Riverfront Times, June 5, 2019 by Riverfront Times

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JUNE 5-11, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JUNE 5-11, 2019

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JUNE 5-11, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JUNE 5-11, 2019

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THE LEDE

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

“I don’t understand why no one will trust us with our own vaginas. I’m pretty positive I’ve had this thing for about 25 years now and I know what I’m doing with it.” ALLYSON DALTON, PHOTOGRAPHED AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S EMERGENCY RESPONSE RALLY AT THE ARCH ON MAY 30

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Sarah Fenske

COVER “The Tunnel at the End of the Light” The prophet of flyover country, Sarah Kendzior foresaw Trump’s rise from St. Louis. Now she predicts a dark future ahead

E D I T O R I A L Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writers Doyle Murphy, Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Columnist Ray Hartmann Contributing Writers Mike Appelstein, Allison Babka, Thomas Crone, Jenn DeRose, Mike Fitzgerald, Sara Graham, MaryAnn Johanson, Roy Kasten, Jaime Lees, Joseph Hess, Kevin Korinek, Bob McMahon, Lauren Milford, Nicholas Phillips, Tef Poe, Christian Schaeffer Proofreader Evie Hemphill A R T Art Director Evan Sult Contributing Photographers Virginia Harold, Tim Lane, Monica Mileur, Zia Nizami, Andy Paulissen, Nick Schnelle, Mabel Suen, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Jen West, Corey Woodruff P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Haimanti Germain M U L T I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G Sales Director Colin Bell Sales Manager Jordan Everding Senior Account Executive Cathleen Criswell, Erica Kenney Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel Multimedia Account Executive Chris Guilbault, Drew Halliday, Jackie Mundy

Cover illustration by

EVAN SULT

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

INSIDE

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

The Lede Hartmann

A hometown hero meets the neighbors

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

News Feature Calendar

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The Boxer’s Omen | Webster Art Fair | Sylvia | The Coronation of Poppea | etc.

Stage

Opera

Cafe

Short Orders

Music + Culture

Be More Chill The Marriage of Figaro | Rigoletto Morning Glory Diner

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

Ramon Cuffie of Herbie’s | Prime 55 | Ursa Minor | Ofure Palace

Twangfest | Erin Bode | STL’s new secret backyard skate park

Out Every Night

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue | J.S. Ondara | Vampire Weekend

Savage Love 6

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HARTMANN Wild Pitch In suburbia, a cranky neighbor goes after a hometown hero BY RAY HARTMANN

llow me to begin this week’s metaphysical deep dive with a burning question regarding a clash of civilizations: What happens when Americana meets America? “Americana” is the place of an oft over-glorified past, of motherhood, apple pie, houses that needn’t be locked and gooey happiness on every street corner, from sea to shining sea. “America” is the land of the aggrieved, of women’s rights under attack, lawsuits over the pies, alarm systems guarding the houses, danger lurking on the street corners and as to the seas, well,

if they are shining, it’s from the reflection of discarded aluminum cans. The pleasant St. Louis suburb of Ballwin is one of the places where the civilizations appear to co-exist in peace. Setting aside the miles of obligatory strip malls, it’s a charming community, with well-kept subdivisions of middleclass homes with basketball hoops adorning garages and beautiful foliage whose maturity attests that this suburban genre of the American dream has been with us for half a century and counting. Ballwin is also the place where the following controversy rages: One of its tranquil subdivisions is the site of heated conflict over what to do when sacred “indentures” (subdivision-ese for “rules”) are affronted by young girls learning to pitch softballs in one of its pictures ue backyards. In short, at the behest of a cranky neighbor (he claims he wasn’t alone, as if it matters) — and over the stated objections of just about everyone

living on the street (who signed a petition supporting the softball players) — this nefarious playing of catch has been ordered to cease and desist. The Country Creek Homeowners Association voted to prohibit one Christe Boen-Mirikitani from giving softball pitching lessons in her parents’ backyard. How pathetic. Yes, she was operating a business there, but she was teaching kids pitching, not selling vapeware. It’s understandable when homeowners complain about a neighbor who’s truly loud or obnoxious. But teaching young girls softball in the backyard? Especially galling is that BoenMirikitani is a former worldclass athlete, the pride of Ballwin before becoming the target of one its HOAs. Growing up as Christe Boen in this very subdivision, she learned to pitch in the same backyard and went on to lead Parkway West High School to a state championship and the University of Missouri to the

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College World Series. Boen-Mirikitani is now a chiropractor who spends a grand total of eight hours per week giving paid softball-pitching lessons to girls ages eight to eighteen. She was doing it in her parents’ backyard — my field of dreams, she calls it — but she has temporarily relocated to some batting cages while she rallies neighbors’ support. She has retained the services of attorney Jay Kanzler (my KTRS radio partner) should they be needed. The situation evoked a Postcolumn by Tony Dispatch Messenger, who laid out how ridiculous the situation was. His story should have shamed the Country Creek HOA into crawling under a rock, but it didn’t. Neither did a recent KSDK news segment. So now there’s me showing up, hardly a momentous event, but I felt a burning need to advance the story. I decided I should be a man on a mission: Find Mr. Wilson.

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DID YOU KNOW:

1.3 MILLION PEOPLE READ

DID YOU KNOW:

1.3 MILLION PEOPLE READ

EACH MONTH

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As much as it pains me to be old enough to say it, one of my favorite TV shows as a child was Dennis the Menace, which was a big hit from its debut in 1959. The show was pure Americana. As you probably know, Dennis was the lovable protagonist who tortured his parents’ charmingly cranky neighbor with the greeting Hello, Mr. Wilson!” before doing something to drive him nuts. When I read Messenger’s piece, there was no question in my mind that Boen-Mirikitani had encountered a latter-day Mr. Wilson, a cranky senior. There was no reason to assume that, but when you’re from a certain era, it just seems like an obvious inference. Well, I was wrong. BoenMirikitani told me the guy’s name and where he worked — it was no secret, as he was outspoken at the HOA meetings. And after employing my vast investigative journalism skills (O , I went to LinkedIn and did a Google search), I discovered that “Mr. Wilson” turned out to be a millennial about half my age who works in digital marketing for a bank. That’s right: The guy annoyed by young girls pitching softball in the backyard pitches bank advertising for a living. Call me crazy, but I find bank advertising far more annoying than softball, and digital advertising far more annoying than almost anything, especially when it mystically appears on my cellphone with a message like, Hey, we see you just drove by a car dealer. Need a loan? Such is life in today’s America, where privacy is as outdated as a wall phone. But this isn’t a story about what annoys me. It’s about what annoys this latter-day Mr. Wilson, heretofore to be identified as Bank Marketing Guy.” When I reached out to Bank Marketing Guy, he was annoyed that I used LinkedIn to find him, which is at least a bit ironic. And then he was very forceful about how his identity must be kept private, which is at least a bit amusing. That actually isn’t Bank Marketing Guy’s call, not after he’s spoken out at a neighborhood association meeting. Even so, I’m not mentioning Bank Marketing Guy’s name nor his bank because I don’t want to be to him what he has been to Boen-Mirikitani, which is mean and hurtful. His effort — or, as he insists, the effort of other

unidentified angry neighbors, for which he claims he has been unfairly singled out — is utterly unnecessary. I visited Boen-Mirikitani’s parents’ backyard last week and saw the scene of the crime: an area about fifteen by fifty feet tucked into a corner of the yard abutting some lovely foliage that blocks the view of a little creek behind it. Boen-Mirikitani pointed to where Bank Marketing Guy lives on the other side of the creek, but you can’t see his house because it’s blocked by the trees. She was teaching Monday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. Apparently, some lights she used briefly for lessons at dusk were visible (and perhaps even irritating) to Bank Marketing Guy. Oh, and there were sounds. Yes, the houses are close enough that the noise of a softball popping into a glove and people cheering on the students could undoubtedly make their way into Bank Marketing Guy’s ear-space. “Kids playing in the backyard is the greatest sound on earth, says one of BoenMirikitani’s neighbors. Not to Bank Marketing Guy and the HOA. (“There have been multiple complaints from several adjacent homeowners and none are saying it should stop, the HOA says in a statement, but simply asking that the business be moved out of the subdivision.”) I don’t know or care whether Boen-Mirikitani is breaking some subdivision sacred covenants. Before there was digital marketing, subdivision indentures ranked on most people’s top-ten annoyance lists. And as the petition she’s gathered shows, the people on her parents’ street appear to value the simple decency of her work. That’s good enough for me. In fact, I say the HOA and Bank Marketing Guy owe her an apology. I’d suggest they bake some cookies for the girls, even if that might require health department inspections necessitating a special assessment. Meanwhile, I should return to my initial question about what happens when Americana meets America. If Mr. Wilson is now being portrayed by millennials, here’s my answer: nothing good. n Ray Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1977. Contact him at rhartmann@sbcglobal.net or catch him on St. Louis In the Know With Ray Hartmann and Jay Kanzler from 9 to 11 p.m. Monday thru Friday on KTRS (550 AM).

NEWS

Activists Take Fight for Abortion to the Street Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

ast Thursday, Planned Parenthood decided it had almost nothing to left to lose in Missouri — and it tried a daring maneuver. While lawyers for the organization appeared before a judge to argue that Missouri has weaponized its licensing process to shut down the state’s last abortion clinic, and urging him to intervene, a different sort of action was underway. A few blocks from the courthouse, a group of protesters, including Planned Parenthood board members and a city o cial, entered the lobby of the Wainwright State O ce Building downtown and refused to leave it. It was a bold move, but also a sign of just how bad things have gotten for an organization that’s historically chosen to fight its battles in the courtroom, where the right to an abortion enjoys more than 40 years of legal precedent going back to the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. For Missouri women, though, those legal rights are no longer so solid. Two weeks ago, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed an eight-week abortion ban without exception for rape or incest, stating that he wanted Missouri to be “the most pro-life state in the country.” Days later, after Planned Parenthood went public about the fact that its Central West End clinic’s license was in jeopardy, the governor insisted that state officials’ unwillingness to renew the license “is not about the pro-life issue at all.” That license was set to expire at close of business Friday. Lawyers for the state argued that legal action is premature, even as Planned Parenthood begged a judge to step in and grant a reprieve. Without it, Missouri women would be-

Police lead a protester away after a sit-in at the Wainwright building last Thursday. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI come the first American citizens since Roe v. Wade to live in a state without legal abortion care. The protesters who shut down the Wainwright building weren’t willing to wait around. The situation in Missouri is “a crisis point,” one protester explained as they prepared for civil disobedience. “We’ve done everything else that can be done. This is what we’re doing now.” In court Thursday morning, St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer made no grand gestures indicating his position, instead directing pointed questions at both the attorneys representing Planned Parenthood and the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services, or DHSS. “How do I step in at this point,” he asked the clinic’s lawyer, Jamie Boyer, when no decision has been made?” Indeed, the issue of the clinic’s license has been tied up in an administrative tangle. DHSS insists the license holdup is solely the result of the clinic’s refusal to make certain physicians available for an investigation into undisclosed deficiencies. Technically, though, the clinic had not lost its license yet.

“My ability to interfere before a decision has been made,” Stelzer added, “is very limited.” Arguing for Planned Parenthood, Boyer maintained that the court had an obligation to interfere. She argued that DHSS o cials are twisting the procedure for license renewal, and that the situation required a temporary restraining order — which would fully settle the issue in court. It would also allow the clinic to continue offering abortions while the matter is being adjudicated. Central to Planned Parenthood’s complaint is the state’s demand for interviews with seven physicians. Planned Parenthood argues that five of those individuals are not actually employees of the clinic and had refused the interview request on advice of their own attorneys. In court, Boyer argued that the legislature “never intended” to allow the state to deny a license on the grounds that a clinic could not produce individuals for interviews. In response, the state’s attorney, John Sauer, argued that DHSS was simply responding to “troubling” details uncovered in medical records. It is Planned Parenthood that’s out of line, Sauer said. Even

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though some of the individuals aren’t technically employees, three are physicians that continue to perform medical service at the clinic. Planned Parenthood, he said, has an obligation “to take a rmative steps to induce their cooperation” — steps that include threatening their positions if they don’t cooperate. “In any other situation,” Sauer added, “those doctors would be terminated.” Sitting in the courtroom was M’Evie Mead, director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri, which functions as the organization’s state-level political arm. During a post-hearing press conference on the courthouse steps, Mead blasted the state’s “goalpost-moving behavior.” She didn’t hang around. From the courthouse steps, Mead headed to the Wainwright building. Two hours later, she was among those arrested. At the Wainwright building, St. Louis Alderwoman Megan Green led a group of undercover protesters through the security checkpoint. She had reserved the conference room in the lobby, one with large glass windows facing

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the interior’s tiled courtyard. But her reservation, ostensibly for a “community discussion about health,” was a pretense for a staging ground. Around twenty people filed into the conference room, some wearing T-shirts turned inside out to hide their slogans, “Governor Parson SHAME ON YOU.” Green acknowledged that she used her position to help the protesters get into the building. Only elected o cials are allowed to book its conference rooms. “When you have the privilege of being elected o ce, you have to use your privilege,” she said. “I think that’s actually my duty as an elected o cial. It goes to show just how fraught the abortion debate has gotten in Missouri. Despite short-lived moments of optimism in 2017, new restrictions encouraged first by then-Governor Eric Greitens, and followed by Parson, effectively closed all but one abortion provider in the state. That wasn’t enough for a state where passing the toughest antiabortion legislation is an annual competition among lawmakers — one culminating in May’s signing of the eight-week abortion ban. For patients of Planned Parenthood, the ban elicited terror. Angie Postal, a vice president of education, policy and community engagement at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri, said she had recently gotten a call from a woman scheduled for an abortion. “She was asking if she would go to jail if she had an abortion, and that she was trying to get out of an abusive relationship. I could hear this baby in the background. She’s like, ‘I have to protect my kid.’” That woman, Postal argued, isn’t being considered by politicians like Parson or DHSS. “She’s going to be in an abusive relationship with a man who’s going to put her child that she already has at risk,” Postal said. “That’s what Governor Parson is doing. That’s who he’s impacting.” At 12:30 p.m., Green and more than a dozen others revealed their T-shirts and signs. They marched out of the conference room, walked quickly past the confused faces of the security guards, and stood with their backs against the lobby elevators. Then they sat down. Hundreds of demonstrators filled the courtyard outside the Wainwright building’s front doors, chanting and pressing signs against the large glass windows and

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doorways. In response, St. Louis police arrived to escort employees though the back entrance. Some employees attempted to step over the line of chanting protesters to get to the elevators. Most of them took the stairs, which the protesters left unblocked. One by one, the protesters read a statement directed at Governor Parson. “We are part of the overwhelming majority of Missourians who stand with Planned Parenthood and support access to reproductive health care,” the statement read. “We will remain here until the license is renewed.” The governor, however, was not at the o ce he maintains at the Wainwright building. He was being confronted by different protesters in Richmond Heights as he entered a TV studio for an interview. In the Wainwright building, police eventually cleared all non-employees and barred anyone without a state ID from entering. Around two hours after the protesters sat down in front of the elevators, they were zip-tied and led to paddy wagons on the street outside. They were released later that night. A police spokeswoman said sixteen people were arrested; two were released at the scene and fourteen were booked. All were given citations for trespassing, a municipal ordinance violation. Among those arrested were Alderwoman Green and Mead, the Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri director. The protest did not cause significant disruption, and it certainly didn’t attract the sort of violence meted out by St. Louis police during protests over past police shootings. But as Missouri approached the zero-hour for its last abortion clinic, the action showed that supporters who for decades put their trust in the courts were starting to shift strategies. Even Planned Parenthood, which has long taken a guarded approach to public relations, took to the streets and to the government’s o ces. “I’m angry,” said one protester, a Planned Parenthood board member, minutes before taking her place by the elevators. “I’m just angry.” On Friday, the judge granted Planned Parenthood a temporary reprieve, preserving the status quo by allowing the clinic to continue to operate until the courts can consider the arguments. What happens after that could well result in more days in court — and more action in the streets. n

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Dzened Muhic says he fired on a pickup driver in self defense. | DOYLE MURPHY

ATV Rider Pushes Back on Charges Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

n February, prosecutors from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s O ce decided not to file charges in a violent clash between a pickup driver and ATV riders. By all accounts, there had been gunfire and a collision during the tense confrontation in the Bevo Mill neighborhood. But the sequence of events was in dispute, and prosecutors noted that both the pickup driver and an ATV rider who fired at him claimed self defense. “Multiple experienced prosecutors reviewed the evidence, and there is insu cient evidence to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt against either man,” the Circuit Attorney’s O ce said in a statement provided to KSDK a couple of weeks after the incident. “This is a very troubling situation with no legal remedies under current Missouri law.” That, however, was not the end of the story. On May 28, pros-

ecutors charged the ATV rider, 25-year-old Dzened Muhic of Bevo, with six felonies, including first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. Muhic says he was stunned. He had voluntarily gone to speak with police in February with his family’s attorney, Justin Meehan. He turned himself in, provided investigators with a statement and surrendered the 9mm handgun that he’d fired, which he legally owned. He was released without charges after little more than a day in jail. “I thought it was behind me,” Muhic says. He had even recently begun the process to retrieve his surrendered gun. St. Louis defense attorney Kristi Flint, who has taken over the case, says her client has a “strong selfdefense” claim and they’re looking forward to putting the evidence in front of a jury. “Preferably, we’d love to have the multiple experienced prosecutors from the Circuit Attorney’s O ce on that jury, the experienced prosecutors who previously made the call that there is insufficient evidence to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Flint said in an email. As far as Muhic and his attorneys know, no new evidence has surfaced in the case. Court records do not indicate any additional information, and

Circuit Attorney’s spokeswoman Susan Ryan didn’t respond to a request for comment. But two things have happened since February: Police announced a crackdown on ATV riders, and the alleged victim in the case publicly blasted Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner at a neighborhood meeting in Shaw. Muhic was caught in the middle, Meehan says, saying prosecutors plan to make an example of him. “Everybody loves a human sacrifice, Meehan says. According to court documents filed last week, Muhic was one of six to eight riders on ATVs and dirt bikes who were pulling stunts on Gravois Avenue in Bevo on February 2. A pickup driver, 55-yearold Jon Naggi of Jefferson County, later told police he honked at the group. Angered riders surrounded his truck, and one kicked out his driver’s side mirror, authorities say. Naggi veered into the center lane. When he heard shots, he drove through the Morganford intersection, running into Muhic’s AT while fleeing, police say in court documents. Muhic describes it differently. He says he didn’t see how the confrontation started, though he acknowledges that another rider busted out Naggi’s mirror. Naggi swerved at the riders, but Muhic says he rode his Yamaha Raptor ahead of the group, stopping at a red light in front of Naggi’s truck. As he waited, the truck rammed him from behind, Muhic says. Police had described the collision as part of an evasive maneuver, but the 25-year-old says Naggi seemed to try to run him down intentionally. “He came straight at me,” he says. Muhic claims he heard the truck’s engine revving. Fearing he was about to be hit again, Muhic pulled out his gun and fired about five times. “I was certain he was out of control or insane and trying to kill me or one of the others,” he wrote in the statement he gave police in February. Naggi pulled away from the group and called police from about a mile away. His window had been blown out, and investigators noted bullet holes in the frame, grill and engine compartment. He had wounds on his left forearm. Much of the confrontation was captured on surveillance video. Meehan says the footage, which hasn’t been publicly released, shows the pickup plow straight into Muhic from behind. Naggi was upset when he

“We live here in the most dangerous city in the world. I’m a skinny white guy. I’ve got all of 130 pounds on me. I look like an easy target.” learned later in February that no charges would be filed. He spoke to KSDK at the time. “I feel like the justice system let me down again,” he told the station. He admitted to trying to hit Muhic, but claimed he had no alternative. “He was in front of me, shooting,” Naggi told the station. “The only choice I had to do was try to run him over.” Naggi later showed up at an April 9 meeting of the Shaw Neighborhood Ownership Model, a neighborhood group focused on reducing crime. Gardner was the featured speaker. During a question-and-answer session, Naggi introduced himself and grilled the circuit attorney about the case. “Nobody returns my calls,” he told her. “You can talk to me, and we’ll talk to you after,” Gardner said. “I’m $45,000 in the hole, because my truck got totaled,” Naggi continued as Gardner explained that she wouldn’t speak about specific cases at the open forum. “I got pelted with ten bullets, shot in the arm. My daughter, I just dropped her off five minutes before that or she would have been dead.” Gardner said, “Well, let’s talk about that, and we can talk...” But Naggi interjected: And the guy came in and claimed self defense, and it’s all on film, and nobody wants to look at my case.” A moderator was eventually able to cut him off, but not before Naggi secured a promise from Gardner. “I will look at your case,” she said. The exchange was recorded on video. (Naggi didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.) One month later, on May 9, St. Louis police issued a press release announcing a crackdown on ATV

riders. The department had been taking heat for ignoring bands of daredevils in south city. One woman told Fox 2 that riders chased her, and one brandished a gun, in a frightening encounter. Police told the station that no city ordinances address ATVs, although state laws ban them from roadways. But what caused the most outcry was that Fox 2 quoted police saying there was little they could do; riders often flee and the department’s no-pursuit policy kept o cers from chasing them. Two days after the Fox 2 story, police Chief John Hayden said in a statement that the “police department has been made aware of large groups of ATV riders creating disturbances through the city. As a result, o cers would arrest any riders they caught on city streets and tow their vehicles. The new edict was “effective immediately,” the statement said. In the following days, police detailed their busts on social media. Mugshots of riders were posted alongside photos of their seized AT s, loaded on flatbeds. Police included the hashtag #NoATVsAllowed. Muhic says he gets the concerns, but says that hatred for ATVs comes from those who don’t understand the culture. He started riding about a year ago and sees fellow riders as a family. “It brings all types of people together — black people, white people, foreigners,” he says. “We’re not out here to cause people trouble, to make people’s lives harder, to harass people.” As for his gun, he says it was legally owned and registered. He had hoped he would never need it, but says he learned first-hand about the potential for danger. His best friend, Haris Gogic, was murdered six years ago in a Bevo cell phone store robbery. “We live here in the most dangerous city in the world,” he says. “I’m a skinny white guy. I’ve got all of 130 pounds on me. I look like an easy target.” The son of Bosnian refugees, he says he studied hard at Ranken Technical College and landed a good job as a tech installing automated systems, such as temperature controls, in buildings. Riding became a fun hobby and a way to meet new friends. Now, he worries that the rising animosity toward ATV riders, fueled by public pressure, will cost him his career and freedom. “You can’t look at it like, ‘I hate those guys on quads, let’s get this guy,’” Muhic says. n

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Fake Lawyer Gets Busted Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

fake lawyer accused of scamming her way into a public defender’s job was charged last Thursday with forgery, theft and impersonating an attorney. Kelcie Miller, 26, of Edwardsville, Illinois, was taken into custody by Madison County Sheriff’s deputies after it was revealed that she had been practicing law for more than seven months, despite not being admitted by the Illinois bar. Miller failed the state’s bar exam twice. She worked for the Madison County Public Defender’s O ce and was only caught after a court

reporter tried to double check the spelling of her first name against a state list of licensed attorneys. Her stunned boss, Public Defender John Rekowski, told reporters on Wednesday at a news conference that it never even occurred to him to check her license. “This is so unbelievably foreign as to how my profession operates,” Rekowski said during the conference, recorded by the Belleville News-Democrat. “I’ll tell you this, it will never happen again.” Miller, who has since been fired, had graduated from Valparaiso University’s law school and kept her degree “neatly framed” on the wall of her o ce, Rekowski said. On Instagram, she posed in her cap and gown in front of a set of law books. When a friend commented on the photo, asking for tips passing the bar exam, Miller replied, “text me I have tons!” In reality, she failed the exam twice. But that didn’t stop her

Kelcie Miller worked for the public defender’s office. | COURTESY OF MADISON COUNTY SHERIFF from landing the public defender’s job. Miller worked on about 80 cas-

Stag Shakes Things Up Written by

DANIEL HILL

tag Beer, that beloved mix of suds and ground-up deer antlers [EDITOR’S NOTE: FACT-CHECK THIS] born and brewed for years in Belleville before being acquired by Pabst in 1999, is undergoing some changes. Enjoyed by hipsters and lifelong drunks alike, the “Steak, Taters and Gravy” brew has long enjoyed a fiercely loyal cult following in the St. Louis area, as well as parts of southern Illinois, due to its easy drinkability and dirt-cheap price point. One south-city man even famously converted his home into a shrine to the deer beer, with Stag’s iconic logo emblazoned on his garage door. But thanks to a new rebranding and marketing push, that logo is about to go by the wayside in favor of one that’s more “tribal tattoo” than “majestic deer.” Additionally, the company rolled out a new product last week: a light beer version dubbed “Stag Session.” With 3.8 percent alcohol compared to Stag classic’s 5.2 percent, each can contains just 110 calories, as opposed to 156. You know, for those Stag drinkers watching their waistlines. Strange Donuts co-founder Corey Smale, now an associate brand manager with Stag, is one of the minds behind the lighter brew. “More than 50 percent of beer sold in the St. Louis area is light or offers lower

What the hell have they done to our beloved Stag? | DANIEL HILL ABV,” Smale says in a press release. “We are looking forward to competing in this new space with the great taste Stag lovers expect from our iconic brand.” Stag has been teasing its redesign on its social media accounts for a few weeks now. The reaction from the public at large has been ... skeptical, to put it mildly. “The new logo critter looks like a kangaroo with antlers, not a beautiful stag,” wrote one man on Facebook. “And the font change is terrible.” “Step 1. Shitcan your marketing team,” wrote another. “Step 2. Identify your actual demographic. Step 3. Go

drink Stag with them. Step 4. Reevaluate marketing plan, and go back to what you were doing before. This makes me want to NOT buy your beer. Well done.” The new light beer, meanwhile, has met with similarly piercing disdain: “What color panties should I be wearing when I sip this dainty half-beer?” one jokester wrote on Facebook. “Don’t pussify the Stag,” a woman added. “KEEP IT MANLY.” Now, we here at RFT are no strangers to Stag — this reporter alone has drunk his weight in deer beer a thousand times over. In keeping, we felt compelled to

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es during her time in the o ce, Rekowski said. Generally, her caseload involved lower-level crimes typically handled by new attorneys, but there were signs she was working her way up. She has assisted on the high-profile case of Zachary Capers, who is accused of stabbing an elderly couple to death in 2017. The charges against Miller allege that she is guilty of theft for accepting a salary under false pretenses. The forgery charge relates to a fraudulent state attorney’s registration card, according to the criminal complaint. Rekowski said that nothing in her work made him suspicious and nobody had previously raised red flags. All the cases she worked on are now being reviewed by her former colleagues. “I’ve just had no reason to ever think anybody would do this,” Rekowski said. “The big lie sometimes is better than the small one.” n

give a fair shake to the brew that’s given us so much, even if it does appear from the reaction of the online commentariat that Miller-Coors might be making some missteps. So after calling around to a handful of liquor and grocery stores, we found a twelve-pack at the Schnucks on Lindell. At $7.99, its price mirrors that of regular Stag, which is to say gloriously cheap. We grabbed a tallboy of the high-test stuff as well, just for comparison’s sake, and three RFT staffers graciously volunteered for the arduous task of drinking beer at work before noon. The verdict? It tastes like light beer. “I don’t hate it,” one staffer offered. “If it comes in bottles, I might buy it.” “Still has that weird Stag tang,” said another. “So in that sense, it’s legit.” “It just tastes like watered-down Stag,” agreed the third. And it’s true. If it had to be compared to another light beer on the market, the closest would probably be Coors Light, but when consumed side-by-side with the original version, Stag Session is unmistakably still Stag. Just less so. With its lower ABV, it’d make a great poolside companion on a hot summer day on which you don’t want to get so drunk that you drown. “We are grateful for our loyal Stag drinkers who enjoy the unique and bold taste of Stag,” Smale says in a press release. “Our objective with Stag Session is to introduce Stag to a new fan base who prefer lighter, more refreshing alternatives to Stag.” In that sense, mission accomplished. But as for that logo? Seriously guys, you might wanna walk that one back. n

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DESIGN BY EVAN SULT | PHOTOS OF 2016 ST. LOUIS TRUMP RALLY BY THEO WELLING

Sarah Kendzior is writing.

It’s March 29, and the St. Louis-based scholar of despots and demagogues is absorbed in her notebook. A tumble of dark blonde hair rests in a pile on her shoulder, stirring with the motion of her pen as she jots down a response to a speech she hasn’t heard yet. Around her, the conference room stirs with coffeepowered chatter from the sort of people who attend a 7 a.m. symposium to hear two pundits talk about Donald Trump. One pundit is Kendzior, and, by now, there are things an audience is virtually guaranteed to hear in a Kendzior speech: that Robert Mueller isn’t going to save the country. That democracy is threatened by the “normalization” of propaganda and corruption. That Donald Trump is turning the White House into the headquarters for a “transnational crime syndicate masquerading as a government.” But Kendzior doesn’t have top billing at today’s Seventh Annual Public Values Symposium, advertised with the tagline “Being a change agent in a divided nation.” The keynote speaker at this event, held on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is commentator Bill Kristol, who helped shape three decades of Republican politics before he struck out as a leader of the “Never Trumpers,” the gang of conservatives Continued on pg 16

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Kendzior and conservative pundit Bill Kristol represent vastly different versions of opposition to Donald Trump. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI

“I have this SARAH KENDZIOR horrible feeling, Continued from pg 14 who attempted to stop their own like I was party’s nominee in 2016. Having failed, Kristol often plays the conconjured in a servative role on liberal favorite MSNBC. For the most part, when talks, it’s not conservatives lab to cover he who are listening. the liberals he’s speakDonald Trump.” ingInstead, to take their cues from Kendzi-

or. It’s not just her nearly 500,000 followers on Twitter. A regular on MSNBC’s weekend morning show AM Joy, she is also the author of a best-selling essay collection and co-host of a hit political podcast. Her essays become viral posts, her words transplanted into memes and hashtags. It wasn’t always so; there was a time when Kendzior’s apocalyptic warnings about Trump were written off as over-the-top conspiracy mongering. Then Trump won, and his government started locking up kids on the border. No one swooped in to save the day.

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He wasn’t checked or balanced. Kendzior warned that we were halfway to an authoritarian state, and a swath of the country didn’t just applaud. They donated money to Kendzior. They bought her book. They invited her to speak at symposia. In his keynote address, Kristol, who once served as an adviser and chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle, is unfailingly reasonable. The nation may be divided, he remarks, but he remains confident in the survival of the system. “One of the big stories of the Trump years, for me, is the strength of American institutions,” he says. For a moment, the remark disengages Kendzior from her notebook. She spares a glance at Kristol as he praises the “massive infrastructure” of American institutions “that check the damage a demagogic president can do.” “We are not Hungary,” he continues reassuringly. “We are not Venezuela. We are not a place where, if you get a bad president, he can corrupt half the judiciary,

take over half the media, tell the universities what to teach.” It’s a perfect example of the sort of patriotic trust that, in Kendzior’s view, is hastening America’s fall to brutalism and autocracy. When she takes the podium after Kristol, she is biting in her opinion of America’s institutions, presented by Kristol as a bulwark in a nation momentarily weakened. To Kendzior, that perspective is a mirage, and worse. She tells the crowd, “Belief in American exceptionalism is what got us here.” To agree with Kendzior is to accept a very unpatriotic idea: that America’s exceptional past stopped offering reassurance the moment Trump took o ce. It is this American present that Kendzior tried to warn the world about, a place where values are fungible, truth is marketable and despotism is a shadow creeping across the landscape. It is a shadow Kendzior saw early, not in Washington or in Moscow, but in St. Louis. It was here, in flyover country, that she

perceived a new American future — not the dawn of a better era, but a dwindling. The cataclysm was reflected in the economic desperation of a city wracked by inequality and failed promises of recovery. In St. Louis, everything Kendzior had seen and studied in her life came into focus. It was here that she first wrote the words, “We live in the tunnel at the end of the light.”

have this horrible feeling,” Kendzior says now. “Like I was conjured in a lab to cover Donald Trump.” Born in Meriden, Connecticut, endzior got her first byline at ten by winning a writing contest for Consumer Reports. Her first beat wasn’t politics, but children’s TV shows. Even her early work was unsparing. In her 1989 review of ABC’s Free Spirit, the middle schooler chided, “The plot? It’s hard to write about something that’s not there.” Kendzior didn’t get paid for the work. She can’t help but note the irony. “I only got paid in exposure,” she says through a smile. She narrows her eyes, adopting an expression of mock seriousness. “So, it really set the scene for the future of the media economy.” Kendzior once seemed destined to thrive in what used to be the thriving journalism business. In 2000, after graduating with a degree in history from Sarah Lawrence, she leaped into a job at the New York Daily News, copyediting and uploading the paper’s print editions to its early website. Getting hired by one of the country’s biggest papers right out of college should have kickstarted a long career. Her knowledge of web design and willingness to work long nights seemed like points in her favor. As she covered the attacks of September 11, 2001, however, she says the constant updates finally convinced her bosses to update the website independently from the print issue. The future of journalism had arrived. Within a few years, the internet had torn the heart out of the print advertising market, and the media bubble burst. endzior survived the first wave of layoffs. She didn’t wait around for the second. Kendzior’s interest in dictatorships began while fact-checking Daily News stories on American military bases around Afghani-

stan. She’d realized then that much of the available information was inaccurate or unreported, and the more she learned about the region’s repressive, post-Soviet regimes, the more she wanted to know. “I always had this question about how fascism rises,” she says. I understood fine the perspective of the dictator, but I did not understand, and I guess still don’t understand on some level, how people just stand around and let it happen.” In 2003, she made her first career change, leaving the paper and, soon after, marrying a former Daily News colleague. (The two fell for each other during the long hours of the overnight shift.) But even after leaving journalism, her fascination with fascism and central Asia remained. The couple

a family in a city vastly more affordable than New York City, and as they established themselves as Midwesterners — her husband landed a job in St. Louis in marketing — she focused her attentions on Uzbekistan, then a country ruled by a single president since declaring independence from the Soviet Union. She wrote her doctoral thesis on the exiled dissidents opposing Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov, an authoritarian leader who could boast a 90-plus percent voter approval in all but his first election, in 1991. Studying Uzbekistan, she began to learn what it meant when a government becomes intertwined over decades with the personality of a demagogue. And in talking to Uzbek dissidents, she learned how to resist one. “Most dictatorships are democracies on paper,” she says. “I remember talking to the dissidents about this, and they basically told me, ‘You expect the worst, but you act like the laws on paper should be followed.’”

Kendzior’s essay collection, The View From Flyover Country, became a best seller after Trump’s election. | FLATIRON PRESS moved to Turkey, where she taught English in Istanbul. She visited Armenia, Georgia and the border regions of Turkey, all still unaffected by ISIS and the later war in Syria. Some of those areas, she notes, are “refugee camps now.” She adds, “It’s very sad to look back. It was a very different world. It showed how dramatically things can change.” Kendzior returned to the U.S. in 2004, determined to turn her fascination with central Asia into a new career. In 2006, she graduated from Indiana University with a master’s degree in Eurasian studies and was accepted into a PhD program at Washington University in St. Louis. The couple intended to raise

cademia turned out to be another failed industry. Six years after enrolling at Washington University, Kendzior’s published papers and PhD in anthropology amount to worthless professional tokens — the jobs in her field vanished in the 2008 financial collapse as schools increasingly relied on cheap adjuncts. Leaving St. Louis wasn’t an option. Her family had grown to include a baby and a toddler, and she couldn’t afford to follow the academic path on a salary of $10,000 as an adjunct professor. Even in other cities, there were no tenuretrack jobs waiting for recent PhDs, who were seemingly expected to live off poverty wages until things changed. At one point, she remembers her adviser suggesting she simply ask her parents for money. “I started laughing,” she recalls. “I am a parent! I’m like 30 years old!” So she turned back to freelance journalism, soon landing a job as a contributing columnist for Al-Jazeera English. She says she loved the job, at least initially, because “they let me write whatever the hell I wanted.” In her first columns, she laments the victims of low wages and failed industries, wielding

“In the 20th century, St. Louis showed the world ice cream and hamburgers and ragtime and blues and racism and sprawl and riots and poverty and sudden, devastating decay. In the 21st century, St. Louis is starting to look more like other American cities, because in the 21st century, America started looking more like St. Louis.”

Continued on pg 19

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As a reporting duo, Sarah Kendzior and Umar Lee met gubernatorial candidate Eric Greitens, right, in 2016. | COURTESY OF SARAH KENDZIOR

SARAH KENDZIOR Continued from pg 17

prose that often follows an almost lyrical, sermon-like structure. Many of the columns are riddled with statistics, but others draw on Kendzior’s own angst. In May 2013, she wrote the essay “The View From Flyover Country” for Al-Jazeera. It is dominated by despair, the pacing punctuated with wordplay and relentless repetition. She writes like a beat poet stalking a stage, a preacher working her way into a righteous sweat. She writes: “St. Louis is one of those cities that is always ahead of its time. In 1875, it was called the ‘Future Great City of the World.’ In the 19th century, it lured in traders and explorers and companies that funded the city’s public works and continue to do so today. In the 20th century, St. Louis showed the world ice cream and hamburgers and ragtime and blues and racism and sprawl and riots and poverty and sudden, devastating decay. In the 21st century, St. Louis is starting to look more like other American cities, because in the 21st century, America started looking more like St. Louis.” By that point, Kendzior had already lived in St. Louis for seven years. She was raising two young kids, living through the aftermath

of the recession in a city already far beyond the point where a post-industry recovery seemed possible. The essay concluded: “St. Louis is no longer a city where you come to be somebody. But you might leave it a better person.” Slowly, Kendzior says, she began to understand St. Louis, its complexities and contradictions. Part of that understanding came from her friendship with Umar Lee, a writer and cabbie who had made it a personal hobby to take local journalists on tours of the rarely covered areas of St. Louis, the suburbs north of the central corridor. On a winter day in 2012, Lee picked Kendzior up in his cab and set off, driving through Pine Lawn, Jennings, Ferguson and Kinloch. “It was a snowstorm,” Lee recalls, “but I gave her a several-hour tour of all over St. Louis city and county, like I did for everybody.” Journalists, says Lee, are often trapped in the bubble of their neighborhoods, their view of St. Louis limited to certain bars and restaurants and the city’s sports franchises. When he met Kendzior, he remembers being struck not just by her grasp on the government structures of the suburbs they passed by, but her empathy for the people they met along the way. Lee and Kendzior went on

to share bylines, including on a lengthy feature for Politico Magazine covering Ferguson and the “decaying black suburbs” north of St. Louis. Lee grew up around those often forgotten suburbs. Kendzior, he notes, had none of the aloofness that he’d come to expect from New York City reporters. “She’s really good at getting people to open up, being empathetic,” he says. “I think she has a natural gift for that. It’s not from an academic background.” In 2014, Kendzior quit Al Jazeera, writing in an outraged Twitter thread that the outlet had started pressuring contributors to write more “hot takes” and less thoughtful pieces. It wouldn’t be the last outlet Kendzior would blast on the way out the door, but she never failed to find a landing place for her columns. Her range was impressive; she could just as easily expound on the hyper-local stories of St. Louis as central Asian regimes. In 2015, she interviewed St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones for a story about predatory payday loans for the Guardian. Three days later, her name appeared in the New York Times, as the author of an oped analyzing the legacy of a massacre in Uzbekistan. Later that year, with the presidential election season kicking off,

“Their worst impulses came out — things people never thought they could say in public, and permission was granted by Trump saying those things. This is how demagogues form their movements. It’s a very frightening thing to witness first-hand.”

Continued on pg 20

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“I saw SARAH KENDZIOR Continued from pg 19 [Trump] as Kendzior’s various areas of experbasically tise finally collided in a common subject: a populist celebrity who flyover country by vowing confirmation of won to “Make America Great Again,” a that joined the promise everything I’d platform of a stronger country with a vow the culprits — Mexicans been warning toandexpel Muslims — who were supposdragging it down. about for years. edly Kendzior watched the growing from a deeply red That this could groundswell state with mounting anxiety. In 2016, she stood alongside happen here. March giddy Trump supporters at a camrally in downtown St. Louis. That we weren’t paign The line to get in snaked around blocks. safe and that we city“I spoke to everyone in line,” she recalls. “I listened to them tell me were heading into about the hope they had in him, how they really believed he was something more the guy from The Apprentice, that he was this powerful businessvicious and awful man who was finally looking out for the economic opportunities of people.” than what we’d regular Kendzior and hundreds of otharrived too late to get a seat already endured.” ers inside. With the Peabody Opera House quickly packed to capacity, the overflow became a churning crowd that spilled into the cordoned-off streets. Inside, protesters dropped a banner from a balcony, and minutes later a block of the audience rose in unison, chanting and locking their arms while security guards dragged them out of their seats. Outside, Kendzior watched fistfights erupt, the violence ending with bloodied protesters being led away by police. She remembers standing outside the opera house, listening to Trump’s voice booming through the speakers that had been set up to ensure the candidate’s message — and chants of “build that wall” — wouldn’t be lost on the throngs who failed to make it inside for the show. The crowd outside, she says, “became a mob.” “Their worst impulses came out,” she explains, “things people never thought they could say in public, and permission was granted by Trump saying those things. This is how demagogues form their movements. It’s a very frightening thing to witness firsthand.” But it was also frustrating. Some media outlets treated Trump’s campaign as a movement destined for the mockery of historians. “At that point,” she says, “people still thought it was hilarious that he was running, that this was really funny.” Kendzior had stopped laughing

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at Trump months prior, seeing his smearing of Mexicans as rapists and murders as a move right out of the authoritarian textbook. The fact that Trump wasn’t shy about blatantly scapegoating minorities — or pledging to crack down on Muslim immigration — only strengthened her sense that she was witnessing something familiar and horrible. Openly declaring a national program of persecution “is very typical of dictators” of central Asia, she points out. “They want to flaunt that power. With Trump ascendant, Kendzior’s work was suddenly in high demand. Her coverage of the St. Louis rally was published in the Guardian, and two weeks later, the Diplomat, an international online news magazine, published a Kendzior essay placing Trump within the “spectacle states” she’d studied in central Asian dictatorships. Trump, she wrote, was like an American version of Turkemenistan’s Saparmurat Niyazov, the late despot who built a personality cult so deep that he ordered the days of the week renamed to evoke details from his autobiography. One month after the St. Louis rally, Trump notched his sixteenth Republican primary win. Days later, Kendzior tweeted, “We live in the tunnel at the end of the light.” The line predated Trump. It first appeared in a 2013 Kendzior essay about “surviving the post-employment economy,” but it had come to her again, three years later, rising in her imagination alongside the certainty that not only would Trump be the GOP nominee for president, but that he could win. “When I tweeted that out, it was clear to me that he was going to win the primary,” she says now. I saw this as basically confirmation of everything I’d been warning about for years. That this could happen here. That we weren’t safe and that we were heading into something more vicious and awful than what we’d already endured.”

ore than two years into Trump’s first term, Kendzior has turned her uncommon background into an unusual career, albeit one she hopes will be temporary. (“Journalists don’t fare well in authoritarian states,” she quips.) While her academic career provided only the opportunity for poverty, freelancing is little better, though it does allow her to work from home. That means she doesn’t have to pay for childcare. On the other hand, Kendzior is not on contract with MSNBC (she says she’s not paid for her appear-

ances on cable news) and her actual, income-making “career” is more of a jumble. She’s been hired to speak at conferences in North America and Europe, and she currently serves as a freelance American correspondent for the Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper. In 2018, with Kendzior’s name on viral tweets and face on cable news, her publisher re-released her 2015 ebook The View From Flyover Country as a physical book — and despite featuring articles written years before the rise of Trump, it became an instant best seller in a country suddenly desperate to understand how things had gotten to this point. No less than Hillary Clinton praised the book in a speech after the election, calling it “especially relevant in the midst of our current healthcare debate.” At first, endzior wasn’t sure what to make of the reaction. Some fans had branded her a Cassandra, a tragic figure who’d tried to warn us of the danger posed by Trump. “People act like I have magical psychic powers,” she says. “Like, no, this is unfortunately what I’ve studied my whole life.” Kendzior’s burgeoning fame, though, has marshaled a vocal and politically aware audience, fans who buy her book and retweet her every word, followers who message her with thanks for preparing them for the latest twists of the Trump saga. In return, Kendzior projects intellectual clarity in a climate often dominated by ambiguity. She is not CNN or the New York Times, treating Trump’s lackeys as reasonable political actors. She sees much of the media as useful idiots, and she refuses to play the fool. Last month, during an appearance on MSNBC, she accused the GOP of seeking a “one-party state.” Trump, she said, “wants to be an autocrat with that state behind him.” Her fans eat it up. In a way, Kendzior still hasn’t moved on from the 2016 election. Since last summer, she’s co-hosted the “Gaslit Nation” podcast, which aims to re-evaluate the election with a perspective drawn from the ocean of subsequent revelations — and indictments — that continue to shape and re-shape what we know about Trump, his campaign and the degree to which Russian influence assisted him in becoming president. The podcast, an instant hit, now has 40,000 Twitter followers. And now she’s not just preaching to the choir; she’s funded by it. The podcast’s Patreon page counts more than 2,300 monthly contributors,

each paying at least $1 to support the production and marketing of the show — and some much more than that. (The show’s highest contributor level, “Muckraker” requires a $300 monthly commitment. Kendzior declined to provide the show’s exact monthly income.) She has her doubters. On Twitter, Kendzior says she’s become a target of left-wing trolls for criticizing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California), who recently argued that impeachment would give Trump exactly the martyrdom that he desires. Kendzior says that position is absurd. “People keep forgetting that Trump is someone who has manipulated tabloid media and then reality TV,” she says. “He has a great understanding of propaganda, and he does not want these kinds of hearings to happen.” Even if the GOP-led Senate would never vote to remove Trump, she says, the process retains more than symbolic value. “Impeaching puts evidence in the public domain,” she suggests. “It clarifies what has happened and it forces people to show who they are, under oath, in an environment they can’t control.” It’s not just impeachment. Her worldview often presents the reality of a conspiracy at work, a kind of corkboard universe crisscrossed in red thread that links Russian agents to American politics. It isn’t easily digested. She’s been criticized as a one-woman engine of confirmation bias, a Russiagate truther who bends every new development into her theory of America’s imminent fall to full-blown authoritarianism under Trump. In a 2017 essay for the New Republic, Colin Dickey — an academic with a PhD in comparative literature and the author of a book on haunted houses — wrote that Kendzior “relies heavily on comparisons that are technically plausible but far from definitive. Blinded by her bias, Dickey wrote, Kendzior perceives “every action taken by the Trump administration is evidence that we’re in the early throes of an authoritarian takeover.” When asked about Dickey and his critique, Kendzior literally rolls her eyes. “That guy wants to call that confirmation bias, she retorts, I call that being a woman with a PhD and expertise.”

n Trump’s America, image is everything. The president can fight subpoenas from Congress and turn around and insist there’s no cover up. Up is down, small crowds are big,

and no one is less racist or more knowledgeable than a president who embraced birtherism and doesn’t like to read. It is a world ripped from the pages of Kendzior’s research, but the voice of flyover country has, as of late, published quite little. Her last published column, from January, was an op-ed about Trump’s government shutdown in the Globe and Mail. Instead, for the last five months, Kendzior has been working on the first draft of Hiding in Plain Sight. It will be her first book — not a collection of essays — and is set to be published by Flatiron Press in April 2020. (Last year, she signed a two-book deal with the publisher.) The book is intended, she says, to “look back at how we got here.” She says, “One of the problems with why people have trouble understanding this crisis, and I don’t blame them, is that this is such an incredible scandal that goes into so many different countries, so many brazen acts of crime and corruption.” Instead, she says people have chosen to tune out the alarms, believing, as much of the media did in covering Trump’s election, “it couldn’t really be so bad.” She calls this perspective “normalcy bias,” a delusion that Trump can’t permanently damage America. “If it really was so bad,” it whispers, “the FBI and intelligence agencies would have done something to stop it.” Mueller may have punted on indictments, but to Kendzior, the ongoing revelation of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election vindicated her arguments dozens of times over. From the indictment of Russian hackers to the trial of Paul Manafort to the confessioncum-testimony of Michael Cohen, Kendzior sees the steadily thickening outline of the treachery that produced Trump’s election. But writing a book that won’t be released until months before the 2020 election poses new challenges. She’s already planning revisions to a chapter on Missouri to reflect the fact that its Republican governor just signed into law one of the strictest abortion bans in the country — a prelude, perhaps, to an attempt by the Supreme Court to finally allow states to ban abortion. “This is what I’ve been trying to tell people, yes, they will take it that far,” Kendzior says. “If you refuse to look at it head on, people suffer as a consequence.” To believe Kendzior is to believe that she never wanted this new career, that she derives none of

the conspiracist’s satisfaction of drawing a new thread across the corkboard. That she is motivated by consequences, by the knowledge of how authoritarian states thrive on a slow churn to nightmare, and that in time, even the heinous can seem normal. When Kendzior left journalism and traveled to Turkey in 2003, it was a country with a recently elected president, Recep Tayyip Erdo an, who was widely seen as a reformer who could integrate the country with the European Union. Her students in Istanbul were optimistic about their future. Kendzior kept in touch with some of her students after leaving Turkey, but time has changed that country and its leader, who remains in power more than a decade later. She says she hasn’t heard from her former pupils since 2013, when Erdogan’s regime cracked down on press freedom and social media. No one wants to believe they live in an autocracy. To see the dark coming, says Kendzior, requires a “dark imagination.” But there is some optimism, even now: In 2020, Kendzior expects Trump to face an American electorate who, despite the bluster and propaganda, “sees through his false promises.” This time around, she suggests that his path to victory will require even more blatant “voter suppression and foreign interference.” In a free and fair election, she predicts, “he wouldn’t be elected.” But that possibility raises an even darker portent, the final test of all authoritarians. Like Erdo an in Turkey, Niyazov in Turkemenistan and Karimov in Uzbekistan, the measure of a successful demagogue isn’t necessarily the number of elections they can win. It’s in their power to transcend elections, to remain in power decade after decade. And so the danger, for Kendzior, isn’t that Trump will win. It’s that he loses, but it won’t matter anymore. “I don’t think he will leave,” she suggests, “unless he’s facing legal consequences, like indictments.” Win or lose, if Trump remains past 2020, the future grows blurrier, darker, harder to predict even for an expert. “I don’t think there are limitations for the worst-case scenario,” Kendzior says of Trump and his allies. “Think of the worst thing possible that they could do. They’ll try to do it. I tell people, look out for who is the worst off, and fight for them. Let that be your moral compass.” n

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“Impeaching puts evidence in the public domain. It clarifies what has happened and it forces people to show who they are, under oath, in an environment they can’t control.”

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CALENDAR

BY PAUL PAUL FRISWOLD FRISWOLD BY ates ate. Can their marriage survive another woman, even if she is a dog? A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia is a comedy about the importance of really connecting with someone — dogs, wives, husbands, whomever — in which the dog is played by a human woman for comedic and empathetic reasons. Stray Dog Theatre presents Sylvia at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (June 6 to 22) at the Tower Grove Abbey (2336 Tennessee Avenue; www.straydogtheatre.org). Tickets are $25 to $30.

SATURDAY 06/08 The Cocktail Hours The Boxer’s Omen is your typical martial arts, horror and revenge film with supernatural elements. | SHAW PRODUCTIONS

THURSDAY 06/06 Hong Kong Horror Kuei Chih-hung’s psychedelic horror film The Boxer’s Omen (also sometimes titled Mo) is about revenge. At its core it’s about a young man (Philip o) who seeks to avenge the crippling of his brother in a Thai kickboxing match, which is the result of a family curse he must break. Along the way he battles spirits from the underworld, demon bats, flying eyeballs, body horror and an evil wizard. First released in 1983, The Boxer’s Omen is a weird, mindbending trip from the Shaw Brothers and is better experienced than explained. The Webster Film Series shows the film at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 6, in Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood Avenue; www. webster.edu film-series). Tickets are $5 to $7.

FRIDAY 06/07 Art for All

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More than 100 artists working in all media will set up tents this weekend on the grounds of Eden

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Theological Seminary (Lockwood and Bompart avenues) for the Webster Arts Fair (www.websterartsfair.com). Painters, ceramicists, fiber artists and more will sell you their works while you enjoy some time outside and a little snack (sold on site by Bayou Seasoning Catering, Ices Plain Fancy and Mission Taco Joint, among others). Three stages of live music will feature performances by Jake’s Leg, Dizzy Atmosphere, and Roland Johnson and Soul Endeavor throughout the weekend. If all that art gets your creative juices going, Yucandu Art Studio will have free and lowcost projects you can make, while Music Folk, the Craft Alliance and the Weavers Guild of St. Louis and Missouri Fiber Artists will offer demos and short lessons on the tools of their respective trades. The Webster Arts Fair takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday (June 7 to 9). Admission is free.

Greg is middle-aged and restless, particularly when it comes to his job, which he’s tired of. When he finds a stray dog in the park, he names her Sylvia and brings her

JUNE 5-11, 2019

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If you fancy a drink (and the other way around), the CWE Cocktail Party has what you need. From 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 8, on Euclid Avenue between Mary-

Something strange is going on in aisle six, and Yo-Yo’s going to find out what. | COURTESY OF CIRCUS FLORA home. His wife, ate, is not as smitten with the dog as Greg, but reluctantly agrees to let her stay for a few days while they figure out what to do. In this little window of happiness, Greg and Sylvia enjoy long walks together while Greg tells Sylvia his life story and avoids work, all of which alien-

land and McPherson (www.cwecocktailparty.com), there will be a cocktail competition, as well as live music by Rum Drum Ramblers, Disco Nites and other local bands. Neighborhood bars and restaurants will be selling celebratory drinks and food to keep you going. Admission is free.

WEEK OF OF JUNE JUNE 6-12 6-12 WEEK

Clean-Up in Aisle 6 Circus Flora is an established St. Louis summer tradition, up there with Ted Drewes and baseball. The one-ring circus returns with an all-new show about a trip to the grocery store — but not just any store. In The Caper in Aisle 6, an ancient substance of great power has been lost for ages; now it’s been found in the aisle of a local supermarket. Acrobats, aerialists, trapeze artists and daredevils try to uncover the secret behind the substance, with breathtaking results. The Caper on Aisle 6 officially opens at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Circus Flora Big Top in Grand Center (3401 Washington Boulevard; www.circusflora. org). The show continues Tuesday through Sunday through June 30, with a sensory-friendly performance on Thursday, June 20. Tickets are $10 to $60.

SUNDAY 06/09 When in Rome Claudio Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea is one of the earliest operas, originating in 1643. Inspired by history, Giovan-

The Webster Arts Fair features work for sale and work you can make yourself. | © RAY KENYATTA ni Francesco Busenello’s libretto depicts a power struggle in ancient Rome, and all of the principal characters are morally corrupt. Nero sits upon the throne

with his wife Ottavia, but he shuns her company for Poppea, his mistress. Poppea has herself thrown over her suitor Ottone for the emperor, and the jilted lover vows to kill her — but he can’t. Ottone still loves Poppea. Unfortunately Ottavia orders the lovesick Ottone to kill Poppea so the empress can retain the affections of her wandering husband. Poppea is a woman who gets what she wants, but does she deserve to get it? (And why does she think Nero won’t tire of her someday?) Opera Theatre St. Louis presents the unapologetically bloodthirsty thriller The Coronation of Poppea at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 9, at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road; www.opera-stl.org). Tickets are $25 to $129, and the opera is performed five more times in repertory through June 28.

MONDAY 06/10 Luck Be a Lady The Central West End becomes an outdoor cocktail party on Saturday. | COURTESY OF CWE SCENE

You wouldn’t think a hard-boiled sportswriter could inspire a classic musical, but Damon Runyon

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was no ordinary man. His sideline for many years was spinning stories about the gentlemen and ladies of the New York underworld, all delivered in a stylized manner, with much slang and no past-tense verbs. It’s these stories of gamblers, chorus girls and mob enforcers that inspired Guys and Dolls, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Nathan Detroit runs a floating craps game in need of a safe location for the next game, but he’s broke. If he can win a cool $1,000 off inveterate gambler Sky Masterson, Nathan will have his stake to arrange the craps game. The bet is simple: Sky must take a dame to dinner in Havana — and Nathan gets to select the lady. He chooses the pious missionary Sarah Brown, and Sky takes the bet. What follows is race against time, heavyhanded cop Brannigan and real love. The Muny opens its summer season with Guys and Dolls. Performances are at 8:15 p.m. Monday through Sunday (June 10 to 16) at the Muny in Forest Park (www.muny.org). Tickets are $15 to $105. n

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STAGE

[REVIEW]

Jagged Little Pill New Line’s winning Be More Chill pushes back on pharmacology and conformity Written by

PAUL FRISWOLD Be More Chill Music and lyrics by Joe Iconis. Book by Joe Tracz. Based on the novel by Ned Vizzini. Directed by Mike Dowdy-Windsor and Scott Miller. Presented by New Line Theatre through June 22 at the Marcelle Theater (3310 Samuel Shepard Drive; www.newlinetheatre.com). Tickets are $20 to $30.

eremy is your typical New Jersey high school kid. His parents are divorced, he spends hours playing video games and he’s a nobody at school. Of course his dad is a clinically depressed and pants-less wreck who haunts the house all day, and Jeremy has his own personal bully, but the worst thing about his life is that his crush — the beautiful and talented Christine — doesn’t see him as anything other than a casual acquaintance. Youth isn’t wasted on the young; it’s a nightmare realm of pain and embarrassment they’ll be lucky to laugh about some day, if they live long enough. Be More Chill, which got its St. Louis premiere last weekend courtesy of New Line Theatre (and is still playing Broadway), is a deep dive into the claustrophobic caste system of the American high school. If you’re not cool or an academic star, you’re a nobody. And nobodies never catch a break, never win and never get a girl, let alone “the” girl. Under Mike Dowdy-Windsor and Scott Miller’s bright direction, New Line’s Be More Chill is a startlingly fresh musical that avoids cliche to tell an exciting and at times very funny story about modern teenagers with a sci-fi twist. The play is aided enormously by its fresh-faced cast and the sci-fi conceit. Jeremy (Jayde Mitchell) is hiding in the bathroom when his

Jeremy (Jayde Mitchell, center) becomes exceptionally chill thanks to the Squip (Dominic Dowdy-Windsor, background). | JILL RITTER LINDBERG tormentor, Rich (a very physical Evan Fornachon), enters and out of the blue confesses that he abuses Jeremy because “the Squip” tell him to. As Rich explains through some ritualized movements in “The Squip Song,” the Squip is a gray, oblong pill from Japan with nanotechnology inside that you swallow with Mountain Dew to activate. Once internalized, the Squip takes control of your social interactions, making you more chill. The fact that Rich howls “it’s from Japan” like he’s fronting Def Leppard and seems to have suddenly developed a stutter seems ominous. But in short order Jeremy too has a Squip, despite the disapproval of his best friend Micheal (Kevin Corpuz). When the Squip (Dominic Dowdy-Windsor) takes charges of Jeremy’s wardrobe, hygiene and personal life, he takes human form as Laurence Fishburne’s “Morpheus” character in The Matrix. Dowdy-Windsor plays the Squip with a condescending air, and rightfully so. Jeremy is a mess. As the Squip edits Jeremy’s

deplorable life, he ruthlessly excises anyone who he perceives as a dead end, mostly against Jeremy’s will. Not always, though. Jeremy’s Cheshire Cat grin as he’s sandwiched between popular girls Brooke and Chloe (Melissa Felps and Laura Renfro, both with excellent voices) in “Do You Wanna Ride?” demonstrates the benefits — and the allure — of the Squip’s program. Rob Lippert’s scenic design features large, rectangular boxes covered with stylized microcircuitry that spin to reveal bedrooms, rehearsal rooms and bathrooms. These last two inspire a pair of the show’s best songs. Christine (Grace Langford) extols her great devotion to the rehearsal process in “I Love Play Rehearsal,” because the script tells her how to behave and what to say, unlike real life. Michael’s heartbreaking “Michael in the Bathroom” sees Jeremy’s best friend in a blue gorilla costume, mournfully trying to summon the courage to leave the safety of this private space after Jeremy cuts him loose. Kevin

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Corpuz’s performance here is matched only by his pep-talk duet (“The Pants Song”) with Jeremy’s dad (Zachary Allen Farmer, doing yeoman’s work in all the adult roles), who’s at sea following the loss of his wife and son. As good as Joe Iconis’ songs are (and the New Line band, directed by Nicole Valdez, plays them very well indeed), Joe Tracz’ book is equally compelling. An off-hand factoid about stagnating human evolution dovetails quite tidily with the Squip’s motivations for disseminating more of itself through the school. This is the real menace of life lived by remote control, and everything in Be More Chill hinges on someone “just saying no” to technologylaced drugs. For all its charms and honesty about the bad decisionmaking of high schoolers, Be More Chill’s gripping conclusion proves that not everyone takes the easy way out. It takes only one brave teen armed with a fondness for retro ‘90s culture to stop the madness. Uncoolness never looked so good. n

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OPERA

[REVIEW]

Toxic Bachelors Rigoletto, now at Opera Theatre St. Louis, is magnificently dark and magnificently sung Written by

SARAH FENSKE Rigoletto Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, English translation by James Fenton. Directed by Bruno Ravella. Presented through June 30 by Opera Theatre St. Louis at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves; 314-9610644). Tickets $25 to $129.

’m generalizing here, but the biggest asshole in many social groups isn’t the alpha male. The guy with the putdown that wounds you to your core is not the good-looking guy, the one the girls fall for. Instead, he’s the one hanging on the edges, the one who barely belongs. As a result, he’s quick to insult anyone who’s outside the circle — proving his bona fides by exposing your lack of them. For Rigoletto, the title character of the gripping production that opened Saturday at Opera Theatre St. Louis, being the asshole isn’t just his personality; it’s his job. Working as a jester for the Duke, he uses his ventriloquist’s dummy to horrible, mean-spirited affect. Dressed in shambling clothes, his face marred by a port wine stain, Rigoletto would ordinarily be on the outside looking in. But by being the hired jerk, he lets the Duke and his friends have their fun even as they get to keep the pretense of being nice guys. It’s ugly work. Soon after the opera begins, it all goes awry. When Rigoletto laughs at a distraught father searching for the daughter the Duke has seduced, the man curses him — a curse that hangs over all the action that follows. Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda is kidnapped by his own companions as he unwittingly stands by, and then she is debauched by his employer. The music scoring this tragedy

Monterone (Nicholas Newton), left, curses Rigoletto (Roland Wood) after the jester mocks his grief. | ERIC WOOLSEY (based on a play by Victor Hugo, of Les Misérables fame) is by Giuseppe Verdi, and not coincidentally, it’s gorgeous. There’s not a false note in the score, which is melodic without being simple, accessible without being overly familiar. It’s unrelentingly beautiful from the ominous beginning all the way to the terrible end. It helps that director Bruno Ravella’s cast is anchored by two powerhouse singers. As Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda, the young

soprano So Young Park is a revelation, hitting impossibly high notes with breathtaking purity. And as the title character, the British baritone Roland Wood could not be any better. His voice, too, is shockingly powerful. Wood convincingly portrays Rigoletto’s devastating fall from being a jerk to being the victim of the very chicanery he would have once laughed at — and the fact he understands his own culpability only makes the portrayal all the more haunt-

ing. He’s Michael Cohen to the Duke’s Donald Trump, only a lot more self-aware. Rigoletto knows he struck a deal with the devil; his anguish is only heightened by his knowledge that he deserves what he gets. The only real shortcoming of this opera is the character of Gilda. While Ravella’s staging admirably plays up the toxic masculinity that allows a group of professional men to act like sociopaths simply

[REVIEW]

much nonstop since 1786. It’s the gleefully giddy story of a servant who wants to wed, but finds endless complications thanks to his boss’ illicit designs on his beloved. Even if you know nothing of opera and nothing of its plot, its overture is surely familiar to you. It’s entered the canon of pieces that your ears somehow just pick up along the way of life. “I know that,” you will think. “It’s gorgeous.” Indeed you do, and indeed it is. Nothing has been modernized in the Opera Theatre St. Louis’ first-rate new Figaro; there’s no attempt to transpose the action to, say, the swinging ‘60s or the give things a noir cast. But the playful costumes (by Constance Hoffman) and clever sets (by Paul Steinberg) nevertheless provide a wink, owning the artifice of the day and subtly reminding us that we, too, have our powder and weaves. The libretto offers conflict that’s both ridiculously complicated and swiftly resolved, with all the usual bits — jealous lovers, elaborate deceptions, characters switching identities and genders, frantic

hiding under beds and jumping out of windows. These conventions still amuse, and even though a three-hour and tenminute run time is long even by opera standards, director Mark Lamos keeps things moving. Still, the main reason to see this Figaro isn’t the story; it’s the performances. As the horny young Cherubino, a male part traditionally played by a woman, Samantha Gossard makes a thrilling Main Stage debut, her expressively comic face and lovely voice a highlight of every scene she’s in. Theo Hoffman is a delight as Count Almaviva, the very portrait of male privilege somehow convinced of his own victimhood. But it’s soprano Susannah Biller, who plays Almaviva’s wife, Rosina, who steals the show. When she first appears on stage the frantic action comes to a screeching halt, so languorous is her aria, so devastating her affect. You stop laughing and instead hold your breath. She is the tragedy in the middle of the comedy, Continued on pg 31

License to Wed With The Marriage of Figaro, Opera Theatre St. Louis reminds us of the pleasures of a classic Written by

SARAH FENSKE The Marriage of Figaro Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, English translation by Andrew Porter. Directed by Mark Lamos. Presented through June 29 by Opera Theatre St. Louis at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves; 314-961-0644). Tickets $25 to $129.

h, The Marriage of Figaro! Mozart’s comedic masterpiece has been performed around the world pretty

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Continued on pg 31

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RIGOLETTO

Continued from pg 27

to amuse each other, the director can’t do much to give their victim agency. Rigoletto doesn’t, as you might wish, fit neatly within the #MeToo zeitgeist. Yes, Gilda’s virtue has been taken, but she can’t bring herself to acknowledge the villainy of her assailant. The opera depicts her as too innocent, too devout, to cope with the reality of what’s been done to her. Watching this stirring production in 2019, we can’t help but long for Gilda to wake up, to help us find catharsis by justifying her choice, perhaps in a final blast of song that helps us see her suicide as somehow revolutionary. Instead, Gilda humbly volunteers for her fate, offering the other cheek the way she surely learned

in the convent. She is dogged in her path, it’s true, but in this era, we don’t just want determination; we want expiation. Perhaps Christian forgiveness is simply too out of fashion to make sense to a modern audience. But our protagonist’s devastation at the end suggests that a father’s revenge is no solution either. It matters not if Gilda sacrifices herself or her father attempts to avenge her, Rigoletto suggests — either way, men like the Duke sail on, lamenting how di cult women are even as they leave them strewn as wreckage in their wake. It’s ironic that the opera’s most famous song is the Duke’s lilting third act “La Donna Mobile” (often translated as “Woman Is Flighty”) — a remarkable self-justification by a man who suffers not a wit for his toxicity. Only the little people, perhaps, must pay for their sins. n

Cherubino (Samantha Gossard) seizes the day with Rosina (Susannah Biller). | ERIC WOOLSEY

FIGARO

Continued from pg 27

the reminder that the foibles of men like her husband have a very real cost. Even with Biller’s powerhouse performance, you don’t linger on the tragedy. How could you? Everyone is around you is laughing out loud. (It’s remarkable how well the humor holds up 233 years later; perhaps we haven’t come such a long way, baby.) But as she sings, so beautiful and so desperately sad, you can’t help but be riveted. It’s Rosina, along with Figaro’s beloved Susanna (Monica Dewey), who sings “Canzonetta sull’aria” in the third act, and you might be familiar with this piece, too.

In The Shawshank Redemption, it is this duet that Andy plays over the loud speakers, an act of defiance that brings the prisoners to a standstill and causes Red to remark, “I have no idea what those two Italian ladies were singing about. …. I like to think they were singing about something [so] beautiful it can’t be expressed in words and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared. Higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream.” That is reason enough to see The Marriage of Figaro, even if you’ve seen it before, even though you can find recordings of that duet online. If you thought it was stunning coming from the prison speakers, it’s even better live. Opera almost always is. n

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314.499.7488 2130 MACKLIND AVE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63110 Housed in a retro service station, J. Smugs GastroPit serves up barbecue that can fuel anyone’s fire. Married teams of Joe and Kerri Smugala and John and Linda Smugala have brought charred goodness to the Hill neighborhood, nestled among the traditional Italian restaurants, sandwich shops and bakeries. Part of St. Louis’ ongoing barbecue boom, the J. Smugs’ pit menu is compact but done right. Ribs are the main attraction, made with a spicy dry rub and smoked to perfection. Pulled pork, brisket, turkey and chicken are also in the pit holding up well on their own, but squeeze bottles of six tasty sauces of varying style are nearby for extra punch. Delicious standard sides and salads are available, but plan on ordering an appetizer or two J. Smugs gives this course a twist with street corn and pulled-pork poutine. Several desserts are available, including cannoli – a tasty nod to the neighborhood. Happy hour from 4 to 7pm on weekdays showcases half-dollar BBQ tastes, discount drinks, and $6 craft beer flights to soothe any beer aficionado.

Carnivore fills a nearly 4,000-square-foot space on The Hill with a dining area, bar lounge, and adjoining outdoor patio gracefully guarded by a bronze steer at the main entrance. Always embracing change, Joe and Kerri Smugala, with business partners Chef Mike and Casie Lutker, launched Carnivore STL this summer. As the Hill’s only steakhouse, Carnivore offers a homestyle menu at budget-friendly prices appealing to the neighborhood’s many families. Steak, of course, takes center stage with juicy filet mignon, top sirloin, strip steak and ribeye leading the menu. Customize any of the succulent meats with sautéed mushrooms, grilled shrimp, or melted housemade butters, such as garlic-and-herb and red wine reduction, on top of the flame-seared steak. Other main dishes include a thick-cut pork steak (smoked at J. Smugs) and the grilled chicken with capers and a white wine-lemon-butter sauce. St. Louis Italian traditions get their due in the Baked Ravioli, smothered in provel cheese and house ragu, and in the Arancini, risotto balls stuffed with provel and swimming in a pool of meat sauce. With an exciting new brunch menu debuting for Saturday and Sunday, Carnivore should be everyone’s new taste of the Hill.

THE BLUE DUCK

BLK MKT EATS

BLUEDUCKSTL.COM

BLKMKTEATS.COM

314.769.9940 2661 SUTTON BLVD, MAPLEWOOD, MO 63143

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

There aren’t many businesses named after Adam Sandler movies, but at the Blue Duck, the food is as whimsical as its “Billy Madison” reference. Originally founded in Washington, Mo., owners Chris and Karmen Rayburn opened the Blue Duck’s Maplewood outpost in 2017, bringing with them a seasonal menu full of American comfort-food dishes that are elevated with a dash of panache. Start the meal with the savory fried pork belly, which is rubbed with coffee and served with a sweet bbq sauce and root vegetable slaw. For the main event, the Duck’s signature DLT sandwich substitutes succulent smoked duck breast instead of the traditional bacon, adding fried egg and honey chipotle mayo along with lettuce and tomato on toasted sourdough. Save room for dessert; the Blue Duck’s St. Louberry pie – strawberries and blueberries topped with a gooey buttercake-like surface – is a worthy tribute to the Gateway City.

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

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JUNE 5-11, 2019

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CAFE

[REVIEW]

Not Your Daddy’s Diner Ari Jo Ellis cuts the grease — and transforms the classic greasy spoon into something wonderful Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Morning Glory Diner 2609 Cherokee Street. Wed.-Sun. 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (Closed Monday and Tuesday.)

ri Ellis has worked for a James Beard-nominated chef, could school you in the art of butchering a whole animal and makes some of the best sausage in town. Yet at her latest venture, Morning Glory Diner, she’s topped herself by doing something so impossible — so utterly mind-blowing — it will go down in St. Louis breakfast lore. She’s made a non-greasy slinger. Ellis’ version has all the components of the St. Louis hangover classic: burger patty, hash browns, eggs, chili and cheese. Here, however, the high-quality ground meat is juicy but not greasy, forming a deliciously beefy base for layers of hash browns. Unlike other area diners, Morning Glory’s potatoes are cooked in real butter (not unctuous liquid butter alternative), which gives them a crispy, golden exterior and a soft, steamed interior. Perfectly cooked eggs rest on a nest of hash browns, and the entire dish is covered in a mildly spiced vegan chili, laden with chunks of fresh vegetables and beans. Should you overindulge and finish the entire portion, you’ll be surprised by what greets you at the bottom of the bowl. Instead of that characteristic orange oil slick, you’ll find a clean, white dish — and, more importantly, your dignity. The slinger is emblematic of what Ellis is trying to achieve with Morning Glory, the Cherokee Street breakfast and lunch spot

At Morning Glory, Ari Jo Ellis substitutes Johnny cakes for waffles, serving them with her excellent fried chicken to delicious effect. | MABEL SUEN she opened this past Valentine’s Day. A longtime fan of the classic diner, Ellis has often found her love for the concept at odds with the off-putting reality of eating in a room coated in layers of yellow cooking grease and cigarette smoke. For her first, stand-alone restaurant, she was determined to bring to life a place that could evoke the nostalgia and easy comfort of the quintessential diner experience without the grit. Though Ellis had fleshed out the details of what she wanted her dream diner to be, she was not planning on actually opening one anytime soon. Instead, she was content running her artisanal sausage counter, the Cut, inside the Fortune Teller Bar and getting the hang of what it was like to own her first business. However, when neighboring Vista Ramen announced it was closing its doors, the owners approached Ellis to see if she would be interested in taking over the space. Unable to turn down such a choice opportunity, she said yes, accelerating her timeline to stand-alone restaurant ownership, according to her estimate, by about five years. One of the reasons Ellis felt

she could not pass on the offer was the location. The Vista Ramen space was not only beautifully appointed, with eye-catching black and green mosaic tiles, exposed wooden beams and a cool, vintage mural painted on an exposed brick wall, it was also set up in classic diner style. The open kitchen, occupying the entire back length of the restaurant and facing outward, seemed tailor-made for a diner — the sort of clean, aesthetically pleasing diner she’d always envisioned. Because the space was in tip-top condition, Ellis made few changes. Save for a clean coat of paint, a jukebox (whose catalog, she insists, is still a work in progress), a chalkboard menu and some dinercentric décor, the dining room remains almost exactly the same as its previous incarnation. But the aesthetics are not the only thing that the four-month-old diner has in common with Vista Ramen. Just like the critically acclaimed restaurant that came before it, Morning Glory is utterly magnificent. Ellis jokes that she and her team have perfected the “quick drip coffee,” a nod to their down-to-earth approach to daytime dining. Re-

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freshingly, there is nothing ironic about Morning Glory — it’s not a nod to a classic diner; it is a classic diner, only cleaner and with better-quality food. In that spirit, you won’t get coffee made from single origin beans prepared using fussy brewing methods. You’re getting a cup of hot-plate, glass-pot coffee, brewed thick as mud and requiring loads of cream and sugar. You’re also getting a simple breakfast sandwich, served on grilled wheat toast with silken scrambled eggs, molten American cheese and a housemade sausage patty laden with sage and kissed with just a hint of peppery spice and sweetness. The sausage is so thick and juicy, it’s like eating a breakfast patty melt. That same sausage makes an appearance in the biscuits and gravy, this time crumbled into creamy, black-pepper-spiked gravy that is rich, but never crosses the line into overly decadent. Ellis’ biscuits are buttery and fluffy but provide enough heft to hold up to the gravy. Like the slinger, this is an indulgent, filling dish, but it allows you to enjoy it without delivering a punch in the gut.

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MORNING GLORY Continued from pg 33

Ellis worked under fried chicken master Rick Lewis at both Quincy Street Bistro and Southern, so it’s no wonder she picked up some serious fried bird knowhow. At Morning Glory, she serves her succulent, cornmeal-encrusted chicken over Johnny cakes — a beautiful sub for the more common wa e pairing. They taste like corn mu ns that have been flattened and fried. Gilded with a dollop of tempered butter and maple syrup, the dish becomes a masterful mix of sweet and savory that showcases the beauty of cornmeal. You can also enjoy her fried chicken as the centerpiece of a wonderful lunchtime sandwich, nestled onto a bun and simply adorned with lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion. Though Morning Glory does not advertise which cut of chicken you’ll get, I was treated to a boneless thigh that was so juicy it soaked into the bun. I could see why she chose not to top the sandwich with a sauce. Fried is not the only way to enjoy a chicken sandwich at Morning Glory. On one visit, Ellis of-

Kitchen manager Chris Hill, chef-owner Ari Jo Ellis and general manager David Stavron. | MABEL SUEN fered curried chicken salad as a special; large hunks of white and dark meat were blanketed with warm, yellow curry-infused mayonnaise. Instead of finely chopping up an apple and throwing the pieces into the mix, Ellis instead opted to slice the fruit and place it atop the salad as a garnish. This resulted in a thoughtful layer of flavor and crunch that

would have otherwise been lost. Morning Glory would not be a diner without a classic cheeseburger, and Ellis doesn’t disappoint. Hers is a slightly thicker version of the smash-burger griddled variety, topped with a slice of American cheese and placed on a griddled bun. There are more over-the-top decadent burgers in town for sure, but this does a fine job represent-

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ing the classic diner-burger genre. One of the best parts of Morning Glory delivering such nongreasy, greasy spoon fare is that you feel well enough to have dessert. This will likely involve some type of mu n — on my visit, a rustic, whole-grain blueberry one crowned with a layer of brown sugar crumble — and a freshly baked pie. If you are lucky enough to be there on a day Ellis serves blueberry pie, do not hesitate; the gooey blueberry filling is so insulating, it retains its warmth from the oven for hours, radiating a gentle heat that warms the soul as much as your tongue. A piece of pie and a cup of coffee. Bacon, eggs and a slice of toast. Morning Glory is laudable because it offers well-executed versions of what we want to eat when we wake up craving a leisurely breakfast. And Ellis leaves these classics alone, resisting the urge to “elevate” them into a fussy approximation. As she smartly realizes, some things are good enough the way they are — well, minus the grease.

Morning Glory Diner Biscuits and gravy ..................................... $8 Slinger ........................................................ $9 Fried chicken sandwich ............................. $9

JUNE 5-11, 2019

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JUNE 5-11, 2019

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SHORT ORDERS

[SIDE DISH]

Cooking Is the Only Job He’s Ever Done Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

n three decades of work, Ramon Cu e has become one of the city’s most beloved chefs, cooking in Seattle, France and Washington, D.C., in addition to gracing some of St. Louis’ top kitchens. That’s why, looking back over his storied career, he can’t help but laugh that it all began with being told to stay out of the kitchen. I started in the business as a kid — fifteen years old — working at the Chase Park Plaza, Cu e recalls. I was a busboy, but I begged the chef to let me in the kitchen. It was a stern ‘no.’ It went on for about six months until he finally came to me and asked me if I really wanted to work in the kitchen. I said yes and came in that Saturday or Sunday to crack eggs and make omelets. I’ve been in the kitchen ever since. Cu e may only be a month into his new role as executive chef at Herbie’s (8100 Maryland Avenue, Clayton; 314-769-9595), but he is no kitchen neophyte. His kitchen career began to take shape when he was a young cook at the legendary Al Baker’s restaurant. There, one of the restaurant’s chefs, Van Hardy, took Cu e under his wings and showed him how to turn his passion for cooking into a career. Back then, there were no star chefs and people thought of it as a misfit job, but that’s where it all turned around for me, Cu e says. He made me look at the position as something different. Cu e dropped out of high school and threw himself full time into kitchen work at Al Baker’s, where he worked for a few years before leaving to help open another restaurant. After a brief period, he decided to get out of the busi-

Ramon Cuffie, who is now at the helm of Herbie’s, has now spent three decades in the kitchen. | GREGG GOLDMAN ness to explore other options. It wouldn’t last long, however, and he was eventually pulled back into kitchen work, this time at Bar Italia in the Central West End. If Al Baker’s made Cu e think of the kitchen as a profession, Bar Italia was where he took that role and ran with it. For a decade, he helmed the kitchen at the Mediterranean spot, honing his craft, and — more importantly to him — soaking up the multicultural ethos of the restaurant. “The owners were artists; the wait staff was from all over the world, Cu e says. You’d get to hear five or six different languages in that restaurant, so it was a great way to travel without leaving the city. Cu e may have stayed at Bar Italia for even longer, but a fateful vacation in Seattle called him in another direction. Feeling the Pacific Northwest calling, he came home, packed his bags and set out for an adventure. He had no job, no contacts and no place to live, but he uickly found restaurant work and settled into his new town. Cu e traveled and worked throughout the Pacific Northwest for a few years before heeding the call to go overseas. A friend of a friend was starting a program

taking culinary students over to France, and he needed some help. The next thing he knew, Cu e was on a plane, embarking on an adventure that would last longer than he originally intended. I ended up staying in France for two years, Cu e explains. I lived in Avignon and even had a chance to do a restaurant of my own. It was pretty cool — one of the best experiences of my life. Three months shy of getting his residency, Cu e lost his passport and was unable to stay. Disappointed, he came back to the U.S. and worked on the American Orient Express for a season before landing in Washington. It was supposed to be a temporary gig — his plan was to go to New York — but then September 11th ground that city’s fine-dining scene to a halt. Unsure of his next step, he came back to St. Louis and worked at various kitchens before deciding to fulfill his dream of attending culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America. He admits it was an odd thing to do, considering he was already an accomplished chef, but it was important to him. There was just one problem: He couldn’t get in. I never graduated high school, so they wouldn’t let me in, Cuff-

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ie explains. So I had to get my GED. Once that happened, I did their accelerated program. People thought it was a waste of time and money — here I was 50 years old going to culinary school — but I wanted to try something different. It was a good thing. After Cu e graduated, Ben Poremba asked him to take on the role of executive chef at his ambitious French-Italian restaurant, Parigi. Cu e received critical acclaim for the project and worked at the restaurant from its opening in 2016 to its closure in October 2018. After Parigi, Cu e took a break from the kitchen to ride his motorcycle, read and rest. It didn’t last long. His friend, Aaron Teitelbaum, who owns Herbie’s restaurant, needed a classically trained and experienced chef to head the kitchen. He was confident Cu e fit that bill. Now, one month into that job, Cu e is relishing his role at the helm of a restaurant with such history. He’s embraced its classic menu, taking it as an opportunity to look at iconic dishes with fresh eyes and make the best versions of them that he can. It’s not like we are reinventing anything. It’s all been done

JUNE 5-11, 2019

Continued on pg 39

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JUNE 5-11, 2019

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RAMON CUFFIE Continued from pg 37

before, Cu e says. But I get to rethink a Cobb salad or a Wellington. It’s taking me back to when I cured my first salmon or made my first confit. When I strive to make these things, it comes from having read about them and using my imagination about how they should be before I’d ever traveled. When you learn that way, the dish is different. You get closer to it. Cu e took a break from Herbie’s kitchen to share his thoughts on the St. Louis restaurant scene, his unyielding passion for good cheese and the person he credits for making him the chef he is today. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did? Nothing — ha I’ve been in the business so long people already know me. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? It actually changed this year. I used to have a cigarette and morning coffee, but I uit. Now, I get on the elliptical machine every morning. Whether I’m late or not, it’s what I’ve been doing every

day for the last seven months. It’s gotten to be an important thing for me to do. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I wish there were 38 hours in the day I’d also like to be able to grow wild mushrooms on command, but really, time is the number one thing. I never seem to have enough of it. What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? I’d have to say that you don’t just see men in chef jobs anymore. Women chefs are getting their recognition. Some of the biggest influences I’ve had are women chefs. The other is just seeing more diversity in the kitchen in hierarchy positions. We see a lot of immigrants in the kitchen on line and doing prep, but you are seeing a lot more in higher positions than there used to be. Like me. I don’t know how many African American chefs have been at Herbie’s. What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see? I don’t want to sound negative, but respect for diversity in the kitchen could improve. We see

It’s WAY better than a photo booth!

more people of color and women doing things in the culinary world. That’s great — it means things are changing. Who is your St. Louis food crush? The reason I talk about women and people of color in hierarchy positions is because we don’t often have the money to travel or go to places, and we get devalued when it comes to understanding European flavors because of it. That’s not true. If you read you can figure those things out. You have to believe in you. If I had a crush, it would be a chef that I worked with as a kid at Al Baker’s. He was an African American man and a great chef, and no one knew him. His name is an Hardy. Every time someone asks me where I came from, they focus on the big names, and they were great to me and I learned a lot. But the person who helped me as a young man look at the position and keep myself going was him. I don’t think I would have stayed as long and gotten to this skill level if I hadn’t met him. It’s always been him. Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene? There isn’t just one. I like everybody. I look at it as a collective that I want to be a part of.

Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? I’d have to say a salad. It has all kinds of things in it — texture, crunch, flavor. You name it; it’s there. It can be dinner or lunch and you can mix anything you want with it. As a chef, that’s what you have to be: flexible. If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing? I would probably teach something, because this is the only job I’ve ever done. I don’t think many people can say that. Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant. I don’t like lying on the menu. If I say it’s an aioli, it’s an aioli. What is your after-work hangout? I used to love going to the Fox and Hound at the Cheshire, but now I just go home. What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure? Cheese. The Wine Merchant is my place for junk food. They all know it. What would be your last meal on earth? A Butterfinger, Brillat-Savarin (a triple cream cheese) and a slice of Marcia Sindel’s tiramisu. She used to own the now-closed La Dolce ia — hers was the best. n

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JUNE 5-11, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[FIRST LOOK]

Prime 55 Aims to Wow Diners Written by

SARAH FENSKE

rlando Watson and Tony Davis, the entrepreneurs behind Prime 55 (6100 Delmar Boulevard), the restaurant that opened last week on the eastern end of the Loop, knew they could bring in diners. Both music industry veterans — Davis famously discovered Nelly; Watson founded Rockhouse Entertainment, which handles some urban programming at the Pageant — buzz is something they specialize in. But, Watson says, they were also keenly aware that succeeding in the restaurant business meant not

Prime 55 offers many seafood-based entrees, including shrimp and grits. | SARAH FENSKE just attracting diners, but giving them an experience that would make them want to come back. And so for their debut restaurant, the two spared no expense. They completely transformed the space that used to be ietNam Style, adding rustic wood tones and a warm orange and brown palette. Drapes

adorn the long windows overlooking Delmar; an elevator whisks you downstairs to more seating, more rustic wood, more orange accents. It’s a handsome space. The menu, too, doesn’t scrimp. The pair hired Tyler Wayne, a St. Louis native who worked on the West Coast after graduating culi-

[FOOD NEWS]

Ursa Minor Wants to Keep Southampton in Coffee Written by

SARAH FENSKE

en Hoelzer, who will soon open a new coffee shop in the space that previously held Living Room Southampton (5760 Chippewa Street), wishes he could point to a deeper meaning for its name. Ursa Minor, which means “little bear” in Latin, is best known as a constellation, so maybe that’s it? “I could say the North Star is my guiding light,” he says. “But really, I just like my dog a lot!” That dog, an adorable Pomeranian named Bear Bear, turned six earlier this month. Hoelzer adopted him from Stray Rescue at five months. And Hoelzer hopes his adoption of the Living Room will lead to as happy a result. Owners Nate and Hannah Larson quietly closed their Southampton location last month after a little less than a year in business. Nate Larson explains that the duo had been stymied by the lack of kitchen in a neighborhood that seemed hungry for food service and frustrated by the demands of juggling its needs with their original Maplewood

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Two key personnel at Ursa Minor Coffee: Bear Bear and owner Ben Hoelzer. | COURTESY OF BEN HOELZER location. “I had thought, ‘We’re a coffee shop/ cafe,’ and we could open a coffee shop/ cafe with limited food and be cool, “ Larson recalls. “But from the very first minute, the customers were like, ‘Where’s the sandwiches, where’s the quiche?’ People were coming in with kids, ready to eat. It was a total miscalculation.” When Hoelzer, who’d been an employee at the Southampton spot, made an offer to buy, it seemed like the best

JUNE 5-11, 2019

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possible ending. “Ben stepped in at the perfect moment,” Larson says. Hoelzer is confident that he can make the location work. A shared space with Craft Beer Cellar, the coffee shop has been (and will be) open for coffee in the morning, retail beer throughout the day and craft beer pours in the evening. He agrees with the Larsons that there’s just no way to make food on site. But he’s not giving up on serving it. “It’s St. Louis,” he says. “We have a

nary school before serving as sous chef at Ruth’s Chris in Clayton. He’s prepared a menu that includes a fair amount of seafood (blackened salmon, mahi), but also lots of meat, including a ribeye ($32) or surf and turf (add a lobster tail to your steak for market price). There’s a lunch menu, with tacos or burgers, but at night, this is definitely meant to be an occasion. Watson praises the chef: He’s young, creative and his dishes pop. And those dishes include more vegetarian and vegan dishes than you might expect of a restaurant of this type. My entire household is vegetarian, Watson says. I wanted to make sure there were some good options. ‘Let’s not make the vegetarian and vegan stuff an afterthought. Let’s give it the same thought you would everything else. Prime 55 had its grand opening Wednesday, May 29, and is now open six days a week. It’s open Tuesday from 5 to 10 p.m. but opens at 11 a.m. from Wednesday through Sunday, with lunch and dinner each day and hours ’til midnight on Friday and Saturday. n great food scene here. I’ve worked in the industry a long time, and I know lots of people. Hopefully we can have some fun collaborations.” Hoelzer has a decade’s experience in coffee. Certified through both the barista guild and the World Tea Institute, he worked a half-dozen years at Half & Half’s original location with Blueprint founder Mike Marquard before decamping to the Living Room in Maplewood. After about a year there, he left the industry to work as a software developer, but found himself missing interactions with people — and coffee. He ended up offering to help the Larsons with the Southampton opening. “I was enjoying the job as a software developer, but I wanted a break,” he says. “I said, ‘I’ll give you six months to get this place opened.’ Obviously, that’s turned into much more.” And there may be much more to come. Hoelzer hopes to begin inviting food trucks to Ursa Minor Coffee on the weekends. He also would like to transition to roasting beans in-house and to working more closely with a natural partner: Ursa Minor Coffee’s roommate, Craft Beer Cellar. “It’s a unique situation in that we share that space, and we’re both excited about utilizing it for events and drink collaborations, food collaborations,” he says. First, though, he’s got to get the new business open. He says he’s mainly just working with City Hall to get all the necessary permits in place, and then will be open for daytime service. “The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned,” he says. n

Ofure Palace is especially proud of its “Goat Meat Pepper Soup.” | CHELSEA NEULING

[FOOD NEWS]

African Spot Opens on Cherokee Written by

CHELSEA NEULING

his spring, Ofure Palace (3108 Cherokee Street) opened without fanfare in the former home of ebab House on Cherokee Street. As its sign explains, Ofure Palace is a West African and American restaurant. It takes its name from its owner: Ofure Brandon. Brandon grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to St. Louis in 2016. She has always loved to cook. Her mother inspired her the most, and in her first restaurant, she is preparing soul food recipes from her home. “It’s what I ate growing up. Cooking has always been something I do when I’m feeling down, says Brandon. She serves Nigerian dishes along with American, Indian and

Mexican food. We have a very vast menu, Brandon explains. She’s not kidding: The menu includes a long list of vegetarian and fish options, as well as uni ue dishes such as the Goat Meat Pepper Soup. You can get anything from gyros to spaghetti, although Brandon says her favorite is the okra soup. Brandon says that she chose the Cherokee Street storefront due to the large number of Africans and African Americans in the area. She believes Ofure Palace is the only Nigerian restaurant in south city. The dining area is decorated with photos of Lagos, flags and African decor. Nigerian music videos play on the eatery’s T s. Catering for large events is available. Brandon says she is trying to obtain a li uor license and hopes to open up a connecting bar in the space next door. I make soul food from the heart and that’s what keeps people coming back for more, says Brandon. The restaurant seats about sixteen inside; there is also a huge outdoor patio area. Ofure Palace is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m to 8 p.m and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Hours will change when a liuor license is obtained. n

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JUNE 5-11, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JUNE 8TH

Al Stewart

playing his Greatest Hits

JUNE 13

Pettybreakers Tom Petty Tribute

JUNE 14TH

Erin Bode

performs the new American songbook

JUNE 15

Liston Brothers 2pm & 7:30PM

JULY 18

10,000 Maniacs JULY 20TH

Greg Warren

Comedy Special Filming

AUGUST 2 & 3

John Mayall

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JUNE 5-11, 2019

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MUSIC + CULTURE

[HOMESPUN]

The Twang Gang Rides Again Twangfest delivers one of its strongest lineups ever for its 23rd year Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER

ou would be forgiven for thinking that Twangfest operates its annual Americana-centric showcase like clockwork. Now in its 23rd year, the homegrown festival has shown longevity, consistency and flexibility — traits that are hard to come by in an ever-shifting livemusic landscape, especially for a festival that was initially built around alt-country music. It’s a slippery and hard-to-define genre, and as the festival has grown its organizers have made a push to include many styles of guitardriven American music. In fact, the “Twang” in Twangfest has caused no little consternation, especially since this year’s mar uee names — Craig Finn and Superchunk — are acts that have more punk than cowpoke in their roots. “We’ve been saddled with that name from the beginning, and we even thought about changing it eight or nine years ago,” Rick Wood says. He’s president of the “Twang Gang, a nonprofit that plans the festival (as well as its showcase at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and the weekly sets at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market). “President is a funny title,” Wood says of his o ce. It’s very democratic. I do all the booking of the touring bands and make all the inquiries.” And while that is, inarguably, the central focus of Twangfest, Wood is part of a seven-member board of volunteers. “It’s kind of like the Scooby Doo gang,” Wood says. “One of the guys is really good with backstage gear,

Indie rock legends Superchunk will perform on the last day of this year’s Twangfest, a huge get for the long-running festival. | JASON ARTHURS someone is good at social media and our internet presence.” (Roy Kasten, longtime Riverfront Times music writer, also serves on the Twangfest board.) While Wood says the booking of each year’s festival starts in the realm of fantasy, the Twangfest board takes a largely practical approach in choosing acts that will fill up Off Broadway each night while representing the breadth and diversity of the genre. “In a way, it becomes a happy accident of who we get — young and old, male and female, hard country and not,” he says. Twangfest 23 o cially kicked off Wednesday with the Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn headlining, with the Delines and St. Louis’ Rough Shop warming the stage. But with three nights still to go, Wood was kind enough to walk us through the rest of the lineup.

Thursday, June 6: James McMurtry, The Burney Sisters, Cara Louise James McMurtry played Twangfest 19,” Wood says of the Austinbased troubadour. “We know he’s a good draw and has been around for a while; he’s a favorite at Off Broadway and the Bottle Rockets have backed him at times.” Two (mostly) local acts will open the show: South St. Louis’ Cara Louise will perform a set of Americana-inspired songs, backed up by

a band that includes her husband Adam Donald on guitar and pedal steel. And Columbia, Missouri, natives the Burney Sisters — Emma and Olivia, neither old enough to drive — will continue their streak of playing sets and winning hearts across the Midwest. McMurtry has been around for a while, so when it came time to fill in the spots, the Burney Sisters seemed like a good fit, kind of a point/counterpoint to James’ old, kind of crusty style,” Wood notes.

Friday, June 7: Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters, Kevin Gordon If Twangfest has its roots in altcountry, Sarah Shook is a perfect 21st-century continuation of the sound that inspired the fest in the first place. Her backing band, the Disarmers, can summon the ghosts of barrooms and dive bars with bluesy pedal steel, and her bruised, no-bullshit lyrics stand out like a chipped tooth. Amanda Anne Platt takes a gentler, more tuneful approach, and Wood sees the pairing as the yin and yang of twang. Both are twangy, Sarah in a hard-living, hard-drinking way, and Amanda more in a clean, acoustic, wholesome way, so it will be interesting to see them side by side,” Wood says. Kevin Gordon, who channels juke-joint R B with his overdriven grooves, will open

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the show.

Saturday, June 8: Superchunk, Wussy, Essential Knots While much of the festival is booked on bands’ availability and tour routing, the closing night is marked by a pair of one-off performances by critically lauded bands. Superchunk has skipped St. Louis on so many recent tours that institutional memory cannot place its last local show, so the appearance of these indie rock lifers is reason alone to celebrate. “They were on the list, and we were thinking it was out of the uestion — they’re so legendary and don’t tour that much,” Wood says. It definitely expands the definition of what we do. The other main draw will be a set by Wussy, a critical favorite that has played the festival before. Chuck Cleaver, who fronts the band alongside Lisa Walker, has been sidelined by some health issues, Wood says, so this will be the band’s only concert in 2019. Essential nots, the local uartet fronted by Seth Porter, will dole out power pop and mellow, melodic rock in its opening set. Hopefully fans acted fast for the Saturday night show, as general admission tickets sold out two weeks back. If not, there’s plenty of music to go around on Twangfest’s other nights. n

JUNE 5-11, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

In addition to a conventional release of her album, Erin Bode is thinking outside the box for her Your Song project. | LORI BECK [PROFILE]

Songwriting for the Here and Now Local jazz luminary Erin Bode’s revolutionary Your Song project brings fans’ musical visions to life Written by

THOMAS CRONE

ctive in local music circles since graduating from Webster University in the early 2000s, jazz vocalist Erin Bode has released albums and played shows across the U.S. and abroad, all the while keeping up a regular presence around town through festival slots and standing club gigs. Her career has, in many respects, run concurrently with the most volatile changes brought to the music business by ever-evolving technology and a music-consuming public that wants as much free content as possible. Rare is the performer unconcerned about how best to release music in the current environment. As an example of her continuing belief in the importance of physical media, Bode is releasing a vinyl version of her latest album, Here and Now, her first time on the format. In the meantime, though, Bode is also tapping into her audience for a revolutionary new concept. For this project, dubbed Your Song, Bode has found a small, growing number of her fans who wish for her to, yes, record a song just for them. These recordings range from completely original tracks to covers with special meaning. Most

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intriguing are the bits of material that Bode’s been able to knit into fully realized recordings, often utilizing the songwriting skills of her Nashville-based co-writer and collaborator, Viktor Krauss. Though Bode notes that there are quite a few things she’s working on at present — including a new album — the Your Song project has taken on a life of its own. “Over the last year, we’ve done recordings of these songs for people, whether it’s their favorite love song or something especially meaningful for them,” she says. “We’ll put together an arrangement that’s just for them. I’ve written songs for people. Or if they’ve written a poem for someone they love, I’ve written lyrics to a song around it. It’s been a really fun project, a little unpredicted. We’ve done about ten of these projects now, and they’ve been rewarding to the people who’ve requested those songs. I’ve really built relationships with them. It’s something I’d never experienced before, this type of one-on-one work with listeners.” Bode’s website sketches out how one track came to be, via a couple named Bob and Cheryl. “It’s been on Bob’s bucket list for years to write a love song for Cheryl that gets recorded by a popular artist,” the site explains. “It wasn’t getting done because melodies just wouldn’t come, despite lots of experimenting at the piano. So the occasional love poetry remained poetic but unmelodic. For Valentine’s Day in 2017, Bob wrote a poem for Cheryl entitled, ‘The Moon Is Ours Tonight,’ and he thought it had special potential to become a song. However, his efforts to create an original, appealing melody continued to be unsuccessful.” Then Bob reached out to Bode. Putting the unfinished song on their musical

workbench, Bode and Krauss shaped it into something that wasn’t only a hit in the Bob-and-Cheryl household; it’s now available to all via iTunes. In this case, the lyric writer was excited to have his stamp on something in Bode’s growing canon. In other cases, tracks may just go directly to the patron. It all depends on the wants and needs of the catalyst. Mind you, the Your Song push is just part of 2019 for Bode. She’s promoting the vinyl release of Here and Now, which is featuring a bonus cut not found on the original version of the album, “It Might Be You.” She’s burned up some miles heading to Nashville for writing and recording sessions with Krauss for a future album release. She’s also begun to collaborate with Grammy-winning vocalist Suzanne Cox, who’s worked with Alison Krauss and who grew up in the Cox Family, a Louisiana-based family band. Bode sings on Cox’s recent release, which is based in bluegrass and gospel. “She’s just an incredible person, friend and musician,” Bode says. And if the right request comes along, a Your Song or two or another ten might be the horizon as well. “I think this is sort of a time when I’ve picked up more side projects than I used to,” Bode says. “I definitely have more irons in the fire. The music industry’s been changing rapidly in the last few years. And I don’t want to speak for fellow musicians, but we’re all looking for new avenues to create music. People don’t consume it in the way that they used to; there isn’t as much income in recording an album and selling it in stores. You have to find ways to reach your listeners. “And I’m excited and interested to be in a project that’s allowed me to hone my skills and involve music and the expressive nature of creating it.” n

[ S K AT E O R D I E ]

All Thrash, No Grass St. Louis genius replaces entire yard with skate park, leaves lawn care behind Written by

DANIEL HILL

he next time you’re sweating in the sun, cursing nature itself as you push a mower around your lawn in the sweltering summer heat, spare some ire for the third president of these United States, one Thomas Jefferson. It was that horticulture-loving son of a bitch who is credited with bringing the European concept of close-cut, well-maintained grass to this once-wild country, way back in 1806. The idea soon spread, and now we have him to thank for the tedious and neverending yard work routines we’re all forced to undergo every damn week. Just try conscientiously objecting; in most American municipalities, city inspectors will soon be dropping by. But one St. Louis genius finally has that bastard Jefferson outsmarted, with a brilliant solution to the lawn care problem: Pave over all of that shit with a bitchin’ skate park, and never mow again. Jonathan Getzschman, better known in St. Louis music circles as Frozen Food Section rapper J-Toth from Hoth, recently completed work on a jaw-dropping arrangement of sculpted concrete covering every inch of his backyard. With the help of Always Hard Concrete and Construction, operated by Bryan Bedwell — a founding member of KHVT, the local nonprofit responsible for multiple skate parks in the St. Louis area — Getzschman has fully realized the dream of skaters and lazy homeowners alike with a completely skateable park right behind his south-city domicile. “We all worked together; we all put our collective efforts in to buy the cement,” Getzschman explains. Basically we made a $150,000 park out of $15,000. Just us working our asses off. We put in for the cement all together and then we did it all together. So now we have a meeting place.”

Jonathan Getzschman, left, and Bryan Bedwell pose in Getzschman’s backyard, which is one giant skate park now. | DANIEL HILL

Ramps lead off the front porch of the house, naturally. | DANIEL HILL Getzschman and Bedwell have known each other for years through skateboarding, and they did the work on off days and weekends over the course of six months. Bedwell’s crew of four took the lead on the labor, with about 100 man hours put in by each one. They’d also grab volunteers to help out from time to time; pitching in came with the promise of perks. “In skateboarding, if you help out, you get access later on,” Bedwell explains. ’Come and swing a shovel for a little while and you get to skate this shit.’” Perhaps most surprising, the city of St. Louis even issued a permit for the construction. Getzschman says it took three months to get the O from inspectors. At first, he called his plan a “sewer drainage system — skateboarding has

some unfair connotations, and he was worried the project wouldn’t be approved. But the city got wise. “They were like, ‘This looks like a weird drainage system,’” Getzschman says. So finally they put ‘plans for private skate park.’ They made me. They were like, ‘Are you gonna skate on this?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah.’” As it turns out, his concern was for naught. As Bedwell tells it, the people currently working in the city’s building department are interested in new and cool things. “That’s part of being a forward-thinking city,” he says. All it took to get full approval was for the neighbors adjacent to Getzschman’s home to sign off. That, too, proved easier than imagined: One house is a rental property filled with young people who are stoked at the prospect of

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living next door to a skate park; the other is occupied by an architect who was fascinated by the project, and often sat outside and drank beers while he watched them work. With their approval, the park got the green light. “The city planner rides by every day on his bike, seeing our progress, Getzschman says. Brags to all of his department people like, ‘Yeah, I approved that.’ So it’s kinda cool to have them on our side. They really just want St. Louis to look better and I’m pretty OCD, if you can’t tell. Make it look really pretty and everybody’s happy.” The full plans for the house, which is not Getzschman’s primary living quarters, involve a recording studio for the Frozen Food Section collective as well as an Airbnb-style concept exclusively for professional skateboarders. The ambitious project was born largely out of Getzschman’s recent foray into sobriety. “I’ve been sober for over a year now, Getzschman explains. This all happens when I’m sober. I go crazy, I just get shit done.” Dubbing the house, appropriately, the Cooler, Getzschman refers to his plans to let pro skateboarders from across the country stay at the property as Cooler Bnb, with the “-er” pronounced like “air.” He’s even already recorded a theme song and album of the same name to advertise the spot, with a forthcoming video to match. “And then we’re gonna blast it out to the country, to skaters,” Getzschman says. “Thrasher Magazine, Skateboard Magazine. I haven’t talked to them yet; I’ve been waiting to get it all done. Really just advertising the St. Louis skate scene. Like, Come hang with us, we’re lonely. You guys are having so much fun on the coasts.’” One place the house will not be advertised is Airbnb itself. Getzschman is firm about keeping the location of his skate paradise under wraps as far as the public at large is concerned, and wouldn’t even let us mention the neighborhood it’s located in for this story. “The most important thing about this would be keeping this location a secret, he explains. “Skateboarders will be all over here if the address gets out.” In other words, if you’re interested in pushing wood around a grass-free backyard skate utopia, you’re gonna have to build your own. Maybe give Always Hard a ring. After all, far worse things could happen to this city than a rise in backyard skate parks and a decline in yard work. In your face, Thomas Jefferson. n

JUNE 5-11, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

OUT EVERY NIGHT

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Trombone Shorty. | VIA WILLIAM MORRIS ENTERTAINMENT

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue 8 p.m. Friday, June 7. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard. $30 to $40. 314-726-6161. Troy Andrews, better known as Trombone Shorty, plays the horn as if he was born with one in his hand. And frankly, that was nearly the case. The musical prodigy and multi-instrumentalist started performing when his age was still in the single digits, sharing a stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with the legendary Bo Diddley at four years old and becoming the bandleader of a brass band parade when he was only six. The grandson of celebrated New Orleans blues singer-

Wed June 5th 9:30pm

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players Tribute to Tom Petty

Friday June 7th 10pm

Big Al & The Heavyweights from New Orleans

Saturday June 8th 10pm

Roland Johnson & Soul Endeavor Sunday June 9th 8pm

Legend Sunday w/ Kim Massie Tuesday June 11th 9pm

Surco w/ Guerrilla Theory ( Phish After-Party Night #1)

Wednesday June 12th

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players

Tribute to Little Feat (Waiting on Columbus Album) Phish After-Party Night #2

Friday June 14th 10pm Grammy Award Winner

Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band from Louisiana

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JUNE 5-11, 2019

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THURSDAY 6

ANA POPOVIC: 8 p.m., $20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. BRIAN CURRAN & ANDREW ADAMS: 8:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. EL HITTA: 7 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. GENE JACKSON: 7 p.m., free. St. Louis County Library, Florissant Valley Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd, Florissant, 314-921-7200. HOZIER: 7 p.m., $39.50-$59.50. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. IMMORTAL BIRD: w/ Nolia 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ME LIKE BEES: w/ Hugh Vincent 9:30 p.m., $5-$7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. THE POLITICAL DIVIDE: 6 p.m., free. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. SCRANTONICITY: A WORKPLACE COSTUME & DANCE PARTY: 7 p.m., $10-$55. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. ST. LOUIS SOUND LIVE FINALS EVENTS: 7:30 p.m., $20. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. TRAVELING BAND: 6 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. TWANGFEST 23 NIGHT 2: JAMES MCMURTRY: w/ The Burney Sisters, Cara Louise 8 p.m., $25$28. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

songwriter Jessie Hill, Andrews has carved out an impressive career since his pre-k days, working with Lenny Kravitz, Charles Neville, U2, Eric Clapton, the Foo Fighters and countless more. His work with his own band, Orleans Avenue, is high energy, filled with the funkified spirit his hometown is known for, and sure to get asses shaking at the Pageant. Party Like It’s 2014: Though he’s been back to town since (to Ballpark Village, meh), Andrews’ performance at 2014’s iteration of LouFest was a memorably good time. Here’s hoping he and his band bring that same energy back around on this trip. —Daniel Hill

FRIDAY 7

AARON WEST & THE ROARING TWENTIES: 7:30 p.m., TBA. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BIG AL AND THE HEAVYWEIGHTS: 10 p.m., $7. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. BLACK MAGIC FLOWER POWER: w/ Rover, Spark Thugs 6 p.m., $5-$8. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. BLUES CITY SWING: 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. HOUDINIS: w/ Ravensmoke 9 p.m., free. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. JAN SHAPIRO GROUP: 8 p.m., $10. Ozark Theatre, 103 E. Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, 314-962-7000. LEDISI WITH THE ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY: 7:30 p.m., $55-$60. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, 314-534-1700. NAILS: 7 p.m., $18-$20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. RUSS MOHR RECORD RELEASE: w/ Brian Owens & the Deacons of Soul 8 p.m., $12-$15. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. SILVERCREEK BLUEGRASS BAND: 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. SISSER: w/ Let’s Not, Vulture Culture 9 p.m.,

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free. Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314-241-2337. STUDEBAKER JOHN & THE HAWKS: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THIRDFACE: w/ Skin Tags, Waterproof 9 p.m., $5-$7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. TOM RUSSELL: 8 p.m., $35. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE: 8 p.m., $30-$40. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. TWANGFEST 23 NIGHT 3: SARAH SHOOK & THE DISARMERS: w/ Anne Platt & The Honeycutters, Kevin Gordon 8 p.m., $20-$23. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. WARD DAVIS: 8 p.m., $20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

SATURDAY 8

THE 6TH ANNUAL SUMMER GRAS: w/ Funky Butt Brass Band, the Grooveliner, the Provels, Saint Boogie Brass Band, Ryan Torpea & Shaky Hands, Bottoms Up Blues Band 5 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. ALL ROOSTERED UP: noon, free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. DJANGO KNIGHT: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. EL MONSTERO: 7 p.m., $20. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. GOGOL BORDELLO: 8 p.m., $30-$32.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE HIGH ROLLERS: 8 p.m., free. Casino Queen, 200 S. Front St., East St. Louis, 618-874-5000. JC & THE NUNS: w/ Maximum Effort, South Broadway Almighty Seeing Ensemble 9 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. JON WORTHY & THE BENDS: w/ Jeske Park, Casey Bazzell, Jackie Presley 8 p.m., $5. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. LENGTH: w/ Eric Hall, The Tory Z Starbuck Project 9 p.m., free. Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314-241-2337. MARQUISE KNOX: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MY POSSE IN EFFECT: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEASTIE BOYS: 9 p.m., $12-$20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. Q HALL VS. OEAUX: w/ DJ K Mean, DJ Nico Marie, Tech Supreme 8 p.m., $10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. SEVENTH PLANET: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. STEVE EWING CONCERT: 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. THE STUDIO SHOWCASE: 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THAT PURPLE STUFF: w/ James Biko, The Knuckles 8 p.m., $7-$13. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. TWANGFEST 23 NIGHT 4: SUPERCHUNK: w/ Wussy, Essential Knots 8 p.m., $30-$33. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

SUNDAY 9

BRIAN CURRAN: noon, free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. KATIE TOUPIN: 8 p.m., $12-$14. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. MINDA LYNN: w/ the Victory Drive, Page 9, It Comes in Waves 6:30 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. PIERCE CRASK: 4 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. ROLAND JOHNSON: 8 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. TC SUPERSTAR: w/ Sean Green, whskygngr, Golden Curls 8 p.m., $7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson

Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. THE WESLEY BELL RINGERS: 7:30 p.m., free. University United Methodist Church, 6901 Washington Ave., University City, 314-863-8055.

MONDAY 10

CITIZEN: w/ Knuckle Puck 6 p.m., $22. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. J.S. ONDARA: 8 p.m., $10-$12. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. THE RED ALERT TOUR: 10 p.m., $20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SOULARD BLUES BAND: 9 p.m., $5. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. TOM HALL: 7 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

TUESDAY 11

CHARLEY CROCKETT: 8 p.m., $15-$18. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. LINCOLN DURHAM: 8 p.m., $15. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. SURCOT: 9 p.m., $10. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. WAVELETTE: w/ Mother Stutter, Honey Poney, Tobby 8:30 p.m., $5-$7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

WEDNESDAY 12

3 PROBLEMS: w/ Jumpman Joey, Osko & YNF 8 p.m., $10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. JASON GARMS: 5:30 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. KATE LAINE: w/ Jordan Collins, Sister Wizzard, display-only 8:30 p.m., $5-$7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. ONA: 8 p.m., $12-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. ROCK THE ROOFTOP: w/ Boxcar, Andrew and the Dolls 7 p.m., free. Angad Arts Hotel, 6550 Samuel Shepard Dr, St. Louis, 314-561-0033. THE STRUMBELLAS: 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. VAMPIRE WEEKEND: 8 p.m., $35-$85. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. VOODOO PLAYERS TRIBUTE TO LITTLE FEET: 9:45 p.m., $10. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

THIS JUST IN AERACO: Sat., July 13, 6 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Sat., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., $25$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. BAD COP BAD COP: W/ Dog Party, Pity Party, Sat., July 27, 8 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BETH BOMBARA ALBUM RELEASE PARTY: W/ Lilly Hiatt, John Calvin Abney, Fri., Aug. 9, 8 p.m., $12-$18. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS: Sun., June 30, 7:30 p.m., $29.50. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY: W/ Dirty Muggs, Sun., July 21, 7 p.m., $25-$60. Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave, St. Louis, 314-345-9481. CAVETOWN: Tue., Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m., $20-$24. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. CODY JINKS: Sat., Nov. 9, 8 p.m., TBA. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. COLEMAN HUGHES PROJECT FEATURING ADRIANNE FELTON: Sat., July 20, 2 p.m., $10. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463.

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JUNE 5-11, 2019

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

J.S. Ondara. | JOSH CHEUSE

J.S. Ondara 8 p.m. Monday, June 10. The Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street. $10 to $12. 314-588-0505. At 26, J.S. Ondara has lived the kind of American life that even Ira Glass or James Baldwin could not have scripted. Born in Nairobi, Ondara immigrated to Minneapolis six years ago (the weather took some getting used to). His American journey has been fueled by Bob Dylan and Van Morrison records, tempered by the madness of the Trump era, buoyed by political resistance and illuminated by his gift

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 47

CONAN GRAY: Tue., Oct. 29, 8 p.m., $25-$30. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. DECEASED: W/ Savage Master, Bastard, J. Brewer, Sun., Aug. 18, 7 p.m., $18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DIANA ROSS: Thu., July 25, 8 p.m., $46.50$151.50. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. THE DIP: Sun., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. DRIVIN N CRYIN: W/ Will Hoge, Thu., July 25, 8 p.m., $18-$22. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. ERYKAH BADU: W/ Goodie Mob, Ceelo Green, Sat., Oct. 5, 8 p.m., $64-$130. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000. EXNATIONS: W/ ‘90s Kids, Trey, Jaleb, Sun., July 7, 6 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. FOGHAT: Fri., Oct. 18, 8 p.m., $29.50. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. GATEWAY WOMEN’S ACCESS FUND BENEFIT SHOW: W/ Tonina, Cara Louise Band, Mammoth Piano, Thu., June 13, 7:30 p.m., free. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. GEORGE THOROGOOD: Tue., July 30, 7:30 p.m., $39. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. HANNAH GREY DUO: Sun., June 23, 2 p.m., free. Sun., June 30, 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. IAN NOE: Fri., Oct. 11, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. JASON GARMS: Wed., June 12, 5:30 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway,

for collecting and telling stories. On this year’s extraordinary debut album Tales of America, Ondara makes no apology for his pre-electric Dylan and Guthrie influences. His voice, however, is a force of unique nature: piercing, searing, supple and full of wonder. His art is the definition of the American vernacular and the American promise. Powered by Pop: Opener Adam Melchor may not wish to be compared to Lennon and/or McCartney, but with melodies as dreamy and bold as his, he better get used to it. —Roy Kasten

St. Louis, 314-621-8811. JAVIER MENDOZA: Sun., Sept. 1, 2 p.m., free. Sun., Oct. 6, 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. KID ROCK AND HANK WILLIAMS JR.: Fri., Oct. 4, 7 p.m., $45-$149.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. MAC SABBATH: W/ Okilly Dokilly, Playboy Manbaby, Tue., Aug. 6, 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. MALPRACTICE: Sun., June 16, 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. MARSHALL TUCKER BAND: Fri., Nov. 22, 8 p.m., $19. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. MIKE DOUGHTY: W/ The Ghost of Mr. Oberon, Thu., Oct. 17, 8 p.m., $20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. MISS JUBILEE: Thu., June 13, 8 p.m., $15. Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis. MOZZY: Sun., Aug. 11, 8 p.m., $25-$50. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. NATE BARGATZE: Sat., Nov. 16, 10 p.m., $35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. OVERSTREET: Thu., Aug. 22, 8 p.m., $13-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. PINBACK: Tue., Aug. 13, 8 p.m., $25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. PREACHER LAWSON: Fri., Sept. 27, 8 p.m., $22. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. RALPH BUTLER: Wed., Aug. 28, 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. RALPH BUTLER BAND: Sun., Oct. 13, 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463.

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JUNE 5-11, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

PRESENTS

KIM MASSIE • TONINA • THE LION’S DAUGHTER • T-DUBB-O THE KNUCKLES • MIDWEST AVENGERS • SLEEPY KITTY

SHADY BUG • LOOPRAT COLLECTIVE • ILLPHONICS • DRACLA BROTHER LEE & THE LEATHER JACKALS • DJ ALEXIS TUCCI • LE’PONDS JANET EVRA • RYAN KOENIG • THE FIGHTING SIDE • SHANA B NAJII PERSON • SCRUB AND ACE HA • BOOMTOWN UNITED MATHIAS & THE PIRATES • WE ARE ROOT MOD • THERESA PAYNE SORRY, SCOUT • THAMES • STARWOLF • DEVON CAHILL CARA LOUISE • JON BONHAM AND FRIENDS • GOLDEN CURLS AGILE ONE • SAYLOR • 18ANDCOUNTING • JR. CLOONEY LOBBY BOXER • GLUED • THE VINCENT SCANDAL • MAMMOTH PIANO TWO CITIES ONE WORLD • DRANGUS • FRANKIE DOWOP • EMILY WALLACE STEPHANIE STEWART • RYAN WASOBA’S 19 SECOND SONGS JESUS CHRIST SUPERCAR • LITTLE COWBOY • MOTHER STUTTER SAMANTHA CLEMONS • DJ KIMMY NU • BRUTE FORCE • VOIDGAZER THE UPPERS • THE STARS GO OUT • REC RIDDLES • TEACUP DRAGUN SUZIE CUE • ELLEN HILTON COOK • JENNY ROQUES THE OPERA BELL BAND • CRYSTAL LADY • LET’S NOT CRIM DOLLA CRAY • BIZY JAY • P. BROWN THE AEON ZACH SULLENTRUP • NICK GUSMAN AND THE COYOTES SYNA SO PRO • THE R6 IMPLANT • HUHT • JUSTIN RA THE HOLLOW ENDS • THE RAGGED BLADE BAND • AIDA ADE KAREN CHOI • ZAK M • SLOOPY MCCOY • NIBIRU • KIDS • YUPPY BANANA CLIPS • JOANN MCNEIL • DJ LIMEWIRE.PRIME • PRYR DCUPP • PRIME TIME SOAP • BIFF K’NARLY & THE REPTILIANS NEIL AND ADAM • WE ARE WARM • SISTER WIZZARD • BOUNCE HOUSE THE DEVIL’S ELBOW • JOHN HAWKWOOD’S BLACKFOOT SUN CAROLINE STEINKAMP • NICHOLAS RICHARDSON C IS FOR CADAVER • BRIAN MCCLELLAND’S NO THUNDER DUHART • NECESSITIES • LESLIE AND MIKE • ONLYSOUND ST. VILLAGERS • SOULARD BLUES BAND PLUS A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY THE NATIONAL BLUES MUSEUM JAM BAND AND A 2-HOUR OPENING SHOWCASE ON SATURDAY BY SCHOOL OF ROCK OFFICIAL SHOWCASESTL 2019 HOST: MAXI GLAMOUR

THEGROVE

JUNE 2019

FRI 21 & SAT 22 RFTSHOWCASE.COM 50

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

Vampire Weekend. | VIA NASTY LITTLE MAN

Vampire Weekend 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 12. Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Avenue. $35 to $92.50. 314-534-1111. If Vampire Weekend has clogged your popculture media feed over the last month, you can blame it on the principle of feast or famine: After a five-year hiatus, the band recently unleashed Father of the Bride. Fans are likely still digesting the twodisc set, which features guest spots from Danielle Haim, Steve Lacy and a few other West Coast luminaries, but Ezra Koenig has reasserted his command over panthe-

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 49

RIVERS OF NIHIL: W/ Lorna Shore, Brand of Sacrifice, Summoning the Lich, Chaos Reborn, Thu., July 18, 6 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ROCK FOR RESCUES: W/ Crystal Lady, Divine Sorrow, Ground Control, Sat., July 20, 7 p.m., $10-$12. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. ROCKIN’ CHAIR: Sat., June 22, 6 p.m., free. Sat., Oct. 5, 1 p.m., $10. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. ROGERS AND NIENHAUS: Sat., Aug. 31, 2 p.m., free. Sun., Oct. 27, 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. THE ROOSEVELTS: Sun., Sept. 29, 8 p.m., $13. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. SADIE HART: Sat., June 22, 7 p.m., $15. The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Dr, Clayton. SAINT LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: Thu., June 27, 8 p.m., $15. Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis. SATSANG: Thu., Nov. 7, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. SEBASTIAN BACH: Thu., Sept. 19, 8 p.m., $25$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. SENSES FAIL: W/ Hot Mulligan, Yours Truly, Sun., Sept. 15, 7:30 p.m., TBA. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SLEATER-KINNEY: Tue., Nov. 5, 8 p.m., $27.50$32.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. SMALL TOWN TITANS: Thu., Aug. 8, 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SUMMERBASH ’19: W/ Starlito, Don Trip, Light Skin Keisha, Sat., July 20, 9 p.m., $30-$45. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. TASH SULTANA: W/ The Teskey Brothers, Wed.,

istic pop music. The breadth of the album gives the singer/songwriter more room to stretch out — from the conversational country-weeper opening track to the loose, slightly jammy vibes of lead singles “This Life” and “Harmony Hall.” VW’s original quartet has grown since its debut but its scope is now seeking to better fulfill Koenig and company’s breadth. Freedom Fighters: Eternally charming Los Angeles quartet Chicano Batman opens the show with a mix of psych, soul and garage rock last heard on its 2017 album Freedom Is Free. —Christian Schaeffer

Sept. 11, 8 p.m., $39.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THEO PEOPLES: Sat., June 29, 5 p.m., $20-$25. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. THIS IS ME BREATHING ALBUM RELEASE: W/ Summoning the Lich, As Earth Shatters, Skylines, Vaernima, Fri., July 12, 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER: Sat., Aug. 10, 8 p.m., $20. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. THE TILLERS: W/ Jack Grelle, Fri., Aug. 9, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. TIM CUNNINGHAM: Sun., Aug. 11, 2 p.m., $15. Sun., Sept. 29, 2 p.m., $15. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. TITUS ANDRONICUS: Fri., Oct. 4, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314498-6989. TYLER, THE CREATOR: W/ Goldlink, Blood Orange, Fri., Oct. 4, 7 p.m., $39.50-$59.50. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000. VOODOO PLAYERS TRIBUTE TO LITTLE FEET: Wed., June 12, 9:45 p.m., $10. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. WAR: Fri., Aug. 9, 8 p.m., $29.50. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. WATCH WHAT CRAPPENS: W/ Ben Mandelker, Ronnie Karam, Fri., Dec. 6, 8 p.m., $28-$78. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE WISER 5TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY: W/ The Supermen, The Dock Ellis Band, Mutts, Sat., July 27, 6:30 p.m., $5. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. WOODSHINE CONCERT: Sun., Sept. 15, 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. n

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JUNE 5-11, 2019

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SAVAGE LOVE BABY SOFT BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’m a 27-year-old, male, adult baby/diaper lover (AB/DL). I’ve been in the closet about my fetish basically since puberty. As a consequence, I never dated or became romantically involved. I thought if I buried my kink with enough shame, it would go away and I would somehow turn normal. It obviously didn’t work, and for the past year, I’ve been trying to find healthy ways to integrate this into my life. I play around with the kink in the privacy of my home and otherwise lead a normal life. My depression issues have let up, I’m more confident day-to-day, and even work has begun to improve. I want to start dating. I went on a normal date, and I felt very inauthentic trying to be engaged when my kink wasn’t present or at least out in the open. I just wasn’t excited by the idea of a vanilla relationship. I would like to date women, but there’s such an imbalance between men and women with this particular kink that I don’t feel like I’ll ever meet someone who is compatible. I feel like I’m doomed to be lonely forever with my kink or sexually unfulfilled and terrified of being found out. Boy Alone Basically Eternally “It’s okay to not reveal every aspect of your sex life on a first date,” said Lo, a kink-positive podcaster and AB/DL whose show explores all aspects of your shared kink. “Besides, saying, ‘I like to wear diapers,’ on the first date is a surefire way to scare someone off. A better strategy is to establish a connection with a person, determine whether or not they’re trustworthy, and then open up about AB DL. That takes time. Lo also doesn’t think you should write off vanilla people as potential partners. “BABE should know that it’s possible to convert someone to the AB/DL side,” said Lo. “I see it happen all the time. That’s the focus of Dream a Little, my AB DL podcast. Most of the people I feature are men who have turned their female partners on to AB DL, so the odds are in your favor.” Lo is

happily partnered with a vanilla guy who embraced her kink. That doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed success the first time you disclose your kink to a partner, BABE. But you’ll never find someone with whom you’re compatible — or with whom you can achieve compatibility — unless you’re willing to risk opening up to someone. BABE is more likely to be doomed to the foreveralone club if he gives up entirely out of fear,” said Lo. “Being an AB/DL poses some uni ue challenges in the dating world, but thousands of other AB/DLs have found a way to make it work, and he can too. Now, before people start freaking out (and it may be too late), it’s not just AB/DLs who “convert” or “turn” vanilla partners to their kinks. There are two kinds of people at any big kink event (BDSM party, furry convention, piss splashdown): the people who were always kinky, i.e., people who’ve been aware of their kinks since puberty (and masturbating about them since puberty), and the people who fell in love with those people. So Lo isn’t telling BABE to do anything that people with other kinks aren’t advised to do all the time: date, establish trust, and then lay your kink cards on the table. BABE has come a long way, and it’s great that he’s building confidence. But he still views his kink as an impossible obstacle, and it doesn’t need to be that way,” said Lo. It’s so important that you learn how to accept your kink, because then you will know you’re capable of and deserving of love.” And finally, BABE, if and when you do meet a woman who is willing to indulge you — or maybe even embrace AB DL play — don’t neglect her sexual needs. I answered a letter years ago from a frustrated woman who was preparing to leave her AB/DL husband because he never wanted to have vanilla sex and, as much as she’d come to enjoy AB/DL occasionally, she no longer felt like her needs mattered to her husband. Don’t make the same mistake that guy did — or you could, after a long search for a compatible partner, find yourself miserable and alone again. You can follow Lo on Twitter and Instagram daddyiwantthis. Her podcast and AB/DL self-accep-

“I love my Daddy and can’t stand the idea of leaving him, but at times I wonder if my mom is right that me loving him isn’t enough.” tance programs can be found at thelittlelounge.com. Hey, Dan: I need help deciding whether to listen to my mother on the matter of what’s best for me romantically or ask her to keep her opinions about my boyfriend to herself. My mom and I have always been close. She is a single parent and I am an only child. I’ve always told her everything, and as I have gotten older that has started to become a problem. I’ve been in a long-distance Daddy Dom/little girl relationship with a middle-aged man with spina bifida for three years. We met on FetLife right before I turned 19. The entire time, my mom has made fun of his disability while occasionally putting her pettiness aside and acknowledging that he’s good to me. I made the mistake of telling her about the BDSM element, and she is extremely uncomfortable with it, though she denies that it is why she disapproves. My Daddy comes from a middle-class family and has been known to say insensitive shit on occasion about workingclass people like my mom and me. I checked my Daddy on his privilege, and he doesn’t say stupid shit about the jobs we work anymore. I love my Daddy and can’t stand the idea of leaving him, but at times I wonder if my mom is right that me loving him isn’t enough. He makes me feel loved and taken care of in a way no one else has before, but I worry about whether I can have a future with someone who doesn’t work, who my mom hates, and who might be a little bit of an asshole? (Do a couple instances of

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rudeness make a man an asshole?) Help. I’m lost. Dumb Daughter Loves Guy Your entire relationship with your boyfriend — from the sound of things — has taken place online. Which is fine — people can forge strong connections online. But until you meet this man in person (assuming you haven’t already), DDLG, and unless you’re working toward moving to where he lives, this relationship probably won’t last forever — which is also fine. A relationship doesn’t have to last forever to have been a success. This guy played an important (and still ongoing) role in your sexual development and brought you a lot of joy … and you can acknowledge those things while simultaneously acknowledging the reality of the situation: The man you were with when you were 18 is probably not the man you’ll be with when you’re 28. That’s true for most people, DDLG, regardless of their kinks, distance from their lovers, relationships with their mothers, etc. As for whether your boyfriend is an asshole … well, he certainly said some insensitive assholey classist things, DDLG, you let him know that wasn’t okay, and he knocked it off. It’s not proof he doesn’t still think those things, but it is evidence he cares enough about you (or fears losing you enough) to stop saying those things. So even if he is an asshole, he is capable of moderating his assholery, which is something not all assholes can do. As for your mom just because you shared everything with her when you were a child doesn’t mean you have to or should as an adult. There are things a mother has a right not to know, as my mother used to say, and her child’s kinks fall under the “right not to know” header. When it comes to your romantic and sexual interests, DDLG, share the rough outlines with your mom ( I’m seeing this guy, it’s longdistance, he’s nice ) but spare her the intimate details (BDSM, DD LG, whatever else). Listen to Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

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JUNE 5-11, 2019

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HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS HAPPY HOUR

CARNIVORE A PLACE TO MEAT

SPO SORE CO TE T

Located in the historic Hill neighborhood of Saint Louis, Missouri, Carnivore STL is a flame-grilled steakhouse for the people of casual American dining from the esteemed Italian families of the Hill. Carnivore is one of St. Louis’ most popular new restaurants and brings something unique to the Hill, a steakhouse. They take pride in their steak, and offer a few different cuts along with delicious house made butter. hether it was required to be part of the group of restaurants, or they just felt obligated, Carnivore offers some Italian dishes that could compete with anyone in the neighborhood as well. Part of their unique offering is their fantastic happy hour, offered every Tuesday through Friday from 4-6 pm. Carnivore offers $3 domestic beers, $4. 0 house wines, $ premium rail

drinks, and $6 martinis. Hungry? Try their steak medallions, arancini balls, luganiga sliders, and various flatbreads. Every Tuesday, they like to put a spin on happy hour with Taco Tuesday featuring $3 tacos, a specialty margarita of the week and a loaded taco flatbread. This deal lasts all night. Speaking of drinking, Carnivore is offering some exciting new drinks just in time for winter including the inter Paloma – na Vida tequila, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, topped with club, or their Cocoa Martini – vanilla vodka, hot chocolate mix, cocoa liquor, topped with mini marshmallows, and finally the Carnivore Kringle – vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice.

CARNIVORE | 2 7 SHA

E | CARNIVORE-STL.COM

AVE

Carnivore, a place to meat. See you there!