2
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
3
4
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
5
THE LEDE
“It’s powerful, it’s emotional, it’s amazing and unbelievable, just to know that for the first time in history the Blues won, and I’m here to experience it and join in the celebration with all the people in the community. People were showing their emotions and expressing themselves. You saw old, young, white, black, Asian, every race. Everybody was here to celebrate the Blues, and that’s a big, big deal.”
PHOTO BY THEO WELLING
MINERVA DUNN, PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE BLUES RALLY AND PARADE DOWNTOWN ON JUNE 15 riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Sarah Fenske
E D I T O R I A L Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writers Doyle Murphy, Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt 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 Editorial Interns Katie Counts, Joshua Phelps
COVER Listen Up ShowcaseSTL, the city’s biggest alllocal music festival, kicks off this weekend. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of it Cover design by
EVAN SULT
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
TOC
PHOTO CREDITS, CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER RIGHT: Najii Person courtesy of the artist; Frankie DoWop by Karma Media; Mathias and the Pirates by Ed Aller; PRYR courtesy of the artist; Zak M by Lucy Dougherty.
C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Kevin G. Powers E U C L I D M E D I A G R O U P Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services Stacy Volhein Creative Director Tom Carlson www.euclidmediagroup.com N A T I O N A L A D V E R T I S I N G VMG Advertising 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com
INSIDE The Lede Hartmann News Feature Calendar Film Stage Cafe 808 Maison
5 7 9 12 32 34 35
S U B S C R I P T I O N S Send address changes to Riverfront Times, 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103. Domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $78/6 months (Missouri residents add $4.74 sales tax) and $156/year (Missouri residents add $9.48 sales tax) for first class. Allow 6-10 days for standard delivery. www.riverfronttimes.com The Riverfront Times is published weekly by Euclid Media Group Verified Audit Member Riverfront Times 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103 www.riverfronttimes.com General information: 314-754-5966 Fax administrative: 314-754-5955 Fax editorial: 314-754-6416 Founded by Ray Hartmann in 1977
37
Short Orders
41
Out Every Night
45
Phil Lockett at Frazer’s Restaurant & Lounge | Fred & Ricky’s | Bar Tab: Bemiston Cocktail Club
Matt Harnish’s Guided by Voices Record Spin | John Paul White
Savage Love 6
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
53
Riverfront Times is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies of the current issue may be purchased for $1.00 plus postage, payable in advance at the Riverfront Times office. Riverfront Times may be distributed only by Riverfront Times authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of Riverfront Times, take more than one copy of each Riverfront Times weekly issue. The entire contents of Riverfront Times are copyright 2018 by Riverfront Times, LLC. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the expressed written permission of the Publisher, Riverfront Times, 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103. Please call the Riverfront Times office for back-issue information, 314-754-5966.
7
HARTMANN Missouri’s Mistake Josh Hawley is making headlines all the wrong reasons BY RAY HARTMANN
S
enator Josh Hawley is making quite a name for himself. Missouri’s junior senator has gotten national attention for crusading against social media giants. Hawley has called them out for selling a “digital drug.” “The addiction is the point,” Hawley warns. “Addiction is what Mark Zuckerberg is selling.” He also blames the companies for suicides and loneliness and despair, adding, “They’ve given us an addiction economy.”
ways that won’t be reversed no matter how hard he fights to bring back the Studebaker. Yes, there are serious privacy concerns and a serious need for some new guardrails. Neither will be advanced an inch by insulting rhetoric from a cynical hypocrite who got college degrees from Stanford and Yale universities and now proclaims all goodness in the world resides on the back porches of the rural Midwest, each ying an American ag anchored by an apple pie. Writing for the American Institute for Economic Research, research fellow Adam Thierer confirmed that Hawley’s idiocy has indeed hit the national radar: “As far as moral panics go, Sen. Hawley’s will go down as one for the ages,” Thierer writes. “Politicians have always castigated new technologies, media platforms, and content for supposedly corrupting the youth of their generation. But Sen. Hawley’s in ammatory rhetoric and proposals are something we haven’t seen in
And with a narrative reminiscent of those who argued television and rock & roll and video games were “ruining our children,” he claims, “Maybe social media’s innovations do our country more harm than good. Maybe social media is best understood as a parasite on productive investment, on meaningful relationships, on a healthy society. Maybe we’d be better off if Facebook disappeared.” Presumably, Hawley’s brave rhetoric has provided quite a fix for the more than 125,000 followers on his three Facebook pages (including more than 9,100 drugged enough to “like” them). Hawley also provides digital opiates for the 55,000 addicts following his Twitter account, including me. Somehow, I cannot prevent myself from visiting his page with increasing frequency. But what Hawley has conveniently overlooked is the fact that the digital age has permanently changed the world in a billion
quite some time.” And they are not even the latest example of how Missouri’s mistake is sliming the national political landscape. Last week, Hawley was credited with derailing the nomination of Michael Bogren to a federal judgeship. Hawley successfully advanced an argument you don’t hear every day from a former law professor: that Bogren should be disqualified by arguments he made in court while representing of the city of East Lansing, Michigan. The city had banned a couple from participating in its farmers’ market after they refused to allow their orchard to be rented for same-sex weddings. Bogren had argued that “the First Amendment does not create an exception to anti-discrimination laws based on religious beliefs, whatever those beliefs might be,” reported the Detroit News. When he cited as an analogy that a KKK member couldn’t Continued on pg 8
2019 SHOWCASE SCHEDULE FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST VENUE
7:00
Theresa Payne
ATOMIC COWBOY PAVILION
PRESENTS
7:30
8:00
8:30
Boomtown United
Drangus
THE BOOTLEG
9:00
9:30
Mathias & the Pirates
Le’Ponds
10:00
10:30
11:00
11:30
12:00
12:30
1:00
Illphonics
Jr. Clooney
Brother Lee & the Leather Jackals
Looprat Collective
18andCounting
All Access Wristbands Only $20 in Advance. Get Yours Today! @ RFTSHOWCASE.COM
FRIDAYJUNE21 SATURDAYJUNE22 INTHEGROVE
SATURDAY, JUNE 22ND VENUE
1:30
2:00
2:30
3:00
Ryan Wasoba’s 19 Second Songs
THE GRAMOPHONE
3:30
The Devil’s Elbow
C Is For Cadaver
TAHA’A TWISTED TIKI ALL AGES THE READY ROOM
Prairie Rehab
GEZELLIG
JoAnn McNeil
HANDLEBAR
4:30
5:00
Lobby Boxer
5:30
6:00
The Ragged Blade Band
6:30
7:00
The Fighting Side
7:30
8:00
Mother Stutter
8:30
9:00
The Vincent Scandal
9:30
Syna So Pro
Zach Sullentrup
DJ Crim Dolla Cray (of KDHX)
Samantha Clemons
Ellen Hilton Cook
Jesus Christ Supercar
Starwolf
Thames
Little Cowboy
Sleepy Kitty
Shana B
Stephanie Stewart
Sloopy McCoy
Justin Ra
Zak M
Kids Huht
Aida Ade Nibiru
The Opera Bell Band
Caroline Steinkamp Bounce House
Two Cities One World
Jenny Roques
Banana Clips
Frankie DoWop
School of Rock Kirkwood
National Blues Museum Jam Band
Soulard Blues Band
Sorry, Scout
We Are Root Mod
Midwest Avengers
BEAST BUTCHER AND BLOCK
12:30
1:00
1:30
DJ limewire.prime
DJ Kimmy Nu
Ryan Koenig
Rec Riddles
Tonina
Alexis Tucci
Saylor
Kim Massie DJ Uptown
Emily Wallace
Jon Bonham and Friends
FIRECRACKER PIZZA TROPS
12:00
Teacup Dragun
The Knuckles
Agile One School of Rock Ballwin
11:30
PRYR
ATOMIC COWBOY LOUNGE THE BOOTLEG
11:00
P. Brown the Aeon
The Hollow Ends
HANDLEBAR (INSIDE) ATOMIC COWBOY PAVILION
10:30
T-Dubb-O
The Stars Go Out Janet Evra
10:00
Mammoth Piano
Brian McClelland’s No Thunder
Nicholas Richardson Nick Gusman and the Coyotes
PARLORSTL
4:00
Sister Wizzard
OnlySound
The R6 Implant
Crystal Lady
Bizy Jay
Scrub and Ace Ha
St. Villagers
John Hawkwood's Blackfoot Sun
Prime Time Soap
Let’s Not
Suzie Cue
Biff K’narly & the Reptilians
Leslie and Mike
Duhart
Necessities
We Are Warm Devon Cahill
Yuppy Karen Choi
Golden Curls Neil and Adam
Glued
Najii Person
The Uppers
Shady Bug
Cara Louise
riverfronttimes.com
Brute Force
Lion’s Daughter
Dracla
Dcupp Subject to change. Check for updates at rftshowcase.com and riverfronttimes.com.
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
7
HARTMANN
Continued from pg 7
hide behind the First Amendment to deny service to an interracial couple, Hawley pounced. Hawley argued that Bogren didn’t merely defend his client, but “denigrated” the orchard owners’ Catholic faith: “To say that this family following the teachings of their church and the Scripture, that there’s ‘no distinction’ — that was his phrase — between them and the KKK, that I think is really beyond the pale.” Ed Whelan, a conservative legal scholar writing for the National Review, argued that Bogren — respected on both sides of the aisle — was doing his job as a lawyer, adding that it’s wrong to hold him personally responsible for his legal advocacy. “Do conservatives really want to embrace the general proposition that arguments that a lawyer makes on behalf of a client should, without more, be held against the lawyer?” Whelan asks. “That’s a proposition that, apart from being unsound, could redound to the detriment of conservative nominees who have defended religious liberty or pro-life legislation in unpopular contexts.” The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board criticized Hawley three times in three months, arguing he set a “precedent conservatives will regret.” Still, to me, the most compelling piece of the saga of the new, D.C.based Hawley owered from his impassioned maiden speech on the oor of the .S. Senate in midMay. It didn’t garner as much coverage as blocking Trump’s nomination of a judge to a key post, but it didn’t go unappreciated. In fact, Sparky1812 liked it so much that he called it “a great speech all around” and posted it on one of his favorite websites, one for which he is listed as a “sustaining member.” That would be stormfront.org, a self-described “white nationalist community.” Or, if you prefer Wikipedia, “a white nationalist, white supremacist, antisemitic, Holocaust denial, neo-Nazi Internet forum, and the Web’s first major racial hate site.” Sparky1812 bestowed his highest honor upon Hawley: posting his words right under a speech given by Adolf Hitler. nder the headline “Senator Josh Hawley delivers a great speech,” Sparky quoted Hawley — “they live in the nited States, but they consider themselves citizens of the world” — and added, “Very close to what
8
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
Hitler said … it gets most interesting around 10:00.” For the record, Hawley didn’t say a word about Jews. But here’s what he said, right around the ten-minute mark: “Too many Americans are losing their standing as citizens. They are losing their voice in the life of this nation. And with that they are losing their liberty. ... Today’s society benefits those who have shaped it, and it has been shaped not by working men and women but by the new aristocratic elite, big banks, big tech, big multinational corporations, along with their allies in the academy and the media. These are the aristocrats of our age. They live in the nited States, but they consider themselves citizens of the world. They operate businesses or run universities here, but their primary loyalty is to their own agenda for a more unified, progressive and profitable global order.” I wouldn’t compare Hawley to Hitler. But Sparky did, apparently inspired by what he saw as similarities between Hawley’s speech and Hitler’s reference to “a small rootless international clique” in the video he posted online, right above Hawley’s remarks. Hawley is also popular with a guy named Hunter Wallace. “WOW … that was a great speech,” Wallace wrote at the alt-right site Occidental Dissent. “I’m going to have to start paying closer attention to Sen. Josh Hawley. If he starts voting and leading and walking the walk like he talks in this speech, he could invert the ‘conservative-populist coalition’ and become a contender by the time of the 2024 presidential election.” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Wallace is actually an alt-right white nationalist who, under his previous identity of Brad Green, proclaimed, “Personally, I want to create a Jewfree, White ethnostate in North America. That’s why I call myself a White Nationalist.” Welcome to the national stage, Josh Hawley. It may feel a little new, like some parasitic technology, but I doubt that will cause you the loneliness that social media in ict upon our children. In fact, it looks like you’ve got a lot of friends out there already. 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
9
Airlines Jump Into Bond Fight Written by
DANNY WICENTOWSKI
I
n last week’s meeting of St. Louis’ most powerful board, Comptroller Darlene Green demonstrated the weight of her office in a striking manner — by not showing up. And in the end, Green proved that she didn’t have to show up (or even vote) to get her way. Behind Green’s absence is a rift between her and the other two members of the St. Louis Board of Estimate and Apportionment, or E&A, which must approve all city expenditures. Green spent the April 16 E&A meeting upbraiding those members, Mayor Lyda Krewson and Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, over what she called “unacceptable scrutiny” of a bond refinancing package for St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Refinancing $93 million worth of bonds at a lower interest rate is estimated to save the airport around $20 million. June 11’s E&A meeting was convened, in part, to approve the bond. But Green refused to attend, and so did her staff and consultants. Her office provided no official explanation. The mayor’s office, too, said they were in the dark. Regardless, the meeting ended with Krewson and Reed grudgingly approving the bond measure. And while Green may have no-showed, her opinion got a big boost two hours before the vote, in the form of a letter that arrived at City Hall addressed to Krewson. The two-page letter was from Claudia Aguirre, senior regional leader for airport affairs at Southwest Airlines, and Jennifer Mills Pysher, manager of airport affairs & properties for American Airlines. They urged the city to approve measure as recommended by the comptroller. “We have been following closely the city of St. Louis’ plans to refinance $93 million of series A-1 bonds related to St. Louis Lam-
Last week featured a rare two-member meeting of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI bert International Airport,” the letter began, adding that the process was of “particular interest” Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, “the two largest airlines at the airport.” Lowering the airport’s debt payments, the letter stated, would allow those airlines to cut costs, “since any savings obtained would have a direct impact to airlines rates and charges.” After the meeting, Krewson acknowledged that it was the first time she could remember the airlines contacting her directly on a measure under consideration by the Board of E&A. “It has not happened in my two years here,” she said. The seemingly unprecedented airline communique followed a round of dueling letters between the mayor and comptroller; it started with a May 22 letter to the comptroller’s office, in which Krewson complained to Green that the financial details of the bond deal had shifted between what was presented to the Board of E&A and at a later aldermanic committee hearing in May. The battle of letters picked up again on Monday, when Krewson outlined those complaints in another missive addressed to the entire Board of Aldermen. According to her letter, the comptroller’s office had first estimated in April that the interest rate of the bonds
would fall between 1.79 percent and 2.8 percent. But in May, the comptroller cited interest rates ranging from 2.7 percent to 3.9 percent. The maturity date had also jumped, from 2034 to 2049. “These are significant differences,” Krewson’s letter chided. Still, she added that she would sign Board Bill 13, approving the sale of the bonds, “even though the terms are not nearly as good as previously presented to E&A.” Earlier that day, Green’s office sent its own letter to the Board of Aldermen. Although the board had voted unanimously in May to pass Board Bill 13, the letter contended that the mayor’s insistence on holding an additional hearing on the bill — thus delaying the sale of the bonds — amounted to “blatant and willful negligence” that would cost the city money and cause “hardship and harm” to the airport. Green concluded the letter by accusing Krewson of stalling the bond sale “to help better the chances for privatization.” It’s an accusation Green originally lobbed following the contentious E&A meeting in April. At the time, Green claimed that Krewson and Reed were “attempting to make the operations of the airport look less than professional, less than capable, so a privatization in their eyes would make more sense.” (Krewson and Reed denied that a
riverfronttimes.com
desire to lease the airport had factored into their decision to delay the bonds’ approval.) Notably, Green’s letter to the aldermanic board did not address the “significant differences” Krewson referenced in her own letter. Prior to Tuesday’s E&A hearing, comptroller spokesman Tyson Pruitt would only say, “The comptroller disagrees with the mayor’s assessment.” Despite the bickering, Krewson and Reed voted at the meeting to pass the bond measure, though each remarked that they would have liked to discuss the details further with comptroller’s office and its bond consultants. Green’s absence made that impossible. Krewson clearly wasn’t happy about it. After the meeting, a reporter asked if she felt misled by the comptroller’s office on the bond figures. The mayor replied, “I’m not going to imply that it was intentional, but I know that I’ve not been able to get a response from the comptroller.” Green, meanwhile, has not released any statement on the E&A vote or Krewson’s continued complaints. Instead, Green simply retweeted the letter from Southwest and American Airlines — sending a message, perhaps, that if you try to mess with the comptroller, you’d best be ready to tangle with some heavy hitters. n
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
9
10
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
Cops Are Welcome After All, Pride Says Written by
DOYLE MURPHY
T
en days after announcing that uniformed cops were not welcome to march in the annual Pride Parade, Pride St. Louis on Tuesday reversed course. In a joint news conference with Mayor Lyda Krewson, the board formally announced that uniformed officers would be welcome to join the parade this year after all. The original decision turned out to be wildly controversial. Krewson and Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards contacted the board and asked them to reconsider. Edwards says LGBTQ officers had been hurt by the announcement that they wouldn’t be allowed to march. “This was an issue, quite frankly, with our officers,” Edwards says. “The officers wanted to do this and felt they were being excluded.” Krewson says the city, which approves the permits for the parade, did not pressure Pride’s board to make the change, but instead appealed to the idea of an inclusive event. “We welcome the Pride Parade,” she
says. But Tuesday’s reversal has led to tension with this year’s grand marshal. The Metro Trans Umbrella Group is set to lead the June 30 parade, with the transgender and non-binary community serving as the grand marshal. In a statement, MTUG says its members saw Pride’s earlier exclusion of armed, uniformed cops as both an acknowledgement of their concerns about police and their community’s often overlooked presence within the LGBTQ community. “Once the decision was made to exclude armed, uniformed police officers we finally felt seen, heard, understood and centered,” the group said in a statement. “Watching the backlash from white, cisgender gay and lesbian and straight community members, we realize that there is so much more work to be done. More than 50 years into this fight, we are not safe even within our own movement. “So what are we going to do now? We don’t know. For right now, our leadership core is at a loss for words. We are disappointed. We are frightened. And, now quite frankly, we are much more aware of the massive targets on our backs put there by the federal government, our state legislature, and our own community leaders.” Pride organizations across the country have struggled for years with the idea of including or banning uniformed cops from parades. The discussion has be-
Jordan Braxton of Pride speaks at a St. Louis City Hall news conference. | DOYLE MURPHY come even more prominent this year, the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The movement-sparking uprising began when New York City cops raided the gay bar and patrons, who were fed up with police abuse, fought back. The Stonewall Inn was rare for the time in that it had begun allowing in drag queens. Some of those patrons played a key role in the riots. Many in the trans community, particularly people of color, say they continue to be abused, ridiculed or ignored by police, even as they’re targeted for violent crime. New York City had considered banning
riverfronttimes.com
uniformed officers in honor of Stonewall, and Sacramento had announced they would not be welcome, only to rescind the ban shortly before the parade. In St. Louis, MTUG took Pride’s decision to celebrate the community as the grand marshal and drop uniformed cops as a long-overdue sign of respect. However, Pride quickly faced a furious backlash, not just from police backers, but from within the metro area’s LGBTQ community, particularly older gay men who were active in the civil rights battles after Stonewall and saw the inclusion of police as a sign of progress. In ten days of internet flame wars, critics of the decision to block uniformed cops pointed out that there are a number of LGBTQ officers who would be affected. In its original statement, Pride had said those officers and their families could still march, but they would have to leave their uniforms at home. In a new statement yesterday, Pride said in part, “We concluded after months and weeks of lengthy discussions and debate and also listening to our community, that we will welcome LGBTQIA police officers and allies to walk in uniform in the 2019 PrideFest Parade June 30th downtown. We are dedicated to making sure all of our LGBTQIA community feels safe and respected and are looking forward to building lasting relationships with Mayor Krewson, the city of St. Louis, public safety and law enforcement.” n
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
11
ShowcaseSTL, the city’s biggest all-local music festival, kicks off Friday. Here’s where to go and who to see
Liste
12
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
This weekend,
the RFT once again presents ShowcaseSTL, our annual festival of St. Louis’ finest musical talent. With more than 100 bands performing across eleven venues in the Grove, the lineup for 2019 represents the best of the best, our very favorite St. Louis acts. But they’re not just our selections. In February we polled you for your favorite acts, and also allowed bands to submit themselves for consideration. In addition, we convened a panel of promoters, record store employees, radio DJs, venue owners and more to tell us about anyone we might have missed. The result is a two-day celebration of the incredible depth of talent St. Louis’ music community has to offer. From Tonina to Kim Massie, from T-Dubb-O to the Lion’s Daughter, these are the acts that make St. Louis sing. Join us in the Grove for ShowcaseSTL’s kickoff party on Friday, June 21, and then get ready to rally and return the following day for a solid thirteen hours of local music bliss. The guide that follows is divided initially by day, with Friday’s acts highlighted first, and then by venue. Use our listings to decide which bars or clubs to visit at which times. No matter who you decide to check out, you won’t pay any cover beyond your all-access wristband. It’s $20 in advance at rftshowcase.com or $25 at the door. Read on for a rundown of every single act performing at this year’s ShowcaseSTL, and start practicing those dance moves now.
Up
en
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT:
Devil’s Elbow: NATE BURRELL | Brian McClelland: VIA THE ARTIST | Kids: VIA THE BAND | Karen Choi: TIM GEBAUER | John Hawkwood’s Blackfoot Sun: MOMO | Cara Louise: VIA THE ARTIST | DJ Kimmy Nu: VIA THE ARTIST | Nibiru: HANNAH COSTILLO | Bizy Jay: VIA THE ARTIST
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
13
THE BOOTLEG 4140 Manchester Avenue
7:30 p.m. Drangus See featured box just below. drangus.bandcamp.com
Friday June 21
8:30 p.m. Le’Ponds
14
RIVERFRONT TIMES
A folksy singer-songwriter with a straightforward approach to her lush, dynamic songs, Le’Ponds accentuates her minimalist melodies with added depth with help from her jazzy backing band. While Le’Ponds (real name Lisa Houdei) is known for augmenting her acoustic work with pulses of synthesizer and other subtle layers, she went totally electric on last year’s I Was Dancing. Expect a wide range of soulful sounds. lepondsmusic.bandcamp.com
10:30 p.m. Brother Lee & the Leather Jackals For pure diesel-powered rock & roll, Brother Lee is one of the best around. Even if you don’t know the group’s members personally, seeing them live is still akin to seeing your friend’s band play — provided your friend is the sex, drugs and rock & roll type. brotherleeandtheleatherjackals.bandcamp.com
11:30 p.m. Looprat Collective Looprat’s emcees deliver fresh rhymes over a live band of crack instrumentalists who honed their chops together in the University City High School jazz band. It’s rap-jazz, or jazz-rap. Put simply, it’s Looprat. looprat.bandcamp.com
9:30 p.m. Jr. Clooney
12:30 p.m. 18andCounting
Jr. Clooney’s melodic math rock is rooted in jazz fusion, seamlessly weaving between dense, rhythmically complex sections and hooky harmonies from the guitars. Somehow it avoids being overwrought, despite (or is it because of?) the dazzling musicianship on display. jrclooney.bandcamp.com
St. Louis mainstay 18andCounting is closing out the weekend’s Friday night kickoff party with a solo set. His backing band theOnlyEnsemble won’t be present here, but he’ll do a mix of everything under the 18andCounting umbrella: rapping, DJing and otherworldly music-making. 18andcounting.bandcamp.com
Fired by Foxing, He Found New Life with Drangus These days, things are looking pretty bright for Tom Pini, audio engineer and founding member of Drangus. Back when he started the project in 2013, not so much. After getting fired from what has been arguably the most nationally successful rock band to come out of St. Louis in the last decade, Pini wasn’t exactly feeling great. “I was in Foxing for a minute, and I ended up leaving the band,” Pini says, adding after a brief pause, “not by my free will. “But, y’know,” he continues, “that’s how it goes sometimes.” Pini traces the group’s moniker, a favored insult of Tim and Eric character Dr. Steve Brule, back to that not-so-cheery time in his life. “If you flash back to me six years ago, when I started the project and took on that name, I was …” he trails off, grimacing slightly and furrowing his brow. “I messed up. I got booted out of a band that’s really cool, and was just looking at my life like, ‘Dude. You fucked up. What are you doing? You’re gonna miss your whole life; you’re gonna miss the opportunities that are there.’” While Pini is upfront about his departure from Foxing being not his decision, he’s less open about the specific reasons for it. Whatever they are, the split spurred him to begin recording music of his own. He says he told himself, “Alright, you’re gonna start this project, and you’re gonna call it Drangus. Because that’s how you feel right now.” A little more than half a decade removed from those dark days, what used to be a solo project has become a three piece: Anthony Patten (also of Jr. Clooney) handles guitar, bass and some vocal duties; Keith Bowman, who also plays with Tonina, covers drums; and
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
Pini, who provides vocals, keyboards and production, continues to be Drangus’ primary songwriter. The group’s most recent release, Love, Dust to Dust, is the band’s first full-length, following two singles (2016’s “On That Good” and 2018’s “I’m On Your Side”) and one EP (Today I Am, released in late 2017). In many ways, Love, Dust to Dust is a significant departure from Drangus’ previous releases: More ambitious in just about every sense, the collection of seven songs features sprawling compositions, crisp production and experimentations with new sonic textures. And whereas the first three Drangus releases were composed almost entirely of electronic sounds (with the exception of Pini’s vocals), this most recent effort is characterized by extensive use of live instruments. The most frequently featured collaborator on the album is trumpeter Khamali Cuffie-Moore, who appears on four of the seven tracks. “He’s all over the record; he plays with Keith a lot, and some other players we love around town,” Pini says. “He’s a great player.” The album’s latter half relies heavily on drummer Bowman’s simultaneously agile and aggressive playing, best showcased in the drum and bass style groove on the album’s closer, “Walks.” According to Patten and Pini, connecting with Bowman was the catalyst to the album’s collaborative nature. Tracing the history of how the album’s performers became involved, Patten says, “It was Keith coming on board, and then from there, a lot of Keith’s connections to the jazz scene.” “Everyone in the band really appreciates jazz music,” Pini says. Thanks to Bowman, he explains, “There’s this whole pocket of jazz players we know now, and we’re super excited to go see them play live. They inspire us, and tell us cool records to listen to.” Though Drangus began as a solo project, it has become something very different in the six years since Pini began it. He explains, “Our mission as a band is to bring people together. You know about this city, how disjointed it is, how segregated. It’s all these little pockets where people are cliquey, and don’t really wanna fuck with each other.” Going forward, Pini hopes that Drangus can help to “break down the barriers that divide the creative people in this city.” And to Pini, that people-centric approach is what makes Drangus special. “I feel really blessed. I feel grateful,” he says. “I get the opportunity to work with some of my favorite people. We’ll see what comes next.” —Nick Horn
ATOMIC COWBOY 4140 Manchester Avenue
7 p.m. Theresa Payne Ever met someone so relentlessly positive they were able to change your whole mood? Theresa Payne has a full set of songs that evoke that same feeling. A show-stopping force of R&B and soul, her voice will leave your hair standing on end. linktr.ee/theresapayne
8 p.m. Boomtown United See featured story just to the left. boomtownunited.com
9 p.m. Mathias & the Pirates Mathias & the Pirates is a longtime staple of St. Louis’ hip-hop scene, consistently delivering heady rhymes over smoothed-out, soul-filled, funky beats that bring to mind the genre’s golden era. The band is a must-see for fans of boom-bap and old school rap. pirates.bandcamp.com
10 p.m. Illphonics Illphonics raised the bar for hip-hop in St. Louis more than ten years ago and now the group is taking to big stages such as the Sheldon to show off its evolution of the genre. The band counts some serious music luminaries among its fans — no less than Tony Visconti, David Bowie’s longtime producer, even reached out to collaborate on its newest material. illphonics.bandcamp.com
Boomtown United Leads (Another) Ska Revival St. Louis music historians and armchair theorists will remind anyone in earshot of the city’s contributions to the canon — as a birthplace of the blues, a cradle of jazz, even a crucible for alt-country. But amid the big names and major movements, St. Louis’ contribution to the rise of ska’s third wave (coming after its Jamaican roots and its British resurgence) is often overlooked. Starting in the early 1990s, bands including MU330, the Urge and more kept the zippy, danceable style alive and well. Now-closed venues like the Hi-Pointe and the Creepy Crawl dependably booked some horn-addled variant of ska, whether infused with its reggae-derived origins or dosed with dashes of SoCal punk. So there was more than a touch of recognition locally when Boomtown United, a loud-and-proud ska band, debuted a few years ago. Ted Leo once asked, “Where have all the rude boys gone?” In St. Louis, at least, most of them joined reggae bands, patiently biding their time until ska made its return. According to lead vocalist Kevin Griffin, Boomtown United was the brainchild of tenor saxophonist Mike Powers. The two had played together in the reggae band Unifiyah; Powers also did time in the long-running Murder City Players. While living in San Francisco, Powers played with a ska band and came home eager to revive the sound in St. Louis. “Mike, being a skinhead, has always been into ska,” Griffin says. Powers and guitarist Jimmy Hogenmiller had been in the Kickbacks and the Hubcaps, two local ska bands. And all of the Boomtown crew had its foot in some branch of Jamaican music. But by 2017, pure ska — pork-pie hats, checkerboard patterns, skanking dance moves — was all but dead. “There wasn’t any ska happening here, at all,” Griffin recalls of that time, noting that the group seeks to maintain the purity of the form. “We’re playing only ska; there’s no punk or rock in it.” The initial intent was to be a covers act — to resurrect some 2 Tone classics for nostalgic crowds — but that plan was quickly scuttled. “After a few covers in our first practice we started doing something original I had written,” Griffin says. “From there, we never thought of doing covers again.” Griffin’s own ska awakening didn’t stem from those old Specials and English Beat records, but from a legendary local band. “For me personally, I got into ska through the Urge,” he says. “Growing up, it was in ’91 or ’92, and from that moment on I was hooked. There was just something about the horns.” It took a few decades, but Griffin’s fandom paid off when Boomtown United opened for the Urge on a few occasions. The band has also opened for second-wave legends the English Beat and finds itself on a lot of ska-related bills around town. Each show, Griffin says, brings new fans into the fold. “The whole thing at a ska show is skanking — no more standing around. If you go to a Boomtown show, be prepared to dance,” Griffin says. “The music is infectious enough that the crowd gets into it, and it fuels you to make you want to do it every night.” —Christian Schaeffer CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT:
Le’Ponds: VIA THE ARTIST | Looprat Collective: CORY WEAVER PHOTOGRAPHY | Illphonics: VIA THE BAND | 18andCounting: VIA THE ARTIST | Theresa Payne: BONNER WILLIAMS | Jr. Clooney: OWEN LEHMAN | Brother Lee & the Leather Jackals: VIA THE BAND SIDEBARS: Drangus: ANDREW DOMINGUEZ | Boomtown United: VIA THE BAND
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
15
Saturday June 22 16
RIVERFRONT TIMES
THE GRAMOPHONE 4243 Manchester Avenue
2:30 p.m. Ryan Wasoba’s 19 Second Songs You read right, it’s one man and several nineteen-second songs that he would like to share with you. We’ll leave it to professional music theorists to discern if one-third of one minute is some temporal version of the golden ratio, but local producer and musician Ryan Wasoba has recently undertaken a quest to wring the maximum amount of nervy, spiky rock & roll out of exactly nineteen seconds. With backing band in tow, Wasoba is out to prove at ShowcaseSTL that nineteen seconds is all you need. ryanwasoba.bandcamp.com
7:30 p.m. Mother Stutter Singer-songwriters are the building blocks of St. Louis’ music scene, but Mother Stutter is more than that. Her live show brings a little something extra in the form of a theatrical approach to her songs. motherstutter.bandcamp.com
8:30 p.m. The Vincent Scandal Hugh Vincent is a singer-songwriter who uses unique photography to promote his shows, treating each like a major event while incorporating modern art and spoken word elements into his performances. thevincentscandal.bandcamp.com
3:30 p.m. The Devil’s Elbow
9:30 p.m. Mammoth Piano
An electric blues supergroup with a selfproclaimed “low down dirty sound,” Devil’s Elbow is the latest export from blues scene veteran Mat Wilson, known for his work with the Rum Drum Ramblers, the Loot Rock Gang and more. facebook.com/devilselbowstl
Mammoth Piano plays a noisy collision of blues and funk, an underrated fusion that feels like it was founded on the banks of the Mississippi, beached and thirsty for Stag and/or PBR. mammothpianostl.bandcamp.com
4:30 p.m. Lobby Boxer
A rapper who used to perform as Insane Analog, P. Brown the Aeon’s new name references the video game Final Fantasy X. If you like nerdcore in your experimental hiphop, his work is for you. pbrowntheaeon.com
One of many St. Louis bands to hit SXSW this past year, the peppy, dexterous emo trio Lobby Boxer proves itself an absolute riff machine with the recent release of Eugene’s Preference. lobbyboxer.bandcamp.com
5:30 p.m. The Ragged Blade Band
10:30 p.m. P. Brown the Aeon
11:30 p.m. Teacup Dragun
A throwback band in all respects, the Ragged Blade Band pays homage to blues, jazz and ragtime with careful interplay between its many members. soundcloud.com/theraggedbladeband
The self-proclaimed “emo heaux,” Teacup Dragun is a goth R&B singer who occupies a niche all her own. Her output is a crazy cross-genre blend of electronic music that’s not afraid to go full weird. soundcloud.com/teacupdragun
6:30 p.m. The Fighting Side
12:30 a.m. DJ limewire.prime
Brad Jackson’s alt-country group is six strong, a band big enough to peel the paint off the walls. The fact that this group has such keen volume control while displaying a full dynamic range is a credit to its members’ clever songcraft. thefightingside.bandcamp.com
Local DJ, drummer and composer Kaleb Kirby has very deep crates and is not afraid of sharing a massive collection of songs, which all have an element of dance. Saying he’s “eclectic” downplays just how skillful he is at transforming the vibe in a room. soundcloud.com/user-796057213
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT:
Ellen Hilton Cook: ALLAN K. CRAIN | Mother Stutter: VIA THE ARTIST | Crim Dolla Cray: VIA THE ARTIST | P. Brown the Aeon: JESSICA J. PAGE | The Knuckles: AMY HARRIS | The Vincent Scandal: GABRIELLE BLANTON | Thames: EMMA MIRANDA BRIGHT | T-Dubb-O: IMAGINE YOU MEDIA
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
THE READY ROOM 4195 Manchester Avenue
4 p.m. Jesus Christ Supercar
TAHA’A TWISTED TIKI 4199 Manchester Avenue
3 p.m. C Is For Cadaver It’s all punk rock and RPGs (tabletop and otherwise) for songwriter Brent Andrew DeBoard, who wields a mighty acoustic guitar in service of a disarming and charming set of songs. ci4c.bandcamp.com
4 p.m. Brian McClelland’s No Thunder Known for his work with pop prodigy act Whoa Thunder, Brian McClelland goes solo as “No Thunder.” He’s built a track record as one of St. Louis’ most enduring songwriters. whoathunder.bandcamp.com
5 p.m. Syna So Pro Whether she’s performing at the Contemporary Art Museum, the St. Louis Public Library or at COCA, Syrhea Conaway, better known as Syna So Pro, is an absolute force of vocal layering and melodic loops. We’d call her one of those “unsung” local heroes, but people have been singing her praises for years. synasopro.bandcamp.com
St. Louis’ only “fuzz-disco” outfit, Jesus Christ Supercar was voted into the event in our reader’s poll with a staggering number of votes. With skittering hi-hats and pulsing synths, the band demands you pack your dancing shoes for its performance. jesuschristsupercar.bandcamp.com
5 p.m. Starwolf Starwolf’s third show ever was LouFest 2017 — no joke. Since then the group has released Ti Amo, Stargazer, a pitch-perfect representation of its cosmic disco rock. starwolftheband.bandcamp.com
6 p.m. Thames Thames is the logical evolution of the modern-day boy band. They’re not doing pop or choreographed dance moves — that’s kid stuff — but they are effectively blurring the lines between alternative and indie rock in a radio-ready way unlike any other in town. thames.bandcamp.com
7 p.m. Little Cowboy A little more than two years old, Little Cowboy received more votes in our readers’ poll than just about anyone. Listeners may catch the subtle surf vibe underneath the band’s evolving brand of alternative rock. littlecowboyband.com/
6 p.m. Zach Sullentrup
8 p.m. Sleepy Kitty
A solo singer-songwriter known for his work in both Tidal Volume and the Astounds, as a solo artist Zach Sullentrup changes the atmosphere in a room with little more than an acoustic guitar and his voice. zachsullentrup.bandcamp.com
Sleepy Kitty has been largely quiet for the last year and a half. That’s because the duo of Paige Brubeck and Evan Sult has been following doctor’s orders, with Brubeck recovering slowly after having surgery to remove a nodule on her vocal cord. (Sult, meanwhile, has become the RFT’s art director.) It’s been a long road to recovery for Brubeck, but St. Louis’ indie rock darlings return with a big surprise just for ShowcaseSTL (spoiler: more band members). The two principal bandmates will be joined by Brian McClelland, Sam Owens and Julian Swartz for this set, bringing a muscular sound to the band’s artful melodies. Sleepy Kitty has been in songwriting mode for about six months now, and this show will feature almost exclusively new material. sleepykitty.bandcamp.com
7 p.m. Crim Dolla Cray The DJ for KDHX’s “Beyon’Cray” every Wednesday night, Crim Dolla Cray is known for her ability to get asses shaking all across St. Louis with her mix of disco, funk, rock and soul — all delivered via vinyl, of course. instagram.com/crimdollacray
8 p.m. Samantha Clemons This soul singer has been compared to Lauryn Hill, but Samantha Clemons has her own approach to songwriting that sets her apart, offering deeply personal and relatable songs backed up by a powerful pulse from an acoustic guitar. samanthaclemonsmusic.com
9 p.m. Shana B Rapper Shana B reaches more ears outside the city than she does within, but her songs stand on even footing with any of St. Louis’ best. She offers a relentless energy that infectiously spreads. soundcloud.com/shanablood
10 p.m. T-Dubb-O Outspoken rapper T-Dubb-O has been covered by Hip Hop Weekly, Ebony, XXL and Rolling Stone, as well as appearing on MSNBC, TeleSUR English, BET and BET France. He’s performed at AC3 and SXSW, and his activism led him to speak at the Drug Policy Reform Conference and even have multiple meetings with Barack Obama during his presidency. In recent months T-Dubb-O has added tastemaking radio personality Sway as a fan, making appearances on his radio show to spit bars. He’s one of the best rappers in town. levelmusic.lnk.to/Chaos_Theory
11 p.m. The Knuckles While both members of the Knuckles have had impressive solo careers to date — Aloha Misho as a soaring R&B singer, Rockwell Knuckles as a celebrated and wide-ranging rapper — something special happens when this duo is on stage. To call the Knuckles a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts is an understatement. The duo’s ability to rile up an audience, show after show, has become its calling card. soundcloud.com/theknucklesband
12 a.m. DJ Kimmy Nu Probably the most versatile DJ in St. Louis, Kimmy Nu has worked as an on-air DJ for multiple radio stations and locked down the DJ booth while playing Top 40s for many community events. She’s even backed up some of St. Louis’ hottest hip-hop groups on stage — including the Knuckles. instagram.com/djkimmynu
9 p.m. Ellen Hilton Cook Ellen Hilton Cook has spent much of the past decade playing piano and singing her campy, dramatic and witty songs. Sometimes she’s performed solo, or with a drummer, or as part of a rock-centric quartet, but regardless of the format Cook’s crack songwriting has always shone through. Newly sober after years of hard partying, Cook is a local mainstay who belongs in any showcase of St. Louis songwriters. facebook.com/EllenHiltonCook
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
17
THE BEST LOCAL MUSIC WEEKEND OF THE YEAR!
PRESENTS
FRI., JUNE 21 & SAT., JUNE 22
18
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
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 • SISTER WIZZARD 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
IN THE GROVE
Trops • HandleBar • Firecracker Pizza • Atomic Cowboy The Bootleg • Gezellig • Parlor BEAST Butcher and Block • Ready Room The Gramophone • Taha’a Twisted Tiki ALL ACCESS WRISTBANDS AVAILABLE AT
RFTSHOWCASE.COM riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
19
GEZELLIG 4191 Manchester Avenue
2:30 p.m. Prairie Rehab Prairie Rehab brings a pop, folk and rocktinged take on Americana centered on singer-songwriter Lacie Williams’ impressionistic wordplay and literary nuances. prairierehab.bandcamp.com
3:30 p.m. Nicholas Richardson St. Charles music fans know Nicholas Richardson as a hardworking, guitar-strumming journeyman whose schedule is packed tight (and for good reason). It’s a rare gift to be able to captivate a room with little more than an acoustic guitar and vocals. Richardson does so with style to spare. facebook.com/NRichmusic
4:30 p.m. Stephanie Stewart With sweetly sung country that can command the attention of a room using little more than vocals and an acoustic guitar, Stephanie Stewart is yet another example of all the great singer-songwriters hiding out on this year’s lineup, just waiting to be discovered. instagram.com/stephaniestewartmusic
5:30 p.m. Zak M One of St. Louis’ best kept secrets, Zak M boasts a baritone voice that commands attention even while his dense fretwork on the guitar makes shred-junkies weep. His Bandcamp hides a prolific backlog with several years’ worth of full-length albums. zakm.bandcamp.com
6:30 p.m. Aida Ade Aida Ade is a classically trained young singer who closed out the live music stage at Earth Day in Forest Park this year. A talented, upbeat and jazzy songwriter still in her midtwenties, she has a long career ahead of her. aidaade.com
7:30 p.m. Caroline Steinkamp From the River City Opry to the stage at ShowcaseSTL, Caroline Steinkamp stands out as an inclusive, real and frills-free songwriter in a city filled with exceptional talent. facebook.com/CarolineSteinkampMusic
8:30 p.m. Jenny Roques At ShowcaseSTL, Jenny Roques of Desire Lines shares a rare solo performance. She’s another building block of St. Louis music, and one of the city’s most beloved songwriters to emerge in the last ten years. facebook.com/jennyroques/
9:30 p.m. The Hollow Ends Rootsy folk propelled by a punk approach to just about everything, the Hollow Ends was formerly a solo act where songwriter Zachary Schwartz played both drums and guitar while singing. The current incarnation, however, features a full band. soundcloud.com/thehollowends
10:30 p.m. Ryan Koenig Some might know him as the everyman in Pokey LaFarge’s band, a guy who plays just about every instrument under the sun, including the guitjo (a guitar + banjo, kind of). But concertgoers in St. Louis have long been acquainted with songwriter Ryan Koenig’s enormous body of work, which fluidly captures country, rock and Mexican folk music into a cohesive whole. ryankoenigstl.com
PARLOR STL 4170 Manchester Avenue
3 p.m. Nick Gusman and the Coyotes As it turns out, Americana cranked to eleven sounds a lot like rock & roll. The roots here might be a little more “rootsy,” but Nick Gusman and company are no less raucous for a band that lives and dies in the dive bar. nickgusman.bandcamp.com
4 p.m. Sloopy McCoy Solo minimalist rock using a bass, simple backing tracks and vocals, Sloopy McCoy delivers a tight and dynamic blend of bass melodies with cheeky pop undertones. sloopymccoy.bandcamp.com
5 p.m. Kids A fresh-faced post-punk group whose central home is CBGB (and south-city basement shows), Kids delivers solid, borderingon-minimalist punk with relatable lyrics. kids.bandcamp.com
6 p.m. Nibiru Nibiru is doing its own thing, filtering what would otherwise be bedroom pop through distortion and delay. It’s a kaleidoscopic sound that fans of shoegaze can get behind, with enough melodic substance to please the pop palate. nibirustl.bandcamp.com
7 p.m. Bounce House One of St. Louis’ best new bands, this fuzzy synth pop crew just released a solid EP, Starter Home, bringing increasingly growing buzz to the local upstarts. bouncehouseband.bandcamp.com
8 p.m. Banana Clips Featuring members of Shitstorm, Joan of Arc and more, Banana Clips describes itself as “four extraterrestrials who came to St. Louis to play psychedelic party punk for public school kids.” A more apt description would be hard to come by. bananaclips.bandcamp.com
9 p.m. The Stars Go Out The crown jewel of St. Charles pop punk, the Stars Go Out takes itself just seriously enough as a band to deliver radio-ready anthems while still delivering a laidback, fun time. thestarsgoout.bandzoogle.com
10 p.m. Rec Riddles Rec Riddles is a repeat performer at ShowcaseSTL for a reason. This New Jersey native turned St. Louisian is straightforward in his mission to keep “real” hip-hop alive. His new album As the World Burns drops this summer on July 12. recriddlesmusic.bandcamp.com
20
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
HANDLEBAR PATIO 4127 Manchester Avenue
2:30 p.m. JoAnn McNeil JoAnn McNeil is an experience live, weaving layers of tone and texture for a warm ambient soundscape. Recordings do little justice to this sound sculptor, who treats every aspect of her set with the utmost intent. soundcloud.com/joannmcneil
3:30 p.m. Justin Ra Justin Ra plays self-proclaimed “Galactic Jungle Rock.” It’s an unusual descriptor, but no one will argue otherwise after seeing his live set full of densely packed psychedelic songs. justinra.bandcamp.com
4:30 p.m. Huht Huht is a collision of retro-synths and polyrhythmic prog rock. The group features members from St. Louis’ resident King Crimson cover band along with one member of 18andCounting & TheOnlyEnsemble. huht.bandcamp.com
5:30 p.m. The Opera Bell Band The Opera Bell Band is a singular experience that blends genres in a way that only a self-proclaimed “cartoon country” band can. Performances are theatrical, dadaesque and especially memorable. operabellband.bandcamp.com
6:30 p.m. Two Cities One World The duo of Anna Yanova-Cattoor and Jared Cattoor is the link between St. Louis and Sofia, Bulgaria — hence the name. The resulting music is a cultural kaleidoscope of bent genre conventions. Elements of world music, R&B, pop and soul blend together for a sound that is hard to define but impossible to ignore. twocitiesoneworld.com
7:30 p.m. Frankie DoWop
Last Night the DJ Saved Her Life
A soul singer who incorporates elements of funk, jazz and R&B, Frankie DoWop rarely performs in her hometown St. Louis, making this show a special treat. With a voice that has to be heard to be believed, hers is a must-see set on this lineup. instagram.com/frankiedowop
8:30 p.m. Janet Evra A stunning jazz bassist with a voice to match, Janet Evra is a well-traveled composer with both the chops and artful insight to realize grand musical visions. An absolute must-see for anyone in St. Louis who loves jazz. janetevra.com
9:30 p.m. PRYR Whether its members are on a tear in a small jazz club or performing at recent MVMNT Lounge events at the Monocle, PRYR is one of St. Louis’ most exciting jazz and hip-hop collectives. The group is maybe more jazz than hip-hop, with one of the city’s absolute best drummers in Jeffrey Dhoruba Hill. instagram.com/pryrmusic
HANDLEBAR INSIDE 4127 Manchester Avenue
10 p.m. Agile One Yet another standout from St. Louis’ burgeoning DJ and dance scene, DJ Agile One was tapped to open for Big Freedia’s set at the Contemporary Art Museum in December. A better referral for her ability to get asses shaking would be impossible to find. instagram.com/djagileone
11:30 p.m. DJ Alexis Tucci See featured story just to the left. soundcloud.com/alexis-tucci-hansen
1 a.m. Saylor CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT:
Sloopy McCoy: VIA THE ARTIST | Aida Ade: VIA THE ARTIST | DJ Agile One: RJ HARTBECK | Justin Ra: KURTIS GIBBS | Bounce House: VIA THE BAND SIDEBAR: Alexis Tucci: PAIGE BUTLER
Whether it’s one of her inclusive electronic music events or an appearance on a lineup alongside other artists, Saylor is focused on a full audio-visual experience, specializing in her own distinct brand of sensory overload. soundcloud.com/saylorsurkamp
Alexis Tucci’s approach to music can’t fit neatly in the two-letter anagram — DJ — that usually precedes her. She considers herself a house music DJ first and foremost, and in conversation she’ll rattle off several sub-genres of the form the same way baseball announcers breezily call a double play. Her DJ career first took flight in the 1990s as a member of the HotHouse sessions, which featured musicians improvising over her record spinning. Since then Tucci has embraced solo DJ sets with vigor, though her latest band, the Disco Techs, again fuses lives players (including members of the Funky Butt Brass Band and the Brothers Lazaroff) alongside her spinning. As a promoter and event planner, Tucci heads up Nightchaser, a company that specializes in immersive, after-hour parties. But whether she is in the DJ booth or behind the scenes, the same goal fuels her. “If there’s a crowd that’s giving me energy, I can go forever,” she says. Tucci’s party-throwing bona fides stretch back to the days of after-hours raves held in abandoned warehouses. She has always prided herself on her longevity behind the decks. “Back in the rave days, it was epic if a big-name DJ went for more than an hour,” she recalls with a laugh. “When I started, I was used to playing super-long sets. I like so much music and there’s so much in the songs I play.” Just recently, Tucci had a chance to put that commitment to the test; she was a featured artist at AfrikaBurn, a South African desert party inspired by the annual Burning Man festival (of which Tucci is a dedicated attendee). She DJ’d a tenhour set, with only an hour’s break in the middle. “It was awesome — they hung with me from the first drop ’til I ended at 7:15 in the morning,” she says. Asked if there are similarities between throwing a great event and crafting a non-stop house music set, Tucci brings it back to the audience. “I need to feel like the crowd — their positive energy — is a part of the design of the event,” she says. “By being present, they are a crucial part of the event. Throwing the parties, I want people to have a completely psychedelic, submersive experience whether they are sober or not. It all works hand in hand.” Those epic DJ sets have been a salve to Tucci in the past few months following the death of her father, restaurateur, philanthropist and civic booster J. Kim Tucci. “Everything I am doing, every single ounce, is attributed to his devotion as a father to me,” she says. “His integrity and work ethic was the lesson he taught me. If you are passionate about what you do, you are driven by your own internal fire.” And her father’s love for St. Louis was passed down as well. “Civically, there is no better place than St. Louis,” Tucci says. “I’ve played all over the world, and I still can’t wait to come home to St. Louis — I’m never bored here and I don’t know how anyone else could be. That love of the city has definitely rubbed off on me.” —Christian Schaeffer
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
21
ATOMIC COWBOY PAVILION 4140 Manchester Avenue
1:30 p.m. School of Rock Ballwin
27 years, 50 Players and Music That Runs the Gamut When John Harrington talks about the history of his rap-rock band Midwest Avengers, he doesn’t just talk about the membership of the on-stage players. He talks about all the people who have rolled in his crew, which has its roots in good-natured, party-starting teenaged hooliganism before the band coalesced into one of the area’s first to hybridize the aggression of punk and metal and the lyricism of hip-hop. Harrington, an emcee who performs as BC, has been the group’s longest-running member; his brother James Coleman, who emcees as So’n’So, joined in 1996. Harrington figures that more than 50 players have performed in the band in its 27 years, and at least triple that number of friends, fans and family have supported the band. “Our crew is like a family — it’s everybody, our families and people we grew up with,” Harrington says. “It’s not just a band, it’s our crew. We take trips, we go bowling, we do barbecues, we throw parties. “Five guys can’t keep a band going for 27 years,” he continues. It was in that spirit that Harrington and his crew recently threw the Midwest Avengers Gala, a celebration at the Sheldon Concert Hall that had the look and feel of a movie premiere rather than a hip-hop show. “We’re big on just creating opportunities for us. We don’t get a lot of opportunities because people forget about us,” he says. “Let’s create our own opportunities — let’s take our friends and fans and moms and dads and cousins and do a ball.” The band even donned black-tie attire and posed in front of a Harrington-constructed backdrop, fitting for paparazzi flashbulbs. It was a thoroughly grownup affair, but Harrington says that the DIY undercurrent speaks to the difficulty that the Midwest Avengers historically had in bridging two divided musical cultures. “All the black people were like, ‘It’s cool, but we don’t get down with that heavy metal white-boy stuff,’” Harrington says of the band’s early reception. “We’d go play rock shows and they’d say, ‘The band was cool, but we don’t get down with that rap stuff.’” The current generation’s musical pantheism — as well as hip-hop’s ascendency — makes the Avengers’ sound more in step, Harrington says. “Now, every white kid has heard rap. Every black kid has heard rock and metal and punk. The new generation doesn’t even blink; everybody is listening to everything. Luckily, the fad came back around and caught us.” All of the lineup changes have kept the sound of the group fluid, but Harrington credits brothers Mason and Joe Caratachea, both guitarists, for moving the band toward R&B and Latin-inspired rhythm. “Our crew has always been real diverse, multi-genre and multi-color, but this is the first time the band hasn’t had a caucasian in the group,” he notes. “That representation has always been part of our band from day one. ‘Oh, you got a white boy in the band!’ Yeah, he’s fam, and he’s dope as fuck — you got a problem with it?” If listeners have a problem with the Midwest Avengers and its hard-to-pin-down sound, it’s no skin off Harrington’s back. It’s a good bet that he and his crew will continue making music, throwing parties and carving out its own space well past its 30th anniversary. It’s an ethos that has never wavered. “If you don’t like what everyone else is doing, do your own thing,” Harrington says. —Christian Schaeffer
22
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
2:30 p.m. School of Rock Kirkwood Both St. Louis-area locations of School of Rock — Ballwin and Kirkwood — will be opening the main outdoor stage on Saturday, kicking off ShowcaseSTL with the event’s youngest musicians. locations.schoolofrock.com
3:30 p.m. National Blues Museum Jam Band A supergroup of players from St. Louis’ thriving blues scene, the National Blues Museum Jam Band is performing at ShowcaseSTL to raise awareness of the National Blues Museum located right here in town. nationalbluesmuseum.org
4:30 p.m. Soulard Blues Band There’s nothing more St. Louis than a blues band made up of music scene veterans, radio DJs and regulars from the bluesy bar scene on Broadway. Soulard Blues Band has been dubbed “Best Blues Band” in RFT reader polls so often, you might think they’re the only band in town playing the blues. They’re definitely not — they’re just one of the best. f a c e b o o k . c o m / S o u l a rd - B l u e s - B a n d 300833897833/
5:30 p.m. Sorry, Scout This indie Americana outfit puts social justice at the fore of every song. Coming off a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign after a year of impressive showings at several area festivals, Sorry, Scout seems primed to be the city’s next “it” band. sorryscout.bandcamp.com
6:30 p.m. We Are Root Mod A jazzy gospel pop odyssey, We Are Root Mod’s most striking characteristic is how tight the band plays — which makes sense, because most of its members are blood relatives. The ties that bind indeed. twitter.com/wearerootmod
7:30 p.m. Midwest Avengers See featured story just to the left. facebook.com/MidwestAvengers
8:30 p.m. Tonina To say that Tonina is on an upward trajectory would be selling the young jazz singer and bassist short. From making one of Barack Obama’s favorite songs of 2018 to being named one of the year’s best new artists by NPR, Tonina turns heads in St. Louis like few others. It’s only a matter of time before she’s a household name. tonina.bandcamp.com/
9:30 p.m. Kim Massie Kim Massie is an actual diva, a local blues legend whose shows are practically a point of pilgrimage for St. Louisans. She kicked off 2019 by playing the final show at Beale on Broadway before the beloved blues bar closed its doors earlier this year. Her set here is, as usual, mandatory. kimmassie.com
ATOMIC COWBOY LOUNGE 4140 Manchester Avenue
10 p.m. DJ Uptown A regular “Best DJ” nominee at this and other publications around town — not to mention a two-time Red Bull Thre3style STL finalist — DJ Uptown is a staple in St. Louis’ DJ scene. As Atomic Cowboy’s regular Saturday night DJ, manning that same booth in the bar’s lounge for years, Uptown will be right at home getting crowds dancing in the Grove. facebook.com/bookuptown/
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: Suzie Cue: JULIANNE WISE | Soulard Blues Band: VIA THE BAND | Sorry, Scout: VIA THE BAND | Emily Wallace: LACEY GAUTREAU | The Uppers: VIA THE BAND | Jon Bonham: VIA THE BAND | St. Villagers: VIA THE BAND | Scrub: NATE BURRELL | Crystal Lady: JOE MANCUSO | Tonina: JESSICA PAGE SIDEBAR: Midwest Avengers: KATELYN SMITH
THE BOOTLEG 4140 Manchester Avenue
2 p.m. Emily Wallace Whether she’s part of a band or off on her own, Emily Wallace can spread good vibes in a way few songwriters can match. No wonder she’s beloved in all corners of St. Louis. facebook.com/EmilyWallaceTunes
3 p.m. Jon Bonham and Friends A workhorse band that tackles Americana, country and blues, Jon Bonham and Friends have been working in the St. Louis area for more than a decade, becoming a building block of the music community. jonbonham.bandcamp.com
4 p.m. OnlySound
8 p.m. Scrub and Ace Ha A revival of ’90s hip-hop that goes right for the gut, Scrub and Ace Ha has been busy as of late, performing on the roof of the City Museum as well as a Sofar Sounds Showcase. scrubandace.com
9 p.m. Najii Person One of St. Louis’ fastest-rising talents, rapper Najii Person offers lyricism and skill in all varieties of hip-hop, from trap to boombap and everything in between, making his set a must-see affair. soundcloud.com/nperson
10 p.m. The Uppers
A straight-up classic rock band infused with elements of the blues, OnlySound revels in a working-class vibe. It’s another reader’s poll favorite. onlysound.bandcamp.com
True to its name, the Uppers delivers a blend of punk rock and power pop resulting in a high-energy set of songs that will get your fist pumping. Expect to have its melodies stuck in your head for days on end. theuppers1.bandcamp.com
5 p.m. R6 Implant
11 p.m. Brute Force
With members of both Fragile Porcelain Mice and Yowie, R6 Implant is a well-oiled machine whose chief exports are heady metal and grotesque bass riffs. r6implant.bandcamp.com
Brute Force might be the best band in St. Louis hardcore right now. Heavy, thick as hell and filled with floor-clearing mosh parts, the band wears its Lockin’ Out Records influence proudly on its sleeve. bruteforcestl.bandcamp.com
6 p.m. Crystal Lady An alternative rock band that pulled big numbers in our reader’s poll, Crystal Lady isn’t afraid of a twinkly riff or the occasional wah-wah pedal. crystalladyband.com
7 p.m. Bizy Jay Bizy Jay specializes in bass-heavy, trunk-rattling trap beats and laidback rhymes. His online presence is spare, but the single “Ain’t Goin’ Broke” is a low-key affair suitable for vibing out in a dimly lit room filled with weed smoke. instagram.com/bizyjay_tdm/
12 a.m. The Lion’s Daughter Fresh off a European tour with Season of Mist labelmates Misery Index, the Lion’s Daughter will bring its heady mix of blackened progressive metal to the Grove this year. The band has long been one of the best St. Louis has to offer — metal or otherwise. With the release of last year’s stunning LP Future Cult, the rest of the world is starting to realize it too. thelionsdaughter.bandcamp.com
FIRECRACKER PIZZA 4130 Manchester Avenue
4 p.m. St. Villagers St. Villagers are quite possibly the only original Chinese rock band that actively plays around St. Louis. Hooky riffs are the order of the day, with a little guitar-shredding virtuosity tossed in for good measure. facebook.com/st.villagerschineserock/
5 p.m. John Hawkwood’s Blackfoot Sun Risen from the ashes of propulsive protopunk act Thee Oswalds, John Hawkwood’s Blackfoot Sun sees songwriter (and occasional RFT contributor) G.M.H. Thompson turn his attention toward a distorted and warped vision of art rock. johnhawkwoodsblackfootsun.com
6 p.m. Prime Time Soap Formerly known as Brainpal, the newly renamed Prime Time Soap shows songwriter Brian D. Heffernan exploring indie rock and folk with a full, dynamic band. primetimesoap.bandcamp.com
7 p.m. Let’s Not Led by St. Louis comedian/writer/musician Jeremy Essig, this band could be considered college rock ... back in 1994. And that’s a compliment. These are authentic songs with all the rough edges of our grunge rock forebears. letsnot.bandcamp.com
1 a.m. Dracla
8 p.m. Suzie Cue
An ancient evil unearthed in service of early Black Sabbath-style metal with gnarly bass riffs, Dracla is a vampire who is keen to drink wine over human blood. The problem is, he has expensive tastes, so he’s started a band to sustain that very pricey personal hobby. dracla.bandcamp.com
A St. Louis stalwart who is no stranger to the taverns and music venues around the city’s south side, Suzie Cue will be performing with a band to flesh out her low-down folk songs. Her latest, The Bridges Were Already Burning, employs a stripped-down approach similar to her solo sets and open mic appearances, but the full band will add heft to these songs in a live setting. suziecuemusic.bandcamp.com
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
23
24
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
BEAST BUTCHER AND BLOCK TROPICAL LIQUEURS
4156 Manchester Avenue
4104 Manchester Avenue
3 p.m. Leslie and Mike
2:30 p.m. Sister Wizzard
Leslie and Mike is the acoustic duo of singer Leslie Stricklin and multi-instrumentalist Mike Lipel. They’re known for performing classic and current covers alongside heartfelt original tunes on stages across St. Louis. facebook.com/leslieandmikemusic
Since getting her start, Sister Wizzard has evolved throughout multiple genres, incorporating elements of indie rock, jazz and pop into her sound. No matter what the category, she has an innate ability to stack layers while still leaving enough space for her engrossing vocals, which are matched only by the nuanced wall of sounds she builds. sisterwizzard.bandcamp.com
4 p.m. Duhart
3:30 p.m. Biff K’narly & the Reptilians
6:30 p.m. Yuppy
A solid math-rock/emo outfit with a DIY ethos and hooks to spare, Biff K’narly & the Reptilians isn’t afraid to inject a little pop into its punk-damaged sound. biffknarlyandthereptilians.bandcamp.com
Yuppy describes its sound as “dad rock but for step-dads.” An exploratory approach to indie rock nets a nuanced sound that incorporates elements of shoegaze. yuppyofficial.bandcamp.com
4:30 p.m. Necessities
7:30 p.m. Golden Curls
Necessities is a spiky trio that finds a foothold between harmony and cacophony, formed from the ashes of three beloved and promising local bands. Stephen Baier led the indie-pop/glee-club mashup Dots Not Feathers; Chris Phillips sang lead in polyrhythmic pop trio Bear Hive; and Jon Ryan was half of the abrasively danceable duo Volcanoes. With Necessities, the three musicians have merged their interest in spindly, kinetic guitar riffs and jerky but propulsive rhythms. necessities.bandcamp.com
Golden Curls is that basement pop band making the house shake at a party in south city. A seedy synth underbelly keeps the sound stabilized as sinewy melodies dance atop a sharp rhythm section. goldencurls.bandcamp.com
5:30 p.m. We Are Warm
9:30 p.m. Shady Bug
This group is a collision of folk and experimental rock with slow-burning songs that move in a dramatic fashion. Top-tier musicianship carries the careful, subtle builds throughout. wearewarmmusic.com
In addition to taking several successful jaunts across the country, alt-rock revivalists Shady Bug recently released Lemon Lime on one of the hippest labels in New York, Exploding in Sound. The band also notably played Audiotree live to thousands across the world. shadybug.bandcamp.com
8:30 p.m. Glued Well known to south-city basement showgoers and Cherokee Street faithfuls, Glued is a post-punk band relatively unknown to the rest of the city. It’s time for that to change. glued.bandcamp.com
10:30 p.m. Dcupp Local dubstep/trap artist Dcupp earned a ton of votes in our reader’s poll with his soaring sounds and booming bass. soundcloud.com/dustin_dcupp_cupp
The father-daughter duo of Duhart might be the most charming pair to pick up the acoustic guitar. Singer Colleen Bunten has hosted multiple songwriter showcases at Gaslight, mobilizing the city’s top songsmiths on a semi-regular basis. duhartmusic.com
5 p.m. Devon Cahill Local royalty as far as St. Louis music is concerned, Devon Cahill currently devotes much of her time to indie folk outfit Bronx Cheers. At ShowcaseSTL, she’ll perform a solo set that pulls from her extensive songwriting backlog. devoncahill.bandcamp.com/
6 p.m. Karen Choi A traditional Americana artist, Karen Choi has an endearing voice and an overall warm tone that perfectly matches her expert songwriting. Her twangy lilt gives a country flavor to her largely acoustic songs. karenchoimusic.bandcamp.com
7 p.m. Neil and Adam A stripped-down duo whose songwriting speaks for itself, Neil and Adam have been making hooky, pop-infected music together since 1994. neilandadam.com/
8 p.m. Cara Louise Cara Louise has dropped the word “band” from her name. The beloved alt-country singer-songwriter likewise drops most of her band members for a special duo performance at ShowcaseSTL. caralouiseband.com
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT:
Glued: MAX BOUVATTE | Golden Curls: VIA THE BAND | Yuppy: VIA THE BAND | Devon Cahill: MAX CASSILLY | We Are Warm: VIA THE BAND | Sister Wizzard: VIA THE BAND | Dcupp: VIA THE ARTIST
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
25
26
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
27
DON’T MISS THE BEST LOCAL MUSIC WEEKEND OF THE YEAR!
Nepalese, Indian
INTHEGROVE
&
Korean Cuisine Open Since 2004 Open 7 days a week Daily Lunch Buffet & Dinner Menu
Catering Delivery Take Out 4145 Manchester Ave, St. Louis
Everestcafeandbar.com
314-531-4800
COMING SOON !
WESTPORT PLAZA LOCATION
Trops HandleBar Firecracker Pizza Atomic Cowboy The Bootleg BEAST Butcher and Block Parlor Gezellig Ready Room The Gramophone
FRI jUNE 21 SAT JUNE 22 EARLYBIRD WRISTBANDS AVAILABLE NOW RFTSHOWCASE.COM PING PONG TABLE • POOL TABLE • BOARD GAMES WEDNESDAY TRIVIA • LIVE MUSIC / DJS 5 DAYS A WEEK
THIS WEEK THE GROVE SELECTED HAPPENINGS
IN
Day or night, there’s always something going on in The Grove: live bands, great food, beer tastings, shopping events, and so much more. Visit thegrovestl.com for a whole lot more of what makes this neighborhood great.
2 4 R RI VI VE ER RF RF RO ON NT T T IT MI ME ES S MF EJAUBRNRCEUHA2R104Y- -22680,-, M220A0R118C8 H r5ri,ivve2er0rf1frr8oonnt trt ti ivmmeeersfs.r.coconomtmt i m e s . c o m 28 RIVERFRONT TIMES JUNE 19-25, 2019 riverfronttimes.com
MARK FARINA
THURSDAY, JUNE 20
THE WAILERS
$25, 6
PM AT
ATOMIC COWBOY
$15, 7
6:30
PM AT
THE READY ROOM
RFT SHOWCASESTL 2019 6
PM AT
ATOMIC COWBOY
PM AT
FIRECRACKER
SUNDAY, JUNE 23
HELL OF A NIGHT W/ JOAQUIN MUSICK AND PRINCETON DEW 6
FRIDAY, JUNE 21
THE READY ROOM
SEXAUER'S VINYL HAPPY HOUR 5
JAMMIN' FOR JUSTICE: MCU 10TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY!
PM AT
PM AT
THE READY ROOM
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26
GNASH
4130 MANCHESTER AVE. IN THE GROVE FIRECRACKERPIZZA.COM $20, 7
PM AT
THE READY ROOM
SAMANTHA FISH $25, 7
PM AT
ATOMIC COWBOY
THURSDAY, JUNE 27
$12, 6
PM AT
ATOMIC COWBOY
FRIDAY, JUNE 28
JEREMIAH JOHNSON W/ TONY CAMPANELLA
ATOMIC COWBOY
4
PM AT
KEKE WYATT 8
PM AT
THE READY ROOM
SATURDAY, JUNE 29 $10, 7
PM AT
THE READY ROOM
TUESDAY, JULY 2
HERITAGE AND FREEDOM FEST W/ WALKER HAYES & PAT BENATAR
OZZIE SMITH SPORTS COMPLEX
WEDNESDAY, JULY 3
ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND
40 OZ TO FREEDOM
VOODOO PLAYERS
6
PM AT
$25, 6
PM AT
ATOMIC COWBOY
THURSSDAY, JULY 4
TAB BENOIT $20, 6
PM AT
ATOMIC COWBOY
riverfronttimes.com riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 20-26, 2018 JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES 25 RIVERFRONT TIMES 29
30
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
31
32
CALENDAR
WEEK OF JUNE 20-26 courages people to tell them. And not the fictitious ones, either. Allison’s podcast Risk! features people from all walks of life telling real stories from their past, particularly the stories they thought they’d never share with a stranger, let alone a room full of them. He brings his Risk! Live tour back to St. Louis at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Delmar Hall (6133 Delmar Boulevard; www.delmarhall.com), which is where guests Amy Brooks, Susanna Lee and Rafe Williams will tell their true and risky tales. Tickets are $20. —Paul Friswold
THURSDAY 06/20 Circus of Scares Paranormal Cirque isn’t a family-friendly circus. With scary creatures and circus arts ranging from aerial to horizontal bar performances, no kids are allowed into this R-rated show, which fuses circus, illusion and cabaret performances. Even those ages thirteen to sixteen may attend with a parent only. ”It’s like Disney World for adults,” says Sarah Kessler, the public relations and media representative for Cirque Italia, the company that produces Paranormal Cirque. Held in a black and red tent in the parking lot of the St. Louis Galleria (South Brentwood Boulevard and Clayton Road, Richmond Heights; www.paranormalcirque.com), the show features the Wheel of Death, magic and wheel performances. Show times are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday (June 20 to 23). Tickets are $10 to $50. —Joshua Phelps
FRIDAY 06/21 The Scandal of Love Most of Europe in the early twentieth century was a-twitter over Sholem Asch’s daring play The God of Vengeance, a drama for the Yiddish stage that featured a Jewish brothel runner, his lesbian daughter in a tender and honest rainy love scene, and the hurling of a Torah. It was a lot for audiences to process. When Asch approved an abridged English production for the United States, he didn’t suspect what he was in for. While the radical Jewish community welcomed this bold new play, the Orthodox community was aghast at the sacrilege and the sheer indecency of Asch’s script. The state of New York charged all involved with indecency, and the play was removed from the stage. Contemporary playwright Paula Vogel revisits and reimagines Asch’s play in her drama, Indecency. In it the original actors
32
RIVERFRONT TIMES
Loopy Fun
Hedwig, Yitzahk and the Angry Inch are at the Monocle this weekend. | BLUEASTER PHOTOGRAPHY return from the dead to share their play in a new era. With a klezmer band onstage, Indecency its from Poland to Germany to America and back as it runs through the controversy and into the war years, as an aging Asch grows more uncomfortable with his young work and watches the rise of the German war machine and anti-Semitism. Max & Louie Productions presents Indecency at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (June 20 to 30) at the Grandel (3610 Grandel Square; www.maxandlouie.com). Tickets are $40 to $300. —Paul Friswold
Hedwig’s Back Grab your wigs and get ready to rock as The Q Collective presents Hedwig and the Angry Inch. John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s musical follows Hed-
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
wig Schmidt and her wild life that begins by growing up as a boy in East Germany. Hedwig shares the story of her botched sex change operation, tales of love and loss, and her struggle to find fame with her rock/standup comedy band the Angry Inch. Luke Streingruby stars as Hedwig and Sarah Gene Dowling plays the Jewish drag king, and Hedwig’s husband, Yitzhak. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 8 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday (June 20 to 29) at the Monocle (4510 Manchester Avenue; theqcollective.theater), and tickets are $20 to $75. —Joshua Phelps
SATURDAY 06/22 Take a Risk Supposedly, everyone has a story in them, and Kevin Allison en-
The Delmar Loop throws itself into summer on Saturday, June 22, and you’re invited to come along for the ride. At 9 a.m. the Loop Farmers’ Market starts things off with culinary demonstrations; as shops along the strip open, there will be musical performances, readings, art shows and more. Free pianos will be parked at key locations along the street for impromptu performances by anyone who wishes to play. The Loop Arts Fest continues through 3 p.m. in the Delmar Loop (5900 to 6200 blocks of Delmar Boulevard; www.visittheloop.com). Admission is free. —Paul Friswold
SUNDAY 06/23 Hail Marsha and Sylvia If you are one of the nineteen people who sat through Roland Emmerich’s whitewashed 201 film about the Stonewall riots, forget every moment of that nonsense (if you haven’t already). Trans women of color Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were the leaders of the uprising at the Stonewall Inn 0 years ago, an act of defiance that started the gay rights movement. It was also the origins of Pride month, which commemorates and honors the actions of that night. The Gateway Men’s Chorus celebrates the transgender activists who stood up and shouted “no more!” at its Pride month
Wednesday June 19 9:30PM
Sean Cannan’s Voodoo Players Tribute To Soul Featuring the Laren Lovelace Review Thursday June 20 9PM
Roland Johnson and Soul Endeavor Friday June 21 10PM
St. Boogie Brass Band Saturday June 22 10PM
Rock Paper Podcast Show
Featuring Amanda Fish Band, Tony Campanella Band and Odds Lane Sunday June 23 3:45PM
Second Hand Brass Band from Louisiana FREE SHOW!
Sunday June 23 8PM
The cast of Indecent. | GERRY LOVE
Soul and Blues Legend Kim Massie
TUESDAY 06/25 Fancy Fabrics
Jean-Baptiste Huet, French, 1745–1811; Activities on the Farm, c.1795; plate-printed cotton; 89 x 72 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum concert, 1969: Stonewall Remembered. The group will sing somber songs as well as disco favorites at the concert. Performances are at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (June 22 and 23) at the Touhill Per-
forming Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus (1 University Drive at Natural Bridge Road; www.gmcstl.org). Tickets are $20 to $25. —Paul Friswold
The consumers of middleand upper-class society in the eighteenth century developed a passion for rural scenes of traditional country life, just as the introduction of copperplate printing to the textile industry made it possible to produce fabrics with intricately detailed scenes printed upon them. Textile factories began churning out yards of fabric with shepherds, village fêtes and strolling couples for a market that could afford to buy them as furniture coverings, bedding and curtains. Printing the Pastoral: Visions of the Countryside in 18th-Century Europe, an exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum, includes numerous examples of the craft, several of which have never before been shown at the museum. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a reconstructed bed with printed bedding and curtains. Printing the Pastoral continues through December 1 in gallery 100 at the Saint Louis Art Museum (1 Fine Arts Drive; www.slam.org). Admission is free. —Paul Friswold
riverfronttimes.com
JULY 18
10,000 Maniacs JULY 20TH
Greg Warren
Comedy Special Filming
JUNE 29
HOTEL CALIFORNIA Eagles tribute band
AUGUST 2 & 3
John Mayall
AUGUST 23 Popa Chubby AUGUST 30 & 31
JUNE 19-25, 2019
GYPSY
SEPTEMBER 20
ORLEANS
RIVERFRONT TIMES
33
34
FILM
[REVIEW]
Echoes of Thunder Martin Scorsese’s conspiracy film reimagines Bob Dylan’s wild year Written by
ROBERT HUNT Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese Directed by Martin Scorsese. Starring Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg and Joan Baez. Now streaming on Netflix.
A
utumn, 1975: Bob Dylan, having recently returned to live performances after years of laying low, his every move scrutinized for signs of which way the times were achangin’, began a tour of smaller venues along the northeastern U.S. and Canada. The Rolling Thunder Revue was, as its name suggests, far from a typical rock concert. In addition to performances where he shared the stage with Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Allen Ginsberg and a gypsy-like band, Dylan had fashioned the tour as a kind of caravan, paying pilgrimages to historic sites like Jack Kerouac’s grave and making unannounced appearances in small-town banquet rooms. To add to the chaos, he brought along a film crew and invited playwright Sam Shepard to help him stage semi-improvised scenes in which Dylan, his wife Sara, Baez and a few guest stars play-acted a psychodrama based on his married life. The result all of this was four hours of uneven but occasionally illuminating observations on music, love and the larger-than-life Dylan persona. Titled Renaldo and Clara, it was released in 1978 but has rarely been seen since (except in bootlegs). The Rolling Thunder tour was, in a sense, Dylan’s go-for-broke effort to exploit/expose the public image known as “Bob Dylan.” On the advice of theater director Jacques Levy (who co-wrote most of the songs on the Desire album), Dylan
34
RIVERFRONT TIMES
Bob Dylan examined the myth of himself onstage during the Rolling Thunder Revue tour. | NETFLIX was creating a more theatrical version of himself for the concert stage, with broad, exaggerated gestures and using makeup and masks. Forty-four years later, Dylan called on Martin Scorsese to help relive that 1975 tour — or remake Renaldo and Clara. Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese is a freewheeling film that restores the best concert footage while embracing the masks-andillusions concept of the entire venture. Scorsese previously worked with Dylan on the excellent 2005 documentary No Direction Home, a skillfully edited account of the songwriter’s early career. But if that film was a collaboration, this one is more of a conspiracy. Scorsese embraces the Rolling Thunder concept to construct a fantasy recreation of the 1975 tour, complete with its role playing, rumor spreading and outright trickery. It’s more of a cinematic magic act than a documentary, announcing its intentions with a nod to French illusionist Georges Méliès, and Dylan’s ambiguous statement (call it a confession) that “when someone’s wearing a mask, he’s gonna tell you the truth.” Any project connected to Dylan is inevitably subject to intense scrutiny; not content to simply fol-
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
low his music (or books or occasional film , the Dylanologists look for secret motives, always asking “What’s Bob thinking now?” Overruling his subject’s objections (“I don’t remember a thing about Rolling Thunder,” Dylan argues. “It happened so long ago I wasn’t even born”), Scorsese tries to get inside his mind by building the film around the recollections of those who crossed Dylan’s path. The filmmaker who shot the concert scenes; the promoter who struggled with the ow of money; Baez, who shed her usual demure manner to shake it on stage with the band; and even a few figures whose roles in Dylan history have largely been ignored. That may or may not include actress and fellow KISS fan Sharon Stone and former presidential candidate Jack Tanner, best known for the HBO documentary about his failed ’88 campaign; Scorsese is certainly having fun. Although most of the participants interviewed so many years down the road look at their Rolling Thunder experience as a great transformative adventure, the tour is often dismissed as a chaotic mess, unruly and uncoordinated. (Sam Shepard wrote that the event wasn’t formless but had
simply taken on a form that no one knew how to keep up with.) Scorsese catches both views — chaos and bliss — but shows how they came together at the tour’s end when Dylan decided to apply his energy to the case of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the former boxer who had been framed for murder. Dylan’s song “Hurricane” is a small masterpiece, a novel in ten verses, and the film shows an unusually motivated Dylan pushing his record label to release it, gathering his band for a benefit concert (as well as a performance at arter’s prison and finally, delivering a blistering, angry performance, which essentially serves as the film’s climax. He’s still in makeup, still playing the role of “Bob Dylan,” but he’s on fire, telling Carter’s story with anger and with eloquence. The film suggests this is what the whole crazy caravan is about: the minstrel shouting his message to the world. The masks are off, the impish streak that pervades the film is put aside and we get to see Dylan at his best, as a minstrel/ prophet/poet shouting down the world’s injustice. He may bristle at the role, but Scorsese’s crazy, brilliant film reminds us that there’s no one who can do it better. n
STAGE
35
[REVIEW]
This Boy’s Life Charles Blow’s memoir, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, fails to ignite as an opera in its world premiere Written by
PAUL FRISWOLD Fire Shut Up in My Bones By Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons. Directed by James Robinson. Conducted by William Long. Starring Davóne Tines, Karen Slack, Julia Bullock and Chaz’men WilliamsAli. Presented by Opera Theatre of St. Louis through June 29 at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road; www.opera-stl.org).
J
azz musician Terence Blanchard has become a frequent visitor to St. Louis in recent years as an in-demand composer for both Metro Theater Company (Bud Not Buddy) and Opera Theatre of St. Louis (Champion). Blanchard’s new “opera-in-jazz” for OTSL, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, features a libretto by screenwriter Kasi Lemmons and is inspired by New York Times’ columnist Charles Blow’s memoir of the same name. It’s a tale of parental neglect, sexual abuse and revenge, set largely in the dead-end town of Gibsland, Louisana. How does a “boy of peculiar grace” survive the grim realities of poverty, violence and his own overwhelming uncertainty about what sets him apart from everyone else? I’m not sure. Despite several moving performances and some beautifully staged scenes, Fire Shut Up in My Bones never really ignites. Blow grows from a young boy to young man and endures various cruelties along the way, but the source of his discontent is never disclosed. As a result, the opera feels like it ends rather than concludes. Blow proclaimed his bisexuality in his memoir, which is the missing piece of the opera. If you’re aware of that going in, the show gives you all the points with which you can connect the dots. Yet there’s no mention of that in
Jeremy Denis (center) and Davóne Tines (right), with Michael Redding, portray columnist Charles Blow at different stages of life. | ERIC WOOLSEY the libretto. The fact that an opera about a bisexual man making its world premiere during Pride Month elides that identity is odd, to say the least. Bass-baritone Davóne Tines plays the college-aged Charles, who opens the show on the road back home from college, rusty pistol in hand. He’s racing back to kill a man, and then sets his pistol down on a block at the front edge of the stage. It remains there, harshly lit by its own spotlight, while he remembers his childhood and how he got to this night. His younger self, Char’es Baby (a young Jeremy Denis), chafes under the coddling of his mother and every other woman in town. Chare’es Baby is sensitive and thoughtful, and he aches for more attention from his overworked mother, Billie (Karen Slack). Tines’ rich voice gives this child’s yearning for love a long-gestating depth of feeling that goes unheard. His mother is exhausted from her factory job, tending five boys and chasing down her shiftless husband, Spinner (the very charming Chaz’men Williams-Ali). It’s Williams-Ali who gets the first great song of the night, in the bluesy showstopper “Lord Love
the Sinner in Me.” Williams-Ali tears through it with a rogueish smile, bringing a little joy to Gibsland — but not to his wife or children, who wait at home while Spinner drinks away Billie’s money. Billie catches him in the early stages of agrante and leaves him, moving in with her brother, Char’es Baby’s Uncle Paul (Michael Redding). It’s there that cousin Chester (baritone Markel Reed) comes to visit, and befriends Char’es Baby. In their shared room, Chester sexually abuses his unwitting cousin, while singing that everything is “Sweeter Stolen.” (Reed’s performance is so compelling and convincing that the audience booed during his curtain call on the night of the premiere.) Director James Robinson sits Reed and Denis on opposite sides of the bed undressing, while Tines perches on the foot of the bed, unable to relive the moment. All three performers are excellent, and the scene is horrific in its inevitability. In the aftermath, Tines sings of a shame he doesn’t understand to his unlistening mother while Denis’ blankly staring face is projected behind them on a large screen. It’s impossible to make
riverfronttimes.com
eye contact with this ghostly Char’es Baby, who has lost something he can not name. Soprano Julia Bullock personifies this loss, haunting teenage Charles in his quieter moments. In an abandoned house, she sings to Charles that she is the loneliness that will always be with him. It is perhaps the most Southern Gothic moment in an opera packed with woe and nightmares, and together Bullock and Tines scale every shadowy height in it. Sadly, the second half doesn’t reach these crepuscular heights. One problem is Blanchard’s score, which for the most part never rises above the typical incidental music you hear in film. Another is the story. In the second act, we return to the opening moments, but go no further. College-age Charles draws the pistol from its spotlight and into the action, but follows his mother’s example and foregoes violence. As a real-life choice, that’s a good thing. But within the story, the audience only feels frustration that Charles doesn’t get closure with anyone. Does his mother ever learn what happened to him? Does Loneliness still shadow him? Does he know yet what it is that sets him apart? n
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
35
FEATURED DINING
6 RESTAURANTS YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT...
CAFE PIAZZA
SPENCER’S GRILL
CAFEPIAZZA.COM
SPONSORED CONTENT
314.821.2601 223 S KIRKWOOD RD KIRKWOOD, MO 63122
314-343-0294 1900 ARSENAL STREET ST. LOUIS, MO 63118 Like pizza? Nobody does it better than Café Piazza, a Sicilian Café & Bar in Benton Park & a stone’s throw from Anheuser-Busch (enjoy this iconic St Louis vista from our patio). Our “Big Momma” (a 4-ton laser wood-fired pizza oven) has been firing out pizzas since 2017. Try the original 11” Italian style: bestsellers include our Pizza Bianca (garlic infused alfredo sauce, grilled chicken, bacon and parmigiana) or Queen Margherita (fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil). Prefer a deeper dish? Try our Sicilian pizzas baked in Extra Virgin Olive Oil & tomato fillet sauce with your choice of toppings. Heard of our famous graffiti mural which covers the entire ceiling? Created by legendary artist Paco Rosic, it depicts famous St Louis luminaries: kudos to those who can name all eleven! If pizza isn’t your thing, our appetizers, paninis, and salads definitely will be. Open for lunch & dinner daily. Brunch served Saturday, Sunday 10am – 2pm. $7 original 11” Italian pizzas all day every Monday! Happy Hour 4pm – 6pm weekly ($3 draft beer), all-day Sunday. Open until midnight Friday & Saturday. Group catering also available.
Spencer’s Grill is a historic diner in the heart of downtown Kirkwood. Bill Spencer opened the Grill on Route 66 back in 1947. Over 70 years later a lot has changed but the diner is still a timeless staple cherished by locals. These days Alex Campbell is the owner and the road goes by S. Kirkwood, but the old grill lives on. Known for its breakfast, Spencer’s cooks up crispy pancakes, from scratch biscuits and gravy, omelets, hash browns, and other traditional breakfast favorites. For the after breakfast crowds, Spencer’s offers a variety of lunch options including sandwiches as well as some of the best burgers in town. Jake Sciales (previously head chef at Farmhaus) runs the kitchen at Spencer’s and creates delicious off-menu specials daily. His culinary excellence makes even the most familiar dishes divine.The charming breakfast bar is welcoming and the service is friendly and fast. Mornings can be busy but the lines move quickly and breakfast comes out fast. Looking for a new breakfast spot? If you haven’t tried Spencer’s yet, you need to check it out. Spencer’s Grill is open 6AM until 2PM seven days a week.
OAKED
BLK MKT EATS
OAKEDSTL.COM
BLKMKTEATS.COM
314.305.8647 1031 LYNCH ST, ST. LOUIS, MO 63118 Treat yourself to an elevated culinary experience. With spring’s arrival, OAKED introduces its Pink Moon menu. Diners can order the entire menu inside the speakeasy-feeling lounge, upstairs in the spacious dining room, and now on the beautiful New Orleans-style patio dubbed “the Veranda”. Chef Stephan Ledbetter and crew create new dishes each menu using the finest available ingredients while keeping past winners. This time around includes Duck Breast with charred Cabbage; Ratatouille with Spaghetti Squash and Vegan Burrata; and the housegem - Wild Mushrooms served with Duxellé, Truffle and Mushroom Tea. OAKED ensures their menu includes several vegan and gluten-free options so everyone can savor their evening. OAKED also has one of the better curated wine list in town alongside a selection of whiskeys and craft cocktails. It even has a small cigar bar outside on “the Gallery”. Offering Happy Hour specials from 4-6 daily. Music in the lounge Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Ample parking. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended.
THE CHOCOLATE PIG
BLUEDUCKSTL.COM
314.272.3230 4220 DUNCAN AVE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63110 Located inside the Cortex Innovation Hall in midtown St. Louis, The Chocolate Pig’s fun, unique location perfectly complements the interesting fare offered up by this well-regarded new entrant to the local dining scene. Open every day, The Chocolate Pig’s primary restaurant space offers salads, sandwiches, burgers, elevated comfort foods such as shrimp and grits and intriguing daily specials inside the attractive dining room and bar. The Market component, meanwhile is a “quick grab kitchen,” allowing those with limited time a chance to order a coffee and sandwich quickly, while offering an elevated set of expectations than the normal “grab & go” concept; it’s open from 7 am-5 pm daily and provides a great option for Cortex workers. Destination diners, though, are going to want to sit and savor the fare from The Chocolate Pig during lunch and dinner service, the restaurant serving moderatelypriced entrees that are heavy on locally-sourced ingredients. Though the menu items featuring proteins (especially pork) are among the most-popular, a variety of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free items complement them. All items are offered up in one of the most-unique, thoughtfully-stimulating restaurant environments in town.
RIVERFRONT TIMES
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, ingredients that fit everything you loveSPOT about sushi NOTall-natural YOUR AVERAGE SUSHI and burritos right in your hand. The Swedish Fish layers Scandinavian cured salmon, yuzu dill slaw, Persian 9 SOUTH VANDEVENTER DINE-IN, TAKEOUT OR DELIVERY MON-SAT 11AM-9PM cucumbers and avocado for a fresh flavor explosion. Another favorite, the OG Fire, features your choice of 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.
THE BLUE DUCK
THECHOCOLATEPIG.COM
36
314.391.5100 9 S. VANDEVENTER AVE. ST. LOUIS, MO 63108
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
314.769.9940 2661 SUTTON BLVD, MAPLEWOOD, MO 63143 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.
CAFE
37
[REVIEW]
The French Connection Maison 808 reminds St. Louis of the pleasures of the classics — and its own heritage Written by
CHERYL BAEHR 808 Maison 808 Geyer Avenue. Wed.-Sat. 5-9:30 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (Closed Monday and Tuesday.)
L
uke Reynolds has owned businesses in Soulard for fifteen years, sitting on the historically rench district’s Mardi Gras committee and its neighborhood and business associations, too. Even though he no longer lives in the neighborhood, he considers it his home. Add to that his passion for going out to eat — at one point, he estimates, he dined out at least five times a week — and he’s uniquely positioned to weigh in on St. Louis’ relationship with rench food. As the owner of Maison 808, a restaurant that is as classically rench as it comes, you’d think Reynolds would be bullish about the cuisine. Instead, he says, he had become convinced the city had a lukewarm relationship with it, an observation he finds puzzling considering the city’s rench heritage. “Soulard is named after a renchwoman,” he likes to say, and yet there was no rench restaurant in the neighborhood and only a couple in the entire metro area. Reynolds muses this is because people wrongly find the cuisine intimidating or unapproachable, something he saw firsthand At one point several years ago, he attempted to turn his popular restaurant and bar, Mollys in Soulard, into a rench-in ected spot. It was, he admits, a bust. This experience gave him pause when considering what to do with the real estate that would become 808 Maison. Reynolds knew he wanted to open a restaurant in the space —
808 Maison’s escargot are served in shell with Spanish chorizo, caramelized fennel, Madeira and saffron-garlic butter. | MABEL SUEN that was the easy part. or a decade and a half, he has owned not just Mollys, but also the building in which it’s located. At one point, this included another bar, orton’s. When it shuttered in 2009, Reynolds simply reconfigured the adjacent space into over ow for Mollys. Still, the configuration seemed awkward, and for some time, he’d been trying to figure out how to better utilize its two extra rooms and second kitchen. Eventually, it became clear that he should turn it into an entirely different restaurant. To Reynolds, a new restaurant would do more than fill an underutilized space; it would also fill what he saw as a void in Soulard’s dining scene. Though the area is ush with food and drink options, it lacked a more upscale concept — something he found quizzical considering its a uent demographics. The neighborhood had a built-in customer base that is both fiercely loyal to local businesses and equipped with the means to support them. They seemed to be begging for a nicer place to frequent, and, once ranco closed in 201 , had no place to do so. It’s fitting, then, that when Reynolds sought out ideas, ranco’s former chef, Jon Dreja, hit him up
with a vision for a classical rench restaurant. Knowing what he knew about St. Louis and rench food, Reynolds brie y paused, but then found himself jumping in with enthusiasm. While Dreja developed the menu, Reynolds worked on the space, turning its two rooms into a cozy, romantic dining area and bar. 808 Maison is intimate, a fact that hits you when you walk up to the front door and into a tuckedaway little alcove that seems almost hidden from the street. Inside, the low tin ceiling, navy blue velvet banquettes and dark-hued oral wallpaper evoke the sort of atmosphere you’d want for date night when the kids are away at a sleepover. A small bar with a midcentury modern aesthetic takes up one wall of the front dining room; to the back, a brick archway, semi-obscured by wooden panels, gives a peek into the partly open kitchen. rom that kitchen, Dreja turns out a menu of rench fare so classic, it feels vintage not all that different from that cool mid-century bar. A parmentier features sweetbreads that have been interspersed into a mouse-like cloud of foie gras and mushroom duxelle, then crowned with luxurious duchess
riverfronttimes.com
potatoes and drizzled in veal jus. It’s a warmly satisfying old-money version of shepherd’s pie. Dreja also hews to tradition with his duo of tuna and beef tartare. or the former, ecks of onion and a mildly spiced aioli accent the meaty fish without covering its avor. or the latter, he goes old school, serving the beef with silken egg yolk and capers that provide a pop of acid that cuts through the richness. f course, 808 Maison offers rench onion soup, and it executes this standard awlessly. The broth is delicate and restrained, leaving room for a crouton and a heap of molten gruy re de comt . There is such a thick layer of cheese, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a glorious, onion-scented fondue, a decadent treat. The star of the appetizers, however, is the escargot. As anyone who’s eaten snails knows, the mollusks are merely an excuse to lap up whatever sauce accompanies them. Here, that sauce is an ethereal nectar of Madeira, garlic and saffron butter that’s so wonderful, my guest and I shamelessly asked for a spoon to eat it like soup. Rich Spanish chorizo bobs in the butter, infusing it with paprika-
JUNE 19-25, 2019
Continued on pg 39
RIVERFRONT TIMES
37
38
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
808 MAISON
Continued from pg 37
avored rendered fat; caramelized fennel and shallots intensify the avor, lighting up the palate with a depth and richness that’s positively haunting. Though 808 Maison is a cozy rench bistro, the steak and pomme frites might make you think you’ve stepped into a chophouse. The entree features a positively primal sixteen-ounce bone-in ribeye and, as if one bone isn’t enough, a second one, cut open and filled with custard-like marrow, is served alongside it. I couldn’t decide what to dip my steak into the marrow or the side of horseradish-kissed allemande sauce that gave a slight contrast to the beef’s fatty avor. I chose both — and it was good enough, I chose the combo for the accompanying fries as well. Dreja makes his own cervelas sausage, including enough pistachio and peppercorn in the mix to provide both a subtly menthol avor and pleasant contrast of texture. The sausage alone is wonderful, but he wraps it in bacon and gruy re de comt cheese, then encases the concoction into
Chef Jon Dreja’s Tom Cruise-adorned kitchen has been dubbed “the Danger Zone.” | MABEL SUEN a puff pastry for the most luxurious pigs in a blanket money can buy. ennel, prepared almost like a sauerkraut, and saut ed arugula give the dish a welcome snap of licorice and pepper. The kitchen is equally proficient with seafood. A whole loup de mer, or sea bass, is so moist it melts on the tongue, leaving in its wake the
delightful licorice-seafood avor of scallop and fennel mousse that is stuffed inside. Another dish, the bouillabaisse-adjacent Marseille seafood stew, is an absolute masterpiece, not just because of the bowl brimming to the top with a bounty of shrimp, clams, mussels, crab, squid, monkfish and sole, but also the haunting saffron fumet,
riverfronttimes.com
accented with an anise-in ected whisper of Pernod. ou could linger over that stew for the evening, or you could order dessert, including a fudgey, ourless chocolate cake served la mode with pistachio ice cream or, even better, a classic vanilla cr me br l e — paired with a glass of Sauternes, for good measure — that makes you fall in love with the ubiquitous treat all over again. Having such a awlessly prepared cr me br l e reminds you why the sugar-encrusted custard is such a classic. But it’s not just the desserts that make 808 Maison such an eye-opener. The restaurant, overall, is a brilliant reminder of the beauty of authentic rench food, a way of eating that has gone out of vogue in recent years as restaurants have eschewed tradition in favor of innovation. That innovation is not a bad thing, per se, but it’s not the only way to eat. As 808 Maison proves, sometimes, you need to revisit the classics — especially in the rench part of a decidedly rench town.
808 Maison Escargot .................................................... $12 Marseille seafood stew ............................ $30 Steak and pomme frites ........................... $40
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
39
40
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
SHORT ORDERS
41
[SIDE DISH]
A Musician Who Is All in on Bartending Written by
CHERYL BAEHR
I
f you want a peek at how Phil Lockett has straddled two alternate universes, all you have to do is listen to him talk about a recent exchange with his boss, Terry Oliver, at Frazer’s Restaurant & Lounge (1811 Pestalozzi Street, 314-773-8646). “I’d just come back from tour and was at Frazer’s polishing some glassware when Terry just looked at me,” Lockett recalls. “He said, ‘Man, two days ago, you were in Ukraine playing in front of 25,000 people, and here you are polishing glasses.’ I said, ‘Yeah, that’s my life.’” Many people in the service industry juggle restaurant jobs and music gigs. But few balance bartending by touring with bands that are big enough to draw massive crowds. The juxtaposition might seem jarring, but for Lockett, who’s played with the popular metal bands the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza and Emmure, it’s the natural outgrowth of being someone with two strong passions. His first love, music, goes back to his days as a little kid listening to his mom’s vinyl. She immediately recognized his passion and encouraged him to find the instrument that spoke to him. When he was in high school, he discovered the bass, and threw himself headfirst into learning how to play. Before he knew it, he was playing in bands and enjoying a successful run as a musician. Everything in his life was secondary to music, but in between tours, Lockett found himself back in town with too much down time for his taste. His friend, Carrie Harris, was part owner of the Crack Fox, and he went to the
Phil Lockett has played huge stadiums with metal bands. These days, bartending at Frazer’s and the Midwestern takes precedence. | JEN WEST downtown bar one night to say hello. He left with a job. “When I got there, she was sweating and in the weeds,” Lockett recalls. “I told her that I didn’t care if she paid me. I just wanted her to give me something to do.” Harris took him up on his offer and Lockett was soon learning to bar-back, also serving as the bar’s handyman and maintenance guy. Eventually, Harris trained him behind the bar, where he instantly fell in love with everything about the craft. Lockett loved his Crack Fox family, but after leaving for a tour and then returning to town, he decided to leave the nest for Flamingo Bowl, the Way Out Club and eventually Sanctuaria, a bar he describes as “the biggest box of crayons in the city to play with.” He yearned to soak up all the knowledge he could from the pioneering cocktail bar, and he made good on that vow, catching the eye of acclaimed barman Tony Saputo at the neighboring Layla. Lockett went to work for Saputo, and began to think of bartend-
ing as something more than a way to make money between tours. With Saputo’s encouragement, he joined the United States Bartenders Guild and got even more serious about the industry. He also wanted to take on additional bartending gigs, so when Saputo suggested he check out Frazer’s, he decided to give it a try. It turned out to be an eye-opener. “It’s a very different style of bartending than I’ve done before,” Lockett says. “Terry [Oliver] has a unique way of creating and executing drinks and wants people to be customer-service oriented, engage, and make people feel at home and like a friend. If I sharpened my bartending knife at Sanctuaria, I really honed it at Frazer’s.” Being at Frazer’s — and now at the new downtown barbecue joint the Midwestern (900 Spruce Street, 314-696-2573) as well — has not only helped Lockett with his craft, it’s made him rethink his priorities. With changes in the music scene making it difficult to eek out a living, he decided it was
riverfronttimes.com
time to shift his attention. “I had to make a hard decision, but I had to walk away from touring,” Lockett says. “After fifteen years, everything was secondary to it — friendships, relationships, jobs. Bartending had always been on the back burner, but now I’ve decided to switch that and have it be my main focus. It’s cool to know that there are still opportunities when I want to go back to music, but for now, I want to set fire on this bartending career.” Lockett took a break from the bar to share his thoughts on the St. Louis food and beverage scene, his struggles with being an introvert and the bartending dream team he’d assemble if the world depended on it. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did? Well, it may be a bit obvious (or completely misunderstood), but I’m almost cripplingly introverted. I had anxiety attacks just from walking through the crowds in high school in between periods. I’ve
JUNE 19-25, 2019
Continued on pg 42
RIVERFRONT TIMES
41
PHIL LOCKETT Continued from pg 41
developed a screen over time, though, through years of touring in bands and bartending. So, as long as I have that space between you and me, we’re good. If I seem vapid or distant, please do not be offended. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? Coffee. As I love to say at my two current venues, “This is for your protection as much as my enjoyment!” If you could have any superpower, what would it be? This is funny. I have a superpower list for my friends and favorite bartenders. Ted Kilgore, St. Louis cocktail godfather, you already win (you don’t count!). Tony Saputo, probably the best-balanced drinks in the city. Jeffrey Moll, amaro extraordinaire. Matt Seiter and the OG Sanctuaria Crew, bringing it to the masses. Terry Oliver, master of texture (and more OCD than I ever could be/am!). Carrie Harris showed me the ropes, but more importantly, showed me what it meant to run a super clean, efficient bar and the importance of what it is to be a part of a crew/family. Doc and Godfather (Josh Johnson and Ray Edwards instilling confidence. This list can go on and on. So, having been surrounded with this caliber of superheroes, I have already developed my own superpower (I think): helping to establish excellent bar crews. I believe I have a knack for getting awesome people together with other awesome people running the show. Part of the crew, part of the ship! What is the most positive trend in food, beer, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? Unequivocally, the low-ABV cocktail/ sober trend. Most nonindustry people don’t realize what we go through, day in day out, to service their needs. It’s why drug and alcohol abuse is a pretty common occurrence in our industry. We have to cope too. But, even though I’m not strictly sober, I’ve been inspired by Tom Halaska and WellBeing Brewing and a handful of other, sober St. Louis industry friends to realize that you don’t have to be imbibing or drunk to have a good time or enjoy a good drink. What is one thing missing or that you’d like to see in the local food and beverage scene? More prevalent late-night food! I know that there is Atomic Cowboy and Flamingo Bowl until 2
42
RIVERFRONT TIMES
a.m., and Mangia serves until 1:30. I love Uncle Bill’s and Courtesy Diner, but I’d love to see more variety in the neighborhoods that are willing to go late night. Who is your St. Louis food or drink crush? Any and every bartender who can serve me either a Boulevardier, a shot of Cynar 70, or an icecold Busch and a whiskey. Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis food and beverage scene? There are far too many to mention, but I have been keeping an eye on Naomi Roquet at Reed’s. Natasha Bahrami, Dale Kyd and the crew at Cafe Natasha’s. Harrison Massie and company at Small Change. Denise and Stephen at Oaked. Kira Webster at BAO. Charlie Martin and Morgaine Segura at Olive + Oak. I can’t wait to see what Sean Baltzell and crew do when Takashima Records opens. There’s a lot to be proud of, appreciate and look forward to. Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? If it’s dark, I’ll drink it. Color counts, right? If someone asked you to describe the current state of St. Louis’ food and beverage climate, what would you say? Ambitious, expanding and growing. There is always something going on. It almost seems like the neighborhoods are starting to grow into each other. I’m constantly recommending bars, restaurants, venues and cocktail joints in the city to out-of-towners that they had no idea existed. Every neighborhood in this city has its vibe. Every bar has its character. Enjoy and experience it! If you were not tending bar, what would you be doing? Playing music, looking for a bartending position. Ha! Name an ingredient never allowed behind your bar. There are very few, but Jose Cuervo Gold is definitely one of them. What is your after-work hangout? It depends on which bar I’m working at, but Flamingo Bowl, Venice Cafe, Whiskey Ring, Crack Fox, Atomic Cowboy or Parlor. What’s your edible or quaffable guilty pleasure? An ice-cold can of Busch and a shot of whiskey. What would be your last meal on earth? Steak and sauteed veggies from Frazer’s with the added lobster tail (for a nominal fee). Then, a threecourse for the drinks: Opolo Old Zin, Boulevardier with Rittenhouse Rye, and a Blood & Sand with Carpano Antica and Caol Ila! n
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
Fred & Ricky’s had two locations, plus a retail operation. | LAUREN MILFORD
[FOOD NEWS]
Fred & Ricky’s Prepares to Close Written by
SARAH FENSKE
V
egetarian grab-and-go shop Fred and Ricky’s (64 Weldon Parkway, Maryland Heights) is closing both its locations this month — and shutting down its retail operation as well. The plant-based food purveyors, which had stores in Creve Coeur and Maryland Heights as well as products for sale in a half-dozen grocery stores in the city, had a three-year run. But co-founders Kathleen and Rich Waidmann are going out with their heads held high. “We’re really pleased that we could make a contribution to St. Louis in this way,” Kathleen Waidmann says. “If nothing else, we’ve educated consumers here on a genre they wouldn’t have known about if we didn’t put this food in front of them.” She adds, “If you wanted to start a vegan grab-and-go business, St. Louis wouldn’t be the place for it. But we did it here because that’s where we lived — and St. Louis was ready for it. We had sales in eight different stores. The only problem is that Ricky and I are
tired.” In a letter to customers sent via email last week, the Waidmanns explained that they were choosing to close up shop rather than compromise their standards: “As we crossed our three-year anniversary in April of 2019, Rich & I have spent a lot of time trying to decide what the next chapter would be for Fred & Ricky’s. While we’ve helped many people achieve better health, unfortunately the demands of this business have not helped our own health or quality of life. “We’ve looked at many potential changes to our business model that would help alleviate some of the challenges, but we’ve not found any options that don’t sacrifice the quality of our products or substantially raise our prices. We’ve made the difficult decision to suspend our operation.” Kathleen Waidmann said the couple was winding things down in a way that would give customers two weeks to find new sources of vegan food, and also making sure employees received severance too. Fred and Ricky’s offered insurance, 401K and livable wages, which the Waidmanns took pride in. She’s not sure what’s next for herself and her husband — or the business they helped to create. “We have no idea what the future will hold,” she says. “We’re open to any conversation anyone might want to have.” Both shops will close for good after the day’s business on Saturday, June 22. Fred and Ricky’s made its last delivery to retail outlets on Friday, June 14. The company will sell frozen food from its Maryland Heights location while supplies last from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 24 to 27. n
BAR TAB
The
MadCrab FRESH
by Ellen Prinzi
Where we’re drinking: Bemiston Cocktail Club (16 South Bemiston, Clayton; no phone) What we’re drinking: Rose Paloma ($10) When we’re drinking: After dinner
SEAFOOD
“ Deliriously Good Time” -CHERYL BAEHR RIVERFRONT TIMES RESTAURANT CRITIC
I
f fighting off cougars at Napoli isn’t your desired post-dinner scene in Clayton, the Bemiston Cocktail Club just might be a godsend. The bar opened in early May in the same spot that previously housed the Champagne bar Extra Brut. The interior isn’t much different from the Extra Brut days, but the menu and approachability of the establishment is like night and day. None of the craft cocktails is above $10, and bar bites of onion rings and hot dogs are a welcome approach in an otherwise formal and high-priced neighborhood. The door for the Bemiston Cocktail Club is adjacent to Louie’s Wine Dive. Stepping inside leads you down a long hallway that evokes a certain Game of Thrones aesthetic. Once inside the club, you are greeted by a compact bar and a modestly sized room of booths, high-tops and smaller two-top tables. The expertly crafted playlist makes the room seem cheery and fun. Head bartender Quinn Corrigan is there to greet you with a smile (or a story if you are so inclined) and a killer cocktail. There is no dedicated waitstaff — all food and drinks are ordered walk-up style, which complements the casual and unfussy nature that Bemiston exudes. The full bar offers a modest list of four classic cocktails, including a dirty martini and old fashioned (other classic cocktails can be made upon request), and a list of four house cocktails which change seasonally. “What I’m drinking typically depends on the weather, and the house cocktails will always reflect the changing seasons,” Corrigan explains. Enter the Rose Paloma — one of his house cocktails, and a perfect summer libation for an after-dinner drink/nightcap to send you on your way. The Rose Paloma is much like a regular Paloma, but with a lighter spin. It’s made with tequila blanco, grapefruit juice and rosé apple cider, topped with dehydrated limes. Salt is optional, but is recommended to balance out the flavor profile. “I took something I loved and made it more fun,” says Corrigan of the classic Paloma. Corrigan should know a thing or two about cocktails, specifically tequila, as he spent the last few years working at Público and Randolfi’s prior to that. Mike Randolph’s beloved high-end
SEASONAL FRESH CRAWFISH BUY 5 POUNDS, GET 1 FREE (Market Price)
•FRIED OYSTERS
NEW S! EM •SWEET POTATO FRIES MENU IT
•BLUE CRAB IS BACK!
HAPPY HOUR
MONDAY-THURSDAY 3-5PM 50% OFF BEER & SODA 50% OFF 1LB. SEAFOOD
(CLAM, SHRIMP, MUSSELS OR CRAWFISH)
or 50% OFF FRIED BASKET (SOFT SHELL CRAB, CATFISH OR SHRIMP)
LUNCH & DINNER • OPEN WEEKDAYS AT 3PM • WEEKENDS AT NOON 8080 OLIVE BLVD. • 314-801-8698 • NOW SERVING BEER & WINE
The Rose Paloma. | ELLEN PRINZI
Mexican restaurant Público, now shuttered, was known for its elevated cocktail program and as a spot for some of the best high-end tequila in town. After enjoying the paloma in the confines of the Bemiston Cocktail Club, you’ll likely agree this concept is a breath of fresh air in downtown Clayton. And if you’re looking for an after-work pick-me-up, there’s always the Bemmy: a shot of whiskey paired with an Old Milwaukee beer chaser for just five bucks. According to Corrigan, Bemiston is the only bar in town that sells Old Milwaukee beer … which tastes similar to my beloved Busch, and will do in a pinch if a refreshing cheap beer is what you’re craving. The bar is open Wednesday through Saturday and stays open until midnight. Ellen Prinzi is our bar columnist. She likes strong drinks and has strong opinions. You can catch more of her writing via Olio City, a city guide app she started in 2017.
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
43
44
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
OUT EVERY NIGHT
45
[CRITIC’S PICK]
Guided by Voices has inspired Matt Harnish’s record spin at the Royale. | ALBUM ARTWORK
Matt Harnish’s Guided By Voices Record Spin 9:30 p.m. Friday, June 21. The Royale, 3132 South Kingshighway Boulevard. Free. 314-772-3600. A recent New York Times exposé on a 2008 studio fire that wiped out an untold number of master recordings, including work by everyone from John Coltrane to the Roots, gave music fans pause: It reminded us of the physical, fragile nature of our favorite songs and how they could easily be lost to antiquity. It is unclear where Robert Pollard stores his archives — perhaps on a dusty shelf in a Dayton, Ohio, garage — but wherever they are, they must be vast. As the leader of
THURSDAY 20
3 CROOKED MEN: 8:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. CONMAN ECONOMY EP RELEASE: w/ Luxora, Unimagined, the Skagbyrds 6:30 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. MICKEY AVALON: w/ Dirt Nasty 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. SLEEPWALKERS: 8 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THE STOLEN: w/ States & Capitols, Roses! Hands! 7 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. TORREY CASEY & SOUTHSIDE HUSTLE: 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE WAILERS: 7 p.m., $25. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775.
Guided by Voices and several other offshoots, Pollard has written and recorded a huge number of songs, often releasing several albums and EPs in a single year. Local superfan (and Bunnygrunt honcho) Matt Harnish probably owns copies of all of them, luckily, and he’s planning on sharing them with an all-Pollard spin at the Royale this week. He’s promised to only play one song per release, meaning that picking the best from Alien Lanes or Isolation Drills is a heroic task best left to a true scholar like Harnish. Scat Man: In a nice bit of serendipity, the Royale’s longtime barman Robert Griffin, who released GBV’s beloved Bee Thousand on his Scat Records imprint, will be behind the stick all night. —Christian Schaeffer
FRIDAY 21
BOB SCHNEIDER: 8 p.m., $22-$25. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. CELERY REUNION SHOW: w/ The Pat Sajak Assassins, Killing Fever 8:30 p.m., $10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. DIANE COFFEE: 9 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. JERRY JOSEPH: 8 p.m., free. Pop’s Blue Moon, 5249 Pattison Ave., St. Louis, 314-776-4200. JOE METZKA BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE LONESOME BREAKS: 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. MARK FARINA: 8 p.m., $15-$20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. MONSIEUR PERINÉ: 8 p.m., $25-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis,
Continued on pg 47
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
45
DAILY LUNCH BUFFET : WEEKDAYS - $9.99 WEEKENDS - $10.99
DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK
MAKE YOUR DINNER SPECIAL WITH A BOTTLE OF WINE & GET OTHER 1/2 PRICE
South City Scooters
@ the corner of Connecticut & Morgan Ford
314.664.2737
RX-50
SAVE SOME CASH ON GAS. UP TO 100 MPG
$1150+ TAX *Not Shown Wolf Rugby pictured
Tue-Wed-Thurs 10-7; Fri 10-5; Sat 10-4; Closed Mon 46
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
314-726-6161. SHARON BEAR & DOUG FOEHNER: 7 p.m., $5. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER: 6 p.m., $10-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. STEVE MILLER BAND: w/ Marty Stuart 8 p.m., $48.50-$72. Liberty Bank Ampitheater, 1 Riverfront Drive, Alton Township. THE SHAE N’ JAY EXPERIENCE: 8 p.m., $12. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. THREE CROOKED MEN: w/ The Wayward Mountaineers, Mound City Slickers 9 p.m., free. Schla y Tap Room, 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314-241-2337. UNTURNED: 7:30 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
SATURDAY 22
ALL ROOSTERED UP: noon, free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. ALLY VENABLE: 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. BIG EASY: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. BLOXX: w/ Warbly Jets, Hembree 8 p.m., $15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. DEVIL’S ELBOW: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE HIGH ROLLERS: 8 p.m., free. Casino Queen, 200 S. Front St., East St. Louis, 618-874-5000. KILBORN ALLEY BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MURDER MACHINE EP RELEASE: w/ Fun With Napalm, Defcon, Mantra of Morta 6:30 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. RISK! TRUE TALES, BOLDLY TOLD: 8 p.m., $20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. ROCK PAPER PODCAST: 10 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. ROCKIN’ CHAIR: 6 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. RYNE WATTS & FRIENDS: 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. SADIE HART: 7 p.m., $15. The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Dr, Clayton. SKEET RODGERS & INNER CITY BLUES BAND: 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. A SUMMER CELEBRATION: w/ Bobby Venezuela, T-Krak, Kelby, $ergio Bey 8 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. TRAIN, GOO GOO DOLLS: w/ Allen Stone 7 p.m., TBA. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. TROPICAL SUMMER BLAST: w/ E-Hype, SB, Rysk, Turk Goon 8 p.m., $10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. WHAT HAPPENED WHEN LIVE: 7:30 p.m., $35-$79. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
SUNDAY 23
CHARLES TINER PROJECT: 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. DAVE HAUSE AND THE MERMAID: 8 p.m., $13-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. DELTA RAE: w/ Lucette 8 p.m., $18-$20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. DENIECE WILLIAMS: 6:30 p.m., $35-$65. Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd, North St. Louis County, 314-869-9090. HANNAH GREY DUO: 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463. HELL OF A NIGHT: w/ Joaquin Musick, Princeton Dew, Comedian Willie C and special musical guests 7 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. THE HI-JIVERS: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues
& Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 10:30 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ROLAND JOHNSON: 8 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. THE RUEN BROTHERS: 8 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THE USUAL SUSPECTS: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
MONDAY 24
CADE FOEHNER: 6:30 p.m., $20-$25. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ERIC AND LARRY: 6 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. SOULARD BLUES BAND: 9 p.m., $5. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. THIRD SIGHT BAND: 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
TUESDAY 25
THE ALLEY TONES: 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE CHASM: w/ Cruciamentum, Infernal Conjuration, Unspeakable 7 p.m., $14. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. FOREIGNER: 7:30 p.m., $29-$89. Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St Charles, 636-896-4200. POWERMAN 5000: 6:30 p.m., $18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THIRD EYE BLIND: w/ Jimmy Eat World, Ra Ra Riot 7 p.m., TBA. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.
WEDNESDAY 26
BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. GNASH: 7:30 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. JOHN PAUL WHITE: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. NIGHT MOVES: 8 p.m., $12-$15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. PRETTY VICIOUS: 8 p.m., $17. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. PRXZM: w/ Party Nails 8 p.m., $10-$12. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. SAMANTHA FISH: 6 p.m., $25-$30. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. TONY MACALPINE: 7 p.m., $20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
THIS JUST IN 3.2: Wed., Oct. 23, 7 p.m., $20-$25. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. AENIMUS: W/ Against the Grain, Fri., Aug. 9, 6 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ALEX CAMERON: Thu., Nov. 7, 8 p.m., $15-$18. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. ALL ROOSTERED UP: Sat., June 22, noon, free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. THE ALLEY TONES: Tue., June 25, 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ANDY FRASCO & THE U.N.: W/ Magic Beans, Fri., July 5, 6 p.m., $20-$25. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. ASHE: W/ Charlie Burg, Mon., Sept. 23, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. BAD HABIT: Sat., July 13, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. BECCA MANCARI: Sun., Sept. 29, 8 p.m., $12.
Continued on pg 49
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
47
48
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
[CRITIC’S PICK]
John Paul White. | ALYSSE GAFKJEN
John Paul White 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 26. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Boulevard. $20 to $25. 314726-6161. For five years, fans of the Civil Wars have been waiting for news of a reunion. Based on the career path of the duo’s guitarist and co-songwriter, John Paul White, they’ll need to get over it. White has embraced a low-key schedule, relishing the small-club circuit and the freedom to develop a quality label. His Single Lock Records has supported artists in and around his native Muscle Shoals,
OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 47
Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Wed., June 26, 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BIG WRECK: Sat., Oct. 12, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE BOTTLESNAKES: Sat., July 20, 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. BRIAN HENNEMAN & KIP LOUI: Thu., July 18, 8:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. BROJOB: W/ Inferious, Sat., Oct. 12, 7 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BRUISER QUEEN: W/ The Stars Go Out, The Radio Buzzkills, Jason Detroit, Sat., July 6, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THE CADILLAC THREE: Fri., July 26, 8 p.m., $20$22.50. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE CATCHING: Fri., July 26, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.
Alabama, area, the fecund terrain that sustains his own way with blues, soul and honky tonk. On The Hurting Kind, this year’s second post-Civil Wars solo album, White channels the eerie croon of Roy Orbison, duets with Lee Ann Womack and embraces twin-fiddle and pedal steel sounds. His soaring voice remains the most underrated instrument in American music. Shimmer and Twang: Recent signees to White’s Single Lock label the Prescriptions open with lots of bright, Byrdsy guitar chime and even more hazy country rock. —Roy Kasten
CELEBRATION DAY: A TRIBUTE TO LED ZEPPELIN: Sat., Sept. 14, 7 30 p.m., $20. hesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Drive, hesterfield. CHARLES TINER PROJECT: Sun., June 23, 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CHARLIE PARR: Thu., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. CLUSTERPLUCK: Sat., July 6, 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. CONFLICT: W/ Bastard Squad, Tue., Sept. 10, 8 p.m., $20-$22. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CRUMB: W/ Divino Niño, Shormey, Sun., Nov. 10, 8 p.m., $18-$21. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. DEVIL’S ELBOW: Sat., June 22, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. DEVIN THE DUDE: Mon., July 15, 8 p.m., $20-$23. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. DINOSAUR PILE UP: Sat., Aug. 10, 8 p.m., $15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. EDWIN MCCAIN: Tue., Nov. 5, 8 p.m., $30-$35. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis,
Continued on pg 51
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
49
8205 GRAVOIS ROAD • ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63123 • (314) 631-3130 MIDAMERICAARMS.COM • FACEBOOK.COM/MIDAMERICAARMS
SPRING SHOTGUN SALE $75 off all SBE 3’s in stock
Supernova 20003 $499.95 Nova 20100 $399.95
$100 off select Affinity and Intensity 40925, 40874, 40850
Prices too low to advertise
31830, 31842, 31822, 31853
YOUR HOMETOWN FIREARMS RETAILER FOR OVER 15 YEARS!
VOTED BEST GUN SHOP OF 2015
-2015 RIVERFRONT TIMES BEST OF ST. LOUIS
50
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
+Vapes CBD +Kratom +Local Glass +Cheap Prices 8122 S. BROADWAY 63111 314.261.4279
@710GLASSCO |
@710GLASSCOMPANY
OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 49
314-726-6161. ELLIOTT PEARSON & THE PASSING LANE: W/ Great Peacock, Fri., July 19, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. EMO NITE: Sat., Aug. 17, 9 p.m., $10-$12. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. ERIC AND LARRY: Mon., June 24, 6 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. THE ERIC PREWITT BAND: Fri., July 19, 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. THE FOUR ITALIAN TENORS: Tue., Oct. 29, 8 p.m., $19-$42. Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, 4431 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 314-373-8200. GRIFFIN HOUSE: Tue., Oct. 1, 8 p.m., $18-$20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. HANK VON HELL: W/ Overdose, Mon., Sept. 2, 8 p.m., TBA. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. HELMET: Tue., Nov. 26, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE HI-JIVERS: Sun., June 23, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE HIGH ROLLERS: Sat., June 22, 8 p.m., free. Casino Queen, 200 S. Front St., East St. Louis, 618-874-5000. ILLENIUM: Wed., Nov. 6, 8 p.m., $45-$47.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. INGESTED: Fri., Oct. 18, 6 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. JAKE SHIMABUKURO: Sat., Aug. 3, 8 p.m., $35$45. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. JOE METZKA BAND: Fri., June 21, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JON BONHAM & FRIENDS: Fri., July 5, 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. JOSIE DUNN: Wed., Sept. 11, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. KILBORN ALLEY BLUES BAND: Sat., June 22, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. KISHI BASHI: Sat., Oct. 26, 9 p.m., $20-$23. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. LAMAR HARRIS: Tue., July 9, 7:30 p.m., $15. Gaslight Theater, 358 N. Boyle Ave., St. Louis. THE LONESOME PINES: Fri., July 12, 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., June 23, 10:30 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MARK ROSE: W/ Ryan Dunson, Wed., Aug. 14, 6 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. MATT “THE RATTLESNAKE” LESCH BIRTHDAY BASH: Sat., July 13, 8 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. MIKE MATTHEWS PROJECT: Sat., July 27, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. THE MOVEMENT: Wed., Sept. 11, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. ODDS LANE: Fri., July 12, 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. OUTRUN THE FALL: W/ Out Amongst The Masses, LTH, XIII Minutes, Sixes High, Fri., July 5, 7 p.m., $10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. PERIPHERY: W/ Veil of Maya, Covet, Thu., Oct. 3, 7 p.m., $27.50-$30. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. PICTURESQUE: W/ Sunsleep, Sat., July 13, 7:30 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
RASPUTINA: Sun., Oct. 27, 8 p.m., $17-$20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND: Wed., July 3, 6 p.m., $25-$60. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. ROCK PAPER PODCAST: Sat., June 22, 10 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. ROLAND JOHNSON: Sun., June 23, 8 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. SEATTLE SUICIDE: Sat., July 6, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. SET TO STUN: Fri., July 12, 6 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SHARON BEAR & DOUG FOEHNER: Fri., June 21, 7 p.m., $5. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. SHINYRIBS: Thu., Sept. 5, 8 p.m., $18-$30. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. SKEET RODGERS & INNER CITY BLUES BAND: Sat., June 22, 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. SMOOTH HOUND SMITH: Wed., Oct. 16, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. SOULARD BLUES BAND: Mon., June 24, 9 p.m., $5. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811. SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER: Fri., June 21, 6 p.m., $10-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. STANK THUNDER: Fri., June 28, 9 p.m., free. Pop’s Blue Moon, 5249 Pattison Ave., St. Louis, 314-776-4200. STEVE’N’SEAGULLS: W/ Clusterpluck, Wed., Aug. 28, 8 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. STL AMERICANA FEST III: Sat., July 6, 4 p.m., $15. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. THE STORY COLLIDER: Thu., July 11, 7 p.m., $12. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. SWEETIE PIE & THE TOOTHACHES: Fri., July 19, 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. TAB BENOIT: Thu., July 4, 6 p.m., $20-$55. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. THE SHAE N’ JAY EXPERIENCE: Fri., June 21, 8 p.m., $12. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. THIRD SIGHT BAND: Mon., June 24, 7 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. TODD SNIDER: Thu., Sept. 19, 8 p.m., $25-$35. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, 314-533-0367. TORREY CASEY & SOUTHSIDE HUSTLE: Thu., June 20, 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. TYLER CASSIDY: Sun., Sept. 1, 8 p.m., $15-$50. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THE USUAL SUSPECTS: Sun., June 23, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. VOODOO STEVIE WONDER: Thu., June 27, 6 p.m., free. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. WHISKEY DRIVE: Sat., July 20, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. THE WHISPERING WILLOWS: Fri., July 26, 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. WHITE DENIM: Fri., Nov. 8, 8 p.m., TBA. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. WHITE REAPER: W/ The Dirty Nil, The Paranoyds, Thu., Oct. 3, 8 p.m., $18-$20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. THE WOOD BROTHERS: Tue., Nov. 12, 8 p.m., $26$31. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. n
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
51
52
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
SAVAGE LOVE WHY NOT ME? BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I found your column after a Google search. I saw your email address at the bottom and was hoping for some insight. My issue is this: Two years into our 23year marriage, my wife declared that she didn’t want to kiss me or perform oral on me. Several years ago, she had an affair and confessed that she not only kissed this other person but performed oral on them as well. Why them and not me? Should I just go find someone willing to do what I want? I have a high sex drive, but I find that I don’t want to sleep with my wife anymore because there is never any foreplay and a few minutes into it she’s telling me to hurry up. I don’t feel wanted, and honestly I no longer desire her. What do you make of this? Hurting Unwanted Husband Before telling you what I make of your email, HUH, I want to tell you what I wish I could make out of your email: a time machine. If I could turn all those pixels and code and whatever else into a working time machine, I’d drag your ass back to 1996 (and try to talk you out of marrying your wife) or 1998 (and try to talk you into leaving her after two years of marriage). But since time machines aren’t a thing — at least not yet — we’ll have to talk about the here and now. Your wife isn’t attracted to you, and never was, or hasn’t been for a long, long time. And now the feeling is mutual — you aren’t attracted to her anymore, either. And if you’re seriously wondering why she kissed and blew that other person — the person with whom she had an affair — when she hasn’t wanted to kiss or blow you for 20-plus years (“Why them and not me?”), HUH, the answer is as painful as it is obvious: Your wife was attracted to her affair partner (that’s why them) and she’s not attracted to you (that’s why not you). Now, it’s possible your wife was attracted to you a long time ago; I assume she was kissing and blow-
ing you while you were dating and during the couple dozen months of marriage. (She wouldn’t have to announce she was going to stop doing those things if she’d never started.) But at some point relatively early in your marriage, HUH, your wife’s desire to swallow your spit and inhale your dick evaporated. It’s possible her desire to swallow/inhale the spit/ dick of her affair partner would have evaporated in roughly the same amount of time, and she would have lost interest in him and his dick and his spit, as well. Some people have a hard time sustaining desire over time — and contrary to popular belief, women have a harder time sustaining desire in committed, romantic relationships than men do. (Wednesday Martin wrote an entire NYT best-selling book about it, Untrue: Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, and Infidelity Is Wrong and How the New Science Can Set Us Free.) Of course, it’s possible your wife isn’t the problem. You may have said or done something that extinguished your wife’s desire for you. Or, hey, maybe your personal hygiene leaves everything to be desired. (I’ve received countless letters over the years from women whose husbands refuse to brush their teeth and/or can’t wipe their asses properly.) Or maybe you’re emotionally distant or cold or contemptuous or incredibly shitty in bed. Or maybe you’re not the problem! I don’t know you, HUH, and other than the very few details included in your very brief letter, I don’t know what’s going on in your marriage. But I do know this: If you can leave, HUH, you most likely should. But if you decide to stay because you want to stay, or because leaving is unthinkable for cultural or religious or financial reasons, well, seeing as how your wife hasn’t wanted to fuck you for decades, and seeing as how you no longer want to fuck your wife, you should release each other from the monogamous commitment you made more than two decades ago. If you can adjust your expectations — if you can both agree to define your marriage as companionate, i.e., you’re friends and life partners, not romantic or sexual partners — you may be able to appreciate your marriage for what
it is. But to do that, you’ll have to let go of the anger and disappointment you feel over what it’s not. And to be clear: If your marriage is companionate, you should both be free to seek sex with outside partners.
Early on in the relationship, your new partner was your exciting new adventure, and you were theirs. But now instead of being the exciting new adventure, you have to figure out what exciting new adventures you’d like to go on together — and then get out there and go on them. Hey, Dan: Simple question, probably not a simple answer: How do you keep things exciting once the shiny, new phase of a relationship is over? Is it normal to reach a stage where you know someone so well that they’ve become boring? Isn’t that just the fucking worst? Same Old, Same Old Recognizing that some people actually enjoy boring — I have it on good authority that some people can get a thrill knitting sweaters and sitting still — there is something the rest of us can do to keep things exciting once the shiny, new phase of a relationship is over: Go on strange and exciting new adventures together. Early on in the relationship, SOSO, your new partner was your exciting new ad-
riverfronttimes.com
53
venture, and you were theirs. But now instead of being the exciting new adventure, you have to figure out what exciting new adventures you’d like to go on together — and then get out there and go on them. Hey, Dan: I’m a young, nonbinary ethical slut, and I have a question about a kink that one of my partners is discovering. We are very close, although we are not sexually active with each other at this point (we are currently long distance). She has another partner with whom she is currently exploring “little” play. I feel personally uncomfortable with age-regression play, but I obviously want to be supportive and understanding. We have fairly good communication, and I am able to tell her when I feel uncomfortable and that I still love and support her but I just can’t talk about “little” play at the time. I would love to be able to talk about it with her and be supportive, and at the very least make sure I don’t say anything ignorant or hurtful to her. My question is this: How can I stretch my zone of comfort and learn about this kink in a healthy and educated way? A Little Uncomfortable If you want to get more comfortable discussing “little” play, i.e., adults pretending to be small children with other consenting adults, the Dream a Little podcast is a good place to start. It’s hosted by Lo, an AB/DL (adult baby/diaper lover) who has been a guest on my own podcast and who recently made an appearance in the column offering advice to a sad and lonely AB/DL. That said, ALU, you aren’t obligated to listen to your partner talk about this kink if the topic makes you uncomfortable — or just bores you senseless. Tell her that you support her and you know it’s exciting to explore a new kink, and while she doesn’t have to hide this from you, it’s not something you’re comfortable — at least for now — discussing at length. Listen to Dan Savage online at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
53
54
RIVERFRONT TIMES
JUNE 19-25, 2019
riverfronttimes.com
riverfronttimes.com
JUNE 19-25, 2019
RIVERFRONT TIMES
55
HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS HAPPY HOUR
CARNIVORE A PLACE TO MEAT
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. Whether it was required to be part of the group of restaurants, or they ust 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
CARNIVORE | 2 7 SHAW AVE
St. Louis’ ONLY Axe Throwing Bar and Grill FREE Axe Throwing with Food and Beverage Purchase!
720 N. 1ST ST, ST. LOUIS, MO 63102
SPO SORED CO TE T
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 ust in time for winter including the Winter Paloma – na Vida tequila, cranberry uice, pomegranate uice, 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 uice. Carnivore, a place to meat. See you there!
E | CARNIVORE-STL.COM