, at., pril 4, 8 p.m., $5-$20. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. THE GASLIGHT SQUARES: Sat., April 25, 6 p.m., $10. Looking Glass Playhouse Theater, 301 W. St. Louis St., Lebanon, 618-537-4962. HALA: W/ Boyo, Sat., June 13, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar

contest-cutting fiddle work and twin hardcore twangy guitar leads, the band has been building on its excellent self-titled 2018 full-length with some regional touring and a handful of new songs collected on a digital drop called Help Wanted. The twang will be fully employed at this weekend’s EP release party. Mind the Tail: Local singer and songwriter Jakob Baxter, who also fronts the band Yard Eagle, opens the evening in the form of furry-hat-festooned alter ego Rovie Raccoon. —Roy Kasten Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. HATEBREED: W/ After The Burial, Havok, Creeping Death, Thu., May 7, 8 p.m., $25-$40. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. INSANE CLOWN POSSE: Sun., April 26, 7 p.m., $25-$35. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. JAMEY JOHNSON: W/ Whiskey Myers, Folk Uke, Thu., July 23, 6:30 p.m., $30-$75. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. JESSE GANNON & THESE HANDS: Tue., March 10, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. KALEO: W/ Matt Maeson, Belle MT, Sat., July 25, 7 p.m., $27.50-$57.50. St. Louis Music Park, 750 Casino Center Dr., Maryland Heights, 314-451-2244. KING BUZZO: W/ Trevor Dunn, Fri., June 19, 8 p.m., $20-$23. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. KUZU: W/ Dave Rempis, Tyler Damon, Tashi Dorji, Wed., March 11, 8 p.m., $10-$20. Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis. THE LEMON TWIGS: Tue., May 5, 8 p.m., $18. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. LESLIE JORDAN: Sat., Aug. 22, 7 p.m., $24-$38. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. LEYA: Wed., April 1, 8 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. THE LIL SMOKIES: Wed., April 22, 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. LINDSEY STIRLING: W/ Kiesza, Mako, Mon., July 6, 7 p.m., $29.50-$199.50. St. Louis Music Park, 750 Casino Center Dr., Maryland Heights, 314-451-2244. LOCALS ONLY NIGHT: W/ Moon Rocket, Corte de Viste, Deadgnat, Sean Gerty, Mon., March 23, 8 p.m., $5-$8. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

The Black Lips. | DANI PUJALTE

The Black Lips 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 10. The Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, 6504 Delmar Boulevard, University City. $18 to $20. 314-727-4444. There are few venues more appropriate for the Chuck Berry-worshipping garage punks that comprise the Black Lips than the Duck Room, Berry’s longtime base of operation before his death in 2017. The back of a flatbed truck careening off a cliff comes to mind, or maybe a cave deep in the wilderness where everyone ate far too many mushrooms — but in any

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 41

MELEE ON THE MISSISSIPPI: Sat., April 18, 10 p.m., $12.50. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. MOTHERFOLK: Sun., May 3, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. MOTIONLESS IN WHITE: W/ Knocked Loose, Stick To Your Guns, Ovtlier, Tue., April 28, 7 p.m., $29.50-$49.50. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. MUSIC BENEFIT FOR POPCORN LOUDEN: Sun., March 8, 2 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. NECTER: W/ Wait & Shackle, Reaver, Young Animals, Mon., March 9, 7:30 p.m., $5-$10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. NEKRO DRUNKZ: W/ Molder, Bastard, Burnt Decay, Sun., March 8, 7 p.m., $10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. NNAMDÏ: Mon., April 20, 8 p.m., $13-$15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. ONE DIRECTION VS. 5SOS: Sat., Sept. 19, 9 p.m., $15-$18. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. OVERTIME: Thu., March 12, 7:30 p.m., $15. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. PRÜDE: W/ Fornicators, The Mall, The Yeasties, Tue., March 10, 9 p.m., $7. CBGB, 3163 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. RALPH STANLEY II & THE CLINCH MOUNTAIN BOYS: Wed., April 29, 8 p.m., $15-$20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. RANDY’S CHEESEBURGER PICNIC: Fri., April 10, 7:15 p.m., $25. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ROD HAMDALLAH: W/ Devil’s Elbow, Sun., April 26, 8 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave.,

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case, the Duck Room is safer and closer. January’s Sing in a World That’s Falling Apart sees the band experimenting with far more country-music twang than previous releases, but it’s still unmistakably Black Lips, replete with all the earworm hooks and cast-off irreverence that have made the band a critical darling for more than two decades now. Still, it’s not a stretch to expect some cowboy hats onstage at this one. Fellow Bad Kids: LA rocker Poppy Jean Crawford and St. Louis’ own The Slow Boys will open the show. —Daniel Hill

St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THE SOUNDS: Wed., May 6, 8 p.m., $30. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. ST. LOUIS AMERICANA FEST DAY 1: Fri., July 10, 6 p.m., $15-$25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. ST. LOUIS AMERICANA FEST DAY 2: Sat., July 11, 6 p.m., $15-$25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. STORY OF THE YEAR: W/ Fivefold, City of Parks, Thu., April 30, 7 p.m., $25. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. STRUGGLE JENNINGS: Fri., April 10, 8 p.m., $20$75. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. TECH N9NE: W/ Krizz Kaliko, King ISO, Maez 301, Wed., May 27, 7:30 p.m., $35-$59. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND: W/ St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Gabe Dixon, Wed., July 29, 6:30 p.m., $35-$150. St. Louis Music Park, 750 Casino Center Dr., Maryland Heights, 314-451-2244. THEE FINE LINES: W/ Maximum Effort, Health & Wellness Plan, No Point, Thu., March 5, 8:30 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. TORREY CASEY & THE SOUTHSIDE HUSTLE: Wed., March 11, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE U-TURNS: Sat., April 4, 9 p.m., free. Pat Connolly Tavern, 6400 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314-647-7287. Sun., June 7, 3:30 p.m., free. Eden Theological Seminary, 475 E. Lockwood at Bompart, St. Louis, 314-961-3627. VARIALS: Thu., April 16, 7 p.m., $16. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. YUNI WA: W/ Bonus Points, Trans World Airlines, Dooi, Fri., March 6, 9 p.m., $10-$13. Pop’s Blue Moon, 5249 Pattison Ave., St. Louis, 314-776-4200. n

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SAVAGE LOVE FULL-THROATED BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’m a middle-aged gay man and I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. This is a disorder caused by the soft tissue in the throat collapsing during sleep. On top of making me feeling tired and awful all the time, sleep apnea is associated with a long list of health complications. I’m writing you because I’m into very rough oral. I like it when a guy treats my throat like a Fleshlight. Gagging and retching turn me on. Since I don’t want to risk making my condition worse, I stopped giving blowjobs after my diagnosis. But will giving blowjobs the way I like to give them actually make things worse? The internet was not helpful, and I didn’t feel comfortable asking the sleep specialist. Really Excited To Choke Harmlessly “The vast majority of people with sleep apnea have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is what I assume this individual has,” said r. nna ros , a board certified otolaryngologist in practice in Portland, Oregon. “It results from muscle relaxation and collapse in the airway (throat), which narrows the passage for air to ow and then ma es it harder to breathe and get oxygen.” (Otolaryngologists specialize in diseases and disorders of the ear, nose and throat.) So when you fall asleep, RETCH, the muscles in your throat relax and collapse, restricting your ability to breathe. Your brain — which doesn’t want to die — responds to this o ygen depri ation by wa ing you up, which tenses your muscles bac up, un collapsing them and allowing you to breathe again. “Someone with OSA gags or cho es in response to the apnea, not as a cause, r. ros clarified. “And while the contraction of the muscles opens the airway, it leads to poor sleep because the person is constantly being wo en up. Now for the good news: Dr. ros doesn’t thin cho ing on dic is going to ma e your any worse, RETCH, and it might

e en ma e it better. heoretically,” said Dr. Grosz, “increased tone of the muscles of the airway might be a good thing in terms of strengthening those muscles.” Now, there’s no evidence that ha ing your throat used li e a Fleshlight will strengthen your ol’ throat muscles, but there’s no e idence that getting face fuc ed will wea en them, either. eedless to say, there aren’t a lot of studies on OSA and rough oral sex — and seeing as our public health officials are busy trying to protect us from a worldwide pandemic and our imbecilic president, there probably won’t be any studies anytime soon.) ltimately, don’t thin your reader is at ris of ma ing his sleep apnea worse by continuing his oral sex practices,” said Dr. Grosz. “And to improve his sleep apnea, he could ma e sure he maintains a healthy weight, doesn’t smo e and a oids e cess alcohol or sedatives.” Hey, Dan: I’m struggling and could use some advice. I have a cast fetish — think orthopedic casts — and my wife isn’t interested at all. To be clear, I don’t want her to be injured in any way and I certainly don’t want to injure her. I just like the idea of her wearing a cast on her leg. It’s not even entirely sexual. If she would just wear a cast for a couple of hours while we hang out and watch a movie, I’d be happy. When we met eight years ago, I was in denial about the importance of my fetish, both to myself and to her. I’ve since realized that it’s a deal breaker for me, and it’s clear we wouldn’t be together today if I had been aware of the extent of my fetish when we first met and been able to be honest about it. Over the years, we’ve briefly spoken about incorporating it, and we had a single failed attempt a few years ago. I’ve finally come to the realization that this isn’t going to happen without it being forced or coerced. She’s recently offered to participate, but only because she thinks she needs to in order to “save our marriage.” How do I cope with this? Obviously, a need of mine will be perpetually unmet. How do I keep myself from resenting her for not being more open-minded? Is our marriage doomed? We have a nine-month-old child.

“I’m a straight man who enjoys the erotic ‘mummification’ experience.” Churlish About Sudden Turn You just had a child — because of course you just had a child — which means now is not the time to do anything stupid. Or rash. And ending your marriage because your wife failed to understand how important your fetish was to you before you understood how important your fetish was to you would be both stupid and rash. o ta e a deep breath, help care for your baby and have a conversation with your wife the next time she isn’t completely exhausted, CAST, which could mean waiting three to six months. f it’s clear when you tal that she hates the thought of pulling on a fa e cast and watching a mo ie with you — what you say you need to be happy — that will come out in the conversation. But if she’s come to understand how important this cast business is to you and how little it actually requires of her, please do yourself, your wife and your baby a fa or and ta e the yes you’ve always wanted for a motherfuc ing answer. nd finally, , don’t now what your dic is telling you right now, but just in case it’s telling you there are hordes of women out there with cast fetishes who are also into recently single new fathers with child-support payments to ma e, your dick is lying to you. A new girlfriend, if you can find one, might wear a cast for you, but she’ll be doing it for the same reason your wife is willing to in order to ma e your in y ass happy. Hey, Dan: I’m a straight man who enjoys the erotic “mummification” experience. My wife finds the process of wrapping me in cling film and duct tape extremely tedious, as it takes more than an hour and she doesn’t derive pleasure from it. So we decided to invest in a sleep sack, which will shorten the process con-

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siderably. I found a leather artisan on Etsy who makes them to order. During a video chat about sizing, the artisan made a reference to the “lucky man” who would be putting me in my sleep sack. I informed him I am straight. He apologized, saying that in his experience, it is mostly gay men who invest in this type of gear. I was nevertheless offended by his assumption. Your thoughts? Got Extremely Affronted Recently First thought: If gay men collapsed into puddles every time someone assumed we were straight, GEAR, we’d ha e to be reclassified as a liquid. Second thought: As a gay man, I’m sometimes annoyed when people assume I’m straight. But it’s not an unreasonable assumption, since most people are straight. It’s also rarely a malicious assumption. Similarly, GEAR, since all of the men who’ve commissioned this tsy artisan to ma e them sleep sac s in the past ha e been gay, the assumption he made about you wasn’t unreasonable. And it’s hard to see malice in it. The offense you’ e ta en, on the other hand, stri es me as both unreasonable and malicious; it’s unreasonable in that you would come crying to a queer person about something li e this, and it’s malicious in that your reaction is so obviously rooted in homophobia (so what if some dude thought you might be gay?) and yet you came crying to a gay man about it. Final thought: Whereas a straight person who’s assumed to be gay can correct the record without fear, a gay person who’s assumed to be straight has to do a ris assessment first s this person going to frea out or get iolent a ing to do those sorts of ris assessments all your life — starting in childhood with your own family can ta e an emotional toll. So instead of being angry or offended by this experience, GEAR, you should be grateful that you can say, “Actually, I’m straight,” without having to worry about being punched in your stupid face or ic ed out of your parents’ house. Check out Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter

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MARCH 4-10, 2020

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MARCH 4-10, 2020

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THE GREEN DRAGON CBD

IS A ST. LOUIS, FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS THAT RECENTLY OPENED ITS FLAGSHIP LOCATION IN CHESTERFIELD Did you know that your body already produces cannabinoids every day as part of a key system that runs throughout your body and helps to regulate almost every part of your body’s functions? CBD is one of many natural cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, and is used to promote overall health and wellness, as well as to deal with many health challenges. Our company’s mission, and the physical store itself, was constructed with the intention of helping to educate both existing and brand new potential users on every aspect of CBD. The education center includes video, wall displays and printed material to help customers explore CBD and related topics. The inviting environment, much like a spa, is supported by knowledgeable and friendly associates. We are excited to have created an animal friendly establishment, where 5% of all pet product sales go to benefit Stray Rescue of St. Louis. When you are ready to buy CBD, you have the largest selection of top-quality, trusted

brands and products anywhere. Select from many product categories to find the best method based upon personal preference:Jack CBD Oils & Tinctures, CBD Flower or Pre-Rolls, CBD Topicals, CBD Gummies, Edibles, Drinks, CBD for Pets, CBD Vaping…and more! In addition to the store resources, the online presence, at www.thegreendragoncbd. com has dozens of blog posts covering many topics of CBD usage, CBD myths, and unique testimonials from CBD users. You can also place orders online for delivery at-home. 15% off for all first time customers in-store, or go online for special web offerings! The Green Dragon CBD www.thegreendragoncbd.com 14856 Clayton Rd Chesterfield, MO 63017 (636) 220-7278 Open Mon-Sat 8am-9pm, or Sun 9am-6pm

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