Culture

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[HOMESPUN]

Into the Deep End

St. Louis rap group 4Deep releases debut album e Big Gang eory, just in time for your second dose of the vaccine

Written by YMANI WINCE

The most frustrating facet of the pandemic for music fans has been the absence of live shows.

It’s been a struggle to listen to an artist’s latest work and not be able to see them in concert. But even as live performances remain largely on hold, one local rap group is looking to bring forth the live music vibes the social scene has been missing in the form of a new release.

Comprising Emanuel “Eman” Freeman, Jordan “J. Pounds” Pounds, Kenneth “Chad Savage” Hibbler and Drue “Breauxgawd” Pounds, 4Deep evolved from four friends making music solo and sometimes together to a dedicated group of local heavy hitters. Following a year and some change of few local music releases and even fewer live shows, the group’s latest venture, The Big Gang Theory, packs just the right amount of vitamin D to lift your pandemicexhausted spirit.

The Big Gang Theory is the first full-length effort 4Deep has released, following a handful of singles and Soundcloud tracks spanning back several years. Its single “Solstice” boasts a smooth vibe with bold lyricism and a clever, hooky earworm of a chorus that serves as a perfect summer soundtrack for emerging from your pandemic cocoon.

It’s also the strongest example yet of the group’s dedication to getting serious about its craft. The group agrees that mainstream artists such as Outkast, Pharrell and Kanye West have all been inspirations to them, but more than that, spending time with one another as friends and artists — especially during the relative downtime brought on by COVID-19 — has fueled the unique sound they’ve created.

“We don’t sound like anything that’s out,” says Eman. “But the way we make music influences each other.”

“When the pandemic set in, we noticed all of our flaws with our music,” Breauxgawd adds. “We were able to sit with our music for a decent amount of time and figure out what we needed to change to make it better.”

And so the past year for the group has been about growth, refining their sound, and finally making a complete body of work come to life. That meant making sure studio time could fit within ever-changing COVID regulations, and making decisions for the album the group could unanimously agree on.

“We had songs from two years ago and songs from two weeks ago on the album,” Eman says. “It was just kind of molding them to be able to speak a story into existence.”

The bulk of the work for the album took a little over a year to complete, the group says. And while some artists were able to dedicate themselves to ample studio time, 4Deep had to be strategic and meticulous when it came time to record. Most studios that remained open did so with limited hours and COVID precautions in place.

“Some of the studios we’d go to had to switch things up to be COVID compliant,” Chad Savage says. “You couldn’t have more than one person recording at a time, so everyone had a plan for what they were doing and working on while they’re in there for an hour.”

In making The Big Gang Theory, the members of 4Deep say they were passionate about promoting a positive theme for listeners to relate to, since brotherhood and supporting one another define the group’s dynamic.

“I just want people to feel good about themselves,” says J. Pounds. “I think it’s feel-good music. It’s empowerment. I want you to feel like you can do whatever you want to do.”

But The Big Gang Theory is not an album made simply to inspire; it’s “got something for everyone on there,” says Chad Savage. “We have the songs for people in the club, something to smoke to, something to chill to. It’s different modes and moods of music for sure.”

The group’s members agree they can feel the growth in their sound versus the singles they’ve dropped in the past. And since the album took more than a year to create, the group was careful about not announcing it as finished prematurely.

“The mind that we have when we’re making music is if we really like it, we’re not worried about if others are gonna accept it,” Chad Savage says. “We’ll play the song over and over before it’s even released.”

As more vaccine doses are injected into arms across the country and life begins to show promise of semi-normalcy, the question of how live music will look in a post-COVID society remains. The group has goals of potentially holding live performances this summer, maybe releasing a limited collection of 4Deep apparel and accessories, and of course, creating more music.

But for now, the goal is to enjoy the process, keep growing and continue building the strong bond the four have with one another.

They plan to do it all. Together. n

e Big Gang eory is the debut full-length e ort from St. Louis’ 4Deep. | KEATON JONES

A Repertory eatre production of Hamlet from 2017. | PETER WOCHNIAK

[STAGE]

Repertory Theatre Resumes In-Person Shows

Written by JACK KILLEEN

After a year of stage-less plays and empty auditoriums, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has announced its return to in-person performing.

From May 28 through July 11, just in time to conclude the 20202021 season, the Rep will be showing Mlima’s Tale. Tickets go on sale May 20 at repstl.org. Subscribers will have earlier access to tickets and seating.

As described in a press release, Mlima’s Tale is “the story of a majestic and powerful African elephant murdered for his tusks. From beyond the veil of death, Mlima’s spirit follows the path of his tusks on a captivating and haunting journey through the dark world of the international ivory trade.” The play comes from two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage.

After an odd year, the Rep’s return to in-person theater comes with a safety plan approved by the St. Louis County Health Department. Mlima’s Tale will show at the Center of Creative Arts’ Berges Theatre, a first-time venue for the Rep, and seating will be limited to 30 percent of capacity.

Guests will sit in pairs according to household with at least six feet between them and other pairs, and temperature checks will be conducted on everyone who steps foot in the building. Audience members are required to wear a mask at all times, indoors or out. Performers won’t be required to wear masks onstage, though they’ll don them everywhere else and will be extensively tested for COVID-19 during the weeks of rehearsal.

“We have been working tirelessly behind the scenes with our various partners to safely bring the magic of live theater back to the stage and cannot wait to welcome everyone home,” Hana S. Sharif, Augustin Family Artistic Director at the Rep, says.

That tireless work, naturally, involves the implementation of a lot of COVID safety measures. The Rep’s comprehensive, county-approved plan to keep actors, staff and attendees safe was developed with help from Dr. Stephen Liang and Dr. Joseph Cherabie of Washington University School of Medicine’s infectious diseases division. (For more on the Rep’s COVID safety measures, visit repstl.org/ visit/covid-faqs.)

“We have learned as an organization how to be more adaptive, nimble and innovative than ever before,” Sharif says. “We are so grateful for our Rep family that stood by and supported us during the pandemic and encouraged our safe return to live theater.”

The last time the Rep presented an in-person performance was in March of 2020, showing only a few presentations of The Cake. Since then, the Rep has been in perpetual discussion with St. Louis-area government entities as well as five labor unions to bring in-person theater back, safely, to the public.

As the 2020-2021 season concludes, and plans for the 20212022 season near an end, the Rep promises to be vigilant in making ongoing changes, creeping back to normal as the situation allows. n

Hope you’re ready to do the Time Warp once again, St. Louis. | POSTER

[FILM]

Skyview to Show Rocky Horror

Written by JAIME LEES

Now that the Tivoli Theatre in the Delmar Loop is owned by a church, nobody knows for sure if some of its more risqué entertainment options will return when the building starts hosting films again.

Lucky for us, the Skyview Drive-In (5700 North Belt West; Belleville, IL; 518-223-4400) is happy to take over as the place to hit up for midnight showings.

On Thursday, May 27, the Skyview is showing a midnight classic: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. And in addition to the film, attendees can see a performance from Flustered Mustard, a St. Louis-based Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast.

For the uninitiated, a “shadow cast” means that there will be people acting out the entire film below the screen, with all of the appropriate costumes and dialogue memorized. The group will also spark and encourage all manner of audience partici ... pation.

And just so that you know, if you’ve never been to a showing of Rocky Horror before, you have to use red lipstick to draw a giant “V” (for virgin) on your forehead for the event. We don’t make the rules, we’re just passing them on.

Tickets are just $10 per person (cash only), and the box office opens on the night of the event at 11:15 p.m. For more information, visit the Skyview Drive-In event page on Facebook. n

9 Mile Garden Will Host ’80s-Themed Prom

Written by JAIME LEES

It looks like 9 Mile Garden (9375 Gravois Road, 314-390-2806) is going to be one of the hottest spots in St. Louis this year — in addition to offering tasty food, they’re also showing movies all summer long and hosting fun outdoor events.

Coming up on Saturday, May 22, 9 Mile Garden is hosting an ’80sthemed prom for adults. If you’ve forgotten how to dress yourself during the pandemic, don’t worry. You can do no wrong at an ’80sthemed prom. You can end your long social hibernation in neon fishnets, ru ed dresses and side-

All your dreams can come true at an ’80s prom for adults | VIA FLICKR/YELP

ponytails, as God intended.

The event starts at 6 p.m. and stays raging until midnight, so you’ll have six full hours of posing in the photo booth, taking selfies, noshing on food-truck delights and maybe even finding somebody special out on the dance floor.

Music will be provided at this outdoor event by the Provels and the DJs from Dead As Disco, and there will be food trucks open all night including Fire & Ice Cream, Guerrilla Street Food, the Red Dirt Revival, Sedara Sweets & Ice Cream, the Spud Shack, Sugarfire, Truck Norris and more.

This is a ticketed event, and the Garden and the Canteen will be closed to the general public while you’re there dancing to the best pop and new-wave hits of the decade. There are many different levels of ticket tiers and lots of options to upgrade the experience to make your adult prom night something special.

From 9 Mile Garden: “Prom-goers can select between three different ticket tiers: General Admission, VIP, and VIP Limo. Each tier includes entry to the prom, access to the photo booth, and one complimentary beverage of their choice from the Canteen, starting at $30 a ticket, or $50 per couple for the General Admission tickets.

“For attendees looking for the full prom experience, VIP tickets are $60 a ticket or $100 per couple. VIP tickets include one entrée from any food truck of their choosing, one ra e ticket, and access to the VIP mezzanine area where 9 Mile will have unlimited punch and hor d’oeuvres available, all in addition to the general admission tier.

“No perfect prom night would be complete without a 30-minute limo ride around St. Louis. The VIP Limo tickets are priced at $100 per ticket and the limo ride will be scheduled at the time of purchase to take place throughout the night of the prom. The VIP Limo ticket also includes everything previously mentioned within the General Admission and VIP tiers.”

To purchase tickets, visit 9 Mile Garden’s website at 9milegarden. com. n